A Little Too Cheesy or Cringy.

One after another, the kids began to fall unconscious and Luffy got taken into the medical bay.

"Is it okay to pass everyone to 'The Creek'?" Aramaki.

"Why not? We may be deranged sociopaths who exploit children for their own interests, but we still keep our ends of our deals." Garaki spoke while inspecting the remaining of the monster.

"Whatever you say, you think the rubber kid will survive?" Aramaki.

"It's irrelevant what I think, we should be asking; what to do with him if he does. Only then will he become a great test subject." Garaki.

Aramaki gulps and looks away from Garaki.

It's been one week since the selection to enter "The Creek", everyone has spent their time locked in cells and were waiting for Luffy to be discharged from the medical bay.

Eventually, the higher ups were getting tired of waiting for Luffy to wake up so, they just shipped the kids alongside the comatose Luffy to "The Creek".

The kids are now inside a room of the ship and their attention get stolen by an incoming Luffy in a medical bed and an eyepatch in his left eye.

"W-wait! What's he doing here?! He's too injured to do those 'tests' of yours!" Nami.

"Shut up brat! The higher ups were tired of him sleeping, either he wakes up by the time you arrive to 'The Creek' then he'll die." Guard.

Nami wanted to refute but Robin stopped her. The ship sailed off and the kids were in their way towards a worst place.

During the travel, they decided to talk to pass the time, having their minds off the fact that they're going to a much worst horrible place would perhaps ease them a little bit.

Nami took Luffy out of his bed and sat him besides her.

"Why're you carrying the deadweight?" Zoro.

"Humph! We owe him this much after saving our lives." Nami.

"Indirectly, meaning that it doesn't really count." Zoro.

"Why you…!" Nami.

"Will you keep carrying him?" Katakuri.

The kids look at him as he sat in the circle.

"Showing compassion will take you nowhere. Its best if you ditch him before he becomes an obstacle to your survival." Katakuri.

The kids get in deep thought and find nothing wrong in Katakuri's words. Carrot senses the tension in the place and decides to lighten the mood a little.

"So, to change the topic…what do you think we'll see in 'The Creek'?" Carrot.

"The best case, we'll do the same with kids like us." Zoro.

"And the worst?" Chopper.

"Hmm…has any of you seen a horror movie?" Zoro.

Many shake their heads and others nod.

"Something like getting strapped into a table and get injected with various weird liquids, you know, the usual stuff." Zoro.

"HYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!!!!!!!" Usopp/Chopper/Carrot.

The trio begin to scream in fear and panic. The rest of the kids are starting to feel the weight of situation they're in, and are hating every moment of it.

"Maybe…maybe it would've been better if we had died." Robin speaks and the room gets silent.

Everyone had similar thoughts at some point and learned to cope with said thoughts so that they could cling to life but, the fact that they were going to enter into a cycle of even worst "tests" really put a dent in their hopes.

They began to get grimmer, there was no hope, no reason to keep pushing, they're just kids, they should be playing in a park, spending time with their parents, not be some sort of guinea pegs for crazy scientists.

'This…this is…HELL…' Thought the kids.

Suddenly, they heard some mumbles coming from Luffy, he woke up.

"Um…what…where…am I?" Luffy.

Luffy was still so delicate that he couldn't open his eye properly.

"Luffy!" Nami exclaimed.

"Nami…? Where are we?" Luffy.

"We're being transported to another place." Nami.

"Are the others fine?" Luffy.

"Yes, we're all fine. Thanks to you we managed to survive." Nami.

"I'm glad…that everyone's ok." Luffy.

Everyone's eyes widened after hearing Luffy, they were all trying to survive by themselves but to think that there was someone that was asking for their well-being, unbelievable.

"You should rest, Luffy. We're going to a dangerous place." Nami.

"¿?" Luffy made a confused expression.

Nami explains what may happen once they reach "The Creek" making the rest of the kids gloom once again.

"I see...well, as long…as you guys are there...I've got nothing to worry." Luffy spoke with a calm expression.

