In a separate interrogation room, Luffy was completely restrained with iron rings, and seals were placed on his body.
Shisui said to Makoto, "Your Majesty, this is the person you previously told me to keep an eye on. He was captured last night by Yagura-senpai. I haven't used any torture or genjutsu on him."
Before coming to the Water Province, Makoto had given Shisui a special list, instructing him to keep certain individuals alive whenever possible.
Makoto carefully observed Luffy, then glanced at the straw hat placed on the side.
He picked it up and examined it.
In terms of texture, it was just a very ordinary hat.
"That's mine!" Luffy immediately spoke when he saw Makoto pick up his straw hat.
"Unlock him, and remove the seal as well," Makoto ordered.
Shisui moved to unfasten the restraints and remove the seals from Luffy.
The first thing Luffy did after regaining his freedom was to reach his hand out toward Makoto.
Makoto chuckled and returned the straw hat to him.
The door to the interrogation room closed, leaving only the three of them inside.
"What's your current bounty?" Makoto asked.
"100 million," Luffy replied.
He placed the straw hat back on his head.
He was dressed in a red short-sleeved shirt and blue shorts, with straw sandals on his feet—just as Makoto remembered.
For a moment, Makoto felt a bit nostalgic.
"Do you know Franky?" Makoto asked again.
"Who?" Luffy tilted his head in confusion, showing no awareness of his capture, as if he wasn't the least bit concerned.
So… they hadn't reached Water 7 or Enies Lobby yet.
Makoto continued his questioning, "Were you one of the masterminds behind last night's incident?"
Hearing this, Luffy seriously thought for a moment, then simultaneously glanced to the side with both his eyes and mouth, muttering, "It wasn't me."
That sideways glance and guilty expression screamed dishonesty, making Makoto find it quite amusing.
"Aren't you and Crocodile enemies? Why did you help him?"
"We… Wait, how do you know we're enemies?" Luffy had just been about to explain but suddenly realized something and questioned Makoto in return.
Makoto smiled mischievously and bluffed, "I can read minds."
"Eh?"
"Haven't you developed a new technique called 'Second Gear' but never used it before?"
Luffy was momentarily stunned, then looked at Makoto in shock.
"You… You really can read minds?!"
Judging by his expression, he had already fallen for Makoto's words.
"You have six crewmates: Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Sanji, Robin, and Chopper, right?"
Luffy's expression became conflicted.
He then crossed his arms over his chest, lowered his head, and started muttering under his breath.
Makoto focused to listen and found that Luffy was mumbling a bunch of random words: "Roast meat, beer, moss head, curly brows, donuts, dog hat, love punch, orange tree…"
…What the hell is he doing?
Makoto was utterly baffled.
Shisui seemed to see through it and whispered, "He's probably thinking about random things to prevent… you from reading his mind."
Makoto couldn't help but chuckle—this kid was adorably dumb.
He immediately asked, "Where are your crewmates?"
Luffy lifted his head and stared at the ceiling, muttering even faster, "Long nose, water cup, slingshot, rotten egg… Ugh, so stinky!"
Makoto : "…."
Faced with Luffy's antics, Makoto felt both exasperated and amused.
He didn't really plan on doing anything to Luffy—his main purpose for coming here was simply to see him in person.
As the protagonist of One Piece, one of the Big Three shonen series, Luffy naturally possessed a certain level of charisma.
Otherwise, why would Makoto have once binged the series day and night?
Of course, Robin, Nami, and Boa Hancock might have played a tiny role in that, too.
After leaving the interrogation room, Makoto ordered that Luffy should just be watched and left alone.
Shisui spoke up, "What about the Solarity Tower?"
Makoto casually replied, "Without Hyuga blood, outsiders can't activate the Tenseigan weapon. Just capture them and bring them back."
After speaking, he opened his palm, revealing a pure white magatama, which quickly turned purple under the influence of chakra.
Shisui respectfully accepted it, fully aware of its power.
The moment he touched the magatama, he immediately sensed something connecting to his chakra.
He pondered for a moment and said, "They're still within the province, haven't gone out to sea."
Makoto sneered, "Trying to hide in plain sight, huh? Too bad they don't have a proper understanding of their enemy's strength."
Shisui was ordered to go after Crocodile.
Not long after leaving Makoto, a towering green giant soared into the sky, flapping its wings before quickly disappearing into the horizon.
The people in the city stopped in their tracks, craning their necks to watch.
Some gasped in astonishment:
"It's Lord Shisui! It's Lord Shisui!"
During the previous conference broadcast, countless people had witnessed the power of Susanoo and immediately recognized the giant as Shisui.
Makoto, accompanied by Yagura, arrived at the ruins of the Solarity Tower.
Surveying the wreckage, scattered sand, and rubble, he noted that the area was cordoned off with multiple shinobi standing guard.
