Chapter 7: Naruto vs Luffy
Former Pirate's Ship
Paradise: Grand Line
"What do we do?" Kiba asked Naruto.
"We follow them," Naruto replied. "We knew this was going to happen sooner or later, it's time to face the music."
Turning back to the officer on the other ship, Naruto called out his response.
"Understood, sir. We'll follow behind you."
The marine vessel began to sail deeper into the Grand Line, and Naruto matched the ship's heading and sailed after it. Their two most recent additions to the crew were understandably confused about what was going on. Tenten, however, was the first to ask about it.
"What were you two talking about?" she inquired. "And do you have any idea what that was about?"
"I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore," Naruto replied. Captain Nezumi indeed sent us after the Straw Hat Pirates. But he didn't give us this ship."
"Then who did?" she asked curiously.
"We just sort of took it," he admitted. "They wanted it destroyed anyway, so it's not like we stole it. I think they're more upset with us leaving without telling anyone."
"You mean you're just a couple of rogue marines?" Nojiko interjected.
"It's not like that," Kiba said defensively. "Our commanding officer was imprisoned before we even arrived at our first assignment. The place was in chaos, and they didn't even know what to do with us. So we just decided for them."
"Don't worry," Naruto assured them. "We'll make it clear that neither of you two knew anything about this."
"What possessed you to do it in the first place?" Tenten asked. "You had to know you would get caught eventually."
"It just felt like something I had to do," Naruto replied honestly. "I am sorry I won't be able to return you to your captain. But maybe they'll be able to locate him at the base."
"You should be more worried about yourself," she snapped back, surprising Naruto with the force of her reply. "You could have ruined a promising career with your decision. If you don't follow the rules, you're no better than a bounty hunter, no matter how many pirates you capture."
Having said her piece, she stormed off and went below deck without even giving him a chance to reply. Naruto was still stunned by the strength of her reaction. He certainly wasn't expecting praise, but that seemed a bit much to him.
And now the part he was dreading. With Tenten practically biting his head off, he could only imagine how Nojiko would react to this. After all, her sister's life was on the line.
"I guess I owe you an even larger apology," he told Nojiko. "I got your hopes up and now I won't be able to do anything for your sister."
"Don't worry about it," she answered without a hint of recrimination. "I'm sure you did the best you could. And it's not like you would have been able to do anything for her if you hadn't taken this ship. Besides, Nami is resourceful, I'm sure she'll be fine."
Okay, now he was really confused. The person he was just giving a ride to was furious with him, and the one with a sister he'd failed to save wasn't upset at all.
"I just want to remind you; this was all your idea," Kiba declared.
Kiba, on the other hand, was completely predictable. Maybe it was just women being naturally incomprehensible.
0o0o0
G-5 Base
Paradise: Grand Line
Finally, they had docked their ship next to the marine vessel that had been leading them. All five of them disembarked, finding the captain of the other ship already waiting for them on the docks.
"Welcome to G-5 Base," he told them.
G-5 was the largest base Naruto had seen since leaving Marinford. It was a large complex of buildings, at least ten based on what he could see. There were also a dozen marine ships currently docked and a few more visible patrolling the area.
It had a much more rustic look than Marinford, though. Rather than being nothing but buildings and pavements, he could see several open fields. And numerous trees and bushes were growing, with many marines relaxing under the former.
Even a couple of picnics seemed to be going on. This hardly looked like the sort of discipline he would expect in the middle of a marine base. Didn't they have work they could be doing?
Following the marine officer in the base, Naruto grew nervous every moment. He was aware of the consequences of going AWOL. Tenten was right. No matter how boring it would have been, he should have just stayed on Shell Island. If he'd just been patient and worked hard, eventually things would have worked out.
But he couldn't take back what he'd done. Now he'd just have to hope he wasn't kicked out of the Marines.
"I wish I could say it was a pleasure to be here," Naruto replied. "But given the circumstances, I'm afraid that isn't true."
The captain let out a deep laugh at his reply.
"I won't hold that against you," he told Naruto. "Now if all of you will follow me, we can get this over with. Maybe afterward, you'll have a chance to relax and enjoy the area."
"Yeah, we'll have plenty of time to relax in prison," Kiba muttered.
"That may very well be," the man answered letting out another laugh.
"I'm not a marine," Nojiko pointed out. "I'm I even allowed in the base?"
"Eh, don't worry about it," he replied casually. "No one's going to care."
The five of them were led into a large building in the center of the complex where they were directed to sit down in a lobby area. There were several tables set up around the room, and the four humans selected one and sat, with Akamaru lying on the floor nearby.
"Just wait here, and the boss will be with you soon enough," they were told before the man left them to themselves.
"Great, more waiting," Naruto complained.
And they were waiting for more than an hour with nothing more interesting than the occasional marine passing by. Naruto and Kiba's collective anxiety had put a pall over the table that had stifled any conversation. The waiting had become so unbearable that it was quite a relief when a marine who looked to be in his thirties approached them.
"Hey there folks," he greeted. "The name's Karl. I hear rumors that you're the kids who stole a ship to go off on a joyride."
Karl was a thickly muscled man with a shaved head. He appeared to be deliberately going for a tough guy look. But his efforts were somewhat hindered by his less-than-intimidating height that fell almost half a foot short of Naruto's own.
"It's not like that!" Kiba yelled, jumping angrily to his feet. "We were out ridding East Blue of its pirates."
"Don't lie to me kid," Karl told him. "You do know the Marines keep records of who turned in any pirates with bounties on them, right? Like Buggy the Clown, Don Krieg, and Krieg's first officer Gin?"
"You were the one who captured Don Krieg?" Tenten asked him. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised with how easily you handled Buggy the Clown."
"Also," Karl added. "We also heard you broke out of jail and assaulted a couple of marines under Captain Nezumi Kaitō.
"Hold on there," Naruto protested out loud. "We didn't break out of jail and assault any marines."
"Yeah," Kiba agreed. "Nezumi authorized us to go after Straw Hat Luffy in exchange for military pardons."
"And who is going to believe who?" a deep voice announced from right behind Naruto startling him.
It wasn't often he ran into someone who could sneak up on him like that.
"Rear Admiral Kakashi Hatake, sir," Karl called out, jumping to his feet and giving a salute.
Naruto, Kiba and Tenten quickly followed suit, standing at attention. The Rear admiral was a slender, silver-haired man, casually dressed in a high-ranking marine officer uniform. Not much was visible on his face, with a mask covering his mouth and nose and an eyepatch over his left eye. It caused Naruto's imagination to run wild at what kind of injury would prompt him to cover so much.
"Please, be seated," Kakashi ordered them.
The five of them complied without question.
"Not you, Karl," Kakashi said to the bald man who had retaken his seat. "This has nothing to do with you."
"Sorry, sir," Karl apologized, quickly getting to his feet, and scurrying off.
