A/N: REVIEW FOR IT FEEDS THE ENGINE OF UPDATES AND CREATION!

Been awhile, I know. Suffice it to say my health issues knocked me out of the updating game for a little while, there. Well, my next surgery isn't for a few more months, so I figured I'd get this little interlude of sorts out there to show the world that even though I may not have the best of health, I don't want to disappoint you, the readers, or the fans. I've spent an ungodly amount of time working on this, recovering my notes from the fire, and I am so, so sorry for the four year wait. Ya'll deserve better, and thanks for putting up with my intermittent updates-health issues.

I love you guys so much! *Cries*

So!

Some reminders:

Ace survived the chaos of Marineford.

Sengoku and Sakazuki did not. Kizaru is rotting in chains.

The remains of the Blackbeard Pirates were never discovered by anyone.

Kuzan-Aokiji-is presently the Fleed Admiral of the Marines, with Fujitora as an admiral.

Whitebeard later perished of his wounds aboard the Moby Dick, after declaring "One Piece exists!" and setting the world afire.

Akatsuki is very much a threat in this, and they're the prime enemy of both the Whitebeard Pirates as well as the Wraiths. On another note, yes, Naruto's become a Yonkou. He's not terribly happy about it, but he's come to accept responsibility for it. He's a force to be reckoned with, considering he possesses both the powers of the Gura Gura no mi as well as his own Kaze Kaze no mi. That's a volatile and deadly combination. Someone even pointed out he could literally suffocate someone; or, if he so chose, dive right into their lungs and shake them apart from the inside out with an earthquake.

If you're wondering what Naruto and co. are wearing, simply go back through the chapters and you'll see.

As another note, Naruto's taken on the bisento as his weapon, in addition to the already-deadly Shichiseiken or Seven Star Sword. Don't even get me started on his motley crew of allies. All their bounties are sky-high.

Also, Edweard Weevil and Ms. Bakkins can kiss their asses goodbye.

One Year Timeskip ahoy!

Yes, one year. Luffy's still training at this point.

"Son of Whitebeard? Bah! Don't make me laugh! Take back those words, impostor!"

"Haaaaaa? And who're you? If you don't believe me, I'll just kil-

"Enough. I won't banter words with an idiot."

"Waitaminute, are you the real deal-

"FALL."

~an-up-and-coming brawl.

Bargain (Interlude)

"ONE PIECE DOES EXIST!"

I suppose you could say the seas got a little rough over the next two year- thanks in no small part to those words. Hmmph. That's putting it lightly. Countless pirates the world over took to the seas because of them. The vaunted One Piece, that grand treasure Roger had left behind, the ultimate reward. How could they not? Its a man's romance! Women, too! The unexpected proclamation that the mythical legacy left behind by the world's greatest pirate truly did exist spurred countless adventurers and created a disaster that would shake the world to its core.

...but that's a story for another time.

With my grandfather's death the fragile balance of power shattered.

Big Mom and Kaidou leaped at the opportunity to claim what territory they could before we beat them back.

It took us a years-an excruciatingly year-to finally claw back the shattered scraps of our turf; to this day we still haven't reclaimed the rest.

Such as Fishman Island.

In the meantime, the Akatsuki and a group calling themselves the "Apostles of Blackbeard" proved themselves to be quite the nuisance-not just to us, but anyone foolish enough to sail the open sea unprepared. You'd think someone like that wouldn't attract a following, no? Wrong. For all his failures, he set the stage that eventually led to the old man's death. Even if he wasn't the one to strike the final blow, Whitebeard still died because of him. He captured Ace in the first place; that first fateful domino, the one that sent so many others sprawling. Which led to my grandfather trying to take him back, and culminated in his eventual demise.

Men like that attract a following, and not the good kind.

Even now, I'm not entirely certain I killed Teach that day. Wounded him? Certainly. Maimed? Quite possibly. But killed? We never found any remains, and from the rumors, neither did the jailers of Impel Down. It was as if he'd simply vanished, never to return. Sometimes I wonder if he's still out there, preparing for the right moment, waiting to strike. If he is, and if he does, he'll find himself in for a rude awakening. I'm not my old man. If One Piece truly does exist, I want to see it for myself. I'll decide if I actually want the damn thing once we figure out what it is.

As to who will find Raftel first, who will reach that goal before all others...

Well, I can't speak to my crew's motives, but as for myself...

...I'm placing my bets on a certain Straw Hat.

But before that, I'll place a wager...

(...Scene Break...)

Kaido had been called many things in his long lifetime, but a fool wasn't one of them.

Until now.

Of all the times he'd been captured, of all the horrors he'd endured, few had genuinely taken him by surprise like this. He'd suffered inhumane torture, the likes of which would break even a strong man. Not him. When they'd tried to hang him, the chain broke. When he was sent to a guillotine, the blade shattered. When sentenced to impalement, the spear crumbled. He'd sunk nine prison ships. On land, sea, and air, he was a pirate who was known as the strongest creature among all living things. In a one-on-one fight, he could not be beaten. Nothing in this boring, mundane world could kill him.

