**Chapter 98: Even the Flying Thunder God Couldn't Save Rin**

Uchiha Izumi!

She is Lord Reijin's right-hand and the pride of the Uchiha clan.

One of the only two in the Uchiha clan to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The crowd looked at Uchiha Izumi with excitement in their eyes.

No one expected Uchiha Izumi to appear.

"This girl?"

Zefa's face showed a hint of surprise.

Since arriving in Dressrosa, he had been constantly surprised.

This country kept astonishing him—just how many more prodigies could there be?

Moreover, it seemed that he had never heard Garp mention this little girl before.

"She is the strongest in our Uchiha clan after Lord Reijin! Her name is Uchiha Izumi."

At this moment, Uchiha Tetsuho explained to Zefa.

Zefa was new here, and everyone was unfamiliar to him.

It was the perfect time to introduce everyone.

"Uchiha Izumi!"

Zefa nodded.

Indeed, this girl was no ordinary person.

She was young, but the aura she exuded was formidable.

She had already stepped into the ranks of the strong on the high seas.

One could even feel an unending vitality emanating from her.

Not bad at all—if she doesn't meet an untimely end, she is destined to become a formidable force on the seas.

"Instructor Zefa, since that's the case, let Izumi be your opponent."

"Izumi, aside from using your dōjutsu, feel free to unleash your full strength."

Reijin said with a smile.

Zefa, after all, was known for his mastery of Armament Haki, one of the strongest in the Navy.

Being called "Black Arm" Zefa was no joke.

If he could systematically train these ninjas, they would have no major issues in the future.

Some ninjas who focused on taijutsu would benefit greatly.

As for the Uchiha, merely having a frail Reijin wouldn't be enough in the future.

Although the Uchiha were physically strong compared to most ordinary ninjas, they still fell short of the Senju clan. In the world of pirates, they were considered quite fragile.

While the Sharingan offered great assistance, it still had its limitations.

"Yes!"

Uchiha Izumi stood up, her Mangekyō Sharingan flashing.

After transplanting Hashirama cells, her eyes continuously regenerated every moment.

What had once been near blindness had now been restored to mere nearsightedness.

Given time, her eyes would fully recover to their original state.

Uchiha Izumi also noticed improvements in her chakra and physical strength.

She could now easily master water and earth release ninjutsu.

With a Wood Release scroll, she might even try to learn Wood Release techniques.

"Then I won't hold back either."

Zefa nodded, focusing intently on Uchiha Izumi.

This young girl, called the second strongest in Dressrosa, must have some real skills, so he didn't need to hold back.

The two moved to the training ground, where a 500-meter radius was cleared to give them ample space to fight.

"Boom!"

As the battle began, Uchiha Izumi activated Susano'o.

A crimson figure appeared before Zefa.

Zefa's face showed a look of astonishment.

After all, he had never seen a technique like this before.

He had encountered only a few ninjas, and they were quite unique.

Then Zefa witnessed a barrage of ninjutsu.

With Susano'o as her shield and the Hashirama cells expanding her chakra several times over, Uchiha Izumi could now use various water, earth, and fire release ninjutsu.

Continuous ninjutsu attacks flowed from Uchiha Izumi's hands.

At this moment, Uchiha Izumi completely showed Zefa what a ninja truly was—so different from what he had imagined!

Despite suffering severe injuries, Zefa managed to shatter Uchiha Izumi's skeleton, but the fight was stopped by Reijin because Zefa could only exert 70% of his strength at most.

His old injuries flared up, and he had already lost an arm. Even now, his wounds were still bandaged.

Managing to hold up in a battle was already incredibly difficult for him.

"Kid, was what you said about the arm true?"

Zefa finally asked about the arm.

He couldn't accept that he couldn't even defeat a child.

"Of course, it's true. While it won't be as good as the original, it will still function well."

Reijin nodded and took Zefa to Shizune, where they transplanted a White Zetsu arm onto him.

This arm needed time to grow, and with regular training, it could return to its original level in three to five years.

However, the arm's structure was different from usual, not as strong as the original, but it had the advantage of being replenishable.

They were unsure when Kabuto would return, but when he did, researching White Zetsu cells would likely lead to significant advancements.

The technology in the pirate world might be able to control the erosion of Hashirama cells.

