Chapter 3: And so it begins...

Seven years later…

Dawn found Luffy gazing out at the wide expanse of sea from his precarious perch on the top of the cliff overlooking the port, the frayed ends of the straw hat he had grown accustomed to wearing fluttering slightly in the cool breeze. The sun was making its way leisurely up towards its rightful position in the sky, and the light and fluffy clouds foretold a good day of sailing ahead.

The port was already bustling with activity, and getting more crowded by the minute. Greetings and friendly banter were exchanged between the fellow sailors as they prepared to start another day of work. Usually, such a scene would have piqued Luffy's attention, but not that day. His eyes were trained on something else – a small boat bobbling up and down in the safe waters of the harbour.

The day he had looked forward to so fervently all these years had finally arrived.

A smile slowly spread across his face as the teenager took a seat on the sandy ground, crossing his legs. Excitement bubbled up from within him, and he was literally twitching to get going on what he's sure was going to be a journey of epic proportions. He was going to make new friends, fight strong people, travel across the world… and of course, succeed Gol D. Roger as the next Pirate King.

There wasn't a single doubt in his mind that he would be unable to achieve that. He refused to even entertain that ridiculous notion; after all, self-doubt only serves as a deterrence. Having had learnt that from a young age under his gramps' – Monkey D. Garp, one of the few Marines still alive that had witnessed the former Pirate King's rise to fame and notoriety – tutelage, Luffy had become exceedingly optimistic towards everything and anything happening around him.

Simple-minded, some people would chide him of being, but he knew better.

Being happy-go-lucky had its merits, hence the phrase ignorance is… breeze?

Something along that line, anyway.

Hurried footsteps sounded from behind him, the gradual increase in volume alerting him of someone's arrival. Luffy, however, didn't have to turn around to know who it was. He was only expecting a particular someone's company anyway. "Coby, it's good to see that you've changed your mind."

The pink-haired teenager huffed loudly in annoyance as he stopped next to Luffy. "You could've acted surprised at the very least."

"I could," Luffy conceded in a drawl, tilting his head to regard him with a grin, "but I'm not. So I didn't."

Coby had grown tremendously as well over the years, both physically and mentally, albeit under Shanks' guidance instead as he had followed the red-haired captain for a few more trips around the Grand Line. He had only decided to leave his service when Shanks achieved the title of Yonkou, ascending to become one of the four emperors of the sea that were feared and revered in equal measures across the world. Never one for fancy titles, Shanks had decided to stay within the New World so he could continue doing what he loved without interruption. That only solidified Coby's determination to forge his own path. He briefly deliberated whether to join the Marines after announcing his imminent departure to Shanks, and his former captain had advised him to think it through more thoroughly – after docking at Dawn Island for what could very well be Shanks' last visit in a very long time.

Fingering his neckerchief absently, Coby glanced at his friend next to him. After reuniting with Luffy and spending just a bit of time with the energy man, he had found himself craving for far more than just bringing justice to the world. Luffy's contagious enthusiasm and blinding passion towards his goals had eventually won his heart over; to be fair, he hadn't put up much of a fight either. In the face of his childlike naivety and ability to put people at ease with just a crooked smile, Coby had fallen for Luffy's words hook, line and sinker.

The duo lapsed into a comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

In a way, Coby couldn't think of a better captain to follow than Luffy. Selfless to an almost laughable extent, his compassionate ways reminded Coby of himself. Putting aside his tendencies to spout nonsensical comments and placing himself in danger for no good reason due to his non-existent sense of self-preservation, Luffy is an incredible role model.

One that Coby was certain he'll follow to the ends of the Earth – which he actually might, in his search for true justice.

His adventures with Shanks had opened his eyes to many new things, and the proverbial light bulb had appeared above his head after all the shocking discoveries. The Marines were, in more ways than one, blinded by their pursuit of "absolute justice", which has led them to commit offences after offences without so much as a blink. They claimed that their actions were all warranted in the attempt to achieve the greater good, but Coby found that their actions just left a sour taste in his mouth.

Pirates, on the other hand – or at least Shanks' crew – lived by an unspoken code of conduct. Sure, there will definitely be some motley crews that pay no heed to such rules in favour of foul play and underhanded tactics, but a majority actually prided themselves for following the rules.

For example, when the captain of a crew surrenders, all personnel on the ship will immediately be considered as under the protection of the crew that had taken over them. Under no circumstances whatsoever should they be harmed after they wave the figurative white flag, unless they attempt to revolt – only then, can force be used (again) to subdue them. The conquered crew of pirates will then be allowed to get off at the next nearest island.

