REWORKED – As of 4/24/2022 I've gone through the story and revamped things, tweaked some things, and fixed others. Please be patient until I finish ReWorking the other chapters - I decided to make this a new story so people would be able to leave reviews for these new/updated chapters
Author Note:I should have put this in the end notes to begin with but, dear god, do not suggest people for the crew or the harem. I can understand like, at most, 5 suggestions but I've had a good number of people suggest me utterly massive lists of people, ranging from like 29 to freaking 86 and that is just waaaaaaaay too much. So yeah, I'm adding this note to ask you all not to suggest people
Summary: Naruto Otsutsuki, grandson of Kaguya Otsutsuki and the prince of her kingdom, has reached the age to go on his coming of age ceremony to ready him to become king. But he doesn't want to just go out to get him ready, he wants to make a name for himself and better the world. With his grandmother's gift and a ship at hand he'll sail through and create waves as he goes along
Pairing: Naruto x Harem
Prince of the Grand Line
Chapter 1
He always knew this time would come but, even with years to prepare, he wasn't able to stop the bundle of nerves he felt churning in his stomach as a few servants finished up the last touches on his white ceremonial kimono. As he stared at himself in the mirror he couldn't keep from messing with his hair, finding standing still only made his nerves grow stronger.
He already knew his messing with his hair wouldn't make any difference as his spikey blonde hair was the definition of unruly at the best of times, him at least making sure his spikey bangs that framed his face were at least somewhat straight.
As he finished with that – certain they'd at least stay where they were – he looked himself over once more for any missed smudges, his eyes which were blue – the shade of sapphires from what others had told him – looked over his tanned skin while his fingers ran over one of his whisker birthmarks that he had on his cheek, three on each.
"Is he ready?" a familiar voice spoke out to him, getting him to turn to see the source of it leaning against the doorway of the room.
His name was Sasuke Uchiha and he was his oldest friend, the two growing up together since they were both babies.
He, like all Uchiha, had black hair and onyx-colored eyes. His hair was spikey in the back with his long bangs framing his face. At first glance the word that instantly came to mind was cold but that was just due to the 'serious' look he always had on his face since he had decided to train to be his bodyguard since a young age.
His outfit only made his 'serious' look stronger, consisting of a black kimono top, the Uchiha clan symbol on each breast of it, a pair of soft grey hakama pants, white tabi socks, and wooden sandals to finish off his outfit.
All that was missing was the sword he always kept with him but – given the ceremony – he doubted he was allowed by his mother Mikoto to wear it.
"Yes, we just have to let Lady Kaguya know so the ceremony may begin" the head maid told him, getting a nod before he stepped into the room and out of the doorway.
"Good, let her know while I try to settle his nerves. I should be done by the time you return" Sasuke said, a rare smirk appearing on his face as the maid nodded and walked out with the other maids leaving alongside.
"What, did you just come here to tease me?" Naruto grumbled as Sasuke – while incredibly serious and dedicated to his job as his bodyguard – was his best friend and teased him the most alongside his 'chosen brother'.
"No, I came here to get you to calm down. It's not like you to be so on edge about something you know is just a formality" Sasuke told him with a raised eyebrow before he sat down and rubbed his chin in thought. "Though, at the same time, this is only the second time the Shinju has handed out a fruit since your mother and uncle both declined it and their rights to the throne so I guess I can see where the nerves might come from" Sasuke continued before Naruto sighed and looked away.
"This doesn't have anything to do with the Shinju or the fruit….it has everything to do with what I plan to tell my grandmother after…." Naruto grumbled as he wrung his hands a bit to try and ease his nerves a bit.
This 'ceremony' – as Sasuke said – was merely formalities as the Shinju, the guardian deity and God of their home, wasn't going to offer him a fruit if it wasn't going to accept him since the only other to receive and accept a fruit was his grandmother Kaguya Otsutsuki.
His grandmother, while she might not look it with her eternally youthful appearance, was born from a time before the infamous Void Century as the Shinju – a sentient and insanely powerful being whose dormant form was that of a tree that she planted the seed for all those years ago – had granted her a fruit with its power to create and defend her home island.
The power, which would be spread to all those that lived on her island, was called chakra and it allowed those with it to control the elements and with her guidance the island grew in size and population to where it essentially consisted of several nations that were at peace and loyal under her.
Over the years she eventually found love and had two kids before his grandfather, who was always on the move and sailing around, set off again - not to say he didn't keep in touch when he could although Naruto had yet to talk or meet him.
Something about wanting to meet him in person out in the world rather than a 'home visit'.
In the end both of her kids had no interest in the throne, not that she minded as she didn't pressure them into feeling they needed to take it if they didn't want to, and eventually he was born.
But tragedy seemed to enjoy striking at times as – during a period of time where she had to go into a slumber to reconvene with the Shinju once every ten years for a full month a deranged student of his father's who was spurred on by a monstrous shadow created and let loose on the island by the World Government attacked and killed his parents with the use of a Devil Fruit.
Naruto's parents had given their lives to kill the student and protect him and, after learning of it once she woke up, his grandmother raised him as if she was his mother while quickly dispatching and eradicating the 'shadow'.
Now Naruto was open to ascending the throne, but he also had another desire, another dream – one which he felt was somewhat following in his mother and uncle's footsteps and going a bit beyond in a potentially foolish way.
"You speak as if Lady Kaguya isn't already aware of your goal" Sasuke pointed out, getting a flat look from Naruto before he rolled his eyes.
"Knowing about it and me telling her are two different things as so far she hasn't mentioned it so she's waiting on me to tell her and – even if she knows – it's still nerve-wracking to tell her as even you thought it was insane at first" Naruto told him, getting a nod of agreement from Sasuke since he and the few others that Naruto had revealed his plan to all those years ago did think he was insane or that it was unbelievable but, even then, they couldn't help but believe in him.
"Well, if she hasn't said anything yet I'd personally take that as a sign that shows she is okay with the idea," Sasuke started to say as he stood up and dusted off his pants "but then again I don't dare to assume Lady Kaguya's thoughts as she is a woman who no one really can ever tell what she is thinking" he pointed out before opening the door just as the maid was about to knock, looking back at Naruto one last time as he stepped out of the room.
"Take it from me Naruto, Lady Kaguya is nothing but supportive of you and all those who live here – speak your mind and she will accept your decision but right now, you have a ceremony to take part in and there is no time to waste" he reminded him, Naruto sighing as he nodded, knowing Sasuke was right but even then - while somewhat calmed - his nerves still twisted inside him as he followed the maids through the hall with Sasuke a few steps behind him.
As they walked into the massive main hall of his essential castle of a home the second he saw his grandmother at the end his nerves disappeared and he focused on the task at hand. The serious look on her face alone was enough to get him to stop worrying about what came afterwards and to just focus on now.
