Hi everyone,
this story was first published by me on 06/03/2016 and finished 13/03/2016 (I wrote it entirely before publishing it) on AO3.
It's a completeed story, but a sequel is on it's way.
This story takes place in a world that is basically similar to the one we know from One Piece, for example they have yagara bulls, but the technology is more advanced and the protagonists have normal jobs, they are universty students and everything.
I don't own One Piece nor any of the characters.
Luffy
"Luffy! Stop dreaming, we want to close soon!" he hears one of his oldest friends, Sanji, laugh and a damp wash cloth hits Luffy on the head, dripping into his hair, but he just stands there, the broom beneath his chin, and stares outside at the cloudless night sky. It's a fabulous warm August night and his thoughts float around like butterflies.
Haha, yeah, he likes that image…
"Luffy, did you hear me?" Sanji yells from the kitchen and with a heavy heart, Luffy starts sweeping the floor again.
They are the last ones in the café WindMill, enjoying the quietness after hours and hours of a noisy business day. The last costumers left about half an hour ago and they are about to close the shop and call it a day.
Luffy likes staying last. He likes seeing their city, Water Seven, calm down at night; he likes the quietness that settles on the town which is normally buzzing with tourists, traffic, yagara bulls and the sort.
Sanji, who works as both waiter and cook, comes from the kitchen, another broom in his hand.
"Hey, you falling asleep already?" he asks with a grin and Luffy shakes his head.
"Nah, just thinking…"
"Anyways, got any plans tonight? Zoro says there's a party downtown; he and Nami are already there."
Zoro is Sanji's long-time boyfriend. They've been together for ages, but they fight constantly. Luffy once asked Sanji why he keeps on dating a guy he fights with on an almost daily basis.
And Sanji just laughed and said: "It's a weird dynamic, right? I don't really get it, either – he gets on my nerves like no one else, but I can't be without him, right? And most of the stuff isn't taken to heart, anyways".
Luffy had been surprised at that, but he lets his friends be. What does he know? Never been in a relationship, he is fully content with friendships. And he's ok with that. He's satisfied with the way his life is right now.
"Yeah, sure. Who else is coming?" Luffy asks.
"I texted Usopp and Chopper the address. Robin and Franky are on their way."
"Alright, then"
"So let's clean up quickly, hm?"
"Aww, you wanna see Zoro so badly?" Luffy teases.
Sanji just grimaces and resumes sweeping the floor.
There is a wide age range in their group of friends. Luffy and Usopp are 20, Sanji and Zoro are 22 and 23, Robin and Franky are the oldest with 28 and 29, and Nami is 21; Chopper with his 19 years is the youngest.
Luffy can't really remember how they all became friends. Before, it's only been him, Usopp, Chopper and Sanji. Then Sanji got together with Zoro. Zoro brought Nami, Nami brought Robin, Robin brought Franky.
And now they are a group and Luffy calls them his Nakama and they hang around almost every weekend. He likes that. He doesn't need love – he has the best friends in the world and that is by far enough for him.
There is no room for love in his life. He still has dreams to pursue and places to be and people to meet. No room for love.
When they are finished cleaning the café, it's half past 11 in the evening. The night is still young and after Sanji locks the door behind him, Luffy promises to meet him in 20 minutes by the Gold Roger bridge. From there, it's just a fifteen minute walk downtown to the location of the party.
Luffy throws his red apron over his shoulder and hurries home to change. He runs along one of the countless waterways of their city and he sees his mirror image in the clear water, and he runs faster, as if to surpass himself. A happy, carefree laugh escapes his mouth and he looks up at the brand new stars that slowly start to appear across the endless blue.
He feels its going to be a good night.
When he gets home, he throws the apron across the back of the sofa. He still got his waiter's outfit on; black trousers, black shirt and his hair combed back.
He takes a shower and then thinks of what he should put on. He decides on a pair of black skinny jeans, a white button-down and a playful red and white tie he just ties loosely around his neck. Then he artfully messes up his hair and uses hair spray to fasten the whole look. Haha, yeah, looks alright.
