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"Whoa! Has Naori reached such terrifying power already?"
"Feels like she's not too far off from me and Madara... Hmm, well, Madara without the Rinnegan, that is."
"Especially her mastery of Haki—it's seriously impressive!"
Hashirama couldn't help but marvel as he watched the scene unfold.
As someone brought back to life as an Edo Tensei, he couldn't train in Armament Haki for now.
But Observation Haki? That, he had already mastered.
In less than an hour of learning the method, he awakened Observation Haki.
Not just that—he even unlocked the ability to hear the voice of all things.
If Kaito and the others knew, they'd definitely be filled with envy and jealousy.
It was like he was born with it.
As for Conqueror's Haki, he awakened that easily too, thanks to an encounter with Mito's Conqueror's Haki stimulating his potential.
Considering Hashirama's unshakable will, his strong belief in his ideals, and his pure heart, awakening Conqueror's Haki was only natural for someone of his caliber.
Because of this, Hashirama's strength had increased even further since his contract.
And it had only been a few days since the pact was formed.
But hey, when you're blessed with talent, strength, and a solid foundation, life's just easier!
"Maybe," Kaito said, shrugging nonchalantly.
In his mind, though, he knew that unless his mother awakened the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, she wouldn't be able to compare to Madara with Eternal Mangekyo—or to Hashirama at his peak—just yet.
The boost from the Eternal Mangekyo and Sage Art Wood Release was too massive.
Nearby, Shakky caught onto Hashirama's words, her eyebrows raising slightly as she noted the terms "Madara" and "Rinnegan."
She guessed that Madara must be a person.
And from the sound of it, a top-tier powerhouse no weaker than Hashirama.
As for the Rinnegan?
Shakky thought back to the peculiar eye abilities Naori had displayed earlier.
She speculated that it might also be some kind of special eye power.
Her curiosity about the history and secrets behind Kaito and his crew only grew stronger.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
After several clashes of Conqueror's Haki-enhanced strikes, Naori realized she was starting to fall behind.
Without holding back anymore, she activated her Mangekyo Sharingan, summoning a fully-formed Susanoo to envelop herself entirely.
A towering, over-200-meter-tall Susanoo rose above the small island.
"Huh... is that a Perfect Susanoo? How's that possible?!"
"Isn't Naori's Sharingan only at the Mangekyo stage? How can she summon a Perfect Susanoo? Could it be that Madara lied to me?"
Hashirama was utterly stunned, muttering to himself in disbelief.
"What's so strange about it?"
Uzumaki Mito gave him a sidelong glance, looking unimpressed.
"As long as someone's ocular power and physical strength are strong enough, summoning a Perfect Susanoo with the Mangekyo Sharingan isn't that big of a deal."
"Madara didn't necessarily lie to you. He just might not have considered certain possibilities."
Hearing Mito's explanation, Hashirama suddenly understood. "Ah, I see now. Poor Madara!"
Having never formed the contract, Madara would never witness Kaito's incredible techniques or the wonders of the pirate world. He would remain ignorant of the massive changes this would bring to the shinobi world.
Considering Naori's current ocular power and physical strength, it wasn't surprising she could summon a Perfect Susanoo even at the Mangekyo stage.
"So, these eyes are called the Mangekyo Sharingan, huh?"
Both Shakky and Rayleigh, who had been watching from a distance, overheard Hashirama and Mito's conversation.
They glanced at Naori's crimson eyes with strange patterns and began piecing things together.
"A giant formed by this special kind of energy… it's truly remarkable," Shakky thought.
"This thing's way taller than any of the giants from Elbaf. It reminds me of a demon... No, even the legendary Oars doesn't compare to this colossus!"
"Alright, let's see just how strong you really are!"
Rayleigh said as he unleashed his full aura, ready to go all out.
In a flash, he disappeared from his position, slashing directly at the Susanoo and aiming for Naori's forehead.
Naori's Susanoo countered with its massive chakra blade, meeting Rayleigh's attack head-on.
BOOM!
The two strikes collided with immense force.
For a moment, Rayleigh managed to hold off the giant's strike with his comparatively small frame.
But after a few seconds of deadlock in midair, Rayleigh's strength faltered, and he was sent flying hundreds of meters back.
He used Moonwalk multiple times to reduce the impact before finally stabilizing himself in midair.
The Susanoo, on the other hand, remained steady, though a crack appeared on its massive chakra blade.
CRACK! CRACK!
With a series of breaking sounds, more cracks spread across the blade.
Finally, with a loud SMASH, the chakra blade shattered in two.
Naori frowned slightly. "As expected, the strength of the chakra blade isn't enough anymore."
She considered reinforcing the chakra blade with Armament Haki, but the blade's size was too massive, and her Haki reserves weren't enough to cover it completely.
This made her realize that relying on the sheer size of the Susanoo alone wouldn't be enough to suppress or defeat Rayleigh.
SWOOSH!
Rayleigh charged again, his blade slicing through the air as he unleashed thousands of slashes in rapid succession.
Every slash was a full-powered blow.
In no time, Uchiha Naori's Perfect Susanoo was shredded into dozens of pieces, scattering in all directions.
Her eyes throbbed with pain. If it weren't for her incredibly strong body and life force, as well as her powerful ocular veins and visual prowess, her eyes might have bled or suffered severe damage from the Susanoo's collapse.
