Disclaimer: The only one I'll publish. I don't own One Piece or its affiliated characters. That credit goes to Eiichiro Oda.
A/N: If you have not read Reborn! Again, my next gen Reborn! fic, first off, what are you doing? Go read it! :) Secondly, you can skip to the next paragraph. Alright, R!A fans, I just wanted to let you know that this is not replacing Reborn! Again. I'm late on R!A because my backlog ran out and I've been really busy lately with graduation BS. This One Piece chapter has been done for over a year. Don't fret.
Everyone, new and old readers alike, as of today, this will merely be a mini-series, because I only have 5 chapters finished and no time to write more. I just really wanted to publish this, and not leave it in my hard drive to waste away. HOWEVER, if this is a huge hit (and it really would have to be huge; 4 or 5+ reviews per chapter) I'll make room to continue this story. With that said, if you enjoy these next few chapters, let me know! The fate of the story literally depends on it. (I'll also respond to your review!)
Anyway, without further ado, I present to you…
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One Piece: Dark Horse
Chapter 1: Romance Dawns Anew!
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"Can you believe it?"
"Believe what, Moss-Head?"
"He's obviously talking about the anniversary. It's been twenty years since…then."
"Oh, of course, Nami-swaaaan! It's unbelievable to think it's been so long since Luffy—"
"Quiet! If somebody hears you…anyway, I wasn't the one that asked."
A small crowd of people sat at the bar of a pub. Each one looked rather unusual, particularly for such an ordinary bar in an ordinary little town like Windmill. After hearing the commotion the small party caused, a black-haired, middle-aged woman walked out from the back of the bar.
"That sounds like…it is! The Straw Hat Pirates!" The woman exclaimed, hurrying up to the edge of the bar.
A man whose once-green hair was slowly fading to gray—the same man who'd first spoken up—shouted, "Shut up, Makino! If someone realizes—"
"What? That you all used to be the second Pirate King's crew?" Makino motioned around the room. Nobody stirred. The only few people who paid the ex-pirates any mind were those who were annoyed at the ruckus. Roronoa Zoro slumped back into his seat, surprised. Even the ever-chivalrous Sanji was so shocked by the bar's other attendees' lack of care that he didn't bother to scold his longtime friend.
"It's been twenty years since Luffy turned himself in and was executed. His legend and last words remain the driving force behind the new generation of pirates and marines alike. However, the rest of his contemporaries—including you—have all but been forgotten. It's a new age and this is a peaceful town," Makino stated, before playfully adding, "That's a long-winded way of saying 'nobody around here cares.'"
"I don't believe it. Swordsmen all around the world still fear my name," Zoro reassured himself.
"We aren't famous anymore…" Chopper the Reindeer whined depressively, sinking into his seat.
"No way! Sniper King's still a legend among men!" The ever-proud Usopp declared.
"Don't be so dramatic, all of you. We're here to celebrate our Captain's life, not to complain about how the world's changed," Nico Robin chided.
"Ahhh! Robin-chan, you're so selfless!" Sanji boomed.
"Together now!" The redheaded Nami raised her glass, and the others followed suit. "To the Pirate King! To our Captain! To Luffy!"
"To Luffy!" Makino and the Straw Hat Pirates cheered.
From there, the pirates reminisced, laughed, cried and honored the life of the second Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy, toasting him on more than one occasion. Even as the crewmates and friends remembered their youth and their era, the winds of a new Pirate Age blew through Partys Bar. Slowly, but confidently, the winds slowed to a breeze, but continued towards Roronoa Zoro. Just feet away, then inches, then…
"Excuse me."
The moss-head swordsman turned around. A seven-year-old boy stared up at Zoro with enormous bright blue eyes. He was bundled up in a wheelchair, his blond hair so light it appeared white.
"Can I please have your autograph, Mr. Zoro?" The boy asked politely, holding up a notepad and pen. He looked at all the Straw Hat pirates and, in turn, they quieted down. "Can I please have all of your autographs?"
The swordsman was caught somewhere between curiosity and confusion. "You want our signatures? Pirates' signatures?"
"Yep!" The boy happily replied. "So…"
Zoro massaged his temple but grinned nonetheless. "Yeah. We'll sign whatever you want."
The swordsman took the notepad and pen and scribbled down his signature. He passed it along to Nami and then looked back at the boy.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Barr D. Newton, sir!" The boy didn't miss a beat.
'D.?' Zoro kept the thought to himself, and continued. "So, you've heard of us, Newton?"
"Yep!" Newton admitted. "You're the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Zoro looked at Makino, victory in his grasp.
"'Nobody cares,' right?" Zoro pushed.
Makino crossed her arms and shook her head. "I said 'nobody around here cares.' That boy's from out of town."
Newton interjected, "Yeah! I'm here with my Pa for a business trip!"
"What does your father do for a living?" Nami, long past having signed the boy's notepad, spoke up.
"He's an inventor. Pa said there's someone here who needs his help."
"An inventor…helping someone?" Zoro wondered.
"I heard that!" The cyborg, Franky, shot back from the far end of the table. After signing the notepad, he tossed it back to Zoro, who caught it effortlessly with one hand.
"Anyway…" Zoro handed the notepad back to Newton, who gratefully took it and admired the signatures. "How about you, kid? What do you want to do when you're older? Wanna be an inventor like your father?"
