Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day.

Mt. Colubo trees were ancient, timeless as their limbs seemingly grew all the way up to the sky, branches reaching up, grasping at thin air towards the sun. Occasional openings in their crowns allowed plenty of light to filter through and cast a warm luminescence over the ground.

All sorts of sprouts and medleys of flowers claimed sunlit spots in between roots; gnarled, twisted things that dipped into and out of the soil, wrinkled with age, yet their roughness had been worn down by the soft greenness of moss that had slowly made them home.

A cacophony of wild sounds added life to the forest and filled it with constant ambient. Birds twittered, chirping and trilling in various melodies. Small rodents scampered through the foliage, though it was drowned out by the greater beasts prowling and bellowing in the distance. The wind blew through the forest, rustling the leaves in the gentle breeze and bringing a salty taste of the ocean with it.

Exceptionally nice day.

Ace's lip curled up into a snarl and he punched the training dummy.

Rage soared inside with all the power of a wildfire, ready to ignite anything that he came in contact with. Every gust of wind, every cheery bird, the baby blue sky, and the sun itself—destroy all of it. Because Ace was alone with no one to share the beauty of this day.

Four years. It had been four years since Sabo died, Luffy disappeared, and the injustice of this world came crashing down on his head.

Blood hummed in his veins as anger took over, an untapped hatred boiling in his stomach. Pain blazed up Ace's arm as his fist connected with its target.

It was his fault. All of it!

He should have stopped Sabo from leaving, he should have never agreed to work for that bastard, he should have run from Bluejam, he should have tried to return home faster after the fire, he should have—

The wood creaked and splintered under his knuckles.

—done something!

Ace roared, an amalgamation of grief and rage and helplessness, and plowed the dummy clean off its support and into the far tree.

Sabo died. Murdered by someone so powerful that they could kill a child in front of thousands and go unpunished. No amount of denials or broken dummies could change that. Even now Ace still grieved his brother's death, but at least he knew what happened with him.

Luffy's disappearance was different. Ace woke up every morning with the harrowing knowledge that his little brother might still be somewhere out there, maybe dead, maybe alive. No one knew.

Voices, dark and unwelcome, sometimes whispered into his ear that Luffy was living a happy life now, away from him, that the little rubber ball of energy didn't need him anymore and was better without him. Other times, same voices, enraged and desperate, hissed at the back of his mind, spreading guilt like acid through his veins, conjuring millions of scenarios of what could have befallen his brother, each one worse than the last.

But Ace tried. Even now he still went to the Grey Terminal and Goa Kingdom almost every day to search for clues. Four years, numerous sleepless nights, thousands of conversations, missing person flyers, breaking into various offices for the smallest hints of information, and the only thing Ace could find was the straw hat in the heaps of trash. Luffy's straw hat. The thing that the boy seemed to treasure the most, the thing he always carried with him—abandoned, forsaken.

From that day, the hope that Ace still held on to so stubbornly started to diminish with yet another dead-end in his search for a missing boy.

Ace deflated, going from eruptive fury to crushing hopelessness. Against his will, he felt tears spring into his eyes and he sneered. No wonder everyone left him. He was weak. Useless. Pathetic.

Distant speaking startled the teen out of his self-loathing, venomous trip to the darkest corners of his mind. He pricked his ears. The wind carried another fragment of the voice, but it was too far and too quiet, the words spoken eluded Ace.

He furrowed his brow. After a moment of staring at the direction of the voice, he walked towards it. Someone was on the cliff, Ace realized, the place that held a special place in his heart. Three of them had loved to spend time there and the spot where he exchanged sake cups with his brothers was nearby.

A minute later, Ace reached the forest line. As he stepped over it and into an open field, he shielded his eyes from the sudden blast of wind.

A person was standing on the cliff, facing the sea.

Ace's anger returned tenfold. How dare someone trespass into this place?! The nerve of them to be here all nonchalant when Luffy and Sabo—

Cutting off that thought, Ace stomped towards the person, teeth grinding and expression of sheer contempt and malice. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

The trespasser flinched before his shoulders hunched defensively. The wind ruffled the strands of black hair, the sight that whispered to Ace's deepest instincts, but he bulldozed right through them.

Fingers reached to grab the stranger, ready to pound onto the new target, bloody knuckles itching. "Who the hell are—?!"

The trespasser turned around suddenly and snarled.

Hand awkwardly hanging frozen mid-air, Ace stumbled a step back, feeling like he was just sucker-punched. Because that, the person in front of him… The air got stolen from his lungs and his heart might as well have stopped beating, it sure felt that way.

Black hair, black eyes, a small scar arching under the left one. The face that haunted Ace's nightmares—accusing, blaming, hating—as often as its memory brightened his waking hours—happy, smiling, admiring.

A faint, "Luffy…" passed his numb lips. Ace didn't even recognize his own voice, it sounded so breathless.

The boy didn't answer. His glare while steady seemed unfocused, glazed eyes staring directly at Ace, but at the same time straight through him. His neck was bandaged, with more protruding from under his shirt.

For an excruciatingly long moment, Ace couldn't comprehend. He blinked once, twice, then blinked again, trying to make sense of his life right now.

His little brother was back.

Ace sucked in a breath as if only now remembering that his body required oxygen to function.

His little brother was back!

His chest swelled, elated, alive, needy—

"Don't touch me!"

Ace's mind screeched to a halt, Luffy's scream and the violent jerk from his reaching hands dispelling the emotions like a knife through his heart.

"Luffy?" he called, quiet and uncertain. "Luffy, what…" His confusion and desperation gave way to frustration that rapidly spread throughout his veins and his hot temper got the better of him. "What the hell, Luffy?! Where have you—" The remaining words caught like hooks in his throat when he saw his little brother's expression change in reaction to his raised voice.

Luffy all but scrambled away from him in fear. In absolute, overwhelming, all-consuming terror. The same feeling took over Ace's mind when his brother flung himself in the direction of the cliff.

The wind picked up. A sudden, fierce gale that sent Luffy staggering backward and away from the cliff. It allowed Ace to catch up. In a rush of panic, he grabbed his little brother, trapping him in his embrace before the kid could plunge into the yawning depths of the ocean.

"No!" the boy shrieked in a flurry of rubber limbs. "Don't touch me! Let me go!"

A stray elbow struck Ace's stomach. He wheezed, but his hold didn't waver.

"No! Don't—" Luffy's struggles started to slow down as the surge of adrenaline finally ran out. "D-Don't…" He went limp with a raw, broken sound. "Please…"

Ace didn't move. Couldn't. His mind was erratic, uncooperative. Breathing shaky, the blood thundering through his temples, drowning out his thoughts as his heart pounded and pounded and pounded like it was about to burst in his chest.

He didn't know how long he just sat there, dazed and lost and scared, until he finally shook himself, because Luffy was not moving and he was hurt and so small and so light and, oh god, he was burning and nonononono he couldn't lose him, not now, not when he just got him back…

Ace scooped Luffy into his trembling arms and took off.

The room was small, stuffy even, but now it felt almost uncomfortably large. Dimly lit, darkness curling in all corners, crawling along the walls, clinging to the ceiling. Shafts of light burst through the only window, catching on the dust particles suspended in the air, and warmed the floorboards as a bright square in the middle of the room.

Ace sat on the side, shoulders hunched, legs drawn to his chest, arms crossed on top of his knees, and face half-hidden behind them. Dull black eyes stared at one spot almost unblinking.

Luffy rested on the mattress, head turned slightly towards the stream of sunshine, soft glow illuminating his face. Eyes closed, chest rising and falling steadily—he looked so peaceful now.

As soon as Ace had burst in the hut, terror-stricken and out of breath screams for help making everyone's hearts shudder, Dadan almost inhaled her cigarette as her gaze zeroed on the lifeless body in the teen's arms. And then they were all moving, the whole gang in an uproar.

Ace's hands were shaking, he remembered, so badly that he couldn't even help Magra and Dogra to inspect Luffy's condition and change bandages.

He was such a waste of space.

One of Ace's hands clenched into a fist, another around the rim of Luffy's hat, straw groaning under his fingertips. His chest felt hollow, but his throat constricted with too many emotions. Before any of that could spill outwards, he pressed his forehead against his knees, fingers sinking into his hair and scraping across his scalp.

Most of Luffy's wounds were already healed and scarred over. Except one—a huge gash going down the left side of Luffy's neck. The cut had been carefully stitched and in a stage of healing, but its existence alone might as well have been a neon sign of what exactly Luffy went through.

He should have died. It should have been lethal, no way a normal person could have survived something like this.

A multitude of other scars peppered Luffy's shoulders, back, chest, hips, and thighs. All over. Tiny round dots of taut and rugged skin, a few shades lighter than the rest of Luffy's body. Long, whisper-thin lines, overlapping and crisscrossing, a written memoir of devastating pain and unimaginable horrors. And a large mark in the center of Luffy's back, a distinct shape burnt into his flesh.

Under normal circumstances, his little brother rarely scarred, if at all.

Ace knew that Luffy got the scar under his eye before he ate the devil fruit. After that, his rubber body made it almost impossible to scar unless it was a very serious wound or made with something which hurt despite his power.

A chill slid down Ace's spine at that realization.

"Ace."

He didn't even twitch despite missing Dadan entering the room.

Dadan frowned down at the teen. Her gaze flicked to obviously untouched food on a tray and the tired lines on her face deepened. "Ace," she called again.

No reaction.

Dadan glanced at the youngest of her brats, still and pale, unnaturally so. Her chest tightened. It only grew in intensity when she looked back at Ace. "Dammit, you brat," she bit out, hitting the kid's head with a pillow. She almost smirked when he spluttered. "Take a rest. You haven't slept yet, have you?"

Ace yanked the pillow of her grasp and glared.

This time, Dadan let the smirk show.

If Ace could glare any bit angrier after that, his eyeballs would have exploded.

The woman was not intimidated in the slightest. She knew her boys. "It'll be no help to Luffy if you pass out before he even wakes up." Ace's attention immediately shot to his brother, and Dadan watched how the fight seeped out of his rigid shoulders, how the fury drained from his young features and exhaustion settled in.

The teen threw the pillow on the floor, collapsing on it right after with an indignant scoff of, "Fine."

Dadan picked the abandoned tray with cold food and left the room.

Ace stared at Luffy, trying to etch every line of his tranquil expression into his consciousness until sleep finally claimed him.

Ace woke to the rustling of fabrics. As he pushed his face deeper into the pillow, he groaned, irritated.

A barely audible gasp at the side sent a jolt through his brain. A memory of the situation at hand smashed his waking mind with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He jerked from where he was laying, wide awake now, and was able to catch a movement at the corner of his eye. A glance to the empty bedding on the mattress confirmed his suspicion.

Luffy was awake. A tiny figure curled in the dark edge of the room, arms covering his head protectively.

"Luffy," Ace whispered, feeling winded all of a sudden as if his lungs couldn't draw enough air. He crawled closer, hand rising to touch the boy, to make sure he was truly there, but it didn't even manage to make halfway before Luffy was pressing against the wall, as far from the potential contact as possible. Delirious fear made his pupils dilate, but his lips were pulled into a snarl, muscles tense, ready to lash out. Like a cornered beast.

Ace froze. Cautiously, he retreated his arm. "It's me, Luffy," he said, words flowing out with weathered tenderness. "Ace. Your brother."

"Go away!" the boy screamed, teeth bared aggressively, but his whole frame shook uncontrollably. "I'm not—not falling for this! Not—not again…" his voice trailed off into a whisper. "You-You're not real, go away… Ace would never come for me…"

The words sounded so damning in the silence that followed.

Ace made a choked pained sound that he didn't recognize from his vocal cords. "I'm sorry, I—" Must have been guilt wrapping around his neck, suffocating him. Or maybe his heart breaking, shattering into little but dust, down to gritty, worthless specks of dirt.

Ace took a deep breath to glue himself back into some semblance of the big brother he was supposed to be. This wasn't about him. Sabo left Luffy in his care. Luffy was more important. "I—Luffy, I have something for you." He turned and grabbed the straw hat.

It should help, right? Ace hoped it would help.

He lifted the hat and Luffy instantly pushed harder against the wall. "No, please, don't…" he pleaded, voice cracking. "Plea—" The boy's breath hitched the moment the straw hat delicately landed on his head.

Ace kneeled where he stood and buried his face in his hands.

Seconds ticked by. Minutes. No one moved. Silence blanketed the dark room, caressed two brothers sitting next to each other, yet, at the same time, so far, far apart.

Luffy reached for the hat. Slowly, gingerly, his fingers curled around the rim. With a murmur, "Shanks…" his grasp tightened, chin quivering. "Ace?"

Ace's head whipped up to look at his little brother with a reply, "I'm here, Luffy," already leaving his mouth.

The boy bit down on his lip and pulled his hat down, holding it now for all he was worth. "You're real?"

"Yeah." Maybe Ace could make this work, help his brother somehow, useless as he was. "You're safe, Luffy. No one is going to hurt you."

Luffy let out a whimper; the noise so wounded, so profoundly awful that Ace wanted nothing else but to stuff his fists against his ears to make it stop.

He didn't. He deserved to hear it. All of it.

"Aaaaaaaaace!"

Luffy slammed into his brother, rubbery limbs wrapping around his waist. It was so unexpected, that Ace couldn't catch himself in time, losing balance and falling on his behind.

"Ace, I'm sorry! I'll never do that again! I'm sorry! Don't make me return to that place. Please, Ace! I don't want to go back. Don't—don't send me back, please… Please, Ace, don't send me back…"

The sudden pleas stunned him. His heart was beating what felt like a million times a minute and his body numbed.

"I don't like that place… They said bad things about me and—and they said nobody will come for me! Not you, not Sabo, not Grandpa… and you never came! But—but I'm not angry! Just please don't make me go back… Please…" The sobs spilled out of Luffy so quickly, he couldn't quite catch his breath. It took him several seconds to find his voice again. "They made me do things, Ace. Things I didn't like to do… Please, Ace, let me stay here. I-I'll be good, I'll listen to you, I won't eat a lot, I won't cry anymore, just… Don't send me back, Ace… Please…" Luffy's blubber quieted into incoherent weeping, a few discernible 'please' still slipping through.

Ace felt raw, like every layer of skin had been peeled off and his innards bared to the elements. Every strangled sob, every tiny 'please'—it hurt. It left gaping, bleeding wounds on the surface of his vile existence, on his worthless soul.

Ace forced his arms up, two pointless things that couldn't even help in protecting what was important, and put them around the trembling boy. "I'd never…" He had to pause, to collect himself enough to continue speaking. "I'd never make you go where you don't want to. Never." He spat the word with vehemence. "You'll stay here with me and you can do whatever you want and eat however much you want."

Luffy didn't respond.

"You hear me, little brother?"

This time, the teen felt Luffy nod, sniffling into his shirt. "S-Sorry…"

Ace's hold on his brother grew stronger and more desperate, to the point that he wasn't sure if it was for Luffy's sake anymore. He needed it equally as much. "You don't have to be sorry for anything," Ace whispered, the younger boy's black hair soft as it sifted between his fingers. "This is your home. I'm your big brother, no one is going to hurt you here."

"Thanks, Ace. I—" Luffy's voice broke. He snuggled closer. "I missed you and Sabo so much…"

Ace's heart skipped a beat. Luffy didn't know that Sabo had died. There was no way that he could tell the news now. Not while his brother was in this kind of state.

The teen picked up the straw hat that had fallen on the floor and placed the hat on the boy's head again. "We missed you too, Luffy."

They lapsed into content silence, basking in each other's presence. Ace had no intention of removing Luffy from his lap anytime soon. If they ended up sitting like that for the next week or so, he wouldn't mind it at all.

The peace was broken by a rumble of Ace's stomach as it obnoxiously demanded food. Not even a second after, he heard an agreeable growl coming from Luffy.

Ace felt the boy tensing, but he couldn't smother the short bark of laughter in time.

Luffy visibly relaxed and huffed into his chest that sounded suspiciously like a fragment of a giggle. At this very moment, it was the most beautiful sound in the world. Happiness flowed through Ace, warming his skin like the rays of the summer sun. Nothing like an open, rambunctious laugh he so loved and yearned to hear again, but it was a start.

