[A/N: Hope everyone will have a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let's grind this Level 2026… Damn, it feels like 2019 was just yesterday. It's like we fckin skipped a few years.]
Mufasa secretly chuckled to himself.
'Still playing along, huh?' he thought.
He wiped a bit of lobster juice from the corner of his mouth and turned back to the others, still putting on the clueless act.
"Anyone got any cash?" he asked casually.
The four—Shun, Manyo, Tabby, and Violet—shook their heads in unison.
"Nope," Shun said. "Nothing."
They weren't lying. No one brought any money.
Mufasa turned out his own pockets, flipping the insides for them to see.
"See? Clean as a whistle."
Ganji and his right-hand man Aozame exchanged a glance.
Mufasa's floral shirt had no pockets, and now even his pants turned out empty. Not a coin in sight.
Ganji scowled. "So where's the rest of the money?"
Mufasa shrugged. "Didn't I already give it to you? It was everything I had. Just a thank you for pulling us out of the sea. Now I'm broke."
Ganji blinked, thrown off. That wasn't the answer he expected.
Who just gives away all their gold?
How's he supposed to eat later?
Meanwhile, Mufasa was happily tearing into his lobster.
"Eat, drink, chill," he said between bites. "You guys seem alright."
Ganji's expression twisted in frustration.
"You think having no money gets you off the hook?" he snapped. "Tie them up! Toss 'em in the cargo hold!"
Mufasa blinked in mock surprise.
"Wait, wait, what's this about?"
Ganji lunged, reaching for the lobster.
"You freeloading brat, that's MY lobster. I'll sell you to make it back!"
Ganji unsheathed his sword and charged at Shun, Manyo, and the others.
But Mufasa didn't flinch. He caught Ganji 's wrist mid-grab, holding him firm with one hand while casually munching with the other.
"Manners maketh man, my friend. Don't interrupt someone's dinner. Didn't your crew teach you any respect?"
Ganji gritted his teeth. Pain shot up his arm—Mufasa wasn't just strong, he was crushing his wrist.
Then came the wind.
Whoosh.
Clang. Whoosh.
Manyo had disarmed a rushing sailor in a blink and drew his blade.
With a flick of his wrist, he activated a wind-based sword technique.
The wind howled.
A swirl of air exploded across the deck, knocking sailors off their feet.
They spun in the air, screaming, caught in a whirling vortex of slashing wind and force.
Manyo rode the air current, leaping gracefully above them. He hovered in the sky like a falcon, poised to strike.
Below, the pirates tumbled in a spinning storm.
"Stop! I give up! We surrender!" Ganji shouted frantically.
Manyo paused, glancing at Mufasa.
Mufasa nodded.
Manyo eased back, sheathing his blade just before the final slash.
The sailors plummeted back to the deck with thuds and groans.
Mufasa looked at Ganji, eyebrow raised.
"Wow. I thought you'd fight to the end. Didn't expect you to fold so quickly."
Ganji clutched his bruised wrist and sighed.
"I messed up. Should've known you weren't regular travelers. It was stupid to try and rob you."
He glanced at Mufasa's crew—each one calm, strong, and clearly dangerous despite their youthful looks.
"You've got some monsters on your team. If you're the captain... I don't even want to know what you're capable of."
Mufasa chuckled. "So, you giving up that easily?"
Ganji nodded solemnly.
Pirates, especially those from Mist territory, were wild and defiant—but also pragmatic.
When overpowered, they bowed to strength.
Storms were faced with fury—but if the storm proved stronger, they yielded.
That was how the Mist respected strength.
Ganji bowed his head. "You're the captain now. I'll follow your lead."
"Alright then," Mufasa said with a grin.
As if to drive the point home, he casually raised a hand toward the sea.
A flash of lightning cracked across the sky, striking a sea beast that had just surfaced.
The beast twitched and floated belly-up, stunned but intact.
Ganji and his crew gawked in disbelief.
Mufasa smirked. "There's your fare."
Later, they sat down again at the dining table, enjoying a real feast.
