Welcome back, everyone! Luffy's got a stint with his father's business before he leaves on his journey! How will being part of the Revolutionary Army change him? Let's find out!
Chapter 5: Fighting for the World's Freedom! Luffy and the Revolutionary Army!
Luffy's eyes were completely covered by a black blindfold, surrounded by twenty members of the Revolutionary Army. Watching him was Belo Betty alongside Dragon, only a few days after the young man's arrival.
"Begin!"
Three of the soldiers tried rushing at Luffy from all sides, but her easily leapt above them before aiming his bow down and firing off several arrows. He had gotten to the point where he could nock three at once, forcing the soldiers to retreat. He then went on the offensive, rushing at a pair of revolutionaries only to slide in between them and floor them both with a roundhouse kick.
A young redheaded girl tried to blindside him only for Luffy to use Paper Arts to weave aside before landing a kick to the back of her knee to force her to the floor. Even when several guns fired on him from the sidelines, Luffy dashed aside while firing from his bow and unleashing Tempest Kicks to force his attackers back.
"Damn, he's an animal," Belo Betty whistled as Luffy kept dismantling them, "You sure he's from my sea?"
"His Mythical Zoan is partially to blame, as is Garp's relentless training. About the only thing that stubborn codger is talented at. But beyond that, his drive to surpass anyone is his greatest asset. I have no doubt he'll even grow beyond me someday."
Once it was obvious Luffy was far above the rank and file grunts, Dragon had everyone break off and give a cheer as they welcomed their newest recruit. As far as they knew, Luffy was just some kid from the East Blue although his bone-shattering punches and mastery of Haki made them doubt that. Hearing he was grandson of the "Hero of the Marines" made a few them wince and apologize but the young man just shrugged.
"Hey, just imagine the heart attack he'll have when he has to chase after his grandson!"
That got plenty of laughs out of the group, with Dragon noticing that Koala was all but begging Luffy to join her for a lesson in Fishman Karate from Hack.
"Heh, you got a point there, boss. We're damn lucky he's on our side."
"Indeed. Thank you, Betty, you're dismissed."
The days and weeks blurred by as Luffy was immediately deemed on par with the four commanders, but they trumped him in one area: experience. Luffy had never been part of a real mission, so first he had to get trained up to speed.
When it came to physical training, he soon found himself pushed to even higher limits. It seems like Dragon did inherit Garp's ability to scale up any exercise to new levels. Now he was running entire obstacle courses and having sparring matches against dozens of agents at a time, often with a handicap like no Six Powers, no Armament Haki, long-range attacks only or even using only his feet.
Luffy's real struggle came with learning this funny new concept Garp had never thought to mention: strategy. The young man was sat in a room full of other Revolutionaries and ran through various battle scenarios, answering questions about what was the correct decision. It was here that he strained his brain for the first time, learning that all the power in the world was meaningless without a keen mind to adapt and respond to critical moments.
But the moment lessons were over, everyone headed out into the base and he was often found swept up into some conversation. In stark contrast to the Marines' disciplinary approach, conduct among the Revolutionaries was much more relaxed. It was stressed over and over again that agents had to look after each other and protect everyone at all costs. Dragon made it his personal mission to practice what the World Government preached.
"The Marines prioritize justice above all else, and we've all seen what they define as 'just.' The best judge of right and wrong is your own moral compass."
After about two months of training, Luffy was ready for a mission. Something small, admittedly, just acting as the hired muscle for an information trade in case anything went wrong. It would test his skills and judgment, but he'd be working with an experienced agent. The young man swore up and down that he would not fail.
"Alright! Let's do this!" Luffy cheered, earning a chuckle from the yellow-skinned fishman across from him. In all his years of teaching for the Revolutionary Army, he had never had a student progress so quickly.
Hack himself was the only sparring partner that could keep up with him, although Koala did her damnedest to catch up. The fact that Luffy's response on meeting a fishman was shouting how awesome he was and then asking a bunch of questions about life underwater helped things along as well.
