"Did you pack everything? Is this all you need?"
"No problem!"
"Then let's go. The commotion you caused this time is no small matter. I'd say not just Sabaody Archipelago… no, the entire sea will need a long time to settle down again."
"Ahahaha, am I really that amazing?"
"That wasn't a compliment."
After saying goodbye to Rayleigh and Shakky, Naruto chose to dive straight into the sea from Grove 13.
In a physical sense.
The Gale Breaker, covered in a transparent coating bubble, sank into the water. Thanks to the weighted supplies inside the cabin and the bubble's unique buoyancy control, the ship descended swiftly, soon disappearing from sight.
On the shore, the old couple exchanged glances before Shakky let out a sigh.
"That kid Naruto really brings trouble wherever he goes."
Hearing this, Rayleigh simply smiled nostalgically.
"Yeah… just like Captain Roger."
Meanwhile, the man who had just been compared to the former Pirate King was busy observing the schools of fish swimming around as the ship descended.
'Hmm… the fish density here is pretty high.'
'Why don't they bite when I'm fishing?'
'Unreasonable.'
Unable to resist, Naruto stuck his hand out of the bubble coating.
At shallow depths, briefly passing through the coating wouldn't damage it. But doing the same at greater pressures could easily tear the bubble, leading to a sunken ship and certain death.
Reportedly, 70% of annual shipwrecks here were caused by exactly that.
Feeling the seawater wrap around his palm and the slight repulsion from the bubble, Naruto raised an eyebrow.
As everyone knew, Devil Fruit Users were beings 'rejected by the sea'.
In simple terms, they are landlubbers who 'dissolves in water as soon as they comes into contact with it'.
Here's a common misconception: Devil Fruit Users aren't just weak against seawater… freshwater has the same effect. There's no real difference between the two.
So… can they not take baths?
The answer is no… at least, not full-body immersion.
If a Devil Fruit user wants to bathe, they have to make sure only a small part of their body is submerged. Forget about bathtubs.
Through personal experimentation, Naruto found that he only started feeling noticeably weak when over 70% of his body was in contact with seawater for more than ten seconds.
This probably varied from person to person, as he'd even seen people who collapsed at the slightest touch of water.
However, that didn't hinder him.
With a thought, a bubble coating identical to the Gale Breaker formed over Naruto's skin.
The principle was simple: by consuming the resin used for coating, he could produce a waterproof layer. This special coating even allowed air to pass through, ensuring he could still breathe.
Such a good thing…
All we can say is that Wapol still has too little experience.
If circumstances allowed, Naruto would've even tried eating Seastone or Poneglyphs.
Seastone was one thing, as maybe Haki could achieve similar effects.
But he would have to try the indestructible material of Poneglyphs the next time he found a piece.
When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
When you have the Baku Baku no Mi, you want to eat everything you see.
It's human nature.
As the ship sank deeper, its descent gradually accelerated.
This was due to the water pressure interacting with the special coating process.
But even at this speed, it would still take a while to reach Fish-Man Island. That place is the opposite Mary Geoise, as it was located 10,000 meters below sea level.
While Naruto was still on his way to Fish-Man Island, Sabaody Archipelago had already descended into chaos.
First, the Marines surrounded Grove 1. Then, the island sank, and the Marines completely blockaded the surrounding groves. Nothing from inside could get out.
Not long after that, the World Government arrived.
Soon after, the Marines and the World Government began a thorough, carpet-style search of Sabaody Archipelago.
Of course, this search seemed more like a formality. After all, Naruto had spent nearly the entire afternoon at Shakky's bar without anyone coming for him. Yet the moment he left, the search began in earnest.
Perhaps they understood that someone like Naruto, who could defeat a Marine Admiral in direct combat and even sever their limb, wasn't someone ordinary soldiers could handle.
Yes, severed limb.
When they found Akainu floating on the water's surface, they saw that his right arm was completely gone, leaving only an empty sleeve of his Marine's coat drifting beside him.
This news was quickly suppressed. Even the Marines stationed on the outskirts had no idea.
But somehow, Morgans, the boss of the World Economic News Paper, had managed to get his hands on photos of it.
Don't ask how. Let's just say a kind-hearted sponsor provided them.
This edition of the World Economic News Paper was printed at lightning speed, filled with shocking headlines that would make anyone's jaw drop.
Even the printing staff, who were used to big news, felt a sense of unreality when they first saw the contents.
[Uzumaki Naruto Defeats The Marine Admiral Akainu!]
[Uzumaki Naruto Attacks The Celestial Dragons' Holy Land, Mary Geoise, Again After Years of Silence!
[Uzumaki Naruto Kills A Large Number of Celestial Dragons!]
[A Fighter Stronger Than a Marine Admiral Appears in Holy Land, Mary Geoise - Suspected Connection to Red-Haired Shanks!]
And so on…
Like clickbait writers from another world, Morgans knew exactly how to grab readers' attention.
This time, he didn't hide Naruto's identity… not that Naruto had asked him to.
Unlike his battle with Golden Lion, where strength was the focus, dealing with the Celestial Dragons and the World Government wasn't just about killing them.
It was about breaking their morale and shattering the myth of the Celestial Dragons' 'invincibility'.
The power of setting an example was undeniable.
If the World Government had spent years suppressing the damage Naruto and Fisher Tiger had done to their authority, then Naruto would force the world to remember it all over again.
Only by erasing the deep-seated fear of the Celestial Dragons could people truly find the courage to rise up.
As for whether doing so would cause Naruto to be used as a springboard for fame by some ignorant villains and be pursued and harassed crazily, it didn't matter.
Anyway, by the time this message was sent out, he would have already arrived in the New World.
That place wasn't like the first half of the Grand Line.
Naruto has been hanging around here for many years, and it can be said that anyone with decent intel knew the legends of the [Great Hero].
As for the reckless rookies chasing him from Paradise, then he would wish them luck to pass through the Sabaody Archipelago.
After this incident, it would likely be a long time before any rookies made it to the New World.
Of course, none of that concerned Naruto anymore.
Right now, he was deep in the pitch-black abyss of the ocean, surrounded by nothingness.
But it doesn't matter, as he can use the almighty Baku Baku no Mi!
With a thought, his chest caved inward before light erupted from within, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
Look, what a convenient ability.
If he can't make money from street performance, he could always try cosplaying as a lighthouse at sea.