Crickets chirped in the dead of the night as the forest around the small cabin was perfectly still, giving the illusion to anyone who didn't already know of the forest's incredible beasts that it was just another quiet, sleepy little woods. Those who knew better would rather be on a sinking boat in the ocean than in the forest at night—they had better chances of survival there, after all. Most were inside their homes, away from the risks of becoming a late-night snack for whatever hungry critter happened to catch a tempting glimpse of you. As she set aside the copy of the newspaper she was reading and put out her cigarette, Dadan offered a hearty laugh, careful not to wake her fellow thieves.

The cabin wasn't anything great—just a large, open room that most of the thieves spent their time in, talking, eating, and going over loot. In the back of the room was a door that led to the sleeping quarters, where everyone was currently passed out on a cot or hammock, snoozing the nighttime hours away. Dadan currently sat at her desk in the corner of the room, a small oil lamp at her side as she read of a certain rookie pirate's first notable exploits.

Running a hand through her curly hair, she smirked at the picture of the grinning teenager on the cover of the paper. There sat the seventeen-year-old Luffy, sitting across the table of the infamous "Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro, scarfing down the food in front of them. The article spoke of their defeat of one Captain Morgan—a marine who had been abusing his power, apparently.

'I knew that boy was gonna shake things up, but I didn't think it'd happen so quickly…' Dadan smirked, lighting another cigarette. Just as she was about to bring it up to her lips, a knock came at the door that stood positioned at the other end of the den. Frowning in suspicion and annoyance, Dadan patted her pocket, feeling the small flintlock in it. Standing and pushing back her chair, she crossed the room to the door and cracked it open just enough to take a wary peep outside.

Her eyes widened, her complexion turned as white as a sheet, and her jaw met the ground as it fell to the floor, "Y-You—"

A grin met her from under a green cloak, "Yo, Dadan-san. Been awhile, hasn't it?"

"W-What are you doing here? We thought you were—"

"Dead? Not yet, Dadan-san. I'm still good for at least a decade. Mind if I come in? I need some help with something."

"O-Of course…" Dadan mumbled, opening the door and allowing the cloaked and hooded figure to step into the room, almost gliding across the floor. Turning to face the woman as she closed the door, the figure reached up and rubbed the back of his covered head, chuckling sheepishly.

"Sorry about just dropping by like this…I should probably apologize for letting you guys think I was dead for a while, too, but I couldn't just hand out my location or leave a trail…" the cloaked man spoke, pulling back his hood to reveal his spiky blonde hair and whisker-like marks. Naruto sighed, "I need you to tell me where Luffy is—he's not in trouble or anything, but I need to find him and talk to him."

Dadan grinned, a few tears brimming at the corner of her eyes, "I should kick your ass right now, you know that, brat? You have any idea how heartbroken Ace and Luffy were when you never came back? If I weren't so happy to see you breathin' or if I wasn't sure that Luffy and Ace would be leaping for joy at the chance to see you again, I would be using your head as target practice right now."

Naruto laughed.

"I wouldn't blame you…how are they all doing, anyway? Ace, Luffy, and Sabo?" he grinned, "I haven't been keeping up with recent events—Ace and Sabo make it to the Grand Line yet? Are they on the same crew or did they each go off alone? Heck, is Luffy going to join one of them?"

Dadan looked at the teenager for a good minute, just staring at him in silence. The blonde titled his head, his grin slipping a bit in confusion at the woman's reaction. With a heavy sigh, Dadan crossed the room again to a small chest that rested in the corner. As Naruto watched, she opened it and fumbled around for a moment before fishing out a small, folded black cloth. Turning round with an unreadable look on her face, she pushed the cloth into his hands. He unfolded it and glanced down at the design that was on the center of it.

The edges were burnt badly, the burnt marks left by the flames eating into the center of the cloth and into some of the design. It smelled of salt and ash, showing that it had definitely been at sea whenever whatever happened to it did. The design was immediately recognizable to the teen as a crudely painted jolly-roger, clearly one that was drawn in a hurry—a simple pair of crossing bones, with a large, blue "S" at the center of them.

Naruto looked back up at Dadan.

She sighed.

"There's…" Dadan began, cringing as if she had been slapped, "…Naruto…there's something you need to know…about Sabo."

Drip. Drip. Drip.

He groaned in annoyance, pulling the covers over his head. The roof was leaking? Whoever heard of a leaky roof in a Noble's house? Whoever heard of a leaky anything when it belonged to a king, no less? This wouldn't do, this wouldn't do at all. He had felt that things had been going slack around the castle lately—the guards getting lazier, asking for more time to spend with their families or the chefs asking for raises. The very idea…

'Imbeciles…they should feel honored to work for me!' King Jie snarled lightly in his sleep, tossing and turning in his bed. This wasn't some shabby, little kingdom in the South Blue! This was the crowning jewel of the East Blue, the Tenryuubito-approved Kingdom of Goa! The kingdom without a single flaw! He had seen to that a long time ago. He chuckled sleepily, giving himself a mental pat on the back for his brilliant proposal all those years ago.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

'Of course, where one problem is solved, another appears. The new Gray Terminal is starting to grow just as large as the old one with all the new nobility coming in and the trash living in it is starting to become just as big an eyesore,' King Jie pondered for a moment, scratching his long, grey beard, 'Oh well…when it starts to become too much of an annoyance, another burning day can simply reproduce the same results.'

Drip. Drip. Drip.

He growled, turning over and throwing his face into his pillow, clenching the fabric of the feathery-soft comforter around his ears roughly. The slow and constant noise of that infuriating water was beginning to get on his nerves. That was the problem with such a large bedchamber—the echoes were so infuriating. His room was a rather modest one—a step down from his previous chambers, which had held the same problem. This one wasn't nearly as large—only about the size of a normal ballroom, with only about twenty or so columns running through it. Regal dressers and desks, shelves and walls lined with the most expensive memorabilia and décor that money could buy, a priceless red carpet leading up to his large bed in the center of the room. It was perfect, for he had paid for it to be perfect.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

'And, of course, those fools messed it up. I'll be seeing that their company is completely destroyed and that they never see work again. Better those useless buffoons are thrown out to live among the garbage of the Gray Terminal…' Jie gnashed his teeth in annoyance. Then, for a moment, all was calm. That annoying dripping disappeared into the night, ceasing with its constant grating of his patience. With a sigh, Jie fell back against his pillow comfortably, releasing his tight grip on his satin sheets. That useless construction crew was still going to find itself ruined, of course. Valuable minutes of his well-deserved rest were wasted, after all. But for now, he could deal with that in the morning. As his eyes shut, he allowed sleep to begin to overcome him…

…Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Guards! Guards! Come in here and stop this infuriating dripping noise!" King Jie screamed, shooting up in his bed, his cheeks flushed red with anger. He would have them standing on each other shoulders to reach the ceiling and plug up that leak! If they had to be there all night to stop it, so be it! And if they dared to make a noise to wake him while they did so, he would make sure that each of them…King Jie frowned, his anger giving way to confusion. Turning his head, he looked out at the multiple large, ornate windows that were behind him.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

'It's…not raining?' Jie frowned, wracking his memory. He had seen the plans for his new bedchambers before they were built. To make sure there was no excess noise, no pipes ran over, under, or around his room. He had been sure of it…so, where was that noise coming from?

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Jie turned his gaze to the door—outside, he knew there were two armed guards manning the entrance, making sure no one tried to harm him in his sleep. They would be on either side of the double doors, not a foot away from the doors should they need to run in. He had called for them seconds ago! Where were they? His eyes saw red, 'Sleeping? When they should be guarding my precious life?'

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Sliding out of bed and slipping on his slippers, he swiftly began to storm over to the door, rage building with each thunderous stomp.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The dripping was getting louder, quicker, matching the growing pace of his anger as he got closer and closer. His teeth gnashed once more, his nostrils flared, his eyebrows bent into a furious glare as he made his way across his room, "Guards! Guards! Get in here this instant!"

Drip. Drip. Drip.

No one came in. No one answered him. Just as he was about to reach the door, ready to scream and beat the two idiotic guards who fell asleep at their posts, King Jie paused once more, frowning in confusion as he looked at the doors. Water was leaking out from the door, pouring into the room from the bottom of the door and a steady stream was dripping out of the keyhole—the source of the annoying dripping noise—as it all pooled onto the marble flooring. King Jie looked on as confusion turned to panic as the water began to pick up its pace, pouring out more and more as it began to spill and pool around the floor, the twin doors bulging and bulging until it was clear that they were about to—

Drip. Drip. Drip.

As the next few drops of water came through the keyhole, the doors burst open, sailing into the room as they were carried on a wave of water that rushed into the room, reminding the king of a breaking dam letting loose a river behind it. It took a second for the king to realize the water was rushing towards him. As he turned to run, he felt the powerful wet force hit his back and sweep him off his feet as it carried him away into the room. As the rush of the water died down, King Jie found himself lying on the floor, coughing and spitting up water, thoroughly soaked. As he sat up, he noticed that the two guards that were supposed to guard his room had also been washed into the room by the water, both of them unconscious.

"So…this is the face of the king of Goa? I've never seen you, really—no one from the Gray Terminal did."

Jie's eyes shot to the doorframe. In walked a young man, wrapped in a dark green cloak that concealed his entire body. Glaring at the man, King Jie snarled—he could feel the eyes of the person observing him, taking in every detail. Jie was a tall and slightly portly man of about fifty-four, with a long silver beard and groomed hair. His beady black eyes and flat nose, along with his fat bottom lip were some of his more notable traits. He was garbed in a pale white robe, much like his complexion.