His grandmother, with just one look, anyone could tell she was in command and of 'noble blood' with her outfit that consisted of a high collared hime-kimono with six tomoe running down the center of it and countless around the edges of her sleeves adding to it.
Her long white hair that went down to the floor and trailed a foot or two behind her also added to her 'noble' vibes alongside her short round eyebrows and long nails. Her skin was a somewhat pale white that matched her pale white eyes though, the most 'stand out' parts of her was the third eye that was closed currently on her forehead and the two brown horns on her head that was the cause of her well known nickname of the 'Rabbit Goddess'.
As they reached her a simple nod was enough to dismiss the servants to their seats while Sasuke kneeled down behind him and to the side a bit.
"Naruto Otsutsuki, today you turn 18" she began, her voice soft but able to be heard by all the countless people in attention as well as those that were watching over the Den-Den-Mushi that were recording and broadcasting it across the continents. "I have raised you and watched you grow before my eyes, becoming a man your mother and father would have been proud of" she added as she walked closer to him and, for a moment, cupped his cheek with a smile before pulling her hand away and returning to her serious demeanor.
"You have become kind beyond your years, reaching out and forming bonds with those at home and those abroad that you met through tagging alongside my diplomatic travels. You have grown strong through training by those you sought out and asked to train you. And you have become just and fair through having seen and heard of atrocities and crimes committed throughout the world" she listed off as looked him in the eyes before breaking the gaze and looking around to those who were in the seated crowd.
"As prince of the Otsutsuki clan and future ruler of the Land of Ancestors you are entitled to the throne but no one is entitled to a fruit bequeathed by the Shinju as never, after myself, has it offered one - not to your mother and nor to your uncle so this truly is a sign of your worth" she announced as she panned the crowd before returning her gaze to him.
"But do not let the importance weigh heavily on you, do not let this burden you, as no matter your actions - no matter your words - you are you. You have no one you need compare yourself to" she assured him with a soft smile as she reached into her large sleeves and pulled out a medium sized simple wooden box with the symbol of the Otsutsuki clan on it - a crescent moon with a circle inside the inner curve of the moon.
"When I first settled on this island all those years ago I came with a special seed - a one of a kind seed - that I was guided to plant and that would give form to the Shinju. It in return gave me a fruit, not a Devil Fruit like the many across the seas, but a God Fruit - one of a kind until now" she recounted before she opened the box to reveal a peach that had six concentric circles around it as well as nine tomoe in total along the circles - the same design that was on his grandmother's third eye - the RinneSharingan - which was now open and gazing down at him.
"The Shinju has instructed me to gift you this fruit, deeming you worthy of its power given unique form special to you alone. Consume the fruit and may its power grant you the skills required to protect this land and those who have and those who will enter your life" she instructed, allowing Naruto to take the fruit.
The fruit felt heavy in his hand as he turned to face the crowd, a look over to his friends who sat nearby and Sasuke was all he needed before he began to eat the fruit.
Its flavor and texture was hard to describe as, truthfully, it didn't have either while at the same time having a lingering taste that felt both familiar and new at the same time. He made sure to eat it all, the pit the only left behind before it surprisingly evaporated in his hand - though with the dangers its seed could pose it made sense the Shinju would ensure all traces were gone.
-Naruto's Mindscape-
He did his best to keep calm as everything around him turned to black, not due to passing out but from what he figured to be the Shinju itself. Though the massive pair of RinneSharingan staring up at him from the water below him quickly confirmed this.
"We are in your mind young child for it is within you that your new power will take its shape" the Shinju explained, its voice deep yet soft as the darkness faded and the scenery changed to a clear lake with a golden horizon all around him.
"I have deemed you worthy, something I haven't done since Kaguya but your power is different than hers" the Shinju spoke as it looked up at him while nine swirls of what looked like colored water formed around him.
"Why? Why, or how, am I worthy?" Naruto couldn't help but blurt out before he quickly covered his mouth, not wanting to speak out of turn but, from the deep billowing laughter he heard around him, it was probably safe to say he was okay.
"Young man, I have watched over every human on the land of which my roots spread through for countless years and I have observed your family closely due to Kaguya being like a daughter to me. You - like her - possess a quality to your soul that desires freedom and desires to free and protect others. You possess a soul longing for a degree of peace thought futile and foolish in this turbulent world and I can see your conviction and drive" the Shinju revealed as the clear lake rumbled and shook, Naruto doing his best to stay upright before a massive tree burst from the ground behind him.
"I deemed you worthy long ago and I will be excitedly watching how you shake up the world around you" the Shinju finished as the swirls in the water below him started to gain more intensity to their color and the world around him started to fade.
-Real World-
As the real world returned around him he instinctively knew that no time had passed and also that something was happening to him by the wide eyes of everyone looking at him.
"Seems this is how the Shinju chooses to alter you, to show to the world that the fruit has accepted you" his grandmother said, a smirk in her voice as she walked up beside him and held out a small mirror at him to show the changes made to him.
Other than the RinneSharingan active in his eyes for a moment the first, and most obvious change, was his hair. Gone was the sunny blonde he was used to seeing and now it had become a mix of yellow and orange that reminded him of flames, especially with how even more gravity defying it had become where it seemed to even sway like a flame.(*1)
Thankfully it wasn't actually fire, which he figured out by touching it without even thinking twice, and thankfully it also didn't actually seem to glow or shine like fire otherwise that'd definitely make stealth and hiding impossible…..Not to say this hair would make it easy in general.
"And with that, I officially declare you, Naruto Otsutsuki, the true heir to the throne!" Kaguya declared with a smile as the crowd loudly cheered and she put away the mirror. "Now! Let the festivities begin to celebrate this but also his birthday before my grandson sets out for the sea tomorrow!" she reminded, draping an arm over his shoulder before her attendants started to bring in the food and tables while taking away the cushioned seats as this was the main hall where such festivities were held.
As the party officially began things started out with him meeting each of his mother's 'generals' which was the term used for the leaders of each of the many countries throughout their home.
For the most part there were five major generals, fire, wind, lightning, earth, and water - all named after the name of their countries though there were others like Rain, Waterfall, Iron, and Snow as well as several more.
From Tsunade Senju, the Fire General, he was mainly gifted medical supplies for his 'going away gift' while his birthday gift from her was a simple forehead kiss. That was a bit of an 'inside thing' among her family and loved ones like her husband and little brother and had given him her family's special necklace long ago to show her faith in his dream.
After her came Mei Terumi, the Water General, who had gifted him the practical gift of a Log Pose, one for each half of the Grand Line. She had also given him a variety of weapons and tools so any potential crew mates he might pick up could be armed.
The next was the Lightning General, a man who went by the name of Aye. His gift was quite simple of some weights so that he could keep up on his training as well as a scroll for a technique that he felt might be useful. He warned him that it wasn't easy to master but if he could get the basics down for it then it could protect him in the future.
