CHAPTER 175 — A new Member!
The fire had burned low.
What was once a tall bonfire now sat as a wide bed of glowing embers, red and orange lines pulsing gently beneath a thin layer of ash. The night air was cool, but not cold. The sea breeze rolled in softly, carrying the smell of salt, smoke, and cooked meat.
The remains of the Sea King were everywhere.
Huge bones lay stacked near the edge of the beach, cleaned clean. Others were arranged neatly, pushed aside so no one would trip over them. The sand nearby was darkened with oil and juices from hours of cooking.
They had eaten a lot.
Naruto leaned back on the sand, both hands resting on his stomach, eyes half-closed.
"I can't move," he said.
Mindy was beside him, laying flat on her back, arms spread wide, staring up at the stars. "Same."
Tony sat on a folding chair, helmet off, shirt slightly loosened, one hand holding a metal cup filled with water. He let out a slow breath.
"That… was quite delicious," he said calmly.
Saeko glanced at him, a faint smile on her lips. "Indeed it was. The meat was very good."
Tony nodded in agreement, satisfied.
Diana sat upright, posture straight even after eating more than anyone else except one. She wiped her hands with a cloth and looked toward Gaius.
Gaius was still eating.
Not rushed. Not greedy.
Just steady.
A large slab of Sea King meat rested on a metal plate in his hands. He cut it with a knife that looked small compared to the portion, brought it to his mouth, and ate calmly.
He had eaten more than all of them combined.
And he was still going.
Naruto cracked one eye open and stared. "How are you still eating?"
Gaius did not look up. "My body is still accepting it."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "That's… not how hunger works."
Gaius paused for a moment, then spoke honestly. "It is not hunger."
He swallowed, then continued.
"My body is adjusting. The intake has not reached its limit."
Tony stared at him for a second longer, then shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask."
Eventually, even Gaius finished.
He placed the empty plate down, wiped his hands once, and sat still.
The beach fell quiet.
The fire crackled softly.
The ocean rolled in slow, steady waves.
Tony stretched his arms above his head. "Alright. Camp time."
Saeko was already moving.
She reached into her parcel system and began pulling items out one by one. Clean movements. No wasted motion.
Beds came first.
They were simple but sturdy, designed for field use. Frames unfolded on their own. Mattresses expanded with a soft hiss. Clean sheets followed, then blankets.
Each bed was placed with care, spaced so everyone had room.
Naruto blinked. "You brought beds?"
Saeko nodded. "Always."
Mindy sat up. "I love you."
Tony chuckled and stood, stretching again. "Then let us all sleep. JARVIS will keep watch."
No one argued.
One by one, they settled in.
Naruto dropped onto his bed face-first and was asleep almost instantly.
Mindy followed soon after, curled on her side, breathing slow and even.
Diana lay on her back, hands folded over her stomach, eyes on the sky until they slowly closed.
Saeko lay down last, sword within reach, but her posture relaxed.
Tony lay back, hands behind his head.
"Good night," he muttered
Gaius remained standing for a time.
He looked down at the island.
The bones. The ash. The marks in the sand.
Evidence.
Then he lay down, armor still on, resting against the reinforced bed built to hold his weight.
His eyes closed.
The night passed.
Quietly.
Peacefully.
No dreams came.
Only rest.
The sun rose gently.
Light spilled across the water first, then crept onto the sand, turning the island gold. Birds passed overhead, curious but cautious.
One by one, they woke.
Naruto yawned loudly and stretched. "Morning already?"
Mindy sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I slept really good."
Tony was already awake, standing near the vehicle, stretching his neck side to side.
"Alright, team," he said. "Wash up. We move soon."
They took turns cleaning themselves with water pulled from storage. Simple, quick, practical.
Tony stepped aside as small mechanical arms unfolded from his parcel system. They moved with smooth precision, locking into place, lifting armor plates from containment and guiding them toward him.
One by one, the pieces snapped on, chest, arms, legs, sealing with soft metallic clicks. Systems came online in quiet layers, lights flickering to life as everything aligned.
Naruto watched, impressed. "That's cool."
Tony smiled as the final plate settled into place. "Efficiency."
He had removed his armor the day before, it was simply too troublesome to move around in it for something as relaxed as camping.
Thankfully, he had designed mobile mechanical arms for exactly that purpose. Compact, and precise. They handled both removal and re-equipping with ease, sparing him the effort entirely.
Gaius did not remove his armor.
There was no need.
Removing it would take time. Putting it back on would take more. And the armor did not trouble his rest or movement.
It stayed.
