"Hey, Captain, I have a bad feeling about this."
Lucky Roux swallowed hard. When those eight eyes all focused on him, he felt his hair stand on end. Even the large piece of meat in his hand suddenly seemed unappetizing.
"No way… they're just kids…"
Shanks said this, but he too sensed the strange atmosphere.
"Excuse me—"
Before he could finish, the seven children vanished from their spots as if teleporting, reappearing around Shanks and his crew.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind. Shanks narrowly avoided it with a limbo-like dodge, waving his remaining hand frantically.
"We're not bad guys! It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!"
He was about to tell the others to explain, but saw the remaining children silently attack them as well.
Clatter—
Pebbles gathered on Uriel's arm, forming two large gauntlets that he swung at Beckman.
Facing such a small child, Beckman naturally wouldn't go all out. He drew his flintlock rifle from his waist, flipped it around to use as a blunt weapon, and blocked the attack with the butt.
'Whoa, what strength.;
'Even without using Haki, and being just a child, to have such power. Was it a Devil Fruit?'
Beckman glanced at the rock armor on the twelve-year-old boy named Uriel's hands.
Fortunately, although Uriel possessed this innate brute strength, it was nothing for a great pirate like Beckman.
He also didn't use Haki and could block the attack with one hand.
Though Uriel was powerful, his fighting was chaotic, seemingly relying purely on instinct to wield his natural strength.
"Oh! That was close!"
Lucky Roux, round as a ball, moved with ghost-like agility, precisely dodging the wind blades Raguel threw at him.
These wind blades were invisible and fast, but for a chef equally fast and skilled in Observation Haki, they were no challenge.
The other children also used different abilities, similar to Devil Fruits, but couldn't gain any advantage against these seasoned veterans of the Red Hair Pirates.
They were like toying with the kids… well, not just like it, they were toying with them.
Though these kids could easily kill an adult man with just their instincts.
Because they were technically in the wrong, the men didn't want to actually hit the kids. But seeing the seven children grow more aggressive and stronger with each attack, they knew they couldn't let it continue.
Otherwise, if they accidentally hurt them by getting serious, they'd become unwelcome guests.
Even if they were close with Naruto, that wouldn't be right.
—Or precisely because they were close to Naruto, they had to be more careful.
Click.
Beckman looped his rifle under his arm and twisted, pinning Uriel's arms, temporarily immobilizing him.
The others followed suit, subduing the seven children in an instant.
They were careful not to hurt them… provided they stopped trying to break free so forcefully.
"Shanks…"
Beckman raised an eyebrow, indicating that since you started this mess, you handle it.
But Shanks was also at a loss. He couldn't just use Conqueror's Haki to knock them out, could he?
—Fortunately, Naruto wasn't that heartless.
After watching the show for a bit, Naruto's annoying voice finally sounded from behind the group.
"Stop. They're not enemies."
The moment Naruto spoke, the seven children ceased their struggles. The others let them go.
The seven children all looked at Naruto as he approached, still silent.
They weren't mute. Naruto had checked when he restored their bodies.
Their minds were just… incomplete.
Their bodies were healthy, even 'superhuman', but they lacked will.
Initially, Naruto didn't know what to do about them, but Adam provided a surprise.
Again, without understanding the principle, being near Adam made them more 'normal', and the degree improved with time… or perhaps with Adam's growth.
For instance, they had attacked Shanks's group for approaching Adam.
These were spontaneous actions, not following orders.
Medusa, knowing Shanks and the others were guests, hadn't intervened.
But because Naruto had given a heads-up, she hadn't stopped the children either.
Consider it a form of 'stimulation therapy'.
"Weren't you busy earlier, you brat?"
"Damn! He did this on purpose!"
Since they were similar in age, Naruto was also close with the Red Hair Pirates crew. They were all drinking buddies, so their conversation was relaxed.
They looked at Naruto with expressions that said, "You got us good." Crew doctor Hongo and navigator Building Snakeflanked Naruto, threatening to not let him leave without an explanation.
But that was nothing for Naruto, who could truly teleport.
This time, even Shanks couldn't track Naruto's movement. He saw Naruto appear next to Medusa and pick up little Adam from the crib.
The others were so used to Naruto getting stronger that they barely reacted, instead focusing on the baby in the blanket.
"He's so cute… as cute as Usopp was as a baby…"
Yasopp murmured.
"Hey… isn't your fatherly bias a bit too strong, man!"
Lucky Roux had seen Usopp as a baby, and he didn't look quite like this kid.
"I think he's even prettier than Uta was…"
Beckman stroked his chin, evaluating.
"Nonsense! My Uta is clearly…"
Shanks angrily retorted, but when he met Adam's pure, water-clear heterochromatic eyes, the remaining half of his sentence, "...Uta is cuter," wouldn't come out.
Adam's heterochromatic eyes reminded Shanks of Uta's two-toned hair, and the powerful Emperor of the Sea fell silent.
It had been so long since they'd seen Uta.
'Should I go to Elegia?'
No!
Shanks shook off the thought.
He had to keep his distance from Uta, remain the [Kingdom Destroyer] she hated. Maybe that would protect her heart from being destroyed by guilt.
"How about it! Doesn't my son look just like me!"
Naruto, sensing something, suddenly leaned in, holding the baby closer, pressing his own large face next to Adam's chubby little face.
With their blue-toned eyes, blonde hair, and identical birthmarks, Naruto wasn't entirely wrong.
But Shanks retorted,
"As if! This kid is way cuter than you were as a baby!"
"Huh? I was pretty cute too!"
"Get out of here. Go do your work. Leave the kid with us."
Shanks took Adam from Naruto, then reached out a finger, as if touching a dangerous explosive, to gently poke Adam's cheek.
Softer than silk.
"Gah! Ha!"
The little guy grabbed Shanks's finger and giggled.
Shanks smiled, then mischievously reached to flick Adam's tiny penis.
"Heh, this little guy is more gifted than you…"
What he meant by 'gifted' was unclear.
But before Shanks's hand reached its target, a clear stream of liquid splashed onto his hand and clothes.
Silence…
Followed by uproarious laughter.