A Pirate Like Me

El3v3n

All characters belong to their respective owners.

Preface

Sailor Moon: This story takes place around the Sailor Moon R arc soon after Rini (Chibi Usa) arrived and Mamoru distanced himself from Usagi by breaking up with her. Overcome with depression she's having difficulty fighting as Sailor Moon against the Black Moon Family that are pursuing she and Rini for capture under Prince Diamond's orders who is currently being manipulated by Wiseman. (Usagi is sixteen at the start of this story, I know she's supposed to be that age toward the end of the manga/anime but I always write her older. Hell, she's depicted as having vague sexual relations with Mamoru in the manga as well as being hinted pregnant in the last chapter. Sorry if this isn't canon enough for you but if you're reading a crossover story I'm just going to assume you're not too obsessive over that.)

One Piece: The straw hat pirates (Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji) have just barely escaped Logue Town and are making their way to the Grand Line in order to finally begin searching for the One Piece and ultimately solidify Luffy's claim as King of the Pirates. Though proving himself to be more than useful in battle even while still severely injured during the events in Arlong Park and Logue Town, Zoro is still wrestling with his defeat by Dracule Mihawk: the man who currently holds the title of 'The greatest swordsman in the world,' a crown he is determined to take for himself and to honor the promise he made to his late childhood rival. (Zoro is nineteen, Luffy and Usopp are seventeen, and Nami and Sanji are also nineteen.)

This story is categorized as Action/Adventure/Romance. If you've read any of my previous stories you've probably already discovered that I'm a hopeless romantic. While that is true this story won't be purely fan service meaning it was envisioned and written to include a plot describing an adventure bringing two worlds together in a hopefully exciting, entertaining and emotional way.

If there are storms, there are also stars

One

How had it come to this?

"Sailor Moon!" A panicked voice launched into the air, but any and all sounds registered like faded echoes to the flaxen-haired heroine. Injured and cornered, she cradled her bruised arm with hazy vision trailing the tips of her boots. If it hadn't been for the wall of bricks supporting her back, she might have crumbled before the enemy and faced it on her knees.

She'd been in stickier situations before with greater injuries and much more at stake than her own life. This time it wasn't her body or abilities that failed her, but her heart. The blue-eyed warrior of the moon should have been frightened by the creature looming ahead but instead of adrenaline she felt nothing but a dull ache throb in her chest.

"You're really the famed Sailor Moon, huh?" The feminine voice of the android taunted her. "What a little wimp, and to think they talked you up like you were supposed to be tough. Too bad, I was looking forward to the challenge." She smirked toward the other's bowed head.

How was she supposed to find the will to fight, when she had already lost it all?

Usagi hadn't been the first name she'd been born under. Those once lost, yet magical memories of a life that ended tragically before its time were now more like a plague. Perhaps she had become too wrapped up in the romanticism of it all. A love that transcended race and different worlds – one so important and strong it had been worth dying for indeed sounded like something she could have read in a story. It had been naïve to believe that a bond formed over a millennium ago could outlast the toll time took on all.

She knew that now, though it had taken her some weeks to accept what had been spoken to her ears and later painfully demonstrated before her eyes. Her dear friends had encouraged her to move on and become the cheerful and carefree girl she had been before loving him, but despite their best distractions it just wasn't possible.

She'd embraced their dual identities – he hadn't. With eyes full of tears and a heart swelled with love she had begged him to fight for what they once had, a plea he declined placidly with eyes devoid of emotion. Though still a novice, the celestial warrior could recall being beat within an inch of her life and still the pain compared to nothing like it had felt when Mamoru had stomped on her heart.

Hot rivers of moisture flooded her cheeks as she remained slumped before her opponent. She was no longer just that girl who ate her lunch half an hour after breakfast and mastered the art of the red pen to make her F's look like A's. She had been born as something more and now that a huge part of that had been ripped away, how could she go on?

Nothing would ever again be the same.

"Hey Ria!" Another droid called to her companion. "These others are putting up a fight, finish her off we could use your help!"

"This one is supposed to go elsewhere," Ria smirked and aimed her large and peculiar weapon toward the defeated soldier as she cranked the dial. "Our master is waiting for you, if you would be so kind - do tell her it was Ria who sent you to your doom!" She cackled and readied her finger on the trigger.

"Usagi!" A desperate wail sounded from the rooftops. Sailor Moon snapped out of her trance just in time to see the flash of electricity hurtling toward her attacker.

