Hello Everyone, I am Crunchymonster and this is my first time writing an original fan fiction. I want to be upfront about that before you turn the page.
I also want to be transparent about something else. The first 35 to 40 chapters were edited with a lot of AI assistance. Writing was still new to me at that point, and I leaned on it to help correct grammar and rephrase things as I was learning.
As a result, some of those earlier chapters may come across as a little stiff or AI-sounding in places. That was not the intention, just an honest reflection of where I was in the process. After that point I found my footing, relied on it far less, and the writing becomes much more my own voice as you go further in.
The early chapters are slower for that reason too. I was finding my rhythm, figuring out how the voice worked, how the pacing should move. It gets better. I got more comfortable, and the writing reflects that as you go. I ask that you bear with the beginning rather than judge the whole thing by it.
This story follows Lucien Vosgrave, a new character born into the One Piece world at the tail end of the Roger Era. It is not a retelling of canon. It runs alongside it, crossing paths with familiar faces at unexpected moments, through a protagonist who has nothing to do with destiny and everything to do with stubbornness and curiosity.
If you have thoughts, criticism, or suggestions, I genuinely want to hear them. Any kind is welcomed. This is how writers improve, and I would rather know what is not working than have it quietly skipped over.
I hope you find something in here worth reading.