One Piece Fan Fiction / Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ The Ultimate Cruise ❯ Epilogue--A Friendship That Spans All ( Chapter 30 )

DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Piece, Teen Titans, or any characters or elements contained within. I believe these can be credited to the geniuses Eiichiro Oda [author and artist of OP], Marv Wolfman and George Perez [respective author and artist of The New Teen Titans comic of the eighties], and Glen Murakami and his talented crew [the staff of the Teen Titans animated series, the Titans version which this story is based off.] Thanks for developing these wonderful characters I have the pleasure of using in this story!

 

Any original characters—for the last time —belong to Pivitor. Remember it!

 

 

The Ultimate Cruise:

One Piece meets Teen Titans

 

Chapter 30: Epilogue—A Friendship That Spans All

 

Black and red sparks flew through the living room of Titans Tower—like a supernatural blacksmith Raven was hard at work, sending streams of darkness from her hands. Ian's Eehuah sword lay unsheathed on the table, receiving the powerful attacks without breaking. Their colliding powers lit up the room.

 

“Are you sure my sword's the key?” Ian asked, one eyebrow raised. The other heroes were assembled behind him, all curious as to how the ancient Iso-jin artifact held the ability to bring them home.

 

“Not your sword specifically,” Raven explained. “Any item holding a large source of energy native to your world would do just as well. I should be able to lock my powers onto that energy and combine the two to create a trans-universal rift.”

 

The teams sighed. “So this is it?” Chopper asked sadly. “We're really going home? This is really goodbye?”

 

“It seems that it is,” Starfire gloomily said. “But I wish it was not the time for farewells.”

 

Suddenly Sanji was on her back. “Oh my sweet Star-kun, it is never farewell for us! My heart will always be with you!” A heart floated from his eye and came to rest on the Tamaranian girl's shoulder.

 

“Yeah,” Cyborg began, “As much as I like you guys…I don't think our world is the place for you. Look at all the trouble Luffy caused out there!”

 

“How was I supposed to know I wasn't in the tower?!” Luffy objected.

 

“I dunno,” Nami growled. “COMMON SENSE?!” Suddenly the rubberman was on the ground, a hand-shaped welt growing on the side of his face.

 

Just as suddenly, the navigator was looming far above Cyborg. “And you—you're just saying that cause you're worried about me taking more of your money!”

 

Dollar bills sprouted wings and flew away behind the half-robot's head. “It's all go-oone!” he wailed.

 

“We couldn't stay anyway,” Luffy grinned as he got back to his feet. “I'm gonna be King of the Pirates, and I can't do that here!” His crew looked on in admiration. “Unless the position's open here!”

 

“I don't think we have pirates here,” Beast Boy said, “Unless you want to get the new Super Monkey-Zombie Seven game for me! It's not gonna be released for ten more months!”

 

The back of Terra's hand made a thwacking sound on the boy's head. “Not that kind of pirate—I don't think cyberspace is ready for Luffy.”

 

Sparks flew from Chopper's eyes as an idea sprung into his head. “Hey, you guys could come with us!”

 

“I don't think so,” Robin replied. “If we weren't here to protect this city, it'd be overrun with crime!”

 

“Just like if Captain Usopp weren't around, the Grand Line would never be safe!” Of course, nobody believed the braggart's bravado, and the line he whispered beneath his breath was much more believable. “I guess you've won…Beast Boy.”

 

Yet, despite the nearly unintelligible mumbling, Terra appeared beside Usopp. “Am I a prize now?”

 

Stammering, Usopp tried to play it off but mostly ended up blaming some sort of alien-seahorse hybrid.

 

“I guess,” he finally admitted. “A girl as good as you…is a prize. And now that we're going to be apart…he's won.”

 

“Stupid kid,” Terra said as she again kissed the sniper on the cheek, “I have my whole life ahead of me. There's far more choices ahead of me than just you two. And besides, if I liked somebody enough I wouldn't even let separate universes get between us!”

 

Usopp's blood rushed to his head.

 

Meanwhile, Zoro leaned against the table Raven was working on. “So, are you going to tell them?” he whispered.

