Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

Chapter 53 Counterfeit Goods

The sea breeze whipped up salty, fishy foam that lapped against the deck.

The bow of Uchiha Shiraha's newly named ship, the Dawn, broke through layers of waves and steadily advanced towards its course.

Just then, more than ten boats with simple wooden sails suddenly appeared on both sides of the sea. The words "Babao" were painted on the side of the boats. The people on the boats were dressed in coarse cloth clothes, holding machetes and even a few muskets. They looked like unofficial personnel responsible for patrolling the Babao naval territory.

"Stop! This is the territory of the Babao Navy. Foreign vessels, stop immediately for inspection!"

The leader was a burly man with dark skin. He was shirtless, with crooked tattoos on his chest. He swung a gleaming knife in his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying a hint of bullying arrogance.

The patrolmen behind him joined in the commotion, pointing their weapons at Uchiha Shiroha. The muzzles of their muskets gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the faint smell of gunpowder wafted through the air.

Robin frowned first and said directly, "Hey, what do you want? I've never heard of needing to be checked when passing the edge of the Eight Treasures Navy's waters."

"hehe!"

The burly man leading the group sneered, his eyes sweeping over the diverse attire of the people on the Dawnbreaker and the sexy figures of Nico Robin and Matsumoto Rangiku, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.

“Even passing through have to pay a toll. In this sea area, every ship that passes through has to pay tribute to the Eight Treasures Navy! If you know what’s good for you, just hand over your food and treasure, and let those two women accompany you…”

"Sigh, as expected, most of the guys who go to sea to become pirates don't have much of a brain."

Before the burly man could finish speaking, a figure suddenly flashed past.

Bai Yu had already stood on the ship's side at some point.

The moment he finished speaking, the deck beneath his feet cracked slightly, and a sharp sword aura suddenly spread out, forcing the pirates to instinctively take a half step back.

The burly leader's expression changed, but he tried to rely on his superior numbers, stubbornly shouting, "What? You want to fight? We're from the Babao Navy! If you dare to harm a single hair on our heads, the entire Babao Navy will..."

"Eight Treasures Navy?"

A calm voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the burly man's rant.

Uchiha Hakuba stood with his hands behind his back in the shadows at the bow of the ship. The hem of his black kimono was lifted by the sea breeze, revealing the Kusanagi sword at his waist.

The crimson Sharingan pattern quietly appeared in his right eye, the three tomoe slowly rotating as his gaze swept over the patrol members with a hint of indifferent scrutiny.

"They're just some highway robbers, probably not even members of the Eight Treasures Navy. Although we've never dealt with them, they have such a big reputation in the Western Sea, they probably wouldn't accept people like you. So how dare you use the Eight Treasures Navy's name to rob people here?"

These words seemed to strike a nerve with the burly leader. Enraged, he swung his spear and hurled it towards Bai Yu. The spearhead was poisoned, emitting a ghostly green hue, and flew with a sharp, whistling sound as it aimed directly at Bai Yu's face.

The others reacted quickly, pulling the triggers of their muskets. Lead bullets flew towards the deck with a sharp whistling sound, while several others, brandishing machetes, jumped onto the Dawn's side, howling, wanting to engage in close combat.

"Tsk, troublesome."

Matsumoto Rangiku's figure suddenly disappeared from the spot.

The next second, a series of muffled thuds rang out. Those who had jumped onto the ship's side hadn't even gotten their footing when they were stabbed in the abdomen by Rangiku. They screamed and flew backward, falling into the sea and thrashing about.

The spear that was aimed at Bai Yu suddenly stopped three feet away from him.

It wasn't blocked by anything, but rather by Shiraha gently blocking it with the Kusanagi sword.

The burly man's smile froze on his face, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Bai Yu's Sharingan twitched slightly as his gaze fell on him, his tone remaining calm: "It seems you haven't figured out who you've messed with."

An invisible pressure emanated from Bai Yu, a deterrent force that combined chakra and Observation Haki, causing the patrol members to turn pale instantly and fall asleep immediately.

The burly leader's legs buckled, and he knelt on the ground, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Bai Yu. What kind of ability was this? His mere aura had rendered them all incapable of fighting.

