A Naruto/One Piece Crossover

Divinity in a Bowl

Part ll

Somewhere on the Grand Line

"Nojiko! Are you sure I can't convince you to have ramen for lunch?" Naruto called out. Currently, the blonde shinobi was walking across the sea with two tall cocktails resting in both hands. The ice inside rattled against the glass with each step, carefully making sure not to spill a single drop. Gone were his usual work clothes, dressed in simple orange trunks. A red shirt with yellow flowers covered his top half, with the buttons undone and showing off his many years of intense shinobi training. He did try to button it but his blunette girlfriend quickly undid them with a flick of her fingers.

She didn't want her hunky boyfriend hiding those abs away from her prying eyes.

Her words. Not his.

Speaking of said woman, Nojiko looked in his direction. She was lounged out across a sunbed she bought during their time in Alabaster with a red and white striped umbrella standing tall next to her, providing shade against the scorching sun. Sitting with her ankles crossed, Naruto couldn't help but admire her beautiful figure as he got closer, turning off the chakra from his feet and sinking into the wet sand. Like himself, the usual clothes she wore for work were gone and instead dressed in a white bikini top and a teal sarong that reached down to her ankles. Her right leg was uncovered with her toes idly grazing across the warm sand, giving him a view of her legs most men would kill to see.

"No means no, blondie. No ramen." She reached out with one hand and took the drink from his hand, "Hmm, thank you, honey." Guiding the straw to her lips, she took a sip and smiled up at him, "This is very good. You're getting better at making these."

"Well, I learn from the best. Felt like a fair trade. I teach you the joys of making ramen and you show me how to make cocktails." As it turned out, the blunette had an affinity for making alcoholic beverages. Naruto was never much of a drinker, but the drinks Nojiko made were delicious, so she showed him how to make some of the basic ones. Apparently, Belle-Mere had been an avid fan of cocktails and Nojiko in her youth self-taught herself how to make them. They were all the rage back on Cocoyasi Island. Before Naruto first arrived and met Nojiko, she'd been thinking about opening up her own cocktail bar before ultimately joining him on his travels.

Pulling her legs up to her chest, Nojiko invited Naruto to take a seat with her. Accepting, he planted himself on the bottom half of the sunbed before feeling Nojiko drape her legs over his lap.

Leaning back on the sunbed, Nojik let out a sigh of contentment, "Nothing get's better than this." Nojiko said quietly, taking another sip of her drink and staring at her partner, "A warm and sunny day. Cocktails. Golden beaches. My lovable but dorky boyfriend." Naruto snorted at the last part but smiled nonetheless, "Life sure is good."

"Well, I can't argue there. These last few days have been the most relaxing I've had in a long time." His hand idly ran along Nojiko's smooth legs, getting a hum of contentment from the woman, "I could almost stay here forever."

"Why don't we? There's plenty of trees around, so wood is plenty." Gently tapping her sunglasses down to rest on the bridge of her nose, her dark eyes looked at him, "How about it? Our own little cabin on a tropical island in the middle of the Grand Line. No one to bother us or give us any grief. No pirates trying to ransack our ship and take me away or marines trying to arrest you and send you to Impel Down."

Naruto snorted as he took a sip of his own drink, humming in contentment as the fruity alcohol ran down the back of his throat, "They always seem to be more interested in you, rather than the blonde guy who can beat them up with a wooden spoon."

"Can you blame them? I'm a catch, blondie." Nojiko smirked as she took a sip from her own drink, "If anything, it's a compliment."

Naruto's eyebrow rose at the comment, "How do you figure that?"

"Well, it shows you have great taste in women and how lucky I am to have such a wonderful boyfriend to save me at my beck and call."

The blonde rolled his eyes, "I guess that's one way to look at it." He looked out across the beach, a smile finding its way to his face. They'd been on the little island for a couple of days, and as much as he wanted to stay there longer, he knew they'd have to get going at some point. Finding the little island had been a godsend and gave them time to decompress and relax after a long couple of months. Nojiko, in particular, was looking ready for a rest. She'd been working her dainty feet off by helping him run the restaurant on top of her training.

Speaking of her training, Nojiko was making steady improvements. He was confident she could handle herself against regular pirates and marines officers and wasn't someone to be underestimated. She wasn't a natural fighter, but she persevered with an attitude that was willing to learn. All he did was show her some hand to hand combat moves on top of body conditioning. Nojiko, to his surprise, was naturally very strong and showed that in their mock battles. She wasn't Tsunade or Sakura strong, but it was far higher than the norm.

Her Devil Fruit was a challenge, given he didn't have one himself. A year on from eating it, she could now activate it across her body at separate times or even turn her whole body in sapphire at once. She'd even incorporated it into her fighting technique.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" He heard Nojiko ask and felt her heel tap him on the leg.

"Just thinking that we should probably start heading off in a day or two and make our way to the next island." He took another sip of his drink before adding, "Plus, we haven't trained in over a week." As expected, Nojiko let out a low whine, making him laugh, "You do that every time but you enjoy it once we start."

Nojiko let out a huff, "I guess it's not so bad." Taking another sip of her drink, she rested the glass on the sand and sat up on her knees. Naruto watched, mesmerised as her hands played with the top of her sarong until a soft click was heard and threw it to the side, revealing a thin pair of white bikini bottoms. Feeling his eyes watching her, Nojiko couldn't stop the flirty grin appearing on her face, "See something you like?"

