Author's Note - Surprisingly, one of my most popular stories so far. Originally meant to be the entirety of my One Piece fan fiction writing, this is now situated after Era of the King and before The Legacy Storm in my One Piece continuity.
Disclaimer : I do not own One Piece or any of the other fandoms from which names, places, abilities, or references are taken! Imaginary points to anyone who catches said references throughout the story and PM's them to me. Dunno if you'll get anything real, but i give sneak peaks and deleted scenes to my repeated reviewers, so it isn't unthinkable.
Chapter 01 - His Son
"Hey Mom... Are all pirates bad?" The small boy looked up at his mother, eyes filled with curiosity. The tall woman smiled down at him and then looked back to the tree she was trimming. The boy's dark hair and innocent smile always reminded her of his father.
"Can I ask why you are asking, first?" She wanted to be sure her answer wouldn't do more harm than good. He was getting old enough to be told the truth about his heritage.
"A boy at school was bragging about being the son of a marine today. He said all pirates were evil monsters and as soon as he was old enough, he would join the marines and help wipe them out. I told him that some of the pirates I had read about didn't seem so bad, but he just laughed at me. What do you think?" He remained there, looking steadily up at his mother. She smiled and thought before she answered.
"I think you're right. First of all, no one is all good or all bad. Everyone has both sides in them. And as good or bad as a person may be, sometimes they will surprise you, whether for better or for worse. You understand that, don't you?" She tossed a few twigs aside and climbed down the ladder, standing back and admiring her handiwork.
"I understand. Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. But everyone has a little good in them." His mother nods and picks a fresh tangerine out of her basket and hands it to him, making his face light up. "Oh thank you!"
"You're welcome. So, you want to know if all pirates are bad, still?" The boy carefully began peeling the fruit as he considered the question. He had inherited his father's morality and innocence, and his mother's and grandfather's brains. Of course, he had never met any of his family besides his mother. His father had died not long before he was born.
"Yes, I still want to know. But I mean, are all pirates more bad than good?" His bright eyes stared up at her as he stuffed the first section of tangerine in his mouth. She laughed a little. She should have known she wouldn't be able to get out of this so easily.
"Alright. I need to start supper, so lets go inside to talk. This might take a while. There is a lot I need to tell you, and this is as good a time as any." She held out her hand to her son, who took it obediently and began walking up the path toward their home. She looked up at the sky. It's going to rain tonight. Good. The tangerines need it.
Once they were inside, the boy took his favorite spot on the tall kitchen stool and continued to eat his tangerine as he watched his mother pulling ingredients and utensils from various cabinets while she arranged her thoughts.
"First of all, will you promise never to tell anyone anything that I tell you right now? I know it may be tempting sometimes, but I don't want you to tell anyone until you are old enough. There would be a lot of consequences that are hard to foresee and even harder to deal with. Promise?" She looked at her son as she put the pot onto the stove. He nodded solemnly.
"Alright. Do you think I am more good or bad?" She smirked, knowing exactly what most of her old crew mates would have teasingly said.
"Good! That's a silly question..." The boy grinned as he finished off the fruit and sat, waiting for more explanation.
"Well, I used to be a pirate." She made sure she was able to see his look of complete and utter shock. She grinned and couldn't stop herself from laughing as he gaped at her.
"You? You were a pirate?! Does anyone else know?" His surprise was slowly being replaced by excitement.
"No one except a few high ranking marines and my old crew mates. Aunt Robin was on the crew with me." Again, she giggled at the boy's disbelief. She hadn't imagine she would enjoy this so much.
"Whoa... That is so cool!" He was grinning from ear to ear. He looked just like she imagine his father would have at that age.
"Yeah, it was sometimes. We had a lot of adventures. I've never had better friends than them..." She looked out the window at the sky, where the very first signs of rain clouds were appearing.
"Was... Was my dad a pirate too?" The boy seemed to be putting things together.
"Yes. He was our captain. And he was the greatest man I have ever known. I wish you could have met him. You look just like him, you know. Except he had a few more scars." She began putting ingredients in the pot. It was a recipe she had learned while she was still sailing. Their old chef had created it to use her tangerines.
"Can you tell me about your crew?" The boy was no longer grinning, but smiling thoughtfully, as if as lost in thought as his mother. It was one of the traits that reminded her he wasn't just his father's reincarnation. He was her son as well. She smiled.
"Well, there was a skeleton. He was an incredible musician, and even sang at your father's funeral. His name was Brook. He was also a pretty great swordsman. Then there was Franky. He was a cyborg. Part man, part machine. He was a brilliant ship maker. He even built or second ship. There was our medic, Chopper. He was a reindeer with a blue nose! He dreamed of creating a cure to every illness. He's still traveling the world, trying to this day." She paused, remembering the adorable little reindeer. It had been several years since he had come to visit. She hoped he was okay.
"Then there was Aunt Robin. She was an archeologist back then. Oh, and I could never forget Usopp. He was our sniper. His father was a pirate too, and also a sniper. Usopp joined our crew to be like his father, and your father was inspired to become a pirate by the captain that Usopp's father served under. There was also Sanji, our cook. He was the best in the world, and still is. You've probably heard of him."
"Sanji of All Blue was on your pirate crew?! No way! He's on TV!" The boy was overwhelmed.
"Yeah, he was a very good friend of mine. Then there was the first mate. Another man you'll recognize. Roronoa Zoro." She smiled at her son's expression. Somewhere between awe and horror.
"He wasn't nearly the heartless demon that he is remembered as. He was the most loyal man I've ever seen. He would have followed your father to hell and back if he was asked. He died side by side with your father... He was a good man." She sniffed slightly. It was a memory she didn't like to dwell on, but she knew that now was the time.
"And then, there was your father. You've heard of him. I know his name gets thrown around a lot when people talk about pirates. Almost no one knows his full name though. By the time he was world famous, he was only known as the pirate he had become, not the man he started as. His name was Monkey D. Luffy." She smiled and turned the heat down on her pot, then went to her room and returned with a box. She handed it gently to her son, who still seemed to be trying to process what she had said.
"My father... Was Straw Hat Luffy? The Pirate King or the great age of pirates?" He asked it quietly, understanding why he was not supposed to tell anyone this secret. He opened the box and found a yellow straw hat with a simple band and a string to hold it on. He lifted it from the box reverently.
"That's right. And you're named after his adopted brother. Portgas D. Ace. He was also known as Fire Fist Ace. He was the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and the son of Gol D. Roger, the previous Pirate King." She smiled gently at her son as he inspected the hat carefully, looking at each scratch and tear and burn.
"Your father's father was the hero of the revolution. Monkey D. Dragon. You remind me a lot of him as well. I had a hard time seeing anything in common between those two at first, but it just took me a while. And I can see them both so clearly in you... And you already know who the father of the Revolutionary Dragon is. Monkey D. Garp. Your great grandfather. The head of the marines." She watched her son as he slowly turned the hat in his hands. He was sitting quietly now, putting all she had told him together.
"I had no idea that all those names in history class were so close to me..." He looked up from the hat and smiled. "Thanks for telling me."
"It was about time you knew about your family's history. Monkey D. Ace, your father would be so proud of you. You're descended from the pirate king, the hero of the revolution, and the head of the marines. Whatever path you choose in life, he will always be proud of you. And so will I."
"I'm honored..." Ace blinked back tears for a moment, then put the lid on the box and handed it back to his mother. She shook her head.
"No, that hat belongs to you. You'll be a great man someday. Maybe you'll even sail to Raftel with a crew of your own. The Will of the D won't be erased so easily. Now go wash up. Dinner is almost done." She smiled and turned back to the meal, adding the finishing touches.
"Thanks Mom." Ace hopped off the stool, then hesitated. He thought for a moment, then smiled and put the hat on his head.
