Author's Note - Well, it's all over. This chapter is very short, but there just isn't much left. Lose ends are tied up, for the most part. I enjoyed this story, and it definitely didn't turn out like i expected. Many thanks to those who followed this story all the way to the end, especially those who's reviews kept me going.
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 26 - Epilogue
After three Pirate Kings, East Blue remained the most peaceful sea. Perhaps people were afraid of the inhabitants. They had given the world titans among men like Roger, Luffy, and Ace, so it was not so unreasonable to imagine that something about that sea made men stronger than others. Whatever the case, despite the world's top swordsmanship academy being located there, East Blue was never over run by the chaos of the Grand Line.
Rachel, Roger, and Musei turned the Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Village into a world class academy for the greatest aspiring swordsmen in the world to attend. Six years after they opened, a twelve year old girl with familiar eyes walked through their doors, and Dracule Sabre began her training. Rachel and Roger were married, and David took over leadership of the Wave Tracer in Rachel's place. Roger would make occasional trips to Foosha Village to visit his parents.
Shanks and Makino had been officially married on the deck of the Red Force before Benn Beckman set out with a crew of his own to find someone worthy of taking the emperor's place. They wished him safe journey, and hoped he would return while he was still older than his former captain. Buggy settled in the village as well, buying a house near the shore with his final treasure, and swimming nearly every day.
In Cocoyasi Village on Conomi Island, Nami and Robin still lived next to each other, with the rest of the surrounding area bought by family. Dragon and Garp had settled there, determined to spend the last of their years with what remained of their family. Kuzan had been spending his time getting to know his daughter, who he had only been able to watch most of her life. Nojiko had returned from her own adventures not long after they all returned, and had struck up a relationship with a certain curly-browed cook. Kuina and Ace had their own home now, along with their son, Dorean.
Usopp, Kaya, and their daughter Mary live in Syrup Village in the Gecko Islands where Usopp grew up. Kaya has become a successful doctor, and study under both Olivia and Chopper for a few years. Mary's grandfather takes every opportunity to buy her presents and show of his skills with a rifle. His son takes every opportunity to try and show him up, leaving the little girl confused, but happy and well loved. Usopp never told his father he had named his daughter after the ship Kaya had given them at the start of his adventure.
After a brief period of study under the guide of Kureha, Olivia set out with Callan to travel the world and teach others how to heal their sick and injured, extending Choppers life long efforts as far as the Red Line, where she shared the story of her crew with the friends they had made on their journey. The travel everywhere in the world together, visiting their friends, family, and old crew mates whenever they can.
Sabo and Koala, having set up the framework of the new government, left the inner workings of ruling the world to other minds and instead spent their days relaxing on a beach in the New World. Although they return to civilization occasionally to see Dragon and the other former revolutionaries, they tend to keep to themselves. Sabo has an identical tattoo on his face to replace the one that he lost when Dorean passed out of their world.
Coby, Helmeppo, Smoker, and Tashigi were reinstated as the head of the marines within the new government, with Fleet Admiral Smoker now answering directly to the representatives of the nations under their protection. Coby, Helmeppo and Tashigi serve under him as Admirals, although Tashigi remains by his side more often than not.
Franky and Iceberg repaired the Legacy Storm and, under Ace's command, sent it out to sea with Soul as it's captain. The Reaper now sails the New World with his wife and first mate Cora by his side. With the fall of the old government, there are no more Warlords, and as the New World joined the new government, there is no longer a need for Pirate Emperors. Despite this, he is considered by most to carry the title, along with Marco.
Marco and Haruta expanded the Whitebeard Pirates once again, their family easily the largest crew in the world. They offered to allow the Red Hair Pirates to join them, but Benn is determined to find a successor on his own.
The Pirate King Gol D. Roger had led the world into the Great Age of Pirates. The death of Whitebeard led the world into the New Age. The rise and fall of Straw Hat Luffy left the world in what became known as the Age of No Kings. Ace's victory and the events at Loguetown began the Age of Freedom, that lasts even now.
Now, over half a century after Ace became the Pirate King, the world has settled into a peaceful rhythm. The pirates that remain are not hunted by the marines unless they prove themselves truly a danger to the peace of the world, and few do. With the final challenge of the Pirate King, men and women set out to live free and seek the adventure of the Grand Line. With the loss of Haki and Devil's Fruit abilities, there is no struggle for power, and only a man's strength of mind and body count in his favor.
Every nation in the world sends representatives, chosen by the people of the nation, to meet on their behalf in the city of Mariejois. The fishmen have joined human society, and despite the struggles of the past, they have been widely accepted without incident. They have their own representatives for islands they inhabit.
