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RUMBLE!	By : TreeStar Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 7990 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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RUMBLE!

35

The Mirror of Warning

Another night had passed. Nothing eventful had happened; no great revelation that had been waiting behind secret doors to burst forth and flourish universal change had been discovered. Luffy was back to behaving like he had gone to the someplace where he kept a personal clandestine stash of confidence and yanked it out--his behaviour was nothing short of totally Luffy.

In fact, if there was any change perceivable to the rest of the crew, it was that while Luffy had been standing tall again, Zoro had been laying low.

But even that was overshadowed by the Merry Go�s approaching a new island� which had just appeared off the bow! Luffy looked up from the black water he�d been marveling over (it gave off no reflection!), sat up straighter on the figurehead that he had securely reattached himself to, and broke into a giant grin.

�Nee-hee!� he laughed jubilantly to himself for a moment. Then he turned around to share the fun with all the exuberance he demanded of his crew when they themselves had such amazing news.

�IIIISLAAAAND! ISLAND! ISLAND! LAAANNND HOoooOO! OI MINNA! IISLAAAAAaaaaaaND! IT�S SO COOOL! CHECK THIS OUT YOU GUYS! HEYYYY ISLAND! IIIIIIIIIISLA-�

�SHUT UP!!!� Sanji�s voiced resonated throughout the ship at the same time a flying shoe was hurled from the balcony to clonk Luffy hard over the head before falling unceremoniously into the black water.

Having woken up irritated beyond all measure for some ungodly reason, the cook grumbled his way down the steps: �I�ve grumble headache the size of grumblemumble and that stupid rubber bathtub stopper�s screaming about murffumblemurmumer and now I�ve gotta start omurfermur thanks to SOMEBOD-ow..� he trailed off clutching his skull.

�Do�ya mind, Corncob? I�m trying to sleep,� Zoro grumbled from his place on the deck.

Sanji wished his glare could break boards, because he so wanted the ones under Zoro to give way so that he�d fall through the floor and land on his ass in the bedroom beneath him. Then Sanji would laugh. Because it would be funny.

But he settled for the mental image. It helped.

�IIISLAAAND!�

It helped a little, anyway. Damn that boy could carry on.

If this island isn�t covered in sunbathing chicks, I�m poisoning his food, he thought as he realized that on top of everything else his shoe was now floating in the ocean. He went to retrieve it while the rest of the crew emerged from their various pockets of seclusion like groundhogs in spring.

Since Chopper was already acting afraid to go ashore, Usopp decided to play it brave and joined Luffy�s boisterous noise with all the tone-deaf grace of an early competitor on American Idol. This lasted only until Zoro finished the preparations to dock, and then Usopp managed to somehow vanish into thin air.

�Look at that port,� Nami said in awe. It wasn�t really a good kind of awe. More like a �what the hell�?� kind of awe.

The docks looked firm, and the town was an old settlement of huts and cottages that were kept in barely livable conditions with such uniformity that Nami couldn�t help but suspect it was intentional. She only knew that the shabby state couldn�t be helped because the entire island was obviously flat swampland and the town was built in a wide clearing that the residents appeared to have hacked out with machetes. It was a wide town that stretched the length of the beach, but it was shallow, leaving the deeper swampland deserted and undoubtedly dangerous, but erosion was obviously a persistent enemy that gave the people a run for their money. The streets were not paved, but rather filled and covered with so much sand that eventually the moisture in the ground was absorbed and people could walk without fear of sinking when it wasn�t raining.

Despite all the harsh exposure to the drenching elements, the town was there and people were walking around and acting perfectly friendly with each other, some curiously observing the ship from shop windows and street corners.

�I wonder how sturdy the town is if it�s built on such wet terrain.�

�It�ll hold up, I�m sure,� Robin assured in her nonchalant manner as she rubbed Chopper�s back.

The little Xoan was looking at the foreign terrain type with a mix of curiosity and reconsideration. Maybe going off the ship was a bad idea�

His fears were belayed when Zoro jumped onto the dock and tied the ship down, because as soon as Luffy bounded off the boat, Chopper was right behind him. He wasn�t stupid; if Zoro and Luffy were not on the boat, the boat was no longer the safest place to be. He ran up behind Luffy and grabbed hold of his pant leg so as not to be left behind.

Luffy glanced down beside him. Chopper was so cute. He reached down and patted Chopper�s hat, and the little reindeer smiled bashfully up at him.

