Flames of the Sun God
A One Piece Fanfic by GreyNimbus
OP/Luffy, Mature/Luffy, EarlyDFAwaken/Luffy, NoPairing (maybe)
Disclaimer:
One Piece is owned by Eiichiro Oda. I do NOT own anything One Piece related. Obviously(!)
Chapter 14 — Reborn! The New Straw Hat Pirates
(Sabaody Archipelago, Grove #46, 'Straw Hat' Recruit Gathering Area…)
After traversing the archipelago from grove to grove through the lawless zones, the two imposters, accompanied by Luffy, finally arrived at a wide-open area surrounded by ruined infrastructure. The area was filled with over a hundred pirates who were devilishly waiting to join the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates; a crew who were infamous for pulling off the most crazy stunts, and still managed to come out on top.
As the trio approached a wrecked building, which the fakers were using as a stage, Luffy could hear shouting from the roof.
"Take a look around you, boys!" announced the fat man on the roof, "This is history in the making! You probably don't know each other yet, but you'll be tight as brothers soon enough! From here on out, you're Straw Hats!"
The announcement was followed by the cheering of all the pirates gathered in the grove, raising their weapons in agreement.
Getting a better view from the ground, Luffy could make out the four figures on the roof.
And he did not like what he saw. Not. One. Bit.
The man out front who just spoke was a large and obese man with a broad face, black hair, and wide nostrils. There was a small X-shaped scar on his belly. The clothes we wore were similar to what Luffy used to wear, including a red sleeveless vest, and blue denim shorts. He was wearing boots instead of sandals, and the straw hat on his head was frayed and unkempt. Over his shoulders, we wore a black pirate coat to symbolize his position.
This was, without a doubt, the man pretending to be Luffy.
'I found you, faker…' Luffy growled internally as he got a look at the other imposters standing near his doppelganger.
He spotted a short, wide-faced, potbellied woman with short orange hair with a small bun on top. She wore a polka-dotted top and a lavender skirt, bearing her portly midriff, and black high heels. On her left shoulder was a tattoo similar to Nami's.
'That girl's supposed to be Nami? I don't think even Sanji would wanna look at her twice.' Luffy thought repugnantly.
Thanks to Garp and Rayleigh's tutoring in the past 2 years, the rubbery man-child was slowly starting to notice women.
The next imposter he saw was a tall, skinny man with a long neck and no chin. He had a blue hairstyle similar to Franky's. He wore a red shirt with yellow flower patterns, thin sunglasses, white pants, and brown shoes. He also had a cigarette in his mouth.
'Man, this guy doesn't know what he's doing. Franky would never wear shoes. Or pants!' The Straw Hat captain criticized in his mind.
Last, and certainly least, was a very large man, much bigger than Fake Luffy, sporting a gold-colored, sun-like mask with a silly, crudely drawn design painted over it. The nose of the mask was stretched out very long and covered in bandages. The man wearing it had large, black, curly hair and a thick beard. He also wore a red cape, striped pants, a plain shirt, a yellow sash for a belt, and brown boots.
'Who the hell is…?' Luffy thought, trying to ponder the identity of this overly suspicious character. 'Is that Sniper King? Man, he got fat. But what's he doing here? He's not even part of my crew. Come to think of it, I haven't seen fake Usopp yet.'
Even after a growth in maturity, Luffy was still Luffy.
Including the fake Sanji and Zoro into the mix, the only ones who were still missing were fake Robin, Chopper, Usopp, and Brook.
Luffy recalled Chopper informing him that Fake Robin was kidnapped by some World Government agents who mistook her for the real Robin, along with a fox-looking creature with a leash and pink hat that was biting Fake Robin's head at the time, for some reason.
Luffy was utterly disappointed at how this bunch of disorganized losers could even think that they were competent enough to impersonate him and his crew. Groaning with annoyance, Luffy's thoughts were disrupted by the cocky tone of Fake Luffy, as he continues to address his 'crew'.
"Not a bad deal, right?!" Fake Luffy gloated. "And I swear, when I become King of the Pirates, You're gonna know you made the right call! But I need a promise from you first! 'Cause a real King needs loyal subjects; ones that will live and die for him and wait on him hand and foot!"
The pirates continue cheering for their new 'captain'.
"Anything you say!" praised a random pirate in the crowd, "You're the man who escaped Impel Down, wrecked Ennie Lobby, stormed Marineford, and fought the Admirals! You've got the World Government shaking in its boots! Sailing the seas with you is like a dream come true!"
"Listen, there's only one man fit to be King of the Pirates, and he's standing right there!" called out another pirate. "You get with him or you get left in the dust!"
Luffy's escorts finally came to a stop.
"Looks like the gang's all here," said Fake Zoro, looking out amongst the crowd of recruits.