 

“About my father, or about—”

 

“I was thinking of the second one,” Zoro smiled, “But both would do, yeah.”

 

Raven sighed. “I'm not telling them about my father—nobody else should have to live with the dread of knowing what he'll do.”

 

“I think that's a mistake,” Zoro growled.

 

“So, Zoro,” Raven interjected, “Why don't you tell the crew about Kuina?”

 

The swordsman smiled and admitted defeat—he knew when he was outsmarted.

 

“What about the other—“

 

“Everybody,” Raven interrupted, answering the green-haired pirate's question. “I don't think this is farewell quite yet!”

 

The other heroes instantly grew quiet, not sure what to make of the witch's statement. A ball of black, with crimson electricity circling it, was held between her gray hands.

 

“The Iso-jin energy exists at the exact opposite frequency as mine,” Raven explained. “Plus, I've used it before through the so-called Iso-jin `magic'. My point is, after all we've been through I should be able to lock onto its unique signature once the Eehuah has been returned to the Grand Line.”

 

Monkey D. Luffy scratched his head. “What the hell's that mean?”

 

“It means,” Raven continued, rolling her eyes, “That I'll be able to open more portals to the Eehuah! Whenever you return to Ianoa Island, we'll be able to meet up!”

 

“Then we can see each other again!” Chopper exclaimed. The others behind him leapt for joy.

 

“Glorious!” Starfire gushed. “It is truly as the ancient Tamaranian saying goes: `Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end!' This is not an ending, only the beginning of a new tale!”

 

Beast Boy scratched his head. “Wait a second,” he said, confused. “I didn't know Semisonic was Tamaranian!”

 

“Hold on,” Ian commanded, “You're going to keep using my sword's power as a portal?!”

 

“Is that a problem?” Zoro asked, fingering the hilt of his katana playfully.

 

The crystal swordsman laughed. “Not anymore. After everything you've been through you deserve part of the power.”

 

“Damn straight,” the pirate replied. “But what are you going to do with the rest of that power?”

 

“What I should have done from the start.” Ian smiled as he stared into space. “My mom always said it was wrong to have power and not use it—I'm going to follow my dream just like you're following yours!”

 

“Um, excuse me guys,” Raven interrupted, “But it's awfully hard holding this portal here.”

 

Robin smiled. “If you can, just hold it one more minute.” The boy wonder turned towards Luffy and the other Straw Hat Pirates. “The Teen Titans have something to give you as a goodbye gift!”

 

“That's funny,” Luffy smiled, “'Cause we've got something for you guys too!”

 

 

 

The cry of a raven echoed through the air as the very sky above Ianoa Island seemed to tear open—just as it had decades ago, when tragedy struck Iso and started the entire sordid story of the Iso-jin.

 

A black, bird shaped hole floated in the sky, and one-by-one seven figures leapt from the void to the ground. A grand Marine vessel floated in the port behind them; beside them was a pillar of ice, a Marine Captain still capsulated within. Roronoa Zoro placed the still unconscious Tashigi at the feet of her frozen commanding officer.

 

“It's nice to be home again,” Ian smiled as he looked over his island with new eyes. “This place will always be beautiful to me…but I'll make sure that soon everybody will see Ianoa Island the way I do in my heart!”

 

“Cool!” Luffy exclaimed, a grin pasted across his face. “We'll be back to see it—an' to see you guys again!”

 

“You'd better be,” Robin playfully threatened on the other side of the rift. “We'll be waiting.”

 

The portal collapsed, dispersing as if blown away by the wind. That quickly, the final fragile link between the two teams was gone. It was the end of their adventure—but as Starfire had said, it was only the beginning of new stories!

 

“Wait a second,” Nami's face grew pale as her jaw collapsed in pure shock. “We never got the time to repair the Merry Go!”

 

Usopp grabbed his hammer and thrusted a fist into the air. “No worries! Captain Usopp will have it back to normal in mere—”

 

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!”

 

An entire fleet of Marine grunts filed out of alleyways and confronted the Straw Hat pirates—they were a seemingly endless field of white that stifled all escape.

