Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

A Large Leap

The Comeback of the Century

'Is this another dream?' Monkey D. Luffy, son of Monkey D. Dragon of the Revolutionaries and the grandson of Monkey D. 'The Fist' Garp of the Marines, spoke to himself as the feeling of weightlessness had flooded his system. It was like Luffy was floating, or drifting in the ocean. And Luffy never learned how to swim in his life; for good reason.

You see, he ate one of the mythical Akuma no Mi (Devil Fruits). Each one grants a superhuman or supernatural ability with a simple cost: the ability to swim. It might not sound that serious but any still motion body of water can disable an eater and cause them to sink like a hammer. And most eaters are usually sailors, pirates or marines.

Back to be specific, Luffy ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi (Rubber-Rubber Fruit). It generally transforms pretty much anything about Luffy's body to take the qualities of rubber permanently. Meaning that Luffy can stretch any of his limbs or skin as the basics but Luffy was like a monkey for sure. He managed to learn, from instinct and the heat of the moment, how to use his Akuma no Mi to new extents.

For example, he can use his rubbery organs to accelerate his blood flow so that more strength and speed can be used with the side effect of risking the length of his lifespan. Despite that setback, Luffy can move at supersonic speeds and launch attacks strong enough to create shockwaves. But there was more, Luffy can enlarge his limbs and other body parts.

And it is as simple as blowing his rubbery body with air, much like how a balloon is enlarged as more air is inserted. And while that does sound a little useless to just use air but this allows Luffy to use his own freakish strength to topple larger-than-average foes and even destroy entire towns if needed.

That is right, Luffy has, other than his Akuma no Mi ability, superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, hardness and coordination. This allows him to dominate fights, without having to rely on his Akuma no Mi too much; just when his arms can't normally reach. The only problem is that Luffy's mindset is that of a jungle animal; he thinks on his feet, with his fists or his stomach which can annoy his friends. He even gets medicine all wrong with his useless suggestions.

But Luffy was still a teenager that had to grow up in a jungle on his home island, so there is still the upsides to his personality. Luffy never thinks of himself, never selfish, never greedy for anything other than food, never feels lust, pride, sloth, envy, is wrathful only for his friends, and generally is an excellent leader. As he has done what was determined to be impossible plenty of times and he has a loyal crew that may be frustrated from time to time that still follows his word.

Luffy sure is a lucky boy for sure but this day and experience will show him what he really has. 'I must still be dreaming because there is nothing here. Not even meat, which I can go for anything by now!' Luffy ignored the saliva down his mouth at the thought of his favorite raw food.

But he was right, the surroundings were indeed 'nothing'. All bland, mundane, uninteresting and generally means nothing. There wasn't even anything above or below the boy, so what was Luffy floating in!? "I don't care! Thinking gives me a headache! I just want to find Ace and get away!"

Portgas D. Ace was Luffy's older brother. And the difference in name is because Ace and Luffy were brothers in all but blood. They have so much in common but people in general knew Ace by being stronger than Luffy, who never beaten him, and also being more polite and enjoyable to be around. Thankfully, Luffy was thick-skinned enough to take the jabbing to where it hurts the most.

And one of things that make Luffy and Ace brothers, besides their love of food and their cheerily way of living life, was that they both were Akuma no Mi eaters. Ace ate the Mera-Mera no Mi (Fire-Fire Fruit) that made him even more famous and powerful; he already could overwhelm Luffy in physical combat. And with his signature more, Hiken (Fire Fist), Ace was known as 'Fire Fist' for sinking ship fleets with a single blow from this powerful technique.

But there was just this one thing that made Ace's life harder than Luffy's or perhaps as dangerous was Ace's father, Gol D. Roger. And Roger was better known as the 'Pirate King' as there was no pirate that had more power, wealth or fame than Roger obtained along with 'everything else life had to offer'. And after Roger's execution, planned to lower pirate trends, failed to deliver the message the way the government wanted, they wanted to prevent the coming of the second Pirate King. And they knew that the Gol Family line was the greatest factor in Roger's rise to power, they needed to end the family line for this own sakes.

And that was how Ace was an outcast who had to listen to complete strangers making fun of him and his father. And in a twist of irony, considering that Ace hated Roger, the boy will never let anyone live after mocking the late Pirate King. That attitude could get him killed and,

"ACE! NOO!" That was what happened. Someone did insult Roger but also someone else to, where and when Ace can hear it. One of the admirals of the marines had insulted the man that Ace called his 'real father', Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate. Another powerful pirate and was the only one that matched Roger's own power.

