Summary: Luffy's adventures took a much different start. It wasn't the Gomu Gomu fruit that Shanks and his crew brought to that sleepy town, and the consequences will reverberate throughout the Grand Line! With the power of the Sun in his hands, the Mugiwara Crew will take on the world! Different-DF-Luffy! Expanded crew. Harem. No Yaoi.
Rating: M
Word Count: 217,969
Status: Ongoing
Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11568253/1/Supernova
Chapter 1: Romance Dawn
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About one year ago, a Pirate ship landed right off the coast of Foosha Village. It was a sleepy little town, full of windmills and - mostly - quiet, hardworking folks. And then the Pirates got off the ship, and suddenly things weren't so quiet anymore.
"Oi! What are you doing, Luffy!" A bemused voice called out. It belonged to a somewhat scruffy-looking man with brilliant red hair wearing a straw hat.
"I've had enough!" An angry looking black-haired boy wearing a shirt with the epitaph of "anchor" embosomed on it roared out, much to the scattered amusement of the Pirates. His name was Monkey D. Luffy, and he was eager for adventure! He would show these Pirates that he was tough enough to travel with them! "I'll prove it to you all, and then you'll take me with you!" The Pirates weren't even concerned with the knife he had in his hand. It wasn't as if they thought he would actually try to attack them.
They may also have already been a little drunk. It was only midday after all. The redhead burst out laughing, "Dahaha! Go for it Luffy! Let's see what you're gonna do!"
One of the delighted Pirates chuckled, "Luffy is going to do something funny again!"
The amusement dried up faster than a puddle in a desert. "Argh!" Luffy roared, and stabbed the knife into his own cheek, right under his left eye! Instantly, jaws dropped all around as the Pirates panicked, "OUCH!"
"IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" The redhead roared furiously, his eyes popping right out of his head and pointing directly at the little idiot.
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"Bahaha!" The bar was packed full of the raucous group of Pirates, "Let's drink! To celebrate Luffy's craziness!" The redhead yelled while raising his glass, "And to our greatness, of course!"
"Ga ha ha ha! Drink! Drink!" One of the Pirates yelled.
"Sake! Sake! Bring out more sake!"
One indignant Pirate screamed out, "HEY! Idiot that's my meat!"
A more laidback, stern looking man with dark hair shook his head, "Yo! Cut it out! To brawl while you're drunk is so shameful!"
Luffy himself was in the bar with his Pirate friends. He was putting on a brave face with a pained grin stretched across his lips. Some tears dribbled from his eyes despite his attempts not to cry. The cut he had put on himself had already been stitched up, "Ha! It didn't hurt one bit!"
The redhead with the straw hat had shark-like teeth in his mouth as he screamed at the boy, "Liar! Don't do something so stupid again!"
Luffy laughed uproariously, forcing himself past the minor lingering pain, "I'm not afraid of pain at all! Next time bring me out to sea with you guys!" He gleefully demanded with his fists in the air, showing off the anchor on his shirt, "I want to be a Pirate too!"
The bar exploded into hysterics once more, as the Pirates burst out into laughter, none louder than the redheaded Captain himself, Red-Haired Shanks. "You can't handle being a Pirate!" He needled the young boy, "Not being able to swim is a Pirate's greatest weakness!" Shanks sat with one leg crossed over the other with a glass of booze in one hand. He was wearing an open button-up shirt with a red sash securing it, as well as a sword and dark grey shorts.
Luffy visibly grew irritated and waved his arms around petulantly, "Then I'll just stay onboard the ship! I'll be fine!" He drew back and flexed, holding a tiny bicep with his other hand, "Besides, my fighting is pretty good too!" He grinned impossibly wide, before punching out, "I've trained rigorously before! My punch is as strong as a pistol!"
Shanks deadpanned, "Wow, a pistol? Really?" He looked incredibly uninterested, with his chin resting on one hand.
"What kind of tone is that!" Luffy yelled at the man again, incensed that not even slashing his own cheek had gotten his attention.
The crew began laughing again. A particularly rotund member with goggles and a drumstick in his hand spoke up, "A Pirate's life is great!"
Another member latched onto him in a one-armed hug, "Yeah, the sea is so wide and deep! You can go to any island and seek adventure!"
Yet another joined the growing Pirate train, "Nothing is greater than freedom!"
Luffy's eyes were sparkling in excitement as he stared at the Pirates in awe.
Shanks had a spoon in his mouth and an unimpressed look on his face, "Don't give him dumb ideas you guys."
The fat one looked confused and rubbed his head, "But it's the truth, right?"
One of the members slouching on a chair spoke up, "Captain, why not bring him with us one of these days? It's not a big deal." He chuckled, "Not like we're bound to run into anyone strong around here."
"Yeah! Please, please, please!" Luffy yelped and practically hopped in excitement.
Another Pirate popped up with a grin, "I agree!"
Shanks had a sly look on his face and a grin on his lips, "Fine, we'll bring him. But one of you have to stay behind so he can take your place…"
The bar was silent for a beat, before all of the Pirates turned away, "Welp! We've said enough. Let's go drink!"
Luffy exploded indignantly, "What kind of friends are you!" He pointed at them, his eyes bugging out, "And you! What kind of Captain are you!?"
Shanks chuckled and rubbed Luffy's hair, "Kid, the important thing here is that you're just too young. The sea is amazing but it's also dangerous. Even I wasn't that young the first time I set sail with my Captain. I'll reconsider taking you out to sea if you wait another couple years."
"Damn it Shanks! I'm not a little kid anymore!" Luffy growled.
"Oh, don't be mad!" He pushed a glass filled with juice towards Luffy, "Here, have some juice!" Luffy's face lit up and he started gulping down the juice with a happy grin on his face. "Pffft." Shanks guffawed for a moment and then burst into laughter, tears streaming from his eyes, "Dahahahaha! You really are a kid! How funny!"
"What a dirty trick!" Luffy cried out while shaking a fist at Shanks. He blew a puff of air out, "I'm so tired." He groaned, "I even cut myself today and he still won't agree."
"Luffy." Ben Beckman, the First Mate of the Red-Haired Pirates called the young boy while igniting a hand-made cigarette, "You should try to understand the Captain's feelings." He told the Luffy. He just looked puzzled in response, muttering the same words back. Ben chuckled while inhaling the smoke, "Of course! He is our leader after all! He knows being a Pirate is interesting." He blew the smoke out, "But more importantly, he knows how dangerous being a Pirate is. Life can be very hard while on a Pirate ship!" He grinned, "Get it? He's not purposely teasing you. He's just looking out for you!"
"I don't understand." Luffy crossed his arms, "Shanks takes me for an idiot!" Shanks' chuckled, 'can't swim!' instantly made Luffy roar out, "SEE!"
The bartender finally made it back into the bar with a happy smile on her face. She was a beautiful, green-haired woman whose petite frame belied her surprising strength. She carried a barrel full of booze with the ease of practice, "You seem happy, Captain!" She called out cheerfully while serving up more drinks.
"Ah, teasing little anchor here is my joy, Makino-chan!" Shanks grinned. She blushed minutely at him.
Luffy pointed at Shanks while looking at Ben, "He really is very happy." He deadpanned at the Pirate. Ben could only sweatdrop in response.
"Would you like something to eat, Luffy?" Makino called out as she got behind the bar.
Luffy grinned widely, "Okay! I'll pay you with my treasure!"
"What treasure?' Shanks scoffed out in amusement. He was lounging back, taking up two seats and part of the bar, "You're lying again!" He called out in amusement.
"No! I'll definitely be a Pirate! And I'll pay her back with the treasure that I find!"
