Author note (Read this if you're up-to-date to the manga, viewer's discretion is advised): I can't believe Eiichiro Oda is ruining my story. He practically changes the whole situation with the fishman. Damn it. My fellow readers please do me a favour and accept what it is. I know it is hard for some people but hey… my hands are all tied up. I won't rewrite the chapters. It will affect everything. Tiger is dying in my story, which will be how it is.

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Naruto was awfully insouciant when Luffy dashed away with chunks of food in his mouth. Smoker chased after the pirate and Ace was screaming for his brother's name, darting towards Luffy's direction in the process. Danielle and Sarah were concerned. "Should we chase after them?"

"Even if we chase after them, the two of you can't get there in time. And let's assume you do, you won't be able to handle their fights. Smoker remains as a captain because he's always disrespectful to his seniors. That guy can easily reach rear admiral if he wants. The reason why he's not is because his mouth stinks with vulgarity at inappropriate times. And Ace is the Commander of the 2nd Division under Whitebeard's command. So… the two of you are practically useless there."

The girls pouted dejectedly.

"But I know what you can do to help."

Sarah and Danielle arched a perplexed brow.

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

"You're not getting away, Mugiwara Luffy!" Smoker roared as his fist morphed into steaming smokes. "Eat this! White Launcher!"

Luffy gritted his teeth and adrenaline rushed within his veins as he dashed forward. "Damn it! That guy is so persistent!"

The rest of the pirate crew turned their vicious glares at Luffy and yelled out in unison. "It's all your fault!"

"Kagero!"

A tendril of blazing flames blasted towards the opposing smoke fist, colliding against the offense and nullified the assault. The Straw hat pirates paused on their tracks as they met the back frame of their saviour. Upon recognition, Luffy's smile widened. "A-Ace?"

The dark haired pirate raised a thumb-up and swerved his sights at Luffy. "Long time no see, Luffy."

"Flames are coming out of your body! Akuma no mi?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Yeah. I ate the Mera Mera no Mi. Fire dude, man." Ace beckoned his brother to run. "Now get going. I'll buy you some time."

"Sure! Thanks!" Luffy spun around and sped away; his crew were confounded but followed their captain regardless. "Heh. It has been a while."

The nostalgia gave Luffy warm memories. His crew, however, was confused. Ussop was panting while he ran. "Luffy! Who's that guy?"

"Heh! He's my brother!"

"…"

The straw hat pirates were dumbstruck. "Brother?"

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

"Portgas D. Ace!" Smoker growled with umbrage as his fist was trembling with resentment at the nuisance standing before him. "Get out of my way! I am going to catch Mugiwara and you're not going to stop me."

"Sorry, dude. Can't do that. You see, he's very important to me. I can't let you harm him." Ace smirked as his fingertip ignited into flames. "By the way, fire and smoke don't mix. This battle is useless."

"Well, that is if you rely on your devil fruit ability." Ace and Smoker widened their eyes in shock as Naruto materialised his frame in between the combatants. He was aloof as he tugged his fists into his pockets and smirked haughtily. "Ace, we meet again."

"You…"

"Naruto! Get out of my way! I'll catch Ace and then catch Mugiwara with my bare hands-"

"Oh shut your trap, Smoker. I'm not your ally here." Naruto chuckled when Smoker clenched his fist in exasperation. "What do you mean by that? Are you betraying the marine?"

"On the contrary. My mission compels me to stop you from catching Luffy." The blonde stared at Ace and gestured him away. "Go find Luffy. I'll handle the situation here."

"Why should I trust you? I'm a pirate. You're a marine. We're nemesis." Ace yelled.

Naruto rolled his eyes with annoyance. "Go before I change my mind."

The dark haired pirate sighed and chased after his brother, not before he yelled hastily at the blonde. "I owe you nothing!"

"Yeah, whatever." Naruto muttered under his breath. "If you owe me anything, you'll be in trouble."

"I'll say it one last time, Naruto. Get out of my way!" Smoker roared wrathfully.

Smirking with an arrogant demeanour, Naruto hoisted his hands upwards and a miniature tornado manifested on the epicentre of his palm. "What if I say no?"

"White Blow!"

Spontaneously, Naruto vanished into a torrent of air stream and reanimated his frame beside Smoker with a knee plunged into his white haired friend's stomach. "Rankyaku: Ryusei Enjin."

Despite the fact that Smoker's body was composed of smoke, Naruto's kick had slammed brutally onto his abdomen and a blazing trail of lighting pierced through Smoker, sending him soaring and crashing onto an opposite building. Naruto stared laxly at the petrified marines, who were all squirming under the blonde's impassive gazes. "That is more than enough to keep Smoker sleeping for a few hours. Now…"

"I-Impossible! Captain Smoker ate a logia type devil fruit!"

"Yeah! Nobody can hurt him!"

"No way! We can't beat a monster like him!"

Naruto rolled his eyes with annoyance. "Piss off."

The marines scurried away and the blonde sighed. The troops were lacking discipline and courage nowadays. Within split second, Naruto vanished into a mist of air stream.

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

"I've found her!" Miss Goldenweek was standing on the rooftop and pointed a finger at a sole entity that was having coffee in a café. Miss Valentine smirked and patted Sarah's shoulder. "Good job! We won't need to face Uzumaki's wrath anymore!"

"He's not really that scary. He's just… paranoid, that's all." The young girl argued.

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Don't forget his psychopathic madness."

"But he didn't harm us. He even takes cares of us."

