Chapter 4 - 34 to 44

Akainu, how accurate is your intelligence? Are you sure Orochimaru is in this location?"

Kizaru asked Akainu in an odd tone.

Akainu was also clearly a little unsure.

After all, the Marine are people from the Pirate World, and it's quite difficult for them to get accurate intelligence from other worlds. It's already not easy to find any clues.

"Why are you making so much noise? How would I know? Can't you look for him yourself?"

Akainu was getting annoyed.

This Kizaru really was useless. He was still holding a grudge about Kizaru abandoning him and Aokiji last time, and now he dared to question him.

Now, all three were very vigilant.

This wasn't their first time here. Last time, they unexpectedly encountered the revival of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, the two brothers. They tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice, with Akainu and Aokiji both being imprisoned.

They had already experienced the immense power of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.

They still had a shadow in their hearts.

Just then, a white bird swooped down from the sky, its target precisely the three of them.

Aokiji looked up, extended his right arm, and let the bird land on his arm.

The bird, in a human-like manner, raised its wing and pointed in one direction.

"Target found! Let's go!"

Akainu's spirits lifted, and he immediately led the two of them in the direction indicated by the white bird.

This bird was a special intelligence bird that Akainu and his team brought from the Pirate World. It was a type of special bird under Morgans, specifically used for gathering intelligence. Its flying ability, eyesight, and intelligence were all top-notch.

As the supreme ruler of all news birds in the Pirate World, Morgans held absolute control over the news industry, and at times could even sway public opinion.

In the dense jungle, a colorful, strange snake was coiled around an ancient tree, its scarlet tongue flickering in and out, and its vertical pupils gleaming with an eerie light.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss…"

Upon discovering the traces of Akainu and the others, the strange snake immediately recoiled and vanished into the bushes in the blink of an eye.

"Oh? An invasion?"

In the underground laboratory, Orochimaru, who had received the news, narrowed his eyes, turned his head in surprise to look upwards, and a slight smirk played on his lips. He quickly formed hand signs, the earth split open, and a giant python lifted him up, slithering towards the surface.

"Coo-coo—"

The white bird chirped, pointing its wings downwards.

Akainu and the other two immediately stopped, looking around suspiciously.

"Here?"

Kizaru looked at the empty surroundings and said, "How does this place look like anyone is here?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of all three changed slightly. They simultaneously sensed the vibrations and energy fluctuations coming from underground, and all three leaped high into the air at the same time.

The moment the three jumped, a giant snake head broke through the soil, carrying a pale man with a purple bow-tied rope around his waist, and burst out.

"We finally found you… Orochimaru!"

Akainu's eyes flashed as he recognized Orochimaru.

It would be easy now that he had been found. Orochimaru's ranking was below theirs, and while not by much, Three Admirals had come. They didn't believe they couldn't handle him!

Orochimaru observed Akainu and the other two, also recognizing them. His slender snake-like tongue flicked out to lick the corner of his mouth, and he asked with a cackle, "The Three Admirals from the Pirate World? Are you here for me?"

He couldn't quite understand why strong individuals from other worlds would come looking for him.

Akainu said coldly, "That's right, we're here for you. There's something we need you for. Come with us!"

At these words, Aokiji and Kizaru couldn't help but roll their eyes.

This Akainu, he was clearly asking for help, yet his tone was like he was arresting a criminal. It would be a miracle if the other person agreed.

Indeed, Orochimaru was never one to be easily reasoned with. Hearing Akainu's words, he immediately sneered, "So the three of you are looking for trouble. Very good. I'm also very interested in many things from the Pirate World. The three of you seem to be Devil Fruit Users, as mentioned on the Golden Rankings. Since you've come, stay and be my test subjects!"

With that, Orochimaru had already launched his attack.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands—"

"Mandara no Jin—"

Orochimaru, still in mid-air, continuously formed hand signs. The surrounding bushes rustled, and countless snake shadows crawled out, instantly coiling around Akainu and the other two. Their numbers were terrifyingly vast, seemingly intending to completely bury the three in the snake swarm.

Akainu frowned, disgusted by these crawling creatures. His entire body suddenly erupted in thick flames, half of his body turning into magma, billowing with thick smoke.

All the snakes that had crawled onto him were immediately scorched and fell to the ground, dying a gruesome death.

Aokiji also transformed into an ice man, emitting a large amount of cold air that froze the snakes into icicles, which then fell to the ground and shattered into several pieces.

Kizaru, however, did not retaliate. Instead, his entire body turned into photons, re-condensing on the other side. The snake swarm that had completely enveloped him immediately lost its target, all squeezing together and falling, some even looking bewildered.

"As expected of the legendary strongest Logia-type Devil Fruit. Interesting, interesting!"

Orochimaru watched the transformations of the three. Far from being afraid, his excitement grew, and he couldn't help but applaud, "This ability to transform one's body into a natural element is simply a divine skill! Why don't you stay and be my test subjects? As long as you give me time, I can definitely make you even stronger!"

Orochimaru had an idea in mind. The immense strength of these three was undeniable, and their bodies had special effects. If he were to inject the genes from Jugo into their bodies, there was a real possibility that the three of them could withstand and obtain the highest level of the Heavenly Curse Mark.

In that case, their strength would more than double.

Of course, this type of curse mark would cause significant changes to one's body, even turning them into a monster. These Three Admirals were clearly unwilling to do so.

"Ama no Murakumo—"

Kizaru drew a gleaming golden light sword from the Void Realm, swinging it with one arm, his cloak fluttering wildly behind him.

Akainu unleashed a Ryusei Kazan, countless magma fists tearing through the sky and crashing into the dense forest, emitting thick black smoke and leaving huge, deep craters in the ground, incinerating countless snakes into charcoal.

"Freeze!"

Aokiji's figure had vanished from his original spot at some point, and the next moment he had appeared behind Orochimaru. Extremely biting cold air burst forth, all directed at Orochimaru, directly freezing him and the giant python beneath him into a massive block of solid ice.

"It's done!"

Although Aokiji was somewhat puzzled as to why Orochimaru had suddenly become so careless, he still showed a hint of joy at having captured him.

However, he quickly noticed something was wrong. Within the ice, Orochimaru's body had tiny cracks, and it was empty inside; there was nothing at all.

This was a shed snake skin!

Substitution Jutsu!

The moment he realized this, a sharp gust of wind came from behind him. Aokiji abruptly turned his head, only to see the recently vanished Orochimaru twisting and coiling in an extremely bizarre posture, his mouth opened to an exaggerated degree, stretching to his ears, and from it, a slender sword emerged, aimed directly at Aokiji's back.

Kusanagi Sword!

Aokiji broke out in a cold sweat.

Orochimaru's attack was simply too strange; this was the first time he had encountered such a difficult opponent.

However, he didn't seem too flustered by the situation. Half of his body instantly transformed into its natural elemental state. The Kusanagi Sword passed through his chest but caused him no harm.

Orochimaru's brow furrowed. If an attack missed, he could quickly retreat.

His figure flickered, and he immediately vanished from his spot.

"Get out here—"

Akainu roared, slamming his palms to the ground. His arms turned into magma, and with him at the center, the surrounding ground instantly became a fiery red. Rocks melted into rolling lava, rapidly spreading outwards, emitting thick smoke, and the surrounding temperature rapidly increased.

"What a terrifying ability..."

Orochimaru's sinister voice echoed. His true body, which had just burrowed underground, was forced out. He emerged, stepping on a snake's head, his expression bizarre, his vertical pupils devoid of fear, instead showing even more interest in the Three Admirals.

Kizaru didn't want to make things too difficult. After all, their mission this time wasn't to forcibly capture them; they just needed to bring them back. He quickly raised both hands and said, "Orochimaru, we mean no offense. We just want to ask Your Excellency for a favor..."

However, before he finished speaking.

From the ground, countless dense bone spikes suddenly emerged, shooting upwards to form a dense forest of bone spikes, varying in size, thick and incredibly sharp. If the Three Admirals hadn't been exceptionally vigilant, they would have been impaled by this bone spike forest on the spot, becoming the most aggrieved Admirals to die in history.

"Bones... No, metal? That's not right either..."

Kizaru tapped the tip of his foot on one of the bone spikes, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and a cold light flashed behind his glasses as he looked in a certain direction.

"Orochimaru-sama... do you need help?"

A faint voice came from the corner. At some unknown point, a white-haired man in a white robe appeared, his expression indifferent. He slowly reached for the back of his neck and actually began to slowly pull out his own spine.

This spine was silver-white, exuding a cold metallic luster.

This sight made the Three Admirals' scalps tingle.

He pulled out his own spine, yet he still looked perfectly fine?

What kind of monster was this!

"Kimimaro, you've come at just the right time. These three guys are troublemakers from the Pirate World. Help me capture them; I'm very interested in them!"

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes stared at the Three Admirals, licking his lips, and he chuckled eerily.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama!"

