Chapter was done for a couple of days, but man my addiction to the news needs to be halted.
Here is the next chapter, hopefully, you guys will like it because the next chapter will be the LAST of the Marineford Arc.
Enjoy!
Flashback
1516
A thick mist had overtaken the coastline causing visibility to be nonexistent.
Emerging from the mist was a rowboat, with the person sailing it was a middle-aged man who was busy bringing several men into his homeland. Looking down at his passengers who he was helping cross over, informing them.
"We're nearly there."
His passengers were members of the Foreign Legion, around five of them. In the front was Vic aiming his BAR down the shore along with Gin with his shotgun, Foster on the left side manning the radio while holding his rifle, and on the right Bishop just looking down his side with calm, within the back sat Naruto holding onto his Thompson machine gun while having his blade close to himself as he was on the lookout along with Tazuna, the Master bridge builder. For it was the first boat to arrive, with more men planned to come, Naruto and Bishop were the first two officers to set foot soon on the Land of Waves. To regroup with the remnants of the 6th 'Hated' Infantry Batallion.
"Its quiet….too quiet…" Vic silently said, keeping his eye out for anything with his rifle.
Gin didn't hesitate to ask, "Hey, old man. Are we sure this is the right place?"
"This is the safest route to the village, young man." The sailor said while rowing, looking stern at the soldiers, "Now be quiet. Before they hear us."
Back to be silent, Naruto was watching out his flank, then noticed that something began appearing out of the mist…
"Wow…"
What he saw was the large bridge that was an impressive piece of infrastructure, as they happened to sail past it, its significance was bewildering.
"Yeah, that's it. The bridge." Tazuna said, noticing the reactions and saying with cheeky pride, "Impressive, isn't it?"
"And they say this continent cannot build things properly," Bishop said turning to the bridge builder and asking, "You responsible for this bridge?"
"Build but not finished, to be exact." Tazuna answered, "It hasn't been able to get finished for over five years."
"How so?" Bishop asked the old man, "Bridge looks nearly complete."
"Yes, nearly but not entirely," Tazuna reiterated, "Because of this damn war the project got stalled too many times."
"You're talking about the Fourth Shinobi War, correct?" Naruto asked putting his gun on his lap, "The fighting got that bad?"
"Bad is an understatement," Tazuna said, shaking his head, "Bandits, Shinobi, and even pirates often got into fights in and around our little country. Cutting is out from the outside world and preventing shipments of materials to finish the bridge. But they're nothing compared to this other man…"
Bishop got curious to ask, "Who?"
"Do you know a man by the name of Ga-"
"Gatō from Gatō Transport, right?" Naruto finished the sentence, looking out his flank, "Yeah, we know of that little guy."
Tazuna and the rower looked surprised, looking at each other before Bishop spoke.
"We've been trying to locate that bugger, mister, finding him is hard before you ask." The senior officer turned to the youngest member of the team, "Foster, got contact with the others?"
"Yes sir," Foster responded, pointing out to the back, "I can see them now."
Appearing from behind the rowboat, a few others were coming out of the mist, becoming visible to them with the other units of Foreign Legion, following the rowboat from a distance.
"I count at least four other ships," The rower said glancing back, before turning to the front again and speaking, "Is that all?"
"No, two more companies are expected to follow up," Naruto said, explaining further, "We planned to regroup on the Land of Fire before we would silently sneak into the Land of Waves. Holding the bridge as the only main entrance point and quickly neutralizing any of Gatō hired muscle and taking control of the island nation."
Then sailing through a bridge, the group went silent as they waited until they reached the end of it - finding themselves in the river, surrounded by many settlements and houses of the Land of Waves.
"Captain, look."
"Lieutenant."
Naruto and Bishop both spotted that a considerable number of people were sleeping in tents near the forests, a disturbingly large amount to be exact.
"Refugees from the Land of Fire," The rower said before anyone could ask, "Many fled the violence and landed up here, mainly from the nearby villages and towns from the border region."
"How many we're talking about?"
"Tens of thousands, perhaps just a hundred thousand." Tazuna replied, not hiding how hard it has been, "We've been trying to help, but we're barely capable of feeding and sheltering everyone, let alone the local population."
