Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

"Oh, by the way, as far as I know, Konoha Village also has a technique called Edo Tensei. You can think of it as turning people into zombies with their memories intact. In theory, they could kill a target, resurrect them, and kill them again… infinitely repeating the process…"

Kizaru said this in a lazy tone. Of course, Konoha Village and Orochimaru weren't deranged enough to actually do something like that. But as a weapons dealer, Tony couldn't help but shiver at the mere thought of such a possibility.

"Ahem, Lady Feathered Serpent, I was just joking earlier! Loyalty to Lord Orochimaru… uh… is actually an excellent choice. Loyalty is the most admirable virtue!"

Tony explained to Feathered Serpent with utmost sincerity, completely abandoning his talk of freedom and equality.

From now on, he decided he was an Orochimaru fan. Anyone who badmouthed Orochimaru was basically an enemy of Stark Industries!

"Oh… Tony, what just happened? I think I saw a… snake!"

Dr. Yinsen, waking up from his fainting spell, groggily rubbed his eyes. At his age, the trauma of being a hostage to terrorists had already left him physically fragile.

The sight of a 40-meter-long giant serpent earlier hadn't outright killed him, but it was only thanks to his impressive mental resilience.

Before Tony could explain, Yinsen, realizing the strange scenery around him, instinctively glanced down. The moment he saw that they were riding on a massive serpent's head, he let out a scream and promptly fainted again.

"Hey! Yinsen! Oh, this is bad… uh, sorry, I don't mean you, Lady Feathered Serpent," Tony muttered, frustrated that he hadn't stopped Yinsen from looking down in time.

To be fair, discovering a 40-meter-long snake behind you or realizing you were riding one's head would test anyone's nerves.

Unfortunately for Yinsen, he seemed especially sensitive to snakes, unlike Tony, who conveniently forgot how he had been trembling just moments earlier when he first encountered Feathered Serpent.

"We've arrived. Up ahead is a village with people living in it. Delivering you here should count as completing the mission, right?"

Kizaru spoke casually, feeling that he had already collected plenty of Tony's embarrassing moments to tease him with later. He was ready to say his goodbyes.

As for the promised $100 million? Honestly, Kizaru didn't care much about it.

Although he often complained about Fleet Admiral Sengoku not giving him a raise, the truth was that after taking Gild Tesoro as a subordinate and looting half of Skypiea, Kizaru had no shortage of money. Enel's struggle to gather enough gold to build his ship was mostly thanks to Kizaru clearing out Skypiea's treasures.

In comparison, $100 million was nothing. It wasn't even a drop in the bucket compared to the gold from Skypiea or Tesoro's fortune. Kizaru's main reason for coming here was purely to collect dirt on Tony for future entertainment.

"Hey! Wait! Those terrorists who kidnapped me were clearly no pushovers. If you just leave us like this, Yinsen and I could very well end up back in their hands!"

Tony, still traumatized by his recent ordeal, couldn't help but overreact. Even though the chances of something like that happening again were almost zero, he wasn't willing to risk even the smallest possibility.

"Don't tell me you want me to escort you all the way back to New York?" Kizaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kizaru raised an eyebrow slightly. He was a dignified Admiral of the Navy—how could he have so much free time to waste?

"Do me a favor, and I'll invite you to experience a Stark-style pool party later. I guarantee you won't regret it!"

Tony winked and grinned at Kizaru, trying his best to convince him to stay and help.

"…Ahem, don't get me wrong. I'm just helping out because we're both in the same chat group."

Kizaru cleared his throat and thought it over. Leaving Tony and Yinsen in the middle of this godforsaken place did seem a bit dangerous.

As the saying goes, when you help someone, help them to the end. Besides, there wasn't much going on in the Pirate World for him at the moment, so he might as well stick around and explore this Marvel world a little.

"Don't worry, I get it!"

Tony was overjoyed, looking at Kizaru with newfound camaraderie, clearly feeling a deep sense of connection with a fellow kindred spirit.

"Hehe… We've reached the destination. Thanks a lot, Feathered Serpent. You can head back now."

Kizaru grabbed Tony and Yinsen, jumping down from the giant serpent's head. Ahead of them lay an ordinary human village. Being part of the justice camp for so many years, Kizaru was mindful not to scare innocent civilians unnecessarily.

"As you command, Lord Kizaru."

Feathered Serpent nodded politely. Despite the brief time they had spent together, both Tony and Yinsen had developed a great impression of this well-mannered serpent.

"Lady Feathered Serpent, is there anything you like to eat or anything you enjoy? I'll find a way to send it to you later!"

Tony spoke with genuine regret. He truly wanted Feathered Serpent to work for him, but the thought of Orochimaru and Konoha Village was just too intimidating.

"I like meat, especially beef."

Feathered Serpent lowered its massive head and whispered softly in Tony's ear.

Unfortunately, due to its size, even its whisper made Tony's ears buzz and his head ring.

"Don't worry, as much beef as you want! I'll buy the largest ranch in the U.S. and send every single cow there straight to you!"

Tony replied without hesitation.

Purchasing the largest ranch in America wasn't a big deal for Stark Industries. In fact, if managed properly, it could even be profitable—like selling the farm's produce at exorbitant prices to the U.S. military. Compared to his $3,000 coffee mugs, even $100-per-pound beef would be a steal!

"I'll look forward to it. Lord Kizaru, Mr. Tony, I'll be heading back now."

Feathered Serpent nodded politely again before vanishing into a cloud of smoke, disappearing into thin air.

Thanks to the chat group's power, even though it was in another world, a summoned beast like Feathered Serpent could instantly return to Ryuchi Cave.

Otherwise, if there had been no way back, Feathered Serpent might have had to stay and work for Tony after all.

"Alright, let's go. As long as we find a working phone or a computer with internet access, someone will come to pick us up in no time."

Tony's confidence wasn't misplaced. As the U.S. military's top weapons supplier, he could even directly contact the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan if needed.

The trio's arrival caused quite a commotion in the village. Tony and Yinsen, as typical Westerners, weren't too shocking. The villagers had already seen their fair share of arrogant American soldiers.

But Kizaru, standing at an intimidating three meters tall, was a different story. Many villagers thought he was some kind of demon. The timid ones immediately prostrated themselves in fear, while the bolder ones somehow managed to produce various firearms, ready to physically "exorcise" him.

In the end, after some "friendly" communication from Kizaru, the villagers cooperatively handed over a smartphone with internet access.

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