Kimimaro had an unusual reverence and fanaticism for Orochimaru, almost obeying his every command. His entire body began to change, covered in dense, black, tadpole-like, bizarre runes.

Earth Cursed Seal!

This was power derived from Jugo, which could unlock new, powerful abilities, causing unnatural bodily changes and physical mutations.

While those afflicted with the Cursed Seal could unleash immense power, it also forced out an unlimited amount of strength and could lead to them being lost in a frenzy of slaughter. Therefore, it caused powerful erosion to the user, making it a double-edged sword.

"You are also an existence on the Supreme Strength Ranking!"

Akainu looked at Kimimaro with some uncertainty and surprise, finding him somewhat familiar.

Kimimaro disliked idle chatter with outsiders. He immediately extended both hands, and the skin on his fingertips split open, revealing silver-white bone joints. Ten bone joints shot out like bullets in an instant.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—

However, these attacks merely caused faint ripples on the bodies of the Three Admirals, passing right through them without causing any damage.

"What's going on?"

Kimimaro's brow furrowed, somewhat unable to comprehend.

Orochimaru explained from the side, "These guys are all Devil Fruit Users from the Pirate World, and they're the most special type, Logia. They can elementalize their bodies, so ordinary attacks can't cause effective damage. As far as I know, only Armament Haki and seawater from the Pirate World can effectively suppress them. Oh, and Sage Art too!"

Ever since the Golden Rankings appeared, Orochimaru had conducted a series of studies on this mysterious entity. Although the things he could research were limited, he still gained a lot of information by acquiring a large amount of intelligence.

He even knew a lot about the Three Admirals' previous invasion of Konoha Village.

Orochimaru was well aware that although he could use Water-style Ninjutsu, he wasn't very proficient in it, and trying to deal with three Admiral-level powerhouses was simply a dream.

Currently, there were only two ways to deal with these three people.

Seawater and Seals.

If he could get these three people into his laboratory...

Orochimaru felt his blood boil just thinking about it.

"In that case..."

Orochimaru suddenly clapped his hands together, rapidly forming hand Seals.

The strange hand Seals made the Three Admirals uneasy; a terrifying energy fluctuation was brewing.

"Stop him!"

Aokiji didn't want to give the opponent any chance. He condensed a blue ice spear in his right hand and hurled it fiercely at Orochimaru.

The ice spear sliced through the air. At terrifying speed, a translucent arc even formed at the spear's tip, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

Akainu and Kizaru also attacked simultaneously, unleashing Magma Fists and Yasakani no Magatama, which rained down on Orochimaru.

Suddenly, a figure blocked Orochimaru's path, his gaze cold. His entire skin had transformed from fair to brown, like a corpse, devoid of any emotion.

It was Kimimaro.

The skin on his chest split open, and two chest bones actually peeled away, forming a silver-white shield that completely concealed him and Orochimaru. All attacks were blocked.

Crack!

Aokiji's hard ice spear broke from the tip the moment it touched the chest bone, only leaving a small white mark on it.

Kizaru's dense light bullets, however, didn't even leave a white mark on it.

"What kind of bones are these? Are they made of iron?"

Kizaru clicked his tongue, somewhat incredulous.

He was actually right.

Kimimaro originally possessed the rare 'Shikotsumyaku' Bloodline Limit. After receiving a Golden Rankings reward, all his bones were replaced with incredibly hard Adamantium metal. This not only significantly increased his defense but also greatly enhanced his body's recovery. As long as he wasn't instantly killed or decapitated, he could fully recover.

He was, in a way, another type of immortal.

The Bloodline Limit of the Shikotsumyaku and Adamantium were simply a match made in Heaven, the most perfect Fusion, elevating Kimimaro's combat power by more than just one level.

And at this moment, due to Kimimaro's obstruction, Orochimaro's Ninjutsu was finally completed.

"Edo Tensei—"

Orochimaro's snake-like eyes gleamed with a cold light, and his palms clapped together with a "pa" sound.

A decaying coffin rose from the ground, appearing before Orochimaro and Kimimaro.

Crack—

The coffin vibrated, and its lid was violently pushed open.

From within emerged a yellow-haired middle-aged man covered in cracks, with no eyebrows, a handlebar mustache, wearing a high-collared trench coat cinched at the waist with a black sash, and a green thermal shirt underneath.

"I... I've been revived?"

The handlebar-mustached man looked down at his cracked hands, muttering to himself in confusion.

"Hōzuki Gengetsu, this battle is yours!"

Orochimaro slowly stepped out from behind, looking at the handlebar-mustached man with a sinister expression.

This person was none other than the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, who had perished with the Second Tsuchikage during the First Ninja World War.

"An interesting young man, to be able to pull me out of Hell. This body..."

Feeling the power within his body, Hōzuki Gengetsu frowned slightly.

Orochimaro raised his chin and gestured towards the Three Admirals, saying, "These three are powerhouses from another world, possessing the ability to naturalize their bodies. Their weaknesses are seawater and Seals. If you can capture them, I will release your control afterwards and allow you to stay here for a period of time."

"Another world?"

Hōzuki Gengetsu had not been on the Golden Rankings and had been dead for many years, so he had no understanding of the current changes in the world's pattern, but this did not affect his desire and fanaticism for battle.

"Being revived is irrelevant... but you can let me have another exhilarating battle, I'm very happy, young man!"

Hōzuki Gengetsu's lips slowly curved into a smile as he looked at the Three Admirals opposite him.

Kizaru looked at Hōzuki Gengetsu, feeling a faint sense of unease.

"Reviving the dead!"

Kizaru's mouth twitched: "The abilities in this world are truly bizarre. Can even this be done?"

Akainu shouted: "We don't have that much time to waste. Imu can't wait too long. Quickly capture Orochimaro and bring him back!"

Kizaru pouted, but still composed himself.

"Go, Hōzuki Gengetsu! Show them the power of the Second Mizukage!"

Orochimaro did not use a Talismanic Incantation to Seal Hōzuki Gengetsu's consciousness.

Under normal circumstances, Hōzuki Gengetsu could exert even greater power. This guy possessed extremely high combat talent and awareness, and he belonged to the Hōzuki clan's Bloodline Limit, with exceptionally high attainments in Water Release Ninjutsu.

"Afraid of seawater, huh..."

Hōzuki Gengetsu dashed across the ground, arriving before the Three Admirals in a few Instant. He shaped his right hand into a gun, rapidly condensing droplet-shaped liquid at his fingertips and firing it at the three, dense as rain and as fast as lightning.

"Water Release: Water Gun Technique—"

Not only that, at the moment the Water Gun Technique was activated, a small, child-like Clone was suddenly peeled away from Hōzuki Gengetsu's body.

This Clone's right arm transformed into an enormous greatsword, moving with extreme speed, not even inferior to the main body. With a single leap, it soared into the air, even possessing the ability to fly.

This Clone, heedless of anything else, raised its greatsword and charged directly towards the Three Admirals.

Sensing the water elements contained within these water droplet bullets, the Three Admirals reacted as if facing a formidable enemy, realizing that this guy should be a counter to them, and they quickly dodged.

Akainu snorted coldly, slamming his right fist forward. A fierce magma fist exploded in the air, and the rapidly rising temperature evaporated the water droplet bullets before they even got close.

However, the Water Gun Technique clearly had an extremely strong impact force; the huge impact was not completely nullified, and an invisible Qi wave acted upon Akainu's right arm.

Akainu grunted, his right arm pierced through, revealing the glowing red magma within.

It was fortunate that Akainu reacted quickly, instantly elementalizing his arm, otherwise, that blow would have crippled his arm.

But the opponent gave him no chance to catch his breath. A fierce gust of wind blew above his head; the child Clone had already appeared above Akainu's head at some unknown point, and the giant greatsword slashed down fiercely, Killing Intent surging.

Akainu was furious.

Was this guy treating him like a pushover?

Could one of the dignified Marine Three Admirals actually stumble here?

With a roar, his hands suddenly extended, his two arms transforming into two thick red magma pythons, opening their gaping maws to tear at the child Clone.

Crack!

The giant greatsword was directly bitten, and the scorching temperature instantly softened and shattered the greatsword, turning it into dripping liquid.

Akainu sneered, about to speak, when his expression suddenly changed dramatically.

He saw the child Clone above his head suddenly begin to swell and bulge, as if something was twisting within its body, about to burst out.

"No!"

Akainu's scalp tingled with alarm, and he quickly dodged to the side.

But it was already too late.

The next moment, the child Clone had expanded to its limit and exploded with a bang, scattering a sky full of water mist that completely filled the surrounding space.

The violent Blast carried terrifying damage, and it was mixed with countless water elements, leaving Akainu no escape.

This was the Second Mizukage Hōzuki Gengetsu's famous Ninjutsu—Jōki Bōi (Vapor Incineration Blast).

This was Hōzuki Gengetsu's infinite Blast Ninjutsu, which even the Second Tsuchikage found troublesome.

