Chapter 119: A New Summoning!
[New World - The Sea of Storms]
The weather in the New World obeyed no laws of meteorology. It obeyed only the chaotic will of the ocean itself.
The sky had turned a bruised, violent purple. The wind didn't just blow; it screamed, tearing at the surface of the sea with invisible claws. Waves, towering like mountain ranges made of dark water, crashed against each other with the force of colliding islands.
Dark clouds hung low, heavy with malice, as if trying to crush the ship below. Raindrops the size of grapes fell densely, hitting the steel deck like a barrage of bullets.
TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The sound was deafening.
This was a storm that would have snapped the masts of a standard galleon like twigs. It was the kind of weather that swallowed pirate crews whole and left no trace.
However, the heavy cruiser Pola cut through the chaos with insulting stability.
Its massive steel hull, weighing over ten thousand tons, plowed through the giant waves without faltering. The advanced gyroscopic stabilizers hummed deep within the ship, counteracting the roll of the ocean.
Inside the bridge, a cup of coffee sitting on the console didn't even ripple.
On the sheltered parts of the deck, the thirty-odd members of the Inuarashi Musketeer Squad and the Guardians were clinging tightly to the railings. Their fur was soaked, their ears flattened against their heads, and their faces were filled with a mixture of primal terror and technological awe.
"Wow! So amazing! This ship is invincible!"
Carrot's eyes gleamed, her rabbit ears twitching. She looked over the side as a massive wave smashed harmlessly against the armor belt, turning into white foam.
"The waves are huge, garu, but we aren't even tilting! It's like standing on land! As expected of Lord Suzaku's ship!"
Master Nekomamushi was also full of admiration, though he tried to hide it behind a wide grin.
He had traveled the four seas with Roger and Whitebeard. He had seen the Oro Jackson ride the Knock Up Stream. But never in his life had he seen a ship sail so smoothly in weather that would make a fish seasick.
"Gahahahaha!" Nekomamushi patted his plump belly, the sound wet and heavy. "This is sorcery! Even Kaido's ships aren't this stable! We could have a feast in the middle of a hurricane!"
Sicilian, the lion Mink, usually so brave and loud, was now staring wide-eyed at the automated turrets that tracked the storm clouds, preparing to shoot down lightning bolts if they got too close.
"Technology..." Sicilian whispered, clutching his sword. "This is the power of the outside world. It defies nature."
"Of course it's amazing!"
A clear, haughty voice rang out, cutting through the roar of the storm.
Nami walked up to the Mink Tribe members. She wore a bright yellow raincoat, her hands on her hips, her expression showing unconcealed pride and authority.
With the Pola bustling with new subordinates, Nami was finally no longer the "underling" laborer. She wasn't just the Navigator; she was an Executive of an Emperor-level crew.
And these newly boarded Mink Tribe members—warriors who could crush boulders with their bare hands—were, hierarchically speaking, her juniors.
This realization allowed her to rediscover the long-lost feeling of leadership.
"Listen up, rookies!" Nami declared, pointing a thumb at the bridge tower.
"This ship is controlled by our amazing Sister Pola! She isn't just a ship; she's a living weapon! With Pola here, even the biggest storms are like child's play! You're safer here than in your own beds!"
She tapped the steel deck with her heel. Clang.
"So stop clinging to the rails like scared kittens! And don't clutter the walkways! And absolutely no shedding wet fur in the ventilation system! Do you hear me?"
Pola, the ship girl avatar, poked half her body out of the cockpit window. She gave a shy smile at Nami's praise, her purple hair damp with mist.
"Thank you, Nami-san! I'm doing my best! Stabilizers at 95%!"
She was indeed the soul of the Pola. Her consciousness was the ship. Every bolt, every wire, every engine was an extension of her body.
Nami enjoyed the worshipful gazes of the Mink Tribe. Even the fierce Sicilian nodded respectfully at her. She flipped her hair and walked away contentedly.
Hmm, not bad, not bad! Nami thought, grinning. This feeling of power is great! Maybe I should start charging them a boarding fee.
She hummed a tune and walked to the aft deck, where a completely different scene was unfolding.
