One Piece: Next Chapter

Prologue

Bells sounded as a certain group of pirates walk down the street in parade with the marines, heading for their execution. The pirates keep their head down in solemn dignity while their chains made metallic sounds. And all the people of the village of Fuschia look on as the pirates make their way to the giant scaffolding that was just built.

The pirates there were that of none other than the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates. Leading the troupe was that of the infamous "Straw Hat" Luffy, also known as "The Second Pirate King", afterwards was the right hand man Roronoa Zoro the "Pirate Hunter", known for his now-famous fight with Hawk-Eye Mihawk which he earned the title of strongest swordsman for fighting him to a standstill. After him was Ussop the "Sniper King", who had gained a title equivalent to Mihawk and Zoro, and "Black Leg" Sanji with his trademark cigarette and thousands of girls screaming for him. Ironically this would possibly be the only time he stayed composed at this. Trailing behind those four are Nami, Franky, Robin, and the reindeer Chopper in his Heavy Point form.

All the people looked on as the pirates were finally brought to the hometown of their captain after many active years and conquering the Grand Line. The Marines, armed with their guns and swords, escorting them up to the scaffolding were on guard knowing that not all of Straw Hat Pirates were here. On the scaffolding the pirates are forced on their knees with sword poised ready to chop off their heads. Straw Hat Luffy was on a raised stand as opposed to his cohorts while a Marine Vice Admiral confronts them.

"Monkey D. `Straw Hat` Luffy, a.k.a `Second Pirate King`, Roronoa `Pirate Hunter` Zoro, `Black Leg` Sanji, `Sniper King` Ussop, `Cat Burglar` Nami, `Cyborg` Franky, `Demon Child` Robin, and Tony Tony Chopper `the Cotton Candy Lover`, you are all here for your crimes against the World Government," the Vice Admiral began, reading from a parchment, "You are responsible for disturbing the order of the East Blue, raiding Ennies Lobby and, in-so-doing, are responsible for it's destruction. Continuing on, you are also found guilty of assaulting the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, which would lead to your inevitable assault of their castle on Mariejoa, the Holy Land. Not to mention your captain's infiltration of Impel Down, releasing hundreds of prisoners, and the incident in Marine HQ concerning `Fire Fist` Ace. That's just a few--"

"Hey Sanders, can we hurry this up?" Zoro finally speaks.

"Yeah, I'm falling asleep here. Boredom is about to kill me before you do." Nami follows up.

"Ehem—you and your menacing presence on this planet comes to an end on this day where you shall be put to death," the Vice Admiral continued with a cold-hearted look, "I offer you all my pity and hope that God have mercy on your souls. Your other crewmates, such as `Humming Phantom` Brook, shall be hunted down and will join you momentarily. Have any you any last word?"

The Second Pirate King, with his hat in the hand of the marine next to him, said nothing at first, he merely grinned his big smile. Then he spoke, "First, let me say that your offer is respefably—"

"Respectably—dumbass," Sanji corrected with a shake of his head.

"Respectably declined," Luffy said as he continued, "Second, let me ask you something, knowing all those secrets the government has, do you still sleep soundly at night?"

"I sleep soundly at night knowing I've put away criminals such as yourselves. Beyond that, I do not care what the government has done as they will carry the sins that no one else will carry for the sake of justice," The Vice Admiral answered.

Luffy looked at him right in the eye and said: "That's a nifty answer, and a convenient one. My next thing is to the guy holding my straw hat, I wouldn't get too attached to it if I were you."

The petty officer behind Luffy looked at him perplexed and said "I'm not going to keep it if that's what you mean, it will be held within the archives in Mariejoa along with Zoro's swords, Nami and Ussop's weapons as well as all your other paraphernalia. Your ship, the Thousand Sunny, will be dismantled and salvaged as well."

"You would think that wouldn't you," Robin said ominously.

Just then, a marine officer came running down the street toward the scaffold and up to the Vice Admiral. He whispered into his ear "There has been a theft in the archives, the Thousand Sunny and the Straw Hat's items have been stolen."

"How long ago?!" asked the Vice Admiral.

"Well over a week and a half ago," the officer responded nervously.

"A WEEK AND A HALF?! Why was I not informed officer."

"We only just received communications just now. The perpetrator destroyed communication links so thoroughly that it took HQ this long to patch it up."

The Vice Admiral had disaster written all over his face. He sweated profusely and gritted his teeth at the thought of all this and the damage it could do to the government's image.

"A week and a half," the V.A. began to think, "That would be enough time to sail out of HQ, with all the items and the ship, and arrive here by late last night. The examination of the ship showed that it had a layer of sea stone on the bottom and it had another means of movement other than currents or wind, making it possible for the thief to sail the Calm Belt."

"By the way, do you feel you can trust your men?" Luffy asked.

"What do you-" the V.A was cut short as a scream was heard.

The officers had all been cut down by one of the officers holding a sword to Zoro's neck. By removing the mask and undoing his hair, the executioner revealed himself to be Brook.

"Hanauta Sanchou: Yahazu Giri (3 Verse Humming: Arrow-Notch Strike)!" Brook yelled. Using the sword meant for the executing, he knocked out all the executioners and guards nearby.

What the Vice Admiral thought was true, Brook had arrived late last night, knocked out the one executioners who was conveniently, roughly his size and masqueraded as one of the executioners. His laugh sounded off through out the entire town square.

"Yo ho ho ho ho ho," Brooke laughed, "Sorry for making you all wait so long, Sunny is on a self-piloted course and I had to time everything just right, but now we're ahead of schedule. The Thousand Sunny won't be at the planned rendezvous point when we get there."

The officers were beginning to storm the scaffold as Brook released all his fellow crewmates. As the pirates massage their wrists, Brook slices open a hole in the scaffold which revealed the weapons of the Straw Hat's weapons: Zoro's swords, Ussop's Kabuto, Nami's Clima Tact, and Franky's arsenal for his cyborg body. Ussop used his smoke star to put up a cover that covered the square up to the audience. All that could be heard were fighting sounds, explosions, and screams that came from the marine soldiers that were falling one after another. The smoke cleared and the Straw Hat Pirates stood victoriously on the scaffolding and with Luffy wearing his straw hat as it should be.

"Brook, how much until the ship reaches the rendezvous area?" Luffy asked Brook.

"If we leave now we will get there with a few seconds to spare," Brook explained.

"Good, then I have enough time to say this," Luffy said. He then took a deep breath, Luffy had thought about this and knew exactly what to say. "I will not die today, unlike the first King of the Pirates I have no disease so I will not turn myself in like he did," Luffy yelled so everyone could here.

"What is he talking about?!"

"`Like he did`? The Pirate King, Gold Roger, turned himself in?"

The people began to murmur about the mystery behind Luffy's words as he continued his speech.

"I plan on seeing the New Age thrive under the new generation and see where this world will turn," Luffy yelled. "But to all of you here, I'll leave you with these words—"

Luffy paused, the wind made a howling noise for everyone to hear.

"IF YOU WANT MY TREASURE, YOU CAN HAVE IT. I LEFT EVERYTHING I OWN AT THAT PLACE. NOW YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND IT!!"

The town screamed and cheered as Luffy uttered the famous last words. And they disappeared in the smoke made by Ussop. A new story begins anew.