Notes: I DO NOT OWN One piece or any of its associated characters or idea. This is a work of complete fiction and I make no profit from tis creation.
This is my first fanfic, it is not beta read, if someone would like to help please message me. All criticism is welcome flaming and being a general nuisance will be ignored. This will eventually be a yaoi, that's boy x boy story. Don't like it don't read it, no shame in not having the same tastes as I do. Couples are not up for discussion, and they will not be labelled. If you guess correctly, I will confirm. Luffy's Ship is based on the Spanish galleon replica Neptune. You can look it up online.
Chapter 1: Awakening
Luffy woke to a cacophony of sound, voices were raised, and yelling could be heard over his head. It sounded vaguely like old man Rayleigh, but he was dead. It wasn't possible. The sound of another voice registered in his mind, triggering his memories from Raftel.
"I will be going, and he will be sticking around this change nothing Rayleigh." bellowed Roger. The sudden silence was deafening to Luffy, prompting him to open his eyes and see what was going on. Roger and Rayleigh stood head to head with what he assumed was the roger pirates looking on.
"He's awake." Came from somewhere behind him in the crowd that was watching and not interfering.
Rayleigh sighed, "Roger you pass out on us in the middle of an explaining why you are turning yourself in, proceed to wake up and then clear a space telling us someone is coming. Then this boy materializes out of nowhere. I don't even know what to ask, or how to get you to explain."
"I can't."
"You mean you won't" breathed a younger to Luffy's eyes Shanks.
"No, I mean I can't. It is the same as what I found on Raftel and the explanation of the Void century. I cannot explain. I am physically incapable of it. It is a failsafe of Raftel." Explained Roger.
"Can you at least explain why he has the exact same hat as you or what his name is?" muttered Buggy.
At this Luffy perked up, he remembers whispers in the dark between then and now. Words that had been said but he had not understood at the time.
"Mirai." Luffy hesitated. "Mirai D. Luffy."
Roger's eyes widened, at the last name, but quickly changed so to not be observed when his full name was spoken. Roger could feel the voice of all things breathe a shudder of relief. It had worked. He could feel the voice poking and prodding him to get on with it. HIS time was short, they had to continue to Raftel and quickly before he turned himself in. He and his crew were an island chain away from revisiting before he turned himself in. Looking to Luffy, no Mirai, he thought, we must both have to go to the core. The voice poked him, excited he had figured it out on his own. It was shoving at him to move, get going, leave. At the same time Luffy could feel a singing in the air, almost a rejoiceful sound. Having no idea of what was going on he looked to Roger for an indication of what to do. Shifting clothes in the background drew Roger back from focusing on the voice and into reality.
"We need to keep moving, I have little time left to get back to Raftel." Stated Roger. "get moving men raise anchor and prepare to set sail. Mirai, are you ready to go?" Luffy began to get up off the ground only to lose his balance. Roger reached out and grabbed his arm as he went down, dragging Roger with him. Looking at his arm, Luffy mourned. "Sokka, it really is gone Roger."
All Roger could do was shake his head and whisper, "sorry, but we have no more control over it. Your younger self will find it and eat it."
Upon standing up Luffy noticed his body felt different. He could see eye to eye with Roger standing now, I must have grown, looking down he saw he still had his scars and could remember how he got them, so his memory was intact. He could remember who he was before the time twist. Searching himself he found he was in his captain's jacket and had boshi tied around his neck. His clothes were rather uncomfortable due to the muscle and height his body gained by losing his rubber power. All in all, he felt fit and healthy. "Roger, are you ready to do this? Do you remember?" Luffy spoke unsure if he really wanted the extra confirmation that everything had indeed happened, and this was not some kind of dream.
Walking to the Oro Jackson Roger stopped and looked at Luffy, "Monkey D. Luffy my successor." And proceeded to board the ship, leaving Luffy to his own thoughts was he followed onboard. The Oro Jackson was a large ship, it was bigger than Sunny Go from Luffy could see. It was different, but you could tell the influence Tom had on Franky's skills if you recognized what you saw. Rayleigh showed Luffy to a door, "Mirai this is where you will be staying."
Luffy entered the room and saw a bed and dresser, what he would do with a dresser when he had no clothes, he had no idea. He figured it was beyond him until he looked inside. It was filled with clothes, "Those are all donated from the other guys onboard, they can no longer wear them and seem to be about your size." Responded Rayleigh when he tilted his head in askance. "We don't know why you are here, but we trust our captain's judgement. If he says you should be here, then here you will be until you are no longer supposed to be here." Rayleigh left the room and closed the door behind him. Luffy could feel the ship begin to move and hear the men moving around the ship as they got underway. Luffy shucked off his cloths and paid on the bed hoping to sleep without the nightmares to plague him.
