[V3] - Extra 3: Sponsorship
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After receiving Minato's call, Yuto thought it over and decided he'd better go in person. Sure, a simple phone call would have been enough to get the kids released, since honestly, nothing serious had happened.
What trouble could three brats who hadn't even left the East Blue possibly cause?
But since Minato had taken the trouble to call, it was probably because he wanted Yuto to personally drag those two kids back. So Yuto figured he'd better go.
Accompanying him was Ace, a senior executive of the Yuto Group.
When Ace heard that his younger brother had been arrested for setting sail to chase his dreams, he looked completely dumbfounded. A moment later, he gave an awkward, helpless laugh and sighed.
Back in the day, those three boys had promised to become famous on the seas together, to pursue freedom, and to fulfill their dreams.
And yet…
Now…
Of the two older brothers…
One had become a high-ranking official in the Alliance, while the other was working in a factory. Only their younger brother was still stubbornly holding on to his dream of becoming a pirate.
Ace gave a wry smile. "I'll try to talk some sense into Luffy."
After a while—
With Ace in tow, Yuto opened a door, and the two of them arrived at the Alliance headquarters.
Honestly speaking, for a mere little pirate crew of three kids… why were they locked up in Impel Down?!
No matter how you looked at it, it was ridiculous.
After all, the current Impel Down wasn't the same as the old Impel Down. It was now New Impel Down!
After the World Government collapsed and before the Pirate Freedom War broke out, there had been a riot inside Impel Down. Countless pirates had rushed in and released a whole bunch of vicious criminals!
All in pursuit of so-called freedom, they joined forces and waged war across the seas… but in the end, they were defeated.
No need to say more here. If you're curious, just check NinjaNet. There's tons of info there!
Afterward—
Impel Down was rebuilt.
Everyone had heard that the reconstruction was designed by a special expert invited by the Yuto Group.
As for this so-called expert… from the beginning of New Impel Down's construction to its completion, it was said that aside from Uchiha Yuto, no one else had ever seen the person.
To this day, their identity remained a complete mystery.
There were even rumors that the designer was a master escape artist who knew countless methods of jailbreak, thoroughly understood the mindset of escapees, and therefore created a prison so secure that since New Impel Down was completed, not a single inmate had ever successfully escaped.
A master-level prison architect!
Terrifying indeed!
Nowadays, Impel Down was a prison feared by countless criminals across the seas, even more infamous than the old Impel Down.
So whether it was the old Impel Down or the new one, there was no way they'd lock up nobodies like these "no-name rookies."
They hadn't even properly set sail yet and didn't even have bounties!
The two arrived at the Yuto Milk Tea shop near Impel Down. Before long, someone came to meet them.
It was Luffy's other older brother—a high-ranking official in the Alliance—Sabo.
At that moment—
When he saw Ace, the two brothers exchanged glances and both gave awkward smiles.
Then—
Sabo looked at Yuto helplessly. He removed his top hat and gave a bow. "I'm sorry, Yuto-san. I didn't expect all this to happen!" He hesitated for a moment. "Actually… Grandpa Garp personally made a call, but then Fleet Admiral Sakazuki overheard and took matters into his own hands. Of course, he just wanted to lock them up in Impel Down to scare them a bit."
"So the person who reported them was…?"
"That's right!" Sabo had a rather weird smile on his face as he nodded. "Grandpa Garp!"
"…" x2
It really was a mess.
Never mind Sakazuki for now, but Garp…
Luffy's dream of adventure had been crushed before it even started—all by his own grandpa!
"Forget it." Yuto waved his hand and shook his head. "I'll go take a look."
With that—
Led by Sabo, the three of them entered New Impel Down.
Looking at the monstrous fortress that was New Impel Down, Yuto couldn't help but sigh a little.
Very soon—
They arrived at the cell where Luffy and the other two were being held.
However—
"I told you guys, stop trying to be pirates! The authorities are cracking down so hard right now! And yet you still want to be pirates? See? Now we're stuck in Impel Down! Damn it, it's all your fault, Naruto! If my father finds out, he'll definitely whip out his belt!"
"But Sasuke, you agreed too!"
