Naruto woke up and got out of the bed. Humming a song, he stumbled over to the sink. As he was brushing his teeth, he realized he was off tune. He was never off tune except... He rinsed his mouth and said, "Do, re, me, fa, so, la, tee, do. Crap." His voice was really high, making him sound like a chipmunk or something. Groaning he reached into the pocket of his coat and grabbed a small package. He smacked it against the bottom against his palm to pack the contents down before he pulled out what looked like a cigarette and put it to his mouth.
"Those things will kill you," Yugito said as she sat up. The blanket fell to her waist, revealing she wore a blue lace bra.
"Not these and not me," he said, making her giggle. "Go ahead, laugh it up. At times, my bloodline and the Kyuubi don't exactly agree. Case in point, when my voice breaks. Normally, my abilities would heal it." He cleared his throat and spit something into the trash. "But so does..." Now his voice was really deep, making him sigh. "So does the Kyuubi. They over compensate and messes my voice up like you are hearing. These are actually incense and other things that helps sooths the throat, break up mucus, and saps chakra, letting my bloodline finish." He snapped his finger, creating a small flame on it and lit the health stick. He took a few puffs on it before sighing and letting the smoke out of his lungs. "My Baa-chan proscribed it for me. Much better. Hungry?"
"No, still tired." She laid back down and closed her eyes. When she fell asleep, Naruto was tempted to get back in himself. He knew it was very comfortable between the two. Taking the incense stick from his mouth, he walked over and gave Hinata a kiss on the forehead. "Good morning, hime. I was just going to get breakfast, want me to bring you anything?"
Hinata didn't seem to be fully awake because she said, "I want Naruto." With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close before falling back to sleep herself. "Hmm, so warm," she muttered.
Naruto slowly extracted himself from her grip and began to get dressed. Once his hair was spiked again, he flipped his hat on his head, and walked out. He went to the dining room and sat down across from his uncle. He just arched an eye brow at him smoking, though he knew what it was for. "Don't say a word," Naruto told him. Jiriaya just had this look of 'innocence' about him. "Not a word, damn it."
"I would never say any such thing like that about my nephew."
"Bull shit," Naruto called as he started to eat.
Jiriaya just kept smirking at him. Naruto found it annoying but said nothing else. "...Did you hit the G spot?" Naruto's fist met his face. "Should I take that as a yes?"
"We didn't do anything," Naruto insisted.
"Sure," Jiriaya replied.
"We didn't!"
Jiriaya cleared his throat. "Oh Naruto-kun! I'm going crazy! Th...THERE!" Naruto's fist was once again introduced to Jiriaya's face.
"You were listening!?"
"Didn't need to with how loud you kids were." Jiriaya chuckled before he began to eat again. "So did you go the full nine yards?"
"NO! ...Just a shit load of fore play." His face was crimson red. Jiriaya nodded, now able to put a mental image to the words. He took out his note book and wrote it down, making Naruto groan. "Don't worry, I'm not putting you in my next one. You know I don't have a lot of threesomes, so few women are actually willing for that with a guy like me. Can't imagine why. Just need some tips for a scene in my next book." Naruto rolled his eyes before finishing breakfast.
"I'm surprised he is even able to walk," he heard a woman whisper behind him.
"Sir Jiriaya did say he has the endurance to last for days in a fight. I guess it transfers over," another replied.
"Did they even stop last night," a third woman asked. Naruto sighed before turning to them.
"We did around three in the morning. Please, if you are going to whisper behind my back, make sure I can hear you." They blushed and scurried off, leaving him to finish.
—oo000oo—
six months ago
—oo000oo—
"That little punk," the new commander of the Dreadnought Bounty hunters growled. "Just how many are dead, injured, and fine?"
"A quarter of our men are dead, half that injured, everyone else is fine. We are still capable of operating," was the reply.
"Good. How much funds do we have at our disposal?"
"Several million berries. Why?"
"Hire Memphis, have him kill the captain of the Leaf Pirates."
—oo000oo—
Naruto was outside the castle, waiting for Luffy to get everything together for them to leave while Jiriaya tried to find a way to Morose Island. So the crew of the Morning Song had a few more days off. No taking care of a ship, no fighting, nothing but relaxation. After he had taken two trays of food to the room he had slept in for Hinata and Yugito, he went for a walk around the city. He stopped when he came to a square. It was busy but their was no music or something that would make it more enjoyable. That just won't do.
Naruto walked to the center, took off his hat, Fuka-hone, and his coat. He set his clothing on the ground and took another drag on his incense stick. He hit a few strings, tuning his guitar. Not far from him, Talon sat on a bench, wondering what he was doing. Naruto smiled at her before suddenly hitting several strings at once.
