The old town mayor looked extremely disheveled, with a huge lump on his forehead. It was clear he had taken quite a bad fall.
Seeing the many pirates gathered on the shore—especially the group of burly men under Zabuza's command, all with their strange and intimidating appearances—the old man's legs trembled even more.
But even so, his grip on the gun was steady.
"Anyone moves, and I'll shoot!"
It was clear that the town mayor wasn't bluffing. If anyone dared to act recklessly, he would definitely pull the trigger.
As for the others, they just stood there, staring at each other, completely at a loss for what to do.
For a moment, no one knew how to react.
This was the first time something like this had happened—Shanks being used as a hostage to threaten them.
Even if they wiped out every man on those two ships, they still wouldn't be able to kill Shanks.
"…Should we do something?"
Zabuza looked completely indifferent as he turned to Shisui, who also had a helpless expression.
"Is Shanks… an idiot?"
As soon as he said that, Shisui disappeared from where he stood.
In the next instant, he was right beside the town mayor. With a swift movement, the gun in the old man's hands was sliced in half by Shisui's kunai.
"Spare me, sir! It was all Erik's idea!
It's all just a misunderstanding!"
Before the broken gun barrel even hit the ground, the town mayor had already dropped to his knees, his speed so shocking that even the others were sweating in embarrassment.
"Seriously? At least hold out for two seconds!!"
"You were planning to beg for mercy from the start, weren't you?"
The others couldn't hold back anymore.
Even Yan's companion, Jiusuke the Vajra Hawk, couldn't take it.
"Can you guys at least act a little more normal?"
Well, to be fair, the old mayor wasn't entirely wrong—it really was a misunderstanding.
But this misunderstanding wasn't completely Erik's fault either.
That night, a bonfire was lit in the town, filling the air with a lively and festive atmosphere.
Zabuza's men—each one looking like some kind of monster—gathered around the fire, drinking heavily.
The flickering flames cast shadows on their faces, making them look even more terrifying than the demons of the Land of Demons.
Forget about judging their personalities—just one look at their faces was enough to tell that none of them had lived a peaceful life.
No one could develop that kind of murderous look without having taken at least dozens of lives.
On the other side, Shanks sat surrounded by the town mayor and a group of villagers, all eager to hear news from the outside world.
The Flower Archipelago was located in a rather remote area, though it was still technically within the outskirts of the ninja world—after all, merchants from the ninja world did travel here.
But further south… that was the true open sea, where even maps didn't exist.
"Hmm, I see. So the Flower Archipelago relies a lot on trade from the outside world."
"Yes, and that's exactly why we're so worried about what's happening beyond our island.
Our ancestors originally fled here from the ninja world.
They say that place is filled with nothing but war and chaos."
The old village chief sighed slightly. He had to admit, most of the small countries beyond the Shinobi World were like this.
A few rogue ninjas would leave the mainland, establish their own small nations, and somehow, these tiny countries ended up doing better than the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Looking at similar situations in the past, even if problems arose—like ministers trying to overthrow the king—it never really led to anything too serious.
At most, a few key figures would die.
Now, compare that to the main continent of the Shinobi World. Forget the small nations—even the big ones were just as chaotic and brutal.
"That's exactly why we need to understand what's happening beyond our borders. This archipelago is our home, and we have to protect it," the old village chief, Heidai, said with a sigh.
Life in the Flower Archipelago was good, but he knew all too well that comfort often led to downfall when danger came knocking.
If they wanted to defend this place, they needed strength.
They might seem like ordinary people with no real combat skills, but the village was stocked with hidden weapons and explosives.
"But things are about to change here. Still, just being able to witness this new era with my own eyes… I'm satisfied."
"Hahaha!!"
The old chief laughed heartily.
He had first heard the word "pirate" from Eric, and of course, he knew about Shanks' title as a Daimyo.
Eric hadn't given him much detail, but now, Heidai fully understood just how high this man's status was in the Shinobi World.
"A new era, huh? I don't think it'll come that soon, Heidai. You better live long enough to see it."
