— — — — — — —
"Alright! With the Drum Island matter resolved, does anyone else have thoughts?"
Kaito scanned the room, breaking the silence with his question.
Orochimaru, ever pragmatic, spoke up first. "I need to oversee the research division."
"It's a heavy task, so I definitely can't be directly involved in this Four Emperors Crew plan," he said with a serious tone.
"But if you encounter talented researchers over there, make sure to protect and recruit them," he added.
"We could set up a research department in the country established under the Four Emperors Crew plan. Even if they're not bound by your contract, Kaito, they can still work on non-sensitive projects from that world, right?"
"Plus, having a research department there would help you, Kaito, gain recognition and goodwill while making public appearances. Two birds with one stone."
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
"And if you can bring in Vegapunk or Vinsmoke Judge, that'd be even better."
Orochimaru's hunger for top-tier researchers was evident—he wanted the best minds from both worlds under his banner. His own efforts, even with help from the Second Hokage and Kaito's clones, could only cover so much.
Hearing this, Kaito glanced sideways at Orochimaru and replied, "I'll try with Vegapunk after I meet Monkey D. Dragon and contract him."
"As for Vinsmoke Judge, the Millennial Dragon Ninja is already mapping the North Blue. It shouldn't take too long to locate him."
"If Judge cooperates, great. If not..." Kaito smirked. "We'll persuade him until he does."
"You can count me in for that mission!" Orochimaru said, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
Meanwhile, Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori chimed in: "We can't commit much time to this either. At best, call us if you need backup, but leading this effort isn't an option for us."
Their responsibilities in the village were overwhelming, especially with ongoing reforms. On top of that, they were setting up a materials and home furnishings company to create a full-fledged industry.
Fortunately, as their mental energies grew stronger, they could sustain more shadow clones to help. Otherwise, their workload would've been impossible.
"Uh... I don't think I can leave either," Hashirama added hesitantly. "The engineering department is still overloaded. But if I had the chance, I'd much rather join the Four Emperors Crew project!"
"Exploring the pirate world, drinking, eating, and fighting pirates? Way more fun than construction work!"
He sighed dramatically, then turned hopeful eyes to Kaito. "The only downside is that Madara isn't a contract-holder. If he could join, it'd be perfect!"
Kaito shot him down instantly. "Forget it, Hashirama! If you think you can ditch your engineering responsibilities to run around the pirate world, you're dreaming."
"The engineering department can't run without you. Finish the Konoha expansion plan first, and then we'll talk."
"That said, like Mito and my mother, you can show up when needed, acting as muscle for key moments," Kaito added.
"After all, you're currently our strongest fighter. To become an Emperor and claim territory, your strength will be essential."
"Ha ha!" Hashirama laughed bitterly. "I knew it! Fine, fine, as long as I can occasionally visit and spar with pirate-world experts, I'll be satisfied."
Kaito nodded, then added, "But to avoid suspicion, you'll need to leave a Wood Clone stationed with the Four Emperors Crew. It'll throw off enemies if you only appear during critical moments."
"Got it!" Hashirama agreed. "A simple Wood Clone is no problem."
Minato chimed in, "I'd love to participate too, but with my current strength, I'd only be an intern at best in the new world."
"Same here!" Kushina and Mikoto raised their hands enthusiastically.
Kaito pondered for a moment before replying, "Minato, you're better suited for infiltration. I plan to have you go undercover in the Navy later."
"With your charisma and talent, you'd excel there," he said with a grin.
"As for Kushina and Mikoto, you two can join the Four Emperors Crew as training. It'll be a valuable experience."
The trio nodded in agreement, accepting their roles.
Finally, Kaito turned to Koshiro and Sakumo. The two exchanged a glance before Sakumo spoke first.
"I'll join directly. This is a great opportunity to grow and improve my strength."
"I want to challenge the top fighters in the pirate world and push myself further," he added with determination.
Koshiro hesitated but eventually said, "I'd like to join as well. Ever since I was contracted, I've rediscovered my passion and ambition. But if I go, no one will be around to manage the sword dojo."
"Not to mention," he continued, "if my identity is exposed, it could put my family and the dojo at risk."
Kaito grinned, already prepared for this. "Don't worry, Master! The dojo can be managed by Mistress. She's already at the peak of Swordmaster level and keeps improving."
"She's more than capable."
"Plus, with the teleportation and communication features available—"
"You can easily return home every day to take care of any matters, or even just to rest and eat."