"As I was going over the Cork and Kerry Mountains, I saw the Captain Farrell, and his money he was counting! I first produced my pistol and then produced my rapier! I said, 'Stand and deliver or the devil he may take ya!'
"I took all of his money, and it was a pretty penny! I took all of his money, yeah, and I brought it home to Molly! She swore that she loved me! No, never would she leave me! But the devil take that woman, yeah, for you know she tricked me easy!
"Musha rain dum a do, dum a da! Whack for my daddy, oh! Whack for my daddy, oh! There's whiskey in the jar, oh!
"Being drunk and weary, I went to Molly's chamber! Taking Molly with me, but I never knew the danger! For about six, or maybe seven, yeah, in walked Captain Farrell! I jumped up, fired my pistols, and I shot him with both barrels!
"Yeah, musha rain dum a do, dum a da, ha, yeah! Whack for my daddy, oh! Whack for my daddy, oh! There's whiskey in the jar, oh! Yeah, whiskey, yo, whiskey! Oh, oh, yeah! Oh, oh, yeah!
"Now, some like a fishing, but some men like the fowling! Some men like to hear, to hear the cannonball roaring! But me, I like sleeping, specially in my Molly's chamber! But here I am in prison! Here I am with a ball and chain, yeah!
"Musha rain dum a do, dum a da! Whack for my daddy, oh! Whack for my daddy, oh! There's whiskey in the jar, oh, yeah! Whiskey in the jar, oh! Musha rain, dum a do, dum a da! Musha rain dum a do, dum a da, hey! Musha rain dum a do, dum a da! Musha rain dum a do, dum a da, yeah!"
Naruto took a deep breath and tossed his dead stick away. People started clapping and asking for another song. Before he could though, an adult also with a guitar stepped up there. He was dressed in all black and smoking a cigarette. He looked at Naruto as he set his guitar case on the ground, opened it, and took a guitar made of steel from it. Naruto watched him do it in return. He took his cigarette from his mouth and placed between his little finger and ring on his strumming hand.
"I can hear what your thinking, all doubts and fear. And if you look at my eyes in time, you'll find the reason I'm here. And in time, all things shall pass away. In time, you may come back some day. To live once more, or die once more. In time, your time will be no more.
"You know you days are numbered. Count them on by one. Like the notches in the handle of an outlaw's gun. You can out run the devil if you try. But you will never out run the hands of time. In time, there'll surely come a day. In time all things shall pass away. In time you may com back, some say. To live once more or die once more. In time your time will be no more. I can hear what your thinking."
When he finished, he put his guitar away and walked over to Naruto. Naruto looked him up and down. "Do I know you?"
"I know you. You're that boy that has been making so many waves lately, at Whiskey Peaks, Black Hills, Texas."
Naruto frowned, "You better get out of my face..." He swiped his cigarette and used to light his next stick. "...because I am trying to relax here and I doubt you are."
"You are right, I'm not. The name is Memphis. You like that song?"
"It was good," Naruto stated.
"I made it just for you, so I can play it at your funeral."
"And are you going to have anything to do with me attending that funeral?"
"I didn't say that."
"So you won't?"
"Didn't say that either." He walked away, leaving Naruto slightly irritated.
Talon walked over to him, "How did you do that? I heard several instruments."
"Well, that is a long story," Naruto stated. "Let's go for a walk and I will tell you."
—oo000oo—
Naruto and Talon were heading back to the castle, having told her the bloodline story. They were busy enjoying the sites when they heard people shouting about a rampant horse on the loose. Naruto turned around and saw the beast, standing over eight feet tall, charging down the road at them. Waiting for the last moment, Naruto grabbed Talon and side stepped it. As it ran pass, Naruto saw it wore black clothing and a guitar case on its back. "Memphis!?"
The horse stood up on his rear legs, changing into a humanoid figure. "Prepare to die," Memphis told him, taking his guitar out and holding it like Naruto held the Fuka-hone in combat. Oddly enough though, Naruto was laughing his ass off. "I fail to see what is so funny about me telling that you will die."
"Just... that you are a horse...wielding a guitar...like a hammer. Can you say something for me? EL COMBONG!" Naruto started laughing again, he hadn't thought of that cartoon in ears!
"I may not know what you are talking about but I know when I have been insulted." Memphis went charging at him and swung his weapon. Naruto blocked it with Fuka-hone.
"Talon, can you do me a favor, go wait for me down the street? This might take a few minutes."
"Uhm, I can...help, Naruto."
