Alright, now with the fourth chapter here, I got some exciting announcements to unveil to you guys, some of you might like to hear.

For once, I am in a really, and I mean a really good mood lately, now that an accusation from ten years ago against me has finally been exposed as a lie, and I can reunite with some old friends who I haven't seen for a good decade.

It really feels nice to get your name cleaned up and the truth coming out, but I won't tell you the details, that's private. I just want to tell it because its a weight off my chest.

Secondly, and one of my best times ever, there are currently two projects of mine that now are in the building phase of their 1st chapter.

One is the long desired of mine, Naruto + Tom Clancy fanfiction, mainly that of Rainbow Six Siege and The Division, so you all know.

And secondly, this is thanks to LuciusWalker, my G. Naruto + My Hero Academia crossover fic is also in the making!

Yes, these fics are now in the making, and its all thanks to LuciusWalker, I swear, he helped me out a lot on writing, so I want you all to check out his stories on AO3 and , including his own Star Wars story.

Check him out, he really deserves much more attention.

Anyhow, I also will tell you guys (especially my GTA readers) I'm also working on those stories still, especially close by on finishing my next San Andreas update.

Lets get to business now, enjoy the reading of this!

The Snapper Head

Back on the Grand Line, it has been three days since they escaped the shootout incident in the West Blue, and now that they were back in familiar waters.

They could be more at ease with the surroundings they were familiar with. Not too much of course as they were still needed to be on alert for the dangers on the sea that could range from suddenly changing weather to a Marine patrol spotting them. Even with those risks, the majority of the crew did not give much thought to it. With them either being on deck working in their posts or taking their free time with whatever they wanted to do.

Now, it was a calm night, with the only person to be on the deck, was Tiger, leaning against one of the rails with a bottle of gin in his hand.

His thoughts were on what happened earlier today.

Flashback

Now back in the Grand Line after sailing through the Calm Belt, Naruto was given a new challenge; education. As he was surrounded by books and notebooks that he was given.

And as expected, Naruto was not a large fan of this, he raised his head up from the books with a frown and looked straight at the captain.

"Studying sucks."

This got some grins and laughter from the crew, while Tiger was just giving him a stoic look at him before releasing a sigh.

"Listen kid, I understand you don't like this, but its for your own good." Tiger started. "Education is a vital part of a child's upbringing."

"I know, but I don't why I got to read these books." Naruto said as he pulled up some books by naming them up."Astronomy, Cartography, Geography, Marine Science-"

"Studying Marine biology, not those stupid bastards, kiddo." Macro commented, gaining laughter from some of the other Fishmen.

Naruto pouted as he felt embarrassed by the pun, he knew Macro didn't mean it as an insult, but he still felt like he was the butt of the joke.

"QUIET YOU!" Jimbei yelled at the laughing men. "AND LISTEN, the captain wasn't finished." This caused Macro and his two friends to fell backwards with white faces and apologizing.

"We're sorry!"

Sighing again, Tiger turned his gaze back to Naruto. "You think you're wasting your time studying this, am I right?"

Naruto was hesitant, but then nodded slowly.

"Then let me tell you why I want you to study these subjects." Tiger said, sitting down right across Naruto with the books. "Remember how you told me you want to be on the seas, a few days ago?"

Naruto answered as he remembered it. "Yeah."

"That's why, it takes more than just a gun, a sword and ship to be captain, kid." Tiger began to explain the meaning of all of this learning. "You need a lot more skills than just fighting to be a captain in the sea. You need to learn how to navigate your ship."

"That's where Astronomy, Cartography and Geography are coming in." Jimbei told. "For example, I am the Helmsman of the ship, so I am always in charge of where the ship goes."

Naruto asked. "And you need navigation to do that?"

"Right." Jimbei nodded. "Take Astronomy, for example, which means the stars. the stars tell stories and these stories tell us where we are the constellations are all based on different stories," Jimbei said, pointing up to the blue air. "Those stars can help you make your way through the ocean with navigation, so you don't need to wait until its day again to sail further."

"Reading the stars?" Naruto wondered before figuring out. "Like the Northern Star?"

"Yes, kid, just like the Northern Star!" Hachan exclaimed, clapping hands for Naruto. "If you ever get lost at sea, tha

"Cartography also isn't an useless perk." Aladdin said, the doctor joined in to try to encourage the kid. "Like Astronomy, Its the way to teach the world. To connect the world, despite its differences."

"A good cartographer can bridge friendships," Jimbei added. "While a bad one can sink navies."

Naruto scratches his head as he guessed. "So its like reading the stars, but instead of stars, its maps?"

"Exactly!" Jimbei and Aladdin said at the same time, causing them both to blink and look at each other for a moment.

"Do I really have to learn this too?" Naruto wondered. "It sounds all complicated, why not try luck?"

"You cannot rely on that, kid." Jimbei told him. "If you don't know your navigation, you could be at the North Pole when you're going to the next island."

"Hey!"

"That's why you're going to have both theoretical and practical education." Tiger took it over from the others. "Just like how Hachi will teach you how to cook, how Kaneshiro will learn you about the inner workings of a ship, you will be learning all essentials of being a sailor on the sea."

Then he stood up and said one final thing. "And once that is done, you'll be then taught how to fight."

"Really?" Naruto asked a bit of eagerness. "Like what?"

"No spoilers, kid." Tiger replied. "First learn this, and then we'll see in the future."

"Aw! Come on!"

Naruto's groaning made everyone on the deck laugh, even those working on the deck who heard it out loud. All except the sharp-nosed Arlong who stood watch in the Crow's nest.

As for Naruto, he took one big puff of air before releasing it and beginning to read the book he was holding on and began to learn with the guidance of Aladdin and often Jimbei.

It was the beginning of Naruto's much needed education.

End Flashback

"Captain."

