To begin, in no way, is any of these drawings, pictures, or one piece characters mine, neither is the OC family surname and father's full name...see I found a bounty hunter in history and used his name. Also I was inspired by many fanfictions three in particular are "Second Wind," By the Lost Samurai and "Unintended Consequences" by Umei no Mai (I love how detailed and well thought out your OC's are!) and "This Bites!" by the CrossBrain collaboration (lol love your guy's works!) but in no way am I trying to steal their work or copy or whatever...Only thing I can claim is the actual oc characters and any deviations from the canon storyline that is my plot for this fan-fiction...but let's be real here? None of this, on this, that's not titled as original work, is actually ours right? Lol….but whatever...disclaimers for all chapters muahahaha! I'd love to see some feed back on how I do with the story since this is the first FanFiction I've ever written...so if you see something that needs to be fixed please send me a PM message!

Chapter One…

The day was hot, record breakingly so in fact.

Causing the humidity to spike. Not like it wasn't bad enough already during the summer months.

According to the old folks around here, it hasn't been this hot and humid since Roger's execution. But seeing how I wasn't even BORN yet, I didn't really care.

I was still looking for the perfect ship/crew to take me on...where? To the Grand Line of course.

In this town there were really only two destinations ships head to or from. You're either one of those lucky ones who made it out of the grand line and plan on continuing trade back further into the East Blue or you're on your way to try making it big on the Line itself.

I was looking for a pirate crew ideally. Why, you ask? Simple.

One day, two years ago, as I was passing by the wanted posters for local pirates, they were in the same place as always nothing new about them other than the new record breaking rookie who'd just become a "supernova" in under a year named Portgas D. Ace, that I came to a sudden idea. It was like a metaphorical light bulb clicked on in my head.

The idea was rater simple but if I went through with it there'd be no turning back for me to find a different career path in life. My idea was 'What if I had a bounty poster', for my family to see...thinking about my family made me think of my father's lessons about bounty's to me as a child before he died.

He always said that usually Bounty Posters were only issued for those who broke the laws of the World Government. It could be for bandits or Pirates or Revolutionaries, it didnt matter in the end. Dad was once considered the Worlds Best Bounty Hunter before he met mom and retired. So he knew what he was talking about when it came to this kind of thing. He started teaching me the ways of the sword back when I was five after I begged him and mom for multiple months in a row, day in and day out without let up.

My Dad used to say that most of the pirate population were all jackasses, (he'd been in the "doghouse" with mom for over a week when she found out he was the one I'd been learning all these curse words from) and that they were the ones who had to be 'tagged and bagged'. His terms for apprehended and turned over to the marines so they could either rot in impel down or face public excecutions. Mom was even more pissed when she found out he'd explained what those were.

But, he always stressed that there were decent pirates.

The kind that only sought the adventure of traveling to new places, discovering more of the world, without all the rules and regulations that the world government has placed on such activities, which is why he used to make sure I learned the importance of "Know your target. Pick the rotten ones to chase down if you have to fight Wisteria. One bad apple does not mean the whole damn tree is rotten too."

Sometimes, when dad got to talking about this he would get this far away look in his eye, and I can't help but think that under different circumstances, that my father would have found himself a jolly roger to follow if he hadn't met and fell in love with my mom. Or that he was thinking of his sworn brother in arms, a Pirate we all called Uncle Mihawk in our house, who last we'd all heard was a Warlord now.

But it was as I was reflecting on the near impossible task of searching for my lost family, and seeing those bounty posters, I couldn't help but realize, that these posters, if you were wanted bad enough or infamous enough, then they would be distributed world wide not just the local newspapers like the local law breakers.

I could literally use these bounty posters as a way to show my family, wherever they were, that I was ALIVE. That I was looking for them, and that maybe it would offer hope to them.

But to get one of those I'd have to be a pirate.

Only a pirate's bounty poster made it necessary to distribute it world wide afterall.

But could I do that? Cast aside all that my mother had taught me and dared to search for those rare types of pirates my father spoke of? I'd spent weeks debating it internally. But it was when I read the news about Whitebeard Pirates stopping a super rookie from burning down Fishman Isle after he'd (ACE) beaten the Warlord Jimbei the Knight of the Sea. Because Whitebeard had claimed the Isle as being under HIS protection. So there was my proof right there that there were decent pirates just as my father used to speak about.

