There was very few times that Ace ever saw his father fight; the man's quick silver tongue and sagacious mind was able to put ninety percent of most situations to an end with very little violence on his part. Actually, if Ace was required to count the number of times that he had seen his dad fight... it would be twice: A few hours ago at Marineford, which he regrettably didn't get to watch, and then a couple of years ago against Bluejam. But one thing Ace never doubted was the blondes power. Sure, his father had only displayed his skill in hand-to-hand combat and the only 'ninjutsu' he had ever witnessed was when him, Luffy, and Sabo had demanded to see some of the 'awesome-super-cool-energy-stuff' after Naruto had explained a small portion of where he came from. It was the first time he had seen his father create clones and manipulate small portions of the elements to move lazily around his fingers for a few seconds before they were returned to their natural position. Ace knew that the blonde was holding back using his powers and he couldn't understand why he would hide his strength when he could have the world in the palm of his hand; but he respected Naruto to the extent that he never once questioned him.
But now that Black Beard was only two yards in front of him and standing before everyone, Ace wanted his father to lose his temper on the vile man or something... anything really. By Kami, send a genjutsu or the terrifying fox from earlier... Ace knew that he just wanted the man to suffer. He would prefer for the older mans pain to be caused by his own flames... but his father's wrath seemed like a very good option at the moment. Besides, he knew from years of lecturing that his father was a firm supporter in absolutely no vengeance and for a long time Ace had stuck by the mans lessons... until Thatch was murdered. Revenge couldn't possibly be all that bad when you took into account the reasons behind it, Ace had told himself that during the duration it took for him to hunt down Black Beard. He refused for Thatch's name not to revenged.
Black Beard scrunched his nose up in a sneer as he glared at the blonde, "The hell would I car' what yer village did ta murders?" He had better places to be other than White Beards' disgusting ship deck, especially since it seemed it was all because of lousy little Thatch.
Naruto sighed as he walked forward, each step silent against the creaky boards of the deck. "I'm going to be honest with you, Teach. My hands are not clean of blood, killed a little too many humans to keep score, actually."
Usopp swallowed thickly as he pushed himself behind his Captain and Zoro. He still found it hard to believe that little sweet idiotic ball of sunshine Luffy... was raised by a creepy monstrous blonde. It didn't help that the scary man just admitted he has killed people... several people. Usopp shuddered and it seemed that Zoro shared the same feeling as he placed his hand on the hilt of his swords uncomfortably. Chopper adjusted his hat as he pulled himself up from the floor where he had landed earlier
"With that being said, I don't usually judge a fellow criminal too harshly... if their crime is justifiable. However, you took a man's life simply for power, for your own gain. Despite all that, I wouldn't have even bothered to send a clone out to look for scum if it hadn't been for one thing..."
Teach scowled as the blonde was mere inches from himself and personal space seemed non-existent to the man. He didn't like the poor piss attempt of intimidation the blondie was trying to pull over him. Just when he was about to shove the guy back, Naruto already had his hand wrapped tightly around his throat in a vice-like grip. Black Beard took the instinctive step backwards to escape the mans grip but when his boots was no longer touching the deck, he started to panic because his superhuman-like endurance went down the drain quickly as he struggled to draw in a breath of air.
Marco wanted to smile as he watched the quite large man's face turn a bright red, but the aura the blonde was putting off made the hairs on his neck stand on end. The air around the two shifted for a split second and the change it brought with it had White Beard narrowing his eyes. Luffy frowned as he slipped his arms from his green-haired friend. He hadn't seen this side to his father before and he was quite glad that he had never been subjected to this situation. Ace was openingly grinning as he adjusted his hat on his head; kami, he loved his old man.
Naruto's claws had come back to view and he put them to good use as he allowed them to pressed painfully into the tender skin of the pirates neck, the tiny beads of blood was only a added bonus. Instead of the icy blue orbs that were haunting enough, they had been replaced with intense crimson-slitted eyes that made Teach's mouth go dry. Teach really had wished that it would have ended there, but as his eyes roamed, he discovered more disturbing sights. The two dark orange black-tipped fox ears adorned the blondes head wasn't necessarily threatening until he spotted the pair of dark... was that fucking horns?
