Growth Through Chaos: Chapter 21: The Garp, the Monkey and the Dragons: Spirit of D.

Or: "No plan will survive a Monkey D."

And it's finally here! Darn this chapter was a tough-stretch, but the wait is over. There is a lot coming up in this story, so grab a snack, grab and drink and strap in for a wild ride!

Please, Read and Review. I really, really like Reviews.

"I'm finally a pirate now and it's too much fun to stop Grandpa!"

"How many more times have I need to say what I want for my Grandson!?"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" A whole building hopped right off the ground, shaking with the echoes and shock from a 200-ton surprise. Inside, a pair of men, both of them Monkey D.'s, looked over to the source: eight stupefied troublemakers who'd dropped everything, even Zoro his own sword. The entire ensemble were spiralling over this new incredulity.

"Don Luffy! Did ya jus' call…this man is?" "Luffy, you seriously mean to tell us this guy's your grandpa!?" Gin held up one shaking figure, his spirit a total blank, while Sanji's own shout blew his hair sky-high, uncovering both eyes.

Kakashi's own eyeball became a balloon: wide, round and floating in the air. Sasuke wasn't moving, yet beside him Naruto jerked his face between both Grandson and Grandfather.

"Luffy!" The last shout weakly came from Nami, both arms limp at her sides. "You….actually have a-a…a Marine Vice Admiral for a GRANDPA?!"

"Would all of you quiet down!" Garp yelled out. "There's something I need to do right here, right now! No more waiting!" Turning back to Luffy, the pirate glared up from under the welt on his forehead, hiding the terror at what he knew would come next….

"Come'ere and hug your Grandpa!"

…or not.

Garp yanked his grandson up in his arms, hugging the teenaged pirate tighter than he ever had: "Luffy! I heard about you and that bum Arlong! I'm so proud of you! My Grandson went around beating up Pirates! That's the best news ever in my life!"

0….0

Captain Kuro looked out across the plaza of Loguetown from the execution stand. Men were running about, Buggy and Alvida stood before the scaffold, with Usopp mumbling over his leg-wound at the Pussy-foot's feet. As others were moving about, the "man-of-a-thousand-plans" glared at the rabble surrounding him.

'Those imbecilic pirate rabble fell for our ruse flawlessly. The towns people gave them no warning of us after my little whispers turned the masses against them. These two idiots did well drawing out the crew with their challenge to measure the strength which Straw Hat Luffy may have acquired since he destroyed by plan for Miss. Kaya.' Curling one fist, reminded of his failed investment, it took a notable measure of will for the perfectionist Kuro to not surrender to his murderous impulse.

'The fools were utterly blinded with my ruse of sailing out to sea and then returning late in the night with a separate boat. The final success of their lives in completing my plan before I kill them, alongside the carnival-filth Buggy and Alvida,' he silently spat in his mind.

Glaring left and right at his partners, the man pressed together both hands behind his back. Then gazed beyond them towards the regular citizens. 'The populace here failed to provoke any kind of fight with that Monkey D. fool or any others under him, as my plan called for them too. I shall kill each of the people in this town as well for such complacency, then slip away into my complete retirement and leave such disgusting a disposition as piracy alone, forever.'

'This plan, my plan, is in the final stage, to end with the death of Monkey D. Luffy to the utmost perfection.'

0….0

Zoro, Nami, Gin, Sanji, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi all kept watching as the Marine Vice-admiral swung their captain left and right, the scene so random and loving nobody knew what to do.

"Oh, boy, this is the greatest gift I've ever had. Wish I'd been there to see it myself, Luffy. Didya have fun, tearing-up that Saw-tooth bum, Arlong?"

"Fun? There wasn't any fun there, Grandpa." Frowning again, Garp let go so Luffy could stand up on his own. "WHaaaaat? What're you glaring like that for, kiddo? I heard you beat the guy and his whole crew in some big throw-down. What, did he steal all the food away from ya?"

Luffy only shook his head, with a face hard as granite at the thoughts of Arlong. "Arlong hurt my nakama. One Marine who was friends with him shot my crewmate, too. And worse, he locked up another my nakama for eight years after killing her mother. Nami got so hurt by him she stabbed herself with a knife without a care. In middle of our fight too, Arlong tried to back-stab my cook."

A fire grew in Luffy's eyes, making the onlooks swallow but not bothering his Grandpa. "There was no fun in that fight at all. I kicked the guy's ass and wreaked his dreams so bad they'll never happen, ever. If he'd hadn't bothered us I wouldn't have done nothing to him."

High above him, Luffy watched his visitor glare down, but somehow not at him. "HHhhhhh. Yeah. I got that part of the story on the way here. All how one corrupt Marine let those bastards run around and did nothin'. That skinny shrimp had no place in the Navy, just like I told him after fishin' him outa the sea."

"Huh? You found the guy Grandpa? I don't remember where he went," Luffy muttered, rubbing his head with one finger.

"Well, he wound-up on my ship. It was fun to scare the shrimp, until he ruined his own pants," Garp answered him. Finally reaching a point where the other Straw-Hats recovered their whit's; the bravest running straight up to smack his head:

"Get back to the real point here, Luffy! You're honestly saying this Navy-man is your Grandpa!" "What kinda crap is that to drop on us outa nowhere!" Sanji and Zoro both shouted at their captain, the latter before the former.

"Hey, is this guy how you got real, real strong, Captain Luffy?" Naruto called over, before Nami snagged him to push behind herself; protectively.

"How can somebody as loud Luffy keep quiet about this?" Sakura called out, throwing a question on the growing pile. Luffy looked between them all, until somebody else tapped Garp on his shoulder.

"Pardon me, Mr. Hero?" another grey-haired man tapped Garp over his shoulder.

"What?" Garp shot at the interjection. "My family's here and it's been a while see we been together. Whada ya got a stake in this?"

"Only towards the honest truth. How is our danger-loving, glutenous, loving, half-a-brain pirate captain your grandson?" Kakashi asked, calm and cool as ever.

"Old Man, be careful!" Luffy seized both his cook and first-mate to back them over with everyone else. "Listen, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Gin, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Old-man. No matter what, don't try to fight this guy. He is my Grandpa, and he'll kill all of us if we do. Just like he almost killed me over and over again when I was little."

Sasuke's mouth hung totally open, looking from one D. to the other. 'Almost killed him? A member of his family did that? Like Itachi did to me and our clan?'

"Kill you! Like how Haku's Dad did to him?" Naruto cried out, Kakashi and Sakura both twitching at the memory.

"Who th' Hell is Haku, Naruto?" Gin asked him, his weapons now put away under the captain's order, yet both eyes fixed only on the Vice-Admiral.

"Now, now," Garp spoke up. "Don't lie like that, boy. Where'd you get that kinda idea from, Luffy?"

"I never tried to kill ya, I wanted you to get strong. Sure, I did throw you down a ravine one time. Before you got these devil-fruit powers and couldn't swim out from the rapids at the bottom." Luffy winced at the reminder: 'the air pressing into his back with the fall, light from the sun growing further and further, "Uh-wh-waaaaaaaaaaa!" Shouting all the way down until some especially cold water slammed his back.'

"And I left you in the jungle a few times too," Garp continued, while he picked his nose. Another explanation, and another memory: 'The dead of night, glowing hungry eyes spying from the shades, and giant thick green plants too dense to hide in or tall to climb, "Uh-wh-waaaaaaaaaaaa!" The only things he got to eat were bugs and tiny birds.'

"And sure, there those times I sent you sailing off on those balloons." Luffy had to gulp at that one: 'The ground getting further and further away, all too high to know if he'd live while falling down, "Uh-wh-waaaaaaaaa!" Until he reached so high island the island was a mere speck, with the wind blowing him off towards the sea.'

"But I never did any of that to kill you, I did it to make you man. Even before that you were fighting with Apes and Monkeys in the forest and training with me. You lived through it all and got strong, so why go around whining and lying about it?" Garp finished his story, as Luffy cringed under more reminders. The pausing letting everyone else digest the situation and implications.

"Huh. Well that might explain a few….scratch that, it definitely make a few dozens things about Luffy clear. Like flying off on a bird unbothered by it or why he's missing half his brain sometimes," Zoro muttered around.

"Maybe, and why he keeps throwing people left and right." Nami agreed. "And how Luffy can take so many hits and keep fighting on."

"And it makes sense for where Luffy's strength came from. That and how he can just shrug off anything somebody throws at him," Sanji muttered.

"How can someone who was enemies with the last King of the Pirates have a grandson who dreams of becoming his successor?!" Sakura proclaimed.

"Weren't this kinda craziness suppose' t' be on th' Grand Line, not outside o' it?" Gin asked the world.

"Hey, what the ruckass about?" Garp shouted over at them, throwing both his arms wide and crouching. "All of that was to make Luffy a Navy-man, and now it's gonna happen right here! I bet all of you'll do fine as Marines, or even stay together as a crew in the Navy with Luffy!"

"No way!" The Straw-hat-clad figure declared, planting both feet in the ground. "These are my crew, and all of us are gonna be pirates! They have their own dreams too, and we all want to go and find them together. That freedom won't be there if I follow what you say!"

Another back-and-forth between Grandfather and Grandson started, while Naruto slipped closer to Nami. "Nee-chan. Did he really not say anything about his Grandpa? Ever? And what kind of power does a "Vice-Admiral" in the Marines have?"

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, before pausing a moment. Nami took the window to answer. "No. He never said a word. Come to think about it, the only part of his past Luffy ever talked about was Shanks. Still…if even half of what they've said is true…I think we can see why Luffy didn't want to talk about it."

"Maybe," Sakura muttered. "But still, this man is a Vice-Admiral. Within the whole Navy hierarchy, there are only four individuals with a higher position: the Fleet Admiral and three Admirals. People call them the ultimate power-houses of the organization. Vice-Admirals are one rank below the Admiral and are still seriously powerful. The Navy itself does encompass the entire world…maybe that would make the Vice-Admiral Rank equivalent to a "Jonin" in the Ninja World, while the Admirals are the "Kage." This man might be as powerful as Zabuza-san, or Kakashi-sensei."

"Drop this fool's idea, boy!" Garp thundered again, dropping his hands to the side. "There are more scum and cut-throats all around the oceans, hurting who knows how many people. That Small-fry Buggy the clown is one of them, or the idiot Don Krieg. Heh, strongest man in the world? I'll bet the fool doesn't know the first thing about who actually has that title. Why not show 'em who's the strongest by fighting them under the Navy's flag?"

"Nah, Bugger the Clown is nothing. I already beat-up that guy," Luffy dropped out. "Bastard-Krieg too, after he wanted to take a restaurant I was eating at and tried to kill my cook. I already got those guys, Grandpa, so why go and fighting them again?

Slowly, with many anxious people watching, Garp's face twisted with awe. "Wha…huhhh? You…you mean you went and beat-up so many already?"

"Yeah, so what? AAAAHHHHHH!" Luffy got yanked off his feet, Garp reeling him in before rubbing his hair and clapping him on the back. "That's my boy! Just a month out from setting-sail and you cleaned every big-name in the East Blue down the drain! Atta-boy!"

"Is….is he meant to be happy with Captain Luffy, or fighting with him? It seems to change on a dime." At Sakura's question, Sanji let out a massive cloud of smoke.

"If they were anyone else it might not make any sense, Sakura-chan. The scary thing in this case is how it piles on more proof that they are related to each other." Several mumbles agreed with the cook, while somebody slide one hand around Naruto. "Psst. Do you want to pull a prank?"

"Darn it boy!"

"AAAHHH!" "Captain!" Naruto had to catch Luffy while he rolled backwards, smacked by Garp so hard another welt grew over the first one on his head.

"Drop that 'King of the Pirates' idea, little punk!" The Marine was shouting again, his fist raised and ready for another shot. "How many times do I need to punch you until you finally join the Navy!"

"I'm never gonna stop, and it's not my fault you never listen when I decided to be a pirate!" Luffy declared, back on his feet.

"Damn that red-head! What right does that fool have to go about telling anybody they can be a pirate if they want to!?"

"D…Don't you dare bad-mouth Shanks! He saved my life, and always told me I won't make it as a pirate. I'll show him, and you SHUT-UP!" Luffy glared back, anger for his idol growing larger than fear for the problem before him. For all of three short seconds.

At the fourth, Garp snatched him forward too fast, holding his Grandson high by the collar. "Shut up, huh! What kinda thing is that to say to your Grandpa!?"

"Uh-aaah! I'm sorry!" Flailing in the air, Luffy strained to get free until a cloud of smoke engulfed him. Naruto appeared in-place. "Stopping picking on my captain, he's awesome, believe it! So-HUUUHHH!?"

"WHHHHAAAA-he's ASLEEP!" Zoro, Sanji and Gin each shook, their tongues waggling and eyes pointing out into the air. Right in the middle of his tirade, Garp threw his head back and snored! Luffy was found hiding behind Nami with Kakashi close-by.

"Hmmmmm. This…is an….eccentric situation, I suppose," Kakashi muttered, while Sakura and Sasuke tried to get Naruto out from Garp's iron grasp.

"Shhhhh, okay," Luffy whispered out, lighter and quieter than soft air. "Let's….run….out…"

A "POP" clapped through the room-"Huh? Oh no, did I fall asleep again?" Garp shook his head. Luffy winced and dove away behind Zoro, as his grandfather noticed the three kids pulling at his steel-grip.

"WHaaaa? Who's this ratty-little-brat? And where did Luffy go? How dare he hide when I'm yelling to him!"

"Ratty? I'm not a rat, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Believe it!"

"You got whiskers don'cha? And I don't care who you are!" Immediately a Garp reared back his fist—"No!" In a flash, three very strange things happened to Garp: First, the kid in his hand grew twice as heavy. Second, one boy and one girl tried to hit him. Third, his Grandson vaulted forwards and met the punch dead-centre with his head!

"Hit me all you want, Grandpa. But never….dare….hit my Nakama. Not like Usopp-USOPP!"

Left-right-left-behind, Luffy's head spun all around before both hands started pulling his hair. "Oh, man, Usopp's still missing and we've been here talking so much! We-we gotta save him, and we gotta do it now!"

"Hold your horses, son!" Garp gave a small love-tap on Luffy's head, not leaving a mark this time. "Who's this Usopp you're goin' on about and what makes him so big to ya?"

"He's my nakama, and someone kidnapped him! His Dad's part of Shank's crew too. I've gotta save him!"

"AHhh, that is right," From Garp's left hand, a certain man hiding behind a mask tapped the Vice-Admiral's elbow. "You don't know who we are yet. Though I do apologize for my students trying to kick and punch you a few seconds ago."

"Huh?" Garp looked left and right, while the Cabin-genin were huddled behind Nami for the moment.

"It looks like Luffy forget to introduce his crew to you, sir. After all, shouldn't you know who joined him if you want all of us to come into the Navy with him?"

Several people blinked at this, while Garp was sizing-up Kakashi head to toe. Next he found the boy with whisker's over beside Luffy and felt something very, very off.

"Huh. Ya, I should know that. The only one of you rouges I do know is that "Man-Demon" Gin. Who else did you drag along with ya, Luffy?"

"Oh, well why should I tell you at all? All you've done is yell and hit me!" Shouting back at Grandfather, another surprised came into the dawn as Garp looked closer at him, then away.

"Uhhhh….well, guess I have. Sorry, kid." Rubber-powers be damned, Luffy turned to stone in that instant, and his mouth falling open to his feet.

"Monkey D. Garp? That would be your name?" The man whom Garp still held by the collar inquired, politely. "People call me Sukea. And you do make a good point. Captain, why not tell your Grandfather about who you asked to join this crew?"

"Well, uhhhhh….like I said Sukea's right there, Grandpa. And just like I said, Old Man. You have more grey hair than my Grandpa, so you've gotta be old like him." Luffy nodded to them, while both men groaned at his parallel.