As it was, the pain subsided quickly, leaving her with just a dull ache.
Facing the blade resting against her neck, Naori gave a helpless smile. "I've lost. Looks like I'm still far from reaching Admiral-level strength."
"No," Rayleigh replied, shaking his head with a faint smile.
"Your strength has already reached Admiral-level, though you're still at the lower end of it."
"It's just that I'm stronger, that's all. Don't sell yourself short."
He wasn't the Rayleigh from ten years in the future—the one with white hair and a wrinkled face, looking like an old relic of the past. No, this was Rayleigh in his prime.
Even among emperor-level powerhouses, he was one of the best.
At this point in time, he was still capable of clashing with Whitebeard for hundreds of rounds without losing.
But what shocked him most wasn't Uchiha Naori's rapid improvement in strength. No, what truly amazed him was her current physical condition and vitality.
The first time he met Uchiha Naori, he could tell she was strong, but her physical condition and life force didn't match her power at all. She had felt like a candle in the wind, ready to be snuffed out at any moment.
Now, that impression had been completely overturned.
Rayleigh could sense that Naori's current physical state was even more youthful than his own. It was like she had been reborn—vibrant, powerful, and brimming with vitality.
There was definitely a deeper secret behind this transformation, though he refrained from asking. Their relationship wasn't at that level yet.
"Maybe, if we get closer, I can figure out if she has access to some kind of youth-restoring elixir or rare treasure," Rayleigh thought to himself.
Not for his own sake—he didn't mind aging—but for Shakky, his wife. Of course, if he could benefit too, he wouldn't say no. Who wouldn't want to stay young and live a bit longer?
He still wanted to see where this great pirate era, started by Roger, would lead this chaotic world.
And he was curious about Ace—the boy Roger left behind.
Rayleigh recalled how, after a trade with Kaito, he had learned about Ace's existence. He'd immediately gone to the East Blue, confirmed Ace's identity, and even taught him a few things before leaving.
As for taking Ace under his wing and raising him?
Not only would Ace have refused, but Garp wouldn't have agreed to it either.
Respecting their wishes, Rayleigh left it at that, thinking that some distance might even be for the best.
Anyway, back to the present.
After his duel with Uchiha Naori, Rayleigh took some time to rest.
Once he had recovered, he sparred with both Uzumaki Mito and Senju Hashirama in succession.
He managed to defeat Mito, but her Adamantine Sealing Chains and sealing techniques gave him endless trouble. More than once, he was on the verge of losing.
Her monstrous strength was another nightmare—it felt like he was fighting Garp in his prime all over again.
While Mito's punches weren't quite on Garp's level, they were still terrifying. Rayleigh had no doubt that, in the future, her punches could rival Garp's peak.
And to think she was a woman.
Not just any woman, but Senju Hashirama's wife.
Having a wife like that? Terrifying.
Rayleigh couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Hashirama—until their sparring match began.
What followed was a relentless beatdown.
Hashirama's Wood Release techniques, combined with Sage Mode, left Rayleigh utterly outclassed. He couldn't even count how many times he was battered into submission.
When Hashirama unleashed the Sage Art: Wood Release—True Several Thousand Hands, Rayleigh genuinely thought it was over. If Hashirama hadn't held back at the last moment, Rayleigh might not have escaped the fight unscathed.
What shocked Rayleigh even more was that he couldn't land a single meaningful attack on Hashirama. Every time he closed the distance to strike, it was as though Hashirama was untouchable. And when Rayleigh managed to land a blow, Hashirama emerged entirely unscathed.
It was baffling—Rayleigh didn't understand what was happening. Was it some kind of advanced regeneration technique? He couldn't figure it out, but it only added to the overwhelming sense of helplessness.
After admitting defeat, Rayleigh looked at Hashirama with a complicated expression. "I didn't expect you to be this strong."
"You've taken the Logia Wood-Wood Fruit to an entirely different level."
"Hahaha!" Hashirama laughed heartily, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, stop it! You're plenty strong yourself!"
"You're one of the strongest opponents I've faced, second only to Madara! It's been so long since I've had such an exciting fight. That was fun!"
"C'mon, let's grab a drink! I like you—seems like we'll get along just fine," Hashirama said cheerfully, throwing an arm around Rayleigh's shoulders and leading him back to where Kaito and the others were waiting.
Watching Hashirama, Rayleigh couldn't help but chuckle.
Hashirama reminded him a bit of Roger—both were straightforward, carefree, and brimming with charisma.
There was a kind of unpolished wisdom hidden beneath their hearty, almost reckless demeanor.
"Kaito, bring out some good food and drinks to welcome and thank Brother Rayleigh! I like this guy!" Hashirama called out, laughing as he patted Rayleigh's shoulder.
"Alright, alright," Kaito replied, amused, nodding as he pulled out a large table, chairs, and dishes from his storage space.
Soon, the group sat down to a feast of steaming hot food and fine wine, enjoying the camaraderie.
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Yo~ my new fanfic is out and I really highly recommend it. it's from the same author (finished book) but much better in my opinion, especially the comedy, fights and no-made techniques there.
Check: Pick Your Renzo Across the Multiverse