A Great Pirate

Hancock watched silently as Luffy and Luka faced off. 

(This Luka kid is extremely talented. He's used swordsmanship, Fishman Karate, Guns, and his devil fruit abilities to attack in unpredictable ways. The way he uses his devil fruit is especially impressive. Yet...) 

She watched as Luka fired hot mercury at Luffy who dodged them before flying at him. 

"Red Hawk!" 

Luffy slammed a burning fist in Luka's stomach. 

"Luffy is on another level." 

Hancock mumbled. Luka grabbed Luffy's arm while glaring at him. 

"Silver Torment!" 

Hot mercury flowed out of Luka and engulfed Luffy. 

"Die! Die! Die! Di-" 

A punch flew out of the mercury and slammed into Luka's face. 

"My haki isn't so weak I'll be burned by something like this!" 

Luffy stretched his arm behind him and twisted it. 

"Hawk Rifle!" 

Luka was forced back along with his mercury. 

"Eagle Bazooka!" 

Luffy relentlessly chased him and continued to attack. Luka's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Yet, he stood firm. 

"Ahhh!" 

He roared and hit Luffy with a spiked fist hardened with Haki. 

"Ugh?!" 

Luffy groaned as the spikes pierced his skin. 

"You--" 

He was cut off as Luka started raining down a barrage of spiked punches on him. His arms multiplied and added to the onslaught. Luffy gritted his teeth. 

"Hawk Gatling!" 

Luffy replied with his own onslaught of punches. The fists clashed and sparks flew between them. Luka's body distorted and silver tentacles formed on his back. They held swords and guns. They attacked Luffy from every direction. Luffy followed them with his eyes yet didn't move. He continued to attack Luka with punches. The tentacles attacked him cutting away and firing at him. Luffy ignored the attacks and locked eyes with Luka. 

"?!" 

Luka's body twitched when he looked into Luffy's eyes. There was overwhelming confidence and determination. They showed no signs of fluttering. 

"Damn you!" 

Luka roared and started attacking more aggressively. 

"Hawk Stamp!" 

Luffy stepped in his stomach. 

"Ugh?!" 

The rhythm of Luka's attacks fluttered for a second. That was all Luffy needed. 

"Hawk Whip!" 

He hit Luka in the ribs causing him to stop attacking. 

"Hawk Gatling!" 

He hit Luka with a barrage of burning punches. He stopped and swung his arms behind him. 

"Eagle Bazooka!" 

He hit him in the chest. Luka dug his feet into the ground to stop himself from flying back. Luffy leaped at him swinging his leg. 

"Hawk Whip!" 

Luka blocked his kick with a wall of mercury. Luffy popped up in front of him with his arms stretched behind him and his fists clenched. 

"Jet Cannon!" 

He hit Luka in the chest and he coughed up blood. 

"Hawk Bullet!" 

He hit him in the stomach. Luffy jumped in the air and swung his heel down. 

"Hawk Axe!" 

He slammed his heel on the top of Luka's head. Luka was forced to the ground. His body twitched as he tried to get up. Once that didn't work he formed spikes out of his back. Luffy swung his arm and shattered them. 

"Is that your limit?" 

Luffy spoke while looking down at him. 

"I thought you were going to kill me." 

"I am! I'm gonna kill you!" 

"Why?" 

"What?" 

"Why do you want to kill me?" 

"What kinda...Because you're pirate scum!" 

Luffy stomped him into the ground so hard it cracked. 

"Is that so? Then you're going to kill all the pirates?" 

"E-Every last one of you!" 

"Just because we're pirates?" 

"That's right!" 

"I see." 

Luffy leaped into the air. He flung his leg into the air and it grew gigantic. It was then hardened with Haki. 

"Gigant Axe!" 

He slammed his giant heel on top of Luka. The impact opened up a crater in the ground with Luka at the bottom. Luffy stood at the edge of the crater and looked down at him. 

"...Ugh." 

Luka opened his eyes and found himself staring at the sky. 

"Yo." 

He heard a voice and looked to see Luffy sitting at the edge of the crater. 

"You!" 

"Since you're up, let's get started." 

Luffy stood up. Luka sprung to his feet. 

"Die!" 

He flew at Luffy who smiled. 

"Round 2 start." 

"......" 

Luka once again opened his eyes and found himself staring at the sky. 

"Up already. That was fast." 

He turned his head and saw Luffy leaning on a rock. Luffy stood up and dusted himself off. 

"Alright. Let's get to it." 

"You son of a--" 

Luka opened his eyes and found himself staring at the sky. 

"You're waking up faster and faster. You're pretty tough." 

Luffy was sitting cross-legged while looking down on him. 

"....What are you doing?" 

"Waiting for you to get up." 

"I'm not talking about that! Why haven't you killed me yet?! You've had plenty of chances!" 

"Why would I kill you?" 

Luffy looked at him with a confused expression. 

"Why? Because I've been trying to kill you!" 

"What does that have to do with me killing you?" 

"......" 

Luka's jaw dropped and he stared blankly at Luffy. 

"Anyway, since you're up you must be ready to go." 

Luffy stood up and lifted his fists. However, Luka didn't attack immediately like before. 

"What's wrong? Aren't you trying to kill me?" 

"....Yeah." 

"Then get up. Unless you're planning to sink underground again." 

Luka shook his head. He sat up. 

"I'm trying to wrap my head around what's going on." 

"You hate pirates and are trying to kill me. What's there to be confused about?" 

Luka stood up. 

"I guess you're right." 

He turned his hands into blades. 

"Let's go agai--" 

Luka opened his eyes and found himself staring at the-- 

"What the hell?!" 

