Assembly II
Chapter 4: Assembly II
The New World
Haruno Sakura (just Sakura, really, but she can’t really shake off her lingering attachment to the Haruno name) yawns as she rubbed the last few bits of sleep from her blurry eyes.
How many days has it been? She ponders. Right. It’s been a week .
She steps out of bed, mindful of the fact that she has legs instead of a floppy fishtail and marvels at the sunlight on deck. She’d been sailing on the Grand Line for a week, and in the New World, sunny days were rare. In fact, on most days, the weather would change at least once an hour.
So, nice calm weather should be enjoyed while it’s here, and Sakura takes out a nice book on medicinal herbs and begins to read.
Of course, she kept an eye on her trio of log poses at all times. These Grand Line exclusive compasses were the only thing keeping her on course, and although calm weather usually wouldn’t result in a complete altering of the course, it was best to be careful.
As if on cue, the needles of the log poses began to rotate. Sakura stands up and takes a good look around. Using her hand as a sun shield, she spots the culprit. A stray current is pulling the ship the wrong way; give it time, and it might just form a whirlpool.
And so, Sakura heaves the sail in a different direction to counteract this pulling of the current. Vector calculation using eye approximation was always a strong suit of hers, and that skill complemented quite with her years of navigation studies.
After reaching calmer waters again, Sakura wiped the sweat off her head. Despite having a relatively fit body, haki, and Fishman Karate at her disposal, staffing a sail was still annoying. Ignoring the fact that most of the sweat came from her time in the sunlight rather than working the sail, of course.
All is calm, until she spots a ship in the distance.
A frown marred her face. Pirates could be annoying, especially if they’re New World. She should probably avoid them.
Sakura tried to steer away from the incoming ship, but as if they could read her mind, the other ship began changing course to try to meet her.
“Crap.”
Sakura grits her teeth; looks like this confrontation is inevitable. She flexes her arms and cracks her knuckles. Hopefully, this wouldn’t be some Warlord or Emperor, otherwise she is screwed .
She could just run by diving into the ocean, but that would not only abandon her only vehicle but also reveal her status as a mermaid.
Finally, she gathers up enough courage to look up and examine the incoming pirate crew.
And she freezes. Her eyes bulge.
Spiky blond hair, tied with a black bandanna adorned with an etched metal plate.
Clad in clothing that had way too much orange.
A proud and confident posture paired with a massive grin.
He is waving at her.
Sakura let out a sigh of relief and laughed. Naruto, upon seeing who it was, joins in on the laughter, and for a blissful minute the ocean reverberated with nothing but their joyous laughter, that underneath the joy lay many nuances of sadness, regret, pain, and satisfaction.
After all, seeing each other alive was something that neither had thought was ever going to happen ever again.
The two boats pulled closer, and Naruto leaps over to Sakura’s boat, landing with a light thud and rocking the relatively small vessel.
Sakura scowls, and lightly chops his head with the palm of her hand. “Idiot, do you want to lose your boat? Go and tie it to mine at least!”
Though the words were harsh, the manner she uttered them in was not. In contrast to her early days in Team 7, Sakura was no longer the same fangirl kunoichi with a temper issue. Sure, her anger would burst out here and there, but only if there was good reason.
And knowing Naruto, small acts of forgetfulness are not that bad when compared to some of the other things both he and Sasuke have done.
Naruto grins sheepishly at the familiar "love-tap" and goes back to tie his boat. With a tug, an iron chain comes free with a clang, and he loops it tightly around the railings of Sakura’s ship ( Note: sorry I don’t know how ships work lol. )
Sakura noted the ease with which he tossed around a heavy iron chain. Her lips quirked up into a smile; some things just won’t change, no matter what world or life they have.
She had known that she was not the only one to be reborn, but seeing someone from her past in person was still very gratifying.
“So,” she began, breaking the silence that had insidiously sneaked between them. “Kaidō?”
Naruto nods, his expression darkening. “Yeah. This time, I had an actual mother. And then Kaidō decided to appear out of nowhere, tortured and kill Wano’s former shogun and savior in front of the entire Flower Capital, and proceeded to kill countless innocent bystanders as a declaration of power. One of those was my mother.”
