Author Note:

Hopefully this will be the last chapter in the training arc. I plan on cramming Luffy's new devil fruit powers, him finding the truth about his family, getting a badass new sword and meeting Shanks all into this 1 chapter. I know I've been rushing it and I ask your forgiveness, I don't really want to spend too much time on the time skip. So This chapter might feel rushed too. Luffy and Hancocks relationship was done off-screen as well. I didn't originally plan on that but I just couldn't find a way to fit it while training. Don't worry though there will be a lot of moments between them in the future. As for Luffy's mom, she wont have a big role but her lineage is what will affect the outcome and influence of Luffy's character. Some of you might already have an idea as to what she might be so it will be revealed later to the crew once they re-unite. For now though it will just be a foreshadowing.

On to the Story

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, It belongs to Eiichiro Oda.

Chapter 3: New Ability, Luffy Discovers His Past, Meeting With Shanks.

It's been a few days since Rayleigh's crazy plan and Luffy can be seen prowling Ruskaina on the hunt for their lunch. The creatures of the island now know the stay away from him. When he first came to the island Rayleigh told him there were at least 500 beasts stronger than him. Now though after Rayleigh's grueling training, he stands on top as the undisputed boss of the island. He can easily defeat any number of creatures, they found that out the hard way. And so, the fights became a bit boring to him.

As he continued his walk, he looked around carefully and realized that he'd never been to this part of the island before. He was a little excited to see what was in store for him here but after a few minutes, he stopped dead in his tracks. They reason being that his attention was completely captured by a strange fruit hanging at the top of a tall tree. It was a strange color with strange swirls all over it. Without a doubt, that was a Devil Fruit. He couldn't believe his luck. He quickly ascended the tree with inhuman speed and agility and snatched the fruit. He looked closely at it. It was a beautiful shade of blue almost azure in color. It also had strange swirls on it that almost resembled lightning bolts. Luffy thought hard but he couldn't recognize the fruit. His education at the hands of Rayleigh made him extremely knowledgeable about the ways of the world. This is one of those aspects in action. After their little show at Marinefore before they arrived at Ruskaina, Luffy stole a book detailing the different Devil Fruits and how to identify them written by Dr. Vegapunk.

He rushed back to the camp, at a speed that most humans would be hard pressed to follow, with the fruit in hand. He was eager to discover what secrets this little fruit held and if it could be the kind he would want to eat. After covering an impossibly large distance in a few minutes, he burst into the clearing at his camp with Rayleigh looking at him curiously. He then noticed the fruit in Luffy's hand and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you have there Luffy-kun?". Was the obvious question as he watched Luffy look through his bag.

"It's a Devil Fruit I found hanging from a tree at the far end of the island. I'm having trouble identifying it though". Was his hurried response as he pulled out his book and sifted through it. After a minute or so of reading, his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

"Well, what is it?". Rayleigh asked curiously.

"Holy Shit! If I'm reading this right, and I am by the way, then this is the Goro Goro no Mi. The logia-class lightning Devil Fruit!". Luffy exclaimed. Rayleigh's eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline when he heard that. That was an extremely powerful Devil Fruit. It was one of the strongest even amongst the logia-class fruits.

"Well...Are you going to eat it?". Was the million Beli question. Luffy just stared at him with a deadpan expression.

"Am I going to eat it? Hmmm...Gee let me think about that..OF COURSE I'M GOING TO EAT IT!". Luffy shouted comically with shark teeth in his mouth. Rayleigh just sweat dropped at his apprentice.

"This is an extremely rare and powerful fruit. I would be crazy not to eat it. It will also help me in ranged combat not to mention enhance my speed and other abilities I might be able to squeeze out of it. There's not much of a downside to eating it. It's strange though, about a year and a half ago I fought and beat the guy who had this ability on Sky Island. How did it end up here?". Luffy pondered.

"If I had to guess I would say that he attempted to leave Sky Island but ended up here on Ruskaina. You can't really plot a course when you're falling from the sky. He probably ended up stuck on this island and starved to death. The animals probably devoured his corpse shortly afterward". Rayleigh nonchalantly explained as he took a bit of his meat.

