Naruto: The Forest's Chosen (Mori Mori No Mi)

"Must-kill Comet Atlas!"

Whoosh—

Usopp released the slingshot, launching a black orb into the air.

As it approached the War Weapon Bear, the orb split into multiple smaller orbs—like the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.

BOOM BOOM—!!

Explosions erupted across the bear's body—face, shoulders, arms... even the crotch.

Whoosh—!

After unleashing his ultimate move, Comet Atlas, Usopp slung the weapon over his shoulder and bolted.

"Time to run!"

Whoosh—

As he fled, a skeletal figure zipped past him.

"I was so scared~ Oh wow~ Thank you… thank you~!"

BOOM—!!

Suddenly, the War Weapon Bear dropped to one knee.

Its mechanical components hissed and whirred, exposed to the open air, covered in dense black smoke.

From a safe distance, Chopper—now back in his reindeer form—gawked.

"So weird... That thing looks just like Tuntun!"

Like Tuntun, it wasn't fully human. A walking reserve food supply.

Cute when it's not hungry.

But when it is...

"Ha—"

Usopp glanced back. "What's going on now?"

"Don't tell me the bomb just started working?" he muttered.

Franky huffed. "Probably hit it right in the mouth."

"Something short-circuited inside!"

He narrowed his eyes. "Even with a reinforced body, it still bleeds."

"Just like me. My whole body's been mechanized."

"These things used to be living beings—flesh and blood."

At that moment, Nami sprinted into the distance with her Climatact in hand.

Beep. Beep.

The War Weapon Bear slowly rose, eyes locking onto her.

"Nami-san's in danger!" Usopp cried. "It's targeting her!"

The bear opened its mouth wide—energy surging in its throat. A golden sphere began to form, pulsing with lethal energy.

"Crap!"

Nami turned, eyes widening in horror.

"Eighty Flowers Bind: Four Tree Grasp!"

From afar, Robin pressed her hands to her chest, eyes closing in concentration.

Four large arms sprouted from the ground behind the bear, resembling thick tree trunks.

"Crush it!"

BOOM—!!

The arms smashed down, slamming onto the bear's head.

SNAP—!

Its jaw clamped shut. But the golden energy sphere inside its mouth remained.

SSSSHHHH—!!

Smoke hissed out between its clenched teeth.

BOOM BOOM—!!

The ball detonated inside its mouth.

Another explosion. Black smoke billowed, shrouding its head.

Usopp whooped.

"Nice!!"

"The energy blast went off inside!"

"He blew himself up! Hahaha~!"

BOOM—!

The War Weapon Bear dropped to its knees again.

A golden arc of electricity crackled behind it—followed by a swirl of black mist.

"Sorry to disturb your slumber, brother," Nami said softly, raising the Climatact. Sparks of lightning danced along its shaft.

"Careful now, lightning's incoming~!"

"Thundercloud Lightning Lance!"

She swung the staff.

Sizzle—!!

A golden bolt burst forth.

Sizzle—!!

In a blink, the War Weapon Bear was cloaked in arcs of lightning. Electricity coiled like serpents over its body.

It raised its head, mouth still spewing black smoke.

Brooke nodded. "That one definitely landed."

But then—without warning—the bear lifted its arm.

Its palm-mounted cannon glowed—and fired an endless barrage of energy blasts.

Out of control.

"Aaaah—!!!"

Everyone scattered in panic.

"The moment you give up… the fight's already lost."

Meanwhile—

Sanji's leg burned with light, flames trailing behind as if his foot had become molten lava.

"Hi~!"

"Kick him over here!" Zoro barked.

"You're always barking orders!"

"Diable Jambe—Premier Hachis!"

Sanji launched forward in a blaze.

As the flaming kick landed, Franky observed coolly:

"Nice. The armor's starting to crack. It's working—bit by bit."

"Must-kill move—Comet Atlas!"

Fwip—

Usopp released the slingshot. A black ball shot through the air.

As it neared the War Weapon Bear, several smaller black spheres split off from it—like a Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.

Boom boom boom—

Explosions erupted across the Bear's face, shoulders, arms… and even its crotch.

Whoosh—

Having launched his ultimate attack, Atlas Comet, Usopp turned and bolted.

"Time to run for it!"

Fwip—

As he ran, a skeletal figure zoomed past him.

"That scared me to death~! Oh wow~! Thanks… thank you~!"

BOOM—

At that moment, the War Weapon Bear suddenly dropped to one knee.

The mechanical parts on its body were exposed, hissing and spewing black smoke.

From a distance, Chopper had returned to his original form, still hiding cautiously.

