Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
A/N: Hello and welcome to a brand new Fanfiction from your host, me! This is something new for me, but I wanted to branch out! It's an OC based story which means that I, the author, will be working with you, the readers, in order to craft an entire world. You'll be capable of submitting your own OCs to fill any role you've seen in the manage from crew member to Admiral, and even some that didn't! Details are below, but until then, enjoy the chapter.
...
It was raining heavily in Loguetown, an absolute downpour on the momentum day that was about to occur. A large group of people all clad in cloaks stood, their eyes all fixated to a single point as they waited for what was about to occur. They all knew it was going to happen but still they couldn't tear their eyes away just in case the impossible happened as it so often did concerning the individual they were dealing with.
A figure walked along, clad in a dark red captain's jacket, his trademark straw hat conspicuously missing. His head was tilted down, his eyes closed and a wide grin spread across his face. The grin of a man who knew his own death was coming and had truly accepted it. He was flanked by guards holding long spears, all intending to end the life of the man who'd done the impossible and found it, the legendary treasure.
Monkey D. Luffy, the second pirate king.
He was gradually led up the steps to the execution point of the last pirate king, walking the very same steps that his predecessor had, looking over the very view that he had all those years before. Yet no lightning bolt would save him this time. He eventually assumed his position, his execution all but certain when suddenly a lone teen burst through the audience.
It was clearly a male who possessed messy brown hair and startling green eyes. He was pale and scrawny yet his eyes burned with the determination of a greater man, someone who was destined to do incredible things. And at that moment he was willing to face the most dangerous man alive without showing any fear.
"Pirate king! Where'd you hide your treasures? You had to hide them somewhere right?" He demanded over the downpour.
"My treasures you say?" The man in the straw hat asked.
He then proceeded to open his eyes for the first time since his arrival and looked out over the audience who'd gathered around him as well as beyond, across the seas that he'd sailed, memories flooded through his mind as he continued to grin.
"I left it all that place, search for it!" Luffy began.
"Stop him before he!" A marine captain wearing the typical white jacket with the symbol for justice cried out.
"If you want them they're yours for the taking, I left it all in One Piece!" The pirate king cried out.
His last words would ring out across the town, and then throughout the world through the mouths of others, inspiring an entire generation. Even though the two blades had been thrust into the heart of the rubberman he didn't die that day. No, his name would live on through the dreams of an entire generation.
People began to cheer, hugging each other out of sheer joy, Luffy had discovered the greatest treasure in the world, and now he was willing to give it to anyone! The money, the jewels, everything that anyone could ever want in life! The joy was palpable in the air, despite the fact that someone had just died nobody could be happier. Yet there was one soul exempt from all the joy, it was the boy at the front who was at that point looking up at the lifeless body who was still grinning, even in death.
While the two executioners were lamenting the fact that they'd been fooled again by the exact same trick as before and the marine captain punched through the wall of a bar down at the sidelines the boy looked up at the man, his expression one of determination. "That place..." The child murmured.
57 years later
A young boy scrubbed the floor of a lavish building, the floors were made totally out of marble and no expense was spared on the interior design of the building. Expensive paintings hung on the walls and expensive looking busts and sculptures were abound throughout the floor.
There were more doors than anyone could count with ease and at the back of the rook was a large staircase leading up to another floor with even more rooms presumably full of expensive decor. Yet the boy was a stark contrast to the design. He was dressed in what could only be described as rags and was covered in dirt. His bones were visible under his flesh and he looked to be utterly malnourished. Yet still he scrubbed.
Suddenly he ceased and looked out through one of the windows to see something else that starkly contrasted with the lavish design of the building. The buildings were all run down and falling apart, makeshift supports all that kept them from falling down. He stared for quite a while, captivated by the state of the buildings before tears began to pour from his eyes, landing on the floor he'd painstakingly scrubbed.
"Oi, tears ain't a suitable water to be washing the floor with!" An aggressive voice suddenly called out which caused the boy's head to shoot up.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs was a huge man, presumably about 6'3 who was quite powerfully built with a rotund figure and a large belly who had a a permanent sneer on his face. He had dark green hair and eyes of the same color as well as an X shaped scar on his chin. He wore a white business shirt with a loose green jacket, a pair of navy pants and black boots. But all of these features were overshadowed by a huge hammer he wore on his back that was gold in coloration and seemed to be about eight foot long.
