Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
Summary: After Shanks lost his arm Luffy remembered things that his hero told him, and decided that if he wanted to be King of the Pirates, he had to do it right.
Author Note: So let me know what you think, kind of slow moving for now, and likely will continue to be. I will write more about what happened with his gramps and what made him different once Zoro gets into the picture. Review and such.
Chapter One: Differences
"WHAT A GREAT NAAAAP!"
The words echoed around the room as a black haired young man sprung out of a barrel. The man wore a yellow straw hat, a red shirt, black shorts, and some sort of black duster with a hood. There seemed to be a katana attacked to his belt, which added to an overall intimidating appearance, or it would if the boy didn't seem to have a wide grin and a completely innocent care free attitude.
"What the… Who are you guys?" The man said in a more calm tone after stretching and looking around. There were a few people in the room, all of which were looking at the straw hat male in some shock.
As if they got offended by that, they took their swords out and seemed almost as though they were going to attempt to attack the boy.
Said boy however, just looked at them questioningly as they spoke.
"You're screwing with us aren't you?"
"Stop screwing around. Don't you know we're pirates?"
It seemed however that the boy didn't have any attention span, because before they even finished whatever the threatening men were saying, the straw hat had turned his attention away to a pink haired boy.
"I'm really hungry, got any-"
He was cut off by the threatening men speaking again, "LISTEN TO WHAT I'M SAYING, YOU BRAT!"
The men swung their swords at the boy, however before they even knew what had happened, there was a small thang and their swords were cut in half, the top half's sticking into the ceiling.
Unnoticed for the most part, the straw hats katana made an even softer sound as it was reseated into its usual home.
The pinkette seemed almost traumatized by what had almost happened and was on his knees against the floor.
Looking around the straw hat came to a decision to speak, "What are you doing all of the sudden?"
Looking almost shocked that they decided to attack him, as if they should have known better, either that or just shouldn't have done it.
One of the men who had their swords cut in half spoke out with a shudder out of fear, "W-who are you?"
"Me? I'm Monkey D. Luffy, nice to meet you."
Despite the almost nice way that he'd introduced himself, and the wide grin that made it seem as though anything that had happened moments before didn't happen, the whole group seemed to want to run out of the room, in fear of this Monkey D. Luffy who had defeated them so easy.
The only ones left in the room at that point was the pinkette and Luffy, who both seemed suitably shocked.
"W-what was that…" Said the glasses wearing chubby boy.
"Eh! What's with them?" Almost dramatically pointing toward the area that the other men had run out from.
Pinkette seemed to come to his senses, "H-HURRY AND LEAVE! When they come back with their friends, you'll be killed!"
The tanned black haired teen just turned toward the worried boy with a laugh and grin, "I don't care! I'm hungry."
This showed off the fact that there was something that you'd missed on your first reaction to the boy. A tattoo, which now that you thought about it was obviously there, just not part of the immediate things you notice. The sleeveless attire allowed Luffy's arms to show, and a tattoo ran down the length of his bicep.
History of the tattoo was there, subtle yet something that would cause Luffy to remember back in a state of sad fondness. The tattoo was the letters A S L. However one letter was crossed out, the S.
The pinkette shook his head of such thoughts and returned to the matter at hand.
"How can you say that so calmly?! There are lots of pirates on the deck! Don't go that way!" Not for lack of trying however, nothing seemed to get through Luffy's head as he started to go toward wherever he thought he could smell food.
It didn't take long for his nose to lead the dark haired teen correctly, "FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! Alright! Hmm… Wonder if there is any sake…"
He searched around for and decided what he wanted to eat before stuffing his mouth.
The pinkette looked at the boy with awe, who on earth could eat that much that fast, Luffy obviously wasn't human…
Trying to shake his nervousness he spoke, "I'm Coby, and you're Luffy, right? That was amazing back there, how'd you do that?"
Luffy seemed more enchanted with the food then the questions, "These are really good!"
Without much more of a pause the man with the straw hat went back to eating what looked like apples.
However if you looked him in the eye and searched, you could see something a bit more curious then mindless hunger, "So… This is a pirate ship?"
Mind you, Luffy didn't stop eating in between words.
"No, this ship is being attacked by Alvida right now."
"Mmmm…? It doesn't really matter. Are there any boats on this ship?" Seemed like Luffy was the type that got right to the point.
"There should be, but-"
"My ship got sucked into the whirlpool. I was really surprised by it." Pausing in his eating, Luffy turned toward Coby, "Are you a pirate as well?"
