Chapter 160: Strength Must Grow
"Captain! You're being way too cold to us!"
"That's right! We joined this alliance too, you know!"
"We're supposed to be partners!"
The Heart Pirates' collective indignation filled the corridor with the flapping of indignant crane-wing poses. Law regarded them with the flat expression of a man who had long since exhausted his patience for such displays.
"It's a pirate alliance. Nothing more. There's no need to make things intimate."
This was, of course, only Law's surface position. If the question were about building a closer relationship with Itachi—someone who could hold an actual strategic conversation without derailing it within thirty seconds—he would be entirely open to that. But with Luffy? Absolutely not. He had seen what happened to crews who got too close to the Straw Hats. The Heart Pirates were disciplined. Professional. He intended to keep them that way.
While Chopper re-bandaged the Cat Viper's bleeding head wound and Brook fled from a pack of dog minks who had caught his scent, Law absorbed the full account of Sanji's departure.
"Black Leg-ya was taken by Big Mom?" His brow furrowed. "How did things escalate to this point?"
"We're bringing him back." Luffy's voice was matter-of-fact.
Law looked to Itachi, who nodded once.
"Then hear me out, Straw Hat-ya. Our original plan was to destroy the SMILE factory, let Doflamingo and Kaido tear each other apart, and then pick up the pieces. That plan is dead. We've been in Kaido's crosshairs since Punk Hazard." Law's voice was grim. "It was only a matter of time before we had to face him directly."
He gestured at the ruined stronghold around them. "Even Zou—an island that has remained hidden for a thousand years—was found and devastated. If the Beast Pirates come here again, they will find us. All of us. And what do you think happens to this country then?"
The minks who had gathered nearby began to weep openly. They were, as a species, emotionally transparent to an almost uncomfortable degree.
"You... you're thinking about us too!"
"I'm so moved! Are you really pirates?!"
"Not only did you save us, but you're still worried about our safety! KARUQIU!"
"Hey. Hey." Law waved his hands, sweating. "You're reading way too much into this."
The Cat Viper, who had been unconscious moments before, suddenly sat bolt upright. "What's all this commotion?! Why are there so many people?!"
"STAY STILL, CAT VIPER!" Chopper threw his whole weight against the massive feline. In his smaller form, this accomplished approximately nothing.
"If there are this many people, we need a BANQUET! Bring out the wine! The food!"
"WHAT WINE?! WHAT FOOD?! YOU'RE BLEEDING AGAIN!"
"Banquet?! I'm in!" Luffy's hand shot up.
"Luffy—" Itachi reached out, but it was already too late. The word had been spoken. The doom was sealed.
"BANQUET! BANQUET! BANQUET!"
"You absolute—" Itachi let his hand drop. "Ah."
Half an hour later, the stronghold blazed with torchlight and echoed with song. Mink warriors draped themselves across the Straw Hats' shoulders, raising cups of forest-brewed wine. A massive bowl of lasagna—the Cat Viper's favorite dish—had been prepared in quantities that could have fed a small army. The feline king sang his meow-song between enormous bites, utterly ignoring Chopper's increasingly desperate medical advice.
"Try this! This is my absolute favorite!"
"It looks amazing! I want some too!"
"Me too!"
In the chaos of celebration, the earlier tension seemed almost forgotten. Luffy was arm-wrestling a bear mink. Nami was being taught a Mink drinking song. Brook had been cornered by the dog minks again and was screaming for help that would not come.
But in a quiet corner of the banquet, two figures sat apart from the revelry. Itachi and Law raised their glasses in silent acknowledgment and drank.
"Itachi-ya." Law broke the silence first. "Have you considered joining the Heart Pirates instead? I'm beginning to think the Straw Hats are genuinely hazardous to one's sanity."
Itachi shook his head, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "It's not a bad thing. Their temperament. It has its own kind of strength."
"Spoken like someone who's given up on having a quiet life."
The two men shared a look of mutual, resigned understanding.
After another drink, Law grew serious. "What's your next move?"
"Sanji must be retrieved. Even if it means facing another Emperor." Itachi set down his cup. "And Kaido cannot wait. We need to act on both fronts. So..."
"You've decided to split up."
"Yes."
"Good." Law nodded, a grim smile crossing his features. "The situation keeps getting worse. But at least you're here. You've fought Admirals to a standstill. Against an Emperor... it's not hopeless."
"The Emperors." Itachi turned the word over. "How do they compare to the Admirals? In terms of combat strength."
Law considered this. "I've only directly encountered one Emperor—Blackbeard, and he was newly ascended. Big Mom and Kaido are different. They've ruled the New World for decades. Their personal strength is... immense. Their crews are armies. If I had to compare..." He paused. "They might be slightly above the Admirals. But they are absolutely not below them."
Itachi absorbed this in silence. Above an Admiral. Fujitora had pushed him to his absolute limit. Kizaru had fought him to mutual destruction. If the Emperors were at least that strong—possibly stronger—then his current abilities might not be enough.
"Then the question becomes whether the Warrior Tengu form is sufficient."
"Warrior Tengu?"
"The strongest form of Susanoo I can currently manifest. The fiery red skeleton you've seen me use."
"So that's what it's called." Law nodded appreciatively. "Susanoo. It suits it."
"It seems I'll need greater strength to be certain." Itachi's voice was distant, calculating.
Law blinked. "Wait. Itachi-ya. Did you just say... greater strength?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that form already strong enough? I saw you fight Kizaru with it. I saw what it did to Blackbeard."
"That form is not the apex." Itachi's eyes were distant, remembering texts he had studied as a child in the Uchiha compound. "According to the records of my clan, Susanoo evolves alongside the Sharingan. As the eyes grow stronger, the construct becomes more complete. What I use now is the half-body state—the Warrior Tengu. It is the limit of what the Mangekyō Sharingan can produce."
He pressed his palm against his chest—against the warmth of the Spirit of the Tree World, against the place where Law's surgical modifications had rewoven his chakra network.
"There is a form beyond the Warrior Tengu. But it requires something I have never possessed. The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Law." Itachi's voice sharpened with sudden realization.
"What? What is it?" Law leaned forward, caught by the intensity in Itachi's eyes.
"The surgery you performed on me. The modifications to my chakra network. Combined with the Spirit of the Tree World's regenerative energy... I can attempt it. I can try to push past the limit."
He was already on his feet. "There's a clearing in the ruined town. A large open space. It should be far enough from the stronghold."
"Wait—Itachi-ya! What exactly are you planning to do?!"
But Itachi was already moving through the forest, his dark cloak vanishing into the shadows between the trees. Law followed, his long strides barely keeping pace.
They emerged into the ruins of Kurau City. The execution racks still stood. The scars of battle still marked every surface. But at the city's center, where a marketplace had once bustled, there was space. Open sky. Room for something vast.
"Go and see," Itachi said quietly. "Whether my strength can reach that state."
He closed his eyes. The Mangekyō Sharingan blazed to life behind his lids. And the Susanoo began to rise.
(End of Chapter)
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