"We're expendables to him. Once our usefulness is over, he might… silence us." Miss Valentine quavered.

Sarah sighed. "What can we do anyway? If he wants to kill us, we're no match against him."

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~
(Amazon Lily…)

Hancock sighed for the umpteen times. Naruto always wrote letters to her every week. However, she had lost contact of her lover for a month now. It was a rare moment and turbulent emotions swirled within her heart; the last time the blonde didn't send any letters to her was because he was sent into the hospital, fatally injured by ambushes from one of the Yonkou, the ruthless Kaido. She collapsed into tears when she caught onto the news before she fainted and almost drifted into a coma.

The pirate empress was tremendously worried.

Grabbing the photo frame situated at her bedside table, Hancock sighed once more. It was her valuable photo that had Naruto draping a hand over Hancock's shoulder, beaming cheerfully at the camera while Hancock was blushing miserably.

Sandersonia and Marigold marched into their elder sister's chamber and shook their head at a solicitous Hancock.

The green haired pirate sighed. "Sister, it is unhealthy to skip breakfast."

"I'm not hungry… just leave me alone."

The blonde pirate scratched her hair and assured. "I-I'm sure Naruto is fine. You know that guy is powerful. You don't need to be worried-"

"How can I not? Naruto-kun is my only love. What should I do without him?" Hancock hugged the photo frame into her chest and she begun to sing with a sorrowful tone.

How do I
Get through one night without you
If I had to live without you
What kind of life would that be?
Oh I need you in my arms
Need you to hold
Your my world my heart my soul
If you ever leave
Baby you'd take away everything good in my life.

Without you
There'd be no sun in my sky
There would be no love in my life
There would be no world left for me
And I
Baby I don't know what I would do
I would be lost if I lost you
If you ever leave
Baby you would take away everything real in my life

And tell me now
How do I live without you
I want to know
How do I breathe without you
If you ever go
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I
How do I
Oh how do I live…?

If you ever leave
Well baby you would take away everything
Need you with me
Baby don't you know you're everything good in my life

And tell me now
How do I live without you
I want to know
How do I breathe without you
If you ever go
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I
How do I
Oh how do I live…?

How do I live… without you baby…
How do I live…

Hancock fell onto her bed and sobbed into her pillow. "N-Naruto-kun… please be safe…"

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Naruto sneezed. "Hancock-chan is sad… I wonder why?"

Danielle arched a brow before she elbowed the blonde teasingly. "Oh? Girlfriend issues? They say that true lovers can feel each other's emotions no matter where they are, you know? So… who's this Hancock person?"

"N-Nothing." The blonde defended with a flustered face, shaking his head to extrapolate himself from his trance. "So, did you get her?"

"Yes." Sarah nodded and pointed at a woman who was seating in the café. "Why are you looking for Miss All Sunday?"

"Cause she's a very important person to me." The blonde fixated his gazes at the woman and felt a wave of nostalgia enveloping him. "She's my greatest regret. And she makes me sees the truth of what I work for. Of what I live for. I would have lived a life filled with embellished lies if I've never met her."

Naruto clenched her fists tightly. "Frankly, I'm nervous. It has been more than two decades since we last met. I don't blame her if she has forgotten about me. After all, it's the marine who destroyed her homeland. I am a marine. I am part of the destruction of Ohara. I won't blame her if she hates me…"

"Miss All Sunday? Is her real name… Hancock?" Danielle smirked impishly.

"No. That's the name of the Pirate Empress." Within seconds, the blonde dissipated his frame into a current of jet stream, vanishing from his spot.

Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek were flabbergasted when realisation struck them.

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Nico Robin, masquerading as her alias, Miss All Sunday, was casually sipping tea in her favourite coffee shop, enjoying the warm ray of brightness from the sun of Alabasta while appreciating a good book. It had been a while since she was able to settle down uninterrupted by malfeasance or corruptions that mingled within her life. She got used to the torments God bestowed upon her and used it to her advantage; she learned things as she journeyed through organizations.

She picked up socialising skills and various methods of assassinations. Robin was profound with numerous foreign languages and she was a pioneer at deciphering emotions. Plagued by countless of betrayals, she noticed similar quirks whenever people tried to deceive her.

Calming her thoughts, Robin stirred her beverage with a spoon before placing her utensil onto the saucer.

A squall of wind swept through the coffee shop. Robin shifted her attention at the abnormal sandstorm and watched as the whirlwind subsided. When the dark haired woman switched sights back to her cup of tea, she was astonished to see someone seating before her with a melancholy expression plastered on his face. Robin was about to stand up in panic but a hand of assurance was placed atop of her hands. "If you cause a commotion here, it will be detrimental for the both of us."

The dark haired woman tranquilised her unsettling thoughts before she regained her composure. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Surveying the appearance of the mysterious entity, Robin smirked. The blonde was handsome with a pair of sapphire coloured eyes that could stare through anybody's soul and yet carried a superior aura that seemed to radiate the presence of his suppressed strength. The intruder garbed himself with a stylish white blazer and had an orange undershirt underneath his jacket. A plain jeans and derby shoes were the rest of his overall outfit. What sparked Robin's supposedly forgotten memories were the distinctive whisker marks adorned on the blonde's cheeks.

"I'm only here to talk, Robin-chan."

Robin gasped lightly before she recollected her cool. "He knows my name? But what's with the suffix? It's as if… he knows me?"

Naruto examined the necklace that the dark haired woman wore loosely around her neck and smiled. "She still keeps it… after all these years."

