"By that sin fell the angels."
William Shakespeare
Fallen Gods have been around for centuries. Sometimes those higher up, residing in heaven, just didn't follow the rules. Were stripped of their titles and thrown into another world outside Heaven, Hell and Earth, called Zarconia.
There, resided those who had fallen. Those who either failed to follow or broke the rules. Each individual would have their God like powers sealed within them, only capable of using basic, simple abilities. Such as flying minuscule distances. Their capability to travel from all three worlds became limited. Only able to go from their new labeled home to earth, and back.
Many turned to committing foul murders of humans on earth, by the method of traveling through portals. Giving the humans incentive to hunt for Fallen Gods. Through time the struggle to distinguish one from a human became easier, as those with abilities to see and sense the auras surrounding them appeared. One in a million had the ability and they put it to good use by starting organizations, cults, and groups, to hunt them down. In their eyes, to save humanity, though it was never explicitly in danger.
Others wished to merely live the rest of their significantly shortened life in peace.
Each of them had fallen for different reasons.
Nami had fallen for stealing way too much. The girl didn't know when to stop and even when she did, she didn't.
Usopp had fallen for continuously lying. They'd additionally thrown in the compulsive liar title as well, more as a means to inflict harm on his ego than really have any bodily effects.
Zoro had fallen for his repetitive attempts at surpassing god. Proved to be a threat and was cast away. Not only had his wings ripped off, but had them shredded first. What was a lesson learned without pain?
Sanji, for his promiscuity. Rules were rules. Strictly no sexual relations with humans, and he didn't follow them.
Robin had once tried to start her own. A group, a following. None of the higher ups approved. They'd killed everyone but her, left her alive for the sole purpose of learning a lesson. Not to fuck with Gods.
At age 17, they deemed him a threat.
At age 18, Luffy had his wings ripped off. Powers and abilities all sealed.
Luffy was thrown out of his known home and into a world he was sure he wasn't familiar with. Proved wrong when he'd met his two older brothers who had also ended up the same way. Ace and Sabo leading him to a place that he'd learn to get used to.
Now, age 19, he lives in a large castle like building, the master of which is Shanks. Whom he'd known while he was still up in heaven, until he'd suddenly disappeared one day when Luffy was relatively young. He'd always promised they'd meet again, and though Luffy never really thought it'd be this way, he's glad he at least has someone. Shanks introducing him to the others that had also been given permission to live under his roof. The six of them becoming more than just friends, really like family. Bonding over their stupid ways that got them kicked out, and over the way they're now seen as rejects. Outcasts. Nobodies.
No one knows who they are, no one really cares. It's too much of a hassle to try to give a damn.
Today starts off as not too shabby for Luffy.
He's woken up and done every annoying chore Ace and Sabo had told him to. Surprisingly. Though he complains about the absolutely ridiculously shitty weather that hasn't ceased for at least a week, he guesses. Could be less and he could be over exaggerating, but it's always raining and for once, he'd like to see some sun.
"Are you done with those papers? You know Shanks is chill and laid back but Mihawk might have your fucking head if you don't speed things up." Ace tells him, popping up from behind and Luffy groans. It's too early for him to be listening to any of this crap.
"Yeah, I know! You tell me that like he hasn't whooped my ass a million times before!" Luffy rolls his eyes and tries to get back to his duties. Ace doesn't really let him.
"Then stop slacking!"
"You're so annoying, go away! Let me finish!"
"Okay, okay. By twelve." Ace reminds him. Knows Luffy can be… forgetful.
"By tweeeeeeelve. I fucking know!" Luffy mocks and Ace rolls his eyes, lets out a sigh and leaves him to it. He'd fallen for disobeying his duties and it'd clearly took a toll on him, the way he's now on Luffy's ass almost twenty four seven.
It's not until 12:02 Luffy finishes, Mihawk giving him another lecture on punctuality and he wishes he could beat Ace's ass into the ground right now.
"You know I heard the human world has a lot of cool places. They've got this one big ass building, a school. Yeah. Like, thousands of people go there all at once, isn't that crazy?" Usopp's looking through a large textbook, legs outstretched on the table in front of him and he's gathered with the lot.
