Flames of the Sun God

A One Piece Fanfic by GreyNimbus

OP/Luffy, Mature/Luffy, EarlyDFAwaken/Luffy, NoPairing

Disclaimer:

One Piece is owned by Eiichiro Oda. I do NOT own anything One Piece related. Obviously(!)

Chapter 13 — OPERATION: Unmask

The Straw Hat captain was exhilarated and content, his spirits soaring high at the sight of one of his dear friends—Tony Tony Chopper. However, in the midst of his euphoria, the talented reindeer wore a somber expression as he charged blindly toward his captain.

Chopper had always been the innocent and naive reindeer of the crew, but his heart was pure and his instincts sharp. Luffy knew that whatever made him upset had struck a chord deep within him, leaving him unsettled and hurt.

As Chopper was wailing through the bustling street, a familiar voice boomed from in front of him, "Hey! Chopper!"

Stopping in his tracks, Chopper raised his head, his weeping eyes widened in disbelief. Standing before him was his captain, Monkey D. Luffy, wearing his trademark straw hat, red top, blue shorts, and a wide grin on his face. Taking a whiff of the relief washed over Chopper as he bounded towards Luffy, his hooves leaving tracks in the grass.

"Luffy!" Chopper exclaimed, his voice filled with joy and relief. "It really is you! I'm so glad you're here!"

Luffy's eyes narrowed, a fierce determination taking over his features. "Is something wrong, buddy? You looked upset earlier," he said before cracking his knuckles. "Was someone being mean to you?"

Chopper's eyes suddenly widened with concern as he recalled recent events. "Wait a second! I'm happy to see you and all, Luffy, but now's not the time for this! Robin is in serious trouble!"

Luffy's expression shifted from concern to seriousness. "What? Robin?" he exclaimed, his voice laced with skepticism. "Are you sure about that, Chopper?"

Chopper nodded fervently, tears glistening in his eyes again. "I'm positive, Luffy! When I saw her with Zoro and Sanji earlier, she was acting a little strange, and then a couple of guys in suits stuffed her in a sack and ran off with her! She's been kidnapped, Luffy! We have to rescue her!"

Luffy scratched the back of his head as he tried to piece together what Chopper described. What didn't make much sense was how Robin could possibly be captured so easily, and in a sack, no less. And if she was with Zoro and Sanji, there's no way they wouldn't have immediately pursued her kidnappers. And if Chopper was there, why wasn't he with them now?

The answer eventually became clear as day to Luffy.

'...Chopper must've run into the imposters. But just to make sure…'

"Hey, buddy," Luffy asked, gently patting Chopper's soft neck mane, "Are you sure the guys you ran into were our friends?"

Chopper reacted with a wet sniffle before answering, "W-well, Zoro did seem to have gained a bit of weight, and…and Sanji had an afro and was way more scrawny than I remember. And Robin…lost some height, I think?

"Then, I'm sure Robin's just fine!" the captain reassured the reindeer, patting his furry neck.

Confusion clouded Chopper's face. "Huh?! How can you say that?!"

-]|[-

After finding a public bench, Luffy motioned for Chopper, who reverted to his usual hybrid form, to sit down with him as he began to unravel the enigma that had befallen them. Chopper explained that 'Zoro' and 'Sanji' decided to regroup with the rest of the 'crew' to figure out what to do about their 'Robin' situation. Naturally, Chopper decided to tag along.

Once they encountered the rest of the 'Straw Hats', which the reindeer thought consisted of Luffy, Nami, Franky, and Sniper King, Chopper didn't realize that they weren't his real friends, and pleaded with them to help rescue "Robin'. But the other 'Luffy' quoted, much to Chopper's horror, "It's not our problem if she dies."

Completely shattered in disbelief at the thought of his captain abandoning a friend, Chopper charged off in despair, claiming he'll rescue 'Robin' on his own.

And the rest is history.

Chopper's eyes widened with realization. "Huh?! They're just pretending to be us?! That's why there's two Luffys?!"

