Chapter Text
You're walking somewhere.
It's the the first thing you register, like the world is slowly shifting on its axis and you only just now noticed the way the earth tilts. Your feet are moving on their own, on auto-pilot — the crowd murmuring and swaying like an ocean, the people its waves.
You were walking somewhere.
Where were you going, again?
Your feet slow to a standstill. People flow around you, casting glances of uninterested confusion and annoyance all at once, blaming you for the wasted second of travel time as you remain rooted to the spot where you stopped.
You feel like a part of yourself has been lost. Where your memories, your recollection should have been, instead, there is a hole, deeper than the eye can see. It's filled with nothing but emptiness, as if they've been scooped out haphazardly, leaving only the feeling of knowing that something had been there, once. The more you try to reach into the hole, searching for something, anything to hold on to, the more it feels like something is pushing you back — telling you that you shouldn't lose your footing and fall to a place you can't climb back out from.
But why? Why is there a gaping whole in your memories, the length of it spanning your entire life? There's a feeling of knowing that you had to do something, but what was it? All you can tell, by the vestiges of fading emotions attached to those missing memories, is that is was important — but if so, why did you forget? How did you forget?
You can feel your hands curl into balls, nails digging into your palms painfully. There are spots in your vision, and you belatedly realize that you're hyperventilating.
It doesn't make sense. How could you forget it? What are you forgetting? Why is it important, why do you have to —
"— Excuse me," a hand presses down on your shoulder, and just like that, the world clears; the haze of your mind disappears like it was never there.
The world snaps into place, and you're left in its wake, blinking your eyes in confusion; wondering what the hell you're doing in Loguetown, of all the places you could be.
"You're in the way."
You're drawn from your stupor by a low, gravelly sound from behind you, accompanied by the smell of pungent tobacco. The words are unkind, but the voice isn't; it's enough for you to remember that you're still standing in the middle of the sidewalk like an asshole.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
You leap to the side, presumably enough out of the way, and turn around — only to be met with a large, hulking man wearing a familiar white jacket, branded with a logo that clearly spells "Marine" with its stitching.
There's a spark of recognition, a brain cell firing and saying that you know this man. How exactly, though, do you know this man? You're sure you've never seen or met him in your life.
He's a marine, a voice in your brain whispers in response, but that's stupid. Of course he's a marine, it's written on his jacket. You have a hole in your memories, not your mental faculties. You know how to read.
...You think you're going nuts.
Dimly, you think you should be more wary of offending a marine, but you're sure he won't kill you — or worse, arrest you (why is that, though? How are you so sure?) so you can't help but stare. Stare, as he walks forward again, not sparing you another glance, only to be stopped by a small figure running into his legs.
You mouth the words he says just before he actually speaks them, like you're in a trance.
Sorry kid, looks like my pants ate your ice cream.
“Sorry kid, looks like my pants ate your ice cream.”
Here, go buy yourself five scoops.
“Here, go buy yourself five scoops.”
He walks away, beckoning his marine comrades behind him. Once again, you watch him leave, baffled beyond belief.
What the hell. Do you know the future? No, that can't be right. You still have no idea what's happening right now, in the present, let alone the future. Do you have some kind of ability of premonition? It feels closer, a bit more on the right track somehow, but that doesn't sound quite right, either.
You should have found an alley to sneak into, so you can sit and think. The throng of people seems to increase — the crowd forces you to walk, so you let it. It's not like you know where you were originally going, anyway.
You let your legs do the work, and instead try laying out the things you do know in your mind.
I'm in Loguetown, in East Blue. I was walking somewhere, because I have to do something important, but I can't remember what it was or why. Marines are bad, sometimes, but some of them are good. Marines are… the government?
It's almost like you're playing a game of twenty questions with yourself. You ask a question inwardly, and get an answer — suddenly feeling like it's been there all along, that you've known it since the start, even though it definitely wasn't until you thought about it.
I'm in Loguetown, in East Blue. Why?