Makino's bright smile never dimmed as she giggled, "I'll be waiting!"
Some time passed as the party mellowed out somewhat. Luffy was hungrily ripping into a large chunk of meat, "Hey Shanks, how long are you going to stay?"
Shanks smiled softly, "Well, we've been using this town as our base for a little over a year." He turned contemplative, "We'll probably set off a couple more times before we move on for good. It's been a good vacation… but all things must come to an end eventually."
Luffy's mouth was bulging with food, but he still somehow spoke clearly, "Couple of times huh?" He looked morose for a moment, "Well, I'll definitely have learned to swim by then!"
Shanks rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "Sure, sure. We'll be waiting. Good luck!"
Whatever Luffy was going to say was cut off with a loud bang. The door to the bar almost ripped itself off its hinges as it slammed into the front wall. A foot lowered as a very scruffy, dirty looking samurai-wannabe walked in, "Hah! So, these are Pirates huh?" He mused, an ugly look on his dull face, "This is the first time I've seen Pirates." He eyed Lucky Roo - the really fat member of Shanks' crew - and sneered, "They all look pretty dumb to me."
Luffy was pretty uninterested in them and looked away without a care in order to find some more food. He eyed the chest the Red-Haired Pirates had brought in, sitting innocuously on the table. It wasn't locked or anything, so Luffy opened it. He eyed the contents in confusion. Why would they keep a single fruit inside a chest? He picked it up and eyed it. It certainly didn't look like any fruit he had ever seen. It was shaped like a pineapple, except it was blindingly bright yellow to the point it almost looked white. The leaves weren't green and sharp, but red and curly, looking almost like flames dancing above it. The flesh was bumpy much like a regular pineapple but there were reddish-orange swirls all over it. The effect made it almost look like the fruit was covered in stylized suns.
Luffy shrugged and took a bite. His face took on a green tinge as he tasted one of the most disgusting things he'd ever put in his mouth. It was almost as though he was chewing ashes and coals straight off a fire. It was… odd. He felt nothing but burning heat as he chewed, and the juices slid down his throat, and yet the fruit wasn't spicy. He'd eaten spicy before, and this wasn't the same. It was more like he'd literally swallowed fire. Or maybe something even hotter.
He powered through the repulsive taste. No matter how bad it was, he had never been a person to waste food. And once it was gone, the taste went with it. Absolutely no aftertaste lingered in his maw to remind him of the fruit, and he forgot all about it as the idiots who barged into the bar continued making nuisances of themselves.
The guy - who wore a long purple coat with a strange yellow design going down one side over his white shirt and black trousers - reached the bar and put a hand down, "We are mountain bandits." The man declared as a greeting. "We're not here to cause trouble." He stated, "We just want to buy ten barrels of sake."
Makino had a forced smile on her slightly sweaty face, "I'm sorry, but we're fresh out of sake."
"Oh?" The bandit - a man named Higuma - tutted, "That's strange. What are they all drinking then? Water?"
Makino's smile became a bit more forced, "It is Sake. Like I said, we're fresh out. I rolled out the last barrel a few minutes ago."
Shanks chuckled, "Sorry about that! Looks like we drank it all up." He raised the last bottle, "If you like, you can have this last one. I'm just about done for the day anyway."
Higuma sneered, and before Luffy knew what happened the man's fist lashed out. The Sake bottle exploded and showered the alcohol all over Shanks. Makino gasped - wide eyed - and held a hand up to her mouth. Higuma laughed, "Just who do you think I am?" He mocked the drenched Captain, "Don't take me lightly! One bottle isn't enough!"
Shanks looked cool and collected. He didn't react in the slightest, "Huh, looks like the floor is all wet!"
Higuma's eye twitched as he drew his hand out of his open shirt with a piece of paper in it, "You see this? I'm worth 8,000,000 Beli. I'm one of the prime fugitives here in the place, and I've killed 56 people before, you cocky bastard." He leaned closer to Shanks, who hadn't even turned to as much as look at the man, "Now that you know who I am, I suggest you don't mess with me again." Higuma looked like he had something unpleasant in his nose, "After all, mountain bandits and sea Pirates don't mix well."
Shanks reached down and grabbed the shattered glass bottle, "Man, what a mess. Sorry about that Makino. Do you have a mop?"
"Ah!" Makino stammered, "It's okay. I'll get it."
Shanks waved her off, "Nah, I got it. Don't worry yourself." He completely ignored the bandit.
The goateed man growled lowly, before swiping his sword out. The chiming and cracking of shattered glass rang through the bar as he broke every glass that had piled up. He grinned menacingly, "Well, since you enjoy cleaning so much, you can enjoy it even more." He and his men left with a parting shot of, "Later, you cowards."
The bar was silent for a moment as Shanks sat at the bar with his straw hat over his eyes for a moment. Makino hurried over and bent at the waist, "Captain, are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Shanks was silent, before a grin broke out on his face, "Phew."
The rest of the Red-Haired Pirates burst out into hysterical laughter. Lucky Roo was barely breathing as he wheezed out, "Ahahaha! Our Captain looked so silly! He sure fixed you up good, Captain!" Shanks burst into his own laughter as he took his hat off his head and waved it dry.
Finally, Luffy couldn't take it anymore, "THAT WAS DISGRACEFUL!" He screamed at Shanks angrily. His eyes and mouth were wide and furious, "WHY DIDN'T YOU FIGHT HIM HUH? EVEN IF HE HAD MORE MEN, WHO LAUGHS AFTER GETTING PICKED ON! YOU'RE NOT A MAN AND YOU'RE NOT A PIRATE EITHER!"
Shanks looked at him silently for a moment, before chuckling, "Look Luffy, I know how you feel, but there's nothing to get worked up about. It was just a bottle of sake." He grinned, "If I fought every idiot who thought he was a big shot, I'd never get anything else done."
Luffy scoffed and turned to walk away, "I don't want to see you again, coward!"
Shanks laughed and grabbed his right wrist, "Ah, don't be like that Lu… FFFFFYYYYY!" The entire bar erupted into pandemonium as Luffy's arm burst off his shoulders in sparks of brilliant, golden flames and shining light. No, flames were maybe inaccurate. There wasn't really any flickering. In fact, they looked almost soup-like even. Thick and viscous. Shanks quickly let go of the extremely hot, appendage practically before he'd even felt the heat, his senses absolutely howling danger . The room's temperature began rising rapidly before he yelled at Luffy, "Luffy! Draw it back in! Draw your arm back in!" He yelled at the panicking boy, who hurried to try to do just that.
Slowly, the golden blaze crawled up his form and reformed into his arm, "What's happening!" He yelled in terror as his eyes bulged from his face and his mouth opened wide! The floor of the bar was charred and black where the fire had licked. The floorboards hadn't burned so much as they had vaporized .
"It's gone!" Lucky yelled as he dropped a treasure chest back onto a table. In less time than it took to blink, Lucky was next to Luffy with a notepad. On it was a drawing of a very familiar fruit! "Luffy, did you eat this?!"
Luffy - whose heart rate had returned to normal from his panic - answered sheepishly, "Wasn't that dessert? It tasted awful though."
Shanks got in Luffy's face and yelled, "That's a Devil Fruit Luffy! It's one of the rarest treasures in the sea! They give you unique powers, but whoever eats one will never be able to swim again!"
Luffy's jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes bugged out, "WHAT! You're kidding right!" Snot dribbled from his nose.
"YOU IDIOT!" Shanks roared out with his shark teeth in full display as the room started clamoring.
