A terrifying aura exploded from the center of the battlefield, and even Ichidai Kiyomu, who was standing far away, looked shocked.
He had expected strong fighters from the Hidden Leaf. He had already seen how powerful Kakashi was, and now that he understood Devil Fruits better, he no longer underestimated his enemies.
But he never imagined that Chiriku's power would be this overwhelming.
Staring at the massive golden Buddha in the distance, with its cold metallic surface and eerie divine glow, Ichidai Kiyomu felt like his heart skipped a beat.
"This can't be a normal Devil Fruit… it has to be a Mythical-type."
Feeling the strange energy coming off Chiriku, Ichidai Kiyomu's scalp tingled.
To the ninja world, Devil Fruits were already like cheats. Especially certain powerful ones.
This was still the ninja world, and not all the bizarre fruits had appeared yet. But even the so-called "low-tier" Zoan fruits weren't really that simple — most were more like beast fruits. Besides normal animal powers, they also granted special abilities.
As for Paramecia-type fruits, at first glance they looked normal too.
But even among Paramecia, there were some just like the Mythical Zoan fruits.
These rare ones were placed under the category of "Mythical-types."
Orochimaru's "White Dragon Fruit" was one of them. And now, Chiriku's power was also from a Mythical-type fruit.
The energy coming from the Great Buddha wasn't just raw strength.
Even Ichidai Kiyomu felt fear in front of this kind of power.
And then there was Danzo.
"H-How... how is this possible!!"
As the dust settled, a huge crater appeared on the ground, with cracks spreading outward in all directions — glowing with golden light from deep inside.
Danzo was covered in blood. His bones were completely shattered, white fragments piercing through his skin.
Just one hit, and it was almost enough to kill him.
"Still alive?"
Chiriku looked down at Danzo from above the pit, his gaze stern — but beneath that was a cold, chilling air.
"Great Buddha's Mercy!"
In the next instant, a pair of giant hands rose behind Chiriku, coming together above his head.
Layers of golden energy started to rise from his body, rippling like waves of glass. As the energy spread, Chiriku's hair slowly floated upward, strand by strand.
In the next instant, golden energy burst from his hands.
It was fast—so fast that all you could see was a flash of gold.
The giant Buddha behind him raised its hands together in a prayer pose, and then another set of hands shot toward Danzo on the ground at lightning speed.
Dodge? Half-dead Danzo didn't even have a chance. The terrifying golden energy had completely locked onto him.
Chiriku didn't give Danzo any room to breathe.
"If you're gonna die, then stay dead!!"
There was nothing monk-like about Chiriku's face now. The rage in him was so intense that even the calm and composed Ichidai Kiyomu was stunned.
As for Asuma in the distance, while he was a little shocked too, he quickly shook it off. After all, this was Chiriku we were talking about.
He may have brains, but his temper was nothing like Shikaku's.
"Did he run into someone he really hates or something?"
Asuma had no clue who Chiriku was fighting, but since Chiriku told him not to get close, he just stood quietly and watched.
Meanwhile, Danzo was in real trouble.
There was no doubt about his strength—he wasn't just some regular sage. He was even a Jinchuriki.
But Danzo got careless. If Chiriku had been just another Devil Fruit user, he might've gotten away with it.
But Chiriku wasn't. He was anything but ordinary.
In the original storyline, Chiriku would've stayed in the Fire Temple until Kakuzu and Hidan came to take his life.
Back then, Chiriku had basically already given up on life.
He had lived under Konohagakure's system for too long. Even though he walked out alive, he had lost all hope for the world.
Looking at why Chiriku returned to the village in this timeline makes things clear. It wasn't just because of Furido's death—his death didn't really hit Chiriku that hard.
To him, that's just how this world was. Furido's death? Expected.
Not just Furido—Chiriku didn't even care much about his own life anymore.
How do you change a world like this? It felt impossible.
But then Shanks showed up—and the world changed.
When Kakuzu and Hidan found Chiriku, he finally saw hope. He couldn't figure out this world, but someone else had already started to.
Shanks broke the chains, opened a window, and let the sunlight shine through. That light woke Chiriku up.
At that moment, Chiriku was reborn.
It was that belief that allowed him to fully awaken his Devil Fruit power. This kind of fruit didn't just test one's skill—it tested one's will and conviction.
And Chiriku… he was more than qualified.
With power like that, sharp as a blade, he completely outsmarted Danzo.
If you've ever seen how Orochimaru sets people up, you'd understand. Danzo might be strong, but not invincible. Same goes for Chiriku.
But right now—
With golden waves and bursts of air, Chiriku's punches landed on Danzo one after another like explosions.