"I see a lot that I like." He couldn't stop the words from leaving his mouth. Sometimes he had to pinch himself.

The next thing the blonde knew, the tanned hands of his girlfriend found themselves running down the front of his chest, feeling the lean and defined muscles he'd earned from years of training. Her touch made his skin tingle, her hands going lower as they grazed across his abdomen.

"I'd have to admit the same. I'm certainly lucky." She replied. Before he could blink, he found the shirt leaving and thrown to the side next to the sarong. Nojiko was on him in an instant, her hands still pressed against him as their lips met in the middle. They stayed like that for a moment, basking in each other's presence when he felt Nojiko turn her head to face the ocean as his mouth trailed her neck and stilled.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

There was a moment of silence before Nojiko asked, "How long has that ship been there?"

"That's our ship, Nojiko." He got a light slap on the shoulder for that one.

"There's a marine ship anchoring next to the Leaf Hurricane." Ceasing his movements, Naruto looked past Nojiko and towards the Leaf Hurricane. Just as Nojiko stated, a large Marine vessel with its large white masses with the word, 'Marine', written across it, was anchoring next to their humble little boat, dwarfing it in size. He could make out a few people in white uniforms running across the deck of the ship as it came to a halt.

Pushing himself up off the sunbed, he quickly threw his shirt back on, while Nojiko did the same with her sarong.

"Looks like we'll need to cut this short," Naruto replied. Nojiko didn't need to be asked as she jumped into his arms as Naruto got ready to run across the water and return to the ship. It looked like their minibreak was over.

"Hey. Look at me for a second," He heard Nojiko say. He turned his head and looked at her, "It's been months since we had trouble with any marines. It could be nothing. They might not even recognise you. Let's play it cool and see what they want. If they need food, we'll accommodate. Okay? I'll draw their focus and you work in the kitchen."

She pulled him down for one last quick kiss. When they broke apart, he just nodded, "Okay. Everything will be fine." With that, they took off back to the ship, curious about what their visitors had in store for them.

Watching as the bridge lowered down onto the Leaf Hurricane, Nojiko stood patiently on the deck with her arms crossed. She made a quick change of clothes, leaving on her sarong but putting on a pair of sandals and a thin shirt, leaving the top button undone so her girls could breathe a little. This was not how she wanted her day to go by any means. If the blunette had her way, they'd still be on the beach soaking in the sun and enjoying each other's company and getting into all kinds of mischief a happy couple could find themselves in.

'God, it must be the heat. I can barely keep my hands off him.' The blonde may have been a bit of a dummy at times but he was her dummy.

It was nice not to have to look over their shoulders every once in a while, but that was the life she signed up for when venturing out across the seas. The annoyance of Naruto's bounty always crept upon them from time to time.

The moment the bridge hit the deck of the Leaf Hurricane, a dozen marines in their white uniforms with swords and rifles strapped to their backs descended. Each one stood single file in perfect harmony and stood with their feet firmly pressed together in two columns of six. Nojiko remained silent as she waited for the main man to appear. Was it going to be a Captain? Commodore? Maybe even a Rear-Admiral. Anyone above that station moved to the new Marine Headquarters in the New World, where the strongest pirates in the world controlled the seas.

She didn't have to wait long. She heard him first, the clacks of wooden sandals hitting the ground which was followed, to her surprise, by the tapping of a wooden cane as a large man came into view. He was one of the largest people she'd ever seen, larger than Arlong and dressed in long purple robes held together by a thick sash going around his middle. His wrists were bandaged with guards sitting on the front of his hands and the white jacket all of the top marine officers wore, showing off where they were on the hierarchy. His most prominent features were the scars going across his face in the shape of an ex, forming over his eyes with only the whites of his eyes showing.

Just looking at him gave her an uneasy feeling. This man was powerful. She could tell right away.

Waiting patiently, she waited for the man to step foot on the deck of the Leaf Hurricane before stepping forward, "Good Afternoon, and welcome to Leaf Hurricane Ramen. I'm Nojiko, and I'm sorry if we're looking unprepared, but we weren't expecting any visitors today."

The man continued forward and didn't answer right away until he stood just a meter away from Nojiko, towering over the blunette, "That's quite alright, my dear. My crew and I were merely passing by when we spotted your ship." His voice was calm and soft, his expression not showing hostility, "An officer called out the name of the ship and I remember hearing about a ramen restaurant that's been making a name for itself for the past year across the Grand Line." He gripped his cane in both hands, "I hope you don't mind, but I thought I could perhaps procure your establishment for a bowl."

"Of course, it's no trouble at all. Come right this way."

Despite his apparent blindness, Nojiko felt unnerved by the way he stared at her. It felt like he was looking right through her and into her soul. Trying not to give anything away, she put on her best smile and ushered him over to the counter, where a couple of seats had been put out, followed by the clack of his cane. She could hear Naruto in the kitchen getting everything ready, the smell of fresh ingredients already beginning to waft across the deck.

Then Nojiko felt her stomach drop, her expression evaporating when she saw the symbols on the back of his marine jacket as he made his way over and took a seat at the counter.

Admiral.

A chill of terror ran down the back of her spine, her legs walking on autopilot as she went through the side door and faced the man from behind the counter.

'Of all people to visit us.'

Behind her, she felt Naruto's hand squeeze her own. He had his back to her, but the little action was enough to reassure her and aid her in composing herself.

"I'm sorry, but we haven't had any menu's drawn up in brail. Would you like me to read out the menu for you?"

"If you could."

She did just that and read off each bowl. The man merely listened politely as she rounded off each one until she got to the end. His hand rubbed his chin for a moment until making his choice, "Could I procure a bowl of your Spicy Pork Ramen, please?"

"Of course. A fine choice." Nojiko replied, "You hear that, honey?"

"I got it! One Spicy Pork Ramen coming up." Naruto replied and set off to work.

Nojio turned back to the man, "Can I get you a drink of some kind? We provide alcoholic beverages if that takes your fancy."

The man shook his head, "A glass of water would be fine, thank you." Nojiko didn't waste any time and had the man's water in front of him quicker than anyone could blink. Taking a sip, the Admiral let out a low hum of contentment as the cool liquid ran down the back of his throat, "Thank you for indulging in my curiosity. It's been such a long time since I had ramen and marine rations can only sustain one for so long before you crave for something more hearty." The admiral turned to look at the marines still stood by the deck in two files, "At ease, men. Return to the ship. Everything will be fine here."

They all saluted, "Yes, Admiral Fujitora, sir!"

'Admiral Fujitora.' Nojiko thought, watching as the marines left the ship until the large man was by himself. She'd heard two new Admirals had been selected after the War with Whitebeard ended. Of the previous two, one had ascended to the rank of Fleet Admiral, and the other left the Marines altogether. For this man to attain the rank of Admiral meant he was powerful.

Yet, despite his size and status, Nojiko couldn't deny there was a shroud of gentleness to him. He didn't come across as corrupt as Captain Nezumi did, selling out his oath and dignity for wealth offered by Arlong and his crew.

"Your establishment has become quite well known across the first half of the Grand Line," Fujitora said, breaking Nojiko out of her thoughts, "We were passing by the Drum Kingdom some time ago and you were still on the lips of men and women working the port. You must have a very talented chef."

"Well, he does alright. I wouldn't want him to get a big head but he's very good at what he does. You're in for a treat." Nojiko tried to remain casual, "I dare say he makes the best ramen on the Grand Line."

A small smile appeared on Fujitora's face, "That's quite the statement to make. I look forward to seeing if that's true." He replied and further asked, "So, where are you from, my dear? Are you from the Grand Line?"

"I'm not. I'm from the East Blue."

"The East Blue? You're a long way from home."

"I am but this ship has been a good home this past year. Home is where you make it."

"Very true, my dear. Very true." Fujitora replied, taking another sip of his water, "I've spent some time in the East Blue, though not for many years. Perhaps I know the Island you're from."

Oh?" Nojiko said, before adding, "I'm from a place called Cocoyasi Village in the Conami Islands. It's an archipelago not far from Logue Town and Reverse Mountain."

As soon as she mentioned her home's name, she could see the cogs turning in the mind of the Admiral. She didn't think he would be aware of her relation to Nami, who at this point had a bounty of her own with the Strawhats.

"Cocoyasi Village in the Conami Islands." The Admiral muttered, "I know that name."

"You've been there?"

"Not myself, but an old friend lived there once, though she died a very long time ago." Fujitora stared at Nojiko with closed eyes, "Nojiko, huh? I remember your name. You're one of the girls Bell-Mere adopted, are you not?"

Nojiko tried her hardest, but she couldn't stop her expression from turning to one of shock, her legs suddenly feeling like they were made from jelly. It took all of her energy to remain upright. Behind her, she could hear Naruto stop working and felt his eyes on her back.

"Y-You knew my Mom?" Nojiko managed to choke out, though it took her a moment to find the words.

"I did. When I was still a Vice Admiral, she was part of my battalion twenty years ago. The last I saw of her was before her deployment to the Oykot Kingdom in the East Blue." He explained, resting his cane on the counter and clasping his hands together, "Not long after, I found out she'd retired from the Marines, adopted two daughters and made her way back home."

"Bell-mere never talked about her time in the Marines, but we always got the feeling that she'd seen and done things she wasn't proud of." She and Nami didn't poke or prod her for information. They tried once and they'd been swiftly shut down. They never tried again, "We were told she never registered our adoption with the World Government. How did you know?"

A small smile appeared on his face, "She wrote to me, you see. Bell-mere was always one of my favourites and explained that she thought I was owed an explanation for her hasty decision. I was sad to see her go but I understood others needed her more. She was one of the good ones and I was very proud to have her as my subordinate." His shoulders slouched somewhat and a slither of sadness wove over his face, "I was disheartened to learn that she had died and at the hands of someone like Arlong."

Nojiko pressed her teeth together and firmly set her jaw. That man's name was taboo around her, as Naruto had learned. Arlong had taken so much from her that the very thought of the man would bring down her mood. How could it not? She was forced to watch as Arlong executed Bell-mere with her own eyes, forever scarring her and her sister.

"You knew her well then?"

"I did and had I known that Arlong and his crew had fled the Grand Line and taken over your island, I would have come in an instant." He took a deep breath, "If it's any consolation, it was I who volunteered to escort Arlong and his crew to Impel Down, as well as Captain Nezumi, who'd covered up the whole ordeal for a decade. We did not make the journey a pleasurable one for them. They will all be permanent residents of Imped Down for a very long time."

