Chopper watched in fascination as the rest of the Strawhats went through their usual antics. Luffy was yelling at Sanji for food, Zoro was encouraging Chopper to drink with him, Nami was yelling at Zoro to stop being a bad influence on the impressionable reindeer, Usopp was offering a toast to their new crewmate while simultaneously telling him a story about the 50 meter tall abominable snowman he had fought in Drum, Sanji was yelling at Luffy to stop yelling at him for food and to just wait 5 damn minutes for it to cook, and Vivi was sitting next to Chopper, watching them all with an amused smile.
"They're pretty lively huh?" she asked Chopper. Chopper nodded his agreement. He had never seen people with so much energy before. It was really like watching a circus. Not that he'd ever seen one, but he'd heard about them.
"What's the big deal Nami? If you're old enough to be a Strawhat, you're old enough to drink," Zoro said sagely.
"Even if that were true, he's too cute to be drinking with you idiots!" she said firmly as she pointed at Zoro.
"So I guess that doesn't apply to you then?" Zoro said with a smirk. He was promptly knocked to the deck head first by Nami's fist. He got up and laughed, ignoring the throb in his skull. "You're just proving me right you know." Nami looked annoyed enough to continue doing just that, until Chopper walked up and grabbed a sake bottle.
"I want to try it," he said, smiling widely. Zoro grinned it victory as Nami looked at Chopper skeptically.
"Have you ever actually had alcohol before?" she asked.
"Nope," Chopper admitted. "But alcohol is ok in moderation. As long as you don't have too much, the body can cleanse it from the bloodstream without any long term effects," he said, remembering what he'd read over the years.
"Right," Nami said with a smirk. "Alright, go on then." She motioned for him to drink with her hand. Chopper brought the sake bottle to his lips with both hands and started chugging. After about a second, his face turned blue, and he dropped the bottle, gagging and coughing. His tongue hung from his mouth and he had a traumatized look on his face. Luffy and Zoro started laughing out loud and even Nami giggled.
"So, how was the first drink," Nami asked tauntingly. Chopper, not one to note sarcasm, responded as if it was an actual question.
"It was nasty!" he shouted. "It's even worse than my Rumble balls! You guys drink that stuff for fun!?"
"Not me," Nami replied. "I usually just drink when it earns me money."
"What wouldn't you do for money?" Zoro asked as his laughter died down.
"Refrain from punching you?" Nami suggested. Zoro blinked in recognition.
"Oh, that is somethin-" he was interrupted as he was once again sent plummeting to the deck head first. "Damn witch," Zoro said aloud from a seated position as Nami walked away to check the course.
The Strawhats continued partying well into the night before they finally went to sleep.
Luffy looked out over the horizon with lifeless eyes as the island finally came into view.
"Zoro," he whispered. The swordsman awoke from his trance and looked as well. As the island drew closer, he snuck a glance at Luffy. He wasn't surprised by what he saw, but that didn't make it easier.
There was no joy. There was no evidence of the achievement in Luffy's eyes. There was only the same dead look that he had been adorning since the incident. He couldn't really blame his captain for that, but if this couldn't evoke any response from him, then what could?
Luffy had been looking forward to this moment for most of his life, but as he took his first step onto the island he knew could only be Raftel, he felt no sense of accomplishment. Only shame. Pirate King and One Piece meant next to nothing now. Everything that it symbolized to him had been broken. There was no freedom to be found anymore. Because they would never obtain that freedom.
Nami would never draw a world map.
Usopp would never meet his father and stand with him on equal footing as a brave warrior of the sea.
Sanji would never find All Blue.
Chopper would never prove to the world that there was no incurable disease.
Robin would never find the Rio Poneglyph.
Franky would never witness the Thousand Sunny take them all around the world.
Brook would never return to Reverse Mountain to meet Laboon.
And Jinbe, who had met his end before he could even join, would never see fishmen and humans stand side by side in the sun.
It was too much to bear. He had failed them all. And yet he kept trudging forward to fulfill his now empty dream, simply because Sanji's last words would never stop repeating themselves in his head.
Zoro hopped off the sunny and started walking after Luffy. He knew what his captain was feeling. He just didn't seem to have the same drive to pursue the title of world's greatest anymore. But if he stopped now...shit, how could he stop now? How could he shame them all like that?
They both took a long look at the full breadth of the island. Most of it was jungle, and in the center was a cone shaped mountain that seemed to tower as high as the Red Line. The top was obscured by the clouds. As they could think of only one place to get started, they quickly made their way through the jungle and over to the mountain. The jungle was strange, they noticed. There didn't seem to be animal life anywhere. In fact, the entire island was completely silent. When they began to ascend the mountain, a peculiar calm seemed to wash over them both. Once they finally reached the top, they felt serene, as if all of their troubles could simply vanish. They knew this was not the case, but somehow they couldn't escape the feeling that everything would work out in the end. It felt...strange, to say the least.
