In the Calm Belt, even seabirds seed much fewer.
Apart from the news coos under Morgans' command, almost no seabirds chose to cross this area where they couldn't catch any wind.
"Where are we going next?"
Karin stood to the side, watching Naruto adjust their course using the Eternal Pose in his hand.
Her question also drew the attention of the three unexpected guests on board.
It had been a day and a night since they successfully left Impel Down, and everyone's condition had improved sowhat.
Byrnndi World hadn't spoken since suppressing the coastal artillery, sitting motionless on the deck.
In contrast, Bullet and Redfield seed much more at ease.
One was very familiar, rummaging through the cabin for sothing to drink, while the other leaned against the deck, gazing into the distance.
"First, let's find a... well, a place to rest."
Naruto glanced at everyone on board before speaking.
This was, after all, the Calm Belt.
Usually, only Marine ships passed through, and almost no other vessels traveled here. Even if they were to drop off Bullet and the other two midway, it would be better to do so after leaving this sea area.
Thud-
Bullet, erging from the cabin, casually tossed a barrel of rum towards Naruto on the upper deck, while opening one for himself and taking a drink.
Despite being the kind of barrel that could serve multiple rounds in a tavern, it looked like a re can in their hands.
After throwing a barrel to Naruto, Bullet also glanced at the Redfield, his aning clear.
"-No, thank you for the offer, but I would be delighted if there was so tea."
Redfield waved his hand politely, with a courteous smile on his face.
The rising morning sun shone on his face, allowing the old man to feel a new sense of hope for the first ti in many years.
He could sense that, apart from the still self-destructive [World Destroyer], everyone else on this ship had grown closer due to fighting side-by-side.
Unfortunately, Naruto hadn't stocked any tea, and no one on board particularly cared for it.
"Hah, you're too particular."
After downing a third of the barrel, Bullet wiped his mouth and said.
It felt truly refreshing, sothing he hadn't experienced in a long ti.
Although he could endure decades of imprisonnt in Impel Down day after day, when it ca down to it, a man of the sea couldn't truly do without his drink.
"I'll leave it to you for now, just keep this course."
Don't drink and sail, don't sail and drink.
Naruto was very safety-conscious.
After saying this to Karin, he also walked down to the deck, naturally drinking with Bullet, his forr colleague whom he had been fighting to the death not long ago.
A barrel of alcohol had been placed next to the reclining Byrnndi World at so point.
However, the man acted as if he hadn't seen it at all, remaining silent and lying on the deck with a vacant stare.
After a day, everyone on the ship seed to have grown accustod to his role-playing as a carpet.
"You're really similar to that guy."
After chugging another large barrel, Bullet softly uttered words he never thought he'd say.
The 'that guy' he referred to was naturally the man he had tried countless tis to surpass, Gol D. Roger.
"Captain Roger taught a lot... What? Didn't he teach you anything?"
After clinking their barrels together, Naruto said this teasingly.
Hearing this, Bullet's face first darkened, then he involuntarily laughed.
"Hah... Maybe. Maybe he did."
"What are your plans after this? Want to go compete for the title of [Pirate King] too?"
"That thing... is aningless."
The ultimate goal revered by countless pirates was, in Bullet's words, sothing to be discarded casually.
"If I wanted to, I could go to [Laugh Tale] anyti. It's just a title."
As Bullet said, he possessed an Eternal Pose pointing to the final island, Laugh Tale.
If he were willing, he wouldn't need to steal any Road Poneglyphs from the Emperors, and he could simply sail there himself and claim the title of [Pirate King].
But such an empty title ant nothing to Bullet.
For him, only real, pure power was his lifelong pursuit.
"That's the treasure hunt Roger left for you guys. I'm not interested."
"Don't include in that. I gave up being a pirate a long ti ago."
Naruto waved his hand dismissively.
Although he had once been an apprentice on Roger's crew, he abandoned his pirate identity a few years after leaving the ship, instead roaming the seas freely as a lone wolf.
"Haha, how interesting."
Redfield also descended from the upper deck, looking at the two drinkers.
"If the fools out on the seas knew that what they seek is right here on this ship, they would charge here relentlessly."
