Ch. 31- The Legend Begins
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Kovar sat in the black void with narrowed his eyes, but then he opened his mouth and gave a big, long yawn. Not long after he did this, however, Luffy began to yawn, too, a tear of drowsiness forming in the corner of his eye. Then he glanced up at the dragon, who looked down at him.
"...So, uh..." Luffy began, "since it looks like I'm gonna be here a while...you got anything for me to eat around here?"
Kovar only glared at the boy in slight annoyance.
"What?" Luffy asked. "It isn't my fault! I was just trying to get a midnight snack, and you snatched me off my ship! I'm starving, here!"
"I'm surprised you're even thinking about food, right now, given your current situation," said Kovar. "However...I'm starting to grow a bit bored."
Luffy hunched an eyebrow upon hearing that...while Kovar seemed to grin.
"I think it's time your friends got a little message, Straw Hat," said the dragon before he blew out a puff of black smoke, which swirled in place for a moment...but then, all of a sudden...it grew a pair of glowing red eyes.
"What is it you wish of me, Master Kovar?" it asked, while Luffy's eyes went wide and Kovar chuckled darkly.
XXX
Back with the Straw Hats, both past and present, they were following their captain through the dense city streets of Logue Town. They already seen their past selves at the gates and split up to do their own thing, such as gathering food and clothes for their trip to the Grand Line. Zoro even glared at Nami when he was reminded of when he borrowed money from her that one time, and yet she said he still owed her even after he returned it. It was a good thing Robin stepped in to remind Zoro that now wasn't really the time to be arguing about such matters.
As the Straw Hats followed their captain's past self, the streets got less crowded and colorful and started to become a bit dreary as Luffy reached the back alleys. The ground was littered with dust, old papers, and glass bottles here and there, and there were a few drunkards about, but it seemed like a pretty eerie place.
"Jeez...it's almost a ghost town," Usopp muttered, nervously.
"So this is where Luffy ran off to while we were in Logue Town," Nami replied.
"This sucks, damn," Luffy cursed. "I just wanted to find the execution platform, but I keep getting turned around."
"The execution platform?" asked Aika.
"Oh, yeah," Zoro said. "Luffy wanted to visit the execution platform where Gold Roger died."
"What?!" Chopper asked. "Why would he wanna go there?!"
"Perhaps it was pay his respects," Blizzard answered.
"I guess that would make sense," said Usopp. "In a way, Roger did inspire Luffy just as much as Shanks did."
"Eh, I'll find it eventually," Luffy shrugged as he walked down a set of stairs and began to look around. "Hmm...this way?"
That's when his spotted something above him: a sign that said "The Gold Roger Bar".
"There was a bar named after Gold Roger?" asked Nami.
"Who knew?" Sanji inquired.
"The Gold Roger, huh?" Luffy muttered before he went down the stairs to the bar's entrance. For some reason, the whole place was dark and the walls had spider webs on them. When Luffy entered through the double doors, he saw that the chairs and tables had all been set up...and the only occupant was a decrepit old man with a purple beanie on his head, a bottle of rum in his hand, and for some reason, an abnormally large skull sitting on the table in front of him, and the skull itself had a crack in the cap.
"That's a big skull," said Brook.
"Bigger than mine," Franky added. "Where'd he get that thing from?"
"Ugh..." Nami shuddered. "It gives me the creeps."
"Scuse me," Luffy called, causing the old man to look at him with a disdainful sneer. "I noticed your bar was called 'The Gold Roger', and I was wondering how it got the name."
"...Scram," said the old man, bitterly, which did take Luffy back a bit. "This isn't a place for unattended children. Besides, we're closed for good starting today."
"You going under?" Luffy asked.
"Sure looks like he is," Sanji muttered. "Just look at this dump."
"I'm not going under," the old man answered as he poured himself a glass of rum. "I decided to shut it down, myself. I'm retiring."
"Sorry," Luffy said as he sat at the bar. "I just wanted to know about the name." That's when he spotted the skull in front of the old man. "Whoa, what the heck is that?! Hey, it's a giant skull! That's so cool!"
"...Killer Giant," said the old man. "One of the worst villains to ever haunt the waters of the Grand Line." He clinked the glass in front of the skull. "He sent many pirates to their deaths over the course of his life."
"Huh..." Luffy muttered.