They dressed, packed, and returned all equipment to their parcel systems. Within minutes, the island looked almost untouched, save for the massive bones of the Sea King and faint marks in the sand.
They boarded the flying vehicle.
The Celestial Dragon was awake.
Barely.
The moment he realized he was still restrained, his face twisted with fury.
"Y-you lowly commoners!" he screamed, voice cracking. "How dare you touch me! Do you know who I am?! You will die! All of you will—"
Diana blinked and looked at Naruto. "Is he always like that?"
Naruto nodded. "Yep."
Mindy sighed, clearly annoyed. She stood, walked over calmly, and raised her gun.
She did not fire.
She turned it and struck him on the head with the handle.
The Celestial Dragon went limp mid-sentence.
Silence returned.
Mindy exhaled. "Finally quiet."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Tony laughed.
Naruto snorted.
Diana covered her mouth, smiling.
Even Saeko's lips curved slightly.
They took their seats.
Tony moved to the controls. "Alright. Since everyone is ready"
The engines hummed.
"let's continue."
With a smooth motion, the vehicle lifted off, rising into the sky with a soft roar. The island shrank beneath them, left behind with only bones and fading traces of warmth.
Marineford.
The sun was nearing its highest point.
Inside a quiet office, Sengoku sat at his desk, eyes heavy, dark circles clear beneath them.
He had not slept.
Papers were stacked everywhere. Reports. Failed searches. Incomplete sightings.
Nothing solid.
Tsuru stood nearby, arms folded, calm but serious.
Garp sat across the room, chewing loudly.
"We can't find them," Sengoku said, voice tight. "No signal. No trail. No pattern."
Tsuru nodded. "But they took the Celestial Dragon alive."
"Yes," Sengoku said. "Which means they plan to use him."
"Extort the World Government," Tsuru said calmly.
Garp burst out laughing. "Hah! Extort them? That's rich!"
Sengoku turned slowly.
Without a word, he reached over, grabbed the entire bag of senbei from Garp's hands, and dumped it into his own mouth.
All of it.
Garp froze.
"SENGOKU!"
Sengoku chewed, swallowed, and exhaled.
"They didn't leave a way to contact them," he said, turning to Tsuru. "No demands. No message. Nothing. They have a flying vehicle. That makes tracking nearly impossible."
Tsuru nodded. "But we know the vehicle exists. They used it openly at Sabaody. There were witnesses."
Sengoku leaned back slightly. "Yes. That's our only lead."
A knock came at the door.
Sharp. Urgent.
Sengoku felt it immediately.
"Come in!" he snapped.
An officer rushed inside, breath uneven, holding a report.
"Fleet Admiral," he said. "The group has been found."
Sengoku's eyes sharpened. "Where?"
"They are at Marine Base G-4."
The room went cold.
"What," Sengoku said slowly, "are they doing there?"
"That base is deep in the Grand Line," he continued. "Even a warship would take weeks to reach it."
The officer swallowed. "The vice admiral stationed there has been defeated. The base is under their control."
Garp's laughter was gone.
Tsuru's expression turned grave.
"How many casualties?" she asked.
"Few," the officer replied. "They did not kill unnecessarily. They occupied the base."
Garp and Tsuru relaxed a little.
It seemed they hadn't gone too far.
Sengoku closed his eyes briefly, then exhaled.
"At least," he said, "we know where they are."
He waved the officer away.
"And now," he muttered, "we can talk."
Marine Base G-4.
A large office room sat at the heart of the base.
A long table filled the center, covered in papers, maps, and newspapers.
Tony, Naruto, Mindy, Saeko, Diana, and Gaius were seated around it.
Saeko spoke first. "Are we letting the Marines leave?"
Tony nodded. "Yes. We don't care about holding soldiers. We're here for position."
"This base," he continued, "is a perfect communication point."
Gaius read documents at incredible speed, eyes scanning line after line. Tony's Jarvis worked alongside him, analyzing data.
Maps of the world lay open.
Tony spoke calmly. "The world is mostly ocean. Two main barriers. The Red Line and the Grand Line."
He tapped the map.
"Grand Line has two halves. Paradise, then the New World. The New World is where the real threats are."
Naruto leaned forward, listening.
"Four Emperors rule the New World," Tony continued. "One of them is Whitebeard. We already met him."
Gaius nodded slowly.
Tony pinched his chin. "This world looks complex, but it's simple. The World Government controls balance. Marines enforce order. Emperors stop pirates from uniting. They don't eliminate chaos… they manage it. Just enough to keep the balance from tipping."
Silence followed.
Then
DING
A familiar sound echoed.
A panel appeared before them.
[The Devil of Rhine has joined the group chat.]
~~~
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