Sakura sucks in a breath in empathy. "Similar to me, then."
Naruto looked up at her with confusion clear in his eyes. “What do you mean?”
The girl sighs, her breath carrying an invisible weight that was almost tangible. Her right hand reaches up and rakes through her coral hair.
“Around five years ago, my mother was shot.” Naruto’s quiet gasp did not escape her ears. “I was born as the princess of Fishman Island, funnily enough. She was the queen, and she’d been gathering signatures for a petition to migrate from underwater to the overworld. However,” she grits her teeth. “One day, every last signature was set on fire. In the chaos, someone shot her. Apparently, it was some human, but there’s definitely more to it than that.”
Sakura’s hands grip the railing of the boat so tight that the veins beneath her skin began to show. “I haven’t found who exactly it is, as there were several people capable of the act who opposed my mother’s views, but I saw your bounty poster, and decided to head out for now.”
Naruto remained quiet, before he finally managed to muster up the strength for a few words. “I’ll help you in any way you want to. Just ask, okay?” His tone was careful, yet the care behind them was easily heard by the girl.
Sakura sputters out a weak laugh. “When did you become actually sensitive and aware of what others are feeling, Naruto?”
Naruto laughs as well, and Sakura is glad for the sudden mood change. “Well, I grew up with a parent this time, so she taught me a few things, ya know?”
“Glad to see that your speech habits still haven’t changed.”
“Hey!” Naruto scowls and swats a hand at her. “Once we get to land, let’s spar! I can’t wait to show you what I learnt in Wano.”
Sakura hums. “Indeed. You seem to be using a sword now, eh? You’re just copying Sasuke, aren’t you? First with the vengeance thing, now with the sword. What’s next, your eyes start glowing red and you can tell the future?”
“Well, can’t we already do that with observation haki?”
“True, true.” They remain silent for a moment, before going on to discuss more important matters.
“So,” Sakura began. “Where were you headed? I was just looking to find you since I saw that you existed here. So, now what?”
Naruto grins. It was feral, dangerous, and exciting. “Now, we become pirates! I think we’ve worried enough about saving the world, it’s time to have fun and go on an adventure!”
His eyes spark with an excitement that Sakura hadn’t seen in literal decades. “What do you say to reaching for the top? I want to become the Pirate King and find One Piece!”
Sakura grins. “Why not? Maybe you’ll be lucky and actually reach your goal this time. Last time I checked, you never made it to Hokage.”
The not-Hokage pouts. “I was close, alright? If we hadn’t died, I would’ve-”
“Yeah, yeah. All I can hear are excuses.”
As Naruto shouts in indignation, Sakura laughs freely, her body shaking from the laughter despite the humor not being particularly funny. Perhaps she just wanted to let loose some pent-up emotions, and this method seemed to be working quite well. She feels lighter than she had in a long time.
“Well, setting all that aside, we would need to head back to Paradise. Typically, pirate crews begin at the start of the Grand Line, at the Twin Cape and Reverse Mountain area. Apparently, that’s the most popular choice since Gold Roger never left any clues as to where Raftel was, and most hoped to stumble upon it by re-tracing his journey.”
She straightens a bit and continues her lecture of sorts. “However, it is true exploring all islands is a must for finding the treasure. After all, what better method than to search everywhere?”
Naruto nods contemplatively. “Well, do we just skip all the islands and start from the very beginning, or do we just work our way backwards?”
“Working our way backwards wouldn’t really work, since Raftel is the supposed final island of the Grand Line. I think we should work our way back towards the New World, because there we can meet up.”
Naruto cocks an eyebrow. “With who?”
Sakura smirks, and pulls out a den-den-mushi. “Well, you’ll see.” She dialed a number into the mature snail and waited until a sound signifies the connection being established.
“Hello?” A voice that sounded familiar croaked through the telepathic snail. Naruto’s eyebrows scrunched up. This voice seemed familiar. Looking closely at the snail that can morph to resemble the person on the other side of the line, Naruto gasps.
The dark hair tied up in a vertical ponytail, lazy eyes and frown, told him exactly who it was.
“Shikamaru,” Naruto exclaims elatedly. “You’re here as well!?”