The dark haired woman had lost her patience. "Tell me who you are or I'll kill you."

"Empty threats." Naruto smirked, even when a slender arm sprouted from his chest and it was gripping onto a knife, placing the cold steel on his neck.

The blonde was still impassive. "You won't kill me."

"Try me." Robin narrowed her eyes.

Naruto smiled and he slowly reached out a hand at the dark haired woman. She was curious but her grip on her blade was unrelenting. Brushing his fingers at the region of Robin's collarbones, the blonde caressed the sparkling piece of jewel hung onto the string of her necklace and smiled benignly at her. "It's still looks like how it looks like twenty years ago."

Robin widened her eyes in shock as tidal waves of memories engulfed her.

Naruto unclipped the exquisite necklace encircled around his neck and placed it into Robin's palm. "Keep this. It is a present my deceased grandmother gave me when I was five. With its worth and value, you can buy an entire island."

The girl widened her eyes; nobody had given her any valuable jewellery in her entire life. "N-No! This gift is too expensive. I cannot accept such-"

"Return this necklace to me the next time we meet." Unexpectedly, Naruto kissed the girl. Upon realizing what had occurred, a vibrant tint of pink flushed on Robin's cheeks. Pushing her away gently, Naruto smiled. "My grandmother told me that a boy's first kiss is a charm. You're blessed! Now go! It won't be long before they bomb this area as well."

Robin stood in daze for a moment before registering the situation and jumped into the ship. ''H-How can I repay you?"

"Return my necklace to me." The blonde beamed joyously with a slight hint of despair. "The name is Naruto Newgate! Remember that name is all I ask."

The dark haired girl perked her head up and was in a stupor; the additional hand manifested on Naruto's chest had disappeared into a mirage of falling flowers. "Y-You're… N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto beamed. "I'm glad that you haven't forgotten all about me, Robin-chan. I guess this conversation is long overdue, don't you think?"

Robin bit her lower lip; she was astounded beyond cognition. "N-No way…"

"Why are you working for someone like Crocodile?" A stern scowl replaced the blonde's features. "He's not just a Shichibukai, he's a tyrant. He'll backstab you once your usefulness dries up."

"I know."

"Then-"

"You know the reason more than me." Robin crossed her arms and sat back. "You know what's within this desert, don't you?"

"The poneglyph. The text of history, constructed by the ancients, which has histories inscribed into it that detailed the Void Century. Not to mention…" The blonde growled. "It also contains information about the Pluton. I bet that's what Crocodile is looking for. It all makes senses now. Why will that asshole station his base in a desert when there are countless of treasures out there in the sea, waiting for someone to claim? Obviously, that fool is searching for more power so he can fulfil his cliché dream for world domination. I swear to god, this boring plotline gets lamer every year."

Robin shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't care. As long as I get what I want, I don't care if millions of people die in this wasteland."

The blonde furrowed his brows. "Where is the Robin-chan I know-"

"She's dead." The dark haired woman flicked her hair behind her back gracefully and smiled subtly. "It's not like you care anyway. Don't play God in my life."

Naruto smirked. "I care about you more than you know. Remember when you're ten and you're trying to escape a mob who was trying to crucify you in a burning stake? You blacked out and the next thing you knew, you're sleeping on a garden of flowers. What about the event that occurred when you're thirteen? You're working as an undercover agent for an underworld gang leader to relocate a poneglyph but your identity was blown and they were about to rape you to get you talking… but then you blacked out and when you're awaked, you're lying on a riverbank."

Robin's memories resurfaced as she quavered in dismay.

"What about that time when you snuck into a pirate's cabin to get the map for your poneglyph when you're seventeen? You got caught again and almost got yourself killed. Same thing happen right? You blacked out and next thing you knew, you're sleeping on a beach of an island." Naruto rested his cheek on his palm and stared at Robin's eyes of trepidation. "Hmm… when you're twenty-one, you were captured by pirates. They tortured you and almost… almost raped you like a slave doll. You blacked out and woke up in a corn field. You see the pattern here, huh?"

Clenching her fists, the dark haired woman growled. "Are you saying that you've been protecting me all these years? Why?"

The blonde tapped his chin and mused. "Hmm… good question. I guess my conscience compels me to do it."

"Sorry to burst your bubbles but I'm not your damsel in distress."

Naruto grinned with amusement. "Yeah, say the woman who almost got raped twice in her life."

Robin blushed in embarrassment. "It's none of your business anyway. If you really want this necklace, then take it."

The dark haired woman seized her necklace but Naruto had already stood up. "When the Robin-chan I know is back, I'll consider accepting it. Until then, I have only one advice for you. Leave Crocodile now before it's too late."

Robin deadpanned as she saw the blonde walked away.

"It's not like I have any place to go in this world, Gunshin no Naruto." The dark haired woman grabbed her book and left the coffee shop.

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Naruto infiltrated through various Baroque's Work headquarters and demolished their bases and ships, arrested thousands of troops under Crocodile's service. Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek were terrified when they witnessed the blonde's onslaught; he came out of the battle unscathed and he didn't even break a sweat. After the arrest was finalised, Naruto claimed two hundred million beri from the marine's office and stored the cash within a large sack.

Sarah and Danielle were startled when Naruto handed the sack to the girls. "I know the two of you aren't evil, just misguided. Take this money and start a new life. Leave this island if you may. Do whatever you want. With this amount of money, it can last you a life time. From now on, the two of you are no longer Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek. Enjoy this moment and don't commit any crime anymore. I'll arrest you personally if that happens."

