The Den Den Mushi had already gone quiet.
The deal was made. Seven Devil Fruits in exchange for one living Celestial Dragon. No broadcast. No public execution. No humiliation.
Just a clean exchange.
Tony leaned back in his chair and let out a slow breath. The hardest part was done. Now came the waiting.
He looked around the Marine Branch office. The room was large, but it felt smaller now that everything had settled. Papers were stacked across the table. Broken windows from earlier clashes had already been boarded up by frightened Marines. The air still carried the faint smell of smoke and dust.
They had taken control of this place without much effort. That was the strange part. It had not been difficult.
Tony tapped the table lightly.
Then he looked at Naruto.
"Hey," Tony said casually, "you've got a job."
Naruto blinked. "Huh? What now?"
Tony folded his hands together.
"You need to go check on our guest."
Naruto's face dropped instantly.
"The Celestial Dragon?" he asked.
"Yes," Tony said. "We need him alive. And clean."
Naruto frowned. "Clean?"
Tony nodded slowly. "If he panics, he might… you know."
Naruto stared at him.
Tony continued calmly, "If he decides to pee or worse inside the vehicle, that becomes a problem. I don't want to deal with that. And we definitely don't want him dying. If he dies, we lose the exchange."
Naruto's shoulders slumped.
"You're kidding."
"I am not," Tony replied.
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Why me?"
"Because you're fast," Tony said. "You can restrain him if needed. And you won't accidentally crush him like Gaius."
Gaius did not react.
Naruto sighed deeply. "This is the worst mission I've ever had."
"But still a mission," Tony said lightly.
Naruto knew he was right.
If the Celestial Dragon died, there would be no Devil Fruits. If he made a mess inside the vehicle, that would just be disgusting. Either way, Naruto understood the responsibility.
"Fine," Naruto muttered. "I'll go."
He turned and walked toward the door.
As soon as he stepped into the hallway of the Marine Branch, the atmosphere changed.
Marines were standing along the walls. Some were injured. Some were pretending to organize papers. Some were simply frozen.
They saw him.
And then they all looked away.
Not slowly.
Immediately.
One Marine turned his back completely. Another stepped aside as if Naruto was a high-ranking officer passing through. A few lowered their heads.
No one wanted trouble.
Naruto stopped for a moment.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Heh… you guys don't have to act like that," he said.
No one answered.
One Marine even stepped further aside.
Naruto laughed weakly.
"Okay… I'll just go then."
He walked past them and pushed open the main doors of the Marine Branch.
Outside, the open square stretched wide under the sky. The vehicle they arrived in was parked not too far away, near the center of the island square.
Naruto didn't waste time.
He leaned forward slightly.
Then he ran.
In an instant, he vanished from normal sight.
To the Marines watching from a distance, he became nothing more than a blur.
Air shifted behind him. His sandals barely made a sound against the ground. His body leaned forward deeply, almost like he was falling on purpose.
Behind him,
Tanya was pulled forward.
She did not touch the ground. She did not even truly run. She was bound to the broadcaster, and Naruto was the broadcaster.
She could only exist within ten meters of him.
So when he moved
She moved.
Good thing she was virtual.
She passed through walls and air without resistance.
Still, the sudden acceleration caught her by surprise.
For a brief second, her eyes widened.
Naruto's speed was extreme.
But her shock lasted only a moment.
Her mind shifted to analysis almost immediately.
She studied his posture.
His body leaned forward heavily. His center of gravity was clearly shifted ahead on purpose. Each step was not just a push, it was a controlled fall. He let gravity pull him forward and converted that into acceleration.
It was not careless running.
It was deliberate.
His arms trailed behind him. Not flailing. Not wild.
Streamlined.
That reduced air resistance. It also kept his hands free. If he needed to grab something, throw a punch, or take a weapon from the pouch at his waist, he could do it instantly without changing his posture.
His back stayed steady. No wasted motion. His steps were light, despite the speed.
This was not flashy movement.
It was practical.
Designed to close distance quickly.
Designed to transition into combat without slowing down.
She noted a weakness.
With arms behind him and weight forward, his backward defense would be limited. On uneven ground, it could be risky.
But the way he adjusted direction slightly, even at that speed, showed balance far beyond a normal human.
This was not normal infantry.
