AN: Sorry it took me so long to update this. A lot has happened that I wont get into right now. This chapter needs more detail so I'll probably be adding to it in the future but I felt I had gone long enough without an update.
(Unknown Island on the Grand Line)
On a rather tropical island in the Grand Line the Red Hair Pirates were currently recovering from a long night of drinking and celebrating. It was not unusual to see this crew enjoying themselves by partying into the wee hours of the morning. However, this particular party was interupted as one of the crew's weaker members cried out in alarm.
"It's Dracule Mihawk!"
Shanks, who was reclining in a beach chair, looked up at the man aforementioned man and greeted him in a friendly tone.
"Yo Mihawk! It's been a while. What are you doing here, come to party with some old friends?"
Mihawk walked in steady strides towards his long time rival and sat down in a chair next to him. He took in his friend's apperance with slight disdain. Shanks used to have the potential to be the most powerful man in the world; a perfect rival for the world's greatest swordsman. But after he lost his arm, Mihawk no longer viewed him as a rival; he was now more of an aquaintance. Why Shanks threw away his potential greatness for a brat like Luffy is something that Mihawk would never understand.
"You are too laid back Shanks. Someone in your position can't afford to be caught off guard." Shanks waved off the man's repremend as he took notice of the papers in his friend's hand.
"I knew you were coming this way more than three hours ago; it'll take a lot more than that coffin boat to catch me off guard. So what's that you got there?"
That hardly came as a surprise to the swordsman. While Shanks would never progress in terms of power, he was still considered one of the strongest pirates in the world; sensing his presence before he arrived was an easy feat for the Yonko. Still, he was not the strongest. Mihawk looked down at the two flyers in his possesion and handed one to Shanks.
Wanted:
Monkey D. Luffy
Alias: Straw-Hat Luffy
Bounty: 100,000,000 Beli
Shanks gave a hearty laugh as he read Luffy's current bounty.
"So the kid finally made it here, huh? This is cause for celebration!" Mihawk stopped his friend before he could start another wild party.
"Before you begin the festivities I suggest you read this one as well."
Shanks raised an eyebrow as he took the other poster from Mihawk and gave it a look.
Wanted: Uzumaki D. Naruto
Alias: Yellow Flash
Bounty: 300,000,000 Beli
"Well I'll be damned! Haha, just wait until the old man hears about this. Now I think this is definitely a reason to throw a party. Are you going to join us, Mihawk? There's plenty of booze."
"As tempting as that sounds, I can not. There is a meeting that I must attend and I have the feeling that I won't want to miss this one."
Shanks' eyes narrowed slightly before he settled into a grin.
"Sure thing. But my offer still stands." Mihawk walked back towards his coffin shaped raft as the members of the crew began to open up several barrels of rum.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Shanks poured himself a glass of rum as he watched Mihawk sail away. Downing the drink in one gulp, he looked back at the two wanted posters on the table; his gaze lingering on Naruto's for a moment. He laughed softly staring intently at the caption that read "Reactivated". He then called out to his crew.
"We're gonna have to hold out on the party, boys. The old man and I need to have a talk."
(Island of Jaya)
The Straw-Hat Pirates were currently setting sail from Jaya and were on their way towards the Knockup Stream to reach the Sky Island. All of the crew was on the deck of the Going Merry waiting to see where the stream would take them.
"All I'm saying is that there's no telling what could happen. The stream could blast a hole in the ship and we could all drown to death!" Ussop as usual was having second thoughts about the methods of their captain.
"It doesn't matter! This is the way to get to the Sky Island and we'll use it even if we die." Luffy said with a grin.
"That's not exactly reassuring you idiot!" Nami screeched as she bopped her captain on the head. She turned her attention to this crew's archeologist.
"Hey Robin-san, do you think this place really exists? I mean, an island in the sky does sound a little farfetched."
"I believe there are many things in this world that can't be explained. The existance of the Sky Island might be one of those things." The black haired beauty responded evenly. The permanent smile never left her face while she spoke.
"Robin-chan! Your beauty and knowledge surpasses all others!" Sanji swooned with hearts in his eyes. This caused Zoro to scowl at his shipmate's behavior.