'Time to see what these jackasses are up to…' Luffy reminded himself before speaking up.
"Hey, so is that Luffy up there? Awesome! He looks a little different, but I guess people can change a lot in two years, huh? For one, you guys hardly talk at all anymore," he said innocently, making his two escorts sweat nervously.
"He's more dangerous than we thought," Fake Sanji whispered to his green-haired companion. "We gotta get 'im to the boss pronto before he blows our cover in front of everyone. Just who is this guy?"
"I 'unno, but in the meantime, let's try not to talk or he's gonna catch on," Fake Zoro whispered back. "Captain's right there, so let 'im figure this out on 'is own."
"Sounds like a plan," Fake Saji agreed.
"And another thing," Luffy continued, "You two seem like you're getting along a lot better, too."
Luffy's empty words only caused the fake duo to sweat even more nervously.
"Or maybe I've just been away for too long."
They sighed in relief, thinking that their goose wasn't gonna be cooked.
"If I didn't know you guys any better, I'd say you weren't the real Straw Hats."
Back with the nervous sweating.
The fakes couldn't stand hearing any more suspicious talk from this hooded weirdo who knew them from somewhere. They both groaned uncomfortably before making their way to the stage with the rest of their 'crew', with their interloper following close behind.
"Geez, since when did you guys get so antisocial?"
Not getting an answer from the two, Luffy continued to follow them while hiding a wide, mischievous grin and a light chuckle. He pulls out a baby transponder snail and subtly starts dialing a number after putting a small earpiece into his ear.
'Man, this is easier than I thought. Who knew deceiving stupid people was so much fun?'
-]|[-
(Meanwhile…)
(Sabaody Archipelago, Grove #17, Thousand Sunny…)
After Nami, Usopp, and Chopper made it back to the Thousand Sunny, the technologically advanced brigantine, and the flagship of the Straw Hat Pirates, the trio encountered Robin and Franky, who were waiting on the grassy deck.
Robin's hair was now longer, reaching to her lower back. Her skin had become a slightly lighter shade. She wore a long salmon sarong skirt with a seaweed design, a short-sleeved navy blue leather vest that left her stomach exposed. She also wore dark pink high-heeled pumps on her feet, and white sunglasses with orange lenses hanging on her forehead. On the ground next to her was a lavender-pink backpack.
Franky was the most changed of all. After discovering blueprints left behind by Dr. Vegapunk in an abandoned lab, Franky drastically reconfigured his cybernetic body to appear more robot-like. His hair, currently in a shaved style, was now controllable. There were two stitch-mark scars on his enlarged torso running down from the back of his neck indicating that he had to sew his skin back on. His shoulders were replaced with large red metal balls with socket joins that each had "BF-37" written on them. His forearms were now large, light blue cubes, with his trademark star tattoo split by the edge, and his hands were now large red robotic hands. He wore a red open Hawaiian shirt with coconut trees on it and a pair of red swimming briefs.
After a fulfilling reunion, Nami informed the two about the unfolding situation.
Nami glanced around cautiously at her crewmates on deck before speaking in a serious tone, "I'm sure you guys have noticed by now that there are some poor imitations of us out there ruining our credibility."
"Yeah, I was starting to notice all the hustle and bustle," Franky scratched his head, baffled.
"But they are causing a scene that we cannot ignore," Robin said with a frown.
Usopp took a deep breath before speaking, "Yeah, these fake Straw Hats are causing a mess in Sabaody. They're tarnishing our good name, using our Jolly Roger, and they're gaining a following. Luffy has a plan to deal with them, but it involves the whole crew."
Chopper nodded vigorously, "Yeah! Luffy said he has a plan to deal with them."
Franky's eyes widened in surprise, "Whoa! Our captain has a plan, huh? Then we can't let him down! What's the plan, Nami?"
Nami smiled slyly, "Luffy's on his way to find where those imposters are gathering. Once we're all gathered, he wants us to move the Sunny to wherever he is, and then wait for further instructions. The rest of the plan is pretty vague, so we'll just hope Luffy knows what he's doing."
A small smile formed on Robin's lips, "Luffy has always been bold, but not the best planner. We all trust him, I wouldn't hold my breath just yet."
Franky clenched his massive fists, his trademark grin widening, "All right! I can't wait to give those bastards a taste of my new cola-powered weapons! Super!"
"Seriously, though, what do you think Luffy has planned for us?" Usopp mused, fiddling with his goggles.
Chopper tilted his head, contemplating, "Maybe he wants to challenge them to a Davy Back Fight?"
Nami chuckled softly, shaking her head, "Against those assholes? As fun as that might be, I doubt it's just for amusement. Luffy has something specific in mind. He sounded too serious about dealing with those imposters."
Franky leaned backward, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his lawn chair, "Knowing Luffy, it's gotta be something straightforward, something that'll hit them hard and fast!"
