11"ACCCEEE! LET'S GO!" A young woman yelled from the docks.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Sheesh, Luffy hold your horses." Ace grumbled good naturedly as he approached his now grown sister. Well somewhat grown sister. While Ace himself had hit a respectable 6'1" Luffy was very much the definition of a tiny slip of a girl. At only 5'1" she wouldn't be intimidating anyone with size.
"But todays the day let's go, let's go, let's goooooo!" Luffy whined at him while bouncing around like an eager puppy. Really the girl needed to settle down, it's not like the ocean was going anywhere anytime soon.
"You're awfully excited and childlike this morning," Ace teased her, earning himself a pout as she stopped bouncing on her toes just long enough to give him the look. "Alright, Alright Luffy. Put that thing away, I'm getting in the boat now."
"Todays the day I finally get to set sail. I can't help it. I'm just really excited!" Luffy practically shouted with enthusiasm. "I'll finally get to meet our first crew members too!"
"Luffy we won't be seeing them for another couple of days when we get into Shells Town." Ace tried to explain.
"Yeah? But that means we could totally be there today if you'd hurry." Luffy whines.
"There's no point in hurrying, they aren't going to be there for a couple of days either. I swear, it seems like you get even more childish as you get older." Ace pointed out.
"Eh? I'm not childish," she pouted again. "I'm just excited for today since I'm finally seventeen and we can get started on our dreams!"
"Hoist the Anchor then we're ready to go." Ace said dryly.
"Right!" Luffy agreed as she pulled up the small anchor used for the old fishing boat. She then untied the mooring line and kicked off from the dock. "Sailing, sailing," she sang childishly as they began moving.
"LUFFY!" Someone called from the docks several minutes later causing her to turn back towards the docks. "I'll miss you! GOOD LUCK!"
Luffy smiled at the woman on the dock as she shouted back, "We'll miss you too Mama! Take care of yourself! Bye everyone!"
As more calls went out from those they knew Ace only waved back to them. He was going to miss them. Especially Makino and Dadan with her bandits. However, he was honestly just as excited as his baby sister to get started for real this time. None of those short cruises he'd done to go get stuff from other nearby Islands they needed for the bar he'd made his home with Luffy and her Mama.
"Shishishishishi," she laughed from beside him.
"What's up Lu?" He asked.
"The Lord of the Coast is here," she replied simply.
"Oh? Together then?"
"Yup, together," she confirmed as he turned in the direction of the Large Sea King.
"Yosh! Final round!" Luffy announced as they both wound back and let loose.
"Fire Fist!" Ace announced as he punched forward launching a fist sized stream of fire.
"Die in the Dark!" Luffy shouted from beside him as she simultaneously threw a big ball of darkness. Both attacks flew at the same speed slamming into the face of the Sea King causing a small explosion that blew it backwards as it landed in the water.
"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed. "She may have gotten bigger and stronger over the years but we're still stronger!"
Ace just agreed before he looked at her and asked, "Die in the Dark? The hell is up with your names."
She shrugged. "I don't know, it just seemed right for some reason."
The three years since Ace's first foray in the sea to get them a ship had been interesting. Whenever the two set sail the Lord of the Coast had tried to eat them. After a long fight they won and she'd left for what everyone thought was for good. Except several months later she was back and bigger than before. They almost lost that time not expecting her to grow that much in such a short time. But it lit a fire under them and they'd started training even more honestly.
The biggest gain was the control they'd gotten over their fruits. Since they could now fight evenly with both having one they'd often do fruit only spars. Meanwhile Luffy also practiced daily with her sword. Oftentimes Ace would find himself bored as she spent hours going over the forms repetitively to the point of mind numbing. Eventually he found himself using his fire to smelt the metals needed to craft the bullets for their pistols.
It was tough at first as he often got very tired quite quickly in the beginning. But as he fine tuned it he found his problem leaned more towards impurities in the metal rather than being unable to finish. Oftentimes the rounds would crack and shatter under the force of being shot. Eventually though he was able to get his flames hot enough to properly fix the issue. Though he didn't quite have the stamina needed to make attacks with the same heat intensity. Right now he could only reach the hotter temperatures on his body itself. He couldn't yet throw anything as a ranged fire attack that hot without feeling like he'd gone twenty rounds with Garp while only getting off maybe one or two attacks from the strain.
Luffy also had similar problems. She could increase gravity behind her darkness much easier when condensing it into a ball such as with her "Die in the Dark" or just focusing on smaller areas to suck things into a black hole. Trying to hit a larger area though and further away from her and the gravity pull her darkness generated weakened. Yet at the same time the gravity pull directly generated from her body was much stronger. As such outside of battles she favored directly touching objects she wished to store into her Black Hole as it was much quicker.
After a day of sailing Luffy spotted a ship on the horizon and got excited. Quickly waking up her brother.
"Neh, Ace! Look, look!" She said excitedly pointing at the ship in the distance. "We should totally board and see if we can't find anything to take. First act of piracy and all that." She finished grinning like a child.
"Sure Luffy, let's get to it." Ace replied smiling. He knew she wasn't going to actually attack people on a passenger ship. If anything she wanted to raid their larder for whatever food she could find. Which if he thought about it was probably worse than actually attacking them.
Koby was terrified. That wasn't saying much though. He was terrified of a lot of things in life. What terrified him the most though was getting on his Captain's bad side. So here he was dutifully going through down to the larder to start moving supplies while the rest of the crew he'd been forced to join acted like savages attacking the people on the ship and stealing valuables. What he did not expect though when he opened the door was to find a small girl shorter than him sitting cross legged on top of the table going through the food like she'd never had a full meal before in her life. She was wearing black slacks, flip flops and a red short sleeved shirt with a straw hat on her head. On the table next to her sat a black coat of some sort.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!" He whisper yelled to the girl. She had to be stupid to still be sitting here stuffing her face with the sounds of fighting that could be heard all around.