Only the strongest survived in this world, and Coby wouldn't have it any other way. It motivated him to constantly push himself to get stronger, to take down formidable adversaries he once thought impossible.

And he was confident that Luffy will push him to become that stronger person he sought to become, in all sense of the word.

"So, the Pirate King huh?" Coby said, breaking the quiet. "When you set a goal, you really aim high don't you?"

"What's the point of a goal if you can achieve it easily?" Luffy's response only affirmed that Coby's decision to make him his captain was a right one. "A goal should challenge you. Make you push yourself to your limits, and then further."

"You've really changed, Luffy."

"I could say the same about you, Coby."

Coby laughed, lifting his face up to the sky and basking in the glorious warmth of the morning sun. "I hope you've at least figured out how to control your Devil Fruit ability when I was gone."

There was a long pause, and when the pink-haired boy looked to his captain, he saw that Luffy's expression was carefully blank – inscrutable, even. He knew better than to push for an answer though; Luffy was bound to reply eventually.

As expected, the answer came within a minute.

However, when he spoke, his tone was measured, the words coming out slowly as if he was running them through his brain before saying them out loud. He really did change, Coby thought wryly. "My power is… unique. Even after all these years and help from Shanks as well as my gramps, I still can't fully grasp what I'm capable of. The possibilities are endless. Energy isn't technically an element on its own, so even the Devil Fruit appraiser is way out of his depth here."

Luffy pursed his lips, picking up a stray pebble on the ground and tossing it up into the air. "You see, energy is all around us. It can be changed into different forms like light or heat. I've found that I'm able to manipulate the energy surrounding me to move faster or slower. Take this" – he pointed to the pebble in his palm – "for example. When it's tossed in the air, it possesses a certain type of energy, and when it reaches its peak all the energy has been lost – converted into another form – so it pummels to the ground." In demonstration, he let the pebble hit the ground, sending up a small plume of dust from the impact. "I can alter the concentration of energy by absorbing it into my body at will; watch."

Fascinated, Coby kept his eyes trained on the pebble as Luffy once again threw it into the air. It slowed down in mid-air, having lost all its energy, and was about to drop back down when –

It halted entirely, levitating in the air.

"Whoa." Coby gaped in astonishment at the sight of the floating object. Raising a trembling finger, he prodded gently at it, causing it to move just the slightest bit before freezing once again. "This is so cool."

"I took away all the energy – or forces, to be exact – acting on the pebble. Without anything directing it, it remains suspended in mid-air until I return the energy back to it." A split second later, the pebble commenced its journey back to the sandy ground. "That's just one example of what I'm able to do," Luffy continued. "Like I said, the possibilities are endless. Anything regarding the manipulation of energy, basically. I just have to be more creative!"

"That's awesome," Coby gushed, happy for the progress his companion had made. "I wish I could do something like that too."

Luffy laughed loudly. "I'm sure we'll find a Devil Fruit for you along the way, Coby. Don't worry about it! Maybe yours will be even cooler than mine!"

"Perhaps." A smile tugged at his lips, because how could you not laugh along with Luffy?

Coby had actually given this a lot of thought, and by this, he was talking about consuming a Devil Fruit. The opportunity had arose twice in total during his trip with Shanks, his crew having had stumbled upon them when exploring islands yet to be mapped. He was offered the fruit, seeing how the rest of the crew either already had a Devil Fruit power, or had pledged to never consume one.

He would be lying if he said that he hadn't been tempted.

But he had rationalized – like many members on Shanks' fearsome crew that swore off Devil Fruits, they wished to achieve whatever they had set out to do with their own strength only, and without any additional help from external parties. When he had approached one of the abovementioned member for advice on this matter, the pirate had merely chuckled and slapped him on the back, hard. "I have absolute confidence in my abilities," he had said while in the midst of lighting a cigarette, "and if the situation arises where my own strength is not enough to allow me to prevail, I'll accept my death with a smile because I have done my best and have no regrets left."

That was a piece of wisdom he still held until now, resounding deeply within him. He wanted to improve, but not with the help of a Devil Fruit. He wanted to become stronger by himself. He had come a long way since the day Shanks first found and rescued him from Alvida's clutches, but the road in front of him was even longer and filled with danger.

He wouldn't pretend that he wasn't afraid – just thinking about it sometimes had him wondering if he was biting off more than he could chew – but he wasn't alone. Not any longer.

He had Luffy.

"So, what are we waiting for?" His heart was pounding fiercely in his chest, and Coby had never felt more alive than at that exact moment. "You ready to go, captain?"

