"Moshimoshi."
"How strange~"
At this moment, in the Sabaody Archipelago—
A voice rang out—lazy, laid-back, yet unsettlingly casual.
Two pirate underlings stood frozen in a shadowy alley as they stared at the figure in front of them.
He wore a long white cloak with the word "Justice" emblazoned boldly on the back.
Sunglasses, messy stubble, tousled black curls.
A yellow-and-white striped suit. A purple tie.
He looked sloppy—yet his presence made the air feel heavier.
"This… this isn't good… That's an Admiral…"
"Admiral Kizaru?!"
"Why the hell is he here?!"
One of the pirates, a burly man with a beard, gripped his shotgun tighter. "Wait… If I take him out, I'll be a legend overnight!"
His companions looked at him like he was insane.
This was the Sabaody Archipelago, the last stop before the New World.
And this man in front of them was Admiral Kizaru, one of the Navy's most powerful forces.
This was no run-of-the-mill Marine.
"Are you crazy?! That guy's one of the Navy's top brass!"
But it was too late—the bearded pirate had already raised his shotgun.
Kizaru was still calmly speaking into a Den Den Mushi.
"Moshimoshi~ Can you hear me?"
The pirate couldn't resist.
He aimed directly at Kizaru's head and pulled the trigger.
BANG—
The bullet soared straight through his skull—and then, through the wall behind him.
No blood. No wound.
Just… light.
Kizaru had already transformed into his element.
The Pika Pika no Mi— the Light-Light Fruit.
Physical attacks like this wouldn't land. Couldn't land.
"Damn it!"
"We need to kill him now!"
BANG—
Another shot. Another miss. The bullet phased right through.
"What the—?! I swear I hit him!"
His companion's voice trembled. "He's a Devil Fruit user! Guns won't work!"
"Run!"
With that, he turned tail and bolted deeper into the alley.
The bearded man hesitated, then followed, panic rising in his chest.
Kizaru narrowed his eyes lazily. "How strange~"
He turned his head slightly, watching the two pirates flee.
WHOOSH—
In the blink of an eye, Kizaru vanished and reappeared at the other end of the alley, hands still in his pockets.
"I'm looking for someone."
"A man named Sentomaru."
Meanwhile, above the Wet Bone Forest Barrier…
Naruto extended his hand, drawing a circle in the air.
A translucent bubble materialized.
He stepped inside with Mei Terumi, and in an instant, the bubble hardened, coating itself in a membrane similar to the protective layer covering the forest below.
"Naruto-sama, please be cautious. The outside world is still unknown… I'm sorry, but I can't follow you."
It was Slug, Tsunade's summon, speaking via a clone.
Naruto smiled and waved it off. "It's fine. Just keep the barrier secure here."
"There's a subtle pressure outside… but nothing I can't handle."
Mei Terumi pressed her palm against the inner wall of the bubble, infusing it with Water Release chakra.
"I'll keep reinforcing this shell."
Naruto gave her a nod, then turned to Slug.
After a pause, Slug added, "Naruto-sama, this is your first time going out… You have about three hours before the link weakens. I'll inform you through a split body."
"Understood."
BZZZ——
With a soft hum, the bubble housing Naruto and Mei slowly floated upward.
Boop—
It brushed against the barrier—soft, like water passing through water—leaving behind a faint, dotted ripple that even the fish swimming past couldn't seem to touch.
As the bubble crossed fully into the deep sea—
WHAM—
The pressure struck them instantly.
Mei Terumi's face paled. She immediately increased her chakra output.
Naruto gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Relax. Just focus on stabilizing the water flow during ascent."
"I'll handle the rest."
Then he closed his eyes—and opened them again.
His Rinnegan gleamed.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh—
Mei Terumi kept silent, fearing any distraction might cost them.
By her estimates, they were easily five thousand meters below sea level.
As they ascended, strange fish began to appear.
Massive, alien creatures. Some the size of ships.
One of them was nearly a third the size of Slug herself.
Naruto suppressed the power of the Mori Mori no Mi—the Sen Sen Fruit—burying it deep within.
The crushing pressure of the sea slowly faded.
But then—three colossal Sea King-like beasts charged straight at the bubble, each one as fast as a launched torpedo.
BOOM—
Mei's expression tensed, but she didn't flinch.
She trusted him.
Naruto raised both hands slowly.
Three glowing green spheres formed above his palms.
WHOOSH—
The spheres shot outward, piercing through the bubble and into the sea beyond.
The three Sea Kings froze mid-charge.
Suspended—trapped in time.
The glowing orbs sank swiftly into the bodies of the three Sea Kings.
"Go. Guard the perimeter of the barrier. Don't let anything approach."
For a brief moment, their eyes turned blank—then cleared. The three Sea Kings obediently turned around and swam off toward the route Naruto and Mei Terumi had used to ascend.
At that same moment, Naruto sensed a faint pulse of power. He narrowed his Rinnegan eyes and looked down toward the seabed.
"I see... So this is Shirahoshi's power?"
He shook his head, cutting off his sensory field.
Nearby fish, sensing his chakra, scattered in panic as if fleeing a predator from a nightmare.
Moments later, Naruto and Mei Terumi broke the surface.
