Author's Note - Although most of the OC's in my story will be related to the previous generation in some way, there will be a few (like Soul) who are completely new. If i seem to go overboard, let me know. Although this might just be a scheme to get reviews...

Disclaimer : I do not own One Piece or any of the other fandoms from which names, places, abilities, or references are taken! Imaginary points to anyone who catches said references throughout the story and PM's them to me. Dunno if you'll get anything real, but i give sneak peaks and deleted scenes to my repeated reviewers, so it isn't unthinkable.

Chapter 04 - A Good Man's Dream

"Hey Reaper, how did you get to this island to begin with?" Kuina asked her new crew mate the next morning.

"It's Soul, and I'll tell you my secret when you explain you and your twin's ability." The shipwright smirked at the irritated face the girl made.

"Alright, Soul, but maybe you'd like a little demonstration?" Without another word, she grabbed his wrist and jumped them to the deck. Ace turned to her as they appeared and gave her a disapproving look. She shrugged. "He asked."

"That's very interesting..." Soul then fell to his knees and threw up over the railing.

"Now it's your turn." Kuina stood expectantly. Soul recovered quickly and pulled a small boat out of nowhere. It was barely big enough for one man, and it had no sail. "You travel on this? How?"

"Watch and learn, Navigator." He shoved the boat into nowhere again, then leaped off the side of the boat. Before he hit the water, he pulled it back out and landed in it lightly. He stood in it and carefully positioned his feet. He grinned up at the two confused faces looking over the railing, and took off in a spray of water.

"That is so cool! Is that a waver?" Ace yelled down as the vehicle came to rest bellow them again.

"Actually, I don't know exactly what it is. I found it on an island on the Grand Line a few years ago and modified it. It had "Striker" carved into the wood inside, so I guess that is all I can call it. It works like a waver though. It is Dial powered, at least. But it is far more advanced than any waver you'll ever find." Soul grabbed the ladder and the boat vanished. He climbed up to the deck.

"What makes it so much more advanced?" Kuina tried not to sound as impressed as she felt.

"This thing has five different propulsion systems working on different controls, all at my feet. Normally, it runs on ordinary Breath Dials, like a waver. But in a pinch, I have other options. It has a set of Jet Dials for speed, a set of Breath Dials filled with flammable gas and Flame Dials for acceleration, and it has a set each of Impact Dials and Reject Dials for emergency escapes." Soul grinned as Kuina stared in amazement.

"You use that to cross the Calm Belts, so it must be coated too, right?" Ace looked at the surrounding water. "Otherwise you would have been less willing to go out near this island."

"You're pretty observant. Yeah. It's coated. Your ship must be too, or we would have been eaten already." Soul pulled an apple from thin air and bit into it. "I looked over the controls down below. This thing is a miracle of engineering! It would take me years to figure out what all tricks it has in it!"

"Then maybe you'll stay with us till you do." Ace smiled and walked toward the kitchen, where Olivia was preparing lunch at Roger's directions.

Soul sat on the edge of the railing, looking back at the island. A low flying bird caught his attention. His head followed it as it came down and finally landed on the upper deck's railing. Kuina ran to it and pulled some money from her pocket. She held up the cash, and the bird took it in it's beak, while releasing the bundle in it's talons. A newspaper.

Soul walked over and took a look at the front page. He grinned.

"My bounty went up again. Must be that marine battleship I trashed. 65,000,000 beli... Not bad!" Soul read off the number under his picture. Kuina's eyes widened as she looked to see that he was right.

"What do you mean by "trashed" a marine battleship?" The navigator gave him a cautious glance.

"I slaughtered the fifty men on board, systematically destroyed the controls and weapons on the ship, took everything of value, and let it drift off with my name painted in blood on the deck. I thought it would send a clear message." Soul laughed at the shocked and disgusted look on her face. "They are not worth pitying, Navigator! Their goals and mine were at odds, so one had to give. I was stronger."

"You would kill anyone to get where you want to be, wouldn't you?" She folded the newspaper and stuffed it under her arm.