Luffy nodded, holding a stern expression on his face. "Exactly! The real Robin would never let herself get captured so easily. And do you honestly think I'm the kind of guy who would leave a friend behind without a second thought? You know me better than that, Chopper."

Chopper sighed with relief. "Sorry, Luffy. I have a tough time telling humans apart, but you're right. I should've been able to recognize my friends when I see them."

Luffy shot Chopper one of his signature grins as he patted his furry friend on the back. "You only did what you thought was right. But we're getting off-topic here."

Luffy stood up, clenching his fists tightly as he growled, "Those bastards pretending to be us have made a huge mistake."

"So, what do we do now, Luffy?" Chopper asked.

Standing up, Luffy's eyes gleamed with a mischievous spark. "Chopper, we need to show everyone who the real Straw Hat Pirates are and take down those imposters for good!"

Chopper nodded eagerly, his trust in his captain unwavering. "I'm with you, Luffy! But how do we do that?"

Luffy folded his arms and puffed out his muscular chest. "First thing we're gonna do is regroup with the rest of the crew."

Chopper's eyes were sparkling with awe. "And then?"

Luffy grinned, his mind buzzing with ideas. "We'll expose those fakers for who they really are! We'll track down the fake Straw Hats and give them the thrashing of a lifetime! It'll be our debut of strength before we set sail, proving that we're the real deal!"

Chopper's smile grew wider, his heart pounding with anticipation. "That sounds amazing, Luffy! Let's do it!"

"I know that voice!"

"Hey! Chopper!"

The captain and doctor's attention instantly shifted to the familiar voices coming from down the bustling street. Suddenly, amidst the crowd, their keen eyes locked onto a couple of familiar figures—Usopp and Nami, driving a pedal-powered, donut-shaped, bubble-based vehicle, with a stack of supplies in barrels and balloon-like shopping bags.

Usopp had gotten more muscular and grown his hair out, including a small goatee. He wore a white sun cap over a pair of ear protectors, a pair of new goggles around his neck, a pair of rolled-up yellow pants with red suspenders, and a pair of sycamore boots, complete with his trusty satchel hanging over his upper body.

The changes to Nami, however, have become a sight for sore eyes. Her orange hair had grown from shoulder length to lower back. Her body now maintained an hourglass figure while her breasts had gotten bigger and rounder, which were held up by her white and green halter bikini top. The rest of her outfit consisted of tight low-rider jeans with a black belt that had the symbol for "฿" over the buckle. On her feet were a pair of orange high-heel sandals.

Chopper's grin widened, and he charged forward, leaving Luffy in his wake.

"Usopp! Nami!" Chopper shouted, his voice echoing through the busy street. The little reindeer jumped into Nami's arms, crying happily into the navigator's ample bosom. "I missed you guys so much!"

Nami chuckled, gently patting the little doctor's back. "Aww, we missed you too, Chopper."

"It's been too long, buddy!" Usopp exclaimed, reaching out to pat his friend's round hat. "You doin' okay?"

Chopper looked up at Usopp and nodded, "Uh-huh! Thanks to Luffy!"

Nami and Usopp's eyes widened at the mention of their captain.

"Wait, Luffy's here?!" Nami exclaimed.

"Well, where is he?!" Usopp inquired.

With an excited grin, Chopper jumped out of Nami's embrace before pointing to the hooded figure standing near the bench. "He's right there."

Squinting their eyes, the pair took a moment to examine the cloaked individual until their gaze lowered to the familiar shorts and sandals poking out from under the cloak.

Usopp's eyes widened, and he turned to Chopper. "Wait, could it be...?"

Nami's face lit up with realization. "No way! Is that you, Luffy?"

The disguised figure raised his hood, revealing a familiar grin and the trademark straw hat. "Bingo!" Luffy proclaimed triumphantly.

Nami and Usopp couldn't contain their joy as they rushed to embrace their captain. Laughter and tears mingled, and their reunion was filled with an overwhelming sense of camaraderie.

"I can't believe it's really you, Luffy!" Nami said, wiping away tears of joy. "You look so different!"

