One Piece - Tales of the Pirate King

Disclaimer: One Piece is property of Eiichiro Oda. I am not Eiichiro Oda

Chapter 7 - The Beginning of the End, the End of the First Pirate Age

There was a party. Of course there was a party

Luffy practically demanded it after tying up the defeated fishmen pirates with the marines and dumping them, through helpful application of Hachi's transport pot, back into the marine ship. It took some time to convince Cocoyashi Village that they were free, but nothing a runner going to the park and finding Arlong's dead body didn't solve

Luffy ate melons and hams and melons wrapped in hams. Zoro drunk, alone, almost half of the alcohol of the party. Usopp's tall tales were an instant hit, everyone too drunk to truly question them, instead choosing to celebrate their talkative hero. Sanji's book of recipes grew massively, and his book of conquests gained at least two pages, and even if they were only a dance and a smooch, it was more than enough for the cook. And Gin was completely lost, for once being seen as the hero instead of the villain

And Nami spent the first few hours of the party with the good doctor, however; while complicated to remove a tribal tattoo, it wasn't impossible, and besides, any blemish would be covered by the new one, a tangerine growing out of a windmill, a reminiscent of both of her paternal figures: Belle-mère, her tough, ex-marine mother who saved both Nami and Nojiko's life, and Genzo, a police officer who looked scary when she was younger, and used a windmill on his hat, looking incredibly silly and always making the tangerine-haired girl laugh when she was a toddler

Following it up, was a meeting with said police officer, now old and scarred from his attempt of stopping the Arlong pirates from taking her back when she was ten, immediately after her mother's death; dressed he was in his old brown police uniform, with rights to beret and windmill. They talked a little, reminiscing of Belle-mère, and, soon joined by Nojiko, Nami's blue-haired adopted sister, they debated over Nami's decision of joining the 'Straw Hat' pirates

Or rather, Nojiko and Genzo begged and demanded, respectively, that Nami stayed with them, not needing to go with them, but the lass refused to change her choice, desiring to sail away to make her world map, having learned that while most pirates are evil, the 'Straw Hats' were simply the best crew ever and the greatest chance she had to fulfil her dream, and that's without going into her debt with them, as they did kill Arlong and freed her and her home

It was a weeping trio, hugging each other, that returned to the party, almost dragging down the mood if not for the fact that everyone, even Luffy, was slightly inebriated, and soon the three, while still with tears on their eyes, were laughing and dancing just as the rest

And finally, one week of hard partying later, the 'Straw Hat' pirates waited for their navigator to depart. Gin chatted with Nojiko, talking about tattoos of all thing, between Nami's new one, his own and Nojiko's own blue tribal lines; Usopp and Zoro finished carrying the crates and barrels of resources and food into the ship; Sanji took care of the recently planted tangerines, not really a gardener but knowing enough about fruits to ensure they were healthy… for the most part

The captain of the crew wasn't with the rest, instead resting at the Merry's figurehead, his hat shading his eyes, as he let his body absorb alcohol instead of getting rid of it, and now suffered the hangover from a week-long party. Though, he didn't act like such when he heard the call of: - "Raise the anchor and drop the sails!"

Echoing the order, the crew moved to obey, Luffy going from the front to the back of the caravel in a blink, watching as Nami weaved masterfully around the villagers, who all wanted to stop her and say a proper goodbye, even with the massive sack on her back. It ended with the redhead jumping and delicately stepping on the railings of the Going Merry, stepping down and dropping the sack on the floor

Then she raised her shirt, and to everyone's outrage and Luffy's demented laugher, let fall all the wallets she took as she slipped through the crowd

And that was how Nami, daughter of Belle-mère, said goodbye to Cocoyashi Village and officially joined the 'Straw Hat' pirate crew

"Loguetown" - Spoke Luffy reverently, as Nami traced their route. The city was the last step that the grand majority took before entering the Grand Line: - "'The City of the Beginning and the End'. Our next step before the Grand Line, then"

Solemnly, Nami just nodded, Luffy also nodding in turn, exiting the cabin, and going to his throne at the figurehead, his crew soon joining him in his introspection, the winds pushing the little caravel forward, the winds of change touching the group as they felt it

Something big was coming. Something big was going to happen

Luffy grinned and laughed: - "Let's go!"