You falter. Loguetown, East Blue — those are clearly places. The place you're in right now, even. But, you also remember thinking that being in Loguetown was surprising. Like you weren't supposed to be there in the first place, even though you have the distinct feeling that you had to be there anyway.
The road bleeds into a courtyard, the crowd amassing itself around some kind of tall stand, an execution platform, your mind supplies. Is someone going to get executed? You look up at the sky, a blanket of clouds smothering all semblance of sunlight from view, dark rolls of lightning crackling between several sections of darkness.
It's certainly a fitting mood for it.
The sound of execution in your mind rings with disgust, though, only disrupted by a man suddenly jumping and pushing you forward, shouting excitedly.
"Did you hear? Buggy the Clown is going to execute Straw Hat Luffy!”
Straw Hat… Luffy?
Something changes in the air. Like a bird's wings waiting with baited breath, for the world to continue moving.
“I AM THE MAN THAT WILL BECOME THE PIRATE KING!”
You hear it. The bells — the drums. The declaration of a young boy, promising the very world that stopped moving for him.
You hear wings flapping.
Luffy. Of course. How could you forget Luffy? How could you forget the very sun that breathes life into all that see him, laughing with power and love and freedom in his every breath?
"Luffy," you breathe, because you didn't know how to, until now.
You walk forward in a daze, to touch him, to see him, make sure he's real — and you stumble. Reality comes like a blunt kick to the head, and you remember that Monkey D. Luffy is on an execution platform about to be beheaded by Buggy the Clown, and you're about to eat shit on the pavement.
You're about halfway through your last will and testament when someone grabs your arm, not painfully, but tight enough to steady you and keep you from falling. There's a "thanks" on the tip of your tongue as you turn around sheepishly, but it's dashed in favour of the "Sabo?" that leaves your mouth instead.
Oh, shit.
Because that really is Sabo. Luffy's dead brother, and someone you definitely did not know three seconds ago. A supposed dead brother, whose face morphs from slight concern, to something completely blank so fast, you feel a cold sweat down the back of your neck.
"Excuse me —" he starts, but both of your attention is stolen by the star of the show.
“Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami —" the king-to-be calls, with a smile so wide he could blind the entire world if he willed it. "Sorry! I'm dead."
In the split second, just before the lightning comes (and you know it's coming, even if you're still not sure on the how), you rip your arm from Sabo's grasp and take off further into the crowd, towards… something.
The second is over, and the lightning strikes. The platform lights up in a blue blaze, crackling from the might of heaven’s wrath, before crumbling to a heap on the floor. The crash and bangs of various metal beams halts the fight occurring before it, and when the dust clears, there is Buggy, fried but twitching, alive…
And then there's Luffy, completely unharmed. Casually walking forward.
“Hey, I’m alive,” he snickers. “I’m OK!”
You're at the front of the crowd now, just a few paces away from Luffy, right at the front edge of the crowd— and the sigh of relief that escapes you feels like it's echoed by the very ground beneath your feet.
Luffy's gangly hand (and he looks so young. But, then, what is he supposed to look like, if not his age?) reaches up and pats his head, the grin on his face fading as he looks around. "Eh? Ah, hat? My hat?"
Said hat is floating gracefully down, just barely in your vision. You grab it from the air (gently, so, so gently) and turn it over in your hands. The straw is firm, but malleable. Years, decades of use, yet still so lovingly cared for that it retains its shape. The symbol, icon, of the Straw Hat crew, resting in your grasp.
"Ah, my hat! Hey, lady, can I have my hat back?"
Luffy is in front of you now. The rain is pelting against you, having started just after the execution platform fell in its flaming glory. He holds his hand out expectantly, looking all the world like a king asking for his crown like it's his rightful due. Which, of course, it is.
"Sure," you hold out his hat for him to take, and he smiles that D smile of his — so bright, that you squint your eyes, forcing yourself to not look away. It fills you with a warmth, so warm, that you want to bask in his sunlight forever, if he'd only let you.
Then, he looks at you. He takes his hat, looking down at it with a considering look, and places it on his head. Once it's nestled safely, he looks back at you, once again smiling.