Not even himself.

As such, for a man who sought death above all else, he found himself somewhat flummoxed when the spawn of a dead man came to his doorstep. Much less when said man presented him with a towering bottle of sake and planted himself at his doorstep. Him, and that strange watery woman who never left his side. Just who did they think they were, coming to this country in the dead of winter? Only two of them? With no army? No reinforcement? Did they have a death wish? They were certainly brave, if nothing else. Or perhaps they were simply suicidal.

Did they take him for a fool? Did they think he could be bribed with strong drink?

...what are you doing here, brat of Whitebeard?" the words emerged from him in an earth-shaking rumble. "Did you come to die like your old man?" the mention of Newgate stirred a bitter anger in him. Damn Whitebeard. He'd managed to die somehow, hadn't he? It wasn't fair. "Or are you begging for your territory back?"

A pall of silence hung between the two of them, broken only by the snow howling outside.

He expected fear of some sort, anger, indignation, anything, really.

Not this insipid ghastly quiet that threatened to drive him mad!

Uneasy, the woman in blue nudged the younger Yonko.

"Naruto-sama," she murmured, "Shouldn't we-

A hand rose, silencing her.

On a whim, Kaido made a snap decision. If the runt truly had come crawling to him for such a mundane reason, he would kill him on the spot. If he was an Emperor of the Sea then he should take what was his by force! Not with clever words or petty negotiations! If he truly possessed the power of two devil fruits as the rumors suggested then he had more than enough strength. He might even be able to kill him. As tempting as that prospect might be, he found himself far more curious as the blond's purpose here.

"Tell me, is that why you're here, brat?"

Ice blue eyes rose to meet his.

...no." Came the soft reply.

"Good!" the word burst of the tattooed man in harsh guffaw. "I'd have killed you if that were the case. Now...

A muscle jumped in Kaido's jaw.

...why have you really come here?"

To his annoyance, the boy didn't answer. Not immediately. Instead he indicated the bottle of sake with his visible hand, yet untouched despite being offered. When the King of Beasts made no move to stop him, the blond hoisted that gigantic bottle of sake high and plugged it against his lips, uncaring of the overflow. A moment passed as he drank deeply of the powerful brew, heedless of the behemoth looming over him. Then another. And another still. Finally, just when the Yonkou decided he'd had his fill of the whiskered warrior's silence, the young man slammed it down sharply.

"What a pity." he sighed, regarding the shattered shards with a hint of regret. "I went to all that trouble and you wouldn't even drink. Seemed a shame to waste it, but if you're going to be an ass about this, there's no point, is there?"

Someone moved in the shadows.

"Why you little...!"

'Enough.'

Rising to his full towering height, the King of Beasts placed both hands on his knees and rose from his throne to loom over his recalcitrant guest. His shadow swallowed all light, plunging the boy and his companion into darkness. If they felt any fear they did precious little to show it. The former met his gaze staunchly as he rose from his own crouch, those crystal azure orbs never wavering. For a fleeting instant, Kaido considered crushing both of them regardless of their purpose here. They'd already taken up valuable time, and he'd no intention of being stalled any further.

"I won't ask again." Kaido growled. "Tell me what you want, or die."

The bluenette bristled at the threat, but held her tongue.

Whitebeard's grandson offered him a chilling smile.

"As you wish. Its really quite simple, you see...

He held up an empty hand in offering.

"I've come to bargain."

"Bargain?"

Whatever good will the horned-pirated might've felt drained out of him at the boy's lackadaisical response. Absurd. Wholly, utterly absurd. The boy had nothing he wanted. So why bargain then? He claimed no interest in the territory he'd lost, yet he still perpetuated this farce like some young upstart-bah! Enough negotiations! He'd exhausted his patience! This was exactly why he hated talking! Only weaklings used their words! True men let their fists do the talking, and come what may! Not this silver-tongue bullshit!

As though sensing that thought, Newgate's boy arched an eyebrow.

"Hit me all you want, I'm not here to fight." Whitebeard's grandson shook his head. "As I said, I'm here to bargain. You help me, I'll help you."

"And what's in for me?" Kaido growled.

The blond merely beamed at him.

"A guaranteed way to die."

'Oh?'

"I see." a towering arm rose, fingers brushing the ceiling. "Let's test that, shall we?!"

Naruto's head tilted slightly, regarding his rising forearm with mild concern. "Do you really wanna...?"

"Begone!"

With a yelp, the watery woman flowed upright.

"Naruto-sama!"

A hand snapped up.

"Stay out of this, Juvia!"

