Red Line, Holy Land Mary Geoise .
"Alright, we understand. You may go."
"Yes, sir!"
The bald Gorosei with a birthmark on his forehead hung up the Den Den Mushi, then turned to the other four and said,
"You all heard that, didn't you? It seems we may have underestimated Uchiha Kaito."
The only one among them not wearing a suit, who had a katana resting across his chest, nodded slowly and said,
"Yes. We all know the strength of the Dark King Rayleigh. For Uchiha Kaito to injure him and escape unscathed… that alone proves his power isn't something to be taken lightly."
The Gorosei in the deep crimson suit with golden hair folded his arms and bowed his head.
"I've heard this Uchiha Kaito leans more toward the hardliner faction of the Marines?"
The white-haired Gorosei with long, straight hair lightly tapped the armrest of his chair and added,
"Hmm. So far, every pirate crew he's eliminated hasn't left a single survivor. Not even full corpses remain."
The last of them, the one with a flat cap and a scar on his left cheek, fell into brief thought before speaking in conclusion,
"Right now, the Marines are largely dominated by Sengoku's dove faction. Frankly speaking, their attitude toward both pirates and even the World Government doesn't align with our expectations. If another Marine like Akainu—someone with real weight—were to emerge, it would be good news for us."
"Indeed. I suggest we heavily promote this recent battle between him and the Dark King Rayleigh. Let's build up his reputation."
"Mm. According to Stussy, this Uchiha Kaito seems to have a habit of collecting Devil Fruits. What's he trying to do with them?"
"That doesn't really matter. We can just offer a decent fruit as a reward this time. Also, isn't he rather interested in that new agent named Kalifa?"
"Kalifa's surveillance was practically out in the open. I think Uchiha Kaito figured it out from the start. But since he never said anything and let it slide, it shows he's a sensible man."
"Very well. Kalifa's usefulness has run its course. Tell Stussy to inform him that, from now on, Kalifa is his to deal with."
"A good bargain, I agree."
"Seconded."
With that, the conversation between the Five Elders concluded. Kalifa's fate, like that of a mere object, was casually decided. At the same time, under their directive, news of Kaito's clash with Rayleigh spread across the seas.
...
The moment the news broke, the entire sea boiled with excitement.
Onboard the Moby Dick—
"Pops! The Dark King Rayleigh has shown up again! And he fought with a new Marine rookie!"
A pineapple-haired man who looked like just another underling ran up, clutching a newspaper, visibly excited.
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow as he took the paper from the man and scanned it briefly. Bold headlines screamed:
"Shocking! Navy Rookie Uchiha Kaito Battles the Dark King Rayleigh—Rayleigh Wounded and Forced to Flee?!"
Beside it was a photo of Kaito.
After reading, Whitebeard crumpled the paper into a ball and burst into hearty laughter.
"Gurararara! So that old bastard Rayleigh is still alive, huh? Not bad! As for him fleeing? That's just the Navy tooting their own horn. He's just a rookie brat!"
The pineapple-headed man frowned and said with concern,
"But still, even if the Navy exaggerated… that Uchiha Kaito guy—he's no joke. At the very least, the fact that he's still alive says a lot!"
Whitebeard downed another massive gulp of booze, wiped his mouth, and bellowed,
"So what? Just another Marine punk! I'm Whitebeard, dammit!!"
The other three Emperors had similar reactions—
Big Mom: "Mamamama! Boring! Someone bring me cake!"
Kaido: "Rayleigh? Just an old fossil. And that Marine brat? If he runs into me, I'll show him what real terror means on these seas!"
Red-Haired Shanks: "Rayleigh-senpai… it's been a while. I'd love to see you again. I've found a new hope in the East Blue."
In a certain corner of the underworld...
Doflamingo held the newspaper in both hands, staring at Kaito's photo, a twisted laugh spilling from his mouth.
"Fufufufufufu... The Navy sure loves singing their own praises. But this Uchiha Kaito… he's worth watching closely. Don't you think so, Corazon?"
He turned toward the man in a black feather coat beside him.
Corazon had his head down, cigarette hanging from his lips, silent.
But inside, he was anything but calm.
"When did the Marines get a rookie like this? I need to find a way to get in touch with Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
...
Marine Headquarters – Fleet Admiral's Office.
Sengoku stared in disbelief at the document in his hands, double- and triple-checking to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.
BANG!
The door was violently kicked open.
Garp burst in, noisy as ever, waving a newspaper in his hand. Tsuru and Aokiji followed close behind.
Garp stormed up to Sengoku's desk, slapped the paper down with a thud, and shouted, spittle flying,
"Look at this! That brat Kaito ran into the Dark King Rayleigh and even injured him? Who the hell wrote this crap?!"
Sengoku didn't reply. Instead, he handed over the document he'd been reading.
Garp snatched it and gave it a quick scan. His face twisted into the same shocked expression as Sengoku's had earlier.
"He really did injure Rayleigh…?"
Tsuru stood behind them with her arms crossed. Seeing Garp finally quiet down, she turned to Sengoku.
"Sengoku, now that Kaito's strength has reached this level, what's your take on it?"
Aokiji, standing beside her, also looked at Sengoku. Honestly, the news had shaken him too.
Sengoku thought for a moment, then shared his view.
"This news was deliberately released by the Five Elders. They've made it clear they want us to heavily promote the incident within the Marines. Seems they've taken a liking to Kaito."
Tsuru nodded.
"Kaito's methods in eliminating pirate crews have been... ruthless. That probably suits their taste. But he's also humble, well-mannered—very different from most of our officers."
She cast a glance at Garp and the Aokiji beside him.
Garp, of course, paid her no mind. And as his former protégé, Aokiji followed suit and pretended not to notice.
Garp slammed his huge fists together in front of his chest, grinning.
"Good kid! I've always known there was something special about him. Next time we meet, I've got to test his strength myself!"
Sengoku ignored Garp's sudden enthusiasm and turned to Tsuru.
"Pass this to the Public Relations Division. Let them focus on spreading this news inside the Marine ranks. That's also the World Government's directive."
Tsuru nodded and led Garp and Aokiji out of the room.
After they left, Sengoku fell silent again, eyes lingering on the newspaper Garp had left behind, where Kaito's photo stared back.
Kaito wore a faint smile. His Rinnegan eyes stood out most of all. He was facing the camera, palm raised, and in the center of his hand was a swirling black vortex.
How it had even been photographed was a mystery.
Sengoku whispered to the image,
"Being thrust into the spotlight so soon... will that be good or bad for you, Kaito?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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