"Oi! Nami!" Luffy stood atop the figure head, looking around with a grin on his face. One hand held his hat firmly in place, while the other was stretched down to the deck, offering his navigator a hand up to his perch.
"Hang on a second, I'm almost done here!" Nami glared at her captain and picked the last ripe tangerine from it's branch, placing it carefully in her basket. She delivered it to the kitchen and then went to find out what her captain was so excited about this time.
"Nami, what is the weather going to be like between now and tomorrow evening?" Luffy was sitting now, his legs crossed, still staring out over the coast. When she took a seat with her back against his, looking back over the ship and watching the horizon, he relaxed a bit, using his powers to make his back a softer pillow for her.
"Clear for the next few days, but I would say rain by the end of the week. Why?" She smiled as his back softened and she pressed more comfortably against him. He always put the happiness and safety of his crew first.
"Oi! Sanji!" Luffy shouted right behind her, causing her to flinch. The blonde cook stuck his head out of the kitchen, a definite scowl on his face. It deepened when he saw Nami leaned against him.
"What is it you rubber idiot?! I'm trying to cook!" Sanji was about to close the door before his captain answered.
"Can you make a little extra and pack it for a day's hike? I'm going to take a walk around the island. Enough for two." Luffy turned away from the cook and relaxed again. Sanji stared at him in confusion for a moment, then went back to his work.
"We already sailed around the island, and didn't see anything interesting. What's going on? We have One Piece, what more is there here?" Nami asked, now very curious about her captain's plans.
"I just want to go for a walk. I'm the king of the pirates now. I'm wearing his hat and I have his treasure. I have the best crew in the world, and I think I'd like to take a little break. Would you come with me, so I don't get lost?" Luffy sounded so much calmer than usual, Nami wondered if he was feeling well.
"If that is what you want, of course. You're my captain." She smiled and leaned her head back on his shoulder.
"Since when have I ever given you orders as your captain? We're all nakama. This is only a request. It is up to you." His head leaned very slightly back onto her's. Her smile grew wider.
"A walk around Raftel with the pirate king? I'd be honored." Nami giggled a bit and then sat in silence, watching the waves break on the sandy shore below the ship. Usopp and Chopper were wrestling on the deck. Zoro was asleep in the crow's nest. Robin was tanning and reading in her deck chair. Brook was probably composing some new song in his quarters. Franky was hard at work fixing up the ship for the return voyage.
"Great. We'll leave after dinner. There was a nice looking spot on the far side of the island I saw when we sailed past that would make a good camping spot." Luffy stretched his arms over his head and yawned. Nami could feel some of the tension in his muscles relax. She leaned forward and let him stand, then got to her feet. He offered her a hand, and she accepted it, using his strength to dismount the figure head safely.
When Sanji called them for dinner, she realized how long she had been sitting up there, back to back with her captain. Time had gone by so quickly. She would have sworn it had been only minutes, not nearly an hour.
The group was loud as always. The dinner was a celebration. They had finally made it. They had finally reached Raftel and found One Piece. They were the nakama of the Pirate King. Sanji yelled at the captain a few times about stealing food off of the others plates, and then handed him a back pack full of food when all the rest was finished.
"Here you go. Two normal meals worth of food." Sanji raised an eyebrow when he received no complaints. Luffy just thanked him and left the kitchen, going to his quarters to get the rest of his supplies. He was standing on the deck, waiting, ten minutes later. He smiled radiantly when Nami stepped out onto the deck in a comfortable loose top and her usual swim suit bottoms.
"Hey Nami. Which way should we go?" The tall man held out an arm to her. She blushed slightly, but accepted the offer, finding it far easier to make her way off the ship with his strength assisting her. She took in her surroundings and thought back to the map she had been sketching the previous night. She pointed.
"That way will get us there faster. We should make it before sunset." Luffy grinned and set off without hesitation. He trusted her completely. She smiled. All the trouble she had caused him when she first joined. Betraying them. Everything. And he had never once held it against her. He was something else.