"Who are you? What do you think you're playing at, boy? Do you know who I am? I will have you killed for this!" King Jie yelled, angrily thrusting a finger out to point at the man, "Answer me, you lowly scum!"

The man was silent for a moment. As the king continued to glare at him, the figure began to step forward, speaking with each step he took.

"All this time, I wondered what you looked like. I wondered what the face of such a pathetic, egomaniacal person could possibly look like—I'm not impressed," the man muttered, "I'll be straightforward with you—I'm here to kill you."

King Jie froze, a cold sweat slowly breaking out across his face as he watched the man come closer and closer, "F…Fool! You think you can kill me? I am the ruler of Goa! Guards! Guards! Come in here and seize this man at once!"

"Oh, you won't be finding any help from your guards tonight, your majesty," sarcasm and rage dripped venomously from the man's voice, "I've dealt with them all already. It's just you and me now."

A dreaded sense of the reality of his situation washed over the king as he shakily began to scoot back, "…G-Guards! GUARDS!"

"Ten years ago…you thought you had erased the Gray Terminal," the man spoke, ignoring the king's cries, as he stepped closer, "But the past has a funny way of coming back to haunt us, Jie."

"T-Ten years ago?" Jie mumbled in horror, "T-Then you're…"

The hooded man nodded, "I am a survivor of that night…the night you decided that I was less than human, the night that you tried to burn me and many others alive to please a rotten Tenryuubito."

"P…Please! Don't to this!" King Jie begged, his back hitting one of the many columns that stood in the room. The man held out his arm, his hand making a "gun" with his thumb and pointer finger, "Are you aware, your majesty, that when under pressure, water can be strong enough to cut through steel? This is the type of monster you created—I'm stronger than you could possibly imagine. You dug your own grave."

"Kōzui Kōzui: Mizu Teppo (Flood-Flood: Water Gun)," the man muttered. A single stream of water shot out of the man's extended finger like a rocket as the man moved his finger over the room horizontally. As the water met each of the pillars, it cut through them like butter, slicing them in two as they fell to the floor. King Jie gave a yelp of fright as he witnessed this.

"I-I beg of you! M-Mercy, p-please!" King Jie wailed. Jumping to his shaking legs, he attempted to run to the other end of the room. As he turned, however, his heart dropped at the sight of another cloaked figure, identical in every way to the first.

"Kōzui Kōzui: Mizu Bunshin (Flood-Flood: Water Clone)," the man muttered once again as he began to close in on the Noble, "Mercy? Did your guards show me mercy, when I ran to the doors of the city looking for refuge from the fire? Did they show the others mercy when they shot them down as they cried out for help? Did the Tenryuubito you were so excited about show my friend any mercy when he murdered him in cold blood? ANSWER ME!"

"N-No!" King Jie cried in fear, tears pouring from his eyes and snot dripping from his nose as he began to weep, "I…I'm sorry! I promise I'll make it up to you! I'll give you anything you want! I'll make you a Noble! I'll shower you in riches! I'll make you next in line to inherit the kingdom! J-Just please spare my life!"

"I want a fleet of ships at my disposal. Hundreds of them—the biggest and fastest money can buy."

The king nodded dumbly and quickly, "Y-Yes!"

"I want more gold and jewels than I could possibly know what to do with."

"At o-once!"

"I want land as far as the eye can see—more than half the kingdom. An army of one million men, each of whom will jump through hoops for me."

"Of course!"

King Jie had pushed himself against his bed, trembling in fear as the man and his clone got closer and closer, making more and more hefty demands, all of which he would instantly agree to. Closer and closer…the cloaked man was now almost only a foot away from him. Tears poured from King Jie's eyes like a waterfall, fear clenching his heart and a lump catching in his throat.

"Promise me everything you own and more—all of it, with nothing left for you, your wife, or any of your children. Promise me that you will step down from your throne and live in the Gray Terminal. When you grow old, promise me that you will burn yourself alive, like you did to so many others that night," the man was within striking distance now. King Jie closed his eyes tightly, nodding vigorously, his words caught in his throat.

"…Then I will let you live."

King Jie's eyes shot open to find the man turned away from him, walking out of the room. The king's hands shot under the bed, retrieving a broadsword. Unsheathing the blade with a manic grin on his face, the king gave an angry scream as he ran at the figure. The cloaked man stood there, not turning to face Jie as he ran up to him and brought the sword down on his head…only for the king and the sword to fall through him like one would fall through the surface of the ocean, covered in water as a loud splash echoed in the chamber. Confusion and fear wracked his mind as he fell to his knees, dripping wet and with his sword in his hands, his assailant towering over him directly behind him. King Jie gulped, refusing to turn his head.

"Just kidding~!" the man sung in a dark, mocking tone, "I only want one thing…one thing and, if you can give it to me, I will let you live and never bother you or return here again."

"…W-What is it?" the trembling king managed out, anxiety rushing through him.

"I want Sabo back."

"W…W-What is a Sabo?"

"Wrong answer. Kōzui Kōzui: Suirō (Flood-Flood: Water Prison)!"

A sphere of water wrapped around the king, catching him by surprise before he could even hold his breath. As he began to swallow in gulp after gulp of water, Jie began to bang his hands against the inner walls of the sphere—he could feel that there was no glass or anything holding the water, it was just a sphere made completely and filled with water. Even so, he realized in terror, he couldn't escape it no matter how hard he tried to break through and his lungs were begging for a breath of air, a violent and painful pressure building up in his chest.

Naruto stood there, watching as the man who ruined his life drowned before his very eyes. When he was sure that Jie was dead, he willed the sphere of water to collapse, dropping the soaked corpse of the former king to the ground. By sunrise, the Nobles of Goa would awake to find their king dead and that the doors that separated Goa and the Gray Terminal had been torn open with large puddles of water surrounding them. Atop the castle that once housed their ruler, where the flagpole normally waved the proud and majestic flag of the Kingdom of Goa…the flag was gone, torn to shreds on the floor. Instead, the flag that waved in the wind as the sun rose on the Kingdom of Goa was a small, tattered, black jolly-roger—one that was crudely drawn and burnt.

Two simple bones that crisscrossed and a big, proud, blue "S" in the middle of them…

The water splashed, leaping into the air and falling back into the calm and quiet sea, leaving a trail of white foam as it did. The cloudless blue sky stretched for as far as the eye could see, matching the distance of the vast open ocean as the vessel sped through the waters. The ship's dark orange paintjob glistened as the sunlight reflected off the water. It was a small boat, able to fit about three people comfortably. Aboard the boat was a simple, oak chest by the stern of the ship, directly in front of the rudder, while a single chair was planted at the bow of the ship, where a certain blonde teenager sat, eyes shut as he relaxed in the comfortable and cozy warmth of the sun. On the outside of the boat on either side, two large, blue, cylindrical tanks were attached, both of which were shooting out water at a great pressure and rate. This, in turn, propelled the boat through the ocean without the need to rely on the sail, which was currently tied up, closed around the mast, which stuck out of a small cabin at the center of the boat.

Naruto's eyes cracked open as he reached to his neck. Clutching the blue goggles that hung there, he gave a heavy sigh, 'Sabo…'

"H…Hey! Y-You over there, p-please help me!"

"Hm?"

Naruto raised his eyes to spot a small boat in the distance, its black sails marked with a large jolly roger that reminded him slightly of a clown due to its large, red ball of a nose and grinning face. Straining his eyes to get a better look, Naruto could make out what looked to be a panicked person aboard the ship, waving and calling out to him. With an annoyed sigh, Naruto raised his right hand and made a small, turning motion with it. The rudder quickly turned with the motion and adjusted so that the ship would head in the direction of the strange boat.

As Naruto began to get closer to the ship, he took in more details about the person aboard the vessel. She was young, probably his age or just a year younger, and had a relieved smile spread out across her face. Warm, chocolate eyes gazed at him like he was some sort of prince, rescuing her from a tall tower as she ran a hand through her orange hair. Naruto blushed as he began to notice the girl's body. Voluptuous didn't even begin to describe the girl, who practically exuded an aura of allure and beauty. She was dressed in a white, short-sleeved shirt with three blue lines running horizontally on it and an orange miniskirt, both of which only accentuated her nice figure. As he got came to a stop next to her, she gave him a warm smile.

"I can't believe I actually found someone all the way out here! You've got to help me, sir, please!" the girl gave a pleading look, clasping her hands together. Naruto blinked, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as he gave the girl a curious look.

"I don't mind helping, but tell me what happened first," Naruto frowned, jerking his thumb up towards the jolly-roger on her sails, "I don't exactly like the looks of that thing, miss."

The girl gave a nod, glaring up at the insignia with a look of despise, "I can explain that. I was held captive by a bunch of pirates for the past few days! I managed to escape on one of their ships while they were passed out from drinking, but I'm afraid I've gotten myself lost and I don't have any food or water left aboard. If you could give me a lift to the nearest town, I'd really appreciate it! There's even some treasure I took from the pirates in it for you!"

The girl motioned to a chest behind her and gave another pleading look, jutting out her lower lip as her eyes sparkled, tears brimming in her warm, compassionate eyes. Naruto froze, suddenly caught in the girl's look, feeling his heart skip a beat.

'S-So this is the rumored 'Puppy-Dog Look' that Ivan-nee warned me about…it's too cute! C-Can't resist…' Naruto sighed, scratching the back of his head once more, "I don't want your treasure. Just come on aboard and I'll help you out."