"And if your family ever faces an overwhelming enemy, you'd be notified immediately, and others could be called to teleport back and provide support."
"So, honestly, these concerns aren't really concerns at all."
"But if the Four Emperors' crew can have a great swordsman like you joining them, sensei, it would be a game-changer."
"Especially since most of the top-tier combatants are often too busy to stay with the crew on a daily basis, the crew would need you to oversee the larger picture. What do you think?"
In truth, the initial plan was for Koshiro to take charge of this operation.
He was the most suitable candidate at the moment.
Once Rayleigh is recruited, he planned to bring him into the fold as well.
When that happens, imagining Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, or even Shanks seeing Rayleigh making a comeback... it would probably leave them utterly shocked, right?
As for whether this might provoke the World Government?
The target is the Four Emperors already, so who cares?
As long as their strength is sufficient and they don't go digging into the truth of 800 years ago or revealing the secrets of Laugh Tale, the World Government wouldn't overreact.
"Indeed, if Koshiro joins us, then we could exchange swordsmanship techniques every day!" Hatake Sakumo said, his eyes lighting up as he stared at Koshiro eagerly.
He was thrilled at the idea of having Koshiro onboard.
"In that case, I'll agree!" Koshiro smiled and nodded. "If that's how it is, then I'll join!"
"But what's the plan after this?"
"Are we heading straight to the New World?"
"No," Kaito immediately shook his head. "We'll set out from the East Blue and travel as a newly formed pirate crew, fighting our way forward step by step."
"This way, we can challenge various strong fighters, eliminate pirates along the way, build our reputation, and increase our bounties."
"It's also a great opportunity for everyone to grow, isn't it?"
"It's much more practical than suddenly popping up in the New World and fighting for territory out of nowhere."
"At the same time, during this journey, we can try to recruit potential talents or powerful individuals to join us."
"I'll also send a shadow clone with you regularly to stay on the ship."
"This way, I can build rapport with new crew members quickly and contract them as soon as possible!"
"This will solidify and expand the foundation of the Four Emperors' crew."
"We can easily spend a year or two building up to the New World and then claim the Four Emperors' title."
"What do you all think?"
Kaito was confident that with a year or two of growth, Koshiro could break through to the Yonko level.
Sakumo could reach Admiral-level strength, becoming a true sharp blade.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Naori and Uzumaki Mito's powers would also reach the top tiers of the Four Emperors' level.
And as for himself, he was certain he'd reach Admiral-level strength during that time as well.
Tsunade also had a strong chance of stepping into that realm.
If they worked hard enough, they could also gain Rayleigh and Shakky's trust and contract them within this period.
Their collective strength would be transformed completely.
With that, taking over a significant portion of the New World, establishing a nation, and solidifying their position as one of the Four Emperors would be an easy task.
"Sounds good to me!"
"Yeah, it's a solid plan. No objections here!"
"Agreed!"
"Having one to two years to grow and stabilize is the best approach!"
Everyone quickly voiced their approval.
"Alright! Then it's decided!"
"In the early stages, let's have Hashirama as the captain for now, Koshiro-sensei as the vice-captain, and Sakumo as one of the combat captains," Kaito said, nodding with satisfaction.
"No!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hashirama shook his head in opposition.
Hashirama, looking serious, replied, "The captain should be you, Kaito!"
"It'll make it easier for you to win over new crew members, build relationships with them, and contract them quickly."
"It'll also set the stage for you to become the leader of the new country we plan to build, making reforms and gaining the people's favor."
"These things should be decided early on to maximize the benefits."
"Agreed!" Uzumaki Mito nodded, turning to Kaito. "Even though you think your strength isn't quite there yet—"
"Compared to most of the pirates just starting out or even the Supernovas who've already made a name for themselves, your power is already incredible!"
"Plus, since we're planning for the crew to follow the normal growth process, a year or two is more than enough time for you to reach Admiral-level strength!"
"So, the position of captain should go to you."
"Koshiro can remain the vice-captain, and Hashirama can be one of the combat captains."
"When needed, Hashirama can send out wood clones or his real body to fight."
"On regular days, he can focus most of his attention on the engineering department, which is the most suitable role for him."
The others all nodded in agreement after hearing this.
"Kaito, being the captain will make it easier for you to contact the crew, so just agree. You don't even need to appear, as Koshiro can manage things. It's just a title anyway."
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