Chapter 5: Adventuring in the East Blue Seas
Marinford
Paradise: Grand Line
"So where do you want to get assigned?" Kiba asked.
After the graduation mess had been sorted out, they'd been directed to a building where assignments were being given to the new officers. Naruto and Kiba were currently on their way there. And seeing how much of an impact this would have on their lives, they understandably had little else on their minds.
"Hopefully somewhere on the grand line," Naruto replied. "And out hunting pirates, not stuck in a base."
"Same goes for me," Kiba answered, "I only hope they don't transfer me to my mom's command."
"I forgot that your mom and your sister were in the Marines," says Naruto.
"Yeah," Kiba replied. "They're ranked as elite marine officers and are under the command of Vice Admiral Tsuru, the "Great Staff Officer."
Coming to the building they'd been directed to, Naruto entered and quickly moved to the rear of a small line that had already formed, Kiba falling in place behind him. It was only a short wait until he stood in front of the desk that belonged to a silver-haired young officer. Lieutenant-Commander Mizuki according to a nameplate on the desk.
"Name please," he ordered in a tone that clearly showed he would rather be anywhere but here.
"Ensign Naruto Namikaze," he supplied.
"Namikaze, huh?" Mizuki responded raising an eyebrow.
"I take it you've heard of my dad, Admiral Minato," Naruto said proudly.
"You mean Commodore Minato Namikaze," Mizuki corrected disdainfully. "They may have tried to spare his son the news, but he was demoted posthumously for failing to follow important orders of an important mission."
"He's still an Admiral as far as I'm concerned," Naruto snapped back at the man. "He didn't deserve to be demoted for giving his life to save his village."
"Disobeying a direct order and dereliction of duty are serious offenses," Mizuki said coldly. "You ever heard of Red-Haired Shanks? He was once a member of the legendary pirate crew of Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates. After Roger's death, Shanks have risen as an infamous and powerful pirate, and we long suspect he will one day be a great danger to society. We'd received intelligence that Shanks was in East Blue and had been seriously wounded. Your father was supposed to be part of a task force sent to capture the man."
Mizuki paused and stared at the fuming Naruto as if to make sure his words were sinking in.
"But because he refused that order," Mizuki continued, "Shanks was able to escape...and later became a Yonko, one of the Four emperors of the seas. Because of your father's inability to do his duty, he allows an extremely dangerous pirate to seat himself in a powerful position to terrorize the world"
Naruto had a retort ready, but Kiba came to his defense and spoke first.
"You can't blame a man for caring about his own home and family. Or for choosing them over some pirate who seems content to stay in the New World fighting other pirates over One Piece."
"And how many law-abiding, innocent citizens can't sleep each because he's still out there?" Mizuki asked. "How many have become inspired to take up a life of piracy because he seems to be able to get away with it?"
Mizuki appeared to realize they were causing a scene and held up a line that was still growing behind the two young officers he was arguing with. Rifling through his papers, he pulled one out.
"I believe I have just the assignment for two officers who show questionable judgment," he said with a self-satisfied smirk. "Captain Morgan is looking for some fresh blood. I've heard he's quite strict with his subordinates, so he shouldn't give you many opportunities to cause trouble. And what trouble could you cause in East Blue?"
Quickly writing down their assignments in his records, he held out two sheets of paper.
"Your ship leaves tonight. All the details are right here," he informed them. "Unless you feel your father isn't the only one who's too good to follow orders."
Naruto snatched the papers from his hand, spun around, and stormed back outside, Kiba following right behind him. Not his first choice of what to do with the papers Mizuki had been holding out. But that poor excuse for a marine was probably itching for him to try something he could charge them over. He was not going to give him the pleasure.
0o0o0
Shells Town
East Blue Sea
Naruto leaned over the rail of the ship, staring forlornly as Shell Island came into view. He let out another sigh at being stuck with this assignment.
"Stop moping already," Kiba told him. "This might not be all bad, and at least you've got a friendly face with you."
"Have you ever considered I might be sick of seeing your face?" Naruto muttered sullenly.
"Hey now," Kiba snapped back, "I'm just trying to cheer you up, no need to bite my head off."
"I know," Naruto said half apologetically "It's just we're stuck here in East Blue. The weakest of the seas."
"Do you know where East Blue pirate captains come from?" Naruto questioned before he answered. "No, where?"
"They're deckhands or cabin boys from pirate crews on other seas that were too weak for even that job," Naruto continues. "So, they come to East Blue and gather up a bunch of buffoons impressed just by the fact that they've been on a real pirate ship. Then they all go off and cause more mischief than actual harm."
"Now you're exaggerating," Kiba admonished, "Even East Blue has to have some decent pirates. My sister bet that the next King of Pirates will be born here."
"I doubt it," Naruto replied.
But despite Naruto's words, Kiba had somehow succeeded in cheering him on a bit. Maybe he just needed to vent.
"You were right about the friendly face though," Naruto added, "It is nice to have Akamaru along, right boy?"
Akamaru gave a quick bark as if in assent and Naruto rewarded him by scratching behind the large dog's ears. Kiba for his part chose to ignore the veiled insult directed at him.
Well, they'd soon learn in more detail if there were any redeeming qualities to this assignment, as they were pulling into the dock right at that moment. After they'd departed the ship, they were directed toward a dark-skinned marine who was busy yelling at several other marines around him. They approached him and stood waiting for him to take notice, not wanting to interrupt his tirade.
"I thought I told you to get rid of that pirate ship we impounded," he shouted. "So why is it still sitting here taking up space in the dock?"
"Sorry sir," the target of his ire replied, "I'm just not sure what to do with it."
"I don't know," the first man said, "Find someone to buy it, take it out to sea, and set it on fire, I don't care, just someone gets rid of it."
The man saluted and walked off without debating the matter further.
"Can I help you?" he asked impatiently, turning to where they'd been waiting.
"We've been ordered to report to Captain Morgan," Naruto replied.
"Oh, you must be the new recruits," he replied. "I'd forgotten you were coming. But unless you feel like paying him a visit in his prison cell, you'll have to forget about your orders. I'm Commander Ripper, the one in charge of dealing with the mess he left me."
"What does that mean?" Naruto wondered.
He sat looking at them for a moment as if trying to figure out what to do with them.
