Sudden Escalation, Conflict Between Both Sides

Yashiro's Sharingan had long predicted every trajectory of the slash. The tomoe in his Feihong eyes spun rapidly, but he showed no hint of panic. His hands instantly formed seals before him as he shouted coldly, "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A thunderous boom erupted as three thick earthen walls nearly ten meters tall rose abruptly from beneath the sea. Their rocky surfaces were covered in densely packed reinforcing seal patterns, completely shielding the three of them.

Onigumo's slash struck the earthen walls viciously, leaving only eight bottomless trenches behind. It failed to pierce the defense or harm anyone standing behind it.

With that strike, the tense standoff that had been stretched to its limit was instantly torn apart.

The Uchiha ninja on the sea immediately entered combat mode. Their hands formed seals so quickly that only afterimages remained, while chakra gathered around them like surging tides.

Watching Onigumo charge straight at the enemy from the bridge, Gion gritted her teeth. She could not simply stand by and watch a comrade venture in alone, so she issued a sharp command. "Highest alert across the fleet! Aim all cannons at the target area and cover Vice Admiral Onigumo! Momonga, Hōshō, come with me!"

The piercing alarm instantly cut through the dense fog and echoed across the entire sea.

The protective covers were thrown off more than a hundred cannons aboard the five warships. Their dark muzzles swung around, locking firmly onto the Uchiha group on the sea.

What might have remained a salvageable probe had, under Onigumo's reckless attack, completely turned into a direct conflict between the Marines and the Uchiha Clan.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Extinguishment!"

Onigumo's unprovoked ambush completely trampled upon the Uchiha Clan's bottom line.

The scarlet in Uchiha Yashiro's eyes flared instantly, the three tomoe spinning at high speed. His hands completed their seals at a speed too fast for the naked eye, and his furious shout sent ripples across the surrounding sea.

The next second, a sea of fire over ten meters wide exploded outward. Orange-red flames, carrying heat waves hot enough to melt steel, swept toward the Marine warships like an overwhelming tide.

The salty sea breeze was instantly scorched dry by the flames. Even the rolling waves hissed under the intense heat, turning into white mist that filled the sky.

On the distant flagship's bridge, Gion's expression changed abruptly, and her grip around Kimpira's hilt tightened at once.

"Flame-Flame Fruit?" she blurted out instinctively. Her Observation Haki spread to its limit, yet she could not sense the distinctive aura fluctuations of a Devil Fruit user at all. Her confusion only deepened. "No! This is Fire Fist Ace's ability. How could he..."

Before she could sort through her thoughts, Uchiha Tetsuka, who had fought beside Yashiro for many years, stepped forward in perfect coordination. His hands flew as he completed the seals, and a deep shout rang out.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A violent gale suddenly burst from his palms. The wind fed the flames, and the flames borrowed the wind's might. The already vast inferno expanded severalfold in an instant, becoming a fiery net that blotted out the sky as it crashed down upon the five Marine warships.

Even from hundreds of meters away, the Marines on the bridge were forced back again and again by the oncoming heat wave, nearly losing their grip on their rifles.

Onigumo, standing in midair, had his expression change sharply. He had never expected the enemy to possess such terrifying power with a casual move. His eight katana crossed before him to ward off the heat, and he repeatedly used Geppo to retreat through the air. At the same time, he roared at the warships behind him.

"What are you idiots standing around for?! Fire! Blow these bastards to pieces!"

"Fire the cannons! Hurry!"

The officers aboard the ships snapped back to their senses and bellowed their orders at the top of their lungs.

The loaders frantically pulled the firing cords. Deafening cannon fire instantly merged into a continuous roar as dozens of flaming shells whistled out, smashing fiercely toward the inferno and the Uchiha group on the sea.

On the flagship, Gion's face had become so grim it seemed capable of dripping water, and the veins at her temples throbbed violently.

That bastard Onigumo!

This had originally been nothing more than a test of their attitude, meant to uncover their background before deciding what to do. But with his reckless stunt, there was no longer any room for reconciliation between the Marines and this mysterious force. Relations had completely broken down!

Yet no matter how furious she was, she could not simply watch Onigumo charge in alone and become trapped in the enemy's sea of flames.

Taking a deep breath to suppress her anger, Gion spun around and sharply ordered the signalman, "All ship cannons, fire at will! Cover Vice Admiral Onigumo's retreat with everything you have!"

"Understood!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Dense cannon fire instantly shattered the sea's silence. Flaming shells tore through the fog with shrill whistles, bombarding the Uchiha clansmen on the sea.

This utterly unscrupulous bombardment completely ignited the fury engraved into the Uchiha Clan's very bones.

They were the foremost great clan of the Ninja World, standing tall for a thousand years. When had they ever suffered such humiliation?

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in Uchiha Kei's eyes spun rapidly. As his hands flashed through the seals, the surrounding seawater was instantly drawn up by invisible chakra and surged skyward.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A roaring water dragon rose from the sea. Its body, dozens of meters long and wrapped in towering waves, slammed head-on into the incoming shells. Dull explosions rang out one after another across the sea as columns of water shot into the sky.

At the same time, the Elite Jonin and Jonin behind him did not hesitate in the slightest. Their hands formed seals so quickly that only afterimages remained, and furious shouts rose one after another through the smoke and crashing waves.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Bullet Technique!"

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song!"

"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"

In an instant, Feihong fire, dancing lightning dragons, and surging waves intertwined. Overwhelming ninjutsu descended like a natural disaster, setting off tsunami after tsunami across the sea.

The shells were torn apart midair by ninjutsu. The roar of naval artillery seemed insignificant beneath the bellowing techniques, while the hulls of all five Marine warships trembled slightly under the terrifying force.

Gion's expression on the bridge completely darkened.

This could not go on.

She knew better than anyone that on this vast sea, ordinary Marine cannon fire alone could never stop these mysterious people who could manipulate water and fire so effortlessly.

No matter how reluctant she was to escalate the situation completely, she had no choice but to act.

The famous blade Kimpira flashed from its sheath. Gion tapped off the ship's rail, her figure gliding into the air like a drifting cherry blossom as her cold voice rang out. "Iron-Cutting: Cherry Blossom Slash!"

Pale pink sword energy instantly spread over the sea. Within that seemingly delicate radiance lay an ultimate sharpness capable of cutting through steel.

The next second, the sharp slash tore through the air, instantly severing several fire dragons and water dragons rushing toward her. Its remaining force did not diminish as it shot straight toward the Uchiha clansmen in the rear who were forming seals.

"Not good!"

Uchiha Kei's expression changed drastically. He drew the sword at his waist with a backhanded motion, stepped upon the waves, and leaped into the air. Chakra-driven Feihong flames instantly coiled around the entire blade as he swung fiercely at the sword energy. "Uchiha Style: Sword-Overcoming Flame!"