It's not like he needs to look handsome for anyone, anyways.
His phone buzzes. It's Sanji. Luffy frowns and glances at the clock. Oh crap.
"Luffy, where the heck are you?" Sanji asks exasperated.
"I'm on my way, be there in 5!" Luffy replies. He quickly grabs keys and wallet and then jumps out of his flat and down the stairs…
Sabo
"Would you stop sulking? Please?" Ace asks him with a crooked eyebrow.
Sabo snorts and runs a hand through his hair. "Tell me again why I decided to take the job offer?"
"Well, the salary was part of the decision process," Ace replies and rolls his eyes.
"I must've been insane… I'm not a goddamn teacher…I'm a reporter, for God's sake…," Sabo groans and slams his head on the table.
It's true. He did his two degrees in journalism and actually has been successfully working for the Daily Grand Line for the last couple months.
And then there was the job offer, to teach Politics at Water Seven University, the very university both Sabo and Ace got their degrees from.
And because he is stupid he listened to his friend Koala, who kept on saying: "It's going to be fun, for sure! Teaching people helps character growth and you'll inspire all these students! I promise you, you won't regret it! You'll have the best time of your life".
So he signed the nine-month contract and now, a few hours after his meeting with the head of department, he regrets it. He regrets it so much he wants to cry.
So Sabo called up his best friend and flatmate Ace, so together they can drown Sabo's regrets with alcohol.
"You're an idiot. I tell you all the time, but seriously, you're a moron," Ace says and downs his beer.
"Remind me again why we are friends?" Sabo murmurs.
"I honestly don't know. Look, there's nothing you can do anymore, so stop sulking and enjoy tonight, alright?"
"How?"
"Look, my friend texted me this address. There's a party downtown, free entry, we only have to pay the drinks. Sound good?"
"I'm not in the mood for partying."
"Too bad, cuz I am. Let's go."
Now it's Sabo's turn to roll his eyes. But maybe Ace is right. A party would certainly take his mind off things… and indeed, he's in the mood to drink until he forgets his latest stupid life decision. So he downs the rest of his beer and grabs his coat.
It's a nice mild night in mid-August. In about three weeks, the university starts again and he will have to stand in front of snotty brats and teach them about Politics.
Yeah, he can't wait to make a gigantic fool out of himself.
He sighs.
"Alright, if you sigh one more time, I'll punch your stupid face," Ace says and smirks at him.
"Try, asshole."
Sabo and Ace have been friends since primary school and Sabo feels that they both went through all kinds of difficult life crisis together. Like Ace and his problematic childhood and relationship to his father, Sabo's years as a petty pickpocket, their troublesome teenage years and wild college time.
Ace got his degree in psychology. He works in a hospital uptown. They live together and ever since, have been more than just friends. They've seen each other at their best and worst.
"Ok, who is it again who texted you the party?" Sabo asks as they walk through downtown Water Seven. Sabo likes Water Seven. It's a cultivated, tourist-filled city, but the architecture is beautiful and people are genuinely nice and polite.
He can hear the ocean close-by. They're near the port now.
"Marco, from the cardiology department."
"That blond dude with the weird haircut?"
"Yeah, that one"
Sabo snorts in amusement and breathes in the warm air. Walking takes his mind off things.
"And Sabo?"
"Hm?"
"Don't think too much about that teaching thing, alright? Maybe after all, it won't be so bad."
Sabo smiles quietly. This is so like Ace. Showing faith in his own twisted, best friend way.
"Haha, ok. We'll see."
Luffy
"Urgh, I'm puking rainbows…." Usopp says and imitates vomiting noises, as Luffy and Sanji walk in and Zoro immediately pulls Sanji toward him and kisses him on the lips.
"Let them be, they haven't seen each other since noon," Nami laughs.
"Y'all just jealous," Sanji says when Zoro and he are done kissing each other hello.
