Summary: After being saved by Monkey D. Luffy, Bartolomeo, an out-of-school youth delinquent, returns to school with the aim of finishing high school and forming the Luffy Fanclub, as proof of his dedication to his savior. Unfortunately, things are easier said than done.

Author's Note: After submitting this as a headcanon list at Portgas D. Ace is a dead bara boyfriend's tumblr blog, I am proud to at least write the first chapter of this piece.

The Luffy Fanclub
ルフィー愛好会

One

Month 1, Day 1

In a narrow studio apartment that was once full garbage bags and bills to be paid for, but now, the very definition of spick and span, a 21-year old male named Bartolomeo knelt before a dingy wooden crate that stood on one of its sides. A blurred photo of a person and an unwashed handkerchief were placed carefully inside the box, like a fragile porcelain statue of a saint. On each side of the box stood a lit candle; judging by the solidified wax trail, the two candles must've been used regularly.

One would suspect that this small shrine was dedicated to a passed loved one. But, not to Bartolomeo, no. Bartolomeo had been in the foster care system for so long that the word 'parent' never rang a familiar tone with him. He had always been in the bad radar of policemen for being involved for small illicit violations, which earned him the title 'Bartolomeo the Cannibal' and a large group of underlings for his disposal. Bartolomeo had never felt love and support with the people he grew up with, so it was impossible for him to have a 'loved one'.

Then, was this shrine dedicated to god? Ha! Heaven's no. If there was god, then Bartolomeo was the devil. Bartolomeo was every definition of 'bad': he was a head of a gang, a dropout, a juvenile delinquent. He played and fought dirty - he breathed the dirt. For someone like him, beliefs of heaven and hell didn't exist in his vocabulary.

Then, who was the shrine dedicated to? The photo of a blurred blob couldn't give any clues; it was too disfigured to identity the subject. But, if there was something clear about this horrible figure of a photo, it was that this person was very much revered by Bartolomeo. And for someone like Bartolomeo, who was a gangster, a drop-out, and every description of a lowlife that you could imagine, to have his full attention, respect, and even love, this person must be extraordinary.

And he was! For believing and trusting a person such as Bartolomeo, Monkey D. Luffy was one extraordinary living being.

It has been two years since he had met Monkey D. Luffy, but his impact on Bartolomeo's life was for a lifetime. After being saved by his idol, Bartolomeo had disbanded his gang, worked his way to find a decent job, and earned enough money to sustain his education until the last year of high school. His idol's touch and presence has invigorated his desire to finish the last few years of school which he had neglected, and now he worked his very best to be accepted in the school his idol was currently studying in.

Oh how he was so thankful to have Monkey D. Luffy come into his life! Luffy had been a strong lightning bolt that burned the tall barrier that kept Bartolomeo from seeing his future, his purpose. Now, Bartolomeo was pursuing his dreams; but he couldn't move forward if he couldn't show his wholehearted gratitude to his idol and savior.

After a year of planning, Bartolomeo was ready to do it - express his gratitude and feelings.

Praying one last time at his shrine, he exclaims. "Today, Luffy-senpai, I do it for you!" He stood up from his seat, bowed, took his belongings, and slammed his door open. Birds flew out of fear, his neighbors quickly absconded away from him. Bartolomeo paid them no heed. While these people may still know him as the shadow of a man he was once, Bartolomeo had turned a new leaf.

He strode out of his apartment as a new man.

Then he quickly returned because he forgot to lock his apartment door.

One Piece Academy was a prestigious school that accepted the best of the best, and had the strictest curriculum in the country. Founded by a man named Gol D. Roger, who couldn't be bothered to think of a better name and had picked this name after staring at his wife's bathing suit for hours, the school was now ruled by the three powerful elites dubbed as the 'Big 3'. The Big Three Chairman, namely Akainu, Aokiji, and Fujitora (the rightful Chairman, Kizaru, requested a one-year leave, so Fujitora stepped as OIC), mandated the rules and managed the student population through the Discipline Committee known as the Marines, because Akainu was a dramatic ex-Marine soldier in his younger years. One Piece Academy had the most difficult entrance exam, but it was famous for housing questionable students whose IQ legally made them a vegetable.

