A/N: Hope you all enjoy. It was a blast to write and re-read.
Edit (3/1/2021): Did some grammer check, redid a few paragraphs, and made some needed adjustments to the tone of the chapter and certain conversational directions.
As a side note, the first chapter (and even some of the second chapter) aren't quite in line with the pacing and tone of the rest of the story. So I would recommend you read through Chapter 3 to get a feel for if you like it or not.
Compounded Rubber
Summary: Bad things happened on the first try, so he got a second. What wonderful benevolence, right? Only one problem: half the people he knows have been...changed. This... is gonna take some getting used to. On the bright side, they're all alive! Let's see how long we can keep it that way.
Chapter 1.
Luffy...Times Two?
He appeared with a boom and crack, piercing the fabric of the world with an unnatural, otherworldly force. Like a speeding bullet he rocketed towards the surface, his clothes - already torn and beaten from battle - shredded further.
He had but a second to equip his armament to protect his functional rags, before he impacted with an even louder boom. Dust and debris kicked up, pushed in all directions by the shockwave.
In the middle of it, Luffy stood and immediately sensed out into his surroundings. He knew where he was supposed to be... but was he? What, or rather who he felt nearly had him choking on tears and cackling with glee in the same instance.
Its was him. That woman hadn't lied to him! He was back and that meant all of the others were too! He could do it all again, see all of them again! And this time...this time would be different. He would make sure of that.
But wait… he felt different, somehow. The aura of his first mate was one that he had memorized; he knew it like that back of his hand and could pick it out of a crowd in an instant. This aura though…
It was Zoro, and yet it wasn't.
The hell?
And then there was the other two.
One was definitely Coby, but much weaker - just like Zoro. The other though…
Why was he sensing himself...only, different?
What the hell was going on?
Ah, well, he was pretty sure he knew where and when he was. That was good. This was where he wanted to be, even if he didn't remember everything about what had occurred
The important parts were there, which is all that mattered.
Back to the situation at hand, everyone near the epicenter of his landing jolted and yelled in shock at the sudden impact. Panic ran through most everyone there and coughing ensued as the dust invaded their lungs. The newcomer took the time to take stoke of everyone else that was present.
Zoro was behind him to the left.
Coby was standing right next to him.
He(?) was in front of both of them and closet to his current location.
On the other side, a group of eighteen were all gathered closely together. One presence in particular stood out among them as being stronger than normal.
Oh yes, he definitely remembered this little confrontation. He grinned.
Finally, the dust settled and he was proven correct when the pathetic excuse for a human - Captain "Axe-hand" Morgan - came into view, accompanied by over a dozen panicked marines.
He grinned at the shell-shocked expression on everyone's faces.
"Identify yourself scum!" Morgan yelled. "I'll have your head for such a disturbance!"
Luffy's grin widened, even as his hair shadowed his eyes. "Me? The name's Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become King of the Pirates, and I'm here to kick your ass!"
A startled squawk of indignation came from behind him but he ignored it. A sudden pulse of Conqueror's sent all but Morgan to the ground and the big man himself looked ready to collapse. Damn, he had forgotten how weak his home sea was. If that little push was all it took to bring this guy so low he would need to be careful he didn't accidentally kill someone.
"W-what did you do to my men!?" the marine captain demanded, unable to keep a stutter from his voice. His Will was having quite the effect, it seemed.
"I put them to sleep so they couldn't get in the way." Luffy replied simply. He took a step forward and Morgan tensed.
It was a tribute to the marine's weak will that he immediately entered a flight or fight response at Luffy's next step. With the roar of a cornered beast, he raised his axe-hand and charged Luffy.
Calls of shock and warning sounded from behind Luffy, but again he ignored them. The blade inched closer, swinging at a rapid pace for the weakest of the seas. He stood still, waiting.
"Die!" *Sching!*
…
*Crack.*
"W-what?" Morgan gulped. "H-how… what the hell are you?" He stuttered. His eyes were wide, terrified as he watched his precious metal axe fall to pieces after slamming into the neck of the monster standing before him.
Luffy grinned; the ominous look sent shivers up Morgan's spine. "Weren't you listening? I'm the next King of the Pirates. And you? You're nothing."
