"President Lin!" Sabo greeted Lin Xuan with a respectful bow the moment he saw him.
Luffy, on the other hand, studied Lin Xuan curiously and asked, "Sabo, who's this guy?"
"Don't be rude, Luffy! This is President Lin of the Ninja Guild!" Sabo quickly corrected him, then turned to Lin Xuan with an apologetic look.
Lin Xuan, familiar with Luffy's carefree nature, didn't take offense. Instead, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What happened to you two? You look like you've been through a war."
Sabo gave a wry smile and began to explain.
It turned out that after Sabo reunited with Luffy, he had taken him to Impel Down in an attempt to rescue Ace. In the original story, Luffy only managed to infiltrate Impel Down with the help of Boa Hancock. But this time, the two of them alone stood no chance. They were met with fierce resistance the moment they approached the prison, barely escaping with their lives thanks to their strength. Eventually, they fled to the Sabaody Archipelago, battered and bruised.
Lin Xuan was somewhat surprised by the tale. He hadn't expected his influence to cause Ace's imprisonment in Impel Down earlier than in the original timeline, forcing Luffy to attempt a rescue regardless. This time, Luffy was far weaker than he had been in the original story, though he now had Sabo by his side.
After sending them to the medical ward for treatment, Lin Xuan met with them again to learn why they had come to the Sabaody Archipelago.
Sabo explained that after their failed attempt to breach Impel Down, he remembered the Ninja Guild's public statement offering mercenary services. That's why they had come to the archipelago—to hire the guild to help them infiltrate Impel Down. Sabo even offered a Devil Fruit as payment, though he admitted he didn't have one yet and would need to owe it.
"No problem," Lin Xuan agreed readily. Their request was simple—help them get into Impel Down—and a Devil Fruit was a generous price for the job. Besides, he didn't mind letting Sabo and Luffy stir up some trouble for the World Government.
In the end, Lin Xuan assigned Minato Namikaze to the task. With Minato's skills, getting Sabo and Luffy into Impel Down would be a breeze. Sabo, somewhat familiar with the Ninja Guild's members, was thrilled to hear Minato would be helping them. He thanked Lin Xuan profusely before eagerly dragging Luffy along, with Minato in tow.
To Lin Xuan's surprise, Minato wasn't alone. Uchiha Obito and Rin Nohara were with him, just like in their old team days. Considering Obito had caused the deaths of Kushina and Minato, Lin Xuan was genuinely shocked to see them reconciled so quickly.
Of course, it was clear Rin had played a big role in smoothing things over, and Minato's gentle, forgiving nature helped too. As for Obito, he seemed overwhelmed with guilt and gratitude for Minato's forgiveness, visibly determined to make up for his past mistakes.
"Once you complete this mission," Lin Xuan said to Minato, "I'll bring Kushina back with Edo Tensei. You'll all be reunited."
"Thank you, President!" Minato's face lit up with joy, and he bowed deeply in gratitude.
Rin and Obito echoed their thanks, their eyes burning with resolve to complete the mission flawlessly. With that, the group set off.
Not long after Sabo and Luffy left, the Sabaody Archipelago welcomed an unexpected group of visitors: the Whitebeard Pirates.
They arrived discreetly, careful not to draw attention. If word got out, people might assume the Whitebeard Pirates were here to wage war against the Ninja Guild. Moreover, their purpose for coming was something they preferred to keep under wraps for now.
Lin Xuan had already received a formal notice from the Whitebeard Pirates beforehand. Given the Ninja Guild's immense influence, both parties had agreed to clarify their intentions in advance to avoid any misunderstandings.
After receiving Lin Xuan's reply, several of the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders, along with Whitebeard himself, set foot on the Sabaody Archipelago.
Leading them was Felix, whose heart was pounding so hard he thought it might burst. The towering figure at the front, with his iconic white beard and overwhelming presence, left Felix barely able to breathe.
To the division commanders, Felix's reaction was no surprise. After all, their captain was the Whitebeard.
The Sabaody Archipelago was divided into zones based on the numbers marked on its giant trees. Most areas remained unchanged, like the shipbuilding hub at Tree 50. However, some places had been forcibly rebuilt at the Ninja Guild's behest. The former Marine base and the lawless slave-trading zone, for instance, had been transformed into the Ninja Guild's headquarters and a guest reception center.
Felix was now guiding the Whitebeard Pirates to this reception center, where a grand building had been constructed to host important visitors. The Whitebeard Pirates, without question, were esteemed guests.
The archipelago was eerily quiet, with hardly a soul in sight. Most of its original inhabitants had fled before the war that had shaken the islands. As the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders surveyed the empty streets, they couldn't help but feel surprised. Like the Revolutionary Army, they found the archipelago's defenses suspiciously sparse.
As they continued, they finally spotted a few figures in the distance, though the sight left them puzzled. They recognized these people from a recent broadcast—individuals with formidable abilities. One could manipulate sand, and an old man among them had once wielded Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords, like a weapon. Another, a grizzled smoker, could unleash powers of multiple elements.
Then, their eyes widened in shock as they recognized a man in reddish-brown leather armor: Hashirama Senju. This was a figure who demanded their utmost attention—a man capable of severely injuring an Admiral with ease.
Yet, to their astonishment, this terrifying group wasn't engaged in battle or training. Instead, they watched as Hashirama and his companions used their strange abilities to… build houses?
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T/N:
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