"I heard about Killer Giant," said Robin. "He had a bounty of at least 92 million. He was one of the few infamous pirates in the time of Roger and Whitebeard."
"Why was he called Killer Giant?" asked Aika.
"He was taller than the average human," said Robin. "If he was in this bar, his head would probably go through the ceiling."
"Ow," Franky muttered.
Luffy, on the other hand, stared at the old man in intrigue as the old codger smirked.
"But it only took Gold Roger to strike the behemoth down," he said.
"Gold Roger killed him?" Luffy asked.
"With lightning speed!" the old man exclaimed. "You see, Killer Giant had this massive blade, but the fight was over before it even started." He then pointed at the crack in the skull. "And this is the wound that did it!"
"Is that true?" asked Chopper.
"Mm-hmm," Robin nodded.
"I guess it would make sense," said Zoro. "A guy that size, lugging around a huge sword like that? They may have great power, but they give up speed as a result."
All the while, Luffy had this massive grin on his face, like he was a kid again, listening to a fairy tale, and it looked like Usopp, Chopper, Aika, and Kumi weren't too far off themselves, for they all had these looks of awe on their faces.
"Killer Giant was a waste of human flesh, anyway," the old man went on, "but he proclaimed with his dying breath, 'Gold Roger, I take my hat off to you. You will forever be the King of the Pirates."
"Awesome...!" Luffy whispered in amazement. "Tell me more!"
"Eric Dow, the man known as 'King'..." the old codger continued. "Silver-Silver, the World-Famous Gunman...The Giant Gowns Brothers...they were famous for their strength, for they were indestructible demons, feared by everybody."
By now, Luffy's body was shivering with excitement.
"But not Gold Roger," the old man smirked.
"Man, do you hear all this?!" Usopp questioned.
"And Gold Roger really took them all on?!" Aika asked. "That's so cool!"
"Cooler than cool!" Chopper added.
"Sub-zero cool!" Kumi exclaimed, while the others chuckled at their enthusiasm.
"Yeah, really?!" Luffy asked the old-timer, who heaved a sigh.
"You're the first one in a long time who ever likes to hear my stories," he said. "Nobody else ever seems to be interested."
"Well, I do!" Luffy replied. "Tell me more!"
"Don't rush me, boy!" the old man said. "Now...Gold Roger...I suppose even more, he was the only man who wasn't afraid of entering the Grand Line."
He then began to explain how he had met Roger back in his bar, when he and crew were partying the night away. Back then, the Grand Line wasn't a place that people wouldn't even dream of entering, saying it was a place of evil, but Roger? He showed no fear about it, whatsoever. Hell, he actually laughed at the thought of there being evil. His crew drank the bar dry and then he left the next morning, like he was going out to do some sightseeing.
"The first half of the Grand Line wasn't really that bad," said Sanji. "Now, the New World...THAT'S the real thing people are afraid of."
"Tell me about it," Nami concurred.
"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled.
"When I heard he had conquered the Grand Line, I wasn't surprised," the old-timer said as he swirled his drink in his glass. "I was happy that he was the one who survived those evil seas."
Luffy looked like he couldn't contain his excitement for much longer. He sat on the stool, fidgeting like he was hyped up on sugar.
"On this day, 22 years ago," the old man began, "Gold Roger died on that platform. That's how it all began...how this so-called Great Pirate Era got started where anyone with a boat claims to be a pirate...but look around this once great town. I bet you won't be able to find yourself a real pirate...nothing her but cowards and scum."
The Straw Hats noticed that the old bartender said that with bitterness as he put his drink on the table.
"Well, I can't say he's wrong," said Franky.
"Yeah, some people just don't have the balls to enter the Grand Line," said Zoro.
"Nobody except for Luffy," Robin humored.
"Men brave enough to make the journey to the Grand Line have all disappeared from these waters," said the old codger, solemnly. "There are no true pirates here...that's why I'm closing down."
"...I see," said Sanji. "He got disgusted with all those punks who talked big and then turned tail whenever the Grand Line was so much as mentioned."
"That would discourage anyone, I suppose," Brook said.
"I'm going to the Grand Line!" Luffy declared.
"...What?" the old man asked in surprise.
"Hell, yeah!" Luffy replied. "Gold Roger's so cool! He's exactly how a pirate's supposed to be!"
"Yeah, he is, huh?" Aika asked. "I actually wish I got to meet him!"