"Let them co."
A fiercely combative smile appeared on Bullet's face, and Naruto laughed along with him.
"So what do you plan to do? Find a quiet place to retire?"
"If we're talking about retirent, I have quite a few good spots to recomnd."
Naruto beca enthusiastic at this topic.
After all, both Crocus at Reverse Mountain and Rayleigh on Sabaody Archipelago were decent retirent places.
"If I hadn't t you... perhaps I would have thought so too."
Redfield looked at the back of his hand, covered with wrinkles eroded by ti.
No matter how powerful he was, ti was always fair.
"However, now you've sparked so passion in ."
Redfield suddenly changed his tone, a smile blooming on his face.
"I'm going to search for a way to restore my youth. When that ti cos, we'll fight again."
Before Naruto could respond, Bullet slamd his barrel heavily onto the deck.
"If you're old, just stay put and behave-"
He glared fiercely at Redfield, then turned his gaze to Naruto.
"The one who will defeat this kid is ."
"Next ti, next ti I'll show you my peak condition, Uzumaki Naruto. Don't think you can let your guard down just because you won once."
Bullet's words might sound like an attempt to save face, but he truly wasn't at his best.
As the Gasha Gasha no Mi User, he hadn't used his Devil Fruit's abilities at all during the recent battle, relying purely on his formidable physique and Haki to clash with Naruto.
"Hah... You're welco anyti."
Naruto raised his barrel to him, laughing without any concern.
This was how heroes on the seas were… fighting to the death one mont, sharing a drink the next.
As long as you drink together, you can be friends.
As for fighting?
That can wait until after this round.
For them, the aning behind the fight might not be that important, because the fight itself was the aning.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Just then, the sounds of sparring, or rather, Sasuke serving as a training partner for Konohamaru, ca from the other side, catching Bullet's attention.
Seeing this, Naruto proactively moved aside, revealing their figures to Bullet.
"So? Konohamaru is a kid with a lot of potential, right?"
Hearing this, Bullet glanced sideways at Naruto.
"That brat still has a long way to go."
After saying this, he gulped down the rest of his drink.
"We still have so ti before making landfall. Consider it paynt for the ride. Let train him a bit."
Saying this, he strode with his imposing presence towards Konohamaru.
Thanks to his innate physical prowess and Karin's dical Ninjutsu, Bullet had almost fully recovered by now.
-But even if he weren't fully recovered, he was more than enough to serve as a training partner for the current Konohamaru.
"Well now, it sounds like I've beco a freeloader."
Redfield watched Bullet's figure with a smile, then also walked over.
"Your black-haired companion seems quite talented in Observation Haki. If you don't mind-"
"Be my guest."
Whether it was Sasuke or Konohamaru, due to their innate talents or special bloodlines, both, though still considered youths, had already displayed potential surpassing many others.
Perhaps, as Redfield implied, they didn't want to owe a big favor and then continue freeloading on the ship.
Or perhaps it was the excitent of discovering two uncut gems… admittedly, Naruto's teaching skills were sowhat... hard to describe.
After leisurely finishing his rum, Naruto walked over to Karin's side.
"So? Do you want to receive so guidance from them too? Don't be fooled just because I defeated them, in terms of strength, these two are absolutely 'top-tier'."
Unexpectedly, Karin just shook her head.
"Their fighting styles don't suit . If possible, I'd like you to be the one to guide , Naruto-san, especially in utilizing this power."
As she spoke, Karin showed the [Kama] on her hand, also recounting Momoshiki's movents when Naruto displayed the full power of the Otsutsuki form.
"Ah... I almost forgot about him."
Naruto reached out, gently touching the diamond-shaped mark, his will probing inside.
Unfortunately, apart from a faint Otsutsuki's Chakra Reaction, like a seed, he couldn't sense any spiritual presence.
Perhaps stimulated by Naruto, Momoshiki, feeling escape was hopeless, had actively withdrawn his spirit into the Kama, entering a state similar to hibernation.
"Alright. We still have so ti before Ace's execution. Let's deal with this first."
It seed everyone on the ship had found sothing to do.
-Except for Byrnndi World, who was still role-playing as a carpet.
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