It was a beautiful day. Sunny sky, calm seas, a fair wind. The seagulls were flying high, cawing aloud. The only source of stress would be a large whirlpool portside of the ship, but the captain knew what he was doing and safely guided the Lady Mary away from those currents. The sailors aboard gaped at the sight, grateful not to be caught in it.
Bonk!
"Huh?" one of the sailors said, looking down for the sound. There, he spotted a barrel floating next to them. "What the heck?"
"Whoa, what do you think is inside there?" his companion asked.
"I don't know. Let's find out. Quick, get a hook or something."
The Lady Mary was a cruise ship, providing transportation and comfort for such citizens across the East Blue. Many of the passengers were currently in the ball room, either dining at tables, dancing on the floor, or merely having a conversation. The captain himself was there, reassuring one guest of his ship's capabilities against such a whirlpool. However, there were two notable exceptions to this.
One was an orange-haired girl standing by the window. She looked out at a passing small island, waiting for the right moment. The other was a black-haired boy seated in the upper balcony. He too kept an eye out at sea, but for different reasons.
"Excuse me?"
The orange-haired girl looked up to see a young man in a green suit smiling next to her. "Would the beautiful lady care to dance?" he asked. The girl shrugged and smiled back politely.
The black-haired boy above did not know why he was so anxious. Maybe it was the whirlpool. Maybe it was just his own feelings. Or maybe it was nothing. Still, he couldn't relax.
Maybe I need some fresh air, he decided, rising up and heading towards the door.
Outside, the sailors had managed to find a rope and a hook and were now attempting to grab the barrel, but they were failing. The first one gave it another try but only struck the water.
"Ugh, I missed again," he complained while his companion laughed.
"Strike three pal."
"I'd be embarrassed. You suck," the lookout called down, chuckling. Then he felt something. If he were to describe it, he would say it was sailor's intuition. He looked up, scanning the horizon, before his eyes landed on a nearby island, small little thing with some trees and a pointed cliff. For some reason, he was drawn to it.
Below, the sailors had finally managed to hook the barrel and were now pulling it up. "Ugh, it's heavier than I thought it would be," the first one complained.
"Maybe it's filled with beer," the other one said hopefully as they hoisted it up.
"Well, it's our beer now."
"I'm not sharing my half." Both of them laughed at their good luck, eager to drink every drop.
However, above them, the lookout was sweating, gaping at the sight before him and moaning slightly. For behind the island appeared a ship. Not just any ship thought. It was bright pink ship with a duck as a masthead and hearts emblazoned on the sails. Now, normally that wouldn't frighten a sailor. But it was the final part of the ship, the flag flying high above the rest, that scared him. It was a skull and crossbones with a heart right in the middle. The universal sign of pirates.
The ship's mast unfurled and it began sailing right for the Mary.
"Ship off the starboard bow!" the lookout cried, his hat falling off. "And they're flying a pirate flag. We've got a pirate ship in pursuit!"
The sailors below looked up in surprise and then fear, dropping the barrel and running for it.
"Enemy raid! Enemy raid!" the lookout shouted.
A second after he spoke, there was a loud BOOM! and a large plume of smoke appeared off the side of the pirate ship followed by several cannonballs flying right towards the Mary. They struck the water around it, sending the ship tilting wildly.
The passengers inside cried out in fear, struggling to keep their balance. The orange-haired girl's companion gasped out, petrified.
The two sailors burst in, panting. "Captain, we've got pirates!" they yelled.
"What?" the captain gasped before another shockwave sent him stumbling. "People, please stay calm," he said, trying to regain control though it had no effect. "Panicking will only get you hurt."
The people ran around in a panic, the orange-haired girl's companion now lying on the ground in fear. The girl herself, however, was the opposite of afraid. She had dealt with far worse situations before. This actually might work out well for her, if she could turn it to her advantage. She hugged the wall, waiting for an opening while the Captain kept shouting out orders.
"Just follow my crew's instructions in an orderly fashion!"
"Damn it, I hate it when I'm right," the black-haired boy muttered, now running for the door. He burst out and looked, spotting the pirate ship almost instantly. When he'd heard that word, he had felt a clench of fear, wondering if this was the moment. Had he finally been discovered? Had they tracked him down? But no, it didn't seem that way. He didn't recognize that flag. Then again, they could be a pirate crew hired to track him down. If that was the case, better to lay low. Not draw attention to himself.
"Fire!" a shrill voice roared and the pirate launched another salvo of cannonballs, most still hitting the water. One managed to strike the masthead, shattering it on impact.
The owner of the voice was Alvida, a feared pirate worth 5 million Berries, captain of the Alvida Pirates aboard the Miss Love Duck. She was a large woman with curly black hair, a pink shirt with a blue jacket, and shorts. She was a big woman but what might be considered fat still held quite a bit of muscle as well. She hadn't made a name on these seas for no reason, after all.
"Coby!" she yelled.
"Yes, ma'am," a young boy with pink hair said, gulping a little at being called out.
"Who is the most beautiful of all on these seas?" she asked.
"Well…uh…that would be…the captain of our ship, Lady Alvida, of course," he replied, stuttering a little and rubbing his head, praying he wouldn't be beaten again.
Alvida laughed at the response before slamming her spiked iron club, her chosen weapon, down. "Good answer."
"That means a lot to me."
"It's been a while," one crew member commented. "We're finally gonna see a little action."
"That's right," Alvida agreed. The ship turned on her command, chasing the cruise ship down. "So make it count. Hit her with all you got, boys!"
Her men cheered and fired another salvo, striking the mast of the ship and knocking it down. The people inside screamed again, still running around for somewhere to hide. As the ship tilted about from all the blasts, the barrel that had been abandoned on deck rolled around until it fell through an open hatch and tumbled down the stairs to the cargo hold below. It kept rolling across the deck until it hit an open door and bounced into the room, spinning around before coming to a stop.