Naruto watched as their small boat bypassed a few children sitting at a wooden dock, watching his curiosity. The kids were dirty and looked like they hadn't been bathed in weeks.
Giving a small wave to them with a smile, Naruto got a few hesitant waves back from them, before he got tugged by Foster.
"Sir, where to land?"
"We're here."
After that, the ship stopped at a wharf, where Vic, Gin, and Foster got out first. Bishop and Tazuna followed, and Naruto came out last, turning to thank the rower.
"Thanks for your services."
"I'm just doing my job, young man." The old rower spoke with conviction, nodding, "Make sure Tazuna stays alive."
The man turned his engine on and sped off, with then the other boats arriving, one of them being a group of other Raiders, including one Shizuka and Chōjūrō with his Kiri team that was leased to him, but missing someone.
"Chōjūrō, where is Boa Hancock?"
"Uhm…she didn't join?"
"Excuse me?"
Chōjūrō looked nervous but answered, "S-She said that she wouldn't follow orders from men! So she said find another way to enter the country."
Groaning, Naruto rubbed his head and came, "Fine, you follow me and my team. Shizuka, wait here and wait for the reinforcements."
Shizuka nodded, "I will."
Turning back around, Naruto quickly ran up the others and caught up with them. Going to Tazuna's home where supposedly the 6th 'Hated' had set up their HQ deep inside the woods.
"Your captain Li is taking refuge inside the big woods behind our house, with all the men he managed to gather together." Tazuna told Bishop, "He's wounded, and so are his men."
"How many did you count where there?"
"four hundred of them, half wounded. Including the captain who's got a busted arm." Tazuna said as they continued to walk through the woods, "They managed to get to the countryside but while taking fire from those guns that were stolen from them."
"Medics will be up first then," Naruto turned to Chōjūrō and his Kiri-nin team, "I'll ask you about that…"
…
In front of them, they noticed a white-furred bunny, with Naruto and the Kiri nin being the first ones to stop, the others did so in confusion.
"Umm, sir?" Vic began, "What's the problem?"
"That's a snow rabbit…"
"So?"
"And it's the middle of spring…that's abnormal" One of the Kiri-nin spoke in suspicion, "Meaning this is-"
'Naruto, behind you!'
'Why?'
'A fucking spinning blade!'
Naruto quickly turns around to see one large blade spinning towards them, about to decapitate them, he yells out while grabbing his own Tantō-
"GET DOWN!"
*CLINK!*
Ace fell over to the side next to Luffy.
"Ace-"
*SQUASH!*
The gore sound of a blade slashing through something, with blood splattering everywhere, those who watched from up close were caught by surprise and horror by the fact it was this close happening to them.
With the Tantō blade having just sliced through the chest of Admiral Akainu, it was not only his blood that was spilled…
So was Naruto's, with something detaching from his body that eerily looked like an arm…
It was his arm.
Consumed by the magma, Naruto's right arm was severed in the confrontation with Akainu. With the blood, flesh, and bones disappearing into the lava-like substance, the reaction coming from Naruto…
"And there it goes…my bad arm."
Landing on his feet, Naruto turned around back to Akainu, who stood up after having been sliced through his chest, with his shirt ruined, the man stood bent to his knees for a moment, seething from the painful blow he had just given.
"N-Naruto…"
This gave Naruto the time to turn around briefly to the bewildered faces of Ace and Luffy, who both just watched what happened, and his only response was.
With a smirk nonetheless, he just addressed the oldest brother.
"I should've known…"
In the following moments, the reactions were verbally heard across the battlefield. By both sides…
"ACE!"
Shouting and yelling were heard from every side, while those with cooler heads reacted differently.
"Well…" Kizaru saw this and said lazily, "That was his bad arm, wasn't it?"
Aokiji just stood there taken aback by what had just happened, but his focus lay on the reactions from the pirates…and-
"OPEN FIRE!"
In no hesitation, hundreds of guns opened fire with bullets of all caliber, sizes, and lethality going past Naruto, who stood there careless as he kept an eye on Akainu.
Who himself was the target of this amount of firepower…
*BOOM!*
With even tank shells being fired from one of the remaining Mark tanks, the Damned's response to this whole ordeal was firing everything that they had left into the lifeform of the magma Admiral, with muzzle flashes and loud noise of gunfire going off at a rate that would deafen the normal ear and horrify the normal mind by the amount of hell that was being unleashed.
