He has even mastered Haki, and you say this is Naruto?

"Ah, my greatest dream," Shanks said excitedly, "is to become the freest man on this sea."

Madara didn't understand what Shanks was talking about, but he couldn't be bothered to ask.

He only came here for one reason: to assess the strength of the man in front of him, to see whether this man could truly usher in a new era.

"A boring dream."

Madara slowly sliced off a piece of fish and savored it carefully.

Despite the strong fishy smell and lack of seasoning, he still showed a rare expression of enjoyment.

It had been twenty years since he last used his tongue to taste food—instead of surviving on nutrient fluid.

Likewise, today's "duel" with Shanks was the first time in twenty years he had used that kind of power.

At this moment, Madara felt truly exhilarated. Even though he could clearly sense the life force in his body fading, he no longer cared.

Shanks didn't take offense at Madara's words.

From any angle, the old man in front of him was clearly someone with a long history. To someone like that, a dream like his probably seemed like childish nonsense.

Just like those pirates who laughed at Luffy's dreams.

But the old man wasn't like those short-sighted pirates—clearly, he had been through a lot.

Given his age, he had probably lived through not only the era of Rocks, but even earlier times.

That must be why he acted this way.

"Even if it's a boring dream, I'll still work hard to make it come true."

Looking at Shanks, Madara seemed to glimpse the image of Hashirama from the past.

Although Shanks didn't have any lofty ambitions, that unwavering resolve—it was almost identical.

"I had a friend very much like you. I hope you can achieve your dream just like he did."

Madara's voice was cold, but there was a faint hint of sorrow in it.

Too much had happened between him and Hashirama.

Not just between them, but among their entire brotherhood. The countless events of the past—over time, those memories surfaced more and more.

Madara knew it was because he was getting old.

Shanks also noticed the melancholy look on Madara's face.

"A former comrade?"

"He's probably the last one left now."

Whether he died at sea or lived out his days peacefully, one could only guess. But judging by the old man's demeanor, his comrades likely died in battle.

"Sigh."

Shanks didn't understand, nor did he pry further.

That's the fate of men on the sea. Perhaps worse than dying in battle or on an adventure is dying alone in some forgotten place.

Shanks could already picture it:

This old man had once sailed with his comrades, young and full of spirit.

Back then, they were rebellious and ambitious.

But as time passed, one by one his comrades disappeared. In old age, he escaped to this desolate place to quietly await death.

The old man's body was in terrible shape. Shanks couldn't figure out why he came here. After much thought, there was only one answer—to die.

In his final days, he wanted to use his remaining life to reflect on the past.

See? He's reminiscing again.

Shanks' intuition was spot-on. Madara truly had been thinking about the past just now.

"Ah, I'm full. Haven't eaten like this in ages."

In a matter of minutes, Shanks had devoured the rest of the fish.

Madara stared in disbelief, only now coming to his senses.

Seriously? How did the fish disappear so quickly?And it was huge—how could you even eat that much?

"Burp~"

Shanks let out a lazy belch.

"I'm heading back."

"Old man needs a place to stay too."

Madara showed no sign of politeness, his serious expression making it clear this wasn't up for discussion.

He stood up.

Though the Sharingan wasn't as good as the Byakugan for detection, Madara still noticed something odd—Shanks had no chakra at all.

"Hm. I'm Shanks, and I haven't asked your name yet."

"You'll find out in due time."

Madara picked up his katana and replied curtly.

"I'm tired. Let's get back and rest."

Shanks felt a surge of excitement at his words.

What a strange old man. But at least now he had company—it wouldn't be so boring.

And this guy was strong—way stronger than Zabuza. He could even ask him for tips on training in the future.

Back at the lakeside cabin, Madara entered Zabuza's old room without a glance back.

Just one exchange with Shanks, and he was already exhausted.

Truly, he was old—his body could no longer endure that kind of strain.