Tiger's thoughts from the day earlier were interrupted as he turned his head to seeing Jimbei approaching him with a newspaper rolled up in his hand.

"Ah, Jimbei. It's you." Tiger said as he turned his gaze back to the ocean view. "Tell me, why are you still up? It's pretty late." Asking before taking a jug from his bottle.

"I just come to check and see that if we're still on course." Jimbei answered, giving his for why he was still up before pulling up the rolled-up newspaper he had squeezed in his hand. "Also, the newspaper…"

With a frown upon his face, the blue Fish-man had given away already that he read the news in it.

"... It's about the incident in the West Blue, with you in the headline." He reluctantly hands over the paper to the captain, who did not hesitate to unroll it and read the front page headline that stood in big letters.

West Blue Underworld raid turns deadly!

In a port town on an island to the West of Ohara, Marines with the backing of government agents were caught in an ambush while fulfilling a raid. Ambushed they were, by not only one of the West Blue's most notorious underworld gangsters, Capone Bege, but also by the extremely dangerous terrorist, Fisher Tiger.

The reason for his presence in the West Blue remains unknown, yet he showed no mercy when he was confronted by government officials, who he struck down mercilessly when Capone Bege and his gang joined in on the confrontation and gunfire erupted in the port town.

Latest reports have indicated that over two dozen of Marines and government agents were killed in the firefight. With the perpetrators still on the run, including the terrorist, Fisher Tiger.

Upon reading the headline, Tiger stated. "Looks like they're following the narrative alright."

"Lazy journalism, if you ask me." Jimbei scoffed, clearly showing his contempt for what he had already read. "They'll just use any possibility to slander you unfairly."

Tiger kept on reading, and to his only disappointment, something was left out what he witnessed himself...

"Nothing about the bartender, I guess…."

"Bartender?" Jimbei heard that. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Tiger focused back to his Helmsman and changed subject. "Got anything else to talk about?"

Jimbei shook his head. "Not really, no."

"Good, just see if we're still on course." Tiger said as he turned his gaze back to the sea. "We've got enough supplies for us to be on sea for at least a week."

"Understood." Jimbei said before walking down the path towards the deck and left Tiger to his own, as he continued to drink the bottle by himself and read more articles from the newspaper, with some smaller news like the weather and the financial situation.

He turned over another page where he read an article that caught his eyes.

Contact! Elemental Continent, after dozens of decades after isolation, World Government starts diplomatic missions to the Elemental region.

The article caught Tiger's interest immediately as he continued to read it. In it stood how suddenly after long isolation, the World Government, without consolidation from the Reverie members of the world, decided to establish relationships with some countries in the continental region of the world, especially of those independent nations who had Daimyos ruling their land.

It seems to be that the continent was slowly to be offered to open up, with the Daimyos of their countries who were approached, being offered lucrative deals in trade offers and routes that the government would provide if the joined under the banner of the World Government and its 170 affiliated nations.

"Foolish humans…" Tiger spoke in a disappointed tone, they would be walking into a path they would regret in the future.

"You don't know how much freedom you had until you're finding it out too late."

Few days later

Grand Line

After almost a a few days with no incidents and calm, it was then when the peace was finally ended for the unknowingly Fishman.

It came to an end when the Snapper Head were spotted by a Marine battleship that finally spotted the ship they were searching for. With the ship belonging to a rear admiral who was ordered to locate and pinpoint the location of the Sun Pirates.

"Sir, unidentified ship spotted." One of the marines spoke while watching the ship with a binocular. "It fits the description of the Sun Pirate's vassal."

"Let me see for myself." The man, saying that, walked up to the marine with the binoculars. As he was rear admiral Kadar. An average built man with light blond hair, wearing a blue suit and rectangular eyeglasses. He was one of many ranking marines who were ordered to track down the freed slaves that were sailing with Fisher Tiger's crew.

Kadar was cautious, with the ship still not in cannon range, the rear admiral decided to do the following and ordered.

"Get closer to it as much as you can. Once we can verify the ship's identity, we will proceed to engage to battle."

"Sir." The marine saluted before going to fulfill his orders. Leaving the young marine officer to himself as he was reminded by his superiors to not engage with the dangerous Sun Pirates, but instead just pin-point their location.

But the rear admiral was ambitious, and that ambition, to catch these Fishman pirates, would be his biggest mistake he would make.

"You're mine now, you damned scum."

Snapper Head: Deck

Having no clue what was going to happen, the Sun Pirates were mostly absent from the deck, leaving only Naruto to be there, doing one of the jobs he hated the most:

Cleaning, he was mopping the deck that he was tasked to after finishing his homework in the morning at earliest, and after he was done with it and eating his lunch at noon. His routinely jobs like scrubbing, cleaning and other jobs a cabin boy had to do were done on schedule, as he was doing this now for a short but productive time.

Productive, it doesn't mean he liked it.

Using the old mop, he was just finished cleaning up the remains of one of Arlong's 'accidental' food spilling he had made while eating in front of the boy.

Because even for a Fishman pirate with a ruthless reputation for his bigotry and unapologetic use of violence, he still managed to be one thing of what many of his former villagers had yet to be.

"And here I thought the villagers were a pain in the ass." Naruto said to himself, a habit he hopes that wasn't going to be permanently.

"I am seriously considering if he is worse than them, but again, he still has not tried to kill me. Only irritate me at any time - which feels worse."

Hmm, maybe he now understood why the old man Hokage always was a bit grumpy after he made another stunt.

Just then he finally swabbed the last spot and left the floor spotless.

"Aaand done." Naruto said, as he stabbed the mop back into the bucket of water, with some actual pride in his work. He actually smiled.

SPLASH!

Then his smile would turn sour when Hachi jumped off from the crow's nest, with his sweat dripping like a landed sponge, the giant octopus man unintentionally had ruined his two-hour work.