The simultaneous events of movement and sound played before the girl's senses as she made a vain attempt to dive for safety. The shock of Jupiter's attack landed on the creature hard and traveled to her weapon with a thunderous shriek of sparks and flames. For a moment, Sailor Moon thought she'd been rescued until a massive, swirling and purple-hued blast hurtled toward her form on the ground.

…

The waters of the East Blue were considerably calm for an evening when the moon was full. They lapped the hull of the Going Merry in a steady rhythm, the rise and fall of the creaking baseboards like a peaceful lullaby. The entirety of the straw hat crew was fast asleep except for the lone watchman lounging against the quarter deck's gunnels. No one ever asked the famed pirate hunter to be lookout while they slept but he did so regardless. It was unlikely they would be attacked as few vessels, pirate or otherwise would brave a night-time assault, but great swordsman were always to be on their guard and the man seeking to be the greatest of them all would not falter.

Taking a long swig from a kitchen-pilfered bottle of sake, Roronoa Zoro sighed as he turned his gaze to the sky. The laceration spanning the length of chest was healing quickly, but it still occasionally throbbed. He wasn't sure if the lingering pain was from his refusal to keep still and take it easy or his wounded pride. It had been foolish to challenge Mihawk. In hindsight he should have known he wasn't ready. The man was over twice his senior and even though Zoro had worked toward mastering the way of the sword for his entire life it still hadn't been good enough to take his title away.

But he now had one hell of a scar to remind him of that and the fact he had lived through it meant he could still strive toward his life's goal. The straw hats were continually escaping the jaws of death by the skin of their teeth, yet Zoro couldn't help but smirk upon acknowledging that no matter how many beatings or broken bones it took to emerge victorious, there was nothing that could slow them down.

As he watched the sky his pupils dilated in wonder upon spying a shooting star. They were no rarity, he saw them often during his nighttime guard but this one was huge, like a violet supernova that had exploded and was racing past the moon. He really wasn't one to think highly of wishes as he'd labored, sweat and toiled endlessly for the skills he'd earned. But something about this galactic marvel made him fanciful and he came to his feet to regard it with his full attention.

'I will become the greatest swordsman to ever live,' he told himself whilst pulling his mouth into a confident grin. 'But it will take that much strength and more to ensure that my captain achieves his ambition as well.' As soon as he completed the thought, the smile died on his lips upon realizing the ball of light had stopped its journeying across the sky.

Was it getting bigger?

"What the hell?" Zoro ground out as he took a step back. His eyes bulged and twitched, the burst of purple flames approaching at break neck speed was traveling a path dangerously aligned in range of the ship. Reaching in frenzy for his swords, he looked unconfidently upon the trio of hilts. He had famously boasted of his ability to cut through anything, but a meteorite? That was on fire?

"Damn it!" He cursed through grit teeth. Swallowing hard, he popped the handle of his meito but paused upon the sound of a blood curdling scream. His mouth dropped open as his keen vision made out a shape crashing from the heavens.

"No-no way!" He shouted aloud, disbelieving the information his eyes were feeding him. The violaceous energy surrounding its charge dissipated as it neared the dark waters below, revealing a terrified girl in their wake.

Quickly snapping to action, Zoro estimated the trajectory of her fall and burst toward the Merry's port side. Without pause or question he planted his boots atop the gunwales and thrust his arms over the edge just as her wailing form had finally neared its doom. Yanking backward with every ounce of his monstrous strength, he pulled them back to the vessel. With a slam that violently rocked the once idle ship, the wood below them splintered when the pirate's back broke their fall.

The viridian-haired swordsman saw stars for a moment in the midst of his dizziness and pain. But the discomfort was overwhelmed by the absolutely new sensations pervading his awareness.

Her hair surrounded him like flowing locks of spun gold, the lengthy strands like silk against his rugged and sun-browned skin. The force from her fall was great but she felt incredibly light atop his form, small and soft her body felt exceedingly more pleasant than the broken floor at his back. She smelled like something of a different world, like a bouquet of wild flowers that had somehow become lost at sea.

In a tangle of twisted clothing and limbs, his vision finally met the stranger's eyes – wide and watery they were a reflection of the East Blue upon being greeted by the rising sun. His awareness was returning quickly and it was only then that he realized the girl currently bundled within his stalwart embrace had her full and warm lips pressed against his own.

He only wished he had heeded notice before she started screaming.

Scrambling to their feet, the strangely dressed girl no greater than five feet tall in her heeled boots pointed a finger accusingly at the red-faced sailor.

"Wait! I didn't mean-"

"Pervert!" Sailor Moon screeched, blushing like mad in her anger and embarrassment.