"I'm really busy right now, so why don't you go have a look around town," he suggested, "If you find me in a couple of hours or so, hopefully, I'll have a few minutes to get you set up with some quarters."
The commander had already turned to another marine, so Naruto just saluted and walked off, Kiba mirroring him and Akamaru bringing up the rear.
"I wonder what's that all about?" says Naruto.
"Maybe someone around knows," said Kiba, looking around until he sees someone. "Hey, you...Kid!"
Kiba was calling out to a young marine who was mopping the floor. This marine looks like a small, timid, chubby boy with pink hair and round-frame glasses.
Hearing Kiba call out to him, the young marine with glasses headed towards him and asked, "Are you talking to me, sir?"
"Yeah," said Kiba. "We like to know where Captain Morgan is?"
"Captain Morgan?" the boy repeated. "He's in a jail cell."
"Jail cell?" Naruto repeated, looking confused. "For what?"
"Well," the young marine begins to explain. "Captain Morgan was imprisoned for abusing his rank and authority."
Naruto and Kiba look shocked.
"Are you serious?" Naruto asked, wanting to be sure he heard right."
"I'm serious," the boy replied. "Morgan used his rank and authority to become an outright tyrant, extracting high taxes from the townsfolk (who grew to fear the mere mention of his name) and building monuments to himself. None dared challenge his rule, as he had no qualms about killing his men for defying his orders that were unquestionable. It was the reason he was locked up."
"How did he get locked up?" Kiba asked. "I heard Morgan took down the infamous Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans?"
"I don't know," the boy replied looking nervous and hesitating. "Listen, I got to get work on these floors right now because I'm scheduled for more chores in the next hour."
Once the young marine left, Kiba asked "So, anywhere in particular you want to go? With Morgan in jail, there is nothing else to do."
"There is," Naruto replied. "I want to go take a closer look at that pirate ship he was talking about."
"That's fine with me," Kiba answered, "but why do you want to do that?"
"Because I plan to take it," Naruto declared, unable to completely hide a devious smirk he was developing.
"You plan to what?" Kiba asked incredulously, looking around to make sure no one else was in range to overhear.
"You heard me," Naruto replied. "I plan to sail off with the ship and go pirate hunting. You're welcome to come with me if you'd like."
"Do you know how much trouble that could get us in?" Kiba queried.
"Commander Ripper did order someone to get rid of it," Naruto pointed out. "So, as I see it, we're just following orders."
"You don't think they'll buy that do you?" his friend argued.
"Look," Naruto told him firmly. "I know this is crazy and impulsive, and I'll probably regret it in the morning. But I just have the feeling that this is my chance. And that if I don't take it I'm going to be stuck here doing menial tasks instead of out there making a doing something worthwhile. Now I don't know about you, but I joined the Marines to make a difference."
Kiba stood there deliberating for almost half a minute before he finally broke into a smile.
"Oh, why not?" He finally said. "At our court-martial, I'll just tell them it was all your idea. What do you say Akamaru, are you in?"
In reply, the oversized canine began trotting over to the edge of the docks that held their target. The three of them hid themselves around the corner of a warehouse, hoping that the dock would clear itself of people if they waited long enough.
While they were waiting, they got a good look at the ship. It was a decent-sized ship that looked able to easily support a crew of a dozen or so. The ship itself was very plain in design but seemed to be solid construction. Maybe a stolen merchant ship. Or given that this was East Blue, more likely just a bunch of merchants that decided to repaint their ship and call themselves pirates.
It was dark green with black sails, and there was a flag tied to the main mast with the ubiquitous skull and crossbones of a pirate ship. The skull had a green frog about half its size of sitting on top of it. Yeah, that would strike fear into the hearts of those who witnessed it.
"That's a pretty big ship for just the three of us," Kiba pointed out. "It's going to be difficult to handle."
You're forgetting who you're dealing with," Naruto reminded him.
"Oh yeah," Kiba responded. "That's a really useful power you have."
The commander had already departed, and soon the ship that brought them left as well, leaving the dock deserted. Making use of the opportunity, they hurried to the ship and climbed aboard. Naruto immediately summoned four clones and sent them to work preparing the ship to set sail.
The real Naruto took the helm, but it didn't take long until the ship began to move away from the port. But it wasn't until the island had faded out of sight that Naruto allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Even I didn't expect to be captain of my ship this soon," he admitted.
"Hey, why do you get to be the captain?" Kiba asked.
"This was my idea," Naruto pointed out. "And if that's not enough for you, I have a devil fruit power. The captain is always the one with the cool power. But you can be my first mate if makes you feel better."
"What does devil fruit powers have to do with anything?" he argued. "Even Akamaru has a devil fruit power."
"Good point," Naruto admitted. "You can be my first mate, Akamaru."
Akamaru barked cheerfully and ran over to stand next to Naruto.
"You traitor!" Kiba snarled accusingly, but Akamaru didn't seem phased at all.
"Looks like you're outvoted," Naruto told him.
"Fine," Kiba conceded, "but you two better find someone else to pull you out of the water if you ever fall in."
Naruto could feel the thrill of adventure waiting for him. And despite their banter, he could tell even Kiba was getting into the spirit of things. He turned the ship west, toward the setting sun and, eventually, the Grand Line. Any pirates out there better hope they didn't have the misfortune of crossing his path.
0o0o0
Former Pirate Ship
East Blue Sea
"Pirates dead ahead," one of Naruto's clones called out from the crow's nest.
That hadn't taken long, it was less than a day from when they'd set sail. Taking up a spare telescope, Naruto looked through it to examine the pirates himself. He could just make out the skull and crossbones painted on their sails.
And oddly enough that's all there was to the design. Just a standard skull and crossbones. Usually, each pirate crew added their touch to make the design unique, but there didn't seem to be any such variation on this flag.
He didn't recognize any pirates who used that design either. And he'd made sure to research all East Blue bounties before he shipped out here. And if they didn't have a bounty, that meant this fight was unlikely to be even mildly interesting. Still, it'd be one less pirate crew on the loose.
Naruto set course for the enemy ship, which obligingly was moving toward them as well. The ship only had two cannons, one mounted on either side. He had a clone stationed at each in case they ended up exchanging shots.
