Chapter 35- A New Power Comes to the War - In a New World as a Shinobi God

-"Person Talking"-

-(Person Thinking)-

[Jutsu and Spell]

(JC: Author's Notes)

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Let's get started

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Marineford Island was in total chaos...

The War had begun only a few minutes ago, and chaos reigned on the battlefield. Shirohige's Pirates and allies began their race to free their friend, defeating the weaker Marines along the way.

Some Shichibukai and Admirals had already made an appearance, attempting to surprise attack Shirohige, but were quickly stopped by the Shirohige Pirates' Commanders.

It was now that Admiral Borsalino, also known by the codename Kizaru, ordered the Marine Giant Squadron to attack the Pirates.

But before they and the Pirates could continue the battle, something incredibly enormous appeared above the island.

When everyone looked up, they saw a gigantic and beautiful flying ship.

Everyone was so shocked that they forgot they were still in the middle of a war.

-"What the hell is that?!"-

-"Is it another ally of Shirohige?!"-

-"It must be part of the Golden Lion!"-

The Marines quickly panicked at the unexpected appearance of the gigantic flying ship.

-"Hey, hey, what the hell is that ship?!"-

-"Is it an ally of ours? Or is it from the Marines?!"-

-"It doesn't have any insignia on its sails."-

The Pirates were also panicking at the appearance of the mysterious ship.

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On the bow of his ship, Edward Newgate, also known as Shirohige, looked at the gigantic ship in the sky in surprise.

Then he looked suspiciously to his left, where there was a Pirate Captain who might have been the source of this.

-"Hey, don't look at me,"- Shiki, the Golden Lion, told him. -"That ship isn't coming with me."-

-"Then where's it coming from?"-

Shirohige looked at the ship again, this time with his eyes narrowed in suspicion; but for some reason, he didn't feel threatened.

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-"Where the hell did that ship come from?!"-

Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, cried out in surprise as the ship appeared out of nowhere. With him was Vice Admiral and Hero of the Admiral, Monkey D. Garp. Garp stared at the ship, his eyes wide in astonishment.

The two were on the execution platform, where a handcuffed and emaciated Portgas D. Ace also lay.

Ace is a tall, muscular young man with jaw-length curly black hair. He is tall and muscular. He also sported rather boyish freckles.

Ace stared at the flying ship with obvious amazement and confusion. He wasn't sure where it came from or who owned it.

But something told him a new power had joined this war...

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The entire Grand Line saw what was happening at Marineford, thanks to reporters or the recordings provided by the World Government. And when the mysterious ship appeared in the sky, all the viewers watched the broadcast with interest.

-"Where did that ship come from?"-

-"I don't know, it came out of nowhere."-

-"Besides, it's floating; how is that possible?"-

-"Is it an ally of Shirohige?"-

-"Maybe it's from the Navy."-

-"I doubt it. Look, everything stopped the moment it appeared."-

And they continued to speculate while watching the broadcast.

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On the well-known Red Line, there was a city of Victorian architecture maintained in perfect condition. It is located 10,000 meters above sea level, so it is always submerged in clouds and fog. Surrounding the city are rivers and artificially planted forests. This luxurious city is the Sacred Land of Mary Geoise, the capital of the World Government where the highest authorities of the world reside. It is known that people like Commander-in-Chief Kong, the World Nobles, and the Gorousei live there.

Although it seemed like a beautiful and shining city, the truth is, beneath it all, there were many horrors and dark secrets.

In the city was a gigantic castle known as Pangea Castle. Within the castle was the Hall of Authority, a room where the Gorousei meet and receive people who want an audience with them. It is a huge, sprawling, and opulent room, with abundant light-colored stained-glass windows. The floor design consists of light-colored circles on a darker background. The room contains two sofas and a chair, as well as a table full of papers.

Sitting on the sofas and the chair were five men. These people are considered the Highest Authorities of the World Government. They are believed to have the greatest authority over the world at large.

These five men are the famed Gorousei.

These powerful men were watching every detail of the war currently taking place in Marineford.

Everything they had seen in the war hadn't forced them to change their calm and indifferent expressions. Nothing could worry them that they would lose this war. The only time they felt a tiny bit of concern was when Shiki appeared to join Shirohige's side, but the truth wasn't that much of a concern.

Since the incident on Ohara twenty years ago, the Navy and the World Government had greatly improved their military power.

Of course, even now they couldn't find Ohara and the person who caused her disappearance, no matter how hard they searched. The only thing they discovered was that a girl from that island had gone out to sea, and the worrying thing was that that girl knew how to read the Poneglyphs.

But that was a problem for another time...

The point is that the Gorousei was fully confident in their victory. Shirohige was old and weak, and his strength was insufficient. They not only believed Ace would be executed, but also that Shirohige would die in the war.

And there was nothing that could stop that...

-"Where did that ship come from?"-

Until now...

Those words were spoken by one of the Gorousei. He is a man with tanned skin, a slim build, and incredible height, making him the second tallest of the Gorousei. Among the Elders, he is the youngest, with few wrinkles on his face. His hair is blond rather than gray, and he wears a regular, short cut that joins a beard and mustache. As for clothing, he wears a simple suit jacket and dark maroon pants, paired with a white, button-down, strapless dress shirt, with a collar low enough to reveal a scar across his chest, extending from the bottom of his neck to his right armpit.

This person is Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, a member of the Gorousei and holder of the title of Warrior God of Agriculture.

He and the rest of the Gorousei frowned in bewilderment when the ship appeared out of nowhere in the sky above Marineford.

-"He's not one of us,"-

Said an old man with a persistent angry look. He has a very large white mustache, is bald, and has birthmarks on his forehead. He wears a greenish-black suit over a black tie and a white button-down shirt, as well as black pants.

This person is Saint Topman Warcury, a member of the Gorousei and holder of the title of Warrior God of Law.

-"He doesn't seem to be one of the Pirates either."-

This was said by an extremely tall, elderly man with a pale, grayish complexion and no hair on his head or face. He has a wrinkled face, an aquiline nose, thin eyebrows, and wears round, wire-framed glasses. As for clothing, I noticed a loose white keikogi, held in place by a golden obi, but open enough to reveal his chest and abs. Beige geta sandals were worn as footwear.

This person is Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, a member of the Gorousei and holder of the title of Warrior God of Finance.

-"Is this perhaps part of an external force?"-

That question was asked by an older man, very tall and thin, with long white hair, including a mustache and a goatee that reached his upper chest. He is wearing a navy blue suit with a black tie and a white button-down shirt, as well as navy blue pants.

This person is Saint Marcus Mars, a member of the Gorousei and holder of the title of Warrior God of the Environment.

-"Whoever it is, it seems to be an unknown force that has the ability to float a ship of that size."-

That statement was made by a tall, robust man with thin legs. His hair is styled in several very thick strands and his bushy white beard is thick. He also has a distinctive wide scar that runs down the left side of his face from his forehead to the base of his beard. He wears an all-black suit with a purple tie over a white shirt, as well as black high-heeled shoes and a flat black hat. He always carries a thick cane.

This person is Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, the last member of the Gorousei and holder of the title of Warrior God of Science and Defense.

The other elders agreed with what Saint Saturn said. And without further ado, they continued to watch what was happening on the battlefield.

But for some reason, that floating ship was worrying them...

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Also within Pangea Castle, there was a room known as the Flower Room. It is a room filled with abundant vegetation, including grass, trees, and flowers, and also home to butterflies. The plants appear to be wild, and there appears to be no care taken, as branches and grass grow on the walls.

Walking calmly through this room while butterflies flew around it, there was a humanoid figure, whose eyes, with red irises and circular patterns, could only be seen. He wore a crown with four incredibly tall, sharp spikes on top and an extremely long robe that flowed over the ground for a great distance behind him.

This being was, in fact, unknown to the entire world. The truth is that this person is the clandestine leader of the World Government; a being who was hidden in shadow for over eight hundred years and was involved in the founding of the World Government.

This person literally effectively acts as the absolute ruler of all. However, his existence is kept secret from the world to sustain the lie that there is no single supreme ruler.

Only the Gorousei knew of this being's existence, and they knew him by the name of...

Saint Imu...

Although it didn't seem like it, Imu was listening and aware of everything that was currently happening in Marineford; and the truth couldn't matter less to him.

To someone like him, normal people were no better than the ground he walked on. He didn't care how the war would be resolved or how many lives were lost; that would never change how the world truly works. The world only changes when he commands it to.

But then something caught his attention. He had heard the Gorousei talking about an unknown force that had appeared in Marineford on a gigantic floating ship.

But he quickly stopped caring. There were few things that caught Imu's attention; some were still loose out there, and another had disappeared twenty years ago. Whoever or whatever had appeared in Marineford wouldn't affect him or the power he wields over the world.

If only Imu knew he was completely wrong...

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-"Teleportation successful, my lord,"-

Shibune informed Naruto after teleporting to Marineford.

