"So, the big meal in Drum Island was my 'welcome banquet' instead of a celebratory feast aboard the ship?" Shin grumbled, eyeing the food that seemed more inclined to kill appetite than enhance it.
Ace, with a look of mild amazement, responded, "Well...our cook is a bit...uh, unique. But hey, Shin, it looks like you're enjoying it."
Shin rolled his eyes. "Lucky for me, I have two taste perceptions. Besides the usual human palate, my Munch-Munch Fruit opens up an entirely different taste system, where so far, nothing's tasted bad."
"That's amazing," Ace said enviously. "If only I could have that ability... Banshee's cooking is like a weapon sometimes."
"Captain, are you complaining about my cooking?" a loud voice interrupted, followed by an iron pan flying toward Ace's head, creating a spark-laden collision.
Ace chuckled awkwardly, sidestepping to avoid further culinary wrath. "Ahaha! I didn't mean it that way!"
Watching Ace's antics as he tried to appease the angry chef, Shin chuckled. "The Spade Pirates may be leagues away from the legendary Straw Hat crew, but at least the atmosphere is lively."
His gaze shifted inward as he activated the system in his mind. 'The energy replenishment really is tied to my involvement in the storyline,' he mused.
'In the Naruto world, it took five years to recharge the energy fully. Here, it's been recharging faster—like when I ate the Munch-Munch Fruit, or after I defeated Wapol, or even while interacting with Chopper. And after joining Ace's crew, it's spiked even more.'
'Right now, I've gathered enough energy to travel to two more worlds. I could return to the Naruto world and back if needed,' Shin calculated, pleased by the prospect.
'Considering the time in Naruto, it should be after the Third Ninja War by now. But I wouldn't gain much from returning there, even with my current power. At best, I'm around Jonin-level. But gathering some basic Earth-release, Water-release, and medical jutsu—or C-level Genjutsu—could still be worthwhile.'
Some of these simpler jutsus could be bought on the black market, making it easy to acquire techniques even small ninja villages could access. 'Especially Water Release jutsus,' Shin thought. 'In this world, that would be as valuable as medical skills.'
Still, Shin opted to remain on the pirate ship for now. Disappearing abruptly would only confuse the crew, who might assume he'd fallen overboard. With the ship constantly in motion, reappearing might land him in the ocean rather than on board—a problematic risk even with chakra-based water-walking abilities.
"Captain, that marine ship's gaining on us again!" came a sudden shout from the lookout.
Shin raised his gaze, narrowing his eyes. His pupils shifted to mimic an eagle's vision—a self-modification he'd performed on his own eyes, allowing him to see details nearly a kilometer away.
'That looks like a standard naval vessel,' he observed. 'Judging by size, it's likely led by a marine colonel or headquarters lieutenant. But their strength isn't enough to take down the Spade Pirates. Are they looking for trouble?'
One of Ace's crew members began to joke, nudging Ace. "Maybe you should give in, Captain! They're coming after you pretty hard. They even chased us all the way into the Grand Line!"
Shin shook his head, choosing to stay by the fence. Something felt off, so he decided to remain inconspicuous for now.
Ace tried to push the Spade Pirates' ship to its maximum speed, but it was clear that a pirate vessel's top speed couldn't match that of the Navy's streamlined designs. To make matters worse, his crew members took the pursuit lightly, laughing and chatting, not paying much attention.
Before long, the Navy ship had closed in.
A cannonball soared toward the Spade Pirates' ship with a loud boom. However, as was typical in sea warfare, the cannonball was missed by several meters. The opposing warship was not state-of-the-art; its firepower was lacking, and most of the incoming shells either missed entirely or were effortlessly deflected by Ace.
In reality, Ace was going easy on them. If he unleashed the full might of his Flame-Flame Fruit, he could easily turn the entire Navy ship into a smoldering wreck from a distance.
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Mass Release: [3/5]
For every power stones milestone: 50,100, 200, 300,400,500 I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also release a bonus chapter for every two reviews until it reaches ten reviews.
Review status: [3/10]