"That thing's… freaky!" he muttered.

Just like Tuntun, it was a backup food source. Cute when you're not hungry. But when you are...

"Haah—"

Usopp glanced back. "Did it finally work?!"

"Could the bomb have only gone off now?" he wondered aloud.

Franky, panting, guessed, "Maybe one of the bombs landed in his mouth."

"Must've short-circuited something inside!"

"Even if the body's tough, it can still bleed," Franky said, narrowing his eyes. "Just like me—everything's been modified into a weapon."

"They were originally humans… made of flesh and blood."

At the same time, Nami sprinted off with her Clima-Tact.

Beep. Beep.

The War Weapon Bear slowly rose to its feet and turned toward her.

"Miss Nami's in danger! He's locked onto you!"

The Bear opened its mouth, and inside, a glowing golden orb began forming—pulsating with ominous energy.

"Oh no!"

Sensing danger, Nami turned. Her face paled.

"Eighty Flower Cannon: Four Tree Bind!"

From afar, Robin crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, four tree-like arms sprouted behind the War Weapon Bear.

"Hit hard!"

BOOM—

The massive arms slammed down on the Bear's head.

Snap—

Its mouth snapped shut—trapping the golden energy inside.

Fsssshh—!!!

Black smoke leaked from the Bear's clenched teeth.

BOOM BOOM—!!!

The orb detonated inside its mouth.

A roaring explosion engulfed the Bear's head in dark smoke.

Usopp whooped in triumph.

"Yes!! The energy ball exploded inside his mouth!"

"HAHAHA!"

"He blew himself up!"

BOOM—

The War Weapon Bear dropped to its knees again.

Suddenly, a golden arc of lightning flared behind it, accompanied by swirling black mist.

"Sorry to disturb your nap, big guy."

Nami raised her Clima-Tact, golden sparks flickering across it.

"Careful—it's thunder time~!"

"Dark Cloud Concentration—Lightning Spear!"

Szzzzt—

She swung her Clima-Tact.

A massive bolt of lightning shot forward.

Sizzle—

In an instant, the Bear was engulfed by arcs of electricity dancing over its metal frame.

It raised its head, opened its mouth again, and black smoke gushed out.

"This one hit the mark!" Brook exclaimed.

But in the next moment, the Bear lifted its arm.

The barrel in its palm began firing energy beams erratically.

Clearly out of control.

"Aaah—!!!"

Everyone turned and ran.

"If you give up now, you've already lost," a voice rang out calmly.

—Elsewhere—

Sanji raised his foot. A blinding glow radiated from it as it ignited with intense flames—his leg like molten lava.

"Oi~!"

"Kick him this way!" Zoro shouted.

"You just want me to clean up your mess!" Sanji snapped back.

"Diable Jambe!"

Sanji sprinted forward.

His leg flared up—and he launched a fiery kick.

Franky watched with narrowed eyes. "Nice… it's starting to break apart!"

Meanwhile...

Naruto and his team appeared from the distance.

Bonney stared at the War Weapon Bear in a daze.

"Ghost Aura—Nine Sword Style…"

"Asura!"

Buzz—

Zoro's body shifted. A spectral form emerged—three heads, six arms.

"What the—?! So many Zoros?!" Brook and Chopper gasped.

"Nine Demon Slash!"

Zoro spun like a top, launching himself toward the War Weapon Bear.

"No… don't…" Bonney whispered as she stepped forward.

Slash!

The Bear groaned—heavily damaged—and toppled backward.

Suddenly, a figure appeared above it.

"Third Gear!!!"

It was none other than goofy Luffy.

He bit down on his thumb.

"Here I go!"

Fwoooosh—

He exhaled sharply.

His right hand ballooned in size.

"Gomu Gomu no…"

He raised his massive fist.

"Giant Spinning Bazooka!!!"

BOOOOM—

The blow came crashing down.

Inside the Bear's mouth, golden light pulsed again.

BOOM BOOM—!!!

The impact landed squarely—and the Bear took the full brunt.

"NO—!!!" Bonney screamed.

Watching the enormous fist fall, she collapsed.

"Ahhh~!"

Luffy's fist deflated and shrank, his body shrinking with it.

He fell hard onto the ground.

Bonney stared at the unmoving Bear weapon.

Her mouth hung open—like it had popped out of its socket.

Then… the PX-4 code was revealed on the Bear's chest.

"Is that kid… alright?" Mei Terumi asked, holding Naruto's hand.

"Haah—" The Straw Hats slumped to the ground, completely exhausted.

"That bastard finally stopped," Franky gasped.

"Damn tough nut to crack," Usopp muttered.