-"Wow, that was fast,"- Naruto murmured in surprise as they teleported away in less than a second. -"You certainly are amazing, Shibune."-

-"Your compliments make me very happy, my lord."-

Naruto then turned his gaze to Yamato and the Akatsuki.

-"Good, it's time to act!"- Naruto smiled at them excitedly. -"I still want to try to stop this war by avoiding any kind of conflict, but if I fail, that will be the moment for you to act, and at that moment remember to cause as much chaos as possible."-

-"Understood, Yōsokage-sama!"-

-"Badly answered,"- Naruto declared with a smile. -"You should say: 'Understood, Captain.'"-

The Akatsuki rolled their eyes at that, but reluctantly did so.

-"Understood, Captain!"

Naruto smirked at the sight of him being called Captain. Yamato just laughed in amusement at her boyfriend's childish behavior.

-"Then it's time to get this party started."- Naruto looked up at the ceiling of the Command Bridge. -"Shibune, teleport us to the ship's deck!"-

-"As you command, my lord. Commencing teleportation."-

Then a golden Magic Circle appeared below the group and teleported them off the Command Bridge.

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-"Teleportation completed."-

Then the group appeared on the extremely large deck of Shibune.

Seeing that they had arrived, Naruto made the Akuma No Mi Uses and Abilities book appear in his hand in a burst of smoke. He then addressed the group of ninjas.

-"You find out what Akuma No Mi they consumed,"- Naruto said, passing the book to Yamato. He then pointed to the Shibune's bow with a smile. -"I'll go create a little chaos before we begin negotiations."-

The group nodded. Naruto then disappeared in a flash of yellow-red lightning.

Yamato then opened the book while the others looked over their shoulders. They quickly tried to find what Akuma No Mi they had consumed.

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Naruto appeared on the prow, standing on the fox-headed figurehead. He smiled as his sudden appearance halted the battle.

-"It's showtime!"-

Then Naruto acted. He inhaled a large amount of air and then shouted.

-"MARINE, DO YOU REMEMBER ME?!"-

His shout echoed throughout the battlefield. Both Marines and Pirates were startled to hear that sudden shout. Still, there were some Pirates who recognized that voice. It belonged to a powerful person they hadn't seen in twenty years.

-"Is that voice...?"-

Shiki's eyes widened slightly as he recognized it.

-"There's no doubt about it..."- Shirohige smiled. -"Gurararararara! That damn brat is back!"-

The same was true for the Marines. Those who had survived the Ohara incident twenty years earlier trembled in fear as they recognized the voice of the same person who had easily brought down three ships.

Three individuals in particular also recognized that voice. Beneath the execution platform were five chairs, where the five powerful Admirals of the Marines sat.

These five powerful Marines were: Admiral Sakazuki, known as Akainu; Admiral Kuzan, known as Aokiji; Admiral Borsalino, known as Kisaru; Admiral Issho, known as Fujitora; and Admiral Aramaki, known as Ryokugyū.

Three of these Admirals opened their eyes in shock as they recognized that voice. They felt the wounds or scars inflicted by the owner of that voice burn and ache.

Naruto then decided to make an appearance. He simply took a step and quickly began to fall toward the battlefield. "Something's falling from the ship!"

A Marine cried out in alarm as something fell swiftly towards him and the other Marines.

They quickly moved away from the scene, allowing whatever had fallen to impact heavily on the ground, creating a curtain of dust in the surrounding area.

As the dust slowly dispersed, everyone in Marineford could see what, or rather, who, had fallen.

They saw a human silhouette. It appeared to be a man no less than eighteen years old. He had spiky, tousled red hair with golden highlights, except for a single white lock at the front. He was wearing black pants with orange stripes down the sides and a tight black T-shirt. Over it all, he wore a white coat with light blue flame-shaped edges, and on his back were the words "Shodai Yōsokage" written vertically. It was closed in the front by a thin orange rope that fluttered through the air.

That person smiled at everyone there with excitement and determination.

When the Pirates and Marines saw the man's appearance, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped almost to the ground.

-"It can't be!"-

-"Impossible!"-

-"That person is...!"-

The Marines cried out in alarm as they retreated in terror at the presence of this man, considered one of the most dangerous people in the world.

The Pirates were no better off. They were equally terrified at how this dangerous man had appeared on the battlefield.

On the execution platform, Sengoku stared at the man with wide eyes, sweat pouring down his head. Garp just stood there in shock, his mouth agape, his eyes nearly popping out of his sockets.

Ace stared in surprise at the appearance of this person, whom he had heard so much about within Shirohige's crew.

Shirohige, meanwhile, put on a big smile upon seeing that person suddenly appear, just like the time he first met him. Shiki, on the other hand, looked on in shock.

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-"!?"-

-"Ah!"-

-"Impossible!"-

-"What's that person doing there?!"-

The spectators watching the war broadcast were shocked and terrified to see how one of the most dangerous people in the world had appeared.

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At Pangea Castle in Mary Geoise, the Gorousei members were shocked to see the person appear, then put on expressions of anger and fury.

Meanwhile, Imu became interested in what was happening at Marineford, seeing that one of the few people who caught her attention was there.

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Everyone present and those witnessing the war knew that person very well. His name and appearance were known and feared throughout the world. He was known as a powerful person, labeled a monster and the world's worst criminal. This person is-

-"""Shinobi no Kami, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze!"""-

Naruto's smile widened as he watched the Marines say his name with terror in their voices; though he didn't know where that title had come from.

-"We meet again, Marine,"- Naruto told them as he looked at all the Marines around him with a smile. -"Looks like we'll be fighting again."-

The Marines there were frightened upon hearing those words.

Naruto just laughed at their reactions, then disappeared in a yellow-red flash to go see some old friends.

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In a flash, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze appeared in front of Shirohige and Shiki.

-"Old men!"- Naruto greeted Shirohige and Shiki with a smile. -"Ah, it's been a while."-

-"I'd like to say the same, brat!"- Shirohige told him. Although his voice was harsh, he was smiling. -"You've been gone for twenty years!"-

-"You left the whole world in chaos, you know that?!"- Shiki told him. -"And you were accusing me of bringing terror to the world!"-

-"In my defense: I didn't do anything wrong."- Naruto smiled. -"By the way, I can see that time has treated you badly."-

-"And how is it possible that you're still the same?"- Shirohige asked him. -"You look the same as you did twenty years ago."-

-"Yes,"- Shiki agreed. -"How is it possible you're still so young?"-

Naruto smiled cheekily at them. -"Personal secret."-

Both Pirates and Marines sweated as they watched the three of them speak like old friends who had just reunited, completely ignoring the battle taking place.

-"Father..."- Jozu, the Commander of Shirohige's Third Division, coughed, drawing his father's attention. Then he pointed at the battlefield. -"The war..."-

-"Right!"- Shirohige mentally scolded himself for forgetting that. Then he looked at Naruto with a smile. -"Surely you're not here to watch, are you?"-

-"You're right!"- Naruto smiled at him. -"I came to lend my support in this battle."-

-"Gurararararara!"- Shirohige laughed excitedly at his response. -"That's what I wanted to hear!"-

Shiki smiled. -"It seems this war will end sooner than I thought."-

-"Maybe it will."- Naruto then turned his gaze to the battlefield. -"But if you don't mind, I'd like to resolve this as peacefully as possible."-

-"I don't care how it is,"- Shirohige declared. -"The only thing that matters to me is getting out of here with my whole family."-

-"Relax!"- Naruto smiled at him. -"I'll make sure that happens."-

Naruto looked back at the battlefield. He then shouted again.

-"MARINE!"-

His shout quickly caught the attention of both Marines and Pirates; all the spectators were also focused on what was going to happen.

-"I'LL GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO AVOID THIS WAR! YOU JUST HAVE TO CANCELLATE THE EXECUTION AND RELEASE PORTGAS D. ACE! DO THAT AND WE'LL LEAVE WITHOUT CONTINUING THIS WAR!"-

Naruto finished. The Marines wouldn't have accepted that at the beginning of the war, but with Naruto's appearance, they were now reconsidering.

Now they had an important decision to make...

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In Pangea Castle, the Gorousei were not at all happy.

-"It's that damn brat!"-

Saint Saturn said those words with a furious growl.

-"Twenty years of wasting resources and time to find him..."- Saint Nusjuro glared at the transmission, fury evident in his eyes. -"Only for that bastard to show up at Marineford!"-

Saint Ju Peter clenched his fists in anger. -"He's going to ruin everything!"-

-"Maybe,"- Saint Mars growled. -"But at least we can take advantage of this situation."-

Saint Warcury nodded. -"That's true."-

The elders looked at each other and seemed to have reached an understanding.

-"Connect us to Sengoku!"-

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Sengoku was now in a dilemma over Naruto's proposal. He really shouldn't be thinking about such a thing, but he was actually reconsidering releasing Ace to prevent a possible massacre.

*Purupurupurupurupuru... Purupurupurupurupuru...*

Sengoku put those thoughts aside when he heard his Den Den Mushi suddenly ring. He quickly pulled it out of his robes and answered the call.

