c2: Information
Madara Uchiha stared expressionlessly at the little girl still struggling to stand, her body riddled with scars after the clash. After a long silence, under the tense gazes of Garp and Sengoku, he slowly relaxed his interlocked fingers.
"Boring. The joy of battle is interrupted by the likes of you... Innocent brat."
Both Garp and Sengoku subtly exhaled in relief. The man before them, clad in an ancient, imposing armor that seemed reminiscent of the Warring States period, called himself Uchiha Madara. The crushing aura he exuded felt even more overwhelming up close. His fusion of strange powers what they later suspected was a combination of chakra-based techniques and something similar to Haki made both of these legendary Marines feel suffocating pressure.
"Remember, brat," Madara said coldly to Gion, his Rinnegan eyes narrowing slightly, "this was no more than playful sparring between warriors. A child's rage only adds meaningless noise to true battle. It's laughable."
Sengoku's expression grew complicated. That level of devastation was supposed to be 'playful sparring'? This arrogance and madness reminded him eerily of Whitebeard no, in some ways, this Madara might be even more self-righteous.
Across from him, Gion bit her lip, her heart twisting. She had imagined countless scenarios in her mind, but never that Madara would dismiss her resistance as mere vexation.
It was humiliating.
Yet at the same time, the fact that this overwhelming man had actually halted his rampage over what he deemed her 'tantrum' filled her with even greater frustration.
Garp, sensing the tightening tension, hastily stepped forward, wearing his usual broad grin, though his fists remained ready.
"Gahahaha! Come now, little Gion. Madara said it himself it was just a game, a bit of horseplay! Brother Madara, you really are crazy strong, though! Gahaha!"
Gion, however, stood stiffly, clearly unwilling to simply laugh things off. Her gaze hardened.
"But... he attacked countless innocent Marines. That's not 'play' that's something only a heinous pirate would do."
As soon as those words left her mouth, the air around them froze to a deadly stillness.
Garp's grin stiffened, and Sengoku's face darkened. Both men knew well this entire compromise with Madara was precarious. Their earlier forbearance had been born from necessity. Against someone who could casually erase entire battalions, provoking him was a death sentence for the weaker Marines standing behind them.
Sengoku cursed inwardly. Dammit... she's reigniting the flames!
He instinctively took a step closer to Gion, positioning himself between her and Madara without being too obvious about it. If it came to a fight, he would shield her.
To everyone's surprise, Madara didn't react with immediate rage. Instead, after a heartbeat's pause, he spoke coolly, his voice dripping with disdain.
"I was restraining that golden fool. Do you think such attacks would harm him? Besides..." Madara's Rinnegan glinted slightly, "I am a shinobi."
. . . . .
A strange silence fell.
Even Sengoku's thoughts ground to a halt for a moment. The situation was... odd. Unexpected. Madara didn't seem like someone who would bother explaining himself.
Wasn't he supposed to rage? To declare them beneath him? To attack without warning? Why... why explain now?
Madara shifted slightly under their stares, visibly uncomfortable. His abrupt justification seemed to have embarrassed him, and with his usual haughty detachment, he quickly changed the topic.
"Enough of this farce. I require information but I don't trust your words."
His meaning was clear: I want intel. But if I can't trust you, I'll use violence to verify it.
Ah, this... this arrogant and barely veiled threat fit far better with the "Madara" that Garp and Sengoku had judged. Arrogance, overwhelming pride, and that crazed love of battle this was more like it.
Sengoku, maintaining calm, asked in a measured tone:
"Then, how would you suggest we proceed?"
Madara fell silent for a moment, thinking, before answering:
"I will select one among your subordinates... and read his memories directly. Without taking his life."
Sengoku's face twisted with visible discomfort. Handing over one of his subordinates like a pawn would severely damage the honor of the Marine organization. Yet refusal could lead to immediate bloodshed. While life was precious, the dignity of the entire Navy couldn't be trampled by threats.
"Impossible," he finally stated, voice low but firm. "At most, we can capture a pirate for you. My subordinates are not bargaining chips. Where do you expect me to put my old face?"
Garp, standing beside him, didn't hesitate. "Tch. No way. I don't care who you are. Betraying a comrade just isn't something we Marines do."