Every rifle, shotgun, pistol, machine gunner, explosive ordinances, and anything else lethal was being fired in Akainu's direction.
Ace noticed from up close they were only focused on the Admiral, with a look on their faces that was a grim reminder of something he had witnessed a long time ago…
Rage…untapped Rage.
"Get Haku, now! He'll-"
However, Naruto raised his hand...
"What the-"
"Cease fire!"
Ending the shooting, Naruto watched the fire carnage where Akainu stood, where this ruthless amount of gunfire would evaporate any normal person.
"...No use."
Stomping out from the fires, Akainu proved Naruto's point by reappearing from fire with his body shot up, the magma was assembling back together with the man's body coming back to normal…apart from the giant hit on his chest.
Holding onto it, that slice was the only thing that hit the Absolute Justice man, he narrowed his eyes to the blond, with small blood leaking out from his mouth…
"I took your arm, brat…that I did not plan to." Akainu grunted, the pain causing him to hold his arm over his chest. He warned, "Now get out of my way, I got to take out Dragon and Roger's sons."
"Not a chance," Naruto said, still with his right arm gone, he'd need quick medical help now. "I am not moving an inch."
…
In the background, Ace was watching the realization of what had just happened a few mere moments ago. When he was about to cover his brother and take Akainu's full attack - finding himself then in another moment where he was kicked aside by his former commander/brother-in-arms who had just got his arm evaporated, with the magma on the ground still cooking the remnants of it.
It could've been him…and Naruto knew he'd do it.
"A-Ace…."
*THUD!*
Hearing something fall, Ace turned around to see Luffy had collapsed to the ground, causing some panic.
"L-LUFFY!" Ace yelled while getting to his side, shaking him to get up, "What's wrong!?"
"I-I-I can't move…" Luffy uttered, out of breath, "I am at…my limit…"
"Medic!" Ace yelled out for help, "I need a medic!"
A couple of Whitebeard Pirates and a medic of the Legion came out running fast, with Jimbei and Ivankov joining in at the sight of Luffy having fallen.
"Luffy, what's wrong?" Jimbei and the medic kneeled to the side, "What happened?"
"He's reached his limit, the hormones!" Ivankov said while kneeling on the opposite side, next to Ace, "He is done for now, I cannot do anything now for you, Straw-Boy. You need to rest while we bring you to safety."
"B-But…"
"No buts!" Jimbei said before ordering, "Turn him around l, we'll carry him then."
Doing so, the pirates, Ace and, the medic began turning Luffy around and revealed something…
"Oh no…"
"How?"
Luffy's chest was on fire, with an x-crossed over him, some of the magma must've somehow gotten to him on impact and it burned his skin.
"No time, throw water over it now!" The medic shouted while grabbing his can of water and pouring it over the wound, "Now before it spreads!"
Ace didn't hesitate to grab for his untouched can of water, pulling it out of his belt he then handed it over to the medic.
"Here, take this!"
The medic was about to grab it until his hand stopped just an inch away, with him spotting something that shocked the experienced Legionairre.
"Ace…you're bleeding…"
Hearing that caused the black-haired young man to finally pay attention to his own body, feeling something wet on his hip - with his hand reaching for what it was, he just figured out what it was…
It was blood - his blood.
"Ace's hit!"
Just discovering he had a hole in his body, just between his rib and hip, most likely due to Akainu's Magma Fist, Ace fell now he was feeling dizzy, and the medic got up to him and began to pressure a piece of clothing against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
"Lay down."
"But-"
"That's an order, sit down." The medic repeated.
"LOOK OUT! AKAINU IS TRYING TO ATTACK!"
Covered in magma yet again, the enraged form of Sakazuki was coming to the two brothers targeting the now unconscious Straw Hat and exhausted Fire Fist.
"You're mine!"
Jimbei was about to intervene with a closed fist-
*CLASH!*
When Naruto stopped the Magma man, with his blade he stopped the fist of the Admiral and pushed him back, his Tantō covered in the melting substance, it only glided off because it was coated in power…
"Naruto!" Jimbei yelled before he felt several shadows jump past him, landing directly behind the blond, revealing Haku, Chōji, and Shikamaru, the latter of whom began:
"Naruto….your arm."
