Summary: When Luffy got something in his head there was no one who could stop him to get whatever he wanted to achieve. He was stubborn, childish, impatient but very determined. So here he was, using his free time at Grand Line University to create a game. So when the first beta version of his game came to life he made all his friends play it to know if it was good enough to launch it and the first things they noticed was that the characters were based on them and people Luffy knew. All of them except one. Who was this mysterious guy?

Warnings: OoC, AU

Disclaimer: You know the drill, OP belongs to Oda.

R is for RPG Games
Day 3

When Luffy got something in his head there was no one who could stop him to get whatever he wanted to achieve. He was stubborn, childish, impatient but very determined. So here he was, using his free time at Grand Line University to create a game.

The idea came when he was visiting Ace at the hospital because an accident while working. Luffy was just wandering around the cafeteria when his eyes repaired on the tall figure of a doctor who was passing by. He instinctively followed the doctor and when he was near the man his heart skipped a beat. Luffy knew that man. That hairstyle, skin tone and those grey eyes were impossible to forget. Though it seems that he had grown up a goatee. Before Luffy could get the man's attention the doctor was called by some nurse and his chance to speak with him was gone.

The second and third time Luffy saw the doctor he couldn't approach him again. It was like some kind of strange force didn't allow him to get close to the man. And when he thought he was getting close enough to say "Hello!" always, ALWAYS something got on his way. Some male nurse calling him, an emergency call, a fellow doctor or a piece of paper that seemed to be very interesting to be reading it while walking. So every time he just couldn't do it. Then the thought came.

This seems like when the main character in an RPG game needs to complete mission after mission just to get to the final quest in which he would be able to finally meet with the kidnapped friend/lover. Oh. What if…?

So yeah; that was basically how Luffy got the idea to create his own RPG game. And now he was stuck in what kind of plot he wanted to develop. He just had the main character and his goal but with only that he couldn't do an interesting game, he needed secondary characters to support the hero in his traveling around the virtual world and some pretty awesome and really bad villains to fight with. Yeah. He had a lot of work to do. Fortunately internet was a great source of information and in there were a lot of webpages specialized on games and whatnot. It was one web where he found the necessary to start his great adventure, a site where the most common clichés on RPG were listed and after reading them all he knew how to proceed. First of all he needed the help of two of his friends because he couldn't for the love of meat draw and write a decent story.

And so he recruited Nami, a graphic design student and Usopp who was studying literature. Of course that recruited was the light version for his constantly begging and asking for their help. Luffy just followed them with puppy eyes until they accepted to help him.

Months after planning and sketching the whole game, Luffy started beta testing it. His programming skills weren't at a pro level but he was pretty good if he said it himself. Luckily for him, this semester his classes were more practical than theoretical so he had more time to practice and implement codes to the game.

Although Luffy looked like the typical clown friend who was always making pranks and laughed like there was no tomorrow the true was that he was some kind of math genius. And what better than to take advantage of it by studying something that he could use to create useful and funny things. Like games and apps and whatnot! So getting disbelief looks and sarcastic comments for his choice of career didn't discourage him. In fact he just proved that he was good at what was he doing by getting the highest notes of his class. Yeah. Take that, Bellamy and co. He was going to be the king of his generation class! Or representative student or whichever name they give him.

But he really didn't care at all. Luffy just wanted to get fun and learn about his current passion. So programming became a challenge he took without doubt and now was enjoying it at its maximum.

So when the first beta version of his game came to life he made all his friends play it to know if it was good enough to launch it to the platform he design it to. The first review was something he expected it to be. Of course there would be lag and bugs and some screen freezing but at least the parts he was worried the most got positives feedback. The story was interesting and really caught the attention of the players, in this cases his friends who weren't really the gamer type, so that was very good to know. The other aspect was the characters' designs. The first things his friends noticed was that they were based on them. Of course Nami and Usopp knew before playing it because they were part of the making but to play it did give them a new perspective of their work. The rest of their friends said that while they didn't really care of that fact, the classes and design of each one was really attractive and easy to the eyes. Even the villains seemed pretty cool.

But there was something that they couldn't pinpoint. Knowing Luffy and ho he wanted to design every character, hero, villain and NPCs, they knew that every one of them were based on someone he knew or has known in a point of his life. The majority were from someone they all knew themselves. Except for the one supposed to be the other main character. The hero's best friend who was turned to the bad side.

All of them knew that Luffy just wouldn't put such effort in a character if in the real life he wasn't someone important to him. So the question was who was him?