Nami looked shaken. "It felt like he could've still moved… gave me chills."

"I can't move anymore…"

"Screw fighting. Let's just run next time!" Chopper and Usopp whimpered as they backed away.

Robin, a little more composed, stood up slowly.

"No—we should press the attack while we have the chance. If we don't finish them here, they'll just hunt us later."

Zoro frowned. "What was that thing?"

"He's NOTHING!!!" Bonney screamed, eyes suddenly bloodshot.

"Who's that?" someone asked.

"Kids, don't come any closer!" Franky warned.

He looked at PX-4, the War Weapon Bear lying still.

"This thing's not just a machine…"

"It used to be human—an exact replica of Bartholomew Kuma."

Bonney couldn't bear to hear it.

Her hateful gaze fell on the Straw Hats.

Luffy sat up, catching his breath.

"Didn't expect to go all out like that…"

"I could use a nap myself," Sanji agreed—then spotted Mei Terumi beside Naruto.

His eyes instantly turned into hearts.

Whoosh—

In the blink of an eye, he darted toward Mei Terumi.

"These bastards... they're too cruel!"

"Damn it, old man… was the old man really sealed inside that sphere by that guy?"

Just then, Sentomaru appeared, flanked by the Pacifista unit—PX-1.

But he didn't dare to reveal himself.

The Straw Hat Pirates weren't the reason for his caution.

No… it was that blond-haired man who looked deceptively fragile.

He radiated a power strong enough to flatten the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

Above them, the massive sphere of compressed earth still floated silently in the sky.

"Damn it! Building a Pacifista costs as much as building a battleship!"

"And now... even the old man's been defeated. How the hell am I supposed to report this to that brat?!"

At that moment, Bonney got back to her feet.

Sanji took a step forward—only to trip over Zoro's outstretched leg.

"What the hell's your problem, moss-head?!"

Surprisingly, Zoro didn't snap back.

"Don't go. That man… is dangerous."

Sanji followed his gaze—and finally noticed Naruto standing beside Mei Terumi.

Naruto was calmly watching him.

Buzz—

A chill ran down Sanji's spine.

For just a moment, it felt like if he took one more step, his head would be rolling on the ground.

Bonney's clothes were soaked with tears as she ran toward Naruto.

"Help me…"

Naruto caught the look in her eyes—burning with a hatred deeper than rage.

He opened his mouth, about to explain that the one they fought wasn't the real Bartholomew Kuma, but a cybernetic clone.

But Bonney shook her head.

"No… that attack just now must've taken a toll on you. I'll handle it myself!"

Determination hardened in her eyes.

She gripped Naruto's thigh tightly—and activated the power of the Toshi Toshi no Mi.

"Twisted Future: Whirlpool Form!"

In that instant, Bonney tapped into Naruto's latent energy with her ability to distort time and fate.

Boom boom boom—

She hadn't expected the surge that answered her call.

Power flooded into her—raw, overwhelming, alien. It crashed through her body, testing her limits.

Due to the different nature of their power systems, something else awakened.

A glowing orb of memories bloomed inside her mind.

As she reached out and touched it, her body jerked violently.

She began to grow—her figure maturing into that of a woman in her twenties.

Her pink hair rapidly turned white.

Her skin paled, becoming unnaturally smooth and porcelain-like.

Mei Terumi gasped and covered her mouth.

"What's happening to her?!"

Naruto's expression darkened slightly.

"The Toshi Toshi no Mi's power… it's evolving."

"She must've seen memories—ones not so different from my own."

As he spoke, Bonney staggered forward, eyes glowing red.

Buzz—

One Tomoe Sharingan.

Then two.

And finally—Mangekyō Sharingan.

Small bony horns began to emerge from her brow—traits only known to the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

Bonney raised her head, locking eyes with Naruto.

For a moment, she was stunned.

Then, wordlessly, she flung herself into his arms.

Tears flowed without restraint.

It was all too much.

Not just the physical pain—but the weight of memory, of loss, of knowing.

Compared to Naruto's past… her's had been paradise.

She couldn't imagine surviving what he had.

Every day had been like walking a razor's edge.

Her hands trembled.

And then—her eyes changed once more.

The Rinnegan—still in its youthful, incomplete state—glimmered in her irises.

"This world... should be destroyed."

Mei Terumi flinched.

She turned her gaze to Naruto in alarm.

Bonney slowly pulled away from him.

Now they stood side by side.

For a moment, it felt like she was seeing two Naruto's.

Two reflections—each carrying different burdens, different truths.

But Bonney herself…

She looked like she could shatter at any moment.

...

TN:

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