Ace got one of his brothers back.

It was a beautiful day.

Next Chapter: Free as the Pirate King

Chapter Text

"Should we get something to eat?" Ace asked. One of his hands still wrapped around his little brother, pressing him closer, while the other rested on his shoulder, thumb moving up and down soothingly.

He was careful not to get too close to the center of Luffy's back, where the burned mark was hidden under the t-shirt. It was old and healed, the boy wouldn't have felt pain even if he touched it, yet instincts told Ace that he should refrain.

No reply came. Ace looked down, wondering if his brother had fallen asleep. "Luffy?"

Luffy shifted, arms unwrapping from around the teen, and finally sat up, curling his legs underneath him. "Will you come back?" he asked.

It felt wrong. All of this. Luffy's quiet voice, stiff posture, expressionless face, and that he wasn't even mentioning food, much less demanding itafter sleeping for so long.

Ace took a beat longer than necessary to answer, and Luffy's knuckles turned white where he grasped the edge of his t-shirt. "Just to the door," the teen mumbled, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at the exit. "I won't leave the room; I'll just call Dadan to bring food here." Ace watched those white fingers uncurl as his little brother nodded. He stood up, but the sudden silence suffocated him, so he began blabbing to fill it. "The bandits will be so happy to know you woke up. Everyone was so worried, you know. I swear, they should just stop being bandits already and officially become nannies."

Before opening the door, Ace flashed a cheeky grin at Luffy, and his heart fluttered when he got a small smile in return. Just a tiny quirk of the lips, but it was infinitely better than that vacant and unreadable expression from before.

"Anyone's there?!" Ace yelled into the hallway.

In an instant, Dogra popped up from around the corner. "Everything alright?"

"Luffy woke up," Ace said. "We need food."

The man's face lit up, concern giving way to happiness. He swiveled on his heel and ran off, shouting, "Guys! Luffy woke up!"

Ace shook his head with a smile. He left the door open and moved to sit by Luffy's side. A couple of minutes later, the bandits jammed the hallway outside the room, talking over each other and radiating worrycareexcitment—

Ace was about to slam the door into their annoying mugs, but one glance at Luffy changed his mind. Whatever was going on inside the boy's head, his expression brightened considerably as he listened to the ruckus the bandits were making.

Ace smirked. Nannies, the lot of them.

"Move, you morons!" Dadan's voice rang throughout the hallway, and the bandits parted, letting her and Magra enter the room with trays of food and drinks. Dogra snuck in after them and closed the door before anyone else could tumble in.

Luffy's demeanor changed from content exhaustion to tense weariness with more people in the room. Ace instinctively patted his brother on his knee, and the subtle reassurance worked, if only slightly.

"How are you feeling, brat?" Dadan asked, putting food trays in front of the two boys.

Magra kneeled beside Luffy with the med kit in his lap. "Ma, ma, Luffy, your bandages have loosened up," he cautioned, reaching out toward the boy's neck. "Let me—"

Luffy flinched away from his hand. While he didn't move from his spot, he turned his body away and was purposefully not looking at Magra. Ace winced when steely fingers suddenly wrapped around his wrist in a death grip.

One would need to be blind not to realize that Luffy was deeply uncomfortable with the man's presence.

Magra dropped his hand, not sure how to proceed. "You don't want me to touch you?" he asked finally.

There was a tense, silent moment before Luffy made a tentative head shake.

Magra sighed, fiddling with the med kit. "Will you let Ace do it?"

Luffy's head snapped up to look at his older brother, eyes pleading.

Ace frowned, not quite understanding what exactly his brother wanted. "You want me to do it?"

Luffy nodded.

Anxiety settled deep in Ace's stomach like a bad dinner. He wasn't good at that, his hands might tremble, and Luffy couldn't afford to get his medical care all messed up because his brother was so useless. He was hurt enough without Ace screwing something up and—

"You're not."

Hushed words cut Ace's thoughts off, halting every nasty thing eating at his mind. 'Useless' was something Luffy didn't say, but it was definitely there.

You're not useless.

Any retort Ace might have had got stuck in his throat when Luffy's grip on his wrist tightened to a point of pain. The boy stared at him, a disapproving scowl plastered across his face.

After a second to collect himself, Ace bit out, "Fine," before snatching the med kit from Magra. Damn it all, it wasn't him who needed comfort, but Luffy ended up comforting him instead anyway. The least he could do for his long-lost baby brother was to take care of his injuries.

Ace redid the bandages on Luffy's neck with some pointers from Magra. Once he finished, Luffy gave him a fond smile, still small and shy yet stunningly genuine, and suddenly all of this became worth his best efforts.

Ace pushed Luffy's straw hat down on his eyes and grinned at an indignant yelp.

"Get some food into yourselves," Dadan ordered. She and Dogra had been watching them the whole time, and she sounded the same as always, but there was undeniable concern underlying her rough voice. "And then sleep. You both need it. Yeah, including you, Ace."

Ace clicked his tongue before he leaned forward and pulled both trays closer. "We don't need babysitters to watch us eat," he muttered, making a little shooing gesture.

Dadan scoffed and turned to leave, the other two bandits following suit. At the door, she paused. "Luffy, welcome back home," she said. They could hear a quiet sniffle from her direction, and Luffy tilted his head to the side, staring at her. "I-It's not like I was worried or anything, but… I'm glad you're okay."

Luffy smiled again, a little wider than before. "Thanks, Dadan," he said. "Magra and Dogra, too."

Dadan whipped out a handkerchief from her pocket and blew her nose into it, tears streaming down her cheeks freely now.

"Ma, Ma, Boss, calm down, don't cry."

"Shut up! Who's crying!" she yelled through tears as she yanked the door open and stomped out.

Magra heaved a sigh. "Get some rest, Luffy. You too, Ace," he instructed and then walked out, shooing the bandits still crowding the hallway away.

Dogra wiped the happy tears. "Welcome home, Luffy," he said before exiting and closing the door behind him.

Ace rubbed his temple, mumbling, "Annoying as always…" under his breath. His head whipped to look at Luffy when he heard a soft 'shishishishi'.

"They haven't changed at all," Luffy commented. He seemed to hesitate after reaching for a piece of meat but then grabbed it and bit into it, eyes closing in bliss.

Ace harrumphed around the mouthful of his own meat. "Dunno if that's a good thing or bad."

"It's good," Luffy replied, nibbling at his food.

There was a knock, and one of the bandits poked his head in. Grinning annoyingly, he waved, pushed a futon with a blanket in, and hurried to flee because Ace was glaring daggers at him.

No one disturbed them after that, and they could eat in peace. Until Luffy pushed his plate away, indicating that he was done.

Ace's brow furrowed, shooting a glance down. His brother barely ate a third of an already relatively small portion. It made alarm bells ring inside his head. "Luffy," he called. "Eat more."

Luffy sent the untouched food a longing stare. "I can't," he murmured, tearing his gaze away with a sharp jerk. "It's been a while. If I ate more, it'd make me sick. I don't want to be sick."

Ace's mind stuttered momentarily, and every cell in his body went on hold while his thoughts tried to catch up with everything he heard.

It's been a while.

A while since Luffy ate.

Ace's appetite vanished, leaving his stomach churning. He forced down the bite inside his mouth and put the unfinished piece he still held back onto the plate.

"Hey, Luffy?" he called again, jumping to his feet and collecting both trays. "Remember that time we three snuck into the ramen restaurant?"

Luffy's forlorn stare at the food Ace carried to the door transformed into a bright-eyed stare at his brother. "Yeah," he said, another smile tugging at his lips at what was a happy memory.

"I can't believe those idiots didn't notice something was wrong until the ninth order." Ace shook his head in disbelief, unrolling the futon next to Luffy's.

"Good thing they didn't," Luffy responded. "Ramen was great."

"It sure was!" Blanket in hands, Ace padded to the corner and kicked the pillow, aiming to land it on his futon, but it flew over it and hit Luffy instead. "Ah, sorr—" The same pillow smacked him straight into his face. "—oof."

Luffy laughed.

Free and honest and breathless in the way that left Ace stunned.

Still far from his usual laughter, loud and jubilant and ringing in the ears for minutes after, but it lingered in his eyes, in the lines of his features, brightening them up with relaxed joy.

In a face of such unrestrained happiness, Ace couldn't help but grin. Sacrificing a little bit of his pride to lighten up the mood and make his little brother laugh was a fair trade.

"Reminds me of the pillow fight we had once on the tree house," Ace reminisced as he dropped the pillow on the futon and laid down himself, draping a blanket over himself.

Luffy followed his lead, sliding under his own blanket. "You and Sabo were both so mean, ganging up on me," he muttered.

Ace barked out a laugh.

They spent the next few hours recalling adventures and fun times from when all three lived together and got in trouble together. The light gradually drained from the room as the sun set, leaving only shadows.

They were lying on their sides, facing each other. Luffy kept talking, half-asleep, his hand resting on the brim of the straw hat he placed beside his pillow. Occasionally he brushed his fingers across the straws as if to reassure himself that it was still there.

Ace was still wide awake despite feeling exhaustion deep in his bones. Extending his arm, he touched the side of his brother's face. His alive brother's face. "You should get some sleep, Luffy," he murmured, stroking the boy's black strands gently and soothingly.

Luffy blinked slowly. "I don't want to." He would have sounded almost petulant if he wasn't so sleepy.

"Why not?"

In the dim moonlight spilling through the window, Luffy looked sad and sorrowful but mostly defeated when his gaze locked on Ace's face. "I don't want to wake up from this dream."

"Dream—Luffy, this isn't a dream," Ace said as he cupped his hand around the boy's head and carefully pulled him closer until their foreheads touched. "I'm here. You're here. And neither of us is going anywhere."

Luffy huffed. "You and Sabo always say that in my dreams."

The dread made Ace's blood run cold in his veins. "Luffy, I—" A hand on his face cut him off. A thumb brushed the tears from his eye that he didn't feel gathering.

"That's okay, Ace. Don't cry," Luffy whispered. "It's not the first time. I'm glad you didn't send me back in this dream." His lips curled into a wistful smile. "I had fun. I missed you… so… much…" As he spoke, his eyelids started to flutter closed. Eventually, he lost his fight against exhaustion, voice trailing off into silence.

Ace caught Luffy's limp hand into his own and squeezed it, promising to never let it go again.

He was going to fix this. He was going to protect Luffy this time. Even if it cost him his life.

Ace woke up. He blinked at the ceiling, not quite sure what exactly disturbed his sleep. Clouds must have covered the moon, and the sun was yet to rise, so the room was covered in murky darkness, filled with shadows and barely distinguishable shapes.

Ace rubbed his eyes. Sighed. He felt so tired. He turned his head to the side to look at Luffy, to make sure he was okay. Squinting, he tried to make out his brother's silhouette in the bed next to his, and his breathing hitched when he realized that all he could see was only a pillow.

Ace shot up, panic rising, but before it could fully set in, he finally made out a sitting shape on the futon. Relief flooded his veins, despite his heart still trying to pound violently out of his chest. "Luffy?" he called out quietly. "What are y—"

Ace's back hit the floor with a startling force and, for a split second, the impact robbed his breath away. He had no time to comprehend what was happening when a weight settled on top of him, pinning him down. Steely fingers wrapped around his throat, strong enough that he felt them there but not hard enough to choke him.

Clouds parted, and the moonlight poured through the window.

Luffy stared at him, face void of emotions, yet danger glinted in his eyes like smoldering coal. Muscles tense and ready, his posture held an overwhelmingly unnerving intensity. His presence seemed to be filling the room up to the point of being nearly suffocating.

Ace felt like prey being pinned down by a huge predator. The feeling built along his skin, setting his hair on end. A feeling that he would have never thought to associate with his clumsy, lovable baby brother. And for one terrifying moment, Ace thought that Luffy would strangle him.

But then Luffy blinked. Recognition flickered across his features, and the phantom pressure let up. "…Ace?" he whispered in utter disbelief. He shifted his hand from Ace's throat to his face, feeling around his cheek, nose bridge, and eye. It was such a gentle action. As if he was touching something fragile, something that might disappear on contact. His expression was startled and scared and maybe a little bit hopeful. "I-I thought… you were just another dream."

Something hot pressed against the back of Ace's eyes. He gulped in a breath, then another, desperate to keep his shit together so he could fix this somehow. "It's not a dream, Luffy," he choked out. "I'm real. You're real. And you're back home with me."

Didn't seem that those words found a perch in Luffy's mind, the boy's focus moving from Ace's face to his hands. He curled fingers around one of his wrists and rubbed it a few times, repeating the same thing with the other one and eventually his neck. What started with a gentle patting around his throat turned into scratching until he all but clawed at the bandages, lips pulled into a sneer and eyes glaring at something that wasn't there.

"Luffy!" Ace cried out in alarm. "Look at me, Luffy!" His arms shot up to catch his brother's face and draw his attention to himself. "Stop it! Don't hurt yourself!"

Luffy froze, slowly blinking back into reality. "There are no shackles, Ace," he whispered, his tone tinged with bewilderment and awe. "No collar either."

Ace couldn't will away tears this time. His brother went through so much, and he really, really didn't know what to do to make everything better. He felt weak and so very pathetic, that it made him sick. Taking a deep breath, he pushed through it.

"No shackles, Luffy. And no collar," he said as firmly as he could.

"No them?"

"That's right, no them." Ace carefully pushed away from the floor, arms sliding around his little brother until he was safely tucked against his chest. Luffy didn't refuse, so he counted it as a win. "They aren't here. No one's going to hurt you anymore." He didn't know who 'they' were, but God forbid they would return to take Luffy away from him. He would sooner burn the whole world before allowing it to happen again.

A few silent minutes passed as Luffy gathered himself. Ace gave him time to build himself back slowly, being the patient and steady support his brother needed so he wouldn't drown in horrible memories.

After what seemed like an eternity, Luffy's arms finally came around Ace into a desperate hug. "Sorry," he whispered as he hid his face in the crook of Ace's neck, arms tightening around him.

"That's okay," Ace murmured. "You're safe. You're with me. I won't let anything happen to you. You'll be fine." He kept muttering reassurances to the point where he didn't know if it was to convince Luffy or himself. Probably both.

"Where's Sabo?"

An unexpected question made Ace stiffen. Only briefly, because he forced his body to relax. "He—He's with his parents," he lied.

"Can we go visit him?"

"I don't think so, he's pretty busy. You know how those nobles are."

Ace instantly cursed himself when he felt Luffy flinch. But there was no way he would tell the truth about Sabo's death now when his brother was in this state.

"Liar."

Luffy's breath was warm against his neck as he said it, and Ace's heart might as well have stopped beating.

"Sabo's not a noble. He ran away. He's our brother now."

Ace sucked in a breath as his heart restarted despite the guilt spearing it through. "Yeah," he exhaled. "Sabo's our brother. Nothing's going to change that."

The next time Ace woke up was to the sun rays shining through the window and early bird songs filtering in. He lifted his head from the pillow, licking his lips. He didn't even know when he fell asleep or how he ended up back on his futon. The last thing he remembered was sitting with Luffy on his lap and—

His head whipped to look at Luffy's futon. Finding it empty, he swept the room.

His brother stood at the window, clutching its windowsill as he stared outside. He stood completely motionless, not even blinking.

Ace relaxed. "What are you doing, Luffy?" he wondered, absent-mindedly scratching his belly.

The boy jumped, startled, and immediately stepped away from the window.

Ace raised his eyebrow.

Luffy's toes curled under him as he clutched his straw hat, tugging it down. "Can I go outside?" he asked under his breath.

"Huh? Why wouldn't you be able to go outside?"

One of Luffy's shoulders rose and dropped in a dejected shrug.

There are no shackles, Ace.

Ace almost facepalmed at his stupidity. Luffy always needed freedom like he needed air and had probably been shackled for years. Of course, he would want to feel free now that he was rescued from those bastards.

Ace clenched his fist.

He was going to murder those who did this to his baby brother. Rip them into shreds.

Luffy tensed, pulling his hat down harder.

