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

"Monkey D. Luffy."

"Stay close to the Pirate King's son."

Naruto just gave him a blank look.

The Child of Prophecy of this world.

"Let's go. Someone will be arriving soon."

He glanced at Sentomaru, who was hiding in the shadows.

Sentomaru froze.

His body trembled uncontrollably.

He instinctively backed away.

He couldn't even muster the courage to lift the massive battle axe slung over his shoulder.

All he could see in his mind was the image of a massive black sphere swallowing an entire island.

Even Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had been overwhelmed by this man.

What could he possibly do?

But Naruto merely cast him an indifferent glance.

He raised a hand—Rinnegan glowing—and with a flick, activated Yomihirasaka.

A dimensional portal opened beside him.

He reached through, his hand vanishing into the void for a moment…

And when it returned, he was holding the unconscious body of Kizaru, sealed within a massive Chibaku Tensei.

Kizaru hung limp in Naruto's grip like a dead dog.

Suddenly, a spatial ripple shimmered.

"Naruto~!"

Boa Hancock gasped and covered her mouth. She instantly recognized the admiral.

An Admiral of the Navy… defeated in mere seconds?

The light in her eyes grew even brighter.

Mei Terumi tilted her head slightly. This woman… she might be even more obsessed than she was.

She didn't look away from Naruto for a moment.

Naruto tapped his toes and soared into the sky, flying over the Sabaody Archipelago.

He expanded his sensory field, brow furrowing slightly.

"Too slow… I'm not waiting anymore."

He descended again just as quickly.

Only a dozen seconds had passed, but to Hancock, it felt like ten years.

As soon as Naruto landed, she rushed to him without hesitation.

Naruto sighed helplessly.

Whatever. Maybe they just haven't experienced enough yet. It'll get better with time.

"Let's go home."

Mei Terumi nodded with a soft smile, cradling Bonney in her arms as she followed.

But she paused.

Turning back, she looked at Nami and Robin, who stood frozen.

"Two choices. One—you stay. The other…"

She leaned in, whispering into their ears.

Robin and Nami's eyes widened. They stared at her in disbelief.

Snap—

Mei Terumi snapped her fingers.

"Decide for yourselves."

Then, she turned and caught up with Naruto and Hancock.

Nami and Robin looked at each other.

Then at the unconscious Luffy, collapsed on the ground.

Pity filled their eyes.

But they weren't fools.

Staying meant no future.

Going… might offer one.

Gritting their teeth, they followed.

Mei Terumi, sensing them catching up, couldn't hide the smile blooming on her face.

She held Bonney in one hand and gently took Naruto's hand with the other.

In her mind, she was already picturing their wedding.

On Naruto's other side, Hancock's mind was similarly adrift—scenes from the Tsukuyomi illusion dancing before her.

They made her heart race.

But no matter how real the illusion, it wasn't him.

Now, she and Mei were the same—both dreaming of a future with Naruto.

Naruto glanced back at Nami and Robin, who followed with heads bowed, saying nothing.

He hadn't heard what Mei whispered.

He had no interest in eavesdropping.

As they reached the island's edge, a sea breeze swept past them.

Hancock frowned, puzzled.

Why was there no ship?

But the moment she saw Naruto move, her doubts vanished.

Even if he leapt into the sea now, she'd follow him without hesitation.

This time, Naruto didn't walk on the water.

He raised his arms—his body shifting into wood-like elements.

A massive plank of wood twisted and reshaped itself into a speedboat.

He boarded it with Hancock.

Mei followed with Bonney in her arms.

Nami and Robin froze.

This ability… was beyond anything they'd ever seen.

Gulp—

They both swallowed hard.

Robin's resolve hardened.

She grabbed Nami's hand and quickly followed.

Once everyone was aboard, Naruto's back shifted—forming a wooden clone.

The clone stepped to the rear, merging into a fitted card slot built into the boat's tail.

Buzz—

A surge of repulsive force ignited.

Whoosh—

The speedboat blasted forward.

"Ahhh—!!!"

Nami and Robin screamed as they felt themselves falling.

But then—they realized they were safely seated in wooden chairs.

At some point, the boat had adjusted for them.

The speedboat rocketed forward, disappearing from the archipelago in the blink of an eye.

Sentomaru stared, dumbfounded.

"You're... already gone?!"

Right then, the Den Den Mushi in his arms rang.

Belibeli

It was a call from the Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

Sentomaru nearly jumped.

He scrambled to answer.

"H-Hello?! Fleet Admiral Sengoku?!"

The Den Den Mushi's face morphed, its voice changing to that of Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

"Marshal Sengoku, that blond kid—Uzumaki Naruto—he's gone!"

"What?!" Sengoku's shout thundered through the line, his beard bristling with fury.

"Akainu and Aokiji are already en route. Intercept him!"

Sentomaru immediately tossed aside his massive axe.

His head shook like a rattle. "No way! If I go after him—I'm dead!"

He added in a mutter, "Also… Naruto took Robin and Nami from the Straw Hats."

"…And Bonney too."

