Prince on the Grand Line
Chapter 2
It didn't take long, an hour or so after sailing, for the girls to seemingly get comfortable on his ship. Each of them had already claimed a room on his ship and were enjoying the ship as they relaxed on the deck. Wanda helped his clone navigate as Carrot kept watch in the crow's nest and Durel was sun bathing on the deck with the real him sitting nearby as he read through some scrolls about his eyes.
"Consider this my feline Mink curiosity," Durel said as she looked up from a medical book she had been reading "but I've been meaning to ask, how exactly are you able to make copies of yourself" she asked as Naruto looked up from his scroll.
"I'm also interested in knowing considering we have a copy of yourself driving the ship" Wanda said before Carrot leapt down from the crow's nest and nodded along, having seemingly overheard them.
"Yeah! It seems really cool" Carrot added as Naruto chuckled and stood up, rolling up the scroll and slipping it back into his pocket.
"It's more or less a natural ability of those from my homeland. If people decide they want to be a member of the military after the normal schooling you can enroll in a special academy and once you do you are granted this skill and if you graduate you get to keep it" Naruto said as he summoned a Rasengan in his hand for them to see. "It's called chakra, the energy of one's mind and body in unison and this technique is the Rasengan. It's what I used to break down the door to get to your cell room" Naruto said before he dispelled it.
"What about you three? Do you have any special Mink Tribe only abilities?" he asked as them being more animalistic had to have some perks.
"All Minks from child to elderly have the power of Electro" Wanda said as she, Durel, and Carrot gained sparks of electricity on their arms.
"Even half Minks like myself can use it" Durel said as Naruto rose an eyebrow at her.
"Wait you are half mink? I thought that Minks just came in different levels like Zoan Devil Fruit users" Naruto said as Durel shook her head.
"No, for the most part females have more feminine appearances, such as how Wanda and Carrot look, but the men are much more beastly. My mom was a cat Mink and my dad was a normal human" she said before she looked out at the side of the ship. "By the way, do you have a destination in mind for where to go next?" Durel asked as Naruto shrugged his shoulders.
"Closest island to get a full rest of sorts, help you all settle in on the ship, and get a solid idea of where we are and where to go" Naruto said as he looked over to Carrot and Wanda. "Hence why I wanted Carrot as a look out as we navigate" he said as Carrot gave a salute with a smile.
"Got it Captain! I'll let you know if I see anything" Carrot said before she quickly leapt up back into the crow's nest with a single hop to help out.
It honestly didn't take them long to find the nearest island as after a little under an hour they had spotted land and pull into its port.
"We'll stop here for a while, get some food, maybe some more clothes for you all and stuff to personalize your rooms. We also need a map of the area to get our bearings" Naruto said as he lowered the anchor and the ramp down to the board walk of the port.
"Sounds great, I'm personally starving" Wanda said as while they did get food after being saved they could still go for more after being locked away for so long.
"What the hell are you thinking parking your boat here!" a voice yelled out as Naruto hopped up onto the railing on his deck only to raise an eyebrow as a marine and his crew were glaring up at them.
The man was rather tall and well built, being a good few heads taller than the other Marines around him. He had a rather rough looking face with thick lips and fierce grey eyes, his black hair was shaved on the sides with deeper shaved hair that made two lightning bolts on each of his temples with the remaining hair of his was braided and tied back. He wore a pair of black pants, steel toed boots, and a sleeveless white button up shirt with a white Marine overcoat draped over his shoulders.
"What do you mean? It's a dock, you're supposed to park your boats here" he said as the main marine, given how the others seemingly followed him, walked towards their ramp.
"What I mean is that you're in my spot. My boat always goes here and you made me park in the commoner section" the marine said, pointing to where his ship was, in a tone to sound as if disgusted by the mere word 'commoner'.
"Well our boat is much bigger than yours," Wanda said as she stepped out onto the top of the ramp "we can't fit over there so you'll have to deal with it. And, like how most things are, spaces are first come first serve" she pointed out as that was the lay of the land for all docks.
"Don't you know who I am? I am Subaru Mimasaka, a Marine Lieutenant. You really don't want to get on my bad side kid" Subaru said in a threatening tone as he looked up at him, his eyes narrowing slightly before Naruto hopped off the railing and onto the ramp ahead of Wanda.
"So? Unless it is dire then I don't need to move my ship. There is no law stating I have to so how about you leave us alone since we haven't done anything wrong" Naruto said, not batting an eye at him before he looked back towards his ship.
"Durel, Carrot! You two coming? If you are be sure to lock up" he said as Carrot and Durel stepped off the boat and walked after them, ignoring the man and the other marines.
As they entered the town Naruto smiled as he looked around before turning to the others. "Okay first things first what all do you all need?" Naruto asked as Durel rubbed her chin in thought.
"I could use some things for my new office and clothes. Your medical room on board is rather stocked so nothing much" Durel said before looking to Wanda.
"I just want clothes and maybe some things to fill my room" Wanda added while Carrot bounced beside her.