Luffy chuckled, giving them both a tight squeeze. "I've been training extra hard, and I've got tons of new tricks up my sleeve! You guys look different too! Everyone's grown so much!"

"It's good to have you back, Captain! Usopp exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "We've missed you!"

Nami added, "Yeah, we've been through a lot these past two years, but now, we're stronger than ever!"

Luffy's eyes gleamed with excitement. "That's awesome! I can't wait to see how much you guys have improved!"

Ending their joyous reunion, Luffy's demeanor suddenly shifted into serious mode. Now more serious and determined than ever after his two years of training, he had discovered that the existence of the fake Straw Hat crew was now his responsibility to deal with and protect his crew's name and reputation.

"Listen up, guys," he began, his voice filled with intensity. "As happy as I am to see you again, we have a problem. There are people pretending to be us and are causing trouble on this island."

Nami's brow furrowed with concern. "You mean you already know about them? Usopp and I ran into a few of them earlier."

Luffy's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, but I was able to take care of them," Usopp embellished before Nami delivered a casual stomp on his foot with her sharp heel, causing the liar to wince in pain. "Nnnngh! N-Nami helped, too, I guess!"

"Wait, so there really are imposters?!" Chopper joined in. "Why would anyone want to pretend to be us?!"

Nami explained, "They seem to think that we, the real Straw Hats, are dead, and are trying to recruit more members for the New World. They're causing trouble, and everyone thinks it's us. I was at a pub when four of them showed up acting like they owned the place. I got a good look at them, but they're nothing but a bunch of losers trying to steal our reputation."

Usopp chimed in, truthfully this time, "That's when I showed up. At first, I thought they were just a bunch of thugs trying to bother Nami, so I used my new Special Attack to show those bastards who's boss!"

Luffy's eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. He recalled that most of Usopp's attacks were either projectiles that he shot from his slingshot or a variety of tools and small, sharp weapons. Luffy had to make sure that his sniper's new and improved arsenal wasn't too lethal.

Luffy narrowed his eyes. He calmly glared at Nami and Usopp and asked, "I hope you guys didn't kill them."

Nami and Usopp exchanged surprised looks, not expecting Luffy's composed reaction. They knew that the fake Straw Hats were a threat to their reputation, but the idea of violence of that magnitude was not one they had entertained.

Usopp hesitated, then replied, "N-No, Luffy! We wouldn't go that far! We just gave them a scare."

Nami added, a little worried "Yeah! We wanted to show those fakes not to get too full of themselves. I gave them a shock with my Thunderbolt Tempo, and then we left. We didn't want to get ourselves involved with those guys!"

Luffy nodded, satisfied with their response. "Good. We don't need to resort to killing if we can help it. We can't leave this island the way things are, though. We need to remind everyone that the real Straw Hat Pirates are not crossing that line."

The trio exchanged surprised glances. Luffy's serious and mature approach was unexpected, but it filled them with a renewed sense of confidence and respect for their captain.

"If those freaks think they can steal our thunder, then they've got another thing coming," Nami said, frustration evident in her voice. "I'm the only one who gets to steal around here!"

Usopp nodded in agreement. "You bet! Let's show those jerks what happens when you mess with the crew of the future King of the Pirates!"

"Yeah!" Chopper cheered, "We need to stop them! So, what's our plan, Luffy?"

-]|[-

Luffy ordered his three friends to head straight for the Thousand Sunny to regroup and drop off their supplies, although Luffy insisted on still carrying his massive backpack.

Meanwhile, the captain himself sets out to find his remaining crewmates. His search began with bouncing from atop the buildings to get a better view. With each jump, he bounded from rooftop to rooftop, his concentration sharpening with every leap. The townspeople below watched in awe as the pirate captain with the conspicuous backpack explored the archipelago in a way that only he could.

As he jumped, Luffy's eyes scanned the crowd for any sign of his nakama, his heart racing with anticipation. Snippets of conversations about the fake Straw Hats reached his ears, but he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on his singular goal.

