Water Province.
"The construction of the Solarity Tower is something I can handle on my own. Why did you personally come, Shisui?" Hyuga Seien said with a light chuckle.
"It's because of the rampant pirates in the Water Province recently. Among them are quite a few formidable individuals, so His Majesty ordered me to oversee the construction. Originally, Kakashi-senpai was in charge, but he was assigned another task, so the duty fell to me," Shisui replied with a friendly smile.
Speaking of pirates, Hyuga Seien sighed.
"These suddenly appearing pirates are really troublesome. Even though strengthening our armed forces has made them more restrained, many people no longer dare to set sail. Every day, merchants are lining up at my office, requesting ninja escorts."
Shisui asked, "Are you short on manpower? I recall that the number of registered ninjas in the Water Province should be quite high."
Hyuga Seien responded, "There are indeed many registered ninjas, but they vary in rank. The merchants demand that their escort ninjas must be at least Chunin, preferably former Kirigakure ninjas. They want dozens of them at a time and are all looking for special arrangements through me."
Shisui couldn't help but laugh. "Such high standards. Even the bodyguards of past daimyos and nobles weren't this extravagant."
Hyuga Seien said, "Well, ninjas aren't as valuable as they used to be, and these merchants have no shortage of money."
With the ninja system reformed, many former rogue ninjas had officially joined the ranks, causing the total number of ninjas to surge.
This, in turn, made their services less costly.
Merchants could simply post a request for escort missions at the ninja guild, and a horde of ninjas would immediately apply for the job.
Of course, this didn't apply to Jonin.
In this era, strong individuals were still highly sought after.
Many small guild organizations had sprung up in each province, and most Jonin were either leaders or high-ranking members of these guilds, much like mercenary captains in the past.
However, they were still under guild regulations, as the Empire had enacted strict legal policies to limit the size and activities of these smaller guilds.
"The growth and development of the Water Province have been severely affected by these pirates. The pirate crisis must be resolved as soon as possible," Hyuga Seien said firmly.
Shisui pondered for a moment before replying, "Don't worry. His Majesty is already taking action on this matter. The results will become apparent soon."
Hyuga Seien nodded. "I have full confidence that His Majesty will succeed."
With that, he smiled and changed the subject.
"Enough about that. It's not every day you visit the Water Province, Shisui. Let me take this opportunity to host you properly today."
"Seien-senpai, you're too kind," Shisui replied.
As one of the Ten Crown Guards, Shisui held a position of immense prestige within the Empire.
Nowadays, even the elders of his own clan would respectfully address him as "Lord Shisui."
Of course, Hyuga Seien was an exception—after all, he bore the Hyuga name.
"Shisui, your remarkable display of power at the exchange conference was witnessed by ninjas across the entire Empire. If the ninjas of the Water Province knew you were here, I can only imagine how many fans would come flocking to see you."
Shisui chuckled. "Hahaha, you're exaggerating, Seien-senpai."
..............
Mizugiri City, the capital of the Water Province, was once the capital of the former Land of Water.
After the empire was established, Mizugiri City was extensively renovated, and the entire governmental structure was replaced by officials sent by the empire.
The Straw Hat crew had all changed into the local traditional attire.
Apart from Chopper, they no longer stood out too much in the crowd.
"Robin, why did we come here?"
"Yeah, we've already replenished our supplies. We should just leave! If the Navy finds us again, it'll be another hassle," Usopp complained.
Hearing this, Nami couldn't help but scold them, "Idiots! Without a Log Pose, do you want to get lost at sea again?!"
Robin patiently explained, "I've noticed that this country is quite unusual. It seems completely disconnected from the outside world. The people here have no knowledge of the Navy or the World Government—they don't even recognize Berries as currency. That's why I wanted to investigate further."
The previous town had likely been too wary due to frequent pirate attacks, so they had chosen to come to this city instead.
Sanji remarked, "If it's just some isolated small nation, is it really worth spending so much effort?"
Robin shook her head. "A city this prosperous can't possibly belong to a mere small nation."
She smiled and added, "Besides, discovering new and interesting places is also part of an adventure, isn't it?"
Sanji was instantly captivated by her smile, grinning foolishly as he nodded.
"Robin-chwan is absolutely right!"
"Why don't we find a place to eat first? I want meat!"
Luffy said enthusiastically, completely unconcerned about staying in the city a little longer.
Nami sighed helplessly, "The currency difference is a hassle. We'll have to pawn some things first."
Usopp suggested, "Don't we still have a lot of gold?"
The gold had been obtained from Skypiea not long ago, and Nami had brought some along on this trip.
