Starting from One Piece with the Rinnegan

After Tsuru offered her congratulations, the others stepped forward one after another as well. Even Akainu gave Kaito a slight nod, which Kaito returned with a smile.

To be honest, there weren't many people in the Marine ranks that Kaito truly disliked. If he had to name one, it would probably be Koby.

That guy wasn't bad by nature—actually, you could say he was very kind—but he was too kind, to the point of being saintly. His performance during the War on the Summit had been utterly disappointing.

That was a war, after all! Freezing up at the beginning was one thing, but what was with that final outburst? Didn't that just make all the Marines who died in that war look like a bunch of clowns?

Koby just wasn't cut out to be a Marine—at least not in such a war-torn world. Maybe in a time of peace, he could've made a decent local officer.

Sengoku watched with satisfaction as everyone interacted with Kaito. In them, he saw the future of the Marines—bright and united. If they could truly come together as one, the strength of the Marines would far surpass that of the pirates, who were nothing but a disorganized rabble.

After all, the Marines were the most powerful armed force on the seas!

It seemed that Kaito's appointment as an Admiral candidate was now set in stone. Even the World Government had given their approval.

But when Sengoku thought of the World Government, his brow furrowed.

He still couldn't figure out why the Five Elders had taken such a strong interest in Kaito.

That had started back when Kaito was in Sabaody. What exactly had he done there to catch their attention?

And now the Five Elders were even requesting that Kaito visit Mary Geoise in person after everything was settled. Whether that was a blessing or a curse... Sengoku couldn't say.

Noticing his expression, Tsuru leaned over and quietly asked,

"What's wrong, Sengoku? Is the World Government putting up some resistance?"

"No, quite the opposite. They're actually very supportive of this move."

"What I'm worried about is... never mind. Maybe I'm just overthinking it."

Since Sengoku said that much, Tsuru didn't press further. Instead, she turned to look at Kaito, admiration in her eyes. This young man really had pulled off one miracle after another.

She couldn't help but recall that incident with the Op-Op Fruit. Onigumo had taken quite the beating.

Tsuru shot a glance at Onigumo, a faintly strange expression on her face, which instantly made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. He had no idea what he'd done to earn that look from Vice Admiral Tsuru.

Sengoku cleared his mind and spoke again once everyone had returned to their seats.

"As for Kaito's promotion to Admiral candidate, it's settled. There's one more thing. Somehow, Donquixote Doflamingo has become the king of Dressrosa and signed an agreement with the World Government to become a Shichibukai. The full lineup is now assembled, and we'll be calling them to Marine Headquarters in the next few days for a meeting."

As soon as Sengoku finished speaking, everyone in the room revealed a trace of disgust in their eyes. Akainu didn't even try to hide his reaction—he snorted coldly, black smoke billowing from his body.

Hardly anyone in the Marines liked the Shichibukai system. Pirates were pirates—where did this idea of legitimacy come from? And now they were supposed to invite them to Headquarters for a meeting? What a joke.

Kaito, however, was thoughtful. So the Shichibukai were already assembled? Looks like Doflamingo was in a hurry after the lesson I gave him. Worried that if he ran into me again, he wouldn't walk away?

Sengoku didn't like the Shichibukai system either, but there was nothing he could do. The system was backed by the World Government, and even as Fleet Admiral, he couldn't oppose it.

And the truth was, the Shichibukai did relieve some of the pressure on the Marines.

Still, none of them were easy to control—especially that Dracule Mihawk. Always acting alone and absurdly powerful, he was almost impossible to rein in. With all seven being summoned to Marine Headquarters, the security had to be airtight.

As Sengoku thought of this, his gaze shifted to Kaito again. Kaito noticed it right away and understood—Sengoku wanted him to take the lead.

Well, fine. Let these pirates get an early taste of the terror of the Marine's future Admiral.

Before Sengoku could speak, Kaito took the initiative.

"These people are all unpredictable. It's hard to say whether they'll behave when they arrive at Headquarters. Let me handle it. I'll make sure they fall in line."

As he spoke, a flash of unsettling purple lightning flickered in Kaito's eyes, sending a chill down the spines of those present.

Akainu looked at him with admiration. That's exactly the attitude you need to have toward pirates! That's what it means to be a real Marine!

Sengoku was even more pleased. See? This is the one I've got my eye on. Makes my job a whole lot easier.

By now, everything that needed to be said had been said. Sengoku gave a final summary, and in the midst of Garp's loud yawning, declared the meeting adjourned.

Everyone stood up to leave. As a small but notable gesture, Akainu passed by Kaito and leaned in to say softly,

"You're impressive."

Kaito responded with a phrase that aligned perfectly with Akainu's ideals.

"For justice."

Hearing those words, Akainu's body visibly tensed. He gave Kaito a deep look before turning and walking away.

After the others had left, Tsuru linked arms with Kaito and, despite Kaito shooting Sengoku a helpless glance, dragged him off for a lavish meal.

...

At a bar in Foosha Village,

Makino was reading the newspaper to Ace and Luffy as they sat across from her. Ace listened intently, while Luffy was chomping on a plate of roasted meat, seemingly paying no attention to what she was saying.

When she finished, Makino clapped a hand over her chest in excitement.

"As expected of Kaito-san! That day, he said he was going after some old guy—who would've thought it was the Golden Lion himself? He's a legendary pirate! Even Garp-san mentioned him before!"

Ace's admiration for Kaito grew. He wondered when he'd be able to take down such powerful foes with a smile, just like Kaito had.

He definitely needed to train more and set out to sea as soon as possible. He had to find Luffy's father—the man Kaito had mentioned. Maybe that man could help him grow much stronger.

Meanwhile, Luffy kept gnawing on his meat and mumbled with a full mouth,

"Mmph, tasty... Kaito? That name sounds familiar. Is he the guy with the round eyes?"

...

In a certain underground black market,

Doflamingo sat with a dark expression on his face, silently reading the newspaper. When he was done, he crumpled it up and tossed it aside.

Noticing his sour mood, Monet stepped forward and asked softly,

"What's wrong, Young Master? Do you have some history with this Kaito?"

Doflamingo was quiet for a moment before answering slowly,

"He's the one who killed our former officer... even Vergo died at his hands."

Monet's expression changed. She knew about that incident. Ever since their return from Minion Island, Doflamingo had been desperately amassing power. Somehow, he had managed to strike a secret deal with the government and become a Shichibukai.

And the root of it all… was this abnormally young Marine in the newspaper.

Uchiha Kaito—he was now the family's greatest enemy.

But his strength was terrifying. Even the legendary pirate Golden Lion had been completely overwhelmed by him.

Thinking about Kaito's strength, Monet felt a heavy weight settle in her chest.

But Doflamingo's gaze shifted to a little girl standing beside Monet. She was his trump card—the one who had enabled him to so easily control Dressrosa.

If he could get her to use her ability on Kaito just once...

Doflamingo couldn't help but laugh in that eerie way of his.

"Fufufufufufu..."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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