He sprung to his feet. 

"Oh, you're up alre--" 

"Shut up!" 

He pointed at Luffy. 

"What's your deal here, man?!" 

"Didn't we already go over this? You hate pirates and yo--" 

"I know that already! What I'm asking is why are allowing me to get back up after you defeat me?!" 

"Oh, that. I'm just giving you a chance at your dream." 

Luffy pointed at himself. 

"You want to kill all pirates, right? Well, I'm the future Pirate King, so if you're able to kill me then your dreams can be a reality." 

"...I don't understand your logic." 

"Really? I thought it was really simple though." 

Luffy stood up. 

"Anyway, let's get started." 

"Are you really going to do this until I kill you?" 

"Nah, I don't mind dying, but I prefer to become Pirate King first. Besides, I don't think you can kill me anyway." 

"What?" 

Luka glared at Luffy. 

"Luka, I don't know your past or really want to know it, but I think I know why you want to kill all pirates. They did some bad things to you right?" 

"…That's right." 

Luka clenched his fists. 

"They killed my family and destroyed my home! Not only that, everywhere I went to live before I came here was attacked and destroyed by pirates!" 

(What?) 

Hancock was taken aback by what Luka said. 

"I don't who it is, but somebody is following me around the world destroying anywhere I call home! I know it isn't a coincidence because they write the name of my island after destroying it!" 

He clenched his teeth. 

"I don't know if it's one of the bastards who killed my family or someone from the Big Mom Pirates who knows I survived and wants to torment me! However, the moment I get a hold of them, I'll skin them alive!" 

He roared. 

"Pirates are evil scum who would do stuff like that for no reason!" 

"Pirates are following him around the world? Is that why the island was attacked?" 

Hancock pondered. 

"I was an idiot to try and understand you! I forgot pirates are illogical beings!" 

Luka flew at Luffy again. 

"....." 

Luka found himself staring at the sky. 

"......." 

He silently sat up and looked at Luffy who was eating an apple while looking down on him. 

"What the hell is this?" 

He mumbled. 

"Are you ready to go again? Give me a minute. I asked Hancock to get us some food." 

Luffy showed Luka a sack full of apples. 

"Want some?" 

"What?" 

"I mean you can't kill pirates on an empty stomach." 

Luffy threw the sack at him. 

"If you don't want it, throw it back. I'll eat it up." 

Luka looked at the apples that rolled out of the sack and stopped at his feet. His stomach started to rumble. He stooped down and picked up an apple and ate it. 

"So...Where's Hancock?" 

He didn't know why he asked such a pointless question. 

"I told her to head back. After all, I don't know how long we'll be fighting for." 

"....Seriously, what's up with you?" 

"I don't know what you mean. I'm just chilling, waiting on you." 

"No, I mean..." 

Luca sighed. 

"Never mind." 

"I see." 

The two ate in silence for a while until Luffy spoke up. 

"You don't seem that heated anymore." 

"After how you've been handling the situation, I think that's normal." 

"Really? If you say so." 

(He reminds me of Jessie.) 

Luca found himself thinking. 

"...Hey, I just want you to know I still hate your kind." 

"That's fine. There's nothing wrong with hating pirates. Even I have met some I really hate." 

"Then why did you become a pirate?" 

"To become the person most free in the world." 

"What kind of reason is that?" 

"My reason." 

"I see." 

They ate in silence again. 

(Why am I having a casual chat with a pirate I'm trying to kill?!) 

Luka shouted in his head. 

(Well, after everything it feels too exhausting to get angry at him anymore.) 

He sighed. 

"I'm going home." 

"Did you give up trying to kill me?" 

"It feels like a waste of effort to keep trying. Besides, I now understand you have no intention to kill or fight unless I attack first." 

"Pretty much." 

Luka nodded. He threw the sack back at Luffy. 

"Why did you reveal your identities to me anyway? You even brought me out here to do it. I thought you were plotting to kill me." 

"I brought you out here because the sheriff asked us not to destroy the buildings." 

Luka remembered Felix saying that before leaving. 

"Which means he knows you're pirates and that this would happen." 

"Pretty much." 

Luka remembered the reason Luffy gave for visiting the orphanage. 

"Doing Caria a favor...So she knows as well. Does everyone but me know?!" 

"Beats me. I wasn't paying attention when Caria was explaining it." 

Luffy shrugged. 

"I can't believe this...Then why did Caria ask you to fight me?" 

"She didn't ask me to fight you, just become your friend." 

"Why would I befriend a pirate?" 

"She said something about your hatred devouring you and you not being human anymore and whatnot. I don't remember why, but since she's my friend and she really wanted to help you, I agreed." 

"And that's why you revealed your identities?" 

"Yup. I thought if you let off some steam, you'll feel better." 

"You think one fight with you would get rid of years of hate and resentment?" 

Luka frowned and glared at Luffy who shook his head. 

"I know it won't, that's why I fought you as much as you wanted." 

Luffy walked towards him. 

"Your anger is justified and no one can change that. I won't try to get rid of your anger but I will help you let it out." 

He stopped in front of Luka and gently bumped his chest with his fist. 

"Whenever you feel your rage is too much to bear and it's affecting those you love, come and find me. I'll give you a good fight to blow off some steam." 

"?!" 

Luka's eyes slowly widened. 

"Why? Why would you do that?" 

Luffy showed a huge grin. 

"Because I'm a great pirate." 

"That doesn't make any sense." 

"Is that so?" 

"Pfft! Hahaha!" 

Luka burst out laughing and Luffy started to grin. 

"Hahah-Ow! My ribs! They hurt like hell!" 

"Ah, sorry about that. My bad."