#luffy vc: shuddup i do what i want

[gumpistol]

@seashanties, silvers rayleigh, said:

was it possible for anyone to live up to such a legacy - to be the king of pirates? roger never cared for that title, rayleigh was sure of it, he only wanted to explore, and really just have fun, but it was significant in this wide world of piracy. it was significant to the crews that sailed the world, and to the boy that stood in this bar that belonged to his beloved wife. and this boy ... this lanky boy, filled with smiles and hopes and dreams ... he surely resembled the captain he so dearly loved, and served, all those years ago. it left a pain in his chest - an ache in his heart that he couldn't quite push down no matter what he tried to do. " luffy. " his voice broke through the conversation that went on between him and shakky, gaining the attention of the somewhat empty bar. " you've heard it before, how the people who knew him say you're like roger .... " his eyes gazed down at him from under his glasses, his hands folding his newspaper neatly in his lap. " i'm more convinced now than ever - you're the one who is supposed to continue his legacy "

   there's a pause in the ‘conversation’ only as Shakky slides the piping cup of coffee towards him, and Luffy is forced to take a moment to blow and cool the dark liquid ( a conversation in which he mostly talks at the woman behind the bar ). upon taking the first sip, his nose wrinkles. so pushing himself up slightly from the bar stool, the young captain reaches across the counter top for something to sweeten the bitter beverage. he is about to continue on with likely another beaming story about Shanks, but is instead cut short.

   ❝ huh? ❞ the old man's voice, though steady and calm, commands his attention. Luffy pauses mid-reach to swivel his head, dark irises landing on the former pirate. his expression falls blank, perhaps confused, as he slowly lowers himself back into his seat while the words are spoken. retrieving any sugar is quickly forgotten. 

‘ —you’re the one who is supposed to continue his legacy. '

   ❝ i don't care about that. ❞ the response is almost immediate as his demeanor shifts. there's a tightness now in the straw hat's features, a set determination that replaces the previously puzzled look. not one of his crew mates would deny Luffy's admiration for the late pirate king, but that was where it began and ended. he hardly paid attention to any opinions or comparisons made, wherever they might come from. 

    ❝ i'm just me, not some dumb legacy. i'm doing things my way. ❞