Just then, a sharp whistle suddenly came from the sea.

The burly leader, as if grasping at a straw, cried out tremblingly, "Help! Help! Our reinforcements have arrived! You're all doomed!"

Following his gaze, Bai Yu saw several speedboats speeding towards them on the distant sea. The words "Eight Treasures" were clearly visible on the gunwales, and the people on board were dressed in more uniform attire and carried more sophisticated weapons.

"Perfect, saves us the trouble of searching one by one."

Bai Yu's voice remained calm, yet it struck the leading burly man like a thunderbolt. The ecstasy on his face froze instantly, replaced by a deep-seated despair. Judging from the opponent's strength, they had no chance at all.

The boats arrived extremely quickly, with several men in short jackets standing on the bow of each boat. The machetes at their waists were clearly much more sophisticated, making them appear far more elite than the men who had fallen earlier.

The leader was a tall, thin man with a scar across his face running from the corner of his eye to his chin. His eyes were as sinister as a hawk's. Standing at the bow of the ship, he roared, "Which blind fool dares to make a move on my turf? Don't they know the formidable reputation of the Eight Treasures Navy in the Western Sea?"

Before he finished speaking, his gaze swept over his companions, and when he saw the unconscious soldiers lying on the ground and the burly leader kneeling on the ground, his face instantly darkened.

When his gaze fell on Bai Yu, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he could feel the faint but powerful pressure emanating from the other party.

"The Eight Treasures Water Army is handling this matter; please cooperate with everyone."

The tall, thin man drew a machete from his waist; the blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

"Baobao Navy? You're Baobao Navy again?"

Bai Yu's lips curled into a mocking smile as he slowly raised his right hand, the hilt of the Kusanagi sword gently turning in his hand.

"You bunch of clowns who fly under other people's banners, do you even deserve to mention the name of the Eight Treasures Water Army?"

"court death!"

The tall, thin man was furious, clearly realizing that the other party might actually know the Babao Water Army. People like them who commit evil under a banner probably wouldn't scare the other party.

He then stopped hiding his intentions and suddenly waved his hand: "Go! Kill that kid, and keep the goods and the women!"

The pirates on the speedboat roared angrily, brandishing their weapons and leaping toward the Dawnbreaker's side. These men were far more agile than the previous ragtag soldiers; in just a few leaps, they reached the edge of the deck, their machetes and spears whistling through the air as they slashed at Bai Yu.

Chapter 54 Invitation

"Connor, stay away."

"Bai Yu said without turning his head.

Holding the grilled squid, Connor immediately nodded obediently, squatted behind the mast at the stern of the ship, and mumbled indistinctly, "Go, Shiraha-nii! Go, Rangiku-neechan!"

Matsumoto Rangiku chuckled softly, her figure darting across the deck like a ghost. Each swing of her snow-white sword carried a sharp gust of wind, and the elite soldiers who rushed over were struck in vital points before they could even get close. They screamed and flew backward, crashing heavily onto the deck, spitting blood, unable to get up again.

"Ugh, you guys, you made us clean up after all, you're really something else."

Robin crossed her arms in front of her chest, her long, light purple hair fluttering slightly in the sea breeze.

Her gaze swept calmly over the charging enemies, her fingers twitching slightly as she murmured, "Twelve blooming flowers."

The next second, arms suddenly sprouted from the arms, legs, and even faces of those enemies. Their weapons clattered to the ground, and their bodies went limp uncontrollably, leaving them struggling in vain on the ground.

"This...this is a Devil Fruit?"

The tall, thin man stared wide-eyed; the strangeness of this Devil Fruit exceeded his imagination.

Bai Yu slowly took a step forward, and the three tomoe began to rotate. A terrifying chakra, accompanied by sharp sword energy, swept towards the tall, thin man like a tsunami.

Although he might not be able to imbue himself with Conqueror's Haki, Uchiha Hakuba can not only use chakra, but also easily attach killing intent and Conqueror's Haki.

The tall, thin man felt a suffocating pressure wash over him; his body felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, rendering him unable to move.

