*Chapter 257: Is This Even Possible?*

Kakashi immediately understood what Uchiha Raijin meant. This guy was actually thinking of pulling a double-cross.

Kakashi was momentarily speechless but didn’t say much.

Still, he couldn't help but feel bad for Instructor Zephyr.

Poor Zephyr got the short end of the stick again.

"You make a good point," Kakashi nodded, with no objections.

After all, it wasn’t his problem to deal with.

Why would he have any complaints?

"Well, I won’t interrupt your trip then! Nothing much is going on in Dressrosa, anyway," Kakashi continued.

"Whether you’re here or not, it wouldn’t make a difference! No issues should come up."

"But... it seems Kabuto sent some information back."

Kakashi suddenly brought up Kabuto.

Kabuto’s clone was unique, and very few in Dressrosa knew about it.

Only the higher-ups were aware of Kabuto's true identity.

Ever since he joined the World Government, there hadn’t been much news from him.

Even if there was any news, they hadn’t been around at the time, so they missed it.

It’s likely that Kabuto managed to sneak out unnoticed, which shouldn’t be wasted.

"Go and make contact! But be careful," Raijin thought for a moment before ultimately deciding that Kakashi should be the one to approach Kabuto.

Kakashi's lightning abilities made him one of the fastest on the seas,

and his advanced Haki could help him avoid detection.

"I understand," Kakashi nodded. He was genuinely interested.

After all, this was the scientist the World Government touted as being 500 years ahead of the rest of the world.

Though Dressrosa also had several top-tier scientists now.

Orochimaru had taken his research into biology and human bodies to the extreme.

He could now replicate kekkei genkai almost effortlessly.

He could turn the ordinary into extraordinary with just a touch.

And Sasori?

He had completely transformed himself into pure electricity.

One could say he was ahead of almost everyone.

Rumor had it that Sasori’s recent creations, both machines and ships,

could be controlled simply by transferring a part of his consciousness into them.

A real monster of a genius.

These were all world-class scientists.

But how did Vegapunk from the World Government compare?

Could that guy even hold a candle to them?

Was all he had going for him that seastone-powered ship?

He really didn’t seem to have produced much else of note.

Even if he had, the World Government probably kept it hidden.

Kakashi wanted to know what Vegapunk was really working on.

"Open up all the ships! Let’s see if any Devil Fruits have respawned,"

Raijin gave Kakashi a crucial order.

The five ships they came with didn’t just carry ninjas.

Each one was also loaded with fruit—lots of fruit!

Each ship was packed with fruit to ensure that when a Devil Fruit user died, the chances of the fruit respawning in their possession would be greatly increased.

With so many fruits and being so close to Devil Fruit users, the odds were definitely in their favor.

"Open the crates!"

Nara Shikaku got the message and immediately commanded the ninjas to start opening the sealed fruit crates.

This scene left Sengoku and the others stunned. They never thought of this tactic!

"Should we try this in the Navy too?" Kuzan suddenly turned to Sengoku and asked.

"The cost is too high. Who knows when it might pay off?" Sengoku replied.

"On long voyages, the fruit would probably spoil before it could even be used."

"But… we should bring extra fruit on missions from now on."

"Having extra fruit ensures our sailors stay healthy, and who knows, we might capture a pirate and have a Devil Fruit respawn on our ship."

"Oh, and stockpile more fruit in Impel Down. Most of the prisoners there have Devil Fruit powers! We can’t let their fruits fall into the wrong hands."

Dressrosa’s unusual tactic gave Sengoku an entirely new perspective.

They’d never really thought about this before.

They’d relied on the World Government, which supplied a few Devil Fruits each year to bolster their forces.

But!

It was never enough!

Even if they wanted to train new talent, a handful of Devil Fruits wouldn’t do much.

It’d just lead to infighting among the Navy over who should get them.

That’s why Sengoku had been hesitant to distribute the fruits.

They only gave them to talented young recruits who showed promise,

expecting them to at least rise to the rank of vice admiral someday.

