From the Stars
A little later than I had intended, but better late than never as the saying goes. I may eventually return to this one in a while to fine-tune it. In the meantime, I have been fiddling with an idea for a Halloween themed One Piece adventure, although I might start it long before the holiday even comes. Anyway, I do hope to see more reviews once this is done, I'm not being selfish or anything, I just knowing what people think about my story. *Laughs* It does seem that people love my "Luffy's greatest fear" story a lot, just wish this would get some more attention as well.
The Nightmare ends! A hero rises from the ashes!
A dead silence hung over the room, times seemed to crawl to a halt as all eyes fell on the man who had just collapsed to the floor, a pool of blood slowly spreading under his coat. Orpheum lied unmoving, his eyes closed in a calm repose. Luffy and the others stared in disbelief, shocked at the sacrifice their friend had made.
"Orpheum!" They cried out, fearing the worst. The sword he used to impale himself had once more returned to a rod like form, clutched in his unmoving hands. A snort of disgust then snapped their attention to the man hovering near the room.
"Pitiful. He killed himself to spare his friends. Such worthless dramatics. Pish! No matter, once I'm finished with all of you, I might still get what I want from that useless corpse." Yoxiv said, waving his hand dismissively as he shot a look of indifference at the fallen hero. Luffy scowled, his rage boiling over like a volcano as he heard the disrespectful words.
"You heartless bastard!" The raven haired youth growled, his head hung low as he trembled with fury, a foreboding shadow being cast over his eyes. Yoxiv looked at the pirate captain and scoffed. Snapping his fingers, a group of puppet marines charged at Luffy. Leaping into the air, Luffy twisted around, winding his mid-section.
"GUM GUM FIREWORKS!" A countless flurry of fists and kicks filled the room, striking everything in their path. Marines were sent flying into the walls, knocked back by the onslaught. Zoro and the others were freed, and deftly laid low as their captain continued his attack. But Yoxiv evaded the strikes, laughing mockingly as Luffy finished and landed in a huff.
"Is that the best you have? And to think the World Government is having such trouble apprehending you. Now, feast your eyes, on true power!" Then with a another snap of his fingers, fire erupted from out of nowhere and showered over Luffy's head.
"What the?! He can make fire?!" The Straw Hat wearing captain dodged the flames, sighing with relief that his hat wasn't scorched.
"I told you. I have learned how to harness my devil fruit powers. My abilities surpass that of even logia types!" Yoxiv said, creating a pillar of flame that surged across the floor like a charging beast. Luffy could feel the heat as it missed him, almost beginning to sweat from it. Launching himself into the air again, Luffy tried to swing at the Rear-Admiral. But just as he was in striking distance, Yoxiv vanished.
"Huh? Where'd he go?" Luffy landed on the ground, looking around. The others scanned the room, seeing nothing. Suddenly a cold chill ran down the teen's spine, that familiar glare of murderous intent. Turning, Luffy was met with a fist to the face. Then another, followed by several more in a matter of seconds. Stumbling in a daze, Luffy righted himself as the world spun.
"I couldn't even see his hands... such power." Zoro remarked, shaken by the ferocious display. Ussop and Chopper watched with dropped jaws. Nami could only groan with worry as she watched the fight. Luffy wiped some blood from his mouth and huffed, feeling his older wounds reopening, the bandages reddening. He had to stop this man and his plans, for Orpheum...
"Don't you see? It's useless! You can't possibly match the power of a god." Yoxiv boasted, his grin widening into a maddening look. Luffy ignored the comment, and spread his legs. Pushing down on his knees, a lump formed at his ankles then surged back his legs. Suddenly, a pink hue overtook his normal tanned appearance. Steam literally came off his body like a boiling pot of water, the sweat on his skin evaporating rapidly.
"Gear Second..." Luffy said in a low tone, huddling down as his body surged with power. "You think you're a god? I met someone like you a long time ago who thought he was a deity, and I can tell you; you're nothing but scum!" Yoxiv growled with indignation and launched a ball of flame at the still captain. Luffy looked up with an intense glare and then punched the air with his right fist. An invisible blast burst through the fireball and towards the Rear-Admiral, sending the man flying into a wall, sinking into the stone and cracking it.
"GUM GUM JET PISTOL!" Luffy said, lowering his arm. Dust billowed from the indentation where Yoxiv was stuck, the dull haired blonde pulling himself free.
"You dare mock me?! I will not lot some insolent fool make a fool of me!" Yoxiv flew into the air, his expression more deranged than ever. Curling into a ball, the Rear-Admiral spun around in place. A whirling sound like a turbine could be heard as Yoxiv span faster, then exploded with a burst of power. Machinery, tables, and bodies were flung back. Nami braced herself, flinging herself over Orpheum's body. Zoro and Franky both got struck by flying debris while Chopper and Ussop ran for cover. Sanji protected Robin from a table by kicking it in half, while Luffy braced himself against the outburst as all the fixtures in the room were pushed back to the walls.