Morning seemed to arrive in the next second as a bellowing and bell announced food was on. Turning over Luffy realized he had slept through dinner and through the night without waking. Getting dressed and making his way on desk he searched for Roger. Upon finding him and exchanging greeting he followed him to the mess.
"We are nearing Raftel, Luffy, it should only be a couple of hours before we see it. You and I will disembark as we are the only ones who can touch the shoreline. We will spend the time needed there afterwards upon return to ship we will make our way back." Roger stated while shoveling food into his mouth. "Eat and get ready. It will be long days ahead of us."
Luffy ate as much as he could, realizing he could only finish two or three plates now that he no longer had to eat the extra food to compensate for energy. Passing through the ship as it cut a swath through the Grand Line, Luffy wondered what would happen now. Soon he would truly have no one who knew him left. Roger would be gone and only himself would know of the rewind. The hours passed quickly, soon the watchman was calling land sighted. Roger and Luffy made for the smaller row boats used for shore parties. Climbing in Luffy was nervous, this was the beginning of this new life, there was only the impossible changes in his future.
The row to the shore was short, but bittersweet to both men. They knew this was the last they would see of the island, Roger due to his coming death, and Luffy due to his future. Beaching the boat, they could see the crew watching, and waiting most likely for Luffy to be repelled by the barrier much like they were. You could vaguely make out bellows when Luffy pasted the barrier shoulder to shoulder with Roger. The walk to the core room was silent as both men were stiff and unsure of what exactly they would find or experience. Entering the room looked the same to Luffy as the one that was in his time, even the floating globe was there.
Upon both men fully entering, they were pressed to their knees by what felt like gravity. Grating through their minds were millions of voices, screams and dreams at the same time. It passed quickly before they were able to truly understand it, and a single ringing voice was heard with both their minds and the room itself.
"Greetings Pirate Kings, First and Second. You have come as we have directed. We are the Voice of all things." boomed through the room. "We have brought you both back through time to save both the second and the world. You see a globe in this room, it is the globe from your original time Luffy. It is meant to be yours. Roger's will appear here once again after his death as it should be. Touch the globe Monkey D. Luffy and embrace yourself as Mirai D. Luffy from here on." Reverberated in Luffy's mind. "We should warn you, this will not be pleasant. You will hear us fully from now on, not as muted whispers but as clear thoughts."
Luffy raised himself from his knees and walked to the floating ball. It emitted light and was warm when he touched it. Pain and noise assaulted Luffy, never in his life had he felt both so small and large at the same time. The world parted and laid itself bare before the Pirate King. Just when he thought he could take no more, the immense pain receded. Panting and falling where he stood, Luffy laid himself out on the floor. Roger moved to his side checking him for injury.
"Well done, Mirai D. Luffy. Roger passed out when he took the core." Humor lacing the Voice as it spoke. "Roger, behind you is a chest, pleas retrieve it. It contains Mirai's new fruit."
Roger grumbled, "I never got a fruit after that…" grabbing the chest as directed and returning to a prone Luffy.
"You Roger, had no need of one as you did not have one to begin with. Mirai's body would deteriorate without the new fruit to compensate for the one that was lost to him through time. This fruit is new to the world and has never existed before, it is already awakened Luffy, much Like Doffy' s was in Dressrosa. Thanks to the core, you will know how to use it, and I will guide you as needed. This Mirai, is the Yugamaseru no mi. Created just for you and the purpose you intend to achieve here for the world."
"Distort? What does it do?" breathed Luffy from the floor.
"As a devil fruit its power is to distort yourself, how you can think. As an awakened fruit, it allows you to distort reality in all its properties. Time, space, yourself others. It is based on perception. If you can perceive it, you can distort it."
"Cool! Gimme Gimme Roger, I need to eat it, now right?"
"Yes, Mirai you need to eat it. You will constantly radiate a small field around yourself which will distort people's perception of you. They can see you but cannot see the fine details that make you, you. Their minds will continuously fill in the blanks themselves. Each time they see you it will always be the same sight for them. There will be only 2 people who will truly see you always unless you consciously turn off the field. Those two will be yourself after you are born, and your soulmate."
"Soulmate? Like a life partner? I have one of those?" marveled Luffy.
