One Piece- Memories After All

Chapter 9 - The Beginning of a Legend

The screen lit up once again, and the audience quieted as they settled into their seats. Luffy was sandwiched comfortably between Ace and Shanks, grinning from ear to ear. Sabo sat next to Ace, though he looked a bit miffed after losing the battle for the coveted seat next to Luffy. Having fought tooth and nail for the spot, Shanks sat smugly beside him, despite being called petty by Sabo. But hey, Shanks hadn’t seen his little anchor in over a decade. The Straw Hats, well-versed in Luffy’s restless nature, didn’t bother competing for seats. They knew he wouldn’t stay still for more than a few minutes anyway. They formed a loose semi-circle behind him, enjoying the moment.

On the screen, the scene shifted to a bright, sunny sky. The air was filled with the cheerful chirps of seagulls as they soared through the blue expanse. A small, dandy boat bobbed on the waves with two barrels on it. Suddenly, the screen was filled with Luffy’s signature wide grin. “Yo ho! What great weather!” he shouted, pumping his fist in the air. Behind him, a small, pink-haired boy with glasses nervously clutched the sail. “If we keep going this way, we should see the navy base island soon,” the boy informed.
Robin smiled softly, watching the scene.

“It looks like this was the beginning of your adventure, Luffy,” she said, relief evident in her voice after the heavy emotions they had all faced. The lightheartedness of the moment was a welcome change. Luffy simply nodded, eyes glued to the screen. “It’s so cool! Oh, it’s Coby!” he shouted excitedly, practically bouncing in his seat.

“Coby?” Nami asked, blinking in disbelief. “Wait… is that Coby? Your marine friend?” She could hardly believe that the shy pipsqueak from the past was the same Marine officer they’d encountered in Water 7. “He’s taller now,” Zoro commented nonchalantly, arms crossed. “That’s not the only difference!” Nami shouted, rolling her eyes in exasperation, while Luffy just laughed, thrilled to relive the memories of the early days of his journey.

“Wow Coby, you are awesome. We are actually going to reach our destination?” Luffy exclaimed with amazement.

“Of course. These are the bare minimum skills all sailors need” Coby said while fixing his glasses while Luffy laughed.

Ace facepalmed, looking utterly embarrassed, while Sabo stared at him, feeling thoroughly betrayed. “Ace, did you seriously never teach Luffy even the basic skills?”

Ace sighed and threw up his hands. “You can try teaching him,” he replied, issuing the challenge like it was a lost cause.  Shanks burst into laughter, and Luffy, clueless as ever, joined in. “Don’t worry about it!” Luffy grinned at Sabo like everything was just fine.

But Sabo was losing his mind. How had his youngest brother been sailing the seas with no clue of the bare minimum skills? For a moment, he forgot that unlike him, Ace and Luffy didn’t grow up in an army with tutors or the best trainers. They were just a couple of wild jungle kids. Ace, while cunning in his own right, had learned to survive in a world of pirates and scoundrels. But Luffy—Luffy had somehow managed to stay blissfully childlike and innocent. His solution to every problem was to charge straight through it.

Haruta, clearly baffled, interrupted Sabo’s spiraling thoughts. “How did you even survive if you can’t find your way?” Luffy turned and looked at him with utmost seriousness as if the answer was obvious. “Instinct.”

There was a beat of stunned silence. And then, as if on cue, Ace slapped his forehead again while Shanks and Garp roared with laughter. “That’s my grandson!” Garp boomed with pride, chest puffed out, while Dragon glared at his father like he wanted to crawl under a rock.

Meanwhile, the scene on the screen continued, but no one was paying attention anymore, too busy trying to recover from the absurdity of Luffy’s “instinctual” navigation.

"This is no time to be laughing Luffy-San. He’s being held prisoner there” Luffy turned to look at him. “The famous pirate hunter-Roronoa Zoro”