Both fighters bowed towards each other before assuming their stances. Hack bent his knees with his right arm was primed for a knifehand strike. Luffy placed his right foot behind his left, his left arm guarding his forehead.
In the blink of an eye, their fists clashed hard enough that an inches-deep crevice formed between them. Droplets of blue water dripped off their extended arms, a sign of their Fishman Karate.
Hack leapt back before flinging his arm forward, tiny specks of liquid speeding forward with the force of bullets. Luffy unleashes a powerful punch that made a shockwave to stop the water shorts before rushing ahead to reclose the gap.
Soon the fighters' limbs were moving like blurs, each blow strong enough to pulverize stone and punch through metal. Hack couldn't help but grin, it had been ages since he had met a student who he could go all-out against. And Luffy was all too eager to show all he had learned from his sensei.
It seemed like such a simple concept, it almost sounded absurd. Channeling the water vapor in the air into his strikes, it sounded impossible. But under Hack's tutelage, Luffy soon grasped the concept and how to specifically move to amplify his power.
But as Luffy progressed even farther, even as he was given more perilous jobs, even as he became Hack's best disciple, even as he moved one step closer towards his eventual dream of being King of the Pirates, there was something nagging in the back of his mind.
As soon as the spar was over, Hack could see something behind Luffy's eyes. Luffy assured him it was nothing and went off to his next task.
"No matter how good I get at Fishman Karate, I can't use its full power…" he thought angrily, "My Devil Fruit would make me sink in water where all those techniques are supposed to be used…"
He had asked around with the other Revolutionaries with Devil Fruits and all of them said the same thing. No matter how strong you were, you would sink like a stone if you fell overboard. And if he so much as touches Seastone, then that's the end of it. Luffy could close his eyes and an in instant he'd be back at Grey Terminal, fearing for the life of his brothers before his own.
"I can't let that happen again… I need to find some way around that weakness. If I'm gonna change the world and be King of the Pirates, the ocean can't stop me."
And if even the commanders couldn't help him, then there was only one other person to ask: his father.
A galleon adrift in the West Blue, white flags sailing to show it was of no harm to any passersby. Between the bright blue paint and the uniformed workers going to and fro across the two levels of the deck, it looked like a bog-standard trading ship.
The captain of this delightful little vessel headed below deck where about twenty men, women and children were manacled together, all wearing dirty brown burlap sacks and squinting at the sudden intrusion of light.
"Alright, listen up! A few of you have gotten some bids already! So, since they specifically asked for you guys to be in 'good shape', you all get not-moldy bread!"
He glanced around the room, only seeing the bound people looking in horror at who exactly bought them. Before he could go on about the privileges they would get like pillows to sleep on, the entire ship listed to one side and nearly made him fall over.
"The fucking hell was that?!" He scurried up the stairs back on deck, his wooden pegleg clacking as he saw a burly man in red and a straw hat surrounded by the other forty crewmen staffing the boat.
"I'm guessing you're 'One-Legged Larson?'" he asked without an ounce of fear.
"Yeah, and this is my ship you almost capsized! I dunno what Marine branch sent you, but you can't just barge on here!"
"Oh, I'm not with the Navy. I know you're a slave-trading ship, and you're gonna bring them all up here before I make you all suffer."
Larson's scruffy face morphed in shock, his stitched-up black tailcoat flapping in the sea breeze before he burst into laughter. His men all followed suit, bringing their swords and guns closer to the young revolutionary.
"Okay, buddy, you must've hit your head from wherever you fell from, because I don't know what you're talking about! Now I suggest you skedaddle before you have another accident."
Luffy just shrugged before summoning his parashu and slicing the nearest sword in half like he was cutting butter.
"THE HELL?!"
"Last chance. Hand them over so we can get them somewhere safe, or I'm going to make you all regret ever getting in this business."
