The flower shop was quiet that afternoon, filled with the lazy hum of cicadas and the gentle rustle of petals in the breeze. Summer sunlight spilled in through the front windows, warm and golden. It had been a little over a week and a half since Naruto had started working at the Yamanaka flower shop — and in that time, much had changed.
For one, his appearance.
Where his wild blond hair used to shine like sunfire, now, under certain angles, there was a subtle tint of red—barely noticeable, but there. Like strands of ember mixed into gold. A nod to the Uzumaki blood that ran deep beneath his skin. And the whisker marks that had once been sharp lines on his cheeks? They had begun to fade, becoming softer, thinner — almost ghost-like, especially under sunlight.
No one really mentioned it. Not out loud. But Ayaka had noticed. Inoichi too.
And then there was the outfit.
The loud orange jacket? Gone. Retired. Buried under Ino's iron will.
She had taken him shopping four days after he started, grabbing his wrist and dragging him across the marketplace before he could protest. "You represent the shop now," she had declared. "You can't look like an idiot."
He had tried to argue. Lost. Repeatedly.
She made him try on half the store — white shirts, dark green tops, even a black kimono at one point. Naruto had scowled through it all, but Ino had seemed to enjoy every second.
Finally, they settled on a simple but well-fitted blue shirt and matching pants, comfortable and neat. A red Uzumaki swirl was stitched onto the back of the shirt — something Ayaka had added herself, quietly, without comment. It wasn't flashy, but it looked... right.
Even Ino had given him a once-over, crossed her arms, and muttered, "You actually don't look like an idiot anymore."
Ayaka had smiled behind the counter. "He looks very nice."
Inoichi had simply nodded. "That suits you better, Naruto."
And that was that.
Across the counter, Ino sat slumped on her elbows, her cheek pressed to her palm, her free hand idly playing with a lavender stem.
"I'm bored," she declared.
"You said that fifteen minutes ago," Naruto replied without looking up.
"Yeah, and I meant it then too."
He glanced at her, smirking. "Want to hear a story?"
Ino raised an eyebrow. "What am I, five?"
Naruto just shrugged. "You're bored. I'm offering entertainment."
There was a pause. Then, a sigh. "...Fine. Impress me, storyteller."
Naruto leaned against the counter, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "This isn't just a story. This is a tale from another world. A world with no chakra. No shinobi. Just endless, endless oceans. Islands scattered like stars across the sea, and monsters lurking beneath the waves."
Ino blinked. "Monsters? Like summon beasts?"
"Way bigger," Naruto said. "Sea Kings. Massive creatures that could eat whole ships. But they weren't the scariest thing. The real danger came from the people. Pirates. Marines. Bounty hunters. All locked in a race for the greatest treasure in history."
"Treasure?"
Naruto smiled. "One Piece."
And then, his voice dropped, serious now.
"It all started with a man named Gol D. Roger — the Pirate King."
Ino tilted her head, intrigued.
"Roger was the strongest pirate to ever live. He conquered the Grand Line — the most dangerous sea in the world. No one could stop him. Not the Marines, not the World Government. But eventually, they caught him. They brought him to a city called Loguetown... for public execution."
Ino blinked. "They executed the Pirate King in front of everyone?"
"Yeah. But before they could kill him, someone in the crowd shouted, 'Where's your treasure?!' And Roger... he smiled."
Naruto stepped away from the counter and turned slightly, as if standing on a gallows himself. His voice boomed, deep and echoing with drama:
"You want my treasure? I left everything I own in One Piece! Find it if you can! I left it all... at the end of the Grand Line!"
The words seemed to shake the walls.
Ino sat up. "He... he said that?"
Naruto grinned. "And with that, the world changed. That moment marked the beginning of the Great Pirate Era. Pirates across the world set sail. All of them chasing the One Piece."
"And that's where the story begins?" Ino asked.
"That's where his story ends," Naruto said, sitting down again. "But now, let me tell you about a kid named Luffy."
He leaned forward, eyes sparkling.
"Luffy was a loud, stubborn, and absolutely fearless kid. He lived in a small village near the sea. A group of pirates used to visit there often — led by a man named Shanks. Red hair. Always smiling. The kind of guy who could laugh in the face of a storm."
Ino's eyes lit up. "So he looked up to him?"
"More than anything. He wanted to join Shanks' crew. But they always said, 'You're too young.' That didn't stop Luffy. One day, he found this weird fruit in a treasure chest. And being Luffy… he ate it."
Ino squinted. "Why fruit in a treasure chest?"
