When The Sun Smiles

Chapter 1: The Abyssal Realm of Grief

Darkness.

It's the only thing that was surrounding him right now.

It wrapped around his slender body, pulling him down, down, down, as if the ocean had finally grabbed hold of him and cursed him to her depths.

His breathing was calm. Calm as his ebony-black eyes staring at the cold yet welcoming presence of this darkness. He didn't scream. He didn't squirm. He didn't resist its frightening call.

He kept staring at the distance, a small, somber smile resting upon his youthful, yet tired face.

Closing his eyes didn't do much. It was foolish to do so, but he did anyway. He willingly embraced the comforting chill of Death. He had long been denied of its eternal rest and assurance. He didn't even think it was possible for the Reaper to claim him.

Not after ten thousand years since the Great Pirate Era.

He reminisced his past... His life.

He used to be a pirate. A man who yearned for freedom and sailed the seas in pursuit of his dream. He used to be one of the pirate rookies who were feared in his time.

He recounted all the adventures with the people he called his 'crewmates'. All the fun, the danger, triumphs and defeats. Together, they stood against the world. Waged a war against all 170 kingdoms as a challenge and a warning to those who threatened their freedom.

Burning the detestable insignia of the vermin that is the World Government, their Jolly Roger danced gracefully for the world to witness its glory.

A Jolly Roger with a straw hat upon it. A symbol so simple, yet so powerful, that its mere presence invoked fear against the oppressors,and reverence upon the hopeless.

Under this flag, several enslaved kingdoms reclaimed their freedom. People who lost all hope regained it. The lives that were shattered, the hearts that were broken, all mended with the bond sealed by this sacred flag.

A flag waving in the hands of a carefree, joyful teenager who yearned for freedom, and unknowingly gave it away as he sailed from island to island. His straw hat was revered as a symbol of the power of freedom.

The captain of the band of pirates who waved this holy flag... His name rang clear all over the world. Some fear it, some were inspired by it. His joyous laughs and blindingly bright smiles rivalled the Sun itself. A heart so carefree and steadfast, so pure and innocent. Like a bright child in the midst of the gloomy elders, his innocence brought light upon the world, unaware of the darkness that feared his purity.

And so as the God before him, he was hailed as 'Joyboy': the Warrior of Liberation.

Tears flowed down from his shut eyes, as he clutched his scarred chest.

That teenager laid in this darkness. His innocence was long gone. He had seen every single horror this world has to offer. He had been through all of it. His smile no longer held the same old joy all those years ago.

He lost everything...

His crew... His friends... His home... His freedom... His humanity... His mortality...

All in a single day.

The pain of that one day two less a dozen millenia ago pierced through his chest as if it happened just a minute ago.

Death had claimed all, but him.

And to make matters worse, a certain doctor had forced him to recieve the curse of the Immortality Surgery.

His mind so desparately wished for death. He had been so broken, that he begged the Reaper to rip his heart out and end his misery, but in his heart of hearts, he still held on that solid shard of hope.

That unbreakable will, that stubbornness only associated with his clan name.

The Will of the D.

He did not give up. Shattered both in body, mind and soul, his will did not let up. He refused to submit.

He refused to be broken.

That alone is the only spark that ignited his inextinguishable blaze of perseverance, determination, and desire for freedom.

Breaking free of the chains of his sorrow, grief, hatred, regret, and of the World Government, he finally lost his grip to the Mortal realm, and ascended as a true God.

The true Sun God has finally risen.

His crew's laughs, teasing, yells and exclamations of encouragement spurred their Captain's blaze. Their precious smiles made him do so.

He smiled upon the darkness.

This darkness can only hold the God of the Sun for so long. That reality-bending smile alone shattered the darkness.

Cracks of light peeked through as the Sun God's regrets have finally been crushed.

The Gates of Fate had thrown him in this place — the Realm of Grief.

This darkness... This abyss represented his empty heart. This abyss represented the darkness of regret, carried by his soul.

It was funny. He thought that the Gates came to claim his life, but no.

It didn't.

It gave him a second chance by throwing him to the past. The only barrier is his denial, his grief... The regrets that chained him to the Mortal realm.

He knew he didn't deserve it. He knew he didn't have the right, but the Gates opened herself up, welcomed the young God, and gave him a second chance. To save his nakama. To save the world. To save himself.

His realization and acceptance was now sealed with a smile. A smile that was feared amongst the people. A smile that some revered.

That comfort is only an illusion.

After ten millenia, he's finally come to terms about his newfound Godhood. He had refused it, time and again, but now, he accepted it.

Transcendence.

The True Awakening of his Devil Fruit Power, only attainable by the Immortality Surgery and the acceptance of one's own regrets.

He had a purpose.

And he will fulfill it.

Watching the darkness turn to light, he could only smile.

Adventures await him...

And this world shall know the name of Monkey D. Luffy!!!

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(Quick A/N: I am just publishing this chapter because Wattpad keeps on DELETING my drafts. It's the THIRD TIME it deleted my hours of editing, re-reading and removing of markdowns from my LiteWriter manuscripts. It's so frustrating and annoying.

That said, expect the first 9 chapters (2-10) within this week. Thank you for giving this story a chance anyways!)