Trying his absolute best to stay under the radar and follow the Vivre Card, Luffy somehow still ended up in the middle of utter chaos. He swore it was not even his fault this time! Honest!
It all started innocently enough.
He had stumbled upon a huge crowd of pirates, all shouting his name like it was a festival in his honor. Naturally, curiosity got the better of him, and he wandered closer, wondering what all the fuss was about. That was when he saw those ridiculous imposters standing on the plaza stage, shouting like they owned the place, pretending to be his crew.
The chants of "Boss Luffy!" echoed from the crowd, but Luffy, standing on the edge, tilted his head in confusion. Were they all yelling for him… or that bloated weirdo up there wearing his hat all wrong?
Almost instantly, his interest fizzled out. He turned to leave, for real this time, when a massive unit of marines showed up out of nowhere and surrounded the plaza, cutting off any escape routes. And just like that, he was trapped right in the middle of the mess.
When one of the marines shouted, "Straw Hat Luffy! You're under arrest!" Luffy nearly raised his hand out of habit before remembering himself. He barely stopped in time. His father's voice echoed in his head about letting the fake crew act as a… what was the word… dive? Diversion? Ah, yes! Diversion! That was it.
So he did nothing, aside from skillfully dodging the occasional flying attack with his usual reflexes. He was determined to keep his promise to Hancock, no matter what.
And then all hell broke loose.
Marines and pirates clashed violently, with Luffy standing off to the side like a tourist at a war zone. He simply observed, waiting for the perfect moment to slip away without attracting attention.
Suddenly, heavy mechanical footsteps rang out. A group of Pacifistas stormed the battlefield, cold and relentless, their arms lighting up with deadly beams.
"It's the Pacifistas!"
"What the hell are those human weapons doing here?!"
The sight of them sent a wave of fear through the gathered pirates, and especially through the fake Straw Hats. The smugness vanished from their faces as one of the bountied pirates was blasted into oblivion by a single laser beam. Panic set in. The fakes, now seeing just how real things were getting, bolted like frightened rabbits, abandoning the poor, unsuspecting pirates they had tricked.
"Boss Luffy, help us!" the desperate cries rang out.
But the fake Luffy was already cursing under his breath.
What the hell?!
Like he was going to take on those monsters! He would die in a second!
But before he could disappear into the crowd, boom, another nightmare appeared.
Sentomaru.
Towering and calm with his massive battle-axe slung over one shoulder, Sentomaru blocked their escape route like a final boss. The crowd erupted again, mistaking the moment.
"Boss!"
"Big Boss Luffy! Take them down!"
Sentomaru narrowed his eyes, glaring at the imposter. "Why the hell are these idiots calling you Straw Hat?"
His tone was disgusted, suspicious, and clearly unimpressed. Clearly, he did not believe the bullshit before him.
Faced with Sentomaru, the towering Pacifistas, and the crushing weight of expectations from clueless pirates, fake Luffy looked like he was about to pass out. His knees were shaking so badly they might have knocked together if he had any courage left in him. But still, clinging to pride and fear of losing face, he puffed out his chest and attempted to act tough.
"H-Hey punk! Don't you know who I am?! If you don't wanna be k-killed… If you don't want your guts splattered all over the ground, then move it! I'm the son of Dragon! Grandson of Garp! Brother of the Uzukage! A-And I have a bounty of 400 milli—!"
"Straw Hat isn't some piece of crap like you!" Sentomaru snapped, having finally lost all patience with the imposter's pathetic charade. With a single, thunderous hit, he knocked the fake Luffy out cold.
One blow.
That was all it took.
Gasps filled the air as every jaw dropped, stunned by the sheer ease with which their so-called 'Boss' had been flattened like a pancake. The onlookers wer enot deaf either, so they had heard exactly what the marine had shouted just before delivering the knockout punch.
"...I see. So all of these clowns were deceived by a counterfeit Straw Hat and ended up following him," Sentomaru commented coolly, scanning their stunned faces with narrowed eyes. His gaze turned toward the mechanical warrior beside him. "PX-5, identify him."
"The pirate, Three-Tongued Demalo Black. Bounty: 26 million berries," the Pacifista droned emotionlessly.
Sentomaru scoffed, unimpressed. "Tch. Figures."
Realizing the game was up and the jig was exposed, the rest of the imposters broke into a full-blown panic. Their eyes darted around, spotting the real pirates they had deceived, who now wore furious expressions and clenched fists.
