Suddenly, Yoruichi materialized behind Kizaru, her Zanpakuto playfully snuggled against his throat. "Why are you giving my man the stink eye, slowpoke?" she asked with fake curiosity, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, catching the admiral off guard.
A rare stiffness crept over Kizaru. His usually passive demeanor was briefly rattled by Yoruichi's abrupt presence. "Oh, ya caught me..." he complained lazily, raising his hands in mock surrender.
Ryu's laugh boomed from the harbor, his delight at Yoruichi's stylish entrance was clear. "Perfect timing, Yoruichi!" he yelled out.
Yoruichi shot Ryu a playful wink over her shoulder, the smirk on her lips challenging Kizaru to try and escape.
Standing beside Ryu, Garp chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Kizaru, you seem a bit... tangled? Need a hand?"
Kizaru could only reply with a dry laugh as he felt Yoruichi's sword against his throat.
"So, Yoruichi, planning on giving the admiral's neck a shave or are you just saying hi?" Ryu called out, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Yoruichi laughed, her hold on Kizaru loosening as she stepped back. "Just making sure he remembers his manners," Yoruichi replied before vanishing from her spot and reappearing beside Ryu in the blink of an eye.
Exhaling a sigh of relief, the corners of Kizaru's mouth lifted in an amused smirk. "And there goes my grand, intimidating entrance," he lamented sarcastically, reappearing next to Ryu in a flash of blinding light.
Ryu gave Yoruichi a playful pat on the shoulder, his attention riveted on Kizaru. "Don't worry, it wasn't scary in the first place. Word of advice? You need to work on your intimidation tactics. You look more like a blundering buffoon than a menace as is."
Kizaru, unphased by Ryu's comment, wore a relaxed grin on his face. "Who'd have thought I'd live to see the day when someone calls me, an Admiral, a goof."
Snickering, Ryu moved the conversation forward. "So, what brings you here, Kizaru? Sengoku didn't actually think it was smart to kick off a brawl, did he?"
"Don't worry, just here to check the place out and give Sengoku a report," Kizaru shrugged as he answered calmly.
"Well, by all means, feast your eyes." Ryu gestured grandly towards the monstrosity behind him, a hint of pride creeping into his voice. "Meet Iron Whiskers 2.0, brought to life with a little help from Pluton's blueprints."
Kizaru squinted at the formidable vessel, a hint of unease shadowing his laid-back tone. "What are those... things on top? They're not like any weapons I've seen."
"Ah, those beauties?" Ryu grinned, following Kizaru's gaze. "Our main cannons. They pack quite a punch, capable of obliterating an entire island with a single shot from as far as 20,000 kilometers out." (12,427.4 miles)
Kizaru's eyes widened almost unnoticeably as he let out an impressed whistle "And you've installed twelve of them? Talk about overkill."
"Yup, though I'm thinking of adding more in a bit," Ryu confirmed, his casual tone in stark contrast to the gravity of what he just revealed.
Kizaru raised a surprised eyebrow, his gaze flicking over the twelve monstrous cannons. Each one was a weapon of mass destruction, capable of unleashing unimaginable damage. "And you intend to sail this around?"
Ryu shrugged, a devilish grin playing on his lips. "Why not? It will be fun to show her off."
"But it's not just a ship, Ryu!" Iceburg interrupted, clearly agitated. "It's a ticking time bomb! You're carrying enough firepower to level a dozen countries at once! Do you think things will remain calm after this?"
"Lighten up, Iceburg." Ryu waved off his concern with a dismissive flick of his wrist. "No one besides those here knows that this is Pluton, right? Even if she's big, no one will assume that a crew of nobodies is sailing on an ancient weapon. Plus, we're not planning to blow anything up. Not yet, anyway."
"NOT YET?!" Paulie nearly choked on his own spit, incredulous at Ryu's nonchalance.
Yoruichi simply laughed, clearly entertained. "This is getting interesting," she mused, watching as Kizaru processed the situation.
