Chapter 19

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2 years later. . .

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"Captain, are you sure you want to do this?" A voice asked over a transponder snail, sounding a little concerned for the man on the other end of the line

"Yes Kiji, you know what we read on Laugh-tale and you also know the dangers if those things fall into the wrong hands. That needs to be prevented at all costs, they need to be taken care of before that can happen." Naruto told his first mate over the transponder snail, explaining to him the dangers of what could come

The captain of the Whirlpool Pirates had grown up quite a bit within the last two years, he was now 23 years old and started to grow a bit of stubble on his chin and cheeks. The man's light red hair had also grown down to his a little past his ears, and hiding most of it was his trademark black hat with a red ring around it on the top of his head. He had also kept the outfit he wore two years ago, not seeing the point in changing it, and had grown to the height of 6'10.

The transponder snail sighed, "I know as well as you that that can't be allowed to happen but at least let us come with you. Those ancient weapons can be a lot to deal with by yourself." Kiji told him but Naruto just smiled as he looked out to the vast sea

"I told you the plan already Kiji, I'm going back to the east blue to visit my mother then heading to Alabasta by my self to discuss with the king about Pluton. From there I'm going to Water-7 and that's we're I'll meet you guys. Besides don't you guys got your hands full with all the new guys showing up?" Naruto questioned as Kiji laughed on the other side of the line

"Yeah we do. Just imagine how much more of them there would be if people knew that we found the One Piece. By the way, will you ever tell anyone that we found it?" Kiji asked him as the transponder snail raised a brow to imitate Kiji's facial expression on the other end of the line

Naruto smiled, "In due time, right now I have other things to focus on then going around and telling everyone I found the One Piece. In the mean time you just worry about making sure that all those new guys who joined up know how to fight. You know as well as I what is on the horizon." The Yonko told him, getting serious only for a second

"Don't worry, it's all being taken care of as we speak. But at the moment I'm more concerned for you, do you remember how to use that log pose Lucy gave you for Paradise?" Kiji questioned him and Naruto just shook his hand and rubbed the back of his head

"Yea yea I know how to, it shouldn't be too difficult to remember!" Naruto exclaimed to the fishman

The transponder snail rolled its eyes as Kiji once again spoke, "Yea just try not to get lost okay. I'm not there to bail your ass out like I did on Hachinozu!"

"Hey she drugged me!" Naruto countered, adorning and angry expression as Kiji just laughed it off

"Say what you want Naruto, I got to go, Russ looks like he needs some help. We'll see you soon captain!" Kiji exclaimed as he hung up on the other end of the transponder snail as Naruto shoved the communication device into his pocket

Naruto sighed as he continued to drift along on his little iceberg as he approached his home, Dawn Island. It took him a few hours but he had finally reached the entrance of the Goa Kingdom and departed from his 'raft' as he walked through the crowded streets with his hood up so no one would recognize his face and start a scene. If anyone were to find one of the Yonko in the East Blue all hell would break loose.

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A few hours later. . .

Naruto eventually walked out of Grey Terminal and saw the mountains before him and smiled, to most they were just mountains but to him it was where he learned how to fight from his Grandfather Garp and Dadan. He continued to walk up the mountains and eventually arrived at a little hut in the forest and memories flooded back to him of himself and his brothers running around playing, snatching up eggs from Anacondas, fighting off lowly thiefs, seeing who was the strongest one out of all of them.

Naruto traced his hand over the engravings they had left on the wooden pole just outside of the house and sighed as he brushed over Sabo's name. Everyday he missed his brother, but he did feel a little bit better that he was able to avenge him.

