The Return Of Joyboy!

Luffy was smiling brightly as he started his journey in his tiny rowboat. His Dad and brothers had offered him better, but he wouldn't have any other. He wanted to have adventures and seek life in his own way. And that includes the ships he will steal or buy in the future. Taking a bite from the apple, he watched as the few clouds above him slowly drifted past.

Ace had already started his adventures, and Sabo was doing what he wanted from an early age. His brothers were doing great things on their own and he won't stay back. He is going to get a crew which would rival others and would soon fight a Yonko! He would be getting stronger and stronger, so that he would be able to protect whoever he wants to! He won't be getting a vast crew like the Whitebeards. He wants a crew of ten. A swordsman, a navigator, a sniper, a cook and some more.

His hand went to grab another apple, when his hands came in contact with the air. He pouted. Well, he can eat when he reaches an island. He sat up and looked at his mother, who was humming a song to him, until the swirling of waves hit his ear. He stood up and he was greeted by the sight of a whirlpool. Well, here the test of his mother starts. From here he is an ordinary person who has no advantage over his mother.

He ran through the options in mind. He can't swim. He can abandon the boat though. He can always ask his mother but that would be cheating!! He is not always going to ask his mother! He has to grow up on his own. With that thought in his mind he looked at the empty barrel. Well, he can fit in it.

He looked at the whirlpool once more and poked his tongue out. With that he jumped into the empty barrel, which was dark. He took his backpack with him; he doesn't want to lose it. The only source of light came from a little glow which his body provided. Within seconds, he was asleep, completely unconcerned by the dangers he could face.

.

On a remote Island, on a pink colored ship, a fat, ugly lady ran her fingers through the railings of a ship. A layer of dust settled on her fingers as she asked in a cold voice the reason for so much dust. Her men, her crew, the pirates, got scared of her as they tried to beg for forgiveness. They tried to persuade the fat lady to give them a second chance and that they will never let it happen again. But the captain, Lady Alvida, as she was called, mercilessly pounded her Iron Mace on the pirate which tried to beg for another chance. She then turned towards a short, pink- haired boy, who visibly started sweating.

"Coby! Who's the most beautiful person in all the Seas?" The captain asked the timid boy with a shark-like grin.

"I-I-I-I-It's obviously you, Lady A-Alvida!" Coby uttered, his whole trembling as he held the cleaning stick tightly in his helpless arms.

The captain laughed maniacally before she stated the obvious reason of why Coby, the pink haired brat, was still alive and not dead.

Navigation.

Coby was the only one who had more knowledge than anyone on the ship about navigation in the world of seas, where they live.

Coby winced quietly when a kick landed on his gut by the captain of the ship, who then ordered her crew to keep on cleaning and retired to rest in her own cabin.

Coby wiped his silent tears, shakily getting up and thanking the gods for he didn't get an iron mace on his head as he had thought he would get. Sniffling quietly and realizing how pitiful he really is to be a slave for a pirate and to have his dreams crushed, Coby wobbled to a corner where he was left all alone.

The silent waves would always calm him down, promising a good time in the future, but Coby couldn't feel that today as he begged for freedom from his miserable life, for happiness which he once had, and for the will to believe and achieve his dream.

His glassy eyes opened to find something amiss. There was a barrel floating in the sea waters. He stood up, wiping his tears, to drag the barrel out, all in hopes of getting a little leverage and less beating from the ruthless captain.

He pulled the barrel out of the sea using a rope and later started dragging it to the storeroom, as he assumed that it contained sake.

But it seemed like his luck had run out like always.

Pirates were standing on the door, ready to take his loot.

He was helpless against them. A weak, pathetic cabin boy who couldn't even protect himself.

He stood there with his head hung low, as the pirates approached the barrel with a smirk. He saw one of them about to punch the barrel but instantly got a jump scare when a strawhat wearing kid broke out of it.

"Man, that was a good nap!" The strawhat wearing kid chirped happily, as if he wasn't in a deadly situation with two pirates before him carrying their swords.

The pirate who had attempted to punch the barrel laid knocked out on the ground, increasing the fury of the other two, whose jaws were wide open but hands on their weapons.