"Thanks! So, wanna join my crew?"
Your mouth goes dry.
"What?"
Do you — do you want to what?
You stare at him, mouth dropped open like a fish out of water.
Luffy tilts his head, smiling cheerfully, like he didn't just offer you something worth the universe in its weight. "Eh, your face is funny. Hey, Zoro, Sanji! We're going to have a new nakama!"
From a distance, you can see Zoro and Sanji exchange baffled glances, a feeling of confusion you are more than happy to share.
You haven't even replied to his question yet, but here he is, screaming out to the world that he's claimed you as his. There's a voice screaming in your head, yes, yes, yes, right alongside the other voice in your head screaming no, no, no.
But, well, really now. Did you ever think you had a choice in the matter? With Luffy?
"Lu — Captain," is what you settle on instead, and it feels right, just as much as it feels wrong, "There'll be Marines after us soon. Shouldn't we start running, before they stop us from leaving and getting to the Grand Line?"
You've accepted, at this point, that you'll never know how you just know things. And even if you didn't outright say yes — Luffy laughs and grabs your wrist, dragging you towards the blonde man in a suit, and the green haired man wearing a darker green bandanna.
"Zoro, Sanji, let's go! Shishishi, I saw the execution stand, and I got a new nakama! Today's going great!"
The blonde man, Black-Leg Sanji, cook of the Straw Hat pirates, your brain supplies now, grits his teeth as he eyes your wrist in Luffy's hand. "Oi, don't grip the lady's arm so hard! What if you bruise her?!"
He snatches your wrist away from Luffy's, then letting it go almost as fast — his eyes forming hearts and clasping his hands together, though it doesn't stop the speed of his gait.
"I'm so sorry miss, I hope our idiot captain didn't hurt you," he swoons, twirling with his every step. It's actually kind of impressive.
"I'm alright, thank you," you smile, and you worry for a second he might die from your words, the way he twirls even faster.
"Oi, pervert-cook, stop messing around and focus on figuring it where we're going!" On the other side of Sanji, is Zoro — Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, first-mate of the Straw Hat pirates.
"I told you to not call me that, shitty moss-head!" Sanji snarls back.
Zoro is just as keen to make a rebuttal. "Maybe I will, if you get your act together —"
An argument between crew mates should maybe be disconcerting, but you can't help the laugh that escapes you. They sound like they're having fun.
"Ahh, your laugh is so beautiful—!"
"Will you focus?!"
"Ah, who's that?"
Luffy's voice cuts through both the argument and the rain, and you all pause. Through the mist is a figure wearing what looks like a fur lined jacket, and carrying a sword.
The figure is looking down at the pavement. "I didn't realize that you're Roronoa Zoro… and a pirate to boot…" when they look up, there's a fierce rage in their eyes. "You lied to me!"
Zoro tilts his head, clearly recognizing the woman, and pointedly ignores when Sanji rounds about on him, yelling in fury.
"You did what?!"
You watch as Zoro tsks, gently pushing past Luffy as he faces the woman. "You didn't ask for my name, that's all. I didn't lie to you," he points out flatly. This clearly, wasn't the right thing to say, because the woman grips her sword tighter, anger lining her face like the thundering clouds above them.
"Even so — an outlaw, a criminal like you doesn't deserve to wield a renowned sword such as Wado Ichimonji!" She cries over the pouring rain, hand poised and ready to unsheathe her own sword, a clear threat.
Zoro just grins, a smile that shows the gums of his teeth, and you wonder if he has something, or someone else on his mind.
"Try it."
There's the sound of a clash of steel against steel — and suddenly, Zoro and the woman are locked in a stalemate of swords.
Sanji, from beside you, jumps as if he was the one stricken himself. "You jackass, how dare you attack a woman —"
“Please don’t interfere! This is a fight between me and the pirate, Roronoa Zoro!” She, Tashigi, exclaims loudly, furiously putting her weight behind her attack. Zoro, on the other hand, doesn't bother sparing another glance towards you.
