A/N: So! I haven't written anything in AGES and this is my first One Piece fanfic I've ever posted. But since I've been so into reading fanfiction so much lately, especially One Piece ones, I figured I might as well write one too! Especially because I LOVE ONE PIECE and who can't not love the Straw Hats? I love everything, if not ALMOST everything, about One Piece, been a fan since I was literally little.
Just for random info, I usually follow the manga for One Piece now, I'm up-to-date of course, but I watch the anime whenever I can.
This is going to be a series of one-shots of moments that occur before Chapter 654, between the Straw Hat Pirates.
But when I write, I like to write about things that could have (I believe might/should) happened in between chapters or in between moments / time-skips.
I don't want to write about what I want or what might happen in the future, because I like the plot of One Piece itself, I don't want to write anything that would be drastically different from the storyline. I shudder just at the thought of disrupting the story that I love so much.
What occurs in these stories, will be little moments that I think would have happened when they're all together. I also tried my best to keep them in character, cause changing their characters = changing everything. Something I would not be able to take.
I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE.
The cover image was taken from Google and is originally from the manga... I believe. Or anime. Maybe. Well it's from Google! Just search up "straw hats new world".
One-Shot/NAKAMASHIP/Friends/Family/Drama/Humour/Rated K+
Occurs a little before Chapter 654.
The Little Things from Then and Now
Nakamas
It was dark and cold 8,000 m under the sea, where rare and unknown sea creatures roam, moving, creeping around, and hunting in the shadows. Several lights shone around the ocean, almost as still as the stars on the night sky; although, down there, it is a good sign that it's simply one of the hunters trying to lure in their prey. There was, however, a single light that some creatures were curious about.
From afar, a single source of light shone and was swaying slightly, at the same time, consistently moving upwards, as if it was being gently and carefully lifted up higher and higher by the currents of the ocean. It looks like a star that's lost, but knows the general direction of its final destination. The light even changes colours at random intervals that last only for a few seconds.
Music, laughter, and small explosions can be heard coming from the light, and at a closer sight, it belonged to a ship with a sunflower -lion? sun?- for figurehead. For its Jolly Roger, the skull wore a wide grin and a straw hat. The ship's figurehead and its flag looked just as happy as its crew sounded.
The Straw Hat Pirates just finished their business at Fishman Island and are now, finally, truly, on their way to the New World. They're also finally having real bonding time with one another: something they have all greatly missed over the two years they have been separated, even if some don't want to admit it.
Another explosion of colour occurred and more laughter followed, as the sniper showered another unexpecting victim with colourful confetti and strings. The reindeer, the captain, and the cyborg all rolled on the floor laughing at their first mate's reaction. Usopp and Franky had been doing random tricks with colours and explosions, and when Usopp decided to play a prank, Zoro - who was busy drinking and glaring at the cook - was the closest target. Having spit his drink all over the food on the picnic blanket before him, Sanji turned red with anger, standing up and pointing a finger at the coughing swordsman.
"You shitty, cyclop marimo!" Sanji stood up with fire in his eyes, "Your disgusting spit also reached the food I put all my love into for Nami-swan and Robin-chwan!"
"What did you call me you perverted swirly?!" Zoro's anger and annoyance towards Sanji always comes first, before he turned around and glared at Usopp and the other 'men' who were all rolling around the deck laughing their asses off, "I'm gonna cut your nose off you-"
WHAM
A kick to his back interrupted his threat as he flew past the idiots laughing on the floor and hit the railing of the ship. Zoro immediately forgot about said idiots and took out his swords, facing the cook with rage, "Why you... damned dartboard!"
And all hell broke loose as the swordsman and the flaming cook started fighting. Franky ended up joining after a spot of grass on Sunny's deck caught fire and a part of the railing got neatly sliced off, despite his warning towards the cook to not use his "SUPER-firey moves" all over the ship and Zoro to keep his "SUPER sharp" swords sheathed. Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper simply started laughing even harder than before.
Aside from all the laughing and the sounds of fighting and yelling, an upbeat and energetic song was playing, as if it was powered by all the energy all the others were giving. Brooke simply smiled and laughed along with the others as he continued playing, thinking that the music he's playingis being motivated by everyone's energy and happiness.
On the more graceful and calmer side of the picnic blanket, the two ladies of the crew simply watched from the sidelines with smiles on their faces, also while talking to one another excitedly about the books they've read in the past two years. Definitely the calmer and more refined type of interaction within the crew.
When the two women saw that their little doctor was cornered by the two idiots he was previously laughing with. They were sneering at him with evil grins in on their silly faces, peer pressuring the doctor, who was near to tears, to join the angry trio's fight. Both women sighed and decided it was time to stop their silliness. Chopper was one of the very few reasons that both women (it was usually just Nami) would interrupt their "fun". Not to mention, Nami thought the fighting trio were getting too loud and too violent, seeing as there were now several burned spots, cuts, and holes on their side of the deck.
