Senga returned home and first reassured Granny Lisa that he was safe, then handed her the eighty million berries he had saved in his room.
The money was bounty money Senga had earned over the past few years by casually dealing with minor pirate crews while at sea. There simply were no worthwhile pirate crews nearby, so he had only barely saved this much after all these years. Still, for a grandmother past seventy, it was more than enough to let her live out the rest of her days in comfort.
Granny Lisa stared at the enormous sum in surprise but did not accept it.
Senga hurriedly explained,
"Don't worry. I guarantee this money came from legitimate sources. I'm planning to join the Marines, and I won't feel at ease leaving you home alone. Please take this money and use it."
Only then did Granny Lisa relax. She knew Senga was a good child who seemed cold but had a warm heart. He had always behaved properly over the years and had never lied to her. She put the money away in the chest behind her.
As she turned to look at the child who had lived with her for ten years, Granny Lisa felt a deep reluctance to part with him. She had no children of her own and had long treated Senga as her own grandson. Now, he was about to leave.
But she also knew that young people needed to venture out into the world, especially someone like Senga. He was so different from everyone else. She reached out and patted him on the waist, smiling kindly as she said,
"Go on, good child. Granny believes you'll make something of yourself. You don't need to worry about me. The people in the village are all kind, and with them around, nothing will happen to Granny. Go out there without worries!"
Senga felt a little sad as well. He stepped forward and hugged her.
"Mm. I definitely won't let you down. It won't be long before I make this sea know my name, and I'll come back to see you often."
After saying his farewells to Granny Lisa, Senga packed simply and went to visit Bellemere's Family. Bellemere, Nami, and Nojiko were among the people he had been closest to over the past few years.
When he arrived at Bellemere's door, Senga knocked. Before long, it opened, and a little blue-haired head poked out. It was Nojiko.
Nojiko was delighted to see Senga, but when she noticed the small bundle of luggage in his hand, she seemed to realize something. Her expression dimmed, yet she still forced her brightest smile and called out crisply,
"Brother Senga!"
Senga smiled, patted her head, responded, and explained why he had come.
Although she had already sensed it, when Nojiko truly heard the news, her eyes still reddened. She forced a smile.
"Then, Brother Senga, I'll go tell Bellemere and the others. We'll see you off."
"There's no need. I'm leaving right now. Just go tell them. I won't be going inside either..."
Suddenly,
"How can that do? You've lived in this village for ten years. How can you leave so casually?"
Bellemere came out of the house with Nami, pretending to be angry as she said,
"Come on! We'll see you off together!"
Nojiko turned her head and looked at Senga expectantly as well.
"What... troublesome bonds." Though his words sounded bothered, the corners of Senga's mouth could not help but rise.
"Hmph! You hopeless tsundere!" Nami had already seen through everything with powers of observation that surpassed even the Rinnegan!
Senga glared at Nami, then stepped forward and picked up the teary-eyed, downcast Nojiko.
"Eh, Brother Senga..." Nojiko was clearly embarrassed and struggled a little.
"What? I'm about to leave. Can't you let me hold you for a moment?" Senga said with a stern face.
"O-of course you can." Nojiko immediately quieted down, though her tightly clenched little fists gave away her nervousness.
"Hmph! What a biased man!" How could they leave out Nami, the little queen of snark, at a time like this?
This time, Senga ignored her and prepared to set off.
"Let's go."
When they reached the shore, Senga said to everyone,
"Alright, this is far enough. Thank you, everyone. Let's say goodbye here."
"Here?" Bellemere looked suspiciously at Senga, gazing around at the empty surroundings.
"Yes, here." Then, before everyone's disbelieving eyes, Senga's body began floating into the air.
"So, are you really human?" After a long while, Bellemere took a deep breath and asked steadily. Nami and Nojiko beside her nodded in agreement.
Senga did not answer. After all, his body was already evolving toward the Otsutsuki Clan. It would not exactly be wrong to say he was no longer human.
After thinking for a moment, Senga took a strangely shaped kunai from his clothes, handed it to Nojiko, and instructed her, "If anything dangerous happens in the village while I'm away, hold this and call my name in your heart. Remember that, alright?"
Nojiko carefully put away the kunai and nodded seriously to show that she understood.
Senga smiled and patted her head. The kunai was naturally the Flying Thunder God Kunai of the Fourth Hokage from Naruto. With his vast Chakra and the Rinnegan empowering him, no matter how far away he was, he could instantly reach the vicinity of the kunai as long as he sensed the signal.
He had left a kunai with Granny Lisa as well, but he had made an extra preparation just in case. After all, the Fish-Man Pirates would become a dangerous threat in a few years.
Finally at ease, Senga's body continued floating upward.
"Then, goodbye, everyone. Nojiko, Nami, you two need to eat properly. Don't let me see you again next time and find that you're still two little runts."
"Mm-hm, I'll remember, Brother Senga! You have to remember to come back!" Nojiko's face was already covered in tears as she shouted up at Senga in the sky.
"Hmph, I don't want to listen to you. Just go already! No matter what I become, you won't care anyway, right? You biased Senga!" Nami secretly wiped away a tear and said stubbornly, her neck held high.
"Good luck, Senga! I look forward to the day you become a Marine Admiral... no, a Fleet Admiral!" Bellemere shouted toward the sky.
Senga gave one last look at everyone on the ground and Cocoyasi Village, his gaze firm. Then, the Repulsion Force erupted, and he vanished from their sight in an instant.
"Marines, here I come!"
Before you continue