Wealth, fame, power. One man had acquired all these worldly things: the Pirate King, Gold Roger. His final words before he was executed sent all the people of the world out to sea:
"My treasure? If you want it, you can have it! Go find it! I left it all there!"
Men everywhere head toward the Grand Line to chase their dreams. The world has unquestionably entered the Great Age of Pirates!
The seagulls cry out as a strong wind blew across the sea, causing the Jolly Roger to flutter helplessly. A woman slowly drug her pointer finger across the bulwark of her ship and looked at it, while rubbing the dust in between her fingers together.
"Why is there dust on my bulwark?" the woman demanded with a small frown on her face.
"A thousand pardons, Lady Alvida!" The man cried who was obviously at fault of doing a bad job at cleaning shouted. "I-I thought I'd cleaned every inch of this ship…! I'll clean everything all over again from top to bottom! Please-!" the man cried horror in his quaking voice.
"Please what…?" Alvida asked, turning to him.
"Please not the iron mace! I-I don't want to die!" His cry had no effect on Alvida as she slung her weapon, hitting the man's face in the process.
"Coby! Who is the fairest of all the seas?" She snarled.
"You are, of course! No one compares to you!" Coby, the cabin boy, answered while sweating and scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Correct! And that is why I will not tolerate anything dirty! The ship I sail in must be as clean and beautiful as I am. Understand?" Coby got down on his knees, shaking life a leaf. "Remember Coby, were it not for your vast knowledge of the seas, I would feed you to the sharks! So don't push your luck!"
"Y-Yes…that's very kind of you!" Coby whined.
A young woman looked up from her sitting place, a dark shadow over her eyes. She was the only other woman on the ship but couldn't care less about that.
She was a beautiful peach-skinned nineteen-year-old woman with long mid-calf dark violet hair which was pulled back into a low ponytail with two pieces of her hair fall on her chest and a pair of grayish-black eyes that any man would get lost in.
She had on a black belly tank top, a pair of bluish-green mini jean shorts with ripped edges and a black belt, a pair of black combat boots that fell below her knees, a black choker with a silver cross necklace attached, a silver armband on her left arm, a pair of black fingerless gloves, and a pair of dangling silver crescent moon earrings.
She stared at Alvida as the woman stopped in front of her while she continued to shout orders. Thinking about it, Alvida reminded her of a frog but uglier. She was a fat, round woman with tons of freckles.
Coby, the Cabin boy, wasn't any prettier with his pink mushroom cut hair and big bottle cap glasses, he was your everyday run of the mill nerd.
She watched with a small frown as Alvida proceeded to kick him. The windbag just couldn't stop herself from shouting at him again. Coby ran off to do who knows what, just as his master commanded. It was around this time that Alvida noticed the young woman staring at her and quickly turned her glare on her. "What do you want Black Velvet?" she snapped, her name coming out like dirt on her tongue.
"Nothing Cap'n." She state with a voice that was mysterious and beautiful at the same time before picking up her red sheathed katana with the black and red handle and walked away. She didn't notice that Alvida glared even harder at her for a bit before turning around and snapping more orders.
Black Velvet leaned against the ship's side, closing her eyes. She listened to the sound of seagulls barking at one another and the waves hitting the horrid ship she's now occupied. Finding it almost unbearable, she got up to her feet and after stretching her muscles, she jumped off of the ship and onto a different ship that they just raided.
As she walked around the ship and towards the kitchen, she ran into Coby who was rolling a barrel. She raised an eyebrow as he noticed her, frozen on his feet. "B-Black Velvet!" She just stared at him. "I…I was just…that is I f-found this b-barrel…I-I was t-taking it to the storage room."
Her only reply was a nod before walking right past the boy, who flinched as she passed. It took all of her will power not to burst out laughing.
When Coby was out of sight, Black Velvet let out a large sigh and threw her arms up in to the air. "Man! I've been here for at least a year and I still can't stand that old hag's voice!" She yawned almost catlike. "Guess it's time to find a new Captain."