"You think one lucky shot's gonna scare us?! Kill him!"
Luffy leapt above them all with Moonwalk before any of them could reach him, then fired down with his bow. The rain of golden arrows hit with enough force to lodge themselves in the deck and whatever sap was in their way.
When he crashed back into the deck, he noticed four of the slavers didn't get up. Blood leaked from pierced hearts and holes in their heads and splattered across the deck. Luffy barely flinched. This wasn't the first time he had taken a life, and these pathetic excuses for human beings deserved nothing less.
"What the fuck is this guy?!"
"Captain, we need to call for help!"
"From who, the Marines who'd arrest us?!"
"Don't bother, you're the ones who signed up for treating humans like cattle." Luffy raced ahead faster than Larson could see, caving his chest in with a brutal punch. Everyone heard the captain's ribs all shatter before he let out a scream that turned a wet gurgle before he flopped onto the deck of his own ship, dead in seconds.
The terrified sailors fired every bullet they had but Luffy deflected them all with his trident, rushing at them like a freight train before slashing and stabbing them down one by one. A few of them decided to take their chances with the ocean, jumping overboard with a scream.
The freezing, rough waters were still a comfort compared to the terrified shouts coming from above. They then noticed a sizeable fishing boat passing a few klicks away.
"HEY! Help us! Our ship is under attack!" they screamed, four of them sighing in relief as the boat noticed them and puttered over to give them a hand. They were halfway swimming up to their salvation until they noticed the rifles pointed at them.
"Wha-What the?! What are you doing?!"
"Save it for when you're in Hell, slave-peddling trash." Those would be the last words those men ever heard before their lifeless bodies sank to the bottom of the sea, nobody ever discovering their fate. The rest of the Revolutionary Army members waited for the signal to come on board and bring the slaves to safety.
It wasn't long before the noise died down and only one single sailor was left, shivering in terror and begging to live while Luffy held him by the throat.
"P-P-Please, man, come on… I-I got a kid who-"
"A kid? You're a father?"
"Y-Yes! Sh-She's only about nine, I was just doing this so I could raise her!"
The liberated slaves made their way above deck, all of them flinching at seeing proper sunlight again. Luffy just handed someone the key he lifted earlier before dropping the lone survivor on his ass. The man was about to express his thanks only for a kick to smash his teeth in.
"You got a kid, yeah? Then what the hell are you doing planning to sell children like livestock?" Luffy's hand trembled with anger at the three kids, all younger than ten, who were still withering as if their captors would punish them for escaping even in death.
"I-I jus…"
"Shut it. Good luck telling that daughter of yours about this. Finger Gun." Luffy's digit easily pierced the wood right next to the man's head, "If I ever see you pulling this stunt again, the next one won't miss."
And with that, the rest of the Revolutionary Army members either escorted the liberated slaves onto their boat or scoured the ship for any supplies, loot or intel on other peddlers. Luffy himself just accepted a pat on the back from his CO before taking his seat along with the rest of the crew, barely getting a moment to breathe before he was swarmed with tearful gratitude and hopeful plans to find their families again.
The real treat was the next morning back at Baltigo where rumors had spread that two World Nobles were so enraged at the loss of their delivery that they got into a duel to settle the dispute over who was more butthurt over having one less spouse/punching bag that Fleet Admiral Sengoku had to personally moderate a peace discussion between the two to avoid them dragging things into an all-out war across Mariejois.
Between that, his training progress, and the radiant joy those innocents had from being saved, Luffy could only sigh in contentment. Now if Dragon would explain what "friend" he had talked to about his whole Devil Fruit issue earlier…
For once, Luffy thought in a long while, he actually missed Garp. Not because the old man finally got his head unwedged from his crack, but because his training finally seemed pleasant in comparison to this.
Every single cell in his body hurt, like nothing ever before. Pain radiated from the inside out, enough to make Luffy wish he was unconscious again. Een just lying on this table made every single point of his skin on contact with it burn hotter than the sun.