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Shanks rubbed his face in irritation as his crew sat around him with varying looks on their faces. Luffy was sitting on a stool looking down.
Yassop chuckled weakly, "Well, at least we kinda know what the Fruit was now, right?"
Shanks threw him a dirty look as the rest of the crew chuckled. "Why did we even bring the stupid Fruit with us!" He waved his arms up and down, "We could have kept it on the ship! No one would have tried to steal it! No one even knew we had it other than us! Hell, in East Blue, no one would have even known what it was! And now Luffy will never be able to swim!" Luffy looked even more down, and even the crew was looking at each other with clueless question marks over their heads. Why the hell did they bring it with them?
Lucky Roo flashed his signature shit-eating grin, "Hey, at least Luffy got a really strong power, right?" Luffy perked up, "A logia at that. That's one of the rarest fruits there are."
"Is my fruit really that awesome?" Luffy seemed excited.
Shanks blew out a sigh, before returning to his normal, cheerful self, "I suppose you did get a strong one, at least." He cackled, "You'll forever be our little anchor now though!" The rest of the crew burst out laughing as Luffy puffed his cheeks out in irritation.
"You jerk!" Luffy tried to punch him but his arm ignited into that golden, shining soup once more against his will. Shanks dodged so quickly that Luffy couldn't even tell he had moved. He simply was in another seat as Luffy's powers passed harmlessly through the air before being sucked back into the boy, "Ah! I'm sorry Shanks!"
Shanks shook his head, "Be careful Luffy! You could seriously hurt someone with that!" He sighed and ran a hand down his face, "That thing is even more powerful than the Mera Mera no Mi. It's like you turned into the damn sun."
"Or any of the other stars in the sky." Ben sighed gravely, "I knew it wasn't the Mera Mera no Mi." he snorted, "It looked nothing like the picture, you dumbasses."
"I didn't mean to!" Luffy waved his arms wildly, unintentionally turning them to flames again. He stopped and then turned into a statue, trying not to move at all. "A Sun Man?"
Ben Beckman nodded, "That's right. Or perhaps a Star Man. Your pick I guess. That fruit has never been eaten before. Or at least it was never recorded well before. Good thing Lucky can draw so well." He eyed the very rotund man, "Make sure you make copies. I want that documented… and get Luffy a copy too. Do we have any spares of the book?" He didn't really get an answer, so he turned and grinned at the interested boy, "It's a Logia, so you can now literally transform your body into the same stuff that the sun is made of, and you'll be able to produce endless amounts of it!"
"Wow!" Luffy looked excited.
"But it's dangerous to you too, Luffy." Shanks had to be the downer in this case, "Your… fires… soup… whatever… seem even hotter than the fires produced by the Mera Mera no Mi and you're even more volatile than it right now! You have to control it very carefully! You could seriously harm a friend if you turn into the Sun when they're trying to hug you!"
Luffy looked horrified, "I would never!"
Shanks carefully put his hand on the boy's head, "You would never mean to, but if you don't control it, it could happen." He sighed at the boy's stricken look. He rubbed his chin, which had a fair amount of stubble on it. Ben smiled with his eyes closed. If he knew his Captain as much as he thought he did, they'd be at this village for a while longer before their next trip. He wasn't disappointed, "Alright men!" Shanks yelled out, "I know we were supposed to leave on another trip tomorrow, but we can't leave Luffy hanging like this! We'll be here for a little while, so I can train the kid a bit!"
Luffy grinned brightly at the red-haired Captain.
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Luffy yawned as he walked into the clearing Shanks had led them to. It was a long way from the Village so that there was no risk of anyone getting hurt. Other than Luffy that was, but he didn't know that.
Shanks greeted him with a yawn of his own, "Well, here we are." He muttered sleepily from his place atop a large boulder. He rubbed his eyes - Luffy tiredly doing the same - and then clapped his cheeks with his palms in an attempt to rouse himself. It was early in the morning, since Shanks did want to set sail again soon. "Now, first let me explain a few things. And pay attention, got it?" Shanks said and Luffy nodded, having copied the man with the face clapping, "Devil Fruits can be classed into to three broad types. Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia. You with me Luffy?" Luffy nodded eagerly, waiting to hear more about his power, "Paramecia are the most common type of Fruit, and always give you some sort of ability. This can be anything from being able to section off parts of your body to causing earthquakes."
Luffy's jaw dropped, "Earthquakes! Are you serious!"
Shanks grinned, "That's right. The strongest person in the world is currently the one who uses that fruit!" He'd never tried fighting old man Whitebeard seriously, though he knew that back in his prime the man had practically been considered untouchable. The only one to ever fight him seriously had been his own Captain.
"Wow." Luffy breathed, trying to imagine himself causing earthquakes.
Shanks chuckled, "Zoans are the more uncommon Fruits. It has three different subsections which increase their rarity, but for now all you really need to know is that they give you the ability to transform into some kind of animal or beast. The last type of fruit - your type - is generally the rarest." He said, "Logia Fruits allow you to literally transform into an element, or a force of nature. Yours is one of the stronger Logia. Since you can become an element, you cannot even be touched by regular means!"
"Haha! I'm awesome and invincible!" Luffy puffed out his chest. Shanks grinned at Luffy willingly walking into his trap, "OWWW!" Luffy started rolling around on the ground, clutching the lump on his head. Shanks nonchalantly blew over his smoking fist. "Hey, what the hell! How did you hit me?"
Shanks grinned, "That's…. a se~cret!" he singsonged, even as Luffy began pouting. Irresponsible he may be a lot of the time, but even he wouldn't be teaching a seven-year-old Haki. "But, as you can see, you're definitely not invincible. There are things that will be able to harm you - like I just did - the farther along the Grand Line you get. So, don't go getting cocky, got it?" He glared at the young boy, who nodded vigorously. Shanks scuffed up Luffy's hair, "Good. Never start thinking you're untouchable. You'll only get yourself in trouble later down the line."
"I promise I won't!" Luffy held up a pinky.
Shanks grinned even as they shook on it, "Such a kid." He guffawed. Luffy's face puffed up, "Now, your… whatever… are very, very strong and you're struggling to control them." Shanks stood and grabbed one of a hundred bamboo shoots that had been lying on the floor waiting for them. "Now, this training is to make sure you do not transform when you don't want to. You have to control the Sun, not the other way around." Shanks declared. Luffy started to sweat at his evil grin, "So I'm going to smack you with these bamboo sticks. If you destroy or even burn the sticks, I'll use my little trick and whack you!"
Luffy trembled, "This isn't revenge for accidentally stealing the fruit, is it?"
"Of course not." His grin was totally and utterly insincere.
Whoosh.
WHACK
"OWWWWW!"
-]|[-
It has been a few months since that incident at Makino's Party Bar, and Luffy was currently racing into town with a big smile on his face. Today was the day Shanks and the guys were supposed to come back! They had been gone for a couple weeks, and Luffy had missed the entire gang.
"Hey, Luffy! You look like you're in a good mood today! Didn't the Pirates leave you behind again? Either way, you can't swim anymore!" The shopkeeper who Luffy was buying his fish from looked amused.
"Shishishi! I'll just be a Pirate who never falls in the ocean!"
The mayor of the town - Woop Slap - ground his teeth behind Luffy, "What's so good about being the Sun?" He jeered, "I'll say it again Luffy! Don't become a Pirate! You'll ruin this town's reputation! The Captain may look reasonable, but you shouldn't hang around him again!"
Luffy had his fingers in his ear with his tongue stuck out of his mouth, "Sorry Mayor! I can't hear you!" He ran off to the Party Bar.