Ace pushed all the air out of his lungs in an explosive sigh, letting his anger leave with it. "Yeah, we can go outside," he finally said, heaving himself up.

Luffy's head snapped up, eyes big and bright, and gave a small yet heart-wrenchingly beautiful smile that Ace thought put all his large and toothy ones to shame.

They tiptoed to the exit, careful not to wake the bandits up. Luffy raced through the door first, and Ace followed at a slower pace, stifling a yawn.

It was still early in the morning. On one side, the sky was the dark blue and purple of twilight. On another, the sun bloomed on the horizon, golden petals bright amid the rich blue. It illuminated the forest and the dew-laden grassy field before the hut. Night chill still lingered in the air, but the daybreak was quickly bringing glimmers of warmth with it.

Luffy stopped at the line where the growing grass replaced the naked dirt. He made a hesitant step forward, placing his bare feet into the grass, then another, and stood there, moving only his toes and savoring the refreshing coldness of the dew.

Ace instantly smothered the thought that Luffy acted like it was the first time he felt the dewy grass in years. It might have been true, but he didn't want to think about it now. Not when the wide grin was spreading across his brother's face.

Soft laughter escaped him, and Luffy sprinted across the field, leaving imprints of his feet in the grass.

Ace sat down on the old tree trunk at the edge of the field, watching the kid running around and chasing butterflies. The buzz of happiness and the warm sunlight must have lulled him into sleep because the next thing he knew was Luffy jumping on his back and almost bringing them both down into the grass.

"Luffy," he grumbled, adjusting his sitting position to accommodate the additional weight on his back.

"Shishishishi," Luffy giggled into his ear. "I'm glad this isn't a dream." His voice grew quieter, softer. "Thank you for waiting for me, Ace."

Ace's cheeks burned. "Idiot," he muttered, but the insult didn't carry any heat behind it, only endless fondness. "Thanks for coming back, Luffy."

Luffy grinned. With the last squeeze, he unwrapped himself from Ace and plopped down, sprawling in the grass.

Ace moved so that he could see his brother. "Do you know who brought you back?" It was something he hadn't had time to think about until now, but was immensely curious.

Luffy stared at the sky, at the sunbeams eating away the remains of the night. "No," he uttered finally. "But…" He closed his eyes as the gust swept across the field. "There was someone who felt like the wind. Fast, ruthless… Unrestrained."

Ace scowled. Luffy's words made no sense. He tapped his finger on his knee, thinking. Whoever it was didn't want to show themselves, but at the same time, he must have known Luffy or at least where he was from. The mystery gave him a headache, but all he could do was hope that bringing Luffy back home wouldn't come with some kind of price later.

"Ne, Ace."

"Yeah?"

"How old am I?"

"How old—" Ace gawked in sheer shock. Luffy might be an idiot, but he certainly knew how to count. The fact that he didn't know how old he was meant that he didn't know how long he had spent in that horrible place. "Twelve, Luffy. You're already twelve."

Luffy hummed. "A bit over four years, huh…"

They lapsed into another silence. Ace stewed in his thoughts, and Luffy basked in the sunlight.

"Ace?" Luffy asked again.

"M?"

"Where's Sabo?"

Ace stiffened, the conversation they had in the middle of the night rushing to the forefront of his mind. He gulped down the guilt and opened his mouth—

"Don't lie."

Luffy's black eyes bored into Ace, stripping layers of skin and flesh until there was nothing but his rotten soul bared to the elements. He had no idea how, but Luffy knew he lied.

Ace took a shuddering breath in, hands shaking and eyes fixed on his lap, and blurted it out, "Sabo died." He never voiced it out loud himself. Avoided saying it even in the privacy of his head. Not when Luffy was gone, and he was so utterly alone.

In the deathly silence that followed, Ace didn't dare to look at Luffy, to see what kind of expression he made after hearing such news.

There was a rustle as Luffy sat up. "How did he die?"

"The day before you disappeared from the hideout, Sabo sailed off to the sea to escape his parents. He accidentally crossed an incoming ship, and some asshole shot his boat. They never found his body, but after a direct hit and explosion…" Ace ran his trembling hand through his hair. "Dogra saw everything."

Silence. No crying, no denials, nothing.

"Incoming ship? The only ship that could have come that day…" Luffy trailed off. "I see. So Sabo was killed by them."

He sounded wrong somehow. Too deep, too serious. Not angry, rather uncharacteristically calm. Cold even, unforgiving.

Ace glanced up and went rigid.

Luffy's dark eyes had become bottomless black pits glaring at something unseen in the distance. Ace immediately recognized the emotion on his brother's face, being intimately familiar with it.

Hate. Pure, raw hate. Luffy had never before shown hate. Anger, of course, but never hate. But there it was.

And suddenly, it felt like Luffy, his Luffy, was slipping away into some darkness where Ace would never be able to reach him. He wanted to do something. Maybe shout to not leave him alone again. Or grab him and never let go before his careless little brother faded away completely.

Ace's shaky arms were uselessly heavy, and he couldn't get the words out. They tangled up, tripping over whatever was lodged inside his chest.

Then, just like during the night, Luffy blinked, and whatever demons tormented him retreated. He fell back into the grass with a weary sigh, looking sad now, mournful. Peaceful in his grief. Lifting his hand, he reached for the sky. "Sabo always wanted to be free," he murmured. "We have to be free, Ace." The sky was so high above, seemingly unattainable, but Luffy's fist closed as if he grabbed onto whatever he had been reaching for. "Freer than anyone else so we could show Sabo what it truly means."

"Yeah," Ace managed tightly.

Luffy looked at him, brow furrowing. Wordlessly, he stood up and placed his straw hat on Ace's head. When the teen looked up, surprised by his action, he slipped his hand into Ace's and said, "I want to see the sea, Ace," as he tugged him to move.

"Right." Ace shook himself from his stupor, returned the straw hat to its rightful spot atop Luffy's head, and smiled. "Let's go see the sea then."

His little brother beamed, pulling him into the forest path leading to their favorite cliff, and it was the best medicine in the world for Ace's mangled heart.

That same day, the boys moved to the tree house, despite the protests from the bandits. Luffy wanted to spend as much time outside as possible, and Ace indulged him. And while nights were plagued by recurring nightmares and night terrors, fresh air, the ability to always see the sky, and, most importantly, Ace's presence and the straw hat always helped Luffy to calm down and come back from whatever hell he had been stuck in.

Sometimes those demons followed Luffy from his dreams and haunted his reality, so the two brothers made a habit of watching the sunrise together. Most of the time, they stayed in the tree house, but sometimes walked to their favorite cliff and sat there until Luffy smiled, then laughed, and in the end, tackled Ace into a hug.

Ace always had a hard time expressing emotions other than anger, never being one to express his affection through touch nor accepting such shows of affection from his brothers. Now he had to learn to do both. Luffy ambushed him with hugs several times per day without any apparent reason and let go only when Ace gulped down his embarrassment and ruffled his hair.

He even got used to sleeping with his little brother curled beside him or tucked protectively into his embrace, hoping against all hope that he would become a titanium wall between his baby brother and the demons, at least for a single night.

And just like that, three weeks passed by.

Luffy's physical wounds healed, leaving only the scars marrying his young body as a harrowing reminder of his past. However, under the watchful care of Ace and the bandits, his mental health also started to improve. The road to healing was long and arduous, but it was a start.

The two of them were sitting on the cliff after yet another restless night when Ace noticed Luffy absentmindedly scratching at his neck again. His stomach flipped at seeing that terrible persisting tic, acid burning at the back of his throat.

Luffy had been shackled and collared for years.

Ace simply could not wrap his head around how someone could do such a thing to his little brother. Or any kid. Or anyone, really.

This was probably the best time for the small gift Ace had prepared. He pulled something out of his shorts pocket. Luffy didn't notice, too absorbed in admiring the sunrise, so the teen took a moment to ponder if he wanted to proceed with this idea. His brother might have an unexpected, perhaps even violent, reaction to his gift—it was, after all, a bandana to tie around his neck. Like a collar. But Ace only wanted to cover the scar on the left side, which seemed to bother Luffy every time he caught sight of it, and hopefully prevent him from hurting himself.

"I got something for you, Luffy," Ace said before he changed his mind.

Luffy turned, eyes flicking down a moment later to see what his brother had in his hands.

"It's, um," Ace hesitated, but then just shoved it to him, "a bandana to tie around your neck."

Luffy picked up the bandana, unfolded it. Holding it up against the sun, he stared at it. It was completely black, sewn from the soft though sturdy material. Ace made sure that Dogra picked the best one.

"You can paint a Jolly Roger on it, and it'll look like a pirate flag," Ace pointed out.

Luffy tilted his head as he continued to stare at the bandana. Perhaps trying to imagine the Jolly Roger painted on it. Gradually, his mouth stretched into a grin. "So cool!" he exclaimed, tying it around his neck. "Thanks, Ace!"

Ace grinned back at him. With relief warming his heart and the sun warming his skin, he started getting sleepy.

Then the trees behind them exploded. Both boys were up on their feet and ready for a fight in a blink of an eye. They expected a beast to come crashing through the trees, but it was their grandfather who suddenly came bursting out from the forest.

Both sides stared at each other for a few seconds, momentarily stunned.

"Luffy…" The name from Garp's mouth flowed out with a worn-out softness, smooth with tiredness. "You've returned."

Luffy took a step back.

It set Ace on high alert. They were too close to the cliff's edge, the image of his brother flinging himself toward that edge still too fresh in his memory. One look and Ace's heart twisted.

Luffy was shaking, pale and small and absolutely terrified.

Ace's blood boiled in fury. A slow, burning, volcanic fury that would level everything in sight when it finally erupted. He positioned himself between Luffy and Garp, teeth bared and eyes blazing. "Don't get any closer, you damn geezer!"

But Garp didn't try to come closer. He stood there, staring. Not moving and not saying a word. Just staring.

Ace felt Luffy's fingers fisting into the fabric of his t-shirt, and a second later, he asked, "Are you gonna take me back there, Grandpa?"

Garp reeled back as if those soft-spoken words physically hurt him. "No, Luffy, that's not it. I—" He paused, straining to find a combination of words that could even begin to express his feelings.

"No one's taking you anywhere, Luffy," Ace growled.

Garp rubbed at his eyes, looking so, so tired now. "I just wanted to see you."

Luffy's fist tightened around the handful of Ace's t-shirt. Not letting it go, he stepped from behind the older boy. Straightening his spine, he drew himself up, pinning his grandfather with a cold glare. "I'm not going back there," he hissed. Defiant, if not provocative in his refusal. "I'd rather die than go back there!" Sheer resolve resonated in his declaration, Luffy's posture and expression almost daring the old man to try and force him.

"I'd never force you back into that place," Garp murmured, weighted down with all the emotions welling inside him. There was no small amount of shame in his voice. "No, Luffy… You think I'd do that to my own grandson?"

Luffy studied the man with sharp, pensive eyes. The moment seemed to stretch into eternity before Luffy's grip on Ace's shirt eased up. After another moment, just as long, he let go entirely and pushed his straw hat more securely on his head. "I believe you," he said, looking back at his grandfather. Previous hostility and fear were gone, though some of the weariness remained. "I missed you, Grandpa."

"I missed you too, Luffy," Garp responded quietly. Truthfully. "Give me a moment while I speak with Ace, alright?" He motioned to the teen to follow, but didn't wait for him and walked into the forest.

Ace scowled after him. With a sigh, he let the tension bleed out of his posture. There were a few things he wanted to ask Garp as well. Turning to his brother, he squeezed the latter's shoulders. "You alright?"

Luffy nodded.

"I'll be just beyond those trees, okay?"

Another nod.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." With a pat on Luffy's head, Ace spun around and walked into the forest.

He stopped behind Garp who was sitting on the stump, facing the other direction. All the teen could see was the man's back.

Ace crossed his arms. "You know who did this to Luffy." It wasn't even a question, but a statement that sounded almost accusatory.

Instead of answering, Garp asked, "How's he doing?"

Ace tapped his feet. "You're not going to tell me who's responsible, are you, geezer? Just like with Sabo." He tsked when only silence met his words. "I'll find out eventually." He sneered. "I'll make sure to find out."

Garp didn't answer.

A minute passed in silence.

"Physically, he's fine now. Despite the scars all over his body," Ace said eventually, voice clipped. "He has nightmares every night. Some are rather violent." No response. His jaw tightened. "Luffy's strong, he'll be alright. But I won't forgive those who did this to him. And I won't forgive you," he snarled. "I'll find out who, and I—"

A barely audible sniffle reached his ears.

Ace paused in his blind fury, and his eyes widened when the realization hit him like a punch to his guts—Garp was crying. It immediately took the wind out of his sails, and he sighed, scrubbing his face with both hands.

He gave the old man a few minutes to collect himself.

"How did you know that Luffy was back?"

Garp made a dismissing wave. "Don't worry about it."

Ace narrowed his eyes. "Is he safe here?"

"Yeah." There was no doubt in Garp's reply. He stood up. "Ace, you'll look after your younger brother, right?"

"You don't need to tell me that, old geezer!" Ace snapped. "Better tell me who did this to Luffy!"

Garp clasped Ace's shoulder, staring toward the cliff where he could see Luffy waiting for them. "You'll find out someday," he murmured, "but all I can tell you right now is that this world has a dark side that no one can breach."

Ace's lips thinned, and he glared at nothing in particular. He couldn't forgive Garp for not telling, but in some part of his mind, he understood why the man kept it away from him. He followed Garp back to the cliff, slipping past him and to Luffy's side as soon as they left the forest.

"I'm really glad you're back safe, Luffy." Garp reached to pat his grandson's head, but the boy flinched away before he could as much as touch him. The old man's expression crumbled, his arm dropping back to his side. He forced out an uncertain smile. "If I'd known, I would have done something. I hope you can believe that."

Luffy stared into his face, searching, judging. Whatever he was looking for, he must have found it. He responded with a nod.

Garp's smile widened. "I'll be going now, have something to take care of," he said. "But I'll visit again soon."

Ace grimaced. "Please, don't."

"What did you say, you brat?!"

Ace yelped when Garp suddenly yanked him off his feet and into a chokehold before ruffling his hair. "Wh-wha-what are you doing, you shitty old man?!" He flailed his arms and kicked out with his legs to no avail. "Let me go!"

"Bwahahaha!"

"Grandpa."

Garp froze. Ace used that opportunity and wrestled himself out of the man's hold, immediately retreating to a safe distance.

"I'll become the Pirate King," Luffy declared, peering at his grandfather with eyes that spoke volumes of what they had seen. The eyes that had the darkness of this world seared into them forever. "The freest person in the world."

And for once, Garp couldn't do more than nod.

Next Chapter: The Straw Hat of Promises

Chapter Text

Ace tore through the forest, slipping on grassy patches, entangling in vines, and nearly tripping over tree roots.

Where was he?!

He jumped on the fallen tree and stopped at the top for a moment to scan the surroundings, chest heaving. When he didn't notice anything, he couldn't keep the panic away anymore.

Where was his little brother?!

Ace hopped down and started running again, wildly looking around as he darted around the trees and boulders.

Where the hell was Luffy?!

It was his entire fault. If he hadn't chased after that boar when it suddenly took off, he wouldn't have lost sight of Luffy in the middle of Mt. Colubo forest.

The kid was still recovering, even after two months since coming back home. Ace allowed him to do whatever he wished and didn't force anything on him, despite some of those things being highly concerning. Like Luffy's refusal to participate in hunts. He would tag along, not wanting to stay alone, but always remained on the sideline. And then there was his expression after Ace delivered a finishing blow. As if the killing pained him somehow.

So, of course, Ace couldn't leave the kid alone in the place that was swarming with beasts only waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

"Shit!" Ace cursed before he looked up. Maybe he should climb the—

The sound of something big crashing through the forest on his left drew his attention. A cloud of dust spread through the trees a second later, and Ace made a sharp turn to check it out. When a fierce roar reached his ears, fear seized him by the throat. When he spotted a huge striped body moving around where the crash had come from, Ace's stomach dropped.

A tiger—one of the biggest and most ferocious beasts in these woods—fighting against something. He just hoped it wasn't someone.