The black-haired boy was the only one who noticed. Might not be a bad idea, he thought to himself and quickly followed the barrel's example, running down the steps into the hold as well. There were plenty of places to hide here. He would just wait it out until he could make an escape.
Elsewhere on the ship, the orange-haired girl ran as fast as she could until she reached the door to the deck. She opened it carefully, looking around to see if anyone was there, before making a dash for it. She hadn't made it four steps however before she shrieked, seeing the pirate ship appearing next to the Lady Mary, and dashed right back inside.
The Miss Love Duck slowly came to a halt next to the Lady Mary. As soon as it did, the pirates aboard threw several hooks, lashing their ships together.
"Here we go," Alvida said. "Time to show them the terror of Iron Club Alvida! Greatest Pirate of the Seas!"
Her pirates roared in agreement, charging up the ropes with weapons raised, or swinging down from the mast as well, all converging on the deck of the Lady Mary.
Only one remained behind. Coby, the young cabin boy, trembled helplessly, rope in hand, staring at the growing battle in utter terror. Alvida noticed and her fury grew. "Coby!" she bellowed. "What are you doing?"
He winced from her yell. "I'm not real good at this stuff," he attempted.
"Ha, you're telling me. Maybe it's cause you're too busy back talking me all the time," Alvida said, waking towards him.
"No, no, not the club! Anything but the club!" Coby pleaded. "Please!"
"Then get your ass in gear!" she roared, kicking him in the ass and sending him flying face first into the other ship where he landed with a soft grunt. He picked himself up, struggling not to cry, when she yelled at him, "move it you brat!"
She herself had leapt aboard and was now falling towards him, club raised. He screamed and ducked aside just as she landed, the club smashed the wall behind him instead. She grunted, having landed badly, and began to stand up.
Meanwhile, the pirates had rounded up all of the sailors and passengers (or so they thought) in the ballroom, laughing as the people cowered in front of them.
"We're not going to take your lives, we swear," one of the pirates said with a grin. "But we will take everything else you got on you."
"And anyone who fights back will be eating their dinner off the bottom of the ocean," Alvida added as she walked up.
Just around the corner, the orange-haired girl had managed to sneak away and was listening carefully to what was happening. She smirked, knowing now was the perfect moment, and tore off her dress, revealing a blue shirt and black pants underneath. She had a bandana wrapped around her head. As soon as that was done, she began to move, looking no longer like a young dancer but a thief.
She made her way across the deck and to the ropes connecting the ships. She took a metal harness and slid down the rope to the pirate ship, landing nimbly on the deck. Now, while most of the crew was still in the ball room on the Lady Mary, that didn't mean there weren't any here. She would have to be careful.
She hurried over to the main cabin door and did a quick scan, seeing nothing. So far, the coast was clear. Still keeping an eye out, she reached for the door handle when it suddenly opened on its own, a green-shirted pirate inside. She squeaked in alarm and he glanced over, spotting her.
"Who are you? I ain't seen you before," he said.
She smiled sheepishly, trying to ignore the sweat creeping down her skin as he peered closer at her. Only one thing to do in a situation like this. She was just glad that Alvida didn't have too many female pirates.
"YAAAHHH!" the pirate cried as she kicking him in the crotch as hard as she could. He slumped over onto the ground before fainting away.
The girl gave another sheepish smile as an apology before heading inside. She didn't know how long it would take before the man was discovered or came to, so she had to act fast.
"Uh…hello?" Coby asked nervously, slowly looking into the room. He was now below deck in the storage area, doing his best to avoid the fighting. Not that there was much fighting to begin with. But he didn't really want to take part in the stealing either. At least this way, he could keep some sense of denial in place. As long as no one was here, of course. "I really hope there's no one in here," he muttered to himself, walking into the kitchen where there was food all ready to be served up. Some pots had spilled over, the stew inside now on the floor.
Coby waited a few more seconds before breathing out. "That's a relief." He then noticed the barrel that had smashed into the pots. It didn't look like it was part of the kitchen. "Wow, that's one big barrel. I wonder what's inside of it?"
Little did he know, he wasn't alone. The black-haired boy was seated behind the table, crouched in such a position that he was low enough not to be seen but ready to attack at a moment's notice. He watched carefully as Coby walked to the other end of the barrel, trying to roll it back the way he came. Made sense, it was a big haul so there was likely something of value inside. The boy just hoped he would hurry it up and not return.
It seemed, however, that luck was not on his side as at that moment, three pirates walked into the room, stopping Coby. "It's our favorite coward," the biggest one grumbled. "You trying to hide in here and duck out on all the action again?"
Coby raised his arms in defense. "No way, I was just trying to haul this big barrel of beer over to you guys," he said hurriedly.
The pirates swiftly ignored him, eyeing the barrel with interest. "Why don't you let us lighten your load," the big one chuckled.
"I was just starting to get thirsty."
"You can't!" Coby protested. "Lady Alvida will kill us if she ever found out."
"She won't if you keep your trap shut," the smaller pirate warned with a fierce grin. "Right, boy?"
"Yeah, right," Coby replied, chuckling nervously. "Ok." His situation with the pirates just got worse and worse with each passing day.
The black-haired boy remained where he was though a part of him did feel a little bad for the other kid. He didn't seem like the pirate sort. More like someone who got wrapped up in a bad situation. But while he was slightly tempted to help him, he couldn't risk it right now. He hoped these pirates were only here for the normal looting and raiding, but there was always the chance that they could be after him.
The big pirate hoisted the barrel upright. "This sucker's heavy," he said.
