One Piece: True Treasure

by Yozora no Hoshi

The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. Follows anime, OCx?

1. I'm Gonna Be King of the Pirates

One Piece: True Treasure

This is my first time writing a Fanfiction, so I could use constructive criticism, but remember, there's a wide margin between that an utter bashing.

Summary: The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder. OC, follows anime. OCx?

There will be crossovers with other animes later on. And remember, One Piece belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda. No profit is being made off of this Fanfiction, please support the official release.

~~風~~

Chapter 1: I'm Gonna Be King of the Pirates!

I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships changes, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea- whether it is to sail or to watch it- we are going back from whence we came…John F. Kennedy.

~~風~~

Long ago, there was a great man, a Pirate King, who went by the name of Gol D. Roger. Known as Gold Roger by both friend and foe alike, he was the fiercest and most respected Pirate that ever did sail the seas. He had it all, wealth, fame, power. He had conquered the oceans and obtained the greatest treasure of them all…the One Piece.

Alas, his fame, infamy, and life were all cut short when the elusive Pirate was finally captured by Marines. At his execution, before they lobbed off his head in public, his last words managed to inflame the passions of many a man that called for them to take up the Jolly Roger themselves, driving them to the sea.

"You want my treasure, you can have it, I left it all together in one place…The One Piece! Now all you have to do is find it!"

And to this day, every Pirate that takes to sea from any corner of the world weighs anchor and sets sail towards the Grand Line in hope of discovering the One Piece to become the next King of the Pirates, setting the world into the Great Pirate Age.

~~風~~

The mid-day sun hung perfectly in the impossible blue sky, the clouds drifting almost lazily as the crossed the perfect pallet. Sea gulls wheeled through the air and called merrily in the refreshing sea's breeze. A whirlpool sucked in ocean water into it shadowy gull, promising certain death to any that were swept up inside. Nearby, an elegant cruise ship ferried across the East Blue Ocean. Two sailors leaning against the railing watched the whirlpool with worried fascination, slightly nervous about being swallowed up. A sudden 'clack' caught one of their attentions, glancing down before jabbing his companion's arm. Bobbing in the crystal clear waters was a huge wooden barrel, apparently separated from whatever ship had been carrying its cargo.

While the two of them were surprised and concerned if a ship had drifted too close to the whirlpool, probably the reason why this barrel was here, they were more interested if there was any sake as its contents. Together, they decided to catch the barrel and bring it onboard, hoping to wet their gullets.

~~風~~

Inside the cruise ship, dozens of passengers were enjoying themselves in the dance hall as a band provided music. There, they conversed, danced, and dined on rich food and fine wine, awed by the luxury the ship had to offer. One group was gathered around the ship's captain, who was promising their safety despite the whirlpool, assuring them they were a good distance away.

Meanwhile, a pretty woman in her late teens with short tangerine locks stood next to the large windows, her cinnamon brown eyes fixated on the sea, eyeing a distant island in particular. She wore a lovely cream-collared dress and red accessories. She seemed captivated by the ocean view, blending in with the aristocratic crowd, despite the fact that she wasn't actually a passenger.

"Miss?" Turning her head, she found a handsome youth next to her, holding a hand out to her. "May I have this dance?" he inquired, tilting his head to one side. She smiled sweetly with a nod, deciding to indulge the man while she waited.

~~風~~

Back on the deck, one of the sailors was swinging a hook attached to a rope above his head before shucking it down to the barrel. His shot went wide, however, leading his skinner friend to chuckle at his misfortune.

"Not again…"

"Batter out!"

From above in the crows next, another sailor shouted down, "You suck man, just give it up!" Suddenly, as though alerted by some higher being, the lookout turned his head towards the distant island. His friends, meanwhile, had finally managed to snag the barrel and were busy pulling the rope to raise it.

"Damn! This thing is heavy!"

"Must be filled with a lot of sake then!" the other said with a slight grimace, irritated by the extreme weight. The barrel itself was lightweight, but the contents were ridiculously heavy. It felt like there were two people inside for crying out loud! Still, the two were very pleased with their catch, eager to have a taste of its contents.

The lookout, however, had a look of utter horror on his face, his jaw slack. For, behind the island, came one of the greatest horrors known to any ship…a ship bearing the Jolly Roger!

The ship itself was probably smaller than the cruise ship, but it looked much deadlier due to the dozen cannons equipped to the boat. It seemed oddly girlish, due to its painted pink hull, swan-shaped figurehead, and even the Jolly Roger was customized, the skull turned sideways with a pinkish-red heart emblazed on it. But that made it easy to identify exactly who was the captain of the ship.

"Ship off to the starboard stern!" the lookout shouted, his hat flying off. "There's a pirate flag on its mast!"His two friends panicked, abandoning their barrel to run like headless chickens as he called out, "It the Alvida pirate ship! Enemy raid! Enemy raid!"

The pirate ship in question began to fire cannonballs at the cruise ship, all going wide and striking the water around the ship, but they never the less caused a great deal of turmoil. Due to the sudden waves created as backlash, the passengers in the dancing hall staggered about, screams filling the air. The orange haired girl was abandoned by her cowardly partner as the two sailors burst into the room, shouting, "Captain, it's pirates!"

The captain ordered for everyone to be calm, but people were panicking, running around in horror to reach the exit. The orangette, however, just braced herself against the wall, not wanting to be crushed by the crowds running past. She smirked, unafraid.

~~風~~

"Fire!" a nasally voice commanded on the enemy ship, prompting the pirates to shoot the cannons, shattering the dolphin figurehead of the cruise ship and hammering the hull. "COBY!" the voice snarled out.

"H-Hai!" a terrified-looking boy answered on the deck of the ship. He was young, with a small build, with short, light pink hair and blue, circular glasses. He seemed out of place, with his tiny build surrounded by bigger, burlier, and meaner pirates, all of whom sported malevolent smirks.

"Who's the most beautiful of all on these seas?"

He rubbed the back of his nervously and had to lie through his teeth, for the woman he was facing was obviously one of the meanest, nastiest, fattest, ugliest woman to ever sail the seas. She had long, wavy black hair coming underneath her white cowboy hat, accented with a red plumage and a green band. Her plump cheeks were dotted with freckles and her fat lips were painted red, her eyes squinty. She wore a pink shirt that stretched uncomfortably around her large frame, as was her white pants and the stolen, blue captain's coat. The purple sash around her waist had a flintlock pistol stuck in it, along with some jewels, and her long, red painted, talon-like nails were wrapped around a massive steel mace, propped up against her shoulder.

"Oh…uh...y-y-you are C-Captain Alv-v-vida-sa-ama," the poor boy, Coby, stuttered furiously. Oh how he wished her could retort and tell the truth, but if he angered her, his head would be bashed in by the mace that was Captain Alvida's signature weapon giving her her name, Iron Mace Alvida. The nasty woman smirked and laughed, pleased with the answer.

"Well done!"

"A-Arigato…" the terrified boy stuttered.

"Alvida-sama," a tough looking man said. "This is our first prey in a while."

"That's right. Alright," the woman snapped to the pirate manning the cannon on deck, "Start pounding the ship!"

