The sky above the open sea was overcast, heavy with rolling gray clouds.
Their ship sliced through the quieter waters of the archipelago outskirts, far from the major trade routes. Kakuzu stood at the bow, eyes steady, expression unreadable as ever. Hidan leaned against the railing, twirling his scythe impatiently.
Hidan: "Tch… this is takin' forever. For a guy worth 220 million, you'd think he'd show himself with some damn pride, yeah?"
Kakuzu didn't turn. "A Jelly-Logia user. Slippery. Cowardly. And valuable enough that we can't afford to let him slip away."
The target had been active in these waters for weeks—raiding small merchant ships, sinking marine patrol boats, and leaving survivors stuck in gelatin traps that took hours to pry free. Konan's network placed him less than a day's sailing from their route.
A sudden ripple spread across the water. The sea went strangely still.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed.Kakuzu: "He's here."
Hidan's grin stretched wide, manic.Hidan: "Finally! I was startin' to think this 'gelatin clown' didn't have the balls to show! Let's drag him out and get this ritual started!"
The ocean surface bulged—like something beneath was pushing upward—before a glossy, translucent dome of purple jelly surged forth, slapping onto the deck with a wet SCHLOCK.
A figure rose from the mass, half-liquid, half-human, eyes smug and body shimmering like a living dessert.
???: "You idiots should've stayed away. I don't know who you're working for, but you're not leaving here alive."
Hidan burst into laughter.Hidan: "Oh, you picked the wrong day to test me, Jelly Boy."
Kakuzu stepped forward, threads already starting to stir beneath his cloak.
Kakuzu: "Don't destroy the body completely. His bounty is high."
Hidan rolled his eyes.Hidan: "Yeah, yeah. I'll try not to turn your wallet into soup."
The Jelly Logia pirate smirked and shifted fully into liquid form.
???: "Try and touch me, freaks."
Hidan cracked his neck, excitement rising.
Hidan: "Gladly."
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The hunt had dragged across three islands and half a sea, but it finally ended aboard a battered merchant vessel drifting in the Grand Line. The deck was splintered, bodies everywhere, and the air reeked of sugar and seawater.
Hidan stood across from their target — a lanky, slippery pirate whose body shimmered like translucent gelatin. The Jelly–Jelly Fruit user. 220,000,000 berries on his head, and every beli of it earned.
Hidan wiped blood off his chin, annoyed and grinning at the same time.
Hidan: "This bastard hits like a damn sea king… but at least I can hit back now."
He coated his scythe in a thin, unstable sheen of black — his newly awakened Armament Haki still flickering, still inconsistent, but just enough. Each swing cut through the pirate's jelly-like body with a real, tangible bite, though every hit he landed cost him two in return.
The jelly-man reformed again and again, slamming Hidan into the mast, bouncing him across the deck, smothering him with semi-liquid blows. Kakuzu watched with crossed arms from the far side of the ship, unmoving, unimpressed, and very obviously waiting for Hidan to stop embarrassing himself.
Kakuzu: "If you fall, I'm not fishing your body back out of the sea."
"SHUT UP— I'm working here!"
The pirate lunged again, stretching his arm like sticky syrup—
And Hidan finally slipped past it.
He dragged his Haki-coated blade across the man's cheek — just barely — but enough to draw a single drop of blood, flicking through the air.
Hidan's grin turned manic.
Hidan: "AAAH— THERE IT IS!"
He snatched the droplet with trembling hands, laughing breathlessly from the bruises and cracked ribs.
Hidan: "Kakuzu… get ready. Jashin-sama's about to dine."
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed behind his mask.
Kakuzu: "Good. I was getting tired of watching you lose."
Hidan licked the blood-soaked scythe tip, beginning the ritual — as the jelly-man froze, watching Hidan suddenly transform. A grave feeling of danger appeared in his mind, and he instantly tried to flee, only to suddenly feel a sharp stabbing pain in his heart. He slowly turned his head around to see Hidan cackling loudly while stabbing his scythe into his own heart.
Jelliton the Jelly man died, without even comprehending why.
"Took you long enough. Next time I'm handling it myself. If we catch bounties at this rate every time, I'd be missing out on too much profit." Kakazu glared at Hidan as he grabbed the body and severed the head with a kunai, storing it into a scroll.
Hidan scoffed
"Yeah Yeah, greedy old bastard.."
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They sailed straight for a nearby black-market exchange, knowing it would take far too long to drag the body to an official Marine base. Upon arrival, Kakuzu slammed the bounty poster onto the counter and wordlessly dropped the head at their feet.
When the brokers hesitated, muttering about "proper channels," Kakuzu's eyes narrowed and he coldy said
"Pay the full 220,000,000," he warned. "Consider it an investment. You can earn it back by turning this place into an unofficial Marine drop-point."
Faced with Kakuzu's killing intent, and Hidan casually licking the blood from his scythe—the black-market staff paid out every last berry without another word.
------------
A few days later
An order went out quietly, Everyone return to New Amegakure.
Each duo reacted in their own way.
Deidara & Sasori
Their ship cut through the sea, black smoke drifting behind the burning remains of the Marine supply base they had just demolished.Sasori stood on deck, cleaning sand and ash from his puppet joints.
Deidara huffed. "Tch. Getting called back right after a masterpiece like that… un."Sasori didn't look up. "If we're being recalled, it's for something important. Don't complain."Deidara clicked his tongue but didn't argue as their ship turned toward the iron spires of New Amegakure.
Hidan & Kakuzu
Blood still stained part of the deck from the Jelly-Logia pirate.Hidan was loudly complaining—mostly bandaged, bruised, and furious.
"That jelly bastard nearly dissolved me! But I got his blood. Hah! Jashin rewards the faithful!"
Kakuzu ignored him, counting the thick stack of beri he'd forced out of the black-market brokers.
"We're going back. Don't bleed on my money."
"Shut up, Kakuzu! I'll bleed wherever I want!"
But even Hidan quieted when he saw the black-rain skyline ahead—New Amegakure calling them home.
Konan
Konan walked the highest balcony of Nagato's tower, paper wings folded behind her.Her network had already confirmed every duo's route.
"Everyone will arrive within forty-eight hours," she said.
Nagato nodded, his expression unreadable.
Itachi & Kisame
These two had already returned, they stood before Nagato as final confirmation.
Itachi spoke first."Charlotte Smoothie herself came. Big Mom wants the Akatsuki at one of her tea parties."
Kisame's grin widened."She said it'll 'end badly' if we refuse. Sounds fun."
Nagato's eyes narrowed."Then the timing is fortunate. Everyone returns now. We'll use this to fully demonstrate to the world that we don't bow to mere threats. It seems defeating two admirals wasn't enough to make everyone comprehend our strength."
"This operation.. we'll be taking down a Yonko."