Giving them a fruit seemed like a worthy investment for the Navy's future.

But that was it.

Everyone else had to rely on luck.

Even those in the Navy who possessed Devil Fruit abilities often didn’t advance much further.

At most, it just made them stronger fighters.

"Great idea!" Akainu’s eyes lit up.

Why hadn’t he thought of this before?

This trip to Dressrosa had really opened Akainu’s eyes.

"Found one!"

A ninja shouted from one of the ships!

He tossed aside some useless fruit and pulled out a Devil Fruit with distinct patterns.

"You’ve got to be kidding me!"

Sengoku stared, wide-eyed, in disbelief.

"That’s a Zoan-type fruit, right? Not a Gura Gura Fruit?"

"Store it for now. Keep looking!"

Nara Shikaku approached, a smile spreading across his face.

An unexpected surprise! He quickly secured the fruit in a chest.

It must’ve been the fruit of a fallen Devil Fruit user.

Thankfully, it hadn’t respawned somewhere else!

Sengoku and the others’ faces twitched.

They turned away, deciding not to watch any longer.

But even without looking, they could still hear everything.

"Another one!"

Another ninja shouted from one of the ships.

Sengoku closed his eyes, wondering how much he had lost over the years.

If only he had used a strategy like Uchiha Raijin’s,

the Navy might have a far larger stockpile of Devil Fruits today.

Even the pirates who had died in Impel Down...

Those prisoners’ abilities were incredibly powerful.

How else would they have ended up in Impel Down?

The prison’s purpose was to lock them away and prevent their Devil Fruits from falling into circulation again.

For some particularly powerful fruits, they were locked up for life, creating a temporary vacuum of power in the seas.

But they had never thought of this method.

"Cough! Dressrosa has some serious luck!" Kuzan coughed lightly, his face expressionless.

He…

Well, Kuzan was now practically part of Dressrosa himself.

So he didn’t feel jealous!

Kuzan wondered if he asked for a Devil Fruit, would Dressrosa give him one?

Wait, no!

I’m not marrying into this place!

"This is the Gura Gura Fruit!" Nara Shikaku confirmed, sealing it in a chest.

After the fall of the entertainment complex, most of its members had been captured.

Tesoro’s right-hand man, Dice, had also been thrown into Dressrosa’s gladiatorial arena.

Sengoku and the others didn’t leave empty-handed, though.

At the very least, they shamelessly accepted the vast amount of gold Dressrosa offered them.

This left Sengoku feeling a bit guilty.

To be honest!

If Dressrosa hadn’t asked for any favors in return,

Sengoku would have had a hard time accepting such an expensive gift.

After all, this much gold could probably buy three to five nations.

Maybe even ten!

But Dressrosa generously gave it to them.

These guys!

I really have nothing to say about them, the Navy!

“Why give these things to Sengoku anyway! These guys get a hefty sum from the World Government every year.”

“They even secretly buy rice crackers with public funds. Give it to this guy, and he’ll probably embezzle some of it!”

Zepyr, with a slightly displeased look, mumbled quietly with dissatisfaction.

“Exactly! Last time I tried to sneak a bite of his rice crackers, and he didn’t allow it!”

Garp nodded, recalling how stingy Sengoku could be.

Might as well leave it with the two of them as retirement money for the Navy in Dressrosa.

“You two idiots, get lost!”

Sengoku’s eyelid twitched as he overheard the two of them conspiring loudly nearby.

Even if you two are whispering, you should at least do it behind my back.

Who talks bad about someone right in front of them?

And besides!

I have never embezzled money from the Navy.

I’ve always used the money to build up the Navy.

Can’t you two idiots be decent friends for once?

“Sengoku, sir! We should head back now. The entertainment district must be in chaos. It’s not the best time for a tour!”

“Once Dressrosa is fully rebuilt, we can visit again!”

Shikaku Nara appeared before Sengoku and said, ignoring Zepyr and Garp’s words.

He was well aware of Zepyr and Garp’s personalities.

“Alright! We shouldn’t trouble you here in Dressrosa. Once we get back, we’ll start recruiting for the Navy!”