Naruto's confusion rose as the girl seemed to be surprised at this and a flash of disappointment ran through her eyes for only the shortest second. Nami smiled pleasantly on the outside. Inside, however, she growled in frustration—she had to come across the one guy on the sea that had a conscious. The Buggy Pirates she had robbed of their treasure and boat earlier had been so simple, taking the bait without question. She pretended to be a lost, helpless girl in need of rescue at sea…offer them some treasure in return for a ride back to town, they jump aboard to get the treasure—an empty chest—and she slips onto their boat and sails off before they even know what happened. Rinse and repeat—it was an easy trick she'd use often.

'Granted, I don't know for sure if he's a pirate or not…' Nami thought to herself, 'But I don't exactly have all the time in the world to find out. Buggy is going to be after this ship soon and I need to be off it.'

Nami quickly hopped aboard Naruto's boat and extended her hand to him with a soft, friendly smile, "I'm Nami."

Naruto gave a grin as he shook her hand, "Name's Naruto."

Nami gave a sheepish grin, glancing at the chest that rested on her rightfully stolen ship. It was, of course, empty—the only useful item that had been on the ship when she stole it was a map leading to the Grand Line. Nami almost allowed a sly smirk to slip onto her face—her new acquaintance didn't need to know that. Nami gestured to the chest, "I don't suppose you wouldn't mind helping me get that aboard, then? It seems like such a waste to just leave it for those pirates to find again. There's another chest on the other end of the ship, if you wouldn't mind getting that first. It has some important things in it I'd like to keep."

Naruto nodded, seeing the logic in at least taking the goods with them, "Sure thing. For now, you should probably just relax. You've gotta be exhausted."

"I am, so thanks a bunch! You're my hero!" Nami gave her best friendliest, brightest smile as Naruto hopped aboard her ship, heading to the stern to search for a chest that didn't truly exist. As soon as she was sure that he was properly distracted, Nami quickly began to search Naruto's small vessel for the ship's wheel and a rope to let the sails down. Nami frowned in confusion, however, when she found neither.

'This boat is about the size of a small room! Where could he possibly be hiding the damn things?' Nami cursed as her sharp eyes scanned over the boat. The only thing normal about the ship appeared to be the cabin, the mast, and the sail—there was no apparent way to control the rudder and no apparent way to let the sail loose. Nami let out a quiet growl of frustration, 'How the hell does he even use this thing?'

A chill ran down Nami's spine as two loud, empty thumps sounded behind her. Turning slowly, she found one chest, empty and opened on its side before her, with Naruto standing behind it. Naruto's eyes were closed and he wore a grin on his face, but somehow Nami felt as though an angry scowl would have been far less intimidating. Nami gave a weak laugh, taking a few steps back with the appearance of a child who had been caught with their hands in a cookie-jar.

"Um…hi?" Nami spoke nervously.

"It seems like the 'treasure' you wanted me to get for you disappeared into thin air, Nami-san—that is your real name, isn't it?" Naruto smiled, seeing Nami's hesitant nod, "Good, good. I wouldn't want for things to get too awkward between us. You won't find a way to steal this boat from me, while we're at it. I'm the only one who can use the thing."

"S-Steal? What are you talking about, Naruto-san?" Nami laughed, "I would never even think about stea—"

"Even I'm not that gullible, Nami-san. Even if they're a bunch of idiots, the Buggy Pirates wouldn't let a hostage escape with one of their boats and two chests full of treasure," Naruto cut in, taking a few steps further and cracking his knuckles, "I had heard some rumors from a friend of mine—another thief that I visited the other night. According to her, there had been a string of robberies going on throughout the East Blue. Your work, I'm guessing?"

Nami broke out into a cold sweat, raising her hands defensively as she let out a sheepish giggle, "Word travels fast, I guess? What happens now?"

"Well, lucky for you, Nami-san, I'm not mad at all."

Nami blinked, a look of surprise coming over her face, "…Y-You're not?"

"Not in the least. I don't get mad at the little things like this," Naruto's smile stretched just a bit further, "I get even."

"Let me go, you jackass! Is this any way to treat a lady?"

"A lady? No, probably not," Naruto called lazily from his seat, not moving in the slightest, "A thief that just tried to rob me of everything that I own? Meh. I could've done worse."

Nami huffed, glaring downward at the ropes that kept her bound in place. Currently, she found herself on the roof of the small cabin of Naruto's boat, tied to the mast of the ship. Naruto was fast, Nami had to admit. Before she had even seen him move, she was over his shoulder and he had the rope in his left hand. Sighing and leaning her head back against the wood of the mast, Nami briefly wondered how he was even working the boat—he was just sitting there, but somehow, in some impossible way, they were now miles away from their meeting point, despite the lack of both a current and assistance of the sails.

"Hey, how is this thing even moving?" Nami questioned, looking down at Naruto. Naruto stifled a yawn, waving her question off.

"Magic," he answered lazily.

'I officially hate him,' Nami growled as she glared at her captor, "Well then, do you at least mind telling me where we're going?"

"I am going to find Luffy," Naruto answered, "You are going to get dropped off at the first jail I find."

"What? You're just going to leave me to rot in a jail?" Nami cried, "You can't do that! I've got things to do, people to meet!"

"And you can do them and meet them in probably ten to twenty, considering how many different people you robbed blind," Naruto muttered, "Now pipe down. Some of us are trying to sleep over here."

Nami frowned, glaring up at the sky out of sheer boredom. Her mind raced a mile a minute, trying to think of some possible way to escape her current situation. Even if she did somehow manage to escape her bindings—which were tied so tight that she knew that it was an improbable scenario—she had no boat to escape on and they were miles away from the closest island. The only foreseeable escape right now would be to trick Naruto and somehow take control of the boat, but even then, she had no idea how the thing worked. Her only hope would be to somehow sneak away from him when they finally landed, whenever and wherever that may be. Sighing, Nami found herself growing quickly tired from boredom.

"So…who's Luffy?" Nami asked, deciding to at least try and pass the time with some small talk. After a few minutes had passed, in which she had gotten no answer, Nami assumed the blonde really had fallen asleep and gave an annoyed huff. Just as she was about to close her eyes and join him, Naruto spoke up.

"He's a friend I haven't seen in a long time…ten years, in fact," Naruto answered, "He probably thinks I'm dead right now."

"Why would he think you're dead?" Nami questioned curiously as she cast her gaze down at Naruto. Naruto finally turned to look at her with a goofy grin, scratching the back of his head.

"I used to be a headstrong idiot—I guess I still am. The last anyone heard of me before I left home was probably that I ran off into a huge fire," Naruto chuckled at Nami's shocked look, "Well, the past is the past. I survived and now I'm gonna be searching the entire East Blue for the idiot."

"Any idea where to find him?"

"Last I heard of him, he was stirring up trouble in Shells Town. That's why I'm heading there first," Naruto replied, "I've got to find him before he heads off to the Grand Line. If he makes it there, I'm never gonna be able to track him down in time."

Nami blinked in confusion before shooting Naruto a flat look, "You said we're heading for Shells Town?"

"Yeah, why?" Naruto frowned, "Are you gonna be that picky about what jail you're dropped in?"

"Well, I'm only asking because at the rate and direction you're going, you're gonna cross into the North Blue way before you ever even see Shells Town," Nami spoke, jerking her head to the skies, "Just look at the position of the sun! Can't you tell?"

Naruto looked up to the sky, straining his eyes towards the sun, as if trying to see some invisible sign, "No way. According to the map, I should be heading directly towards Shells Town."

"When was the last time you checked that map?"

"Right before I took my nap," Naruto answered plainly.

"You fell asleep? Of course you're going to get off course, you idiot!" Nami shouted, "This thing doesn't have a wheel to control the rudder with! You've drifted miles off course without even realizing it!"

"…Oh," Naruto muttered dumbly, a bored look on his face that only served to annoy Nami further.

"Oh? Is that all you have to say?" Nami roared, "How do you expect to find anyone like this? Haven't you ever navigated on the ocean before?"

Naruto gave her a thumbs-up, "Not even once!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO?"

"Sheesh…don't get so worked up. It'll be fine, right? I mean, how far off course are we, anyway?" Naruto asked.

"If you ran into me, then you must have been going in the wrong direction for at least a day," Nami replied, shooting Naruto a flat look as he nodded.

"I see…well, duly noted," Naruto said, turning to look at Nami again, "Well, it seems like you know your way around here, so do you mind helping me get to Shells Town?"

Nami stared at Naruto with a look that was clearly asking him just how stupid he was, "Why would I help you take me to prison?"

"…Out of the kindness of your heart?"

"Nope."

"You've realized that you should do the time to make up for all those people you stole from and then turn over a new leaf once you're out?"

"Try again."

Naruto sighed, "I'll untie you and I'll consider not taking you to jail the second we hit land."

Nami gave a victorious grin, "I'll take it! Now be a good boy and untie me already!"

Naruto leapt up to the roof of the cabin and begrudgingly untied the girl. The second Nami was untied, she stood and stretched, grinning happily as she leapt down from the cabin. Naruto sat on the roof of the cabin, dangling his legs over the side as he watched the girl move around the ship. Finally, Nami looked up at Naruto, a shooting him a tired look.

"At the very least, do you have a compass I can use? Where's the map, too? Did you lose it?" Nami questioned, hands on her hips as she tapped her foot impatiently.

