Chapter One: The Swordsman, the Psychic, and Confusion
They were getting close to the nearest island. Coby was steering the ship while Boris and Elliot watched Luffy stretching her wings. They continued to watch until Boris decided to ask some questions.
"Hey, Luffy?"
"Yeah?" Luffy said, still stretching her wings.
"I know that the Devil Fruit gave you powers and gave you the ability to change into something, but-"
"But?"
"But I have to ask… What kind of bird are you?"
Luffy fell over in a mix of shock and exasperation. "I'm not a bird, Boris-kun! I'm a dragon! Or, well, a young, dragonish creature."
"Really? What about your feathers?" Boris asked while Coby also looked surprised. It was a semi-annoyed, semi- understanding Elliot that answered for Luffy.
"Those aren't feathers, idiot, they're scales. If you'd been watching and paying more attention to the way the light was reflecting off them, you would know that."
"That's right! Thanks, Elliot-kun! A lot of people think I'm a bird when they first see me," Luffy said.
"W-well, you do look kinda birdish, Lilynette," Coby said nervously.
"No! Don't call me that! Call me Luffy!" Luffy whined.
"O-oh… okay, Luffy."
"Hey, look! Land!" Boris said, pointing ahead. It was true. Luffy pulled in her wings and tail and went into her human form. Luckily the four had taken down the ship's old Jolly Roger and had replaced the heart sails with regular sails.
When they landed on the island, the four saw two people standing at the end of the dock. One had long black hair that reached her lower back and long bangs that covered her right eye. She wore a long-sleeved dress that touched the ground. It was plain black. She looked serious but happy. The second one hid behind the first one. She was short, had short spiky black hair, and big blue doe eyes. She wore black pants, a white t-shirt, and a spiked collar like a necklace. Luffy knew the first one.
"Mei!" Luffy called out before running up and hugging the long-haired girl.
"It's nice to see you again, Luffy," Mei said calmly. "Are you going to introduce me to your new friends?"
"Sure! The short pink-haired one is Coby. He wants to be a Marine."
"Uh, hi," Coby said awkwardly.
"The tall pink-haired one is Boris."
"Hiya!" a now cat-eared and tailed free Boris said happily.
"And the chestnut-colored haired one is Elliot. Boris and him are only traveling with me temperarily."
"Hello, miss," Elliot said as he stood without his long ears.
"Greetings. I am Mei, I am a psychic and telekinetic. The girl behind me is Mar. Say hello to them, Mar."
Mar poked her head out from behind Mei and waved while saying a small, "Hi."
"She is a seer. She doesn't have control of her visions, but her powers are kind of strong," Mei said.
"Cool! You came here to join my crew, right, Mei?" Luffy asked happily.
"Yes, I'll join your crew like I promised all those years ago, and Mar is joining as well," Mei said calmly.
"Great. I just need to get one more crew member to be and we'll set sail after we eat!" Luffy said, hyper.
"Let me guess, you're going to ask the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro to join your crew, right?" Luffy nodded, and Mei continued to speak. "Well, there are a few things you need to know…"
…Later, at Shells Island Bar…
Coby, Mei, and Mar sat at a table. Boris was redecorating the ship while Elliot was getting some supplies. Luffy had gone to talk to Zoro.
"I hope Luffy is going to be alright," Coby said after a while. He had been worried about the girl since she ran to speak with Zoro after Mei had told her about what had and what may happen to him.
"Coby, do you know why I promised to join Luffy's crew a long time ago?"
Coby shook his head no.
"When I was young a lot of people didn't like me because I was weird. I didn't have any friends. One day, Luffy came to the island I lived on with her grandfather. I was being picked on by some kids and then she came out and beat them up. After they ran away I told her she should leave the island because I forsaw one of the bullies attacking and stabbing her with a knife the next morning." She heard Coby and Mar gasp but she continued. "She just laughed and said, 'You act like the future is already written out. Listen, you come her tomorrow and if what you say happened I'll say you were right and give you all the beli I have with me, but if I walk away unharmed you have to promise to join my crew when we get older.' She did walk out of that fight unharmed. She then went up to me and said, 'See, the future can change. Because of the warning you gave me ahead of time, I was able to make it so your vision didn't come true.' She stayed with me until she had to leave the island. She was only three years old at that time while I was five. I've never forgotten that day."
Coby and Rika had their mouths open in awe while Mar munched on a cookie given to her.