He could hardly wait

And it took quite a lot of convincing for him to not personally row or order the crew to do so, Nami slyly pointing out that the wait would just make the adventure more exciting when it came, Luffy agreeing to wait, even as he whined about how it would be too long

One particular day, however, the relative peace of the Going Merry was interrupted, as Nami, now dressed in a completely navy coloured shirt and skirt, bought her journal, after haggling with the News Coo and whining about the rising prices, as also was customary

Then, from within the pages, as she opened the papers, a sheet flew and was almost taken by the wind, only a hasty foot from Sanji stopping it from flying: - "Nami-dear! I brought you a specially prepared lemon ice-cream! What is this?"

"Thank you, Sanji~… and that? Was in the journal"

"Hm, let me see… 'Straw Hat' Luffy, wanted for piracy, worth thirty million Belly… what the hell!" - Echoed the sentiment the entire crew, except Zoro, who just woke up with the commotion

The reactions were somewhat divided. Nami and Usopp were worried about bounty hunters, but the rest of the crew was excited that they finally were worthy something, especially Gin, who now didn't have a bounty higher than his captain

And with the newest reason to celebrate, the crew finally reached the fabled city of Loguetown, 'City of the Beginning and the End'

The place where the pirate King was born, and executed

It was completely expected that Luffy would shoot out of the Merry as if fired by one of the caravel's cannon. It was the complete opposite to see him return, pointing to each member of the crew, first at Nami: - "Don't steal from crew mates" - He then pointed at Zoro, while still looking at the ginger: - "Borrow some money for him to get his swords"

"Sanji, Gin, you both go get food" - He continued, pointing to the named pair, and then back at Nami: - "Nami, you and Usopp go search for everything you can 'bout the Grand Line"

"If you need me, I'll be at the place where they killed the Pirate King; toddles!"

And off he went again, not giving the chance for a single word for the crew

"That's just so… Luffy. Usopp! Let's go!" - "Oi, Nami, aren't you forgetting something!" - Interrupted the sniper

With a sigh, Nami went into the Merry and came with a total of two-hundred thousand Belly in hands: - "Don't waste it, clear?"

"Don't worry, the booze will come from the cook" - And fortunately, said cook and 'the Ogre' had already departed, or else there would be a fight

Zoro's journey begin with him getting lost, however, not familiar with the town at all. He wandered around for some time, until he met her, in a heavily interdicted crossroad. One lass, with dark blue hair, meeting two rather grotesque men; she carrying a katana and the other two carrying a sabre and a cutlass

The swordsman of the 'Straw Hats' moved to help, but didn't need to. The two pirates, whose captain had been arrested by her boss, attacked, but the bluenette easily took them down with a single slash to the amazement of the crowd; then she tripped on her own feet, her glasses falling right in front of Zoro, to the amusement this time, of the witnesses

Without a word, the greenette picked them up and, and grabbed one of her hands, ensuring she'd take the glasses, and he opened his mouth to speak, but then got a good look of her face, making Zoro choke on his words

Long ago, when he was a child and only wielded two swords, Zoro had a rival, a young swordswoman named Kuina, daughter of his teacher, who always defeated him. Just after their last duel, a duel with real swords on a full-moon night, she gripped about her feelings, as she believed that, as a woman, she'd eventually grow to be weaker than Zoro

Zoro disagreed, refusing to accept that he'd only defeat his greatest rival because she grew weaker than him, and made her promise that they'd duel for the title of greatest swordsmen in the world, no matter what happened

What happened, however, was that Kuina tripped while climbing down some stairs, fell and broke her neck, dying then and there

That was the cause of his shock right now. Kuina was dead, he attended her funeral, yet in front of him, stood her!? Impossible!