*Gacha*

-"[Sengoku...]"-

Sengoku became serious and nervous as he watched the Den Den Mushi release its voice and put on the serious appearance of Saint Mars.

-"[Due to recent events... We're going to make some changes to our plans...]"-

Sengoku grew even more nervous as he heard the dangerously serious voice of one of the Gorousei.

Garp quickly became interested and paid attention to what they were going to say. Ace, meanwhile, looked at everything in confusion.

-"[The execution of Portgas D. Ace and the death of Shirohige are no longer important...]"-

The three were surprised to hear that.

-"[Now there's a more important priority...]"-

The three fell silent to listen to what was going to be said next....

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-"Hmm, so that's the famous Shinobi no Kami?"- Admiral Issho, also known as Fujitora, said calmly. Although he was calm, several sweats could be seen running down his head. -"He certainly has an imposing presence."-

Fujitora is a blind man with only the whites of his eyes visible. He has an X-shaped scar centered on the left side of his forehead that extends over both eyes. He has short, dark hair, a mustache, and a beard. He wears the standard Marine jacket with his personal clothing underneath, wearing the jacket over his shoulders like a cape with his arms not in the sleeves. The cuffs of his sleeves are purple. He wears a light purple yukata held up with a dark purple belt, all under a purple cloak. He wields a Shikomizue and also wears geta sandals. He has white bandages wrapped around both forearms, with hand guards on both hands.

-"Honestly, he doesn't look like much to me. He's just a brat with weird hair!"- Admiral Aramaki, also known as Ryokugyū, said sharply. -"I can't believe that brat was a problem for the Navy and the World Government!"-

Ryokugyū is a muscular man with thick, wild, dark green hair that reaches down to his neck. His face features a somewhat pronounced nose and lips, as well as a goatee and light-colored sideburns. He doesn't wear a shirt; he is bare-chested, exposing the large green kanji tattoo that runs down the front left side of his torso. He wears a pair of black pants with small flower shapes on his left leg, while his right leg has some small tears. He also wears a pair of shoes of different colors, the left one being light green and the right one black. He also wears a pair of black sunglasses over his eyes and the standard Marine officer's cape draped over his shoulders, which covers his bare back and has the usual pure gold epaulettes seen on other admirals, as well as folded green cuffs.

Fujitora wanted to reprimand him for underestimating someone so powerfully known, but he didn't, as he knew he couldn't penetrate his fellow admiral's stubbornness.

-"[Listen, all Marines!]"-

The Admirals and the rest of the Marines focused on Sengoku, who spoke over the loudspeakers using a Den Den Mushi.

-"[By order of the higher-ups, the execution of Portgas D. Ace is suspended until further notice!]"-

Both Marines and Pirates were shocked to hear.

-"[We have a more important mission than that right now!]"-

The Marines grew nervous and serious when Sengoku put on a serious expression.

-"[Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze... He must not leave Marineford alive! He must be eliminated immediately!]"-

That was all it took for three Admirals in particular to swiftly disappear and head for their new target.

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-"Huh?"- Naruto blinked in confusion after hearing Sengoku's announcement. -"I honestly didn't expect that."-

-"And that surprises you?"- Shiki looked at him with a raised eyebrow. -"What you did twenty years ago really angered them."-

-"That's a good point. It seems that if they don't release Ace, then this war will continue."- Naruto sighed dejectedly. He really wanted to prevent this war from continuing and several lives from being lost in vain. -"These fools apparently haven't learned from what happened twenty years ago."-

-"By the way,"- Naruto then looked at Shirohige with a raised eyebrow. -"How did all this happen?"-

-"The short version is that Ace was defeated and handed over to the Navy by a traitor in my crew,"- Shirohige clenched his hands in anger at the memory. -"You were right twenty years ago; Teach couldn't be trusted."-

He still remembers how it happened. It all started with an Akuma No Mi that Thatch, the commander of their 4th Division, had found. Teach seemed to have a great interest in the fruit, as he tried to kill Thatch and steal it.

But thanks to Naruto's earlier warnings, Shirohige and others in the crew kept a close eye on him, preventing things from turning out that way. Unfortunately, Teach was stronger and smarter than he looked; enough to escape and take the Akuma No Mi with him. The good news was they were able to prevent Thatch's assassination.

-"I still don't know how you knew I couldn't be trusted, but I'm grateful for that,"- Shirohige told him. -"Thanks to your warning, we were able to prevent things from getting worse."-

Naruto smiled at him. -"It was a pleasure for me."-

Suddenly, the three quickly felt the presence of three people approaching them. They looked ahead and there they were, standing before them, Admirals Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru.

Shirohige and Shiki quickly became extremely focused as they stood before three powerful Admirals. Behind them appeared the well-prepared Marco and Jozu, ready to fight the Admirals.

-"We meet again..."- Akainu looked at Naruto with extreme seriousness. -"Shinobi no Kami..."-

Aokiji and Kizaru gave Naruto a similar look; somewhat surprising given their lazy and laid-back personalities.

These three Admirals undoubtedly had a personal problem with Naruto. He had defeated them and made fools of them twenty years ago, in addition to permanently scarring them and removing important anatomical limbs.

The good news was that Aokiji's right arm and Kizaru's left arm could be replaced with prosthetics that worked perfectly with their respective Akuma No Mi; but it will undoubtedly never be the same again.

And since that incident twenty years ago, the three have been training exhaustively to one day be able to eliminate Naruto. The power they currently possessed was hundreds of times greater than it was twenty years ago.

And their day to avenge that defeat twenty years ago has arrived...

Naruto looked at the three Admirals with narrowed eyes. -"You..."-

The tension between the two groups was obvious to everyone there. Both Naruto and the Admirals exchanged extremely serious looks.

-"Who are you?"-

Then Naruto suddenly tilted his head and looked at the Admirals in confusion.

His sudden question caused many Marines and Pirates to comically fall backward. Shirohige and Shiki looked at Naruto in confusion.

Naruto actually looked at the three Admirals without recognition. He stared at them for a few seconds, then finally recognized them.

-"Oh, now I remember! You're the powerful Marines I humiliated and maimed that time in Ohara!"- Naruto pointed at them with a smile. -"Ice Man, Light Man, and Magma Man. Yes, it's you."-

Both Pirates and Marines sweated as Naruto remembered the well-known Marines.

-"And if I'm not mistaken..."- Naruto then pointed at Akainu. -"Your name is... Spandyne!"-

-"...."-

Everyone fell silent upon hearing that...

Akainu, on the other hand, clenched his teeth and fists in anger as super-hot magma began to flow out of his body.

-"No?"- Naruto frowned, seeing that he had made a mistake. -"So I don't have the slightest idea what their names are."-

-"My name doesn't matter..."-

Akainu explained abruptly as his fists turned into pure magma. Aokiji and Kizaru created, respectively, an ice saber and a lightsaber.

-"After twenty long years of searching, I can finally achieve my greatest goal..."- Akainu glared at Naruto with great fury. -"To wipe a monster like you from the face of the earth!"-

-"Do you still believe I'm the monster?"- Naruto smiled at him. -"That just shows you still can't see beyond what you call 'justice.'"-

The Admirals didn't even bother to listen to his words; they just prepared to pounce and attack him.

Shirohige and Shiki braced themselves for any confrontation. Marco and Jozu also prepared to support them.

The nearby Pirates and Marines grew tense and nervous at the potential clash between powerful beings.

Naruto was the only calm one in the room.

-"But you're wrong about one thing..."-

Naruto continued speaking, just as the Admirals blindingly lunged at him: Akainu with his powerful magma fist, and Aokiji and Kizaru with their respective elemental swords.

-"And I won't fight you..."-

Just as Naruto said that, three people suddenly appeared and intercepted the Admirals' attacks, just inches from reaching Naruto.

The Admirals were surprised to see their attacks easily intercepted by these three strangers.

Shirohige and Shiki, like the rest of the Pirates, were also surprised to see these three mysterious people appear.

-"I'm sorry, but we can't let you get close to our Captain."-

Speaked none other than Itachi, who had intercepted Kizaru's lightsaber with a chakra-encrusted kunai.

-"I couldn't have said it better myself,"-

Said Nagato, who had intercepted Aokiji's ice saber with a [Kuroi Jushinki].

-"If you want to get close to him..."- Yamato smiled at Akainu as he stopped his magma fist with Takeru, his giant kanabo club, which was coated with [Busoshoku Haki]. -"They'll have to go through us!"-

-"They appeared at just the right moment,"- Naruto told them with a smile. -"Could you take care of them for me?"-

-"Leave it to us, Captain,"-

Itachi declared as he glared at Kizaru with his [Sharingan] swirling menacingly, startling the Admiral. Itachi then caught him off guard and pushed Kizaru away to have their battle elsewhere.

Nagato, on the other hand, pointed his free palm at Aokiji.

-"[Shinra Tensei]"-

Aokiji opened his eyes in surprise as an invisible force shoved him hard and sent him flying toward the battlefield.

-"I'll take care of him,"-

Nagato told Naruto, then flew to where he had sent Aokiji. Both Pirates and Marines were shocked to see him fly.

