//------------------------------// // Romance Dawn! The Harmony Pirates' Grand Adventure Begins! // Story: My Little Pirates: Luffy's Adventures in Equestria // by Fullmetal Pony //------------------------------// Two years have passed since the Navy and the Seven Warlords clashed with the Whitebeard Pirates in what became known in the Paramount War. It has also been two years since the Elements of Harmony sealed Tirek away. On a certain island not far from Equestria… A man squinted his eyes and moved his finger across the etched-in marks on the cliff face. He had just finished counting them for the third time when something flashed behind him. He turned to find Discord floating in the air with a smug grin on his face. “It’s time, Straw Hat,” he said. “Time for me pay you back and have my rev—What is that?” Discord pointed a claw at the mass of roughly cut trees (some still with their leaves on them), pig iron, and globs of tar. Luffy smiled. “It’s my ship. Since nopony came, I had to make my own to get back to the Archipelago.” “Was the really the best you and your ‘master’ could scrounge up?” “Well, Rayleigh left six months ago when the sea was frozen.” “What? You were going to try and get back alone in that? Boy, am I…” Discord clamped a bear paw over his mouth and turned away from Luffy. He hunched his back and snickered. When he turned around, the smug grin was back on his face. “As much as I would have loved to see your pathetic excuse of a ship sink under the waves, I have something much more fun in mind.” Discord snapped his talons and engulfed himself and Luffy in light. Before Luffy’s vision could clear, he felt himself now standing on four legs rather than two and a tail rested near his flanks. When he could see once more, he was greeted to landscape filled with melting structures, cotton candy clouds, taffy lightning, and marked like a checkerboard. Discord leaned over and laid his claw around Luffy’s back. “Like what I’ve done with the place?” Luffy glared up at him. “Where is everypony?” Discord reached behind his back and produced a scratched up necklace with a faded gray butterfly jewel in the middle. He then crushed it into dust. “With your brother, of course.” Discord then let out a cackle that reverberated across the chaotic landscape. His body swelled upward and grew muscular while his eyes turned black and wreathed in flames. Luffy shifted his stance while his glare remained unchanged. “Now, Straw Hat!” Discord bellowed. He stretched his bear paw up to the sky and extended claws out of it. “Time to die!” Luffy raised up a foreleg and flexed it back. It expanded near his shoulder and then pumped up to his hoof and then back into his body. His skin turned crystalline and pink with steam trailing off of him. “Gum-Gum…” Discord roared and brought his claw down on Luffy. Luffy sidestepped and launched himself into the air so that he was level with Discord’s face. Discord snarled and opened his mouth with a hellish glowing roaring up from his throat. Luffy spun in the air so that his hindlegs were aimed straight at Discord’s head. His legs flew out at Discord, a bubble of air amassed around his hooves, and then exploded in a burst of pressure and sound before they slammed into Discord’s snout. “JET Buck!” Discord’s face deformed like it was made of jello. The ripple spread down his entire body rippled while stream of confetti flew out of his mouth. The blow knocked him off his mismatched legs and flying into the sky. Rather than careening off into the horizon, he was driven into the cotton candy clouds and kaleidoscopic sky until it cracked under his weight. The entire landscaped then shattered in a dazzling display of light. A blue sky now adorned an Equestria filled with lush grass, towns, and a few ponies off in the distance. A rebuilt Canterlot Castle shimmered in the morning light as did a new castle that had grown out from a certain library in Ponyville. Discord crashed back into this picturesque view with a thud. He had deflated back to his ordinary size and was clutching the swollen lump that was his head now. “O-okay,” he sputtered through his shattered teeth. “You’re good.” “Oh, I knew this was a bad idea,” came a voice from behind Luffy. His ears perked up and he smiled. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, sugarcube, you tried to warn him.” “Plus, did you see how awesome Luffy looked? Totally worth it.” “Totally! Discord was all like ‘Muhaha! Evil meany-pants!’ and Luffy was like, ‘Ima punch you!’ He really has gotten good at acting, and Luffy, you’ve gotten stronger than ever! ” “But look at his vest! It’s all in tatters! Thank Equestria I crafted some new clothes for you!” The air popped in front of Luffy and a purple alicorn now stood before him. She was a bit taller than him now and the tips of her mane flowed even without any wind. She smiled at Luffy and produced a straw hat from behind her back. “I think this is the most important thing to give back,” she said. “We can discuss the other stuff on the way to the archipelago… and after we get Discord some first aid.” Luffy’s eyes lit up and his grin grew. He took the hat out of Twilight’s grasp and placed it atop his head. “All right. Let’s go!” ~~~ “Yohoho!” Brook exclaimed and looked over all his band members backstage. “Is everyone ready?” “Of course, Soul King!” they all shouted backed. “Backup?” Brook asked. “Check!” “Chorus?” “Check!” “Dancers?” “Check!” “Flugelhorn?” The pink haired woman with a wide smile gave the instrument in question a toot. “All good, Mr. Soul King sir!” “Alright, then we…” Brook paused and stared at the woman. He bent his skull to the side, taking in the combination of what appeared to be a base drum, an accordion, and a tuba strapped to the woman’s back while a harmonica and a banjo rested beneath her neck. “Sorry, today must be making me a little scatterbrained… even though I don’t have a brain! Yohoho! What exactly is your position again?” “Well you see…” The woman waved her hand, signalling for Brook to come closer and lend her an ear. Well, lend her where an ear would have been. Brook leaned over and she whispered, “I kinda sorta snuck in. I’m sorry! I just had to see this concert!” “Oh my, that’s a bit of a problem. I know I’m quite popular, but you still need to buy a ti—” “I also really wanted to meet all of Luffy’s friends and you seemed like the hardest one to get to.” Brook was silent for a moment. He stood up and stared down at the woman. “So is that why you have come? Well then…” The woman gulped. “You’ll have to play with all your soul today then!” “Woohoo!” Pinkie exclaimed. ~~~ “So I’ll look like this as long as I’m wearing this cloak?” Luffy asked. Luna nodded. “Yes. If what sister said is true, the Marines will be stop at nothing to apprehend your crew. We still don’t quite know how these rumors started.” “Phooey, they must’ve figured out the message.” “Sister didn’t recall them mentioning that, but it may be best to assume they did.” Luna leaned a little closer. “Now, is there anything else I can do for you, Straw Hat.” “I think I’m good.” Luffy smiled. “Thanks for helping out so much!” A blush crept up Luna’s face. She opened her mouth to say something, but a guard poked his head into the cabin. “Princess, we’ve arrived.” ~~~ A man stepped off a tacky pink ship and took a long drag of his cigarette. He dared not look back at his shipmates with their frilly dresses and expertly maintained hair that did nothing to hide their muscular bodies and stubble. He took in the scene before his uncovered left eye locked onto a rather well endowed woman in a white shirt with frills running down the center and skin-tight violet pants. His eye morphed into a heart and a bit of blood dribbled out of his nose and past his wagging tongue. “A woman!” he shouted in joy. “A real woman! Viva Sabaody!” He then pounced at the woman. Her eyes turned to pinpricks and she slapped him down into the ground. It felt like he’d been bucked and the red impression of a hoof was left on his face. “S-so nice to feel the touch of a r-real woman again,” he stuttered on the ground. The woman put her hands on her hips and pouted. “I should have known not to trust Discord. At least he was lying about the picture. Well, come along then.” The woman bent down and pulled Sanji up. His eye maintained it’s heart shape. “Oh, my fair mademoiselle, how I would love to go off galavanting with you, but I’m afraid there are other ladies I must attend to.” “I’m quite aware,” said the woman. “I’d just thought it would be nice to meet up with the chef, maybe hear about some cooking techniques before you and the rest of Mr. Luffy’s crew set out. I fear I may have made an error.” Sanji refocused his vision. “It sounds like you know a bit about me and my crew then.” “Oh yes, my friends and I have been quite excited to finally meet all of you.” The