-Real World-
The Marines harbored minimal interest in the Uchiha clan's sudden appearance. As long as these ancient ninja didn't interfere with Marine operations across the seas, whatever conspiracy Uchiha Madara brewed behind the scenes remained secondary. His threat level couldn't compare to Buggy the Clown or Kaido the King of Beasts—those two forces represented the Marines' most pressing enemies in the current era.
However, the Celestial Dragons, backed by the World Government's vast resources, proved quite interested in Uchiha Madara. More specifically, they were fascinated by his eyes—those crimson orbs that wielded reality-bending power.
Holy Land Mariejois
After witnessing the dojutsu's capabilities displayed across multiple Sky Screen broadcasts, Saint Saturn shared his hypothesis with Lord Im, voice carrying the careful calculation of a scientist presenting experimental data.
"The eyes of the Uchiha clan may retain their techniques even after the user's death. This represents excellent experimental material with strategic applications."
As the God of Scientific Defense among the Five Elders, he'd discovered certain patterns by comparing the different genjutsu performed by the two Uchiha clan members shown in the broadcasts—Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Shisui.
Although a single eye technique could cast illusions and control enemies effectively, the effects wouldn't persist long when encountering masters of Haki. The broadcast had shown Shisui destroying one of his own eyes to activate Kotoamatsukami, changing Garp's memory for only a limited period. For the Uchiha clan, this price proved substantial—losing an eye meant permanent loss of power, reducing overall combat capability.
Yet despite the cost, the strategic value remained undeniable.
The Uchiha clan's eyes possessed immense strategic worth in the Celestial Dragons' assessment. They would definitely prove useful at some critical juncture in the future, potentially playing unexpected roles in decisive battles that could reshape the balance of power.
Could Kotoamatsukami brainwash Kaido into becoming a loyal dog of the Celestial Dragons? Saint Saturn didn't know if the Uchiha clan possessed sufficient power for such an ambitious application, but he boldly proposed the hypothesis before his colleagues. He required more comprehensive information about Wano Country to properly evaluate the possibilities.
Although the Sky Screen had also mentioned the Hyuga clan, they hadn't displayed any bloodline eye techniques in the broadcasts. Their importance couldn't compare with the Uchiha clan's demonstrated capabilities. No wonder both bloodlines had been systematically exterminated—as long as they existed in this world, others living alongside them could never feel truly secure.
The fear of losing one's self proved absolutely terrifying. Saint Saturn couldn't imagine experiencing such violation—having his mind rewritten, memories altered, allegiances transformed without consent or awareness. If Uchiha clan members could be captured in the future, they would serve at most as guinea pigs for experimentation, breeding stock to produce more eyes for harvest. These monsters absolutely must not be allowed to enter the World Government's organizational system as active participants.
Im sat upon the Void Throne, shrouded figure radiating an aura of ancient authority. The supreme ruler didn't particularly care about the Uchiha clan's eyes—those were trinkets for subordinates to obsess over. Im wanted to know what methods Uchiha Madara employed to survive eight hundred years smoothly, maintaining apparent youth without visible degradation.
In the Sky Screen's footage, Uchiha Madara appeared middle-aged—vigorous, powerful, showing no signs of the decay that should accompany such extreme longevity. The technique he utilized to achieve immortality seemed to carry no adverse side effects whatsoever. This made it potentially superior to even the Ope Ope no Mi (Op-Op Fruit)'s legendary immortality surgery.
Im remained covered in layers of black cloth, face concealed behind veils that prevented anyone from glimpsing the truth beneath. This secrecy represented one side effect of the immortality surgery—physical transformation that couldn't be reversed or hidden without extensive covering. Could it truly be that the Celestial Dragons' ancestor possessed a female body housing a male soul?! The rumors whispered in darkest corners might actually be accurate.
"Uchiha Madara mentioned requiring someone's cells," Im stated, voice distorted through the veils to androgynous tones. "Perhaps his eternal longevity relates to this cellular integration. Whose cells could produce such an effect?"
In response to the Supreme Lord's question, the Five Elders gathered beneath the throne exchanged meaningful glances, silently coordinating their response. They needed to provide Lord Im with a satisfactory answer—one that didn't sound like complete speculation or desperate improvisation.
Because of the future development of Homelander—that second-generation Seraphim whose capabilities had impressed even Im—Saint Saturn's reputation and confidence had greatly overshadowed the other Four Elder Stars. He'd become the dominant voice among the council. This time, colleagues nominated him through subtle gestures to answer the God of the Celestial Dragons directly.
Saint Saturn knelt beneath the throne, lowering his head respectfully before beginning his report with practiced deference.
"Your Excellency, regarding the cellular question, I have developed a bold hypothesis. What Uchiha Madara urgently requires may be Joyboy's cells specifically."