"These pirates don't have chakra, so many of our usual techniques don't work well against them."
The Solarity Tower functioned by continuously absorbing natural energy, making it self-sustaining.
The beams it emitted weren't just composed of chakra but also contained natural energy, meaning no one could escape its control.
However, Crocodile's ability stemmed from a Devil Fruit. Kabuto's research on Devil Fruits hadn't made significant progress yet, so when the tower was being corroded by this unknown power, its chakra detection system didn't react—thus, its defenses never activated.
Now that Shinigami and Hollows existed in this world, and pirates had joined the mix, it was time to upgrade the Solarity Tower.
Makoto raised his hand slightly.
Before everyone's astonished eyes, the scattered ruins suddenly began to move on their own, floating into the air.
The rubble and debris started rapidly rearranging themselves, even the sand transforming back into solid bricks, returning to their original positions.
Yagura noticed something even more shocking—among the ruins, a massive broken device was levitating and… repairing itself.
This wasn't just some telekinetic ability—this was time manipulation!
He swallowed hard.
In less than a minute, the Solarity Tower was fully restored—aside from the massive glowing sphere at the top, which was now missing.
Otherwise, it looked exactly the same as before.
"Your Majesty, what should we do with the captured pirates? During last night's suppression, we recaptured a small group, though most were executed on the spot."
Makoto replied without even looking up, "They disrupted the empire's stability—what do you think should be done? You've already spilled blood, yet you're still asking me?"
Yagura bowed slightly. "Understood."
Makoto returned to the office of the local guild branch leader and reviewed the administrative affairs.
Fortunately, there were no major issues on that front.
Hyuga Seien stood respectfully at his side, awaiting orders.
Without lifting his head, Makoto casually remarked, "Since you still bear the Hyuga name, I'll let you off. Your position will be handed over to Setsu from now on."
Hyuga Seien immediately dropped to his knees and expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy."
As the Ninja Guild Branch Leader of the Water Province, his position was that of a regional governor—immensely powerful.
He controlled all the ninja forces within the province, making him practically a local ruler.
Now that he had been stripped of his title, his days within the clan were bound to be miserable…
A deep sense of bitterness settled in his heart.
As for Hyuga Setsu, he was a fellow clansman of the same generation.
In the past, he had even served as an instructor to Itachi and Kabuto.
There was also Hyuga Shimizu, who held a high-ranking position in Konoha.
Makoto was particularly satisfied with his abilities and trusted him completely.
In fact, the very first Solarity Tower had been entrusted to his care.
Makoto was not initially enraged because the Solarity Tower had been stolen.
After all, they were unaware of Crocodile's abilities, and the tower was currently unable to detect Devil Fruits.
What truly infuriated him was Seien utter cluelessness, even long after the incident had occurred.
..................
A Small Island in the Water Province
A ship was docked along the shore, and a group of people was moving a massive object, concealed under a black cloth, onto the land.
A faint glow seeped through the fabric.
"You've been lurking for so long, all for this thing?" Mr. 1, Daz Bonez, asked.
Crocodile, with a cigar between his lips and a coat draped over his shoulders, replied, "Don't underestimate it. This is the Sun Empire's most powerful weapon. I've witnessed its might with my own eyes. If I can fully master it, even that old man Whitebeard won't be a threat anymore."
After obtaining the Tenseigan Weapon, he had briefly examined it, but unfortunately, there was no way to operate it.
Just then, Crocodile suddenly sensed something.
His gaze snapped upward, and a massive shadow in the sky was rapidly approaching.
"That is…" Mr. 1's eyes widened in shock.
Crocodile's expression grew serious. "It's Uchiha Shisui."
He had some knowledge of the Ten Crown Guards and had watched the Interdimensional Exchange Conference broadcast.
He knew very well that these people were on an entirely different level—far beyond what he could handle right now.
However, as a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, escaping should still be easy.
A colossal green giant hovered in the air above them, its massive wings flapping and stirring fierce winds.
The black cloth covering the object was lifted away, revealing the Tenseigan Weapon in its entirety.
Suddenly, the giant's body dissolved into a burst of emerald flames, vanishing into the air.
From within, Shisui descended.
He looked at the man with the cigar in his mouth and asked calmly, "Crocodile, I presume?"
Crocodile remained composed, his presence unwavering. "That's right."
Mr. 1 subtly shifted into a combat stance, readying himself.
Shisui, however, merely glanced at him.
Just one look.
In that instant, Mr. 1's consciousness faded.
He collapsed backward, unconscious.
Around them, all the other crew members also fell one by one.
Crocodile's mind was shaken.
He himself hadn't felt anything at all, which meant this wasn't Haki—it was some other kind of technique.
"Why did you touch something that belongs to the Empire?"
Crocodile let out a cold sneer.
"Don't you know I'm a pirate? What kind of stupid question is that?"