More cannon balls were fired, one scoring a direct hit with the cruise ship's mast as other steel shots smashed into the ship mercilessly. The passengers continued to panic in their fear. The barrel from earlier, knocked around by the shudders of the ship, began to roll, falling down a hatch before coasting down the hallway. It bounced off the corner of a door, dizzily spinning into the ship's kitchen before it finally stopped with a crash. The orange-haired young lady, meanwhile, grasped the edge of her skirt and ran down the halls before peeking out the door to the top of the ship. She looked around, apprehensive, before she panicked slightly, slamming the green door shut as the pirate ship came into view.

Alvida's ship grazed against the other boat's side, moving into attack position as the anchor was dropped. Various crew members tossed their ropes to the larger vessel, the hooks digging into the wooden railings to allow a means of transportation between the two boats. Alvida herself smirked proudly, eager to start their raid, as she pointed her mace at the ship.

"Men! Show them the terror of Iron Club Alvida, the woman pirate!" she roared and, with that, the pirates cheered, racing across the ropes as though on cat's feet, holding their weapons aloft. Other whooped as they soared through the air on swinging ropes, bridging the distance, all eager to join in the plundering.

In the end, the only ones still left on the deck were Alvida…and poor Coby, who held a rope with chattering teeth. The nasty woman, twisted her head to face the timid boy and snarled, "Coby! What're you doing?!" She was irritated with the spineless whelp, clenching her mace tightly in her grasp.

Tears spilled from the petrified child as he stuttered back, "I-I'm not good at this sort of thing…"

This only enraged the mace-wielding woman as she slowly made her way towards him. "Hmm? Are you tryin' to give me back talk?!"

"Please!" the pink haired boy shouted. "Anything but the club!?" He had seen men's skulls crack in half from a mere swat on the head, who knew what a full blow would do to him?

"Then get yer ass in gear!" Alvida snapped, nailing Coby in the butt with her foot, who cried in pain as he flew through the air. His face made a painful connection with the wooden wall, hovering in air before sliding down with a pained groan. He twisted onto his back, his face burning and the possibility of a broken nose, waiting for the pain to die. Everything suddenly went dark, greatly confusing Coby, as it was sunny mere moments ago.

Wait…is it nighttime already? He wondered, tilting his head up to the sky. His eyes bugged out, however, when he saw a very distinct round shape of an impressive size heading straight for him that blocked out the light of the sun with its girt. It was none other than the foul-tempered Captain Alvida, her mace prepared to slam into the boy's skull. With a very girlish scream, Coby managed to roll away, making the woman smash into the wall behind him. Terrified, the pink haired boy ran as fast as his short legs could carry him.

~~風~~

A good deal of the passengers were cowering in one large crowd in the ballroom, surrounded by the armed pirates, all of them smirking at the terrified group. One with a face like that of Boris Karloff said, "We won't take yer lives, but we will take all yer valuables!"

"Anyone who tries to fight back will wind up at the bottom of the ocean," Alvida added evilly, stepping to the front of the crowd, causing the petrified crowd to shudder as her crew laughed.

Many of the trapped people began to hand over their possession, surrendering in fear of their lives. One, however, wasn't in the ballroom, but in a hallway just outside. The orange haired woman was pressed against the wall, spying on the pirates. When she was sure that they weren't coming anytime soon, she turned away, grasping the collar of her dress before performing a miraculous quick change. She now wore a blue, short sleeved shirt with a white collar and black pants, a red sash around her waist. A black bandana was wrapped around her head, hiding a good deal of her distinctive hair.

She smirked; time to get to work. With that, she ran down the hallway before ending up on the ship's deck. She quickly slid down to Alvida's ship on one of the ropes, landing with cat-like grace onto the vessel. Once there, she ran towards a red door, covertly glancing around before reaching for the handle. The door, however, opened up before she grasped it, revealing a green shirted pirate looking at her with confusion and annoyance.

"Who the hell are you? Never seen you before," he remarked stupidly, leaning in to take a better look at her face to see if she was a new crew member. Mercilessly, she aimed and scored a direct hit to his crotch, smirking down at him as he fell to the wooden floor in pain, the pained man clutching his balls. The woman smiled at him before heading inside, intent on reaching her goal.

~~風~~

"K-Konichiwa," Coby stuttered, poking his head nervously into the ship's kitchen. When he noticed that no one was inside, neither pirates nor the cruise ship's crew, he sighed in relief before he walked inside, glancing around. He was searching for something, anything really, of value that he could use to barter for his freedom. As his eyes scanned the room, he took notice of the largest barrel he had ever seen, lying on its side, amongst the wreckage of overturn pots, pans, and a table. It the exact same barrel that the two crew members had been trying to pull up from the ocean a few minutes ago.

The pink haired boy inspected the barrel closely, awed with its size. He quickly assumed that it contained sake. Coby silently took this as a sign from above as he started to roll it, with difficulty as it was very heavy, towards the door. Judging by its impressive size, it had to be filled to the brim with sake and, since this was a luxury cruise for the wealthy, it could only be the finest brand of liquor to suit the taste of the passengers. When he presented it Alvida, she would surely grant him his desperately desired freedom! Maybe then he could finally pursue his dreams!

He was barely a foot from the door when his luck took a turn for the worst. Three members of the Alvida Pirates had to take that moment to enter the kitchen, surrounding Coby and the barrel.

"There you are, cabin boy," the largest pirate said with an evil smirk, clad in a blue and white shirt that stretched over his large stomach. "You thought you could escape us again, eh Coby?"

The poor boy gulped as he tried to come up with a good excuse for not being involved in the frisking of the passengers. "W-What? Oh n-n-no, I was just uh…"

The skinniest member of the gang, however, interrupted Coby, taking notice of the massive barrel the boy had been pushing. "What's in that barrel, Coby?"

Shit, Coby thought as the others inspected it, their smirks growing as their minds worked out the same conclusion he had had earlier.

"I bet it's filled with sake. Perfect," the large pirate said, leering at the barrel, "Why don't we, lighten the load for you, eh?"

"I was just feelin' thirsty," the tallest of the bunch added with a grin.

Coby shook his head frantically. "YOU CAN'T! ALVIDA-SAMA WILL KILL US IF SHE FINDS OUT!" he screeched hysterically in a panic. This was his one chance at freedom and if those bastards drank it…!

The tattooed one gabbed Coby byhis shirt, silencing with a glare. "She won't know if you don't tell her," he growled, a dangerous light in his eyes. Which meant You dare snitch on us, we'll fucking murder you, capisce?

With growing despair and fear, Coby reluctantly nodded. "Y-Y-Yeah, sure, n-no problem." He resigned himself to watch his one chance of freedom be drunk right in front of his eyes by the cruel men. The blue-clad pirate lifted it up with a grunt, getting the barrel upright before cracking his knuckles to loosen them up.

"It's real heavy."

"Can't wait!"

"Stand back fellas, let me open this thing up the old fashion way," the round one ordered, lifting his bunched fist above his head, preparing to crack the top of the barrel. Before his fist made contact with the wooden barrel, however, something unexpected happened that would change Coby's life forever.

