421-425

Chapter 421: The Terrifying Treasure Island 

"What did you say?!" 

Before Usopp could even finish his sentence, Luffy, Zoro, and Nami simultaneously landed punches on him, sending him sprawling to the deck. 

"Usopp, you really do love to boast, don't you?" Luffy scoffed. "If it weren't for our big brother Kazama, you'd have been chopped to bits by Captain Kuro and scattered to the winds!" 

"Exactly!" Zoro chimed in. "And you actually dared to impersonate our captain? That's just beyond the pale!" 

Kazama knew that Usopp and the others were just messing around, having some friendly banter, so he didn't intervene. Soon after, Usopp, Kazama, and the others set sail. 

"Everyone," Luffy announced, "now that our crew is growing and we've officially formed a pirate crew, don't you think we should get our own pirate flag?" 

"Yeah, yeah! Every pirate crew needs a flag, and we definitely should have one!" Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and the others immediately nodded in agreement, then looked towards Kazama. 

After all, Kazama was their leader now, so the design of the flag was naturally up to him. Kazama initially considered using the Straw Hat Jolly Roger from the manga. However, he then thought, "Since I've come to the world of One Piece, I'm the true protagonist, and Luffy is my little brother. So, why not design my own unique flag?" 

With that thought, Kazama gave a flourish of his hand and drew the Hidden Leaf Village symbol from Naruto. Luffy and the others were a bit bewildered; they didn't quite understand the meaning behind Kazama's drawing. But they all agreed it looked super cool and praised him non-stop. 

So, Kazama immediately hoisted the Hidden Leaf Village symbol onto their pirate ship. This was truly unprecedented! After all, One Piece and Naruto were both Kazama's favorite manga, and he naturally hoped to see them somehow merge. 

As Kazama and his crew continued their journey along the Grand Line, they suddenly spotted a dark mist a few hundred meters ahead. This startled Kazama, who thought they might be facing another enemy. He quickly turned to Nami for information, as she was their skilled navigator and had a deep understanding of sea routes. Kazama relied on Nami for all matters big and small now. 

"Big brother Kazama," Nami said with a smile, "you're in luck!" 

"Oh? What do you mean?" Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp immediately perked up, curious. 

"It's simple," Nami explained, "from what I know, that small island covered in dark clouds is the legendary Treasure Island!" 

"What?! Treasure Island?!" 

"That's right. As the name suggests, it's an island with tons and tons of treasure!" 

"Oh, if that's the case," Luffy wondered, "then why haven't other pirates plundered it already?" 

Nami chuckled. "Hehe, it's simple. This Treasure Island isn't as straightforward as it seems on the surface. I've heard there are many yokai and strange creatures on the island. And many pirates who venture there are transformed into all sorts of monsters, to be controlled by the island's deities!" 

Chapter 422: Suspicious guy 

"What?! It's really that scary!" Usopp, being the most timid of the group, immediately collapsed onto the ground after hearing Nami's words. 

Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and the others burst into laughter, teasing Usopp again. "Heh heh, I tell ya, Usopp, you really are a coward!" 

"Heh heh, laugh all you want! I'm not going to that treasure island, no way! As the saying goes, 'better a living coward than a dead hero!'" Usopp pleaded with Kazama, his eyes filled with desperation. "Kazama-niichan, you're our captain now, and we'll follow your orders. Besides, we've already gotten a bunch of gold and jewels from those other pirate ships. I really don't think we need to go to that treasure island anymore, do we?" 

"Hmm?" Kazama chuckled, shaking his head. "While I, Kazama, am not someone who obsesses over riches, I do love adventure! Since this so-called treasure island is so mysterious, I just have to go see what kind of yōkai or gods are really there!" 

"Alright, no problem!" Luffy, Zoro, and Nami were all big fans of adventure, so they were naturally thrilled to hear Kazama was willing to go to the treasure island. 

Usopp, on the other hand, could only grit his teeth and follow them. After all, Kazama was their leader, and he wouldn't dare defy his orders. Plus, Usopp figured that with how strong and amazing Kazama was, even a yōkai wouldn't stand a chance against him. 

An Unsettling Fog 

As soon as Kazama and the others landed on the island, they were met with a thick black fog swirling around them. Kazama simply smiled. "It seems this treasure island really does have some skilled individuals. To be able to create such a huge mass of black fog just to obstruct our vision!" 

Kazama had spent decades training in the world of Naruto, becoming a true God of Ninjutsu. So, he could instantly tell that this fog was artificially created. With his Mangekyo Sharingan activated, he immediately spotted a figure manipulating the black fog within moments. 

