The sea hates Devil Fruits, and at the same time curses Devil Fruit users. All Devil Fruit users in the sea will sink like a hammer, unable to swim, their breathing stopping, waiting for death. Now, to make Luffy face such a massive amount of water...
"Gomu Gomu... Water Absorb!" He actually did have a way!
Luffy suddenly opened his mouth, stretching it to an unimaginable degree! After all, with the help of his Devil Fruit ability, his body had stretched to a certain extent. With his mouth wide open, Luffy actually intended to swallow the Water Release ninjutsu unleashed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju!
Devil Fruit users lose their power and are cursed by the sea if more than half of their body comes into contact with seawater. But if he swallows it, perhaps he won't be in such an awkward predicament. Moreover, the Second Hokage couldn't directly create "seawater" out of thin air in such a zero-water environment, could he...?
"Agh!"
In his normal state, Luffy's body's extension seemed to be limited. His mouth was wide open, but it seemed he only swallowed about a third of the ninjutsu unleashed by the Second Hokage.
"Gomu Gomu... Retract!"
However, Luffy clearly had another trick up his sleeve.
He absorbed a large amount of water into his stomach, then spurted it out of his mouth again, but it had been compressed, like a cannonball that had been fired!
"Thwack!"
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Luffy's water cannon swept across and shot at a large area of intertwining tree roots and vines that had burst from the ground, which then blocked it.
This was the unique Bloodline Limit, Wood Release, unleashed by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju! This was a powerful force created by using one's own chakra as the source of life, combined with the Bloodline Limit, and fusing to create plants!
In the entire ninja world, historical records show that only the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, possessed this Bloodline Limit. Even the other members of the Senju clan did not inherit such ninjutsu.
This place was originally a jungle around Leaf Village. The surrounding environment was very suitable for tree growth. This greatly enhanced the Deep Forest Emergence ninjutsu unleashed by the First Hokage.
In a sense, the surrounding environment's enhancement to a ninja should not be overlooked. For example, Water Release ninjutsu, if performed near the sea or a river swamp, its power would greatly increase.
However, if a genius like the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, exists, then even performing Water Release ninjutsu in a desert area without water can still cause considerable destructive effects. This is the difference in ninja strength.
Dense, thick vines, plant roots, and even tree trunks continuously burst from beneath the ground, growing at an incredibly rapid pace! Never mind resisting, even if Luffy's imitative ninjutsu attack faced an encirclement of an army of ninjas, this Wood Release ninjutsu, with its own wide-area attack nature, could still achieve very good battle results!
"Whoa!"
Luffy spat out all the water in his stomach, and at the same time, he dodged the water vortex unleashed by the Second Hokage. Only then did he have the spare energy to exclaim in surprise.
This Wood Release ninjutsu unleashed by the First Hokage, whether it was its offensive capability, attack range, attack effect, or visual impact, was absolutely top-tier!
"Truly powerful. Without the perception of Observation Haki, it's absolutely unimaginable that someone still possesses this kind of power!"
"Creation out of nothing, creating plants!"
"If it's on the high seas... with this kind of ability, couldn't I always avoid falling into the sea?!"
Ultimately, being a person from the pirate world, Luffy still couldn't forget his journey of sailing and adventuring on the high seas.
Flashing and dodging, Luffy moved like lightning, avoiding several tree roots and vines that lunged at him, trying to bind and restrict him! Because of the wide-area offensive of Deep Forest Emergence, even Luffy had to quickly create distance.
"This is enough, kid!" Luffy raised his arm and placed it in front of his mouth.
In his current state, which was also his Second Gear state, he could already contend with this level of ninja...
"Ah um!"
He took a deep breath, then sucked into his body: "Fourth Gear: Snakeman!"
This was a new state, different from his normal Fourth Gear. It also involved filling his muscles with compressed air, allowing him to unleash even greater power. Moreover, in his Snakeman state, Luffy's physique was much slenderer compared to his normal Fourth Gear, and his movements were also more agile.
His single-point destructive capability was also stronger.
Within the narrow and winding space created by the First Hokage's Deep Forest Emergence, this more slender physique was still beneficial for movement!
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!"
Still using a similar aerial movement method, he retracted his legs into his body, then quickly used the power of stomping to propel air, allowing him to move freely in the air!
Even if it was the dense, continuously twisting and twirling tree roots and vines trying to entangle him, they simply couldn't catch the incredibly agile Snakeman at this moment!
"Gomu Gomu Great Serpent!" Luffy seized an opportunity to dodge several entangling vines, then swung his incredibly long, straight fist, infused with armament Haki, through a gap!
...
"Crack!" It hit!
The continuously twisting and twirling tree roots and vines around, which wanted to tightly bind him within the range of Deep Forest Emergence, paused for a moment. Luffy knew he had hit his target.
Constantly stomping the air, he moved freely in mid-air, and in a blink of an eye, he escaped this large area of Deep Forest Emergence. Regardless of how one looked at it, fighting an enemy in such a Wood Release ninjutsu range was undoubtedly fighting in the enemy's home turf without any advantage. Why should he fight head-on?
The First Hokage, with his Wood Release ability, reminded Luffy of a former opponent he had faced, Vice Admiral Ryokugyu of Marine Headquarters. That guy was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, and he also seemed to be able to transform into and control the power of forests for his own use.
Compared to this ninja who used Wood Release ninjutsu, it was hard to say who was stronger or weaker. Right now, Luffy truly couldn't make an immediate judgment. He'd have to wait and see after they fought...
"Flying Thunder God Slash!" Just as Luffy barely escaped the range of Deep Forest Emergence, at this tense moment...
Behind him, another figure suddenly appeared as if by instantaneous movement!
Wasn't it the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, who had previously used Water Release ninjutsu, now brought back by Impure World Reincarnation?!
He was originally the strongest among all ninjas in the ninja world, renowned for his speed. Even after being reincarnated through Impure World Reincarnation, he was still incredibly swift!
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