Sakura smiles triumphantly and hands the snail over to Naruto. “He came to Fishman Island once, and we stayed in contact. You can catch up with him.”
The snail’s imitation of Shikamaru’s face was surprising close to Naruto’s mental image of him. The sleepy scowl that spoke “troublesome” was so familiar that Naruto burst out laughing. “What’s up, Shika? Are you still asleep?”
“I was taking a nap, Naruto. Now, where are you and Sakura?”
Naruto complains, twisting his mouth into a light pout. “Can’t we catch up first? Why not save the boring stuff for later?”
“There’s a chance that these lines are intercepted. Your location is not as vital as other information we could end up discussing.”
Naruto let out an exaggerated sigh. “All right. We’re in the New World, heading towards Paradise.”
“Great, head to our meeting point. Sakura knows where. Well, I must go, my sister is calling me.”
Naruto’s eyes widen. “Wait, sister? Hold on, Shika-!”
And the line was severed already. “Grumpy bastard,” grumbles Naruto.
Sakura giggles. It seems that she was laughing a lot today. “Well, let’s hurry on to the meeting point, shall we?”
Naruto tilts his head. “You still haven’t told me where that is.”
Sakura smiles slyly. "You’ll see when we get there.” She smiled again; this time hidden from Naruto’s view. She can’t wait to see his reaction when they eventually get there, it is going to be fantastic.
Naruto stares up at the ceiling of his cabin. The voice of his friends that he’d found echoed in his ears, drowning out the whispers of the ocean that normally soothe and lull him into peace.
Since his mother’s death so many years ago, he’s learnt to deal with loneliness again. During the day, he would zone out, and hone his conscious toward one thing and one thing only: gaining power. He would work his muscles each day from sunrise to sunset, collapsing into a puddle of tiredness at night. To keep the silence from overwhelming him, he would listen .
Sometimes, it would be the chirping of nocturnally active creatures; many indigenous species of avians in Wano would often sing lullabies and forage at night, while sleeping diurnally. There was a pack of baby Komainu that Naruto could often hear the steps of after sunset, seeking shelter and food in the safety of the dark. Occasionally, if Naruto listened hard enough, he could hear faint whispers and possibly words coming from places without any people. These sounds, coming from trees, rocks, animals and more, scared and freaked Naruto out at first. However, he soon grew accustomed to the strangeness and came to appreciate the maybe-imaginary voices.
These sounds, though far from his occasional secret meet-up with Yamato or chats with friendly neighbors, helped him immensely. This world of sound was his escape from solitude.
And now, he cannot hear any of that.
But he doesn’t need to anymore.
And reveling in that comforting truth, Naruto slept.
The next day, Naruto woke to the sight of land. With he and Sakura switching shifts steering the ships, they easily stayed on course, and now before them was the almighty Red Line.
The titanic wall of granite-red rock stands like a mighty guardian of the oceans, imposing and insurmountable. Naruto could see how this was a sign of the World Government’s might; such a landmass was a perfect spot for a capital, with its nigh insurmountable sides and incredible intimidation factor.
“So,” he questions Sakura. “Where are we going from here?” He took a fleeting glance at the wall of red, “Because there’s no way our ships can get over that. ”
Sakura smirks. “Well, you’ll see.” She takes a deep breath, and then belts at the top of her lungs. “Hey! Mr. Gulper! Can you help us out?”
Naruto swerved around. “Sakura, who are you shouting for-!” He jumps from surprise as the initially empty ocean surface tore apart, and a gigantic creature burst forth. Its yellow skin was mottled with dark brown spots, and it has a mouth as wide as a whale. Its face bends into what Naruto assumes to be a smile, and Sakura smiles back and waves.
What?
Naruto pinches his arm to make sure this was not a hallucination. Sakura cackles with pride and amusement, laughing at his befounded expression. “Well, get a hold of yourself now, since we’re about to take a dive! Gulper-san, you know what to do!”
Before Naruto can compose a response, the sky turns black, and Naruto sees the last sliver of natural light disappear between rows of sharp white teeth of the Neptunian aptly named Gulper. “What the hell?” His shout is barely audible through the sloshing of the ocean water and potential saliva of the beast, and Sakura shouts back. “It’s fine! He’s friendly!”