Hōzuki Gengetsu used the oil and water within his body to create a child-shaped Clone.

The Clone's right arm could produce a giant greatsword, moving extremely fast and agile, capable of free flight in the air.

The child's outer form was made of oil, with only water inside. Its characteristics were easy heating and cooling. Once it moved, the surface oil would be rapidly heated, causing the internal water to evaporate, thereby causing a steam explosion, and then it would cool and shrink by turning into hail, preparing for the next explosion.

The more the Clone moved, the greater the heat, and the water inside would begin to evaporate rapidly. After the hail stopped, the steam would erupt again, allowing for an infinite loop. The weakness was that the main body would be relatively weak for a period after each explosion.

The Second Tsuchikage was covered in bandages because his entire skin had been burned by the steam of Jōki Bōi when he fought the Second Mizukage in his youth.

"No—this... how is this possible!"

A roar faintly emerged from the water mist. Through the refraction of the water mist, Aokiji and Kizaru saw with horror.

Akainu's body was half-destroyed, his right shoulder and half of his head gone, revealing the fiery red magma within, which was still constantly wriggling, trying to repair itself.

But a layer of oily water adhered to the surface, preventing his repair.

Aokiji and Kizaru also felt their scalps tingle.

Since becoming an Admiral, and knowing Akainu, it was the first time they had seen Akainu suffer such terrifying injuries.

Akainu walked step by step, each step leaving a bloody footprint, which was then instantly evaporated by the astonishing temperature radiating from his body.

"Ah ah ah ah ah—"

Akainu's throat emitted a horrifying roar.

"He's not dead even after that?"

Hōzuki Gengetsu was somewhat surprised; this move was already his ultimate killing technique, yet it still failed to resolve this guy. He was indeed a bit troublesome.

Aokiji and Kizaru also realized how formidable this guy in front of them was. They dared not hesitate any longer. If Akainu died here, they would also be responsible, and Sengoku would be furious.

They were also a bit depressed, wondering why every time they came to the Naruto World, they had to encounter tough opponents.

"Ama no Murakumo!"

Kizaru's figure transformed into a golden flash, instantly appearing behind Hōzuki Gengetsu, and slashed a sword towards the opponent's head, but the opponent's body directly turned into a puddle of water.

This was just a Water Clone.

Aokiji's palms spewed out a chilling cold wave that swept in all directions, having already locked onto Hōzuki Gengetsu's true body.

"Don't get entangled with this guy, capturing the target is more important!"

Akainu roared, truly living up to his reputation as the Marine's most imposing Admiral. He directly cut away the flesh stained with water and oil, enduring inhuman pain, and forcefully activated the power of his Devil Fruit. Magma surged within his body, continuously repairing his injured physique.

He was completely enraged.

Last time he went to Konoha Village, he was imprisoned by Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, which he considered the greatest humiliation of his life. He never expected that capturing Orochimaro now would be so difficult.

The combined strength of their Three Admirals could absolutely crush Orochimaro.

However, Orochimaro, known as the Ninja World's strongest scientist, had too many methods, was extremely strange and difficult to deal with, and was also proficient in a large number of forbidden jutsu, which gave them a huge headache.

"Magma Hell—"

Akainu stomped fiercely on the ground.

The surrounding ground and trees all began to turn red and scalding, emitting thick smoke. Golden-red magma began to flow from the surface, and massive magma giants rose from the earth, rushing towards Orochimaro, Hōzuki Gengetsu, and Kimimaro.

This was Akainu's Devil Fruit Awakening ability, allowing him to influence the surrounding environment, transform surrounding objects into magma, and manipulate it.

Akainu's body directly merged into the magma earth.

Immediately after, behind Orochimaro, the surging magma suddenly boiled, condensing into Akainu's form, and a giant hand grabbed towards Orochimaro.

Orochimaro was startled, his skin on his back split open, and dense swarms of snakes emerged, resisting the magma hand.

But in an instant, these snake swarms were devoured by the magma hand.

Although it was only for a moment, it was enough. Orochimaro rapidly retreated, dodging the magma hand's grasp.

Kizaru and Aokiji also activated their Devil Fruit Awakening abilities.

The surrounding environment immediately changed again.

The original golden-red Magma Hell was split, with the other half transforming into a freezing Domain. An ice-blue giant sword descended from the sky, plunging directly into the ground. Aokiji landed on the giant sword, his expression icy.

This was the reward bestowed upon Aokiji by the Golden Rankings: Frostmourne.

This Frostmourne not only effectively amplifies Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit ability but also has a powerful effect on the Soul, capable of applying its freezing ability to the Soul itself.

"Soul Freeze!"

The Frostmourne beneath Aokiji's feet hummed and vibrated, emitting ripples imperceptible to the naked eye.

Hōzuki Gengetsu pressed forward, continuously flicking bullet-like water droplets.

But these water droplets were frozen into ice the moment they entered the ice Domain, and all were blocked by the suddenly enlarged Frostmourne with a clinking sound.

This Frostmourne, like a huge shield, could be enlarged or shrunk at will. Under Aokiji's control, it directly struck the top of Hōzuki Gengetsu's head.

Hōzuki Gengetsu showed a disdainful expression; his body was created through Edo Tensei, making him immortal. He could completely ignore physical attacks, and even if injured, he could regenerate.

But the next moment, his expression froze.

The Soul sealed within the corpse was frozen by a terrifying chill, rendering even his consciousness immobile.

"Die!"

Aokiji condensed an ice spear in his hand, directly piercing through Hōzuki Gengetsu's body.

The Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, died!

At the same time, countless golden, translucent mirrors appeared densely in the sky, less than half a meter apart, shimmering with an eerie light as they refracted the sunlight.

This was Kizaru's Awakening ability, Mirror Light Divine Domain.

Within this Domain, he could move freely, uncatchable, disappearing without a trace through the refraction of light. The power of the Glint-Glint Fruit was fully displayed at this moment.

Beside Orochimaro, Kizaru's figure suddenly appeared in a mirror, reflecting a mocking face, and the Ama no Murakumo slashed down fiercely.

"Manda!"

Orochimaro sensed a deadly crisis. He performed the Summoning Jutsu, and an incredibly massive giant snake appeared from the white mist. Its huge tail swung, directly shattering large areas of ice and mirrors.

But under the Domain of Magma Hell, even Manda's scales struggled to resist, burning with scorched marks.

Manda couldn't help but let out a shrill hiss: "Orochimaro, what kind of hellish place have you brought me to? I'm going to eat you—"

Orochimaro had no mind to argue with it at this moment and shouted: "Hurry and go!"

Manda did not hesitate, immediately coiling its body and swiftly fleeing into the distance.

Within the Domain of these Three Admirals, they had no chance of winning.

The Three Admirals saw Orochimaro escaping and immediately grew anxious, preparing to give chase.

Unexpectedly, a figure blocked their path, his entire body bristling with countless metallic bones like a porcupine, staring coldly at the Three Admirals: "Lord Orochimaro, you go ahead, I'll stop them!"

Orochimaro looked back at Kimimaro, cackling: "Kimimaro, well done, just stop them like that!"

After speaking, Manda's speed surged again, already escaping the range of the Three Admirals' Domain, fleeing even faster.

"Overestimating yourself, get out of the way!"

Akainu blasted a giant magma fist, intending to directly eliminate this troublesome kid.

However, although the terrifying high temperature burned Kimimaro's metallic bones all over his body to a glowing red, and even melted his skin to expose fresh red flesh, it could not melt the metallic bones.

"Bone Mausoleum—"

Kimimaro's face twisted into a ferocious expression, he formed a hand Seal, and pressed it down from the air.

On a desolate, uninhabited island.

On the coast, waves crashed against the reefs, making a dull sound that added to the sense of desolation.

On the beach, a mysterious man in a black cloak and a spiraled mask stood.

In front of him, a body was writhing and twisting.

"I really didn't expect this guy from another world to also be able to withstand the power of Hashirama's cells. I originally thought he was going to die, he's really lucky to be alive..."

The masked man chuckled softly, his voice full of surprise.

"Ah ah ah ah ah—"

The figure on the ground twisted, two broken body segments intertwining and merging, recovering at a visible speed and fusing back together.

Black water continuously overflowed around his body, seemingly helping his body to fuse faster.

"Is this... the power of the Devil?!"

The masked man crouched in front of the constantly repairing two-part body, watching the rare scene with great interest.

The space around him seemed to subtly distort, and the viscous black water couldn't get close to his body, automatically moving away before contact.

After an unknown amount of time, the two body segments finally reassembled.

"Oh... I'm alive..."

Blackbeard Teach sat up, looking down at his body in disbelief.

Around his waist was a hideous scar, indicating that everything that had happened before was not an illusion.

"Whitebeard Old Man, I'll never forget the pain you gave me..."

Teach touched his wound, then suddenly bared his teeth and let out a cackling laugh, looking like a madman.

"Had enough laughing?"

