What's this? A new story? HELL YES! :D I hope you enjoy this one.
Dislcaimer: I don't own One Piece!
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- Forget me not -
Chapter 1 – Forgotten
"Who the hell are you?! Guys, emergency! We have an intruder!"
"Wha- It's me! Billy! What is wrong with you?!"
"Aah! Enemy!"
"What are you doing on our ship? You are marine or somethin'?"
"I'm me, Billy! What's going on? Hey, Len, don't you recognize me?"
"Eh, why would I?!"
"N-no way! You lost your memory? It's your doing, isn't it?! Leave my crew alone! What do you want?!"
"Ch, you are so plain. Like everyone else. Always demanding stuff, always shouting and acting all protective. I'm so sick of guys like you."
"You-!" Billy was stopped as a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"What do you think you're trying to do with our captain, punk?"
His eyes widened. "But I'm the captain!"
"Heh, no way. I would know about that. Now get your ass off our ship!" Len pulled out his sword, grinning darkly.
"H-hey, stop it! STOP!"
"Uaaah!" With a shout, Billy shot up, drenched in sweat. He grabbed his forehead, panting hard.
His other hand caressed his shoulder, fingers feeling an old scar that would never really heal. The skin was torn and rough.
"Another nightmare. It's been five years and I still get them..."
He got up and looked outside. His house was on top of a hill and he had a nice view onto the small town. He even saw the harbor and the ocean that stretched out before him, wide and blue. His expression darkened.
How he loved the ocean. How he'd enjoyed his life with them, before he showed up. If only they hadn't met him... if only he had been stronger...
He sighed and dressed himself. After brushing his teeth he went downstairs to make some coffee. He was one of the people who couldn't think clearly without one in the morning. When his coffee was ready, he looked outside again and spotted something tiny at the horizon.
Squeezing his eyes, he tried to distinguish it. "Eh? Could it be a ship?" Billy waited a bit until it drew nearer, and suddenly he recognized the flag.
"The Strawhat Pirates?"
"Yosh, guys! We're here!" Luffy shouted from Sunny's head, and Chopper cheered.
"New island! I wonder if it's nice there?" The doctor asked. Luffy laughed.
"Well, I wonder if they have nice food there?"
Nami sighed with fake disappointment. "Sheesh, you'll never change, will you?"
"Nope! Shishi!"
It didn't take long for the Sunny to reach the harbor. A few people stopped their work and stared; they weren't scared but it seemed as if they were slightly mistrustful. The Strawhats were used to panicking people so they didn't mind them looking at them like this. As long as no one ran away in fear, everything was fine.
"Well, I need to go re-stock our food supply, Nami-san." Sanji said, looking around. "Ooh, this is actually a really nice bay."
"Yoho! I really want to see more of this island! It's been a while since we've done a little socializing." Brook laughed.
Franky nodded. "Yeah, true. And I want to buy some screws for my new project. A little cola would be nice, too."
Chopper hopped up and down in excitement. "Mhm! I wanna go see the town, too! And I need some new bandages since Zoro used up so many last time...",
"Hey! You forced me to wear them!" Zoro protested grumpily. Sanji smirked and took a long drag of his cigarette.
"Heh, Marimo you always bleed like a stabbed pig after a fight."
"You wanna tell me something, idiot cook?!" Zoro growled.
"OKAY! Let's stop this now!" Nami shoved them apart, feeling her good mood drop already.
"Hai, Nami-san!"
"Whatever."
"So, Sanji-kun, Franky and Chopper need to go shopping, Brook and me want to see the island. What about you two?" Nami asked Usopp and Robin.
"Well, a little walk around town would be nice indeed. We've been sailing for quite a while after all."
Usopp nodded. "Yup, I really want to get off the ship for a while, too, before I get the cabin fever."
Nami sighed. " Okay, so basically everyone wants to go. We don't have to ask Luffy to know what he wants of course. So what about Sunny?"
"Can we leave now? I really wanna gooo!" Luffy whined pitifully.
"Be patient captain. Don't stress Nami so much." Sanji reminded him. Luffy hung over the railing, looking like he was about to die. "Ughgh I hate waiting...," The others were used to his complaining, so he was coldly ignored.
