Malphegor
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HTP: Ch. 22
🕑 Added 2025-05-27 17:59:48 +0000 UTCAt the Marine base, although many of the Marines were absurdly tall and muscular, their physiques were still within Itachi's range of understanding.
But on Whitebeard's side... it truly felt like entering a land of giants.
He finally located the main ship of the Whitebeard Pirates. He leapt lightly from a small boat, transformed into a crow, and silently landed on the deck of the main ship.
The scene before him made him unconsciously hold his breath, Whitebeard, standing at a towering 6.66 meters, had medicine bottles hanging all over his body, looking like a precarious giant tower.
So this is one of the strongest men in this world? Itachi thought silently. The man before him might still be powerful, but he was like the afterglow of a setting sun, brilliant no longer. Looking at the variously shaped members standing beside Whitebeard, he truly felt the vast difference between this world and the shinobi world.
With the arrival of a stranger, the cheerful atmosphere aboard Whitebeard's ship instantly disappeared, though Ace's capture was already weighing on their minds, it had not dampened the joyful spirit of the crew.
This was the cultural difference between the two worlds. If the shinobi world was full of twisted people except Naruto, then the pirate world was full of reckless ones, except for Kuina. They lived freely, died boldly, and even in the face of death, it didn't stop them from drinking heartily and feasting to their hearts' content.
All eyes of the Whitebeard Pirates turned sharply to focus on him. Cloaked in the black robe with red clouds, Itachi wore a cold expression. Though smaller in stature, everyone could tell he was a formidable figure. In an instant, he became the center of attention.
"A Crow-Crow Fruit user? What's your purpose in coming here suddenly?" asked Marco, the First Division Commander with the spiky hairstyle. "This is the Whitebeard Pirates, you know!"
"I'm not a Crow-Crow Fruit user. I'm a ninja from Konoha, here on a mission entrusted to me by Ace," Itachi replied calmly.
As soon as he said this, the ship erupted in commotion. The Whitebeard crew broke into heated discussion.
"A ninja? From Wano? Izou, can all ninjas turn into crows?"
"The ninjas I know can't do that."
"Ace? A mission from Ace? Is he okay!?"
"Hey, you're not a liar, are you? Ace was clearly captured by those Marine bastards."
Whitebeard held his forehead with one hand and waved to silence his sons. He asked with a bit of suspicion, "Then, how can you prove that Ace entrusted this mission to you?"
Itachi proceeded to recount specific pieces of information that Ace had previously given him, enough to temporarily dispel the Whitebeard Pirates' doubts.
"Very well. So, what is that idiot son's request?" Whitebeard asked in a low voice.
"Ace wants you to cancel the plan to rescue him," Itachi replied calmly.
This statement was like a spark igniting a powder keg. Almost instantly, the Whitebeard division commanders were inflamed with anger, surrounding him in a coordinated stance, clearly preparing to take action. At that moment, they all regarded him as a Marine spy trying to deceive them.
If it weren't for Whitebeard stopping them with his gaze and aura, someone would have likely already attacked.
Whitebeard's Observation Haki couldn't sense any malice from Itachi, on the contrary, he clearly sensed goodwill. And indeed... that was something that Ace would say.
"I could never give up on my own son!" he bellowed with a hearty laugh, his voice rumbling like thunder. "Go back!"
"..."
Itachi remained motionless at those words. His Mangekyō Sharingan, shaped like a three-bladed pinwheel, began to rotate and transform. One of his eyes twisted and morphed into a new pattern, four intersecting, blade-like prongs.
Kotoamatsukami.
"If you charge into Marineford to rescue Ace by force, your other sons may die. And he wouldn't want to see such sacrifices. That's the real reason he entrusted me with this mission."
As he continued to speak calmly, Kotoamatsukami quietly activated.
There was no point in trying a normal Mangekyō genjutsu, after all, this man was one of the absolute top powerhouses of this world. He had already confirmed that.
"That's why I call him my idiot son!" Whitebeard roared. "If Ace were standing right here, he'd gladly lay down his life to save his brother!"
Cheers erupted from the crew. Clearly, those words resonated deeply with them. On this ship, everyone was a "family warrior" of the pirate world, willing to give everything for their loved ones.
His grin remained bold and carefree. "This is the Whitebeard Pirates! And I am Whitebeard!"
But… in his eyes, the unwavering conviction from before had faded. Deep within, the fear for his other sons had begun to swell.
Kotoamatsukami had taken effect.
Thank you, Shisui, Itachi silently acknowledged.
The reason he used Kotoamatsukami was simple: from the moment he laid eyes on this so-called strongest man in the world, he had judged Whitebeard to be a man of unbreakable will, someone immune to ordinary persuasion.
As the Third Hokage had said, Mission Objective One was nearly impossible to complete. But as a top ninja bearing the Will of Fire, Itachi had to at least try.
On the other hand, Mission Objective Two was to prevent Whitebeard's death, not merely to protect the life of his client, Ace. That goal would not be easy either.
Based on the intelligence provided by the Third Hokage, if Whitebeard led his crew in a full-on clash with the Marines, Itachi would find it nearly impossible to stop him from dying, especially since Whitebeard himself seemed already prepared for that outcome. And breaking into the Marine prison to rescue Ace directly? That was pure fantasy. Not only were there insurmountable power gaps, but even Ace's exact location was unclear, Ace himself couldn't provide accurate details.
Whitebeard's crew might be the most famous "lords" of this world, but the Marines were several times more powerful. They had at least five individuals of comparable strength to Whitebeard. Moreover, Whitebeard was old, gravely ill, and physically weakened, he had no real chance of winning.
Even with Itachi joining the fray, the situation wouldn't improve much.
Kotoamatsukami was a guiding illusion, one that silently implanted a suggestion into the target's mind, making them believe the thought was their own deepest will.
It was immensely powerful, but at its core, it was still a genjutsu, not some instant-effect supernatural rule. Otherwise, the Hokage would already be Danzō, and Akatsuki's leader would have long since been Itachi.
He planned to subtly continue guiding Whitebeard in the coming days. A few more nudges, and even the heart of the world's strongest man would tilt, then the mission could be completed smoothly.
"Brat! What did you do to me?!" A furious roar exploded.
