Chapter 8 — Konoha Marine Operations Division
Amid an intense discussion
(or rather, Sengoku talking nonstop while Uchiha Madara nodded from time to time),
Madara simply laid out a framework—the same one he and Hashirama had once decided on together back in the Naruto world. As for all the finer details, he ignored them completely and let the animated Sengoku fill them in.
The Marines would provide the initial site for Konoha Village at: Marine Headquarters, former Marine Recruit Training Camp grounds.
As for personnel selection, the First Hokage of Konoha, Uchiha Madara, would be free to choose one person from each Marine training class.
The Marines would not provide Konoha Village with any funding. All future development funds for Konoha Village would be borne by Konoha itself.
(Note: for designated pirate-target assassination personnel, the commission would be based on 120% of the target's bounty.)
Uchiha Madara also gave up on Konoha's former self-contained political structure from his old world, instead choosing a development policy centered on quality over quantity.
In the end, Marine Fleet Admiral candidate Sengoku and the Marines' first official partner organization, Konoha Village under Hokage Uchiha Madara, reached a mutually beneficial strategic agreement.
At the same time, Sengoku immediately drafted Konoha Village's very first commission as the Marines' number one partner:
Assist Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral-level combatant Zephyr in maintaining order during the execution of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
(In truth, they were still being monitored by the two of them.)
"Hahahahaha, Brother Madara, welcome to the Marines! From now on, we're on the same side!"
Garp once again laughed loudly while slapping Madara on the shoulder.
In Garp's eyes, Madara had agreed to join the Marines—he was just being a bit tsundere about it.
Everyone was quite happy with how things had turned out that night. Madara had found himself a temporary goal, while Sengoku was delighted that a major combat force like Uchiha Madara had joined the Marines, this great family of justice.
Late that night, Gion, under the excuse of "discussing battle plans," tried to invite Sengoku out—and failed. Sengoku rejected her with righteous firmness.
The little brat Gion stared in disbelief at old geezer Sengoku, who had clearly given up on her apprenticeship scheme, looking utterly betrayed.
The agreement between Sengoku and Gion had been to maintain a good relationship between Uchiha Madara and the Marines. But now that he was already one of their own, what relationship was there left to maintain? As for helping some little brat successfully become his disciple and take revenge on Uchiha Madara—that had long since been thrown to the back of Sengoku's mind.
Garp and Zephyr were also dragged in, and the four of them talked around the campfire through the entire night.
Meanwhile, the little brat—instantly experiencing the pain of universal betrayal—lay awake the whole night in rage. The next morning, she could only go out on duty with two enormous dark circles under her eyes.
What Sengoku didn't know was that under her pillow, Gion had written a full two pages of complaint letters meant for Vice Admiral Tsuru.
...
Year 1499 of the Sea Circle Calendar, on the eve of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's execution.
Garp, Zephyr, and Madara were assigned to the outer perimeter of the execution plaza.
Uchiha Madara was extremely interested in this so-called Pirate King, but from where the three of them were positioned, they could only see Roger entering the square—they would not be able to see the actual execution itself.
With a crack, Uchiha Madara casually crushed to death a pirate who had come to sabotage the execution, then said to Garp and Zephyr,
"Do you two want to go watch Roger's execution ceremony?"
After punching some nameless low-level pirate flying, Garp picked his nose and replied,
"That's my old friend. If you weren't here, I definitely would've found a hidden spot to send him off one last time."
Zephyr, however, said he didn't care either way. He didn't have the same special feelings toward Roger that Garp did. To him, Roger was still just a pirate.
"Two votes in favor, one abstention. Let's go have a look."
Uchiha Madara turned and started heading toward the execution ground, only for Garp to stop him.
"Abandoning our post is a serious crime. Sengoku will kill me."
Madara's lips curled upward.
"Who said the three of us were abandoning our posts?"
He immediately pulled the two of them into the shadows, formed a seal with one hand, and split off three clones. One transformed into Garp, one transformed into Zephyr, and the two disguised clones returned to their original positions.
Garp stared in astonishment, laughing as he marveled at it.
"Brother Madara, that ability of yours is way too convenient! Hahahahahahaha! Come on, come on—let's go. We'll come right back after watching it. Don't give Sengoku the chance to notice."