"Ooo! I want some clothes as well, some carrots, some stuff for my room, and some fur!" Carrot said excitedly as Naruto chuckled.
"Well seems like you all have the same thing in mind so here," he said as he handed Wanda a pouch that appeared in his hand after a puff of smoke "it should have enough Belly for all of you to get what you need and then some. Clothing is personal so I won't come with but I'll be nearby getting some things for myself and some info here and there. Whatever you all buy and don't want to carry around just see if they can have it delivered to the ship" Naruto said as Wanda nodded and pocketed the pouch.
"Where should we meet up at?" Wanda asked as Naruto looked around before smiling and pointing at a nice looking restaurant that had 'Restaurant Yukihira' written on the banner over the front door.
"We can meet at Restaurant Yukihira, get some food, and then figure out what to do next in terms of if we are going to stay at an inn or on ship" he said before the girls nodded and walked off together leaving him before he looked around and headed towards the town square.
Naruto found the bustle of it to be almost relaxing as he sat down on the edge of the fountain in the center and took a deep breath as he looked around.
"Ah, nice to see a new face around town. You here visiting?" a man asked as Naruto looked to see a man sitting a bit away from him, also sitting on the fountain as he blew out a stream of smoke while a cigarette burned in his hand.
The man had long dull maroon hair that was swept back save for a lock of his bangs that hung down over his face down to his chin which was sporting a thin beard around his jawline. The man wore a dark blue long sleeved shirt and a pair of black jeans with black sneakers.
"Yeah, just pulled into port not too long ago" Naruto said as the man nodded before holding out a hand.
"Name's Joichiro, welcome to our peaceful little island. What exactly brought you here given we don't get much visitors" Joichiro said with a smile as Naruto chuckled and shook the man's hand.
"Thanks Joichiro, I'm Naruto. And honestly I'm stopping here with my crew so we can get our bearings and stock up on some supplies and a map of the area" Naruto said as Joichiro took another drag of his cigarette and let out another stream of smoke up into the sky.
"Well we might not have everything but I hope we can ready you for the sea ahead of you" Joichiro said with a chuckle before looking at him from the corner of his eye. "Though if your crew is out shopping why aren't you with them?" he asked as Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well they are all women and they are going clothes shopping so…" Naruto said before Joichiro started to chuckle.
"Say no more" the man said as he took another drag of his cigarette.
"Though we are meeting back up at this place called Restaurant Yukihira to get some food as it looked like a nice place and they are bound to be starving when they get done with their shopping" Naruto added with a chuckle as Joichiro smiled as he stood up and stepped on his cigarette to put it out.
"Well I hear good things about that place so you all enjoy yourself there and enjoy your time on our little island" the man said before leaving Naruto alone at the fountain.
'Might as well get my stuff done so I don't end up being the one to keep them waiting' he thought as he decided to look for somewhere that sells maps of this area or at least know the bearings so he could check the maps back on board.
It thankfully didn't take long to find the place he was looking for and after buying a map he quickly was able to know where he was. 'Great! With this we should be able to easily go on through the East Blue before heading off to the Grand Line' he thought as he pocketed the map in a slot inside of his coat before frowning a bit inside.
'And they are still following me' he thought as for the entire time since the he left the fountain two Marines from the bunch that were following that Subaru Lieutenant were now following him. He doubted he was the only one being followed but they only seemed to be watching for now and if something did occur he could easily take care of them as he figured Wanda and the others would be able to as well.
'Mom did warn me about the Marines, how some can be very corrupt and abuse their power like this. Well I'll just have to see if they are stupid enough to attack me later' he thought as he continued to shop before making his way over to the restaurant.
As he walked up to it he noticed he was the first there before he was tackled by a familiar weight.
"Naruto! You beat us here!" Carrot said as she nuzzled into his back before pulling away with a smile.
"Just barely it seems" he said as he noticed Wanda and Durel not far behind her. "How was your shopping?" he asked as Wanda nodded.
"It went fine, we were able to get everything we needed and we even found one place that would deliver everything we bought to the ship after having to carry it around for a bit" Durel said before Wanda looked to her side with a frown.
"But Marines followed us the entire time, the same batch from that one Lieutenant that whined to us when we first got here" Wanda said as he noticed them without having to turn their way as he doubted they were even trying to be subtle about it.
"Just leave them be, if they try something we'll see how things turn out" he said as he turned towards the restaurant and opened the doors. "Well? Ladies first" he said as they smiled and walked in with him walking in behind them.
"Ah we've been waiting for you all!" the woman at the front desk said with a smile as Naruto rose an eyebrow in confusion at her.
"You have?" he asked as he wasn't sure why the restaurant was waiting for them.
"Yes! Our owner told us to expect you and your crew to come in. He heard how you just arrived here and wanted to welcome you here" she said with a smile as she grabbed four menus and motioned for them to follow her.
"He even reserved the VIP table for you all, it is right in front of the prep area to make you feel extra welcomed" she added as she brought them up to a line of seats at a bar that stood in front of a large flat top grill.
