Okay, yeah haven't written anything in a while. My life's been shit to be honest, it's going to get better hopefully. I'm moving soon, so I'll be out of this nightmare within a few weeks.
Now that we've got that angst out of the way. This story is just your basic two shot. I doubt that I'll expand on it – at least not in the foreseeable future. Oda's still got a very long way to go on One Piece, so this has no basis in reality. It's just my version of an origin story for the One Piece world, which came out of a discussion with a friend. I'll admit that I have very little experience with the series beyond intermittent watching of 4 Kids bastardization of the series. So the little characterization that I do on the main characters will likely be off or heavily flanderized.
Note: Great-grandfather is awkward to say and keep repeating. After the first instance, I will drop the Great, and simply use grandfather (the man's son the actual grandfather is dead so it really doesn't make any matter) as such this is still the same person.
Curse of the Dragon
A One Piece Fanfic
By Egg Emperor
Chapter 1: The Progenitor
– This is a Tale of the Seas of Old
A Story once lost now will be told.
What once was forgotten
Must now be relearned
And Tempest tossed wretched, back the pages must turn.
On words of love, intrigue, and treachery's cruel brand
Of how Hate born of Love once devoured this Land –
11:43 AM – Port Melvilli, Shimura Island "Isle of ancient lore" – Grand Line-New world.
Shimura was one of the oldest populated islands that existed. According to legend it had inhabitants before the formation of the calm belts or the Grand Line itself. It was a place of myths and stories, where old salts gathered when they could advance no further along the Grand Line. Home to fishing, whaling, retired pirates and sailors of all sorts, stories whispered along its pubs and streets like the fogs and mists so commonly brought by the Autumn winds. It is these tales – rather the rumor of one in particular – that have drawn a certain historian and her reluctant captain to maze of the old quarter.
"Robin, how long is this going to take? I'm getting hungry", whined a comically emaciated young man.
Nico Robin sighed at the lack of resilience of her supposedly indestructible captain. Not that this was any surprise, not only could Luffy eat like a pack of sea kings, he was both easily bored and mostly uninterested in anything that wasn't food, battle or treasure, in that order. For all his power it was somewhat easy to forget that this aspirant for the Throne of the Ocean was barely a man.
"It will take as long as it takes to find Rowen the Keeper, and ask him about the stories he supposedly knows." The calm beauty replied.
"Besides Luffy; Sanji, Usopp and Chopper won't be back from the market with the food for a while. Nami's likely looking for charts and maps and Zorro's … well who knows what he's up to."
"Something more exciting than this probably…And what's so important that you have to find this Rowon guy?" The captain said stretching his arms above his trademark hat.
"It's Rowen; and he's supposedly one of the oldest inhabitants of this island, he's called a great story teller. Rumor is that he knows every story, legend and myth that has ever come to shore here…"
"So why are we looking for an old story teller?"
She looked around at the islanders as the passed by on their daily business, before grabbing Luffy's shoulder and pulling him close.
"What..eh? Robin!"
"Sush… not so loud." The dark haired beauty whispered.
Looking around again she continued, her voice barely audible even right in Luffy's ear. "The rumors say that knows stories about the Truth of the world… the lost history of the black century, how our world came to be the way it is."
"You mean what's on those ploony things that you can read?" the hatted man asked, rather loudly to his companion's chagrin.
Grimacing at his volume, Robin pulled him into a nearby alley.
"NOT SO LOUD!" she whispered harshly.
"And yes, he's supposed to know the forgotten history or at least tales of it. The secrets that I've been searching for my entire life, my mother's work, a clue to completing it even. It won't be done before Rio is translated, but this would be nearly as close, if it's true what they say."
Returning her voice to normal volume, she turned releasing her captain.
"And that's why we have to find Rowen."
"Are you looking for Rowen the Keeper?" a voice called out. Robin and Luffy started, finding themselves facing a bespectacled man perhaps a handful younger than Robin. His light eyes seemed a knowing, piercing blue behind the large rounded frames.
Brushing his honey colored hair out of his face he continued," I'm afraid if you are, you just missed him, he was sent to sea a few days ago." He said with a sad smile his eyes softening.
Luffy gave a slight wince.
"When will he be back?" Robin asked with slight desperation in her voice. She didn't know long she could convince Luffy and the rest of the crew to stay on the island.
Luffy, realizing that Robin had either never heard the phrase, or had missed it in her rush, turned to the historian.
"Robin…" he started softly only to be interrupted by the other man.