Coby then went and told the story about how he got onto the pirates ship, Luffy gave the boy his attention as he spoke. The more that he learned about Coby the more that the boy seemed like a coward.
"You are a fucking idiot." Luffy spoke with a cheerful edge.
"How can you say that?" The pinkette looked down, somewhat of a depressed state.
"You can run awa-" Luffy was interrupted by a series of the word impossible as Coby seemed to be getting ready to cry.
"When I even think about Alvida finding out my legs shake and I get really scared." Coby shook his head frantically.
Luffy, deciding that he was right about what he was thinking before, showed just how much tacked he had as he spoke, "Ohh, you are a coward. I don't like you."
The almost cutting words were broken by the laughing expression and large grin.
"You're completely right, I wish I was brave enough to drift in the ocean in a barrel. There's something I really want to do." Luffy made a humming sound as Coby continued, "Luffy, what were you doing drifting in the ocean in a barrel?"
Luffy gave a wide grin, "First off, you don't want to be brave enough to go into a barrel and float around, and you could die. That's only something you do if you have to! Anyway like I said, I was caught in a whirlpool so I got into that barrel as my ship sank… and I was in a ship because I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
It was almost as if Luffy said all of that in one breath. Coby on the other hand just gapped at the male who just announced casually that they wanted to be a PIRATE KING.
"P-P-Pirate King?" Coby asked, making sure that he heard the straw hat boy right.
"Yeah." Was the simple answer.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"That means Luffy is a pirate?"
Luffy simply laughed at this point, "Wow Coby you are slow aren't you."
Coby seemed not to hear it as he continued to ask the would-be-Pirate-King questions, "Your crew?"
"Don't have any, looking for one now."
That seemed to be the final straw for the pinkette, who seemed to be unable to control his mouth anymore. Just gapping uncontrollably.
"B-BUT A PIRATE KING IS SOMEONE WHO HAS EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD! WEALTH, FAME, AND POWER ALL UNITED WITHIN ONE PERSON! MEANING YOU ARE GOING AFTER ONE PIECE!"
Coby ranted at the dark haired boy, who simply said, "Yeah!"
Before the other could rant about Luffy's dream anymore, Luffy got up and bonked him over the head. It was remnant of Luffy's gramps and what he'd done it to Luffy, and Luffy couldn't help but shiver.
God he hoped he never became like gramps, Luffy promised himself to tell his first crew member to make sure that he never did that again.
"W-why did you hit me?" Coby seemed to be almost on the edge of tears, and Luffy hardened himself and for the first time since entering the ship spoke with a serious tone, although there was still a tiny hint of a smile.
"Coby, don't make so little about people's dreams. You are sitting here talking about how I can't complete my dream but I can and I will, you don't have to agree but I will not just let you sit here and laugh about it. I'd die to make my dreams come true. I made a promise to someone that I could become a great pirate and a great captain. Don't speak ill of my dreams as I never would yours."
Coby just looked at Luffy in shock, and before the pinkette could even think of apologizing, Luffy was back to his cheerful self.
"Now I'm full, maybe I should go get a boat. Maybe they will give me one if I ask." Luffy started to walk out, his black duster swaying behind him making him look intimidating again.
"I never thought of that… Can I do it too?" Coby spoke to himself in a soft tone before turning toward Luffy, staring at his retreating back.
"Luffy… It's my dream to join the marines… Ever since childhood… Can I do it?" Coby was answered with a teasing grin.
"Nope!"
Coby almost seemed to deflate in on himself before he heard Luffy laughing uproariously, "I was joking Coby, if you have the will then of course you can obtain your dream."
Blinking in shock, Coby stared at Luffy, a smile spreading across his own cheeks as he launched into another rant, "I'm going to get out of here and stop working as a slave for Alvida. No, I will catch Alvida!"
"That's the spirit Coby!" Luffy said, however the moment was broken as the ceiling collapsed.
Luffy narrowed his eyes as a huge woman appeared out in front of Coby, but before he could say anything he dodged swords that were stuck through the door which he had his back to.
At that moment Luffy was extremely glad that his gramps had agreed to train him. Otherwise he might be dead.
Shaking his head he turned his attention back to the huge ugly thing in front of him.
The woman, who Luffy now assumed was the Captain of the ship, turned her attention to Luffy.
"You're not the Pirate Hunter Zoro, he has green hair." The woman seemed pleased by this. Luffy just looked at the woman confused. Who was Zoro?