"Guhahahahaha! He's got you there, Kakashi-sensei," Zoro burst out laughing, while Luffy pointed over at Sasuke and Sakura up front beside Naruto. "These three are learning from him. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto. And each of them are ninjas."

"WHAAA! Ninja's? Ninja's? Get out of here!" Garp whirled to look right at the eldest one. "Seriously. You are a ninja? How in all the world did my Grandson get ninjas to sail with him, but not me? And how did you even get here from Wano Kingdom in the New World! Everything outside the Grand Line is supposed to be right-side-up, not backwards-side-down!"

"Well, it is a lengthy story," "Sukea" drawled out. "Somewhere between a shark, a sea-cow, a peg-legged man and a Hawk carrying a sword, Captain Luffy demanded to have us on his crew."

"Uh-huh, but before them, my first nakama was Roronoa Zoro. He's right here." Luffy lopped one arm around Zoro's neck, pulling him close.

"The pirate-hunting brat?" Garp questioned. "How'd you wind-up sailing with a backwards pirate-wannabe like my Grandson?"

"Hey, I am a pirate and you can't stop me!" Luffy shouted at him. "I met Zoro because some Morgan guy wanted to kill him, so I freed him instead. We beat-up Morgan together too, after he tried killing innocent people in the town they were inside."

"What?" Garp was gapping now, a real fish-out-of-water. "A few days ago somebody called me to go pick-up another corrupt bum called Captain Morgan. The small-fry got beat-up by someone and locked in his jail. Did you do that too, LUffy? I was heading over to do my job when another boat came around telling me about what happened to Arlong."

"Yea, that was me. After that I met our missing nakama, Usopp-" Nothing more was spoken. Garp himself flew right at Luffy, with a vengeance. "Who the hell are you!"

Immediately, the Marine kept swinging, and all of the Straw Hats were hit hard…hard enough to disappear. Each and every one of them vanished into smoke. Three of the group ran for the exist, only to find themselves right in the middle of a ring of Marines, each with the rifles leveled. Nami, Gin and Sanji suddenly looked up and jumped, their feet catching the outside walls and running up the building.

Marines shot straight at them, utterly unbothered by someone running up a wall; two of the three targets vanished the moment after a bullet hit them, while Nami made it to the top and dropped to "her" knees.

'Darn it, he got us. Now I gotta to warn—'The figure thought nothing more. The roof burst out from under "her" and another fist caused them to vanish like all the others. His feet landing back to the roof, Garp shot both eyes left and right, searching but finding nothing.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Throwing both hands high to clench his head. "That boy really got away from me! I thought somethin' felt off in my Haki when each of them felt like the same person, but just played along with it. And now they disappeared on me to who knows where."

0…0

"Phew….it worked, it worked, Naruto thank you!" Luffy snagged Naruto in a bear-hug, squeezing the Genin tight enough to turn him blue. While the entire Straw hat crew caught their breath several minutes away from Garp.

"Luffy. There's a storm coming now and Usopp is still in danger!" Nami pried them both apart, while Kakashi looked on.

"Naruto, that was excellent. Those shadow-clones we made managed to switch-out with everyone," Kakashi praised him. Thinking back to their escape. '"Pssst. Do you want to pull a prank," Kakashi whispered to Naruto. "Prank, what're you talking about, Kakashi-sensei?" Leaning closer, the Jonin explained his plan while Garp and Luffy were chatting. Naruto looked over at a window, grinned cheekily to his teacher, and crossed both hands together to focus only on that opening. Seconds later, 4 Kakashi's and 5 Naruto's were inside the alley. Next, one-by-one, they executed henge-jutsu to resemble each of the crew inside except for two of themselves. Going in pairs, each of the Straw Hat shadow-doubles substituted themselves with those inside.'

'Things got hairy when they had to improvise: Naruto's collision with Luffy making his switch-out too risky. Even worse when Luffy got snatched by his Grandpa, yet with the luck of the devil, Garp's little nap gave them just the window the slip out most of the crew. At the end, Luffy and Kakashi were the only ones inside. Nerves hit a wire when the Naruto-substitute almost got hit by Garp but the real Kakashi risked going back in through his own substitution into the Vice-Admiral's grasp. Switching with the clone-Naruto, the clone-Kakashi in the crowd inside figured out the issue.'

'The moment everyone was outside, they ran.'

"Now let's hope that—"

"Huh? Uh…Kakashi-sensei, the jig is up! Our clones are gone!" Naruto cried, before throwing both hands back to his head. "Again! There it is again, just like when I saw Garp with his guys! What is happening?"

Everyone traded glances between each other and Naruto. Kakashi and Nami in-particular going straight for him, but one stopped part-way. "Naruto is right, he sniffed out our ruse and Garp punched out everybody." Sasuke and Sakura both shot onto high-alert, while the fighters among them twitched at the news. Kakashi himself cast all his senses out, removing his comfy-attitude for his mission-mindset: decisive and lethal.

"Sensei!" Naruto called over, pleading with him. "Inside my head, a picture-thought just popped-in. The same thing happened before right after Usopp got taken. Why does this happen, and now I know my shadow-clones were destroyed?"

'Hmmmm,' Kakashi noted inside his head. 'Does he even know of how shadow-clones can transfer memories at all? Anyone who got the jutsu right from the forbidden scroll would have that component right infront of them. Still…now that I know more about him back in the village…'[1]

"You mean Grandpa is following me again!?" Luffy panicked, running back and forth, gripping his hat with both hands to pull down over his head; expecting his wild relative the burst through any wall and any moment.

"I'll explain it to you later, our comrade is still missing and in serious danger," Kakashi's order reminded them. But before anyone could reply, his earlier prediction came true:

"Monkey D. Luffy," A broadcasting announcement sounded throughout the town.

"Your formal invitation to the execution of Usopp, the scion of a filthy pirate criminal Yassop, shall henceforth be delivered. For crimes of piracy, deception and beguile, alongside raising a pirate flag and associating with terrible scoundrels, the imbicil is to face beheading inside of one-hour. Held at the precise execution block which the heinous outlaw Gold Roger met oblivion upon."

The street was quiet again, given over to a patter of rain. Some left the pirates damp, yet none of the rainfall touched one of them; sizzling under the heat of Monkey D. Luffy's anger.

"Usopp! We're going for him and get away from here, and fast!" Luffy declared, slamming one fist into his palm, impatient to hit somebody. Looking up between all his nakama, they each met him with the same determination: Sasuke found his hand ready on Kazoku Shugo, Zoro, Sanji and Gin each were long-ready for a fight, Sakura swallowed but stepped-up beside Nami and Naruto, as Luffy's gaze settled on Kakashi.

"Old man. I can shoot forwards to that stand and grab Usopp. But Buggy and Alvida might be there too, and anyone they have with them. Grandpa might be coming too and snatch away all of us. What can we do?" "Owww…rrrrr" Staggering the rubber-man leaned against the wall a with one hand on his head, mumbling. "All this thinking makes my head hurt."

"It's not only Usopp, though," Nami cut in, looking around them. "A massive storm is just about to break and sailing out will be impossible if that happens first. We have to get to the ship and be ready to leave immediately. I think I can guide us out before it hits, but that's only if we can get in-time."

"Alright." Kakashi's command struck each of them like lightning: fast, powerful and left them in awe. "Unlike Naruto, I cannot make shadow clones endlessly, and Garp might sill be out around here. Nami and I will go back to the Merry and prepare to sail off. Sanji or Gin will need to fight Buggy to bludgeon him out of the fight, but only I can use any jutsu that can incapacitate Avlida. Captain, you and my Genin will focus on Usopp, and you have defeated this Captain Kuro before. Can you do it again?"

Luffy answered by reaching for his hat, planting it on Nami's head, again. "Look after this for me, Nami. If I have to, I'll smash every part of Kuro to pieces. I used the think he was just uncool, but now I'm gonna break him worse than I did to Arlong."

"Hold your horse's captain," Sanji cut-into his tirade, drawing attention from everyone. "They already mislead us once, and we've got your crazy Grandpa to worry about, too. Let's plan a moment before rushing over and marching into another trap."

"Too long. Let's plan on the way, saving Usopp comes first!" Luffy declared. Banter ensued, with Zoro, Gin, Sanji and Nami losing to Luffy's persistence. All as Kakashi began to think back over the wider-scope: 'This Kuro sounds like an ambush-specialist, and he'll have the clown and that woman, Alvida beside him. Every power has a weakness, just like a jutsu, and perhaps her powers are unable to let everything slide. We need to keep a way open for a quick escape—'

"Ahhhh, no! The Merry!" Naruto's shout rang through the alley, both hands on his head again, the boy trembled frantically. "The lion and Mr. Unicycle. I got another brain-picture of them at the Merry. They beat-up my clones and now want to sink it so we get trapped here!"

One weird thing happened after another. The next moment, Kakashi snagged Naruto and threw him over one shoulder, next both hands were flying. "Suiton: Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu." In seconds puddles and rainwater all mixed together into an extra Kakashi, which pulled Nami onto its back. "You both hang on to me! We'll secure the ship, then leave another batch behind and reinforce the others. Everyone else, get Usopp out alive and regroup!" That was all he whispered before the quartet vanished.

Immediately, they were flying fast enough to leave Nami and Naruto unable to see naught but blurs around them. Kakashi was moving with full-speed, and still thinking: 'I have to make this quick, and Naruto can leave another batch of clone behind. Sanji and Zoro are strong too, and I'm sure he'll put the chivalry aside with comrade's life on the line.

0….0

"Ugghh! How in all the world can you not be bothered by all this rain, Alvida?" A grumpy Buggy ventured, spitting a glob of make-up drizzling down his face.

"You do know everything can slide right off from me with the Smooth-smooth power? Back in my days without it such rain would demand I cover up this beautiful form." Dragging one hand across her profile, the woman fed her vanity to pass the time.

Far up on the scaffolding Usopp was all alone. The rain soothed his leg somewhat while his spirit sank deeper into certain thoughts. 'Look at me. Look at where I am. Kidnapped, tied up, and about to die. I don't wanna die. Maybe I shouldn't have left Syrup Village at all. Making-up stories about adventures and being a pirate was so safe and easy. I mean, sure I gave a great effort.'

As the last though came through his mind, the image of Kuro's ambush played out a painful recall. 'I got a lot of shots in. Only after losing a hundred men does anyone capture the great Captain Usopp!' Another image of the truth spat from his memories, mixing with Nezumi shooting him down with absolute ease.

'And I got some great time with my crewmates. All of us are strong and powerful. They're definitely coming here for me. After all, I'm the reason we even got a ship.' Now the lies really came: the picture of the Going Merry sailing out from Loguetown started poisoning his mind.

'No. That's not true. I'm strong, wise, and an essential part of our crew. Okay, maybe I'm lying a bit too far. I…I didn't do anything in Nami's village. I'm not strong or powerful or tough like the others are; heck Sakura's gotta be more useful than me. But…'

'But they have to come for me. They have to. They have too...'

Swallowing hard at a lump of iron in his throat, Usopp tasted salt on his damp cheek. "Please! My friends! Rescue me!" He pleaded to the heavens.

"Of course, we are!" Across the plaza, impossibly, an answer came through the storm, yanking at the pleader's attention. There, right there, out from a road between the buildings, his friends arrived!

Monkey D. Luffy was at the head, bent down and barrelling forwards: an angry red-eyed rhino! Zoro and Gin were a short space behind him, shaping their charge into a wedge with Sanji, Sakura and Sasuke in the centre. The first-mate and "Man-Demon" had their weapons ready, yet the ninjas didn't.

"Oh, so you finally got the memo. Did you Straw-hat! Just in time to watch your dear friend flashily die!" While Buggy enjoyed his gloating, Alvida grinned and threw her cloak aside. One drew his knives with the other raising her club and all their crew braced for the fight.

Still running, Luffy was spinning both arms in circles, ready to unleash his barrage: "Badgy the Clone! Ugly-Alvida! Give me back my nakama!" Immediately, he stopped; the crew-mates behind him almost colliding with their captain. 'Damn it, I said pass a signal, Luffy,' Sanji cursed him. Gin and Zoro stopped short just level with Luffy and quickly shuffled backwards.

The Rubber man planted his feet and let loose: "Gum-gum: Gatling!" Shot after shot, punch after punch, the sight of every enemy become filled with Luffy's powerful fists. Cranking them out at 7-per-second, maybe, a tidal-wave of impacts washed over the mixed crew of their enemies.

Sasuke already had both eyes out, nearly whistling at every detail of Luffy's assault. Even if somebody got around one, another nailed them only seconds later. Suddenly, the captain snapped both arms back in, loading up his right-leg.

"Gum-gum: Whip!" The limb stretched to cover half the plaza, scything down their stunned foes. A call went out and more goons came out from doorways, alleys and more, running straight for the scaffold. Sasuke and Sakura made their own moves: shuriken were flying at anyone outside Luffy's rang or the few who dodged his whip. Hidden by the dark clouds and with targets resembling packed sardines, none of their enemies saw anything until cuts and blood raked through their lines. Sasuke kept one eye on the scaffolded all the while, ready to hit anyone popping out.

"Hh. Nice throws, Genin!" Zoro's complement sneaked in just as Sanji gave a command.

"Good work, Luffy. Second wave, go!" At his words, Zoro and Gin resumed their charge with each man's student at their side. "Zoro! Sasuke! Cut Ugly-Alvida! Gin and Sakura, go knock Bluggy in the nose!"

"AHHHH-You bastard!" Buggy posed with all his knives out and made straight for Luffy, keeping his lower-half attached this time. Gin and Sakura interposed themselves between both captains, while Sanji ran up after Zoro and Sasuke.

"No you idiots! Nobody gets to hit the lady!" Glancing back, Sakura watched him ready to kick Zoro's head.

"CHHHAAAA! Sanji, this is not a place for chivalry." The pinkette was pulling her long hair out watching the charging cook. Her warning carried to the swordsmen in-time to duck. The hopeless Romeo sailed over to meet one of the few boozo's to survive Luffy's salvo.

"Come on, Alvida-pirates! Charge out!" At Buggy's signal, further pirates leaped out from windows and fake-crates stacked along the walls, charging straight for the extended Straw-Hat crew. Zoro glared over before snatched Sanji by his hair. "Look, swirly-brow. It's hit that girl or let Usopp die, and if you choose the latter, I'll gut you right here, today. Go fight their back-up with Luffy!"

"No way, moss-head! I can't stand for—"

"Sanji, come on!" A familiar hand seized the chef by his shoulder. The first-mate and the cook followed it to Luffy's wild grin; driving a very, very sinking feeling in Sanji's stomach.

"Hm. Try not to die, lover-boy," Zoro smirked, then let go. With only a yelp left in the wake, Sanji got yanked away where Luffy was spinning over. "Go kick 'em all down! Gum-gum: Black-foot Borrowed Twister!" His rubbery arm bending with Sanji held firm, the cook's failing legs struck anyone he met while Luffy kept spinning. The poor cook's cries echoed along his trajectory as Luffy stumbled about diagonally, growing dizzy the longer he spun.

Zoro resumed charging right for the slippery foe so close to his student, the sounds of battle and Sanji's poor fate painting a dangerous grin on Zoro's face. Eventually after knocking down nearly a dozen more, Luffy stopped himself and threw his cook like a bowling ball!

"OW!-Ah-CAP-TAIN!" The cook slammed into four more bozo's, then all five met a wall hard enough to crash right through it. Luffy stumbled around before shaking his head. Looking away from his own crewmate-cannon-ball, the captain turned right up towards the scaffold. 'I'm coming, Usopp! I'll die before one of them hurt any of you! I promise!"

"GGGrrrr! What the hell about me, Luffy!?" a certain nakama called over from the crater left from his impact.

"Sorry Sanji!"

0….0

Elsewhere at the Harbour-front, ripples of fresh waves cut across the surface; the vanguard to the larger storm. Nami held on tight with one hand, the other pinning Luffy's hat to her head.