Even with Makino there, it really felt empty without the Pirates inside it. "Do you miss them Luffy? They've been gone a long time!" Makino mused as she cleaned one of the plates Luffy had used, "You looked pretty upset with them that day you gained your powers. Those bandits humiliated them."
Luffy laughed, "Shishishi! That was before I knew how strong they actually were! Shanks told me that the smallest bounty anyone on his crew has is ten times the amount that bandit guy had!" Makino's eyes went wide, "I understand him now. That stupid guy was an ant."
Makino's shocked look softened into a smile, but before she could say anything else, the door banged open once more. Luffy turned around and his mood instantly dropped. Higuma and his bandits were crowding into the bar, "Well, it looks like the Pirates aren't here today. It sure is quiet." They all sat with loud scrapes of the chairs on the new floor, greatly irritating Makino. "Well, what are you waiting for? We're customers! BRING US SAKE, WENCH!"
Luffy turned around and continued his meal, his mood soured. Even hearing that bandit's voice was irritating him, and his name for Makino wasn't helping his case. He continued stuffing his face while the bandits got more and more rowdy. Finally, he heard Makino yelp and spun rapidly on his stool. Higuma had his hand around Makino's waist and he had pulled her into his lap. His hands were certainly wandering, and Makino looked incredibly uncomfortable. She was struggling to get up, and Luffy roared, "Hey! Let go of Makino!"
Makino finally got free and walked as calmly as she could away from the bandit, even as she threw Luffy a worried look. Higuma sneered and got up, "You're that brat that was hanging out with those Pirates."
"That's right!" Luffy said, happy at having been recognized even if it was by these losers.
Higuma jeered, "So, where are those loser Pirates? Did they find another hovel to clean up?"
Luffy smirked, "The only losers are you idiots!"
Higuma growled and hauled Luffy up by his shirt, "Is that so brat?" He turned and tossed the boy bodily through the doors of the bar. The barmaid gasped and raced out of the back to get help. Luffy could have transformed, but he didn't want to burn down poor Makino's bar. He stayed human as he rolled on the ground, groaning slightly. Higuma grabbed him by the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feel, throwing him further into the square.
As Luffy got to his feet, he saw that he was surrounded by bandits. "So, we're losers huh brat?" One of the unnamed bandits kicked him, but Luffy had enough of getting manhandled. The bandit's leg impacted and then passed right through his burning body.
The man's insane, horrified screeching filled the air as Luffy's power began consuming him. Luffy gasped, horrified at the real effects of his Devil Fruit's powers on another human, even if the guy was scum. His foot had simply disappeared . The stump wasn't bleeding because it had been completely cauterized. He lost his balance with only one leg and crashed to the floor, howling at the top of his lungs. For a moment it didn't even hurt. All the nerves had been just as vaporized as the flesh. His hands reached for the stump, and now the pain hit as the remaining nerves in his leg started screaming as they were licked by the residual heat. His hands sizzled as he touched the wound, the heat cooking his flesh. Finally, he simply passed out, eyes rolled into the back of his head and foam spewing from his lips. His heart beat its last and his chest stilled.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" The bandits roared in terror, even as Luffy stared unblinkingly at the man, his mouth and eyes wide open.
"KILL THIS DAMN BRAT!" Higuma ripped his sword out of its sheath and commanded his men to attack. They all drew their blades and rushed forward with a roar. Luffy flinched and closed his eyes, feeling a little weird. Almost like ghosts were passing through him. He felt no pain and heard some little objects clattering near him, he opened them again. Even single one of the bandits but for Higuma himself were staring at their melted swords in horror. There was barely any blade left on any of those hilts. The residual heat was causing the cheap iron and crappy steel to warm, and the bandits released them with hisses. "IF SWORDS DON'T WORK THEN FUCKING SHOOT HIM!" Higuma spat, eyes wide in utter madness. The bandits again followed his orders, drawing their pistols and blunderbusses.
BANG BANG BANG!
The air filled with a cacophony of gunfire. This time, Luffy didn't close his eyes, even though every loud boom made him flinch. The bullets entered his body and landed on the ground behind him as little steaming puddles of melted lead.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU!" A random bandit roared in fury and utter horror.
BANG!
His forehead exploded in a shower of blood and the dirty man collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut. "DONNY?!" The bandits roared in unison, eyes bugging out. The life fluid splashed on Higuma's face before he could whirl around.
One second there had been no one behind Luffy, and the other there was a shadow over him. He looked up and his eyes started to water, "Sh-Shanks!" He cried, tears starting to dribble down his face. The red-haired Captain was wearing a new, black cloak over his usual attire. He looked really badass.
And completely and utterly enraged .
"What's wrong, Lu?" Shanks gazed down at him, "What happened to being great at fighting? Where are those pistol punches huh?" His face was completely serene, and yet Luffy could see nothing but a caged beast behind Shanks' eyes.
Luffy coughed out a laugh, "S-shut up! They got me by surprise." He tried to act tough, but they all caught the tremor in his voice. The events of the day had shaken him.
Shanks' eyes speared into Higuma. His smile was decidedly not friendly, "I was wondering why no one welcomed us at the docks."
"You bastard!" The bandits all pointed their guns at him, though most of them forgot they needed to reload, "You killed Donny!" One of them ground his teeth and got right in Shanks' face. He pulled the trigger and got nothing but a click. Not that it would have mattered even if it had been loaded,
"I did not." Shanks corrected lightly, "Yassop did." The rest of the crew showed up. He didn't even bother looking at the gun, "Every time you pull out your guns, you risk your life." He said calmly, "Those aren't toys." He pointed at it, "You don't use these things to scare people."
The second the last word was spoken, Lucky Roo appeared to the left of the bandit 'threatening' his Captain. The bandit's head exploded as Lucky pulled the trigger, spurting blood and brain matter onto the dirt. Lucky stood by, his easy-going grin on his lips and a leg of meat in his other hand. Makino and the Mayor gasped at seeing the happy-go-lucky, jolly man casually execute one of the people who had threatened Luffy.
The bandits exploded into noise, "Those bastards! That was dirty!"
Ben Beckman scoffed, "Dirty? What do you think we are? Saints?" He flipped his gun over so that the stock was facing outward.
Shanks stepped over the dead man, his cloak billowing in the breeze, "We are Pirates!" He said quietly, but he may as well have been yelling, "Listen well, bandits. You can whip food or Sake at me. You can even spit on me, and I'll laugh it all off." The intimidating look in his eyes terrified the bandits. Some even fainted, froth bubbling in their mouths, "But… I don't care what reasons you have! I won't forgive anyone who messes with my friends! " His pupils narrowed, and Luffy felt something pass through him.
Every bandit there collapsed bonelessly, dead as their hearts ruptured. Luffy eyed the aftermath in awe, shock, and a little bit of terror. He didn't even notice Shanks moving towards him until he was lifted into the man's arms, "Come on, little anchor." Shanks sighed, a faraway look in his eyes as his men started cleaning up, "You look like you could do with a friend."
"Shanks…" Luffy teared up again and started to cry into the man's chest.
-]|[-
"How are you holding up?" Shanks asked gently. Night had fallen, and Shanks had brought them up onto the roof of the bar to stargaze a bit. For once, he wasn't laughing at the boy as he drank juice.
Luffy lowered his cup, "Shanks I… did I…?" He struggled, the words not wanting to come out.
"Kill that bandit?" Shanks asked, knowing exactly what was bothering him, "I won't lie to make you feel better Luffy. He did die from a heart attack. The shock probably got to him." He said simply.