"Heh, perfect," the tall one grinned.
"Hold on boys," the big one told the others, cracking his knuckles. "I'll open her the old-fashioned way." He cocked his fist bringing it up high for a few seconds to maximize his strength, before bringing it down.
Just as he did, the black-haired boy sensed something and he couldn't help but lift his head up to get a better look.
SMASH!
Before the pirate could hit it, the barrel burst apart as something, or someone, came out of it, fists raised high. The person screamed out in joy, unknowingly striking the pirate down and shocking everyone else there. The black-haired boy gaped, not quite sure what he was seeing. It was a boy, no older than he was, with spiky black hair, a red shirt, a straw hat upon his head, and the biggest grin across his face.
"IIIIIIII SSSSSLLLLLLEEEEEEEPPPPPTTTTT SSSSSSOOOOO GGGGGGRRRRREEEEEAAAAATTTTTT!"
And just like that, the boy eased up and looked around for the first time, seeing the man he had just knocked out. "Huh, who's that?" he asked. He turned to the other pirates who were trembling a little. "Who the hell are you guys?"
"Who the hell are you?" they shot back.
"Your friend will catch cold sleeping like that," the kid said, climbing out of the barrel.
"You're the one who knocked him out!" They instantly drew their blades, having had enough of this kid.
The black-haired boy tilted his head in confusion. Who the hell was this kid?
"Hold up, are you messing with us when you know good and well that we're vicious pirates?" the shorter one asked, glaring. "Huh?"
"I'm starving," the kid said to Coby who was still gaping in shock, his back turned to them. "You got any food?"
"I'm talking to you!"
The taller one gritted his teeth. "You damn kid!" he yelled and both of the raised their blades.
"Yah!" Coby cried out in fear, too afraid to move out of the way, while the other kid just glanced back with little interest.
The pirates brought their swords down at the same time when something happened. There was a blur of motion and something struck the blades from the side, shattering them into pieces. A second later, the black-haired boy landed smoothly on the floor.
"That was a little rude, don't you think?" he asked.
The pirates gaped at him and at their shattered blades, trembling even more now. Coby, who had covered his face, now stared in greater shock while the straw-hatted kid merely looked on with some interest.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm the guy who just saved your life," the black-haired boy replied.
"Oh," the other kid grinned. "Thanks then. But I had them. You just got them before I could."
The boy regarded him and sensed he was telling the truth. "I see. My apologies then." Damn it, he thought to himself. If that really was true, then he had just revealed himself for no reason. He had to get out of here, fast.
"Who are you?" the pirates gasped.
"Me?" the straw-hatted kid asked, pointing at himself. "Oh, my name's Monkey D. Luffy. Hi." He added another wide grin at the end.
The black-haired boy shot up at the name. D? he thought. This kid was a D? That was a surprise. And that name, Monkey. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place where from.
Apparently though, enough was enough for the other pirates as they grabbed their fallen companion and ran for their lives, shrieking as they left. Luffy and the black-haired kid just watched them go, not really sure what to do next.
"So, what just happened?" Coby asked, still on the ground.
"You got me," Luffy replied.
"I think they're scared of you," the other boy added.
That seemed to snap Coby out of whatever state he was in as he gasped and leapt up. "Quick, you've got to run, both of you! If those guys come back here with their buddies then they'll kill you on the spot!"
"I don't care about that, I'm hungry," Luffy said, still smiling.
"Those morons couldn't kill me even if they tried," the other boy said. "Still, leaving would be best for me."
"Ok, but I'm gonna eat."
"How can you just blow this off like that?" Coby questioned. "There are hundreds of them up on deck and they're waiting for the opportunity to kill anything!"
Luffy, however, wasn't listening. He had started sniffing around and had caught a particular scent in the air. He started making his way towards it. Coby, seeing this, grabbed hold of him in an attempt to get him to listen. The other boy knew he should leave now while he could but there was just something about this Luffy that made him follow along.
Coby grunted, pulling with all his might but it was no use, Luffy walking ahead like it was nothing. "Aren't you going to help me?" he asked the other kid.
"Why? If he wants to eat, he should eat. I'm not gonna stop him."
"Ugh…no…wait…wait!" Coby grunted some more as Luffy pushed through a door. Unfortunately, it swung back, smacking into Coby's head and causing him to cry out.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Luffy cheered, seeing all the crates and bags of food stored inside. "It's a gold mine. Food, food, food, food, food!"
The other boy shrugged. "Might as well grab a snack while I'm here. Never know when your next meal will be."
"Exactly. See, this guy gets it."
"Who knows, maybe we'll be safe in here. As long as no one else gets hungry," Coby said to himself, closing the door behind him.
"Which one to do first? Ooh, this box looks promising." Luffy opened it up and cheered at the sight. "Apples! Excellent! Tasty!" He threw two up in the air and swallowed them whole, cores and all. The black-haired boy blinked at this but then grabbed some bread, chewing on it.
"Uh, hey. My name's Coby. Your Luffy, is that right? And you…I didn't get your name." He looked at the other boy.
He thought about it for a moment. "Shawn," he said. "You can call me Shawn."
"Oh, nice to meet you. It was pretty cool what you did back there, smashing those blades. I didn't know anyone could do that."
"Just takes practice."
"And jumping out of that barrel was pretty neat too," Coby continued, walking over to Luffy now who was still gobbling down as many apples as he could.
"These are awesome," he said. "So are we on a pirate ship or what?"
"No, it's a passenger ship being raided by pirates."
"The Lady Mary," Shawn said. "That's the name of the ship."
"Right. And the pirates are under the command of Lady Alvida."
"Who cares anyway. What I want to know if there are any boats on board," Luffy said, still shoveling his mouth.
"There are, I checked. Unless the pirates haven't wrecked them in the attack, there should two," Shawn told him. It had been one of the first things he noted when boarding this ship. Always have an escape route ready.
"Great, cause mine got sucked into some big whirlpool."
"The whirlpool outside, no way!" Coby gasped. "No one could have survived that."
Shawn remembered the whirlpool. It had been pretty powerful, though nowhere close to the whirlpools he'd seen before. Still, it was impressive this kid made it out of one.
"Yeah!" Luffy looked backed his grin wider somehow. "I gotta say, it was a big surprise," he laughed.
Coby laughed as well, albeit more nervously.
"So, are you two pirates or passengers?"
"I'm just a passenger here and I want off this ship as much as you. Don't need to get mixed up with these pirates," Shawn said.
"It was on a fateful day," Coby suddenly said, causing both of them to look at him, "long ago. That day, I stepped out onto a small fishing boat on the outskirts of town to go catch my dinner. Turned out that particular boat was actually headed for a pirate ship. That was two years ago. In exchange for them letting me live, I'm forced to live the life of a cabin boy."
There was a breath of silence, and then, "you're pretty stupid you know that."
"Luffy!" Shawn admonished. "But yeah, you are pretty stupid. I mean, come on. How did you not know that boat was headed for a pirate ship?"
"Gee, thanks for your honesty."
"If you hate it, then leave," Luffy told him.
"Are you kidding, I can't do that," Coby said, shaking his head madly. "No way, nuh uh, not a chance. Just the thought of Alvida finding me scares me so bad I want to throw up."
Luffy grinned again. "You're a moron and a coward," he chuckled. "I hate people like you."
Coby laughed along as well, though he was crying a bit too now.
Shawn, however, wasn't really paying attention anymore. He couldn't help but think of his own story. Stuck in a bad situation, trying to escape. He'd made it out, but not until he'd…done what he'd done. And it wouldn't last. He knew that, deep down. No matter how far or fast he ran, it wouldn't last. He would have to go back at some point.
He just hoped that when he did go back, he would be able to leave again.
"Alright, quit your lollygagging around boys!" Alvida ordered as her men began carrying all the loot over to the Miss Love Duck. "We gotta load up everything before the Marines get here. I catch anyone dawdling and they'll get a real mouthful of my iron club."
Meanwhile, on the Miss Love Duck, the orange-haired girl had managed to find the treasure room of the Alvida pirates and had collected almost all of it into her bag. She wiped some sweat off her brow and grinned in celebration. A good haul. Now to get it off the ship and to safety.
"YAAAHHH!" the two pirates who had encountered Luffy suddenly appeared in the hatch, both trying to squeeze through at the same time. "Captain!"
Alvida turned, irritated.
"This is bad!" they yelled.
"Yeah, then out with it!" she yelled back.
"It came from inside the barrel!"
"Such a horrible monster!"
At that word, Alvida's eyes widened and she let out a growl of anger. The two pirates whimpered, realizing the mistake they'd made too late as Alvida whipped her club up in the air. "Who are you calling a monster?" she bellowed, throwing the club at them. They managed to duck in time, the club striking their companion, who had woken up just in time to get hit. The power of the blow sent him flying, through the guard rail and out into the open sea where he disappeared. The club spun in the air for a second before landing on the other two pirates' heads, laying them low.
"Uh…we weren't…talking…about…you, my lady," the taller one managed.
"Some guy was hiding in a barrel. He could be a bounty hunter," the other one added.
"A what?" Alvida roared.
"Yeah, you're right," Coby said. "If I had the courage, I could drift alone in a barrel and be rid of these pirates. I actually have my own dreams. Someday, I'd like to live out all of them." He looked up then. "So what about you two? What was it that got you to set sail on these seas?"
"Personal reasons," Shawn said. "Just…stuff I had to get away from. Wanted a new life, that's all."
"Cool. And you Luffy?"
"Me? Well I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy proclaimed.
Coby gaped, his mouth dangling open. Shawn's eyes widened to the point where they resembled plates. The King of the Pirates? Was he serious? Did this kid honestly think he had what it took to be the King of the Pirates?
"The…king…?" Coby managed.
"Yep."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah."
"But…but that would mean that you're a pirate too."
"Right."
"Your crew?"
"Don't have one yet, but I'm looking for them."
"Aaahhh."
"Hmm." Luffy waved his hand in front of Coby's face but he had apparently frozen over.
"So," Shawn said, "you claim to be the next king of the pirates and yet you have no ship, no crew, and you haven't even entered the Grand Line yet?"
"Yep."
"I don't know whether you're just dumb or delusional," he said. "You do realize what other pirates are out there right? Pirates who could level cities and destroy mountains. Pirates who could trample armies or scorch seas. There are thousands of pirates out there now, each one vying for that title. And you think you're going to be the one to make it?"
"Yep."
"Huh. I think maybe you're actually dumb and delusional."
"Yeah!" Coby suddenly shouted, standing upright. "King of the Pirates is a title given to one who obtains everything this world has to offer. You're talking about seeking the great treasure of wealth, fame, and power. The treasure that you seek is the One Piece."
"Yeah!"
"Yeah? That's it? Shawn's right. Pirates from all over the world are looking for that treasure, you know?"
"Yeah, so?"
"No way," Coby shook his head frantically. "It's impossible, impossible, impossible. There's no way anyone like you could ever reach the pinnacle during this great pirate age, there's just too many out there that are meaner and badder-"
He was interrupted when Luffy punched him on the head. Shawn blinked again in surprise but didn't say anything since he had also been tempted to shut the kid up.
"Ow," Coby moaned. "Why did you hit me?"
