Pop—!!!
A massive bubble burst.
Sunlight spilled down onto Fishman Island.
Cheers erupted from the fishmen and merfolk.
Heads tilted upward, eyes widened in awe, all gazing at the figure standing atop the palace.
"This... Is this the world outside?!" Shirahoshi exclaimed excitedly, tugging on Naruto's hand.
Mekaro blinked at the light and tried shielding his eyes with his tiny fins. Failing that, he simply closed them and bowed his head.
Elsewhere—
Crash—!!!
A massive wooden platform rose from the depths.
In the Shikkotsu Forest, Hashirama slowly stood up. His expression had shifted—Sage Mode etched clearly on his face.
Three wooden clones remained behind.
Beside him stood a man clad in second-generation White Zetsu gear.
Crash—
The Zetsu closed its shell-like mask over the man's face. He formed a string of hand seals and slammed his palm against the wooden bridge.
Boom boom boom!
Stairs of wood unfurled endlessly, spiraling upward like a natural fortress.
"Well done, Tenzō," Hashirama said to Yamato, who had helped raise the structure.
At that moment, Tobirama turned to face the ninja alliance.
"Lord Hokage is waiting for us up there... Move out!"
"YES—!!!"
The thunderous response echoed all the way to the sea.
On the coastline of Fishman Island, countless merfolk and fishman soldiers had assembled.
They stood in formation, awaiting Naruto's command.
"Blockade the Sabaody Archipelago."
Naruto's gaze turned sharply toward the distant archipelago.
At that very moment—
Sentomaru had just reached for his Den Den Mushi, ready to report.
But suddenly—
He couldn't move.
His hand froze in place, still pressing the Den Den Mushi.
"Sentomaru? Is that you?"
"It's me—Momousagi. I've already left Marine Headquarters!"
Beep beep—!
Momousagi narrowed her eyes as the Den Den Mushi line cut off.
"Sentomaru... Did he just hang up on me?!"
Her long legs stretched out with a sharp step, the gold epaulets on her waist clinking as she moved.
She opened her lips slightly and commanded:
"Hmph!"
"Full speed ahead!"
"Target—Sabaody Archipelago!"
"Blockade the Sabaody Archipelago!!"
Shirahoshi cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted.
"YES—!!!"
The fishman and mermaid soldiers mobilized immediately.
Prince Fukaboshi led his younger brothers in a march.
King Neptune remained behind to protect Fishman Island.
"Shirahoshi," Naruto said, "Have the sea kings blockade this sea zone."
"Yes, Naruto-sama~!" she replied with a smile and blinked brightly.
She refocused and shouted toward the vast sea.
"Seal off this entire area!"
As soon as she gave the order, she stepped back behind Naruto.
Moments later—
Boom boom—!!
Several gigantic shadows emerged from beneath the waves.
Three enormous sea kings surfaced.
After recognizing Shirahoshi on the palace balcony, they swam outward in three separate directions.
Any approaching navy or pirate ships would be intercepted and diverted toward Fishman Island.
Meanwhile, Neptune led his royal guards in rounding up all captured pirates.
"Lord Naruto," Shirahoshi asked softly, "what do we do next?"
Naruto tapped his toes gently. "Time to meet my army."
He began floating upward.
Shirahoshi quickly called Mekaro to come.
The obedient beast swam up beneath him.
Snap—
Naruto landed on Mekaro's back, and Shirahoshi followed.
He pointed to a direction on the horizon. Mekaro surged forward.
"Aaah~!" Shirahoshi squealed in delight, running across Mekaro's back.
The poor shark's face twisted in a very human-like expression of pain.
Its massive body started wobbling unsteadily.
Naruto reached out and patted Mekaro gently on the head, calming it.
Even though Shirahoshi had taken human form, her weight hadn't changed. Her footsteps were like concentrated pressure on a small point—Mekaro could barely handle it.
Soon, they arrived at the summit of the massive wooden rampart.
Mekaro slowly descended.
Whoosh—!!!
Suddenly, a kunai sliced through the air.
