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

West Sea.

An unnamed island.

The sea breeze, carrying a faint salty smell, swept through the bustling market.

Sunlight streamed onto the cobblestone streets.

The vendors' cries rose and fell in waves.

"Big fish just caught! Selling cheap!"

"Hot, freshly grilled skewers for only fifty Berries!"

Momousagi was wearing a simple linen dress.

She stood in front of a fruit stand, her slender white fingers holding a bright red apple.

The apple's skin is covered with glistening water droplets, refracting tiny specks of light.

Berries of this quality.

If this were in the Sabaody Archipelago, it would have been sold for an astronomical price by those nobles long ago.

And here.

It only requires a few of the lowest quality copper coins.

The stall owner was an elderly woman with a full head of silver hair.

She chuckled and grabbed a brown paper bag, quickly packing the apples inside.

"Here you go, young lady."

"We haven't felt this comfortable in this wretched place in decades."

The old woman laughed so hard that the wrinkles on her face smoothed out.

Momousagi handed over the coin.

Her throat felt as if it were blocked by a wad of wet cotton, making it difficult to breathe.

She slowly turned around and looked at the end of the street.

Several ninjas wearing imperial headbands were climbing on the high tower at the entrance of the town.

They are helping the townspeople repair the clock tower that was overturned by the typhoon.

There was no scolding.

They did not ask for any filial piety payment.

They also lacked that arrogant and condescending attitude.

These powerful individuals, possessing world-destroying strength, do the menial work that even ordinary naval personnel would disdain.

next to.

Huoshaoshan chewed on an unlit cigar, but didn't take a single puff for a long time.

Cigarette butt fragments fell softly onto his black leather shoes.

Onigumo crossed his arms over his chest.

His fierce face, like that of a bulldog, was now taut with tension.

"I've spent half my life fighting pirates."

"What exactly have we been protecting all these years?"

Onigumo lowered his voice.

His rough voice betrayed an unmistakable weariness and bewilderment.

Momousagi's long eyelashes trembled slightly.

She slowly lowered her eyelids.

The roar of Akainu in the cell kept echoing in my ears.

The air was filled with Vice Admiral Garp's merciless scorn of the Celestial Dragons.

Even more resounding was the resounding question posed by the emperor of that empire, Senju Chiba.

True justice should be based on protecting the survival of ordinary people.

If even ordinary people can't survive.

What kind of justice is this?

What kind of navy is that?

Peach Rabbit clenched his five fingers.

The brown paper bag in his hand made a sharp, cracking sound when it was squeezed.

The bright red apple was slightly deformed.

She suddenly raised her head.

Her stunningly beautiful face now held only an iron-like, resolute expression.

"I'm quitting."

Peach Rabbit slowly uttered these words.

It was as if a heavy burden that had been pressing on my spine for decades had been lifted.

Huoshaoshan stood frozen in place.

He took the cigar out of his mouth and flicked it into the trash can next to him.

"Where to?"

"Go and serve the empire."

Peach Rabbit's voice wasn't loud.

When it reached the ears of the crowd, it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

She ripped the famous sword, Jinpilu, from her waist.

The end of the scabbard is also engraved with a seagull emblem symbolizing the Navy Headquarters.

She pressed her thumb against the emblem.

A sudden burst of power.

Click.

The hard metal emblem was crushed, and the fragments slipped through his fingers.

Onigumo stared at the thick calluses on his palms.

He tugged at his chapped lips, forcing out a smile that looked worse than a grimace.

Count me in.

The dozen or so lieutenant generals and major generals standing nearby exchanged glances.

Without a word, they all took off their navy coats that had the word "Justice" printed on them.

The coat was carelessly discarded in the dirty mud.

A dozen or so high-ranking naval officers followed closely behind Momousagi.

They strode towards the imperial outpost in the center of the island.

……

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

Marshal's office.

The seagulls outside the window let out mournful cries.

The dull sea breeze lifted the curtains, revealing a suffocating stillness.

The Warring States period is like a stone sculpture, slumped in a large office chair.