"We've got that too, dumbass. Our remedial classes are the same damn thing." Nami reminds him, gives him a thunk on the head.
"But Nami, thousands, that's like a buffet-" Usopp jokes, knows none of them are really into that stuff the way a lot of the others are. At least not all that much.
"And they have these weird regulations like 'wear a green shirt, no blue', humans are ridiculous." Usopp groans, his outfits always end up having one item of clothing from each colour from the rainbow. No one knows why, no one bothers to question his obviously questionable decisions.
"Like, a uniform then?" Nami questions. Usopp opening his mouth to say something back but she's right.
"Well that's not the only thing! Some of them actually live at their schools! Isn't that nuts? I would hate that."
"How exactly did you find out about all this? Don't tell me you-"
"I didn't go. Robin told me, she read it in one of the books in that hell hole of a library." Usopp tells her, Robin smiling at him and Nami sighs. Runs her fingers through her hair, he stresses her out way more than she should feel.
"But it's wild isn't it?! All these kids just going every day for like, eight friggin' hours!"
"Usopp, shut it. You're so damn annoying this time of day." Zoro's been asleep at least the past fourteen hours; Usopp doesn't know why he bothers getting up anyways.
"What time is that? It's only two!" Usopp checks his watch and shoves it into Zoro's face, makes sure he sees.
"Two in the afternoon, five in the evening, six in the morning, you're annoying all the time."
"What's the point in that if there are too many witnesses? You're just going to get your ass killed." Sanji remarks and Usopp hums. He makes a good point. "That's why they tell you if you're going to kill, to go to secluded locations. You know, find a stupid guy on a boat in the middle of nowhere."
"Is that what you do?"
"It's like fresh fish. Only better." Sanji grins and Usopp hums once again, taking in the suggestion.
"A SCHOOL?! WHAT'S THAT?!" Enter Luffy, walking in hair glistening like he'd just taken a shower but everyone knows for a fact it's because of the storm outside. He's late.
"PRETTY MUCH AN ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET-" Usopp tries to get in but Nami's hand clamps over his mouth to effectively shut him up.
"That you're not going to. And Usopp, you couldn't even kill a fly. Shut up with that crap." Any further and Luffy would be out the portal in seconds, Usopp taking obvious offense and scoffing.
"What?! Why not?!" Luffy groans, the offer is way too good to give up. Going in for the kill, massacre to be more specific, sounded like one hell of a time to him. Of course, trying to be as overly dramatic and sarcastic as he possibly could be. He's not into that kind of thing.
"Because it's too risky. One person seeing you is fine if you're alone and you kill them. A couple of thousands- no. Just, no." Nami's stern and serious expression leads Luffy to frown, she's never as much fun as the boys. But she means well.
"You know they can't see me though!"
"Well what if one person can? And they just come and tap your shoulder while you stand there clueless and frightened?!"
"Come on! They're little kids, not big giants! I'll just leave the second someone does!" Luffy whines, she doesn't know how he was ever seen as a threat by those damn big dogs up there.
"The odds of someone actually seeing him is pretty low, why not let him go?" Zoro intervenes and Nami gives him a cold look, the witch could rip him in half with just her gaze.
"Your wings aren't going to be the only thing that gets shredded, asshole." She warns, Zoro doesn't falter though, he's hardly afraid of a puny little woman who's at least 1/3 his size.
"You're so uptight."
"I'll give you some unwinding~" Sanji chimes in like it's his fucking cue to, and Nami gives him a well deserved slap.
"No fucking thank you." They've all managed to divert the conversation to something other than convincing Luffy going to somewhere so crowded is a bad idea, until Robin brings it back up. Much to Nami's dismay.
"It sounds kind of fun." The older woman, Robin, adds and and Luffy nods his head in agreement, smile stretched across his face.
"What if I just go to look?" Luffy suggests and watches Nami roll her eyes, knowing all too well it's never just "to look".
"No, Luffy. I don't want to have anyone on my ass because you couldn't hold back your damn bloodlust." He takes what she says seriously, for the most part. Groans and tells them fine, he won't go. No matter how tempting an offer it is.