'Hhhhhh. How can he even see where he's going? This man, he and the ninja keep handing me one surprise after another.' Under how fast Kakashi was moving, she barely held tight enough.

In no time, the squad were at the Going Merry. Naruto leaped over his sensei's shoulders, eager to get stuck-in. "Alright, time to be awesome! You steal my home, I'll beat you down no matter where you are! Come one out and…Huh?"

Right before the four of them…there was nobody to fight.

Cabaji, Mohji and a familiar large lion were sprawled over the floor; not moving but not dead either. All three were wounded, and not alone. "Huh? The marines! They came here, too?" Nami and Naruto both shouted the same words in-time with each other. Kakashi strode past the siblings and up the gang-blank, looking around.

"Perhaps they knew this was our ship, or witnessed these rouges and charged up here to arrest them. I count 20 of the marines total, and there was a fight here to start with since both sides have injuries. But none of them are dead."

"30." Up on the Going Merry, one deep, series call met the Straw Hat's. Both Kakashi's vanished while Naruto leapt to haul and ran straight up, and Nami scrambled up behind them. Together, they all found one man standing by the mast: a looming figure clad in in-green robes, his face obscured with a hood, a fresh and unwelcome mystery. Naruto was ready for his favourite ninjutsu, both Kakashi's drew their kunai and Nami stayed behind them, glaring.

"Who are you? Are you trying and steal our ship? Are you with Buggy, Kuro and that woman, Alvida too?" the girl demanded.

"Get off of my home, this isn't cool, ya know. Are you looking for a fight? Do you have more buddies here, too?" Naruto dropped his stance and spun around scanning all around the ship.

Kakashi buried a seething response, 'Turning your back on an obvious threat. That will get you killed, Naruto.'

"I am no enemy to you four," the stranger replied. "Were that different, I wouldn't have come to remove the Marines from stealing this boat." Walking up towards them, the cloak this person wore rippled with the wind at his back; obscuring the being's profile, yet not his staggering height.

Looming in the growing darkness, either Kakashi nor Nami spoke-up. The Jonin felt familiar instincts buzz down his spine, reflexes driving one hand up to uncover his special eye. 'This person. They're powerful,' he almost breathed aloud.

"Lady. From where did you procure that hat?" Stopping a mere meter from them, the stranger's eyes were set one Nami. Whom had to swallow several times before striding up to face him beside Kakashi and Naruto. "I have some questions for you first. Who are you, and why help us?"

The figure drew back his hood: uncovering wild hair in a widow's peak and a wide tattoo spanning half his face. He was an older man, yet….a potent gaze left Naruto and Nami to edge backwards, 'feel like I'm standing next to Shimura Danzo?' Kakashi quietly linked him.

"Sometimes fate will deliver just what you need when you are least aware of it," their visitor answered Naruto. "You're enemies lie elsewhere, and came here precisely after the one named 'Kuro' spread his voice across this town. Preparing to leave would be a wise decision here. Though I ask you to let me stay behind in Loguetown."

Naruto glanced over at his teacher, while Nami looked to the heavens. 'Huh?'

"Hey. The storm. That's strange." Squinting upwards, Kakashi did not take his eyes over their visitor as he made a decision.

"Hey, sensei. If the Merry is safe now. Maybe one of us can go back and help everybody."

"That may not be necessary. Do you not have faith in your captain and those he chose to rescue their ally?" At the stranger's question, Naruto glared over at him. "What do you know? Who are you anyway? Coming here on our boat, saving it but not saying who you are, and saying I don't think Luffy can do it? Come on, why not you and I go right here right now?" Naruto was almost spitting now, until Nami ran forward and locked on hand on his shoulder.

"No, little brother. Mr., if you came to help us, thank you. There might be more Marines coming, so let's prepare to cast off. Naruto, help me loose the sails, but don't raise the anchor yet." The pair moved off with one Kakashi following them. The other stayed behind with their guest.

"You haven't given us your name, still. And that often is a warning sign." At Kakashi's proposal, their new acquaintance smiled over to him.

"Some speak of me as a Dragon. And I will share my past if you do the same." Silence ensued, with Kakashi lazing about a smidge; easy and ready to end this man life, or try to. "Well then, Dragon-san, thank you. Let's lend the other two some help."

Standing there, Kakashi waited until their guest took a step, then followed to keep him in-sight. He proved to be a handy ship-m and inside of minutes everything was nearly ready. Until: "Fool, all to this end!" Kuro's voice rang across the town once more. The younger company looked up, fearful, while their guest and Kakashi only shifted their eyes.

"Caught again, you unclothed buffoon! Monkey D. Luffy and Usopp, with the pair of you here in my grasp your shared execution will commence immediately!"

"Captain Luffy!" "No!" The boy exclaimed while the girl gasped, both dropping their tasks to leap off the ship and run straight towards the plaza. Throwing caution to the wind they took a main road and were sprinting: Naruto shooting ahead of Nami from Sanji's leg-exercises, while she kept-up from half a life-time spent running.

Rising up, Kakashi followed them before glancing to his remaining company. The man had not moved, only looking on ahead; had his sharingan not been out Kakashi would miss a certain twitch in his lips and a fresh shade in his eyes.

'So, Luffy is the reason you are lending us a hand. But after his Grandpa…..oh boy!' Realization dawning on him, Kakashi had two options to followed and seized the more pressing one.

"You have to nothing to worry for, here. Go after those you value and save them, I will remain here with your ship." At his company's command, Kakashi swallowed back a request and launched himself over the side.

0…0

Minutes before hand, the Straw Hats were buckling. Usopp watched from his isolated spot, folding his lips together and trying to stifle his tears. "GGHkkk…Luffy. You came for me."

Down below, right after Luffy let go of Sanji, Sasuke tried to slash at Aliva and met a dangerous surprise. Sliding straight towards him with her club raised, Sasuke had Kazoku Shugo drawn and ready; thrusting it's tip through her gut, the Genin hissed and bent right.

His strike sliding right off Alvida, Sasuke bent his legs and spun, pivoting to a stop as Zoro took his turn: "Sentoryu: Oni Giri!" Like teacher like student, the sharp blades of both would touch and slide, unable to cut. Alvida herself slid her body over Zoro but seized his shirt's collar with one hand, throwing that man head-over heels back where he'd come from.

'Damn, how'd she slip right off like that?' Spinning himself over, Zoro's foot met the rain-swept ground and slid. Barely, precariously, the man found his balance in a splits but did not fall. Four thugs jumped him from behind, to meet a flurry of shuriken. "Thanks Sasuke. Did you catch what happened?"

"Yes," The Uchiha replied, now only one meter from his teacher with both eyes following Alvida sliding about for another pass. "My sharingan caught how the swords would slip, but I wasn't fast enough to pull-out. If our idea about swords were wrong, how can we beat her?"

"You think that fire-move might work in this rain?" Zoro raised his guard with the question, their enemy almost ready while Sasuke curled his brow. "Draw her head-on, maybe my ninja-wire can work."

Nodding, Zoro advanced with both blades raised. Their foe was sliding-around, building momentum under the rainfall across a wider arc. Zoro almost kept advancing before another lesson came to his ears: '"You don't always need to advance on somebody else," Kakashi told him that morning, sparring with the Saw-blade. "I knew you would slash for my head and waited for it come. Now, I do have the heavier weapon, so try letting me come in and waste that strength, then counter me."'

Finding his balance, Zoro traced his enemy his patience, the swordsman waited while Sasuke worked. Once Alvida was under 9 meter and raising her club, shuriken flew out to greet her.

"Hmmm, silly boys. Your ugly, tiny toys don't hurt me." None of the shuriken hurt Avlida, as neither were aimed for her. "Sentoryu: Tora Gari!" two blades slashing down, and the third cutting horizontal behind them: the woman smirked until the blade rang into her club. Both weapons rattled, Zoro pressing in, his attack becoming a parry until the club spun out of reach and into the air. Shifting away, and swordsman smiled while Sasuke pulled tight, his wires enclosing their foe.

"Damn, it slipped out from my oh, so smooth hands. If only someone would fetch it to save me," Alvida bemoaned.

"Right away boss!" Trapped, Sasuke wound-up scrambling from love-struck idiots, as Zoro turned away to mow-through them. Ducking away, unwilling to give-up his trap, the Uchiha nearly missed half his wiring falling slack. Alvida managed to slid out from most and get one bare-leg free. "Oh, so easy it is to stride out from such barbaric bondage. Now, prepare for a ride, you naughty boy."

In no-time, Sasuke went air-born; practically water-skiing behind the rapid slip-and-side that was Iron-mace Avlida. All until a wall came close and he smirked. Gripping it with chakra on both feet, Alvida stop with a jolt and fell over.

Across the plaza, Gin and Buggy met each-other head-on as Luffy stared up to his nakama. "Of course I came for you Usopp. I would come for any of you. Hold on, I'm on my way!"

"No you flashily don't—"

"Not in yer life, clown." Turning his head, some hidden reflex saved Buggy from a hard-blow right over his head. Twisting, the pirate-clown faced back to Gin, striking up a pose. "Oh. You want a piece of me first, do ya? Well no matter what-HEY!"

Ahead of Sakura, close by, Buggy's lower half made a leap to it's left and started catching-up to it's partner. Turning the kunoichi found the clown glaring at her before he came right for her, hard. "Why is everybody still making right for my man-parts! I have to pay you back for earlier, you cross-dressing freak of nature!"

"Huh? Cross-dressing? I'm a girl!" the pinkette cried back, fumbling a bit with her tonfa.

"Don't lie to me. How can any female be that flat? And your forehead is a picture of ugly."

Stillness….silence….Sakura did not make a sound. Buggy was mere meters away, when one gesture came from his prey. "Huh? What's with that look?" Sakura's head, turning as some automaton on death-mode, inched up at the man.

Shooting off in a run, Gin got to watch his student snatch both tonfa, spinning them about enough to impress her teacher. "Huh? AH didn' teach 'er that. Did Ah?" The kunoichi was sprinting for Buggy, the man unconcern, all until she covered meters in less than seconds! With precision and skill, Sakura put on a burst of speed with her feet hugging the ground with chakra. Just before Buggy could move she sent a burst into her legs and arms, leaping close enough to whack the man right in his face!

Buggy got sent spinning, even Gin too surprised too hit as he sailed by, close enough to give a bloody-smile with some missing teeth. Watching from his spot, it was a front-row seat to a monster pursuing Buggy with blazing pink furry. "Ugly! My forehead! What did you say!" Up-close again, Sakura landed two more ringing blows until her prey dissembled himself.

"Ow! M' theeth! You made me looossh some theeth, freak!" Hold his mouth with one hand, Buggy found his target again, pulling something from her tool-pouch.

"Die, little girl!" From the left, a regular pirate leapt with his blade raised high. Caught, Sakura could only look up, finding the sword coming to split her head in half. All until a guardian sailed up from the opposite way and kick him. "Nobody's hurts her on my watch!"

Sanji landed with grace as Gin caught-up. "Sakura, keep yer head up. Gettin' mad like tha'll leave y' dead." Scolded the girl, glanced around, finding the trio surrounded by a ring of enemies.

"Gyahahahahahahahaha! Got ya right where we want cha!" Up above, Buggy was circling, waving both arms towards the rooftops. "And now, you all are about to flashily be blown to pieces! Cannon-crews, get out here!" Looking about, Sanji and Gin both hissed towards small canons angled straight at them.

"I count six of them out form the windows, and there might be more. We have to—"

"Fool, all to this end!" Sailing over the battlefield, a magnified voice reached everyone to pause their struggles.

"Caught again, you unclothed buffoon of a pirate! Monkey D. Luffy and Usopp, with the pair of you here in my grasp your shared execution commences now!"

Paralyzed for one moment, the Straw Hat pirates each turned right for the tower, where the missing enemy captain stood but Luffy wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"What? Wh-Where did Captain Luffy go off to?" Sakura. "Damn it!" "They fooled us!" Sasuke and Zoro spoke nearly in-tandem, Alvida slipped out from her ensnarement and Zoro hit go hit with one, two, three pistols. Falling, three more enemy pirates went for the kill, as Buggy raised one hand for his canons!

"Fire-style: Great Fireball jutsu!" Zoro was glaring, defiant as death drew near, all until one fire-ball struck his would-be killers. The first-mate fell-clear, losing some hair off his arms while the targets were cooked; and Sakura made her own move.

"Clone-jutsu!" in a flash, several dozen copies of one pinkette emerged in ring surrounding herself, her teacher and her protector.

"Huh? Whaa—who are my Buggy-balls supposed to shoot at now? Only the orange one was supposed to copy himself," Buggy complained up above. Glancing left-and-right, the indecision was broken by a hand snagging him by the shoulder….from the sky!

"Stop hurting my crew!" Cutting over the battlefield a fresh and voice came from the sky even higher than the clown. Following it, every set of eyes found the barest traces of one silhouette high above the buildings; linked to a single extended arm grasping the clown by his shoulder. "Hi guys! I'm up here!"

"What th' hell got ya that high, Don Luffy!" Gin shouted, incredulous at the predicament.

"I wanted to hit someone on the roof. They moved and I went a bit too high," Luffy sent back.

"Grrr. Of all the times to overdo-it, this one is the worst, you idiot!" Zoro called him, his arm and chest now stained with blood yet still fighting off six men at once. Luffy ignored him, the hatless-captain falling with a spin. Throwing out one more arm, the limb came to the concrete just beside Kuro's head and both men locked eyes together. "Gum-gum: Spinning-sling shot!"

"Huh-AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Buggy felt his line reel-in, tearing the Chop-chop-man away in one uncontrolled-spiral beside a certain Monkey D. pirate.

"You daft trash, violating my plan," Kuro's snarl was heard by Usopp, all until a flying thug nailed the Pussy-foot captain dead-on, and tumbled off his pedestal. Looking back down, the sniper found Sanji and Gin thrashing most of the thugs around them while the spare Sakura's drew their attention. None gave any damage, yet by blocking or running from them, each enemy were open for a kick or the four tonfa's battering one after another.

Elsewhere, Luffy let Buggy lose: the clown flying out with a screech until he met the street in a fresh eruption of dust. Still, the captain didn't stop, spinning around and letting his other arm go…and landed straight beside his nakama. "Huh? Luffy? Uh-w-w-w-what is—"

"Let's get going," leaning over, Luffy seized the ropes binding his crewmate and pulled. Under his strength, the wood boards they were tied into came free, removing the pressure keeping the sniper on his knees. All as a shadow was moving.

."Hh, see, I told you I'd "Now let g—" nothing more could be said, as nearly 3-dozen cuts came from Luffy! Stopping under the sensation, a similar force knocked the captain to his knees inside a stock, and dropped the lid over him all inside one-second.

"Fools," came in a spat of disgust. "Luffy!" "Awe-how much shit can this day give?" "Damn!" "Don Luffy!" While their crewmates shouted in the plaza below, Usopp's bewilderment was silenced. Four different blades were right against the sniper's nose, eyes and throat.

"Caught again, you unclothed buffoon!6" Kuro was back, standing tall with his back to the battle and his trademark cat's-claws resting near the necks of his fresh prisoners. Luffy tried pressing against his confines. After failing to escape, he twisted his head to look up at their captor.

"Kuro." Lightning flashed above, highlighting the posh-clothing and shattered spectacles. Soaking and spindly, the image was topped by the face of a mad-man, his eyes wild and bloodshot against a granite face.

"My plan has been violated by your actions far too intolerably, Monkey D. Luffy. Throwing that circus-fool or winding-up in the skies were not your roll; even my vengeance has been soiled by you now."

"Captain!" "Luffy!" Sasuke and Sakura was running for the platform, dodging any thug in their way, Kakashi's training paying dividends. All until a new force came from the side, sliding down to swipe both aside with their mace! Caught from behind, the pair sailed out, skidding over the ground to a stop near the tower.