"That's why I'm here!" Luffy exclaimed. "To go to the Grand Line, get my hands on the One Piece, and then, become King of the Pirates!"
A pause...but then the old man gasped, as if he saw a ghost...but the Straw Hats knew why he froze like that. They saw it back when they met Rayleigh. Looking at Luffy...was like looking at Roger himself.
"Th-those are some pretty big words!" the old man said.
"I only said what I meant," said Luffy.
"Heheheheh!" laughed the old codger. "Young man...if there are more people like you out there, should I hold off on closing this place?"
"Uh...I dunno," Luffy answered, bewildered. "It could just be me."
"That's right," the old man said as he got out of his chair and walked behind the bar. "It could just be you. In that case, let's have a drink. I haven't been in this good a mood in some time."
"Uh...I don't drink alcohol," said Luffy, causing the old man to laugh again.
"All right, then how about this?" he asked as he put down to glasses of milk. "Let's raise our glasses together, to the eternal King of the Pirates." He then took off his hat while Luffy grinned and picked up his glass of milk.
"Here's to the King of the Pirates!" he declared before they both tapped glasses before the memory faded to black.
"It seems Luffy was going around, inspiring a lot of folks," Sanji smiled.
"You're telling me," Zoro said.
"Big Brother is so amazing," Aika said, whimsically.
"It's no wonder he's the one who leads us," Robin said.
"I know I'm probably repeating myself, here," Nami started, "but I think I speak for all of us when I say that I'm proud of Luffy."
"We all are," Usopp concurred.
"Hey, guys, look!" Chopper called, gaining everyone's attention as the memory began to return, and the Straw Hats saw that Luffy was standing in front of the execution platform in the middle of town. For some reason, he seemed tense, which was unusual for him. The Straw Hats could hear his heart pounding and he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.
"...So this is it," he said. "This is where Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates, died...and where the Great Pirate Era began."
"Big Brother seems so uneasy, all of a sudden," Aika said.
"He's not uneasy," Blizzard answered. "He's in awe. This is where it all began, Aika. When the World Government put Roger here on this execution platform, they expected that his death signified the end of all pirates, altogether...but no...instead, he inspired many more...your brother included."
"Whoa...!" Kumi whispered.
Soon, Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed on to the platform and rocketed himself up to the top before he looked out towards the horizon, and the Straw Hats could just barely make out some storm clouds beginning to form in the distance...and by the looks of things, they were coming in quite quickly.
"Those clouds make me feel rather nervous," Brook said, worriedly.
"Yeah...a storm was about to hit Logue Town soon," said Nami, "and Luffy was going to be right in the middle of it."
"Hey!" a man's voice called in the memory. "Some maniac's up on the execution platform!"
Before too long, a crowd had begun to gather around the scaffold while Luffy just kept looking toward the horizon.
"Whoa, this is AWESOME!" Luffy exclaimed. "So this is what it must've been what the King of the Pirates saw, right before he died! Well, at least he got a pretty amazing view!"
"Oh, great..." Usopp muttered. "Luffy's already drawing a crowd."
"Never fails," Nami shrugged.
"...Huh?" Aika muttered.
"What is it, Aika?" asked Robin.
"Hey! Look there!" Aika exclaimed as she pointed at a young man with sharp teeth, a ring in his nose, and green hair styled in a pompadour. "It's Barty!"
"Barty?" Usopp repeated before he gasped. "Wait...Bartolomeo?! As in that weirdo who's obsessed with us?!"
"Wait, Bart-who?" Sanji asked.
"I'm lost, too," said Nami.
"We met him in Dressrosa," Robin said. "He's the Captain of the Barto Club and is a rookie pirate in the New World. Apparently, they dedicated their lives to being...so to speak, our fanbase."
"...We have a fanbase?" Brook asked.
"I wonder how Barty's doing," said Aika. "I kinda miss him."
"But why was he here in Logue Town?" Chopper asked.
"No idea," Blizzard shrugged. "Although, I remember him saying he used to be a street thug before he went out to sea."
"Hey, you! Boy!" a policeman shouted through a bullhorn. "Get down from there, right now!"
"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Why should I?"
"That is the special execution platform!" the policeman answered. "It is a historic landmark and under the jurisdiction of the World Government!"
"Jeez," Franky grumbled. "The Government's just gotta own everything, huh?"
"I must ask that you get down from there, immedia-"
Before he could finish, he was suddenly struck in the face by a huge, iron mace.