As the Chaban Archipelago came into view, an idea struck Naruto. He kept the protective bubble floating in place and reached out to lift the slightly winded Mei Terumi.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Blushing slightly after absorbing some chakra, Terumi smiled. "For you? It's nothing~"
Naruto twitched slightly at her teasing.
Still so slippery, these older kunoichi…
Activating Kagura's Mind Eye, he expanded his sensory perception instantly.
With that, he took Mei Terumi by the hand and stepped out of the bubble—
Clatter—
They landed directly on the surface of the sea.
The moment his feet touched the saltwater, a slight wave of suppression washed over him.
"A little seawater resistance?" Naruto snorted.
A pulse of yokai-like ghostly energy rippled from his body, immediately dispelling the suppressive effect.
"Let's go. This is going to be... interesting."
Meanwhile...
"AAAAHHHH—!"
The screams echoed across the alley.
"He's my subordinate," Kizaru muttered calmly, lowering his head. His sunglasses caught the sunlight, reflecting a sharp glint.
He didn't even glance at the two pirate thugs scrambling to escape.
"Oh? I was just asking around," he said lazily.
Then, slowly, he raised his left foot while keeping both hands tucked in his pockets.
Buzz—
A golden light shimmered at his foot.
He aimed at the two fleeing pirates.
Whoosh—
He kicked.
A beam of golden light tore through the air, flying like a laser. It passed between the two without touching them. They froze, still clueless about what had just happened.
Behind them, Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
"It's him."
A towering mangrove tree—specifically, Tree #27 of the Sabaody Archipelago—stood behind the pirates. On its trunk was marked [27GR].
Boom—!
A shockwave blasted out.
Wind pressure from the blast sent the two pirates tumbling to the ground.
A massive gouge appeared in the trunk of Tree #27.
Even some naval officers in the distance gaped at the scene.
Their jaws slackened.
Boom—Boom—
The entire mangrove began to topple.
A tremor shook the ground as the massive tree fell.
Kizaru casually lowered his glowing leg.
"Admiral Kizaru, don't you think that was a bit much?" someone yelled.
"No matter how motivated you are, you can't just go around kicking down trees!"
Kizaru blinked, then smiled faintly. "Yes... that might've been a bit excessive."
Up above, two pirates were holding onto the balcony railing of a building, watching in disbelief.
"This is absurd," muttered one man. He wore red clothing, a pair of headphones, and had a deformed arm twitching slightly. "That's Admiral Kizaru, huh?"
Just as his voice faded—
Kizaru suddenly looked up. "Pardon me, but may I ask something?"
"I'm looking for someone named Sentomaru."
On the open sea, Naruto continued walking forward with Mei Terumi as if they were merely strolling through a garden.
From the surrounding vegetation came Kizaru's voice.
Naruto suddenly chuckled.
He remembered this man from his past life.
A big guy who was always wandering around, asking everyone he met:
"Have you seen my sheep?"
Now, that same man was sitting quietly by the pool, expressionless as he muttered:
"Defense and evasion rate: 76%."
"Go ask someone else."
Kizaru's languid, almost mocking voice followed:
"That won't work if we can't find him."
He tilted his head lazily.
"But I'm quite free right now."
"We can't just let you walk away, can we?"
He smiled, the corner of his lips tilting upward slightly.
"Bounty: 249 million berries."
"Magician—Basil Hawkins."
In just two and a half years sailing the Grand Line, Hawkins had earned a bounty exceeding 100 million. He was one of the eleven pirates hailed as the Worst Generation, infamous across the seas.
Kizaru stared at him and said calmly:
"Speed... is weight."
With a slow, deliberate motion, he raised his foot.
"Have you ever experienced a light-speed kick?"
The moment the words left his mouth, golden light surged from his right foot.
Kizaru lifted his leg, body twisting slightly.
WHOOSH—!!!
Basil Hawkins barely had time to blink before the Admiral vanished.
The next thing he saw was a blinding flash approaching—
Then BAM—!
Hawkins flew backward, his body crashing into the wall with devastating force.
BOOM—BOOM—!
A thick cloud of dust and smoke exploded into the air.
Gulu—
The pirate underlings nearby stared in terror, frozen.
Their so-called captain had been kicked through the air like a ragdoll before they could even register what happened.
Cold sweat broke across their foreheads.
Is this... the strength of a Navy Admiral?
One kick... just one kick?!
As the smoke cleared, Hawkins' figure re-emerged, standing amidst the rubble.
He was covered in dust, clothes torn, but—shockingly—uninjured.
That was his power.
The Wara Wara no Mi.
Damage he received was diverted into the straw effigies he carried within him—scarecrows that bore his pain for him.
Hawkins narrowed his eyes, staring at Kizaru with growing wariness.
Before he could react, Kizaru casually raised a finger.
A golden orb of light formed at his fingertip.
ZAP—!
The light beam shot out in an instant.
Another explosion followed.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Mei Terumi had already set foot on the island closest to the Sabaody Archipelago.
On the other side of the island, the Straw Hat Pirates were still busy coating the Thousand Sunny for their dive to Fish-Man Island—
Completely unaware that the threat posed by Admiral Kizaru was about to descend upon them.
But this time...
The danger couldn't be evaded.
"Get out of the way, Luffy!" someone shouted.
"That guy... that guy's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!!"
...
TN:
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