"They do the same. If I don't want to die, I have to kill. I've never killed someone who didn't stand in my way. I don't go out looking for people to slaughter like the government or marines or pirates do." Soul finished his apple and tossed the remains off into the sea. They were eaten by a passing fish within seconds.

"The Pirate King avoided killing any time he could. He beat the living hell out of anyone who tried to hurt his friends, but he rarely killed. Not unless it was clear that that was the only way to protect his crew." Kuina walked away to deliver the paper to her nakama, leaving Soul alone on the deck.

"Soul! Lunch is ready! Come eat!" Olivia called to him from the kitchen, a smile on her face as usual. Soul wondered how she could be so much nicer than her twin when they were so similar in every way.

The shipwright nodded to her and walked toward the kitchen.

"Shimotsuki Village?" Soul asked.

"Yes. That's where the twins' father was born and raised. From there we are going to Loguetown, then on to the Grand Line!" Ace grinned happily as he traced their intended course on the map between them

"Loguetown... I've always wanted to visit that place." Soul looked thoughtful. "I remember my father told me once that it was an incredible place. Most people think of it as the end of the two Pirate Kings, but he always thought of it as their beginning. That was where your father first walked in the same footsteps as his predecessor." Soul looked up at the captain.

"I know. That's why we're going there. I want to see the place where they started. I want to start there myself!" Ace turned to Kuina. "Set us on course. We've been here long enough. If that book were going to make us an enemy of the sea, they would have come after us by now."

Kuina nodded and jumped out of the room. Roger was in better condition. He was still in pain, but he was able to sit up, and he could walk with help, so he was present at the meeting. At first he had been against allowing the "demon" to join the crew, but Olivia had changed that. Roger... Both of my parents were called demons in their time. My father pursued his dream with honor, and my mother's only crime was living when the government wanted her to die. He hadn't said a word against Soul after that. The shipwright was growing far more fond of the doctor by the day.

"Soul, why did you come to this island? Was it really just to study Sea Kings, or did it have something to do with that sacrificial chamber?" Olivia addressed the man.

"I've been hearing whispers that there is something even bigger than the World Government pulling our strings. Something older than anything we can imagine. I came across a book, but I could only decipher part of it. It was badly damaged by fire and water. It must have been meant as a story book, so I must sound like a fool for following it, but some of the parts I read seemed eerily similar to things that happened decades after it was written, if not centuries. It led me here." Soul reached up and pulled a ragged book from nowhere.

"May I see it? My mother was an amazing archeologist and historian. I was focused on becoming a doctor, but I did pick up a few things." Olivia carefully took the book and examined it. She glanced up at the door. "Sis... I know you want to look too. Stop being stubborn and try to get along with him."

Soul looked behind him to see Kuina glaring at her sister as she reluctantly walked into the room and sat between them. She looked over the book, and soon her focus was completely directed at it's pages. It didn't take very long for them to turn back to him.

"This is ancient. This style of writing... It is from the Void Century! Does anyone know you have this?" Olivia was wide eyed as she reverently returned the book to him. He shook his head and pressed it back toward her.

"No one knows. I found it in West Blue on a deserted and destroyed island. It had been bombarded to rubble and ash. It was like a nightmare, really. And right in the middle of the island, there was a lake full of burnt books, and I picked this one up. You keep it. I memorized all I could get out of it." Soul smiled at the girl as she held the book to her chest.

"When we get to Shimotsuki Village, we'll send both books back to our mother. She'll be able to get more out of them than anyone else alive." Olivia was grinning happily. Kuina even let her scowl lighten. Maybe Soul wouldn't wake up on a piece of drift wood on the ocean after all.

"I'm going to go make sure we're still on course. The wind is pretty strong today, we're making good time." Kuina was gone in an instant.

"Roger, it's time for me to check your ribs. Come on." Olivia helped her friend to his feet and the two left the kitchen. Soul glanced at Ace to find him leaned comfortably into the corner with his hat over his eyes.

"There is no need to tip my chair, I am awake." Ace grinned, eyes still covered, as Soul jumped.

"That is both cool and creepy. Can you teach me?" Soul asked.