"Who are you guys?" The strawhat wearing kid tilted his head curiously at the two pirates who shouted back at him about who he was.

It was comical to say the least. Coby would have laughed out if he wasn't surrounded by strong pirates, outside of his league.

He didn't want the strawhat kid to be captured like him, to suffer and beg like him for a day to live. He would hate himself if the kid got trapped in the hell hole which he is in... where he isn't even allowed to dream.

The pirates swung their swords before Coby could move. His eyes closed instinctively fearing the worst. He wanted to protect the kid who looked even younger than him. He wanted to protest and shout at the pirates to leave them alone, but not a single word left his mouth as he stood frozen in his place.

He waited for the sickening sound of flesh being cut off or blood squashing on his face, but when only the sound of bodies thudding on the floor came, he opened his eyes fearfully, not wanting to see the kid dead on the floor.

But what he saw was something completely different than what he could ever think of. The pirates were laying on the ground, unconscious, while the kid was getting himself out of the barrel.

A sigh of relief escaped City's mouth.

"A-Are you alright? Did you get hurt?" Coby asked the kid nervously, but in reality, he could see no scratches or fear on the grinning teen. How had he managed to knock out the three pirates? Maybe the pirates were weak due to slacking off? Yeah, that seems like the right answer because only Alvida was the strongest one on the entire ship.

"I'm fine!" The kid spoke with a bright grin on his face. "I'm Luffy. What's with them??" The kid- Luffy asked innocently after introducing himself.

As if a switch was turned on in Coby's brain, he remembered where he was and whispered, "R-run! Others will come back soon and you'll be killed!!"

Or captured like himself... but he doesn't believe Alvida would keep any other alive.

"But I am hungry!" Coby was baffled at the whine the kid let out with an innocent pout on his lips. The kid was too carefree for Coby's liking. But he would not let him be captured and have the same misfortune as him or worse let him die because he was too weak to protect him.

Luffy didn't wait for an answer from the pink haired boy as he was already walking to the direction his nose was guiding him to. The barrels filled with food.

"These look great!" He let out an excited whoop and dumped the meat jerkies in his mouth.

"M-My name is Coby." Coby let out when he realized that he couldn't leave Luffy alone. Coby noted that he looked a year or two younger than him. He was scrawnier than him, more innocent and carefree.

"Is this a pirate ship?" Luffy asked, munching on the food, after a while.

"Yes, it's the pirate ship of Alvida-sama." Coby answered meekly.

Luffy nodded. He hadn't heard the name ever. Maybe it was an upstart pirate or some weakling whose name neither the revolutionaries bothered to remember nor his mother.

"Do you know if there are any boats on the board?" Luffy asked with his mouth full.

Coby nodded as he led Luffy to the inner docks of the ship to show him a boat, which he has been building secretly for the past two years.

The boat looked more like a coffin to be honest.

Coby saw how generous the boy was when he said, "Don't you need the boat? You don't look like you want to stay here."

"I-I want to escape from here but whenever I think about it." Coby shuddered, remembering what happened to an old crew member. "The big iron mace of Alvida-sama appears before me."

The mace which would slam on to his head and finish him with one blow.

Coby then explained how he left for fishing two years ago to accidentally walk on to the ship of these pirates. How miserable his life has been since then being the chore boy of the ship.

"You're pretty stupid and useless and you seem kind of wimpy too. I don't like you." Coby's lips wobbled at the blunt reply of Luffy, who was smiling throughout the ordeal. He knew it was the truth, he was too cowardly to take a stand for himself.

Coby failed to see how Luffy was trying to agitate him to leave the ship and stand up for himself.

"Where are your parents?" Coby uttered, wanting to forget the insult. He was really curious too of why a parent would leave a carefree kid like Luffy alone.

"At home." Luffy replied through a huge grin.

"Why are you here then?" Coby asked, getting worried for the strawhat boy. Maybe Luffy was in a ship which got stowed away.

"I'm sailing to become the Pirate King!" Luffy exclaimed loudly, shouting out his dream for Coby to hear. Coby's jaw dropped to the ground at the mere declaration.

"P-P-Pirate King?!!! The one who has everything in the world??!!!" Coby found himself getting hysterical. Maybe his dream is even more probable than the kids before him. "Are you telling me that you're looking for the 'World's Greatest Treasure' The 'ONE PIECE'?!!!! You wanna die or something?! All the pirates in the world are looking for that treasure!!"

Coby saw Luffy pout, cross his arms over his chest and his leg on the other as he replied affirmative.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Utterly impossible! To become the pirate king in the pirate era there's no chance!! Utterly impossible-!" Coby's head throbbed as he was booked on the head by Luffy bonking him, making him cry out in pain.

"Why'd you hit me?!" Coby whimpered out holding his head.

"'Cause I felt like it!" Luffy answered simply with a little pout on his face.

"...Oh well, I'm used to it anyway." Coby let out a nervous laugh, eyes on the ground. He was slowly beginning to realize that he would never reach his dream since he couldn't even stand up against a guy younger than himself.

Unknown to Coby, whirls of emotion flooded inside of Luffy. The one of hopelessness of not being able to leave what his duty was in previous life. The fear of being lonely again...

Luffy jumped from the counter, leaving the thoughts. His hands clutched his locket and strawhat, making him realize that he wasn't lonely.

"I'm not afraid of dying. Because it's my dream and that's why I won't mind dying for it!" Luffy declared with a bright grin on his face as he looked at Coby.

A spark of hope ignited inside of Coby as he looked at the pure determination and resolution radiating in the eyes of Luffy.

"Won't even mind death...?!" Coby asked in disbelief. In his short life, he had met a lot of people, but everyone was scared of death. For once he thought Luffy was lying but he couldn't find it.

He saw Luffy look outside through the only window in the storeroom, the sun shining brightly on his sun-kissed sun and his grin getting impossibly brighter.

"Yep! Besides that, I have done it way before. I can do it once again, even if it gets tougher in this era!"

Coby didn't understand a single word which Luffy uttered, but his mind was already focusing on one single sentence. Luffy isn't afraid to die for his dream.

Something clicked inside Coby for the first time.

Death. Why should he fear it? It has to come for everyone one day but that doesn't mean that he has to give up on his dream because it's too dangerous or seemingly impossible.

Stream of tears left his eyes, wetting his cheeks as hope was bubbling inside his heart.

"W-Will I be also able to accomplish my dream, if I'm willing to die for it?" Coby asked with a shaky voice, as he looked at Luffy's brown chocolatey eyes. Even if he was scared that his hope would be stamped on, he dared to ask further. "Will I be able to become a marine...?"

An impossibly wider smile lit up on Luffy's face at his words. He could tell that there was something more to it, but Coby couldn't place it at all.

"Marine?" He heard Luffy question with a look which was filled with pride.

"Yes! I know it means that we'll be enemies! But joining the marines and catching bad guys has always been my dream." Coby declared to Luffy without hesitation. All the confusion and uncertainty he had ever felt about his dream had vanished.

"I wouldn't know until you try!" Luffy answered playfully to Coby.

"No! I'll do it! If I'm gonna be a chore boy for the rest of my life, then I'll train myself and break out of here and catch Alvida-sama, no, Alvida!" Coby shouted in determination, feeling a surge of adrenaline pumping in his veins.

But unfortunately, his luck and determination faded away as an iron mace destroyed his years worth of hard work, his escape vessel- his coffin boat.

A strangled cry left Coby's mouth as he fell on his knees and noticed the towering figure of the one who he had scored to catch above him. Out of fear, he didn't even see the shadowed face of Luffy and the anger coursing through him.

All Coby could see was their death standing before them. Alvida and the other pirates. He could even see some of them snickering in the back.

"You're gonna team up with him to catch who?" Alvida's dark thunderous voice rang in Coby's ears, making his whole body tremble and shake in fear. He couldn't even speak a word.

"You don't seem to be Zoro." Alvida continued as she studied the scrawny teen wearing a strawhat, with a sharp grin on her chubby face.

"Zoro?" Luffy repeated the name, not sure who the person was but he vaguely remembers hearing his name from somewhere.

Alvida ignored the kid, to call out her little slave, who freaked out in fear.

"Before you die, I'm gonna ask you who's the most beautiful of all in these seas?" Alvida questioned Coby, who was on the verge of crying. This was it for him. He was going to die. All the years of suffering were going to be over, and he couldn't even try to become a marine.

Coby's eyes flickered to Luffy, wanting to apologize for not protecting him, when he saw the hooded look Luffy was giving. He was almost terrified by it but the conversation which they had just moments earlier flooded in his mind.

He gulped, sterling his eyes and closed his fists tight, as he finally looked Alvida straight in her eyes for the first time in his life. He could feel his heart pump the loudest, in fear and determination as he spoke out the words, which he was sure would be his last.

"In all the seas, Alvida..." Coby spoke, trying to calm his beating heart and shaking body. He looked at Luffy for the last time before locking his eyes at Alvida's. He could see the fat ass woman already gritting her teeth and eyes glaring daggers at him for committing the felony. But Coby wasn't going to back off now, not when he gets to be brave for once in his life. Even if he was going to die, he would be happy to know that he was brave and took a step towards his dream. So, he stood up on his shaking legs and shouted out loud. "IS THE MOST UGLY, RUDEST DAMNED BITCH OF AN OLD HAG!!!"

Adrenaline pumped in his veins as he closed his eyes shut, preparing for the iron mace to make him a bloody pancake.

"Very well, Coby!" Coby's eyes flew open when he heard Luffy's voice too close. The sight left him crying. Luffy was crushed under the iron mace which was meant for him.

"Lu-" His cries were shut off when he saw Luffy sprang up like a springboard.

"That won't work on me!" Luffy grinned and took in the shocked looks of the pirates. Without any further wait, he punched the fat whale in her stomach, making her fly through the ship, leaving a gaping hole.

The pirates were stunned in shock. Too speechless to utter a single word and too afraid to move.

"Prepare a boat for Coby! He wants to join the marines! So, stay outta his way!" Luffy warned the rest of the pirates with a sharp grin on his face, making the pirates scramble off instantly with screams of fear.

Coby's eyes filled with happy tears as Luffy's magical laughter resounded in his mind.

Freedom. Joy. Relief.

Every positive emotion flooded within Coby as he looked at his savior, someone who he will forever look up to. He couldn't believe that he was finally free. And all because of Luffy. He will be eternally grateful to him, to give him a reason to believe in his dream, to sprinkle the seeds of hope and bring happiness in his life once more.

"Looks like we got away." Coby mumbled as he looked at the pirate ship which was now being attacked by marines.

"Whew, that was fun!" Luffy laughed from where he sat.

"Umm, Luffy?" Coby asked, making Luffy turn towards him with his ever-present grin on his face. "If you're looking for 'One Piece' that means you will go to the 'Grand Line', right?!"

"Yeah." Luffy said with the widest grin he had till now seen on his face.

"But that place is known as the pirates' graveyard." Coby stated as a matter of fact. His sentence didn't even deter the ever-present smile on his face.

"Yeah, that's why I need a strong crew and one of them is being held captive at the place you're going."

Coby's eyes widened as he realized that Luffy was speaking about none other than the famous pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro. He froze when the rumors about the said pirate hunter ran in his mind.

"Luffy, you should not try to recruit him." Coby uttered frantically to the teenager, whom he had come to respect since the last few hours. "He is a demon, a criminal!"

He really hoped his words would sway Luffy but to his utter dismay, Luffy dug his pinky in his nose and asked, "So?"

"He will not hesitate to kill you!" Coby tried to point out the obvious. Even if Luffy was strong enough to beat Alvida, Coby didn't think that he would be stronger than Roronoa Zoro. He didn't want his savior to get killed by a bloodthirsty pirate hunter.

Luffy smiled brightly with his signature laugh. "If Zoro would be a good guy, then I would ask him to join otherwise not."

That made Coby feel a bit relieved.

.

The sky darkened as the serene night arrived. Besides the twinkling stars, there was no source of light in the dark ocean. The wind was blowing softly, and the waves were swaying calmly, as if a mother was lulling her child to a peaceful slumber.

Coby was enjoying the slightly cold weather and his freedom, which he had gotten after two years of constant suffering. It was all thanks to Luffy who was staring at the stars with a wide grin on his face. The silence was comforting rather than awkward. Coby could hear Luffy snickering at times and his sun kissed skin glowing or grinning, as if he was hearing some tales carried by the wind.

Coby doesn't remember when he fell asleep to the soft swaying of the waters and fell in the land of dreams where he was a marine and capturing bad guys.

But when he woke up next, he found their boat near the shore of Shell's town which shouldn't have happened. Coby remembers anchoring their boat but maybe Luffy might have pulled it out? But he was still sleeping, curled up against his backpack.

"We have made it!!" Luffy shouted with excitement, getting off the little boat, which Coby guided safely into the port behind him.

Coby and Luffy began walking through the town together, Luffy with a grin of excitement and Coby with a look of nervousness.

"Seriously, you are crazy to want him to join you!" Coby tried to reason with his new friend once more.

"I haven't decided yet." Luffy chirped honestly.

"He's been caught because he's a bad guy." Coby tried to reason for the umpteenth time, stopping in the middle of the street while Luffy continued to walk forward, stopping at a fruit stand, picking a pear and tossing a coin to the woman running the stand.

"Do you know why Zoro's being held at the base?" Luffy asked him but they were immediately met with everyone jumping away in shock.

"It seems the name 'Zoro' is a taboo here." Coby whispered to Luffy, who looked at the people who were looking at him with wide eyes. Did they recognize him? But Alvida wasn't able to! And his face was not in his wanted poster even! Maybe it could be related to the guy, Zoro?

"Let's check out the base." Luffy said, frowning a bit. "You're gonna be a marine, right?" He asked as they walked towards the base again.

"Y-yes... but I'm not really ready yet," Coby answered, looking at his hands. It all still felt like a dream to him. "Rumor has it, Captain Morgan is at this base and-"

Just like Zoro's name, the townspeople who had gradually started doing their work, jumped away in shock but the only difference was that this time the reaction was more intense and scarier. The mere name had the civilians running.

Luffy laughed at the reaction. People were really funny to him. But Coby was having a bad feeling about all of this. He could understand why the people would be scared after hearing the name of the Pirate Hunter because he could escape any time but why would they be afraid of a marine captain.

When he questioned this out loud, he saw Luffy give him a small smile and look at the sky, the sun rays falling on his skin and the light wind ruffling his hair. After a fine good minute, Luffy finally spoke.

"Not all marines are good." The voice held a little pain, which was strange for the teenager, who did nothing but smile since he had met him. But his words couldn't be accepted by Coby, even if he could sense that Luffy was speaking the truth.

"A bad guy? But he's a marine!" Coby defended immediately, suddenly remembering that Luffy was a pirate and was supposed to be a bad guy... but he wasn't.

When he expected Luffy to argue about it, he only gave him a small smile.

Coby just can't accept the fact that marines, the people who save innocents, are bad. That's impossible. He wouldn't unless he is given proof. Marines are heroes, not villains.

He didn't even notice when they stood in front of the towering gray marine base. The way to his dreams stood before him, yet he couldn't shake off the feeling that he wasn't ready to join the marines yet. He saw Luffy climb up the towering wall, which was thrice his size.

"Luffy! What are you doing?" Coby asked the moment he saw Luffy jump down from the wall and run to another side, which Coby chose to follow him.

"I saw something over there! It could be Zoro!" Coby's eyes blinked in disbelief. Why would the pirate hunter be on the grounds and not in the cells? But still he followed Luffy as he climbed the wall pretty easily again. The moment he saw that black bandana and green haramaki around the waist and felt the intimidating aura, he knew he was looking at the Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro.

"Th-That's him. T-That's R-Roronoa Zoro." Coby stuttered as he fell off the ground and on his butt in fear and shock.

"So, he's Zoro." Luffy grinned looking at the pirate hunter tied to the pole. "Those ropes look pretty easy to break."

"S-Stop joking!! If you free him, he could make a mess in the town and even kill you!!" Coby yelled. He didn't want his first friend to die due to his recklessness. But who was he kidding, no one ever listened to him.