But the other ship was content to simply continue their approach, so Naruto held off on the shooting as well. As the ships pulled up next to each other, Kiba and Naruto stood at the starboard railing getting a lock at the other crew.
There were about twenty or so men armed with pistols and cutlasses. They were led by a captain who looked like a walking stereotype. He stood about average height and builds, with a long scraggly black beard, a wooden leg, a hook for one of his hands, and an eyepatch covering an eye. He even had a parrot sitting on his shoulder.
"Let me handle this," Naruto told Kiba. "This fight will be dull enough even without help."
"Only if you let me and Akamaru have the next ship," Kiba answered.
"Fair enough," he agreed.
"Arr, surrender yer ship if ye wish to live," the pirate captain ordered.
"You're the one that should surrender," Naruto yelled back. "It'll be less painful for you."
"Ye hear that lads?" the leader of the pirates asked. "He wants us to surrender. Why I have more reason ta fear me own mother than I do these bilge rats."
His crew laughed appreciatively at his barb, some of them throwing in jeers of their own. Naruto just cracked his knuckles in reply and jumped across to the other ship.
0o0o0
"Still think your mother is scarier than we are?" Naruto asked smugly.
The captain held the honor of being the only pirate left conscious, the rest of them being sprawled all over their ship's deck where Naruto had left them. And the honor was somewhat dubious given he was currently bound in rope after having received a thorough trouncing. And the way his one good eye was starting to swell up, he was at real risk of being temporarily blinded.
"Arr, ye beat me soundly," the one-legged captain answered, "I be man enough to admit it. But these wounds are nothing compared to me last encounter with me mother. A terrifying woman she be."
"What are we going to do with them?" Kiba asked, having joined Naruto on the other ship. "I don't feel like sharing our ship with twenty captive pirates. And how are we supposed to turn them in when we're trying to avoid other marines?"
"I've already thought about that," Naruto answered. "We can leave the crew on their ship and have three of my clones sail it into a marine base. Once I've handed them over, the clones can just disperse themselves."
"Can they travel that far from you?" Kiba asked curiously.
"I've never tested it quite so far," Naruto admitted. "But they've worked fine at a pretty decent range, so I have no reason to think it won't work. But we can keep the captain on our ship for now, just to be safe."
"Sounds good," Kiba agreed, "But before we send them off, let's help ourselves to some of their food and water. There wasn't exactly a large supply on the ship when we left."
"Good idea," he replied. "If we run into pirates often enough, we won't even need to risk stopping at a port to resupply. I just hope some of them put up a little more of a fight than this."
0o0o0
"Do you think they're pirates?" Naruto asked, handing Kiba his telescope.
Kiba peered through it at the vessel that was approaching them, a rather elegantly designed ship that looked to be quite expensive.
"Well, they don't look too friendly," Kiba answered. "It's pretty clear they intend to fight us. But I've never heard of pirates being so well-dressed. And there's nothing about the ship that would suggest they're up to no good."
"Maybe they think we're pirates," Naruto suggested. "We may have taken down that stupid frog flag, but black sails are certainly suspicious."
Still confused as to what would be the appropriate course of action, they waited until the ships were close enough to communicate.
"I know the black sails are odd, but we're not pirates, we're marines." Naruto yelled out to them. "See we're even wearing our uniforms."
"That's too bad for you, because we are pirates," a voice replied.
While most of the crew could simply be considered well-dressed, the owner of the voice's outfit was nothing less than flamboyant. He would wager the white shirt and dark pants of his were made of silk. Silk wasn't cheap as it was and beyond that, his shirt was embroidered with a pattern of thorns that wrapped around his arms.
"You are in the presence of the most stylish pirates in East Blue," the man Naruto could only assume to be the captain boasted." Cower in fear or gaze in awe as you hand over your valuables. Whichever you prefer."
"Come on Akamaru," Kiba called to his canine companion. "I believe it's our turn."
0o0o0
Naruto led the newly captured pirate captain below deck, where their first captive was still tied up. There were six rooms down here that were designed as sleeping quarters. Five of them made for two crewmen and a larger room for the captain.
Considering how often they were likely to have captives, Naruto would have to see about converting one of them to a cell at some point. But for now, he was just leaving them tied up in the central area under guard from Akamaru. And whenever Akamaru needed a break, his clone would stand in for him.
But he already had three clones taking care of their most recently captured ship along with its crew. So, using his last one to guard prisoners left just Kiba to help him sail the ship. But as he brought his new captive below, the man immediately noticed his fellow prisoner, and Naruto saw a recognition flash in his eyes.
"I should have known you'd already be captured, Harold," he declared as Naruto began to secure his bonds. "You always were a lousy pirate."
"Arr, I told ye a thousand times, Julian" Harold responded in annoyance, "Don't you call me by that name any longer. I be Captain Scourge now. And I'll have ye know that there were a dozen men on this ship when we clashed. I killed eight of them meself including their captain. And here ye be having lost to their two young cabin boys."
"That's a lie, like everything else about you," Julian retorted.
Naruto realized he should probably get back above deck, but he was enjoying the argument too much for the moment, and decided he could spare a few minutes.
"It may be I exaggerate a bit," Harold admitted. "Any pirate worth his salt enjoys a weaving a good tale. But what about me could be called a lie?"
"Where do I start?" Julian asked melodramatically. "Your eye works just fine under that patch. You're holding that hook in a perfectly good hand you're hiding in your sleeve. And that parrot you usually keep on your shoulder is stuffed."
"Aye, that may be true," Harold granted, "but me peg leg be real, and the rest be real enough in spirit."
"Whatever you say Fakebeard." Julian mocked.
"Hey now," Harold replied, sounding truly hurt by the remark. "It doesn't be right to make fun of a man's condition that doesn't let him grow a proper pirate-like beard. At least I be tryin to look the part of a pirate."
"A pointless endeavor that is," Julian declared. "You're just blindly sticking to stupid traditions. You need to realize that being a pirate doesn't preclude one from being elegant."
"Here's what I think of ye and yer elegance," Harold shouted.
Then proving Julian's earlier claim, he wriggled beneath his bindings and managed to toss his hook at where Julian sat a short distance away. His aim was true, and the point of his hook snagged the other man's shirt along the side of his chest tearing a hole in it.