But how to find one around here? And still be willing to take her on into the Grand Line. They'd have to be a rare combination of strong, determined, and yet kind.

I haven't found anyone that fit what I was looking for in the last two years. I was starting to lose hope that there'd be any of those kinds of pirates left in all of East Blue.

Having looked around the docks all week with zero leads so far, I decided to head back to my favorite bar for some food, before going back to base to get a nap. Seemed like I was just in time too, since Captain Smoker showed up to stop those no-named pirate wanna-be's from pillaging the import warehouse. I couldn't help rolling my eyes at that. Normally he left the small fry to his men, 'must have been extra bored today' I thought.

The old man who owns this seedy bar was as grizzled as always. I know I'm one of the few, if only patrons he actually enjoys seeing. Mostly because I offer to pay my way in manual labor and I'm not a marine. Seriously he needs to advertise or something. Having no customers has gotta be hurting his profit margins...weather he has a nest egg saved up from the past or not. But it wasn't any of my business. He tells great stories while I work on cleaning the place in exchange for food that doesn't come from "Marine Charity". I've had enough of that to put me into debt for the rest of my life, considering how they found me.

I had just went into the back to grab the mop when I heard the swinging door to the taverns entrance squeak. "I need to oil that sometime before I leave," I remind myself.

Coming out to the main lobby I see a young man sitting on the stool that the bar owner never lets anyone sit in, listening avidly to the tale of how Gold Roger killed Killer Jack, the giant of a man, with a single blow to the head.

At first I was surprised, not many people, especially in this town, are eager to listen to tales about Roger. That could be due to the strong marine presence this town now has and how hard they used to crack down on anyone who sympathized with Roger.

Thankfully that was before Smoker was posted here as the Captain in charge. He may look mean and stuff but once you got to know him, he was a decently nice guy to kids. Still didn't erase the harsh reputation the marines of LogueTown had accumulated from beforehand.

The young man sitting at the counter was not much taller than myself. And considering I'm a whopping 4'9" that's spoke volumes. I can only imagine how many times he must have gotten teased for being short.

Sun kissed skin and messy black hair covered by an old straw hat with a red ribbon and a scar curving under his left dark chocolate eyes. He wasn't much to look at, at first. Dressed in only a brick red vest and blue cut off shorts and straw sandals, but I could see past the slouched posture, this boy had callouses upon his fists and feet. He was a fighter and since that scar under his eye was the only proof of an injury, a good fighter to boot.

I tried to ignore them but the stories were just too good to pass up. Dad may have been a bounty hunter but he used to tell stories about the "good ones" like Whitebeard and Roger. Because of my father's stories, I've always loved to hear tales of adventures on the high seas.

So after I finished wiping the counter down I joined in the discussion. "You said you're going to the Grand Line? When?"

I tried again to keep the enthusiasm out of my voice...didn't want to come off too strong about this after all. He looked at me confusedly at first but still smiled without asking why I was whispering. Which made me like him even more than that he impressed the old man.

"MmHmmm, as soon as my nakama have gotten what they wanna do done and I've seen the place where Gold Roger was Executed. That's our next stop! Who are you?" He says with a huge grin.

"Really?!" Hey I think I almost reached a normal volume with that squeal...cool.

"Yup," he nods.

"My name's Wisteria Duncan. What's your name?" I smile.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meet'cha." He's smiling extra wide now.

I smile wistfully as I tell him, "I'm trying to go to the Grand Line myself but haven't found anyone who will take me on. I heard you tell the old man you're gonna try finding the One Piece. That means you have to go to Fishman Island first. That's where I want to go."

I was trying to get a measure of if I could trust him or not and if so, if he'd be willing to take me as a member of his crew. His smile had dimmed a little so I can actually see his eyes now, (their a dark chocolate brown...) so I can see that he's looking me in the eyes as if searching for something.

He asks me quietly, "Is that your dream?."

I shake my head. I can't put my finger on it but I feel compelled to tell him the truth. Looking back I would say it was something with his eyes. They were so intense yet open, honest, whole heartedly so in a way she hadn't seen since her family's eyes that caused her to want to stay with him...that he was the kind of captain she'd been unconsciously searching for to go to sea with.

"No...I only want to go to Fishman island because I'm looking for my family. We were separated seven years ago and the only solid clue I have is in the Grand Line. We had all been heading to Fishman Island. My dream is to Find my Family and Sail the Seas Together while Protecting Them."