Walking across the summit, they spotted a gigantic cave off in the distance. They were ready to go check what was inside when Luffy froze mid step. Zoro looked at him in confusion. His eyes were wide as he stared ahead of them. Zoro traced the path of his eyesight but saw nothing other than the cave. Luffy was seeing something different, however.
He continued to stare in awe at the grinning face of the eternal Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
"You did well to get here, kid. It seems as though you are indeed the one I was waiting for. No one else would be able to perceive my incorporeal form." As the legendary man spoke, his mouth did not move, and the smile continued to decorate his features as the words reached his successor.
Luffy, who had said nothing up to this point, finally responded. "You're alive?" he asked in wonder. Although he heard his own voice, his lips did not move either.
Roger's grin widened and the sound of a rich laughter protruded from his being. "Not exactly," he confessed. "What you're perceiving is simply the voice of my spirit that lingers here. Having the ability to hear the voice of all things, you are a unique case. How weird is it? In a sense you're seeing a ghost you know." Luffy didn't respond, and Roger continued. "Like I said, you did well to get here. And yet, I sense that your will has been compromised. That's quite a shame. One with an ambition as great as yours must have been through quite a lot to lose their drive. What kind of regrets are haunting you?"
Luffy looked down at the ground. "I lost my comrades on the way here," he said numbly.
"I see," Roger said gravely. "That's very unfortunate. When I met my end, my comrades were still alive and well, so I'm not sure what comfort I can bring." He paused. "Tell me, do you still desire my wealth and treasures? Does your heart still yearn for One Piece?"
Luffy looked into his eyes and shook his head. This was not how it was supposed to go. He couldn't honestly say yes to that question.
"The only reason I'm here right now is so that I don't waste the sacrifices of those who died for me. I don't want their deaths to be in vain," he said.
Roger stared long and hard and Luffy, as if assessing him, before the smile slowly crept its way back onto his face.
"Kid, I'm going to give you two options. Option one: you walk into that cave behind me and inherit wealth, fame, and power beyond your wildest dreams." He paused for a few seconds, and then continued. "Option two: You turn away from your dream for now, and I give you a chance to do it all again." As he finished, Luffy stared at him blankly, not comprehending option two at all. Roger raised an eyebrow at him. "What, too vague? I'm offering to send you back in time so you can do right by your comrades," he said.
Luffy stilled, his mouth agape, and his eyes wider than they had ever been before. "Can you do that?" he asked quietly. Roger nodded.
"You'd be surprised at what I can do. I've long since transcended the laws of the living. The payoff of course, is that I'm dead." He threw back and head and laughed. "So, what do you think? Option one or option two?"
Luffy didn't hesitate. "Option two…" he said numbly, still in shock that this was happening. He wasn't one to not believe in something just because it defied common sense, not at all. But this seemed far too good to be true. He...he could save them?
"Alright then," Roger said. He was grinning, as if satisfied with Luffy's decision. "You might want to explain what's going on to your friend first. He's been calling your name for the past two minutes. Probably thinks you're bat shit insane by now."
Luffy awoke from his trance and his head spun towards Zoro. The swordsman stared at him in a mix between annoyance and concern. "What the hell's with you?" he asked. "You were completely out of it there."
Luffy immediately launched into an explanation of what had just happened, what he had just learned, and what they could to now. Zoro stayed silent, taking it all in. He was clearly skeptical.
"Well, assuming this can be done, I'm all for it," he said, scoffing. "But that's a pretty big assumption." Despite his pessimism, Luffy could clearly see the fire that had manifested in Zoro's eyes. Luffy smiled for the first time in what felt like ages.
"Alright, let's do it!" he shouted. Zoro scoffed again and threw his hands in the air, smiling despite himself.
"Alright, let's see what you can do, Pirate King." Right after he said this, his body immediately dissipated into nothingness. Luffy stared in shock at where his first mate had previously been standing.
"What the hell happened!?"
"Oh, that's right," Roger said. "The body can't handle the mind being forcefully stripped away from it and transferred like that, so it vanishes in the process. Don't worry though, you'll both awaken in your old bodies. Did I forget to mention that? I guess I forgot to mention that."
Luffy was too thrilled to be annoyed right now, so he let it go as Roger grinned sheepishly.
"I've chosen a moment that was significant to you to transfer your consciousness back to. It's easier that way," Roger stated. He paused. "The third one will be difficult, but I think I can manage," he added ambiguously. "Have fun." Before Luffy could question what he meant by that, his body dissolved, and he knew no more.
Luffy opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. He sighed and got up, walking out the door onto the Going Merry's deck. Another night without sleep. Oh well. He looked up at the stars and smiled. So far so good, Roger.