Sighing once more, she rubbed her neck while trying to get all the cramps out of the muscles. Just as she was about to continue on her trip around the ship, a loud scream caught her attention making her look up on the ceiling with a raised eyebrow.
She trotted back to the ship deck and saw Alvida with two of her men unconscious in front of her. "Black Velvet! Where have you been?" Alvida shouted.
"On a walk." She replied.
"Well, while you were gone, that traitor Coby brought a bounty hunter on to the island! It's Roronoa Zoro!"
She looked over at her and looked a bit confused, as she tilts her head to the side. 'Coby brought a bounty hunter? Was that why he was so scared when I saw him? And Roronoa Zoro no doubt! It doesn't add up, last I've heard about him, he was arrested by the Navy.' She wondered, looking back down the stairs where Alvida had said Coby and the Bounty Hunter had gone.
"Black Velvet! I want you to find them!" She nodded before disappearing in a flash.
Black Velvet was running back to the kitchen with her katana in her hand and a small frown on her lips. 'If it really was Pirate Hunter Zoro, I would be in trouble.' She thought to herself.
She knew she was a good in street fighting, but her sword fighting skills are nothing compared to Zoro's skills.
As Black Velvet ran, two voices caught her attention, one she recognized was Coby. She stopped in her hunt and walked the rest of the way to the kitchen's storage and opened the door, to see Coby and another boy. The boy had short, shaggy black hair with black eyes, wearing a red vest, blue jeans, sandals, and a straw hat on top of his head.
'He's definitely no Zoro.' She didn't even see a weapon on the boy.
The two didn't seem to notice her yet so she took the advantage and started forward. She took this time to unsheathe her katana which her blade was silver and shining before pointing it at the back of the black haired boy's neck.
"Aagh! It's Black Velvet!" Coby screamed. Black Velvet stared rather coldly at the two of them, neither one of them moved a muscle.
"Black Velvet, huh?" The boy asked. She didn't move at all, just kept her katana in between the two of them. "I've never heard that name before."
She pressed the katana a bit dipper in to the boy's neck, just enough to draw even the tiny bits of blood. She couldn't stop herself when the boy showed no reaction what so ever. Coby was at a complete lost when the two of them suddenly smiled.
Chuckling lightly, she sheathed her katana back, the boy turning around to face her. "Who are you?" Black Velvet asked.
"My name's Monkey D. Luffy." She snorted a bit, still having the small smile on her face.
"Is that so? Name fits you well, Monkey D. Luffy. My name is Black Velvet, but you can call me Cecilia. And what might you be doing here, Monkey?"
"I got caught in a whirlpool!" Luffy answered a huge grin covering basically the whole lower part of his face.
She gave him an odd look before shrugging. "You don't hear that one every day." She snorted before turning to look over at Coby, who was still in shock and his mouth wide open.
"You might want to close your mouth before something flies in to it." She state pointing at him. Coby quickly shut his mouth, a blush consuming his face. She graces the boy with a smile before sitting on top of a crate.
"Are the two of you one of those pirates' nakama?" Luffy asked, which caused Coby to look down on the floor.
"It's complicated with me, Luffy. But, with Coby, that's a different story." Cecilia said as she and Luffy turned their attention to Coby.
"It was a fateful day. That day. I was going out fishing, so I left my town and found a rowboat. But it so happened that the rowboat belonged to these pirates…and so for the past two years, I've been working like a slave for them so they won't kill me." Coby explained.
"You're a bumbling idiot!" Luffy stated.
"Wow. You show no mercy, do you?" Cecilia muttered with a chuckle.
"You could just run away!" Coby shook his head as he shouted, "That's impossible! Impossible, impossible! When I think about what would happen if Lady Alvida found out, my legs start shaking and my heart just…"
"Oh, so you're a gutless coward too? I don't like you!" Luffy said with a smile, which caused Cecilia to laugh and Coby to cry his eyes out.
