Summary: Monkey D. Luffy, a former soldier who fought with the best and bravest men he's ever known, has found himself a wanted man on Earth. A person named Lutece hires him to go to a land in the sky called The New World and retrieve the One Piece in exchange for removing his bounty. Luffy has no idea what he's in for, on his journey he meets new friends, enemies, and someone who claims to be an old acquaintance, Sabo, a mysterious person who knows all about his past. And how exactly does the brand 'PDA' on the back of his right hand factor into this adventure that's spinning wildly out of control?
"Bring it to us and wipe away the bounty."
The dark haired man nodded. "I understand."
The other man nodded in return, "I'm glad we have an understanding."
"And I'll be able to get there?"
"Of course. We will provide transport to the city. Everything you need will be provided." He opened the door behind him. "Shall we be going?"
The dark haired man looked grim, determined to finish this mission no matter what stood in his way. And he was sure that not even death could stop him.
I was sitting in a row boat with two other people, holding my hat on my head. My mind wandered, how had I gotten here?
Oh wait... That's right... I was hired.
Where is that guy anyway? Didn't he promise me a flying boat? Because this was not a flying boat. And wasn't it supposed to be sunny? Why is it raining?
"Are you going to just sit there?" The person rowing asked.
That snapped my out of thinking.
"As compared to what?" The person- girl? It sounded like a girl- sitting in front of me asked. "Standing?"
Oh... They were just talking to each other.
"Not standing. Rowing."
A flash of light announced a lighthouse a head of us. I squinted against the light. "'S to bright." I complained.
"Rowing?" The girl asked. "No. Hadn't planned on it." She turned, holding a box out to me.
I stared at it for a moment, then took it, my stomach growled, "I'm hungry."
"So you expect me to shoulder the burden?"
I stared at the box, "What is this?"
"No, but I do expect you to do all the rowing."
The box had my name on it.
Property of:
Monkey D. Luffy
11th Cavalry, Paramount War
"And why is that?"
"Coming here was your idea."
"My idea?"
"I made it very clear that I don't believe in the exercise."
I was getting bored again...
"The rowing?"
"No. I imagine that's wonderful exercise."
Man I was really hungry...
"Then what?"
"The entire thought experiment."
"When are we going to get there?" I asked impatiently.
"One goes into an experiment knowing one could fail."
Maybe there was food in the box...
"One does not go into an experiment after having completed a similar one as well as knowing one has failed."
I opened the box. There were two cards on the lid.
One read: Lambx1 Seagullx2 goatx3
I took it, it looked funny. Then there was a picture of a large dark building, the caption underneath it read: Arlong park!
I didn't take that one. Not interesting.
"Can we get back to the rowing?"
Inside the box was a pistol, I picked it up, and checked its ammo, completely full. I holstered it, "That'll work, I guess..." I didn't like guns... not after the war, but if it was here, I might need it.
"I suggest you do, otherwise we'll never get there."
Under the gun there was another card, a key and some numbers that were Latitude and Longitude.
"No, I mean I would greatly appreciate it if you would assist!"
I picked up the card, this one had a picture of a safe. It must have been where the One Piece was being kept. I flipped over the card and was greeted by a message, "Bring to New York untouched."
"Perhaps you should ask him." The girl said. "I imagine he has a greater desire to get there than either of us."
I closed the box, were they still arguing?
"I suppose he does. But there's no point in asking."
I stared ahead, the lighthouse was getting closer.
"Why not?"
I started to get antsy. I wanted to get to my flying boat already!
"Because he doesn't row."
Ugh! How much longer could it take!?
"He doesn't ROW?"
Wait...
"No, he DOESN'T row."
Were they talking about me?
"Ah. I see what you mean."
I didn't have time to ask if it was me they were talking about, because then we finally pulled up to the lighthouse.
"We've arrived."
The boat came to a stop and I jumped out onto the dock, thrusting my hands in the air, "FINALLY! LAND!" A strong gust of wind blew by, threatening to take my hat away. I pressed it to my head. Now that I could see the lighthouse clearly, I could tell that it was HUGE!
"Shall we tell him when we'll be returning?"
"What good would that do?"
"Might give him some comfort..."
"Well... there's something we can agree on."
"Hey, wait!" I shouted, "Where's my boat!?"
"Everything has been provided for you!"
"Just go into the Lighthouse!"
I sighed, "Sheesh, I just wanted a straight answer..." My stomach growled, "And I'm still huuunnngggrrrryyyy..."