Ace braked when another cloud of dust rolled through the forest and covered his face to protect himself.

The tiger roared.

Ace peeked from behind his arms just to see Luffy come sliding from the direction of the tiger.

"You damn cat," the boy muttered under his breath a moment before a smirk curled on his lips. "You asked for this…" His rubbery arms shot forward, grabbing at the two trees ahead as he himself backed off even further.

"Luffy!" Ace shouted in equal parts of surprise and panic.

Luffy's head whirled toward him. "Ace! Here you are!" A happy exclamation was topped with a wide, teeth-flashing grin.

The teen could see his little brother's plan, and he didn't like it. His anxiety spiked, but before he could give it voice—

Luffy flew off with a cheery, "Gimme a moment!" His small rubber body slammed into the tiger's side and blasted it through the trees.

Ace's jaw dropped. It must have been mind-boggling momentum that his little brother managed to reach to lift that massive mountain of pure muscles off the ground and send it flying.

Luffy immediately sprinted after the tiger, stretching one of his arms behind him. "Gomu Gomu no…" Just as the tiger was about to stand up, Luffy threw his fist, "…Pistol!" and hit it directly into his jaw.

The tiger's head snapped to the side, blood dripping from his muzzle. With a furious roar, it leaped to its feet and swiped its paw at the quickly approaching human.

Ace's heart missed a beat.

Luffy moved out of the way and, at the same time, his arm shot out to wrap around the tree. The beast lunged, the ground splitting under the impact of his paws, but the boy wasn't in that spot anymore. He allowed his rubbery arm to pull his body away from harm's way at the last possible moment, and then swung around the tree and back into the tiger. This time he slammed into its paw, pushing it from under the tiger's body.

The feline crashed down muzzle first, but Luffy caught hold of the tail and was tossed up into the sky as it flicked up. He let go of it, sending himself even higher. "…Bazooka!" Both his palms slammed into the nape of the tiger and flattened it against the ground, but Luffy wasn't done yet. He grabbed onto its ears and sent his body soaring into it like a rocket from the heavens.

The giant beast gargled, its body spasmed several times and eventually stilled, dead.

Ace's mouth was open all this time. What… what the… what the hell just happened?! Despite witnessing this fight, he could hardly believe his own eyes.

Luffy slid down from the tiger's body and beamed at his brother. "Look, Ace! I got us dinner!"

That finally snapped Ace out of his daze. He clenched his fists and stomped over to his brother. Luffy's smile fell, and he flinched visibly when he approached, but Ace was too furious to stop now. "What the hell were you thinking?! You could have died or gotten injured! But you—" His anger lost its momentum the second his brain processed the pale face in front of him. "I'm sorry for shouting… But you got me really worried, Luffy."

Luffy fidgeted. "Sorry…"

The boy sounded so small, Ace almost punched himself. He was such an idiot. He really couldn't let his hot temper get the better of him now, not when his brother was so skittish. Sighing, he shook lingering rage like he would shake the water from his hands and scanned the kid up and down to make sure he was unhurt. "Luffy, just…" He looked straight into Luffy's eyes, conveying all his worry and concern for his wellbeing. "Don't fight alone. Let me help you next time, okay?"

Luffy gave a tiny nod.

Ace pulled the straw hat back on Luffy's head as he straightened up. No matter how he felt about this situation, one thing was obvious. "You were amazing!" he said in awe, sizing up the dead tiger. Now that he was closer to the beast, he realized that this might have been one of the mountain lords. "I don't think I could beat this thing so swiftly! I didn't know you could fight like this."

"I had to learn fast if I wanted to survive," Luffy murmured, frowning at the tiger. "Ne, Ace, do you enjoy fighting?"

Pushing past the sudden horror at what he had just heard, Ace stored that piece of information to ponder on a later date and instead focused on Luffy's question. Scratching the back of his head, he replied, "I think so? It's useful, makes me stronger, and we couldn't survive if we didn't fight. Besides, some people need a beating. In those cases, it's satisfying."

"So it's okay to fight if you want to? Or not to fight if you don't?"

Such a weird question, Ace had no idea what was going on in his little brother's head. The intensity of the stare he was receiving also unnerved him. "Of course. That's how it should be," he replied before adding sternly, "But if you don't want to fight, then run. Don't let anyone hurt you."

Luffy grinned. "Okay!"

"Still…" Ace looked up at the dead tiger again. "I can't believe you beat it so easily."

"I told you my Devil Fruit's awesome!"

"Okay, I'll give you that." Ace smirked mischievously. "But I bet you still can't win against me."

"Oh, yeah?" Luffy met the challenge with a confident grin. "Want to spar with me? Just like old times."

"A hundred fights per day?"

"A hundred fights per day," Luffy agreed. "But first, food!"

Ace's back hit the ground and he stayed there, sprawled across the grassy field, dazedly staring at the clouds floating above in the sky. His chin still stung, quite a lot actually, and he couldn't quite figure out how it happened.

He lost.

Luffy totally kicked his ass.

Damn.

Of course, it was only the first match. He didn't put all of his strength behind his attacks, not wanting to accidentally hurt his brother. Not that it mattered when he couldn't land a hit. Not a single one! Luffy kept avoiding and sidestepping anything Ace threw at him, dancing around the attacks without much effort. Like a gust of wind.

Ace got slightly frustrated, and he might have swung his last punch with everything he got. It never connected and an uppercut to his jaw had sent Ace flying. That was how he ended up on the ground in a daze.

Ace's chest swelled with pride. He also grinned like an idiot.

This was his little brother!

Luffy's head popped up into his line of vision, tilted in confusion. "You alright, Ace?"

"That was amazing!" Ace exclaimed, pushing himself up. "It seemed like you knew what my next attack would be! How did you do that?"

"I don't know," Luffy replied with an unconcerned shrug. "I just do."

Ace rubbed his still-stinging chin, thinking. "Instinct?" he wondered. "Or maybe some kind of mystery power?"

Luffy blinked. "Mystery power?" He paused, rolling that statement inside his head. "I guess it is. Shishishishi! Having mystery power is so cool!"

"That's not fair, you cheater!" Ace suddenly grabbed the other boy by his arm and tugged him down into his arms. "Take this! Wild hair attack!" he yelled as he began ruffling Luffy's hair in strong, rough motions.

"Ace!" Luffy whined, trying to push him away. "Stop it! Aaaaaaace!"

The teen threw his arms up in a whoop of victory. "And that's my win!" he bellowed as he fell back into the grass, bursting out into a merry laughter.

Luffy put his hat back on, cheeks puffed in an indignant pout. "I need to be focused if I want to sense your moves," he muttered, "otherwise it doesn't work."

Ace folded his arms behind his head with a huff. "Seems like a pain in the ass power to deal with as your opponent." He stared at the clouds again. "I'm glad you have it, though. With it, you'll get less hurt."

"Ace, we need to get stronger," Luffy said, his tone serious and determined, "and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and then even stronger than that! So that we can be truly free and never have to bow to anyone!"

Ace smiled softly. "And so that we can protect our loved ones and never lose anyone again."

Luffy nodded. He put his hand on top of his straw hat and held it there, vowing, "That's a promise."

Ace sat up, reaching out and placing his own hand over Luffy's. "That's a promise!"

Ace smirked, dark amusement settling upon his features. These thugs were a complete joke. He couldn't even call them a warm-up anymore. "Well, come on, losers," he taunted, beckoning the adults in front of him with his finger.

The men snarled but didn't dare to make any moves against Ace which only amused him further.

It seemed that the Grey Terminal thugs finally learned not to underestimate the two raven-haired teenagers who had popped up out of nowhere a couple of months ago. These guys were new residents in the Grey Terminal, and, because the old populace had either died in the fire or escaped and never returned, they never had a chance to hear about the original three demon brothers.

Ace wasn't a frequent visitor during the years after the fire. Even if he came here, he didn't bother anyone, mostly wandering around and searching for clues. When his little brother came back, there was no reason for him to come here at all, especially with Luffy's obvious reluctance to approach the Goa Kingdom.

At first, Ace couldn't fathom why, but then it clicked—his little brother had been taken in that place. The fact that he found the straw hat in the trash thrown out of the city and some slip-ups from Luffy confirmed this theory.

After almost a year since his return, Luffy finally felt comfortable enough to visit the Grey Terminal without freezing in fear the moment Goa Kingdom's wall came into view. And so two brothers wreaked havoc on the outskirts of that place regularly from then on. The thugs were less than thrilled when they became punching bags for two bored kids.

Ace cracked his knuckles, grinning wide and sharp and more than slightly unsettling, and took a single step forward. To match this, the thugs took one step back before turning around and fleeing.

Ace cackled. "Did you see that, Luffy?" he asked, observing the runaways with a cocky smirk. "They ran like–"

A scream in pain behind interrupted his boasting. Ace immediately spun around, ready to rip anyone into shreds if they touched even a single strand of hair on his little brother's—

A man was lying on the ground, his leg bent at an unnatural angle, a bloody bone sticking out. Luffy straightened up, twisting his metal Bo staff around his back and into his other hand as he stepped closer to the downed thug.

With a sneer, the man lifted a pistol and aimed at Luffy.

Ace's breathing hitched.

A shot rang out.

Luffy jerked his head slightly to the side, letting the bullet graze only the tip of his hair. He spun his staff and plunged its end straight into the thug's chest.

Blood splattered. The man clutched at the place where the staff pierced his chest, blood seeping between his fingers. After a moment, he made a gurgling sound, his arms fell limply to his sides, and light left his eyes. Luffy yanked his staff out, quickly moving away to avoid blood spurting on him.

And he did all that with a composed, detached face, cold and remorseless eyes, and with no hesitation in his smooth movements.

Ace's blood ran cold as his brain processed what he had seen.

His little brother killed a man.

Luffy blinked when he noticed the other teen staring. "What's wrong?" he asked, clearly confused by Ace's reaction.

Ace's heart shuddered. Maybe this wasn't even Luffy's first kill, signs sure pointed at it.

Angry shouts came from behind and Ace turned instinctively to look. The guys who ran away previously were returning with their friends in tow. He tsked, grabbed Luffy by his hand, and led him back to the forest, acutely aware that he didn't respond to his brother yet.

Luffy followed without complaint. Ace could feel his eyes drilling into the back of his head.

"Is this about that guy?"

Ace stopped walking. All he could think about was the image of the dead man and Luffy standing next to him with a completely empty face and dead eyes. He wasn't naïve. He knew that becoming a pirate meant that sometimes they would need to kill, but this picture was wrong on so many levels.

"Luffy," Ace turned around, meeting Luffy's wary gaze, "you killed a human."

His little brother was way too young to know what it meant to kill another human. Should have been too young.

"He had a gun, Ace, and aimed it at you first. I had to stop him," Luffy said. Cautiously, but not less unremorseful.

"I'm not angry, I'm worried." Ace put his hands on the younger boy's shoulder and tried to ignore the flinch from the touch. Luffy didn't move away and so he didn't let go. No matter how much he didn't want to know, he had to ask. "Luffy, did you… Did you, perhaps, have to kill someone before?"

The silence that followed screamed louder than any voice could.

"Luffy…" Ace's throat constricted.

Luffy shifted, looked down. "They made me do things…"

"Come on, my little pet, you know what to do."

The voice sounded so soft, it was cloying and terrifying. A hand petting his hair felt wrong and he wanted it gone.

"Kill it. Or die."

Luffy flinched when nails dug into his scalp, just for a brief moment, before the hand continued to gently stroke his head again.

"You don't want to die, do you? If you die, you'll die as my pet. You'll never be free. You'll never see your family again."

Luffy wanted to live. He wanted to see his brothers again. But his hands kept shaking and he couldn't muster enough strength in them.

"Do you want to be my pet forever? Of course, you don't. You were quite vocal about it before your lessons on manners."

The kid he was pinning down to the floor stared at him with those empty, dead eyes. He didn't even fight when Luffy wrapped his fingers around his neck.

"Come on, little pet. You can do it. I believe in you and you want me to keep believing in you, right?"

The hand kept petting him and that sweet voice kept urging him. Tears smeared the kid's face and as Luffy blinked more dropped down.

"Kill it, little pet. Who knows, I might let you go one day if I'll be satisfied with your performance. Think about your family. They must be missing you."

Luffy clenched his teeth. If… If he could be free one day, go home, and see Ace and Sabo again… He wanted it. He wanted to be free. He had to do anything to survive to that day.

"That's it, pet. That's how you do it."

Luffy blinked the last tears from his eyes and tightened his grasp on the other boy's throat.

"Good boy."

Luffy couldn't stop the sneer from twisting his features at the memory. He already swore to live his life to the fullest in the stead of those he killed and eventually achieve his dream. It was his way to honor them, even if he couldn't remember everyone anymore.

The first one, however, haunted him every time he closed his eyes.

Ace was still staring. The mix of overwhelming sadness, fury, and guilt numbed Luffy's senses. Some of it still seeped through his skin and curled inside him, making his chest feel hollow.

"Is it bad to kill someone if you want to survive?" he asked in a voice barely above the whisper. "Or to protect a person you care about?"

"No." The word seemed to be punched out of Ace. Luffy didn't protest when his brother pulled him for a hug. "I'd do the same. You're more important to me than anything else, even my own life."

Luffy pushed away slightly from Ace, just enough that he could glare at him. "Don't talk like that! You can't die, Ace. You've got to promise me," he insisted. He already lost one brother, he wasn't sure he would be able to keep going if he lost Ace too. "Promise me that you will never die."

Ace gently smacked Luffy's head. "Idiot," he scolded, but it was soft and affectionate. "How could I leave my little brother all on his own? Remember this, Luffy: I'm not going to die!" He pinned Luffy with a stern gaze. "You should worry about yourself. I'm stronger than you, after all."

"You're not!" the boy shot back immediately.

Ace's expression soured and Luffy couldn't help but smirk. He went through hell, but at least he could kick Ace's ass now.

The teen huffed in indignation. "Says the cheater with the Devil Fruit and his mystery power," he grumbled. "While I," he emphasized as he dramatically pointed at himself, "am only a normal person."

"Uh-huh." Luffy rolled his eyes. "Says the loser."

"You little shit!" Ace growled, trying to sound angry, but there was a smile on his face that he failed to keep out of his tone. He pulled his brother in for a daily dose of hair ruffles.

Luffy laughed, fighting to free himself, but not putting much effort to make it happen.

Ace let him go after a thorough treatment. "Come, let's get something to eat," he said. "And we can spar some more after that."

Luffy grinned with contentment. "Sure!"

It was almost two months past Ace's 17th birthday and Luffy was about to pull his hair out.

Ace wasn't leaving for his adventure!

Whenever Luffy started speaking about it, his brother dodged the topic with the same extreme persistence reserved for dodging Grandpa's Fists of Love. He suddenly needed to go hunting, or pick something from the bandits, or visit Makino, or anything else, but not discuss it.

Trying to talk to Ace had gotten him nowhere so far, so Luffy decided to confront him during their daily spar session. Ace's pride would prevent him from fleeing in the middle of the battle, so that seemed like his only option.

Luffy let a few fights pass, winning some and losing some, but frustration finally won over, and he decked his brother, pointed at him, and said, "You need to leave, Ace!"

"Huh?" Ace blinked at him from the ground, rubbing at his abused nose. After checking if it wasn't broken, he sat up and scowled. "You want to get rid of me?"

"You need to set sail and start your adventure!" Luffy practically shouted it out. His brother was insufferable! "All three of us agreed to leave this island on our seventeenth birthday. You're already late!"

"Sabo left when he was almost eleven," Ace argued. "So why can't I—"

"No!"

Two teens glared at each other, unyielding determination on both sides. Neither of them wanted to back down, but someone had to.

Luffy sighed. "Sabo wanted to be free. That's why he set sail earlier. After—" he paused, unconsciously moving his hand over the scar hidden underneath the bandana. He wasn't clawing at his throat anymore, but even now, he could sometimes still feel the weight of the cold collar around his neck. But the scar was still there, and it meant he had been saved, no matter how his actions back then bothered him now. "I know what it means to lose your freedom, so I'm gonna set sail to live as the freest person in the world. But how should I feel when I'm standing between my brother and his freedom?"

