Chapter 140: The Sovereign's Anniversary – The Eve of the Unveiling
The sun dipped below the horizon, but Uzushiogakure didn't go dark. Instead, the city began to glow with an ethereal, violet-blue light. This wasn't the flickering orange of torches or the harsh yellow of Konoha's electric lamps. These were Aether-Seals, drawing geothermal energy from the ocean floor to illuminate the silver spires.
Tsunade stood on a balcony overlooking the "Plaza of the Sun," her eyes wide as she watched the entire village—no, the entire nation—move as one.
"You mentioned the others," Tsunade said, turning back to Rimon. "Luffy isn't the only one these people talk about like he's a god. I've heard names all day. Zoro, Sanji, Robin, Franky and that doctor reindeer Chopper... Who are these people, Rimon? And where did they go? No one from the Five Nations has ever heard of a 'King of the Pirates' or a 'Thousand Sunny.'"
Rimon leaned against the railing, looking down at a group of Uchiha and Senju children who were currently arguing over a wooden replica of a three-sword style.
"They were travelers, Tsunade-Ni," Rimon said, his voice dropping into that mysterious, calm tone that always preceded a half-truth. "The Uzumaki were always the masters of Space-Time. Deep in the ruins of the Old Temple, I found an ancient scroll—the 'Sovereign's Call.' It was a one-time bridge. It summoned protectors when we were at our weakest."
"An ancient scroll summoned a reindeer doctor and a cyborg shipwright?" Tsunade asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"The universe is bigger than the Five Nations," Rimon replied with a faint smirk. "They stayed for seven days, but they left a hundred years' worth of progress behind."
As they walked through the bustling streets, Rimon began to point out the specific fingerprints of the crew.
"You see the harbor?" Rimon pointed toward the massive, rotating docks. "That's the Franky-System. He taught our shipwrights that steel isn't just for blades—it's for hulls. He showed us how to use pressurized chakra to create 'Coup de Burst' engines. Because of him, Uzushio's navy can cross the Great Sea in days, not months."
They passed a massive, open-air kitchen where the air was thick with the scent of spices that made Tsunade's mouth water.
"The 'Attack Cuisine' came from Sanji," Rimon continued. "He wasn't just a cook; he was a warrior who understood that food is the first step of cultivation. Our shinobi don't just eat to get full; they eat to optimize their chakra pathways. That's why Kushina and other's growth is so explosive."
"And the girl who was helping Shiori in the Legislative Archive?" Tsunade asked. "The one they call the 'Light of the Revolution'?"
"Nico Robin," Rimon whispered, his eyes softening. "She taught us that history isn't just about dates—it's about truth. She helped us build the Archive so that no one, not even me, can erase the past to suit their narrative. She's the reason why the refugees here feel like citizens, not just 'saved people.' They know their history is respected."
They reached the "Vortex Academy," a building that looked more like a university from a future century than a ninja school.
"You asked why we're so secure," Rimon said, opening the heavy doors.
Inside, the halls were filled with teenage Hyuga, Uchiha,Uzumaki and Senju and also different children. They weren't fighting. They were sitting in a lecture hall. At the front of the room, a boy look like 15 or 16 with a quiet, terrifying aura was writing on a board.
"Is that... Fugaku?" Tsunade whispered. "He's teaching a class on... Diplomacy?"
"Fugaku is young patriarch of Uchiha for a reason," Rimon said. "But he's not the one I wanted you to see. Look at the back row."
Tsunade's eyes scanned the room and stopped on a young man, about 15, with long hair and a focused expression. Beside him was a girl with short, blonde hair and a bright smile.
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat. She pushed past Rimon and burst into the room.
"Nawaki?"
The boy looked up, his eyes widening. He stood up so fast his chair clattered to the floor. "Nee-san?"
Tsunade didn't care about the class. She didn't care about the Sovereign rules. She blurred across the room and slammed into her brother, sobbing into his shoulder.
"They said you died! I saw the report! The explosion—"
"I did almost die," Nawaki said, hugging her back with a strength that surprised her. "But the Sovereign's extraction team was faster than the Stone's explosive tags. Rimon-nii saved me, Tsunade-Ni. He saved all of us."
Tsunade looked around the room. There were dozens of them. Senju she had thought were lost in the Rain. Uchiha she had heard were slaughtered. They were all here, wearing the blue-and-silver of Uzushio.
The Ghost of the Academy
In the corner of the room, sitting quietly with a cup of tea, was a man with long, spiked black hair and a high-collared blue robe. He looked like an elder, but his eyes... his eyes were the stuff of nightmares.
Tsunade froze. Her medical intuition screamed at her. The man felt like a mountain of cold, unyielding power.
"And who is that?" she asked, her voice trembling. "He looks like... he looks like he could kill everyone in this city with a thought."
Rimon walked up and stood beside the man. "That's Elder M. He's our Dean of Strategic Combat. He's a bit grumpy, but he's the best teacher we have. He's the one training Fugaku and Nawaki."
The man looked up at Tsunade, his Sharingan spinning lazily for a fraction of a second before fading back to black. "Senju blood," he muttered. "A bit loud, just like the other one."
Tsunade backed away, her mind reeling. She looked at Rimon, then at her brother, then at the "Dead" legends filling the room.
"Rimon... what have you done?"
Rimon smiled, and it was a smile that finally matched the legends of the Straw Hats. "I didn't do anything, Tsunade-Ni. I just gave them a reason to stop dying for people who didn't care if they lived."
As the clock struck midnight, the sky over Uzushiogakure erupted. Not with kunai or fire-jutsu, but with the first massive projector-beams of the anniversary. The image of the Straw Hat Jolly Roger filled the clouds, followed by the Uzumaki Swirl.
The First Anniversary had begun.
Author's Note:
Yooo, the reunion we've all been waiting for! 😭 Tsunade finding Nawaki in a classroom instead of a grave is the ultimate emotional payoff. And can we talk about Madara just sitting there like, 'Senju blood is so noisy'? He's literally the world's most overpowered substitute teacher.
Rimon is out here building a dream team. Fugaku, Nawaki, Mikoto, and the 'Ghost' himself. Konoha is out there playing checkers while Rimon is playing StarCraft with cheat codes. 🚀
Also, shout out to Chopper for the medical ball recipes and Franky for the engines. The Straw Hat legacy is real! 🍖🚢