His hair, which was originally half black and half white.

In just half a month, it had completely turned into a snow-white color, like withered grass.

The desk was piled high with battle reports, like snowflakes.

Each battle report was stamped with a bright red expedited stamp.

The first half of the Grand Line.

A dozen or so member states of the world government.

In less than half a month, all royal power was stripped away!

The flags of the empire were planted all over those once insurmountable royal cities.

The most terrifying thing is.

The civilians in those countries not only did not resist, but instead lined the streets to welcome the arrival of the imperial ninjas.

The five fingers exert force during the Warring States period.

With a click.

The pure gold fountain pen in his hand was snapped in two, and ink splattered all over his hand.

Lieutenant General He walked to his desk with a cup of hot tea in his hand.

She gently pushed the teacup toward Zhan Guo.

"Stop making a fuss."

"The situation is beyond your control now, just let it take its course."

Lieutenant General Tsuru's voice was unusually calm.

Zhan Guo suddenly raised his head.

The veins on his forehead throbbed.

"Let nature take its course?"

"That's more than a dozen member states!"

"The world government's face has been utterly humiliated!"

Zhan Guo slammed his hand on the table.

The solid wood desk let out a painful groan as several spiderweb-like cracks appeared.

"What are those bastards, the Five Elders, doing?"

"They ordered me to hold headquarters firmly and not retreat an inch!"

The Warring States period was so angry that he trembled all over.

His chest heaved violently, like a bellows about to break down.

"Garp has gone in!"

"All three generals are now prisoners!"

"Dozens of lieutenant generals were wiped out in one fell swoop!"

Zhan Guo slumped back into his chair.

He covered his cheek in pain.

"The navy's core personnel have been wiped out."

"What can we use to stop that monstrous empire?"

Lieutenant General Tsuru pulled out a chair and sat down.

She picked up another cup of tea and gently blew on the floating tea leaves.

"Don't you understand?"

"The Five Elders don't not want to fight; they simply don't dare to fight."

Lieutenant General Tsuru took a sip of tea.

"That man named Senju Chiba possesses power that far surpasses the norms of this world."

"not to mention."

"Do you really think what we did in the past was justice?"

General Tsuru's words were like a poisonous thorn, piercing the most vulnerable nerve of the Warring States period.

The dough twitched during the Warring States period.

He recalled the fire that burned for three days and three nights in Ohara.

He recalled the cover order he gave when the Celestial Dragons randomly shot civilians.

For that ridiculous overall situation.

He spent his whole life cleaning up after those pigs.

Sengoku stared intently at the intelligence report on the table concerning the empire's governance of the four seas.

Remove all heavenly gold.

Severely punish all the evil pirates and nobles.

Ordinary people have food to eat and clothes to wear.

The crime rate across the country dropped to zero in just one month.

Zhan Guo suddenly gave a bitter smile.

The laughter grew louder and louder, eventually turning into hysterical, maniacal laughter.

"yes."

"What a load of bullshit! The justice I've upheld my whole life!"

Sengoku overturned the documents on the table.

Paper scraps were flying everywhere.

The admiral's back had become completely hunched over.

……

The Grand Line.

The Kingdom of Alabasta.

Yellow sand filled the sky, obscuring the sun.

The scorching wind whipped up sand and gravel, stinging people's faces.

Rapeseed flowers outside the port.

More than a dozen giant sailing ships flying imperial flags slowly approached the shore.

There was no deafening artillery fire.

There was only a suffocating sense of oppression.

Mei Terumi stepped onto the scorching sand in her high heels.

She was wearing a fitted blue dress.

Her alluring face exuded an undeniable queenly aura.

Hundreds of ninjas from the Water Province followed her silently.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, even their breathing was remarkably uniform.

Ao quickly walked to Terumi Mei's side.

The white of his right eye has been opened, and the surrounding meridians are slightly bulging.

"Terumi Mei-sama."

"The intelligence has been verified."

Qing handed over a scroll filled with dense intelligence.

"Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

"He secretly formed the Baroque Works."