"I-I'm sorry sir, I'll clean it right away!" The boy cried as he began to scrub furiously.
He was so enthralled in his work that he didn't notice the man approaching him, and then picking him up by the neck and holding him in the air with the utmost of ease. The aforementioned man just held the smaller male up in the air and stared at him before suddenly dropping him down the ground. And laughing.
"Just be grateful I'm in a good mood kid!" The man jovially laughed.
He then proceeded to look down at the shivering mess on the ground who'd once more grabbed his rag and begun to scrubbing once more, this time much more slowly and with shaking hands.
"And do you know why?" The man asked.
The boy didn't respond and just continued to scrub and shake, not looking at the man who had nearly killed him. If he did so it could mean his swift and painful death.
"I asked you a question!" The man roared as he kicked the scrawny individual in the stomach and sent him flying.
The boy landed a few feet away, clutching his stomach and coughing. It was a devastating blow at the best of times, but while he was as malnourished as he was it was one that bought him close to death.
"Now, do you know why?" The man in the green jacket asked.
"N-no. Why?" The boy asked before coughing wildly and then coughing up blood.
"Because the World Government just increased my bounty to eight million Beli!" The man laughed.
"And do you know why that is?" The man continued.
"N-no, why?" The boy wisely replied, having learnt from his previous mistake.
"Because I, Kenway, "Hammerman" Edward, have shown this pathetic town exactly who the strongest pirate in the North Blue is! Namely, me! And as soon as I get enough gold from this shithole and any other islands I eventually decide to take over I'll build a giant palace, even bigger than this one, right here on this island. And then I'll take the Grand Line by storm and find One Piece!" He maniacally cackled as his arms extended out to the side of him and he threw his head back.
Eventually his laughter subsided and he looked over at the boy who had somehow managed to get back up and was working on scrubbing away the blood that he himself had bought into the world.
"Alright kid, when you've finished scrubbing at that mess you made you're free to go. But if I find even one drop of blood on that floor I'll kill you and your whole family, got that?" The pirate asked cruelly before turning around and walking back up the stairs.
The boy to inured to work and scrubbed furiously. Trying to remove every drop of blood on the floor, yet as he did he cried and that left even more of a mess for him to clean up. Yet after what felt like hours the boy finally cleaned up the entire mess and his tears came to a close. He eventually stood up and began to walk away.
Meanwhile
A small raft floated across the ocean. It had but one passenger and he was busily paddling away, desperately tying to reach land. The man on board was tallish and looked to be about eighteen. He had messy brown hair that didn't look easy to tame and startling green eyes that looked out over the ocean behind him as he rowed. He was of an average build and possessed relatively pale skin that was covered with healed wounds.
He wore a black t-shirt that was buttoned yet completely wide open revealing a grievous wound that had long since healed over just above his ribs. He also wore a pair of dark red pants that were quite loose on him and a pair of black shoes. He was quite well toned, possessing pronounced chest muscles and a six pack yet he wasn't muscular, with his arms and legs being quite scrawny.
He rowed aimlessly, looking around and trying to work out where on earth he was going and how on earth he was going to get there when suddenly he paused and placed a hand to his chin with a confused look on his face.
"I thought that being a pirate was supposed to be about adventure and following your dreams, and that's all that dad ever seemed to do on his ship. So why is this so boring?!" The teen asked exasperatedly before lying back and sighing.
But then he suddenly felt a bizarre feeling beneath his ship and sat up before turning around and crying out fearfully. His ship had been lifted up by a giant Sea King that began to swim towards the shore for no apparent reason.
"Yahoo! This is what being a pirate is about!" The boy cried before he suddenly blanched.
"Wait a minute, how do I get this thing to stop?" He pondered before realizing that he was approaching land quite rapidly.
He freud to tip his ship off the head of the great beast bit he was too slow and suddenly the aquatic behemoth and vanished, leaving the man to be sent flying towards the shore at top speeds.
"Well crap." He muttered before suddenly the raft made impact.
Meanwhile
The boy who'd been scrubbing the floor of the lavish building walked around with his head hung down. He kicked a stone along, his face devoid of expression as he mulled over the events that had occurred recently when suddenly something bizarre happened.
