This post has: Slow start, lots of backstory for reader (sorry about that), Luffy x reader
Being a fishman, you should be one with the land and sea, right?
How wrong that was.
Born into a family of fishmen that refused to go on land, you found your home inside of a coral reef, where your family would always reside in. Though, it wasn't always this exact coral reef; at least that's what you heard from your parents. Your family were nomads, you would move from reef to reef once resources depleted below a comfortable level to nourish all of your relatives. However, that all changed once you were born. Your parents wanted to focus their entire energy into raising you so you could grow up enough to handle the long travels your family would often go on.
The more you grew, the more the nutrients that the reef provided depleted. Your family was becoming restless. They were ready to leave.
Too young to fully understand why it made you so upset, you caught up on the change of energy from everyone around you. Your mood became quite sour whenever anyone mentioned how boring and dull the reef was. How your home was. You didn't get how they could just move on when you spent your entire life here.
Your parents saw the signs but they didn't know what to do about them. They knew that you weren't like them. You were different. Yet their hands were so tied, what could they do? They delayed the migration of the family so that they could find a way to somehow make everyone happy. While they wracked their minds about it, you exited the cavern that was your house. A shadow slid over your figure and your eyes narrowed as your head tossed back to see the caster of said shadow. A fishing boat. Your family weren't fond of fishers at all! They would take and take and take from their resources without even considering the life of the reef. Everyone was so busy with wanting to move, no one saw this dinghy little boat sneak up.
You swam up to the boat, eyebrows downturned with an angry resolve. Your reef was special. You'd show them. You'll protect it better than anyone else did for other reefs and then they'll finally get it. You broke the surface and took a deep inhale through your nostrils, reminding yourself of your lungs that you almost never used. Your eyes caught a boy's that was on the deck. They immediately lit up with wonder as he came closer to the edge of the small boat to take the sight of you in. “Hey!” The boy cheered out with a cheeky grin. “I never saw anyone that could swim like you before!” You grumbled angrily. “That's because I am a fishman, idiot!” His eyes widened in awe at this. “Woah! That's really cool!” You blinked twice, completely caught off-guard by his response. All anger and intentions left your mind after that.
He was a very quick friend. You started by sharing your experience of living underwater and how mean your family was about your home. “Moving around isn't so bad! Have you ever heard of a pirate?” You frowned intensely as you racked your mind. You then shook your head. “They're just like your family, actually! I guess they just don't mess with your food as much as we do. But they explore the surface and go around on all types of adventures!” You grumbled as you frowned more. “I don't care what type of adventures they go on! My home is where I'll stay!” Crossing your arms, you huffed out stubbornly. “Then why don't you just stay?” Your eyes widened as you uncrossed your arms. Of course, why haven't you thought of that?
A voice further on deck called the boy's name and he groaned playfully. “I think we caught enough fish! Bye!!” He concluded your very brief friendship. You waved him off as his boat sailed away, leaving you with your new plan.
You eagerly dove back underwater, immediately telling your parents of your new goal. They exchanged sad glances. The very thing that they were so afraid of acknowledging finally forced them to respond. Your mother sighed as she swam closer, gathering you into a hug. “Once we teach you how to survive, we will let you do this.” She spoke softly, fighting tears that were threatening to escape.
↬
Two years have passed since your mother's promise and now food has become too scarce to delay leaving any more than they already have. That didn't mean that saying goodbye was any easier. You waved off everyone as they filtered out from the coral reef and into the void of blue. The last one to leave was your mother. She held your face fondly as tears joined the salty water. “I am so proud of you. There is no doubt in my mind that this reef won't thrive with you as its guardian.” Your own eyes watered as you leaned into your mom's hold. “Thank you, mom. I will do my best.” She placed a kiss on your forehead before she swam off to join the rest of your family.
You turned to the reef that now lost the sparkle that was your family. This was it, the moment you have been training for. You knew that you would easily take care of any invasive creature but what if it was the reef itself that was dying? What would you do then? Your confidence wavered as you began to worry of this possible outcome. You shook your head as your expression hardened. Then you will stay and make sure it dies peacefully. You swam into your cavern, prepared to defend.