"Don't be so mean, Mr. Police Officer," said a soft, feminine voice as a peculiar...yet strangely familiar woman approached the platform. "I've finally found you, Luffy! It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Eh?" Luffy muttered.
"Surely, you haven't forgotten this beautiful face of mine," said the woman. She had on a ten gallon with a feather in the back, had striped pants, and was wearing a cape with hearts on it.
"Who the hell is that?" Nami asked with a glare.
"Whoa, she's hot...!" Sanji whispered.
"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "I wouldn't mind seeing her pantie-BLUGH!"
Nami punched the skeleton in the jaw with a tick mark on her head. As for the townsfolk (save for Bartolomeo), everyone, even the women, were struck by her beauty.
"She's gorgeous!"
"I'll say! Hey, baby! How about you bring that fine ass over here?!"
"She's a vision of loveliness!"
"They sound like Sanji," Chopper said.
"Oh, please, I'm not that much of a horn dog," said Sanji. "At least not anymore."
"Uh...sorry, pretty lady," Luffy started, "but I've never seen you before. Who are you, anyway?"
"...So you did forget after all," said the woman. "Well, I'd never forget you, Luffy. You were the first man who ever struck me."
"What?!" the crowd, as well as Sanji and Brook, questioned.
"He hit her?!" Sanji asked. "Jeez, I knew Luffy was underhanded sometimes, but this is overdoing it!"
"Wait...I hit you?" Luffy asked, still bewildered.
"Yes," the woman answered as she rubbed her chest in an almost sensual manner, "and when you did...it felt so good."
Hearing that cause the crowd to gasp, becoming even more enamored with her while Luffy remained confused.
"Now, tell me," said the woman, "who is the most beautiful woman in this sea?"
"YOU ARE~!" the crowd exclaimed.
"...Wait a minute," Nami whispered. "It can't be...Alvida?!"
"Huh?!" most of the Straw Hats, save for Robin, questioned in disbelief.
"You mean the fat chick?!" asked Franky.
"But...but how?!" Usopp asked, also just as shocked.
"That's right," said Alvida. "It's me. There isn't a man or woman in the world who wouldn't grovel at my feet, and I do so love strong men...so, Luffy...I've come to make you mine."
"WHAT?!" Nami screeched as a comical fire of rage engulfed her, causing the Straw Hats to jump back in surprise. "OH, HELL NO! WHO THE HELL DOES THAT BITCH THINK SHE IS?!"
"Uh...Big Sis?" Aika asked. "You're really scary all of a sudden...!"
"Oh, man...!" Usopp whimpered in fright. "This is just as bad as when that crazy lion-guy kidnapped Nami and Sanji went ablaze!"
"Careful, she might transform," Zoro quipped.
"SHUT UP, ZORO!" Nami hissed with hissing snakes in her hair.
"Eww, no way!" Luffy said in disgust. "Who the hell are you, anyway?!"
"You mean you still don't remember?!" Alvida asked in disbelief.
"Wow...just...just wow," said Usopp.
"Freeze!" a police officer shouted as he and several others surrounded Alvida. "You're under arrest! And you, in the straw hat! Get off the execution platform, immediately!"
"Why?!" Luffy asked. "What'd I do?! I'm just looking around!"
"What?" Alvida asked in surprise. "You're going to arrest me?"
Alas, the police were also lovestruck by Alvida's lucks to the point where they had heart-shaped, teary eyes upon looking at her, and yet, the assistant chief of police insisted on arresting her, despite being lovestruck, himself.
"What a bunch of horndogs," said Zoro.
"Seriously," said Nami, but then, out of nowhere, the fountain behind the police seemed to explode, sending the crowd in a panic, and a large chunk was headed right for Alvida, and at first the crowd (still in a lovestruck state) was worried she might get hit, but to their surprise, the chunk of the fountain just slid right off of her and was instead sent crashing into a building.
"What the-?!" Franky questioned in disbelief. "What happened?!"
"How'd she do that?!" Chopper asked.
"Hey, watch where you're shooting, next time!" Alvida complained.
"Wait, what was that?!" asked Luffy as several hooded figures appeared...one of them sporting a familiar red nose.
"Oh, come on, it's obviously Buggy down there," Zoro grumbled.
"Seriously, that nose sticks out more than he does!" Sanji added, causing the others to laugh.
