I am BACK from college! Whoo! Longest four months of my life! And while I was there I noticed the many errors in my writing. Because of this I took the time out of my busy art schedule to edit this and the next four chapters. Also I'm fixing my botched and rushed ending. :) I hope you enjoy the new ending (when I get it up) and like my story all over again after four (VERY) long months. It's great to be back. :)

Thank you everyone who found and liked my story while I was gone. It made me feel special to find your notices in my email when I got back.

Now to re-read this myself so I can redo my end notes! (ugh...)

King
Responsibilities of the King

Strat·e·gy [strat-i-jee]: a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result.

Even the definition gave Monkey D. Luffy a headache.

It wasn't as if Luffy was so dumb that he couldn't tie a shoe (he just chose not to wear them), but he didn't think he'd have to use so much brain power as the Pirate King. To him the simplest solution to any problem was a punch to the face of the bad guy. Good thing he had Robin, Nami, and Sanji when he couldn't. This seemed to be the case almost every time there was a disturbance in the Grand Line's waters.

He remembered the good times when all he had to do was attack the guy at the top and leave the pawns to his crew. Goodness, he missed those days.

Luffy knew one thing for sure, even before the One Piece was his: He'd be taking care of a lot of troubles. The islands he saved weren't even the half of it the first time around. Once one problem was taken care of, another would pop up three islands back. It was just one thing after another, and each one a responsibility of the world's strongest man and the Pirate King.

He'd admit though that it felt good to be helping so many people in need. And the banquets afterwards were sometimes worth the pain of wearing a suit.

Ugh. He hated suits.

But it seemed every woman he met loved them, which he still was having trouble understanding. Why? He tried asking Robin at one point but when the archeologist went into something involving taste that wasn't for food or somethin' he lost interest.

Oh, well.

Luffy's current trouble shooting business involved a billionaire on a small island somewhere in the vicinity of Water Seven. From what Nami had explained to him from the letter that was sent them, Francis Honuri had been bribing the law enforcement (Marines, could you believe it?) and black mailing the charity foundation who just so happened to be there before he moved to the island. Now instead of the tax money going to the orphanages and other respectable establishments, Francis was sitting pretty with pockets of cash, while small children starved.

"Can I punch him?"

"No."

Dang it. When was he going to deal some real damage?

Sunny Go had sailed into port as silent as dove sleeping in an olive tree on the night before Francis's monthly gala. Other pompous big wigs were supposed to be attending and Luffy had had some bright insight that this was the perfect opportunity to knock some sense into anyone else disrespecting the public, but not literally, of course.

There was just one problem: It was by invitation only.

Luffy didn't think this was a big deal.

"Of course it's a big deal!" Sanji glared at him, waving long arms widely, "You can't get close to the target if you can't even get into the same building as him!"

Luffy had only sighed, surprised the cook by patting his shoulder, and said that he would take care of that.

That night the crew celebrated, thinking Luffy's smarter side of his brain was finally taking control.

They were wrong.

"Invitation?"

Luffy sat back and watched a fifty-ish couple hand a pristine white envelope to the man in the monkey suit. The captain thought he looked ridiculous with a high white collar and a suit jacket twenty sizes too small. His pants only reached to mid-calf with high white socks and pointy shoes. Luffy wasn't finding anything of this billionaire's impressive. Even his "mansion" was the size of the building they kept Sunny Go in if they weren't sailing around, say nothing of Luffy's estate. All 200 acres of it.

"Well, Luffy?"

The Pirate King tipped back. He was dressed in his finest, a beautiful hand tailored silk suit; the only one he hadn't managed to bring himself to destroy. A gold stud sat nestled in the soft folds of a red cravat tucked into a shiny black vest. His pants bagged at his ankles around a pair of polished Water Seven dress shoes. His hat was sadly replaced with his finest fedora with a small red painted feather tucked into the band. He smiled at Zoro, Sanji, and Nami.

Zoro eyed his captain, "You look more like the boss of a mafia ring than the Pirate King."

Luffy hopped down from the low brick wall he'd been surveying from. He dusted his rear off as he replied, "Good, I don't want them to know just yet. And you seem to fit as my bodyguard rather well."

Zoro glanced down at the fine black suit and silver curly-cue-design tie. He adjusted the three sword tie tack, "Thanks Captain."

Sanji rolled his eyes, looking stunning in a dusty blue suit of his own, "Can we get going?" he asked, irritated.

Zoro looked ready to say something smart and that was when Nami jumped in and said, "Do you know how we're getting in, Luffy?"

The captain was already heading for the front door, "Oh, I thought I'd just wing it."

Sanji slapped himself, "I knew it; I knew it!" He looked at the woman dressed in a slim black number beside him, "Didn't I tell you?"

Nami, looking just a little sick, nodded sagely, "Yes, many times, Sanji-kun."

Luffy waited at the first stone step for the small number of crew members he'd brought with him, before climbing up to stand before the monkey man. His trio stood behind him.