A blinding grin and a reply that was all Luffy. "I'm always ready."

opopop

It didn't take long for the novelty of it all to wear off, escalated by Luffy's maddening nonchalance and downright stupidity.

The initial excitement faded slowly to nothing more than a buzz before long, and an hour after that, focusing on not strangling Luffy was all Coby could do. He was rapidly losing his sanity, and throwing himself off the side of the boat was getting more and more tempting.

"We need a bigger boat," Luffy was saying with a flourish of his right hand from his seat at the foremost tip of the small craft. "I won't be able to get anymore nakama if our boat remains this small! They won't even be able to fit!"

Coby didn't bother looking up. He was busy scrutinising the compass in his hand, trying and failing to make sense of where they were going. Perhaps, if his captain had remembered to bring a fucking map… "Uh huh. While we're at it, how about we get ourselves a navigator as well? Someone who will actually guide us to our next destination rather than eventually lead us to our untimely deaths?"

It was apparent that Luffy was taking his suggestion some serious thought as he frowned, a look of intense concentration taking over his usual carefree expression. If he didn't know better, Coby would have thought he was making a crucial life or death decision; which, in actual fact, could quite literally be the case.

Maybe Luffy might actually make the correct call this time –

"Nah. Not that important. Let's focus on getting a bigger boat first!" His cheerful yet absolutely tactless response had Coby sighing in resignation.

Well, it wasn't for lack of trying.

Returning his attention to the infernal piece of contraption that as the compass, Coby uttered a silent prayer to the Sea Devil that they'll recruit a navigator sooner rather than later.

Preferably before they both ceased to exist.

opopop

It was mid-afternoon by the time the duo realised that they were adrift in the middle of nowhere.

To be more exact, it took a good half a day for Luffy to realise that they were floating about aimlessly with no means at hand to get to their next destination – wherever that might be. And if it were not for his growling stomach demanding an immediate meaty sacrifice, he probably would still be oblivious to that worrying fact, despite Coby's constant efforts at alerting him to it.

"We should have brought oars to row with," Coby grumbled, already envisioning his tombstone and the words that will be engraved on it when they both kicked the figurative bucket. Luffy first, of course, since he was going to fray his skin with his bare hands, Devil Fruit powers be damned.

Here lies idiot. Luffy's tombstone.

Here lies the bigger idiot who made idiot his captain. God bless your soul.

"This is the last time I'll let you pack our supplies. Really? The bag is EMPTY for crying out loud!"

Luffy didn't look the slightest bit fazed by his accusation. "You told me to bring only the bare essentials."

"Yes, I did, but you brought nothing."

"No," Luffy replied excruciatingly slowly with a furrowed brow, as if it evaded his understanding why he couldn't grasp such a simple logic, "I brought oxygen. You know, what we need to survive? If that's not essential, I don't know what is." His huge grin made Coby's right eye twitch erratically, his whole body tensing in anticipation for the sensation jumping into the ocean will bring – he had no idea how much more he could take before he started a mutiny. "Bet you didn't think of that, huh? You may now thank me for my thoughtfulness."

"Trust me, thanking you is the last thing on my mind right now." Words squeezed out through gritted teeth.

"Ah, of course. You're probably thinking about getting a bigger boat, right? That's my first mate, always having his priorities right even when his captain is getting carried away!" Totally misinterpreting Coby's expression of utter disbelief as agreement, Luffy clapped his hands together in glee and continued happily, "then, I say we get ourselves a cook. And not just a normal cook! No, he or she must be an accomplished one that's able to whip up the most delicious dishes like Makino! Hey, maybe I should have just asked her to come along…" Luffy removed his straw hat and scratched the back of his head. "Do you think we could turn and head back, Coby? It won't take long, promise."

Exasperation had Coby's voice going up several octaves. "We are stuck here in the middle of the ocean, Luffy. Even if I wanted to go back – and I speak only the truth when I say I really do – I'm trapped here with you."

"Oh." The raven-haired boy fell silent.

Thankful for the respite, however brief, Coby surveyed their surroundings. The ocean stretched as far as his eyes could see in every direction, but a bobbling speck of brown stood out amongst the sea of blue. From this far away, it looked like a piece of shipwreck.

Raising an eyebrow, he reached for the telescope on deck, one of the only three objects that Luffy had brought along for the journey. A compass, telescope and a bloody orange he had immediately devoured ten seconds after leaving the shore.

"You can never have enough Vitamin C!" Luffy had advised him with a huge grin when he noticed Coby's look of bafflement.