"Hah! Shanks, are you cursing this old man?"
Hearing Shanks' words, Heidai's eyes widened as he smacked Eric on the back.
Eric, still covered in bandages and unconscious, was sent straight into an even deeper sleep with that slap.
The atmosphere at the banquet was nothing but lively. Even someone as stiff as Amado had been dragged into the celebration.
Seeing the cheerful scene, Shisui couldn't help but smile, his face lighting up with warmth.
Next to Shisui, Haku sat with a slightly flushed face, completely surrounded by a group of girls.
It had to be said—the looks of Zabuza's crew were quite… mixed. With so many odd-looking people around, Haku's presence actually balanced things out, keeping the crew's overall attractiveness at a decent level.
And with his soft, gentle demeanor and his naturally sweet and delicate features, Haku was absolutely adored by the girls.
"Man, Haku is so pretty. No wonder he's so popular," Shisui teased while sipping his drink.
There was no other way to describe Haku's looks—he was just straight-up beautiful. Combine that with his kind and gentle nature, and it was no surprise he was the center of attention.
Honestly, he was the kind of person who would always be doted on by older sisters.
"You're not bad yourself," Zabuza muttered, a little jealous. "Actually, the Uchiha clan seems to have good genes. Even that brat Sasuke looks like he could get by on his face alone."
It wasn't like Shisui was sitting alone, either.
After all, he was one of the most handsome men in the Uchiha clan. And after surviving so many battles, he had gained a unique, almost mysterious aura.
Looking at him now, with his warm and sunny appearance, gentle features, and the scars by his eyes that hinted at a painful past—he was exactly the kind of guy who made people wonder about his story.
Simply put, Haku was the type to be pampered by young girls.
But Shisui? He was the kind of man young women saw as someone with a deep past—someone they wanted to understand.
And not just young women.
Zabuza had no doubt that if Shisui ever met Terumi Mei, that "old lady" would be completely hooked.
He was the perfect mix of warmth, pain, and vulnerability—someone who had been through a lot and just needed a caring older woman to heal his wounds.
So, feeling defeated, Zabuza sat down next to Shisui.
After all, nothing stung more than seeing someone else succeed where you failed.
Using his naturally fierce expression, Zabuza successfully helped Shisui drive away the group of fangirls.
"The looks of the Uchiha clan? That's actually an interesting subject to study."
Amado nodded to himself. He was the type of person who wanted to study everything.
Half of Shanks' ship was used to store alcohol, while the other half was Amado's research lab. He had an interest in all things related to science.
Well, at least for now, while he was still young, Amado remained a complete academic nerd.
"But Zabuza, aren't you worried about someone stealing Haku away?"
Amado glanced at Zabuza. He wasn't clueless—he just wasn't interested in women at the moment. That was all.
"What's there to worry about? Besides, Haku should grow up at some point.
Love is something he should experience. Hanging around a bunch of rough guys like us all the time… I'm actually afraid we're holding him back."
The way Zabuza looked at Haku was full of fatherly pride. If Haku was admired by so many women, then surely Zabuza deserved some credit for that.
At this age, wasn't it natural for a young man to be in his prime?
Back when he was that age, he had been just as curious about love.
"Zabuza, I didn't expect you to have a story of your own."
"Isn't that normal?"
Zabuza said proudly.
"But the person I liked… is dead."
After saying that, Zabuza casually added another sentence.
There was no sadness in his tone. Dead was dead. They had long since gotten used to life and death.
So Zabuza didn't think there was anything unusual about it.
Of course, having experienced that kind of pain himself, he would never let Haku go through the same thing.
"What about you, Shisui?"
Zabuza looked at Shisui. He figured someone like Shisui must have had someone he liked.
"I… had a junior I got along with pretty well. But… she's gone too."
Shisui spoke calmly.
The Uchiha clan had been wiped out. Those people were long gone.
"Someone from the Uchiha clan?"
"Yeah. She was a hardworking girl. It would be nice to see her again."