"You aren't used to combat yet," Naruto replied. "Don't worry, won't take long." Hesitantly, she ran down away to wait for him.
"You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep," Memphis told Naruto.
"You wouldn't make a girl that pretty cry, would you? Imagine if she got mad! She is of the Dragon Tribe." Naruto dropped back, making him stumble forward, before he delivered a kick to his stomach. Naruto expected him to go flying back, not him to be pushed back a foot and shake it off.
"That was a nice kick, you got some power behind that frail looking body of your's. You eat a cursed fruit as well?"
"Oto Oto," Naruto replied. He took a deep breath and used the wail. Everyone around him covered their ears while glass shattered. He regretted that but he had little choice right now. Memphis stumbled back into the building under the force of it. When he had no where else to go, he force his guitar in front of his chest and head, easing the pressure there. He started walking forward, startling Naruto. When he was close enough, he raised his guitar and slammed it down where Naruto was standing. He jumped back and began a genjutsu. Only to remember to his horror that he had no chakra right then to work with because of his incense sticks. He nearly swallowed the damn thing when he gulped. "Oto Oto Fear!"
Memphis felt the same panic other people had always felt when Naruto used that. But Naruto forgot to take into account the change in his brain from being a horse hybrid. It barely slowed him down. Naruto was hit in the chest and thrown into a building. As he started to fall, he was hit again, being sent right through it. "You know, I prefer not to brute my way in a fight," Naruto told him. The next thing that people saw was the horse moving through the air, his head knocked back with a fist imprinted under his jaw. Naruto was upon him a moment later. Memphis raised a hoof and kicked Naruto in the chest, earning a crack from the bones there. Naruto hit the building again, making part of it collapse on him. Memphis looked at his guitar, seeing Naruto had broke it with that punch. He discarded it and drew his gun.
He walked over to Naruto and looked at him. He was pinned under a beam and had pulled a knife out. "You are one dumb son of a bitch, bring a knife to a gun fight."
Naruto cough and said, "How about you surrender and I will let you live."
"You got guts, I will give you that." He pointed his gun at Naruto's head, who didn't look worried. The sound of a gun went off and no one moved for a moment before Naruto dropped his head to the ground. A moment later, Memphis looked down at his chest, seeing blood coming from it. He turned around where he saw Itachi with his buffalo rifle pointed at his back. "Where the hell you come from?" He fell to the ground as Itachi loaded a new round inside it. Memphis couldn't hold his form anymore and changed back into a human. He looked up at Itachi as he stood over him and pointed the rifle at his head. "Damn..." BANG!
Itachi looked over at Naruto as he pushed the beam off his chest. "What happened? You shouldn't have needed help with him."
"Conflicting abilities. Too much healing in one spot will make it worst." As he stood up, he stopped smoking the incense. In a few minutes, Kyuubi's chakra would return and begin the painful process of healing the bones.
"So you stopped the Kyuubi from healing," Itachi surmised. "By removing your chakra? You should have signaled for help."
Naruto shrugged, "You came anyway. I just didn't think I would need it." Itachi shook his head and turned to down the street to the waiting Talon. She had ran to get him. "So, now that you have used that, do you still think it is useless?"
"...My arm is numb," Itachi stated before walking off. Naruto laughed before wincing, he took that as a no he didn't.
—oo000oo—
"I am really sorry about the damage, ma'am," Naruto told the woman in front of him while his clones went about fixing the house.
"It is alright," she told him. "I saw it, you were attacked and you stayed to fix the damage. Though how you are doing it, I don't know."
"I..." Naruto cleared his throat. "It is something I learned at home." He turned to the clones coming down the street with new windows for her home and the others that he broke. It wasn't cheap but he had more than enough for it. He looked around and saw the repairs were coming along nicely. Luckily, no one decided to press charges against him for this. He saw Talon still waiting for him and sighed. "Talon, maybe you would like to go spend the day with someone else? It must be boring waiting for me."
"I don't mind..."
"Talon, I can see that you do mind and that you wish you had something to do. I'm sure Yugito or Hinata would be more than willing to look after you. Or maybe Gaara, if you don't mind him."
When she hesitated, Naruto took advantage of it and led her away. "Come on, you Gaara is a nice guy. No worries, right?"
She sighed and finally smiled. "No worries." Naruto took her back to the castle and asked around where Gaara was. Told that he was up on the roof, Naruto carried her up there.
"Hey, Gaara, can you do me a favor, please? I'm begging ya, begging ya!"
Gaara gave him a smirk. "Sure, what is it, captain?"
"I need some one to watch over Talon while I clean up my mess. Can you do that for me?"