"COBY!"
Coby let out a terrified gasp.
"Who's the most beautiful woman in this ocean." The ugly lump continued.
Luffy pretty much had enough of the confusion and wanted to make sure that he was correct before making rash moves, "Who's the fat lady?"
The whole crew seemed shocked that someone would call their Captain that, and thought for sure that he was going to be killed.
The 'Fat Lady' seemed extremely angry, "BRAT!"
The woman swung her club toward Luffy, whose eyes narrowed and he flicked away from the area, moving incredibly fast, landing in front of Coby.
Luffy grabbed Coby and jumped up, onto the top floor of the ship.
People ran at Luffy with a battle cry, seemingly noticing him for the enemy even if they hadn't seem there Captains reaction to the male yet. Luffy just grinned and started to jump around like a monkey, dodging any attempt at his life.
Although he hadn't bothered to pull his sword, Luffy head butted one man, punched another, and it just went on and on until the whole crew that was on the top floor was well, on the floor, unconscious that is.
The thing that weirded people out was the way that Luffy's body was stretching about as he whipped their collective asses. It was almost as though the straw hat boy was a rubber band.
Coby, one of the only people still up and walking spoke, "L-Luffy what are you…?"
Giving what was quickly becoming his signature grin, Luffy pulled on his cheek, "Me? I'm a rubber man!"
Coby just looked at him in shock, before Luffy stopped pulling on his cheek and narrowed his eyes. The woman Captain had again appeared, as ugly as ever.
"You ate the devil fruit right?" Showing some insight as to the power that the rubber man held.
Luffy simply nodded and the woman went on, "I see, I've heard rumors about it, but I never thought it really existed. You also have some moves, are you a hunter?"
Shaking his head, Luffy responded almost politely, as if he hadn't downed most of the womans crew a few moments ago, "No I'm not a hunter, I'm a pirate. I've got no crew right now, but I'm growing one! Ten people sounds just about right to me, maybe more. I've not made up my mind."
"A pirate huh? That makes us enemies doesn't it?" Ugly woman continued to speak.
Coby almost seemed to interrupt with the suggestion to run, however in his mind the pinkette thought about what Luffy had said earlier, Luffy didn't care if he died, he didn't care… and he was strong. The rubber man didn't need Coby to tell him to run.
Instead, Luffy just nodded, "Yeah, I certainly wouldn't be partners with a ugly pirate like you."
Luffy burst into laughter at his own comment, not caring if he got the woman mad.
"YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
Ugly woman swung her club, but not at Luffy. It was toward the pinkette.
Luffy scowled, the ugly woman was attacking his friends. Although Luffy would admit, he hadn't known Coby for long, but it still didn't sit well with him that the woman would attack someone else for something that Luffy had said.
Luffy moved, his hand on his sword and eyes narrowed. Before anyone could even blink he was in front of Coby, and the iron mace was cut in half.
Looking at the mace Luffy once again thanked his gramps. That would have hurt had it hit, the spikes would have gone against his ability to be hit with blunt objects… Well it just wouldn't have been pleasant.
"Now, ugly woman pirate. I don't know who you think you are, but you don't get to attack the friends I've made. I'm not going to go and kill you, because it seems like too much… I don't know I can't explain it, but don't you attack my friends again." Luffy looked at her, anger sparkling in his eyes.
"If you do, I will kill you. Do you understand?" Luffy made a show of raising his blade, before he returned it to his side and into its home.
Before the woman pirate could say anything else, she was silenced from a glare Luffy gave, and slide into an unconscious heap.
For the third time that day, Luffy thanked his gramps.
Turning toward the nearby boat, Luffy gave the crew members of the ugly lump a look before commanding, "Oi, give Coby a boat. He is going to go join the marines."
Just as those words left his mouth, marines attacked.
"Oh look at that, what luck for you Coby. You should go."
Luffy looked around for a moment before coming to a realization, "Oh, I'm a pirate, time to run."
Before he jumped off the boat and onto one of the little boats below, Coby seemed to come to a realization as well. If he was coming off a pirate boat, the marines would arrest him, not welcome him.
Once hitting the water, Luffy's eyes met a red headed woman's. Grinning at the woman, Luffy couldn't help but feel as if they would be meeting again, him and Coby sailed off.
As they were sailing, Luffy mentioned something that he'd been thinking about. "Hey… that Pirate Hunter guy… What's he like?"
Coby just gave somewhat of an exasperated look at Luffy, just what was the pirate planning….
Dah End: