Lightning Chakra Mode—a powerful technique modeled after the Raikage's speed-enhancement jutsu—wasn't something one could master overnight.
Naruto had only recently begun channeling chakra in this world. Mastering something as advanced as Lightning Chakra Mode in just a few days was unrealistic.
Still, Naruto continued to study the connection between willpower and combat strength—what he called the "power of idealism."
This type of power was most clearly seen in Luffy.
If you looked closely at Luffy's major battles, a pattern always emerged.
He would almost always lose the first clash against a strong opponent. But as the battle wore on, he'd somehow adapt—grow stronger—and eventually triumph.
It looked like he was just stubbornly "doing sit-ups with his life on the line." But there was something more behind it.
His Devil Fruit—the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika—was a Mythical Zoan, granting incredible vitality and rubber-like physical resilience.
Add to that the brutal survival training Garp forced on him as a child, and Luffy's ability to stay alive was practically superhuman.
But the true miracle lay in his spirit.
No matter how many times he was knocked down, Luffy always stood back up. His fighting spirit would burn brighter with each setback.
That kind of will—the power to become stronger mid-fight—was what made him terrifying.
A fool most of the time, but an unstoppable force once serious.
When Luffy's willpower synced with his body, he could tap into seemingly limitless potential. A monstrous upper limit… but a dangerously low floor.
For example: when he first fought Kaido, he was knocked out in one hit.
That was shocking, considering Luffy had just survived Whole Cake Island and fought Katakuri, who was no pushover.
There's no way he should've gone down so easily.
Naruto realized something.
Luffy is the type who only fights seriously when he feels it. If he's not mentally in sync, his strength simply doesn't surface.
The power of idealism, Naruto thought, was terrifyingly real in this world. Maybe that's what it meant to be the "protagonist."
Still, Naruto doubted he could learn much from analyzing it.
The One Piece world didn't run on power scaling. Titles like "Emperor Level" or "Admiral Level" were flexible.
Depending on the situation and the tone of the battle, anyone could fall—or rise.
"Don't take combat power too seriously in this world," Naruto muttered to himself.
"Idealism muddles the whole system."
For now, all he could do was observe and learn through experience.
"We're approaching an island. Time to prepare for landing."
Everyone on board visibly perked up.
After days at sea, even pirates missed the feel of solid ground.
"If I get to land, I'm kissing the dirt," someone joked.
"This ship sucks," Nami muttered, arms crossed and thoroughly unimpressed.
If Buggy had heard her, he'd have died of rage on the spot.
"It was falling apart before. If Naruto hadn't patched it up, it would've sunk ages ago."
Nami's complaints poured out in full force.
"No bath facilities, no proper plumbing—seriously? Do Buggy and his men not bathe?"
Her face scrunched in disgust.
In the original story, this ship was abandoned in favor of the Going Merry.
But now, thanks to Naruto's Wood Release, it had been repaired multiple times and was still afloat.
"Maybe we can buy a proper ship on this island," Naruto offered.
The Going Merry meant a lot to him—especially after watching the Water 7 and Enies Lobby arcs. If he could help preserve it with Wood Release, he would.
"There's no budget for that," Nami shot back immediately.
This boat still floated, didn't it? That was good enough for her.
"At least let's find one with built-in bath facilities," Naruto sighed. "I'm tired of using ninjutsu to boil water."
For the guys, bathing was simple. Naruto would douse them with water jutsu, clean the deck at the same time, and dry everything off with fire-style jutsu.
But Nami…
She bathed two to three times a day, and Naruto had to manually heat and summon water every single time.
It was exhausting.
"We're pirates, aren't we?" Zoro said with a smirk. "Why not just steal a better ship?"
Technically, this one was already stolen.
"Let's try seeing if they're selling ships first," Nami said, rubbing her temples.
Eventually, they docked and followed the storyline faithfully.
And just like in the original tale… they met Usopp.
The long-nosed liar had already struck up a conversation with Luffy.
Naruto, meanwhile, stared at his nose in disbelief.
"Seeing it in person… that thing really is ridiculous."
Usopp seemed friendly enough and soon took them to a small restaurant in town.
Over food, Naruto leaned in and asked with a polite smile:
"So… anyone rich living on this island?"
Usopp froze.
"Nope! Everyone here's poor!" he said hastily, clearly lying through his teeth.
After all, the group standing before Usopp were pirates.
Even though Luffy seemed like a carefree idiot—he still kept his guard up.
Especially when it came to the young lady he admired. She was the wealthiest person on the island, and he wasn't about to risk her safety.
That green-haired swordsman looked dangerous.
The orange-haired woman gave off thief energy.
And the blond man with the strange aura—Naruto—radiated quiet intensity.
Even with no battle, Usopp could instinctively sense that Naruto was the most dangerous of them all.
It wasn't just about posture or looks—it was pure instinct.
In the future, Usopp would awaken Kenbunshoku Haki—Observation Haki—and this kind of gut feeling was an early sign of his potential.
"B-but isn't that mansion over there kinda… fancy?" Nami said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts.
She pointed straight at a large, luxurious villa at the edge of the village.
Usopp's face twitched.
She had seen right through his lie.
Desperate to deflect, Usopp quickly changed the subject, spouting another one of his wild tales and excusing himself. He said he needed to go "tell a story to a friend."
He scurried off, nose high in the air, leaving the four to finish their meal.
Nami leaned over and tapped a nearby empty plate.
"That long-nosed liar skipped out on the bill, didn't he?" she growled, already imagining how much she hated being conned.
Naruto smiled and patted his chest confidently.
"Don't worry. I've got this."
After finishing their food, the group followed the road toward the lavish mansion Nami had pointed out.
They knocked politely on the large wooden door.
It wasn't long before it opened, and an elderly man in a suit greeted them.
He introduced himself as Merry, the butler of the estate.
...
TN:
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