Chapter I: Romance Dawn

Once upon a time, there lived a legendary pirate. His name was Gol D. Roger. He had sailed the four corners of the sea, conquering and plundering all of the treasure troves he could find. His last words, spoken at his execution, inspired countless pirates to take to the seas. "You want my vast treasures, hmph... I will give them to whomever can find it... I have hidden it all... in One Piece!"

Set on Dawn Island, in and around the small village of Fushia and its surrounding waters.

... Ten years after the execution of Gol D. Roger ...

Fushia Village is a small port town located on Dawn Island, nestled into the base of the large Mt. Colubo; on the opposite end of island from the major metropolitan center, Gao. The harbor spot is a quiet place, home to no more than one hundred residents doing business with passing merchants. When easterly winds blow through the settlement, large and plentiful windmills, the city's namesake, can be seen spinning non-stop. Grassy knolls can be seen off to the side, populated with farms and pastures that support the villagers. The town can best be described as a picture of peace. Since sometime long ago a pirate ship could often be spotted landing here, having frequented the spot for the better part of a year. The 'Red Force' was an impressive vessel, easily recognized by its fierce dragon mast head. The merry band of pirates it carried used this port as a base of operations, and were welcomed with open arms by the townsfolk. Most days they could easily be found singing and dancing boisterously at Party's Sandbar, the local tavern. Today was no different, as they were celebrating their imminent return to the high seas.

These pirates are all led by a single man, found today as he was most days back then, sitting by the pretty young barmaid Makino, laughing along with his crew. Captain 'Red Hair Shanks' is what they call him, and his ship flew a skull and crossbones proudly. One that represented his distinguishing features and unmatched skills with a sword. Shanks had three distinct scars around his left eye that identified him conclusively. All three scars began in the center his forehead, leapt over his socket, and continued down his cheek: a souvenir of an early duel with a fierce opponent. The lines grew jagged as the stretched out underneath his eye, each longer than the last, stopping just short of splitting his lips. He was garbed in black cloak, with a blade on his belt and a plain straw hat on his head. He was talking rather animatedly and enjoying the atmosphere and amenities just as much as the rest of his men.

As the red head went to open another bottle of the island's renowned rum, a young boy wearing a white anchor t-shirt named Monkey D. Luffy ran into the bar to demand the attention of the raucous pirates. Rushing to Shanks' side he announced his intentions with a confident shout. "Take me with you, I want to be a pirate too!" Only seven years old, the out of place look of determination on his face was a source of amusement for the shop's patrons.

Brimming with mirth, Shanks burst out into laughter. He put his leg up onto his knee, and leaned against the bar as he proceeded to turn his young compatriot down. "You? A pirate? You can't handle being a pirate lad. What would happen if you got tossed overboard during a storm? Not being able to swim is a pirate's greatest weakness! Talk to me again in about ten years, 'Anchor Boy.'" Now Shanks is not a cruel man, despite what you might have heard about pirates. Anyone who has spent any time with the Captain, rather than just repeating what they heard about him from others, would tell you the same. He wasn't trying to embarrass Luffy, but neither could he help himself when it came to having fun at the child's expense.

Unwilling, as always, to give up without a fight, Luffy kept on going with his request undeterred. "But all I have to do is stay on the boat and I'll be fine! I can tie myself to the mast and then I'll never fall off!" Seeing that he hadn't convinced the man, he tried a different vein of reasoning. "Besides, after all the training I've done I'm pretty good at fighting. My punch is as powerful as a pistol!" As if to prove it, he held up a fist with a firm grip.

With a sidelong glance and heavy sarcasm dripping from his voice, Shanks looked at him with a dead-pan expression. "Wow…! Really? A pistol? No way…"

The sarcasm only served to irritate the boy more, much to the pirate's delight. Getting up in his face, Luffy spat out, "What kind of tone is that?!"

Overhearing the conversation, a sharpshooter with an abnormally long nose, Yassop, walked over to give his two cents. "Luffy, you look unhappy! You have to be happy if you want to face anything!" Turning to his boss he kept talking, "Captain, you should let him join us, a pirate's life is great! The sea is so wide and so deep, you can go anywhere you want and find adventure. Nothing is greater than the feeling of being free and at sea!" At that the young boy looked up with hope shining in his eyes.