"Please sit down to let this old man welcome you here" a familiar voice said as Naruto watched Joichiro walk out of the double doors that led back into the cooking area for the other chefs.
"Wait, you own this place?" Naruto asked as he sat down with Wanda and Durel sitting on either side of him and Carrot sitting beside Durel.
"Allow me to fully introduce myself, I am Joichiro Yukihira and the owner of this here special-of-the-day restaurant on this peaceful little island" Joichiro said before he nodded towards Naruto's crew.
"And this must be the crew of ladies you mentioned. You failed to mention them being rather beautiful and unique" he said as Wanda smiled and nodded.
"We are Mink from the New World, Naruto here saved us recently from a terrible fate" Wanda said making Joichiro smile.
"Well welcome you all to this peaceful little town and for your rescue what better a reason to celebrate? Order away and I promise me and my son will be happy to serve" he said before he put his fingers up to his mouth and let out a whistle.
"Soma, come on out here to introduce yourself to our customers" Joichiro said with a smile as someone walked out of the kitchen as he tied a headband around his forehead.
The boy was roughly Naruto's age with spiky dark red hair with short bangs with yellow eyes, sporting a scar on his left eyebrow. He wore a simple long sleeved dark blue shirt with the restaurant's logo over his heart with a pair of black jeans and an apron tied around his waist.
"Hey there, I'm Soma Yukihira" Soma said as he shook Naruto's hand with a smile.
"Nice to meet you Soma and I promise we'll try not to work you all to the bone with the food, it's just the girls are rather hungry" Naruto said with a chuckle as Soma waved it off.
"Don't worry about it, order all you like! I believe food is something to be shared and given to all. Giving it to new people is something I love to do. I'm more than happy to serve!" Soma said as he smiled at the girls who smiled back.
"Well then what would you all like to start out with?" Joichiro asked as they started to order the first bits of their meal. They were a bit amazed by how the father and son cooked, it seeming more like a dance with the food on the grill and all the seasoning.
They were also incredibly quick in getting their first dishes out to them, it feeling like they had only placed their order seconds ago before their dishes were in front of them the next second.
"Wow~! This is so tasty!" Carrot squealed as she quickly chowed into her fruit salad that she had ordered, given she didn't eat meat like Wanda and Durel did.
"I must say your seasoning is amazing which normally is a big issue for us Mink due to our heightened sense of taste" Wanda said as she expected her meat to be over seasoned only to find it perfect.
"Well that is very glad to hear, I was worried since this is my first time serving a Mink, was it?" he asked unsure before Wanda nodded. "I didn't want to make your first eating experience here a bad one" he added making the Mink women smile at.
"I must say you are rather welcoming to others" Durel said as Soma shrugged his shoulders.
"Why shouldn't we? Customers and customers and people are people whether they be Mink, Human, or one of the various tribes around the world. Food is meant to be shared among all" Soma said with a smile before a loud bang sounded out back near the front door.
"What is this? Service of these beasts first over us regular humans? Can't say having those furry things so close to a stove is a good thing for clean food" a familiar voice spoke out as Naruto turned to see Subaru walking towards them with his entourage following behind him.
"Well they are a lot cleaner than certain Marines I see" Soma growled out before Joichiro cleared his throat and walked forward towards them.
"They are my guests but there are tables open for you all if you wish to eat here" he said, looking up at Subaru completely unfazed even as the Marines started to surround him. Soma seemed ready to jump in, picking up an empty pan and taking off his headband before his father held up a calm hand to stop him.
"Fine, I'd love to see if this food is any good. I better not find any hair in my food though" Subaru said as he walked away, allowing him to be guided by a nervous looking server.
"Why'd you let that Marine in dad? He's always an ass when he's in town" Soma asked his dad as Joichiro shrugged his shoulders.
"Because customers are customers that doesn't mean that we will let him have free roam but that they are welcomed at first always. If he does start something then as owner of this establishment I will look out for safety of my other customers" Joichiro said as he patted his son on the arm.
"So how long have you been sailing for?" Joichiro asked as Naruto finished off his mouthful of food.
"Just started early this day, came across these three and wound up here. You are officially our first island to visit" Naruto said as Joichiro smiled and put his hands on his hips.
"Well why didn't you say so? Being the first visit on any journey is very important" he said before he turned to everyone else. "Everyone! Desserts are on me to celebrate this boy's first stop on his journey!" Joichiro cheered as everyone else rose their cups and cheered making Naruto chuckle.
"Well people are very lively here, makes me feel welcomed" Naruto said as Soma nodded.
"People here are rather nice, save for a Marine or two that keeps showing up" Soma said, sending a light glare towards Subaru.
"Ooo! Do you have carrot cake? I really love carrots and a carrot cake sounds amazing for a dessert" Carrot said with a smile as Joichiro shook his head with a bit of a frown.
"Can't say we do have carrot cake" he said before Soma stepped forward.
