A/N: Thank you all for reading this. I just have a few things to say.

First: To anifan. I'll make sure not to type that again.

Second: To many of you. Shut up about who Luffy should and shouldn't be with. It's getting on my nerves.

Now, on to the story.

After some sailing, a quick explanation of Reverse Mountain, and most of the crew wishing to throw Luffy overboard to shut him up about getting to where Gold Roger spent his last few moments, the Straw Hats finally made it to Louge Town.

"We're here!" Luffy shouted out when they made port.

"The town where Gold Roger was both born and executed." Johnny said.

"I'm off guys!" Luffy yelled before he jumped ship and ran into the town.

"Luffy! Hold on aaaaaand he's gone." Usopp said.

"Honestly," Nami said with a sigh. "Can't he sit still for five minutes?"

"You've traveled with him longer, so you should know." Nojiko said in a teasing voice.

"Shut up." most of the crew said, making Nojiko laugh before everyone got ready to head into town.

"I'm gonna go pick up some food." Sanji said before he jumped from the ship.

"I'll go look for some supplies." Usopp said.

"I need some new swords, but I'm pretty broke." Zoro mumbled.

"I'll lend you some money at 300% interest." Nami said with an innocent smile.

'Don't do it Zoro.' Nojiko thought with a knowing smirk.

"We'll go with you big bro." Yosaku said as he and Johnny followed Zoro.

"I'll...take a walk." Gin mumbled as he left the ship.

"You okay Gin?" Nojiko asked while following Nami.

"Just...clearning my head." he said before they all walked off.

()()()()

"What's wrong with you big bro?" Johnny asked as the three of them kept walking, looking for a shop to get some new swords.

"Nothing." Zoro said without looking back. Moments ago, the three ran into a blue haired woman who took out two pirates effortlessly before tripping over herself, falling, and dropping her glasses. Zoro picked up her glasses while onlookers laughed before giving them back to her, but nearly crushed them at the sight of her. 'She looked just like her.' Zoro thought before they entered a weapons shop.

"Greetings!" said the owner as he rubbed his hands together with a smile. "We have new blades, old blades, and rare blades! What're ya looking for?"

"I have 100,000 berries. Give me two swords." Zoro said bluntly.

"Only that much?" the owner said, his happy mood deflating at hearing how poor he is. "And you two?" he asked, seeing Johnny and Yosaku.

"Looking for better versions of these blades." Johnny said as he and Yosaku held up their blades.

"Over there." the owner said as he pointed at display case to the right of the store. "And over there are 50,000 berri swords." he told Zoro as he pointed to some barrels to the left of the store. His face lit up in confusion and shock when he noticed Zoro's blade. 'Wait...is that?!' he thought. "Excuse me." he said with a bit of sweat and a force smile on his face. "Do you mind if I see that blade of yours?" he asked. All three looked at him skeptically, but Zoro let him see it. He nearly pissed himself when he saw it was what he thought it was before he calmed down and tried to buy it at a low price, with Zoro naturally declining each offer.

"Is that what I think it is?!" said the blue haired swordswoman from before as she looked at Zoro's sword. "It is! Wado Ichimonji!"

"You again?!" Zoro said as the owner got pissed at her for blowing his deal. She told them all about how his sword was very rare before the owner tossed her blade Shigure to her.

"You never told us about that sword big bro." Yosaku said as he picked up a sword he liked.

"It's amazing that you have that kind of sword." Tashigi said as Zoro was now looking for some swords. "But you're looking for three? That reminds me of a bounty hunter called Roronoa Zoro." she said before she sighed. "Why are the best blades in the hands of pirates or bounty hunters?"

"Something wrong?" Johnny asked.

"No." she said before holding up her blade. "It's just that I made a vow to obtain these blades ."

"Like my blade?" Zoro asked.

"No no." she said. "Not for me. Just to keep them out of evil hands." Zoro smirked at her that she didn't know who he is before his eyes widened at the sword he grabbed.

"What?" he said before he pulled out the blade. Tashigi stared in awe before she flipped through a book, while the owner had a grim look on his face.

"That's Kitetsu III!" Tashigi said before talking about it and the ones that came before it.