Then something occurred to me. "Wait... if everything has been provided... Then that means food too!" I ran off of the dock and on to the lighthouse island, nearly tripping over a crashed boat. "Ow! Why's that boat there?" I squinted out at the water. It was awfully rough waters for this time of year...
"HEY!" The boat I came on was gone! "How is that?! Wha-?" There's no way they could have rowed out of sight no soon!
My stomach growled, "ARUG! This is no time to be worrying about some stupid row boat. I need food. No... I need meat!"
I stormed up stairs to the lighthouse.
There was a note on the door. "Huh? What's this?"
Monkey D. Luffy-
Bring it to us and wipe away the bounty
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!
I scratched my head through my straw hat, then knocked. "Hello? Heeeelllo-" The door came open, it hadn't been locked. "Huh..." I pushed open the door. "Heeeelllooo?! Anyone home?! I was told you'd have a ship for me!"
I took my hat off for a rare moment to shake the water off of it. The last thing I wanted was for my hat to get musty. Once I was sure I had gotten most the water off I put it back on.
It was dark inside. A few candles lit the path to the stairs, and also a small table. There was a banner-thingy I walked over, there was a basin of water under the banner-thing. I glanced into the water then up at the banner.
In The waters
of
Absolute Justice
Shall I
wash
thee
I pulled my hat farther down. "What good is absolute justice...?" I muttered, moving to the stairs. There was another banner-thing there.
From this
world
Shall I
lead
thee
I slowly walked up the stairs. "Hello?" Some of the stairs were uneven, more used than others. "Anyone here?" The next level was better lit. "Hm... Maybe there's food around?" I wondered, there were cabinets every where. Surely one of them had food. Music was playing from somewhere, but that didn't deter me from my goal.
I turned left when I reached the top of the stairs. "Table... washcloths... No food..." The large brown cabinet to the side of the table looked promising, I opened it.
There was a box lying on the bottom of the cabinet, I picked it up and inspected it closer. "FOOD! YES!" It was a box of cereal, I tore it open and devoured the little that was left. I was about to close the cabinet in search of more food, but then I saw something shiny. "Ohhh... what's this?" I picked up the shiny object. It proclaimed itself to be a berry, but looked like money. "Huh..." I pocketed the coin and continued through the lighthouse. There was a desk under a map, the map had several push pins stuck in it, but the desk is what was interesting.
It was messy. And there was a phone. I picked the phone up and checked for a connection, "Heeellllooo? Did the storm knock out the telephone lllliiiinnnneeesss?"
A dull silence in my ear answered me.
"Okay... I guess it did..." I put the phone down and looked up.
Be prepared,
he is coming
You must stop him
-Sabo.
"Sabo?" Weird... The name sounded... familiar somehow.
I brushed it off and turned, there was a bed, and the music was on. So somebody must have lived here. "Hello? Anybody?" The radio was getting annoying so I flipped it off when I got over to it. "Are those two sure this is the right place? No one seems to be here..."
A flash of lightning made me squint, then I saw the turned over table. It looked like there had been a fight. Stuff was everywhere, I bent down and picked up a bruised apple. "What a waste..." I said sadly, tossing it behind me and continuing up the stairs.
I noticed the floors were getting lighter and lighter the farther I went up. This floor also had signs of a fight. A grim feeling washed over me. A man was dead.
Sitting in a chair directly under a bright light, bag over his head, blood pooled around him. They had wanted me to see this. A note was attached to his chest.
DON'T
DISSAPPOINT
US
I couldn't tell if it was written in ink or blood, either way it got the point across. I couldn't fail this mission.
I removed my hat and held it against my chest in respect for the dead. I didn't know his name, his story, or if he was even on my side.
That didn't matter, everyone lives for a purpose, and no one is ever meaningless.
After a moment of silence for the man, I turned, replacing my hat. A new determination flaring within me.
The only other place to go on this floor was the stairs. Another banner-thing:
In a new
world's
soil
Shall I
plant
thee
I walked up the stairs. I was on a mission, none of these stupid sayings mattered. Bring it to them, wipe away the bounty. That's what mattered.
After climbing two sets of stairs I had reached the top. It was still raining. I circled the top part of the lighthouse. There was no boat here!
"Hey! They lied to me!" I shouted through the rain, "Where's my ship!?" I ran back to the stairs, in case I had somehow missed it. Still nothing.