The girls shuddered at the last statement and smiled nervously. "Why are you doing this for us?"

"As I've said, the two of you are not evil. Just misguided."

"A-Are you a marine?" Sarah asked timidly.

Naruto simply smirked at the girl and patted Sarah's head. "Maybe. Maybe not. Good luck and take care of yourself."

Smiling benevolently at the girls, the blonde walked away.

Sarah and Danielle stood at their spot, watching Naruto's distant frame.

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

"TSUNAMI!" Luffy screamed.

Ussop was expressionless. "What's with him…"

"A TSUNAMI IS GONNA HIT US!"

Zoro sighed. "What's going on with you again, Luffy?"

"I knew it. I knew it was a bad idea to do that."

Chopper arched a brow. "What was?"

The long nose sniper felt his shoulders slumped. "He was thirsty just now. He keeps complaining and then tears a cacti open. He drinks whatever is inside… and become like this."

"Cacti?" The reindeer doctor queried.

"Yeah. Over there…" Pointing a finger on a few smashed cacti, Ussop sighed. "Those ball-shaped ones…"

Chopper gasped at the cactus when realisation struck him. "Oh no! That Mezcal cacti is dangerous! It causes hallucination if ones eat it!"

"WHAT?"

"IT'S TOO LATE!" Luffy grasped his head and was screaming manically. "WE'RE DOOM! I'M NOT GOING DOWN LIKE THIS! NO! I'M GONNA DESTROY THE TSUNAMI! TSUNAMI! I'M GONNA BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF IT!"

Miraculously, a ladder was within the straw-hat pirate's grasps and he swung it like a lunatic. Zoro, Chopper, Sanji and Ussop were frightened at their captain's berserk and Zoro readied his stance. "This ain't no good! We should do something!"

"GOMU GOMU NO!"

Everybody screamed in panic.

Luffy collapsed onto the ground, snoozing happily while Chopper raised a giant needle in his grip. "Tranquiliser!"

Sanji raised a thumb-up. "Good work, Chopper!"

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Ace sighed as he paused into a halt of his journey. "Luffy, do you see Nami and Vivi now?"

There was no response.

"Luffy?"

Ace looked at his right and then snapped his attention to his left.

There was nobody in the dunes except him.

"WHAT?"

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Naruto was seating on a rooftop, contemplating deeply on his next move and a certain raven haired woman. "Robin-chan is definitely working for Crocodile to uncover the poneglyph lying within these dunes. And I bet it's located within the Alabasta's kingdom. If I'm not wrong, Cobra Nefertari, king of the Alabasta kingdom knows information of the location of the poneglyph. That's Robin-chan's target. The girl is crazy to think that Crocodile will spare her life if she helps him get what he wants. She just doesn't understand the power the weapon of apocalypse, Pluton, is capable of."

Sighing heavily, the blonde wrestled himself tiredly into a standing posture. "Sheesh, I guess I have no other choice. I have to protect her. I owe her that much."

Cracking his knuckles, Naruto stretched his body and scanned the streets, only to be stupefied by his discovery. "Hawkeye? What the hell is he doing here?"

Dissolving his body into a harmless breeze, the blonde reanimated his frame beside the swordsman and smirked. "What are you doing here, old friend?"

Mihawk stopped in his track and swirled his sight at his rival. "I've heard Portgas D. Ace is here. I wish to challenge him. But I'm surprise that you're here as well."

"You've went to find Shanks, didn't you?"

"Yes. How-"

"You reek of alcohol. That only happens when we hang out with that drunkard." Naruto chuckled at his fondest memories. "He's such an ass when it comes to gambling."

Mihawk nodded. "Agreed. So, are you here to issue a challenge with me?"

"Nope. I'm on a mission. HQ wants me to spy on Monkey D. Luffy."

The swordsman arched a brow. "Monkey D. Luffy? Shanks tells me many things about the boy. He recently becomes the youngest man in East Blue who gains the highest bounty. I went to find him to let him know about the boy's accomplishment."

"Heh. Didn't know you've changed job and become a mailman. Congratulation. Say, inching for a little fight?" Naruto applauded mockingly, earning him a groan from an annoyed Mihawk. Impetuously, the swordsman seized the hilt of his blade and growled. "Are you testing me?"

Naruto shrugged. "No choice. I'm really bored though. Maybe sweeping a few more flies up will cure my boredom."

"Four hundred?"

"Nah." The blonde diverted his eyes warily to his right. "There are only two hundred of them. Your detection skills are degrading."

"Unfortunately, I have been doing nothing much lately. I guess four hundred is just a silly wish." Mihawk unsheathed his blade adroitly and swung the massive sword vertically downwards, bringing his weapon down right beside Naruto. The blonde smirked before he launched a series of swift kicks, discharging a series of energise waves, which morphed into an effulgent serpent and was sent from the back of his rival's direction. "Rankyaku: Hebi no Mai."

Simultaneously, the army of goons from Baroque's Works that were hiding in the shadows were decapitated, spraying a bloody macabre of mess on walls and grounds. Naruto and Mihawk shook their heads in disappointment. "Didn't even provide any challenge at all."

"Agreed."

The blonde sighed and turned his sight at the swordsman. "Where are you going next?"

"Nowhere in particular actually." Mihawk responded monotonously as he clipped his black blade behind his back.

"I may need some help."

"You? Need some help? This must be interesting."

The swordsman blinked rapidly and stared at his rival. "Your mission is top secret, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Is it even appropriate to tell me that?"