"I SLEPT GRRRRREEEEEEEEEAAAAATTTTTT!" The lid of the barrel shattered as a boy burst through the wooden barrel like it was cardboard, his fist accidentally bashing into the large, blue clad pirate right behind him. The man pitched backwards, out cold, while all the while the boy stretched merrily, a content smile on his face. He was no older than seventeen, short ebony locks pocking out from underneath his straw, red brimmed hat. He wore a red button-up vest, blue shorts, and slip on sandals. A small scar, with two stitches, curled underneath his left eye, coupled with a large, goofy grin stretching ear to ear finished up his unusual appearance. His black eyes, with flicks of brown, snapped open as he glanced around curiously.

Popping his back a bit from the slightly uncomfortable nap he had, the boy finally noticed the two men and one boy staring at him with utter shock and horror. Confused, he tilted his head to one side before he caught sight of the unconscious man lying on the floor.

"Huh? Who's this guy?" he asked, a slight frown on his face.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"the two men yelled in unison, yet the boy completely ignored them both.

"He'll catch a cold if he sleeps like that," he added thoughtfully as he stepped out of the barrel.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KNOCKED HIM OUT!"the pair shouted, drawing their swords to look more intimidating, one putting it right under his nose.

"Wait a minute, are you playin' with us? We're vicious pirates, ya' know!" the tattooed one shouted, trying to gain a reaction from the oblivious boy.

"Oh! That reminds me!" the boy said, ignoring the two once againas he slammed a fist into the palm of his other hand before bending down and poking something within the barrel. "Come on, 'Kara. Rise 'n shine! We made it!" A soft sigh could be heard as a pale hand rested on the edge of the shattered barrel and a second figure pulled themselves up, the other hand resting on their head gently. Coby and the other pirates' eyes bugged out by what they saw.

It was a girl, about the same age as the straw hat kid, but compared to her, he looked completely normal! Despite his own unique hair color, Coby had never seen someone with purple locks before! The mauve hair was perfectly straight, styled in a hime-cut that was longer up front, framing the girl's face with bangs, while angling shorter towards the back. Somehow, she also had absurdly long hair that was positioned into high pigtails ending at her skirt, secured by large, golden bells, jingling happily as she rubbed her head. Her outfit seemed navy-style, with a white blouse complete with a blue sailor-style collar and a matching ascot, a pleated dark blue skirt to her knees, and long blue socks fit with black flats. Several dangling, closed fans of varying sizes hung around her skirt, attached to something underneath her shirt. A massive piece of wood or metal seemed to be strapped to her back, almost as tall as her! Her eyes were deep violet as she shot a cold glance at Coby before turning her gaze to the older men. He could feel the sudden drop in temperature within the room as Coby and the two pirates shivered, the black haired boy completely fine.

"Who are these people?" she asked, as stone faced as before to the boy beside her. He shrugged with a "Beats me!" A soft hum could be heard as she maneuvered herself out of the ruined barrel, completely ignoring the men who, needless to say, weren't very pleased with being ignored.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TWO?!"

"We're both starving, do you know where the food is?" the boy asked a trembling Coby with a smile, the purplette standing beside him. The girl's blank gaze unnerved him and he was still shocked by both of their sudden appearances. Catching his eye, the girl unhooked a fan from her belt, opening it and positioned the orange silk creation at the bridge of her nose, masking everything beneath her eyes, which curled up into u's, as if in a teasing smile to relax his nerves.

"HEY YOU DAMNED BRATS, DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE US!" the largely ignored pirates shouted as one, raising their swords into the air, prepared to strike the insolent pair down. "DIE!" Coby screamed, horrified as he shut his eyes and covered his glasses, unable to watch them slice up the pair in front of him. The boy and girl, however, remained standing with slightly dark eyes, unfazed by the pirates' actions. As the swords arched downwards, in a blur unnoticeable by the human eye, almost half of the two swords were suddenly sliced off, spinning wildly to stick into the ceiling. The cowardly men took two steps back, shaking in fear at the unmoving pair, unable to comprehend what they had both witnessed. Coby uncovered his eyes, his jaw dropping in awe to see the two teens unharmed and the swords broken.

"You guys are really weird," the boy noted in a bored tone, revealing his eyes from under his hat now that he was finished.

"Muu," the girl said with a nod, snapping her fan shut, her void gaze zeroed in on the shaking pair, who were immediately struck with the thought that the two of them were demons.

"W-What in the seven hells are you two?!"

"Oh, us? I'm Monkey D. Luffy," the boy said with a cheerful grin before throwing an arm around the girl beside him, ignorant of the shivering men, their knees buckling dangerously. "And this is my best friend, Mizuno Takara but you can call us Luffy and Takara respectively. Nice ta meecha!"

"And for your information, there are six levels in hell," the girl, Takara, said casually, the ominous aura leaking around her scaring them all remained oblivious. "I could send you there if you're curious…"

With that, the terrified pirates fled in complete and utter terror, dragging their still unconscious friend with them out the kitchen and down the hall, leaving the trio alone in the room. After a few moments of silence, the kneeling Coby finally asked the million dollar question that remains unknown to all but four, "What the…What just happened?"

"What's with them?" Luffy asked carelessly while Takara shrugged, seemingly not understanding as well.

They were terrified by the both of you!? Coby screamed mentally, unable to believe that the pair was that thick headed before he realized the magnitude of the situation. "R-Run away, hurry! If they come back with their friends, you both could be killed! Or worse!" he added with a meaningful glance at the girl. She was very pretty and young; no doubt the horrible crew would have a lot of fun with her before they finally slit her throat.

The mauve haired girl, Takara, however, merely blinked at him, as did the straw hat kid, Luffy he guessed, before he grinned cheekily. "But we're still hungry! We haven't eaten in like, three hours!" The girl nodded, her bells jingling again while the boy sniffed the air like a dog tracking an animal.

"How can you both be so carefree!" Coby cried, stunned by their casualness. "There are a hundred more of them up on the deck!"

"If they're like those two from before, we'll beat them easily," Takara informed him as Luffy grabbed her arm and began to lead her towards a door at the far end of the kitchen, ignoring the pink haired boy's warnings. With a shriek, Coby latched onto Luffy's other arm, attempting to weigh them down or lead them to the exit for escape. But they both had at least a dozen pounds or so on him and easily dragged him with them, opening the door and stepping inside the darkened room, comically shutting the door on Coby's neck. Inside, Luffy cheered with an eager face while Takara's blank purple eyes gleamed with a bright light, eyeing the barrels, crates, and sacks bulging with food.

"Food, food, food! Yes! Food!" he shouted joyously as he leaped down, quickly followed by the eager Takara and the two began to search for something edible within , meanwhile, was covertly glancing out the door, noting that the location was out of the way and unsuspecting. They should be safe for awhile. "Actually, they might not find us here!"

He turned around with a despairing face to find Takara opening a large crate while Luffy cheered happily, "Jackpot! Apples! These look great!" Together, they began to eat rapidly, the straw hat wearing boy simply tossing the apples whole into his mouth while Takara took sharp bites into its skin, quickly devouring the fruit.

