As I mentioned at the end of Slice and Dice, I've decided to work on a challenge story that has Luffy enlist at the Logue Town Marine Base under Smoker's command. If you all must know, when I write my own full-length Marine Luffy story, I plan to have it similar in some aspects to LordDraekai's To Protect Everything. This, as I said before, is a challenge story with a different beginning for Luffy's Marine career, which you are all welcome to take several ideas of mine such as Losers, or Winners?, Option 3 in Rubbery and Smooth, and Trading Snow and Toys to integrate in this challenge as you please. In fact, after looking over Warmachine375's review on To Protect Everything, This Bites!, Twelve Red Lines, Luffy's Renewed Adventure, and some of the filler arcs/movies, I can safely say, for the first time, that I'd be gratefully pleased and interested if I saw how a Marine Luffy would deal with people such as Nelson Royale, the Marines of G-8, Zephyr, and the Golden Lion Pirates among others that had only appeared in filler, and from what I can tell, have never been depicted dealing with a Marine Straw Hat crew in fanfictions before.
Other than the above favor of mine, here are some guidelines and a disclaimer.
No unnecessary bashing: seeing characters grow up and show hidden strengths is all good until it looks like the writer is purposefully making the character in question look like an unlikable nuisance at best and a complete villain at worst. Trust me, it's best to show both the positives and negatives of those in a story. And since this is an AU, I'm working forward to some people growing up differently, especially in a positive manner.
No slash: I try not to judge people who have different "bonding" preferences compared to mine, but I really don't think that characters that weren't listed as canonically yaoi in nature should be depicted as such. Not that I like gender bending much either. I only picked "Rubber and Smoke" as a placeholder title because I figured it would fit a working partnership between Luffy and Smoker, so if you think I did it because I pair them, please get your mind out of the gutter.
Keep the content at a controlled level: meaning that it's probably best to be mindful of which direction the story/stories will go. I like straight lemons as much as the next fellow, but given how things all are iffy on certain websites like FFN, it would probably be wise to just walk first before jumping.
Don't shy away from asking me for advice or beta reading: however, I won't dictate your execution as it should ultimately be your decision. I'm doing fine with it so far with digemsmack over his Fairy Tail story which I gave my patronage for, Ascension of the Second Apocalypse.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Eiichiro Oda does.
[RAS]
Rubber and Smoke
[RAS]
On the Polestar Islands in the East Blue Sea, lied the city of Logue Town. Conveniently located near Reverse Mountain, almost all vessels, pirate or otherwise, passed through Logue Town to stockpile on supplies before voyaging towards the other Blues and the first half of the Grand Line. In the past, it was the site of the eventful execution of former resident turned proclaimed King of the Pirates, Gold Roger, and many years after that, the local Marine base fell under the Captaincy of a man well known as Smoker the White Hunter, who had spent much of his time in command preventing all pirates on his watch from leaving for the Grand Line. Unfortunately, while Smoker was well-respected for his efforts, his Devil Fruit abilities as well as his fearsome appearance and attitude, had made him feared among the citizens, including his subordinates, but he learned to bear with it regarding his duties.
Nineteen years into the Great Pirate Era that began with Roger's death, Smoker was making his rounds through the town center where Roger's old execution platform stood when he saw a teenaged boy wearing a straw hat and carrying a bouquet of flowers approach the platform close enough he could touch it. Observing with interest, Smoker witnessed the kid literally stretch his legs until he was able to place the bouquet on top of the platform. Once that was done, the boy then took his straw hat, and placed it on his chest as if in respect for the infamous criminal who died there. Smoker saw a police officer nearby posed to question the kid for his apparent disrespect to World Government property, but Smoker beat him to it.
"Hey, kid." Smoker called out to the Devil Fruit user who looked at him curiously. "What do you think you were doing?"
"What?" The kid asked uncertainly before his eyes widened. "Oh, I was just honoring the dead, if you can believe that. It's not like I was writing graffiti on it or something."
Smoker couldn't resist raising an eyebrow at that. "You do realize that Gold Roger was executed for a reason, right?"
The teen just shrugged. "I know he must've done some bad things when he was alive, but he still must've mattered to at least someone in life. Plus, as my grandpa says, it's not wrong for someone to respect his opponent whether it be for his skills, actions, or personality, and to him, Roger had all three, one way or another."
Smoker's eyes widened. "Your old man dealt with Gold Roger?"
The kid nodded with a wide smile. "That's right." He then took out a map from his backpack. "Anyway, I'd love to talk some more with you, old guy, but I've got to sign up at the Marine base soon. See you later!"
He was about to leave when Smoker let out some smoke and blocked his exit. "If you're going to work under me, brat, you need to watch your manners."
The kid's eyes widened again before he laughed excitedly which irked Smoker once more until he stopped laughing and actually saluted. "Captain Smoker! I'm so glad to meet you, sir! Monkey D. Luffy, at your service!"
Smoker thought over the name and what the brat said about himself for a moment before his eyes widened once more. "You're Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp's grandson?"
Luffy nodded excitedly. "That's right, sir. He offered me to enlist at Headquarters directly where I could learn a lot of useful things and get stronger for every promotion that comes my way, but I thought it wouldn't be challenging or fair if I got so far because of my ties to my grandpa, so I asked him if there was a Marine leader here in the East Blue I could enlist under and work well with as I rise through the ranks. So here I am."
The tension that pervaded Smoker's mind lessened to the point he showed a small smile. "Your old man thinks you and I can be a good team, huh?"
"Well, we're both Devil Fruit users who just want to help people, right, sir?"
Smoker grinned. "Follow me to the base, and we'll talk, okay?"
Luffy saluted. "Sir, yes, sir!"
[RAS]
At Marineford in the Paradise half of the Grand Line, Vice Admiral Garp guffawed in the Fleet Admiral's office as the two old friends looked over a report regarding a recent enlistee's acceptance into the Navy.
"You see, Sengoku?!" Garp said proudly. "I told you I'd make my grandson a Marine!"
Sengoku chuckled. "I'm just glad you supplied the boy with a good recommendation to Captain Smoker. I shudder to think what would happen if he decided to speak for himself more and find himself in trouble when he forgets." He held his hands up to placate a frowning Garp. "Still, I got to admit, I'm quite pleased that he's made the right career move, wants to get to my job and above steadily as he goes, and from what you told me, you trained him well. I'm very interested to see how far his goal will take him."
Garp grinned with pride once more. "He won't stop till he's above and beyond any Marine that is present, or has come before, Sengoku. Runs in the family."
Sengoku sighed with a smile. "Don't I know it."
[RAS]
A bit short, I know, but I hope I set the point across to some extent. Granted, I didn't give Luffy a reason to be a Marine, but I figured it would be something similar to the one in To Protect Everything near the end of the first chapter/prologue, except in all honesty, I wouldn't leave him stay as an Admiral, considering that's not the highest rank in the Marines and even the Fleet Admiral has a boss (the Commander in Chief) who has bosses (the Five Elder Stars) who apparently have bosses/close partners (the World Nobles). Even if there are those among you who aren't interested in writing this challenge, you're more than welcome to leave some ideas in the reviews for those interested, like I'm sure Warmachine375 would be. For possible pairings aside from the ones involving Luffy, please look at the end of It's LSA, Not Elsa! for my recommendations, and please let me know if any of you are interested.