"Cause I felt like it," Luffy replied, his smile gone.
Coby moaned a little more before rising. "Oh well, I'm used to that stuff. My shipmates smack me around a lot. All the time in fact."
"It's not about if I can," Luffy told him. "I'm doing this cause I want to."
Shawn felt his heart stop at those words. He looked up, staring at Luffy closer now.
Luffy removed his hat and stared down at it deeply. "I decided long ago that I'm gonna be King of the Pirates. If I have to die fighting for that, then I die."
Coby stared at him with wide eyes while Shawn looked away. That conviction in Luffy's eyes, in his words. He had never seen anything like it before. Not even in his father, the strongest man he knew. And it touched him inside.
One year ago, he had decided to leave. To just get away from it all. The one choice in his life that he had made for himself. And yet, it was still dictated by his father's presence, by his own past. But this kid, he didn't have any of that. He just decided to do this because he wanted to.
So what do I want?
"Alright," Luffy said. "Now that my belly's full, I'm gonna go get me a brand new boat."
"Straw hat."
The words were spoken softly but clearly enough that there was no mistaking their tone. Both Coby and Luffy turned to Shawn as he stood up, facing them with a deadly serious expression.
"Answer me this," he said. "Why? Why do you want to be King of the Pirates? To be wealthy? To have all the power? To rule all over the pirates? To be more famous than Roger himself?"
Luffy stared at him for a second before laughing, surprising Shawn. "Nah, I don't care about all that. I want to be King of the Pirates because that means being more free than anyone else."
Shawn gasped. Free. That word. Free. Yes, that's what he wanted. More than anything else. Free from his past, free from his family. From his father's shadow and reach. He just wanted to be free from it all, to live his own life. Like Luffy was doing.
He remembered when he was a kid, his mom showing him a map of the world and all the wonderful islands and lands that dotted it.
'One day, I'm gonna visit them all! You'll see!' he'd told her. And she'd laughed and said she'd had no doubt he would. 'And then, I'll find their greatest warriors and learn from them and fight them. I'll become the greatest warrior in the world. That way, I can keep everyone I love safe.'
His mother had stared down at him with kind eyes and said, 'I think that's a wonderful goal.'
As a kid, he'd followed the exploits of the greatest pirates, the greatest warriors in the land. Roger. Namor. Whitebeard. Kyoshi. Mihawk. Henrik. Shanks. Wolverine. And so many more. He had wanted to be like them. To be a great fighter, to be the best there was. That had been his dream.
Then, it had all faded. All that was left was his mission. Then, escape.
But now…
To see the world. To become the greatest warrior. To set sail and live a life of adventure. He had thought Luffy dumb and delusional but now Shawn looked at him with new eyes. He wasn't like all those other pirates. He wanted the same thing for completely different reasons. He just wanted to live his life the way he wanted and this was the best way to do that.
So, if Shawn wanted to do the same, shouldn't he do the same?
He had once thought about owning a crew of his own. It had certainly been a goal of his father's. But no. He didn't want to command people. That wasn't for him. And he didn't like blindly following people either which was why he avoided most pirate crews. But with Luffy…
Perhaps…
"Now, that boat. You know, they might even give me one if I ask nice enough. Maybe they're generous people," Luffy said.
Behind them, Coby remained where he was, lost in his own thoughts. Luffy's words, his intent, were now creating ideas and hopes he hadn't known he'd had.
"I guess I never thought of it like that," he said, almost to himself. "If I put my mind to it, if I'm prepared to die for it, could I do something like that?"
"Like what?" Luffy asked.
"Do you think…do you think I could ever join the Marines?"
"Marines?"
"Yes!" Coby cried out, standing and throwing his arms out. "Catching bad guys is the only thing I've ever wanted to do! It's been my dream since I was a child. Do you think I could do it?"
"How should I know that?"
"Then I'm gonna do it!" Coby proclaimed. "I'm not gonna get stuck here as a cabin boy for the rest of my life. I'll break out then I'll turn right around and catch Alvida myself."
Suddenly, the ceiling cracked open and something fell through, dust and debris falling with it. All three of them looked up, Coby crying out in alarm, dancing around wildly.
"Who is that you plan on catching Coby?" asked a large figure emerging from the dust. "And you actually think this twig is going to help you? Or that shrimp?"
Shawn frowned, looking at himself and Luffy as if trying to figure out which was the twig and which was the shrimp.
"Well? Answer me!"
Coby trembled, trying to hide behind his arms in vain. He seemed like he wanted to say something but couldn't form the words, too scared to be able to.
Shawn looked at Alvida, recognizing her from her wanted poster. Only 5 million Berries. Respectable in the East Blue but honestly not that great. And looking at her, she didn't seem all that threatening.
Judging from the way Luffy was looking at her, it was clear he thought the same thing.
They were interrupted from their musings when several blades penetrated through the door, pirates growling and yelling from the other side.
Alvida looked up from Coby to Luffy, eyeing him critically, before smirking. "My guess is that you're not Zoro the Pirate Hunter."
Shawn frowned, recognizing that name. An infamous figure around these parts. Honestly, he had hoped to meet him. Sounded like a true warrior.
Coby let out a little gasp while Luffy just muttered, "Zoro?" in confusion.
"Coby!" Alvida cried out, causing the boy to gasp in fright again. "Who is the most beautiful of all on these seas?"
From the way she said it, it was clear she was referring to herself which made Shawn wonder if she had ever owned a mirror.
"Uh…well, I…um…eh, give me a sec. I know this," Coby mumbled, rubbing his head. After what he'd just said about capturing Alvida, he knew he was in huge trouble and had only this chance to survive. But his mind had gone completely blank.
"Hey Coby, who's the fat lady?" Luffy asked, pointing right at Alvida.
There was utter silence. Everyone stared at Luffy in shock, their mouths gaping open, except for Shawn who was trying very hard not to burst out laughing.
The pirates back on deck who were looking at the scene from above were now also shaking in fear, knowing how their captain would react.
"Oh no," one muttered.
"Not good," the other one added.
"Uh, Luffy," Shawn interjected. "That would the raiding pirates' captain. Alvida."
"Oh," Luffy nodded in understanding. "So this is the one who captured Coby. Huh, I thought for sure she was a talking whale or something."
Everyone's jaws dropped lower, not believing this kid. This time, Shawn couldn't hold it in and busted out laughing, dropping to his knees. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Alvida began to twitch, her anger growing stronger and stronger. "YOU RUNT!" she screamed, bringing her club down as hard as she could.
Luffy, however, was ready for it and leapt aside before it could strike him. He landed right in front of the still cowering Coby. "Let's go," he said grabbing hold of him and leaping up to the deck above. Coby gasped again while Alvida glared at them in surprise and even greater rage. "You coming, Shawn?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Shawn picked himself up and then kicked off, using the broken edges of the floors to spring himself up onto the deck as well, landing just as Luffy did.
Both of them stared at the surrounding pirates and smiled. "How many do you want?" Shawn asked.
"I kind of want all of them but I'll settle for half."
"Sounds good to me."
The pirates, overcoming their shock, growled and charged forward. One swung his blade at Luffy but he just threw his body backwards, ducking under it with ease, before whipping back up and striking the pirate down with his head. Another pirate came charging in but Luffy simply turned and punched him right in the face, knocking him flat.
Shawn faced three opponents charging at once. As they all came towards him, he suddenly dropped low to the ground and swung his leg out in a dangerous arc, knocking all of them off their feet. Then, before they could recover, he whirled around and kicked one in the chest, sending him rolling into the other two and all of them crashing across the deck.
Four pirates came down on Luffy but he easily jumped aside, shouting, "missed me!" as he did.
"Gotta do better than that," Shawn said, moving an inch aside for one sword stroke and knocking its owner out. He blocked another strike with his elbow, holding the man at bay for an instant before his leg came up, kicking him aside.
Luffy just grinned at all the pirates facing him. Coby stared at him and then let out a shriek of alarm, spotting a pirate jumping from above. Luffy stopped smiling and moved aside as the man came down, striking the ground instead.
"It's not fair to attack from behind," he said, grabbing the man's head and throwing him into the mob of pirates, knocking them all over.
"Uh, Luffy?"
"Hmm?" Luffy turned and saw Shawn next to him, staring down at least twenty glaring pirates.
"Oh no," Shawn muttered.
"Waaahhh! It's even more not fair to gang up on a guy!" Luffy cried out as he ran away, the whole mob chasing after him. Shawn made a move to try and help when he stopped, seeing Luffy reach out and grab hold of the mast. Then something strange happened.
Luffy kept running, but his hand remained where it was, his entire arm stretching out the whole way. Shawn stared in disbelief and he wasn't the only one. All the pirates stopped, looking back and forth between the hand and the boy, not quite sure how it was possible. But Shawn knew.
"A Devil Fruit," he muttered. This guy was just full of surprises.
The pirates all started shrieking just as Luffy stopped, turning back with a grin, having been faking his terror the whole time. "Gotcha!"
The pirates tried running away but it was too late.
"Gum-Gum…ROCKET!" Luffy yelled, releasing his stance and flying right back at them, the force sending him bowling right through the mob at intense speed, sending everyone flying. Alvida and Coby looked in complete shock, not believing what they were seeing.
"Huh," Shawn said. Perhaps indeed.
Luffy got back up, looking at all the moaning pirates with satisfaction.
"You took out more than half," Shawn told him. "But I'll let it go since that was really cool."
"Aw thanks," Luffy grinned.
"Luffy, what are you?" Coby asked, amazed.
"Oh." Luffy pulled on his cheek, stretching it out widely. "I'm a rubber man."
"That is very gross," Shawn noted. "But still cool. So, which Devil Fruit did you eat? Cause, that has to be why you're a 'rubber man.'"
"Yep," Luffy nodded. "I ate the Gum-Gum fruit."
"So you're made of rubber…or gum…or…" Coby stopped, sensing a familiar presence behind him. He instantly shrieked and scurried over behind Luffy.
"So, you've eaten of the Devil Fruits. I heard rumors they existed but I'd never seen any evidence of them before today."
Shawn frowned. That was a good point. Many in the surrounding seas weren't too familiar with Devil Fruits as their users were mostly found in the Grand Line as that was where most of the major world events occurred, where one really tested their might and worth. He wondered if Luffy was a recent Devil Fruit user, to only now try to reach the Grand Line and become King of the Pirates.
"You're more skilled than the average deck-swabber. Are you a bounty hunter?"
"I'm a pirate."
"Pirate? Ha! All by yourself on these waters?"
"Today it's just me, but I'll find my crew tomorrow. Or next week or something. I need, I don't know, like ten guys. Yeah, ten."
As he was talking, keeping all the pirates distracted, the orange-haired girl managed to sneak out of the main cabin on the Miss Love Duck and scurry away.
Shawn listened to Luffy and couldn't help but think, what if you'd already found a crewmember? He wasn't totally sure why he thought that. It was just, something about this guy sparked something in him. A yearning in his chest he hadn't felt since he was a kid.
A yearning to dream.
"Ha!" Alvida laughed again. "Tell me, if we're both pirates, and we're not under the same flag, then that would make us enemies. Am I right?"
Coby trembled even harder, sweating in fear. "Uh, Luffy? Shawn? Let's go."