"There's probably still a chance. The Revolutionary Army is planning to use Edo Tensei to bring back a large number of strong ninja.
Knowing Orochimaru, he definitely won't leave out a single member of the Uchiha clan."
Amado scratched his head. Based on what he knew about Orochimaru, that guy definitely had genetic samples from every single Uchiha.
Honestly, he probably had samples from everyone in Konohagakure.
"Orochimaru? The guy who runs a zoo?"
Zabuza had nothing but disdain for Orochimaru. He naturally found those eerie, creepy types unpleasant.
He called their crew, the "Blade-less Pirates," a bunch of freaks? If anyone had a collection of freaks, it was Orochimaru.
"Given the current situation, Orochimaru is definitely going to do it. That guy doesn't care about respecting the dead."
Amado chuckled.
Even though they were part of the world's strongest pirate crew, at the end of the day, they were just regular people.
They had been through the same things as everyone else, and they had all the emotions any normal person would.
Of course, it was only because of Haku that this topic even came up. Under normal circumstances, none of them would have even thought about it.
But as they kept talking, the conversation eventually shifted to Shanks.
Among everyone, the most mysterious one was undoubtedly Shanks.
They didn't bother figuring out how much Shanks actually knew, nor did they understand what had happened in his past. But what was even stranger was that they had never seen him get close to any woman.
Even now, at a party, the people around Shanks were all men.
"Honestly, instead of worrying about whether White will get stolen away by a woman, shouldn't we be more concerned about Shanks?"
"Yeah… I feel the same. That guy doesn't seem interested in women at all. He just wants to drink. And it's not like he's heartbroken or anything."
A few of them analyzed the situation. They were all still single, but at least they had some experience with relationships—except for Amado, who was more of an academic type. Even so, he wasn't completely clueless.
But no matter how much they observed, they couldn't see any sign that Shanks leaned in any direction at all…
"Shanks might actually have zero experience."
"I think so too. Sure, his brain doesn't work like a normal person's, but my instincts don't lie—Shanks seems completely clueless about relationships."
The three of them tried discussing Shanks' first love, but to their shock, they couldn't find a single trace of romance in his past.
They couldn't even imagine what kind of woman would like Shanks—or what type of woman he might like.
Instead of continuing their gossip, they ended up worrying about Shanks' future marriage instead.
"I can't figure it out either. It's like romance just doesn't exist in his world."
"That's kind of sad, isn't it?"
Even Zabuza felt bad for Shanks. What kind of person was he, really? A lifelong bachelor with zero love experience—wasn't that just too tragic?
"Besides, our crew is all men. Shanks doesn't even have the opportunity for this kind of thing."
Shisui added to the conversation, suddenly realizing—was their captain really going to stay single forever, without ever falling in love?
"In my lab, I actually have a few female clones. When I die, I can just swap bodies."
Amado casually dropped this statement.
The next second, Shisui and Zabuza immediately backed away from him. Even the three who had been eavesdropping behind them—Yahiko and his group—took a step back.
"..."
Amado looked at the others in silence.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? Orochimaru did the same thing when he switched bodies."
Hearing this shocking information, everyone quickly gathered around him again.
"For real?"
"Wait a minute, something doesn't feel right…"
Zabuza suddenly felt like he had caught onto something important.
"What?"
Yahiko and the other two closed in on him, even setting up a small barrier just in case.
"Don't you think Orochimaru's luck has been kind of weird? Could it be that…?"
"No way!"
"I remember back in Konohagakure, Orochimaru really did use a woman's body at one point."
"What?! So it's true? I always knew that guy was shady, but to trick an innocent guy like Shanks like that…"
"I don't think that's right."
Shisui shook his head.
"Orochimaru isn't strong enough. He doesn't even deserve it."
"Then tell me, is there any woman in this world who is strong enough? Stop joking."
"..."
"..."
"Actually… maybe there is."
"Do you guys think that Rikudou Sennin—"
Before Shisui could finish, a hand reached in from outside the barrier and rested on his shoulder.
A terrifying gaze came from behind.
"Rikudou Sennin what?"
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