"I can make it for you special if you want, might take a bit but they'll have to be cupcakes given a full cake would take too long. I'll give you some caramelized carrots if you're willing to wait" Soma said as Carrot perked up, her ears standing up as she smiled massively.
"Really!? Of course I'll wait! Thank you so much!" she said happily, bouncing a bit in her seat at the prospect of carrot cake.
"Coming right up" Soma said with a blush that Wanda and Durel noticed and after a look to one another decided to keep quiet for now.
"So," Joichiro said as he walked over from finishing a dish for Durel "what exactly do you have planned for your journey out in the world?" he asked as Naruto smiled and set down his glass of tea.
"I want to visit the world, see sights I've never seen before and maybe do some feats that would be memorable to go home with. I want to make friends all over and help out where I can. I have a lot I want to do Joichiro plus I promised to get these three home so that'll lead me to the New World" Naruto said with a smile as Joichiro nodded with a smile.
"Ah I did the same thing when I was young, that's how I met Soma's mom although she is still travelling as she has stuff she has to do" Joichiro said as Soma set down Carrot's plate of carrots with smile before going back to working on the carrot cake that Carrot was excitedly watching being made in front of her.
"You're really heading to the New World? I dream of traveling one day, seeing the world. I want to so I can learn recipes out there like dad did and spread my food around. Plus I want to see if I can end up meeting up with my mom. I talk with her through letters but it isn't the same" Soma said with a bit of a frown as Joichiro patted his son on the back.
"I'm sure you'll find your chance to do all that soon one of these days son just like I did" Joichiro said with a soft smile as Soma perked up as a timer went off.
"I'll be right back! That timer means the carrot cupcakes should be done and cooled with frosting being the last step" Soma said before he hurried off to get them while Carrot was staring at the door to the kitchen with stars in her eyes.
Though just as Soma came through the doors with a plate of cupcakes the shattering of a glass sounded out in the restaurant.
"I see how it is, you cater to animals before us!?" Subaru said as he walked over the glass he threw down on the floor, crushing the glass underfoot.
"I'm a Marine Lieutenant! I can easily get this place shut down for having animals in here!" Subaru said, stomping towards them before pulling out his gun and aiming it at them.
Before Naruto could turn around Soma was already stomping past while Joichiro sighed, taking the plate of cupcakes from Soma as he walked by.
Soma had a glare on his face as he picked up a cast iron skillet before shocking everyone as he jumped up and swung it at Subaru's face, causing the large Marine to fall back and his entourage to pull out their guns. "If you don't like how we do things then you can get out. To come in here and threaten our customers isn't going to stand so either you can get out," Soma said as everyone watched as the skillet grew red hot "or I promise you the next hit will hurt a lot worse" he added as heat started to roll off him.
"What my son is trying to say," Joichiro said as he set the cupcakes in front of Carrot "is your Marine status doesn't do anything to keep me from kicking you out of my restaurant so I'd advise leaving. Now" he said making Subaru glare up at him but after seeing Joichiro's steeled glared the large man stood up and growled.
"We're leaving" Subaru said with a glare as his men slowly got up and followed after them. "But know this we will be back, I won't stand being disrespected like this" he added as Joichiro stood silently besides his son.
"Sorry about that everyone, you can go back to enjoying your food now" Joichiro said as people started clapping at him and Soma, making it clear others didn't like the Marine.
"I'm sorry about that Carrot, I just can't handle assholes like that" Soma said as he walked back behind the counter, setting the skillet down with a sigh as Carrot smiled at him.
"Don't worry about it, thanks for stepping forward to protect me like that" she said with a happy smile that made Soma blush a bit before he coughed into his hand.
"W-Well how about you try the carrot cake cupcakes. Baking isn't my main thing but I wanted to make them to see how you'd like them" he said nervously as Carrot wasted no time in trying one before he eyes went wide and, to the surprise of everyone, she leapt over the counter and tackled Soma in a hug.
"It's delicious! Thank you so much!" Carrot squealed, nuzzling against his chest and nibbling on his neck before quickly getting up to return to the cupcakes and leaving a stunned and darkly blushing and steaming Soma on the ground.
"I don't mean to pry" Naruto said to Joichiro as he chuckled at the state of his son on the floor "but the way Soma heated up that skillet, that wouldn't happen to be Devil Fruit related would it?" Naruto asked in a low tone as he had always been interested in them and the abilities they granted.
"Sharp eye" Joichiro said as he crossed his arms and sat down across from him behind the bar. "But yes, at a young age Soma ate the Netsu-Netsu no Mi, the Heat-Heat fruit. I was keeping it safe for someone dear to me but kids get into things and one thing led to another where he ate it" Joichiro said as he watched his son stand back up shakily before getting back to cooking a bit, taking glances over at Carrot with a bit of a blush.
"He's worked hard to control it and uses it to cook more than anything. What about you, did you eat one? Is that why you asked?" Joichiro asked as Naruto shook his head.