"Sorry kid, but need to go, warn the others!" Hachi didn't seem to pay attention, as he looked rather stressed and ran past him. "We've got a crisis on our hands!"

Looking back at the panicking octopus man who ran for the captain's quarters where the others congregating about something captain Tiger said was important, leaving now only Naruto on the ship's deck by himself.

Wondering, in the mind of the young Uzumaki, what they were talking about?

Tiger's quarters

A few moments before Hachi was heard yelling, almost every one of the crew was inside the room, surrounded or standing next to Tiger's desk where he was seen sitting, having called in a meeting, Tiger awaited for silence to enter the room so he could start talking.

"Quiet everyone!"

Jimbei commanded the murmurs to end, as he was sitting across the desk of his captain and earning the silence of the crew. Everybody looked around and they noticed that two people were missing in this meeting, and it was Aladdin who brought it up.

"Where are Hachi and Naruto, shouldn't they be here too?"

"Pff, why should that human be here among us?" Arlong said before joking. "Let him clean up that mess he made, that's what he's good for." Laughing at his own statement.

Aladdin groans and ignored the comment and asked. "And Hachi?"

"He's on the lookout, it's his shift now." Jimbei answered before turning to his captain. "As for Naruto, he's still cleaning up the deck."

"You can thank Arlong for that." Kaneshiro pointed his thumb. "He's been lingering his food around to just bully the kid.

"Hey, what gives-"

"Silent, everyone." Tiger raised his voice, with his arms crossed he releases a sigh as he had something import to tell. "I've got some news to tell you all, something related to Naruto."

Some murmurs began to spread, wondering what the news was about the young human crewmate, who was growing a bit more easy with the others who started liking him.

It was Arlong who looked eccentric and asked. " Please tell me the brat finally will go away?"

"No, Arlong, stop hoping for that." Tiger replied, being a bit irritated with Arlong's nagging, as he pulls out a rolled up newspaper. "On the contrary, I think you should start getting along with the kid from now on."

Aladdin questioned. "How so?"

"Because of this." Tiger stated, as he threw the newspaper open on the desk, with the front page headline to be read by everyone.

WAR ERUPTS BETWEEN LEAF AND SOUND!

New clash between Shinobi villages cause fear in region.

"Leaf and Sound? Those are stupid names for countries." Kuroobi read the first part of the headline and said. "What kind of names are that?"

"They're not countries, they are Shinobi villages." Aladdin corrected him. "The article obviously is referring to the Village Hidden in the Leaves and the Village Hidden in the Sound."

Chew lazily raised his eyebrow at the doctor. "And how do you know about it?"

"Because Naruto is from that region, he's from the Shinobi continent." Aladdin told them and added. "And Naruto is from the Hidden Leaf village."

"Let me read." Jimbei was the first to pick up the newspaper and began reading the whole article out loud for the others to hear.

"Only a few days ago, many in the Shinobi Lands, or as they're commonly known, the Elemental Continent, thought they'd see a future of hope, with the end of their isolation from the rest of the world. Now, with reigniting tensions between the two strong Shinobi villages, those dreams are put on hold."

"That's a way to start an article, I say." Aladdin commented.

Jimbei continued and read the next paragraph of the article.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, the leader of the Leaf Village and the current Third Hokage, gave little to no information to his reasons why to declare war on the much smaller Sound Village. Rumors from citizens from within the Shinobi village and diplomats in the region, tensions already had been brewing between the strongest of the five major Shinobi powers and the relatively new Sound village. One reason for these tensions was that one of the Sound's most highly regarded Shinobi, a former Leaf Chunin by the name of Touji Mizuki, defected to the village with stolen artifacts. Rumored to be the Forbidden Scroll, one of the Leaf's most important documents that contain both powerful and forbidden techniques that were not seen for decades."

The reason for it was a backstabbing traitor who stole information and sold off his own people for his own good? This got some disgusted looks from the Fishmen, who even had bad encounters with humans, could only agree that the feeling of betrayal could be universally understandable of someone selling out his own.

"The leader of the Sound Village, Orochimaru, was a former Leaf Shinobi before he himself went rogue after being exposed for his illegal human experiments. He has stated that he will not back down to what he calls "aggressive bully talk from the Hidden Leaf" and aims to protect "Sound sovereignty."

As of right now, half a dozen causalities had been reported on both sides in the border regions…"

"He experimented on humans, you say? Typical. They don't even respect their own." Arlong remarked. "What a load of-"

"Shut up, Arlong." Aladdin hushed him, after hearing that name Mizuki, his memories quickly recalled to what he had learned from his conversations with Naruto. And listening to this, was both astonishing for the situation, breathtaking for the fact the bastard is getting outed for what horrible acts he did, and also horrified for the cost of life that was unfolding."

"Please, Jimbei, continue."

Jimbei nodded and went on with the article and read the concerning part, according to the newspaper's point of view.

"The reason why this conflict between these two villages is problematic, for both the region and even the whole world, is because this conflict can brew up to a series of vendettas and old unsolved disputes to rage high and wide across the continent. With now even the Leaf's biggest enemy, the Stone, despite its own disputes with Orochimaru, has declared that Hiruzen's belligerent actions against a smaller village will not be unanswered, many fearing an escalation in the Leaf-Stone relations as both major powers had fought one another in the Third Shinobi World War, with many veterans still alive to this day. And even raising tensions with another major power, with the Hidden Sand saying it will support Hiruzen's actions against the rogue Shinobi who had attempted an assassination on the Fourth Kazekage."

Kaneshiro dropped some sweat from his forehead.

"The place where the kid is from sounds more like its still stuck in the feudal times the more I hear of it."

"There's more, trust me." Tiger told him.