Ace clicked his tongue and stood up, brushing dust off of himself. His posture was stiff as a board, radiating great displeasure with every little move he made.

"All three of us dreamed about it. About our own ship, nakama, adventure," Luffy continued. "What are you planning to do? To set sail together with me? I'll be the captain then." He smirked when Ace's face twitched, and the glare he received said more about what he thought of this idea than his brother would have probably liked. "That's what I thought."

It ruffled Ace's feathers. "It might even work out. You don't know that," he grumbled out just for the sake of arguing. They both knew that neither of them could work under the other nor give up the position of captain.

"I know you want to go, Ace. Your heart is screaming for the sea." A small smile softened Luffy's expression. "I'll be okay. Don't worry about me, and go."

Ace's shoulders sagged, fight draining out of him. "But, Luffy, your nightmares…"

"I'll be fine," the boy insisted firmly. He touched the straw hat and added, "I have Shanks's hat to help me."

Ace scoffed. "You're choosing that old, battered, worn-out thing instead of your brother, huh."

"Don't insult my hat!"

Ace smirked at successfully riling his baby brother up. "Don't get angry, I have an important promise placed on it, so this hat is significant to me too." He tipped the straw hat down on Luffy's face and smiled wider when the latter spluttered. "I'll make sure to thank Shanks for giving it to you."

"Say 'hi' to him from me," Luffy mumbled as he fixed his hat, trying not to pout.

"Will do."

Luffy couldn't lie to himself—he didn't want Ace to leave. The mere thought of staying all alone for three years until he also turned 17 and started his own adventure scared him. But he swore to live through it! He couldn't let those people and what they did to him destroy his brother's dream, too. "And so that we can protect our loved ones." That's right. It was also part of the promise they made that day.

Ace looked at the sun. It was already past noon, but there was still enough time to get ready for his journey. "I guess I'll set sail in a couple of days," he muttered.

Luffy was unable to hold it in any longer, and he tackled his brother into a hug. "I'll miss you," he murmured into his chest. "I love you, Ace."

And just like always, Ace's presence blossomed with all the warm emotions. Luffy allowed those emotions to envelop him, basking in their radiance. He liked this feeling, that's why he did it. And his brother needed to hear it more often too. Despite knowing that it always made Ace embarrassed and bright red in the face.

"Sh-Shut up!"

"Shishishishi."

Next Chapter: The Pirate in the Barrel

Chapter Text

Luffy yawned and slowly rubbed his eyes. Ah, that was such a good nap! He tried to stretch, but the cramped space he was sleeping in prevented him from doing that.

The pirate grinned. That's right. He'd left his home island and got sucked into a whirlpool not far from it. With no other means to escape imminent drowning, he had climbed into barrel with absolute faith that he would survive. And he did! Even better, Luffy was no longer in the sea. The fierce swaying and tossing that made him sleepy was absent.

The teen cautiously lifted the lid and looked around. The barrel had been left in a small, dark room, with several other various sized barrels, boxes, and jugs. This probably was storeroom.

Luffy fixed his hat more firmly on his head and silently climbed out. He could sense only one person nearby, but there were a bunch of others a bit further away. The teen felt a barely detectable swaying. Was he on a ship?

Luffy opened the door and scanned the area, a kitchen. There was a small, pink haired kid, sitting on a chair and peeling potatoes in the furthest corner. He was facing the other direction and didn't notice the intruder.

The straw-hatted boy strolled to a table in the middle of the room where he'd spotted a bowl with apples. As he grabbed one, the pinkette sighed heavily.

"Why did I decide to go fishing that day?" he muttered. "I would have never ended up here if I'd just stayed at home."

Luffy jumped on the cupboard and sat in a cross-legged position. He absent-mindedly began to toss the apple up and down while listening to the kid's rambling.

"Ah, it was a fateful day, I'm sure of it," the boy dropped the finished potato into a bucket and took another. "All I wanted to do was relax and fish for a bit. How could I have known that the boat was a pirate ship?"

Luffy caught the apple again and looked around. So it was a pirate ship, huh? How disappointing. There wasn't anyone worth fighting here.

The pink-haired boy sighed again. "It's been two years already… I'm so pathetic. If I had more guts, I could run away," one more potato went down into the bucket, "but whenever I think of Alvida-sama finding out, my legs turn all mushy."

Luffy frowned. The kid practically wallowed in self-loathing, but he couldn't miss the point that he didn't want to be here. Luffy bit into his apple and asked, "Do you have a dream?"

"Sure I do!" the pinkette happily replied. "I want to become a… become a… become…" he trailed off as he slowly realized that it was definitely not an imaginary voice who asked the question. The boy swiveled around, almost tripping over his own feet. His eyes bulged, jaw dropped, and he froze from the sight of the straw-hatted teenager, casually sitting in front of him and munching on an apple.

Luffy took notice of an ugly bruise on the kid's cheek and several smudges of dry blood on his shirt. He let a friendly smile slip onto his lips before waving a hand in greeting. "Hi! I'm Luffy. You?"

"C-Coby."

"So, Coby, what's your dream?" the teen inquired again, snatching a second apple and throwing it whole into his mouth.

"I want to become a marine." The pinkette answered without a second thought. At that moment, the entire situation hit him. This person was certainly not one of Alvida-sama's crewmembers. Who was he?!

Luffy eyed him with open disappointment. "A marine, huh?"

Coby's head drooped, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Of course, a person like me could never–"

"No, no," the hatted teen interrupted him, "I wasn't mocking your dream, I just don't like marines in general." He slid from the cupboard and turned around to check the fridge.

Coby let out a sigh of relief. This strange teen didn't seem to be dangerous, but his gaze felt like it pierced directly through his very soul. Being under such heavy scrutiny was not good for his heart at all.

Now that the stranger had turned his back to him and was busy shoveling everything from the fridge, Coby had a minute to take a good look at him. He was a scrawny, young teen, maybe not even older than 15, with short, raven colored, unruly hair. He wore a simple long-sleeved red shirt, blue shorts, and sandals. A black bandana was tied around his neck, and an old looking straw hat was placed on his head. He also had a small dagger in an ornamental sheath, and what looked like three metal sticks strapped to the lower part of his back.

"L-Luffy-san, right? Where did you come from?"

"Eh?" the pirate glanced at him, mouth full of food. "I came from the barrel," he pointed at the storeroom door.

"The barrel…?" Coby blinked in confusion. The only new barrel they got was the one he found in the cruise ship that they raided earlier today. He was the one to show it to Alvida-sama to appease her. They all thought it was full of sake or wine, but if Luffy-san was in there… Coby blanched.

"Ahhhh!" exclaimed Luffy, patting his finally satisfied stomach. "That was a good food! Oh!" he remembered something, turned around to face the pink haired kid and grinned. "Thank you for the snack!"

Coby glanced at the fridge, which was now totally empty. "You ate everything?!"

"Shishishishi." The stranger chuckled. "Sorry, sorry."

"No, it's not important!" he suddenly shouted hysterically and gave a deep bow. "I-I'm very sorry!"

Luffy tilted his head to one side. "For what?"

"It was me who brought your barrel onto this ship," still bowing, Coby explained. "You need to get out of here, Luffy-san, before Alvida-sama finds you!"

"Nah, don't worry about that," the hatted teen brushed it off like it was nothing. "But you're right, I can't stay here. I need to find my crew. Do you have a boat I could use?"

The pinkette looked at him, confused. "A crew?"

Luffy grinned confidently under his straw hat. "A crew worthy to sail with the future Pirate King!"

"EHHHHHHH? P-pirate King?" Coby blinked. "That means Luffy-san is a pirate?"

"That's right."

"B-but the Pirate King is someone who has everything in this world! Wealth, fame, and power, all united within one person! The owner of the world's greatest treasure, One Piece!"

"You can also add sheer freedom to that list," suggested the pirate youngster, smirking teasingly.

"Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! To stand on top in this great pirate era is impossible!" The pinkette ranted for couple more minutes about how impossible this feat was until he ran out of breath and had to stop. Luffy just observed him with small, knowing smile.

"It's not about if it's possible or not," the teen put a hand on top of his straw hat. "It's all about the conviction to chase after your dream. I don't care if I die doing it. After all, there are scarier things than death in this world."

Coby just stared at the smiling pirate. His words were steeled with such an amazing resolution. His whole being vibrated from barely held excitement to do just that: simply chase after an impossible dream without any restraints and thoughts of consequences. Coby felt like he was suddenly struck by lightning.

"Could I… Could I do that too?" he whispered.

"What? Become the Pirate King?"

"No! Become a marine!" the boy increased his voice. "Joining the marines and catching bad guys has always been my dream! I will do it! I will run from here and stop working as a slave for Alvida-sama! No, I will catch Alvida-sama!"

"That's awesome, Coby!" Luffy slapped him on the back to encourage him even more. "Now, let's go and catch her!"

"EHHHH? Right now?! Impossible, I'm not ready..!"

"Well," the future King sighed, "that's a short lived conviction if I ever saw one."

The kid had started to rant about impossibilities all over again. Luffy scowled in irritation.

"Coby!" he yelled.

The boy yelped, but answered with a meek, "Aye?"

"Pull your head out of your pants and let's go!" Luffy grabbed him and dragged him out of the kitchen. He smiled at the petrified boy over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I have your back."

"You have my arm, not my back!" Coby shrieked.

The pirate just laughed merrily, rounded a corner and stopped. Before him stood a huge, fat woman with a spiky iron mace propped on her shoulder. She sneered down at them both. Alvida eyed Luffy suspiciously first, then her gaze flickered to Coby. Three men behind her snickered mockingly.

The pinkette cowered, vainly trying to sink into the floor. The raven-haired teen just stared. Suddenly he pointed a finger at her, looked at Coby and asked innocently, "Who's this baby whale?"

Alvida and her lackeys growled furiously. Coby gasped and tried to grab Luffy by his shoulders to shake some sense into him, but the straw hatted pirate avoided his grip.

"Ah, I must say sorry," he stated suddenly, and the pink-haired kid sighted with relief. "Makino once said that baby whales are cute. I shouldn't insult them like that." He ignored the terrified Coby and turned to face Alvida again.

The woman's face turned red from anger and several veins popped on her forehead.

"COBY!" she roared, forcing the poor boy to almost faint from fear. "Who's the most beautiful woman in all the seas?!"

"W-why of course i-it's…" Coby was choking on his own words when a hand landed on his shaking shoulder. Luffy peered right into his eyes, encouraging smile on his face. "It's all about the conviction to chase after your dream. I don't care if I die doing it." The boy remembered the words of the young pirate and they made him think that maybe, just maybe, he somehow could overcome his fears and fight for his own dream like that.

Coby clenched his fists, took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs: "YOU'RE THE UGLIEST OLD HAG IN ALL THE SEAS!"

Luffy burst into laughter. This kid may have wanted to become a marine, but he was alright in his book. And that meant that Luffy had to save his hide.

He pushed Coby, who was white as a paper, out of the iron mace's way and easily avoided it himself. Without any delay, he shot forward and threw a punch into the woman's stomach. Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets from the force of the attack, causing her large body to fly backwards. She cleaned up the three goons still standing behind her as she skidded along the hallway and through a wall.

With a huge grin plastered on his face, Luffy made his way through the hole and stepped out onto the deck. Coby quietly scurried after him.

A bunch of bewildered pirates tore their eyes from the beaten frame of their captain and fearfully looked at the small hatted figure.

"Shishishishi. Now, you three," Luffy pointed at a trio standing nearby, "prepare a boat for me and Coby." He pointed at another duo of pirates. "You two, stock some food and drink onto the boat for our journey. The rest of you," he waved his hand in the general direction of the crew, "bring all your treasure and money."

The pirates gritted their teeth and their expressions darkened. "Who do you think you are, punk?!" screamed one and jumped to attack, but was instantly flung across the deck with a kick. Two swordsmen growled and slashed their sabers at Luffy, but he casually ducked under the blades, grabbed their heads, and smashed them against each other. He cautiously scanned through the rest of the crew. No one else moved.

A smile slid on the future Pirate King's lips again, but this time it was not a happy grin, nor it was a cocky smirk. Alvida's goons shivered from his evil smile, a smile promising them a great amount of pain.

"So?" asked Luffy, amusement clearly in his voice. He didn't need to tell them more, pirates scrambled to fulfill his orders like their life depended on it.

Luffy raised an eyebrow at the Alvida's goon who gulped nervously. "That's all you have?" asked the boy. The man in front of him heartily nodded. Luffy looked back at the measly bag of treasure and beli. "That's really all you have?" he inquired again.

"Sorry, Sir," the pirate gulped nervously again, "we were robbed blind before our last raid, so we only have loot from one attack."

"Robbed? Pfft," Luffy tried to hold in laughter, but failed miserably. It echoed through the silent ship, much to the displeasure of the residents. "You're rather crappy pirates, aren't you?"

The straw hatted teen grabbed the treasure bag and tossed it over the railings, completely unfazed by all the angry glares and growls. When he heard a raucous sound from below, followed by a scared yelp, Luffy looked over his shoulder to the dinghy and called to the boy already inside, "Are we ready to leave, Coby?"

"Y-yeah, Luffy-san!"

"Alright then," he sighed, glancing over all the men on deck and smirked. "I have a parting gift for you before I leave. It's for taking care of Coby."

Before anyone could react, he stretched his leg upwards and brought down heavenly wrath. The ship swayed violently, wood creaked as cracks ran across the deck. Luffy repeated the attack, ultimately shattering the ship into several pieces, before jumping to the dinghy.

"Have fun, losers!" he bid his farewell while waving both hands towards the totally defeated, weeping pirates.

Luffy settled comfortably in their little boat and laughed at Alvida's sinking ship. Coby stared at it for a while, then glanced at the young pirate and laughed nervously.

"That was fun!" stated Luffy finally, when they'd drifted far away from the unfortunate pirate crew.

"Um, Luffy-san, where are we sailing?"

Luffy hummed. "Beats me. My crewmembers could be anywhere. Where do you want to go?"

"M-me?" the pinkette stuttered, but composed himself and said, "Shells Town is about a day from here. There is a marine base and I-I could probably join them."

"Marine base, huh?" the pirate frowned, but then lifted his head to watch the clouds and sighed tiredly. "Well, I guess we can go there."

Coby grinned happily, shifted the sail slightly in accordance with their new destination. After a moment, he spoke again, "Now that I think about it, there are rumors that the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro is held in that base."

That piqued Luffy's interest. "Pirate hunter?"

"Rumors say he is a bloodthirsty killer, wandering the seas and slaughtering everyone who stands in his way. He's a demon in the form of a man." The boy shivered just from talking about such a dangerous and evil man. "He's also called the Demon of the East Blue."

That sounded interesting. Luffy smiled. "Is he a swordsman, by any chance?"

"I think he is. Why?"

The pirate's smile grew to an impossible size. "Swordsmen are so cool! I want to see him!"

"Don't be stupid, Luffy-san! He's a demon!" shrieked Coby. "He's gonna kill you the moment he lays eyes on you!"

"Let him try, shishishishi. I bet a demonic swordsman is even cooler! I need the best for my crew." He leapt onto the dinghy's bowsprit, fist-pumped the air and exclaimed "Set course to Clam Town to meet the demon!" He burst into laughter, completely ignoring the terrified shouts from his companion about demons, bounty hunters, and being killed because of carelessness.

"We're finally here! Clam Town!" Luffy yelled excited, the moment he jumped from the dinghy to the ground.

"Shells Town, Luffy-san, I told you several times already. It's called Shells Town." Coby heaved a heavy sigh. Dealing with this extremely exuberant teen was much harder than he could ever have imagined. Once he got a crazy idea stuck in his mind, nobody could talk him out of it. Not even when his own life was in danger.

"Let's go meet the demon!" stated Luffy and promptly started walking up the hill towards the navy buildings. It was still in the early morning, so people just began to fill the streets. Nobody paid any attention to two young boys.

Coby stalked after Luffy, lacking any motivation to meet the infamous pirate hunter or join the marines. "Luffy-san, you should reconsider. Roronoa Zoro is a dangerous man. He was caught by marines because he probably did something really bad." The pinkette shivered. "Maybe he slaughtered the town or something."