"What did you do?" A new voice bellowed. Tossing her gaze toward the sound, Sailor Moon spotted the arrival of four other strangers. They all appeared confused and sported dumbfounded expressions except for the one who was in the process of launching a barrage of kicks upon the man she'd been introduced to by a kiss.

Drawing two of his swords, Zoro engaged the blonde kick boxer and met him strike for strike with the back of his steel.

"Cut it out you shitty idiot!" The swordsman roared, now applying his own strikes between blocking the other's attacks.

"Fear not my sweet!" The sandy-haired man looked starry eyed toward Sailor Moon. "I will defend your honor by punishing this cretin!" Capitalizing on the other's distraction, Zoro bonked him over the head with the hilt of his sword and sent the man toppling over.

"Shut your mouth, asshole! It was a damn accident!" He boomed in defense.

Scratching his nose as he watched the encounter, another boyish looking stranger finally grinned from ear to ear as he tilted his straw hat toward the befuddled moon warrior.

"Hey, I'm Luffy!" He called to her cheerily, "Welcome to my pirate ship!"

…

After a series of more arguments, the eclectic group gathered within the ship's mess hall where the blonde-coifed Sanji, who was revealed to be the crew's chef, was working on preparing them a meal.

"So," Luffy looked wide-eyed toward the newcomer, leaning over the table excitedly. "You were fighting someone and when they shot you with their gun you fell out of the sky?" He asked, barely containing his giggles. "That is…so cool!"

"Eh, I don't buy it." Usopp, a long-nosed fellow with long coiled locks of black hair looked at the girl skeptically. "Are you sure that's what happened? Seems pretty hard to believe to me," No sooner did the disbeliever speak did a wooden spoon go slamming into the side of his face.

"Ow!" He complained and covered the red welt left behind with his hand.

"Please excuse him, of course we believe you Usagi, my dear!" With a cigarette in one hand, Sanji placed a delicious plate of food before her with the other. "I've made something extra special today in your honor, please enjoy!" As usual, the forever hungry girl's stomach growled loudly upon being offered. Narrowing her eyes, she watched as the others were served the same breakfast as she and made no hesitation to dig in.

"Really, it's alright," a kind appearing red-head who had introduced herself as Nami reassured her, "Even if you were the most ruthless pirate to sail the ocean Sanji would never hurt a girl – let alone mess with her food. Trust me, both are sacred to him!"

"That's right Nami, my love!" The chef called dramatically from where he sat down with his own plate. "It's refreshing that someone here understands." He beamed with a ridiculous smile.

"Could you knock it off? The sun hasn't even risen yet and I already can't handle listening to your terrible attempts at flirting all day long." Zoro grumbled between bites of eggs. The brooding man hadn't spoken at all since being seated at the table. He seemed just as embarrassed as Usagi about the incident and so far had been the only one to not query about her situation.

"At least I'm a gentleman," Sanji glared daggers in the other's direction. "I always ask permission before I kiss a fair lady, you shitty Casanova." With eyes afire both men rose to their feet with the threat of a battle heavy in the air between them.

"No fighting in the kitchen!" Nami screeched at them as Usagi, having lost her transformation long ago, watched these insane people bicker in stunned silence.

"Hey," Luffy stretched a rubber-like arm to reach across the table and tap the blonde girl on her shoulder. "You gonna eat that?" Face pale with horror as she looked from the boy's impossibly stretched arm back to her untouched food she quickly grabbed her fork and began shoveling it hungrily into her mouth.

She may have died and gone to some bizarre level of hell, but she'd face her doom all over again before she let anyone steal her food.

Sometime later Usagi found herself on the vessel's main deck watching the sun breach the horizon. Gripping her hands tightly around the railing, she gritted her teeth in an attempt to hold back her tears. None of this could be real, and yet all the things around her seemed so undeniably vivid and true. She gathered no ill intentions from these people, but being stranded in a world she was certain wasn't her own while her friends were in danger made her feel even more hopeless than she had during her bout with the Black Moon's android.

And Mamoru…

Grabbing at the clothing across her chest, Usagi felt the physical pain of their separation. As now there was no longer any hope – no chance he'd come to his senses now that he could no longer pretend to ignore her when they'd see each other from afar. When she thought of her friends and family too and the last smiles she'd seen on their faces the tears rolled down her cheeks after she failed to subdue a vocal sob.

"Are you alright?" A gravelly and quiet voice inquired of her. Snapping her head up, Usagi took a rough wipe at her eyes and turned toward the source of the sound.