"I would be honored to. That is, if that is what you want as well, Lady Talon." That sparked Naruto's interest. He would say something like that if hes was trying to get the girl's attention...
He gave a sly grin while Talon blushed a little at the attention. "I...don't mind, Gaara."
"Well, before I go... Excuse me." He cleared his throat again, while making the two laugh a little at him. "Well before I go, I got some advice for you Gaara." He leaned in close and said, "Woman love those slow romantic songs. Try 'You say it best when you say nothing at all' or...'Life is like a boat'. Track eight and thirteen." He unsealed his MP3 player from his arm with a set of speakers for it, wagging his eyebrows.
"...Shouldn't you be going, Naruto," Gaara asked, stoically, hiding his embarrassment well. Naruto laughed before jumping off the roof, back down to the street.
"What was it he told you," Talon asked.
"...He was just telling me to make sure nothing happens to you," Gaara replied. "Would you like to go get something to eat, milady?"
—oo000oo—
When Naruto finished that evening, he started on a new stick and returned to the castle. It was there that he saw Luffy again. With a smile, he walked up to him. "Good evening, King of the Pirates. You know, you could have told me that you were."
"I forgot to tell you," Luffy asked, scratching the side of his head. "Eh," he said with a shrug. "I am so used to everyone knowing that I guess I assumed you knew as well."
Naruto smiled. "Can I see it? One Piece?"
"...Yeah," Luffy said after a minute. "Just know it is nothing that you are expecting."
"May I bring Hinata and Yugito with me," Naruto asked eagerly.
"Sure," Luffy said to him. "I have it here in fact. It is just too important to me to leave on the ship alone. Come to my room in ten minutes." He walked off while Naruto ran to get Hinata and Yugito.
"Hey," Naruto said when he found them. He gave them both a kiss before dragging them off. "Luffy has something to show us!"
"What," Hinata asked, barely able to get her feet on the ground.
"One Piece, the greatest treasure on the Grand Line!" Both could tell from his excitement that this was very important to him.
"I can hardly wait," Yugito said. Naruto stopped in front of the door and knocked, letting the two down.
Luffy opened the door and smiled. "Come on in, take a look!" He got out of the way and let them in. Hinata and Yugito looked around for gold. While Naruto settled his eyes on a rick, black leather bound book.
"Is that it," Naruto asked almost deathly quiet.
"It is," Nami told him. She knew he would grasp what that book meant.
Cautiously, Naruto walked over to it and opened it, almost afraid it would break. "A book," Yugito asked. "The former king of the pirates left a book?"
"Not just any book," Naruto told her. "His ship log, his every adventure. Everything that he own, all in one piece. Take a look." Naruto picked the heavy book up and sat down with it to read.
"One Piece is the dream of every pirate," Luffy said to them. "Few think it is what it is. Most dream it is a 'treasure' beyond their imagining. And it is. The life of one of the greatest men and his crew is in that book. This," he motioned to the log book of the Going Merry and the Thousand Sunny, "is the next One Piece."
Hinata didn't understand as she sat down next to Naruto. "But why lead everyone to believe it is gold?"
Nami smiled. "Because it is a legend. One that will remain eternal for as long as the King keeps it a secret. As the title is passed down with the books, everyone will know that the greatest treasure of all time is being collected and kept by the greatest pirate of all time, even greater than the one before him."
"It is a dream that brings people to the sea even today," Chopper told them. "A dream that should not be shattered. Not by the likes of us." As the three settled down to read the story of the King of the Pirates, Luffy motioned to the door, meaning they should leave them to it.
"We set sail from the Port of Rogue Town, our heads held high. No one there believed we can do it. But not a one of my crew believe we won't reach the end. After all, with a name like Gold Roger, how can I not be destined for greatness!?" Naruto found himself smiling as he continued reading.
—oo000oo—
"So you want on Morose Island," an old voodoo woman said to Jiriaya.
"How did... You know, never mind how you know. How do I reach it?"
She smiled at him. "I am Tia Dalma and I know how. Morose island is the one island on the Grand Line with no cross currents, no hazardous winds. And the one that if you do not know how to reach it, is out of your reach."
"Obviously it isn't because someone is there."
"Yes, Davy Jones," she said to him. "He uses to powers of the Devil Fruit to reach that place."
"He had to find it some how to get there. How did he do it!?"
She kept that knowing smile on him. "The song is how he found it," she told him cryptically. "Tell that boy of yours to play the song and he will find the island as well."
"Naruto!? How did you know about him!?" He grabbed her shirt and pulled her close. "You could find out about what I want through me asking questions. How do you know about my godson!?"