"Sir, are you okay?" - A voice broke through his stupor, and Zoro twitched further. Even her voice was identical!

Still, he controlled himself, and answered the question: - "Y-yes! Yes, you just… l-look a lot like a dear friend"

"Really?" - She spoke in turn, an eyebrow raised, her face curious about why he had such an extreme reaction, before shrugging her shoulders, deciding it wasn't her problem: - "Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you, but you were off in your own world…"

"… Fine… anyway, do you know any weapon store around here?" - "Hm? Sure! I'm going to one right now, just follow me" - And Zoro did, sweat dropping from his forehead, walking behind this strangely familiar lady: - "I'm Tashigi, by the way"

"Zoro" - "… What!?"

"Hm?" - "Yo-you're the pirate hunter Zoro!? Said to wield the Wado Ichimonji!?"

"… Yes?" - "… I don't trust you! Don't follow me!"

Okay, now that was just going weird places: - "What?"

"You heard me! I hate people like you! Using such a precious blade for such selfish reasons like bounty hunting, I'd never let you waste other swords!"

Gaping, Zoro could only stare as the blue-haired lass turned her nose, turned around… and proceeded to enter into a weapon store, a short walk behind her

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" - Even Tashigi had to recognize it wasn't truly his fault, so she could only stare at him with a blush on her cheeks as he did follow her, but soon had her face pointed somewhere else, refusing to meet his face, instead preferring to ring the bell of the establishment

The lass apparently left her sword here, for repairs and polishing, and, as the man manning the balcony asked what Zoro wanted, the swordsman asked for two swords, each at least worth one hundred thousand Belly, and gaining a frown from the man, not recognizing Zoro and, seeing the sword already on his waist, believing him to be just a wannabe swordsman: - "Fine, see the six barrels alongside the wall? The two closest to the balcony are worthy one hundred fifty, the next two one hundred, and the closest to the door are fifty, take them as you wish"

Raising an eyebrow at the odd presentation, Zoro did approach the barrel with fifty, because why not, and felt… it. It was special. It was evil. It was a katana with a deep red sheath and hilt wrappings, and it sung for him

A gasp almost made him tear his eyes from the blade, but he chose instead to reverently take it from the barrel. Why it was worthy only fifty hundred Belly, he didn't know and didn't care, but he was taking it

"T-that's a Kitetsu! The third Kitetsu blade!? What it is doing there!?" - Exclaimed Tashigi, examining a booklet that appeared to be about swords: - "It's worth at least one million Belly!"

"I- I- I… can't sell you this blade!" - Zoro, unsheathing the blade and seeing with his eyes the quality of the sword, raised an eyebrow at the comment: - "It is a cursed blade! Every swordsman to wield it had a violent, gory death!"

Tashigi deflated with the comment, somewhat sad with the fate of the blade, but Zoro didn't care: - "A curse, hm? Let's test it"

"What?" - "What!?" - Tashigi almost didn't register the comment, so risky the prospect was that she didn't even consider it, while the shopkeeper exclaimed in shock, as Zoro simply threw the sword high in the air, the blade spinning and falling. The swordswoman breath escaped her as she saw Zoro extending his arm under the blade, and the man on the balcony screamed at him, as the sword would surely cleave his arm

But to the surprise of them both, the blade spun neatly around the extended limb, burying itself almost hilt deep into the floor

With a grin, as Tashigi fell on the ground, Zoro declared: - "I'll take it"

And as he moved to see if another special sword answered to him, the shopkeeper moved, raising a hand: - "One moment!" - The moment passed, and he returned with another sword: - "Take this. It is the Yubashiri; it has a black lacquered sheath and I assure you, is the best sword you'll find in this store, if not the entirety of Loguetown"

"T-that's-" - "There's no way I can pay for it"

