Moxi Moxi~

Another CP0 member had already pulled out a Den Den Mushi and was issuing orders at a rapid pace.

Shisui, however, acted as if he had merely done something trivial.

He didn't even glance at the Celestial Dragon he had kicked away, steadily supporting the nearly unconscious Scarface with one hand.

With his other hand, he quickly formed two hand seals and pressed them against the man's chest.

"Medical Ninjutsu: Tailing Beast Extract."

A faint green Chakra glow flickered, temporarily protecting Scarface's heart meridian.

His injuries were severe; Shisui could only stabilize him for now. Whether he survived in the end would depend on his own vitality.

Whoosh!

Shisui vanished again in an instant, carrying Scarface.

The next moment, he appeared where Inabi and Hikari were.

The entire process—from rescuing the man, kicking the Celestial Dragon, to retreating—took only two or three breaths.

So fast that most people's minds couldn't keep up.

"Tch, I thought you'd draw your blade and kill that fat pig," Inabi said, eyeing the chaos nearby with slight dissatisfaction.

"You're too reckless, Inabi. Think of the ordinary clansmen on Kuja Island. The Uchiha shouldn't make too many enemies right now."

Though he had ultimately decided to save the man, Shisui still chose not to take things to the extreme.

But what Shisui probably hadn't expected was that, for the people of this world, assaulting a Celestial Dragon was already taking things to the extreme.

"Take them and leave now."

Shisui gently set Scarface on the ground and said to Inabi:

"I'll need you to help carry them in the retreat. I'll hold the rear."

Seeing Shisui's serious expression, Inabi dropped his sneer, slung one person over each shoulder, and grumbled, "Troublesome. Watch yourself!"

"Think you can leave?!"

The White Mask Leader's icy voice sounded as if it were whispered right by their ears, his figure appearing in midair almost simultaneously.

His hand, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, formed a claw and came crashing down with a shriek that tore through the air.

That single claw covered all escape routes for Inabi and the other two.

Shisui moved.

He charged toward the tearing claw instead of retreating, twisting his body like it had no bones into a bizarre angle.

He narrowly brushed past the edge of the claw's wind, while his right index and middle fingers pressed together.

With pinpoint accuracy, he struck a joint on the inside of the White Mask Leader's wrist.

It wasn't a head-on clash—it was an intercept.

He aimed at the key point of the opponent's force, using minimal strength to achieve maximum disruption.

A flicker of surprise crossed the White Mask Leader's eyes. His wrist went slightly numb, and his claw's momentum faltered by a fraction.

Just that fraction!

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Claw Red!"

Shisui breathed out softly as his left hand flung several Shuriken tied with Explosive Tags.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The violent explosions and flames instantly blocked the view, forcing the White Mask Leader to dodge the scorching blast and shrapnel.

"Go!" Shisui ordered in a low voice.

Seizing the opportunity, Inabi carried Scarface, pulled Hikari along, and dashed into the street behind them.

"After them!"

The White Mask Leader roared in fury, about to circle around the flames to pursue Inabi.

But before him, Uchiha Shisui had already blocked the path.

Black clothes, black hair, and blood-red eyes with Three Tomoe slowly spinning.

He simply stood there, yet he seemed like an insurmountable wall.

"Your opponent is me."

His voice was gentle, but carried a resolve that cut through everything.

The White Mask Leader stopped in his tracks, an icy killing intent spreading like a tangible force.

He knew that without dealing with the man before him, there was no chance of pursuing the others.

"Very well."

He slowly removed the pure white mask, revealing a pale, indifferent, utterly featureless middle-aged man's face.

Only his eyes remained, like two bottomless, frigid pools.

"I will make you understand the price of blaspheming against the gods."

The twilight of Sabaody Archipelago was torn apart by flames.

The once-smooth stone pavement was covered in scorched black marks.

Several decorative young Yarukiman Mangrove trees had been snapped in half, their cuts as smooth as mirrors.

The shop windows all around were shattered, goods scattered everywhere, soaked in blood of unknown origin.

The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning.

"Cough! Cough, cough, cough!!"

The CP0 leader on the ground struggled to prop himself up on one side, coughing up another mouthful of bloody foam.

After steadying his breath, he slowly released the hand covering his mouth.

Drip! Drip!

Blood from his mouth trickled through his fingers onto the stone, pooling into a patch of crimson.

The White Mask Leader of CP0 had lost.

Uchiha Shisui stood a few meters away, breathing slightly heavily, fine beads of sweat on his brow. His black clothes bore a few tears, but his aura remained steady.

At his feet lay a tangle of fallen figures.

Black-suited bodyguards, white-uniformed Executioners, and even a few Sabaody Sheriffs who had arrived later for support.

Some were unconscious, others groaned in pain.

But without exception, they had all lost their combat capability.

The residents who had been watching had long since scattered, hiding far away.

Only a few bold ones peeked through the cracks in the rubble, their eyes filled with fear and disbelief.

Shisui turned to leave this place.

The CP0 leader stared fixedly at Shisui's retreating figure, his voice hoarse but still bitingly cold:

"Do you think defeating me is enough?"

Shisui paused slightly in his steps, not turning back.

"You struck a Celestial Dragon. The World Government's eight hundred years of dignity cannot be tarnished."

The leader forced out these words, pausing to catch his breath, but the chill in his voice only deepened:

"No matter where you come from or what your goal is, from today onward, you will face the full pursuit of the World Government.

The Navy Admirals... all of CP... and even... the Knights of God, cough!"

A glint of near-mad resolve flashed in the CP0 leader's eyes:

"You have nowhere to run. This sea will have no place for you. Your clan will pay a terrible price for your foolishness today!"

Knights of God.

Shisui committed that name to memory.

"The Uchiha fear nothing!"

Shisui finally spoke, his voice calm and unruffled.

Perhaps, as Inabi had said, the Uchiha should never fear anyone!

All along, he had been too weak-willed!

Shisui lingered no longer. His figure flickered, merging into the night breeze.

With a few bounds, he vanished into the tangled shadows of the winding streets and alleys, leaving behind only the wreckage and the gravely wounded CP0 leader.

The leader stared fixedly at the direction he had disappeared, until he could no longer see him, then collapsed in defeat.

With difficulty, he pulled a specially shaped silver Den Den Mushi from his chest and pressed a certain button.

"Someone attacked Saint Charlos on Sabaody Archipelago. I was defeated by him... cough..."

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, there was dead silence.

A few seconds later, an aged, dignified voice, utterly devoid of emotion, came through:

"Understood."

Marineford, the Fleet Admiral's office.

Sengoku had just finished an unpleasant meeting with the Empress and was rubbing his throbbing temples, staring at the mountain of documents piled on his desk.

Reports on the movements of the Four Emperors in the New World, on Revolutionary Army activities, on the disputes over the Warlord system.

Every single document was a heavy headache.