"Eh? I'm eating," the girl said as she looked up at him, speaking around the food in her mouth without somehow miraculously showing any of what was in her mouth.
"Why are you eating?! Can't you hear the fighting going on you need to leave before Alvida finds you." Koby told her urgently. He did not want to see such a cute girl turned into a blood smear.
"Who?" she asked him confused.
"Alvida she's-" Koby started only to be interrupted.
"KOBY! What are you slacking off here?" A voice asked, pulling their attention to two men who'd entered the room. Based on their dress and ill cared for weapons they were obviously pirates.
"I'm not slacking off I promise. I just came down to start moving the food!" He shrieked in panic.
"Yeah?" the pirate asked. "It doesn't look like you're…" He trailed off as he finally noticed the girl on the table. "Oh, it seems like you found a better prize instead. Hey there little bird, why don't you join my friend and I over here."
"Nah, I'm good," she said as she took another bite of food.
"Now, now. Why don't you come over while I'm still playing nice," the pirate said threateningly as he brandished his sword at her.
"You gonna use that?" She asked him with a gleam in her eye.
"If you don't cooperate I will," he practically snarled at her.
"Wait, wait!" Koby tried to interfere. He did not like where this was going and he didn't want to see someone so innocent be- BOOM! The sound interrupted his thoughts as he and the two pirates looked at the one threatening the girl. Or rather the one threatening her just looked down. He now had a hole the size of a coin in his chest where his heart was.
"Your funeral then," the girl said without any real emotion. She was brandishing an odd gun that was black and silver though was similarly shaped to a flintlock.
"What the? You killed him! Who, who are you?" the second pirate stuttered out in fear.
"Me? I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to be The Queen of the Pirates," the girl, Luffy, introduced herself as she started smiling now. "You going to try to get vengeance for your friend there?" She asked, turning to the second pirate.
"Hell no!" The second pirate shouted as he turned to run only for a second BOOM to sound out as he too dropped to the floor.
"Why?" Koby asked, now fearing for his life. "Why did you kill him if he wasn't going to fight?"
"He threatened to do much worse to me with his friend," Luffy explained casually as she went back to eating.
"Oh," he said listlessly.
"Neh, Koby," Luffy suddenly said.
"Yeah?" He asked still kind of out of it that this girl who looked like she'd never been out of the house let alone seen violence had so easily killed two people. With a gun no less.
"You got a dream?" Luffy asked him.
"I used to, but it's impossible now that I was forced into being navigator for Alvida," Koby explained to her.
"Now that's coward talk there," Luffy said bluntly.
"You're right," Koby admitted with tears starting to pool in his eyes.
"You gotta be like me and proudly proclaim your dream like this," Luffy started as she took an inhale of breath before shouting. "I'M GOING TO BE THE QUEEN OF THE PIRATES!"
"Isn't it King though?" Koby asked, confused.
Luffy snorted. "No, I'm a girl. So I'll just have to be the first ever Queen of the Pirates."
"But that's impossible- Ouch," Koby started to say but was cut off from a hit to his head.
"Idiot. It wouldn't be a dream if it was easy, but I'm willing to bet my life on it and so should you if you really want to be a marine." She told him not unkindly as he rubbed his head from where she'd bonked it.
"You think I can really do it?" Koby asked as tears started to well up.
"I think you can do anything if you put your mind to it," Luffy said while smiling softly at him.
"Then I'm going to be a marine," Koby said with some confidence.
"What was that?" Luffy asked, cupping her hand to her ear. "I couldn't hear you. Remember to speak up."
Koby swallowed and took a shuddering breath before yelling. "I'M GOING TO BE A MARINE AND CATCH ALL THE BAD GUYS!"
"You're going to do what Koby?" A new voice asked from the doorway..
"Hey Koby, who's the whale over there?" Luffy asked as she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. Causing Alvida to gain a tick mark on her head.
"That's Alvida," Koby almost whimpered in reply, almost. Which was a huge improvement already over his previous behavior.
"Grah! I'll show you girly," Alvida said angrily before turning to Koby to use her tried but true tactic to keep her men in line. "Koby, who's the most beautiful woman on the seas?"
Koby almost started to answer in his usual manner but stopped himself. Luffy a girl he'd just met not even five minutes ago. Who'd easily killed two men in front of him before turning around and showing him kindness. She had told him he could do it. So he swallowed his original reply and changed it.
"Luffy is the most beautiful woman in the world, you fat hag!" He shouted at Alvida while also unknowingly causing Luffy to blush just a smidge. Though that's not her fault. She was more used to being called cute and adorable. Actually once she thought about it. Koby was the first to call her beautiful.
"Damn you!" Alvida cursed as she swung her giant club fully expecting to smash the insignificant whelp who dared insult her. Only her club stopped moving and she couldn't lift it back up. She looked down to see the girl had moved and blocked her swing.
"Well that's mean. I can't have you killing my new friend like that," Luffy said as she casually held the club's end in her hand. "It was a good hit though, but now it's my turn." She commented as she stepped forward and slammed her fist into Alvida's gut, launching the big woman up through the ceiling of the larder.
"Wow, how'd you do that?" Kobby asked, amazed.
"I'm really strong," Luffy replied childishly while pumping her arm to show her almost non existent muscle mass.
"But you're so thin," Koby said almost incredulously. Hell he looked like he had more muscle than she did.
"Eh, Looks can be deceiving," Luffy shrugged as she grabbed his hand and started pulling him along. "Let's go up to where the action is." Only to stop almost immediately and back track to the table and pick up her coat.
"Almost forgot this," she told Koby as she shrugged the coat on. Which now that Koby could see was clearly a Captain's coat. A pretty good one at that from what he could see though oddly it had silver instead of gold.