"You could come too!" Luffy's trying to bargain with her. It's not working particularly well, all she does is stare him down. Like if she had any higher power, she could, and would, kick his ass into the ground.
"You could steal from all those humans, doesn't that sound appealing?" Zoro remarks, gets another glare. It's all she gives him.
"I said no."
"Okay, all of you shut up." The group turns to look at the large white door, Shanks walking in with a short boy who looks dead frightened of all of them trudging in behind him.
"This is Chopper. Newest addition," He makes it sound like they're a collection of books, only Luffy and Usopp find it really funny, "Teach him the rules." Shanks says and it's quiet. Chopper letting out a hesitant hello.
The lot of them break out into laughter. There were no rules to be taught. They were outcasts, free to do what they wanted.
"What'd you do, kid?" Zoro wastes no real time in asking, not looking for a sob story.
"I uh, tried to heal some kids with really bad diseases." Chopper tells them and watches the six of them stare back.
"Seriously?" Nami's eyes widen.
"Man." Sanji groans, throws his head back and sighs.
"Those guys are way too strict." Usopp adds. The most angelic reason out of their group and the poor guy got tossed into the reject pile. As if he were defective. All he'd done was try to help. Though he knows full well, it's forbidden.
"Man someone oughta kick their asses." Luffy looks up at the high ceiling, as if picking a fight with the obvious higher ups. Once upon a time he could have given them a run for their status, now, not so much.
"Luffy no. What is up with all of you, are you trying to get yourselves killed?!" Nami shouts and Luffy laughs, reassures her he's not going to do anything reckless.
Not today, at least. But he keeps that little part to himself. Though his giggle is enough to give it away. Nami giving him a scolding look that screams 'do it and your ass is going to be served on a silver platter', or something of the sort.
If Luffy were one to keep his word, he'd be on about pretty much everyone he knows good sides. But he's not. Doesn't when it involves something like this. Something he just has to see. Of course he'd been to earth plenty of times before, again, breaking the rules. He was never one to follow them, even if he'd been warned multiple times not to go.
Nami had just been overreacting. No one would spot him. After all, only one in a million people had the ability to. And the odds of someone spotting him here, now, were… too low for Luffy to bother calculating.
Flies in through a window on the third floor of a building that read 'GRANDLINE ACADEMY' on the outside. Lands on the floor and sees about thirty humans who Usopp had told him were called 'students', all looking down at their books, chattering amongst themselves. Luffy finds them to be weird, boring, and just plain distasteful. Doesn't want to spend another minute in the same room as them.
Walks down a large flight of stairs that looks way too nice to be a part of a building this boring, makes his way to the floor below and hears a lot of chanting. Shouting and yelping, like wild animals fighting over a dead carcass.
Looks into the big room that's significantly different than the one he'd flown into. More open and there are no desks, just a large rack of weapons and targets. Students taking their aim and chucking every last sharp object they could get their hands on at the centre of the target.
"You know the drill, hit the red highlighted spots. That's how you kill em." Luffy hearing through the door and taking a few steps back. Only assuming the older man was talking about him. Humans were intense, way too fucking serious about this whole killing shindig.
Stares for a couple more seconds at the way they all seem so into killing his kind and groans. Wishes he could punch every last one of them, but doesn't. Just turns around and stands the large hall he's entered and contemplates which direction to go. Left or right. Left looks like it's all the same, but then again so does the right. Sees a place he could sit at the end of the hall to his right, decides to go there. Flying takes a lot out of him.
Walks past another classroom and hears a man shouting about Fallen Gods and Luffy thinks humans really need a new hobby, if this is all they talk about for hours on end. Hears him practically screech his words when talking about the history of such beings, how they slaughter humans without a second thought. And Luffy figures if that were really the case, the man wouldn't have gotten past word two and his head would be flying across the room. Tries to ignore the ridiculousness of the man's preaching. Almost feels sorry for the students, some look absolutely bored out of their mind and he can relate. And all he's heard is two sentences out of the guy's mouth.