A voice suddenly came from his ear.

Teach turned his head to see a man with a spiraled mask crouching in front of him, a strange eye in the center of the swirl staring intently at him.

"Did you save me?"

Teach showed no surprise, baring his broken teeth and chuckling, "You made a very correct choice, you won't regret it!"

The masked man pointed to himself: "Aren't you going to thank me?"

Teach chuckled, "I didn't ask you to save me. This is something you chose to do, so why should I thank you?"

"Hmm..."

The masked man nodded: "As expected, he's an unusual fellow, quite interesting. It wasn't a wasted trip for me. Although his strength is a bit lacking for now, his potential is considerable, no wonder he was favored by Lord."

"Lord?"

Teach narrowed his eyes, stood up, "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

After speaking, he turned to leave, decisive and without hesitation.

The masked man was startled, letting out a low chuckle, his figure instantly blurred, and the next moment he stood in front of Teach.

Teach's heart pounded with a strong sense of alarm, and black mist instantly erupted from his entire body, writhing like venomous snakes, as if ready to devour someone at any moment.

"Don't be so tense, Mr. Teach!"

The masked man waved his hand, signaling he had no ill intent, then said, "Since I saved you, even if you didn't ask me to, as you said, it's a fact that you survived the crisis, isn't it?"

Teach sneered, "So what? What do you want?"

The masked man calmly said, "You and I are strangers. Of course, I saved you with a purpose."

"I know."

"Then you still want to leave."

"Because I don't want you to achieve your purpose, whatever it may be."

"..."

The masked man was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "You are an unusual fellow, but this is not up to you!"

"Kamui!"

The space in front of him suddenly twisted, seemingly wanting to suck Teach into an unknown dimension.

Teach's eyes suddenly burst with a sharp light, greatly alarmed, his body abruptly retreated, and a tide of black mist surged from his entire body, actually forcibly pushing out the distorted space.

"What!"

The masked man was also greatly surprised; it was the first time he had encountered someone who could evade his locked Kamui attack.

"You're looking for death!"

Teach was furious. Although the other party had saved his life, he was not one to repay kindness. Moreover, this mysterious masked man clearly had other intentions.

At that moment, he seemed to glimpse a vast and unknown world. If he were sucked in, he feared he would never escape.

"Dark Water—"

Black smoke billowed from Teach's hands, his figure vanishing from his original spot, reappearing behind the masked man, reaching out to grab the masked man's body.

But then, Teach's eyes widened.

His hand passed right through the other's body, without any sensation of physical contact.

"A Logia-type Devil Fruit User?"

Teach's eyes suddenly narrowed, his heart shaking.

Before he could think further, the masked man's previously ethereal body suddenly solidified, and his right hand slammed into Teach's back.

"Pfft—"

Teach spat out a mouthful of blood, flying away like a kite with a broken string.

His eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief.

He couldn't quite understand the mysterious masked man's strange abilities.

"This level of strength, is he a powerhouse on the Golden Rankings?"

Teach quickly pondered, while his entire body erupted with an incredibly dense mist.

This black mist was even denser than the one on the sea before, covering a wider area and completely obscuring his figure.

"Not good!"

The masked man grew anxious. His mission this time was to capture Blackbeard Teach and bring him back. If the duck he had in his hand flew away, he would be utterly depressed.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"

The masked man's abdomen swelled, then he forcefully ejected an invisible wind wave, which, like a sharp kama, swept towards the black mist, attempting to cut and disperse it.

But it was completely useless.

The black mist automatically restored itself the moment it was cut, endlessly regenerating.

If he couldn't accurately attack Teach's main body within the black mist, he would be completely helpless against him.

The black mist was soul-corroding and highly corrosive. Just a tiny bit adhering to the masked man's clothes climbed up like a maggot on bone, wanting to completely digest and annihilate it.

The masked man retreated rapidly, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"Something similar to Amaterasu's power..."

The masked man murmured softly, then sneered, "In that case, neither of us will leave. When your stamina runs out, I wonder where you can run to. Such a troublesome fellow, with deep and malicious thoughts, truly worthy of being the one Lord has his eyes on!"

The masked man chuckled, "Once I bring you back, you might even become Lord's right-hand man!"

However, in the dark shadows where he could not see, Teach's face was extremely grim, and he was silently calculating the time.

The Golden Rankings' reward had granted him more powerful survival abilities. The opponent was clearly stronger than him, but he also possessed a trump card sufficient to escape from the opponent's grasp.

"I'll repay today's grudge twofold!"

...At the same time, in a dimly lit room.

On the throne, a figure sat silently.

"The dark power that corrodes everything, huh..."

The figure on the throne let out a hoarse whisper, then laughed, "An interesting fellow, but an unstable factor. His ambition is too great and difficult to control. It seems I still need to get Shisui's eyes first..."

"Only fifth place, huh... Fortunately, it's a step above that Senju Hashirama fellow. The sacrificial Puppet has already given me more trump cards. If I can kill the fourth-place, or even the first-place, I wonder what kind of rewards I will receive! Then, carrying out my plan will be unobstructed, won't it!"

The figure chuckled softly, finally bursting into wild laughter that echoed in the space for a long time.

Pirate World, Mechanical Island.

Vegapunk frowned as he looked at Imu, who was lying in a glass case. The constantly fluctuating data on the instruments made him a bit unsure of the situation.

"So, what's the situation?"

The Gorosei were a bit impatient.

The current situation was not optimistic. The pirate army was gathering, and there were significant movements in all Four Seas. They didn't have much time left.

"The Soul is too severely damaged, causing the body to enter a state of nirvana. If it's not resolved soon, his body might necrotize and become irreparable."

Vegapunk gave his conclusion.

The Gorosei's expressions immediately turned grim.

"What about Rocks' body?"

Ogata Kenichi asked, "Imu tried to Possess Rocks' body before and failed. Can you do it?"

Vegapunk glanced at Ogata Kenichi and sneered, "Was the lesson from the Golden Rankings not enough? The Golden Rankings has clearly warned against using special methods to seize Golden Rankings rewards. Imu has already been blacklisted. Even if I could help him transfer his Soul, I couldn't do that. Are you trying to make Imu die faster?"

Ogata Kenichi's face stiffened, and he said with some exasperation, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Vegapunk pondered, "Currently, there's only one way: repair the Soul. Imu is missing too much of his Soul, which has put him into a deep sleep. Only by finding a way to replenish his Soul can he possibly awaken and recover!"

Just then, the screen next to them lit up, and a tall figure appeared on it.

"What do you need me for?"

Seeing the newcomer, everyone was delighted.

This person was one of the Shichibukai, Gekko Moriah.

"Let him in!"

Vegapunk had the highest authority on Mechanical Island. Those not permitted by him could only force their way in, but how easy was it to invade the territory of the world's greatest scientist?

Soon, a shadow extended from the ground, then rose from the surface, transforming into a giant figure.

It was Gekko Moriah, the Shadow-Shadow Fruit user.

"You've come at a good time. Your Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability is somewhat similar to the Soul. Let's see if it can be of use."

Vegapunk was not polite and explained the situation.

Gekko Moriah looked at the figure inside the glass case and said in surprise, "Is this the legendary Imu of the World Government?"

Although he was a Shichibukai, with his authority and abilities, he was not qualified to meet such an existence.

Hirano Masato said coldly, "Stop with the nonsense. Do you have a solution?"

Gekko Moriah was a bit annoyed.

Is this how you ask for help?

But he didn't dare to be presumptuous. After all, any one of these five old men could instantly kill him, no doubt about it.

These were the powerhouses who had even slain Rocks back then, the supreme rulers of the World Government.

Gekko Moriah stretched out his hand, and from his mouth, twisted shadows spewed forth and converged, emitting eerie wails that were somewhat unsettling.

"These are the shadows I captured using my ability. According to you, they should have some commonalities with the Soul."

Vegapunk carefully observed these shadows, his eyes narrowing slightly. He suddenly activated an instrument, sucking all the shadows into it. The screen next to him immediately began to display a large amount of data.

Gekko Moriah's mouth twitched.

These were shadows he had spent a lot of effort to obtain, some of them from famous powerhouses. He had originally planned to use them to arm his guard squad, but now Vegapunk had taken them all.

A moment later, Vegapunk smiled slightly.

The Gorosei quickly asked, "How is it?"

Vegapunk pondered, "It's pretty much as I expected. Moriah's Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability is indeed related to the Soul. These shadows do Seal a part of the Soul, which allows them to have thoughts, vitality, and even memories. However, Imu's original Soul is too powerful, so recovery won't be that easy."

After a pause, Vegapunk said, "I can use the instrument to strip the Soul from the shadows, but one Soul is definitely not enough. Many Souls are needed for replenishment."

The Gorosei quickly said, "Then strip them! As long as Imu can be cured, what are a few Soul shadows? If it's not enough, have Moriah get more!"

Moriah's expression twitched. Were they treating him like a hired hand now?

