One Piece Emperors New Clothes

By: FunahoMisaki

(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)

When it happened, nobody except in Tottoland had any idea what was going on. Hell even those who had seen it happen with their own eyes could never even dream to describe it to anyone else.

Even decades later it had been written down but it was near impossible to describe it entirely right which had left many still wondering and speculating how exactly it must have felt or looked at the time.

It starts simple, kind of like a thunderclap only it's silent. A hush that suddenly enveloped the entire world and everything within. It left everyone wondering but largely unafraid because they had all felt it but no one really knew what it was. What it signified and meant. Those who were weak but dreamed big or stood up for their dreams and the right thing felt safe and secure. Those who lived in tyranny or oppression or fear suddenly felt as if a weight lifted off of their shoulders, as if they knew it wouldn't be for much longer before they were free.

The ones who were afraid or nervous however were those like the Celestial Dragons who didn't want change. It was the ones who oppressed others or crushed dreams. The destroyers of family, followers of Absolute Justice, and the ones who largely were evil and corrupt…they were the ones who felt a sudden shiver of fear crawl through their hearts and down their spines as they instinctively knew that their days were numbered.

The older ones knew that the feeling was familiar but different. As if they had felt this same silent thunderclap before but the tone behind it was different.

No one knew what it really was and was able to describe it. The one who could come closest to putting it in words though? That would because he had lived through it before. More than that he had seen it happen with his own two eyes before. He had been staring right at the reason and had been right by the side of the one who caused it last time.

Silvers 'Dark King' Rayleigh looked up at the sea in the horizon, in the very direction the thunderclap started in, and he smiled.

"It took you long enough." He chuckled with a small smile as he drank a glass of his wife's best whiskey. She looked over at him from her own lawn chair where they had been relaxing and enjoying the nice spring day.

She had felt this feeling before as well and while she could probably guess what had happened and what it signified, she hadn't lived through it like Rayleigh had. She hadn't been right there at the center of the hush.

Oh she probably could guess what it meant, she was smart and intuitive like that his beloved wife, but she couldn't describe it like Rayleigh could. But he knew she understood from the way she smiled and refilled their glasses both with the good expensive whiskey.

Rayleigh compared the two he had lived through and chuckled a bit. Roger's, when this had happened last, had been more like a roar. A threat and a promise all wrapped up in one loud warning to the world.

"Let's turn the world upside-down!" he had said and he had. Oh how well they had all turned the world upside down but none more so than Captain Roger.

Luffy's however was different, very different and yet so similar as well. His was a declaration of war, a simple fact that gave no room for argument or any kind of disagreement. Those who did so or thought of doing so would stand no chance, not now. Not anymore.

No the chance for opposing his declaration was now gone.

Rayleigh couldn't help but laugh a bit thought at the single word that rang throughout the world even if none knew what entirely it said.

"Mine." It bounced around in Rayleigh's head though, him able to hear it just fine, and he was sure his wife got the gist of what the word was if her amused smile was anything to go by.

The person who didn't want to rule anything at all, would be the one who conquered everything. The boy who only wanted freedom and adventure was getting that and so much more now, the world was his for the taking and take it he would.

"To the Pirate King." Shakky said raising her glass with a knowing glint in her eye and Rayleigh clinked his glass against hers.

"To the Pirate King. May his reign be much longer than his predecessors." Rayleigh said and the two of the drank their whiskey even though they both knew what his words meant.

Their time for pirating and all was over, neither of them were on a crew anymore. Not for a long time now…however…they had both seen the potential in Luffy. Had both known somehow that this was the one Roger was waiting for, that this gangly boy with a wide grin (the same grin as the previous king himself) was going to be the next Pirate King.

And so they had acted, subtly so as to not draw more attention than necessary to themselves, in order to see this new king rise. To see this prince grow and claim his crown and rightful title as the King.

Shakky and some others had protected the ship while they had trained, and Rayleigh had helped train Luffy personally. As much as he could before he knew that they had hit a plateau. That Luffy could go no further in his training with Rayleigh's guidance and had needed experience and real world fights with stakes and lives on the line to develop further.

And both knew as soon as Big Mom broadcasted the wedding invite between Vinsmoke (as the rest of the world called him now but Shakky and Rayleigh knew better, they knew that he was always going to be Black Leg Sanji Straw Hat Sanji) Sanji and her daughter Pudding that this was going to lead into it. Into the final stretch for Luffy to awaken his potential to his fullest and finally show the world just who he was.

"Should we call him and congratulate him now or wait?" Shakky asked smiling slightly and making Rayleigh chuckle.

"I think it'd be best to wait for the rest of the world to catch on first. We can see about getting some Straw Hat flags though. Perhaps if one of his 'Grand Fleet' captains comes through here we can request one." Rayleigh said and he chuckled again thinking of his wife's amusement when there was announced to be a Straw Hat Grand Fleet that consisted of more than 10,000 pirates and quite a few big names in the papers.

"If not I'm sure he won't mind us making one of our own." Shakky said and the married couple just exchanged another smile and another toast as they both raised their glasses to the horizon.

'Long Live the King.'