Chapter 1: Romance Dawn
The day the King of Pirates Gold Roger was to be executed had finally arrived. People traveled far and wide to witness the final moments of the man who conquered the six seas, reached the last island of the grand line, and acquired the greatest treasure. They all watched as this very man walked to his demise. "What is wrong with this man?", "Surely he'd have enough strength to run, wouldn't he?", "Why would someone willingly head towards their death after accomplishing so much?". These questions raced through the heads of the crowds with many others. But the curiosity of one man would help to change fate itself. "Hey, King of Pirates! Where did you hide all the treasure you found?! You got it didn't you?! That legendary treasure!That great treasure! The One Piece!
Roger could only laugh after hearing this. "SILENCE!" said one of the guards. "DON'T EVEN THINK OF REPLYING! SCUM LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE FINAL WORDS!"; this did not deter the man in the slightest.
"My treasure, huh? If you want it, you can have it! I left everything the world has to offer there; find it! The sound of blades piercing flesh echoed in the ears of those present, followed by cheers. This event would mark the beginning of the great pirate age.
-o-
Many years would pass, and eventually came a time when another turning point was just around the corner. "I~spy~with~my~little~eye, A JOLLY ROGER!" a young boy surrounded by wildlife and fauna he befriended from his grandfather's "training" jumps up from the tree branch he was just sitting and shoves what little fruit he had left down his gullet. "Whatta bunch of scrub-pirates. Don't they know by now not to come to my turf?" he asks his primate companions and "OOH OOH OOH OOH" they all say in response. "Yeah, a little lesson outta put 'em in their place!". The rambunctious young lad sprints back to the village of Foosha not realizing how the so-called "scrub-pirates" will ultimately change his life"
-o-
"This is bad" that was the thought of any person who was keeping up with the latest news including a green-haired bartender and an aging mayor though not for the reasons one would typically think. 'Luffy usually drives off any pirate or bandit who tries to make Foosha their base along with a couple of the adults and occasionally Garp, But it's different this time.' Makino thought to herself. 'The Hooligans this time are the damn Red Hair Pirates of all people. Damn it, we gotta find Luffy before he gets himself seriously hurt.' Woop Slap thinks to himself while also coming up with ways to de-escalate the situation while keeping his village safe. However…
"OOOOIIII" they all hear him, along with the ever-increasing sound of running. They all freeze in shock and horror as the worst-case scenario started playing out in front of them.
The crew aboard the ship look towards the voice that was just directed at them but only a young girl with strangely colored hair replied to him. "What do you want?" the girl says in a bratty tone. "You guys are pirates aren't you, I can tell from the flag!" "So what if we are? If you have any complaints direct them towards me. I'm the captain's daughter after all." "Really?! Then tell your dad to come out here so I can beat him up!".
Silence could only be heard in the port of Foosha. Then a burst of roaring laughter erupted from the deck of the ship. "You hear that! HA HA HA" "Thems is fighting words! BWA HA HA HA" "MY MONEY IS ON THE KID!". The two children on the other hand didn't think it was so funny. "STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" yelled out an indignant Luffy. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! SHANKS WILL NEVER GIVE YOU THE TIME OF DAY, LET ALONE-" Uta was cut off by a hand being placed on her shoulder.
"Now now Uta. Don't be mean, the sheriff here is only trying to do his job-Ain't that right sir" "Damn right I am, my gramps taught me you pirates bring nothin' but trouble!". "Well how about this, if you beat me in a fight me and my crew will leave and never come back, if I win, this place will be our home for the next…" Shanks paused and turned to a man with a cigarette in his mouth and dark hair fashioned into a ponytail and started whispering with each other "For the next year! Hows that sound?" "You're on Redhead!".
-o-
"H-how?" is all Luffy could muster. He had tried his hardest to land a single hit for the past three and a half hours but all his attacks were either blocked or deflected. Luffy was at his limit both mentally and physically and this rando with a straw hat didn't even break a sweat, He was even yawning!
"This has been fun and all but it's clear I won so why don't just call it quits I'm getting- whoa whoa!" as Shanks was talking he noticed the boy's face get redder and tears building in his eyes "Hey! Hey! Don't cry-" "I'm not crying!" needless to say it became very awkward for everyone watching.