The Stone General was next, a man named Onoki who, while a rather serious man at times, still had gifts prepared. His gifts were Seastone themed, which was a special stone mined at the bottom of the sea that negated the abilities of Devil Fruit users and was overall an incredibly strong material. He also told him that he was having his ship fortified with it to help hide it a bit more from Sea Kings.
The last General, the Wind General, was a man he knew very well given they were like a brother to him and an incredibly close friend. Gaara, the youngest ever General, was also someone he grew up around due to his father being the former General which allowed them to spend time together.
His gift, like Tsunade's, was in two parts. The first, his gift as his friend, was stuff he thought he might like such as a photo album, a cactus to tend to, as well as other gardening supplies as they shared the hobby. His second gift was something suggested by his grandmother, a few medium-sized gourds of various sands that had seals inside them to allow for more to be stored inside than what was expected.
His grandmother suggested it as, with how not even she knew what powers the Shinju would grant she figured it might come in handy to prepare for any new sub-elements or abilities he might awaken.
From there things became a bit of a haze, several of other Generals as well as his close friends from many of the nations also gave him gifts, all of which he was thankful for and happy that they were here for him.
The only slight 'worrying' gift was a supposed surprise that Orochimaru and Amado - both top heads of his home's research and development groups as well as biological research groups - had apparently stashed away on his ship. Mainly due to the warning to not go looking for it as it'll make itself known once it is finished whatever apparent 'process' it had to finish.
He was beyond thankful but, throughout everything that's happened so far today, he desperately needed some air and - with some help from Sasuke - was able to sneak away to the nearby veranda for some air.
It's not like this ceremony or the fruit was something that he hadn't known about for years, it was mainly just the fact it had all really happened and the events after it that really caused it to hit him that it was real.
"Having trouble Naruto? Don't tell me you've got cold feet?" a voice teased, a voice so familiar he couldn't help but smile as he turned to see the voice of a girl who was very close and dear to him.
"Sakura, I was wondering where you were" he said with a smile, a bit stunned at how beautiful she looked - not that she didn't always look beautiful to him - as she wore a very elegant kimono.
Her name was Sakura Haruno and she was someone he also knew since he was a kid and, despite his crazy love life - to put it lightly - was very dear to him.
She had soft green eyes, a purple diamond on her forehead, and light pink hair that she had grown out to the middle of her back which had a braid done near the end of it as well as a french braid going around the back of her head from one temple to the other with various red flower ornaments in it on the back of her head and above her left ear.
Her kimono was a very soft pink, almost white, with pink sakura petals and flower designs on it, a black and red trim, a matching black obi with a red trim, and a red jacket with a white trim over it.
"You look beautiful…" Naruto couldn't help but mutter as he stared at her, almost in a daze from just how amazing she looked - especially in the moonlight.
"Thanks Naruto, I'm glad you like it" Sakura said, unable to hold back her smile as she blushed softly and tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear. "It took me longer to get into the kimono than I thought as my parents insisted I change out of my dress and put this on after the ceremony, thankfully Lady Kaguya had some maids help me get it on" Sakura said with a bit of a sigh before a weight crashed down on his back and a pair of arms hugged around him.
"More like they had difficulties binding down her massive chest with wrappings so they asked me to help pull" the new voice said, a smirk heavy in her tone before he turned to see her smiling over at Sakura.
"Oh shut up Zero Two! They aren't that massive!" Sakura blurted out, a dark blush on her face as she covered her chest instinctively with her hands.
"Uh huh, in what world is a mid-L cup not massive?" Zero Two deadpanned with a roll of her eyes while Naruto silently agreed with her. It might not show in her kimono currently but, due to some training she did with Tsunade to become a medic ninja, it resulted in a sizable increase in her bust.
Tsunade didn't know the reason or cause of it but so far it had only been replicated with Sakura, theorized due to her mastering Tsunade's most well known technique which took the form of the diamond on her forehead.
"Enough about that though, how do you like my kimono Darling?" Zero Two said as she quickly got off his back and hugged his arm with a smile, allowing him to see how she looked.
Her kimono was also very pretty on her, the majority of it being white with black trimming around the edges of the sleeves with pure red with black outlines and white butterflies that had black lines on their wings adorning it and a red obi around her waist.
Zero Two, like Sakura, also had pink hair, though hers was longer and went down a bit past her waist with bangs that covered her forehead, teal eyes, and had red markings along the outer edges of her eyes.
The most noticeable part of her was definitely her thin red horns that poked out from a bit above her forehead with a white headband over them a bit. Her horns were different from his grandmothers obviously as Zero Two's were a byproduct of a Devil Fruit she was force fed as a kid - the Mythical Zoan Human-Human Fruit: Model Red Oni.
He had met Zero Two when they both were young kids, his grandmother and him visiting an island in their South Blue sea at the suggestion of a traveling merchant for some good food and sights.
The trip was nice but, being the curious kid he was, he ventured off on his own and stumbled upon a building out in the forest the outside of it looked barren and abandoned but, after seeing someone tugging on the arm of a red skinned girl with horns his childlike curiosity got the better of him and made him sneak into the building.
From a young age he was already pretty good at being stealthy so, after he snuck in and saw her chained to the wall and clutching a picture book for dear life he knew he had to save her. It was made a bit tricky given she didn't seem to understand him but thankfully he was able to get her to escape with him and meet back up with his grandmother.
But not before - in his childish stupidly - naming her Zero Two after the barcode bracelet on her ankle, a name she adamantly accepted and refused to let go of to this day.
Of course once they got to his grandmother, despite her letting out a tired sigh, she helped the girl and brought her back home with them.
From what little they were able to figure out when she sent some of her men to infiltrate the building she was one of a thousand test subjects to try and withstand the Red Oni fruit and, given they learned they were counting down from one thousand, they were nearly out of subjects before she was made to eat the fruit.
Apparently they were able to keep ahold of the Red Oni fruit due to the fruit only 'possessing' the specific fruit that grew on that island.
Once home Zero Two clung closely to him and over time got control over her fruit to allow her to look as she did now. The rest after that was history.
"You look amazing Zero Two" Naruto told her with a smile, getting her happy smile to grow even bigger before she hugged his arm tighter and happily kissed his cheek before nuzzling against him.
"Back to the matter at hand," Sakura spoke up with a sigh as she moved over to his other side and - in a somewhat subtle manner - hugged his other arm "how are you really feeling? Nervous? Worried?" she asked as he turned back towards the night sky with a sigh of his own.
"A bit of both and more I guess? I mean, I knew this day was coming but it still just feels….surreal I guess…." he admitted as he stared out before his unsure face grew a soft smile. "I am also excited though, I finally get to set out and make a name for myself - not that I feel like I'm in anyone's shadow or anything but it's still nice to be able to go out in the world and begin my dream" he told them before quickly explaining himself a bit, his smile growing as he talked about his dream.