"…Not really, but yeah, whatever you say," Usopp says and Luffy can see how Usopp stares at the background of his phone. It's a picture of his girlfriend, Kaya, who currently is away for a semester abroad. Usopp misses her.
"Anyways, who wants a drink? First round's on me," Franky says behind Luffy and Luffy turns around with a smile to greet the engineer (and Usopp's personal tutor) and Robin, an archaeologist with two phds and Franky's wife. She's also his politics tutor.
No offense, but Luffy seriously doesn't know how Franky, of all people, got to be married to Robin. People say she's waaaay out of his league. But whatever, who is he to judge?
"Hello Luffy," she says with a smile.
"Hi Robin! How're you?"
"Really good, how are you?".
"Me and Sanji just finished work. Today was busy, so many costumers!" Luffy tells the woman.
"Luffy, here's your beer!" Franky says and hands him a pint.
"Ah, thanks Franky!"
"Usopp, where is Chopper?" Nami asks as they stand in a circle close to the bar.
The party is at somebody's house. The girl who hosts the party is Nefertari Vivi, a girl who goes to the same university as them and is also part of their group. Oh, and she's part of the royal family of Alabasta, it's why her parents are so rich. Luffy remembers how she once told him that after she graduates, she goes back to Alabasta and one day, she would be queen. That is so cool!
The party is only in the ground floor of the mansion, but it's so big, Luffy can't even tell how many guests there are. At least like 150 to 200 people are here.
"I think he's still looking for a restroom."
"The mansion is like a maze, I bet he won't find one," Franky laughs. "Even though usually Zoro is the one to get lost!"
Zoro rolls his eyes, but lets the remark slide. He stands with one arm loosely around Sanji's waist. It's nothing new, but sometimes it's funny how much Zoro wants to demonstrate his relationship with Sanji. Sanji is more subtle about it. However, they're both jealous idiots. Luffy think that it's actually quite funny.
"Oh, and Luffy, did you hear that you'll have a new lecturer coming semester?" Robin asks Luffy.
Luffy blinks. He majors in Game Design and minors in Politics.
"Really? What module?" he asks her.
"It's Global Politics."
"Oh, yeah! But I thought Professor Shanks is doing that module!" Luffy says with wide eyes.
"He actually does, but he was asked to change to Government and History, because Professor Rayleigh is temporarily ill. So they got a new lecturer."
"Oh, really, I didn't know that… Did you meet the new one already?"
"No, but apparently, he's a reporter."
"A reporter, seriously?"
Luffy is surprised and a tiny bit disappointed. He likes Professor Shanks – he's a good teacher and actually makes things interesting. Luffy is sad that he won't have him as his lecturer next year. He's about to ask Robin what the name of the new lecturer is, when Chopper finally returns.
"Oh hell, that restroom is difficult to find," he says, panting slightly, and Usopp hands the youngest of their group a beer. "Thanks"
"Where is it by the way?" Sanji says innocently.
Chopper frowns. "I'm not gonna tell you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sanji asks with a blush colouring his cheeks.
"Like you don't know," Usopp smirks.
"Shut up, Usopp. You're just jealous because you haven't gotten any since Kaya left," Zoro chimes in to support his boyfriend.
"Fuck you, Zoro."
"Nah, I'm fucking someone else tonight."
Sanji's blush gets darker and he bores his elbow into Zoro's side. "Would you shut up, idiot?!"
"Alright, how about we change the topic, boys? I'm not drunk enough for all your frustrated banter" Nami asks amused. They laugh and Zoro gives Sanji an apologetic peck behind the ear.
Sabo
"Hello, now this is a big mansion," Sabo says with raised eyebrows as they stand in front of the cream white mansion of Nerfertari Vivi. Wait, somehow, the name rings a few bells…Yes, isn't that - !
"Her parents are stinking rich, Marco says," Ace says with an ignorant shrug.
There are a few people standing around the entrance, smoking and chatting.
"Alright, Marco's coming out."
Sabo runs a hand through his hair and smiles at a group of young women, who stand near the door. They giggle and whisper. He wonders if he should go over and introduce himself…
"Ah, there he is."
