"Ordinary people shouldn't know who we are. Only the Marines do."
"Maybe you're just so striking that the man couldn't help taking a second look."
Kaku shrugged and said.
After all, their target didn't look particularly strong.
Even if he was a Marine, he'd only be one of the weaker ones. Kaku wasn't afraid of him.
Kalifa said nothing more. She simply watched Uchiha Tamaharu and Shisui until they disappeared from view.
Even after she returned to their lodging, she kept thinking about it.
"Was there something strange about those two?"
After they reached a secluded spot, Shisui asked.
"We've come across suitable targets for testing our combat strength. I'm wondering whether we should use them for practice first."
Uchiha Tamaharu spoke bluntly.
After all, he could only judge for himself. He had no reliable data and had never fought anyone from this world.
Ordinary people wouldn't be much use.
But CP9 was valuable practice. Rob Lucci should be around Vice Admiral level.
Kaku, their second-strongest member, was also close to Vice Admiral level.
"You mean those two just now?"
"They did seem sharp to me."
Shisui nodded and said.
Unlike Kaku and the others, who judged strength by someone's build, the Uchiha Clan had excellent eyesight.
And after so many years of ninja training, they were quite skilled at assessing whether a target could fight back.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow. We've confirmed the basic situation for today. Tomorrow, we'll move on to the next step: gathering supplies."
Uchiha Tamaharu said.
Then the two waited at separate locations for the others to return.
By three in the morning, everyone was back.
Uchiha Izumi had also sent word that the other three ships had arrived.
They all returned to the hidden base beneath the cliff.
"Clan Leader, the total comes to around thirty-five million Beli."
Itachi had tallied up the cash everyone had collected.
They hadn't taken any treasure, since selling it would have wasted time.
The first raid was mainly to replenish their supplies. They would find other ways to raise funds later, and the Uchiha Clan still had some precious metals in reserve.
"That'll be enough. Tomorrow, we'll buy supplies and a new ship at the harbor."
"Once we've bought the supplies, Tekka, Inabi, and Izumi, take sixty people back. Yashiro, bring the rest along with us."
Uchiha Tamaharu gave the orders without hesitation.
They didn't need that many people to go out to sea and make a name for themselves. It wasn't as if they were trying to conquer a country.
Their main targets were Pirates, and they would earn some bounties along the way. Their other goal was to complete Uchiha Tamaharu's mission.
A team of elites would be enough. The ordinary ninjas could man a cargo ship and transport goods. They could send more people out once the situation stabilized.
Everyone obeyed Uchiha Tamaharu without question and raised no objections.
At half past four in the morning, Uchiha Tamaharu went out alone and raided the Marine base in the country.
He didn't take anything conspicuous. Unless someone looked carefully, they would hardly notice anything was missing.
He took Seastone Handcuffs, restraints used to imprison Devil Fruit Users.
He also took a stack of wanted posters, which were scattered all over the Marine base.
And he took several Eternal Poses. Those were useful, since Seastone Handcuffs and Eternal Poses were both difficult to get hold of.
"There seem to be a lot of unfamiliar faces around today."
Kalifa went out to buy food.
As she made her way through the market, she noticed many people she hadn't seen in the days before.
Most of them had black hair and dark eyes, making them stand out a little in the crowd. They also seemed to be buying supplies in bulk.
"They're very alert. They feel like an intelligence organization, but they haven't paid any attention to us."
Rob Lucci furrowed his brow slightly.
He sensed something familiar about them.
But the Uchiha Clan members nearby ignored them and focused on their shopping.
They were mainly buying seasonings, cloth, and medicine.
As for meat, seafood provided more than enough protein. They also bought oranges and other goods, including alcohol.
Their first shopping trip was for essentials. They would buy anything else they needed later, depending on the situation.
"They don't look like Pirates, either. Never mind. We're on the run ourselves, so let's not get involved. Let's just buy our supplies."
Kalifa spoke up.
These people seemed mysterious, and she didn't want to cause trouble right now.
After all, the World Government was still hunting them.
Rob Lucci looked over the group and memorized where they were, then followed Kalifa away.
"So this is a Den Den Mushi. But they only sell ones that can communicate both ways here. They don't have any of the more advanced models."
"This will be enough for me to contact Captain Fugaku. I'll leave the other pair for you to use when contacting Captain Fugaku."
Uchiha Tamaharu had gone shopping too, but he had bought Den Den Mushi.
Itachi and Izumi stared at the creatures with curiosity. They couldn't understand how anyone could use them to communicate over a thousand miles.
"When you communicate, use coded messages whenever possible. The World Government can intercept signals from these Den Den Mushi. Only some specially encrypted models can't be monitored. The World Government has a special kind of Den Den Mushi that can pick up signals from almost all the others."
"Izumi, go gather Yashiro and the others. There's going to be a live demonstration. Watch and get a sense of how strong the people in this world are."
Uchiha Tamaharu continued.
Izumi nodded and hurried off to find Yashiro and the others.
It wasn't long before they arrived.
Uchiha Tamaharu led them straight to CP9's lodgings.
The previous night, he had used his Sharingan to control a rat and easily followed them to this place.
Uchiha Tamaharu and the others made no effort to hide themselves. Kaku and the others, who were inside the house, noticed the group standing outside right away.
"Are they agents from the World Government, coming after us?"
"Not Marines?"
"Members of an intelligence organization?"
"Still, standing around in plain sight like that is pretty stupid!"
Kaku, Jabra, Fukuro, and the others weren't concerned in the least by the Uchiha standing outside.
The group didn't even have a gun among them. Only a few had short swords strapped to their backs. What was there to worry about?
"I'll go knock them down."
Jabra said with a grin.
He'd been itching for a fight lately. Earning a living as a street performer had made him feel rusty.
With that, he climbed out the window and jumped down to the first floor.
"The World Government still won't give up, huh?"
"And you're all pretty green. You're just a bunch of youngsters. Never heard of us?"
Jabra swaggered as he spoke.
He looked ready to teach the newcomers a lesson.
But a moment later, every hair on his body stood on end.
He had noticed that all seven people before him had suddenly turned their eyes blood-red and were staring straight at him.
Thanks for all the recommendation tickets and monthly tickets.
The new book is now available for investment. It's definitely going to be published.
Thanks for your support.
Before you continue