"Have you told Lady Kaguya about it yet?" Sakura asked as she gave his arm a squeeze before he shook his head.
"Not yet but I'm going to tell her, kind of have to given what I have planned to give her a bit of a warning" he admitted with a chuckle before he heard a familiar soft laugh behind him.
"Seems like I arrived at the perfect moment then" his grandmother said as she walked out onto the veranda with a smile. "I came looking for you once I noticed you were gone but it seems you just went for some air though, if you have something to discuss, this could be as good a time as any" she suggested, although the look in her eyes told him she wasn't trying to push if he wasn't prepared.
"No, you're right, this is the best time rather than blurting it out before I set off" Naruto told her as the girls let go of him, allowing him to turn around before the both of them heading back inside and sending him one last supportive look his way.
As his mother closed the doors to the veranda Naruto did his best to calm his nerves, taking a deep breath before looking up at his grandmother who was patiently waiting for him to begin.
"The world outside this island and outside the South Blue is a crazy place, I might have only seen small bits of it while I tagged alongside you on various trips but just with those small bits I know that much…." he started with a sigh as he leaned back against the railing of the veranda. "Marines abusing their position and power for their own benefits in the name of 'Justice', Celestial Dragons being disgusting excuses for living beings while the World Government spoils them and obeys their every demand, and Pirates, well, being pirates…..but even then out of all those in the world you could say Pirates are the most free, right?" he listed off before asking a question, looking up at his grandmother who nodded as she walked over to stand beside him, looking out at the garden past the veranda.
"You'd be right, in a world led by the World Government and controlled by the Celestial Dragons, Pirates are indeed the most free" she answered, not going further as she knew he was most likely going somewhere with this.
"And the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was the sole person in this world with the most freedom, the one who was truly his own man with no one above him and when he died his words ignited the Great Pirate Era and it also created a vacuum" he explained as he turned around and rested his elbows on the railing.
"I know the moment I leave the South Blue I will be labeled a Pirate no matter what I do, it's to be expected given how much the World Government has it out for you" he told her as, given she has been around long before the taboo 'Void Century', they couldn't go after her for the knowledge she knew was a danger to them but any children of hers were fair game.
The only reason he wouldn't get a bounty while sailing in his home sea was due to an agreement she made with them long ago to ensure her children could sail around without worry of a bounty….though that didn't stop them from attacking any child of hers if the Marines came across them but then again all of her children expected as much and only set out when they were ready or when on the crew of someone strong enough to look after them.
In her own words, she didn't want to coddle her children by stopping everything but did at least want to keep them from being registered as a Pirate in case they just wanted to live a simple life in the kingdom. It was a small thing but it did take a small bit of pressure off him.
"I don't mind being a Pirate, in fact, I welcome it as I want Roger's freedom! I want to be the Pirate King!" Naruto declared as he slammed his hands down on the railing and looked over at her, smiling widely as she looked over at him with a smirk of her own. "I want to be someone unshackled by the World Government, by other Pirates, by the Celestial Dragons, and by anyone else in this world and I want to use that freedom to fix things!" he added as he stepped back from the railing and clenched his fists.
"Corrupt Marines and monstrous Celestial Dragons, I want the freedom to set them straight and fix things! I'm not saying I want to raze the Marines or even the World Government, I want to use the attention of being the Pirate King to become their target and make it where their "Justice" is actual justice and not the justice the Celestial Dragons declare it to be! I want to ensure the Celestial Dragons aren't pulling the strings! I want to use my freedom to free others from the bullshit the World Government does to them all!" Naruto said as the mere thought of some of the stories he's heard from his uncle and others who had traveled the world was enough to make his blood boil at times.
Slaves, wanton murder just for the fact of learning knowledge labeled forbidden, or - in some case - just because a Celestial Dragon thought someone looked at them funny. There were so much more but the more he thought about them he only knew he'd get angrier.
"I'm not looking to be the Pirate King for fame or glory or anything like that. I want to find One Piece, figure out what it is Roger left behind and stand upon the top of the world and be someone that people look to for hope! Hope that they too can be themselves and be free without fear of being arrested for getting on a Marine's bad side or knowing a pirate!" he started to rant before his grandmother stopped him by placing something on his head.
"Now it all makes sense, I always wondered why your Uncle asked me to hold onto this hat for you until the day you told me your dream" Kaguya told him, getting him to look up to her and notice she had put a very, very familiar straw hat on his head - the hat that was his uncle's greatest treasure since it was given to him by his former captain Gol D Roger.
His uncle, to the world, was 'Red-Haired Shanks' one of the four pirates referred to as a Yonko - the Four Emperors - but to Naruto he was his goofy uncle who let him hang out with him and his pirate crew and follow him around like a lost puppy dog.
He was also the first person who he told his dream to and while he obviously laughed given he was a four year old kid declaring that, he never discouraged him, only telling him to wait until he was older.
It seemed though he actually believed in him which was rather surprising….
"Naruto, listen to me now and listen closely" she started, her tone being serious, serious enough to snap him out of the daze of being gifted this hat by his uncle and look up at her and see her entire expression was just as serious as her tone. "The path you are planning to go down will be a treacherous one, one that will put you through more hardships than any other man but that goal of yours, while I support you without a shred of hesitation or doubt, I can't help but laugh at it" she told him, a smile breaking out on her face with a soft chuckle before she pulled him in for a hug.
"Know that no matter what you do in the world, this country, myself, and - most importantly - your mother and father, will always be proud of you and will support you. Your goal is pure unlike any other I've seen and you have your uncle's support as well as mine so have faith in yourself and never let this desire and drive falter, not even for a second" she told him before pulling back and put her hands on his shoulders before looking into his eyes, getting a nod from him as he found his vision blurred from tears forming in his eyes.
"I promise, I'm not going to stop until I become the Pirate King, I swear" he assured her, wiping his tears before he adjusted his hat and steadied his emotions.
"I'll be holding you to it as I know you are a man to never go back on your word" she told him with a smile before patting his back softly as he nodded while his hand couldn't help but go up to his new straw hat.
"I still can't quite believe he gave it to me…." Naruto muttered as he adjusted the hat to sit on the back of his head.
"Well he's believed in you for quite a long time but told me to wait to give it to you until I heard you tell me this dream of yours on your own" Kaguya pointed out as Naruto widened his eyes a bit.
"He gave it to you all the way back then?! I first told him it back when I was like four!?" Naruto said in shock, surprised that not only did his uncle support him but decided to do so all the way back then when he first told him about his dream and goal.
"Your uncle was on Roger's crew and was entrusted that hat by him so if there is any sign to show one believes in your dream it's that hat. Protect it well and prove to your uncle that he was right in handing it over" she reminded him before she patted his shoulder with a smile.