Luffy flinched, "And you…"
"Killed the rest." Shanks confirmed, staring up at the sky. He closed his eyes, "Admittedly I only wanted to knock them unconscious… but even my temper gets away from me sometimes. And seeing you looking utterly terrified and having put you into a situation where you accidentally did that was far past my… no… our boiling points." He put a hand on Luffy's head.
"Does it get easier?" Luffy asked quietly.
"Yes…" Shanks drifted off, "… and no."
Luffy snorted, "Stupid Shanks." A small upturn of his lips was the only indication of his fondness for the redhead.
He grinned back in response, "Sometimes, you're in a fight that you can't escape without the reaper getting his due, one way or another. Sometimes, it's just bad luck. An accident. You learn to respect those you kill, and you remember them. Sometimes their faces haunt your dreams." He turned his head up to the sky and breathed the night air in, "Sometimes, its evil men like them. You never lose sleep over it. You don't even remember them the next day. You may even think the world is a better place for getting rid of scum like that. The trick…" He eyed the boy seriously and turned Luffy's head to make sure he was giving him his undivided attention, "Is to never start enjoying it." He tapped the little anchor's nose, "Because the second you do… you become a monster just like them."
Luffy shook his head rapidly, "I would never!"
"Wasn't saying you would. I think I know you better than that." The Captain chided with a grin, "The sea is a harsh place Luffy. We're the exceptions to the rules. There are a LOT of Pirates who are just like those men, who love nothing more than causing pain and misery. Sometimes, killing will be unavoidable. Perhaps someday, it'll be the only way to protect those who you love. And if that day comes Lu, you must not hesitate… or you will wish you hadn't. Because that hesitation could be the difference between embracing your loved ones or burying them. If you truly want to be a Pirate like us… if freedom is what you desire… if that truly is your Dream… you're going to have to square with that someday."
Luffy was silent.
-]|[-
"You're leaving for real this time?" Luffy looked down, but he stared at his hero all the same. He'd done quite a bit of soul searching the past few days, the events running through his mind's eyes over and over. He wondered if he could maybe have done anything different. Kept silent perhaps? But that bastard had grabbed Makino in a way she most definitely had not liked, and Luffy could never have kept silent. And taking his lumps like Shanks had in the bar didn't appeal either. In the end, he acknowledged Shanks' words, and tried to put the events from his tiny mind. The memories still snuck up on him at night, but the talk with Shanks had certainly helped.
"Yeah…" Shanks looked over at the ship, where the rest of his crew and even some of the villagers was still packing on supplies. "We've been here too long. It's time we move on." He grinned at his young friend and mussed up his hair. "You aren't upset, are you?"
Luffy responded immediately, "Of course I am!" He exclaimed, "We're all friends aren't we!"
Shanks and the crew in earshot smirked and let out short cheers, "Of course. But aren't you going to beg to go with us again?" He teased with his tongue wagging.
"Nah." Luffy shook his head, "I'll become a Pirate on my own!" He pumped a fist in challenge.
Shanks laughed and drew his eyelid down with a finger, "Idiot! You don't have what it takes to be a Pirate!"
Luffy immediately growled and balled up his fists, "Of course I do!" He roared, "One day I'll set sail and find a crew stronger than yours!" Shanks' eyebrows rose in surprise and his grin widened, "I'll find that treasure with them! The world's biggest!" He threw his arms out in the air, letting off two short blasts of his power, "I'M GOING TO BE THE PIRATE KING! YOU'LL SEE!"
Shanks' grin grew to the widest Luffy had ever seen it, "Hoh? You're going to be bigger than all of us huh? Well then…" Luffy stared at the ground, trembling and trying not to cry. Shanks' eyes were shadowed by his straw hat up until he removed it with his right arm, "I'll leave this precious hat of mine to you." Luffy froze as Shanks pushed his treasure hat onto his head, not breathing for a moment. His head dipped further, and twin streams of tears dripped from under the hat, "It's very dear to me. Take good care of it!" Shanks turned and walked away, his cloak billowing as he hopped up a massive distance up onto the ship, "Become a great Pirate Luffy! When we next meet, you'll give that hat back!"
"SHAAAAANNNNKKKKSSSSSS!" Luffy cried even as he waved goodbye to his departing friends. His dream had been acknowledged by his hero, and Luffy would never stop until he achieved it!
On the rapidly shrinking ship, Ben had his eyes closed and a smile on his lips, "He's going to be great, isn't he?"
Shanks chuckled as he stood near the rails, leaning on it with both hands. His hair waved in the breeze, "Of course. He reminds me of us."
-]|[-
Ten years had passed since the Red-Haired Pirates had set sail for the last time. The sleepy little town of Foosha hadn't changed much. Oh sure, there were periods of time where it was quieter than usual - usually when Luffy was in the mountains or away with Garp - but beyond that, Shanks and his crew would have been right at home.
But Shanks never had returned, keeping to his promise of only meeting Luffy again when the kid had made it big.
And today was the day Luffy was finally going to set out on his grand adventure!
"There he goes!" Makino waved cheerfully at the rapidly shrinking dot on the horizon. She had a wide grin to contrast with Woop Slap's scowl, "Looks like he finally left! We're sure going to miss him…"
The mayor merely growled, "He's going to ruin this town's reputation!" Makino rolled her eyes as she turned to go back to the bar in response.
Out on the sea, Luffy was cheerfully lounging on his tiny little dinghy. He was wearing his soon-to-be-signature Straw Hat, an open, red cardigan with flared sleeves exposing his chest, and some blue jean shorts with cuffs. Luffy had grown well in the ten years since he'd last seen his hero. He was as tall as his brother had been the last time he'd seen him at 6'0". He wasn't quite as muscular though, being a little bit slimmer. "Man, the weather sure is great today!" He exclaimed cheerfully as he spun his hat on his fingertip.
But a bubbling ruined the serene peace of the open ocean. "Eh?" Luffy opened an eye and plopped his Straw Hat back onto his head before grinning, "Huh, you're big." The Lord of the Coast was a large Sea King which had terrified any smaller vessels around Foosha for decades. "So, you're the jerk that sank Makino's supplies last year, huh?" It rose from the ocean, water dripping from its form. It snarled and started racing towards Luffy and his dinghy as the Sun Man stood up.
Luffy balled up his right fist and cocked it, " Enjū !" It happened in an instant. One moment the great Sea King was diving towards Luffy, and the next a blinding light was scorching through the air. The water hissed as it instantly began to boil with the passing of the golden beam. The Sea King didn't even have time to regret its decision before the energy was upon it and burning a hole straight through its skull. It wobbled for a moment - a smoking, cauterized wound visible through it - before it collapsed to the water and began sinking.
Luffy grinned impossibly wide, "Shishishi… How'd that taste, you stupid fish!" His hat was shadowing his eyes as he struck a pose, one fist clenched in front of him with the other gripping his forearm.
He collapsed back down lazily. He crossed his arms behind his back and began lounging lazily, "Well, before I head off to the Grand Line…" He pumped his arms out, "I need some good friends!" he laughed good-naturedly, "And then… ! We'll get a ship and a flag! And then! I'll become the Pirate King!"
The next day, Luffy again had a giant grin on his face, "Man, what great weather again!" he cheered, "Who would have thought I'd get into such a mess on such a great day!" And indeed, the absolutely massive, whirling dervish of a maelstrom sucking in his tiny boat could certainly be described as 'a mess.' "Man, what a huge whirlpool. How careless of me." His grin hadn't even changed, as if he was just talking about the weather and not the hungry death spiral. "Man, and I can't even swim!" His face finally changed, an 'o' of realization appearing, "Wait, it wouldn't matter even if I could swim!"
