Chapter 149: Conflict!
On the expansive, gleaming steel deck of the summoned heavy cruiser, the Pola, the atmosphere was a strange blend of tranquility and suppressed violence. The warship, a marvel of engineering from another world, cut through the waves with a rhythmic hum of engines that vibrated softly beneath the feet of its passengers.
Hashirama Senju sat cross-legged near the bow, his posture relaxed and open to the elements. He rested his eyes, seemingly asleep, but his senses were fully attuned to the world around him. Even on this construct of cold steel and iron, the First Hokage radiated a gentle, verdant aura. He was like a sturdy ancient tree rooted in the earth, exuding a breath of life that seemed to soften the harsh metallic edges of the ship. He breathed in the salty sea air, finding a peculiar harmony between the chakra of nature and this alien ocean.
Not far away, standing by the port railing, was a figure of stark contrast.
Uchiha Madara stood with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his crimson armor reflecting the sunlight with a bloody sheen. Leaning against the metal railing, his cold, sculptured profile resembled an iceberg that had stood frozen for ten thousand years. His spiky black hair whipped violently in the sea breeze, but his expression remained immovable.
He gazed silently at the red and white bobber floating on the sea surface. It stood firm, bobbing rhythmically with the waves, mocking him. It was like a sea-stabilizing needle, unmoving, unyielding, and utterly devoid of fish.
His eyes, usually filled with the power to control the Nine-Tails or summon meteors, were now aloof and profound, masking a deep, simmering irritation.
After such a long time—hours that felt like eons—he had already grown accustomed to the lack of reaction from the bobber on his fishing rod. The fish of this world, it seemed, feared the Uchiha name so much they refused to even bite.
The atmosphere across the entire deck, due to these two men—whose styles were completely different yet whose presence was equally terrifying—had formed a strange, delicate equilibrium. One was the sun, the other the moon. One was life, the other destruction.
This silence was broken by the sound of boots hitting the steel plates.
"Yo! Hashirama, Madara!"
Suzaku's cheerful voice cut through the tension like a knife. He walked onto the deck, leading two figures behind him.
"Taking a break? Huh, Madara is still fishing!"
Suzaku walked over, peering over the railing at the desolate fishing line. He grinned, shaking his head.
"Stop fishing, Madara. You're torturing yourself. If you want fish, just let Ulquiorra catch them! He can blast a school of fish to the surface in seconds. You never catch anything, and your killing intent is probably scaring the marine life within a ten-mile radius!"
Uchiha Madara did not respond to Suzaku's teasing immediately. He merely let out a cold snort from his nose without turning his head, his gaze still fixed obstinately on the sea.
"Hmph. The fish are simply not worthy."
"Don't just stand there being grumpy," Suzaku laughed, waving his hand. "Come meet our new companions!"
Hashirama Senju opened his eyes upon hearing this. The "Sage Mode" focus vanished instantly, replaced by curiosity. When he saw the two figures standing behind Suzaku—a tall, imposing woman in a military uniform and a small, silver-haired girl—his face immediately broke into his somewhat simple, yet brilliantly sunny smile.
"Oh, oh! New companions? That's wonderful!"
He shot up to his feet with the energy of a teenager, dusting off his pants as he enthusiastically waved his hands.
"Welcome, welcome! It's great to have more people! My name is Hashirama Senju, please take care of me! Hahahahaha!"
His sincere, spring-breeze-like enthusiasm was infectious. It made even the stoic Odin, whom Esdeath was currently holding in her arms like a doll, look at him twice. Her mechanical scanning eyes dilated slightly. The man's silly laughter seemed to possess a natural, trustworthy charm that bypassed logic.
However, Uchiha Madara on the other side was not so easily won over.
He merely cast a lazy, sidelong glance over his shoulder upon hearing about the new companions. His dark eyes swept over them with the indifference of a god looking at ants.
When his gaze landed on Esdeath, it paused for a microsecond. He noted the uniform, the rapier, the aura of command. But to him, it was negligible.
It then fell upon the more conspicuous "little one" in her arms—Odin—and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Hmph."
A very soft but infinitely scornful cold snort came from his nostrils. It was the sound of disappointment.