"Good one, Sanji!" Usopp praised.
"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week," Sanji smirked.
"Pardon the spectacle," Buggy started, "but her smooth, silky skin can never be marred...so don't worry too much about it."
"It is I, the lovely Lady Alvida!" Alvida exclaimed.
"Wait, Alvida?!" Luffy questioned. "Where?!"
"I'm right here, you rubber-brained baboon!" Alvida barked.
"Wait, really?" Luffy asked as he scratched his scalp. "You look...kinda different."
"Finally noticed, did you?" asked Alvida as she pulled off her cloak, revealing a white halter top and a beaded necklace underneath, as well a sweater wrapped around her waist. "I ate the Slip-Slip Devil Fruit and my body has been transformed! Now, my beautiful skin cannot be scratched or marred by any kind of attack! Sadly...my beauty was barely enhanced. However, as you said, I do look a bit different...my freckles have completely disappeared!"
"IT'S NOT JUST THE FRECKLES, YOU FAT SEA COW!" Nami shouted as she looked ready to tear Alvida apart, but Usopp and Blizzard held her back.
"But seriously," Franky began, "she ate a Devil Fruit, and that's why she looks so hot, now?"
"Certain Devil Fruits can change a person's body," said Robin.
"That's true!" Brook exclaimed. "Just look at what happened to me! I'm nothing but bones, now!"
"The only reason you look like that is because your soul got lost," Zoro glared.
"You should talk, Moss-head," Sanji said, only for the swordsman to punch him in the face, and another fight soon commenced.
"At any rate," Alvida began, "if you're going to be mine...there's someone you have to defeat first, Luffy."
"Huh?" Luffy asked. "I gotta fight somebody?"
"That's right," said Alvida. "We teamed up in order to track you down...and here he is!"
"Heheheheheh!" Buggy snickered as he and his crew through off their cloaks. "Ever since the day you defeated me...I've dreamed of nothing but killing you, Straw Hat! That's what gave me the strength to make it back to my men...and what a great adventure it was! Especially since I was missing my body parts! There was laughter, tears, and friendship! But Buggy persevered and...WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU MAKING ME SAY?!"
"Uhh...I think I know your name from somewhere," Luffy said. "Was it, uh...Boggy? ...No, no, it wasn't that. Boogie? ...Nah, that's not it, either...oh, wait, I know now! It's Buffoon!"
Buggy looked like his head was about to explode from how red it was, while the Straw Hats were trying their best to hold back their laughter.
"HOLY CRAP, IT'S BUGGY THE CLOWN!" cried a man in terror, and on that, the crowd began to panic and tried to flee, but they were soon held at gunpoint by Buggy's crew, forcing them all to stop.
"I will now flashily display my full terror in front of all you!" Buggy declared.
"...Oh, wait!" Luffy exclaimed. "Now I remember! It's Buggy!"
"NOW YOU REMEMBER ME?!" Buggy questioned in irritation.
"Please, your ass isn't worth remembering!" Blizzard said.
That's when Aika spotted Cabaji about to place a wooden stock board on Luffy, causing her to gasp.
"Oh, no! Big Brother, look out!" Aika cried, forgetting that her brother's past self would not be able to hear her warning, and even if he could, it was too late. Before Luffy realized it, his head and wrists were trapped underneath the board.
"Hey! What gives?!" Luffy questioned as he struggled to get out. "I-I'm stuck!"
"Been a long time, hasn't it, rubber boy?" asked Cabaji. "How's Roronoa Zoro doing? Is he well?"
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Buggy. "Well done, Cabaji! And now, Straw Hat, we shall commence with your public execution! And think of it this way! You get to die in the same spot as the King of the Pirates! Don't you feel honorable?!"
"That doesn't sound honorable to me!" Kumi said. "Didn't you guys say he used to be part of Gold Roger's crew?!"
"If you ask me, that's actually kinda disrespectful," Blizzard said. "At least in my opinion."
"Buggy's just an asshole," said Nami. "How Roger brought him on his crew is beyond me."
"By the way, where were you guys?" Franky asked as he looked to Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji.
"We should be showing up soon enough," Sanji said. "In fact...I think I can see us coming right about...now."
Sure enough, Past Zoro, Past Nami, Past Usopp, and Past Sanji had all appeared, way at the back of the crowd. While Past Nami was carrying a bundle of clothes on her back, Past Sanji and Past Usopp were holding a huge Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna, with the latter holding on to the head.