"Seriously, guys! This Dark Mage is really awesome! I can't wait for you to finish the whole game!" Chopper's exciting was becoming very notorious, his eyes were shining like little stars.

"You know I'm really picky about games but his story so far is very interesting." Zoro said giving one of the phones back that Luffy had lend them. "That aside, are you sure you want to launch it on this platform? Why not on a console like PSP or the DS?"

"Yeah, they seem the most reasonable options for this kind of game," seconded Sanji, giving the phone back too.

"And where and when the hell did you get this cellphones?" Asked Nami observing the one that was given to her. It was an outdated model but when powering on she could notice how smoothly it started. The durability of the battery was even better that her own phone and just for the graphics and menu options she knew that it had the last OS possible for that model.

"C'mon guys! You know me! You know that I like to collect things and phones are great tools to test my skills! Haven't you noticed my phones switching in the last years?"

"I did. I thought all of you would have too. In fact I think you changed them after being tinkering with them for a while," said Robin placing her phone on the box Luffy brought just to collect them.

"Oi, Luffy! Can I keep this one?" Franky's voice had his typical cheerfulness.

"Sure! Can I take yours instead?"

"SUPER! Mine isn't as awesome as this one! Thanks, bro!"

"And where's Brook anyway?"

"Ah! He said he had classes this afternoon and that he couldn't miss it. Said something like music being the food for the soul and that his students were getting really good at playing so he gave me the phone back earlier."

"Well, at least he gave you this note with his opinions" said Usopp reading the piece of paper Luffy handed him.

"Yeah, with this and yours I now know where to start fixing the problems. Thank you, guys! You're really good friends!"

When the end of the semester came, Luffy had improved the running of the game and finished it. Nami and Usopp were really invested on helping him because the story Luffy thought up was addictive in a way that although they knew the outcome of it, playing the game was totally different from being in the process of making it. So when the game was launched on Christmas they and the rest of the gang were really surprised to know that Luffy himself had added them to the pre-launch system that grant every registered user some initial perks. So that, when they all downloaded the game on their own phones they were welcomed with a very enthusiast Christmas note and an explanation of the perks received for registering up in the pre-launch event.

All in all, the perks consisted in credits to buy special items on the game shop, a special cloak that granted the user a booster of EXP x2 for the first ten levels so that they could improve the main character skills really fast. And the last gift was a pack of 3 large, 5 medium and 10 small HP and MP potions plus one 16 slots bag.

That Christmas Luffy spent it at the hospital with Ace, he didn't really wanted him to be alone in that day and to cheer him up he customized one of his spare phones with the likings of his brother. Luffy also went to the length to make a special mobile case with the game's logo and the character based on Ace to keep the phone safe. Ace's reaction was all Luffy could live for. He was explaining some of the characteristics of the phone and the system version when Marco came to greet Ace and to give him some cake from his boss.

"Hey kid, this is for you too!" Said the pineapple-head also giving him cake and some food that smelled really good. "Oyaji says 'Get well soon, Ace!' and wishes for you to come back whenever you feel you're able to"

"Thanks, man! I really started to hate the food in this place. If it weren't for you, Luffy or the guys I would've gone crazy already."

"With the amount of food you consume is the least we could do to avoid letting the hospital run out of food. Whose phone is that?" Marco snatched it from Ace's hands and started to exanimating it with a critical eye.

"Hey! Give it back! It's a present from my little brother!"

"Where do you buy it? I think I've seen this model before but the interface and OS is different."

"Oh, I didn't buy it. It was an old phone I had. I just upgraded its OS version and tinkered with it a bit." Answered Luffy smiling widely.

"I see. And this case? Is it from a game? Uh, this guy looks like you, Ace!"

"Yeah… Luffy made a game and this is one of the characters!" The pride on Ace's voice was so remarkable that even Luffy couldn't help but roll his eyes. Sometimes his brother was very overprotective, with too much proud, dotting or a really mother hen. But Luffy loved him either way.

"And what's this game about?"

After some time explaining the basics of the game and guiding Ace to show Marco how was it, the later put a serious expression on his face to smile after something he seemed to come up. Ace caught whatever the older man was thinking because he started to shake his head, saying that he wouldn't approve it.

"What are you two talking about?" As always Luffy's curiosity made him ask what Marco was waiting for. The opportunity to try to enroll Ace's younger brother to the company they work for.

"Say, Luffy, are you interested on working for us? There's this new branch that needs someone with your profile. And I'm very interested on this game of yours, we could take to the next level! What do you say?"

Sorry for any mistake! I don't have a beta but I promise that when the event finishes I'm gonna take a look to this and every english entry I post. That being said, enjoy it! :'D