He did manage to open his eyes, only registering a searing white light that cast most of the room in shade. Moving his eyeballs was the only thing he could do without agony, noticing several extremely bizarre contraptions and diagrams of the human body.
He briefly wondered if he was kidnapped only to spot someone out of the corner of his vision. "Dad?"
"Heh, told her you'd be awake by now. How do you feel, Luffy?"
"Like a battleship got docked on top of me. Where am I?"
"A little island called Egghead. You wanted a solution to your Devil Fruit issue, and I could only think of one person who could help. Fortunately, he happens to have many facets…"
A distinctly female chuckle caught his attention, swiveling his vision to the side and seeing a vague outline of frizzled orange hair. "It seems we underestimated the enhancements to his constitution thanks to his Devil Fruit. Any other person would have been unconscious for days, assuming they survived."
"You underestimate my son, doctor. His will and tenacity played a factor as well. After all, anyone who can become one of my most trusted agents in a year must be something special."
"Perhaps you have a point, but we have more fruitful tests to run. Luffy, stand up whenever you can."
Bit by tiny bit, the young revolutionary managed to roll himself off the table and then stand on his own feet. He followed the silhouette of the scientist woman, his father close behind him. His mind was too preoccupied just trying to move to notice the metal corridors or the incredibly strange sounds coming from various rooms.
It was only when they passed through a pair of metal doors that lifted up that Luffy noticed the smell of seawater. The entire room was a swimming pool, a ladder descending into about three feet of water while growing deeper throughout the hundred feet the pool was. He looked up and noticed several metal hooks in the ceiling, ranging from small enough to be used by hand to so big they were comparable to trawlers.
Luffy just stared down at the depths before turning to Dragon and the woman, now seeing her face and the pink bodysuit she wore. "What did you do to me, and why are you gonna drown me?"
"We have concocted a formula to eliminate a Devil Fruit user's weakness to seawater, and you're going to test whether it was successful. Don't worry, we have plenty of equipment to rescue you regardless of your molecular density or volatility."
The continued calm smile on her face made Luffy shudder for a bit before rolling his shoulders as he removed his sandals and handed his hat to Dragon. He turned around and slowly approached the edge of the pool, dipping his feet in and bracing himself for that horrible weakness to make him limp and helpless…
…Until he opened his eyes and felt nothing of the sort. In fact, the constant aching pain he felt was slowly fading from his feet.
Curious, Luffy scooted closer to the edge and felt the rippling water up to his knees. His legs now felt perfectly fine, like he had just woken up from a nap. He turned to the smiling scientist.
"Impressed? It was a difficult quandary to solve the innate weakness to seawater that wouldn't be toxic to the human body. But, after several tests, we finally found a means with a compound that incorporates trace amounts of Seastone into your bloodstream. The pain you felt before and still do now is your body adapting to the conflicting natures of your powers and your newly enhanced physiology."
Luffy could scarcely believe it, looking down at his hands. He had been changed on a fundamental level, his very blood was now different than any other person's in the world.
He then decided to take the plunge, letting himself fall into the pool of ocean water and instantly is eyes snapped open. Energy coursed through him, not too unlike when he transformed into his half-Shiva form. For the first time in ages, he pushed his arms and swam deeper into the pool. He laughed in delight, only to cough from a lack of breath.
"Well, guess being able to breathe underwater was too much to ask for…"
He breached the surface to take a deep breathe before laughing. He felt great! Like he could run all the way across the Grand Line right to the One Piece!
"Well, Doctor, I'd say your experiment was a wild success. But tell me, what if the World Government were to discover this?"
"Oh, let's just say you learn several things being so deep in their employ for so long. I can do far more damage to them then they'd care to admit, and I can already tell your son is going to do marvelous things in the future."