Naruto frowned, "I'm not stupid, just directionally challenged with a hint of laziness. They're both in the cabin on my desk—feel free to use them."

Nodding, Nami made her way to the front of the cabin and opened the door, stepping inside and glancing around. The cabin didn't have a whole lot to it, but she supposed that it did match the ship's less than impressive size and looks. In the corner of the cabin directly next to one of two portholes in the room was a comfy looking hammock, with a pillow and blanket tossed lazily into it and a small nightstand next to it. Across the room from the hammock was a small desk and chair, with scatter papers thrown about in some messy, disorganized fashion that only the one who put them there would be able to make any sense of. Add in two small bookshelves crammed full of different books and references, a dusty old rug on the floor, a basic map of the oceans pinned onto the wall, and the small oil lamp hanging from the ceiling and the summary of the room was more or less complete.

Nami made her way over to the desk where she spied the compass next to a rolled-up paper that she assumed was the map—both stood out, as they were leaned up against a small, black Den-Den Mushi that had a smaller white Den-Den Mushi attached to it. As she sat at the desk, Nami unrolled the map and took hold of the compass, quietly getting to work retracing Naruto's mistaken steps to find their current location. In a matter of seconds, the young, gifted navigator had already pinpointed the spot where she had gotten aboard with Naruto, and was now quickly getting to the matter of their current location.

As she did, however, her eyes drifted to a few of the papers that were spilling out over the oaken surface of the desk. As she rested her cheek in her hand, she quickly glanced around to make sure that Naruto was in no way watching her from either of the portholes. Seeing no sign of the blonde, Nami began to pick through some of the papers. She frowned as she read the first one she grabbed.

83929475. 89377058082849 89898 98989 99849 997402, 84849. 89834 85 373 47474 838394.

'Some sort of code?' Nami frowned, placing the paper aside as she began to search through more and more of them, 'Who rides around in a boat like this with papers so secretive that they have to be written in some weird code?'

Nami's brow furrowed as she quickly realized that most, if not all of the papers were in a similar, indistinguishable code. Sighing, Nami was just about to give up on finding out a bit more of her weird, temporary travel companion, she spied one paper sticking out amongst the others that she instantly recognized as a Marine-issued 'Wanted' poster. Pulling the paper out of the bunch, Nami began to look it over with a bored look on her face that quickly turned to a look of shock the more she read on the paper. There, in the center of the poster was the familiar grinning face of Naruto, dressed similarly to how he was dressed currently, complete with the goggles and tropical shirt. What surprised her most, what had her breath hitch in her throat, however, was what was written directly below the picture.

Wanted Dead or Alive
"Torrent of Rebellion" Naruto
Bounty: 525,000,000 Beli

'F-Five-hundred million?' Nami gasped in shock, bringing her hands her mouth. Slowly, as she processed the information on the poster, Nami's hands fell back down to the desk to clutch the poster in her hands. Her look of surprised slowly gave way to a smile which soon turned into a full-blown grin that stretched across her face. Nami's trembling hands held the poster up like it was a priceless treasure to be examined in the light. She shot abruptly to her feet, knocking over the chair she was sitting on and gave a small jump for joy.

'Forget about Buggy's chump-change, this is the real deal! Five times my goal! I'll have enough left over to live in the lap of luxury once Arlong hightails it out of town! More than enough to buy a good boat and set out to start mapping the world!' Nami grinned, 'What's more, he's even asking me to take him to Shells Town, one of the biggest Marine bases in the East Blue! It's like he's giftwrapping himself for me!'

Money-signs in her eyes, Nami twirled around in happiness, clutching the picture to her chest, 'He'll try to bring me in and all I'll have to do is show them this and I'll be set for life! Those Marines can't even pin anything on me, since I've only stolen from pirates! It's just too perfect!'

"Oi, Nami, you done in here or what?"

Nami jumped in fear and quickly hid the poster behind her back as she turned to glare at Naruto, who had just barged in to interrupt her victory dance. Nami glared, a blush spreading lightly on her cheeks as Naruto raised a brow, questioning her odd movements. Moving over to him, she began to push him out of the room with her free hand, the other hand still clutching the poster behind her back, her glare never leaving her face.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Nami yelled, as she shoved Naruto out onto the deck, "No, I am not done yet! Out!"

Naruto turned and gave her a confused look, "It's kinda my room. What's behind your back?"

"A map!" Nami answered quickly, "What else would it be? Now how do you expect me to work if you keep bothering me?"

Naruto frowned, scratching the back of his head, "This is the first time I asked you…"

"Well, make it the last time!" Nami snapped, "I'll be done when I'm done! Don't try to rush me!"

With that, Nami slammed the door closed, leaving the horribly confused Naruto standing there.

"O…Okay?" Naruto blinked. Shrugging, he quietly made his way to the chest in the back of the boat. Opening it and pulling out a fishing pole, Naruto made his way back to his seat and cast his line out into the waters around the boat. Leaning back in the chair and getting a lax grip on the pole, Naruto closed his eyes and let out a small sigh of both confusion and irritation. As he gazed out at the setting, twilight sun slowly sinking below the horizon, Naruto shrugged.

'Ivan-nee and Kuma-nii always said that girls could be weird…'

Nami yawned as she sat up the next morning, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. As she looked around, Nami frowned, and continued to do so even after she remembered where she was. She was absolutely certain that she had fallen asleep at Naruto's desk last night, her exhaustion catching her just as she finished her work. So why then had she awoken on the admittedly very comfy hammock across the room, with the blanket draped over her? Where was Naruto, for that matter?

She got her answer when Naruto opened the door, a happy grin on his face as he carried in a plate of food, "Morning sleepyhead. I made breakfast, so help yourself—I should probably warn you, though, that I'm not much of a cook."

Nami blinked in surprise as she took the plate that was offered to her, looking down at the meal before her, "How did you make this?"

"There's a small door in the deck by the stern that leads down below. All that's down there though is a real small kitchen—it'd probably be really cramped with just two people in it," Naruto answered as he sat at his desk, reaching into the drawer and fetching a pair of reading glasses. As he put them on, he began to start going over some of the indecipherable codes on the multiple papers there. He didn't seem to notice the absence of the Wanted poster that currently sat folded up in Nami's pocket. Nami picked up the fork that was on the plate and took a small, cautious bite of the food.

"It's…good," Nami mumbled in surprise.

Naruto chuckled, "Is it? Ivan-nee is the one who taught me how to cook, but I'm nowhere near as good as he is."

"Ivan-nee?" Nami looked at Naruto with a confused frown.

Naruto nodded, "Ivan-nee taught me to cook and how to do basic chores and Kuma-nii taught me how to read, write, and do math."

"What about your parents or school?"

"Never went to school—I'm an orphan, too."

Nami flinched, "S-Sorry…"

Naruto laughed heartily, "Don't worry about it! I can't miss what I never knew, right? Besides, Kuma-nii, Ivan-nee, and Dragon-jiji are all the family I really need. I'd be nothing without those guys."

Nami gave a light smile as she watched Naruto grin, a far-off look in his eyes as she imagined he was thinking about the fun times he had had with his adoptive family. Nami quickly realized then, that Naruto must have come in last night and moved her to the hammock, covering her in the blanket as well. Nami frowned, "Hey, Naruto, where'd you sleep last night?"

"Hm?" Naruto looked up from his work, "I slept on the roof. I sleep there all the time—do a bit of stargazing. It gets boring on the boat all alone, so it passes the time to just look at the stars or clouds."

Nami suddenly felt a pang of guilt as she felt the poster shift in her pocket. She subtly shook her head, ridding herself of the feeling, 'Don't be stupid, Nami! He's a pirate with a bounty of over five-hundred million! The things he had to do to get a bounty like that must have been atrocious!'

"So, did you figure out where we were?" Naruto asked without looking up from the papers. Nami nodded, setting the empty plate and utensils aside on the nightstand as she stood from the hammock. Walking over to stand behind Naruto, who had already unrolled the map on the desk, Nami leaned over his shoulder and pointed to a small 'X' that she had marked on the map, "We're right here. So, if we keep heading southeast, we should be able to land in Shells Town in about two days or so."

"G-Great job…"

"Thanks…" Nami mumbled in confusion at Naruto's shaky voice. Looking down at the blonde's face, she blinked when she realized that he was blushing heavily, his eyes trying to look anywhere in the room but her direction. It was then that Nami realized that by leaning forward, she had actually placed her chest directly next to Naruto's head. Blushing a bit herself, Nami was about to scoot back when she paused. A teasing grin slowly made its way to her face as she stifled a laugh.

"What's the matter, Naruto? You seem a bit red…"

"I-It's n-nothing!" Naruto answered quickly.

"Is it now?" Nami smirked, "You know, ever since we became travel buddies, you've been awful sweet to me, Naruto-kun..."

Naruto's blush increased at the added suffix to his name, "W-Well, y-you're helping me out! I-Ivan-nee taught me to always b-be kind to t-those who help me!"

"Is that right? Well, I still think it's very nice of you, Naruto-kun. I don't how I'll ever repay you…"

"D-Don't worry about it!"

Nami had to struggle to keep herself from bursting out into a fit of laughter at how easily flustered Naruto was. Even she had to admit, the way he was acting like such a kid was too cute, especially with the way the blush was spreading out across those whisker-like marks on his face. Quickly deciding to bring it home, Nami leaned her head on Naruto's shoulder, allowing her cheek to brush against his, and wrapped her arms around his chest from behind the chair, causing her to blush slightly as she felt his lean muscles. Nami felt his form stiffen and go rigid at her touch, and she could practically feel the heat from his blush with how close their faces were.