"RUN! They're gonna kill us!" one of the fakers screamed, kicking up dust as they bolted in every direction.
Meanwhile, Luffy, who had been quietly observing everything from the sidelines, decided it was time to make his exit. As everyone's attention stayed glued to the fallen fake Luffy and the towering marine who just wrecked him, Luffy took a step back, aiming to slip away unnoticed.
But before he could make his getaway, he heard the axe-wielding man cried out, "It looks like the real Straw Hat Luffy is also on the island! PX-5 detected his presence the moment he stepped ashore! Eliminate him, PX-5!"
Luffy blinked. What?! How had they recognized him even with his disguise?!
Thanks to his quick reflexes, Luffy barely managed to dodge the laser that came blasting his way, but in doing so, his cloak fluttered off and his fake mustache peeled away. Just like that, his identity was out in the open for everyone to see.
He leapt into the air and caught the bag that had been flung away during the commotion, clutching it like it was the most precious thing in the world.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?! My special lunchboxes are in here!" he shouted angrily, remembering the effort Hancock had put into preparing them for him earlier.
Those who had been tricked by the impostor now stared wide-eyed at Luffy, comparing the real deal to the image seared into their minds from countless wanted posters.
"He… he looks just like the one on the wanted poster!"
Sentomaru gave a heavy sigh and shook his head in disbelief. How could people be this dumb? How could anyone seriously confuse this Straw Hat with that joke of a fake?
Not just the pirates, but even some of the marines had fallen for it.
"You're really getting in my way again, huh?!" Luffy snapped at Sentomaru, his voice rising with frustration. "I was told not to cause any trouble or it'd be harder to set sail, y'know!"
Sentomaru crossed his arms and smirked. "Relax. You won't need to worry about setting sail. Unlike two years ago... I'm now an official Marine. And this time, I will capture you. PX-5, take him down!"
Obeying the command, PX-5 fired multiple laser blasts at Luffy. But the Straw Hat captain was already in motion.
"Too slow," Luffy muttered with a smirk, slipping into his Gear Second in a puff of steam. Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged into the air and drove a devastating punch straight into PX-5. The sheer force of the impact cracked the ground beneath the cyborg's feet.
Boom. One hit. Down for the count.
Just like that, a Pacifista, known as one of the Marines' ultimate weapons, was taken out with a single punch.
As expected from a man with a 400 million berry bounty on his head!
Luffy sprang away from the collapsing PX-5 just in time to avoid the explosion, grabbing his backpack mid-air as he laughed heartily, "Shishishishishi! Welp, see ya! Something tells me this won't be the last time we meet!"
He flashed a cheeky grin at Sentomaru before turning around, and his eyes immediately caught the sight of two figures coming his way.
Two very familiar figures.
"Hey, Lufffffy! I knew it was you!" Sanji called out, waving. Zoro stood beside him, his usual smirk plastered on his face. Both looked genuinely glad to see their captain again.
"Roronoa Zoro! Black Leg Sanji!" Sentomaru barked, his brow furrowed. "So you two survived as well… PX-7!"
A new Pacifista marched out, targeting the duo. But unlike two years ago, things had changed. Big time.
"Outta the way!" Zoro growled, unsheathing his swords. "I cut him!"
With a whoosh of flame and fury, Sanji followed. "I broke his neck!"
In a matter of seconds, PX-7 dropped, easily taken out with a single strike from each of them. Another Pacifista, down. No struggle. No sweat.
Now there was no doubt left in anyone's mind: this was the real Straw Hat crew.
"Oi, Luffy, you're number nine," Zoro remarked with a smug look, as if that explained everything.
"Shut up, you shithead! How long are you gonna brag about that?!" Sanji snapped, clearly annoyed as he turned to Luffy. "Hurry it up! Everyone else is waiting for us to set sail!"
Luffy, practically glowing with joy from seeing them again, grinned from ear to ear. "It's really been a long time… I wonder how everyone else is doing?"
He suddenly halted in his tracks, eyes locking onto a lone figure in the distance. Sanji and Zoro immediately noticed his pause.
"What's wrong?" Zoro asked, one hand casually resting on his sword.
But Luffy didn't answer them. He just took in a deep breath and shouted with all his might—
"RAAYLEIGHHHH!"
Everyone in the vicinity turned toward the direction Luffy had shouted, their eyes widening in shock at the unmistakable figure that had been quietly watching.
The legendary Dark King chuckled, stepping forward. "I just thought I'd check in on you… but it seems you don't need my help anymore. You've grown strong, stronger than ever. Go on now… your crew's waiting."
"Yeah!" Luffy nodded firmly. "Rayleigh! Thank you… for everything these past two years!"
Then, stepping forward, he spread his arms wide with purpose, confusing everyone, including Rayleigh himself, and declared loudly:
"I'M GONNA BE THE PIRATE KING!"
Zoro and Sanji grinned with pride. Others could only gawk at the sheer audacity of the declaration. Rayleigh, meanwhile, watched the young man, the straw hat resting on his head catching the sunlight just right.
For a fleeting moment, he could have sworn he saw the shadow of his old friend standing behind the boy. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, or maybe not. Either way, he smiled warmly, pride swelling in his chest. A faint sting in his eyes made him blink, and whatever moisture had gathered there was gone in a heartbeat.
Hearing heavy boots thunder toward them, the trio gave Rayleigh one last look.
"Thank you!" they shouted as they sprinted off.
Rayleigh stood there, letting his memories of the past two years wash over him. The training. The progress. The fire in that boy's eyes.
"Yes… rise to the top!" he called after them, his voice echoing powerfully through the clearing.
As Marines surged forward in pursuit, their path was suddenly blocked. Rayleigh, the Dark King himself, stood in their way, radiating a silent threat.
He was not letting anyone touch his student.
.
.
.
Back on the run, Sanji snatched the bubbles containing his stashed supplies.
"What's that?" Luffy asked curiously.
"They're full of food," Sanji replied.
Luffy's stomach growled loudly. "You're the best, Sanji!"
"Oi, they're one step ahead of us," Zoro muttered. In the lead, he spotted another group of Marines standing in their way, but instead of attacking, they collapsed to their knees, muttering strange, depressing nonsense.
Sanji blinked. "What's up with them?"
Zoro already knew. He sighed and turned toward the trees.
"Horohorohorohoro! I knew this chaos had something to do with you people!"
Luffy tilted his head. "Uh… who was she again?"
Sanji immediately brightened like a schoolboy. "You're the girl from Thriller Bark!"
Zoro groaned. "Why are you still here?"
"Is that how you speak to someone who brought you here, you ungrateful swordsman?!" Perona shot back with a huff. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even set foot on this island, moron! You better learn to show some respect!"
Zoro just clicked his tongue and looked away. No comeback. Perona, satisfied, turned to the others, only to be immediately sniffed by Sanji, who was busy confirming whether or not she was a real woman.
Perona's eye twitched. "Ugh, gross!"
She blasted him with a Negative Hollow.
"I-I'm a scum…" Sanji whimpered on the ground, his soul shattered.
"Anyway, just get moving already!" Perona barked. "A whole fleet of battleships just showed up near the island!"
"EHHHH?!"
"Guess we better go now!" Zoro said, already moving.
Then, a new voice rang out, childish, excited, and oh-so-familiar.
"LUFFY! SANJI! ZORO!"
The trio stopped and looked up. Even Sanji, freshly revived from his depression coma, perked up with a grin.
And then… they smiled.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, back to the Thousand Sunny.
Six crew members had already gathered aboard, including Brook, who had just made his grand, dramatically timed entrance mere minutes earlier. Chopper had departed not long ago, soaring off on the back of his trusty, friendly giant bird, to retrieve the remaining Straw Hats. Now, they were simply waiting for his return so they could finally set sail on their long-awaited journey.
Nami, standing near the ship's edge with her arms crossed and a scowl creeping onto her face, watched the distant horizon where battleships were rapidly drawing near. Her patience was running thin.
"Where are they?!" she snapped, anxiety bubbling in her voice.
"Chopper's gone to get them," Robin replied calmly, offering a reassuring smile. "I'm sure they'll be here any moment now."
As if the universe had heard her, a familiar bird call echoed through the air. Everyone turned toward the sky and spotted a massive bird soaring toward them, carrying the rest of the crew on its back.
"GUYSSSS!" Luffy hollered, waving enthusiastically.
"I brought them!" Chopper beamed proudly, clinging to Zoro's shoulder as the swordsman grinned lazily.
"Luffy-san! I missed you so terribly!" Brook cried dramatically, his skull face somehow expressing a flood of emotion.
Franky pushed his shades up for a better look, striking a heroic pose. "You guys are looking super awesome!"