-"Don't think you'll escape this!"- Akainu shouted as he tried to push Yamato's Kanabo with all his might. -"Nothing in this world will stop me from ending your existence!"-

The force of both collisions released and scattered black beams of energy from the point of impact, proving that Akainu was also using Busoshoku Haki.

-"We'll see about that!"-

Yamato said with a smile, then pushed Akainu's fist with his Kanabo thanks to his incredible natural strength.

Akainu was surprised when his fist was suddenly pushed away. It was then that he belatedly realized Yamato hadn't finished.

-"[Raimei Hakke]!"-

Yamato then horizontally struck the unsuspecting Akainu in the abdomen with Takeru sheathed in [Busoshoku Haki] and [Haoshoku Haki].

The blow was so powerful that it transformed the air into powerful shockwaves and literally bent the Admiral's body.

Akainu lost the air in his lungs and spat out blood as he was hit, then flew hundreds of meters across the battlefield like a projectile, while being pushed back by a kind of blue energy beam that seemed to originate from Yamato's attack.

Both Marines and Pirates couldn't believe what they had seen. First, three people had appeared out of nowhere and intercepted the attack of three Admirals as if it were nothing. Then, two of that person carried two Admirals to take their fight elsewhere. But without a doubt, the most surprising thing was seeing Admiral Akainu being sent flying. The Marines were clearly panicking...

-"S-She sent Admiral Sakazuki flying!"-

-"The other two also stopped Admirals Kizaru and Aokiji!"-

-"Who the hell are they?!"-

Sengoku and Garp couldn't believe what they had seen. The other Admirals were also shocked by this. Even the Gorousei Admirals couldn't believe what they had just seen.

-"Hmph!"- Yamato snorted in satisfaction at how she had sent Akainu flying. -"I bet she didn't expect that."-

-"Well done, Yamato-chan!"-

Naruto congratulated her with a smile.

-"Wait!"- Shirohige looked at Yamato in shock. -"Are you Yamato? The same little girl from twenty years ago?"-

-"The same one,"- Yamato confirmed with a smile, then bowed to Shirohige. -"It's a pleasure to see you again, Shirohige-san."-

-"Gurararararara! It's a pleasure to see you again too!"- Shirohige smiled at him. -"I never would have imagined that the girl I met years ago is now a beautiful woman!"-

-"And powerful..."-

Shiki added that last bit as cold sweats ran down his head. That attack Yamato used on Akainu was undoubtedly incredible and powerful.

Shirohige completely agreed with what Shiki said; he, too, was surprised by the powerful attack. Furthermore, he could recognize that it was the same attack Kaido used many times. Without a doubt, the one Yamato used was equal to, or even more powerful than, Kaido's.

-"Hey, Yamato-chan,"- Naruto called out to her. -"Have you and the others discovered what their Akuma No Mis are?"-

-"We already did, and we're actually very surprised."- Yamato smiled, then looked toward the battlefield, specifically where he had sent Akainu. -"Now I'll go after that Magma Marine."-

She then jumped off the ship and quickly ran to Akainu, throwing away any Marines who were in the way.

Naruto smiled. -"Looks like the others will be making an appearance."-

Shiki looked at him with a raised eyebrow. -"The others?"-

-"I mean my crew."-

Shiki and Shirohige were about to ask about that, but a gigantic explosion in the middle of the battlefield stopped them.

Naruto grew serious upon seeing the explosion. -"Looks like the real war has just begun."-

.....

...

....

Sudden and powerful explosions began to invade various parts of the battlefield. The explosions were massive and destructive; they originated in places where there was only a concentration of Marines.

The victims of these explanations didn't have a chance of survival. Only a few were lucky enough to survive with major damage.

-"Where are those explosions coming from?!"-

A Marine shouted in shock as he and several Marines watched as the explosions mysteriously erupted around them.

Then a Marine looked at something in the sky.

-"There's something over there!"-

The Marine pointed to the sky. When the other Marines looked in that direction, they saw a man standing on top of some kind of giant owl made of clay.

-"Hm!"- Deidara smiled at the surprised Marines. -"Amazed by my fabulous art?"-

The Marines said nothing; they just stared at Deidara in shock.

-"Well, here's more of my incredible art!"-

Deidara then extended his hands toward the group of Marines, and several clay spiders emerged.

The moment they got close, the spiders glowed dangerously as the Marines stared in horror. Then the spiders quickly generated a series of powerful explosions there and in the surrounding area. Meanwhile, only the screams of the Marines could be heard.

Deidara smiled at the result of his "work." He then flew across the battlefield and continued spreading his "art" to the Marines.

.....

...

....

-"Tch. When will that idiot learn that those explosions aren't art?"-

Sasori muttered those words as he watched Deidara's explosions from a distant part of the battlefield.

Then he calmly noticed how he was quickly surrounded by armed Marines.

-"Stay still!"-

A Marine ordered him as he and the other Marines pointed their firearms at the stranger wearing a black robe with red clouds.

-"Does that include my fingers?"-

Just as he asked that question, Sasori moved his fingers, and suddenly all the weapons the Marines had flew out from them. When they looked up, they could see all their weapons revolving around a humanoid being hovering above Sasori.

What the Marines didn't know was that the creature was Sasori's puppet of the Sandaime Kazekage; but unlike before his revival, the puppet had been upgraded and was now as advanced as all the puppets of Yōsogakure no Sato. It was literally a robot that completely resembled the Sandaime Kazekage.

Before the Marines could understand what had happened to their weapons, a hunched creature passed blindingly between them, only to receive deep cuts from what looked like a metallic scorpion's tail.

Seconds later, the hunched creature appeared to Sasori's right; it was none other than an enhanced, robotic version of Hiruko's puppet.

Many Marines perished from the deep cuts. Some survived, but they would undoubtedly fall victim to Sasori's special poison in Hiruko's tail.

Another group of Marines quickly rushed over, seeing many of their comrades rapidly fall.

-"I'm going to show you a puppet show you'll never forget..."-

Sasori said this to the new group of Marines with a small smile as his puppets' robotic red eyes glowed menacingly.

.....

....

Elsewhere, several Marines were falling dead from Hidan's blinding attacks, claiming lives like an uncontrolled grim reaper.

Some of the experimental Marines were able to shoot him or take him with their own weapons; but Hidan deflected the bullets with his triple-bladed scythe and easily eliminated any Marine who tried to get in his way.

-"I hope you're happy!"- Hidan stopped his murderous run so he could smile at a group of startled Marines. -"Because right now you will become Shinigami-sama's sacrifice!"-

Hidan was about to continue his run, but something caught his attention.

-"Hm?"-

Hidan raised an eyebrow as he witnessed how many of the bodies of the Marines he had killed suddenly rose up like resurrected zombies. Even though they had deep cuts on their bodies, they still headed toward him and surrounded him.

-"Kishishishishishi~ 'Sacrifice,' you say?"- A high-pitched voice was heard behind Hidan. -"Unfortunately, those bodies now belong to me."-

Hidan then noticed a large shadow covering him, showing that the owner of the voice was large and standing right behind him. He calmly looked over his shoulder to see the owner of that voice.

Standing there was a gigantic person, nearly seven meters tall. He had two horns protruding from the sides of his forehead and spikes running vertically from the top of his face and down his neck, which was quite long and thick compared to his body. His ears and teeth were pointed, while his lower body was relatively fat and plump in comparison. His hair was purple, and his skin was a light blue, which his lips, armbands, and the edges of his gloves shared. His shirt and gloves were black, while his pants were bright orange. He also wore a tie, a necklace, and a blue ornament resembling a crucifix with claw-like appendages sprouting from three cross-stitches. On top of everything, he wore a fur cloak.

Hidan looked at the strange person in front of him in confusion. He actually found him odd at first glance.

-"You seem very powerful..."- The strange man gave Hidan a maniacal grin. -"I'll definitely make a special zombie out of you."-

Hidan quickly noticed that the shadow of the man covering him quickly began to take on a form similar to its owner, as if it were alive.

But Hidan wasn't worried; he actually smiled wryly at the sight of facing another person capable of using shadows as weapons.

-"This is getting interesting..."-

Hidan then smiled with sick enthusiasm at his new opponent...

.....

...

....

-"This isn't that difficult,"-

Kakuzu muttered after releasing the neck of the dead Marine he had just strangled.

Of the few remaining Marines, they looked at him in fear; after all, Kakuzu was surrounded by the dead bodies of several Marines who had bravely faced him.

No matter how much they shot or attacked, they were unable to stop Kakuzu, who seemed incapable of dying. Furthermore, he easily killed Marines with deadly physical attacks or by piercing them with those strange, dark gray threads from his [Jiongu] jutsu.

-"Honestly, I'd like to know what his internal organs looked like..."- Kakuzu said calmly. He really wanted to know if there was any biological difference with the human organs of this world. -"But my Captain insisted I not do such a thing..."-

The few remaining Marines were horrified as Kakuzu spoke of organ harvesting as if it were a hobby.