"Why silver?" Koby asked without meaning to actually ask.
"It is gold," she replied. "It just looks like silver because of how it was mixed. It's actually an alloy called white gold."
"Ah, so how'd you even forget your coat?"
"Because I only just got it. I don't like it. It's too heavy but Ace says I have to wear it when doing certain things. Like raiding a ship." She replied though her last statement was borderline childlike with her level of giddiness.
"But all you were doing was eating," Koby pointed out.
"That's the best part!" Luffy exclaimed. "I got to eat all the food without having to pay." She finished dreamily, explaining it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyways we're here."
They both stepped out onto the deck to see Alvida finishing getting up with help from her men. Most of the passengers were no longer on the ship from what Luffy could tell though the Pirates had plenty of valuables piled into a couple of chests.
"There you are Luffy," a familiar voice called out to her. "Where were you?"
"I was with Koby!" She announced innocently, causing Ace to look at the other teen with her and give him a hard glare. "You gonna stand there holding my sister's hand all day?"
Koby panicked as he looked down and noticed that yes Luffy hadn't let go of his hand yet before letting out a squeak as he jumped to the side and let go. "Sorry, I didn't realize."
"Ace, be nice, Koby's a friend," Luffy chastised her brother only for him to snort at her and turn away to look at the pirates circling them looking ready to attack at a moment's notice.
"Want to help me clean them up?" Ace asked her.
"Sure," she replied, stepping up beside him.
What followed couldn't even be described as a fight. Most of these guys were on the same level as the thugs they had beaten as children, if not weaker. The only thing of interest to even happen was when Alvida threw herself into the fight only for Ace to reflexively shatter her club as Luffy turned and slammed her fist into Alvida's gut like before. Only this time she'd muttered, "Black Matter" as the woman was launched even further than before disappearing into the distance.
Meanwhile Koby just gaped at the two of them. "How?" He managed to ask in his shock.
"Because we're strong silly," Luffy repeated her answer from earlier.
"We should probably go before the marines get here," Ace butted in.
Unbeknownst to the three they were being watched from the shadows. As they left a girl stepped out and thought to herself. Those two were pretty good, though the fact they managed to get all the treasure is quite infuriating. She shrugged as she turned on her heel and left as well, completely missing how flames shot out from the small boat the three had boarded as it rocketed off into the distance.
It only took about an hour for the three to reach Shells town from the wrecked cruise ship they had left in their wake.
"I heard they've got a monster locked up here," Koby informed the siblings as they walked down the dock.
"Oh, Who's that?" Luffy asked intrigued while Ace said nothing but turned his attention to the pink haired teen.
"His name's Roronoa Zoro. He's a feared pirate hunter known as a demon." Koby explained.
"He sounds cool," Luffy said with some stars in her eyes. "I wonder if he'd be willing to join us."
"Uh uh, no way. He's a monster in human form! A pirate HUNTER," Koby stressed the word hunter. "He would sooner kill you than join you!"
"Then I'll just beat him up first," she stated as she smacked a closed fist into her open palm and then continued to walk off following the smell of food.
The three arrived at a restaurant called Food Foo when Luff finally spoke up again.
"Is this the place?" She asked, confusing Koby.
"Yeah, It should be." Ace confirmed.
"Should be what?" Koby couldn't help but ask.
"You'll see," Luffy said mysteriously as she entered and scanned the room before her eyes landed on three scary looking customers. She grinned as she made her way over with Ace following behind her.
Koby noticed the direction they were headed let out a quiet scream as he hissed at Luffy, "You can't just walk up to them! They look dangerous.. And scary." Though he whispered the last part.
"Yo," She said as she reached the table, causing the three to look up at her. She then grabbed a chair and sat down with them with Ace following her actions and seated himself next to his sister.
It was quiet at the table as the three adults inspected the small slip of a girl brave enough to just sit at their table. One of the men had a top hat and wore glasses with a small goatee. The second was the really scary one. He had a serious line to his mouth which was all you could see of his face as he wore a skull on his face with a blue feather dress spilling down the back. The last one wore a green leather jacket that was open to reveal a bare chest and wore his hair and a masquerade mask to obscure his features.
Finally the masked man spoke up, "Yo Ace, It's been a while since we last saw each other."
"That's because you never got around to coming to the Island," Ace huffed like he was mad but the effect was ruined by the smile on his face.
"So, you the captain we heard so much about?" the one with a skull asked.
"Heard about? Probably, but the Captain? No, that's not me. She's the Captain," Ace said, jerking his thumb over to Luffy who was currently busy talking to a lady placing an order.
"Her?" the skull wearing man asked in disbelief.
"Yup, her."
"She's small," he sounded almost incredulous as he said it.
Ace snorted at that and had a feeling a lot of people would have that particular reaction until they became well known. Probably even after he thought privately to himself.
"Won't stop her from kicking your ass if you make a big deal out of it," Ace told the man with a sharp grin.
"Whoa, no offense. I was just pointing out the obvious." the skull wearing man said, holding his hands up in a placating manner.
"So, you guys are Masked Deuce, Skull and Mihar?!" Luffy interjected excitedly. "It's great to finally meet all of you."
"It's good to meet you too. I'm Skull if you couldn't tell," Skull said politely.
"You must be Mihar then," Luffy said as she turned to look at the one in a top hat.
"That'd be correct, ma'am," Mihar replied.
"That means I have you to thank for taking care of Ace," Luffy turned to Deuce and smiled.
"Oi!" Ace shouted as she said that. "If anything I took care of him by feeding him when I got to the island."
"He's right," Deuce agreed.
"Yeah but you gave Ace the fruit which has helped us a lot already."
"How's it helped you out then?"
"Roasted meat on the spot," Luffy said sagely.
"That doesn't seem that important compared to the other applications," Deuce replied a bit confused.