Bartolomeo was one of those students. He had admitted that he was never the sharpest tool in the box, nor was he the strongest, so it would be definitely a mystery for the readers to know how he got accepted. His secret? he begged. He begged like never before to the Big Three (which was joined by Kizaru at that time), and he was only accepted because he agreed to clean Kizaru's fish tank twice a month. It was the greatest trade-off since the history of human trade-offs.

Being accepted brought a lot of benefits. One, Bartolomeo would finally have the quality education he needed and deserved for the majority of his life, but was not granted because of his status as an orphan. Second, this was the school of his idol - every place here was blessed the touch and presence of Monkey D. Luffy, so if he passed the opportunity to study here, what kind of life was he leading? And second and a half, because the third reason was related to the second reason, this was the first step of his plan to, finally, express his gratitude to his idol and savior: the Luffy Fanclub.

Yes, you heard that right.

From Bartolomeo's in-depth research with google and excited opinions from his (former) underlings, the best way to express one's gratitude to a highly-revered person was to create a Fanclub in their honor. All of the most honorable and most revered people have one - the Environmental Activist and Model Whitey Bay, the junior popstar Sugar, and the Student Idol and Judo Master Boa Hancock. And the good part? these people benefitted from their Fanclub. If Bartolemeo were to say his 'thanks', it shouldn't be just a simple thank you or some cheap gift card certificate. No, if Bartolomeo was grateful enough, he would express an appreciation in a way that was sustainable and beneficial to Luffy. And what was more sustainable and beneficial than a Luffy Fanclub? Since Luffy does not have a Fanclub yet, this was Bartolomeo's opportunity to create one.

"You could even become President!" Bartolomeo repeated Gambia's words inside his head. Yes, becoming President was a huge bonus. Not only would Bartolomeo be able to have regular contact with his idol, he would occupy the highest position in the 'Who Loves Luffy the Most' hierarchy. And he should! For creating a Fanclub in his idol's honor - he should be the one who loves Luffy the most in this world.

But, of course, before he could even gloat in his position as President, first, he needed to establish the club. Though establishing one club in One Piece Academy was a task easier said than done.

The standards of One Piece Academy regarding extracurricular clubs was strict. Akainu was in-charge of extra-curricular activities in the campus, and his standards regarding clubs were as huge as his ego. To get a club accepted, it would have to come from him - meaning, if it's a club he did not support, the club would never push through. Right now, the only person who was supporting the establishment of the Luffy Fanclub was Bartolomeo, so his chances of approval were totally slim. That didn't mean he would just give up, no. His idol never gave up on him, someone so unsalvageable. So, why would Bartolomeo give up on his idol's fanclub?

Instead of heading to his class, Bartolomeo headed towards the Chairman's office, clutching the documents that were needed to establish a club. He had requested a meeting with the Big Three to discuss the establishment of Bartolomeo's club, and although meetings with students were regularly dismissed by the Chairmen, his pushed through. And it was making Bartolomeo nervous.

"Mr. Bartolomeo?" the secretary asked from the meeting room doorway. Bartolomeo gulped as he nodded at the secretary from his seat. "You may come in now."

Giving a short 'thanks' to the secretary who left, Bartolomeo squeezed himself on the chair in front of the table of the Big Three - an antique, expensive mahogany table imported from Europe. As Bartolomeo slid the necessary pre-establishment documents he filled out a week ago, each of the Chairmen took one copy of each and read. Akainu had a still face as he read the paper.

It was Kuzan who first spoke. "Is this...a fanclub?"

Bartolomeo nodded. "Y-yes. Yes, it is."

"What's the purpose of this club again?"

"The purpose of this club is to - " But, Akainu cut him off. "It's right on the paper, Kuzan."

"I can't read, I'm blind." Fujitora stated, and there was a moment of silence.

"Let me just cut to the chase," Akainu began. From his calm demeanor, his mood quickly changed to boiling hot anger as he crumpled the papers in front of him and threw it to Bartolomeo. "This club you are suggesting is appalling! How could I ever approve of this?!"

"I have to question your decision, Akainu," Fujitora interjected. "First of all, I am blind; therefore, I can't read the papers. Mr. Aokiji was briefing me of the contents of the document, which you've crumpled before you've finished reading. I have to say that your way of making decisions is appalling."

