Chapter 1: Bitter Beginnings

A peaceful wind blew through the bright day. The air smelled of the sea.

Two brothers sat by each other on the edge of a small, wooden pier, looking out over the ocean. The eldest of the two had wild, long blue hair and was taller than the other was. His brilliant blue eyes shone with ideas and plans of all sort, yet his position showed he was quite laid back, choosing to slouch instead of sitting straight up like his younger brother was doing. The slouching made the two appear equal in height. The eldest kicked his fight out over the each of the pier, enjoying the feeling of the water lapping against his feet. The younger of the two had grey hair in a sort of bowl cut, something his mother had forced on him. She had given up on trying to tame his older brother's hair. The youngest had steel gray eyes that saw only the horizon and nothing beyond that. His feet did not kick, but were perfectly still. He was perfectly content with his life. He didn't have all the crazy plans like his brother always seemed to come up with. He tried to stay safe like his mother taught him.

"Hey, Yu?" The older brother asked in an excited tone. The younger brother, Yu, rolled his eyes. He knew that tone of voice. His brother had yet another crazy idea.

"What?" Yu reluctantly replied. His brother always came up with crazy ideas. He was so different from Yu, who firmly believed in the idea of staying safe. Yu thought it was at least partially due to the fact that they were only half-brothers. While they shared the same mom, their dads were completely different. In more ways than one.

"We should be pirates." Both brothers turned to face each, one with a slightly insane smile, the other with a look of mild disgust.

"Pirates are horrible, Minato. They steal, kill, and overall are bad people. You know what mom thinks about them." Yu said in a slightly annoyed tone. Minato smiled and then, in an attempted imitation of his mother's voice, squawked, "'Don't be like your father, Minato. He was just too haaaaandsome for me to handle!' Something like that, right?" Yu face palmed loudly. His brother could never take anything seriously. He was just a laid back slouch. This was one of the rare times Minato was not sleeping in some odd location. They once found him sleeping in the fireplace. Yu... resisted the temptation to light it. Their mother scolded Minato for that. She scolded Minato for many things.

"No. She says pirates are dangerous and we should be marines, just like my father. Not like your father who ran off to another adventure shortly after having you." Yu said arrogantly. Minato whacked Yu in the back of the head playfully. Yu scowled and rubbed the back of his head as his brother stood up and widened his arms, as if he were trying to catch the entirety of the world in his grasp.

"Pirates are free! They aren't bogged down with rules and regulations like the marines. They do what they want, when they want, and how they want. They don't have to listen to anyone, do anything they don't want to, or just be ordered around! Pirates colonized the island we live on, Haven Island, as a safe haven for them. Moreover, look how wonderful it turned out! Who cares if it's dangerous? It's actually fun! Being safe is boring! You aim too low. Just wanting to be a simple marine. Why not an Admiral! If you're going to do something, you aim for the top. That's why I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!" Minato was excitedly babbling on about his dreams.

"Yes, pirates did try to make this a safe haven, but where are they now? I'll tell you where. Dead. The marines won. Good always triumphs over evil. You'll get yourself killed talking like that, Minato. Just live a normal life. Why does everything have to be exciting for you? Besides, you'll never be King of the Pirates. There's a ton of adults out there who have been training for years and never got it. You don't have any fighting power or Devil Fruit ability like most of them. Just go be a marine like I will." When Yu said that, Minato began to laugh. Yu raised an eyebrow. Why was his older brother laughing?

"I'll show you something good I found. However, you'll have to wait until tomorrow, okay? It will completely change your mind." Yu seemed suspicious of Minato's motives, but he decided to nod his head. Minato grinned as he ran away from the pier back towards their house.

Their house was a simple two-story white house with a picket fence. They had a small garden in their backyard that their mother lovingly tended to in order to get her boys to eat vegetables. Yu loved vegetables. Minato disliked them immensely. Therefore, Yu did a good deed and would always eat Minato's vegetables for him. They were growing boys after all. They lived with their mom right now. Yu's dad, their mother's current husband, was away at sea for work as a marine. The world was peaceful.

"Minato?! Wait up!" Then Yu chased after Minato like he always did after they hung out on the pier. It was something that, for as long as he could remember, he'd always done.

Chased after his older brother.

Explosions rocked the house. Loud booms and quakes shook everything. Smoke filled the once peaceful, pristine house. Fires burned the houses, the forest, the animals, the pier, and the people. Screams and shouts resounded throughout the Yu's room. It sounded like there was a war going on. However, Yu slept, as if nothing was happening. His door burst open, letting a blue-haired boy into the room.

"Yu! Get up! We're under attack!" Minato shouted desperately as he shook Yu awake. Yu's eyes shot open. He looked around wildly, before a calm expression appeared over his visage. He couldn't afford to panic right now. No proper marine would panic.

