Midair, Obito positioned himself, "I'm going to cut off your hands."
Mufasa smirked. "If you think you can, then come over here."
Obito's eyes narrowed.
With a flick, he launched two Kamui-infused shuriken.
These weren't ordinary—inside Susanoo's grasp, they twisted into shapes resembling his mangekyou Sharingan.
Anything they struck would be swallowed into another dimension.
Mufasa watched the spinning, basin-sized shuriken approach and nodded. "Interesting."
"Hundred-Style Avalokitesvara: Tenth Form."
Ten gleaming arms shot out around Mufasa, creating a wall of defense that boxed in the Kamui shuriken.
Obito scowled, manipulating his chakra, guiding the shuriken through the air, weaving them around to find a gap.
Sparks of distortion crackled as the shuriken zipped up and down, hunting for a hole.
Mufasa didn't budge. "Hundred-Style Avalokitesvara: Thirteenth Form."
Thirteen more arms burst forth, layering over the first ten, slamming the last gaps shut. The Kamui shuriken had nowhere left to turn.
Two impacts.
Boom.
Space rippled violently. Two vortexes opened up, swallowing four Avalokitesvara arms
. They vanished into twisted nothing.
Obito let out a breath. 'Good. Just fifty or sixty more like that...'
But Mufasa didn't look worried.
He pressed his hand against the star ring on his chest, pouring chakra into it. In a flash, the missing arms grew back.
Obito's eyes widened. 'Oh come on… I take out six, and you grow back six? At this rate, we're all dead.'
Mufasa grinned. "Told you, kid. If you want to beat me, come over and swing. Hiding back there and tossing sharp toys won't work."
Obito clenched his fists. "Fine! I'm coming!"
He spread Susanoo's wings wide and surged forward, maneuvering between the sweeping punches of the Avalokitesvara.
Whenever he couldn't dodge, he slashed with his twin blades.
Boom.
An arm fell. Obito shot through the opening, closing the gap.
He noticed something. 'Up close, those long arms can't flex fast enough. They have to arc way out before coming back. That gives me time.'
Obito's smirk grew. "So that's it… I was overthinking. Get close, and he's slow."
His Susanoo compacted, shrinking but thickening its armor.
More agile now, Obito hacked through two more arms, pressing right up on Mufasa. The older man was finally within reach.
Obito's blades pointed forward, wings bursting with chakra, ready to ram.
"I've got you now!"
Down below, the navy flagship exploded with cheers.
"Luffy, awesome!"
"Our hero!"
"Savior of the Land of Water!"
Even prisoners in chains began to sob with relief. "Yes, Luffy, cut that pirate down!"
On the pirate side, the Shichibukai and three pirate commanders tensed. Ganji clenched his shark-like teeth. "Don't lose, old man…"
Mufasa met Obito's charging Susanoo with a playful smile. "I'm Whitebeard, remember? Underestimate me, and you lose your head."
He clapped his hands. "Hundred-Style Avalokitesvara: Two Hundred Form."
Obito's jaw dropped.
From the Avalokitesvara's shoulders and back, a hundred short arms sprouted all at once.
"What the—? You can still grow new arms?!"
Mufasa laughed. "When did you start imagining I couldn't?"
Obito's heart sank. 'Not good. I'm cooked!'
"Two Hundred Form: Ninety-Nine Strikes."
Hundreds of palms blurred at light speed.
Boom boom boom!
A storm of golden fists hammered Susanoo.
The air cracked with sonic booms. Waves burst out across the ocean. Navy ships rocked violently, sailors screaming as columns of seawater exploded into the sky.
Onlookers couldn't even keep their eyes open from the shockwaves and tears. But they couldn't look away.
When the golden light finally faded, the Susanoo was a wreck. Swords snapped, one arm gone, the other a mangled skeleton.
Its chest was hollowed out. Wings torn to scraps. The head caved in.
Inside, Obito's battered face stared out, eyes wide and bleeding tears.
Mufasa laughed. "Now do you get the lesson?"
Obito coughed, whispering, "Lesson?"
"I'm Whitebeard. A mere navy brat thinking he could beat a pirate legend… laughable."
Cheers erupted among the pirates. "Father's mighty!" "Whitebeard forever!"
On the naval flagship, hope died. Faces went pale, bodies shook. "It's over… The Land of Water is doomed. Pirates will run wild. Who's left to stop them?"
Mufasa's grin faded to a cold sneer. "So you understand now. Time to die."
He began clasping Avalokitesvara's hands together, palms closing to squash Obito once and for all.
Obito gritted his teeth.
Kamui! In a blink, he vanished, reappearing on the flagship by Yagura's side.
Kamui!
He grabbed the Mizukage and warped him away to another dimension.
Whatever else was lost, he couldn't lose Three-Tails.
The pirates and navy watched, stunned.
Mufasa just laughed. "Good escape. That's fine by me."
He dispelled the Avalokitesvara, drifting down to hover over the island.
"People of the Land of Water!" his voice boomed. "It's been hard getting here, hasn't it? Ten days ago, when this floating fortress arrived, I told you—no matter what you did, your kingdom would fall."
He spread his arms. "How you greet the new world is up to you. Run. Party. Cry. Throw yourselves into darkness. But don't fight it."
"If you choose to fight."
"Then be ready to face the consequences if you lose."
"I'll wipe every last one of you out!"
"From now on, the Land of Water will be a paradise for pirates!"