Looking into Bai Yu's scarlet eyes, he felt as if countless illusions were appearing before his eyes: flashing swords, blood-soaked mountains of corpses, terrifying him to the point of losing his soul.

The sword energy grazed the tall, thin man's ear, and in an instant, his ear fell to the ground.

"Spare me...spare my life!"

The tall, thin man could no longer maintain his previous arrogance. He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly to Bai Yu.

"I was wrong, I shouldn't have impersonated Babao's online supporters, please forgive me!"

Bai Yu's gaze fell on him, and he slowly raised the Kusanagi sword, the tip of which pointed directly at the tall, thin man's brow.

"Impersonating someone else's name, robbing people on the road, and probably also indiscriminately killing innocent people..."

Bai Yu's voice slowly rang out, each word striking the tall, thin man's heart like a heavy hammer.

Do you think you still deserve to live?

The tall, thin man's face turned deathly pale. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his throat was blocked and he couldn't make a sound.

Subsequently, some pirates laid down their weapons, while others who fought desperately lost their lives in vain.

Just then, Bai Yu's eyes suddenly shifted slightly, and his gaze passed over the tall, thin man, looking towards the distant sea.

There, a huge ship was slowly approaching, with a flag flying at its bow.

At the bow of the ship stood a burly man, not handsome, holding a huge Guan Dao (a type of halberd), with a resolute expression on his face.

His gaze was fixed on the deck of the Dawn.

Bai Yu's lips curled up slightly. He sheathed his Kusanagi sword, glanced at the enemies who had collapsed to the ground and given up resistance, and said calmly, "It seems the main character has arrived."

Matsumoto Rangiku folded her fan, walked to Shiraha's side, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Oh? Could it be the real Hachipo Navy?"

Robin also came over, her gaze falling on the huge ship, and said softly, "Judging from the size of this ship and its flag, it should be the flagship of the Eight Treasures Navy."

Just then, a loud voice rang out from the flagship, echoing throughout the entire sea:

"Friends ahead, please wait! I am Cai Yi of the Babao Navy! I have heard that someone is impersonating my Babao Navy and committing evil deeds here, so I have come to clean up our ranks and thank you for your help!"

The sea breeze on the deck carried a faint smell of blood. Even after the pirates who had collapsed on the ground woke up, they all shrank their necks and didn't dare to breathe.

After all, they really are imposters. The real ones have come, so what can they do?

Bai Yu's movements as he sheathed his sword were swift and decisive, the clatter of the Kusanagi sword's scabbard ringing out sharply, a sound that was particularly jarring on the otherwise silent sea.

“Cai Yi…”

Bai Yu murmured the name, the smile on his lips deepening.

"One of the leaders of the Babao Water Army looks much more respectable than these fake and shoddy clowns."

Matsumoto Rangiku smoothed her wind-blown hair and chuckled, "Judging from her tone, she's an upright person. Impersonating them to commit evil deeds, anyone would find it hard to swallow this insult."

"The Eight Treasures Navy has protected the Flower Kingdom for generations and is known for its loyalty and righteousness. Cai Yi, as one of the leaders, is unlikely to be a mere figurehead."

As they spoke, the main ship slowly approached the Dawn, and with the mutual agreement, a thick wooden plank was laid between the two ships.

Cai Yi strode over. He was a burly man, followed by several men dressed in tight-fitting clothes, their waists also covered in various tattoos. Each of them was wary but polite, clearly elites of the Babao Navy.

Cai Yi walked up to Bai Yu, his gaze sweeping over the wailing pirates on the ground, then looking at the Kusanagi sword at Bai Yu's waist and his scarlet Sharingan eyes. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he did not ask any further questions.

He bowed to Bai Yu, Matsumoto Rangiku, and Robin, his voice booming like a bell: "Thank you all for your help earlier in cleaning up these imposters who were damaging our reputation for my Eight Treasures Navy. I am grateful!"

Bai Yu nodded slightly, his expression indifferent: "It was nothing. These people impersonating you to rob people on the road is really wrong."

Upon hearing this, Cai Yi showed a hint of shame on his face: "Alas, the sea is vast and boundless, and in the end, these scoundrels still managed to find a loophole and disturb your journey. It is my dereliction of duty."