"We could hide the ship. As far as I could tell, the shore east ways is uninhabited. And this town seems really peaceful. I don't think it's a problem to leave the Sunny alone for a few hours." Robin suggested.
"But what if someone tries to steal her? I mean, isn't it a bit too dangerous? Everyone already saw us here!" Usopp asked. Franky put on his sunglasses and lay an arm around Usopp's shoulder.
"Na, she'll be fine. I can block the wheel for a while so that she can't be steered when we're gone. She has a complicated steering system which I designed personally, so I doubt there is anyone who can un-block it."
"Well, if you say so...", Usopp shrugged.
"You can always stay back and protect her if you want, Usopp." Zoro smirked as he readied his swords.
"Wha-wha- no! I mean, I really trust Franky there! Sunny'll be okay on her own!" Usopp flailed with his arms, sweating.
"Suit yourself." The swordsman commented dryly.
"Good idea, Robin!" Nami praised. "Okay, then get ready to sail to that shore and then we'll go shopping!"
"Yeah!" Luffy and Chopper cheered, dancing. "I can't wait to explore! And I wanna eat meat from this island!"
"Yes, yes. What else?" Nami shook her head but smiled despite herself. Her captain had always been like that, and she doubted he would change anytime soon. Some things would always be the same.
After they lay ashore at the empty beach, they went their own ways. Some of them stayed together like Sanji and Chopper; Brook, Usopp and Franky were a group as well as Nami and Robin. Only Luffy and Zoro went on their own, the captain just stormed off with a yell of happiness and everyone could guess what he was planning.
Zoro scratched his head and went into another direction, searching for a bar or anything to get some booze.
"Luffy! Come back at sunset, you hear me? Be on time! You too, Zoro!" Nami shouted after them.
"Yeehees!" Luffy answered from quite a distance, then he was gone. Zoro only grumbled something under his breath and turned a corner.
The others watched them with mixed expressions. "Why do I feel like a parent watching his kids go to a party for the first time?" Usopp wondered aloud.
"I know what you mean...", Nami commented. "Well, it's gonna be okay. Let's just enjoy the day and meet up later again, right?"
"Yeah!" Franky agreed, and off they went.
Little did they know they were being watched the whole time. The shadow behind the rocks was a skilled man, silent as if he was air. He only smiled dangerously as the crew went to the town and followed quietly.
-X-Y-X-Y-X-Y-
Luffy wandered around aimlessly, excited about all the things to see and just happy to be on solid grounds for a while. The town was nice, gentle people and a happy atmosphere ruling.
Suddenly, something caught his nose and he immediately began drooling. "What's this? Mmmh smells like meat!"
Luffy dashed around, sniffing his way to the source of the delicious smell. "Ah! There! Wait for me, meat!"
He soon reached a small, old looking house on top of a hill. He hardly took the time to look at the beautiful scenery and just went in through the door. It wasn't locked so Luffy just entered as if it was natural to something like this.
Billy got the shock of his life when some scrawny guy suddenly entered his kitchen and demanded some yummy food as if he owned the place. The man was flabbergasted beyond anything and he could only stutter in shock.
"Wha-who the hell are y-you? What are you doing in my house?"
"Hi there, ossan! I'm Luffy, and I'm gonna be king of the Pirates!" Luffy declared proudly, sitting down at the table. "Ossan, it smells really good in here!"
"King of the Pirates...?" Billy blinked and he glanced at the stove with two pots on it. "Uh, thanks, I was just about to cook me a meal and all...," suddenly he seemed to remember his own anger and he pointed his wooden spoon accusingly at Luffy.
"That's got nothing to do with it! How can you just enter someone's house like that? That's rude, brat!"
Luffy looked like a kicked puppy. "Eeh? But I'm so hungry and your food seems so yummy...", his stomach came to aid and grumbled pathetically to emphasize his statement.
Billy gulped and pulled back his wooden spoon at the sad picture. "Ah, well, fine." He was just too soft. "But you have to promise you leave immediately after the meal and never come back... Luffy, was it?"
This managed to bring back Luffy's spirits and he beamed. "Really? You're really nice, ossan! Thanks!"