woman smiled. “And it’s a chance for me to see all this human fashion! Why if I lived here, I’d make a killing.” “Human?” Sanji blinked. A little more blood trickled down his nose. “Oooh, you wouldn’t happen to be a mermaid would you?” “Please tell me the rest of Mr. Luffy’s friends aren’t as debase you.” The woman shook her head. “And no, I’m not a mermaid. We had to promise not to show our real forms except in an emergency, but suffice to say, I’m a long shot from a human.” “Ah, but I’m sure you’re still a superbly stunning mademoiselle no matter what you look like! May I at least get your name?” “Rarity,” she sighed. “Now, come along, Rayleigh said it would be best to get you all to check in at Ms. Shakky’s place .” ~~~ The atmosphere in the bar was tense. Everyone kept their voices low save for the bulky man decked out in a straw hat and the ruffians gathered near him. Everyone else kept their heads turned away from the group. That is, until a gunshot rang out. A man that had been keeping his head bowed in front of the man in the straw hat fell to the ground with a fresh bullet hole in his side. He was hastily flung out of the bar to a round of laughter from the man in the straw hat and his goons. He stopped when the doors opened up an a woman stepped in. She was adorned in daisy dukes and a white shirt along with a plaid vest. She looked around the bar and then tipped her hat. Everyone was silent as she strolled past the man in the straw hat without even glancing at him and made her way over to a stool by a woman in a striped green bikini top and jeans. “Mind if I take a seat?” she asked. “Actually, I’m waiting for someone,” the woman in the bikini top replied. “Think I have a good feeling who it is. He should be getting to the island any minute now. We just wanted to get here a little early and check in on ya’ll.” “I take it you’re the ones he trained with then?” “Well, kinda. Mr. Rayleigh handled his actual training, but he’s still a good friend of ours.” The woman then extended out a hand. “Where are my manners. Name’s Applejack, nice to meet ya.” “Nami.” Nami clasped Applejack’s hand and smiled. “Why don’t sit down and have a drink? It’ll help kill the time.” Applejack took up the seat and grinned. “Thank ya kindly. I’ve been hankering to try all these human brews.” The hammer of a gun clicked. Applejack and Nami turned to see a squat woman holding the gun up to Nami. “Hey,” the woman sneered. “I don’t like that name of yours. I’m the only Nami around here. Nami, the Cat Burglar. Got it?” “Don’t be too rough on them,” the man in the straw hat bellowed. “Come and join us. There’s always room on my crew for more women like you!” Applejack glanced at ‘Nami’ and then back at the man in the straw hat. “So are you like some sort of fan of Luffy or something?” A vein throbbed on the man’s forehead. Everyone else in the bar backed away. “I am Straw Hat Luffy.” “Knew he made a name for himself but this is taking it a bit far.” Applejack shook her head. “Now look, you’re gonna make people confused if you keep fibbing like that.” The man clenched his teeth and stood up. His gun shook in his hands. People scattered and fled the bar. “I said I’m Straw Hat Luffy! Nami! Kill that fool! We’ll take the other one with us!” “Special Attack: Green Star!” a voice rang out just as ‘Nami’ squeezed the trigger. “Devil!” A giant venus flytrap sprouted out of nowhere and snapped down on ‘Nami.’ She yelped as it lifted her off the ground and thrashed her around. At the same time, vines wrapped across the floor and ensared the man in the straw hat and his goons. One of the goons wearing a sun-shaped mask with a protrusive paper mache nose lunged through the vines at Nami and Applejack. Applejack planted her one foot and kicked with the other one. Nami almost swore she saw Applejack’s boot morph into a hoof when it caught the man in the chest and sent his flying back and through the wall of the bar. A man with a long nose looked at the new hole in the wall, muttered something to himself about the mask the man had worn, shrugged, and then strolled over to Nami and Applejack. “Care to have a drink with me?” he asked while turning up his hat. Nami’s eyes lit up and she pulled the man into a hug. “Usopp! You’ve really grown!” “Y-you too,” Usopp murmured from between Nami’s breasts. “So that’s how humans say hello when they’re really happy,” Applejack mused and then looked down at her chest. “Huh.” Nami then grabbed both her and Usopp’s hands. “C’mon, let’s talk someplace else.” “Shoot, I wanted to see if your cider was up to snuff,” said Applejack. Her hair then raised up and she noticed the bubbles filled with black clouds filling the bar. “Woah nelly. Yeah, let’s, uh, talk somewhere else. Sheesh and all the stories we heard made it sound like you weren’t one of the ones to do that much collateral.” “Training on a sky island can do that to you,” said Nami. “Oh, a sky island?” Usopp smiled. “Guess they had some pretty good weather technology then.” Nami looked back the bubbles, which were starting to pop and fizzle with electricity. “Well…” Nearby, the man in the straw hat had managed to pull loose from enough of the vines to leer at the group just as they made it out the door. “Get back here, yo—” A massive blast of lightning cut him off. What the lightning didn’t incinerate, the crash of thunder shattered. It only took a second, but the bar was left a tattered partially collapsed shell of itself. Applejack lifted her hat up and then turned to Nami. “Maybe Rainbow Dash should’ve been the one to meet up with you.” “Oh yeah.” Usopp peered at Nami. “She a friend of yours?” “Just met,” Nami answered. “Sounds like they’ve got people meeting our crew all over the island.” “Well, I wouldn't exactly call us ‘people,’” Applejack chuckled. “Still, we owe Luffy a lot for what he’s done for our island and it wouldn’t be a proper Equestrian goodbye to just watch him sail off… I just hope Pinkie doesn’t get too carried away with things.” ~~~ “Reporting from Sabaody Archipelago,” a man in a black suit with the World Government symbol emblazoned on it said into a Den Den Mushi. “We’ve located Nico Robin.” The eye and ear attached to a nearby building vanished in a flourish of flower petals. A woman tried to keep her breathing quiet while she pressed up against the wall and deeper into the shadows. She then glanced down at the poster in front of her and stared at the gaping skeleton on it. She then looked at the other poster in her hands which showed a black skull and crossbones decked out in a straw hat. “What’s going on?” Robin wondered aloud. “I know, right? I mean, I was expecting this island to be a little crazy, but thi—” Robin spun and sent out an array of hands that clamped down on the stranger’s limbs and around her neck. Rather than pressing into skin though, Robin felt her hands buzzing against some sort of shimmering purple shield the enveloped the woman’s body. “S-sorry!” the woman coughed. Robin dispelled her hands the the woman glided back to the ground rather than falling to it. Her dark sapphire hair with its rose and violet streaks seemed to dance in the air despite the lack of a breeze. She kept her head down and drew a circle in the ground with a foot. “Guess I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that,” said the woman. “It’s fine,” Robin sighed. “Just forget what you’ve seen here and move along.” “Actually I wanted to talk with you for a little, maybe get a few book recommendations.” The woman flashed Robin a smile that was framed by the sweat collecting on her face. She took a step back and nearly tripped over her legs. “Oh, sorry, sorry, I’m really not good at introductions.” She then extended a hand out to Robin. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. It’s great to meet another scholar and a friend of Luffy’s.” Robin’s eyes widened. “Is Luffy on the island yet?” “He should be,” Twilight answered. “Luna really wanted just a bit more time with him though and to make sure his disguise was okay.” “I see.” Robin took Twilight’s hand and gave it a shake. “Well, I’d love to talk with you, but I’m afraid I’m a little inconvenienced right now.” “Oh right, the Marines.” Twilight’s hand glowed and a bubble of aura expanded around her and Robin. “It is looking a little dicey, but we’ll be fine in here. So, it okay if I ask you a bit about your archeological work now? I’ve been dying to hear about it!” “Sure,” Robin chuckled. “That’s an interesting ability you’ve got, so I’d like to hear about that as well.” ~~~ Chopper strolled along, playfully swiping at the grass in front of him with a stick. A group of rather grimy thugs marched ahead of him, barely paying him any attention even when he kept calling them by name and recounting events they had apparently been at or questioning how the past two years had been. Just as a thought struck them and they pulled out an old wanted poster with Chopper’s face on it, Chopper felt something tap him on the shoulder. He looked up to see a woman in a yellow sweater bending down toward him. She wore a warm smile across her face that only slightly clashed with the scar running from her right eyebrow to temple. Her pink bangs helped cover it up though. “Uh, excuse me?” she asked in a low voice. “You’re Mr. Chopper, right?” “Yup!” Chopper replied. His hands then shot up to his mouth. “Wait, I should be careful about my identity. You might be a Marine!” “That sounds like something Discord would find funny,” the woman chuckled. She then extended a hand to Chopper. “I’m Fluttershy, nice to meet you.” “I’m Chopper.” He shook her hand and the pulled back. “Ack! I said it again!” “Oh, this is wonderful,” Fluttershy cooed. “You’re just like Discord said. I was worried since he pulled a few pranks on everypony else, but you really are just too cute.” Chopper blushed. “Shut up, you idiot! I’m not cute at all!” “W-what?” Fluttershy pulled back. “Why would you say that?” “Ha-ha!” Discord’s voice echoed in her ear. “I forgot to mention he has one bad habit. Don’t take it the wrong way, he’s just a bashful sop.” “Oh, okay,” said Fluttershy. Chopper corked his head at her. He then took a whiff of the air. “What exactly are you, Ms. Fluttershy? You don’t smell like anything I’ve ever met before.” He then took another wiff of the air and his eyes widened. “Have you been with Luffy?!” “Huh?” All the ‘straw hats’ said in confusion. “Incredible,” Fluttershy said with a giddy grin. “I knew reindeers had a good sense of smell, but yours is absolutely amazing, Mr. Chopper. Oh, I can’t wait to see the rest of your crew too!” Before Chopper could respond, a man with a mop of spiky blond hair pulled Fluttershy away. The rest of the ‘straw hats’ gathered around them with ‘Robin’ squatting low beside Chopper, ignorant of the fox she had just kicked away and had now sunk its fangs into her head. “Hey, girl, you’re messing with our pet,” said ‘Sanji.’ “Don’t you know we’re the Straw Hat Pirates? The most feared pirates in all the Grand Line? Our boss took on Navy Headquarters, you know.” “Don’t be too rough on her, ‘Sanji,’” said a rotund green haired man. “I’m sure Big Boss Luffy will be happy to have her on board.” ‘Robin’ produced a cucumber from somewhere and dangled it near her waist. “Come here, Chopper. Have a cucumber.” “Um…” Fluttershy glanced at ‘Robin’ and then back at ‘Sanji’ and ‘Zoro.’ “You know, it really isn’t nice of you going around saying you’re someone you’re not. Mr. Chopper is just looking for his friends, and you’re trying to trick him. I don’t appreciate that.” “Shut up, girl!” ‘Sanji’ yelled. “Who the hell do you think you are calling us fakes?!” He moved to slap Fluttershy across the face. She shot up an arm and easily blocked it. ‘Sanji’ recoiled in pain and clasped his tingling arm. It felt like he’d struck solid steel. “I’m going to ask nicely…” A small breeze kicked up around Fluttershy. “Leave Mr. Chopper alone and stop lying.” ‘Zoro’ pulled out a rather brittle-looking sword while ‘Robin’ dropped the cucumber and pulled a knife out of her skirt. She darted forward and pulled it across Chopper’s neck. “Robin?!” Chopper cried. “What are you doing?!” “Shut up!” ‘Robin’ hissed and then glared up at Fluttershy. “Now you back off. This here is our pet!” “Let him go,” Fluttershy stated. ‘Robin’ pressed the knife closer. Fluttershy closed her eyes. “I said…Let him go!” Fluttershy opened her eyes. Their calming aquamarine had been replaced by an icy blue. Pressure exploded off her and shot up into the sky, blowing back the tree branches above her. The nearby buildings creaked and hats, glasses, and loose papers went flying off of anyone close by. All of the ‘straw hats’ stood frozen for a moment before their eyes rolled to the back of their heads and they collapsed to the ground. The fox that had been with them yipped and then scurried off into the groves. Fluttershy’s hair writhed in the air for a second before it fluttered back down. “Woah,” Chopper muttered. Fluttershy flew at him and pulled him into a hug. “Thank goodness! If you or any of Luffy’s friends had been hurt, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself!” “Wait!” Chopper pushed off of Fluttershy and then jabbed a hoof at the unconscious ‘straw hats.’ “You just hurt all of them. I mean, they were acting a little strange, but still!” “Mr. Chopper, they were faking,” said Fluttershy. “My friends have gone off to meet everyone else, so they’d be with them if those were your real friends.” Chopper assumed a fighting stance. “Why should I believe you?” “Well, do they smell like your friends?” Fluttershy asked. “No.” Chopper looked down. “But it’s been two years, a lot could change.” “Did Mr. Luffy’s scent change?” A little sweat formed on Chopper’s brow. “Well, I mean…” “Hey, Chopper!” “Hey, Fluttershy!” Both Chopper and Fluttershy turned their heads up and saw Usopp, Nami, and Applejack peddling over to them on a bubble bike. “Applejack!” said Fluttershy. “Nami! Usopp!” Chopper’s body shifted and he went onto all fours as his legs lengthened and his horns and muzzle grew out until he stood as a young buck. The groups converged on each other with Usopp, Chopper, and Nami all coming together to trade greetings while Fluttershy and Applejack stayed at the side. “It looks like it went really well for you, Applejack,” said Fluttershy. “I was worried since we were short one.” “Well, all’s good here, but hoo-wee, Luffy’s pals have gotten even crazier than what we heard about in these last two years.” Applejack jerked a thumb at Usopp. “Mr. Usopp there's pretty much got an arsenal made up of the Everfree and if Nami could fly, she might give Rainbow Dash a run for her money.” “And Mr. Chopper is even more adorable that I imagined.” Fluttershy’s eyes twinkled looking over Chopper. “And he can change too. Discord and Princess Celestia didn’t mention that. Oh, he must make such a wonderful pet.” Usopp and Nami’s heads jerked away from Chopper and over to the girls. “Wait,” Usopp snickered, “you only thought Chopper was our pet?” Nami eyed Usopp. “You think that means…” There was a gleam in Usopp’s eye. “What exactly do you think Sanji looks like?” “Well, we don’t really know, since all there is is that drawing,” said Applejack. “Why, is there something different about him?” Nami and Usopp let out a round of laughter. “What I wouldn’t have given to see your friend’s face when they went to find him,” Usopp said while struggling to breath. “And I’m not a pet,” Chopper sniffled. “I’m a pirate too and a brave doctor!” “Um…” Applejack raised up one finger. “You’re gonna need to fill us in.” ~~~ A few minutes later, the Straw Hats and the girls had peddled off to another grove. Two suited government officials surveyed the scene and looked down on the unconscious ‘straw hats,’ particularly ‘Robin.” One of them clicked the shell on a portable Den Den Mushi. “Sir, it appears to not be Nico Robin after all. How should we proceed?” “Leave them,” came a voice from the other side of the line. “If our intelligence is correct, these are just small fry acting like the Straw Hats. If PX-0’s return is any indication though, the real Straw Hats on somewhere on the island. We’ll keep watch on where the main gathering is happening, but continue searching through the groves. No pirates, especially the Straw Hats, will leave this island today.” The other official’s shadow grew a pair of yellowed eyes and contorted into a serpentine form that was nearly doubled over with laughter. ~~~ The man in the straw hat and his group lumbered through town. The smell of burnt cloth and singed hair clung to them, but no one dared approach them and ask why they looked like they’d just been struck by lightning on clear day, especially with the wild look in the captain’s eyes. Those fears were backed up by the man with a pointy nose and a Stetson hat and a woman with long hair bleeding out a few paces behind him. Luckily, it sounded like paramedics were on the way, but that did little to relieve the terror anyone in the man’s path felt. He stopped to glare out at the town and then at his crew members. “Find those two! Find them and execute the—” A massive bag bumped into the man and threw him to the ground. He snarled and glared up and was met with some sort of tiny beige pony carrying the bag. It looked like it had been through quite a bit with the massive X-shaped burn on its chest and the smaller scar under its eye. It was hard to make out the rest of it though due to the cloak draped over its back and the aforementioned pack which looked like it would burst at any moment. “Stupid horse,” the man growled. He got back onto his feet and pulled out his gun. “Well, I needed to relieve some stress anyway, and looks like your dumb master left you with some supplies before he lost your stupid ass. Consider it an honor to have been of service to a pirate worth four hundred million!” The man pulled the trigger. Onlookers turned away. Rather than the final whinny of a pony filling the air, only the echo of the gunshot rang. The pony had somehow pulled its head back in a split second, almost like it could sense the bullet. Its eyes sharpened and a wave of pressure exploded off it. It took a step and then the man and his cohorts fell to the ground. Everyone’s jaws dropped. “What!?” they cried. Had they been a little more observant though, they may have noticed that when the pony’s cloak fluttered, it lifted up, revealing a straw hat wearing skull with an X mark behind it adorning the pony’s flanks. ~~~ The harsh ring of metal clashing against metal rang through the groves. A ring of spectators had formed around the source of the commotion but everyone kept their distance. A man wielding two katanas with third sheathed at his side swung his blades down at a rainbow haired woman with vibrant blue wings extending out of her back. When they clashed, the wings’ feathers turned black and shiny where they met the swords. “Jerk!