"No but I've seen a good number of Fruit users when I traveled around with my mom as a kid" Naruto said making Joichiro nod before Naruto noticed how full the others were looking with Carrot licking her fingers and plate to get any crumbs or icing she missed as well as how late it was becoming.
"As much as I love your food, it is getting late and we need to find an inn" Naruto said as he pulled out his pouch of Belly to pay.
"Ah well when do you think you are going to head out?" Joichiro asked as he started to tally up the bill, giving them discounts where he felt was worth it.
"Not sure, maybe tomorrow morning if weather is suitable and I make sure we have everything we need" he said as he put the Belly on the table, leaving a sizeable tip for both him and Soma.
"Well I wish you a safe voyage when you all do ship off. Thank you again for dining here" Joichiro said as Wanda smiled at him.
"Thank you for the most delicious meal and the very warm welcome" she said, nodding towards the chef who smiled at the compliment.
"And thank you so much for the carrot cake! It was so delicious!" Carrot said as she once again leapt at Soma, nuzzling against him as he blushed up a storm.
"Is that okay for Carrot to do?" Naruto asked Durel and Wanda in a whisper as he watched Carrot nuzzle and nibble on Soma before the two women nodded.
"In Zou, our homeland, to rub faces with another is common in greetings and goodbyes. Plus I believe Carrot is overjoyed at the carrot cake given carrots, beside chocolate, are her favorite food" Wanda explained before Durel decided to tap her on the shoulder.
"Okay lover girl, leave the blushing chef alone as we still need to find somewhere to stay" Durel teased making Soma blush a bit more as Carrot pouted and pulled away.
"With that I believe we will be off, again thank you for the amazing meal and it was nice meeting you both" he said as Joichiro and a blushing Soma nodded.
"I-If you are ever in the area come on back, I'll cook more for you and make more cake" Soma said as Wanda, who had to hold back Carrot from jumping back at Soma at the promise of cake, nodded with a chuckle.
"We will keep that in mind, thank you very much" Wanda said as they headed out, the girls all picking their bags up from the woman behind the counter of the front desk.
They were quick to find an inn nearby the docks, which made sense as some people found a room off ship to be refreshing. After renting a room for each girl, given each room only had one bed, and one for himself he couldn't help but smile a bit.
'For the first day I feel I've started on the right foot' he thought to himself as he took off his cloak, hanging it up on the coat rack provided in the room. 'I've stopped a slave ship, freed the slaves, and even got three crew members out of it' he added before he sat on the edge of his bed.
'Tomorrow is a new day and now with a map and some idea of where we are things should go smoothly until we get to the entrance of the Grand Line' he thought as he turned out the lights and laid down once he kicked off his sandals.
He was more tired than he thought, figuring it to be a mixture of his first day out at sea and the food, as he was quick to fall asleep once his head hit the pillow.
-Dream/Mindscape-
His dream was an odd one as he found himself back on the clear lake with the golden horizon that he first saw during the ceremony back home after he ate the God fruit. Only difference this time was that he could see nine massive figures all around him.
He couldn't quite make up how they looked other than the number of swaying tails behind each one, the first having only one with the last having nine.
"So he's the one we have been given to? Seems like he's just a kid" the being with one tail said as it looked down at him, its odd four pointed pupiled eye looking him over.
"Well I think he seems interesting but so I say we see how he matures" the eight tailed being said, its seemingly white eyes without pupils staring down at him.
"Oh drat! Seems like he's waking up! Try and visit us again soon!" one being that flew around said as Naruto could see everything around him becoming blurry.
"We'll meet again, maybe next time the connection will be stronger. For now look out, others are coming after you brat so wake up!" the nine tailed being said, its red eyes glaring at him before Naruto quickly awoke.
-Real World-
Just as the beings in his dream had said he quickly found his shinobi training alerting him the second his room's door was kicked open. It allowed him to wake up and roll off his bed to avoid the shots from the pistols of the multiple intruders.
Wasting no time he pulled two senbon out of his pouch and threw them before running his hands through the seals 'Senbon Shadow Clone' he thought as the two senbon turned into easily 30 to take out the unknown number of intruders.
Once sure there were no more he turned back on the lamp beside him to see four Marines knocked out by his hail of senbon, deciding to keep them alive in case he wanted to question them. He was snapped out of his thoughts of why they targeted him, not even having time to question what that dream was, as he heard sounds of fighting elsewhere which reminded him of Wanda and the others and how they were bound to be targeted as well.
Quickly grabbing his sandals and coat he ran down the hallway, thankful the girl's rooms were all next to each other, and immediately he was relieved to see the Marines that had been sent after them were now charred and twitching from being zapped with Electro.
"Oh good, you all are safe as well" he said as the three girls turned towards him as they stood out in the hallway. Though once noticing their attire he looked away with a bit of a blush, mainly due to Wanda and Durel.
It seemed they all had bought pajamas of sorts while they were out shopping.
Carrot's consisted of short yellow pajama shorts and a short sleeved white t-shirt that had three Z's across the front of it along with a yellow night cap that had a carrot at the end of the dangling hat's point instead of the usual white ball.