"So…your names are Luffy-san and Takara-san, right?" the boy asked, trying to start a conversation with the pair as he walked down the steps to join them. "I'm Coby. That was pretty cool what you did out there."

"These apples are amazing," Luffy noted cheerfully, snacking away on the red fruit. Takara merely nodded, biting into a particularly crisp one. The pink haired boy didn't really get upset, knowing that the two were probably starving from their adventures. He was also getting used to being ignored by them.

"Say, where are we anyways? Is this a marine ship or a pirate ship?"

"It's seems fancier than a pirate's vessel," the girl agreed with a critical eye gazing at her surroundings. It was silly though, as they were merely in the food pantry.

"Neither. It's a passenger ship that's being raided by Captain Alvida-sama and her crew," Coby explained, earning a nod from the purplette before she returned her attention to the food, the pair making quick work of the box.

"Well, it doesn't matter to us," Luffy said around his stuffed mouth. "Do you know if there are any boats onboard?"

"I-I think so…So, how come you were both in that barrel anyways? It must have been pretty cramped," Coby noted, trying to learn more about the pair. He was very curious about why they both had been doing in there, perhaps hiding from the pirates? But they could stand their own against two with swords, so that didn't make much sense, and they didn't know their surroundings either, so that idea flew out the window.

"Oh, we were sailing when our ship got caught in a whirlpool," the black haired boy said simply, as if it was nothing.

"Muu, I didn't think we'd make it honestly," the purplette added with a shrug, tossing away the apple core before reaching for another, ignoring Coby's stunned expression.

"WHAT?! H-H-How did you manage to survive that?" he shrieked.

"Nah, it was nothing. Takara was the one to suggest the barrel," Luffy explained. "Besides, it was kinda fun, right Kara?" he asked the girl, who nodded with a blank face, an apple comically sticking out of her mouth. Coby couldn't help but stare at the two as if they had suddenly grown another head as the two continued to eat. The fact that the two had somehow survived certain death in nothing but a barrel and lived to tell the tale like it was just like another day…it amazed him honestly. He was quickly drawn from his thoughts when the other boy began to talk again.

"Are you one of those pirates, too?"

"You called that person sama," Takara agreed.

Coby's expression fell at those words and his head bowed in shame. Luffy stopped chewing while Takara rubbed the red skin of the apple thoughtfully.

"It was on that fateful day…" he began. "I had gone to the outskirts of town to borrow a boat to go fishing…"

A slightly younger, although roughly the same height, Coby was humming cheerfully, holding aloft his bait 'n tackle box, a pole over his shoulder as he headed for the docks. Once he reached a boat, he began to set his bait box down and prepared to set sail for a short fishing trip when a shadow fell on him. He glanced up in confusion where he was met by menacing figures blackened from the sun at their backs.

"…But it turned out the boat was actually headed for a pirate ship."

A terrified Coby was now sitting at the back of the boat, watching the shoreline become farther and farther away as the boat rowed to Alvida's ship, surrounded by menacing pirates.

"It's been two years since then," Coby concluded, his hands on his knees as Luffy and Takara sat on either side of the pink haired child. "In exchange for my life, I've been forced to be a chore boy."

While most would have expressed sympathy for the poor boy, Luffy just said, "Wow! You're really dumb and stupid."

"Those mean the same thing, Luffy," the violet eyed girl said, but her comment was mostly ignored as Coby bowed his head in shame again, embarrassed by the other's words. She was used to it though, so she merely continued to chew on her last apple.

"Gee, you're brutally honest…" he muttered sarcastically.

"You're not denying it though." Again, Coby's self-respect fell lower at Takara's casual comment as the girl snapped open her fan. It really hurt what little pride he had that a girl, a cute one at that, was pointing out his act of stupidity.

"If you don't like it, just run away!"

"I-I CAN'T!" Coby cried in fear, beginning to shake and sway furiously before Takara grabbed his shoulders to steady him, her expression still blank. "No way! No way! Just the thought of Alvida-sama finding me…frightens me and makes me weak in the knees!"

"Man, you're a coward too!" Luffy laughed cheekily. "I hate people like you!" Takara nodded, (Coby noted she did that a lot with Luffy) with a blank look on her face, although a flicker of amusement seemed to be in her eyes. He was weeping comically all the while, pained by those brutally honest words.

~~風~~

Back on deck, Alvida was watching her crew carrying trunks full of jewels, gold, and other priceless treasures to the side of the ship before attaching them to hooks and swinging them back on board. The crew worked like ants, determined to secure their haul before the Navy showed up.

"Anyone caught dawdling gets a taste of my iron club," Alvida threatened as her men commented on the haul they had scored.

Meanwhile, below deck, the orangette was busy depositing anything of value into a bulging sack, practically overflowing with gems, coins, and various other expensive baubles. She wiped her brow before setting back to work, grinning cheerfully.

At that moment, the two pirates that had tried to harass Luffy, Takara, and Coby, burst up from the hatch before they got stuck. Knowing how pointless it was to try moving, the both shouted, "Alvida-sama!"

Iron Mace Alvida turned around with a glare, annoyed at the pair as they shouted, "It's bad!"

"What is it?! You're annoying me!" she snarled as the two developed large sweat drop at the back of their heads. She stalked towards them, her mace on her shoulder.

"A b-b-barrel!"

"A m-m-monster!" the pair stuttered violently.

Alvida, however, heard only one word: Monster. Her face became enraged as she growled dangerously. "Who're you calling a monster?!" she shouted angrily, lifting her mace up with a single hand, preparing to knock them both senseless, believing they had been insulting her. The two managed to dodge as she let the club soar from her grip, their friend however, who had finally regaining consciousness, got hit straight in the jaw as he scaled up behind them. He was sent flying into the distance, merely a dot before disappearing utterly. The club, meanwhile, landed on top of the other two, who quickly developed large bumps on their skulls.

"N-No…Some weird guy and girl popped out of a barrel…" one managed to say through the pain. "They might be…bounty hunters…" This caused Alvida to pause, a slight bit of apprehension in her eyes. If there was one things pirates feared on the open waters, save for the Navy, it was people aiming to either capture or kill them for a large sum of Beri, bounty hunters. And the most infamous of them all…Roronoa Zoro.

~~風~~

At the moment, Coby was sitting between the cheerful Luffy and the deadpan Takara, thinking deeply. After a second he began to talk. "Yeah…You're right…I'm a coward. If only I had the courage to drift the ocean in only a barrel…there's actually something I want to do…" he said softly. Luffy and Takara stared at him, both quiet before Coby turned his attention back to them, not wanting to be caught up in his self-pity. "Umm...What compelled you both to set out for sea, Luffy-san, Takara-san?"

Luffy perked up at that and grinned cheerfully. "I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!"

"I wish to be the strongest pirate to sail the seas."

To say Coby was shocked was an understatement. His jaw had dropped even farther than when Luffy and Takara had made their entrance and even their tale of surviving the whirlpool paled in comparison.

"K-K-King of the Pirates?!"

"Yup!"

"Are you serious?!"

"Yeah."

"Muu, it's the only thing he's serious about," Takara added. "That and his hat."

"Wait, you're both pirates, Luffy-san, Takara-san?!"

"Yep."