It was a scene of silent, stubborn war against nature.
Uchiha Madara and Ulquiorra Cifer—two powerhouses whose very existence clashed with the physics of the world—were sitting idly by the ship's rail.
They were fishing. In a hurricane.
The storm seemed to have no effect on them. An invisible barrier of Chakra and Reiatsu kept the rain off their skin, creating a dry bubble around them. Even their dangling fishing lines were not disturbed by the wind and waves, hanging perfectly straight due to unnatural control.
Twitch.
Ulquiorra's fishing rod trembled.
He expressionlessly reeled it in. The movement was efficient, devoid of excitement or joy.
A strange, bioluminescent deep-sea fish, confused by the storm, was pulled from the water. It had three eyes and glowing fins.
Ulquiorra unhooked it with surgical precision and tossed it into the wooden bucket beside him.
"Target captured," Ulquiorra noted flatly. "Species unknown. Edible rating: Probable."
In contrast, Madara's fishing rod was like a divine needle stabilizing the sea. It was completely motionless.
Not a nibble. Not a touch. Not even a confused plankton bumped into his hook.
Madara's face grew darker with every second.
From initial slight displeasure, to later livid frustration, and now... his expression had merged with the word 'gloomy'. The Sharingan spinning in his eyes seemed to be trying to cast a genjutsu on the ocean itself.
Why?
Madara thought, his grip on the rod cracking the wood slightly.
Why do they choose him? I have superior bait. I have superior patience. I am Uchiha Madara!
He glared at the water.
Do fish fear my Chakra? Do they sense my killing intent? Should I suppress it further? Or should I just burn the water until it evaporates?
"Hmph!"
He snorted heavily. He abruptly reeled in his fishing rod, hoping for a miracle catch that he hadn't felt.
He pulled up... a piece of wet, slimy seaweed.
The seaweed flopped onto the deck mockingly.
Madara stared at it. He angrily flung the fishing rod back into the sea. He stood up, his gaze fixed on the water as if he were about to launch a Majestic Destroyer Flame to boil the ocean and force the fish to float belly-up in surrender.
"This ocean," Madara growled, "lacks respect."
[The Training Room - Deep Inside the Hull]
The instigator of all this, Suzaku, was currently holed up in the reinforced training room inside the ship's hull.
The room was spacious, walled with reinforced steel capable of withstanding bombardment. In the center stood the massive red Road Poneglyph, looking out of place in the modern setting.
Suzaku was punching it.
"Hah!"
BAM!
"Hmph!"
THUD!
Each punch he threw came with a whooshing sound of displaced air. His fists were coated in high-density Advanced Armament Haki (Ryou). The black coating flowed like liquid metal over his skin.
He wasn't just hitting it; he was trying to penetrate it. He was trying to send his Haki inside the stone to destroy it from within, the same technique used to break collars or damage internal organs.
The collision with the indestructible stone produced dull, heavy thuds that vibrated through his bones and shook the floor.
However, even with his current strength—strength that could fight Garp to a standstill—he could only leave some extremely tiny, temporary marks on this "sandbag." The ancient stone absorbed the force perfectly, dispersing it into nothingness.
"Hiss... It's been five minutes..."
Suzaku stopped, shaking his arm. He winced slightly. His knuckles were red and throbbing.
He looked at the still undamaged red giant stone. It seemed to mock him with its permanence.
"Punching this thing is too tiring," he complained, wiping sweat from his brow with a towel. "It has no give. It's harder than Seastone. Harder than Diamond. It's like punching a concept of 'stubbornness'. I need to balance work and rest!"
He yawned, stretching his arms until his spine cracked.
"Training complete for the day. I need fresh air."
He grabbed a bottle of water, downed it, and swaggered out of the training room.
He aimlessly wandered around the cabin for a bit, checking on the Minks who were marveling at the electric lights ("It's trapped lightning!"), before heading to the aft deck.
As soon as he opened the door, the wind hit him. But he ignored it.
He immediately spotted Uchiha Madara's dark face. The aura of depression coming off the ninja was palpable, almost visible as a dark cloud over his head.
