I don't own One Piece
Prologue: Enter Hiroshi! The Future King of the Pirates!
Ten years ago, Monkey D. Luffy found the One Piece and became King of the Pirates. He left the One Piece behind in the Grand Line and his crew parted ways. Ever since that day, no one knows what became of the Pirate King and his crew. All anyone knows is that the One Piece was left behind and was again left for the next Pirate King to take. A new Pirate Era began, and old and new pirates set sail for the Grand Line.
On a small island in the East Blue, a seventeen-year-old boy rushed into one of the houses near the ocean. He had messy black hair and brown eyes. He wore a white shirt with a blue sash and baggy white pants. He had a sword strapped to his hip and a determined expression on his face.
"Today's the day, Ichigo!" he exclaimed when he entered the house.
A twenty-year-old woman looked up from the dishes she was washing and turned to the boy. "Is it your birthday?" she asked dryly.
He grinned and ignored his cousin's comment. "It's the day I start my adventure! The day I leave this island."
Ichigo turned back to the dish she was washing. "Is that so?" She looked disinterested in the conversation they were having. It seemed that she didn't really think he'd leave the island.
"That's right!" he confirmed with a nod. "I'm going take my dad's boat and sail to the Grand Line."
Ichigo scoffed. "You mean that small boat you use to go fishing in?"
He shook his head. "No, the medium sized one with the sail."
"Ah," she said. "And what of Misa, Hiroshi? What will you tell her?"
Hiroshi frowned. He had been friends with Misa ever since they were little kids, and had done everything together. She wouldn't be very happy to find out that her best friend was leaving without her. "You know I can't take her with me. She gets seasick."
He had found that out the hard way when he had taken her to go fishing with him a few years ago. She had started retching before he even set his fishing rod in the ocean.
"You know she won't be happy about that," Ichigo said, looking up at her cousin.
"That's why I'm not going to tell her I'm leaving," Hiroshi said.
Ichigo frowned. "Don't you think that's a little harsh, Hiroshi?"
"Then you tell her."
Ichigo sweatdropped. "That's even worse."
Hiroshi sighed. "Well, then what am I supposed to do?"
"Go tell her you're leaving," Ichigo said, rolling her eyes. "What else?" She set the dish down. "Are you sure you really want to leave, Hiroshi? The pirates out there aren't going to take it easy on you just because you're younger than them. Besides, you don't even have a ship or a crew."
"I'll fine one," Hiroshi said, determined. "And once I find one I'll become King of the Pirates just like Monkey D. Luffy. He was my age when he left his village, you know."
Ichigo rolled her eyes. "I know. You've told me that story a hundred times."
"I'll make my dad proud!" he declared. "I'll do what he couldn't do and become King of the Pirates!"
Ichigo couldn't help but smile at her cousin's enthusiasm. "Well, then good luck, King of the Pirates."
Hiroshi grinned. "Just watch! Pretty soon I'll get my first bounty! Then you'll see that I have what it takes."
Ichigo went back to washing the dishes. "Sure, sure. Just make sure not to get yourself killed, alright?"
"Don't worry, Ichigo! I ate the Wind-Wind Fruit, remember? And I know how to sword fight! I'll be fine." Hiroshi said.
"You better be," Ichigo muttered. "Or I'll come to the Grand Line and kill you myself."
Hiroshi laughed.
Ichigo looked up at him. "Do you want me to pack you some food?"
"Nah, I'll manage. The next village isn't far from here, right?" Hiroshi asked.
Ichigo nodded. "I think you'll manage without food for that long. Just make sure to keep going straight, okay?"
"Okay!" Hiroshi put his hands on his hips. "It's time to go!"
Ichigo gave him a small smile. "Good luck."
Hiroshi grinned and ran out. Ichigo sighed and shook her head at her cousin's antics. "He's a big dreamer, that's for sure."
...
...
Hiroshi was about to cast off when he heard a voice call his name.
"Hiroshi! Hiroshi!"
He looked up to see Misa running towards him. She was a petite girl with curly blonde hair and blue eyes that were currently wide with panic.
"Misa?" he frowned.
She jumped into the medium sized boat and gripped the front of his shirt with her hands. "You're leaving me to become a pirate, and you're not even going to say goodbye?" Her bottom lip was trembling and she looked as if she was going to cry.
"Uh, would it help if I said that I was sorry?" Hiroshi asked weakly.
Suddenly blinded by fury, she let go of his shirt and started pounding on his chest with her fists. "You moron! I hate you!"
Hiroshi sighed. Although her fists didn't hurt, he was starting to get annoyed. Misa had the tendency to make things seem worse than they really were, and cry at every little thing. He let her take out her anger on him for a few more minutes and waited for her to calm down. She never stayed upset for long. She stopped suddenly and let her arms drop down to her side. She stepped out of the boat and crossed her arms across her chest. Hiroshi took that as his cue to cast off.
"You better come back! And when you do, you better be King of the Pirates!" Misa shouted as he sailed off.
He grinned and waved goodbye. "I'm off!"
...
...
A/N: And so the new Pirate Era begins! I'm planning on bringing in some familiar characters later in the story.