"Why not?"

"Uh…"

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Tashigi was an academy teacher for junior sailors, especially students who were orphans. The CP9 had established an organization that was built to rescue orphans, brought them to headquarters and taught them the arts of battle; in the process, they pledged their allegiance to the chief commander of CP9. Naruto was the founder of the benign organization and had requested only Lucci and Tashigi to replace her when the blonde was absent.

Since only Nero was the only remaining member within CP9, the duty as an instructor fell into Tashigi's hands.

She was nervous.

Facing an assembly of children who were spiritless to say the least, Tashigi knew it would be hard.

"A-Alright, listen up, children, I am Tashigi. Naruto-sensei is not around so I am here to take over his position as your instructor for… today onwards." Tashigi stared at the awkward silence the children were emitting. "I guess they're not impressed with me… what should I do?"

"What do you know?" A child stepped forward and furrowed his brows. "Naruto-sama knows the Python Fist, the Sonic Steps, the Dragon Claws and the Crane Strike. He masters everything that is to know about the Rokushiki. What do you know?"

Tashigi blinked. "I know all of them. After all, I am Naruto-sensei's first disciple. He teaches me everything I know."

The children were cynical.

"Prove it." The child, with shaggy hair, moved into a fighting style.

Tashigi shook her head disapprovingly. "Marital art is not about fighting."

The children started to chortle mockingly at the woman's statement. Tashigi smiled and placed a hand behind her back and the other was provoking an initiation from the child. Roaring aloud, the shaggy haired boy jumped at the swordswoman. The boy delivered a barrage of strong fists at Tashigi, who merely sidestepped every assault gracefully; she only relied on shifting her feet's positions at fluid timings. "Martial art is about virtue."

Swiftly, Tashigi's hand was at the boy's forehead and she flicked it. The boy retreated and clutched onto his forehead. "W-What's that?"

"One finger." The swordswoman raised a finger. "One finger is enough to defeat you, boy."

The boy was relentless. He braced his courage and rushed forward.

Tashigi simply dodged the reckless punch easily and the boy was repelled away by an invisible force. The children were marvelled by the swordswoman's display of strength. Adjusting her glasses, the swordswoman huffed. "Does anybody still wish to challenge my authority?"

A pink haired boy stood up and saluted. "Please teach me, Tashigi-sensei!"

The swordswoman grinned at the boy's acknowledgement. "What is your name, little kid?"

"C-Coby!"

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~
(A week later…)

"Why are we wearing these sarongs? It makes us look like…"

"Indians?" Naruto was apathetic. "You're racist."

Mihawk crossed his arms. "I'm not. The word that I'm looking for is… exaggeration."

"Dude, we're in a desert! We need these to protect our face and shit." The blonde sighed as his rival fell into silence. "We rarely partner with each other in missions, huh?"

"The last time we did was when Shanks, you and I decided to exploit that slave house at West Blue." Mihawk rolled his eyes at his memory. "You almost sink the island just to free those slaves."

"Hey! Those Tenryubito should rot in hell, man! They rape girls who're only ten!" Naruto blew out an metamorphic steam of anger. "There is something really wrong with this world, I swear it. Nobles ruining people's lives, pirates destroying houses, no offense and marines killing innocent people meaninglessly. I'm starting to get tired of it. I guess that's one of the reasons why I take up this mission to spy on Monkey D. Luffy."

"You've done well then." There was blatant sarcasm laced in Mihawk's tone. "You crucify all of the nobles. Shanks has to shoulder all the blames for you so you won't ruin your reputation as a marine."

Naruto smirked. "Oh please, like Shanks didn't join me when he realises that half of those nobles were vicious paedophiles? And you, you snarky little bastard. You kill a fair share of nobles as well."

"I was tasked to eliminate the guards." Mihawk argued. "Those nobles were just hindrance."

"Blah, blah. Whatever, just keep going. Less talk, more action. I need to catch up with Luffy."

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Mr. 2 slammed his hands repetitiously onto the table. He was angered by his superior's tardiness. "Stop joking around! Get me a takopa! I'll spin otherwise! I'll spine! I'm a swan! I'M A SWAN!"

Mr. 4 was laughing at his comrade's hilarious antics.

Annoyed by Mr.2's impatient attitude, Miss Doublefinger crossed her arms and huffed. "Mr. 2, please be quiet."

Miss Merry Christmas yelled. "Ba! Ba!"

"You too, Miss Merry Christmas?" Miss Doublefinger was aggravated. "My ears are hurting too much."

"It seems all of you aren't getting along, huh?" Miss All Sunday leaned against the railing of the stairs while placing a hand on her curvy hip. Her favourite cowboy hat was donned on her head and she was wearing a white coat that hid her voluptuous body. "It doesn't matter though."

"Miss All Sunday." Mr. 1 acknowledged the presence of the boss's right-hand woman while the rest of the agents eyed the authoritarian figure of Baroque's Work, who was descending the stairs gracefully. "I'm glad that all of you could make it here on time. This is the city where people abandon their fears and dream big. This is the place where people wish to obtain instant wealth and fortune through gambling. The city of dreams, Rainbase. To the largest casino in the city, Rain Dinners, I welcome all of you."

Diverting a cautious gaze at Miss All Sunday, Mr. 1 growled. "Skip the mundane formalities and get to the point, Miss All Sunday."

"As you wish then. I will skip directly to the briefings." The enigmatic woman ambled to a window and folded her arms.