"No... I am still learning myself. You should learn from someone who has mastered it. Maybe we'll meet someone who can teach you on our journey. Roger and the twins could learn too." Ace commented.

"It would be helpful. Being able to see things coming... I might have been able to save my parents." Soul sighed and shook his head. No point dwelling on something impossible. "I'm going to go see if there is anything I can do to help out there. I think this thing has a secondary propulsion system, like my Striker. I'd like to figure out how it works, in case we need to cross the calm belt."

"Good to see you on your feet again, Roger. Feeling up to a little exercise?" Ace held out a sword to the newly recovered cook. He smiled and took the hilt, swinging the blade a few times to see how his body was responding.

"Yeah... I think I'm up for a little." Roger stood at the ready in front of his captain. The twins jumped to the upper deck and sat with their legs dangling between the rails. Olivia glanced around and saw Soul sitting near the figurehead.

"Soul! Get over hear and watch with us!" The doctor called out. Her sister barely let her smile shrink. She was beginning to accept him. He walked past his captain and cook, raising an eyebrow at the pair as he climbed up to sit by the twins. "Ace has been teaching Roger to use a sword, and using him as a sparing partner for his own training since we picked him up."

Soul watched in fascination as the two went at each other, blade to hand. It was like nothing he had ever seen. It didn't take long for Roger to hold up his hands for a break. He was still weak from his injuries, but he was much better than he had been. Soul leaped off the top deck and landed before his captain, pulling his scythe from empty space.

"Mind if I have a go?" Soul grinned as his captain dropped back into a defensive stance. He took that as his invitation. He spun the pole expertly and began his attack. After twenty minutes of combat, both fighters backed away from each other. Ace was panting. Soul was staring in disbelief. "How the hell can you stand up to an attack like that?"

"I haven't been run that ragged since my last day of training with my grandfather..." Ace walked into the kitchen and dropped into the nearest chair. "I need to become stronger."

"No one has ever been able to fight against me, even armed to the teeth. What you do isn't human." Soul sat across from him, as the rest of the stunned crew came and sat around them. They hadn't imagined there were people out there that could best their captain one on one.

"People said similar things about my father, I believe. They called him a monster. His strength was beyond legend. Mom said he toppled a god once... Not many people outside their crew knew about that." Ace caught his breath and grinned. "Until I can defeat anyone and anything that could harm my nakama, I'm not strong enough."

"Son of the Pirate King, if anyone can become that strong, I'd bet on you." Soul shook his head in wonder. "How close are we to Shimotsuki Village?" He turned to Kuina.

"We're still a few days out." The navigator checked her map, then pointed. "We're about here." Soul looked at the map and nodded.

"I've been checking out our emergency propulsion system, and I think I might be able to improve it a little. I need to get some materials though." Soul pulled a rolled up piece of paper from the air and smoothed it out before his crew mates. "If I add in breath dials to store the cola and air, I can control the mixture and optimize space and thrust." He was smiling again. Not his usual humorless grin, but an actual smile. He showed them the current design of the Coup De Burst system, and his proposed change. Ace nodded.

"I trust you. We'll pick up what we can on the island, but have you checked the workshop? It is supposed to be fully stocked. You're welcome to use anything in there." Ace gestured in the direction of the workshop below deck. Soul was out of the room so fast he could have been taking lessons from the twins.

Several hours later, Olivia found him smiling and humming happily as he worked diligently on some device far beyond her understanding.

"Soul, dinner's ready. Want me to bring you some?" She laughed at the contentment the cynical man showed when he was working. He turned and shook his head, setting down his tools and following her. As they walked she asked something that had been on her mind. "Why are you so much happier when you are working with stuff like that than you are with the crew?"

"I've preferred the company of machines to that of people for years. Machines are... reliable. They are honest. I guess I've just never seen a machine stab another in the back before." Soul gave her a sad smile and glanced back at the room they just left. "I'll be able to make some unimaginable things in there! Even my family's shop didn't have some of the things you've got!"

"I'm glad there's somewhere on the ship you can really smile. But... Have you seen any of us stab anyone in the back?" She gave him a slightly hurt look. He shook his head.

