[A/N: Got stuck on our finals... and I somehow survived it. I'm back!]
After much consideration, Mufasa finally chose the Flying Dutchman as their flagship.
Ship type: three-masted sailing ship | frigate | large sailing ship (galleon)
Length: 170 feet
Equipment: 20 36-pounder cannons, 18 24-pounder cannons, several 6-pounder guns, and 2 triple-barrel cannons at the bow.
Its best feature? Blazing fast and capable of diving underwater.
There's a saying: if you start fast, you're halfway to winning. And if you can fight while running? Even better.
Arima Island.
A tiny island far from the Mist Ninja Village's main lands. It's so off the radar, it's not even marked on maps. But that's exactly why Terumi Mei chose it—to quietly hide a part of her strength.
When the boat helmed by Ganji arrived, the villagers became alert and defensive.
Thankfully, Mufasa appeared just in time to calm things down before a fight broke out.
The village head, Kama—a loyal follower of Terumi Mei—recognized the token Mufasa carried. He bowed and offered his support.
"Everyone here, all 230 of us, are at your service."
To Mufasa's surprise, over a dozen villagers possessed bloodline limits, including Kama himself—an Ice Release user.
"We all escaped from different lands," Kama explained, his tone heavy. "We were hunted and hated. Mei-sama gave us this island... gave us a second chance."
Living with a bloodline ability in the Land of Water was basically a death sentence.
If you weren't being discriminated against, you were being hunted down like a beast. And even if you wanted to escape across the sea? Good luck swimming it.
Haku was one of the lucky ones—he met Zabuza. Others weren't so fortunate.
Many were slaughtered by villagers or tracked down by Mist Anbu.
Kama shivered at the memories. "The Land of Water is terrifying. Without this island... we would be corpses by now."
Mufasa looked him in the eyes. "That's going to change."
Kama blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah. A new world is coming. You won't be hunted. You won't be hated. You'll live the life you choose—free and without fear. That's what Terumi Mei and I are fighting for."
Discrimination against bloodline users came from two things:
Jealousy.
People couldn't handle someone else having more power.
Fear.
The Mist didn't have the tools to train or guide every bloodline child. Kids in the outer islands had no schools, no teachers.
Without support, power spiraled into chaos—and chaos bred fear.
It was a vicious cycle.
Maybe someday Mufasa could create something like Xavier's School for Gifted Ninjas... but that was a dream for later.
Right now, they had to dethrone Mizukage Yagura so Terumi Mei could rise.
"Alright, Kama," Mufasa said. "Gather everyone. We're building this place up."
Arima Island would be their base.
That tiny pier? Useless. The run-down huts? Not good enough. They needed housing, defenses, and a real port.
Boom Beach vibes.
Soon, the villagers and crew stood gathered on the beach.
Mufasa raised his hand.
"To build a new world, I need your help!"
Crack!
Electric sparks burst from his fingertips, and the beach lit up with summoned tech—excavators, mixers, cranes, and robots. All powered by Mufasa's lightning-style jutsu.
"Let's get to work!"
Under his direction, everyone began upgrading the island.
The dock was expanded into a deep-sea port, big enough for dozens of ships. Reinforced buildings rose.
Defense towers were installed. Construction raced ahead, thanks to Mufasa Tech.
Once the port and village were finished, Mufasa gathered everyone again.
He floated up into the air, electricity dancing around him.
"Today marks the official rise of our crew—The Whitebeard Pirates!"
Whitebeard Pirates?
Everyone looked around, confused.
Aozame, right hand man of Ganji, scratched his head. "That's... a pretty weird name."
Suddenly, lightning flared. Mufasa's body surged with power as he transformed into a towering figure—muscles like stone, and a long white hair blowing in the wind.
A massive halberd appeared in his hand, forged from chakra and lightning.
"We sail for the New World!" he roared.
Just then, the ocean surged.
The Flying Dutchman rose from beneath the waves, sails glowing.
Captain. Flagship. Crew.