At 200 years old, Kureha is the single oldest human alive, and remains the world's most skilled doctor, although she has begun referring most of those who seek her out to her two great students, Chopper and Olivia.
Kitetsu Academy has trained some of the most notorious pirates of the age, including the son of the school's founders, Kensei, the third in his family to have bright red hair. After three years of training, he set out to become a pirate only to be adopted into the crew of Benn Beckman. Now, he is the captain of the Red Hair Pirates, grandson of their first captain.
Dracule Sabre joined her brother's old crew when she turned nineteen, becoming the swordsman of Soul's ship. Steel became the representative of his mother's home island, being the first pirate to join the government. He was asked to sign an agreement stating that he would surrender all say in any decisions that may ever come up regarding his sister. He agreed, knowing that under Soul's command, she was safe.
Construction has been started on a road that will lead all the way from the city of Mariejois up to the surface of the Red Line. The city of Takai Tokoro has flourished, reestablishing trade with its neighbors and branching out across the vast continent. At the center of the city, in the center of four rings of stone that made up the weapon Uranus, they erected a statue of the Pirate King who freed them from the will of Golasi.
A tree stood in a field of green grass, under a sunny blue sky. A cool breeze brought the smell of clear water to those seated at the tables around the tree. Pirates and revolutionaries, and men and women who had crossed their paths or shared their blood. A family that had stretched across a century, and was still going on.
Gol D. Roger to The youngest children of the Straw Hat Pirates. Their families and friends spreading out, on and on. How far their family had spread across the generations... Sitting on the water, waiting for their reunion to end, were their ships. Thousand Sunny, Going Merry, Oro Jackson, Moby Dick, Red Force, Oncoming Storm, Wave Tracer, Legacy Storm. Numerous ships besides. They waited to take their crews on new adventures, but they would always return, because more family was always arriving.
Dorean sat under the tree, leaned against its trunk and smiling at the joy of those who had followed him to this place. His hat had found its way here many times, on the head of Roger, and Shanks, and Luffy, and Ace. He could not wait to see who picked it up next. With his will finally free of their world, they would be able to wear it without burden all the days of their lives.
On an island in East Blue, a young man picked up a tattered straw hat. It had markings of cuts and tears and burns across its surface, and it had been repaired too many times to count. It had a string to hang from ones neck, and a simple red band around its middle. The man slid the hat onto his messy back hair and looked into the still water of a nearby lake to grin at himself.
He felt ready for an adventure.
Well, there it is. All done. If this is the only one of my One Piece stories you have read, you should know there are four in this series. Era of the King is a collection of scenes from the past, mostly before Luffy's execution. Two Broken Blades is the final duel between Roronoa Zoro and Dracule Mihawk, and the details and story idea were put forward by megaME. Straw Hat Legacy was the very first i wrote. The first chapter of it is the direct prequel to this story, and the last chapter was meant to tie up the story long before i decided to write this entire adventure. The events in that chapter are NOT the ending of this story, they were just a possible ending i was considering.
Most of the numbers in this story, especially the bounties, revolved around the number 13, which i have mentioned is my favorite number. The names typically have a meaning relevant to the character, either a character from another fandom they were modeled after, like Rachel, a character from this story that meant something to their parents, like Ace and most of his crew, or something in another language, most notably the Five Elder Stars, who's names are Absolute Justice in Japanese, Greek, Chinese, Irish, and Somali. Unfortunately, i did not keep my notes very well, so some of the basis for their names have been lost.
Since the canon One Piece story is not completed, this must be considered AU after a certain point, unless i did some epic guessing. I can almost guarantee i will not be changing this story to fit with continued developments, so sorry.
I may, if given suggestions or requests, add a fifth story to this series containing side stories off this adventure. So, anything i skipped over that you really want to see, let me know, and i may write it up. You will receive credit.
I have created two small picture additions to accompany this, and a third is on its way eventually. The first is a family tree, the second is the Alliance Pose system, and the third is a time line that should make some things a little clearer, but are certainly not necessary. Go to deviant art and search for "urzu13" and the two finished pieces will be the only results.
This has been fun, and many thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate it!
Possible side stories, by request, can include:
- Soul's time before he joined the Straw Hat's
- Rachel's year apart from the crew
- Sabre at the Kitetsu Academy
- Kensei learning to lead the Red Hair Pirates from Benn
- Sabo and Koala liberating countries and slaves
- Dragon meeting Robin's mother before he joined the revolutionaries
- Shanks and Buggy on Roger's crew
- Musei making a name for himself before he became a Warlord
- Basically anything with Dragon or the Revolutionaries
Send me the section you want, and i'll consider it. The more specific you can be, the better. All stories must be stand alone, but compatible to my other four.