The aura of a conqueror burst through the clouds, and this nearly tangible presence stirred a storm in the real world. The violent wind spread out with Whitebeard as the eye of the storm. The surrounding Whitebeard Pirates were no weaklings, yet even they had to exert their full strength just to remain standing in the storm.
Immediately following was a slash of Haki, fast as lightning. The raging air around them solidified in an instant, like glass.
No way to dodge… This would be fatal. Every cell in Itachi's body was screaming a warning.
Susanoo!
A red skeletal giant erupted from his body, positioning itself between him and Whitebeard's slash.
The chakra-formed giant cracked and shattered under the strike. But it managed to block the blade of the Supreme Grade Blade, Murakumogiri.
"So, you're a Mythical Zoan Fruit user? What an incredible ability." After his attack missed, Whitebeard didn't follow up. Instead, he raised a hand to stop his sons from moving in to finish off Itachi.
He had quickly regained his senses after being influenced by Kotoamatsukami, as expected of the world's strongest man. He assumed Itachi was a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user like Marco, and that the mysterious power which had just guided his spirit was a result of that ability.
Of course, even if Itachi wasn't a Devil Fruit user, it wasn't something that would particularly shock him, a man who had ruled the seas for decades.
The sea was vast, and new wonders were born every moment.
Whitebeard sat back down on the captain's throne, his gaze piercing as he stared at Itachi. "Explain what just happened. I want to know everything. Otherwise, you might not leave here alive."
"I'm a ninja from Konoha, not a Devil Fruit user. I came on Ace's request. His request was…"
Itachi explained Ace's commission in full, and why he had used Kotoamatsukami to influence Whitebeard earlier.
Whitebeard remained deeply dissatisfied and gave Itachi a severe warning. But, for Ace's sake, he did not resume the attack.
"Since you've accepted Ace's commission, then stay with us."
Whitebeard decided to tolerate Itachi's earlier transgression.
At this point, he was in dire need of fighting strength. Despite his reputation and bold declarations like "I am Whitebeard!", he had a deeply nuanced mindset.
For the greater good, he could tolerate Crocodile, could tolerate Buggy. Naturally, he could also tolerate Itachi, someone with aligned goals who was hired by Ace.
Moreover, his constant self-proclamation as "the world's strongest" was more about boosting the morale of his foolish sons.
Ace had to be saved. He wasn't just one of his sons, he was the heir he had chosen to lead the Whitebeard Pirates into the future.
Itachi agreed without hesitation. "Alright. That was my intention anyway. I will do my best to protect your life."
Though an elite of Konoha, he clearly lacked deep knowledge of this vast sea. During his time with the Marines, he had come to understand how complex this world truly was, and he hadn't come to recruit people or build his own crew.
So, to complete his mission, staying with the Whitebeard Pirates was the most suitable option.
"Hahaha! I'm Whitebeard! Why would I need your protection?"
he laughed heartily, his voice booming like thunder and making the deck tremble.
But most of his sons, aside from exceptions like Marco, could not understand his mindset. They all clamored for a duel with Itachi.
To them, Whitebeard was still the invincible number one in the world. They didn't need the help of this "evil ninja" who had attacked their father to save Ace. In their eyes, preserving his dignity was more important than rescuing Ace.
"He is a guest invited by Ace, after all. Let's put off the duels for now. How about a banquet instead?" Whitebeard scratched his head with a troubled look, gazing at his noisy children with helpless affection.
Under his guidance, the mood quickly turned cheerful.
"Hahaha! Then let me be the first to challenge him one-on-one later!"
"Ninja, let's see how much you can drink!"
"Are you from Wano too?"
As one of the top commanders, Marco walked up to Itachi and extended an invitation. "Since Pops has invited you, let's save the fighting for after the banquet."
"Thank you." Itachi nodded, all while analyzing the pompadour-haired man before him, clearly, this guy was one of the rare rational ones here. It would be wise to connect with him more privately.
"Later, I'm going to be the first to challenge you to a duel."
"Huh?" Itachi's train of thought was interrupted.
"Hahahaha! But first, let's enjoy some good sake together!"
These people were truly... Free-spirited.
Itachi clearly couldn't quite adapt to the vibe here and mentally summed it up in just two words. On another note, he felt a bit regretful, Kotoamatsukami had worn off. The shortcut to resolving everything quickly was now gone.
He was a ninja, not a warrior. Direct combat was always the last resort. Sure, he had flashy skills and even the Three Sacred Treasures at hand, but his mindset was still deeply rooted in the ways of a ninja.
Now, he had to proceed with Plan B, and he might even have to clash head-on with the monstrous beings of this world in a large-scale battle.
---
At the Marine Headquarters, Sengoku sat behind his wide office desk, holding an urgent intelligence report sent from the New World branch. His brow furrowed as he scanned the paper back and forth, feeling a growing headache, yet another dangerous ability user had joined the Whitebeard Pirates.
The report said a Marine Rear Admiral and his entire crew had been mentally manipulated. This kind of ability was even more troublesome than Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit.
"If the power of this ability goes beyond what we've seen so far, it could become a major problem." Sengoku rubbed his temples, overwhelmed. He really couldn't understand, why would someone with such a powerful Devil Fruit ability choose to join a pirate crew? Wouldn't becoming a just and honorable Marine be better?
Clearly, the Summit War plan was necessary. Whitebeard had to go. The arrogance of this world needed to be crushed!
He picked up a Den Den Mushi and ordered a bounty to be issued for the suspected "Mind Fruit" user, Itachi.
Initial bounty: 500 million berries.
Just as Sengoku was about to feed the documents into his sheep-shaped paper shredder, the office doors were kicked open.
"Sengoku!"
Who else could it be but Garp? He swaggered in casually, holding a bag of rice crackers.
"Why do you always have that sour look on your face?" he asked with a laugh, munching noisily.
Sengoku looked up and glared at him. "Do you think this is the time to be joking around? I'm only this stressed because of your whole damn family!"
"Hahaha, what can I do?" Garp roared with laughter.
"The one we're going to execute is your grandson! If you don't want him to die, then go talk some sense into him!" Sengoku slapped the table, his voice a mix of anger and helplessness.
If Ace would just surrender and publicly admit fault as the son of the Pirate King, things could be settled peacefully. He wouldn't have to steel himself to take action against his old friend's grandson.
"I already did! It's no use, hahaha! He's a man now." Garp laughed heartily, unbothered. "He even had the nerve to brag to me while we talked!"
"Hmph! So stubborn, just as I thought, it's the cursed bloodline. Damn it, you made one hell of a mistake back then!"
Blinded by rage, Sengoku snatched the rice crackers out of Garp's hand and shoved them all into his mouth with loud crunches.