Everything was ready.
The New World waited just beyond the horizon.
...
The Flying Dutchman sliced through the calm blue sea, waves parting at its bow like paper.
It was a ghostly yet majestic sight.
At the very top, lookout Manyo stood on the observation deck, his eyes closed as he listened to the wind and the ocean.
He had a gift. He could hear the whispers of weather long before it arrived.
On the deck below, Tabby, the ship's stormtrooper, sat sharpening her massive battle axe with rhythmic strokes. Sparks flew. Her eyes were sharp and focused.
Down in the cannon hold, Violet—the ship's lead gunner—drilled the gunnery team again and again. "Reset! Fire! Faster! Again!" Her voice echoed off the wooden walls.
At the helm, Ganji had one hand on the wheel. His grip was firm but relaxed. The ship glided like it could feel his pulse.
Standing beside him were First Mate Shun and Tactical Officer Kama. Both were deep in discussion, maps and notes in hand.
But none drew more attention than the giant at the bow.
There stood Whitebeard—Mufasa—the captain of the righteous Whitebeard Pirates.
His long white hair flowed in the sea breeze. He was a mountain of a man, muscles like carved stone, his chest bare and powerful.
His tattered white cloak billowed behind him like a battle flag. On its back, bold and impossible to miss, were the thick black letters:
"JUSTICE."
Clean. Sharp. Commanding.
When Mufasa first handed out coats with that same word stitched on the back, some of the crew scratched their heads.
"Boss," Shun asked, tilting his head, "we're pirates... why 'justice'?"
Mufasa's voice rumbled like thunder. He grew taller just standing there.
"Who said pirates can't be just?" he barked. "Does justice come from a title? From some old man in a chair? Just because someone works for the Hokage or Mizukage doesn't mean they ARE justice."
He pounded his chest.
"Justice comes from the heart. We are pirates, yes. But we're pirates who will fight for the people. For the forgotten. For the ones being hunted just for being different."
He raised his hand high.
"We are the pirates who will bring a new world to the Land of Water! We will take down the tyrants of Mist Village! We are the Whitebeard Pirates—and we fight for justice!"
The crew roared.
"We are the righteous Whitebeard Pirates!"
Even the newer recruits from Arima Island felt their hearts surge. For the first time in years, they felt hope.
Tabby couldn't help but roll her eyes, though she was smiling. "Boss, you've got white hair, not a white beard. The name doesn't even make sense."
The others chuckled.
Mufasa looked down, serious again.
"The name wasn't random."
He raised one eyebrow.
"It's said that anyone who sails under the Whitebeard name gets a buff... a very special buff."
Everyone leaned in.
"People start calling you 'Dad'. Makes it easier to recruit loyal sons."
"What the hell kind of buff is that?!" Violet nearly choked.
"In short," Mufasa grinned, "I'm going to accept many, many sons."
He wasn't joking.
Whether it was forming 16 crews or finding 43 allied fleets, he'd do it. Being a powerful captain required reputation. It required numbers.
If not enough people feared his name, he'd flood the country with sons who did.
That was the plan.
He would build the most fearsome pirate force the Water Country had ever seen. Sons loyal to him, sons raised on justice, sons who would one day surround Mist Village like a tidal wave.
Then he would face Mizukage Yagura—man to man.
And lose.
Yes, Mufasa had no plans of winning.
Because when the people saw him fall, it would be Terumi Mei who would rise to finish the job and take the spotlight.
The heroine. The savior. The one the people could trust.
She'd become Mizukage with the full support of the nation.
It was a perfect play.
Because if he just killed Yagura now and handed Terumi Mei the seat, what would change?
The clans would argue. The villages would resist. They'd say she was weak. That she rode on someone else's strength.
But if she defeated the mighty Whitebeard Pirate captain, she'd earn her place with her own hands.
Mufasa smiled to himself. "No one ever said being the villain was easy."
He looked over the ship.
"My sons!" he shouted from the bow.
"Your father is here!"