She hadn't noticed his presence or how long he had been seated there, but her mouth fell slightly agape upon observing her unorthodox savior. He had his back to her against the railing of the quarter deck sitting a level above where she stood. With the way his arms were wrapped around his head and the incline of his seat she might have mistook him for sleeping if he hadn't just spoke to her. Seeing that he made no move to further regard her, Usagi turned her gaze back to the sea with a bitter frown.

"Why did you save me?" She questioned him in kind, mentally deciding she would have been better off if he had just let her fall to a watery grave. "I thought pirates were interested in treasure and plunder, not rescuing damsels plummeting to their doom." At first she thought he chose not to dignify her with an answer but after a long pause she turned to face him upon his voice.

"Don't get the wrong impression," he spoke finally, his form slowly becoming more visible in the growing light. "I am not, nor am I pretending to be a hero." He turned his dark gaze on her, looking deadly serious in the shadows of the railing. "But any person, pirate or not, would be lower than scum to not help a girl in need if it was within their ability to do so."

A pirate with a sense of honor? Usagi may have been infamous for being overly trustworthy but she was hardly one to blindly trust a self-proclaimed thief.

"And I suppose you'd expect me to believe you're not lying to me either?"

"A swordsman with any true talent at all would never have the need to deceive." He answered her plainly. Looking away from her again he seemed unconcerned as to whether he'd convinced her.

"Then tell me," she continued, eying her hands and pursing her lips. "Is this some sort of trick? Are you all members of that family trying to capture me?"

"Did you even hear a single word of that? Or did it just go in one ear and out the other?" His grumpy tone and the sound of boots hitting the floor compelled Usagi to lift her head. Glancing meekly behind, her lips parted upon spying the man prevailing in the sunlit winds.

The one named Zoro fit no meaningful description of what a pirate was supposed to look like. Youthful and tall with broad shoulders and arms, he had no need for an eye patch and no sign of a pegged leg. The fitted clothing tracing the hard lines of his physique was a testament to his strength and Usagi had no doubt in her mind of his capabilities to use the swords at his hip.

His gaze was fixed fiercely upon her but despite its intensity there was something gentle about it she couldn't quite place. With an annoyed grit of his teeth he approached her, the three gold ornaments dangling from his left ear chiming softly in the ocean breeze.

"We're pirates, I get it." He spoke gruffly pausing a respectable distance away. "But despite that we've all set sail for our own goals and ambitions and not one of those has anything to do with causing you harm. No cheap thugs have a place in this crew, you got that?" Zoro sighed heavily when her eyes began to water as they looked pleadingly up to his. "Look," he began significantly less harshly than before, "I already nearly threw myself off this boat trying to catch you, what's it going to take for you to believe me?"

The question surprised her enough that she blinked a few times and considered that other than having been told by the droid that she was being sent away to her enemy, she had no reason not to believe him. On instinct alone, she held a dainty hand forward. Mimicking the movement, Zoro too lifted his hand and met hers at the border between them. His palm was rough and calloused, likely from years of swordplay but it was also warm and fully encapsulating of hers.

On the other side of those dark eyes was a boy not a few years older than her. And despite his intimidating appearance, she sensed the depth of a good soul driven by honor and an iron will. Her realization brought the first smile in days to her face, an action that appeared to baffle the pirate standing before her.

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" An enthusiastic voice stole the moment. Luffy, the captain of this odd bunch was standing beyond them with eyes wide and full of life.

"You'll be safe with us, Usagi!" The straw hat boy held an excited fist before him. "And if you wanna go home, then we'll take you there!" Looking incredulously toward the over-excited boy, her mouth twisted in uncertainty.

"But how? I don't even know how I got here, let alone anything about how to get back." She protested.

"Eh," Zoro answered, exuding confidence from a tilted smile. "We'll figure something out."

"That's right!" Luffy reassured, turning to face the rest of the small crew. "Alright everyone, you heard it, we're getting Usagi back home no matter what!"

'These people are insane,' Usagi thought to herself as she watched the pirates as they moved to tend to their daily chores. And she had to waggle her brow a little when the hulking swordsman went back to his favorite spot on the deck for a nap.

She didn't know what these so called pirates had planned but despite her currently abysmal situation, she could feel the tugs of adventure promising her heartstrings a journey she'd not soon forget.

Hi!

I had this chapter written for quite some time now...I'd like to continue the story but thought I'd see if anyone out there was interested!

Feedback would be wonderful if there's anyone who read and enjoyed this even a little!

Love,

El3v3n