This was beyond normal human movement. The speed and control weren't something an ordinary person could achieve.
It seemed this was the chakra the purple-haired woman had mentioned. That power was clearly what allowed them to move like this.
Tanya narrowed her eyes slightly.
Useful data.
Impressive.
But not overwhelming.
She had seen other forms of superhuman combat before. This was different, but still something that could be understood.
Within seconds, Naruto reached the vehicle.
He skidded to a stop in front of it.
Inside, the Celestial Dragon was restrained.
The man was pale, shaking, and furious all at once. His face was red from earlier screaming.
Naruto leaned down and looked inside.
"Hey," Naruto said flatly. "You alive?"
The Celestial Dragon glared at him. "How dare you."
Naruto raised a hand.
"Yeah, yeah. Save it."
He sniffed cautiously.
No bad smell.
Good.
He let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Listen," Naruto said. "Just stay calm. If you cause trouble, it won't be good for you. If you stay alive and quiet, this ends faster."
The Celestial Dragon muttered something under his breath, but he did not scream.
Naruto crossed his arms and leaned against the vehicle.
"Why did it have to be bathroom duty…" he muttered.
Tanya hovered nearby, observing silently.
Back inside the Marine Branch office, things were calmer.
Tony leaned back in his chair.
Mindy stretched slightly.
Saeko stood near the window, looking out at the sea.
Diana sat comfortably, arms crossed, relaxed.
And Gaius
Gaius remained at the end of the table.
Large armored form unmoving.
Documents rested in his massive hand.
He turned pages slowly but steadily.
Though the documents were incomplete, they contained enough information about this world, its powers, its structure, its seas, its creatures.
He processed it quickly.
Patterns.
Hierarchy.
Military structure.
Political weakness.
After several minutes, he stopped.
He placed the documents down carefully on the table.
Tony noticed immediately.
"You done?" Tony asked.
Gaius nodded once.
Tony tilted his head slightly.
"So," Tony said, "after we get the Devil Fruits… do you have any plans?"
The room listened.
Gaius remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"There is."
His voice was steady.
"I will hunt various Sea Kings."
Mindy blinked. "The giant sea monsters?"
"Yes."
"And then?" Tony asked.
"I will take their meat. For research."
Tony leaned forward slightly. "Research?"
"I will send them to my Gene Father Guilliman," Gaius said calmly
There was no pride in his voice. No excitement.
Just planning.
Sea Kings were massive creatures, strong and durable. Their biology held potential for many uses.
Cloning them in controlled aquatic environments could provide a steady food supply, serve as weapons, or both. Especially valuable was the sheer vitality packed into their meat.
Tony nodded slowly.
"That's not a bad idea. Sea King meat is good."
Gaius gave no reaction.
Tony then looked around at the others.
"What about the rest of you?"
Diana spoke first.
"No," she said. "I have no plan."
Tony raised a brow.
"I am satisfied," she added.
She meant it.
When she arrived in this world, she fought General Akainu. She had used her full strength. The battle was intense.
Akainu had been at a slight disadvantage.
But it was still a worthy fight.
She enjoyed it.
That was enough.
Saeko spoke next.
"No plan," she said softly. "I am satisfied as well."
She had fought.
She had killed.
She had released tension she had carried.
For her, that was enough.
Mindy crossed her arms.
"No plan," she said. "But I'm not satisfied."
Tony smirked slightly.
"We've only been here a few days," Mindy continued. "It's a new world. There's more to see."
She had fun.
But it felt short.
Tony leaned back again.
"Well," he said, "since most of you are satisfied… here's the plan."
He looked at Gaius.
"After we receive the Devil Fruits, we'll help Gaius collect Sea King meat."
He then looked around the room.
"And after that, we head home."
Diana nodded.
Saeko nodded.
Gaius gave a short "Hm."
Mindy hesitated.
Then she sighed.
"Fine. But next time we stay longer."
Tony grinned.
"We'll see."
Outside, Naruto continued standing guard beside the vehicle.
He glanced down at the Celestial Dragon again.
Still alive.
Still angry.
Still not making a mess.
Good.
Tanya floated quietly nearby, hands folded behind her back.
She had gathered enough information for now.
Power structure.
Mobility levels.
Combat balance.
Leadership style.
This group was strong. Very strong.
~~~