"Baku Baku Factory: Life Reconstruction!"
As if possessing the power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, Naruto opened his mouth to an incredibly exaggerated degree and then spat out a slender woman from within.
—Who else could it be but Naomi?
Shaking her head slightly, Naomi somewhat unaccustomedly stood up again using her legs. Kalifa, seeing this, promptly stepped forward to support her.
"Like this, you can freely switch between both forms."
Naruto's mouth shrank back to normal size, leaving little Adam staring in bewilderment. Then, for the first time, the baby let out a very cheerful laugh.
Hearing his child's laughter, the old father's attention was instantly completely absorbed. He hurried back to Stussy's side, reaching out a finger to gently touch little Adam's soft cheek.
After undergoing 'racial evolution', Naruto's skin had long since changed from before.
The calluses from years of sword practice and combat on his palms had vanished. His skin was probably smoother than a woman's now… a fact that constantly irritated both Hancock and Stussy.
But little Adam seemed very satisfied with this.
Although he couldn't even babble yet, he appeared able to recognize Naruto's identity and was very happy with the contact.
"Whew... tha... thank you."
Naomi tried a few more times before regaining mastery of the force needed to walk on two legs, letting go of Kalifa's support and standing up on her own.
"Don't mention it."
Naruto didn't even look up, just kept smiling.
"You're Karin's companions, so you're my friends."
In the time just passed, he had learned about Karin's experiences along the way, learned that the extracted substance was Pure Gold, and also learned about the trouble Orochimaru had caused.
...
"You've certainly had quite the eventful time, Karin."
Sitting in the submarine's medical room, Naruto looked at Karin lying in the treatment pod and sighed softly.
Her injuries had already been healed by Naruto… actually, she didn't have many external wounds to begin with.
What kept Karin unconscious was her weakened mental state and depleted energy reserves.
Perhaps due to Imu's invasion, or perhaps because of Momoshiki's rebellion, Karin's mind had been used as a 'battlefield' for these two villains to fight over.
Ultimately, Momoshiki seized control with absolute advantage, but was still forcibly locked back away by Karin, the venue owner, using her authority.
Of course, this forcible use of mental energy had also greatly drained Karin's consciousness and energy.
She wasn't like Sasuke, an Indra reincarnate with innately overflowing mental strength, nor like Naruto, a being who had already transcended the mortal level in terms of life form.
This girl relied purely on her own tenacity, aided by that mysterious force within the Pure Gold, to forcibly suppress Momoshiki, a main family member of the Otsutsuki Clan.
That was not something just anyone could do.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to awaken her own Conqueror's Haki.
To be honest, when he heard this news from Naomi and Kalifa, Naruto was somewhat surprised.
He had originally thought Sasuke was the most likely to awaken Conqueror's Haki... of course, it was also possible that guy had already mastered it somewhere without him knowing.
In Naruto's mind, Karin had always appeared as a lively, impetuous little girl, just like when they first met.
But now, Naruto had to admit that Karin had grown a lot mentally, willing to stay behind for her companions and capable of making decisions to save others.
He couldn't always treat her like a little girl anymore.
Little Adam, held in Naruto's arms, looked at his quietly pondering father, then somewhat confusedly at Karin lying on the bed.
He didn't really understand what was happening.
—For a newborn baby, that was perfectly normal.
Of course, he wasn't any ordinary baby.
Although he didn't understand why Naruto had suddenly fallen silent, Adam instinctively disliked this kind of emotion.
He had inherited Naruto's acute perception of emotions… it had become an instinct.
So, little Adam shifted his gaze to Karin, then reached out his little white hand, about to place it on her face.
Naruto, the old father, lacked any adult maturity. Seeing his son's action, he immediately forgot his earlier contemplation and decisively moved the baby closer to Karin.
"Heh heh... such an energetic little guy. Looks like you're not one to stay still either."
Just as Roger had favored the boisterous Naruto back in the day, Naruto also really liked lively children.
He didn't mind joining in on mischief either.
But unfortunately, Adam didn't grasp his old father's intention.
His palm rested on Karin's face, but he didn't grab randomly.
At the same time, a faint light emanated from little Adam's body, like a lighthouse guiding a lost soul.
The relaxed smile on Naruto's face faded at that moment.
He looked at his son with disbelief, not knowing whether to pull his hand back or leave it.
He wasn't sure if he should interrupt Adam in this state.
The light gradually faded, and Adam suddenly yawned, then withdrew his hand.
But Naruto sensed a reaction from Karin.
Strands of golden light suddenly burst forth from Karin's body, forming lightning-like patterns on her skin, as if she were about to explode.
"Take the child out first."
Naruto decisively placed Adam back in Stussy's arms and said to her, whose expression was also somewhat grim.
She didn't know what Adam had done, nor what state Karin was in now.
But since Naruto said so—
"You two as well, get out. Take him with you and get far away from here!"
Naruto turned back to look at Kalifa and Naomi, then pointed at Cavendish, still unconscious in the corner, indicating they should leave immediately.
Now aware of the relationship between Naruto and Karin, the two women had no objections. They decisively followed orders, dragging the unconscious White Horse Pirate with them as they quickly left the medical room.
Once everyone had left, Naruto activated his Byakugan, carefully observing the energy flow within Karin's body, ready to use Yomotsu Hirasaka to relocate her away at any moment.
At this moment, Karin's body was filled with surging energy.
—Even Naruto was taken aback.
'What in the world had Vegapunk put inside my precious son?'
Naruto grumbled inwardly, vowing to find an opportunity to snip off Vegapunk's mustache.
He didn't know that at Adam's birth, a [Mother Flame] had been used as kindling… an energy source not even Naruto could easily absorb.
Fortunately, the surging golden light didn't burst explosively as expected… instead, it gradually stabilized.
Under Naruto's gaze, the heart within Karin's body, originally driven by Pure Gold energy, was now covered by another energy.
This energy was clearly less interfering and more stable than the Pure Gold's.
At the very least, Karin didn't experience uncontrollable transformations like when she merged with the Pure Gold.
Seeing Karin's condition stabilize, Naruto finally released his hand from her shoulder… his preparation for using Yomotsu Hirasaka to evacuate.
The golden light illuminating the entire room gradually faded, and Karin's breathing became steady.
Outside, the waiting individuals could see the light disappearing through the door cracks. They exchanged glances, and ultimately Naomi, worried about her captain's safety, decisively rushed in.
Kalifa followed closely behind.
Stussy, holding her child, perceived the situation inside the room with her Observation Haki. Confirming there was no problem, she then calmly walked in with Medusa, carrying Adam.