I don't own One Piece or D. Gray Man
Luffy wasn't a thinker. He wasn't a lot of things, and that's why he had his nakama, his crew to fill in where he failed.
But, his crew wasn't here. He was all alone with a baby who wouldn't stop crying.
He bet Zoro or Chopper would know how to help it. He bet anyone else on his crew could have gotten it to calm down easily. Usopp would have dazzled the baby with stories or Brook with his music or Sanji with a meal or…
He crouched down, staring into the baby's grey eyes before his lips stretched into his signature smile. "Hi, there!" he cheered, the baby startled into silence. "I'm Luffy, the King of the Pirates! But," he thought, his face scrunching up in bemusement. "I guess you're supposed to call me Crown Clown."
The baby sniffled. Luffy considered it a victory when it cooed at him instead of continuing its shrieks.
"I guess you wouldn't know your name, huh?" Luffy said, looking around. "Or why you're in a trash can?" Maybe the baby's parents were like Gramps and this was a training exercise. Luffy didn't remember starting training at such an early age, but what did he know about parenting?
It cooed again, swinging around its right arm enthusiastically. Luffy leaned closer only to get bopped on the nose. As he reared back, his nose wrinkled, the baby chittered a laugh.
"Your punch is pretty good for your age!" Luffy encouraged. "If only the Marines hit as hard as you!" He hesitated before poking the baby in the stomach, checking his strength twice just to be sure.
The baby's laugh increased in volume, a gleeful sound that Luffy quickly reciprocated.
Luffy wasn't expecting a baby as an 'accommodator', but he had a good feeling about it.
(As along as he wasn't alone)
Robin was a flighty kid. He unnerved the other street rats, especially when he paused to talk to his 'Clown'. His laugh, a hissing chuckle of 'Heeshishishi', sent shivers down their spines every time.
Luffy, on the other hand, saw the growing boy as the younger brother he never had. He made sure Robin knew how to wield a pipe, the easiest weapon for the homeless wanderer to come across. The former Pirate King watched with a mega-watt smile as his accommodator beat back scumbag after scumbag with ease at a startling seven years old.
Of course, having limited mobility in his left arm, Robin wasn't as good as Luffy or Ace or Sabo, but there weren't Tiger Lords to fight off and while adults were smarter, they were also generally less deadly.
He made sure the boy knew how to throw a punch and how to make friends, how to set aside his pride for those precious few that would eventually worm their way into his heart. At the moment, Luffy was the only one with the privilege of being so close to his Robin.
He knew that wouldn't last forever. The boy would find others like him, others with Innocence and strength and gather together his own crew, his own nakama.
And Luffy would stay by Robin's side the entire time.
"Robin's not a girly name," Robin said one day after making his rounds at the circus. He was holed up under one of the carts, the Ringleader seeing no need to waste tent space on the street brat. Luffy sat next to the cart, having never really liked the restricting feeling of small spaces.
"Robin was a girl," Luffy said, his smile replaced with a frown. What would the circus performers consider girly? Robin was a historian and his nakama, no matter what she did in her past. Why should her gender matter?
"Robin was strong," Robin added.
"All of my nakama are strong!" Luffy corrected. "The strongest!" He leaned back, staring up at the night sky. The stars were different and the wind was moist, but missing the tang of salt he loved.
Robin hummed. "Do you think I should choose a different name? One less girly?"
Luffy blinked, ducking down to look at his charge. "Does it really matter? Robin is Robin."
"But I'm not Robin," Robin tried. "I'm no one."
"You're my nakama," Luffy said firmly. "No matter what you call yourself."
Robin still looked unsure, but nodded. "Alright," he muttered. "I'll use the name Robin. Just for a little while longer."
Luffy stuck his finger in his nose carelessly. "Okay Robin," he said, turning back to the sky. It didn't take long before he heard Robin shift around, trying to get comfortable on the hard ground. He reached back, resting his hand on the boy's shoulder. Robin relaxed immediately, quickly drifting off to sleep, feeling safe and protected beside his Innocence.
Luffy simply spent the night watching the stars as the sky slowly brightened, remembering.
"Why are we going with him?" Luffy wondered, kicking at the dusty road. Allen was trailing behind the weird old man, struggling to keep with the pace. Luffy didn't think he liked how the old man didn't notice his charge's dilemma, foraging on without a care.
"I thought you disliked the circus," Allen replied, huffing as he put one foot in front of the other.
Luffy shrugged, looping his arms behind his head casually. "They hit you."
"He hasn't, not yet," the boy pointed out. "The second he does, we'll leave."
Luffy hummed, taking Allen's words. The child never lied to the Innocence – there wasn't a need to. Luffy would never leave his nakama behind, no matter what. "Do you like your new name?"
Allen stopped, tilting his head to look at the sky, at the birds flying overhead, far beyond his reach. "I'll get used to it," he decided. He was no Robin, no bird free to roam. He was a dog, starved for attention as he picked at the leftovers of humanity.
"Allen," the old man called. "Keep moving forward. Come now."
'Keep moving forward', Luffy mused, frowning as Allen sped up. The old man liked to say that. Luffy agreed, the past was the past, living in the present was what mattered. But…
He didn't like the feverish fire that burned in Allen's eyes every time the old man opened his mouth, like he was the boy's savior, like every word was being carved into Allen's soul.
He wished Robin or Nami or Brook were here. They'd know how to pull Allen back before he fell. Luffy was always too late to save anyone.