Sengoku didn’t hesitate much. He had already seen Dressrosa’s strength.

He was completely reassured by the abilities of these ninjas!

There was nothing more to consider.

He was ready to take them on board!

“Great!”

Shikaku Nara nodded and then looked over at the three admirals.

“Gentlemen! We’ve prepared everything for your troops. The people who meet your standards are all ready. Once you return, you can choose.”

“If you have any special requests, feel free to tell me. We in Dressrosa will do our best to accommodate!

"Of course, our resources are limited, so if it’s too much to handle…”

Shikaku said to the three admirals.

“That’s fine!”

“No problem!”

Kuzan and Sakazuki had no objections.

With one specializing in ice-style and the other in scorching-style, what more could they ask for?

Everything suited their styles perfectly!

And each was highly skilled.

Not to mention, every single person mastered two forms of Haki.

They could be put to use immediately!

It was as if they were being handed elite warriors on a silver platter.

They had no demands whatsoever.

“Hold on! When did I agree to this?”

Borsalino, with a strange smile on his face, looked at Shikaku Nara.

He had only said he’d consider it; he hadn’t given them any definitive answer.

Yet Shikaku was already sealing the deal.

“Huh?”

Zepyr looked at Borsalino in surprise.

What’s going on?

Did Borsalino just accept benefits from Dressrosa as well?

Zepyr knew very well that what Dressrosa was offering was essentially a bribe!

Once those people were placed in the Navy, the consequences were unimaginable!

But Zepyr...

He’s now a part of Dressrosa.

He wasn’t even a Navy officer anymore!

So why should he care about this?

Still, he was curious.

What on earth had Dressrosa done to make even Borsalino change his mind?

After all, Borsalino had once held a deep grudge against Dressrosa.

If Zepyr had died, Borsalino probably wouldn’t have been able to resist digging up his grave.

“You can go take a look first and think it over. It’s just that the other two admirals are already selecting suitable personnel.”

“I thought you might as well take a look, and if you’ve made up your mind, it’ll save you the trouble later.”

Shikaku’s expression remained unchanged. He knew how Kakashi had convinced the admiral standing in front of him.

All he had to do was lure the man there. After that, it was up to Borsalino to decide.

It wasn’t Shikaku’s job to deal with Borsalino!

“Ahem! Yes, yes, let’s go take a look first!”

Sengoku blocked Borsalino, coughing lightly as he spoke.

Someone’s offering you a gift, and you’re just going to refuse? You’re such an idiot.

Sengoku planned to talk some sense into him later.

“Heh.”

Borsalino let out a cold laugh, noticing Zepyr’s gaze. A flash of coldness crossed his eyes.

Was Zepyr trying to set him up?

No way was Borsalino going to let himself be played by Zepyr like that.

“Form up!”

At Dressrosa’s Ninja Academy, ninjas who had been battling in the entertainment district gathered on the field.

Behind Zepyr stood dozens of students, all lined up.

“Wait! Zepyr, that kid behind you…”

Sengoku hadn’t gone with Sakazuki to pick recruits. Instead, his attention was drawn to one particular student behind Zepyr.

The boy looked extremely thin, but despite his youth, he had already mastered Armament Haki!

And…

His physical endurance seemed somewhat reminiscent of Zepyr in his prime.

No!

Even back then, Zepyr hadn’t been this physically strong.

“You mean Rock Lee! He’s my personal disciple!”

Zepyr couldn’t help but puff out his chest proudly.

He had seen potential in Rock Lee from the start!

In just one year…

Zepyr had taken that boy, who barely knew any taijutsu…

And turned him into someone who could skillfully use the Navy’s Six Powers and had mastered Armament Haki.

Even…

He was training to master Garp’s Iron Fist technique.

Zepyr could confidently say that Rock Lee embodied the combined strength of both him and Garp.

And he even had a special ninja technique—Eight Gates!

Zepyr had no doubt that Rock Lee’s future achievements would surpass those of both him and Garp.

(End of chapter)