To prevent Zefa from turning into a towering tree, Reijin thoughtfully transplanted a Sharingan into the arm to suppress the Hashirama cells' erosion.

This particular White Zetsu was a special product brought out by Black Zetsu, possessing Wood Release abilities.

Its erosion power was quite strong, so it required the Sharingan for suppression.

Without the Sharingan, Zefa might instantly turn into a tree.

Yet, for some reason, Zefa's body had begun producing chakra.

This surprised Reijin greatly!

This was already an unexpected bonus—a new ninja had been created.

In this past week, Dressrosa continued its construction on the surface.

Meanwhile, the Big Mom Pirates seemed to have quieted down.

They tried sending two invitations to Reijin.

After being refused, they completely fell silent.

However, countless pirates and bounty hunters attempted to infiltrate Dressrosa secretly.

These people had received information from the underworld.

They were here to take revenge on Zefa.

For years, they had been chased by Zefa.

Finally, they found a Navy admiral alone.

Now was the time for their revenge.

They planned to capture Zefa and bring him to the underworld, where they could sell him for a good price.

But as soon as they entered Dressrosa, they were taken away for questioning.

Those who entered the Uchiha Police Force were effectively erased from the world, with no one even remembering their existence.

Only a few tireless toys working on the streets remained.

These were the creations of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit, now under Reijin's control after capturing Sugar.

Given Sugar's age, her loyalty was somewhat unstable, but with a bit of intimidation and temptation, Reijin quickly secured her allegiance.

Dressrosa seemed like a bottomless pit—countless people entered, but none ever left. Although some forgot about its existence, it still raised the alertness of the strong, who no longer harbored any ideas about Dressrosa.

It had become far more terrifying than during Doflamingo's reign.

"Bru… Bru… Bru… Bru..."

Inside the palace, Reijin was enjoying grapes sent by Viola, but was interrupted by a ringing phone.

"This is Kakashi!"

The Den-Den Mushi echoed Kakashi's voice, its appearance resembling Kakashi's signature dead-fish eyes.

This made Reijin sit up straight. Kakashi had left Dressrosa nearly ten days ago.

During this time, there had been no news of Kakashi, as if he had defected.

Reijin was already considering sending people to search the seas, wondering if Kakashi had gotten lost.

"Have you found Jaya Island?"

"Uh, we've arrived at Skypiea. We're currently under the Golden Bell."

"Hmm?"

Reijin was impressed by Kakashi's efficiency.

You could always trust a man with a fifty-fifty chance.

Kakashi becoming Hokage was no accident—he excelled in all areas.

Reijin originally thought he would need to search for the gold, but Kakashi had already completed the task.

What an outstanding employee.

No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi liked Kakashi so much.

"In that case, let Skypiea welcome its new master."

"Prepare the Flying Thunder God mark; I'm ready to use the Flying Thunder Formation."

Reijin said, his Sharingan flashing.

He had expected an invasion of Skypiea, but Kakashi had already infiltrated and was now under the Golden Bell.

"It's already in place."

Kakashi replied.

**Reijin immediately hung up the Den Den Mushi (Transponder Snail) and called in a few people.**

Nara Shikaku hadn't returned yet and was still gathering intelligence on Amazon Lily. 

There weren't many people available here right now, so Reijin temporarily handed over matters to Elder Hoshika. The planning for Dressrosa had long been completed. All that remained was to oversee its implementation.

"Lord Reijin, I want to go with you," said Uchiha Izumi as she saw Reijin preparing to give her some tasks.

There was definitely going to be a battle on Skypiea, and Uchiha Izumi needed to test her strength.

"Dressrosa has too few strong fighters. Someone needs to protect our country. You stay here and guard the place until I return."

Reijin frowned and left Uchiha Izumi behind. Right now, the situation in Dressrosa was quite weak—there weren't many capable fighters left. To be honest, if they all left, there wouldn't be anyone left who could fight. You couldn't rely on Uchiha Tetsuha. Although his Devil Fruit abilities were now well-practiced, Devil Fruits have always been an accessory to the true powerhouses of the sea. If a real powerhouse showed up, a cadre-level fighter would be completely overwhelmed, and the entire place could be wiped out. Reijin didn't want to return to find Dressrosa in ruins.