Marco, working colleague of Ace, comes jumping down the stairs.
"Yo, Ace! Nice to see that you could make it!" the guy greets Ace with a hand shake, before he turns to Sabo.
"Sabo, right? We met couple weeks ago, huh?"
"Yeah, I believe so."
They shake hands and Marco nods to the entrance. "Alright, inside's mad. Let's go and grab a few drinks."
There's music coming from what Sabo can see is a gigantic living room. It's noisy and hot in here, everywhere are people and more naked skin than he has been prepared for. He blinks and looks at Ace. Ace winks at him, and from his smug grin Sabo can tell that he's already doing the maths, how many guys and chicks he can woo tonight…
They find their way to the bar and order drinks. Marco and Ace start talking about work, so Sabo has a bit of time to take in the whole thing. The living room, painted in cream colours, is ridiculously big; the expensive furniture has been pushed to the sides and covered with sheets, so no one would accidentally spill their drinks on the white leather and expensive mahogany wood. There is even a chandelier hanging from the roof and it looks like it costs more than the flat Sabo and Ace currently live in.
There are already a few people on the dance floor, mainly women that look like college students, and a whole lot of people stand around in circles, laughing and talking and adding their very own soundtrack to the DJs work.
"Ah, hi everyone! I'm so sorry I couldn't say hi earlier!" he hears a female voice saying close to him. He watches a pretty girl with long, blue hair come up to a group of people that stands at the far end of the bar. The girl must be Nefertari Vivi.
He watches the group from the corner of his eye. They look so happy, young and carefree. He quietly smiles to himself. Sabo wants to make this night a good night.
So he needs more alcohol.
"Hey handsome," someone later says close to his ear. Sabo turns away from his chat with Ace and Marco and Sabo and sees a beautiful woman lean against the counter next to him. She shows a lot of cleavage.
Not that he's complaining.
"Hey gorgeous," he replies with a wink.
"My name is Hancock."
"Sabo."
He shakes her hand and her fingers are cool and slender. Sabo hears Ace clearing his throat behind him and he hides his grin in turning around. "And this is Ace."
Hancock's dark eyes gleam in mischief and she swirls a strand of her long dark hair around her finger. "Nice to meet you, Ace."
"Pleasure's all mine," Ace says smoothly and Sabo can even see a small blush creeping into his pale cheeks. Wow. That's rare.
"I… just saw someone I know…" Sabo excuses himself with a smile and Ace's nods, eyes still locked with Hancock.
Marco, too, escapes the embarrassment of being the third wheel on a bicycle and goes back outside.
Sabo wanders around the mansion and at some point, walks up the stairs to the first floor to sit down and drink a couple of minutes in the peace of his own company. He watches the people move around. He sees couples holding hands, he sees people kissing and dancing and hugging and being happy. He smiles. It's a good atmosphere. He can't smell weed and he doesn't see people sniff coke in a dark corner. He's content. No drama in sight.
Sabo texts Ace if he's supposed to look out for a naked woman the next morning, but Ace doesn't text back. Which is enough of an answer.
His phone buzzes. It's Law, also a colleague of Ace's; he works at the same hospital.
"Yo, where are you?" Law asks him and Sabo can hear the sound of traffic almost drowning out the familiar voice.
"At a house party, downtown. Where are you?"
"Just finished work. Text me the address, I need a drink."
"Alright. See you in a bit."
Sabo ends the call and texts Law the location. Will be nice to have another friend here. He leans back on the stairs, quietly listening to the heavy music coming from the living room.
Law arrives around twenty minutes later. The surgeon has dark circles beneath his eyes and he looks as tired as always. He just came from a 10-hours shift at the hospital – the usual for him. He doesn't hide how impressed he is with the mansion.
"Crap, I hope someday I earn so much that I can afford a house like this…where's Ace?"
"Probably still talking to this girl at the bar. Or maybe screwing her already."