Robin, leaning over the side guard rail, pondered aloud, "Perhaps he plans to confront them head-on, to show everyone the stark difference between the real Straw Hats and the imposters."
Chopper's eyes widened, "Oh! Maybe he'll challenge them to an eating contest! Luffy always wins those!"
Usopp chuckled, "That's true, but I think this time it's more about proving our identity, not our appetites."
Nami crossed her arms, a thoughtful expression on her face, "What if he's planning to use his bounty as leverage? To show the world that those imposters can't possibly be the real deal?"
Franky nodded, a grin forming, "Yeah! Luffy's bounty is sky-high! It's one way to make a statement."
The present half of the crew mulled over various possibilities, each suggestion adding to the puzzle of Luffy's plan. Their trust in their captain was unwavering, but the anticipation of his method lingered in the air.
*Puru-puru-puru-puru-puru*
Suddenly, the Transponder Snail on Nami's person started ringing. Upon answering it, a mischievous grin on the snail's face.
"This is Luffy. I found them. Here's what I want you to do…"
-]|[-
(Meanwhile…)
(Sabaody Archipelago, Grove #41…)
"Why are you being such an ass about this? I just wanna go fishing."
"Well, too bad, you can't!"
Arguing in the middle of a bustling shopping district were two more members of the real Straw Hats Pirates — Zoro and Sanji
Zoro, now with a vertical scar across his closed left eye, was wearing a long, open dark-green coat closed to his waist that was held by a red sash, where his three katanas—Wado Ichimonji, Kitetsu III, and Shusui—were tucked into. His black bandana was tied around his left forearm, and his green haramaki (belly warmer) was shown underneath his coat. He had also grown slightly taller in two years, making his height equal to Robin's.
Sanji's blond hair had grown slightly longer, covering his right eye. He sported a dark anchor-style beard, and stubble on his upper lip. He was wearing a black double-breasted suit with golden buttons and a yellow dress shirt together with a brown tie. His smoking habit hasn't changed as he dangled a lit cigarette in his mouth. (It's medicinal, dammit!) Sanji was also carrying around several bubble balloons filled with ingredients.
"Give me one good reason!" Zoro continued the argument. "And while you're at it, give me one good reason why I should even listen to you!"
"I don't wanna hang out together any more than you do, but I can't let you get lost!", Sanji retorted. "Don't get me wrong, though, nothing would make me happier than leaving you here for good. Too bad, huh?! The point is, everyone's meeting on the ship, so you don't get to go fishing on your own!"
Zoro tsked in annoyance before groaning, "What a joke. Number 7 thinks he can talk crap to Number 1 and get away with it."
Sanji flinched angrily, "You think you're better than me just 'cause you got here first?! IT'S NOT LIKE EVERYONE SWAM TO SABAODY, ALRIGHT?! YOU'VE GOT NOTHING TO BRAG ABOUT!
"Sure, whatever you say… Number 7."
Zoro's taunt made Sanji grow furiously.
"FINE! YOU WANNA FIGHT ME?!" the cook yelled as his body was engulfed in flames like an aura. "I'VE TRAINED THESE LEGS ON THE SHORES OF HELL FOR TWO YEARS!"
"THEN YOU'D BETTER USE THEM TO RUN, 'CAUSE I WILL CUT YOU IN HALF!" Zoro yelled back, also engulfed in a fiery aura, two of his swords unsheathed.
Raring to rumble, two charge at each other in a childish, yet hot-heated brawl.
-]|[-
(Meanwhile…)
(Sabaody Archipelago, Grove #17, Thousand Sunny…)
"...You guys know what to do, now?"
"We hear ya, Luffy! You can count on us! I gave Sanji a Baby Transponder Snail when he stopped by, so I'll give him a call right away!" Franky's enthusiasm reverberated.
"Good!" Luffy's voice conveyed determination through the snail. "Then, I want all of you to prepare. Once everyone's back on the ship, we'll meet at the rendezvous point. On my signal, you guys play your part. Let's make sure everyone knows who the real Straw Hat Pirates are!"
"Aye, Captain!" Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky called out in unison with mutual respect.
Robin giggled with excitement, "This should be fun."
With a toothy laugh from their captain, the transmission ended, leaving the crew buzzing with anticipation. They immediately sprang into action, preparing for the upcoming showdown.
Nami charted a course toward the rendezvous point while Usopp readied his new arsenal of inventive gadgets and ammunition. Chopper meticulously packed medical supplies, ensuring they were prepared for any situation. Robin studied the local customs and behaviors, always a step ahead in understanding their surroundings. Franky inspected their coated ship, making final adjustments to ensure its peak performance.
Just as they were about to ship out, a voice called out to them, echoing from the grove.
"Hello, there!"