"I'm sorry miss, he's never coming back unfortunately. My great-grandfather died three days ago." He replied his smile sullen.
Robin's mien went from shocked to anger as she slammed her fist into an nearby wall.
"Damn it!" she raged.
"Why does this always happen?" shouted heaping more abuse upon the wall.
"What did you want from my grandfather, if you don't mind my asking?" The young man asked of the pair once Robin had a minute to get ahold of herself.
Composing herself, Robin gave a measured response. "We'd heard that as one of the oldest and wisest people on this island, a place where legends and stories gather, that he'd heard nearly every one there was; even some that others might not know."
"Well he was that", the young man laughed, eyes shining as he likely recalled some memory of his grandfather.
"They called him the Keeper, first because he was the keeper of the lighthouse for nearly 50 years. And people kept calling him that because of all the stories and tales he learned and kept. After 127 years, he very well knew most of the tales the sea has ever told, or at least the ones that came to shore here." He smiled.
"You said, you were after something that others might not know, right?" The blond cocked his head.
Robin, looked slightly nervous…
"Well…uh… Yes something like that." She responded trying to not let on they were after information, or at least a legend that could get them killed for just mentioning it.
"Well, I don't know all the things he knew by a longshot, sadly, but the man did practically raise me. If it's really that important to you, then, if you could be a little more specific about what you're looking for I could tell you if it's something I've heard from him."
For Robin the, chance that the wise keeper's great-grandson might know what she was after was just too much of an opportunity not to take a gamble on. He didn't look like a fighter either, which meant in the event that he tried to report them they could always incapacitate him and make their escape.
Steeling her gaze and hardening he features, she faced him with purpose and spoke in a calm low voice.
"We, seek the Truth of this world, why it is the way it is."
A look of shock fleetingly passed the blonde's features, before being replaced with steel indifference, his eyes once again sharp.
"The Truth hun… that's a very difficult question, isn't it? It's very hard to get the truth of anything from a legend or tall tale, Miss…"
"Robin, Nico Robin, and my glassed eyed friend here," she pointed to Luffy whose narcolepsy or disinterest, had taken over, leaving him sleeping on his feet.
"Is Monkey D. Luffy." She finished as Luffy finally seem to shake off being groggy and began to pay attention again.
It was brief and Robin nearly missed, but she saw a slight look of … something, perhaps surprise or maybe interest, fleetingly flash across the blonde's face at the mention of Luffy's name. Before she could more then begin to decide whether this would end up in disaster, her thoughts were interrupted as the other man spoke.
"D. ... well…" the blue eyed youth broke off seeming to be contemplating or perhaps appraising the two in front of him. His fingers moving to grasp his face and elbow against the wall in a pensive gesture. Eyes focusing sharply as a decision was made.
"Well, as I was saying Miss Robin, the truth is very subjective, there are many truths, depending of a person's point of view, finding an absolute truth, isn't possible is it?"
Robin appeared down cast, and was about turn away…
"But if I'm to be honest, I might know something that might interest you. To tell you the Truth. Would you and your companion - Mr. Luffy is it? - mind accompanying me to my house. It's nearly lunch time, and I haven't eaten yet today. We can see if I know anything of value to you over a meal."
At the mention of food, Luffy perked up, his stomach growling. "Whoa, that's great, you're going to give us Lunch?" Robin shot the man a look that made him think he may have made a mistake in offering food.
Stretching out his hand, the blond remarked. "My name's Alder by the way." Robin took his hand and shook it. Realizing that she may finally at least have answers, especially if she was correct about the double meaning to Adler's words.
"Well, we best be off then, it's a bit of a walk. I actually don't live in town." Alder turned.
"If it's food, then just lead the way." The black haired pirate captain laughed happily.
The young man began to walk back down the street.
The pirate captain and historian following close behind.
_ § _
12: 13 – Outside Port Melvilli
It had taken them only a few minutes to leave the old quarter at the heart of the island's only city, and a few more to leave Melvilli behind entirely. The trio walked on a dirt path in the grassy plains and hills of the islands. Robin and Luffy could see it proceeded through a small forest. Earlier right as they left the hills above the port, they could see a long thin cape that jutted out into the ocean. At the end was a great stone tower and a few buildings attached to it. It must have been the Lighthouse that Rowen was keeper of in his younger years, the guessed that it was there they were headed.
"Alder, do you live in the Lighthouse?" Robin asked as they began to enter the small wood.
"Yeah I do, my family has for several generations now."
"Does that mean you're the keeper?" Luffy half yawned, the warm summer air just begged for napping under the shade.