The corners of White Beard's mouth tensed as he placed his palms down on the table, ready to take action should it be needed. The intense urge to attack the blonde arose from small portion of fear that echoed throughout his body and he had to physically stop said body from distancing itself from the ma-...strange being; there was no way that Naruto was human. Yeah, the new-comer defiantly wasn't off the radar anytime soon.
"You placed not just one of my sons in harms way, but two." Naruto narrowed his eyes as he raised a single clawed finger, "Give me one dam good reason why I shouldn't kill you. And it better be snappy, kid."
Teach felt his hands tremble as he attempted to summon the darkness that the Yami Yami No Mi fruit gave him. The black smoke-like substance managed to form on either side of his body and a spark of hope filled his being as he pushed his power towards the horned-blonde forcefully... Or that was what was suppose to happen. It seemed his intentions were quite clear to Marco, Ace, and White Beard because they all showed signs of taking action to help out. Naruto was the perfect target considering he was only a few inches away, one of his hands were occupied, and his intention was solely focused on the dark haired pirate. But the dark murky substance crawled around the blonde lingering around his form but never truly making contact.
Naruto held out his free hand as the shadows came like a dog to master, swirling lazily up his tanned arm and matching the black inked seals that was etched into his skin. He heaved a sigh as he dropped Teach to the ground and the man created more than a thud as he landed. "... watered down version..." Naruto muttered as he gazed down at the shadows exploring his arm thinking back to the technique they descended from.
"O-oi, Old man! Did you kill him?!" Luffy called out as he took note that Black Beard hadn't twitched a hair or even made a peep. Luffy felt his hands get clammy at the thought, because while Black Beard was a bad man... he didn't want to bare witness his father figure murdering anyone; it soured the image that Luffy built up for years now. The air around Naruto shimmered once before his more demonic appearance was replaced with the more friendlier and human appearance as he turned his attention towards his youngest."No, merely locked within his own mind with a specially designed genjutsu that my village used for traitors."
Marco pulled himself from the table to peer over the top of the large man with curiosity. From what Ace had mentioned earlier, Marco knew that Genjutsu was a fancy word for illusion. He had to admit that he had never seen anything like it as he watched a mirage of facial expressions flash across Black Beards face before it came to rest on what was only able to be described as raw terror.
"How long will he stay like this?" Marco used the toe of his boot to nudge the downed pirate earning no response. It was almost like he was deaf to the world around him...
The corner of Naruto's mouth twisted as he glanced down at the infamous Black Beard. "To us, he will be under the genjutsu for a few minutes, but to him... its five continuous days and nights."
Zoro shook his shoulder free of Usopp's clinging hands but didn't bother to loosen his grip on his sword. "What the hell kind of illusion last for five days and nights?" Robin sighed as she rested her head into the palm of her hand. She had too long of a day to deal with everything going on; she just wants to sleep by now.
"Torture..." The Uzumaki was barely able to get the word out of his mouth before everyone's faces turned sour. "Its more of mental torture than physical, but people have been known to experience bodily pain due to the attacks inside the mind."
Sanji winced as he bit down on his cigarette; how casual the blonde spoke of torture was more than just unnerving. How could he see torture as simple as that? Pirates did some messed up things that would make Angels have a heart attack; but to torture a stranger for almost getting someone killed? That's inhumane.
"Where did you learn to use that type of illusion?" Nami questioned as she eyed the tiny jewel shard around Naruto's neck. It was a beautiful teal blue adorned with a simple white bead on either side of it; she had never seen anything like that before. Maybe she could try to win that from the man and a good sum of berri by playing some poker. Now there's a thought worth processing.
"I learned that from my village a long time ago from one of my comrades older brother. We were all taught how to perform genjutsus, its just different strength levels. The one Teach is under just so happens to be the same one that trespassing enemies or traitors would be placed under when caught." He waved his hand dismissively as the dark shadows slowly dispersed from his arm. Sanji blew out smoke from his lungs as he removed his cigarette from between his lips. It wasn't as bad for criminals to be placed under... punishable consequences... sometimes.