His theory proved audacious even by the Five Elders' standards. Saint Saturn's research into Joyboy had reached obsessive intensity over the centuries. He blamed that ancient rebel for virtually every unreasonable phenomenon, constantly referencing a dead man who'd lived eight hundred years ago and couldn't defend himself against accusations.
However, some reasonable logic supported the speculation. Uchiha Madara had been an ancient figure who lived eight hundred years in the past—the timelines aligned perfectly for him to have encountered Joyboy personally. The temporal discrepancy proved minimal.
The hypothesis continued: perhaps Kozuki Oden's ancestor, born into a lowly stonemason family, had developed some relationship with Joyboy that led to conflict with Uchiha Madara. It seemed reasonable to speculate that once the Uchiha clan lost their legendary ninja in a short period, they couldn't maintain complete control over Wano Country. This weakness eventually gave traitors the opportunity to orchestrate successful usurpation.
Im neither confirmed nor denied Saint Saturn's theory, shrouded figure remaining perfectly still. As someone who had actually lived through that tumultuous era and survived to the present, Im had indeed witnessed Joyboy's actions firsthand. But with equal certainty, Im had never encountered Uchiha Madara during that period.
Im knew very little about Wano Country's internal affairs despite centuries of existence. The coalition of twenty kings had focused overwhelmingly on destroying the Great Kingdom, paying minimal attention to isolated nations that didn't directly threaten their conquest.
During the process of annihilating that huge kingdom, neither the Uchiha clan nor the Hyuga clan had emerged to interfere. They hadn't appeared when victorious coalitions divided the spoils either. Perhaps they'd simply remained in their small territory of Wano Country throughout the conflict, their indifference to worldly affairs matching Wano's traditional isolationist philosophy perfectly.
The bloodlines possessed such formidable strength, yet it wasn't matched by equally powerful ambitions. Was the position of Shogun of Wano Country truly that important to them? The disconnect seemed puzzling.
However, the ancient proverb remained true: an innocent man becomes guilty when he possesses treasures that others covet. The Uchiha clan's eyes represented treasures that couldn't be measured with any amount of currency. The Celestial Dragons required their ruby-like crimson eyes to enhance the God Clan's collection of wonders.
Im could only mentally apologize to the Uchiha clan in advance. Those eyes would be borrowed—permanently. As for what Uchiha Madara might say about this appropriation, he could present his objections directly when he arrived at the Holy Land of Mariejois as a prisoner.
Moby Dick, Present Day
The Whitebeard Pirates' flagship Moby Dick had been invaded by an outsider who'd walked through their defenses like they didn't exist. This represented tremendous humiliation for Edward Newgate personally. He angrily ripped the medical infusion tubes from his body, terrifying Haki erupting outward in waves that made the ship's timbers groan. Whitebeard was genuinely furious this time—Uchiha Madara had essentially danced on his face, mocking his strength through casual violation.
The Yonko, so famous throughout the New World's second half as an unconquerable force, had allowed outsiders to infiltrate his flagship as though entering their own home. If this became widely known among other pirates, the embarrassment would be devastating. More critically, it would damage the Whitebeard Pirates' deterrent reputation—the aura of invincibility that kept lesser threats at bay.
If Uchiha Madara had wanted to harm Lady Toki that night, Edward Newgate genuinely didn't know how he could explain the failure to Kozuki Oden. He and his adopted sons had all been aboard that evening. Not a single person had detected the intruder's presence, allowing the Uchiha to enter the delivery room as casually as if no one stood watch.
"Uchiha Madara... you really underestimated Whitebeard," Edward Newgate muttered, self-deprecating sneer twisting his features. The man desperately wished he could locate that ancient Uchiha and engage in a proper battle, teaching him what courtesy meant through overwhelming force.
Even Gol D. Roger, his greatest rival across decades of competition, had never inflicted such humiliation upon him. Today, the Whitebeard Pirates would become the laughingstock of everyone sailing the seas. This loss of face represented something Edward Newgate simply could not tolerate as a man and as a captain.
Whitebeard could only order his adopted sons remaining aboard the ship to maintain high alert status. If any outsiders attempted infiltration again, regardless of their identity or apparent strength, they should be killed immediately without bothering to report first. Extreme measures for extreme violations.
To be brutally honest, the Moby Dick had no real protective measures whatsoever. Even the fledgling Ace—Fire Fist Ace, before he'd truly matured—had managed to sneak into Whitebeard's personal quarters and attempt assassination against the Yonko. That rising pirate star at the time didn't know any form of Haki, relying purely on stealth and Devil Fruit powers. Even now, years later, Ace still lacked Haki training.
If someone as inexperienced as young Ace could infiltrate so easily, what did that say about their security?
Wasn't it far too late for Edward Newgate to suddenly pay attention to security issues now?
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