Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

South China Sea.

On the shimmering sea.

A huge merchant ship is sailing smoothly.

This is an armed merchant ship flying the flag of the Tulip Merchants Association.

Captain Bud leaned against the helm, a large cigar dangling from his lips.

He exhaled a smoke ring, his expression more relaxed than ever before.

Several prominent businessmen, holding glasses of red wine, gathered on the deck, chatting and laughing.

"This flight was so smooth it's unbelievable."

A plump businessman swirled his wine glass, his face flushed.

"you do not say."

"If this had happened last month, our ship would have been targeted by pirates at least three times!"

"In the past, going out to sea meant risking your life."

Another tall, thin businessman chimed in, his tone full of relief.

Bud took off his cigar and flicked off the ash.

"That bunch of useless trash in the Navy!"

"When they encountered pirates, they ran faster than anyone else."

"It's so much better now; the sea is so clean it looks like it's been washed."

The fat businessman leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"I heard it was that force that calls itself an empire that made the move."

"They took over the West Sea, and now they've spread to our South China Sea."

Bud grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Who cares about empires or world governments?"

"Whoever lets us do business peacefully is the boss!"

"The empire's rules are simple: do not rob civilians, and do not levy heavy taxes."

"If they encounter pirates, the Empire's people won't waste any time; they'll just kill or capture them!"

"This style is much tougher than the navy's."

The merchants nodded in agreement.

They were all filled with gratitude for this newly emerging, mysterious force.

Just then.

The sailor on the watchtower suddenly let out a piercing scream.

"captain!"

"Pirate ship spotted at one o'clock!"

The atmosphere on the deck instantly plummeted to freezing point.

The wine glasses in the businessmen's hands fell to the ground with a "clatter," shattering into countless shards.

Bud shoved the helmsman aside and took the helm himself.

He grabbed his binoculars and looked at the dark dot in the distance.

A pirate ship flying the skull and crossbones flag is speeding forward with the help of the wind.

This group of vicious thugs had clearly set their sights on this fat sheep.

Bard's palms were sweating.

"Damn it!"

"Why did we have to run into this pack of mad dogs at this time!"

The distance is too close.

The merchant ship's heavy hull meant it had no time to turn.

The cannons on the pirate ship's deck have had their covers removed.

The dark muzzle of the cannon was fixedly aimed at the tulip merchant ship.

The shadow of death instantly enveloped everyone on the merchant ship.

The fat businessman was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, a puddle of water seeping into his crotch.

Just when everyone thought they were doomed.

A strange sound suddenly came from the sea.

"Tap tap tap..."

The sound was light and rapid, like something rushing across the water.

Bud instinctively turned the telescope.

The images that appeared in the telescope completely shattered his forty years of common sense.

A dozen or so figures dressed in black outfits and wearing animal masks were running wildly on the waves.

They moved as if on flat ground, their speed even more astonishing than the world's fastest speedboat.

The leader was a masked man with a red and white fan emblem printed on his chest.

The group headed straight for the merchant ship without slowing down.

Bard closed his eyes in despair, thinking this was one of the pirates' accomplices.

"Whoosh—"

A gust of wind swept across the deck.

A dozen masked men leaped directly over the mast of the merchant ship, the air currents they created stinging Bard's cheeks.

They completely ignored the merchant ship and used the momentum to leap into the air.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

midair.

The leading Uchiha ninja's hands flew across the screen, leaving afterimages.

He took a deep breath, his chest bulging, and spewed a mouthful of flames at the pirate ship.

What started as a tiny flame has grown rapidly in the face of the wind.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a terrifying sea of ​​fire that blotted out the sky!

The seawater evaporated due to the high temperature, sending up large plumes of white steam.

The sea of ​​fire engulfed the pirate ship in an instant with overwhelming force.

He didn't even have time to scream.

The sturdy pirate ship, along with its cannons, masts, and pirates, instantly vaporized under the terrifying heat.

All that remained on the sea surface was a pool of black charcoal, bobbing up and down with the waves.

After doing all this.

A dozen or so masked figures landed on the water and continued to race wildly into the distance.

The whole process took less than ten seconds.

The enormous pirate ship was thus completely wiped off the face of the earth.