She wasn't deterred or scared of his threatening manner. "I know a lot about this world, Jiriaya of Konoha. I know that Davy Jones is making the fruits that threaten not only your home, but any place they can reach as well. I know that is was his own father that sealed the great fox into him. And that Davy Jones waits now only for the great shark to try and perfect his creation. But he knows not what he is about to create. The power of the Nine were never meant to be used with the Devil Fruit. You do not have much time, he will make his move soon."
Jiriaya growled. "When we are finished, we are going to come back for answers." He turned to leave.
"I already knew that you would, Jiriaya. Give your boy my best wishes. Go first to the Fiddler's Green, have him play it there and he will lead you to it."
"Where the hell is 'Fiddler's Green'!? This some kind of joke!?" He turned around and she was no longer there. "...What the hell? I hate it when people do that to me." He left the shop to go ask Naruto about 'Fox Island' and the song she was talking about.
Tai Dalma watched Jiriaya leave with a smile before she turned back to the Ocean. "It is time, Davy Jones, for you to learn that you have best leave what I have made alone. Four of the greats are going to be meeting you very, very soon, Jones. And it will be something that will never be forgotten on my ocean." She began walking away, changing into water as she did, before she vanished.
—oo000oo—
Jiriaya opened the door to Luffy's room to see Naruto reading while Hinata and Yugito had fallen asleep on his shoulders. "Naruto, we get to Morose through Fiddler's Green!"
All three of them jumped up at him shouting. "About bloody time," Naruto said with a grin that split his face. He threw his coat around him, slipping his arms through the sleeves. "Yugito-chan, go tell Luffy we leave. Make sure to mention he had better not have lost his sea legs! Hinata-chan, go gather everyone up. If you see Gaara with Talon, wait for them last."
"Yes, sir," they both said before running pass Jiriaya.
Naruto flipped his hat on his head before flicking his beads. "Uncle, tell me everything I need to know to get there!"
Jiriaya smiled at him. "Taking command, are we?"
"I'm not giving it up now," was Naruto's reply, making Jiriaya laugh.
"I met with some witch named Tia Dalma. She said that when we get there, you need to sing the 'song'."
"You said her name was Tia Dalma? Impossible. More over, what song?"
"That is what she said," Jiriaya insisted. "She never said the song."
"The person you met doesn't exist!"
"How did she not exist!?"
"Because Tia Dalma is the human name of the Sea Goddess, the one that made the Devil Fruit!" Jiriaya looked shocked by that revelation. "She might have gone by that name but it was not. No one has ever survived having it." He turned for the door and froze. "...The King and his men..." He grinned before turning back. "Maybe she only gone by it for the moment. Hoist the Colors, uncle. That is the song!" He turned back around and ran down the hall.
"...Why am I always missing something?" He ran after Naruto.
—oo000oo—
"Get her sailing lads," Heero shouted. "We have our destination and we won't be letting those bath toys out run the Evening Star!"
The crew of the Thousand Sunny and the Morning Song ran down the docks to their ships. "Walking sushi bar," Zoro shouted to Kisame. "We are going to finish our fight later! Then we will see who is the best swordsman on this ocean!"
"We already know that," Zabuza shouted at him. "The Three Swordsmen of the Konoha Pirates!" Haku grinned, he finally made it.
As the three ships set sail, everything looked bright... "Well, well, if it isn't our friends, the Truth and Reconciliation," Naruto said, looking out across the water. "Let's see what they have to say this time. 'Thousand Sunny, Evening Star, Morning Song, lay down your arms and surrender. The leader, Davy Jone, wants One Piece and Monkey D. Luffy." He laughed. "Zabuza, would you please give them our terms of surrender?"
"A bit anti-climatic," he said, jumping over the side. He performed the handsigns and slammed his hand into the water. "Well, well, the Kraken." He pointed to the dreadnought with a snap of his fingers. "Eat hearty, big guy." He climbed back aboard while the sound of metal straining reached the ship. Followed closely by the whole thing snapping. Behind them, the Truth and Reconciliation sunk to the bottom. No one thought more about it. They were this close to their destination, they would not be slowed now! With the key to the cage waiting for them, they make for Fiddler's Green!
—oo000oo—
Author's notes: I was trying to think of something epic for the end right there and, in truth, I just got done watching Treasure Planet. And I wanted something that meant how important this one was, not just as a non action filler. I hope I got it. I was planning on this chapter to be the last in Alabasta.
As for One Piece itself, I have learned a long time ago to never believe some is what you think it is. And a treasure from one person may only be junk to another. It is with this that I believe that One Piece is the memories made by the crew with Gold Roger. Dispute it if you like but that, and this, is my story and I'm sticking to it.