"I get the feeling she's going to be trouble… but it's fine. Having a proper navigator is a good thing,"
Zoro said casually, though a trace of regret lingered in his tone. He hadn't gotten the chance to throw hands this time.
His eyes settled on Nami, slightly wary.
Naruto observed the girl in front of him. Truthfully, there was a notable gap between the anime version and the real thing.
Nami was definitely beautiful and had sharp features, but her current physique was on the leaner side.
There was a major difference between how she looked in the early arcs and how she'd appear later. Right now, she was going through a rough period.
Her goal was simple but steep: save up 100 million Berries to buy back her village from Arlong. That was her sole focus.
She lived frugally, constantly on the move, and her body showed signs of it—slightly malnourished, her complexion pale from stress and poor diet.
Naruto squinted thoughtfully, picturing a certain curly-browed cook—Sanji.
Once Sanji joined the crew, everyone's nutrition shot up across the board. That was probably when Nami's figure started to "develop."
She must've made up for all her missed meals in one go.
Meanwhile, Nami studied the trio in front of her, silently labeling them.
The one with the straw hat? An idiot. Probably the captain.
The green-haired guy with three swords? Intimidating. His presence was even more oppressive than Arlong's.
Then there was the blond guy with the sunny smile. Friendly, relaxed—but Nami's instincts screamed danger.
Looking into his piercing blue eyes, she felt her guard waver. It was like he could see right through her.
They went into town and grabbed some essential supplies afterward.
Sure, Naruto could conjure a lot with ninjutsu, but it wasn't omnipotent. There were limits—certain materials and items couldn't be replicated.
So, restocking was necessary.
Technically, taking things without asking was stealing. But given the situation, it felt like a gray area at best.
The Straw Hat crew had just taken down Buggy and his gang. They even left Buggy alive so the locals could turn him in for a bounty—perfect for rebuilding their town.
So really, grabbing a few supplies? Not that big a deal.
Nami, meanwhile, had scooped up all of Buggy's treasure and was happily counting her spoils.
Buggy's ship was a major upgrade from their previous fox-faced boat. Bigger, sturdier—definitely heavier.
"Are we really gonna tow this one too? Is this more training?"
Zoro groaned, lounging on the deck.
He'd seen decent gains from the last round of physical training, but this ship was no joke.
If he and Luffy pulled together, maybe they could move it—but it'd be slow.
"No way! We're still doing tugboat training? This thing's not even the same class!"
Luffy complained, face contorted in agony.
With the sails hoisted, the ship began to move smoothly.
Nami, a natural-born navigator, could sense wind direction just by instinct. With her on board, Naruto could stop worrying about steering or drifting off course.
"I'm not a tyrant," Naruto said with a grin.
"But now that we've got more space on deck, it's time to step things up. I've got something fun planned for you two."
He meant training—and not just physical drills.
For Luffy, Naruto was planning to teach him some advanced taijutsu from Konoha, refined techniques that paired well with the Eight Gates.
Moves like the Front Lotus and Morning Peacock weren't just flashy—they maximized the destructive power of the Gates.
Of course, Naruto had some original combinations prepared for Luffy too. With his creativity and rubbery body, there was a lot of room to innovate.
As for Zoro—Naruto figured it was finally time to introduce him to Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The moment they heard that, both Luffy and Zoro lit up.
Not having to tow the boat anymore was a blessing. Learning new techniques on top of that? Even better.
"Nami," Naruto turned to the orange-haired girl, "interested in learning some ninjutsu?"
"Ninjutsu? What's that?"
Nami tilted her head, confused.
She'd been chasing money for as long as she could remember. Survival, saving her village—those had always come first. She never had the time or luxury to learn about faraway professions like ninja.
She had heard the term before—"ninja"—but it was vague. A shadowy profession, exotic and distant. As for ninjutsu, she had absolutely no idea what it entailed.
"It's hard to explain in words," Naruto said with a smile. "So, I'll just show you."
He clapped his hands together in a familiar motion.
A moment later, the ocean current surged. The ship jolted forward as if pushed by an unseen force.
"The current... it just changed! What did you do?!"
Nami's eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the sea. "Was that... ninjutsu?"
Most people in the One Piece world had never seen anything like it. The sheer versatility of ninjutsu often left pirates stunned the first time they encountered it.
"Could it be another Devil Fruit power?" Nami muttered, frowning.
She recalled the strange abilities Naruto had displayed before. They felt similar—but also different. The world knew only one type of supernatural power: Devil Fruits. So what else could explain this?
Naruto shook his head.
"You don't need a Devil Fruit to use this. Ordinary people can learn it too—if they train hard enough."
He raised his hand. Blue chakra flickered to life, pulsing in his palm.
"This is chakra. It's the energy that fuels ninjutsu. With it, you can defend yourself... and protect the people you care about."
His voice lowered a little, taking on a compelling rhythm—almost hypnotic.
"Do you crave power?"
The question hung in the air.
Nami looked into his eyes, and for a moment—just a moment—she wavered.
If she had power… maybe she could protect her village. Maybe she could stop relying on tricks, lies, and theft to get by. Maybe she could break free from Arlong.
But she quickly reined in that thought.
Power? What good would it do against fishmen who already dominated the sea? Arlong and his crew could breathe underwater, move faster than any human, and shatter stone with a punch.
Controlling water currents? That meant nothing to someone like Arlong. To someone like her.
Her fear of him had been carved into her very soul—deep, permanent. Like an elephant chained as a baby, tugging at the rope for years until it finally gave up and stopped trying.
Even after it grew strong enough to break free, it still believed it couldn't.
That was Nami now. Stronger than she knew, but convinced she was helpless.
And yet...
She couldn't help but feel drawn to the possibility.
There was a long silence. Then finally, she asked quietly, "So… what's the price?"
She wasn't naive. She'd learned the hard way: nothing came free in this world. And the blond ninja in front of her? He was no ordinary fool.
Nami had dealt with pirates, warlords, marines—every flavor of selfishness and cruelty. She had long learned to ask: What's the cost?
Naruto just grinned.
"Price? Aren't we partners?" he said. "If you want to learn, I'll teach you."
Just like that.
He was offering her something that could reshape the seas—a power few could even understand—and asking for nothing in return.
Nami blinked. That kind of generosity… it didn't sit right with her. It wasn't how the world worked.
And yet… it felt real.
She frowned, uncertain. Kindness like that? It was something she hadn't felt in a long, long time.
...
TN:
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...
Reason for Hiatus:
Hey guys,
It's Merlin here! ✨ This story was put on hiatus for a while due to some reasons—mainly because some of the later chapters were filled to the brim with inconsistencies, and I just couldn't make sense of them until recently. 😅 Now, I'll slowly start refining the old translations, and hopefully updates will become regular again after a while!
Thanks so much for your love and support for this story! 💖
P.S: If you like this story, I think you'd also enjoy [Naruto: The Heaven Rewards Diligence!]—another one of mine with a similar mechanic but its own twist. 🌌 There, we'll see the rise of Umbrella in the ninja world!
Check it out and hope you enjoy~ 😊🔥