He only knew how to patch up a broken heart.
Luffy couldn't break. He was rubber, so Luffy couldn't break. It was common sense.
But, Luffy could stretch and bend and tear and be flattened until he was unrecognizable.
"Stop it, stop it, stop it," Allen begged, his silver eyes wide and locked on the dark man who smirked and chuckled and whose fingers sparked. "Stop it!"
Luffy hated being an Innocence, relying on another to make use of the strength he knew he had. He couldn't help Allen as his arm is torn away, as Luffy himself is ripped from the boy's side. To anyone other than Allen, Luffy didn't exist, a mere shadow, unable to touch and unable to protect.
He hated how the dark man's fingers caged his prison, the sole link to his boy, and smiled, slimy words slipping from his lips.
"Don't eat him, Tease," the dark man purred, a promise of pain and death and blood that Luffy was achingly familiar with. "Just open a hole in his heart."
Luffy could only watch, his eyes dark with fury as the dark man chuckled and lowered his butterfly-decorated hand to his nakama's, his accommodator's chest.
"I feel I should give courageous people like you time before they die," the man continued. "The blood will flow from your heart and your body will fill with terror. And you'll die, suffering."
Allen gasped out blood and the dark man purred in delight.
Luffy watched and swore.
He swore he would beat up that man for torturing his boy. Something as simple as being crushed to dust would not stop him.
He was a storm, he was chaos. He was Monkey D. Luffy, Pirate King, Strawhat, Crown Clown. No matter the name, no matter the title, one thing remained the same.
They would be back and better than ever, ready to knock the dark man and the false-clown from their thrones.
You don't mess with his family.
(He was seventeen years old and alone.)
(He was ten years old and so very, very alone.)
(Alternate title: How do you Luffy?)
I'm sorry, but I walked into this story knowing Luffy was going to be Crown Clown and nothing would change my mind. I'll try out all of the other characters suggested so far (i.e. Edward Elric, Kaneki Ken, and Skull) in the extras!
Seriously, I could have a chapter-series just on Luffy raising little Allen and be perfectly proud of myself. Like, shit, these two are gonna be the death of me.
Allen's first name is Robin because Luffy would tell Allen stories about his crew as bedtime stories and Allen felt he related the most to Robin's story. Until he realized birds were free and he would never be able to caress the sky.
(I might actually do a part 2 for this? Because I have so much I want these two idiots to get into, Mana's instability, Cross, the Black Order and friends, Crown Clown's revival, and Neah and Allen's defection.)
Guest Reviews:
Piggyninja – You're welcome! And thank you! Right? I didn't think of it at first, because of Cross's 'I only allow beautiful people at my side' deal and was mainly looking at female shooters. But, I'm really considering it now, since even my Keep Walking story points out their abundant similarities.
nyarth the SHINY - I probably will! Reborn fits so well with Cross, it would be like seeing double. Pfff, Reborn suggesting more torture for Allen and Cross complimenting his Innocence just makes a wonderful scene. Haha, I really can't see Luffy being too tormented by Reborn, unfortunately. Pouting and sulking, maybe, but most of Reborn's usual torture tactics wouldn't work on his rubber body. Oh, Reborn would definitely be in his adult form, especially as that is the form he sees as most representing him. Personal perception and all that. Yeah, I can see where the Edward and Allen connection comes in and I will be doing an extra for an Edward!Crown Clown, but it really doesn't feel like the right fit. There are a lot of similarities, but Edward had Al, which makes all the world of difference. I hadn't thought of Kurama! Hm, he would work well with the powers displayed. As would Yamato. I wouldn't have thought of Ikuto for Noel Organon, is it the music connection? (Shugo Chara was a good concept that was bugged down by the obnoxious main character and stuffed with interesting character who should have had a better light, I can agree). Yeah, Kenpachi and Yachiro together make wonderful Maddess. I can agree on Itachi and Sasuke/Shisui being conflicting shards being fascinating and I'm still figuring out how that might work. Thank you!
q - Oh, you're welcome! Thank you for helping me!
2lazyforaccount - Haha, thank you! Thanks for the suggestions! Kurama is definitely someone I'm considering for Maker of Eden. Klaud Nyne is hard, since no one will be happy with suddenly being a monkey, but Tsunade and Major General Armstrong would work well with her! Pff, why only one? Yachiro and Kenpachi make a wonderful Madness. But, yeah, Yachiro would be adorable, just hanging off of Socalo's back, giggling and giving him the wrong directions and treating him like Kenpachi because she misses Kenny, the man who raised her and loved her and she's alone with only Socalo and a mission to defeat monsters made from corrupted souls that are killing people. Oh, yeah, Tsukikami will be personified too. I'll just be using a character that fits him really well. Thank you for stay up and helping with this!
ahtoodeetoosoo - Haha, thank you! I'm glad you think so! I am always thinking of more Innocence. Haha, everyone will be traumatized with either of those two on the field! Skull might not be the best suited for Crown Clown (though, arguably, he's enough of a 'joke' that Reborn would think the name fits), but I'll either add him as an extra for Crown Clown or maybe even Maria (cause Cloud shields and the undead and Imma be quiet now) (I lied. Just imagine Cross in the middle of this, like, I'm a horrible human being, but, seriously, what did I do to deserve this/two male Innocence?). Haha, thank you for the ideas!
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Heaven's Compass is up next!