"Fucking moron."
"What did you say moss head?"
Robin chuckled at the two young men; if she didn't know any better she would say they were fighting for her attention. But that was unlikely, she thought to herself quietly. Zoro didn't trust her a bit and Sanji was like this with beautiful woman he came across. Besides they were both too young for her.
'It's not like I'll be here much longer anyway.'
She shook her head of such thoughts as she reached into her bag. She pulled out several bounty posters she had picked up in Mock Town. Just because there was no chance for a relationship with these two didn't mean she couldn't have any fun.
"I wouldn't pick a fight with Swordsman-san, Sanji-kun. He has a bounty of 60,000,000 Beli. He might be too much for you to handle."
She passed Zoro's bounty around to the crew and was amused at their various reactions; especially Sanji's.
"So this piece of shit has a bounty, huh? Doesn't matter. Once a dickhead, always a dickhead."
Zoro smirked to himself as he realized that his bounty had upset the cook more than he showed. He wouldn't press the issue though. It was one thing to insult and fight each other from time to time. It was another thing all together to wound a man's pride; especially fighters like the two of them. Luffy's yell snapped the swordsman out of his musings.
"Hey look, Zoro! It's the guys from Louguetown; Naruto and his sidekick!"
Zoro took the posters from Luffy and studied them with a keen eye; taking longer with Ryuma's. He passed along Naruto's poster to Robin and half listened to the conversation his nakama were having.
"Woah, 300,000,000 Beli. He must be really strong." Ussop said in awe of the high bounty. Nami was quick to agree.
"Well he did hold off Smoker for us back at Lougetown so I guess he is pretty strong. Still, I wonder why he helped us."
"I say don't trust him. Any guy who's bounty is that high has to have done some horrible things to people." Ussop offered what he thought was a resonable suggestion until Sanji pointed out the obvious.
"By that logic Luffy would be some kind of monster; he's worth a third of this Naruto guy." That seemed to shut the marksman up for a moment before he turned to Robin.
"What do you think Robin-san? Do you know anything about this guy?"
Robin was silent for a moment as she looked over Naruto's bounty she had gotten from Zoro. She seemed to be lost in thought and Ussop didn't think he would get an answer. Suddenly she spoke up.
"I have met him once. I don't know too much about him. However, I do know that he is incredibly strong." It seemed they would only get that vauge response out of the woman. That was more than enough for Usopp.
"You see? Incredibly strong, as in 'Leave this guy alone or he'll kill us'."
"She didn't say that you idiot!" Nami screamed as she bopped the marksman on the head sending him crashing into the ground.
Robin noticed that their captain had been unusually quiet. The grin that was plastered on his face also made her curious as to what was on his mind.
"What do you think about all of this Captain-san?"
"I think…we have an island in the sky waiting for us." Luffy spoke, still grinning.
(Little Garden)
Naruto and Ryuma walked through the dense jungle of Littile Garden. It had taken them much longer to reach their destination than they had hoped; a month longer to be exact. This was because that upon using the Reverse Mountains to get to the Grand Line their already damaged ship was shattered and they were tossed into the Calm Belt. This of course proved to be a problem due to the various leviathans that called the Calm Belt home. Blood from many different Sea Kings now stained Naruto's clothes.
"I can't believe I had to carry you all the way here." Naruto was definitely pissed off. The swordsman had gotten a free ride and Naruto had to do all the grunt work to get them here. Ryuma ignored the blond's attitude as he spoke.
"It's not my fault I can't walk on water and you can."
"We need a new ship." Naruto's gruff statement elicted a nod out of Ryuma. The swordsman began to count off on his fingers.
"And a shipwright, and a navigator, and a chef, and a-"
"Shut the hell up, already!" Naruto shouted in complete annoyance. Luckily for him they had reached their destination. Naruto took in the sight of the two brawling giants with a little amusement. Dorry and Brogy were still going strong.
"Maybe one of them can be our ship." Ryuma joked as he too gazed at the two colossal men. Naruto eyebrow twitched as he chose to ignore that comment. It wouldn't do well to kill his first mate. He cleared his throat and yelled up to the two giants.