You couldn't remember how long it has been since you last had someone that you could talk to that wasn't just a fish. You sighed as you looked over the coral reef from your seat upon a rock. You rolled your eyes as your loneliness was interrupted by a fishhook being tossed into your field of view. You wanted company but you were nowhere near that desperate. You begrudgingly floated up from your seat and swam around in circles rapidly, picking up speed. Once you gained enough momentum, you shot out of water. Your feet landed on each side of a human with a weirdly long nose. You bent over to glare right into his eyes. “Beat it.” You growled.
His entire body trembled as he threw himself back and you could swear that you saw his ghost leave his body as he squealed. Your hands rested on your knees as you leaned over him more. You wanted to startle him, not scare the poor guy. “Did'ja catch somethin' good Usopp?” A voice came from inside of the boat as a man in a straw hat rushed out to see the sight with a bright grin. Once he saw you, he frowned deeply. His eyes then glanced down to the fainted Usopp. “Why did you kill my sharp shooter?” His voice didn't match the seriousness of the topic of hand AT ALL! He began picking his nose right after asking it, for crying out loud! You side-stepped the unconscious body as if it repulsed you, stammering. “I-I DIDN'T kill him! He just passed out!” The man in the straw hat made his way past you as if you weren't an intruder on the boat to stand over his sharp shooter. “Yup, that's Usopp for ya'.” He confirmed with a nod to himself as if he were proud for solving a mystery.
You narrowed your eyes at him as you grumbled. These people made no sense! “Luffy! You ate all of the damn meat again I am going to-” Out stormed a woman with orange hair and intentions to murder before her eyes caught on you. “Where did you get this one from?”
Luffy's eyes widened before he made a noise of surprise. Your expression deadpanned as he finally realized that you were, in fact, an intruder on his ship. “WOAH! Where did you come from?” You face-palmed, dragging your hand down your face before pointing into the ocean. “Were you stranded?” The straw hat asked as concern crept on his face. “No, nothing like that.” A hand lifted to wave off a question. “I'm just here protecting a reef so it can die peacefully without invasive species. Including humans.”
A voice chimed in from an olive skinned woman sat upon a chair reading a newspaper. “You are a fishman, right?” You nodded. “That's right. All of my family left the reef and I wanted to stay. It is my home and I refuse t-" “How long have you been alone?” That same pushy man said once again. Your eyes snapped to the floor as you tried to recall but no vague time period could even come to mind. His expression was serious, very different compared to when he first saw you. “By that look, you don't remember. It's settled then!” He tossed up his arms in a celebratory fashion. “You are joining my crew!” Your jaw dropped and you were unfortunately the odd man out.
The orange haired woman lifted a clenched fist before she slammed it into the back of his head, sending him bouncing into the ground like a ball of some sort. “You are SO STUPID!” She yelled out. He readjusted himself to sit criss-cross on the deck, fixing the hat on his head. “Nuh uh. The reef is clearly safe now that we have been the only people coming to disturb it for a long time. So now they can leave!” He then turned to you before standing up. He walked close. Invading your bubble of personal space. “You have no burden anymore. You can do what you want.” Your eyes widened as those words shook you. This tie to your home? Your responsibility? When has it become so heavy on your shoulders? Your lip quivered as your eyes watered. Stupid boy, stupid crew. You were supposed to tell them off but here they are pointing things out that you never even knew existed. “But I…I don't even know where to start.”
“Start by joining us!!” His arms shot up before capturing you into a hug of safety. “Okay…” You sniffled, a warm smile creeping upon your face.
Your first few days of being a pirate were relaxing and fun. You'd wake up, enjoy food that Sanji would make, and spend time getting to know your crewmates. Most importantly, you enjoyed wind. There was nothing quite like it. The ocean current was somewhat like it but it could never truly rival the feeling of the strong breeze caressing your face in the waking moments of dawn. This was the first part of your routine that was just entirely yours.
Not for long.
You were on the deck once again, eyes closed as you enjoyed the sunless breeze. Your time was peaceful until you heard the pitter patter of sandals of someone who was trying his best to mimic a quietness that is simply impossible for his entire being to even grasp. Your eyes opened slowly to glance at the figure in the dark. You rolled your eyes fondly. Luffy was at it again with trying to steal food from the galley. You scoffed playfully as you closed your eyes once more as you returned to enjoying the wind, tuning the world around you out.
