I could conquer Westeros with these men

Occasionally thoughts like these slip through. More than two years ago and it would have been filled with bitterness but now they come with amusement of how strange her life has gotten. Two years ago she would not be sitting across from seven men promising to aid her captain whenever he asked. Two years ago should would not have been a pirate at all.

In Westeros and Essos she was Daenerys Targaryen. She fought for the Iron Throne with an army of Dothraki, Unsullied, and three dragons. She was rightful heir to the Iron Throne (debatably, she could admit years later). She unleashed her dragons beyond the Wall against the only enemy that mattered. She had a bear. But that was years ago.

Now she was a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. There was a bounty on her head for forty-five million. Her epithet was 'Silver Hair.' She knew how to fight, probably better than most of the men of Westeros. Her past was long behind her.

It would be incredibly easy.

Yes, Daenerys thought, it would be. She could probably conquer Westeros with her crewmates alone. They had defeated an army a hundred thousand strong a few weeks ago, Luffy defeating half of them without even raising a hand. Even the weakest members of the newly formed Straw Hat Grand Fleet was probably worth five Westerosi soldiers. The mightiest castles in Westeros, the greatest Dothraki horde in Essos was nothing compared to power even a single person could have on the Grand Line. Even a fraction of the fleet–

"DANY! COME PARTY WITH US!"

Luffy's yelling brought her out of her head. He was hopping in place with two gigantic shanks of meat in his hands. All around her people were drinking and singing and eating. She so lost in her own thoughts, she had not even noticed the party starting. And it was hard not to notice a Straw Hat party.

She smiled at her captain, "In a minute, Luffy."

He nodded, the two shanks already picked clean from the bone, and shot off for something new to hold his attention. She stood and weaved through the revelry that had taken hold, as it so often did when pirates celebrated a victory, until she stood at the bow of the ship.

She rested her arms on the railing and looked out onto the ocean. An endless blue horizon stretched before her. It was freedom from the game she had learned to play in her time as a queen and conqueror. Yes, she could ask Luffy to help her invade Westeros, to bring their new allies and secure her the throne. He may actually do it to, if she explained her past and her family, though she probably lose him when she got in-depth into Westerosi politics. Luffy existed for adventure and his nakama (and food), and if she could offer him an adventure that would help his nakama (and a feast) then she would probably have him.

But why should she go back.

What waited for her in Westeros other than complicated politics, unwanted marriage proposals, and a cold, pointy seat?

No adventure, no new islands to discover, no mind-bogglingly sights to see. No green-haired swordsman, no greedy navigator, no flamboyant cyborg, no lying sniper, no reindeer doctor, no singing skeleton, no morose archeologist, no flirty chef, and no captain.

She twisted around back to the party and yelled "Bartolomeo, a drink!" A spike of pointy green hair moved like lightning through the crowd before the vicious looking man was crouched on one knee in front of her.

"The Barto Club's finest booze for you, Dany-senpai!" he sobbed as he handed her a mug.

"Thank you," and stepped over Bartolomeo to join the party as he crumpled to the ground with tears of joy at being praised by a member of the Straw Hat pirates.

Her days as a queen were over. Now she served a future king.


The first installment of a series of little self-contained one-shots based around Daenerys leaving Westeros after the end of the series and becoming a Straw Hat pirate. I'll be writing these as the ideas come and there won't ever be any end-game so to speak.