"I still don't know what to make of you all. Especially your captain..." Soul tried to give her a reassuring smile as they stepped out onto the deck. She was far to kind to have her happiness taken away by someone like him.

"Roger! Soul! We're here!" Ace called out from the deck. Roger yawned as he walked out of the sleeping quarters. Soul came from the workshop. He spent most of his time there, eating, sleeping, or sparring. He rarely joined his crew mates the rest of the time.

"Where are the twins?" Roger looked around for his missing nakama.

"They already went ashore. They couldn't wait. Here's some money. Make sure to get enough food to get us to Loguetown, Roger. Soul, anything you need for the workshop, feel free." Ace was about to turn away when Soul laughed.

"I think I should stay on the ship. I'm a wanted man, remember? Don't want to go making a scene while Olivia and Kuina are trying to have civilized conversations. I don't think there is anything here that we don't already have anyway. Give my share to the cook. Just be sure to get some apples." Soul looked at Roger, who nodded. The scythe fighter was growing on them, even if the feeling wasn't mutual.

"No way. You're coming with us. You're our nakama." Ace grinned and waited for Soul to reluctantly join them on the deck. "Don't worry so much."

The three pirates walked through the streets of the town, looking in shop windows. Soul found himself enjoying the trip when he stumbled across a trading post that had some unexpectedly rare Dials. He waited until they were out of sight of any people on the street before stuffing his purchase out of view.

"Thanks for dragging me out here. I've never seen a set of Transmission Dials before. I can't wait to try these out!" Soul grinned as he walked down the street next to his captain, imagining the possible uses for his new equipment.

"No problem. How are you going to see that there are good people in the world if you never go out and see them?" Ace laughed.

Some time later, the twins joined them. The five pirates walked through the last few streets before returning to their ship for the evening. Roger prepared a large meal with the freshest ingredients, and they all watched in wonder as Soul showed off his new Dials. He held one up over Kuina's head, pointed down, showing it to be empty. He held the other, open end up, in the sink. Roger flicked the water on with a grin.

"Ah!" Kuina yelped as a fountain of water poured out of the empty Dial and onto her head. The rest of the crew laughed. She scowled, but couldn't help but let a smile crack through. She grabbed the dial and blew into it, causing the water in the sink to splash back and drench the cook. They all began laughing again, Roger just shrugging at the sudden bath.

They spent a few hours playing with the Dials. They talked into one and listened at the other, like a Den Den Mushi, and they held them, one over the other, and poured water into an unending loop, amazed at the possibilities.

The next morning, they all accompanied the twins to the man they had met the previous day. He was elderly, but healthy. It was clear he had taken care of himself throughout his life. He was very kind, greeting them politely, even knowing they were pirates.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. These young ladies told me about you yesterday. My name is Koshiro." He invited them in and sat with them around a low table. "I knew Zoro when he was very young. He trained in this very building with my daughter, with whom this girl shares her name." He indicated Kuina. "They were very close friends and rivals."

"Do you know if he had any family here?" Olivia asked. The old man shook his head sadly.

"No. I believe he was an orphan. He never once spoke of any family, nor did I ever even hear rumors of where he may have come from before he came here." Koshiro sighed. "It is a shame. But if he had a family, he may never have become the greatest swordsman in the world. Whatever the case, I'm afraid I don't know more than that."

"It's alright. How did people take the news that you had helped train the world's greatest swordsman?" Ace asked curiously.

"There were... mixed reactions. Some thought it was fantastic and would turn to no one else, even though I repeatedly told them I only taught him the very basics, and he developed his own style and skills after that. Others considered me a demon for releasing him upon the world. I suppose they need someone to place the responsibility on, even if it is undeserved. I've learned to accept it, both good and bad." Koshiro smiled at them.

"That is just how some men think, I guess. It is hard to accept that sometimes there is nothing we can do to make something right. We just have to accept it, learn from it, and move forward." Ace replied to the elderly swordsman, but his eyes locked with Soul's for a moment. The shipwright looked away.

"It is true. But not everyone is like that. It is unfair to judge all men based on a few, just because those few are loud and prominent." The man's words seemed to seek out Soul as well, even though they were clearly not directed at him.