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Idiot!” Zoro shot back. They moved to strike the other once more but a leg stopped Zoro and a shimmering wall of diamonds made of aura stopped Dash. Sanji glared up at Zoro. “Oi, moss-head, these past two years strip away what little decency you had? Where the hell do you get off striking a woman like that?” “And you haven’t changed at all, curly-brow,” Zoro huffed. He then backed away and sheathed his swords. “And how could you even think of attacking one of Luffy’s friends, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity chastised. “He started it!” Dash replied. “I was just trying to get him from doing something stupid and missing the boat!” “I would have been fine.” Zoro then crossed his arms. “Tch, as if getting on the wrong ship for fishing would’ve changed anything.” Dash bristled but was held in place by Rarity. “Rainbow Dash, I don’t care what happened between you two.” Rarity turned her head up and dispelled the barrier. “On top of everything else, you’re drawing attention to us.” “But I…” “No buts!” Rarity jabbed a finger at Zoro. “Now apologize!” “You too, moss head.” Sanji pointed at Dash. “Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness.” “Can it.” Zoro shoved Sanji out of the and he and Rainbow Dash stared at each other. Dash lowered her head. “Sorry.” “I guess I can get fish down on the island,” said Zoro. “Good job blocking my swords though.” “Hey, I had to look good in front of Luffy’s friends.” Dash gave her wings a flap and then they vanished in a flash of light. “Glad you’re not the navigator, but Luffy definitely made the right choice having you on his crew.” “Hey, did you hear that?” someone whispered. “They’re talking about Straw Hat Luffy like it’s nothing.” “And that guy…” “You don’t think.” “He’s got three swords.” Everyone’s ears perked up and they looked at each other. “We’d best be going,” Rarity suggested. “Yes!” Sanji cheered. “To food and then Nami and Robin!” “Idiot,” both Zoro and Dash sighed. Rarity just shook her head. ~~~ “Oh my gosh!” Twilight swooned. Before her was a grand ship, fashioned out of the finest wood and proudly displaying the flag of the Straw Hats. From its large dining area to its lion head masthead, the massive sloop glistened with a prismatic glow in the late morning light. Twilight's eyes shimmered as well taking in the whole ship. “It’s nice to be back after keeping her waiting for two years,” said Robin. “It’s incredible!” Twilight exclaimed. “The design is even more amazing than the pictures or the books made out ships to be. And the magic! It’s almost like it’s alive!” “Well, well,” came a voice from below the deck. “Seems some of the visitors have already arrived.” “Told ya,” came another voice. “Twilight is never late.” “And who could the woman next to her be?!” A massive man dressed in only a speedo and a Hawaiian shirt jumped onto the railing beside where Twilight and Robin stood. He locked his enormous toy-like arms over his shaved head, forming a star with his blocky forearms. “Is that our archaeologist extraordinaire Robin?!” There was a moment of silence where all three of them just stared at each other. Then, a teenage boy reached up and pulled at Franky’s shirt. Due to the height difference, he had to extend his arm out of its jacket sleeve, revealing that the top of his forearm was covered in thick purple scales. “Okay,” said the boy, “think a simple hello would have done.” “No!” Franky said with a roll of his tongue. “When a man finally sees a friend after two years of training, he greets her with a don as my master would say!” The boy covered his ears while Franky’s voice echoed through the groves. He then looked over to Twilight and Robin. “Twilight, please tell me the one you met is a little more quiet.” “Be nice, Spike…” Twilight glanced and Franky and flashed him a jittery grin. “You are a, uh, quite spirited though.” “You haven’t changed, Franky,” Robin mused. “Oh, I’ve changed a lot!” Franky boasted. “You gotta check this guy out thought, Twilight,” said Spike. “He may be loud, but all the stuff he’s done to his body and this ship is crazy. You could probably spend days with just him.” “A shame we’ve got to depart so soon.” Franky raised his hand to his head and another, smaller hand shot out of it and wiped his eye. “To think I’d get to meet an actual legendary dragon. What man hasn’t dreamed of that as a boy?” “Spike?” A pair of wings materialized out of Twilight’s back and she glided onto the deck. “What exactly did you tell Mr. Franky?” “You know, just the basic stuff, gave him the presents, maybe told him a bit about the amazing adventures of a certain former Dragon Lord.” “Well, I suppose that’s okay.” Twilight reached out and ruffled Spike’s mop of green hair. She then moved over to the mast and touched the translucent membrane coating it. “Fascinating.” Robin joined her in analyzing the coating. “It’s almost like jelly.” “Rayleigh really did a good job,” said Franky. “He seemed in good spirits when we checked in with him,” said Robin. “So what number are you?” Franky asked. “Eight,” Robin answered. “According to Twilight, Luffy will be last, but he could already be on the island.” “Super!” Franky exclaimed. He then fell into a nearby chair and took a swig from a giant bottle of cola. “I’m still a little worried about Brook though. With all that fame and attention, he may not want to be a pirate anymore.” “Aw.” Spike frowned. “Pinkie better not be the only one to see him perform.” “I wouldn’t worry too much,” said Robin. “Brook may have hit it big, but he’s still a member of this ship.” Twilight smiled. “I’m with you on this. He may not have been on as many adventures with you, but a friend is a friend.” “And what about you?” Franky flipped up his glasses and grinned at Twilight. “Spike here says there’s a whole bunch of you running around the island meeting up with us. What happens when we all get here? You planning on joining our crew?” “Well, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie probably would, but for now we’re just here to say our goodbyes and make sure you have a safe voyage to Fishman Island.” Twilight glanced off into the distance. “I’m hoping things will go smoothly, but with those fake Straw Hats and the Marines gathering up, things could get a little messy.” “You and the girls could handle it.” Spike then turned to Franky. “Not like a legendary pirate crew needs help though, right?” “After two long years, no way!” Franky exclaimed. He then leaned back some more. “But just ‘cause we can handle whatever the Marines throw at us, doesn’t mean some help isn’t nice. And from what you’ve told me, you and your friends have some super abilities!” “I just hope we don’t have to use too many of them,” said Twilight. “This is our first big chance to meet humans, and if we have to fight the Marines, they might start asking questions.” ~~~ ‘Sanji’ and ‘Zoro’ darted through the streets with ‘Robin’ scuttling after them. “You, idiot,” ‘Sanji’ huffed. “Why’d you have to tell the boss about the pet? “Well, he would’ve wondered why we took so long otherwise,” ‘Zoro’ panted. “Plus the boss got knocked about by some weird horse too, so why’s it so hard to believe some scary girl did it to us?” “Yeah, but he’s the boss and you know how he gets when he’s angry.” “Still why bother with the pet? It’s not like that’s what sells our act.” “We can try luring it out with a cucumber.” ‘Robin’ wagged the vegetable around. “Shut up, Cocoa!” both ‘Sanji’ and ‘Zoro’ hissed. “It’s your fault that girl knocked us out in the first place,” ‘Sanji’ muttered. “Hey.” ‘Zoro’ pointed ahead of them. “Look.” The