"Oh, but I'd just feel so bad if you didn't get some kind of reward…" Nami whispered sultrily into Naruto's ear, "So…why don't you tell me how you'd like to be rewarded, Na-ru-to-kun?"

And just like that, Nami pulled her head back and lifted her arms from around Naruto's chest. The teen fell out of his chair and onto the floor with a massive blush on his face as Nami laughed hysterically at his resemblance to a tomato. Naruto sat up, sending an angry glare towards Nami that was nowhere near effective with the blush that was still present on his face—if anything, it only caused the girl to giggle even more.

"W-What w-was that?" Naruto yelled, pointing at the giggling thief.

Nami wiped a tear from her eye as she finally stopped laughing, a smile on her face, "Sorry, Naruto, but the chance was too good to pass up. Besides, you were just too adorable! Just like a little kid! How about it, Naruto? Do you think I'm cute? Sexy?"

Naruto frowned as Nami laughed again, his blush still present. Shortly after, Naruto joined her, with both of them laughing. As they both calmed down, Naruto pulled off his reading glasses and set them on the desk as he headed towards the door of his cabin.

"I'm going to get this thing headed in the right direction. Feel free to just relax until we make it to Shells Town—grab a book to read or something," Naruto spoke as he opened the door. Stepping out and turning to close it, Naruto gave Nami a smirk, "And, as a matter of fact, I find you both cute and sexy."

Naruto chuckled at Nami's blush as he closed the door quickly, just in time to block the book that was thrown at him by the blushing thief.

The day passed quickly for the two after that. Naruto spent his time simply relaxing back in that chair of his with Nami laying out beside him, soaking in the sun while reading a few of the different books that Naruto had on the shelves in his cabin. With Naruto just sitting there, Nami's most frequently asked question was how he was even making the thing go in the right direction. Every time, Naruto would give the same answer of it being "magic" and Nami would promptly bonk him lightly on the head with whatever book she was currently reading, causing the blonde to chuckle. The two talked a bit, just simple tales of the past. Nami would speak of her most daring acts of thievery against infamous pirates and Naruto would tell goofy stories of his times with Ivankov and Kuma and the trouble he got in. By the end of the day, as the sun began to set and after the two had eaten dinner, it would appear to most that the two had been friends for quite some time—not two strangers who had only met each other the other day.

Nami shut the book she was reading as she stretched, stifling a yawn as she did. By now, the sun had sunk well below the horizon and the moon was standing proud in the night's sky, surrounded by stars. Naruto looked over at her, still in the chair he had been sitting in all day, "You should head to bed—it's getting late. Take the hammock again. I'm gonna stay up a bit longer."

Nami looked at Naruto, who had turned his attention back to the sea. Huffing, she marched over to the boy and grabbed him by the back of his tropical shirt, pulling him from the seat as she dragged him over to the cabin, ignoring his cries of protest.

"H-Hey, Nami, what gives?" Naruto called out in surprise as the girl threw open the door and dragged him over to the hammock. She grabbed the blanket and pillow with her free hand as she pushed Naruto onto the hammock with her other. As Naruto opened his mouth to speak again, she tossed the blank and pillow at his head, hitting him in the face and shutting him up. As Naruto pulled the blanket off his face, he was met with Nami's glare, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Stupid…it's going to rain tonight, can't you tell?" Nami frowned, "I'm not letting you sleep outside again. You're taking the hammock, and that's that. I'll sleep in the chair at the desk."

Seeing no room for argument, Naruto allowed a small smile to slip onto his face, "Yes, ma'am. There's an extra pillow and blanket in the chest by the stern. Feel free to use them."

Nodding, Nami made her way out of the cabin and to the stern, where she quickly noticed the chest in the light of the moon, despite the attempts of multiple small black clouds to block out the light. Just as she was about to open the chest and search it for the promised blanket and pillow, Nami paused as she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the water's surface. Frowning, she rubbed her shoulder where her tattoo rested, marking her as a member of the Arlong Pirates.

Nami reached into her pocket and retrieved the poster, unfolding it and looking down at the paper—she had half a mind to just toss it into the ocean and forget all about it. Nami bit her lower lip as she thought back to her home, to her sister…she folded the paper back up and placed it back into her pocket, 'He's a pirate…he's a pirate…he's a pirate…'

She quickly opened the chest and pulled out the pillow and blanket, closing it and walking back to the cabin. Just as she stepped inside, she heard a crack of thunder as rain began to pelt the ship. She made her way over to the chair and sat down, getting comfortable. She heard a whistle as she placed the blanket over herself and lifted her head to see Naruto looking out the porthole next to the hammock.

"Man, you really called it…it's pouring out there. There wasn't even a cloud in the sky when we came in here!" Naruto commented, "You must be one hell of a navigator to know the seas that well!"

Nami blushed slightly at the praise, "W-Well, I have to be…"

"You have to be?"

"It's my dream, after all," Nami nodded, smiling slightly, "I'm going to make a map of the whole world!"

Nami frowned as Naruto fell silent for a moment. Did he think her dream was stupid? Was he going to laugh about the idea of a girl like her traveling through the entire Grand Line? Nami was caught completely off-guard, however, when Naruto sat straight up, tossing his covers forward with an excited grin on his face.

"Really? That's awesome!" Naruto smiled, "When are you going to start? Have you already started?"

Nami blushed—no one had ever asked her about her dream like this before. Most had just laughed it off…

"W-Well, I already have a pretty good map of most of the East Blue, but I still have a lot to do before I complete my goal…" Nami answered, "What about you? What's your dream?"

Naruto grinned, "Do you know who Whitebeard is?"

"Who doesn't know who Whitebeard is?" Nami frowned, "Not only is he a Yonkou, but he's the strongest and most feared pirate in the world!"

Naruto nodded, "But he's also known as the 'World's Strongest Man'! That's my dream! To be the strongest!"

"Why do you want to be the strongest so badly?" Nami wondered aloud. Naruto gave a small, unreadable smile.

"A long time ago, I decided I was going to live for my precious people. But I wasn't strong enough to protect any of them—that's why I promised that I was going to become strong. I'm going to become the strongest and protect everyone I care about!" Naruto's voice was tired, but Nami noted that his eyes burned bright with a determined passion. Nami had to let out a small smile as she realized just how much like a kid Naruto really was sometimes.

"And to do that…" Nami trailed off as Naruto nodded.

"I'm going to defeat Whitebeard and take his title!"

"You're insane," Nami replied, "Whitebeard's impossible to beat in a one-on-one fight."

"I know, right? I'm a real idiot," Naruto laughed at himself, grinning, "But the only thing that separates idiots and geniuses is whether or not they succeed! If it's impossible, all I have to do is become strong enough until it is possible, right?"

Nami giggled, "I think it's a bit more complicated than that. But, if you say you can do it, I'm sure you can do it…if Whitebeard goes easy on you, I mean."

Naruto and Nami shared another laugh.

"Well, it's gonna be a big day tomorrow, so try and get a good night's sleep, Nami. Tomorrow, we finally hit Shells Town and I get my first lead on Luffy's whereabouts!" Naruto smiled, pulling his covers over him. As he yawned and shut his eyes, he gave a tired, "Good night."

"Good night…" Nami sighed. Reaching into her pocket, she clutched the folded poster tightly in her hand. Sighing once more, Nami pulled the covers around herself and shut her eyes in an attempt to get to sleep.

Shells Town was a small island, with the largest and most noticeable building being the huge Marine base stationed at the very top of the island's steep incline. Shells Town was itself built into the side of the island's steep cliffs, with the stone that had been cut from the side of the cliffs appearing to be used to build most of the houses and buildings that lined the town's cobblestone roads. To the town's credit, despite the main attraction being a military base, it still managed to maintain a cozy, sleep small town feel that was only accentuated by the way the morning sun was hanging in the clear, nearly cloudless blue sky and the seagulls that chorused as they flew over the docks.

Naruto stretched as he leapt off his boat and onto dry land, glancing around and taking in the city, "Hm…no one in sight. Something going on in town today? Well, regardless, someone in town has got to know something about Luffy."

As Nami stepped onto the docks, she gave a slight nod, silently agreeing with the blonde—the streets were completely empty and most if not all of the stores had signs with things like "Back in Fifteen Minutes" hanging on the doors, clearly hung up in a rush. Nami glanced at Naruto, who was still distracted at looking around, and at the prominent Marine base at the top of the hill. Nami resisted the urge to reach into her pocket and grip the paper inside.

'He's just another pirate! Pirates are horrible, cruel people who only care about themselves! I hate pirates!' Nami frowned, 'So why is it that I'm feeling so bad about this?'

"—ami. Nami? Hello? Anyone in there?"

"Y-Yes?" Nami jumped, pulled from her thoughts as Naruto waved his hand in front of her face, a confused frown present on his. Sighing, Naruto scratched the back of his head, shrugging his shoulders as he did so.

"Man, you were really out of it there. I knew I should've let you take the hammock," Naruto's frown turned to a friendly grin as he outstretched his hand towards Nami, "I guess this is where we say goodbye then, Nami. Good luck on making your map of the world."

Nami gave a sad smile and shook his offered hand, "Take care of yourself, Naruto. Whenever you find him, try not to let Whitebeard kill you."

Naruto just chuckled and turned to start down the road, "Don't worry—I'm still good for another ten years at least before I kick the bucket. See ya around, Nami."