"No, it's just where I live," the blond shook his head, hand fixing his glasses which slid down his nose at the action.
"The lighthouse doesn't have a keeper, my grandfather was the last one. The beacon hasn't been lit in decades."
"Why? Surely with a port as big as Melvilli, you'd need a lighthouse." Robin remarked as they walked through the dappled shade.
Alder snorted, his glasses slipping again.
"Melvilli is a port in name only, I'm sure you noticed when you came in, that despite its size there are very few ships at dock."
"I did think was odd…" Robin half stated, hand in a thinking gesture.
"The city used to be bigger and had more people long before I was born. Most of the small towns elsewhere on the island are barely populated these days and the logging village up on the mountain and the mining town at its base have been abandoned going on 40 years now. The whole island is dying really." The sky-eyed man remarked bitterly.
"Why? This seems like a fairly nice place. A lot of the islands we've visited have been a lot scarier." Luffy said off handedly.
"That's what made this island so popular at the beginning, the climate and the lack of monsters." Their guide began.
"It's large, has all four seasons unlike many in the Grand Line, all which are mild…." Wiping summer sweat from his brow as they began to leave the shade of the forest towards the cape, he continued.
"Shimura is, give or take ~1/7th of the way into the second half of the Grand Line, the New World. It was for the longest time the furthest "civilized island" the "end" of the explored section of the Grand Line and the New World. Past us, there was nothing, just dangerous, deadly wilderness. Any and all outposts, Marine or otherwise, as well as the smaller neighboring islands got their supplies via the cargo ships that came to berth here."
"And that was pretty much it, no one, at least no one who wasn't crazy or had a death wish … or both, traveled much farther than this island. There were stories of Raftel and the other islands in between it, but no one really ever came back and most people wrote those tales off as just saltwater stories.
"Then about a hundred years ago, John D. Silver – a ruthless pirate and the Gol. D Roger of his age - became the first person to really explore those islands. And as the Marines followed him and his crew in pursuit, the islands further and further in were developed, more people came to the New World, and soon Shimura was just another stop on the route.
"Eventually with the larger Marine presence, many of the larger islands near Shimura – which were plagued by dangerous beasts that were too much for a single outpost unit – were tamed and colonized."
After that, they replaced Shimura as the jumping off point. Finally in the end it just got marginalized."
"That's kind of sad…" the wanna be king remarked.
"But it's also the way of life and progress." Robin amended as they reached the end of the cape and the doorstep of the light.
Alder opened the door and the trio stepped into the keeper's house. Made of dark and earthy wood, the inside was festooned with all manner of charts and drawings upon the walls. Books and all manner of maritime equipment and tools occupied the shelves in the entry and living space. Heavy rugs dotted the floors.
"Sorry about the mess, I haven't really had much time or motivation to clean since grandfather died." The bespectacled man admitted sheepishly.
"Do you live alone all the way out here Alder; you said your grandfather raised you?" Robin inquired as she looked at the various items upon the shelves.
"Yeah, it's just me now. My dad died when I was little, and my mother passed when I was born. My grandfather, my real grandfather, Gramps' son died when my dad was little. Both lost at sea, it's sort of a family curse really, Sparrows can never go to sea they say. Been that way for generations, Gramps' brother, his father and his father's father and many before them all met watery graves."
"Jeeze and I though just not being able to swim was bad…." Luffy muttered, his stomach suddenly growling.
Alder laughed. "I'll get lunch ready"
_ § _
1:03 PM – Sparrow's Light
As it turned out Alder very much regretted offering food to one Monkey D. Luffy.
The man in question let out a very large belch, holding his now distended stomach and stated simply. "Man I'm stuffed, that was Goood!"
Alder sincerely hoped it was, since he would now have to shop for groceries again this week.
Robin set their perturbed host an apologetic look.
Sighing, Alder rose from the table cup in hand, motioning for his fellows to follow he entered the hall and open a door to what could pass for a study or living room. Alder sat down in an old carved chair, and picked up a cup of tea taking a sip before he spoke and waiting for Robin and Luffy to seat themselves.
Eyes turning to sharp steel behind his glasses, he spoke.
"Miss Robin, to be clear, the Truth you are asking for. You wish to know the history of the world, specifically that of the Black Century. The lost time 800 years ago and the world before that time which is not in any historical record. The events that occurred centuries ago, which so changed our world; that the powers that be will do anything, at any cost to prevent the knowledge of it or the time before from being known. Correct?"