"Take it, and, in fact, take them both for free. As recognition for such a strong will and your great courage, this is my recognition that you're a true swordsman destined for greatness" - Declared the shopkeeper, removing the blade from its stand and offering it with reverence to Zoro, with swordsman taking it with only a little hesitation

"Thank you… and goodbye" - Said Zoro, not knowing what else to say, exiting the store and leaving behind an ex-swordsman feeling proud and an actual swordswoman feeling extremely confused

"A true swordsman, hm?" - She muttered, then smiled: - "Seen stranger… oh, my knees are weak, I can't stand up!" - "Oh, for the love of Oda, girl"

Zoro wasn't the only one having some misadventures. Sanji and Gin's food run was going smoothly, and Usopp and Nami discovered a special compass that apparently only worked on the Grand Line, but Luffy got himself more lost than Zoro, also having no idea of how to navigate in the city

Thus, he ended outside the town in a cliff, inside an abandoned bar that apparently, Roger himself once frequented, crossed paths with all members of his crew, returned to the Going Merry, and still hadn't found the executioner platform. Even the help of a rather serious looking marine wasn't enough, the instructions given rather vague in the labyrinthine city

But at least, he found it. The executioner platform was a massive tower, a structure of wood and metal that rose far above the city, easily the highest point of Loguetown; naturally, Luffy climbed it and gazed in awe, at the vision the Pirate King had before his execution

"Hey! This is protected property of the World Government! Get out of there this instant!" - Came from below a voice, coming from a man dressed much like Genzo, Nami's adopted father, dressed. He screamed at Luffy through a megaphone, for apparently it was illegal to stand on the same place the Pirate King stood

How noble: - "Don't want to!" - Screamed back Luffy, laughing

The man was about to shout a little more, but was interrupted, an iron club studded with spikes striking him and sending the poor soul flying out of his body, much to his annoyance: - "Hey, I was speaking with him!"

"Ufufufufu, my, oh my; still as active as ever, I see" - The voice of the club-wielder was distinctive, one Luffy hadn't heard before, the female thin and covered with a pink cloak covered with red hearts. Luffy was only aware of who it was because of the club, that he distinctively remembered crushing his body at least twice, and the white cowboy hat

"Alvida!" - "Ah, so you remember me!" - "But do you remember us, 'Straw Hat'?" - The next voice came from a man, hidden under a dark blue cloak, alongside an entire crew of men under the same cloak: - "We have a lot~ to talk about"

Luffy did remember the voice, and he also recognized the barely visible but still noticeable red blob: - "Buggy!"

"Indeed, 'Straw Hat', indeed, I, Buggy 'the Clown', have come…" - And from above Luffy, somehow, came Cabaji, the acrobat that Luffy remembered Zoro saying to have defeated. The acrobat came slamming down Luffy into the platform, a wooden block with large nails strategically positioned to lock the captain of 'the Straw Hats' in place: - "To take my flashy revenge!

Alvida chuckled maliciously again, staring at Luffy like a Nami preying on a particularly fat wallet: - "So easily caught, Luffy, I expected better from the only man who was able to defeat me" - And making the boy with the straw hat still on his head look at her in confusion

"… Hey, cabbage, I can easily slip from here" - Luffy spoke, purposefully misnaming the man pinning him down, using his candy powers to shrink his hands and squish them through their prisons, then reforming them and showing it to prove his point: - "See?"

With a nerve popping from his forehead, and hearing his boss shouting in surprise and ordering to not let their target escape, Cabaji muttered: - "Oh, really, what if I do this!?" - And pressed with as much force as he could. Then he discovered Luffy's trick, the body left behind made of syrup and simply melting into a red puddle, the head popping like the cork of a bottle, the body re-growing and a leg extending a lot: - "Candy Candy~ Axe!"

Screams echoed as Buggy and Alvida hastily dived aside, Luffy stretching his neck and getting into a ready position. Buggy got rid of his cloak, revealing himself in more or less the same clothes from before, while Alvida also got hid of hers, revealing…: - "What the hell!?"