"My designer shirt!" Julian cried out in horror. "Do you have any idea how much this cost?! And look at this, I'm bleeding! If I am scared, it'll ruin my perfect chest. I'll never be able to visit a beach again."
Finally deciding he'd had enough, Naruto went back above deck, leaving Akamaru to look on in amusement as the two captains slid along the floor and began attacking one another as best they could while tied up.
Honestly, were those two idiots even a risk to anyone? Making up his mind right then, he went back above deck and approached Kiba. It was when he saw Kiba looking through a telescope at some ships that were nearing.
"What do you make of this?" Kiba asked. "Four ships whose crews all look terrified of something behind them. But I don't see anyone chasing them."
"I don't know," Naruto admitted. "Let's go ask one of them."
They were able to pull their ship up next to one of the others, matching its speed and course. Naruto would have preferred a real marine ship. But it was some consolation that the one they'd ended up with was, in all honesty, a reasonably fast ship.
"Is there any trouble?" Naruto asked.
"It's Don Krieg," a passenger on the ship yelled back. "He's attacking the Baratie. We just escaped from there."
"Don Krieg huh?" Naruto muttered.
"Recognize the name?" Kiba asked.
"Yeah, he has the second-highest bounty in East Blue," he replied. "He must have at least a little fight in him to earn that."
Setting course in the direction, the ships had just fled from; it didn't take them long to see the floating restaurant coming up in the distance. But when he got close enough to make out details, Naruto almost did a double take.
"Krieg's ship is in pieces!" Naruto declared in surprise.
"How did that happen?" Kiba asked.
Not having any reply, Naruto simply continued to scan through the telescope for any clues. But he saw nothing that could have such a large ship left so destroyed. At least until one figure in particular caught his eye.
"That looks like Mihawk, World's Strongest Swordsman" Naruto supplied Kiba, who was still waiting for an answer. "But what would he be doing here?"
Naruto has heard of Dracule Mihawk. Before he was rewarded the title of Shichibukai, he earns a fearsome reputation as the "Marine Hunter", going after and slaying multiple formidable marines. Naruto's father was the only one alive to fight Mihawk, and according to the details of the duel between them, it was as fierce as the duel between Shanks and Mikawk.
"Why don't we go finding out?" Kiba asked. "You can hardly complain that meeting a member of the Shichibukai is boring."
"Let's just hope it doesn't get too exciting," Naruto responded. "If he oversteps his bounds and starts attacking civilians, we'll be obligated to stop him. Or maybe I should say to try to stop him."
It was without warning Akamaru suddenly barked something as if he was trying to warn Naruto. Kiba translated "Akamaru tells me he wants you to know that you need to be very careful of trying to take on Mihawk by yourself. Mihawk is way too powerful for you to fight."
Naruto looked offended and stared at Akamaru with disbelief "Are you kidding me? You don't have faith in my abilities Akamaru?"
"If Akamaru says he is too dangerous to fight one on one, then you should listen to him," Kiba told him. "You see he has Kenbunshoku Haki."
"Kenbunshoku Haki?" Naruto repeated. "What's that?"
Before Kiba could answer, a commotion occurred that caught their attention. Looking back to the circumstances, the two see a green-haired young man with three swords approaching Mihawk. Curious as to what was going on he decided to see if anyone on the other ship had information. Hopping off and tying the ship to the Baratie, he saw a small vessel with four men on it. Although a couple of them would probably be more accurately called boys than men.
"Who is that?" he questioned them. "And what does he think he's doing?"
"That's Pirate Hunter Zoro," one of them replied after turning to face his questioner. "The greatest swordsman in East Blue."
"And I'm his captain," boasted one of the younger passengers of the small vessel, a boy wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat.
He looked like he was about to add something else. Instead, something behind Naruto caught his eye and his face lit up with excitement.
"That's a huge dog!" he called out enthusiastically. "Hey Usopp, let's go pet him."
"Luffy, how can you be so carefree when Zoro is about to fight that monster?" Usopp admonished.
But his companion ignored him, grabbing the other boy with one hand and the side of the ship with his other. Then he backed up … stretching his arm as he went. Must be another devil fruit user. Anyway, having stretched his arm to several times its original length, Luffy lifted his feet and took off as if fired from a slingshot.
He and his passenger crash-landed behind him next to where Kiba and Akamaru had just gotten off the ship. Luffy seemed unphased by the impact, but the same couldn't be said for Usopp, who had yet to stand up.
But Luffy ignored that fact and proceeded to run around Akamaru excitedly examining him. Neither Akamaru nor Kiba seemed quite sure of how to react. Naruto, however, chose to turn his attention back to the two who were still on the ship.
"A pirate hunter?" he parroted. "So, you're bounty hunters?"
"That's right," responded the same man who answered before. "I'm Johnny and this is Yosaku. We may not be a match for Zoro, but I'll let you know we're pretty strong ourselves."
"So, what exactly is he doing?" Naruto asked, still not having received a response to his earlier question.
"Challenging him to a fight to prove he's the better swordsman, of course," Yosaku answered.
"Well, you should stop him before he gets hurt," he warned them. "He may be the best swordsman in East Blue, but Mihawk is the best swordsman in the Grand Line. And you're about to learn how great the gap between those two oceans is."
"Grand Line?" Luffy asked from behind him, the word has caught his attention. "Have you been there?"
"I was born there," Naruto answered. "This is the first time I've left it."
"That's great," Luffy said energetically. "You should join my crew. I'm going there myself, and you could show me around when I get there."
"You don't even know my name and you're asking me to join your crew?" Naruto replied, caught a bit off guard by the unorthodox request.
"I guess you're right," the boy admitted. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, what's your name?"
"Ensign Naruto Namikaze of the Marines," he supplied.
"There, now you can join my crew," Luffy declared as if it were already a done deal.
"Um … I appreciate the offer," he answered, still not sure how to react to the rather odd boy. "But I'm already a marine officer and a captain of my crew."
Luffy looked like he was prepared to argue further, so Naruto switched tactics and tried to distract him instead.
"Shouldn't you be more concerned with not losing the crewmen you already have?" he asked.
"Ah!" he cried out. "My navigator ran off with my ship! Wake up Usopp. We have to go after them."
