— — — — — — — — —
"Nothing would make me happier! I agree to this!"
Without hesitation, Issho nodded firmly.
He hadn't expected that Uchiha Kaito and his crew would be so ambitious—their ultimate goal was to overthrow the World Government and establish a new order. That was far beyond merely improving conditions within their own territory.
And considering the strength and potential the Uchiha Pirates had already displayed, Issho couldn't help but feel a strange sense of confidence in their success. That was why he agreed without a second thought.
"Hahaha! Fantastic! Issho, welcome aboard!"
Kaito was overjoyed to hear this.
At the same time, thanks to his innate ability, he noticed Issho's favorability toward him had skyrocketed to 85 points. He was slightly taken aback.
"I didn't expect it to meet the requirement so easily… Well, I suppose that's just who Issho is. It seems he genuinely approves of our methods! That saves me a lot of effort!"
Kaito couldn't hide his excitement. Many of his plans involving Issho could now be moved forward.
Without delay, Kaito explained the contract process to Issho, detailing both the benefits and the limitations.
Issho was momentarily stunned before nodding. "Alright, I accept the contract."
He trusted Kaito—his Observation Haki told him that the man wasn't deceiving him.
"Excellent! Now, please touch this contract rune and agree to it."
With a satisfied smile, Kaito conjured a contract rune from his forehead and presented it to Issho.
Without hesitation, Issho reached out and touched the rune.
In the next moment, a voice echoed in his mind, asking if he agreed to the contract while also explaining its pros and cons.
Issho immediately confirmed his agreement.
The rune transformed into a streak of light, entering his body through his arm. In an instant, it settled into the depths of his consciousness, securely embedded at the center of his mind.
At that moment, he felt his Observation Haki grow even stronger.
Before he could process it further, countless pieces of information about the past and future of the pirate world—along with glimpses of the Ninja world—poured into his mind at an overwhelming speed.
He had no choice but to focus all his energy on digesting this influx of knowledge.
Simultaneously, he sensed techniques flooding his mind—methods such as the Life Force, Sword Aura, and Primal Chakra Refinement, among others.
This astonished him even further.
"Everything is real?! I've hit the jackpot!"
As Issho gradually absorbed the knowledge, verifying its authenticity, he couldn't help but be amazed.
His confidence in Kaito and the Uchiha Pirates grew even stronger.
Now, he truly believed they could achieve their goal.
Over an hour later, Issho finally processed the bulk of the information. He turned to Kaito, his face filled with emotion.
"Kaito, you've really given me an incredible surprise."
"I'm so glad I accepted your contract. If I hadn't, I would've regretted it for the rest of my life."
"But… can I ask? What's the deal with the future information about the pirate world?"
"I noticed something—it doesn't include any mention of you or your crew. So, is this the future of the world without your intervention?"
Kaito nodded. "That's right. You have sharp insight, Issho."
Issho chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Insight without power is meaningless."
"So without your interference, the future of the pirate world turns out like that… and I end up joining the Marines? That… does seem like something I'd do."
"But from what you showed me, the biggest turning point in that timeline happens because of Garp's grandson—a pirate?"
"How ironic."
Still, Issho found it reasonable. The Marines, shackled by the World Government, would never be able to enact true change. If change were to come, it would likely emerge from the pirates.
However, something about Luffy's fate felt… odd.
It almost seemed scripted—like he was meant to succeed.
Too many uncertainties surrounded him.
That wasn't the kind of future Issho wanted.
The future Kaito and his crew would create seemed far more promising.
"The Marines are too tightly controlled by the World Government. We can't rely on them."
"But now that we're here, things are different."
"In fact, we've already started infiltrating the Marines, planting agents in various ranks."
"Some of our members are working from the inside, gradually earning trust and pulling them toward our cause."
"Even I have dispatched a Shadow Clone to join the Marines—it's already enrolled in their elite training camp."
"The goal is to slowly gain favor with Marine higher-ups and, step by step, bring them over to our side."
"So, Issho, what do you plan to do next?"
Kaito looked at him with expectation.
Now that Issho was contracted, there was no way he'd let him remain idle. He intended to put him to good use.
"My plans?"
Issho paused, thinking for a moment before turning to Kaito. "How do you want to arrange my role?"
Kaito answered straightforwardly, "You have two choices. First, you can officially join my pirate crew and help us expand our territory."
"Second, you can join the Marines and assist in accelerating our control over them."
"Pick whichever suits you best."
Hearing this, Issho let out a knowing smile. "Just as I expected."
"I think I'll go with the second option. The Marines feel like a better fit for me, and I believe I can be more useful there."
"That works for me," Kaito agreed. "Then it's settled. Find a way to join them."
"Or, if you want, I can arrange for a recommendation."
"No need."
Issho shook his head. "I'll handle it myself."
"I don't want to risk exposing you. For now, it's best if we keep our association in the shadows."
Kaito nodded, then remembered something.
"By the way, do you want me to heal your eyes? It's a simple process for me."
"I can even provide you with Sharingan, Byakugan, or other bloodline limit potions to grant you new abilities. It would greatly enhance your power and potential."
Issho was momentarily stunned. He fell into deep thought.
After a long pause, he exhaled and looked at Kaito. "Alright, I'll take you up on that. Please heal my eyes first."
"As for the bloodline potions… if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to receive them all."
If he had the chance to grow stronger, he wouldn't pass it up.
Thanks to the contract, he already knew exactly what these bloodlines could do. There was no reason to refuse.
.
.
.