"You're right." Cecilia and Luffy looked at Coby, who was drying his tears with his arms. "You're absolutely right. If only I had the courage to drift across the ocean in a barrel. There's something I'd like to do." Coby looked towards Luffy and asked, "Excuse me, Luffy, but why are you so eager to sail the sea?"
Luffy let out a huge smile and answered, "I'm gonna become the Pirate King!" His answer caused Coby's mouth to drop in shock.
"The Pirate King?!"
"Yeah!"
"Then, Luffy, are you a pirate?!"
"Yeah."
"Do you have a crew?"
"Nope. I'm about to start recruiting."
Cecilia took a look as if Luffy had grown two heads. "No kidding?" She asked. Luffy nodded. A huge smile broke out on her face. "Well, then I wish you the best of luck."
"Black Velvet, you can't serious be encouraging him! The Pirate King is someone who has everything in the world! That means claiming the treasure which represents wealth, fame, and power – One Piece, the greatest treasure in the world!" Coby exclaimed.
"What's your point, Coby?" Cecilia asked.
"All the pirates in the world are trying to claim that treasure! You're basically telling him to stand at the top of the Great Age of Pirates?! It can't be done! It's impossible!" As soon as Coby was done shouting, Luffy hit him on top of his head with a fist.
"Why did you hit me?" Coby asked as he clutch in head in pain.
"Just because." Luffy said without a care.
"But it doesn't matter. I'm used to it." Coby stated as he started to laugh a bit.
"You know, Coby, the Grand Line isn't all that bad at all. In fact, I've meet a few pirates who've gone and come back from there."
Luffy's eyes turned to sparkles as he turned to Cecilia. "Really?" She nodded.
"But guys!"
"It's not about possible or impossible. I'm doing it because I want to. I decided to become the Pirate King and if I die fighting for it, then that's that!" Cecilia smile softly at the boy in front of her. Coby stared at him his eyes filling with admiration.
"Okay, now that I'm full, maybe I should go get a boat." Luffy stated as he walked towards the door. "Maybe they'll give me one if I ask nicely. I hope they're nice."
A sudden noise caught her attention, making the smile basically fall right off her face. 'Well…this is going to be interesting.' Cecilia smirked a bit as Coby suddenly got tears in his eyes.
"I've never thought of it that way. Can I do that, too…if I'm ready to die?"
"Huh?" Luffy and Cecilia asked.
"…Maybe I can join the Marines."
"The Marines?" Both of the pirates asked.
Coby suddenly shouted at the both of them, "Yes! It's always been my dream to capture murderous villains! Ever since I was a kid! Can I do it?"
"How would I know?" Luffy asked, not even fazed.
"No, I will do it! If I can shed this life as a slave, I'll escape, and then Lady Alvida- No, Alvida will be the first one I capture!"
Cecilia groaned, causing the boys looked over at her. "Not a smart thing to say when she's standing right on top, you dumbass." She mumbled.
She wasn't surprised at all when the said woman pirate appeared out of nowhere bashing down through the ceiling with her mace clutched in her hand. "So, you're going to join him and catch who?! Huh, Coby?!"She demanded.
Cecilia quickly slip an emotionless face as she stood up from the crate she was sitting on. "Here's your chance, boy." She said to Luffy. "You've got to gain everyone's respect and fear if you're dead serious about becoming Pirate King." Luffy looked over at her for a bit before nodding.
"You little sneak! Did you really think you could escape from me?" Alvida shouted seeming to pop a vessel in her forehead. "Is that the bounty hunter you hired? Well, he certainly isn't Roronoa Zoro!"
"Zoro?" Luffy muttered to himself.
Cecilia watched as the rest of the crew appeared around the hole Alvida created. "So I'll give you one chance to repent. Who's the most beautiful woman on the sea?"
Coby was sweating from head to toe as he smiled uneasy. "Heh Heh Heh! Lady Alvida, you—"
"Who's this fat old hag?" Luffy asked making everyone stare at him like he had grown two heads.