"I still don't know why you made me hold the heaviest part, Sanji," Usopp glared.
"I couldn't afford to strain my hands," Sanji shrugged.
"Huh?" Chopper muttered as he noticed Past Zoro's swords. "Hey, Zoro! You got new swords!"
"Oh, yeah," Zoro realized as his good eye fell upon the three swords he was carrying, most notably Yubashiri. Come to think of it, he hardly thought about that sword, these days. Sure, he was a bit stunned when he lost it, but he had grown so used to having Shuusui now, it never crossed his mind.
"Uh-oh..." Luffy muttered as he wrinkled his nose a bit. "My nose is itchy!"
"Are you kidding?!" Usopp questioned. "He's about to get killed and he's worried about having an itchy nose?!"
"Uhhh...guys?" Chopper asked as he pointed at the encroaching storm clouds.
"That does not look good," said Franky.
"I'm scared...!" Aika whimpered.
"The criminal known as Monkey D. Luffy is guilty of getting on his high horse and making me look like a fool!" Buggy announced to the frightened crowd down below.
"You don't need Luffy's help to make you look like a fool," Nami said.
"Seriously, he's doing that on his own," said Zoro.
"For that, he will be flashily executed!" Buggy shouted. "So, you may cheer flashily, as well!"
On that, the Buggy Pirates began to cheer and fire off their guns, raucously.
"Wow, an execution, huh?" Luffy asked. "I've never seen a public execution before."
"IT'S YOUR EXECUTION, YOU MORON!" Buggy shouted.
"EH?!" Luffy questioned. "HEY, STOP JOKING AROUND!"
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S JOKING!" Buggy yelled.
"Took him long enough to realize that!" Blizzard barked.
"Why doesn't Big Brother just break out of there?!" Aika asked. "He's made of rubber, right?!"
"The holes are too small," Nami said. "Plus, I think Cabaji might have glued the board down."
"Must've been some strong glue," said Franky.
"And now," Buggy started, "we shall commence with the flashy execution!"
"WHAT?!" Luffy questioned. "NO WAY! I'M NOT GONNA DIE HERE! HELP! GET ME OUT! FIND SOME BUTTER OR SOMETHING!"
"When it comes to something like this," Robin said, "it's surprising to see Luffy panic."
"I guess even Luffy can be afraid of death," said Sanji.
"Man, it's a good thing you and Zoro got him outta there, Sanji," said Nami. "Seriously, what an idiot he is, sometimes!"
"Uhhh...actually, that's not exactly what happened," Zoro spoke.
"Huh?" Aika muttered.
"We...didn't exactly save Luffy," Sanji admitted as he scratched the back of his head.
"What do you mean?" Kumi asked.
"Uhh...you'll see in a little bit," Sanji replied.
After a while, Luffy seemed to get bored of yelling and started pleading in a deadpan tone.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again," he said. "Please, spare my life."
"AS IF I WOULD SPARE YOU, YOU MORON!" shouted Buggy.
"Hmph!" Cabaji scoffed. "This is what happens to those who defy us."
"So much for having him as my man," Alvida said.
"THAT'S RIGHT, YOU-MMMMPH!" Nami shouted, only for Robin to use her powers to cover her mouth.
"Remember, there are children present," said the archaeologist.
"Thank you, Robin," said Usopp.
"So, Straw Hat," Buggy began, "any last words?"
"... ... ..." Luffy only grumbled in his throat in response.
"Not that it matters, since no one wants to hear them anyway," Buggy said...but then...
"LISTEN!" Luffy yelled. "I'M GONNA BE...KING OF THE PIRATES~!"
Upon hearing that, the whole crowd gasped, and the Straw Hats could make Bartolomeo's jaw drop at this declaration. Hell, some of them even seemed to smile, even as the storm clouds kept rolling in and thunder rumbled in the sky, as if emphasizing Luffy's words.
"Even in the face of death," Zoro spoke, "Luffy's not afraid to speak his mind."
"That's our Luffy," Nami said.
"Bah!" Buggy exclaimed as he raised his sword. "Is that all you have to say for yourself, rubber boy?!"
"Urrgh! Ugh!" Luffy grunted as he kept trying to get himself out. "Dammit!"
"HOLD IT!"
"STOP THE EXECUTION!"
Luffy gasped as he saw Past Zoro and Past Sanji running towards him.