"That alone would not help the current situation in the region, as the Hidden Mist Village, another major power, is still embroiled in a civil war that has destroyed countless lives and displaced many more. With the internal conflict between the genocidal anti-Bloodline government of the Fourth Mizukage, against the rebellion of Mei Terumi. Making the seas around the region dangerous and unsafe for the neighboring nations. Including the Hidden Cloud Village, that is suspected to be the 2nd strongest power house in the region behind the Leaf."

"One observant and reporter has phrased the situation as 'a powder keg ready to explode in any moment, with no end in sight' many now fear that a possible Fourth Shinobi World War might embroil from the situation."

"It would be said not when, but how…"

Jimbei ended with putting the paper down once he finished reading it with a big take a breath that left the room stone silent. This new revelation of news only made things more difficult for a certain reason that Arlong had to bring up.

"Okay, so what some humans are fighting against each other, like we should give two damns about it, why did you even bring it up in the first place."

"Even a fool like you should see what this means, Arlong." Jimbei stated before slowly turning his head towards the saber tooth Fishman. "It means Naruto is stuck."

"Stuck what?"

"Stuck with us, for now." Tiger took over. As he shook his head. "With the possibility of war on the horizon, the World Government has set up checkpoints across the eastern sea of the continent, making it less than possible for us to even get near Naruto's home if we thought of bringing him back."

"If?" Aladdin put in and asked. "You were considering on bringing him back, captain?"

Everyone's eyes focused on the captain who brought them all in for this and wondered what he was planning.

Tiger sighs and began. "I did, I was seeing if there was a chance for Naruto to return back to his homeland, but seeing the situation there has escalated and the Marines have presence in the seaports there…"

"The chances of it are more unlikable than ever, right?" Jimbei finished.

"That's right." Tiger nodded before adding. "That's why I wanted to inform you all on this, since now Naruto indefinitely will be staying with us, he's going to have to learn how to fight."

Murmurs were heard going around when that was brought forward, and this was expected by the captain, who knew there was going to be hesitance with it.

"Anyone got a problem with that?"

Then they got interrupted by shouting they were hearing from outside, and it sounded like Hachi.

"Hey boss, boss, there's an enemy ship!"

"Looks like we got company." Aladdin looked around, stating, "Perhaps this conversation will have to be postponed after we dealt with our other problem."

SLAM!

Hachi slammed the door open as he was alarming. "Did you hear me? We got a crisis."

All eyes had turned to Hachi, ending the conversation that was just ended, with everyone focused on the external problem that now was present.

"Shut up, Hachi." Arlong told him. "Crap."

"Calm down. Just tell us what's going on." Jimbei was much calmer in his response.

"Well, this is troubling." Tiger spoke and asked. "Is it the Navy?"

"Must be, they were flying their flag out there."

"Alright," By this, Jimbei turned his gaze to the captain for the next move. "What's next?"

SLAM!

Tiger slammed his hand over the newspaper article, stood back up and got back to the usual business of hands that he and everyone on the ship knew had to be done.

"War!"

The marine ship had its sight on the Snapper Head, rear admiral Kadar fully confirmed it with his own eyes.

"There's no mistake, those are the Sun Pirates." Kadar shouted with binoculars and gave the order. "Kill Fisher Tiger!"

The front cannons of the Marines fired its shells at the pirate ship, with only from a reasonable distance away from it, the shells failed to hit anything, with Arlong already standing on the ramp.

Laughing there at his enemies, Arlong shouted. "Nice try!" He dived into the sea, followed by the others who joined him as they swam fast, like predators in high speed towards the Marine ship.

In a moment of seconds, the swimming Fishmen's their speed doubled and they began swarming around the marine ship, causing some fear among the new recruits who were getting jumpy.

"Open fire!"

Rifles were aimed at the surrounding water as the marines fired them at the swarming fishmen, but were too fast to be caught by even one bullet.

The rear admiral grew impatient and demanded. "What are you doing, shoot them dead!"

"We're trying, but they're swimming too fast!" One marine yelled out-

SPLASH!

That sound forced the marine to turn his head back to the sea and saw dozens of Fishmen appearing from the ocean, with a eccentric Arlong with them having a sinister laugh.

"Shahahaha!"

The Marines were forced to see how their ship was now literally surrounding by Fishmen who were about to land on their ship.

"Shoot them!"

The marines snapped out of their fear and tried fighting back, but they started getting picked out one by one, with every Fishman landing on the ship and fighting like hell.

Trapping, breaking and causing confusion among their enemies' ranks, each Fishman was causing as much havoc as they wanted and do as much damage as they could.

Arlong did not hold back as he flew himself into a group of marines, cutting them down with his nose blade and putting them down, hard.

Standing back up, Arlong held some swords in his mouth and looked over to some marines who he targeted next.

"Pardon me, gents." He said, biting right through the blades with no effort. Adding just more fear to his prey.

THWACK!

Kuroobi wasn't far behind either, as he was smashing up Kadar's man with ease. Something that was really pissing off the rear admiral.

"You Fishman bastards, return the slaves, damn it!" Kadar shouted while pulling out his own blade for battle. "Surrender, if you play ball, they'll drop the charges-"

WRACK!

The rear admiral and his men lost balance for the moment, with the ship's sudden rocking, he looked down and saw that the deck imploded with a large gaping hole in the middle.

"R-Rear admiral!" A wounded marine who was stationed down below. "They-they're bursting up through the bottom of the ship!"

"What?!"

A deck down below, a handful of Fishman were fighting the marines, including a very busy Hachi who was fighting off marines with his Six-Swords Style.

Macro, jumped right up to the upper deck, and unlike the others, pulled up his new toys, a pair of the new Colt 45. Revolvers and began shooting around. To which the Marines began scattering to cover.

"Surprise, bastards!" Macro shouted, laughing as he kept shooting at anything that was moving and wore a uniform, not noticing one marine sneaking up to him and trying to kill him.

