So, where is the much-anticipated Uzumaki Naruto at this moment?
The answer is, he is above Marineford.
To be more precise, he is ten thousand meters above Marineford.
"It's truly astonishing... Are Kaido and Kuzan trying to destroy this place?"
High in the sky, the Gale Breaker floated quietly, held aloft by an invisible whirlwind beneath it.
Naruto sat at the ship's bow, gazing down at Marineford, which appeared no larger than a fingernail from this height.
Even from such a distance, they could still see the vast white mist generated by the collision between Aokiji and Kaido.
"When are we making our move?"
At that moment, Sasuke, who had changed into a new set of clothes, walked over coolly.
He was now dressed in attire quite similar to Naruto's, or rather, similar to his counterpart from another timeline… a samurai-style outfit, with the Kusanagi Sword hanging at his waist.
This sword had returned to Naruto after he had crafted a new umbrella for Patrick Redfield, but Sasuke had subsequently claimed it.
The reason was simple.
Although Redfield used an umbrella, he was undoubtedly a Master Swordsman of the highest caliber.
During his training sessions with such a formidable swordsman, Sasuke inevitably developed an interest in swordsmanship.
-Different from Killer B's almost acrobatic swordplay, which demanded extreme physical agility, and also distinct from the swordsmanship Naruto employed, which placed immense demands on Haki.
To say Naruto's swordsmanship was exceptional was an understatement… it was more accurate to say his Haki level was extraordinarily high.
With that degree of Conqueror's Haki Infusion, whether he wielded a sword or not was essentially irrelevant.
But Sasuke couldn't achieve that… at least up to this point, he still showed no signs of awakening Conqueror's Haki.
Feeling somewhat frustrated, he had thus conceived the idea of learning swordsmanship.
If the Hasshoken from the Happo Navy had significantly enhanced Sasuke's Taijutsu, then the instruction in Observation Haki and swordsmanship from Redfield had further expanded Sasuke's arsenal of attacks.
Now, he was itching for a fight.
Because, according to Naruto, the [World's Greatest Swordsman] of this world was currently engaged in battle below.
Hearing Sasuke's question, Naruto quietly sensed the situation below before giving a slight nod.
"It's about time. Those guys have already 'taken the bait'. We can go in now."
After saying this, Naruto turned back to look at Sasuke, Konohamaru, and Karin, speaking with a serious tone.
"During the upcoming battle, I might not be able to look after you. So, if you encounter opponents you cannot defeat-"
Before he could finish, Konohamaru raised his hand first.
"Don't worry, Naruto Aniki! We know what to do!"
Running away when you can't win isn't shameful.
Survival is what matters most.
Truth be told, if the three of them hadn't insisted so strongly, Naruto wouldn't have even considered bringing them into this chaotic fray.
Sasuke nodded, indicating he felt the same.
Karin looked at Naruto seriously and said,
"Naruto-san, it's time for you to properly witness my growth."
As she spoke, she revealed the [Kama] mark on her hand.
During this period of rest and preparation, besides spending time with the pregnant Hancock and Stussy, Naruto hadn't forgotten to help Karin resolve this lingering concern.
For the [Kama] mark, which also originated from the Otsutsuki Clan, the Sealing Techniques commonly used in the Ninja World were ineffective.
Fortunately, after consuming Kaguya, Naruto had acquired his own 'divine power'. He combined the Sealing Techniques he had mastered with the unique Chakra of the Otsutsuki Clan to inscribe a special sealing formula on Karin's hand.
This seal couldn't function like the Eight Trigrams Seal on Kurama, which could open a small gap to allow the host to draw Chakra from within.
However, it could completely block the outflow of Momoshiki's Chakra. Situations like the phantom-like emergence that had occurred before would not happen again unless the seal was opened.
This way, Karin at least didn't have to worry about being unexpectedly influenced by Momoshiki, who wasn't completely dead, during battle.
Of course, this also meant that Karin couldn't yet enter the fully awakened state of Garuda.
Sasuke's ability to awaken at his age was inseparable from his so-called [Indra's Chakra Reincarnation], manifesting concretely as his Mangekyo Sharingan fused with the Huodou.
