Sabaody Archipelago

The captain frowned and signaled to the crew to slow down.

He picked up his binoculars and observed the ship closely for a long time. The ship was eerily quiet, with not a single person on the deck. Only a few seabirds perched on the mast, emitting hoarse cries.

"Something's not right." The captain lowered his binoculars. "Black Fang loves to show off; he can't be this quiet. Take a few men and come with me to check it out. The rest of you stay on board and keep watch."

Five sailors followed the captain aboard the "Black Tooth". As soon as they stepped onto the deck, a strong stench of decay hit them, mixed with the smell of dried blood, making them feel nauseous.

Sunlight streamed through the tattered sails, casting dappled shadows on the deck.

The fragments of wooden crates, silk and porcelain, and dark brown bloodstains scattered seven days ago are still there, but the pirates who should have been celebrating here are all lying on the ground.

Hundreds of pirates lay sprawled out, some leaning against the ship's wheel, some slumped over barrels of rum, and some still clutching half-finished bottles of rum.

Their faces showed no pain or fear; their eyes stared blankly at the sky. Each had a neat knife wound on their neck, and blood soaked through their clothes, congealing into black scabs beneath them.

There were no signs of fighting or struggle.

It was as if they had all simultaneously, without prior arrangement, picked up knives and slit their own throats.

"My God..." A young sailor's legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground. "What... what is going on?"

The captain crouched down and carefully examined the bodies. They were all holding their own weapons, and their wounds, all from left to right and of uniform depth, were clearly inflicted by themselves.

The scene inside the cabin was even more bizarre; the looted gold coins and jewels lay untouched on the table, untouched by anyone.

"This is too creepy." A cold sweat broke out on the captain's back. "Get out of here! We can't stay here!"

The group scrambled back to the "White Gull," immediately turned the ship around, and fled towards the Sabaody Archipelago without looking back.

That afternoon, news of the mass suicide of over a hundred pirates aboard the "Black Tooth" spread throughout the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

Some say it's the work of a sea monster, others say it's a curse, but for most people, the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing the news is that name far away in the West Blue.

The Void Demon Tamer, Uchiha Natsu.

Inside the tavern, people whispered amongst themselves, their eyes filled with fear.

No one knows what happened on that ship, and no one dares to investigate further.

Meanwhile, the Sabaody Archipelago.

Transparent bubbles floated in the air, some wrapped in colorful balloons, others covered in splashed beer foam, bursting into a mist at the slightest touch.

But this unique romance of Sabaody is completely lost on Island One.

This is the most chaotic place in the entire archipelago.

Drunk pirates, with prostitutes in their arms, rampage through the streets; human traffickers lead slaves wearing collars by chains, the cracking sound of whips striking flesh mingling with cries of pain.

The bounty hunter leaned against the corner of the wall, his eyes scanning every passerby like a vulture, ready to pounce and snatch a piece of fat meat at any moment.

Amidst the noise and filth, a figure slowly walked over.

He was wearing a greyish-white robe, with simple Uchiha Gunbai patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem.

In a crowd smeared with tattoos, rags, and bloodstains, his excessively clean clothes stood out starkly.

He walked slowly, but his steps were unusually steady, each step seemingly on a beat.

The surrounding noise seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to affect him in the slightest.

Some people don't believe in superstitions.

A bounty hunter with a face full of scars licked his lips, gripped the dagger at his waist, and moved closer.

He stared at Natsu's ninja tool pouch at her waist, his eyes filled with greed. But just as he reached out, Natsu slightly turned her head and glanced at him.

That glance was as cold as the icy waters of the deep sea.

The bounty hunter froze instantly, and the dagger in his hand clattered to the ground.

Looking into those unfathomable eyes, he felt as if his blood had frozen, and even breathing became difficult.

Only after Natsu's figure disappeared into the distance did his legs give way, and he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

Seeing this, no one around dared to make a move on him anymore.

Everyone instinctively stepped aside, making way for him.

Natsu didn't care at all.

His gaze remained fixed on the building with the huge "Auction House" sign in front of him the entire time, not even sparing a glance for the trembling people.

As he passed a corner, he saw a little mermaid being dragged away by her hair by human traffickers; the little girl's cries were heart-wrenching.

He paused for a moment, then continued walking forward, his face expressionless.

He didn't come to save anyone.

Soon, the auction house doors came into view. Two guards in black suits and sunglasses blocked his way.

"Stop! Tickets!"

Natsu didn't speak, but simply raised her eyes.

The eerie Three Tomoe flashed briefly in his eyes.

The two guards' eyes instantly went vacant, their bodies stiffening as they stepped back to either side, bowing slightly and gesturing for them to come in.

Natsu withdrew her gaze and stepped into the auction hall.

The heavy door closed slowly behind him, shutting out all the noise from outside.

In the dimly lit hall, a spotlight shone on the auction stage in the center. The audience was filled with well-dressed nobles and wealthy merchants, who held up their bidding paddles and shouted excitedly, as if the object being auctioned on stage was not a living person, but an ordinary commodity.

Natsu found a seat in the corner and sat down, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.

His gaze swept through the crowd and landed in the direction of the backstage area, a barely perceptible glint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

He came here for one person.

Three days ago, the clan's intelligence network reported that the grand finale of today's auction contained a scientist who had escaped from the North Blue. He was the chief researcher of a small kingdom in the North Blue, whose country was razed to the ground by the Vinsmoke Clone Army last month.

The Vinsmoke could not tolerate a second power that possessed genetic technology, which is why they spared no expense to wipe the entire kingdom off the map.

The scientist, carrying the core data and his wife and children, fled overnight, only to run into pirates at the foot of the Red Line.

His wife and children died on the spot from a flurry of blows. He was knocked unconscious with a stick and dragged away. After changing hands several times, he ended up in the hands of the Sabaody auction house.

What the Uchiha lacks most right now is someone who can fully understand this genetic modification technology.

Natsu's fingertips lightly traced the armrest, her eyes remaining completely calm.

He wants to use the technology from the One Piece One Piece World to make up for the weakness of the Jonin world— Cloned Sharingan.

No one understood what this meant better than him.

The Uchiha Izanagi, Forbidden Technique that can turn death into an illusion; the only price is one Sharingan.

If we can achieve mass cloning of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, then every member of our clan will be carrying three lives when they go to war.

His ambitions don't stop there.