Luffy definitively didn't expect fat, unkempt Alvida to suddenly become quite a beauty, dressed in a white bikini top, stripped pink and white calf-length pants, a purple open coat, and sandals, revealing her changed form: - "Who are you!? Alvida was completely different from you!"

"It is incredible what losing a few freckles does to a person, doesn't it?" - "What!?" - "I ate the Smooth Smooth Fruit, which makes my skin super smooth" - She explained, making Luffy scratch his hat, as that was definitively not what changed: - "And you, Luffy, prove to be quite a trickery opponent~"

"Prove me you're worthy, Luffy" - And with that, the woman charged, her club swinging as she slipped freely at his direction, one feet now bare to allow her to slide with her super smooth skin at high speed, Luffy diving out of the way of the attack and attempting to trip her, but Alvida simply skipped over the extended leg: - "Prove me you're worthy to live!"

"Chop Chop Harpoon!" - The hand and forearm of Buggy came forth, Luffy remembered the dirty trick of this particular technique and choosing to just get out of the way, right into the path of another swing from Alvida, the boy with the straw hat gluing himself to the club to get himself in position, jumping from it and getting himself above everyone

Another axe kick from Luffy, aimed at Alvida, and she didn't even bother to evade, the kick slipping and crushing the tiles beside her, the woman's club crushing his leg, only for a shout of: - "Candy Candy Lance!" - To surprise her, the spear-like thrust actually connecting as he made the tip sticky, and the rest of the leg transferred the force of the blow as it pushed her and slammed her on one of the buildings, the woman losing her remaining shoe, and thus unable to halt the attack, her slippery feet unable to give her any grip on the ground

Instincts then blared, and Luffy jumped back, seeing Buggy slam down a cutlass on the ground, one that had Luffy frowning, as it felt strangely familiar. Deciding that such details weren't important to think about in the middle of a fight, the 'Straw Hat' decided to simply not be cut by it

With that decision, he charged forward with a shout, driving 'the Clown' into the defensive, a 'Candy Candy Pistol' forcing the man to duck, followed by Luffy grabbing on the ground behind Buggy and allowed himself to be dragged forward; the enemy captain tried then to cut him up with his cutlass, but Luffy twisted out of the way, delivering a devastating heel kick to launch Buggy away, putting the boy between both Alvida and Buggy

"Have you no honour!?" - Shouted Alvida, making Luffy turn confused, as they were the ones who attacked him from behind, and to his surprise, it wasn't shouted at him, but at a marine, who just fired a net of sorts over her, the now beautiful woman launching herself forward and sliding towards her sandal: - "This is a duel between pirates!"

Then from above a building through a megaphone, a voice: - "Exactly; in the middle of my city, even. Marines! Fire the nets!" - It had Luffy scratching his head, as he was fairly certain that he heard the voice before, but he couldn't remember exactly where

"Captain! Captain Luffy!" - The crowd, panicking and corralled by the Buggy pirates into the plaza, finally dispersed, the marines containing the corsairs and allowing Luffy to see Gin and Zoro fast approaching: - "Nami said a storm was coming! We need to get out of here!"

The marines heard Gin speak, and the orders to detain the 'Straw Hats' echoed, but it was for naught, the nets launched over the crew missing as Luffy acted like a bouncy ball, springing away from the battlefield, he and his crew making their exit amidst the chaos, the boy with the straw hat laughing all the while

Luffy didn't laugh for long. Soon the group met opposition, in the form of a cute blue-haired swordswoman and a severe looking marine smoking two cigars at once

"Roronoa Zoro! I could even accept an honourable bounty hunter, but an honourable pirate!?" - Spat said swordswoman: - "I'll take those swords from your hands, even if I have to kill you!"

Luffy, while as fond of a fight as Zoro, was told they were on a time limit: - "Zoro, be fast, we need to reach the Merry!" - "Aye, captain!"