'This is super embarrassing to watch' Uta thought. 'But… Earlier on in the fight, I could barely see him moving around. Not to mention that animalistic fighting style and strength, has this kid been raised by wild beasts or something? The guys on the crew could probably follow along but even they were a little shocked seeing this kid, heck I'm pretty sure Shanks was caught a bit off-guard.
"D-do you want some ice cream and candy? I'll buy extra!" Shanks hastily said to comfort the young boy. "*Sniff* r-really?" "of course, and I'll throw in some soda for good measure!". "...M'kay," Luffy said dejectedly, "...I'll also be staying here 'cause I won and all that…" "...M'kay," Luffy said dejectedly "...you know… since I'm staying and all… we can always have a rematch-" "REALLY?!" Luffy said so suddenly causing Shanks to flinch. "Y-yeah, of course-" YAHOOO, mister I'm gonna get really strong and beat you one day, got it!" "yeah, and my name is Shanks, not mister"
-o-
It's been almost a year since that event and so much has happened. Luffy and Shanks sparred almost every other day and while Luffy never won both he and Shanks could tell he was getting stronger. Not to mention the growing friendship between Luffy and Uta that was cut short and so many other moments. But today was a special one
Luffy had grown comfortable around the pirates, the entire town had. And before all Luffy would talk about would be about fighting, but now he talked more freely and openly about stuff; like if mermaids pooped… Moving on, today seemed to be an ordinary day with Luffy being a riot, Shanks making fun of him, and the crew having an all-around good time along with Makino.
*SLAM* went the doors to the establishment and one of them even fell off due to the force of the kick. In walked Higuma the Bandit with his lackeys-though no one knew who he was until he introduced himself-.
"I knew I could smell rotting fish walking in here, damn pirates" "oi lady, me and my men need some strong alcohol to distract ourselves from the smell" "I'm sorry but the other patron already drank the place dry". One could visibly see veins popping from his head. "Sorry champ" Shanks spoke up "I was planning on drinking this but you should have it, don't worry about it's on the house-" he was cut off by Higuma smashing the bottle in his face. "Don't you have any idea who I am? I'm Higuma the bear. I've killed over 50 chumps like yourself and got a bounty of eight million berries". Higuma stared at Shanks expecting a reaction. "...Sorry for the mess Makino I'll clean it up" "No no it's alright-"; Higuma took one more slash toward the table. "Here, something extra since you love cleaning so much" all the bandits laugh as Higuma leads them away "I've had enough of the smell of dead fish and cowards, it's hurting my nose"
"Shanks! Are you okay?" Makino's only response was Shanks bursting out into laughter along with the rest of the crew's commenting on Higumas insults or teasing shanks. Once again a child did not find the ordeal funny. "WHAT THE HECK SHANKS?!" "How come you just let him bully you like that?!" "It wasn't that serious Luffy, it's not like anyone got hurt". Luffy was confused for a moment before taking a good look at Shanks "oooh, I thought he hit the sake bottle AND you" "That's what got you so riled up, sorry about that, hehe" "But still, your one of the strongest guys I know and seeing get pushed around like just isn't right". Shanks thought about what Luffy said and decided to clear things up
"But I did win though" "Huh? How?" "I stayed positive" "what does that mean?" "Well Luffy, when you get older and you experience more stuff, you'll feel like life is trying to get you all sad and miserable by throwing obstacle after obstacle. You following along Luffy?" "yeeah?" "Well you can't punch away feeling sad so what do you do? You are happy. True strength doesn't come from how much you can lift but from how you'll react at the lowest point in your life or how you help someone else during that time. And if you can bounce back on your feet, accept it, improve, and move on you win." "oooh I kinda get it now" "it also gets a great reaction from those trying to start something." Shanks fondly remembers all the times guys tried to pick a fight with him but end up walking away with their panties in a bunch. Although Luffy couldn't relate "huh?" "eh, you'll understand eventually."