"Good. He deserves to rot." She wanted the fish man to suffer for what he did. She didn't want him dead yet. She wanted him to suffer the same way he made everyone in Cocayasi village suffer. She hoped the other inmates he was shackled with made him feel like the little fish in a big pond that he always was.

Fujitora hummed in agreement with the conversation fizzling out as the blunette took everything in. The next thing Nojiko knew, he was sniffing the air and made a small hum, "Hmm. That smells delicious. I'm looking forward to my bowl a great deal."

"Well, that's good to hear. It shouldn't be long now. The chef is very talented when it comes to ramen." Nojiko smiled, "Not so much anything else."

"I heard that and you were singing something very different back on the beach earlier." Nojiko could tell he was smiling, though he had his back to her. As much as she wanted to wrap her arms around him from behind and nuzzle into his back, she had to look professional and keep the attention away from the blonde.

She loved her goofy blonde. Once this was over, and the Marines were gone, they were going back to that beach for some more quality time together.

After another ten minutes of small talk with Fujitora, the sound of the bell rang as the order was finally complete.

"Order up! One spicy pork ramen!" Naruto handed the bowl over to Nojiko, who, in turn, placed it in front of Fujitora with a pair of chopsticks resting beside it. The patient Admiral couldn't help but lick his lips as the smell radiating from the bowl was heavenly on the senses, placing one hand to rest on the bowl. Breaking apart his chopsticks, the large purple-robed man expertly wrapped some of the noodles around a piece of pork sitting in the broth and guided them up to his mouth.

He took one large bite and chewed before a look of bliss erupted on his face.

"Hmm, that's delicious."

Nojiko grinned and watched as Admiral Fijitora dove back into his bowl of ramen, scarcely saying a word for the next ten minutes as he savoured every bite. The guy must really like ramen to be giving off such expressions on his face. He made sure to combine as much as he could with every bite, not wanting to lose any of the flavours that came with the bowl.

'Looks like another happy customer.' Nojiko thought, giving the blonde in the back a thumbs up for once again nailing the dish.

"It's been so long." He looked up at his ship, "I have half a mind to invite the rest of the crew down here and get a bowl for themselves, but that's a lot of mouths to feed. There are some big appetites on board. We'd be here all day."

"Well, we're glad you're enjoying it. Can I get you another drink of water?"

"Yes, please."

Naruto just stood in the back, listening to Nojiko talk with Fujitora. She was doing well keeping the Marine Admiral occupied, but the last thing they needed was a fight battling it out on board. The man might have been blind but Naruto could tell there was a power to him. He was the strongest person he'd felt since crash landing on Marejois and fighting the other Admiral as he tried to escape with the slaves he released.

He wanted to be up there with her but couldn't risk jeopardising Nojiko.

After a few more minutes passed and settling the bill for his bowl of ramen, the Admiral patted his stomach, "A wonderful meal. I can see why you have such a good reputation."

"We try our best. We're just glad you like it."

"I'm sure," Fujitora replied and stood up from his seat. He grabbed his cane in his left hand but didn't walk away, "Now that that's over, we can get down to business."

Nojiko frowned and tilted her head, "Business? What business is that?"

His face turned stern, taking a deep breath and replying with, "Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath

'Damn.'

Nojiko's expression froze and from the corner of her eye, she could see Marine Officers beginning to appear down the bridge and covering the deck of the Leaf Hurricane. More appeared over the side of the marine ship, rifles drawn and aiming down at them. Even the canons were being aimed at their little ship.

She took a step back and was about to speak when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, Naruto appearing next to her. His face was calm, his blue eyes gazing into the whites of the Marine Admiral.

"Naruto Uzumaki wanted for the assault of a Celestial Dragon. Bounty currently standing at 850,000,000 Berries. You are a difficult man to find."

Naruto felt Nojiko's arm snake around his waist and put his own over her shoulders to keep her calm, "How long have you known I was here?"

"Since stepping foot on this ship," Fujitora explained. His eyes gave off an eerie feeling, "Your name has been silent for three years and not a trace of you could be found anywhere. You covered your tracks well."

"I'm a ninja. Covering our tracks is something we're known for."

"A ninja? So you're from the Land of Wano in the New World?"

"I've never heard of a place called that, nor have I ever been to the New World." The blonde replied, "I'm from somewhere much further away than that. I doubt you've ever heard of it."

The Marine Admiral hummed, clearly not liking the answer he received, "Regardless, I'm here to take you in. Alive ideally," His cane unsheathed slightly, revealing the glint of steel beneath the wooden scabbard, "But dead if you resist. I would prefer to avoid that."

"I didn't realise freeing slaves from a life of cruelty was a crime."

"When they belong to a World Noble, descendants of the Twenty Kings who established the World Government, it is a crime of the highest order. As is assaulting one of them."

"I think your World Government needs to have a good hard look at themselves if they think it's okay to lock people in cages and treat them like dirt." Naruto shot back, "I don't understand why the Marines protect them."

"It is how it's always been. They brought the world out of chaos and established order."

Naruto noticed the lack of conviction in his voice at that last part, but it was clear from the offset this guy wasn't going to let them walk away. At least, he wasn't going to let him walk away. Nojiko, on the other hand

"You won't let us walk away, will you?"

Fujitora shook his head and fully removed the sword from its scabbard, "You? No." He turned to look at Nojiko, "But Miss Nojiko? For the sake of an old friend, I will look the other way and return her home to the East Blue."