Wanda's was a mid-thigh length solid light blue night gown that had a somewhat low neckline to show off some cleavage and long robe that went down to her ankles. He could see her tail wagging a bit as she stood there.
Durel's was the most exposing as her night gown was relatively see-through with the bra portion of the barely thigh high night gown was the only solid part of it and thankfully she was wearing panties under it. The night gown barely went past her butt and the neckline was incredibly low, which with her rather large chest, made it so it barely covered her chest.
Durel, and to a lesser degree of Wanda, couldn't help but smirk at the effect their outfits had on Naruto, finding him rather cute as he looked up at the ceiling and coughed into his fist at them.
"Did you come to check on us?" Durel asked, crossing her arms under her chest as Naruto nodded but couldn't look her way due to how she made her chest bounce a bit.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay after I took care of the Marines that were sent after me. I mean I remember you saying how all Minks are warriors but I still worried" he said, making the three women smile a bit.
"Well thank you, I'm glad you are safe as well but I am curious as to why Marines were sent after us" Wanda said before a groaning caught her attention, making her aim her sword at the neck of the Marine still left conscious.
"Well seems like we have a chance to ask" Naruto said as he crouched down and slapped the face of the marine to wake him up.
"W-What? You!" the Marine said in a daze, ready to attack only to feel the point of Wanda's sword against his throat.
"I wouldn't move if I were you and if you want to live you should answer truthfully, okay?" he said narrowing his eyes at the Marine before the man, now scared by the sword to his throat, nervously nodded.
"Good, now who sent you after us?" Wanda asked as the man looked torn up, not sure if he should answer or not. "Look you can answer or we can kill you and move onto the next" Naruto said before the man shook his head quickly.
"Wait! I'll tell you! Lieutenant Subaru sent us! He wanted to get revenge on getting disrespecting him so he sent us to kill you while he dealt with Restaurant Yukihira! Please don't kill me!" the man said before Wanda's sword became electrified due to her Electro and a bolt shot from it and into the Marine, knocking him back out again.
"Figured that asshole was behind this considering he was the only Marine we've met here" Naruto said with a sigh as he slipped his sandals back on while setting his cloak back onto his shoulders. "I was told how Marines could be short tempered and how the slightest stepping on their shoes might make them go after you but this is ridiculous" he added before he stood back up from his crouch.
"They are also going after Soma and his father, should we go and help them?" Wanda asked as Carrot nodded.
"We should! Soma was super nice to me, making me carrot cake and all. We have to help them!" Carrot said as she stood in front of Naruto with a fire in her eyes before he patted her on the head, making her smile and calm down a bit.
"Of course we are going to help. You three get changed and meet me there, I'll see if I can protect the shop for them or warn them if I get there early" Naruto said while the girls nodded, Carrot still looking fired up to go and help protect Soma and his father.
"Okay, we'll be there to help shortly. Be careful okay?" Wanda said while Naruto nodded.
"I'll be careful, I promise. You three be careful as well as who knows if more Marines are coming this way" he said before the three headed back into their rooms, Carrot being the fastest before Naruto cracked his neck and headed down the hall.
'Looks like I really will be able to kick that cocky Marine's ass after all. Somehow I felt something like this was going to happen, though honestly I figured it'd be much further down the line' he thought with a groan as he ran towards Restaurant Yukihira.
He frowned as he stopped once he arrived in front of it as he saw a large group of Marines standing in front of it with three cannons pointed at the restaurant with the tall hulking Lieutenant in the center of it all.
From outside of the half circle of Marines in front of the restaurant he could see Soma and Joichiro standing at the front of the restaurant. Soma was wielding a red hot metal bat in his hands while Joichiro had a calm look on his face and a cigarette in hand, both unable to move due to the threat of cannons pointed at them and their home.
"So you really have that weak a skin to go after someone who kicks you out of their restaurant for causing drama? What are you, a child!?" Naruto asked as Subaru turned his head, his present glare deepening with a frown once he noticed him.
"So those men failed to kill you? Can't say I'm surprised but I'll deal with you later now fire!" Subaru yelled as he turned back towards Soma and Joichiro and the Marines manning the cannons fired their first volley.
"No you will deal with me now!" Naruto yelled as he leapt over the Marines and out in front of the cannons, the cannonballs heading straight for him as he hoped he knew what he was doing or he would become splatter on the ground.
'Come on! I read this skill right before coming here! Mom even called it the starting skill in the scroll! I can do this! I know how to!' Naruto thought quickly as he activated his Rinne-Sharingan and held out his hands.
"Shinra Tensei!" he yelled as burst sent out from him, sending the three cannonballs flying back at the group of Marines, blowing up inside their groupings.
"Have to try a different way you asshole" Naruto said, panting a bit as his eyes felt a bit strained, which was a given considering he had just gotten this dojutsu. "Why don't you try and fight and not just stand tall behind your subordinates?" Naruto taunted as Soma smirked and walked beside him.