And then the whirlpool swallowed him.
-]|[-
Somewhat far away, a large ship sat in the gently rolling waves. A manicured hand with pearls around the wrist was seen running a finger across the railing. "What's this?" A dangerous, rough sounding female(?) voice was heard saying. Instantly, all of the men on the ship stiffened in fear, "What is all this dust?" She asked the shivering men.
"Ah, I'm so sorry, Alvida-sama! I thought I had already cleaned the entire deck! I-I'll clean it again! So please do-don't-"
"Don't what?" She whirled around.
"Please don't hit me with your maaaa-" The word he was going to say was "mace."
BAM
The iron mace of Alvida crashed onto the man's skull and split it wide open. He collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut and crashed to the deck. He began to bleed out and didn't move again.
… Which… honestly defeated the point of keeping the deck clean.
"Coby!" Alvida roared as she slowly… turned around. The woman was very, very obese. She took up enough space for five men, and she carried a massive, hulking slab of iron she called a mace. She was a wearing a pink plaid shirt that was stretched disgustingly taut over her frame, an equally tight pair of greying pants and a blue Captain's coat. She had a white, red-plumed cowgirl hat and was covered in gaudy looking jewelry. She had a flintlock tied to her by a purple sash to finish off the look.
All in all, she was a disgusting whale.
The 'Coby' she was addressing was a chubby, dorky looking boy with a pink bowl-cut. "Y-yes Alvida-sama?"
"Who is the most beautiful woman in the entire sea?" She asked threateningly.
Not you. "A-ah, that would o-of course be y-you, Alvida-sama!" Coby shakily answered.
"That's right!" The rotund woman roared, "And because of it, I don't want a single dirty thing on my entire ship! I don't want to see even a single speck of dust!" She - slowly - turned to him again, "The only reason you're alive is because you're a good navigator." She snarled at the terrified boy.
You fat old hag. "O-of course, Alvida-sama!" He cried piteously, not allowing any tears to escape.
"Other than that, you're entirely worthless! Now, clean my shoes!" She thrust her large leg at the boy.
"Yes, Alvida-sama." He moaned. After a few minutes of cleaning, he got a boot to the face.
"That's enough, trash!" She snarled, "Go clean the wash room!" And with that, she lost interest in the flaky boy.
"Haha, I'll be on my way, Alvida-sama!" As they all left him, his face turned down as he finally allowed a tear to escape, "I'll be on my way." He whispered.
-]|[-
Two sailors were lazily slumped over one of the railings of the cruise ship they were on. They were just relaxing and looking out at the whirlpool they were passing by. The seagulls were singing, and it was pretty peaceful, other than the gaping maw in the ocean. "Huh?" Their attention was grabbed by a barrel hitting the side of the ship. The two sailors grinned at each other and fetched a rope with a claw on it to grab the barrel. They each took turns trying to snatch the barrel and failed on the first four attempts. The next sailor spun it mightily over his head and flung it downward with a roar of, "Hit it!"
The claw went wide.
The other sailor laughed at his friend's ongoing misfortune, "Three strikes! Batter out!"
Inside the extremely opulent ship, a beautiful orange-haired girl wearing a nice, pale dress was staring out the window with her chin in her palm. Fancy violin music was being played by the live band. The Captain was heard reassuring one of the passengers that a whirlpool of the size they were passing wasn't even a worry to the ship. One young man came up to the orange-haired girl and asked for a dance, which she accepted with a smile.
Outside, the men finally grabbed the barrel with the claw and hauled it into the ship. "Awesome! This thing is hea~vy! Must be full of booze!" The larger sailor beamed.
Their merriment was cut short by a horrified gasp from up in the crow's nest! "P-p-p-PIRATES! It's a Pirate ship! Enemy raid! Enemy raid!" The sailors gasped and ran off inside to alert the Captain in their panic.
The Pirate ship - which had been painted a lurid pink of all things - had a large red heart on the main sail, which was coming unfurled. Smoke erupted from the eyesore, with three large cannon balls surging towards the cruise ship! After a few seconds flight they finally impacted, all going wide of their target. Large geysers of water blew into the air and shook the ship terribly.
Inside, all of the passengers were screaming and panicking and running around like chicken with their heads cut off. All of course, but one. The orange-haired girl had widened her stance to keep her balance and had her arms out to aid in that. Slowly, a wide smirk formed on her lips.
On the enemy Pirate ship, Alvida was smirking as they finally scored a direct hit and broke the dolphin figurehead at the front of the ship. "Coby! Who is the most beautiful woman in the entire sea?"
Basically, anyone but you, you ugly whale. "Y-you are of course, Alvida-sama."
She laughed hoarsely, "Well done." Coby stammered his thanks.
"This will be our first good haul in a while." One of the men licked his lips.
She grinned wider, "Pound them good boys! Show them the terror of Lady Alvida!" The ship turned slightly and fired with its front-facing cannon, striking a direct hit on the main mast.
On the ship, the barrel rolled down some steps and into the holds, finally turning into an open door. Elsewhere on the ship, the orange-haired girl was running with an irritated grimace on her face. She really didn't want to get this dress messed up, so she was being forced to hold up the hem. She reached the door and broke out, turning right only to shiver and squeak as the much smaller Pirate ship pulled alongside the cruise ship. She turned tail and ran back the way she had come, as the Pirates threw their hooks and got onto the ship.
"What do you think you're doing, Coby?" Alvida noticed the boy shaking like a leaf and snarled at him for his hesitation.
"I-I'm not really good at this." Coby stammered at his jailor.
She snarled and booted him in the behind, "Don't back talk me! Get your ass into gear!"
Coby flew onto the deck of the ship and landed face-first into one of the walls. He slumped to the floor and began sniveling. Alvida followed with her mace held high, terrifying Coby with her huge jump and the fact that she was going to hit him ! He screamed like a girl and scrambled out of the way, allowing Alvida and her mace to plow right through the wall. Smoke and dust and wood chips flew through the air for a few moments, before revealing a dazed Alvida sitting there.
One of the Pirates grinned menacingly, "We won't be taking yer lives today, but we will take all yer valuables. Start handing them over."
Alvida shook herself and wandered over, "Anyone who argues takes a nice swim in that whirlpool." Inside the ship, their raucous laughter was all the orange-haired girl could hear. She smirked and threw her fancy dress off, revealing a tight blue shirt, loose black pants with a red sash, and a black bandana covering parts of her orange hair.
A few minutes later, Coby was checking about the ship in a frightened manner when he came upon a room with an open door, "He-hello?" He poked his head in slowly. There was no one there of course. He sighed in relief as he entered, before taking note of the large barrel that had knocked a bunch of stuff over off to the side. "Man, what a large barrel…" He mused.
Outside, the orange-haired girl had used one of the hook ropes the Pirates had left behind to zip line over and board the ugly Pirate ship. She swiftly moved to the door and looked around several times before reaching for the doorknob. Before she had even touched it, it sprang open and spooked her greatly. She sprang back and took up a weird pose as the Pirate looked her over. "Hey, who are you? I don't think I've seen you before." He eyed her with a growing grin as he leaned closer. She chuckled slightly before her weird pose turned into a vicious kick.
She planted her foot as hard as she could right between the man's legs. He would have begun singing soprano if he hadn't immediately swallowed his tongue. Instead, he collapsed to the deck, unconsciously holding his precious. She smiled brightly and made her way into the ship after hiding the body.