They walked in silence for a while, Luffy looking around like a small child that had never been outside before, while Nami took in every detail that she wanted to include on her map.
Back on the ship, Robin was sitting beside Zoro in the crow's nest, watching their captain and navigator walk along the beach, arm in arm.
"Are... Are they on a date?" Zoro stared after them. Robin giggled.
"Well, what if they are? Just because we're pirates, it doesn't mean they have to give up all standard ideas of romance, does it? I thought that was what Luffy wanted most anyway. Freedom. That's what he fights for so passionately. The freedom to live his life how he wants. Even if it is a bit different from how certain other people live theirs." She wrapped two arms around the swordsman from the railing and the kissed his cheek.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. As long as the idiot doesn't get eaten or something. Oi! Only two arms, you know that creeps me out!" Zoro struggled but Robin's arms held him tight. Another pair grabbed his ankles. He scowled, but stopped struggling.
"Like I said, we're pirates. We live by no ones rules but our own and our captain's." Robin sat comfortably on his lap and leaned in close. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Nope." Zoro smirked at her and bit kissed her nose.
No one else aboard the ship paid any attention to where the captain and navigator went. Sanji was sulking, and Franky had passed out with his tools still in his hands. Usopp, Chopper, and Brook were all singing and drinking on the deck.
"The sky is so clear here. It's hard to imagine it raining." Luffy was staring up at the sky, his feet moving automatically, keeping pace with Nami's shorter strides.
"Are you doubting me?" She teased him, knowing full well that he took her word as absolute truth when it came to weather or navigation.
"No. Oh! There's the spot!" Luffy grinned and pointed ahead at a large, flat, grassy alcove half way up a large hill. They would be able to see the entire back half of the island from there. They began their accent immediately, and with a little assistance from the rubber man, arrived in only half an hour.
"Whoa... The view is amazing..." Nami stared in awe at the surrounding land and ocean. Luffy grinned and nodded in agreement. He turned and sat his pack on the ground, taking two large blankets out and spreading one out on the ground. He left the other folded up into a long pillow and then sat down, leaning back onto it, and patting the ground beside him. Nami lowered herself beside him and stretched out.
"Thank you, for coming with me." Luffy looked over at her and smiled. He always wore his heart so plainly on his face. What she saw now, she wasn't sure she knew how to interpret. His eyes were softer than usual, showing more concern than he usually did when no one was in trouble. He looked... nervous.
"You're welcome. I'm glad I came. Thank you for inviting me." She watched his face relax and scooted closer, leaner her head against his shoulder as they watched the sun dip below the horizon. She looked up at the sky as the first few stars began to show.
"Hey Nami... What will you do, now that we finally made it? Will you continue mapping the world? Will you go back to your home, and grow tangerine trees?" He watched the sky, but she could feel he was anxious for her answer.
"I... I don't really know. I've seen so much of the world already. I sort of... Wanted to stay as part of the crew. What are you going to do?" She turned her head to look at him. He sighed.
"I... I'm still thinking about it." She caught a hint of sadness on his face. She frowned and rolled onto her side, looking at him fully. He swallowed and looked away. "I've been thinking about what will be best for everyone, since I've finally accomplished my goal. I've fulfilled my dream. I want my nakama to be able to do so as well."
"And why do you look so sad about that? We could continue sailing together, working to fulfill all of our dreams..." His face lit up for a moment, then faded back to a sad frown.
"No... Chopper wants to be a great doctor, and find the cure to every illness. Sanji wants to be the greatest chef in All Blue. You want to map the world. Robin wants to discover lost secrets, and become an archeologist again. Those sort of things would be easier if they weren't wanted pirates." Luffy ran a hand through his hair, pushing his hat off and setting it aside.
"That is true, but they stuck with you anyway. Doesn't that mean they would rather be your crew?" Nami felt like sobbing, just seeing her captain's happiness gone for an instant.
