Inside the Headquarters Council Hall, the atmosphere was solemn.
Everyone's gaze converged on the seat at the very top, where Shinju's figure sat shrouded in light and shadow.
He had decided to personally head to the otherworld code-named "Pirates." The moment that news spread, the upper echelon of the Divine Court grew restless.
Recently, Konoha and the ninja world had already been through wave after wave of turmoil—rifts had appeared, and even visitors from other worlds had arrived. Shinigami, Arrancar… each shock hit harder than the last.
And their strength really wasn't low.
Were they truly going to strike back into another world this time?
Now, they were waiting for the final list of accompanying personnel.
Who was qualified to follow Shinju on a cross-dimensional expedition?
That question hovered in everyone's mind.
"This expedition will have three accompanying members."
The hall grew even quieter. People held their breath.
"First: Hashirama, one of Konoha's founders."
The name alone stirred a low ripple through the crowd.
The First Hokage. The God of Shinobi. This choice made sense.
Hashirama flashed a bright, hearty grin and nodded to the gazes around him.
"Second: Madara, of the Heavenly Sector."
Madara stood with arms crossed, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.
Shinju continued, "The power system of the pirate world is mainly divided into two types. One is pure physical destruction. The other is special abilities based on rule distortion."
"Hashirama-sama's Mokuton (Wood Style)—its vitality and control—can withstand physical impacts on any scale. And Madara-sama's Susanoo (Divine Warrior) and Rinnegan are the natural counter to rule-type abilities."
Those words eased some of the doubts.
They began thinking rationally from a tactical standpoint.
Wood Style's creation and suppression. Susanoo's destruction and defense. The Rinnegan's insight and absorption.
With these two working together, they truly could handle the vast majority of unknown situations.
When they fought Aizen before, two god-tier legends fighting side by side had been terrifyingly effective. Now, hardly anyone questioned their strength.
But tactical logic couldn't erase the risk of clashing stances.
Hashirama stood up, and his booming laugh broke the heavy mood.
"Oho! That sounds really interesting!"
He turned toward Madara's direction and shouted, "Madara! Did you hear that? We get to fight together again!"
His voice brimmed with anticipation, as if they'd returned to the days of their youth—when they built the village together.
In the corner, Madara finally reacted.
He opened his eyes.
Looking up toward Shinju, he asked, "That world… does it have opponents worthy of making me dance?"
Shinju answered with absolute confidence.
"Enough to let you enjoy yourselves."
Madara got the answer he wanted.
He closed his eyes again.
"Hmph."
That cold snort was his stance.
He didn't object.
The anticipation of battling stronger foes overwhelmed everything else.
Just then, a figure stepped out from Hashirama's side.
It was Tobirama.
He walked to the center of the hall and bowed to Shinju.
"Shinju, I request to remain behind and guard the Divine Court."
"I need to stay here to analyze the stability of the rift, and provide you with logistics and intelligence support. Cross-dimensional communication technology still isn't mature. Someone must remain in the rear to tune, maintain, and keep it running."
He paused, then added with a hint of blunt honesty.
"Also, I'm not very interested in those pirates. I'm more interested in their ships."
Shinju nodded, agreeing.
"Fine. Looks like Tobirama-sama already knew the third person I planned to name was you. But it doesn't matter—support is indeed needed."
The personnel arrangement was finalized.
The expedition team: three.
Rear support: one.
A team that looked simple—yet was more than enough to overturn an entire world—was officially formed.
Shinju's gaze swept across Hashirama and Madara below, and his voice carried an odd hint of amusement.
"Hashirama-sama, Madara-sama—treat this trip as an excursion."
"Go see the scenery of a different world."
The word "excursion" dispelled the last traces of tension in the hall.
Defining a journey to an unknown world as an excursion—how confident did one have to be?
Thousand Sunny.
The Straw Hat crew was enjoying a rare stretch of peace on the Grand Line.
Luffy and Usopp were fishing at the bow, Sanji was in the kitchen preparing afternoon tea, Nami was in the chart room drawing maps, and Zoro was leaning against the mast, snoring loudly.
Everything was as usual.
Then, in the very next second—
Three figures suddenly appeared in the middle of the deck.
Usopp's fishing rod clattered onto the planks. His mouth fell open, eyes nearly popping out.
Sanji, sensing something off from the kitchen, came storming out with a cigarette in his mouth. In an instant, he took a fighting stance, positioning himself to shield the chart room where Nami was.
"Who are you people?!"
Franky burst out from below deck, his eyes locking onto the uninvited guests.
The ship's atmosphere turned razor-taut in a heartbeat.
But Luffy tossed aside his fishing rod and stared at the newcomers with curiosity.
There was no hostility in his eyes—only the excitement of discovering something new.
"Waaah! How'd you get on the ship? That's amazing!"
Shinju, at the front, ignored the weapons around him. His gaze settled on Luffy.
Hashirama, meanwhile, looked like a curious child as he examined the strange ship with keen interest.
He reached out and patted the wooden railing, admiration spreading across his face.
"This ship was built from Treasure Tree Adam, wasn't it? Incredible!"
His words made Franky's eyes widen in shock.
Madara still stood with arms crossed, utterly indifferent to everything around him.
Yet just by standing there, he exuded a formless pressure that made the air feel heavy.
By the mast, Zoro's eyes snapped open the moment the three appeared.
He didn't jump up immediately, and he didn't draw his swords.
All of his attention was drawn to the long-haired man in black.
He still vividly remembered being sent flying by a single swing of that man's fan.
Zoro could feel it—within that man was an aura of corpses and blood seas. This was absolutely not an ordinary person. Even if they fought again, he was sure he still wouldn't be able to win.
Zoro's breathing grew strained.
He had faced Mihawk before, and he'd felt that mountain-like sword intent.
But the feeling this man gave him was completely different.
Mihawk was a towering peak—something to look up at and challenge.
This man…
Was an unfathomable ocean, deep enough to swallow everything.
Zoro forced himself to stand, his hand gripping the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
Shinju's gaze moved off Luffy and swept across the Straw Hats.
"From today onward, we are your companions."
Luffy tilted his head, then burst out laughing.
"Ohhh! So the new friends you mentioned before are them! Great! Then let's throw a banquet!"
"Banquet my ass, idiot!" Nami stormed out of the chart room and slammed a fist into Luffy's head.
Thousand Sunny, carrying a group of unbelievable guests, continued sailing forward.
The Grand Line was about to welcome a pack of monsters that should never have existed.
(End of Chapter)
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