cloaked pony with a massive pack was trotting in their direction. Its eyes lit up when it spotted them and it galloped over. “Hey guys!” it exclaimed. “Great to see you again! Boy, you sure look different after two years!” The ‘straw hat’s’ eyes all exploded out of their sockets and they keeled over backwards. “Oh right,” the pony said to himself. “Probably should have explained why I look like this.” “Don’t worry, Straw Hat.” A shadow slithered across Luffy’s cloak and up to his ear. “Anyone would be shocked seeing you like this. Just wait for them to get back up and they’ll lead you to everyone else.” “Are you sure I can’t just go straight to my ship?” Luffy asked. “Oh no, no, no,” Discord hummed. “That won’t do at all. Not since I sent the girls to ensure your crewmates make it to the meeting spot. I mean, I’m not surprised Rainbow Dash already told your swordsman friend about the meeting place but kudos to Rarity and Twilight for telling the cook and the archeologist. Best hurry and get there when they wake up though, they were probably looking for you.” “Can’t you just take us all there?” “I would, but I’m still in a bit of excruciating pain from getting clobbered by a certain pirate,” Discord retorted. ‘Sanji’ twitched and struggled to open his eyes. “Now look sharp, Straw Hat. And maybe wait until you’re at the meeting point to say anything. Oh, just imagine the surprise when all your friends see you again!” “Okay, sounds like a plan.” It certainly does, Discord thought with a chuckle. Now, do I want cheese steak popcorn or the miso popcorn for the show? ~~~ Shots rang out through the concert hall. The music stalled and the audience turned to see that a wall of Marines had blocked off the exits. The artillery division had their guns trained straight at the Brook. “Oh fiddlesticks,” Pinkie cursed and blew a melodic raspberry through her harmonica. “Right at the final song.” “This concert is hereby canceled!” the marine captain barked. He then produced an aged wanted poster of a man with a familiar afro and a wide gaping grin. “Replacement captain of the Rumbar Pirates, also known as ‘Humming Swordsman’ Brook! You are suspected of being a pirate worth a bounty of thirty-three thousand berries! On top of that, you are believed to be a member of Straw Hat Luffy’s crew! ‘Soul King’ Brook! Brook, the pirate! You are under arrest!” “It’s over, Brook!” Brook’s long armed manager and his cohorts emerged onto the stage with guns aimed at Brook. “Your popularity is still climbing! To have you retire is unthinkable! But you betrayed us! So now, let’s all di—” A condensed torrent of confetti, cupcakes, and streamers barreled into the manager and his cohorts and sent them flying up into the air. The mass of party favors then exploded in a dazzling display of fireworks. Brook and everyone else turned to stare at Pinkie while she blew upwards into the muzzle of the cannon that had sprouted out of her musical contraption. It then folded back into the device and she smiled at Brook. “I hate partypoopers,” she proclaimed. “This is your last chance to make all these people smile! Let’s make it count!” “Stop!” the marine captain barked. “That’s an order!” Pinkie blew a few notes into her harmonica and then the cannon from before and two turrets loaded with streamers and fireworks popped out of her instruments. “And this is the Party Cannon Mark XV. It’s got enough party favors to take on at least two Grand Galloping Galas.” The Marines all gulped but kept their guns pointed at the stage. Brook took a breath and marched up to the mike. He glanced back at Pinkie and his band. “Shall we play one last song?” All the them gained smiles and resumed their positions. Brook now faced the audience and the Marines. “This island holds memories of my crew’s defeat. I’m sure we all have regrets about that day… but this is also an island of new beginnings! I’ve brought you joy and entertainment these past two years and you brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it. I thank you all. My true dream though lies in bringing greater excitement to my crew’s adventures!” Brook paused and closed his mouth, giving him a reflective look for a moment. “I’ve heard the rumors. Straw Hat Luffy, dead? That’s ridiculous! I’m going to tell the whole world! Straw Hat Luffy is alive!” “Oh, this is gonna be good,” Pinkie squealed, barely able to contain herself. “He’ll be King of all oceans!” Brook continued while the crowd went wild and reporters went from covering Soul King’s final concert to breaking the biggest story of their careers. “A calm, quiet departure doesn’t fit him at all! Now listen to my last soul!” Brook let loose a blazing riff on his guitar. The crowd exploded in cheers. Those near the back swarmed over the marines. The band and the dancers performed with all their spirit. Pinkie played her instruments harder than she’d ever played before. “Yeaaaaahhhhh!” Brook sang. “The New World!” ~~~ “Well, well,” Rayleigh mused looking over the Sunny. “Seems almost everyone is here.” “Oh, but only half of us are here now,” said Fluttershy. Rayleigh scratched his beard. “Well, Sanji stopped by the bar to check in, but when he heard Zoro was out, he immediately went after him despite Rarity assuring him Rainbow Dash would get him. Brook checked in a little early due to his concert, but I’m sure he and Pinkie Pie will be here as soon as that wraps up. That just leaves Luffy and he’s already here.” Everyone’s faces lit up. “So you want us to do anything else?” asked Applejack. “It should all be fine.” Rayleigh turned to Nami. “Most of the marines are gathering around that meeting in Grove Forty-six, but they’re setting things up to make getting off the island difficult, so it’d be best to move the ship to Grove Forty-two so you can sail immediately.” “We can go and get everyone else,” Twilight suggested. “Maybe we could go to Groves Forty-three and one,” said Fluttershy. “That way we can keep the Marines away.” “You’re free to do what you wish,” Rayleigh chuckled. “Things may get a little rough, but the time has come to set sail!” ~~~ “You’re not Straw Hat!” Sentomaru roared and brought down the flat side of his ax on the man in the straw hat’s head. “You piece of trash!” The ax burst like a balloon and drenched the man in green slime. Sentomaru stared at the bare end of his weapon as did the man until a cackle drew their attention down. Their shadows had morphed into a serpentine shape that was howling with laughter. The shadow then bent upwards and assumed the form of an elderly man in mismatched clothing with a half a mustache branching down the side of his face and a wild trail of white hair jabbing out of his otherwise slick hairstyle. The bandages covering up half of his head only served to further highlight his asymmetry. “The… the looks on your faces!” he wheezed. “Bah.” Sentomaru kicked the man in the straw hat and sent him flying. He then glared at the odd mismatched man. “PX-5, identify him.” One of the hulking androids looming beside Sentomaru gazed at the man and produced a series of beeping sounds. “Subject Unknown. Critical Error. Subject reading as Fleet Admiral. Error. Proceed. Error. Input order. Cotton Candy Error.” “What?!” Sentomaru gasped. “Oooh, I could have fun with these things,” the man mused. “Maybe I could pick up some on the way home.” Sentomaru stomped his foot and faced the man. “You’re obstructing justice! You and all the pirates here are coming with me.” “I don’t think so.” The man vanished in a flash and reappeared on the shoulder of one of the Pacifistas. “Besides, what’d I do wrong besides have a little fun with that faker? Now, the genuine article on the other hand… wanna play of game of spot the Straw Hat?” “Where is he?” Sentomaru growled. “Who knows?” the man chuckled. “I mean, he’s here, like here here, but I don’t want to give away everything.” The pacifista reached up and tried to clamp down on the man, but he vanished once again. His voice then rang out throughout the grove. “Oh and Straw Hat, I seriously can’t believe you’re that gullible to think those fakers were your friends. In my opinion, you got yourself into this mess. On the bright side though, this is going to be more fun to watch than that time with Tirek and Fluttershy.” The man’s laughter echoed through the grove and left both Marine and pirate feeling somewhat sickened. On the scaffold that had overlooked the great gathering of pirates, the pony stomped a hoof to the ground. “That jerk tricked me.” “PX-5!” Sentomaru shouted. “Respond.” “Command registered,” PX-5 stated. “Awaiting orders.” “Target Straw Hat’s signal and fire at him.” “Commencing attack.” PX-5 then opened his mouth and sent out a beam that struck the scaffold. The entire left side of the structure was consumed in a ball of fire. A figure leapt out of the explosion and landed on what remained