"I'm their captain. I've been selfish, putting all of our time and effort into pursuing my own dream. I need to do what is best for my crew now. And it would be best for them if they weren't wanted pirates anymore. If they could walk around free." Luffy bit his lip as he glanced at his navigator. She blinked as a tear fell down her cheek.
"Luffy... You don't mean that... Please..." He looked away quickly and swallowed.
"I think it is the right thing to do." He took a deep breath and then rolled onto his side, now nose to nose with her. He reached up and pushed her bright orange hair behind her ear. She blushed as she felt more tears slipping down her face.
"Luffy... When?" She blinked.
"When we make it back to the Red Line. Probably several months. It is a long journey, even without extra stops." Luffy wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Are you going to tell the others?" She shivered at the thought of how they would react to his plan.
"No... not until we're there. I... I don't think they would let me." He let his head tilt, leaning into the rolled up blanket.
"What makes you think I will let you? I could tell them and they would help me stop you."
"I trust you not to. I..." He rolled onto his back and sighed. Nami propped herself up on her elbow, looking down at him.
"What?" She could feel his breath against her skin as his eyes widened.
"I love you, Nami." He closed his eyes and waited. She leaned down and kissed him.
"Then why are you doing this? Why are you finally telling me when I know I'm going to lose you?" She sniffed as she kissed him repeatedly, gently brushing her lips against his over and over.
"So we can enjoy the time we've got left. Our crew's last adventure. What do you say?" He opened his eyes and kissed her back softly. She nodded.
"How could I ever say no to you?"
"Zoro... What are you doing?!" Luffy glared at the swordsman who only laughed.
"We started this together, its only right we finish it together. Besides, there was no way they would just let me off the hook. I was your first mate, and I was the greatest swordsman in the world. I accomplished my goal. I'm ready to go see a childhood friend of mine." Zoro smiled confidently at his captain and friend as they knelt, heads bowed, hands and feet shackled.
"Thank you, Zoro. I could not have asked for a better first mate. Or friend." Luffy smiled then, thinking back across the years they had traveled together. "I'll see you on the other side."
"Yeah." Zoro closed his eyes to wait for the death blow to fall.
"Any last words?" The executioner asked, sword already drawn.
"Yeah. Nami! Take my hat. I want you to keep it. Pass it on someday." Luffy looked up at her, standing in the front of the crowd, tears streaming down her face. He had turned himself in on the condition that his crew be pardoned. His grandfather had pulled some strings to get the condition approved.
"I will. I love you. Goodbye, Luffy." She accepted the hat as it was passed to her from the platform. The blade was raised. She held his gaze. He smiled, grinning like he didn't have a care in the world.
"I'll see you again, Nami. I'll be waiting to go on another adventure. Don't be in a hurry. I'll have Zoro to keep me company while I wait. And don't cry. Smile. I lived free!" The blade fell, and two lives ended. Nami managed to give her captain a smile before he left her.
"Mom, are you okay?" Ace tugged on his mother's sleeve. She opened her eyes and then smiled at him, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I'm fine, Ace. Just a sad dream." She stood up and stretched. It was getting late. She had fallen asleep sometime after dinner. She looked around her home. It had cost such a small fraction of One Piece that she could have bought her own town, but that was no longer important to her. This was her home. With her son. With Robin only a few houses away.
"Were you dreaming about my dad?" Ace asked. He had his hat dangling from his neck by it's cord. Nami smiled.
"Yes, I was. I miss him. But I'll see him again someday. I see him in you everyday." She picked him up and hugged him. "Time for bed."
As she fell asleep that night, she dreamed about their last adventure. The days spent side by side, and the nights spent in each others arms. Ace had been born seven months after the execution. True to their word, the marines had cleared the charges on the rest of the crew.
Nami wondered what sort of adventure her captain would have in store for her when they finally meet again.
I really hope when it comes down to it, Oda ends One Piece decisively and perfectly, like Code Geass. The series should deserve the same beautiful and artfully done send off as the Going Merry.