"Wh-"
Morgan's words were cut off as the strongest blow he'd ever felt plowed into his stomach at speeds he couldn't process. Blood, vomit, and spittle flew from his half-iron mouth as his body folded over the arm of a man half his size. Then, with a slight push, he was sent careening away - through the barracks building, then another, then the base wall, and into the town proper.
"Wha-what the hell? What kind of monster is he?" Luffy heard a feminine voice behind him ask. He furrowed his brow in confusion. He was positive that the only people left conscious at the moment were him, the other him, Zoro, and Coby.
And he knew for a fact that none of them were female.
So who the hell had just said that?
He turned from the wreckage that Captain Morgan had caused in his impression of a human torpedo to look at his crewmate and friend for the first time in nearly two years. The moment he caught sight of not just him and Coby, but also himself however, he felt his mind shut down.
If one were to look carefully, they would notice all of the things that made Zoro, well, Zoro. The moss-green hair, the haramaki around his waist, the beige shirt and black pants, and the infamous green bandana tied around his head. There was no mistaking him really.
Except for one, single, very important detail.
He was a she. Roronoa Zoro, the most feared swordsman of his day, wet dream of women everywhere, and the goal of all young swordsmen, was a girl.
Luffy, inside his mind, felt the very pressing urge to scream in confusion. What the hell was going on!? Sure, it explained why his aura was different; becoming a girl would do that to a person...wait.
He was jolted from his daze as that thought brought up another detail he had noticed earlier, and in fact still noticed. His own presence was different, much in the same way Zoro's was…
Slowly, ever so slowly, his eyes moved from the awe and slightly nervous visage of a female (man that's going to take a while to get used to) Zoro to the simultaneously awed and suspicious visage of his female self.
Damn it.
This was not happening.
Except it was, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Breathe. Breathe. Just breathe and think.
Okay, so this version of himself was a girl. That was...fine, yeah, fine. He supposed it would be weird in a whole different way if there were two versions of him that were identical.
Didn't mean it didn't freak him out, though. Damn, why did this new world already have to be so weird?
'Keep in mind, that two of you will not be able to exist at the same time.'
Ah… he had forgotten those words. Stupid of him, really.
It still didn't explain the female Zoro thing though.
He noticed the three focused stares directed at him and realized he had been silent for some time. He smiled and waved. "Yo!"
His greeting seemed to be the hit that burst the dam on his female self's control and she immediately went to town. "That. was. Awesome! You're so strong! And COOL! And you look just like me! Why do you look just like me!? Are you an imposter? You are aren't you! But, your a boy, and I'm a girl and those are different… you're a terrible imposter. But that's okay, because you're still so COOL!"
Luffy, female Zoro, and Coby all blinked at the...word vomit that came out of his female counterparts mouth. Damn, that was something.
"Maybe she's more like me than I expected." Luffy thought. He wasn't always the most aware person, but he could recall easily enough how he had been in the early days of his journey, before he had taken on the Yonko and everything had gone to shit.
Still, she seemed a bit more...excitable, than he remembered himself being.
"Damn you're a weirdo." Female Zoro said to a still conflicted female Luffy (he really needed to learn their names). "Also, who the hell are you? Her brother, or something?"
Luffy blinked, then it clicked. They did look identical, didn't they. Hard not to, being the same person and all. Unfortunately, he had no idea what to say in response. He hadn't exactly prepared for this! "Ah, yeah that."
Damn it! Curse his mouth, acting before his brain. That was his stomach's job!
"Eh?" That was his female self. Her eyes had gone wide and her face was the same one he made whenever someone gave him a world ending revelation. "You're my BROTHER?!"
Well, he'd dug this hole, might as well sit in it. "Sure am!" Normal (unsworn) siblings shared the same blood or whatever right? Well, it's hard to share more of the same blood than with another version of yourself.
He grinned at the girl wearing a very familiar red vest and jean shorts. "What, you mean gramps never told you?"
"No! Why the hell didn't he ever tell me about having a brother? That stupid old man! Next time I see him I'm gonna punch his lights out!" She raged.
