Naruto was genuinely surprised by the unexpected turn of events.
Although this had been a spur-of-the-moment operation, the results exceeded all expectations. When threatening Garp and the Navy earlier, his main body had faced an unusual dilemma: where to put the Rasenshuriken he'd created. Perhaps this represented a fundamental drawback of mimicking the Tailed Beast Ball.
Whether dealing with the Rasenshuriken or standard Rasengan, both techniques proved remarkably difficult to manually disperse. Their underlying principle relied on highly compressed energy spheres. Once formed, any external collision that disrupted their delicate balance would trigger a catastrophic explosion.
Attempting to forcibly disperse such a construct might very well result in serious self-injury.
So, in a moment of inexplicable inspiration, Naruto had actually stuffed that Rasenshuriken directly into his mouth.
In his initial conception, the worst-case scenario involved the Munch-Munch Fruit simply proving incompatible with the Rasenshuriken. He would discover this limitation when bringing the technique close to his mouth and could abort the attempt before any damage occurred.
The Munch-Munch Fruit's ability could temporarily transform his mouth, esophagus, and stomach into forms more suitable for consuming various materials. This was a conclusion Naruto had reached through recent experimentation.
It made perfect sense when he considered it logically.
Otherwise, given Wapol's relatively weak physique, how could he bite through steel and wood in a single gulp without suffering severe oral injuries?
When the Rasenshuriken entered his mouth, its structural stability remained completely intact. The technique traveled smoothly into Naruto's stomach, the precise location where Wapol operated his "Munch Factory."
Like other items Naruto had previously consumed, the Rasenshuriken could undergo further "processing" within his digestive system. It could be compressed to even greater density while maintaining its original structure and form through careful modification.
The practical effect meant Naruto could theoretically swallow hundreds of Rasenshuriken, completely compress them within his stomach, and maintain that terrifying destructive potential stored safely in his belly. Like ammunition waiting to be deployed.
Within the "Munch Factory," the Rasenshuriken's stability reached frightening levels, as if the techniques were stored in an alternate dimension entirely.
These compressed mixtures of chakra and Haki could be directly expelled from Naruto's mouth when needed.
Exactly what you're imagining.
Atomic breath, Cero, or whatever terminology you preferred to apply.
Beyond modifying the Rasenshuriken's properties and regurgitating them as projectile attacks, Naruto sensed he might also be capable of transforming portions of his body into an "energy state" similar to pure chakra, much like his utilization of "Musōkō."
Speaking of similarities, the entire concept bore remarkable resemblance to tailed beast abilities.
However, this particular idea was obviously far more dangerous than simple atomic breath techniques.
Meanwhile, within Naruto's body, the genuine tailed beast Kurama had raised several of his massive tails in obvious agitation.
"Hey! Naruto! What exactly are you trying to accomplish?" the Nine-Tails demanded with genuine concern.
Naruto heard Kurama's voice clearly from within, but since he was busy domineeringly ending the current battle, he chose not to respond immediately.
Madman. This kid is simply a complete madman.
If Naruto hadn't moved with such incredible speed, Kurama would have seriously considered forcibly breaking through the seal to assume control of his host's body.
But after the initial shock subsided, he had to grudgingly admit that this world's so-called "Devil Fruits" indeed possessed miraculous capabilities that even the legendary Sage of Six Paths couldn't have imagined.
Whether for tailed beasts themselves or perfect jinchūriki, this represented unprecedented possibilities.
Normally released Tailed Beast Balls couldn't be "reversely" absorbed back into the stomach. The only result of attempting such a maneuver would be exploding like spectacular fireworks.
But now, Naruto could forcibly gather and compress this typically unstable chakra, and even contemplated transforming himself into a "chakra state."
While Naruto might not fully grasp the implications, Kurama harbored a startling speculation deep within his consciousness.
If Naruto truly managed to transform himself into a chakra form incorporating all seven elemental attributes, wouldn't that essentially make him...
Of course, Naruto had no intention of attempting such a transformation immediately. He possessed a strong premonition that the timing wasn't yet appropriate.
Perhaps after developing the Munch-Munch Fruit to the "awakening" level, he would consider pursuing further experimentation along these lines.
Regardless, this represented quite a significant discovery.
An unprecedented evolutionary path.
With the Navy's disruptive intervention, Big Mom's elaborate tea party couldn't possibly continue as planned.
Similarly, the much-anticipated wedding ceremony remained frustratingly unresolved.
But this didn't necessarily mean Mr. Orochimaru was completely "safe" from future complications.
Big Mom was, after all, a pirate. Once she recovered from the day's chaos and felt sufficiently motivated, who could predict whether she'd remember this particular obligation?
All of these considerations fell outside Naruto's immediate concerns.
Beyond offering polite congratulations, he had no intention of involving himself further in their domestic arrangements.
At this point, Naruto had already departed from Cake Island proper and returned to Liqueur Island once again.
Within a thousand-mile radius, was there anywhere more perfectly suited for getting thoroughly intoxicated?
Charlotte Zuccotto still needed to handle various aftermath duties on Big Mom's behalf and couldn't return for quite some time, leaving no one available to provide proper entertainment.
However, Naruto currently had no mental capacity to concern himself with such trivial hospitality issues.
Along Gin Town's winding road, Naruto's advancing steps steadily quickened with growing urgency.
Behind him, two distinct figures followed like persistent shadows.
"Hmph..." came one dismissive sound.
"Hehe..." followed a softer, more musical laugh.
Honestly, having two women who could legitimately be ranked among the top five beauties in the pirate world following closely behind him would normally have most men grinning from ear to ear with shameless delight.
But human joys and sorrows rarely aligned perfectly.
At this particular moment, Naruto found their presence nothing but irritating noise.
Because the Navy had been defeated far too quickly during this encounter, Stussy hadn't found any opportunity to execute her original strategy.
Their carefully planned mission involved seizing the perfect moment to destroy Mother Carmel's treasured photograph when the battle situation became sufficiently chaotic.
That deceased nun held an extraordinarily special position within Charlotte Linlin's deeply guarded heart.
As for who would actually complete this delicate sabotage mission, why else would she have brought four inexperienced rookies who had barely mastered basic Haki to a tea party swarming with absolute monsters?
Bruno's Door-Door Fruit was perfectly suited for accomplishing such an infiltration task.
Damaging that photograph would trigger Big Mom's descent into a berserk state similar to her notorious "hunger pangs."
Moreover, her main body's legendary "Steel Balloon" passive defense would reveal critical vulnerabilities during such episodes.
This represented crucial intelligence Stussy had painstakingly gathered during her years of carefully maintained friendship with Big Mom.
Speaking of professional dedication, she truly lived up to her reputation as a senior CPO agent. Despite addressing Charlotte Linlin as "Linlin" with such apparent intimacy and genuine affection, when duty demanded betrayal, she experienced absolutely no psychological burden whatsoever.
Perhaps Stussy's authentic emotions had already been reserved exclusively for those two individuals who knew her true identity.
Dressed in an elegant white gown, Stussy appeared more like an innocent "maiden" compared to Hancock's regal bearing.
She leaned against Naruto's shoulder without the slightest concern for propriety, adopting the exact position Miss Bakkin had once maintained with Whitebeard during their Rocks Pirates years.
Conversely, Hancock, who had mentally prepared herself thoroughly following the climactic battle, completely fumbled the crucial moment when action was required.
Upon witnessing Stussy casually bouncing along while pursuing Naruto with such obvious familiarity, all her carefully rehearsed speeches transformed into proud, icy huffs of disdain.
How did that old saying go?
Being tsundere ruins lives.