The kids couldn't understand why Luffy was the way he is. Why does he help others? Why does he care for others? Nami didn't wanted to be clueless about the matter and asked him.

"Luffy, why do you care about us, even though we are strangers?" Nami.

"Well…I came from…a very bade place. I was alone…it was boring and sad…I saw kids playing and having fun…but I was never part of it. when I came here…I vowed to make friends and have fun…I thought that…if I helped you guys…you might become my friends." Luffy.

Everyone looked at him with doubt.

"Why and how are you so optimistic all the time?" Nami.

Luffy remained silent but spoke a while later.

"Because nothing good will come from thinking about what's bad, that only makes you feel sad and depressed. I like to think that something good will happen to me eventually, I have you, Vivi, Robin and Zoro as friends for example." Luffy.

"Is making friends enough? You should worry about yourself." Nami.

"Idiot, no one can survive by themselves in this world, I'd rather die than be alone." Luffy said while laughing a little.

*BOOM*

The whole world that the kids known had just collapsed, the cruel reality that they decided to accept and embrace was shattering at the words Luffy just spoke.

"What makes you think that everything will be fine?" Zoro asked out of nowhere.

Luffy smiles and answers.

"As long as we're alive...things can always get better." Luffy.

"What if we die? Can you be sure of the fact that none of us will die?" Zoro.

Luffy's face darkens and takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I can't assure that; I can only have faith that you will survive your own challenges. Sorry if the answer wasn't satisfactory." Luffy.

Zoro looked at Luffy and spoke.

"No, it was the answer I expected. You may be an idiot, but you're right. You don't have the ability to protect all of us, and shouldn't do it. we must survive and strengthen ourselves, if you were planning on babysit us throughout this whole ordeal, then I would've killed you." Zoro went towards a corner of the room and fell asleep.

Luffy also falls asleep shortly after Zoro.

"Heh, I guess living for a little longer won't be so bad." Katakuri.

The kids didn't know why, but they felt at peace, they felt that they had a chance to survive the millionth horrors that they will face in the future.

(Inside Luffy's mindscape)

Luffy was observing his surroundings, he didn't know what was happening until he heard a voice.

"Looks that the time has come."

Luffy looked back and saw a man with white flame-like hair and a straw hat.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked.

"Me? I'm me of course. Shishishi." The man spoke.

"Ok. I'm Luffy."

"I know that already. I've been seeing you since forever."

"Are you...a stalker?" Luffy spoke while picking his nose.

"Stalker?! HAHAHAHAHA! Good one, I haven't laughed like that in a while."

Luffy saw the antics of the man but didn't feel any type of hostility from him.

"So, what do you want?" Luffy.

"Me? I just want to say that you should become stronger."

"I know that already, the question is how?" Luffy.

"Do you want me to give you a hand?"

"Nope." Luffy.

"Oh… why? Wouldn't it be better if I help you attain power from the get-go?"

"No, I wanna become stronger using my own power, you seem nice but if you try to force me to do things then I'll beat you up!" Luffy.

'Worthy of my successor.' The man thought with his smile.

"Then I have nothing left to say. Become stronger, protect those who you care for, have a fun life." The man spoke while walking away.

Luffy tried to follow him but couldn't do it.

"Wait! Who are you, like what's your name?!" Luffy.

"My name? Shishishi, you can call me…ꛘꛈ𖢉ꛎ"

"What?!" Luffy couldn't hear him.

He suddenly was sent out from his mindscape and went back into reality.

'See ya later, bring Joy to this world, Boy' Were the last thoughts of the man before disappearing completely.

Luffy woke up inside a cell, the cell was all white and had various beds and other doors that had signs on them. Luffy was in one of the beds and could smell something coming from the dining room.

He got up and began walking towards it, he saw everyone eating except for Katakuri, who was nowhere to be seen.

"Luffy!" Nami called out for him.

"Hi, what happened after I fell asleep?" Luffy.

Nami began to explain the situation they're in.

"I see. So, we'll all be living in this sort of cage and we'll be used as experiment subjects." Luffy.

"Yes, at least the meals are good." Zoro.