"They used a chemical powder called 'dancing powder' to deprive other cities of rainfall."

"An attempt to instigate a rebellion and seize power in Alabasta."

Mei Terumi took the scroll and glanced at it casually.

She parted her red lips slightly and let out a cold laugh filled with extreme contempt.

"One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

"The world government is truly hopelessly stupid."

"They actually maintain the balance of the sea by legalizing piracy."

Mei Terumi tossed the scroll to the ninja behind her.

She reached out and tidied her red hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

"They've been raising poisonous insects only to have it backfire; they deserve to lose half their territory today."

Terumi Mei raised her eyes.

Our gaze travels beyond the vast desert, pointing straight into the depths of Alabasta.

"Relay my orders."

"Target: Rainy Casino"

"Dig out that crocodile hiding in the sand!"

Hundreds of ninjas knelt down on one knee in unison.

"Yes, sir!"

next second.

Hundreds of figures vanished into afterimages.

Like a blue torrent, it rushes straight into the heart of the desert.

Rainy place, Rain Banquet Casino.

Under the magnificent golden dome.

Crocodile sat in the boss's chair.

He had his hair slicked back, and a gleaming golden poison hook was attached to his severed left hand.

He had a thick cigar dangling from his mouth.

Amidst the swirling smoke, the face etched with a knife scar appeared even more sinister.

Nicole Robin stood to the side.

She held a copy of the latest intelligence report in her hand, her tone unusually grave.

"Boss, something's happened."

"News has come from the port that an unidentified armed force has landed."

"Judging from the flag, it belongs to the empire that recently ruled the four seas."

Crocodile scoffed and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"empire?"

"They only defeated a few useless marines."

He touched the gold hook on his left hand.

"This is Alabasta."

"In the desert, I am an invincible god!"

Before he could finish speaking...

Boom!

A deafening roar came from overhead.

The incredibly sturdy casino dome was torn apart as if it were made of paper!

The blinding sunlight streamed in.

Along with the sunlight, towering waves crashed down, surging across the sky!

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

A clear, cold female voice boomed in mid-air.

Thousands of tons of seawater appeared out of thin air in this extremely water-scarce inland city.

The gamblers inside the casino screamed in terror.

The massive flow of water instantly submerged countless gambling tables and gold coins.

"court death!"

Crocodile's eyes narrowed sharply.

His body instantly transformed into a swirling sandstorm, soaring into the sky through the gaps in the water.

midair.

Crocodile reformed into his original form.

He looked down at Mei Terumi, who was standing on the water.

"How dare you cause trouble on my turf."

"The Desert Sword!"

Crocodile swung his right arm violently.

A massive slash composed of high-pressure sand and gravel, accompanied by a sharp sonic boom, headed straight for Mei Terumi's face.

This strike was powerful enough to split a warship in two.

Mei Terumi didn't even bother to do the hand seals; she simply raised her fair palm slightly.

"Water Escape·Water Formation Wall."

boom!

A wall of water, several meters thick, rose from the ground.

The sand blade slammed into the water wall, like mud sinking into the sea, without creating the slightest ripple.

The sand, saturated with water, instantly became incredibly heavy and tumbled into the pool of water below.

Crocodile's heart pounded.

His attack, which he was so proud of, was so easily neutralized.

"What kind of monster are you?"

Crocodile roared.

He slammed his hands down on the ground.

"The Cycle of Erosion!"

He attempted to absorb all the moisture in the surrounding area, turning the region into a complete desert.

But Mei Terumi didn't give him that chance at all.

The chakra within her is as deep as the ocean.

That's a Kage-level amount of chakra!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Three enormous water dragons, each over a hundred meters long, roared and soared into the sky.

The water dragons intertwined, carrying devastating power, and slammed into Crocodile.

"ah--"

Crocodile let out a piercing scream.

He attempted to evade by becoming an element.

But as soon as their bodies turned to sand, they were completely soaked by the water dragon.

The soaked sand was as heavy as iron and could not be dispersed at all.