Between the splashing of white water and cries of seagulls, Naruto swears he heard a faint “I am a friend, don’t be scared.” From what, he didn’t know. It wasn’t like the Neptunian could talk, right?
“Alri-GGHHT!” Naruto’s reply quickly changes into a scream, as his entire world inclines to a sharp angle, signaling the beast’s rapid downward descent.
He holds on for dear life, hugging the mast as if it’s his savior and lord. After an excruciatingly long three minutes, the deck finally levels out, and the two ships burst out of Gulper’s mouth, landing with heavy thuds on a soft bed of thick seagrass and fine granular sand. Despite the marine vegetation and sand cushioning their fall, Naruto swears he heard the wooden frames creak heavily at the impact.
Naruto takes a breath and then panics, thinking he is going to drown, only to realize that they were not submerged in water. Looking around, it seemed that they had landed inside a bubble barrier that enclosed Fishman Island, resulting in a dome filled with air and water at the bottom. He let out a sigh of relief. At least he could breathe normally.
Sakura grins at him teasingly. “How was the ride?”
Naruto scowls unpleasantly, shaking a water from his now-wet hair. “Maybe give me a bit more of a warning next time? Also, how the hell did you talk with that guy? Can you speak with Neptunians?”
“No, otherwise it’d ruin the surprise, you know? Yes, I can talk to Neptunians.”
Naruto’s jaw drops. “What? But how-?”
“Sakura!!!”
Their light conversation was disrupted by a tall merman dashing towards them. Sakura rolled her eyes, as if expecting him. “I’m fine, big brother. Actually, we’re fine. So, stop shouting.”
Naruto casts a judging glance over Sakura’s apparent older brother. He was tall, broad, and visibly strong if his muscles were any indication. A sharp arrow-shaped nose pointed downwards, and his purple lower body that looked like the second half of a shark swayed in the sand. A gaze of clear judgement was cast upon the pirate hailing from Wano, and Naruto decided to act first. “Hello,” he greets the tall merman. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto, a friend of Sakura’s. What’s your name?” Inwardly, he cringed at his own voice. Politeness really doesn’t sound right coming out from his mouth, and he wasn’t even right he had said it correctly.
The merman seems to pause, but Naruto assumes it was from the awkward forced politeness. However, the hesitant and slightly shaky voice he extended spoke a different story. “U-uzumaki Naruto? The one with a bounty of 900 million and one of the pirates who defeated Kaidō?”
It finally clicks with Naruto why he was acting this way. “Oh, yeah, about that. It was actually not what I’d call a true victory; I managed to get him with a sneak attack, and we only finished him off due to his pride and ego getting in the way of winning.”
Fukaboshi shakes his head, likely unbelieving of the story. “Well, that doesn’t really decrease your danger. Sakura,” he turned to his sister, hesitant. “Can we trust him?”
She nodds, her head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. “Yep, we can! I’m sure of it.”
For whatever reason, this seemed to calm down Fukaboshi, and he reluctantly nodded. “Come, then,” he gestured. He strikes his golden trident into the ground to stable his footing, creating a loud and clear ring. “We’re going to Ryūgū Palace. You can board there for the night.”
Naruto nods slowly, but Sakura interrupts his musings cheerfully, pulling at his arm in the exact opposite direction Fukaboshi was directing them towards. “No need!” Sakura dragged Naruto away, making him fumble over his own feet as he tried to keep up. His gaze of confusion spread to Fukaboshi was well, who looked awkwardly at his younger sister. “Where are you -”
And they were gone. Sakura is leaping around in her very human legs, uncaring of all the stares she was receiving from the townsfolk, confused as to why her tail had split prior to turning thirty. Her left hand tightly clutches onto Naruto, who seems as confused as he is, swerving his head around incessantly in circular motions. Fukaboshi brings up his hand in a sigh, trying to rub his head clear of frustration. Needless to say, it did not work.
He gave up the thought of chasing them. Fukaboshi lets out another sigh and begins to trek back towards the palace on his own. Chances were that Sakura was just passing by, and not actually here to visit.
At least he won’t have another headache for a while.