The tulip merchant ship was deathly silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Bud stiffly put down the binoculars.

The cigar in his mouth had long since burned his beard, but he was completely unaware.

The fat businessman gaped open, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"What...what was that just now?"

"Magic? Or is it the power of a Devil Fruit user?"

Bud swallowed hard, his legs suddenly going weak.

He recognized the logo of the red and white round fan.

Imperial people.

"Too...too powerful..."

Those high and mighty gentlemen usually wouldn't even deign to glance at them.

The people of the Empire saved their lives, but didn't ask for a single word or a penny in return.

Bard suddenly knelt down on the deck and frantically kowtowed in the direction the masked man had gone.

"Bravo, Empire!"

The merchants suddenly realized what was happening and immediately knelt down.

Overwhelmed with excitement and elation, these shrewd businessmen were moved to tears.

With such a powerful backer.

This vast sea is finally about to usher in true peace.

……

East China Sea.

On the dirt road outside Cocosia Village.

Nami's hands were clad in cold seastone handcuffs, and she staggered.

She lowered her head, her short orange hair soaked with sweat and plastered to her pale cheeks.

Walking behind her were two Imperial Dark Agents dressed in black combat uniforms.

The cold masks concealed their faces, with only occasional glints of cold light revealing a chilling intent.

Nami gritted her teeth, her heart filled with despair.

It’s over.

It's all over.

The scene that had occurred three days ago was replaying in her mind.

The Arlong Pirates, who were arrogant and domineering in the East Blue, and the Arlong Paradise that haunted her nightmares.

They couldn't even last three minutes against the masked men.

There was no fierce fighting, only one-sided slaughter.

Arlong's prized merman body was charred into a crisp by a bolt of lightning that struck from the sky.

Hundreds of fish-men pirates were shredded into mincemeat by the overwhelming water jets.

That power is simply beyond human capabilities; it is divine punishment.

She was immediately detained by this group of people because of the conspicuous tattoo of the Arlong Pirates on her left arm.

Nami did not offer any explanation.

She had grown accustomed to the greedy face of the Navy Captain Rat and had long since lost faith in so-called justice.

How could these guys, who are a million times more terrifying than Ah Long, possibly listen to an explanation from a female thief?

Her hopes of accumulating 100 million Berries have been completely shattered.

"Hurry up and go."

The ANBU ninja behind him spoke coldly, his voice flat.

Nami shuddered and quickened her pace.

Ahead, the outline of Cocoyasi Village gradually became clear.

The square at the village entrance was packed with a dense crowd.

Ah Jian was wearing a windmill hat and tightly gripping a rusty long knife in his hand.

Nokiko's eyes were red, and she bit her lip, standing in front of the group.

Upon seeing Nami being brought in handcuffed, the villagers instantly rioted.

"Let her go!"

"She's not a pirate!"

"Nami joined the Arlong Pirates to save us!"

"..."

The villagers waved their farm tools, blocking the path of the secret agents.

"Everyone, make way!"

"They will kill you!"

Nami burst into tears.

She shook her head frantically and shouted at the villagers.

She knew all too well how terrifying these people were; they could kill without even blinking an eye.

The squad leader in charge of the operation stopped in his tracks.

He didn't draw his sword, but calmly took a scroll out of his ninja tool bag.

"Have you had enough of arguing?"

A single, understated sentence carried an irresistible force, silencing the clamor of the entire room.

The secret agents unrolled the scroll and scanned it with their eyes.

"Nami, female, sixteen years old."

"Eight years ago, after his adoptive mother Bellemere was killed, he was forced to join the Arlong Pirates as a surveyor."

"According to the Imperial Intelligence Department's investigation, although this person has the title of pirate, he has never killed any innocent civilians."

"The nautical charts they drew were mostly created under duress from evil dragons."

"The ledgers found in the dungeon of Dragon Paradise also confirmed that he had been raising ransom for the village."

The sounds from the shadows were not loud, yet they carried clearly to every corner.

Nami was stunned.

Ah Jian's long knife clattered to the ground.

Nokiko covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

How did they find out so much?

The efficiency of the Empire's secret service far exceeded the imagination of the native inhabitants of this world.

Mind-reading techniques, intelligence gathering, and illusionary torture.