"Like hell, I'll do that!" Nojiko stepped forward with a livid expression on her face. As if she would just let that happen! She wasn't going to let Fujitora or any marine separate her from Naruto. She didn't care if this guy was an old friend of Bell-mere, that didn't give him the right to break them apart.

A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, feeling Naruto rest his chin on the top of her head.

"Naruto?"

"You know I love you, right?"

She tilted her head to look up at him, "Of course, I do."

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life."

That made him smile. Leaning down, he kissed Nojiko. Nojiko let out a little hum as tingles wove down her spine to her toes from the surprise action. When he broke the kiss, he looked back at the Admiral, "And your men won't harm Nojiko?"

"You have my word they won't. She is not the one we're here for."

"Even if I put up a fight and she stays out the way."

His grip on his sword tightened, and the blonde could sense the man's aura becoming more dangerous and powerful.

"Even if you put up a fight."

Naruto hummed, "Good to know." Before Nojiko could blink, she found herself pushed to the side with her back hitting the wall, Naruto's voice calling out across the ship, "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" A huge burst of air shot across the front of the Leaf Hurricane, immediately knocking all lower-ranked marines into the air and to the water below. A pair of metal trench knives, the same ones Asuma-Sensei used, appeared in his hands and shot forward to intercept Fujitora. The former Jonin had given him extensive lessons on how to use them and imbue his chakra into them when he started learning wind release. The blonde liked them so much that he got a pair of his own as a tribute to man's memory and teachings.

The pair clashed as sparks came off the metal in the initial contact. Both Naruto and Fujitora began to push to try and overpower their adversary, but neither would allow the other to gain the upper hand. From behind the counter, Nojiko took cover and peeked above the counter, watching with wide eyes as the two clashed. A shift in the air occurred around the weapons as purple energy wrapped around Fujitora's blade and the metal turned dark. Even the man's hands turned as black as obsidian. Naruto, meanwhile, poured his chakra into the knives, blue energy rippling across the steal.

The pair clashed again, this time the resulting clash causing a shockwave that almost blew Nojiko off her feet and made the air hum and ripple. The top of the ship would be torn to pieces if they continued to clash.

"Come on. I don't want to damage my home." She heard Naruto say and watched as he broke the clash and backflipped onto the surface of the sea. Fujitora went after him in a heartbeat, surprising Nojiko as the man lifted in the air and flew over the boat and across the sea. The Marine Admiral chased after the man she loved, who was leading him on a chase to their island getaway and away from her and their home.

As soon as Fujitora left the ship, Nojiko came out of her hiding spot inside the kitchen and ran to the edge of the deck, her hands resting on the railing. The pair were little more than dots on the horizon, and she could idly see their initial clash as they made it onto the island, meeting in a shower of sparks and small explosions. She had all the confidence that Naruto could win the battle, but that didn't mean she didn't still worry. He was still fighting against one of the Marines' strongest fighters, and all it took was one slip up for things to go horribly wrong.

"Don't you dare get beaten." She whispered to herself, ignoring the shouts and cries of the Marines officers in the water and on the vessel behind her.

Naruto had to admit, Fujitora earned his position as a Marine Admiral. The guy wasn't giving him time to breathe as he pressed on with his attacks.

"Rasengan!"

Driving his signature attack into the larger man, the blind Admiral immediately brought up his sword, his hands turning obsidian black again and making the blade turn dark. Meeting a clash of force, the sand around them was instantly blown away in a huge cloud as the blue orb pushed against the weapon. Naruto narrowed his eyes, feeling the man's defence slowly trying to push him back. The man's abilities were strong.

Both men grit their teeth, blue eyes staring into white.

The resulting explosion from the two opposing forces resulted in both men being flung back ten meters, skidding across the sand as they tried to stay upright. Naruto thought he was the first to recover as he ground to a halt but found himself staring at a large boulder three times the size of himself being hurdled towards him at a frightening speed. One quick hand motion and a clone popped to life next to him, grabbing him by the arm and throwing him out of harm's way just as the boulder collided with the ground.

"Gravito!"

Fujitora swung his sword in Naruto's direction. The blonde tried to prepare but was unsuspecting as an invisible force collided with him from his left side, sending him sprawling into the jungle and tumbling across the ground. It felt like a train barrelled into him.

"Ow! What the hell was that!"

"Surender, Naruto Uzumaki," He heard and found Fujitora blitzing towards him with his sword raised high. Naruto brought up his knives in the knick of time, blocking the strike, before the two entered into a series of exchanges across the beach, neither giving the other a moment to breathe. Sparks flew through the air as metal clashed and the sound of sharp clinks echoed across the otherwise silent air.

From the boats, the marines all ran to the side of the boat, watching their commander battle the blonde. Even from their position, they could make out the two clash against one another. None could hardly believe someone was managing to give one of their Admirals a problem. Someone strong enough to give Fujitora a problem didn't seem likely, but then again, this was the guy who defeated an Admiral four years ago. Sometimes they forgot there were people out there that could give their best a hard time.

Nojiko merely stood on her own, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched the pair. She had confidence Naruto could win. He always seemed so steadfast when it came to protecting them. Protecting her.

Fujitora backed off, pushing himself away a few meters before his sword held a purple glow around it. He swung it through the air, reminiscent of moments earlier that barrelled the invisible force into the blonde. This time he was prepared and jumped out of the way as another invisible force swept across the sand and the water. The shore split in two, revealing the seafloor until the waves came crashing over them once more.

