Chapter 15

Hidden Mist Village.

Rokkō Training Ground.

"I believe you are ready for another mission after a few days of relaxation."

Daikichi took out a scroll on the Training Ground and glanced at Mei, Aokiji, and Ichiro standing before him.

"Um."

Daikichi unwrapped the scroll and read the contents aloud to the three.

"This time, your objective is straightforward; you must accompany a merchant ship and safeguard it from sea pirates."

"This assignment should be safe for you because pirates attacking a ship are uncommon, but even if you encounter those pirates, you should be able to easily destroy them because the majority of them are ordinary people."

*Pirates*

Aokiji grinned as he heard the task since it brought back memories of Kuzan, who had spent the majority of his life combating Pirates.

"Because I won't be accompanying you this time, we need a team leader."

Daikichi has a lot of missions to complete, most of which are A-rank or S-rank missions.

As a result, his schedule was full, and he couldn't go on missions with Aokiji and others unless the objective was of high priority.

"I'll leave them in your care and forget what I said earlier, Aokiji."

"You can abandon the mission if it becomes risky... but you must protect them."

Daikichi blamed himself for everything he had done his entire life, but it wasn't too late; he could change the minds of others just as Aokiji had changed his.

Aokiji grinned as he heard his remarks, as seeing the changed Daikichi fills him with relief and self-satisfaction.

Mei and Ichiro were astonished to see the concerned Daikichi, but their focus quickly moved to Aokiji, who had been appointed team leader without their consent.

"Sensei! I heard what Aokiji did in the previous mission, but I can't accept him as the team leader before proving he is that strong"

Ichiro remarked this while glancing at Daikichi with a dissatisfied expression on his face.

He wanted to make his clan the most powerful; he couldn't work under someone else.

"I see... you're not convinced, but you shouldn't have any trouble, Mei."

Daikichi expected Ichiro's displeasure, so he wasn't startled.

Those raised in the Big clan, particularly in the Mist, are educated to control rather than serve.

"I don't mind his being the squad leader, but I do want to battle him once."

Mei had already witnessed his strength, but she wanted to see how far away she was from him.

"Aokiji, get ready; you'll be fighting both of them at the same time."

Daikichi backed up a little, allowing them more room to fight.

*Let's begin with these two*

Aokiji didn't back down from the challenge because he realized that if he wanted to change the village's brutal laws, he had to start with his own squad.

Haughty children like Mei and Ichiro will only be submissive if they understand the chasm that exists between him and them, and only then will they listen to him.

Ichiro and Mei preferred to battle Aokiji one-on-one, but due to Daikichi's order, they had no choice but to fight together against Aokiji.

"Start!!"

Daikichi said as Ichiro and Mei ran towards Aokiji.

*Swish*

Ichiro's sword slashed towards Aokiji, making an air-cutting sound.

*Tekkai* (AN: - He doesn't say it loudly; I merely wrote it to help the readers)

Aokiji did not avoid the blade and ****** his hand forward.

Ichiro's sword, instead of slashing Aokiji's hand, was firmly held in it, and he felt a tremor through the sword, as if he had hit metal rather than skin.

Aokiji seized the sword from Ichiro with a jolt and slashed it towards his right side.

"Keng..."

Mei's bone blade connected with the sword, negating her surprise assault.

Ichiro leaned back as he weaved hand signs and pulled his hand to his mouth, taking advantage of Aokiji's attention on Mei.

"Water Style! Water Bullets"

Fast projectiles erupted from Ichiro's mouth towards Aokiji, who swiftly noticed them with the Observation Haki.

Aokiji pushed Mei back with a hard lunge, sending her back a few steps before leaping into the air.

"Shimobashira no Bakuhatsu" (Exploding Ice Needles)"

Aokiji, in the air, directed his fingertips at Ichiro, who was on the ground, and thin needles came out of them as swiftly as bullets.

"Hydrification Jutsu"

The needles were too rapid, and there were too many of them, so Ichiro had no choice but to use his greatest Jutsu.

*Boom!!*

But something unexpected, entirely out of his expectations, happened as the moment his water body came in contact with the Ice needles, they burst open and chilling smoke enveloped Ichiro.

Aokiji landed on the ground and smirked, knowing Ichiro was doomed.

This is his first Jutsu, which combines the power of Chakra with the Devil Fruit.

He imbues Chakra in the ice and detonates them with a single seal, just like Exploding tags.

This Jutsu is hard for Yuki Clan members to do because their Ice is comprised of Chakra in the first place.

Only Aokiji, who possesses two distinct powers, is capable of doing so.

The white smoke began to dissipate, and a frozen statue of Ichiro appeared in Daikichi and Mei's vision.

Ichiro, frozen, could only move his eyes as he stared in horror at Aokiji.

*He's far too powerful!!*

Ichiro couldn't believe it since he was frozen in a split second without having an opportunity to react.

*What is that Jutsu? *Did he develop it on his own?

Daikichi was also taken aback by his Jutsu because it was the first time he had witnessed an erupting Ice.

*Soru*

Mei was distracted as she saw Aokiji emerge in front of her, and all she could do was wrap a bone armor around herself for protection.

*Shigan*

*Kach!!!*

But all it took was a finger to snap the bones around her, and she flew back, hitting the ground far away.

"All right, that's enough."

Seeing Aokiji incapacitating them both, Daikichi knew this much should be enough for them to acknowledge Aokiji as the team leader.

*As expected, I was defeated"

Mei, who lay defeated on the ground, was unaffected by the loss because she knew it was inevitable.

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