"These people call themselves 'high-ranking pirates.' They see themselves as equals to ninjas and refuse to mix with the other pirates."
"And to be fair, their strength is beyond the level of common pirates."
Mui stopped. He had no interest in dealing with them. Spending too much time around those pirates wasn't a good idea, so he chose to stay put.
"If Jiraiya-sama wants to see them, you'll have to go down yourself. I'm staying here."
"Alright!"
Jiraiya nodded and pulled Naruto along.
"Let's go, Naruto!"
Jiraiya knew exactly who was locked up here. Compared to them, the ones upstairs—even most people in the ninja world—were nothing more than small-time players.
The pirates here carried the true spirit of this era.
Meanwhile, along the southern coast of the Land of Wind, many pirates were setting sail, leaving the country behind.
For some time now, pirates had been retreating in waves. The ones leaving now had likely stayed behind for a reason.
On the deck of a large ship, a towering figure sat at the bow. His massive muscles stretched the fabric of his loose-fitting clothes.
His long white hair flowed in the sea breeze.
As the wind swept his hair aside, a pair of horns peeked out from beneath it.
The person standing there was none other than Orochimaru. It had taken him a long time to recover, and now that he had regained his human form, he looked completely different.
His soul and body had been completely reshaped, and even his appearance was only about seventy or eighty percent similar to before. But now, there was a wild, beast-like ferocity and authority in his expression.
At that moment, Orochimaru was staring at the navigation pointer in his hand, lost in thought.
"The only chance... is gone.
Even after reaching that level, I still couldn't beat Shanks. This isn't just a difference in physical strength anymore."
Orochimaru shook his head. His body was stronger, and his Armament Haki was better.
But Shanks' Conqueror's Haki and Observation Haki were just too overwhelming. On top of that, his terrifying swordsmanship made the fight hopeless. No matter how he looked at it, there was no way he could win against Shanks.
Even cheating wouldn't help.
"Orochimaru-sama, where are we heading next?"
"Let's go to Ryūchi Cave first. The navigation pointer can wait."
Orochimaru wasn't stupid. The moment he saw the navigation pointer, he already understood what was going on.
But right now, he didn't need the power of the Dragon Vein anymore. Over three hundred Dragon Vein points were scattered across the sea.
Just two of them had turned the Land of Wind into what it was now. Orochimaru couldn't even imagine what would happen if all three hundred were activated at once. What would become of the ocean?
"As expected, Shanks is always one step ahead of us. Every move he makes seems casual, but is it his Observation Haki at work, or is it just his sheer intelligence?"
Orochimaru glanced at the scars on his body. Even with the strongest creature's body, he still couldn't block Shanks' sword.
Although Orochimaru had only recently gained his Devil Fruit abilities and still had room to grow, he could also tell that Shanks was still improving.
Even though Shanks was already the strongest in the world, his strength kept increasing. That kind of thing could make anyone feel hopeless.
But then again, wasn't that always the feeling Shanks gave people?
Rather than despair, Orochimaru now found himself looking forward to what would happen next. Since he couldn't defeat Shanks, he might as well see what surprises Shanks had in store.
With that thought, Orochimaru turned toward the ocean and broke into a carefree smile.
The moment he smiled, Yakushi Kabuto, Kimimaro, Kidomaru, and the others were stunned.
They could hardly believe it. Their Orochimaru-sama was actually smiling like that?
But for Orochimaru himself, he had completely left behind his past and was now truly reborn.
The ninja world and the pirate world were two completely different things now.
And so was he. The obsessions of his past were over.
Whether it was chasing after the legendary "dragon" or trying to defeat Shanks, all of that was in the past. Now, he had a new dream.
"Orochimaru-sama, it's been a long time since you smiled like that."
"Not just a long time. I've never smiled like this before."
"..."
Kimimaro and Kidomaru couldn't help but comment on how strange it was to see that expression on Orochimaru's face.
Yakushi Kabuto, standing nearby, was even more shocked. After all, this was Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru-sama has really changed a lot."
Kabuto sighed. Even though he hadn't interacted with Shanks much, he could still tell that Shanks had a way of influencing everyone around him.
Even Orochimaru wasn't an exception.
Looking at the empty sleeve of his robe, some of the gloom on Kabuto's face faded away.
"That's nice."
Kabuto lowered his head and turned to walk toward the cabin.