"ZORO! SANJI!" Luffy called. "GET ME OUTTA HERE!"
"Ah, so you're here, Zoro," said Buggy as he prepared to bring the sword down.
"Quick!" Past Zoro said as he and Past Sanji ran to the execution platform. "We gotta tear down that platform, or Luffy's head goes rolling!"
"Got it!" Past Sanji answered as he ran as fast as he could, just as the Buggy Pirates had begun to charge back.
"Get outta the way, you small fries!" Past Zoro shouted as he tried to cut them down while Past Sanji kicked some of them out of his way, but more kept coming.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Buggy. "Perfect! You can see the whole thing from down there! YOUR CAPTAIN IS FINISHED! FINISHED, YOU HEAR ME?!"
"...No way...!" Usopp whispered. "They're...they're not gonna make it in time!"
"This can't be it...!" Nami said in horror.
"Luffy's gonna get killed!" Chopper shouted.
"Big Brother, no!" Aika cried.
"Wait for it..." Sanji said.
"Huh?!" Kumi questioned. "Wait for what?!"
"ZORO!" Luffy called. "SANJI! USOPP! NAMI!"
The Straw Hats all looked up at Luffy...who suddenly gave a broad-toothed grin and said...
"Sorry, but...I'm dead."
The Straw Hats, save for Zoro and Sanji (except their past selves, of course) all gaped at that smile, just as Buggy brought his sword down on the back of his neck. It was not a forced smile in an attempt to reassure them. He looked...genuinely happy. It was almost a smile of gratitude, as if thanking them for being his crew, even in the short time they had known him.
"NO!" Past Zoro cried.
"YOU IDIOT!" Past Sanji yelled. "DON'T START SPOUTING SHIT LIKE THAT, NOW!"
All of a sudden...there was a flash of light, and the sound of booming thunder, roaring throughout the memory, forcing the Straw Hats to duck down and cover their ears. After a moment, the light faded, and the Straw Hats opened their eyes, they saw the execution platform in complete shambles, a twisted mess of metal rods and wooden boards, and Buggy, charred to a crisp, was lying on the ground, completely unconscious...and meanwhile, something floated down towards the ground. The Straw Hats took a closer look and realized that it was Luffy's hat, which landed right at his feet, causing him to smile as he reached down to pick it up, no worse for wear.
"Hey, what do you know?" Luffy asked with that same dopey grin on his face. "I'm alive after all! That's nice!"
"...What...what just happened?!" Nami asked.
"A lightning bolt," Sanji answered. "A lightning bolt came down and struck the execution platform, just when Luffy's head was about to get cut off."
"Holy crap...!" Franky gaped. "How is that possible?!"
"Divine intervention, maybe?" Brook inquired.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Zoro said. "It was mere happenstance at best!"
Truth be told, though, whatever or however it happened, he was glad it did.
"Hey," said Past Sanji. "Do you believe in a higher power."
"Don't start talking shit," Past Zoro answered. "We gotta get outta here!"
At that moment, the Marines appeared in the square.
"Surround them!" shouted one of them. "Capture those pirates!"
"Oh, boy!" Luffy exclaimed before he turned and ran. "Let's go, you guys! Run for it!"
"Hey, which way is the ship from here?!" Past Sanji asked.
"I think it's this way!" Past Zoro answered as the memory began to fade to black.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Smoker: Hold it, Straw Hat! Get back here!
Aika: Hey, it's Mr. Smokey!
Zoro: Oh, no, not this guy again.
Tashigi: Hold it, Roronoa! Give me the Wado Ichimonji!
Past Zoro: What?!
Past Nami: Look! That lighthouse means we're about to enter the Grand Line!
Past Sanji: *puts down a barrel of sake* So, we doing this thing or what?
Past Straw Hats: We're going to the Grand Line~!
Usopp: Uhh...hey guys? Has that black dog been there, before?
Sanji: What black dog?
*A black dog stands before the Straw Hats with glaring red eyes...and four more soon open up*
Dog: Consider this a warning from Master Kovar...turn back, or you will experience hell!
Next time: Declaration of Dreams
Unfortunately, this is gonna be the last chapter of The Fire Within for a while. Starting next month, all I'm gonna be working on is Whole Cake Island, and even then, I'm gonna be slowing it down to at least 1-2 chapters a week. I can't overwork myself like that.
With that in mind, review, please!