"Die-"

WHACK!

Jimbei covered Macro's blind spot and smashed in the face of the marine, knocking him out quickly and viciously. To the point that blood was physically was seen covered around the fist of the Fish-Karate expert.

"You fools! Give us back the slaves and this will end. Do you even realize the serious crime you committed!"

Jimbei listened, hearing it was coming from a marine officer who was angry to what was happening to his men, to which he went to full prejudice .

"How dare you turn on humans, know your place, you disgusting Fishman!"

"What was that?" That just was it for Jimbei who snapped and turned his rage on the officer. "Go on now... let's hear you say that again!"

TWHACK!

The officer came to regret his use of words, as he just got his face pummeled into the mast of the ship, with Jimbei's brute strength that surely would knock him out, if not fracture his skull.

"Somebody...help me…"

The officers' face got pulled out of the mast by Jimbei's massive hand, almost tempting to pope his head off, the Fishman held his own and spoke.

"Slavery is perfectly legal, but freeing slaves is a crime? And Queen Otohime thinks you deserve a chance. Not that you give us one."

BANG!

The Snapper Head was sailing towards the Marine warship that was stuck, its sails cut down and overwhelmed by force.

BANG!

Yet still some were resisting, as the marines who were in the crow nest and on top of the masts were firing their rifles at the Sun Pirates, using the high ground as their only option.

"Look out!"

Bullets came down raining on the Snapper's deck as Kaneshiro and a few other Sun pirates were coming out with some of the Bolt rifles and were aiming up the marines, and shooting at them.

"Bastards!"

Kaneshiro aimed up and spotted a target, a marine who was busy reloading on top of a mast he was sitting on, it became to late for him to shoot as the Shipwright was faster.

"Got you." Kaneshiro said as he pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The marine slumped backwards after getting hit in the arm and falling right off onto the deck, incapacitating him.

"Could've gone for a headshot." One of the Fishmen said before firing his own rifle.

Kaneshiro Pulled the bolt back ejecting the round. "And getting the captain to be angry with me? No, thank you."

BANG!

The distance gunfire between the Sun Pirates and the Marines on the high ground in the sails was becoming another part of this fight, maybe more overlooked than the one on the ground, but it was just as vicious as the raiding part of the whole sea fight.

More bullet fragments would destroy or splinter the wooden floor as the Marines kept on firing, as if they had taken a good amount of ammunition with them and were prepared better than the others.

But that would not be for long.

"Ammo run!" Naruto shouted, he was seen running through the firefight with an bag around his arm, handing over cartridges of ammunition to anyone on the deck who was shooting back, being helpful by giving his crewmates the much-needed ammo they forgot to bring with them.

"Here." Naruto handed over three stripper clips to each member. "Three for you."

"Thanks, kid, much needed."

Naruto kept on running and dodging bullets as he kept himself to cover and pulled out two more for the big shark like Fishman who he hands it over.

"For you too!"

The shark nodded. "Appreciated, kid, go on." He tapped Naruto on the head before loading the strip into his Springfield rifle and kept on firing as Naruto continued to distribute ammo to anyone he could reach.

PEW!

A bullet whistled over Naruto's head and he was forced to take cover as it happened to be next to Kaneshiro who was fresh out of ammo.

"Naruto, what are you doing?!" Kaneshiro yelled, holding the kid back with his had against the rail to keep him covered. "It's too dangerous around here!"

"I'm distributing ammo." Naruto sad pulling out three strips and handing them over to the shipwright. "Here, all of you only brought one with you."

Kaneshiro took a moment to realize what the kid was doing and accepted then the strips and answered. "Alright, but now stay here, don't need to get you shot."

"But-"

"Stay!" Kaneshiro ordered him. "That's an order, got it?!"

BANG! BANG!

Two more bullets splintered the rails above Naruto, and he sighs after giving up and obey.

"Fine, I'll stay here."

"Good, also, kid."

"What?"

"You did a good job, be proud of yourself." Kaneshiro said, the first compliment he had given the kid, and he didn't even know it himself, he then continued on to shoot back at the marines.

The fight continued to go on, with it reaching its final phase, the battle seem to favor the Sun Pirates now, with the smallest help of the youngster, it really seems to end it all and well.

That could not be said for the Marines. As they were losing this embarrassingly fast, with them being from the initiative assault to now being on ultimate defense.

That could be summoned by how three scared Marines were unlucky to be facing off Fisher Tiger, who was not armed in any way, yet only raised his fist.

POW!

The three Marines got send over the rails and into the ocean water. With an easy one punch.

Then Tiger picked up another group of Marines, with not much thought, he threw them also overboard, just when two other Marines behind him grew brave and tried to get him-

THWACK!

Instead, Tiger just elbowed them into the wall, destroying it and KO'ing the two out of the cold.

"Now, fire!"

Tiger heard that voice and knew it was the rear admiral, and he saw that a cannon was directly aimed at him, with Kadar and a few other marines manning it.

"Blow him to pieces, men!" Kadar ordered as he barked at Tiger. "We know that you're hiding the slaves! And now you're going to die for the havoc you've brought!"

Not looking bothered by the fact a cannon was aimed at him, Tiger walked up to them and puts his hand on the heavy weapon.

CRUNCH!

With little to no problem, Tiger crushed the loaded cannon like a piece of tinfoil, showing his immense strength, as he raised it up above his head with only one hand.

"W-What the hell!"

Tiger began. "These slaves you mentioned…"

"H-He's a monster!" The marines ran away, but they got themselves hit by the crunched cannon that Tiger threw at them.

KICK!

Followed by him stomping Kadar right in the chin, Tiger continued to speak his mind as he approaches the defeated rear admiral.