Flash—
A golden light shimmered.
"Am I late?"
Minato Namikaze appeared, catching the flying three-pronged kunai midair.
"Hmm?"
He blinked and turned toward Shirahoshi.
She blinked back, then realized and quickly bowed.
"I am Shirahoshi."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Minato Namikaze—Naruto's father," he said with a warm smile.
Then he looked down at the wooden stairway below.
"No problem."
BOOM—!!!
A swarm of white clay birds burst from the skies.
"Wuhuu~!"
"Art is—!"
"Wait, wait! Let me go first!!"
"Damn puppet freak, don't think you can steal the spotlight from my art!"
Sasori and Deidara had arrived.
They rode on the back of a giant clay bird, approaching Naruto.
"Naruto-sama!" they called in unison.
"Good timing," Naruto nodded.
He jumped down with Shirahoshi.
"Mekaro, take them to the fishman troops."
Then he turned to Tobirama.
"Second Grandfather, you lead the first assault. Be swift."
"Understood," Tobirama replied, appearing beside Naruto via Flying Thunder God.
He leapt down the passage in a blur.
Suddenly, a colossal figure surged forward—
BOOM—!!
A fully formed blue Susanoo burst forth.
"Madara, go that way!"
"Destroy the enemy's communication center!"
"Deidara—left flank!"
"Sasori, Sai—you're on the right flank!"
Tobirama caught the map and tactical scroll Naruto tossed his way.
As the Ninja Alliance emerged from the wooden stairway, he began issuing orders methodically.
The elite army had arrived.
Just in time to see Naruto toss a strange fruit toward Minato.
"Huh?"
"What fruit is that?"
"Why didn't we get one?"
The girls blinked in unison—asking with suspiciously synchronized enthusiasm.
Naruto simply smiled and said nothing, lifting his chin slightly.
The women turned their gazes toward what he indicated.
Nami and Robin instantly recognized the oddly patterned fruit—it was unmistakably a Devil Fruit.
Bonney leaned in curiously, examining the swirling patterns.
Gulp—
Without hesitation, Minato peeled the fruit and took a bite.
The moment he tasted it, his expression shifted dramatically.
He looked up at Kushina, who was watching him curiously.
Gulp—
He swallowed it in one go.
Minato's face contorted into an expression that was both forced and complicated.
"Is it... tasty?" Kushina asked, tilting her head.
Minato gave a strained smile.
"Delicious."
Pfft—
A small trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Bonney cocked her head. "That bad, huh? Doesn't seem too horrible."
Robin calmly explained,
"The taste of a Devil Fruit is different for everyone. But generally... it's like eating the worst thing you've ever tasted in your life."
Kushina didn't catch Robin's explanation and approached Minato.
"Minato, was it really that good?"
"Absolutely. Tastes just like the first time you ever cooked for me~" he teased, despite the pain in his gut. He took a few more quick bites, forced them down, and patted her head lovingly.
"What kind of Devil Fruit was that?" Bonney asked.
Naruto didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly threw a kunai.
Whoosh—
Minato's eyes widened.
He couldn't dodge it?
But then—
As the kunai passed through his head, nothing happened.
Minato blinked, stunned.
His head... had turned into light.
Naruto explained calmly,
"The Pika Pika no Mi—Flash Fruit. It transforms the user into light. Once turned into an element, you become immune to physical, non-Haki, and most energy-based attacks."
"More importantly, it grants the user the speed and force of light. You can make clones from light, emit lasers that explode on contact, and move at the speed of a photon."
"What?!" Nami and Robin gasped in unison.
"Isn't that Admiral Kizaru's ability?"
"Wait... don't tell me—Kizaru is dead?!"
Naruto didn't reply. He turned to Minato instead.
"Dad, I've already handed the battle strategy to Second Grandfather. Now it's your turn."
Minato was momentarily speechless as the sensation of unimaginable energy welled up inside him.
In the next instant, his body dissolved into a cascade of golden light particles.
Whoosh—!