"Oi, Dorry! Brogy! Knock it off for two seconds will ya!" He sighed when he got no response.
The two men didn't seem to care much for the blond's words until a volcano erupted; signifying the end of the day's battle. With that the two giants made their way over to Naruto and Ryuma.
"Well look what we have here, if it isn't Naruto Uzumaki. I was certain we'd never see you again." Dorry said with an uproarious laugh.
"Yeah, the last time you came here you were really broken up about something, and asked us to keep that weapon safe for you." Brogy's recollection made Naruto perk up.
"So you still have it?"
Instead of answering Brogy walked over to the volcano, his large steps shaking the island. He reached his hand inside the volcano's mouth and seemed to pull something out and encase it in his large palm. Walking back over to the group he let the item drop to the ground.
"Careful, it's hot." The giant said with a snicker.
He was correct however as Ryuma observed the smoking weapon. It was a blood red scythe that had three sharp blades instead of one. It was connected to a long metal cable and there was a black seal design around the handle.
"To be able to withstand the heat from an active volcano and still look brand new, that is a well constructed weapon." Ryuma expressed his appreciation of the weapon. Naruto nodded as he went to pick the scythe up.
"You haven't seen the best part. You might want to stand back a bit and whatever happens, don't worry about it." Ryuma rasied an eyebrow at Naruto's warning but did what he asked.
Naruto channeled some of his chakra into the scythe and was rewarded when a bright light engulfed the area. When it died down a woman stood beside Naruto and the scythe. She was dressed in an unbuttoned orange shirt, revealing the cleavage of her large breasts, with her hips being equally wide in proportion, maintaining a marked ideal hourglass figure. She has a large belt secured around her waist, a blue jean bikini bottom. A beaded black necklace hung around her neck in the shape of nine fanged teeth. On her feet were red frilled boots. She wore a red robed jacket with black fames at the bottom over all of it, and golden small spherical earrings. On her head she wore a red bicorne with a big pink feather on top and a golden hoop on the front of it, which has her long blood colored hair coming out from under it and reaching to her neck, with two tufts tied in pigtails.
She blinked a few times before her eyes locked on Naruto who held his hands up in weak defense.
"Hey Kyuu-chan, long time no see." The woman's red eyes narrowed before she shot out in front of Naruto in a blur and delivered a ruthless kick to the side of his head.
"You bastard!"
Ryuma and the two giants watched as the blond was beaten down by the enraged red head. The swordsman took a seat on the rough tropical ground.
"You two might want to get a snack or something. This could take a while."
(Grand Line-Open Sea)
After recieving a vicious beating at the hands of the irate red head, the three pirates set sail in a small boat that had been abandoned on Little Garden. Naruto rubbed a sore spot on his head as he spoke to the new addition to his crew.
"You didn't have to hit so hard Kyuubi-chan, I think I caught some brain damage." Kyuubi seemed to have no remorse for her earlier actions.
"Serves you right after what you did, idiot." Naruto had the decency to look ashamed at that comment. He began to offer up an explaination.
"I had no choice but to seal you back up Kyuu-chan. You were so weak from battle at the time and everything was happening so fast. Besides you didn't want to stick around for what happened after that."
Kyuubi's red eyes softened a bit at the blond's admission. Now that she wasn't blinded by rage, she could see things a little more clearly. The two of them were severely outnumbered and the only way out would have been suicidal. She wanted to ask the blond how he managed to escape but let that slide for the moment.
She sighed in defeat as Naruto looked at her with eyes that asked for forgiveness. It was impossible for her to stay mad at him for too long; he was her oldest friend in the world. She did ask the one question that had been nagging her since she had been unsealed.
"Is Kuma…?" She trailed off not knowing exactly how to phrase it. Naruto placed a hand on the outside of a pocket on his coat, near his heart, that Kyuubi knew held a small slip of paper. After a while he spoke.
"I don't know. I haven't seen him since that day."