The secrets of Ah Long Paradise cannot be hidden from them at all.

The squad leader closed the scroll and glanced at one of his subordinates beside him.

The secret agent stepped forward and took out a key.

"Click".

The heavy sea stone handcuffs fell to the ground with a thud.

Nami rubbed her reddened wrist, feeling like she was in a dream.

"You...you're not going to arrest me?"

Nami's voice trembled as she stared incredulously at the cold mask before her.

"Imperial law will not wrong an innocent person, nor will it let a villain go unpunished."

"Since you haven't spilled the blood of innocents, you are a civilian."

"The Empire only kills pirates and protects civilians."

The squad leader of the dark side snorted coldly.

After saying that, he turned around without hesitation and waved.

"Let's go."

"Next target: The Krieg Pirates."

Several ANBU ninjas transformed into afterimages and vanished from their original positions in an instant.

A gentle breeze blew by, stirring up a few fallen leaves.

It was as if they had never existed.

Nami's legs went weak, and she knelt heavily on the beach.

The huge weight that had been pressing on my heart for eight years was shattered at this moment.

She covered her face with her hands, her shoulders heaving violently.

From sobbing to wailing.

She released all the grievances, fears, and despair she had accumulated over the past eight years.

Nojiko rushed over and hugged Nami tightly.

Ah Jian pressed down on the windmill above his head, tears streaming down his face.

"We're saved..."

"We are truly saved."

Nami cried her heart out, raising her head to look in the direction the Anbu had left.

In this great age of piracy, where the strong prey on the weak.

This was the first time someone had reasoned with her and given her justice.

She bit her lip hard, a burning flame igniting in her eyes.

"empire……"

This name was deeply imprinted on the depths of her soul.

She vowed that her life and her seafaring skills would belong to the empire from now on.

……

North Sea.

An extremely poor island that's not even worth marking on a map.

A fierce wind whipped up yellow sand, ravaging the parched and cracked land.

The trees here have long since died, and the wells are so dry that you can see the cracked mud bottom.

Old John leaned against the crumbling stone wall, holding his dying grandson in his arms.

The grandson's lips were so dry and chapped that he didn't even have the strength to cry.

A dozen or so villagers, equally pale and emaciated, lay around him.

This is a true dead end.

The heavenly gold drained their last grain of food.

The World Government removed them from the list, and the Navy forgot about this place.

Even pirates who make a living by robbing would spit in disgust when they passed by.

They could only sit here and quietly await death.

Old John's cloudy eyes gazed at the gray sky.

He didn't hate pirates; he only hated the high and mighty World Government that sucked human blood.

Just then.

The sound of waves was mixed with a peculiar sound of water breaking.

Old John turned his head with difficulty.

A small boat without sails is coming, riding the wind and waves.

Several figures nimbly leaped onto the rocks and landed steadily.

The leader was a Jonin from the Senju clan, wearing the insignia of the Empire on his chest.

He looked around, his brows furrowed.

"This is simply not a place for a human to live."

The lower-ranking ninja behind him also looked reluctant.

Although the Empire has just taken over this place, His Majesty Chiba's orders are very clear.

Under the rule of the empire, not a single civilian shall be allowed to starve to death!

Without wasting any words, Senju walked directly towards the dried-up lake.

He rapidly formed hand seals, leaving a trail of afterimages.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

A torrent of clear, fresh water gushed forth.

The water flowed through the air, transforming into a roaring dragon that crashed violently into the dried-up lakebed.

The murky mud was washed away, and the clear water quickly filled the entire lake.

Old John's eyes widened, and a gurgling sound came from his dry throat.

water!

That was life-saving water!

Before the villagers could recover from their extreme shock...

Senjutsu no ninja formed hand seals again.

"Earth Release: Great River of Earth!"

The earth began to tremble violently.

The barren rocks, as hard as iron, were shattered by an invisible force and transformed into soft, fertile soil.

The once lifeless wasteland was instantly transformed into fertile farmland.

The villagers gaped, as if they were seeing the creator god.

This is not over yet.

Senju clasped his hands together, and a massive amount of chakra erupted.

"Wood Release: Four Pillars Technique!"

The earth shook violently, and thick logs burst forth from the ground.

They seem to be alive, interweaving and piecing together with each other.

