Sabo, as a member of the Revolutionary Army, knew things others didn't. He was aware that the members of the Ninja Guild possessed unique abilities called "ninjutsu." Though he'd seen glimpses of their more powerful techniques through Lin Xuan's livestreams, witnessing them in person still left him in awe.
"So this is what ninjas are like? That's incredible! I wanna learn ninjutsu too!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement, his face brimming with admiration for the art.
Sabo shook his head, exasperated, and gave Luffy a light smack on the head. Even after all these years, his brother's personality hadn't changed one bit. Every time Luffy saw something new and shiny, he got this worked up.
"Sorry, my little brother's always like this," Sabo said apologetically.
Minato Namikaze smiled gently, unfazed, exuding an approachable warmth. But Sabo knew better—this was the man who had fought Admiral Kizaru to a standstill and even managed to trap him. In that moment, Sabo felt the mysterious and overwhelming strength of the Ninja Guild more keenly than ever.
A short while later, Obito Uchiha reappeared on the ship and gave Minato a subtle nod. Minato understood immediately—Obito had successfully planted the Flying Thunder God seal inside Impel Down's confinement box.
Minato gathered everyone close. "Flying Thunder God Technique!"
In an instant, they all vanished, reappearing on the first level of Impel Down.
The prisoners on the first floor jumped in shock as several figures materialized in the corridor out of nowhere.
"Is this really inside Impel Down?" Sabo said, his voice tinged with disbelief.
He couldn't believe how effortlessly they'd infiltrated the world's most secure prison. It felt like a dream.
Luffy, meanwhile, was already shouting with excitement, even clinging to Minato's leg and begging him to demonstrate the technique again. Sabo, losing patience, gave him another whack.
"Thanks for your help," Sabo said to Minato. "We'll take it from here. We've got someone to save, so we'll part ways now."
With that, he dragged Luffy off toward the cell where Ace was being held.
Minato and his team didn't join the rescue. Their mission, as hired by Sabo, was only to get the two of them inside. Besides, they had another task to complete.
Before leaving the Sabaody Archipelago, Lin Xuan had given them a special assignment: set up Flying Thunder God seals in hidden corners of Impel Down. With those seals in place, the world's most impregnable prison would become as accessible as their own backyard for the Ninja Guild.
As seasoned ninjas, Minato, Obito, and Rin Nohara prioritized their mission. They moved swiftly through Impel Down, their expertise in stealth making them invisible to the guards. Planting the seals was a simple task for them, and soon, their work was done.
With their mission complete, Minato led Obito and Rin out of the prison.
Not long after, Sabo and Luffy began their search for Ace. Though Luffy's strength was weaker compared to the original timeline when he infiltrated Impel Down, with Sabo by his side, they were still a force to be reckoned with. Together, they stirred up quite a storm inside the prison.
Back on the Sabaody Archipelago, Orochimaru had finished examining Whitebeard and began his treatment. Marco, the Whitebeard Pirates' doctor, insisted on assisting, partly to keep an eye on Orochimaru and partly in hopes of picking up some of the Ninja Guild's medical techniques.
But when Orochimaru started the procedure, Marco was dumbfounded. He couldn't make sense of it. The ninja world's medical methods were beyond his comprehension—especially techniques like the Palm Sage Technique. How could someone like him, who didn't even know what chakra was, hope to learn?
Despite his confusion, Marco closely observed the process. He noticed Orochimaru occasionally removing samples from Whitebeard's body, claiming they were for research. Otherwise, the treatment seemed legitimate. Most importantly, it was working. The illness that had stumped Marco was gradually fading, and Whitebeard's condition was visibly improving.
Marco's excitement grew. Even if they failed to secure an alliance with the Ninja Guild on this trip, curing Whitebeard made it all worthwhile. A healthy Whitebeard was a completely different beast compared to one weakened by illness.
However, Whitebeard's condition was complex, and the treatment would take time. To avoid drawing the Navy's attention, Marco and the others made arrangements. Most of the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders returned to their base, leaving Marco to stay and monitor Whitebeard's recovery.
Once Orochimaru began the treatment, Lin Xuan didn't stick around. The Ninja Guild was newly established, and as its leader, he had plenty to organize. Most of his members were currently idle, and while their reincarnated bodies didn't need food or rest, their White Zetsu components would lose vitality over time if left inactive.
Rather than letting them sit around on the Sabaody Archipelago, Lin Xuan decided to send them out to stir up some trouble. While their actions might not cause an uproar as massive as the recent war on the archipelago, they could still shake things up in the world and earn him some reputation points.
With that in mind, Lin Xuan sent a message in the Ninja World chat group: "@Everyone, gather at the guild's headquarters!"
But before the others could assemble, he was approached by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. She shared an idea that left him stunned.
"I want to transform this tree into a Divine Tree," she said.
Lin Xuan blinked, caught off guard. "Which tree?"
Kaguya frowned slightly. "The one you're standing on—the Yarukiman Mangrove!"
Lin Xuan's eyes widened. "You mean you want to turn the entire Sabaody Archipelago into something like the Divine Tree from the ninja world?"
Kaguya nodded. "Exactly."
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T/N:
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