Kisame looked up and saw Suikazan Fuguki, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. Although he had some suspicions when Suikazan Fuguki was first captured, he abandoned those thoughts after even Zabuza was caught.
The possibility of one Jonin being compromised was small enough, but for two Jonins to both have problems? That possibility was infinitesimal.
"Lord Suikazan, you've returned!" Kisame lowered his head and spoke with a respectful expression. Although he had only caught a glimpse, in Kisame's eyes, Suikazan Fuguki's presence seemed much more powerful compared to three days ago.
Beside him stood a tall, black-haired woman wearing a mask, along with a blonde youth also wearing a mask. Could they be the Lord's hidden agents in the Land of Sea?
Before Kisame could think too much, Suikazan Fuguki's tense face showed a hint of pain, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Only then did Kisame belatedly realize that the Great Sword Samehada on Suikazan Fuguki's back had vanished.
"Lord, Samehada..."
"It was taken!" Suikazan Fuguki clutched his chest, took a breath, and then said coldly: "Come back with me, Kisame! I've obtained incredibly important information in the Sea Ninja Village that must be reported to the Mizukage in person!"
"Understood, Lord!"
Kisame was slightly stunned, feeling that Suikazan Fuguki's tone was a bit off, but as a top-tier tool, he didn't have any other thoughts. As for the other Chunin, they dared not raise any objections.
And so, the group of Kirigakure Ninjas hurriedly packed up the base, recalled all the Ninjas out gathering intelligence, and boarded the departing ship two hours later... The Kirigakure ship had become a small dot on the horizon, while on the shore stood two figures, watching the distant vessel.
"The Doctor really is confident! To think he'd infiltrate Kirigakure alone with just one other person..."
"The Boss has always had his own ideas. Besides, with Sister Hancock protecting him, it's the Kirigakure Ninjas who should be worried!"
The first to speak was Orochimaru, with his long black hair and somewhat pale complexion. Answering beside him was Vegapunk's former assistant and current 'Village Head' of the Sea Ninja Village, Nico Robin.
In the current Sea Ninja Village, there were only four high-level members. Although Orochimaru and Vegapunk had management abilities, both were the type to be indifferent to mundane affairs and obsessed with research. In the original story, if not for more experimental subjects and research funds, Orochimaru wouldn't have bothered playing the Ninja village game.
As for the remaining Hancock, if she were left to govern the village, it would likely end up like Amazon Lily in the One Piece World—a mess of rule by charm and fan politics.
Under these circumstances, the all-rounder Nico Robin was naturally the best choice for the village leader.
Nico Robin might lack some experience, but with her IQ and EQ, managing a Ninja village wouldn't be a difficult task.
As for her strength, while she might not rank among the top in the One Piece World, in the Naruto World, even without counting her almost cheating Flower-Flower Fruit, she could already be considered an expert capable of contending with an average Kage.
After all, the conventional combat power of the Naruto World was a full level lower than that of the One Piece World. Without those Ōtsutsuki immortals raising the world's level, Ninjas still couldn't compare to the Great Pirates and Marine Admirals who could destroy islands and nations at will.
"Is that so? To be so highly praised by Miss Robin and become Doctor Vegapunk's personal guard... it seems that Hancock shouldn't be underestimated either!"
Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth and glanced at Nico Robin. When Nico Robin had captured Zabuza and returned, Orochimaru had been extremely curious about the Flower-Flower Fruit ability she displayed.
In the past, he would have definitely found a way to get some of Nico Robin's blood for research. Since Nico Robin was also Vegapunk's assistant, she probably wouldn't have cared about such things.
But now, he had so many research projects on his hands that even if he wanted to study Nico Robin's 'Bloodline Limit', he probably wouldn't have time for several years.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru couldn't help but show a somewhat frustrated expression. It seemed he really needed to find a way to solve his lifespan issue quickly!
Although Orochimaru had fully perfected his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique after obtaining Vegapunk's soul transfer experimental data, he felt it would be better to study using Natural Energy to extend his life and become a Sage rather than relying on reincarnation.
Previously, Orochimaru had no clue about Natural Energy, but after collaborating with Vegapunk, he was confident he could crack the mysteries of Natural Energy and Sages within ten years. Naturally, he wasn't as desperate for reincarnation anymore.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru didn't want to waste any more time and turned to leave the shore.
"I have to get that fellow Vegapunk to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu quickly! Otherwise, how much will his research speed be slowed down? Clearly, others can learn it just by seeing it once. Why is this simple Ninjutsu so hard for him to learn?"
"Achoo!"
The blonde youth sneezed, a look of annoyance on his face. "It must be that guy Orochimaru talking behind my back again!"
"Damn it! Trying to project a Quantum chip into the structure of a Shadow Clone is just too difficult! This is way harder than any S-rank Ninjutsu!"
"Mmm, darling, if you're tired, you can take a break. I've made some delicious grilled meat for you! Do you want me to give you a massage?"
A gentle and sweet voice sounded in his ear. The masked Hancock walked into the cabin with a plate of grilled meat, advising the distressed Vegapunk.
"Uh, don't worry, I'm not tired!" The blonde youth, Vegapunk, shook his head and looked at Hancock, his mouth twitching slightly.
It was fortunate that Suikazan Fuguki was entirely on their side; otherwise, with Hancock's high-profile personality, it would have been impossible for her to stay hidden on this ship.
After all, Hancock was a super-narcissist who didn't even deign to learn the Transformation Jutsu. According to Hancock herself, why should 'this mistress's' beauty be obscured by such a crude Ninjutsu?
In the end, she could only be made to wear a mask. Although a woman with such a tall and perfect figure was quite conspicuous even with a mask, it was still better than Hancock revealing her true face.
Refusing Hancock's grilled meat and massage service, Vegapunk turned his attention back to the analysis of the Shadow Clone structure. With the Quantum chip, Vegapunk's learning ability and Chakra control were unrivaled in the entire Ninja World, allowing him to learn almost any Ninjutsu at a glance, yet he had hit a major wall with the Shadow Clone.