Whitebeard was also one of the Yonko (Four Emperors) that were a group of powerful and influential pirates that may have started after the death of Roger. And each of the Yonko was powerful enough to take over any ocean entirely so the government and marines offer the chance to destroy pirates so that the Yonko are tamed and satisfied. But there was more to Whitebeard than all of this,

Newgate had a lot more titles than that, he was also the 'World's Strongest Man' and the 'Man closet to One Piece'. These titles were not made up for intimidation as Whitebeard is a lot stronger than the average human, superhuman doesn't come close to Whitebeard's seemingly unmatched strength and power. Whitebeard even had the power to destroy the world with his Akuma no Mi that he eat, a lot like Luffy and Ace, called the Gura-Gura no Mi (Tremor-Tremor Fruit).

With the Gura-Gura no Mi, Whitebeard can use shockwaves to severely damage his foes and even cause tsunamis while sending them to cause seaquakes. He even once used this power to topple the earth itself to gain an advantage on the battlefield. But enough about Whitebeard,

Ace had heard this admiral, in all his arrogance and cruelty, insult Whitebeard and caused the wrathful young man to try and retaliate. But even with his Mera-Mera no Mi powers, Ace was outmatched in skill and power. And Luffy saw a pure good example, with Ace taking a fist of magma aimed at a version of himself!

"NOO! ACCE!" Luffy tried to 'swim' his way to his brother and help him but Luffy couldn't even touch Ace without phasing through a lot like a ghost does. This was a nightmare for sure, seeing Ace with a huge hole in his chest, one no one can survive even five minutes with. And it got worse when this Luffy saw the version of himself that was part of this vison; that 'Luffy' looked like he was going to snap, and he did.

Luffy couldn't understand why he felt like his head was still clear while that Luffy looked worse to wear and wasn't even looking alive! And then the vison blurred too fast for even someone like Luffy to keep up but the young man saw himself surviving the war for sure but almost giving up on his dream; something that Luffy saw as a real nightmare and a real sin.

'Is…is this what is going to happen to me?' Luffy said as he saw himself going to an island under the sea, to an island made of both fire and ice, to an island of toys and passion, to a kingdom on top a giant elephant and all the other islands indescribable for the poor boy's mind. All Luffy needed to know was that this version of him had gotten stronger for sure but the foes and obstacles of the New World, the real World's Greatest Ocean.

"NO!" Luffy shouted as it all disappeared, leaving Luffy to float in nothingness again. "I will not be that weak! Not today and not ever! I am going to be strong! For Ace and for my crew!" Luffy didn't care if someone heard him or not. "I will protect everyone for real this time! I will! I WILL!"

Then Luffy felt like he was being pushed by something unseen, out of the nothingness and to where this resolve will be tested. Luffy has another chance to strive for a better future and prove to his doomed brother that he is not weak and will not be that way for the rest of his life. He will take this large leap that awaits him!

XXXXXX

When Luffy suddenly heard screaming and gun firing, the smell of smoke and gunpowder filled his nose and the touch of stone spread throughout his skin, he knew that he was back in reality. And then Luffy saw it, something he wished not to see; his doomed brother with a magma fist through his chest!

'Why?' Luffy whispered. 'I thought that I could save him. Why?' In a sadist act of cruelty, the Admiral only withdraw his deadly fist out of Ace's chest so Luffy could have him die in his arms and become a sitting duck.

"Luffy…" Ace muttered with what little breath and strength left in his dying body. "Looks like this is it."

Luffy shivered and felt tears down his cheeks. "You were doomed. Is that why you never wanted me here. You didn't want me to be here and see this." Luffy said that slightly surprised Ace, the little brother that he knew was never this perceptive and so mature about it.

"Yeah. I didn't want to scare and worry my little brother. That's your job." Ace cracked a joke but Luffy didn't feel like laughing in situations like this one.

"I love you Ace." Luffy suddenly said which got his big brother by surprise. "You are my big brother, you are irreplaceable and I will never try to find a new brother! That is why I am here! Because I love you! Always!"