"Suzaku," Madara said, turning back to the ocean. "These are the new 'companions' you found?"
Uchiha Madara's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a condescending scrutiny that grated on the ears.
"A woman... and a brat?"
In his view, power was everything. Besides Suzaku (who held the contract), himself, Hashirama (his eternal rival), Ulquiorra (whose spiritual pressure was intriguing), and Albedo (whose defense was absolute), everyone else on the ship was merely expendable background scenery. They were pebbles on the road.
And now, Suzaku had brought two more seemingly weak entities to clutter his deck.
However, the moment he finished speaking, the air changed.
Buzz...!
It wasn't a sound. It was a physical shift in the atmospheric pressure.
A terrifying, invisible chill erupted suddenly, centered on Esdeath!
"Oh?"
The temperature on the deck instantly plummeted. It went from the sweltering heat of the Grand Line summer into the biting, bone-chilling cold of a harsh winter in less than a second.
Crack... Snap...
Fine ice crystals condensed in the air, glittering with a chilling white light like diamond dust. A thin layer of white frost spread across the hard steel deck at an alarming speed, making crisp "crackling" sounds as the metal contracted. The sunlight seemed to dim, filtered through a sudden haze of freezing mist.
Hashirama Senju, who had just been full of enthusiasm, watched the sudden change with a look of astonishment. He hugged his arms, shivering slightly. "Brrr! That's cold!"
Esdeath stood there, her head tilted slightly. Her icy blue hair cascaded down her back like a frozen waterfall.
A dangerously delighted curve slowly formed on her lips. It wasn't a smile of anger; it was the smile of a predator who had just found something worth hunting.
She lightly raised her free hand.
Whoosh.
An incredibly sharp, jagged ice spear materialized from thin air and spun hovering at her fingertip. The tip pointed directly at the Uchiha.
Her icy blue eyes locked onto the black-haired man leaning against the metal railing.
"What's wrong? Do you look down on women?"
Her voice was no longer cool and detached. Instead, it carried a morbid, burning excitement—the thrill of a sadist sensing a challenge.
"That... sickening, self-righteous arrogance! I can smell it on you."
Esdeath, still holding the small Odin in one arm, took a step forward.
Crunch.
Her high-heeled white boots crunched on the frosted deck. With every step, the surrounding cold intensified, the frost creeping rapidly toward Madara's boots.
"Perfect," she whispered, her eyes glowing with a dangerous light. "What I enjoy most is crushing those self-proclaimed 'strong ones' beneath my heel, listening to their desperate wails as their pride shatters along with their bodies."
She pointed the ice spear forward.
"Your arrogance will cause you to lose your precious life under my tutelage! I will teach you the meaning of the weak serving the strong."
Her gaze was that of a General of the Empire, a woman who had buried armies in ice.
Uchiha Madara finally turned around slowly. He didn't rush. He moved with the weight of a mountain turning.
He faced the woman who dared to provoke him.
In his eyes, the black pupils vanished. Three black tomoe spun into existence, bleeding into a crimson iris.
The Sharingan.
"Heh."
An ominous glow emitted from his eyes. A palpable sense of oppression, far more suffocating than the cold, descended heavily upon the ship. It was the weight of his Chakra—dark, ancient, and malevolent.
"Woman, are you... directing killing intent toward me?"
Madara didn't draw a weapon. He didn't need to. He simply stood there, and the air around him began to distort, pushing back the encroaching frost.
His lips also curled into a cruel, arrogant arc, mirroring hers.
"You have great courage," he praised mockingly. "Daring to boast before me with a mere Ice Release Bloodline Limit! In my eyes, your ice is as fragile as glass."
"Is that so?"
Esdeath showed no weakness. The Tattoo on her chest glowed faintly. The ice spear at her fingertip grew even more brilliant, multiplying into a dozen hovering projectiles.
"Then I truly want to see who is boasting now! Let's see if your blood freezes as easily as the others."
The tension was palpable. It was a clash of fire and ice, arrogance and dominance. A battle seemed inevitable.
"Commander."
Just as tensions peaked and the first strike was about to be unleashed, a clear yet serious, monotone voice suddenly rang out from the center of the conflict.