"But don't forget you still have a party tonight before you can set off into the world tomorrow morning. I recommend you enjoy yourself and use the confidence boost that that hat gives you to bolster you when you give your farewell speech when you set off" she suggested, getting a nod from him as he knew she was right.
The rest of the night was only more of a daze, him barely remembering the rest of it and not remembering falling asleep, just straight up passing out the second his head hit the pillow.
Then again that was somewhat expected after the day he had.
-Next Day-
His nerves as he got dressed were a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he wanted to set off but was also a bit nervous to finally do so.
He kept his outfit simple, not wanting to do anything gaudy or flashy, it consisting of a pair of loose black pants that were held up with a red sash as a belt, a long sleeve thin and loose long sleeved dark orange shirt, and a pair of wooden sandals alongside his ever present green gem necklace.
His new straw hat was obviously a part of his outfit, it sitting on the back of his head with the only modification he dared make to it was adding a cord to it so if it did fall off his head while fighting he wouldn't end up losing it.
The only part of his outfit that might come off as potentially flashy was his sage cloak, a red trench coat that had black flames lining the bottom of it that he wore draped on his shoulders since it was proof of his mastery of a technique he was proud of being able to learn.
A knock at his door snapped him out of his thoughts and out of looking himself over in the mirror again to try and get everything looking presentable - especially given he had to now deal with literal gravity defying floaty hair.
"You ready to go?" Sasuke asked as he opened the door and revealed the outfit he had chosen to set out in.
It definitely showed he was taking things seriously as it consisted of a black kimono jacket with a dark blue trip that had armor plating on his shoulders, the back of the biceps, and on the back of the edge of the sleeves near his wrist while a purple rope was wrapped around his waist that had a new sword - that he figured he'd learn about later when he actually used it - underneath the rope. Underneath the kimono jacket was a black shirt while he wore a pair of black pants that also had armor plating on the sides of his thighs, black calf high sandals.(*2)
"Yeah I'm ready, are the others waiting at the docks?" Naruto asked as he gave his room one last look over, though it wasn't to try and make sure he didn't forget anything as everything he wanted to bring with him had been taken out of his room and moved to wherever his ship was over a week ago.
If anything it was to say 'goodbye' to the room he grew up in for 18 years as now he was finally leaving to see the world.
"Yes, Sakura and Zero Two went on ahead and are most likely waiting onboard the ship for us but don't worry, we aren't late" Sasuke assured him as they left and made their way towards the docks.
For the most part there wasn't anyone around, his home empty other than the guards and the streets also barren until they got closer to the docks where a lot of the people were there to see him off.
Once they arrived Naruto was finally able to see his ship and just at first glance he was shocked at how big it was. Its size was made more obvious due to his grandmother and a few of the others standing at the bottom of the ramp that led up to it as a 'comparison' to it.
If anything it looked about the same size as his uncle's ship 'Red Force' or just a bit smaller than it.
Appearance wise it looked just as imposing as its size with a dark red hull with black railing and trim along the edges of it and a pointed bow at the front. It had three masts with white sails hanging from it and a crow's nest atop each of the masts.
"Naruto my boy, allow me to introduce you to the Crimson Tide, your ship that will take you along your journey, wherever it ends up being" Tazuna said with a smile as he and Sasuke arrived at the bottom of the ramp.
Tazuna, while primarily a bridge builder, was a skilled carpenter in general so he was chosen by his grandmother to lead the group of carpenters that were in charge of making his ship.
"It's massive…." Naruto said in awe, letting out an impressed whistle before Tazuna patted him on the back with a laugh.
"Your grandmother insisted on it being this big, telling me she was certain you'd attract a large crew and who was I to argue?" Tazuna said with a smile before gesturing towards the ship. "This baby has essentially five floors - four below deck and two floors above deck near the back that equal one floor if you were to add them together and a large hold under the floors to store all your goods. On either side there are ten cannons with another one underneath the bow with two at the back as well" he explained with a smile. "And you don't have to worry too much about this ship as it can take a beating since we used wood from the Shinju itself to make this ship, the wood of it being stronger than even Adam's Wood with Sea Stone fortifications as well" he revealed, surprising Naruto as he quickly looked to his grandmother in shock only to find her smirking at him.
"The Shinju, of its own accord, shed a large quantity of wood and when I consulted it I was told to simply come ask if more was needed. Seems the Shinju wanted to have you prepared, even giving you extra planks in case additions might be needed" she explained, showing just how 'on his side' the Shinju was which honestly stunned him a bit.
"Getting nervous?" a new voice spoke out, getting him to turn around to see a familiar woman walking up to him with a smile.
The woman was Portgas D. Rouge, the mother of one of his 'chosen brothers' Ace and - shockingly enough - the former lover of Gol D. Roger. After Roger had died she was a target of the World Government but, unknown to her, Roger had asked an old friend of his to in turn ask his grandmother to let her live there for her and their child's safety.
Given his grandmother's respect for Roger and hatred towards how the Marines saw any friends and family of pirates as criminals, she easily accepted without a second thought and from there Naruto and Ace pretty much grew up together before he set off on his own journey three years ago.
"A little, I'd have to be stupid not to be Auntie" he told her with a chuckle, using the nickname she insisted on before accepting her hug.
"Good, shows you aren't letting your guard down and be safer than my idiot son most likely was when he first set off" she grumbled with a roll of her eyes before pulling away with her hands on his shoulders. "When you eventually run into him tell him to call home, tell him his mother is worried about him" she asked with a sigh since they both knew how reckless he could be at times.
"I promise though I feel he'll seek me out as soon as I enter the Grand Line" Naruto told her as his arrival on the Grand Line would definitely be something that would cause a massive buzz - at least in certain channels.
"Don't be afraid to give him a smack if need be" she teased, Naruto chuckling as he nodded before she moved to stand by Tazuna and allow Kaguya to start things.
"I'd be lying if I didn't feel a bit sad to see you leave" Kaguya told him before she let out a soft but slightly sad sigh. "But I know you have to set off and as much as I want to talk your ear off I've already said my part so, before anyone starts crying, I think it's best to say goodbye to the crowd and set off" she added, wiping a fake tear from her eye though he could see her eyes were getting ever so slightly wet.
"I'll head up on board and tell the others we are about to set off" Sasuke told him as Naruto nodded and turned towards the crowd before his grandmother gave him a Den-Den-Mushi to broadcast his voice over the speakers.
"Everyone, thank you for coming to see me off but let me make a bit of an early apology as the path I've decided to take will cause you all a lot of trouble as Marines and World Government agents are bound to try and attack more and more…." he started, sighing a bit before he held his head up high. "But I promise you, my actions will make you proud when I achieve them! I plan to shake the world to its core and change things for the better so just you wait and see as I'm going to become the Pirate King!" Naruto declared, smirking at the sight of the shocked looks on some of the people in the crowd before handing his grandmother the Den-Den-Mushi and turned around to head up the ramp to board the ship.