"What about your crew?"

"It's just me and Takara right now, we only just set out. We'll find them soon enough."

Add into the fact that they had already lost their ship, Coby couldn't have been more shocked by his friends confession. His face was frozen much to the confusion of Luffy, who waved his hand in front of the pink haired boy's face. He suddenly stood up, stuttering once more. "K-K-King of the Pirates is the title that's given to the person who obtains everything the world has to offer! That means seeking the greatest treasure of wealth, fame, and power…the One Piece!" he shrieked at the two of them.

"Yup!" Luffy said simply, as if something he said every minute. Which was true, Takara had put up with him talking about obtaining the One Piece for three hours straight once.

"Yup?! Pirates from all over the world are after that treasure!"

"Us too!" Luffy said with a smile.

"Actually, I'm only here to support Luffy, I have no desire to become Queen of the Pirates," Takara said helpfully with dull eyes, but was ignored.

"NO WAY, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE! THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN JUST STAND AT THE APEX OF THIS GREAT PIRATE ERA! NO WAY, NO WAY!"

Coby was suddenly knocked into the ground by two forces: a strong fist and a, surprisingly, heavy fan. He looked up to see Luffy, with an extended hand, and Takara, holding an innocent fan at her lips, standing above him. Unlike before, Luffy was not smiling and Takara seemed even more serious than usual.

"Why did you both hit me?"

"Just because," Luffy said, his voice a little gruffer than normal. Takara offered no explanation, but there was a fire burning in her violet gaze as she shot Coby a pointed look.

"Oh well, I'm used to being hit on the head by now," he said, slowly rubbing his scalp while he tried to laugh the pain away. Luffy and Takara shared a look before the boy sighed and removed his straw hat, staring at it fondly, while Takara's lips curved upwards as she rubbed one of the bells holding her pigtails up. Coby stared at the pair, but he blushed at seeing the natural smile on Takara's face.

She looks even prettier when she smiles, he couldn't help but think before he began to freak out. GAH! What am I thinking?! I barely even know her!

"It's not about whether I can or not," Luffy said suddenly, giving Coby an escape from his traitorous thoughts. "I'm gonna do it because I want to. I've promised an old friend of mine a long time ago that I'd become King of the Pirates, so if I die fighting for that, then that's fine with me."

"As for me," Takara said, her fingers still on the cool metal. "I swore I would always be by Luffy's side to help him achieve his dream while I pursue my own. I wish to become the strongest Pirate to ever sail, so that I can protect those who are important to me. Even if I'm a woman, I will fight twice…no, thrice as hard as any man to prove myself and achieve that goal. I don't mine staking my life on that promise and dream. It's just the ultimate gamble; you either win big or die trying."

Coby stared in awe at the both of them, his eyes wide. Here were two individuals, both a little older than him, willing to risk their lives for their dreams, despite the odds, with such determination. It was as if they were taunting Death himself as they pursued their goals, unwilling to fear him as they chased their dreams. And Takara, to go against the mindset of many, just to protect those important to her. He had never…he had never gone after his own dreams like that…They were both nothing short of amazing. With a fond smile, Luffy placed his hat back on his head, leading the way for Takara towards the door, as the girl carried a box full of supplies, helping herself to the larder.

"Now, then! Our bellies are full, guess I'll get that boat!"

"Perhaps they will be generous, Luffy," Takara said as they walked by Coby, still kneeling on the floor. After a few moments, he began to speak.

"Luffy…Takara…do you think…do you think I can do it too? If I'm prepared to die for it?"

"Do what?" Luffy asked as he and his friend paused, turning to face Coby.

"Do you think…Do you think I could be a Marine?"

"A Marine?"

Coby suddenly shot up, his fists clenched, inspired by their high goals. "Yes! All my life I've wanted to be a Marine, catching bad guys and bringing justice to the guilty has been my dream since I was a little kid! Do you think I can do it?" he asked, shouted with passion, with conviction, tears in his eyes.

"I wouldn't know," Luffy said honestly, but there a smile in his eyes while Takara cocked her head to one side.

"You'd be a baby faced Marine, but…You'd still be one," she decided with another of her rare smiles.

"Alright I'll do it! I will not spend the rest of my life as a cabin boy. I will break out of here and join the Marines and catch Alvida-sa-no Alvida and put her fat ass behind bars!" he screamed in determination. Never before had he had such confidence, and it was all thanks to these two strange, wonderful, brave people.

Sadly, this touching moment was rudely interrupted when the ceiling collapsed. Luffy grabbed hold of Takara, the box of supplies falling to the ground, and shielded her while Coby found shelter below them from the debris raining down from above. A plume of dust hindered everyone's ability to see, but it certainly didn't stop them from hearing as a painfully familiar voice to Coby snarled.

"You're gonna team up with them to catch who?!" Alvida snapped at a cowering Coby. After the dust cleared, revealing her and several of her crew, Luffy lowered his arms from around Takara as they both took in the sight before them. Five swords broke through the wall behind them, outlining their bodies, but neither Luffy nor Takara were moved or harmed.

Alvida carefully studied the two in front of her with a critical eye. The boy seemed shrimpy and the girl didn't hold much promise either, as if her cute face was a match against her astonishing beauty! Neither one seemed to have weapons, either, although the stick on the girl's back was concerning.

She smirked at the both of them. "So you two brats are the ones my crew was talking about? Heh, you don't seem to be Roronoa Zoro, the famous Pirate Hunter?"

"Zoro?" Luffy questioned, shooting a confused look at Takara, who shrugged. It wasn't a name either of them were familiar with. However, they were dragged from their musings as Alvida turned back to face Coby.

"COBY?! Who is the most beautiful woman in all of these seas?" she questioned, flipping part of her hair over her shoulders to try and appear more attractive. All it did was move her greasy hair to one side and reveal more of her fat neck.

"Eh, eh, eh, eh of-of course that would be-"

"Mu, Coby?" Takara questioned, earning everyone's attention as she and Luffy both pointed at Alvida.

"Who's this big chunky lady?" Luffy concluded with a perplexed look.

"Not to mention ugly," the purplette added with a raised, fine eyebrow.

Everyone's jaw dropped and remained still for several moments, unable to comprehend the fact that these two, insignificant brats (but not in the eyes of Coby) had just insulted the Iron Mace Alvida. Neither seemed to understand the magnitude of their words, either.

"Those kids…"

"Not good…" Alvida's crew stuttered and whimpered back on the top deck as they watched the scene below.

Angry marks popped up on Alvida's face and she saw red as she growled. "What…DID YOU SAY, YOU RUNTS?!" she screamed, swinging her mace to try and crush those brats into mincemeat. Luffy was too quick for her as he ducked out of the way while Takara leaped up into the air with the speed and grace of a dragonfly, landing behind the woman with a fan in each hand, both twice the size of her hand. One was a stormy grey while the other was a fiery red. Luffy landed before Coby, grabbing his wrist before he and Takara jumped straight up to land on the deck. Luffy grinned cheekily at the awaiting pirates while Takara hide her face from view with a fan, only her narrowed eyes peeking above it.