-"Fuffuffuffu~"-

Kakuzu then heard laughter. Right then, he saw a man appear among the terrified Marines.

The man walked oddly; his legs were bowed, his back hunched, and his hands were in his pockets. He was a very tall, very thin, and muscular man with light tanned skin on his sleeves and incredibly short blond hair that resembled a pixie cut. He was dressed in extravagant clothing: a white shirt with red stripes, a green belt, and orange pants with white stripes, all under a large, light pink down coat. He also wore pointy black dress shoes and orange-tinted glasses.

Even though he was witnessing a massacre, the man smiled with a clear, sadistic happiness.

-"Fuffuffuffu! Isn't this wonderful!?"- The man smiled as he spread his arms dramatically. -"This war has certainly awakened the interest of a monster that has been dormant for the past twenty years! A former player has appeared to once again display the great power that was thought to be only rumors! And apparently, that player brought several interesting people with him! Isn't this incredible!? Fuffuffuffu!"-

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow in confusion as he watched this man begin to laugh cheerfully after making that unnecessarily dramatic speech. He also noticed that the Marines were startled when they noticed the man's presence.

-"And who are you? You don't look like a Marine."- Kakuzu calmly looked at the man. -"You look more like a pirate than anything else."-

-"And you're not wrong."- The man smiled cheerfully at him. -"You could say I'm a pirate working for the 'wonderful' World Government."-

-"Then you're my enemy."-

Kakuzu, upon learning this information, raised his right hand toward the man; but then something happened.

Kakuzu looked a little shocked as his right arm was suddenly completely severed out of nowhere. It really took him by surprise, but he was able to see that the cause was a very thin white thread. That may have surprised him, but it didn't worry him at all. Several threads emerged from the cut, grabbed his severed arm, and reattached it to his body.

-"You have an interesting power,"- the man gave Kakuzu a big smile. -"It looks like mine."-

The man then raised his right hand, showing white threads emerging from his fingertips.

-"We'll see about that..."-

Kakuzu replied as several hundred dark gray threads began to emerge from various parts of his body; all ready for the next battle.

.....

...

....

-"Ugh!"-

A Marine screamed in pain, then fell defeated along with several other Marines. They all had one thing in common: the deep tears on their bodies.

All of these Marines had fallen to the same person and his monstrous weapon: Kisame and his Samehada.

-"Disappointing, I must say,"- Kisame said as he walked over the body of the Marine he had just defeated. -"It seems there aren't any worthy swordsmen among them."-

The moment Kisame stepped onto the battlefield, he quickly headed to a place with a large concentration of Marines and performed the well-known [Kirigakure No Jutsu] to attack any Marines by surprise.

Kisame had truly hoped that some of these Marines would be decent swordsmen who could entertain him, but he was disappointed to see that many of the Marines couldn't challenge him; only a few were experienced with the sword, but they also fell quickly. But what Kisame didn't know was that he had caught the attention of one of the world's greatest swordsmen.

Kisame then looked in one direction with interest when he heard someone passing by.

A second later, the man who had stepped out of the thick fog appeared. He was a man with a short beard and sideburns. He wore ornate black and red clothes, with a crucifix-shaped pendant. His attire consisted of a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a large feather, and a long, open black coat with red, flower-patterned sleeves and a necklace. On his back was a large sword with a curved black blade, also shaped like a crucifix, with a golden handguard decorated with red beads and a hilt wrapped in bandages, with a particularly large bead at its tip. He also wore white trousers held up by an ornate belt and tucked into boots that were large in comparison to his leg. His most notable feature was his strange eye color, which resembled the eyes of a falcon. The newcomer peered at the fallen Marines with his peculiar eyes, then looked at Kisame, all while maintaining a calm expression.

-"You did this?"-

The man asked Kisame, his expression unchanged.

-"Yes,"- Kisame gave him a shark-like grin. -"I caught them by surprise."-

-"And you were also the cause of this strange fog, weren't you?"-

-"You're correct,"-

The man looked at him intently for a few more seconds before speaking again.

-"From your posture, I can see that you're an expert swordsman,"- The man declared. -"Besides, that strange sword wrapped in bandages doesn't look normal."-

-"Oh yes, Samehada is a very special sword,"-

Kisame declared while stroking Samehada's hilt, which trembled slightly with satisfaction.

-"Although you..."- Kisame smiled at the man again. -"You're also an expert swordsman, aren't you?"-

It was easy for Kisame to see that the man in front of him was no ordinary swordsman. With just a glance, he could see that he was looking at a powerful swordsman. And that truly moved him.

-"You're right."-

-"Then..."- Kisame lifted Samehada up with a smile. -"Why are we still talking?"-

That's all the man needed to hear...

In the blink of an eye, Samehada and the great black sword collided with such force and speed that it created a powerful shockwave that completely dispersed the surrounding fog.

That was the beginning of the fight between the two swordsmen...

.....

...

....

Elsewhere, a group of two specific ninjas were facing their own army of Marines.

One of them, Yahiko, was running at blinding speeds through the Marines while slashing them with a kunai. No Marine was able to keep up; before they knew it, they had been fatally wounded.

The other was none other than Konan. She attacked the unsuspecting Marines with paper shurikens while flying on her paper wings. Very few Marines were able to escape the chakra-enhanced paper shurikens, which were capable of piercing through human bodies.

It seemed like nothing could stop this powerful duo. But they happened to be in an area where a powerful woman was located.

But during his attack on the Marines, Yahiko suddenly stopped when he felt someone speeding toward him.

-"[Femur Perfume]!"-

Yahiko suddenly had to raise his kunai above his head to intercept a powerful kick. Even though he blocked it, the attack pushed him back several meters.

-"Damn!"- Yahiko complained after being pushed. -"That kick was powerful!"-

-"Yahiko!"- Konan landed next to him. -"Are you okay?"-

-"Yeah, it just took me by surprise,"-

Yahiko replied, then looked at his kunai and was surprised to see how it was covered in stone, as if petrified.

But then the stone quickly broke and crumbled to reveal the kunai itself, undamaged. Almost nothing in the world could damage this kunai; after all, that weapon, like all the Yōsogakure No Sato ninja teams, was created with the help of the legendary Cyclops who currently resided in Yōso.

Then Yahiko and Konan looked in the direction of the person who had performed that kick. There they could see a very beautiful woman. She had pale skin, was very tall and slender, with long, black hair that extended past her waist, with strands of hair framing her face to her chin and showing off her high forehead, and dark brown eyes with long, voluminous eyelashes. She has a narrow waist and very large breasts, and a pair of large golden snake earrings. She wore a purple dress with designs and purple high-heeled shoes. She was accompanied by an extra-large white snake with red markings, which bears a skull with blue hair sticking out of its back and a constant grin.

-"Ah, it's the Pirate Empress!"-

-"She's as beautiful as they said!"-

-"She's gorgeous!"-

The Marines seemed very happy and excited to be in the presence of the beautiful woman, giving her compliments after compliments about her beauty. They were undoubtedly fascinated by the woman's beauty, as they looked at her with goofy smiles and hearts in their eyes.

Yahiko visibly blushed as he looked at the beautiful woman, while a perverted smile slowly began to form on his face.

-"Ahem."-

Yahiko's face quickly turned pale, and a look of fear formed when he heard Konan's obvious fake cough to his right.

When he glanced at her, he could see that she had her typical calm expression, but the black aura surrounding her showed that she was anything but calm. Seeing that alone, Yahiko ignored the beautiful woman's existence.

-"Are you looking at something that interests you, Yahiko?"-

-"W-What? No! Of course not, Konan-chan!"- Yahiko quickly shook his head nervously. -"I-I just got caught off guard, that's all!"-

Konan didn't say anything; she just continued to stare at him intensely, making Yahiko even more nervous.

Meanwhile, the beautiful woman seemed enraged as she watched the Marines approach her with fascination. Then, unexpectedly and swiftly, she kicked all the Marines closest to her. The moment the kicks made contact, the impacted part petrified and shattered into a pile of stones.

Yahiko and Konan were slightly surprised to see this woman eliminate those Marines with a strange petrification power.

-"Hey, hey!"- A surprised Yahiko caught the woman's attention. -"Weren't you on their side?"-

He was sure the woman was on the Marines' side; after all, the Marines seemed to know and praise her.

-"I would never side with these filthy men,"- the woman snorted in disgust at Yahiko's words. -"I'm only participating in this war for personal reasons."-

-"But still..."- Konan looked at her with a raised eyebrow. -"Wouldn't this get you into trouble?"-

-"Please,"- the woman sneered. -"Whether I kill hundreds of Marines... or even innocent people... The world will never stop forgiving my actions! 'Why?' you might ask."-

-"No, actually-"-

-"That's right, it's because I'm..."- The woman then leaned back so that she was looking up at the sky above her, while pointing a finger at the two ninjas. -"Beautiful!"-

-"...."-

Yahiko and Konan didn't really know what to make of the peculiar woman in front of them.

-"Is she okay?"-

Yahiko muttered, blinking stupidly.