Meanwhile, Ace felt like seeing his entire life flash by while being able to see every single scene where Ace was bullied, tormented and harassed simply for his bloodline. Each one of these made him feel unloved by the world and everything that lived in it. But Luffy had proven him wrong, Ace was loved despite it all.

Ace was brought to tears from this, "Me too. I love you too Luffy. You are my precious little brother, I will never ask for anyone else." Ace felt like his doomed time is just on the horizon. "Tell Whitebeard that I loved him as a father and thank you all for loving me." Ace spoke no more and Luffy cemented those words into his mind as the light in his big brother's eyes had faded forever; Ace had died, with a smile and in Luffy's arms, where he belongs.

Luffy then felt that same moment from the vision, when that version of himself snapped and went into a coma. Not this time, Luffy gritted his teeth and used all the positive memories he could muster as some kind of mental barrier; and it looks like it's working but,

"You are next Mugiwara (Straw Hat)!" Admiral Akainu, with his infernal Magu-Magu no Mi (Magma-Magma Fruit) that was as cruel as he is, charged to kill off Ace's little brother. But Akainu's attack attempt was thwarted by the blur of a massive creature that somehow blocked the fist made of magma!

"Jinbe!" Luffy called out. Jinbe was not a human for sure, but a Fishman; a member of a species that were humanoids with features based off the various fish species that live in all the world's oceans. In Jinbe's case, he was based of the whale shark which takes in account his massive builds and shark like characteristics.

But Jinbe, in all his concertation to take a deadly fist with his bare hands, didn't notice that Luffy was still conscious. Conscious to take a large piece of rubble with his stretched arm, and cast the cruel admiral away! Jinbe was surprised, he had been ready for Ace's little brother to be fully vulnerable, to save him but it was Luffy was did the saving.

"Jinbe! We need to get Ace on one of Whitebeard's ships! Now!" Luffy shouted to the fishman who was still in shock but nodded, taking the fallen body into his arms. But then, "Go!" Luffy shouted yet again but not at Jinbe, he was pointing at the piece of rubble that he knocked Akainu away with.

As soon as the admiral melted the rubble with his magma, he was soon hit by a pair of swords and talons! Vista and Marco, of the Whitebeard Pirates, respectably, had tried to get a slice at Akainu for Ace's murder. "You Haki users are so annoying." The admiral muttered; Haki was something that allowed user to hit eaters of the Akuma no Mi that granted intangibility, the Logia class. But it seems that those 'Haki users' still haven't hit the admiral's solid body and only hit the magma instead.

"Gomu-Gomu no Jetto Pisutoru! (Gum-Gum Jet Pistol)!" Akainu heard this before in the war and prepared to match a supersonic attack, only for it to hit the ground that he was standing on instead.

"You need to work on that aim Mugiwara, maybe that is what killed your brother!" The cruel admiral tried to make a mocking out of this but was infuriated to see a smirk on Luffy's face instead.

"It is hard to miss when I am not aiming at you Akainu." Luffy said, dragging it along to keep his foe busy and before a geyser erupted beneath the admiral! "I got it from Jinbe fighting Moria. He is not the only one that can use the sea against a Devil Fruit eater!"

Everyone gasped as the smell was without a doubt to be sea water and the sea is deadly to Akuma no Mi eaters. "And I won't try to use your powers Admiral." Luffy said only for everyone hear screaming, "I told you. Sea water is not like drinking water or bathing water. It is not purely water, there are dirt from the sea floor and the essence of sea creatures as small as our cells and they hate to be boiled. You'll hate to boil sea water that you are drenched in."

When the geyser died down and ran out of sea water, everyone saw a sorry sight. Akainu was on the ground, still covered in ocean water, but clutching his face and it looks like his eyes were irritated. "Damm you Mugiwara! Scum of Dragon!"

"I know that my dad is an ass but I am not him." Luffy said with a childishly mocking voice. "But now it is time." The marines were shocked to see nearly every remaining Whitebeard Pirate arrive with fire arms; Luffy looked like their new commander. "Fire!"

Guns, rifles, bazookas and all the nine yards were fired off at once; and they were all aimed a single target. The admiral was obviously blinded because he was helpless to both stop and take the missiles, bullets and everything that can be shot at him. And when he could try, the sea water will only harm the admiral, with his own powers being used against him.

