Simultaneous Transmigration: From Japanese Anime to American Comics

Chapter 53: Boarding the Ship of a Yonko

The red-haired man chuckled and didn't seem to mind. Instead, he gave another reminder, "This drink is on me, but remember, after finishing it, go home quickly."

"Captain Shanks, if you nag too much, kids will start to dislike you!" Lucky Roux, who was devouring a large piece of meat, grinned widely. His flabby body rippled like waves, making him look rather comical.

Shanks laughed and scolded, "You should worry about yourself, Lucky. You're always the one talking the most."

Makino then walked back to the bar with a glass of rum and pushed it in front of Chu Yang.

Taking the drink, Chu Yang raised his glass toward Shanks. Shanks also lifted his glass in response. After downing his drink in one go, Chu Yang finally said, "You were wrong about one thing. Even if I finish the drink, I can't go home."

The smile on Shanks' face suddenly faded, and he furrowed his brows.

Chu Yang explained, "I'm a slave. I only just recently found a chance to escape. Going home is a luxury I can't afford."

After speaking, Chu Yang pulled down his shirt slightly, revealing a faint scar on his chest. Although it had mostly healed, Shanks could tell from the shape that it had once been a very serious, life-threatening wound.

The bar gradually quieted down, and the crew members of the Red-Haired Pirates all turned their gazes toward Chu Yang. Hearing such words from the mouth of a child had a powerful impact.

Upon hearing about Chu Yang's tragic past, Shanks suddenly thought of the fire that had occurred at Mary Geoise a few months ago. At that time, many slaves had escaped from the Celestial Dragons.

Shanks immediately understood Chu Yang's identity, and a natural sympathy showed in his eyes.

If there were different levels of suffering for slaves in the world, then the slaves of the Celestial Dragons undoubtedly had it the worst!

The capricious Celestial Dragons were masters at tormenting slaves, using punishments that most people couldn't even imagine.

Chu Yang's words, along with the scars on his body, brought tears to Makino's eyes, but she didn't know what to say to comfort him.

The only one in the bar who remained unaffected was little Luffy, still being playful and carefree.

But thanks to him, the temporarily awkward atmosphere in the bar returned to its lively state.

Amid the laughter and joy, Shanks handed another glass of rum to Chu Yang. However, this time, he didn't mention "going home" again.

After experiencing so much, no matter your age, sometimes you just need the comfort of alcohol.

The two clinked their glasses and smiled at each other.

"Luffy! What did you just eat?"

A panicked shout immediately caught the attention of Chu Yang and Shanks.

When they saw the treasure chest beside them open, Shanks' expression changed drastically.

He quickly grabbed Luffy by the foot, flipping him upside down and shaking him furiously, trying to get Luffy to spit out whatever he had swallowed.

But in his panic, instead of coughing it up, Luffy swallowed it completely.

Splat!

Little Luffy stretched like rubber, sticking to the floor while Shanks still held his legs.

This scene terrified everyone, turning the bar into a chaotic mess, except for Chu Yang, who remained calm, drinking his rum.

That night, after the bar had closed, the pirates returned to their ship at the harbor to sleep. Chu Yang followed the crowd back to his small boat.

When Shanks was about to board his ship, he noticed Chu Yang's tiny boat drifting alone on the sea, like a piece of flotsam.

Standing beside Shanks, Benn Beckman watched his every move and then smiled, "If you can't bear it, bring the kid onboard. Letting him drift out there on the sea—will you really feel at ease?"

"What a hassle," Shanks grumbled, but his body moved toward Chu Yang's boat. He stopped just before it.

Chu Yang sat in the boat, meditating.

"Hey, kid, come with me. Your boat doesn't even have a place to shelter from the wind or rain!"

The next day, Chu Yang became the youngest apprentice aboard the Red-Haired Pirates' ship, officially beginning his journey of learning Haki as a pirate.

---

Meanwhile, in the world of Naruto.

Compared to the smooth sailing Chu Yang experienced in the world of One Piece after joining a Yonko's crew, Chu Yang's career as a teacher in this world wasn't going so well.

The young Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't actually shy or timid as he initially seemed. Once he became familiar with his surroundings, he turned out to be as mischievous as young Naruto, if not worse.

Not long after the school year started, he had already caused havoc at the academy!

Playing pranks on the teachers using the Transformation Jutsu was part of his daily routine.

Adding to the chaos was Danzo Shimura, who seemed quiet and obedient but was actually full of schemes. Together, the two made the teachers' lives miserable.

Their coordination was seamless, hinting at the future leadership they'd hold over Konoha.

The teachers at the academy had no good way to deal with them. Their biggest concern was the backing of the Sarutobi clan behind Hiruzen.

It wasn't just Hiruzen. The same held true for the children of other major clans. Even when they made mistakes, the teachers would usually choose to turn a blind eye.

At this point in time, Konoha had just been established, and tensions among the clans were still high. The ninja academy occupied a special position, and mishandling any issue could easily lead to misunderstandings.

For instance, if the son of one clan fought the son of another, any decision made by the school could be interpreted as favoritism, which might send the wrong message to the clans involved.

Because of this, Senju Tobirama, the principal, rarely punished students himself, even if they broke serious school rules.

But Chu Yang believed this situation was unsustainable.

If behavior like Hiruzen Sarutobi's or other clan children's continued to be excused without consequences, they would eventually push boundaries further, even crossing important lines.

The worst-case scenario would be that these clan children might band together and oppress those from civilian backgrounds.

Once classism took root in the academy, it could have devastating effects on the growth of students, especially considering that nearly half of them came from non-clan backgrounds.

After merging the memories of his counterpart from the One Piece world, Chu Yang clearly understood the dangers of allowing this bloodline superiority mindset to take hold.

He didn't want to see the ninja academy become something akin to Slytherin House from the world of magic.

So that night, Chu Yang sought out Senju Tobirama to share his concerns.

Tobirama, being from a prominent clan himself, had been somewhat blind to the issue. It was only natural that he hadn't thought of it from this perspective.

If not for Chu Yang's reminder, it might have taken him much longer to realize the severity of the problem.

After listening to Chu Yang's report, Tobirama fell into deep thought and sighed, "In this matter, you're just as perceptive as my brother. If the school's stance isn't firm, this unhealthy trend will surely grow."

"But the question is, who should handle it? Ordinary teachers are likely to be intimidated by the pressure from these clans."

Chu Yang smiled and said, "I'm the best candidate. Officially, I'm a teacher. Privately, I'm also the disciple of both the Hokage and you, Master. As a member of the Senju clan, I can handle the pressure."