Robin couldn't help but drop her jaw, it was all she could do to avoid her eyes rolling out of her head, in a mixture of shock, fear and anticipation.
"Yes, that is what I'm after, what I was going to ask of your grandfather. The rumors said that he knew a story about what happened."
The blonde then continued… "I know the story of what happened, or rather a myth or legend passed through my family from parent to child since those times about what happened. My grandfather told it to me as a child. I have no idea beyond the word of my ancestors that this is true."
"Will you please tell me?" Robin knew she sounded a bit desperate.
Alder sighed, removing his glasses and pinching his brow, brushing the bridge of his nose.
Affixing them once again, he replied, "Normally I wouldn't this story is really to never leave the family, at least while the world is the way it is."
"My grandfather impressed that it was never to leave my lips, except unto my own blood. To do so otherwise would put my life and existence of the story itself in jeopardy."
"But… because of him…" he pointed to a clueless and startled Luffy.
"Because of who he is, I will tell you."
"Eh, me? But what do I have anything to do with it?" the clueless young man asked.
"Everything my friend, you're part of this story as much as I…" The blonde broke off.
"As you know it all happened centuries ago…
_ § _
Long ago… The world was far different that it is today. There was far more land. Huge masses, called continents covered nearly a third of the globe, unlike now where less than a tenth is land. In the north of the world lay the smallest known of these continents, it sat above a sea that parted if from the second largest, which was the ancient cradle of civilization. Further it was attached in the east to the largest, a realm of deserts, steeps and inhospitable mountains. This small northern landmass was home to ancient kingdoms and countries, whose rulers though bound by blood fought vicious battles for domination over each other and their small corner of the world.
But then it came to pass that an explorer from one of these nations sailed west, and did so for many month, but what found was neither endless ocean nor world edge chasm, but a new land. Two new continents populated by easily dominated peoples and filled with treasures, and territory that would give prosperity.
Soon began a race and then battles between those kingdoms of the northern land to conquer this New World before the others. Wars broke out as each fought with the others. With but one exception.
Off the north-western tip of this land, lay two large islands, home to several realms bound together under a single crown.
This was Albion, the nation of purity and green plains, of forests deep and moors wide. Separated from the main land of the north by a sea, it was sheltered from the winds of conquest that whipped up conflict. Further because off her island nature she possessed a great many ships and a Navy renowned. And the Kingdom was at peace at least for a century.
Soon the other countries realized that Albion needed not the land of the New World itself, its navy and cargo fleet could make more than enough gold for her just transporting goods between the old and new worlds. And as more and more ships joined these ever growing armadas, the main land kingdoms began to fear that Albion's navy could be used in a decisive conquest against them and their holdings in the new lands.
They plotted to undo her by building their own ships and depriving the land of shipping and further by sponsoring piracy against the many crossed flag of the island nation. And further they schemed against Her Grace, The Queen.
She was the embodiment of purity of beauty and goodness, young Queen Erzabeth. Her flaming hair shown like holy brand, the molten locks spun like silk, fell from her crown in waves against her white robes making a vision of an unspolt goddess. A grace whose heart refused singular dedication in favor of all of her subjects. Their happiness and joy was hers, as too was their sorrow and pain.
And so it was then after one too many of her precious people fell victim the scourges of the sea her enemies sent against her that the government of Albion retaliated, with pirates of their own. Privateers they were called, merciless dark lords of the sea.
And among their number was an extraordinary man. A pirate's pirate, cold and cruel in pursuit of vengeance and plunder, and yet bearing a heart and mind of warmth, romantic and set upon discovery and adventure. All feared him, this man in red, violet and black, his ebony curls and piercing eyes of ice, which never warmed upon a single soul. He was called as beautiful as he was dangerous; this gentleman of a demon. A man of contradictions and complexity that one can scarcely imagine.
His name, was Sir Francis D. Drake.
_ § _
"Wait… D..? Like me and Ace, Roger and that bastard Black Beard?" Luffy asked confused.
"Exactly my friend, exactly." Alder replied.
Robin couldn't help but wonder where this story, fantastic as it sounded was going. It did fit some of the things she knew, about a country being destroyed. Maybe this Albion was that country.
_ § _
Well that finishes Part One. Part Two will be out Either Tomorrow (If I'm feeling it) or Sometime in the next few days, if I run into trouble.
Let me know in a review what you think of it. Criticism as long as it's constructive is welcomed.
This is Johannes, The Egg Emperor signing off. Next time. The Curse of the Dragon Chapter 2: Ten-Thousand Trillion Tears.