"Why you!" one pirate shouted lunging for Luffy, who merely fell backwards before jolting forward, smashing his head against the other, who fell to the ground. Another tried to stab Luffy in the back, but his blade was met with a fan. He stared in shock at the purplette glaring at him with such intense eyes of the same shade. He suddenly realized that his weapon was cracking slightly; the fan was made of solid iron and steel.

"That's an underhanded thing to do," she remarked, before she kicked her foot up so high and fast, the pirate was struck in his chin and sent skywards before ultimately slamming down onto the ground. She turned her head, pigtails swishing to see Luffy leaping back to dodge five men at once.

"Whoo!" he cheered energetically as he landed. "Sure is fun, huh, Kara?"

She lifted her head and a tiny smirk could be seen on her lips. "Hope they last longer than those other guys," she remarked dryly before shooting forward towards the five men who had dared attack her captain. Her now revealed tessen extended, she swiped and slashed at their swords, knocking out three on her first go while paring the other two. After another moment, they had both been successfully knocked away as she did a pirouette, ramming her foot into all five men before doing an about face to salute Luffy, one fan cheekily pressed against the side of her head while the other was behind her back. The five defeated men fell to the ground, groaning in pain and shock over the fact a girl had beaten them with fans alone. Coby stared at them with open merely grinned, placing his right hand on his left bicep muscle.

Suddenly, a man leaped down from above Luffy, prepared to slice him in two. The straw hat boy, however, heard his yell easily enough and casually stepped to the side. Takara shot forward and parried with the grey tessen, sparks flaring up from where the two metals clashed. She swung her other arm up and rammed her closed fan directly into the pirate's skull, knocking him unconscious.

"Like my friend already said, it's not fair to attack from behind!" Luffy shouted, slamming his fist into two who tried to stab the unsuspecting girl, knocking one into another, sending them both to crash into the floor. She raised her head as the bodies hit the floor and nodded to Luffy, who grinned back, another life debt paid. They both froze as they felt a shiver run up their spines and glanced behind them, spying the awaiting twenty plus men, glaring down at them, all armed with swords.

Moving as one, Luffy and Takara shot forward, Luffy screaming about how they were ganging up on them while Takara remained emotionless, easily shoving aside any weapons that tried to strike them, even with her back turned. Coby could only watch in horror as his two friends were chased. Luffy and Takara managed to share a meaningful look and as Takara halted and spun around to face the crowd, Luffy grabbed the mast with his left hand, continuing to run while his arm stretched out behind him.

All the pirates and Coby were shocked, those fighting (and getting their asses handed back to them) Takara stopping to watch in fascinated horror. The purplette's eyes were hidden in the shadows of her bangs, but she smirked as she lifted both of her arms up, holding her fans high as she bent one leg, raising it above her knee. Luffy, meanwhile, had managed to reach the opposite end of the ship, his arm almost elastic given just how far it had stretched. As he turned around, as Takara lifted her head to show both of their sadistic smirk and malice filled eyes, all the pirates screamed like little babies.

"Gotcha~" they both sang.

The pirates took off in fear, their swords abandoned, terrified of the two 'devils', who quickly prepared their attacks.

"Gomu-Gomu!"

"Kaze-Kaze!"

"ROCKET!"

"X-STRIKE!"

With that, Luffy shot back towards the pirates, bursting through their ranks like they were made of sea soaked cardboard, sending them sprawling out onto the deck and a few were catapulted over the railing, screaming as they fell into the ocean. Not to be outdone, Takara slashed at the air before her violently, crossing her tessen as she did so, creating a massive blast of air that could be seen as a large X, striking the enemies, sending them flying, some overboard.

"WHAT?!" Alvida screamed in shock as her entire crew was decimated by a pair of teenagers, one a freak show while the other was a fan brat! Coby's mouth was open again as he stared in awe at the pair. Takara relaxed her stance, sighing as she shut her tessen, stowing them as she moved to stand beside Luffy.

"That was fun, huh Kara?"

"Muu," she nodded, her pigtails bobbing as Coby slowly made his way towards the pair.

"L-Luffy-san, Takara-san…What are you…?"

"Me?" Luffy asked cheerfully, hooking his finger into his open mouth and pulled at the inside of his cheek. The flesh stretched easily, ending up more than a foot away from the rest of his head! "I'm a rubber person!"

"A r-rubber person?"

"Yeah, Takara's normal though," he said, nodding to the purplette beside him. "She's just really strong."

"Muu," she said, crossing her arms over her endowment. "If I wish to be the strongest, I must devote myself to my training."

"R-Rubber…" Coby echoed. "You can't be serious…"

He suddenly felt a malevolent presence behind him and quickly crawled behind Luffy and Takara, hiding from none other than Iron Mace Alvida. She stood before the trio, warily eyeing Luffy, who still stretched his cheek. She completely looked over Takara, although she was a threat due to her speed and strength, she was nothing like the rubber kid.

"You've eaten a Devil Fruit, haven't you?"

Luffy released his cheek and continued to smile. "Yeah, I ate the Gumo-Gumo no Mi when I was a kid."

"I see! I'd heard the rumors, but I guess they really do exist, the Devil Fruits! You also seemed to be pretty skilled, even the brat next to you even if she's not like you. You both bounty hunters?"

"Nah, we're pirates," Luffy said easily.

"Pirates! Hah! Don't make me laugh!" Alvida smirked, her scorn filled gaze sweeping over the both of them. "Where's your crew?"

"Just me and Takara," Luffy answered cheerfully. "But we'll find some more sooner or later. I think…Ten…Yeah! Ten others sounds about right!"

As they talked, they were unaware that the orangette was sneaking past the Alvida pirates remaining on the boat with a sack of stolen treasure, too focused was everyone on the exchange.

"Ah, so you're pirates too, uh?! Well then, since we're not under the same flag, that means you two and me are enemies, huh?" Alvida smirked, confident in her strength, too arrogant as she believed she could defeat both a Devil Fruit user and a skilled tessenjutsu practitioner. Coby was also terrified for his new friends, he had seen the skill and strength of Alvida firsthand! How could Luffy and Takara, as powerful as they were, compare to her, the terror of his existence?

"L-Luffy-san, T-Takara-san. Hurry, let's get out of here!" he pleaded.

"Why?"

"You both saw how powerful her mace is! In these waters, she's the most-"

Coby broke off, however, as he recalled those inspiring words that the two had said, words that encouraged him to resume his dreams-to become a true Marine!

"It's not about whether I can or not.I'm gonna do it because I want to.I'm gonna do it because I want to. I've promised an old friend of mine a long time ago that I'd become King of the Pirates, so if I die fighting for that, then that's fine with me," Luffy said.

"I wish to become the strongest Pirate to ever sail, so that I can protect those who are important to me. Even if I'm a woman, I will fight twice…no, thrice as hard as any man to prove myself and achieve that goal. I don't mine staking my life on that promise and dream. It's just the ultimate gamble; you either win big or die trying," Takara said.

Coby stood stock-still, staring at the two of them for several moments. He still recalled the conviction they had spoken with, the passion, the fervor. They would never give up.

And neither should he.

"I'm the most what?" Alvida questioned cockily, believing to know the answer.