Whitebeard's mighty voice thundered across the island and beyond.
The pirates roared in triumph.
This was the birth of a new era.
On the island, leaders like Ryugo and other from the Land of Water clans collapsed to the ground.
They were moments away from execution.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the elite shinobi were left dumbfounded.
That bastard Luffy had escaped with Yagura.
Now, with no one to give orders, they were completely lost.
The pirates' morale was through the roof.
The sea was covered in their ships.
There was nowhere left to flee.
It was over.
Death was certain.
With a monster like Whitebeard standing there, there was no hope.
They were doomed.
Out at sea, sailors on wrecked ships heard Whitebeard's declaration.
Their hearts sank.
He had openly promised to slaughter them all.
It was all but guaranteed.
The flagship that had charged into the island would likely be wiped out to the last man.
"Retreat!"
"Fall back!"
"Run for your lives!"
Not even Terumi Mei could calm them.
Every boat turned and fled in a frenzy.
High above, Mufasa watched the chaos, a sly grin on his face.
"Let them go. Let them carry stories of my terror across the world."
He slowly dropped back to the ground.
Jinbei was hauled up to him again.
Jinbei scowled. "Father, should we kill them all now?"
Mufasa waved it off.
"No need."
"Kirigakure still stands. If we don't crush the Mist Village, we can't break the Land of Water completely."
"We take these prisoners and set sail for Mist Village."
"We'll wipe them out in a single strike."
He turned to his crew.
"Gull Eye, have your birds signal all our ships. Tell them to regroup. We're heading to Kirigakure."
"Aye, Oyaji," Gull Eye grinned, sending his seagulls soaring.
When the Whitebeard Pirates finished prepping and their fleet set course for Kirigakure, the village was already bracing for war.
Kirito stood on the battlements, staring at the endless pirate ships that blotted out the horizon.
Despair gripped him.
The Mist ninja's morale was shattered.
The grim news from Top Island had already spread.
Whitebeard's terrifying power had shaken them to their core.
The surviving leaders of Mist gathered on the docks, staring out at the sea churning with pirate ships.
Terumi Mei sighed. "Now that Yagura's gone, what do we do?"
Ao frowned. "We have to choose a new Mizukage. Someone has to lead us into this fight."
But who could possibly take on that role?
Being the leader meant facing Whitebeard head-on.
Who could kill that mountain-sized golden titan he summoned?
It was certain death.
Everyone exchanged uneasy looks.
No one wanted to be the next victim.
Terumi Mei and Ao locked eyes.
Obito had escaped, breaking Ao's genjutsu, and afterward Ao had come clean.
Terumi Mei had taken him back as her loyal shinobi.
Now, Terumi Mei rose to her feet.
"If none of you will do it… then I will. I, Terumi Mei, will become Mizukage."
"What?!"
Terumiro spun around, shocked.
"Daughter, don't be foolish!"
Terumi Mei stood firm. "The village is on the brink. Someone has to step up. Even if I'm a woman, I won't shy away from this duty."
Her fierce resolve drew everyone's eyes.
They all turned to Master Gengetsu, the eldest among them, whose word carried the most weight.
He scanned their faces.
"Anyone else want to step forward?"
Of course not.
No one was that reckless.
Ao stepped up. "I support Terumi Mei-sama."
Others quickly followed.
"We support Terumi Mei-sama."
"Yes, support!"
The others nodded.
"Good. A Kage must be someone the people trust. Terumi Mei, that trust is yours now. Lead us through this storm. Save Kirigakure and the Land of Water."
Terumi Mei bowed solemnly.
"I will. Even if I have to give my life, I won't let you down."
The villagers' cheers erupted.
"Terumi Mei!"
"Mizukage!"
"Mizukage!"
With new leadership, the village's crushed spirit lifted at last.
Aboard the Flying Dutchman, three of Mufasa's top commanders watched Kirigakure, puzzled by the sudden cheers.
"Oyaji, why didn't we attack sooner?"
Mufasa rolled his eyes.
"Why rush? I wanted Terumi Mei crowned first. Now everything's lined up."
He smirked.
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Do you count specks of dust when you clean house?"
Their father's calm gave everyone confidence.
Just then, a lone boat pushed off from Kirigakure, sailing straight toward them.
Terumi Mei stood at the bow, wind whipping her hair.
Gulleye peered over. "Father, looks like a girl's headed this way."
Jinbei grunted. "What are they planning?"
Zatoichi grasped his sword's scabbard, "Want me to sink her?"
Mufasa shook his head.
"Please. I'm Whitebeard. You think I'm afraid of one woman? Let her come."
Terumi Mei's ship stopped just off the Flying Dutchman.
She leapt onto the mast and called out.
"Whitebeard! I am Terumi Mei, the new Mizukage of the Mist! I challenge you to a one-on-one fight!"
Before Mufasa could speak, his warlords burst out laughing.
"Father, that newbie Mizukage seems to be challenging you?"
"Let me gut her right now!"
"No, me first!"
Everyone scrambled to steal the spotlight.
Mufasa chuckled and raised a hand.
"Enough. Don't squabble."
"She came alone to challenge me. That courage alone deserves respect."
"So I'll give her a worthy death myself."
He rose, his colossal frame like a mountain.
Then he boomed across the deck.
"Mizukage Terumi Mei!"
"You asked so nicely. So here I come!"
With that, Mufasa launched into the air, casting a massive shadow over the sea below.
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Word count: 1791
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