"Th-thank you! Thank you so much!" The woman on the ground bowed her head to the man as he stood there between her and the man that had assaulted her. "I... I don't have anything to offer you in payment..." She began shaking.

"Don't worry about it." Soul turned away from her and picked the man up from the ground, swinging him up onto his shoulder. He walked away from the sobbing woman he had just saved. Ace grinned at him. "What?"

"What was in that for you?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"This guy's bounty." With that, Soul walked away from his captain, who only sighed and headed the opposite way, toward the ship. An hour later, the shipwright was back on board, a pained look on his face.

"Hey Soul. What's wrong?" Olivia sat next to him, her legs dangling off the edge of the ship.

"Your captain." Soul sighed and let his head fall forward, thumping gently into the railing.

"He's our captain. What did he do?" Olivia asked, leaning forward to look at him in profile.

"I don't know." Soul turned to her slightly. "Is he ever wrong? Has he ever done something cruel or selfish? Has he ever shown himself to make mistakes?"

"Sure. Loads of times. We were always in trouble when we were kids. He and Sis and I would go on silly adventures throughout or village, causing all sorts of problems, mostly just for the fun of it. Selfish and cruel? No... not really. All he's ever cared about really is protecting us and proving that nothing is impossible. He's stolen before, but he never did it out of greed or malice. He did it just to see if he could manage it. He's a pretty weird pirate, I guess." Olivia smiled as she thought about some of their adventures.

"I saved a homeless woman today and turned the attacker in for his bounty. But I couldn't get Ace out of my head. I... I gave the bounty to the woman." Soul glared out at the water angrily.

"You act like that is a bad thing." Olivia laughed.

"I had told myself that no one would do something like that. It was foolish. No one would have blamed me for keeping the money. I had saved her life, free of charge. It was fair compensation. But I knew he would do it. I could feel it. The way he smiled when I saved her... He made me want to be a good man." Soul sighed in defeat. "How am I supposed to avenge my father if I am a good man?"

Olivia smiled quietly for a while, then turned to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly for just a moment before releasing him and scooting away again. She grinned at his shocked expression.

"I'm proud to call a good man like you my nakama. Getting your revenge will be easier this way, you know. My mother taught me that. She may not have always lived up to her own words, but I know Ace does. You can too." Olivia stood up slowly and offered a hand to the stunned shipwright. He took it and stood up as well.

"And how is that, Doctor?" Soul waited expectantly.

"She said, 'The best revenge is living well.'" Olivia patted the man on the arm and vanished, leaving him speechless on the deck.

They were on their third day at the island when things went wrong.

They hadn't expected to be attacked in the night. They had been careless.

When Soul awoke, his hands were already bound. He was dragged out onto the deck and tossed against the railing next to Olivia and Kuina. Moments later, Roger landed next to them.

"That's all I could find." One of the men called from the sleeping quarters.

"Alright, which one of you is in charge?" Another, the one who had dragged Soul to the deck addressed the four pirates. All four looked for Ace, but didn't say a word in response.

"Captain! That one! He's the Reaper! His bounty is 65 million beli!" Another man shouted, pointing at Soul. The captain of their attackers grinned.

"What about the rest? Are they worth anything?" He called back to the other man.

"Not that I know of. Never seen their faces before. They aren't even flying a flag. Crappy excuse for pirates in my opinion. Kill them all, toss these three overboard, and turn in the Reaper for his bounty, then sail away on this fancy ship?" The man laughed.

"That sounds about right. The Reaper, huh? I heard you were a demon, who would slaughter a baby in its crib for the fun of it. And here you are, leading a crew of your own? Do they know how expendable they are to you? If they were relaxed enough to let everyone sleep with you aboard, obviously not. Even my crew keeps someone on guard, just in case I feel like cutting a few throats in the night, and I'm an angel next to you." The enemy captain laughed as he walked back and forth before the captured pirates.

"I would never hurt them." Soul glared up at the man, who gave him a skeptical look.

