*Chapter 161: Stripping a Layer Off Upon Arrival*

The Navy was unexpectedly generous, sending three people together. Meanwhile, Raijin in Dressrosa received a message from Tsunade, who also wanted to return to Konoha with him.

Raijin had no issue with this and agreed without hesitation.

What was the big deal? Raijin was even planning to bring the Slug to this world.

The Wet Bone Forest and Ryūchi Cave were both targets for Raijin.

As for Mount Myōboku... just an old toad full of lies.

Honestly, Raijin didn't care for it at all.

With the other two Sage Modes available, Mount Myōboku wasn't even necessary.

But before leaving, everything needed to be arranged properly.

If Dressrosa lost its backbone, it would undoubtedly attract trouble.

Even with the Navy's backing, there were still bad apples within the ranks.

If someone constantly had their eyes on them, would this guy really be able to hold it together?

Raijin went to the school in Dressrosa, watching as Zefa taught the basics of the Navy's Six Styles on the playground.

Eighty percent of the students could grasp the techniques, most of whom had been carefully selected by Raijin.

Money had been poured into this endeavor. Where else could people afford to invest so much in their children?

Like the Uchiha clan and various other families, as well as some talents discovered back in the East Blue.

At the very least, even the weakest among them could become an ordinary commander in Dressrosa.

And those whom Raijin paid special attention to, like Uchiha Sasuke, had a sinister gleam in their eyes.

Unknowingly, a blade was strapped to Sasuke's waist, his eyes sharp like Hawkeye's sword.

He even looked a bit like Hawkeye now.

Something’s off! Definitely off!

Sasuke once apprenticed under Hawkeye but wasn’t he rejected outright?

Why does it seem like there’s more to this than meets the eye?

Did something really happen between them?

Raijin felt a sense of unease, sensing that Sasuke's "cheat" might be coming soon.

"Lord Raijin!"

Karin was the first to notice Raijin's presence and immediately rushed toward his hiding spot.

She threw herself into his arms with a joyful smile on her face.

It had been a while since Karin last saw Raijin.

Raijin had been insanely busy lately, so even when she went to the palace to look for him, he was often not there.

"Not bad, it seems you've made great progress during this time."

Raijin patted Karin’s head, noting the significant changes in her.

She had become much stronger physically and had improved her chakra control.

With her vast chakra reserves, she was bound to become a crucial ally in the future.

"Lord Raijin!"

"Lord Raijin!"

A group of people quickly gathered around Raijin.

Raijin’s influence within the school was still significant.

Meanwhile, a boy with freckles on his face stood with his arms crossed, pouting.

"Hey, this guy seems pretty popular," Ace said to the dark-haired boy beside him.

"Hmph, after all, he’s the current leader of the Uchiha clan, the one who made the Uchiha strong again. It’s only natural he’s popular."

"But even so, I’m going to kill him. In the future, I will surpass him and become the new leader of the Uchiha clan."

"I will make the Uchiha clan even stronger, surpassing what it is now. That’s my goal."

Sasuke acknowledged Raijin's contributions to the Uchiha clan.

But Sasuke would not forget his hatred. When the time came, he would take on the responsibility of leading the clan.

He wouldn't let the Uchiha clan fade away, and he would even return to Konoha to seize the position of Hokage.

"Hahaha! I believe you! How about you become my first mate? Then we can take him down together."

"After all, I plan to set sail as a pirate. If this guy stands in my way, I won’t be able to set sail smoothly."

Ace laughed heartily, slinging an arm around Sasuke’s shoulder with a big grin.

He felt that Sasuke was a lot like him!

That’s why they got along so well.

"The Uchiha clan’s affairs will be handled by the Uchiha clan. An outsider like you has no right to interfere."

Sasuke shot Ace a cold, piercing glare.

Feeling he might have been too harsh, Sasuke softened his gaze slightly.

"When I defeat this guy, I’ll make sure you and Luffy can leave here."

"Then, I’ll take the Uchiha clan back to the ninja world and claim the title of Hokage!"

"If fate allows, we might meet again."

Sasuke turned his head, not planning to accept Ace’s offer.

Though Ace’s idea wasn’t bad, Sasuke believed that the Uchiha clan’s issues should be resolved by the Uchiha themselves.

Outsiders had no place in it, even if they were close to him, almost like sworn brothers.

"Hey, why are you being so polite with me? We’ll take him down together!"

"You becoming the Uchiha clan leader is the most important thing! If I can’t help you, I’d rather not become the Pirate King."

Ace slapped Sasuke’s shoulder, grinning broadly.

"Hmph!"

Sasuke stared at Ace in silence for a long time before finally turning away without saying a word.

In Sasuke’s eyes, Ace was too naive. They couldn’t possibly comprehend the true power of the Uchiha clan.

If Ace and his friends tried, they’d only end up dead.

He had to be at the forefront, to avoid dragging them down with him.

"Hehe! Are you still talking about becoming the Pirate King?"

A cold, sinister voice came from behind, and both boys instinctively looked back.

They saw a man with scars on his face, a cruel smile on his lips, standing behind them.

He was cracking his knuckles, eyes gleaming with a chilling light as he looked at the two of them!

Ace was stunned. When did Garp get behind them?

"Bam!"

"Bam!"

Even Sasuke took a punch, his earlier confidence gone.

He had no idea why Garp would hit him too.

He hadn’t done anything, nor agreed to go out to sea with Ace.

Why was he getting caught up in this mess?

Just because he was standing a bit too close to Ace?

Sasuke felt wronged!

Raijin noticed Ace and Sasuke’s interaction and smiled slightly.

"What brings you to the school?"

Zefa dismissed the students, sizing up Raijin.

Since the school was established, Raijin had only appeared at the opening ceremony.