"And what about you?" Law asks him with a smirk. Yeah, Ace is nowhere to be seen when they get to the living room. It's crowded, but Sabo can't see him. He is probably getting lucky right this moment.
"What about me?" Sabo asks back and waves at the bartender.
"You got your eye on someone?"
"Here? No way, most here are college kids."
"Says the 24-year old brat. Seriously, how long has it been that you had proper sex?" Law sneers.
"Law, you start to sound like Ace. And that's not a compliment," Sabo replies.
"You know, I don't mean the lazy stuff you do when you drag a poor victim to the bathroom. The sex you actually do at home, in a bed, in case you still remember how that works".
"How about we change the topic? You still fighting with Kidd?".
That erases the smirk from Law's face. The surgeon rolls his eyes. "I told him he can move back in when he apologises."
"That means never."
"Nah, he'll come around, sooner or later. He does love the sex."
Sabo eyes the slightly older man. Law is 26, Kidd, his boyfriend, 27. They live together, well, usually. They fight a lot and have even more make-up sex. The two are a weird couple, to say the least, weird and slightly frightening.
"You do know that isn't what you call a healthy relationship."
"Depends on how you look at it. And what do you know? How long has your longest relationship been? Twenty minutes in a bathroom stall?"
"Funny."
Law's chuckles in his beer.
They start talking about work and Sabo is in a generally good mood, despite his signed contract, the alcohol makes him feel lightheaded and he starts smiling and laughing for no apparent reason. Law is no better. They joke around and Sabo tells him from his stupid decision to become a lecturer. Law snorts into his beer.
"You're such an idi-"
CRAAASH
They flinch as something deafeningly crashes on the top floor. They look at each other and then suddenly there is a lot of movement and yelling and people run upstairs and then girls start to shriek and they jump down from their bar stools.
Law is ready to call an ambulance, whilst Sabo is ready to film everything he'll see upstairs. He is a journalist after all.
Luffy
"Luffy, get back down here!" he can hear Nami scream and her voice cracks with fear. He doesn't blink and moves further and further away from the window he climbed through.
"Help us!" the two girls cry, their voices trembling and so high its piercing. They had been sitting on the roof top of the mansion – where one has a fantastic view over the port and bay – and Luffy is sure they've been doing drugs. Yeah, he can smell weed.
The girls have been sitting on the roof tiles but some came off so the girls went slithering down the steep rooftop. One girl is clinging onto the chimney, but the other is holding onto the rain gutter. Luffy can see her arms shake.
"Don't move, I'll be right there," he says calmly and approaches the girl that hangs from the rain gutter, high above the ground. When she falls, she'll break her neck and die a disgusting death.
"Please," she sobs and the mascara colours her tears pitch black. Luffy gulps, his heart is thundering against his chest, his legs shake and he doesn't dare look down. He stumbles as one tile loosens beneath his foot. He halts and tries to regain his balance. Then he kicks his shoes off. Barefoot is easier.
"Please, hurry!" the girl cries. Only two meters from…
Luffy can hear his friends yelling, he hears the noise of all the party guests, but he blocks it out, he has to save that girl, he's so close, he almost reached her…!
"Don't worry, it's going to be ok…" he mumbles, more to himself than to her.
And then the rain gutter cracks and her fingers lose their grip and girls scream and Luffy leaps forward and grabs her other arm and he slithers down to the rain gutter and she hangs in the air and the weight on his arm is so much he yells and his finger nails bite into the rain gutter and he thinks he's bleeding.
The girl has a death grip on his left hand and she yells so much he can't hear himself think anymore. He looks up and sees that someone is helping the other girl back to the window.
"Luffy, hang on!" he can hear someone yell, probably Nami.
His heart beats so fast he believes his ribcage might crack or maybe the cracking just comes from his left hand that's squeezed so tightly it went numb.
"AAARGH!", Luffy screams and lifts the girl so that she can grip the rain gutter again.
And then Zoro is there, he lifts the girl and tiles fly loose underneath his shoes and they hit Luffy in the face and it's like getting punches from an invisible man that holds a big grudge against him.