Odin, held securely in Esdeath's arms, struggled to lift her small face. Her large eyes scanned the environment with mechanical precision, ignoring the murderous intent radiating from both sides.
Looking at Suzaku, she reported earnestly:
"Reporting, Commander! High-intensity energy standoff detected!"
Her voice was calm, contrasting sharply with the chaotic atmosphere.
"Ambient temperature is dropping at a rate of 2.7 degrees Celsius per second. Analysis indicates it has exceeded standard combat environment parameters for biological comfort. Furthermore, an unknown psychic energy pressure—identified as 'Chakra'—has also been detected."
Odin blinked, processing the data.
"Intensity rating: 'Extremely Dangerous.' Probability of structural damage to the vessel: 85%."
She looked at Suzaku with a deadpan expression.
"Recommend initiating avoidance procedures immediately, or authorizing intervention by our side to forcibly clear the area of hostile elements!"
"..."
This battle-analysis-like report caused a crack to appear in the almost solidified killing intent at the scene. It was like throwing a bucket of cold water on two growling dogs.
"Pfft..."
Suzaku nearly burst out laughing. Odin's seriousness was too adorable.
"Alright, alright!"
He quickly stepped between the two, spreading his arms wide to create a physical barrier.
"Calm down, both of you! Calm down! Put the ice away, and turn off the eyes!"
He looked at Esdeath, then at Madara.
"We are all companions on the same ship from now on. Don't be so aggressive! If you destroy the ship, we're all swimming."
He then turned to Uchiha Madara, winking conspiratorially.
"Uchiha Madara, let me tell you, this General Esdeath is a tough cookie. She isn't just some random woman. She conquered her world. If she goes crazy, freezing this entire section of the sea nearby isn't impossible! Don't underestimate her, or you might find your feet frozen to the deck!"
Next, he smiled at Esdeath, whose eyes were still locked on Madara.
"Esdeath, this is Uchiha Madara. His strength... well, how should I put it, he is also extremely formidable! He's a legend where he comes from. You are all companions now, serving the same goal. Don't be so heated! Save that energy for the Marines!"
Only upon hearing Suzaku's introduction did Uchiha Madara finally take the other party seriously. He glanced at the frost covering the deck, noting how hard it was to dismiss.
Freezing the sea? Madara thought, his eyes narrowing. Is this woman's Ice Release ability really that powerful? It feels different from the Yuki Clan's mirrors. It's more... primal.
Meanwhile, the fighting spirit in Esdeath's eyes grew even more fiery. She lowered her hand, dissolving the ice spears, but the hunger remained.
Extremely formidable? She licked her lips. Good! Very good! Only an opponent like this could ignite my fighting spirit! I will break him eventually.
Seeing the immediate danger pass, Hashirama Senju let out a long sigh of relief. He looked troubled, like a father watching his children fight.
"We are all companions, why must we fight the moment we meet? Can't we just get along?"
He walked over to Madara, shaking his head.
"Uchiha Madara! Really, you should be gentler toward girls! You're going to stay single forever at this rate!"
"Shut up, Hashirama!" Madara snapped, the redness in his eyes fading back to black.
"Come on, let's change the mood!"
As Hashirama spoke, he clapped his hands together with a loud smack.
"Wood Release: Four Pillars House Technique!"
Rumble...
The steel deck groaned as nature defied physics. Four thick, polished wooden pillars shot up from the metal ground, twisting and shaping themselves rapidly.
Within seconds, they formed a sturdy, rustic wooden table and several matching stools right in the middle of the high-tech warship's deck. The smell of fresh pine temporarily overpowered the scent of the sea.
"Come, come, come! Stop standing there with those scary faces!"
Hashirama waved enthusiastically, sitting on one of the wooden stools.
"Let's all sit down and talk! I'll break out the sake! Is there anything we can't discuss properly over a drink?"
"..."
Everyone fell silent.
Even Esdeath blinked, staring at the wood growing out of the steel.
Hashirama attempted to use his simple, forceful social methods to ease the tension, completely ignoring the absurdity of using a legendary jutsu to make furniture.
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