One Piece 1. Over It

Hey all! It's been a while, hasn't it?

Recently I've been extremely busy with work, which hasn't left much time for writing...or _One Piece _in general. However, work is starting to let up, and I'm trying to get back into the mood for both writing and _One Piece. _After digging through my writing files and discovering a bunch of stuff I've never posted, I figure, why not start with that?

So, this will be a collection of one shots, prompt fills, snippits, challenges, and completely random ideas that aren't really qualified to stand alone as their own fics...but hopefully will still be entertaining to read. It will update completely at random, whenever I happen to have something acceptable to add to the pile.

Because this is a fanfic collection, and not any specific fic as a whole, please be warned that it will have a **blanket PG-13/T** rating (this is the highest it gets), but they can vary from **G/K **to **T/PG-13 **(and from here on out I'm using movie ratings). Also note that **all stories are nakamaship only and contain no pairings, **and that the **genres can vary from comedy to angst, **so read all the individual warnings before each fic to know what you're getting into.

And now, onward!

* * *

**Title:** Over It  
**(Words:) **2,668  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Warnings:** Violence, some graphic imagery, and dark-ish Luffy.  
**Prompt:** OPFanforall fill prompt: _"I would love to see that when the crew reunites, they know about Ace's death, but Luffy seems to get over it. He seems to be back to normal, and they don't worry about it until they get into a serious battle and someone gets really hurt, then which Luffy snaps and goes batshit insane because he won't let anyone else die."  
_**Notes: **Mildly AU. The prompt was given pre-timeskip, and given post-timeskip events (and Luffy's obvious recovery), it was hard to meet qualifications. So, only four months have passed since everybody was separated at Sabaody, and 3D2Y did not happen. Also keep in mind that **this was written over a year ago, **so if there are any inconsistencies...proooobably that's why.  
**Disclaimer(s): **I do not own, or pretend to own, _One Piece_ or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda.

* * *

It had been a month now since the crew had rejoined; almost four since they'd been separated at Sabaody. Every single one of the Straw Hats could feel the passage of time like something heavy pressing on their souls. Every single one of them had learned a few things here and there from wherever it was that they'd been sent, and for that they were all grateful. But they were all familiar with one all-important event that had happened in their separation as well: Ace's execution.

They all knew how heavily that had to weigh on their captain, if even they could feel the pressure of it. That was why they'd all struggled so hard to get strong enough to escape the confines of wherever they'd been sent, to work their way back to him, step by staggering step. They were all ready to help their captain in their own ways: someone to talk to, a listening ear, a chance to stay active, or just a solid but welcoming silence. They were all ready to see grief somehow, to some degree, one way or another.

What they did not expect was Luffy greeting them cheerfully, when they returned to the _Thousand Sunny _one by one. They didn't expect the enormous smiles, the insistences on meat dinners (or breakfasts, or snacks), the enthusiastic games of tag, the obnoxious but secretly endearing questions and actions. None of them expected the complete and total lack of _grieving, _mere weeks after Ace's tragic and unfair end. It was like it had never happened. Some of the more excitable crew members almost might have thought they were overreacting, but as Usopp pointed out, when even Robin and Zoro were looking disturbed, that was a sign that something was _wrong. _

But nothing changed after they reunited, and after a while even Zoro and Robin began to calm down, regard their captain less and less with suspicion. Maybe they had all just been overreacting. Maybe Luffy was much better at dealing with grief than they'd thought. There was never any hint of a problem—maybe he really had come to terms with what happened. Or, considering his unusual view on life, and his willingness to risk it for his dream, maybe he'd already accepted the death for what it was and moved on. Whatever the case, the Straw Hats soon fell back into their usual rhythm, sailing onward through Fishman Island and past the Red Line, into the New World.

But it was only after the battle with an extremely tenacious ship full of marines that the Straw Hats began to realize nothing was okay at all.

They'd had other battles, of course, within their one month of reuniting. It was just that none of them had been difficult yet, especially with some of the new skills the pirates had managed to develop while escaping wherever it was they'd been sent to. They'd plowed through other marines, pirates, and bounty hunters with ease, but this time, one month after rejoining, was the first time the Straw Hats had to take their fights seriously and struggle for a win.

Even so, at first the battle seemed to be going well in their favor. The fight was stretched out over the _Sunny_ and the boarding Marine ship alongside theirs, and the Straw Hats were spread out amidst their crowds of enemies. Most of the marines had been taken out, but their officers were causing a bit of trouble. The fights had morphed into one-on-one battles as time progressed, with Luffy taking on the marine captain as usual.

But that was where things shifted, and it started with the sickening crack that came from the direction of Sanji's one-on-one battle. Sanji stumbled, and based on the grimace of pain that crossed his face, it seemed his opponent had managed to break his left leg. The leg refused to take the cook's weight, and after a wild attempt to dodge his opponent's subsequent attack the cook crashed onto his back with a yell of surprise and pain.

It was a bad situation, and left the cook at a severe disadvantage, but it wasn't completely unmanageable. Zoro was fighting nearby, and in the lull of his own battle he could easily come to Sanji's rescue. And with his ranged capabilities and a clear shot, Usopp could have temporarily intervened as well. Sanji might even be able to save himself, if he was forced to. It wouldn't be the first time he'd attacked or defended while injured, and while it might leave him in the infirmary longer than usual afterwards if he kicked with his broken leg now, it'd still leave him alive. It was bad, but it wasn't out of hand.

Which was why_ everyone_ jumped in shock when a terrible howling filled the air, and Straw Hat Luffy, eyes blazing with hatred, descended on Sanji's opponent like a demon.