Wholeheartedly agreeing but trying to avoid another lecture from Mayor Woop Slap over being a bad influence on the boy, Shanks made an effort to reign in the conversation. "Now don't go giving him any dumb ideas…"

Not taking their Captain's hint, several of the other pirates chimed in. "But it's the truth, right? Come on Captain, why don't you take him with us one time? We could use a good cabin boy to lighten the chore load."

Turning back to Makino and taking a long gulp from his drink, Shanks relented nonchalantly. "Well if that's how you really feel, the next time we set out one of you can get off the ship to make room for him." And without another word his crew quickly backed down and returned to their seats. With a gentle look the Captain patted Luffy on the head, "The biggest problem is that your still too young. Give it another ten years at least, then maybe I'll take you with me."

Naturally this left the would-be-pirate fuming. "What kind of friends are you?! Damn it Shanks, I'm not a kid anymore!"

Having known the little rascal for most of his seven years, Makino laughed along at his antics. In an attempt to soothe him, she inserted herself into the conversation as only a good bartender can. "Looks like you're having a good time, eh Captain?" Turning to the fuming lad she continued, "Luffy, would you like something to eat? How about some juice, too?"

Now if there was one thing that could get Luffy's mind off anything, it was food. Especially meat. Eagerly replying with a bobbing head and a steady stream of drool twirling down from his mouth, he happily voiced his approval. "Yeah! Just put it on my treasure tab!"

Not one to miss an opportunity to poke fun at the lad, Shanks teased him once more. "Did you just say treasure tab? And you're using it for juice? Look boy, don't go swindling the nice lady here. I've already told you we aren't taking you with us."

Indignant, Luffy shouted back at the red-haired man. "I'm going to become 'King of the Pirates' and find lots of treasure!" With an even fiercer look of determination then before, he continued. "I'm going to find lots of treasure and repay my debt!"

Gazing at him fondly Makino laughed but in a gentler tone this time. "Then we will have to celebrate together when you return. I'm sure Shanks wouldn't want to miss a feast either, so everyone can come and enjoy having you back!" Despite his words to the contrary, Shanks had little doubt that Luffy would make the feast become a reality.

Calming down, and digging into the plate stacked with food Makino had brought for the two of them, Luffy turned back towards the Captain. "Say Shanks, how long are you gonna stay in Fushia this time?"

Pausing for a moment, the pirate started to think out loud. "Well, it's been almost a year since we started using this town as our base..." Turning back to his food, he took another bite. "I plan on raiding the East Blue trading routes at least a few more times before we leave this island and head north."

Unhappy at the short timeline, Luffy put his head on his hands and mumbled about it with a frown. "Only a couple more times huh...?" Resolving himself on a new goal, he lifted his head back up with a resolve. "Then I'll learn to swim by then!"

Before the touching back and forth could continue, another sudden interruption ended their cheery moment. A dark-haired mountain bandit named Higuma, wearing a brown coat and sheathed sword, kicked through the door and barged in loudly. The trio overheard him as he proceeded to the bar, shoving members of Shanks' crew as he crossed the room. "Outta my way! Hehehe... Pirates are ye...? We're bandits ourselves... though we mean the shop no harm, mind ya." With a lazy eye and an unsettling sneer the newcomer shifted his attention to the barmaid. "Oy! Sell us ten barrels of your best grog!"

With a nervous look on her face, Makino stepped forward. Afraid of his response, her reply was unusually muted. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but we've just run out."

In a show of exaggeration, the bandit lifted his eyebrow and leered at her. Gesturing about the room he retorted with mock confusion. "Huh? Well that's odd now, isn't it? What are all these pirates drinking?"

Moving to stand in front of Makino, Shanks walked forward with a rueful smile. "I kind of feel guilty. We drank up all the liquor." He handed the man his last bit of booze. "Here, why don't you have this? It's still unopened."

Taking the bottle with a look of disdain, Higuma smashed it on heads Shanks' head. As the glass shattered atop his frame, Shanks fell to the floor and made no attempt to get up. "Huh!? Who do ya think you're talking to, one bottle isn't enough! Who do you take me for?" He holds up a wanted poster. "My head's worth $8,000,000! And I've killed 56 people before, you cocky bastard! Watch yourself if you're fond of breathing. Let that sink in, now that you know who I am!" Satisfied that his point was made, he walked out, followed closely by his men.