Kyuubi grit her teeth as she thought about the man they had both called comrade at one point. She could see that Kuma's betrayal had broken Naruto. How he managed to gather himself up enough to continue on in life was beyond her; but she had a feeling that the silent swordsman on the boat played a vital part in that. She decided that a change of topic was in order.
"So what are you doing among the living again, Ryuma? I could have sworn we finally got rid of you a coulpe hundred years ago. Don't tell me you're here to stay?" Ryuma's hard gaze, which had been on Naruto, switched to the red haired demoness.
"I was revived by our blond captain here through means that he has not cared to share with me. I will remain with him until such a time that my debt to him is repaid. So unfortunately, yes, you are stuck with me."
Naruto's good mood came back as the swordsman spoke. The man sure knew how to keep a secret. Naruto and Ryuma both chuckled at the woman's twitching eyebrow; she was obviously not buying the explaination. The two of them always seemed to know exactly how to push her buttons. Kyuubi rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"So where are we heading anyway; if you don't mind me asking?"
"We need to check in with a friend of ours at San Faldo." Naruto serious facial expression was offset by Kyuubi's still twitching eyebrow.
"By San Faldo, do you mean the Carnival City where you always go to gamble?" Naruto waived his hand dismissively as if the thought was farfetched.
"Of course not, you must be thinking of another town."
"So this means we are not going to 'hit the jackpot', like you told me?" Ryuma seemed depressed at the thought until Naruto pulled him aside and spoke in a hushed manner.
"Of course we're gonna hit the jackpot, my friend. I just can't tell Kyuubi that or she'll never take us there." The crazed look in Naruto's eye was crushed by Kyuubi's statement.
"I can hear everything you're saying, you idiots. And I'm sorry to tell you that I can't navigate us anywhere let alone San Faldo."
Naruto rounded on the red head in the blink of an eye; deeply invading her personal space in the process.
"What do you mean you can't steer us to San Faldo? You were the navigator on all of our revolutionary missions!"
Kyuubi's face adopted a sweet smile that Naruto had a clear view of being so close to the woman's face. He forced himself not to look at the woman's immaculate bust as he knew nothing good would come from it. He also knew that there was nothing nice about that smile.
"First off Naruto-kun, what do I always tell you about my bubble?" She said in reference to the area Naruto was currently intruding on.
"Not to get inside unless you tell me so."
"And have I ever told you to do such a thing?" Her tone took on more of a school teacher reminding a student of a formula they forget on a daily basis.
"No." Naruto's reply rewarded him with a pat on the head from Kyuubi.
"Good. So what should you be doing right now?" Instead of answering Naruto took a couple steps back from Kyuubi and was pleased when the predatory aura that surrounded her dispersed.
"My you have grown wiser with age Naruto. Usually you would have tried to fondle my breasts at least three times by now." Naruto chose not to comment on the fact that he was using all of his self control not to do just that; though by the look in Kyuubi's eyes it seemed she was already aware of the fact. When it became apparent that she had his attention (on her face), Kyuubi explained her earlier statement.
"As I was saying, I never navigated those ships. I was more of an observer on those navigation briefings. As you may have noticed my presence seems to have an adverse affect on Sea Kings. This was a valuable asset to any navigator planning on traversing the Grand Line. If you weren't so absentminded you would remember that."
Now that he thought about it, Naruto couldn't remember a time that he was attacked by a Sea King while with Kyuubi. He always attributed it to his "awesomeness" more than her malevolent aura. Shaking his head of that train of thought Naruto got back to the matter at hand.
"So you mean we're in the same situation as before we picked you up; having no idea where we are going."
"Correct."
The blond began bashing his head against the railing of the ship in frustration. Before he gave himself a concussion, Ryuma spoke up.
"It looks as if we're in luck. There's an island up ahead. Maybe someone there can point us to San Faldo."
"We're not going to San Faldo." Kyuubi deadpanned.
"Of course we aren't!" Naruto agreed giving a "hidden" thumb up sign to Ryuma, who returned it with gusto.
"Idiots."
(Quickshot Island)
"I can't help but feel like I've been here before." Naruto's perplexed expression made Kyuubi sigh. It seemed as if the blond still had trouble recollecting certain things.