Nara Shikamaru was having a horrible day.
He was woken up incredibly early by his overbearingly early rising sister, who had plans for the day, and didn’t get much sleep.
Then, his midday nap was once again interrupted, albeit by something worthwhile, but still. Did Naruto and Sakura really have to call him at that exact moment?
And now, he was sailing from comfort and peacefulness to meet up with the other Konoha shinobi.
Shikamaru let out a sigh. It wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be; after all, he’s going to be reuniting with friends long thought lost. It could be worse.
On second thought, he was probably going to join Naruto’s pirate crew.
Never mind, it could not be worse.
“Something on your mind, Shika?”
His sister walked up from behind him. Honestly, with the supposed “Devil’s Child” as his only family, it’s a wonder Shikamaru doesn’t have a bounty higher than 5 million.
So, that’s another thing that needed to be dealt with. Explaining everything to her. How troublesome.
Shikamaru simply sighed. “Not much, just thinking of how annoying things are going to be in the future.”
Nico Robin laughed and pulled his hair a little. “Don’t be so worrisome. You can relax a bit, you know? Our contract with Crocodile just ended, and although he’s probably already sent assassins after us, we can shake them off easily on the sea. So lay back a bit, hmm?”
Shikamaru eyed his sister from the corner of his vision, reminded of his new contact in Alabasta. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever, let’s just make sure we don’t sink, alright?” He pointed toward a swirling current in the ocean. “That’s about to become a whirlpool really quick.”
Giant hands sprouted from the mast and twisted the sail the other way. “There we go,” Robin patted her coat down a bit. “All done, we should be fine.”
Shikamaru peered towards the horizon. There was a group of islands far off in the distance, according to his map and their current route, it should be their destination.
As they got closer, Shikamaru confirmed it. “We’re going to anchor soon, Robin,” he called. “Sabaody Archipelago is inbound!”
The familiar cluster of vegetation, construction, and bubbles brought forth a shallow smile on Shikamaru’s face. His home of sorts, since he and Robin were mostly nomadic; Sabaody Archipelago.
More specifically, a certain part of the Archipelago.
Their ship docked relatively soundly; after all, even pirates were commonplace here. In comparison, there was nothing eye-catching about a ship carrying two wanted information brokers and freelance intelligence agents.
Even if one of them has had a government bounty of over eighty million for nearly two decades.
Shikamaru and Robin leapt off their ship, taking care to cover their facial features enough to hide their identities, but not enough to cause suspicion. They shuffled through the crowd, careful not to draw any attention, before slipping through a narrow alleyway. They navigated through a thick maze of tree roots, before arriving at the hollow interior of a gigantic tree.
There it was. Shikamaru and Robin pushed the hoods off their heads and smiled at the sight of the wooden building. Its buttressing beams blended seamlessly into the surrounding roots, and dim lanterns and crudely carved signs gave the tavern a sense of familiarity and coziness.
Even more so for Shikamaru. He had helped name the place, and he smirked as the final name was decided to be Konohagakure , with even the exact same spiral leaf emblem engraved upon the door of the safehouse/inn.
Shikamaru walked up to said door, lightly traced the rough carving on it before knocking in a specific, designated pattern.
After a few moments of silence, the sound of footsteps slowly echoed from within the establishment. The door creaked open, and a familiar aged face greeted the duo warmly.
“Shika, Robin,” greeted the Dark King, former first-mate of the Pirate King. His glasses glinted, but not in a menacing way. Silvers Rayleigh smiled crookedly; strands of silver hair cascaded down with the motion as he nodded at the two travelers. “What brings you here?”
“Rayleigh,” Shikamaru returns. “I’m planning a meetup with some contacts. Can we use this place?”
Rayleigh grinned. “Of course; you helped found it, after all. Come on in, we can talk logistics and specifics later. Let’s eat first; it’s just about time for dinner.”
Shikamaru and Robin stepped in. They removed their cloaks, heavy wear, and muddied boots, and walked into the warmly lit tavern of sorts. This place was meant as a haven for incriminated races in Sabaody Archipelago, and that is reflected clearly by the diverse range of workers. They passed by a fishman cleaning tables, a mermaid girl working the stove in the kitchen, an ox mink hauling crates, and several humans and other races all working together, in harmony.