Luffy stopped in his tracks before leaping down into an alleyway and casually walking out into the bustling market square, where he noticed a crowd of people admiring a noticeboard with various posters and advertisements. Luffy curiously got a closer look to see what was captivating the crowd.

Amidst the collection of paper, Luffy's eyes locked onto a poster that caught his attention—the likeness of a skeleton musician, recognizable as their musician, Brook.

'"The SK Brook World Tour"...? What does the 'SK' stand for?' Luffy thought with confusion.

The poster was definitely not a standard wanted poster, but instead looked more like an advertisement for a concert. If Brook was careless enough to put up pictures of himself all over the place, then the people probably don't know he's a pirate.

'Eh, I'm sure he's doing just fine. Brook can handle himself. He wouldn't just give up being a pirate, much less the chance to see Laboon again.'

Leaving it alone for now, Luffy continued his search.

His excitement and relief at the thought of seeing all his friends again was palpable. Navigating through the bustling streets, he stopped and noticed two figures standing in the middle of the street. Luffy squinted as he got a good look at the pair. One was a man with a beer gut, a chubby face, and green hair. His shirt was very similar to what Zoro always wore, but this guy wore a pair of shorts instead of long black pants. Strapped to his right hip were three swords, similar in color to what Zoro wields, but these three looked like cheap knockoffs.

The other man next to him was really skinny and had bags under his eyes. His chin was rather long and his hair was blonde and messy, almost like an afro. We wore a black suit and tie with a navy blue undershirt. He also had a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

'These must be the imposters that Chopper ran into earlier. They sure don't look like a couple of guys who spent 2 years training.'

They both seemed to be catching their breath like they just had a long run. Suppressing his grin, Luffy decided to have a little fun with them.

Approaching the panting imposters, Luffy greeted them with an amiable smile. "Hey, guys, how's it going?!"

The fakes looked up and narrowed their eyes suspiciously at who was calling to them.

"Eh? Is that guy talkin' ta us?" 'Sanji' asked.

"Dunno," 'Zoro' shrugged.

Luffy laughed, playing along. "Good to see you again, Sanji! You too, Zoro! It's been a long time, hasn't it? I heard you guys have been causing quite a stir in Sabaody, so I decided to check it out."

The fakes flinched, startled that this goofy-looking guy seemed to know the Straw Hats personally.

"Oh, uhh…" 'Sanji' hesitated before puffing out his chest arrogantly. "I mean, yeah, you're damn right! We practically run Sabaody now! Everyone knows not to mess with us Straw Hats!"

"Sounds great!" Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "Hey, I was wondering if I could join your crew as well, so can you guys take me to Luffy? I haven't seen him in forever."

The confused pair trailed back slightly. 'Zoro' scratched his head skeptically, "Well, uhh…sure, as long as you can keep up! Let's…get goin', then!"

"Cool! Lead the way, guys!" Luffy cheered before walking past the two imposters.

'Zoro' and 'Sanji' huddled closely to discuss how to handle the situation privately.

"Well, this guy knows the Straw Hats, but we don't know him," 'Zoro' whispered.

"Who cares? He's just one guy. Let's just take him to Luffy and he'll sort this out," 'Sanji' whispered back. They both nodded in agreement before catching up to their mysterious acquaintance.

Author's Note:

So sorry for the delay. I've come down with a prolonged case of Writer's Block. It's been hard to find inspiration, and I've discovered that I suck at being original. I'm ashamed of myself for not being a decent writer.

I wanted to make this chapter a bit longer, but I think I've kept you guys waiting long enough. I don't want to make any promises I can't deliver, so I'll just go with the flow from now on. Giving myself a deadline was pretty stressful to begin with.

I considered doing a Q&A in these notes, but that's been shoved off the table.

I read a lot of other fanfics, and I've been getting the idea of writing another one with either Dragon Ball, Naruto, or Fairy Tail as the setting.

Again, hate to disappoint, but you may have to wait longer for the next chapter. At least, until I find the inspiration I need. I hope you all understand.

GreyNimbus, out!