"Get started!" Miss Merry Christmas banged the table with her hand vehemently. "Get started! Hoy! Hoy! Hoy! Hoy! Hoy!"

"But before I do, I must introduce you to the leader of this organization. The leader who you all have been working for." Miss All Sunday smirked. "The leader of this organization who you have not met yet… Until now, I have only acted as his representative in order to relay mandatory orders to all of you. There is no longer a need for that now… You understand, don't you?"

"In order words, the time has come!" The throne spun around, revealing a snarky Crocodile resting his elbows on the armrest. "Operation… Utopia!"

Everybody, except Miss All Sunday and the Shichibukai, gasped.

"Crocodile?"

"Shichibukai?"

"What the!"

Crocodile ignored the startle of his subordinates and continued. "That's the true objective of Baroque's Works."

"It seems all of you know his public image, at the very least." Miss All Sunday snickered.

"Of course we know him!" Miss Doublefinger declared. "But what's a Shichibukai doing here?"

"Oh! What a big shot!" Miss Merry Christmas bellowed.

Mr. 2 arched a brow. "Are you telling me we've been working for a pirate all this time?"

Mr. 4 was simply trembling in his seat.

"So you're the boss, huh?" Mr. 1 queried rhetorically.

A murderous aura was emanating from Crocodile's frame as he glared at his subordinates. "Any objections?"

The room fell into a dead quiet.

"I've no objections but…" Miss Doublefinger swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and tapped the table with a finger. "A Shichibukai is a pirate given permission by the World Government to roam the world freely. What's the point of forming this organization then?"

"What I want is neither money nor fame." The Shichibukai announced. "What I want… is absolute power. Military power to be exact. Let's discuss things then."

Plunging a cigar into his mouth, Crocodile ignited his cancer stick with a lighter before exhaling smoke rings. "First my objective and then the details of Baroque's Works final operation…"

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Mihawk scratched his nose unconsciously. "Are you telling me you…"

Naruto sighed. "That lieutenant officer raped the girl, who was a member of his platoon. I cannot let it happen. The higher the rank you are within the marine, the harsher the punishment. But rape will not give you a death sentence. The most they give you is a slap on the wrist and throw you behind bars for like… twenty years? I don't quite like that. It just shows immorality and injustice to the female populous within the marines. I just can't allow that. It breaks resolve and might create a detrimental setback."

"For the marine's reputation?"

"For my conscience." Naruto corrected.

"It's not within your jurisdiction, right?" The swordsman concluded. "It's the duty of the Justice Department of the marines to sentence that bloke, right?"

"I have no other choice." The blonde sighed. "Sacrifices must be made. We cannot let the public knows that we, the marines, commit crimes within our HQ. To enforce the importance of obeying rules and maintaining peace amongst our people, I beheaded the lieutenant myself."

"In front of twenty thousands soldiers?"

"Guilty." Naruto smirked. "I'll tell ya. If we let these things roll aside like it is casual occurrence, we cannot control the violence within both barracks and the HQ. One sacrifice and thousands get peace? That's a worthy sacrifice."

"You're starting to talk like Admiral Kizaru."

The blonde rolled his eyes. "That man infected me. He's infectious. But hey! The crime rate within HQ is lowered significantly after what I did."

Sighing softly, Naruto took a long look at the desert. "It's ludicrous to think the marine itself has crime rates too. What a joke. We are justice… yet we are no better than pirates."

"You can't take the blame for everything. You're not those-"

Naruto cracked his neck. "I'm a marine, right? I am a Vice-Admiral of the Navy. I have to exercise justice. My justice."

"Your justice is not universal."

"It's better than what we have."

"True."

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

"Does something like that really exist in this country?" Mr. 2 was sceptic. "And so we're going to take down this whole country? I'm getting excited just by talking about it."

"So our last order is to carry out the different facets of this final plan?" Mr. 1 questioned monotonously.

"That's right." Crocodile smirked. "Every job you have completed contributed to both the reputation of this organization and the fruition of the plan. Since the founding of this organization, every mission you partake supports proportionately to the plan's success rate. And those are the last set of orders I will entrust you with."

The agents unfurled the paper in their hands.

"The time has come for the Kingdom of Alabasta to fall." Crocodile examined his subordinates, who were surveying their papers keenly. "Once you have completed your final assignments, this kingdom will self-destruct automatically. The Rebel Army and the nation's people are blinded by rage. So blinded that they would never know what hit them. They will fall tragically in the hands of Baroque's Works. In just one night, this country will become our Utopia."

The agents burned their papers on a candle.

"This is Baroque's Works' final operation and greatest plan! Failure is not permitted. We commence tomorrow morning! Pray for luck!"

Miss All Sunday turned her sight to a disturbance at the stairs and saw a severely injured Mr. 3 limping with a crutch. "I propose Operation Utopia be delayed."

"Mr. 3, how did you find your way here?" Miss All Sunday narrowed her eyes.

"Mr. 3!" Mr. 2 was impetuous and stood a fighting stance. "Just which rock did you slither out from under? As ordered, I'm gonna assassinate yoooou!"

"Hold it, Mr. 2!" Crocodile commanded emotionlessly.

"Slither out from under? How rude?" In retrospection, Mr. 3 smirked. "I merely hitched a hike from the Spider Café, on the back of Banchi's turtle carriage of course."

Bowing politely at Crocodile, Mr. 3 mustered his courage and spoke. "I have come to seek redemption. Since I failed, Mr. 2 is dispatched in order for him to assassinate me. For that reason, I alter my course slightly and made my way to the Agent meeting point."