"I won't sell that blade!" the owner yelled. He and Tashigi talked about why not, along with Ippon-Matsu's wife before Zoro interrupted them all.

"It's cursed." he said, gaining everyone's attention.

"You knew?!" Ippon said.

"It is?!" Johhny and Yosaku said in unison.

"I can feel it." Zoro said. Ippon-Matsu then told them about how everyone who carried a Kitetsu sword met a horrible death. Tashigi bowed and apologized for saying he should get it, but Zoro only smirked. "I like it. I'll take it."

"WHAT!?" they all said.

"Didn't you hear what he said big bro?!" Johnny asked.

"I know you want good blades, but wanting a cursed blade is nuts!" Yosaku yelled.

"My luck...or its curse." Zoro said. "How about we find out which is stronger?" He then tossed the blade into the air before holding out his left arm.

"BIG BRO?!" Johnny and Yosaku screamed.

"Look out!" Tashigi yelled.

"That sword's sharpness is real! You'll lose your arm!" Ippon-Matsu yelled.

"Then it just means I don't have what it takes." Zoro said before he closed his eyes, blocking everything but the sword from his mind. He heard the sword spin in the air as it came down and, to everyone but Zoro's surprise, hit his arm with it's back, leaving him unharmed as it sank into the wooden floor. "I'll take it." he said with a smirk. Everyone fell down to their knees or backsides in awe/relief as Zoro took the sword out of the floor. "Hey you. Find me another sword." he told Tashigi.

"R-right." she said before Ippon told them all to wait before running to the backroom and coming back with another sword.

"This is Yubashiri." he said. "Our shop is small, but it's the best blade I have."

"I can't afford it." Zoro said.

"Take it and the Kitetsu, free of charge." Ippon said. "It's my way of apologizing for trying to cheat a real swordsman." he said. Johnny and Yosaku bought themselves some swords with their own money before leaving to follow Zoro.

"Who was that guy?" Tashigi asked as Ippon's wife told him to take out the garbage.

()()()()

Nami and Nojiko were walking through town with some shopping bags before Nami stopped.

"What's wrong Nami?" Nojiko asked as she stopped and looked at her.

"Why'd you really come along?" Nami asked. They looked at each other before Nojiko smiled.

"Truth be told, I don't know." she said. "Something in me said to go with you guys. That's all." she said. It was true that whatever it was, she wanted to go along as well.

"That's it?" Nami said.

"That's it." Nojiko said before she started walking again. Nami followed as the wind picked up a bit. "You sure there's a storm coming?" Nojiko asked as she looked up at the blue sky.

"Yeah. A big one too." Nami said.

()()()()

Gin was walking through town, just minding his own as he was lost in thought.

'Back to the Grand Line.' he thought with a grim look. 'I must be crazy. One week and that Hawk-eye bastard destroyed Krieg's whole fleet. And there are six more like him.' He sighed as he looked to the sky. 'I won't deny it. I'm terrified to go back. Yet that kid sounds like going there is like having a picnic. I just hope he knows what he's doing.' He kept walking, even though he noticed a group of 20 people carrying blades and guns were slowly surrounding him. He stopped when they left him with nowhere to run.

"Remember us?" one of them asked as the others had mixed expressions from crazed to angry.

"Not really." Gin said in a bored tone.

"You should! We're all thats left from pirate crews that your Captain destroyed!" another shouted.

"Don Krieg robbed us of our dreams of going to the Grand Line to find the One Piece!" one more shouted. At the mention of Don Krieg, spectators around them began to talk in silent whispers of fear.

"What does that have to do with me?" Gin asked. "I'm not a Krieg pirate anymore."

"Is that so?" said a tall man with a blade in his hand. He had on gray jeans, blue shirt, orange hair that was buzzed, and black shoes. "You were under his rule when you attacked us, so we'll kill you first before we find and kill Krieg!" He then ran towards Gin, who didn't move from his spot.

"Moron." Gin mumbled before he dodged the attack and elbowed him in his ribs, crushing them before the guy fell down in pain. He then took out his tonfa before spinning one around and grinning. "Who's next?"