"Oh, right. The name's Madara."

With that, he closed the door behind him.

He, Uchiha Madara, had no reason to hide his name.

"Madara?"

Shanks didn't recognize the name.

"Whatever. This is just a beta version of the One Piece world anyway. It's normal that I don't know everyone. But Mr. Madara's personality… it's kinda like that Madara from Naruto."

Shanks returned to his room, and before long, loud snores filled the cabin.

Since Madara appeared, Shanks had felt something was off.

Especially during training—whenever he practiced, the old man would give him this scrutinizing look.

"The One Piece world is supposed to be fairly normal, right?"

"No one's tried to break off an engagement with me, and I'm not wearing any kind of special ring."

Shanks reflected on things. Fate had dropped a mysterious old man into his lap, but his path clearly wasn't the typical "trash-to-hero" route.

Judging by how things were going, he was more of an unstoppable genius, constantly improving with no signs of slowing down.

"Senior Madara, what do you think of me?"

Madara had been observing Shanks for days. Shanks could tell the old man wanted to guide him, but each time he was about to speak, he held back.

Fine—Shanks decided not to pretend anymore. The old man was proud, but by now he should have a good sense of what Shanks could do.

"Hm?"

Madara was momentarily surprised that Shanks asked him directly.

What do I think of you?Do you even know what your Uzumaki clan's signature jutsu is?Who taught you to train like this?

Madara fumed internally.

Sure, he was an unparalleled genius, but even he followed a traditional path of cultivation.

In comparison, Shanks' training style? Madara had never seen anything so… abstract. No chakra cultivation, no chakra natures—completely illogical.

Yet Shanks was undeniably strong.

That meant this illogical training method somehow worked.

"Not bad. Your talent isn't beneath mine."

Of course, Madara would never say that aloud.

If he did, the guy would realize he didn't understand it at all.

It was fine for now. Shanks might not know who he really was, but years from now, when he came back, he couldn't afford to lose face.

"Senior Madara, is there anything I should improve in my training?"

Shanks spoke with genuine humility. It wasn't every day he met someone powerful—he needed to seize the chance to learn.

But to Madara, the question came off very differently.

Mockery. Pure mockery.Especially with that sincere, earnest gaze—it was the most condescending kind of mockery.

"Everyone has their own path. Your talent isn't beneath mine, and you're destined to carve your own road.""As for flaws in your training, that's for your own talent to determine."

Despite his annoyance, Madara still gave a fairly honest answer.

He and Hashirama were terrible teachers—not because they lacked knowledge, but because their standards were simply too high.

For a genius like them, the lowest bar was already other people's highest.

How could someone like that teach effectively?

And Shanks—well, clearly, he wasn't some one-in-a-million genius. Not that either of them realized it.

"My talent, huh…"

Shanks thought about it. His talents were Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki.

"I guess my talents are my Haki—Observation and Conqueror's—but I don't really know how to train them, haha."

He laughed awkwardly. Both forms of Haki had hit a plateau after a sudden breakthrough.

"I'm somewhat familiar with Observation Haki. But Conqueror's Haki—I've barely encountered it."

Madara replied calmly. He understood the force behind Shanks' Observation Haki, but he had only seen Conqueror's Haki once—so he still wasn't clear on it.

Previously, Shanks had relied on the Uzumaki clan's bloodline and special powers to form his so-called "Observation Haki." But now, he had completely moved beyond that.

And so had Madara.

The real Madara had died over a decade ago.

What existed now was Madara clinging to life through Hashirama's power. That Sage Energy had changed his body in certain ways.

It heightened his sensitivity to natural energy and gave him deeper insight into "Sage Mode."

Shanks' Observation Haki didn't require chakra at all. And it was different from the Uzumaki clan's Lésin (Happy God) Mind's Eye.

Where ordinary ninja relied on chakra or other energies to sense, Shanks' Observation Haki now drew solely from natural energy.