Rayleigh led them to a secluded room, one that was sectioned off towards the back of the establishment. He pushed open the door and ushered the duo inside.
After a nice warm meal, Rayleigh took a bottle of sake, opened it, and poured two cups knowing Robin isn’t into alcohol.
Shikamaru gratefully took a dish of sake and downed it in a single gulp. “Remember that one trip I took to Fishman Island a few years back?”
Rayleigh nodded. “The one where Robin was off in Drum Island establishing political connections?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. I got in contact with someone then, and due to... circumstances that are difficult to explain, chances are I’ll be joining up with their group for a couple of years.”
Rayleigh’s eyes briefly flashed with concern. “It’s not through coercion, right?”
Shikamaru snorted. “Of course not. I wouldn’t hide it if it was; there not much they can blackmail me with, and even if it through coercion, there’s no reason for me not to confide in you.”
The Dark King chuckled. “Good to know; after all, I was the first mate of Roger. After a job like that, it’s hard to fear anything, you know?”
He straightened. “So, this place as a rendezvous point? Sure, when?”
Shikamaru laced his fingers together, pondering. “I’d say five days at most. Chances are they’ll be early, though.”
Rayleigh nodded. “Alright. Need help watching for them?”
“No, it’s fine. We have den den mushi, and I can sense them fairly easily.”
Rayleigh cocked an eyebrow but didn’t question it. “Alright then. Well, now that business is out of the way, do you want to play?”
Shikamaru’s lips twitched. “Though you’d never ask,” he smirked. Rayleigh pulled out a familiar wooden board, with a nine-by-nine grid etched into the polished surface. A sack of carved pieces followed, and soon enough, all that could be heard was the clinking of cups and the nostalgic sound of shogi pieces being deployed.
Naruto let out a sigh of relief as their ship finally docked. The sound of the anchor lowering was strangely comforting; perhaps the fact that he was no longer capable of walking on water like in his past life struck a fear of the sea in him. Fear comes from inability to comprehend or control, and there were few forces more unpredictable, uncontrollable, and dangerous like the turbulent waters of the Grand Line.
“Keep your hood on, okay?” Sakura reminded Naruto as she handed him the cloak. “Your face is everywhere now, and if we’re not careful you could cause a huge commotion.”
Naruto rolled his eyes but nodded anyways. “Yes, yes. I know.” He slipped on his hood, and along with Sakura ventured into town. “So, where are we going anyways?”
His gaze roamed around the place they’d landed in. Sabaody Archipelago was a curious looking place, made up of countless little islands, all encased in bubbles like that of Fishman Island. Everywhere you look, there was some sort of attraction for tourists; it seemed that this place thrived on the entertainment and tourist industries.
Sakura hushed him. “Just follow me; it’s meant to secret.”
Naruto frowned but conceded. He hastened his footsteps to match Sakura’s, and the two quietly yet swiftly traversed the sea of tourists and residents.
Though he had heard of the diversity of the world from Sakura, Naruto still couldn’t help but sneak peeks at the many different people passing by. Men with features of fish and aquatic creatures, beings that looked like oceanic creatures gaining a humanoid form, as well as odd people of all different sizes and proportions; it truly amazed him at how vast this world was.
Sakura pulled on his sleeve, and Naruto quickly snapped back from his thoughts. His companion swerved her head around to make sure there were no onlookers, and led them into a grove of trees, or more specifically, a grove of tree roots. The trees here were titanic, with roots reaching well above Naruto’s head and a thick canopy dozens of meters into the air.
After making sure they were deep inside, Sakura let out a sigh. “Alright, this should do,” she muttered. She pulled out the den-den mushi she had used before and dialed a number.
“Finally, there you are.” A tired voice grumbled. Naruto turned to the direction of its origin, and immediately broke into a smile. There stood Shikamaru, in all his tired glory, with a light smirk. Though his dress was nothing like before, he was still loosely and clad in all the shades of grey and black with no effort in remaining kempt.
“Well, welcome to the Konohagakure inn, you two,” he smirked at Naruto’s dumbfounded expression. “Won’t you come in? We’ve been waiting.”