"We're nakama! We're not supposed to be fighting each other!"
The little boat of friendship seemed to have capsized already.
The three kids were bickering back and forth. Before long, even Luffy, who'd originally been trying to calm things down, started shouting, "You guys aren't my nakama anymore! Nakama don't fight over small stuff like this!"
In truth—
Naruto and Sasuke quarreling was nothing new. Those two were always bickering—it was practically a daily routine, and best ignored.
However…
Luffy probably didn't know that yet.
Just then—
As if they'd run out of patience, the three kids all shouted at once: "I am not talking to you anymore!"
They turned away, sulking in separate corners.
However—
"Ahem, ahem, ahem." x3
Three sudden coughs drew their attention.
The three kids lifted their heads and stared in surprise at the three men standing there with dark expressions. But after a moment, their faces lit up with delight.
"Sabo! Ace!"
"Uncle Yuto!" x2
But after calling out, they lowered their heads again in embarrassment, clearly ashamed of their earlier fight.
"All right!" Yuto didn't mind at all. He chuckled and shook his head. "Come on out!"
As he finished speaking—
Bling!
The three kids' eyes sparkled as they stared up at Uncle Yuto.
Naruto spoke up excitedly. "Uncle Yuto! You're here to break us out?"
"Nonsense!" Sasuke smacked Naruto on the head. "Of course he's here to get us out! He's Uncle Yuto!"
"Thank you! And thank you, Ace, Sabo!"
"Damn it! We can finally get out of here! Those guys wouldn't even feed me properly! I'm so hungry! I, Uzumaki Naruto, would rather die out on the sea than ever come back here again!"
"Shut up! When we get out, don't go around running your mouth! If my father or the Hokage finds out, we'll be screwed!"
"Good point, hehe! But it's fine! It's only been a few days. Dad's so busy, he'd never know. He probably just thinks we went out to play!"
"You'd better keep your mouth shut this time!"
"Don't worry, I won't say anything!"
"It's fine." Watching the two kids arguing again, Yuto simply shook his head with a smile. "Even if you tell them, it doesn't matter."
At those words—
"???" The two kids froze for a moment, then broke into excited smiles. "Uncle Yuto, do you mean you've got a way to keep our dads from beating us? That's right—if we've got Uncle Yuto helping us, there's no way we'll be in trouble!"
However—
"No! What I mean is… it doesn't matter whether you tell them or not. Because they already know." Yuto shrugged nonchalantly. "Minato specifically asked me to come and bring you guys back."
"…" x2
Both kids stared at Uncle Yuto, completely petrified.
Then—
They exchanged an expressionless glance.
Next, they both went back to sit in the corner, waving their hands.
"Uncle Yuto! Don't bother coming to get us! You should leave!"
"That's right! Go on, go on! It's pretty nice here!"
"Everyone in Impel Down is super talented and speaks so nicely. We love being here."
"We're not going back!"
"…"
Yuto looked speechlessly at the two of them, huddled in the corner in despair and refusing to face reality. "Get moving!"
"No way!"
"Your fathers are waiting for you!"
"That's exactly why we're not going back. It's way too embarrassing!"
"If you won't go, I'll have to drag you out myself!"
As soon as those words fell—
The moment they heard Uncle Yuto say he'd personally take action, the two of them immediately jumped to their feet, ears drooping.
Because—
Uncle Yuto was seriously strong.
They had no chance of resisting. And if they did… their dads would only hit them even harder!
At that moment—
Suddenly—
"They're my nakama!" Luffy shouted with a resolute look, stepping in front of Yuto. "We promised to find the One Piece together! Sorry, but as their captain, I absolutely can't stand by and watch my nakama get dragged away against their will! No one's taking them back!"
"Luffy!" x2
Ace and Sabo stared at Luffy, who had suddenly stepped in front of Yuto for no apparent reason. Their faces were a mix of anxiety and helplessness.
"You have no way of becoming Pirate King now! Don't block Yuto-san!"
However—
"I'm the captain! They're my crew!" Luffy stubbornly declared. "I'm going to be the man who becomes the Pirate King! We promised we'd adventure together! That's our promise—and my dream!"