Meanwhile
A building that had once existed was now nothing more than rubble on the ground and whatever had collided with it was buried beneath it. But then a few pieces of rubble were knocked off the stack and the boy with the startling green eyes stood up, surveying his surroundings before his eyes suddenly settled on the small boy who stood beneath him.
Meanwhile the boy was in an absolute state, he'd initially thought that rival pirates might be attacking and were bombing the buildings, but then he wondered whether it was Edward himself, having seen a speck of blood he'd somehow missed, on a rampage to kill him and then everyone he cared about.
Yet it was none of their things and a man who didn't look like he was built to survive colliding with a building at high speeds emerged for the rubble, looking around curiously and then staring at him.
"Oh, hi! What island is this?" He asked curiously.
The boy didn't respond, he merely looked up at the strange man standing atop the rubble of one of the ruined buildings and gaped at him, his mouth opening and closing as he stared at the boy who'd survived crashing into a building that despite being a little on the ruined side was still quite stable and definitely not something someone should be able to collide head first with.
"Hmm? Guess you're not too talkative?" The man asked before suddenly leaping off the top of his makeshift pedestal and landing on the ground next to the boy who shook with fear as he stared up at the man who he presumed would strike him for his insolence.
"Oh, how rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself!" The teen suddenly cried out causing fear initially and then confusion.
"I'm Ashton D. Seth, who are you?" He asked in a friendly manner.
"I-I'm Freddie..." The boy muttered.
"Well, good to meet you Freddie! Would you happen to know where there's a ship around here?" Seth asked.
The boy looked to the ground, a look of sadness on his face as he sighed deeply. Whoever this stranger was it was probably wiser for him to have stayed away from the island, after all he'd just presumably lost whatever form of transport he'd used considering he was asking for a ship and there wasn't any available for someone who wasn't associated with Hammerman.
"Unfortunately no..." Freddie apologetically replied.
"Oh well, that's fine. I'll just find me a shipwright and get them to build me a ship!" The older boy announced.
Freddie merely looked at him like he was insane, shipwrights weren't exactly the most common thing to find and good ones were even harder. Not only that but an entire ship would likely cost a small fortune, something that the man didn't seem to be carrying with him. Not only that but all of the shipwrights of the island were either dead or working for Edward in order to improve his ship or build him another.
"You'll probably have a little trouble finding yourself one of those too." The boy dressed in rags lamented.
"Heh, well then I'll just grab a piece of wood and a few sticks and row!" Seth exclaimed brightly.
Freddie once more looked at him in utter confusion. He'd just seemed optimistic previously, but now he was borderline insane! Or well, just insane! The ocean was a dangerous place and only people with death wishes went out on pieces of wood with sticks as oars! Actually, nobody did that!
The boy was just about to explain that that was utterly impossible when Seth began to look around curiously, observing all of the buildings that were around him, he then raised a hand to his chin and squinted.
"This place seems to be really run down, what happened here?" He asked abruptly.
This caused the younger boy to tense and look towards the ground. As he did so tears began to drip from his eye which caused Seth to raise his hands and step back apologetically.
"Uh, sorry, I didn't realize it was such a sensitive issue." He apologized profusely.
"No, it's okay." The boy replied as he wiped the tears from his eyes and looked up at the teen in the open black shirt.
"But this isn't the best place to discuss it, you should come back to my house." Freddie explained.
"I'd be honored to." Seth replied with a broad grin.
Soon the two of them were sitting in a small hut. The walls were paper thin and the roof was supported by numerous makeshift support struts made of everything from wood to scrap metal that was tied together with rope. The glass in the windows was cracked and the fire place was seemingly nothing more than ash and stained bricks.
"Alright, I suppose I'd better explain." Freddie sighed as he looked down at the ground.
Seth looked at him from the chair he was relaxing in and nodded, words weren't needed inI this situation.
"Years ago this town was a prosperous trading port, people came from all around in order to do business, recruit crews and buy from our local shops. But about three years ago a man named Kenway Edward appeared. He's a pirate and he declared this island to be under his control." The boy lamented.
"Didn't the marines stop this man?" Seth asked curiously.
"Unfortunately the marines in this area were always understaffed, there was no reason for the World Government to spend money on soldiers who wouldn't do anything and as such "Hammerman" as he calls himself rose to power rapidly. He charged exorbitant rates as taxation and nearly bankrupted most businesses immediately. Not only that but he siphoned off all the money that the port made and makes and used it to build a giant palace while the rest of us starved." Freddie continued, tears forming in his eyes.