There was no finesse to his attack. There was no logic to his assault, or the fact that he left his own opponent behind without a shred of hesitation to launch himself at Sanji's. It was so utterly uncharacteristic of their captain, the one who always insisted on enemies and friends alike never intervening in other peoples' duels. It wasn't even the same anger that the Straw Hats witnessed on Luffy's face, as he hurled himself at Sanji's opponent; it wasn't that simple righteousness, driven by the desire to covet dreams or right wrongs against his crew. It was like he was possessed, like he'd gone mad, like he wasn't even seeing the fight itself any more, was just fixated on Sanji's currently helpless-looking sprawl and the man swinging a sword at him.

And that madness extended to more than just his eyes, or his expression of twisted, unforgiving, unbridled _fury. _It seemed to power him, extended to his senses and his limbs and his speed and his strength. Luffy was across the way on the marine ship, while Sanji was on the _Sunny, _but he managed to cross the distance in seconds while Sanji's opponent was still drawing back his sword to swing. And while Luffy wasn't in either of his _Gear _states, his fist still drew back absurdly fast, and smashed down at the fighting officer with more rage than any of them, marine or pirate alike, had ever seen in a person before.

The officer smashed into the _Sunny's _deck so hard dirt clods were sent flying from the lawn, and before he could so much as attempt to recover or roll out of the way Luffy was on him. The captain emitted a wordless, primal _howl _as he smashed down at the officer he knelt over, again and again, with a move that might almost have been mistaken for the _Gatling—_by the marines at any rate. To the Straw Hats it was a grotesque parody of one of Luffy's most common, devastating moves. Whenever Luffy used it there was always some degree of control involved, or restraint, but now he was just lashing out again and again, merciless, ruthless, unrelenting, with so much raw power that the Adam Wood beneath the lawn creaked in distress. The marine officer had to be unconscious by now, and still Luffy kept going, still screaming wordlessly, eyes wide, expression livid.

He did not call his attack. He didn't even bother to make some sort of statement, like he usually did, when coming to a nakama's rescue. There were no bold statements about promises, or how he was stronger, or how he was going to be the pirate king. Just anger, and, some of the more sensitive Straw Hats were beginning to realize, the vaguest edges of what might almost have been frustration, or (but no, it couldn't be, this was_ Luffy_ after all) _panic. _He never bothered to utilize any of his new moves, either, or his new skills. He'd gleefully demonstrated to them the _haki _he'd learned from the inhabitants of Amazon Lily, and had developed stronger variations of his _Gears _as he never touched them now, just pounded away with a violent, primal fury that had nothing to do with fighting and _everything _to do with killing.

It was unsettling, terribly frightening to see their captain this way. The Straw Hats could only watch in shock, their own battles frozen as their marine opponents stared at the assault as well.

"Luffy," Sanji rasped after several moments, dragging himself up into a sit. "Dammit, Luffy, enough, he's out, you're gonna kill him if you keep going. Luffy! Hey, Luffy!"

But Luffy did not stop, just kept pounding furiously away, and the marine was starting to resemble raw meat more than a person, was staining the grass red from the thick pool gathering around him. And now in between the wordless, primal screaming Sanji, as the closest, could hear something else—breathy, panting, snarling insistences, like they were meant for the marine alone, or maybe not even for the dying man at all. "You can't...won't let you...not them too...never again..." Over and over, and the blood-spattered fists never stopped flying, not even once.

The marine captain that had been fighting Luffy seemed spurred on by Sanji's words. In a last desperate attempt to save his subordinate he lunged forward, swiping at Luffy's unprotected back. Without so much as a shred of hesitation one of Luffy's red-stained arms spun out behind him and smashed into the marine captain's arm. There was a sick crunch as something snapped, and Luffy threw an ugly look over his shoulder, snarling in a furious voice that still sounded nothing like his usual anger, "You can't have them, not any of them!"

The marine captain seemed to realize something was wrong, and that the situation had become far more dangerous. He was obviously in pain, but said with some degree of control, "Just let me take my subordinates and we'll retreat."

Luffy regarded him warily, ruthlessly, but the other marine officers were already backing away from their respective Straw Hat opponents, and he finally nodded. For the first time he seemed to realize he was crouching over the body of a now very much dead marine, crushed into oblivion, and he staggered backwards from it suddenly. Sanji, as the closest, caught the expression of surprise on his captain's face, but only just barely; the expression was smoothed over quickly as the marines hastily staggered onto the _Thousand Sunny's_ decks to retrieve their fallen. They sailed away quickly, and the Straw Hats, too shocked themselves to really care, let them go.

The crew gathered around their captain, who had now gone still as stone, staring at the thick blood stains that were all that was left of his moment of madness, face utterly blank. "Luffy," Chopper said tentatively, after a moment, "Are you okay?"

It was a stupid question if any of them had ever heard one. Luffy was obviously not okay. It wasn't a matter of injury—Luffy hadn't gained so much as a bruise from his furious assault. But it was painfully obvious to the crew all the same that Luffy was hurt, and badly, and suddenly they realized the suspicions they'd had ever since they'd all rejoined were entirely justified. Luffy hadn't been okay since they'd come together again; only now had he ever let it show.

They expected Luffy to shrug it off, or try to deflect, or ask for meat, or some other evasion. They wouldn't let him get away with it, but they expected it. But to their surprise, Luffy said softly, so softly it was almost impossible to hear, in a rasping, hoarse breath after all his screaming that somehow betrayed his weakness, "He was...he was going to kill Sanji."

Usopp helped Sanji to his feet and slung an arm helpfully around his shoulders, since the broken leg still refused to take the cook's weight. Now at eye-level, Sanji frowned and said, "I would've been okay, you know that." And it was true, Luffy _did _know that, or at least he should have. He'd never bothered to interfere in Zoro's or Sanji's fights before, knowing and trusting that the two of them were strong enough to take care of themselves.

But Luffy just shuddered and shook his head insistently, and said, "No. He was strong too, and he still—"

He cut off abruptly, and unexpectedly it came to the rest of the crew that it wasn't the marine officer Luffy was talking about now; it was Ace. They exchanged anxious looks with each other, and Chopper trotted forward to tentatively hug Luffy's leg, looked up at him sadly.

This seemed to be enough of a catalyst for Luffy, because suddenly he was speaking again, and this time they could all hear the wavering in his voice, clear as a bell. "It wasn't supposed to...but it did. It did. It _happened. _And...and that means anything can happen, and...and I can't...can't let it happen again, because...no. I'm _never _going to let it happen again, not ever. When I saw him attack...it didn't matter what I said, it was happening again and I just _couldn't_—"

He shuddered again. His rubbery limbs trembled wildly, like they wouldn't hold him up, and just as predicted they gave out a few seconds later. Zoro caught him by the collar before he smashed to the deck in that thick pool of blood, and Robin used her powers to drag over one of the overturned lawn chairs, and between the two of them they managed to get their captain sitting down on its edge. Franky and Brook stepped subtly in front of the blood stains to block the view, while the rest of them gathered around their captain worriedly.

"Can't watch it happen again," Luffy mumbled, after a moment. The hat was dragged so far down that the brim hid his eyes, like he was avoiding looking at them. "I can't see that again. Not for anything. Never."

The rest of the Straw Hats exchanged frowns, and they realized what a burden the captain had on his shoulders, how worried he'd been about all of them the whole time without them ever knowing it. It hurt a little, to know their captain apparently hadn't been okay this long because of _them, _and at the same time it was reassuring, to know he loved them all so deeply he'd be willing to go to any lengths, even the ones they just witnessed, for their sakes. And they knew, all of them, all at once, that there was only one thing they could possibly do or say to make things better, ease the hurt.

Zoro, blunt and to the point, was the one to break the silence. "You won't," he said flatly, "'Cause we're not going anywhere."

"That's right," Usopp agreed, with mostly forced cheer and yet a hint of genuine belief that made his words strong anyway. "You don't think you can get rid of us that easily, do you?"

"Or that anyone else could, for that matter," Nami added. "We're better than that."

The others chimed in with their agreements in their own ways, and Luffy was still as stone, not looking up at anyone. When they fell silent, he took in a single, shuddering breath, and then said softly, so softly it almost seemed weak, plaintive, "You promise?"

"Yes," eight voices said almost simultaneously, insistently, each one strong and determined.

And it was only then that Luffy lifted his eyes to theirs. And it was the first time in history that any of them saw Luffy cry, _really _cry, when after months of forced, desperate strength he finally broke and allowed himself to grieve for Ace. It was unsettling to see their captain sobbing, but they didn't budge an inch, offering comfort simply in their willingness to be there.

After all, they weren't going anywhere.

* * *

...Maybe I like angst too much?

Recently got the latest _One Piece _English dub DVD. Howsabout Franky's voice, huh?

~VelkynKarma


	2. Usopp's Fables

**Title: **Usopp's Fables  
**(Words:) **3,637  
**Rating:** PG  
**Warnings:** Couple swears, but I think that's it.  
**Prompt:** By Zelda_Addict, who requested the following: _"Usopp is, as usual, telling fantastical stories. Oddly, the things he's talking about start happening. Does it freak him out? Does he think he's developed magical powers? Take it where you will."  
_**Notes: **Much friendlier fic this time around! Set post-Thriller Bark, pre-Sabaody. Written over a year ago, so forgive any silly mistakes or inconsistencies.  
**Disclaimer(s): **I do not own, or pretend to own, _One Piece_ or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda.

* * *

"So there I was," Usopp said, waving his hand dramatically. "My ship surrounded on all sides by a whole pack of angry Sea Kings! There was no place to run or hide, and it seemed like the end was at hand for me, the Brave Captain Usopp!"

"What did you do?" Chopper asked frantically. Beside him, Luffy's eyes glittered with excitement as he listened to the story.

"Well, of course I wasn't afraid. I was just about to grab the closest pair of Sea Kings and knock their heads together with my bare hands when, all of a sudden, a monster _five times as big _burst out of the ocean! It had big red fins and teeth as long as the _Sunny's _deck here. It was a Sea _Emperor!_"

Usopp's audience gasped and insisted that this was 'awesome,' and with a smug grin he continued. "So, the Sea Emperor burst out of the ocean and snapped up the closest Sea King in three bites! And then it ate the next one, and the one after that, until I wasn't surrounded anymore. Then it looked at me with one big eye, and I knew, at that moment, that I was next!"

"How did you get away?" Chopper asked, biting his little hooves anxiously.

"Well, I just looked it right back in the eye and gave it my fiercest war cry, and it started shaking in fear so bad it created tidal waves! Then it dove back into the water, too terrified to face the Great Captain Usopp!" the sniper finished, taking another dramatic pose. "And that's how I defeated the great Sea Emperor when I was only five years old!"

"That was a very interesting story, Longnose-kun," Robin said calmly from the deck above, as Chopper and Luffy clapped delightedly at the story's finish.

"Did you think so? It's all true, too!" Usopp said, as he struck up Confident Pose #36: arms crossed, heels together, back arched, chin raised, the perfect image of smug modesty.

"Then perhaps you would not mind aiding us with the Sea Kings waiting just ahead," the archaeologist observed, as she idly turned a page of her book.

"The S-sea K-k-kings waiting?" Usopp stammered, rapidly losing control of Confident Pose #36. Luffy and Chopper darted to the front of the ship along with several of the other crew members, all of them in varying stages of excitement, boredom, or panic. Sure enough, waiting just ahead of them as if they'd prepared an ambush were several Sea Kings of varying appearances, though all of them were leering hungrily at the approaching pirate ship.

"Awesome!" Luffy (predictably) said. "Usopp, show me that move you were gonna do when you smack their heads together, I wanna see it!"

"I...er...that is," Usopp stuttered. Behind Luffy, Zoro rolled his eyes, and Sanji was shaking his head. Both were clearly preparing to attack on their own, and Usopp decided to take advantage of it, stalling for time. "The thing is, Luffy, it's a very difficult technique that—"

Before he could stall any further, something enormous burst out of the sea. A long, red-finned, dragon-like Sea King several times the size of even the largest of the ambushing Sea Kings dragged itself out of the depths and launched itself at the nearest of the giant sea monsters. It sank its teeth into the ambushing Sea King and dragged it underwater. A minute later the enormous creature came up again, minus the one it had attacked, and lunged at a second ambusher.

"The Sea Emperor!" Chopper shrieked, horrified. "It came back to get you, Usopp! Oh, no!"

"Big deal," Zoro said, with another eye roll. "He probably saw it earlier. Thing's huge enough after all."

Usopp was too shocked to even try to correct them. This was unreal! He'd only told a story, there was totally no _way _it could come true so fast! And yet, there it was...a red-finned, enormous Sea Emperor feasting on Sea Kings right in front of their very eyes!

Luffy seemed delighted with the unusual turn of events, and was laughing as he watched the enormous creature retrieving its dinner. The others were watchful but not really afraid, as long as it didn't come after them. Usopp managed to keep from shaking _too _badly as he watched the Sea Emperor and hoped very hard that he wouldn't be called upon to complete the other half of the story, because he was pretty sure a stare-down with _that thing _would give him a heart attack.

But the Sea Emperor appeared satisfied with its early dinner, and having cleared away the ambushing Sea Kings it only gave them a passing curious glance before slithering off into the sea, leaving them completely alone. The _Thousand Sunny _sailed passed unharmed and on course.

_It was just coincidence, _Usopp told himself. _Totally just a coincidence. _It had happened before. After all, he told Kaya the story of that giant man-eating goldfish once, and they'd actually _met _one outside Little Garden, so who was he to judge? He repeated that to himself several times as they sailed, and by the end of the day, with the creature no longer in front of him, it _almost _felt like it was actually the truth.

* * *

The next day they arrived at a new island. According to the signboard hung above the port's gates, it was friendly to pirates, it took two days for the Log Pose to set, and it was known as the "Lucky Charm of the Sea." There were also lots of advertisements for casinos and spas, which made everyone on the crew excited. They rented a few sticky-footed lizard mounts (the local form of transportation, since most of the island consisted of sheer rock shelves and pillars) and made a day of it, heading to the most acclaimed resorts at the top of the island.

Along the way, they passed through the port village. In the village square was an unusual, bulky stone statue with red glass eyes, and it seemed to grin down at them mischievously as they passed.

"I wonder what it's for," Brook said, as he looked up at the statue with a puzzled expression on his face (relatively speaking).

"It's a statue of me," Usopp said brightly, always ready to spin up a new tale. "I rescued this town from a swarm of man-eating bugs when I was two. Then I trained these lizards so that the villagers could protect themselves from the bugs in the future. They erected the statue in my name!"

Robin chuckled behind one hand, a knowing expression on her face, but before Usopp could ask Luffy said, "But it doesn't have your nose!"

"It broke off," Usopp invented quickly, and rubbed his own nose sympathetically. "There was a tough battle with the bugs shortly after the statue was erected, and unfortunately my nose was a casualty."

They passed the statue by, with Usopp still spinning his newest tale, and none of them spotted the odd glitter in the statue's glass eyes—as if it was laughing.

* * *

The day at the combined casino and spa was fantastic, and every single one of the Straw Hats left in good spirits. They left a little before sundown, since Nami had made a killing at the slots, and was anxious to get her precious money back safe on the _Thousand Sunny _before dark fell; the locals had warned them not to wander at night.

"I wonder why?" Chopper asked from the back of his lizard mount.

"The locals said there are some problems on the roads at night," Franky said with a shrug.

"What kind of problems?" the reindeer asked, still curious.

"I bet Usopp knows," Luffy said. "He's been here already. Hey, Usopp, what is it? Is it monsters?"

From what Usopp had heard it was largely because the lizard-mounts couldn't see in the dark at night, which made it very dangerous to try climbing up and down sheer walls on them when they could easily misstep. But that was hardly an entertaining story, so he put on his most knowing, sneaky grin, and said, "Of course I know! It's _bandits._"

"Bandits?" Luffy and Chopper asked brightly.

"Here we go," Sanji muttered under his breath. The others sighed in exasperation.

But Usopp could feel he was on a roll now, so he said, "Yup, bandits! And not just any bandits—there's a whole bandit _caravan _out there. There's a great Thief Prince who roams this island at night, with a band of four thousand followers! They wait along the roads to waylay hapless casino winners and steal all their money, and then they disappear back into the night!"

"Oh no!" Chopper cried out in horror. "Nami won a lot of money—that means they'll come after us, right? What do we do?"

"Oh, please," Nami growled. "Like I'd let any bandits get at _my _precious beri."

"We'll be fine, Chopper," Usopp promised. "Because I've met the Thief Prince before, when I was three, after I won four hundred million beri from that very casino there!"

"I thought you said you'd never been to that casino before?" Sanji asked dryly.

"Well I haven't been to that _precise _one, they've remodeled it since I was last here. Anyway, there they were, all stretched out before me ready across the road, just waiting to ambush me! But the Great Captain Usopp was anything but afraid. I charged forward on my noble steed and together we defeated those bandits and sent them running!"

Luffy and Chopper once again clapped and cheered delightedly, Robin chuckled, Zoro, Sanji and Nami did not look amused, and Franky and Brook looked puzzled. "How do the bandits travel up these steep inclines at night, if these lizards cannot see in the dark?" the skeleton asked.

Usopp figured _giant spider mounts _would be a great addition to the story, but before he could say so, Chopper squealed. "The Thief Prince! He's here now!" Surprised, the sniper whipped his head forward to spot at least ten men spread across the road in front of them, bristling with swords and guns in the late afternoon light.

Usopp screeched in surprise. No way! That was the second time in two days...now this was getting _really _weird!

The bandits were already charging, and Usopp could hear Luffy, Zoro and Sanji preparing to deal with their opponents. Usopp was _completely _okay with letting them handle it, story or no, but unexpectedly his lizard mount let out a bizarre warble and charged forward at top speed, straight for the attackers. The lizards had very strap-heavy saddles to keep one from falling out when riding at ninety degrees or even upside down, but it also meant they weren't easy to get out of fast.

The end result was that Usopp screamed the whole way as he was, entirely unexpectedly, towed with the creature. He flailed madly as he tried to get out of the saddle before his suicidal lizard hit the bandits, but all that he managed to do was free his legs before the reptile careened into the (very surprised) attackers. He was pretty sure his feet hit a few things that might possibly have been heads, and his lizard appeared to have gone temporarily mad and was bucking like a wild bronco beneath him (now he was very happy to be strapped in tight). When his vision finally stopped blurring five minutes later he realized that all ten attackers were sprawled out on the ground, covered in nasty bruises and groaning in pain.

"That was amazing, Usopp!" Chopper said delightedly. Luffy pouted. He'd wanted in on the fun, too.

"Well, y'know...Great Captain Usopp," the sniper said dazedly. But inside he was starting to get very, very worried.

* * *

The next day, Nami sent the boys down to the market to purchase necessary supplies for the ship, while she headed back to the casino. Complaints were met with her waiting fists and Sanji's additional kicks, which was why an hour later they were all down in the marketplace, grudgingly helping the cook with food shopping.

Usopp was getting worried now. His stories were coming to life, he was sure of it! The Sea Emperor thing could maybe be written off as coincidence, but _two _exact stories in a row coming true was unheard of, even on the Grand Line. Something was definitely wrong with his stories...or maybe with him!

"Maybe I ate a Devil Fruit when I wasn't looking," he said. The _Story Story Fruit. _The ability to tell any tale and bring it to life. Well, that wouldn't be _so _bad...he really could have his eighty-thousand warriors, then. Of course, he wouldn't ever be able to tell great stories to Chopper and Luffy without putting them in danger, either...he couldn't live with _that. _

"I should test this," he decided. "Pick something really impossible that could never happen, and if it _does, _then it has to be a magical power that I've gotten...somehow." He scanned the market place, and his eyes fell on Sanji, currently bartering with an old man selling vegetables at a market stall.

Well he had said _impossible_...

"Once upon a time, there was a sea cook with a curly eyebrow," Usopp recited out loud to himself. "He had a lot of strength and many skills, but not the one thing he really wanted, which was _true love. _He went on a lot of voyages and journeys and stuff, yadda yadda, and eventually the woman destined for him laid eyes on him for the first time—"

A girl burst out of the small shop behind the vegetable stall, carrying a basket of produce to add to its collection. She dropped the basket abruptly when she caught sight of Sanji, and said with a breathy sigh, "Oh, by Jeskii, you're the man of my _dreams._"

Sanji abandoned his bartering almost immediately and spun over to the girl, looking delighted. He seemed just about to deliver a suave remark, when a squeal of delight came from the next stall over, and a second woman launched herself at the cook. "I've been waiting for you all my life!" the newcomer screeched in a very high-pitched voice.

Sanji looked like he couldn't believe his good fortune, and that was when the third girl showed up, and the fourth, and the fifth. He now appeared to be fighting hard not to burst into a violent nosebleed as he was smothered by women and their various..._attributes. _

"What have I done," Usopp said, eyes wide. That tore it: he'd somehow gained magical powers.

* * *

An hour later found the boys back on the _Thousand Sunny_, not exactly in the best of spirits. Sanji had been in danger of a severe smothering-to-death with madly-in-love fans, and Usopp had been forced to hunt down Zoro and Luffy to wade in and extricate the cook—a fact that Sanji was _still _expressing his adamant displeasure about, via angry high-powered kicks.

"But Sanji!" Luffy had complained. "Without us you'd have been squished to death!"

"_Then I would have died happy!_" Sanji had shrieked in reply.

Usopp took the opportunity to scuttle to the side and track down Franky to confess about the new series of strange occurrences. Franky was smart, and much older, and most importantly didn't hang on to every story he said; maybe he could help.

But Franky seemed just as puzzled as Usopp was when he pointed out the Sea Emperor, and the bandit caravan, and Sanji's near-death love story. Even worse, Zoro—presently ducking for a breather from the fight behind a pile of crates on deck—overheard and said dryly, "You're overreacting. It's the freakin' Grand Line. It's just weird coincidence."

But not even Zoro's usual confidence was reassuring today, when Usopp was _damned _sure he was bringing his stories to life somehow—maybe subconsciously, but he _was _doing it, he knew it.

With the supply run a bust, the boys decided to head back to the casino. They mounted their rented lizards and headed down the long (and frequently vertical) road again. Unsurprisingly, Luffy started getting bored very quickly.

"Tell us a story, Usopp," the captain begged.

Those were the words Usopp had been dreading. If he told a story, it was going to come to life! Well, he'd just have to make sure it was something so mundane, that not even seeing it in real life would be a problem. "Alright," he agreed. "Once upon a time there was a pirate crew, and they visited an island that had a lot of contests. You could win prizes, so they decided to enter it."

"What were the contests?" Luffy asked delightedly. "Did they have to fight monsters? Did they win?"

"No, there were no monsters!" Usopp said, horrified. "They were perfectly ordinary contests. The pirates were so awesome that they won them all and got all the money and left happy. There, the end."

Luffy pouted. "That was a bad story!" He complained. Chopper nodded beside him, looking disappointed.

Usopp really hated seeing that look, and before he could stop himself he'd yelped hastily, "Haha, got you! They actually had to fight some ninjas in order to—"

They turned around the corner of the small village street they were currently walking up. Without warning, several of the local townsfolk spun around and began kicking and chopping at the air wildly, mysteriously producing bandannas, extra shirts, and other strips of cloth from their bags or pockets to tie over their eyes like masks. Their lizard mounts froze, clearly confused, and the Straw Hats strapped atop them were just as surprised. Even Zoro looked shocked.

"What the hell is going on?" Usopp shrieked, throwing up his hands in a panic. "I never had these powers before, why am I all of a sudden magical!"

The makeshift ninjas advanced, still slashing and chopping wildly with unexpected karate moves, and there were a lot of them. The pirates didn't really want to hurt them—Usopp was pretty sure they were still commoners—and that was assuming they could get unstrapped from their lizard saddles in time to fight anyway.

"Usopp," Zoro growled, "It's _your _freakin' story—make something up and do it fast!"

"_Pianos!_" Usopp yelped frantically, shouting out the first thing to come into his head. "A piano runs the ninjas over!"

Even Luffy gave him a skeptical look at that one. Alright, not his _best_ work. Usopp was trying to calm himself as the 'ninjas' advanced further, when, without warning, someone started swearing frantically from the house standing just ahead of them. "Catch it, Frank!" Somebody yelped, and then there was a crashingnoise, and a full-sized grand piano came bursting out of a now very broken doorway and smashing into the street, sending makeshift ninjas scattering.

Brook fainted dead away (skull joke) at the horrible sight of instrument mistreatment. Everyone else gave Usopp stunned looks.

"That was _amazing, _Usopp!" Chopper finally said, eyes sparkling. "How did you do that?"

"Well, it turns out, I'm magical," Usopp said, still a little too dazed at his unexpected piano save to really brag.

"Magical?" somebody said. "Hardly, boy! But it does seem you've attracted Jeskii's attention." They turned to look. It was an old man, dressed in robes, who was striding towards them with an air of superiority.

"Who're you?" Sanji asked.

"I am a priest of Jeskii, one of this island's deities," the man explained. "Jeskii is the patron deity of gambling, thieves and liars. He is very partial to a good well-told lie or story." The man pointed down the street at the clearing just ahead, where the same glass-eyed statue from before stood. "For those who catch Jeskii's eye, he grants the wishes of those who can truly entertain him...and he _is _something of a prankster, too." The man's lips quirked in amusement.

"So...wait," Usopp said. "You're saying all this time my stories have been coming to life because this god likes them, so he's _making _them come to life?"

"A rough summary, but yes," the man answered. "He must find them entertaining, so he makes them happen. You should consider yourself fortunate, boy—you must be a very good entertainer to catch his attention. Though, if you wish to avoid such excitement for the remainder of your visit, I suggest you watch your tongue, unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences." The man smiled again.

Usopp gave a sigh of relief. Well _that _wasn't so bad! Admittedly it'd still be neat to make all of his stories come to life, but not when he couldn't control it. If it was just a god messing with him, well, he could live with that. And if his stories were enough to entertain on even the deities' levels...he grinned smugly to himself. That'd teach the others to mock his stories!

Usopp smirked all the way to the casino at the newfound godly praise for his storytelling ability. He really _was _amazing, wasn't he? The bandits really had been genius, and everyone enjoyed love stories, and well, how often could one finish off a spectacularly epic fight with a _piano?_ Definitely worthwhile stories, all told, although he felt like he was...forgetting...one...

Like the Sea Emperor. Which he'd told the story of _before _they reached the island, almost a day previous. And before he'd _ever _told a story in front of that god's statue to catch his attention. Maybe his power wasn't quite so unrealistic after all.

"Oh, no," was all the sniper could manage to groan.

* * *

It was tough to get an idea for this one, but once I did, it was super fun to write :)

~VelkynKarma


	3. Sparring

**Title: **Sparring  
**(Words:) **2,385  
**Rating:** PG  
**Warnings:** Minor violence via sparring...that's it, I think.  
**Prompt:** By peskyerrandboy. The exact wording of the original prompt has since been deleted, but they basically requested some Zoro and Brook nakamaship, based around their common interest in swords...either fighting, or training.  
**Notes: **Obviously, set post-Thriller Bark...think that's it!  
**Disclaimer(s): **I do not own, or pretend to own, _One Piece_ or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda.

* * *

A week after the Thriller Bark incident, Brook was still reeling from his newfound life and crew. It was amazing to think he was a part of such an enormously strong and wonderfully caring little family, and now that he'd had a chance to be a part of them he didn't regret joining for a second. He respected each and every member and wanted desperately to help them achieve their dreams, just as they were going to help him reunite with Laboon. That meant he had to get stronger—so strong they could rely on him for anything.

At first he just tried to train on his own, but that proved to be useless. Even though he'd spent years training alone on his own dead ship, that clearly hadn't been enough to let him best Ryuma, and now he had to get even stronger than _that. _And he was desperate to be useful, to not hold the Straw Hats back with his own weakness. He knew he was a competent swordsman in his own right, but he had to be _more _than that in order to earn his keep on this crew.

So he turned to the only other person on the ship who could help him overcome that, go above and beyond what he already was: Zoro, the only other swordsman, and the only other member who could understand Brook's dilemma in full.

To be truthful, Brook was _almost _embarrassed to have to ask for Zoro's help. After all, he'd witnessed Zoro's duel with Ryuma, after his own horrifically failed attempt, and the distance between them had been shocking. Zoro might be almost seventy years his junior, but he was unquestionably already a master of the art of the blade, handled his katana with such simultaneous grace and power it was almost beautiful to watch. Brook didn't think the rest of the Straw Hats really understood just how skilled Zoro _was, _but as a swordsman he himself had just enough skill to see it, and to understand he was never, ever going to catch up to Zoro's current level of skill with the blade. It was almost a shame, to have to annoy such an artist with such a meager request.

But Zoro didn't seem to mind, when Brook tentatively asked to do a little sparring. He just shrugged and told Brook to meet him on deck the next day for some practice. So Brook did, fully prepared for a major sparring session that was almost certainly going to leave bruises (though he didn't have any skin to bruise, _yohohoho!_)

But the first day Zoro didn't really _spar _with him, not exactly. "Attack me," Zoro ordered. "Go for the kill—don't worry about hurting me, and don't use the flat of the sword."

Brook frowned as best as he could with his mostly immobile face. "I could seriously injure you, Zoro-san," he said worriedly. "I certainly don't want to be responsible for the death of a nakama."

"You won't hit me," Zoro said calmly, as he drew a single blade—_Shuusui, _ironically, the same one Brook had struggled against for years to try and reclaim his shadow. "I need to see your style and intensity head on, without you holding back."

"But you witnessed my fencing style against Ryuma, did you not?" Brook asked, puzzled.

Zoro shrugged. "I saw how he used it, not you. There's a difference. Now stop wasting my time and attack already."

Brook was still concerned for his sparring partner's safety, but he did as told, beginning with the sharp thrust technique of _Gavotte Bond en Avant_. Zoro batted it aside almost instantly, and for a moment Brook winced, expecting retaliation. But Zoro didn't fight back at all, merely waited for the next attack, gaze intense as he watched the blade.

_Studying, _Brook realized suddenly. _He's studying my style as I use it more seriously, learning how it works through observation. _He wouldn't argue with a master swordsman such as Zoro. Reasonably sure now that Zoro could handle himself without risking death, Brook began to apply his attacks more forcefully, more aggressively, utilizing the rapid thrusts, slashes, aerial maneuvers, and quick draws that his fencing style emphasized.

For all his attempts he never once came even close to hitting Zoro. Each and every time the swordsman batted the reaching blade aside easily with _Shuusui, _looking utterly unconcerned for his own safety while still intently studying each and every attack. He missed nothing, even though he wore that bored, scowling expression on his face. Almost, Brook might have been insulted at what was essentially a slap in the face, but he knew Zoro didn't actually mean anything by it, unlike Ryuma had. It was just a fact that Brook could never touch him, that he didn't even have to worry, and that was all.

They kept at it for hours, and Zoro never fought back once. By the end of it, even without lungs, Brook was panting hard from the efforts of trying to break through Zoro's single-sword defense. The skeleton couldn't help but be a little awed. If this was what Zoro was like with only _one _sword, he was almost afraid to imagine how terrifying an opponent he was with _three. _

"That's enough for today," Zoro said suddenly, and calmly sheathed his katana. He didn't even look winded. "You go rest or something. Come back tomorrow and I'll have something worked out."

"Worked out?" Brook asked, still breathing heavily, although he gratefully sheathed his cane sword and sat down on the lawn.

"To make you stronger," Zoro said with a shrug. "That's what you want, right?"

"Yes, of course, Zoro-san. I'll be here tomorrow at the same time as before!"

"Great," Zoro said, and walked away to do his actual training with heavy weights and strict katas.

Brook puzzled over Zoro's intentions for most of the day, and wondered how the swordsman planned to make his own swordsmanship better. He hadn't a clue, but he trusted Zoro completely when it came to things like this, and obediently showed up the next day for his next sparring lesson.

"Same thing as before," Zoro instructed, once again drawing _Shuusui. _"Go for the kill. No flat."

Brook nodded, and _very _much aware that Zoro could handle it now after yesterday, lunged forward immediately with a fast thrusting move, intended to pierce Zoro's heart.

As with yesterday, Zoro almost immediately batted the move aside. Unlike yesterday, however, he twisted _Shuusui _suddenly and brought the flat of his katana around to smack into Brook's ribs on the left side, causing the skeleton to yelp and stumble sideways, desperately attempting to recover his balance. "That move's strong, but only if it hits," Zoro warned, voice strict. "If you miss it puts you dangerously off balance. If I didn't kill you with a blade to the ribs, you're _definitely _open to attack now." He demonstrated by calmly thrusting _Shuusui's _point through Brook's ribcage once again, a symbolic gesture more than a literal one, stabbing at Brook's non-existent heart as he stumbled.

"I—of course, Zoro-san!" Brook stammered immediately. "I've never actually missed anyone with it before—"

"Doesn't matter," Zoro countered. "You'd better have an answer to everything, even a miss. Make it better. Attack me again."

Brook grit his teeth in determination and did so. This time he attempted something different: his disarming technique, _Prelude: Au Fer, _which he doubted would break _Shuusui _but might tangle up the swordsman at least. This, too, failed pretty miserably. While Brook closed range between them stunningly fast, Zoro was still faster, and slashed out with _Shuusui _on Brook's right, once again cracking him painfully in the ribcage.

"Stop announcing yourself," Zoro ordered, as Brook crashed to the ground. "The way you shift your weight before you attack, it's obvious you're going for my sword and not me. Gives me plenty of time to predict what you're going to do, and that leaves your right side open for a fraction of a second. Might not sound like much, but strong people will still see it and use it. Attack me again."

Brook scowled, now starting to get frustrated. Zoro might be a master, but it was still humiliating to have his sword style picked apart so effortlessly like this! He hurled himself to his feet and threw himself at Zoro in a series of powerful slashes, yelling loudly. Zoro frowned at the display, looking displeased, and promptly fought back with powerful slashes of his own—ones that promptly flung Brook halfway across the deck as they countered and overthrew the skeleton's own moves.

"You're a lightweight, Brook," Zoro ordered sharply. "Without muscle, don't think you can use brute force to overcome somebody. Especially _me. _Play to your strengths instead—that's speed."

Humbled, Brook cringed slightly and nodded in apology. "Of course," he responded. "I seem to have lost my head there for a moment, Zoro-san. It won't happen again."

"Great," Zoro said. "Attack me again."

On and on it went, once again for hours. Brook attacked and attacked, and Zoro deflected each and every move, retaliated by specifically targeting the weak points of the style. It was still humiliating to have his fencing style flayed and picked apart like this, like it was nothing. But at the same time every point Zoro made was valid, and every weakness he deliberately exploited was a chance to get stronger, if he could manage to get rid of them. Difficult as Zoro's training was, Brook was glad nevertheless that he'd asked for a little technical help.

And, Brook realized, he was learning a few things about Zoro as well—not just his skills as a swordsman, but about the _person_. Zoro never complimented him on anything he did right, not once, just pointed out all the flaws and weaknesses of his fencing style, and in the beginning that was quite discouraging to the skeleton. But after a while he started to realize that, although Zoro didn't voice it, he did show his approval in other ways. There was the almost imperceptible nod as Brook utilized the speed only a skeleton could possess with his rapid-fire thrusting techniques, the genuinely satisfied glitter in his eyes when Brook employed his aerial skills and acrobatic abilities to dodge some of Zoro's counters, or the almost playful tap of katana on cane-sword as they finished a pass, as if to say, _well played._ Zoro never once said anything less than critical with words, but his actions said otherwise, and Brook found himself strangely encouraged after all.

Not that Zoro's skills were anything less than impressive, either. He never complimented, but he _did _give suggestions to fix some of the weaknesses and flaws in Brook's style, helped to rework it into something even stronger. He even adapted the fencing style to demonstrate, and Brook was amazed at how fast he was able to pick it up, replicate it, even fight in it against Brook to make a particular point when it was necessary. Brook was reminded again and again that this man, who only just barely _qualified _as a man, was so naturally gifted with a blade it was almost frightening. Brook had no doubt at all now that he would be the greatest swordsman in the world one day—with that level of skill and dedication, it was inevitable.

By the end of that day Brook's old bones were a mess of spiderweb cracks and chips, and he was going to need _quite _a bit of milk to recuperate. But he'd learned a lot, and had already taken the first steps to shore up his defenses and make his offenses even more efficient and deadly. Zoro told him to take a day off to recover, and come back again if he wanted more sparring practice. Now that Brook had come to him for help, the swordsman was determined to see his part in it through to the end, and he would do it for sure.

So Brook came back again, and for another day after that, and another after that. Zoro sparred with him each time, determinedly ruthless with his criticisms and applications of the flat of the blade to unprotected bones. But as the days went by both happened less and less often, as Brook fought hard to improve and naturally incorporate Zoro's suggestions into his fighting style. Brook was a fast learner, and it became obvious after two weeks of sparring practice with Zoro, when he could finally hold his own reasonably well against the swordsman—although admittedly only when Zoro used one sword.

He would never be as good as Zoro when it came to swordsmanship, Brook realized eventually. That was simply an impossibility; he just didn't have Zoro's skill or dedication to the art of the blade, or that natural talent and strength that made swords all but his _soul. _But, Brook decided, he could certainly see his own improvement after their sparring sessions, and was _very _glad he'd decided to ask Zoro for help. He was stronger now, for sure—enough to hold his own on the Straw Hat crew, enough to help protect everyone else's dreams and lives like they would for him (although, he was already dead, _yohohoho!_)

And perhaps Zoro enjoyed it too, Brook hoped. The skeleton could never be a suitable opponent for somebody aiming for the title of _world's greatest, _but they did have a newly strengthened bond now as swordsmen that nobody else on the crew could possibly have, and that had to count for something. Perhaps Zoro enjoyed employing his own skill and strength for something other than his own dream, or for strictly combat. It didn't seem like he'd ever had the opportunity to make somebody _else _stronger before, and although he never ever _said _anything Brook almost thought the swordsman was proud of him for improving so quickly, for dedicating himself to this new training as best as he could.

Yes, Brook decided, this was definitely a good arrangement for the both of them. They were arriving at Sabaody Archipelago tomorrow, from the sounds of it, but when they went back to voyaging on the open seas they would certainly have to continue their spars.

* * *

And then the timeskip happened, lol.

I remember this one was quite fun to write. Brook can always use more love :)

~VelkynKarma


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One Piece