This was how it was supposed to be: Luffy was the epitome of strength and would never let them down. He was their captain, he protected them, he was almost invincible, and now Chopper had that security back. The doctor�s relief was almost tangible.

Laughing childishly at nothing in particular, Chopper began a march up the dock towards the town. Luffy waited just long enough to see that the rest of his crew were ready to disembark into the island before he indulgently followed Chopper for about two seconds.

Then: �FOOD!�

Nami, Sanji, and Zoro were left in the dust as Bystanders dodged this way and that to avoid the young individual racing towards� someplace. Luffy had no idea where the nearest restaurant was, but figured that if he ran around screaming for long enough, one would present itself to him. One always did.

This time proved no different, and before long the rest of the Mugiwara crew were walking through a pair of swinging doors to see a very harried bartender taking an order large enough to feed perhaps thirty people, and there were only�maybe six?�people sitting down to join the first one. The poor man was considering asking for proof of payment (how could anyone afford this?) when the redheaded girl shook a purse under the table to answer his unspoken question as well as promise a big tip without taking waiting time from her starving captain. Normally she would think the wait good for Luffy, but he�d been injured and starved, so she let him have his way.

It was a messy meal, but once it was over, everyone split up to head in their own directions. Chopper had to get to the apothecary because Luffy had used up all the medicine with his latest near-death experience. Nami wanted to map the island, but first she wanted to ask around town with Robin to learn about its history and topographical layout. Sanji had to buy food, Usopp had to purchase ammunition for the ship as well as the various other oddities that he used to create his own personal weaponry.

Zoro didn�t need anything, but was considering making up an excuse so that he would have some time far away from the others, but since Luffy just wanted to meander around aimlessly, the swordsman found himself tailing the captain to make sure he didn�t get a knife pulled on him for exploring and being a general nuisance to the reclusive townsfolk who didn�t really seem to want them there.

Indeed, they were actually glaring and giving the pair a wide berth wherever they went. It unnerved Zoro, but Luffy either didn�t notice or didn�t care (Zoro sensed it was the latter). Zoro was relieved to have distraction in any form, though, because quite frankly he didn�t know what Luffy may decide to talk about with him if things became mundane.

The captain had woken up that morning to begin treating everyone and the world around him as if the whole incident with the RumbleBalls--indeed, the pair�s whole experience together--had never happened. Zoro could only make one thing out of this: he had been wrong to let his chance slip that night two days ago. Luffy had given him plenty of chances to speak up. Yesterday when he was fishing had been another perfect chance, and Zoro had slept through it. Perhaps Luffy had taken a message from this?

Zoro continued to watch the townsfolk around them uncomfortably as they walked past, Luffy pointing things out in store windows and looking as oblivious and happy as if his world were exactly the way he wanted it at that moment.

At one point he became so excited

Finally, Luffy dropped his passive-aggressive front and quietly murmured, �Why do they all look so unfriendly? Did we do something?�

�We�re the bad guys,� Zoro repeated Luffy�s own explanation as Luffy interlaced his fingers behind his head.

�You think that�s it?�

�Robin said they hated visitors. Shall we tell the others that we won�t be staying at an inn tonight?�

�Why not?� Luffy turned and continued to walk, Zoro right beside him. �We�re too strong for anything to happen to u-- Whoa, what�s that?�

Before Zoro could even see what he was looking at, Luffy had darted over to the dingy wooden shack that looked to be a pawn shop of some sort. There was a funhouse mirror out front, and Luffy was having a great time jumping up and then squatting down in front of it to watch his own crooked reflection copy him.

Zoro groaned. He hated clowny circus stuff.

He started after the leader to pull him away from what was already promising to be an agonizing half hour, reaching him at the same time that the shop door opened to reveal a skinny old man in red suspenders and probably no teeth.

�Hello lads,� he said in the friendly manner of someone slightly senile. �Can I do anything for you?�

Luffy stopped bouncing in front of the mirror to offer him a smile. �How much does this cost?�

�You�re not buying that thing, Luffy,� Zoro warned, suddenly grateful that he was there to keep Luffy from being spontaneous. �Besides, Nami has all the money and she�ll never go for it. Remember the thing with the giant trampoline? You�ve got to run your ideas by her now.�

�That trampoline was awesome,� Luffy sighed longingly, as he always did when he remembered the majestic beauty of the enormous trampoline he had comically tried to smuggle onboard.