As the mountain bandits left, Makino hurried over to Shanks' side with a worried look. "You alright Captain?"

Gamely picking himself up, he replied, this time with a happy smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

The bar burst out into laughter again. "Hardee har har Captain, He got you good!"

Stunned by his hero's humiliating defeat, Luffy yelled at Shanks with a confused look. "You think it's funny?! He made you look like a weakling! That was disgraceful! Why didn't you fight him? So what if they had more people, who laughs after getting picked on! You're not a man, and not a pirate either!" Running out the door, he screamed after the retreating bandits, "Damn it all, hold it you bastards!"

A few of the bandits turned around to taunt him. "Ain't this rich? Ya come to play, you little brat?

Shanks rushed out yelling, "Luffy, don't! Look, I know how you feel, but it's just broken glass and spilt alcohol, that's nothing to get worked up about."

Still not satisfied, Luffy tried to follow after the bandits. "Wait up you jerks!"

Reaching out to grab Luffy before he did anything truly stupid, Shanks did his best to calm the boy down. "Hey, wait a second Luffy..." But instead of grabbing the boy's wrist, as was intended, he pulled back in shock when his hand phased through lad's arm and ached as if burned, though their was nor mark to show for the pain. The last of Higuma's men, the ones who had stayed to taunt the boy, saw this, and ran off as quickly as they could.

They were not the only ones experiencing shock. Wide eyed and scared, Luffy started to sputter at Shanks. "Wh... what's wrong with me?!"

His mind racing, Shanks glanced toward the bar and at the chest he had left inside. 'Ack! The Mystical Zoan! It has to be the Tori Tori no Mi we raided from that enemy ship on our last voyage!' He had meant to keep the fruit by his side as a means of protection, but it was starting to look like that had not been the best plan.

As if reading his Captain's thoughts, Lucky Roo, one of Shanks' more prominent crew members often seen sporting green and white stripes, held up a picture he had pulled from out of his bag. It depicted a blueberry like shape covered in swirls. "You didn't eat this fruit, did you Luffy?"

With a slight scowl and panic still in his voice he snapped back, "Yep, for dessert! It tasted awful though. I had to wash out my mouth with juice..."

It was then that the reality of the situation set in. Shanks could barely bring himself to break the news to the boy. "But that was the Tori Tori no Mi. One of the Devil Fruits! A treasure of the sea! Anyone who eats it turns into a phoenix man... and will never be able to swim again!"

"Whaaaaaaattt!" And with that, Luffy passed out cold.

... A few weeks later ...

As he often did, Luffy decided to come down from his home on Mt. Colubo for a fresh glass of juice with Makino. However, it was never a quiet journey when he was involved, and his trips inevitably devolved into a series of detours. Never one to be shy, he would often talk to the townspeople without a care in the world, and today was no different. Most of the town now knew about 'that strange boy' who could turn himself into fire, and they welcomed the child whenever he made his way through the village. Walking along with his trademark 'Cheshire' grin, he started up a conversation with the clerk manning the fish market. "Hee hee, I wanna buy some fish Mr. Storekeeper!"

The man, Gyoru, raised his head up and returned the boy's smile. "Hey Luffy, you look like you're in a good mood today! So, the pirates left you behind again, eh? Oh well, either way you can't swim anymore so I suppose that's for the best."

Laughing it off, Luffy shot back, "That's all right. I'll just be a pirate who doesn't fall in the sea. Besides, after eating the Tori Tori no Mi, I'm happier than ever! Look! Now I can set myself on fire!" He began blowing blue and orange flames out of his ears.

Coming up from behind the boy, Mayor Woop Slap gave Luffy a disapproving stink-eye. "What's so good about that? The villagers should stop indulging you so much, boy. Maybe the people around here think it's cool, but what good does that do? You're probably going to set the town on fire and kill us all in our sleep if you don't be careful and stop messing around with those abilities. I'm going to tell you again Luffy; do not become a pirate! It'll ruin this town's reputation! The Captain may be a nice enough guy, but you shouldn't hang around him anymore!" Placing his fingers where the mini flamethrowers had just been blowing, Luffy turned around and stuck his tongue out at the old man before running off.

Finally arriving at the Sandbar, he settled in and waited for his drink. Catching him out of the corner of her eye, Makino headed over and handed him a mug of his usual juice. Wanting to strike up a conversation, she asked the boy about something she was sure would elicit a reaction from him. "The pirates have been out at sea for a long time now. I know you must miss them by now Luffy."