"I apologize for making you wait so long," Kakashi told them. "But a pirate who had a grudge against me snuck into the base and took me hostage."
"Who was he?" Tenten asked, as shocked as Naruto, if a pirate would do something so brazen.
"Who was who?" Kakashi asked.
"The pirate that took you captive," Tenten replied.
"Oh, I guess I'm not used to people believing my excuses," the rear admiral told them. "I'm afraid I hadn't thought that far ahead."
None of their group knew how to respond to that, so they simply waited for Kakashi to continue. Instead, he took a small orange book out of a coat pocket and began to read it silently as he stood there. After they'd been sitting patiently for about a minute Naruto finally worked up the nerve to interrupt.
"Excuse me, sir," he said hesitantly. "I believe there was something you wanted to discuss with us."
"I wouldn't think you'd want to rush me," Kakashi answered but did put his book away. "As I was saying, who is going to believe you two? Two marine recruits had gone AWOL or a marine officer in charge of a local base. According to Nezumi's report, you two resist arrest and escape jail at the 16th Branch in the East Blue."
"We didn't resist arrest," Naruto protested. "Captain Nezumi authorized us to go after Straw Hat Luffy in exchange for military pardons."
"Captain Nezumi' reports say otherwise," Kakashi disagreed. "It seems to be he was using you to settle a score with Straw Hat Luffy without getting his hands dirty. Plus, he does not have the authority to grant you military pardons. Only Vice Admirals and Up does. You should never have trusted a word from Nezumi."
Naruto knew the Rear Admiral was right. He should never have trusted Nezumi Kaitō Senior. He should have known better the moment he met Nezumi. The man was no better or worse than a rat and a scumbag like his son.
"Excuse me Rear Admiral Kakashi," Nojiko speaks up. "But Captain Nezumi Kaitō is no saint. He is as corrupts as a rotten apple."
"You mean like Nezumi accepted bribes from Arlong to keep the Marines from investigating the crimes of the Arlong Pirates?" Kakashi asked.
"You...how did...how did you know that?" Nojiko slowly asked with a surprised tone.
"Although the East Blue Sea is not my jurisdiction," the Rear Admiral told her. "I had some trusted spies and informants in the East Blue Sea who informed me of events and characters, from Nezumi taking bribes from Arlong to the Straw Hat pirates battling the Arlong Pirates. I already assembled enough evidence to give to the Marine Inspector General to have Nezumi arrested on charges of bribery, corruption, and negligence of duty."
"Also," the Rear Admiral added. "I had an agent in Loguetown who told me of the events. When I heard you were there, I figured you'd be heading for the Grand Line shortly. And since you don't have a marine ship, I knew that would be the only route you could take."
"You seem very well informed," Nojiko told him, finally breaking her silence.
"You look almost nervous," Kakashi replied. "Is there something you're worried I might know?"
"Nojiko hasn't done anything, sir," Naruto interrupted. "I take full responsibility for everything that happened."
"And do you have anything to add, Ensign Kiba?" he asked.
"I was fully aware of the actions I took," Kiba said firmly. "That said, it was all Naruto's idea."
Akamaru stood up and barked at Kiba accusingly.
"What? I told him I'd say that when he talked me into this," he told the dog defensively.
"Sir, if I might add something," Tenten interjected. "Their methods may have been wrong, but you can't ignore the good they've done. They left East Blue a much safer place than they found it."
Tenten had come to his defense? After verbally ripping him to shreds when she'd found out about this.
"She's right you know," Kakashi said. "The two of you deserve to be thrown out of the Marines, but your results speak for themselves. I'd rather not lose two officers of your ability. So, I'm going to just consider this matter settled."
"Sir?" Naruto asked hopefully.
"There is a price, however," Kakashi told them, "I'm not about to let you run around doing whatever you want anymore. From now on, you work for me, understood?"
"Yes, sir." Kiba and Naruto said nearly in unison.
"Good, because I have a mission already lined up for you," the Rear Admiral continued.
"We've been receiving reports of citizens disappearing within this local region of the Grand Line. Based on the information we've received; all the kidnappings are pinpointed in a location called Rabbit Island."
"Do you have an eternal pose to Rabbit Island?" Naruto asked.
"No" Kakashi responded. "We don't have any eternal poses that go directly to Rabbit Island. But if you wait for an hour on Gunsmith Island, a regular log pose will lock onto it. Due to your ship not being marine, it will be easier to conduct your investigation secretly."
"Very well sir," said Naruto. "When do you want is to begin?"
"You can start now," said Kakashi. "You'll be in command of the mission, Naruto. I'd like you to stay on the crew as well as Ensign Tenten. Oh, and you're welcome to take the young lady there if she wants to go."
"You mean I can stay, even if I'm not a marine?" Nojiko questioned him to be sure.
"You can stay as long as your young lady," Kakashi responded. "I'll have an eternal pose sent to your ship. Ask Mary to find the quartermaster for you if you need any other supplies before you leave. Oh, and good luck lieutenant."
"Um, sir?" Naruto asked.
"You heard me correctly," Kakashi replied.
Wow, avoiding punishment was more than he'd expected, but a promotion too?
"Thank you, sir," Naruto said enthusiastically. "I'll do my best to deserve this honor."
"Um... sir?" said Kiba as he got the Rear Admiral's Attention hopefully. "What about me?"
"Didn't you just say it was all Naruto's idea?" Kakashi asked in reply.
Kiba's silent fuming was the icing on the cake for a day that had already made a dramatic turn for the better.
"Look on the bright side," Naruto teases Kiba. "At least you're not court-martial."
Akamaru barked in agreement with Naruto.
"Shut up!" Kiba snapped.
0o0o0
Naruto had been busy loading supplies and preparing their ship for departure. In addition to the eternal pose for Gunsmith Island, they were given a second that led back to G-5. They'd also been given a Den Den Mushi that would allow them to communicate with the base should the need arise.
But shortly after the sun had set, G-5 as well had slipped over the horizon. And with the ship sailing smoothly along, Naruto found himself with some free time on his hands. So he left a clone at the helm and approached Tenten, who was busy practicing marksmanship skills.
"I'd like to thank you for standing up for me with the Rear Admiral," Naruto told her. "Especially after how vigorously you expressed your opinion earlier."
"Oh, that?" she asked with a touch of chagrin. "I may have overreacted a bit, but only because I expect a lot from you."
"Still, I do appreciate it," he said honestly. "It takes a lot of courage to stand up to a superior officer. Yet you have done it for my sake when you hardly even know me."
"I did owe you several favors," she replied. "I'm just glad I had the chance to pay one back."
Naruto didn't feel like he was owed any favors by the young woman. Stopping Buggy and winning that naval exercise? Both of those cases were done more for his own sake. Helping her had simply been an unintended benefit. She on the other hand had stuck her neck out for him. Now he felt like he was the one who owed her.
"Well," Naruto began. "Have you given a thought to learning Rokushiki?"
