Chapter 296: The Meaning of Ace's Existence

(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)

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"Gods?!"

Almost simultaneously, several different voices reacted in shock.

"Um, yes, the Uchiha clan has a special bloodline limit related to the gods, and almost everyone is a genius."

Naruto was taken aback by their reaction but said all he could.

"You mean, the Uchiha family is related to the Celestial Dragons?" Garp asked suddenly.

In this world, mentioning a God was not a positive thing.

Instead, it evokes deep hatred because the Celestial Dragons have always claimed to be descendants of God. And thus, gods themselves.

Celestial Dragons were known for displaying arrogance and dominance, and they didn't even understand what fear was, even under threat, they would still wonder why you weren't listening to their orders and cowering before them.

However, a ruthless individual had appeared once at God's Valley and was intent on exterminating the Celestial Dragons.

That ruthless figure was known as Rocks. But he was stopped.

"Sasuke has nothing to do with that bunch of trash!"

Naruto immediately displayed a disgusted expression; the Celestial Dragons were ten thousand times more detestable than the most despised ninja nobles.

"Sasuke is a true descendant of the Gods, a descendant of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths!"

Naruto didn't mention his own identity because he always believed he simply was different.

Unlike the Senju and Uchiha, he didn't consider himself a true direct bloodline descendant.

The Senju descended from Asura, and the Uchiha descended from Indra.

Sasuke was an Uchiha, but Naruto was not a Senju.

Sengoku breathed a sigh of relief; he had been nervous just moments before.

Seeing Naruto's fervent declaration, he had thought that Uchiha Sasuke was a Celestial Dragons' successor, but now it seemed he was overthinking it.

'This Sage of Six Paths and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya seems to be nothing more than myths and tales fabricated and believed in by the Uchiha clan to elevate their status.

"Well, there is no need to discuss this issue anymore."

Sengoku interrupted the discussion and steered the topic back on track.

"The most important thing right now is to catch Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Sengoku, have you lost your mind?" Garp looked at his old friend in surprise.

"You want to send people to the New World to capture someone strong enough to defeat Aokiji? Is this an attempt to start a war?"

Sengoku's face flushed at the words.

Although it was true, did Garp really need to be so blunt?

The New World was a very special place.

Its natural environment was infinitely harsher than the first half of the Grand Line; even a pirate with a bounty in the hundreds of millions can perish if they're not careful.

Moreover, there were too many strong players in the New World.

After the selection in the Four Seas and elimination rounds in the first half of the Grand Line, none who reached the New World were mediocre.

You'd even encounter people who can use Conqueror's Haki more frequently.

The Four Emperors control the New World, while other great pirates roam among them.

Every day, strong individuals fall, and new ones rise.

Yet, they all share a common enemy: the Marines.

Whenever the Marines appear, even warring parties pause to attack them.

The New World was a paradise for powerful pirates, and the Marines were not permitted to intervene.

With justice in mind, Sengoku was naturally unwilling to accept such a situation, but there was little he could do.

Though the Marines were the most powerful force at sea, they could not face the multiple Four Emperors' groups and countless big pirates simultaneously.

Due to pressure from various factions over the years, there were only a few Marine bases firmly established in the New World.

Their purpose was merely to detect the Four Emperors' movements at sea, avoiding direct conflict with them.

Thus, what Sengoku just suggested about sending people to the New World to arrest Sasuke and Ace was nothing more than a fantasy.

Not to mention that at least two Admirals would need to be dispatched to capture Sasuke.

But as soon as the other Four Emperors' pirates caught wind of their movements, a massive battle could break out at any moment.

For two newcomers, it simply wasn't worth the risk.

After much deliberation, Sengoku opted for the most sensible strategy.

"Keep a close watch on Uchiha Sasuke and Portgas D. Ace, and if possible, lead them into conflict with the Four Emperors."

This was a strategy of watching from the sidelines.

"I can't deal with you; someone else can."

As long as Ace and Sasuke had dreams, they would inevitably clash with the Four Emperors.

In that case, whether they won or lost wouldn't matter much to the Marines.

"Sengoku, you are so shameless!" Garp stuffed a senbei into his mouth, mumbling and cursing.

"Resourceful General my ass..."

"Bastard Garp, this is all your fault! You still have the face to accuse me!" Sengoku's cap flew off in anger.

"You will go guard the G5 branch for half a year and you aren't allowed to leave without orders!"

This time, he was genuinely furious; the Garp family was a huge pain in his ass!

"Sengoku, you..."

"Shut up! Say one more word, and I'll add another month!"

"Damn it, Sengoku... you are abusing your power!"

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Sasuke and Ace were unaware of what transpired at the Marine Headquarters, but a smile graced Sasuke's lips.

He felt pretty good.

Aokiji was still a qualified opponent, dissipating much of the depression in his heart.

The rest of his focus was on joining the Whitebeard Pirates.

Thinking of this, he glanced at Ace, who was bickering with his crewmates.

With Ace's strength, it was undoubtedly impossible to defeat Whitebeard, who was stronger than Aokiji.

But at that point, the two were destined to part ways…

With Sasuke's help, Ace would definitely be safe.

Without him, it would be challenging for him to survive in the New World in the future.

That being said, based on the friendship developed during this time, Sasuke felt it was better to pay more attention to Ace.

Feeling Sasuke's gaze, Ace turned his head curiously.

"What's the matter, Sasuke?"

"It's nothing. Do you really want to challenge your limits?"

Upon hearing Sasuke's words, Ace was slightly taken aback, then nodded emphatically.

"No matter how strong he is, I will do my best to defeat him. This is the value of my existence!"

When saying this, Ace showed no hesitation, embodying the determination to fight for his life.

At that moment, Sasuke could sense that something must have prompted Ace to challenge Whitebeard, yet it felt like an imposition by others.

It seemed that without this goal, Ace's life would become aimless.

Defeating Whitebeard and becoming the Pirate King was the meaning of his existence.

He was mired in confusion and needed to prove his existence.

For the first time, Sasuke wanted to ask Colt if he knew what was going on with Ace.