Naruto: Copy System#643+644: The Hunt for Blackbeard, Shiryu's Challenge

The war had reached a fever pitch.

Whitebeard and Garp were locked in a stalemate, though for now, Whitebeard still held the upper hand, managing to keep Garp on the defensive.

Even so, he couldn’t land a decisive blow.

Ace knelt on the execution platform, his heart torn. The two most important men in his life were locked in a desperate battle, and he was completely helpless.

Whitebeard was the father he had chosen, the man he wanted to make the Pirate King.

And Garp was his grandfather, the man who had raised him. That was a debt he could never forget.

"ACE, I'M HERE TO SAVE YOU!"

A familiar voice rang out. Ace’s head shot up, and he saw his brother—Luffy.

Garp, in the middle of trading blows with Whitebeard, froze at the sound. That split-second hesitation was all Whitebeard needed, and a powerful punch sent him staggering back. If Garp hadn't reinforced his body with Armament Haki, that single blow might have been the end of him.

"How did that kid get here?" Garp said in shock.

Luffy wasn’t alone. He had brought a small army of prisoners with him, all broken out of the great underwater prison, Impel Down.

Among them was the Queen of the Okama Kingdom, Emporio Ivankov, a being who was neither man nor woman, with a bizarre and unforgettable appearance. The world of One Piece was home to countless strange and wonderful races—Giants, Fish-men, Merfolk, and even the unique Okama.

"..." Garp's heart sank even further.

First Ace, now Luffy—both his grandsons were giving him nothing but trouble. He had been racking his brain for a way to save Ace, and now Luffy had just walked right into the lion's den.

With Luffy’s current strength, just surviving this war would be a miracle. A single Admiral could take him out in an instant, and even a Vice Admiral could defeat him with ease.

———————

"Luffy's here, just as expected."

Aboard the distant Pluton, Shin watched Luffy's arrival with keen interest.

If Luffy was here, then Blackbeard couldn't be far behind. He was probably already lurking somewhere, waiting for his moment.

“You seem quite interested in that Luffy,” Olvia remarked.

“No, not at all.”

Shin shook his head. Even though Luffy was the protagonist of this world, Shin had no personal interest in him. He was just surprised. Despite all the changes he had made to the timeline, Luffy had still arrived, and he'd even brought the prisoners from Impel Down. It seemed that, just like in the original story, Luffy had also made a trip to the great prison.

"Let's go. We're going to find Blackbeard," Shin said to Olvia and the others.

The moment the Kuja Pirates' ship moved, the Marines assigned to watch them went on high alert.

'The Kuja Pirates are on the move! What are they doing?'

They were terrified.

If the Kuja Pirates joined this war, Marine Headquarters would be utterly overwhelmed. Whitebeard alone was causing this much chaos. If Shin Uzumaki joined in, they would become history.

"Quick, go inform Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Tsuru ordered a nearby Marine soldier.

“Yes, ma’am!” The soldier saluted and immediately ran to find Sengoku, ready to report the Kuja Pirates’ movements.

"Wait, you don't need to inform the Fleet Admiral just yet."

Just as he was about to leave, Tsuru stopped him. She had noticed that Shin's ship wasn't heading toward them.

In other words, the Kuja Pirates weren't planning on joining the fight. Perhaps she had been overreacting.

'I hope they just leave.'

Tsuru was one of the Marines' top combatants, but she couldn't leave her post. Her job was to keep an eye on the Kuja Pirates. Any movement, no matter how small, had to be reported to Sengoku for his decision.

Seeing the Kuja Pirates' ship suddenly sail away, Tsuru finally relaxed.

"You all stay here and keep watch. I'm leaving. Remember, if there's any sign of trouble, report it immediately."

Tsuru ordered the remaining soldiers before leaving. She had to go help Garp and the others deal with the Whitebeard Pirates, so she had to leave her post.

The watch would have to be handled by other Marine soldiers.

———————

After leaving, Tsuru first found Sengoku, who was standing on the execution platform.

