East Blue, aboard the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
Kaito had ultimately decided to make a trip to the East Blue—partly to collect materials for his Deva Path puppet, and partly to give Luffy a bit of an education.
Of course, Kaito wasn't deluded enough to think he could turn Luffy around. The only person truly suited for that job was another anime protagonist: Naruto. Didn't that guy basically master the art of talking-no-jutsu?
Unfortunately, bringing Naruto here was impossible. When Kaito transmigrated, Naruto had only been born a few years prior. Who knows how far along the timeline the Naruto world had progressed by now?
Just thinking about Naruto brought another image to mind—another blond-haired, spiky-headed figure: the Yellow Flash of Konoha, Minato Namikaze.
Kaito's presence in the Naruto world hadn't made much of a difference. Minato still died during the Nine-Tails' Rampage.
Recalling his past in the Naruto world, Kaito's expression darkened.
He had changed the fate of many people in the One Piece world... yet couldn't change the fate of his own friend.
Even though Kaito knew what would happen in the future of the Naruto world, he couldn't just spell everything out for Minato. For one, would Minato even believe him? And with his kind of personality, it was almost certain the Third Hokage and others would find out.
Back then, Minato held great respect for the Third Hokage.
And if Hiruzen found out, could Danzo be far behind?
Danzo, who had long wanted to eradicate the Uchiha clan, would undoubtedly seize the opportunity. Claiming Kaito harbored treacherous intent, he'd have him arrested on the spot.
In the Naruto world, Kaito didn't have a system or any cheat-like powers. All he had was future intel. Barely able to protect himself, how could he possibly help Minato?
All he could do was offer vague, subtle hints when possible—but it was like trying to douse a wildfire with a cup of water.
During the Nine-Tails' Rampage, Kaito already had the Mangekyō Sharingan—but he didn't dare expose himself.
By the time he reached Minato, both he and Kushina were already dead. Even with the powers granted by Konohanasakuya-hime, there was nothing he could do.
Kaito would never forget that night—standing helplessly over their bodies, Naruto's cries echoing in his ears.
That was the moment he made up his mind to leave Konoha for good.
If only he had the ability to travel between worlds… if only he could return to the Naruto world one more time.
With that thought, Kaito let out a long sigh.
...
Standing at his sides, Kalifa and Ain turned simultaneously at the sound.
When they noticed the sorrow etched on Kaito's face, both were momentarily stunned.
This was the first time they'd ever seen him like this.
To them, Kaito was a man of endless abilities—someone who seemed capable of anything. What kind of event could affect him so deeply?
Kalifa and Ain quickly stepped forward, each taking one of Kaito's hands.
Feeling the warmth in their palms, Kaito glanced at them. In their eyes, he saw nothing but worry and care.
He tucked his sorrow away, offering the two women a reassuring smile.
"What's this? You two suddenly know how to worry about me?"
"Boss… were you thinking of something painful? Was it about your family?"
That was all Kalifa could think of. She knew Kaito was the last surviving member of the Uchiha in this world.
She had no idea why such a powerful clan had been reduced to a single person—but that seemed like the only logical reason for his sorrow.
Waving it off, Kaito said with a sigh,
"It's nothing. Just remembered an old friend."
"They… they're gone?"
"Yeah… but maybe there's still a chance we'll meet again."
Gone, but still a chance to meet again? Kalifa didn't quite understand what he meant. But then she remembered Kaito's arsenal of bizarre abilities and gave a thoughtful nod.
Suddenly, Ain—who'd been silent this whole time—raised a finger and pointed into the distance.
"Kaito! Look! There's an island over there!"
Kaito and Kalifa turned to look at her like she was being a little slow.
They'd passed countless islands since departing HQ. Ain might as well have shouted,
"Hey, look! A car on the road!"
Realizing how ridiculous she sounded under their gaze, Ain's cheeks flushed red. She'd only wanted to shift Kaito's attention away from his sorrow.
Unlike Kalifa, she never seemed to fully understand Kaito's moods. She often felt clumsy in that regard.
So she just did what she could to help in her own way—even if it meant making a fool of herself.
Standing stiffly in place, Ain mumbled under her breath,
"I just… wanted to help you take your mind off things…"
Hearing her soft grumble, Kaito and Kalifa couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Kalifa pulled Ain into a hug and, in a motherly tone, said,
"Ain, Ain… you're just too adorable!"
"Ehhh…"
Watching the heartwarming scene unfold in front of him, Kaito felt the gloom in his chest vanish completely.
He already had so much here in the One Piece world…
So what if he missed his chance with the Rinnegan? He just had to cherish what was in front of him.
...
Just then, the ship's navigator came running up in a panic, pointing at the island Ain had just mentioned.
"Vice Admiral Kaito! Strange currents have suddenly appeared near that island! The ship's being dragged in—there's a real risk of being pulled under!"
"Hm?"
Kaito frowned. They were already this close, and only now noticed the currents? Bit late, wasn't it?
Still, he didn't blame the navigator.
Everyone on this ship had been handpicked by Sengoku himself—no way they were incompetent.
The currents had just appeared far too suddenly.
That said, Kaito was starting to feel like he needed a top-tier navigator. Someone to make sea travel smoother, with fewer annoying surprises.
He didn't press the matter further and simply said,
"I got it. You can go. Don't worry—have the ship stop nearby. I'll go check out the island myself."
"Yes, sir!"
The navigator hurried off.
Kaito turned his full attention to the island Ain had pointed out—and noticed it really was a bit… strange.
As the ship continued to get dragged closer, he could now see a huge number of giant birds circling the sky above the island.
Even more sea currents were appearing around it—these were what had started pulling the ship in.
"Hmph."
Feeling the ship's violent shudder beneath his feet, Kaito let out a soft grunt and floated into the air. He moved to the side of the ship and placed a hand on its hull.
"Almighty Push."
Wumm—! A surge of repulsive force burst from Kaito's palm, enveloping the ship and blasting it free from the grip of the sea currents.
Thanks to Kaito's precise control over Almighty Push, the ship wasn't damaged in the slightest.
With the ship now safe, Kaito turned in mid-air and launched himself toward the island in a burst of force.
Time to see what secrets this strange little island was hiding.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo