Monkey D. Luffy

In the guild hall, Jack watched Luffy run around the room, looking at all the cool stuff he had all over the place, not really focusing on anything for longer than a few seconds.

It took a few minutes before the kid even registered the other people that were watching him, then shot over to Tedi and Lucian, them being the coolest out of the bunch. Nemo was of course not a full human either, but aside from the gills, he could pass for one.

"You guys look so cool!! You should join my crew!!" Luffy said, his excitement almost contagious.

*WACK!!*

"None of us here are pirates, you idiot!!" Luke said as he wacked Luffy over the head. Not having used Haki, the punch didn't do a damn thing, which made Luke puzzled.

"He's made of rubber." Jack said, enlightening everyone present that didn't already know. "Is that right?...." Luke mumbled quietly, then without warning, unleashed a fist full of lightning at the unsuspecting rubber boy, who again, didn't look phased in the slightest.

"Hahaha!! I've found my new test dummy!!" Luke cried out in victory, then grabbed Luffy by the throat and walked out of the room laughing like a lunatic all the while.

"I think Luke might kill him...." Smoker commented, thinking the kid was already a goner. "May he rest in peace!" Nami added, bowing her head in remembrance of the excitable kid.

"He ain't gonna die! If anything, I'd wager he'll outlive us all with the plot armor he's got!" Jack stated, rubbing his head in frustration. 'Of course Luke had to take him!' He added mentally with a sigh.

"Well, everyone go relax and check in with the neighbors and loved ones, then we'll meet back here two days from now at noon, which we will also assign as the day you all take off for the sky islands." Jack said, looking to the three kids and Makino, then signaled for Lucian and Tedi to stick around. He was thinking of something, and wondered if it was at all possible.

As soon as everyone but Lucian and Tedi were gone, Jack asked something that was bothering him. "I've heard that the Mink race can transform into something called a... Sulong?" Jack asked, unsure if that was the correct term for it.

"Yeah, all Minks can transform, but there are drawbacks for everyone." Tedi informed, getting a nod from Jack to continue.

"It's an enhanced form that a Mink takes upon looking directly at the full moon. This form unleashes our primal animal instincts. It is something only the minks of Zou train in and is considered to be the "true form" of the Mink Tribe.

In order to transform, a Mink would need to look at the full moon for a period of time until the transformation is complete. During transformation, the mink's hair grows exponentially and turns white, additionally their body becomes significantly larger.

They also emit an electric charge during the transformation. Along with their altered appearances, their strength and speed are vastly increased, as is the strength of their Static-electro attack. Whereas before, a casual attack may simply inhibit the opponents with paralysis, after the transformation, it is easily capable of knocking out several opponents." Tedi said, getting a thoughtful look from Jack.

However, before Jack could say anything, Lucian added "Sulong is not without its drawbacks. Without proper training to suppress their feral urges, a Mink will lose their minds and rampage indiscriminately.

Furthermore, using this form for too long can cause severe exhaustion or even death to the one using it. A Mink can return to their original form if the moonlight is blocked from their eyesight, or naturally when the sun comes back up."

Jack couldn't help but ask, "Can either of you control yourselves while in Sulong?" The both of them turned serious, and shook their heads. "We would have escaped that hell on our own if we could..." Tedi said, his voice dripping with shame and regret.

"We were forced into going Sulong a few times while we were slaves, but..." Tedi stopped talking, not wanting to finish what he was going to say. Lucian, seeing his best friend and sworn brother choking on his words said what his friend could not.

"We killed more slaves then we did enemies while in our Sulong forms.... they forced us to turn, then watched as we we gave into our base instincts and killed without a care." Lucian began getting quieter the more he spoke, the memories of what he had done being too much for him to think about.

The two giant Minks looked like they would break down at any moment, but Jack thought of something else. Walking towards the door, he commanded "Follow me!!" Without having to be told twice, the two minks followed behind.

A few minutes later, they arrived in a section of the town where the majority of the minks who had been enslaved resided. "Look at them! You can't be held accountable for anything you were forced to do, and anyone that tells you otherwise can go fuck themselves!!" Jack informed them, while showing them all the happy and smiling Minks.

"Your actions while being yourselves, you've taken care of, and helped so many!! And it's not just your fellow minks either!" Jack said, gesturing everywhere else around them. Finally he turned towards them, his eyes unnerving the two minks.

"I want you to master your Sulong forms!!" He said, causing the two of them to avert their gazes from his own. "Luke and I will be there the entire time, and we'll go to a deserted island so there won't be the risk of hurting anyone else, okay?" Jack said, causing Lucian to look towards Tedi.

"I'd rather not be held back by my own fear, but I'd like my brother with me?" Lucian said, extending his hand to Tedi, who still looked to be fighting an internal war with himself. Finally he too gave in and shook Lucian's hand, then they both told Jack they would do it.

"Awesome!! We'll make so you have full control of your forms, and then I'll show you something that just might turn the tides for your entire race!!" Jack stated with a face splitting smile, making Lucian and Tedi wonder what the hell was going through his mind. If only they knew....

Done with Lucian and Tedi for now, Jack went to go find Luke and Luffy, mentally praying that Luke hadn't done something terrible to the kid. He didn't have to look very hard, letting the lightning guide him to the edge of town, where he saw Luffy running around, trying to dodge Luke's blasts of lightning. Luffy wasn't so lucky.

"What exactly are you testing here?" Jack asked Luke, who was smiling like an idiot. Still smiling and not relenting in his attacks, Luke answered "How many times I can hit a moving target while blind folded, or from channeling lightning through my weapons, or-"

Luke was interrupted as Jack swung at him. Effortlessly dodging, Luke finally stopped attacking. "I don't care!! Just stop what you're doing!!" Jack demanded as he signaled Luffy to come towards them.

By the time Luffy got over, he looked almost pleadingly at Luke. "Do I still get the food?!!" He asked, the desperation clear to see for everyone. "I don't think so. After all, you didn't dodge 3 attacks in a row." Luke said with mock sympathy.

"Damn it!!" Luffy yelled as he kicked the ground. "How many times did you shoot him and how many did he dodge?" Jack couldn't help but ask. "Shot him 1,463 times and he couldn't dodge a single one!" Luke said, a little smug about it.

"Of course!" Jack said, mostly to himself than anyone else. Turning to the rubber kid, Jack asked "What do you wanna do in life?" He of course already knew the answer, hell anyone who had watched ten seconds of the anime would know his goal.

With a smile big enough to fit Jack's whole head, Luffy answered, "I'm gonna be king of the pirates!!" With his famous quote that made up 10 percent of the series, Luffy laughed like it was already set in stone for him to be the pirate king. Luke on the other hand looked at him like he was the biggest retard he had ever laid eyes on, and he'd seen the Celestial Dragons, so that was saying something.

"I think my lightning might have fried his brain after all..." Luke said, a little regret in his eyes for having destroyed the kid so bad.

"*Sigh* Nope!! He's been like that for as long as anyone can remember, spouting crap about being the king of the pirates and what not. To tell you the truth, he might have had a pretty good chance if it weren't for us!" Jack said, making Luke's eyes widen in surprise.

"Is he that talented?" Luke asked curiously. Quirking an eyebrow at the question, Jack answered, "No! He's just luckier than anyone should be, and he's got a one track mind with one goal!! He refuses to give up, and doesn't care if he dies doing whatever it takes to fulfill his dreams, regardless of how many people he has to get through to get there!"

Looking at Luffy in a new light, Luke eyed him up and down carefully before he shook his head in the negative. "I don't see it!" He said, looking to Jack for more. "You'll see within a year!" Was all Jack said before he turned back to Luffy.

"You say you wanna be King of the pirates, but I don't think you have what it takes to be king!" Jack stated, getting a frown from Luffy. "Of course I have what it takes to be the king!!" Luffy shouted, then almost as an after thought, he asked, "What am I missing?"

Luke face palmed, not quite understanding the logic of Luffy. Jack on the other hand, already knew how 'smart' Luffy was, so he was a lot more understanding than Luke was.