Otherwise, Zefa hadn’t seen much of Raijin around.

If not for the abundant resources constantly flowing in, Zefa would’ve thought Raijin had forgotten about the school.

"Just checking how well the defenses are holding up."

Raijin smiled.

"With me here, who would dare invade Dressrosa's school?"

Garp laughed, rubbing his knuckles as he approached Raijin.

Garp was confident enough to say this, given his reputation and strength.

---

Facing Whitebeard and the others, Garp wasn't afraid to shout at them.

"But that might not be the case. I'm planning to leave with Instructor Zephyr for a while," Raijin said.

"When that happens, Dressrosa will be very lightly defended, with only Uchiha Izumi staying behind. I'm worried that someone might try to break into Dressrosa. You know, I recently ran into Rayleigh."

"Rayleigh got word from Shanks about Luffy and Ace being in Dressrosa. If we leave, Rayleigh might try to come here and take Ace with him," Raijin said with a concerned expression to Garp.

If Rayleigh got the information, he definitely wouldn’t sit still and would likely come to confirm it. Once confirmed, Rayleigh would probably come up with other ideas. After all, if Ace stayed in Dressrosa, he would inevitably become a powerful leverage against Rayleigh in the future. Rayleigh wouldn't let his captain's child remain here.

"Shanks? Rayleigh?" A flash of anger crossed Garp's eyes.

He was trying to guide the kids on the right path, but there were always people meddling. Garp had placed Ace and Luffy under Zephyr's care, but now Rayleigh had shown up to stir things up.

And that damned Shanks—still trying to drag Luffy into the pirate life. Garp had almost cured Luffy of the pirate influence, and now Shanks was trying to reignite it.

"Rayleigh!" Zephyr glanced at Raijin, already having a good idea of the truth. It probably wasn’t Shanks who told Rayleigh about Ace and Luffy—it was likely this guy in front of him. Raijin was clearly stirring the pot, though what he was after was unclear.

"Exactly! We can't guarantee safety here!" Raijin looked at Garp and asked, "Vice Admiral Garp, do you have any suggestions?"

"Hmph! I won't let Rayleigh and Shanks get away with their plans! I'll contact Sengoku right away," Garp said with determination.

"I'll have him send ten warships, and I'll also call in some Marines to station in Dressrosa for a while. If Rayleigh tries to come here, I'll skin him alive and make sure he doesn't leave!" Garp's eyes glinted with a fierce light, his expression serious.

If Rayleigh had any ideas, Garp would make sure they didn’t pan out. If Rayleigh tried to mess with his grandsons, he’d have to face Garp’s full wrath. Garp wasn’t sure Rayleigh could withstand the pressure from so many vice admirals and still manage to leave Dressrosa with Ace.

"Great! If you're saying that, Vice Admiral Garp, I feel relieved. Elder Hōseki will fully cooperate with you. The Uchiha Police Force will be on standby to ensure Ace and Luffy's safety," Raijin said, satisfied with Garp’s determination.

There was no doubt about Garp's abilities. His influence in the Marines would easily bring five vice admirals to guard the school.

"Hahahaha! I won't let these guys slack off. Besides, your school is short on teachers. Zephyr alone can’t take care of all these kids. I'll have them teach the kids here for a while," Garp said with a laugh, feeling more and more attached to Dressrosa.

The kids here were polite, well-behaved, and he got to see his grandsons every day. This place was paradise for Garp, and he didn’t want to leave. Plus, many of these kids were excellent Marine prospects who could become future stars in the organization. Knowing they could be called his disciples made Garp almost burst with pride.

Raijin twitched slightly but didn’t argue with Garp. He made a mental note to have Elder Hōseki see if they could convince one or two of the vice admirals to stay permanently. If they could, it would be ideal.

Recruiting Marines wasn’t Raijin’s strong suit. It was better to leave that to people like Kakashi or Nara Shikaku—those cunning minds were perfect for such tasks.

Dressrosa’s preparations were almost complete, and soon, Marines and others started arriving. Now they had settled into Dressrosa.

“Gurararara! Red-Haired brat, what are you doing here too?” Whitebeard asked while casually strolling through Dressrosa with Jinbe, spotting a red-haired figure. Shanks, the young man who had inherited Roger’s will, had an extraordinary reputation, especially for his powerful Conqueror's Haki, considered one of the most formidable on the seas.

Though his reputation wasn’t quite at their level yet.

“Hahahahaha! I don’t know either. I just suddenly got an invitation from King Raijin!” Shanks replied with a smile.

“Such an interesting occasion—I had to come and see for myself.”

Shanks’ gaze fell on Marco, standing nearby.

“Marco, interested in joining my crew? I have high hopes for someone like you,” Shanks said, almost instinctively offering Marco a spot on his ship.

The big guy beside him had a headache—what was Shanks doing? Recruiting in front of another captain?

Benn Beckman felt a bit exasperated. His captain didn’t know when to stop, always trying to recruit people, especially in such inappropriate situations.

“Hey, hey, stop joking around! I’m not interested in your Red-Haired Pirates!” Marco responded, feeling the same frustration. They were having a good conversation, and suddenly Shanks started poaching members.

There was no way he would betray Whitebeard to join the Red-Haired Pirates.

“Hahahaha! If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me. The doors of the Red-Haired Pirates are always open to you,” Shanks said with a laugh, then turned to Whitebeard.

“Whitebeard, I’m off. I heard Mihawk’s here too—I haven’t seen that guy in ages and I miss him.”

With that, Shanks gave Whitebeard a quick nod and, along with Beckman, disappeared in a flash.

This guy might seem like a fool, but on the seas, he was incredibly sharp.

“Let’s go to the Dressrosa Royal Palace,” Whitebeard said, squinting his eyes and signaling Jinbe to lead the way.

(End of Chapter)