Traveling Soldier, an one piece fanfic

He wasn't sure where he was, for his memory with people long since dead and traveled through places long forgotten. These memories he lived in, caused his breath to come up short. These people long forgotten brought back promises of hope. They tell him to live on and walk with his head held high, for he was once a traveling soldier.

The problem though was within this desolate place of his mind was the last, single memory of white. A memory so pure, so precious to his soul, it could never be removed for it stained his soul with black. Now, how could a memory of white stain this young man's soul so black, was the question that he couldn't leave alone, for this memory would always hold him back.

How could a memory so pure hold him from moving on? Why did this place seem so divine? Who was it that this memory held, that pulled him back every time? What was this memory that made him fight?

How did a memory cause him to jump in the churning waters, to save the man over board? Why did he risk is life to safe his enemy? Who made him realize we're all the same? What was he doing here?

He pulled the man above the waters, hoping he would make it through the day. They were found and thrown a ring to save them, but he gladly gave the man a chance to live as he pushed the man to the ring. The wave that came pulled him under, showing him reality. In his mind there came a melody. That opened up that memory.

He hoped that he would find him, the man that held his heart in his hands. Just like the song he had found that special someone, except with a bright red bow upon the boy's hat. They sent letters to each other, never knowing when he'd come back. He hoped his nakama would take the boy the last things he had. He prayed that he would find the letter. A letter that said the hardest thing he had done.

The pressure had become too much for him to handle. The last of his air leaving the barely parted lips as a single tear fell unnoticed, into the surrounding waters. The last memory held the letter he had sent. The letter that made his soul turn to black with self-loathing. The last letter he had ever written and sent to the boy.

The words were easy to write because he knew it had to be done. That kid had become attached to a traveling soldier, a man who would die at any second. He had been a coward, saying that because he was afraid of the emotions the kid brought up within him. He could still hear the words he had written. He wanted to die in agony because of the words he had written. He wanted to forget.

"We have shared so much together
Laughter . . . fun times . . . tears;
Yet sometimes we can't turn back time
We must walk away, and allow ourselves to heal.

I know one day you will be happy
And your soulmate you will find;
I know we each have one out there
Even if for now . . . only in our minds.

May life be gentle with you
May God's best come your way;
And on some quiet tomorrow
You will realize things were better this way"

He could only hope that the letter got there in time to heal the wounds he had caused. The darkness was drawing ever closer but something held him back. He would fight this thing called death. Fight it till he could fight no longer. He would fight, fight for the memory… just one last time, he would fight.

Two days later the boat made dock at that same pier that the man had held most dear to him. His friend tightened his fist tighter around the bag of his nakama. He gritted his teeth together and began the agonizing walk to the address he had been given.

He tossed his head lightly to get his blonde hair out of his face, but it only fell back down, covering one of his sapphire blue eyes. He shifted his broken arm and began to limp slightly as the pain in his ankle returned. Still he carried on.

It seemed like hours had passed when he finally arrived at the house. He was uncomfortable being here, being watched. The stares were not directed at him, they were directed at his uniform, and then they slid to this arm, feet, and lastly his face. Once they caught sight of his eyes they would always turn away or their eyes would widen in fear or their expression would soften into one that spoke of pity. He knew what they saw. They saw a broken man; one who had eyes that were cruel and cutting, able to find all of your weaknesses in an instant and yet held such a profound sadness that it overwhelmed all. To be frank, he hated it.

He placed his nakama's bag on the ground and reached towards the door. It opened before he could knock and a man in his late teens opened the door. They stared at each other for a while before the man stepped aside and invited him in.

"I know why you're here. He already found out. They called out the names of those who died in the field of duty at his high school football game. I told him that-" The dark haired man was cut off by the soldier laughing. It was a laugh that held no hope, a bitter sound, one that no one could imagine.

"Died in the field of duty," he said bitterly. "Fools, that wasn't how he died." The man ran his hand tiredly through his blond hair and sighed. He smiled slightly and set his trembling hands down on the chair before him.