Naruto nodded. "A Devil Fruit. It gave him a body made of rubber. He could stretch like a slingshot. But he lost the ability to swim. Forever."
"A pirate who can't swim?" Ino deadpanned.
Naruto laughed. "Exactly. Shanks wasn't mad that he ate the fruit. He was mad that Luffy put his life at risk. And then things got worse."
He leaned forward, serious now.
"Mountain bandits came into town. Nasty guy named Higuma. Laughed at the pirates. Spilled drinks on Shanks, called him weak. Luffy got angry — why didn't Shanks fight back?"
Naruto leaned forward, pretending to be the furious little boy, slamming his fists against an invisible table with exaggerated motions
"You let them humiliate you! Why didn't you do anything?!"
Ino nodded. "Yeah, why didn't he?"
Naruto leaned in, his voice lowering as the tone of the story shifted.
"One day, everything went wrong. The bandits came back. Higuma was furious Luffy had stood up to him earlier. So he grabbed Luffy and held a blade to his neck."
Ino's breath caught. "What?!"
"Shanks and his crew had just come back from sea. They entered the bar, calm as ever. But this time… when Shanks saw Luffy in danger, he didn't smile."
Naruto's tone dropped into something grim and sharp.
"One of the pirates pulled a pistol on Shanks. Said, 'You looking to die or something?'"
He mimicked Shanks' relaxed stance, eyes half-lidded.
'Pistols aren't for threats… they're for actions.'
Then Naruto's voice deepened:
'Are you willing to risk your life?'
Ino shivered.
Naruto drew a breath. "And just like that—BOOM! One of Shanks' men shot the bandit dead. No hesitation."
Her eyes widened. "They actually killed him?"
Naruto nodded. "The room fell silent. Then Shanks walked over to Higuma, who still had Luffy. He just looked at him. Calm. Dangerous."
'You hurt my friend.'
"Higuma froze. The whole crew stared him down, all of them grinning like wolves. He panicked, grabbed Luffy, and smashed through the window. Took a little boat and rowed out to sea."
Ino looked shocked. "Wait—he took Luffy?!"
"Yeah. Out into open water. Where Luffy couldn't swim. Higuma laughed, called him an idiot… and then—"
Naruto's voice dropped to a whisper.
"A shadow passed beneath the boat."
Ino leaned forward instinctively.
"A Sea King. Massive. Like a serpent, but big enough to tower over trees. It came up behind them and—" Naruto mimed a brutal CHOMP with his hands "—ate Higuma. Just like that. Gone."
Ino's hand flew to her mouth. "That's terrifying…"
Naruto nodded. "Luffy fell into the sea, struggling. Drowning. The Sea King turned its gaze toward him. And then—Shanks was there."
His voice softened.
"No boat. No sword. Just there, holding Luffy in one arm."
Ino whispered, "How?"
Naruto just said, "Doesn't matter. Shanks looked at the beast—one single glare."
"And the Sea King ran. Fled. That's how terrifying his presence was."
"But… Luffy was crying. Shaking. And then he saw it."
Naruto mimed holding up an arm. "Shanks' left arm… was gone."
Ino's eyes were wide. "He lost it?!"
Naruto nodded, solemn. "He lost his arm… just to save Luffy. And when the kid started crying and saying sorry, Shanks just smiled."
He gently mimed placing a hat on someone's head.
'I'll leave this hat with you. It's dear to me. Take good care of it… and bring it back to me someday… once you've become a great pirate.'
There was silence.
Ino was staring at him, her hand still covering her mouth. "…He… actually gave him his hat?"
Naruto smiled. "That straw hat was the last memento of his own dreams. And he passed it on to Luffy."
A long pause followed.
Then, Ino muttered, "…What happens next?"
Naruto stood and stretched with a loud yawn. "You'll find out tomorrow."
"No! No-no-no!" she shot up, eyes wide. "You can't just stop there!"
"I can and I will." Naruto grinned. "Gotta leave you wanting more, Captain Ino."
Her cheeks went red. "Don't call me that!"
He teased as he started wiping the counter. "All you need is a flag."
"I swear I'll kill you if you don't finish the story tomorrow—!"
"Oi!" Ayaka's voice came gently from the back. "Shop's closing. Time for dinner."
Naruto flashed Ino a wink. "Better get ready, First Mate."
"I am not your first mate!"
But she was already smiling, the echo of Luffy's vow still burning in her mind — a dream of pirates, adventure, and a boy with a straw hat, sailing toward the impossible.
chapter 3 end....