"Who's attacking us? Where's mom?" It was then that Yu noticed something about Minato's face. His face was smudged with dirt, ash, and there were slightly less dirty lines down his face. Like he had been crying. Oh no.

"It's the marines! They showed up in the middle of the night and just suddenly decide to attack! A-and m-mom is... mom is... you know?" Yu locked away his despair and depression as soon as it reared its ugly head. It was time to act. He could mourn later. He needed to keep his brother alive. They needed to survive. Minato grabbed Yu by the hand and pulled him out of bed and out the door to the bedroom.

"Where are we going? Yu asked as Minato was dragging him through the house. Minato looked back for a second and smiled, although it looked like it was terribly forced. Minato was terrible at hiding his feelings.

"To get the thing I wanted to show you. It's how we'll live." Yu was about to ask another question when they went out through the door. The sight before him scarred him for life.

It was hell. There were bodies, charred corpses lying in the street. Nearby houses were on fire. Smoke filled the air, choking the life out of the very island. The world seemed red from the illumination of the flames. Marines ran through the city, killing freely. An old man hobbled through the street, attempting to get away. A marine stabbed him in the back. Children cried, only to be silenced by gunfire. A person ran through the street covered in flames. Yu stared blankly at all this, unable to take it in.

"Why are they doing this?" Yu whispered in a tone of both fear and awe at the fact that the force he acknowledged as "good" could create so much chaos, destruction, and death as if they were the pirates Yu had always spoke of as being "bad people". Minato heard him. Barely.

"Apparently, they didn't kill all of the pirates. The whole island is full of retired pirates. All the pirates acted like normal people. Dad was covering for us. Mom was a pirate too. She wanted you to be a marine so you'd be safe. She wanted the same for me, but I, as you know, refused to be a marine. At least, that was what she told me before she..." Minato trailed off. Yu looked at Minato one more time, unsure if this was really his brother. The once brilliant blue eyes no longer shone. They were dull and empty, but they showed just a speck a hope and determination. Minato grabbed Yu's hand and dragged him to the side of the house. They moved quickly, but it didn't stop the screaming of their neighbors they heard. Both boys knew that they would be killed if they went out there. They were just kids. They couldn't do anything. Minato got on his hands and knees, his back facing away from the house. Minato began to dig at a suspicious looking patch of dirt. Yu, unsure of what to do, joined him. What they dug up was an old, wooden box with intricate designs.

"Go on. Open it." Minato urged Yu to open the box in an excited tone. Yu's shaking hands lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a blue fruit. Yu touched the surface of it. It felt like velvet. Minato looked up and searched his surroundings, searching for any marines after them. As Yu looked at the odd fruit, Minato's eyes widened. He jumped in front of Yu, who still had his back turned. A gunshot alerted Yu.

Yu turned around with wide eyes to see his brother standing over him, back facing him. A stray bullet from a group of marines running down the street had lodged itself in his brother. Yu's brother had been shot. Minato spit out a mouthful of blood. The blood collided with the ground and splattered. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.

"B-big brother? W-w-w-why?" Yu was in shock, yes, but there was something more that the sight of his brother invoked in him. Fear. His invincible big brother he had been chasing this entire time had just been wounded gravely. His brother was going to die. He'd been too useless to do anything. They were both going to die. Tears streamed down Yu's face. This couldn't be happening. Just yesterday, everything was peaceful and happy. It made sense for Yu. A day could change everything. No, a mere second could alter the fate of his entire life. And it had. Minato felt to his knees. He turned his head to face his brother. Blood trailed from his mouth and his eyes were unfocused. He seemed to be smiling, although Yu could tell it was another forced one. As quiet as a whisper, he spoke.

"I-I've lived a long 17 years." That was a lie. 17 Years was not long enough. Yu knew that. "Y-you're 15, so you have to live t-t-to be older than me at lea-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Minato shouted out in pain. His face contorted with pain and he grunted after his yell. Apparently, he was only barely holding back the pain. Yu turned his body to face Minato, about to stand up to help Minato, but the older brother held a hand to stop him. Minato's breathing grew labored. "NO! No... There's no helping... me. It's... t-t-too late..." Minato fell backwards. His head landed in Yu's lap. Tear drops fell on Minato's face, slightly removing the blood and dirt. Minato genuinely smiled and tears formed in Minato's eyes as well, going sideways off the sides of his face. "Bro... I'm so glad to see you... before... I die. A pirate... usually doesn't... have that kind of... chance. Now... eat the... Devil Fruit... and... live..." And with that final order, Minato released his final breath. His chest no longer moved up and down. He was as motionless as a statue. His skin grew could to the touch and his eyes stared off into the distance, seeing nothing. Just like Yu had done the other day.

Minato Arisato was dead.