"Get him, Luffy!" Nami cheered. Suddenly she heard a ragged cough and looked down. Orpheum fluttered open his eyes, looking around wearily.
"Nami?" Orpheum said weakly, his breathing was strained, as blood was still slowly trickling from the wound.
"O-Orpheum! You're alive!" Nami gasped, almost brought to tears with joy. She cradled his head in her lap, stroking his head as he tried to fully regain consciousness.
"Is Luffy fighting?.. I can't see too well." A curt nod from the orange haired navigator made the man smile.
"He's reckless, but so willing to fight for those he cares about..." Orpheum said as he heard the sounds of battle going on. Luffy was meanwhile trying to land a hit on the Marine Rear-Admiral, but kept missing thanks to the man's warping abilities.
"Yeah... He is something, isn't he?" Nami replied, smiling warmly as her captain broke punched holes in the walls as he missed Yoxiv again.
"You're quite found of him, aren't you?" Nami looked down with wide eyed surprise, making Orpheum grin.
"I had a feeling that was the case." He said, causing Nami to blush profusely. Stuttering, she then silenced him by cupping his mouth with her hands and telling him to 'shush'.
Meanwhile Yoxiv was becoming more and more infuriated by Luffy. His mind reading powers were useless against the pirate captain, whose erratic movements and strong will made it too difficult.
"DIE!" The Marine Rear-Admiral yelled, wrenching a heavy piece of machinery out of a pile with telekinesis and flinging it at Luffy. But the raven haired boy stood his ground and swung his fist.
"GUM GUM JET BULLET!" Like before, his fist didn't stretch. The machine dented and bent in half as it was sent back at Yoxiv. Narrowly teleporting out of the way, the Rear-Admiral watched as the wrecked piece of metal shot through the roof and into the sky beyond. Turning back, Yoxiv did a double take as he saw Luffy flying through the air towards him at high speed.
"What?!" He cried, realizing he didn't have time to warp out of the way. Luffy stretched out his arms and legs, wrapping them around Yoxiv. Spinning his body, Luffy began to twist his outstretched limbs until they were tightly coiled together then stopped, his body tensing. Both men soared through the air towards the machine in the center of the room.
"GUM GUM JET CORKSCREW!" Luffy released his hold on his wound up limbs, spinning rapidly until he and Yoxiv were a blur flying in mid-air. They crashed through the machine, shattering it into pieces, then continued on to a wall. Crashing into the stone hard, Yoxiv cried out in pain as Luffy's limbs fully untangled and retracted, slamming bodily into the Marine Rear-Admiral and sending him through the wall.
"AGGGGHH!" Yoxiv flew off into the distance, far past the island. Luffy fell to the floor amidst a cloud of dust and broken stone as his skin returned to normal.
"Luffy" A collective of voices called out. Zoro and Sanji were the first to reach their captain, who lied on his back with a satisfied grin. Helping him to this feet, they lead him to where Nami sat with a barely awake Orpheum.
"You're ok!" Luffy cheered, almost falling onto his face as his excitement caused him to wobble weakly. Orpheum smiled, then frowned.
"You've done so much for me, yet we've barely known each other for a few days. And even after learning of my dark past, you still fought to help me." Orpheum stated, more matter of factly than with question.
"Like I said, we're friends. You were forced to do those things. But now you're free, to choose your own dream." Luffy said, prompting the others to nod agreeingly. The brown haired man smiled, his heart warmed by the generosity he felt from the pirates. A buzzing crackle broke the heartwarming scene. All eyes turned to the broken machine, which shot sparks as it malfunctioned.
"That doesn't look good." Nami said with an exasperated groan, noting that Luffy had a tendency to make things worse in the end.. Ussop and Franky carried Orpheum, while Zoro and Sanji hauled Luffy. The floor began to tremble under their feet as the machine began to overload. Running for all their worth, they raced down the halls and down the stairs. Just as they reached the landing of the lower floor, a tremor rocked the floor and a roaring explosion sounded. Suddenly the ceiling creaked and cracked.
"Run!" Ussop said, or more like suggested, having already taken off down the hall. Franky snatched up the still unconscious Tragen, noting to the others that it would be wrong to leave him where he was. Marines were evacuating the base as well, carrying off any and all injured, from a window the Straw Hats could see someone dragging Bongo from the yard. As they reached the ground floor, they found Ussop stopped dead in his tracks.
"What is it, Ussop?" Brook asked the long nosed sniper, who was white as a ghost. Near the doors, were the Desperado Trio. Dead-Eye had a large red mark on his head, while Lobo and Blade had bandages on their respective wounds. Luffy looked up, having dozed off slightly during the escape. Locking eyes with the three hunters, no one moved a muscle. Then Dead-Eye moved to the side, his brothers doing the same as well. The gang furrowed their brows, not understanding.