"We have, Naruto. This is Quickshot Island; home of the Silver Kingdom. We came here about twenty years ago to assassinate that pirate who was causing trouble for King Solomen. Don't you remember?"
Naruto closed his eyes in deep concentration trying to recall the event. After several moments he snapped his fingers in remembrance.
"Oh yeah! That spear armed guy, what was his name? Poker? Stabby? Proddy?"
"Pierce the Powerful." Kyuubi corrected. Naruto nodded as he surveyed the area.
"Yeah with a name like that, you'd think he'd be more of a challenge. This place sure does look different though."
Kyuubi had to agree with that fact. The last time they were here the kingdom was just an average looking village; though its unassuming appearnce didn't reflect the economy of the kingdom at the time. It seemed so unlike every other monarchy they had seen in their travels. Now, however, the buildings were large in size and well built. They were each colored a shining silver hue that did justice to the kingdom's name.
"Maybe we can find someone here who knows how to navigate a ship." Kyuubi was surprised at Ryuma's suggestion. In a vast kingdom like this surely there was someone who knew how to navigate a ship.
"That's actually a good idea, Ryuma." Kyuubi was proud that the samurai had the foresight to suggest such a thing.
"The local tavern seems like a good place to start." Her respect for the man plummeted immediately. She only grew more ashamed when Naruto vigorously agreed.
"Sounds good to me, nothing like the local rum house to gather information."
While the statement might have been true, Kyuubi knew the two men well enough to know that this was just an excuse to consume excessive amounts of alchohol. Nevertheless, she found herself following her compainions to a local pub aptly named "The Silver Carafe".
Walking inside the establishment they were not surprised that the interior matched the exterior in color; with silver lining virtually every part of the pub. They were surprised that the patrons all seemed to be pirates of the rather seedy variety. It didn't really match up with the kingdoms "noble" image.
Taking three available seats at the counter, Naruto took upon himself to order for his friends. The bartender was a relatively young man with average features.
"Three glasses of rum for me and friends, please." The trio noticed that the barkeep seemed slightly nervous at their order, as if expecting them to soon react violently.
"T-that'll be 50,000 beli please."
Naruto had to slap Ryuma's hand when he reached into his pocket to pay the ridiculous amount; he seriously needed to find someone else to hold on to what little money they had left. Kyuubi soon voiced her opinion on the prices.
"That's an awefully big price for three drinks." The barkeep deflated as if he expected this outcome.
"I know, and I'm sorry. But it's the only way for anyone to turn a profit in this town. I'm afriad if you go anywhere else you'll find the same thing."
"Why are the prices so steep? Judging from the state of the kingdom one would think you all had it made." Ryuma questioned. The barkeep looked around the saloon in an effort to make sure no one was listening. When he was assured, he leaned in closer and spoke in a whisper.
"It's the king. He's made it impossible for anyone to prosper."
"Wow, I never would have pictured Solomen to be a dictator, he always seemed like a level headed person to me." Naruto was midly shocked at the king's supposed change of ruling. The man raised his eyebrow at that.
"King Solomen? He hasn't ruled the Silver Kingdom in almost fifteen years."
That came as a surprise to the two who had met the man. Solomen was a kind but prideful king with a well armed militia; nothing short of a full scaled war would have removed the man from the kingdom he loved so much. Knowing this, Kyuubi had to ask what happened. The barkeep launched into the tale.
"Fifteen years ago a powerful pirate and his crew came to the Silver Kingdom and captured all five hundred of King Solomen's soldiers. He said that he would hold the soldiers for ransom and would only release them if he was made king of the Silver Kingdom. Because of the Kingdom's status as one of the 170 countries under the protection of the World Government, they soon caught wind of the situation. They sent a fifteen year old boy to solve the situation."
"Fifteen years old? What could he possibly do against a pirate crew with enough strength to capture five hundred soldiers?" Ryuma was growing intrigued with the tale. The bartender contiuned on as if he had told this story many times.
