"So, why are you here of all places?"
The East Army's Commander of the Revolutionary Army, the remarkably busty Belo Betty, glanced at the conspicuously out-of-place figure in the crowd.
Her tone was neither warm nor cold, deliberately maintaining an air of official detachment.
Truth be told, the moment she spotted Naruto's figure, Belo Betty realized her rushed deployment here had been somewhat unnecessary.
After all, with this man around, he would never stand idly by in such situations.
"I was just passing by-"
Naruto acted as if he didn't notice Belo Betty's guarded demeanor, casually greeting her like an old acquaintance.
Then, after glancing at the Devil Fruit users already being restrained by other Revolutionary Army's fighters, he decided to use his Conqueror's Haki for a precise strike against the enemies.
Pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, even with Devil Fruit abilities, stood little chance of remaining conscious under Naruto's Haki.
With the leading pirates collapsing unconscious, the remaining outlaws quickly surrendered.
While the villagers didn't know what had happened, they were overjoyed at the defeat of the invaders.
Belo Betty shot Naruto a look, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she pressed her lips together and remained silent.
Seeing her expression, Naruto simply smiled.
There seemed to be some history between them, making their reunion awkward and stiff.
Just then, a flock of crows suddenly descended from the sky, breaking the strange atmosphere.
These were the soot crows created by the ability of the Revolutionary Army's North Army's Commander, Karasu… capable of gathering and transmitting information. It was precisely why Karasu was known as the [Eyes of the Revolutionary Army].
After decoding the message conveyed by the crows' formation using a cipherbook, a Revolutionary Army's soldier hurried over to Belo Betty and relayed the information.
She then turned back to Naruto and said, "Leave as soon as you've rested."
"A 'big shot' like you always attracts unnecessary attention."
There was nothing wrong with her words. In fact, ever since Naruto's identity was exposed in the East Blue, both the Marines and the World Government had shifted their focus onto him.
If he hadn't kept moving without staying in one place for too long, he'd probably have a fleet of warships tailing him by now.
After saying this, Belo Betty politely declined the village chief's gratitude, tied up the pirates, and boarded the ship, setting sail for the next destination.
On the deck, Belo Betty removed her sunglasses and took one last distant look at Naruto.
Then, she glanced at the crow beside her, which was looking at her with its head tilted.
"...I'm fine."
Putting on her sunglasses again, Belo Betty once again became the East Army's Commander who charged at the frontlines to inspire the people.
The Revolutionary Army came and went swiftly, their mobility unmatched.
Meanwhile, Naruto returned to the village with the others.
After finishing that fresh, hearty meal, he didn't linger and promptly took his leave.
'It seemed my worries had been unnecessary.'
'The Revolutionary Army's eyes were always watching this place, ready to send reinforcements whenever the locals couldn't handle a situation.'
'Still, this method was only a temporary fix, not a permanent solution-'
With that thought, Naruto restarted the Gale Breaker.
The boat's stern ejected a high-speed jet of air, transforming the small craft into an arrow that sliced through the waves, speeding toward another destination.
Sabaody Archipelago is cluster of islands formed by the roots of seventy-nine giant trees known as [Yarukiman Mangrove].
The resin secreted by these roots formed unique bubbles, which, when processed, could become a resilient 'coating'.
This coating could even withstand the pressure of the deep sea.
As a result, many pirates who wanted to reach the New World via Fish-Man Island needed to have their ships coated at Sabaody Archipelago.
Over time, the number of pirates gathering here grew.
Grove 13, [Shakky's Rip-Off Bar].
This place belonged to a lawless gray zone, making it a constant mix of all sorts… crooks, mercenaries, and shady figures of every kind.
Bang! Bang!
Another group of reckless pirates, thinking their strength made them untouchable, had tried to cause trouble in the bar.
After being thoroughly beaten by the bar owner, they were unceremoniously tossed outside.
The passersby outside barely batted an eye, as this was nothing new.
Dusting off her hands, the bar owner, Shakky, who looked no older than her thirties, relit her cigarette.
Don't be fooled by her young appearance. In fact, forty years ago, she was still being chased by the [Hero of the Marines], Garp.
Being chased by Garp meant her identity was anything but ordinary.
Just as Shakky was about to head back inside, she suddenly paused, sensing something, and turned her gaze to the side.
"Yo, Auntie Shakky! Long time no see… still as sharp as ever, huh?"
Naruto had appeared out of nowhere.
"Ara, if it isn't Uzumaki Naruto, the man who defeated Golden Lion Shiki?"
"What brings you to my little bar?"
Hearing Shakky's dry, unimpressed 'praise', Naruto just scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly.
"Are you here to see me? Or are you here to see Rayleigh?"
"Is Uncle Rayleigh here too?"
Hearing this, Shakky just sighed.
"Him? Who knows which slave auction house he's sold himself to this time."
That answer gave Naruto a headache.
"Is that so? I was hoping that Uncle Rayleigh would help me with the coating."
This made Shakky burst out laughing.
"Have that old man do it? Naruto, you of all people should know… his coating skills are flimsier than Fish-Man Island's bubbles."
As she spoke, she pushed the door open… only for another horde of pirates to suddenly swarm the bar, surrounding it completely.
"That's her! That damn woman!"
The guy in the lead was covered in bandages and looked like he'd been beaten half to death already.
"Get her! Kill her!"
With his furious roar, the pirates surged forward like a tidal wave.
Seeing this scene, Shakky simply tilted her head toward Naruto.
"So… mind handling this for me?"
"Of course-"
Sabaody Archipelago remained peaceful as ever today.
After effortlessly dealing with this group of rabble, Naruto finally followed Shakky inside the bar.
"So you really came for a coating? Where's your ship?"
Shakky and Naruto were old acquaintances, yet she'd never seen him with a ship before.
'Come to think of it, didn't he always randomly choose a 'lucky' Sea King to ride on in the past?'
Hearing Shakky's question, Naruto took out a sealing scroll and released Gale Breaker.
"Here."
Thankfully, Shakky's bar was bigger on the inside, otherwise, the small boat might not have fit.
"That really is a fascinating ability… but who said you could just put it down here?"
Shakky smiled sweetly, but then her tone instantly sharpened, and her fist lightly but firmly bonked Naruto on the head.