Vegapunk shook his head, "It's not that simple. Imu's Soul is currently incomplete. If too many other Souls are injected, it will cause his own Soul to become chaotic. If his own Soul cannot effectively suppress these foreign Souls, he will lose his sanity, just like... schizophrenia!"

Everyone was stunned.

Schizophrenia?

Vegapunk said, "However, it's not entirely without a solution. Imu's Soul is powerful enough that even if he has lost most of it, other ordinary Souls will still find it difficult to affect him. In fact, over time, they will be continuously eroded and assimilated, eventually becoming part of his own Soul."

The Gorosei immediately felt relieved, "Then let's do that!"

Vegapunk hesitated, "Aren't we waiting for Akainu and the others? Perhaps if Orochimaru comes, there might be an even better solution."

Vegapunk had a great interest in the scientists from the other world and was reluctant to miss this opportunity.

Hirano Masato angrily said, "Those three useless Akainu still haven't reported back. By the time they arrive, the pirate alliance will have already reached the Holy Land. Right now, the most important thing is for Imu to wake up and take charge of the situation. Nothing else matters!"

Vegapunk nodded slightly, "I understand."

...

Mechanical Island coastline.

A warship cut through the waves and finally docked at the shore.

Akainu and the two others leaped from the ship, their expressions not looking too good.

Their operation had failed again this time.

Orochimaru had ultimately escaped. That little fellow named Kimimaro was indeed troublesome, eventually releasing an incredibly massive metal bone cage that trapped the three of them.

Although the three broke through the cage, they still lost track of Orochimaru.

"The situation is getting more and more serious."

Aokiji frowned, "When we passed through North Blue earlier, we didn't even see a single pirate ship. These guys, without a doubt, have all come to the Grand Line's New World to join the Four Emperors."

Akainu sneered, "They're just small fry. What good is it for them to jump around?"

Though he said that, the three of them felt heavy-hearted. Not bringing Orochimaru back and failing two missions made them feel ashamed.

Suddenly, several giant figures rapidly approached and blocked their path.

"Mechanical Island Forbidden Land, halt!"

Akainu and the two others were startled, all looking at the giant figures in front of them with some surprise: "PX-1?"

It was indeed worthy of being Mechanical Island, the territory of the world's greatest scientist, Vegapunk. Even the outermost guards were PX-1s.

Just as Akainu and the other two were about to make a move, they saw the red light in the eyes of the PX-1 units slowly recede, and a voice came through.

"Come in."

Akainu and the two exchanged glances, recognizing Vegapunk's voice.

As Three Admirals, they had naturally met this Genius scientist before; many of the Marine's weapons were developed and improved by him.

Following the PX-1 units, they entered the research institute, winding through various passages until they reached the location of Vegapunk and the Gorosei.

As soon as they entered, they were slightly startled.

Inside a glass enclosure, a figure lay on an experimental table, its body convulsing violently, data on the adjacent screen flickering madly, and a tube connected to the figure's head, continuously delivering a translucent substance.

What made Akainu and the other two's scalps tingle was this:

These translucent substances actually appeared in an extremely tiny humanoid form, and they could even vaguely hear them roaring and screaming. Some translucent substances even manifested twisted faces on the pipe wall, but the next moment they were absorbed into the figure's brain.

"Is that… Imu?"

Akainu asked.

No one answered him, but the answer was obvious.

Gekko Moriah's face was not looking good; he continuously provided energy sources to Vegapunk, with black shadows being sacrificed and then stripped and purified through special instruments, finally being delivered into Imu's Soul.

Slowly, Imu's condition in the glass enclosure gradually stabilized.

Vegapunk's expression also slowly relaxed, and he let out a breath, saying, "There should be no more problems. Imu's Soul is unexpectedly powerful. Even though most of it was stripped by the Golden Rankings, the remaining part is not something these ordinary Souls can shake. Although the quantity is sufficient, it's not enough to cause a qualitative change. However, there might still be some minor issues in the Late Stage, such as mental disorder, emotional instability, and so on, but the problem isn't big."

Hearing Vegapunk say this, the Gorosei also breathed a sigh of relief.

Ogata Kenichi asked, "Then when can Imu recover his strength?"

"Recover his strength?"

Vegapunk cast a sidelong glance at them and sneered, "Do you think that mysterious Golden Rankings above is just for show? Imu tried to forcibly snatch someone else's reward and was struck down. It's a miracle he didn't die. To recover his strength in the short term, unless there's some Heaven And Earth Treasure, I'm a scientist, not a divine doctor. It's already quite good that I can find a way to help him recover his Soul."

Being rebuked by Vegapunk again, Ogata Kenichi was somewhat annoyed but still suppressed it, letting out a heavy snort.

Scientists are indeed all madmen!

Vegapunk didn't care what the Gorosei thought. Even if he offended all five of them, these old geezers wouldn't dare to kill him.

A Genius five hundred years ahead of current technology, who would dare to touch him?

Who would dare?

Vegapunk turned to look at Akainu and the other two, his gaze chilling: "The mission failed?"

Meeting Vegapunk's gaze, Akainu and the other two, despite being Admirals, still found it somewhat difficult to bear. This madman's eyes were indeed quite sharp, and with their mission failing again, they were indeed a bit guilty.

As the Marine's highest combat power, repeated failures were simply a disgrace.

Vegapunk's eyes held disappointment, as he truly wanted to meet Orochimaru from the Naruto World.

The clash of intellects from two worlds would surely spark different kinds of brilliance.

"Useless!"

Vegapunk couldn't help but curse, then turned away, no longer bothering with the three.

The Gorosei, however, cast a cold, scrutinizing gaze, looking at the three with some dissatisfaction.

They were, after all, the Three Admirals. How could they fail to complete a simple mission when going together?

It was just Orochimaru. Was he that difficult to catch?

At this moment, Vegapunk pointed at the ice coffin in another laboratory and said, "I've helped you so much this time, you can't give me no benefit at all, can you? How about this, I don't want anything else, just hand over Rocks's body to me."

"No!"

Hirano Masato flatly refused.

They couldn't make that decision; this was Imu's property.

Vegapunk sneered, "Imu's attempt to Possess Rocks's body has already failed, and the Golden Rankings has warned him not to seek Golden Rankings rewards through special methods. Rocks's body is already useless to Imu; it's better to give it to me. Perhaps I can research something useful for the World Government, which would also benefit you."

The Gorosei exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

Vegapunk was right; Rocks's body had indeed lost its value to Imu.

"Alright, we'll make the decision. You can take his body."

The Gorosei finally compromised.

Only then did Vegapunk reveal a satisfied smile.

One day later.

A group of nine boarded the Marine warship docked at Mechanical Island, setting sail. Imu had regained consciousness; although there were still intermittent mental disturbances, it was indeed as Vegapunk said, the problem was not big, and his sanity was gradually recovering, though his strength had been weakened again.

They needed to return quickly now.

The situation was becoming increasingly urgent. The Gorosei had already received intelligence that the Four Emperors' forces were gathering in the Grand Line and were about to advance towards the Holy Land. They needed to make preparations in advance.

"The great war is about to begin. Do not delay the things we need; send them over as soon as possible!"

The Gorosei stood at the bow of the ship, looking at a PX-1 unit standing on the shore.

"Understood. No need to see us off!"

Vegapunk's voice came, without even showing his face.

The Gorosei, helpless, used their abilities to propel the warship like an arrow away from Mechanical Island and towards the Holy Land Mary Geoise.

Inside the Mechanical Island laboratory.

Vegapunk stood outside the glass enclosure, looking at Rocks's body lying in the ice coffin, a strange expression in his eyes.

"This body, after Imu's stimulation, actually shows faint signs of wanting to revive, but his Soul is long gone. For the body to revive… that's truly an interesting matter!"

Vegapunk muttered to himself, a smile slowly forming on the corner of his mouth: "This is the culprit who caused the God's War back then. Even Imu was injured by him. If it weren't for the Gorosei's combined assault, they might not have been able to keep him. This deal is not a loss!"

Vegapunk stared at the figure in the ice coffin, a bold plan forming in his mind.

As a top scientist, his own power was not strong, and he still needed others' protection. His name as a Genius was renowned throughout the world, but his own sense of security was not high.

"Perhaps this is an opportunity. The existence or non-existence of the World Government doesn't affect me much. Even if the pirates succeed this time, it's unlikely they'll target me…"

Vegapunk's hands moved like phantoms over the instruments.

Suddenly, the figure in the ice coffin, its finger trembled slightly…

Marineford, Marineford.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku paced back and forth in his office, his face extremely grim.

"I said, can you stop pacing in front of me? You're making my eyes dizzy!"

Garp complained, clearly displeased.

Sengoku glared at the carefree fellow, not wanting to bother with him.

There was no communicating with this thick-headed guy.

At this moment, many people were gathered in the Fleet Admiral's office.

The Three Admirals had also returned from Mechanical Island and reported the situation to Sengoku.