While Luffy tried to shake Usopp back to consciousness, Naruto pondered his words. Wasn't that his ship over there? And why had his navigator run off with it? Maybe they hadn't agreed to join in the first place. Was this just some crazy kid who went around insisting people were part of his crew? Was he even Zoro's captain?
Speaking of Zoro, how was the fight going? Returning his attention to the match, Naruto was disappointed to see that Luffy's distraction had caused him to miss it. Two of Zoro's swords had just been destroyed.
Normally that would leave a swordsman weaponless, but the man had the third sword held in his mouth. That was a technique Naruto had yet to witness. He also took note of several wounds Zoro had received from the fight. It was clear his body must be reaching its limit.
"Zoro is brave but there is no way in hell he can match Mihawk's true strength," a familiar voice spoke to him. "Something the two of you share Naruto."
Confused, Naruto turns around to see where the voice comes from and is shocked to see his father, Admiral Mianto Namikaze, standing before him.
"Dad?" Naruto gasped in shock. "It can't be...you're dead."
"What are you doing here Naruto?" Minato questioned his son.
"What?" Naruto responded stupidly.
"I say what are you doing here," Minato questioned his son, more sharply.
"I... I am a marine officer like you Dad," Naruto told him. "I'm just doing my job."
"No Naruto," Minato objected. "You here because you went AWOL. You left your post without notice or permission."
"That's not true Dad," Naruto defends himself. "I didn't go AWOL. I was doing my job, cleaning the sea of pirates."
"Do I look like an idiot?" his father rebuked. " You have gone joying riding by stealing a former pirate ship, all because you dislike your post. You think this is a game and don't take it seriously in these circumstances."
"Dad—" Naruto tries to protest.
"To make matters worse," Minato continued to interrupt him. "You decided to go the Grand Line because you felt the pirates here are not worthy of your fight. You're in overhead Naruto...just like Zoro there."
Naruto's eyes were back to Zoro who was cut down by Mihawk before he fell into the ocean waters. Johnny and Yosaku had already dived into the water to swim toward their wounded companion. A newly enraged Luffy, meanwhile, used that odd power of his to rocket his body toward Mihawk in an attack of his own.
"Dad, I know—" Naruto tries to say something.
"Stop it Naruto," Minato cuts him off again. "You seem to don't care if you get yourself killed doing something reckless and stupid. I guess you never care how everyone on Leaf Island would feel if you got killed, especially Sakura, Biwako and Konohamaru."
"Dad—" Naruto tries to say something more, but he is interrupted by Kiba.
"Naruto, did you hear what I say?" Kiba shouted.
"Huh?" Naruto responded confusedly.
"I say what are your orders," he asked once more. "Mihawk is gone, leaving the pirates for us to deal with.
Naruto turned his attention back to the battle. Mihawk was gone, and Johnny and Yosaku managed to save Zoro who fell in the ocean. They now had to deal with the threat from Don Krieg and his pirates.
"We fight," Naruto told him. "Defend cooks from the pirates."
"Are you ok?" Kiba asked him, looking concerned. "It's like your mind is somewhere else."
"I'm fine Kiba," Naruto lied, looking for signs of his father. Yet he was nowhere in sight. Just what happened back there?
0o0o0
The first thing Naruto did was summon fifty clones. In his current strength, he was strong enough to created fifty clones at once. He gave orders for his clones to shield the cooks from the pirates.
"Don't worry," Naruto told the cooks. "My clones and I will protect you all."
"Hey, don't underestimate our chefs!" a blonde man wearing a black suit told Naruto.
The man then proceeded to tear through the pirates with an impressive display of martial skill that seemed to center entirely on kicking. He was soon joined by the other chefs who also were managing to get the better of the pirates.
It looked like they might not need his help at all. Intrigued by the fight he came to a stop next to Kiba and Akamaru who were also content for now to simply watch the fight. Just then he saw two of the chefs hurtle past him. They'd been sent in that direction by a large man covered in circular pieces of armor who had just climbed out of the water. His very appearance lifted the morale of the remaining pirates.
"It's Pearl!" one cried out. "He'll teach those chefs because we're the strongest pirates in East Blue."
Pearl continued to approach the group chefs, most of whom backed off in response to his advance.
"This one look interesting," Kiba declared. "Come on Akamaru, let's see what he can do."
Akamaru pulled out ahead of Kiba, using his devil fruit powers and headed towards Peral, with great speed. Pearl braced for the impact as the large animal barreled toward him, but instead, Akamaru passed just to his right, avoiding impact.
"Looks like your pet missed," he pointed out condescendingly to a still-charging Kiba. "And even if he hits me, it would do him no good."
"If you think that, then you may want to look behind you," Kiba shouted back. "He miss on purpose!"
Turning around he saw Kiba's claim hadn't been a trick, as Akamaru had reversed course and was once heading straight for him. Pearl prepared himself for the dog's attack. Unfortunately, he had forgotten Kiba behind him as he found himself sandwiched between Akamaru's Tsuuga and a shoulder tackle from Kiba.
His armor proved insufficient for such an attack, shattering on both sides and not even absorbing enough force to prevent Pearl from losing consciousness as a result of the double impact.
"He was supposed to be one of your strongest fighters?" Kiba asked, clearly disappointed. "I'm beginning to think Naruto was right about East Blue."
"Nobody moves!" a new voice yelled.
The call directed his attention to a pirate who had a gun pointed directly at the head of an aging chef.
"Gin!" the blond chef from earlier yelled angrily. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I don't want you or anyone else hurt, Sanji," Gin replied. "Just leave the ship, and I'll let him go."
Taking hostages, is just what Naruto would expect of pirate scum. Well, he wasn't about to let them get away with it. He summoned a clone from behind Gin, one which was immediately spotted by a number of the pirates watching the scene.
But his clone, knowing it had to act quickly, grabbed Gin's arm before a cry of warning could go up and wrenched it away from his captive. Sanji was already in motion and followed up with a powerful kick to Gin's head that sent him flying away from the man he now stood protectively over.
"Thank you for help," Sanji said to the clone. "But let me handle Gin."
Naruto was inclined to grant his request. He wouldn't want anyone barging in on a fight that was personal to him. And since his clone shared his though process, it nodded its own assent a moment later.