Just as Luffy was about to join the fight himself, and Usopp getting ready to throw a shaking Chopper in the fight from a safe distance, Robin caused swiftly caused them to trip using her ability, so quick that they didn't even realize until the two had fallen flat on their faces. Nami, on the other hand, was not quite as gentle as Robin, and sent a little dark thunder cloud towards the fighting group. She made sure that it was charged enough that they would hear and notice it crackling, but when they didn't, she shrugged and let it hit them anyways. It wasn't charged as much as usual, but she knew it'd hurt and that they'd all be fine. They have lived through her old lightning attacks that she wasn't able to control.
Chopper was put down safely on the deck by a pair of arms that disappeared and he sighed with relief from having escaped the unnecessary pain from joining the fight and from falling. The others, however, were not as lucky as he was. Luffy and Usopp's noses were red and bleeding, while the other three were knocked out and twitching on the deck. Not half a second later, Brooke landed on top of Usopp after receiving a kick from Nami, "Yohoho'ing" all the way.
The doctor gaped and ran to all the injured men, making sure they were all fine. He shivered as he looked back to the two women who sat back down and continued talking, as if they hadn't just knocked down everyone else. "They're just as scary as ever...especially Nami…" he whispered to himself, shaking in fear as he looked over Brooke's head.
Sounds of grumbling and moans of pain turned to sounds of agreement and whining, excluding the cook of course, who simply sang, "Mellorine~" with hearts in his eyes.
"I heard you Chopper!"
Chopper quickly ducked and grinned when he avoided a cup that was thrown in his way, only for the cup to hit Zoro square on the forehead.
"Shishishishi!" Luffy grinned and accepted a tissue from Chopper for his bloody nose, "Nami's aim got better but Chopper's reflexes also got better, while Zoro's still sucks!"
Zoro stood up, rubbing the bump on his forehead, "Does not suck! I let it hit me on purpose!" he yelled with a glare towards the captain and the navigator, who simply smirked at him.
His grin getting wider, Luffy exclaimed, "Robin's also gotten faster and stronger! Nami's cloud thing's cool! -"
This caused the two women to smile, warmth spreading through them as they walked over to the group. A circle was unknowingly forming, with Luffy as the head of the circle, Zoro at his right, then Chopper, Robin, Brooke, Franky, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami finishing the circle.
"Zoro can slice more stuff now! Sanji makes fire! -"
"Hey!"
"- and more delicious food! Franky's more awesome! -"
"SUPERER THAN BEFORE!"
"Chopper's even smarter, stronger, and fluffier! Usopp's not lying as much! -"
"H-hey…"
"And he brought back lots of cool stuff! And Brooke's songs are even more fun than ever! But Sunny's just as nice as ever! Shishishishi!" He finished and put his hand overtop his hat, a wide, happy grin showing exactly how happy he was with everyone.
Of course, everyone couldn't help but smile just as happily. Even Zoro couldn't stop the smile and the surge of happiness going through him.
"Ne, Luffy!" Chopper called to get his attention, intently staring at their captain, "You're taller than before! You also got more muscles!"
Zoro snickered, "He's finally going through puberty."
"He's thinking more!" Usopp added with a laugh.
"Finally getting smarter and more mature too, you mean?" Sanji blew out smoke.
"Yohohoho! He's got a lot more new skills too!"
Franky struck his pose, "YO! He's more SUPERER than ME!"
"I think he's superer than everyone here," Robin chuckled.
"He's finally asking me for permission before he takes a mikan!" Nami grinned as she crossed her arms.
Everyone except Robin, Sanji, and Brooke stared at her with a deadpanned look, "Really…"
Nami shrugged and kept on grinning, "He's our idiot captain who's finally back with us stronger than ever."
"He was the last one to arrive at Sabaody, I almost thought he wouldn't come after demanding we meet in two years," Zoro stated and rolled his eye, although he knew, and they all knew, that even if Luffy was late for another year or so, they would all wait for him anyways.
"But he made it in time and made us proud," Nami finished and everyone grinned and agreed.
Luffy kept his face hidden underneath before he stood up with both arms spread upwards to the sky, "SHISHISHISHI! Thanks guys!" He looked around his crew, "I knew you guys are the best! EVER!"
Everyone simply laughed, their own usual laughs, before they felt an arm crawl up behind them and they were, in a matter of a second, all pulled closer to Luffy in a big group hug. Their captain gave them his biggest smile ever and they could all see that he was even slightly teary-eyed, but when he blinked, all signs of tears disappeared, they just wondered if it was a trick of the eye. The others (the more emotional crew members, meaning excluding Zoro, Sanji, and Robin), also got teary-eyed and all tried to hug Luffy back at the same time. Of course, squishing the other three in the process.