"Huh, I thought I saw a giant building as I was hurtling through the sky." Seth mused.
Wiping his eyes the boy couldn't help but smile at Seth's antics, he seemed to be a bit of a moron but he certainly knew how to make someone feel better. Perhaps that was a byproduct of his intelligence level or lack thereof.
"Anyway, Kenway charged massive taxes on people who wanted to trade here and pretty soon all the legitimate business people left. He was very quick to replace them with slave traders, pirates and even associated himself with a man who ran a fight arena illegally! We all became helpless and none of us are able to stand up to him. Those who do are crushed rapidly." Freddie finished, his expression having become downtrodden once more.
"So you're saying that this guy took over a town of people who weren't able to defend themselves and then exploited them?" Seth asked, his brow furrowing.
"Yeah...wait a minute, you can't stand up to him! You'll be crushed! He's a pirate with an eight million Beli bounty!" Freddie cried.
At this Seth grinned and stood up. He then proceeded to crack his neck, the same defiant grin plastered on his face as he did so. Once he was done with cracking his neck he rolled his shoulders and winked at Freddie, surprising him.
"Don't worry about it, this'll be easy!" The explained before he began to walk out.
"No, you can't!" Freddie cried as suddenly the door, which was hanging off one hinge was tentatively pushed open revealing an adult figure and a young girl.
The man was of an average height, standing about 5'10, he had a blonde beard that was quite dirty and covered the sides of his face. He was bald on the top of his head despite the fact his face was covered in facial hair and he also had large bushy eyebrows. He had a friendly look in his brown eyes. He was incredibly skinny, even more so than Freddie and he was dressed in similar rags to the boy.
The girl that came in was tiny, only about 3'3 and incredibly skinny. She had long blonde hair that was filthy and had brown eyes that bulged from her head and were too large for her face. She was also dressed in rags like the other two people from the island.
"D-dad!" Freddie cried.
"Oh my Freddie, you didn't tell me you had guests coming over. I'd like to apologize for our lack of courtesy." The man apologized to Seth.
"Oh no, I just sort of...dropped in." The teen replied sheepishly.
"Well we should still do our best to welcome you." The bearded man explained.
Seth and Freddie were then quickly ushered to a small table that the blonde man set up rapidly before beginning to prepare the food. When he finished preparing the food which didn't take very long he presented it on the table. The rations were meager, about a quarter of a loaf of bread, a few pieces of meat and numerous vegetables in small amounts with berries strewn around.
"Sorry that we couldn't provide more." The bearded man apologized, seemingly embarrassed by the lack of food.
"No need to worry, in fact you shouldn't share with me!" Seth explained.
"Nonsense, fortune smiles kindly upon those who are charitable and it would be rude to exclude a guest from a meal." He continued.
Freddie had been noticeably silent throughout the entire affair, wordlessly taking a small piece of bread and a slice of meat along with a few vegetables and berries. The young girl took another small piece of bread and a piece of meat with no vegetables, following suite Seth took his meager provisions and began to nibble on the bread while the father ate nothing.
"Is something wrong? You should probably eat." Seth stated as he noticed the father's lack of eating.
"Oh no, I go without food every second day. It keeps me in fine physical form!" The father merrily stated.
This caused Seth to narrow his eyes, it was clear that the man was going without food so that his children and guest could have more to eat. That explained why he appeared to be so malnourished.
"So what's your name son?" The bearded man asked, deciding to change the topic, noticing that Seth's eyes had narrowed and his son had tensed.
"Ashton D. Seth, yourself?" The teen replied.
"Ah, I'm Robert, Oliver A. Robert to be precise." The man replied.
"So, what brings you here?" The man asked, continuing the conversation.
"Well, I never intended to turn up here, I was just sailing along in my raft when a Sea King appeared beneath me and sent my raft flying. Shortly after that I decided to drop in." Seth explained with a sheepish grin on his face.
"My my, you're lucky to be alive. But is there anything that you want to do while on this island?" The old man asked as he nibbled at his piece of bread.
"I'm going to beat this hammer guy and free the island!" Seth cried which caused the old man's eyes to open slightly.
Freddie looked over at the admittedly insane individual who'd appeared from nowhere and took it upon himself to free the island from the tyranny of Kenway, a pirate far beyond the strength of anyone on the island. However it was neither of those who spoke up.