�But this would actually fit on the deck, so why would anyone care?� Luffy looked at Zoro as though he were doing something vastly unfair. Which he was, in a way, but the first mate could look at the monstrosity and think of thirty-seven other reasons why it should not be allowed on their ship.

�Actually, sir,� the old man spoke up, �That mirror is not for sale. It is a Truth Mirror, you see.�

The two younger men looked at him in confusion. �Truth?�

�It only shows the truth. If you want to buy a mirror, you�d have to get the one next to it,� he said, pointing to the regular full-length mirror next to it. �That one�s a Distorted Mirror. Regular, in other words. All common mirrors are Distorted, you see. Distorted and safe. They never show the truth, so they�re not truly dangerous.�

�I think you�ve got them mixed up,� said Zoro. �How can this thing show any kind of �truth�? It�s a mirror. An ugly one, at that.�

The man smiled and wagged a finger at him. �Now now, don�t be hasty to pass judgment on something you know nothing about. There are not various kinds of truth. There is only one. And I assure you I do not have the reflections confused with each other. That regular mirror speaks naught but lies. Anyone who looks into it will see only what they expect to see: the self they reveal to others and the lies they tell themselves.�

He tapped the funhouse mirror. �This one on the other hand is very special, indeed.�

�How can something show you reality when the reflection�s all screwy?� Zoro demanded.

�How indeed,� the man nodded wisely, as if Zoro had just answered his own question.

Zoro quirked a brow. This was ridiculous. This guy had to be the worst swindler ever.

�I�ll take it!� Luffy declared.

The man shook his head. �I can�t sell that mirror. It�s a family heirloom and more precious than either of you could ever imagine. I�m sorry it was out here to mislead you. My son must have done this. He doesn�t believe that they are really magic, even though it keep telling him that Magic Mirrors must be treated carefully.�

�MAGIC MIRRORS?!� Luffy exploded.

The man nodded. �Oh yes. Very rare. My family has scavenged for them for generations, but only managed to recover three.� He placed his old wrinkled hand atop the ordinary mirror. This one is the only one I would be willing to allow someone to buy or trade for. It is harmless, you see.�

�What do you mean by �magic�?� Zoro asked while Luffy looked at the mirror with his rediscovered OhMyGodThat�sSoCool face complete with sparkly eyes and gaping mouth.

�Just that,� the man said. �Magic. Surely you�ve heard of a Magic Mirror before?�

�In fairytales,� Zoro replied. This was obviously a hoax to enamor some poor idiot into buying this worthless piece of trash. Unfortunately, Luffy was sometimes an idiot in the truest sense of the word.

�Does it work?� the captain asked excitedly.

�Of course it works. It�s working now!� the man sounded miffed. �Can�t you tell? Things don�t usually appear like that, do they? That�s because you�re surrounded by lies.�

Luffy�s smile faded. He looked deeper into the reflection with no expression.

After a moment of silence, Luffy turned to the shopkeeper and asked, �What other things do you have in there?�

--------

The shop was small and cluttered, but that was easy to overlook given the kinds of stuff within its walls.

Zoro felt uneasy even standing in the doorway. Where those shrunken heads lined up on that bookshelf over there? And why did all the voodoo dolls hanging from the ceiling already have needles sticking out of them?

This old guy is really pushing this stuff hard, Zoro thought.

To his credit, Luffy didn�t give one hint that he was even slightly phased by the choice of décor.

�This is something that always interests people,� the old man way saying. Zoro couldn�t see why. He was standing beside a large orb with different labeled dots of different colors all over it. The only thing interesting about it that Zoro could tell was that it was fixed on a spinning axle that allowed you to spin the ball to any dot on its surface.

�A world globe!� the man said, trying to sell it with his eyes. �This beauty is a three-dimensional picture of our entire planet, mapped right down to the last island! Very useful for young sailors with so much yet to see��

Zoro actually snorted. Now he knew the guy was a fraud, and he could tell by his posture that Luffy knew it too. There was no complete map of the world, and there wouldn�t be until Nami finished making it. This �globe� was obviously fake, and though they weren�t sure how long it had been there, it didn�t surprise either of the boys at all that it had never been sold.

�What�s that?� Luffy asked.