Luffy fell on the ground laughing his rowdy laugh, tackled by everyone, who followed him to the ground. Groans of pain and chuckles were heard, as, unfortunately enough, the smaller of the crew ended up at the bottom of the pile, while Franky was at the very top. Sanji, however, turned to stone as he ended up falling (not accidentally) beside their navigator and archaeologist. Zoro shoved them all away with a groan of pain, having squished Chopper towards Luffy, ironically, as an attempt to protect him from the cyborg. They all rolled over on the ground around Luffy, forming a mess of a group, but all with smiles and laughter on their faces despite their newly accumulated bruises from Franky's "hug".
A comfortable silence surrounded them as they all thought of the last two years they have all been away from one another. It lasted a while until everyone started to think about what happened almost exactly two years ago.
The silence lasted and became almost thick until one of them spoke up to Luffy, voicing out everyone else's guilt, worry, anger, and sadness.
"Luffy… thank you… and sorry…"
Luffy burst to tears, "N-no!" He sniffled loudly, big fat tears falling from his eyes as he stared up a the darkness above them, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect any of you! I-I… I was weak…" he covered his eyes with his hands, remembering his fear, loneliness, and weakness from the two years he was away from his family.
The others shook their head, everyone already crying silently along with their captain, remembering their own faults and weaknesses. Remembering the painful screams everyone gave, calling each other for help and to get away, more tears that they couldn't help contain flowed down their faces. They knew the pain of losing each other simply because they were not strong enough to protect and help each other, especially their captain, whom they all knew would have gone through the greatest suffering.
"I-I'm stronger!" Luffy continued, his voice hoarse from crying, "But I'm still scared! You're… you're all my important nakama! I can't…lose any of you..."
"Luffy you're a moron!" Nami slapped his hand lightly, her own hand having only been a bit away from his.
At the same time as Nami hit him, he got a slap on his head from Sanji, a whack on his leg from Zoro, a hit on his other leg from Brooke, and a flick on his forehead from Robin's arm that disappeared in a second.
While the others, too far to hit him, simply exclaimed that he really is still an idiot after two years. More tears came out of Luffy's eyes, he got what they meant despite being called a moron. He knew they'd never let it happen again either, that it will never happen again, he sniffled even louder, "Thanks guys!"
"We're nakama after all… but we're sorry… we should have been there with you…"
This time, Luffy shook his head and bit his lips from crying out even more as he unconsciously put a hand over to his chest, "No! I couldn't protect all of you... and Ace…I was too weak…"
"No!" Zoro yelled as he covered his eyes and stiffened his jaw to prevent a tear from coming out, "We… were all weak."
Everyone murmured in agreement, sniffles filling the silence. The guilt for not being there for their captain when he needed them the most, was something the crew all had in common. They all knew the pain of losing something and someone that you truly care about.
"But now that we're all together again and stronger than ever, we'll beat everyone right?" Chopper asked as he wiped his arm across his face, he tried his best to sound as manly as he can without bursting to tears again, "Even if it's the Yonkou?"
Luffy wiped his own face and smiled along with everyone else, "Of course!"
They all laughed, but inwardly, they were all determined, their captain's dream to become the Pirate King was no longer just his, they're going to make him reach his dream; just as they know that Luffy would do anything for them to reach their own dreams.
A peaceful silence remained, as they all wiped their tears away, everyone's hearts a lot lighter and a lot happier than before. Brooke, while still laying on the ground, picked up the violin beside him and started playing a peaceful, happy melody. Smiles and contentment were plain in all their faces as they listened to the beautiful music, warmth spreading inside them, pushing away the negative feelings they had. This was home to them, being aboard Sunny once again and being with everyone. None of them would ever let the same thing that happened two years ago happen ever again.
They all looked upwards to the darkness above them. A darkness that contains random flickers of light everywhere around... They felt as if they were floating in a beautiful night sky rather than a dark, cold sea. Then again, just as birds are free and happy in the sky, pirates are free and happy on the wide ocean, at least the Straw Hat Pirates were as they all got closer to achieving their dreams.
"So…" Luffy started in a curious tone after a few minutes of their comfortable silence, "Where'd you guys land two years ago?"
Then before anyone else could reply, his stomach growled. They all burst out laughing, "Of course. We have to satisfy his stomach before his curiosity." Everyone sat up and shook their heads while Sanji stood up and kicked his captain lightly on the head before going to the kitchen to prepare more food, also shaking his head at their captain.
"Shishishi!"
I hope you guys liked it! For the next ones, it'll just be little things that each of them notice that's different and the same from before. This first chapter is just an intro, almost. I'll be writing from everyone's perspective but it'll take time to update.
I know it might have been too emotional for some people, but I think they're the type to have brought up the topic to each other and to Luffy, sooner rather than later, maybe not as a group even, but one of them would have. Because of this, I wrote a couple of lines said by the crew to Luffy without saying who said it, because ANY of them could and would have said it, it's like a thought they (I believe, all have). You can pick anyone in your mind to have said it, it should work.
Like really though. That time when they all lost each other was painful for all of them, even I cried (maybe I'm too emotional), and I know that they would all feel Luffy's pain from losing his beloved brother.
Thanks for reading and feel free to give some constructive criticism and just plain reviews are also nice!