*Chapter 227: Naruto Becomes the Next First Division Captain*

“Is this the other world you described?”

Nagato gazed at the vast ocean and the clear blue sky, sights that were absent in Amegakure. He was sure he had left the world of the shinobi, or at least Amegakure. Yet now, as he stood there, uncertainty filled his heart. What should he do next? Yahiko’s dream was no longer with him, and Konan was no longer by his side to support him.

Standing atop some machinery, Nagato looked at the new world ahead, feeling lost.

“That’s right! Your dream in the ninja world was nearly impossible, especially with such an innocent mindset,” Raijin said with a strange smile. “But now that you’re here, you can meet others and try to join them, learn from them. When you return to the ninja world, you can achieve your dream.”

If Nagato became a pirate, he might gather a strong crew and then declare himself a god, fully opposing the world government, which had long referred to the Celestial Dragons as gods. Nagato’s presence would surely draw attention, which conveniently provided cover for Raijin’s plans in Dressrosa.

“My dream?” Nagato looked at Raijin, confused by his words.

“No, that’s the dream you inherited—the so-called peace of the ninja world. But it’s probably the only thing that drives you now,” Raijin shook his head. Nagato hadn’t started with this dream. It was Yahiko’s influence that had made him long for peace.

Nagato remained silent, glancing at his companions, Kisame Hoshigaki and Jūzō Biwa. Both of them had seen his true face, and from now on, they would be his only followers on the sea. There was no need to hide from them anymore.

“This is a transponder snail for you, and here’s the number for Konan’s transponder snail. If you have time, contact her. She’s running a flower shop in my territory now,” Raijin said, offering Nagato some comfort.

Nagato, stubborn as always, might not take up the offer, but Raijin was giving him an outlet, just in case.

“Thank you,” Nagato nodded, his gaze fixed on a small boat before him, falling into silence. Raijin wasn’t going to offer him any more help. If Nagato wanted something, he’d have to find it on his own—whether by robbing pirates or seizing merchant ships. Raijin wasn’t going to intervene anymore; Nagato was on his own.

“Leader, what’s the plan now?” Jūzō Biwa, holding his Executioner’s Blade, asked with a cocky smile. The sea was the perfect playground for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the two of them were eager to show their skills. Now that Raijin had left without giving them detailed instructions, they turned to Nagato for direction.

“First, gather information. I want to know the layout of this place. We’re strangers here, and even if we want to act, we need to understand the situation. Don’t underestimate the people here!” Nagato’s Rinnegan gleamed as six different puppets appeared beside him. Their varied forms were perfect for intelligence gathering.

“Yes!” Kisame and Jūzō nodded and quickly vanished from the island.

Raijin had placed them on an island near several villages. Kisame immediately went into hiding, forming seals to try and contact Obito. Now that they had been brought to an unknown place, it was vital to see if their leader knew anything. Kisame was also quite intrigued by this new world.

“Huh? I can’t reach him?” Kisame wondered, a smile creeping onto his face. If they couldn’t reach Obito, he’d follow Nagato for now and see how things played out.

Kisame shook his head and started searching the nearby villages. He stumbled upon a pile of newspapers and found several months’ worth of reports. As he scanned them, he was shocked to see mention of the Uchiha Clan.

He recalled how the Uchiha had disappeared from Konoha, and after that, there had been no trace of them in the ninja world, despite White Zetsu’s efforts to search. No one had found a clue. Now he understood: they had come to this world.

Kisame packed the newspapers and returned to Nagato.

“Kisame, take a look. This world even has your kin—fishmen!” Jūzō teased, pointing to a picture of a fishman on the front page. He couldn’t help but laugh at Kisame’s gills and small eyes.

Kisame, gripping his Samehada sword tightly, shot a murderous glare at Jūzō. Their weapons clashed, scales falling from Samehada as Jūzō blocked the attack, grinning provocatively. He didn’t think much of Kisame’s strength and was always ready to challenge him.

Nagato glanced at them but didn’t interfere. These kinds of clashes were common among Akatsuki members. As long as no one died, he wouldn’t stop them. They were all rogue ninja, each with their own temper.