"But why?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You saw how powerful her club is. And of all the villainous cheats in all these waters, she's easily the most…" He trailed off, looking Luffy in the eye and remembering the conversation they'd just had. Luffy was willing to die for his goal. And Coby…he wanted to be a Marine more than anything. So shouldn't he be willing to do the same for it?
"Go on, tell me," Alvida urged, smirking.
That did it. Coby knew he would probably die for this but he didn't care anymore. Luffy was right. You had to reach for your goal no matter what and Coby was so sick and tired of listening to Alvida.
"You're the most ugliest thing on the sea!" he cried out.
All the other pirates gaped in utter shock, not one of them ever even thinking someone as weak as Coby would dare to say that. A shadow fell over Alvida's face, her rage growing to enormous levels.
Shawn smiled. Well done Coby, he thought. He had dared to reach out for his dream. And if he could do it, then Shawn could do no less.
Luffy just threw his head back and laughed.
"What'd you say?" Alvida growled.
"I'm leaving and I'm gonna join the Marines. Then I'm going to spend the rest of my life beating up dirty pirates like you."
Meanwhile, Luffy just kept on laughing through it all.
"Do you have any clue what you're saying to me right now?"
"Of course I do and I'm gonna do what I want and no one's gonna stop me. And when I join the Marines, I'm gonna join them!" Coby took a deep breath and then yelled, "and I'm gonna catch your lousy ass first!"
"You're dead kid! DAHHHHH!" Alvida roared, lifting up her mace.
Coby screamed in terror, realizing he was about to die. No regrets, he thought. No regrets. I did it. I said what I wanted to and I fought for my dream.
"Well said," Luffy complemented, stepping in the way now, apparently having stopped laughing.
"Yes, very well said Coby," Shawn added. He knew Luffy needed no help from him here so instead he looked for a boat, knowing they'd probably still need a fast exit.
Alvida brought the club down, striking Luffy right in the head. Coby gaped, wondering if his new friend had just died for his sake. But Luffy just let out a deeper grin, the blow not affecting him at all. "That won't work."
"What?" Alvida cried.
"I'm rubber!" Luffy hurled the club aside and then threw his arm back as far as he could, it stretching way past the ships and out into the open sea. "GUM-GUM…" he yelled, lifting his leg up to get the proper leverage before bringing it back down and throwing his arm forward again with all his strength, "PISTOL!"
Shawn couldn't help but gape a little as well. The amount of force in his arm right now must have been immense as it shot back, striking Alvida right in her large belly, launching her screeching up into the sky and past the horizon.
A ways away from the ships, the pirate who had been struck by Alvida's club finally regained consciousness as he floated in the water. He blinked and looked up. "Sky's so pretty and blue out here," he commented.
He only had a second to enjoy it before Alvida came falling from the sky, landing right on top of him and sending an enormous geyser of water shooting up.
Luffy whipped his arm back while all the other pirates trembled in terror at watching their fearsome captain get walloped.
"Hey, you!" he called out to them.
"Yes!" they instantly snapped to attention.
"Go find a boat and give it to Coby," he ordered. "He's leaving your ship to join the Marines. And you're not going to stop him."
"Uh…yeah, sure," they mumbled.
Coby blinked in surprise before he smiled. "Thanks, Luffy."
There was a sudden whistling sound and several cannonballs struck next to the ships, blowing up the water.
"Uh oh," Shawn muttered, spotting the Marine ships approaching. Luffy and Coby cried out, trying to keep their balance.
"Look, it's the Marines," Coby said.
"Ooh, perfect timing. Head over there and tell them you want to join," Luffy told him.
"Huh?"
"But I'm a pirate so I'm out of here." Luffy jumped over the side.
"No wait, you can't be serious," Coby protested. "I approach them like this, they'll just capture me like another pirate."
"I'm out too," Shawn said, jumping over as well. "I'm not getting captured. Good luck, Coby."
If he got captured, it wouldn't take them long to figure out who he was. And then his father would find him. He couldn't risk that.
Below, on a small boat, the orange-haired girl was securing her treasure and getting ready to set sail when she sensed something. She glanced up just as another boat came falling down, crashing into the water right next to her.
"YAAAHHHH!" she screamed.
Onboard were Luffy, Coby, and Shawn, all hanging on tight.
The orange-haired girl glanced over, spotting Luffy and his wild grin, right before another cannonball exploded nearby and they both took off in separate directions. Still, that look stayed with her.
On Luffy's boat, they had managed to avoid the Marines who were too busy capturing Alvida's men and protecting the passengers of the Lady Mary.
"We actually managed to get away," Coby said amazed.
"Ha, what fun!" Luffy said, soaking in the sun and wind. This, to him, was the life.
"I wouldn't call it 'fun' exactly, but certainly interesting," Shawn said, keeping watch to make sure they weren't being followed.
"So, Luffy," Coby interrupted. "If you're searching for the elusive One Piece, then you have to be headed for the Grand Line, right?"
"Uh huh."
"You know the people I've talked to call that place the pirate graveyard."
"Right. And that's why I need an extra strong crew."
"Then you're already smarter than most other pirates." They both turned to look at Shawn who was still keeping an eye on the horizon. "Most pirate crews in the Grand Line have maybe one or two strong crewmembers, usually just the captain. If you're looking for strong crewmembers, you'll stand a better chance of lasting there."
"Huh, thanks."
"You seem to know a lot about the Grand Line," Coby noted.
"Of course I do. I was born there."
Shawn said it so casually that it took them a second to realize what he'd just said. Then their jaws dropped simultaneously.
"You're from the Grand Line?" Coby gasped.
"Cool!" Luffy gasped, ecstatic. "You must have seen so many cool pirates there! What's it like? Is it really as dangerous and awesome as people say?"