"I know…It's done." Naruto said, breathing hard as he kept a firm stance, ordering, "Jimbei, Ivannkov! Take Straw Hat and Ace away, we'll handle it here."
Jimbei wanted to protest but conceded, picking up the unconscious wounded Luffy and turning around to run for the bay, with Ivankov and his Omaka people to cover him.
"Ace, you too."
"But-"
"No buts, Portgas, we've almost lost you there multiple times - and that last time nearly in front of your brother." Naruto interrupted him, "You have given your best but you're wounded. So do what you are told and retreat."
Ace still stood there, his teeth grinding at that order, it took more convincing.
"GO!"
Listening to that authoritative voice, Ace stood up and began getting carried away by his men from the 2nd Division, with more of Naruto's men, including Gin and Foster arriving to cover the retreat of the others.
"Captain, what are your orders?"
"Protect Straw Hat and Fire Fist's their retreat. The Marines are going to start a counterattack soon." Naruto said while getting his shoulder patched up by Haku who tried to stop the bleeding, turning to the Nara, "You can see that too, right?"
"Yeah, I can see it." Shikamaru agreed, seeing that with the retreat of the Whitebeard Pirates, the flanks were going to be filled with Marines who would like nothing but to repay the favor for the humiliation they went through, "With Fire Fist freed, they'll have to save face for the entire world now that the whole thing has been broadcasted live."
"Yeah…" Naruto said before he glanced over in confusion, "Did you just say it was broadcast live?"
"Yeah, transponder snail." Chōji informed, "Someone from Gin's group managed to find one."
Hearing that got Naruto to roll his eyes before he flinched and focused back on seeing his men getting into defensive positions, with the last munitions getting used up, they knew that they'd face the spearheading attacks of the Navy.
"Naruto, I advise you to retreat." Shikamaru began, not holding back his thoughts, "With your injuries, the moment they hit you again - we might be overrun."
Despite the Nara's advice, Naruto stayed there, Haku finished off the bandages, and he looked out for the area that was now disturbingly void of Marines, knowing it would be filled with them soon with only Akainu standing there starring at him with a glare.
"My place is among my men, and as a captain, I must stay here," Naruto told him as he stood strong and walked past his men with determination, "If you suggest we should evacuate, fine. But I will leave as last."
Shikamaru watched as the one-armed Naruto just went up the front of his men, facing off against Akainu, with the other Legionnaires entrenched in their positions. They could see the first groups of Marines coming.
"You scum - DIE!" Akainu ran up with his magma-covered fists. "DAI FUNKA!"
Naruto ran up to the Admiral and readied his blade before clashing off against the monster of a man, stopping him there with his power.
*CLASH!*
The two stopped yet again with the power clash doing enough to send shockwaves around them, forcing those nearby from both sides to avoid the two powerhouses. The two kept exchanging blows, dodging or blocking each other's attacks.
With both of the admiral's hands against the coated Tantō blade, Akainu couldn't find a weak point in the stubborn blond's defense despite having handicapped him, which prompted him to use another tactic.
"You're scum, Uzumaki," Akainu began with his bad-mouthing, "You're living proof of why the Marines should never stop pursuing Absolute Justice for the world!"
"Hear yourself with that nonsense, save it for the grunts." Naruto glares with intense anger, "The same ones you send out to die in the thousands!"
"That is war, you punk." Akainu talked down on him, making his magma hotter, "Don't blame me for what you did in that war, it would've all turned out okay if you joined the Marines!"
"LIKE I WOULD JOIN YOUR RANKS!" Naruto shouted back, "After everything you bastards did as if I would join to be mindless killers to your masters in Mariejois!"
The two again split up from one another and began throwing punches, swings, and anything else against one another in their injured states. With each hit being more intense than the other, the
"The fact you and that band of scum were put in charge of overall operations in the war for the first two years was outrageous!" Naruto yelled at the Admiral, "For your actions got good people killed in the tens if not hundreds of thousands!"
Naruto disappeared from the spot, before reappearing above the admiral and attempting a high kick, to which the magma man blocked.
