Multiverse Mastermind: Starting in Naruto-Chapter 561 - 456: Marinford’s New Generation of Strategists… Unveiled!

Chapter 561: Chapter 456: Marinford’s New Generation of Strategists... Unveiled!

"Bastard, I’ll kill you right now!"

Crocodile roared, almost shouting from his throat, as he swung his Golden Poison Hook, ready to pierce through Uehara Naraku’s body!

Anyone who knows that everything about them is under someone else’s control, that their life is being secretly rewritten by another, would be furious enough to rage!

Just as Crocodile, in his violent anger, was about to pierce Uehara Naraku with the Golden Poison Hook, the eyes of two Navy Admirals flashed!

The next moment, two towering figures acted simultaneously!

On Crocodile’s left, his body was as cold as ice, while on his right, it was as scorching as magma, immediately blocked by the two Admirals!

These are the true Navy Admirals!

The two Navy Admirals unleashed their full aura, their aura was completely different from when they met in Alabasta. Aokiji’s palm was a mass of icy chill, while Akainu’s hand was a mass of magma, instantly striking Crocodile’s body!

The most deadly thing is...

The One-tailed Shukaku inside Crocodile was still suppressing his power!

How was Crocodile supposed to fight like this?

Even fighting desperately felt futile!

Crocodile was knocked back, his body half ice and half magma, causing him to be severely injured by the combined force of the two Admirals!

At this moment, Crocodile truly realized the power of an Admiral, and also realized the restraint the One-tailed Shukaku had on his body!

If it weren’t for the One-tailed Shukaku, he might have been able to resist; now, with the One-tailed Shukaku still trying to occupy his body, he was powerless against an Admiral’s attack!

"Captain Crocodile."

Uehara Naraku walked up to Crocodile, looking at the heavily injured Sand Crocodile, and slowly said, "Do you remember what you once said?"

Uehara Naraku squatted beside Crocodile, looking at the Sand Crocodile with a face full of anger, and smiled, "Don’t be angry now, didn’t you treat all of us from Baroque Works as tools back then?"

Uehara Naraku patted Crocodile’s shoulder and said softly, "You treated me as a tool back then, but I wasn’t angry. I just made you into a tool the same way you did to me, why are you so angry?"

Uehara Naraku slowly continued, "When it comes to being a person... don’t be double-standard. I quite dislike two kinds of people, one is those who have double standards in everything they do; the other is those who won’t let me have double standards."

"..."

Aokiji and Akainu, standing behind Uehara Naraku, were speechless.

Crocodile’s eyes also showed a trace of confusion. What nonsense was this bastard talking about?

However, this did not delay Crocodile’s anger!

After briefly suppressing the power of the One-tailed Shukaku, Crocodile’s hand suddenly transformed into a large blade made of sand, ready to cut down Uehara Naraku in front of him!

"Desert Treasure Saber!"

Bang!

The sand blade in Crocodile’s hand was shattered by a punch from Uehara Naraku!

Uehara Naraku’s hand stopped on Crocodile’s face, a surge of water emerged from his palm, rapidly forming a water ball that enveloped Crocodile’s body!

"This is..."

Crocodile looked in panic at the water ball on his body!

In just a few seconds, the water ball swiftly engulfed Crocodile, causing him to quickly lose his Devil Fruit ability and slowly fall into unconsciousness.

Uehara Naraku looked at the unconscious Crocodile, then slowly released the water ball, softly saying, "Send this guy Crocodile to Impel Down! We’ll have a chance to meet again in the future!"

"Hmm?"

Akainu looked at Uehara Naraku and spoke in a deep voice, "Why keep this guy, Crocodile? He’s already useless, isn’t he?"

"Who knows..."

Uehara Naraku smiled, looking at the Sand Crocodile on the ground, and said softly, "Maybe he’ll still be of some use... I need someone to reveal my identity at a critical moment, don’t I?

I was provoking this guy just now, wanting him to hate me, unknowingly bearing resentment, yet continuing to be my pawn."

"I can’t understand."

Akainu picked up Crocodile by the collar, shook his head, and said, "Shouldn’t someone like Lord Uehara hide their identity at all costs?"

Uehara Naraku smiled, spread his palms, and said, "If I did something bad, but no one knew about it, how could I experience the joy of being a mastermind?"

"...Hmm... Truly a twisted pleasure..."

Aokiji shook his head helplessly, sighed, and said, "But in this case, aren’t you worried about Crocodile leaking this?"

Uehara Naraku waved his hand indifferently, smiled, and said, "This guy still has the One-tailed Shukaku in him, how could he leak anything?"

"..."

Akainu fell silent.

The Admiral remembered the Four-tailed Son Goku inside himself.

Once you become a Jinchuriki, are you forever under the control of the one who can control the Tailed Beasts? Uehara Naraku had no time to bother with Akainu’s thoughts, he was reviewing all the rewards he had received today.

Side quest: Defeat Navy Admiral Akainu (1/1), task completed, reward: 200,000 points of Life Energy, 200,000 points of Armament Haki, 200,000 points of Observation Haki.

The reward for defeating Akainu...

Was actually higher than the reward for defeating Aokiji!

This was really unexpected, was Akainu’s power actually greater than Aokiji’s?

In any case, it was good news for Uehara Naraku, now with two of the Three Great Admirals of the Navy Headquarters under his belt... only the last one remained...

Side quest: Subdue the Three Great Admirals of the Navy Headquarters (2/3), task not completed, reward unknown.

Besides the task to defeat Akainu...

The rewards from Crocodile weren’t low either!

Sub-quest: Foil Crocodile’s conspiracy (1/1), task completed, fixed reward of talent skill Elemental Power (Sand).