-(This woman must be proud of her beauty...)- Konan thought, then looked at Yahiko. -"This woman seems to be strong and has a strange advantage against men. It would be best if I fought her."-

Yahiko looked at her with a raised eyebrow. -"Are you sure?"-

-"Absolutely. I'll take care of her,"- Konan replied as she took a few steps forward. Then she suddenly looked at Yahiko accusingly. -"Unless you want to fight her for some special reason."-

Yahiko quickly panicked at her gaze.

-"No, no!"- He quickly shook his head, then nervously pointed to another part of the battlefield. -"I-I actually saw some Giants over there! I want to know how strong they are!"-

-"If that's what you want to do..."-

-"Of course!"- Yahiko gave her a big, nervous smile. -"Good luck in your fight, Konan-chan!"-

He then disappeared from the scene in a burst of speed.

Konan then turned her attention back to the woman.

-"Looks like it's just the two of us left."-

-"It seems so."- The woman smiled at her arrogantly. -"You'll regret deciding to face me alone."-

-"We'll see about that..."-

Konan replied as countless sheets of paper began to form and emerge from her body; all in preparation for the next fight that was about to begin.

.....

...

....

A group of Marines looked on in shock as Admiral Kizaru fell towards them. But before his body hit the ground, Kizaru transformed into particles of light, and in an instant, his body reformed, standing calmly before the Marines.

And in less than a second, Itachi had appeared at the front of the group. His mere presence alarmed the Marines, who quickly aimed their weapons at the stranger who dared to confront one of their Admirals.

But when they did so, they made a grave mistake. In the process, the Marines couldn't help but stare directly into Itachi's strange eyes.

The [Sharingan] was the last thing those Marines saw before fainting before a swift and powerful illusion of Itachi.

-"Ooh?"- Kizaru looked interested and a little surprised as the Marines suddenly fell, defeated. -"That was unexpected..."-

I didn't want you to get in the way," Itachi replied calmly, his [Sharingan] circling menacingly.

-"Ooh, those eyes of yours are truly terrifying..."-

Kizaru drawled slowly.

-"You wouldn't be the first to think so."-

-"I can believe that..."- Kizaru said slowly. -"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something important to take care of~"-

-"If you want to face my Captain..."- Itachi looked at him seriously. -"First, you'll have to face me."-

-"As you wish~"-

Kizaru then disappeared. In less than a second, he vanished from where he was standing and was now standing in front of Itachi, his right leg extended and covered in light, ready to strike him with his famous lightning-speed kick.

But just at that moment, at a similar speed, Itachi raised his kunai and used it to completely intercept the kick.

The collision itself caused a powerful shockwave. Kizaru raised an eyebrow in slight surprise as his kick was stopped by a simple knife.

Then suddenly, Itachi's body flickered rapidly, then disappeared. Just at that moment, Kizaru had to dissolve into particles of light to dodge a slashing attack from Itachi on his back.

-"Ooh, how unexpected~"- Kizaru said to Itachi, after reappearing a few meters in front of him. -"You almost took me by surprise,"-

Itachi could literally hear the sarcasm in his voice. Kizaru had obviously seen him coming in an instant. He had already deduced that he was facing the opponent who specialized in speed.

-"You sure have skill~"- Kizaru said as he raised his hands towards Itachi. His hands shone with an intense yellow glow. -"But I thought you'd need more than that to defeat me~..."-

Itachi just watched everything with his usual calm expression. Although the truth was, his body was prepared for any situation that might come.

-"After all~"- Kizaru looked at Itachi, his eyes seeming to shine like stars. -"Acceleration... It's power!"-

Then straight yellow lasers shot out of his hands, literally traveling at the speed of light toward Itachi.

These lasers were more powerful than what met the naked eye. Only a few with sufficiently strong defenses were able to withstand and dissipate them; and Kizaru was certain his current opponent wasn't capable of doing that.

But he was in for a big surprise...

-"!!?"-

Kizaru was stunned as Itachi deflected the lasers by intercepting them with swift movements of his kunai.

He couldn't believe it. Itachi had dispersed his lasers with a simple knife that seemed to be made only of steel. What he had just seen completely broke all known laws of physics.

What Kizaru didn't know was that the kunai was crafted by supernatural blacksmiths.

-"Now..."- Itachi looked Kizaru straight in the eyes. -"Stay still."-

Kizaru then froze...

-(Wh-What... Is happening!?)-

Kizaru thought, alarmed by what he was feeling right now. One moment he was fine, and now his body was being impaled on some kind of stakes. He could literally feel the stakes piercing his body, and it hurt a lot. He also became completely immobile before the stakes.

He would never have worried about such an attack thanks to his Akuma No Mi, but surprisingly, he could fully feel the stakes piercing him. He could only assume the stakes were made of Kairōseki.

What Kizaru didn't know was that he had fallen to the Genjutsu: [Magen: Kasegui no Jutsu], a technique that completely eliminates freedom of movement and causes physical pain to the enemy.

-(How did this happen...!?)- Kizaru thought as he tried to resist the pain. -(It happened suddenly...!)-

Then he noticed Itachi making a strange sign with his free hand.

-"[Katōn...]"-

Kizaru quickly sensed the danger.

-"[Gōkakyū no Jutsu]!"-

To the Admiral's great surprise, Itachi ejected a gigantic sphere of hot flames from his mouth. The attack traveled toward Kizaru, melting the ground as it passed.

Kizaru was now alarmed. The sphere of fire in front of him was so large that it literally covered his entire vision. Surprisingly, he could feel the scorching heat even though the sphere was meters away. He didn't know why, but he felt that fire would be capable of harming him. It was like that time twenty years ago.

So the Admiral had no choice but to try to get out of this situation, even though he was immobilized by those stakes.

Kizaru then mustered all the physical and mental strength he could to try to escape this situation. It was at that moment that he noticed something...

The stakes and the pain had disappeared...

Just as the fireball was about to hit, Kizaru had disappeared into particles of light.

Itachi looked back as he saw his opponent forming there. Kizaru had an expression somewhere between panic and relief; he clearly understood that he had been saved from a near-fatal attack.

But at that moment, Kizaru was thinking about what had just happened. In an instant, those stakes had disappeared, leaving no damage to his body.

-(This is strange...)- Kizaru thought, confused. -(It's as if... The stakes... They were never there...)-

Kizaru opened his eyes in surprise, understanding everything.

-"Ooh, I see."- Kizaru returned to his relaxed demeanor to look at Itachi. -"Those stakes never existed... Right?"-

Itachi didn't answer; he just continued to stare at him with a stoic expression.

-"I'm still not sure what it was~... But I'm sure it was fake the whole time..."- Kizaru commented. -"It was like it was all in my mind~... And something tells me... It had something to do with those strange eyes of yours."-

It didn't take long for him to deduce that everything that had happened was the cause of his opponent's strange eyes. He had first seen them when those Marines fainted at a glance. Furthermore, Kizaru remembered seeing those eyes before the strange incident with the stakes.

He still didn't know what and how it all happened, but he knew how they originated.

-"Hmm,"- Itachi looked at him calmly. -"You're more cunning than you look..."-

-"Ooh, thanks~"-

-"But if you think that's all I can do..."- Itachi hardened his gaze. -"Then you're wrong."-

-"Ooh, we'll see~"- Kizaru then extended his arms, where an intense yellow light began to generate in his hands. -"[Ama no Murakumo]"-

Kizaru then formed a long, very sharp sword from the light. He then positioned himself with his sword to continue his next battle.

Itachi looked at the sword. -"Looks like I need something more appropriate..."-

He then quickly made the kunai disappear into a smoke bomb and, in the same way, made a sword very similar to the one he used in his days as an ANBU appear.

Then, with similar speeds and forces, both fighters collided their respective weapons, creating a shock wave and precision that cracked the ground beneath their feet.

And so the battle continued...

.....

...

....

Elsewhere, Admiral Aokiji blindingly crashed into the hard ground of the battlefield, creating a crater in the shape of his body.

Throughout all of this, Aokiji only wore a bored expression. Thanks to his body of ice, he suffered no damage from the impact; though he did feel the strange force that pushed him in the first place.

He then calmly stood up, just to see the person who pushed him a few meters in front of him.

-"Excuse me, could you please step out of the way and not interfere?"- Aokiji asked lazily. -"I have something more important to take care of than you."-

-"I can't let you through,"- Nagato replied. -"Captain's orders."-

Aokiji sighed in annoyance. "How annoying."

-"Admiral Aokiji!"-

Aokiji looked over his shoulder to see a group of Marines heading toward him.

-"Let us help you!"-

A Marine said as he and the others arrived. They then pointed their firearms at Nagato.

Nagato just watched the whole situation with an unreadable expression.

And without further ado, the Marines fired a barrage of bullets at him.

Nagato only had to raise his hand to defend himself. To the Marines' surprise, the bullets collided and ricocheted off an invisible wall just inches from hitting their target. Aokiji just looked at everything with a raised eyebrow.