"It would be if Luffy didn't stuff herself to the brim with food whenever it's plentiful. She started hunting a lot more once she realized I could start a fire whenever wherever." Ace explained.
"Ah," Deuce could only say as he looked at her. She honestly didn't look like she could eat that much. That quickly proved wrong as the food arrived and he watched in horrified fascination as Luffy devoured plate after plate while expertly managing to snag pieces from Ace's plates who returned the favor just not as often.
"What are you guys talking about?" A small voice asked from beside them.
"Holy hell kid, when did you get here?!" the three men asked as they jumped, startled by his sudden question.
"I was here the whole time," Koby answered as he sweat dropped. I'm not that unnoticeable am I? He thought to himself.
"They're talking about a Devil Fruit," Skull explained kindly.
"But those aren't real are they?"
"Sure they are. They just aren't nearly as common in the four blues." Skull told Koby. "I mean yeah you can find them here, but usually they're found in the Grand Line where all the strongest pirates gather. Though finding a Logia like the one Ace is even rarer."
"I see."
"Neh, you guys heard of Zoro?" Luffy suddenly asked as she finished off her last plate. Not noticing the reaction, everyone not at their table gave the name.
"Yeah we've heard about him," Deuce answered.
"He still here?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah they've got him tied up in the open field at the marine base," Mihar answered this time. "On orders of Captain Morgan's son no less." Also oblivious to the even worse reaction that name garnered. Though Koby was surprised that the Marine Captain would get such a reaction. Zoro? Sure, he was infamous around the East Blue, but a Captain? That didn't seem good.
Luffy just hummed as she stood up and started to walk out.
"Where are you going Luffy?!" Koby asked as he snapped out of his thoughts.
"I'm going to see Zoro of course," She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"But you could get in trouble!" he said as he quickly followed after her leaving the other men sitting at the table looking at each other.
"Should we follow?" Asked Deuce.
"Nah, Luffy would tell us if she wanted us to come with her," Ace said casually as he continued to eat.
The other three just shrugged at Ace's nonchalance and began to partake of their own food and drink that had been forgotten in the wake of watching Luffy put away her own large amounts like it was nothing.
Once Luffy arrived at the marine base she stopped at the gate. Though upon not seeing any guards decided to look through to see if she could find the man she was looking for. Upon seeing him off to her left she took another look around for any marines. Not seeing any she made her decision and walked around the perimeter wall.
"Luffy! What are you doing?" Koby asked her.
"I'm going to go take a look," she said as she hopped up to hand off the wall and saw something she'd missed earlier from further away. Koby joined her shortly after also looking on.
"Go away kid, I don't want it," she heard from the man tied to the post. That has to be Zoro, she thought to herself.
"He's going to kill her," Koby whispered in a panic from beside her.
"Shh," she hushed.
"But I made them just for you, as a thank you," a little girl said. Mmm wonder what happened there, Luffy thought.
"Do you want to die?" Zoro hissed at the girl loudly.
"Now now Zoro, who taught you to be rude to children," said a blonde teen flanked by two marines who'd just walked up. Said teen turned to the little girl and saw the rice balls. "You wouldn't be trying to feed my prisoner now would you? That means I'd have to get my daddy to execute you." He continued as he grabbed the wrapped up napkin from the girl.
"That's not for you!" the little girl said bravely.
"Well too bad," the blonde said as he took a bite of the rice balls he'd uncovered inside the napkin before spitting the bite back out. "Bleurgh, what is this? Did you use sugar?!" He complained.
"I thought it would be better sweet," the girl mumbled.
"You're supposed to use salt, SALT!" the blonde shouted at the girl as he threw the rice balls onto the ground and stepped on it.
The girl started to tear up as she said, "But I tried my hardest to make those."
"You! Throw her over the wall!" He commands one of the marines.
"But sir, she's just a little girl," the other man said.
"Do you want me to tell daddy you're not listening?" He asks the marine.
Sighing, the man moved to obey as he picked up the girl and made his way to the wall. "Just tuck yourself into a ball and roll, I'm sorry." He quietly told the girl as he then tossed her over the wall.
In that moment Koby started to feel his panic rise before he remembered the conversation with Luffy back on the boat. At the same time Luffy made to move when she noticed Koby beating her to it. He hopped down and moved. Then just as the girl came over the wall he reached out and caught her. Though not without tumbling into the dirt himself as he managed to cushion her fall.
"Are you okay?" He asked the girl.
"Yeah," the girl mumbled. "Thank you for catching me."
"No problem," Koby replied as he got up and set the girl down. "You need to go home before you get into trouble again." He told her with a smile before she nodded to him and left. Neither noticed Luffy watching with her own smile as she thought he was a pretty good guy himself. Then another thought went past her mind and a mischievous glint arose in her eyes and while Koby didn't see it he felt a chill go down his back as he turned towards Luffy.
"So what now?" He asked her.
"I've decided," she stated seriously, all signs of her unnoticed mischief gone. "I want him to join my crew."
"That's going to be impossible," Koby replied as he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with a sigh. When he didn't get a reply back he looked up and Luffy was gone. "Eh? Luffy?" He said allowed at the same time he had a thought. She didn't. As he reclimbed the wall he sweat dropped looking out into the open field. She did.
Zoro was getting really hungry at this point as he sat there tied to the post. He was feeling quite weak as well but he was determined to see this through. For a swordsman's word was his honor. Though it seemed a swordsman had a lot of things that were their honor, but that is for another time. He'd just started to think back to the girl who started this all when a shadow fell over him. Looking up he saw a small slip of a girl standing in front of him.
"Eh, Who are you?" He asked the girl. At first, and second glance she didn't look like she'd be worth anything aside from her beauty. With wild raven colored hair and doll-like features. She didn't even have a tan. Which was weird for anyone but a noble. He scoffed internally at the girl dressed more like a sea fairer than the noble her looks practically screamed at him.
"I'm Luffy. Monkey D. Luffy," she said with a serious look on her face.
"And are you here to die too?" He asked her.
"No. I want you to join my crew," she replied as she smiled at him.
"So, you're a crook huh?" He asked, a bit surprised someone like her would be a pirate.
"It's my dream," She said easily.
"You going to set me free to join you then?" He asked this time.
"Only if you want to join," was the casual reply.
"Sorry, but I won't join you. I have something to take care of." He explained.
"I see." she said as her smile never wavered.
"I'll survive on my own for a month. That was the promise. After a month I'll be free and I'll fulfill my own dreams!" He told the girl fully expecting her to pout or pitch a fit or anything. Instead her smile widens as it splits her face in a hidden promise.
"That's good," she says simply before turning to walk off.
"Hey!" Zoro calls out, causing her to stop.
"Yeah?" She asks.
"Can you hand me that?" Zoro asks, nodding in the direction of the spoiled rice balls.
"You sure? It's covered in dirt," she says even though she knows he'll eat it regardless. She's been there. Even dirt tastes good to the starved.
"Yeah, I'm sure," he answers as she knew he would.
Luffy simply shrugs and scoops up the rice discreetly siphoning off any extra dirt she can while leaving the rice behind before feeding it to Zoro.
"Thanks," he says before continuing. "Will you tell the girl it was good?"
"Sure," she replied as she leaves.
As Zoro watches the strange girl leaving he can't help but feel that something is different than it was before he'd talked to her. Maybe he should have threatened her? He thinks to himself.
Back at the restaurant the other four are talking and laughing as they catch up on what each other has done over the past three years when the door opens and Luffy walks back in with Koby.
"Hey Luffy!" Ace calls out to her. "How'd it go?" He then asks as she sits back down next to him with Koby silently following her.
She simply smiles in response before calling out to the waitress for more food to the surprise of those who don't know her. She'd just eaten enough for several men not even an hour ago and she was already eating more?
Luffy just sat there enjoying her time listening to her crew talk. Her own crew she thinks to herself. She's excited. How could she not be? She's only just started and already she has three maybe four new crew mates if things pan out. She was just getting ready to pay when the door slams open and the blonde from the marine base walks in with his two unwilling bookends.
"Give me your best food and alcohol!" The blonde demands. "And make it on the house. I wouldn't want to have to tell daddy about this place now would I?" He threatens and starts laughing.
Luffy is honestly disgusted by the blonde and his behavior but she keeps her peace. Instead she turns and asks for the check. After putting the necessary amount on the table she and her crew stand up to take their leave. It's only as she reaches the door does she catch the conversation of the blond with his guards.
"That idiot actually thinks I'm going to keep my promise?" He gloats. "He'll be dead before the weeks out when I get daddy to execute him."
Without realizing it she's already moving to the table as she stands over the seated blonde.
"Who's standing over me?!" The blonde demands as he sees her shadow and turns to look at her. "Ohoh," He laughs at seeing Luffy, "Well aren't you the beautiful one, care to join me?" He leers at her looking her up and down as he asks, "I'm sure I can make it worth your while."
Luffy felt nothing but disgust at being called beautiful by this simpering buffoon. As rage overtakes her features she rears back and slams her fist home to his face. The blow makes a satisfying crack as she feels his cheek fracture from the force and he's knocked out of his chair hitting the floor hard.
"You, you hit me!" He practically screeches at her. "Not even my daddy has ever hit me. Just wait till I tell him! You'll be dead when he executes you!"
"You disgust me," she spits out at him in anger before turning and walking off.
"Where do you think you're going?!" The blonde demands as he tries to stand only to feel dizzy from the blow and almost fall over. He was only saved from hitting the ground again by his guards catching him.
"We should return to the base sir and report to your father," the marine suggested to his 'superior'.
"Yes, yes we shall. Then daddy will take care of everything," the blonde agrees and though he can't see it the marine cringed at that.
As they left the restaurant the little girl from the base stepped in front of them.
"Zoro's a good person," she tells them. "He saved me from Helmeppo's wild wolf when it was going to attack me."
Luffy just looked at the girl for a second before saying, "I know, he said your rice balls were delicious."
"You'll save him, won't you?" she hears the girl ask her as she walks off.
"So, what are we going to do Luffy?" Ace asked almost casually.
"We're going to get our new crew mate of course," she replies as she heads towards the marine base. Her crew simply followed her wondering how she was going to handle this.
Zoro sighed as he tried to get comfortable or rather as comfortable as one can when tied in a ninety degree position to a post. As he gives the attempt up as a bad job he notices the girl from earlier is standing in front of him again.
"You're back?" He asks before she can say anything. "I already told you I won't join you. I have a bet to win," He finished as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back.
"You won't win," she tells him, causing him to snap his eyes open again and look at her.
"Of course I will," he exclaims. "Thirty days, that was the bet. I'm almost halfway there now."
"Except he already plans to execute you before the week is out," She tells him.
"Why that no good lying-" he starts before she cuts him off.
"Join my crew," she demands this time rather than asking.
"Eh? Why should I? Where even is your crew?" Zoro snaps at her.
"On the other side of the wall," she tells him with her thumb pointing over her shoulder.
"Who would be crazy enough to serve a small slip of a girl like you," Zoro sneers at her.
"You," she says to him with a big smile before reaching down behind her to draw a sword Zoro knows she didn't have earlier.
"Nice sword," he can't help but comment.
"Thanks," she says as she seemingly slashes down once causing all of the ropes to fall to the ground as well as himself. "Shishishi," she laughed at the sight of him eating dirt as he props himself up. "Ace! Bring him some food." She calls out.
Ace, hearing Luffy's shout, sighs and tells the others to be ready for anything before he hops the wall with a small bag in hand and walks over to them.
"Here, eat fast," Ace tells Zoro as he shoves the bag to him.
"I'm going to go get his sword," Luffy lets them know as she heads off into the Marine base.
"So you use swords?" Ace asked to fill the silence.
"Yeah, three of them," Zoro replies around a mouthful of food which is gone in no time as they didn't bring much for just enough to stave off that pang of hunger.
Ace whistled at that. "That's pretty impressive if you wield all three with skill," he comments.
Meanwhile, Helmeppo was complaining to his father asking him to take care of the people who'd hit him. Only for his father to backhand him on the other cheek and call him worthless before deciding he should probably take care of the issue since it'd look bad on himself. It was at that moment that the door to his office opened and a girl stuck her head in. A girl he didn't recognize.
"Ah! Hippo!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"That's her father!" His son shouts at the same time and before he could even blink the girl is in the room and then dragging his son out of the room screaming.
"MEN!" He shouts in rage. "We have an intruder! Find her and bring her to me so I can execute her!" He bellows out his order causing a scramble among the men who heard him.
Luffy was running down the hall dragging Helmeppo with her when she suddenly stops and asks him where Zoro's sword is.
"They're in my room, we just passed it," Helmeppo tells her with tears running down his face.
"Ah which door?" she asks.
"The one on the right?" He says managing to make it into a question in his fear at being a captive.
"Right," she repeats as she turns around only to come face to face with a group of marines.
"Fire! Kill her!" Helmeppo desperately tells them only for Luffy to hold Helmeppo up in front of her. "Don't fire! Don't Fire!" He changes his command as more tears stream down his face.
"Just kidding," Luffy laughs as she drops him and dashes at the marines faster than they can react. She jumped as she reached them slamming her foot into the upper stomach of one of them knocking him out. She then kicked off with the same foot and twisted to kick another in the face causing a loud crack as his jaw shattered. The last one managed to get his gun raised and aimed at her but before he could fire she lashed out with her sword splitting the barrel from the stock and taking his arm with it. The marine fell to the ground clutching his new stump and screaming in pain before she knocked him out with a pommel blow to the head.
She then turned to Helmeppo to ask which door again when she noticed the stain darkening his already black pants. "Ugh," she groans, noticing he had also passed out in fear. "Did he really have to wet himself?" She asked nobody. She then shrugs and opens one of the nearby doors at random.
"Wow, that's a lot of pink," Luffy commented as she took in the room. "Ah, there's three swords." She said in confusion. "I better take them all, Black Hole." Before turning to the window and looking into the yard. "Wow that little pansy was a sadistic little shit having Zoro visible from his room."
Back outside Zoro had just managed to get up when a bunch of marines flooded the yard followed by a large man wearing a marine captain's coat.
"What do you think you're doing with the prisoner?" The man barked out in question.
"Helping," Ace replies casually.
"Well, we can't have that now can we?" the man says menacing as he brandishes his arm that had an ax grafted to it. "Take aim men!" He orders.
"I can see why he's called Ax Hand Morgan now," Ace comments then asks. "You think he's compensating for something with an ax that big?" Getting a snort from Zoro.
"Probably." Zoro has time to say before he hears the shattering of glass.
"Fire!" Morgan orders and each of the men fire their rifles at the two. Only for Ace to step in front of Zoro and allow each of the bullets to slam into him.
"No!" Zoro shouted as he watched as Ace, someone he didn't even know, took the shots for him. "You bastard," he says to Morgan as the man begins laughing and spouting off about what happens when you defy him.
That was when Luffy landed next to them. "I'm back!" She announces.
"Yeah and one of your friends is dead now!" Morgan practically crows.
"Eh, He'll be fine," Luffy said casually as she turned to Zoro and held her hand up, dropping three swords from a black hole that appeared. Though only Zoro could see it. "I grabbed all three because I didn't know which of these was yours." She claims.
"All of them," Zoro tells her.
"You guys done yet?" Ace asked them.
"You're alive?" Zoro asked in return.
"Yeah, bullets don't really affect me," Ace told him as he lifted his hand and Zoro watched as molten slag dripped out of his hand.
"How the?" Zoro started to ask.
"I'm a fire-man," Ace says by way of explaining.
"That tells me nothing."
"I ate a devil fruit and now I'm made of fire," Ace explains further.
"That's a thing?" Zoro asked, his eyebrow raised.
"Yup."
At that point two more men appeared beside Ace. "Well this is a situation," Deuce said.
"Nah we're good you could've sat this one out," Ace replies.
"Men, what are you doing just standing around! Just kill them!" Morgan yelled, interrupting their conversation.
At that the men dropped their empty rifles and drew their swords and charged. As they reached them Skull, Deuce and Zoro all blocked them and knocked them back. Zoro looking over his shoulder at Luffy.
"Since I'm fighting the marines I guess I'm a criminal now. I might as well join your crew since you're so insistent on it, but I've got a dream. I'm going to be the world's greatest swordsman, if you get in my way I'll kill you." He tells her and she just laughs like he wouldn't.
"Nice," she said as she smiled and gave him a thumbs up before turning to look at the marines who just got up. "Get 'em boys, but try not to kill anyone if you can help it." She orders.
"Aye Captain," Deuce and Skull reply as they begin taking down marines.
Cries of, "We can't defeat them!" and "We can't defeat Zoro let alone a group of pirates!" Rang out from the marines as they were beaten back.
"EH?!" Morgan sneers, "Those of you who just said that, I order you to kill yourselves."
This caused several marines to hesitate before Morgan lashed out and cut down a random marine. The others, in fear for the lives of their fellow marines they actually liked raised pistols to their heads and pulled the trigger.
This caused Luffy and her crew's eyes to widen and while Zoro asked what those idiot marines were doing killing themselves while Luffy got pissed.
"Don't let anymore do that!" She bellowed out to her crew as she charged Morgan himself. She slammed her raised fist to punch Morgan but he simply lifted his ax to block the blow. As her fist slammed into the ax Morgan blocked used to black with many of the marines were expecting her to cry out in pain. Instead they were astonished and their mouths dropped open as the ax exploded into fragments instead.
"What?!" Morgan cried out in almost despair as his prized ax broke and he fell to his knees.
"Be glad it's me here and not Gramps," Luffy said as she looked down at the man. She then lifted her fist to punch him again when someone cut her off.
"WAIT!" Helmeppo screamed, causing everyone to look in his direction. He was standing there, legs shaking as he held a gun to Koby's head. "You let my daddy go or I'll shoot him!" Helmeppo stuttered out.
"Koby?" Luffy asked simply, a single eyebrow raised in further question.
"I don't want to be in your way, Luffy!" Koby shouted. "These aren't the kind of marines I want to join anyways! I'm not afraid to die instead!"
"Good Answer," Luffy replied as a gunshot rang out and while many were shocked Helmeppo would pull the trigger it took them a moment to notice it was Helmeppo on the ground whaling and clutching his hand the damaged remains of the pistol he had been holding on the ground near him.
It was then they noticed yet another man crouched on the wall with a gun slung over his shoulder still smoking.
"Tch, Shut up boy. I only hit the gun." Mihar drawled out in his slow accent.
Luffy then turned back to Morgan who hadn't even moved or looked at his child as he stared dumbfounded at his now broken ax hand. This caused Luffy to feel a bit of sadness for Helmeppo as no child should have a parent as cruel and heartless as this one seemed to be.
"Execute him," She ordered.
"You sure Captain?" Deuce asked, surprised.
Luffy stared at Deuce for a minute before responding. "Yeah, I'm sure. No one in charge of the lives of their men should order their deaths like he did. I'll make sure grandpa knows."
"You can't do that ma'am, we can just arrest him while he's down and unable to respond," One marine tries to tell her.
"I'm acting on behalf of Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp, the overseer of East Blue. As his granddaughter I, Monkey D. Luffy, am ordering the execution of the now officially ex-Captain Morgan. For the crimes of betraying the values the marines should stand for, for treason against the marines and the murder his own men," Luffy said clearly and concisely.
The marine in question froze at hearing her orders and the name she dropped before turning to the rest. "You heard her men. He's been tried and judged by the powers that be."
After that Zoro swung and Morgan's body hit the ground as his head rolled away and while they probably shouldn't have, the marines cried for joy at the death of their ex-captain.
"Pero-pero-pero-pero-pero, pero-pero-pero-pero-pero," the snail rang out as an old man worked on his dreaded paperwork. He picked it up and gruffly asked, "What do you want?"
"Now, now Gramps. Is that anyways to talk to your beloved granddaughter?" Luffy asked as her voice came over the line.
"Luffy!" Garp said happily. "How's my little princess been doing?" He asked her.
"I'm doing well," she replied, the snail showing the soft smile she had on her face. Though how the snails did that was anyone's guess.
"I was meaning to come pick you two up soon, Princess," Garp told her.
"Don't bother, I set out to sea with Ace to have a tour of the East Blue. Take in the sights and see the places I need to see," She told him.
"Eh? But where are you now then?" Garp asked her in a bit of a panic.
"I'm at the marine base in Shells Town," she explained. "Did you know the Captain here was running this place like it was his own personal kingdom of tyranny?" She asked.
"He was what?! Explain." Garp demands.
"So there was a bounty hunter tied up when I got here. You know what his crime was? He put down a rabid animal and protected a little girl at the same time yeah? That's prime marine material and they were going to execute him for it. Then the big meanie tried to kill me when all I wanted to do was help." She faux cried into the snail.
"He did what to my little princess?!" Garp yelled into the snail.
"Yeah, he tried to execute me too, but that's okay Ace and I beat him up and I had him executed instead and liberated the island from his tyranny. I made sure the paperwork was correct too. For the crimes of breaking the marine moral code, treason and murder of his own men he was to be executed by order of Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp, overseer of East Blue." Luffy says happily, all traces of earlier tears were gone even from the snail's eyes.
"Very well," Garp said through the snail. "Do you know when I'll be able to pick you up?" He asked with a hopeful tone.
"I don't know Gramps, I think I want to see more first," Luffy explained in a sad tone as though she was also upset about not seeing her Grandpa.
Garp just sighed heavily before speaking, "Just let me know when and where and I'll come get you princess."
"Okay!" She said happily, "Oh by the way I found a really good recruit for you, maybe two, I'll leave a letter with the base for you to pick up so you'll know a bit more."
"Sounds good princess. I'll swing by to pick them up soon," Garp replies.
"Okay that's all bye Gramps I love you!" She says happily as she makes kissy sounds into the snail and hangs up.
Turning around she found Ace trying to hold in his laughter while the rest of the crew poleaxed and quite disturbed at the conversation that transpired. Or rather they were disturbed by her switch in attitude when talking to her grandpa. Meanwhile the marines looked mostly relieved that she'd been telling the truth. While Koby was practically hyperventilating at something she'd said specifically.
"You're going to introduce me to the Hero of the Marines?!" He practically shouted.
"That was very disturbing Captain," Zoro deadpans as he thinks this is his life now.
"Your Grandfather just let you get away with murder by proxy," Deuce deadpans.
"Is he really going to let you get away with that?" Mihar asked, talking specifically about Luffy declining to be picked up when Garp clearly wanted to come get her.
"In order? Yes she is. You have no idea Zoro. Yes, Yes he did Deuce. And Gramps already knows she wants to be a pirate but he's keeping the polite fiction up that she'll end up being a marine instead." Ace explains to everyone.
"Whelp. I'm hungry, time to eat!" Luffy announces as she makes her back to the restaurant they were at earlier.