Inside the cruise ship, Coby was struggling to move the barrel, rolling it over to the door. "Hey, what are you sneaking around for Coby?" one of the Pirates popped up behind him with a grin, scaring the crap out of the boy.
"A-ah! I was just rolling this over to the ship! It's pretty heavy!" He exclaimed in panic.
The Pirate grinned, "Heavy eh? That's good. Must be full of booze." He hauled it upright, "And I'm thirsty." He licked his lips.
"We can't!" Coby yelled in shock, "Alvida-sama will kill us!"
The Pirate sneered as he raised his fist, "Well as long as you don't tell, she doesn't have to know! You just need to keep yer mouth shut!" He swung downward with a hard punch to break through the top of the barrel.
Only it wasn't his fist that broke through. Instead, two fists burst upward right through the lid, one of which nailed him clean in the jaw as a boy wearing a straw hat and a massive grin came up yawning, "Man, what a great nap! I slept awesomely!" The thud of the Pirate hitting the floor drew his attention, "Huh?" He looked over to the downed man before looking owlishly at the other two Pirates, "Who are you guys?"
The two sprang forward with shark teeth and roared at him, " No! Who the hell are you! "
Luffy ignored them as he stepped out of the barrel, "Man, that guys going to catch a cold if he sleeps on the floor, you know?"
Their eyes bugged out, "YOU PUT HIM THERE!" They drew swords, and Luffy looked at them with a confused look, "Do you even know who you're messing with brat? We're Pirates!"
Luffy ignored them entirely, turning to Coby, "Man, I'm hungry. You guys have any food?"
The Pirate's eyes bulged out even more, "Listen when people are talking!" They both raised their swords in the air, "You damn brat!" The swung, eager to have their blades taste flesh. Coby covered his eyes with his hands. SHING. Thunk. Thunk.
He slowly uncovered them, steadying himself for the horrifying sight he would no doubt come across. He gasped in shock and started to stare. The boy's right arm was pointing left with a closed fist. The two swords the Pirates had drawn were each broken with their tips stuck in the floorboards. And the Pirates?
They were both embedded up to their waists in the walls on the far side of the room, legs hanging limply in their holes. Coby stammered, "You… what… how?" he screamed, "Who are you?"
"Eh?" Luffy turned to him, "I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Nice ta meetcha." He grinned.
Coby shook himself, "You have to hurry! They're bound to wake up soon and if they come back with their friends you're dead! There's over thirty of them!"
Luffy snorted before picking at his nose with a pinky, "Nah, I'm hungry. Got any food?"
Coby only gaped. "How can you be so carefree! They're Pirates!"
"And? I'm a Pirate too." Luffy grinned at Coby's horrified look, "I only just started out though. I was just setting sail for the first time when I accidently went into a whirlpool. Shishishi." he laughed, before beginning to sniff at the air.
He started walking forward so Coby grabbed him, trying to haul him away, "No not that way! There are dozens of them! You have to get out!" Luffy didn't even slow his stride as he dragged the pink-haired boy - scraping feet and all - through a doorway. He grinned brightly and dove down into the food in the room. Coby sighed as he noticed they were fairly hidden here, "Actually, this room isn't that bad. They might not find us here." Luffy wasn't even paying attention. He was stuffing his face full of food. "You're Luffy right? I'm Coby." He started down the steps, "That was incredible just now. How did you do that?"
Luffy turned around as Coby reached him, "These are great!" he exclaimed, completely ignoring Coby's questioning. He turned back around and continued to eat, "Is this a Pirate ship?"
Coby shook his head, "No, this is a cruise ship the Alvida Pirates are raiding."
Luffy paused for a moment, before continuing to stuff his face. "Are there any boats on board? I kind of lost mine in that whirlpool. Man, that sure was a surprise. I never even saw it coming since it had been such a nice day. Shishishi." He chuckled through the food in his mouth.
"There should be. All ships have life boats, right?" Coby replied with a small smile as he watched the glutton feed.
"You one of these Pirates?" Luffy asked.
Coby stiffened, "N-not exactly. I wandered onto a boat to go fishing." He looked down, "But it turns out that it was a dinghy belonging to Alvida-sama's ship. It's been two years since." He held onto his knees, "They made me a cabin boy in exchange for my life." He finished in misery.
It was silent for a moment, before Luffy started to chuckle again, "Man, you're an idiot. Who just walks onto a Pirate dinghy?"
If anything, the weight on Coby's shoulders got heavier, "You're brutally honest."
"Well if you hate it and you want to leave, then leave." Luffy stretched his back out, loud pops ringing in the air.
"I-I can't! No way! No way! Just thinking of Alvida-sama finding out terrifies me! I'm too scared!" Coby was stammering even at the thought of doing so. Just this morning he'd had a reminder of what that mace could do.
"And you're a coward too?" Luffy laughed, stabbing yet another arrow into Coby's self-esteem. "Man, I hate you!"
Tears streamed down Coby's slumped face, and it almost looked like he was about to give up the ghost. He drew himself up and bowed forward morosely, "Yeah, you're right. I'm a coward. If only I had the courage to be like you and drift in a barrel…" He sighed, "There's something I want to do too… Ah… Luffy? What compelled you onto the sea?"
Luffy grinned and pumped his fists into the air, "I'm going to the Grand Line of course!" Coby gasped, "I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
Coby's jaw dropped, and his pupils shrank into pinpricks. He was hearing alarm bells in his head and he was practically choking, "I-Impossible! No way! No way! Pirate King? Are you serious!"
"Yeah?" Luffy shrugged nonchalantly, "Got a problem with that?"
"What about your crew?" Coby stammered.
"Don't have one yet." Luffy said cheerfully. "I just started out. I'm just starting to go looking!" Coby froze, and even when Luffy stepped forward and waved a hand in his face he didn't move.
"P-Pirate King is the title given to the one who obtains everything ! The greatest treasures! Wealth! Fame! Power!" With each word, Luffy nodded, "… One Piece!"
"Yep!" Luffy confirmed with a bright, wide grin.
"Pirates all over the world are after that treasure!" He screamed in shock.
"Me too. And I'll be the one to get it!" Luffy wasn't bragging when he said it. It was just a statement of fact.
"No! Impossible! No way! No way! Absolutely no way!" Coby shook his head back and forth with his fists clenched. "There's no way you can stand at the apex of this Pirate era and scream that! No way no wa-"
BAM
Luffy's fist collided with the younger boy's head, "Shut up, you idiot."
"Wh-why'd you hit me?" Coby sniffled, clutching his noggin, "Not like I'm not used to it by now. It's alright I guess." He laugh-cried.
"It's not about whether I can or can't." Luffy said as he held onto his hat, "I'm going to do it because I want to!" He said passionately, "It's my dream! I'll become the Pirate King, or I'll die fighting for that dream! I don't care if I lose my life trying! If I just sat at home I could never forgive myself!" He stood up and put his hat back on, "Well, I'm full. I'm going to go find a boat."
"W-wait!" Coby yelled, "Luffy! I have a dream too! Do you think I can accomplish it if I stake my life on it!"
"Do what?" Luffy stopped walking and looked over at the coward.
"Do you think I can join the navy?" Luffy smirked, "Catching bad guys is my dream!" All hint of a stutter was gone from the cowardly boy's voice, "It's been my dream ever since I was little!"
"Then do it!" Luffy yelled and clapped him in the back, "Don't let your dreams be dreams! If you don't fight for them, who will?"
"That's right!" Coby screamed, "I'm not going to be a chore boy forever!" He was working himself into a frenzy, "I'm going to be a great Marine and work tirelessly to catch criminals! And the first one I'm going to catch is Alvida-Sama- NO, Alvida!"