…Execution Ground…
Luffy had to admit, the green-haired man in front of her looked like he could have held his ground in a fight if he wasn't tied up and was fed. She had just asked him to join her crew, but he'd refused.
"Hey, Zoro, you want to know something?" Luffy asked in a cheeky I-know-something-you-don't tone of voice.
"What?" Zoro growled out, annoyed.
"Helmeppo doesn't plan to keep his end of the deal and plans to execute you in four hours."
"…What! That no-good, dirty-"
"Zoro," Luffy interrupted his rant. Zoro looked at her and was shocked at her serious face. "You have to choose right now. You can die here or you can join my crew. My crew is the better choice, isn't it? After all, you can't reach your dreams if you die. You do have a dream, right?"
"Yeah… I want to be the best swordsman in the world, not just the East Blue! Fine… I'll join your crew, but we have to get my swords!" Zoro said.
Luffy smiled before walking behind Zoro and cutting the rope with her claws. Zoro stretched for a minute before turning to Luffy.
"Come on. Mei found out where your swords are and told me. Follow me, Zoro," Luffy said with a smile.
It took twenty minutes, but they got to Helemeppo's room without getting caught. Zoro grabbed the three swords in the room. "Got them, now let's go." They turned towards the door and froze.
In the doorway was a large man with a steel jaw and an axe for a hand.
"Oh, wupping whirlpool!" Luffy said as she grabbed Zoro and jumped out of the window. She pulled out her wings and flew till she was close to the wall on the execution field. Placing Zoro down the landing, she turned and saw the axe-handed man following them out the window while a group of marines were coming to the field with guns.
"So, you thought you could escape from me… Well, you're dead wrong. No one escapes from Axe-handed Morgan," Morgan said in anger and irritation. "Kill them, men."
The lower-ranked marines hesitated to fulfill their captain's orders; it was all the time Luffy needed.
"Water Blaster!" Luffy called out, pointing her palms at the marines. Two high pressure beams of water shot out of her palms and knocked the lower ranked marines out cold and into the wall.
Morgan had slid back a few feet and was wet but was still standing. "You little brat!" Morgan said, and charged at Luffy. He swung his axe at Luffy, but Zoro jumped in front of her and blocked the axe with his swords. And impressive sight… too bad it caused some dust to tickled Luffy's nose.
"Ah-ah-ahhh-"
A chill ran down Zoro's spine so he pushed Morgan back a little before jumping off to the side and 'hitting the deck' so to speak.
"Ahhcccchhhhooooooo!" The sneeze caused a large wind to hit Morgan and send him flying into the base and through five walls… and it also destroyed a third of the base. Needless to say, Morgan was KO'd.
"Sorry, had to sneeze," Luffy said to Zoro as he got up.
"Bless you," Zoro said, still a little shocked. They chained Morgan up and left before the other marines woke up.
…One hour later, Bar…
Zoro, Luffy, Boris, Mei, and Mar ate while Coby was mopping the floor. After, a group of marines walked into the bar and went up to Luffy. She looked at the one in the lead.
"Exuse me, miss, but are you a group of pirates?"
"Mostly," Luffy said.
The man nodded. "Well, while I thank you for saving the island from Morgan's tyranny, I have to ask your group to leave."
Luffy smiled. "Sure, we just finished eating so we'll head out. I have to say, it's nice meeting a group of marines that are willing to be a little civil with us pirates. Come on, guys."
The five at the table got up and were going out the door when the marine turned to Coby.
"Hey, aren't you with them?"
"Um…"
"No, he works here. He just started work today. We talked a bit though. He wants to become a marine," Luffy said while looking over her shoulder.
"Hmm… well, it'll be tough, kid. Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Yes, sir!" Coby said happily.
…Ship, a couple minutes later…
The ship was now a dark green color with white rails and gray sails. How Boris replaced the swan figure head with a salamander one Luffy would never know.
"Luffy!" Coby called out from the port. Luffy looked and saw him saluting her. "Thank you for all your help! The next time we see each other I'll be a strong marine," Coby promised. Soon marines started to come and salute too. Luffy smiled and waved until she couldn't see them anymore.
"Well that's strange… Not as strange as you destroying part of their base by sneezing, but still strange," Zoro said.
"Oh, that… It's just because I have trouble controlling my devil fruit powers. Back when I was younger, I sneezed and blew the roof off of a house I was in."
"What!" Zoro said in shock.
"It was my brother's fault!" Luffy defended.
…Elsewhere…
In two different places of the world, two men sneezed simultaneously.
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