Shanks picks himself up and starts walking towards a chest resting on the counter, "Now then with that out of the way, let's- HUH?!" only to see that the chest was wide open and the contents of the box were missing. Shanks quickly turns to his crew "IT'S GONE!" "What do you mean it's gone?!" a large rotund pirate by the name of Lucky Roo could only respond in shock and horror "We went through so much shit just to get that fruit, and you're telling me it's gone?!" all the pirates silently agreed with him and began getting restless after hearing the news.
"I don't know what to tell you guys, I've been watching it like a Hawk! The only people who got even remotely close to it were Makino and-" Shanks froze in realization. "Oi Luffy." Shanks turned to face an unnerved Luffy. Luffy had never once seen the Red Hair Pirates panic this much and neither had Makino. "
By any chance, did you eat a disgusting fruit?" Shanks. Luffy was caught way off guard by this question considering the tone Shanks asked it, it felt like Luffy had murdered somebody. "Y-yeah, it looked really funky too. Was it really important?" Luffy asked Shanks in a meek tone of voice. "Haah… yes, yes it was," the entire crew said in unison, except for their captain. "YOU IDIOT, SPIT IT OUT RIGHT NOW!" Shanks grabbed Luffy by his legs and start shaking him upside down. "Why?! Was it poisonous or something?!" "That was a devil fruit! Those who eat a devil become hated by the sea and lose their ability to swim!" "Eh! No way!" "If you weren't an anchor before, you sure as hell are one now!" Shanks continued to scold Luffy for the rest of the day.
-o-
Luffy walked around town in utter boredom. Shanks and the rest of them had gone on another voyage leaving him behind once again. It's been a couple of days since he's eaten the devil fruit and has been trying to figure it out but to no avail.
'Listen Luffy, there are 4 types of devil fruits. You'll learn about the others eventually but for now, you just need to know about outliers'. 'Outliers are devil fruit types that don't cleanly fit into the other 3 types and thus are put into this one. Your devil fruit is one of them.' 'It's called the Pyro Pyro Fruit and allows the user to control heat and disassemble and reassemble anything' Luffy was a bit confused on that last part so Shanks just summed it up to 'you and break anything and you can fix anything. Luffy did try to fix the door to the bar but didn't know how to activate his powers.
And that's where he's been all this time. He's stuck with a dumb devil fruit he doesn't know how to turn on and took away all hopes of him finally learning to swim. This sucked. He made his way to the empty bar and slumped on the counter
" What's wrong Luffy?" asked Makino. "I can't figure out this dumb fruit, Shanks and his crew left, and they all probably hate me" needless to say the bartender was very confused. "Wait do mean by that?" "you remember what they said. 'We worked so hard to get that fruit' and I ended up eating it". "Well they forgave you anyways, so you shouldn't get too hung up on it" "But still…". "They were probably just nervous about who took it. After all devil fruits, from what I've heard, give amazing powers to those who eat them. But some scary people in the world have used those powers to hurt others. They likely didn't want it falling into the wrong hands, and if anything they were relieved you of all people ate it". "But what about when Shanks was yelling at me? And what if they wanted it?" "Shanks knew you wanted to set sail eventually and losing the ability to swim can make that venture quite hard. Plus if they wanted to eat they would've done so before you ever did.". Luffy wanted to say more but thought about what Makino said. All this time he felt super guilty but talking with her helped most of that guilt go away. Still, he couldn't imagine what they did to get that fruit, though his mood visibly improved; and so did Makino after seeing Luffy cheer up
That was until they both heard a familiar slam coming from the bar entrance
-o-
The Red Hair Pirates were exhausted. They just wanted to get back to the bar party for a bit and hit the hay right after. Though something was weird. Usually, the people of Foosha would welcome them and help unload. So where were they?
"AAAGGHH!"
They all heard the sound of a young boy screaming out in pain. A scream that sounded all too familiar. And they all adopted the same dark look.
-o-
"What was that?! Speak up! I can't hear you from all that screaming." Higuma the bandit removed the blade he had just plunged right under Luffy's left eye. "Hah hah" Luffy tried to catch his breath from all the screaming and pain. "LUFFY!" Makino screamed, "GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU BASTARD" held back by the townspeople so as not to get herself hurt.