Crossing his arms with a sour look, he vehemently disagreed with a shake of his head. "No way! I still won't forgive them for that bandit incident! I overestimated Shanks, I thought he was a tough pirate." Sighing he downed the last of his drink. "What a disappointment."

Amused as always, she tried to direct the conversation in a more positive light. "Is that so? Personally, I think you'd look a lot cooler if you just laughed the whole thing off and let it go like he did. I think people who can laugh the little things off are really brave."

With an exasperated look the boy started to lecture her. "That's because you don't understand. You just don't get it, do you Makino? There are times when a man has to fight back! Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do."

Stifling another giggle, she walked over to refill his cup. "Is that right? I guess don't know anything then. Or maybe I just don't understand men." Luffy could hear other men in the bar laughing with her. Oblivious to their mirth he put the cups to his lips.

Gulping down his drink, confident his point was made, Luffy nodded as he did his best to make a serious face. "Yeah, that's right. I guess you don't."

But before Makino could reply they were interrupted by an, unfortunately, all too familiar figure. "Excuse me. Sorry to break up this little chat, but we're back again. I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by. No pirates today, eh? It sure is quiet. Smells better too..." Plopping down at a table with his men, Higuma banged the table as he addressed the bar's owner. "What are you waiting for? We're customers, bring us some booze!" With a worried glance, Makino looked over at Luffy. Her fears were confirmed as anger was already visible on his face. As the bandit's started to pick on him, she grabbed his shoulder and did what she could to make sure the situation didn't get too far out of hand. "Do you remember the expression on those pirate's faces the other day? He didn't even say anything after getting hit by a bottle. What a gutless pansy. When I see a useless chicken like that it makes my blood boil. I guess pirates only know how to act cool."

Breaking free from Makino's grasp, Luffy marched right up into the bandits face. "Shut up! Don't underestimate Shanks, he's not a coward! Don't you dare underestimate him! Apologize! Right now!"

Sneaking out the entrance while their attention was diverted, Makino raced through town to find the mayor. When she arrived at his home she burst through the door without bothering to knock. Heart pounding, she took a moment to bend down and catch her breath when she finally found him, sitting in his living room.

Concerned by her harried appearance Woop Slap immediately got up and walked over. "What's wrong Makino? What's all this fuss about?"

With a gasp, she managed, "It's the mountain bandits! They're back!"

... Back at the Sandbar ...

As they arrived Makino and Woop Slap found Higuma's men outside the tavern, circling around and laughing at Luffy.

"Well, well. What an interesting body." One of the bandits reached out and whacked him on the head with his pistol, and it was clear to the Mayor and barkeep that this wasn't the first hit. Unable to control his abilities yet, he had been forced to double over and hit the floor. His blue and orange flames were appearing after every hit he took though, and the bruises that had started to form began to fade away. "It seems like kicking and punching won't do anything to hurt this freak.

Several townsfolk were hiding nearby, whispering. "Shouldn't we save Luffy?"

The most shaken of the group did not hesitate to disagree, though he was clearly disappointed with his own cowardice. "But they're bandits! We could get killed! Besides, Luffy started it. I know he is hot-headed, but why in the world did he have to start trouble with them?"

Back with the bandits, Luffy was doing his best to fight back. He had picked himself up again and again. Unwilling to give up, he stood up once again and yelled at their boss. "Apologize to me right now!" Higuma's response was to fish hook the boy's mouth and slam him to the ground. "Damn it! You bastard!"

All the while, Higuma was seeing dollar signs. 'A different type of human, huh? Who would have thought such a thing exists in thin this world. If I sell him to a circus... I'm sure I could make a ton of money!' Seeing Luffy run at him again, this time flailing a stick as his weapon, he stopped the kid with a foot to the head. Driving Luffy to the ground, he held him there beneath his boot. "We were just having a good time drinking and talking. Did we say something that pissed you off?"

Struggling in vain to get up, he shouted, "Yes you did! Move your damn foot you bandit, and apologize right now!"

With a shout Makino ran over to him, only to be pushed away by the bandits. "Luffy!"

Doing his best to show no fear, Woop Slap did what he felt was his duty as Mayor, and stepped forward to confront them. "Let the child go! Please!" He fell to the ground and prostrated himself at Higuma's feet. "I don't know what Luffy did and I don't want to argue with you, but I am willing to pay. So please, I beg of you, let the child go!"

With a smirk, he pressed his foot down harder. "As one would expect, it's the elders that know the right way to handle these situations. But it's too late, you can't save this brat anymore. He really makes me angry. When a weakling like him insults me... well I just want to kill him."

Suddenly the frantic pair of Makino and Woop Slap stopped their protests and froze. From behind they heard a soft voice. "I was wondering why no one had welcomed us at the port. So this is why..." And there they were. Shanks, flanked by his first mate Ben Beckman, and the rest of his crew striding forward confidently. "Hey, you guys are the bandits from the other day. Luffy, what's wrong? Isn't your punch as strong as a pistol?"

Still on the ground, Luffy gritted his teeth. "Shut up!"

With a dark look in his eyes, Higuma pointed his blade toward the pirates. "Pirates... why are you still here? I suggest you keep walking. If you get any closer we might have to open fire on you."

Stepping forward as if by command, one of the bandits cocked his pistol and put it up to Shanks' head. "Didn't you hear the boss? You were told not to go any closer. Do you want to get shot?" The bandits break out into laughter at the man their leader had easily taken care of only weeks ago.

With a look at the weapon Shanks's tone shifted. "Well, since you've pulled your gun out, I guess we'll have to fight. You know, you really shouldn't use guns to scare people. It's not safe to point them at people. You're putting your life on the line by aiming at me." And out of nowhere Lucky Roo appeared beside them with his own gun in hand, eating a slab of meat without a care in the world as a bullet passed through the pistol wielding bandit's head.

The atmosphere grew oppressive in an instant, and the bandits became livid. "Now you've done it you bastards! Damn it, that was dirty."

Blowing out a plume of smoke, Beckman snorted at the angry men. "Dirty? Don't make us laugh. Did you think we we're saints or something?" The whole crew was seen readying themselves behind him as he continued. "The people standing in front of you are pirates."

Not willing to lose face, Higuma didn't miss a beat. "Shut it, this is none of your business. The brat started it."

Shanks' voice grew cold. "Listen well bandits. You can throw food or booze at me. I'd even let you spit on me. I can laugh all that off..." His fake smile had long since worn off, and the scars on his eye took on a new, terrifying light. His glare made everyone stop. "But, I don't care what reasons you have, anyone who beats a child is a coward. I will never forgive someone who threatens my friends!"

With a look of pure adulation Luffy looked up at his role model with a sniff, tears in his eyes. "Shanks..."

Higuma on the other hand couldn't help but laugh at the man. "You won't forgive me? Hahaha, you're just a bunch of lousy pirates who float around in a ship all day. We'll destroy you! Men, send them all to hell!" And the bandits charged.

However, before any of the other pirates could respond Beckman stepped up with his long barrel shotgun drawn. "Let me deal with this, I can take care of them myself." With one last drag of his cigarette, he put it out on a bandit's eye. Wielding his weapon like a club, he quickly takes care of the lackeys before anyone can react, leaving only the bounty head standing. The whole affair took no more than a few seconds. Pulling his weapon up to Higuma's head, he struck another cigarette and started to smoke with a slow pull. "Don't overestimate yourselves bandits. If you want to fight us you better get a fleet of Marines to back you up."

Luffy, Makino, and Woop Slap looked on with a silent, 'Wow,' on their lips.

Higuma's reaction was far more drastic though. With a panicked expression, he tried one more time to make excuses. "Woah, now wait a minute. The little brat started it, he messed with us first."

With a smirk, Shanks begins to step towards him. "It doesn't matter. After all, didn't you say you there's a reward on your head? We could use some party funds, right boys?" There was a roar of approval from his crew, but the distraction proved to be a mistake. In a last ditch attempt, Higuma pulled something from his coat and smashed it on the ground. Realizing too late what was had happened, Shanks cries out "Smoke bomb!" But by the time the smoke had cleared, Luffy and the Mountain Bandit were nowhere to be seen.

… On the other end of town …

Running for his life, Higuma raced through town frantically while doing his best to think of an escape plan. 'Damnit, this little brat has been more trouble than he's worth.' As if on cue, Luffy burst into flames. With a shriek the bandit dropped the boy. His left side now ached, as if severely burned, but no physical damage could be seen. "What they hell are you, you freak?!"

Smiling for the first time that day since the bandits had appeared, Luffy's grin took on its usual 'Cheshire' quality until he stuck his tongue out and blew. "As if I'd tell you! You can just call me a monster." With a feral roar, Luffy dashed at Higuma, his arms blazing blue and orange.

Having already been backing away, the man now turned and took off, once again running for his life. Seeing the dock up ahead, a lightbulb went off in his head, 'No one would expect a mountain bandit to escape by sea!' Angling towards the town's only port, he looked over his shoulder only to groan with dismay. He hadn't lost the brat. If anything, what he had lost was the distance between them. Knowing something needed to be done about the little demon child if his escape was to succeed, he pulled out his pistol, turned around, and buried six bullets into Luffy's chest. Seeing the blood seeping through the boy's t-shirt, he finally heaved a heavy sigh of relief. "Let's see you get up from that! Not so tough now, are you kid?" Turning away from the grizzly scene, Higuma hopped into the closest dinghy. But as he made his way to sea he could see fire shooting up from the six holes he had made in Luffy's chest. Unable to fully believe that the freak was dead, he started rowing as fast as his arms would move him.

... Back by the Sandbar ...

The instant shots were fired Shanks immediately shifted his direction and took off in a sprint toward the sound. Not caring to slow his pace for the crew mates that were surely following him, it took no time at all to cut through town and make his way to the pier. Higuma had only just set sail, but upon arrival the Captain's eyes were immediately drawn to the pool of blood and the person used to create the terrifying sight. Without any hesitation the bandit was all but forgotten as Shanks ran to kneel beside Luffy. Doing everything in his power to stem the flow of the blood, he began to fear his efforts were in vain as the crimson liquid continued drain along with the color from the boy's face. "Damn it Luffy! Aren't you supposed to become 'King of the Pirates?'"

Shifting beneath the pirate's hands, Luffy opened his eyes slowly with a gasp of pain. "Shanks… what happened to me, I can barely breathe." He tried to lift himself up, but the Captain's arms held him in place. "It's so cold..."

Hearing words escape the boy's mouth, Shanks let go of the breath he had unconsciously been holding. "Idiot!" A small chuckle escaped his lips. "You were nearly killed! Now stay down and try not to move. Makino told me about everything. Thanks for sticking up for us…" But the words died in his mouth before he could continue. The holes in Luffy's chest suddenly came alight with dancing blue and orange flames. Pulling his arms back to his chest, Shanks hissed in shock at the phantom pain crawling up his limbs.

With a laugh, Luffy sat right up and tilted his head to the side. "Huh? Never mind, I'm all better now!" And indeed he was. As the fire faded from sight the bullet holes were no more, without so much as a scar to prove they had ever been there. he soon noticed how Shanks was cradling his arms though, and his attitude quickly morphed into one of concern.

Shanks' jaw dropped. "But, but… but I just saw you moments away from death! Look at all the blood you're sitting in! That's not nearly all of it either! You can see the blood that slipped through the dock being pulled out to sea with the tide! How can you possibly be okay right now?"

Coming closer, Luffy pulled up his shirt to prove that he was just fine. "I don't know, but right now I don't really care. What about your arms, are they okay?"

With a sigh of relief, a gentle smile returned to Shanks' face. "It's nothing, it's just a little pain. I can handle that as long as you're alive." With a sniffle Luffy grabbed onto his shirt and began to cry. He truly understood now how great Shanks is, and why he wouldn't take him on any of their journeys. This world is a dangerous and unpredictable place, beyond what humans can control.

… A little ways off the coast …

Drifting along at a slower pace now, Higuma was beginning to relax. The sea was calm and the skies were clear, and he couldn't see anything that would get in the way of his escape. "Ha ha ha, looks like I got away! I'll be long gone by the time they even begin to look for me at sea!" He didn't notice the water passing by the small boat was tinged red until it was too late. He didn't notice the waves grow choppy until it was too late. He didn't notice the Sea King rise from the water to loom over him until it was too late. A low growl came from behind the bandit as he finally noticed the shadow being cast over him. Turning around, Higuma wasted no time backing up to the end of the boat, as far away from the creature as possible as he stared up nervously. "Where did you come from 'little buddy…?'" The beast appeared to be twenty-five feet tall, with a long striped dorsal fin and enormous jaw split open wide. A hungry glint in its eye, the 'little buddy' gnashed his fearsome teeth, chomped down, and Higuma the $8,000,000 mountain bandit was no more.