"GET HIM!" one of them shouted before they all ran at him. One ran ahead and attempted to lob Gin's head off, but Gin ducked before slamming his tonfa into his back. One managed to knick his face, but that only got his face smashed in. One by one, Gin took them all out before looking at them all and breathing a bit heavily.

"Thanks for the exercise." Gin said before he put away his tonfa and starting walking on. He kept walking even with the spectators looking at him in fear. "Stop staring at me." he said, causing them all to freak out and hide. All except a few men under some cloaks.

"Hey you." one of them asked.

"Now what?" Gin asked, clearly annoyed that he couldn't get a moment to think. "If you're here for a fight, you'd better reconsider."

"Nah, we have no beef with you." another said. "We're looking for a guy with a straw hat. You seen this guy?" he asked before bringing up Luffy's wanted poster. Gin looked at them with narrowed eyes.

"What do you want with that kid?" he asked.

"Our captain wants him dead, so we're looking for him." another said before they all smirked under their cloaks, unaware that Gin was going for his tonfas.

()()()()

After a few close calls, and a few encounters with Smoker, Luffy was finally on top of the execution and was staring around. "I missed this view." Luffy said as a bunch of people were looking up at Luffy.

"Hey you!" yelled an officer with a loudspeaker. "Get down from there!"

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"That platform is property of the World Government! Get down from there now!" he yelled.

"Say the magic word!" Luffy called back with a smile.

"NOW! BEFORE I ARREST YOU!" he screamed, clearly losing his patience with Luffy before being knocked out by an iron mace.

"Long time no see Luffy." said the woman with the mace who was now looking up at Luffy. "I've been looking for you." When Luffy looked down at her, that strange feeling hit him again, although it was tiny and very different from when he looked at Nami.

"Hi." Luffy said. "Who are you?" He thought hard trying to remember her, but was having trouble remembering.

"That's rude." she said. "You're telling me you don't remember this face?"

"I'm trying to remember." he said.

"Well, I remember you Luffy." she said. "You're the first man to have ever struck me."

"I did?" Luffy said as some of the fog was clearing in his mind.

"Yes. When you did, it felt good." she said as Luffy tilted his head in confusion. "Listen up boys." she continued. "Who is the most beautiful on these seas?"

"YOU ARE!" the crowd shouted before bowing to her. That question seemed to be the final key to jogging Luffy's memory.

"Alvida?" Luffy asked.

"That's right." she said with a smile. "Glad you remember." Luffy just looked at her as a group of officers surrounded her.

"Stop right there!" one of them shouted. "You're under arrest for attacking a police captain! Drop your weapon!" he said before looking up at Luffy. "And you! Get off that!"

"Who did you say you're going to arrest?" Alvida asked in a sweet voice.

"Y-you." one of them stuttered as they all blushed at her.

"Are you really going to arrest me?" she cooed.

"We can't do it sir!" they all said with hearts in their eyes. "She's too beautiful!"

"I don't care!" an officer said with hearts in his eyes. "Just arrest her!" Before they could do anything, a cannonball blew up the fountain, sending a hunk of it at Alvida before it slid off her, leaving her unharmed as it went towards Luffy, who only caught it before dropping it.

"How'd she do that again?" he mumbled as Alvida spoke with the hooded figures who approached her. Alvida looked up to see his confused face before smiling.

"Surprised?" she asked before removing her cloak, showing everyone her slim body. "I guess I did change after eating the Smooth-Smooth Fruit. No attack can hurt me since it slides right off." she said. "Though it couldn't make me any more beautiful than I was before, it did get rid of my freckles."

"Right. That's it." Luffy said, though his face said otherwise. "So what are you here for?"

"To make you, the only man who has ever hit me, all mine." she cooed. "And these guys were looking for you as well." she said as the cloaked men revealed themselves to be Buggy and his crew.

"Now that I've flashily made my entrance, it's time for the real show to start!" he shouted. He then went into a long rant about some of his adventures before screaming "WHY AM I TELLING YOU A STORY?!

"Don't know." Luffy said. "Didn't you learn anything about the last time we fought big nose?"

"YOU DARE CALL ME BIG NOSE!?" Buggy shrieked. "I, BUGGY THE CLOWN, AM GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THAT YOU RUBBER BASTARD!"