Reaches the end of the hall and sits his ass down and just as he does, as if on cue, a loud bell rings and there are students flowing out of each room. Luffy thinking it's a fucking riot, loving the way they all look like they're in such a rush. To get away or to get to their next destination. Trips a couple of people that rush to the staircase near him and laughs to himself. One asking the other if they were okay, the other replying they'd just tripped over themselves.
Humans really were so simple minded.
So stupid.
Continues to laugh to himself when one female almost falls down the stairs all on her own and finds it utterly hilarious. Makes for good comedy gold. Has to hold his abdomen tight, that's how hard he's laughing. Thanks the fact no one can see him because he must look like a good laugh too, mouth open and no sound coming out. Usopp would find it fucking hysterical.
Finally calms himself down when the amount of students in the halls dies down a bit. Wipes away tears that he'd shed from laughing so hard and lets out a deep breath. Looks up and he's found himself making eye contact with a taller male. Looks disheveled and he's in big fucking trouble. No one's supposed to see him. But there's this male, staring him directly in the eyes like he's about to peer into his god damn soul and devour him whole. Looks at him like he's the predator, and Luffy's the prey.
Somehow slowly but frantically, stands up and his legs feel shaky. Never diverts eye contact because it's too intense for him to just casually look away. Thinks to himself that this is bad. This is really fucking bad. He was warned about this and god damn it all for him thinking people in this building would be too untalented to have the ability to see him.
Thinks if he flies it'd be way too fucking obvious that he is what he is and maybe there's some part of the guy starting at him like the carnivore he looks like that hasn't realized it yet. Maybe he thinks Luffy's just an idiot or something, some kid skipping their classes and gives him one last look before walking into the stairwell. Walks down six before he takes off through the window.
He couldn't have picked a worse school to visit. Reminds himself to give a nice one two punch to Usopp's fucking jaw for even suggesting it. Though the decision on which school was his own, he blames Usopp anyways.
And so Luffy's day, ends up as a disaster. All in the timespan of about… four hours.
For the students, they're expected to know death could come at anytime. With such a dangerous world, anything is to be expected and even during school hours, they're expected to be on guard. Many end up having to revert back to the regular curriculum back at their old schools because of the rigorous lifestyle that is required for such young people to live. For such young people to be required to be in tiptop shape and ready to kill, should the act be necessary.
Law's gotten by for so many years due to the sheer lack of fear for death itself. He's come face to face with it numerous times, Rocinante going on to tell him he's either extremely lucky and the Gods are watching over him, or that he is one hell of a stupid bastard to put himself in harms way like that. All the damn time.
He'd been chosen out of at least five thousand people to attend Grandline Academy. Said he had the smarts and the "body" to partake in the training that was required of all eligible students by the government. It's a twisted little game they play around with, toying with younger people as if they're dolls and this is all just one very extreme version of a game of 'house'. Has seen many people go nuts; get sent away to wherever in order to be "reformed" and "institutionalized". So kind of like, a modern day prison. Except much, much worse. Though all humans live on the same planet, those who've been chosen and have expectations of them live in a world that is very different.
He doesn't mind it, really. Of course he's knowledgeable and knows just how fucked up the system is, but also knows anyone who goes against the rules is practically doomed and their lives either end the second they rebel, or they're left with a ruined reputation and are forced to seek out their own living arrangements outside the safety of the government.
He just goes about his own business. Thinks the whole 'kill every fallen god' thing is a bit… much. Really couldn't care less about it. Every one of his friends seem to have strong feelings about demolishing the population of those who've fallen, him, not so much. It's just another thing for him. Like if the loud alarm goes off and some idiot has accidentally stepped on the property of the academy, he and whoever else are closest will be called out to take care of the job, so to speak.
He'll do it because he can, not because he needs to. As opposed to the thousands of other numbskulls in the school, who he constantly wonders the legitimacy of their test scores. Grades were considered before looking at the physical ability of the student, though some got in on brute strength and physical tenacity alone.
Rocinante often comments he's blessed to be gifted with both. He doesn't get the big deal. Doesn't really see the threat, if they've been stripped of nearly all their power.