The crew walked back out onto the deck to see the figures of both Rayleigh and Shakky, greeting them with warm smiles.
"Hey, Rayleigh! Hey, Shakky! What brings you here?" Nami greeted them back while leaning over the guard rail.
Rayleigh, with his trademark calm demeanor, replied, "Sorry to interrupt whatever you have planned, but we kinda got an incident; one that demands your immediate attention."
-]|[-
"The Navy?" Nami asked.
"That's right," Shakky answered, holding a cigarette. "They thought those fake Straw Hats were the real deal, and mobilized their forces. Pacifistas, too. I have them wire-tapped, so there's no mistaking it. Anyway, Brook is finishing up his concert, but I gave him a call backstage to let him know what was going on. He said he'd come after the encore, so it shouldn't be long."
"Oh, yeah?" Franky said, intrigued, "Givin' up stardom to be a lowly pirate? It goes without sayin', but the man's got a backbone."
"Alright, Nami," Rayleigh said as he jumped onto the dack and handed Nami a rolled-up piece of paper with instructions. "since you're the navigator, there are a few tricks to operating a coated ship that I should pass onto you."
"Oh, okay. Sure, let's see it!" the navigator said as she took the parchment and unrolled it to reveal a diagram of the ship's coating. Her determination flared as she was soon to put her navigation skills to the test.
"Hey, Rayleigh, did Luffy come by to see you?" Usopp asked the old man with a hint of nervousness. "Three of us ran into him earlier. He said he had a plan to deal with those guys pretending to be us."
Rayleigh waved his hand in dismissal before answering, "I'm sure he's got it all under control. Fighting wasn't the only thing he learned while he was with me."
Nami looked up from her chart, curiosity etching her features. "What do you mean?"
Shakky, with a knowing smile, explained, "After Rayleigh came back three months ago, he told me all about how Monkey had managed to surpass him, in terms of both growth and power."
The crew gasped in astonishment. Robin's curiosity piqued as she asked, "Luffy stronger than you, now, Rayleigh?"
Rayleigh chuckled softly. "Yes, he is. Luffy's determination and potential knows no bounds."
Usopp's excitement couldn't be contained, "Whoa! That is awesome!"
Chopper shared in his excitement, "
Rayleigh nodded, his expression turning serious. "Anyway, you should probably come up with a way to leave for Fish-man Island after dealing with those imposters."
Chopper smirked, "Oh, we know. In fact, Luffy already filled us in on his plan."
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
-]|[-
(Sabaody Archipelago, Grove #46, 'Straw Hat' Recruit Gathering Area…)
"Cap'n!" 'Sanji' called out.
"Huh?" 'Luffy' reacted in annoyance, looking down from the rooftop to his 'crew'. "I'm kinda in the middle of something, you goons!"
"But, we found someone who wants ta join the crew! That's good, right? He's a friend o' the crew, if ya follow? Say 'Hi'."
"Eh?" the fake captain raised a suspicious eyebrow, then an arrogant smirk etched onto his face. "Oh, a friend of ours, is he?"
'Zoro' answered, sweating profusely, "Uh, yeah, boss! He says he's met ya before!"
The real Luffy played along, flashing a wide grin. "Yeah! It's been a while, Luffy! Haven't seen you since the East Blue! Remember? We go way back! I heard you were looking for strong recruits, and I think I can fill that part!"
Fake Luffy stood tall, crossing his arms, before scrunching his face trying to consider his options. On one hand, if this guy he's never seen before is indeed an acquaintance of the real Straw Hats, he might blow their cover if he doesn't let him join. On the other hand, he could just kill this guy right here and now to save him the trouble. However, if he's all by himself on Sabaody, he might be tougher than he looks to make it this far on his own.
Not wanting to waste time, fake Luffy makes an executive decision.
"Fine! Get on up here, 'friend'!" fake Luffy ordered his potentially newest recruit, unaware that he was unwittingly setting the stage for his own downfall.
Author's Note:
Again, sorry for the wait. Writer's Block is a bitch to get rid of.
At least the rest of the crew got a little bit of screen time in this chapter. I hope I got their characters right.
It's about to become Summer here in Australia, and nothing good has ever come out of me when it gets hot.
By the way, I've come up with a fan-made Devil Fruit that I want to eventually introduce to my story. But I still haven't come up with the context to use it for.
I'm not gonna spoil what the Devil Fruit is, but I think you guys will like it. I don't like fanfics that include OCs (with one or two exceptions), so there won't be any made-up characters who will have this Devil Fruit's power.
Like I said in the A/N of my last chapter, don't wait. I'll have the next chapter published when I finish it! I know I was in the zone when I first started out, but inspiration can only take you so far.
Just please be patient, and I'll give you guys more to read. And don't ask me for status updates, please.
That is all. Thanks for your support.
GreyNimbus, out!