"You…" This fierce determination shocked both Sabo and Ace for a moment. But in the end, they gave bitter smiles and shook their heads. "To prevent the resurgence of pirate chaos… anyone who flies a pirate flag will be hunted by the Alliance."
"Even so! My dream won't just end like this!"
"You…"
Before either of them could try to persuade him further—
"That's right, Uncle Yuto!" Naruto, the silly kid, suddenly seemed infected by the mood. Seeing Luffy actually daring to block Uncle Yuto for their sake, he also stepped forward, staring firmly at Yuto. "This is Luffy's dream—and it's our promise too!"
"You idiot!" Since Naruto had stepped out, how could Sasuke not follow? He pursed his lips, cursed Naruto under his breath, and lowered his head helplessly. "Sorry, Uncle Yuto. We promised."
"Naruto! Sasuke!"
Seeing this, Luffy's eyes filled with tears of emotion.
At that moment—
Even Ace and Sabo were moved by their friendship.
This was the spirit of men of the sea!
However—
All Yuto saw were three rebellious brats. The corner of his mouth twitched as he sighed in exasperation. "You guys… Minato and Fugaku are probably ready to whip out their belts!"
"Uncle Yuto~" x2
"Yuto-san!" x2
Even Ace and Sabo were looking seriously at Yuto now.
At that moment—
"Actually… we just wanted to prove ourselves, that's all!" Naruto hesitated for a moment, then said dejectedly, "Because the other Naruto and Sasuke are amazing! But Sasuke and I look like total idiots! So… we just wanted to find the One Piece to prove ourselves!"
"You idiot! Speak for yourself! I never said that! That's your issue!"
"I know you, and you're the same! You're Sasuke, after all!"
The two of them started arguing again.
Yuto, however, simply watched them in silence.
It made sense.
Naruto, Sasuke… In another world, one was the Seventh Hokage, and the other was a peerless powerhouse with the Rinnegan. Meanwhile, these two… even though they'd never said it outright, were living perfectly happy lives. But when compared to their counterparts, hearing praise for "the other them" probably made them feel overshadowed and inadequate.
So they wanted to chase after some legendary treasure, accomplish something big, and prove their worth.
"Fine." Yuto rubbed his forehead. "I'll talk to Minato and Fugaku. As for you guys…" As everyone held their breath in anticipation, his voice grew serious. "Becoming pirates is absolutely out of the question!"
"Ah~, Uncle Yuto, we…" x2
Before either of them could say more—
Yuto waved his hand and smiled. "Hear me out! But you can still go on adventures!" He frowned slightly and pondered for a moment. "How about forming a long-distance trading company? Let's call it the Uchiha Glory Nine-Tails Straw Hat Voyage Company. Seriously though… you guys have got to change that ridiculous name of yours, don't you think?"
At his words—
The three kids stared at Yuto with hopeful eyes. "So we can really do it like that?"
"Of course, but you'll have to promote the Yuto Group… Eh, never mind. I'll arrange for people to handle the advertising from time to time. All you guys have to do is follow the plan. Plus, I'll sponsor you—and I'll get you properly licensed. The company will be officially registered as a subsidiary of the Yuto Group. Deal?"
"Mm! Mm! Mm!" All five of them nodded vigorously, beaming at Yuto. "Of course! If we can still go on adventures, that's great!"
…
Three days later.
A ship set sail once again from the Goa Kingdom.
However, the skull-and-crossbones pirate flag it once flew had now been replaced by the banner of the Uchiha Glory Nine-Tails Straw Hat Voyage Trading Company.
It was now a legitimate long-distance trading enterprise, with all proper documentation filed with the Alliance. And it was officially a small company under the umbrella of the Yuto Group.
The three boys—
Once again set out for their dreams, for their desire to prove themselves, and for the spirit of adventure.
And under the setting sun, sailing slowly across the waves, painted on the hull of their ship were bold, colorful advertisements:
[Sponsored exclusively by the Yuto Group!]
[Drink Yuto Milk Tea for Refreshment and Energy!]
Bright and flashy, the ads stood out in stark contrast to the sea!