The hatted pirate just snorted. "Just because marines caught him, doesn't mean that he's a bad man."

"He's a demon! Marines are justice! They would never arrest an innocent man!"

Luffy stopped and unconsciously touched the left side of his neck. Some dark memories resurfaced, but he shoved them off immediately. He needed to think about something else. Anything. He looked at the ugly building on top of the hill. He'll soon see the cool swordsman and maybe find his first nakama. That's it! He just had to focus on that.

His stupid companion still rambled about how perfect and just the navy was, oblivious of the annoyed, cold glare Luffy sent his way.

"Coby, shut up." He uttered in a low, dangerous voice, and the pinkette almost melted away under his fierce glare. "You're too naïve if you think that marines would never touch an innocent person. They'd do that easily, and sometimes go even further." He touched his scar again, and pinned Coby with his soul piercing eyes. "You'll never be truly just, if you continue to believe that all marines are saints or that all pirates are evil."

Coby gulped. He remembered Luffy saying that he didn't like marines, but his eyes now showed enormous hate towards them. Just now it clicked that it was a bad idea to glorify the navy in front of him. He made this extremely powerful pirate furious!

Inwardly, Coby had already started saying goodbye to his miserable life, but Luffy finally shifted his gaze back to the base. Coby almost fainted from relief. Now he wasn't sure who the true demon was, and swore never to make this teen angry ever again.

They reached their destination in silence. Coby was mulling over Luffy's words, and only snapped out of it when his companion happily exclaimed "We're here!"

Luffy strolled along the wall, trying to reach the presence he could sense a bit further away. It was stronger and much fiercer than any other presence he'd felt until now. It wasn't cold or hostile in any way, which he'd expected from a 'demon', only bitter and lonely.

Luffy leapt onto the wall, barely able to contain his excitement. He pulled himself up and sat cross-legged on top, laying his eyes on the so called pirate hunter, Roronoa Zoro, for the first time.

The man was tied to a wooden cross in the middle of an empty execution yard, like some poor excuse for a crucifix, with his eyes hidden under the shadow of black bandana. Luffy noticed trails of dry blood on his face, it was smeared on his shirt as well, mixed with sweat. He seemed tired, starved, thirsty, beaten, and definitely nothing like the bloodthirsty Demon of the East Blue.

But if this Zoro guy had such a vigorous presence while weakened, and radiated pride even when bound and beaten, he was certainly a man worthy to become a nakama of the Pirate King.

Luffy couldn't restrain his lips from splitting into a huge grin. So that's what his swordsman looked like.

Next Chapter: The Pirate King and his Swordsman

Chapter Text

Luffy couldn't contain his lips from splitting into a huge grin. So that's what his swordsman looked like.

He was drawn from his musings by a scared cry beside him. Luffy glanced at Coby who had also climbed the wall and was now staring at the pirate hunter with wide eyes full of terror.

"Th-th-that black bandana… Green haramaki… Three earrings… I-it's him! It's Roronoa Zoro!"

Luffy rolled his eyes. "Well, duh." He was sure that no one else could have such an impressive presence in this island. The hatted teen smiled again. "He's my first nakama."

"S-stop joking!" the pinkette paled. "You know nothing about this guy! How can you decide that from one glance?! If you free him, he could kill you!"

"Why would he do that? He's a bounty hunter, right? I still don't have a bounty," Luffy pouted. "Besides, I'm strong too."

Coby let out an exasperated sigh. What the hell was wrong with this guy?

"Oi, you!" Zoro shouted with a hoarse voice and lifted his head to glare at the two kids. "This isn't a zoo! Piss off!"

His glare made Coby's hair stand on end, but Luffy only grinned.

Suddenly his attention was drawn to a young girl who was struggling to squeeze through the gap in the gates on the left side of the execution yard. The pirate curiously watched as a dark brown-haired girl eventually stumbled inside, cautiously looked around, and then sprinted to the tied up prisoner. Luffy noted her tightly bandaged arm, a small bundle of cloth was safely tucked between the straps.

"AHHHH! What are you doing, girl?!" Coby shrieked in total panic. "Luffy-san, she'll get herself killed!"

"Oi, oi, oi!" swordsman also yelled at the same time, there was worry in his voice. "What are you doing here, shorty?! Did you forget what happened yesterday? GO AWAY!" He looked at the two boys on the wall and shouted in their direction, "Get her out of here, you damn brats!"

"But, onii-chan, you haven't eaten anything for more than two weeks. I made some new rice balls for you," she unfolded the bundle, revealing two neatly done rice balls, and smiled proudly. "This time I made them with salt!"

"I'm not hungry, dammit! Go away, before you get hurt again!"

"Well, well, well," the smug voice startled them both. "I thought I heard voices in the yard. Aren't you the same pipsqueak from yesterday?"

The girl froze, all color drained from her face. Zoro growled angrily at the young blonde man who was walking slowly towards them, smirking cockily. Two marine bodyguards trailed behind him. They stopped right in front of the heavily shaking child. The rice balls dropped on the ground, and the girl took a step back.

"Again with these disgusting rice balls?" he screwed up his face in disdain. "I already warned you, and my daddy also said to kill you," he grinned and glanced at one of his lackeys. "You do it."

"B-but, Helmeppo-sama…" the marine stammered.

"Are you trying to disobey me and my daddy, EH?!"

"No, sir! Right away, sir…"

Marine lifted his rifle with trembling hands and pointed it at the girl.

Zoro gritted his teeth. He struggled helplessly against his bindings. "You son of a bitch!" he roared. "STOP! She's just a kid!"

"Oi." A cold voice suddenly pierced through the silence, and they all whipped their heads to look at the straw hatted teen, still comfortably sitting on the wall. "Don't touch that girl."

Helmeppo gulped under the icy glare of the stranger. "W-w-who are you?"

"Name's Monkey D. Luffy," he introduced. His eyes flickered to the petrified child and he smiled warmly at her. "Come here, we'll see you home."

She scurried to him without a second thought. Luffy picked her up gently and moved her to the other side of the fence.

"Coby, lead her home, I'll come in a moment."

"O-okay," the pinkette complied, jumping down from his spot and rushing to the girl who was still deeply shaken.

Luffy turned to the people in the yard again. The marines were still gaping at him, but Zoro had a small, relieved smile on his face.

Luffy scowled. These marines reminded him of the ones he met in that place. No regards or sympathy towards other human beings. He already hated this island, it made him lose his good mood and remember things he'd long since buried.

"S-sir? This kid…"

"Yeah, what about him, lieutenant?"

"He has a slave brand on his back."

"What?! So he's one of those pieces of trash? Tch. No wonder he looks so beaten up. Oi, you, where is your master?"

"He said his name was–"

"Slaves don't have names, lieutenant. Contact the base and tell them to send a message to the Celestial Dragons that one of their runaway pets is here."

"He also has this strange collar around his neck."

"Isn't that collar supposed to blow up when they run away?"

"I think it's made from sea stone, sir."

"A Devil Fruit user, huh? Well, whatever. A slave is a slave."

Luffy shoved that memory back into the deepest part of his mind. He'd begged for help at that time, and was betrayed by those who swore to uphold justice.

"D-do you know what you are doing, punk?" the blond snapped. "I will tell my daddy! Y-you'll be executed!"

The pirate couldn't fight the grin which grew on his face from such a poor attempt at intimidation. "Sure," he said, amusement clear in his voice, "go and do that."

"You'll regret this!" Helmeppo huffed. "Roronoa Zoro," that annoying smug smirk had returned on his lips when he faced the prisoner again, "your endurance is really worthy of my respect. I never imagined you could survive for so long. So I've decided," he paused dramatically, "that you'll be publicly executed today at noon!"

Zoro's heart almost stopped. "What..?"

The blonde just laughed at him scornfully, then pointed at the two marines, "You two stay here and stand guard. Don't allow anyone to come near him, understand?!"

The men saluted. "Yes, Helmeppo-sama!"

With one last glance at the straw hatted teen, Helmeppo turned around and started to walk away.

"You said all I had to do was survive one month! That was our deal, you bastard!" the pirate hunter spat after him.

"I never promised to release you. Only an idiot would have believed that," he laughed again and waved his hand. "Have fun while you can!"

Zoro glared after him. Right now he wished that glares could kill, if he ever got his hands on that blonde bastard… "Shit," he muttered.

Two marines took their places at either side of the wooden cross, prepared to do their duty with rifles at the ready.

Zoro knew he was in a really tight predicament. He began to wriggle his hands in an attempt to free himself, but his effort was in vain. The swordsman didn't have enough strength anymore to escape on his own. "You're weak as usual, Zoro." Ah, Kuina was so right about him…

Luffy quietly observed the declaration of execution and Zoro's desperate attempt to escape after it. He would never allow the marines to kill him, but Zoro didn't need to know that. He could use this situation for his own benefit.

"Soooo," the straw hatted pirate drawled, his mischievous smile catching everybody's attention, "you're going to die?"

Zoro bared his teeth. "Screw you!"

The black-haired kid was an odd one. The hunter glared at him with all the animosity he could muster, but the kid didn't even bat an eye. To the contrary, his smirk grew impossibly wider. Maybe the boy was not right in the head.

"Join my crew!" he proposed eagerly.

The guards shifted from one foot to another.

Zoro blinked. "What?"

"Shishishishi. Join my pirate crew!" Luffy repeated. "And I will help you escape."

The marines clenched their guns tighter. One of them stepped forward and loudly stated, "We cannot allow such talk in front of us!"

Luffy spared him a split second glance, and then dismissed him completely again, giving full attention to his future nakama.

"Pirate crew?" The swordsman snorted. "Are you a cabin boy for some pirate scum or something? Go home, kid, and stop dreaming."

Zoro closed his eyes. Sure, he could accept an invitation to join 'the pirates' and ask the boy to free him, but he doubted he could protect them both from the marines in such a weakened state. His treasured swords had been taken, and even if he could escape, going against the navy would turn him into a wanted criminal. The hunter would become the hunted. But to die here was also out of the question, the problem was how to avert that.

"I'm not a cabin boy, I'm the captain!" Luffy chuckled at the sight of all three men's eyes widening in surprise. "And to stop dreaming would mean acknowledged defeat to this world. That will never happen!" He placed a hand on top of his straw hat. "Dreams are promises to yourself. You should never break a promise."

Zoro had his own dream to pursue, his own promise to fulfill. "I'll become so strong that my name will reach the heavens! I'll become the strongest swordsman in the world!" But he was torn. Even if the kid really was a pirate, he probably couldn't even throw a punch to save his life. The two guards were under orders to stop anyone from even approaching him. The boy was still safe because he was sitting on the wall this whole time. Could he risk an innocent life to save his own?

"Well," Luffy turned around to leave, "think about my offer. See ya!"

"Wait"–

But the hatted teen was already gone. Tension seeped from the marines' shoulders. That so proclaimed pirate captain was just a teenager, but gee if he wasn't a bold one.

Zoro sighed, feeling way too tired to deal with this situation. He had no other choice but to place his trust on some unknown kid. The idiot looked trustworthy enough. The swordsman frowned, surprised by his own thoughts. Why did he believe he could depend on that strange pirate?

Zoro stared at the rice balls on the ground. Damn, he was so hungry…

"Coby!" Luffy called, finally spotting his pink-haired companion, sitting on a bench near some restaurant. He waved his hand. Coby answered him with a shy wave of his own.

It took a while for Luffy to find him. The girl was gone, and Coby looked troubled.

"What are you doing here?" asked Luffy. "Are you hungry?"

"Ah, no. This is Rika's home," he tilted his head towards the restaurant. "It belongs to the family of the girl you saved from those marines."

Worry gnawed at Luffy. His friend seemed sad, and… ashamed? "Coby, what's wrong?"

"Luffy-san, you were right," he heaved a tired sigh, and his head drooped even more. "Rika told me everything. Marine captain Morgan executes everybody who dares to disobey him, his son is no better. Zoro was arrested because he killed Helmeppo's pet wolf when it attacked Rika. And he even ordered to toss her from execution yard! She broke her arm!" Coby suddenly jumped from the bench and peered at Luffy with determined fire in his eyes. "I-I don't want to be like these marines! I want to be a good one! A marine who protects the innocent!"

Luffy smiled. Yep, Coby was still alright, as far as he was concerned. He flashed a thumb up to him, showing his approval, before looking back to the street. He sensed the annoying presence making his way here. It was almost noon.

"Coby, can you do me a favor?" Luffy asked. Seeing the boy nod, he requested, "Get some beli from our boat and ask the owner of this restaurant to make some food for me and Zoro. I bet he's hungry," he smiled. "Oh, and also ask to prepare a bath for him and some clean clothes."

Coby gawked at him. That was extremely mindful. He would have never guessed that this exuberant teen could be aware of the needs of starved and beaten person. He seemed like a happy-go-lucky fellow without any care for life's hardships.

"You're going to free Zoro?"

"Of course!" Luffy grinned. "He's my nakama!"

Coby just nodded, and hurried away to fulfill the request. Luffy turned to face the street, where he'd spotted a purple suit.

"Is everyone looking forward to the public execution of the infamous pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro?" laughed the blonde. "I, the great Helmeppo-sama, will become the one who brought down the Demon of the East Blue!"

People just cowered, averting their eyes from the marines in shame. Everyone in the town knew that the young man was innocent, but no one dared defy the tyranny of Axe-hand Morgan. So, they almost fell from shock when a scrawny boy with a straw hat made a beeline for the pompous blonde, and slapped him across the cheek so hard that he spun around and collapsed ungracefully. Several snickers echoed around the surrounding crowd.

Helmeppo's new escort just gaped until Luffy took them out by smashing their heads together. He didn't need any interruptions.

"What the hell are you doing?!" the blonde glared, but was instantly frozen meeting the eyes of the young pirate. "AHHHH! It's you!"

Luffy smirked darkly. He wanted to beat the living daylights out of him, but this asshole had Zoro's sword. It would be faster to ask him where he put it. And if he wouldn't comply… Well, he would slap him until he did.

Luffy looked around the room, and spotted three katanas propped against the wall in the corner. He grinned, pushing Helmeppo aside, and hopping across the room.

"Oi, which one is Zoro's?"

The room was empty. The pirate shrugged, at least the blond bastard knew how to flee fast. He grabbed all three swords, opened the window, and jumped down. Humming some melody he couldn't remember where he'd heard it, Luffy made his way to the execution yard.

"Zoro!" he happily called, startling all three men, once he jumped over the inner gate. "I got your sword back!"

One of the guards reluctantly lifted his rifle and pointed it at the teen. Luffy just narrowed his eyes, promptly dashed towards the man and punching him in the face. The marine flew backwards like a rag doll and landed further away in a cloud of dust.

"How rude," Luffy sulked. "I don't like people pointing guns at me."

Zoro stared, stunned. That certainly was a punch which could save one's life. And the kid's speed was amazing. So, he wasn't lying when he said he was a pirate.

Luffy shot a glare at the second marine who flinched. He tried to lift his gun, but because of his trembling hands he almost dropped it. Instead, the man just turned around and fled the area.

The straw hatted teen beamed at Zoro, holding all three katanas in front of him. "So, which one is yours? I couldn't tell, so I grabbed all three from that stupid onion head."

"You went to the base all alone just to pick up my swords?"

"Yep!" Luffy popped the 'p' childishly.

The pirate hunter smirked. "All three are mine. I use three katanas."

"So, will you join me?"

"That's enough!" boomed a loud voice from the inner gate.

Both young men turned their heads to watch as a group of marines ran inside, lined up, and lifted their rifles. A tall, blond man with a metallic jaw and a huge axe on his arm sneered behind them.

"Are you two planning a political upheaval?" he asked. "Roronoa Zoro, do not underestimate me! Your skills, compared to my strength, are nothing!"

Luffy snorted. "That's such a stupid thing to say to a bound man. Zoro could beat you anytime, even in his weakened state."

The swordsman glanced at the teen, surprised.

Morgan just laughed. "Before my great strength, you're just garbage! Men, take aim!"

Luffy dropped the katanas on the ground and placed his straw hat on top of them.