"Naïve brat!" Akainu narrowed his eyes, "You don't understand what it takes to be the victor on the battlefield!"
"Yeah right!" Naruto shouted back "Like you did in Ohara?"
That widened the Admiral's eyes once he heard that.
"WHO-"
Before he could finish, Naruto disappeared out of Akainu's sights, at a ridiculous speed.
Akainu's eyes widened
"Beneath you."
Hearing that, he did-
SLASH!*
Naruto now stood behind Akainu for a moment he didn't react, until he screamed in pain as a large cut was made across his chest yet again, causing panic among the Marines.
"HE HIT ADMIRAL SAKAZUKI, BUT HOW?" a marine was shocked at what he just witnessed.
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, at what he just saw….
"That…power…DIE!"
Akainu's rage was fired up as were his arms, sending a massive stream of magma against Naruto, who escaped it but his upper clothes were burned away, leaving his top exposed….as well as his mark.
The mark of Fisher Tiger's - The Sun Pirates….
"Now the whole world will know your secret." Akainu told him, expecting a reaction, "What do you have to say for that?"
Naruto smirked in response, with a hint of pride in his voice.
"That I am ready to show the pride to the entire world without an inch of fear."
The two powerhouses then went up against each other yet again, with multiple attacks that caused such great havoc that people at the bay couldn't ignore them. As if Whitebeard himself was participating in it.
Only he also was watching it from the sidelines, and he just saw the shirt melt, seeing the mark on his grandson's back. A few words out of his mouth came alongside the blood.
"For I am forever grateful for you, Fisher Tiger…for what you did for him…"
*BOOM!*
The two collided again, causing an explosion with their powers that caused a huge amount of smoke to appear, leaving both sides to wonder what happened….
Akainu was the first to step out of the smoke, slowly backward, preparing his next move.
"That mark alone will be your death!"
Appearing out of the smoke next, Naruto stabbed his Tantō into the ground, going through like a knife in butter, as his hand began to prepare his next move, with it starting to be covered in an orange coat of chakra…
"For you it is death…for me, it is the centerpiece of my captain's legacy!"
Naruto began running for Akainu, with the intent to strike him there and then.
In response, Akainu turned into a lava dog head shaped and it headed straight for Naruto. With him also not holding back.
"INUGAMI GUREN!"
"LARIAT!"
And once that attack collided, it left a blast large enough to evaporate an entire battleship, causing a quack of itself that shook the island and whoever was on it to the ground and even disturbing the waters.
It was so powerful that it even created a split in the earth, dividing the Marines from the Whitebeard Pirates, the Legionnaires, and their adored captain Whitebeard, who was standing by himself on the other side. With the bottom of the pit being filled with seawater.
With those who weren't shaken to the core, only to sound amazed at what they just experienced.
"So much power…" Sengoku gritted to himself, at this rate, nothing will be left of Marineford.
Aokiji was sweating, "Well damn…"
Kizaru had his goofy expression. "Strong…"
Whitebeard just narrowed his eyes and stared at the scene. "That brat…"
Shikamaru and Chōji stood there shocked, both knowing exactly what it was. It was the Akamichi who spoke.
"Wait, isn't that…"
"Yeah, the move of the 8 Tails…"
In the back, Jimbei and some of the Raiders were watching, carrying the unconscious Luffy, he looked back.
"Naruto…."
The smoke was too thick to see anything through it, but it began to clear out, leaving many to question.
"Who won?"
Just when the smoke began to settle down - a figure was seen flying out, with blood sputtering out from the sides, the only thing coming out from his mouth was.
"Damn you…Uzumaki…"
Slamming to the floor was Akainu Sakazuki, covered in the blood that was coming from his head, one of the Three Admirals of the Navy now lying on the ground. Finalizing his beating that was unexpected but horrifyingly heard by one Marine who shouted.
"ADMIRAL SAKAZUKI IS DEFEATED!"
Coming out from the same smoke, Naruto's thoughts paid respect to the person from whom he learned it.
"Gyūki, Killer B…Thank you."
And this is it for this chapter. Next is the FINAL chapter of the whole War arc.
Yes, Ace is alive - but I have plans for him, so no worries.
Later all!