"Who said you'll reach your ship, 'Straw Hat' Luffy?" - Spat, this time, the severe marine: - "No pirate has ever escaped Loguetown while I was its captain, and I don't intend to make you my first! White Off!" - Then the marine turned into white smoke, and charged at Luffy and Gin, as Zoro faced Tashigi of the side

Luffy ordered: - "Gin! Run! Go to the Merry as fast as you can! We'll follow!" - And then, cried out: - "Candy Candy~ Pistol!" - The candied punch passed harmlessly through his opponent, who reformed his upper torso and drew a jutte from his back

Meeting the charge head on, the boy with the straw hat shouted: - "And Cannonball!" - As his hand found purchase in a lamppost, and he allowed himself to be launched at the marine, evading the weapon on his hands and trying, and failing, to kick him on the back, the captain simply dispersing into smoke

Giggling, Luffy landed on the floor and charged on foot, his hands behind him to prepare for some good old fisticuffs, but not finding it as his smoky opponent just passed through him. Luffy hastily ducked under the iron rod wielded by the marine, grabbed it, and attempted to deliver one of his deadly punches, but again was foiled by his opponent's unique body. The pair disengaged, facing each other, and Luffy spoke

"So, smoky, how are you doing?" - "It's Smoker" - "… Really?" - "White Blow!" - After the small banter, the smoke man punched forward with his jutte, his arm of smoke except his hand holding the weapon, the smoke growing and propelling the hand forward; the captain of the 'Straw Hats' ducked under the attack, and attempted to jump back to grasp the weapon, but failed

He did separate the arm from the rest of the body, but just as he removed his own head and regrew his body, so did Smoker, re-growing from his arm with the remains of his body dispersing, the jutte blow striking him in the back of the head

It actually hurt him! It actually wounded the boy, who hastily grabbed his dislodged hat, putting it back on his head, turning and staring at Smoker, correctly deducing: - "Seastone!?"

"Indeed, the tip of my jutte is coated in Seastone; now stand still and surrender!" - And so charged the smoke man, the candy boy wary but still meeting the charge with his own battle cry, a punch passing through Smoker's head as Luffy twisted out of the way of the jutte

Then Luffy did a very… Luffy act, jumping and wrapping himself around the extended arm of Smoker, his hands almost desperately grasping on the body of his weapon, drawing a shout of surprise from him, as the boy with the straw hat grappled the weapon out of his hand

Or at least, attempted to, Smoker not giving in easily, the marine holding firm and shaking the hand with a monkey gripping it, smashing Luffy aside on the pavement. Still the boy held, finally getting a good hold and kicking aside the weapon from Smoker far away

It was rather comical, Luffy hanging on the underside of Smoker's arm, the pair looking at the dropped weapon, then at each other

"Fuck off!" - Smoker wasn't one to measure words, just finally punting the boy aside as he was at… an arm's length, and rushing to recover his jutte; to his surprise, Luffy recovered faster than he expected, and was running alongside him, shoulder tackling Smoker… or attempting to, as the man was made of smoke

The precious seconds wasted trying to push the smoke aside were enough for Smoker to reach his jutte first, but Luffy reached it soon after, dragging the weapon into the ground as Smoker tried to lift it into position. The duo trashed together some more, but then the marine found himself, again, with the boy between himself and his weapon, Luffy holding it and his back to Smoker's chest

Perfect position for the 'Straw Hat': - "Candy~ Candy~ Conquest~!"

Separating, permanently, Smoker from his jutte, Luffy did, growing into a massive bubble of candy, pushing Smoker back and into the building behind the pair, the jutte serving as a strange and improvised wall, stopping Luffy from destroying the buildings in front of him. Luffy willed the bubble to stay, popping outside it with the jutte in hands, and coming to a choice

He could face everything that came his way, except a fellow Logia Devil Fruit user. So, why not take a weapon that dealt with that?

