The atmosphere at the banquet on the submarine was quite harmonious… especially when Yamato, without a shred of scheming, called out 'Sister-in-law' to Stussy.
Stussy, who could see through people's hearts, had heard every kind of sweet talk imaginable.
But facing this straightforward person's 'change of address', she genuinely appreciated it.
This wasn't just noticed by Naruto… even the others could see it.
After all, Stussy had already covered her mouth while laughing and passed Naruto's food to Yamato several times, to the point where this powerless husband almost wanted to object.
"Here, Yamato, eat up. You're injured, so you need to eat more to recover quickly."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law!"
This earned another light laugh from Stussy, and even her frustration over Adam not smiling at her was temporarily put aside.
Of course, Stussy wasn't just happy about Yamato's address… she was also surprised by her true identity.
In the brief conversation just now, she learned that Yamato was the daughter of that [Strongest Creature on Land, Sea, and Air], Kaido.
She truly hadn't expected this.
"...Back then, Naruto-sama and this one fought all the way from Kuri to the Flower Capital… oh, that's the capital of Wano Country."
Even with one arm in a cast, it couldn't stop Yamato from waving her hands animatedly as she recounted her past experiences with Naruto to everyone.
"We swung our blades, cutting down foes for days and nights without blinking!"
"Uncle King and that fat pig Queen tried to stop us—"
Sasuke and Baby-5 had expressions of 'here we go again', silently moving their plates further away.
These days, Yamato would revisit these stories whenever she had the chance, and they had already heard more than enough.
The first time Sasuke heard them, he was somewhat curious, but by the tenth or twentieth time, he was already too exhausted to comment.
He could even recite the next line Yamato was about to say.
'The result was that this one and Naruto-sama gave them a good beating!'
"—the result was that this one and Naruto-sama gave them a good beating!"
See...
"Oh!"
However, Karin, who was hearing these stories of Naruto's 'youthful past' for the first time, was very interested… just like Sasuke initially.
Not just her, even Stussy was listening attentively.
Hearing this, she gently pinched Naruto's arm. When he turned to look, she whispered in a volume only he could hear.
"Hmph… I didn't know you had such an experience back then."
Naruto suddenly felt a chill. He keenly detected a hint of jealousy in his lover's tone and quickly responded quietly.
"Youthful indiscretions... besides, I didn't know you back then..."
If he hadn't said that, it might have been fine, but mentioning it made Stussy pout, turning her face away like a young girl in love.
"Tch... so I was the last one to meet you? How many young ladies did you flirt with before me?"
"How could that be? I met you right after leaving Wano... don't you remember... back then in..."
As he spoke, Naruto was about to recount the story of their meeting at the Pleasure District underground after he had caused havoc on Onigashima over a decade ago.
A certain black-haired Uchiha nearby, as if his gossip radar had been triggered, suddenly sharpened his gaze, keenly capturing the most valuable piece of information from the countless chaotic sounds.
But unfortunately, Naruto's big mouth was promptly covered by Stussy.
"...You idiot! Don't talk about the past here..."
Kalifa's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
This was genuinely the first time she had seen such an expression of 'shy anger' and 'acting cute' on the face of the mysterious and dangerous woman, Stussy.
One could imagine that certain past between the [Great Hero] and the [Queen of the Pleasure District] must have been extremely sensational.
Suddenly, Kalifa felt a scorching gaze from beside her, firmly fixed on Naruto and Stussy.
She turned her face and met Sasuke's eyes.
In an instant, the two gossip enthusiasts' gazes collided.
A meeting of minds, recognizing a kindred spirit.
They almost immediately realized that the other was focused on the exact same point and silently classified each other as 'allies in arms'.
Naomi, however, looked strangely at Kalifa and Sasuke, her brows gradually furrowing.
'Damn Kalifa, she wasn't falling for that black-haired, stuck-up guy, was she?'
As Karin's most loyal companion, Naomi had fully inherited Karin's opinion of Sasuke and also inherited the nickname.
Of course, she wouldn't dare say it out loud.
'This was betrayal! A shameful betrayal of Captain-sama!'
Also as Karin's crew member, Naomi and Kalifa shared some indescribable kindred spirit, which made Naomi see her as a 'frienemy'.
'—Wait, if Kalifa fell for that stuck-up guy, wouldn't that mean Captain Karin would be all mine!?'
'Hehe...'
Baby-5 lightly bit her napkin, watching the exchanged glances between Sasuke and Kalifa with frustration!
'Damn it! A sneaky cat!'
'Don't even think about seducing my darling!'
She wanted to stand up and scold them directly, but she was a bit afraid of the several big shots present, so she could only silently fume.
At the dining table, everyone had their own thoughts.
Perhaps only Medusa, who didn't need to eat, Cavendish, who still hadn't woken up, and Adam, who couldn't understand human speech, were the most emotionally peaceful people tonight.
...
After the banquet.
On Sasuke's ship.
Because space inside the submarine was limited, Karin and the other two had to squeeze into one room earlier. Now with Sasuke's ship available, they didn't need to be so crowded.
Although this ship couldn't compare to giant warships like the Moby Dick, it wasn't a small vessel either.
After all, it was a gift from the Whitebeard Pirates and an entire island.
Not only was there room for one more, but there was even enough for each person to have their own room.
So Karin and the other two were 'evicted' from the submarine onto the ship, partly to give the couple more space.
"Sigh..."
Karin leaned against the railing, looking at the sea surface reflecting the moonlight, letting out a long sigh.
"What's wrong? Stomach ache from eating too much?"
Naruto's voice suddenly sounded beside her.
Karin wasn't surprised by this… after all, he hadn't even bothered to conceal his presence.
"Naruto-san, aren't you going to accompany... your wife?"
Watching Karin sulkily leaning on the railing with an expression that clearly said 'I don't want to look at you', Naruto just smiled and gently patted her head.
"...They both care about you a lot. You've gained some really great companions."
Naruto was referring to Naomi and Kalifa.
He didn't plan to harp on the same old tune again, repeating himself to dispel Karin's unrealistic fantasies.
On one hand, Naruto felt this kind of behavior was too annoying. On the other hand, he felt Karin had already figured things out.
She just needed time.
Growth wasn't just about the body… mental growth was also an indispensable part.
"...Yeah, they are both very trustworthy companions."
Karin didn't disagree with Naruto's statement.
She thought so too.
Seeing that Karin clearly hadn't yet realized certain deeper emotions, Naruto was silent for a few seconds, then ultimately gave up on the idea of bringing it up in advance.
Feelings... especially these uncommon feelings, were not something you could understand and accept overnight.
Especially since Karin was still young.
He just hoped those two girls wouldn't get hurt by then... otherwise, Karin might really end up as a lone commander.