"Buggy the Clown?!" some of the audience said before running, only to be stopped by his crew.

"Stay flashily right where you are!" Buggy shouted "Everyone's going to see how scary I am!"

"Really?" Luffy asked. "By having your crew do all the work like this?" Luffy said as he found himself caught in a stockade thanks to Cabaji. "Hi again." Luffy said in a calm tone as if he was talking to an old friend.

"Hello again rubber freak. How's Zoro doing?" Cabaji asked in a smug tone.

"Nice shot Cabaji!" Buggy screamed as he announced that to his 'followers' that he would flashily execute Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy just looked around bored, remembering how stupid Buggy is before he looked down at Alvida.

'Maybe she'll join if I ask.' Luffy thought before being brought out of his thoughts by Buggy's yelling.

"Do you feel honored kid? You're about to die right where Gold Roger did years ago." he said with a smirk.

"Is that so?" Luffy asked with a blank face. Buggy nearly fell over at his calm attitude.

"OF COURSE! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK WOULD BE HAPPENING?!" he screamed as it started to cloud up in the sky.

"You couldn't kill me before." he said with a smile, which caused Alvida to grin and piss Buggy off.

"QUIET! I NOW START THESE FESTIVITIES WITH YOUR DEATH!" Buggy screamed, sending his men into an uproar as they cheered.

"Guess this is the end." Alvida said with a sad smile.

"Any last words rubber boy?" Buggy asked as he brought out a sword. Luffy smiled before taking a deep breath before speaking with everything he had.

"I AM THE MAN WHO WILL BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" he shouted with the wind. His words left everyone in awe as if they thought he could do it, but Buggy was still laughing at his statement.

"If that's all you have to say, then let's get this started!" he said as he raised his sword.

"STOP THE EXECUTION!" Zoro shouted from behind the crowd. He, Sanji, Johnny, Yosaku, and Gin had met up and were looking for Luffy. They ran towards the square when they heard him shouting.

"RIGHT NOW!" they all shouted.

"Guys!" Luffy said. He was glad to see them all as everyone looked at them. None of them noticing Smoker and the marines moving into position.

"The moment Straw Hat dies, take all the other pirates down." he ordered.

"Yes sir!" the marines said quietly. As they were talking, Tashigi saw the man she met before through binoculars as a marine said that he was Zoro and a member of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"He's...Zoro?" she asked.

"Luffy, you moron." Zoro said with a smirk. "Guess goofing around finally caught up with ya."

"Is this really the time to make jokes big bro?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah." Yosaku agreed. "He's got Brother Captain up there ready to kill him!"

"Like he'd be killed by some side-show freak like that." Sanji said as he puffed on his cigarette.

"How'd he get trapped anyway?" Gin asked.

"HAHAHAHA!" Buggy laughed. "Glad you could make it Zoro. Feel free to watch your friend die!" he said before raising his sword into the air. At that moment, all of them began charging towards the platform to stop that sword. Luffy watched, remembering that Zoro and Sanji took too long because of the numbers. This time, with Johnny, Yosaku, and Gin, they were plowing through the pirates like they were blades of grass.

'They're doing great!' Luffy thought before he sensed that Buggy was about to drop the sword onto his neck. He then felt the same way he did last time he was faced with death. "Zoro! Sanji! Usopp! Nami! Gin! Nojiko! Johnny! Yosaku!" he said before smiling at the crowd. "Sorry. I'm dead." The sword then came down towards his neck as his as the five Straw Hats and Smoker gasped for different reasons.

"NO!"

"DON'T SAY THAT!"

"BIG BRO!"

"CAPTAIN!"

"He smiled?!"

All of them thought the worst before electricity sparked around Buggy's sword. Then, as if the Heaven's still said Luffy should live, a bolt came down, setting the platform ablaze as it twisted and fell. Everyone fell silent as they gapped at the scene, unable to figure out how that happened as Luffy's hat fluttered to the ground before his feet. He picked it up as he smiled before placing it on his head and laughing.

"LUCKY!" he said before walking towards his crew.