The loud cheers that quickly came after at least showed they believed in him and supported him.
He couldn't hold back his smile as he waved to everyone as he stood atop the railing while the ship started to sail out of the dock and into the sea.
He stayed there for a bit until the island started to become smaller and smaller before he finally turned around and hopped off the railing and onto the deck. He couldn't hold back an impressed whistle as he saw just how large the deck was on his already large ship before he made his way up to the steering wheel, seeing Sasuke was the one steering.
"The others getting their rooms together?" Naruto asked before someone behind him dropped down from above.
"Already did, Sakura is looking over the ship while I was enjoying the sight from the crow's nest" Zero Two said with a smile as he turned around to see her and her excited smile.
Zero Two had gone with an outfit different from her usual outfit but kept the color scheme of it a bit. She wore a red long sleeved jacket that had notched lapels that had a black trip to them with a golden button on each part and a white collared shirt underneath with a black tie under its collar. Her skirt black and double layered with a red belt around the top of it with the skirt being somewhat short, barely reaching the mid-thigh length with telltale black garter belt straps down her thighs that were attached to her black stockings and a pair of calf high boots to end her outfit.
He did notice her large high collared black jacket fluttering down from the sky due to her sudden drop from above - the crow's nest most likely - that she often wore on her shoulders and often fell off since she didn't use chakra like he did to make his stick to him.
"With how big the ship is I wanted to get a feel for it, know where some of the important rooms are, and choose a room that felt nice" Sakura's voice spoke out as she walked up from below deck.
He couldn't help but be a bit stunned by Sakura's outfit as, unlike in her kimono, her sizable mid-L cup chest was incredibly on display. Her new outfit consisted of a red loose long sleeved collarless button up shirt that was open to the point it rested halfway on her shoulders and showed off an insane amount of her breasts and cleavage. The black corset under her shirt only accentuated and pushed things up more with the rest of her outfit consisting of a red skirt with her trademark black spats that he loved underneath, and a pair of black sandals that went up to her calves.
To say he was finding it hard not to stare was an understatement.
"Stop drooling Naruto" Sasuke joked with a smirk, getting Naruto to shake his daze off before glaring back at his friend. "Any idea where you want to head off to first?" he asked, ignoring the glare as Zero Two teased Sakura a bit while they weren't looking.
"I don't really have a plan, maybe just sail around until we find an island and then take it from there. We're in no rush to get to the Grand Line and I want to explore my home sea as much as I can" Naruto explained as he stretched a bit. "Plus I want to explore the ship a bit, figure out where my room is and see what all got put on here" he added before Sasuke tossed him a small Den-Den-Mushi.
"Keep that on you in case I need to reach you" Sasuke told him, getting a nod as he hopped over the railing, too excited to explore his ship to waste time with the stairs. "You two not going with?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow as he thought they'd want to stick by his side.
"No need, let him explore his ship on his own, there'll be more than enough time for alone time with him later" Zero Two said with a playful smirk as she licked her lips as if she was a predator and Naruto was prey which only got a sigh from Sasuke.
Sometimes he felt sorry for his friend and his….chaotic love life….
Finding his room wasn't that difficult for Naruto as, not only was it on the first floor, but it was - to be expected - the biggest room on the ship though, for the sake of not wanting to feel 'over extravagant' it wasn't too big.
He was also able to find a few of the other's rooms as well as some storage rooms for the weapons he was given as well as some Berry that was given to him to help pay for anything he might need in the beginnings of his journey.
His exploring got cut short as the Den-Den-Mushi started to ring.
"Naruto, we have a ship heading our way. Doesn't look like a pirate ship but you might want to head up as they are trying to flag us down" Sasuke alerted him as Naruto already started making his way back up.
"Pull up the sails, ready a rope ladder, and bring us to a stop then - we'll see what they want but obviously be on guard" he responded before hanging up, arriving on deck shortly after.
The ship didn't take too long to pull up alongside them though, due to the difference in size, it was a bit hard to peer down at. It didn't look out of the ordinary and the man who was climbing up the ladder seemed normal but his gut was churning and just felt off every time he looked down at the ship….
"Sorry for flagging you down, we're just kind of lost and you're the first ship we've seen in a while" the man said after he climbed over the railing. "Wouldn't happen to have a map you could lend us to help us get our bearings?" the man asked as Naruto frowned a bit.
"What are you doing out here anyways? Merchants or just travelers like us?" Naruto asked as the man shrugged with a smile.
"Just sailing around the seas but wound up a bit lost" the man said as Naruto's stomach clenched, not physically but almost 'mentally' as if that made any sense.
"That's a lie" Naruto blurted out, not quite sure why or how he felt this way but his gut feeling gave him a strong inclination of it despite the man giving off no tell-tale warning signs.
"What was that?" the man almost hissed out as Naruto clenched his head in pain a bit as the feeling in his gut grew stronger, the raw emotion making him feel like calling out for help.
"Sasuke" Naruto simply said, nothing more being needed before his friend appeared behind the man with his sword drawn and held at his neck. "I said you're lying so tell the truth, what are you doing out here?" Naruto asked as he glared at the man, waving off Sakura's worry over him clenching his head.
"We're just merchants, nothing more, nothing less" the man hissed out before Sasuke held the blade closer to the man's neck.
"Merchants dealing in what exactly?" Naruto hissed out as he continued to feel what felt like cries for help and utter pure sadness.
The man was tight lipped before Sasuke held his blade even closer as its sharpness was enough to draw blood with it just barely touching him.
"F-Fine! Slaves! We're dealing in slaves! We've been going around snatching anyone we think might fetch some Berry! N-Now please don't kil-" the man confessed before Sasuke slit the man's throat without even needing to be told before he launched it over the side of the railing back onto the ship that was docked beside them.
No words were needed to be said as the four of them leapt over the side of the railing a mere second behind the body.
As the body crashed down onto the deck of the visiting ship the other slave traders didn't have any time to react before they were taken out. The rest of the ship wasn't any different as not only did they have the utter element of surprise but they were also far more trained than any random slave traders.
Naruto was the first to find the slaves as he chose to follow the strong - what he figured to be emotions - he was sensing. The sight of the slaves made him enraged that this had been happening in his home sea but he did his best to keep calm as he was quick to hold his hands up to show the slaves he wasn't there to hurt him.
"Don't worry, I'm here to free you all. My crew is dispatching the slavers who captured you" he assured them, seeing the fear and worry in their eyes almost evaporate instantly as they realized they were being freed.