After all, gold was a universal commodity.
They found a shop to exchange some gold for the local currency.
Unable to resist Luffy's persistent demands, they entered a barbecue restaurant.
Everyone curiously observed the netted grill and the fresh slices of meat on the plates—it was their first time trying this kind of cooking method.
Fortunately, Sanji quickly got the hang of it and took on the job of grilling meat for the group.
"Luffy, don't eat everything at once! Leave some for the rest of us!"
"Damn it, Luffy!"
Meanwhile, Usopp got into an argument with the restaurant staff after trying to order alcohol, as the staff suspected he was underage.
The store owner also pointed at Chopper and firmly stated, "Pets are not allowed inside! You'll have to pay extra!"
This immediately enraged Chopper. "I am NOT a pet!"
The store owner was startled to hear Chopper speak, then looked him up and down before remarking, "Ah, a ninja beast, huh…? My apologies. I'll bring your drinks shortly."
Robin, however, wasn't focused on the meal.
Her sharp eyes scanned the nearby tables, discreetly eavesdropping on conversations.
Most of what she heard was mundane gossip, though some key words stood out:
"Guild," "Ninja," "Exchange Conference"…
Midway through their meal, someone suddenly burst into the restaurant, shouting:
"Everyone! Uchiha Shisui-sama has arrived in Mizugiri City! He's at the Guild Hall right now!"
It wasn't just him shouting—similar voices echoed from the streets outside.
Seeing that many people were getting up to pay their bills and leave, Robin reached out to stop one of them and asked, "Excuse me, who is Uchiha Shisui-sama?"
The person immediately gave her a look as if she were an alien.
Robin smiled and explained, "We're from the nearby islands, so we don't know much about affairs on the mainland."
The man looked impatient. "Uchiha Shisui-sama is one of the Ten Crown Guards! Don't bother me—I need to go now before the crowd gets too big!"
The Straw Hat crew exchanged glances, while Luffy, his mouth stuffed with meat, stared on with pure, dumb curiosity.
Nami asked, "Should we go check it out?"
Robin nodded. "I saw this name in the local newspaper. He seems to be an important figure."
With that, the group left the barbecue restaurant, following the massive flow of people heading in the same direction.
...............
Mizugiri City - Ninja Guild Branch
A huge crowd of ninjas had gathered in front of the guild.
Atop a temporary stage, Shisui was addressing them, speaking about the construction of the 23rd "Solarity Tower".
Since this was an urgent project, they needed a large workforce of ninjas to assist with construction.
All participants would receive C-rank mission rewards once the project was completed.
A C-rank mission wasn't particularly high-paying, but in these times of scarce missions, it was very appealing to many ninjas.
Normally, most guild assignments would be snatched up by small guild organizations, but now they had a chance to earn money simply through manual labor—so why not?
After Shisui finished his speech, the guild posted an enormous notice, detailing the mission's specifics.
Shisui then instructed those interested in signing up to queue up for registration.
When Luffy and the others arrived at the guild, they found the place packed to the brim—so much so that they couldn't even squeeze through the front entrance.
The entire area was a chaotic mess, with people shouting loudly, and cries of "Shisui-sama!" echoing from inside.
Usopp couldn't help but mutter, "Just who is this Shisui guy, anyway? Why is everyone so eager to see him?"
Unfortunately, a bystander overheard him and immediately sneered, "Where did this clueless country bumpkin come from? You don't even know Shisui-sama?"
"Huh?!" Usopp flared up at the insult, his temper instantly rising, but Nami quickly held him back—this wasn't the time to start trouble.
Due to her tall stature, Robin stood out even in the crowd.
From her vantage point, she could just barely see into the guild's great hall, where countless people were gathered around a raised platform.
At that moment, the man on stage seemed to sense something—his gaze suddenly locked onto hers.
The intensity of his stare made Robin's heart skip a beat.
She quickly turned to her companions and said, "Let's go."
"Huh? We're leaving already?"
"Robin, what's wrong?"
Following Robin's lead, the group quickly left the crowded area, but they had no idea what had just happened.
Just as they stepped onto another street, a sudden burst of purple light descended from the sky, instantly enveloping the five Straw Hat crew members and Chopper.
"What's going on?!"
"I… I can't move!"
The moment they were caught in the binding light, their bodies froze in place, unable to move a single muscle.
The bystanders around them quickly backed away, watching from a safe distance.
Not long after, a group of uniformed enforcers arrived—dressed in the same style of attire as the law enforcement officers from the first town they landed in.
The leader held a strange device, scanning each of them one by one.
