Nami had begun training, albeit with some skepticism. She started with the basics: chakra refinement and tree climbing.
It was the same foundational path Naruto had laid out for Luffy and Zoro earlier.
However, it quickly became obvious that Nami's combat potential wasn't on the same level as theirs. She wasn't weak, but compared to Luffy's raw physicality and Zoro's swordsmanship-hardened physique, the difference was stark.
Even in terms of basic stamina and strength, she lagged behind.
Her chakra reserves were small, barely a trickle compared to the others. But still—she had chakra now. That alone meant she was stronger than before.
Meanwhile, Naruto continued training Luffy, helping him refine his control.
Especially after opening the Eight Inner Gates, the raw force unleashed had to be carefully directed. Letting that much power erupt aimlessly would do more harm than good.
The chakra had to flow with precision—through the correct chakra pathway circuits—what Naruto referred to as "One-Ninety," a nickname for the internal routing method used to handle high-output chakra states.
Uncontrolled chakra surging through the body could shred muscles, damage organs, or worse.
Under Naruto's guidance, Luffy's use of the Eight Gates became more stable. The strain on his body lessened, and his attacks became faster, sharper—far more lethal.
During this process, Naruto also gained a deeper understanding of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika—Luffy's Devil Fruit.
Together, they began developing new techniques.
Naruto helped Luffy refine Gear Second and Gear Third, not just as flashy power-ups, but as sustainable transformations.
When Naruto activated his own Demon Mode, something curious happened—he was able to resonate with the Nika Fruit's power. For a brief moment, he too became a rubber man.
But unlike Luffy, the same transformation amplified exponentially through Naruto's body. His unique blend of chakra and the Nika Fruit's divine properties caused the output to spike beyond normal limits.
Luffy had potential. Great potential.
But Naruto's talent was monstrous.
He even took it a step further—modifying the way Luffy used Gear Second. Originally, the technique placed a toll on Luffy's lifespan, using his blood circulation to accelerate performance unnaturally.
But with Naruto's help, they discovered an optimized version of Gear Second that eliminated that drawback entirely.
Now, Luffy could enter Gear Second freely—without shortening his life.
As for Gear Fourth...
Naruto hadn't developed it yet. Without access to Haki, especially Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), the foundational element for Gear Fourth's compression-based transformations, it was still out of reach.
At least, for now.
Nami had begun training in earnest, though she was still a bit skeptical. Her routine started with chakra refinement and moved on to basic tree climbing—foundational steps Naruto had also given to Luffy and Zoro.
But it was clear that Nami's combat abilities were far below those of her crewmates. Even her baseline physical fitness couldn't compare.
Her chakra output was minimal, barely enough to coat her fingers.
Still, even a small amount of chakra was a significant boost. With it, she was now on the path to becoming stronger.
Naruto, meanwhile, continued mentoring Luffy, focusing on control.
When opening the Eight Inner Gates, raw power floods the body. That force needs precise management—otherwise, it risks tearing the user apart from the inside.
A vital part of the training was teaching Luffy how to guide that chakra through the correct pathway system—what Naruto jokingly referred to as the "One-Ninety circuit," a refined method to stabilize the chakra flow in high-intensity combat.
If the chakra rampaged freely, it could destroy muscle fibers or even rupture organs.
Thanks to Naruto's help, Luffy's efficiency using the Eight Gates improved dramatically. The damage to his body lessened, while the impact of his attacks grew sharper, faster, and more devastating.
At the same time, Naruto gained a better understanding of Luffy's Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.
Together, they refined Gear Second and Gear Third.
Interestingly, when Naruto entered Demon Mode and attempted to resonate with the Nika Fruit's abilities, he was able to transform into a rubber-like form as well.
However, the transformation surged with even greater power through Naruto's body—his hybrid constitution could push the Nika abilities beyond Luffy's current limits.
Luffy's potential was high, but Naruto's aptitude bordered on terrifying.
He even reworked Gear Second itself—removing its biggest drawback: the cost of lifespan.
Originally, Gear Second accelerated Luffy's blood flow, placing intense strain on his body. But with Naruto's guidance, they developed a version that bypassed this burden entirely.
Now, Luffy could use Gear Second freely, without fearing the long-term consequences.
Gear Fourth, however, was still off the table—for now.