Yep, definitely a female version of himself. Hmm, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all; at the very least, she would be easy to get along with and understand.
"I'll take that as a no." He said. "Typical gramps, forgetting about something like this. Well, it doesn't matter, since I'm here now!"
His female self grumbled, but nodded her acceptance. "I guess." A second later she grinned wide and jumped at him. Her limbs stretched and wrapped around him in the way he had done to others so many times. "I have another brother! Hey…" She paused and looked at him, frowning.
"What?"
"...I don't know you're name."
"You're too excitable!" Female Zoro yelled from the background. "And he already said it was 'Monkey D. Luffy', you stupid girl!"
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, causing his counterpart to widen her eyes.
"Hey! You have the same laugh as me!" She exclaimed.
The duo paused, looking each other in the eyes. "Shishishishi!"
"Oh god, there's two of them." Female Zoro bemoaned.
"Ah, excuse me, Luffy-san." Ah, there was Coby.
The man in question, along with the two women present, looked at the wannabe-marine. The young boy seemed unsettled with so much attention focused on him.
"Huh?"
"Pardon my ignorance, but, even if you're Laya-san's brother, why do you two look so similar? I mean besides looking like twins; you both have similar clothing and the same hat, and even the same scar on your face!"
So her name was Laya, huh? Luffy looked at Coby, his face straight as he said, "Coincidence."
"There's no way that's true!" The boy and female Zoro raged.
Luffy just shrugged, but noticed that his female self did indeed have the same scar, in the same place, as himself. It seemed like they at least had a similar childhood, if not the same one. She did end up at this island, in the exact same confrontation as himself, after all.
"So uh, what brings you here, Luffy-san?" Coby asked from the back. "You probably here for Laya-san, right? Since she's your sister and all."
The man grinned and nodded happily. "Sure am! I'm setting out on my adventure proper and decided I wanted to come back home to gather up a crew. Only the best for the Pirate King, ya know?"
The boy nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, Laya was gawking at Luffy.
"Wait… you said you were gonna become King of the Pirates earlier too, didn't you! Ah! That means another of my brothers is a rival! I don't know if that should make me happy or angry..."
Luffy didn't know how he felt about being rivals with, well, himself. Actually, scratch that, he did - it was not a favorable idea. As interesting as being rivals with himself would be, he knew three things for a fact: number one, if one of them became the King then the other would be denied the position and he loathed the idea that either version of him would be denied their lifelong desire; number two, if they were rivals they wouldn't be able to sail on the same ship which meant that one of them would be kept from travelling with the crew, and just like with reason number one he was loathe to keep that from either of them; number three, should he enter a competition with his younger self at the moment he would dominate so entirely that it would be pathetic - he knew everything she was capable of and would be capable of for the next five years and had that much of a head start in strength and experience, there would be no contest.
So, with those things in mind, Luffy settled on a path that he would have never even imagined, let alone considered on his first go around. He looked at his other self, who was still deep in thought about how to feel concerning this new revelation. "Hey Laya, why don't we join forces instead? I don't really want to compete with my little sister for the title of freest pirate, so why don't we become the two freest pirates together? You can be the Queen and I'll be the King."
Even as he spoke the words, a part of him rebelled but he squashed that with an iron will. This was the best way; besides, they were both technically him anyway so it wasn't like he was sharing the title with someone else.
The King and Queen idea was a stroke of genius though. Damn, his other self being female was turning out to be a better situation than he could have imagined. Who knew?
Laya once again was turning the idea over in her head. Her face was scrunched up and her hand was scratching at her mane of pitch black hair.
It was kinda funny looking, actually.
Wait...didn't that mean he looked like this when he was thinking too hard?
Huh.
"I don't know..." Laya said finally. "How can we both be the freest if there's two of us?"
"That's what you're worried about?!" Female Zoro and Coby shouted from the sidelines.
They ignored them.
Luffy nodded his understanding, having been over this particular issue in his own mind already. Thinking about it, it was easy. "Simple, I'm going to be the King, which means I'll be the freest man in the world. You'll be the Queen, which means you'll be the freest woman in the world. Then, we'll be equally free!"