Billy turned to the stove. "Really, what am I doing?" But this boy seemed like a nice guy, even though the name Luffy rang a bell. He was captain of the Strawhat Pirates, wasn't he? Not as threatening as he had expected him to be. Besides, some company would be really nice for once.
"I'm Billy, by the way."
"Nice to meet ya, Billy-ossan!"
When the food was served, Billy began to regret letting the boy stay. He ate as if it was his last meal, and it wasn't nowhere near enough to fill that kid's stomach. Despite his horror at the beginning, Billy soon leaned back and laughed heartily. So much live in his old, quiet house. It was a nice change.
They began talking about random stuff, and Luffy began to like the guy already. He gave him food, so of course he liked him, but he also enjoyed talking and soon found out he was an ex-pirate as well.
"So what happened? You went into retirement?" Luffy asked.
Billy tensed slightly. "Ah, well, it's a long story... there was this guy we met once, and he destroyed us."
Luffy cocked his head to the side. "What about your friends?"
"I don't know. But you need to be really careful. You better leave soon before you catch his interest. He is often seen in town but everyone tries to avoid him, me all above. He will make your friends turn against you."
Luffy only smiled at him, all worry from before falling off him. "Don't worry if it's about that! My friends will never betray me!" The way that he stated it indicated Luffy really put a lot of trust into his crew. This only made it worse for Billy.
He only looked at him sympathetically. "I hope you're right, boy. I really do." He took a sip of his tea. "I used to have a really strong crew, too, and we were friends. Not just captain and crew, but a real family. But there was this guy on this island... he travels around a lot but when we landed here he suddenly showed up and hunted us down. He took my crew, and I haven't seen them since that night. I don't know what happened to them."
Luffy's smile slipped from his face. "He took your crew?"
Billy stared into nothingness, captured in old, painful memories. "He is a dangerous man. I didn't stand a chance. I settled down here in hopes my crew may come back to me one day, but the only one I've spotted a few times is him. But I can't beat him. I'm in his hands."
Luffy seemed to contemplate it for a while. He didn't like what he heard. "Why didn't you follow him? He got your friends and you just let him sail off with them?"
Billy smiled tiredly, and he looked really worn out all of sudden. "Boy, I'm old and tired. I would only be killed. I've tried many times, but it was not enough and I got myself nearly killed. In the end I'm just too weak to get up once more. I thought I was strong enough to fight my way through the New World, but he is the one man I cannot beat."
Luffy frowned. "But it's your crew! You gave up on them?"
Billy didn't answer. Luffy's frown deepened. This was something he couldn't understand. If it were him, he would hunt that guy down and fight for his friends even if he had to die for it. The way Billy talked about his crew seemed really gentle, like they were the most precious thing in the world. So why-? Was that weird guy really that dangerous?
Luffy couldn't pity him as much as he wanted to. But someone who wasn't ready to put his life on the line for his crew was a lost case. It's guys like Billy who shouldn't call themselves pirates and walk around whining about lost friends. Even though, Luffy couldn't say it out loud. He watched the hunched form of Billy, sitting there mourning and regretting, and Luffy knew regret could eat you up. His eyes softened and he stretched casually as if to make light of the situation.
"It's okay, ossan! We are strong! If he shows up, I'll beat him!" Luffy grinned, and it tugged at Billy's own lips. He couldn't help but smile back. Maybe he was the one Billy had waited for all these years. Maybe he could really do it.
"You're a funny guy." Billy commented and Luffy only laughed at that. Then he took a look out of the window and realized the sun was already setting. He got up, a smile still lingering on his lips as he patted Billy's shoulder.
"Ooops! It's really late! I gotta go now or Nami's gonna be mad at me again. Thanks for the meat, old man! See ya!" With that said, he stormed out like a whirlwind and was gone in a blink of an eye.
Billy shook his head. "Sheesh, I really hope he's gonna be okay... he seems so reckless." But maybe, after all these years, there was someone who could really beat him? Maybe Strawhat could do what he'd failed to do years ago.
Billy sat down and watched the sun disappear behind the trees. He could only hope.