"I don't know," Tenten replied. "Hand-to-Hand combat is not my style. Marksmanship is my primary element."
"I could teach a thing or two on Rokushiki techniques," says Naruto. "You can be adaptive in battle in addition to your marksmanship skills."
"You know you may have a point," Tenten agreed. "I think learning Soru and Kami-e might help sharpen my speed, agility and mobility in the battle."
Just then, two marine officers, that were around Naruto's age, steps on the ship. One has narrowed brown eyes and a typical expression suggesting he is either bored or irritated. He has shoulder length black hair tied in a spiky ponytail. The other one was a rotund build and markings on his cheeks in the form of swirls. He has spiky, light brown hair that sticks to waist-length.
"Is this the ship of Naruto Namikaze?" he asked in a bored tone.
"It is," says Naruto. "And who are you two?"
"My name is Lieutenant Shikamaru Nara," he introduces himself. "Rear Admiral Kakashi sends me to serve on your ship as your navigator."
"And my name is Ensign Chōji Akimichi," the other also tells his name. "I'm here to be your ship's helmsman."
"A navigator and helmsman?" Naruto assumes his words. "You're a marine cook?"
"That's right," says Choji. "The Rear Admiral thinks it would be a good idea to add us to your crew. We're considered the best duo in the base, perhaps the entire Marines!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Choji," Shikamaru told his friend. "I admitted our abilities are top-notch, but we don't always go overboard!"
Just then Kiba, Akamaru, and Nojiko finally came back to the ship. They noticed the two new arrivals and Kiba asked "Who are you guys?"
"My name is Lieutenant Shikamaru Nara," Shikamaru introduced himself. "Rear Admiral Kakashi sends me to serve on your ship as your navigator. And this here is Ensign Chōji Akimichi your marine helmsman of the ship."
"Is that so?" Kiba responded. "It's good enough we had new blood on the crew. The name is Kiba. This is Akamaru. And this here is Nojiko."
Shikamaru stared at Nojiko for a moment before he asked, "Why are you not in uniform?"
"Me?" Nojiko responded. "Well, it's because I'm not a Marine. I'm a civilian assigned as a cook!"
"You're kidding me, right?" Shikamaru said with disbelief before turning to Naruto and asking "Do approve of this?"
"Yeah," Naruto replied. "Why? Is it because she's a civilian?"
"Something like that," Shikamaru said. "But mostly because she's a woman."
"Excuse me?" Nojiko reacted, looking angry. "But do you have something against women?"
"Yeah," Shikamaru replied. "They are the immense burden in life."
"Immense burden in life?" Tenten repeated, who was also getting angry.
"If she is a civilian then she has no place on this ship," Shikamaru pointed out. "She's too troublesome for a dead weight in our crew?"
"Dead weight?" Nojiko repeated, getting angry. "I'll show you─"
Naruto stops Nojiko before he faces Shikamaru and sternly asked "Although Nojiko is a civilian, she allows on this ship and the Rear Admiral improved it."
"How do we know she isn't going to be a to be in the way? Shikamaru questioned Naruto on the subject. "We are a marine ship in the expertise of hunting pirates. If battle starts, she will be an easier target for pirates even if we allow on the ship. She too troublesome to be on this ship!"
"Don't worry," Naruto says. "I made a decision to train her."
"Trained her?" Tenten repeated, looking at Naruto.
"Trained me?" Nojiko repeated, looking at Naruto.
"Yeah," Naruto says, trying to justify his words. "I want everyone on this ship to be ready and well trained for action. That why I'm going teach her Rokushiki, alongside Tenten."
"Can she keep up?" Shikamaru persisted. "Handle combat training?"
"I can take it," Nojiko replied giving Shikamaru a fierce look. "I'm tough enough to handle anything Naruto taught me."
"If you say so," Shikamaru says. "The last thing we need is dead weight on this ship, and that it will be troublesome."
After Shikamaru left, Tenten asked "What the hell is that guy's problem? Does he hate women?"
"Don't mind Shikamaru," Choji defend his friend. "He doesn't hate women. He respects women, yet he feels intimidated by them."
"Intimidate?" Kiba repeated.
"Well, Shikamaru has experiences with the women he knows back home,"Choji told them. "From his point of view, he sees them as aggressive, demanding, and sometimes even scary."
"I like to give him a reason to be intimidate." Nojiko bitterly complained.
"Me too." Tenten agreed.
0o0o0
Gunsmith Island
Paradise: Grand Line
It took a few days for them to reach Gunsmith Island. Upon arriving, all they had to do is wait a couple of hours before the Eternal Pose set them course to Rabbit Island. Kiba took the opportunity to relax in his room, since they had nothing else to do but wait. But he also has an opportunity to listen to the music of Uta a world-famous diva.
Kiba has been a huge fan of Uta since day one. Her singing voice has been appraised as "other-worldly", enough to grant her the title of the world's greatest diva. He seems to can't stop listening to her breakout hit, "New Genesis", which was so popular. He been so lost in Uta's song, he didn't hear Naruto and Kiba entered his room.
"KIBA!" Naruto shouted out loud. "KIBA? ARE YOU HEARING ME?"
Kiba turned around and was surprised to see the two of them in his room. Stopping Uta's music, he responded "Are you talking to me?"
Naruto recognized the listening and asked him confusedly "Are you listening to "New Genesis"?
"Yeah!" Kiba replied. "So what? Is something wrong with that?"
"No," Naruto replied. "I didn't think you would be the type to be a fan of Uta."
"I'm fan of Uta," Tenten added. "Are you surprised as well?"
"Everybody is a fan of Uta," Kiba says. "My sister. My mom. Everyone! And even you."
Naruto hesitated for a moment until Kiba realized it and reacted "Wait a second...Don't you know who Uta is?"
"I know who it is," Naruto replied. "It's just that I don't listen to her music that much."
"Now that surprising," Tenten responded, looking at Naruto with shock "You never listen to Uta even once?"
"Yeah," Kiba agreed. "I mean how could there be one person in the world who is not a fan of Uta?"
'Now is not the time!" Naruto retorts, trying to brush the problem aside. "We got work to do."
"What is it so important to stop me from listening to Uta?" Kiba complained as he and Akamaru, and Tenten follows Naruto to the deck of the ship.
Naruto had been bad enough when he was just a self-proclaimed captain. Now that he legitimately outranked him, he was going so far as to drag him from his Uta's music for some pointless patrol.
"I saw the Straw Hat Pirates' ship, the Going Merry," Naruto told Kiba. "But I don't think they've spotted us yet."
"You sure?" Kiba asked, looking surprised. "Are they here on Gunsmith Island?"
"I just spotted their ship arriving a few minutes ago," says Naruto. "This is the perfect chance to arrest and capture them."
"I don't think so!" Shikamaru says who appears out of nowhere, with Choji at his side. "Have you forgotten? We're in the middle of a mission to Rabbit Island!"
