Break into the naval base and take the "prisoner."
Defeating Axeman Morgan was naturally a good thing—after all, that guy was far from just.
Morgan had committed numerous atrocities in Shells Town. He even raised a son like Helmeppo...
Letting a man like that continue unchecked? Yeah, no thanks.
Given enough time, he might've become One Piece's equivalent of "I don't eat beef."
Now that Morgan had been taken down, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the Navy came sniffing around.
Once they arrived, all the dirty deeds Morgan tried to cover up would finally come to light.
The townspeople cheered for what Naruto and the others had done—but the Navy didn't see it that way.
They showed up at their doorstep just as they were finishing a meal.
The trio didn't say much. With the sun dipping below the horizon, they made their way to the port, planning to sail off.
"So... where's our ship?"
Zoro asked, twitching slightly at the corners of his mouth.
"Hahaha! 'Ship 183'—I kinda forgot it back in the last sea we were in," Luffy said with his usual silly grin.
"Guess we have no choice but to work here and save up money to buy a new one."
"Don't joke around," Zoro said flatly. "The Navy won't let us go that easy."
Even without a bounty, they had attacked a high-ranking Marine officer.
Sure, Morgan was corrupt—but he was still a Marine.
This kind of thing doesn't just get swept under the rug.
"Then we've only got one option: steal a ship."
"Or find one already setting sail and hitch a ride."
"If that doesn't work, we'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way—blade to the neck, make someone take us out to sea."
Zoro frowned as he laid out his rather blunt plan.
Rough? Sure. Effective? Definitely.
Then he turned around and started walking—only to head in the exact wrong direction.
"...You wanna go to sea, but you're heading inland," Naruto said, grabbing Zoro's shoulder.
This guy's sense of direction was catastrophically bad. If left alone, he'd probably start a whole new side quest by accident.
"I get that you're anxious, but don't rush things."
"I'll take care of everything."
Naruto walked to the beach and placed both hands on the ground.
"Wood Release: Shipbuilding Technique."
With a surge of chakra, trees erupted from the soil. Under Naruto's control, they twisted and shaped themselves into the form of a small ship.
Zoro's jaw nearly dropped.
He had already seen Luffy's strange rubber body during their previous battles—but now this?
"So... you're also a Devil Fruit user? The Moku Moku no Mi?"
Zoro guessed.
Naruto shook his head.
"It's not a Devil Fruit. It's ninjutsu. I'm a ninja."
Luffy's eyes lit up. He shot forward with a spring-loaded arm and landed squarely on the ship.
The boat wasn't large, but it had everything they needed—even the sail was crafted from wood using Naruto's jutsu.
He even added a small "figurehead" at the front: a wooden carving of a fox.
"Set sail! Let's go!"
Luffy declared, sitting proudly atop the fox's head like a true captain.
The wind caught their sail, and the ship began drifting out to sea.
Just like that, the trio of pirates left Shells Town behind.
But as their ship disappeared into the horizon, a "mysterious boy" was washed ashore.
He was young and claimed to have lost his memory—remembering only that he'd been attacked by pirates.
The boy joined the Navy as a simple errand-runner.
But that boy... was actually a clone created by Naruto using ninjutsu.
This clone would follow in Koby's footsteps—starting small, but rising quickly through the Navy ranks, mastering a range of skills.
Thanks to the Mind-Link Technique, Naruto could communicate with him over any distance.
He had full remote control of the clone and could manipulate it at will.
Eventually, this clone would meet Garp.
And once that happened, Naruto could potentially access all of the Navy's Rokushiki techniques—and even Haki.
It was settled.
Naruto had decided to follow the Straw Hat Pirates.
And in the meantime, he would also create a training plan for them.
He couldn't resist the temptation to study this world's power system.
And what better way than with Shadow Clones?
Back on the fox-headed ship, Naruto began helping his new crewmates grow stronger.
Zoro was already trying to circulate chakra and had started climbing trees using chakra control.
He didn't resist the new power.
After all, chakra strengthened the body—and for a swordsman, that was always a plus.
But if you asked him to learn flashy techniques like the Clone or Transformation Jutsu?
Forget it.
Zoro wasn't interested in flashy tricks. The sword must remain pure.
Naruto didn't push him. First, he needed to understand the chakra nature affinities of these two.
Luffy went first. After testing him with chakra paper, it turned out he had a fire affinity.
Then came Zoro.
Surprisingly, his paper split and frayed—he had wind and lightning affinities.
Naruto took note but didn't say much.
"Alright then, Luffy. Let's start training in the Eight Gates technique."
He placed both hands on Luffy's shoulders.
Luffy was already fired up—he didn't even know what the Eight Gates were, but he was ready to go.
Zoro, meanwhile, was still busy with tree-climbing drills and wouldn't be able to start yet.
So this lesson would be for Luffy alone.
The Eight Gates technique isn't complicated.
In fact, it's a physical technique so straightforward that even someone like Might Guy or Rock Lee could master it.
But then why is it so rarely used?
Simple: the side effects are brutal.
Opening the gates puts immense strain on the body—and if your physical fitness isn't top-tier, using them could be fatal.
Even Kakashi, who once used the Eight Gates, was utterly drained afterward.
Only someone like Guy—or Lee, who trained his body relentlessly—could handle it safely.
And now... Luffy would learn it.
They possessed bodies as tough as steel—only with such resilience could one endure the brutal impact of the Eight Gates' chakra.
More importantly, they had the willpower to grit their teeth and push through unimaginable pain.
After all, the moment the Eight Gates are opened—especially from the fifth gate onward—the agony that floods the body is enough to make even hardened shinobi collapse.
A body of steel.
A mind of steel.
Both are essential.
Great power always comes at a price.
So the question now was—how would this technique suit Luffy?
Could he handle the Eight Gates?
The answer—without hesitation—was yes.
Naruto placed his hand on Luffy's back, gathering chakra into his palm and gently guiding the energy flow through Luffy's body.
Before long, Luffy had successfully opened the First Gate: Gate of Opening.
"I can feel it!" Luffy shouted, eyes wide with excitement.
"The chakra in my body—it's swelling! I'm full of strength!"
He threw a punch into the air, and a shockwave of chakra burst outward.
Naruto watched him carefully.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, voice calm but eyes sharp.
Luffy blinked.
"Nope! Just feels... kind of bloated," he said with a grin, scratching his head.
...
TN:
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