Chapter 354: Navy Headquarters — The Navy Alliance and the Konoha Family Have Been Generations of Allies, They Must Be Protected!
Without sufficient reward,
players would undoubtedly prefer to wait for Konoha's destruction before stepping in to hunt the corruption.
It would result in an overwhelming harvest of reward points—
enough to deplete all of Konoha's family and clan-stored reserves just to meet the cost.
However,
in a moment as desperate as this, there was no other path forward unless one could bear to watch Konoha be utterly destroyed.
"Everyone, it's time to decide."
Shikaku Nara's expression was grim. "Will you abandon the Konoha family now and throw yourselves into the arms of unfamiliar powers, only to be exploited?"
"Or will you take a chance, bet everything—pour all your accumulated reward points into defending the village?"
"Lord Hokage has already pledged in writing."
"He has liquidated the entire Sarutobi clan's assets, and ordered every Sarutobi ninja to surrender all of their reward points."
"If the clans are willing to defend Konoha, once the crisis passes, the village will do everything in its power to repay them."
"Whether he survives this war or not, his successor will be bound to uphold this command."
When Hiruzen wrote that decree, it was with immense reluctance.
After occupying the Land of Hot Water,
his focus had been on suppressing the clans and consolidating power—he wanted to mold Konoha in his own image.
But now,
he had no choice but to relinquish that power back to the clans in exchange for their aid.
It was the only way to convince them to open their purses and prevent Konoha's destruction.
"I'm willing."
One clan elder sighed deeply and agreed to contribute reward points.
Shikaku had been right—
joining another faction now would only mean being swallowed whole by rival clans like a pack of wolves.
Such betrayals were common in the Shinobi World.
Even the Uchiha never truly considered fleeing to another village—they knew they'd only be looked down on or rejected.
"I'm in too," Hyūga Hiashi said through clenched teeth. "But I hope the Hokage's promise will be kept and we won't be deceived."
With two prominent leaders stepping forward, the rest of the clan heads reluctantly followed.
Their expressions were sour—
but what choice did they have?
If it were Orochimaru or another village launching this attack, they would never have agreed so easily.
Back when Orochimaru seized control of Konoha and the Land of Fire,
most clans chose to wait it out, hoping to profit from the chaos rather than rally behind Hiruzen.
Only when Orochimaru attempted to exterminate the clans outright,
promoting widespread chakra cultivation and abandoning tradition, did they finally rebel.
To the clans, Hokage may come and go,
but the family lines must endure.
But now, they faced something altogether different—
an Abyssal Evil God with no concept of negotiation. A being of pure destruction.
If Konoha fell here,
the clans would have no base of operations, and rival powers would divide what was left among themselves.
And so—
they gave in, surrendering their reward points to the Konoha family.
Meanwhile, at Navy Headquarters—
Marineford still stood like a bastion, a fortress on a small island.
At its heart, bold black brushstrokes marked the word "Navy," encircling the seagull emblem of peace.
At the insistence of Fleet Admiral Sengoku,
additional rings had been added around the seagull—symbolizing the infinite worlds of the Reincarnation Game.
The island's perimeter was fortified with massive [Iron Wall Lv.11] structures, matching the Navy Alliance's level—the current highest grade available.
The wall even possessed the [Iron Wall] trait, adding significant defense on top of base stats.
Building this fortress alone had cost nearly a million reward points.
Though the Navy didn't have the strongest individual player,
they had five who could take on lord-tier monsters, and countless elite mid-tier players.
Overall,
the Navy Alliance was the number one power in the Reincarnation Game—stronger even than Orochimaru's empire in the Land of Fire.
Where the Navy nurtured their forces with discipline and investment,
Orochimaru merely exploited civilians and chakra seals for experiments—no comparison.
"Everyone, I believe you've also received Konoha's message—news that their family is under siege by the Evil God. We need to discuss: should we send aid?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at the head of the table, his hand resting casually on the head of a goat,
seemingly relaxed—
But internally, he was deeply serious. Even fearful.
The Evil God Attack on Konoha might resemble a Family Defense Battle,
but normally, those only trigger based on family level, with scaled difficulty.
Even if things go badly, it's a fair fight—and rewards are always worth it.
But this… this was different.
This was like a world boss—random, overwhelming, with barely any warning.
The sheer strength of the monsters was enough to chill Sengoku to the bone.
If one appeared at Navy Headquarters?
He wasn't confident they could survive.
And that uncertainty…
was what terrified him.
"I vote no."
Akainu, wearing his rose emblem, spoke coldly.
"Konoha is a powerful faction. If the Evil God wipes them out, that means more game resources for us. That's a good thing."
"Besides, based on previous updates, the Shinobi World, Sea World, Demon Slayer World, and Greatsword Isles—along with the newly emerged Extranormal World—will eventually merge."
"When that happens, there'll be no world barriers. Konoha will become a direct competitor."
To him, justice was absolute—
and the Navy's interests always came first.
Having a powerful rival like Konoha right next door when the worlds merge? That's a threat.
Especially after being beaten by that blond brat from Konoha—
he had no desire to help an enemy.
"Let's not forget," he added,
"leaving Navy territory means permanent death for our players. With the Evil God's strength, we're looking at serious casualties."
His arguments were reasonable.
Many high-ranking officers nodded in agreement.
They didn't want to see their carefully nurtured players die defending strangers.
Only Sengoku's expression remained unreadable.
He was thinking deeper.
After a long silence, Sengoku finally spoke:
"You're all correct. From a logical standpoint, the fall of Konoha doesn't affect us."
"But have you considered the possibility that this Evil God is not a one-time event?"
"What if more corrupted monsters like this appear in the future—in reality?"
"Sure, other factions may be rivals in the game. But don't forget why the Game Merchants created this world in the first place."
"Our true enemy isn't Konoha."
"It's the endless wave of corrupted monsters."
"What if today it's Konoha,
and tomorrow it's us?"
"If we all turn inward, always on guard, always refusing to cooperate…
we may lose sight of what really matters.
We might violate the core purpose of the Reincarnation Game."
Since the beginning,
the story of the Pirate World had revolved around the Straw Hats,
casting the Navy as the "villains."
But outside of scum like Captain Nezumi,
most Navy officers had joined to protect peace and uphold justice.
"Strategist Tsuru investigated the Shinobi World's early days."
"When pollution monsters attacked the Newbie Village,
enemy players united to defeat the Wandering Spirit of the Underworld.
If they hadn't, the entire region would've been destroyed."
"To the Game Merchants, that might be no big deal.
They can just rebuild another server."
"But if it happens in real life…"
"It would be the end of the world."
Sengoku's expression darkened.
It was only speculation—
but with the Evil God already in play, the worst-case scenario had to be considered.
"The justice we protect…
is not just for the sea.
It's not just for the Sea World."
His gaze turned to the seagull emblem—symbol of peace across the multiverse.
"If no one else will take the lead,
then let Navy Headquarters be the first—
to extend the olive branch of justice,
and patrol the Reincarnation Worlds!"
"To carry out justice!"
"To make the name of the Navy echo through the Reincarnation Game!"
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