"That was really morbid. Anyway, rest in peace Enel. Your fruit will be put to good use. Itadakimasu!". Luffy said as he started to eat the strange fruit. After it was completely devoured he sat still for a moment. Suddenly his body started spasming and he fainted. Rayleigh was at his side immediately, checking him over. When he discovered nothing was wrong he just sat back and waited for Luffy to wake up. He only had to wait a few minutes for Luffy to start stirring. With a groan he picked himself up off the floor and sat on a rock near Rayleigh.

"Well, how do you feel?". Asked Rayleigh. Luffy opened his eyes and looked at Rayleigh. Once he did Rayleigh raised an eyebrow at this new development and Luffy spoke.

"Aside from feeling a little dizzy I feel fine. This didn't happen with the Gomu Gomu no Mi, though I guess the difference is that a logia changes the flow of the body at a fundamental level. Why? Do I look any different?". Asked Luffy as he looked himself over.

"Not really. You look pretty much the same if you don't count the face that your eyes are now azure in color". Replied Rayleigh with amusement lacing his voice.

"Huh!?". Luffy hurriedly went to the river to check if what Rayleigh said was true. And then he was it. His eyes really did change color. They were now a bright azure and they seemed to glow with power. He was a little entranced by it.

"How did this happen?". He questioned Rayleigh.

"Probably a side-effect of eating that Devil Fruit. It's not really that strange when you think about it. I think it looks good on you. Hancock is probably going to love it". Rayleigh slyly replied to him with a teasing tone. Luffy flushed with embarrassment. He decided to test his new powers. He held out his hand and pointed it toward a tree nearby and willed lightning to shoot from it. A large streak of azure colored lighting shot out of his hand at a fast rate and flew toward the tree, vaporising it in the process. Luffy just looked at his hand in shock. Even Rayleigh was visibly impressed at the display of power.

"OK, I definitely made the right decision". Was Luffy's awed response.

(Time Skip)

Its been 5 months since Luffy ate the Goro Goro no Mi and he has gained master level proficiency with it. He practices daily with his ability. Of course he hasn't neglected his other aspects of training and has improved even further with those which have been augmented greatly by his Devil Fruit powers.

The first thing he had to do was get control of his new logia body. He can now activate it instinctively like most others who've mastered their logia can. He also has the ability to travel at the speed of light, similar to Kizaru, by transforming his body into lightning. He realized he can cover great distances at almost no time at all with this ability and is one of his favorites. He further enhanced this ability by discovering that he can use the clouds in the sky as platforms to travel through which allows him to cover even greater distances spanning islands. He realized how powerful and invaluable this ability was. Even though it wasn't offensive it allowed him to traverse great distances from island to island at the speed of light. Another thing he experimented with was the attackes he remembered Enel performing. He was able to compress large amounts of electricity and drop a mighty beam of lightning from the sky with devastating consequences. He also recreated the attack Enel called 'Raigou' by condensing air currents and electrical discharge to create a veritable nuclear bomb that can vaporise and island.

He figured out quickly that similar to how Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi controlled the land and to a certain extent the oceans. His Goro Goro no Mi granted him full control of the sky. He could call on thunderclouds and storms and make them appear at will. He could make it rain lightning on a whim if he felt like it. It truly was a fearsome power that propelled Luffy up the list of the most dangerous people in the world.

His favorite ability however, is a lot more subtle but just as scary. His mastery of Haoshoku no Haki combined with the finesse of his lightning control allowed him to discover the ability to affect the nervous system of others. With Haoshoku no Haki being the ability to control you opponent by overpowering their wills, and the body of humans and most other creatures functioning by sending electric signals to different parts of the body from the brain via the nervous system. Luffy combined his Haki to overpower the will of his opponent and input new commands directly into their brains by using his Goro Goro no Mi to send electric signals. It was a truly frightening ability that took controlling your opponents to a new level. He wasn't able to use it on large groups though only a single person at a time. The control on concentrated needed is too much to use it in a widespread manner. Rayleigh had seen a lot of things in his day but never anything as intricate and ingenious as Luffy's use of his devil Fruit.

His ability to affect the nervous system gave him another idea which he tried out. Rayleigh taught him much about biology and he studied even further about the brain to exploit his new ability as best he can. He read that the most a human uses their brain is 10%. So using his ability he attempted to send signals directly to his brain to activate it further. He then redirected those signals in his nervous system and commanded them to regenerate and heal the body at a higher level. This resulted in his body working at optimum capacity, far more than it normally would without prompt, to heal and injuries or blemishes. The results of this was the scar below his eye regenerating its skin and the large X shped scar on his chest that he got from Akainu healing completely. It left his skin totally unblemished. He realized the number of people he could help with this starting with a certain group of sisters.

