Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

Orochimaru becoming Hokage was a win for almost everyone—except for Orochimaru himself, who gave up a significant amount of power.

But for Orochimaru, he had never cared about the authority associated with being Hokage.

Giving up powers that held no meaning for him only freed up his time and energy for the research he was passionate about.

Moreover, those who benefited from Orochimaru's power-sharing arrangement now needed his support to maintain their positions.

After all, if even the Hokage was limited by term limits, how could the newly appointed council members and department heads expect otherwise?

As a result, though Orochimaru relinquished a great deal of authority, his methods and prestige ensured that the village remained firmly under his control.

Inspired by Orochimaru's "revolt livestream," Kizaru began considering hosting a livestream of his own.

Before his livestream, Orochimaru was viewed as a mad scientist by the group chat. Afterward, not only did he showcase his good looks, but he also successfully shed his previously negative reputation.

"When the Marineford War breaks out, I should take the opportunity to host a livestream too..."

The more Kizaru thought about it, the better the idea sounded. Livestreaming was all about drawing an audience, and with the massive Marineford battle involving over 100,000 people and the destruction of the entire Marineford base, Kizaru couldn't imagine anything more captivating.

With so many strong fighters present, the war would also be the perfect stage to demonstrate his unparalleled strength.

In the future, if anyone in the group needed help, they'd surely think of him first after watching the Marineford War stream.

"Kizaru, were you just daydreaming?"

Nami emerged from the luxurious bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel, and gave Kizaru a suspicious look as he sat unmoving on the sofa.

She had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of being ambushed while bathing, yet Kizaru hadn't made a single move the entire time.

A few years ago, Nami might have held some faint hope for Kizaru, given how deceivingly handsome he was.

At first glance, no one would suspect that this man could be such an unrepentant pervert.

"Come sit over here, little Nami~"

Kizaru's face lit up with a wide grin as he looked at Nami's figure beneath the towel. He patted the sofa next to him, beckoning her over.

Nami might lack stamina, but she was young and recovered quickly. Kizaru was already eager to start round two.

"Don't try anything funny..."

Grumbling, Nami grabbed a hot bottle of milk from the warmer and a cold drink from the fridge before reluctantly sitting next to Kizaru.

Not being ambushed in the bath made her question whether she still had any appeal to him. However, the moment she sat down, Kizaru pulled her into his arms, clearly ready for another round.

Brrrr... Brrrr...

Just then, the transponder snail on the luxurious desk began ringing. Kizaru, unwilling to let it interrupt, ignored it, but Nami pushed him to answer the call.

"This is Kizaru. Speak quickly!"

Frustrated at the untimely interruption, Kizaru's tone was far from friendly as he answered.

"This is Sengoku. You are to depart immediately! A Celestial Dragon has been attacked in the Sabaody Archipelago. The fastest warship from HQ is ready for you. This is an urgent situation—no delays are permitted!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice was urgent, though it was clear he was equally frustrated.

At a time when the Navy was preparing for the Marineford War, the Celestial Dragons not only failed to help but instead caused additional chaos.

"I understand. Tch, what a troublesome bunch..."

Kizaru rubbed his temples. Speaking of which, the timing of this attack on the Celestial Dragons… could it have been caused by the Straw Hat Pirates?

But without Nami as their navigator, how did those clueless idiots and their perpetually lost captain even manage to reach the Sabaody Archipelago?

Besides, Kizaru had already apprehended the Arlong Pirates and even extorted a ransom from Jinbei and Fish-Man Island. Without Hatchan or the mermaid Camie, what reason would the Straw Hat Pirates have to provoke the Celestial Dragons in this timeline?

"Are we heading out now?"

Hearing Sengoku's call, Nami quickly changed into her uniform and boots. Kizaru was disappointed he didn't get to watch her dress.

"Are you coming too, little Nami?"

Kizaru merely needed to throw on his coat to be ready, but he hadn't expected Nami to prepare to accompany him.

Come to think of it, due to his interference, Nami had yet to meet the Straw Hat Pirates.

Still, given a choice, Nami would probably prefer that Bell-mère remained alive and well. Just recently, Nojiko had written to Nami, mentioning that Genzo was planning to propose to Bell-mère.

"I'm your adjutant! Wait a minute, you weren't planning to sneak off without me again, were you?"

Nami's eyes narrowed, her frustration evident.

She wasn't even Kizaru's official partner—technically, she was the "other woman." So why was she stuck babysitting him?

Yet, recalling Gion (Momousagi), who was close to her and had an ambiguous relationship with Kizaru but never blamed her for it, Nami's gaze toward Kizaru grew more dangerous.

It was all his fault for constantly flirting and losing his composure around beautiful women!

"Of course not... If you want to come, then come along. But remember to stay safe, alright?"

Kizaru scratched his head. Fine, he had indeed been planning to check out Robin's thoughts during the chaos.

Now that Nami had called him out, he'd have to behave—otherwise, while Nami might be easy to handle, Gion could be a real problem if she got angry.

Though she usually appeared gentle, Gion could get downright scary when furious. Kizaru wasn't afraid of her per se, but Gion's foster sister was Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had strong ties with Sengoku, Garp, and former Admiral Zephyr.

If Kizaru upset Gion after they were already engaged, there was a very real chance he'd end up facing a collective beatdown from some of the Navy's strongest figures.

"Sigh, oh Kizaru, why can't you control yourself..."

Kizaru refused to take the blame, muttering that it was his younger self, "Little Kizaru," who couldn't resist Gion's long legs.

Meanwhile, on the Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hat Pirates, who had just beaten up a Celestial Dragon, were fleeing the Navy to avoid implicating innocent civilians.

"D-Damn it! Didn't I tell you guys already?! No matter what, you mustn't attack a Celestial Dragon! Didn't you understand?!"

To be precise, it wasn't just the Straw Hat Pirates running. For some reason, Supernova Jewelry Bonney had also gotten caught up in their escape.

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