Will of D babeh!
I have so many conspiracy theories for this it's not funny anymore.
Prompt: Tradition(s)
Characters: 'D' clan.
It happened around midsummer when the nights were dusky and stretched on before you in a dull glow.
A bonfire, a feast and your nakama were all required.
Late in the evening they would light the fires and dance until dawn, twirling amidst smoke, songs and fireflies.
It was something that happened every year in the world regardless of place, weather or conditions.
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When Garp was still a young man he celebrated with his wife and son.
The entire village joined in and it eventually became an enormous celebration.
Originally, he sang and danced on his own.
In the following years, it was with her.
Later again, he swung his infant son in his arms and cavorted around the bonfire before his wife stole Dragon for a dance herself.
The bemused villagers didn't understand but followed him round the flames.
They brought food, drink and fuel for the bonfire.
Songs of various descriptions echoed around the clearing and it lasted until every last attendee had collapsed in exhaustion.
Garp would sit with her as she rocked Dragon on her shoulder and they would whisper together planning for next year.
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Rouge arranged it in her hometown.
She spent the month in advance planning it out; the food, the drink and the music (a most necessary component.)
When a rookie pirate crew with their young (and deeply eccentric) Captain showed up midmorning of the day she directly informed him that if they weren't going to help they could damn well take a hike because no-one was going to ruin this for her.
The Captain had grinned wide enough to split his scruffy beard and bounced up the beach demanding to be allowed to light the bonfire.
The pirates were welcomed because behaved themselves much the same as the locals which meant they helped haul wood and prepare food before getting outrageously drunk and partying like madmen.
It was Rouge who lit the bonfire but she did agree to dance with him.
The following day thanked her for letting them partake and confessed that they had stopped on this island in order to celebrate the same event even if he had no idea there was another who honoured the same celebration in this Part of South Blue.
He asked for her full name and gave her his.
The next time they came to Baterilla, he lit the bonfire even if he had to sacrifice a dance with Rouge to his first mate for the privilege.
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Teach was unique in that he was the only one ever who did not celebrate it.
He openly scorned it and to that end, in one of the many confrontations the crews had, Roger made a point of breaking his jaw.
It healed well due to the excellent attentions of the doctor but Roger had made his point.
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Saul loved to see people laughing and enjoying themselves so more than anyone else he looked forward to the party every single year.
No matter where in the Grand Line he was he managed to make arrangements and celebrated it with his subordinates, his friends and anyone who happened to be in the general vicinity at the time.
Kuzan managed to attend the celebration once and had enjoyed it in his own way.
The following year at about the same time he took a bottle of his preferred alcohol and set it sailing on a small raft with a small open torch burning away as a final tribute to his friend.
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Dragon hasn't really celebrated it properly since Luffy was born.
The last time he did was when she was still there.
Still, at that time he pauses long enough to sit around the fire and share a drink with his commanders.
Ivankov is disappointed that he doesn't celebrate the way he did in his younger years and is determined to see it done once more.
Ivankov does eventually celebrate once more but with the son rather than the father.
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Ace only celebrated half heartedly in his younger years.
Dadan would throw him over his shoulder and carry him to the bonfire up by the cliff before helping him light it.
Ace doesn't understand but Dadan would not move on this subject.
(Any time that Garp is there it does tend to get more raucous.)
The year he meets Luffy he finally throws himself into the celebrations with gusto. (Luffy gets angry with Ace when he feels that his new big brother is failing to show proper enthusiasm.)
He celebrates with the Spades to whom he fails to explain but they enjoy the party anyway.
That time of year rolls around when he is Second Commander and he bounces up to Whitebeard demanding to celebrate.
The grizzled Yonkou laughs and says how he was wondering if Ace was going to celebrate 'that'.
Some of the older crewmates had clearly heard of it and gleefully throw themselves into preparations and this year when Ace lights the bonfire, it flares skyward and scatters glowing sparks through the air.
The next year, he lets Marco light it who agreed to pass it onto Thatch for the year after…
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Luffy loves parties so he has never questioned it.
When he was young, the villagers would prepare everything and Luffy would light the bonfire under strict supervision of a particularly grumpy Woop Slap.
The biggest party he experienced for 'it' was when Shanks was there.
The redhead had whooped gleefully once he had realised what they were preparing for. He promptly scooped up both Luffy and Makino and tore off to 'help' with the bonfire.
Shanks quickly usurped control of the arrangements but no minded as the man can clearly throw one hell of a party.
Sanji learned about it from Zeff even if he never celebrated himself so he easily helps Luffy when his Captain very seriously declared that they had to have a bonfire party.
The Strawhats enjoy the party, as much as any other but Usopp eventually asked why Luffy was so insistent about this particular party.
This was far from the last time they celebrated and they held the party with many others across the years.
One year it was with the Okama army and Ivankov (who clearly had done it before.)
Another it was with the red-haired pirates where Shanks once again unrepentedly usurped the role of party planner.
The Whitebeard pirates, Vivi and the others, Kuja pirates, Shakky and Rayleigh, the other Supernovas along with all of the friends they have met and will meet again.
Luffy simply grins and adjusts his hat.
"Family tradition."