. "Ah, ah, ah, naught boy." A whisper came, and Sasuke bent around; a familiar iron-club grazing his face. Blood went flying.

"Sakura!" "Kid!" Kuro barely looked over as Sanji and Zoro erupted. Luffy took all of this in, struggling with all he could muster against the stockade. Usopp felt the tickle of the one blade edge ever so deeper into his neck, it's owner straight out from a nightmare.

"I should not feel this," the victorious man seethed, aloud. "Wealth. Obscurity. All would be mine from Miss. Kaya. My scheme held no flaws, no factor unassessed. It was perfection incarnate! I should not be held with rage nor thrill as those which you have invoked in me!" Kuro was grinning now. "Your deaths, and all those here shall destroy that! My plan will succeed, victory has been grasped by me, and now the massacre begins."

Slowly, deliberately, the man raised his clawed blades overhead. They hung right over Monkey D. Luffy, while the pirate spun his eyes over towards Usopp. "No!" His legs still free, Luffy bent one to the side and struck out. Usopp was hit right in his chest, sending him off the scaffolding to land right on-top of the Genin.

His crewmate away, Luffy look over the plaza, "Zoro! Sanji! Gin! Get the Genin and Usopp out of here! The three of you, rescue our friends! That's my last order to you guys!"

"Captain Luffy!" Back where he'd led their charge, Luffy found Naruto sliding to stop. Nami right behind him, both called his name together.

Watching all around, Monkey D. Luffy found all his crew assembled before the open heavens: Sanji and Gin were running for the scaffold, Zoro was pined under some 15-men, as Sakura and Sasuke were shaking their heads with Usopp beside them, Nami and Naruto were side-by-side, each of them looking towards their captain.

"Speak your final words, Monkey D. Luffy. Share your regrets, your failures. Death hangs above your neck," Kuro commanded him. "LUFFY NOOOOOOOOO!" a building burst into a cloud of dust and debris; shattered by a single man barrelling forth to a stop. Monkey D. Garp was looking straight at the platform, letting Grandson and Grandfather met one another's gaze.

"Captain!" above the thunder-laced about the clouds, echoes of 1,000 chirping voices filled the air; Following a glowing, cracking ring of light, Kakashi had arrived and was set to move.

Stilling looking at his Grandpa, Luffy filled his lungs. "OLD MAN! HELP EVERY GET FREE AND LIVE THEIR DREAMS! MY NAKAMA ARE FREE, SO I'm FINE! I SWEAR I AM THE MAN WHO WILL BECOME….THE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

In every home, every cranny, even all the pirates down below paused in that moment. Garp and his own Marines heard the precise same words, the giant of the man shaking his head. "NO WAY! LUFFY, DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME! I'M COMMIN'!" "NNOOOO!" The Vice-Admiral and the Jonin were both moving, yet still too far away as Kuro drove down his blade.

Luffy was ready to die. Before them all. Before Team 7: Sakura covered her mouth; the Uchiha's face was gaunt; Naruto lost his sense of himself, and Kakashi watched a nightmare come to life.

The moment stretched for entity as Kuro's hand fell. The Jonin moving at full-speed, his sharingan ready… Luffy raised his head: smiling to the world: "Sorry. I'm Dead."

Kakashi was stopped-short, all the onlookers swept-up in that moment. Light came. Blinding the entire audience, as a single roar exploded: "LUUUUFFFFFYYYYYYYYY!" Deeper than an earthquake, louder the thunder, a Marine reached the base of the stand too late!

Kuro's blades, his metal blades, crackled under the clouds above, laced with lightning.

With the speed bearing its name, a single bolt struck the stand. Under the force of a bomb, metal fastenings melted with the shock, wooden beams fell, even the concrete bases were weakened from grounding the lightning.

The world shook to everyone watching, ignoring the mystery of why none of them were hit either. Watching the stand collapse, Sakura, Sasuke and Usopp realized they were about to be crushed.

"AH, run!" "No-uh, shadow-clone Jutsu!" Scrambling to their feet the trio were nearly crushed, until something displaced each beyond the drop-zone. A wall of Naruto's were running, watching two snatched away so a single clone went for the substitution. Crashing the ground, the call of the moment took the clone with it, while Gin and Sanji didn't dare to move, and Nami found herself pressing both hands to the treasure resting on her head.

Steam encircled the scaffold, rainfall driven to vapour by electric-heat. There…standing…somebody took a glance left and right.

Gin dropped to his knees. Zoro barely held on to consciousness. Kakashi held Sakura and Sasuke from his quick-save with Usopp beside them: the sniper couldn't speak, Kakashi and Sakura felt their empty lungs burn, Sasuke's eyes were blinking, the ninja even trying a pulse to check for genjutsu.

"Captain Luffy, you're okay!" His face alit with glee, Uzumaki Naruto collided with very-much-alive Luffy. Under the slam to his middle, the rubber-man threw back his head to laugh. "Shishishishishi! Guess I am. That's nice."

Under the storm above, even their enemies, pirate and marine alike, couldn't shake-off the stupor of a miracle. Beyond the crowd, Nami had to back into a building, something reaching to her mind and heart, pulsing like a fresh burn. "Luffy…what…am I…?" pressing one hand over the mouth, the girl worked to burry what she felt as Zoro and Sanji started breathing again. Kakashi could only croak, Usopp and Sakura's legs failed them, leaving Sasuke to glance around the remaining battlefield as Gin found his voice first: "Don! We…you were gonna die righ' here!"

"Yeah, but I didn't." Luffy shot back, drawing in everyone attention before rising his head to world, again. "And that means, I can still be the King of the Pirates with you, now!"

"NEVER!"

"Hmm?—" a freight-train collided with Luffy, driving him and Naruto tumbling over. The former got his senses back first, held up high in two powerful, familiar hands. The face of a definitely crying, unquestionably distraught, impossibly angry Monkey D. Garp filled Luffy's vision.

"What are you doing? You almost died right there. Do you think I could face your father after something like that? You had me more worried than every in my life boy! BWAAAAAAAAAA!" The onlookers watched as Garp yanked his grandson into his chest, swinging left and right, his bearded head careening backwards to the sky.

Some of them heard things like "Ace," "won't forgive," "another loss," and more. All until the Naruto-clones broke the spell: "Nee-chan! Watch out!" Following where they looked, Nami barely escaped a sideswipe from the last pirate-captain standing.

"Boys! We need to get going. Everyone grab the weak-ones, leave the others to the Marines!"

"Yes, ma'am!" What remained of the Kuro-Buggy-Alvida alliance rallied in a fresh attack. The Marines were moving too, one taller officer under a fedora sending squads right for the rouges, while Kakashi rallied his own side together. Nami barely noticed, looking up from where she'd thrown herself to the ground, soaked with dirt and water from one puddle; all under watch of a slippery-sexy enemy circling for a fresh-pass.

The gaggled of Naruto's got there first, forming a wall between the ladies as one stepped out from the line. "Hey, wait for boss." "I am the boss, the real Naruto," the stand-alone told his copies, having abandoned his captain for the one he cared for the most.

Looking straight for the threat, Naruto's face curled. Endangering another person who showed him care, Alvida met the same face a certain Mizuki witnessed barely two months before.

"If anybody, tries and hurts my sister. I'll kill them." Low and dangerous, Naruto pulled four shuriken from his pouch, toss them wide and both hands were flying: "And here's my new jutsu, all the way from the Third Hokage! Ninja art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Three meters from Alvida, the four-shuriken duplicated into a dozen more of each. Neither side noticed the woman meeting the sharp-swarm with a smirk.

Kakashi had gathered the crew, passing on a fresh plan while untying Usopp. "W…we need to leave, now. The ship is safe, and the Marines can stay distracted by the other pirates. Sakura, Sasuke, I'm using Zabuza's favourite-jutsu to escape, after we get Luffy free."

"Uhhh, hey. Does anybody know why the Marines got here? And who's that guy choking Luffy with a hug?" Usopp's question found Kakashi's ear, updating the crew on the one person outside the know.

"That's his Grandpa, ask more questions later. But we might finally have the reason our captain has a few dozen screws-loose," the cook replied.

"Hey guys! Let's go, I beat Alvida!" Another distraction yanked the crew's attention to a fresh surprise. Naruto stood over his foe: a bloody and beaten Alvida, checkered with tears and gashes coloured with blood, and her pretty face under Naruto's foot. The Uzumaki was grinning, until something nailed him square in the face.

"You imbecile! An unforgivable crime! I teach you just a few things and then you go and—" whatever Sanji would say next, it was silenced by one solid smack right over his cheek. Spinning, the cook almost fell until he met a furious, stressful and volatile Nami face-to-face. "What' .THisisn' ,themarinesarehere,Iwas-hhh—hhhhh-that bitch tried to kill me but he got in the way first." With a terrifying face, her voice near hysterical with a sliver of sense and still shaking Sanji senseless, nobody dared to interrupt Nami's tirade. Sasuke and Zoro had their mouths hung-open, looking between Naruto, a cut-up Alvida, and back to the crewmate again.

"AHHHH—G-G-G-G-G-GRap-Grip-Gar-GARP! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE!" Buggy stole the show again. His senses shaken-awake, the man's his blue hair formed a shapeless-mane while he trembled 4 meters apart from the Grandfather and Grandson.

"Huh?" Pulling away from the Grandson still in his arms, Garp cocked his head to one side. "Who are ya? I'm having a moment with my Grandson. Did I punch you one time, somewhere?" Under the question, the pirate-clown grew pale, and Garo cocked his head.

"Eh…Hey! You're the bum who ran about on Roger's crew. Nobody else has a nose that stupid," pointing right for the captain with his right arm, the left one still held tight to Luffy as the hatless rubber-man tried to get free.

"Grandpa! I'm going to the Grand Line, and I wanna be the King of the Pirates! Lay off!"

"NEVER YOU INGRATE!"

"Hey, Vice-Admiral!"

"WHAAAAT?" Many of the Straw Hats felt Garp's eyes on them at Usopp's loud call-out. "That clown was working to kill Luffy. This girl-pirate on the ground is on his side, too. Don't they deserve to get thrown in a brig?"

Silence hung about, until it got broken by a raving mad-man. "Plan! My plan! It was perfection, and I will force it so!" Right beside Buggy, what remained of Kuro swayed about on his feet. Twitching with shocks, his remaining arm was a mangled, scorching wreak. Failing the ruined with each step, he made straight for Luffy.

"Monkey D…Monkey…D….my plan….die!" Breaking into a run, pouring in what little life he still had left, Kuro flung himself right for Luffy. Until one final force got in the way of the man's "perfect plan." Throwing the target aside, Kuro met a brick-wall and fell flat on his back …silently, a behemoth gathered his knuckles together, cracking them with the building rumble that promised an avalanche.

"RRWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAHHHHHH!" No words, only a roar. Monkey D. Garp seized what remained of Kuro with one hand, and Buggy with the other. Both were thrown together and power-slammed right into the street so hard two dents broke apart to a depth of 10-meters. Garp wailed on both, his senses filled with red, under a pure wrath for those who'd worked so hard to kill the Grandson he loved.

A minute passed, sounds surrounded Garp but nothing clicked in his mind, all until someone seized his wrist. Pausing, the Marine looked up, to find his sight was stollen.

"Ehh? Where'd this mist come from?" The entire plaza, so far as Garp and any of his men could see, was filled with mist so dense all could only hear the others calling around for their side. The clang of a sword and gun-shot pierced the calls, brokenly, while the Vice-Admiral looked about left and right.

"Wait…where's all the pirates go? LUFFY!"

0…..0

"How long will that mist last, Kakashi? Now I can see why you spent so long practicing to use it," Sanji questioned without breaking his stride. Neck-in-neck with Kakashi, both were running at near-break-neck pace with the rest of the crew surrounding them and led by Luffy.

"Think later, Sanji. Just run now, before Grandpa gets close to us again!"

"Luffy, that, that, that guy really is your grandfather? How can that work with you wanting to be a pirate?" Usopp's question came clearly, shuffling forward with Zoro and pushing to keep-pace with the terrified captain.

"It doesn't, and he wants to beat-up Luffy until he becomes a Marine," Nami answered, the straw hat sitting on her head and Naruto right by her side.

"Uh-huh, we gota get—"

"LUFFY! YOU'RE NOT LEAVING ON MY WATCH, BOY!" Behind them, few of the group dared to look as they heard another building somewhere crumbling sideways to the ground. Another soon followed, growing louder and closer.

"Uh-oh." "Damn, doesn't that guy get the message?" "It look's li' no quitin' run's in th' fam'ly."

"How has he caught our trail this soon, even after Kakashi's mist?" Sasuke cursed, mirroring his shinobi-sensei's thoughts.

"That alley to the right! Turn and stop." 9of the 10 stopped at Kakashi's words and followed, while Luffy had to skid for a ways before turning around.

"Old man, he's comin' and stopping never works good. We need to run," the terrified boy pleaded. While the others caught what breaths they could, Kakashi looked to Naruto.

"Naruto. Shadow-clones. Make 3 sets of crew, and maybe we can give a slip like at the restaurant." Nodding, Naruto executed the orders and soon 3 different groups of Straw Hats were out running again. Kakashi meanwhile looked around the others, ready for his choice.

"The Marines still have one warship in the bay, and those enemy pirates running around the city. Get to the Merry, and cast-off. If Garp gets closer he might detain all of us, kill Gin, and we won't find our home there."

"We need a rear-guard to occupy him," sliding his hand up to his face, the man did not let any raise their own questions.

"Garp is powerful, but from what I know, his rank implies to be near Jonin-class and he's certainly a strong man. This is not a fight we have to win, and the fewer who stay behind, the more evasive they can be. I'll keep him off from us and stay behind, the rest of you make for the ship."

Some of the crew "n-No! Old man, nobody can—" With one-seal, Kakashi silenced Luffy; hard as the wind, power and pressure came out from the man with a single hand-sign. Each of the Genin felt their own complaints stop-cold, as the rest felt shaken under a pressing rush of some mysterious power.

"I don't need to win," Kakashi replied, the pressure from his chakra swirling lightly around them. "I'm not endangering any of you further. This is opening for a debate! Each of you, go!" The man before them was not the Kakashi they knew. Zoro himself felt it the strongest, the shift from caring teacher or capable agent most had come to know. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke knew this side of their sensei the clearest: of the Sharingan Warrior.

"Luffy. Can your Grandfather run across the water, or does he need to swim over it?" Zoro questioned the captain. "We—grrhhh…Kakashi's the best we got, but the Genin don't have a hair-breath against somebody that strong, yet. Trust him, like we had trust with you against Arlong."

"No way!" Stomping one foot, the idiot had both arms set for the fight. "Danger coming to me is no problem, and together we're gonna face a lot. Grandpa is the strongest person I ever met, and I never beat him in a fight once. Only all of us run, or I'm not moving. Not for my crew, not until I've done everything I can!"

"Alright," Kakashi nodded, throwing a fresh wave of fear across the other 8 people. Still aloof, near-uncaring, Usopp, Sakura and Nami were shuffling towards the harbour as the fighters grimaced at the Jonin. "Watch for your Grandfather, in case he comes down on top of us."

His face a picture of fear, the pitch of his chattering teeth rising, Luffy did precisely what he was told; until his world fell to black.

"Uh. Sensei, why'd you hit our captain on his head?" With Naruto's question, Kakashi took the rubber-man over his shoulder and tossed the teen at Zoro. "Take him and run. I will rejoin you later."

With a salute the Jonin vanished, leaving not a cloud behind under the rain. Both the pirates and the ninja's barely had seconds to think when—"LUUUFFFFFYYYYY! YOU'RE COMIN' BACK WITH ME, BOY!"

"Alright, time to run." Zoro's words set everyone scrambling as Kakashi finished his prep. and held one hand over his head-band. 'Now. Let's see what I can do with this Marine-Admiral, and how much punch he can actually deliver.