"What...how...?" Johnny stuttered as Yosaku fell on his ass in shock. Gin's tonfa fell from his hands as Sanji let his cigarette fall from his mouth. They weren't the only ones surprised as Smoker stared with wide eyes.

'Just like Gold Roger, he smiled just before he was killed. Why?' he thought before he ordered his men to capture them.

"Divine Intervention?" Sanji said.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Zoro said. "The marines are here! We gotta go!"

"He's right!" Yosaku said as he stood up before they started running.

"I'll catch up to you guys!" Luffy said before turning to Alvida. "Hey, you seem pretty strong." She just stared at him after coming out of her shock. "Wanna join my crew?" Luffy asked. Alvida just looked at him, baffled that he would ask.

"Did I hear you right?" she said as a marine tried hitting her with a sword, only for it to slide away before she hit him with her mace.

"Yeah. I want crewmembers." Luffy said before dodging a sword and punching another marine away. "How about it?" Alvida just looked at him before letting out a laugh.

"You're crazy kid." she said before she stopped laughing. "How about this? If you can manage to touch me, I'll join. Deal?"

"Deal." Luffy said before he walked up to her and grabbed her hand, shocking her that it didn't slip away. "Let's go!" he said before running away, still holding on to her hand.

'His hand didn't slip away? How is he able to hold onto my hand?' Alvida thought. She looked back at Luffy before smiling. 'Well, a deal's a deal." she thought before running at Luffy's pace and looking back at the fallen platform and seeing it and Buggy on the ground charred. 'If he can survive that, it might just be worth it to go with him.'

"Capture them!" a marine shouted as Buggy was now trying to deal with being in a sea-stone net.

As they ran, it began to rain hard as Marines tried to stop them, only to be beaten easily by Luffy and his crew. While he did, Smoker was still stunned by what he saw.

'He smiled. Did he know he would survive?' he thought. 'No. He knew he was going to die and smiled.' He then heard that the rain rendered their gunpowder useless, so the squad at the Western Harbor left to resupply and that if they left, the tailwind would help them escape. 'It's as if Heaven itself wants that boy to live!'

()()()()

Moments before this happened, Mohji was riding Richie to the Straw Hat's ship, intending to burn it down. He had a match burning with a twisted smile only for it to be wiped off as a drop of rain fell on it, which was soon followed by a downpour.

"How can we start a fire now?!" Mohji yelled before Usopp shouted at him to get away from the ship. After dealing with him, distracting Richie with an egg, and fending off some marines, Usopp, Nami, and Nojiko boarded the ship and waited for the others to return.

()()()()

As the others were running, they came across Tashigi, who was angered that Zoro lied to her about who he was and that she would take his sword from him. Zoro stayed to fight her as the others kept running. After a quick duel, which Tashigi lost, Zoro resheated his swords.

"No one's taking my sword from me." he said before he tried to walk away.

"Why are you letting me live?" she asked. "Is it because I'm a woman?" Zoro stopped at those words as she went on about how just because she's a woman that he takes pity on her. She kept going on before Zoro snapped.

"IT'S YOUR EXISTENCE I CAN'T STAND! NOT YOUR GENDER!" he shouted before he said that she looked and sounded like a friend he once knew. Soon, both were in a screaming match as the marines looked on with a few sweatdrops on their heads.

()()()()

Luffy and his crew were running away before Johnny noticed they had one more with them.

"Who's that?" he asked. Everyone looked at Alvida and Luffy.

"She just joined our crew!" Luffy said smiling. "Her name's Alvida."

"Alvida?" Yosaku asked.

"HI LADY ALVIDA!" Sanji said as he went into love-mode.

"We got company!" Gin said as they all stopped in their tracks.

"So you came, Straw Hat Luffy." Smoker said. He was standing in front of them all, blocking Luffy and his crew from continuing onward.

'Smokey! Crap! If I show him I have Haki or know the Six Powers, the Marines might send tougher guys. All I can do is dodge and hope to escape.' Luffy thought. "Go on ahead guys. I'll handle this."

"Not happening!" Smoker said as smoke came out of his arms before turning into a sort of barrier across the street.

"What?!" some of them screamed out.