"Please don't." The small girl murmured which caused Seth to look over at her in a confused manner.
"Why does nobody here want me to stop him? He's done nothing but cause pain and misery for all of you! Are you all masochistic or something?" The boy in the open shirt asked in a confused manner.
"No...you're just nice. I don't want you to disappear too." The small girl explained before looking down and running from the dinner table, tears pouring down her face.
"What was that about?" Seth asked as he blinked a few times.
The father of the two children sighed before he closed his eyes and lowered his head. He then opened them and began to speak.
"Shortly after the birth of my daughter Kenway began forcing his reign on the island and my wife Diana, the most beautiful person I've ever known, decided that we needed to stand up to him, but she lacked the strength to defeat a pirate. As such she set sail and promised to return when she was strong enough to free the town. She never returned...we still hold out hope but it was three years ago and we haven't seen a trace of her." He finished before sighing and closing his eyes once more.
"Wow, so she just associates standing up to this Edward guy with disappearing forever, not really the best way to inspire somebody to stand up and fight." Seth replied, feeling somewhat somber.
"Yeah, maybe that's why everybody already thinks they're dead." The bald man mused.
"Oh well, I'm sure that Diana will come back, she's probably worried sick right now!" The teen replied, utterly shocking Freddie.
Meanwhile the old man had opened his eyes and was watching the young boy in front of him with his unwavering commitment and grinned, this boy reminded him of Diana and it was refreshing to have somebody full of vigor and fighting spirit after years of wandering amongst ghosts of human beings who were too afraid to even walk out of line. People had relinquished all hope and as such there was very little to actually live for anymore. If somebody died it didn't really matter, they'd been dead inside for years anyway.
"Nyahahahaha!" The bald man laughed utterly shocking poor Freddie once more.
He hadn't heard his father laugh in years, in fact he hadn't heard anyone laugh in years and feeling one so full of joy and life was utterly shocking. He'd heard people laughing in hysteria and even a few chuckling as they lay on the street badly wounded, having long since accepted their fates and come to terms with it.
But someone laughing out of joy...that was something foreign to him, something long forgotten.
"I like you kid!" The bald man jovially guffawed.
"Exactly, so don't let him go out!" Freddie pleaded, believing his father to have gone insane.
"No, you need to go out and fight him, you can beat him I know it!" The bald man cried out before grinning wildly.
"Don't worry I won't let you down." Seth replied before he walked towards the door.
"Are you crazy?" Freddie demanded causing his father to look at him, the grin still present on his face.
"No, in fact somebody standing up to Kenway is just what this town needs." The man explained as he looked at the door that Seth had just exited from.
It's been a long time since I've seen a D. The old man reflected with a wry grin.
"Ugh, I've got to go stop him!" Freddie cried as he ran out after his new friend.
15 Minutes Later
Seth wandered through the town, looking around complacently, wondering where on earth he was supposed to look for a tyrannical pirate. From the sound of things he likely had an the the size of the Grand Line and would be off at a monument to his vanity. Meanwhile, Freddie ran after him, unable to follow the teen's erratic movement patterns. "Damnit, he's going to get himself killed!" He murmured to himself as he continued the search.
People gave Seth strange looks, evidently not used to seeing somebody wander around with no particular goal in mind. Due to Kenway's exorbitant taxes and cruelty constantly working was a necessity, if you wanted to survive that was. Even working constantly and trying to make ends meet while earning money left you nearly homeless, so productivity and diligence were considered paramount.
His travels took him towards the only grand building remaining in this shrine to entropy, Kenway's palace. Pausing for a moment to appreciate its grandeur, the teen took a moment to appreciate the grandeur of the building, its elaborate architecture an almost sickening contrast to the poverty surrounding him. Strolling towards the entrance, he awkwardly vaulted the fence, scrambling up it and dropping onto the other side before making his way towards the two gargantuan doors and pushing them open.
Meanwhile
Shortly behind Seth, Freddie hobbled to the palace. His breathing was ragged, the result of many years of malnutrition, and he'd barely been able to make it that far, Seth setting an impressive pace for someone who was walking. As he arrived, he saw his newfound friend pushing open the doors.
"Wait!" The boy panted out, incapable of mustering the strength to raise his voice.