0…0

Six turns and a mad dash later the group were on the pier with their ship. "Good, the storm is just about ready to break. We have to get out of here now, or never," Nami declared, her stride unbroken right up the gang-plank. The ninja's leapt and ran straight up the haul as the remaining crew came behind them to a surprise.

"Eh? Who in'th' heck 'er you?" Gin's question called the stranger's attention. The becloaked figure was nearly right where they left him. "Uh-uh-wh-what are you here for? G-g-g-g-get off, b-before I send my ten-thousand men on you. And if those don't work, I-I-I-I'll I'll pull out the dragons!" Usopp's stammering barely helped, going utterly unnoticed beneath the hood. Cloaking half his face, only the mouth and jaw displayed it was a man. Not some tattooed, unwelcome wraith.

"Who are you. What brought you to our ship?" Zoro challenged him. "Oh, hey, no worries," Naruto spilt over the tension. "He saved the Merry when we got here and stayed since we had to save the captain. This guy's okay."

"Tell me. You are the ones who follow this, Monkey D. Luffy? Even to so treacherous and unyielding a place as Grand Line?" Under his question, nobody answered, at first. The silence coaxed another enquiry: "If you hold doubt in your hearts, your final chance to leave is here. Whatever goals you carry, pursuit you chase, or debt you may hold for him. Fuelling yourself on that alone will not suffice. Every day you spend on his journey, every further league you sail, dangers and obstacles will only grow worse than the ones before them. Why do you wish to join this voyage, if you cannot answer this question."

"Shut up." Two men spoke at once: Gin and Zoro. "I've got no idea who you are, those questions barely matter on this stage. None of our motivations really line-up, and everyone's here for their own reason. If they're weak they'll die before too long, so why worry or matter over them?"

"Don Luffy saved m'life, an' then some," Gin took over. "He's a captain worth followin' an' we know th' sorta dangers waiting in that sea. Ah already came from there half dead once, bu' Ah want t' go back t' conquer that fear and aid my captain an' my crew whatever we find in those seas."

Giving some members their backbone again, the next proclamation was the last person most thought would lend their share to the matter.

"It's not only for Luffy! Or only for us." Each of the crew and their guest turned for Nami, standing tall in the storm. "We're going for the Grand Line to live out everything we aspire to be. You know nothing about us, whoever you are. Luffy set us free, he gave us our lives again and a way to live them, or our paths home are through those seas. We're not going just for him, and what gives you the place to ask a question like that?" With one hand holding a certain Straw Hat on her head, and the other on her brother's shoulder, the girl met this stranger's gaze without a flinch.

"Hh. Well-spoken, Nami," Zoro found his own voice, gesturing to the idiot over his shoulder. "He wasn't willing to leave any of us, and everyone here might be dead or lost if he didn't crash into us, somewhere. But it's not only for him or ourselves that this is our journey."

Looking away from danger and straight for Sasuke, Zoro captured everyone's focus "I don't know who you are, but all of us aren't really usual pirates. Our captain is insane, and everyone does their own thing in their own way. We're not some iron-discipline crew, but different people doing different things with our own strength, and a bit lent to the others. We all have our own aspirations, but nobody is striving to met them alone. Our captain places himself at risk for our sakes, we do the same and turn to others expecting the same from them. Have you ever met a crew like us before?"

Thinking over their first-mate's speech, the crew felt clarity sink-in and found not only consent, but…empowerment for exactly what Zoro described. The swordsman's conviction was infectious, shifting the mood so far even their visitor joined the others with a grin.

Both arms came up, taking hold of his hood to unveil it. His full-face, framed with a mane of wild black hair met the crew with a grin echoing in their memories. "No, and your answer bears a wonder and strength all it's own. I have disabled the warship, should you escape now the Marines won't have the means to pursue you from here."

"Oh. Hey, thanks Mr. Tattoo. But we gotta wait for Kakashi…" His words dying on his lips, Naruto turned back towards the city, obscured behind a veil of rain.

"Little brother? He'll get back with us. We need to move the ship, right now." Ignoring his sister, the Uzumaki kept staring, remembering, thinking…then called to his teammates.

"Sakura. Sasuke. You remember the bell-test? What sensei said to us that day?" Ignoring further questions from their crew, the pair of Genin recalled it easily as spotlights came to the absent-space where their guide, their anchor, the strongest link to Konohagakure they carried was held. The empty-space of their present invoking a fresh sense of indecision between all three.

"With Zabuza, we didn't run. And things were fine at the end. The Merry is safe, and we can water-run just like he can," Naruto went further. "Breaking orders are kinda like breaking rules. Those who do break rules are scum."

"But those who abandon somebody," Sasuke took over, "are lower than scum. Let's go!"

Both shinobi leaped back over the railing, Sakura half a second behind them. The trio going back for their teacher, against the curses and calling from the others left behind.

"Naruto! No, little brother, come back here!" Nami screamed after them, as the trio dashed behind the buildings.

"Damn it, there's no way those kids are good enough to handle a Marine Vice-Admiral," Zoro spat out.

"A Vice-Admiral? Whom are speaking of?"

"Garp. It's the Hero of the Marines, Vice-Admiral Garp. He was chasing us and Kakashi volunteered to delay him so we can get-away while he caught-up and-"

"Enough!" the force of a thunderclap silenced Nami's answer. Turning around, everybody left felt the winds around them stir-up, while a hurricane of power was emerging over their visitor's face. "Your course lies ahead, not behind. I will go for them, and ensure you meet the four together. "

"Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey wait! Wait mister, thanks for this help and all, but who are you?" Stopping the looming figure at the gang-plank, Usopp would've scurried had he been able to move. While looking past his shoulder, lightning streaked the sky beyond the stranger; casting him further in mystery.

"My name, you'll discover one day yourselves, I'm sure. If your decisions are to follow him, building one another towards the goals you strive, what reason could grant someone the power to stop that? Now go!"

0…..0

As the four reinforcements departed, searching for the late-coming Kakashi, a particularly anxious Monkey D. Garp tore another building up to reach the basement. "Ah-uh, G-G-G-Grandpa!" Behind their scrambling Captain, nine fellow-Straw hats before braced for a fight; most crossing their hands as Garp came swinging. "Enough with these fakes. Tell me where my Grankid went."

As the jig was up up, more extra's of one orange-clad kid appeared. Each one met a fist, giving the original a picture of where to go, and leaving the bull-dog furious.

"Ahhgr. No. More. Fakes. Those ain't Luffy, so come'ere you—" Mid-shout, the Marine's world went white. Even tumbling head-over heels, Garp caught the landing on his feet. Shaking to clear the hit to his temple, the man barely bothered lifting one massive hand to block a follow-up punch and four tight, successive ones behind it. Striking the ground, the opponents met one another's face: on a bearded, wild, immovable mountain, the other masked, focused and with two mismatching eyes.

"I don't wanna fight you. Luffy is my goal." Turning about, the suited-man ran up the road, around one corner and bashed through a solid- wall. "Huh? Who dropped this wall in my way!" With one hand and his head stuck inside, Garp reared back one fist. Shattering the whole obstruction with a single hit, he pulled his head free and shook it clear of the debris. Next, the man noticed a series of dog-faces shaped into the mud-bricks of that wall. Curious, before he had a chance to ask, something snatched his ankle.

"Whaa!—Uh-urrr!" pulled right down under, Garp found himself submerged, dust or dirt filling his eyes, nose and mouth.

All while his opponent came back above the ground. 'Let's see how he escapes this. Nobody here has utilized chakra thus-far, and if he defeated Captain Luffy so frequently then Garp-san might have these Devil-fruit powers. The longer I delay him from reaching the water-front, then—'

A tremor shook from below, the vanguard to a single arm erupting from the ground. Slapping about, Kakashi took the chance to set a little distance before the hand's grasp sunk into the pavement. Pulling free a certain grey-faced mug.

"What is this! Someone put a wall in my way, then you pull me under? What kinda Devil-fruit did you munch-on?"

"Well," the Jonin answered, shuffling back a few steps with each word. "It's past 8 at night, and I don't share secrets that late on this week of a month. Your Grandson is fine, and we will—"

"GHhuu-LUFFY NNNNOOOOOO!" Casually, terrifyingly, Garp burst his other arm free, planting both on the edge of his hole. "Quit blockin' me from Luffy! He'll get to the Grand Line as a pirate when I'm 12-feet under! I ain't losing him, not like the other idot!" The rest of him erupted free from the hole. Next, Garp turned about to find Kakashi a mere 10-maters away: sentinel beneath the narrow-tunnel of a bridge.

"I'm afraid the sole way to reach your Grandson, will be after passing through me, Vice-Admiral. I have my own reasons for Luffy to remain a pirate and give the Marines some distance. The Captain has proven to me he is a true comrade, and a friend. He's already chosen a pirate's life, so the idea you have you for him as a Marine appears long overdue for the trash-bin."

A fresh roar answered him, Garp right behind it barrelling for Kakashi. His target didn't bother moving; "I gotta punch you down to get to my grankid? Okay!" Ready to flatten the cocky-bastard, seconds from connecting with his fist Garp noticed sounds, smoke, flames and more erupted around the two men. The foundations to the bridge were shattered by explosions, as one outdoor patio-table replaced Kakashi outside from the blast. Now behind his foe, the Sharingan-wielder eyed the cloud carefully; 'He likely won't die beneath that rubble. All the same-'

Dropping in a duck, Kakashi lost some hairs to another wreaking-ball arcing above him. Training saved him from Garp's attack, some instinct warning of the punch and pairing with his eye to catch the barrage of fists that followed. Eight, fourteen, twenty-two, the numbers folded over themselves as Garp wailed into his target and Kakashi wove around each hit by inches. Until one came too fast and the Jonin tried to block, the impact sending him backwards through three different buildings.

Happening too fast for his mind to follow at first, waves of pain over Kakashi's back and arms clarified what happened. "Ackhhhhhh….eeeehhh" Shifting, the man found nothing broken but it barely eased the real impact left in his mind.

'That hit…does Guy strike that hard against a real enemy? I don't remember him going that hard with me in sparring, but that's not a real fight. Did, did this impact alone out-weigh Luffy's nature as a rubber-man?'

Kakashi was no coward, and after pulling himself free the former-ANBU took a whiff of the air. 'This rain is obscuring it, but his scent is heading right for the warf!'

0…0

Lightning lit-up the skies, crashing waves colliding on the water almost drove the Going Merry off-course.

"Tie down the yard arm, and watch the knots. If anything blows loose we'll risk colliding with the rocks! Gin, hold the steering steady." Nami's commands rang over the deck, guiding the ship towards the open-seas was a tricky challenge.

"Miss. Nami, we ain't too far the ninja's migh' get left b'hind, ain't we?"

"Never. I'm not leaving my brother behind, ever," Nami bit back with a screech.

"I can still see the warf," Usopp answered his crewmates, pulling in one joint-line with Sanji behind him. "Let's hope they hurry and quick, I didn't get to eat anything and am feeling hungry."

"Hungry….food?...huh?"

"Oh, crap! Usopp." Zoro cursed as he watched a particular, unconscious captain pulling himself up to his feet and look around.

"Oh. We're on the ship. That's nice. Sanji, can we have some meat?" The crew watched on, paused for the moment as Luffy looked between all of them and came to a stop at Nami.

"Hey Nami. How's my hat?"

"Uhhh," the navigator glanced up, finding she still wore the trademark token. "Y-yeah. Here you go Luffy. Now we need to sail out of here a bit, so can you come over here?" Removing the hat, Nami felt pelting rain land over her scalp as Luffy walked over to take it. "Okay. I'm going to get something, then we can leave and make for the Grand Line and—WAAAHH!"

One step inside and something lopped around the Monkey D.'s heel, pulling him upside down in a snap right inside the doorway.

"Huh? Ah thought Kakashi got rid'a that?" At Gin's question, Luffy stopped moving…

Nami did the same, while Zoro let go from his line and barrelled for the lounge.

"Old Man! He hit me, and where is he? Ahhh, I don't' see him-wait, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. Nami, where are they all!" Yanking left-and-right, Luffy's panicking broke when he threw an arm for the doorway; stopping Zoro with a hit to his face, the arm grabbed the railing. Pulling himself for the port-side, a chunk of the roof ripped out with the noose around Luffy's ankle.

"Luffy, don't go. Kakashi did stay behind to handle your Grandfather, but the others went back too before we could stop them. And I'm making sure we don't leave the bay without them too."

"No, Nami, Grandpa will kill them and—"

"LUFFY! GET BACK HERE NOW OR-" All the passengers aboard the Merry, even Zoro with a bruise on his nose, looked over to find Garp standing right on the warf.

The man was seconds from diving in and swimming for the ship, but-

"Fire-style: Great Fire-Ball jutsu!" Too tied-up in tunnel-vision, Garp barely clicked into the wave of heat growing on his left arm. With a leap, the massive man cleared the fresh fire-ball that sailed by below him. "Naruto, he's above us!"

"Shadow Clone Shuriken Jutsu!" All at once, nine different voices called in total-unison. Finding the marine air-born from one massive leap, each clone threw one star then executed the same technique. A vortex of sharpened stars took form; slicing apart the air, straight for the Vice-Admiral. From the ground, Naruto and Sasuke grinned at their work, with Sakura haning back for the next move.

Up above them, Garp gathered both his hands, forming a hammer-fist while gravity took-hold. Ignoring all the slicing-knives that bounced from his skin, the falling man reared his hammer down for a bomb.

"Meteor-Dead Slam!" the impact broke everything inside of 10-meters, clones included. Sasuke and Naruto each flle backwards as their shared a particular face: eyes wide and white, dumbfound and afraid.

'How strong is he?'

"Which punks are in my way now! Stay out, as I swim after Luffy!" Ready to dive-in and with nobody around to stop him, Garp left the shore to plunge under. Fighting the stormy waters with ease, he came to quite a ways until everything began spinning in some fresh current.

'WHaa? Who's moving water like this—a—aahhh-aaaaahhhaaaaahhhhhh….' Caught in a vortex the fighter could only feel himself spinning. Gradually the sensation evolved into some shifting force, all until something solid hit his back, followed with a second dose and a third close-behind.

"Water-style: Giant-vortex jutsu." Up above, Hatake Kakashi's sharingan watched his jutsu sweep-up the swimming man. He genin assembled on the roof of the same building.

"Hey, thanks for grabbing me Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called up, with Sasuke sitting beside him and Sakura behind the Uchiha.

"Naruto. I commanded you all to depart on the ship. Why did you three remain here, and disobey me." The weight of authority hit the Cabin-Genin hard, two pausing from fear and respect.

"Why wouldn't we, sensei? We came because you gave us a bigger order, and we gotta follow it, ya know." Frowning up, ignoring the cue of command, Naruto was stubborn as ever. "The day we got to stay ninjas. You said anyone who breaks a rule is scum, but everyone who leaves somebody behind is worse than scum. We didn't leave you with Zabuza, so why did you think we'd do it now?"

Shaken from his task, Kakashi turned his face to his knuckle-head student. Then over to the other half of their quartet.

"And we arrived at the perfect-time again, Kakashi. Everything wound-up well and we can run over water to reach the boat casually, now."

"Sasuke's right," Sakura joined-in. "Sensei, you said so yourself we have to stay together to survive. If anything happens to you then we can't learn about ninja-arts. When Naruto brought up the bell-test we came out here together. If we can beat the Vice-Admiral that way, then we get to stay together too, right?"

Caught in his own trap, Kakashi let a chuckle mix with his sigh. "I suppose…I truly did teach this to you. And again, you came up with an excellent plan. That distraction let me execute a water-vortex jutsu and I'm certain that enemy has a devil-fruit as well. I have a clone trapping him inside a Water-prism right now. Our roles here are finished.

Leaping back to their feet, Team 7 made for the base of the building and jogged to the water's edge; hardly in a rush in their confidence that danger was gone.

"That old guy sure was strong. Good thing he was stupid and dived into the water after we got knocked-away."

