Yea, I've just had this shit bouncing around in my head all morning so I wrote this excerpt up really quick. Don't expect much, didn't edit it or anything. NOT a full fledged story, I personally don't have time for that, but if anyone wants to use this I don't really care. I know the whole time travel niche isn't really original but meh, whatever. Don't own any material related to One Piece.
A grin came to his face as his Nakama all arrived in their own dramatic ways, the familiar D-shape sending the leader of CP9 into a panic. The Straw Hat crew all lined up next to him, all displaying equal amounts determination to get Robin back. A distant voice rose up from his past- now future -, mocking him with the truth of the statement. "Without strength, you won't be able to save anyone." A shudder racked through him, the fun of the moment gone as images sprung suddenly at him from the inky black of his mind.
Zoro broke their companionable silence with a large sigh, pulling his trademark black bandanna off while offering the sake bottle to him with a smirk. "Carry me Captain. Let me see the end of this."
Luffy accepted the bottle, taking a hearty swig to empty the last of it's content. He started at Zoro's words however – the idea that the forever strong, independent man next to him would accept the dishonor of being carried was shocking.
"Just wait here Zoro." Luffy tried to dissuade his friend, hoping that his unsteady smile would convince his brother in all but blood. "I don't want to agitate your wounds."
"It's my Dream, Luffy. I need to see you claim One Piece. To become Pirate King."
Luffy wordlessly plucked his First Mate from the ground, beginning the trek into the underground cave.
His attention came back to the situation at hand, and between his mind screaming at him that everything could change now and the Panda-man ranting loudly about their failed efforts he couldn't keep his focus long.
"Rest here Zoro, while I get this door open." Luffy settled Zoro against the wall of the mysteriously illuminated cavern, and then went to inspect the door with the Poneglyph-style writing all over it. He stopped before it to let his eyes ghost over the words, not actually reading them but trapped in his memories of someone who could.
Behind him, Zoro slid to a sitting position, something Luffy decidedly didn't mention, figuring the swordsman needed the rest after their hard fought battles.
"Look at this Zoro! I bet Robin would have loved to read this." Luffy tries to make his tone excited, but it comes out wistful instead, and he dutifully ignores the voice digging at the back of his head, having given up on that specific power after her death.
A noncommittal hum responds to his words, and Luffy goes to work on figuring out a way to open the door. To his surprise a mist coalesces in front of him, taking a moment to shape into the form of a human body before details come into figure. The first thing Luffy takes note of is the thick black moustache, futilely trying to cover a wide crescent moon smile similar to his own.
"So you have come, my heir!" The man starts, only to be interrupted as Luffy turns back to Zoro, who has his typical smirk as he stares at the man.
"Zoro! This guy is SO COOL!" It's the first time he's said it in years, and he expected a reaction from his last-surviving direct crewmember. None comes.
"O-Oi, Zoro." He starts to move over, his legs beginning to shake as his whole world begins to collapse around him.
"Zoro, please." He's by his side now, giving his shoulder a slight shake like a child would a sleeping mother.
"Wake up, Zoro." The trickle of blood from the corner of the first mate's mouth gives leaves no question to the ghostly figure by the door that the green-haired swordsman has passed on. Luffy doesn't seem to notice as the figure begins to walk towards him purposefully.
"ZORO!" He's screaming now, tears pouring from his eyes. A strong arm pulls him away, and the anger that Luffy has become so accustomed to feeling over the years roars up in his chest as he lets out a snarl, struggling as hard as he can to get back to his Swordsman's side.
"Let him go! He has passed!" Luffy keeps fighting, as if his very being is at stake, staring into Zoro's eyes as he's dragged back. The figure looks into those eyes too. Determined even in death, Roger notes.
The anger surges, sending strength to his muscles, but leaving room for only one thought. Protect.
"There are too many of you!" He informs CP9, completely cutting off whatever Spandam was saying about the golden Den Den-mushi. Pulling his hat down to block the sun, Luffy, glares and sends out a burst of Kenbunshoku Haki, measuring everyone in the viscinity's strength and matching them up accordingly. He notes that most of his crew seems weaker now than in his past life and acts accordingly.
The CP9 members, who have been glancing between each other curiously, return their eyes to the Straw Hat's captain as his hand raises up and he points at two of them. Blueno and Kumadori.
"How do you intend to deal with us?" Blueno's monotone voice grates on the irritated Luffy's ears, so he responds to the question with one answer.
Blueno and Kumadori collapse, foaming at the mouths, unconscious.
The silence is deafening, and the tension in the air palpable.
Luffy pointedly ignores both.
"Zoro, fight Kaku. Sanji, the wolf guy. Nami and Chopper get the lady. Franky will get Zipper-mouth. I've got pigeon guy." He's called out his orders loud enough for everyone to hear, and Chief Spandam dishes out his own in response, giving CP9 permission to kill as well as ordering Lucci to come with him after roughly grabbing Robin's arm and pulling her along. Franky tries to stop him but is dispatched by Lucci fairly easily. Unfortunately for Spandam he's angered someone with his action that Lucci has no chance of stopping.
Luffy is there in an instant, having used Geppou to cross the gap, and forces the two apart, Robin is simply pushed back gently while Spandam is completely smashed into the ground, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head and blood pouring from his mouth.
Luffy's anger evaporates as he turns to Robin, marveling at the tears he can see in her eyes and the way she bites her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood just to stop herself from crying. His heart throbs painfully. He turns fully to her, his hand ghosting over her cheek, carefully running his fingers over the bruises he finds there.
She flinches away, and the rage returns ten fold.
It radiates off him in waves, a haze appearing above his shoulders in a literal representation of the heat it generates within him.
None of the CP9 members move to help, standing in fear of this monster in their presence as he drops to his knees over the prone form of their leader.
Spandam has regained consciousness surprisingly, and tries to pitifully fight back by pushing against Luffy's chest. But this isn't Luffy anymore, not the one his crew knows.
His eyes are harder than chips of ice as his hands wrap comfortably around Spandam's throat, his thumbs coming over the man's Adams apple.
The marine's begging doesn't deter him and soon turns into a scrambling fight for his life as Luffy squeezes the air from the bastard's throat.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Luffy is screaming in the man's face as he strangles the life out of him. "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY ROBIN!" He means to say Nakama but has come to realize that she's more than that to him.
The woman in question chokes back a sob behind him, and the sound brings a grin to his face because he knows the tears are of happiness now, for the first time in her life. Without the anger he can't find it within himself to kill the man below him, and just as the fighting stops when Spandam's consciousness slips, Luffy lets go.
As Luffy stands, he pulls his hat over his head once again to cover his eyes, and turns his grin to the rest of CP9.
"Anyone want to try their luck?"