Nami bit her lip as she watched Naruto shove his hands in his pockets and start down the road that led from the docks into town. Nami was quickly realizing that this was where she had to make her choice—she could either let Naruto simply walk away and hope that she could eventually earn the money to save her home by herself or she could trick Naruto into going to the Marines with her and get more than enough money to save her home. Nami could feel her hands subconsciously ball into fists as her nails dug into her skin as Naruto began to get further and further away. It was either risk her home dying or Naruto, at best, being imprisoned for life.

"Naruto!"

Naruto turned to see Nami shifting her balance, a bit of an uncomfortable look on her face, "Something wrong, Nami?"

"Would you…would you mind if we stuck together a bit more—just for today?" Nami questioned, clasping her hands together and gazing at Naruto with a mix of sadness and resignation. Naruto blinked before a grin made it to his face again, as he motioned for the girl to come along with him.

"If you want to stick around for a bit, feel free to," Naruto answered. Naruto waited as Nami quickly caught up to him before the two began to search the town for anyone they could come ask about Luffy—however, the more and more they looked, the more and more apparent was that there was no one to find. Every shop, every road—they were all empty. Naruto frowned as they stepped onto the seventeenth empty path they had stumbled upon, giving a side-glance to his companion—Nami hadn't said a word since they started searching the town. She kept her gaze planted firmly on the ground as she walked next to him, a contemplative and far-off daze in her eyes.

"Oi, Nami."

Nami didn't answer.

Naruto stopped walking, "Nami? Are we doing this again? Really?"

Nami, not even noticing that Naruto had stopped, continued down the road mindlessly. Deciding enough was enough, Naruto grew a teasing grin on his face as he held out his hand. A small orb of water quickly appeared in it, which he quickly lobbed at the girl. As Nami walked along, lost in her thoughts, she let out a shriek as she felt a wet splash hit against the back of her head. As she quickly felt her hair get soaked and it began to drip onto her shoulders, Nami turned to give Naruto a fierce glare as she snarled at the blonde, who was currently throwing his head back in a laugh.

"What was that for?" Nami roared.

"You zoned out on me again. I was trying to tell you that I think we should check up at the Marine base for someone to help us out—I doubt they'd want to tell me a lot about Luffy, but it's got to be better than walking up and down these roads when this place is basically like a ghost town!"

Nami frowned, rubbing the back of her arm and returning her gaze to the ground, "The Marines…"

Another splash hit her head.

"What are you even hitting me with, you idiot?" Nami roared as she began to chase after the blonde, who ran towards the Marine base as he laughed. After Nami had caught up to Naruto, who had stopped and waited for her, and delivered a good smack to the back of the head, the two began to make their way to the base at a steady walking pace.

"So…you want to tell me what's bothering you? You're acting pretty weird…" Naruto spoke, hands in his pockets as they walked, "If you think I'm still planning on turning you in, don't worry about it. I haven't even thought of doing that since I untied you."

"It…It's not that! It's just—it's nothing…" Nami mumbled, flinching as she felt a pang of guilt crossed her features.

"…You know, if you wanted to keep traveling with me, I wouldn't mind it," Naruto said, causing Nami to look at him in surprise, "You've been out of it since we got here and I know we probably won't meet each other again after this. If you wanted to stick around, I could always use someone my age to talk to—believe me, I haven't had a friend my age in years!"

'F-Friend?' Nami really didn't know how to react to that—she only knew that, right now, she felt absolutely horrible, "T-That's n-not really it either…"

"Oh…"

Nami immediately began to kick herself mentally, "T-That's not what I meant! I m-mean, I wouldn't mind t-traveling with you either, I guess, it's just that—it's just that…"

Naruto chuckled, patting Nami on the back and giving her a reassuring grin, "Don't worry about it—I get it. It's nothing personal, but you got things you need to do. But at least smile a little, Nami—being with me isn't that horrible, is it?"

"…No, it isn't," Nami allowed a small, sad smile to slip onto her face as Naruto began to walk a few steps ahead of her. She reached into her pocket and gripped the poster inside, 'He's a pirate…he's a pirate…he's a pirate…'

Nami's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as she and Naruto approached the last hill before the gates of the Marine base would be before them. Nami shut her eyes tightly, repeating the mantra that she had been telling herself since yesterday in an attempt to lessen her guilt over the admittedly act of betrayal she was about to commit. Finally, the two made it to the top of the hill…and the back of a huge crowd of people that were swarming around the base, attempting to witness whatever was going on inside.

Naruto and Nami frowned in confusion and exchanged glances that clearly asked the other if they had any idea of what was going on. Seeing no other option, Naruto approached one of the people sticking out in the back of the crowd and tapped him on the shoulder. The man turned around to look at Naruto, who gave a small smile and a wave, "Don't suppose you can fill me and my friend in on what's going on?"

"Eh? You mean you haven't heard? Morgan's gone and escaped from his cell after just a few nights of being in there! He ran down to town and got himself a hostage and now he's hold up in the Marine's training field demanding a getaway!"

"Morgan?" Naruto frowned.

"Ex-Captain Morgan of the Marines! He'd been running this town by abusing his power for years until that straw hat boy came and stopped him a few days ago!" the man barked, his anxiousness getting to him as he turned back to the crowd to try and see what was going on."

Nami stepped towards Naruto, "What's going on? What did he tell you?"

She received no answer.

"Naruto?" Nami stepped around to look at Naruto's face. Determination and anger burned in his eyes as his hands curled into fists. Before Nami could even utter another word, Naruto had begun to push his way into the crowd, quickly shoving his way to get to the front. Confused and surprised, Nami followed after him, struggling to make it through the large mob of people. As Naruto made his way through the crowed, as he got to the front of it, he was suddenly met with a wall of Marines that was keeping the crowd at bay. As Naruto tried to push through them, they blocked his way.

"I'm sorry, sir, but please step back. This is a delicate situation," one of the Marines spoke.

Just as Naruto was about to respond, a voice cried out louder than the crowd behind them. Naruto turned his head to the left to spot a crying woman, frantically calling to the Marines. The woman was one of average size and height, with her dark brunette hair tied back and her tears dripping onto the forest green dress she wore. Underneath her dress she wore a lighter green t-shirt, the sleeve of which she was currently using to try and dry her tears.

"Please! Just please save Rika!" she cried.

Naruto turned back to the Marine blocking his way, "…The hostage is a little girl?"

The Marine nodded, "That's why we need everyone cooperation to make this go as smoothly as possible."

"I see…then I can't afford to wait around for you guys. Sorry about this," Naruto's eyes widened just a split second as he finished his sentence. Half of the Marines dropped to the ground, passed out on the ground, much to the confusion of the other Marines. Their confusion gave Naruto the small window of opportunity he needed to quickly slip through the Marines. Nami caught up shortly after, but by then the Marines had reorganized, splitting into one group to keep the crowd back and another to move the unconscious Marines.

"Naruto! Come back!" Nami shouted as she ran up to the Marines, who immediately blocked her way, "Move! My friend just ran out there!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we can't let you through and we can't make any sudden movements to get your friend back without risking the life of the hostage!" the Marine spoke.

Meanwhile, out on the large training fields that Morgan had used as execution fields, Morgan growled in anger as he looked out across the fields. It had been hours—hours—and still they hadn't given him the escape he demanded. Clutched in his arm, the girl's crying was starting to get on his nerves as well. His arm twitched as he struggled to resist the urge to just kill the girl out of sheer annoyance to finally shut her up.

The girl glared up at him, tears welling in her eyes, "J-Just you wait! L-Luffy-nii is gonna come and beat you up again!"

'Luffy…!' Morgan snarled as he thought of the bratty teen that had beaten him the other day, knocking him from his well-earned status and power and sending him straight to the bottom. This entire thing was that stupid boy's fault. If he hadn't shown up, none of this would be happening and he would still be sitting in his office, relaxing as the town served his every order. Morgan growled a low, guttural growl, 'The second I get out of here, I'm tracking that brat down and killing the fucking runt!'

Morgan glared down at the girl he had snatched up—a little brat from some crappy bar in town, "Not too likely, brat. The only thing that saved that kid's ass was his weird Akuma no Mi powers! There's no one else around for miles with an Akuma no Mi! You'd just better shut up and hope they're smart enough to let me go—I'm not a patient man and you're starting to push your luck!"

"Did I hear someone say 'Luffy'? What a coincidence! I was looking for someone who had seen him!"

Morgan raised his view to find a grinning blonde crossing the fields from the gate, hands in his pockets and a relaxed posture to match his tired pace. Naruto observed this "Morgan" as he approached him. The man was certainly tall, but was also nowhere near as tall as others Naruto had met. He had short, platinum blonde hair that stuck out with his dark tan and muscular form. He was dressed like one would expect an escaped criminal to dress like—a full, black-and-white striped bodysuit, complete with a tag number on his chest. His most notable features, however, was the axe embedded in his arm that took the place of one of his hands and the steel jaw that covered his chin.

"Who the hell are you? I wanted an escape boat, not a second hostage!" Morgan roared. Naruto's grin widened.

"Oh, scary…how about we make a switch?" Naruto proposed, gesturing between himself and the girl, Rika, "You let her go and I become your new hostage."

From the crowd, Nami's eyes widened as she watched the scene play out in front of her, suddenly feeling very fearful for Naruto as she caught a glimpse of what this Morgan fellow looked like. Her fear only doubled when she heard what Naruto had proposed, 'Naruto, please don't do something stupid!'