At Naruto's comment, somebody came to a screeching halt. "What? Naruto, you witness Garp diving in to swim? My jutsu didn't trap him in that vortex?"

"Yes. Didn't you see it, Kakashi?" Sasuke questioned his teacher, bringing the other to pause.

"Bastard!" Up above them, something was falling with a fist cocked and ready. Scattering, the team weren't struck dead-on but the shockwave that followed left every ninja with their feet airborn.

'He broke-out from the water? Aren't devil-fruits supposed to weaken submerged within it?' Grasping his bearings again, Kakashi felt a stone in his belly at the enemy Marine right before him; turning around with dark eyes.

"Try and drown me, that makes me mad! But you tore me away from chasing Luffy, again. I shouldn't even be giving you any time!"

"No, you're not capturing our captain! Multi-Shadow-Clone jutsu!" On roof-tops, walls, gardens and the ground some several-scores of Naruto's surrounded them. Everyone charged in while Sasuke made for the roof-tops and Sakura made to hide behind a portico.

Lunching punches, kicks and more, none of the Naruto's made any dent while Garp scythed threw all as a mower over weeds. "Fire-style: Great Fireball jutsu!" Up above, another fresh fire-ball came for the Vice-admiral, driving his anger a notch higher.

"Quit-spitting-fire at me, punk. Those ain't gonna hurt at all!" True to his word, Garp drew in one massive breath and let it loose. Slowing, before their flames began to wither, the fire-ball came to a stop. Quickly only the trace-embers from the flare shifted around to land beyond their target.[2]

Glaring up, Garp found a certain boy wearing a terrified face. They only met for a second before the Monkey caught a foot making right for his face!

Throwing himself in a side-flip, Kakashi's opposite ankle missed the old man's chin. His caught-foot pulled-in, another fist nearly met the ninja's head. Bending his neck, cheek-to-shoulder, the punch met only the air under the Sharingan's gaze.

Now, the Jonin was scared. 'Guy has been faster in our sparring-matches, but not with that kind of impact. Is this man like Lady Tsunade-?'

"Got-ya!" Lacing both arms in a bear-hug, the Vice-Admiral started squeezing. "You think back-up and a trap like that'll stop me?" The two men were struggling together, Garp crushing down on Kakashi until something very, very strange happened.

"Stop picking on our sensei! Take this!" Naruto's voice announced where he was, running straight behind Garp as something made the man stop-cold. Above them, another Genin was running with a sword drawn in the rain.

"I'm going to crush you!" Naruto made his own mad-dash while Sasuke let out one burst of speed; both Genin stealing their foe's attention away from Kakashi.

Swivelling to free his arms, Kakashi hands were dancing. "Naruto, Sasuke, abort! Lightning style: Electric Needle Spark!" raising his right hand to the sky, electricity grew coursing through Kakashi's body right into the man holding him.

"GGHHHHRRRR!" Gritting his teeth at the shock, Garp slackened a bit; letting Kakashi escape untouched to join Sasuke's aborted run. But somebody hadn't heard the order and was too close now! "Take my kick-"

"No!" barely close enough, something hit Naruto enough to send the boy skidding in a spin across the rain-soaked road. Struggling to push himself up, the duo with sharingan found Sakura materializing in view right over top of her teammate. "Naruto-baka! That was our plan, but take a second look next time! Sensei electrocuted him and you nearly got hit too!"

Beyond them, Sasuke and Kakashi watched Garp pulling himself out of the shock. "Whada you keep doing to me! Why're kids like you jumping into this fight?"

"Hey, we aren't kids, believe it!" Naruto called back, careening his head to try and see. "We're ninjas and we're pirates. All of us are going to the Grand Line, so you're not getting Captain Luffy at all. Ugly old man!"

"Huh? Why'd you say that? Did Luffy give such an idea to you shrimps?" Garp growled across to them. The menacing downpour cast Team 7's enemy in a darker shade, cracking both knuckles together with a grin. "Well maybe this is a problem worth my attention. If you all want to play at being criminals, I'll tan your rears like a bunch of criminals."

Each of the Genin were sweating, the picture of his threat giving their minds a shock with indignity. While Garp was moving with both hands raised, Kakashi met the charge infront of his students. "Earth-style: Mud-Wave!"

"Shave!"

"Scatter!" Dropping in a roll, Kakashi watched Sakura copy him, barely escaping a fight-ending hit drop from above. Naruto was nailed, yet vanished in smoke. Sasuke wasn't seen anywhere near Garp as the Jonin and Marine began a round of kick-boxing. Trading blows and blocks, the Jonin sent two spinning-kicks in before weaving under a triple-punch combo. Ducking around sledge-hammers, smoke erupted from under Kakashi's feet.

"Huh-Chhr—CHHH!" leaving his opponent coughing, the Jonin snuck away through his own vanishing-skill; a shushin landing on a roof above him. Forcing his mind and heart back to a steady pace, new thoughts were coursing through Kakashi's mind.

'Sasuke must have witnessed the same thing I had through our sharingan. That Naruto was the real one. Perhaps another shadow-cloen was waiting to bail him out. This Garp, I didn't even manage to plant my hand and trigger the mud-wave jutsu before he was on-top of us. Not only did he vanish like a shunshin, but—'

"Meteor Fist!" Something tore through the wall close-by, sending splinters in a shower mere centimeters from Kakashi's head. "You found me again?" A curling lip answered the question, as Garp seized Kakashi by his shoulder, the man ready for a punch that never came. Instead the hand came down on Kakashi's hip, pressing around for a nasty surprise.

"How you like this?" Pulling together, too fast to switch away, Garp sent Kakashi for a spin, spiralling in-place so fast the world became a blur. All until one, fresh punch landed on him, driving the Jonin back to ground level to collide with the pavement.

"Sensei!"

Dazed and shaking, Kakashi nonetheless felt the full-impact that time; dragging one hand around his ribs. 'Nothing…feels broken…at least," barely pushing aside the shock to reach his feet, the man felt a separate blow land even deeper than that hit. 'This man…he's a monster….bigger than anyone I've fought with before. Can we…survive?'

"Hey, you giant, farting, Meany! Take this! Shadow-clone Jutsu!" For the second time, a company of Naruto's filled the block, charging right for Garp with a fresh idea in their minds…grinning together dangerously as silently snuck around.

"That power ain't gonna do nothing to me, squirt. Time to end your sensei here, whoever he is. Then you three get my full attention." Garp leapt down with his promise, to watch something unseen dragging the downed-Kakashi away from where he landed. Distracting the Monkey D. just enough for all the Naruto to get close, with a certain surprise.

"Transform: Sexy Harem Jutsu: Swimsuit Edition!" On-command, every clone replaced itself with a lady sporting blonde-pigtails and clad in some form of swimsuit. Pink, orange and red bikini's, a few polka-dot one-pieces, one in a halter-top, two black underwire, even a leopard-print Monokini. Even under a storm, Kakashi froze at spotting an outfit with cheeky bottoms and a second in a thong. Every female-"Naruto" was wearing something this time, yet the libido-factor rose by a notch.

'Hehehe, this always works on old guys. Sanji-senpai sure was right about having some variety. Those magazines he showed me really-"

A solid fist broke the moment, nailing the real Naruto square in the face. "What's up with you, punk!" Flying backwards, again, with a steaming lump on his head, bewilderment for the impossible filled Naruto. "WHa..did that not…how can-"

"What the heck was that for? You think I just won't punch anyone if they're a girl?" Garp was standing tall, alone, after getting rid of all the girls. "I punch anyone no matter who they are. Did you think just lookin' like a girl would stop me?"

Even Sakura and Kakashi were stumped. "Is he, that guy wasn't bothered by all those girls at all?" Sakura question, incredulously. "Maybe he really is related to Captain Luffy," Sasuke replied. "Neither were bothered by that useless skill. And the one time a distraction is exactly what we need, Naruto pulls the wrong thing out from his hat."

Both Genin felt a tap on their shoulders, while Naruto was back to his feet and lost. "That…that distraction always works on everyone. Why didn't you fall for it? Aren't you a guy too?"

"BWahahahahahahahaha! I don't get distracted this deep in my job, brat. And what was the point about girls that close to naked? I don't see any-huh? WHaa?" His words becoming prophetic, Garp indeed couldn't see anything. Around him the neighbourhood was beset with Mist, again. Too dense to see beyond a foot and growing thicker by the second.

"Huh? What smells like it's burning?" A fresh explosion answered his question; so intense while it engulfed the Marine, a wave of heat could be felt two blocks away; where Team 7 was running.

"How come that failed? I was sure it would work! Maybe the bikini's were a bad idea and only fully naked will-"

"Drop the matter, Naruto!" Kakashi stopped his student's thoughts. "It was worth a shot. Though be careful with how Nami hears about that. Somehow I don't think she will be very thrilled with it now that you both are brother and sister."

"Sensei, those paper-bombs I set on Mr. Garp. Do you think they'll work and stop him?" Sakura's question soon found it's answer, with another building behind them collapsing; it's roof bending over and into the misty layer below.

All of Team 7 look on, swallowing another blow to their chances of winning the fight.

"Is that man made of concrete? Kakashi, he broke away from the water and can swim, so he should not possess a Devil-fruit. But nobody but a ninja should have that much power in them. Is he a human at all, or something else like Arlong and his fishmen were?"

"I'm not certain, Sasuke," Kakashi answered him. Glancing around, the squad were on the pier but not standing on the wooden docks. The Going Merry was still close by, where the Jonin's Sharingan found Zoro, Sanji and Gin dog-pilled over a struggling Luffy.

All as a wave of something staggered Kakashi. 'I've spent quite a bit of chakra here, between several clones, getting to the ship and having my Sharingan out for so long. Wait…chakra?' Going back to everything he'd seen, details from his eye passed through Kakashi's mind. 'He hasn't been using any! Whatever source lends to Garp-san's strength, it isn't draw from chakra at all, or anything that leaves a similar trace. I can't copy anything he does, or found any weaknesses. This is bad.'

Turning back between his team, fighting back a flare of desperation, Kakashi devised a plan. "Everybody. This fight needs to end, and quickly. That might only happen is we leave Garp too crippled or dazed to pursue us. Listen closely."

Minutes later, Monkey D. Garp reached the scene, finding Kakashi standing there waiting for him and spotting the Going Merry further out in the water. "Luffy! Get back here now you little miscreant! You almost die right in front of me, then go running off? Is that anyway to treat your Grandpa?"

"Well, is bursting through a wall to punch him any way to treat your Grandson, Monkey D.-san?" With one hand raised and ready, Kakashi's efforts barely survived a fresh interruption:

"Grandpa!" sailed over the water from the Merry. "I'm sorry, but I'm still staying a pirate. Being a Marine is too boring, and don't hurt my nakama!"

Kakashi found Garp move his eyes, then lent a signal to somebody out of sight. "Nooooooo! I'm not losing you, boy. Not like Ace—huh?" A tiny, dark-red ball fell inches from Garps' face. Explosions followed, from the Marine's feet as a shuriken sliced the air-born pellet. Red sauce of some kind splattered out, staining his eyes.

Garp let out a roar, throwing his face to the sky while flames erupted, fighting against the dark-smoke engulfing the rest of the man.

"Naruto, take your shot!"

"Here I go! Shadow clone jutsu!" Bursting through a doorway, three orange-ninja ran straight for the blinded marine. One held a kunai in his hands, with two copies ahead of him. Garp swang around, yet connected with air; one clone duct low, sliding over puddles around Garp, as the other stopped to grab the third. Throwing the kunai-wielding copy left, the ninja crossed both hands. "And another, shadow-clone: Jutsu!"

A fourth materialized, forming a platform to let that one jump off, launching for the other clone. Garp sent a shout, turning around and bend-over the strike both together; yet the thrower-Naruto behind him grinned.

"Come right here and hit us!" the pair taunted together, throwing the kunai back to the thrower, while Kakashi spotted a paper-bomb wrapped over the handle. The thrower-Naruto caught it, as Garp slammed both fists on the duo-Naruto's, both vanishing under his touch.

'The original stayed behind him,' Kakashi realized, 'but what for-'

"Take this! Hidden Leaf secret Taijutsu. Straight from the teachings of Kakashi-sensei: One Thousand Years of Death! Believe it!" Naruto shot forwards, as his sensei's world hit a full-stop.

"What? Huh? Naruto I said-" "Got'em!" Cutting off the complaint with his success, Naruto grinned at feeling his kunai sink into something and then leapt away. While the flames and rain dissipated the smoke, Kakashi felt himself melting when he spotted something sticking out from Garp's rear; and smoking.

"Boom!" The umpteenth explosion of the day engulfed the Marine, even making the monster hop in-place. Fittingly, the one person who'd seen this before didn't skip a beat.

"Demon-wind Shuriken! Wind-mill of shadows!" slicing through the air with sounds, a weapon honed-in for their target. Naruto was skidding backwards until something collided with him. Kakashi had to shake his head to move back on-point. 'Sakura caught him, and maintained her jutsu after dropping those smoke-bombs and the tobasco-star around Garp. When I told Naruto to 'distract' Garp…actually I should have known that would happen. But now, I need to end this.'

The demon-wind shuriken made a single-pass around Garp, then split apart beyond him. Circling back on separate vectors, the Vice-Admiral swept the hot-sauce from his eyes, caught both in this sight before meeting each with a punch. The weapons shattered, one after the other, to sprinkle the ground with metal shards. But once Garp turned around, something struck him dead-on-the-chin.

The massive man went skywards, dangling in air from a kick to his jaw. Down below, Kakashi was crouching low until he became a blur; reappearing behind Garp and muttering "Gate of Opening." A rush of power followed, the strength flowing about Kakashi's muscles to deliver several more kicks. Each one propelling Monkey D. Garp further into the air, Kakashi noticed bruises forming from his impacts.

'He's not invincible. This should work.' Drawing a line of wire from his hand, the "Copy-ninja" circled it around the Marine and held fast. Binding the man's arms with too much strength to let him escape, Kakashi wrapped both arms and both legs around his foe and started spinning.

Gradually at first, the speed of this rotation grew steadily. Faster and faster, both men quickly resembled a dropping spin-top as the ground below grew closer. "Huh-, Bwa-, whadaya doing to me? Ahhhhhhhh-!" "Konoha Secret Technique: Hidden Lotus!" With no chance to catch his bearings, Garp struck the ground harder than a pile-diver. Cracking the concrete, the hole under him grew deeper until a splash flew up from underneath.

Kakashi quickly reappeared, skidding away from the impact to stop beside Naruto and Sakura. 'I hope that would make you proud, Guy.'

"Whoa!...Sensei, sensei, sensei, that was so cool!" Naruto leapt up, shaking with glee towards his fatigued sensei. "What was that? Another big secret! You gotta teach me that. What's it called? What's it called? What's it called? What's it called?" More and more demands followed, until Sasuke rejoined the group and Sakura reappeared amongst them.

"Naruto," Kakashi answered the pleading. "I'll tell you of that move later, but while each of you did spectacularly, why did you use…..that move…on Garp? It weakened the ground underneath him, and my Hidden-Lotus smashed through the stone with ease." Kakashi admonished his student, rising back to his feet. "I wanted to leave him stuck in the ground, not fall underwater beneath it. Now there may be a risk he could die from drowning, so I need to fish him out from the water, or call a few Marines over to save him."

"Kakashi, why bother with that?" Looking over to the hole, Sasuek lingered on the mangled remains of his shuriken, then drew out a kunai. "A shinobi would make sure they aren't being followed. If we do not make sure he is finished, that man might hunt us later and-"

"No!" That single word became a brick-wall to Sasuke, stopping not only him but the other two close-by. Kakashi was glaring to his student, echoing a certain disapproving mood each could recognize. "The goal was never to kill this enemy, Sasuke. Obstacle or ally, he is still Captain Luffy's Grandfather. Why should..? No. How can we end his life and still travel with Luffy? Do you truly want to test the limits of your abilities by killing somebody else's family? As one man…once did to yours."