This talent skill...

is exactly the ability Uehara Naraku wanted the most!

Besides this, there is also a reward for defeating Crocodile.

Sub-quest: Defeat Crocodile (1/1), task completed, reward of 88,000 points of Life Energy, 88,000 points of Armament Haki, and 88,000 points of Observation Haki.

This is a very auspicious number.

This is also Crocodile’s current bounty.

When Crocodile left Alabasta, his bounty was 830 million Belly, and he caused quite a stir in Water Seven City, increasing his bounty by another 50 million Belly...

"Let’s go!"

Uehara Naraku waved his hand, summoning a stream of yellow sand beneath his feet, lifting them into the air. He asked softly, "You go make your report to Sengoku! By the way, can you help promote me?"

"No."

"No."

The two Navy Admirals rejected Uehara Naraku’s suggestion in unison, and even Akainu explained in a deep voice, "That requires approval from Marshal Sengoku..."

"This matter is negotiable..."

Uehara Naraku sighed softly and said, "When you report, just say I was both brave and resourceful in capturing Crocodile... Maybe not a Vice Admiral of the Navy, but at least a Navy Captain, right? My rank is even lower than Yakushi Kabuto’s!"

"That guy, Kabuto..."

Aokiji hesitated for a moment and said quietly, "Yakushi Kabuto has been promoted to Rear Admiral for his successful negotiation with Hoshigaki Kisame of the Seven Warlords of the Sea..."

This matter is simply absurd when spoken out loud.

Hoshigaki Kisame and Yakushi Kabuto negotiated with each other, resulting in Hoshigaki Kisame becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, while Yakushi Kabuto got a rank promotion...

They’re treating the Navy and World Government like fools!

Unfortunately, Aokiji can’t reveal the truth, so he turns a blind eye.

Akainu’s brows furrowed involuntarily upon hearing this, his expression slightly dark: "Is Yakushi Kabuto truly a member of the Akatsuki?"

Akainu’s expression is subtly unpleasant; he slowly reaches out and covers his hat, saying softly, "That fellow is temporarily with Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tsuru... learning how to be a qualified staff officer and a real sailor!"

That young Rear Admiral!

If Akainu remembers correctly, Marshal Sengoku once praised that young Yakushi Kabuto, saying he was quite intelligent, somewhat like Sengoku was in his youth, and could at least replace Vice Admiral Tsuru’s position and become the Navy’s headquarters staff officer...

After all, Vice Admiral Tsuru is about to turn 72...

And they very much need a new generation of successors...

Yakushi Kabuto is studying at the Navy Headquarters in Marinford, learning the Six Techniques of the Navy to see if he can awaken Dual Haki. He is also an essential talent for the Navy’s future opportunities.

However...

Akainu recalls that Marshal Sengoku mentioned before that Yakushi Kabuto’s parents were both sailors in a remote branch and died while on a mission;

And that fellow named Yakushi Kabuto grew up in the branch base where his parents lived and therefore aspired to become a sailor.

Until that branch base was attacked by a Great Pirate and utterly destroyed, where the sailors of the entire branch base sacrificed themselves heroically to protect him as the only surviving child, giving Yakushi Kabuto a hope to live...

Yakushi Kabuto wandered for years, found another base, and joined the Navy, which also nurtured his wisdom... These facts can indeed be verified; the naval base Yakushi Kabuto mentioned from years ago was indeed wiped out by a Great Pirate.

That Great Pirate’s name is Edward Weevil!

It is precisely because of these tragic experiences...

Years ago, when the vast majority of the young generation of sailors were killed by pirates, leaving the Navy Chief Instructor Zephyr heartbroken upon learning of Yakushi Kabuto’s background.

The former Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, now the Navy Chief Instructor Zephyr, became more lenient towards Yakushi Kabuto, even breaking protocol to take Yakushi Kabuto as his last student...

Because Zephyr’s family was also killed by pirates...

Moreover, Edward Weevil, who destroyed Yakushi Kabuto’s hometown, also killed many of Zephyr’s students and was the culprit for Zephyr’s right arm injury!

Their lives and hatred are remarkably similar.

As Akainu, the senior disciple, he has heard of the young junior master, Yakushi Kabuto, and even occasionally heard Yakushi Kabuto speak eloquently in the meeting room at Marinford.

Yakushi Kabuto’s strategy and wisdom are indeed high.

Even if Yakushi Kabuto’s strength is inadequate, his wisdom will eventually make him a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters!

Absolutely absurd!

Now, among the entire Marinford, Yakushi Kabuto, whom the naval high authority believes could likely be a new generation of intelligent officers, is also under Uehara Naraku’s command!

Isn’t this affair a bit too ridiculous?

This matter is not at all ridiculous.

If Akainu could craft a flawless story like Yakushi Kabuto’s and add a bit of emotional appeal in words, supplementing with the path of justice accepted by everyone, he could also become the new darling of Marinford.

Navy Headquarters, Marinford.

Yakushi Kabuto stopped his training and walked to the side of an azure-haired lovely young girl by the training field, seriously opening his mouth to say, "Ain, why are you here? Does Zephyr Sensei have any affairs?"

"Yes!"

Ain nodded and spoke in a steady voice: "Kabuto... Sensei Zephyr... has an important matter to discuss! You must... be present!"

"I understand."

Rear Admiral Yakushi Kabuto nodded, donned his navy cloak placed aside, adjusted his glasses, and looked at Ain.

"Let’s go, don’t keep Sensei waiting for too long."

During this period, Yakushi Kabuto thoroughly integrated into his role at Marinford, seemingly without any sense of incongruity.