*Chapter 254: All You Have is Deception*

Kakashi received a call, and at the same time, Shikaku Nara did too.

The entire Dressrosa mobilized, like a large machine quickly beginning to operate.

Sengoku’s tour was halted, as Zephyr was assigned to guide them.

But Zephyr also had to be part of the operation!

"Marshal Sengoku, you might as well come along and witness the combat power of our Dressrosa ninjas."

"I assure you won’t be disappointed, and it’ll also give you the chance to select some suitable personnel."

Shikaku Nara addressed Sengoku.

He had already coordinated with Kakashi!

Even Borsalino (Kizaru) would be going, so why not bring everyone along?

"Sure!"

Before Sengoku could respond, Sakazuki (Akainu) quickly agreed.

He signaled his deputy to prepare the warships for departure.

However, Shikaku Nara stopped him!

"We have another way to travel! Even if you use your warships, it’ll consume a lot of time."

"It might alert the enemy, so please follow me instead!"

Shikaku Nara led the group to the port.

Unnoticed, five large ships had already docked there.

These five ships were not as fast as the navy’s warships, which made Sakazuki frown slightly, uncertain of Dressrosa’s intentions.

Did they expect their ships to fly?

The quality of these ships was inferior to the navy’s.

But!

Onboard was someone Sakazuki didn’t expect.

"You’re here too?"

Kuzan (Aokiji) calmly addressed Borsalino.

Looking at Borsalino, he felt a sense of shared suffering.

But they were different!

One was forced.

And the other was willing.

So, he could only look at him with that gaze.

"Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Borsalino asked Kuzan, confused.

Had this guy been in Dressrosa for too long?

Did he now view his comrades unfavorably?

Had Zephyr's influence spread to him too?

Or was he provoking him?

"No, it’s nothing! It’s just... your son’s pretty good. I’ve met him; he’s adorable."

Kuzan patted Borsalino’s shoulder.

In Dressrosa, he had picked up this habit.

Kuzan was certain that the child he saw was Borsalino’s.

Even though the child wasn’t fully grown, there were facial expressions that unmistakably resembled Borsalino’s.

"Hehehe, Kuzan, are you looking for trouble?"

Borsalino’s glasses reflected light as he looked at Kuzan with a dangerous expression.

This guy was definitely stirring up trouble. Otherwise, why would he say something like that?

"No, no!!"

Kuzan scratched his head, suddenly unsure of what to say.

Was he supposed to tell him, "I’m just like you; Zephyr tricked me too?"

But!

He was tricked.

Except Karp played the matchmaker, leading him to find love.

As for Borsalino, all he got was deception.

So, Kuzan didn’t know how to put it.

"Borsalino, calm down! We’ll talk once we return!"

Sengoku spoke up at this moment, worried the two would start fighting.

"These ninjas... they all seem to be elite."

At this moment, Sakazuki spoke, his eyes fixed on the ninjas boarding the ship.

He noticed that these ninjas were fully prepared, wearing specific uniforms and carrying long swords on their backs.

Even just standing there, they exuded a deadly aura.

These were seasoned warriors!

They no longer needed the baptism of blood!

They even exceeded their expectations.

"Yes! These are our Dressrosa ninja soldiers."

"We intend to send some of them to your navy forces!"

"Each of them is guaranteed to be highly capable."

Shikaku Nara nodded.

Cough cough!

"Does Dressrosa offer better treatment for internal personnel?"

Sakazuki suddenly asked.

"Hmm!?"

Shikaku Nara paused, surprised by Sakazuki’s question.

For a moment, he didn’t understand what he meant.

"To be honest, I’ve always longed for true love, but because of the pirates on the sea, I had to dedicate myself to the navy."

"But now, looking back, there are some regrets I’ve yet to fulfill. I think the ladies of Dressrosa are quite lovely."

"I also want to find a girlfriend here, like Kuzan did. If things work out, I might even go easy on you Dressrosa folks!"

"As long as you never betray the navy, I’ll always be a friend to Dressrosa."

Sakazuki coughed lightly, his face showing a nostalgic expression.

He wasn’t particularly interested in women.

But he was interested in strong people.

He had heard Dressrosa had prepared a special force.

Sakazuki felt he couldn’t fall behind.

He, too, needed to build a strong team.

Cough cough!

Borsalino widened his eyes at the scene in front of him.

He glanced at Kuzan.

The amount of information in Sakazuki's words was massive.

Kuzan had found love in Dressrosa!?

No wonder he looked at me like that.

He probably thought I was a fool!

After all, in Dressrosa, I lost both the fight and my dignity.

But Kuzan... he hit the jackpot.

The scene fell into an awkward silence, even Sengoku averted his gaze, unable to watch any longer. He turned to look elsewhere, observing the other ninjas on the surrounding ships.

“I think it’s reasonable,” someone chimed in, “Everyone has the right to pursue love, even if it’s a Fleet Admiral. Why not? Plus, the women of Dressrosa won’t be a burden—they’ll be your support!”

“There’s a woman from the Uchiha clan, 35 years old, already as strong as a Vice Admiral. Her husband passed away when she was 25, and she hasn’t remarried since.”

“How about when you return, you meet with her?”

Shikaku Nara’s eyes lit up, his mind racing as he thought about which unmarried woman in Dressrosa would be suitable. He quickly landed on the most appropriate candidate from the Uchiha clan.

“Hasn’t remarried in ten years?” Akainu’s expression soured. He had hoped to gain some benefits from this arrangement, but he wasn’t about to settle for something beneath him. He suspected the woman might be like one of Big Mom’s caliber, which he found entirely unappealing. Was Dressrosa just messing with him?