Dragon watched as his son swam about, completely carefree in the very element that was supposed to kill him. To think it had only been a year since he first arrived at Baltigo. Now he had dozens of successful missions under his belt and only he could really prove a match for him anymore in training. Now it was standard for the other recruits to train using him as the obstacle to overcome.
"Hey, doctor lady? I feel something kinda weird in my gut." Luffy yelled out from halfway across the pool.
"Hm? Indigestion as a side-effect?" She and Dragon both watched as Luffy closed his eyes and seemed to zone out only for them to notice the water to start swirling around him like he was the center of a whirlpool. The second he opened his eyes, the water become still again.
"Huh, why am I spinning?"
Dragon arched an eyebrow. "Was that part of the procedure?"
"No, but I can't say its unreasonable. Seastone emits the same energy as the ocean itself thanks to a unique molecular makeup. Imbuing it into his body could potentially give him the ability to manipulate seawater, though the extent is yet to be seen…"
The head revolutionary just groaned. She knew exactly what that gleam in the satellite's eyes meant. Luffy wasn't getting out of here without a whole mess of tests. Looking at his son, trying to make a little tendril of water as he stretched out his hands, made him wonder. He was already among his strongest agents before. What could he be capable of now?
Another workday had ended for the people of Foosha Village, and that meant Party's Bar was filled with people eager for a hot meal, a cold drink and a place to unwind after toiling away in their shops or on the fishing boats.
Makino scurried from place to place, the woman acting as bartender, cook and busser all by herself. And throughout the whole thing, she never lost her smile acting as the perfect host. The resurgence of the fishing market without the Lord of the Coast meant not only more customers, but more disposable income and more tips for her.
But just when things seemed to be winding down with happy hour ending in twenty minutes, the front doors slammed open. In walked four men, all with beet-red faces and holding empty bottles already.
"Oi, you there!" one of them slurred, several nearby patrons coughing and gagging at the stench of booze coming off of his breath, "We wanna keg, your best stuff!"
Makino folded her arms behind her back, trying to look the proper host even now. "Well then, sir, I'm afraid that requires payments in advance. That will be 100,000 beris, please."
"The fuckin'-?! Are you crazy?! We ain't got that kinda cash!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but that keg happens to be a 17-year aged vintage that I bought from a noble of Goa. I'm actually selling it at a discount as the going price is 125,000 beris."
The drunkards all crowded around her, making several patrons sit on the edge of their seats in case this turned ugly. The leader of the group got inches away from her, making Makino gag as he slurred, "You think this is funny, huh?! Tryin' to rip off hard-workin' men like us?! You stupid bitch, you oughta be thankful we're here!"
"Sir, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"And now you're gonna kick us out?! Fuck you, you stupid-!"
The doors opened again, making the beatniks turn and blink. The newcomer was huge, somewhere around seven-and-a-half feet tall and packed with enough muscle that he blocked the doorway. He casually stepped into the tavern, knocking aside the boozed-up lackies to place a hand on the main instigator's shoulder.
"That's enough. You're already plastered, what you really need is to cool off."
"Fuck you, asshole! Mind yer own business!" The drunk swung himself off from the giant man's grip and threw a sloppy punch into the man's stomach, only to cry in shock and clutch his now-bleeding knuckles.
"You fucking jerk!" One of the other hooligans pulled out a knife only for the musclebound man to grab his hand and crush the bones within, with all the effort of turning a doorknob. He collapsed to the floor, shards of metal clattering down along with the broken remains of his hand.
"Anyone want to try something? Or are you all gonna do the smart thing and leave?"
"Y-Yes, sir! Sorry about all this!" The other two magically-sobered up goons picked up their ailing friends before hightailing it out of the bar, the rest of the patrons sighing in relief while Makino smiled up at her new helper.
"Thank you very much, sir! Can I get you anything to drink?"
"Heh, that's nice but I can't stay long. But while I am here…" The man reached into the back pocket of his jean shorts and pulled out a wad of bills for Makino.
"Um, sir, what's that?"
