Orochimaru stood with his arms crossed, a meaningful smile hanging on his face.
"I also agree," his cold voice carried a hint of unfathomable amusement. "The technology of the Land of Wano seems quite impressive. Moreover, with our strength, seizing the Land of Wano would not be difficult."
For ninjas from the Naruto world, they were no saints. Ninjas, after all, specialized primarily in assassination.
Hashirama looked at the resolute eyes of the group and felt a wave of helplessness in his heart. He knew well that he couldn't change their minds. He let out a long sigh, a bitter smile appearing on his face.
"Fine, fine. Since you've all decided."
He waved his hand lightly, and his chakra began to surge.
As he moved, countless thick vines rapidly grew from the ground, intertwining and twisting together. In the blink of an eye, they coalesced into a huge, sturdy wooden ship.
...
Meanwhile, back at Marine Headquarters, Roy was unaware that Tobirama had already decided to lead the others to attack the Land of Wano.
At that moment, Roy was leisurely sitting on a sofa, his legs crossed high, idly toying with a teacup.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you have no idea how hard I've worked lately."
Roy sighed dramatically, putting on a deeply pained expression. "That Senju Hashirama, truly worthy of being the world's most dangerous criminal, his strength is outrageously strong!"
"To protect Alabasta, I gave it my all. Right now, I feel completely drained."
As he spoke, he slumped weakly back onto the sofa.
Sengoku, sitting across from him, looked helplessly at Roy's performance.
He pushed up his glasses, a knowing look revealing that he saw right through the act.
"Roy, stop pretending in front of me," Sengoku's voice carried a hint of authority. "Do you think I can't figure out your little schemes? However, you did put in considerable effort during your fight with Hashirama."
Although Sengoku knew Roy was being sly, considering he had participated in that difficult battle, he couldn't be too harsh.
Hearing Sengoku say this, Roy perked up immediately, sitting upright with a beaming smile.
"Hehe, as expected of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, so reasonable," he said cheerfully. "I really do need some rest and recuperation. If I don't rest well, how can I guarantee completing my missions when facing powerful enemies next time?"
Sengoku looked at Roy's demeanor and couldn't help but shake his head.
"Alright, alright," Sengoku said. "I'll give you a few days off to rest properly. But don't cause any trouble for me. If an emergency mission comes up, I can recall you at any time."
As Roy was about to leave, Sengoku seemed to remember something. His expression turned serious, and he asked, "Roy, wait a moment. Let me ask you, do you know what's been going on with Garp lately?"
Roy stopped, turning back with a confused look. "Vice Admiral Garp? What about him?"
Sengoku furrowed his brow slightly.
"Ever since he lost that sparring match against you, he's been like a different person."
Sengoku shook his head helplessly.
Recently, at Marine Headquarters, Garp was rarely seen slacking off. It seemed he was training desperately every single day.
At their age, strength was almost already set in stone, breakthroughs were very difficult, and physical capabilities only declined continuously. That was an undeniable fact.
Roy couldn't help but laugh out loud, teasing, "Maybe Garp really found a way to break through? After all, he's Vice Admiral Garp, that guy who always manages to work miracles."
Meanwhile, in another office at Marine Headquarters, Aokiji was lying on a sofa, an air of laziness surrounding him.
Suddenly, with a loud "BAM," the office door was violently slammed open.
Garp strode over to Aokiji, grabbing his shoulders tightly and shaking him vigorously. His hearty laughter was almost deafening.
"Kuzan, my boy, let's have a good spar today!"
Aokiji, bleary-eyed, reluctantly curled his lip and replied lazily, "Vice Admiral Garp, you know how I am now. I'd rather catch a few more winks."
As he spoke, he stretched and prepared to lie back down on the sofa.
Seeing Aokiji's languid demeanor, Garp's laughter didn't diminish at all. "Kuzan, you brat, you weren't like this back in the day."
Garp knew Aokiji all too well.
Back in the day, Aokiji had been a hot-blooded young man, nothing like the perpetually lazy, unmotivated person he was now.
A flicker of reminiscence passed through Garp's eyes, as if remembering Aokiji's once-energetic self.
Aokiji's movements paused, the laziness on his face fading slightly. He lowered his head a little, his voice somewhat subdued. "Yeah."
His past self was indeed different from now.
Ever since the Ohara incident... he had seen too much of the World Government's dark side. He felt lost about everything, unsure of what justice he even believed in anymore.
Aokiji was filled with confusion and helplessness. Once steadfast beliefs had become shaky after that Buster Call.
Garp put away his smile, his expression turning serious. He patted Aokiji's shoulder and said earnestly, "Kuzan, running away won't solve anything. Consider this spar a way to help you find your old self again. Let's have a real, all-out fight!"
Aokiji still shook his head, about to refuse again.
Then, Garp suddenly leaned in mysteriously and lowered his voice. "Also, there's something about the world I can tell you, a secret. This secret might clear up some of the doubts in your mind."
Aokiji's previously dull eyes instantly lit up. He raised his head sharply, staring intently into Garp's eyes, his expression focused. "What secret? Old Garp, don't joke around."
Garp smiled and patted Aokiji's chest. "Don't ask so many questions first. After we finish this fight, I'll tell you."
He challenged Aokiji again, his eyes full of provocation.
Aokiji was silent for a moment. Curiosity gradually overcame his laziness, and he agreed to Garp's request.
"Ahaha, let's go then," Garp said, very excited. He had been diligently studying that奇妙な呼吸法, training hard day and night, and had finally made a breakthrough. Today, he was counting on Aokiji to be his whetstone!
Soon, they arrived at a deserted island.
As soon as his feet touched the sand, Garp eagerly began warming up. His muscles tensed, producing a crackling sound.
"Ara ara, old man, I heard you fought against Roy?" Aokiji asked, hands in his pockets, strolling forward slowly.
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