"You don't have a ship or crew, you have no idea how the Grand Line works or how to get there. Then there is the major fact that you are way too weak to even survive more than a week in East Blue on your own, let alone the Grand Line, the most dangerous place in existence." Jack said, just to name a few off the top of his head.

"I am too, strong!!" Luffy shouted, then as to prove his point, he swung at Jack, who without a second thought, boot stomped Luffy into the ground in less than 5 seconds.

"For a strong person, you got your ass kicked pretty fast! As you are, you would only get yourself and anyone with you killed. Is that what you want? To get your friends and family killed because you were too weak to take care of them? Because you weren't prepared for a dangerous situation?" Jack asked, leaning down so Luffy could hear him properly.

Luffy was stubborn beyond anything this world could handle if he was anything like the anime, and the only reason he had allowed Rayleigh to train him, was because he was too weak and let Ace die. So now, Jack would have to play on that weakness, and make Luffy feel like he was helpless, and then he could train him in earnest.

Getting back up, Luffy adjusted his hat on his head then replied, "I can figure this out as I go! I'll get a ship and crew, and we'll take care of each other!" Jack sighed, knowing it wouldn't be so easy. "On a crew, who are the most essential people to get?" Jack asked, wondering how Luffy would answer.

"A Cook!! Oh! and a musician!" Luffy quickly answered, making Luke face palm again. "I gotta get outta here!! I feel like I'm losing brain cells just being around him!!" Luke said, then went somewhere else, having enough of Luffy.

"No, idiot!! How are you gonna know where you are while you're out at sea?!" Jack asked, almost tempted to shake Luffy by the throat.

Luffy actually looked like he was thinking really hard, then after a solid minute and a half he answered, "A navigator!!"

Jack felt like he should give the kid a cookie for getting the answer right, but held himself back. "That's right. Now what would you do if, let's say, if your navigator got sick out at sea?"

At least this time Luffy didn't need to think about it. "I would find a doctor!!" Luffy stated, but this time he was actually thinking.

"If you and your crew are to survive out on the ocean, your ship is gonna need it's own doctor. The third person is indeed a cook. You're gonna need someone who can prepare meals that keep everyone healthy, while at the same time make them taste good. Now you also need people to protect your important people and you!" Jack said, making Luffy mad.

"I can protect them!" He exclaimed, causing Jack to get irritated.

Beating Luffy into the ground again, Jack made sure to make sure he could barely even move.

"You're weak!! There are thousands of people who could kill you while not even breaking a sweat!! You're gonna need a strong crew, while also being stronger than them!! Do you really expect them to follow you if you are neither super smart or strong?! In a pirate group, a captain that doesn't demand respect from his crew, and a crew that fails to give it, is destined to fall apart!!" Jack shouted, making Luffy lower his head in thought.

(A.N. Zoro said it best in the anime!!)

"You've been here awhile, so I take it you know about the guilds and the Adventurer's Association, right?" Jack asked after a moment. Luffy didn't speak, just nodding his head in confirmation.

"Guilds are suppose to be family, and I can't force anyone to do anything they don't want to do, nor would I... however when our backs are up against the wall, they rely on my judgment to see them through the hard times, and the same would go for a pirate group. You can't expect people to follow you if you aren't strong enough to protect them, understand?" Jack asked, again getting a nod of confirmation from Luffy.

The silence rained supreme for a few minutes before Jack said, "I wanna train you with a friend of mine... I wanna teach you how to survive in this world and do right by those who entrust themselves under your care. My only concern is, will you let me?"

Luffy remained quiet for a few minutes after Jack finished speaking, until finally he asked, "Why would you want to help me?" Jack smiled at that. 'At least he's thinking! It's a good start!' He thought happily.

"Truth be told, I made a deal with your father to prepare you for the world, but I have my own reason as well. If I get my way, the great pirate era will come to an end. I'm not stupid enough to think pirates will cease to be once I've achieved my goal, but they will be dealt with quickly, that I think the number of pirates will be on the lower scale than anything." Jack said, getting a confused look from Luffy.