Ganji and his men stood nearby, now polite and obedient.
"Captain Scar," Ganji began carefully, "you're looking for Lady Terumi Mei, right?"
Mufasa nodded, sipping his drink.
"Yeah."
Ganji looked around and lowered his voice.
"Word is... she's been blacklisted by the Mizukage. No one in the village dares approach her. She must've crossed some serious lines."
"Why are you looking for her anyway?"
Mufasa set down his drink and gave Ganji a sharp look.
Ganji quickly raised his hands in defense. "I-I mean no offense! It's just... she's very hard to get close to right now."
Mufasa leaned back, thoughtful.
So much had changed since her return. Even Ao wasn't enough to shield her?
He chuckled softly and said, "I heard she's beautiful. That's why I came."
"I'm here to propose to Terumi Mei."
...
Proposal?!
That reason hit like a rogue fireball jutsu.
Ganji blinked a few times, completely thrown. "You're... proposing? To Terumi Mei?"
He didn't know how to react—laugh, warn him, or run away from the mess that might follow. Still, he tried to offer some advice.
"Look, Terumi Mei comes from the Terumi clan, one of the old bloodlines in the Mist Village. Her family's got influence all across the archipelago. You can't just roll up and say you want to marry her."
Mufasa shrugged with a grin. "Why not?"
Ganji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You ever wonder why the Blood Mist era lasted so long? It wasn't just about persecuting bloodline users. Guys like Kisame, Terumi Mei—they survived just fine. It's more about keeping power in the hands of old clans and island lords. Every time a new bloodline shows up, they see it as a threat."
Shun raised an eyebrow. "So basically, they gang up to crush anyone new before they can become a problem."
"Exactly," Ganji nodded. "It's like sharks. When one gets wounded, the others go in for the kill. Resources are tight. Families don't want to lose turf or influence. That's why bloodline users without backing get purged."
Mufasa chuckled. "Man, that's a lot of politics. Sounds like a headache."
Aozame grunted. "You call that trouble? That's just Mist Village 101."
"Which is why," Mufasa leaned back, stretching his arms, "you should stick to being a pirate. You're good at it."
Ganji scratched his head. "I mean... I am honest about robbing people."
"Nope," Mufasa said, pointing at him. "That's not enough. You're gonna be a division leader in the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Whitebeard?" Ganji echoed, confused. "That some new crew? Never heard of 'em."
Mufasa gave a knowing smirk. "You will."
Thanks to Ganji leading the way, they had smooth sailing into Mist Village's docks.
The village was built like a fortress — cliffs on three sides, sea on the other. It was tightly layered, rings within rings, and at the heart stood the Mizukage Tower, rising like a spear into the misty sky.
Ganji pulled them aside. "Boss, I'll send someone to take you to the Terumi estate."
Mufasa smiled. "Good. Now open your mouth."
Ganji looked confused, then did it.
With a flick of the wrist, Mufasa tossed a small capsule right into his mouth.
Aozame gagged. "Ugh! What was that?!"
"Poison, obviously."
Ganji paled. "Wh—why?!"
"Relax," Mufasa said, patting his shoulder. "Do what I say, and you'll get the antidote."
He turned to Violet and Manyo. "You two stay here and watch the ship. Violet, you're not a fan of this place anyway, and Manyo… well, you love the sea more than land."
They nodded.
With Shun and Tabby in tow, Mufasa stepped off the ship and into the village.
Mist Village was alive with motion—fishermen hauling in their catch, vendors shouting prices in the market, kids playing near the tidepools. It looked more like a bustling seaside town than the blood-stained battlefield its reputation suggested.
As they walked deeper into the village, the Water Studio—Mizukage's office—came into view, towering above like a stone guardian.
Across the wide street from it stood a grand compound surrounded by high walls.
Ganji pointed. "That's the Terumi estate. Same central ring as the Mizukage Tower. Big deal."
Tabby grinned. "Captain, if you pull this off and marry her, you're basically royalty."
Mufasa laughed. "You really know how to flatter a guy."