"I found the keys to their collars, Zero Two and Sasuke took out the last of the traders and have found their maps about which islands they've been to" Sakura told him as she entered the room, already starting on freeing them from their slave collars without needing to be told.
"Is this everyone or are there other rooms?" Naruto asked out to the slaves before someone shook their head.
"There are two others that they keep locked up separately, they might be Devil Fruit users since they both look like animals. I think they are kept deeper in the ship" one person said before Sakura tossed him the keys, having unlocked the last slave's collar.
As Naruto made his way through the ship it didn't take too long to find where the others were locked up as the sturdy solid metal door kind of made things obvious. He was careful as he peered through the small window on the door due to quickly noticing a guard inside.
"Who's there? What's all the commotion out there?" a male voice spoke out, Naruto quickly ducking his head down out of view before henge-ing into the man who came aboard their ship.
"Just a bit of trouble with those we just captured but we might have to lock one of them up in here, I think they might have Devil Fruit powers" he told the man, smiling at the sound of the door unlocking and dropping the henge the second the door opened, taking him out simple with a slitting of his throat with a kunai.
He was able to find a set of keys on the man, most likely for the cell and their specific collars, before he made his way into the room.
"Well you're new. You here to save us?" a woman's voice asked out, getting him to turn and see the two figures shackled to the back wall inside the cell – instantly knowing what they were.
"You two are Minks" he said in shock, not expecting a race that lived in the second half of the Grand Line to be found in his home sea.
Both of them were women and rather short, easily around 4ft 5in from what he could eyeball, and both dressed in a rag-like dress.
The first seemed to be a bat - if her black wings and large ears were anything to go by – with white fur that covered most of her head save for her tan muzzle with the rest of her skin also being tan, teal eyes, and blue eyeshadow.
The second was very clearly a white rabbit with long blonde hair that was done up in a rough French braid – most likely due to being locked up – with a long bang somewhat covering one of her red eyes that had purple eyeshadow.
"Wow, I'll give you that, you were the first to actually know that without being told" the bat woman said as Naruto started unlocking the door.
"I can imagine as you guys are definitely not from around here but to answer your question, yes, I am here to save you guys and all the other slaves here. These dumbasses tried to come up to my ship and act like they were just looking for directions only to probably try and attack and capture me and my crew" Naruto told them with a slight glare as he freed them from their shackles as well as their collars.
"Pretty sure that's their MO, was bound to end with them hitting someone above their pay grade…." the rabbit said with a frown as she rubbed her wrists to try and remove the feeling of being bound on her skin.
"Definitely the case here as me and my crew wiped all of them out….my name is Naruto by the way" he said, formally introducing himself as the two Minks nodded.
"I'm Rouge, a bat Mink if that wasn't clear" Rouge said with a weak flutter of her wings, wincing a bit probably due to the stiffness caused by not being able to use them for so long.
"And I'm Hariet, a rabbit Mink" Hariet said with a frown while she tried to fix her hair as best she could.
"Nice to meet you two but for now let's head above deck to figure out what to do next" Naruto suggested as he picked up the dead body of the man who was guarding the two Minks and getting a nod from the two of them as they followed behind him a bit while they made their way above deck.
"Everyone taken care of?" Naruto asked as they arrived above deck, seeing Sasuke and Zero Two dumping the bodies of the slave traders overboard which Naruto did the same with the body he was carrying.
"Yeah, some tried to escape on a dinghy but I got to them" Zero Two explained as Sakura came out of the ship with a few chests on her shoulders.
"I think I found where these assholes stored all their clothes so, one at a time, try and find your clothes" Sakura told them, setting the crates down as they started to process of finding their clothes or any clothes they could possibly wear other than rags.
As the men and women separated, going into separate rooms to change, Naruto focused on the maps the others found.
"Seems like these guys were busy but just a small part of things" Sasuke told him as Naruto looked over the maps and some poorly coded letters.
"Must be pretty ballsy to think they can do this in your grandmother's sea" Zero Two growled out with a glare, clearly pissed off that this was going on here.
"My grandmother has sent people to shut down more slave houses than she can count but, despite it being a few years since they tried anything, they'll always come back….Guess this'll be something we'll take care of when we get there as from the looks of it the Auction House is very close to Reverse Mountain. Though, from the looks of it, this was the only ship they used to grab slaves to avoid suspicion so at least we crippled them for now" Naruto pointed out as all the correspondence were between, who he figured to be running the auction house, and the crew on this ship with not even a slight mention of anyone else even with how sloppy they were with their codes.
"Then we have some destruction to look forward to! Nice!" Zero Two said with a smirk before the freed slaves returned, dressed back in things other than rags.
"Don't get us wrong, we are beyond grateful that you saved us but….what now?" one former slave asked as Naruto and Sakura shared a look before she nodded to show she agreed with what she figured he was going to say.
"Okay, I hate doing this but I'll pull this card once and once only so listen up!" he said, speaking loud enough for all to hear and to get the confused attention of the former slaves in front of him. "My name is Naruto Otsutsuki, prince to the Land of Ancestors and I promise my grandmother will ensure each and every one of you gets back home safely and, if your home isn't safe to return to, she will find you somewhere to live - whether it be on her lands or a neighboring island" he declared, getting them all to widen their eyes as everyone in the South Blue more or less knew of the Land of Ancestors and just what kind of a person his grandmother was.
Their shock only grew a bit more as he summoned a few Shadow Clones - solid copies of himself - that quickly leapt off to the steering wheel of the ship and stood ready to start on the sails once given the okay.
"My clones will steer this ship to my home and once there one will explain things to the border guards. I promise you, you all will be safe" Naruto assured them, smiling as some started to cry out of joy.
"And what about us? We weren't nabbed from our homeland, we were traveling around the South Blue together on our own" Hariet explained as she and Hariet walked out, having finished changing and seemingly finding their bags as well while still having heard what he said to the others.
Their actual outfits were a bit surprising as he hadn't been aware of just how - to put it lightly and hopefully not sound like a pervert - curvy they were.
Rouge's outfit - not to type cast - screamed thief as it was a black skin tight strapless unitard of sorts with a pink heart shaped chestplate with white trim that did well to show off what he figured to be a low I cup chest. Other than that she wore a pair of white long gloves that went up past her elbows and white heeled boots that went up past her knees that both had pink cuffs to them at the end while her boots also had pink hearts on the toes.
Hariet's outfit was more 'fancy', consisting of a purple strapless and sleeveless almost ballgown dress of sorts that became pink near the end that also showed off her chest, hers being what he figured to be a mid H cup. The rest of her outfit consisted of purple heels, purple gloves, and oddly a metal spikey domelike hat that was kept atop her head by a pink ribbon that was tied under her chin. He also noticed a spiked collar of sorts being what she used to tie her hair at the end of her braid.