"They lied!" I shouted again, how could they?! Those jerks, leading me to believe my boat would be here waiting. I leaned back against the wall of the lighthouse, and heard something behind me jingle.
I spun around. Three bells hung against the wall. In order from left to right the pictures were: Lamb, seagull, goat.
"What the-?" I tilted my head, as if that would help me figure out what they were for. My legs started to ache from all the standing, so I sat down, and felt something shift in my pocket. I reached in and pulled out a hand full of stuff.
"That's right..." I had taken everything from the box. The key, the numbers, the Arlong Park thing, and...
"OH!" I stuffed the other stuff back in my pocket keeping out only the card that had the pictures and numbers. "This must be the number of times you ring the bells!"
I rang the lamb once, it let out a pure low sound, then the seagull twice, it let out a slightly higher tone, and finally the goat three times, it let out the highest tone.
I waited.
Nothing seemed to be happening.
I looked around, and waited some more.
Still nothing.
I sighed, perhaps that wasn't what I was supposed to do?
Then a large patch of the sky turned a bright red. I stared up in amazement.
Something was coming, and it was coming fast.
I couldn't contain my excitement, this must be the flying boat!
A minute later I was proven right, a large boat broke through the cloud cover and came to a stop next to the lighthouse.
The boat seemed to have a goat theme- or, the figurehead was a goat, anyway- "YES!" I shouted, pumping a fist into the air.
"Ah... Excuse me." A scratchy voice came from my boat.
I looked up to see a tanned man about my age pushing a plank between my boat and the lighthouse. "Eh? Who are you?" I asked.
The man stood tall, "Who me?" He pointed to himself, then struck a regal pose, "I am none other than THE GREAT AND MIGHTY USOPP!" He changed position so he had a hand thoughtfully on his chin, "This is my boat, and I am only the best boat service operator in all of-"
"I thought it was my boat..."
The man named Usopp drooped, "Well... since you used that sequence..." I couldn't hear the rest of what he said, then he brightened up, "Wait! Is your name Monkey D. Luffy?" He asked hopefully.
I nodded, "Yeah, that's my name."
He drooped again, "Oh.. Well..." He straightened up, "Get on, Mister Luffy! We're going..." He posed so he was dramatically pointing upwards, "TO THE WORLD IN THE SKY!"
I wasted no time in hopping onto the boat, I turned to him, "Hey, just call me Luffy."
Usopp nodded as he pulled the board back onto the ship, "Also, I have a few simple ground rules before we set off."
I tilted my head, "What?"
"One," He eyed the holster on my hip, "I don't allow guns on my ship, not without a really really really good reason."
I had no qualms with taking it off and tossing it overboard, as I said earlier I didn't like guns.
"Two, you will be respectful to Going Merry, she was a gift from a dear friend."
I glanced around the ship, it seemed large for two people, and far to large for one person. But it looked well made, and well cared for. I nodded, "Alright, anything else?"
"Three, this trip is being paid for by Lutece. Lutece has provided everything for the journey, there's food through that door there." He pointed to a door on the upper deck. I was just about gone in a flash. "But, you might not want to be eating while we go through the air, newcomers tend to get a little light headed and ill on the trip up due to the change in atmosphere."
I frowned then ran to the figurehead, if I couldn't eat, I at least wanted the best seat in the house. "ALRIGHT!" I shouted, "LET'S GOOOOOOOO!"
"AYE AYE!" Usopp shouted, "NEXT STOP, LOGUETOWN, THE TOWN OF BEGINNINGS!"
A minute later the boat began rising through the air, and into the clouds.
I laughed, "TO THE SSSSKKKKYYYY!"
Author's Note:
Hello dear darling readers.
No doubt a few of you are confused by my choice of story, and maybe a couple of you are annoyed I've been putting off updating Leanah. But don't worry, I have the next chapter almost finished, and I'll die before this new Story challenge overtakes Leanah.
And yeah, y'all read that right. Sabo.
For those who don't know: Lutece is pronounced Lutess
For those of you who know Bioshock expect major changes to the story line, for those of you who know One Piece, expect MAJOR changes to the story line.
4fireking: I know the first character crewmate introduced was supposed to be Zoro, but Usopp works here, and helps me get over some snags I'd have later if he didn't come in now. And I know the entire floating land was supposed to be Loguetown, but just to mash more One Piece in I changed it so Loguetown is only a small part.
Up next: The Town of Beginnings!
Your ever willing author,
Kari910