"He died on the way back. He was heading to the only home he had left. It was here you know the place he called home. I would come back into the tent after night watch and find him sitting up and completely awake. It was one of the few times we didn't fight over everything. He told me of that day on the pier the first time I found him like that. Every time he talked about it he would smile and his eyes would light up. He was genuinely happy. At some point I realized he stopped giving the letters he wrote to the man who sent the mail. A few days later I came back from my watch and he was crying. He had never cried before. Not when we watched our comrades die in front of us, not when he was told that his last living member of his family died, no, it was a first that I never thought to see. After that he stopped sleeping. He took as many night and day shifts as possible. He requested to be put in the front lines. After my night shift one time, I found him just staring into space. I tried to talk to him but he just looked at me. It was then that I believed the stories of the war breaking someone. I just never thought it would be him. I guess he had realized what I was thinking because then he told me something I will never forget," He stopped for a breather and accepted the cup of coffee the man offered him.

"Sorry, the names Sanji, best friend of Zoro."

"Ace, brother of Luffy," the man replied solemnly. "So what did he tell you?"

"He said 'I was an idiot. I told him to forget it. That I didn't love him. That it was for the best that he would stop writing. Sanji, it's not the war, no I would rather be broken by the sights I have seen then live with what I have done. I lied. I lost my chance. You know he told me, on the pier, that sometimes all that someone needs is some kindness. He was kind, I was harsh. I'm a demon. I don't deserve to be loved by an angel like him.' His eyes showed that he couldn't be convinced otherwise. He made me promise that if he didn't make it that I would bring all his stuff here, to Luffy." Sanji gestured to the bag he had placed on the floor by his feet. Ace stared at him in silence. His eyes were kind and had changed from their unforgiving harshness.

"Oh and something else."

"What? What else?" said a soft voice.

Sanji and Ace turned to the door way. The young boy that Zoro had so often described was standing there. Sanji reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. It wasn't very large but it was large enough to hold folded up paper. He offered it to the young boy known as Luffy and said simply

"Here."

Luffy crossed the floor hesitantly and reached out to take the box. As soon as he had it in his hands he raced out and Sanji heard a faint slam as a door closed.

Luffy sat on the bed staring at the stack of letters in front of him. He reached for them and slowly untied the faded red ribbon. Picking up the first one he noticed that it was his letter to Zoro. Shuffling through them he found out they were all just his letters. Angrily he threw the box at the wall and grinned as it hit with a resounding thump. He noticed that something had fallen out of it and picked it up. It was a letter. Addressed to him. From Zoro.

"Saying goodbye is never easy
It's the hardest thing to do
But what hurts even more
Is not the chance to say it to you.

Yesterday is just a memory
Our laughter was sunny and bright
Then clouds started to gather
For you were no where in sight.

You were my first real love
And this I will never forget
How I left without a warning
No good-byes, my only regret.

Wherever I may be now
Always searching for another so true
To place my world of emotion
Handing my love to someone like you.

If again I must go there
And experience all the pain
I would do it in a minute
For all the good I would gain.

No matter what my wrongs
You offered only love
Until the day I left you
For my new home up above.

I know you still are with me
My love is within your heart
Though life is no longer present
Our souls will never part.

This is given to you in honor
Of all that we did share
I just wanted you to know, dear,
How much I really did care."

Luffy walked slowly to his door and opened it. He wasn't sure what he was doing exactly but he had to know.

"How did he die?" came the question. Sanji had known this might happen so he faced the young boy and told him in a soft voice the truth.

"He jumped overboard to save a man's life. He pushed the man away from him after we had gotten them a life line. A huge wave took him under and we haven't seen him since. They just assumed he was dead."

"Oh, thank you." Luffy looked down at the letter and turned around, getting ready to head to his room.

A hand was placed gently on his shoulder, stopping him from leaving.