"Is that so? Let's put that to the test." He pulled his pistol from his belt and positioned it directly between Olivia's eyes. "If you tell me to fire, I'll shoot her dead, and I'll let you go. How's that sound? You kill one pathetic girl like this, and you are free to go and slaughter villages again. I'm surprised this one is still standing."

"Go to hell! Shoot me and let them go!" Soul could barely believe his own words. What the hell had that straw hatted man done to him?

"What?! David, you must have gotten it wrong. There's no way this man is the Reaper." He laughed and slipped the pistol back into his belt, turning to the man.

"There's no way! I've seen his wanted poster a hundred times! It is definitely him! Maybe it's a trick?" The one called David looked nervous. It seemed likely that mistakes were punished violently on their ship.

"You! Are you the Reaper?" The man turned upon Soul again.

"Do you see a scythe?" Soul decided to try and buy time. Where was their captain?

"No, but they say only a handful have seen your scythe and survived." The man laughed and turned to his men. He pointed to a small group. "You guys! Grab your rifles and keep them locked on him. Don't fire until I say." With that, he yanked Soul to his feet and unlocked the cuffs around his wrists. Soul felt relief flood through him. He had his powers back.

"Captain?! What are you doing?! What if it is really him?!" His men were panicking. Soul was preparing for an accidental shot to take him down, but it didn't come.

"Alright, Reaper. You can escape. We'll let you go in peace, and we'll have our way with these lovely ladies. You make one move to attack us, and we'll shoot you down." The man grinned when Soul's face twisted in indecision.

He could make it. Even if they fired on him, they were shaking. Unless one of them got lucky, he could make it...

"Is it such a hard decision? I thought you were renowned for doing anything to achieve your goals? Or have you finally given up your murderous rampage? What a shame. Killing a man without a dream is almost a service to the world." The man raised his hand. The guns steadied on Soul's chest.

"I never had a dream before. Only a goal. But... Traveling with these pirates... I think I do have one now. Do you want to know what the dream of the Reaper is?" Soul stood resolutely before them, side stepping slowly to keep the gunfire away from the other three.

"Yeah. I'd sure as hell like to know what it is that would stop a man who has killed more men, women, and children than most full pirate crews do in their entire careers." The man kept his hand at the ready, waiting to order Soul's death.

"I really believed there was no such thing as a good man any more. But I think I've been proven wrong. My dream? My dream is to stand on the shore of Raftel, just like my father did, and watch a good man become the Pirate King! My dream is to see a man who would sacrifice himself for his nakama without hesitation take the throne! I want to see people bow to a king who will lead this world out of the darkness!" Soul smiled proudly, arms spread wide. With a flick of his power, he sent the sea stone cuffs of the twins into oblivion. In an instant, the enemy crew was alone, and looking around in confusion for the four pirates who had vanished before their eyes.

"Well, that is a relief." Ace grinned as the startled men turned their rifle toward him. He reached up and pushed the hat off his head so it dangled from it's string. He raised his gaze to meet theirs, eyes shining in the starlight. He leaped gracefully off the figurehead, where he had been concealed among the dragon's spikes while he slept.

"Who the hell are you? Stay out of this!" The enemy captain shouted at him, to no effect. Ace continued walking calmly toward them.

"My name is Monkey D. Ace. I'm the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Get off my ship." Ace stopped a few yards before the thirty armed men.

"The Straw Hat pirates don't exist anymore." The man backed away slightly, trying to sound confident. No one bought it. Not even his own crew.

"Believe what you want. But you'll know the truth someday soon. Unless my first mate cuts you down. You did threaten his nakama, and he isn't as forgiving as I am." Ace let his smile fall and the fury of the Pirate King shown through his son's eyes. "This is your last chance to run, or I will not stop him from tearing you apart." Ace folded his arms across his chest. Without another word, half the enemy crew ran to the edge of the ship and leaped into the sea. The ones who remained seemed to be more afraid of their captain than their enemy.

"First mate, huh? I'm honored, Captain." Soul stepped out of the shadows of the stairway, his scythe catching the starlight as he spun it slowly. "You will make my dream come true?"

"Without a doubt." Ace nodded. Soul attacked.

The first mate has been chosen!

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