"He did the unexpected. The boy slaughtered all five hundred of the King's men for being weak enough to be captured. He then killed each of the members of the pirate crew; taking the head of the captain. When the situation was considered dealt with, the World Government felt that King Solomen was unworthy of his kingdom and forced him to hand over his power. Ever since then the Silver Kingdom has been under the rule of the family appointed by the World Government."
"And who would that be?" Naruto asked.
"The Giliard family. They came from the Goa Kingdom about a year after Solomen's departure. The former King Lugardo just announced that his heir is to be Stelly, his stepson. Though we all wish it was Sabo-san."
"Sabo-san?" Kyuubi ventured. Things sure had become a mess in the Silver Kingdom during their time away.
"Sabo-san is the biological son of the former King Lugardo. He is not the typical noble. He doesn't look down on us and even pays our extremely high prices when he visits."
"Well that's all good for him but we can't afford to drink here so we'll be leaving." Kyuubi had started to leave when Naruto spoke to the barkeep, loud enough for all of the pirate patrons to hear.
"So what's the deal with all the lowlifes in this place?" The barkeep began to sweat as a couple of the pirates came over to where the three were sitting. Kyuubi sighed as it seemed Naruto's mouth had once again pissed someone off.
"You wanna reapeat that blondie? I don't think I heard you correctly." A man with missing teeth and a scarred face addressed Naruto in a seemingly threating fashion. Naruto didn't seem to notice the threat as he repeated his statement.
"I was just asking why so many bums are in this city. I noticed on the way in that all the citizens are afraid of you guys, what's the deal with that?" Naruto had now turned in his chair in order to properly look at the man he was speaking to.
"We're here under the protection of the new King Stelly. We are allowed to do our business as long as he gets a cut of the profit. Unfortunately some of the local establishments aren't so generous in their donations so we are forced to use...drastic measures in order to collect." He said the last part with a snicker that amused the other pirates in the tavern; Ryuma was not one of them
"Extortion." The samurai spoke with a scowl. The lead pirate didn't seem to catch the vemon in Ryuma's voice and boasted loudly.
"Among other things. This place is a cash cow. We eat, sleep, and drink for free anywhere we go in this kingdom. All we have to do is stay on the lookout for the King of Theives."
"The King of Theives is a hero! He's the only thing keeping the businesses and families of this Kingdom afloat!" The barkeep blurted out his response before he could stop himself.
The pirates of the tavern all grinned at the man's proclaimation. Obviously they found his outburst to be insightful.
"So we have a supporter in our midst, do we? You know what happens to those that support the King of Theives. Men! Take this man in for questioning and grab us some more drinks while your back there."
The bartender shook in fear as the group of pirates approached him. One of the pirate grunts made his way behind the counter and attempted to grab the bartender.
(Holy Land Mariejois)
In a large room in Mariejois a meeting of the highest degree was taking place. In attendance were the members of the Gorosei, the Shichibukai, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku as well as sevral other high ranking Marine officials. The pirates all sat on one side of a large table while the Five Elders and the Marines sat on the other. Sengoku sat at the end of the table as a sign that he was the master of this ceremony. There were several items on the agenda so Sengoku decided to jump right into it.
"We are assembled here today for more than one reason. If no one has anything to say I will begin." Of course Donquixote Doflamingo had to say his piece.
"After you stressed the importance of this meeting to all the Shichibukai are we really going to start without Mihawk? What makes him so special?" The pink wearing man's grin never vanished even when the subject of the conversation walked in.
"I suggest you keep from speaking my name Doflamingo, lest you want me to slice out your tounge to prevent such things from happening." Mihawk spoke as he took his seat in between Boa Hancock and Bartholomew Kuma.
Doflamingo's grin never left his face even as Sengoku regained control of the conversation.
"The main reason we have been assembled today is because Crocodile has been defeated by Straw-Hat Luffy. Upon his defeat it was discovered that he had been running a secret organization known as Baroque Works; as such his status as a Shichibukai has been revoked."
"Had we known he was the mastermind behind Baroque Works, Crocodile's bounty would have been much higher." One of the Gorosei said in reflection. Sengoku continued on.