"What proof do you possible have that we're hiding them on board." He picks up the rear admiral and showed him around his crew. "Go on and check them all if you want to, but from what I understand, these slaves should have a brand on them. DO YOU SEE THAT MARK ON ANY OF US?"

The rear admiral, just moments ago was talk and bark, now was bloodied and whimpering in fear, having now been put in his rightful place.

Tiger then raised the marine over the ship, about to release him into the deep ocean.

"Wait, stop, let me down!" The officer begged, the marine begged for his life, a rather low level to be in that made drowning in the sea a more honorable choice. "Please! Help me!"

Grown with disgust, Tiger just stared at the pathetic marine, who was supposed to be a strong leader, yet now was crying like a baby in the face of his opponent.

Instead, he dropped him right down back to the ship. "I won't kill you. Don't worry, I'm not a savage like you." He said, turning his back against the pathetic excuse of an opponent.

"Alright guys, take everything they got on this ship and get back to the ship!"

CRACK!

The noise came from one of the back areas, where a marine just got kicked through the door by an laughing Arlong who was carrying his long sword, the Kiribachi.

"Shahahaha!" Arlong stared at the frightened marine. "Being human is a sin, and so, you are born deserving execution!" Arlong raised his sword up while laughing. "Shahahahaha!"

"No, stop!" Tiger yelled. "Don't!"

"DIE!"

BANG!

"Argh!"

The marine who thought he was about to die, watched as the blade hit the ground as Arlong's hand got hit by a bullet, stopping his end in mere seconds as the stray went right through the Fishman's hand.

"AH!" Arlong growled in pain, falling behind to the wall. "The hell?"

BANG!

"Sniper, take cover!" One of the fishmen yelled as another bullet whistled over thei heads and nearly hit one of their own. Jimbei and Tiger got closer to the masts and looked around, wondering where it was coming from.

"Where is he?." Jimbei said looking around as he heard another shot. Turning to Tiger he asked. "Captain, you see him?"

Tiger just looked around and then sharply turned his head up, knowing exactly where he is.

"Up there!"

"Sniper!" Kaneshiro shouts as he points out at the location. "Up the Crow's nest!"

One Marine remained defiant and was firing his rifle at anything that wasn't human, and by the looks of it he wasn't using a standard marine rifle, but a Bolt action to be exact, and he was causing confusion as he was firing multiple times at the Snapper Head and down below his own ship, with deadly precision, this sniper was extremely dangerous.

"Someone shoot him down already!"

The sniper turned right back his aims at the Snapper Head and fired another shot, this time somehow with luck or either deadly precision, he hit another Sun pirate in the shoulder, forcing him to drop his own rifle and get to cover.

"He's too quick! Guy is a marksman!" Kaneshiro yelled as he loaded in another strip into his rifle. "Stay in cover, don't let him get you!"

The sniper turned back down below.

PEW!

The bullet narrowly hit the wooden wall as Arlong was taken to cover, after being wounded in the arm, Kuroobi and Chew were trying to keep him away from the sniper's sight, as Arlong wanted to go after the human but they didn't want him to be caught in the open.

"Stay in cover!" Jimbei ordered. "Don't let him see you!"

BANG!

Another bullet landed, this time hitting a window where a Sun pirate was taking a peek. Whoever this marine is, he was more then good.

Tiger looked up then to the Snapper Head, and noticed his men on the ship, were awfully quiet, as they also now were victims caught in this sniper's last stand.

Hoping that at least Naruto wasn't up the deck.

Naruto was sitting behind the rails with Kaneshiro, still covering from the sniper, the shooting suddenly stopped, and this caught the attention of the shipwright and the cabin boy.

"It stopped." Naruto said, he decided to take a peak before being yanked down.

"Stay down!" Kaneshiro ordered him, with a loaded weapon, he now was looking for an opportunity to take out the shooter, hoping to end this before any more of his brothers would get hit.

He decided to raise his head and-

BANG!

The bullet hit the rails, and with luck had knocked the rifle out of Kaneshiro's hand and lingered it to the middle of the deck, out of cover.

"Shoot at him!"

"I'm out!"

"Me too!"

"Only got one bullet left!"

"My damn luck." The shipwright cursed to himself, just like that, he needed to get his rifle and try not to get shot.

Not noticing someone next to him already pulled up a rifle to him that was fully loaded and tried to aim at the nest, with no training at all.

"Cover me while I get the rifle!" Kaneshiro shouted. "Wait on my mark and you all start firing."

The few who still had ammo in their chambers nodded and got ready to unload them.

"...Now!" Kaneshiro yelled as he jumped for the rifle with gunfire going off.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

No matter how many shots were fired, only one hit something.

PEW!

SPLAT!

And that bullet came close. As Kaneshiro's arm got hit by it.

"UGH!"

"Kaneshiro!"

The shipwright fell down to the ground, just next to his rifle he failed to grab and now was right in the open for the sniper, who already had his sights on him.

"NO!"

Click-clack!

BANG!

This time a gunshot was heard from the Snapper Head, and it hit the crow's nest, and it caught the marine sniper off guard, who began to search around where that shot was coming from.

"Who shot?!"

Kaneshiro looked around and then when he wanted to check for Naruto, he saw who it was:

The kid was holding onto the Springfield rifle, even when handling the rifle badly he seem to be very calm and his eyes on the sniper who was still searching for the shooter.

Naruto calm as it can be, quickly pulls back the bolt to allow the empty shell to get ejected out and then pushed and slapped the bolt back in before aiming back at the sniper and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The second bullet then hit the crow's nest again, and it grazed the sniper's, nest and it forced him to cover himself, just as another bullet got fired at him.

BANG!

That bullet came from the other fishman who now ran for Kaneshiro and began pulling him to cover.

"That was my last round, let's get you to safety!"

"Wait, look!"

The sniper spotted Naruto's position and was aiming for him0

Kaneshiro spotted this and turned to the kid.