"Nothing will stop me from being a pirate!!" Luffy said, thinking Jack was trying to stop him from achieving his dream.

"What is a pirate to you?" Jack asked, unsure of how best to get his point across. "Someone who goes out on an adventure!! Explores cool places!! And is free to do whatever they want!!" Luffy answered, a little excitement finally returning to him.

Jack frowned at him as he asked, "Have you ever seen a pirate that was welcomed with a warm smile?" To this, Luffy was confused. "What do you mean?" He asked, unsure of what Jack meant.

"Throughout the world, pirates are feared, not respected. Yes, they do go out on adventures, but most of the time, pirates rob and plunder towns! They kill anyone who defies them, and they r@pe and torture people. I'm not saying all pirates are like that, hell I'm friends with a few who were forced to become pirates because the government is so corrupt!" Jack explained, getting a horrified look from Luffy.

"To think people would ruin the good name of pirates by doing that!!" Luffy said, not believing a decent pirate would do such a dirty thing. Jack actually face palmed. 'Of course....' he thought as he stared at the all too innocent rubber moron.

"Are you going to rob from people, torture women and children, make yourself feared and unwelcome wherever you go?!" Jack shouted as he grabbed Luffy by the caller of his shirt and holding him up close to eye level.

"Of course not!!" Luffy shouted, sounding like it was the last thing in the world he would do, which made Jack smile. "Good!" Jack shouted, then with a smile he added, "In your eyes, the king of the pirates is the man with the most freedom throughout the world, right?"

Luffy nodded his head and Jack continued, "Then are you really the king of the pirates if you have to prove it?" Luffy was again, confused. (Shocker!!)

"You are always shouting that you are gonna be the king of the pirates, and to do that you'd need to explore the Grand Line to it's entirety and find the One Piece, but that doesn't seem like a true king. If a king has to say that he is the king, then he is no king at all. When people tell you that you are not what you are, you don't need to go out and prove it! Right?" Jack asked, this time making Luffy think long and hard about the situation.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense..." Luffy finally answered.

Feeling a little giddy that he was getting somethings through to Luffy, Jack continued, "I'll make you a deal. You let me train you for the next two years, teaching you everything you should need to survive on your own, as well as keep your future friends alive, and in return, I'll give you a ship and the other instruments needed for navigating the Grand Line. Deal?"

Luffy didn't need to think too hard about it, and agreed. "I'll arrange a room at Makino's for you. We start training first thing in the morning, so go and prepare yourself!!" Jack said, to which Luffy nodded and took off.

Watching him take off, Jack turned his gaze to a massive tree and spoke, "Don't you know it's rude to listen in on other peoples conversations?" At his question, Rayleigh walked out from behind the tree. "I was just seeing what all the fuss was about!" Rayleigh said innocently as he sipped from a flask.

"He really is like Roger..." Rayleigh said quietly, but Jack still heard him.

"Unless I kill him, he'll continue his dream of becoming the king of the pirates... but his soul is far less tainted than almost every person I've ever met, that I'd never do that. He see's the world as something waiting to be discovered, while at the same time treating everyone he meets as if they were long lost friends!" Jack said, making Rayleigh look at him with a quirked brow.

"Will your training change that?" Rayleigh asked, wondering what Jack was thinking. Pausing for a moment, Jack thought about that before he let a smile play across his face.

"No... unless someone threatened those he cares about, he wouldn't kill them. Hell, even then I'm not sure he would kill them on purpose. He's far too easy going and happy to drastically change his personality to someone like me. I'd be willing to wager Roger was like that too, right?" Jack said, getting a laugh from Rayleigh.

"No matter the situation he was put in, Roger lived his life how he saw fit and never once changed from the day I met him!" Rayleigh answered.

Both Jack and Rayleigh went back to the guild hall where they drank and told stories about their pasts, Rayleigh going on and on about Roger, making Jack laugh his ass off. Luke was also there and he too enjoyed the stories about how Roger acted towards people.

