"Six Paths level invincible… No wonder!"
Kakashi and the others finally understood, nodding in realization as the truth dawned on them like sunlight piercing through thick fog.
No wonder Sasuke and Madara had teamed up—yet still struggled so fiercely.
It was Six Paths level. Even a slight gap within that level meant an immense difference.
And more importantly—
Invincible Six Paths level… Why is it called "invincible"?
Because such beings possess the overwhelming strength to utterly dominate anyone within the Six Paths threshold.
In a one-on-one battle, Garp could effortlessly crush either Madara or Sasuke.
This was considering that both Madara and Sasuke were already powerhouses standing at the peak of the Six Paths level.
Otherwise—
Even with the two of them joining forces, they would have been ruthlessly destroyed without the slightest suspense.
It wouldn't be a desperate struggle.
It would be an execution.
"Then… can Sasuke and the others still win?" Sakura asked, her eyes wide with curiosity and disbelief.
Ryosuke, hearing her question, shook his head calmly.
"They can't win. Their attacks… are far too weak. They can't inflict real damage on an opponent like Garp."
Two against one… and they still couldn't win?!
The three looked across the battlefield, their gazes locking on the domineering figure of the Pirate King—Garp. Their expressions were filled with shock, awe, and disbelief.
But in truth—
If they understood the usual power scaling of the Pirate World, they would have been even more astonished by Garp's current strength.
After all—
In terms of peak combat power, the world of One Piece was generally ranked below the world of Naruto.
The main reason?
The existence of the Ōtsutsuki clan. That clan was simply too much of a cheat.
If we're talking about ordinary ninja in the regular shinobi world…
Then they naturally fall far short of the top-tier monsters of the Pirate World.
Powerhouses like the Four Emperors or the Marine Admirals—
Pull out any one of them, and you'd be facing a terrifying existence.
As for the ninja world?
Without the influence of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, how many true super Kage-level beings are there?
The Third Raikage might barely count as one.
Who else?
Jiraiya in Sage Mode, could maybe be counted.
After that?
Might Guy?
But even Guy was a momentary blaze of glory—just one brilliant moment!
The rest?
Basically nonexistent.
This alone speaks volumes about the impact the Ōtsutsuki clan has on the overall power structure of the Naruto universe.
All those overpowered figures?
Almost all tied to the Ōtsutsuki bloodline in one way or another.
Not to mention—
On the Ōtsutsuki clan's home planet, there are god-tier ancestors slumbering in the shadows.
With that kind of power, the Pirate World couldn't even flatter itself enough to compare.
And yet—
The peak combat strength in One Piece is far greater than how it appears in the manga and anime.
After all, One Piece is an incomplete story.
What?
You're saying Naruto isn't over either?
True.
But in some parallel Pirate Worlds, there are exceptions—outliers like this Pirate King Garp standing before them.
Their existence is exceedingly rare.
After all, most versions of Garp in the One Piece multiverse are known as Marine Heroes.
And in terms of strength?
They don't reach anywhere near this level.
Those are the typical peak levels of Pirate World—strong, yes, but not monstrous.
No freakish exceptions.
But this Garp?
Clearly an outlier.
Just like that Luffy…
Also one of a kind.
After all—
How could a normal Luffy become Pirate King at such a young age?
And single-handedly wipe out the World Government?
Someone who can wield Uranus and kill Imu?
That's likely this Luffy.
The others?
Most likely couldn't do it.
And what about Pirate King Shanks?
Pirate King Whitebeard?
All of them… special cases.
In the mainstream One Piece world, Whitebeard had no desire to become Pirate King.
Shanks?
He was a roamer, wandering the world and letting others "give him face." The man even bet one of his arms on Luffy's future.
But the Shanks in the Pirate King chat group?
Both arms intact.
Clearly—
Their life trajectories had shifted somewhere along the way.
Enough to alter the future of their entire worlds!
"They're all chosen ones of their respective worlds…" Ryosuke murmured with a complex expression, emotion stirring deep in his heart.
But—
A Chosen One?
How could they compare to the Lord of Destiny?
What's more—
The so-called Lord of Destiny was just a god-tier passive talent entry Ryosuke had casually equipped.
And it wasn't even his highest-ranked talent entry.
Honestly…
It's nothing much.
Because for Ryosuke—the one whose power had long since transcended the limits of any world—
He didn't even dare unleash his true strength in the Naruto World anymore.
One careless move, and he might very well shatter the entire world.
Although it wasn't guaranteed…
But what if?
So nowadays—
Whenever Ryosuke wanted to test his power or try out new techniques, he went straight to the battle arena within the chat group.
There?
He didn't need to hold back. He could go wild without a care in the world.
BOOM!!!
A massive black fist smashed down from the sky.
A figure was crushed under its immense force, blasted backward for thousands of meters. Nearly half of his flesh was obliterated on impact.
Yet—
Despite such severe injuries, Orochimaru looked down at his ruined body with a wide grin. His face shimmered with a deranged delight that bordered on madness.
"Hehehe… What a terrifying power… What did you say it was? Devil Fruit?"
As a scientist—one who had long been obsessed with the pursuit of knowledge—Orochimaru had naturally heard of how these so-called Pirate Kings had gained their might through mysterious fruits.