Shaking his head with another sigh, he lifted the telescope to his eye and peered through it at the area where he had spotted the piece of wood. It took a few seconds for him to identify the object again – it was actually another small boat being tossed and turned quite wildly in the medium-sized waves.

Coby lowered the telescope and frowned. The weather was clearer than his immediate future – not a particularly informative analogy, he admitted, considering his bleak outlook on life with Luffy in the picture, but still – and there wasn't a single cloud in sight. The sea was eerily calm, which was primarily the reason why they hadn't moved much in the past few hours.

So why in the world were there big waves coming their way?

Raising the telescope once again, he observed as the boat continued to be bullied by the forces of nature. A flicker of movement caught his eye and he took a step forward, squinting harder as his breath caught in his throat. It took several moments for the gears in his mind to turn and process the information of what he'd just seen. Dear mother of the Sea Devil…

Shock rendered him immobile and mute for a further few seconds before he finally found his voice. He slowly placed the telescope down. "Luffy," he muttered, nudging his captain in the back with the toe of his boot, causing Luffy to jerk up in surprise. "We have a problem." He jabbed a quivering finger in the direction of the emerging Sea King, just as it released an ear-splitting roar.

"A very big problem."

Greetings people! Once again, thank ya for all the reviews. It's great to hear that you guys are enjoying the story so far!

Just a short note: I'm changing the rating from T to M. I foresee lots of swearing from this chapter onwards (courtesy of the new character appearing in the next chapter, a cookie to whoever who can guess his or her name!) plus I do intend to have lots of smut in future chapters, as well as a potential orgy heheheheheheh so y'know, might as well change the rating right now, huh?

And regarding LUFFY. He will be slightly out of character, as I've said (or ranted) in the first chapter about the effects of the rubber fruit on his internal organs. Logically, with a different fruit - especially one as energizing as the ENERGY FRUIT - he should be quite different. The carefree and childlike personality of his that makes him Luffy will stay, because really, who the hell is he without those traits? Buuuut, he will be prone to sagely moments like when he was explaining the progress with his Devil Fruit powers as he's definitely smarter than in canon.

I wrote most of this chapter on my mobile phone, which is a real pain in the ass, but I just didn't have much time on the computer the past week or so. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the growing relationship between Luffy and Coby! He'll be playing a really important role in this story, and yes, Coby is now the first mate instead of Zoro. Does that mean that he'll be as strong as Zoro? Perhaps, but we'll have to see how the story plays out now ;)

ANYWHOOOOOOOOO, the reviews!

Devlin Dracul: Hmm, all in a matter of time, young one! :P But yes, I do intend on making the harem a pretty big one, but still manageable. Since Hancock appears pretty late into the story, I'll just have to add one or two to tide things over till then, huh? heh.

Thorndsword: This is all I've got so far, so yeah :/ I'm not the most creative person, so I'll just see how the characters interact and cause stuff to happen, then I'll adapt accordingly. Thanks for the review anyway!

Nil089: Hello, female! Me male. Hah, I have no idea why I keep thinking of him as Cody. Perhaps too much of Suite life of Zack and Cody? Hmm... Ah, yes! I've been meaning to address that for awhile, but I keep forgetting. Cody is the same age as Luffy in this story. I'll peg the both of them to be at 17 years of age right now.

Sarane Mun: I have to agree that Luffy being all clueless and dumb has its merits; the fact that he always wins in the end helps alot :P but he has a pretty overpowered fruit in this story, so even with his personality, he'll find it a tad bit hard to not demolish the earlier enemies! Regarding the part about his innocence... I'm sorry, I have just changed the rating of this story to M, so... yeah. You know where this is going.

In case you don't, sex. Plenty of it. Like lots. Yep. Going to make Luffy the ultimate sex magnet. I mean, that's basically my motivation for writing this from the very beginning. To let Luffy have an adventure as a normal hormonal teenager, y'know? But I won't go too overboard, I guess. He's not pervy or anything, just... a normal teenager.

Almighty Imaginative Creativeness: Right, I'll be sure to remember that. I do have quite a bit of experience writing lemons since I used to post on this site a few years back and have posted a few, just under a different username. Lost that account though, so gotta start fresh..

TykkiMikk: Yes, yes! *Nods vigorously* That's exactly what I'm talking about! Well, when he was younger, it could be because he just hasn't reached puberty, so there's no attraction yet. But once he's a full-fledged teenager? NO FUCKING WAY. He should be head over heels over dem gurls because shit dem ass and dem tits. Like legit. Don't worry, this issue will be rectified fully ;)

So, once again guys, leave me a review and tell me what you think!