A/N: I don't plan on making these little notes a habit. I like to see how much I write and know that it's almost all story. Just a fun numbers thing.
Anyway, I'm here to say that I'm currently addicted to One Piece. I know I abandon stories on the regular with this profile, and so I won't promise anything with this. What I will say, though, is that I have ideas for this story. If you'll join me on my journey, I will tell you that I'll try not to fall into the trap of other Time Travel fics. I've tried reading a couple recently, keyword being tried, because holy shit they're bad. Rushed dialogue, backpedaling explanations, OoC as hell characters, and poor choices. I would like to make something that doesn't do that, but understand that because it's not Oda there is bound to be some differences between my characters and canon characters, no matter how hard I try.
That being said, I hope it's not too egregious and I hope you can enjoy what I write! Without further ado, let's go!
Spoiler Warning: I'm going off of knowledge up through the current chapter of One Piece (1091), which means Anime Only watchers may be spoiled.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. My only claim to ownership in this fic is my writing and any potential OCs I may or may not add in the future.
The sea was peaceful. Unsettlingly so. The New World was often too turbulent to enjoy the weather like this.
A seagull cawed above his head, riding the tranquil breeze through the clear skies. Luffy watched it hover in place, pointlessly trying to fight the winds for a few seconds before giving up and turning around to soar away. His lips quirked up briefly, before returning to a neutral position once more.
Monkey D. Luffy was surprisingly small, considering his status as the Pirate King. At a mere 177 cm (5'10"), his lean body was hardly defined with muscle at all. He had found it quite difficult to pack on any muscle after becoming rubber. He wore his signature straw hat atop his head, a mess of scruffy black hair tangled underneath. His upper body was covered with only a red coat, the sleeves rustling gently in the cool breeze. He'd kept his jean shorts and sandals from the early days of his adventure. It was a comfortable style, and he felt it suited him.
His seat on the figurehead of the Thousand Sunny was where he'd been spending most of his days. It was his special seat, and the only thing left from a time long past. That the ship was still in near perfect condition was a huge testament to Franky's skills, especially considering Luffy had been the only one taking care of and sailing it for the past six years. It had taken a while to learn how to do so, but he wanted to. Needed to, really.
It was the only thing he still had of his crew.
Luffy sighed and patted the lion's head, before hopping down and walking slowly to the navigation room. He double checked his course on the Eternal Pose, nodding in satisfaction. The calm weather had allowed him to take a break from monitoring his direction without straying too far.
After making the necessary adjustments to keep himself well on track, he went back to his sleeping quarters and sat down on his hammock. He had a bed - Franky wasn't one to skimp out on anything - but it felt too lonely. The hammock hugged his sides in a warm embrace whenever he used it, and so Luffy quickly made the change.
In a glass box sitting on his desk, Luffy saw the Vivre Card flitting in the direction he had set sail. Good. that meant the person he was looking for was still there.
In the short span of a few hours, the island appeared over the horizon. Well, not exactly an island per se, more like a technological masterpiece. Egghead. His final destination.
Luffy pulled into the docks and moored his ship swiftly, having had a lot of practice doing so. Now that he was on the island, he had pinpointed the presence that he was searching for. He began heading in that direction.
Instead of the presence he was looking for, a different one emerged from the center chamber and met him halfway. Luffy gave him a nod out of politeness.
"Pirate King Luffy, welcome to Egghead. It's been a while, has it not?" the tall figure said. Luffy smiled softly.
"Good to see you, Shaka. I'm here for Dr. Vegapunk. Is he busy?" Luffy asked. Shaka nodded, turning around and motioning for Luffy to follow. He did so without hesitation.
Soon enough, Luffy was standing in front of the genius inventor. The little satellite on his head spun in happiness. Dr. Vegapunk smiled at the boy - no, the man.
"Luffy!" he exclaimed. Seeing Luffy's expression, he settled down quickly and went straight into business. "What can I do you for?" he asked seriously. The Pirate King didn't often do anything these days, merely drift along and lose himself in his memories. To see the man here was a surprise, and Vegapunk wasn't sure he'd like hearing what Luffy had to say.
Luffy nodded in appreciation, glad to have the niceties out of the way. He hadn't been his normal self for a while now, unable to truly enjoy the ultimate freedom he'd gained for so long, but hopefully that was about to change.
"I want to ask you to try making something for me," Luffy said. "I want to see my nakama again." The silence was palpable.
Vegapunk stared at Luffy's face, searching his eyes for the answers he was looking for. Seemingly finding what he was seeking, Vegapunk sighed and turned away. "I can't bring back, or even contact the dead. That's impossible for now, even with Devil Fruit technology," he sighed. Holding up a hand to preemptively stop any protests Luffy may have had, he closed his eyes and winced. "I do have an idea, though. It'll be dangerous, and I may even end up killing you because of it." Luffy grinned.