All of them suddenly froze when they heard an odd 'phhf' sound. Everyone turned to Cecilia seeing her with a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with laughter. Alvida popped a few more vessels seeing this.
"Fat?" One of her crew mates started.
"Now he's done it."
"YOU BRAT!" Alvida shouted as she raised her mace over her head, ready to hit Luffy with it. Luffy was quick enough to dodge it before it could hit him. Once the mace hit the spot he was standing at, Luffy jumped in front of Coby and Cecilia. "Let's go!" Luffy exclaimed as he grabbed Coby and jumped through the hole on the ceiling with Cecilia following them.
They landed on top of the deck as Alvida's crew backed away from them. "Why, you…!" One of the crew mates was brave to attack them with his sword, but Luffy dodged it before head-butting him unconscious.
Another crew mate appeared behind him, but before Luffy could do anything, Cecilia quickly appeared and unsheathed her katana; with two flashes, the pirate fell on his back unconscious with his sword broken into pieces.
"That's was cool!" Luffy complimented. Cecilia smirked, "Thanks a lot, Luffy!"
Suddenly, four more of them ran towards Luffy with their swords ready to strike. Just before the sword could touch him, Luffy quickly jumped away, holding his hat, and landed right by Cecilia. He let out his huge smile as he held his upper left arm with his right hand.
Cecilia looked up to see another pirate jumping down at them. "Hold this for me, will ya?" Cecilia quickly shoved her katana in Luffy's arms before jumping up behind him and gave a roundhouse kick on his back, causing him to crash against the four pirates. "Attacking from behind is a coward's move!" Cecilia stated as she landed on her feet, knocking them unconscious.
All of a sudden, Luffy screamed as he quickly handed Cecilia her katana back and ran off. She looked behind and saw the rest of Alvida's crew running towards him. She took a quick step to the side and watch the scene in front of her.
"Attacking all at once isn't fair!" Luffy shouted while running. Suddenly, he grabbed hold of the mast and stretched out his arm as he continued to run to the end of the ship. The crew mates stopped and stared at the stretched out arm with a shocked look on their face and sweat running down. Luffy looked over his shoulder and said, "Just kidding!"
Just as the crew turned around and ran away in fear, Luffy shouted, "GUM-GUM ROCKET!" He flung himself to the crew, knocking them off their feet in the process; which caused Cecilia and Coby to drop their jaw and widen their eyes.
The two of them snapped out of their trance and slowly walked towards Luffy. "Luffy, what are you?" Coby asked.
"Me?" Luffy turned towards them and pulled his right cheek. "I'm a Rubberman."
"Rubberman? That means that you…" Before Cecilia could finish her sentence, she and Coby turned around and saw Alvida standing behind them. Coby quickly ran behind Luffy while Cecilia took a couple of steps back and stood by Luffy's side.
"You've eaten a Devil's Fruit?" Alvida asked.
Luffy released his cheek and replied, "Yeah, I ate the Gum Gum Fruit."
"I see. I've heard the rumors, but I never thought they really existed. You seem pretty strong. Are ou a bounty hunter?"
"I'm a pirate!"
"A pirate? By yourself?" Alvida scoffed at his answer.
"For now, but I'll find a crew eventually. Let's see…I think ten nakama sounds about right." Alvida started to laugh.
"I see. So, you're a pirate, too. That makes us enemies, doesn't it?"
"L-Luffy, we have to run." Coby pleaded as he was shaking in fear of Alvida.
"Why?" Luffy asked.
"You saw the power of that iron club, didn't you? She's the most powerf…" For some reason, Coby forgot what he was about to say when he started to remember the words that Luffy said about his dreams of being a Pirate King. Coby suddenly got a look of realization on his face.
"The most what?" Alvida asked as she wants to know what Coby was going to say about her.
"The…The…The…The most horrible, stinking old hag of all!" The declaration shocked the entire crew who regained consciousness and angered Alvida.