Kazama's voice cut through the air, chillingly cold. "Are you a human or a ghost? If you're human, come out and let's talk. But if you're a ghost, don't blame me, Kazama, for being ruthless!" 

"What?!" The shadowy figure was startled by Kazama's shout. 

Meanwhile, Luffy, Zoro, and the others hadn't seen any enemies yet, so they'd assumed the black fog was natural. They were shocked when Kazama, in an instant, declared it was man-made. This only deepened their admiration for him. 

The person controlling the shadow still didn't show themselves, thinking Kazama was just bluffing. A cold laugh echoed from within the fog. "You little brat! I don't believe you're that amazing. Let me tell you, I, Kazama, am a god on this treasure island! If you dare to show off in front of me, I won't let you off!" 

Chapter 423: The Greasy Old Guy is Super Arrogant 

Rumble! 

As soon as the self-proclaimed deity finished speaking, Kazama instantly flew behind them. Before the so-called "god" could even react, Kazama, in the blink of an eye, tossed him in front of Luffy, Zoro, and the others. 

At that moment, as the "god" appeared, the black mist dispersed, revealing a chunky, greasy old guy trapped inside a treasure chest. He looked really weird, which sent Luffy, Zoro, and the others into fits of laughter! 

"Hey, you greasy old man, are you really a god? If all gods look like you, then that's just hilarious!" Luffy exclaimed. 

"Yeah, yeah!" Usopp, no longer scared, immediately chimed in, laughing at the so-called "god." 

The greasy old man, stuck in the treasure chest, was furious seeing Luffy and the others laughing at him. But honestly, he didn't have any power in his current predicament. So, seeing Kazama and the others mock him, he was helpless. 

Kazama, having seen countless people, knew this greasy old man was just trying to scare them off, not actually attack them. So, Kazama didn't lay a hand on him. Instead, he spoke to the old man, "Excuse me, old man, you've got us all wrong. Even though we're pirates and we love treasure, if it's already yours, we wouldn't dream of taking it!" 

"That's right, that's right!" Luffy quickly added, speaking to the greasy old man. "We have our principles. Unless you're a truly evil, unforgivable person, there's no way we'd ever steal your treasures. In fact, we might even help you!" 

"Oh, really? If that's true, thank you so much!" The greasy old man immediately nodded, delighted to hear Kazama and Luffy's words. 

Then, the old man asked Luffy again, "Little brother, are you really willing to help me?" 

"Hehe, of course! As they say, all people within the four seas are brothers. And judging by your appearance, you seem like you used to be a pirate too. Since you're a pirate and I'm a pirate, it's only natural for us to help each other!" 

"Alright, in that case, thank you so much!" The greasy old man was overjoyed to see how kind Kazama and the others were. He then immediately explained the situation to them. 

It turned out the greasy old man really was a pirate before. But while he was with his crew, searching for treasure here, he unfortunately fell into this very treasure chest. The real treasure was actually still at the top of the mountain. So, the greasy old man had never been able to get his hands on the mountain's treasure. Even so, he had been guarding these treasures, preventing outsiders from getting them. 

Following the greasy old man's lead, Kazama and the others immediately headed to the foot of the mountain. Kazama looked up and realized the mountain was indeed thousands of meters high, like a towering pillar, truly an unreachable place for ordinary people. 

Chapter 424: Encountering the Marines Again 

Luffy, seeing how incredibly tall the mountain was, immediately thought there must be countless treasures at the top. So, using his Gum-Gum powers, he stretched himself and launched his body towards the peak. However, Luffy hadn't anticipated that because of the mountain's extreme height, fierce winds would constantly blow. As soon as he reached halfway, the strong gusts knocked him right back down. Luffy was pretty embarrassed by that. 

Usopp, of course, couldn't resist. He started making fun of Luffy, which is totally his style. Luffy, seeing Usopp dare to mock him, immediately threw a punch, sending Usopp sprawling. Seeing Luffy and Usopp starting their usual bickering again, Kazama just smiled, a bit resigned. 

Meanwhile, the greasy old man, seeing Luffy fail to reach the mountain, figured Kazama and the others were just as incapable. He let out another sigh. "My young friends," he said, "I know you want to help me, but it seems your abilities are just ordinary. It looks like I'll never get these treasures in this lifetime." 

"Heh, old man," Luffy retorted, "you can underestimate me, Luffy, but don't you dare underestimate our Kazama-nii!" 

"Oh, what do you mean by that?" The greasy old man looked at Kazama, puzzled by Luffy's words. 