Luffy grinned as he filed the small pieces of information about his father in the back of his mind to access later; he loved attempting to figure out as much as he possibly could on his father. Naruto didn't talk a lot of his home village much to his and Ace's ire, so Luffy took it upon himself to collect the small clues that his father dropped. Normally, Luffy wouldn't bother to try figuring out anything too complex for his mind that didn't evolve food, but his father was so mysterious on his past that it was worth the headaches caused in the future. Ace, Sabo, and himself had made a game out of finding out information on the blondes past and then they would boast on their findings and share what they could; Sabo usually found out the most.
"What are we going to do with lard ass?" Ace placed his hands inside of his pockets with a hard scowl. He had hoped his father would have done a little more damage, but he guessed that the illusion could be satisfying enough... for the moment.
"Language, Gaki!"
Ace blinked, "What are we going to do with fat ass?"
Why was his father looking at him like that? He corrected himself! Ace raised an eyebrow as his fathers blue eyes burned holes through his being with such an intensity that it made him want to shrink back into a ball.
"I would suggest putting him in a room until he awakes. He just may have a change of mind." Naruto created a clone to carry the said man to wherever White Beard directed him to.
Robin blinked in surprise as she watched one single clone lift a man that was over three-hundred pounds with such ease that it was like he was lifting a bubble. Did his clone have super-human strength? Or did Naruto himself possess the strength and passed it onto his clone? What was the limit to what the blonde could lift?
"We need to get back to the Thousand Sunny."Nami muttered as she remembered all the berri she had stashed inside her room; it better be all in the exact spot she left it.
Zoro leaned back against the wall with a frown, "Anyone have any ideas where that would be?"
Silence is what greeted the green-haired man as he looked around at his crew mates; Their blank stares were not reassuring. Zoro scowled as he noticed his 'trusty' Captain merely blink and look around expectantly. Of course, why would he think that his Captain would know the location of the ship?
"Rayleigh and the Rosy Life Riders were watching the Thousand Sunny the last time I checked."
Ace looked over at his father with a sigh, "Let me guess, you have a clone over there too?" He really should have thought about his father sending clones out to keep an eye out on himself and Luffy, but to his defense... when Naruto said he was going to 'go underground with the fossils', Ace took it quite literal.
Naruto didn't even attempt to look sheepish as he gave a curt nod. "I have clones posted throughout the world and once they dispel, I send out new ones. It helps keep me updated on all the things that is taking place. It was the only reason I knew that you were about to be killed; it only made sense that Gaki would idiotically follow wherever you stepped." He nodded over towards Luffy who was back at the table stuffing his face in the classic Luffy-like fashion.
Ace rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms, muttering under his breath in annoyance. He had a feeling the his father was never going to let him live it down that he almost got executed; it didn't help that the blonde made it sound like that it was Ace's fault that his stupid Ototo trailed behind in the attempt to save him. He didn't ask to be saved. Before he had the chance to open his mouth to give a snippy response, he felt his legs be swept out from under his body. Ace tried to untangle his arms from his chest but he wasn't fast enough to catch himself as the back of his head cracked against the boards of the deck. His hat laid forgotten on the deck as he clutched at his pounding head, feeling a knot form on his skull.
"What was that Gaki? My ears aren't what they use to be, kid. Speak up for a old man." Naruto rubbed his left ear as he shifted his weight to favor his right side. Nami frowned as she took in the blondes words. Did he just call himself an old man? The way he spoke was as if he was an... elderly man? But he had to be no older than twenty-seven! Devil Fruit maybe...? No, the blonde had already admitted that he had never ate one. Nami blinked as she realized just how much she used Devil Fruits as a excuse for unnatural occurrences.
"O-Oi, ya old geezer!" Ace cried out as he sat up from the deck floor still rubbing the knot on his head as if that would magically make the lump disappear along with the pain. Why did he keep getting abused? Why hasn't Luffy gotten hit again?! "Do you mind not trying to kill me?! I would love to see tomorrow without seeing through black and blue swollen..." Ace trailed off as he realized the more words he spoke only made his fathers eyes to become harder and more cold. Maybe joking about his death wasn't a good thing to hit yet, still a tender spot apparently.