"SHUT UP WHORE! I'm teaching this kid a lesson. Repeat what you said.". "I said!" Luffy began to adopt a smile that stretched from ear to ear "Shanks is a million times the man you are! And no matter what you do! Nothing will ever change that fact! Even if you kill me!". "Fine then!" "STOP".
Everyone looked towards Woop Slap "He's just a boy. He has his entire future ahead of him we'll give you all the money and booze you want, but please spare him". He said all this while on his hands and knees. "Hahaha! Looks like there is someone in this shitty town who knows how the world works. But it's too late for the brat" Higuma draws his flintlock and points it right at Luffy "There are some actions you just can't overlook," he says with a sadistic grin.
"Can't agree more". Everyone present looks toward the source of the comment. It's Shanks and the rest of the Red Hair Pirates!
"I was confused as to why no one showed up." he look at the bandits and a heavily injured Luffy "Now I know why". "Hey Luffy! you're way stronger than this, how come you let a bunch of bandits beat you up?" asked Shanks. "Cause I wanted to fight like you did! I wanted to win without throwing a punch!" Luffy grew a smug grin "And I did! These guys are pathetic!".
'This kid… he did what I did while also doing the complete opposite at the same time. Not sure if I'm proud of him or mad at myself". Shanks was snapped out of his thought at the shoots of Higuma the bear and the sounds of his goons raising their weapons
"SHUT UP! I'll kill you all after the kid. Wait your turn!". "Now that you've all drawn your weapons and declared your intention to fight, are you ready to put your life on the line?" "Hah? What kinda bullshit are you spout-" the nameless bandit was cut off by Lucky Roo putting a bullet in his head.
Everyone could only look on in shock at the speed and lack of hesitation that was just displayed. "Oh, you've done it now!" "Hey! That wasn't fair!"
"That's strange. I don't think we look like nuns. Do we?" First mate Benn Beckman sarcastically comments. "In all seriousness, what do you expect? We're pirates. We don't play by the rules".
"This was none of your business!". "The hell it's not!" Shanks angrily calls out. "Listen, you can insult me, throw food at me, pour your drinks on me, you can even spit on me and you wouldn't give a rat's ass. But good reason or not, nobody hurts a friend of mine!".
"F-friend?" Luffy squeaked out with stars in his eyes. "Wow so touching. I've now seen the error of my ways and now will turn myself in~...Not. Boys, kill 'em"
The mob of bandits charges toward the pirates. Without missing a beat or saying a word, Beckman steps forward, and in ten seconds single handily beats all the bandits without even blinking. "W-what?" was all Higuma could muster. "If you really wanna beat us, bring a couple of battleships and a couple of vice admirals to be safe. Though we have beaten worse so…"
'Whoa, he's so strong! And he's not even captain! Has Shanks been holding back when we've spared? I was so sure I was getting stronger!' is what Luffy was currently thinking. Higuma thinking of other things though.
"Hey! Hey! T-the kid started it!" "But there's a bounty on your head, no? Eight million if I remember correctly." Shanks shut down any attempts at peace between the bandit and pirate. "Eek!" Higuma quickly threw a smoke bomb covering his escape along with his 'hostage'.
"Oh crap! I let them escape! We've gotta save Luffy!" "Don't worry captain we'll find 'em!" Lucky Roo told his captain to ease his panic. "He's right they can't have gone far" chimed in Beckman
-o-
"Ha Ha Ha! No one would ever expect a mountain bandit to escape to the sea! Ah Ha Ha Ha!" Higuma said with the confidence and bravado of someone who just won the lottery. "Now that we're away I do not need a hostage slowing me down.". "I'm not gonna let you get away that easily you!-" Luffy was cut off by Higuma kicking him off board.
Luffy's entire life flashed before his eyes
"God they were so pathetic! I broke a bottle over his head and he didn't make a single peep! What a bitch! Ah Ha Ha Ha!". "To be honest I was tempted to kill the bastard. It's cowards like him who make me sick".
