[Mysteries of the Seas] Awakened Luffy

The ship had been somewhat quiet for the past hour or so. After the ridiculousness of Buggy’s ‘leadership’ and the warning from Marineford, not much of note had happened. Even Luffy had been somewhat quiet, sitting up against the main mast with his arms hugging one of his legs. Quiet was a very unnatural sight for Monkey D. Luffy. Everyone there who’d had even the slightest interaction with the man knew that much. He was very much larger than life, always laughing, being noisy or going around searching for food for his bottomless pit of a stomach.

Yet even that, he was doing slowly. Not simply inhaling the food those who could cook on the ship made.

“Tch.” Crocodile clicked his teeth, “That brat never shuts up. Even I know that much.”

Buggy sneered, “Screaming about ‘Pirate King this, Pirate King that,’ right?”

Crocodile acknowledged the clown’s words with an incline of his head. “What’s running through that idiot’s mind that has him so quiet?”

In truth, Luffy, for the first time, had come across a wall he could not break. Magellan had been a true monster. He’d fought plenty of strong fighters before. Crocodile himself had nearly killed him twice. Enel could see his attacks before he launched them. Lucci had been a physical monster. Kuma and the Pacifista had taken everything he and his crew could dish out with ease, and they had barely scratched them. Kuma they didn’t scratch at all.

But none of them had been like Magellan. None of them had hurthim when HE was the one attacking. None of them had attacked with something Luffy couldn’t just power through. Poison was… well… poison. Luffy had been beaten handily and wouldn’t even have gotten a single hit in if it hadn’t been for Mr. 3’s wax. Aokiji had been overwhelming too, but later events had driven the Admiral from his mind. And most importantly of all…

He had never not gotten another whack at it. Magellan was back on Impel Down and Luffy probably would never have another chance to fight him and get his win back. And that made him think. Something he’d never really liked doing. It made his head hurt. But think he did. Way back to quieter days, on Foosha Village. Back to when he’d first eaten his fruit. Back to his first promise with Shanks. Back to something he’d only just remembered…

Luffy chomped the leg of ham in one bite and threw the bone overboard and he got up, drawing Crocodile and Buggy’s attention. He walked over to Jinbei, “Jinbei.”

“Hmm?” Jinbei looked down, seeing Luffy staring straight ahead and not at him. “Yes, Luffy-kun?”

“You’re strong, right?” Luffy asked, making Buggy goggle in disbelief at the question.

“Well…” Jinbei chuckled bashfully, “I’d say I’m a fair hand.”

“Fair hand.” Crocodile scoffed, “Ever the modest one. Everyone knows that of the Shichibukai, you ranked near the top. You would waste that fool Doflamingo.” And himself. At least if they were on an even battlefield, anyway. Not that he’d ever admit it.

Jinbei sighed, “Why do you ask, Luffy-kun?”

“How bad is it going to be over there?” Luffy asked seriously, still not taking his eyes off the fog in front of them.

Crocodile nearly bit through his cigar, “Are you getting cold feet now, you little shit?” Luffy ignored him.

Jinbei looked at him, “We’re going up against the full might of the Marines. Over a hundred thousand men, and more importantly, all three admirals,” Luffy’s mind flashed to yellow and flashes, ice and biting cold, “-the legendary Fist that faced Roger, and the Buddha himself.” He let out a sigh, “And near as I can tell, you’re a rookie who has not even learned Haki yet.” He turned compassionate eyes to Luffy, “You’re strong. You got this far, but you’re young. And no one would blame you if you wished to back out.”

Buggy stared, wide eyed, ‘This flashy little shit isn’t backing out now. No way. Not after Impel Down. What’s this nonsense all about?’

Luffy smiled. It was one of his shit-eating grins. “Thanks Jinbei.” The Gates of Justice burst from the clouds, “Now let’s get those gates open.” The three men who’d either overheard or had been part of the conversation wondered just what was going through the man’s head.

…

“Woah!” Luffy cried, “Where did this huge wave come from?!” The entire ship had been picked up by it!

“It’s Whitebeard!” Buggy called out, “Don’t you even know the world’s strongest, you moron?! His power is earthquakes!” Buggy clung to the ship, “He can shatter islands and create tsunamis with a flick of his wrist!”

“So cool!” Luffy cheered, before they all pitched forward and hit the ground as the ship jerked to a stop, “What now?!” He looked outside, “Oh.” The entire ship had stopped moving because so had the wave. The millions of gallons of water had frozen completely solid. “It’s him again.” Luffy whined, remembering the fight with the man. “We don’t have time for this.” He said, “They’re going to execute Ace in less than three hours!”

RIIING

ATTENTION FLEET. GOAL POINT TOTTZ. CHANGE FORMATION AND PROCEED TO STEP THREE OF THE STANDARD MANUEVERS. FINISH THE PREPARATIONS.

“It’s a coded message.” One of the convicts said, “Some sort of code.” And then the message continued.

PORTGAS D. ACE WILL BE EXECUTED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AS SOON AS PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE.

Gacha

The snail went silent. Everyone turned to look at Luffy, expecting him to immediately start shouting.

Instead… the man’s face was shadowed. And he simply said. “Not on my watch.”

Doom Dut Da Da. Doom Dut Da Da. Doom Dut Da Da.

A strange sound started ringing through the air. Coming straight from Luffy’s chest. It sounded almost musical.

“What is that?” Buggy asked cluelessly.

Doom Dut Da Da.

It started getting louder as Luffy opened his shirt up, showing his chest.

Doom Dut Da Da.

“Is that his heartbeat?!” Buggy asked incredulously.

“Ha! Are you so scared that-” Crocodile’s words died in his throat.

Luffy’s hair looked like it was starting to melt. All of the color bleached out of it, as well as his shirt and shorts. His black eyes started to glow, forming a white ring around the pupils. White clouds started to float around his neck, and his hair looked like flaming clouds as well.

“What the hell is this, Straw Hat?!” Crocodile demanded, clenching his teeth hard, “You never showed this against me!”

But Luffy ignored him, leaping into the air with a cackle and a mad grin on his face, “We’re coming, Ace!” His arm instantly ballooned without a bit of air being forced into it, turning absolutely gigantic. He reached down and grabbed the ship, his massive fingers wrapping around it and breaking it free from the ice.

“We’re free! You did it, Straw Hat!” Buggy called… but they kept going up. And up. And the ship started to stretch. As though it was made out of rubber. “W-Wait…” Buggy said, his tone dead, “You’re not going to…”

Luffy cackled, “Let’s GO!” He shouted gleefully, before launching the ship down towards the sea of marines.

“YOU CRAZY SON OF A BITCH!” The convicts and pirates screamed as the ship flew down towards Marineford. Crocodile turned into sand and just waited, knowing the ship was heading for land. A gigantic vein in his head was pulsing though. Several of them managed to grab Luffy’s hand before they were launched forward, including Buggy, Mr. 1, Ivankov (with Inazuma) and Jinbei.

The ship flew, landing squarely in a terrified field of Marines and bowling them over. The ship bounced and rolled, flattening buildings, and mangling their island. Ultimately, it crashed into the gates and nearly rent them asunder with the noise of groaning metal.

Luffy cackled as he witnessed the destruction, “This is fun!” And then he started to grow, “GOMU GOMU NO GIGANT!” The seventeen-year-old turned massive. Far bigger than even the super giant Oars laying on the bay. He crashed down on the left crescent of the island, flattening it down into the water and causing a ripple of rubberized ground to rip through, flinging unprepared Marines (and even some vice admirals!) into the air. “Gomu Gomu no…” Luffy said, “DAI GIGANT PISTOL!” His massive fist raced forward.

The marines who could prepared themselves with Busōshoku Haki, and those that could attempted to use Tekkai to the best of their ability. It didn’t matter one bit. Luffy’s fist crashed into all of the Marines, launching them like cannonballs back at one of the four mountains surrounding the massive main structure of Marineford. The mountains broke, crumbling as the human cannonballs impacted them. Marines in that main tower screamed as it broke and crumbled beneath their feet, sending them to their deaths.

Luffy’s grin hadn’t shrunk a bit as the musical beating of the drum in his chest rang through the stunned Marine HQ, “ACEEEEEEEE!!!!” he bellowed, the sound causing most in the bay to cover their ears, “I’M COMING TO SAVE YOU!”

It finally clicked who this giant was, “LUFFY?!?!?!?!?!?!” Ace screamed, wanting to hold his head in panic but being unable to due to the cuffs. Garp had no such struggle.

“GARP?! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!” Sengoku bellowed at the man holding his head with a snot-nosed-brat look on his face.

“I don’t know!” Garp shouted back, “I’ve never seen him do this!”

“Luffy-kun!” Jinbei yelled, “Get us over there!” he pointed after getting Luffy’s attention.

“You got it, Jinbei!” Luffy jumped and shrunk down, landing next to Whitebeard. Jinbei launched off his shoulder as he shrunk, diving underneath the waves to save the idiots who’d fallen off when Luffy had launched the ship. They landed, “We’re here for you, Ace!” He shouted again, across the plaza.

Pandemonium erupted as people started to talk. Hancock swooned as she saw her beloved Luffy looking even more handsome in her opinion. Previous enemies wondered about the different crew and then new form. Mihawk merely snorted, commenting that there was never a dull moment around him.

More men were flung onto dry ‘land,’ and then Jinbei erupted from the sea, landing beside Luffy. “Pops!” The Fishman smiled at the world’s strongest man.

“Gurararara, that’s quite a party crash, Jinbei.” Whitebeard laughed, before eyeing Luffy, who had turned back to his black-haired form and sagged a little, taking a deep breath. “Hmmm, you’re different than I thought you’d be, brat. That Straw Hat Red-Hair used to wear is unmistakable though.” He then eyed him closer, ‘Is that an awakening? Isn’t his fruit a Paramecia?’

“You know Shanks, huh?” Luffy said, looking tired already. Honestly, he should have at least practiced with that ability instead of just forgetting about it, “I’m holding it for him.”

“Come to save your brother, eh? Do you know what you’re up against?” He sneered, “You’ll be killed for sure.”

And then on live broadcast, seeing as the Den Den Mushi were still recording, Luffy shouted at Whitebeard, “Shut it! That’s not for you to decide!” He grinned again, “I know what you’re up to! You want to be the Pirate King! Well, that’s going to be me!”

Whitebeard stared at him, “Cheeky devil.” He grinned, before laughing boisterously, “You better stay out of my way, you little snot!”

“I’ll do whatever I want!” Luffy shouted back, “If you want to save Ace, you better keep up!” Everyone except the real powers in the plaza nearly choked on their own tongues at the sight.

Sengoku opened his mouth to issue orders, only to be interrupted by a call. Purupurupurupuru. “Sengoku.” He said, “What is it?”

“Orders have changed, Sengoku.” Kong’s voice sounded through the Den Den Mushi, which became much more muscular. “Forget Portgas and Newgate. Monkey D. Luffy does not leave that plaza alive.”

“WHAT?!” Three different voices screamed, with Garp and Ace turned shocked gasps to the snail.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Sengoku snarled at the snail, “We have the Pirate King’s son in our grasp and the Strongest man in the world trying to kill us, and you want us to focus on a rook-”

“Sengoku.” There was something in Kong’s voice that made Sengoku shut up, “The Order came directly from the Five Elder Stars.” Sengoku nearly swallowed his tongue, “And I’ve never heard any of them sound so urgent. Monkey D. Luffy cannot survive.” Gacha.

Ace and Garp watched in transfixed horror as Sengoku lowered a shaking hand. The man’s teeth were grit, “Fine.” Sengoku spat, before raising it again, “This is Sengoku to all Marines. Monkey D Luffy is priority target number one. Dead only. Over.”

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