What you didn't notice was the fact that the pitter patter of sandals never retreated to the room. Luffy got his "snack," if a five course meal could even be called that, and he was on his way back into his hammock to snooze. That idea changed once he caught sight of you. He stopped dead in his tracks as his pupils expanded, not to adjust to the dark, but something else entirely. "I could stare at you like that forever..." He muttered out. "Hm?" Your eyes reopened as you turned toward his figure but he was already gone. You looked around in confusion.
Once the sun arose, the rest of the crew woke up and went about their normal days. That was until a cannon nearly hit the mast. You were standing three feet from said cannon's shot, causing you to whip around with agitation. Another pirate crew hollered out some nonsense from their ship. You couldn't understand and quite frankly, you didn't care. The rest of the crew found their places on the deck as well as they joined you in glaring at the opposing crew. Luffy was the last to come out, he was taking a little cat nap while he waited for lunch.
Who you could only assume as the enemy captain proudly planted his leg on the railing of his ship, crossing his arms. "Monkey D. Luffy, I have heard a lot about you. Once you are dead, I will collect your bounty for myself and your new reputation!" You dove into the water before he even got to finish his sentence.
There was one thing that you didn't mention about your species to your crewmate. You weren't just any fishman, no. You were a mantis shrimp fishman.
You shot out of the water, landing onto the enemy crew's deck before punching it. The deck exploded, the force of the impact sending the captain flying. He was used as a tool to knock down some of his crewmates like bowling pins. At first they were confused, then they were scared. "RETREAT!!" The captain said frantically. You crossed your arms as you took a step onto their railing, watching them with an unamused expression. Once wind caught their sail, you simply side-stepped off of their ship and returned to your own.
You grabbed your shirt, wringing out the water as your crew watched your back in awe. Luffy broke the silent shock. "What...was that!?" He beamed as he invaded your personal space. You continued to wring water from your clothes. "I am a mantis shrimp. My punches are powerful." "How powerful!?" His excitement only increased. "So powerful that I can kill a guy." This earned a gasp from Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp. "THAT'S SO COOL!" The little reindeer cheered. You smiled softly at their excitement. "Sorry for not saying sooner, I didn't find it relevant." "Not only are you super cool but you're a great fighter too!" Luffy added. You shrugged as your smile grew.
“I’ll show you more tricks if you promise not to eat off of my plate.” You offered with a grin. His head nodded violently and you smiled more. “Alright! So I know what we’re doing for the rest of the day.
I ran out of space I think…OOPS!! There will most likely be a part two!
“You’re sure about Loki?” you ask Luffy, an unfair question when the bottomless pit you’ve fallen for has food in his mouth, but you’re not exactly sure there will be a moment during this feast where he isn't stuffing himself that will afford you a normal conversation with him. He nods, then swallows a bolus that would make you wince if not accounting for the rubber properties, then downs another sloshing cup of the light mead you’ve both been offered. There’s a light warmth first in your cheeks, then warmed through the rest of you on account of the alcohol, and you understand why the Elbaf cold hasn’t yet seeped into your bones.
“Yup!”
As simple as that.
Around you, giants of all shapes and sizes tower you, the majority of which are thankfully friendly, and others at worst a bit too curious (you were carried more than a couple times against your will until Luffy threw a fit on your behalf). You’ve acclimated, but are still unable to imagine a giant of the proportions Luffy has described to you, let alone why he would immediately decide his first course of action is to set him free.
“If it’s a mistake, I’ll chain him right back up. Easy.”
A piece of bread nudges in your direction, and you take a bite before offering him a chuckle.
“Easy to you, maybe.”
Luffy shrugs.
“As long as it’s done, right?”
His hand rests on your leg, and because it’s the side of your dress with a long, perhaps a little too risqué slit, you startle for a second, which he catches, pressing his chin on your raised shoulder.
“It’s just me,” he whispers, but a man who lives so loudly doesn’t really know how to whisper, just to speak raspier and closer to your ear.
“Scaredy-cat.”
Your hand slaps at the palm-occupied spot on your thigh.
“Enough.”
He laughs, smacking a kiss to your cheek that’s greasy and mead-y and full of love.
“You trust me, right?”