"Well, it doesn't matter, I know I'll get out of here eventually." Luffy.

"In a coffin maybe." Katakuri.

"Its kinda fun, we're all between the ages of 5, 7 and 9 yet we're talking about such grim things." Robin spoke with a weird smile.

"No, its not!" Usopp.

After eating, everyone began to go to their beds but found a problem, there were only four beds.

"So, do we share beds or something?" Luffy.

"Hell no! I'm a girl, I would rather die than let myself be near you male bastards." Hancock.

"Boa-san, I think that's too much." Vivi.

"Yosh! I take dibs of this one!" Luffy jumped in a bed and began jumping on it.

"Idiot! That looks fun!" Usopp.

"Yeah!" Chopper.

The long-nosed kid and the reindeer went towards the bed and began to jump alongside Luffy.

"We're 21 so, 5 on each bed and one on the floor?" Sanji.

"I'll sleep on the floor, my mochi can make a comfy bed." Katakuri.

"I'll sleep with Pay-tan, and those who are against that can suck it!" Ulti.

"Nee-san…." Pendragon.

Eventually, everyone got their beds selected.

Nami, Robin, Vivi, Hancock and Carrot sleep in first bed.

Luffy, Zoro, Yamato, Uta and Chopper sleep in the second bed.

Sanji, Jinbe, Franky, Brook and Bartolomeo sleep in the third bed.

Finally, Ace, Sabo, Ulti, Pendragon and Usopp sleep in the fourth bed.

Katakuri created his own "bed" and everyone was having a hard time falling asleep.

"Can anyone sleep?" Carrot.

"Nope. I slept all the day so, I'm not sleepy at all." Luffy.

"Luffy, what do you want to do if you leave this place?" Carrot.

"I…plan to have lots of fun!" Luffy.

"Like what?" Vivi.

"Umm…No idea! I'll cross that bridge once I get there. Shishishi! What about you guys?" Luffy.

"I plan to become the world's greatest swordsman." Zoro spoke confidently.

One after another, the kids decided to reveal their dreams and ambitions to each other's, except Katakuri.

"You all have such amazing dreams!" Luffy.

"What about you, Luffy?" Robin.

"My dream? Hehe, I will..." Luffy begins to talk about his dream.

Almost everyone got up from their beds and looked at Luffy astonished.

"Hey, you can't be serious." Ace.

"Haha, that's and interesting dream Luffy!" Sabo.

"My New Genesis is better." Uta.

"Oi, seriously?" Zoro.

"I can't believe it." Nami.

"Are you serious?!" Sanji.

"That's impossible!" Usopp.

"Wow, awesome!" Chopper/Bartolomeo.

"Wow." Vivi.

"That sounds nice." Robin.

"Such a SUPER dream." Franky.

"YOHOHOHOHOHO, that's so funny!" Brook.

"I guess a crazy guy like you would have an even crazier dream." Jinbe.

"That sounds dumb!" Ulti.

"Nee-san, I think he can pull that off." Pendragon.

"Pay-tan! You should be on my side!" Ulti.

"A foolish man with a foolish dream." Hancock.

"That sounds fun, tell me when you're about to begin Luffy." Carrot.

"OOOOHHHH! That'll be so cool!" Yamato.

'Hmph…I do wonder, if he can achieve that.' Katakuri.

"Shishishi! Since we got that out of the way…" Luffy jumps out of bed and looks at everyone.

"Listen up everyone! we all have our different dreams and ambitions, but since we've survived together, how about we become friends. If you're in trouble I'll help you and so will the others. Let's support each other's dreams as much as we can!" Luffy.

"What makes you think that everyone will be on board about that?" Katakuri spoke, surprising everyone.

"I don't care, I've already made a promise to myself about helping you guys so, I'll leave you, my back." Luffy smiles at everyone.

The group of kids feel refreshed after seeing Luffy's smile and shortly after everyone goes to sleep.

The group began to grow much closer with each other during that first night. From here on out, they would spend years inside "The Creek", getting experimented on, being subjected to.

And like that, 2 years passed.