"Gravity, huh? I fought a guy who could do stuff with Gravity a while back," Naruto told him, jumping in the air to land a kick on his opponent. The Admiral blocked with his arm, narrowly dodging or blocking as the blonde attacked him with a flurry of kicks and punches, "He was one of the toughest guys I ever fought. I get the feeling you're going to be much the same."

"Justice must be served, and I won't be leaving here without you, Naruto Uzumaki." Strangely, at that moment, he sensed a shift come from his opponent. What it was, he didn't know, but it was like nothing he'd ever felt before with his Haki.

"Yeah, I figured you'd say that. Even if you marines have a strange sense of it." Naruto ducked a swing from Fujitora's sword and blocked a second strike with the knives. A second rasengan appeared in his hand, finding an opening as Fujitora pushed him away. The blonde leapt forward but, to his annoyance, the Admiral threw his sword into his other hand and swung at the air. The invisible force returned, and Naruto once again found himself being thrown back. The rasengan disappeared from his hand as he hit the ground, but Fujitora was left bewildered as his opponent disappeared into a pop of smoke.

"Where did-"

Fujitora never got to finish as the sand in front of him exploded. The Marine Admiral had no time to react as a fist caught him in the face, followed immediately after by a kick to the chest that sent the large man skidding across the sand and falling to one knee. He started coughing and couldn't help but wonder how the blonde managed to hit him with such force. In fact, he could have sworn he'd dodged the fist strike at the last moment, and yet somehow, it still managed to catch him.

If his sense of sight had remained, he would have seen the blue eyes of his opponent had disappeared. Instead, topaz eyes with horizontal bars for pupils now stared at him. Pushing himself to his feet, he threw off his Marine jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his purple robes. Cracking his neck, he ushered his opponent to come forward and meet him in combat.

Naruto didn't disappoint, and the pair met with another clash of force, backing the air and causing the land and sea around them to quake in protest.

Couple of hours later

"This is really irritating, you know!" Naruto shouted, his fist thrown forward towards his oversized opponent, Senjutsu empowering his body.

"Perhaps you should give up and make it easier upon yourself!" Fujitora replied his Haki-induced fist meeting Naruto's in the middle.

The impact of the two fists was enough for the ground to shake around them, air pushed away and destroying anything nearby. Haki against senjutsu was a combination unseen within the world and it was unclear which was the stronger of the two. Since the battle was taken up a notch, the two men had been at a stalemate. Each landed significant blows on the other, with Fujitora's Gravity constantly catching Naruto off guard. On the other side, the Admiral was unable to keep up with the versatility of his opponent. Just when he thought he'd figured his opponent out, he went and pulled another card from his sleeve.

Both were looking worse for wear with clothes damaged beyond repair and cuts and bruises littering their bodies, but neither was willing to concede to the other. Naruto knew if he entered his Kyuubi Mode and synchronised with Kurama, he could have ended the fight a long time ago, but he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't always rely on Kurama's power. He had power of his own and it was up to him to refine it and grow stronger. The synchronising of his power and Kurama's was for emergencies only.

Slamming his blade back into the sheath with a loud clap, the air distorted around him and Naruto watched as rubble and debris from their battle lifted into the air as if they weighed nothing. Swirling around the Marine Admiral at speeds that would have made a lesser man wet themselves, each one suddenly jolted to the side and was sent directly towards Naruto.

"I hate that damn move of yours." Naruto backflipped over the first piece of rubble and started cutting and hacking away at each one that came his way, courtesy of his trench knives. He'd lost count of the number of times the Admiral used the technique. He knew how much it irritated him.

A towering figure appeared over him and Naruto barely managed to react in time to block the incoming blade of Fujitora, having blitzed next to him thanks to those crazy moves of his. The force was enough to push him down onto one knee and the tip of the sword was inches from his face.

Willing himself to act, Naruto gathered his strength and pushed Fujitora back, forcing the man to take a step back before exchanging in a flurry of blade strikes, sparks whipping through the air as metal clashed with metal.

'I'm really glad Asuma-sensei gave me those lessons before he died.' The blonde thought, ducking under a swipe and rolling under the guard of Fujitora and delivering a swift kick to the back of his leg. The Admiral stumbled but tightened his grip on his sword, making the area around him shimmer.

Eyes widening, a clone popped to life and threw the original Naruto out of the way, just as Gravity came crashing down around Fujitora. Naturally, it destroyed everything in its path, the clone included.

Back on the ship, Nojiko hadn't moved a muscle since Naruto left the ship with the Marine Admiral. She had her arms crossed and stood by the side of the ship, uncaring off the handful of Marines that stood watching as well. The blue-haired young woman was tired and her eyes felt heavy, but she wasn't going anywhere until her blonde misfit returned.

"This guy putting up a better fight than I thought he would." One of the Marines said off to the side, unable to take their eyes away from the chaos and destruction resonating from the island, "You think we should help the Admiral?"

"And do what?" Another hissed, "All we'd do is get in the way and cause unnecessary problems for the Admiral. The best thing we can do is sit on the sidelines and believe he'll win." The same marine released an audible gulp, "Though I have to admit, this guy is putting up a better fight than I thought. He's plenty strong enough to survive in the New World."