The man turned to see what Luffy was pointing at. �Oh, that is a Traveling Mirror,� he nodded. �Yes. Inter-dimensional travel and such. Just turn the knob on the top here,� he did so and the surface of the mirror became dark and swirly, �and you can theoretically hop dimensions.�

�Theoretically,� Zoro repeated. The visual trick was a nice touch, admitted, and he was surprised not to hear Luffy wowing behind him.

�Well, yes. It�s never been proven because no one who had ever traveled through it has come back to speak of it, and I�ve certainly never tried it, so��

�Right�� Zoro said. He turned around expecting to leave at this point, but Luffy�s attention was elsewhere.

The youngest pirate had approached another mirror and lifted off the sheet that had been covering it. He was now looking into it as if mesmerized.

Meanwhile the shopkeeper, seeing that the globe had not gained the anticipated rush, began shifting through clutter to find some other trinket that Zoro suspected he was desperate to get rid of. �I also have an amazing Wish Stone that grants the one it is bound to three wishes.�

Zoro looked at him dryly. �Jii-san, that trick is even older than you are. No one would believe that.�

The old man again looked at Zoro, offended. �Of course the stone only shows its power to those who believe in it,� he all but growled, then stooped behind a table to hunt within its drawers. �And it only works for the person it is bound to. It�s not like the genie stories you heard growing up, where any old person can come along, rub the lamp, and the genie switches owners. Nonono� AHA!� He popped back up, victoriously holding� a rock. A grey, smooth, boring rock, about as interesting as mold.

�And the best news is that the power only gets stronger with each wish made!� he smiled, obviously pleased to have found the rock as he completely ignored Zoro�s lack of enthusiasm over it and turned around again. �It�s not just any-- Sir!! What are you doing?!�

All this time, no one had been paying any attention to Luffy. At the man�s cry, Zoro twisted around himself to make sure his baby was okay (and not playing with a voodoo doll or a head), but Luffy was still staring into the other mirror. He was entranced enough to be considered decidedly vain, but certainly not committing the crime that the shopkeeper was treating it like.

�Stop!� he man cried as he leapt over the desk with surprising agility for one so old� and Zoro began to suspect that there was more to this picture than met the eye, even as he reacted to get to Luffy himself.

The man reached him first, grabbing his shoulders and spinning him around quickly.

Luffy acted as if he�d been burned, rearing backwards with a loud cry and falling against a wooden chest before hitting the soggy floorboards. His eyes were wide and unseeing as he gasped for air, unaware of his surroundings.

Zoro was holding onto him only a second later, shaking his shoulders. When that didn�t help, Zoro got closer and took Luffy�s face in his hands, trying to make him focus. Luffy continued to stare off at something only he could see.

�Ace�� he whispered.

�No, no Luffy, it�s me. Hey, you okay? Can you hear me?� Zoro�s hands moved to Luffy�s shoulders as he used his voice to guide him back from wherever the hell he was, and slowly, Luffy�s eyes came into focus.

The little pirate looked at Zoro in confusion for a moment before gasping and throwing himself into his first mate�s arms, shaking violently.

Zoro glared at the shopkeeper. �What the hell did you do to him?!�

�I?! Oh, no sir. I did nothing.� He shook his finger at the mirror Luffy had been looking into. �THAT is the Mirror of Warning! He should never have looked into it. I had it covered! Why? Why did you look into it, boy?!�

The customary �sir� had left his speech as he now hissed at Luffy.

Luffy only clutched Zoro tighter and began to shake. It was quiet for several moments before the old man finally let out a sigh and ran a hand over his balding head.

�Okay,� he whispered. �Okay. What�s done is done.� He squatted effortlessly in front of the two pirates, and again Zoro questioned his true age. The whole world had turned upside down the second they�d approached this shop, and Zoro was just eager to leave and take Luffy with him.

�Now, I need to tell you something about whatever it was you saw in that Mirror, boy.�

Despite his condition, Luffy managed to look at the man. Zoro shifted his arms around him to allow for the slight position change, one hand inches from his sword to offer a warning of his own.

�That Magic Mirror warns of dangers in the future. The future is not meant to be known by anyone, and is not guaranteed. Many men older than you have tried to stop the events in such warnings from taking place� and have failed, to the ruin of many.� He was almost whispering now. �That mirror is evil. It seems good; it seems like a blessing offering you a chance to keep terrible events from occurring, but that mirror is not bound by the laws of Truth.�

Luffy licked his lips and breathed, �So what I saw� might not be real?�

�Not completely,� the man nodded. �Parts of it are true. They have to be, for the Mirror must have a truth to manipulate. It is a mischievous Mirror, and while it plays with the perils of possible futures, it can manipulate things here and there, so you have no way of knowing if there are lies mingled into the truth. What you saw� probably won�t happen exactly the way you saw it happen��

�But it will happen,� Luffy finished for him. �The outcome will be the same?�

The man closed his eyes.