Sasuke could feel a sucker-punch slam into his gut, so much more literal than verbal. Folding over, the Uchiha staggered for breath under Kakashi's accusation about…that night.

While one of them tried to recover, Kakashi closed his right eye but kept watch on this student, and spoke with Naruto and Sakura. "The three of you will make for the Going Merry. I will-"

Behind the four of them, Kakashi was silenced with a water-spout erupting from the water. Whirling around, lightning lit-up the skies to highlight a horrifying sight. "THAT. HURT. YOU. MAGGOT!" Monkey D. Garp, impossibly, was attacking the four again. His sharingan tucked away, Kakashi failed to predict how this juggernaut wasn't aiming for him. Dropping down for them, Garp bypassed Kakashi and nearly struck Naruto and Sakura had Sasuke not body-tackled them out from the way.

His fists sinking into fresh crevices, Garp withdrew both to spin around and punch the closest thing in reach: Naruto. Taking the blow to his chest, the Uzumaki went flying, skidding over the water until he fell below it with a splash.

"Sakura, Sasuke, grab Naruto," Kakashi ordered them both, while he reached for a scroll. Both Genin looked from their sensei to the water, neither moving as something loomed over them both. Garp's furious temper was blazing on his face, ready to snatch both the brats inside his reach-until a fresh crackling sound drew his attention.

Looking to his right, a jagged scythe arced around to cleave into the Vice-Admiral. The Hero was too quick, grabbing the blade by one jagged edge with his hand and holding it there. Kakashi held the hilt of his weapon, his Sharingan uncovered now as he pressed further with the Saw-blade.

"Do whatever you wish to me, Garp-san. Strike one of my students…all bets are off. If you want to pursue the Captain, you will need to get me off from your tail first, Vice-Admiral," the Jonin promised, pressing hard into the Hero's monstrous grip. "Chasing Luffy, and taking the others is something I won't allow."

"Why? You think you can stop me? ME? YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM, YOU DAMN FOOL?" Garp wrenched the tooth-shaped edge away, nearly out from Kakashi's grip.

Deciding he need something extra, Kakashi uped the ante by channeling chakra down the length of his weapon. Lightning crackled to life about the Saw-blade. In a wince, Garp faltered his grip, to meet a kick to his face for the trouble. Rain mixed with an acrid-scent of burnt-flesh, lighting-chakra still running the length of the saw-blade as Kakashi swung it about. Pressing his enemy back, the Sharingan pulled double-duty: predicting Garp's moves to box him in, and tracing Sasuke and Sakura pulling Naruto out from the water.

Pressing in, Kakashi sent several more swings that Garp either dodged or blocked; the sleeves of his suit paying the price. All until the Saw-blade was nearly torn from Kakashi's grip. Both men held the weapon, this time Garp utterly unbothered holding the chakra-laced weapon in his hand and Kakashi thinking up a fresh plan.

"Uhhr….rrrrrr. What the hell are you kid? These many powers shouldn't exist in just a random nobody," Garp complained.

"Sensei! We have Naruto!" Sakura called over from the water, and sealing Kakashi's decision.

"WHAAAAAA?! That-what-how-when-who are you?" Garp's voice matched his head, shaking left and right to look back over at the Genin. "What is that? A power that lets you stand up on the water?"

"I'll tell you about it, if you manage to kill me," Kakashi replied, pulling his weapon free and ready for a self-sacrifice. Turning his head, the man's eye met each of his student's

"Ninja Arts: Mist-jutsu!"

0…0

"Let me off. I gotta get back and help them!"

"Luffy, eeghhhr, didn't you say you never won a fight with this guy? They're doing this so we can get away. Don't let it be for nothing!" Sanji was struggling with the Captain's arms. Zoro lay over-top of the cook with Luffy's legs, as Gin and Usopp worked together trying to tie-up the limbs into knots.

"Naruto! Usopp, I need to have to help him!" The sniper and the navigator were wrestling by the railing, Nami trying to dive in after her brother was punched by Garp.

"Uggh…Nami, what can you do? It's too dangerous, and Sakura and Sasuke can help him too," the sniper replied, fighting down his own guilt. 'Buggy smashed my sling-shot when they captured me. If only I had one spar, I'd be able to shot from here with covering-fire!'

"Nami, Luffy, we can't run back into that fight," Zoro berated his captain. "Captain, you've been thinking a little bit lately, so do some more. Your grandpa might be after you, but do you think he'll just let the rest of us go? Like Gin and me after what we've done to the Navy?"

"There's worse at-hand then that, Moss-head," Sanji replied, now with a bruise over his face. "The ninja's chose to come with us to get them back home. If they tried going with the Marines, those bastard might force them to enlist then won't let them go. Somebody who can walk over water like they do are too valuable. If we get caught, Naruto and the others might lose their freedom. Kakashi had that in-mind and that's why he stayed to fight alone."

Looking up for the pier, the cook was fighting his own instincts to swim back and help protect both Sakura and his fresh student. Until something drew a smile on his face.

"Miss. Nami! We're here!" Four little words, brought every action on-board to a halt. Looking up together, the Straw hats found their ninja-nakama vault over the railing of the Merry. Sasuke was carrying Naruto, with Sakura beside him and Kakashi bringing up the rear.

Nami broke free from Usopp immediately, dashing for the boys. Luffy threw each of his men off but could only flop-around with each of his limbs tied-up with each other. "You guys are back! You're back, you're back—"

Sanji and Gin made for Sakura, noting all the bruises covering her. Kakashi stood back a ways as Gin and Zoro both looked beyond him…for how little they could see. The entire bay was surrounded with dense mist, made even terrifying by a massive roar erupting from inside.

"Everybody," Kakashi drew their attention. "I managed to execute this jutsu, but it cost me a large amount of chakra. We-" immediately, the jonin's knees buckled underneath him. Usopp caught the man, barely, and both exhausted crew-mates stayed upright on will-power alone. "…we…leave…leave…" Kakashi didn't finish, but his message got through.

"Nami! Sail us away from here! Naruto and Usopp need help! And somebody please, untie me!" Luffy's orders hit everyone, the crew driven into a buzz of activity. "Set loose the sails, and Gin grab onto to helm." "Moss-head, help Kakashi get inside, Usopp and Naruto as well. They're way to out of it to help here." "Alright, you untie Luffy," Zoro replied to Sanji's orders, lopping one arm around his grey-haired crewmate and slinging Naruto over his shoulder.

Nami kept barking instructions without moving move than two meters from Naruto while she helped Usopp get inside the Lounge. Cruising just along the edge of the mist, the Going Merry caught the winds leading out from Loguetown. Speeding over waves and rain, the ship quickly moved beyond the town while mist within started dissipating the further away they got.

Once Luffy was up he helped on the ship before charging into the Lounge for Naruto and Kakashi. "Hey! Are they okay?" Kakashi was sitting on a barrel while Naruto was laying over the dinning-table, both conscious again.

"I…I think I'm okay, Captain Luffy. Ow…" rubbing his middle, the Uzumaki took some deep, sore breaths. "Your Grandpa hits real hard, ya know."

"Okay, but you!" LUffy whirled around on Kakashi, grabbing the man by his collar to hoist right up to his face. "Why did you hit me over like that! My crew got hurt enough, it'd be better if I stayed to fight with Grandpa, not you! Why, old man? Why?"

Nami felt torn, between getting Luffy to drop Kakashi and wanting to stay close to Naruto.

"Captain. I did so because you and I want the same thing. We'd both rather not see any comrades in danger. Us getting hurt is fine, or even if we die it wouldn't bother us. Watching someone else take that pain, though…"

"Stop that excuse!" Luffy demanded, while the others inside the room and even out on the deck felt a chill running up their spines. "Yeah, I'm okay with that. All of us decided to do this, and if we die, we die. There's nothing to it but that. I'd rather I get hurt than my crew, though. You are my crew, so don't go do that again without me, Kakashi. You got that?"

"No, I don't." The jonin's reply sent heading spinning between him and the captain.

"Why. Do I gotta hit you until you get it?" Luffy asked him, raising one fist level with his shoulder.

"No, and if that didn't work when you're Grandpa tried it, doing the same to us isn't really a good choice," Kakashi smoothly answered. "I don't get it…because I am afraid…I am not really here."

Water droplets spilt no the floor beneath "Kakashi." Luffy's knees buckled under him, the Devil-fruit user somehow suddenly drained of any energy he had. "If any of you turn back," "Kakashi" kept talking looking over the occupants of the room, "then the real me won't rejoin any of you. I can escape from Garp myself easily, then steal a boat. Stay out from Loguetown and wait for me to catch-up."

His message delivered, "Kakashi" melted before them, quickly becoming only a puddle of sea-water.

0….0

"Lightning-style: Thunderbolt!" Inside the misty blanket obscuring the bay mixed with a sudden high-volt lightning-burst. Channelling his power, a certain painful-exclamation signalled the ninja met his own target. Ending the jutsu, Kakashi slipped away deep underground.

'That…the genjutsu I cast on Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke must have worked. None of them noticed how I wasn't moving until after the Mist fell around. Hopefully the clone made from the edge of the mist will fool everybody and they won't come back.'

'All of this…' The man was panting now. Both chakra and muscle-fatigue partnering together to warn how little he had left to fight with. 'I only need to escape and lie low. The Hidden lotus and so many jutsu'shaven't left me with much to spare.'

'I might have just enough to move part-way across the town through this Underground-Move jutsu. Then finding a way to hide and recover are the first priority.'

Shifting through the earth, nearly swimming about, Kakashi spent what little chakra he could safely spare moving away from the port. Some minutes later, hoping the crew had actually followed his orders that time, the slippery ninja moved near to the surface where he felt building-foundations.

'Slipping up from here might only meet wooden-planks. Tenzo would be useful to have right now. Perhaps I can find a garden and—' everything stopped when the superstructure above him shook. On reflex, Kakashi slipped deeper as the earth above him buckled and shattered. Feeling the now very-thin layer of earth above him, a voice declared what was happening: "I know you're down there, red-eye! Luffy got away. Get up here, you!"

Grasping that Garp was above him, Kakashi slid forwards fast as he could manage. 'What is happening? Garp can move through water, so this cannot be a devil-fruit's power. Unless there is something else I'm not aware of. Do the Marine have training-measures to sense where a person is, or can some measure to strength themselves? What don't I know?'

Moving about, another rumble above him let the Jonin realize Garp was following him, too close for comfort. 'I'm low on chakra, I can't summon Pakun or help, nor can I escape with him this close. All the enemy pirates are beaten or might have retreated by now, and this is the most dangerous man I've even been in a fight with.'

Pushing himself further, Kakashi worked to set as much distance between him and the nearly-rabid intensity he felt under this pursuit. And every effort, or all his delicate care, drained what little he had even further.

'I have maybe enough chakra for two A-rank jutsu and only taijutsu. Genjutsu won't be affective on Garp, and a Hidden-mist technique of that scale took more than I could spare. My Sharingan is too draining, but I can barely trace his movement's without it! What usable things do I have left?'

Nearly a minute continued, mixed with tremors to signal how many buildings were flattened behind the Jonin. Finally, after a stretch too safe for comfort, a space forwards and above Kakashi shook like a bomb. And under the two-second he had to alter-direction, something seized his leg.

Yanked out from underground, Kakashi flailed around until something solid met his back and skull. White-light blinded him, briefly, while he coughed blood under his mask. Kakashi's sight returned in-time to see solid-ground coming up to his face. Realizing something held his ankle, somebody kept failing the Jonin around to slam him on the ground in any random direction he chose. Five-impacts later the grip let go and the Hatake flew up into the air.

"Ooops!" The shout from the ground was little-comfort, but it gave the ninja a window to grasp his bearings and land softly on a wall. Finding nothing was broken, battle-instincts saved Kakashi from another wrecking-ball. Leaping away to watch a hole form in the space where he stood a second earlier, Kakashi went on the run, working to build space between him and the angry Vice-Admiral.

"You ain't getting' away from me now, brat! Quit makin' things harder for you!" Garp was hot in pursuit, knocking apart one chunk from a building after the other, somehow always getting away from to come collapsing down over him.

With enough space between them, Kakashi spun and around and planted both feet. Between each had were some 20 shuriken, with something else mixed-in over his fingers. 'Saving these don't matter at this point. All I need is some way to escape.'

Tossing all of them straight for Garp, Kakashi hands were flying. "Lightning style: Shuriken Lightning-web trap!" True to its name, first every spinning-star became alive with lightning; second an intricate web of electric-currents spread between them in a massive projecting spider-web.

Kakashi's timing was perfect, enough without his sharingan, as Garp met the trap head-on. The Vice-Admiral grinded his teeth but didn't stop. The move only faltered his charge for under a moment; all the time that Kakashi needed. Every star that wasn't stopped flew around their target, spinning the last of Kakashi's ninja-wire behind them. Dozens of strands encircled the Vice-admiral, the man pulling against them and taking his focus off from Kakashi.

"Fire-style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" 'Please, let this work, and I don't need to fall-back on that,' Kakashi pleaded, while he released his jutsu: casting forth a massive body of flame's swirling in the spectre of a dragon.

Their intensity producing a roar, the flaming-dragon made straight for Garp, covering the short span between both men…too slow to work. The fewer restraint's weren't enough and Garp Broke free, bursting them apart and met the attack straight-on with his fist.

Echoing his moniker, "Garp the Fist" punched carried the force to hold the Dragon in-place, and a second one propelled the flames back where they came from. Watching the inferno, Garp waited to spot his enemy, but a fresh distraction came first.

"Huh? Wha…." Trying the follow his ears, some ringing echoes and whining of birds surrounded the street Garp stood in. Enough to number a thousand, this distraction occupied his attention while Kakashi dashed in.

"Chidori!" Crouching low, his Sharingan back out, and holding a wild pocket of lighting in one arm, Kakashi honed-in for his target: Garp's left leg. 'I'm sorry Luffy. If this man can still run, we won't meet-up again. A leg-injury will stop him.'

Or it won'. Kakashi eye widened as it predicted the impossible. 'No.' True to what he saw, Garp spun around in crouch, not even looking at Kakashi yet his fist travelled in one arc at ankle-level. Still in a balance-pose to deliver his strength, Garp's bare-fist met Kakashi's Chidori and a battle of wills ensued.

Crackling lightning raised to higher volume, while Garp morphed his face into absolute focus; a level Kakashi had never seen before as desperation built-up in his soul. Both men pressed forwards, the Ninja channelling what little he still had while searching for some trace or hint of a crack to focus-in on. Garp was the picture of a mountain: solid, imposing and unmovable. Gradually the iconic-weapons of both fighters clashed together, last for over a minute and generating crackling spurts of black-energy around them both.[3] All until one ran dry of it's power.

Kakashi felt the power of his jutsu ebbing away, and bent over to avoid the upwards-arc of the punch. Garp's opposite hand snagged the Jonin by his collar, pulling the man into a fresh bear-hug. Letting out a roar to echo his strength, the Marine bent backwards. A Supplex drove Kakashi straight into the ground again, hard enough to nearly crack his skull.

"You're not making any fancy hand-moves on me! Time to end this and lock you up so Luffy has to come back to me!" Garp delivered on his promise rising back up and shifting Kakashi a few notches higher in his grip. Both hands trapped and separated, Garp followed with a sickening power-bomb, dropping Kakashi forwards to slam on the ground, right over the back of his skull.

Experience rang through what little of his mind Kakashi still had to think with. 'That hit should at least cause a mild concussion, so I don't have much left. He's learned too much about me, too. Taijutsu is out, and I don't have any ninjutsu that don't demand two—'

Trapped in a desperate situation, a single option appears in the back of Kakashi's memory. Out of anything else, and aware he had very little of anything to work with, the man tried for it. Wiggling his arms as Garp held him back up, one got free and opened it's palm.