"You two!" Luffy shouted and Admiral then felt something worse than firearms, he felt like something had sliced at both arms and the right side of his torso. And this time, blood has been drawn. "Now it is my turn." Akainu could hear the boy he tried to scar with Ace's death right in front of him.

"If you hit me then you will kill me! You will show the world that you are no different than the evil scum that he risk our lives to fight!" Akainu now has resorted to trying to talk Luffy out whatever the boy has planned.

"No problem. You done that already." Luffy said, "But for the record, you wanted me to remember you and I will return the favor. Call it an attack in Ace's name and reserved for you! This, you will never forget!" Akainu then felt like his face was being burned badly, with the sea water irritating the burn. "Gomu-Gomu no Reddo Hōku (Gum-Gum Red Hawk)!"

Everyone, marines and pirates alike were shocked to see Luffy's fist that met Akainu's cheek explode! And other than burning Akainu's face badly, as well as most of the admiral, it sent him flying to the far side of Marineford and into a wall that somehow halted him. And then yet another geyser from the sea erupted around the fallen admiral.

"Oops. I forgot that last one!" Luffy then laughed at that, which was something that no one was able to understand at all. "But at least he won't be hurting anyone in this war. He is all yours Whitebeard."

The larger-than-life Yonko pirate appeared right behind Luffy with anger written all over him, but not at Ace's younger brother. "Fine brat. Just don't interfere next time."

"Got it Uncle Whitebeard. I got it ages ago. But quit wasting time!" Luffy suddenly lost his cool and Whitebeard was shocked to see the admiral get up. The Yonko might be the 'Strongest Man in the World' but even he thought that Akainu was done from the rain of bullets from his crew and a pair of attacks from two of his division commanders.

"Arrgh! I will finish this!" Whitebeard used his right hand to strike the very air, as if it was made of glass. This of course was the effect of the Gura-Gura no Mi, the cracking of the glass is what sends shockwaves. And this one pretty much cracked the side of Marineford that the pirates were all facing. But Akainu was not among the rubble. "Where did he go!?"

Whitebeard tried to find the admiral but by the time he felt intense heat around a certain point, it was too late for the old veteran that was feeling old age. Akainu arrived from the ground and was screaming like a madman with his eyes still irritating beyond belief, trying to kill the Yonko. Only to see that Luffy was taking the hit! "Trying to die after all!?" Akainu laughed, thinking that fate had gotten him to kill his prey but his irritated eyes showed him a victorious smirk on Luffy's face.

"I am not the type to get scars but I am just returning the favor. It is the least I can do for my Uncle Whitebeard." Luffy said and when Akainu saw that all he was doing was giving him an x-shaped scar but not melting through the skin like the admiral had hoped, it was too late for him. Whitebeard responded with speeds beyond any man of his age to crack the air, this time hitting Akainu for real. In fact, the admiral couldn't take the sheer intensity of the strike with his wounds and exhaustion from Luffy's humiliation of him.

"Thanks for that brat! And what is up with that fearful shiver!?" Whitebeard spoke in a booming voice until he notice that Luffy was restless, even though all he got was a harmless scar on his chest.

"It's not that. It is just a repulsive presence is practically rotting my nerves away. And there is one hiding over there!" Luffy pointed to the large building that towered over the battlefield, where a shadow was spotted. "And the rest are over there!" Luffy then pointed to the platform that was being suspended by the same wall that Luffy had sent Akainu skidding into. "It's Blackbeard!"

Whitebeard gritted his teeth when he recognized the presence of a traitor that also killed one of his own in cold blood, over a prize that was what the real owner was slain over. But then the old man saw Luffy go in the opposite direction. "Where are you going brat!?"

Luffy then turned to Whitebeard with more seriousness than though possible for a boy like him. "This is your fight. Your justice. I have no right, even as Ace's little brother, to be involved. And while you are doomed to die here, just do me a favor a leave something on the scum so Blackbeard doesn't get out without scars. That is the most you can go and more than I can ever do currently."

Luffy then felt his own wounds and exhaustion from the rest of the war come to him. Whitebeard then saw that Luffy was speaking truthfully and then nodded. The last Luffy will ever remember of Whitebeard will be this, "Take him to the submarine, wherever it is going. And, thank you boy for everything. This old man will not let you down."

