The Opposite Game

What's the Opposite of Freedom?

AN: Hey guys! It's been a few years since I've written anything on this website, and I have been planning on rewriting my stories before I post any new ones.

If you read this story before it was edited (as of 1/21/22) I hope you can re-read and hopefully enjoy it more than you did before!

Those who kept on supporting me during my hiatus, I appreciate you all!

Love, Izzy (SulongMirko, formally known as izzywolf22)

This work was inspired by Phoenixtears21's story named Freedom on ff.net

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It was an uneventful day aboard the Thousand Sunny, which wasn't common considering the Strawhats are now in the New World.

It's been a few days since the crew departed from Fishman island and the ship was pleasantly silent. It wasn't long before the straw hat-wearing captain would do anything about it.

"Hey guys," Luffy said to his crew members, they all knew he was up to his limit from being still for a few hours.

After a few seconds of silence, Luffy rolled his eyes, "Let's play a game! Captain Orders!".

A few grunts and groans followed shortly after, but as everyone knows, Captain's orders are absolute. The crew decided to sit down in a circle on the grassy deck.

"What's the game about Luffy?" Chopper asked in childlike wonder. Luffy chuckled a bit before explaining how his game worked.

"It's very easy, all you have to do is say the meaning or do the opposite of what someone tells you!" the game was simple enough, even for Luffy's standards as he could never follow the rules of any game easily.

The crew simply agreed with the rules, Sanji went to make snacks for everyone as the game can take a while, it wasn't long before everyone had their favorite snacks and drinks, chatting comfortably before the first round started.

A few rounds were played before it was Luffy's turn. Luffy turned to Zoro, "Zoro, what's the opposite of bravery?" some of the crew snorted at the question, without hesitation Zoro said "Usopp".

Usopp rolled his eyes but since it was one of the very few times Zoro would openly joke about the marksman, he inwardly let it go.

"Zoro that mean, but funny, pick another answer," Luffy said while stifling his laughter, Zoro muttered the word 'coward' and then the game went on. Zoro picked Franky to go next.

After Franky was showing off his mechanical arms in pride, he sat down again and thought of a word. He looked at Usopp, who was next to him, and asked. "Usopp, what is the opposite and meaning of the word bright?."

Even though the words were pretty easy to describe, it was still nice passing time without having the Marines or enemy pirates trying to attack them every few seconds.

Usopp proudly sat up straight, "Dull, unlike us, we are so bright with our flashiness and adventures, we are not dull." The more sentimental of the straw hats were gushing about what Usopp said about them.

It wasn't long before it was Luffy's turn again, Usopp was about to ask his captain a word, thinking no harm in it, but of course, Luffy is unpredictable.

"Okay Luffy, what is the opposite of freedom?" everyone turned tier heads towards their captain, he was giggling a few moments ago but it was obvious that Usopp's question struck him.

Luffy was thinking about his brothers, it was only a little bit ago that his brother, Ace, died around this time two years ago. He wasn't ashamed of being vulnerable to his crew but Ace's death was still a fresh wound.

Luffy didn't intend to make his answer so sad, but the first word that came into his mind was the world.

"The world is the opposite of freedom," Luffy said quietly, his bubbly mood gone. It wasn't long before the crew decided to stop their little game and give Luffy some space.

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It wasn't a few hours later that the crew went to check on their captain, only a few knew what Luffy meant, Robin, Franky, and Brook just stayed quiet as their own memories of the world were too harsh to think about.

Nami was the first one to speak, they all noticed Luffy's mood change after the game.

"What did you mean when you said the World?" Nami asked quietly, Luffy decided it was time to get a grip and just confessed what he felt.

"I want to be Pirate King because being the King will mean you are the freest person on the seas." Luffy sighed.

He sat down on the nearest surface, crossed his legs, and took off his hat. Looking at the hat in his hands, his promise to Shanks, he looked up at his crew.

"I knew that the world was unfair since I was little, Ace wasn't the only one taken from me by the world government." the silence that came after was too great, the gravity of the conversation they were about to have was heavy and no one dared to speak.

"Ace was killed around this time two years ago, his death made me open my eyes about how the world sees people like Ace and me." Luffy was twiddling his fingers, trying to calm himself with what he was about to say next.

"I had another brother along with Ace, he was 10 when he was killed by the Celestial Dragons," Luffy said quietly, all that was heard were the gasps by the other crew members.

Luffy wasn't the type to know common knowledge about the world leaders like other people do, but those people that killed Sabo, their names were engraved in his heart.

"He wasn't even doing anything wrong, all he did was sail his boat next to the Celestial's ship, he was killed brutally just for being next to them." Luffy saw his knuckles go white at the memory.

He didn't understand completely as Robin would but he knew enough, just enough. "Ace dying made me realize how hard I would have to fight to get all the freedom in the world, more than the Pirate King," Luffy said quietly.

It wasn't long before his crew went to comfort him, Luffy was thankful for his crew and how much they cared for each other like family.

Every member personally talking to Luffy about their experiences made Luffy feel even closer with his crew.

All Luffy could do now was smile, he knows his brothers would be proud of him for how far he's gotten. Deciding to shake off the sadness he was feeling, he put on a big smile for his crew, laughing about what adventure they are going to go on next.

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This story is much shorter than the others I have written but I love ASL angst and Strawhat comfort fics. I hope you like my rewrite, hopefully, it is not as cringey as my first version.