In the blink of an eye.

Rows of spacious and sturdy wooden houses rose from the ground and were neatly arranged on the open space.

After doing all this, Senju Ninja breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He squeezed out more chakra and pointed his finger at an empty space.

A few seeds were thrown into the soil.

Driven by Wood Release chakra, green shoots broke through the soil and grew wildly.

soon.

Several fruit trees were laden with heavy fruit.

Although not as devastating as His Majesty Chiba's Wood Release.

But for these ordinary people, this is a miracle.

The other Imperial ninjas immediately stepped forward.

They took out a large quantity of rations, bread, and water from the sealed scroll.

"Come and line up to receive it!"

The ninjas' voices were not loud, but they sounded like heavenly music.

Old John stood up shakily, his legs gave way, and he knelt down straight down.

Instead of taking food, he knelt down on the fertile soil.

"God..."

"A deity has descended to earth!"

The other villagers also realized what was happening and began to frantically kowtow and worship.

"We are not gods."

"We are soldiers of the Empire, ordered by His Majesty Chiba to take over this place."

Senjuu stepped forward and pulled old John up.

He stuffed a soft piece of bread into the hand of old John's grandson.

"From this day forward, you are subjects of the Empire."

"The Empire will never abandon anyone."

Old John, tears streaming down his face, tore large chunks of bread into his mouth.

how many years?

They were trampled and abandoned like weeds.

Only the empire gave them the dignity to live.

Old John hugged his grandson tightly and let out a long howl.

"We swear to serve the Empire to the death!"

"We swear to serve His Majesty Chiba to the death!"

……

West Sea.

The Kingdom of Orte.

The atmosphere inside the royal palace was solemn and dignified.

Chiba sat on the throne, resting his chin on one hand.

His six-tomoe Rinnegan emitted a chilling purple light, making him appear like an unapproachable deity.

offstage.

The empire's high-ranking officials stood on either side.

The governors of the four major provinces and the heads of various prominent families were all in high spirits.

"Your Majesty, I hereby report."

"The cleanup work in the West Sea has been completed, and all resistance forces have been eliminated."

"The most heinous pirates have all been beheaded, while those with lesser crimes have been sent to the mines for labor reform."

"All the kingdoms and islands have fully accepted the new imperial policies."

Nara Shikaku, carrying a thick scroll of information, quickly stepped forward.

"Well done."

"How is the progress on the other three seas?"

Chiba nodded slightly, his gaze indifferent.

"His Majesty."

"The progress in the South China Sea is extremely smooth."

"Slayed seven pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million and quelled sixteen rebellious islands."

"We also seized three Devil Fruits with unknown abilities, which have been handed over to Orochimaru of the Research Department for identification."

Fugaku Uchiha stepped forward, his face filled with barely suppressed pride.

"The results in Beihai were equally fruitful."

"With the White Eyes' reconnaissance, no pirate can escape the Empire's pursuit."

"The assassination strongholds of the underground forces in Beihai have been completely eradicated by us."

Hiashi Hyuga snorted coldly and took a step forward, not to be outdone.

Akimichi Choza also quickly reported the situation in the East China Sea.

Looking down at the various families below, whose competition was fierce, Chiba's lips curled up slightly.

He was very satisfied with this atmosphere of healthy competition.

This formidable ninja force, once unleashed, possesses terrifying destructive power.

Then.

Chiba stood up.

A trace of Six Paths level chakra overflowed.

The air in the entire hall instantly became as heavy as lead.

Even the powerful experts at the Shadow level present felt a chill run down their spines.

Chiba's gaze swept past the crowd and landed on the huge world map at the back of the hall.

The red earth continent resembles a giant dragon, stretching across the middle of the ocean.

The Grand Line is like a raging blood vessel, running through the entire world.

The world is but an appetizer.

The real tough nuts to crack are in that dangerous shipping route.

"Pass down the order."

"Complete all the final work across the four seas within three days."

"Leave behind a basic garrison force to maintain public order."

"All Jonin and above combatants, assemble in the Kingdom of Orte."

The main hall was deathly silent.

Everyone's blood was boiling.

Chiba suddenly turned around, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"The world is too small."

"Next step: conquer the entire Grand Line!"