The indicator light on the device flashed red each time.
He then reached up and pressed on a miniature communicator attached to his ear.
"Confirmed. Ready for transfer."
In the next moment, everything around them blurred—and when they regained their senses, they found themselves inside a cell.
Three walls surrounded them, with the only exit blocked by iron bars.
"What just happened?"
"Where are we?"
Still dazed, they struggled to comprehend the situation.
This unexpected turn of events had caught them completely off guard.
"So… we've been captured?" Sanji muttered, scanning the room with a frown.
The entire crew was here… If it wasn't for Zoro staying behind to watch the ship, they might have been completely wiped out.
"Let me handle this!"
Luffy grabbed onto the iron bars, pouring all his strength into them.
The thick metal bars actually began to bend and warp under his force.
Seeing this, Robin immediately used her Devil Fruit ability, working alongside him to destroy the cage.
At that moment, the cell door suddenly opened, and a figure stepped inside.
When they saw Luffy and Robin physically bending the prison bars, their eyes widened in shock.
"Stop!"
"Guards! They're trying to escape!"
Several ninjas rushed in, wielding long staffs, attempting to stop Luffy.
Seeing this, Usopp immediately pulled out his slingshot.
"Special Attack: Egg Star!"
The small space of the prison cell made it even more cramped with so many people crowding in, leaving no room to dodge.
The black projectile shot from Usopp's slingshot exploded on one of the ninja's faces, releasing a foul stench that quickly filled the air.
"Ugh! What is that smell?!"
"Damn it! That bastard hit me with… poop?!"
"No, you idiot! It's a rotten egg!"
Taking advantage of the distraction, Luffy finally tore open a gap in the iron bars, launched himself out, and knocked down the group of ninjas in an instant.
With an excited expression, he grinned.
"We're breaking out!"
Beyond the prison cell lay a long, dimly lit corridor, with a faint light shining at the far end.
Without hesitation, the crew rushed forward, sprinting towards the exit.
However, the moment they stepped out of the prison, they froze in shock at the sight before them.
A massive, circular arena stretched out before them, surrounded by cages stacked three stories high, resembling a gladiator colosseum—but with no spectators.
"More fresh meat has arrived!"
"Hey, those two ladies ain't bad-looking!"
"I know them! That's the Straw Hat Pirates! The one with the one hundred million bounty!"
"This scrawny kid is worth one hundred million?!"
Luffy and his crew looked around, scanning the prisoners inside the cages.
After a brief moment of disbelief, Nami gasped.
"Wait… Are all these people… pirates?!"
More precisely, captured pirates.
Their clothing and appearances all matched the stereotypical image of pirates they were familiar with.
"Luffy."
Sanji suddenly spoke.
"Look over there!"
He gestured toward a cell in the distance.
Luffy followed his gaze.
Unlike the rowdy prisoners, the person inside that particular cage remained calm, leaning against the wall in silence.
His side profile was clear as day.
"Crocodile..."
Robin murmured, her voice low.
She had once worked for him, so she recognized him immediately.
"Even a Warlord of the Sea has been locked up here? Just what kind of place is this?!"
Nami said with a grim expression.
At that moment, a figure appeared on a high platform not far away, looking down at them from above.
"Hey, newcomers. Be good and go back to your cells unless you want to suffer."
Hearing this, Luffy simply pressed down on his straw hat.
"No!"
Robin, Sanji, and the others all readied themselves for battle.
However, on the high platform, Kikyo Yashikura had no intention of making a move himself.
Instead, he took out a communication device and whispered a few words.
Once again, a purple beam of light shot down from the sky, enveloping them.
That move again...
As soon as the binding light hit them, they froze in place, unable to move.
Luffy clenched his teeth, struggling with all his strength, but it was useless.
"Lock them up."
Kikyo Yashikura instructed the guards beside him.
Having just escaped from their cells a few minutes ago, Luffy and the others were dragged back to prison once more, this time with iron chains shackling their hands and feet.
Usopp and Chopper shouted angrily at the jailers, hurling insults.
Robin sighed. "It's my fault. I got everyone caught."
Nami and Sanji, however, comforted her, saying it didn't matter and that they just needed to find another way to escape.
"It looks like this place is only filled with pirates."
A prison for pirates...
Luffy stood alone in front of the iron window, silently staring outside.
"Luffy, what's wrong?"
"Luffy, did you think of a way to escape?"
Everyone turned their eyes toward their captain, hoping he had a plan to get them out of here.
Luffy gazed intently out the iron window, then suddenly took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"ZORO! COME SAVE US!!"
"ZORO!!!"
--------------
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