Cecilia burst out laughing, not able to take it anymore with Luffy joining her.
"Wh-What was that?!" Alvida shouted in anger.
"I-I'm going to enlist in the Marines! I'll enlist, and I'll capture pirates!" Coby cried out.
"Do you know what you're saying?!"
"I do! I'll do what I've always wanted to do! I'll join the Marines. I'll join the Marines…and I'll capture you!"
"You little brat!" Alvida screamed as Coby cried out for his life.
"Well said!" Luffy smirked, pushing Coby out of the way. Alvida brought her mace down on Luffy and Cecilia didn't even lift a finger.
'If Luffy wants to be King of the Pirates, he has to beat someone like Alvida.' She thought as Alvida brought down her mace on top of Luffy's head.
"You're all going to die!" No one said anything for a moment as Alvida just stood there with her mace on top of Luffy's head. A small smile on Cecilia's lips when a huge smirk came across Luffy's face. "That won't work!"
"What?!"
"I'm rubber!" Luffy laughed and punched the mace off of his head. "GUM-GUM…" Luffy called out while stretching his arm out in a very odd way. "PISTOL!" Cecilia's eyes widen as Luffy's fist flew in to Alvida's face, sending her flying to who knows where.
Luffy got a serious face on and pointed at the crew. "Hey!"
"Aye!" The crew cried out in fear.
"Give Coby a boat! He's going to join the Marines! Let him go."
"A-Aye, aye!" The crew shouted, quickly going to do as Luffy shouted.
Suddenly, cannonballs started to land around both of the ships, causing the ocean to shake the ships for a bit. Cecilia grabbed the back of the boys' shirts before they could fall overboard. Once the shaking stopped, all three of them turned towards the direction of where the cannonballs were fired to find at least three Marine ships in front of them.
"It's the Marines!" Coby cried out.
"Whoa! Perfect timing! Go on over!" Luffy smiled. "I'm a pirate! I gotta run!" Luffy jumped over the rails and landed inside the boat that was ready for them.
"What?! With everything going on here, they'd arrest me before I could enlist!" Coby shouted.
"Oh, would you quiet your whining and just jump already!" Cecilia shouted as she kicked him on back, causing him to land inside the boat roughly. Cecilia quickly cut the ropes holding the boat up before jumping inside the boat as it landed roughly in the ocean.
"We managed to get away." Coby stated as he was looking the area around them while the boat was sailing.
"That was fun!" Luffy said with a laugh.
"Say, Luffy?" He turned to Cecilia, who was smiling. "What kind of crew members do you have in mind exactly?"
"I don't know. I guess I'll just find a strong crew as I go. So, how about it, Cecilia? Want to join my crew?" Cecilia's eyes widen at the question before she started to laugh.
"Did you really have to ask? I thought I already was on your crew when I helped you out against those pirates!"
Luffy laughed along with her. "I guess you're right! Welcome aboard!" He stuck his hand out towards her.
"I'm looking forward to working with you, Captain Luffy." Cecilia shook his hand with a firm grip before releasing it.
"Oh yeah, that Pirate Hunter guy – What's he like?" He asked.
"You mean Zoro? From what I've heard, he's being held at a Marine base." Cecilia answered.
"What? He's pretty weak, then." Luffy stated.
"Not at all!" Luffy and Cecilia turned to Coby, who said, "He's a terrifying beast of a man! Why are you asking anyway?"
"If he's a good guy, I might make him part of my crew!" Luffy said with a huge smirk on his face, shocking Coby in the process.
"You're going to do something reckless again!"
"He might be a good guy!"
"He's being held because he's a bad guy!"
Cecilia couldn't help but laugh at their argument. 'Man, if it's going to be this fun being part of Luffy's crew,' she looked up at the blue sky with a smile on her face, 'I can't wait to see where this adventure will take us!'
If you want to see a picture of Cecilia, go to my profile page and click on the link. It'll take you to my gallery of Fanfiction pictures.