Meanwhile, Sanji had a full-blown nosebleed the moment his eyes landed on Nami and Robin, hearts practically popping out of his sockets. Luffy, on the other hand, was gaping at Franky.
"WHOA! F-Franky?!" he exclaimed in wonder.
"Something wrong... mecha?" Franky responded with a mechanical-sounding voice, striking a robot pose that made Luffy's excitement go nuclear.
"Wait! Luffy!" Nami interrupted, trying to rein him in. "I get that you're feeling excited now, but can you save it for later?! We've got battleships getting closer by the second!"
While Nami was busy trying to keep her captain focused and stop him from going full fanboy mode, Usopp struggled to hold up the still-gushing Sanji.
"Chopper! You've got to stop this bleeding!" Usopp shouted, half-panicked.
But Chopper was busy giving the giant bird a warm thank-you pat and didn't catch a word of it. Meanwhile, Brook was sipping tea with elegant nonchalance, seated beside a gently amused Robin who chuckled at the chaos around them.
Zoro, always the stoic, stood still and calm, eyes locked on the distant enemy ships. He was itching for action.
Suddenly, cannonballs whistled through the air and exploded near the Sunny, narrowly missing the ship. The crew tensed as Usopp whipped out a telescope.
"They're in range now! They're really firing at us!" he shouted. "This is bad!"
Just when they thought things might escalate, something unexpected happened. Another ship sped into view and positioned itself between the Thousand Sunny and the incoming marine vessels, intercepting the cannonballs with calculated precision.
The Straw Hats blinked in disbelief. What was going on?
Robin's eyes narrowed in recognition. "That ship… It's the Kuja Pirates."
"The who Pirates?" Nami asked.
"The Kuja Pirates," Robin confirmed with a small nod. "An all-female pirate crew, led by one of the Seven Warlords, Boa Hancock."
Sanji, Brook, and Usopp were instantly captivated by the mere mention of a beautiful female pirate. Their eyes sparkled with pure admiration.
Luffy walked up beside them casually, arms behind his head. "Oh yeah, that's Hancock and the others," he said like he was talking about an old neighbor.
The crew turned just in time to see the Pirate Empress herself delivered a wink, undeniably aimed straight at Luffy.
"She's helping us out. Anyway, it's time to set sail!" Luffy declared as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Nami raised an eyebrow. "Wait, do you know her?"
"Yeah," Luffy shrugged. "I ended up on Maiden Island and made friends with them."
Usopp looked amazed. Sanji looked like he was about to explode. "WHY YOUUUU—" the cook sobbed dramatically, "I SHOULD'VE TRAINED HARDER!"
Luffy just laughed heartily at Sanji's anguish.
Once the melodrama simmered down, the Sunny's bubble coating began to expand, gradually enveloping the ship in a large, translucent orb that shimmered under the sun. Nami found it odd that no other marines were bothering them anymore, but brushed the thought aside for now. She proceeded to explain the mechanics of the coating to the crew.
"Why are we raising the sails now if we're going underwater?" Usopp asked, understandably confused.
Robin, ever the patient teacher, smiled as she began explaining the underwater navigation process to him and the other baffled crewmates.
Luffy, eager to get going, walked up to Nami. "Is it time to go?"
She gave him a nod. "Yes, Captain. We're ready when you are."
Grinning ear to ear, Luffy stepped forward to the center of the deck. All eyes turned to him.
"Alright, everyone!" he called out. "I've got so much I want to say... but first, thank you for going along with my selfish decision for these past two years!"
"That's nothing new," Sanji muttered with a cigarette between his lips.
"Yeah," Usopp agreed, grinning. "You've always been selfish. But it was for a good reason this time, so we're totally cool with it!"
The ship was filled with warm laughter and fond smiles as their captain beamed with joy. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Luffy spotted a familiar figure on the distant shore.
His father, Dragon, was watching silently with a faint, approving smile.
Robin noticed too. She turned her gaze to where Dragon and the others from her past stood, waving at her. Her expression softened, and she gave a small wave in return.
Luffy gave his father a broad, toothy grin.
"Alright!" he shouted. "Raise the sails!"
With a unified tug, the sails were released, and the Straw Hat flag fluttered high and proud, catching the wind and sunlight in all its glory.
"SET SAIL!"
And with that, the Thousand Sunny submerged gracefully beneath the waves, its bubble coating gleaming like crystal.
The Straw Hat Pirates, reunited at long last after two years apart, roared with excitement as they finally resumed their journey.
Next stop—Fish-Man Island. And then... the New World!