In truth, Naruto had already sensed the presence of an old acquaintance outside the bar while he was dealing with CP9.
No matter how much he tried to avoid it, he still ended up meeting her.
'This woman truly lived up to her reputation as an intelligence operative… she had pinpointed my location astonishingly quickly.'
Knowing her personality, Naruto thought it over and ultimately abandoned his plan to personally silence these World Government's agents.
After all, such methods were still too crude.
Even if he wiped out this batch, he was certain the World Government could quickly dispatch another team… or even directly threaten Iceburg with overt military force.
Though he wasn't entirely sure what the government wanted from Iceburg, Naruto believed that if they used the safety of Water 7 as leverage, as the Mayor, Iceburg would most likely have no choice but to comply.
He had no doubt the World Government was capable of such things.
It was just a matter of pride. All they needed was to issue a Buster Call and fabricate some excuse to deceive the world-
After all, they'd done it plenty of times before.
Considering Stussy's identity, Naruto was confident she'd handle this matter far more smoothly than he could.
As for why he believed Stussy would help him-
First, this wasn't the first time she'd done so.
Second-
"Hey~ Why aren't you saying anything?"
At this moment, Stussy had lost all the demeanor of the [Queen of the Pleasure District] and [CP0 Agent]. Instead, she leaned against Naruto's shoulder like a playful young girl.
Her movements were intimate and effortless.
Given the difference in their heights, the sight was slightly mismatched.
But if Naruto were still the same height as in his youth, it would've looked far more natural.
As she spoke, Stussy poked Naruto's cheek with her finger.
"You really did listen to me, huh~"
"I told you long ago not to grow a beard. Hehe."
The same finger that had just fired a Flying Finger Gun to pierce through Blueno's palm now gently traced Naruto's smooth jawline.
At 37 years old, Naruto obviously wasn't incapable of growing facial hair.
The reason why she can still maintain the refreshing look of her twenties.
The reason he still maintained the clean-shaven look of his twenties was partly due to his unique constitution and partly because he shaved diligently.
In fact, every morning after waking up, Naruto would use the Mushoukou to shave.
Admittedly, the sharpness of Mushoukou was more than enough for a clean shave.
This habit had stuck with him ever since he turned twenty, and its origins could be traced back to the woman standing before him now.
Feeling the fragrant warmth pressing against his back, along with the delicate hands roaming his face, and now slipping into his clothes, Naruto's expression grew even more pained and resigned.
He couldn't take it anymore. In the end, he simply grabbed Stussy by the waist and 'plucked' her off his back.
"I mean, you-"
Just as Naruto was about to say something, he saw the woman in front of him instantly put on an exaggerated, tearful expression.
Logically speaking, even ignoring Stussy's identity as a top agent, even if she were just an underground ruler controlling countless gray industries, her acting shouldn't be this rough.
It was obvious that this was done on purpose for Naruto to see.
Every time Naruto tried to speak, Stussy interrupted him with large, glistening tears.
When it came to dealing with men, whether enemies or allies, Naruto was exceptionally skilled.
However, against a seasoned femme fatale, especially one with such deep ties to him, he was at a loss.
"… Fine, fine. Do whatever makes you happy."
Naruto rarely compromised.
This time, however, he had met his nemesis.
Hearing his words, Stussy's expression instantly shifted. Even the tears she had just shed vanished without a trace.
Like a little fox who had successfully stolen a treat, she narrowed her eyes and smiled, gently wrapping her arms around Naruto's.
Having already given up on resisting, Naruto wore an expression of utter resignation, seemingly less than thrilled about being so close to such a stunning beauty.
"So, what brings you here to find me? Is it about Dr.-?"
He left his sentence hanging but trusted that this woman would understand his meaning.
Unexpectedly, Stussy just shook her head, then revealed an innocent smile… one she had never shown to anyone else before.
"I wanted to see you. That's all."
"…"
"Alright."
Naruto, who had always been more susceptible to soft approaches than hard ones, had finally met his natural enemy.
What's more, whether it was the feedback from his Observation Haki or the pulse he felt when in close contact with her, everything confirmed that the emotions in Stussy's words were completely genuine.
Not a single trace of deception.
The Great Hero who could see through people's hearts had encountered a spy who laid her heart bare.
"You've seen me now, and it's getting late. I just remembered I have some things to take care of, so I'll be going now."
As he spoke, Naruto tried to pull his arm free.
He tugged a few times, but it didn't budge.
'This woman had actually used Haki and Rokushiki techniques to forcibly cling to my arm.'
'You're really something else.'
"Hey, hey, hey, you heartless man. After I helped you with such a big favor, aren't you going to think about repaying me?"
That's rich.
Everyone in the world knew that the [Great Hero] Naruto always repaid his debts… grudges and favors alike.
With her saying that, how could Naruto possibly refuse?
"...Then what do you want?"
"A date… I just want one date. That's all."
Having said that, Stussy finally let go of Naruto's hand, her gaze as pure as a lovestruck young girl's.
"Don't forget, you owe me this."
Her words carried a double meaning, and Naruto couldn't help but recall the events of the past.
Thinking back to their last parting… it was actually Naruto who had stood Stussy up, sneaking away without a word.
Now, it seemed that what goes around truly comes around.
The only question was whether this high-ranking agent would pull some other unexpected stunt.
"...Fine, fine."
But what else could Naruto do?
It was just one date.
Like she said… that's all.
Faced with such sincere and blazing emotions, even the Great Hero had no choice but to admit defeat.
…
The next day, at Galley-La Company, President Iceburg had just accepted the sudden resignation letters from two of his shipwrights and his secretary.
With secrets already weighing on his mind, he immediately began connecting the dots.
The most important of these was naturally the Pluton's blueprints hidden with his junior, Franky.
Before Iceburg could finish considering whether to pay a visit to the Franky Family, he suddenly heard a knock at the door.
Since Kalifa had already resigned, Iceburg had no prior notice of his visitors and had to answer the door himself.
What greeted him was Naruto, who had previously placed an order with the company, and a charming lady in a white dress.
Judging by their intimate demeanor, mostly on Stussy's part, Iceburg quickly put two and two together.
Before he could even speak, the lady opened her mouth first.
"You block of wood, who in the world chooses a shipbuilding company as the first stop on a date?"
Though her tone was complaining, there was nothing but amusement in Stussy's voice and expression.
Clearly, she wasn't actually upset.
"I needed to come here to finalize some details for the order. It's to make sure there are no issues with the ship's power system later."
Naruto explained helplessly, trying to placate her.
"Tch… that kind of thing could've been left to the Doc-"
Remembering there was an outsider present, Stussy didn't finish her sentence.
Watching this exchange, Iceburg couldn't help but feel like he was standing there as nothing more than a third wheel.