This continued until a woman walked out of the house with a cigarette in her mouth and pointed at Naruto and started to yell at him, "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing! Don't you know who we are! We're the Dadan Family and we could easily take care of someone like you! So why don't you get lost before we gut your ass!" The curly haired woman yelled out as Naruto turned to face her, his hat blocking his face

"That isn't a good way to address someone Dadan. But then again, you could say that your bad habit rubbed off a little bit on me!" Naruto stated as he revealed his face to the group, which shocked them to the core

"N-Naruto! I-is that you?!" Dadan spoke out to him as the Yonko grinned and pointed a thumb to himself

"In the flesh!" He stated as she and the other mountain bandits ran over to him and started to celebrate his return home

Dadan bear hugged the smaller man which knocked all of the wind out of the Yonko, "It's so good to see you again Naruto! I hope that now that you're a Yonko you haven't been getting other people to fight your battles for you and getting soft!" Dadan exclaimed as she let go of the breathless Naruto

Naruto tried to catch his breath before he looked up at the bandits, "You wish!" Naruto told her with a smirk on his face

The Dadan family then began to bring out booze from inside their house before Naruto waved his hand no. "Why not Naruto? We haven't seen you in over 6 years, it's time to party!" Dogma spoke to him, but Naruto just curved his lip upwards

"Not yet guys, I got to go see my Mom before I have something to drink. Besides if she smells alcohol on my breath I'm as good as dead." Naruto told them as he rubbed the back of his head as they all sweat-dropped

"Alright! Then what are you standing around for! Hop to it and go see your mom! I haven't had a good drink today and I'm getting antsy!" Dadan yelled at Naruto as he started to walk down the mountain and into the village as he waved back to the bandits

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Minutes later. . .

The Yonko descended the hill and walked into Foosha Village with a large smile on his face as he passed the Party's Bar and started to see the houses on the dirt road. He then looked around to see a few people talking and children at play as they ran through the street with wide smiles on their faces. Naruto smiled at the sight before he saw a boy with blond hair and a top hat run by his side, he widened his eyes and quickly looked to where the boy had ran but saw nothing but the dirt path. He took a deep breath as he laid his hands on Sabo's old goggles he had put around his hat and concluded that his mind was just playing tricks on him as he kept walking through the street.

Eventually, Naruto came across a particular house that he remembered quite fondly as it was where his mother had lived for all of these years. He walked down the path leading to the house and spotted Portgas D. Rouge taking care of the flowers outside of her house. It seemed like she hadn't noticed Naruto's presence yet so he decided he would go back to his old roots and try and pull a prank on his mother. The Yonko smiled as he made his way behind the unsuspecting woman trying not to make any noise, 'Get ready Mom cause you're in for the shock of your life!' Naruto thought to himself as Rouge put down the item she was holding

"You're going to have to do better than that if you're going to sneak up on me, Naruto." She stated cooly, but before Naruto could react she slid underneath his legs and pulled them out from under him before pinning the Yonko on his stomach and holding his arm in a solid grip behind his back

Naruto "tched" as he looked over his shoulder to see his mother pinning him down with a smile on her face, "It's good to see you're doing well Mom." Naruto told her in a groany type voice from being taken down so easily

She then released him from her grip before taking off her gardening gloves and placing them at her side and helping her son up, "I've been doing fine! Things have been rather quiet around here ever since all of my boys had left to go be pirates." Rouge explained as Naruto raised a brow

"Luffy left already?" The Yonko asked as Rouge nodded and presented a poster

WANTED

DEAD OR ALIVE

MONKEY D. LUFFY

30,000,000 beli

She sighed, "Yes, and he's already been making a name for himself in the East Blue by taking down all of the notable Pirates in this part of the World. People have been saying that he's on his way into the Grandline as we speak." Rouge explained to her son as Naruto laughed out loud

"Well Mom remember it's Luffy we're talking about! Do you really think that he'd go that long out at sea without causing any trouble?" Naruto explained with a smile as Rouge chuckled at his words

"No I suppose not. But have you heard about what Ace has been up to?" Rouge asked her son as Naruto clenched his fist and he suddenly closed his eyes

Naruto then hit his arm against one of the wooden posts on the porch with anger, "That little punk joined up with Whitebeard! I heard about it rather recently and let me say that when I get my hands on him he's got another thing coming for joining up with one of my biggest problems in the New World!" Naruto angrily spoke with shark teeth, even though he wouldn't harm his brother and was a little bit upset that he didn't join his crew

Rouge giggled, "Now now, no need to get upset. He's his own man now and can do as he pleases." She told him as he sighed and nodded. "But why did you come to Foosha Naruto? I trust that this isn't just a visit is it?" Rouge questioned as Naruto laughed and extended his arm forward and made a thumbs up

"No it's not! I came here to tell you that I found it Mom! I found the One Piece!" Naruto exclaimed in a happy voice

Rouge just smiled warmly at her son before she pulled him into a hug, "I knew that you'd find it eventually sweetheart! Your father would be so proud if he could see that you found his great treasure!"