Back on the Island and none the wiser to the comments made by his fellow Marines, a strong right hook to the side of his face sent the towering figure of Fujitora sprawling across the ground. He hit the ground hard, his shoulder jarring as it caught the edge of a dent in the ground, though managed to push himself back up to his feet in time for a barrage of clones to come his way.

Hitting the sheath of his sword on the ground, a twenty-foot radius around him suddenly shimmered as the gravity increased and the clones flying towards him slammed into the ground, dispersing in multiple clouds of smoke.

Breathing heavily, Fujitora and the real Naruto stood thirty feet from one another, each facing the other drenched in sweat.

"Hurry and end this battle. If you combine our power, we can be back on the ship and leaving this wretched place before the hours up." Kurama told him, watching the fight from inside the blonde.

"No," Naruto shook his head, taking a deep breath as he pushed away his partner's idea, "There are people of great strength in this world and I need to grow stronger in order to battle them. To protect Nojiko." He turned his head and looked towards the ship where he knew Nojiko was waiting for him, "Your power is the last resort."

Kurama merely hummed in annoyance but said little else after, "You've grown rusty. Hurry and end this."

"I plan to." Feeling the connection disappear as Kurama resumed watching from within, Naruto wiped some sweat off his nose, "This has been fun and all, but it's time to end this battle. I've made Nojiko worry enough."

"As long as she is with you, she will be in harm's way."

"I know, but you try telling that to her. I don't know if you've ever met Nojiko before yesterday, but she's all kinds of stubborn." The blonde poked himself in the chest with his thumb, "I'm the most stubborn person I know, but she gives me a run for my money."

"That, I can see," Fujitora exclaimed, given how much of a fight the blonde had given him. The Marine Admiral couldn't remember the last time someone had pushed him this far and inflicted these kinds of injuries upon him. He hadn't been able to feel his right arm in some time and his back was one solid hit away from giving up.

'The bounty on this young man is far too low for someone of his capabilities.'

"This has gone on long enough," Fujitora exclaimed, throwing his hand onto the ground. A horizontal shimmering in the air tower above him, going all the way into the sky and beyond the clouds.

It took only a moment for everyone to realize what he was doing as an enormous rock appeared high in the sky, pushing its way through the clouds and towards the island. For the first time in hours, Nojiko made a movement, arms unfolding and gripping the side of the boat so tightly that blood started to leak from her fingers tips.

His marine squadron also looked up in shock and awe. They knew Admiral Fujitora was a powerful individual, given his rank and status, but they didn't think such a feat was possible. An attack that came from beyond the clouds was unheard of.

"What kind of crazy power does this guy have?" She muttered, watching with disbelief as the meteor rocketed towards its target. From where she was standing on the ship, she could barely make out the tiny figure in the distance that represented Naruto, but couldn't understand why he wasn't moving.

"Come on, you fool. Do something!" Nojiko shouted.

Almost as if he'd heard her voice, the blonde threw himself into the air with the help of some clones and rocketed towards the meteor. Nojiko could feel her stomach tightening as the seconds went past.

"That's impressive, but I've had bigger thrown at me!"

"What is he doing?" Fujitora asked himself, sensing Naruto with his haki sailing towards the meteor, "Does he intend to meet it head-on? In the air?"

"Alright, here we go!" Naruto told himself, creating a rasengan in his right palm. Mixing wind chakra with his signature attack, a loud thrum started to emanate from his palm as the rasengan shifted and evolved, "Have some of this! Rasenshuriken!"

Fujitora, Nojiko and the marines all watched to their surprise as Naruto hurled the attack towards the meteor, tiny in comparison to its hulking mass. The initial wonder of what a tiny attack would do to Fujitora's own was soon dispelled. The moment the rasenshuriken impacted the meteor, the whole mass was engulfed in a silvery-white vortex of wind. A blast so loud it forced everyone watching on the ships to cover their ears as tightly as possible, many of whom dropped to their knees or got thrown back as a result of the invoking shockwave. The boats rocked from side to side so violently, that many fell over the side and into the water. Nojiko, knowing how destructive Naruto's attacks could be, dove to cover behind the side of the ship.

'I've never seen that one before.'

The island they'd called home for the past week would never be the same again. It looked more like a destructive wasteland.

"Such strange abilities." Fujitora wondered aloud, watching as his attack was decimated. Small chunks of rubble from the meteor fell through the air and hit the ground across the island and the water. Using his haki, he tried to sense his opponent, catching him mixed in with the rubble falling towards the ground.

He was moving through the derbies as the attack finally ended, using clones to keep himself above the ground and vaulting him through the air.

The next thing he knew, the hair on the back of his arm stood on end. Fujitora brought up his sword, deflecting a flying weapon aimed at his chest and swatted it aside. An audible ring hit his ear, but dread filled him as an audible poof sound hit him.

"Oh no." He muttered, swinging his head to the left. The last thing he saw before it all went dark was the image of his opponent hovering over him, his right hand in the air and a blue sphere as big as he was flaring to life.

It was checkmate.

One Day Later

"And that's what happened." Fujitora sighed, his head resting against the pillows of his cot. His body from the neck down was bandaged to the extreme, the doctor on the ship refusing to allow him on his feet. He was in no place to argue in his current condition and had to resign himself to being trapped between the sheets.

According to the doctor, his ribs had been shattered to a level he'd never seen before. It was a miracle he'd been able to treat him, thanks to modern medicine. According to the older man, if he hadn't coated himself in haki before the attack struck, his ribs, as well as his insides, would have been little more than paste and they'd be scraping him off the floor.