"Hey! Madara!" Suzaku called out cheerfully, shielding his eyes from the rain. "Still fishing?"
Suzaku enthusiastically approached. He peeked into Ulquiorra's bucket. It was full of exotic, wriggling fish.
"Oho! Nice haul, Ulquiorra! Sashimi tonight!"
Then he looked at Madara's bucket.
It was empty. Except for the sad piece of seaweed.
"Pfft!"
Suzaku couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Oh my, oh my! It seems your fishing skills still need some practice, Ghost of the Uchiha! No worries! I'll teach you when I'm free! Or maybe you can ask Ulquiorra for lessons! He seems to be the master here!"
Madara's mouth twitched twice. A visible "vein" mark appeared on his forehead. His Sharingan spun faster, red light glowing in the gloom.
"Shut up, brat," Madara growled. "The fish in this era are foolish. They do not recognize quality bait. They prefer the simple offerings of the hollow one."
Just then.
DING!
The System Panel suddenly flashed in Suzaku's mind, overlaying his vision.
[System Notification]
[Bond Event Triggered!]
[Subordinate: Uchiha Madara]
[Favorability has reached: 'Sworn Friend' (Rival)]
Suzaku blinked. Sworn Friend?
Why? Because they bonded over fishing failures? Because Suzaku treated him like a person and not a myth? Or because Madara finally respected his strength after the sparring match? Or perhaps Madara simply enjoyed having someone who wasn't afraid of him.
It didn't matter. The reward was what mattered.
[Reward: 1x Item Card - 'Contract of Universal Attraction']
Suzaku's eyes lit up.
Universal Attraction?
He quickly checked the description.
[Contract of Universal Attraction]
(Description: A special summoning card. It does not summon a random entity. It summons a character who shares a deep, karmic bond with a current subordinate. The gravity of fate pulls them together across dimensions.)
Suzaku looked at Madara.
A bond... with Madara?
There was only one person who fit that description perfectly. Only one soul that weighed equal to the Ghost of the Uchiha. Only one man who could make Madara smile and rage at the same time.
The God of Shinobi.
A mischievous, excited grin spread across Suzaku's face.
"Madara! Quick! Stop fishing!"
Suzaku instantly became energetic. He grabbed Madara's armored arm, pulling and dragging him toward the lookout tower on the ship's highest platform, away from the prying eyes of the Minks and the crew.
"Hey! Let go!" Madara protested, trying to shake him off, but he let himself be dragged. "What is this about? Are we fighting again?"
"I have something good! You'll definitely like it! It's better than a fish! It's better than a fight!"
They climbed the stairs to the crow's nest. The rain lashed against the windows, but inside it was dry and quiet.
Madara looked impatient. He glanced back at Ulquiorra, who was still fishing successfully, and scowled.
"What good thing?" Madara asked grumpily, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "If you're talking about a new rod or bait that actually works, I might consider listening. Or perhaps a Jutsu to boil the ocean?"
"What's fishing compared to this!"
Suzaku smiled mysteriously.
He reached into his inventory and pulled out the card.
He held up the golden card—the [Contract of Universal Attraction]. It glowed with a warm, wood-scented light that seemed to pulse with life energy.
"See this? This is a miracle."
"A card?" Madara raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "What does it do? Explode?"
"This card," Suzaku explained, his eyes twinkling with anticipation, "its effect is that it can summon someone connected to you with a bond. A deep, unbreakable bond."
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Who do you think it will summon, Madara?"
Madara stared at the card.
"Is it a clansman you know? Your brother, Izuna?"
Madara froze. The name of his beloved brother hung in the air. His expression softened for a fraction of a second.
"Or..." Suzaku whispered, watching Madara's reaction closely.
"...is it that guy? The one you hate? The one you admire? The one you built a village with?"
"Hashirama Senju?"
Madara's eyes widened. His breath hitched.
He looked at the card, then at Suzaku. A complex mix of emotions—denial, hope, and rivalry—flashed across his face.
"Hashirama...?" Madara whispered.
Suzaku grinned, flipping the card between his fingers.
"Well? Shall we find out?"
[Akarin Note:
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