"Fail your order? What do you mean by that?" Crocodile puffed out a smoke.

"I mean… I a-allow Monkey D. Luffy and Princess Vivi to escape…"

Snapping the handle of the cup due to irascible rage, Crocodile stood up and glared furiously at Mr. 3. "You allowed them to escape? Are you telling me they're still alive?"

Mr. 3 was sweating immensely.

"Didn't you see you have taken care of everything via the Den Den Mushi?"

"Den Den Mushi?" Mr. 3 was bewildered. "I certainly did not use it when I was on Little Garden."

"This could be a problem…" The shichibukai sighed. "Now I know why the Unluckies still haven't return from their trip."

"And there is one more thing… sir…"

"What is it?" Crocodile growled.

"The reason why I'm in this state… is because…"

"WHAT? QUIT YAPPING!"

Mr. 3 yelped and blurted out. "It's because I met… marine's Vice-Admiral… Naruto Newgate…"

"What?" Crocodile, as well as the rest of the agents, quavered upon hearing the name. "How? Did you lead him here?"

"I… uh…"

"You moron!" Instantly, the shichibukai strangled his subordinate's neck in a chokehold. "Twelve years ago, if you tell me that dipshit is here, I'm not surprise. Hell, I don't even need to fear anything! But time has changed! That brat… that brat…"

Miss Doublefinger hugged her arms and shifted uncomfortably. "Naruto Newgate… I have heard about him and his actions throughout the whole world. He even went to the New World to instigate a war against some pirates a few years ago. The legendary Conqueror of the seas, Gunshin no Naruto… if he's here… They say his greatest battles are with Red Haired Shanks of the Yonkou, Dracule Mihawk of the Shichibukai, Kaido of the Yonkou and Marco of the Whitebeard Pirate! Those battles make history!"

"And that is why we don't need someone like him here to ruin our plan!" Crocodile tightened his grip and Mr. 3 was suffocating. "Tell me, is he with anybody?"

"N-No!"

"Good! Let's pray that he doesn't come here. None of you here are on his league. If he comes here… we'll be in trouble." Crocodile switched his fierce gazes at his victim and growled. "As for you…"

Mr. 3 was gradually dehydrating and his nutrition was absorbed by Crocodile. The agents were horrified by the display of their boss's prowess. Loosening his grip, Crocodile sighed as he dropped Mr. 3 onto the ground. "This is all your fault, Mr. 3. I'm disappointed."

Robin stood in the shadow and bit her lower lips. All she could think of was a certain blonde. "N-Naruto…kun… It's not like Crocodile could do anything if he knows Naruto-kun is here… But I must uncover the the secrets of the Void Century. Pluton or not, I must see the poneglyph myself."

"Listen up; if anybody meets Naruto Newgate, I want you to change his route! Do anything to prevent him from coming here! Distract him. Sacrifice yourself. Whatver! Do anything to change his route! Do you hear me?"

"Understood!" The agents saluted, except a fidgeting Miss All Sunday.

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Fleet-admiral Sengoku threw a stack of documents onto the table and pointed a finger at the reports. "I want to know who dispatch more than three thousand of our soldiers from Enies Lobby to East Blue? Who ordered it?"

"Apparently, Vice Admiral Naruto Newgate issued the order." Vice-admiral Momonga affirmed.

"East Blue is a weak region. There is no need to protect it." Vice-admiral Onigumo acclaimed. "These amounts of powerhouses are better off stationed in HQ or the Enies Lobby."

"I agree." Vice-admiral Kaizeruhige nodded his head and folded his arms. "We need such valuable assets from the marines to guard the HQ. It is only vital to boast the HQ's defence up a notch."

Vice-admiral Strawberry shook his head and objected. "I don't agree with your arguments. East Blue is indeed a weak region, that's why we need to protect it from pirates."

Vice-admiral Comil concurred. "That's right. Vice Admiral Strawberry makes a good point. We cannot be ignorant and deny those inhabitants living in East Blue. As marines, servants of justice, we have to do our best to protect those who need our help the most. East Blue lacks manpower, that's why we need to protect it. I do not deny the order. I believe Vice Admiral Naruto has made a great judgement. In fact, I believe if plausible, I am willing to go East Blue personally and supervise the operation."

Admiral Kizaru sniffed. "Naruto-bozu is right about what he's doinggg. I don't seeeee any wronggg with that."

"He's your favourite apprentice." Admiral Akainu grunted. "That's what you will say."

"We are being impartial, Sakazuki." Admiral Aokiji growled. "If you have a problem with my student, you can talk to me."

"The verbal jab is totally unnecessaryyyy…" Borsalino glared dangerously at Sakazuki.

Momonga sighed. "I believe Naruto is right. There is nothing wrong with that. Looking at the bright side, Vice Admiral Naruto Newgate is doing us a favour. He's publishing a good image for us."

"We should just go with the flow." Vice-admiral Yamakaji added his two cent into the conversation.

Vice-admiral Tsuru nursed her temples and heaved an exhausted sigh. "It seems the Navy is divided into two sections. The party who believes in moral justice and the opposition who adores absolute justice. This won't end so well."

Sengoku slammed a hand onto the table and alarmed everybody. "I permit another additional one thousand soldiers to be dispatched to North Blue, West Blue and South Blue and straighten the security. For now, Vice Admiral Comil, you are allowed to travel to East Blue in order to both guard and supervise the construction."