But it was of no use, and the doors slammed shut behind the teen with a resounding thump.
"I have to go after him." Freddie resolved, moving towards the gate.
However, as he grew closer his body began to shake and his legs grew weak. Images of Kenway's violence flashed into the mind of the boy, the aches of the man's abuse becoming overpowering as he began to sweat profusely, shuddering with pure fear as he shakily made his way toward the gate. Arm outstretching and shaking violently, he gripped the wrought iron in front of him. Only to fall to his knees.
"I don't want you to disappear too."
His sister's words reverberated through his mind as tears began to drip down his face.
"Damnit, I've got to...save him." Freddie murmured.
Meanwhile
Seth made his way through the majestic palace, struck by its gaudy interior and luxurious choices in furnishing. It seemed mostly deserted, despite being spotless, meaning that there were definitely very few inhabitants. Fewer people to get in his way.
Making his way up the lavish stairs, Seth wandered through numerous rooms, pushing open doors and noticing that virtually nothing had been used.
"Place has gotta be worth a fortune." He mumbled to himself.
Eventually, he heard the sound of deep, hoarse laughter and followed it to the source. Pushing open the door, he saw Edward Kenway sitting on a large couch, ruffians, who were most likely his crew, dotted around the room and a thick air of cigarette smoke hanging around the entire room.
"What the Hell?" Kenway demanded loudly as he slammed his beer down onto the table in front of him.
At this, the entire room fell silent, Seth boldly walking into the room to face Kenway.
"What business do you have here, boy?" He snarled.
"I'm assuming that you're the Kenway who's been extorting the good people of this town?"
"So what if I am?"
"Well, I'm going to take you down."
At this, the room fell silent.
"Fwahahahahahahahaha." Kenway bellowed.
The remainder of his crew started to chuckle nervously, obliging their captain lest they are the living daylights beaten out of them.
"You honestly think you can take me down? Me, Edward "Hammerman" Kenway, worth eight million Beli and in total control of this island?"
"You don't sound that impressive."
At this, veins began to pulse in Kenway's forehead, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. The entire crew tensed. Nobody spoke back to Kenway and lived to tell the tale. His fury was legendary and anyone who stopped his pontification would pay the severe price.
"Listen you little shit, I'm going to conquer this entire ocean, and when I'm done with it, I'll move into the Grand Line, and conquer that too. And when I'm done with that, I'll take the New World by storm and become one of the Yonko!"
At this, Seth's fist clenched.
"Is that right?"
"Sure is."
What followed was too fast for any of the crew to follow, but Seth's fist most certainly collided with the chin of Kenway, who was lifted from his chair by an absolutely brutal blow. Colliding with the marble wall behind him, Kenway was sent hurtling out from the building, breaking the wall behind him, and sending chunks of marble with him.
Meanwhile
Freddie looked up in shock as Kenway was sent flying out of the building, eyes opening wide as he saw the man who, up until this morning, had been invincible shattered. Eyes drifting further up, he saw Seth standing there, fist outstretched, smoke billowing out from the room.
"No way...he really did it." Freddie marveled.
However, he heard a groan and noticed that Kenway was moving to his feet.
"Of course he couldn't do it, nobody could..." The boy mumbled as his eyes once again fell to the ground.
Meanwhile
Seth walked forward calmly, the crew's jaws dropped as they watched him calmly leap down from the window, landing in the grass on one knee.
Kenway had managed to get to his feet, blood dribbling down his chin. Spitting out a few teeth, he looked at the teen who was slowly moving towards him.
"Heh, not bad, kid. How'd you like to join my crew?" He inquired.
"Sorry, but I've got plans to start my own."
"Shame...I'll have to kill you then. Get me my hammer!" He roared to the crew in the palace.
Quickly scrambling around, several of the crew members managed to slowly drag his giant ornate sledgehammer, before barely hurtling it towards the garden.
It landed slightly in front of Kenway, causing the ground the indent. Grinning maliciously, the large man grabbed the handle and hoisted it into the air above him.
"Fwahaha. Only I'm strong enough to lift this here hammer, prepare to be crushed!" He roared as he swung it down with all of might, muscles pulsing and veins throbbing in his head at the sheer exertion of it.
A resounding thump was heard as it collided with Seth's outstretched palm.
"You're right, this is pretty heavy." He casually stated.