Naruto grinned as he rubbed the back of his head as Rouge then took a step back and raised a brow, "By the way, what even is the One Piece? Your father never told me and I'm kind of curious." Rouge asked as Naruto laughed

"Well actually it's-" Naruto began as he was interrupted by an old man who was pointing a cane at him angrily with a young woman standing behind him with a huge sweat drop on her head

"You got a lot of nerve coming back here you criminal!" The old man spoke to the Yonko, not fearing his status

The lady behind him just laughed at his antics as she smiled at the Yonko. "It's good to see you too old man mayor." Naruto said to him with a sigh

"Hiya Naruto how've you been!" The lady behind the mayor yelled to him as she walked up closer to the house's wooden fence

"Big Sis! Is that you?!" Naruto voiced as he ran down the dirt path from the house and jumped the fence and gave her a hug

Makino smiled warmly as she studied his facial features and body over, "My you've grown into quite the young man! You must have ladies voyaging across the sea to have a chance at being with you!" Makino teased him as Naruto got a slight blush on his face

He rubbed the back of his head and smiled, "W-well I don't know about that." Naruto responded

"Hn. If a woman had an ounce of sense in her brain then she would know not to find love in a wrongdoer like him!" Woopslap spoke with some anger in his voice

Naruto was quick to grow a tic mark on his head as he yelled back to the mayor, "Listen here you old fossil! I'll have you know that I'm a hit with the ladies! I've had quite a few fall for me already!" Naruto told him with a confident smirk as Woop Slap just fumed

"Don't mind him Naruto, but anyway, what are you doing all the way out in the East Blue? You're a Yonko now, shouldn't you be staying in the New World?" Makino asked the Yonko as Rouge made her way over and leaned on the fence and rested her head on her arm

Naruto smiled as he rubbed the back of his head, "Well yes, but I need to go to the Kingdom of Alabasta. As for why I came to the East Blue it was to see all of you guys! It's been so long since I left Foosha Village that I thought that before going to Paradise I should visit." Naruto explained as the girls smiled and Woop Slap just fuffed

"Well you better get on with it because I don't want any criminals staying in my village for too long!" Woop Slap spoke as he started to walk away, but before he made it too far he stopped and turned his head back to face the boy. "But it is good to see you're doing okay kid." The mayor told him as he then walked away

Makino just shook her head and laughed as Naruto went narrow eyed, and Rouge smiled, "Our mayor sure is quite the character. Don't you agree Lady Rouge?" Makino asked as the older woman nodded

"Indeed he is." She told them while smiling

A Day later. . .

A day had passed of heavy drinking and partying with the villagers and the mountain bandits over Naruto's return to Foosha Village. The party didn't stop until they drank the whole village dry of alcohol, and everyone who participated was drunk out of their minds. When the party had ended Naruto had to inform everyone that it was long overdue for him to get to Alabasta and that he needed to leave immediately.

"Stay safe on the rest of your journey Naruto!" A villager yelled as he waved his hands goodbye

"Yea what he said!" Spoke another with passion in his voice

Another villager waved his hands goodbye to the young man, "Keep kicking ass out there kid!"

Makino smiled as she remembered when he first set out and seeing how much the man who she considered to be her little brother had grown, "Keep pursuing your dreams Naruto!" Makino told him as Naruto raised his one arm to the sky as he floated off on the sea out of sight

"Alright next step is the Kingdom of Alabasta! Luffy! Ace! I'll be seeing you two very soon! Let's do this!" Naruto spoke as he dived into the water and headed for the reverse mountain to get into the Grand line