Danzo's body was already falling apart, but somehow, he was still alive.
"Chiriku… You want to kill me too?!"
"But I'm a Sage!!"
Danzo roared.
The golden light had stopped his body from falling apart. It wasn't just blocking physical attacks—it was also stopping his body from healing.
As the Jinchuriki of the World Government, as long as Danzo was within their territory, he couldn't die. Even if his body was shattered, death wasn't an option.
"A Sage?"
A large hand grabbed Danzo and lifted him into the air. Looking at Danzo's broken, glowing body, Chiriku could feel something different coming from him.
Danzo's face was covered in blood, and the pain from his injuries was eating away at him.
"You're a Sage too? Hah."
Chiriku glanced at Ichidai Kiyomu in the distance. Ichidai met his eyes and sighed inside.
Chiriku was smart. Having someone that smart and brave as the head of the Marines—was that really a good thing?
Well, it was just a passing thought.
Right then, Ichidai Kiyomu raised two fingers.
"Sage Art: Soul Lock Technique."
The moment he cast it, Danzo's eyes went blank. His whole body seemed to lose its soul.
"Danzo wasn't meant to be used against Konohagakure."
Ichidai spoke up, not wanting to leave room for suspicion.
Danzo's identity was a sensitive topic. But if Danzo wasn't considered human anymore, then there'd be no issue.
"A puppet?"
"More or less. That's how the World Government sees it. If there's a strong fighter available, why not use them?"
"The seas are getting more chaotic. They need people to fill in the gaps."
Ichidai's explanation sounded reasonable.
At least Chiriku didn't have any solid reason to question him. Though honestly, what the World Government was doing was pretty shameless.
"It better stay that way."
Chiriku gave a warning.
There are some people you can mess with—but some you absolutely can't.
And this wasn't just about Konohagakure. There were people from other villages too. If things got out of hand, this wouldn't be something they could just sweep under the rug.
Ichidai knew that well.
Danzo was just a tool. Though lately, too many people had been using that tool.
Ichidai was planning to throw Danzo under the bus when needed. Meanwhile, others were already treating him like a test subject.
Seeing that Chiriku didn't have more to say, Ichidai took Danzo and left.
But the serious look on his face only got heavier.
"Not a single question?"
"That guy…"
Not asking anything at all—that was the biggest red flag.
The rift between the World Government and the ninja villages wasn't something that could be easily fixed. Some clans wanted recognition from the World Government, while others were chasing even greater power.
As for Chiriku, yes—he had his own issues. But deep down, he already knew the truth.
And there was something even more important—his own background wasn't exactly clean either.
"Lord Chiriku, the World Government has issued a transfer order.
Three days from now, please report to the Capital of Water to take up the role of Marine Fleet Admiral."
At that moment, some Anbu and Asuma walked over.
Chiriku had been expecting this order, but even so, a heavy look appeared on his face.
"I understand."
Looking off into the distance, Chiriku could feel the weight now on his shoulders.
Marine Fleet Admiral.
A man from the Revolutionary Army… was about to become the Marine Fleet Admiral.
To Chiriku, this could be seen as a win—but not necessarily a good one.
From that position, he could do much more, but at the same time, he'd need to balance between many different powers.
The Marines, pirates, the Revolutionary Army, the ninja villages, the World Government.
The Marines and the World Government weren't the same thing—at least not completely. Even if they looked united, both Chiriku and Shikamaru understood that the Marines must never fully tie themselves to the World Government.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the ninja world, people who had received news one after another were quietly making their own moves.
At Iwagakure Village… Oonoki had already left the village and arrived at one of the Three Great Sacred Places.
Facing the three sages, Oonoki finally made his decision.
"Three Sages, we of Iwagakure have chosen our representative."
Oonoki stood alone. He himself was that representative.
Seeing this, Slug Sage stepped forward, and Oonoki followed them into Shikkotsu Forest.
Land of Water, Land of Thunder, Land of Iron, Land of Wind, Land of Snow… all these countries began to stir.
Out at sea, sages who had been hiding among the pirates also started heading toward the New World.
Up in the sky above the ninja world, several massive islands floated among the clouds. A group of pirates had gathered on one of these sky islands.
Jigen stood atop a platform, raising his hand toward the sky.
Dozens of pirate ships began to push through the clouds above, breaking through the white mist layer by layer.
Dark stood from his place and looked up toward the platform where Jigen stood.
Beneath the shadows of the ships, Jigen looked down on the crowd. Golden Armament Haki filled the clouds above.
"Alright, boys!! Let's move! We're going to find Shanks!"
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