"I know that" said Naruto. "But this is opportunity I'm not going to miss."
"Yeah." Kiba agreed. "Not to mention they kidnap Nojiko's sister."
"Nojiko's sister is kidnapped?" Choji reacted before he said "Well what are we waiting for! Let's go do our jobs."
"I think me, Kiba, Tenten, and Akamaru will handle the Straw Hat pirates," Naruto told them. "I need the two of you to stay here and keep an eye on Nojiko."
"You sure you don't need our help?" Choji asked. "Shikamaru and I also had devil fruit powers and are good fighters?"
"We can't just confront and arrest any pirate that cross our path!" Shikamaru protested. "Don't forget, we have about 20 minutes until the Eternal Pose leads us to Rabbit Island. The last thing we need is to fight a pirate only worth 30,000,000 berries when we're on an important mission. It's too troublesome!"
"I can handle Luffy," Naruto told Shikamaru. "I have seen his powers, his fighting skills, and know his attitude. I'm confident that I can defeat him!"
Shikamaru stared at Naruto for a moment before saying "You're confident?"
"I am." Naruto replied.
"Are you sure?" Shikamaru persisted with the question.
"I say I am," Naruto repeated, getting annoyed. "I know we just met, but you need to have faith in my abilities."
"You're right we just met," says Shikamaru. "But you should never underestimate your opponent or overestimate yourself. You want know who says that...your father, the Yellow Flash."
"I know what those words mean," Naruto retort, getting more annoyed. "I heard them before from my father before he died."
Shikamaru says nothing but kept giving Naruto a doubtful and suspicious look. As they left the ship, Naruto said "Gunsmith Island looks like a big place, it's going take all day to find them."
"How about me and Akamaru handle this," Kiba says. "We're considered the best trackers and hunters from our native island, and we already got the Straw Hat Pirates' scents."
"You can track them down through smell alone?" Naruto asked.
"Just give the word, and we'll be on the Straw Hats before they know it." Kiba assumed his words.
"All right then," Naruto agrees with Kiba's decision "Just do your thing then."
Kiba and Akamaru walk towards the Straw Hat pirate's ship. They begin sniffing the ground and air around the ship, to pick up the pirates' scent. Once they did, they begin to follow the scent into town, with Naruto and Tenten not so far behind them. They began feel stir up as the scent was getting stronger which mean they were getting closer. It was when they finally reached their destination.
Sure enough, they were only forty feet away or so. He saw Luffy, that Usopp kid, and the blond chef. It was only the throng of people on the pier that had prevented them from spotting the group earlier. He didn't see any sign of Zoro or his two bounty hunter friends, but the group appeared to be standing there chatting with two young women.
"You think one of those girls is Nami?" Kiba asked while moving away from the corner to let Naruto look.
"Maybe the blue haired girl?" Tenten suggested. "The hair color might run in the family."
"No, I think it's the other one," Naruto replied. "I can't see it clearly from here, but I got a glimpse of a tattoo on her arm that looked similar to Nojiko's."
"So, what's the plan?" Kiba asked.
He didn't have much experience dealing with a hostage situation so he wasn't sure what the best way to proceed would be.
"I'm going to go in alone and distract them," Naruto answered. "Kiba, while their attention is on me, I want you to sneak up behind them and get Nami out of there."
"Understood," Kiba replied.
"And once she's safely away, we capture the rest of them," Naruto finished resolutely.
Giving them each a final look, he must have been satisfied with what he'd seen from them. Nodding, he ran out of the alley and toward the pirates. Running right past their group, he turned around and confronted Luffy, who immediately recognized him.
"Ah, Naruto," Luffy said cheerfully, "I've been thinking about it, and I'm kind of jealous of your power. You know how when there's beef over here, and chicken over there, and you can't decide which one to eat first? You could just make a copy and eat both at the same time."
"My clones don't eat," Naruto corrected.
"Ah," Luffy answered knowingly. "They're mysterious copies."
That boy was just as strange as Kiba remembered. But their group looked sufficiently distracted so Kiba began to make his way through the crowd toward where Nami was standing.
"You never told me you were a pirate," Naruto replied, accusation clear in his voice.
"I didn't?" Luffy asked. "Well, I'm telling you now. I'm going to be the Pirate King."
"Pirates?" a passerby asked worriedly. "They're pirates?"
The word quickly spread as panicked civilians cleared out of the area as fast as they could. The pressure of people going in the other direction was making it difficult for Kiba to move forward. And once they were gone, his cover would be too. He'd have to move quickly when that happened, or he'd be spotted the first time one of them turned around.
"You won't be if I have anything to say about it," Naruto insisted. "I'm taking you down right here."
"So you want to be the Pirate King too?" Luffy responded. "I guess that makes us rivals. That's fine, but I'm not going to lose to you."
Kiba had finally reached the girl he assumed was Nami and grabbed her from behind, putting a hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming.
"I'm here to help you," he whispered in her ear to calm her down.
But she was anything but calm. Grabbing the arm, he had over her mouth; she twisted and threw Kiba over her shoulder so that he landed flat on his back.
"What are you doing?" he accusingly yelled propping himself up into a sitting position. "I'm trying to rescue you."
"The only person I need rescuing from is you!" she yelled back.
Had he gone after the wrong girl? Maybe it was the blue-haired one after all. But the said girl was now coming at him with some sort of spinning weapon tied to ring on her finger. She didn't look any more eager to be rescued than her orange-haired companion.
He heard Akamaru bark a warning at him, and instinctively jumped to the side, avoiding a small explosion where he'd just been sitting. He turned to see Usopp had just fired something at him. But the odd thing was it had come from a slingshot. What kind of a pirate used a slingshot?
Akamaru had moved past Kiba and was now approaching the long-nosed boy, growling as he did.
"Nice doggy... Nice doggy," Usopp said nervously. "I'm not going to hurt you. Look I'm putting the weapon down."
Kiba saw Akamaru relax a bit as the boy slowly lowered his slingshot to the ground. But that had been just what Usopp had been waiting for as in a split second he loaded and fired off a shot at the dog.
"Tamago Boshi!"
A projectile flew toward Akamaru, hitting him directly in the face. The dog immediately let out a yelp of distress and began to run around frantically pawing at his nose.
"What did you do to Akamaru?" Kiba yelled angrily at the boy.
Not even waiting for an answer, he charged Usopp, intent on avenging his partner. But Akamaru cut him off looking him directly in the eye. Kiba had been with Akamaru for so long, that he could almost always figure out what his partner was trying to tell him. And this time there was no doubt at all. His eyes clearly said that this one was his.
Nodding to Akamaru, he looked around for a new target. Naruto looked to have claimed Luffy already, so he should probably help out Tenten. The other ensign had charged in and was surrounded by all three of the remaining pirates. And that was probably more than she could handle.
Locking onto the blue-haired girl, he charged her, quickly ducking under a swipe she made with that weapon of hers. Grabbing her weapon arm, he was able to halt the spinning. He was about to finish her when a kick from Sanji on his arm forced him to release the girl.