And with that, the ceiling broke and all strength left the boy's body as Alvida's huge mass landed behind him, "Who did you say you were going to catch, Coby?" Coby shook and trembled as Alvida's form was revealed.
Luffy blinked as he looked at her with his head inclined to the side. Five swords burst from the wood behind him, "Oro?" He looked puzzled.
"Hah, you don't look like Pirate Hunter Zoro to me." Alvida smirked at him, before drawing her gaze to the pink-haired boy, "COBY! Who is the most beautiful woman in the entire sea?"
Coby stammered and rubbed his head with a terrified smile, "Tha-that would be-"
"Hey Coby, who's the fat hag?" Luffy picked his nose with his pinky.
Jaws dropped from both of the other occupants as well as the men standing at the hole in the ceiling.
Alvida wasn't breathing for a moment, before she started to grind her teeth and tic marks started popping up all over her huge face, "YOU GOD DAMN BRAT!" She roared as she hauled her massive mace up and over her head. She started swinging downward.
Luffy grinned. In the blink of an eye, his foot was on Alvida's head with Coby held by the face in his right hand, "See ya, lard ass!" And with that, both he and Coby were sailing through the large hole. Alvida's mace crashed onto the space her target had occupied, throwing up dust and wood chips.
The two landed on the deck, where the two trembling Pirates Luffy had decked earlier were shaking. Steeling themselves, they drew new swords and charged with loud battle cries. Luffy rolled his eyes and got in front of them in a blink, his fists digging into their domes. Teeth and blood flew as they were launched hard across the deck, impacting the railings and tumbling right off the ship. Behind him a swordsman roared as he leapt in for a 'sneak' attack. Luffy sidestepped, "Man, backstabs are for losers." He spun and grabbed the man's face, pounding it into the ship. Wood cracked, and splinters flew out of the new crater formed by the guy's skull.
"Oro?" He looked up and saw dozens more Pirates above him, "Mass attacks aren't cool either!" He screamed as he ran in 'fear' from the dozens of Pirates chasing him. He smirked in amusement as he led the men on a merry chase across the deck. In his peripheral, he noticed a girl in a blue shirt and bandana sneak out of Alvida's Pirate ship with a huge bag slung over her shoulders. He grinned. Wasn't that interesting? He spun and laughed out, "Just kidding!" He vanished from sight and before any of the Pirates even knew what hit them, they were all slumped over on the deck with fist marks all over their bodies or even kicked off the deck and into the drink. "Shishishi."
Coby shivered, "A-amazing! You took out all those tough Pirates like they were nothing!"
Luffy rubbed his nose while chuckling, "Tough? Those guys were weaklings. No challenge at all."
"Do you… do you think I could ever be as strong as you, Luffy?" Coby asked shyly.
"Not a clue." Luffy grinned cheerfully, "That's all on you, coward-boy!"
Coby slumped, an arrow saying 'coward' sticking out of his back. "S-so mean!"
And with that, another loud crash broke through the silence. Alvida had shown up once more. "So, you're not Pirate Hunter Zoro. I haven't seen you use a sword yet."
Luffy picked his nose once more, "Oh hey, the hag showed up again."
Coby's jaw dropped while Alvida almost erupted in fury, "L-Luffy! Repeat after me!" He grabbed his arm tightly, "Alvida-sama is the most…" And suddenly, images of his (hopeful) friend started flashing through his eyes. His strength. "The most…" His conviction. His lack of fear. And then he saw himself. Abused. Kicked around. Terrorized. Coby grit his teeth and turned to Alvida, "THE UGLIEST, MOST HORRIFYING BITCH I'VE EVER SEEN!" He roared out in defiance. Luffy erupted into hysterical laughter at the boy's words.
Alvida's teeth ground so hard her teeth cracked, "COBY!" She raised her massive mace in fury, ready to end the pink-haired blight in front of her.
Coby shuddered, but stared at his oncoming death with steel in his spine, ' I… I did it! I fought against her! ' He gulped and screamed, "I have no regrets!"
Luffy moved in front of the bludgeon, "Well said!" His smile was stupidly wide as he back-handed the giant hunk of metal so hard that it shattered into tiny pieces and rained all over the deck.
"What!" Alvida's eyes were bulging out of her head as she gasped in shock, mirrored by Coby whose jaw also dropped. He knew Luffy was strong, but this strong?
"Grit those teeth!" The madly smirking Straw Hat Pirate formed a hard fist and nailed the rotund Alvida square in the jaw. The fat on her face billowed out for a moment from the point of impact, like a shockwave forming on her face. She let out as much of a moan of pain as she could, before lifting clean off her feet and getting blown away like a very un-aerodynamic rocket. She went tumbling ass over teakettle in the air, rapidly shrinking into the distance. Minutes later, one of her poor henchmen turned purple as he noticed her heading straight for him. His cry of fear was silenced as his mistress practically cannonballed on top of him.
Luffy smirked and held his fist up to his lips before blowing over it. He then glanced over to the still-standing Pirates who were just staring at him in stupor and was about to demand a boat for him and Coby when the entire boat shook.
Twin geysers rose up near the boat, indicative of more cannon fire. Luffy clicked his teeth as he noticed the three Marine Battleships a ways away. "Tch! What are those idiots doing?" He growled, "What the hell are they firing at? Grandpa would have their hides!" Glancing at Coby - who was halfway between awestruck and horrified - he decided that he needed to get out of here. Remembering the girl who had been sneaking away, he grabbed Coby and threw him over his shoulder before jumping from the cruise ship to the Pirate vessel anchored to it. He quickly raced off in the direction he'd seen the girl run and noticed her securing her sack to the small boat in a panicked hurry.
He jumped with Coby onto the boat, and the orange-haired girl let out a shriek of fear as she almost fell off the boat. Luffy grabbed her and steadied her, taking care not to let her or the sack fall over. "Who the hell are you!" She shrieked in panic.
"We can meet and greet after we're out of here. Shishishi!" Luffy laughed for a moment before the boat rose into the air on a swell from latest cannon fire. He turned hard eyes to the three Marine vessels, "Those idiots are going to sink the cruise ship along with the damn Pirate ship!"
Growling, he placed his right foot back and held his two hands facing each other at his sides. "What are you doi-" The girl cut herself off with a squeak of fear as golden, shining light and fire started forming between his hands, growing to roughly the size of a very large cannonball. The heat radiating from it had the both of them begin to sweat and inch away as far as they could get on their dinghy.
Luffy grinned and took aim, " Enten Enten no… Kōen !" He roared and thrust his hands forward. The brilliant, blazing blast of plasma rocketed forward at speed, racing towards the three panicking Marine ships. But Luffy hadn't been aiming at the ships.
He was aiming in between them. Immediately upon impact, the great fireball exploded, sending superheating water upward in the largest jet any of them had ever seen. It easily outclassed the earlier blasts from both the Marine cannons as well as Alvida's cannons. It dwarfed the ships, making them seem tiny in comparison. And when the large amount of water started crashing down, it generated a huge tsunami! The ships were picked up and carried off in different directions with panicking Marines holding on for dear life. One of them even came close to capsizing before it was able to right itself.
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed at his victory, holding out a peace sign.
"That was too much!" The girl roared with shark teeth out, almost hyperventilating as she saw the - shrinking, but still quite large - tidal wave approaching their tiny boat, "You're going to hit us too!"
"Oops!" Luffy sweatdropped as they were picked up and tossed away from the ships. Nami and Coby were hugging each other with tears streaming down their terrified faces.
"YOU IDIOT!"
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