"Sharingan!?"
Seeing the change in Natsuhane's eyes, Johuto Arakai was initially shocked but quickly recovered, sneering:
"So, you're from the Uchiha clan! No wonder you're so powerful..."
The moment the Sharingan appeared, Natsuhane had already cast his genjutsu. However, Johuto Arakai showed no signs of being affected, making Natsuhane regard him with newfound respect.
"Is this... a Shadow Clone?"
"Hahaha, you figured it out!"
Poof!
Johuto Arakai laughed as he transformed into a cloud of white smoke, disappearing completely.
Suddenly, from within the sea, Johuto Arakai's deep, resonant voice echoed, reaching the heavens:
"I am the future leader of the Johuto clan, a warrior who has fought countless battles. I always use a Shadow Clone to test my opponents first. Is that so unreasonable?"
As he spoke, the sky rapidly darkened with storm clouds, and the sea began to churn erratically. Soon, the bald pirates who had been swept into the whirlpool were all pushed back to the shore by the sea.
"Ha... ha..."
Breathing in the fresh air, these once near-death pirates coughed up seawater and greedily gulped for air:
"I thought I was dead for sure!"
"No doubt about it, the man who controls the sea has saved us again!"
"Long live the Young Lord!"
Natsuhane observed this with a slight change in expression.
"So this is the power of the Sea Dragon? Controlling the ocean... impressive. It's not just a boast."
From the current situation, it seemed that the entire sea was under Johuto Arakai's control. His real body was likely hidden somewhere in the ocean.
As a pure-blooded member of the Johuto clan, with gills on his body, Johuto Arakai didn't need to surface for air. Coupled with the vastness of the sea, it was an excellent hiding place for him.
After quickly analyzing the situation, Natsuhane felt a bit of a headache.
"Hmm... This opponent is indeed troublesome. I need to take this more seriously."
Natsuhane walked slowly to the shore, temporarily ignoring the pirates who had regained their lives.
Seeing Natsuhane approach, the pirates, despite their anger, instinctively backed away in fear of him attacking them again.
"Sigh, honestly, it would have been better if you had died earlier. At least there wouldn't have been much suffering..."
"If your lives truly fall into my hands, your future will be filled with unending torment, unable to live or die..."
Natsuhane was well aware of how cruel Orochimaru's experiments were. Coupled with Kabuto's miraculous medical abilities, they could repeatedly experiment on a subject as long as there was a breath left.
It was true torture.
Reflecting on this, Natsuhane realized that Orochimaru's test subjects probably endured more pain than anyone else in the ninja world, even more than Nagato.
Before his fleeting compassion could disappear, Johuto Arakai's loud voice resounded from the sea again:
"Brother, and all of you! I will flood Daikoku Island now. Don't worry, I control the sea, you won't die!"
Upon hearing this, the island's pirates immediately raised their hands in agreement:
"Young Lord, unleash your godlike power! Witnessing your strength again is worth dying for!"
"The Johuto clan, King of the Sea!"
"The Power of the Sea Dragon, King of the Sea!"
The pirates were elated, showing no fear, only reverence and trust in Johuto Arakai.
"Rumble!"
The entire sea began to tremble violently. Soon, the ocean seemed to split open, as if cleaved by an unknown force, and a colossal water dragon emerged from the depths, an awe-inspiring sight.
As the massive water dragon appeared, the pirates' cheers grew louder, while the villagers of the Land of the Sea turned pale, starkly contrasting with the pirates.
However, this time they did not flee.
Not because they didn't want to, but because they couldn't.
The island beneath their feet was smaller than the water dragon. Even if they ran, where could they go?
Including Kaisei and Kaijin, almost everyone had lost hope.
Only Uzumaki Honoka remained steadfast, her eyes fixed on Natsuhane's back.
"Everyone, don't panic! Natsuhane will defeat him!"
Kaijin, suppressing his fear of death, forced out a few words through gritted teeth:
"Girl, I know the daimyo is powerful, but such a colossal sea dragon, no matter how strong he is, there's no way he can win..."
Kaisei sighed deeply:
"Sigh, it seems the heavens have abandoned our Land of the Sea. Girl, you should go to Natsuhane and ask him to take you away. You're young and strong. There's no need to die here..."
"No," Honoka shook her head:
"I'm Natsuhane's woman. Where he goes, I go. I'll follow his lead. Look at him, calm and composed. If he doesn't want to run, I won't let him become a coward!"
As she spoke, the sea dragon, with its massive wings, descended from the sky...
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