Jack was also glad to know that as much as Luffy was similar to Roger, Roger was no simple idiot and he was a savant in combat. "That rubber idiot is gonna need a lot of work if you wanna train him to survive out in the Grand Line!" Luke said, telling Jack something he already knew.

"I know that, but with the help of Rayleigh, we can turn him into a fucking monster within these two years!" Jack said, to which Rayleigh just laughed in acknowledgement.

"I won't lie, I am a bit interested. Although I'm not sure that East Blue is the right place to train someone properly." Rayleigh said, to which Jack and Luke both disagreed with.

"Places where you can get a proper fight with those who know what their doing will work for the best training. Here, there are no shortage of strong opponents, and almost everyone learns how to train and fight with their Haki after a certain point, so it kind of makes up for not having the life threatening battles to push yourselves. Although getting beat until you can barely walk still helps boost your Haki quite well, in my opinion." Jack said, to which Rayleigh could only agree with.

For the remainder of the evening, their small drinking band slowly grew with the main members of Jack's group and a few members of the Association that came to greet him. They all drank and partied, until finally going their separate ways for the night.

When the sun was already high in the sky, Jack was outside beating the daylights out of Luffy without much care. He was a bit hungover, but he was still training the guy properly, so no one should really say too much about it.

Luffy was currently wearing a Sea Stone bracelet while running around an obstacle course with some weighted clothes on. With all of the training Garp, Ace, and Sabo had put Luffy through over the years, he was a few times stronger than most people were when he began their training, but Luffy had been reliant on his Devil Fruit since he was like 8 years old, and therefore would need to be beaten into the proper way to do things.

His speed was above the elite marine soldier, but was below Captain rank. Right now, Jack figured Luffy was somewhere between E and D rank by the association standard, which was by no means weak, it just wasn't strong either by Grand Line standards.

Jack motivated Luffy through food and deserts, by showing him that he could run through the sky if he trained properly, and how he could predict the movements of others and damage Logia users if he trained in Haki.

Surprisingly, Luffy was quick to realize that Garp had been using Haki to hurt him with his Fist of Love since he was a child, and that was why it always hurt so bad. Luffy wanted to learn Haki for the petty reason of getting a good Haki coated fist back on Garp one of these days.

When Jack told him Garp was back here in Foosha, Luffy paled in horror at first, but then Jack told him that he quit the marines and even had a decent bounty of his own out there. That got Luffy excited and he couldn't wait to talk to Garp later about it.

They trained most of the morning, then Jack showed Luffy a map of the Grand Line, and how you couldn't enter the Grand Line without going over Reverse Mountain, or through the Calm Belts, which was suicide at it's finest for most people.

Luffy was really excited about Reverse Mountain and couldn't wait to go on it. He was also intrigued about Log Poses and Eternal Poses, but he said he would only get an Eternal Pose to places he had already been to or it would spoil the adventure. Jack beat him upside the head for a good ten minutes when he said that.

"There are islands where it can take years for the Log Pose to reset, at which point you and your crew might have died due to lack of food or poison and you couldn't get the proper antidote because you were too stupid to keep an Eternal Pose!! It doesn't hurt to have it and not use it, then needing it and not having it!!" Jack said, shedding some wisdom on the moron.

"That's really smart!!" Luffy had told him, which just earned a blank stare in return. 'No, you're just really stupid!' Jack thought mentally. Three hours a day was all Jack could get Luffy to agree with for studying time, and frankly he was shocked he even got that out of him.

True to his word, Luffy stuck with the books, but right at the three hour mark, he was gone without going a second over. With the first day being over and done with, Jack considered it a major success, but he would need to get people to sub out with him, otherwise he'd lose his marbles teaching Luffy everyday for two years.

Jack was relaxing an hour before dinner time, sitting in the evening glow of the sun aboard the deck of the Pearl when he spotted a small silhouette floating on the water. At first glance it looked like drift wood, but a closer inspection and Jack could see it was more like a coffin with sails.

"Well if it isn't good old Hawkeye!!" Jack said as he made sure to get some extra good whine and food ready.

'This could be interesting!!'