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When the crew met up at the town's entrance, almost everyone was on time and Nami was positively pleased. They chatted about the day's events and what they bought, and went back to the shore.
Everything seemed fine, when suddenly, Zoro halted, glaring back.
"What's the matter?" Usopp asked, also stopping.
"We're being followed." He stated darkly, eyes scanning the forest.
Robin nodded. "I have noticed that as well. Whoever it is, he is really good."
"Eeeh?!" Usopp, Nami and Chopper hugged, and Brook looked like he wanted to join.
"Get out, we know you're there!" Zoro shouted, and soon enough a dark figure stepped out.
The tension was running high, but they relaxed a little. The man didn't seem dangerous, at least his appearance wasn't. He was tall but slim, and had a pale skin. His lilac hair fell in curls over his ears but didn't quite reach his shoulders.
"What do you want?" Sanji asked coolly. The guy smiled rather kindly, but suddenly he vanished.
"Ah! He's gone!" Chopper panicked. Everyone's eyes darted around quickly, trying to find him, and suddenly he appeared right between them. He was light on his feet, like a feather, and touched them all at their shoulders save for Luffy. Before anyone could even so much as blink, he was behind them, smirking.
"Well, well, well, aren't you a little bit careless? Letting me touch you all without putting up a front, that's really boastful."
"You son of a bitch!" Zoro growled, furious. This guy was really fast!
"Do you want to fight, jerk?!" Luffy shouted, lifting his fists.
"Ah, it's you. I have red the news about Dressrosa. Doflamingo and such. Nice riot you stirred up again, Strawhat. I have always wanted to meet you since it would be an interesting encounter."
"What is your problem? If you want to fight then just say so! I'm not interested in your boring talk." Luffy said, pissed by this guy's demeanor. The others seemed tensed as well; no one really liked the sudden turn of events. Something about this guy was off. They had never heard of him, but no one would go face an entire crew on his own unless he was really strong.
Instead of getting angry, the man just laughed heartily.
"I guess it's about time I introduced myself. My pleasure, Strawhat Luffy. I'm Chakena." With that said, he landed gracefully before Luffy and shook his right hand. Luffy immediately pulled back, glaring.
"You're that guy Billy-ossan warned me about! What do you want?!" He spat, ready to get into action. Chakena looked mildly surprised but he still smiled.
"Oh, really? He did? Well, he was the only one who can still remember everything, and I enjoy watching his misery day by day. Maybe he hopes for you to defeat me? Silly old man."
"Shut up! You can shove that stupid talking up your ass!" Luffy hissed, hating this guy already. The others were highly alerted, ready to fight as well even though they were momentarily confused.
"You know this guy, Luffy?" Zoro asked, hands at his swords' hilts.
"Yeah, ossan told me about him. Be careful guys, he's dangerous." Luffy answered, his eyes never leaving Chakena.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's kick his butt!" Franky suggested, reading his hand.
"Oh oh oh, what's that? You won't let me have fun with you? It's been a while since a crew like yours came to the island, and I really enjoyed toying with Billy and his friends." He spat out the word friends venomously as the crew enclosed in on him.
"Enough of your pointless talk. Get ready." Luffy muttered, knuckles cracking. Nami frowned, this guy was planning something.
"I guess I gotta try this out with you, too, Strawhat boy. I wonder how you'll react." Chakena informed him before he lifted his hands. Robin crossed her arms, ready to stop him but no one knew exactly what he was about to do. Usopp readied his weapon, and so did the others.
"Wha-what is he doing?" Sanji jumped up and was about to kick Chakena, but he dodged it easily. Zoro and Luffy charged in next, ready to slash and punch him, but Chakena was faster. With a huge smirk, he made use of his devil fruit powers and uttered the devastating words before anyone could stop him.
"Roronoa Zoro... Tony Tony Chopper, Blackleg Sanji, Soulking Brook, Franky, Usopp, Nami and Nico Robin! Memories of Monkey D. Luffy: Forgotten."
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Ooh, Chakena has showed up! Beware, he is a real jerk. So what will Luffy do, now that his friends turned against him?
Next chapter is coming soon, but please leave me a review wherever you like it or not. The more reviews I get, the faster I update :D
~Neko11