"Sengoku, the Kuja Pirates have just left," Tsuru reported.

“Hmm, Shin Uzumaki left?” Sengoku's brow furrowed.

What was Shin Uzumaki up to?

Sengoku had suspected Shin was plotting something. He had been waiting for him to make a move, but instead, he received news that Shin was leaving.

“Yes. I saw the Kuja Pirates' ship leave with my own eyes,” Tsuru confirmed with a nod.

Sengoku believed her, of course. Shin had left. But he couldn't shake the feeling that Shin was up to something.

“Should we keep watching them?”

"Yes. I haven't let my guard down. I've left other Marine soldiers to monitor the Kuja Pirates' movements. Now, I have to go help the others." Tsuru prepared to join the battle.

"Alright." Sengoku thought for a moment, then nodded.

If the Kuja Pirates made another move, they would know immediately. And with Tsuru joining the fight, the Marines' combat strength would increase significantly.

———————

Meanwhile, Shin wasn't plotting anything. He was simply going to find Blackbeard. With his Observation Haki covering the entire area, he had already pinpointed Blackbeard's location.

Blackbeard was still far from Marineford, currently making his way there.

"Shin, why do you want to see Blackbeard?" Hancock asked.

“To see for myself.” Shin said with a light chuckle.

Blackbeard might be a despicable, treacherous, and cunning man, but he was also intelligent and a true player.

In the original story, he was the biggest winner of the Summit War. He used the chaos to find his new crewmates in Impel Down, then came to Marineford to steal Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, becoming one of the Four Emperors and taking Whitebeard's place.

Of course, Blackbeard had his moments of arrogance. His overconfidence had almost gotten his entire crew wiped out by Magellan, the warden of Impel Down.

But regardless, Blackbeard was someone worth meeting.

Shin had met him before, but at that time, Blackbeard was still hiding his ambition within the Whitebeard Pirates.

The Blackbeard of then and the Blackbeard of now were two completely different people.

Shin wanted to see the current Blackbeard for himself. He just wondered if Blackbeard would welcome his visit.

<><><><><><><><>

Blackbeard's ship was sailing toward Marineford, filled with his new crewmates.

Besides his original followers, there were also the prisoners he had broken out of Impel Down—the most terrifying criminals from the sixth level, all incredibly powerful.

"ZEHAHAHA! POPS'S TREMOR-TREMOR FRUIT... I'M GOING TO GET IT FOR SURE!" Blackbeard stared in the direction of Marineford.

If he could get his hands on that fruit, Blackbeard was confident he could become the strongest man on the seas, perhaps even strong enough to defeat Shin Uzumaki.

Of course, that was just his own feeling. Blackbeard had no idea just how powerful Shin truly was.

"Captain, look over there. I think that's the Kuja Pirates' ship."

Suddenly, Jesus Burgess, one of Blackbeard’s earliest followers, called out to him.

“The Kuja Pirates???”

Blackbeard's arrogant smile vanished. He turned to look in the direction Burgess pointed.

His eyes widened. It really was the Kuja Pirates' ship.

"Shin Uzumaki..." A wary expression appeared on Blackbeard's face.

He remembered a time when Whitebeard was still in his prime, yet he had been defeated by Shin Uzumaki in a single battle.

“Let’s go meet him.”

But then Blackbeard thought of his Dark-Dark Fruit and his new crew of powerful allies. He didn't need to be too afraid of Shin Uzumaki!

“Shin Uzumaki… the man I've always wanted to kill.”

Shiryu—a cigar clenched between his teeth, let out a cruel smile.

Shiryu was a bloodthirsty man who loved to kill powerful and famous figures. And Shin Uzumaki was probably the most famous person on the seas, widely recognized as the strongest, even more so than Whitebeard.

Shiryu had been the Head Jailer of Impel Down, one of the "Two Great Walls" alongside Magellan, and was incredibly strong. But his bloodlust, his habit of killing prisoners, had led to his imprisonment by Magellan.