It was foolproof.
"Uh, are you sure it works that way, Luffy-san?"
"Don't question idiocy kid, it never works."
"I guess…"
His words seemed to have an effect on Laya, as that spark of inspiration appeared in her eyes. A minute passed before finally she smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "You know, you're pretty smart Luffy! I think I'll like having you as a brother. You got a deal!"
And just like that, a huge weight was lifted off of Luffy's shoulders. He laughed joyously, followed shortly by his counterpart, and the two celebrated their newfound partnership.
"Wait," Coby said, interrupting the moment. "I don't understand. If you two are working together now that means you're on the same crew, but then who's the captain?"
Damn it Coby.
"I'm the captain!" Laya immediately - and vehemently - declared.
Oh no, he may compromise on a lot, but that was one thing he wouldn't back down on. Nobody, even himself, took his captain title away from him; he was nobody's second.
"No, I'm the captain!" He declared back, just as strongly.
Off to the side, Coby was looking quite worried at the scene unfolding before him. "Oh no. I started something, didn't I? This doesn't look good. Hey, Tomoe-san, should we stop this?"
"Don't bother kid." The moss-headed woman replied. "It's never a smart move to get in between two quarreling idiots."
The boy nodded but continued to look on anxiously.
"I'M THE CAPTAIN!"
"NO, I'M THE CAPTAIN!"
*SMACK!*
"GRAAAR!"/"RAAARGH!"
Coby watched terrified as the two monsters in human - rubbery - flesh slammed their heads against the other and roared. "Hey, Tomoe, can't you do please something about this?" He begged.
"Not a chance." Tomoe shot down callously. "Besides, what do you expect me to do tied up like this, talk them down?" She turned to glare at the kid who only served to make the situation more troublesome. This proved to be her downfall.
Cue pitiful pouting face. "Please? Who knows what they'll do in their fight, Tomoe-san! You've seen how strong they are; imagine that going towards the town!"
Tomoe gritted her teeth. Damn puny runts and their pathetic faces and astute logic. "Fine." She muttered darkly. The swordswoman turned a dark eye on the young boy who coward away. "But you owe me for this one, runt."
Even as the wannabe marine nodded vigorously, she turned her focus to the still quarreling siblings. The girl was, for some reason, still attached to her brother who didn't seem bothered by the fact at all. Currently, they were pulling at each other's hair and faces like two children, all while shouting various phrases that dealt with which one would be the captain.
"For heaven's sake." She muttered to herself. "HEY! DUMB AND DUMBER!" The rapid response she got nearly made her laugh, but she held it in.
Luffy and Laya paused in their squabble to turn dark eyes towards the person who dare to interrupt them; murderous gleams in their eyes. To the side, Coby squawked and shuffled a dozen paces back.
"What?" They spoke in unison.
Tomoe felt a shiver run up her spine but valiantly ignored it. She was a swordswoman, damnit! This was nothing! "How about instead of arguing over who gets to be captain, you both be captain. You're already going to both be the freest person on the ocean; well, that has to start somewhere doesn't it?"
Luffy considered the words of his soon to be first mate carefully. They did have some merit to them, after all. He could remember as a child, how he, Ace, and Sabo talked about being co-captains in their own crew, but the idea had died with Sabo.
Now though, it seemed it was being brought back in what had to be the strangest way possible - with himself.
He glanced at his counterpart to see she was also considering the suggestion, possibly even thinking about the same childhood idea he had.
Luffy sighed internally. He supposed, that if she was willing, then he wouldn't mind being co-captain with her. She was him, after all. Didn't that mean it would just be like having the same person as captain twice over?
Man, this day was one strange thought after another.
"I don't mind." he said. "As long as Laya doesn't."
When the girl looked at him surprised, he shrugged. "I always wanted to be on the same crew as my siblings; I'm not going to pass that up because of a stupid reason like this. I care too much about you."
It was true, just not always in this particular case.
"You really mean that?" Laya asked, her eyes big and wonderous.
"Of course." Luffy answered seriously. He always meant what he said, this was no different.