XXXXXX

"And you are sure that my crew will understand the message. I don't want the higher ups with all their own deduction abilities to figure it out too." Luffy said with his body covered in bandages and also Amazons tugging at his skin. It has been a solid week since Luffy had collapsed during the war, taken to indeed a submarine, delivered to the safest place possible and then was part of a glandular plan to get the attention of the world; and more importantly, the scattered members of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"I am sure that the plan you told us will keep the marines busy in trying to cover up the story, despite it already been published." Silvers 'Dark King' Raleigh, along with Jinbe trying his best, ignored the other amazons that are trying to see if all men stretch like Luffy. "And I am sure that your crew will understand your message since they are aware of your style."

"Me too." Luffy responded before taking a large sigh. "I just can't believe that I may have humiliated Akainu but I couldn't help Uncle Whitebeard against Blackbeard. And I heard that he did die…"

"You said that he was doomed to fall in battle and that he accepted it. So you will need to get over it." Raleigh said with a smile on his face. "You have done more for the old man than I ever did. Not even Captain Roger did that much."

Yes, Raleigh was part of the Roger pirates that were as famous as the Pirate King himself. In fact, Raleigh was the first mate! That meant Raleigh was the second strongest pirate, under Gold Roger himself! And twenty years later, even the marine admirals will think twice and have doubt before challenging Raleigh; there was no way any of them can beat him.

"Ace was his son and I was his younger brother. There was no way I was going to cause my uncle to just die, after how he gave Ace all Big Brother ever wanted." Luffy said. And that caused even the amazons to be silent while still playing. There was just this one thing left for Luffy to do, long before trying the Grand Line again.

Later,

"And why can't I visit my beloved while he is training!? All because I am a woman!?" Boa Hancock, one of the Shichibukai (Seven Warlords), is a woman of unmatched beauty and her strength is on equal levels. And she is annoying Raleigh with her schoolgirl-type crush on Luffy.

"I am sorry but we will be training hard and we can't spoil Luffy one bit! It will not get him stronger at all." Raleigh tried to reason with his decision but Hancock was one stubborn woman, with an iron-clad mind; one that melted when Luffy placed his hand on Hancock's that was pinching Raleigh's nose.

"Master Raleigh is right Hancock. It is for the best that you keep a profile as low as possible. You need to keep up your image to protect your people and I don't want my crew to gang up on me for having you visit every day." Luffy smiled which nearly caused Hancock to faint, given the close contact already. "Think you can do that for the next two years, for me?"

"Y-yes! I will! I will!" Hancock was definitely not acting like the ice queen that hates men one bit when she is ever around Luffy. "Be careful Luffy and good luck!" And so, Hancock and her Amazons left the island, named Rusukaina. Being located in the dangerous Calm Belt, which surrounds the Grand Line, this island is the prefect training ground for Luffy.

Meanwhile, Luffy and Raleigh were the only people left on the island. They were having their dinner with an elephant that Raleigh defeated while Luffy, even with his Second Gear, couldn't even bring down. "So you will be teaching me the basics of Kenbunshoku Haki (Observant Haki), Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) and Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki)." Luffy said over a large meat-on-a-stick, still his favorite food. "Is that all?"

"Well do you want to learn more?" Raleigh said over a jug of sake, he already had his share of meat. Luffy then nodded. "Like what?"

"I once used staffs from broken pipes while living with Ace but after an accident with my powers, that was the last time I ever used a polearm. But I want to fight when my Devil Fruit powers or fists don't work. Like with the admirals or any of the other pirates." Luffy gave an example and Raleigh nodded; that was the cold hard truth that Akuma no Mi powers and hand-to-hand combat can only get you so far in the Grand Line. "I am also interested in the Rokushiki (Six Powers) from CP9 in Enies Lobby."

"I usually just use swords instead of polearms and that style is exclusive to the CP9 and the Marines. I may have the knowledge on how they work, I haven't found the time to figure how to teach it." Raleigh said honestly. But Luffy wasn't disappointed,

"That's okay. I will try my best to understand your lessons. After all, I have only two years so I am going to pile it all in." Luffy said with determination. "This time, I am going to learn how to protect my crew for real. I will be able to take anything the New World has to give me."

"Prefect." Raleigh said with a smile. "Then let's get started."

End of Chapter 1.

*Finally, a new story since number 50 reached last month! Hope it is good and since I am basing this off of RyuUchihaSenju's 'The Next King of Pirates', I thought that I will give the credit for the idea to him. I don't want to step on any toes.*