 

“What?!” Chopper exclaimed incredulously. “How did they all recover already?!”

 

“I guess I should have kicked their asses harder,” Luffy growled.

 

Zoro's hand moved to his katana, and a shared sentiment spread to the rest of the pirates as they readied themselves for battle. “I guess we'll have to take care of this first, eh?”

 

“SAI SAI SLAM!”

 

A figure crash-landed directly in the center of the crowd of Marines like a grey comet, sending the soldiers scattering as if they were bowling pins.

 

“CROSS-CUT SLASH!”

 

Fierce claws sliced through the grunts in a yellow blur that was impossible for them to follow.

 

The Marines could only stand in shock as they stared at those who had so quickly torn through the troops. Before the soldiers stood a giant half-man half-rhino, and at his side a cheetah-man.

 

“Good to see yous guys!” Tank exclaimed. “Sorry `bout what happened before—even if wes was being tricked, there wasn't no excuse!”

 

“Wes knows better now!” Swifty announced. “Consider wes friends again—if yous want wes to be!”

 

Grinning, Sanji tapped ashes from his cigarette. “You got it!”

 

Suddenly a Marine screamed as blood gushed from his nose—he fell to the ground as a feminine figure somersaulted backwards and landed next to Ian.

 

Chiyu smiled slightly. “I see you've all discovered the truth as well.” The Straw Hats nodded, except for Sanji who was too busy undressing her in his mind. “Then that puts on the same side now, doesn't it?

 

“Tank and Swifty repaired your boat—get out of here! We can hold these Marines back!”

 

“Really?!” Nami was stunned. “Thank you so much!”

 

“It's the least we can do after everything that's happened,” Ian said hurridly as he pulled for his mystical sword. “Now go! Your dreams await you—while mine begins anew right here, right now!”

 

The Straw Hat Pirates all cheered as they ran towards their ship—and the beginning of new journeys.

 

“Where are our soldiers now?” Ian whispered into the ear of his love as the Devil Fruit users tore through Marine soldiers.

 

“They're hiding in the alleys, ready to deploy when I give them the word,” Chiyu explained, staring at the boy with new respect. “The stone's gone, isn't it? We're King and Queen of the Iso-jin now, aren't we?”

 

Ian shook his head, much to the girl's surprise. “There are no more Iso-jin! We'll reclaim Ianoa Island's freedom as citizens! Soldiers, fall back! Let me handle this!”

 

Tank and Swifty both leapt backwards, landing next to their new commander in their human forms, eager to see what new truths he had embraced in his time away from this world. Love emanated through Chiyu's body as she watched the boy she cared for so much truly become a man.

 

Several dozen Marines had survived by sheer numbers alone, and they still stood their ground, aiming weapons for the four vigilantes. “Give it up! By defending those pirates you're only making yourself criminals too!”

 

“You have no right to tell me who to defend!” Ian exclaimed as he drew the Eehuah. A crimson wind exploded from the sheath, sending soldiers sprawling. “Those pirates have done more for this damned island than you Marines have ever attempted! If you think you can just waltz in here now and demand I hand over my friends, then you're all idiots!”

 

With one swing of the ancient sword a wall of burning crimson energy shot forth, undulating through the air viciously, as if it carried its creator's desire to destroy the impudent soldiers.

 

“CRIMSON TSUNAMI!”

 

Marines flew as did blood as the attack ravaged the soldiers. Red electricity simmered in the background as the aftermath of the devastating attack truly set in. Ian sheathed his weapon, the silhouettes of himself and his three companions ominously reflecting behind them.

 

“We are the new protectors of Ianoa Island! This place is no longer under the control of the gangs or of your corrupt World Government—so stay the Hell outta my home!”

 

 

 

Far off the shore of the Island floated a Marine vessel—however, the crew aboard were the exact antithesis of Marines. Pirates crowded the ship like bugs, downing whiskey in mind-numbing amounts and celebrating their new found freedom.