Without access to Haki, especially Armament Haki (Busoshoku Haki), Naruto couldn't replicate the compression and reinforcement techniques needed for Gear Fourth's form.
As for the Fifth-Level Awakening, it remained a mystery—a latent stage that even Naruto hadn't fully explored.
"It seems your physical conditioning is still lacking," Naruto commented after Luffy deflated post-Gear Third, shrinking down into a chibi version of himself—his usual comical aftermath.
Naruto, on the other hand, showed no such side effects when using the same technique.
Luffy could only groan and dig into his usual recovery plan: meat.
The ship continued drifting steadily through the seas, guided with expert precision by Nami. With her aboard, Naruto had nothing to worry about in terms of navigation.
Aside from her training, she managed the helm with ease. She wasn't just talented—she was a sailing genius.
For now, Luffy's physical training was put on hold; body conditioning wasn't something that improved overnight.
Naruto turned his attention to Zoro next.
Zoro had been attempting to invoke Lightning Release Chakra—but mastering it was no small task.
Lightning chakra was volatile, reactive, and difficult to control.
The core of Lightning Release Chakra Mode was to coat the body in high-speed chakra, enhancing strength, reflexes, and reaction time. It also granted an added layer of defense—like a living armor of electricity.
The good news? It didn't interfere with Zoro's swordsmanship.
But Zoro was still new to chakra manipulation, and getting the nature transformation of lightning just right was extremely difficult.
He had to carefully merge both nature and form transformation, shaping the lightning around his body like armor—and doing it without frying his muscles.
It required balancing the output to stimulate his nerves and muscles, without electrocuting himself.
Unfortunately, Zoro hadn't mastered that part yet.
Every few attempts ended with a sharp crack, a sound like birds chirping—reminiscent of Chidori—followed by Zoro collapsing, twitching on the ground.
"Damn it… shocked myself again…" he muttered through gritted teeth.
Naruto chuckled. "Better get used to it. If we end up on Skypiea one day, you'll be dealing with a lot worse."
To wield this kind of ninjutsu, one had to become accustomed to being electrocuted.
Pain now meant power later.
With all three of his "apprentices" busy training, Naruto finally had some downtime.
He had already mastered the Nika Fruit's powers—there wasn't much else for him to do right now.
But there was one limitation he couldn't bypass.
When using Demon Mode to forcibly channel Devil Fruit abilities, he could only use one Fruit at a time.
Any attempt to activate two at once caused internal rejection—an unstable collision of incompatible energies.
It reminded Naruto of one man—Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard.
He was the only known person in the world who could wield two Devil Fruit abilities simultaneously.
Naruto would have to meet that "freak" eventually and uncover the truth behind that power.
Until then, it wasn't a problem. He could still switch abilities at will—use Nika in one instant, then Split-Split Fruit (Bara Bara no Mi) in the next.
It just required speed and timing.
"Whatever. I'm bored. Let's check in on Buggy and Garp."
Naruto extended his spiritual perception and connected with one of his distant clones.
The first one he focused on was the clone he had embedded inside the Navy.
That clone had already made contact with Vice Admiral Garp, and was now undergoing intense training under his guidance.
The clone had performed so well that, with only minimal instruction, his physical capabilities had skyrocketed.
In a few recent battles against pirates, he had already made a name for himself. Garp had taken notice.
"This one's the future of the Navy," Garp muttered more than once.
It even seemed like he planned to bring the young man back to Marineford—headquarters—for formal training in Rokushiki and eventually Haki.
"Giorno, I've never seen a talent like yours before," Garp said, placing a firm hand on the clone's shoulder.
"It's a blessing for the Navy to have someone like you. I'm getting old, and this pirate era still hasn't ended. It's up to you—your generation—to carry on justice and end the age of pirates."
Of course, the clone couldn't use Naruto's real identity.
So, Naruto had created a new persona for him—complete with a distinctive appearance. Blond hair styled into three rings—like stacked donuts—and the alias "Giorno."
He didn't say much. He just trained.
And Garp respected that. A man of few words and strong fists.
Unlike his own grandson, who seemed hellbent on becoming Pirate King, this new disciple followed orders and understood duty.
The more Garp observed Giorno, the more impressed he became.
Maybe… I'll teach him some advanced techniques.
Let him start with Soru and Geppō—the first steps toward mastering the Navy's Six Styles.
...
TN:
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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!
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