“You heard her. I’ll handle this,” he says nonchalantly, with all the energy of a man taking a morning jog. It’s amazing how easily the image comes to mind, despite the drenching rain.
Sanji falters, clearly confused, but Luffy simply grins from behind him and taps his shoulder. "OK, Zoro's got it handled. Let's go!"
Sanji seems to deflate at this, torn between the outrage of attacking a woman, and captain's orders—until his eyes catch yours. Clenching his jaw, he points at Zoro with a fierce scowl. “Moss-head, I swear if you hurt one hair on that lady’s head, I won’t forgive you!”
So, the three of you run. Luffy is laughing, dodging and weaving over bumps and cracks in the road like he's running through the forests he called home (and seriously, how do you know that? Maybe you weren't over it after all), and Sanji is glancing back every so often at you, making sure that you don't flag, or fall too far behind.
As it stands, you really aren't built for this much running, but you don't really have a choice in the matter. Before long — the scent of salt and the ocean hits you full force, a far cry from the diluted version you'd been breathing in not too long before.
Before you, stormy, dark, and chaotic, is the ocean; what Luffy, and every other pirate out there, would call freedom.
But —
"You're finally here."
There's someone standing in the way between you, the Straw Hats, and that freedom. A familiar someone.
“Straw Hat Luffy. Didn’t I tell you that you couldn’t enter the Grand Line without beating me first?” the man grouches, but his eyes meet yours, and you inhale sharply because oh, that's the Marine that you ran into earlier. Smoker.
Luffy hums and tilts his head, brightening and nodding when he seems to remember. “Oh right. I forgot!”
Smoker just looks at Luffy, unamused. "You're such an airhead."
Your gaze flickers between Luffy and Smoker, in this odd staring contest, and you're glad to see Sanji mirroring your moves as he awkwardly shifts from one leg to the other.
"Oi, Luffy—" Sanji starts, but Luffy cuts him off.
"Sanji, take her and go on ahead. I'll be right there," Luffy says, the smile still on his face.
Sanji hesitates for a second longer, long enough for you to say "hang on", but not long enough for you to stop Sanji from lifting you into a bridal carry and starting his dash.
“Got it, Luffy — just make it quick!”
You're distracted by the sudden feeling of vertigo, being lifted so fast, but you still reach out for Luffy because Smoker is a logia and he should know that — "Wait, Lu— Captain!"
"He'll be fine," Sanji looks down at you with a charming smile, ever the gentleman even while running through the rain. "He's strong."
No, you think, as you wrap your arms around his neck out of fear of falling. You know. You know how strong he is, how strong he can be, and how strong he is going to be. Even though you don't know how you can be so certain about something like that.
You turn one corner, and the sea spray hits you full blast — alongside the sight of multiple, many multiple marines all in your way. But it's not just them.
There's a ship, in the water. A lamb's head on its bow, dipping with the waves in what is almost a greeting. You see her, and her name comes to you, unbidden.
Going Merry Go.
“Sanji!” A unison of voices ring together, and you tear your eyes away from the head of the ship, landing instead on the two people on its deck — a young man with a long nose and curly black hair, and a young woman with striking ginger orange hair, waving frantically at Sanji.
"Nami-swan~!" Sanji jumps — levitates? In the air for a slight second, and I gasp, tightening my hold on his neck as the marines swarm in.
"Sanji! Let me go," you yelp, as a marine comes up from behind him. "Behind you!"
Without breaking a sweat, he adjusts you accordingly and kicks a marine in the face. You wince, because that must hurt, you can even hear the crunch of a nose breaking; then push against his chest as the marines continue to swarm in closer.
You hiss quickly, "Let me go, you can't fight like this!"
Sanji swipes his leg across a wave of marines, huffing. "And let a lady get hurt? I'd never forgive myself," he fires back, and you resist the urge to shake him.
You're not built for running, and you're not built for fighting, but you can tell when you're being a burden. "So that you can get hurt instead?" you ask sharply, because that's stupid.
Sanji pauses, though whether it's because of your words, or because of the influx of marines converging on your location, you can't tell. He opens his mouth as if to reply, then shuts it, face scrunching up a little.
Then, one by one, marines start to fall, slowly clearing a path for Sanji and you to move through. You strain your neck and spot the long-nosed boy, God Usopp, wading in the ocean and using a slingshot to fire what looked like pebbles into the backs of marines.
"Sanji! I'll cover you, get to Merry," he yells, shooting a thumbs up.
You can feel Sanji's arms loose some of their tension, and though it's hard to get a look at his face from where you're being held, you can hear relief in his voice.
"Right, thanks, Uso—"
Then, without any warning, the world turns green.
You blink. You're somehow, now, leaning against a wall on the harbor — various boxes and pieces of debris resting next to you, alongside Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp.
Luffy groans, placing a hand on his head as he wobbles to his feet. "What just happened…?"
"That… an attack?" you state, but it ends up tilting upward like a question rather than a statement. You're sure that it was an attack, just not one directed at you, or the Straw Hat crew. An assist might be a better answer, you think.
The others brush themselves off and drag themselves to their feet, but when you go to stand, you stumble. Your legs buckle underneath you, but you're caught be Zoro, who gives you an appraising glance. You wonder what he's looking for, but whatever he sees, he sighs and doesn't let go of your arms. Instead, he hoists you forward, ignoring the way you yelp slightly in surprise.
"You look like you're at your limit," he says flatly. There's no disappointment or accusation in his words, but you wince anyway.
"I'm not built for running, I think," is what you reply, because it sounds the closest to the truth that you don't remember.
He gazes at you again, raising an eyebrow. "You 'think'," he repeats," but Sanji slams a hand against Zoro's face and points at the ocean, only a little frantically from what you can see.
"Quit interrogating her and get moving! If we don't hurry, Merry's going to get swept away before we can get to it!"
All four of you glance at the Going Merry, who was slowly but surely getting further and further away from the dock they were standing on.
"Luffy!"
Nami's voice echoes across the vast distance between them, and Luffy shoots up.
"Nami!"
Sanji curses under his breath and ushers Usopp to his feet. "Alright, let's go—" he starts, but Luffy is running the other way, and you're already bracing yourself for an impact that you already know is coming.
"Gum-Gum…"
Zoro is the first to realize what's going on, as he steps in front of you with a grimace. "I have a bad feeling—"
"Rocket!"
"I knew it!"
Luffy flings himself from a nearby railing at a speed you didn't realize was possible, barreling headfirst into your group and launching you across the ocean. The impact is enough to take the breath out of you, even with one or two bodies taking the brunt of the actual hit, but it's enough momentum to bridge the gap between you, and the hard deck of the Going Merry Go.
At least, what should be the hard deck of the Going Merry Go. Your landing was much softer than you thought it'd be, but a sharp gasp distracts you from investigating that thought much further.
"What — who?" Cat Burglar Nami splutters, pointing a finger at you, her jaw dropping wide.
"Ah," you start, fumbling, but a groan from underneath you drags your attention away, and you curiously look down.
"Get. Off." It's muffled, and irritated; definitely Zoro's voice, and oh. You're sitting on a pile of Straw Hat pirates.
You leap to your feet immediately. "Sorry!"
You end up standing awkwardly next to Nami as the others grumble, Luffy slipping his way out from beneath it all, eyes bright and shining. He rocks back on his heels, laughing all the while.
"Shishishi, that was so fun! We should do that again!"
"Let's not," is the answer from the pile of pirates untangling themselves from each other, in varying degrees of disgruntlement.
By the time the rest of the crew gathered themselves, stretching and massaging overworked muscles, Nami looks like she's run out of her stock of patience.
"Great, now that everyone is fine," she points a finger at you, "Who exactly is this, and why is she here?"
And Luffy, future king of the pirates, captain of the Straw Hat pirates, just grins at her, all teeth and joy and wonder. "That's our new nakama! I found her after she helped me find my hat!"
You "helping him find his hat" was a pretty big stretch from you just being the first to catch his hat from the air, but he says it with such warmth and affection that you can't even think about correcting him.
"New nakama…?" Nami says haltingly, but shakes her head. "Right, never mind that. We'll get to that in a second."
She drags her gaze to look at you up and down, giving you that same appraising look Zoro had given you earlier, on the dock. "And your name," she presses, though not unkindly.
Your… name?
Right. You must have a name. Everyone has a name. Just say your name. Easy.
"Uh," is what you say instead, and then shrug. "I don't think I have one?"
They all look at you, save for Luffy, who's picking his nose and looking out at the stormy ocean.
"Huh?"
You brace yourself, and start to explain.
"So, let me get this straight."
Nami pinches the bridge of her nose, exhaling. "You don't remember anything, but you somehow managed to meet our captain, get his hat, and… he just asked you to join his crew?"
The captain in question is squirming under Nami's iron grip, saying things like "eh, why do we need to do this?" and "guys?". If you had to put a word to it, it's about as close to a "time out" as you could probably get with Luffy.
"Right," you say, because that sums it up pretty well.
Nami looks like she's about to have a conniption. "And you accepted," she stresses.
I tilt my head.
"Why wouldn't I?" Why would you, is countered back at you in your mind, but there's no definitive answer to either of those questions.
And that makes Nami throw her hands up in the air, looking like she's just heard that beli no longer has any value. "No, of course you're on the same wavelength as Zoro. We can't have a normal new crew member, can we?"
You're not sure what it means to be on the "same wavelength as Zoro", to be honest. You turn to the swordsman in to gauge his response, but he's busy leaning against the railing and seemingly ignoring the whole situation. Instead, you smile a little helplessly, because the "new crew member" that Nami so casually stated, didn't escape your notice.
"Does that mean I can stay?" You try not to sound hopeful, and fail. Luffy's already extended his hand to you, and while it doesn't feel wholly and completely right, it also feels nowhere near like it's wrong, either. He smiles, and the world feels complete — like the rays of sunshine that radiate off him envelop you in its arms, comforting you.
It's selfish, but you don't want to leave.
Nami lowers her hands, and exchanges glances between Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and finally, Luffy — who's escaped her grasp at this point, and is lounging on the deck of Merry, completely ignorant to the conversation.
"Well… it's not like we can just kick her off, we already left Loguetown," Usopp offers slowly, twiddling his fingers. Sanji, beside him, nods enthusiastically.
"Of course not! Then we'd be leaving a lady to fend for herself," Sanji rests a hand on your shoulder, the other gripping itself into a fist as if he's imagining all the terrible things that could happen to you, if they left you stranded. It's comforting, but also not.
Luffy pipes up, frowning. Pouting, really.
"I don't get it. She's already nakama, why are we having this conversation?" He insists with a huff, crossing his arms. He has what you think is supposed to be a stern, captain's face, but it instead comes off as a little boy, pouting about something he's already decided on. Which isn't too far off the mark, now that you think about it.
And finally, Zoro inclines his head, catching everyone's attention. With a smirk, he gestures at Luffy.
"Right. Captain's orders, isn't it? Not our place to judge," he intones flatly, like it was clear from the beginning.
No one has anything to say to that, so Luffy leaps onto his feet, grinning blindingly wide. "Alright! Then, no more complaints! She's our new nakama!"
Sunshine. Bells. Drums. Freedom.
Heaving a sigh, heavy as it is light, Nami finally, relents. "Alright, captain," a small smile blooms on her face.
But it's gone in a flash, as she points at me again, this time with a different sense of urgency. "But we still need something to call you!"
Oh, right. That's true.
"Uh…" you ponder, but nothing comes to mind. Your past is still a big, gaping hole, after all.
"You guys can just… give me a name," you offer, and maybe you regret it, because Luffy leaps up immediately with stars in his eyes.
"Ah! I know! We can call you 'Meat'!"
Before you know it, he's cradling his head with a whine, nursing the bump on his noggin as Nami, Usopp, and Sanji all strike him at once.
"We are not calling her that!"
"What kind of name is that?!"
"I will not accept such a dumb name for a beautiful woman!"
Zoro is the only one that doesn't do anything, but you realize that he hasn't moved at all since piping up about 'captain's orders', eyes still closed. You think Zoro is somehow sleeping while standing, and you feel a little impressed.
Nami taps a finger against her chin in thought, clearly wracking her brain, but Sanji is the next to offer his thoughts.
"What about Belle? A beautiful name for a beautiful mademoiselle," he bows deeply, and you laugh a little at the theatrics of it all.
"Maybe," you smile, and laugh a little louder when he starts twirling.
Then, Usopp leans forward, a little hesitant — a little shy.
"What about Ordell Neo," he offers quickly, wringing his fingers together. "It uh, it means new beginnings, I think, and well, we found you just before our new adventure to the Grand Line, right?" His words string together faster, the more nervous he gets, but you perk up at the name.
"Ordell Neo, huh…" you feel the name on your tongue as you say it, testing it. It's a nice name.
Nami brightens too. "Oh! That's actually a good name," she remarks.
Usopp, hopeful, still wringing his fingers, looks at you. "Well?"
You smile at him, and nod. "I like it. You guys can call me Ordell Neo."
You watch happily as Usopp punches a fist in the air, Luffy joining him, though you're quite sure that Luffy doesn't actually know what Usopp is celebrating.
“Okay then! Ordell Neo it is!”
Sanji, beside you, sighs, and manages to look like he's not pouting. “Well, if the lady likes it…"
Nami pats your shoulder with a gentle smile. “Welcome to the crew, Neo.”
A breath I didn't know I was holding in escapes me, just as Luffy points at a light beaming in the distance, circling around and around.
“Nami, Nami look, there’s a light!” Luffy crows, bouncing excitedly up and down and gesturing at the lighthouse beaming brilliantly on the muggy sea.
“That’s the ‘Guiding Light’! Just beyond it is the entrance to the Grand Line!” She cheers, and then turns to Luffy, eyes glinting with excitement. “Well, Luffy? What’s it gonna be?”
Luffy looks from the lighthouse back to Nami, and then to Zoro, Sanji, Usopp… and then finally, at you.
You catch his eye.
You can hear the drums, even now, even if it's far too early. (But, you think, what's too early, exactly?)
He beams. “Let’s go, everyone! To the Grand Line!”
Usopp moans about the ongoing storm from behind you, but the pelting rain does nothing to deter the excitement that thrums through them all, and then eventually to you.
“How about we do something to mark the occasion—while also celebrating our new crewmate?” Sanji asks, already bringing up a barrel from Merry’s storage.
The Straw Hats exchange excited looks and agree immediately, gathering around the barrel. You watch, for a moment, but Luffy turns back to you, and tilts his head.
“Aren’t you gonna join us, Neo?”
You blink, because you're not sure why you didn't try to move forward immediately in the first place, but Nami gently takes your arm and brings you to the forefront, right next to her. “You’re one of us now, so don’t hesitate, okay?”
What you feel is a mix of excitement, foreboding, wrongness, and belonging all at once. But Luffy — Luffy cuts through it all, a shining beacon in his own right.
"This is where our real journey starts — toward all of our dreams!"
A grin is shared by all members of the Straw Hat crew, and even yourself. You can feel it rising, twitching at the corners of your lips and cheeks.
“I’m going to find All Blue,” Sanji announces, putting his leg on the barrel.
“I’m going to become the King of the Pirates!”
“I’m going to be the world’s greatest Swordsman.”
“I’m going to draw a map of the world!”
“I...I’m going to become a great warrior of the seas!”
It's your turn, now. They're watching and waiting for you, with expectant eyes, and hearts.
"I will…"
Your dream. You don't have one. Not really. Not yet. But you can have a goal, right?
You take a breath.
"I'm going to find out who I am!"
Or we'll all die trying.
Luffy laughs, louder than the sea, louder than the rain, thunder and lightning combined.
“We’re all going to the Grand Line… let’s do it, everyone!”
“AYE!”
The barrel splinters into pieces.
(A brief look at concept art for Neo Ordell.)