"The Smoke-Smoke Fruit." Smoker said. "As a captain of the Marines, I vow not to let you leave this island!" he said before a smoke fist came towards Luffy. Luffy dodge it easily while his crew tried to take a chance and run past the smoke that vanished when he attacked at Luffy. "No one's getting through!" he said before his smoke caught them all.

"I can't move!" Gin said as he tried to hit the smoke with his tonfa.

"And I can't slip out!" Alvida shouted. While they were struggling, Smoker tried to attack Luffy again, but Luffy kept up just enough to dodge every single attack. Soon, both stopped before glaring at each other.

"Let my friends go!" Luffy said in a low voice.

"Not a chance." Smoker said. "48,000,000 berries is your bounty? Eh, doesn't matter. I've never let any pirate make it through this town, and I never will." he said as he reached for his jutte.

"There's a first for everything." came a voice from behind Smoker as a hand reached out and grabbed the jutte, keeping Smoker from using it. All of them turned to see a tall man in a green cloak step out of the shadows.

"You?!" Smoker said as lightning flashed, revealing the face of Dragon for a moment. Some of the crew freaked at seeing him, while the other half didn't know who he was.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked. Dragon merely smiled at him before looking back at Smoker.

"Now the Government can have your head." Smoker said.

"The world is still waiting for our answer." Dragon said before an green light filled the area, along with a powerful gust of wind. Luffy looked at Dragon before he and his crew were blown away, leaving Dragon and Smoker where they stood.

"Why'd you help them?" Smoker demanded.

"Why do you wish to keep a man from sailing?" Dragon asked back.

()()()()

"This storm's getting worse!" Nami shouted.

"Hey guys!" Luffy screamed as he and the others came running up to them. "We're here!"

"Get on the boat guys!" Nojiko yelled.

"And hurry!" Usopp hollered. Everyone gathered up on the boat before the unfurled the sails and sailed away, with the wind helping them along.

"Who's that?" most of them asked as they looked at Alvida.

"Our new crewmate." Luffy said.

"Name's Alvida. I'll be joining you guys from here on out." she said.

()()()()

A moment later, Smoker and the marines arrived at the harbor.

"They got away." a marine said.

"I'm sailing after them." Smoker said, shocking most of the marines. "I'm not letting him get away.

"I'm going too." Tashigi said. "I can't let that man get away with that sword!"

()()()()

"There's a light up ahead!" Nami said. Everyone was staring at it with excitement, or worry in Gin's case, as they all felt themselves getting closer to the Grand Line.

"Never thought we'd be heading for the Grand Line." Johnny said with a smile.

"Me either. I can't help but feel excited!" Yosaku said.

"I'm going back to that sea again." Gin said with a grim look.

"Relax Gin." Nojiko said. "This is going to be fun."

"She's right." Nami said with a smile.

"Let's mark this occasion with some words!" Sanji said as he rolled out a big barrel.

"I agree." Usopp said as he let go of the mast before they all gathered around the barrel. Sanji put his foot on top of the barrel, with each of them placing a foot on afterwards.

"I'm going to find the All Blue." Sanji said.

"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy said.

"I'm going to be the best swordsman!" Zoro said.

"We're going to be the best swordsman duo-" Johnny started.

"The whole world has ever seen!" Yosaku finished.

"I'm going...to be a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp said after some thought.

"I'm going to draw a map of the world!" Nami said.

"I'm going to help you see that dream come true sis!" Nojiko said.

"I"m going to captivate the world with my beauty!" Alvida said. Everyone then stared at Gin, who's eyes were shadowed as he stared at the barrel. He then smiled before placing his own foot up there.

"To never run from the Grand Line again!" he said. All of them smiled as they looked at the barrel. Each feeling their resolve harden before Luffy shouted out.

"And now," Luffy yelled before they raised their feet into the air, then brought them down to smash the barrel. "TO THE GRAND LINE!"

"YEEEEAH!" they all shouted as they sailed onward to the Grand Line.

A/N: I couldn't think of anything to change about the barrel scene. What did you think of the new members goals? Hope you enjoyed. Also, since all of you have said not to do it, I'll skip the Apis Arc or whatever it's called.