Suddenly, massive streams of tears gushed from the eyes of his female self. Her grip on him tightened ten fold and her normally fairy-like voice took on a wailing quality. "WAAAH! YOU'RE SUCH AN AWESOME BIG BROTHER!"
"Shishishishi! Does this mean you accept?"
Laya immediately sobered up, only letting out the occasional dramatic sniffle. "Of course, I do! How could I not want to sail with my big brother?"
"Yep, dumbasses, the both of them."
Coby looked over to the tied up swordswoman. "Um, pardon me, Tomoe-san, but aren't they also your captains now?"
Tomoe scowled. "The hell are you talking about, kid?"
In reply, Coby just held up the three swords that were apart of her original agreement to join the strawhat girl, prior to the arrival of said girl's older brother.
Tomoe could only think of one thing to say to that. "Fuck me."
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Shishishishi! Welcome to the crew Z-Tomoe!" Luffy exclaimed, nearly slipping up. Damn if that wasn't going to take a long time to get used to.
The swordswoman grumbled as she walked alongside her two new captains through the marine base and back to town. All around them, marines were running about doing damage control on both the buildings and the hierarchy situation that came about as a result of Captain Morgan's incompetence and subsequent defeat.
"So, what are you planning to do now that you're an official crew?" Coby asked.
Laya shrugged. "Head to the Grand Line and hope that we find our next crewmate along the way, of course."
Luffy nodded his head in agreement, liking the way his "sister" thought. Sure, he had a few specific destinations in mind, but he didn't exactly know how to get to any of the places and he certainly wouldn't mind exploring a few new islands along the way.
"Speaking of crewmates, how many others are there and where are they?" Tomoe asked.
"Oh, you're the first." Luffy said happily, knowing exactly how the first mate would react. "Congratulations, Z-Tomoe! You're our first mate!"
The swordswoman blanched. "You mean you just formed?! Wait! That means there are more captains then crewmates - what the hell?!"
"Shishishishi!" The captain duo laughed together.
"At least tell me we have a decent ship." She practically begged.
Laya answered this time, nodding happily. "Sure do! She's right over there."
It was a stroke of convenience that they happened to be walking over the small hill that allowed them to see the docks clearly. Laya was able to point out the little dingy that Luffy remembered using the first time around.
Luffy couldn't help but be amused that this particular detail was also the same as his own experience, though a certain moss-head didn't feel the same.
"That's a dingy you moron! There's nothing decent about it!" She yelled, before her mood suddenly turned dark. "You have got to be kidding me. I've sworn myself to a couple of idiots that are going to die before they even get to the next island, let alone the Grand Line."
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Don't worry Tomoe, we'll make it to the Grand Line no problem."
"Says the moron." She snarked.
"Hey, Luffy-san. What about your boat? You had to have used one to get here, right; why not use that one instead of Laya-san's?" Coby asked.
Luffy blinked, then cursed inwardly. He hadn't thought he'd need to deal with this. How do you explain that you landed on an island because a mystery worm-hole spit you out over top of it? Thinking fast, Luffy gave the first thing that came to mind which seemed even remotely possible for this portion of the world.
"Ah, well, you see, I was sailing along, and then...I was fighting a seaking. Yeah! I was fighting a seaking the size of this island. Unfortunately, it called one of its buddies and they teamed up against me. Next thing I know I'm flying towards the island and landing in the middle of a marine base with you all in it."
Hah! He'd like to see Ace's face now. The stupid jerk had always said he sucked at lying, well he was proving him wrong right now-
"What kind of idiot would believe-"
"WOW! You fought two seakings the size of an island, at once!? That's so cool!"
Tomoe sighed. "Forget I said anything."
"You really should work on your lying face, Luffy-san. Your pursed lips and shady eyes are a dead give away." Coby dutifully informed him.
Luffy blanched. Okay, so maybe he was still terrible at it.
"EH!? You mean he was lying?" Laya sent him a hurt look and Luffy looked away, whistling innocently.
"So, how did you actually get to the island. Since you immediately tried to lie, I'm assuming something had to have happened." Tomoe asked while Coby awkwardly comforted a sulking Laya about "stupid, lying older brothers".