Yu would obey his brother's last wish. Yu shakily raised the fruit to his lips and took a bite, trying to ignore the pain and emptiness he felt inside. The fruit tasted like nothing, as if he'd just eaten air. Then, his emotions overcame him. Containing them or bottling them up was impossible. Why did people have to die? Why did people kill each other? Why was it his brother that was killed instead of him? Amidst the pain, there was something asking these questions in Yu. Were pirates evil? Were the marines good? Can a person even categorize them? Yu wanted to know the answers. But more than that, Yu wanted to know the Truth.

"I am thou... And thou art I."

Yu didn't want to be told any lies anymore. He never knew his mother was a pirate, albeit former. He never knew his mother's true self. He never knew his friends' and neighbors' true selves. He felt pain and emptiness, yes, but it turned into rage. A burning rage. How dare they?! He was family! He had a right to know! He almost ended up in the hands of those awful monsters, those marines! They slaughtered everyone! He wanted the Truth of everything! No more lies, no more illusions! No more deaths! If he knew the Truth, he could save people and stop them from killing each other! He could stop other people from experiencing the pain and vengeful anger he was feeling now!

"The time has come. Open thine eyes..."

Then something clicked in Yu's head.

If they were going to kill all the people on this island, then he'd save two islands from them at least. If they killed people on five islands, he'd save the people of ten islands. At least. He'd save everyone he could until he found the Truth! He'd save them!

"I'll save what I can. Brother, watch over me. It's funny. You're going to get a good show from the afterlife. You're going to watch your cautious little brother try to save the village from complete annihilation. I may be joining you soon, Minato. I guess we are brothers after all. We're both insane." Yu stood and looked over the destruction and chaos facing him. The fruit fell from his hand. His eyes did not waver. He took it all in. This was humanity's evil. It was created by blind illusions. The marines would have to be under some illusions to think it was right to slaughter the young and the old so freely. The villagers and even he was deluded to think there was such a thing as safety in this world where a single ball of lead could kill a man. All his life, Yu had been trying to stay safe. Where did that get him? It got him this horrible sight before his eyes. Yu would shatter those illusions and bring forth the Truth. However, right now... he could not save the marines. They were too far-gone. Perhaps he could change the future of mankind with the Truth, but the present was impossible.

"And call forth what is within."

A blue card appeared in Yu's hand, the hand that had previously held the fruit. Yu smiled. He knew what this was, somehow. It was his weapon, his tool to save people, his sight, and his protection. This little card would lead him to the Truth of all things. It was part of him. And he was part of it. What he held was what was that which was within, yet without.

"Per...so...na."

Flames burst forth from the card. Their color was the color of the ocean, yet they seemed to be the very same flames that were destroying his village. 'One has to fight fire with fire.' Yu thought as a mad grin slowly spread onto his face. He was no longer human. No. He had eaten a Devil Fruit. He was something more than human. The flames surged in a spiral pillar of brilliant blue light before crashing into Yu. The flames burned him to the very core of his being, turning him into something strange, something new. He felt no pain, only bliss. This was his true potential being unleashed! The flames seemed to dance as they changed not just his inside, but his outside as well. They cloaked his body in a long black coat with a high collar and a steel mask over his face and head, with slots for breathing and sight. He soon possessed black pants and shoes with bladed soles. He wore black gauntlets over his arms. It was armor of the highest quality, despite its appearance. A weapon formed in his grasp. It was a long, black naginata that looked extremely heavy, yet felt as if it weighed nothing at all. He crouched and, in an instant, exploded from the ground up into the air, going far higher than he had intended.

From the air, he took note of all the people still alive. It seemed that most of the people were dead except for one person who was trying to hide behind a building being searched by marines. Yu couldn't make out his face, but he knew one thing for sure. Somebody was still alive. And that somebody was about to be found by the marines. 'I can still save someone!' Yu landed back by the side of his house and sped over to the building, making sure to avoid being spotted by any of the marines who were out looking for him. He reached the back of the building. He found the survivor cowering, covered in a blanket, as if they were trying to blend in to the wall that was the same color as the blanket. Yu kneeled down. The survivor shied away from him and gave him the barest of whimpers. The survivor was afraid.

"I'm here to save you. You and I are the only two left. We'll have to hide out until the marines, but we can survive this." The blanket moved away, revealing the face of a boy his age. It was a boy that Yu had not often associated with, but the two met regardless. The boy was rather different from Yu and they hung out in separate circles, but the two knew each other. Joy lit the boy's face when he saw the armed person who saved him.

