"Hahahaha… Originally, we planned to have the little girl drift and guide us to the lost [Alchemi], but we never expected she'd be fished out by someone again."
"What a pity!"
"Looks like we'll have to kill another meaningless life."
On the deck of the Shark Emeralda, the [Treasure Maniac] Mad Treasure and his gang of desperadoes looked at the small sampan-like Stranded Turtle ahead, letting out arrogant laughter.
On the other side, the large lizard Elizabeth, who had been chased like a dog by the treasure hunters, finally caught the scent of its master, Olga. The big lizard leapt mightily across the sea surface, using the special webbing on its feet to push off the water, and landed accurately in front of Karin and the others.
"Ah, Elizabeth… By the way, woman, didn't you hear what I just said? If we don't run now, we're going to be captured by them!"
Olga, watching Karin remain unmoved, felt frantic. She had barely managed to escape while those strangely dressed guys were fighting the treasure hunters, and now she was about to be caught again?
"Don't call me 'woman, woman'. I have a name, you know."
Karin acted as if she didn't see the large ship getting closer behind her, still calmly introducing herself to Olga.
"My name is Karin… Uzumaki Karin. I'm an… adventurer, yeah, an adventurer!"
Karin didn't have a family name, or rather, her group of Uzumaki Clan's members who had fled from the Land of Whirlpools had almost all abandoned their surnames, choosing to integrate into other families. However, she was no longer the 'tool' who was casually used and had no self in Kusagakure.
She was a member of the Uzumaki Clan, Uzumaki Karin.
-Of course, there was some selfish desire mixed in as well. Since she couldn't become Naruto's family through marriage, she at least wanted to be closer in terms of relationship.
"That sounds like a made-up identity no matter how I hear it."
Olga subconsciously retorted.
Whoosh-
A sound of something cutting through the air suddenly came, and a faint glint appeared in the air.
"Ah! Watch out!"
Olga happened to see this blade light flashing behind Karin and screamed in alarm.
Clang!
The sharp blade struck golden feathers, not even managing to penetrate them. The wielder of the blade now slowly materialized from invisibility. It was a guy with a dark complexion, wearing a baseball cap.
"A Devil Fruit user? Troublesome, troublesome, yo!"
Perhaps because of the similar skin tone and the same Rap-like tone, when Karin turned and saw this dark-skinned guy, she immediately thought of the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, Killer B, far away in the Ninja World.
"That's… an annoying way of speaking!"
"What?!"
The graffiti guy wanted to say something more, but he was instantly defeated by an unseen attack, the whole person falling into the sea.
"So strong! He knocked that guy out with just one hit!"
Olga exclaimed in admiration.
Karin just stood there, clenching and unclenching her fist, as if recalling the feeling.
"As expected, compared to that guy, trash like you is still far behind."
"Ah! Psycho P fell into the sea!"
On the Shark Emeralda, a drunken woman carrying a bow saw her companion fall into the sea and was about to call someone to fish him out.
Psycho P was an Iro Iro no Mi user, able to use paint to apply a near 'invisibility' effect to himself. He could even apply this ability to an entire ship. (T/N: Color-Color Fruit.)
In a way, it was a low-grade version of the Suke Suke no Mi. Of course, it was only visual invisibility; it wouldn't work against Observation Haki. (T/N: Clear-Clear Fruit.)
However, the drunken woman's action was stopped by their boss.
"Useless trash. If he dies, we'll just find another one. As long as I find the [Pure Gold], I can recruit as many companions as I want!"
Hearing this, the drunken woman's expression turned very ugly. Clearly, she also thought of herself, 'Perhaps in the boss's mind, I too was a role that could be replaced at any time.'
Mad Treasure didn't give his subordinates extra time to think. He decisively leapt up, landing on the deck of the Stranded Turtle.
"Hahahaha! Men, whoever catches those two women first gets this gem as a reward!"
Mad Treasure casually took out a gem the size of a fist, instantly attracting the attention of everyone present. So, those ferocious desperadoes followed suit. They recognized only money, not people… they would do anything for money and wouldn't care about companions.
"Kill them!"
"Hahaha! The reward is mine!"
However, such small fry didn't even qualify to make Karin serious. A flash of golden light, countless feathers scattered out. The burly, fierce thugs who were roaring one moment were howling and falling the next.
"So strong!!"
Olga had already transformed into an unfeeling praise machine, hugging her lizard Elizabeth and cheering loudly.
But Karin's gaze was fixed on the blood flowing from the wounds of those who were injured. The blood quickly seeped into the cracks of the deck, staining the surface red. And the red was still spreading.
Whoosh!!!
A sudden gust of wind instantly blew these guys away, sending them falling into the sea like dumplings.
"Sigh, do you know how much time I spent cleaning this ship?!"
Amidst the gust, Karin looked heartbroken at the dirtied deck, a vein throbbing on her forehead.
Clatter-clatter-clatter…
But at that moment, a series of rapid clattering sounds of chains came. Mad Treasure, who had been blown into the air, extended a long chain from his arm, quickly entangling it around the mast of the Stranded Turtle. The chain retracted, pulling him back onto the deck amidst the gale.
"That's an incredible ability you have."
Now, Mad Treasure's look at Karin had changed, no longer as disdainful as before, 'Indeed, there were no simple folks among those who sailed alone on the sea.'
"Hey, you, are you interested in working for me?"
As he spoke, he also took out a large handful of Berry and waved them. For him, the important thing was the process of pursuing treasure, while the treasure itself wasn't that crucial. Most of it was exchanged for Berry.
He had been constantly competing with the World Government's CP0 over Olga, this clue to Pure Gold, so he simply hadn't had time to watch the latest news or Den Den Mushi's broadcasts. Otherwise, he should have recognized such a distinctive ability.
Karin completely let Mad Treasure's recruitment offer go in one ear and out the other, but when she saw the chains in the other's hand, her eyes became somewhat playful.
"Oh? Playing with chains in front of me?"
Karin's tone was even, but Momoshiki, bound by chains in her mental space, wanted to cover his face. 'You fool, run away quickly.'
Unfortunately, Mad Treasure didn't have the ability to hear Momoshiki's thoughts.
"Of course! I'm a Chain Human who ate the Jara Jara no Mi! Chain Lock!" (T/N: Chain-Chain Fruit.)
Seeing that recruitment didn't work, he didn't waste any more time. Several chains rapidly extended from Mad Treasure's palms, simultaneously attacking Karin and Olga. But those chains were entangled and severed mid-air by several dozen thicker, sturdier, and more 'stylish'-looking golden chains.
Dozens of golden chains, wreathed in wind blades, swirled behind Karin like dancing golden snakes, appearing far more oppressive than the Mad Treasure in front.
"…What kind of Devil Fruit user are you…?"
Simultaneously witnessing this scene were CP members far away, watching through binoculars.