"Word of Crocodile's defeat at the hands of a rookie pirate would surely allow doubt to ebb its way into the minds of the people in regards to the World Government. Luckily, we were able to credit a Marine Commodore, however this presents a problem. We need someone to fill Crocodile's spot among you so we ask you Shichibukai if you know of any pirates who fit the description?"
Before any of them could answer a strange looking man appeared in the windowsill of the large palace like bulding. He was dressed in an off-white collared long-sleeve shirt patterned with yellow crosses and navy jumper pants. His most distinguishing accessories were his classic black top hat and red wooden cane, with which he also wears a pair of gold hoop earrings. His lips were abnormally dark red and they were curved into a smile as he spoke.
"I hope you don't mind, but I have invited myself to your little meeting."
"Who are you?" Sengoku was not amused with the interuption. The fact that this man had managed to sneak into Mariejois did little to sooth his ire.
"My name is Laffitte and I am here to throw my captain's hat into the ring to contend for the position of Shichibukai left open by Crocodile's defeat."
"And what is the name of your captain?" One of the Gorosei questioned. The sooner they coould get this matter resolved the sooner they could move onto more important things.
"His name is Blackbeard." Laffitte didn't seem surprised when few of those in attendance recognized the name; in fact he seemed to expect it.
"In order to be a Shichibukai one must have a firece reputation. You tell your captain to gain some notoriety then we can speak about his interest in the position." Sengoku gave the subtle dismissal that was not lost on Laffitte. He tipped his hat as he began to make his exit.
"I will inform him immediately, until next time." With that he jumped backwards from the ledge leaving the same way he got there; in secret.
"If that's all, I hardly see the reason to summon us; let alone the Gorosei." Gekko Moriah was very displeased at being here. There were literally thousands of more important things he could be doing. One of the Gorosei gave a stern look towards the large man as he spoke.
"When you are summoned, you come. That is the cost of being our pets." This statement seemed to anger more than a few pirates. The Marines present began to take notice of the hostility and sliiped into slightly more aggressive stances. Before the situation could escalate Sengoku informed them of the other order of business.
"Uzumaki D. Naruto was sighted in Loguetown last month by one of our men stationed there. It is believed he is in the Grand Line and is forming a pirate crew as we speak."
The brought all previous thoughts of aggresion to an end. The Marines and Gorosei seemed deeply disturbed at this while the pirate's reactions varied. Moriah scowled as he thought of that man.
"I thought he was dead. Wasn't it confirmed?"
"Apparently not. What an interesting guy, that Naruto." Doflamingo said grinning like a madman.
"Just another pig of a man. What's so special about him?" Boa Hancock spoke for the first time, to which one of the Five Elders answered.
"He is a great threat to the World Government. He and his partner Kyuubi infiltrated the Ciphor Pol division of the Marines more than twenty years ago. The damage he did and the information he gained cannot be measured. In addition it was later revealed that he was under the command of Monkey D. Dragon. If he has reappeared after all this time and is operating under his own rule this is very troubling." Another Elder picked up where the former left off.
"Add into the fact that he is gathering a crew of his own and he is not a threat we can allow to roam free."
Sengoku had been watching Kuma with a keen eye. The cyborg had not once looked up from his book but the Fleet Admiral knew he was listening.
"What course of action do you think we should take Batholomew Kuma?"
The large robotic man closed his book and looked at Sengoku for a long while. The Elders seemed to also want Kuma's input.
"Yes, what do you think should be done? After all, you here know him better than anyone else." One of them spoke trying to gauge the cyborg's stoney expression.
"I believe the best way to deal with Uzumaki D. Naruto would be to elevate him to the status of Yonko."
When Kuma finally spoke an immediate outcry came from the entire assembly. The most outspoken were Moriah and one of the Gorosei.
"What possible good would that do? If anything it would make him even more difficult to deal with!" Moriah seethed at the thought of Naruto being considered one of the strongest men in the world. He was soon backed up by an Elder.
"The pirate is right. Giving Uzumaki the title of Yonko would only elevate his threat level. I'm beginning to question your alligence pirate scum!" This started another bout of arguments until Sengoku had finally had enough.