"...Luffy are you okay?" a concerned Makino checks up on Luffy. "I-I'm fine. They're just saying mean things without knowing anything. I know Shanks and his crew are the great guys around. Nothing they say *sniff* will ever *sniff* will change that fact.". Luffy was starting to tear up but didn't bother starting a fight. He even had a huge grin plastered on his face. Makino was so proud of the maturity Luffy was showcasing. 'Shanks words must've hit hard for him' thought Makino smiling while patting the young boy's head.
"Oi! Lady!" Makina and Luffy turned to face Higuma. "Why don't you stop letting pussies like him around here, and start treating some real men?". "W-well, all clients are good for business no matter their character." Makino nervously responded. "Can't argue with that logic. Say, you're quite the looker, aren't you?" Higuma got up and started walking toward her. "T-thank you for the compliment." with every footstep he took Makino's heart beat faster and her speech got shakier. Higuma looked down at Luffy "So you've gotta kid? I don't mind" he grabbed Makino's wrist and pulled her close "I'll give you a couple more if you like the tykes so much". Makino would've passed out right then and there if it wasn't for the fear of what they might do to her unconscious body.
Luffy socked Higuma right in the jaw knocking him to the ground. "Agh! What the fuck!" Higuma yelled out in pain. "Don't mess with Makino. Can't you see you're making her-" *BANG* a gunshot was heard and a gunshot wound was inflicted. "LUFFY!" Makino jumped over the counter and rushed toward Luffy. Though Luffy wasn't planning on dying anytime soon. He caught himself and landed on his feet and threw the chair he was sitting on like it was a baseball towards the guy who shot him.
"You dirty monkey bandits want some!" prompting a brawl between the bandits and a single kid. A brawl where said kid had a Cheshire grin right up until the end.
His splash in the water snapped him out of his flashback. "AAAAGGH"
"Ha Ha Ha! Sayonara kid!" Higuma continued laughing only stopping when the water behind him erupted due to the emergence of the local sea king. "Wait! Wait! Wait!-GYAAAAA" his scream was silenced by the closing jaw of the sea king.
Luckily for Luffy, some boat scraps fell near him and in his desperation, he activated the disassembling and reassembling aspect of his powers and made a platform big enough to hold him. Unluckily, the sea king turned its focus towards him.
"YAAAAA! SOMEBODY HELP ME! YAAAA!" screamed Luffy. He suddenly felt a warm embrace and when he looked up to see who it was, it was "SHANKS! YOU CAME!". "...Get Lost," said Shanks, and as he said that Luffy felt a wave of… something and that was the first time he could say that he was genuinely afraid of Shanks. He managed to scare off the sea king and Luffy cried. Not out of happiness or relief, but regret and guilt. "Shanks! Shanks! "Hey, hey. What's the matter, tough guy? Makino told all of us about what happened in the bar. Thanks for having so much faith in us, and for protecting her.". "B-but Shanks? What about your arm?!" Shanks's arms had been completely removed from the shoulder down. "It's just an arm. It's a small price to pay if it means ensuring your safety. Now let's get ourselves to the doctors shall we" "WAAAAAAAH". Luffy had cried himself to sleep that day.
-o-
"I'm so sorry I couldn't find him" it was the Red Hair pirate's last day and Luffy was nowhere to be found. "Don't worry about it Makino, he'll make his grand appearance soon" said Shanks to comfort her.
With all the preparations made, supplies organized, and lines untied from the bollards they were ready for departure. "Alright, men set sail!-" "SHANKS AND THE REST OF YOU GUYS!".
Everyone looked up at the crow's nest only to see Luffy standing on the rail holding a rope. He jumped down, swinging along the rope while simultaneously giving everyone a heart attack. Landing on the wall behind the steering wheel. "Listen up everybody! After seeing how strong you guys are I'll train, I'll train my freaking butt off so when I go out to sea I'll be just as strong as you guys!" Luffy proclaimed. "And that's not all! I'll get a crew waaay better than you all! And I'll get more treasure than you guys can dream of! And most importantly of all, I'm gonna become King of the Pirates! No. I'll be even BIGGER! Even if it's just for a moment I'll be greater than Roger ever was!".