"Listen, Ryu. With this firepower, we can't ignore your presence anymore. You've become a global superpower with this. Officially, I mean." Kizaru interjected, his tone unusually serious as he assessed the situation.
"Yeah, I guess I've had my share of fun. But in all seriousness, I won't cause trouble for you guys without a good reason. You can tell Sengoku that for what it's worth," Ryu said as he let out a sigh.
"Will do. Anyway, since Sengoku wanted a detailed report, mind if I have a more thorough look around?" Kizaru asked, his relaxed tone returning.
"No problem," Ryu shrugged as Kizaru disappeared in a flash of light.
As Kizaru dematerialized, Yoruichi turned to Ryu with a sly grin. "You sure gave our Admiral quite the show, didn't you?"
Ryu chuckled, his gaze following the trail of Kizaru's departure. "Well, I always aim to impress."
"More like shock and frighten," Iceburg muttered, still visibly shaken.
The mischievous glint returned to Ryu's eyes as he responded, "Eh, can't deny that."
Suddenly, Kizaru reappeared on the dock having finished his inspection. "Quite the sight you've got here, Ryu. Though the cannons on top are terrifying you didn't mention all the other surprises this thing's got," Kizaru commented.
"You like it?" Ryu quipped back, wearing a grin that was both cocky and playful.
Kizaru merely shrugged. "Can't say I do. It's a lot. Enough for a serious headache" was all he replied.
"At least you won't be bored. Say, on an unrelated note, what's the most beautiful island you visited?" Ryu asked curiously as changed the conversation's topic.
"Hm... If I had to say, it'd be Fish-Man Island," Kizaru answered while rubbing his chin, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
"Huh, care to elaborate?" Ryu asked with a hint of anticipation in his voice.
"You want some good scenery, huh? Sure. It's an underwater island where waters around and inside it shimmer like liquid diamonds. There are large coral reefs that sway in the currents, painting the whole place in a riot of colors. And the residents... they've got these fancy aquatic features that make 'em stand out. I'd tell you more, but I think you should explore that place to see it for yourself" Kizaru explained as an excited grin appeared on Ryu's face.
"Sounds like we have our next destination," Ryu said enthusiastically as Yoruichi had anticipation plastered on her face.
"Well, I think it's time we set sail," Yoruichi said enthusiastically as she stretched her arms upwards.
"After what just happened you're just gonna set sail?" Paulie asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Yoruichi shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Why not? Do we have any reason to stay?"
Iceburg shook his head in disbelief, a tired chuckle escaping his lips. "You two are crazy. You know that, right?"
"Thanks, we try our best," Ryu replied, a cheeky grin on his face.
Ryu raised his voice as he and Yoruichi boarded Iron Whiskers. "Alright, everyone! Set sail! Destination: Fish-Man Island!"
As Ryu's voice resounded, the shinobi crew sprang into action. A flurry of activity enveloped the deck. With the precision of a long-practiced dance, the crew moved, each with a task in mind.
Several Shinobi darted to the massive anchor, their hands operating with practiced ease to lift the heavy anchor from the sea floor. Simultaneously, others, quick as the wind, ascended the tall masts, their nimble fingers releasing the vast canvas sails into the embrace of the sea breeze. The ship seemed to awaken beneath their feet, its sails billowing out like giant white wings.
Yoruichi, grinning from the helm, felt the ship stir beneath her feet, as though it too shared in their anticipation.
Kizaru, having teleported back to the harbor, watched as the giant ship began to move. He could hear the excited shouts of several surprised shipwrights, the creak of Iron Whiskers' timbers, and the splash of water as it cut through the waves.
A wry smile pulled at his lips as he watched the monstrous ship set sail. Though from afar it looked like just a really big ship, Kizaru knew that even the full force of the Navy wouldn't be able to bring it down.
"Well, this is going to be a fascinating report," Kizaru muttered to himself, disappearing in a flash of light, leaving the harbor empty.