His cheek presses to yours and nuzzles like a cat, and you roll your eyes.
“It’s not like I have a choice in the matter,” you murmur, face warming when a local meets eyes with the two of you then covers her mouth in amusement.
“Hey! You have all the choices!” he insists, now rising to stand in front of you emphatically. “You could walk away right now!”
The commotion starts to draw the eyes of a few others, but he’s still grinning, and even if you’re a little self-conscious, the eyes on you both are still kind.
“And you promise you wouldn’t follow me if I did choose to go?”
His mouth twists to the side.
“I’m not sure I can promise that…”
You rise too, and for a moment his jaw drops open, wondering if you do truly mean to leave, but you simply move a little closer to kiss his cheek back.
“I’m trusting that you know what you’re doing and I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
Your arms wrap around his waist, pulling his body against yours.
“You’re right, you’ve never chained me.”
For a moment, even he is caught off guard, but settles comfortably in your hold. It’s cold after all, even with all this mirth surrounding you and touch is always welcome in a land like this.
“Get a room!” Someone yells from afar.
Reflexively you pull away, but Luffy’s arm around your body is too fast.
A/N: This is a pretty lengthy one, and probably not that good but I had to put my guilty pleasure in there. The entire fic is based on the song “You are the one” from the One Piece cast, I’ll link it below. I also used the english translation of the song, it doesn’t neccassarily make sense so I had to cut parts together. As always, requests are open and enjoy!
Ultimate Masterlist. One Piece Masterlist.
There had been another big celebration on the ship; streamers hung from the mast, confetti coated the grass of the deck, and everyone had headed to bed or were passed out somewhere on the Sunny. You had drunk a little too much, as usual, and had adamantly protested Luffy picking you up and carrying you to your room. At some point he had relented and put you down; he already missed the warmth that spread through his chest when you were pressed up against him.
You bumped your way into the cabin walls as you tried to remember where your room was. Luffy was behind you, snickering as you continued to walk into stuff. His hands hovered over your waist from time to time to protect you from doing any real damage. It felt nice having him care for you in such an intimate way.
Sure, the other Straw Hats would have done the same, but they wouldn’t have held your waist; they wouldn’t have been so close to you that you could feel their breath ghosting the shell of your ear. Your cheeks were red every time Luffy’s hands made contact with your skin; luckily, the mist of booze across your face covered your tracks.
You had eventually found your room, your arm no doubt covered in bruises. Luffy had led you to the bed, helping you lie down before standing back to admire his work. Your eyes were shut before your head hit the pillow, revelling in the comfort that the mattress topper you brought provided, and Usopp said it would be a waste of money.
Luffy turned around, ready to hit the hay himself, but your fingers grabbed at his shirt, tugging aggressively until he turned back around.
“Luffy,” you whispered out, “Yeah?” his voice was soft, a smile teasing his lips. You hummed, “Thank you for walking me home.” he laughed at that, a quiet chuckle that dissipated into the air. He took your hand in his and placed it back on the bed, “Anytime,” he mused, walking back slowly so as not to disturb you. Luffy shut your door quietly, a huge grin on his face as he skipped back to his room. Yep, a good night indeed.
Hours had passed, and as the night grew deeper, so did everyone’s dreams. The ship was as dead as a doornail, the deck as solitary as an oyster. Fog had rolled in, and along with the awful weather came another ship. It was unbranded, except for the Jolly Roger; a skull in a purple hat and piano keys for teeth.
Members of that crew snuck onto the Sunny easily; there was no one on watch tonight; everyone far too drunk to even think about it. The pirates rummaged through the kitchen, the map room, anywhere they could get. They stashed anything that was shiny or looked like it would bring in a good chunk of berries.
“Yes, Luffy, I will marry you-” you mumbled out, drool seeping from your lips. Your body was teetering on the edge of the bed, and all it took was one final turn before you ended up on the floor with a bang.
“HUH, WHAT!” You jumped up, eyes barely open. You looked around and saw everything as it was, you glanced down and saw the bundle of bed sheets and blankets and huffed, “Man, that is the last time I am drinking,” you grumbled. A loud bang from the hallway caught your attention; you walked closer to your door, pressing your ear up against it.