The entirety of Kenway's crew stared in pure shock, eyes wide open and mouths hanging open. Nobody had ever managed to withstand their captain's hammer, let alone stop it with one hand.
The large man shuddered with exertion as he tried to push the hammer down, face turning red and sweat pouring down it. Yet it failed to move, Seth's arm resolute. Suddenly, Seth's skin began to take on a grayish tone as his eyes changed from their typical green to a harsh yellow, the pupils shifting to those of an avian.
"There's one problem with your goal." Seth calmly stated as his body continued to change, causing Kenway's eyes to widen.
His nose and jaw were elongating to resemble a large beak, short claws began to grow from his fingernails, and a pair of wings spouted from his back. At this, Kenway's eyes widened substantially.
"Scum like you aren't worthy of being a Yonko!" The teen roared before bending his arm slightly and pushing, causing the hammer to hurtle backwards, throwing its wielder off balance.
With this, Seth bent his legs and cocked his fist back slightly, the taller man's eyes widening in fear as he desperately tried to regain his balance.
"Ancient Ascension!" Seth roared before delivering a devastating uppercut to Hammerman's chin, sending him flying into the air, all of his crew staring in utter shock.
"No way!" One of the crew roared.
"He...beat him." Freddie murmured.
Kenway was sent hurtling through the air, hammer released as a stream of blood followed the huge man. All across the town, people stared as their oppressor went hurtling helplessly over their heads. One thing was for certain, Kenway had finally been toppled.
Cheers and applause broke out across the entire town, while the crew looked over, utterly chagrined.
Meanwhile
Robert looked up and saw Kenway flying through the air. At his side his daughter looked up at him confusedly.
"Why are the people cheering, Daddy?"
"That boy reminded everyone what hope was." He replied with tears appearing in his eyes. "Diana...somebody's done it."
Meanwhile
"That was...incredible!" Freddie cried, leaping up, his previous stupor forgotten.
Seth grinned as he walked towards him, transformation fading. "Told you I could do it."
"But how di-"
"I ate the Dino Dino Fruit: Model Pterodactyl. It lets me turn either into a pterodactyl or hybrid." He explained with a large grin.
"Who are you?" Freddie asked in awe.
Seth looked at him innocently. "Me? I'm a pirate."
Not able to get another word in, Freddie followed Seth towards where Kenway had landed, some of the townspeople having fashioned makeshift restraints for him.
"There he is, the one who beat him!" The familiar voice of Robert yelled.
People suddenly swarmed Seth who looked somewhat uncomfortable at all of the attention. People danced in the streets, makeshift parades taking place as the shifty merchants and remaining crew slipped away from the island.
"We should build a statue!" Someone cried.
"No need, just give me a headstart on the Marines."
"Wait, we were saved by a pirate?" One crowd member yelled.
"Of course we were! Who else would have the sense of justice to help a town that would offer no benefit?" Robert announced.
At this, the cheering redoubled, and Seth was barely able to make his way through, shaking hands and giving high fives to what seemed to be everyone on the island.
Eventually, he made his way to the centre of the town where Freddie was kneeling next to Kenway's giant golden hammer. A crater had formed as a result of the collision, and a handful of buildings had fallen down around it.
"What're you worried about? Kenway's beaten." Seth inquired.
"It's not Kenway...it's just that I was so cowardly, too afraid to stand up for myself or to even try and stop you from hurting yourself." Freddie admitted, tears starting to pour down his face when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"It isn't always about being the bravest or strongest, it's about being able to recognize your weaknesses, and when you have, move on and overcome them." Seth explained, a vibrant grin appearing on his face.
At this, Freddie's tears started to dry up, and he nodded at Seth.
"How'd you like to come with me? I could use a First Mate." The teen continued.
At this Freddie's eyes widened, starting to glisten with hope. However, he looked towards the hammer that stood in front of him, almost taunting him with its presence.
"I would love to but...I'm not strong enough yet." He explained, walking towards the hammer that stood in front of him and placing his hand on it.
"One day, I swear that I'll be strong enough to lift this hammer!" He roared, bringing a smile to the face of Oliver who was approaching the two.
"And when you do I'll be waiting in the New World where you can join the crew of one of the Yonko!" Seth replied.
"Right!" Freddie exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically.
At this, Seth outstretched his fist, a gesture for Freddie to return, which he did.