-"Apparently, this person isn't normal; just like your Captain..."- Aokiji said, then sighed. -"Looks like I'll have to take care of this."-

Aokiji then began walking calmly toward Nagato. With each step, ice and frost partially formed on his arm, chest, and face, causing his food to billow out in the form of smoke. The ground beneath his feet also froze slightly as he walked.

Then he disappeared...

In the blink of an eye, Aokiji appeared in front of Nagato, the hand of his artificial arm just inches from his face.

-"[Ice-]"-

-"[Shinra Tensei]"-

Aokiji was suddenly struck hard by an invisible force, forcing him to fly away from Nagato. His body quickly connected with the ground, where it continued to drag, creating a trail of destruction in the earth.

-"Admiral Aokiji!"-

A Marine shouted in agitation while he and the others looked worriedly at Aokiji's body, which was embedded in the ground.

-"Tsk!"- Aokiji clicked his tongue in annoyance. -"You're annoying..."-

He then lifted his upper body from the crater, not only showing his mildly annoyed expression, but also some damage to his body; nothing serious, but clearly noticeable. It was undoubtedly caused by the invisible force and not by the impact with the ground.

Aokiji honestly didn't know what he was up against. At first glance, it seemed that the person holding him back had some ability to repel; something bothersome for him, since he needed to be in contact with the target to be able to completely neutralize it.

He then stood up from the crater, just in time to see something that surprised him.

Nagato's right arm suddenly deformed and separated into several advanced mechanical parts to form a kind of cannon. Nagato then pointed the cannon, which was emitting a bluish light, at the Marines and Aokiji.

Aokiji grimaced. -"That doesn't look good..."-

-"[Shura no Ko]"-

The cannon then fired a massive blast of blue energy, causing a powerful explosion that devastated the surrounding area and easily knocked down the Marines.

Aokiji had already seen this coming with [Kenbunshoku Haki]. Before the cannon could fire, he leaped to great heights in a single second and covered his body with [Busoshoku Haki], just in time to dodge and protect himself from the blast.

By the time he landed on the ground safely from the attack, Aokiji could see that all the Marines who were there were on the ground, defeated and badly injured; it would be surprising if they were still alive.

-(First repelling abilities, and now some kind of advanced weapon?)- Aokiji frowned in annoyance. -(This doesn't make sense. It's like twenty years ago.)-

He was undoubtedly experiencing the same thing he had experienced twenty years ago during the Ohara incident. He was once again facing a strange individual with more than one strange or ridiculous power.

All Aokiji could do now was quickly neutralize his current opponent...

What he didn't know was that Nagato was having the same thoughts...

-"[Kuchiyose no Jutsu]!"-

Aokiji witnessed Nagato slam her right palm against the ground, where a gigantic explosion of smoke originated. Seconds later, he felt a gigantic presence suddenly appear in the smoke with his [Haki].

Suddenly, a gigantic rhinoceros emerged from the smoke. It looked like a normal rhinoceros, but of a colossal size, with a dark, opaque skin tone. It had a large, very long horn on its snout, as well as strange purple eyes.

Aokiji didn't even wonder where this strange creature had come from; he simply prepared himself to meet the rhinoceros as it charged wildly toward him.

He grabbed the rhinoceros's gigantic horn when it was only inches away from impact. The rhinoceros was only able to push him a few meters, and then was unable to overcome Aokiji's powerful strength.

Then, in less than a second, the rhinoceros turned into a complete ice statue.

Aokiji then looked up, just to see a particular bird flying above him. The bird had three legs. Its beak was yellow and had a series of points, and it was gigantic. Its plumage was very dark brown, and it had strange purple eyes.

The bird was in an attack position, ready to swoop down and attack. But Aokiji wouldn't let it; He leaped to its level, then attacked it with a powerful blow coated with Haki to the top of its head. The blow produced a massive shockwave and sent the bird tumbling downward, where it crashed heavily into the ground, creating a crater the size of the bird. Seconds later, it disappeared in a smoke bomb.

Sensing that the bird was no longer a problem, Aokiji took advantage of his height advantage to attack his opponent from above, who was standing calmly.

-"[Ice Block: Partisan]"-

Aokiji then formed several ice spears, which he coated with [Haki] and swiftly launched at Nagato.

Nagato quickly prepared to defend himself. He grabbed his left hand and pulled, revealing a string of missiles shooting out of his left arm. The missiles ignited and flew upward, where the attacks were coming from. The missiles produced massive explosions that lit up the sky, destroying the ice spears completely.

An unsuspecting Aokiji was engulfed in the blast. He never expected the explosion to be so massive; but it transformed his body into ice and he was covered in [Busoshoku Haki]. Unfortunately, the explosions were enhanced with chakra, making it useless to transform his body into ice; it was thanks to his [Haki] and his natural defense that he was able to escape with minor injuries.

Aokiji landed on his feet after being engulfed in that blast. His easy expression showed annoyance and annoyance. He then looked at his opponent without changing his expression.

-"You're not going down that easily, are you?"-

The only response he got from Nagato was a small, defiant smile.

Aokiji sighed, then looked seriously at Nagato as his body and the ground beneath his feet began to freeze.

-"Looks like I'll have to push myself a little harder,"-

Nagato looked back. -"Come try."-

Then the battle between the Admiral and the Ninja continued...

.....

...

....

Admiral Akainu slammed heavily into the ground in one part of the battlefield. His impact caused destruction and a crater three times his size. The nearby Marines were alarmed to see the impact, only to see the person responsible for their most violent Admiral's demise appear.

Yamato stood calmly a few meters in front of the crater, only to witness the magma begin to overflow like an active volcano. Emerging from the crater and walking through the magma was a far from happy Akainu.

The Marines backed away, terrified not only by the magma spewing from the crater, but also by Akainu's expression. It was well known in the Navy that the aforementioned Admiral had a bad temper; it seemed to worsen after the accident twenty years ago.

No Pirate could survive the Admiral's wrath, not even the Marines who were nearby. The best thing for them was to get some distance from the angry Admiral and the person who caused that anger.

Yamato was unfazed by the angry Akainu, much less by the heat emanating from his body, which was capable of melting the weapons of the Marines in the surrounding area.

-"I don't know who you are, and I really don't care..."- Akainu spoke to him as magma flowed from his body and his skin turned red. -"But you're getting in my way..."-

He then touched his abdomen where he had received Yamato's powerful blow. It was undoubtedly powerful and very painful; if it weren't for his already great stamina and durability, Akainu would have been seriously injured.

-"I can't let you keep advancing,"- Yamato declared with a smile as he rested his club on his shoulder. -"If you're going to fight someone, it's going to be me."-

-"You're interfering in the affairs of a high-ranking Navy officer... And you're also defending a dangerous criminal..."- Akainu gave him a hard look. -"That's enough to get the death penalty."-

Yamato narrowed his eyes at him. -"And who are you to say that?"-

-"I am a soldier of justice; a warrior charged with eliminating evil from the world. My job is to eliminate criminals like the Shinobi no Kami and deliver justice!"- Akainu shouted as his hands balled into fists and turned into magma. -"And I will eliminate anyone who interferes!"-

Yamato smiled at him dully. -"Then come and try it."-

Akainu then attacked. He lunged at Yamato at extremely high speeds, launching himself like a true volcanic explosion. His right fist was extended and transformed into magma, creating a gigantic magma fist reinforced with [Haki], capable of piercing anything in front of him.

Yamato braced himself. She extended her arms forward, her clasped hands pointing at Akainu. Her hands then turned into water to perform her counterattack.

-"[Ryūjin]!"-

Then, within seconds, water formed in his hands and shot toward Akainu in the form of a gigantic eastern dragon. The dragon traveled like a missile and with enhanced durability thanks to [Busoshoku Haki].

Akainu was surprised to see the gigantic water dragon emerge from nowhere. In an instant, his fist and the dragon's head collided in a powerful impact that generated a shockwave that cracked the ground beneath his feet. After a few seconds, the fight ended with an explosion that dispersed large amounts of steam, boiling water, and solidified magma.

The Admiral landed on the ground, staring at the full aftermath of his attack with a frown. Then, suddenly, he had to look up, only to see his opponent above him.

Yamato was in the air, his Kanabo pointed downwards. Curiously, his club was covered in water that swirled furiously.

-"[Amenonuboko]!"-

The water then spread out in a furious water laser that sped down toward Akainu.

The Admiral jumped back just in time to dodge the water laser, which pierced the ground cleanly and continued its journey for several more meters. Taking advantage of his current position, Akainu attacked from below.

-"[Ryusei Kazan]!"-

Akainu pointed both of his fists at Yamato and launched a large number of magma fists.

Yamato first thrust his club toward her body, which sank like a stone in the water, then disappeared. She then transformed into a mass of water, which snaked through the air, dodging all the magma fists.

After dodging the attacks, the mass of water fell to the ground like a drop of water. Within seconds, the water rose and transformed back into Yamato. Akainu glared at her with an ugly frown. Then, her body turned fiery red, and she aggressively lunged at Yamato, her right hand forming a giant magma fist, mimicking the shape of a claw and reinforced with [Haki].