"Invitation?"

Now that he was closer, Luffy could see the man was also quite ugly, missing a chin with a long, frowning face and squinty eyes. Luffy unconsciously squinted back. The two stared for a beat before the footman repeated the question.

Luffy looked thoughtful for a moment as he patted his jacket pockets. Sanji and Zoro watched with raised eyebrows as their captain even patted the pockets of his pants.

"Hm." Luffy hummed huskily, "Seems I forgot it."

"Then I'm going to have to ask you to lea-"

"Excuse me?" Luffy snapped.

The footman, floored for a moment, blinked, "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave. You have no invitation."

Luffy thrust his hands into his pants pockets and leaned in close to the man's face, "Do you know who it is that keeps your man afloat, so you can stand here and be ugly?"

The man, insulted, looked back defiantly, "Sir, I have to ask you again-"

"Me, that's who, if you want to keep this job then I suggest you move and let my people and me in."

Sanji glanced at Nami, looking thoroughly impressed, "Did you teach him that?" he whispered.

Nami shook her head, dangling earrings jingling, "No," she gasped.

Zoro watched his captain harass the man for a few seconds more before he shot his arm out and slapped the man hard across the face. The footman's head whipped to the side. Luffy leaned back, eyebrows raised in shock, before glancing at Zoro in horror. "I wanted to scare him, not hurt him!" His eyes read. The master swordsman waited until the man was coherent enough to overhear him, "I thought I saw a knife, sir. I give my apologies for being paranoid."

Luffy blinked, brain whirring behind black eyes that seemed to radiate relief, "You did? Well, as my bodyguard it's your job to be paranoid." He looked at the abused man holding his red cheek. He was going to have to repay him for that later. "I'd be very much dead if you weren't. I'm going in."

And he promptly walked in, head held high.

The party was in full swing. Chandeliers laden with long candles hung from tall vaulted ceilings, giving the hint that the gala was to take place for some time; plenty of time to fill up on appetizers and booze. Luffy wrinkled his nose at the mixing aromas of several different cigarettes brands being smoked and food that didn't smell good enough to grace any of Sanji's plates.

Sanji himself was taking a look around, sapphire-blue eyes sweeping across people who looked like dough squeezed into the wrong sized tubing. He picked up four glasses of champagne when a waiter walked by, balancing two in each delicate hand. He offered them with a cheeky grin.

Zoro grabbed his eagerly, but before he could gulp it down in one tip of the glass, Sanji had grabbed it back when his hand was relieved of its other glass by Luffy. The swordsman only half listened to the etiquette lessons the cook tried to convey to him heatedly.

"It's the only one you're having tonight."

Zoro glared, opening his mouth to say what he really thought of the cook when Luffy suddenly jumped, almost dropping the crystal glass in his hand.

"E-eh?"

The trio watched in horror as Luffy's face flared red and stumble into Zoro. The first-mate caught him, "O-oi!" Zoro croaked.

"Luffy?" Nami asked concerned. Sanji looked behind her, eyes searching.

"You okay?" Zoro questioned, "What happened?"

Luffy looked suddenly twenty years younger, eyes wide and face the brightest red any of them had witnessed. He suddenly gulped down his drink ("Oi! What did Sanji just tell Zoro?"), and stood up.

"Oh." Sanji breathed.

Luffy, embarrassed, turned from his crew and headed further into the crowd, glaring all the while at a woman drifting to and fro through the crowd. Zoro decided he didn't want to know. He followed; Luffy muttering darkly under his breath.

Another reason why Luffy hated wearing suits: The—err—attention could be a bit much.

Sometime later found Nami standing with Sanji, watching the overly social crowd. She looked over them from above her wine glass, chocolate eyes suspicious. "Our host hasn't shown himself yet."

Sanji placed his empty glass on another tray carried by a passing waiter. He scratched the back of his head, "He'll show up. Even if he knew we were here, he can't ignore his guests."

Nami turned to him, "What do you think will happen when he does?"

Sanji began to walk in the direction the two idiots had gone, gesturing for her to follow, "Luffy will screw it up. Like always."

Speaking of the captain, Luffy was getting impatient. He didn't want to stay for the whole party. He may be twenty-six, but his attention span was still that of a ten year old. He listened to the small orchestra play as he and Zoro wandered around, but the music was slow, long, and boring. He couldn't stand this stiff atmosphere; this was exactly the reason why he wasn't invited to these kinds of parties. Anymore.

Finally, at almost half past eleven, their host presented himself in a flashy way. Wearing a long fur robe over a gray suit, with a large diamond tie tack, and feather-laden fedora; Francis Honuri descended from a spiraling staircase. Men in fancy suits and robes approached him, leering encouragingly at him. Luffy's quick eyes caught every slide of hand, each transaction consisting of a hefty wad of beli. Luffy's hunch had been correct. The whole gala was just a cover for shady deals and exchanges. Luffy glanced at Zoro, a grin lighting his round features.

"Be right back."

He was a lot better looking than Nami had expected. Not a whole lot but definitely better than her image of a fat man in a pimp coat and cane. He was thin with lean muscles very much like Luffy's, with a head full of rich blonde locks, highlighted by the lamplight. Nami glanced discreetly at Sanji standing by her side. She did a double take and was taken aback by the similarities between the two. She turned her head, and stared up at Sanji, bathed in the light of one of the chandeliers. Her movement caught his eye and he looked down, one curly eyebrow raised in question. She shrugged and looked back at Francis.

She decided that Sanji was better company.

Luffy's hard black eyes glared at Francis from under the brim of his fedora. He took even steps to the man's side, keeping the shadow of his hat over his scar. When he fell in step with the billionaire, the man didn't even glance at him before Luffy felt rough paper edges against the sensitive* skin of his hand. Luffy didn't take it.

His lips parted into a grin and he whispered into the shorter man's ear, "You forgot to send me an invitation."

The man balked, turning to glare hotly at the stranger. He gave a quick brush of a ring encrusted hand, "There's this new thing called personal space," he said testily, "Take it into consideration."

"Are you insulting me?" Luffy asked, grin widening.

Francis's breath stank of too much breath spray. The smell stabbed Luffy's nose as the man said harshly, "Any vagabond who thinks he can get in here without an invite and steal money from me is sadly mistaken," he turned to one of the men who had come down with him, "Escort this man off of my premises."

"Your 'premises' leaves much to be desired," Luffy chortled, sidestepping the bodyguard's beefy hand, "Do you even know who you're talking to?"

Francis was already walking away, "An idiot."

Luffy laughed, "I didn't get dressed up for nothing!" The captain twisted around behind the bodyguard to avoid another grab at his neck. Onlookers were drawn to the spectacle as Luffy seemed to dance around the larger man, using his leaner frame to his advantage. Some, thinking it was a show, began to clap.

Luffy silenced them all with a hard punch to the man's chin.

A woman screeched when the crunch of broken bone reverberated through the large hall. The man fell back, holding his face. Luffy grinned at the shocked crowd.

"I'm shutting this operation down!" he shouted, "Any money you didn't obtain through honest work, I want deposited at the door. My two men will take them off your hands."

Sanji glanced through the crowd before he found Zoro's eyes and the two proceeded to the front door. Luffy's show-off behavior wasn't quite out of the norm, but there had been a small discussion about violence. Something he obviously thought to ignore; looks like they were going to have another.

"I say this," Luffy continued, "because if you don't want all your bank accounts suddenly empty within the next week, you will do as I say."

Nami smirked.

Francis was indignant, "How dare you!" he shouted. The other man remained impassive, lips pulled into a visible line. "You have no right to take these respectable people's money. Nor do you have the right to be on my property, you pauper."

The line pulled up into another smirk, "In comparison, sir, this pauper is far above anything you will ever hope to achieve."

Francis scoffed, stomped up and shoved his face into Luffy's as best as their fedoras would allow, "Don't give me that friendship is more than gold crap," he spat, "I've heard that spiel before and it's not worth the life that spews it. Friendship can't get you anywhere."

"Oh?" the man tipped his hat back, knocking Francis's off, "Then why am I, King?"

The crowd gave a collective gasp. Francis, taking in the trademark dark eyes and scar, stumbled back. "W-what do you want?" the man gasped.

"I want you off this island!" he shouted, "It is now under the protective custody of the Pirate King. Be gone by the end of the week and I won't burn down your excuse for a mansion." Luffy grinned one last time and turned to leave. He waved for Nami, "Zoro, Sanji; we're going on ahead. Give the money they hand to you to the charity and then head back." The two men nodded to their captain as he exited.

Sanji turned to the frozen crowd, "You heard the King, cough it up!"

* I kinda believe because Luffy's almost constantly getting his hands injured, as he got older they begin to get oversensitized because of all those times his muscles and skin had to heal. He's twenty-six in this so it's not too bad (when he's like 60 or somethin' I'd be afraid they'd fall off), he just has ultra sensitve touch there.

Also, if you didn't get it, Luffy was violated by a random woman in the crowd. I kinda wanted him to actually say that he was, but I think he'd rather not actually acknowledge contact like that. Also I couldn't seem to fit it in right. *sigh*

Sorry if you believe they were all a little ooc. Considering they're all around nine years older, they'd all be a little more mature. Luffy on the other hand, just sort of copied stuff he'd believe Sanji might do to get in. He's been with them for a while; somethin' was bound to rub off.

I don't support drinking or smoking in the real world. These guys aren't real, so I'm less worried of Sanji dying from lung cancer.

Also another small tidbit! Since Water Seven is pratically a One Piece version of Italy, I had Luffy's shoes come from there. Just think of them as those expensive Italian shoes.

I was horrified when I read this after posting to see I'd typed 'back' instead of 'bank' account. I tried fixing it once and it didn't work but now it is fixed and I'm happy. :)

Thnxs
Sphnx