The Logia-type Devil Fruit's greatest advantage becomes a fatal joke in the face of massive water-based techniques.

boom!

Crocodile was slammed into the water prison below like a shooting star.

Mei Terumi makes a loose grasping motion with one hand.

"The Art of Water Prisons"

A giant water sphere completely enveloped Crocodile.

The water balloon kept shrinking, squeezing out the last bit of air from his lungs.

Crocodile struggles frantically in the water prison.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was filled with undisguised fear and despair.

He just couldn't understand it.

How come I, a dignified Shichibukai, can't even withstand a single move from my opponent?

Mei Terumi withdrew her hand.

She didn't even break a sweat.

"Tie up this crocodile."

"His Majesty instructed that Lord Orochimaru would be very interested in Logia-type Devil Fruit users."

Several Imperial ninjas immediately stepped forward.

They took out specially made sealing talismans and skillfully affixed them to the surface of the water prison.

This completely shut down Crocodile's room for maneuver.

Just then.

A strange noise suddenly came from the edge of the ruins.

Nicole Robin is trying to run away amidst the chaos.

She is an extremely intelligent woman.

Even Crocodile was instantly killed; if she stayed, she would only face certain death.

"Trying to run away?"

An Imperial ninja snorted and quickly formed hand seals.

Robin gritted his teeth.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Thirty Rounds of Blossoms - Hook Claws!"

A dozen or so white arms instantly grew from the shoulders and back of the Imperial Ninja.

These arms suddenly exerted force, attempting to snap the ninja's neck.

But at the moment of arm exertion.

boom!

A burst of white smoke exploded.

The Chunin whose neck had been twisted was reduced to a piece of dead wood.

Substitution Technique!

Robin's pupils contracted sharply.

Before she could react...

The cold kunai was already pressed against her carotid artery.

Three Imperial ninjas appeared around her like ghosts, completely blocking all her escape routes.

Robin gave a wry smile.

She dejectedly lowered her hands, giving up on futile resistance.

Ao stepped forward and took out a wanted poster from his ninja tool bag.

He compared Robin's appearance to his own.

"Lady Terumi Mei, we've caught a big fish."

"Nicole Robin, a wanted criminal by the World Government, with a bounty of 79 million Berries."

"The charge is... that he is the devil's son of Ohara."

Mei Terumi walked over with elegant steps, sizing up Robin who was being held down on the ground.

Robin closed his eyes.

She had grown accustomed to betrayal and death.

Having fallen into the hands of an Empire that is even more terrifying than the World Government, she held no hope of survival.

"Kill me."

Robin's voice carried a hint of numbness, as if he had lost all hope.

Mei Terumi suddenly chuckled softly.

"Kill you?"

Why would I kill you?

Robin suddenly opened his eyes, his face full of astonishment.

Mei Terumi snatched the wanted poster from Ao's hand and gently rubbed it between her fair fingers.

The wanted poster instantly turned into a wad of paper scraps, which drifted away in the wind.

"Because you studied that blank hundred-year history?"

"The World Government felt guilty and was afraid that others would expose their dirty secrets, so they launched the Buster Call."

Mei Terumi bent down.

She reached out and lifted Robin's chin.

"Our empire has no place for such shameful pretenses."

"What's wrong with studying history?"

Mei Terumi stood up, her tone exuding absolute dominance and confidence.

"The Imperial Library is enormous."

"Whatever you want to research, His Majesty can even approve a special grant for you."

Robin began to tremble violently.

She bit her lower lip hard, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Twenty years on the run.

Twenty years of living in fear.

This was the first time she had heard someone tell her that there was no crime in studying history.

"take away."

"Arrange a nice room for her, don't neglect the scholar."

Mei Terumi waved her hand.

The Imperial Ninja released Robin and respectfully gestured for her to leave.

Robin wiped away his tears.

She gave Terumi Mei a deep look, then obediently followed her.

Mei Terumi looked at the devastated, rain-soaked landscape and forced a smile.

"Next target: Enies Lobby."

"I want to see just how tough the World Government really is."