Before he could react, Kazama channeled his chakra and calmly walked straight up the sheer cliff face. "What?! How is that possible?" The greasy old man was stunned to see Kazama just walk right up the cliff. Luffy and the others weren't too surprised, though; they'd already seen Kazama's abilities before. 

The greasy old man, his face full of shock, immediately turned to Kazama. "My young friend," he exclaimed, "I was blind earlier! You're truly incredible! You're amazing!" Kazama just chuckled and nodded at the greasy old man's praise. Then, he sprinted towards the mountaintop. 

The greasy old man, watching Kazama run straight up the mountain, was convinced he wouldn't be able to get past the fierce winds halfway up. But he didn't know that Kazama was famously invulnerable, possessing absolute defense. To Kazama, any wind, no matter how strong, was just trash. In just a few moments, Kazama easily reached the summit. This shocked the greasy old man even more. 

What Kazama didn't expect was that once he reached the summit, he did indeed find dozens of treasure chests. However, these chests had all been plundered by previous pirates and were completely empty. "What?! How could this be?" Seeing the empty chests Kazama brought down, the greasy old man was incredibly disappointed. 

As Kazama and the others were about to comfort him, the greasy old man just shook his head again, a weary sigh escaping him. "My young friends, you don't need to comfort me! Even though I've guarded these treasures for decades, and now these chests are empty, I'm very sad. But I also know that for pirates, finding treasure isn't always successful; sometimes you come up empty-handed. Besides, I've lived on this island for decades and get along very well with the animals here. So even without treasure, I'm willing to live bravely!" 

"Oh, if that's how you feel, then that's great!" Seeing the greasy old man's optimism, Kazama and the others happily nodded at him. 

Afterward, Kazama and his crew continued their journey along the Grand Line. But they never expected that halfway through their voyage, a large ship bearing the mark of the Marines would suddenly appear, blocking their path. Luffy and the others were instantly alarmed. 

Chapter 425: Insulted by the Marines 

Luffy and his crew are pirates, and what pirates fear most are the Marines, right? So, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and the others were naturally shocked. However, Kazama remained completely unfazed, calm as ever. That's because Kazama's power is incredibly strong and totally awesome. Forget a mere Marine ship; Kazama could even take down Marine Headquarters if he wanted to. 

But Kazama isn't a bloodthirsty person. Besides, his main goal in coming to this One Piece world is to defeat the elder ancestor of the Otsutsuki clan. So, he really doesn't want any trouble with the so-called Marines. However, if these Marines get too arrogant, like that Marine Captain Morgan from before, Kazama wouldn't mind teaching them a lesson. 

Just then, a thin, blonde-haired man appeared on the Marine ship, casually holding a seductive woman. As soon as he saw Kazama's pirate ship and their flag, he instantly knew they were legitimate pirates. He immediately sneered at them. 

"Heh, I can't believe I just went out for a meal and stumbled upon you worthless scumbags!" 

"What?! You dare insult me?!" 

Luffy, being the most hot-headed of the group, much like Naruto in personality, instantly flew into a rage when he heard this Marine dare to insult him. He stormed to the bow of his ship, pointing at the Marine's nose and yelling at him. 

"You're truly arrogant! We weren't bothering you at all, but you just start insulting us right off the bat! I'm telling you, you need to apologize to us right now! If you don't, we won't let you off the hook!" 

"Heh, you're making me laugh so hard!" 

Luffy hadn't even finished speaking before the Marine burst out laughing, almost falling over. "You silly Straw Hat kid, did a donkey kick you in the head? Or are you just drunk? You guys are worthless pirate scumbags, and I am a Marine, an agent of justice! So, me, a Marine, cursing you pirates is actually letting you off easy! Not only am I going to curse you, but I'm also going to send you straight to the afterlife!" 

As the Marine spoke, he immediately ordered his subordinates to fire upon Luffy and his crew's ship. Kazama and the others were shocked when they saw this. Even though Kazama, Zoro, and the others are incredibly strong, they are still flesh and blood. No matter how powerful they are, how could they stand against genuine steel cannonballs? Seeing the Marine unceremoniously bombard their ship, Luffy and the others were naturally stunned. 

At that moment, Kazama immediately stepped in front of Luffy and the others. "Don't worry, they're just cannonballs. Nothing to be afraid of!" 

"Heh, I thought that Straw Hat kid was arrogant enough, but who knew you, you little punk, would be even more so!" The Marine scoffed when he heard Kazama say that cannonballs were nothing to fear. He didn't know Kazama's true power yet, so he thought Kazama was just bragging and talking big.