(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
****************
As the world government arrived, a powerful and intimidating energy filled the air, casting a sense of dread over everyone present.
No one could be certain if any CP agents were lurking nearby, yet even in the vastness of the sea, the movements of Uchiha Sasuke and his companions were meticulously tracked by the government's agents.
It didn't take Senju Tobirama long to catch up to Ace's ship, preparing himself for what lay ahead.
As he approached, several elite CP0 agents disembarked from the warship, taking smaller boats to strategically position themselves on the surrounding islands.
Known for their lethal skills, these CP0 agents carried an aura of power and mystery.
Naruto's mission was clear: distract Sasuke and direct their battle toward the island, setting the stage for CP0's ambush.
Hearing this strategy, Naruto smirked at them.
"You fools, the true target of this mission... is you…"
As the two forces closed in, the divisions of the Whitebeard Pirates noticed the ominous warship approaching.
Ace's expression grew tense as he watched the ship move toward them with unmistakable menace.
"They aren't here for friendly talks," he muttered.
Sasuke, meanwhile, calmly cleaned his Kusanagi sword.
"We wouldn't be able to outrun them. Ace, be cautious in the upcoming battle—I wouldn't be able to watch your back."
He could already sense the familiar surge of chakra approaching.
"Even if we could run, we won't, we're the Whitebeard pirates" Ace grinned, stretching his limbs as the crew around him readied their weapons for the impending clash.
Aboard the warship, Naruto was about to signal Sasuke when Mihawk, nicknamed "Hawkeye," stepped forward.
"I'm only here to test his swordsmanship."
Before Naruto could respond, Mihawk drew his massive black blade, Yoru, and ended up unleashing a powerful slash toward Sasuke.
Sasuke, already bracing for Naruto's arrival, narrowed his eyes.
"Is there anyone who wouldn't interfere in this battle?"
His Rinnegan gleamed with an intense violet light—he had no patience for distractions.
"Shinra Tensei!"
With a powerful repulsion, Sasuke repelled Mihawk's green slash.
Mihawk's astonishment grew as Sasuke's Susanoo manifested, a towering purple giant that rose above, sending a powerful shockwave straight toward the warship.
"Still the same as before… Sasuke" Naruto chuckled as orange Sage markings appeared around his eyes.
In a flash, Sasuke ascended above the Marine warship, his mere presence instilling fear in the soldiers and admirals below.
"Why didn't you respond using your swordsmanship?" Mihawk, displeased, glared at Sasuke for using other abilities to counter his slash.
As a swordsman, he lived for duels, seeing it as an exclusive honor of his craft.
But Sasuke, who saw swordsmanship as just one weapon in his arsenal, didn't respond.
Instead, he locked eyes with Naruto, his voice filled with determination.
"This time, I wouldn't lose."
Naruto, recalling their last battle during the Fourth Ninja War, smiled as he raised his hand in response.
The Seal of Opposition—an unspoken vow to fight with everything they had.
In an instant, Naruto created multiple Shadow Clones, and he and Sasuke leaped across the water, each sprinting toward the other.
Boom!
Their fists collided with explosive force, sending a massive shockwave that threw Naruto's warship backward.
"Such power, such mastery of Haki," Mihawk murmured, marveling at the strength of the two fighters before him.
In the distance, Senju Tobirama, cloaked in a black robe, watched solemnly.
He could see that Naruto and Sasuke's power had only grown since their time in the ninja world.
A pang of urgency rose within him, hoping his brother, Senju Hashirama, would also arrive in this world soon.
He knew of Madara already being here, as far as he knew, although the Uchiha's were on his side, he still liked to keep their number in check…
Blows flew back and forth.
Naruto, relying on his Shadow Clones, used numbers to offset Sasuke's Sharingan advantage.
Sasuke responded with a relentless flurry of attacks, combining jutsu seals mid-fight.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The massive fireballs seared across the water, boiling the sea and shrouding the battlefield in steam.
Senju Tobirama frowned, his gaze fixed on the obscured battleground.
"Don't waste time; go and deal with the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Yes, sir!" Vice Admirals Momonga and Onigumo steered the warship toward Ace and his men.
Meanwhile, Tobirama and Mihawk remained on a smaller boat, observing the intense fight between Naruto and Sasuke.
Feeling an itch to fight, Mihawk launched another slash, this time aimed precisely at Sasuke and not the huge warship, guided by his Observation Haki.
"Stay out of this, weakling!"
A skeletal arm from Sasuke's Susanoo crushed the incoming slash.
Angered by the interference, Sasuke summoned the massive Lightning Style Kirin. He had prepared for it with the earlier fireballs. He always made sure to send some to the sky whenever he fought.
A thunderous dragon descended upon Mihawk's boat, forcing Senju Tobirama to consider using the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape.
But before he could react, a massive golden fox appeared, shielding him and Mihawk from the devastating lightning.
But it was evident that Naruto had done so from afar.
"The warm-up is over. Brace yourselves!" Naruto said.
Sasuke's Susanoo fully manifested, a towering purple giant, and Naruto's Kurama mode surrounded him in a massive golden fox cloak.
Two colossal figures stood face-to-face, each over a hundred meters tall.
And with an explosive force, their battle began anew, their Haki and chakra shaking the entire world.