Zoro felt the dread creep in. He stared fearfully into the black abyss of a rifle's barrel. He couldn't die here, but there was no way the boy would free him in time now. He still had things to do, dying here was–

"FIRE!"

–not an excuse for breaking his promise to Kuina!

A red shirt suddenly appeared in his line of sight. Zoro's eyes widened, and his breath stuck in his throat, once he registered that the black-haired pirate had stepped in front of him. "…YOU!"

Gunshots echoed through the execution yard.

Luffy shifted slightly to catch all the bullets, but he was forced to step back when the projectiles hit him. With a grunt, he stumbled forwards and they all bounced back.

The marines' eyes bulged out and jaws dropped from the shock. The kid was alive, without so much as a scratch, glaring furiously at them.

"You really have guts to shoot me," said Luffy with a voice just above whisper. "I HATE BEING SHOT!"

He stretched his leg and swatted the marine grunts like flies, earning a bunch of painful screams and wails.

"Wha…" Zoro gaped. "What are you?!"

Luffy glanced at him and grinned. "I'll tell you later." Without any warning, he darted towards the axe-handed man and smashed a fist into his face. Morgan staggered backwards, and scoffed at the youth. He threw off his coat.

"People like you, without status–" he started, but Luffy interrupted him with a side kick, making him bite his own tongue.

"I don't care," the pirate stated bluntly. He shot forward with his fist stretched behind him, ducked under wide sweep of axe, and threw his punch right into the solar plexus, sending his opponent to the ground, several metres away.

"Oi, Straw Hat!" Helmeppo screeched, drawing Luffy's attention. He was standing near Zoro and held a pistol pointed at his head. "I-if you care about his life, don't move! Try anything and I'll shoot!"

The raven-haired teen just stared at the blond who cringed from the furious and intimidating glare. Zoro gritted his teeth in frustration. Not only couldn't he protect himself, but he also became a hostage!

"You," Luffy uttered in a dangerously low voice, "shouldn't threaten my nakama."

Helmeppo now was shivering so heavily, that the pistol was moving everywhere around the swordsman's head. He gasped and slightly composed himself, then noticed his father rising from the ground, lifting his axe above the pirate.

Luffy's knuckles planted itself into Helmeppo's face, breaking his nose and sending him flying into the yard's furthest fence.

Zoro's heart almost stopped as the axe descended. "Luffy..!" In that moment he was sure he'd see the teen cleaved in half. But Luffy swayed to the side at the last possible moment, and the axe came down an inch from his arm and into the ground, creating a deep crack. The boy jumped away from Morgan and sent both arms far behind him, whipping them back forward into Morgan's stomach. The man flew through the yard, its surrounding wall, and into the navy building.

Luffy grinned. He ignored the rest of the conscious marines shouting and yelling as none of them made a move against him again. The enemies were down, Zoro was alive, all that was left for him was to finally hear his answer. He grabbed the straw hat and put it on his head.

"Shishishishi. So," he looked at the swordsman, wide grin still across his face, "will you join me?"

Zoro frowned. The teen seemed unfazed by the near death fight. Was that not luck? Maybe he was even more capable than that? But Roronoa Zoro wasn't a man to pledge his loyalty to just anyone so quickly, even to save his life. He still wanted to make sure he was worth it. "What would you do if I say no?"

The swordsman didn't expect for Luffy's smile to falter so fast. He certainly didn't expect for the teen to pick up his white katana and unsheathe it.

Luffy stomped to Zoro without saying a word, eyes hidden under the shadow of his straw hat. Zoro winced when the blade slashed the ropes, binding one of his arms. He looked at the pirate confused, but Luffy just thrust the katana into his now free hand, turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" exclaimed Zoro, before cutting himself free from the wooden cross.

Luffy stopped. Zoro felt a pang of guilt now, because the kid's back seemed so small and lonely.

"I have a dream," the pirate hunter declared. Luffy turned around to face him. Zoro raised his white katana and pointed it at him. "I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman! I don't care if I'll be known as a pirate, as long as my name is acknowledged worldwide. If you do something to interfere with my goal, my blades will take your life!"

That was the last test. Many laughed at his dream, many thought he was crazy. Even most of those who lost to him mocked his ambition to reach the very top. Zoro realized that at this moment he looked nothing like a great swordsman, but if this kid started laughing…

Luffy's whole demeanor suddenly changed as he cocked his head to peer at Zoro. A smile spread across his face, but it wasn't mocking the man in front of him. It felt more like a challenge.

"That's an admirable dream. If you can't even accomplish something that small, you don't deserve to be a crewmember of the Pirate King!"

Zoro had to suppress a shiver of excitement as he was stared down. It was mind-boggling how someone a head shorter than him could make him feel inferior.

Zoro flashed a predatory smirk. So this is what his captain would look like.

Next Chapter: The Purpose of the Dagger

Chapter Text

Zoro flashed a predatory smirk. So this is what his captain would look like.

Now that all the adrenaline had boiled from his system, Zoro was suddenly assaulted by the full force of exhaustion. He staggered, but managed to plunge his katana into the ground and lean on it. "Ahhh, I'm so hungry…"

Luffy laughed softly while picking up the other two swords. "Come on, Zoro, I had them prepare some food and a bath for you."

The swordsman blinked at him. "Really?" He narrowed his eyes. "What would you have done if I'd actually refused your invitation?"

"Nothing," Luffy answered honestly. He stepped alongside Zoro and motioned him to lean on him. "I helped you escape, didn't I?"

Zoro sheathed his katana, strapped all three of them to his waist, and leaned on Luffy with a tired sigh. He was way too exhausted to walk on his own. And going by the boy's satisfied grin, he was more than happy to help.

"Why did you use my sword to cut the ropes anyway?" asked Zoro, as they left the execution yard and started slowly walking through the streets. "You have a dagger."

He felt Luffy tense slightly under his arm. That was strange. He observed his new captain with a curious sideways glance.

The boy had a contemplative expression, until he sighed and closed his eyes. "This dagger has only one purpose, and it's not to cut ropes. Sorry, Zoro."

Before the swordsman could ask anything else, they spotted Coby and Rika waiting patiently for them outside the restaurant, waving.

Luffy was right to insist about taking a bath first, because Zoro felt alive for the first time in two weeks. The owner of the restaurant, Rika's mother Ririka, even provided him with a set of clean clothes. For saving her daughter, she said.

The swordsman was grinning contently as he climbed down the stairs to the ground floor. His captain was laughing merrily, while Coby stared at him horrified.

"And that's why we are going there!" Luffy cheered, fist-pumping the air.

"Going where?" inquired Zoro. He glanced over the completely empty restaurant. There was only him, Luffy, the pink-haired kid, Rika, and her mother.

"To the Grand Line, of course!"

"Stop joking, Luffy-san! You can't go to the Grand Line with just the two of you!"

"I can't become the Pirate King, and Zoro can't become the world's greatest swordsman, if we stay in the East Blue, Coby." Luffy deadpanned.

Zoro joined them at the table and just shrugged. "Sounds like a plan." He accepted a big plate of food from Rika who beamed at them.

"Big brothers are so strong and brave!" she chirped.

"Shishishishi!"

The pinkette heaved a sigh of defeat. There was no way these two demons would ever listen to him.

"By the way," muttered Zoro, between bites, "why is it so empty here?"

Coby cringed, and Luffy frowned. The swordsman raised an eyebrow at that.

"Luffy-san kicked everyone out," Ririka told him, a nervous smile on her face.

"They were annoying," the Luffy's frown deepened. "Bursting in here and shouting 'hero, hero'. I'm a pirate, not a hero! Besides, I wanted to eat in peace." He smirked at his nakama, "I bet Zoro agrees with me."

The green-haired pirate just nodded. Now that he'd started to eat, there was no time for him to speak, but he was truly glad that there were no spectators watching over his shoulder.

"You saved this town from Axe-hand Morgan," the woman noted. "People are just happy."

"Yeah, well, I didn't plan to do that, so I don't need any thanks."

Ririka still wanted to say something more, but suddenly doors opened. Several marines entered and lined up in front of the pirate's table.

One of them stepped forward. "Excuse us," he said and respectfully touched his hat as greetings. "Is it true that you are pirates?"

Luffy watched him for a couple moments, an unreadable expression on his face, causing the marines to uncomfortably shift in their stances. "That's right," he finally answered.

Zoro licked his lips and patted his stomach. At last his hunger was appeased.

"We wanted to express our gratitude for what you did for us and this town, but since you're pirates we cannot allow you–"

The straw hatted pirate slammed his fist on the table, making all the plates rattle loudly. Everyone flinched, except Zoro, who just curiously observed his captain.

"You bastards arrested and tortured an innocent man," Luffy pointed at Zoro, "harmed the civilians," he pointed at Rika and her mother, "destroyed the dream of my friend," Coby gulped when the finger was shoved in his face, "and even dared to shoot me." The teen covered his eyes with the shadow of the straw hat. "Do you really think I care what you can or cannot allow me to do?"

There were many things left unsaid. The marines' heads dropped in shame. They knew all about the unjust deeds of this navy base under the rule of Captain Morgan, and this young pirate cruelly rubbed it all into their faces.

Luffy glared at them. "We're not leaving until Zoro gets enough rest."

The marines looked like beaten puppies. The swordsman sighed. He didn't know why his new captain was so hostile, but he certainly didn't harbor a grudge against them despite almost being executed. "Luffy, I can nap on the boat." He paused. "Do we even have a boat?"

"Of course, we do!" the raven-haired teen huffed. "But are you sure, Zoro?"

"The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get to the Grand Line." He smirked. "Right, Captain?"

The usual, impossibly-sized grin bloomed on Luffy's face. "Yeah!" he cheered. "Oba-chan, can we get food for our journey?"

Ririka smiled. "I'll prepare it immediately."

Coby was amazed. Luffy was swinging on the chair now with that sunny grin of his, probably dreaming about future adventures, the fury completely gone. Zoro caught up on how to handle him so fast! He wondered if the man himself realized that.

Ririka came back with a bag of food, and thanked the pirates again for saving her daughter and the town. The boys just smiled and walked towards the exit.

"Oh!" Luffy stopped next to the marine who spoke to him. "I just remembered." He fished out a crumpled up letter from his pocket and gave it to the marine. "Read it and let him join the Navy," he pointed at Coby.

The man looked at the letter. There was a Navy HQ stamp on it. Curious about why the pirate had a letter from Marineford, he unfolded it, and started to read. The color slowly drained from his face, leaving him white. He glanced at the pirate, who just grinned, then at Coby, and then again at the letter. His face blanched even more.

"YOU!" he screeched at Coby, causing him to jump in fright. "I don't care what you want, but you will join the Navy! You start right now! Do you understand?!"

"A-aye! …huh?"

The marine glanced at Luffy again, but he simply chuckled, and together with his companion, left the dumbstruck restaurant.

When they were out of earshot, Zoro couldn't help but ask, "What was that letter?"

"Something my grandpa gave me. He said to use it if I ever ran into trouble with marines in the East Blue. That worked perfectly!"

"Your grandfather? Is he a marine?"

Luffy nodded.

Zoro looked at him, surprised. "And he's not against you becoming a pirate?"

"He was at first," the teen touched the left side of his neck, "but a lot has happened. Grandpa understands now. He still tries to make me change my mind, though."

"Clearly that's not working."

"Shishishishi."

Luffy tried to squeeze through the people. There were so many of them! He didn't remember encountering such a big crowd in the Goa kingdom before.

The slash wound across his temple and eyebrow were burning painfully. His whole body was sore, his limbs felt like they were filled with damp sand. Luffy clutched his treasured straw hat against his chest more tightly and pushed forward determined.

He had to find Sabo. He roughly knew where his blond brother was, so Luffy reasoned that with his help, they'll definitely be able to find Ace. For that, he managed to sneak into the town and was slowly making his way towards the place where all the nice houses were with the hope of bumping into Sabo.

With a final shove, the black-haired boy squeezed through the crowd, suddenly stumbling into an empty path and falling down. The straw hat rolled on the ground away from him. Luffy reached for it.

A gunshot echoed amid the noise of the crowd.

The bullet sank into his side, and his small body slightly slid backwards from the force. And then it bounced off. Luffy groaned. He wasn't hurt, just startled. He pushed himself up, shook his head, and reached for the hat again.

One more gunshot rang sharply.

This time the projectile hit his throat, throwing the child rolling on the ground, before bouncing off again. Luffy coughed painfully, tore open his eyes, and looked up.

He saw the face twisted in disgust directed at him. The stranger was in a thick, white suit, sitting on a chair. The chair was strapped onto the back of a bloodied and sweaty man on all fours, allowing the stranger to stare down scornfully through a strange transparent helmet. Whispy smoke rose from the rifle, still pointed at Luffy.

"What is that?" the man spoke in a cold, callous voice.

"I believe this child ate a Devil Fruit, Saint Jalmack," answered a second man, wearing a black suit.

"Hmph."

He pulled the trigger one more time. Luffy was thrown even further back by the impact.

"S-stop that!" he shouted.

"Again, a filthy commoner has the nerve to cross my path, and this one even yells at me! This place is the worst," complained the World Noble. "Take that filth. Maybe he'll be a worthwhile souvenir to make my brother happy."

"I'm sure Saint Kenjord will be delighted, Sir," agreed the man in black. "His collection of Devil Fruit slaves are known all over Mariejois."

Luffy finally managed to stand up, eyes locked onto his straw hat. Rough hands grabbed him without any warning and tossed him over someone's shoulder. The boy squirmed against his kidnapper.

"Let me go! Where are you taking me?! No! My hat!" Luffy vainly reached for his treasured item again, but it was so far away, peacefully lying on the ground. Suddenly someone stomped on it before his very eyes. Tears rolled down the boy's cheeks.

"Ace! Sabo!" Luffy cried desperately, while still reaching for his beloved straw hat, slowly disappearing from his line of sight. "HELP ME!"

Luffy jerked from his sleep, his whole body trembling from his rapid breathing.

A hand landed on his shoulder.

The teen instantly smacked it away. "Don't touch me!" he demanded, scrambling away until he hit the side of the boat. Pain and terror gripped his features as he looked wildly around without actually seeing anything. His eyes fell on the straw hat. Luffy reached for it hesitantly. When he felt the familiar texture on his fingertips, he snatched it up immediately and pressed it against his chest. After a moment, he finally calmed down.

Just a dream.

The dinghy faintly swayed from the almost non-existent waves. It was a warm, silent night. A dark dome stretched above the ocean, decorated with a myriad of stars.

Luffy lifted his head. Zoro was squatting in front of him, one hand still lifted in the air, and staring at him with confusion written all over his face.

"Zoro," he said quietly, "did I wake you up?"

The swordsman raised his eyebrow. "You were screaming for help," he stated, suddenly feeling rather irritated. Was this kid serious?

Luffy winced, and hugged his hat even harder. "Sorry," he whispered. "Bad dream."

Luffy hated the feeling of vulnerability that choked him every time he woke from an extremely vivid nightmare. He'd thought that he could hold these kinds of night terrors at bay, but the last island had triggered way too many dark memories for him.

"Whatever," Zoro muttered and lay down to sleep again.

Luffy's scream for help echoed in swordsman's ears. The wild fear in those obsidian eyes got stuck in his mind. Bad dreams wouldn't do that to a person. Something must have happened to him.

Zoro peeked at his captain with one eye. The kid was still clutching his straw hat and staring off somewhere in the distance.

As if feeling his gaze, Luffy stirred, put his hat back on, and leapt onto the bowsprit.

Zoro yawned, and sat up, lazily scratching the back of his head. The first thing he noticed was the still figure of his captain sitting on the dinghy's bowsprit. It didn't seem like he'd moved during the night. The swordsman looked at the sun. It was probably only a couple hours after sunrise.

"Morning, Zoro."

The green-haired man glanced at his companion. Luffy still was sitting on the same spot, but was now facing him. And he was smiling.

"Yo."

"I forgot to tell you about my Devil Fruit yesterday," the hatted teen said. "I didn't want any enemies to hear about it."

The swordsman's eyes slightly widened. That's right. This kid had survived a barrage of bullets and walked away completely unharmed.