"That's all I ask for. Any chance is better than none," he said, his grin widening to epic proportions. "What's the point of living if it's not with my most precious people?" he muttered. Dr. Vegapunk shook his head ruefully, already having known the answer even before Luffy said anything.
He walked over to his computer and entered a passcode. As he was searching through his files, he began to explain. "I've had an idea on the backburner for a while now. The Toki Toki no Mi that had sent Momonosuke-san into the future. It's been said that time can only move in a single direction. That means that only one-way trips are possible, and that's to go farther into the timeline. What's happened in the past is already set in stone," Vegapunk explained. He finally found the blueprints he was searching for. "I've been experimenting, trying to see if the reverse is actually possible. The only way this is true is through the Multiverse Theory." He turned around and saw as smoke began to fly out of Luffy's ears. He chuckled briefly. "In simple terms, I've devised a way that could potentially send you back in time. To the start of your Adventure, if you so choose. However, be warned. This is a completely different timeline I'm sending you to. You will no longer be the person you are today. It will be your 17 year old self. The only thing that stays are your memories, that's it," Vegapunk warned.
Luffy's grin covered his entire face, rubbery lips stretching to epic proportions. Soon enough, he began to laugh loudly. "Shishishishi! That's perfect! I don't need my strength! I know how to get stronger!" Luffy guffawed, overjoyed. He would see his Nakama again. Tears started welling in his eyes, the situation truly sinking in. His laughs died down, but the grin could not be wiped away. "I'll really get to see them again." Vegapunk smiled. He knew the boy. He understood that this was well and truly the only option he would accept, even with a high chance of death.
Vegapunk turned back to his computer, noting the complexity of his old blueprint. He began making minor adjustments as he saw fit. "Give me three days. I'll have it ready for you by then," he said, now absorbed in his work. Luffy nodded and stalked away, knowing better than to interrupt. He wouldn't spoil any chance at seeing his nakama again.
It was an excruciatingly long three days for Luffy. He bounced around Egghead, finding all sorts of odd and incomplete experiments that he didn't get to see on his first visit.
Whenever he got hungry, he ran back to the Thousand Sunny and ate there. He stocked up before heading over here, and there was only him. Meaning, the whole storage that could store enough food for twenty people sailing for three months was solely for him. It was unfortunate that he didn't have Sanji anymore, but Luffy had quickly learned how to use the stove. As long as his meat was cooked, he would eat it. Even though it was often burnt, he didn't mind too much.
Sanji. His cook. Luffy's grin fell into a morose frown as he thought about his cook. He really missed the blond pervert.
But wait! He was going to see him again, and soon!
Luffy felt a small pulse of emmited Armament Haki. He figured that would only be done as a signal, considering this place was relatively peaceful these days. He quickly dashed over to where he felt the pulse, his excitement hitting its peak. It was time!
Vegapunk smiled as he saw Luffy come into view. He didn't have any need to learn haki, so he couldn't sense Luffy like Shaka could. He could only rely on his technology and eyesight. "Luffy! It's finished," he proclaimed, holding up a strange helmet. Luffy tilted his head curiously.
"That's going to bring me into the past?" he asked. He tapped his chin for a second, his face growing more red every moment. After steam began to pour out of his ears once again, Luffy shook his head vigorously. "I don't get it, but whatever! I'll trust you apple head!" Luffy said, giving Vegapunk a nickname once more. Vegapunk smiled, understanding that Luffy began to enjoy life once again under the prospect of sailing with his crew.
"Luffy my boy, all you need to do is put this on. I control it remotely, so you don't have to worry about a thing," Vegapunk said. Luffy grinned and grabbed the device. As he was motioning to put it on his head, however, Vegapunk stopped him. "You might want to hang your hat around your neck for this. I don't want any variables to mess this up." Luffy nodded and slipped his signature straw hat off his head, leaving it dangling around his neck. Putting the complicated helmet on, Luffy gave a thumbs up.
Vegapunk typed in a command to his computer. "Good luck Luffy. For your sake, I hope this goes well," he muttered. Luffy didn't seem to hear him. "Ten Seconds, Luffy! Go, fulfill your dreams! Do whatever you choose! Whether it be Pirate King again, or even a Marine! It's a whole new life for you. Good luck!" Vegapunk called out. Before Luffy had a chance to say anything, the countdown displayed on the computer monitor hit zero. With a massive flash of light, Luffy disappeared. Vegapunk blinked.
"Uhh, oops?" he said, scratching his head. "I could've sworn only the soul was supposed to go-" Vegapunk's eyes widened. "Ooohh, I see. Well, physical matter can't really make it through the fabric of reality, so it shouldn't affect anything. Good luck with the pain, my boy..." he trailed off. Being ripped apart at the seams didn't sound like his idea of a good time.
Luffy would never be seen again. Not in this timeline, at least.