Reijin's mind was completely occupied with thoughts about the Uchiha clan. If he had known earlier, he would have run away alone instead of bringing so many people along. Now, he had to consider their future and even encourage them to have more children. Being the Uchiha clan leader sure came with all kinds of responsibilities—every aspect required his attention.
Suddenly, there was a buzzing sound as a swarm of insects passed by. A dark shadow formed in front of Reijin; it was Shibi Aburame, who had quickly finished the reconnaissance.
**"Lord Reijin, we've surrounded them."** Shibi Aburame spoke succinctly, waiting for Reijin's next instructions.
**"I'll take a look myself."** Reijin was quite interested in the Little People Kingdom. The world of *One Piece* had all sorts of diverse races, and the Little People were no exception. Despite their tiny size—probably no bigger than the palm of a hand—they possessed incredible strength and astonishing speed. Reijin planned to keep a close eye on this unique race. He wondered if they could be turned into summoning animals. Could a summoning contract be signed with them?
If a contract could be signed, could the same be done with the Fish-Men? Reijin's thoughts began to wander. What about Zoan-type Devil Fruit users? They could be considered summoning animals too, right? Riding a dragon... well, maybe not Kaido. By the time Reijin could ride Kaido, he would already have conquered the world.
But what about Vegapunk's replica of the Azure Dragon Fruit? Though, a pink dragon isn't exactly imposing. This was a problem. Moreover, there were several Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits. It seemed like there was plenty of room for selection—perhaps a fox or a pegasus?
Ahem! Reijin had just arrived in the world of *One Piece*, and he was already thinking about getting his hands on a couple of Mythical Zoan Fruits. But his thoughts were too ambitious; he hadn't even established a base for the Uchiha yet. He couldn't just lead the entire clan to sea and become pirates.
Reijin wasn't entirely opposed to becoming a pirate. After all, as ninjas, their hands had been stained with blood from a young age. Their sense of morality was not so clear-cut. In the ninja world, they were, to put it bluntly, mercenaries and assassins. So, living as pirates, with a life of licking the knife's edge, wouldn't be something they'd shy away from. However, Reijin was more interested in building a foundation, establishing a stable base for the Uchiha in the world of *One Piece*.
**"We are the allies of Donquixote Doflamingo, the king of Dressrosa. What are you planning to do?"** A frail voice came from not far away. Uchiha Izumi was holding an old man by the hand. After using force to intimidate a few members of the Little People Kingdom, some of them caved in and revealed his identity. This confirmed to Izumi that the old man in her grasp was indeed the former king of the Tontatta Kingdom.
This old man had no combat power and was easily captured by Uchiha Izumi. Although some of the Little People had fighting capabilities, they were no match for the Sharingan, merely ants in its presence.
**"Leave this to me,"** Reijin said, taking the king of the Little People from Uchiha Izumi. He was very interested in this little creature. Although it didn't appear often, its lecherous nature was well-known—a trait commonly seen in many characters in *One Piece*.
**"Hey, hey!"** The old man nearly popped his eyes out as Reijin's grip tightened, almost crushing him. **"I remember the royal family of Dressrosa should be the Riku family, right? When did Dressrosa change kings?"** Reijin asked, holding King Gancho of the Tontatta Kingdom in his hand.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! It was a year ago when King Riku of Dressrosa went mad and started slaughtering innocent civilians!" Gancho, the king of the Tontatta Kingdom, squirmed in Reijin's grip as he explained frantically. "He lost his right to be king long ago! It was Donquixote Doflamingo, with his remarkable talents, who took advantage of the situation and dealt with Riku's remnants. With the support of the people, he became the new king of Dressrosa. Moreover, Donquixote Doflamingo is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. You'd better let me go quickly, or you'll be in big trouble."
The more Gancho struggled and spoke, the tighter Reijin's grip became. He was genuinely terrified that this human might accidentally crush him.
"A year ago? I didn't expect that the events happened just a year ago," Reijin mused. "So Doflamingo is still a Warlord of the Sea? This is quite the opportunity!" Reijin's face lit up with excitement as he burst into laughter, releasing Gancho in the process.
Reijin's mood had improved significantly. He had been worrying about finding a place for the Uchiha clan to settle, but now Dressrosa seemed like the perfect option. If Dressrosa had already changed kings once, what harm would it do to change kings again?
The key to overthrowing Doflamingo lay with his subordinates, particularly with Sugar, the user of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit. She was the real mastermind behind Doflamingo's control over Dressrosa. Sugar had turned all those loyal to King Riku and those who knew the truth about Doflamingo's reign into toys. This was Doflamingo's most glaring weakness. Once the truth about what Doflamingo had done was exposed, his reputation would plummet, and the Riku family would regain their honor.
Others might not know much about Doflamingo, but Reijin knew everything. The man had a mountain of dark secrets buried in his toy factory.
"Lord Reijin?" Uchiha Izumi asked, worried by Reijin's sudden outburst of laughter.
"It's nothing! Just make sure no one leaves the Little People's Kingdom. The Aburame clan will be in charge of managing them. You should get along well with the Little People," Reijin instructed, glancing at Shibi Aburame. He had just assigned the territory, an island adjacent to Dressrosa, to the Aburame clan. It was an important location, and while others might not be interested, the Aburame clan certainly was. The island, still in its natural state, would be an ideal home for them.
"Understood! The Aburame clan will defend this place with our lives," Shibi Aburame replied calmly, though his expression grew more serious as he adjusted his glasses.
Reijin returned to the camp where the rest of his people were settled. They had plenty of food and fresh water, so there was no need to worry about supplies for now. The island also had abundant natural resources and wildlife, allowing them to hunt if necessary. They could stay here for quite some time.
For now, with nothing urgent to address, Reijin decided not to give any new orders. "Kabuto!" he called out to Yakushi Kabuto, who was sitting alone not far away.
The children from the orphanage had not yet been released from Reijin's Kamui dimension. Without a stable base, it wasn't safe to bring them out.
"Lord Reijin!" Kabuto responded, approaching Reijin.
"It's time for you to leave. You're heading to the Navy," Reijin said directly.
"The Navy?" Kabuto murmured, surprised by the command. He had only recently reunited with his mentor, and the thought of separating again so soon made him uneasy.
"Nonō Yakushi will join the Navy with you, so you don't have to worry about being separated," Reijin reassured him. "Kabuto, your talent is far greater than you realize. In the Navy, you'll have the chance to fully develop your potential. There's a scientist there, said to be five hundred years ahead of humanity in terms of technology. That's the kind of environment you need to grow. It's the perfect place for you to thrive."
Reijin had noticed Kabuto's hesitation, so he decided not to keep Nonō Yakushi by his side. He had always planned to send both of them to the Navy. Once there, they would have clean identities with minimal background information. With their skills, they could easily create convincing false records while at sea. Having just arrived in the world of One Piece, their identities were still under wraps, making it the perfect time to infiltrate the Navy. Once they overthrew Dressrosa, their identities might be exposed, making it much harder to join the Navy.
(End of Chapter)