"I have to agree with Fujitora. There's nothing wrong with the club except for its weirdness. But weirdness isn't a violation of the law," Aokiji stated.

"Nothing wrong?! This club glorifies a delinquent - Monkey D. Luffy! How can this be helpful to student community! Do you want to encourage the spread of juvenile delinquency at our midst?" Akainu exclaimed.

Bartolomeo raised his trembling hand. The Chairman looked at him. "I-If I may just say something," he began. "Monkey D. Luffy isn't a bad person. In fact, he can be a good example to all of us."

"Good example? Bah!" Akainu sneered. "Do you even know Monkey D. Luffy?"

"Yes. Even more than you do." At this, Aokiji stared at Bartolomeo with building interest while Fujitora listened attentively.

Wanting to take back the disrespectful tone he had used, Bartolomeo continued. "I-I mean, Monkey D. Luffy had a positive impact on my l-life! Without his guidance, I wouldn't have worked the courage to quit my bad habits and return to finish high school!" Fujitora perked at this. "W-while Monkey D. Luffy may have some bad records, he couldn't be a bad person if he had inspired me to do good! I'm sure there are others who can vouch me on this!"

"And if there isn't?" Akainu asked. "You do realize that you need at least 10 members, including a faculty adviser, to form a club?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, do you have 10 members?"

"N-no, but - "

"Then, we're done."

"Wait a moment," Fujitora interjected. "From what I have heard, new clubs can be given a three month probationary period to fulfill its preliminary requirements. Why can't he be given one?"

"Because, Fujitora," Akainu growled. "There must be a at least two votes from the Chairmen committee to give a new club probationary status. Clearly, there's only one vote from our committee, thanks to you."

Aokiji yawned. "Who said about voting on your side, Akainu?" he said. "I don't see anything wrong with his club at all. "

"What?" Akainu exclaimed. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am," the Chairman stated. "As a matter of fact, I am beginning to question your impartial judgement over the matter. From what I remember, you don't like that Monkey student - not one bit. I think your dislike for him is corrupting your judgement."

Akainu stood up. "It is not!"

"Then prove it," Aokiji said, raising his head in a way to challenge Akainu's authority. "Two votes against one. Grant him the probationary status."

Akainu glared at Aokiji before giving a disgusted glance at Bartolomeo. With a growl, Akainu took the crumpled paper, flattened it out, and signed. "I am giving your...club the probationary status," he stated. "You are given three months to find 10 members, raise 10,000 worth of funds, and host a socio-civic event in accordance to the mission-vision of this school. If you fail to do at least one of these tasks, your club is disbanded. Is that understood?" Bartolomeo nodded. "Then you are dismissed. Leave!"

Bartolomeo gulped as he hurried out of his seat and towards the doorway. "Bartolomeo!" The former drop-out blinked before he turned his head to one of the Chairmen, Fujitora. He had a gentle smile on his face, despite the scar that marred his features. It felt like Bartolomeo had seen this person before. "Godspeed my friend." But, the thought was dismissed as he internally sneered at the thought of god, but gave his polite goodbye to the Chairman who supported his club.

After this meeting, Bartolomeo immediately ran to the rooftop, stood on the railing, raised his arms and screamed: "LUFFY-SENPAI, I DID IT FOR YOUUUU!" The last syllable echoed throughout the campus, followed by a series of hysterical laughs that sounded like a clucking chicken. Students and teachers alike wondered what kind of chicken could make such a sound and where could a chicken be hiding in the campus premises.

At last, he did it! He did it for Luffy! His plans were finally coming together, and soon his idol and savior would bask on beauty and glamour of Bartolomeo's best gift.

These three labors? Bah! With his power and enthusiasm, Bartolomeo and his Luffy Fanclub would surpass them. Victory would soon be his! For Luffy!

"FOR LUFFY-SENPAIIII!"

In classroom 1-A, students gathered at the windows to watch a crazy adult scream his head out as he was dragged by the Marines out of the rooftop. It was a sad sight to see for the teachers of One Piece Academy, as their students have been reduced to screaming mad men and legally classified vegetables. To students, this was a good break from their studious and strict studies.

But for the crazy man's idol, Monkey D. Luffy, nothing can compare to his dream of chasing screaming green chickens for dinner.