Before the blond could offer another witty retort or anything meaningful in the way of defense, Kaido brought his fist crashing down into his upturned chin. Clenched knuckles barreled into the side of his visage, giving the blond's body an awful wrench even as he found himself flung through the roof and the sky beyond. It was a very good punch, the Yonko thought. Blindingly fast, packing enough power to send the blond flying across the horizon, or barring that, render him little more than a stain on the ceiling. Regardless of either outcome, he remained certain of the end result. The runt perished the moment he made contact-

-until he didn't.

Rather than pulp the blond where he stood, his fist met resistance. Instead of flesh, his taut fingers tasted the unyielding steel of the Shichiseiken; its eerie emerald surface shimmering and twisting as it held the almighty strength behind the blow at bay. Blue eyes blazed up at him, narrowed in defiance of his power. With a grunt the blond wrenched the blade up and away, opening a thin rent in his cheek as he flitted past. A shimmering fist cloaked in a quake caught the unkillable man in the knee, causing his right leg to buckle. Rather than capitalize on the opportunity, a faint breeze informed him of his fellow Emperor's retreat.

Regarding the light cut upon his cheek, the King of Beasts turned to regard the swordsman.

An injury...this was new.

Perhaps he'd misjudged him.

"An justd what do you want, brat?"

"Me?" the hybrid chuckled. "That's simple. I want what any pirate wants."

"Meaning...?"

Thrusting his sword into the ground, he spread his arms wide, as though to steal the very heavens themselves. For a fleeting instant the storm cleared, only to intensify once more, perhaps in response to his sudden fit of pique. Blue eyes flashed, burning as though lit from within. After all the runt had said and done, Kaido half expected him to prattle on about peace and cooperation or somesuch. He seemed the sort to say such things, or the kind to restrain himself.

...he was pleasantly by what followed.

As luck would have it, his request proved another matter entirely.

"I want everything, of course!" Naruto laughed, guffawing openly in spite of the storm. "I want a family! I want fire! I want fury!" the wind picked up as he spoke, pitching his words into a frenzy, forcing him to shout just to be heard. "I want to tear this rotten world to pieces; to drag those in power off their gilded thrones and cast them into the streets for what they did to my old man! I want excitement! Entertainment! I want a grand adventure the world has never seen, a tale like no other! To turn everything upside down! But first, what I really want, no, what I need...

Those wild blue eyes blazed a sinister scarlet.

...is Big Mom's fat head on a spike."

His hand arced out toward him.

"Do we have an accord?"

A/N: Ha! Didn't see that coming now, did you?

This interlude may seem inconsequential, but it has HUGE ramifications down the line.

Oughta be obvious.

Next chapter really gets into the good bits, if you know what I mean.

0_0

Naruto may be dense, but he follows one true adage; the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Clearly he's got no quarrel with Shanks, but Big Mom and Kaidou are another matter. If he can turn them against one another, he'll do that in a heartbeat. And let's face it, it'd be the battle of a lifetime to have them go at it.

Let's face it, Big Mom is absolutely atrocious. None of us like her. In fact we hate her. She eats her own kids, steals their lifespans, devours her friends, and for what? Candy? Not to mention she abuses her children and TORTURES THEM. As far as I'm concerned, Kaidou's a far more preferable ally. At least HE won't try and pull a bloody Red Wedding on his allies!

Also, I HAD another preview back in last chapter that involved an amusing arc with Naruto and co. running for their lives, but I took it down in preparation for the chapter and then lost it years ago.

Anyone happen to have that bit saved somewhere? I'd really appreciate it.

So...in the immortal words of Atlas...

...Review, would you kindly?

And enjoy the previews!

Potential ones at that!

Do you like 'em?

(Previews!)

"What kind of mushrooms did you say those were again?"

Sasuke shot past like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"FLY YOU FOOLS!"

"Alright. I'll bite. What did you do, captain?"

Naruto's head popped up from the hold.

"Alriiiiiight, but you can't be mad."

Tenten growled softly at him.

"What. Did. You. Do."

"I was minding my-

"BULLSHIT!"

"This island is under protection again, you damned brat. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave. At once."

Hody Jones sneered.

"Jahahahaha! What of it, Neptune?! An Emperor of the Sea? Here? Don't be absurd. Big Mom cares little for us. I'll kill you, and then I'll kill your damn daughter!"

Neptune groaned.

...I do not speak of Big Mom, you fool! Please! Stop this madness before its too late!"

"Ha?"

CRUNCH.

The unmistakable sound of a bisento crashing into the earth stopped the shark cold. Now, Hody didn't possess Haki. He lacked the foresight most of his generation warriors held. Clinging to his pride and borrowed power, his arrogance knew no bounds, his pride no limits. But even he couldn't ignore the towering shadow looming large over him, casting his portion of the plaza into shadow. Wide eyes rose, unwilling to turn and face the juggernaut he knew lurked behind him. Unable to move, yet not wanting to concede his mistake, the fishman swallowed thickly.

...he's right behind me, isn't he...?"

A low growl trickled in his ear.

"Yes. He is."

"Funny thing there. Air is everywhere. Even in your lungs. How about I dive right in?"

R&R! =D