Walking over towards the fist bump, Robert grinned, his daughter still gripping onto his hand.
"I can't thank you enough for what you did."
"It was no problem, just all live well." Seth replied sheepishly.
"Well, the island would like to repay you in some way. From what I've gathered you're short of a ship." He explained, causing the teen to crack a grin.
"Well, yeah..."
"There's an entire collection for you to choose from."
When they reached the dock, they noted that many of the ships had already been removed from the docks, the crooked owners having fled with everything they could carry.
"Hmm, looks like only Kenway's personal ship is left." Freddie mused.
Calling it 'personal' was almost satirical, the ship was absolutely massive, with ornate woodwork, and several sails positioned on it. Gargantuan, it filled a fair portion of the harbor on its own, and was most certainly did not suit Seth's rather...modest crew.
"Uh, does it have a raft onboard?"
After some exploration which revealed massive treasures contained on the ship itself, they eventually located a small, two-man raft that was far more manageable.
"Hey Freddie, make sure that you bring this ship to me when I become a Yonko, alright?" Seth requested.
"Yes, captain!" Freddie replied, saluting with earnest vigor.
"Good man."
When the raft was lowered down to the water, Seth started to row away, stopping briefly in order to wave to the family of three that faced him, dressed in rags but with newfound fire in his eyes.
"If I find Diana, I'll tell her that her amazing family is missing her!" Seth yelled.
"I'll bring her with me when we meet in the New World!" Freddie replied.
And so, Seth made his way off the small island and began the first steps in his grand adventure.
"Wait a minute...Seth can turn into a pterodactyl." Freddie mused as the teen faded away.
"So?" Robert replied.
"Why doesn't he just fly?"
"Where's the fun in that?"
...
A/N: And there we go, the first chapter is concluded. This is something I've been working on for a long time, so I'm happy to see it finally finished. Now, the chapter was quite long, but I did have to set the atmosphere, so do tell me whether you prefer fewer, but longer chapters, or shorter but more plentiful ones. Anyway, onto the reason you're all here. All of the vacant positions will be posted below, with the template under that. I'll do my best to use all of your characters, but I do reserve the right to change them if I wish (although I'll try to keep them in tact), and also to fill any empty role myself, although that somewhat defeats the point of one of these collaborative exercises. Make sure to PM your characters to me, since leaving them in reviews gets messy.
Crew
First Mate: Taken
Swordsman: Taken
Navigator: Taken
Marksman: Open
Chef: Open
Archeologist: Taken
Musician: Taken
Shipwright: Taken
Cabin Boy: Taken
(Custom Position are Welcome and Encouraged)
Other Positions
Fleet Admiral: Open
Admirals: Three Spots Open
Vice-Admirals: Open
Rear Admirals and Below: Open
Shichibukai: 6 Spots Open
Yonko: Four Spots Open
Supernovas: Open
Full Name:
Epithet/Alias: (Or nicknames)
Age:
Gender:
Position: (What role does your character fill in the crew, eg. Navigator, Swordsman, etc)
Personality: (Likes, dislikes, temperament, please be as descriptive as possible)
Dreams: (What does your character hope to accomplish, and what is their ultimate goal?)
Appearance: (This should include their physical attributes, clothing, and any unique features)
Race:
Affiliation: (Dawn Pirates, Rival, Shichibukai, Marine, etc)
Devil Fruit: (If applicable)
Weapons: (If applicable)
Combat: (How does your character fight? Just provide a short description so I know what I'm working with. Can include their Devil Fruit)
Attacks: (Entirely optional)
History: (Please be as descriptive as possible)
Other: (Anything else you can think to add)
-If your character is a Pirate please add the following-
Bounty: (If not a Shichibukai, and please keep it reasonable. If they're a Yonko, etc, just don't include it until we get a better idea of what their bounties are)
Form of Piracy: (Whether they're brutal, heroic, greedy, etc)
-If your character is a Marine please add the following-
Rank:
Opinion of pirates:
Justice: (Every Marine has their own, which is based off their personality, Akainu has Absolute Justice, etc)
If you're feeling particulalry creative, you can even submit an island, or even an arc. However, I've got a fairly good idea where the story is going, so I might not use it. However, if you're creative, or it's better than what I've got planned (not hard) I'll definitely use it. But I am the author, so I can't just divert it all to you guys!
Anyway, until next time, Lochstar out!