“Ahem! Most of the Uchiha clan are only interested in powerful individuals!” Shikaku quickly explained, not wanting Akainu to misunderstand. “Back then, she was already among the strongest in the Uchiha clan. She hasn’t found a man capable of defeating her, and any man who hasn’t bested her isn’t worthy of her time. That’s why she’s still single.”

“But I believe someone of your caliber, Fleet Admiral, would have no trouble winning her over.”

Shikaku hurriedly tried to clear up the confusion. After all, the Uchiha men were generally considered very handsome, and their women weren’t far behind—they were mostly stunning beauties, with maybe a few exceptions. But it certainly wouldn’t be as bad as Akainu feared.

“Interesting,” Akainu’s lips curled into a faint smile, his interest piqued. However, what intrigued him more was the potential dowry Dressrosa would offer.

“And you,” Akainu casually glanced at the ninja soldiers on the ship, barely concealing his desire. Having such powerful ninja warriors would significantly bolster his fleet’s strength.

“Kuzan, there's no need for this,” Akainu remarked, clearly referring to marrying a woman from Dressrosa. Though, given the generous benefits that came with marrying someone from Dressrosa—like access to formidable warriors—even he couldn’t deny the temptation. Kuzan, however, felt like he was running out of steam with this conversation. When would the Navy’s benefits ever improve? It made him wonder if Sengoku was pocketing something on the side.

“Haha,” Kizaru chuckled but said nothing, although he couldn’t help but feel the vast difference in how things had played out for him compared to his fellow admirals. They were negotiating marriages and alliances, while he had been outright deceived, with no one to advocate for him. Was the gap between them really this wide?

“Shikaku Nara, I’m only interested in powerful warriors, not weaklings,” Akainu interrupted bluntly. “Their strength must be guaranteed, even stronger than what I’ve seen.”

Mockery didn’t bother him—if they were strong enough, he didn’t care if people spoke behind his back.

Shikaku thought for a moment, then an idea came to him. “We’ve just formed a squad of Scorch Release ninjas in Dressrosa. They can manipulate flames, unleashing bursts of extreme heat capable of instantly turning someone into a dried-up husk.”

“I think these ninjas would be a perfect fit for your forces, though they’re rare. We can only offer you five.”

Shikaku spoke carefully. Scorch Release users were indeed scarce; after all, not everyone was suited for such a rare bloodline limit.

“Excellent! I really like Dressrosa,” Akainu said, a smile forming on his face. This ability was not unlike his Magma Fruit powers, and it seemed tailor-made for him. He had never heard of this kind of ability before, which only made it more valuable.

“I’ll make contact, and you can come see for yourself. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied,” Shikaku added, smiling. With this, Dressrosa had secured another admiral. Now, three of the Navy’s admirals were tied to Dressrosa in some way, and even half of the Navy’s Vice Admirals had a favorable view of the island. As for the lower ranks, they didn’t have much of a reaction.

As for the other top brass? Sengoku was unlikely to harbor any ill will toward Dressrosa, and though Vice Admiral Tsuru rarely interacted with them, she was a rational woman.

“Alright,” Akainu nodded, no longer speaking. He had gained much from this, securing powerful new assets for his forces.

“Cough, cough! Zephyr’s on board now. Shouldn’t we be heading out?” Sengoku couldn’t hold it in any longer, watching the Navy’s dealings with Dressrosa unfold. When Zephyr finally boarded, Sengoku immediately spoke up, eager to leave before this bizarre negotiation continued any further.

“We can prepare to leave,” Shikaku agreed, noticing that all the ships were filled and ready to go.

“This ship isn’t as fast as a warship, is it?” Kizaru asked with a hint of impatience, especially now that Zephyr was involved. The idea that Zephyr had been scheming against him left Kizaru even more irritable.

“No, it won’t take long. We’ll arrive in a few minutes,” Shikaku assured him, smiling as he pulled out a transponder snail and exchanged a few words.

Suddenly, a figure appeared at the bow of the ship, startling Akainu and the others, who hadn’t sensed the arrival.

“Open!”

With a wave of his hand, Shiranui Genma opened a massive door in midair, large enough to accommodate their entire ship.

“Pass through quickly!” Genma urged, straining to keep the door open. It had taken a lot of his chakra to get there from Uzumaki Kushina, and now, opening such a large portal was exhausting him. He was on the verge of collapse.

With a splash, the five warships quickly passed through the air door, instantly traversing an unknown distance to arrive in an unfamiliar sea.

“This is the Door-Door Fruit we gave the Navy, isn’t it?” Sengoku asked, surprised by the fruit’s capabilities. He hadn’t expected it to be used in this way, but he reminded himself that most Navy personnel lacked the physical stamina to make such abilities effective, while stronger members weren’t interested in it, reducing it to an auxiliary role.

But in Dressrosa, it had been put to good use.

“Yes,” Shikaku confirmed with a nod.

Akainu glanced over, silently thinking, “Once it’s given away, it’s not yours anymore.”

“Ice Release Squad, start preparing the landing point!” a voice commanded. Ice Release ninjas aboard the five ships quickly formed seals, freezing the sea ahead of them in a matter of moments.

Kuzan was taken aback by their abilities.

A flash of lightning cracked in the air as Kakashi arrived on Raijin’s ship, where Raijin was lounging on a couch, watching the distant island. Uchiha Izumi sat beside him, eating an ice cream cone.

"Should we launch the attack directly, or make an announcement first?" Kakashi asked.

(End of chapter)