The Azure Dragon had just left Amazon Lily and was sailing through the Calm Belt. Early in the morning, Shin heard the sound of the Den Den Mushi. As soon as he answered, a desperate cry for help came through.
"Captain Shin, help!"
"Huh... Are you Ryuma?" Shin asked in surprise. The other crew members around him exchanged bewildered glances.
Who was Shimotsuki Ryuma? He was the legendary hero who once protected Wano, a peerless swordsman who forged a black blade, and a warrior strong enough to rival Hawkeye for the title of the world's greatest swordsman.
If someone said that such a man had been defeated, Shin could believe it. After all, the sea was vast, full of powerful figures and formidable adversaries. While Shimotsuki Ryuma was unquestionably strong, he wasn't invincible.
But if someone said he had been forced to call for help…
Had he attacked Mary Geoise? The Marine Headquarters? Or perhaps challenged the base of one of the Four Emperors?
"It's me, it's me! Shimotsuki Ryuma! I'm in the East Blue right now—come and save me!"
Shin scrutinized the Den Den Mushi again and confirmed that it was indeed Shimotsuki Ryuma's image. A strange expression crossed his face.
"What happened? Even you were forced to call for help? Are there such terrifying masters in the East Blue?"
From what Shin knew, the only person in East Blue who could possibly challenge Shimotsuki Ryuma was Garp. But even then, it seemed excessive to imagine Garp forcing him to cry for help.
Moreover, given Shimotsuki Ryuma's personality, it was already rare for him to retreat, let alone openly ask for assistance.
"Well… it's difficult to explain. Anyway, didn't you say this Den Den Mushi allows you to locate me and teleport to me directly? Stop wasting time and get over here now!"
Shin curled his lips, closed his eyes, and activated the Flying Thunder God technique.
Unlike Minato Namikaze, Shin's mastery of time-space techniques wasn't as refined. Even after multiple improvements, his spatial seals still had certain imperfections when used in combat, causing a slight delay in reaction time.
For someone at his level, even a minor delay could be a fatal flaw. Against weaker opponents, it didn't matter, but against equally powerful foes, it was a disadvantage.
Thus, Shin primarily used space-time ninjutsu as a mobility technique rather than a combat ability. It was a tool for escape and support rather than direct battle.
Fortunately, with Shin's chakra reserves, he could traverse the entire world effortlessly using the Flying Thunder God Technique. Despite the vast distance to the East Blue, he could arrive in an instant.
A moment later, after feeling the familiar sensation of spatial distortion, Shin opened his eyes.
"What the—?!"
Shin let out a rare curse in his native tongue. Feeling the rush of wind against him, he quickly activated his Rinnegan, manipulating gravity to halt midair.
He then stretched out a hand, grabbed the plummeting Shimotsuki Ryuma, and asked directly, "What the hell is going on? How did you end up here?"
Shimotsuki Ryuma looked shaken. Glancing downward, he took a deep breath before speaking with a trembling voice. "Didn't I hear you say there was a descendant of mine in the East Blue? Shimotsuki Koshiro? I was planning to check on him."
"On my way there, I encountered someone raiding an island—lifting the entire landmass into the sky! I happened to be resting there, so I got pulled up along with it."
Shin frowned. Based on what Ryuma had said, he already had a strong suspicion about who was responsible.
What puzzled him, however, was why Shimotsuki Ryuma was afraid of a half-crippled old man.
Sure enough, Ryuma continued his explanation in a flustered manner.
"After being dragged into the sky, I searched for the mastermind and ran into a flying, blond-haired old man. He called himself the admiral of the Flying Pirates—Shiki the Golden Lion! Said something about destroying the East Blue."
"When faced with a villain like that, it was the perfect time for me to act! So, I fought him. And, well... this is where we ended up."
"Wait... so you couldn't defeat the Golden Lion?" Shin asked curiously.
"Who said I couldn't?! If he were in peak condition, maybe he could put up a fight. But if we were on land, I'd cut him down within a hundred moves!" Ryuma huffed indignantly.
Shin scrutinized him, noting his flushed face and wandering gaze. Ryuma kept sneaking glances downward, only to quickly avert his eyes. A realization struck Shin.
"…You're afraid of heights, aren't you?"
"What? Who said that?! I'm not afraid at all—Aaaahhhhhh! HELP! HELP! HELP!!!"
His bravado shattered as he suddenly felt a shift in balance. He flailed wildly, screaming in panic with tears and snot streaming down his face.
Shin calmly observed Ryuma plummeting from the sky, watching as he shrank into a tiny dot below.
"Yeah… you're definitely afraid of heights."
A moment later, Shin used his Rinnegan's ability to pull Ryuma back up. The legendary swordsman's eyes were now swirling like spirals.
"So scary… The sky is terrifying… I never want to go up there again… Fine! I admit it! I'm afraid of heights! There, are you happy?! Wooo… my lifelong reputation is ruined…"
Shin sighed, covering his eyes as he shook his head. The great Shimotsuki Ryuma, felled by acrophobia—how very fitting for this world.
No matter how strong, how cold, or how legendary a person was, in the end, everyone had their quirks.
It was no wonder Ryuma had been forced to call for help. Against an opponent wielding the Float-Float Fruit, his combat ability was effectively halved.
"Alright. Since heights are an issue, leave the Golden Lion to me," Shin said with a resigned sigh.
"Which direction did he go? Can I still track him?"
By now, the Golden Lion was long gone. Given how Ryuma had drifted through the sky before being caught, the enemy's location was unknown.
However, Shin's Observation Haki had vastly improved. Combining it with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's radar-like properties, he transformed his Haki into a scanning pulse. While this reduced precision, it significantly expanded his detection range.
On land, obstacles might interfere, but in the sky?
The vast openness made this the perfect battlefield for his technique.
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