"I won't let you harm so much as a hair on Vivi's head," he promised.
But back in his fight, Kiba stumbled a bit, surprised that his most recent attempt to pummel the blond chef hadn't come close to hitting anything.
The cause was that his intended target had already taken off running the short distance to where Tenten was fighting. He made it just in time to kick the guns out of Tenten's hands.
"Thanks, Sanji," she told her savior. "Now pay her back for trying to kill me."
"I'm sorry Nami," the chef replied, "but I could never hit a lady."
"Kyah! You're so frustrating," she yelled at him, turning to run to where her staff had landed after being knocked away.
Without warning, Tenten unleashed a brutal kick straight between Sanji's legs. Sanji howled in pain and fell to his knees, holding his family's jewel.
"Chivalry is going to get you killed one day." Tenten told Sanji before she turned her attention to chasing after Nami and Vivi.
This seems to give Kiba a perfect opportunity. Charging at Sanji from behind and treated the man to a kick of his own. With a powerful punt, he hit the side of Sanji's neck. Following through with the motion, the cook went spinning sideways down the dock, coming to a stop less than a foot from the edge of the water. This wasn't going to be a good day for the man, but at least his luck had kept him from drowning. But now that he was down, they shouldn't have any trouble finishing off the two girls.
He follows after Tenten who was chasing after the two girls that had reached the Straw Hat's ship, the Going Merry. However, Tenten has already caught up with them and wasted no time going after Nami who was trying to put up a futile resistance.
"Zoro!" Nami yelled out in desperation. "Wake up and get down here you worthless idiot! We're under attack!"
But her pleas for help went unanswered, and Kiba returned his attention to Vivi. She had pulled a second one of those weapons from somewhere and was now wielding one with each hand. Kiba would have to approach this carefully. Dodging several of her assaults he finally saw an opening.
One attack went wide and before she could recover, he dashed into her guard, ducking under the follow-up swing from her other hand. With nothing left to stop him, he planted his fist into her gut, knocking Vivi flat on her rear, gasping from the blow.
"Do you surrender, or should I continue?" Kiba asked her smugly. "I held back, but I can hit a lot harder than that."
"Interesting," she answered when she was able to speak again. "But how are you at taking blows?"
That was an odd response. Was it supposed to be some kind of a threat? Suddenly he found himself flying through the air, only then registering a throbbing pain in the side of his head. In his dazed state he attempted a controlled landing but wasn't very successful as he plowed through a street stall of some type.
After taking a few moments to collect himself, he stood up to see Sanji standing there, only just lowering his foot from the kick that had been the cause of Kiba's involuntary flight.
"I'll never forgive any man that hits a woman," the chef declared angrily. "Now prepare yourself, because this fight is about to get serious."
0o0o0
Naruto watched Kiba slam into the ground after his failed rescue attempt. He never should have trusted Kiba with that task. Nami probably thought he was some kind of pervert grabbing her like that. Well, he'd have to leave that situation to his crew. He still had Luffy to deal with. So, he took a stance and prepared to fight.
"You don't have a weapon?" Luffy asked. "You can't hurt me with your fists, you know."
"Are you sure about that?" Naruto replied, "You should be very careful of underestimating me and overestimating yourself."
This could be a good chance to use his Tekkai to demoralize his opponent. The boy was used to being invulnerable to blunt attacks. Let's see how he liked the taste of his own medicine.
"Of course, I can," Luffy insisted. "I'm the rubber man. Your power is to make mysterious copies. Did you forget what your power was or something?"
"Then go ahead and try," Naruto challenged. "Give me your best shot!"
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
"Tekkai!"
Luffy shot a long rubber fist at Naruto, who was just in time to use his Tekkai to absorb the impact.
"Eh?" Luffy asked. "Why didn't that work? I'm not the one who forgot my power? Am I? No, my arms just stretched, so I must be a rubber man. Eh, thinking about this is too confusing, I'm just going to hit you harder."
Not for the first time, Naruto had to wonder if this kid was this stupid, or just messing with his mind.
"Gomu Gomu no Rifle!"
"Tekkai!"
Luffy twists his arm around as he stretches it behind him and hits Naruto at close range, massively increasing the velocity of the punch as twisting the arm stretches the arm even further without having to draw it back any longer which also saves the amount of time the kick-back takes.
Naruto grunted when it hit but managed to avoid giving off any other sign of how hard the blow had been. That punch was like being hit by one of Garp's cannonballs. No, it might even be stronger, since he had little doubt, he'd improved the strength of his Tekkai since then. But he could still handle it, and soon Luffy would realize how hopeless it was.
"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"
"Tekkai!"
Luffy sends a rapid stream of punches after Naruto. But Naruto only grinned. He could hit him with as many of those as he wanted. Neither was as strong as that rifle of his, so he could easily handle them. And Luffy seemed to be getting very frustrated by the situation.
"Is that the best you got?" Naurto mocked Luffy.
"Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!"
"Tekkai!"
With all his might, Luffy pulled back for a giant double-handed punch. This was the strongest attack Naruto had seen Luffy use against Krieg. If he could resist this, his opponent would be demoralized. But the moment Luffy's attack touches him, he feels almost the whole air left his body and the force of the attack sends him crashing into the building.
"Yeah," Luffy mocked back. "That's the best I got!"
Rising from the debris, Naruto begins to feel annoyed by Luffy's words. Yet, even more annoying than his words, Naruto couldn't help but feel angry at the fact that his Tekkai could not withstand Luffy's attack. While he knew Luffy was strong, he was much stronger than all those Blue Sea Pirates he fought and captured. Not to mention his devil fruit powers make him extremely durable to physical blows. But he would still win the fight. His fists may not hurt his opponent but let's see how much fight he had in him after Naruto had tied that rubber body of his into a knot.
"Ah, no fair, Usopp," Luffy called out to his crew member. "I want to play with the doggy too!"
"What part of this looks like playing to you?" Usopp yelled back angrily from within Akamaru's large jaws.
Luffy may have been distracted, but that didn't mean Naruto had to wait for his opponent. He summoned one hundred clones around himself. This was the first time he summoned this many clones to a max level. However, he knew Luffy was not a normal pirate to deal with and it was time to take the kids' gloves off.
His Tekkai might not have been strong enough to withstand Luffy's strongest attack, but it was time to show him how lacking he was in speed. Naruto and his one hundred clones all rushed toward Luffy. But the pirate captain wasn't about to go down without a fight.
He threw punch after punch at the approaching targets, but Naruto's Soru and Kami-e made it easier for him to avoid his opponent's attacks. Pistols, rifles, even that Gatling move of his had failed to land a single hit. And to be honest, Naruto was deliberately drawing this out as a small revenge for their earlier challenge.