 

In the center of it all stood a garish pirate dressed like a clown—he even had a large, red nose, much to his disdain.

 

“Captain Buggy!” A pirate exclaimed, beer sloshing out of the side of his cup as he yelled. “How does it feel to finally be free?!”

 

“Fantastic!” Buggy the Clown exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. After the proud captain had met defeat at the hands of Monkey D. Luffy and Nami, he had chased them all the way to Loguetown—where he was promptly captured by Captain Smoker and later used as bait for the very same pirates he sought, only to be defeated yet again!

 

However, the defeat handed to him by the Teen Titans had been a blessing in surprise, freeing him and his crew from Smoker's grasp!

 

“Now that we're free we're gonna find that rubber kid and beat him for good!”

 

“But…”

Buggy looked toward a stunningly beautiful woman in a cowboy hat—Lady Alvida, who had pursued Luffy out of her own twisted love and also became a prisoner of Smoker.

 

“…Doesn't it feel like we never should have been captured in the first place?”

 

She had a point. “Yeah,” Buggy suddenly realized, “It does seem like we should have escaped from Smoker back in Loguetown…could it be a plot hole?!”

 

“Actually,” Alvida said with a smile, “I was thinking more along the lines of horrible fan-subs…”

 

Both pirates froze as they tried to figure out just what in the world they were talking about.

 

“Oh no!” they exclaimed. “We've become exposition!”

 

“Captain Buggy! Lady Alvida! The Straw Hat's ship was spotted leaving Ianoa Island!”

 

Alvida licked her lips. “Finally. Luffy, I will make you mine!”

 

“Full speed ahead!” Buggy commanded. “I'm gonna kill that rubber brat—WITH STYLE!”

 

 

 

“I can't believe those jerks!” Tashigi exclaimed as she stood before her frozen superior. “They'll pay for this!”

 

In an instant she drew her sword, deftly slicing through both the icy prison and Robin's remaining sub-zero disks. Puffs of smoke escaped from the shattered pillar, spiraling through the air as they took a humanoid shape and finally reformed the fearsome Captain Smoker.

 

The Marine shivered. “What's going—Straw Hat! And the new kid! Where are they?”

 

“They're long gone. You've been frozen for days—I, meanwhile, was captured by this kid,” she recounted sadly. “He kept me drugged and I can't remember much, but I know he and those pirates used me! When we got back here, that kid declared mutiny on the World Government!

 

“He said that he was the protector of this island and that we should stay out of his business!”

 

Playing with one of the cigars hanging from his massive lips, Smoker surveyed the tattered island. “The people here have gone through a lot—and there hasn't been much we Marines have done to fix it. If I were him I wouldn't act any differently.

 

“Soldiers! Pack up and let's move out of here!”

 

“But wait!” Tashigi objected. “How can you—”

 

Smoker growled. “Are you going to listen to the government like a dog, or are you capable of making decisions for yourself?!” Tashigi gasped and backed up a step. “It's up to us to choose for ourselves what `justice' truly is—and my justice lies with those pirates, not some kid here with a justifiable grudge!

 

“Are you with me?!”

 

Tashigi nodded and ran towards the boat. “You bet I am! I still hafta make Roronoa Zoro pay for everything that's happened!”

 

“That's right,” Smoker said. “And Straw Hat—we've got a score to settle!”

 

 

 

Meanwhile, a world away, a puny inmate pounded furiously on the unbreakable walls of his cell in the Jump City prison.

 

“Let me out!” he wailed. “The great Adonis should not be held within a jail like this!”

 

“Quiet down,” a guard commanded, ignoring the inmate's ego-trip. “You'll wake Plasmus.”

 

Adonis angrily looked over towards the other frail human held in a sound-proof tank, wishing he could wake the beast and perhaps escape.

 

“It's not fair!” Adonis cried, falling to his knees. “It was just a kid—some puny kid! How could he defeat me?!”

 

 

 

Still, Adonis should have been happy considering the alternative—jail was likely preferable to death. However, on this day the jailed were miserable, while it seemed that the dead were catching all the lucky breaks.

