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These past few days, Shin had been swamped, constantly busy with one thing or another.
And it was all because of Hina. Shin had no idea what had gotten into her.
She was constantly seeking him out for guidance—from Observation Haki to the Six Powers, then Armament Haki, and even her Devil Fruit abilities.
Shin had initially tried to pass Hina off to Olvia, but Olvia, as if reading his mind, immediately told him she was busy too. Olvia was the one managing Shin's territories.
After all, Shin was too lazy to manage them, and while Hancock was the Vice-captain, the mere sight of paperwork gave her a headache. Robin wasn't willing to do it either, so everything fell to Olvia.
She was already working hard enough, so when Olvia said she was busy, Shin couldn't argue. Otherwise, if she dumped all the management duties on him, he'd be the one crying.
"I haven't even been able to go out to sea because of all this."
Shin stood on the deck of the Pluton as it pulled away from the port, heading for the open sea.
Yes, Shin had decided to set sail—mainly because he was getting tired of Hina's constant pestering. So he decided to go out to sea to get away from it all.
Hina, of course, was left behind, along with Olvia and the others. Olvia had to handle her duties, and if she had time, she could guide Hina.
"You brat, Sugar! Get back here! I'm going to spank you today!"
Nami, wielding her Clima-Tact, chased after Sugar, who was running ahead of her.
The Clima-Tact in Nami's hands was actually made by Shin—a perfect replica of the original.
"You can't catch me!" Sugar taunted, sticking her tongue out at Nami before continuing to flee.
"Those two are turning the ship upside down," Hancock said to Shin, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Haha, I actually think it's quite nice. The endless sea can get a bit boring. Now we have some entertainment,"
Shin said with a laugh.
"What are they fighting about this time?" Shin asked Amatsuki Toki, puzzled.
Amatsuki Toki had been with them earlier, so Shin figured she would know.
"Nami's tangerine tree finally bore fruit, but Sugar picked them before they were ripe. That's why Nami's chasing her."
Amatsuki Toki, as expected, knew the reason and explained it to Shin.
"So that's what it was about," Shin chuckled. Just then, he saw Sugar running towards him.
"Shin, save me!" Sugar nimbly scrambled up Shin like a monkey, burying her head in his chest, looking pitiful.
"You deserve whatever you get."
Shin looked at Sugar, who was asking for his help, and said irritably. With what she had done, she deserved a beating.
"Hmph! No one can save you today! Prepare to meet your doom!" Nami shouted angrily at Sugar.
"Damn it! If you dare touch me, I'll have my sister beat you up!" Sugar threatened, shaking her fist at Nami.
"Heh, your sister isn't here right now," Nami said with a cold laugh.
Indeed, Monet wasn't here. Shin had left her behind to help Olvia.
Sugar panicked. If they really fought, she wouldn't have to be afraid of Nami. But Shin wouldn't let her use her Devil Fruit ability recklessly. Without her Hobby-Hobby Fruit, Sugar was just a little girl with decent combat skills.
That's why she was being chased by Nami. If she could use her Devil Fruit, it was hard to say who would be chasing whom. When Sugar turned someone into a toy, the toy still had considerable fighting power.
"Hey, look! There's a warship behind you!" Sugar shouted, pointing behind Nami.
"Hmph! You've pulled that one on me a million times. You think I'm going to fall for it again?"
Nami scoffed, not believing Sugar for a second.
"Nami, Sugar's not lying this time," Hancock said to Nami.
"Hmm?" Nami was taken aback by Hancock's words. Hancock wouldn't lie to her. Nami immediately turned and looked into the distance.
"There really is a warship! It's the Marines!"
Nami immediately prepared for battle. After all, she was a pirate now. Facing the Marines, of course, she had to be ready to fight.
"Don't be so tense," Shin said to the cautious Nami. "Akainu himself is out on the water. Something big must be going down."
Shin narrowed his eyes.
The current Akainu was a Fleet Admiral, he wouldn't go out to sea for no reason.
It's worth mentioning that the World Military Draft had already concluded.
After the battle for Fleet Admiral, only Kizaru remained as an Admiral. But now, the ranks had been replenished. Fujitora and Ryokugyu had joined the Marines and had become Admirals in one fell swoop.
Of course, they had the strength to back it up. Fujitora was a Gravity-Gravity Fruit user. Because he was blind, his Observation Haki was extremely powerful.
His physical abilities were also not to be underestimated. In every aspect, he was worthy of the title of Admiral.
As for Ryokugyu, he was more of a mystery, but his strength was undoubtedly immense. If he were weak, he wouldn't have become an Admiral.
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"The Kuja Pirates?"
Akainu frowned as he saw the Kuja Pirates' ship approaching.
"Fleet Admiral, should we take a detour?" a Marine soldier asked Akainu.
Akainu just gave the soldier a cold glance. A detour? Not a chance. If word got out, what would people think?
Not long after, Akainu's warship and Shin's ship met, facing each other in a straight line.
"Yo, Akainu, long time no see," Shin greeted Akainu with a smile.
Compared to Shin, Akainu was in no mood for pleasantries. He stared at Shin with a dark expression.
Shin had humiliated him greatly in the past. Akainu had even been captured by him, and people still loved to bring it up, just to get under his skin.
Though Akainu hated Shin with a passion, he wasn't as impulsive as he used to be. He wouldn't just attack Shin on a whim. In the past, he could act without considering the consequences, but now, things were different. He was the Fleet Admiral.
And with the Five Elders breathing down his neck, even someone as extreme as Akainu had to tone it down a bit.
"Shin Uzumaki, I'd advise you to stay in line on these waters," Akainu said, his eyes filled with warning.
Though he wouldn't attack, he still had to say the necessary tough talk.
"What did you say?" Hancock glared at Akainu.
Was he threatening them?
Hancock couldn't stand it. She drew her sword, looking ready to fight.
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