"Naruto-dono..."
The orange-haired girl stood frozen as she stared at Naruto. Two seconds later, her eyes filled with tears as she dashed forward without hesitation.
"Naruto-dono, I thought you didn't want me anymore..."
She clung tightly to Naruto's chest, as if he might disappear if she so much as blinked.
"Naruto-kun, you've really been gone for a long time."
A black-haired, sexy older woman stood dazed as she looked at him. Coming to her senses, the woman—Robin—hurried forward as well, throwing herself into Naruto's embrace.
"I... I waited eleven years for you..."
Suddenly seeing the blond youth again, neither of them was willing to let go.
They had thought that Naruto's last departure would only last a few months—or at most, a few years.
But it ended up being more than a decade.
"My bad, my bad." Naruto reached out and patted Nami and Robin on the back with a smile.
"Sorry for making you wait so long. I promise you both, I'm not leaving again. This time, I'll stay by your side."
He had just tested the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique). Though the distance was enormous, he could still faintly sense the presence of his world.
As long as he was willing to spend the chakra, he could still travel between the two worlds.
With Naruto's promise, Nami and Robin finally relaxed their grips and looked up with affection in their eyes.
"Alright, now tell me, what are you two doing here on Sabaody Archipelago? Is it related to the Straw Hat Pirates?"
Naruto asked with a smile.
"The Straw Hat Pirates?"
Nami and Robin blinked, confused, and glanced toward the Straw Hat crew.
"I don't know them," Nami said, shaking her head. "I came here to rescue the archaeologists who were captured."
Naruto was slightly surprised.
Robin looked down with a hint of shame. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. Even though you saved Ohara, those scholars still want to find the Poneglyphs... my mother among them..."
Naruto suddenly understood. It seemed that his interference had still changed the course of fate.
Nami and Robin, who were originally the navigator and archaeologist of the Straw Hats, had never even met the Straw Hat crew in this timeline.
They had come to Sabaody for a completely different reason: to rescue captured scholars.
"I see, then that's nothing to worry about." Naruto smiled, then motioned for Nami and Robin to sit down beside him.
"With me here, nothing will go wrong. Now, while we have time, tell me how you've both been these past ten years."
Nami and Robin immediately blushed.
They could feel Naruto's hands gently caressing their waists. The sensation made their entire bodies tingle and weaken.
Robin, the more mature of the two, bit her lower lip and looked at Naruto with a slightly accusatory glance.
"Naruto-kun... why are you so skilled at this?"
She could tell that during Naruto's absence, he had not been celibate. He must've had relationships with other women.
Otherwise, how could his technique be so practiced?
Naruto laughed it off awkwardly.
After all, his body had developed rapidly after being injected with the Okama King's special growth hormone. Along with his growth came increased physical needs, and he had indeed gotten close to several girls in the shinobi world.
Robin obviously saw through his dodge, but she didn't press further—mature women had that advantage.
Especially in the pirate world, where strength dictated status. A powerful man having several women was nothing unusual.
So, she simply leaned against Naruto and began recounting her experiences over the years.
"After you left, Nami and I stayed on Amazon Lily. We trained under Boa Hancock and learned Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) and Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)..."
"...That monster is here looking for women!? I need to get out of here fast!"
Trafalgar Law let out a sigh of relief, immediately calling to his crew.
"Hurry up, we're leaving this auction house right now!"
Kid also shouted to his crew, "Move your asses! This place is about to blow!"
The other pirate captains all stood up in a panic.
They didn't know why Naruto was here, but they were well aware of the weight he carried.
As long as Uzumaki Naruto was present, a Marine Admiral was sure to show up. The entire Sabaody Archipelago would turn into a battlefield.
For small fries with bounties under 200 million, even the shockwaves from such a fight would kill them.
But just then, an auction staffer rolled out a large glass tank filled with seawater.
Inside was a young mermaid girl.
The auctioneer, Disco, passionately announced:
"Everyone, this is a newly captured mermaid girl! Just look at how young and beautiful she is!"
"A true child of the sea, boasting unmatched speed underwater!"
"Take her home and not only will you have a symbol of status and nobility, but you'll also enjoy the unique experience only mermaids can provide..."
"The starting bid... is 10 million Berries!"
The moment he finished, the hall exploded into bidding.
"Fifteen million!"
"Twenty million!"
"Forty-five million!"
Then, from among the Straw Hat crew, Kaya raised her placard and shouted:
"One hundred million Berries!"
The venue went silent for two seconds, and just when everyone thought the bidding was over, a fat Tenryuubito wearing a bubble helmet opened his mouth:
"Three hundred million Berries!"
The whole place fell completely silent.
The Straw Hat crew sank into despair, while Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro all steeled themselves and began walking forward quickly.
Events proceeded just like the original plot.
Naruto didn't pay much attention. Instead, he turned to Nami with interest and asked:
"Nami, want to go with me to Fishman Island next? Want to get revenge for what Arlong did to Cocoyashi Village?"
Nami hesitated briefly, then nodded firmly.
"I want to make them suffer the same punishment!"
Naruto smiled and gently ruffled her hair.
"Still haven't let go of that grudge, even after all these years, huh?"
Afraid he'd misunderstand, Nami quickly added:
"Naruto-dono, Hancock once told me that taking revenge is part of a pirate's code. And I really, really want to get back at those fishmen... they..."
"I understand." Naruto smiled. "I don't think you're wrong. In fact, I think it's a good thing."
In the original story, Nami was kind and forgiving—perhaps too forgiving.
Maybe it was her place among the Straw Hats that made her reluctant to blame all fishmen.
But some grudges must be paid in blood.
Fishman Island would have to pay the price.
While Naruto was talking with Nami and Robin...
Luffy, his eyes blazing with rage, punched the fat Tenryuubito square in the face.
BOOM!!
The bloated celestial dragon flew backward, crashing into a raised platform.
All the pirate captains who hadn't yet fled froze on the spot, gasping.
"That's... that's Straw Hat Luffy! Has he lost his mind again!?"
(End of Chapter)
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