This was one of the reasons for Sengoku's increased anxiety.

It seemed Imu's condition had not improved, but had actually worsened.

However, not many people knew about this mission to the Naruto World; even Garp was unaware.

Akainu, his face full of fury, slammed his fist on the table and growled, "A bunch of bastards! How dare they rebel? I've said it before, we should have found a chance to kill all these guys, and then we wouldn't be in this situation today!"

Garp squinted at him and sneered, "If you're so great, why didn't you go earlier?"

Akainu's face flushed red. If anyone else had said that, he would have punched them long ago, but he truly didn't dare to face this legendary Marine hero.

He might not have fully understood the gap between himself and this man before, and he might have even felt a little disdain.

But ever since the Golden Rankings appeared, the difference in their strength was quantified and displayed.

Akainu, ranked thirty-second on the Golden Rankings.

Garp, ranked twenty-third on the Golden Rankings.

The disparity was clear at a glance.

Akainu originally scoffed at such rankings, but after a trip to Konoha Village, he had some idea of the reality.

To put it simply, if he were too arrogant,

the old man in front of him, who seemed to lack brain cells, might just punch his head in.

Kizaru pouted and said, "Akainu, just say less. The strength of those four guys isn't something we can contend with right now. You should have learned a lesson this time."

Akainu sneered, "You deserter have no right to lecture me!"

Kizaru was speechless: "Is it my fault you couldn't run away? I encountered the mysterious beings ranked first and second on the Golden Rankings midway, and although I lost an arm, it's still something to brag about! As for you, you were imprisoned quite miserably, weren't you?"

Akainu: "What do you mean? I was doing it for the Marine!"

Kizaru: "Didn't you want to run? You just couldn't!"

Akainu: "You're full of nonsense! I was doing it for justice!"

Kizaru: "You were imprisoned!"

Akainu: "The opponent was a top-ten expert on the Golden Rankings!"

Kizaru: "You were imprisoned!"

Akainu: "They had many people and were strong, and you even lost an arm after running away, trash!"

Kizaru: "You were imprisoned!"

Akainu: "...Where's my sword?"

Garp kindly reminded from the side, "You use your fists."

Sengoku's head ached from the noise of these guys, and he reprimanded, "All of you, shut up! Kizaru, when did you become so chatty?"

He truly didn't understand how these three guys, who had clearly failed their mission, still had the nerve to argue here.

The office instantly fell silent.

Sengoku turned his head to look at an old woman on his left and asked, "Have those guys all arrived?"

Although the old woman was elderly, she still exuded a heroic spirit in her great cloak. She nodded and said, "Almost all of them have arrived."

This person was Marineford Vice Admiral Tsuru!

She was a Paramecia-type, Wash-Wash Fruit user.

"Very good."

Sengoku waved his hand and said, "Everyone, follow me to the conference room. Those guys have arrived, and they are not easy to deal with. We must suppress them during this crisis!"

Aokiji said with some concern, "These guys are not easy to control. Aren't you afraid they'll betray us?"

Sengoku sighed, "Now is not the time to worry about that. Facing the combined Four Emperors, and with the Revolutionary Army eyeing us from the side, we need more high-end combat power. Better than nothing. As long as we can hold them, we will not hesitate to offer great benefits to stabilize them first."

Everyone nodded and walked out of the conference room together.

At this moment.

In the Marineford grand conference room.

Several people were gathered.

These were the current Seven Warlords of the Sea.

The World's Strongest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.

The Paw-Paw Fruit user, Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma.

The String-String Fruit user, Joker Donquixote Doflamingo.

The Shadow-Shadow Fruit user, Gekko Moriah.

The Love-Love Fruit user, Empress Boa Hancock.

The Sand-Sand Fruit user, Desert Crocodile Crocodile.

The Fishman, Knight of the Sea Jinbe.

The seven people sat in their respective corners, seemingly not fond of each other.

These individuals were all untamed. Those who held the position of Shichibukai all possessed considerable strength, and some were even ranked on the Golden Rankings. For example, the World's Strongest Swordsman Hawkeye Mihawk, ranked twenty-first on the Golden Rankings, was even higher than the Three Admirals, making him the strongest of the Shichibukai.

Even the most arrogant Joker Doflamingo was unwilling to provoke him.

Suddenly, the conference room door was pushed open.

Sengoku entered with a group of officers, displaying a kind smile: "Everyone, thank you for waiting."

"Ya hahahaha—"

Gekko Moriah let out a strange cackle: "Sengoku, at a time like this, you can still smile?"

Doflamingo also echoed with a cold laugh, "As far as I know, the four-way allied army is already gathering. Time is running out for you Marines and the World Government!"

"You talk too much!"

Sengoku's expression turned somewhat cold. A faint golden Buddha illusion appeared behind him, and a tremendous pressure enveloped the entire conference room.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku of Marineford, known as the 'Tactician General,' finally revealed his fierce and majestic side under such immense pressure.

Everyone involuntarily held their breath.

Empress Boa Hancock was not swayed by this. She lifted her chin and said arrogantly, "Sengoku, is this how you negotiate?"

Jinbe also nodded and said, "Negotiations require sincerity. We are not your subordinates, Sengoku!"

Sengoku immediately withdrew his pressure, smiled again, and sat down. Garp and the others also took their seats.

"You are right. Negotiations naturally require a proper manner. I was abrupt."

Sengoku smiled and said, "I'm sure you all generally understand what's happening. Whitebeard and the others, with their wolfish ambitions, want to attack Holy Land Mary Geoise and eliminate our Marine and the World Government in one fell swoop. It's simply a pipe dream!"

"I wouldn't be so sure!"

Crocodile squinted and said, "Whitebeard, Red Hair, Kaido, Big Mom—which one isn't ranked in the top twenty on the Golden Rankings? Their subordinates are also powerful. Their combined strength is not as simple as one plus one equals two. Do you really have the confidence to resist them?"

The Shichibukai all looked at Sengoku.

Sengoku smiled faintly and said, "Are you all underestimating our Marine and the World Government too much? A mere Four Emperors, we don't even put them in our eyes!"

"In the current situation, it's no longer just about the confrontation between our Marine World Government and pirates. The involvement of the other two worlds has already put us in a precarious position. Even if the Four Emperors hadn't made this move, our World Government and Marine would still need to consider our next strategy. Even someone as powerful as Imu was severely wounded; the Golden Rankings are terrifying! Our World Government's goal is the starry sea, the entire Three Realms! Mere pirates are just clowns!"

At these words, the entire assembly erupted in an uproar.

Doflamingo sneered, "Old man, have you been drinking fake alcohol to say such things? No matter how you look at it, in terms of the number of strong individuals, the Four Emperors Alliance has far more than the Marine side, and there's also Dragon lurking nearby, ready to take a bite at any moment."

"Oh, you're talking about the legendary Imu in the World Government, right? But wasn't Imu already severely injured by the Golden Rankings? Wounds of that degree probably won't heal in a short time."

Doflamingo slapped his forehead and chuckled, "I almost forgot, there are also the Gorosei. They are all big shots ranked in the top twenty. But what does that matter? That's all there is."

"Don't forget, the mysterious existences ranked gold list number one and two on the legendary Golden Rankings are both missing. Haven't you considered that he might be on the pirate side? If he were to act, who among you could stop him? Admiral Kizaru, what do you think?"

Kizaru's expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously touched his empty sleeve. His eyes behind his glasses narrowed, looking somewhat dangerous.

That mysterious existence kept him awake at night even now; he couldn't even clearly remember the other party's appearance. It was a fear that seemed to penetrate deep into his Soul. If he hadn't run fast, let alone an arm, he probably wouldn't even have had his ashes left.

And this was when the other party hadn't even acted; only a pet by his side had made a move.

He couldn't imagine, if such an existence was truly on the pirate side, then they might as well not fight and just surrender.

Anyway, if such a situation really occurred, Kizaru would definitely slip away at the first opportunity.

The Marine side fell silent.

Even the Three Admirals did not speak at this moment.

Because Doflamingo was speaking the truth.

The Gorosei are very strong, stronger than the Four Emperors, there is no doubt about it. Their rankings on the Golden Rankings have already explained everything, with two of them even making it into the top ten.

Of course, if Imu hadn't courted death, just within the World Government, three spots in the top ten of the Golden Rankings would be occupied.

But there are also many experts on the Four Emperors' side.

Kaido's The Three Disasters are all famous on the list, terrifying existences with bounties over a billion.

Big Mom's Sweet Three Generals are not to be trifled with either.

As for Red Hair, there's even less to say; among the Four Emperors, their pirate crew has the fewest members, but they are all elites, each one capable of at least Vice Admiral-level strength.

And Whitebeard has sixteen captains under him, each one difficult to deal with.

Adding up the number of these strong individuals, the Admiral-level combat power alone is several times that of the Marine side.

Strong individuals restraining strong individuals, the remaining people would simply crush the lower-level Marines.