"Thanks, Smoker!" - And with that, Luffy ordered: - "Zoro, dealt with your girlfriend!?"

The swordsman tripped, almost letting the lass facing him slash him open, but he recovered: - "Horse Chopper" - And Wado Ichimonji cut open hands that only wanted the best for the blade, not realizing that the best was in the hands of Zoro, as her sword was raised to block, and the white blade slipped, bypassing the guard of Tashigi's sword and cutting her hand

Forced to drop Shigure, her own precious sword, Tashigi was forced to watch the blade she desired to free on her chin, disappointed with herself and almost crying, as she was unable to even force him to use a second sword, as she closed her eyes and prepared for the end, an end that never come: - "Open your eyes"

"W-what" - She did, and was surprised to see Zoro sheathing his blade: - "You want to take my blade, don't you?"

"Then surpass all!" - Tashigi blinked, sweaty from the exertion and confused with the comments: - "Discover your true self, discover the truth, and become stronger than all, even me! I shall wait at the top, alongside true legends; only when you reach me will you be able to take this sword from my cold and dead hands!"

And with those parting words, taken partially from Mihawk himself, Zoro followed his captain

"Usopp, Sanji! Man the sails! Gin, it's great to see you! Go for the rudder! Where's Luffy and Zoro" - Nami spoke, giving orders to the crew, who hastily moved to comply

"We got intercepted by marines on the way, including captain Smoker personally! They stayed behind! Who's that?" - Gin spoke, asking about the sickly green lion and the man riding it, who awkwardly waved as he ducked beneath shots from marines

"He's irrelevant! The marines are going to bring cannons soon enough! Are they coming or not!?" - Exclaimed Nami, slowly despairing. They needed their captain to depart to the Grand Line!

Fortunately, before she tore her hair, the captain and the swordsman of the crew soon appeared, the group soon entering the ship and departing, the storm strangely helpful, the winds blowing the Going Merry away from the harbour and the rain damaging the gunpowder and halting their cannon fire, the 'Straw Hats' guided by a lighthouse built specifically for the purpose of guiding daring adventurers to the entrance of the Grand Line

They sailed and sailed, partying for their victory, Luffy calling the crew, carrying a barrel of sake with him

"Yosh, everyone! Like this" - He demonstrated being the first to raise his leg and put it over the barrel, the crew forming a circle and following his example: - "Now, I'm going to be the Pirate King!" - And the rest of the crew didn't hesitate

"I'm going to be the greatest swordsman in the world!"

"I'm going to draw a world map!"

"I'm… I'm going to be a brave warrior of the seas!"

"I'm going to find the All Blue!"

"I will have my name heard around the world!"

And all together: - "Kampai!" - And they broke the lid of the barrel, all together delivering a strong enough kick, drinking merrily

Shortly after, they saw… it

When they thought of magnificence, Zoro saw Wado Ichimonji, Mihawk and his Yoru and, secretly, Kuina; Nami saw the wonders of the weather and of the ocean; Usopp his own bold tales; Sanji the finest dishes one can make on the All Blue; Gin the might of his blows and the blood spilt; and Luffy saw Ace and Sabo

Now they also saw the Red Line, the mountain that split their world in two, the chain of islands connected together to form a wall that cut even the mighty Grand Line. And they trembled

Luffy's was excitement rather than the rather sane fear one would expect, and he wasn't alone. Only Usopp, Nami, and not-so-surprisingly Gin were truly scared, really, and even then, it was tempered by happiness at getting one step closer to their objective

"Nami! How close we are; what do we do!" - Asked Luffy, trembling on his seat at the figurehead of the Merry

The navigator answered: - "Luffy! Just do as I say! Apparently, the entrance of the Grand Line requires us to go up the Red Line!" - And various shouts of incredulity followed, except from Luffy, then all pausing at the same time as they turned to Gin, who did sail the Grand Line

He just shrugged his shoulders: - "We cheated and went through the Calm Belt, using our numbers to beat the Sea Kings. Still lost nine of our ships"

Luffy pouted, and Nami moved to facepalm, but reconsidered: - "Well, considering there was fifty ships, it would be less risky… oh, doesn't matter" - She turned to point at her captain, giving orders to better approach the Red Line

Then, as they approached, they saw it, everyone gaping in amazement and incredulity, as they saw the channel built on the Red Line, with its many arches on the entrance to welcome daring adventurers. It wasn't all joy, however: - "Gin! We're going to hit the right wall!"