"I'm finally paying off my treasure tab! It's only been about ten years!" He let out a boisterous laugh, Makino freezing in place as she finally looked up past the chiseled muscles to notice the black hair sitting under a straw hat…
"LUFFY?!"
"Holy cow, that's the kid?!" The rest of the bar shouted. And nobody could blame them, given that the kid left a relatively normal-looking teenager and came back a 350-pound goliath with cannonball-biceps on his burly arms, columns of sinew for legs in between his shorts and sandals, and a vest that had to be tailored to fit over his gigantic pecs and a ten-pack of abs that the first grunt smashed his hands against.
"What the hell happened to you?!" Makino gasped, "I thought you already left to become a pirate!"
"Heh, not really. I just went to work with my dad for a while, but I'll be kicking off my journey tomorrow! Thanks for everything, Makino! I'm off to see Dadan and the bandits!"
And just like that, Luffy left and walked out of Foosha heedless of all the people gawking at him. His return to the Dadan Family hideout was similarly brief, even as he dropped off another wad of beris as thanks for all the help they did in raising him, Ace and later Sabo.
As the sun began to set, he approached Gray Terminal. The people flocked at seeing one of their old protectors was back but he insisted that this was a brief stopover. He did, however, ask for the largest cloak they had to hide himself. He needed a little bit of obscurity for this job…
"Luffy, in the two years since you arrived, you have ascended the ranks of the Revolutionary Army faster than anyone. You could easily stay as second-in-command here, but that isn't where your strengths lie. You are to embark on a years-long mission, one that aims to shift the power of the world. Do you accept?"
"Hell yeah I do!"
Luffy soon entered Edge Town, the people all letting him pass. They all knew long ago to never try any funny business with the ASL brothers, especially now that this one easily outsized most of them. Soon he was in sight of the inner wall that encircled High Town.
"'Operation: Counter-Revolution.' For the foreseeable future, you will act as a typical Peace-Main Pirate, beginning in the East Blue before moving onto the Grand Line, exploring islands however you wish. In that time, however, you will also be looking to undermine any and all corrupt Marines and expose their wrongdoings to the public. You are free to make use of any Revolutionary Army assets or members you meet in your travels, and to keep any treasures or valuables to your crew. Once the time is right and the world has been shaken, then the true Revolution will begin."
Luffy let out a long exhale. He stood only a few feet away from the upper crust of Goa's territory, a pair of uniformed guards flanking the entrance and sneering at anyone who came too close. He knew the second he joined this cause, his life would never be the same. He was out to change the world, and his first step would be forcing those asshole nobles to admit to the burning of Gray Terminal…
"Hold it, fella," One of the guards demanded, "No one gets in-"
Luffy grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and tossed him over the wall, screaming all the way until he landed on the fine pavement on the other side. The other guard went for his rifle only for Luffy's trishula to slice it clean in half before slamming the butt of the trident into his solar plexus.
The second he stepped under the archway, the entire plaza of High Town froze in shock. Dozens of armed guards swarmed around him, someone hitting a switch that made a wrought-iron gate to shut the way back to Edge Town.
"FREEZE!"
"Yeah, no…" Luffy simply lashed his leg out, a Tempest Kick sending half of the circle of guards flying from the force. Dozens of bullets fired behind them but he was already out of the way, using Shave to move faster than they could see. Once he was visible again, he slammed his parashu into the ground with all his might, the fine cobblestones ripped out of the ground by his inhuman strength.
In the seconds it took them to regather their focus, Luffy was off like a bullet. A single punch or kick was enough to shatter their bones and reduce their guns to shrapnel. With a pulse of Observation Haki, he could feel the opulent nobles cowering in their villas and estates. All of them terrified that the security they poured their money into was nothing to him.
But of course, a bunch of men with surplus rifles from the Marines were not the only defense for a World Government allied nation. Lining the top of the wall around the kingdom were six massive ballistae that were quickly manned and could easily swivel around to target any intruders along with invaders.