You could hear someone rummaging through the kitchen; the distinctive sound of dishes and utensils shuffling around clocked you in on who it could be. Well, you were always excited for a little one-on-one time with your captain.
You left your room and sauntered down the halls to the kitchen; it wasn’t far from your room, so the trip was short. You swung the door open, expecting to see your captain shovelling food down his throat, “Oi, Luffy, what are you-” your words died in your mouth.
In front of you were eight or so men dressed in purple and yellow disco suits, each wearing the same ski mask with some small variations. You had no weapons, but pulled your first back, ready to take a swing. You needed to alert the others; honestly, you were surprised the sound of you going over the counter and crashing into the bin wasn’t loud enough.
These disco freaks weren’t as easy as they looked; they dodged you with dance moves, making a mockery of your fight.
“Would you stay stil- HEY! Let go of me!” You shouted as one of the men grabbed your leg, the other wrapping his arms around your waist and flipping you over his shoulder. Your fists pounded on his back, but being upside down in your state made you incredibly nauseous- enough to pass out.
“Y-you guys are NOT going to l-like my c-captain,” you grumbled out; the feeling of your blood rushing to your head was numbing your brain. When you next looked up, you were outside on the main deck, still upside down and still feeling very much sick.
“What the hell is this?” One of the men moaned; your guy shrugged, “Boss is always looking for new talent.” The previous man huffed, pointing his finger back to their boat, “Fine, but I’m not looking after them if they puke.”
“LUFFY!” You shouted weakly, your world spinning around you; seriously, you were never drinking again after this. The man holding you jostled you around, “Shut up!” You nearly puked then and there. As the pirate crew started retreating back onto their ship, the kitchen door opened widely and out walked Luffy. His arms were stretched behind his head as he coughed out a yawn; his eyes were closed and slowly blinking open.
“D-did you call me, (Y/N)?” he made out through another yawn. Your captor had bound your arms and legs together and thrown you down on the deck of their ship.
“Luffy!” you cried out, your plea cut short when a gag was placed over your lips. Luffy’s eyes were now fully open, his vision morphing from inky blots to 4K imagery. His eyes flicked from the men jumping off of his ship, to the bags of berries they had, and then finally to you, bound and gagged on their ship.
“Wha-” he cut himself off, stretching his fist to punch one of the men. Another pirate did a hand signal, and with that the ship set sail through the fog. Luffy ran to the head of the Sunny; he was going to attempt to launch himself, but a hand grabbed his shoulder.
“(Y/N)!” he screamed, tears brimming in his eyes as he watched the boat fizzle away into the fog. Luffy slumped back down onto the deck, his head in his hands. Robin stepped forward, watching the ship disappear. She crouched down to be level with Luffy, “We’ll get them back, Captain.”
When you woke up, you were surrounded by people; you screamed, startling them all. You lurched back, bound by the chains around your ankles. You tugged on them while the crowd stared at you; your cheeks burned with embarrassment; you hated when people stared. Trumpets blasted your eardrums, the crowd splitting apart like the red sea. Through the middle walked a rounded man in a purple fluffy coat. On top of his balding head sat a gold crown with obnoxiously large jewels. He stood before you, proud and arrogant; you already could figure out this guy’s deal just from looks alone.
“Ahem,” he coughed, gaining your attention; he smirked at that. He clapped his hands, and you were instantly pulled up to your feet by two men in roller skates and what looked like Elvis costumes, their arms looped around yours. The man in front of you shoved his hand into your face, each finger adorned with a ring. When you didn’t react, he shook his hand slightly, “His Highness wants you to kiss his rings,” said one of the men next to him in a snooty tone.
You looked from the king to his hand; what stood out most to you was the giant ring of a microphone; it was gold-plated. You shook your head, digging your feet into the ground, “I’m not doing that,” you huffed. The man beside the king looked alarmed, his face in a state of pure shock. As was the crowd; the moment you spoke back, they gasped collectively; you cringed at the reaction.
The man stepped forward, almost pleading with you, “Y-you don’t understand you have to do as-”
“That’s enough, Tristram. I do not need you to speak for me.” His voice was bellowing and gruff. The man, Tristram, bowed and retreated back into the crowd, “Of course, sir.”
He grabbed your face, his fingers scrunching your cheeks together, “You’ll do well here, I reckon. What do you think, Tristram? Another star in the making or a background dancer?” he mused, eyeing you cautiously.