"Would you believe I flew here?" Not entirely accurate in context, but they didn't need to know that.
"Bullshit."
Whelp, it was worth a shot.
"But Tomoe-san, his face is completely normal; that means he isn't lying."
Way to go, Coby!
"Still though, flying? That isn't possible."
Ohoh, if only you knew, Zoro… Tomoe, argh, this was annoying!
"Actually, it is possible." Luffy informed them, gaining three shocked and disbelieving expressions. Even Laya seemed to not believe him entirely; though it was obvious that she really wanted to.
Made sense; flying was freaking awesome, no matter what anyone said.
"Prove it." Tomoe demanded. Off to the side, Coby looked expectant and Laya seemed like she could burst from anticipation at any moment.
Luffy grinned. "Alright." Then, he flew.
0-0-0-0-0-0
The moment Luffy came back down to earth, to the mind-boggled expressions of not only his crewmates and Coby, but also everyone on the street who was watching, he was glomped by a very excited and star-struck Laya.
"H-how?! That shouldn't be possible! Where did you learn to do...that?" Tomoe demanded. She felt like her mind was going through a grinder at everything being thrown at her today. Monsters in human flesh, weird fruits with the power of the devil, long-lost identical twins, and now flying. Fucking flying; because why not!
Unfortunately for her sanity, no answered would be given this day.
Luffy looked at her with the same serious face he'd been using so frequently lately. "Se-cr-et."
"What?!" Tomoe squawked. "You don't get to do something like fly and then say its a secret!" Her words fell on deaf ears, however, and the swordswoman harrumphed.
"That… was the coolest thing EVER!" Laya shouted. "You have to teach me! Please! Teach me! Teach me! Teach me!"
"Sure thing."
"WHOOHOO!"
"But not yet."
"Awwwww."
"Shishishi!"
"Why not, Luffy? I wanna learn how to fly!" She begged. At first it was only a simple pout, but then, it morphed into something that he knew for a fact he had never done himself.
The puppy-dog face.
"Nope. You aren't ready yet." He said, straight-faced.
Shame that he was immune. For her, that is. Hehe; he couldn't count the number of times Nami had tried to do that exact same thing to him in his own world only to fail every time. His female self may be cuter and more innocent than Nami, but that didn't mean he was any more affected.
"Damn." Tomoe chuckled. "That's cold."
"Laya-san got shot down." Coby added on.
"Hmph!"
"Ooh, and now the princess is pouting."
Luffy chuckled as his "sister" clung to his back like a limpet, likely trying to bug him into accepting, just as he had often done to others.
Shame he knew all of her tricks and was immune. For her, that is.
He continued walking like nothing in the world was wrong as the female pirate verbally nudged him from his shoulder every few steps. Beside him, Coby and Tomoe watched on, equal parts baffled, amused, and annoyed at the whole thing.
Eventually, Coby managed to get over the situation enough to ask a question that had been on his mind since they got back to town. "Luffy-san, when are you going to get new clothes?"
"Hmm?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess he does need some, huh?" Tomoe remarked casually, looking her male captain up and down.
Luffy looked down at his outfit and blinked. What had previously been a red vest with long sleeves and pale grey jean shorts held up by a white sash had turned into mere tatters that looked moments away from exposing his nude form to the world.
Huh, they were way more damaged than he remembered. What could have caused that?
While never one for caring about modesty, Luffy understood basic decorum enough to recognize that he needed new clothes and agreed to look for some new ones to wear.
Without wasting time, the group made their way towards the nearest clothing store to find the captain some suitable attire. The whole detour took nearly twenty minutes, something that wasn't helped by the fact that Laya insisted on being a clingy limpet the whole time and had to be pried off of Luffy by Tomoe to allow the man to change in peace.
In the end, Luffy found himself in a dark red t-shirt with a blue vest and dark grey jean-shorts. It was a good look that wouldn't hinder him too much during a fight. And to top it all off, he had a human limpet as a cute little accessory.
Three large grumbles echoed through the street as the group exited the clothing store and Luffy laughed.
"Time for food." He said as the same time his "sister" moaned out for food.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Tomoe-san, I think I'm gonna be sick."