 

Slade could—somehow—still feel. Slowly the mastermind's senses returned to him, leaving the villain confused as to how he was still alive.

 

However, as he finally got a look at himself he knew—he wasn't alive. His costume was shredded, revealing Slade's body to be nothing but a skeleton—a living skeleton.

 

“How?”

 

“I saved you,” bellowed a fearsome voice—a voice of darkness, tainted so much with evil that not one sign of hope could be heard within. Even Slade was shook by the sound as he suddenly searched his surroundings for a sign of life. He was standing on the only patch of land in an ocean of fire. He somehow smelled sulfur as he surveyed the black walls.

 

Directly across from Slade appeared four giant, red eyes, their evil presence freezing Slade in place.

 

“Serve me,” commanded the voice bellowing from the eyes, “And I shall return to you the life you lost.”

 

As the words and their impact sunk into Slade, a red `S' was suddenly drawn onto his forehead as his costume reformed around his skeleton-body. The criminal genius looked toward his hand, and a red flame of almost immeasurable power sparked to life in his palm.

 

“I certainly can't turn down that offer,” Slade said. “Your wish is my command.”

 

Even though he was still technically dead, Slade was overjoyed to not yet be gone. “Don't get comfortable, Robin,” he warned, “because the peace you're expecting will never come!”

 

 

 

“I sent every small fish I could find to survey what was left out of the hideout,” Aqualad reported, “And they haven't found even one sign of life.”

 

“Thanks Aqualad—good work!” Cyborg commended from the living room of Titan's Tower, on his side of the communicator. “I've already sent Tram back with a huge dinner feast for the two of you!”

 

The underwater hero grinned. “What, embarrassed to invite me back to the tower?” he joked.

 

“Um,” Cyborg stuttered, “The Tower really isn't in shape to have visitors yet.”

 

“Gaaaaaaaah, nasty!” Beast Boy exclaimed, a video game controller hanging in his hand by the cord. “There's pie in my Gamestation controller!”

 

Silkie was lying next to the shapeshifter; the tiny larva was on its back, clearly stuffed with pie. Suddenly it burped, sending a large bubble flying from its mouth.

 

Terra flopped onto the couch next to her suitor. “Why don't you change into whatever little worm thingy Silkie is and just eat all the pie in your controller?”

 

“I believe this will be more effective,” Raven said as a dustpan and broom floated in front of the two Titans.

 

Robin, meanwhile, was cleaning pie from his crime-computer as Starfire floated up behind him.

 

`If I do not listen to Sanji-kun,' she thought sadly, `then he will be disappointed when we meet again!'

 

“Um, Robin,” Star began, clearing her throat, “I have something I wish to speak with you about.”

 

“What is it, Star?”

 

However, the second the words left the Boy Wonder's mouth, an alarm sounded and a red light began flashing throughout the tower.

 

Robin's attention was instantly drawn back to his computer. “The H.I.V.E.'s robbing a jewelry store downtown!”

 

“Well, it looks like everything's back to normal then,” Cyborg smiled as he leapt to his feet.

 

“As normal as it gets around here, anyway,” Raven said as she pulled up her hood.

 

“Well, I can't wait to get back to beating bad-guy tail!” Terra exclaimed, pulling her goggles across her eyes.

 

“Yeah,” Beast Boy smiled, “We'll show them what the Teen Titans are all about!”

 

Somersaulting over his console, Robin landed on the other side of the Tamaranian. “I'm sorry Star, but can whatever you have to tell me wait until after the battle?”

 

“Yes,” Starfire smiled in a half whisper, “But no longer than that.”

 

The Titans ran through the sliding doors towards the elevator, but as they passed through the doorway every single one couldn't help but look up.

 

Hanging above the doors was a large black flag, emblazoned with skull-and-crossbones wearing a Straw Hat. It was the mark of their friendship—these heroes were also pirates!

 

“Titans, GO!”

 

 

 

“Ah, I missed my seat!” Luffy exclaimed, hugging the wooden goat masthead he was sitting upon. “I promise I'll never leave you alone that long again!”