Coby shook slightly, but his eyes grew determined and, to the amazement and shock of just about everyone, save for Luffy, Takara, and himself, he started to shout angrily at Alvida, his voice tainted with pure venom.

"The ugliest, craggiest, old hag of all these seas! The real beautiful one…! That's Takara, and she'll be more beautiful than you can ever even hope!" he spat, pointing at Takara, making the girl blink in confusion. She'd never been complimented like that before…In truth; he was not only speaking about her outward attractiveness, but the kindness and unparalleled beauty of her heart, something Alvida could never possess.

Alvida stood there in complete rage, her wrath bubbling furiously while Coby stood there shaking, but happy with his actions. Luffy laughed and slapped Takara on her back. "Wow! You sure are popular, Kara!" She merely blinked, shooting the straw hat wearing boy a perplexed look.

"W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"I-I'm going to join the Marines! And then, I'm gonna beat up and arrest pirates!"

"Do you even know what you're sayin'?!"

"I do! I'm gonna do what I want to do! I'm gonna join the Marines…and catch your lousy, fat ass!" he screamed in utter conviction.

"YOU DAMN PIPSQUEAK!" Alvida roared, hefting her mace into the air, fully prepared to brutally beat Coby into the ground before ultimately killing him. The pink haired youth's eyes were wide with fear, screaming in horror, yet…he had no regrets, just like Luffy and Takara.

No regrets! No regrets! I said it! I fought for my dream!

Luffy and Takara suddenly stepped in directly in front of him, the black haired boy grinning while the girl's had crept to the long, rectangular object strapped to her back. "Well said!" Luffy cheered, pleased to see Coby finally standing up for his dreams.

Alvida swung her spiked mace down, but instead of crashing onto Luffy and Takara's heads, it met with the strong CLANG! of steel. She and Coby were stunned to see that the violet eyed girl had managed to block the attack with her whatever it was that was strapped to her back, moving at a speed they had been unable to detect. As the pink haired boy studied it, he recognized the folds and creases, realizing just what it was before Takara jerked it to the side, causing the mace to be wretched away from Alvida.

"It's a giant fan!" he cried in amazement, leading the girl to snap it open with a mighty wave of her arms. It was an impressive size, almost as tall and three times as wide as the girl wielding it. The inside was cream colored,with the kanji for Fuu(風) surrounded by a circle with a flurry of sakura petals scattered about, all painted a plum edge was razor sharp, shining ominously in the light, as though it was made from shattered diamonds. The black case had Fuu written once again in purple ink on the hilt. It was clear now exactly how strong Takara was, to be able to perform such a physical feat without straining herself.

Luffy grinned at Alvida. "It wouldn't work on me anyways! After all…I'm only rubber!"

"W-w-what are you?!" the woman sputtered. Never before had someone been able to match her strength! How could this raggedy little bitch stop her blow like it was nothing! HER, Alvida the Woman Pirate of the East Blue!

The black haired boy only grinned cheekily. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy and this is my helmswoman, Mizuno Takara! Remember that, 'cause we're the ones who're going to make it to the One Piece!"

He threw his right hand behind him, the elastic limb stretching out almost forty feet behind them as he prepared to attack. Takara wasted no time either, swinging the fan to her right, awaiting her cue.

"Gumo-Gumo!"

"Kaze-Kaze!"

"PISTOL!"

"Zefā burasuto!"

With that, Luffy's fist jerked back at an impressive speed towards his target while Takara spun on her heel, creating a furious gale that roared straight towards Alvida. Their timing was impeccable; both attacks struck the woman at the exact same second, launching her backwards both rapidly and painfully, as attested by her screaming. Her cries grew distant and, soon, Alvida was no more than a tiny speck in the sky that disappeared altogether.

Far away, the blue clad pirate that had been knocked away was peacefully floating in the crystal clear waters, gazing at the sky in relaxation, the birds calling out nearby.

"The sky is so blue…"

At that moment, however, an all too familiar shape appeared in the sky, heading straight for the pirate's form. Without much warning, Alvida landed smack dab into him, creating a splash to rival that of a cannonball, the shockwaves lasting for several minutes.

Back on board the cruise ship, Coby watched in awe as Luffy's arm returned back to the rest of his body as Takara simply closed her giant tessen, hefting the weapon back onto her back. The other pirates watching the spectacle were speechless, their jaws hanging wide open over the fact that two teenagers, one made of rubber while the other was ridiculously fast and strong (especially for a girl!), had managed to defeat Captain Alvida! Most of the crew panicked as the straw hat boy turned towards those on the ship and called out with a serious face, "Hey!"

"Yes!?"

"Prepare a boat for Coby! He's leaving and going to become a Marine."

"None of you are going to stop him, understood?" Takara added, her narrowed purple eyes promising a one-way ticket to hell with a side course of pain to any that dared to defy her or Luffy.

Needless to say, the Alvida Pirates were running around, quickly preparing the boat while another managed to secure what little belongings Coby had. The girl was scary enough, but the straw hat kid had a stern look and commanding tone, creating the effect of a powerful captain, although the effect faded as he grinned cheerfully. Coby was once more struck with awe, feeling as though he was the happiest man alive. Not only had he stood up for his dream, he was finally free from the past two years of pure torture and preparing to pursue his dream of becoming a Marine. And it was all thanks to Monkey D. Luffy and Mizuno Takara, the strangest, bravest pair he had ever, and would ever he would decide in the years to come, have the pleasure of meeting.

The blissful moment was cut short, however, as cannon balls crashing into the water surrounding the two boats, rocking the boats. Both Luffy and Coby shook violently, while Takara remained emotionless, not at all bothered. They quickly righted themselves and searched for the source of the cannon balls, spying three Marine ships in the distance, and growing closer with each passing moment.

"That's the Marines," Coby said.

"They're certainly late," the sailor suited girl deadpanned.

"Perfect timing! You can finally join them," Luffy said before he hopped up onto the railing, followed by a purple blur. "But we're pirates! We're outta here!"

"Bye bye," Takara agreed as they both started to run away, neither wanting to be caught before they could gather a decent crew, let alone achieve their dreams.

"Are you crazy?! They'll arrest me before I can join them! They'd think I'm one of the pirates!" Coby shouted, quickly chasing after them, not wanting to be arrested for a crime he didn't commit.

At the same time, the orange sneak thief that had stolen all of Alvida's wealth was securing her cargo to her stolen small ship to prevent them from going overboard. A loud splash caught her attention as a boat carrying Luffy, Takara, and Coby dropped into the water beside her. Her cinnamon brown eyes managed to make contact with darker brown and plum orbs before Coby pulled up the sails and Takara began to fill them with her handheld tessen, making their ship rocket forward.

Luckily for the cobbled together crew of three, the marines were too busy dealing with the pirates to notice their small ship skipping across the ocean, same went for the orange haired thief going roughly the same way. Once they had long since left the scene of the crime, Takara lowered her war fans and tucking them away with a sigh, rubbing her slightly sore muscles as Coby scanned their surroundings.

"Looks like we managed to get away…" he said, mimicking Takara's sigh with relief. Really, these two just had the best of luck, didn't they? If they went to a casino, he was sure they hit jackpot.

