Burning Rubber Chapter 1 (Patreon)

One Piece parody: Tier 1

Burning Rubber

Luffy becomes attached to the Red Hair Pirates. Among them he bonds with Lucky Roux the ship’s cook. Not only does he gain his love of meat and fun loving attitude from the man, but Lucky teaches Luffy about speed, training the boy’s legs so he can move quickly. Speed becomes very important to Luffy, as he blends them with the gum gum powers.

Chapter 1

Lucky Roux was the cook on the Red Hair pirates. He was a fun loving and large pirate, favoring meats and proteins. The man had a large body, so most would assume he was a slow tank of a man, but the opposite, his legs were so strong and flexible he was able to move at insane speeds.

The man was impressive, so much so, he earned the admiration of Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy in the village they were using as a base. He already wanted to be a pirate, but it was Shanks’ men that showed Luffy what kind of pirate he wanted to be.

While he said his punches were as strong as pistols, he couldn’t swim. “You need more than a strong punch to be a pirate Luffy.” Shanks told him.

“Teach me!” Everyone was shocked as Luffy went to Roux instead of Shanks. It touched the large man’s heart. Having an apprentice was a big deal in the pirate world. Yasopp even got jealous and tried to teach Luffy sniping, but Luffy wanted to learn from Lucky.

So he did, he taught Luffy the art of speed, training his legs to be strong and flexible. He showed off his techniques and it was so inspiring for Luffy. The man didn’t have a devil fruit, all that he is, was because of pure training. “If you keep working hard Luffy, you’ll get stronger!”

Not long after that Luffy ate the Gum Gum Fruit, a devil fruit the crew had stolen from their enemy. Lucky Roux had swiftly taken the fruit from those that guarded it, and it was back to the base to celebrate their victory. It was a rule on the ship that if one finds a devil fruit they get the rights to it, eat it, sell it, give it away the choice was there.

Lucky Roux was thinking about it as they partied, when some bandits showed up causing trouble. Shanks showed them who the bigger man was, even if Luffy didn’t get it yet. Out of frustration and hunger he ate the devil fruit without thinking. His body was changed to rubber. “You dumb ass!”

Luffy had to apologize to Roux, but the man wasn’t too mad about it. There were lots of devil fruits out there after all. “Just don’t get cocky, devil fruit powers alone don’t make a pirate.” Luffy nodded.

-x-

The bandits came back and caused trouble, Luffy stood up for Shanks and his men, and got taken by the bandits. The men were sick, upon seeing he had devil fruit powers they started talking about selling him.

Shanks arrived with his men and tried to put an end to this. Lucky Roux showed off his speed and killed one of the bandits before they even realized he had moved. ‘So fast!’

The bandits were crushed, they really had no idea who they were messing with. The leader Higuma took to the sea to escape, dragging Luffy with him. His goal was to sell Luffy, and use the money to start a new. Again he underestimated his advantage as the Lord of the Coast rose up and killed him with one bite.

Shanks rescued Luffy at the cost of his arm. He was a powerful pirate and knew the ways of things, but with his current level of haki he had to prioritize protecting Luffy. Biting attacks tended to be a weakness of even experienced haki masters, so he lost an arm. In his fury he released Conquerors Haki and scared the beast off. ‘I still have a lot to learn.’

Luffy cried, but Shanks just hugged him, telling him it was okay. “It’s just an arm, you were more important.”

For Luffy it hurt, he didn’t understand, he was young and confused and blamed himself for what happened. He wanted to prove himself to Shanks so many times, prove he was man enough, prove he was good enough, he wanted Shanks to take him on his crew like Uta. The man always denied him, and then sacrificed his arm for him.

As the Red Hair Pirates planned to leave for good, Luffy met them as they left. He didn’t ask to go with them, instead he swore he’d become his own pirate, build his own crew and surpass them. “I’ll be the most free pirate the world has ever seen, I’ll be the King of the Pirates!” Luffy declared, his words touching Shanks.