of the scaffold. His own speed tore the cloak off of him, revealing a young man where a pony had been. His red vest and yellow sash swayed in the wind and against his scarred torso. Everyone’s eyes bugged out of the heads taking in his straw hat, the scar below his left eye, and a face that exactly matched the one on the wanted poster. “Hey! How’d you do that?” Luffy called out. “And be careful! This backpack has everything my friends cooked for me in it!” “It’s him!” Marines and pirates cried out in unison. “You can’t hide or run away this time, Straw Hat!” Sentomaru shouted. “Hey! I promised I wouldn’t get in trouble!” Luffy yelled back at him. “Plus it’ll make it hard to leave!” “You’re not going anywhere! You’re under arrest!” Sentomaru jumped back and let PX-5 get in front of him. “Get him, PX-5!” PX-5 launched a laser blast at Luffy but it curved around him and formed into the outline of a man. In a flash, the mismatched man reappeared. He shook his head down at Sentomaru and the Pacifistas. “Tut-tut,” he muttered. “I would have thought those hadn’t gotten any modifications.” “Hey, Discord! What’s the big idea?” Luffy stretched out a hand, grabbed Discord by his ratty collar and pulled him over. “Now I’m gonna get in trouble because of you!” “Oh please, Celestia probably just made you say that because she was worried about Twilight.” Discord sighed. “I swear, that mare coddles everypony too much. Besides, how was I supposed to know it would see through Luna’s spell? Spoiled at least five good minutes of fun. I swear, you humans really come out swinging from left field sometimes!” “PX-5, PX-7, target them both!” Sentomaru ordered. The pacifistas launched a volley of lasers at Luffy and Discord. Half of them spiralled around Discord and zoomed into his mouth. He slurped them up and let out a small smokey belch. The other half Luffy effortlessly dodged. “You mind taking these bozos out?” Discord put a hand on his stomach. “I don’t think those lasers are sitting well with me.” Luffy raised an eyebrow. “You just wanna see me hit ‘em, don’t you?” “Well, that too.” A box of popcorn slathered in miso with bits of cheese steak sticking out of it materialized next to Discord. “And I’ll have you know it was very agonizing choosing what to eat while I watched.” Luffy dodged another laser and then lifted up an arm. It bloated up near his shoulded and then expanded down to his hand before pumping back into his body. His skin turned pink and steam rose off of him. Just when he crouched down to leap off the scaffold, some familiar voices called out over the battlefield. “Hey, Luffy!” Zoro shouted. “Luffy! I knew it!” Sanji yelled. “You better apologize for getting these fine mademoiselle's wrapped up in your madness!” “Oh, can it, lover-boy,” Dash said while she soared next to them. “We were ready for something like this to happen anyway.” “Though getting smack dab in the middle of these ruffians’ meeting is a bit much,” Rarity commented. “You guys must be the real ones this time!” Luffy smiled as his friends rushed at him. “Long time no see! Zoro! Sanji!” Before more words could be shared between the five of them, the Pacifistas rushed at Zoro, Sanji, Dash, and Rarity with the palms and mouths aglow. An array of beams forced Rarity and Zoro to go left while Sanji and Dash went right. In the blink of an eye, Dash slashed at the PX-7’s legs while Sanji sent a flaming kick straight into its chest. Its legs went flying away in a shower of sparks. Circuitry fizzled and cracked inside the smoking crater Sanji had left in its chest and smoke burst out of its mouth before it crashed to the ground. At the same time, Zoro cleaved through PX-5’s torso, leaving a massive gash that made the pacifista wobble violently. It still managed to aim a hand at Zoro, but before it could fire, the ground below it opened up into chasm that shimmered with an array of colorful gems all sharpened into spikes as long as a man. Rarity knelt on one knee nearby with both arms spread wide and her hands aglow. PX-5 plummeted into the hole and Rarity slammed her hands together. The ground mimicked her movement and swallowed up PX-5. A second later, it rose up and a bit of smoke escaped through some cracks. “Oh man!” Dash squealed. “You haven’t done that since Grogar.” Rarity got back to her feet and swept back her hair. “Well, we can’t waste any time.” “Speaking of which…” Zoro pointed at Luffy. “Luffy, you’re number nine.” “Shut it!” Sanji snapped. “You’re really on that, aren’t you?” Dash muttered. A few bullets whizzed by the group. “Less talking, more getting to your ship!” Luffy nodded. “Right!” All five of them made a break for it, but Luffy came to a halt half-way across the battlefield. “Hey, what’s wrong?” asked Sanji. “C’mon!” Dash yelled. “We got— holy buck!” Everyone looked over to one of the grove’s massive roots. Rayleigh stood atop it. Many of the Marines broke out into a cold sweat. They could practically feel the immense power pouring off of both him and the woman standing beside him. Her scintillating deep blue dress stood out amidst the battlefield and her hair swirled and shimmered like a galaxy. Even from afar though, the Marines could make out her piercing turquoise glare that softened when she looked at Straw Hat. Sanji’s eye popped out of his head. “What a woman!” Rarity and Dash both groaned in embarrassment. “Rayleigh, Luna!” Luffy called out. “Ha ha, just came to check up on you,” Rayleigh chuckled. “And I suspected Discord would somehow turn this into a complete fiasco,” Luna sighed. “But Straw Hat, you truly have become an even stronger pirate than even I could have imagined.” “Aye,” Rayleigh added. “Now hurry up and get to your crew.” “Yeah!” Luffy exclaimed. “And thanks for the last two years and everything before that!” Luna felt her eyes grow wet. “Oh, we don’t have time for formalities, Straw Hat. But know that you will always be welcome in our land.” “I have to take everyone some day!” Luffy flashed Luna and Rayleigh the biggest smile he could fit on his face. “But first I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!” Tears brimmed on the edge of Rayleigh’s eyes now too. “Go all the way to the top!” Luffy nodded and then he and his friends were lost in the haze of battle. Both Rayleigh and Luna wiped their eyes and then jumped over to where the marines were chasing after Luffy. The soldiers all gulped when Rayleigh drew a line in the ground with his sword and a chill air swirled around Luna. “It’s my student’s farewell,” said Rayleigh. “I want it to be proper.” “And we shan’t have you ruining it,” Luna added. “I caution you to not step over that line.” Go, Straw Hat, she thought. Become an even greater man than I’ve known you to be. And, maybe one day… “We can live happily ever after,” Discord cooed while forcing his uncovered eye to appear extra big and sparkly. Luna blushed deeply and clenched her teeth. “Hold your tongue!” Discord reached into his mouth and pulled his tongue out like it was made of taffy. Luna screamed up to the heavens while Rayleigh had a good laugh. ~~~ Everyone on the Sunny looked up some type of brightly colored rocket careened overhead and exploded in a burst of fireworks. Brook and Pinkie flew out of the colorful blaze and parachuted down onto the ship. “Yohoho!” said Brook. “What a finale! And it’s so good to see everyone again! Oh Nami, Robin! May I see your pa—” A tiny black cloud shot out and electrocuted Brook. His parachute crumpled and he crashed onto the deck. Pinkie landed nearby and shrugged. “I don’t get it. He was just asking to see those weird clothes under your clothes.” Pinkie snapped the strap of her underwear, showing off the trio of balloons emblazoned on it. “Do some humans not like that?” “Sheesh,” Nami sighed. “Taking advantage of travelers, that’s a dirty move, Brook, even for you.” Pinkie then looked around. “Oh hey, where is everypony?” “They went off to secure the nearby groves,” Robin answered. The echo of gunfire and swords clashing rang in the air. “Sounds like things have gotten rough.” “Oooh, this is tough choice.” Pinkie crossed her legs and shifted around in place. “I really wanna help everypony, but I just need to wait and little and then we’re all good. Gah, I wasn’t ready for decisions like this!” Pinkie wrung her fingers through her poofy hair and groaned. She then straightened her head and rushed over to Robin with a wide smile on her face. “Oh, almost forgot, I’m Pinkie Pie!” Robin grinned and shook her hand. “Twilight certainly wasn’t exaggerating about your enthusiasm. You could give our captain a run for his bounty.” “Everypony keeps saying that,” Pinkie chuckled. “Oh and we still need to settle who’s the best cupcake eating champion. Or candy eating champion. Or, or… aw, why do you always think of all the fun things you still need to do when somepony has to say goodbye?” “There there.” Usopp gave Pinkie a pat on the shoulder. “From the sound of things, you’ve been a great help to Luffy. And trust me, he’ll be back to see you again. There’s no way he’ll pass up on food. He just needs to become King of the Pirates first!” “I know!” Pinkie cheered. Usopp looked out into the groves. “Now for him to just get here.” ~~~ “I swear, Luffy,” Sanji growled, “you better have been actually training!” “Of course he did,” said Dash. “Discord even showed us a few times. That was some brutal stuff he went through.” “Surrounded by some of the finest ladies on the seas!” Sanji wept. “How many time they gotta tell you, curly brow?” said Zoro. “They only look like that because of some sort of spell. Did the last two years really make you so desperate you’d fall for ponies?” Sanji grabbed Zoro’s robe. “You don’t know what I’ve gone through! Is it too much for me to just be happy that there are nice women here that sound like women, smell like women, and feel like women?” Dash inched away from Sanji and over to Rarity. “We’re absolutely sure we want Luffy sailing with this guy?” “Um, everyone?” Rarity pointed ahead to a thick wall of marines. “We may have an issue.” Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Dash grinned and race toward the marines. A few yards away from them though, they all collapsed, muttering about being reincarnated as snails, dust mites, and other quite depressing scenarios. Smiling ghosts emerged out of them, humming a tune of “Negative, negative.” Luffy’s eyes widened. “Oi, isn’t that…” A woman dressed in a gothic style holding a ghoulish teddybear in one arm and a parasol in the other floated over to them. “I should’ve known you’d start something.” “The woman from Thriller Bark!” Sanji cheered. “You realize the last time you saw her, she stole your shadow and almost stole our ship, right?” Zoro looked up at Perona. “What is it?” “Just wanted to clear out the path,” Perona pouted. “There’s a warship nearing the island with a bunch of battleships in tow, so you’d better hurry.” “Got it!” said Luffy. The group raced forward, but Rarity lingered a bit, pulled a few sheets of paper out of her pockets, and handed them to Perona. “You outfit is simply divine, my dear. When the Marines aren’t breathing down our necks, you simply have to write to me about how you came upon such designs. When you want to send it, just chuck it into some fire and the spell should take care of the rest. Toodles.” Before Perona could respond, Rarity raced off to catch up with her friends. Perona blinked and looked down at her bear. “You didn’t get any of that either, right, Kumashi?” ~~~ As Luffy and his friends sped through the groves, the number of Marines grew thicker until they were completely surrounded. Sanji set down the food he’d bought, Zoro pulled out his swords, Dash unfurled her wings, and Rarity lit up her hands. “Looks like we’re gonna have to plow through them,” said Zoro. Dash pounded a fist into her palm. “Let’s do this.” The Marines let out a battle cry and charged at them. Part of their ranks were then sent flying from behind. Another portion was thrown into the air by a blast of purple aura. More were consumed by a blaze of emerald fire and then found themselves falling into the sea miles away from the island. A few of the Marines that remained standing were knocked out by a wave of Haki and collapsed to ground. That left only the strongest of them able to fight. The air wooshed around Luffy’s group and Fluttershy and Twilight swooped down. Applejack leapt towards them, and Spike ran over to join everyone else. “This is even worse than I thought,” said Twilight. “We need to get you to your ship now. Dash, Fluttershy, we’ll get the over. Spike, Rarity, Applejack, can you hold off these Marines?” Applejack flexed her leg back and forth.“You betcha!” “And you already took care of so many of them. Rarity looked around at the marines advancing on them. “We can handle the rest, Luffy, get to your crew!” “And hold on tight!” Dash sent out her wings and jumped into the air. She snatched Luffy and he hollered in excitement. “Are we rea-” Fluttershy lifted Sanji off the ground before he could finish. His eye traced over her body, notably the way her sweater worked to contain her chest. “I don't think I ever wanna land,” he slobbered. “Please hold on!” said Fluttershy. “You know, was expecting Luffy to get into trouble, but this isn't what I imagined,” Zoro mused while Twilight guided him through the air. “Tell me about it,” Twilight chuckled. “I'm glad he’s got a crew that can keep up with him though.” Back with Rarity, Applejack, and Spike, the Marines looked over them. Rarity’s hands glowed and her arms grew as colorful and hard as gems. Applejack’s boots and legs blackened as did Spike's hands. Smoke curled out of his mouth. Applejack pressed down on the hat. “This is gonna be one hay of a throwdown.” ~~~ “Hey!” Everyone looked up. Huge smiles formed on their faces. Luffy waved down at everyone. Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight swooped down and deposited Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy onto the Sunny. Sanji then caught sight of Nami and Robin and was launched back off the boat by the explosive force of his nosebleed. Fluttershy zoomed off and picked him out of the water, still bleeding heavily from his nose. “Oh dear, oh dear,” Fluttershy gasped. Chopper rushed over and shoved some powder up Sanji’s nose. The bleeding stopped and Sanji went limp. “What happened to him?” asked Usopp. “Tch, idiot’s been drooling over every woman he’s spotted,” Zoro snorted. “What kind of training must he have gone to cause such a reaction?” Twilight pondered. “Well, he’s here now and that’s what matters!” Pinkie threw herself into Luffy and pulled him into a hug. “You finally made it! Rarity, Spike, and Applejack on the way?” “Present,” Applejack huffed. Everyone looked to the shore to see Rarity, Spike, and Applejack looking a little roughed up, but still standing just fine. All three of them then leapt on board. Dash grinned. “Wow, you guys finished that up fast.” “Had a bit of help,” Spike panted. “Never been so happy to see giant beetles.” “Or such, um, unique people in such fine dresses.” Rarity shuddered. “It's Big Mac all over again.” A round of cannon fire sent water flying nearby. “Okay time for this later!” Twilight pulled Luffy out of his daze from staring at Franky. “Luffy, do whatever it is that a captain does for a ship to set sail!” “Alright!” Luffy looked over everyone and smiled. “There’s a whole lot of stuff I’d like to say, but never mind! Thanks for listening to my selfish request two years ago! Set sail!” Twilight’s hands glowed and she turned to the warship plowing toward them. “And I'll take care of th-” Just as another volley of cannonballs raced toward the Sunny, a golden aura encompassed them and sent them pummeling into the sea. A fine caravel crested over the waves and blocked the warship’s path. Its wood shimmered like gold and it sails were as white as snow. A grinning pony skull with six colorful gems circling it graced the sails and the lone black flag that flapped atop the mast. Celestia stood at the helm with her half-cape flowing over her back. She glared at the Marine commanding the warship. “And who dares sail a warship in my path?” she asked. “W-warlord Celestia,” the marine stuttered. “We…we’re in the middle of trying to apprehend Straw Hat Luffy. P-please, move!” “And why should I care about your petty human squabbles?” Celestia huffed. “This is the maiden voyage of my kingdom’s newest exploratory vessel and I intend to make every second it is on the seas count.” Behind Celestia, the top of a barrel lifted up and three teenage girls poked their heads out. “Wow, Princess Celestia can be scary when she wants to,” said the girl I the white dress with creamy pink and grape colored hair. “Let's just keep quiet so she doesn't get mad at us,” said the girl in a yellow shirt and overalls with a bright pink bow tying up her crimson mane. “But Discord said we’d be fine.” The final girl with purple hair grinned. “Relax, Apple Bloom.” “Do you really trust Discord?” Apple Bloom asked. “Do you really think it was a good idea to sneak onto this ship?” asked Celestia. The Cutie Mark Crusaders screamed at the top of their lungs and sent the barrel rolling onto its side. It spewed them out and they all flopped onto the deck, knocked out completely. Celestia let out a wistful chuckle. “Well, I think scaring the living daylights out of them will be punishment enough for now." Celestia stared over at the Sunny as a bubble formed around it. “Well, looks like things are just about finished.” Back on the Sunny, Pinkie had snuck below deck along with Spike and returned with two large bags and one big cask. The rest of the girls gather around them. “Yohoho.” Brook