 

Passing by the captain, the navigator couldn't help but to sigh. “Luffy, it's an inanimate object,” Nami grumbled, wiping orange bangs from her eyes. “Much like your brain.”

 

The rubberman ignored her as he started to rub his `seat' attached to the front of the Merry Go. “After all, you're the coolest seat ever!”

 

With a combination shrug/sigh, Nami left Luffy to his throne and instead looked toward the grove of tangerine trees. “Oh Sanji-kun! How are they?!”

 

“They're nice and ripe, Nami-saaaaaaaaan—just like you!” the cook responded as he picked the orange-like fruit, placing them into a basket that was as full of fluttering hearts as it was tangerines. The object of his affection grimaced at his ill-phrased compliment. “Doesn't look like the rhino or the cheetah ate any, either!”

 

Dangling his tiny feet over the edge of the roof the trees were planted on, Tony Tony Chopper sunk his teeth into one of the fruit. “Well, I dunno about a rhino,” he began, his words slurred a bit as tangerine juice spurted from his mouth, “but aren't cheetahs carnivores anyway?”

 

“Wow!” Usopp, meanwhile, explained as he stared at the metal plating on the back deck. “They sure did a great job patching up this deck!” The sniper leaned down and rubbed it, then stuck out his tongue and pulled at his eyelid as he watched his reflection do the same.

 

However, as the liar stared into the repaired wall he could see the exact same spot on the back deck where he had first met Terra, and a sigh of sadness escaped Usopp's mouth.

 

`I miss her already.'

 

Behind him, Roronoa Zoro span viciously—like a green tornado—with dumbbells with weights larger than the swordsman's torso gripped in his hands and mouth. If he wanted to get stronger, he had to make up for the training time he'd lost!

 

Unfortunately, as the pirate span he suddenly got sleepy, and with no hesitation he let the weights fall and collapsed to the ground himself. While Zoro seemed to instantly fall asleep despite the conditions, the force of the dropped dumbbells hitting the deck sent Usopp sprawling.

 

The whites of Usopp's eyes disappeared as he saw the tattered deck beneath the napping swordsman.

 

“What do you think you're doing bastard?!” Usopp screamed, forgetting his sadness as he shook Zoro vigorously. “Those Iso-jin guys just fixed this thing!”

 

Despite Usopp's effort Zoro had only been shook into semi-consciousness—however, he could certainly still defend himself. “Doesn't matter,” Zoro groggily muttered. “You're the greatest at fixing this ship anyway, right?”

 

“Certainly!” Usopp exclaimed, dropping Zoro, who fell asleep the second his back hit the deck. “Captain Usopp can fix whatever troubles come our way all while fending off sea monsters—while blindfolded!”

 

“You guys!” Nami screamed. “Get out here!”

 

Zoro slept through the navigator's call as the sniper rushed to the front. Nami was looking desperately at the device on her wrist. “The Log Pose Indicator just changed direction completely! We need to change course! Get to work guys!”

 

Chopper and Usopp nodded while Sanji nearly melted. “Right this second, Nami-saaaan!”

 

However, before they could even react a catchy tune chimed from their pockets. This time even Zoro was roused as all six pirates pulled out a small, round device. The outside was yellow while the center was black, with a large `T' emblazoned front and center.

 

It was a Teen Titan communicator, and proof that this crew was more than pirates—they were heroes too! The group looked back towards Ianoa Island hesitantly—there was still time to go back.

 

“What's wrong guys?” Luffy asked, smiling as he placed the beloved token back into his pocket. “We have places to go!”

 

One by one the Straw Hat Pirates agreed, their glum faces quickly lighting up with smiles. Only a second later six fists pumped into the air.

 

“LET'S SAIL!”

 

The end…or rather…simply another beginning!

 

 

Hey, that's not all! The story may be over, but stay tuned for a special “behind the scenes” chapter, complete with character bios, an attack list, and a look into what exactly was in this author's strange head as `The Ultimate Cruise' was written!

 

Thank you for sticking with this story and giving me your input and time! Don't forget to let me know how you feel! And thanks again!