"Look out!" Kiba yelled from nearby, and Naruto glanced over his shoulder to see a giant morning star heading right for him.
Doubting he had time to dodge, he prepared his Tekkai only to have Luffy jump into its path and send it hurtling right back at Krieg with his bare hands. The armored pirate dodged his own weapon, which slammed into a mast that had somehow remained standing before that point.
But whatever luck had saved it so far had run dry, as its base splintered into pieces. Then gravity took over and sent it tumbling back toward them, creating a bridge between the Baratie and the piece of ship Krieg stood on.
"What exactly is your power?" Naruto asked curiously, impressed by the display.
"I'm made of rubber," Luffy replied proudly. "Blows like that can't hurt me. How about yours?"
"I had the power to create clone versions of me," Naruto told him before he cracked his knuckles in anticipation and asked, "You want to take down Krieg together?"
"Yeah! It will be fun," Luffy answered cheerfully.
So, the two of them charged across the mast toward the captain of the pirates. In response, the man lifted his shield and fired several wooden stakes at the two of them. Using Soru, Naruto was able to easily avoid them and even knocked a couple out of the way that looked like they were heading for Luffy.
"Not bad," Krieg admitted as their charge neared him. "But how will you deal with this?"
He then flipped over his cape, revealing that the now outward-facing side was covered in spikes, protecting him from all sides. Naruto drew up short, trying to decide how to react. His clones would dispel instantly if they tried to attack that. But if they were careful, they could grab the spikes and toss Krieg and his stupid cape around.
But his musings became moot as Luffy hadn't paused even for a second, slamming his fist right into the spikes protecting Krieg's head and knocking the man forcefully to the ground. The blood made it clear his power didn't protect him from sharp objects, and Naruto couldn't decide whether to be impressed or appalled by Luffy's attack.
But he was able to decide on a course of action. So, he quickly dropped the shield and cloak Krieg had just dropped and tossed them into the ocean. He then summoned three clones and surrounded the pirate captain, who was just recovering from the attack.
"I'll admit I hadn't expected such a reckless assault," Krieg stated. "But don't fool yourselves into thinking you have a chance. My armor is indestructible, so you two can punch away at me all day and it won't do you any good."
"Then you won't mind if I put that to the test, will you?" Naruto asked, relishing the challenge.
Naruto and his clones all charged simultaneously, hitting Krieg's armor with their strongest punches. Naruto had to admit the armor was hard, as he was now feeling a pain in his knuckles. But he was more than satisfied when several cracks appeared in the 'indestructible' armor.
"How can this be?" Krieg asked in disbelief noticing the cracks himself.
"Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!"
Luffy's double fist strike lifted Krieg right off the ground and sent him flying backward. Only the quick thinking of one his clones prevented Krieg from going over the edge as it jumped into his path and sent him back to the ground with a flying kick.
The force of the kick sent that clone into the ocean instead, the power of which instantly destroyed it. But that was a small price to pay to keep Krieg from escaping to where neither Luffy nor he could follow.
In addition, the further attacks on his armor had caused the cracks to spread to the point where the armor itself now shattered and fell off as Krieg slowly stood. Without its protection, the following minute must have been one of the worst of his life. The pirate captain was no longer conscious after being subject to a brutal beating from the two devil fruit users.
Turning back to the Baratie he was expecting to receive shocked disbelief from Krieg's crew. But he was disappointed to see there wasn't a conscious pirate in sight. Just a pile of bodies was Kiba was stacking their limp forms. Even Gin had been dealt with, most likely by Sanji, who stood over the fallen man.
"Well, I think we did a pretty good job," Naruto declared proudly.
"Your power is great," Luffy replied. "You could be like a whole band by yourself."
"Except I don't know how to play any instruments," Naruto answered, again caught off guard by the odd boy's thought pattern.
"That's too bad," Luffy replied. "I need a musician in my crew."
"I'm going to take care of the pirates if you don't mind," Naruto told him, hoping to change the subject before Luffy had a chance to fixate on convincing Naruto to join his crew again. "I'll make sure to tell them about your contribution if you're concerned about the bounty."
"I don't care about the bounty," Luffy proclaimed matter-of-factly.
Ah, it was refreshing to see a bounty hunter who wasn't in it out of greed, even if he was a little off.
"Well then, it was nice meeting you, but I guess this is where we part ways," he told Luffy offering his hand.
Luffy grasped the hand with a smile.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again in the Grand Line," he predicted.
0o0o0
Former Pirate Ship
East Blue Sea
"Some party they threw us last night, huh?" Kiba asked.
After Luffy and the others left, Zeff, the head chef and owner of Baratie offered to a free grand feast for Naruto and Kiba. It had been quite a party. Although with how much Kiba drank and how much ramen he ate, Naruto had to wonder if he really recalled that fact or just assumed it to be so. He might not think so fondly of it if he had a clearer recollection of his actions.
"We did save their restaurant," Naruto reminded him. "It was kind of the least they could do."
"Pity that Luffy kid had already left, though," Kiba added. "He seemed like the type that would enjoy a party. Anyway, where are we headed next?"
"To the nearest marine base," Naruto answered.
"What?" Kiba asked, probably wondering if he'd heard right. "I thought we were avoiding them."
"We don't exactly have a lot of choice," he explained. "We've got a hold filled with over fifty pirates. We'll run out of food and water in no time with that many. And there wasn't exactly enough of their ship left to use our usual methods."
"There's got to be some other option," Kiba insisted. "We could just steal the ship from the next pirates we find."
"And if we don't find one before we starve to death?" Naruto asked. "A couple of missing ensigns isn't exactly a big deal. There's a good chance that even if the base we're heading to has been informed, they've forgotten all about it."
"I still don't like it," Kiba complained.
Naruto didn't like it either, dreading the moment the ocean would end. But eventually it did just that, a marine base coming into view. As his clones pulled into port and docked the ship, Naruto went down to the hold and brought up Krieg. He'd take care of the most dangerous captive first, and deal with the rest later.
Seeing Krieg again, he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. He knew the man was strong, and not wanting to risk him breaking his bindings, he had gone a bit overboard with the rope and chains. He looked almost like a deformed mummy. His head was the only part left free, and that only if you didn't count the gag.