"Jesus that girl can put it away," Skull mutters as they follow their erstwhile captain.
Several hours later found the crew being thanked by Ririka, the little girl's mother, for saving the town from the evil marine captain by having their current meal for free. Which Luffy and Ace just cried for joy over as they increased their eating speeds.
"Like sister like brother huh," Zoro comments as they watch their captain and first mate continue to make their way through copious amounts of food.
"Indeed," Mihar agreed.
"It might be rough keeping these two fed," Skull added.
"I can already feel the headache and the sharp pain of a hungry stomach now," Deuce put in.
At that moment the marines walked into the restaurant and stood at attention.
"I am commander ripper," The lead marine introduced himself. "I overheard you all say you were pirates back at the base?"
"Yeah, we are, what about it?" Asked Ace.
"Then as the current marine in charge I'm going to have to ask you all to leave the Island. As thanks for getting rid of Morgan we won't have you arrested."
"As if you could," Zoro snorted, only to get bopped on the head by Luffy as she stood up.
"We'll leave right away sir," she tells the commander as she walks out. Only stopping to hand Koby the letter of introduction for her grandfather. "Make sure you keep that and don't read it okay?" She winked at him with a mischievous smile on her face.
"You can't make them leave!" the little girl, they now knew was Rika, cried out as she grabbed onto the marine's leg.
"It's okay," Luffy told her. "We were just getting ready to leave town anyways. We've got sailing to do after all."
Once at the docks Ace and Luffy grabbed Zoro and dragged him onto their fishing boat while the other three got into their own small ship and sailed it out to sea. As they also set sail the marine commander suddenly shouted, "Men! Salute your saviors!" Which all the lined up marines did including Koby. Followed by, "Men! For saluting pirates we'll go without food for three days!"
"Yes, Sir!" they all shouted in unison.
"Well how about that, marines saluting pirates," Zoro said.
"Bye Koby!" Luffy shouted and waved.
"By the way Luffy what was in the letter you gave to him for Gramps?" Ace asked, curious.
"Shishishishishi," was her only response.
Ace just shrugged at first before laying down to get comfortable. Only to shoot up minutes later as a thought occurred to him while thinking back to the call to their gramps.
"You didn't?!" Ace strangled out.
"Who knows?" Was her reply.
"Turn this damn boat around, I'm gonna kill him!" Ace demanded as Zoro's eyes went wide at the first mate's sudden outburst.
"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed, enjoying her brother's reaction.
"What the hell?" Zoro asked. "What did she do to get so hot headed all of a sudden?"
"That little shits her fiancé now!" Ace practically shouted.
"Maybe," Luffy laughed out.
Zoro could only groan as Skull, Mihar and Deuce wondered what the hell was going on on the ship their Captain and her brother were on before deciding they'd just have to find out later.
Several days later in Shells Town a large marine galleon with a bulldog for a figurehead sailed into the dock and was met by a local marine contingent.
"Take me to the base," Garp ordered as he stepped off the gangplank onto the dock and was promptly led to the base.
"Good evening Vice-Admiral Garp," Commander Ripper said as he saluted the decorated veteran of the marines.
"I heard there was a good recruit or two here for me to pick up," Garp said, getting directly to business.
"Yes sir, that'd be these two, sir," Ripper replied, gesturing to Koby and Helmeppo.
"I see. You two want to be marines?" He questioned looking at the two. They didn't seem like much but Luffy spoke for both of them.
"Yes Sir!" They both said and saluted. Then Koby spoke up.
"Permission to speak sir?" He requested.
"Bah none of that nonsense just say what's on your mind boy," Garp replied while his finger found its way up his nostril.
"Luffy gave me this letter to give to your sir," Koby told him as he held the letter out.
"Mmm let me see then," Garp said as he took the letter and unfolded it with a shake of his hand, his other finger never leaving his nose as he read. He hummed as he read his face falling into a frown and then immediately going back to a smile. Then he was suddenly serious as both hands dropped to his sides and the letter fell to the floor as he looked sharply at the boy in front of him.
"So, you think you can do it boy?" Garp asked without a hint of his usual brusqueness or joviality in his words.
"Yes sir! I believe I can be the best. No, I will be the best, sir!" Koby answered quickly.
"Bwahahahaha," Garp laughed as he clapped Koby on the back. Then said something that almost caused him to die of a heart attack. "Welcome to the family then Monkey D. Koby, I'll have to find a way to introduce you to your father in law sometime."
"What?" Was the only response Koby could come up with. As Garp walked off to see about filling the missing Captain's post.
"Koby. You uh, you may want to read this," Helmeppo said holding the letter out that Garp left behind.
Dear Gramps
It's Luffy here! I'm writing this letter of introduction for Koby. He really really impressed me with the iron will he displayed when helping remove Ex-Captain Morgan from his post. He came a long way in the two days since we'd met where he was too scared to stand up for himself. He really wishes to be the best marine. Onto another matter though. I have made a decision regarding our previous agreement. I don't feel like going through all that courting nonsense for a fiancé. So I don't want one at all. Instead I'm telling you that Koby is my husband now. Make sure to train him to be super strong and make him into a great marine!
With Love, Luffy.
Koby could hear her laughing even now and truly feared for his future under Vice-Admiral Garp. He didn't agree to this!
A/N: As for a clarification now instead of answering it later. Luffy trolled them all at the end. Well, her brother, her grandfather and Koby at least. It gives her grandfather something to focus on really. He's still getting a grandchild in the marines! Even if it's his grandson in law. On one hand she's dead ass serious. On the other this story is focused on adventure not a romantic pairing. So while technically and theoretically it can be called KobyxLuffy it won't be listed as such since there will be almost no focus on that. It will come as a mention at times. Or outright discussed in the case of water 7 when they meet again.