Shisui raised an eyebrow slightly.
It had been a long time since anyone had been this arrogant in front of him.
His Majesty only ordered him to bring the man back, but making him suffer a little along the way shouldn't be a problem.
..............
Inside the City of Mist.
Zoro, Nami, and the others had finally regrouped and were discussing how to rescue Luffy.
Robin said, "The pirate prison has become heavily guarded now. Probably because of last night's events, it won't be easy to sneak in."
Sanji, smoking a cigarette, added, "That warden is really strong. I saw Luffy get defeated effortlessly."
Usopp, furious, cursed, "Damn that Crocodile! I knew he was up to no good!"
As they discussed their plan, Nami suddenly ran back, her expression full of panic.
"Something terrible has happened! The pirates who participated in last night's prison riot are going to be publicly executed today!"
Everyone was shocked.
Zoro immediately said, "We can't hesitate anymore. Even if we have to break in by force, we have to save Luffy."
They all shared the same resolve.
With no time to come up with a better strategy, they rushed toward the execution ground.
A massive crowd had gathered around the high platform, where dozens of captured pirates knelt, bound tightly with ropes.
A ninja stood on the platform, reading out their crimes to the public.
Below, the spectators cheered, shouting for their immediate execution.
The pirate attacks had severely disrupted the lives of the people in the Water Province.
Fishermen and merchants no longer dared to set sail, and in the past, many pirates had even raided the shores directly.
The people of this land had grown to despise pirates.
As Zoro and the others arrived at the scene, their eyes scanned the dozens of captives, searching anxiously.
"Where's Luffy?"
"He doesn't seem to be here!"
Chopper's face was filled with fear. "Could it be that Luffy is already…"
Nami immediately smacked him on the head. "Don't say such things!"
Robin's mind was working rapidly. "We need to head to the pirate prison!"
Sanji nodded. "If Luffy isn't at the execution site, then he's most likely still in the prison. Last night, he was the one who actively attacked the warden, so he must have been treated as a high-profile criminal."
Without hesitation, the group quickly left and rushed toward the pirate prison.
Once they distanced themselves from the crowd and streets, they found that the heavily guarded prison from this morning was now completely deserted, with its main gates wide open.
"What's going on?"
"There's no one here?"
Looking at the empty prison grounds, they instinctively felt that something was off.
But if Luffy was truly locked inside, they couldn't afford to hesitate.
Zoro placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, his brows furrowed. "I'll go scout ahead."
Sanji took a step forward. "Let's go together. Most of the guards are probably gathered at the execution site, so this might actually be our best chance to get in."
Just as they were about to move, they suddenly noticed a figure appear at the prison entrance.
"Oi~ Zoro! Usopp! Nami! Sanji! Robin! Chopper! You guys are here!"
Everyone froze for a moment. Standing at the prison gate—who else could it be but Luffy?!
"Luffy, you… you're okay?!" Nami's face lit up with joy.
Chopper couldn't contain himself and immediately ran toward him.
Seeing that Luffy was safe and sound, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and walked toward him.
Chopper clung to Luffy, crying uncontrollably.
"Luffy, I'm so glad you're okay! I thought you were already…"
Robin asked, "Luffy, weren't you captured? Why are you still here?"
Luffy scratched his head and laughed. "Ah, the officer here let me go."
Sanji was surprised. "Let you go?"
Luffy nodded. "Yeah! Actually, you guys can come meet him too."
Zoro suddenly frowned, his gaze fixed on the Luffy in front of him.
Luffy turned around and led the group into the prison.
Usopp, Nami, and the others followed without much suspicion.
However, just as they stepped through the prison gates, Zoro suddenly called out, "Luffy!"
"Hm?" Luffy looked at him in confusion, but at that moment, he caught a flash of cold light in the corner of his eye.
His instincts screamed danger, and he leaped backward in retreat.
Zoro had drawn his sword and slashed at him.
"Zoro, what are you doing?!" Usopp exclaimed in shock.
Zoro said in a deep voice, "He's not Luffy!"
The fake Luffy, who had barely dodged Zoro's attack, stopped pretending.
He immediately released his transformation technique, revealing himself as an unfamiliar man.
Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed Chopper and turned to flee into the prison.
"Damn it!"
"Let go of Chopper!"
Inside the pirate prison, Makoto sat on a high platform chair.
When he saw several figures finally break through the entrance, he said, "They've arrived."
The ambushing ninjas instantly appeared, surrounding Zoro and his group.
"Damn it! It's a trap after all!" Zoro drew his sword and cursed under his breath.
Sanji and the others quickly formed a defensive stance, standing back-to-back with him, ready for battle.
Makoto gaze swiftly scanned the group, and among them, the most striking figure was Robin, who stood nearly 1.9 meters tall.
He gave the order, "Attack. Let's test their strength first."
--------------
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