"What?" Garp frowned, feeling something coming up, but the picture was quite fuzzy; unlike the other warnings he'd had from Kenbushoku Haki throughout that night.[4]

Inside Kakashi's left hand, a spiralling pocket of chakra was forming. Pressing further power inside it, the Jonin felt the last of what chakra he still had feeding into the move. Forcing himself to focus, the power began rotating over itself, shaping into a sphere then compressing together.

A bewildering orb took shape, stabilizing in the centre of Kakashi's palm. His final chance for escape.

"Rasengan!" The move met Monkey D. Garp's right shoulder. Grinding his teeth, the Vice-Admiral felt it's power, in a very, very bad way.

'Huh? This thing? It's almost grinding into me, and even through my Haki?' "You gotta move that can beat Haki!" Calling his surprise aloud, Garp's grip loosened only enough for Kakashi to free himself. Still pressing forwards, the Rasengan left his palm and grew larger against Monkey D. Garp.

Not waiting to see the results, Kakashi spun around and ran for all his life.

Meanwhile Garp kept struggling, the last attack of the battle still pressing against his shoulder; then growing outwards across the man's whole form. Nearly encompassing him, the figure inside the sphere moved backwards almost a meter. Stopping at the point, it remained unmoved until something slammed over the Rasengan, driving it towards the ground and taking it's power with it.

A fresh dust-cloud hung in the space, with Garp frowning at his handy-work. 'If I hadn't beefed-up my Haki that move might've actually hurt me,' the man confessed, honest to a fault. 'Why'd that guy hold-out on a move like this until now? Even that spin ground-slam on my head, or the dragon of fire didn't have the same intensity as this move. Well, I'll ask that brat after I catch him!'

Leaping out from the shallow crater, the Hero of the Marines looked about before choosing which direction to follow. 'I don't feel where this guy went like before. Did he finally escape, or drop dead?'

A handful of turned and several various roads followed. After not finding his prey for several minutes, looked about to find a tall building close-by. "I'll look up there." Clearing it in a single leap, the man landed atop the tower to search across the storm-beset city.

"Hmmm. Where'd that guy go for. He's my key to bringing Luffy back. And, maybe he'll share a few donuts with me. I haven't had this much fun in a fight since Roger gave-up and couldn't brawl anymore. This guy is pretty strong to give me a work-out this good."

"Hmmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm." A new, and dangerously familial chuckle came behind the Hero of the Marines. "Quite a feat to accomplish, and only you would complement somebody after nearly trying to kill them."

Garp froze! Nothing….of….him….not even a breath…..moved.

A voice. One he hadn't heard for decades. The tone of the singular greatest foe to all the World Government stopped him—cold.

Skywards high above him, the storm-clouds were circling above, a mirror of the spirals that partner a maelstrom. Winds grew bolder, stronger by the second. Ink-dark shades were moved in, far too unrelenting to be pacified with the sun. Tension was building on the spot, ready to spark into a fight with any kind of clap.

Garp drew himself together, his absolute focus centred on exactly the man he knew was mere meters away.

Turning around, the Hero of the Marine found him: covered by an ink-green cloak and with somebody draped over his shoulder. Lightning lit-up the sky, it's flash casting light beneath the hood of the late arrival. The tattoo across his face betrayed the man's identity, the singular Worst Criminal in the World.

Merely a single foot shorter measured to the Vice-Admiral, the different of size held nothing against the measure of danger both men could unleash should they fight. Neither feared the other, but Garp wanted to pray nothing would happen from knowing how much demand from him a fight would steal. They were ground-zero for a perfect storm.

One dog atop a fearsome mountain and one dragon within a wild vortex.

"What are you doing here?" Garp muttered towards this man. "Why have you waited this long to step-in. And did you come to drag more souls off on that crusade you're waging."

"You still understand so little," the man spat full of contempt. "My purpose here is unfulfilled, that I shall not deny. As for waiting this long," looking to the figure he carried, Garp noticed it was the very person he had spent too much time fighting.

"His name is Hatake Kakashi, if you didn't bother to learn it," Dragon continued. "To match you, even at a fraction of your real strength is nothing short from amazing. And willing to sacrifice himself while those he called his allies could escape. That boy holds both fate and luck on his side."

"He nearly died tonight," Garp shot back, "And you were nowhere to be found. Why? Has he never mattered to you? Or do you believe that much in fate there was no reason to do anything?"

Across the roof-top, Dragon was glaring at the Marine. Controlling himself with something not natural at all for their family, he looked to the heavens and spoke.

"I had been watching since before you ever reached here. At first that was enough, but quickly the ones he asked to be crewmates captured my respect. Bonds have been made between them, with power far greater than any Marine would ever both to forge with. Curiosity left me to stand apart, and with each day the need to intervene diminished."

Silence followed this speech. Garp watched on while his company turned their head towards him. 'Huh? He's not looking at me but…' following the line of his sight, the Marine and the Revolutionary looked to the same target.

"At the onset of your arrival, I decided to ensure he could still escape. After someone declared that one of his crew would die, half the group made to rescue him while the others came for their ship. I met them in that place, and spoke with this man directly."

"WWHHAAAAT!" Garp spun about, his mouth open like a gate. Until it shut with a shrug. "All right. Coming out in the open is hardly your style, but choose what you will."

Nodding, more than used to his company's habits, Dragon continued. "When they announced the my son would die, his friends took off to save him. You would arrive as well, yet that fate would close their escape to second you made for your own ship. I prevented that, and did you wonder why none of those you sailed here with did not join in that battle?"

Monkey D. Garp cocked one head aside. Then realized how little he felt of anybody out and around them from his own men of the 153rd Marine Branch. Looking around from their perch, images of one squad after another were scattered about Loguetown. From the plaza to the pier, even the streets and back-alleys, every Marine in the town was out.

None were dead, but neither were they moving.

"Most were too strong to intimidate and inhibit," Dragon continued. "I couldn't be in two different places, and wanted to a avoid more exposure than I needed. I hope they would manage to evade or hold-out against you long enough, but fighting with you sufficiently to escape on their own account was surprising."

Slowly, deliberately, Monkey D. Dragon looked out to the sea. "That man is no longer a boy. Nothing can stand in his way from the destiny he chose for himself."

"Even when that destiny comes to kill him!" Garp growled to his company, curling both hands together. "Standing in my way will mean I gotta fight you. Actually maybe I should, since you weren't there when Luffy needed everybody. I raised you, and yet you don't come running to save your own boy? Did abandoning him in Goa Kingdom make doing the same here so easy?"

"How can you claim to save the world when you can't save your own son? Or show any love for him? You Fool!"

Slowly, deliberately as the storm around them kicked-up into a cyclone, Monkey D. Dragon turned about; glaring at Garp wit the power to leave even a Logia-type in agony.

"All these years, and you still understand so little," a dangerous whisper emerge. "You ahead of all others have seen the horrors practiced by those who claim the world is there's. How many of them believe something trivial as bloodlines dictate what a person will become?"

"So many claim what position they were born to will dictate their lives, and throw away all they deem undesirable. Even from their own kin." Underneath is words, Garp hesitated. Something about what Dragon spoke snatched his attention, but the man didn't bother to stop. "I did leave Luffy behind, but not with ease nor without purpose."

"My goals are build upon freedom, and to break the cycle those who lead the world are trapped inside of, humility and exemplary means are the answer. Had he come with me, and others new who was my son, would these events have passed or been smothered without any chance to live?"

Rain continued falling, with Dragon looking out into a separate direction. "No matter where, I always felt some urge to look out towards the East. Perhaps some idea somebody shared with does ring true. But if Luffy had been raised with me, how many from my own ranks would expect him to follow at my side, or even lead in my stead? How many would place one target over his back and deny him any life but one tied-in with my goals and mission?"

"Leaving my son behind, it freed him of the cage my lineage would lock him inside of. Luffy does not know of me, and neither does the world. Now, even should some Marines learn of him, his life and fate are his own to choose. How can somebody give freedom to the world, by stealing the same from their children?"

After his last words were ended, Dragon felt one half of the pressure surrounding them dissipate. Turning back to face his father, Monkey D. Garp had his mouth dropped so wide a du-gong would leap inside it. The man was barely moving, a picture shock so impossible Dragon even laughed.

"Luffy desires to be the pirates king. It's a fate chosen by himself, for himself. So long as he follows his own beliefs to the end, and live's how he chooses to be, I'm fine with that."

A grin, one that only be called wild, grew over Dragon's face. "I won't deny I have a desire to meet him again. Whether he will know who I am is not of any matter. Though selfish it may be, I have lived-up to my own beliefs by leaving Luffy behind. And for that same reason, I will not let you follow him and steal that freedom away, Old Man."

Still, for entire minutes now, the Hero of the Marine's could barely respond. After mustering the effort to close his mouth, the man look out to the same direction his Grandson sailed. Several dozen moments followed, neither man breaking the silence from their thoughts. Even Kakashi, still slung over Monkey D. Dragon's shoulder wasn't moving at all.

"Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," An impossibly long sigh escaped from Garp's mouth. "Maybe…for once, you aren't wrong, kiddo," the man shared with his company. "I'm not stupid enough to chase after you. But if that's what you think I won't go after Luffy either."

"So, you beat-down all of my men here? How long are we gonna be stuck around here for?" At Garp's question, Dragon still smiled.

"Your old friend Bogard gave more fight than the rest. Those pirates who did try and kill Luffy won't be going anywhere."

"BWahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! BWahahahahahahahahahaha!" Throwing his head back, the Hero's laugh carried all around through the town. "You're still that strong, eh? I'd be disappointed if you couldn't pull off something on that scale. Good luck to you, son."

Both hands now in his pockets, Garp nodded to Dragon and strode away.

Within the hour, Dragon set-out on a separate vessel after the Straw Hats. 'They'll like make for the Grand Line, or Warship Island close-by. Hopefully I will enough time to speak with this man about where he came from.' Looking straight at his company, the man was under a blanket and snoring. 'What powers have you developed, and how? For you to fall under my son's crew, I feel it cannot be anything but fate.'

Looking out towards the horizon, Dragon weighed his options and his choices, before settling on one. "With a will such as my son's, powers like yours and a little luck, the masses might finally start to question this world. And now I'll follow these winds of change. It's time to meet my son."

0…0

Elsewhere on the East Blue, hardly a stone's-throw from Loguetown, a small squadron of Marine-ship battled against the storm. Abord one vessel, an alarm-bell cut through the silence of the dark night. Beset by powerful winds and an endless, diagonally downpour, men ran all about shouting about a child.

"The girl escaped. Find her! Search the entire ship! Use any means necessary! But don't rough her up, remember she's still a child!" Followed orders, the half-decent Marines split-up to track their quarry.

Many questioned how long such searching would take, until an answer gave itself away. A scream cut through the deck, drawing attention to a child sliding in the water and wind.

Her stop provided by a boat, the girl barely had a minute before-"There! Get her!"

Half running/half struggling against the weather, the Marine failed to reach their target before she was climbing. Scaling the rope-ladders up to crow's nest, some men called up from below.

"You're too high!" "Come down from there!" Some tried to follow, but one choice led to near-disaster. Cutting the ropes to keep them at bay, the girl severed the only support anchoring the mast in-place.

Her scream followed the mast while it bent over in the wind; colliding with the second one. The impact knocked the sail loose, immediate catching the wind some unholy force sent the ship side-over, almost capsizing the whole vessel.

"Take-in that sail! Or we're all dead!" As the Marine held on against all their odds, the girl up above peered over the side of the crow's nest. Spotting one boat down below, she steeled herself; holding a small token about her neck.

'Grandpa Ryu. Please protect me.'

"Stay put, little girl." "Don't even think about jumping. It's too dangerous."

A fresh gust of went sent the vessel further on it's side, and closer to the row-boat far below.

With total faith, Apis leapt over the side and was lost from anybody's sight. Hopeful that she'd find her way back and meet the Dragons, someday.

End.

Okay, I will be honest. I hit a bad dose of writer's block, from writing just too much. I like getting lsot in the details, of letting go of everything around me and anything I'm doing to just do a singular thing. A habit that leads my chapters to get blow-up into massive pieces of writing with so, so much mixed in. There was so much to add here, I wound-up holding too much, going into too many details and the writing-rate ground to a stop.

Delays eventually became pilled with guilt. With lockdowns everywhere, I wanted to deliver a chapter that was worth the wait, and exciting to read as a fresh dose of relief in the middle of these difficult times. More struggles and breaks came about, more erratic and spotty than before.

Yet, in the end perseverance does pay-off, and I finally finished this chapter. I'm very stratified with it, and hope that is has delivered the action, impact and intensity to be an amazing read.

Especially because I got to explore something I have kept in my head for years now: Why Dragon abandoned Luffy. This answer to why Dragon left his son behind is all my own, yet it also would be the total opposite of everything the Celestial Dragons and other Nobles of the One Piece World obsess over. He is a highly complex individual, and I promise this will not be the last time he appears in Growth Through Chaos.

Garp vs. Kakashi was THE, THE hardest fight I have ever written before. Honestly, I considered splitting this chapter in half after one stretch, but dangling that confrontation out of reach or cutting it off in the middle almost seemed cruel.

Yes, Kakashi did contend with Garp, but at most was only able to wound him and had no idea just how dangerous that man could honestly be. For every who loves Kakashi:

IMPORTANT=Kakashi grew and evolved over the course of Naruto, almost as much as the rest of Team 7 did. For this fight, my benchmark was Kakashi in the Nami no Kuni Arc, not the one who could fight Akatsuki members 2-on-1 and live to talk about it.

Kakashi is powerful, but in this setting he wasn't only out-matched, but he could copy or dissect anything in his opponent. Kakashi, in general, is specialized for fighting Ninja's; dissecting their moves and habits, copying their techniques, and using a natural weakness against them linked to chakra-arts or ninja-arts. Here, several x-factors were removed since Garp is a One Piece Marine, not a Naruto-ninja.

Still, he put up a damn good fight, so what will happen to him next?

The next chapter is already in the works, and as for Warship Island; I had to let Luffy get a bounty on his head somewhere before the Grand Line. The net chapter will have some fresh surprises: including one that is critical for this entire story and will impact all of the Straw Hat Pirate-Ninja's, to their souls.

[1]-I will not try to excuse or support any plot-holes, loose-ends or short-comings of Masashi Kishimoto or Eiichiro Oda. Fan-argues over the Shadow-clone memories are over a dime a dozen, and in all honesty people channelling such energy into debating one subject of a franchise shows how amazing the series and author are to spark passion that strong in their readers.

For this story, I am going to postulate that Naruto learned the jutsu directly from the Konoha Scroll of Sealed jutsu. Notes about the memory-transfer features would literally have been right in front of him. Kakashi, and practically 999 out of every 1000 ninjas, would logically assume anybody who read from that scroll would also pick-up the risks and benefits of the jutsu on the way, not ignore the details so completely. Yet, that kind of short-coming or gullibility does summarize Academy-student Naruto in a nut-shell.

It's not an excuse to why he didn't pick-up on the trend, but it is one reasonable explanation for why Kakashi would assume Naruto did know about the memory-transfer in theory. Yet at the same time was inexcusably distant from his training pre-Shippuden and never realized it.

[2]-Think of Whitebeard spearing a magma-rock and blowing it cool with only one deep breath. If can do that, what not have Garp do the same?

[3]-When two individual clash Haki-against-Haki, black spark often form between them (unless both possess Conqueror's Haki). Here, I image Garp's focused power against the Chidori, or similar concentrated-jutsu would result in the same.

[4]-Throughout the Fight, Garp could feel/predict Kakashi' location and action through Haki; at least while he was focused on him, or somebody else was focused on Garp. The more deliberate and detailed someone thinks against a Haki-user, the easier it is for them to predict what is coming. Hence why a certain move here nearly hit when Kakashi was only semi-conscious or had a mild concussion. And why certain moves worked when Garp was distracted or focused on somebody else.