You know, the enemies Zoro faced in the illusion weren't just ordinary swordsmen—they were ninja swordsmen.
And what defines ninja swordsmanship? Assassination. Naturally, their techniques are all about speed, precision, and lethality.
For speed, there's the Crescent Moon Dance—a Leaf-style technique emphasizing swift, flowing strikes. For precision and ruthlessness, you have shinobi like Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist.
Zoro even clashed with none other than Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake. In the ninja world, his blade technique was nothing short of legendary—some even considered it the pinnacle.
Compared to those experiences, Captain Kuro's movements felt like slow motion.
Zoro only needed to swing his sword a few times. That was enough—Kuro was critically wounded and couldn't maintain his high-speed assault.
"This is disappointing... Is this really the level of 'Baiji Kuro'?"
Zoro sighed, frustration creeping into his tone. He had expected a challenge, perhaps even a duel worthy of sharpening his skills. But the battle ended in the blink of an eye.
Naruto, watching nearby, was satisfied. The training regimen he had designed for his companions was clearly paying off.
But still—it wasn't enough. Not yet.
Luffy was now strong enough to face Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Even without mastering Haki, as long as he had access to water, he could break through Crocodile's defenses head-on.
Zoro, on the other hand, still lagged slightly behind.
But that was fine. Luffy was the protagonist, a monster in human form—and more importantly, the user of the Nika Nika no Mi.
Zoro didn't need innate talent. His strength came from grit, from pure, unrelenting effort.
Could a few sessions of training with Naruto really elevate him to the level needed to defeat a Warlord of the Sea?
No—that was unrealistic.
Unless… unless he could fully master Lightning Release Chakra Mode. If he managed that, then perhaps he could even last a few more exchanges against someone like Dracule Mihawk.
But for now, he hadn't even reached the level where he could cut through iron. His current strength was decent—just decent.
Sooner or later, he would face Mihawk. Naruto could only hope Zoro would last longer than a single strike.
Maybe it was time for a more intensive training plan.
He didn't want Zoro to be completely humiliated when the time came.
Anyway, this particular battle wrapped up quickly.
Kuro was defeated without much effort, and Miss Kaya, the young lady they had helped, prepared a banquet to celebrate.
At the feast, she made an important announcement: she would gift them a ship.
Everything was progressing nicely—their journey was back on track.
That evening, Naruto went to check in on Kaya. He didn't have any ulterior motives; he simply wanted to help with her lingering illness.
With a gentle surge of Yang Release Chakra, he let his hand glow and gently placed it near her.
Instantly, her complexion brightened. Her frail and sickly aura faded, replaced with a healthy glow.
She was stunned. She didn't understand what had just happened, but she knew she felt much better.
"You… you did this? Naruto-san, what was that…?"
Kaya looked at him with wide, confused eyes.
Naruto offered a simple smile.
"I don't know how I can ever repay you," she whispered, deeply moved.
This illness had plagued her for years. Even the most reputable doctors in the East Blue couldn't cure it. And now, a single touch from this blond stranger had fixed it.
Usopp, watching from the doorway with a smear of food still on his lips, silently clenched his fist.
He made a quiet decision in his heart.
"It was just a small favor—nothing worth mentioning."
Naruto waved it off casually and turned back to the banquet without lingering.
"Kuro's still the captain of his crew. Even if he left the Black Cat Pirates, he still holds sway over his men," Naruto said later in a hushed tone.
"I'm certain he's been secretly contacting them. He probably had backup planned from the beginning."
He looked to Luffy, his eyes serious.
"If we can, let's take them all down in one go. After all, they gave us this ship—it's only right that we repay them properly. What do you think?"
"Haha, sounds like a good ol' brawl to me!"
Luffy opened his arms and grinned, always eager for a fight.
The Going Merry wasn't ready to set sail just yet. It still needed repairs and outfitting before it could become their true vessel.
Merry, the butler and original designer of the ship, personally stepped in to assist with refurbishing.
During that time, Naruto subtly got involved—channeling Wood Release to strengthen the ship's frame.
His chakra enhanced the Merry's durability and added features that didn't originally exist—like reinforced hull plating, hidden compartments, and even minor self-repair capabilities.
Merry, upon witnessing Naruto's power firsthand, was fascinated. He eagerly worked with Naruto to integrate new designs and features, making the ship more than just seaworthy.
Thanks to this, the Going Merry received what could only be described as an epic upgrade.
This was exactly what Naruto wanted—he didn't want to see the ship broken in half in the future, like in the original timeline.
With a single session of enhancement, the Merry's overall performance had been maxed out.
Eventually, the Black Cat Pirates launched their ambush.
But it was pointless.
Luffy and Zoro crushed them with ease. Even Usopp managed to shine during the skirmish, showing flashes of potential.
With that, the Syrup Village arc drew to a close.
The Straw Hat Pirates were finally ready to set sail.
Usopp didn't make a big speech—he just walked onto the ship.
"I'll reluctantly accept the role of captain."
"Oi! I'm the captain!!"
He and Luffy immediately started bickering, their voices echoing across the deck.
Naruto watched them and let out a tired sigh.
With this guy onboard, things were about to get way more chaotic.
As the ship set sail, the Straw Hat Jolly Roger, marked by a grinning skull wearing Luffy's straw hat, fluttered proudly in the sea breeze.
Naruto glanced at Usopp and scratched his head.
"…So what kind of training should I even give this guy?"
Usopp was a long-range specialist—a sharpshooter.
Teaching him basic shuriken or kunai techniques wasn't going to cut it.
Sure, it would help a little, but the potential ceiling was low.
With the kind of enemies they'd be facing later—like Warlords, CP9, Yonkō, and even Admirals—Usopp would need far more than good aim and bravado.
Just flinging ninja tools wouldn't defeat someone like Doflamingo or Kizaru.
But then, a thought struck Naruto.
An idea. A wild, unconventional, but perfect idea.
"Art is… an explosion!"
The image of Deidara flashed in his mind.
Or perhaps even Sasori—master of puppetry.
That's it. The Artistic Duo!
If Naruto had to choose a path for Usopp, it would be a hybrid:
Learn Puppet Techniques, combining them with sniper skills.
Master the Art of Explosion, creating chakra-based explosives—an evolution of his classic tricks and gadgets.
When Franky joins later, they could even fuse technology with chakra puppetry.
Imagine puppets reinforced with tech, laced with explosive tags, and sniping from a distance. That would make Usopp a real threat.
"Alright," Naruto murmured. "We'll start with the basics. Chakra control first… then move on to explosive tags."
And with that, Naruto officially began drafting Usopp's training plan.
A plan to turn a cowardly sniper into an explosive ninja puppeteer.
...
TN:
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