NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26: Skypiea
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[Mission Reward: Mangekyō Sharingan]
"Just as I expected"
Kitaro had begun to understand the mechanics of the system. It appeared that as long as he did something beneficial for the Uchiha clan, new missions could be triggered. And thanks to his recent efforts, he had already unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Though he had only reached the level of Mangekyō Sharingan, he was already thinking ahead. Achieving the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan would normally require transplanting another person's Mangekyō, preferably a sibling's to increase the success rate. Unfortunately, Kitaro had no siblings, so that option was out of reach.
But Kitaro wasn't too concerned. After all, he had already overcome the notorious side effect of blindness from overusing the Mangekyō Sharingan. As far as he was concerned, a Mangekyō Sharingan without side effects was nearly as powerful as the Eternal variant. Still, his pupil power could be further enhanced, and the stronger his Sharingan, the more powerful and sustainable his techniques would become. The future system rewards excited him—he wondered if he might even be directly granted the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
As for the Rinnegan, it would be a nice bonus if it came, but he wasn't in a rush to get it. He had his own plans.
Anyway there is a good snake-scientest waiting for him in the ninja world to visit him soon to solve any future possible problems.
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After returning to the Uchiha clan, Kitaro shared the news of their alliance with Amazon Lily. The reaction was immediate—many of the clan's men, especially those of marriageable age, were thrilled. For the men of the Uchiha, the prospect of intermarriage with Amazon Lily, a nation of warrior women, was like a dream come true.
For years, the Uchiha had struggled with a decreasing birth rate. Their clan, once strong, was now facing a crisis. Nearly 90% of Uchiha offspring were male, and less than 10% female.
Marriages with outsiders were their only option for survival, but ever since Danzo had tarnished their reputation, few women from other clans wanted to marry into the Uchiha.
Intermarriage with Amazon Lily offered a glimmer of hope, a way to resolve this demographic crisis.
Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader, was intrigued but cautious. "Kitaro, is this place really filled with gold? Will it be dangerous? Should we send more people?"
Kitaro waved off the concerns. "There's plenty of gold, but Shisui and Itachi will be more than enough for this task. Besides, it's someone else's ship we're using this time. Once we return, I plan to buy a large ship for the Uchiha clan, something we can use as our own transport. It'll make future journeys much easier."
Fugaku nodded. "Thank you for your efforts."
Kitaro smiled. "It's no trouble at all, but clan leader, make sure to supervise the others. Expanding the clan is crucial, and everyone needs to practice diligently. If anyone's not strong enough, I won't allow them on the ship."
He was determined to ensure the success of his mission. Kitaro had a bit of obsessive-compulsive behavior when it came to completing tasks—he always wanted to finish them, no matter how big or small the rewards.
"Understood," Fugaku replied seriously. He had already started teaching the clan the Flame Breathing technique, a method Kitaro had introduced. The technique's potential was incredible, and Fugaku had decreed that it would be passed down through the Uchiha generations, forbidden to outsiders.
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The next morning, Kitaro, along with Shisui and Itachi, boarded the ship of the Kuja Pirates and set sail from Kuja Island. Almost all the citizens came to bid them farewell.
"Hey, it's about time you told us where we're going," Hancock demanded, her arms crossed and her expression haughty as ever.
"Our destination is Jaya Island in the first half of the Grand Line," Kitaro said calmly.
Hancock raised an eyebrow. "Jaya Island?"
Kitaro nodded. "It used to be home to an ancient city called Shandora, known as the City of Gold. The city was built entirely of gold, with mountains of treasure, including a massive golden bell that rang out through the skies."
Marigold, Hancock's younger sister, frowned in disbelief. "Impossible. If such a place existed in the first half of the Grand Line, it would've been plundered long ago."
She had a point. In the current Great Pirates Era, treasures like that wouldn't last long, especially not on the Grand Line where countless pirates roamed in search of fortune.
Kitaro smiled. "It did exist... 400 years ago. But then the entire city disappeared."
"Disappeared? You mean it sank into the sea?" Sandersonia, another crew member, guessed.
Kitaro shook his head. "No, not into the sea—it was launched into the sky."
"The sky?!" Hancock and her crew echoed in disbelief.
Kitaro pointed upwards. "Yes, a massive ocean current sent the island into the clouds. It became a Sky Island."
"Sky Island?!" Even Shisui and Itachi, normally composed, looked surprised at the revelation.
"Yes," Kitaro continued, his voice calm and authoritative, "Sky Island exists within two distinct layers of the sky ocean. The White Sea, is the lower part, sitting at around 7,000 meters above sea level. Above that, at 10,000 meters, lies the White-White Sea, where the real prize is—Skypiea, and other sky islands."
He paused, surveying his audience. "Skypiea holds a lot of gold," he added, his tone laced with a sense of conquest. "It's a place where wealth converge, and it's up to us to take it all."
Hancock furrowed her brow. "How do you even know this?"
"I read about it in an old logbook. Though it's difficult to reach due to its remote location, a few have been there."
"And you're not even a little suspicious that the logbook might be fake?" Hancock asked, still unconvinced.
Kitaro shrugged. "I have my doubts, but... aren't you curious? Now that you know about the possibility of such a treasure, can you really pass up the chance to find it?"
The female pirates exchanged glances. Whether or not the tale was true, the allure of treasure was irresistible. No pirate, not even the Kuja Pirates, could resist the call of gold.
"..." Hancock fell silent, but the gleam in her eyes gave her answer away.
...