-"[Meigo]!"-

Yamato wasn't far behind. She extended her own left fist, which she transformed into furiously swirling water and reinforced it with [Busoshoku Haki] and [Haoshoku Haki].

Then the two attacks collided. The two fists were only centimeters apart, as Yamato's [Haki] prevented such an impact. Furthermore, internal damage had been caused to the magma fist, which began to bubble aggressively.

Then, in less than a second, the magma fist exploded, revealing Akainu's normal fist.

-"!!?"-

Akainu was shocked to see his attack dismantled, only to witness Yamato's water fist forcefully push his left hand out of the way and head for his abdomen.

-"[Suijin]!"-

Yamato shouted after slamming his water fist into the Admiral's abdomen. The attack not only caused massive damage and devastating shockwaves, but also a raging whirlwind of water from the point of attack, completely covering Akainu.

Akainu grunted in pain, blood spraying from his mouth, as the whirlwind of water pushed him and spun him around in the air for several meters. After a few seconds, the whirlwind pushed him down and sent him crashing into the ground, spinning like a crazed drill, creating massive destruction.

-"Admiral Sakazuki!?"-

The Marines watching the scene from afar had their eyes bulging out of their sockets in shock and horror. They would never have expected to see the mighty Admiral struck down in such a brutal manner.

Seconds later, Yamato watched as Akainu emerged from the crater his attack had created. He was still blazing red and wearing a furious expression, but there was blood pouring from his mouth and the top of his head.

-"Who the hell are you...?"- Akainu asked Yamato almost in a low voice. He glared at his opponent with burning fury. -"You can use [Busoshoku Haki] and [Haoshoku Haki] at high levels, and you possess a strange power the likes of which I've never seen before. This doesn't make any sense!"-

Akainu couldn't help but be confused and surprised by the power his opponent was displaying. He was fighting against a person who possessed a level of [Haki] seen in few people, as well as a strange power to control water.

Yamato smiled upon hearing his question. -"'Who am I,' you ask? I am Yamato, a member of the Akatsuki Pirates."- Then his smile widened. -"And my strange power is due to the Akuma No Mi I consumed. A unique and powerful Akuma No Mi, known to be the most powerful! I consumed the [Mizu Mizu No Mi], the Logia of Water; which makes me a Mizu Ningen!"-

-"What...?"-

Akainu's eyes slowly opened in shock.

-"""WHAAAAAATTTT...!? """-

The nearby Marines were also in shock.

And they weren't the only ones, as all the viewers watching the war were also shocked to hear this.

At first, the broadcast didn't show the entire battlefield, but a special floating ship hacked into the broadcast and added the feed from its own cameras, which showed the actions and battles of all the Akatsuki Pirates scattered across the battlefield; all due to the order of their lord, who wanted the whole world to witness the power of his crew.

That was the beginning of how the whole world learned about the monstrous power of the Akatsuki Pirates...

TO BE CONTINUED!!!

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Author's Notes

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Kizaru (黄猿) Literally means: Yellow Monkey.

Akainu (赤犬) Literally means: Red Dog.

Aokiji (青雉) Literally means: Blue Pheasant.

Fujitora (藤虎) Literally means: Wisteria Tiger.

Ryokugyū (緑牛) Literally means: Green Bull.

Shinobi no Kami (忍の神) Literally means: Shinobi God.

Shikomizue is a Japanese sword staff.

[Kuroi Jushinki] (黒い受信機) Literally means: [Black Receiver].

[Busoshoku Haki] (武装色の覇気) Literally means: [Color of Armament Ambition].

[Raimei Hakke] (雷鳴八卦) Literally means: [Thunder of the Eight Trigrams].

[Jiongu] (地怨虞) Literally means: [Fear of the Grudge of the Earth].

[Kirigakure No Jutsu] (霧隠れの術) Literally means: [Jutsu: Hiding in the Mist].

[Perfume Femur] (芳香脚) Literally means: [Aromatic Leg].

[Magen: Kasegui no Jutsu] (魔幻・枷杭の術) Literally means: [Demonic Illusion: Chaining Stakes Jutsu].

[Katōn: Gōkakyū no Jutsu] (火遁・豪火球の術) Literally means: [Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu].

Kairōseki (海楼石) Literally means: Sea Stone.

[Ama no Murakumo] (天叢雲剣) Literally means: [Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven].

[Shura no Kō] (修羅ノ攻) Literally means: [Asura Attack].

[Kenbunshoku Haki] (見聞色の覇気) Literally means: [Color of the Ambition of Observation].

[Kuchiyose no Jutsu] (口寄せの術) Literally means: [Summoning Jutsu].

[Ice Block: Partisan] (アイス塊暴雉嘴) Literally means: [Ice Mass: Two Thorn Spears].

[Ryūjin] (龍神) Literally means: [Dragon God]. It is known for being the tutelary deity of the sea in Japanese mythology.

[Amenonuboko] (天之瓊矛) Literally means: [Celestial Halberd of the Swamp]. It is known for being a well-known spear in Japanese mythology.

[Ryusei Kazan] (流星火山) Literally means: [Volcanic Meteor].

[Meigo] (冥狗) Literally means: [Dark Hound].

[Suijin] (水神) Literally means: [Water God].

Mizu Ningen (水人間) Literally means: Water Human.

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Upcoming chapters (Spoilers):

Chapter 36- Pirates of the Dawn: Akatsuki!

Chapter 37- The Artistic Duo Shows Their Art

Chapter 38- The Immortal Duo Shows Their Terrifying Power

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE CHAPTERS IN THE NEXT VOLUME! (Which is on Patreon, by the way)

Chapter 39- Akatsuki Pirates Rampage the Battlefield!

Chapter 40- The Deceptive Masked Man and the Illusionist Ninja!

Chapter 41- The Master of Pain and the Lady of the Water!

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Omake: A Butler's Daily Job, Part 1

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My name is Cogman. I am an automaton created by the God of Science and Technology himself, Lord Isaac. My existence and creation have only one purpose: to serve the Uzumaki family.

Butler, chauffeur, nanny, teacher, cook, bodyguard, gardener, assassin; I am capable of performing all of these jobs and more, to the most perfect extent possible.

I work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I don't need to sleep or rest; although Lord Naruto sometimes asks me to relax a little.

Honestly, I don't have time to relax. My only job in this existence is to serve the Uzumaki Family, and I'm happy with that.

One of my main jobs is the thorough cleaning of the entire Uzumaki Mansion; a very easy job, actually.

The Uzumaki Mansion is comprised of a living room, a kitchen, an entertainment room, five bathrooms, a party room, and more than a dozen other rooms. My job is to remove every bit of dirt from all of those rooms.

Like I said: A very easy job. No cleaning was impossible for me and my advanced cleaning tools (a broom, a duster, and a mop). Not even the messes made by the adults after the act of mating and reproducing could survive my incredible cleanliness.

And they were pretty big messes...

Walking into the Lord and the Ladies in the act was nothing new to me (and I don't really care). I'm well aware that an active sex life was common among humans; and the Lord and Ladies have a "VERY" active sex life.

I'm only in charge of cleaning up the messes after the act (messes that have been in almost every room in the Mansion). Although during my morning cleanings, I find them in the act. Like when Lord Naruto and Lady Yugito were in the act at the kitchen table, thinking no one was watching. And I, like a good butler, quietly walked away and gave them privacy, only to return hours later to clean up the mess.

Nine months later, Young Master Raiko was born...

My cleaning duties also included the Mansion's seven personal rooms (one for the parents, five for the children, and one for the guests). As with the other rooms, it's not a difficult job.

In the Lord and Ladies' personal room, it was the same mess as always. The only difference was impeccably cleaning the closet where they keep their "night toys" and their "special clothes and costumes."

I repeat: A very easy job...

Then I'm in charge of cleaning the Young Masters' Personal Rooms...

When the Young Masters began to have their own tastes and hobbies, Lord Naruto enlarged their rooms to accommodate their various objects and hobbies. From then on, the Young Masters had their own Pocket Dimensions as personal rooms.

There I had the same cleaning work and other things, such as: dismantling Young Master Sasuke's pranks, cleaning Young Master Akane's thousands of dresses and accessories, dismantling more pranks, polishing Young Master Akira's millions of gems, dismantling more pranks, cleaning Young Master Raiko's armor, dismantling more pranks, and feeding Young Master Hanae's pets and everyone else's.

Oh, and not to forget dismantling more pranks...

None of that was difficult for a skilled butler like me. I do all of that every morning and evening in less than an hour; Although I could do it in seconds if I didn't take the breaks I'm required to take by Lord Naruto.

And cleaning was just one of the many jobs I do every day while serving the Uzumaki Family.

-"Good morning, Cogman."-

-"Good morning, Lord Naruto."-

-"Is breakfast ready?"-

-"Of course. It was served in a flash."-

Now it's time for another of my many jobs...

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End of Omake

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Chapter 39 - Chapter 35- A New Power Comes to the War