Unfortunately for them, Luffy had more than a counter for that too. As soon as the first bolt fired, Luffy had his pinaka bow ready, firing an astra-laced arrow that made the much larger projectile explode into shrapnel. The very weapons that were supposed to back the police up ended up hurting them more as they were now forced to take cover or get blasted with splinters and shards of arrowhead.
But in the few moments they were distracted, Luffy dashed off towards his target: Goa Palace. A towering hundred-foot tall circular bastion flanked by two twelve-story turrets made of brick and mortar. The Shiva-man raced ahead, his hands black with Armament Haki as he swerved past anyone in his way before leaping up and smashing the twenty-foot tall front gate down.
Once Luffy got his bearings, he walked into the massive marbled-tiled foyer only to met by the royal family's personal guard. One hundred fifty of the finest men and women handpicked from the police force to guard the ruling family above all else, given permanent residency in the castle's private barracks and an even more exorbitant paycheck. And a good third of them were now crowding the giant space, all brandishing their rapiers or muskets.
"That's far enough, you monster!" One particularly dramatic guard declared, "You shan't assassinate our noble king! The people of Goa are more prosperous than ever under his rule!"
"You mean the people in your little bubble, right?" Luffy spat back, "What about the thousands starving in the Terminal? How about the people in Foosha who bust their asses selling you the food and clothing you need? All he cares about is keeping himself on top of the pyramid!"
"You vile ruffian! How dare you sully our illustrious King Stelly-!"
"Aaaand, bored now…" Luffy sent the monologuing mook to the floor with a clavicle-crushing chop, then immediately using Paper Arts to weave around the hail of gunfire. Once they ran out of ammo, the ground troops charged in only for Luffy to demolish them in close quarters. His expertise with hand-to-hand combat only grew after dozens of missions with the Revolutionary Army.
As more guards poured back in from the front entrance and still more raced down the stairs, Luffy knew he had to move on or else Stelly could be evacuated. Thankfully, he had one more trick up his sleeve. He concentrated and could feel it, the water flowing throughout the intricate network of pipes within the castle walls and floors.
Ever since his Seastone infusion one year ago, Luffy had discovered that he now had a special relationship with water. Whether from the sea or fresh, he could inherently sense it even in the air around him. And more than that, he could make it bend to his will.
Luffy closed his eyes even as the circle of officers around him charged, just in time as dozens of pipes ruptured and gallons of water surged out all around the foyer. Dozens of them were swept aside and sent screaming out of the castle, with Luffy then freezing the water over the destroyed doorway so they couldn't get back in. Changing the temperature of water to freeze or evaporate it was one of his trickier techniques for his hydro powers.
As the rest of the guards were now preoccupied desperately trying to either escape or get back inside, Luffy charged up the stairwell with any guard he ran across getting knocked aside. As he progressed through the corridors and stairwells, he ran across several traps built ages ago by the founders of Goa for this exact situation. A pity for them he had more than enough in his arsenal to meet the deathtraps head-on.
One of the stairways suddenly turned into a ramp to force him into a trap door, until he used Moonwalk to jump up to the nearest landing. One hallway had the walls shut and try and close him in. Luffy summoned his second set of arms and fired a barrage of astra balls to reduce the barricade to rubble. There was even a row of guns mounted into the ceiling set to rain bullets on him. Luffy stood still and used Iron Body to wait out the barrage until all of the weapons were empty.
By the time he was in the monarch's private estate of the castle, overpriced tapestries and paintings covering the walls, the few guards left were in panic mode. They charged at him like madmen, desperately trying to slow him down even if it meant throwing themselves at him like human shields. Luffy swatted them all aside like flies as he finally laid his eyes on his target.
He might be significantly taller and now wearing a gold crown and a blue sash across his chest to signify his status as King of Goa, but Stelly was the same arrogant coward Luffy knew as a child. As he approached, the bowl-haired monarch trembled in terror and tried to desperately aim a pistol despite his hand shaking like a leaf.