"Yu! It's you! Heh, get it? Dude, I am so glad to see you right now. Now we can kick their asses together. My 'sit and wait here until they come so I can surprise them and steal their weapon plan' was taking too long. Where did you get that sick outfit and weapon anyway?" This kid was Yosuke Hanamura. He was Yu's age. He was also the son of a merchant who decided to settle on the island a year ago. He didn't seem to be depressed by the news of the two of them being the only ones left. Perhaps he didn't believe it. On the other hand, perhaps he was just putting on a brave face. Yu didn't know and he didn't care. He just wanted to live and keep this one other person alive as well.

"Stop. For living on this island of pirates, you two are charged with the crime of being guilt by association. The penalty is death." That was the voice of one of the marines that just surrounded them. There were seven in total. Yu could take probably take them out with the powers of his Devil Fruit, but Yosuke could die by then. Yu looked over to Yosuke, who now stood with a steel pipe in his hand. Gone was the blanket. Yosuke wore a white shirt with orange trim and jeans. It was rather simple. Yosuke winked at Yu.

"Don't worry, dude. I could probably take out two or three of them on my own. A merchant's son needs to know how to protect the goods. Hey, about we grab a ship and just leave this island instead of hiding? That sound good to you?" Yu nodded. Yosuke smiled. He jumped at the first marine closest to him and hit him over the head with the pipe. When a nearby marine tried to shoot him, Yosuke used the unconscious guard as a shield for the bullet and then went to attack the second person. Yu dashed towards the marine closest to him and impaled him on his naginata. He kicked the body off the blade and went for a horizontal swing to behead the guard that was approaching him from behind with a sword. The effects of killing did not sicken him. Such a feeling was burned away with his old, human body. But what made this new body so much different? A marine raised his gun at Yu.

"Zio." Lightning struck the marine who was about to shoot Yu and killed him, leaving his singed corpse to drop to the ground. Yu had magic. The other two marines shirked back in fear, only for Yosuke to hit them in the back of the heads with his steel pipe. Yosuke gave Yu a thumbs up. "Awesome. You have to show me how you do that. C'mon, my dad as a hidden boat with supplies in case he ever needed to flee the island. The way from here to the ship isn't far and pretty clear of marines. Unfortunately,... dad can't use it anymore and I don't know how to drive it. You know, right?" Yosuke asked hopefully. He seemed to look depressed when he talked about his father, but he wasn't the only one hurting.

"Yeah, I do. I was practicing to enter the marines. That idea won't work anymore. How about we become pirates instead? We'll be able to pay back the marines for their hospitality today?" Yu asked Yosuke.

Yosuke's eyes shined brightly. "Dude. You are amazing. We get to show those marines who's boss! This will definitely be less boring than just sitting on this island! Pirates get all the chicks and riches. I'm in, Captain. What's our goal once we get out to sea?" Yosuke began to walk. He gestured for Yu to follow him. As they walked, Yu's armor and weapon faded out of existence. Yu thought of his brother, of his words.

"If you're going to do something, you aim for the top. That's why I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!"

"I'm going to become King of the Pirates, of course. We have to aim for the top. Perhaps the Truth can only be seen from above. First, we'll need to get stronger. Second, we'll need a full crew, First Mate Yosuke Hanamura. Third, we'll need to find the One Piece that my brother always talked about. It seems important. Understood?"

"Ay, ay Captain! I always wanted to say that. Let's go out and change the world!"

They never talked about how they felt about their dead friends and family. "What would be the point?" Is what they were thinking.

A/N: I have two of my other stories' updates half written, so I'm going to go and try to finish those later, for those of you who are wondering. Who knows who else will make an appearance or chose to join the crew? Familiar faces and perhaps a few unfamiliar faces will be appearing in this fic. There will also be interaction with the Straw Hats. And competition. I love rivalry. And yeah, Minato is dead... So here is my first fic starring Yu Narukami! And yes, I know of the alternate name Souji Seta, but still... There's so many awful jokes and puns that must be made about his name. Oh and there are quite a few affects that can be caused by the Devil Fruit Yu ate.

Devil Fruit: The Velvet Velvet Fruit

Powers: Allows limited use of inner potential and psyche and the manifestation in the physical realm of attacks, weapons, and armors using the power of the subconscious mind. It is often thought of as gaining "magic powers". There are other effects that are only experienced by the user. In-depth study is needed for more information.

Type: Paramecia

Strength: Intense attack and defensive power that grow the more the user the battles and gains battle experience. Attack types can vary wildly, making the user unpredictable. Nulls feelings of remorse when killing, so the user's mental state isn't negatively affected.

Weakness: The user's mental state gives them power. If it is disturbed, or they do not simply wish to battle, their power will no function until they feel then need or want to battle. Thus, the recommended type of attack is psychological. However, the more experienced the user, the harder it is to exploit this weakness.

Yu's Crew (Currently has no name)

Captain: Yu Narukami

First Mate: Yosuke Hanamura

Question of the chapter: Who do you most want to see in the crew of Yu Narukami?

REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW. Pretty please with a straw hat on top?