As there was no way, the man could walk, Naruto lifted him over his shoulder and began to carry him away. Leaving Kiba and Akamaru behind, he left the ship, quickly being joined by an escort of marine guards when they just recognized who it was, he bringing in.
He was grateful Kiba had talked him into changing out of his uniform when he had, as he'd had a chance to clean it to pristine shape. He was nervous enough about this as it was, he didn't need a filthy uniform to make him any more self-conscious.
On a positive note, no one had yet brought up his escape from Shell Island. Not even after he'd led his captives into the base, bureaucrats scurrying trying to figure out what to do with Krieg. He was beginning to think he would get away with this. Until someone else walked into the room.
"You!" Naruto and Nezumi yelled at the same time when they'd spotted each other.
Of all the bases he could have gone to, it just had to be this one. He recalled now that Nezumi said he had plans to work in East Blue. Naruto just wished he'd thought to check which base that was.
"I heard about how you went AWOL," Nezumi said smugly, "But I never imagined I would be able to see you brought to justice myself. Fortune must be smiling on me today."
While Nezumi surely had plenty more taunts ready, he was denied the opportunity to use them as the doors burst open allowing the entry of a highly agitated man. Although older, he bore a striking resemblance to Nezumi and sported a few fresh cuts and bruises. This must be Nezumi's father, who went by the same name if his memory served.
"Father," Nezumi called out to the man, confirming their relationship. "I caught that Naruto fugitive I told you about."
"I don't have time for your childish rivalries right now," his father, Nezumi Kaitō Senior snapped. "There are bigger issues at stake. I need to... is that, Don Krieg?"
Naruto was suddenly grateful no one in the base had yet figured out what to do with the man. Showing off the good he'd done may put the marine captain in a better mood to be lenient.
"Yes, sir," he answered with a salute. "He's one of the pirates I've captured since I began patrolling East Blue."
"You mean to say a punk like you managed to capture such an infamous pirate?" he questioned Naruto as if expecting this to be some big prank.
"He does have monstrous strength," his son informed him. "But that's all the more reason to lock him up. He's a menace."
"I should listen to my son. I could have you locked up right next to your prisoners," Captain Nezumi threatened. "But I think I may be better served to turn one monster against another."
"Sir?" Naruto asked hoping for clarification.
"I'll let you continue on your way," he declared. "But only if you agree to hunt down a pirate by the name of Monkey D. Luffy."
"Luffy?" Naruto questioned, wondering if there was any chance, he was referring to someone else by that name. "Goofy kid that wears a straw hat and has a devil fruit power that gave him a rubber body?"
"You know him?" Nezumi asked curiously.
"I ran into him once before," Naruto admitted. "But I thought he was a bounty hunter. He was with Pirate Hunter Zoro."
"Yes, he was with Zoro," Nezumi confirmed. "But only because the Pirate Hunter has turned to piracy himself. He and his crew took out Arlong, stole all of his treasure, harassed the people Cocoyashi Village, and then attacked the marine force I was leading in an attempt to restore order. I barely escaped with my life."
Inwardly Naruto was kicking himself for not figuring this out earlier. A bounty hunter who didn't care about a prize like the one offered for Krieg? He just knew there was no way a pirate would be able to collect That's why he'd let Naruto take care of them.
"I'll do it," Naruto said firmly. "I'll capture Luffy and his crew."
"If you succeed, I may even see about getting you pardoned for your actions," Nezumi offered. "Although I think my son here is hoping you'll fail. I guess one of the two of us is going to get our revenge."
"I'll just have to make sure it's you then, sir," Naruto replied.
0o0o0
Cocoyasi Village: Conomi Islands
East Blue Sea
Nojiko gasped at the figures she saw walking up the path to Cocoyashi Village. Arlong and his crew had just been defeated, what were dozen fish-men doing here? At the head of their group was a large red fishman. Normally the fish-man had at least somewhat human like faces but if you buried this one up to his neck in sand, Nojiko suspected he might be mistaken for a normal fish lying on the ground.
As they approached the small group of villagers who had been chatting with Nojiko, Genzo immediately stepped in front of her protectively. Not at all frightened by his display, the leader walked up to the heavily scarred man.
"Tell me human, what happened to Arlong Park?" he asked menacingly.
"It was destroyed," Genzo answered. "And unless you want to be taken out like your leader was, I suggest you leave town and never return."
"I know it was destroyed," the fish-man snapped back. "I want to know how it was destroyed. And where is Arlong? I'm not fool enough to fall for your transparent lie."
"Believe what you want," Nojiko yelled at him from behind Genzo. "But it's still the truth."
Enraged by her reply, Nojiko saw the fish-man prepared to backhand her. She closed her eyes reflexively before hearing a large crash. Worried Genzo had just taken the blow for her; she opened her eyes only to discover that the sound had come from the other two fishmen.
Or more accurately, from their bodies crashing into the ground next to their leader and going limp. Her would-be assaulter, now the only remaining fish-man, had stopped his intended blow mid-swing, shocked by the unexpectedly violent arrival of his companions.
"Back away from the villagers," a young, blond-haired marine called out from behind the fish-man.
Next to him stood a darker-haired boy and a very large white dog. They must have all been so focused on the fish-men that no one had seen them coming. Not looking at all worried by how easily his men had been defeated, the fish-man pirate casually walked over to the blond marine who had just spoken.
"You may have caught my men off guard, but you'll find I'm not so easily beaten," he boasted.
"Is that so?" the marine asked almost mockingly. "Then why don't you show me what you're made of?"
"Heh, just remember that you asked for it pewhuman," he replied with an evil smile.
Walking up to his challenger, the difference in their size became very apparent. The blond wasn't at all short by human standards, looking to be about six feet tall. But the fish-man stood almost a foot taller and had to weigh at least twice as much. And he intended to take advantage of that fact, throwing his whole body into a single punch aimed at the young man's chest.
Nojiko cringed as the marine did not attempt to dodge the attack as it barreled in. But rather than breaking ribs and knocking the smaller of the combatants away, the fish-man's fist halted abruptly when it struck him.
"You call that a punch?" the blond mocked, appearing completely unphased by the attack. "This is a punch."
So, saying, he threw a right hook at the fish-man, although it almost turned into an uppercut given the differences in their height. But whatever kind of punch it was, it connected to the side of his target's face, twisting his whole body to the side and sending him cartwheeling several yards before he came to a stop.