"Tell me Luffy. Did you really love him? With all your heart?" Sanji asked.

Luffy opened his mouth but nothing would come out so he nodded his head while wiping away his tears. He turned around to look at Sanji.

"Zorro once told me that when he got the letter from your brother about how you were in a car accident that even though you were in a coma that he could feel you in here," Sanji tapped his finger over the boy's heart. "He could tell that you would pull through. He felt in his heart that you were still alive. I had noticed that a week before he got that letter that he had hesitated while on the battle field. He told me later that day that it was nothing, he just felt uneasy, dizzy, tired and sort of empty." Sanji placed his hand on Luff's head and ruffled his hair.

"He knew, subconsciously, that you were hurt. Trust your heart kid. What is it that you feel?"

Luffy concentrated. He knew that he didn't feel empty, just… drained, as if he had just swam a long way.

"He's alive!"

Sanji smiled and with unfocused eyes he said softly, so softly that only Ace heard him.

"I hope so Luffy, I really hope so."

A year later Luffy had the radio turned up high, basting music through the house when a new song came on. Everyone in the house stopped as they heard something smash to the floor.

"Impossible," muttered Sanji, Ace's new boyfriend.

Luffy whimpered in shock as he slid to the floor in the kitchen where the pates were covering the tile. He clenched his hands into fists in front of him as tears fell from his eyes onto his jeans.

Why? Why now? Why did this song sound so… familiar?

"Two days past eighteen
He was waiting for the bus in his army green
Sat down in a booth in a cafe there
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair
He's a little shy so she gives him a smile
And he said would you mind sittin' down for a while
And talking to me,
I'm feeling a little low
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go

So they went down and they sat on the pier
He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care
I got no one to send a letter to
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you

I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter said
A soldier's coming home

So the letters came from an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heart
It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of
He said when it's getting kinda rough over here
I think of that day sittin' down at the pier
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for awhile

One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the Anthem sang
A man said folks would you bow your heads
For a list of local Vietnam dead
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read but nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair

"And that was the newly acclaimed singer Zoro. The song known as Traveling Soldier. Now we have him on the phone at the moment. Zoro, where did you come up with this song?"

"I actually wrote it based off a memory of mine."

Luffy gasped and scrambled for the phone. He dialed the number and waited until a man picked up.

"Hello, this is Monkey D. Luffy. I wanted to ask if Zoro used to be a soldier."

"…"

"Navy."

"…"

"Oh, okay, thank you. No, I'm sorry to~" Luffy stopped speaking momentarily as Zoro began to speak.

"Yah, I uhh actually dedicated it to someone. His name is Monkey D. Luffy."

"Wow that's interesting. What made~" the radio man stopped speaking for a while but there were murmurs and hushed voices in the background.

"Okay, Bye."

Luffy hung up the phone with a sigh.

"Wah? Oh he's… oh we actually just had someone on the phone. He wanted to ask if you were a soldier, the Navy to be exact."

"Actually yah I was. I was released from duty due to an injury. Unfortunately I lost most of my memories. The doctors said that I repressed them, probably to a traumatic accident. They told me that I probably wouldn't get them back."

"Is there any place that you plan to go after this?"

"Probably to the pier. It calms me."

"Well thank you Zoro for sharing this with us and giving us a bit of your time."

"Hey, not problem!"

Luffy, Sanji, and Ace all went stiff with shock. Luffy turned to Ace and stared at him. Ace just grunted and motioned for him to go ahead. That was all Luffy needed as he spun on his heal and raced out the door and down the street towards the beach.

Ace grabbed Sanji's hand and pulled him along. They walked at a slower pace than Luffy had so it took them longer to get to the pier close to their house.

"Do you really think he would come here?" Sanji whispered, staring at the ground.

"Of course," Ace replied, squeezing Sanji's hand in reassurance. "Luffy has a way of drawing those who he cares about back to him."

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I also do not own the song, it is Traveling Soldier by Dixie Chicks.