"Naruto!"

He didn't hear him and again pulls the bolt back as another empty shell cam out, he pushes it back in and aimed it at the marine with his finger inches from the trigger.

"LOOK OUT!"

The trigger was pulled.

BANG!

Marineford

The Navy Headquarters

A few hours had by then already passed since the Sun Pirates had a run-in with rear admiral Dakar's warship, and finally the report of that run-in was getting briefed to Dakar's superior officer.

"Vice Admiral, rear admiral Kadar's from the G-2 branch has been defeated."

The man hearing this news was Vice Admiral Borsalino, a laid back marine, who was not to be underestimated, as he was a powerful marine with an devil fruit power that not many pirates were able to tell the tale once seeing it.

"Ohh? Why did he engage then?" Borsalino asked while smoking a cigarette, wearing his gray suite. "I only wanted a report on their current whereabouts."

The rear admiral who was debriefing this report to Borsalino, was a man named Strawberry who had this high black haircut and had a more colorful suit then his counterpart.

"If you get close enough to see them, well, that's apparently what all it takes before their entire crew surrounds you in the water."

Borsalino replied. "Ohh, scary. Fishmen, guess we should've expected that." He then turns his chair slightly to his colleague. "Do you have any intel you can share?"

"Well, it looks Arlong and his men are part of the crew." Strawberry began. "And they were responsible for the raids in the areas surrounding Fishman-Island, but we have yet to fight them on land, so it's hard to tell how strong they are."

"Arlong?" Borsalino recalled that name. "Right, I heard of him."

"There's another dangerous one on their crew," Strawberry wasn't finished as he brought up. "He is as big as Fisher Tiger and just as brutal, didn't catch his name."

A pile of smoke got blown out of the Vice Admiral's lungs as he stated the obvious after hearing this.

"Well, sounds like a real mess." He sighs before asking further. "Casualty report?"

"I can say that for most of the crew, they were spared, no reason is found why, but among them was rear admiral Kadar. There is however one man who got killed, a marine in the crow's nest."

"Oh, why bring that up?"

"According to the witnesses, the marine took it upon himself to make a last stand and shoot at any Fishman he could spot, wounding some and even pinning down the pirates on both the warship and the pirate ship."

"How did he die?" Borsalino asked, wanting to know a bit more.

Strawberry answered this. "Well, apparently the Fishmen were armed with new type of firearms, including revolvers and bolt action rifles. Which they used to neutralize, but not kill, Dakar's men."

"What type of weapons, you say?"

"One was able to identify the rifles as Springfields."

That caused the Vice Admiral to think back about this, weaponry like that in the hands of dangerous pirates, that only would be a headache to grow on him more, if left unfinished.

"I'll brief this to my superiors personally. These Sun Pirates will have to be dealt with."

Snapper Head

Back on the Sun Pirates' ship, it was all celebrations after the victory they pulled off, but not everybody was thinking it was a time to celebrate, as Tiger himself clearly stated it by doing the following.

SLAP!

"Ow, that hurts!"

The slap Arlong got across his head by Tiger gained some laughter from the crew, while the captain went back to his desk, with Arlong rubbing the spot where he was hit, and him having his hand bandaged from the gunshot wound he had.

"Ugh, what's the big deal?" Arlong began against his captain. "Why do you care if we kill one or two of those inferior creatures."

Tiger sat back on his chair and across his desk as he explained it once again. "It's not about them, you both are going too far."

Referring to both Arlong and Jimbei, who he saw earlier going brutal on a marine officer who bad-mouthed him, something he understood but wished he didn't bite into that talk.

"Look, we're not a group of killers, we're better than that, and don't you forget it."

Here, Jimbei but in. "But, look brother- sorry, I mean boss, these humans have no such compunction. They're actively out to kill you. So can you blame us? Of course we might go too far from time to time - we're mad!"

"Do you want to be like the humans?" Tiger retorted back with a question of his own to the crew. "Killing someone is to kill a part of your own soul!"

That got the festivities to stop as they listened to another speech of Tiger. One that was of his core beliefs.

"We're not seeking revenge for the discrimination here, and that's not what Mariejois was about either - I might have broken that stupid unspoken rule, but I only did it to free those slaves. The Sun Pirates are rooted in the ideals of liberation and freedom. Not spiteful retribution. Seeking vengeance against the humans only creates a vicious cycle. Violence begets violence, and I will not be responsible for more tragedy! - We'll end up condemning the next generation of fishmen to war with humanity."

The words of Tiger's speech went right through their souls, hearing everything what he meant got them to think, or at least to listen consider what he was saying and understanding what he meant.

It even got Jimbei to take these words into consideration, as he yet had to figure out his boss' deep-rooted convictions he had made in his adventure in the last few years when he was gone.

"Can't you see that?! We will fight and rob who will come after us - but we won't cross the line. We will Not become killers!"

Finally, after this, it was Arlong who had something to say-

SLAM!

Or rather state, as he just slammed his hand on Tiger's desk and spoke a few words out of his mind.

"Listen, brother. I think you're overlooking one simple fact. Violence always begets violence, you say? Well, not if they're all dead. Who's gonna fight back when we kill them?"

Arlong's next few things were becoming predictable, something Tiger had yet to break his brother's thoughts as he continued.

"We'll massacre the animals and force all the women and children to watch! Terrified of the idea of revenge right out of their minds."

This line of thinking was getting out of hand, especially for Jimbei.

All we have to do is to show them how powerful and ruthless we can be, and then, they'll be paralyzed of fear by terror, and then-"

PUNCH!

Getting punched by Jimbei right across the head to stop him talking, Arlong angrily turned to him.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

The laughter then returned, and for a moment, all was forgotten and this left Tiger to be glad that at least Jimbei was more level-headed at times than Arlong.