"I don't know what you just did but thanks. I wasn't able to do anything with the threat of him firing his cannons so now I can actually kick some ass" Soma said as Naruto nodded before one after another various Marines screamed out while the sound of crackling electricity was heard.
"Seems my crew is dwindling down the numbers out there so let's kick this guy's teeth in to stop him from targeting me, my crew, or your family ever again" Naruto said as he unsealed two black escrima sticks.
"You want to fight a Lieutenant! You'll either be dead or gain a bounty by the end of this you brats!" Subaru yelled as he pulled out two rather large knives that looked like kitchen knives but were easily the size of swords due to his size.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, nodding at Soma as they looked at each other before the two of them rushed Subaru. Naruto wasn't able to tell if the 'Lieutenant' title was just for show or not as the man attack, as they moved their weapons up to block, was heavy and hard causing both him and Soma to sink and skid back in the dirt a bit.
"Metal weapons against me really isn't smart! I ate the Heat-Heat fruit so metal weapons like that are dangerous against me!" Soma said as the knife turned red hot due to its contact with Soma's bat before Subaru immediately dropped it.
"Seems like his title might just be for show! So lets take him down quickly!" Naruto said with a smirk as he was able to push away Subaru's knife due to the Lieutenant being caught off guard by his knife burning him. Using this window quickly, Naruto slammed his escrima sticks into Subaru's side which sent the large man doubling over which Soma kept on the assault by leaping up and swinging his red hot iron bat into Subaru's face immediately after.
The strike to both his side and face sent the large Marine flying back a bit, his face burnt from Soma's bat which only served to make the man even angrier.
Subaru let out a roar, picking back up his discarded knives, before he threw one at Soma, the boy barely being able to dodge it before Subaru rushed him. Subaru was surprisingly fast for his size as he quickly grabbed Soma by the head, picking him up and slamming him down onto the ground, uncaring about the heat before he went to repeat the action again a few more times.
"Let him go!" Carrot yelled as she leapt at Subaru, latching onto him as she bit into his neck before summoning her Electro to electrocute him.
"Fucking bitch! Get off of me!" Subaru roared in pain before he reached behind him, grabbing Carrot around the neck before pulling her down in front of him.
Before Subaru could do anything to her he yelled in pain again as Wanda dashed at him, slicing his arm before catching Carrot and hurrying off with her and Soma, who Subaru had let go of after Carrot zapped him.
"Naruto now!" Wanda yelled as she looked up, causing Subaru to look up to see Naruto falling down towards him with a massive orb in his hand.
"Odama Rasengan!" Naruto yelled as he slammed the orb, which was as big as the massive Marine's chest, onto Subaru's back. As the Odama Rasengan tore into him it made Subaru fall flat on his face only to continue tearing into him before exploding and making a massive crater.
As Naruto got himself out of the crater, stepping off of the utterly unconscious Marine, he quickly went over to Wanda to see Durel already treating Soma with Joichiro beside them. "How is he? And how are you Carrot?" he asked as Subaru had grabbed her around the neck rather violently.
"I'm fine and so is Soma other than a bit dazed" Carrot said, happy that Naruto worried about her and that Soma was safe from being slammed into the ground repeatedly.
"My son is a lot tougher than he seems" Joichiro said as he put out his cigarette, having watched the whole fight go down in front of him. "Thank you all for coming to our aid and sorry that all this happened on the first day of your journey more or less" he said before Naruto waved him off.
"Not your fault, I'm just glad I was able to get here in time to help but what do we do about all these guys and the guys in the hallways in front of our inn rooms?" Naruto asked as he pointed behind him to all the passed out Marines that the three Minks all knocked out as well as the Lieutenant that he knocked out into a crater.
"Don't worry about them, I know a friend in the Marines, given I use to be one. I can call and report what happened, another ship of Marines should show up to bring them in to HQ for a review. I can easily make a report so you all should leave in the morning before this guy decides to try anything" Joichiro said as Soma pushed himself up after Durel finished bandaging his head and checking for a concussion.
"You can stay with us since you were attacked at the inn, it's the least we can do right?" Soma said, looking to his dad who nodded with a smirk.
"Seems fair if the girls are okay with sharing a room and Naruto is okay with the couch" Joichiro said with a bit of a frown as they didn't have too many rooms to spare.
"That's fine as it is only for the night and since the girls brought their bags and I paid before had we don't have to head back there" Naruto said as Joichiro nodded and opened up the front of the shop.
"Well, might as well let you all get some rest before you head off tomorrow" the owner of the shop said before Naruto motioned for the girls to go first.
"You three head onto bed, I'll be up in a bit I just want to tie these guys up so they don't try anything" he said as Joichiro nodded.
"Smart idea, do you need help given how many are here?" he asked making Naruto chuckle and wave him off.
"Don't worry, I got this" he said as he proceeded to create an army of clones to the surprise of both Joichiro and Soma.