"Can't~ move~! The current is too-" - And as if to prove his point, the pole used to control the rudder snapped, breaking under the strain of facing both Gin's strength and the force of the ocean

As the crew more or less panicked at the prospect of colliding with the Red Line and failing before they even properly started their journey, Luffy decided that it was time, as the captain, to do what captains do and save his crew. Waiting for the right moment, he jumped from his perch, diving between the outer arch and the Going Merry, and shouting: - "Candy Candy~ Fort!" - And turning into a massive bubble of soft candy

Unlike his 'conquest' technique, this one was more a cushioning bubble of syrup with a more resilient shell rather than a slab of rock solid candy, the ship bouncing on the balloon and correcting its course, much to the glee of the crew, which quickly turned to dread as Luffy turned back to normal over the seas; fortunately, a shout of - "And Pistol!" - Comforted them, Luffy's arm striking Merry's rear and gluing him to her, allowing their captain to slingshot himself over the ship and back into his special seat

"Woohoo! We're going so fast!" - He exclaimed, hugging his seat, as indeed the Merry was moving at high speed, carried by the strong current: - "Oh my god, we're reaching the clouds!"

"We're past the clouds!" - Agreed Nami, the entire crew smiling with excitement

Laughing, Luffy shouted: - "Grand Line, here we come!" - And the little caravel erupted at the top of the Red Line, launched sky high and falling into the swirl at the top of the mountain, spinning before going down the proper path, into the most dangerous sea in the world

"Yahoo!" - And the crew could hardly wait

AN: Woo. That was a ride

Luffy against Smoker was more difficult than I though, mostly because it was about two almost imortal men facing each other, with the sole weakness a weapon that they both could compete for. It doesn't help that my muse is in a Harry Potter mood, so I sort of have been behind in my writting... Still, at least I was able to publish the last chapter of the East Blue Arc!

On to reviews: sudhush, work more on Luffy's fights, hm? Ok! Hopefully Luffy vs Smoker will please you!

Lazymanjones96, thanks for the review! It really helps to know my work is being appreciated!

Elfyliane, I don't think they will come to blows; the lady will be sad at her brother's death, but I don't think she will actually become an enemy. Mind you, that's still a long~ way, so, who knows

And to our anonymous guest, the pairings are: Luffy x Meat, Zoro x Kuina at the moment, and no, no necromancy will be involved, Usopp x Kaya, Nami x Money, Sanji x Cute girls, and Gin x No one yet. More seriously, pairings are a tricky business that should be approached in a way that doesn't feel forced, so, unfortunately, you'll have to wait a little before any actual pairing forms

And that's it for reviews!

On to canon changes: The biggest one is the Zoro vs Tashigi conflict. While Smoker will still chase after Luffy to the Grand Line, Tashigi is much more dedicated to her craft, since she received a direct challenge instead of a sort of rejection from Zoro, and Dragon just watched from afar the whole thing. He didn't even need to lightning bomb the execution's platform!

And a much smaller one is that the Seastone arsenal of the crew is growing. Nami has a dagger taken from Buggy far back, and now Luffy stole Smoker's jutte, much to his annoyance

Oh, and thanks to the direct order, Nami didn't spend all her time on clothes shopping, much to Usopp's fortune; they did found a Log Pose, even if they still have no idea of how it works

And that's it for canon changes!

Thank you all for once again bothering to comment on my story, thank you all who read and follow and add it to their favourites, and I hope you all have a fine day!

Peace!