"Whew! That was fun, huh?" Luffy asked before laughing merrily, as though it was all a big joke, a sack of food and his belongings next to him. Takara sank down onto the floor of the ship beside him, propping her arms up onto the edge of the boat to gaze into the depth of the ocean with interest, a bag of her meager possessions and supplies beside her.

"Um, Luffy-san, T-Takara-san," Coby said, gaining the pair's attention. "If you're looking for the One Piece, then that means you're heading to the Grand Line, right?" he asked seriously.

"That's right."

"You do know that people call it the Pirate's Graveyard, right?" Coby said, trying to get them both to understand the extent of the danger they were about to partake in. Yet, when they looked back at him with those gazes full of determination, he was proud to call them his friends.

"That's why we're planning on gathering a real strong crew to get into the Grand Line," Luffy said as Takara nodded, her eyelids drooping a bit. "What about that pirate hunter guy that old hag mentioned? What kind of guy is he?" Luffy asked, tilting his head, the purple eyed girl beside him copying his action, also curious about this so called Zoro.

"Oh, you mean Roronoa Zoro. I heard that he was being held captive at the Marine Base in Shells Town."

"So…he's weak," the boy's voice was disappointed to say the least while Takara deflated into a chibi form of herself with a whine of releasing air, a cartoonish storm cloud above her head reading gloomy in kanji (暗い).

"NO WAY, YOU'RE WRONG! HE'S A TERRIFYING, VIOLENT PERSON NOTHING SHORT OF A DEMON…Why are you both so interested in him?" he asked in confusion. He couldn't help but be confused with the once chibi Takara who was suddenly back to herself, idly wondering if she had been actually been pouting for crying out loud.

Luffy grinned cheekily as he replied. "Thought I might get him to join my crew if he's a good guy!" Takara nodded eagerly, despite her blank expression, and a certain gleam was in her eye that Coby recognized all too well: intrigue. Both of them were curious about how strong this Zoro was. This only caused Coby to wail in horror and shake his head.

"ARE YOU BOTH CRAZY?! THAT'S TOO RECKLESS!"

"C'mon, he might be a good guy! I bet he'd jump at the chance to join the crew."

"I've heard he's very powerful, I wish to clash blades with him."

"THE MARINES CAUGHT HIM BECAUSE HE'S A BAD GUY! NO WAY, NOT A CHANCE! THERE IS NO WAY! NO WA-OW!" A bang sounded as, like before, Luffy slammed a fist onto Coby's head at the same time Takara rapped his skull soundly with a closed tessen. "…Why did you both hit me again?"

"Because I felt like it."

"Mu."

~~風~~

Far away cross the ocean, at Shells Town, the large Marine Base hung above the island. Behind the gates, underneath the blazing hot sun, a man hung on a stake, his green-black bandana-clad head hung low, his white shirt soiled with dirt and sweat. Most would have thought him long dead due to his slumped, still form. He was actually very much alive. If one looked close enough, they would have met the demonic gaze partially hidden behind the bandana. Yes…the Demon, Roronoa Zoro was very much alive.

~~風~~

Luffy: Hey! We'll untie your ropes if you join my crew!

Zoro: I refuse to team up with pirates!

Luffy: Oh, come on. You're already known as an evil bounty hunter.

Takara: Muu, it's not that big of a job change.

Zoro: Screw that! I ain't done a single thing I regret and I never will! So I ain't gonna be a pirate!

Luffy: I've decided you're gonna join us in our adventures!

Zoro: N-Nani?! Quite deciding things on your own!

Takara: Just accept, once he makes up his mind he'll do whatever he's set out to do until he's done it or he's dead.

Zoro: For the last time, I ain't joining!

Luffy: Next time in One Piece: True Treasure: "Enter the Demon Sword: Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!" I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!

~~風~~

Welp, that's it for now. Thanks for reading, and remember, reviews are love! If possible, I'll have the next chapter posted by next Sunday at the latest.

Here are some definitions and translations for terms I deem should be provided. I got a lot of the information from Wikipedia, which I don't own, along with a bit of additional information about my OC, Takara, and several terms. I'll do this at the end of each chapter. Thanks again everyone!

~~風~~

Tessen- a Japanese fan designed for warfare that were mostly used as a surprise weapon. There are many different types and styles and the word tessen literally means 'iron fans'. Takara uses a wide variety of these, but the most common one is the typical tessen, a folding fan with the spokes made with heavy plates of iron, still retaining their innocent façade to the attacker. Hers a little different, as she found a way to make the inside of the fan a pliable sheet of metal. She typically uses them for blocking attacks, arrows, and even bullets, as well as in hand combat and throwing weapons. They can even be used to aid in swimming, despite their weight. Outside of battle, she uses them for their expectant function in hot weather or when bored and also to direct the boat when the wind dies.

Tessenjutsu-the martial art of the Japanese war fan, tessen, based on using either a solid iron fan or a folding iron fan in warfare. Practitioners develop high levels of skill, some becoming so skilled that they can even defend themselves against an attacker wielding a sword and even kill an enemy with a single blow. Other than used in duels against opponents wielding swords and spears, a skilled wielder can also use it to fence and deflect knives and poisoned darts. Like a sword, a tessen could be used as a duel-wielded weapon, such as parrying with one hand as the other continues to attack. It's a weapon that can be easily overlooked by the enemy, due to its shape, and it's easy to conceal it should one ever be captured by enemies. Takara has been a practitioner of tessenjutsu for a good deal of her life and is particularly skilled in it, as well as other fractions of ninjustu.

Kaze-Kaze-Translating to "Wind-Wind", its Takara's typical shout before she unleashes an attack. While she doesn't have a Devil Fruit ability, she has spent a long time with Luffy and is copying his shout of "Gomu-Gomu" with her personal flair.

X-Strike- Takara's X-Strike is created with the use of two tessen, crossing the two over the other when they are swung down across Takara's chest. It creates an air disturbance, a pocket of air shaped like a capitalized X that is propelled forward, knocking enemies aside like paper dolls.

Fuu-the massive tessen that Takara always has strapped to her back. If you've ever seen the anime Naruto, this weapon is about the same size as Temari's own tessen, both folded and unfolded. Despite its impressive size and weight, Takara is able to carry it on her back with no visible strain and can perform a variety of attacks, showing her large reserves of stamina and strength, as well as her skill with her inside is a cream color, the edge lined with a sharp material. The iron spikes poke out, creating another advantage for kanji for Fuu(風), or wind,is encircled by a circle, both painted a deep plum. A series of sakura petals of the same color accent the rest of the inside. The outside, black case hasFuu written once again in purple ink on the hilt. The origin of Fuu is unknown, as Takara never talks about when and where she acquired it, let alone who crafted it.

Zefā burasuto-a basic attack that Takara performs with Fuu, her largest tessen. Meaning 'zephyr blast', she creates a massive burst of wind through striking the air with her fan, directing it at her opponent, literally blowing them away. She normally uses it when confronted with a boss-equivalent enemy or when surrounded by a huge group. Outside battle, it can be used to push the ship forward with sudden speed, commonly used to outrun enemies.

~~風~~

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