Madara tilted his head slightly, eyes sharpening. "Then, I hope you won't beg me to choose."
Without another word, his eyes gleamed red his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan spinning and in a burst of chakra, the third form of Susano'o erupted behind him: a towering, blue, armored titan with a blade of spiritual energy in hand.
Despite his arrogance, Madara wasn't reckless. He knew the second form of Susano'o wasn't enough against someone like Garp at full strength, and the fully manifested version could easily decimate the battlefield, potentially killing far more than intended. He didn't want to unleash total war only to pressure them into yielding.
After all, he still owed this girl Gion a debt for interfering on his behalf back in Loguetown. Slaughtering her allies now would be dishonorable, even by his own ruthless standards.
Seeing the spiritual avatar rise skyward, Sengoku and Garp both gritted their teeth and activated their own auras. Garp's fists were wrapped in invisible Haki, and Sengoku's golden shockwaves buzzed just under his skin in preparation. A clash at this point could mean dozens perhaps hundreds of dead Marines.
And that, too, would turn Madara from a dangerous visitor into an official enemy of the World Government.
"Enough! Let me do it!" Gion suddenly shouted, her voice cracking. Tears of helpless frustration pooled in her eyes. She had only acted to help. She had stepped in to stop a massacre. And now, that act of compassion had turned her into a burden. Worse still, she was becoming the very thing she despised a tool, used for leverage.
Madara looked down at the small girl standing defiantly, her eyes red from tears. His face was unreadable, but inwardly, he sighed. Why are these people so dramatic? It was just some basic intelligence. He wasn't going to kill anyone.
In Madara's mind, he'd already made a concession: I told you my demand before taking what I wanted. That's courtesy.
At last, he exhaled. "Fine. In three days, offer me someone to verify the data. In return... I'll eliminate a target of your choosing."
He then looked toward Gion, face expressionless but voice tinged with a reluctant finality.
"But the debt ends there. Your so-called kindness will be written off."
He didn't like owing favors. A shinobi of his stature, one who had once gone toe-to-toe with Hashirama Senju and commanded the power of the Ten Tails, shouldn't be burdened by emotional debts. But a life saved was a life saved. In his world, that meant repayment.
To repay that debt with his Rinnegan and his identity as the so-called Shinobi Shura was an honor few could ever claim.
Garp, grinning wide with relief, immediately clapped a hand to Madara's armored arm. "Gahahaha! Deal! You want a pirate? Hell, I can give you a whole ship's worth. This sea's full of 'em these days!"
But Gion, still sniffling, stood firm. She shook her head and growled, voice trembling with resolve.
"No. It has to be me. People like you hate being indebted, right? Then I want you to owe me for life."
That statement stunned the room. Sengoku and Garp exchanged helpless glances. This girl's stubbornness is going to get her killed.
Could Madara even feel indebted? He didn't exactly come across as a man guided by moral obligations.
Madara's Sharingan narrowed. He stared at her for a long moment.
"All this... over a handful of dirt," he muttered. "And you say it like it's noble."
Without another word, he stepped forward and reached for her collar, his fingers gently gripping her throat. The kaleidoscope in his eyes spun faster and faster, until ripples spread across his pupils and with a shift in his chakra signature, he activated the Rinnegan.
In an instant, his hand dropped to her waist, his chakra pulling at her essence.
"Human Path."
Using the Human Path's soul-extraction ability, Madara reached in and tugged not fully, just enough to skim the uppermost layers of her memory, like removing vapor from boiling water. He didn't tear the soul free. He didn't need to.
The process took only a few seconds.
Garp and Sengoku tensed. The sight of Madara's chakra physically pulling Gion's spirit shocked even them. Sengoku reached out to stop Garp from charging in.
Garp hissed, voice low and dangerous. "That's Tsuru's sister. If something happens to her"
"We're finished," Sengoku finished grimly.
But it was over just as quickly as it had begun. Madara released Gion, who slumped briefly, blinking away the daze. He turned from her and processed the flood of information that had just entered his mind.
A dark smile tugged at his lips.
"Marines... pirates... the World Government... Hmph. Interesting."
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