"We have had the time of our lives
Now the page is turned
The stories we will write
We have had the time of our lives
And I will not forget
The faces left behind
It's hard to walk away
From the best of days
But if it has to end
I'm glad you have been my friend
In the time of our lives
I'm glad you have been my friend
In the time of our lives"
~ Time of our Lives by Tyrone Wells
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Tragedy/Friendship/Family
Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy stared down at the group of people who had come to witness his execution. There were people he recognized (Nami, Sanji, Brook, Franky, Robin, Usopp, Chopper, friends he had made during his travels, and so many from his home village) and so many others he didn't. His eyes scanned the crowd. Looking for the familiar head of green hair, as his own black hair swayed in the wind, free from his beloved straw hat, the one he had entrusted to his first mate to return it to it's former owner. There! His eyes lit up when he saw his swordsman, who had achieved his dream of being the best after defeating Hawkeye, standing at the edge of the crowd, a worn straw hat clutched to his chest like a lifeline. Their eyes met, and Luffy was surprised to see tears gathered at the edge of Zoro's single eye, a soft smile spread across the Pirate King's face, an apology, a thank you, as he remembered the last conversation the two had had, after the captain has given his life to the marines with the promise his crew would live...
"What the hell were you doing?!" Luffy was driven to the ground by a punch to his jaw, delivered by none other than his green-haired first mate. Luffy stared at the older man who glared down at him.
"Zoro-"
"How could you?! After all we've been through! You just throw you life away now! You just became the Pirate King for fucks sake!"
"I know. I know what I'm doing Zoro." Luffy grinned, "We've had the time of our lives, huh? You and me." He stood dusting off his shorts, still grinning "I'm glad that we're friends"
"Then why? Why give it all up?!"
"Because, it's time for a new chapter to start. It's hard to walk away from you, from the crew. But it's ending, and I'm glad that I was able to have the time of my life with you, Nami, Sanji, Robin, Franky, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, everyone else." Zoro looked shocked, "Remember what you told me? That everyone dies eventually? Well, it's my turn." Luffy smiled and reached to his head, removing his battered straw hat that held so many memories, both happy and sad, before placing it on Zoro's head, "Give this back to Shanks, would you? And tell him, 'Thank you' for me." Luffy looked towards the cabins, where the rest of his crew still slept, unaware of what was happening, "Tell the others too." Without another word, Luffy spun on his heel and marched towards a smaller boat.
"Luffy!" Zoro's voice was oddly choked, as he reaches for his captain, who had already boarded the small wooden boat. The captain glanced over his shoulder,
"I"m glad you've been my friend, Zoro." Said man raced forward, obvious in his attempt to stop his captain, who just smiled and sent the boat plummeting to the water with a sharp tug on the rope.
Luffy's grin widened and he raised his voice to speak to the gathered crowd, "Being a pirate was the time of my life. My crew is my family. And it's time for the Second Great Pirate Age to start." He tore his gaze from his first mate and best friend to study the crowd of onlooker, "I hid all my treasure in one place, you want it? It's yours if you can find it." His eyes traveled back to his swordsman as the executioner placed his blade over the back of the Pirate King's neck, preparing to hack it from his shoulders. He mouthed the words, 'Thank you.', closed his eyes, widened his smile...
And the life of Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy came to an end, the smile still on his face.