Just then, Orochimaru's voice rang out.
"Kabuto, how about coming with me to Ryūchi Cave?"
Orochimaru suddenly turned, his tall figure looming over Kabuto.
Kabuto was completely enveloped in Orochimaru's shadow, but at that moment, he felt no fear. That shadow no longer carried the same feeling it once did.
"With how I am now, what could I possibly do to help you, Orochimaru-sama?"
To Kabuto, losing an arm wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
As a medical ninja, he was basically useless now.
"With only one arm left, I don't even have the right to perform jutsu in your place anymore, do I?"
Kabuto shook his head. Seeing Orochimaru finally fulfill his goal, he felt genuinely happy for him.
At least now, he no longer had to do anything for Orochimaru.
"I see."
Orochimaru didn't say anything else. Kabuto, with his back to everyone, simply nodded and walked alone into the cabin.
"I'm sorry. It was my weakness that cost you your hand."
Orochimaru's voice came again, his face unusually serious, without a hint of his usual amusement.
"Orochimaru-sama!!"
Hearing those words, Kidomaru and the others froze.
Sakon and Ukon looked at Orochimaru in disbelief. The person they had always admired—Orochimaru-sama—how could he say something like that?
"Orochimaru-sama, you don't need to apologize. Kabuto's hand—"
"Enough."
Kimimaro, standing beside Sakon and Ukon, stepped forward and interrupted coldly.
To him, this wasn't surprising at all. He had realized long ago that what Orochimaru truly needed wasn't just tools but… companions.
At that moment, Kimimaro was truly happy for Kabuto. At the very least, Orochimaru-sama had acknowledged him as a companion.
"Kabuto, back when I lost my hands, I chose you to be my hands. Now, I can be your arm."
Orochimaru spoke again.
Kabuto turned back to look at him. Letting Orochimaru act as his arm? He didn't think he was worthy of that.
"Orochimaru-sama, those words… don't sound like something you would say."
"As far as I know, the Orochimaru of the past would do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He would never speak to anyone like this."
Kabuto's face was serious. What he said was the truth.
Orochimaru had always been someone who would do anything to achieve his goals. No matter how his appearance or manner changed, that part of him would never disappear.
"That's right. And to defeat Shanks, I have to do whatever it takes."
A sinister yet carefree smile spread across Orochimaru's face. He admitted his nature without hesitation.
"That's why I need more companions—people I can truly trust."
At that moment, Orochimaru had truly changed.
It wasn't just about losing. It was about realizing the difference between himself and Shanks.
Someone like Shanks could still entrust himself completely to Shisui.
Back during the explosion, when Orochimaru saw Shisui risking everything to pull Shanks out of the blast wave, he understood.
The gap between him and Shanks wasn't just about strength.
Shanks was proud, but he also had comrades he trusted. He wasn't alone just because he was powerful.
That was the difference between Shanks and many others. His strength didn't make him isolated, and defeating him wasn't just a matter of power.
Even someone as strong as Shanks needed trustworthy allies. Orochimaru asked himself—was he really qualified to challenge Shanks again when he was fighting alone?
"So, this is all for that position, huh?"
As Orochimaru spoke, the others understood. He was still the same Orochimaru—the one who would do anything to get what he wanted.
A one-on-one fight? Orochimaru wouldn't stand a chance against Shanks.
But a group attack? That was a different story.
"So, Orochimaru-sama, you want me to inherit Ryuchi Cave's Ninjutsu?"
Kabuto understood now—Orochimaru hadn't changed.
But when he thought about the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave, he wasn't sure if he was worthy of its approval.
"That's right."
Orochimaru nodded.
"If that's what you want, Orochimaru-sama, then I'd be happy to become your… comrade again."
Kabuto nodded seriously as well. Over time, he had changed too.
The world was changing, Orochimaru was changing, and so was he.
As Shanks shaped this era, he was also influencing everyone who lived in it.
The change of an era wasn't just about the era itself—it was about every person living through it.
Orochimaru wasn't the only one who had changed his plans.
On the coast of the Land of Wind, a monk-like "pirate" withdrew his gaze as he watched the departing ship.
"So, that 'strongest creature' was nothing special after all."
"Shanks… No wonder I took an interest in you. You're a fighter worth taking seriously. Show me the strength of the world's strongest man."