His appearance also changed a bit. He now stood at an impressive 6 ft 2 inches. His body looked to be in peak physical condition, it was muscular while being lean and toned. He also let his hair grow out and it now reached his lower back. It was tied at the end with a ribbon given to him by Hancock. His hair was straight and silky thanks to the treatment from the Kuja tribe who loved playing with his hair. It was parted in the middle and framed the sides of his face with a single thin brain at the front of the right side of his head that ended at his neck with 2 azure beads at the end. He also had an azure lightning bolt earing on either ear. He also sported a large number of tattoos along his left arm, in the manner of a sleeve, and continuing to the left side of his chest courtesy of the Kuja tribe. The tattoos ranged from different pictures containing references to his friends and family he came across on his journey. The main attractions so to speak was the large snake that seemed to wrap itself around his arm with its head lying on his shoulder. Hancock called it a Basilisk. A snake with the ability to turn those who looks into its eyes to stone. It was her favorite tattoo. Another one that stood out was the somewhat demonic creature, that took up most of the space on his chest, who was holding the ace of spades playing card right above his heart. A reference to him being the demon and the card representing his brother.

His clothes also changed a great deal to fit his new image. He now wore black leather pants with azure blames decorating the end of it reaching below his knee. He also had an azure sash around his waist with black leather gloves on his hand. Completing the ensemble was a black, high collar leather trench coat that flared out at the bottom. It was buttoned at the waist leaving the middle portion of his upper torso exposed and allowing the coat to flare out even more. All in all Luffy now looked like a completely different man. He look sharper, stronger, suave , intimidating not to mention incredibly dashing. Needless to say Hancock and the rest of the Kuja warriors were immensely pleased at his new looked while Rayleigh just laughed it him for being used as their dress-up doll.

Currently we find the ship of the Kuja Pirates docked at the coast of Ruskaina. Inside the ship, in the private quarters of the captain we find 4 occupants. The Boa sisters along with Luffy. He stands before them with a serious look on his face. They were a little nervous being exposed to his intense stare while Hancock just reveled in it. She enjoyed it immensely when Luffy stared at her with such passion, if her furiously blushing cheeks and her rubber her thighs together suspiciously were any indication. He asked to meet them privately because he had something important to tell them.

"Hancock, you know that I love you very much and that I would do anything for you right?". Luffy asked with the utmost sincerity. That got Hancocks attention as she snapped out of her delusions and stared at her lover as he proclaimed his love for her. It was like a dream come true for her as she nodded happily with a beautiful smile on her face. "And you know that I would never do anything to purposely hurt any of you in anyway. That's why I'm asking you to trust me please, and don't question what I'm about to do until I'm done". Luffy asked he stared into the eyes of Hancock with all the love he could muster. Hancock didn't even need a second to think about it.

"Of course I trust you Luffy. Just tell me what you need me to do". She replied without hesitation. Luffy smiled happily at her trust in him.

"I need you to kneel here in front of me while facing your sisters. What I'm about to do might hurt so I want you to prepare yourself and I want Sonia and Mari to not move till it''s over". He stated causing the 2 mentioned sisters to protest. Hancock just silenced them with a stare.

"I trust you Luffy. Do what you need to do" She stated as she knelt before him while facing Sonia and Mari who nervously looked on.

Luffy placed his hand on top of her head and closed his eyes in concentration. The next thing Hancock felt was excruciating pain running through her body. It felt as though she was on fire. Sonia and Mari saw the pain she was in and wanted to step in but couldn't because of the warning. They decided to put their trust in Luffy and nervously looked on. After a few agonizing minutes for Hancock, the pain disappeared. She took a few seconds to regain her breath.

"How are you feeling?". Luffy softly asked.

"Hmmm I'm doing fine. But I don't understand what you did". Stated Hancock.

Luffy just smiled and told her to look at the mirror he placed at the foot the bed she was facing. She could clearly see her reflection but didn't understand what she was looking for. He then went to the side of the room and grabbed the full body mirror and placed it behind Hancock. The reaction was instantaneous. Her body visibly shook as tears streamed down her eyes. Her sisters weren't faring any better when they realized what he did. On her back, where the brand of the Tenryuubito should be, was nothing but unblemished pearly white skin.

