Author's Notes
Well, here we are—another day, another chapter in this story.And honestly, I don't have much to say this time, other than: enjoy the chapter and don't forget to leave a review.Oh, and if you're reading on Webnovel, don't forget to vote as well.
That said, let's get on with the chapter.
Oh, and one last thing—To the person who asked if I was going to abandon this story like the previous ones…
I didn't abandon them. I literally forgot this account existed—until my daughter reminded me that I hadn't updated anything on Webnovel in ages.
And, well, one thing led to another, and now I'm updating simultaneously here and on Fanfiction.
Chapter 5: A Step Forward
Back at Castle Nerona, Naruto had arranged a special chamber dedicated to keeping one of his Golden Gates active. The room was guarded by two CP0 agents, who had been given strict orders not to allow anyone inside without his explicit permission.
The only exceptions were the young master's two favorite maids, who were permitted to enter occasionally to clean and leave snacks behind. After all, even elite guards couldn't stay sharp on an empty stomach.
However, the light emanating from the gate soon began to flicker—a clear sign that the young master was returning. And less than a minute after the glow began to pulse, Naruto emerged, covered head to toe in blood.
Two more figures followed behind him, both equally drenched in crimson and carrying several large bags.
The first was, of course, Gunko, who wore a rather cheerful smile—or so the guards assumed, judging by the gleam in her eyes.
The second was another Celestial Dragon, more precisely the current Commander of the Order of the Kami no Kishidan—the son of the Champion of God Valley, Shamrock Figarland.
Ever since he'd learned that Naruto had started becoming "useful," Shamrock had decided he needed to be involved—and, well… one thing led to another, and now those three Celestial Dragons were practically inseparable.
Much to Naruto's mild irritation, since, honestly, he could do without the redhead's constant teasing.
"Why the hell do you two enjoy slaughtering our future workforce so much?"Naruto grumbled.
It wasn't as if he hadn't killed his fair share of zombies, but those two… they had practically turned it into a contest to see who could rack up the higher body count before returning.
"I counted over a hundred thousand in that square,"Shamrock said casually, as if he were talking about the weather.
And, well, even if they had killed a few hundred thousand, there were still millions left wandering about—plenty to be repurposed as labor once everything was said and done. Besides, it was fun to see who could kill more. In fact, Shamrock was already considering inviting some of the God Knights for a round of "Zombie Rabbit Hunting."
Choosing to ignore Gunko's inevitable response—which would no doubt be along similar lines—Naruto decided to focus on what really mattered.
Since becoming the new, albeit entirely involuntary, King of the World Government, he had stopped his formal studies to concentrate on three main objectives:
First, to analyze who among the higher ranks would be best suited to help him consolidate control over the world. He already had a few individuals in mind and plans to meet with them.
Second, to personally study the new world through his own hands and eyes.Of course, he couldn't—nor did he want to—delve too deeply into that world's technology. Not because he was stupid or failed to appreciate the potential benefits such knowledge could bring, but simply because that wasn't his area of expertise—and he'd probably end up breaking everything in the process.
Still, he had made it his mission to collect cultural and social artifacts, among other things. And gods, that world's literary culture was massive.
And finally, his third goal: to seek out functional objects—the very kind his two companions were carrying at that moment.
"So, kid, why the hell did we bring back so many damn books?"asked Shamrock.
He enjoyed reading as much as the next person, but he couldn't for the life of him understand why they had hauled back so many blasted books—along with those strange plastic discs and all the junk Naruto had scavenged during the expedition.
Without bothering to answer directly, Naruto simply picked up one of the books and began flipping through it while lecturing the older man.
"For the same reason I've been studying Fish-Man culture. This, my good friend, is culture from another world. And if you know how to use culture as a weapon, you can strengthen any government."
"I see," the redhead replied thoughtfully before just shrugging. He didn't really get it—but fine, Naruto was the social engineer; he was more of a deal-maker type anyway.
"Whatever the case, go take a bath, brat. You stink."
Naruto was about to point out that it was entirely Shamrock's fault—if it weren't for his stupid contest to see who could kill more zombies, that downpour of blood and viscera never would've happened.
However, before he could say anything, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Naruto said, snapping his fingers to make the Golden Gate vanish behind him.
The door opened to reveal one of his favorite maids, who entered with a respectful bow.
"Your Majesty, the Five Elders have sent someone to inform you that the meeting has already begun."
"Poor timing," Gunko commented dryly, glancing at Naruto.
"You think so?" he replied, making Shamrock burst into laughter.
They really should have taken into account that today was the day of the meeting and returned earlier… but oh well—what was done, was done. They could only take it as it came.
"Go take a bath," the older redhead reminded him, earning only Naruto's best poker-face in response.
"I hate you both…" he muttered before turning to his maid, his tone softening noticeably."Tell their envoy there was a minor… incident, and that I need to bathe before attending the meeting."
"Understood, sir," the girl replied, glancing up in mild alarm at the mention of an "incident." For a moment she feared her lord might have been injured—but relief washed over her as she realized it was merely another of Gunko-sama and Shamrock-sama's bloody hunting games, in which her master had gotten caught up once again.
"No, not really," Naruto replied, shrugging.
