Borsalino: No Matter What, Brew a Cup of Tea First
"There's still a long way to go before a complete landing, but it's enough." Natsu spoke slowly, her tone calm. "The clan doesn't need everyone to possess the unbeatable combat Body Flicker Technique of the original Flying Thunder God Technique."
If a select group of elites can master the simplified version for tactical deployment and small-scale battlefield maneuvers, it will be enough to greatly enhance the Uchiha Clan's operational capabilities. We can gradually iterate and optimize those shortcomings later."
Izuna Uchiha nodded slightly. "I will continue to collect data from actual combat tests and correct the flaws little by little. However, the underlying logic of Space-Time Ninjutsu is inherently obscure, and it is unrealistic to completely eliminate these drawbacks in a short period of time."
After saying that, he glanced at the cell samples floating quietly in the culture chamber beside him, the pale blue culture medium flowing slowly inside the container.
Those are the foundations of the future revival plan, but right now, everything is still in the preparation stage, and there is still an invisible chasm between us and true success.
Inside the laboratory, the faint light of the techniques flickered quietly, and countless scrolls were stacked on the table. The work of improving Ninjutsu continued, while the expectation of flesh and blood regeneration, like a seed buried in the soil, lay dormant, waiting for the day when the time was right to sprout.
The sea breeze of New Marineford is forever carrying the chilling salt and the scent of iron and blood. The towering Marine Headquarters fortifications stand between the blue sea and sky, symbolizing the absolute authority of the World Government in maintaining order on the seas.
But today, on the top floor of the main building, in the Fleet Admiral's Office, there was no trace of the solemnity and dignity that should have been there; only an overwhelming sense of weariness and oppression remained.
After several days of sailing back across the ocean, the entire naval fleet that participated in the standoff on the deserted island returned to port for rest and recuperation. The battered warships were successively docked for repairs, and the elite soldiers who participated in the battle on the front lines took turns to rest and recuperate.
Meanwhile, the Three Admirals, who represent the Navy's highest combat power, are heading to the Fleet Admiral's Office to report on the entire story of the conflict on the New World island.
Inside the office, Sengoku sat upright behind a large solid wood desk, his back straight but unable to hide his exhaustion.
The desktop was piled high with urgent intelligence files, combat reports, and reports of unrest from Four Blues and the New World. The dense text and bright red annotations were dazzling to the eye.
He raised his hand to rub his sore and swollen eyes, his brows furrowed with unyielding sorrow and helplessness, his heart filled with a bittersweet frustration.
He had long ago planned out the final chapter of his career.
The Summit War Marineford should have been the most perfect final battle of his military career.
For many years, he and Edward Newgate traversed the seas, confronting and balancing each other for decades. Whitebeard was his greatest nemesis for half his life.
His old comrade-in-arms, Garp, had already personally ended Roger's era. Even though Garp surrendered himself, it was still a fitting end to his professional career.
Sengoku had always hoped that he could use Ace as a key decoy to gather the entire main force of the Navy, lay a trap, completely defeat the Whitebeard Pirates, end the Whitebeard era, and personally fulfill his lifelong wish.
If this battle is successful, he can retire gracefully, relieve himself of the heavy responsibility of Fleet Admiral, and live a peaceful and comfortable retirement, giving himself a perfect and dignified end to his decades-long naval career.
But no one could have predicted that the sudden emergence of the Uchiha Clan would completely shatter all his plans and expectations.
Uchiha Natsu's unfathomable and terrifying strength, along with the overwhelming combat power displayed by the entire Uchiha Clan, forcefully intervened in the Summit War, disrupting all of the Navy's plans.
The final result was that the Marineford War, which the Navy had prepared with all its might, came to an abrupt end. The Whitebeard Pirates escaped unscathed, with almost all of them escaping unharmed. Edward Newgate even withdrew from the battlefield safely and retired gracefully. The Navy's years of preparations had become a complete joke.
Not only that, the original plan to perish in Marineford and have Blackbeard seize the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was completely rewritten.
Blackbeard, having lost the opportunity to Summit War, did not remain silent. Instead, he lay low in the shadows of the New World, hunting down powerful individuals and plundering Devil Fruits.
Finally, on a deserted island in the New World, they ambushed and killed a mysterious powerhouse who had been hiding for many years, successfully seizing the extremely rare Zoan - Mythical Zoan Gorilla-Gorilla Fruit, Titan Giant Form. Their strength surged once again, making them one of the most formidable new Yonko Level forces in the New World.
The post-war chain reaction left the navy in a state of utter chaos.
The once-renowned Whitebeard Pirates have come to an end and disbanded.
Countless former Whitebeard followers, with nowhere else to go, were grateful to the Uchiha Clan for saving their lives in the Summit War and recognized their governing philosophy. West Blue the Earthly Chief Guard under the Uchiha in large numbers, becoming the backbone of the Uchiha force.
This move caused the Uchiha Clan's manpower, combat strength, and territorial influence to surge once again, firmly securing their position as a top power in the sea.
One unexpected event after another completely disrupted all of Sengoku ' retirement plans.
Already in his seventies or eighties, he should have been enjoying his retirement, but instead he had to continue to hold the position of Fleet Admiral, dealing with endless military affairs, cleaning up the mess of a chaotic world, and fighting against the rising forces of various new powers day after day.
Whenever he looked at the mountain of files piled up on his desk, Sengoku felt endless exhaustion and frustration, feeling that fate was playing tricks on him and all his plans for half a lifetime had come to naught.
Just as he was sighing and having a headache over the news of unrest coming from all over the country, three distinct footsteps of varying weights, accompanied by a few low voices, broke the deathly silence in the room.
The next second, the solid wood door of the office was gently pushed open, and Akainu, Kizaru, and Ryokugyu, the three top combatants of the Navy, stepped into the room one after another.
The three of them were completely different from usual, their usual demeanor gone.
Akainu was surrounded by a cold and gloomy aura. His face was as black as ink, and his brows were filled with intense ferocity and resentment. He sat down without saying a word, casually found an empty seat, straightened his back, clenched his fists, and remained expressionless throughout, his silence so oppressive.
The usually carefree, playful, and lazy Ryokugyu had completely abandoned his nonchalant attitude. His face was devoid of any smile, and his expression was solemn and composed. He sat down silently to the side, his eyes lowered, avoiding eye contact. An atmosphere of awkwardness and gravity permeated his entire being.
Only Kizaru retained some of his usual laziness, but he couldn't hide the weariness and helplessness in his eyes.
He clicked his tongue, his face full of displeasure and helplessness. He walked to the tea station in the office, skillfully boiled water, brewed tea, and made a cup of warm tea before slowly sitting down and quietly waiting to be asked questions.