Tomoe snorted at the comment made by the wannabe-marine. Still, she could see where he was coming from. "I don't understand how you two ate more than me. I've gone nine days without food or water and you both make me look like I'm dieting."
The two captains looked at their first mate and, in sync, said, "Because it's tasty." They then promptly went back to gorging themselves on everything they could get their hands on.
Tomoe had to admit, it was quite the show. For those that could see it, that is.
Every few seconds, the wandering hand of one would meet the wandering hand of the other and the two would wrestle with the extended limbs before Luffy inevitably won and got the food he was after, much to his sister's annoyance. In the event that they managed to grab a piece of food - usually meat - at the same time they would glare at each other until one - she couldn't figure out how they decided yet - would let go and claim their prize while the other sulked, though continued to eat.
All of this, of course, happened at near blinding speeds for the untrained eye, further solidifying in the minds of everyone present, including Tomoe and Coby, that both captains were unnatural monsters born from an unholy union.
"MORE FOOD!" The duo exclaimed together.
"Don't you guys think you've had enough?" Coby asked, feeling a little sick at the sight of such eating practice. His own, singular plate, had been cleaned off - only partially by himself - many minutes ago.
"Nope!" They both replied, barely pausing in their eating long enough to respond.
"Ugh." The boy said.
A chiming laugh sounded from nearby and got louder as the owner approached. Ririka, the barmaid and the owner of the bar they were at, as well as mother to Rika - a little girl that Tomoe had saved - walked over with two more platters of food for the hungry captain duo.
"I for one take it as a compliment that they like my food so much." She said cheerfully. "I said you all could eat as much as you wanted on the house for what you did, both for the town and for my daughter and me. I meant it."
"Excuse me! Are you all pirates?" A commanding voice interrupted the conversation and brought a halt to the bar.
Every eye in the building turned to see a procession of marines standing at the French doors, their rifles resting against their shoulders and their stances stiff.
Luffy swallowed his food and looked the lead marine dead in the eye. "Yep. Watcha, need?"
"I apologize, but despite the debt our town owes you, your group is still made up of criminals and that is something we, as marines, cannot abide. We will not attempt to apprehend you, however I must insist that you leave the island at once."
The moment the words left the man's mouth protests erupted from the occupants of the bar.
Then Luffy spoke again and it quieted every voice. "Alright. We were done here anyway, right Laya?"
His co-captain nodded her head, gulping a last bit of food down as she did. "Yeah. We were just about to leave."
"Eh, are you two sure?" Ririka asked.
Luffy turned and nodded with a smile. "Sure am. Thanks for the free food, Ririka. It was delicious!" He then looked at Laya and Tomoe. "Let's go guys."
The two women followed after Luffy, making their way to the door of the establishment. The contingent of marines stood to the side, allowing them through. Before they could leave completely, however, the lead marine called for them to stop.
"Hmm?" Luffy looked askance, wondering what the man could want this time.
"What of that one?" the marine asked, pointed at a startled Coby. "He's been seen with you lot around town; is he not with you?"
Coby looked just as nervous as he had last time
"Nope." Luffy answered easily. "He just happened to get involved because he wants to be a marine and decided to be a good Samaritan. He's the furthest thing from a pirate that I've ever met."
The marine commander gave Coby a hard, penetrating look. "Is this true?"
"Y-yes! I mean, yes s-sir!" Coby exclaimed. "It's always been my dream to join the marines and become an Admiral, sir."
"A lofty goal." the man said. "One that would be cut off at the roots if it were to be discovered you had consorted with pirates. Do you understand that, boy?"
"Yes sir, I do! As Luffy-sa- I mean, as the pirate captain said, we are not together. I could never become a pirate, sir."
"...If it is as you say, then fine. Join me later to enroll." He looked once more at the two straw hats and swordswoman. "As for you three, my request stands. I must insist you leave at once."
Luffy nodded and waved to Coby. "When our grandfather arrives, tell him Laya said to train you."
Then the three left, leaving behind a sentimental and confused Coby.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"MEN! SALUTE!"
The contingent of marines snapped to attention, hands at their foreheads; all thirty of them faced out to sea, showing their gratitude for the three pirates that had liberated their town.
On one end, the young Coby mimicked his superiors actions, proudly showing off how grateful he was to the person who had given him the courage to follow his dream and quit his cowardly ways.
"COBY!"
The young boy's eyes widened at the shout that came from the retreating ship. "Laya-san?" He thought, surprised.
"FOLLOW YOUR DREAM NO MATTER WHAT! BECOME STRONG AND WE'LL MEET AGAIN ON THE GRAND LINE!"
A lump formed in the boy's throat.
"Y-YES! I WILL!" he shouted back. "NO MATTER WHAT!"
"SHISHISHISHI!"
No matter what. He would follow his dream, and the faces of his hero would guide him all the way.
"Men! Because we have saluted pirates on this day, no food for three days!"
"Yes sir!"
No food? He welcomed the challenge. It was only the start after all. He had a long road ahead of him, and now, he anticipated what it would bring.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"You seem to have made quite the impact on that kid." Tomoe remarked idly, watching the duo wave to the rose-haired boy.
"Shishishi!" Laya laughed. She gave Tomoe a great big smile. "Yeah! He was a coward when we met, but now he has a spine and isn't afraid to follow his dream. Isn't it great?"
Tomoe just nodded. She understood the value of having a dream to strive for, and what it meant to never give up on it. Inspiring that will in someone else was always a good thing. The fact that both her captains seem to revel in the accomplishment nearly made her smile.
"Coby's going to do great things. I can tell." Luffy interjected.
"So, how long till the next island? I doubt we have enough to last us more than a couple of days with the amount that you two are capable of consuming." Tomoe asked, moving the conversation along.
Both siblings shrugged and Luffy answered. "Don't know; hopefully before we run out of food though. I don't wanna starve again!"
"If we do it'll be your fault!" The swordswoman raged, causing her captain to laugh. "And what do you mean 'again'!?"
"Shishishi!"
Tomoe sighed; she had a bad feeling this would be a recurring theme. "Just control yourselves, would you? I refuse to die because of your lack of self-control."
"No problem Tomoe!" Laya said, throwing an entire apple in her mouth.
*WHAM!* A clenched fist made contact with Laya's rubber head. "That's exactly what I mean, you idiot! Stop eating!"
The rubber girl pouted, nearly throwing Tomoe off-balance at how cute she looked. Damn, a girl that scary had zero business looking so innocent. "But I'm hungry!" She whined.
"You just ate."
"But that was like...almost an hour ago."
"Kill me now. It'll be a mercy."
"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed as he watched the interaction between his "sister" and their first mate as they began to wrestle over the bag of apples. This is what he had longed for once more; the nonsense and carefree life that his crew had lived for so much of their adventure.
Moments like this, they were precious, and he would protect them no matter what.
His thoughts drifted back to the person he had sensed in the bar; how familiar she was. He'd had to fight his impulse to run to her and cheer that she was alive, just like he'd done with Zoro... Tomoe.
As she was, he would only be an stranger and a threat to her and that thought pained him to his core. Every part of him wanted to get to the next island so he could recruit her again, prove to her that not all pirates were scum.
He wanted so badly to save her again that it hurt.
Patience was key, though. He couldn't rush it, otherwise she would run away and he'd lose any chance at giving her the family she deserved - giving him the friend he wanted back so desperately.
"I'm coming Nami. Just a bit longer, and then you'll be free from that bastard for good."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
A/N: This is admittedly, something of a spur of the moment passion project. I got the inspiration for it and it just kept pestering me to complete the thing and see where it went. It was super fun to write, though, and is one of the stories that I come back to every time I feel like enjoying the process of writing and getting the creative juices flowing.
I won't be updating regularly and this chapter will probably be the only one for a good long while. As of writing this note I am almost done with chapter two, but who knows how long it will take me to finish that and start on chapter three. Hopefully not as long as I am fearing. There's also all of the other works that I'm not posting yet that which take up time aside from work, school, friends, and adult life in general.
Until next time, stay thrifty and don't lose your quantum portal guns,
~TMCO