Now it only left with somebody else he needed to talk to, somebody who, indeed today, had unintentionally broken that rule.

Night

Down below in the deck, in his own living space, Naruto was seen not being asleep like the rest of his crew, instead he was busy in his thoughts, on what happened today earlier.

Now with a bandage roll around his right arm, from the sniper bullet he bought, he was still able to clean the Springfield rifles he had collected after the fight, of course when all the marines were knocked out and blindfolded.

Also doing that, he was recounting the amount of ammo that was confiscated from the warship they looted, with most of the ammo being not of the right size, and only two set of boxes of ammo had the same one then that of the rifles.

The ammo of the man he's just killed today - the crow's nest sniper.

Flashback

BANG!

Naruto's arm got grazed and he shrieked in pain as he reached for it, but he looked right up and watched how the sniper wasn't moving,

Until he lumped back and fell off the nest and plummeted right into the deck, coming down and hearing one final sound before he hit the ground.

CRACK!

The sound of that was clear to Naruto, as he looked over and saw that the sniper landed on his head, and was looking straight at him with his hollow eyes.

Covered in blood, his head now was drenched in red as Naruto had hit the guy in the neck, with blood pouring out as a small fountain that was harrowing for a young child to watch, yet he didn't scream, not cry.

He just watched.

He watched.

End Flashback

Naruto then suddenly felt his whole stomach turn at that thought, and threw up onto the floor.

"URGHH!" Naruto puked all over the floor, leaving nothing but watery substance on the wooden floor, as he had eaten nothing much lately and had skipped a meal, something which the others on the crew took notice.

It was an experience Naruto would never forget, how he for the first time had killed, killed a man in such a brutal way as he could remember, and how horrible the man's way of dying went.

He still tried to keep in mind, the lesson he had learned from his time in the Academy, how killing was going to be an inevitable reality for a Shinobi, but this was his first time seeing this all from up close.

It was both a learning and a painful experience for the young child, as day by day, he was growing up a little to fast, but he already had no normal childhood. So this was perhaps another chapter in his painful life.

"It's part of life, Naruto." He spoke to himself, trying to keep a grip on himself.

"Just... Don't think about it much…. Just don't."

All this was being witnessed by Kaneshiro, who not only had his arm halfway bandaged, but also was watching from a distance, feeling bad for what the kid was going through.

Holding unto a plate of food Hachi had prepared for him, he intended only to bring it and tell the kid he did good. Instead, he decided to let the young one deal with the experience on his own.

He needed that, so he left the plat at the bed that he'll notice later, and then went to tell this to someone who would know better.

Later

A few hours would've passed, as it was still night and this time, it was Tiger who was now contemplating on what happened today, with him being alone on the top deck, drinking his bottle of gin.

Taking a swig, he downed some of the drink until he noticed someone entered his presence.

"That you, Jimbei?"

Hitting the jackpot, it indeed was Jimbei, who came up to the check his captain and saw he was in his usual spot where he was left alone, with only him knowing about his spot.

"Arlong's a hothead, seems to strive to make a nuisance of himself-"

"It doesn't bother me much."

Jimbei watched as he saw Tiger take his gun and take a swig from it, for a good half minute, he took the liquid into his mouth and swallowed it without any sign of problem. Emptying to the last drop.

Whipping his mouth, he kept on going. "I don't blame him, besides, I got no right to cast any justice on the guy."

"I didn't mean-" Jimbei wanted to say something, but his words went silent as his mind told him, to just listen.

"Jimbei, its good what Queen Otohime is trying to accomplish. Though understandable, to her, there's no difference between Arlong and me."

He picked up the glass bottle, and looked at it as it thought back on his last words.

CRACK!

The bottle shattered in his hand, that started to bleed slowly, as it bothered him little, he added.

"Honestly, there's only one thing I'm really afraid of...my own mind."

Those words caught Jimbei off guard, as he did not initially know what his brother meant by it, but he didn't dare ask for clarification of it, so he just kept himself silent and listened on.

"Before you go, I've got one thing we'll need to settle." Tiger said, having to bring this up. "Naruto, according to Kaneshiro…"

Jimbei sighs as he knew what this was about, and answered it.

"Yes, he indeed did it. Naruto took the shot." He confirmed it. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Tiger was still bleeding from his hand as he took a moment to say it.

"He's already spilled blood, so It's for the best we can train him." Tiger spoke up as he took the decision. "From tomorrow on, he'll learn how to defend himself."

"Are you sure about this, brother?" Jimbei asked. "He's still a kid…"

Thinking back to the stories of what he heard from Aladdin, the beatings he endured, the outcast he was and the pain he went through, Tiger decided from that moment-

"He long ago stopped being a normal child, he now needs to learn to be ready - for anything in his path."

Naruto, still not asleep, was cleaning the last rifle with his own rag that he had yet to wash. He had eaten by now, cleaned himself up and watched out for his wound he sustained from the shooting, as it was already healing.

The last rifle, he was holding, was particularly filthy, as it was still drenched in blood - the blood of the sniper.

It got onto his hands and he looked at his own blood covered hands, still he did not flinch or cry, he just stared.

He just stared at the blood on his hands, and clenched his hands into fists, making a promise to himself.

"You'll grow up with it, and live up with it, Naruto. So don't be shocked, your childhood is already ruined - prepare for the real world."

So that's it for this chapter, hopefully, you guys liked it.

While I was working on this whole chapter, Italy became European Champion…

Yay (Sarcasm)

The reason I am saying that is because I live in a part of Belgium, where there is a large Italian community that kept celebrating, across my house, till midnight.

Annoying as Fuck.

Well, this chapter did reach 9K, not 10K but I am satisfied and will work on the other stories tomorrow, seeing it is 4 in the morning.

So for any of you, I'd appreciate for the reviews to come fast. Good night.

And also, stay in touch!