"Hold still and let me hit you!" Luffy ordered. Naruto was pleased to see the frustration was getting to him. But he'd had enough playing around, now he needed to finish this. Signaling his clones, all of them converged on Luffy. The victory was as good as his.
"Gomu Gomu no Hanabi!"
"Kami-e!"
Luffy began spinning, sending a flurry of punches and kicks at a faster rate than anything he'd done before. But he was still being naive. It was a good attack, but it just wasn't fast enough to be a threat to him, as he proved by dodging every blow with the use of Soru and Kami-e.
However, a flood of memories brought to his attention the unexpected detail that more than half of his clones had been destroyed. But how had that happened? He could believe one of them had slipped up and made a mistake, but there was no way that an attack could have taken place.
After he'd had a moment to process the new memories, he realized exactly how it had happened. His clones weren't quite as fast as he was. The Rokushiki required the user to be a master of their own body. And something about the sensations of being a clone just felt a little off.
Not surprising for a body that lacked hunger or thirst, a body that didn't even feel pain. And those unfamiliar sensations had prevented him from fully utilizing Soru. He wished he'd discovered this fact sooner, but Luffy had been the first opponent to push his clones to move so quickly.
Luffy seems to notice the disadvantage his clones are experiencing and exploits it. One by one, Luffy destroyed every clone that was not fast and agile enough to evade his attacks. When the last clone was destroyed, Luffy faced Naruto and proudly said "Now that all your clones are gone, you're next!"
"So what?" Naruto shot back. "You still can't touch me!"
"Oh yeah," Luffy shot back, taking it as a challenge.
"Gomu Gomu no Rifle!"
"Kami-e!"
Naruto has time to evade Luffy's punch by using Kami-e. However, he used the opportunity to grab Luffy's arm and used Soru to spin around, dragging Luffy at mind-blowing speeds before throwing him into the building. He hopes that throws will hurt Luffy to keep him down but begins feels distressed as Luffy is back on his feet, looking as if the attack does not affect him. He quickly summons more clones, replacing the original one hundred clones that were wipe out.
"Hey, you can't do that!" Luffy protested. "I already beat them all up!"
"That's my power Luffy," Naruto told him. "For every clone you defeat, I can summon another to replace it."
"That's not fair!" Luffy kept on protesting. "Usopp, tell him that's not fair."
But his long-nosed subordinate was busy lying unmoving on the ground beneath Akamaru, who was sniffing the fallen body.
"Stop ignoring me and tell him that's not fair," Luffy ordered. "I already beat those copies, that means they're out, right?"
"Stop yelling at me you idiot," Usopp lifted his head to shout back. "I'm trying to play dead here."
He quickly realized his mistake as the now very angry dog above him began to growl.
"I mean, your noise briefly woke me from unconsciousness but now everything is going black again," he claimed, laying his head back down and going still.
But Akamaru wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice. He was glad at least one of them was doing well. But the revelation about his clones' limited speed made this much harder. If he couldn't reliably count on his clones to avoid taking hits, it could get down to grappling versus one against Luffy.
That is if he were to stick to his original plan of tying the boy up. It could still work, once he had ahold of an arm or a leg, it should greatly reduce the speed of his attacks. But he couldn't keep up with Tekkai while moving.
And close-range combat against an opponent who could do so many odd things with his body, was immune to physical blows and packed a strong wallop was a large risk. If only he'd swallowed his pride and brought a knife or something. He could have diced Luffy to pieces with ease by now.
However, there might be another way to get the same sort of effect. A properly performed Shigan could tear right through the body. It might be enough to wound even Luffy. He couldn't reliably do a Shigan yet, but it was worth a try.
"Stop complaining," he taunted Luffy, trying to provoke an attack. "You still haven't even managed to hit the real me."
"Which one is the real you?" he replied in confusion.
"I am you moron," Naruto yelled back.
Naruto had been trying to provoke Luffy and instead, he was the one losing his cool. The boy was just so frustrating.
"Well then, see if you can dodge this," Luffy challenged.
"Gomu Gomu no Gatling."
Luffy was now focused entirely on the real Naruto, which suited him just fine. As he dodged the attacks Naruto rapidly counterattacked.
"Double Shigan!"
He strikes Shigans with both hands, hitting the extending arms repeatedly as he dances around them.
"Quit doing that," Luffy complained. "It stings."
It looked like the move might have potential if he ever fully mastered it. But causing a stinging sensation against his opponent hardly seemed like a fair tradeoff as Naruto examined his two badly sprained pointer fingers. He supposed that was what he deserved for using the technique in combat when he hadn't even fully learned it. But it looked like it would have to be his original plan, risky or not. In a way, Naruto was looking forward to the risk. This was already the most exhilarating experience of his life.
0o0o0
"I knew this was going to happen!" Shikamaru thought disappointedly.
Instead of waiting for the ship to be ordered, Shikamaru decided to check in, to see if Naruto and the others had success in their mission. In turn, the events happen as he fears. Naruto and the others were having a hard time against the Straw Hat Pirates. Shikamaru wishes he remained back on base. But the Rear Admiral insisted on assigning him to Naruto's crew as navigator and staff officer.
Kakashi must be out of his mind promoting a green rookie to lieutenant. The idiot is overzealous in his duty, doesn't focus on the big picture, and instead begins distracted by the smaller details. A blind man could see that he was destined to be troublesome.
It is not like Shikamaru wanted the job. Shikamaru is naturally a lazy person, and he inclined to do as little work as possible. Since his transfer to G-5 Base, Shikamaru can get away with this, spending his days sleeping, watching the clouds, or playing games of shōgi and Go. His goal is to live unremarkably, free of anything noticeably good or bad, and then to die just as unremarkably as he lived. Now he has stepped in and saved his shipmates, cleaning up his commanding officer's mess.
As he approached the battlefield, he noticed one pirate; a blonde wearing a black suit, was helping a blue-haired girl. Whoever he is, he just defeated Kiba, and he has taken care of him first.
"SANJI! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND SAVE ME YOU IDIOT!"
Shikamaru turned to where the scream was coming from and saw Tenten fighting the orange-haired pirate to the ground and seem to be winning.
"I suggested you surrender now," Tenten told the pirate woman. "While hand-to-hand combat is not my style, you lack the skill and physique for it."
"SANJI!" the orange-haired girl screamed out loud getting angry every moment. "FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! SHE'S GOING TO MURDER ME!"
"Don't worry Nami dear," the one called Sanji says as if he were a White Knight on horseback, destined to save a royal princess. "I'll save you!"
"I don't think so," Shikamaru says out loud, stepping into the scene.
Seeing Shikamaru, Sanji says "Who are you?"
"I'm a marine officer," Shikamaru told him. "And I'm here to arrest you which is going to be troublesome."
"I'd like to see you try," Sanji sneer. "I'll give you the same treatment as I gave to that barbarian."
"Tendron!"
"Shadow Catch!"
Sanji's kick was a direct target toward the middle area of Shikamaru's collarbone. But before his kick touches Shikamaru, he suddenly stops.