He had already told both Gunko and Imu about Shirahoshi and her status as the ancient weapon Poseidon, and that he intended to bring her into the World Government's fold himself.The truth was, though, that his plan to do so was currently rather stuck.
"We can always kidnap her and brainwash her," Gunko offered as if it were the most logical option in the world.
That earned her nothing but a perfect poker face from Naruto — he could not believe she actually suggested something so stupid. After all, kidnapping the girl who could, with a single cry, summon every King of the Sea to her aid was a plan that would likely end very poorly.(That sentence was dripping with sarcasm.)
Saying nothing more, they continued down the corridor until they at last reached the conference hall.
"Your Majesty, the Five Elders are waiting inside," said a man whose name Naruto frankly couldn't recall. Judging by his all-black suit, he was a member of CP9—the type of person who always wore black.The man wore an ingratiating smile as he watched them.
"Obviously," Naruto replied with his best poker face. "Stay here, old woman; the people don't yet know you exist."
With that, he strode into the conference room, leaving behind a more than irritated Gunko and a noticeably nervous CP chief.
Back in the conference hall:
Everyone in the room heard the footsteps echoing along the corridor and instinctively knew who they belonged to—the very person the Five Elders had summoned, and whom they called "the Young Master."Every head straightened and every posture stiffened. Soon the double doors swung wide, and Naruto stepped in—leaving many utterly bewildered. None of them had expected the summoned figure to be so young; he didn't look much older than twenty.
Naruto, for his part, glanced at each member of the room out of the corner of his eye, trying to memorize faces and pick out those he had already studied. After all, as someone had once observed, "the best way to have someone on your side is to know their ideals."
"Young Master, please—this is your seat," Warcury said, indicating the chair directly at the center of the table.
Sengoku's pupils contracted, and the same happened to Kong and many others present; even their breathing shortened. That was the principal seat—the chair that had, as long as anyone could remember, remained empty, just as the throne had.The mere fact that someone now occupied that seat revealed everything about the young man's identity and rank. If he sat at the head, then the rumors about someone existing above the Five Elders were true.
At that revelation everyone in the room sat up straighter still: it was proper etiquette to leave a good impression on the leader of the World Government. If they were finally being revealed, then what was about to be announced must be of grave importance.
With no visible expression, Naruto took the head seat and spoke in a voice surprisingly deep for his age:
"At what stage of the meeting are we?" he asked, brushing some of the expedition blood from his sleeve.
"We have explained the three points you proposed and answered a few questions. Everything else depends on you," Ju Peter replied, slightly embarrassed. They had not expected that Naruto and the Kami no Kishidan would come and go from the new world to establish a temporary clearing as the base for the first expedition.
"Fine," Naruto said with a face that read I really have to do everything myself. "I understand this is our first meeting, but that's irrelevant: from now on we will work together for a bright future for the World Government."
His opening speech was calm and composed.
"My name is not important for the moment," he continued, "so I will skip introductions and move directly to the matter at hand. In addition to the three issues already raised, we must discuss the measures we will take concerning the new world."
"The new world? Are we going to launch an attack on the New World?" someone asked, incredulous.
For many, the idea was unthinkable. Even Akainu, the most belligerent of the admirals, knew that a full-scale assault on the Emperors of the Sea would be suicidal: even if the World Government vastly outmatched them in resources, the rulers of the New World would demand an order of magnitude greater firepower and logistics than was available, not to mention the profound economic and social upheaval such a campaign would trigger. Furthermore, the World Government had recently closed deals with New World actors for materials such as Seastone and Iron Wine; a massive attack would obliterate those agreements.
Naruto raised a hand to silence the murmurs that were beginning to rise.
"You're all jumping to conclusions," he said calmly, pausing deliberately so as not to ignore Tsuru. "And ma'am, I haven't overlooked your concern. The 'New World' I'm referring to is not the second half of the Grand Line—it's something else entirely."
Sengoku, genuinely perplexed, asked,
"Then, sir… what exactly do you mean?"
Naruto lifted his right hand and, with a snap of his fingers, the Golden Gate materialized once more before the astonished eyes of the most powerful figures in the World Government.
"The world is full of mysteries," he began. "Recently, I gained the ability to open gateways to other worlds beyond our own."
He made it clear that this was a power unique to him—and him alone.
"That's why we've convened this meeting. We must explore this new world—to expand our influence, and to bring prosperity and knowledge to the World Government. Or, to put it simply: beyond these doors lies a completely unexplored land, ripe for the taking."
He stood up, his presence radiating like that of a god who had descended to earth.
"The World Government has made mistakes in recent years. We've been complacent—allowing threats like Roger, Newgate, and that beast Kaido to rise unchecked. But from this moment on, we will change course. We will turn our world into the capital of the greatest empire ever to exist."
The declaration echoed grandly throughout the chamber, and the expressions around the table shifted—astonishment, ambition, even hope flickered in their eyes.Sengoku, in particular, looked almost relieved; he couldn't help but imagine an end to the Age of Piracy, a world where the seas were finally safe for civilians once more.
"That being said," Naruto continued, "we cannot allow pirates or criminal lords to catch wind of this until we are strong enough to strike the decisive blow. For now, this information will remain strictly classified until further notice."
Then, with a calm yet commanding finality, he added:
"So prepare yourselves—because we stand at the dawn of a new era."
End of Chapter