“Oh, a star, sir. Definitely a star.” Tristram nodded furiously. The king clapped his hands, “Perfect, get them ready for the big show on Friday.” You suddenly felt the chains around your ankles unclasp. The small drip of freedom drained away when the grip on your arms tightened, and you were pulled down countless corridors. You didn’t say a single thing; you couldn’t even fathom what was going on right now. You just hoped Luffy and the others would find you, and soon.
Back on the Sunny
“Taken? Just like that?” Sanji cried out, “Who was on guard last night?” he pointed an accusing finger at Zoro, “It was you, wasn’t it! You let (Y/N) get captured!”
“It wasn’t me!” Zoro rebutted, bashing his head against Sanji. Nami pulled the two away from each other, “Would you both quit it, no one was on guard last night.”
“Man, I can’t believe we got raided, and no one knew. It must have been some party we had last night, huh?” Usopp chuckled, but the guilt of you being captured made his laugh sound nervous. Chopper looked over to a solemn Luffy; their captain had spent the entire night and morning sitting on the Sunny’s lion head, searching for the ship that took you.
“Luffy was awake last night,” he mumbled out, he hated seeing Luffy like this; they all did. Everyone was watching Luffy with worried eyes, Nami sighed, “We have to figure out who did this and get (Y/N) and our berries back.”
“Is that all you care about right now, a couple of berries?” Zoro huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Nami blew up at him, “Of course not, moron! I care about getting (Y/N) back. Buuut, if we can also reclaim our stolen berries too, then it’s a win-win.”
“Unbelievable,” Zoro muttered.
Robin, who had been absent from the crew’s morning meeting, burst onto the deck with a newspaper from the other day. She marched straight to Luffy, ignoring everyone’s weird looks.
“Look, Captain, I think I know where (Y/N) is.” She held the paper out to Luffy; he didn’t turn around. Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed the paper from Robin; he studied it for a brief moment before turning to face her, “I don’t get it?”
Robin took the paper back, at this point everyone had gathered around, “I knew I had seen that Jolly Rodger before, see, here-” she pointed to an article about an eccentric king who made his fortune from all the music stars that played exclusively on his island.
“The Island of Mousikí is known for their musical starpower,” Robin carried on reading the article, “Every well-known singer from the West Blue to the North was born and raised here and are sent out around the world to spread the joys of music.”
“So every citizen is a music star? Yohohoho, sounds like quite a place to visit.” Brook chimed in; the idea of a music-themed island thrilled him down to the bone.
“Whoa, and look at that, they’re having a talent show in two days! That could be our ticket in!” Usopp pointed out, Franky posed, “What a super idea!”
Nami stepped closer to Robin, looking over her arm to see the paper, “And you think that’s where (Y/N) is?”
“I’m almost certain of it,” she nodded, Luffy smiled, “Well then, let’s get going! (Y/N)’s waiting for me- I mean, us. (Y/N)’s waiting for us.” Luffy corrected. He turned around to face the sea, ignoring the burning of his cheeks. His crew didn’t say anything; it was stupid to point out the obvious.
The Straw Hat crew had finally arrived at Mousikí, the island of music. It was colourful and noisy; instruments could be heard from somewhere on the island, the melody carried via the wind.
“If I had eyes, they would be popping out of my head, but I am a skeleton, so I have no eyes. YOHOOHOHO!” Brook laughed, while the others took in the sights. Robin led the way, “We must make it to the show on time; we only have a day to prepare,” she rushed.
“So we’re really doing this? A talent show, pathetic.” Zoro huffed out, unimpressed. Sanji swatted the back of Zoro’s head, “Of course, we’re doing this! It’s to get (Y/N) back, you ungrateful oaf!”
“Oi!” Chopper shouted, already some distance away from the others, “I see the sign-up booth!” He pointed to a lonely man sitting by the gates of the kingdom. Luffy marched over straight away, “We’re here to sign up!” he demanded.
The man just sighed and handed them over a form, “Fill this in, please.”
Nami took the sheet and filled in the details, “Wait a minute, what’s this about an entry fee?”
“It’s 20 berries for entry; everyone has to pay it, or they won’t be in the competition.” The man moaned.
“20 berries? That’s outrageous!” Nami screamed, eyes filled with flames. Luffy slapped Nami on the back, a wide smile on his face, “Well, what are you waiting for? Pay the man, Nami.”
Nami sighed but did as she was told, “Well, I guess when we win we’ll get a prize,” she grumbled.
“What is the prize, might I ask?” Brook questioned. The man wheezed and pointed to a poster behind him, “You perform in front of the king and his new rising star, and if he likes you, you get an exclusive contract to perform on an island of the king’s choice.”
“New rising star?” Chopper questioned, “What happened to the old one?”
The man looked nervous for once, “We don’t talk about Kyoku; our new rising star is much better.”
Robin studied the poster behind the man; there were two faces drawn above the stage. One, she assumed, was the king, and the other looked like you. Your face was covered in face paint, but Robin could still recognise your features. She nudged Luffy’s arm and pointed at the poster, once his eyes found your inky ones, he smiled.
The man took the form and the berries, “Okay, I just need your band name, and then you’re done.”
“Band name?” Usopp questioned. The man sighed again “Yeah, band name? We need it to announce you to the crowd.”
Zoro groaned, “I don’t have time for this,” he grabbed the sheet and scribbled down a name and shoved it back into the guy's hand; he waltzed off through the kingdom's gates. Everyone watched with wide eyes but reluctantly followed him. The man behind the booth groaned, “Pirates,” he muttered.
It was the day of the talent show; everyone in the castle had been going crazy preparing for the event. Although you were a prisoner here, they treated you well. They gave you dinner and breakfast, new clothes, even if they were tacky. Every article of clothing gracing your body was covered in sequins and flares; your hair was curled and sprayed to stand stiff. Your face was bedazzled in gemstones and make-up; you could hardly recognise yourself. A huge yellow star was painted over your right eye.
The lady putting the finishing touches on your makeup was shaking; she was tense to say the least, “Hey, are you okay?” You whispered; she didn’t reply. You pursed your lips, “What’s up with this place anyway? What’s wrong with that king of yours?”
“We do not speak ill of our king,” she stated, stepping away for a brief moment. You followed after her, “What does he want with me? Why am I here?”
She took a deep breath in, “You are his new rising star.” You rolled your eyes, “Yeah, people have been calling me that all night; what does it mean?”
“The rising star in our culture means one of God’s angels; our king is our god. You will earn him money, and once he is done with you, he sells you off to the highest bidder. That is how he makes his fortune; it’s not through music like he would like you to think.”
“So, what’s this talent show for? Is that all an act too?”
“Our king holds these shows once a month to find new talent. Whoever he signs on, he forces them to perform every day until the public gets bored of them. When they start losing him money, they’re gone.”
“Gone where?” You begged. She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, “I’ve said too much already.”
“How’s my rising star doing?” the king barged through into your room; the lady turned away from him and made herself look busy. You gave her a side-eye. Looking back to the king, you shuffled around in your new outfit, “I want to go back to my crew,” you stated, your face showing no emotion. The king swatted away the idea with his hand, “You are my new rising star; forget about that crew of yours. You’ll never see them again.”
He wrapped his arm around your shoulder, dragging you to the doorway with him, “Come, it’s time for the show to start. Once they announce me, they’ll pan to you. You just need to smile and wave; do that, and I’ll let you free to explore the island.”
Soon enough, you were shoved into your seat in the royal circle. You were above the ground level, able to see every single thing on the stage, down to the band in the front row. If you weren’t being held against your will, you would say this was quite nice. As the talent show started, a large beam of light was draped over your form. The king was right; they introduced him, and the crowd roared; it all felt so fake. Then the announcer moved on to you, and the crowd erupted into cheers; they didn’t even know you.
Time seemed to move fairly slowly as you watched each performer go through their routine. It was all the same, and quite tiring. You couldn’t focus on any of the acts, too busy formulating a plan to escape. Well, you were, until the announcer called out the next band.
“Welcome to the stage, The Jolly Rogers!” The crowd clapped as the curtain drew back to reveal nine silhouettes and the music started playing.
“YOU ARE THE ONE we hold onto; no one can replace you as our friend!” They all sang in unison, though you still weren’t paying attention, still too deep into your own thoughts.
“YOU ARE THE ONE you really are!” They carried on; the crowd were loving it, all clapping along and swaying to the melody.
“The night sky's moon is sprawled out, this sea in the wake of opportunity,” Deep voices sung out; you finally looked up to see your crew on stage, singing their hearts out. What the hell were they doing here? Why were they taking part in this ridiculous show? Your eyes trailed over everyone, their focus on the crowd, except for one member.
Luffy’s eyes were on you and hadn’t left, no matter what. His smile widened when you finally noticed him. The flashing lights from the stage shone over you, illuminating your sparkly outfit.
“I want to believe since I suspect we'll fill in the blank tomorrow. Everyone laughing, this continuing dream,” Nami, Chopper and Robin sang together in harmony, laughing and dancing around the stage. Man, everyone was really having fun with this; even Zoro. Little did you know, Zoro was heavily drunk to get through this.
Luffy stood in the middle of the stage, his straw hat hanging loosely from his neck, “The dream we pictured continues; it's inevitable.”
“YOU ARE THE ONE we hold onto, the reality is only that we will become strong!” They all sang together again. The king seemed to be enjoying himself too, completely unaware that your crew had returned.
“YOU ARE THE ONE we hold onto, no one can replace you as our friend! YOU ARE THE ONE! You really are, we believe...Wherever we meet, let's go!”
Luffy opened his mouth and pointed directly at you, “YOU'RE THE ONE!” He kept repeating it, a stupid love-struck expression on his face. Your heart melted at the insinuation; you had always suspected Luffy had a thing for you, but then, he sometimes acted that way with everyone. But right now, in this moment, he was telling you something. You were the only one for him, and he was the only one for you.
As the music slowed and the lights faded, Nami held up her Clima-Tact and covered the room in fog. The guards instantly rushed to protect the king; that’s when hands grew from the ground and grabbed the men’s ankles.
“What the hell is going on!” the king roared out, the citizens below scrambling around in panic. Luffy slingshot himself off of Franky, perching on the railing of the royal circle, “Missed me?” he mused. You sighed in relief, “More than you’ll ever know, rubberboy.” he smiled at that. Luffy extended his hand for you to take, an invitation to join them like you did so many years before.
The king saw this interaction and quickly reached to grab you, his hefty size slamming you back into your chair. Luffy’s attention snapped to the king, “Gum gum-”
“Oi, Luffy!” Zoro shouted, two of his three swords nestled in his hands. Sanji was beside him, already leaping into the air, “We’ve got this, get (Y/N) out of here!”
Luffy nodded to the boys in thanks; he then turned to you and wrapped his arms around your waist, dragging your body closer to his. He smiled down at you, honoured to feel the warmth spread through his chest now that you were pressed up against him, “What’s with the make-up?” he asked, jumping down from the royal circle and back onto the stage with the others.
You sighed and rolled your eyes, “Don’t ask,” you huffed out. Luffy shrugged, “Well, I think it looks nice.” His arms were still wrapped around your waist, and you were still impossibly close to him. Usopp in an attempt to stop some guards, launched some seeds towards the stage; they bloomed into giant flowers. They grew so big that they hit the stage lights, knocking them back on and lazily swinging to illuminate you and Luffy. The flower petals wilted from the damage and fluttered around you both like you were in a fairytale.
While destruction was going on around you, you couldn’t seem to care. Your senses were overwhelmed by Luffy. He leant closer to your face, his eyes unable to leave your own, “Did you like the song? We wrote it for you.”
You giggled innocently, “I loved the song, especially your solo.” He perked up at that, “Really?”
“Really,” you confirmed, closing the distance between the two of you. When your lips collided with Luffy’s, he didn’t know what to do. It all felt so foreign, but at the same time so right; it felt like you were both made for each other.
“Okay, break it up, lovebirds! Did you forget we’re in a fight right now?” Nami moaned, hitting a guard. You pulled away from Luffy with a smile, your pupils fully dilated. Your hand slid down his arm and interlocked with his; you gave him one final smile, “Oi Luffy,” you started, “Thank you for bringing me home.”
“Shishishishi, anytime,” he beamed, pecking you once more on the lips. He then took off, swinging around and throwing punches left, right and centre.