"Go on. We got no business with yous anymore, now that you beat our contractor. Besides you all beat us fairly. Catch ya some other time!" The gunslinger said, then left through the door along with Blade and Lobo. Zoro and Sanji grinned, while Ussop wore a smug look, proud to have been acknowledged as an equal foe. Outside, the gang tossed Tragen to a bunch of Marines who were sprawled on the ground and contemplating their job opportunities.
1 week later
The Thousand Sunny floated leisurely across the ocean while jubilation filled the deck. Even though everyone had finished healing four days ago, the celebrations had yet to cease. Orpheum and Brook performed duets, Ussop spun tales on how 'he singlehandedly faced 600 Marines' at the base. Sanji prepared food on an on deck barbeque set up by Franky and Chopper. Robin and Nami lounged on chairs and laughed at the antics of the boys. At night, things finally winded down.
"So there I was, face to face with Dead-Eye. He had about fifty weapons pointed at me, each one able to destroy an entire mountain with a single shot. We counted to three, then BAM! I got him with my superior marksmanship without a single scratch." The curly haired liar said as the crew sat around a small bonfire. Luffy and Chopper were both slack-jawed with awe, always captivated by the exaggerations of their friend.
"No scratches, eh? Then what's this?" Zoro with a mocking sneer, poking Ussop in the shoulder where he had been shot. The sniper howled with pain and blew a raspberry at the swordsman, much to the laughter of the others. Orpheum sighed heavily, staring off into the night sky.
"What's wrong?" An all too familiar scratchy voice asked. Looking down, Luffy and the others had stopped what they were doing to look at their friend.
"It's nothing. Just that, I never expected this." Orpheum started, half smiling and looking back up to the stars again.
"Expected what?"
"That I would find friends like you guys. People who accept me despite the things I had done."
"But you didn't have a choice, you were being used like a puppet." Nami interjected, none of them could bare to see Orpheum still beating himself up over his past.
"That may be. But it was still my hands that spilt innocent blood. And that is why I have made my decision." Orpheum said as he stood up, his eyes filling with a determined look. The others all looked at one another before turning back to Orpheum, who closed his eyes calmly.
"What decision is that? You're not gonna leave us, are you?" Chopper asked, tears welling up in the small doctor's eyes as he feared the worst.
"Luffy. You once asked what kind of 'dream' I had. At first I didn't know how to answer such a question. That is to say, I didn't know what I wanted. I was confused, alone, and without reason for being except to wallow in my guilt. But you guys proved to me that I had a reason to keep on living, to not let my past be a burden on my heart." Orpheum began, then turned away, a heavy feeling swelling in his heart. He continued, "After much thinking, I finally realized what it is that I want, the thing I aspire for; my goal..." No one moved or said anything, but they could sense what was coming, and each began to smile more and more with each passing second.
"My dream... is to become a hero, so that I may right the wrongs I have done by saving lives. So I will join you, and become a pirate to achieve this goal." Orpheum said, turning around with a wide smile, something that surprised the crew for a moment. It was a genuine smile, not feigned or hiding a mask of sadness. A moment passed, then an eruption of cheers rang out from Luffy and the others.
"Yea! We've got a new crewmate!" Luffy shouted, standing up and waving around excitedly. Zoro laughed then muttered a toast before chugging down on a bottle of beer he was holding.
"That's so super! I think... think I'm going to cry!" Franky said as he pumping his arms as tears of joy streamed down his voice. Robin closed her eyes in a warm grin, chuckling as her friends displayed their excitement. Chopper latched onto Orpheum in a hug, crying more than the cyborg shipwright.
"This calls for a celebration. Sanji! Bring out your best stuff!" Ussop declared, waving a cup around and pointing to it. A foot kicked the sniper instead, the blonde chef not in the least bit amused by the 'order'.
"Say please next time, shit head or I'll break that nose of yours." Sanji said, holding up a bottle of champagne. Nami laughed and held up a glass.
"Oh, Sanji. Would you mind?" Nami asked in a sing-song, waving her cup around.
"Of course not, my dear sweet Nami! Anything for you!" The love cook said as he gleefully poured some of the champagne for Nami. Ussop shot a dirty look, but decided not to say anything. Brook broke out his violin and began to play a jaunty tune, laughing and dancing around as he played. Luffy joined in, becoming so absorbed by the fun filled atmosphere that he ignored Nami's protests when he grabbed her by the hands and forced her to join with him. The orange haired girl blushed as her captain spun her around in an impromptu dance, while Sanji cursed loudly at the rubber man.
"I can see that things are going to be very interesting aboard this ship." Orpheum said, chuckling as Nami gave up trying to make Luffy let her go. Sanji moaned and hung his head in disappointment.
"Don't be too surprised. This is probably one of our less crazy parties." Zoro commented.
Orpheum could only grin, his adventures with the Straw Hats had only just begun.
THE END.