Newton couldn't tear his eyes off the paper before him, but he managed to shake his head. "Nope." He didn't give more of a response.
With each passing second of silence, Zoro became more and more frustrated, his left eyebrow twitching. "Kid…wanna…answer…my…QUESTION?"
"Zoro!" Nami grabbed the swordsman's hand before he could bring it down to smack the boy.
"Oh," Newton finally looked up, expression blank as he picked his nose with his pinkie. "Sorry…what'd ya ask?"
"I ASKED WHAT YOUR DREAM IS, DAMMIT! WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE OLDER?!" Zoro roared as Nami continued to hold him back.
"That's easy!" Newton smiled cockily and jammed his thumb against his chest. "My dream is to be just like your captain, Monkey D. Luffy—to be King of the Pirates!"
Yet again, silence engulfed the room. Even the Straw Hats—pirates who had seen it all—couldn't fathom a seemingly crippled boy like Newton ever becoming the Pirate King. However, there remained a single shining light of hope amidst the gloomy darkness.
Makino beamed, "You sound just like him—just like Luffy! You've got his spirit and that's what carried him all the way to the top."
Usopp cleared his throat.
Makino rolled her eyes. "Well, that and his crew."
Newton's expression brightened and his smile grew to the point it was no longer just a façade of confidence. "You really think that?"
Makino nodded. "Yep!"
Suddenly, Zoro stood up from his seat. The other pirates froze, unsure of his motives. A soft breeze blew through the room, ruffling Newton's hair.
"I've always been a pessimist," Zoro whispered. Even Newton's face fell. This didn't sound good. "But Luffy didn't believe anything was impossible. Since he's gone, we have to be the ones to believe in the impossible. We have to carry on his legacy. After all, considering what we've done, what we've seen, can we really doubt anyone or anything?"
Zoro looked up, grinning ear-to-ear. He patted Newton's head. The boy's face lit up.
"Come with me, kid."
Newton nodded, still smiling. Zoro led the way out of the bar. Newton rolled his wheelchair to follow after him. Neither he nor the other Straw Hat Pirates knew what Zoro was up to, but no one questioned his motives.
The first mate to arguably the greatest pirate captain in history walked briskly through the town of Windmill, his white-haired follower always just a few feet behind. Newt constantly asked about where they were going, but Zoro never answered. His response was always quick and simple: "Shut up, you brat!"
Eventually, they made their way to a cliff looking out over the East Blue. However, the gorgeous view of crashing waves was far from the most beautiful sight on the crest.
Planted on the edge of the cliff, shining in the sunlight was a metal plate engraved with a map of the world. Another smaller plaque rested just below it, words inscribed into the steel. Between the two tablets were dual swords thrust into the ground so as to make an 'X.' A straw hat rested atop the right sword's hilt while a yellow sash was tied to the blade of the other.
"Monkey D…Luffy?" Newton read aloud, growing more excited with each word. He didn't even bother to read the inscription below the name. Newton looked up at Zoro. "This is his…"
The boy's voice faded away when he noticed a single tear sliding down the swordsman's cheek as he stared down at the straw hat. Newton couldn't bring himself to speak up again. After almost a minute of silence, Zoro managed to stutter out two words.
"P-promise me."
Newton cocked his head to the side, confused. "Promise you what?"
Zoro faced the boy, his eyes alight with passion, "Promise me you'll never give up on your dreams! Promise me the next time we meet you'll be King of the Pirates!"
Newton couldn't help but smile upon seeing the swordsman's untamed zeal. The boy raised his right hand into the air, tightened it into a fist, and declared, "I promise!"
A tiny smile crept over Zoro's lips.
"Good." Zoro knelt down beside Newton. The swordsman reached back to his captain's grave. His hand hovered over the straw hat for a moment, before moving over to the left sword and the yellow sash. Zoro tugged on an end of the cincture, gently untying it from the blade. As the swordsman brought the sash up to his chest, a soft breeze blew over the crest, and Zoro froze in place.
"It's a new age…" The swordsman whispered. He looked up and tied the sash over Newton's forehead, causing the boy to stare at him, confused.
"Take care of this sash. It's a precious symbol," Zoro said.
Newton couldn't fathom the situation at all, let alone the importance of a yellow band of cloth. So, the boy asked the obvious question: "Of what?
Zoro grinned as he stood back up. The once-infamous pirate looked out over the ocean as a gentle sea breeze slid over Luffy's grave, ruffling the straw hat and caressing Zoro's skin.
"The Pirate King."
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A/N: That's all for now, folks. What did you think? Good? Bad? Bit of both? And thanks for checking this out!
So…yeah, this is obviously AU, as One Piece hasn't ended yet and I can only guess about what's to come. That said, I will adapt the story to the manga as it develops, but as Dark Horse takes place 30 years in the future, I don't think there will be much continuity conflict.
As for the schedule, a new chapter will be published every Tuesday
Oh, and one last thing! With my anime/manga fics, I like to preview the next chapter like anime episodes preview the next episode. Here it is…
NEXT TIME ON DARK HORSE: Ten Years Later! Enter the Mysterious Travellers!
? – Land ho.
?2 – Looks like your piece of junk got us here after all
?3 – Stop him! Stop that kid!
?2 – Is…is this real? I thought there weren't any left.
? –Marines are on their way here right now to capture us for execution!