"How's this sound instead? You freeze or I take the girl's head off!" Morgan bellowed as he raised his axe in front of the girl's face, who let out a scream of fear. Naruto indeed froze in place, holding his hands in the air like someone had pointed a gun at him. His grin never left his face.

"Alright, alright, don't lose your cool, big guy," Naruto replied, "Consider me frozen."

"You actually listen—you're smarter than those Marines out there, I see," Morgan gave a sick grin as he began to move towards Naruto, "They've been taking so long to meet my demands that I don't think they take me seriously. I was starting to think I'd have to cut off this brat's arm or something to get them to move, but taking a life is far more of a motivator. This girl's a far more effective hostage to keep alive than a nobody like you, though. Sorry about this, brat—you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. No hard feelings?"

Naruto smiled, "None at all…"

As Morgan got closer, he startled to chuckle darkly—Naruto never moved an inch. When he was finally within striking range, Morgan reeled his arm back, axe glistening in the sunlight. Naruto got an eyeful of the axe and whistled. Rika shut her eyes tightly, trembling as tears poured from her eyes. In the crowd, Nami's eyes widened as tears began to brim in her eyes, she trembled as she felt her breathe hitch in her throat. Cupping her hands around her mouth in hopes to make herself heard, Nami took a deep breath and yelled.

"RUN, NARUTO!" Nami screamed.

"Does anyone have a clear shot at Morgan?" one Marine yelled.

His answer came back instantly, "Not without risking the girl's life!"

Morgan swung. Rika screamed as Nami fell to her knees, tears pouring out of her eyes—Naruto's head was up in the air, liquid pouring from his open neck as it flew. Morgan laughed wildly, quickly turning his gaze to the Marines, who glared angry and heated glares at the man. Morgan grinned savagely, "I told you I wanted an escape boat! If you'd have hurried, I wouldn't have had to hurt a soul! Blame no but yourselves, you fucking fools!"

'…Naruto! I'm sorry!' Nami hid her face in her hands as she wept, shaking violently, 'He…He sacrificed his life for that little girl! Even though he was a pirate…even though I was about to turn him in to the Marines…even though he was so kind! Naruto!'

"Good shot. That would've really killed a guy right there! Well, a normal guy, at least."

"WHAT?" Morgan roared. Nami's grief turned to confusion as she heard the familiar, taunting voice of Naruto drift over to her. She heard the crowd gasp and began to murmur amongst themselves, and Morgan's angry roar was impossible to miss. Raising her head, Nami opened her teary eyes…to find Naruto, his head still completely intact on his shoulders and still wearing a huge grin as Morgan looked at him in disbelieve. Nami wiped her tears from her eyes as she watched on incredulously, "W…What?"

Naruto's 'head' was about to hit the ground from when Morgan lobbed it off. As it did, it splashed into a puddle of water like an oversized water balloon. Morgan's anger spiked as he reeled back in realization, jumping away from the blonde as his body ached with déjà vu, "Akuma no Mi!"

Suddenly, Morgan felt Rika be lifted from his grip, which had loosened in his shock. Looking up, he found the girl being held gingerly in the air by a hand and arm made of crystal-clear water. Morgan growled as he traced the arm back to a small pool of water behind Naruto, which he could only assume the blonde left unnoticed as he was crossing the field. The hand carried Rika over to Naruto, where she was placed gently on the ground. Her tearstained eyes looked up at him like he was a superhero as he patted her head.

"Why don't you run back to your mom? I'm sure she's worried sick about you," Naruto spoke in a soft and gentle tone. The girl nodded and ran back to the line of Marines, who quickly ushered her back to her mother, who lifted her up in a tear-filled hug. Smiling at the scene, Naruto turned back to a seething Morgan.

"Well…no hard feelings, right?" Naruto grinned.

"You…You ate an Akuma no Mi?" Morgan roared, "You have another stupid power like that fucking straw hat brat?"

Naruto nodded, "I ate the Kōzui Kōzui no Mi—in other words, I'm a water man! This, in case you didn't figure it out already, means I can't be beat by normal means—you're finished, Morgan."

"S-Shut up! I'm 'Axe-Hand' Morgan! I won't lose to some punk!" Morgan roared, charging at the blonde. Naruto grinned and kneeled to the ground, laying the palms of his hands on the dusty ground of the field they stood on. As Morgan was just about to step over a puddle that had been left by the watery appendage that had saved Rika, Naruto spoke up, "Kōzui Kōzui: Kanketsu Onsen (Flood-Flood: Geyser)!"

As Morgan stepped over the puddle, the water laying there shot up a good ten feet into the air, taking the ex-Marine with it. The water struck him in his gut with tremendous force and pressure, driving blood and saliva from his mouth and forcing the air out of his lungs. Once the water stopped shooting up, Morgan dropped the ten feet back to the ground. As Morgan's back hit the ground, he felt an incredible pain rush through him. Weakly, Morgan shifted into a sitting position, glaring at Naruto and wiping away the trail of blood that dribbled from his mouth down his chin.

'T…This is just water! S-So why does it feel like I've been hit by a damn train?' Morgan growled as Naruto smirked at him.

"You know what I hate more than anything, Morgan?It's when someone like you, who's been trusted with power that you should use to protect others, takes advantage of it and uses it for their own dirty, greedy goals," Naruto spoke, a look of hatred coming in his eyes as he stared at Morgan, who was now back on his feet, "You're pathetic."

"I told you to shut up, you fucking brat!" Morgan yelled as he rushed forward, this time his eyes carefully watching the ground for any puddles. Naruto sighed, shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, raising one hand above his head, his open palm facing the sky. Naruto closed his eyes in concentration as the water from his "decapitated head" behind him jumped to life, stretching and twisting. The water flew past Naruto's head in a tubular, twisting cylinder as tiny scales of water began to appear on the water's surface. At the front of the tube, a head began to take shape as Naruto's eyes shot open.

"Kōzui Kōzui:Suiryū (Flood-Flood: Water Dragon)!" Naruto shouted as the head of the water took the shape of a snarling dragon, mouth open wide. The dragon's slammed into Morgan, biting down on the man's chest with its powerful jaws as it once again lifted the man into the air. The dragon continued to fly forward with Morgan in its teeth before it slammed him roughly into the brick wall at the other end of the field, cracking the wall as Morgan was thrown against it before the man fell to the floor shortly afterwards. The dragon fell to the ground seconds after its job was finished, becoming just another puddle on the ground.

"I'm getting kind of tired of slapping you around, Morgan. Turn yourself into the Marines behind us and you'll come out of this in a lot less pain," Naruto muttered, cracking his knuckles. Morgan growled as he stood on his shaky legs. His eyes saw red as he gave an angry and ferocious battle cry as he charged forward at Naruto once more. Naruto gave the man a flat look, "We never learn, do we?"

In response, as he continued his charge, Morgan gripped the metal that attached his axe to his arm. Putting it as much pressure on it as he physically could, Morgan gave an insane cackle as he ripped the axe's blade from his arm. Morgan snarled like a wild animal as he reared back and threw the blade through the air towards the blonde, "I won't lose again, you fucking bastard! I WILL NOT LOSE AGAIN!"

Naruto, in turn, reared back his own arm, which turned completely clear as it became pure water. Punching forward, Naruto's arm stretched out like a river as his fist became the size of a grown man, flying across the field at rapid speeds. The fist of pure water met the twirling blade halfway across the field. As they collided, it quickly became obvious as to which was more powerful—the blade was knocked off course and clattered to the ground while the fist carried on to ram into Morgan, who flew back into the air, his prone form twirling before his back hit the ground, his steel jaw cracked and shattered and Morgan himself completely unconscious. Naruto retracted his arm back, where it returned to its normal coloring, and grinned as Marines rushed the field and ran to Morgan, placing the man once again under custody before rushing him to the infirmary.

"Don't think you can beat the guy who's going to be the strongest!" Naruto nodded to himself as he placed his hands back into his pockets, turning around and walking back to the cheering crowd behind him. Naruto grinned, reaching up to scratch the back of his head sheepishly as he heard the praise of the people of Shells Town. He's slightly embarrassed smile turned to a happy grin when he noticed Nami running onto the field towards him.

"Nami! Did you see that? I totally kicked that guy's a—"

Nami's fist met Naruto's face as she punched him to the ground. As he hit the ground, a dazed Naruto felt Nami grab him by the collar of his shirt as she began to shake him with an angry glare, her eyes still red and puffy from crying.

"You stupid, stupid, stupid idiot! I thought you had gotten yourself killed! Why didn't you tell me you could do those things? Why did you try and be a hero and scare me half to death?" Nami roared as she shook the boy, a few more tears falling from her eyes. As she stopped shaking him, Nami bowed her head as she trembled. She froze as she felt Naruto's arms wrap around her and pull her into a tight, comforting hug.

"Sorry, Nami, I guess I wasn't thinking. I told you I was an idiot, didn't I? When I get the chance to be the hero, there's nothing in the world that can stop me from rushing in," Naruto chuckled, "As for the Akuma no Mi stuff…well, you never asked."

Naruto laughed as he heard a muffled, "Idiot…"

"Eh? He left already?" Naruto cried in shock as he sat at the local bar. The mother of the girl he had save, Ririka, was busy behind the counter, washing a few mugs as she nodded. The bar was a nice little thing, cozy and warm, with a few tables that were currently completely packed with celebrating townsfolk, overjoyed at the fact that Morgan was now completely and utterly stopped. Rika was currently busy taking all the orders from the different customers—the mother and daughter had immediately made sure to invite the blonde for a free meal before he was eaten by the crowd and tossed into the air. By the time the townspeople had let Naruto go to explore the town for any possible leads to Luffy's whereabouts, it was already past sunset and the moon was shining in the skies—unsurprisingly, the late hour did little to stop the celebration.