He shot upward like a beam, streaking toward the fully-formed Susanoo floating in the sky.
"Minato... he really turned into golden light," Kushina murmured in awe, her eyes wide.
As for the typical weaknesses of Devil Fruits—sea water and seastone—they no longer applied.
Kizaru wasn't dead.
He was still alive, somewhere on Fishman Island.
But now?
He was just a regular man, stripped of his powers.
Yes. An ordinary person afraid of seawater.
Because all the side effects of the Flash Fruit had been transferred to him.
"Naruto-sama—!!!"
Moments later, the entire Shinobi Alliance burst forth from the massive wooden corridor.
"Attack!"
Naruto raised one arm and pointed directly toward the Sabaody Archipelago, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
BOOM—!!!
In an instant, countless ninja erupted with blazing chakra.
"Go!"
A dense tide of shinobi surged forward in a tightly coordinated formation.
At the vanguard—the Nine Tailed Beasts.
Hashirama Senju stood atop his wooden Buddha, hands pressed together. With a low shout, the massive statue stepped forward.
Boom. Boom.
The roar of chakra-powered motorcycles echoed. Orochimaru led a mechanized shinobi brigade, speeding ahead with his custom-built Kurama-brand bike unit.
On the Sabaody Islands—
Sentomaru's eyes widened in disbelief.
The sky was darkening... but not because of the weather.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A blue Complete Body Susanoo materialized overhead, casting an ominous shadow.
A glowing Flying Thunder God Kunai descended from the sky.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Dozens more kunai split from it, raining down like meteors.
Buzz—
The Flying Thunder God kunai suddenly split into countless glowing green clones in midair.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They rained down like a storm on the naval base below, detonating with precise force.
At the same time, white clay birds launched from the mouths on Deidara's palms soared across the sky, each exploding in a dazzling flash upon impact.
Not just the naval base—pirate strongholds across the archipelago were struck simultaneously.
Civilians throughout the Sabaody Archipelago were frozen in shock.
Someone… was attacking both the Navy and the pirates?!
They hadn't even processed the airborne offensive when chaos arrived from the shore.
Nine colossal Tailed Beasts landed on the island with thunderous impact.
Alongside them came the towering form of the Wooden Thousand-Armed Buddha, its massive frame shaking the earth.
Boom… Boom…
Each step it took left crater-sized imprints in the ground.
Civilians dropped to their knees, trembling, begging for mercy.
But neither the Tailed Beasts, nor the Great Buddha, nor the youthful True Thousand Hands, nor Sasuke's Complete-Body Susanoo even glanced at them.
They simply passed by—ignoring the civilians completely.
Those watching were wide-eyed with awe. Terrified by the overwhelming might… and grateful they hadn't been crushed underfoot.
Sizzle—
Suddenly, the sound of thunder echoed across the island.
From the sea, a tide of Fishmen and Merfolk surged ashore.
Behind them—an endless stream of ninja from the Shinobi Alliance poured in like a flood.
"Secure the Sabaody Archipelago and assemble at once!"
"This territory will be handed over to Fishman Island!"
Tobirama Senju's voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Minato! Madara! Big Brother! The Tailed Beasts!"
He called out names of the top-tier combatants, then issued a sweeping command:
"Regroup and advance into the first half of the Grand Line!"
"Three days from now, all high-level forces are to gather at Marineford!"
With that, Tobirama soared over the heads of the civilians.
From above, he surveyed the chaos: pirates and marines scattering in panic, leaders of various small nations collapsing to their knees.
Tobirama's expression didn't change.
"We don't have time to capture you," he said coldly.
"Surrender to the troops coming behind us."
"Drop your weapons, clear the roads, and don't obstruct the advance."
In under twenty minutes—every island of the Sabaody Archipelago had fallen.
All enemy combatants were wiped out.
Sentomaru stood speechless, his mouth slightly agape.
All communication Den Den Mushi suddenly went silent—completely jammed.
Orochimaru picked one up and examined it with interest, licking his lips.
"So that's how it is... Deploy a signal jammer to every squad."
...
TN:
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