"H-How?". Hancock managed to choke out between tears.

"Did you notice how the scars on my chest and below my left eye aren't there anymore? Using the power of the Goro Goro no Mi, I found a way to send electric signals directly to the brain to optimize its performance to a supernatural level allowing cells to regenerate at a faster rate resulting in blemishes, scars and other injuries to be healed". Luffy explained as he smiled fondly at Hancock. "I don't really care if you have any blemishes or scars and I didn't really care about that mark on your back. You are beautiful to me, regardless of that silly crest. But I know how much it's weighed you down over the years. Hopefully this will give you the closure you need to move on and be the person you want to be". He finished as Hancock jumped into his arms and cried her eyes out, constantly muttering 'thank you' and 'I love you'. Luffy just chuckled softly at her.

As she finally regained her bearing she grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him ito a soul searing kiss. Eventually the need for air overpowered their desire and they separated. Luffy placed his forehead against hers as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"As much as I would love to continue this we have 2 others here who need to be healed as well". Said Luffy as he looked to the bed and spotted Sonia and Mari blushing up a storm as they looked at the two lovers. The 2 just laughed at the embarrassed girls as Luffy proceeded to do the same to them, completely erasing the brand of the celestial dragons. The sisters shared a hug and shed a few tears at finally being able to be fully free. Unfortunately it was time for Luffy to go. Before he left Hancock went up to him.

"Luffy, you have no idea how much this means to me, to us. You've freed us from a curse thats I never thought I would be rid of. I love you so, so much. Thank you". Hancock said lovingly with tears streaming down her face. She took a while to compose herself after which she got a glint in her eyes that made Luffy shudder. "I promise, when we have more time to properly 'reward' you". She said in a sultry tone as her eyes were swimming with love and lust. Luffy's imagination got the better of him as he imagined what his 'reward' might be. A trickle of blood dripped from his nose and he had a shit-eating-grin on his face as he walked up to Rayleigh who just shook his head at his apprentice with a wry smile on his face.

(Scene Change)

A few days have passed since that event and Rayleigh finally deemed it time for Luffy to break into the records office at Marineford.. Originally Luffy thought that breaking in would be quite a tall task. Now however, with the power of the Goro Goro ni Mi it makes it almost too easy.

Currently we find Luffy standing in the plaza of Marineford. There are a lot less Marine patrols and personnel than there used to be. This made it all too easy for him. With a confident smirk on his face he turned his body into lightning and zipped around the building. Too fast for anyone to notice. He overheard a transmission about a delivery of enough sea-stone to coat the bottom of a warship. He grinned to himself at the perfect opportunity to snag that for his ship. After spending a few seconds trying to find his way around, he finally arrived at the records office.

He snuck in unnoticed and skulked around till he finally found the records of the Monkey D family. It was standard information about his Jii-chan and Dragon that he wasn't really interested in right now. He finally came to his birth records and information. As he looked through it, he spotted the name of his mother. Her family and her lineage. His eyebrows shot up and he started visibly trembling. He couldn't believe it. His mother was a beautiful woman, no doubt about that. He can tell that he got most of his features from her. It's her heritage that shocked him. Then he read the details of her death and he started to tremble, not from shock however, this time it was from anger. He felt pure unadulterated rage. At the hypocritical World Government and the Marines. It finally made sense to him. Why his father did what he did. In that moment, even though he never knew his father and even though he always had a bit of resentment for being abandoned, he forgave his father and gave him his silent support.

Then it hit him. He thought about his Jii-chan, no, he thought about Garp. He knew! All this time he knew! And he still tried to make him join the Marines! He still has the nerve to preach about justice!

Luffy always thought himself to be a kind and happy-go-lucky boy. But in that moment, he felt something snap within him. Rage and hatred the likes of which he's never felt before boiled within him. He needed a release. Today, he would become a demon. He knew that his mothers old home is just behind Marineford. He was going to go there and see if he can find anything of hers to keep as a memento. Then he would make a statement, to the World Government and to the Marines.