"Luffy!"
"Get her away!" Luffy yells at his friend and he tries to climb up himself. His nose is bleeding, he grabs the tiles but they all come loose and gravity pulls him down and Luffy, you fool, if you fall down, that was it…
And then there is a hand in his view and he grabs it and someone lifts him up onto the roof and he pants and clings to the stranger like his life depended on it.
And then, it's like someone suddenly turned up the volume of the situation, he hears the cheering of at least 200 people and Luffy wipes away the blood from his nose and he looks over to the window, where Nami wipes away her tears and nods at him with a grin and he sees all these people, standing far underneath him outside the mansion, he sees them in every stupid window of the building and they are all cheering and yelling.
"You ok?" an unfamiliar voice asks and Luffy turns his head to see onto whose shoulders he is still clinging.
It's probably the most handsome man he has ever seen. Blond, wavy hair that frames his handsome face. Striking blue eyes and a large scar over his left eye give him a sense of wilderness and adventure. But he smiles gently and his eyes are really kind.
Luffy's heart speeds up again.
"Ye-yeah, thanks for saving me," Luffy replies, still mesmerized by the stranger's beautiful features.
"I'm glad," the man says with a beautiful smile and then nods toward the window. "Don't you think we should return to the party?".
That makes Luffy laugh and shyly realises that he is still very much sitting in the man's lap.
"Yeah, you're right."
"You go first, I'm right behind you."
And Luffy carefully balances back to the window, where his friends give him the most bone-crashing hug of his life.
"You fool, don't you dare do that again!" Chopper and Nami squeal in unison. Usopp pats his shoulder so much it hurts. Robin is delighted and ruffles his hair. Franky is on the verge of tears.
Luffy laughs and turns to Zoro, who grins sheepishly at him.
"Thanks for the help," Luffy smiles.
"No problem"
"Fucking idiots, both of you," Sanji still fumes and he glares at his boyfriend, who just laughs and pulls him into a hug. "I hate you, damn marimo. I fucking hate you."
"Yeah, I love you, too."
"Scare me like that again and it's over, I swear!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Luffy turns back to his friends who still grin proudly at him.
The crowd starts backing away and Vivi jumps toward him and pulls Luffy into a tight hug.
"Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, this was so brave!" she says with tears in her eyes and Luffy blushes and rubs his nose.
"No problem, Vivi."
Then she turns to Zoro to hug him and Luffy can finally see the blond stranger again, who currently seems to get a lecture from his two friends.
Luffy moves closer.
"…you must be fucking kidding me, I leave for ten stupid minutes and you hurl yourself into a life-and-death situation? Like, do you even have a brain?!" the man with the broad shoulders, freckles and wavy dark hair yells.
"Seriously, you could've broken your neck," the other guy sighs. "Next time, give me a warning."
"If you weren't my best friend, I'd beat the shit out of you, do you know that?!".
Luffy can hear the blond man laugh light-heartedly.
"Well thanks for the heart-warming words, guys."
"Luffy, let's go back downstairs!" Usopp yells and throws one arm around Luffy's shoulder. The three friends turn to them. Luffy blinks and looks at the blond man.
"Uhm, thank you…"
"Don't sweat it. You were the hero tonight," the blond replies and winks at him.
Luffy changes a glance with Usopp. Usopp nods encouragingly.
"Alright, but how about I buy you and your friends a drink?" Luffy asks with a grin.
"Nah, we'll be the ones to buy the drink. What you did was really brave. And stupid," the tanned one with the short dark hair says and smiles at him. Luffy can see dark circles beneath his eyes, like he didn't have decent sleep for weeks.
Luffy scratches the back of his neck: "Haha, I agree, I guess."
"By the way, this is Law and this is Ace. And I'm Sabo," the man finally introduces himself.
Luffy bites his lower lip in excitement and he shakes the offered hand.
"I'm Luffy. Nice to meet you. And thanks again for saving me, Sabo."