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

Luffy sat on the tree, twitching his lips with annoyance.

"Oi, Luffy! What do you think you're doing over there?" Ussop yelled.

Nami climbed down from her camel and queried. "What's wrong, Luffy?"

Vivi walked towards the pirate captain and bended down. "Luffy-san? Is there something wrong?"

Luffy contemplated momentarily before he concluded. "I quit."

"W-What?" Everybody was baffled.

"Quit? What do you mean by that, Luffy-san?" The princess raised a brow.

"Luffy, what are you talking about?" Ussop scratched his head, staggered by his captain's statement. "We don't have time to cater to your whims right now. We need to move! Get up now!"

Chopper sighed. "We're going back, aren't we?"

Sanji huffed. "That's right. We're going to retrace our pathways back to Katorea and stop the Rebel Army for advancing. We're racing against time here, you fool! If we don't get there in time, more than a million people within this country will clash and die, do you understand? This is for Vivi-chan and her country. We must go now! Come!"

The chef hoisted Luffy's arm but his captain shoved it off aggressively.

"Don't care!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Sanji roared.

"Vivi…" The girl blinked as Luffy called. "I'm gonna beat the crap out of Crocodile, do you hear me? But, think about it. If we stop the Rebel Army, will Crocodile stop? Even if we reach Katorea on time, there is nothing much we can do. People will die. If you don't know, we're pirates. You'll be better off without us. Stop being naïve and look at the bigger picture here."

Sanji placed his hands on his hip and sighed. "Wow, he can talk like this? This senseless idiot sure surprises everybody all the time."

"B-But-"

Luffy interrupted Vivi's imminent statement and scowled. "All you want is to protect everybody. You don't want anybody to die because you can't stand bloodshed. Not the people you love who reside in your country. Not us, your friends. But we're talking about a Shichibukai here. You're facing a pirate who happens to be a Shichibukai in a battle over a million people are preparing to fight against. And all you want is for nobody to get hurt in this war. Are you stupid or what?

The princess's arms were shaking with umbrage.

"But Luffy, can't you understand Vivi's feelings?"

"Don't say anything else, Nami-san. Just watch."

"But Sanji-kun-"

"What's wrong with that?" Vivi retorted. "What's wrong with me and my desire for nobody to get hurt in this meaningless war?"

"People die." Luffy was no longer smiling; his cheerful semblance was vanquished by an uncharacteristic serious manner. "Face facts. People… die!"

"No!" Vivi slapped the captain on his cheeks, sending Luffy tumbling onto the dirt. "Stop saying that! I won't let you say that anymore! What I'm doing is to stop this war! To stop this foolish carnage! I'm preventing this war for happening and that's what we should do! This is not about the Rebel Army! This is not about the Royal Army! Nobody deserves to die like this! So why does anyone has to die now? Don't you get it? It's all Crocodile's fault!"

The princess panted in her scolding. Luffy stood up and growled. Charging forward, the captain punched Vivi in her face. "Then why are you risking your life then? Why are you throwing your life like its garbage or something?"

Nobody could process what their captain had done.

In the midst of fury, the princess jumped at Luffy and pinned the boy onto the ground, straddling his hips in the process. Luffy was relentless, however. "Looking at this country, you can already tell what needs to be done!"

"What of it?" Vivi raised her trembling fist and it eclipsed the sun. "I don't want to hear it!"

Relinquishing her frustration, the princess punched Luffy continuously.

Even when Vivi was sending a volley of punches at Luffy, the captain bellowed out his feelings. "You think… risking your life… is enough?"

"Then what am I supposed to risk? Tell me, Luffy-san! I have nothing else to risk! I have nothing! Nothing!"

Snatching Vivi's wrists, Luffy threw the princess onto the ground and screamed. "Then risk our lives with you! We're your friends! Have some faith on us!"

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~

"Charming, that boy is. He never fails to intrigue me." Mihawk smirked as he watched the commotion from afar.

"Yeah, he's supposed to be my step-brother. Can you believe that?"

"Hmm… he's making the girl cry."

"He's doing it for a reason, I suppose." Naruto crossed his arms. "That must be the royal princess, Nefertari Vivi. I guess she carries the burden of protecting her people. That's why the Strawhat pirates are following her. To protect her."

"And how do you know that?"

The blonde grinned. "I just know."

The swordsman sighed. "Should we follow him?"

"Yeah… we'll make our appearance soon. Be patient, my friend." Naruto cracked his knuckles and beamed. "We'll be on the stage… very soon. And remember, I'm kicking Crocodile's ass."

Mihawk was sceptic. "We'll see."

~o~X~o~X~o~X~o~X~

Complete! After 20 years, Naruto and Robin are united.

I have watched Strong World and it's a great movie with fabulous animation. I might want to make a spin-off of it within a omake section. What do ya think? I'm thinking writing it, based on the fact that Naruto's existence matters after every chapter is finished. The only problem I can tell is Franky and Brooke. They're new members of the Strawhat Pirates and I haven't even finished this arc yet. I hope I'm not way over my head over this thing. If it isn't appropriate, I won't do it. What do you think?

Pairings...
1.)NarutoXHancock(Confirmed)
2.)NarutoXRobin(Confirmed)
3.)Is it a harem? Not sure
4.)NarutoXShalulia(...)
5.)NarutoXHina
6.)NarutoXVivi(She's too young, isn't she? Not possible... I think.)

Please review.

Peace!

(P.S: I don't own Trisha Yearwood's How do I live.)