Without relying on the Otsutsuki Clan's Chakra, if Karin forcibly entered the awakened state, she would begin to overdraft her own lifespan.
Because her life essence wasn't sufficient to support this step yet.
It was even different from the Jailer Beasts in Impel Down… they had succeeded in awakening but were consumed by their bestial instincts.
In Karin's case, the potential of Garuda, as a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, was simply too great for her to control yet.
Her white hair was the price paid for the previous awakening. Even though her lifespan had been replenished as much as possible, her hair remained unable to revert to its original red color.
Seeing the determination in Karin's eyes, Naruto could only nod silently.
'Fine, I'll just create a shadow clone to keep an eye on them later.'
Thinking this, Naruto walked to the ship's bow, looking down at Marineford below.
By now, the mist had enveloped most of the battlefield. Without using Observation Haki, it was impossible to see anything clearly.
"Quite an eyesore..."
"Blow it away, Karin."
"Alright!"
…
On the battlefield below, many vaguely heard a clear bird's cry.
But unfortunately, they were all in the thick mist, constantly on guard against enemies that could appear at any moment, so they had no mind to pay attention to such things.
"Tanzan Maru!"
Dressed like a geisha in a pink kimono, Izou infused his two flintlock pistols with Haki using the [Ryuo], then fired bullets wrapped in spiral-like slashes that rapidly struck the enemy.
These bullets, capable of both slashing and piercing, had extremely strong penetrating power. Several Marine officers who had mastered defensive Haki were caught off guard and hit.
Don't underestimate Izou, this cross-dressing man. He was not only the 16th Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates but also a retainer of the Kozuki Family of Wano Country, having joined the Whitebeard Pirates alongside Kozuki Oden.
Later, Oden chose to follow Roger to the final island, while Izou stayed behind.
Lacking confidence in his swordsmanship, he chose firearms as his weapons.
With Haki enhancement, even ordinary lead bullets could cause terrifying damage.
As he himself would say, "Is swordsmanship really such an inconvenient thing?"
After helping a few comrades out of tight spots with his pistols, this samurai from Wano was the first to sense something amiss.
'This is... wind?'
Although very faint, Izou clearly saw the thick white mist drifting regularly in one direction.
And that was indeed the case.
The barely perceptible breeze quickly grew stronger. Before many could react, a strong wind capable of lifting skirts and capes swept across the battlefield.
"Something's wrong! Everyone! Grab onto something solid nearby! The wind is coming!"
Izou suddenly shouted loudly.
Many reacted instinctively, following the order to find nearby ice spikes to cling to desperately.
On the battlefield, even a moment's hesitation could decide life and death.
Some Marines, seeing the pirates inexplicably running to hug ice spikes or tie themselves with ropes, didn't let this opportunity slip and drew their swords to charge forward.
Of course, some Marines also reacted and took similar actions.
Seconds later, their actions saved them.
Gale! Hurricane!
It was a super tornado strong enough to raise giant waves on the sea!
Not just the mist, but even people on the ground were swept up by this hurricane.
The unlucky ones were sent flying high into the air before crashing back down onto the ice.
Fortunately, the individuals on this battlefield were no ordinary folks… their physical resilience was on a completely different level compared to, say, a swordsmanship apprentice from Shimotsuki Village.
Otherwise, this alone would have claimed thousands of lives.
'Not natural...'
Kizaru, having once again been sent flying at the cost of slashing Whitebeard's chest, had to shield his face with his arm upon landing to prevent his sunglasses from being blown away.
Clearly, such a sudden and powerful wind doesn't occur naturally in nature.
He knew a new enemy had entered the fray.
Even Kaido and Aokiji, locked in their fierce duel, temporarily ceased fighting and looked upward simultaneously.
There, a golden, shimmering 'little bird' was flapping its wings.
Below it, several tornadoes rapidly rampaged across the battlefield.
"A Devil Fruit user?"
Aokiji narrowed his eyes, uncertainly pondering.
Kaido's thoughts were much simpler.
'A Zoan-type user! Possibly even a Mythical Zoan like mine! I must make him join the Beasts Pirates!!'
Unbeknownst to Naruto, a member of his team had already caught someone's eye.