tilted his skull to the side. “What's this?” Twilight straitened up and coughed into her hand. “As the designated representative of Equestria and Princess of Friendship, it is my honor to establish ties with the people of the seas. We are aware that you are commonly called pirates, but we know that many of you display the values Equestria uphold and s-” “And so we brought you a lot of presents!” Pinkie exclaimed. She then rushed over to Brook and gave him a thick stack of records tied up in a bow. “These are like the super best albums ever!” “Yohoho! New music? Delightful! Almost as delightful as your pa-” Nami slapped Brook across the ship. She then found Rainbow standing beside her, holding a big jug of some sort of prismatic liquid. The colors remained separate, even when Dash swirled the jar around. “Heard you can pull off some pretty crazy weather stunts.” Dash smirked. “But for now, here’s some liquid rainbow, courtesy of the Wonderbolts!” Fluttershy crouched down and handed Chopper a cloth package with a thick scent coming off of it. “Since you're actually the doctor, this is the best gift for you. It's some of the local herbs and notes on how to use them for medicine.” Chopper blushed. “You idiot! You didn't have to do that!” Twilight floated two books over to Usopp and Robin. “A first edition copy of The Compendium of Equestrian History and an autographed copy of Equestria’s Greatest Myths and Legends.” Usopp raised an eyebrow. “You guys have myths when you’re already magical horses?” Robin slapped Usopp on the back of the head. “These are wonderful, Twilight. This book alone could revolutionize historical studies.” Twilight’s cheeks turned bright red. “Well, I mean, maybe just a bit.” Spike walked over to Zoro and gulped. He reached into the bag and produced a thick block of stone that glistened like a diamond but was as black as onyx. “Dragons can cut through almost anything with their claws and teeth,” Spike explained. “But this is the stuff we use to sharpen them, so maybe you could use it for your swords too.” Zoro grinned. “And all the stories say dragons are gready.” Nearby, Rarity advanced over to Franky. She held out a folded stack of cloth that glistened with an ethereal glow. “As the shipright, it's probably important to keep repair supplies well stocked. This should keep your sails nice and in tact for a good while and give this wonderful ship an even greater flourish.” Sanji stated at Applejack’s thighs when she placed a boot to the cask. She wiped some sweat of her brow, causing a bit of blood to dribble down Sanji’s nose. “Now listen here, fella,” she said. “I don’t quite know what's wrong with you but I heard you're the cook, so I got for you here some of the finest cider in Equestria and I'm willing to bet on the entire seas, so you’d better sa-” “Let's drink it now!” Luffy shouted. Applejack chuckled and shook her head. “Or that.” Glasses were bright out and filled with with the frothy cider. Everyone gathered around and raised their glasses. “To the New World!” Luffy cheered. “And to new adventures!” said Twilight. “Aye!” Everyone shouted and then clanked glasses. A set of flashes went off and everyone spun around to seen that Discord now stood on deck beside an camera on a tripod. He held four photos in his hands but sent two of them elsewhere in a puff of smoke. “Fantastic!” Discord cheered. “Oh, you all looked wonderful! Now care to have a look… provided I can have some of that cider too.” Applejack smiled and poured Discord a mug too. Everyone gathered around him and looked at the pictures. Luffy, Pinkie, and Dash broke out into laughter, Usopp and Zoro stroked their chins, Nami and Robin smiled, and Sanji fell over in shock. “Super!” Franky declared. “Oh my, I've never seen anything like this, even though I have no eyes! Yohoho!” Both pictures were almost identical. Everyone still had their glasses raised with wide smiles on their faces. I one picture, everyone was as they currently appeared, but in the other, in place of humans were a colorful collection of ponies with a wide array of cuties marks that glistened brightly. “Oh.” Discord peered out and saw that the Sunny was almost fully underwater now. He guzzled down the glass and the smashed the cider into his ear. “Best hurry, everypony.” “Okay, we can finish our ciders back on the Archipelago.” Twilight floated her glass to the side and walked over to Luffy. Her eyes were a little damp as were everypony else’s. “Guess this is goodbye for now.” “Yeah.” Luffy smiled. “But we’ll see each other again. There's way too much fun stuff in Equestria to not show everyone else.” “And we've got a whole new world to explore,” Twilight sniffles and managed to smile. “So just you wait, because this is just the start of the Harmony Pirates!” Twilight’s hands glowed and her friend gathered close. “Be the best pirate king ever!” Pinkie shouted. “You got this!” said Applejack. Dash grinned even while a few tears rolled down her face. “By the time we get back home, I'll bet you'll already have gotten the One Piece!” “Stay safe,” Fluttershy sniffled. “And do take care to not get too dirty!” said Rarity. Spike waved at everyone. “Be sure to write!” Twilight looked over Luffy and the Straw Hats one last time as the glow around her and her friends grew brighter. “Goodbye, everyone! See you again some day!” “Of course!” All the Straw Hats cheered together. And then in a flash of light, the Harmony Pirates were gone. The Straw Hats looked at each other and then raced to their positions. They unfurled the sails, manned the wheel, and braced themselves as the surface disappeared beneath the waves. Romance and the thrill of adventure beat in everyone’s hearts. Fishman Island and the New World beyond that awaited them. Luffy jumped onto the top of the Sunny’s lion head and stretched his arms out above his head. “Let’s go!” The End ♠♦♣ Dressrosa A few days after the news broke about the Straw Hat’s return. Doflamingo reclined back in his chair and admired the Flame-Flame Fruit. Spread out across his desk were the various reports, born public and confidential, that detailed the chaotic events that had unfolded on the Archipelago. His grin widened and he cackled to himself. The door to his office then exploded inwards. With a flick of his fingers, he stopped the door in the middle of the air. Lao G coughed and collapsed to the ground covered in burns. Jora stumbled by him in a similar state. “Young… young master!” she wheezed. “Forgive us. We tried to keep her calm bu-” A blast of fire slammed into Jora and knocked her into a wall. Her assailant glared at Doflamingo with piercing eyes that looked aflame. She raised a shaking fist clenching a wad of newspapers. “What the hell is this, Doflamingo!?” she hissed. Doflamingo frowned at the assailant and cracked his fingers. “I believe it's some of the recent papers. Do you really think that justifies attacking my family? Your family?” “Don't give me that crap!” the assailant snapped. “It all adds up now, you lying son of a bitch!” The assailant’s hands glowed and the papers spread out and and shoved themselves into Doflamingo’s face. They were kept at bay by his powers though. Mixed in with the articles were pictures showing the seven mysterious people that had been spotted aiding the Straw Hat’s escape. The picture of woman with deep blue hair and stripes of rose and magenta had been burnt pretty bad and was almost unrecognizable. “You went!” the assailant growled. “You went and all you got was that damn fruit! You had the chance to get rid of Celestia or at least get the Element of Magic and you did nothing! Now those stupid girls know about the land beyond Equestria. I knew I should ha-” Something constricted around the assailant’s neck. Doflamingo flexed his fingers and lifted her off the ground. While she struggled to breath, the smile returned to his face. He strutted out of his chair and tussled the assailant’s crimson and gold hair. He stared at her with a sadistic smirk highlighted by his glasses. “You should have what?” he asked, his voice like a piercing blade of ice. “Don't get ahead of yourself. Stealing the Element of Magic would just draw unwanted attention from Celestia. And, last I checked, you’ve barely got enough strength to handle an Element Bearer. So, Sunset, what are you going to do?” Sunset Shimmer dropped to the floor gasping for breath. She glared up at Doflamingo, who sneered down at her. “I’ll kill them all. They don't deserve that power. I do. And no one will stand in my way, not even you.” “Fufufu, I always love it when you’re mad. Still…” Doflamingo looked over Jora and Lao G. “You need to remember your place.” With a flick of his wrist, Doflamingo sent Sunset through the window and down into the palace’s courtyard. Doflamingo strolled over to his chair and leaned back. “Time for the real fun to begin.”