AN: Alright just to clarify, this isn't an AU fic, it's based on all of the stuff that has happened in the anime, manga, movies, released works of Oda Eiichiro and such. I'm only exposing dark Luffy with pieces of evidence in random one-shots with hopes he wouldn't get angry and beat the cra-silence me before I finish. Luffy didn't become a smart genius in this fic, he's just very clever - you'll see as the story progresses.

I will continue no matter how long it takes my goal is at least 50 one-shots! (Gulp, that's a big declaration from a inconsistent , leisure writer like me…) But if I stop ... you know who to blame!

31 October 2013 - Happy Halloween guys! Hope you guys had a good sweets harvest or spooky fun night! This is also a birthday release hahahaha (*hint* *hint*)

Episode 0: Deciding to Travel in a Barrel

"I'm the man who's gonna become the King of Pirates!" The proud declaration made from the once prideful man seemed to be furthest from the truth as he now lay panting in his dingy, exhausted from starvation. He had set forth from his small village a couple of days ago for his great ambition but had not encountered a single island throughout his virgin voyage. Doubtlessly due to the fact that there was no one navigating the dingy abroad, there was only one person, who was the Captain - the self-proclaimed future King of Pirates.

A loud rumbling growl can be heard from a very lean stomach as the only passenger laid flat on his back on the floorboards. "Ahhh I should get a cook for my first crew member ..."

He checked the rod stationed on the side of the small boat. "Why aren't the fish biting?" Another growl rang out as he covered his eyes from the harsh sunlight with one hand and his stomach with another. The boat suddenly trembled and shook, the rough waves splashing overboard, drenching the lone occupant.

"Woah, what's going on all of a sudden?" He snapped to awareness and looked out, lo and behold, the waves were swirling about in wide circles with a gaping vortex of 30 meters in diameter - just 300 meters away while drawing his little boat in!

He expressed his surprise once again, "Wooaaaah! What's that?" His eyes widened at the strange phenomenon before him. It seemed to suck the surrounding waters into it as it spiralled downwards.

Luffy threw a random piece of litter towards it, seeing how it quickly got swallowed by the strange current the nearer it got to the gaping hole, and disappeared into goodness-knows where, he exclaimed, "What a mysterious current!"

He decided that the current situation was his feeble boat and considered his predicament. He couldn't swim, had no immediate people around him that can and would rescue him, had an unknown amount of time before reaching an island and a mysterious current that is threatening to swallow everything within reach has already caught a hold of his boat. He had to do something on his own and fast.

All he had on his boat he was rope, barrels and a fishing rod to save his elastic but unbouyant body. Alright, to summarize the current issues for survival, they would be:

1. Escape from the mysterious current (and the boat).

2. Survive for an indefinite amount of time while out of the boat.

3. Starvation and dehydration.

As he meticulously analyzed the situation, he looked at his available resources and smiled, the perfect plan came to mind.

Slotting his lower half of the body into an empty barrel, he braced his legs and hips in it. He bit on the barrel lid to leave his hands free for his genius idea.

"Gomu gomu no- ..." He then grabbed the sides of the boat with his hands, leaned back and stretched as far as possible away from it while tilting the barrel.

"-SLINGSHOT!" Letting go of the pressure against the railing of the sides, he flew through the air in an arc just as the boat started to get sucked down the throat of the mysterious current. "Woah, this is fun! Shishishishii!" He held his strawhat down with his right hand as his left held onto the lid, laughing carefreely.

A floating barrel in the middle of the ocean usually meant liberated supplies from a sunken vessel, one never knew what could be hidden in it. Both the curious and greedy would at least try fishing it out to scrutinize before deciding to open it or not. Even if they did not, the barrel would be swept up by the natural currents and wash up on an island eventually. Besides, he wouldn't have to do anything while in it and conserve his energy instead! An ultimate win-win situation indeed!

He had already spotted the solution to his predicament; there were several vessels ahead that were on the course that would reach his landing spot in an hour or so. It was almost midday now, the sailors would be resting from the heat and no one would look up to see a flying barrel (probably) and get suspicious of it.

Better not let them get too suspicious if they look up by any chance. He twisted and folded himself in the barrel, firmly closing the lid above him and settled down eagerly for a short nap, recharging before his next adventure starts.

~ To be Continued ~

There you go~ Here's analytical and calm Luffy with a little of goofing around.

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Next up: Hmmm, still undecided as of now. Please feel free to suggest any themes, scenes or ideas!