A/N: EDIT: Bear in mind this chapter was written when I was still young in the ways of writing...

...so please, be nice!

In the Human Auction house, all manner of men were dying horribly.

All so one could go free.

"Well, that was unfortunate." A man's gaze swept across the cells, amusement flickering across his features as he beheld the terrified expressions that awaited him there. "It's a crying shame that they didn't put seastone cuffs on me." He offered a bemused shrug as the smoke cleared, exposing brilliant specks of sapphire amidst the gloom. "Huh." He paused, his cheeks dimpling into an uncostomary frown. "Maybe I forgot to tell them about that?"

"You could have knocked them out with haki, son." An thinly veiled voice of amusement echoed through the bars. "Did you really have to kill them?" The blond half- turned his face reappearing over his shoulder; exposing a whiskered cheek and disheveled bangs for the one who had spoken. It was the very same geezer whom he'd sat beside only a moment prior to the grisly execution of his ability.

"But where's the fun in that, Rayleigh-san?" He offered a mute shrug when the former first mate forced himself into a sitting position, his shoulders momentarily hunched over from the strain of standing after remaining seated for so very long. If he had any concern for the explosive collar attached to his neck, it was swiftly rectified. Known far and wide as the "Dark King" this man, Silvers Rayleigh, simply touched the collar wound around his neck as he bent; straightening at the knees.

Chains rattled harshly against the darkness, to which the blond noticeably stiffened.

He didn't want to be slouching when the old man took action; he wanted them to see that he was alive. Alive and kicking, despite all they'd done to make certain that he was left otherwise. Whomever they were-who could possibly have the gall to interrupt the auction-the sound of shouting and weapons fire was rapidly drawing near to where they and the giant awaited.

Seconds later, two explosive collars detonated halfway across the room.

"Sugoi." The blond whistled in appreciation. "It looks like I went and got myself captured for nothing, Rayleigh-san." He faked a pout as the former first mate of Gol D. Roger stepped through the bars of the cage; now bent inward by sheer strength alone. Likewise, the giant followed soon thereafter, his hulking form taking up most, if not all of the slim space the backroom afforded.

"It's the thought that counts, Naruto-kun." Rayleigh exhaled lightly as he stepped over a corpse and tousled the boy's hair. "You're still young. You've much to learn about the ways of this world before you can claim to know as much as this old man." Known simply as "Naruto" the blond stuck out his tongue, folded his arms and jerked himself aside at the man's touch.

"Mom say's you've been gone for six years." He grumbled. "So...I came to drag your ass back."

"Ha!" Rayleigh laughed! "Six years? Has it really been that long?"

WHAM!

"You know damn well how long its been, you old fart!" Naruto lowered a steaming fist away from his mentor. "I can't believe you! You forgot all about your promise, didn't you you dam jiji!" Forcing himself to exhale, he awaited the inevitable outburst that was sure to come. No parent enjoyed being tossed around by their offspring, and surely Silvers Rayleigh would be no exception?

Wrong.

"Hahah!" Despite the growing lump on his head, Rayleigh wasn't fazed in the least. "That's right, I promised you a ship, didn't I? Your mother must be worried sick about you, hmm?" For a moment it looked as though a teary-eyed Naruto might punch Rayleigh again. Instead, he scrubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand and lurched away from the man who he'd barely known and been tasked to find...

...now acting like nothing had happened at all.

"I-I'm not crying because I'm happy to see you, b-baka yarou!" He snifled to himself. "I've...just got something in my eye, damnit!" Without further ado, he turned toward the wall, trying to hide the fact that he was red-eyed...and failing miserably. Gods! After going through all the trouble of purposely being caught and put up for sale! Unable to properly convery his emtions, he turned back toward Rayleigh and the giant, the latter having already wedged one hand int the impermeable metal. Without further ado, he began to pull, straining against the resistant iron.

It was in that very instant that the wall inexplicably imploded.

"Well then," Rayleigh spared the boy a glance as light splayed through the opening the massive man had created. "Care to take a walk with me, boy?" Naruto blinked, frowned and blinked again. Was the old man getting senile in his old age? They were practically in the middle of a warzone! But Rayleight would have none of his protests; because he was already shooing Naruto forward and into the gap their comrade had created.

"Where in the hell are you taking me?"

Rayleigh continued to usher his progeny onward.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet."

A/N: Mwahaha! Good news! I'm going to live! It IS NOT CANCER! YES! HAHAHA! BOO-YAH! This fic is the by product of my joy, so you'll have to excuse my massproducing of One piece at the moment, as I plan to update them all (With My Pride is a Hurricane being the next on the list) as of today! Sorry, I'm just so happy to know that it isn't cancer! HAHA!

A/N (Continued): Yes, Naruto is the son of Rayleigh and Shakky! And, in case you guys and gals haven't guessed, he's most likely going with the Strawhats! I always thought it odd that they didn't take SOMEBODY with them to Sabaody Archipeligo, don't you agree? And with his Devil Fruit power he's gonna have one HOT (excuse the pun) harem! As for how he will fare against Kizaru and...gulp...Kizaru, well, that remains to be seen. Cripes, but those two are fucking scaaaaaaary strong!

And here, for the very first time, I'll be treating you kiddies to a sneak preview of the next chapter!

"Oh, I never gave you my name, did I?" He paused, then laughed aloud. "It's Naruto." He extended his hand to her. "Uzumaki D. Naruto! Pleased to meet you!" Slowly, warily, she took his hand and allowed herself to be assisted in standing. The silence seemed to stretch on into eternity, the human peering deeply into the eyes of the mermaid. She flushed for a moment, then turned her gaze away as he touched a finger to the device.

"C-Camie." The mermaid replied meekly. "W-Wait, what're you-

"Let's get this collar off you." With a viscious twist of his wrist and ankle, the incessant chiming of the countdown went eerily silent. And with good reason, she realized. Now that the man had removed his glove, now that he had physically laid a hand upon the instrument of her demise, she had gained her freedom. In his hand, the explosive collar reduced itself to a pile of molten slag within a clenched fist.

"Be at ease." He reassured in the wake of her terrified expression. "I've eaten the Gōka Gōka no mi: Model Kagatsuchi."

"Nani?"

The silence was deafening.

"I'm a Hellfire man."

A/N: Hope you liked the preview!