First though he used the copy machine and made copies 2 copies of his birth records. He kept the original and a copy with him and placed the second copy in place of the original. He then zipped around the base and found the shipment of sea-stone. It was quite a large bag but well worth it. There were swords and pistols as well that he saw close by and threw them in the bag too. He placed the bag at the corner of Marineford, he would come back for it later.

He decided to visit his mothers home. He transformed and zipped around the base to the back area. He made it to his mothers old family home in a few seconds. He already monorized the floor plan from the map in the records. The place was dusty showing that nobody stepped foot in here for almost 13 years. A few tears fell from his eyes as he looked around, thinking of what could have been. He quickly quashed that notion and looked around for anything he could find. He found a framed photograph lying on the floor. It was covered in dust. As he dusted it off he saw a sight that almost made him want to break down. It was his mother. Her long black hair flowing in the wind and her beautiful green eyes alight with happiness. She was wearing a blue sundress and she had her hand on a very visible bump on her tummy. Next to her stood a tall man with wild black hair and an impressive tan. He had a goofy gin on his face, one which Luffy relized he often uses, as he held onto her. It was obviously taken just before he was born. The happiness on their faces jis heart bloom with happiness. His parents do love him, he realized. He tucked the picture away in his coat and steeled his resolve. He now had even more reason to fight. He would be the best. He would show the world the might of Monkey D. Luffy. And there isn't a single thing they could do to stop him.

As he made his way out the room his foot caught the end of a loose floorboard. Curiously he looked back and removed the piece. He was shocked to find what looked like a katana nestled in that little space. He picked it up and unsheathed it. It was the most beautiful sword he had ever seen in his life. It was a pure black katana and looked to be the length of an Odachi. It had 3 upward curving grooves on the blunt side and a sharp and deadly edge. The guard looked to be a strange manji character almost loke a swastika and the handle was wrapped beautifully in black with 3 blue diamond shapes on either side. To finish it off a short black chain was attached to the pommel.(AN: for those trying to picture it, think of Ichigo's bankai during the fullbring arc. Its basically the same sword. It was the most badass katana ever so I decided to use the design. I also took another name from Bleach to name the sword. But its just an ordinary sword. It doesn't have any special abilities or anything.)

"Mugetsu". Luffy whispered. He recognized the sword immediately. Rayleigh did make him study all the famous sword in the world and he identified this one with ease. Mugetsu, one of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords in the entire world. Its on the same level as Dracule Mihawks Kokuto Yoru. Luffy wondered why it was here, hidden in his mothers room. The only explanation was that it was her's or maybbe a family heirloom. He looked at the blade closely and noticed at the bottom end of the blade, just above the guard was a carving of a half moon covered by a cloud. The crest of his mothers family. So it indeed is a family heirloom. By rights, as the last of his family the blade belongs to him. He smiled to himself. "Mugetsu. Moonless Sky. A moonless sky is nothing but darkness though. Haha how appropriate. I will swing this blade on behalf of my family, of my mother, that was taken from me by the darkness enshrouding this world. You and I are partners now Mugetsu". Declared Luffy as he re-sheathed the sword and tuck it between his sash underneath his coat, hidden from view.

He got what he came for and now it was time to raise hell. It was time to send a message to those who think their in power. It was time to make them fear him.

Luffy zipped around using his lightning powers and arrive at the middle of the Marineford plaza. The Marines on duty looked at him quizzically as he stoically stood there.

"Who the hell are you?! This place is of limits to non-Marine personnel!". A scruffy looking marine shouted at him as he pointed his pistol at Luffy. The surrounding Marines picked up their weapons and pointed them at Luffy as well. He calmly turned to the man that questioned him, his azure eyes glowing with power. It almost made the man lose control of his bowels.

"Who am I? I guess you wont recognize me. I have changed a lot in a year or so. Plus I don't use my straw hat anymore. Well then let me tell you. My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I am here to send a message to your bosses". Luffy said calmly. The Marines went pale in the face at hearing his name. The infamous Monkey D. Luffy with a 4 million Beli bounty. They immediately started firing their pistols and were shocked to see their bullets just phase through him.

'He's a Logia!'. They all thought.

"Do you like my new power. I really did die after the war you see. I was dead for 13 minutes. I lost my rubber ability and later gained something even better. Wouldn't you agree?". He asked rhetorically as the pointed his finger at the man who spoke to him and shot out an arc of azure lightning, electrocuting him oh the spot. He motioned his index and thumb in the shape of a gun on both hands and started firing lightning at the surrounding Marines. After a few seconds they were all down but by that time the alarm started blaring signaling an intruder in the base.

Luffy used Kenbunshoku haki to estimate the strength of the his opponents and was disappointed to find that they were all pretty weak. The strongest of them was relatively OK, Luffy guessed that he was probably a Vice-Admiral. He continued shooting out dense beams of lightning into the surroundings taking out Marines and blowing up buildings at the same time. They were all firing pistols, rifles and even canons at him but it didn't affect him in the slightest. It seemed that the lower ranking Marines were unable to utilize Haki. Luffy just continued his firing, never moving from his spot, making a complete mess of the island.

"Stop firing immediately!". Shouted a man with a distinguished white coat with medals on it. Luffy assumed he was the Vice-Admiral. The wasn't anything special about him. In fact he was forgettable. However he would do, as he was strong enough to survive and take back what Luffy was about to do to the HQ. "He's a logia user. I will deal with him personally. You look very different Mugiwara no Luffy. What are you doing here?". The Vice-Admiral asked in a condescending tone.

"Of course I look different. Its been almost a year since anybody saw me. Puberty happened Vice-Admiral-chan. In case you haven't noticed, I don't have the straw hat anymore so technically in not 'Mugiwara no Luffy' anymore either. You guys need to think up a new epithet for me. As for why I'm here, well I'm here to send a nice little message for those assholes that call themselves the World Government and that loser with the gay Hawaiian shirt Sakazuki. I'm going to destroy this place. This is my way of saying don't forget about me. I'll be back soon". Luffy said in a menacing tone as he pointed his left index finger to the sky.

Clouds started gathering at a frightening pace as Luffy condensed the lightning within them. Slowly but surely an opening started to appear in the cloud that was positioned right above the main building of Marineford. The Marines didn't move. They were rooted to the ground in fear at the display of power.

"Heavenly Judgement" . Said Luffy as he released the attack resulting in a colossal beam of lightning descending upon the island completely obliterating the main building and some of the smaller offices around it. The Marines weren't spared either. Most of them were lying unconscious on the ground. The Vice-Admiral was barely able to keep his footing as well and dropped to a knee. He looked around to see most of the island on fire and many Marines on the ground. He felt fear for the first time in his life. Raw and primal fear of the monster standing before him.

"Y-You're a demon!". She shouted fearfully at Luffy. Luffy looked at him for a few minutes and burst out laughing. This made the Vice-Admiral even more afraid.

"A demon you say. Hahaha well if I an a demon then you better believe that I'm not just any demon Vice-Admiral-chan. I'm the King of Demons". Said Luffy with a menacing tone and an terrifying grin on his face. That was the last sight that the Vice-Admiral saw, which will give him nightmares for years to come, before knocked him out with a burst of Haoshoku haki.

He took one last look at the burning island before grabbing his large bag of sea-stone and weapons before turning into lightning and leaving.

(Scene Change)

The next morning we find Rayleigh reading the newspaper on Ruskaina. Luffy didn't return last night after the raid and he was getting a little worried. As he read the paper his eyes bulged out of his sockets at the news of what Luffy did to Marineford. He was a little worried about his apprentice. He knew him well enough to know that he wont just do something like this on a whim. Something must have pissed him off. As he pondered this he felt a familiar power approaching the island. In a burst of lightning, Luffy appeared, not too far from Rayleigh.

"Welcome back, Luffy-kun. I can tell that you had a lot of fun yesterday. It's all over the newspaper about how you blew up Marineford. Mind telling me why?". Asked Rayleigh. He carefully watched as Luffy reached into his coat and pulled out a folder and handed it to him. Rayleigh took the folder and carefully read its contents. His eyebrows gradually rose till they were reaching his hairline at this unbelievable twist. He closed the folder and let out a breath.

"I see now. This probably made you pretty angry. Am I right?". He asked Luffy who just nodded.

"I've never felt so much rage in my life. They're just a bunch of hypocrites. Especially Garp! But I'm not going to go looking for revenge or anything like that so don't bother with that lecture you're about to give me. I plan on continuing my adventure as is. However, If I come across then, then I will show no mercy. I can guarantee that". Said Luffy. Rayleigh just nodded his head, glad that his apprentice wasn't fixated on revenge. "On a brighter note, I found this in my mothers room. Apparently it's a family heirloom". Said Luffy happily as he took out Mugetsu to show Rayleigh who just whistled in appreciation at the fine blade.

"Speaking of brighter notes, you'll be happy to know that your bounty went up and they also gave you a new epithet". Laughed Rayleigh as he showed Luffy his new wanted poster.

It showed him standind in the Marineford plaza, the sky dark with thunder clouds and a few arcs of lightning in the background. His azure eyes also seemed to be glowing as he had a calm but powerful look on his face. On the bottom it read:

'Maou' Monkey D. Luffy, Wanted Dead or Alive for 470 million Beli's.

Luffy burst out laughing as he looked at it.

"'Maou', I cant believe they're seriously calling me that. Well I guess I did tell that Vice-Admiral that I'm the King of demons but I meant it as a joke. I didn't think they would really do it. Oh well nothing much to do about it. It is a pretty badass name. And you have to admit its a cool picture too!". Luffy said excitedly as he and Rayleigh continued to discuss events that transpired.

(Time Skip)

7 months have past since that event and most of the world got news of the new Monkey D. Luffy, the Demon King. The news received mixed reaction but our hero knew none of that as he continued to train. The truth about his mother and family motivated him to take his training to new heights as he pushed himself beyond the limit of normal humans. He was able to reach a level in which even Rayleigh can barely keep up with him. There was only one thing left to do before he reunited with his crew in a month.

(Scene Change)

On a little island in West Blue covered my mostly dense forest we find a jolly pirate crew sitting around the fire drinking beer and having a few laughs. This pirate crew was the infamous Red Hair pirates captained by one of the Yonko 'Akagami' Shanks. As they're laughing and playing around, as they usually do, one of the crew mates who was charged with being a lookout came rushing in disrupting the party mood.

"Captain! There's someone here! And he's coming right this way!". Screamed the man in panic. That immediately put the crew on high alert. Immediately everyone tensed and were prepared to spring into action. Shanks however was still smiling and drinking on beer. However to the older members of his crew who knew him well, they could tell he was on high alert. Whoever this person was, his presence felt huge. They could tell he was extremely powerful.

As they all silently waited they could hear footsteps approaching. Slowly but surely the man came into view. He was tall, around 6 ft 2 inches. He had long black hair reaching his lower back. On the front right side of his head was a single thin braid that reached his neck with 2 azure beads at the end. He had an azure lightning bolt on each ear as well as a necklace wrapped around his neck with what appeared to be a fang in the middle. He wore black leather leather pants with flames decorating the bottom portion as well as a sash around his waist, both azure in color as well. He also had a long high collar leather trench coat that reached his calves that was buttoned at the waist leaving the middle of his upper torso exposed and allowing the coat to flare out at the bottom. Finally he had the most striking azure eyes that seemed to glow with power as it held you in place. Needless to say this man was extremely captivating as well as intimidating. But to Shanks and his crew who had seen his poster, they couldn't help but grin at the man.

"Luffy!". Shanks shouted happily with a wide grin on his face. Happy to see his young friend again after so many years.

"Yo Shanks. Let me start of by saying that after almost 10 years...you still look like shit". Said Luffy slyly as Shanks face-faulted. The whole crew including Luffy burst out laughing. Shanks grumbled about kids having no respect at first but joined in the fun afterwards. Luffy joined them for a drink.

"I must say Luffy you look really different". Shanks pointed out curiously.

"Puberty". Was Luffy's deadpan single word response that caused Shanks to sweat drop.

"It's good to see you again Luffy, but I have to ask, What are you doing here?". Asked Shanks as Luffy looked at him seriously.

"I'm here to fulfill my promise and to return a few things to you". Stated Luffy seriously as he pulled out the straw hat and a small chest. Shanks smiled at Luffy. Realizing how much the young boy he used to tease has grown up. He has become a fine young man. "Almost 10 years ago you put that hat on my head with the promise that we'll meet again. When I became the the man who you saw me to be, I would return that hat. A lot has happened in that time. I've been through happy times, I've faced sorry, heartbreak and even death. But I think after all that I've came out a better person. I feel as though I can take on the world right now. I know you can feel how strong I've become. So with that, I want to return this hat, my most valuable treasure, to you. Its helped me through a lot but I think you should hold onto it for now. We're going to be rivals soon on the same sea. So hold onto that till I make it to the top. As the future 'Pirate King' its only fitting that I have a crown worthy, don't you think so?". Luffy said with a grin on his face as Shanks burst out laughing. He happily took his old straw hat and placed it back onto his head and smiled at Luffy.

"I'll hold onto this till then Luffy. I'm looking forward to it". Stated shanks with a proud smile. "I must say Luffy you've sure changed a lot. I can tell you've become stronger too. I can feel the immense Haki you have at your disposal. Am I right in assuming you have the ability to use Haoshoku haki as well?". Asked Shanks.

"Haha yeah, you're right. I awakened at during the war 2 years ago and have been training it ever since. In fact I've been personally trained by Silvers Rayleigh himself. I know you know him quite well". Said Luffy with a sly grin on his face. Shanks and his crew had their eyes bulging at that one.

"Ray-san! So thats what he's been doing all this time. Hahaha no wonder you got strong so quickly. That guys is a slave driver". Laughed Shanks. He then noticed the chest in Luffy's hand. "Luffy, whats up with that chest.?". He asked.

"I did tell you I was returning a few things didn't I?". said Luffy mischievously as he opened the chest and showed him the contents. "If I'm not mistaken, I owe you a Gomu Gomu no Mi". He said with a sly grin as he watched Shanks' shocked face.

"How?". Was Shanks' question. Luffy told him the story of him dying and how Rayleigh kept the fruit for him. Shanks was flabbergasted. Only with Luffy will such crazy things happen.

"I have one more thing that I need to return to you Shanks". Said Luffy in a tone that meant all business. "I want you trust me. What I'm about to do is going to hurt a lot but in the end you'll be better than you are now. So I'm going to ask you to trust me. Can you?". Asked Luffy seriously.

"Of course I trust you Luffy". Shanks replied without hesitation. Luffy stood up and went behind him. He placed his hand on Shank's head and channeled his ability. Suddenly Shanks started spasming. The crew wanted to rush in and stop Luffy but Ben Beckman just sent them a glare freezing them in place. He had faith in Luffy and wanted to see how this turned out. After a few minutes Luffy took his hand off Shanks' head and started breathing heavily. Shanks was much the same, but he had a look of shock plastered across his face that confused his crew.

"How? How did you do that?". Shanks asked in awe as he moved his coat off his left side revealing his left arm in perfect condition. The same arm he sacrificed to save Luffy all those years ago. The crew was absolutely shock at what they were seeing. What just happened should be impossible but their eyes couldn't deny what just happened. Luffy grinned and told them about his new Devil Fruit power and explained the ability he just used. They were even more shocked at such a crazy and ingenious way of using a Devil Fruit.

"Thank you Luffy". Shanks said sincerely.

"Don't sweat it. I've always felt a little guilty about that arm and this is my way to make up for it even though I know you never held it against me". Said Luffy with a smile. "Ironically though, that Gomu Gomu no Mi that I gave you is the natural weakness of my Devil Fruit". Luffy said while laughing. Shanks and his crew laughed along with him and invited him to celebrate with them.

While sitting around the campfire drinking, Luffy turned to Yassop.

"Hey Yassop, I don't know if you know this but your son is part of my crew. He's quite the crack shot too. Anything you want me to give him like a message or something". Asked Luffy. Yassop disappeared for a while and returned with a medium sized briefcase for Ussop. The night was spent partying away.

(Time Skip)

Another month has passed and the time has finally come for Luffy to leave to Sabody. It was time to reunite with his crew and set sail. He already said goodbye to the Kuja warriors and Hancock with the promise to visit them often. With his ability he can go to Amazon Lily whenever he wanted. Rayleigh left a few days ago for Sabody in case any of the crew get there early. Luffy asked him to gather the crew and keep them at Shakki's bar. They had a lot to discuss and a lot of remodeling to be done before they set sail. Luffy was a new man now. He felt stronger, more confident and knew nothing will stand in the way of him and his crew anymore. He gave a silent prayer to Ace and his mother before transforming his body and moving towards Sabody. The world had better be prepared for the new Monkey D. Luffy. Whether they liked it or not he was on his way and will make a colossal impact on the events to come.

END