"Well, you could go back to exploring if you want, using this or another that my homeland could give to you when you go there" Naruto explained before Rouge took to the air and circled around him a bit.
"What if we want to join you, would you let us?" Rouge asked with a smirk before stopping behind him and hugged her arms around his neck from behind, him tensing up a bit - and blushing a good deal - due to the sensation of her chest pressing up against him.
"You see, not to spoil anything that you'd be better off hearing in Zou, but the Minks actually owe a lot to your grandmother. We actually made our way here to visit her though now, the thought of traveling alongside her grandson and the one who is going to take the throne sounds more promising and beneficial to the land that helped the Minks in the past" Hariet explained, smiling as she skipped over to them.
"So how about it? Can we travel alongside you?" Rouge asked as she let go of him and landed next to Hariet.
Naruto personally wasn't against it as he had heard of Zou and the Minks from his grandmother, not much other than she helped them long ago in the past since - like the two here - she wanted him to learn about them when or if he ever made it there on his own.
"I say let them on! From what I know about them Minks are warriors and fighters so we could always use more of them plus we need all the hands we can get to man this huge ship" Zero Two suggested while Sasuke nodded along.
"Yeah we can definitely fight! All Minks, from birth to even those who are old of age, are warriors and retain their strength with Electro" Rouge explained with a smirk before her and Hariet's hands started to crackle with electricity.
"Plus I have my bomb seeds!" Hariet excitedly declared, reaching under her metal hat and pulling out what looked like a small seed only for it to grow into a blue orb a bit bigger than a normal person's head with yellow spikes that she quickly threw hard into the sea with it exploding on contact.
"I mean, I was already going to say okay but it's nice to know you two are capable" Naruto said with a chuckle before he motioned to the rope ladder. "Welcome aboard" he said, getting happy claps from Hariet as she bounced excitedly while Rouge smiled proudly.
From there getting the slave ship situated, and making sure he had everything needed to find the auction house, didn't take too long. Once everything was set and he was back on board his own ship he couldn't help but stand on the railing and watch as they sailed off to ensure they were set off safely, even if they had clones of his with them.
Once content they were fine he let out a sigh as he hopped down from the railing, seeing Rouge and Hariet already starting to help unfurl the sails with their respective wings and high jumping skills.
"So, where are we off to next Captain Darling~?" Zero Two teased with a smirk as she draped her arms around his neck from behind and rested her head on his shoulder.
"The closest island as I want to explore my home sea as much as I can before we head to the Grand Line since there's no rush, we're able to enjoy ourselves and the islands around us" he said with a smile, knowing his home sea was exciting and was looking forward to who he met before heading the Grand Line which was where all true journeys began - his mother's, his uncle's, and soon to be his as well
-Chapter End-
Naruto's Crew (Role) - - - Where they are from:
Naruto Otsutsuki (Captain) - - - Naruto
Sakura Haruno (Doctor) - - - Naruto
Sasuke Uchiha (Swordsmen/First Mate) - - - Naruto
Zero Two (Lancer) - - - Darling in the Franxx
Rouge the Bat (Lookout/Cabin Girl) - - - Sonic
Hariet (Demolitions Expert) - - - Mario
*1 = His hair looks like it does in his Kurama Cloak/Six Paths Cloak modes but only appearance and gravity defying/floating-ness of it. It's not actually fire, nor chakra, nor does it glow. Just a visual change
*2 = This is Sasuke's outfit in the Dragon Blade Wii game only make his top black and remove the yellow part on it
So, first thing you might notice is how I made Sasuke more present in this version. I did so cause looking back at what I had planned with him as well as Sakura and Zero Two was a bit Bleh. There was no reason to 'delay' their joining of the crew so I removed it and made the three of them more present in the first chapter.
I also spent more time on the day before leaving - most importantly Naruto's dream and the scene where he tells his grandmother about it. Think of it as Naruto's dream still being one of wanting peace but also fusing in Luffy's Pirate King dream since - as Pirate King - it elevates Naruto to a position where he could fix a lot of the issues/gunk in the world you know?
And yes, this time I was a lot less annoyingly vague and decided to just reveal Shanks as Naruto's uncle this time but I will keep Naruto's grandfather a secret until later as that is a bigger reveal.
Everything with the 'Land of Ancestors' is the same as before in the previous version of this chapter so I didn't make any changes there.
I am not ditching Wanda and Carrot so do not worry! I just realized that having them join so soon didn't make much sense as 1 - They aren't the kind to leave Zou so there'd be no chance of them being snatched/attacked that way and 2 - Kaidou wouldn't have attacked Zou this early. They are still going to join but just later on so no need to worry
I chose Rouge and Hariet as the ones who join instead of Wanda, Carrot, and Durel (the latter who won't be in the fic anymore) as with Rouge, for a very long time, I was struggling with an idea of how to introduce her and have her join and Hariet is a rabbit girl I really like. For how Hariet looks think how she's drawn in fan art rather than her out of place Odyssey face (I still like her in Odyssey but it'd be jarring if she looked exactly like that face wise lol)
Now some might be going "Whoa, Sora, you are adding people way too quickly!" and to that I respond "It's the first chapter, not all chapters or even arcs, are gonna have a ton of people join so please, don't worry". I think the only other time I have planned for multiple people to join at once it's like 2 or 3 and even then its not like every arc is gonna have multiple people join, just sprinkled throughout AND with the big crew I have planned it's to be expected to make some join at the same time otherwise it's gonna take a while to get to full crew numbers.
And no, not every girl will be paired with Naruto though I will unashamedly admit a good deal of them will - so sue me lol
Also, no, Naruto isn't going to kill everyone he fights - just those he deems irredeemable like slave traders and other true monsters you know? For the most part he'll just utterly defeat them more or less.
Other than that I really don't know what else needs to be said.
**Attention!**
I have officially started a discord server for my writing that anyone can join!
If you wish to join drop me a PM and I'll give you the link or you can ask alongside your review and I'll give it to you. Originally I was just gonna have the link here but that could be a tad bit dangerous if a troll got it or if someone I have blocked got it lol
Keep in mind people have access to channels with stuff equivalent to the tiers they are pledged to. BUT, even if you aren't pledged you have access to all the basic stuff of the server :)
I would like to remind everyone I do have a pat reon which includes rewards like seeing progress updates, notifications to new stories I plan to do, voting polls, and early access to chapters before I post them on FF.
Simple go to pat reon and paste:
/user?u=4783680
At the end of pat reon's url and you'll find my page.
You don't get anything that everyone here won't get aka there will be no "pat reon exclusive stories" or things where I have to get a certain amount of money before I work on something as both of those are shitty practices.
It is solely "hey, you want to support me, a disabled unemployed writer who survives off my disability checks? Thanks, I appreciate it" and nothing more
So yeah, check it out if you want :)
I hope you all liked it
Until Next Time
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Buh-Bye!