"Hey," Sanji reacted, looking stunned. "What is going on? Why can't I move?"
"The reason you can't move is that our shadows are linked together," Shikamaru told him. "Look to the ground."
Sanji looks down on the ground and notices that Shikamaru's shadow is linked to his. He guesses "Devil fruit powers?"
"Right," Shikamaru replied. "This is the power of the Shakou Shakou no Mi. I can use my shadow to manipulate others. The moment my shadow touches yours, you are doomed."
"Hey, what going on out here?" a new voice from the Straw Hat ship called out.
Shikamaru turned to where the voice came from and saw it was Roronoa Zoro. He heard of a master swordsman from the East Blue Sea who could wield three swords in battle, and who took on bounty hunting as a profession before becoming a pirate. Knowing Zoro was going to be a dangerous fighter to face, Shikamaru came up with an idea.
"Shadow Puppet!"
"Extra Hachis!"
Without warning Sanji leapt towards Zoro and unleashed a series of kicks at him. Yet Zoro used his sword to block each kick with equal force.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing you idiot?" Zoro yelled. "Have you lost your mind?"
"It's not me," Sanji complains. "I'm not in control of my body. I'm not doing this on purpose?"
"Say what?" Zoro retorted, confused. "You're not making any sense."
"This you're doing, is it?" Sani yelled at Shikamaru. "You're forcing me to do this?"
Shikamaru manipulated Sani to continue his attacks on Zoro. Yet Zoro can keep up his defenses. Zoro is a tough foe. So Shikamaru decided to hatch a plan to trap his shadow once...
"Shikamaru? Is that you?" a familiar young female voice speaks to him.
Hearing his name called, Shikamaru turned his head and discovered the one who had spoken his name was that blue-haired pirate girl. However, upon close examination, Shikamaru slowly recognizes her.
"Vivi?" Shikamaru responded with surprise. "Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me," Vivi replied. "Nice to see you Shikamaru."
"Stop!" Nojiko yelled out. "Everyone stops fighting! Stop1"
When had Nojiko arrived? Shikamaru briefly surveyed the area to see how the rest of his crew had been doing. Kiba didn't seem to have fared as well, only now pulling himself up from the remains of a street stand. Yet Akamaru, seem to be doing well, pummeling his for a long-nose pirate, into unconscious. Luffy and Naruto are still fighting, equally matched.
Tenten appeared uninjured and seemed to have been locked in combat with the girl he'd assumed to be Nami, near where Nojiko had just appeared. Why would they have still been fighting? Was she not Nami? But now that Nojiko was here he should be able to get some answers, and he hurried over himself to make certain he didn't miss any.
"Nojiko?" the orange-haired girl asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Nami," Nojiko answered, confirming the girl she was now hugging was her sister. "I'm glad I made it in time."
Something wasn't right. Nojiko looked calm for a girl who was surrounded by the pirates who had kidnapped her sister. And piecing the clues he had together, Shikamaru was pretty sure he knew just what it was that was off.
"Your sister wasn't kidnapped, was she?" Shikamaru asked accusingly.
Nojiko's guilt-stricken faces were all the answers he needed.
"Kidnapped?" Nami asked. "Who are these people and what have you been telling them?"
"I believe I can answer that," Shikamaru replied, figuring out what going on in an instant. "She's been giving us false information, trying to keep us from bringing you to justice."
"Is this true?" Tenten questioned Nojiko.
If anything, Tenten looked more upset than Naruto felt. Nojiko again remained silent, eyes downcast.
"Why would you help the pirates that attacked your village," Kiba asked, having wandered over himself.
"It's not like that," Nojiko insisted, finally finding her voice. "They saved us from Arlong's pirates and they're heroes in our village."
"Even if that's true," Naruto countered, "They still attacked Captain Nezumi and his men."
"Yeah, we attacked him," Nami yelled back unapologetically. "But he was in it with Arlong, taking bribes to look the other way. Then, after we had taken out Arlong and his crew, he showed up to try to rob the village one last time. What were we supposed to do, let him?"
"Captain Nezumi is no saint," Shikamaru agreed with her. "I heard rumors he is as corrupt as rotten apple."
"I had to agree," says Naruto. "I've met the man, and I just might believe him capable of something like that."
"You're not just going to take their word for it and let them go are you?" Tenten questioned him.
"Of course not," Naruto replied, then turned to address Nami. "If you've truly done nothing wrong, then turn yourselves in. We'll see that you get a fair trial."
"Excuse me," the blue-haired girl interrupted. "There's something else you should know before you try to arrest them. My name is Nefertari Vivi, princess of Arabasta."
"Pull the other one," Kiba snorted. "You don't expect us to believe a princess is hanging out with a bunch of pirates."
"Are you calling Vivi a liar?" Sanji asked, getting right up in Kiba's face.
"Vivi?" Choji reacted with shock, upon recognizing her. "Is that you?"
"Yeah Choji, it's me," Vivi says. "It's good to see you and Shikamaru."
"It's good to see you too Vivi," Shikamaru replied. "Yet the last thing I expect is to see you here, so far away from Arabasta and in the company of pirates."
"You two know her?" Kiba asked Shikamaru and Choji.
"Yeah," Shikamaru told them. "Choji and I are from Arabasta. We can vouch that she is a royal princess. Our families are close friends."
Facing Vivi, Shikamaru began to ask "Vivi, what are you doing with these pirates? And where have you been? We heard that you disappeared many months ago in Arabasta?"
"Yeah, and where is Igaram?" Choji asked. "We heard that he disappeared at the same time you disappeared. Is he with you?"
"Igaram...is dead Choji," Vivi sadly told him.
The news seems to shock Shikamaru. Yet the biggest shock comes from Choji, who was utterly speechless.
"What do you mean dead?" Shikamaru reacted.
"He was murder!" she told them.
"Murder?" Choji repeated in horror. "What do you mean murder? Who killed Igaram?"
"It was a criminal organization by the name of Baroque Works," she informed him. "Igaram and I left Alabasta and went underground to investigate the tensions that were tearing apart our country. We then heard rumors that behind the uprisings in Alabasta was Baroque Works."
"Are you serious?" Shikamaru responded, dumbstruck of this news.
"Dead serious," Vivi continued. "We infiltrated Baroque Works and managed to become Frontier Agents to learn the organization's true boss and objectives. We found the leader of the group was none other than Sir Crocodile of the Shichibukai."
"Crocodile of the Shichibukai?" Choji cried out. "No way!"
"Is true Choji," Vivi kept on with her story."Igaram and I were discovered and marked for death by Baroque Works. Igaram died to save me, which is why I am with the Straw Hat pirates who are escorting me to Alabasta."
"If you're telling the truth, you won't mind coming with us," Naruto told her. "After we confirm your story, I'm sure the Marines will be more than happy to ensure you arrive home safely."