Luffy seemed to go back to the vision for a moment, murmuring, �I-I saw--�

�No!� the man interrupted in his same forceful whisper, making Luffy look up sharply again. �You mustn�t say what you saw. It is not for any man to know, not even you. Telling others will only lead them to act on what you tell them you have seen, and with everyone trying to stop somebody else�s tragic future from happening, the future will become skewed. Don�t you see? The future must allowed to take plac--�

�No!� Luffy burst. �No, that can�t be allowed to happen. Not like that. �Fate messed up.�

Zoro held Luffy closer, wishing he knew what the other had seen. Geezus, this was the last thing Luffy needed right now, and his behaviour was making Zoro second guess himself as to Luffy�s readiness to take over as acting captain again. It didn�t help that this whole situation was suddenly feeling too real to simply play off as a trick by a con artist anymore. Damn this shop and this old man, if that was what he really was.

The man patted Luffy�s leg and began to straighten up. �I know that whatever it was, it was terrible. Best you just forget it.�

Now Luffy looked slightly outraged. �Forget it? I can�t just forget it! If that�s going to happen if nothing changes� how can I stand by? That�s not the kind of man I want to be. Even the possibility of it is--� His voice cracked and he stopped talking, hiding his face in Zoro�s chest.

Zoro was only to glad to receive him, and began to lift the smaller boy up to his feet again so they could get the hell out of there.

�Come on, Luffy,� he whispered and Luffy nodded and followed his lead with a determined step.

He would keep what he�d seen from happening. He would stop it. He would.

The old man sat back in an antique chair, deep in thought for a moment. Just as Zoro turned to lead Luffy back out the door, his voice stopped them.

�Wait,� he requested.

Luffy stopped and turned, eyes set with decision.

�You�re going to try to stop it.�

It was a statement, but Luffy nodded anyway. �I have to.�

The man nodded and rose to his feet and walked back over to the desk, picking up the stone he had dropped before he�d shot across the room.

�Then you�ll need this,� he said. �Consider it a gift. I owe you something after what you saw in my Mirror.�

Luffy approached him, careful to stay within Zoro�s reach as the old man held up the Wish Stone in front of him. �This is a Wish Stone. It has the power to protect you� or destroy you, depending on how you choose to use it.�

Luffy began to reach for it, but the man pulled it back quickly. �Ah-ah! It is important that you understand. Three wishes. No more. No less. I am I one currently Bound to it, but I have used my wishes. They have brought me here, and I promise you there is more to me than meets the eye. I look this way because I choose to. For now. Once I place it in your hand, you will be Bound to the Stone, and once you are done, choose its next receiver wisely.�

Luffy was nodding, completely caught up in the man�s words.

�You are on a mission of Fate, and now you have Fate on your side. How you choose to use it is entirely up to you.�

With that, the old man wrapped both his hands around Luffy�s, holding it for a moment before letting go and leaving the Stone behind in them.

��That�s it?� Zoro asked.

�That�s it,� the man confirmed.

Luffy held it like it was something precious, then looked up at the old man and smiled. �I won�t need it.�

The old man started laughing. �Cocky little brat, aren�t you? Haha! I hope you�re right!�

The old man�s laugh followed the two pirates out the door.

As they walked back to the ship, an internally panicking Luffy realized that he had a few things that he had to say while he had the chance. Before things became hectic again--and hell, were things gonna get hectic--he had a more than one person on his crew that had lost their way while he had been unconscious, and he couldn�t afford to put off talking to them any longer. They deserved better than that. They deserved a captain who was on top of things and showing them that he cared. And he was going to give them that as soon as he could get each of them alone.

AN: This is getting insane, but there is one last chapter. Again. This time for sure because it�s almost done. This and that were all one huge chapter that was almost done before I realized how freaking long it really was and chopped it in two. This one�s longer than the last chapter by itself, so I figured that was good. The last one is shorter, but it�s major. You will obviously have to know this chapter and the next one to follow the sequel. I�m still doubtful about having the vision in this story instead of at the start of the next one, but in the end it just worked better like this.
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RUMBLE!