"Tell us why you think that would be in the best interest of the World Government, Kuma." The Fleet Admiral's voice cut through the entire room and ceased all verbal outcries; no one wanted to be on the bad side of The Resourceful General. Kuma began to explain himself at Sengoku's prompting.
"Uzumaki D. Naruto by himself is a threat to the World Government. With a crew he is a threat and he would undoubtedly add to the illusion that piracy holds a certain amount of romanticized charm. Labeling him as one of the Four Emporers would not only make him an immediate target of the Marines and the Shichibaku it would also paint him in the light of a cold ruthless pirate."
Sengoku smirked at the cyborg's explaination. Gone was the man once labeled the Tyrant. In his place was a calculating weapon of the World Government; Vegapunk had created a monster.
"His logic does seem to add up, but what about his place among the other Yonko? They would not just accept him as one of their own, he holds no territory." One of the Elders tried to poke holes in Kuma's theory.
"If you believe that Uzumaki served under Dragon for as long as he did and didn't make some connections in high places, you're only fooling yourself." It was Mihawk who answered. Kuma nodded in the affirmative.
"And what sort of connections does he have Kuma?"
"I have no knowledge of Uzumaki D. Naruto's political influence, only that he does hold some."
Sengoku narrowed his eyes at the cyborg. This was the only drawback of using Kuma. There were times when the automaton would act of his own free will regardless of whatever order he was given. He would have to talk to Vegapunk about finalizing the Pacifista process.
"Then it is settled. From this day forward until his death, the Yonko will include Uzumaki D. Naruto. All those who agree?"
The hands of all the Gorosei and the prominent Marines went up. The Shichibaku all raised there hand except one.
"Those who oppose?"
Gekko Moriah grit his teeth as he removed his hand from the air. This was not supposed to happen. He had to make these fools understand that this was a mistake.
"Listen to what you are considering! You're propsing giving one of the most dangerous men in the world a position that would make him even more so for no other reason than because his former comrade suggested it!"
His ramblings, while coming off slightly crazed, seemed to make the assembly think. Sensing the doubt, Moriah pushed further.
"The balance of power would shift into the hands of the pirates should Uzumaki be named a Yonkou. Besides how can we be sure that Kuma is acting in the best interest of the World Government? He could just as well be covering for his former comrade; it's not like one of the Shichibaku and one of the Yonkou being on friendly terms is unheard of."
Everyone knew this was a shot a Mihawk and the swordsman looked very close to attacking Moraih for that statement. Still, Moriah could see he was gaining ground. One more push was all that was needed.
"I would even go as far to say that this is an elaborate scheme put forward by Dragon himself! Uzumaki must not be given the title of Yonkou."
His piece said, Moriah sat down and turned the floor over to Sengoku. The Fleet Admiral had been staring at Kuma during the whole speech searching for any hint of deciet; he found none.
'Still, as jaded as Moriah's perception may be, he does raise a valid point. Kuma's logic is sound as always but I can't hlp feeling that something is amiss.'
"What do you suggest, Gekko Moriah?"
"I will handle Uzumaki myself. He will not present a problem, I stake my reputation on it." Moriah smiled maliciously as he spoke.
That seemed to be enough to placate those assembled. Moriah shot out of the room with a brisk pace as soon as Sengoku dismissed them. His mind was working a mile a minute.
'That was way too close for comfort. Uzumaki was seconds away from becoming untouchable. I have to speed up my plans; at this rate everything will be ruined. Your days are numbered Uzumaki!'
Behind him the rest of the Shichibaku were filing out of the meeting room. Doflamingo walked next to Kuma with his trademark smirk on his face.
"Pretty bold move nominating Uzumaki for a spot in the Yonkou, Kuma."
"It was the most logical course of action." Kuma's tone left no doubt that he considered his suggestion anthing but rational. Doflamingo was not detered though as the smirk never left his face.
"Fuffuffuffuff! I'm sure it was and you are nothing if not logical, right Kuma-san?"
When he received no answer his laugh could be heard echoing throughout the halls of the Holy Land.
"This time is almost here."