Shawn shrugged. "I don't really pay attention to what people say, but yeah, it's dangerous. You'll need a strong crew to survive. My father's a pirate captain there, a big one. And his crewmates are some of the toughest there are. And it's not just pirates like him but the weather, the currents, everything really. The Grand Line isn't for the faint of heart."
"Well good. Cause I plan to conquer it."
"So wait, if you're from the Grand Line, why are you in the East Blue?" Coby asked.
Shawn hesitated. "Personal reasons," he said. "I do plan to go back some day, but…"
"Then come back with me!"
Shawn stared at Luffy, surprised. "What?"
"Join my crew!" Luffy grinned. "We can go to the Grand Line together!"
Shawn stared some more then looked back at the horizon, not saying anything.
"What?" Luffy asked.
"The reason I left is because of my father," he said after a moment. "All my life, he has guided me, training me for the day when I would take his place. I was never…free. Until one year ago, when I left. But even now, I feel him. His shadow on me. And I can't escape it. No matter where I go or what I do, I still feel him. His presence, looming over me." He stopped, looking down. "I didn't know what it was like to be free. I didn't really even understand that word. Until you said it." He looked sharply at Luffy. "You want to be King of the Pirates to be free. And I realized, I want to be free too. Free to chase my own dream."
"And what's that?"
Shawn smiled. "When I was a kid, I always admired these warriors. Fighters like Whitebeard or Kyoshi or Mihawk. They were so cool, the way they fought. I wanted to be the greatest warrior of them all, across the world. But then…" he stopped and was surprised to feel a tear sliding down his face. "But then…" he tried again but a sob came out instead.
"Stop!"
He looked up, feeling Luffy's hand on his shoulder, a worried look on his face. "If it's causing you pain, you don't need to tell me."
"Yeah," Coby agreed.
Shawn took a shaky breath and nodded. "Thanks. Well, after…what happened then, I just forgot about it. Focused on my father's training. For years, I drove myself into it. Not to be the greatest warrior, to chase my dream, but for…less worthy reasons. And then I did something I regret. And I left."
It was hard to believe that it had all happened a year ago. His entire life had changed that day. He didn't even recognize himself anymore.
"I tried to push it all away, put it behind me. And then I met you and you talked about your dreams. You reminded me of mine. You reminded me I still want that dream. I still want to be the greatest warrior."
"Then do it," Luffy told him. "Join my crew and I'll help you be the greatest! The Pirate King wouldn't want anything less on his crew."
Shawn chuckled. "No I guess he wouldn't." He leaned back, staying silent for a moment.
Was this really what he wanted? To join a pirate crew, follow someone else's orders? He'd left his father so he didn't have to live by his rules. So why was he so tempted to join Luffy?
'When I first met your father, I saw him only as an outsider. But the more I got to know him, the more he changed my mind. With him, it really depended on the person.'
His mom's words echoed in his mind. Shawn smiled at the memory and felt a calm wash over him.
"So," he said. "Sailing the seas to achieve our goals against pirates probably ten times more powerful than us with little chance for success." He chuckled. "Sounds pretty dumb and delusional. And adventurous."
Luffy's eyes and grin widened. "Wait, does that mean…"
"Yeah," Shawn nodded. "I'll join your crew."
"YAY!" Luffy cried out and suddenly wrapped his arms around Shawn, pulling him into a hug. Shawn grunted, not expecting this, but he relented, hugging his new captain a little in return. "Awesome, I've got my first crewmember!"
"One other thing that you should know, Luffy."
"Huh, what is it?" Luffy asked, releasing him.
"My name isn't Shawn. I only told you that to keep my identity hidden from my father. But, if we're to be crewmates, that won't work anymore."
"Oh, ok. So what's your name?"
"Shang-Chi. Xu Shang-Chi."
"Shangy, got it."
"That's not it at all."
Luffy cheered. "Alright, one down! Great, now we need to find the others." He turned to Coby and leaned forward. "You guys mentioned some pirate hunter. So what's he like Coby?"
"Oh, you mean Zoro? Last I heard was that he's being held prisoner at some Marine base."
"Oh well, a weakling huh?" Luffy said disappointedly.
"No, you're so wrong!" Coby argued. "He's as violent as a demon and three times as horrifying!"
"I've heard of him as well," Shang-Chi said, thinking back. "I was actually hoping to meet him. A master swordsman they called him. The best in the East Blue."
Coby looked at Luffy cautiously. "Why are you asking about him anyway?"
Luffy grinned again. "I figure if he's good enough, I'd ask him to join my crew."
Coby gaped again and Shang-Chi just chuckled. "Chasing him down is just plain reckless," Coby argued.
"You never know, he might jump at the chance to join."
"He's a bad enough guy that the Marines caught him. No way! Not a chance! Forget it! No, no-"
BONK
"Ow! Eh, why'd you hit me?"
"Cause I felt like it. Now, Shangy. Set course for Zoro! Full speed!"
"That's not my name and I have no idea where Zoro is. Oh, I'm regretting this already."
Ok, so who guessed Shawn was Shang-Chi?
And that's the first official chapter done. I won't update for a while as I'm still planning out the rest of the East Blue Saga. I can tell you it'll have at least one new arc and an extended one, possibly more. Hope you like it so far cause it's just going to get bigger from here. Shang-Chi is only the start.
Also, just a heads up to my followers, I have officially passed the deadline for my manuscript which means I will no longer be working so actively not it. I still will as I go for the next stage, but now I have time for other stuff so expect updates in the next few weeks for these projects:
Multiversity
My Hero Academia: Into the Marvelverse
Riordan-MCU: Power of the Gods
Thanks for reading and please leave a review if you can.