… The next day, back at the pier …

The town was bustling that morning as pirates were making their way all over town to restock their ship and prepare for the journey ahead. Shanks's arms were still slightly numb from whatever Luffy's flames had done to them the day before, but he wasn't letting that bring him down. He was supervising his crew as they carried the last load of supplies onto his dragon mast vessel when Luffy showed up. "Looks like you're really leaving this time, huh?"

Turning to address the boy, the Captain let out a small sigh as he replied to the child. "Yup. We've stayed here long enough, it's about time we move on." Shifting his gaze to one of concern, he asked the boy a question. "Are you upset?"

With a smile Luffy answered the Captain. "Yeah… but I won't force you to take me along anymore. I'll become a pirate by myself one day once I'm ready. Until then I'm going to work on my skills so that next time I can be the one saving you!" Grinning ear to ear he let out a, "shishishi," and gave the pirate a thumbs up.

Aiming for one last pull of the boy's chain, Shanks guffawed. "Heh, I wouldn't take you even if you begged me!" Sticking his tongue out, he teased the lad one last time. "You don't have what it take to become a pirate!"

Teeth clenched and fists raised, Luffy shouted, this time loud enough for the entire crew to hear. "Yes I do! One day, I'll find myself a crew that is as strong as yours! And then I'll find the world's biggest treasure! And then… then I'll become 'King of the Pirates!'" With a, "harrumph," the boy stood tall with his chest out and chin raised.

Sparing Luffy one final fond glance, Shanks walked over to the boy. "Oh, so you want to be better than us, huh? Well then…" He removed his straw hat and set it on the would-be-pirate's head. "Then this hat is my gift to you. Its my favorite hat you know?" Tears began to run down Luffy's cheek, barely covered up by the brim of the hat as he sobbed and hid his face. Turning to leave, he called back over his shoulder. "When you become a great pirate in the future, I expect you to return it to me." And with that he boarded his ship and ordered his crew to pull up the gangplank.

Walking up to his Captain, Beckman leaned on the railing beside him. "That kid is going to be big someday."

With a soft smile, Shanks agreed. "I know. He reminds me of myself at his age…" Shaking of the sentimentality, he straightens himself and calls out to his crew. "Alright you lazy bums, pull up the anchor! It's time to set sail."

As the ship disappeared over the horizon, Makino approached Luffy and put her hand in his as she tried to comfort him. "Are you going to be alright Luffy?"

With one last teardrop, he wiped his eyes and put his 'Cheshire' grin back where it belongs. "Uh huh. I'm not sad, 'cause this isn't really goodbye. I'm going to see him again, I just know it!" And with that his story began.

… Ten years later …

Still waving goodbye, the town's folk watched as Luffy took off in a dinghy not too different from the one Higuma had stolen all those years before. As the rest of the village went back to their daily routines, Makino and Woop Slap lingered for a moment longer. "He finally left Chief, we're going to miss him." The years had been kind to the barmaid. She had grown out of her teens and was more beautiful than ever.

With a snort, the Mayor started to walk back to town. He now had gray hair and lines in his face, which did nothing to relieve him of his 'crotchety old man' look. "Bah humbug, he's going to ruin this town's reputation, I just know it!" With one more look at the boat shrinking on the horizon, Makino followed after him.

In the distance, Luffy was enjoying the sunshine and the sea breeze as he took off. "Ah, the weather sure is nice today..." However, his trip was not to remain uneventful. Rising up from the depths, the 'Lord of the Coast,' as the locals called him, made his appearance. "I've been waiting for you Mr. Sea Monster! This is your unlucky day. I'm gonna show you what I've learned these past ten years!" Standing up he pulled back his arm. Coming to life in a flash of orange flames, Luffy's arm sped toward the Sea King. "Tori Tori no… Pistol!" Expanding to a size that dwarfed the creature, his fist connected cleanly with the beast's face, blowing it away. "How did that taste you stupid fish? Hehehe, now to go find some friends!" Returning to normal, Luffy laid back down and let the seas dictate his course. Sucking in his breath for a loud bellow, he screamed to the sky. "I'm going to become 'King of the Pirates!'"