New Plans, a Human Test Subject

His fingers had pressed against the handle of the Kunai, then slowly released it.

They just took Ace away, and then what?

The thought swirled in my mind, collided with a bigger idea, and then exploded like sparks.

Hashirama Cells.

Drake Vallen has been working on several versions of the Hashirama Cells culture protocol in the lab these days, and the technical bottlenecks are being overcome one by one.

But what got stuck at the last step wasn't the theory, but the experimental subjects.

To further verify the transplantation efficacy of Hashirama Cells, in vivo human experiments are necessary.

The Uchiha Clan certainly couldn't use their own members as experimental subjects, so what about ordinary people?

He knew better than anyone how terrifying the corrosiveness of Hashirama Cells was. Even the Jonin of the Ninja World couldn't Jonin that kind of devouring. Ordinary people in this world, even if they were physically stronger, would just be throwing their lives away if they went up against it.

This is something that ordinary people cannot withstand.

Unless—that person's physical abilities are even stronger than Hashirama Senju his peak.

Natsu stopped tapping her fingers on the table.

Whitebeard.

Edward Newgate. The World's Strongest Man.

While Hashirama Senju's Sage Body undoubtedly possessed greater vitality, in terms of sheer physical strength, these top-tier pirates who had honed their Haki to the extreme and could fight One Piece World hand-to-hand under the pressure of the Sea Kings thousands of meters deep were monsters from a completely different dimension.

If it were Whitebeard —if it were his body, capable of withstanding hundreds of cannonballs and still standing after decades of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's backlash—the transplantation of Hashirama Cells would be virtually impossible to fail.

More importantly, the Whitebeard has grown old.

His body had been worn down by time and injuries, Marco had to spend half a day adjusting the dosage and ratio of the medicine every time he gave him an IV. His body was like a wall full of cracks, which could collapse at any time.

But the Hashirama Cells have no shortage of vitality.

Danzo, that old man in his sixties or seventies, after Danzo Hashirama Cells, could support his entire fighting power with just one arm inlaid with Sharingan. His physical strength and recovery ability have been maintained at a level far beyond his age for a long time.

If this applies to Whitebeard, it's not just about maintaining his peak performance—it's about bringing him back to his peak.

He wanted Drake Vallen, with his Whitebeard, to be the first official human subject for his experiments.

Heal Whitebeard's body so that this remnant of the old era can live for several more decades.

Whitebeard will not fail to repay this kindness.

But what he wanted was far more than simply repaying a favor. He wanted the entire Whitebeard Pirates.

The Whitebeard is old.

But Marco, Jozu, Vista —those Division Commander —are all monsters capable of standing alone.

Marco's Phoenix Fruit allowed him to withstand even Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama Phoenix Fruit Magatama head-on. Sengoku himself stated during the Sengoku Summit War that "defeating him would require paying a heavy price." Aren't Kaido's subordinates King and Queen strong enough?

Marco alone can hold off both of them.

At this level, no one in the Uchiha clan besides themselves and Fugaku can reliably defeat a Yonko Commander.

Add to that Diamond Jozu and Vista the Flower Sword, one who can knock Crocodile head-on, and the other who can fight Hawkeye for dozens of rounds without being at a disadvantage; they would definitely be Kage Level fighters in the Ninja World.

Isn't Doflamingo arrogant enough?

He'll have to think twice before facing Jozu and Vista.

That's exactly what the Uchiha is lacking right now.

The tribe is strong, but there are few of them.

Even if thirteen thousand people all Sharingan, scattering them across the entire West Blue would be nothing more than a handful of pearls thrown into the ocean.

The Whitebeard Pirates have forty-three pirate crews, tens of thousands of soldiers, and a vast network of influence and shipping routes throughout the New World —if they could bring this power under their control, the West Blue would truly be under the Uchiha's control.

Origin Island, Naka Shrine.

The candle flame had burned down to its last bit, and the wax slowly dripped down the edge of the bronze candlestick, forming translucent streaks on the table.

After hearing Natsu's words, Uchiha Fugaku remained silent for a long time.

He wasn't hesitating—from the day he withdrew from Konoha, he had never doubted any of Natsu's decisions.

He's just digesting it.

Hashirama Cells, Whitebeard, human experiments, alliances, subjugation—each of these words alone would be enough to keep any clan leader up all night, but Natsu strung them together as if discussing what to have for dinner.

"Twenty Kage Level clansmen." Fugaku repeated the number, his tone not one of doubt, but rather as if he were mentally calculating how much combat power the clan could still spare.

"Including you, Kei, Yashiro, Tekka, that makes twenty-four. With this force deployed to Marineford, the Marine Headquarters ' defense perimeter will probably have to be reassessed from the inside out."

He paused, then looked up at Natsu, "But I guess you don't just want to save people."

Natsu didn't answer directly, but simply placed a Flying Thunder God Kunai on the table and pushed it in front of Fugaku. "Wait for my news." After saying this, he stood up.

The light of the Flying Thunder God flashed and disappeared in the side hall. When Natsu's figure reappeared, he was already standing on the ruins of the Sabaody Archipelago.

Island One remains a scarred landscape, with broken Yarukiman Mangrove lying haphazardly on the scorched earth, and a faint, lingering smell of burning still in the air.

The island is slowly repairing itself, but the trunks of the giant trees burned through by Fire Release, the rocks shattered by the Chidori Sharp Spear, and the streets trampled by Susanoo to return to their original state for several years.

Natsu did not linger in Sabaody. Without stopping, he crossed the edge of the Red Tree Zone and set off directly onto the sea route to Fish-Man Island.

Beneath his feet was the surging seawater, his greyish-white robes fluttering in the sea breeze, and he moved so fast that he was like a shadow flying close to the surface of the sea.

Meanwhile, hundreds of nautical miles away.

The main fleet of the Whitebeard Pirates is cutting through the waves in battle formation.

Forty-three pirate ships were spread out in a fan shape, their sails billowing to their limit in the gale-force winds of the New World, their masts creaking and groaning.

The Moby Dick was positioned at the very center of the fleet, its iconic Whitebeard and crossbones flag fluttering atop the mainmast.

On the deck, the Division Commander each performed their duties: Marco stood above the bridge keeping watch, Jozu brought up the bow, Vista leaned against the ship's side with his eyes closed, resting, his twin swords within easy reach.

No one in the entire fleet spoke; the oppressive, chilling atmosphere was more suffocating than the gunpowder in the cannons.

The lookout is the first to spot anything unusual.

The lookout on the mainmast of the Moby Dick, holding a telescope, was habitually scanning the sea ahead when the telescope suddenly stopped.

He rubbed his eyes, looked again, and then shouted at the top of his lungs, "Target spotted on the sea ahead! A person! Running on the sea!"