When it became clear that he wasn't getting up again, the villagers swarmed the two Marines and their dog.
"That was amazing!" one of them called out.
"That wasn't anything impressive," the darker-haired boy insisted, sounding a little jealous of the attention his companion was getting. "They were all really weak. Naruto was just showing off."
"Well then, Naruto," Genzo stated walking over to the boys himself. "We're just grateful you and..."
"Kiba," Naruto provided. "And the dog is Akamaru."
"Yes," Genzo gratefully, "that you, Kiba, and Akamaru showed up here. If there's anything we can do to repay you, just let us know."
"We're here looking for a dangerous pirate by the name of Monkey D. Luffy," Naruto told them. "We heard he and his crew caused you some trouble, and we'd appreciate any information you might have on where they went. Or perhaps a description of their ship if anyone got a look at it."
The villagers quickly grew silent at the revelation that their current saviors were hunting their previous saviors.
"But Luffy is... hey!" Genzo said.
The sentence may have made more sense if Nojiko hadn't 'accidentally' stomped on his foot rather hard part way through.
"Sorry," she pretended to apologize. "But as Genzo was saying, Luffy is very dangerous. You should avoid him for your own good."
"He doesn't worry us," Kiba boasted. " We're combat specialists from marine headquarters. You barely saw a fraction of what we can do just now."
"Is that so?" Nojiko asked sweetly. "Then did Captain Nezumi send you after Luffy?"
"That's right," Naruto confirmed. "He specially charged us with bringing Luffy to justice."
"In that case, I'll be happy to tell you what their ship looks like," Nojiko told them. "It's a large vessel, painted completely black, with blood red sails. And it must have at least two dozen cannons."
"That certainly sounds unique," Naruto answered. "Now do you have any idea where he's heading next?"
"And I don't know where they're headed, but they sailed off to the East," Nojiko lied.
"Well they're probably trying to throw off pursuit then," Naruto told his companion. "He was quite clear he was heading toward the Grand Line. We may be able to beat him to the entrance if we hurry."
Nojiko silently cursed that she hadn't been able to throw them off the trail, but at least they seemed to have believed her about the ship. But she realized there might be another way she could help her sister."
"Please, if you're going after them, take me with you," Nojiko requested.
"What are you talking about?!" Genzo yelled out in surprise. "Do you know how dangerous it would be to go with them?"
"Yes, a marine vessel is no place for a civilian," Naruto replied.
But his partner immediately pulled him to the side and began whispering furiously to him.
" ... no rule against it... crazy not to... hot... just look at her..." were some of the pieces she managed to catch Kiba saying.
It was easy to see he was trying to change Naruto's mind and exactly why he was doing so. So, she did her best to smile cutely whenever they looked her way. But despite Kiba's best effort, he seemed unable to sway the other marine.
"I'm sorry, it's just too dangerous," he told her.
If he wasn't going to cave that easily then it was time for Nojiko to kick the act up a notch.
"I didn't want to tell you this," she began melodramatically, "but Luffy and his crew took my little sister. I know I may not be much help in a fight, but I... I just can't sit here and do nothing."
A pretty good performance if she said so herself. She could see that Naruto was wavering. Now to go in for the kill. Getting down on her knees she looked up at him pleadingly and even succeeded in producing a couple of crocodile tears.
"I'm a pretty good cook," she informed them in mock desperation. "Or I could help clean. I'll find some way to contribute. Please just take me with you."
She could tell by the look on his face that she'd already won. It seemed that, like most men, he was unable to say no to a woman in tears.
"Fine," he finally answered. "We'll give you twenty minutes to gather your things and say your goodbyes. If you're not back here by then, we're leaving without you."
"Thank you. You won't regret this," she told him turning to head to her house, more to hide the smirk she was struggling to suppress than out of any real hurry.
But then again, maybe she should hurry. Twenty minutes wasn't a lot of time. Not wanting to waste it, she ran back to her house and began to quickly pack her things. About a minute into the process, Genzo walked in.
"What was that all about?" he asked her disapprovingly.
"You're the one who was about to declare yourself a pirate sympathizer to a couple of thugs sent by Nezumi," Nojiko fired back.
"That's not the point," Genzo answered a little sheepishly. "What makes you think going with them is a good idea? Even if you can send them on a wild goose chase, they're hardly the only marines around."
"Maybe not, but they do seem pretty strong," Nojiko argued, "And they're hunting Luffy specifically."
"And what happens if they ever find out what you're doing?" Genzo countered. "It's too dangerous."
"I'll be careful," she replied stubbornly.
They proceeded to lock stars in a contest of wills. But Genzo was the one to give up first, turning away with a sigh.
"It's alright," he told her. "I know what this is really about."
"What do you mean?" Nojiko asked in confusion.
"It's easy to see," he told her. "Your little sister is off having wild adventures, and you're still here with little more than a boring old man to keep you company. It's no wonder you'd jump at a chance to head out into the world yourself."
"You're not boring," she answered, trying to raise his spirits.
But inwardly she wondered if he was right. She had been a little envious of Nami going off to travel the world. Maybe she'd let that subconsciously cloud her judgment.
"Don't change your mind on my account," he said in a rather abrupt about face from his previous position. "It'll be lonely with both of you girls gone, I'll admit. But I don't want you blaming me for having missed this opportunity."
"What happened to it being too dangerous?" she asked him.
"I didn't want you to go," he admitted. "But in all honesty, those two boys seem decent enough folk. I can't see it being nearly as dangerous as joining a pirate crew. Just take care of yourself."
"I will," she promised him, giving him a quick hug.
Then finishing her preparations, she made it back to where Naruto and Kiba were waiting and still had a few minutes to spare before her deadline. Nojiko was glad to see them, worrying a bit on the way back that Naruto would have changed his mind and used the opportunity to leave her behind.
"Ready to go?" Naruto asked her.
"Yeah, let's head out," she suggested.
Nojiko hadn't expected to depart Cocoyashi Village herself so soon after Nami had. But she was looking forward to swapping adventure stories with her sister someday. However, if Nojiko had anything to do with it, that day would be far off, as she was going to do her best to keep these marines far away from her sister.