"Yes, Mirai, you have a soulmate. You had a soulmate in the other timeline but due to circumstances you were unable to develop that partnership. You will find them as they are supposed to. You have a second soulmate which will be your future self's partner, they will meet and connect this time, without interference. This alone is truly your reward for doing this, the chance is there you just have to recognize it and take it. You will be able to tell your most important people in the future, with help that you will find along your journey. Now eat."
Luffy felt a shove to his hand and did as directed. It tasted surprisingly warm, but still just as nasty and choke inducing as his rubber fruit did all those years ago.
"Blah. Couldn't you make them taste better?"
"No, if it tasted better you would never realize what you ate and could get yourself killed by accidently eating another. Though the warm taste was the negation of the devil fruit curse. Water will not affect you Mirai. Though you need to have someone teach you to swim, anchor." Giggled the Voice.
"Do we need anything else here? Or can we go, there is only so much time. By the way Luffy, I can still see you. Get your finger out of your nose. I am going to break you of that habit, damn it!" Roger trailed off as the Voice answered.
"Roger, you have all the time in the world. You will train him here, he may know how to use his fruit by that does not mean he understands how to use it. There IS a difference you know. Train that nasty habit out of him to. Now that his brain isn't rubber maybe he can think clearer, and we can plan. This is a time pocket."
Training began in earnest the next minute. Luffy was pushed to the limit of his endurance by both Roger and the invisible force of the Voice. Many harsh lessons were pounded into his head, strategy, stealth, weapons and navigation. A plan was hatched to start Luffy on his journey from Water 7 with the commission the building of a war galleon by Tom. The voice provided the needed treasure for Adam wood to be used in its construction. At the end of his training, which felt like 50 years, but was only an hour to those outside of the barrier. Luffy was provided a new set of cloths that reflected both his new power and status. A red long sleeve button up with a black tie adorned his chest and hid his scars from view. Black slacks added to the look, while he refused to be parted from his sandals. A black captain's cloak with gold circle accents was settled along hi shoulders. His belt was adorned with a duel flintlock pistols. The double barrel flintlock pistols were capable of using sea stone bullets in one barrel and the other normal. All Luffy had to do was load rounds and state what he wanted, and it would shoot. These were the last of the gifts that the Voice created for Luffy.
The Voice then spoke of the unclaimed island in the calm belt near Amazon Lily that would be a perfect base for his operations, as long as he could use conquerors haki. It was currently uninhabited, but livable. From Water 7 it was Luffy's and the voices whims that would dictate his journey. He would not see Roger again until his execution in a year. Roger planned to disband the crew upon reaching Water 7, so they could make their own ways from there.
"Mirai, Roger, your time here is finished. All has been completed as needed. Be blessed by life on your journeys. I will see you soon Roger."
With that the Voice vanished from the room, a humming sound becoming a buzz in the back of their minds. The return trip to the ship was tiring for both men, minds full and bodies tired. The command to head to Water 7 left Rogers lips as questions were shouted at the duo as they board. Neither in the mood to answer, they went to their cabins and flopped into their respective beds, instantly asleep as they landed.
The trip to Water 7 was spent with both men avoiding questions with an ease that was normally not seen in either. The crew eventually quit asking, and just accepted they would not get answers.
Water 7 was sighted a couple months later, Luffy had become friends with both Shanks and Buggy, while respectful of Rayleigh. He would miss them, he was sure, but he would run into them again in the future. Luffy was getting used to being referred to as Mirai, but still thought of himself as Luffy. Approaching Water 7, Roger called the crew together on deck to deliver the news.
"Gentlemen, this is the final leg of our journey together. I am disbanding the Roger pirates. In a year I will be turning myself into the marines." This was met with denials, while Mirai, Rayleigh looked on in sadness, already knowing what else was coming. "I have a fatal disease, I will not make it much longer, as Crocus as told me. I want to go on my last adventure on my own. Live gentlemen, and do not look back in sadness, but in joy for all we have lived and accomplished as a crew will go down in history."
Roger turned back to his cabin, "Finish the final preparations for docking. Rayleigh, Mirai, with me please." Walking into the cabin, Roger sighed and leaned on his desk, "We have much to finish together Mirai before I can take my leave. When we dock, we will find Tom as planned, what you do after is your choice, but would you be willing to take on Buggy? I know he has no desire yet. Rayleigh would like to catch a ride when the ship is completed to Shabaody."
"That is acceptable Roger, I would not deny you, you know this." Spoke Luffy.