Next to him on a small table was a Den Den Mushi, where a deep voice answered back from Marine Headquarters.

"I see. I wondered when he would reappear. He's been silent for over four years and now he shows himself. Someone like that shouldn't be able to move around freely the way he does."

The deep resonating voice of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki came from the other end. The tone of his voice was enough for Fujitora to understand he wasn't happy that one of his admirals had been bested in combat. The Admirals were meant to be the World Government's greatest powers. Their swords would cut down any foe that dared to interrupt the balance of power.

Naruto Uzumaki had now bested two of them. It was a bitter pill for the Marines to swallow. They would have to be on their guard should they come across him for the third time in the near future. Perhaps if he came across a Pirate Crew, he could do them a favour and remove them from the sea.

"I fear he hasn't revealed his true power yet. I had the feeling he was holding back some terrible power, but what it is, I don't know." Fujitora's sightless gaze focused on the ceiling, "His bounty will need to be increased."

"That goes without saying." He heard the Fleet Admiral huff on the other end and pictured his desk taken more abuse as his magma covered fist slammed on the top, "Did you learn anything else of note?"

"He can walk on water and can manipulate the wind around him." The wounded admiral added, thinking back to the battle. He hadn't had time to react to the blonde's abilities when he bolted after him to begin their fight, but looking back on it now, it was certainly eye-opening.

"Walk on water?"

"That's correct. I could hardly believe it either." Fujitora frowned at the memory, "Walk on air using soru techniques is one thing but this is another thing entirely."

He heard a growl on the other end of the Den-Den Mushi. It must have been frustrating to no end for the Fleet Admiral to hear such information. The higher-ups in the World Government were going to love that piece of information.

"Anything else?"

Fujitora hummed before asking, "He makes a mean bowl of ramen."

A crackle came from the Den-Den Mushi until the line cut off, rendering the injured Admiral to his lonesome. Apparently, the Fleet Admiral didn't consider that piece of information as noteworthy.

"That was rude."

The moment the door was thrown open, the blonde shinobi look up from his book to find his beautiful blue-haired girlfriend standing in the doorway. Long and drawn out breaths escaped her body, her shoulders moving up and down at a quicker rate than usual and her face flushed red.

They'd made dock with a small island known as Papanapple Island, a week after battling the Marine Admiral and sending him packing. The blonde hated to admit it, but the Gravity-wielding opponent was a lot more capable and formidable than he'd anticipated. The versatility of his techniques was far wider than the ones Nagato had displayed during their battle in Konoha and it required him to adapt and recognise the body motions of his opponent in order to learn his move set.

Could he have ended the fighter quicker by synchronising with Kurama? Absolutely. Their combined power would have curb-stomped Admiral Fujitora, but Naruto had made the decision early on since arriving in this strange and colourful world that Kurama's power was to be used for emergencies only.

He needed to rely on his own power and grow stronger. Kurama would help him and train him from within the seal when possible. The strongest of the nine Tailed Beasts sounded rather intrigued to impart his knowledge and experiences to his partner.

"You okay, Nojiko?"

Nojiko didn't reply back. Instead, she bolted forward, climbed on top of the bed and grabbed a piece of paper from out of the newspaper. Naruto didn't get a chance to ask what it was as it was pushed into his face without warning.

"Bwah!" The noise slipped out of his mouth. After a moment, he reared his head back and got a good look at what was written on the paper. His expression quickly dropped.

Wanted

Dead Or Alive

Naruto Uzumaki

1,500,000,000 Berries

"Oh, boy."

Naruto." Nojiko said in a serious tone, "I've never seen a bounty this high before. You're likely in the top ten highest bounties right now. Maybe even the top five. Only the strongest pirates in the New World have a bounty of over one billion." Nojiko held a hand on her head, "This is insane but I guess it was inevitable when you beat an Admiral of all people. Or two, in your case."

All Naruto did in response was fall back on the bed and let the back of his head rest on the sheets.

"What a pain."

So the battle with Fujitora was something I debated for a while. Primarily because I was trying to figure out the power scale comparison between characters in the Naruto Universe and the One Piece Universe. We all know how strong Naruto has become towards the end of the series, where he could curb stomp everyone minus a very select few (Sasuke, Madara, Isshiki, etc). Fujitora is a formidable opponent, considering he took on Law and Doflamingo during the Dressrossa Arc, both of whom were Shichibukai at the time and didn't receive any major injuries (Maybe only minor, I think). I think it stands to reason that the Admiral would be a solid match for Naruto in Sage Mode. He's a master swordsman, extremely efficient with his two types of Haki and has a Gravity Devil Fruit. He's proven himself a good match up with a lot of powerful characters. I didn't want Naruto to just steamroll through characters. There has to be a power scale and I think the only ones who could efficiently put up a fight with him are people like the Admirals, members of the Shichibukai, the Yonkou and high-ranking members of said Yonkou's Crew (King, Marco, Katakuri). I hope that makes sense.

Plus, Fujtora is my favourite Admiral.

I hope that battle was okay. I'm not the best with battle scenes, so I hope it was passable.

Did his new bounty make sense? Defeating another Admiral must boost your bounty up a fair amount. 850,000,000 Million to 1,500,000,000? The way they rise can get very confusing.

Thanks for reading. Please review and let me know what you thought.