And now the news of the Four Emperors Alliance has spread throughout the entire Pirate World. According to the information they have received, pirates from all four seas are already heading towards the Holy Land Mary Geoise.

The prestige of the Four Emperors has been established for many years. They believe that in the great tide, as long as they stand up and rally, these brainless pirates will immediately swarm like locusts.

The number of Marines is indeed insufficient compared to the pirates rampaging across the seas.

Otherwise, after so many years, there would still be so many pirates acting wantonly on the high seas, the New World even being carved up by the Four Emperors, and the existence of rebellious regimes like the Revolutionary Army. The World Government isn't that they don't want to eliminate them, but that they don't have the ability.

Or rather, eliminating any one of these factions would come at an extremely painful cost, a cost that would be enough to lead to their annihilation at the hands of another faction.

As for Doflamingo's assumption that the gold list number one was a pirate, no one paid too much attention. After all, this mysterious existence had always been very hidden. A strong individual of this caliber could stir up storms with a mere stomp of his foot.

But until now, there have been no rumors about him, which shows that he is not a high-profile person, at least not likely to be a pirate with a malicious personality who relies on burning, killing, and looting.

What is a pirate's pursuit? Fame and fortune? Wealth or freedom?

For that existence, does he need such things?

Gekko Moriah laughed strangely, "Alright, Sengoku, everyone here isn't stupid. Let's be frank. If you have any trump cards, bring them out. Otherwise, we won't accompany you to your deaths. Those guys are almost here. If you still haven't made a decision now, don't blame us for burning our bridges..."

The gazes of Sengoku and the others instantly turned cold, and the atmosphere in the room was suppressed to the extreme, needing only a spark to completely ignite.

However, the Shichibukai remained unhurried.

They knew that the Marine would not act rashly at such a time.

The very existence of the Shichibukai was a compromise between the Marine and the World Government.

The Shichibukai, legal pirates recognized by the World Government and the Marine, they are above other pirates, allowed to legally burn, kill, and plunder without being punished, existing in the gray area between black and white.

They are ostracized by both pirates and Marines. While gaining privileges, they also lose some things.

Sengoku reined in his aura, lowered his eyelids, and then suddenly chuckled, looking up at Doflamingo.

"Doffy, are you still doing your business?"

Doflamingo was startled, then his expression turned somewhat ugly. A cold light flickered in his eyes behind his sunglasses, not knowing what he was thinking. Transparent threads faintly twitched at his fingertips.

Vice Admiral Tsuru said in a hoarse voice, "Doffy, I advise you not to act recklessly, otherwise Marineford today will be your burial ground!"

Doflamingo narrowed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he chuckled, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, what do you mean by this?"

Sengoku tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said indifferently, "You thought your business was very secretive, but we Marines had already obtained intelligence. Doing business with Kaido isn't that pleasant, is it?"

"..."

Doflamingo subconsciously leaned back in his chair, snorting, "So what if you know? The business I do doesn't affect the interests of the Marine and the World Government."

"Whether or not it affects our interests is beside the point."

Sengoku waved his hand and said, "Do you know where those artificial Devil Fruit you gave to Kaido came from?"

Everyone present was stunned, then one by one they showed expressions of doubt and uncertainty, especially Doflamingo, whose eyes flickered.

Sengoku smiled and nodded, "You became Shichibukai, so some things aren't really secrets to you. Like Doffy, you even got a hand in it, but you don't know that we've actually been developing these artificial Devil Fruit for a long time..."

"What!"

All the Shichibukai were greatly surprised.

The Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma, for once, lifted his gaze from his book and asked in a deep voice, "Developed for a long time... what does that mean?"

The seven of them couldn't help but sit up straight, turning their gazes towards Sengoku.

Sengoku smiled slightly, stood up from his chair, and slowly paced to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the clearly visible coastline in the distance. He turned his head to look at the seven, enunciating each word.

"Just as you guessed, we have... a lot! A lot! of artificial Devil Fruit!"

As soon as these words were uttered, everyone present couldn't help but gasp.

There are a lot of artificial Devil Fruit?

"This is impossible!"

After his initial shock, Doflamingo instantly calmed down and sneered, "Old man Sengoku, your trick is too crude. I'm afraid I can't help you. It's more reliable to help the Four Emperors Alliance fight you!"

With that, he made to stand up and leave the conference room.

"You can try to walk out!"

Suddenly, the temperature in the entire conference room plummeted, and layers of ice crystals instantly covered the entire room. A sharp ice spike abruptly appeared in front of Doflamingo, only inches from his pupil.

His feet were also encased in layers of frost, unable to move a single inch.

Aokiji leaned back in his chair, tilting his head to look at Doflamingo, his gaze icy, with faint blue ice crystals flowing within it.

The other Marine high-ranking officials also looked coldly at Doflamingo, their eyes filled with murderous intent. They wouldn't mind eliminating this unstable factor right here.

Doflamingo's expression turned incredibly ugly, and after a long silence, the ice crystals beneath his feet shattered, and he sat back down on his chair.

The other six also breathed a sigh of relief.

If the Marine wanted to kill Doflamingo on the spot right now, they wouldn't stand by. It wasn't because they had a good relationship with Doflamingo, but because they were all in the same boat and had no choice but to act.

If the Marine could kill Doflamingo, it meant they could kill them. Losing one combatant would make it even harder for them to escape.

The Marine forces also didn't want to make a move.

The Shichibukai were each more troublesome than the last, and their combat power was not low. If they started a fight, it would be impossible to keep all of them.

And these guys had accumulated considerable resources over the years. If they escaped and joined the Four Emperors, it would be another troublesome matter. Why make an enemy when you could have a friend?

Sengoku acted as if he hadn't noticed the tension in the conference room, turning around to smile at the seven.

Beneath his thick glasses, a cunning glint, like that of an old fox, was hidden.

"Doffy, I know you're using Caesar to supply artificial Devil Fruit to Kaido. So, do you think Caesar truly has the ability to create something like artificial Devil Fruit on his own?"

Doflamingo trembled, asking with suspicion, "What do you mean?"

What Sengoku said was true. This artificial Devil Fruit was indeed a Heaven-Defying product developed by the former government's evil scientist, M. Caesar Clown.

Although its effectiveness was not as good as a true Devil Fruit, it could still grant special superhuman abilities to those who ate it.

And among Kaido's subordinates, many had already consumed artificial Devil Fruit, becoming pseudo-Devil Fruit Users.

Sengoku smiled, "I am very clear about Caesar's abilities. He is indeed a talented scientist, but unfortunately, his heart is not righteous. But even so, his ability is not enough to independently develop something like artificial Devil Fruit."

"Have you never thought that Caesar was originally a member of the World Government?"

This sentence enlightened Doflamingo.

His body trembled violently, and he looked at the seemingly amiable old man in front of him with some disbelief.

The Scholarly General — Fo Zhi Sengoku!

"Caesar was originally a subordinate of Vegapunk!"

Sengoku casually dropped a sentence, but it was no less than a clap of thunder.

The Shichibukai were also full of astonishment, turning their heads to look at Doflamingo.

They knew more or less about the underground business he conducted, but they didn't understand the details. Now, it seemed, such a big secret was hidden within it.

Vegapunk, the Marineford scientist in the World Government, whose wisdom no one has been able to surpass to this day, is hailed as a top Genius who is 500 years ahead of current human technology.

It was he who solved the conditions for Devil Fruit transmission, allowing objects to also possess Devil Fruit abilities. He can be said to be the man who understands Devil Fruit the most.

He understands them even more than the Devil Fruit Users who have eaten Devil Fruit!

"So that's how it is..."

Doflamingo muttered to himself. He had originally been somewhat suspicious that the mentally unstable madman Caesar could independently develop artificial Devil Fruit; it had indeed surprised him.

It turned out that the man standing behind it was that man.

"So, Caesar is actually one of your people?"

Doflamingo's tone was somewhat sinister.

He hated betrayal the most, no matter who it was.

He was an extremely cruel and cold-blooded person with a very 惡劣 personality. He could even kill his own parents and brother with his own hands, so killing a Caesar would cause him no psychological burden whatsoever.

"No, he is not."

Sengoku shook his head, "That disgusting trash doesn't deserve to be a Marine. He... is more like a pawn."

"As expected of the Scholarly General!"

Doflamingo nodded with a fake smile.

"Then."

Jinbe asked in a deep voice, "Sengoku, you said 'many,' how many is 'many'?"

Sengoku raised his eyelids slightly and said indifferently, "Enough to arm more than twenty percent of my Marine soldiers, is that enough?"

Hiss—

Everyone couldn't help but gasp.

One must know that the current Marine, due to changes in the world and the actions of the Four Emperors, had largely gathered at Marineford. Their numbers were enormous, yet Sengoku claimed they could arm more than twenty percent of their soldiers?