When Blackbeard invaded Impel Down, Magellan had temporarily released Shiryu to deal with him. But Shiryu had betrayed him, joining Blackbeard's side and even providing an antidote when Blackbeard's crew was poisoned.

If not for Shiryu, Blackbeard might have died in Impel Down. Magellan's strength was terrifying, definitely at an Admiral's level.

His Venom-Venom Fruit was something to be feared.

“Shiryu, you’d better not be careless...” Blackbeard glanced at Shiryu.

He had gone to great lengths to find these new crewmates, he didn't want to lose one so soon.

Shiryu’s expression was nonchalant, as if he hadn't heard a word Blackbeard said. In truth, Shiryu hadn't fully committed to Blackbeard yet. He was still in an observation period.

If Blackbeard didn't meet his standards, Shiryu would leave without hesitation. The same was true for the others from Impel Down, like Avalo Pizarro, Catarina Devon, and Vasco Shot.

They had no loyalty to Blackbeard—not yet.

They were only following him because they acknowledged his strength.

Blackbeard glanced at Shiryu, then said nothing. If Shiryu insisted on courting death, at worst, he would just have to abandon him.

Though Blackbeard was currently overflowing with confidence, he was still wary of Shin.

———————

"That must be Blackbeard up ahead."

Aboard the Pluton, Robin looked at Blackbeard's distant ship.

"Is that guy with his head sticking out of the water even a person?" Nami couldn't help but ask, spotting a massive figure standing in the sea.

“That’s Sanjuan Wolf, also known as the ‘Colossal Battleship.’ He's much larger than a giant.”

Shin explained.

Excluding the Sea Kings in the deep sea, his size was among the largest in the world. The Sea Kings in the deep sea were on another level, some larger than islands, capable of destroying one with a single movement.

“Such a terrifying creature actually exists…” Nami swallowed hard.

“Hmph. He's nothing compared to what Shin can do.”

Hancock scoffed, a hint of disdain in her voice. She had seen Shin’s Susanoo. Compared to that, this Colossal Battleship was nothing.

The Pluton drew closer. Blackbeard didn't move.

Looking at Shin's Pluton, a flash of envy crossed Blackbeard's eyes. This ship was far superior to his current makeshift raft. If he could, he would have tried to steal it. But that was just a thought. He didn't have the guts to actually try.

“Captain Shin, what brings you here?” Blackbeard asked with a wide grin.

He wanted to find out Shin's purpose. Not knowing made him uneasy.

"Came to see the man stirring up the seas."

Shin stood with his arms crossed, looking at Blackbeard.

“Shin, this man is hideous. I find him quite disgusting.” Hancock looked at Blackbeard with contempt.

Hancock looked down on ugly people, and Blackbeard was clearly a prime example. His looks were not his strong suit.

Blackbeard's expression darkened.

To be insulted to his face like that... he wanted to get angry, but after a glance at Shin standing beside Hancock, he held it back. He could ignore Hancock, but he was extremely wary of Shin.

“Captain Shin, if you don't mind, could you tell me your real purpose? I have business to attend to—” Blackbeard said to Shin.

He was in a hurry to get to Marineford, afraid that Whitebeard would be killed before he got there. He could steal a Devil Fruit, but if Whitebeard had been dead for too long, he wouldn't be able to.

"Shin Uzumaki, I hear you're strong. Care to test my blade?"

Just then, Shiryu suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Shin.

"..." Shin raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Shiryu.

Blackbeard’s face, already dark, turned even darker.

He couldn't believe Shiryu was this reckless, picking a fight with Shin Uzumaki at a time like this. Was he trying to get himself killed?

At this moment, Blackbeard wanted nothing more than to beat Shiryu to death. He had been somewhat grateful to Shiryu for saving him, but now the idiot was actively trying to piss off Shin Uzumaki.

Did he have a death wish? If he had the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Blackbeard felt he wouldn't be afraid of Shin Uzumaki.

But he hadn't gotten his hands on it yet.