Thankfully it didn't take long to tie all the Marines up, choosing to tie up the majority of them up while burying Subaru up to his neck with an earth jutsu since the larger man might be able to break free of his ropes.
Like Joichiro suggested once they had gotten their rest the four of them made their way over to their ship to set off once the sun was up and after a light breakfast from them while Joichiro called his friends in the Marines.
Everyone was helping get the ship ready to set off, Wanda reading the map to set a course, Durel unfurling the sail, Carrot up at her position at the crow's nest, and him pulling up the anchor while his clones were putting away the things the girls bought yesterday.
"Wait!" a familiar voice yelled out as Naruto made his way over to the railing to see Soma running up to the ramp that was still laid down.
"Soma? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked as Carrot and the others came to see what was going on after hearing Soma's voice.
"I want to come with you all! I want to see the world like my dad did" Soma said as he looked up at them. "My dad got to see the world as a Marine, something he knew was for him the second he saw it. He told me that I'd know my opportunity to see the world when it came around and I feel it's travelling with you all" he said as he set down his two duffel bags on the ground next to him.
"I already told my dad and he told me to do what I feel is right and I feel this is it. So? Can I go sailing with you all?" he asked as Carrot immediately tackled Naruto.
"Can he!? Can he please!? His food is so delicious and we need a chef!" Carrot begged, somewhat shaking Naruto back and forth before he patted her head to calm her down.
"Relax Carrot, I have no intention of turning him away" Naruto said making the fellow red head smile and look up at them. "Welcome to the crew" he added as he held his hand out to Soma, welcoming him aboard before Carrot excitedly bounced beside him.
"Thanks captain" Soma said with a smirk as Naruto chuckled while he made his way up the ramp with his two bags in hand while readjusting the backpack on his back.
"Well come on, Carrot can show you to a room while we get things set to sail since as much as I don't have a thing against all Marines I'd rather not be held behind dealing with the Marines coming to the island to deal with Subaru" he said before Soma saluted and let Carrot pull him along once he got to the top of the ramp.
"You seem to be putting together a nice crew, doctor and a chef for solid positions so far and a makeshift navigator. Wonder what role will be next" Wanda joked as Naruto chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
"We'll see who we run across on this journey and who wants to join" Naruto said while Wanda nodded and went back to the steering wheel, also interested in where this journey will take them.
-Chapter End-
*IMPORTANT NOTE* (Nothing Bad)
Okay so originally I wanted to try and keep myself on track with two updates a week but this wasn't able to be done last week because!….Someone on Wattpad stole a story of mine and posted it as their own :/
Yeah some asshole named 'Izuna-sama' stole 'Naruto Forgotten Child of Prophecy' and posted it as their own and my story wasn't even the only one he stole. He's apparently been banned from Wattpad repeatedly but keeps making new accounts to post new stolen stories
I quickly filed a DMCA and the next day or so he was taken down but the fact of having a story stolen and when I tried to warn others people one person even defended him saying "Show me proof as I don't believe gossip and fyi I don't trust links so your link to FF doesn't mean anything as he has had to make multiple accounts due to being banned so he very well could have posted it first on his first account and you are the one who stole it" as if the whole multiple accounts didn't make the guy sketchy.
I even had one person tell me "Fuck off" when I told them about him stealing stories.
Safe to say my mood has been rather depressed lately until he was taken down and even then it was still down in the dumps
I am making a recovery and I hope that this chapter helps speed it along! Now onto the actual notes I have about the story.
I chose Subaru Mimasaka as the 'villain' of this chapter as he's from Food Wars and he gives off that vibe. He wasn't supposed to be a difficult to defeat enemy as he is the first to show up and whatnot.
Soma as you notice has a Devil Fruit that belongs to Oven Charlotte in canon and that will be explained later on but know there is a good reason to it and it will come in handy with the Big Mom arc that is waaaaaaaaaaay down the line lol
Next arc of sorts is interesting but I won't spoil anything so you'll just have to look forward to the next chapter and the characters I reveal ^^
Also when I get to five chapters on both this and Hellsing I plan to post another story, one of two DBZ ones I have in mind that I am really excited for, so much so I have two and a half chapters written for it so I'm excited to post that when I get around to it ^^
Now that doesn't mean I'm ditching the other stories its just I want to get back onto my feet so I can get back to those. And who knows if I feel the drive I very well might update another story as I'm not tunneling in on these two new stories entirely
EDIT: 4/18/2018 - I've removed the crew list cause I decided I want to keep things hidden for the most part. I will update it as crew members are gained but know the total number of crew members (including Naruto) will equal 40 with 10 guys and 30 girls
Naruto's Crew (Role) and - - Where they are from:
Naruto Otsutsuki (Captain) - - Naruto
Wanda (First Mate) - - One Piece
Durel (Doctor) - - Asobi Ni Ikuyo!
Carrot (Cabin Girl) Paired with Soma - - One Piece
Soma Yukihara (Cook) Paired with Carrot - - Food Wars
Until Next Time
Rate and Review!
Buh-Bye!