Sits in class and it's ridiculously boring, his professor going on and on about how it's absolutely necessary to rid the world of such rejected "creatures". He talks like they're the root of an apocalypse, but it's no such thing. It's nothing like that at all, they just pop in once in a while. Scope out the human world and go back to whatever the hell it is fallen gods do. At least to him, it is. To about, 97% of the remaining population, they're seen as the biggest threats. Must be annihilated "or else", kind of thing.
Often commercials will air on television that nearly get younger children under the age of fourteen eager, and excited, to take the entrance exam and become a part of the team that puts those literal god forsaken beings to rest.
And the bell couldn't have rang at a better time, just as his kooky professor was about to meet his wits end, face turning a bright tomato red, it goes off. Nearly the entire class rushing up out of their seats and out the door, making their way to the next class. Law yawns at the sight of everyone rushing like there's some exclusive meal at the cafeteria today he hadn't heard about from either Penguin or Sachi.
He makes his way down the hall, dreads his next class because Rocinante's his professor for it. And he hears him talk enough at home, so to listen to him talk about crap for the next three hours is just not what he wants to do. Yawns again. Fixes his bag that hangs off one shoulder, opposed to the rule that they must be firmly strapped to both, in case of an emergency. Both hands needed to be free to attack. He thinks it's a pointless rule, because with five textbooks in there he's going to be slower than if he could just chuck his bag to the ground off his shoulder. Penguin has told him many times too, that he should sort of pitch the idea to the headmaster. He hates the guy, so he'll pass.
Walks and has to shove his way through people who decide it's cool to walk as slow as they can in the middle of a hallway that isn't suited for their leisurely needs. Hears a teacher in the back yell at them, they must be the younger students.
Sees one dumb looking airhead sitting on a vent at the end of the hall, a couple classrooms down from his before he turns in. The kid isn't even in uniform, he's surprised no ones gotten on his case for it. Just wearing shorts and a baggy hoodie, pulled up to cover his head. Watches him just laugh to himself and yeah, he's definitely an airhead. Wants to do the yelling himself because he always gets scolded his uniform isn't "proper". He'll do what he wants.
And then the student looks up, stares him dead in the eyes and it's just gone from him laughing hysterically to god knows what, probably a joke he'd cracked in his own head, to looking frightened for his dear life. Furrows his brows because he doesn't get the big deal. Hears Rocinante call his name through the door, tells him he's coming but doesn't avert his eyes because the poor guy looks like he's either about to throw up or break the window behind him and run for his life. Doesn't do either, just gets up and backs away, through the stairwell and he's gone.
Law's never seen someone look like such a deer in headlights before. Like the kid had been caught shoplifting or something. Shrugs it off and walks into his class, where Rocinante bugs him about being so lost in the clouds. Shrugs it off too.
Doesn't make much of it and it doesn't even pop into his head the rest of the day. He doesn't have time to give a crap about some loony student who's just looking to get his ass in trouble when exams are coming up. Rocinante on his case all the damn time, even when they're not home, about studying. Law's always been one to get high nineties, so he doesn't know why he stresses himself out with reminding Law every. Fucking. Day. That he needs to study, to keep up his grades. He could go in and take them without studying and pass with flying colours, not to brag. But he could. Most of the time, he does. It's all just embedded into his mind now after hearing every method of killing, every philosopher and their theories, every god damn math equation. All of it.
His day goes on to be just as he'd predicted as soon as he woke up the same morning, boring. But much more boring than what he'd assumed, Rocinante going on and on about crap he's heard a million times. Wants to hit him in the jugular if it'll shut him up. Just makes a face while he leans back in his seat, sour, like he's had enough.
His day goes on to be least of all memorable. Just another day he can put behind him.
Another day he didn't die.
A/N: So this was a wild dream I had one night and I couldn't not write it. I hope you'll stick with this one, it's going to be a wild ride. And I'm really into writing this right now, I actually can't bring myself to work on any other story ha haaa. I'll get it all out eventually, but this is just... too fun to stop writing right now. Pls pls let me know what you think and what not, it'll boost my morale. Lots of love. ~S