"Hey, I've got a lot of money riding on this job," Nami complained. "I'm not going to let you steal my client that easily."
"I don't have time," Vivi told Naruto. "I need to get to Alabasta and stop the war before it's too late! That's why I need Straw Hats' help to get home!"
"You don't think a marine officer is incapable of escorting you home?" Naruto responded.
"For someone who went one-on-one with Luffy I got no doubt you're capable. But there's no time," Vivi continued. "How long will it take for you to confirm my identity? And how soon could you spare a ship to escort me? Every delay just gives them more to send assassins after me. And they could make their final move in Arabasta at any time."
"She rights you know," Shikamaru agreed, surprising the others. "If we try to bring her back there will be too much trouble on whatever if she is what she says. On top of that, my homeland, Arabasta is on the verge of being destroyed and if what she says is true then it's best to let them go and continue their quest."
"What?" Tenten reacted out loud, not happy with what she said. "Are you serious Shikamaru?"
"I say we let them go," Kiba agreed. "Don't seem to me they've done anything wrong. They helped us save the Baratie, saved Cocoyashi Village, and now they're helping a princess save her kingdom? Sounds like they deserve a medal more than prison."
"That's absurd," Tenten protested. "Whatever they've done they're still pirates. And just because their story is plausible, doesn't change the fact that we must capture them. We'll take Vivi to Arabasta ourselves if we have to."
"Are you forgetting that we have our mission?" Shikamaru argued back. "Considering Naruto and Kiba's history, I'm sure they don't want to risk disobeying orders and going off on their own again."
"He rights Tenten," Kiba agreed. "This is out of our hands, and I don't end up getting in trouble for going AWOL again."
"We can contact the Rear Admiral," Tenten countered. "I'm sure he'll understand the importance of the situation and let us go."
"And what about the kidnappers?" Shikamaru asked. "Have you forgotten about them? We can't handle two major tasks at the same time. It's too troublesome!"
"That's enough," Naruto ordered. "You've both made your points."
"So what's your decision then?" Kiba asked.
That was a good question. What was his decision? Seeing him deliberating, Vivi decided to make one last plea.
"I'm begging you," she pleaded, getting down on her knees. "Millions of lives are at stake."
"Please just let them go," Nojiko added kneeling next Vivi. "I swear to you they're good people."
Looking at the two emotional young women, Naruto knew he just couldn't give the order to start fighting again.
"Don't think I'll forget your pirates," he told Nami resolutely. "If I run into you again after you've delivered Vivi I won't hesitate to capture you. Now get out of here before I change my mind."
"You're welcome to try," Sanji challenged. "I'll be looking forward to teaching this barbarian some manners."
Kiba snarled back but left it at that. Tenten didn't look very pleased with his decision, but he took it as a good sign that she wasn't openly protesting. At least everyone else seemed happy with how things turned out.
"Thank you very much," Vivi said gratefully, standing up only to bow to him. "My entire country owes you a debt."
Turning to Choji, Vivi sadly says "Choji...I'm sorry that I had to tell you that Igaram is dead. I know he was a second father to you."
"I appreciate that Vivi," Choji says sadly. "Just...just be careful. Saved our homeland."
"I will," Vivi promised.
"Now that I've been found out, I guess this is goodbye," she said. "I just want you to know that I really do feel bad about deceiving you. Oh, and I enjoyed our time together."
"You can come with us, Nojiko," Nami offered. "Right Luffy?"
"I don't really understand what's going on," he answered, "but okay, she can join our crew."
"Welcome aboard, Nojiko-chan," Sanji said enthusiastically. "I'll cook a special welcoming feast in your honor."
It might be easiest to just allow the sisters to reunite, but Naruto had no intention of letting things end like that.
"You don't have to leave if you don't want to," Naruto told her.
"With all due respect, I have to protest," Tenten responded. "She's been lying to us and deliberately attempting to sabotage our efforts."
"Are you suggesting we give her the choice of joining pirates or being abandoned on an island far from her home?" Naruto asked. "Because I'd rather not have to think I all but forced someone into piracy."
"I'm sorry," Tenten replied. "I guess you're right. I have no further objections at the moment."
"Do you really mean that?" Nojiko asked. "You're not just going to dump me somewhere as soon as they leave?"
"You can stay as long as you'd like," Naruto assured her. "I promise."
"Our offer is still open too," Nami pointed out hopefully.
"Yeah, don't trust him," Sanji advised desperately. "He has the look of a liar."
"Sorry Nami," Nojiko told her sister, "But I think it's better if we have our own adventures. We'll get to see twice as many things that way and we can tell each other all about them. Besides, I'm fine with having a dog for a crew member, but I don't think I like the idea of having a captain with the intellect of an animal."
"She's calling you stupid," Luffy said to Naruto with a laugh.
"It was you she was calling stupid," Nami pointed out, getting a noticeable tick in her eye.
"Really? Then I take back what I said," Luffy replied petulantly. "She can't join my crew after all."
"She wasn't going to join anyway!" Nami yelled at him. "What part of this conversation were you listening to?"
Sighing, Nami turned back to her sister.
"Why do I suddenly get the feeling I ended up with the raw end of this deal?" she asked.
"I'm sure you'll be fine," Nojiko told her, then looking at her sister she embraced her in a hug. "Good luck out there."
"You too," Nami replied, returning the hug warmly.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Nojiko, stated.
Releasing the hug, she marched over to Zoro and without warning sent a fist into his gut.
"Do you want something?" Zoro asked nonchalantly, not at all phased by the surprise attack.
This was not the right answer as Nojiko followed up with a knee to his groin, a move that made Naruto wince sympathetically. This attack had a much greater effect, as the swordsman fell to the ground in pain.
"That's for Loguetown," Nojiko told him angrily. "Jerk!"
"Zoro, what the hell did you do to my sister? you monster?" Nami shouted, slamming her staff down over the head of the green-haired young man.
"Nothing!" Zoro managed to gasp out. "I never even saw her in Loguetown. I just bought some swords and then ran around trying to find Luffy. That was it."
"Liar!" Sanji retort. "Tell me what you did to Nojiko!"
Shikamaru didn't know what that was about. But since they had nothing else to do here, it was time they got back to their mission.
"I believe our hour is almost up," Shikamaru declared. "It's time we head back to our ship."
His crew turned to follow, Akamaru trotting after them carrying Usopp in his mouth.
"You'll have to leave him behind," Naruto told his canine subordinate.
Akamaru whined, but followed orders, dropping the unconscious boy to the ground and following after them. With the adrenaline fading, his sprained fingers were starting to bother him. He'd be glad to get back to the ship and find something to take his mind of the pain. But why did he have the feeling he was forgetting something?
Glossary
Devil Fruit
Shakou Shakou no Mi: The Shakou Shakou no Mi is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that gives the user the ability to manipulate any form of shadow. The fruit was eaten by Shikamaru Nara, making him a Shadow-Possession Human.