"Yes!" Uchiha Izumi responded, though she was a bit dissatisfied. How could there not even be one person strong enough to hold the fort? It meant she wouldn't be able to accompany Reijin anymore and would be tied down to Dressrosa. This was not what Uchiha Izumi wanted. If only there were more strong fighters in Dressrosa, she could be free in the future.

"Besides, I'll be back soon. With the Door-Door Fruit, I can return anytime I want."

Reijin patted Izumi's head. Clingy! But that was part of her charm. After all, why didn't she cling to anyone else? But this mischievous thought only lingered in Reijin's mind for a moment.

"Are you guys ready?" Reijin asked as he looked at Shiranui Genma and the others. The Flying Thunder Formation technique was his only means of transportation now.

Reijin handed the Door-Door Fruit to the three of them and let them decide how to distribute it. In the end, the Door-Door Fruit ended up in Shiranui Genma's hands. But the fruit still needed to be used in a specific location; without having been there before, he couldn't open a door. However, with the assistance of the Space-Space Fruit, it would certainly help Shiranui Genma use the Flying Thunder God technique more effectively. The Flying Thunder God technique could now be performed by just one person. However, this time the distance was quite far, and the chakra expenditure was significant. So, he finally decided to use the Flying Thunder Formation technique for the teleportation.

"We're ready. We've already linked to the marker over there, though the distance is a bit far," Shiranui Genma said. They had rarely used the Flying Thunder Formation since mastering it, especially not over such a long distance, so they were a bit uncertain.

"Let's go then!" Reijin stepped forward, and the three instantly stood around him.

"Flying Thunder Formation!"

With a swish, Reijin's figure disappeared from the palace. On the first half of the Grand Line, Kakashi was feeling a bit restless. The few ninjas around him were also showing signs of fatigue. To be honest, they wanted to sit down and rest. After all, they had expended so much energy climbing to Skypiea and finding this place. Now they were almost exhausted, but they didn't dare sit down. After all, they had never been so extravagant in their lives—sitting on gold. They didn't even dare to imagine it. They were wondering if their butts were even worth that much. Even Kakashi, with his usual deadpan expression, was feeling the same way. He had never seen a sight like this before—gold everywhere. If it weren't for their strong ninja resolve, Kakashi would have been tempted to keep it all for himself.

"Swish!"

At that moment, a flickering shadow appeared before them. In just a moment, the figure stabilized. "I never thought I'd see the Flying Thunder God technique in my lifetime! How nostalgic," Kakashi's usually dull eyes showed a bit of life. But when he saw that it was a Flying Thunder Formation composed of three people, he felt a bit emotional. The teacher was indeed the teacher. Minato Namikaze could perform the Flying Thunder God technique alone, but the Flying Thunder Formation technique that the teacher created required three people. It had changed from a flexible, speed-based technique to a strategic ninjutsu.

"Nostalgic? Even if the Flying Thunder God was faster, it couldn't save Rin Nohara and Obito Uchiha, could it? Is this something worth reminiscing about?" Reijin smiled as he looked at Kakashi. The Flying Thunder God technique had caused so much trouble for him, yet he still felt nostalgic. Was he looking for another heart-wrenching experience? He hardly had any friends left, and you couldn't sacrifice Obito again, could you?

". . ." The light in Kakashi's eyes faded, and his face twitched slightly. Could this guy say something nice for a change? He just made a passing comment, and now he was getting serious about it. I'm your employee now, not your enemy's. Can't you tell the difference?

"Sorry! My words were a bit harsh. I'll be more careful next time," Reijin said with a grin as he patted Kakashi on the shoulder. He thought Kakashi would've been used to this by now, but it seemed he was still sensitive about the events of the past.

"Forget it!" Kakashi waved his hand and plopped down on the golden structure. The three who had accompanied Reijin finally noticed their surroundings—bright, shining gold everywhere, almost blinding them. They never imagined they'd see so much gold in their lifetime.

"Shiranui Genma! Can you set a marker to Dressrosa now?" Reijin asked, a bit excited by the sight of so much gold. This large amount of gold could help Dressrosa quickly become one of the world's top nations. Reijin himself could become a real tycoon, second only to the Celestial Dragons.

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