"S-S-S-Stay b-b-b-back! O-One mo-more s-s-step and I-I'll…"
Luffy ripped the pistol from his grip and crushed it to scrap in his hand, making Stelly squeal in horror. "Alright! Alright! W-What do you want?! I-I'll pay you whatever you want, just let me live!"
"Money? You think this is about money?" Luffy let out a bitter chuckle, "You really are same little shit you were all those years ago…"
"Huh?" Stelly uncovered his eyes, "Then w-what-?"
"Don't you recognize me, Stelly? You tried to kill me ten years ago when you threw me and my brothers into that fire. You even put me in Seastone handcuffs so I couldn't use my powers…"
Stelly gasped in horror as he indeed remembered just before Luffy grabbed ahold of the king's neck and effortlessly hoisted him up to his eyes. "Pl-Please, do-don't kill me!"
"I'm not gonna kill you. Here's what you're gonna do. We're going to go the nearest Transponder Snail. You're going to call the highest-ranking Marine you know. You're going to confess to the burning of Grey Terminal and give the names of every noble still alive who planned that."
Right before they could, the last of the royal guard stormed into the room and charged right at Luffy. With Stelly still in his grasp, he let loose several Tempest Kicks in a row, carving paths into the fine wooden floors and sending the twenty or so guards flying into the walls and one unfortunate soul out of a window almost a hundred feet above the ground.
"W-W-What are you?! You're a monster!" Stelly cried, tears and snot running down his "regal" face.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm gonna make sure you assholes finally get what you deserve. Now, let's go and make that call…"
Stelly didn't protest anymore, knowing the Shiva-man could crush him like a bug. He also ordered the rest of his guard to stand down and let Luffy leave High Town. And so, once their business was done, Luffy walked out of Goa and crashed back at the Dadan Hideout for some shuteye.
That morning, he set out from Foosha Village on a little dinghy he pawned off some local fishers who were only just now finishing off the last of the meat from the Lord of the Coast. The whole town was there to wish him goodbye, including Dadan who swore her tears were just because she was happy she wouldn't have to feed him anymore.
But Luffy's departure would be the least exciting news for Dawn Island. A few days later, a massive scandal shook the whole East Blue as King Stelly confessed that dozens of nobles were responsible for them mysterious fire that hit Grey Terminal. All of the thirty-four nobles he listed were dragged to Enies Lobby for a trial, several of them leaving kicking and screaming about how "unfair" the whole thing was. The rest of Goa has a massive party celebrating their downfall, the worst of the worst gone and their billions all donated to the less fortunate.
About three weeks later, Stelly would "generously" abdicate his throne instead of facing sanctions by the World Government for conspiracy to murder, widespread arson, and concealing this little fact for a decade. Without an heir apparent, Queen Sally Isntoinette was appointed the new ruler. The regal blonde immediately passed several laws to finally bridge the massive monetary inequality that had plagued Goa for ages, including a luxury task on all citizens with an annual income of fifty million beris or more… Which just happened to be over eighty percent of High Town's population.
But for now, Luffy just rested his eyes under his straw hat with a good feeling in his gut. The weather was great, he had done what he needed to do on Dawn Island, and now his true mission could be. He'd still get to live his childhood dream of becoming King of the Pirates, but now he would be bringing an end to tyranny and injustice wherever he went. The rest of the world had no idea that the revolution was well on its way.
So, a few people thought the Shiva fruit, the Six Powers, and all forms of Haki wasn't enough to make Luffy qualify as "overpowered." Well, let's add Fishman Karate to his arsenal, make him immune to the sea but also has hydrokinesis! Tremble, world, your destructor as arrived! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Ahem... anyway, the real bulk of the journey starts next time!
Thank you all so much for reading! Feel free to leave a review with any questions or comments.