"Luffy-san and Zoro-san left about three days ago. They didn't say where they were going," Ririka explained, "I can't believe you two actually know each other! This entire town owes you both so much!"

Naruto chuckled, waving off her thanks, "Don't mention it. I couldn't just sit back and let it happen."

"I'm guessing you won't be staying around then? You're going to be looking for Luffy-san," Ririka sighed, frowning as she turned to Naruto, "Even if you both are strong, you're still so young and the seas can be rough! Why don't you both just settle down here? Everyone would love to have you two."

"Sorry, Ririka-san, but Luffy and I are tied to the sea—we can't stop just yet," Naruto smiled wistfully, before sighing, "Still, he's making it such a pain to find him…I'm probably going to head out tonight to keep looking, actually. I can't let him make it to the Grand Line without me."

"Eh? You're leaving so soon?" Rika frowned as she walked up to Naruto.

Naruto smiled, patting the girl on the head, "Sorry, Rika-chan, but I have to find Luffy before he gets himself into trouble."

"Is your girlfriend coming with you?" Rika blinked, looking at Naruto with a curious gaze as she took a seat next to him at the counter. Naruto returned her confused look with one of his own.

"My girlfriend?" Naruto frowned.

Rika nodded, "That girl that hit you after the fight!"

Naruto blushed as he realized that she was referring to Nami, "N-No, Nami and I aren't like that!"

"Eh? But you two would make such a cute couple!" Rika pouted, causing Naruto to blush heavier and Ririka to giggle into her hand.

"Now, now, sweetie, don't tease Naruto-san too much," Ririka smiled, turning to Naruto, "Speaking of your friend, though, where is she? I haven't seen her since this morning…"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her either…I should probably go look for her," Naruto stood from his seat and bid the two goodnight, who thanked him once more and returned the gesture. Naruto stepped out onto the streets and waved at the people, who began to cheer and greet him as he passed down the roads in search of Nami. As he passed what must have been an hour checking up and down the roads, Naruto eventually found himself at his boat, spotting a certain thief sitting on top of the cabin and looking at the stars. Hopping aboard, Naruto quickly sat down next to her.

"You're right, you know. It really does pass the time to just sit back and look at the stars…" Nami mumbled, "So then, this ship…"

"It's called the Revolver," Naruto explained, "From that seat I'm always in, I can pump water through it and into the tanks at the sides. From there, I just manipulate the pressure of the water and use it kind of like a rocket to push the ship through the water. The rudder has some of my water inside it—it's hollow, so I can just change the rudder at will. Don't laugh at the name, either—I bought this thing and modified it myself and the only way to get a good deal was to promise not to change the name. That old guy was such a pain in the ass to deal with…"

Nami blinked, looking around at the mentioned ship parts, "Wow…impressive. I didn't think you could do something like that."

Naruto grinned, "I told you, I'm not stupid—I'm just lazy and directionally-challenged."

"You said you were an idiot," Nami pointed out.

"There's a difference between being an idiot and being stupid!" Naruto nodded as if he had just stated some great secret of the universe while Nami gave him a flat stare that clearly showed she thought he was an even bigger idiot now. As she reached into her pocket and retrieved a piece of paper, she passed it to him. Naruto unfolded it and blinked as he noticed it was his bounty and poster. Tapping her hand against the roof of the cabin, Nami looked at Naruto expectantly.

"So, when were you going to tell me you were worth five-hundred million, 'Torrent of Rebellion' Naruto?" Nami questioned, "Want to tell me why a sweet, innocent girl like me got mixed up with a big bad pirate like you? What did you do to make the World Government want your head so badly?"

"It's more of the people I'm associated with that got me this bounty…" Naruto sighed, crumpling the paper and tossing it over his shoulder, "All in all, I've only really ever broken the law once, technically, and that was just a few days ago—totally justified in my opinion, too."

"You really expect me to believe you didn't do anything illegal to get a bounty like this?"

Naruto chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head, "Well, if I told you anything else, I'd be lying."

"…You really are an idiot, you know that? Fine, I'll buy it—for now. But if I ever find out that you lied to me, you're going to be paying me five-hundred million beli to make up for it!" Nami sighed, before turning to Naruto with a relaxed and excited smile on her face, "So, where are we headed to next?"

Naruto blinked, "Where are we headed next? You want to come with me?"

"Is the offer from earlier still standing?" Nami grinned. Naruto looked at Nami for a moment before matching her grin with one of his own.

"Damn right it is!" Naruto smiled, before sighing, "But I couldn't get any info on Luffy other than the fact that he was here a few days ago. I'm right back to square one. You know the waters better than I do, so why not pick a place yourself? Where do you want to go?"

Nami's grin widened, causing Naruto to sweat-drop as he noted the money-signs in Nami's eyes, "Well, if you're leaving it up to me, I say we hit up Orange Town! The Buggy Pirates are still docked there probably, but with you at my side, I can take all the treasure and while you beat the crap out of them!"

Naruto frowned, sweat-dropping once more, "Oi, it sounds like I'm doing most of the work here!"

Nami laughed, "Too bad! That's what you get for partnering with a no-good, greedy thief!"

"Well, as long as you don't mind teaming up with a lazy, good-for-nothing pirate, I guess I don't mind too much," Naruto replied, giving a laugh of his own. The two sat there on the roof, passing the time making small talk as they looked up at the stars. By morning, Shells Town would awake to find the Revolver had already left the docks with no signs that it had ever been there, other than a crumpled up paper resting on the docks that would have the town and Marines in shock—a 'Wanted' poster for one 'Torrent of Rebellion' Naruto, with a bounty of over five-hundred million beli.

Omake: Ivankov (Attempts) to Teach Naruto How to Read

Dragon slapped his forehead for the fifteenth time since he had walked down to witness the scene. Being an orphan and raised in a garbage dump, it stood to reason that Naruto had no form of education whatsoever, and he had thus tasked the job of educating the little blonde to his two most trusted comrades…he honestly hadn't thought it would go this poorly. Before him, in a tiny room on the ship that was being used as a makeshift classroom, Ivankov and Naruto were bickering with each other over just about the stupidest argument Dragon had heard in quite some time.

"You foolish little brat! You zink you know better zan I do?"

"Just tell me what it is already! Do you pronounce this 'what' or 'vat'?"

"Vat! Vat! It is pronounced 'vat', you imbecile!"

"So then it's 'vat'!"

"No, it's 'vat'!"

"I said that!"

"No, you said 'vat'! It is 'vat'!"

"I said 'vat'!"

"Zat is vhy you are wrong!"

"Wait, is it 'that' or 'zat'?"

"It is 'zat', you fool! Have you not been paying attention at all? Zey are 'vat' and 'zat'!"

"Alright, then they're 'vat' and 'zat'!"

"WRONG! Vat do you zink I have been trying to tell you zese past few hours!"

"Are you insane, you damn hag?"

"Vat you need a few good vhacks in ze skull!"

As the two continued to bicker, Dragon turned to Kuma, who was chuckling quietly at the sight before him, "From now on, you're teaching him how to read and write…"

But then who's on first? Is Hu on first? Yay! Old reference that no one will get, ftw! God, I feel dirty just using an abbreviation like 'ftw'…anyway, not as long as the last chapter, but only by about 1,000 words or so—still a decent chapter length if you ask me! Now, I will answer some questions that you guys seemed to have:

Naruto Getting His Own Crew or Sailing With The Straw Hats? Naruto is going to be sailing with the Straw Hats. As you can see from reading this chapter, however, that does not necessarily mean that I will be rehashing the story. Naruto and Nami both just completely skipped over meeting Luffy. Luffy doesn't have a navigator right now and who knows what else was altered just because of that. If you find it boring, I'm sorry, but the reason I did this was because I wanted Naruto to be able to interact with the Straw Hats and not a crew that I just pulled out of nowhere—because, honestly, I wouldn't know where to begin on having them do stuff other than follow in the Straw Hat's footsteps and join them on their adventures anyway. So, that's my explanation, anyway. Sorry if any of you are disappointed. But for those of you who did want to see the take where Naruto travels around on a different crew, then I highly recommend Shinobi of the High Seas by Kenchi618. You won't be disappointed.

Can Naruto Still Drown? From what I've seen, being dunked in seawater for Akuma no Mi users means that your powers go away and you have to really struggle and strain yourself to maintain them for even a slight moment and, regardless, you can't swim. This would mean that yes, Naruto can still drown, as seawater would take away his powers and just make him a normal guy who can't swim.

What Type of Haki Can Naruto Use? Haki and Naruto's skills with it will be explained more next chapter. Naruto has already shown that he can at least use Haoshoku Haki, though, and that's what he used to knock out the Marines in this chapter.

I'll be updating my other story next, but it may take a little bit longer. I have no power at my home or internet connection due to the recent storms. The only way I can type this is by coming to a house that my family is dog-sitting for, but that won't be for much longer. If I don't update within the month, however, please consider me dead and you may fight each other to the death for possession of my PS3! Until then, please review with feedback on the interactions between Naruto and Nami! Am I doing a good job setting up their relationship? Thank you and have a nice night!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or One Piece.