"Shihihihihihihihi that's awesome! Ne Ne, what's your family like?" He asks excitedly. I smile in fond remembrance. (A/N: I figure Luffy would be interested in his crew's dreams...thus I'm using this as a clue to show he is interested in Wisteria being his nakama…)

"My mother is a clownfish Mermaid and my father was a famous Swordsman Bounty Hunter in the Grand Line. They met when he saved her life, which had sadly caused him to get hurt and lose an arm. They fell in love while she nursed him back to health and they moved out here to settle down, where they had us, my siblings and I." I smile thinking back to those times.

"I am the oldest and I have two younger siblings. They're twins. My sister, Crystal, ate a devil fruit when she was 6 years old." I continue wistfully.

"SUGOI!" he shouts, interrupting me. "What fruit did she eat? I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit." He stretched his cheek widely and while I was curious about that, I decided to ask later, "She ate the Cat-Cat Fruit Model: Tiger so she can turn into a tiger."

I swear I could see what looked like stars replacing his eyes. How? I have no idea. I chuckle at his awe though and nod.

"My Brother, Willam, wants to be a painter. He used to go on and on about how he was gonna sail the world and paint all kinds of exotic places for a picture book. Everyone always said he was a natural with a paint brush. They had planned on setting out together when we were all kids because Crystal wanted to explore all that the world has to offer. She never liked staying in one place for too long. Used to scare my parents all the time because she would go off exploring and get lost, so we had to spend all evening trying to find her."

My smile dims as I recount the next part, "My father was killed when I was 8 years old. During the attack I was injured, which is why I can't talk very loud." I knew I didn't always have to explain that last part but it also prevents others from coming to their own strange conclusions.

He had been grinning widely up until that last part. But when I went on to explain he perked up a bit.

"It was after that, that I swore I would protect my family. Mother decided we should move to Fishman Island where we would be safe, but on our way we were attacked by bad men, who'd heard that mother was a mermaid, and when they attacked I was knocked out. There was apparently a lot of blood because they left me for dead. The Marine who runs this base found me when he stopped to resupply there, and rescued me. I did not regain consciousness until after we had come to this island. I've been training my swordsmanship ever since so I could be strong enough to find them. There's been rumors of a young man who fits the description of my brother on a pirate ship out in the grand line, so for the last week I've been trying to find someone who would take me with them on their journey but…" he nods encouraging me to continue when I trail off.

I sigh, "No one has either been good enough in character for me to trust them or been willing to go all the way through the grand line.'' I finished lamely shrugging my shoulders.

"Hey, Hey, Wisteria...do you want to join my crew?" he asks me seriously.

Time seems to freeze as I gasp. This was what I was trying to build myself up towards.

I try to speak but it feels like my throat is closed.

I know that time didn't really freeze because I can still see the dust motes in the air moving lazily around. The strap holding all my worldly possessions felt heavy on my shoulder, and I swore my swords hilt dug just a bit sharper into my hip.

I couldn't think past "why me?" I must have said that out loud because he smiles, and speaks softly to me.

"Because, you're super Nice! Plus you have a really great Dream. Since I'll be traveling the world to find the One Piece, and become the King of the Pirates, you're bound to find your family if you come with me! So, what do you say?" His smile stretched back into the large D grin again as he waited for me to respond. Eyes never leaving mine.

I don't know how long this went on but he blinks and suddenly I can breathe normally and I gasp out as loud as I can "Yes! Please! Yes!"

I feel something hot trickle down my cheeks and realize I'm crying.

I eventually get my tears under control and it is then, that the old man reminds us that he was here the whole time, as he gets up and joins me behind the counter, offering Luf-Captain Luffy a drink on the house.

My new Captain smiles softly and says "I don't drink alcohol but thanks."

He isn't deterred, he reaches inside his little mini fridge under the bar and pulls out a carton of milk instead, pouring the three of us a glass and raises his to a toast to the eternal Pirate King Gold Roger.

Captain Luffy cheers to that and drains his glass of milk in one go. I too toast along and drink my milk.

Once I've put away my cleaning supplies from earlier, I say goodbye and express my thanks. As I turn to leave I hear my Captain and the bar owner's last words to each other and smile.

The old man, started cackling to himself softly, Luffy looks over to him and gives a quiet chuckle as he asks the "ossan" what's so funny.

"It seems if there's still youngsters like you who still dare to brave that nightmare sea then I can keep this bar running for a while yet."