He hesitated before adding, "Even the old man—Kizaru—was taken."

Sentomaru gave a brief rundown of the chaos.

On the other end, silence.

"Is Straw Hat Luffy still there?"

"Yes!"

"Marshal, I've captured him. He's unconscious."

There was another long pause.

"Leave the rest to Akainu and Aokiji. You stay at Sabaody Archipelago."

Cold sweat dripped from Sentomaru's forehead. But knowing that monster might not come back soon gave him some small relief.

Under the Sea

Elsewhere, Naruto and the others had already returned to the massive bubble they'd arrived in.

His wooden clone dissolved back into the speedboat.

"What is this thing?" Nami couldn't help but ask.

Naruto led Hancock inside. As his hand touched the bubble wall, it expanded immediately.

Robin and Nami blinked at the sight, but after everything they had seen today, even this barely phased them.

Mei Terumi followed in next, Bonnie in her arms.

Nami quickly jumped in after her.

Robin, however, hesitated.

As a Devil Fruit user, she was instinctively terrified of the sea.

So was Hancock, but her trust in Naruto was absolute. Even if she were to drown, she'd do so alongside him without regret.

"Come," Naruto said, reaching out his hand.

Robin bit her lip, took his hand, closed her eyes—and leapt.

She froze mid-fall.

Stepping onto the bubble felt like stepping onto solid ground.

"Is this… similar to the coating on a ship?" she asked in awe.

"No," Naruto replied flatly.

Mei Terumi handed Bonnie to Naruto, then moved to the edge of the bubble. Squatting down, she quickly formed hand seals.

Buzz—

The bubble began to sink beneath the surface of the sea.

Boom… boom… boom…

Nami and Robin's hearts pounded.

After about fifteen minutes of descent…

Their eyes widened.

So this was the underwater world…

Naruto cradled Hancock by the waist—slim enough to fit one hand—and stepped toward the bubble's edge.

"This ocean produces Seastone, which suppresses Devil Fruit powers."

"You've never been under the sea before?"

Hancock shook her head softly.

"I've only sailed above it."

"Then take a look," Naruto said with a smile. "It's worth it."

Hancock finally pried her gaze from his face and turned to the scenery outside the bubble, enchanted.

Naruto said no more. He simply stood and watched alongside her.

Mei Terumi followed the lingering chakra trail from when they first arrived, skillfully guiding the bubble downward. The descent was slow—rising was easy due to buoyancy, but diving took effort.

Luckily, no Sea Kings dared to approach them this time.

With no combat to worry about, Mei Terumi's mind was free.

Nami and Robin, meanwhile, had crept up to the bubble's edge.

Nami, curious, touched the wall—it was cool, like Seastone.

Robin extended her hand next, but the moment her fingers met the wall, her knees buckled.

Nami lunged and caught her.

"Robin?! What's wrong?"

"The ocean's power… it's draining me…"

As she spoke, Robin's eyes flicked to Naruto—and then Hancock.

Nami noticed it too.

"He isn't affected by seawater. He must not be a Devil Fruit user."

But then, both women caught sight of Hancock—limp in Naruto's arms.

"A Devil Fruit user?"

Robin's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute… that face… isn't she the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock?!"

Robin quickly whispered in Nami's ear.

Nami paled.

The Pirate Empress was said to rule from the Calm Belt…

And Naruto… could he be Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?

Suddenly, so many things made sense.

Both women fell silent.

But the fear in their hearts had eased.

The people struck by "Kuma"—those sent flying—hadn't died after all.

As women, they had their own instincts.

They could imagine what kind of person the so-called Empress really was.

But what stunned them most wasn't just that Naruto had returned so quickly from such a far-off place…

…it was that he had brought the Pirate Empress back with him.

Nami sat down with a thud, still reeling.

"Robin, do you think we'll end up like her someday?"

Robin paused, then gave a small nod—followed by a shake of the head.

"I don't know... But that man... he's lethal when it comes to women."

Nami didn't argue.

Mei Terumi, standing nearby, let the corner of her mouth curl into a smile.

The moment Robin and Nami caught up to Naruto emotionally, the outcome was already sealed.

She glanced at Hancock, her eye twitching just slightly.

That woman was clearly not well.

But her affection for Naruto was every bit as intense as her own.

Mei could already imagine the chaos once Kushina saw Hancock's condition back home.

It wouldn't be surprising if Kushina decided to lock Naruto away and personally lead the effort to revive the Uzumaki Clan.

And if that happened, well—someone like her, who had made such a "major contribution," might just marry into it~!

As for Nami and Robin… Nami still looked young, but Robin? She was more than mature enough.

Mei laughed softly, amused by her own thoughts.

Naruto appeared behind her.

"What's funny?"

"When we get back," she said with a teasing smile, "I'm going to ask the elders to prepare a dowry for me~"

From the side, Hancock lifted her head, eyes flashing.

Ah. She had forgotten to tell her two sisters something important before leaving…

"Return!"

"Take Amazon Lily—Nine Snake Island—with you. It's my dowry!"

…

TN:

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