“King of the Pirates huh?” He took his treasured Straw Hat and placed it on Luffy’s head. “Then it’s a promise between men, look after this hat for me, you can give it back once you’ve become a great pirate.”

-x-

Luffy trained to become a pirate, planning to set sail when he came of age. He met and gained his brothers, losing one, and he continued to push himself. ‘Faster I have to be faster, stronger I need to be stronger, I have to be better!’

He set sail and the lord of the coast attacked him. “Burning Rubber!” He vanished from eye sight moving so fast he hit the beast and broke his teeth. “I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!”

-x-

Luffy’s travels land him in the middle of a pirate group and a cruise liner. The Alvida Pirates were pretty small time, Alvida was mostly known for her cruelty and her “beauty”. Her epitaph was Iron Mace Alvida.

Among her crew was a boy named Koby, who by a stroke of bad luck got captured by her and made her chore/whipping boy for the last two years. He’s wanted to escape but lacked the courage to do so. He didn’t want to be a pirate, but under Alvida’s iron club he had no choice.

Luffy had a fun idea, while the pirates were raiding the cruise liner he raided their ship. He stole their food, their treasure, even finding a devil fruit. Koby stumbled upon him and panicked.

Some other men showed up. “Did you let this freak on the ship?” They went to strike Koby, only to be stopped by Luffy. “What do you want?”

Wham! Pow! Smack! Luffy knocked the three out so fast.

“You okay?”

Koby was stunned. “You...you saved me?”

“I guess.” He shrugged.

The two got to talking, Luffy sharing his dream to which Koby said was impossible and got smacked for it. When Koby shared his dream and backstory, Monkey was quite honest. “You’re an idiot and a coward, I hate people like you!” Koby cried.

It wasn’t easy for him, despite his dream of wanting to become a marine he lacked courage to chase it. Luffy wasn’t like that, death didn’t scare him, to him giving up was more terrifying.

Alvida came back and was pissed to find a pirate skulking about her ship.

“I thought you were Pirate Hunter Zoro, but you are just a runt.”

“Zoro?”

“As pirates under different flags that makes us enemies. You stole from me, so I gotta kill you, men get him!”

“You can try!” The men charged at Luffy only for the rubber man to inflate. “Gum Gum Cannonball!” His large inflated form began to spin like a wheel and he tore through the ship striking Alvida’s men and sending them flying.

“So it’s true, you have devil fruit powers.” She had found a devil fruit but was torn on eating it or selling it. Alvida hadn’t believed the legends of devil fruits before, but wouldn’t mind suckering some fool for their money for one.

Luffy smiled and stretched himself. “Yep I ate the Gum Gum Fruit!”

“A rubber person?!” Koby gasped.

Alvida smirked. “Koby, tell this fool who I am!”

The boy gulped. She did this a lot, wanting her men to praise her beauty. Alvida had an ego, that didn’t quite fit her image. If her men didn’t fuel said ego she lashed out with violence and cruelty.

Koby had faced her mace time and time again. The fear of Alvida had crippled him. “You are the ugliest cow in all the seas!”

“WHAT?!”

Luffy started busting up laughing. “You are dead!”

“You are a stinking lousy sorry excuse for a pirate, and one day when I become a marine I’m gonna arrest you!”

“Koby!” She swung her mace, but it was blocked by Luffy.

The pink haired boy was shaking. “Well said Koby no regrets!” He bounced the mace back before stretching his arm back. “Gum Gum Pistol!” Pow! Alvida was hit and sent flying.

Marines showed up as the cruise line had called the police for the pirates. “Gotta go!” Luffy fled with Koby, as he couldn’t join the marines like this, he’d just be arrested with the rest of the Alvida pirates.

So the two were off. Luffy was curious about this Pirate Hunter Zoro, and with a tip from Koby the two were sailing to Shell Town.

Zoro had been tied up for two weeks already. Helmeppo approached him. “What do you want now?”

The blonde smirked.

To be continued