All the pirates and townspeople were stunned at the speech Luffy just gave and the first person to speak up was. "Hoh, is that so?" "Yeah and I'll even find Uta and bring her into my crew". The entire crew flinched and Shanks adopted a somber look. "Why don't you come down here? I wanted to give you a gift before I left." "ooh okay!". He hopped down right in front of shanks. "So what's the?-" Luffy stopped mid-way into his sentence and felt the itchiness of straw on his head. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the box but he instantly knew what was just put on his head.
"...Why?" "because just as you have faith in us, I have faith in you. Whether it be accomplishing those dreams of you or keeping this precious hat safe.". "W-will I ever see you guys again?" asks Luffy while tearing up. Shanks lightly karate chops Luffy's head "Of course we will, what kind of dumb question is that? And when you become a great pirate you'll give that hat back. Okay?" "M'kay"
Luffy now stands on the dock waving the Red Hair Pirates goodbye
-o-
"It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since then, huh Mayor?" "Indeed, it's also hard to believe that young boy is setting sail to be a pirate and the same spot" "I don't know about that, it seems very believable" "... I do hate how right you are Makino" while Makino grew a smug look on her face Woop Slap had an exhausted one.
"What a beautiful day, birds are singing, flowers are blooming; I'm glad I set sail on a day like this" a now 17-year-old Luffy looked very satisfied with himself.
The sound of a waterfall catches his attention and when he turns around he sees it's the "local sea king, huh? Well, I've been working on some moves since we met last time". Luffy pulls his fist back. Anyone else who, at the very least, has an idea of Luffy's abilities gets ready for a pillar of flame, except for Woop Slap and Makino.
"Buster strike!". But instead of the pillar of flame he… STRETCHED?! The sea king flew out of the water from the force of that punch. "You can thank Vegapunk for that one!" is all Luffy said to the knocked-out sea king
"I'm so excited and can't wait to find my crew! I even have a flag in mind already! LOOK OUT WORLD, HERE COMES THE NEXT PIRATE KING!"
A tiny boat with no crew to be found here marks the beginning of Luffy's voyage.
Yo, if you made this far congrats, and thanks for reading to the end. I know it was harsh with all the errors and all, but this is my first fanfic ever. I started this because I had a cool idea and I wanted to test my writing skills. I put this off for a very long time but decided to throw caution to the wind and just start writing.
I love one piece and wanted a way to experience it again while keeping the original elements. I thought up cool ways that stories could play out and eventually decided on this path. I'll do my best to keep things sensible but I can't promise consistent content with school and all.
Now on to the actual chapter. I kept a lot of the things the same and only added some extra details. Focusing on the main stuff, I added a new category of devil fruit! Don't worry this isn't some OP devil fruit thing, I just added it to keep things simple. Devil fruits like Katakuri's Mochi Mochi no Mi, Tamago's Tama Tama no mi, and others will go into this category. (it'll also be useful if I change some aspects of already existing devil fruits or new OC devil fruits but that's not important right now.)
The next big change is Luffy's devil fruit. I love fire force and wanted him to get a devil fruit ability that was 'fire force in one piece. But I also love Douglass Bullets Devil fruit from one-piece stampede. So I decided to put the 2 together. Don't worry Luffy will improve and grow stronger. His skills won't stay stagnant. I also wanted him to have that Shinra smile so that's why I had the whole speech with Shanks. He Listened to Shanks and ended up smiling so much it became a habit.
And since you made it to the end I know you read that Vegapunk part. Don't I'm just laying some groundwork for the future.
And most importantly of all Luffy. Luffy will still be the same just smart in terms of book smart and he'll still have that lack of common sense. But Luffy will be a lot more confident/cocky here while also showing a more diverse range of emotions (if I can hopefully write well enough so he doesn't sound like a robot or a shitty SI). I have my reasoning but for now, the main one is I didn't want my story to be too similar to the actual story. I want to change how arcs play out, interactions between characters, new crew members, and so much more. And one of the things I didn't want to be too similar was the main character. He'll still be the lovable booger he is, just with a "unique spin" on his character.
And remember "work hard and study well. Eat and sleep plenty". Until next time this has been BilyBobGoat signing out.
PS: if this fic does good I'm 100% re-writing this chapter when I get more experience