"Yo~ Master! That makes three votes in favor~"
The moment he heard that voice, Uchiha Madara immediately had a bad feeling.
Looking up, he saw Gion peeking at them from the second floor, and for a moment, the pressure on him skyrocketed.
"Hehehe~ Master, look at my Will of Fire!!!"
With that, Gion leapt down with a shout of "Will of Fire" and landed directly on Uchiha Madara's shoulders.
Madara froze instantly.
He, Uchiha Madara, the Asura of the Shinobi World, lifelong enemy of the God of Shinobi, mastermind behind the Fourth Great Ninja War, the greatest ambition-driven man in the ninja world—he had experienced countless things in his life.
But this?
This, he truly had never experienced before.
For someone so terrifying that people could barely urinate if he so much as stood behind them, let alone some brat climbing right onto his shoulders—
Uchiha Madara's entire body began trembling at a speed visible to the naked eye. Terrifying killing intent and pressure burst wildly from him. Countless times he wanted to reach out and crush this tiny worm that dared humiliate him so thoroughly, and countless times he forcibly suppressed that urge.
In his heart, Madara kept chanting to himself:
I've already died several times. Stay calm, stay calm. This brat is half a benefactor. Can't kill her, can't kill her.
Garp and Zephyr watched in alarm.
If this monster really lost control, the two of us together probably couldn't hold him down.
You little brat, how dare you?!
Completely unaware that she had spent the last several seconds dancing on the threshold of hell itself, Gion kept swinging her little legs while perched on Madara's neck.
"Woohoo~ Hyah, hyah, hyah! Let's go!!!"
Madara's body moved stiffly, like a rusted machine. With jerky, mechanical motions, he lifted the little brat off his shoulders and placed her back on the ground, then said in a tone even he himself couldn't quite define,
"Walk on your own."
Then he headed straight for the execution ground, forgetting even to hide himself.
At the same time, elsewhere at the venue, Sengoku showed a satisfied and crafty smile as he lowered the binoculars in his hand.
"We've got to win him over!"
Madara and the rest of the group finally arrived inside the execution grounds and found a relatively hidden corner, where they silently waited for the Pirate King to appear.
Because of her height, little Gion couldn't see very clearly. Growing anxious, she once again sprang up onto Uchiha Madara's shoulders.
Madara's body stiffened again—but this time, he did not pull her down.
The solemn sound of horns rang out.
On one side of the plaza, two lines of soldiers carrying the World Government's flag marched out expressionlessly.
And in the middle, under escort, was—
Uchiha Madara's pupils contracted.
No. That was not right.
Not under escort.
A man with that kind of bearing could never carry the aura of a loser.
Standing there, with those two groups on either side of him, it looked less like he was being escorted and more like they were the ones accompanying him—as though he were the final victor of the entire war.
The so-called Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, radiated a presence that deeply captivated Madara.
Madara murmured softly,
"So this is… a king among heroes?"
Roger wore shackles, but to Madara, those restraints felt more like ornaments he had chosen for himself—fitting adornments for a king's final dance upon the stage.
Roger slowly swept his gaze across the entire crowd, as though reviewing his subjects.
At last, his line of sight turned toward Madara's group, and he watched them calmly.
At first, Madara thought Roger was looking at his old friend Garp.
But as that gaze lingered, Uchiha Madara saw it clearly—the pair of eyes fixed tightly on him, and that smile he simply could not ignore.
Madara did not know how to describe Roger's smile.
Bearing? Ambition? Pride?
This so-called pirate possessed every trait of a true king!
Both of them were men who had once stood at the summit.
Madara's summit had been that of a god who covered the heavens with one hand.
Roger, however, was more like a king who possessed the entire world.
Madara could not help but think of the words people used to describe the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger:
"The man who possessed wealth, fame, and power—the man who possessed the whole world, Gol D. Roger!!!"
A smile began to spread across Madara's face without his even noticing.
Unlike Roger's infectious aura of kingship, Madara at that moment was more like an Asura looking down upon the mortal world—arrogant, battle-hungry, and unconsciously revealing a trace of disdain.
This was a collision between the peaks of two different worlds!!!