“Marines, pirates, the World Government, bounty hunters, revolutionaries…” Nagato mused, analyzing the intelligence they had gathered. In a short time, he had pieced together the political landscape of the sea. Nagato might not have been a genius, but this level of analysis was basic for him.

He focused on the revolutionaries, a group aiming to overthrow the corrupt World Government. The government had declared themselves gods and ruled with an iron fist, exploiting nations and causing destruction over trivial matters.

Nagato now understood Raijin’s hint.

“Jūzō, Kisame, find us a proper ship—or seize a good one from the pirates. I want to meet the leader of the revolutionaries and see if he’s as capable as Raijin claims. If he can’t help us achieve peace in the ninja world, we’ll seek out someone else. This ocean is far more interesting than I imagined.”

Kisame and Jūzō exchanged a glance, nodded, and headed toward the small boat, eager to test their strength against the sea’s warriors.

Meanwhile, aboard Whitebeard’s ship, Jozu was holding back a grieving Whitebeard, who was struggling with the death of his first division commander, Marco. Whitebeard, filled with guilt, tried to drown his sorrow in alcohol, but Jozu reassured him that none of the crew blamed him. Marco had made his choice willingly, just like any of them would.

Naruto, standing nearby, was overwhelmed with sadness. Despite being welcomed warmly aboard the ship, he could feel the lingering pain of loss among the crew.

Out of a hundred men, not a single one could live as long as Whitebeard.

Even though Whitebeard was tormented by illness, he still wanted to protect his sons.

But instead!

He was being protected by a bunch of youngsters.

He is the mighty man known as the strongest in the world.

And yet, he’s being protected by his sons, sent to die for him.

Does that make sense?

Originally, he thought Marco had already woken up the crew with his actions this time.

But he didn’t expect that these guys would still say such nonsense at a time like this.

"If you're gone, Pops, the Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't be the Whitebeard Pirates anymore."

"We’ve gathered from all corners of the world, calling each other brothers!"

"We’ve met countless brothers and sisters, all because of you."

"Even though they haven’t said it, when the time comes, they won’t hesitate for a second."

"They will make the same decision as me, the same as Marco!"

Jozu didn’t look away. He stared seriously at Whitebeard, speaking directly to him.

The Whitebeard Pirates weren’t exactly the most powerful crew on the seas.

In fact!

They were rather bloated.

Many people on this ship weren’t particularly talented.

Some were even weak! But they had come to the sea chasing their dreams.

When they had no one to rely on, when they lost their friends and homes.

Whitebeard appeared and gave them a family!

Whitebeard gathered this group of drifters on the sea.

And from that, the massive Whitebeard Pirates were formed.

The entire pirate crew!

The person they revered the most was Whitebeard.

They had always regarded Whitebeard as their father.

And Whitebeard gave them all the love and care they needed.

On this ship, they truly felt the warmth of family.

Outsiders mocked them, saying they were just playing a childish game.

But those outsiders hadn’t truly felt the charisma of Whitebeard.

"I’ve grown old. The me of the old era can no longer sail through this new era."

"This ship should be in your hands now, but instead you’re dying for an old man like me."

Whitebeard sighed, looking at Jozu with a complicated expression.

"Pops, we now have another family member we want to protect."

Jozu looked earnestly at Whitebeard.

"Hmm?"

Whitebeard paused, suddenly realizing something and looked over at Naruto, who was standing to the side, trying to keep his distance.

Naruto seemed a bit out of place in this environment.

"It’s Naruto! Marco gave his life to protect both of you. His dying wish is carried on Naruto’s shoulders."

"I want to ask you, Pops, to let Naruto become the next captain of the first division!"

"And when he grows up, we hope he will become the vice-captain of the Whitebeard Pirates."

Jozu spoke seriously as he looked at Whitebeard.

They had already discussed it, and the only way to divert Whitebeard’s attention from his grief over losing Marco...

Was to help him refocus and rebuild his strength.

Naruto was a good candidate.

Let Pops put all his attention on Naruto.

"Naruto, huh? Let’s talk about that when he grows up."

Whitebeard glanced at Naruto.

Marco’s death hadn’t caused him to take out his anger on Naruto.

After all, everything that happened had been his own decision.

He had no right to blame Naruto.

Moreover!

He wanted Naruto to feel the warmth of a family!