And now, seeing one firsthand?
His curiosity was burning with intensity.
He had to study these Devil Fruits.
He needed to know—why could such a thing grant humans such overwhelming power?
"Hahaha! That's right! I'm the legendary user of the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika!" Luffy laughed heartily, his voice booming even in the middle of fierce battle.
His laughter was so infectious that it actually affected Orochimaru.
Several times, he had to restrain himself from bursting out laughing.
It was ridiculous.
Even though Orochimaru's power wasn't far below Luffy's, to be influenced so easily just proved how outrageous Luffy's aura was.
"…Yes, very interesting indeed."
"The so-called Devil Fruits… they truly pique my curiosity."
As Orochimaru's body began to regenerate, he slowly rose from the crater, both hands slamming into the ground with force.
"Then let me witness the limit of your so-called Nika Fruit power!"
BOOM!!!
In the next instant, a colossal eight-headed serpent erupted from beneath Orochimaru's feet.
A monstrous behemoth!
It was none other than the legendary beast—Yamata no Orochi!
Its sheer size was comparable to the gigantic Luffy in his awakened form.
Like a living mountain, towering and oppressive!
This was no ordinary summoning. It was a forbidden technique—an ultimate trump card—that Orochimaru had personally developed through years of relentless research and experimentation.
Originally, his plan had been far simpler. He wanted to fully become the Yamata no Orochi.
But reality was not so kind.
The physique of the Ōtsutsuki clan was too overwhelmingly powerful. So powerful, in fact, that it completely rejected his attempts at further biological alienation.
So—
Orochimaru had no choice but to change direction. Instead of becoming the beast, he decided to create it.
By utilizing the power of Six Paths Chakra combined with his own awakened pair of Rinnegan, he meticulously forged an artificial, undying version of Yamata no Orochi.
The process?
Surprisingly smooth.
And the result?
Shockingly effective.
This summoned Yamata no Orochi wasn't just a summon—it was Orochimaru's manifestation of ultimate power. A being of calamity, shaped by science, chakra, and madness.
With this, Orochimaru had reached the absolute pinnacle of his strength.
Even Luffy, who had already activated his fifth-gear, had to treat him with utmost caution.
Otherwise—
The one who'd lose…
Might just be him!
"...Bring it on!!"
Luffy roared, and with fists blazing in black lightning, he charged forward like a thunderstorm given form.
The two colossal figures collided in mid-air, the shockwave alone enough to crack the earth and send clouds spiraling into the sky.
In that instant, Luffy swung a huge fist.
BOOM!!!
One of Yamata no Orochi's massive heads was blown clean off.
But…
It didn't end there.
The Yamata no Orochi possessed true immortality.
The severed head regenerated instantly—flesh twisting, bones forming, and fangs snapping into place like nothing had happened.
And at the same time—
Its eight dreadful serpent heads opened wide, each maw radiating a different elemental aura, and unleashed devastating beams of fire, ice, lightning, wind, poison, darkness, light, and gravity.
A barrage of chakra beams exploded toward Luffy in a kaleidoscope of destruction.
"Gyaaaaah—! That hurts!!"
Luffy screamed, the pain undeniable, but not enough to deter him.
With a grin that refused to fade, he reached out with both massive hands and grabbed two of Yamata no Orochi's necks, twisting—
BOOM!!!
He detonated them!
"Waaah!! Orochimaru's too strong!!" Sakura exclaimed, watching from a safe distance, her mouth agape.
"Yeah," Shikamaru nodded with furrowed brows. "Who would've thought he had such terrifying hidden strength?"
It was unexpected, even for them.
After all—
In their world, Orochimaru had once been an enemy of Konoha.
It wasn't until after the Fourth Great Ninja War that he returned and was pardoned. He eventually became a contributing researcher, settling down as the Director of the Konoha Scientific Institute.
Of course!
That version of Orochimaru no longer conducted illegal experiments on humans.
If he still did… even the perpetually sleepy Tsunade wouldn't have let him live.
Unless, of course—
He became Hokage!
...
Meanwhile, in another part of the battlefield, another skirmish was taking place.
Compared to the main clash, this one was smaller in scale but no less intense.
Because of the absence of two peak powerhouses—Madara and Sasuke—the Hokage faction found themselves at a noticeable disadvantage.
Despite their numbers and skill…
They were losing ground.
After all—
Standing on the Pirate King side were monsters like Whitebeard, Kaido, and Shanks.
Each of them had achieved what could be considered the third-tier or the Six Paths level.
While the Hokage camp still had several ninjas who had reached the Six Paths level, the absence of two key figures tilted the balance unfavorably.
The result?
A slow retreat.
An awkward struggle.
But surprisingly—
No one on the Hokage side seemed frustrated or bitter.
There was no despair.
No desperation.
Truthfully, they were just warming up.
Win or lose… it didn't really matter.
Because in the end—
Ryosuke would step in.
And once he did?
No matter how strong the so-called Pirate Kings were…
In front of him, they were as fragile as ants standing before a god.
The current battle was merely a test.
A curiosity.
They just wanted to see if, without Ryosuke's help, they could actually claim victory in a proper team battle.
But so far?
It looked…
Extremely difficult.