As Shanks left, Kidomaru naturally prepared to take Dak and Jirobo away from this place.
But just as Kidomaru lifted both of them, someone lying on the ground in the distance suddenly spoke.
"Hey! Take us with you too."
Hearing the voice, Kidomaru stopped in his tracks.
He no longer looked down on these people, but he also wasn't the kind of person who helped others for no reason.
"Why?"
Kidomaru asked.
The one who spoke wasn't a stranger—he was the captain who had previously taken out Shanks' wanted poster.
"Shanks knows where the Devil Fruit is, but we don't have the strength to get the answer from him."
"This was a gamble, and we lost... *cough cough*."
The man struggled to get up, leaning against the side.
"Before we arrived, some people left the course halfway. The direction they were headed... was toward the Land of Fire."
"So, the real Devil Fruit... is in Konohagakure?"
Hearing this, Kidomaru finally came to his senses. He carefully thought over what Shanks had said.
Shanks' words weren't just meant for him—they were meant for all of them.
This sea needed warriors like them.
Besides that, Shanks also said, *Just have Orochimaru-sama do me a favor, he'll know what to do.*
"Was Shanks implying... that all of these people are qualified to obtain the power of a Devil Fruit?"
Kidomaru didn't fully understand Shanks' meaning, but that guy in the distance got one thing right.
"Looks like I was right. The Devil Fruit really is in Konohagakure."
"My name is Kagero. Kagero Peak. I used to be in charge of smuggling weapons in the underground black market."
This time, Kagero introduced himself on his own. He was seriously injured, but that wouldn't stop him from pursuing the power of a Devil Fruit.
"The information about the Devil Fruit is indeed in Konohagakure. But whether you're worthy of getting it... depends on your own abilities."
Kidomaru replied. All the information about the Devil Fruit was in Orochimaru-sama's hands, and right now, the Chunin Exams were underway. Orochimaru-sama's plan to destroy Konohagakure had already begun.
If that's the case, then the Devil Fruit must really be in Konohagakure. And considering what Shanks said before he left, there was probably more to it. Only Orochimaru-sama could make the final decision.
"Take as many ships as we can. We don't have much time. Something big is probably about to happen in Konohagakure, so we need to move quickly."
Kidomaru said as he pulled a small pouch from his bag and tossed it to Kagero.
"Who exactly are you people?"
Kagero asked, confused. These people definitely weren't pirates, nor were they regular ninjas. They knew too much.
"As long as we're still on this ship, we're members of the Dark Pirates. As for our other identities, you'll understand when we reach Konohagakure."
Kidomaru didn't explain any further.
He took out all the potions he had, including the ones Jirobo was carrying.
But it wasn't enough. These potions could only stop their wounds from getting worse.
It would take a long time to reach the Land of Fire, and until then, they could only leave it to fate.
As more people left one by one, the number of ships on the sea kept decreasing. Only the ones that were completely destroyed had sunk to the bottom.
Over time, some of the unconscious people also started to wake up.
But the moment they saw the island in the distance, their faces filled with fear.
As if they had seen something terrifying, they quickly steered their still-functioning ships and fled as fast as they could.
It wasn't an overreaction—only they knew how frightening the enemy they had faced was.
A monster that could control the weather.
A being that could summon lightning.
A presence so powerful and godlike, they couldn't even bear to look directly at him.
Shanks' image was now burned into their minds forever.
Meanwhile, back on the island, a group of people remained unconscious until the third day.
"Ugh… Why is this alcohol so strong?"
"Shanks, Shanks, did you secretly spike my drink?"
An old man with graying hair stood up, groggy from sleeping so long. He was certain this was Shanks' doing.
"Director, what's wrong?"
"Where's that bastard Shanks?"
"Over there."
Following where the cameraman was pointing, they saw Shanks passed out in the middle of a pile of empty barrels.
"Damn it! That guy's still not awake? My head hurts like hell, like I got hit by something."
"Director, I feel the same way. This alcohol was way too strong."
Everyone who woke up had splitting headaches, unsure if it was from the alcohol or something else.
Of course, whether it was the alcohol or not, being caught in the aftermath of Conqueror's Haki made perfect sense.
Even though Shanks had only targeted the pirates, the drunken people on the island had been affected too.
That was why they had all slept for three days straight.
"Forget it, let's clean up and get ready to set sail. We need to hurry up with the filming of the third movie."
The director walked over to Sandayu.
"Sandayu, is the Land of Snow really as good as you say?"
"Director, the scenery in the Land of Snow is exactly what you're looking for. But because of the harsh weather—and the fact that Yukie doesn't want to go back there—we have to keep this a secret from her."
As Yukie's manager, Sandayu handled most decisions for her.
"But to make sure she's safe, I think we should stop by the Land of Fire first and hire some ninja from Konohagakure to protect her."
"After all, once we set sail, Shanks will be leaving too."
Sandayu knew how strong Shanks was, but he also knew that Shanks had his own path.
So the best option was to go to Konohagakure and see if any ninja would take the job.
Of course, Yukie absolutely couldn't find out about this.
Meanwhile, Dark finally woke up on the ship.
He had taken the worst injuries in this battle.
His chest was still wrapped in bandages as he pushed open the captain's cabin door.
The sea breeze hit his face, and on the deck, Kidomaru and the others were keeping a close eye on the waters, not letting their guard down for even a second.
Several ships followed behind them. The people on board were all wounded, some lightly, some heavily—none of them were unscathed.
"Did we lose?"
Dark walked to the front of the ship.
"Yeah. We lost. Completely."
"I see… Well, that's great. That man won."
Dark had mixed feelings before, but now, he felt completely at ease.
Shanks had won. That was good.
"If you've won, then just keep winning, Shanks. Take the future of this new era and keep moving forward."
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