One must know that a Devil Fruit User and a person with the same Physique are not on the same level of combat power; the former can almost completely overwhelm the latter, even if he eats an artificial Devil Fruit.

And among the swarming pirates, Devil Fruit Users probably don't even account for one-thousandth.

But on the Marine side, there are more than twenty percent Devil Fruit Users.

Once a battle begins, it will be a complete 碾壓式.

Of course, this refers to ordinary-level combat.

These pseudo-Devil Fruit Users still cannot intervene in high-level battles.

After a full five minutes of silence, the Shichibukai gradually calmed down.

Hawkeye, who had been silent, said, "Low-level combat can be crushed, but the Marine side lacks experts. The enemy's allied forces can completely free up their hands to use their strong members to wipe out these people."

The others also nodded.

A high-level expert, similar to Akainu or Kizaru, can completely fight against ten thousand, eliminating a large number of low-level soldiers without any pressure.

It is entirely possible to use the strong to compensate for the gap of the weak.

Like Whitebeard, a single tremor could kill tens of thousands of soldiers, destroying the heavens and earth.

Sengoku said indifferently, "Do you think Vegapunk has only studied Devil Fruit all these years?"

Everyone's eyelids twitched again.

What else has this man done?

Sengoku suddenly clapped his hands, and the conference room door was abruptly opened.

A short-haired, burly young man walked in, carrying a double-bladed axe, followed by a giant figure.

"Allow me to introduce."

Sengoku pointed at the burly young man and the burly figure behind him, "This is the Marineford Science Unit Captain, Vegapunk's bodyguard, Sentomaru!"

"That one behind him is Vegapunk's latest developed Pacifista PX-1, with combat power equivalent to a Rear Admiral!"

Everyone looked towards the door.

Behind Sentomaru, that shadow revealed its form.

Over five meters tall, burly and robust, with eyes flashing a bizarre orange-yellow light, expressionless, its entire Aura was extremely strange.

As he spoke.

This Pacifista suddenly opened its mouth, condensing a scorching ball of light, and then instantly shot it towards the Shichibukai and the others.

This laser came extremely fast, arriving in the blink of an eye.

The Shichibukai all frowned, their fingers twitching slightly.

Hawkeye was the first to act, grabbing the cross on his chest, drawing out a mini sword, and swinging it.

The black slash and the orange-yellow laser collided, dissipating each other.

He's right."

Hawkeye's gaze was solemn, a cold glint flashing in his narrow, hawk-like eyes as he stared at the Pacifista not far away.

Everyone simultaneously looked at the giant, expressionless figure.

No one questioned Hawkeye's words.

Among the Shichibukai, Hawkeye's strength was undoubtedly the greatest; even in this meeting room, no one dared to claim they could decisively defeat Hawkeye, not even Sengoku.

The title of the World's Greatest Swordsman was not for show.

"Is this a cyborg?"

Crocodile asked, squinting his eyes and biting his cigar.

Sengoku shook his head, "No, this is a pure robot, not a cyborg. It's a product designed and manufactured by Vegapunk, driven entirely by a special power source. All you need to know is that we currently have five hundred of these Pacifista!"

Five hundred!

Everyone present showed shock.

The number didn't seem like much.

But it must be known that each Pacifista was comparable to a Vice Admiral-level combatant, and they felt no pain or fatigue; as long as they didn't suffer fatal damage, they could continue fighting.

Moreover, judging by the previous attack, it seemed somewhat similar to Kizaru's attack method, a purely area-of-effect damage.

Five hundred Vice Admiral-level combatants with abilities similar to Kizaru's—there was no doubt what effect they would have once deployed on the battlefield.

Sengoku leaned his hands on the table, his gaze sweeping over the seven individuals from behind his glasses, a slight curve to his lips as he asked, "So, gentlemen, have you made your decision?"

Silence, a long silence.

Finally, Gekko Moriah was the first to speak, cackling, "I am willing to serve the Marine!"

He had previously been in contact with Vegapunk and participated in Imu's treatment, so he already knew some things in advance, including the existence of PX-1. However, he hadn't known that the World Government possessed such a large number of PX-1s.

Having been to Mechanical Island, he was very clear about the combat power of this thing.

It was terrifying, especially with such a large quantity.

Subsequently, the others also nodded in agreement. Even the most unruly Doflamingo still agreed, willing to help the Marine jointly resist the Four Emperors Alliance.

Because this was already a battle with no suspense.

As Shichibukai, high-end combatants of the Pirate World, they could not remain neutral.

Once they chose a faction, it was equivalent to branding themselves.

If the Marine achieved victory in the future, and they had chosen the Four Emperors Alliance, they would inevitably face the furious pursuit of the entire World Government and Marine. No matter which side, traitors would not be easily let go.

Seeing even the strongest Hawkeye silently nod in agreement, Sengoku finally showed a satisfied smile and clapped his hands.

"Very good, everyone has made the most correct choice. Our Marine welcomes your official joining. Rest assured, our Marine is very friendly to its comrades."

"Once we defeat the Four Emperors Alliance, you will all be meritorious officials!"

The seven were noncommittal, not impressed by such empty promises.

"According to the latest intelligence, the Four Emperors Alliance has already assembled. Since you have officially chosen to join us, please gather your forces as quickly as possible and rush to Marineford."

Sengoku made a gesture of invitation, then led his generals directly out of the meeting room.

"Gentlemen, let's hurry!"

Gekko Moriah stood up, his massive body casting an extremely eerie, twisted shadow, and let out a cackling laugh: "We don't have much time left. In a battle of this magnitude, one wrong move could mean death, you know~"

Crocodile sneered repeatedly: "Worry about yourself, you pathetic worm!"

Crocodile felt an immense disgust for such disgusting creatures living in the shadows.

Moriah didn't care, stretching his long nails and licking his lips, saying, "When it comes to survival skills, I'm the strongest among everyone here, hehehehehehe—"

"This Empress will depart first!"

Empress Hancock stood up, her graceful figure swaying alluringly. She nodded to Hawkeye and Jinbe, then turned and left the meeting room.

"This old man is leaving too!"

Jinbe also stood up and left the meeting room.

Hawkeye said nothing, simply rising. His black cloak made his figure appear even more profound and cold.

Kuma, the Tyrant, also left without a word, holding a book. His expressionless face seemed to hold some emotion, as if he was contemplating something.

The remaining few also rose and left.

Silence once again returned to the meeting room.

—

In the latter half of the Grand Line, the New World, Wano Country.

On Onigashima.

Currently, a large number of pirate ships were gathered in the sea here. Some flags fluttered, the distinct pirate flags striking fear into onlookers. Pirates, some laughing wildly, some baring their fangs and claws, came in all shapes and sizes.

In the distance, a massive pirate ship sailed from afar, followed by a fleet of pirate vessels.

"This is… the Moby Dick!"

Someone recognized it and immediately became excited, shouting out loud.

Everyone's gaze turned towards the large ship, their expressions varied: some excited, some sneering, some with grim faces.

But the atmosphere on the scene was instantly stirred, and they unconsciously cleared a path, allowing the pirate fleet to sail in.

"It's really lively here…"

Ace stood with one foot on the ship's bow, shirtless, a smirk on his lips as he scanned the surrounding pirate ships, letting out a boisterous laugh.

"There are quite a few new faces… a bunch of little guys who don't know their place!"

Diamond Jozu chuckled as he stood beside Ace, turning his head to look at some of the still somewhat crude pirate ships.

Among these pirates, some were great pirates from the New World of the Grand Line, all of them vicious and ruthless, with bounties of at least tens of millions, and some Captains even exceeding a hundred million.

The majority, however, had come from the Four Seas, having heard about this grand event. Some wanted to establish their prestige in this situation and become famous in one battle.

Of course, many more were coveting the Golden Rankings. These hidden powerhouses in the Four Seas, some unassuming, could instantly become beings standing at the world's peak if they could defeat and kill a ranked powerhouse.

None of those who became pirates were good people.

Even someone like Whitebeard had reached his current position by treading on mountains of corpses and seas of blood. The throne of the Four Emperors could not be occupied by a purely benevolent person.

Some also wanted to cling to the Four Emperors' coattails and become a member of their crew, thus skyrocketing to success.

Others wanted to fish in troubled waters, hoping to gain some benefits from this earth-shattering battle and significantly enhance their strength.

"Whitebeard, you're too late!"

Tree shadows swayed in the jungle on the beach, and two towering, massive figures pushed through the thicket.

The tall figures were like mountains; some small pirate ships didn't even reach their waists, like toys.

"Ya hahahahaha—Kaido, Linlin, it's been a long time!"

A deep laugh rang out, accompanied by a tremendous roar. An equally towering figure leaped from the Moby Dick, instantly covering a distance of hundreds of meters, and slammed heavily onto the shore.

Boom—

The ground cracked, and a huge crater was formed.

Thump!

Whitebeard's cloak billowed behind him, and his height-tall bisento struck the ground with a dull thud. He looked up at the two figures opposite him.