"I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit and became a rubber man," explained Luffy as he hooked a finger around the edge of his mouth and stretched it. After he released it, the skin snapped back. The teen snickered at the wide eyes of his nakama. "So, I'll be counting on you if I ever fall into the sea."

"Why? You can't swim?" asked Zoro, totally baffled.

"None of the Devil Fruit users can swim. It takes a lot of strength to move even a finger in the water."

The swordsman scratched his head absent-mindedly. "Fine." He felt so sleepy. Exhaustion still clung to his body after the ordeal with the marines. "Just don't fall too often."

Luffy giggled. "I'll try!"

Zoro thought for a moment. "You also didn't tell me the purpose of your dagger," he reminded.

The teen froze, his smile fell. Slowly he lowered his head so that the rim of the straw hat would hide his eyes.

Zoro pushed. "Is it to kill someone?"

"Yeah," Luffy replied in a hushed tone. "Myself."

Zoro's mind went blank. "…What?"

Luffy bit his lip. "If I ever feel my freedom threatened…" his voice cracked, and he took a shaky breath. "I'd rather kill myself than lose it again."

Zoro felt a headache building up. His new captain was not only an exuberant teenager inclined to act without thinking about the consequences, not only did he have a serious problem with nightmares, but apparently also had suicidal tendencies.

Wait. Did he just say 'again'?

"But don't worry, Zoro," as if reading his thoughts, Luffy reassured, "It's not like I want to die. I just started my journey to become the Pirate King, the freest person in the world!" His lips split into a sunny grin. "And I finally found my first nakama!"

The swordsman stared at him. There was a hopeful glint in the teen's eyes. He sighed, "Right." The kid was capable, and Zoro was curious about him. The feeling of superiority he got from him at that time in the execution yard was still fresh in his mind. Zoro was confident that it wasn't a fluke. He trusted his instincts.

"You should nap some more, Zoro," Luffy suggested. "I'll wake you up if I see an island. I wonder how long it'll take us to reach it… Well, I'm sure we will. Someday," he laughed mirthfully.

"Never heard of a pirate who can't navigate," the swordsman pointed out. "How are we supposed to reach the Grand Line at this rate?"

"Eh, it will work out somehow," the captain brushed it off. "How come you can't navigate either? Aren't you the pirate hunter of the seas?"

Zoro scowled. "I never called myself that. I went out to sea looking for one man, but couldn't find my way back and had to start hunting pirates to make a living."

"Oh, so you're lost?"

"I'm not lost! My island just… moved," Zoro protested, causing his companion to burst into laughter. "Anyway, we should find a navigator if we don't want to drift in the sea forever."

"Agreed!" cheered the teen. "We also need a cook, a musician, and a fluffy one!"

Zoro blinked. "Flu… fluffy one?"

"Yeah! Pirates can't be true pirates without a musician, but a true captain of the pirates needs someone fluffy in his crew!"

The swordsman just gawked at his toothy grin. Suddenly he shook his head and groaned, "I don't even want to know." He lay down. "Going to take the offer and nap."

Luffy jumped down. Zoro cracked open one eye to glance at him.

"Shishishishi. Here," the teen took his straw hat and placed it on his nakama's head, "it will protect you from the sun."

Zoro slid the hat down over his eyes. "Thanks," he muttered.

Luffy returned to his previous spot on the bowsprit, grinning happily.

Next Chapter: The Girl with the Darkness Within

Chapter Text

"So boring…" whined Luffy, sprawled out on the bottom of their small boat, unenthusiastically watching the clouds.

"I wish I had some booze…" seconded Zoro, leaning against the side of the boat with his three swords propped against his shoulder, lazily observing the sky.

The straw hatted teen sat up. With a small frown marring his face, he scanned the horizon around them. A small fleck in the ocean caught his attention. He squinted. "What's that?"

The swordsman followed his captain's line of sight. "Isn't that people in the water?"

Luffy hummed before grinning. "Let's go fish them out. Maybe they know where the next island is."

Zoro just shrugged indifferently.

The three castaways noticed the approaching boat and started yelling and waving their hands. Once it was close enough, they swam to it and climbed inside. Both pirates watched them impassively, not even moving from their sitting positions.

"Ahhh, I thought I was gonna die!" wailed one man with a black cap.

"Yeah, floating in the sea for a day and night is not fun," agreed the brown-haired man.

"Whew… Thank God!" exclaimed the third man with orange, curly hair.

The first one eyed their two savers and then drew his saber. "How lucky of us for you to come save us," he grinned smugly. "We're the crew of Buggy-sama and this is his territory. We're taking over this boat!"

Zoro glared at him. Luffy shoved his pinky into his nose, suddenly lifted a leg and kicked the man across the dinghy. The poor bastard smashed into the bowsprit, flipped over it, and splashed back into the water. The teen flicked a booger after him.

The brown and orange haired men just gawked at the boy. Their brains were trying to comprehend the fact that his leg had just stretched.

Luffy prepared to kick out the two others, but Zoro stopped him.

"Wait, I have an idea." The swordsman stood up and cracked his knuckles, at the same time showing them a devilish smile. "My captain and I have been drifting around for several days now. Would you be so kind as to bring us to the nearest island?"

Nami knew she was in trouble. As her foot suddenly twisted painfully in her mad rush through the empty town, and she fell down to the ground grazing her knees and elbows, she realized that 'trouble' was an understatement. She was in deep shit.

Just yesterday everything was going so smoothly. She tricked some wannabes pirates and sailed off with their boat and their treasure. After that, she successfully stole the map to the Grand Line from Buggy and almost got away with it. Almost.

There was no distraction that Nami could have used to shake her pursuers, so she was left with only one option – to give the map back. Her life was far more important than a map, which she could easily steal back again. So the thief threw it to the pirates who tried to catch her, and while they were busy with that, she fled.

Unfortunately, Buggy sent his lackeys to guard every exit from the town as soon as he got his map back. There was no escape and no mercy for the thief.

She really should have left this ghost town right after her successful escape. Why she decided to stick around for longer, she had no clue. Nami was aware that greed someday may be her demise. She just hoped that it would happen after she freed Cocoyasi Village, together with Nojiko, Gen-san and other people who were dear to her.

The thief was able to hide through the night without being spotted. She even had a plan on how to escape, but at the last moment that stupid lion and his owner had to notice her.

And now Nami was going to die before fulfilling her dream, and finally freeing herself from the clutches of that despicable Fishman.

Nami tried to catch her breath after the fall. Her whole body ached, her ankle was burning with a sharp pain. The loud growling from behind made her flinch. The thief whipped her head to look at her assailant. The enormous lion was slowly walking towards its lying prey. The man on his back, Buggy's first mate Mohji, was smirking smugly.

The beast tensed up to pounce…

A loud and carefree laughter suddenly rang from one of the alleys, drawing the attention of everyone, before two strangers casually strolled into view.

A black-haired teenage boy with a straw hat was wearing the biggest, sunniest grin across his face as he excitedly motioned his hands around his head. "–of bees. My face became thiiiiiiis wide!"

The green-haired man with three swords strapped to his waist laughed from his companion's story, and was the first to notice the people in the street they'd just stepped on. He surveyed the scene. His eyes lingered a bit longer on the girl, then flickering to the lion and finally to his rider.

The hatted teen pointed a finger at the lion and beamed at his nakama. "Let's eat that!" he proposed.

Zoro eyed the beast skeptically. "Is it even edible?"

Luffy hummed. "My home island only had tigers, but I bet lion tastes as good as them," he licked his lips. "Meat is meat! It always tastes good!"

"Really?" the swordsman doubted.

The lion growled angrily.

"The heck are you two talking about?! Richie is not food!" The man on its back shouted in outrage. After a moment he composed himself and flashed a cocky smirk at the two strangers. "I'm Buggy's pirate crewmember, the Beast Tamer Mohji, and this is my pet, Richie the lion."

Nami tried to stand up, but just moaned as the pain surged through her ankle. Her mind was working a mile a minute assessing the situation. The green-haired guy with three swords looked like the pirate hunter everybody had been talking about lately. His friend was probably also a bounty hunter, even if he seemed a bit too young for the job. If she played her cards right, they would definitely help a poor girl in trouble.

Desperately grabbing for this chance, Nami cried out, "Boss, you came! I thought I was a goner!"

Zoro regarded her with a bored and uninterested expression. Luffy just tilted his head to one side, puzzled.

"You know her, Luffy?"

"Nope."

Mohji jumped down from his mount and folded his arms in front of his chest to show his absolute confidence. "Ohhh, so you're her boss, Green-head," he said, completely dismissing the short kid with the straw hat. "Your little thief really infuriated my captain. How about making amends for what she did?"

"Why would I do that? I don't even know her."

The beast tamer snorted. "Don't try to shirk your responsibilities. What kind of boss are you?" He stepped in front of both strangers, his lion towering over him in a threatening manner.

Zoro gritted his teeth in annoyance, but before he could retort, Luffy chimed in, "That's the weirdest fur cap I've ever seen!" He stared at the man's hair which had two small furry ears.

"You idiot, watch what you're saying! THIS IS MY HAIR!" screeched Mohji. "Your hat is what is weird here! Who could wear such an old, battered thing?"

Mohji smirked and lifted his hand to swat the straw hat from Luffy's head. The teen's face darkened. His fingers curled around Mohji's wrist with great strength. "Don't touch my hat," he warned. His eyes didn't hold any mercy as he tightened his grip and snapped the wrist like a twig.

Zoro slightly cringed and stepped back when he heard the bones cracking and the agonized scream from the beast tamer. Luffy was able to be ruthless when he wanted to. No one could have expected such cold-bloodedness from a scrawny kid who was usually only smiles and sunshine.

Nami suddenly felt shivers running through her body as she watched the straw hatted boy. Her self-preservation instincts kicked in, screaming at her to flee.

Mohji's wail abruptly stopped as Luffy pulled him closer and send him flying with a powerful kick. The man crashed into his pet lion, and flung them both across the street and into the house, destroying it in the process.

Nami flattened herself against the ground with a scared yelp as the beast's huge body flew past her.

Growling, the lion pushed debris off of itself and stood up with a loud roar. It glared at the hatted human who stepped a bit closer. Luffy suddenly shot both hands towards the animal while twisting them together, gripped it by its mane, and pulled it to himself as he unwound his arms, causing the great beast to soar through the air, spinning rapidly. The pirate smashed it head first into the concrete, which cracked under the impact.

Nami panicked. He was certainly not a normal kid! He was dangerous! Probably more dangerous than Buggy! Maybe even more dangerous than Arl–

The thief shook her head, trying to dispel that line of thought. She bit her lip. The kid was strong, but no human was stronger than a Fishman.

The straw hat slipped from Luffy's head and landed near Zoro. The swordsman picked it up.

"Jerks," muttered the black-haired boy, "trying to touch my hat."

Zoro froze with that specific hat in his hand. His eyes widened when he realized that it was him who was now touching it.

"I don't even want to eat you anymore!" still in a miffed mood, Luffy announced to the unconscious or maybe even dead lion.

The swordsman gulped nervously. Well, Luffy himself gave the straw hat to him just yesterday morning. It's not like he'd react to his nakama touching it in the same hostile way, right?

Luffy turned around and looked at his beloved hat being held by Zoro.

RIGHT?!

A huge grin broke across the teen's face. "Thanks, Zoro!" he happily exclaimed, quickly walking over to him and taking it.

The green-haired pirate let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. His new captain was such a troublesome person.

"Thanks for the help, guys," said Nami, cautiously. She knew nothing about these two. They were dangerous, especially the hot-headed raven boy. What kind of monster could stretch his limbs? Who in his right mind would beat up another person just because he tried to touch his hat? Not that Nami was ungrateful of what he did, but it unnerved her. She needed to tread carefully. "My name's Nami."

"I'm Luffy," smiled the boy, placing his straw hat back on his head.

"Zoro," grunted his companion. "Are you hurt?"

Nami sat up. At least they were civil, in a way. She flinched as she tried to move her leg. "My foot…"

The swordsman approached her, and squatted down to examine it. Luffy stopped right behind him and curiously observed what he was doing.

"You sprained your ankle. Nothing serious, you need to wrap it up tightly and give it a rest," concluded Zoro. He frowned when he saw the disbelieving face of the girl. "I lived in a dojo my entire childhood, this kind of injury was common there," he explained.

"Oh." Nami was surprised by that, but then she decided to ask what was bothering her. "You're Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter, right? Do you plan on claiming Buggy's bounty?"

The green-haired man smirked. "I quit the bounty hunting business when my captain here invited me into his crew."

"Shishishishi," Luffy chuckled. "We're pirates!"

The thief felt dread settle in. Pirates! She just jumped from one pirate group to another! What's with all the pirate scum in her life? Couldn't she meet someone who was NOT a freaking murderer?!

Both boys noticed a sudden tension in the girl's shoulders as she lowered her head and her face darkened. They shared a glance, but didn't comment.

"Go away," growled Nami through clenched teeth. "I don't need any help from people like you. I HATE PIRATES!" But then she gasped, realizing what she'd just said to these monsters.

Luffy smiled at her. "That's alright. We don't hate you, though." He glanced around the empty street. After they docked on the island, they hadn't see any other people, only some idiots, babbling about Buggy this, Buggy that, and attacking them without any reason. "Do you live nearby? We can lead you home," he suggested.

"No, I don't live here at all."

"What's up with this ghost town, anyway?" Zoro asked.

"Everyone ran away and is hiding from Buggy's pirate crew outside of the town," Nami reluctantly explained. She wished her foot would heal, so she could run away. But the thief was cornered, so she had no other choice but to play along for the time being.

Luffy hummed in though. "So it means all the houses are empty?" he asked no one in particular. He strolled to the nearest house, stopped in front of the door and tried to open it. The house was locked. "Excuse me, coming through!" the hatted teen announced loudly and kicked the door with all his strength.

The door was torn from hinges and crashed somewhere inside. Zoro facepalmed, and Nami's jaw dropped, as they watched the pirate enter the house without any qualms.

After a moment, Luffy popped in the doorway again. "Come on, Zoro, grab the girl and bring her in here. I'll search for some bandages and food."

"Aye, captain," Zoro grumbled.

Nami examined the tightly bandaged foot one more time, before leaning comfortably against the cozy couch. Zoro really knew how to take care of a sprained ankle, there was only a weak numb feeling instead of pain. Although he was still an ill-behaved Neanderthal! How dared he handle her like a sack of potatoes!

Nami shot an aggrieved glare towards the man who was lounging on an armchair across the living room. With a content smirk, the swordsman was slowly sipping from a bottle of rum. The thief sighed. The pirates! She really couldn't expect any manners from such people, especially that black-haired kid. Nami glanced at him.

Luffy was sitting in a cross-legged position on the bar separating living room and kitchen, leisurely chewing on his sandwich while staring at her. He'd been staring at her for a while now. Maybe he'd fallen for her? Or he was thinking of selling her? Or maybe even something worse…

"What's with the staring?!" the thief screamed in frustration, not able to stand it anymore.

Luffy stopped chewing and frowned. Nami tensed. Did she just go a bit too far? Zoro eyed her with disinterest as he took a gulp from the bottle.

"If you don't live in this town, what are you doing here?" asked the hatted teen.

"I came to steal a map from Buggy," confessed the thief with a sigh. "But his men caught me, and I had to give up on it to make my escape. I've been hiding since then."

"Steal a map? What kind of map would you risk your life over?" the swordsman wondered.

"Don't underestimate me! I'm a thief who steals from pirates!" Nami huffed. "That map is a path to the Grand Line. I'm planning to go there to steal from even greater pirates who have much more treasure!"

The orange-haired girl held her head high as she peered at the pirates, daring them to judge her because of her profession. But neither seemed to care about such trivial things. Zoro shrugged absent-mindedly and went back to enjoying his drink, and Luffy did the same with his sandwich. Nami was again surprised by how easygoing these two were.

"Do you know how to navigate?" inquired Luffy, giving her his attention once more.

"Of course!" the thief smirked proudly. "I'm the best navigator there is."

The wide smile grew on the straw hatted captain. "Join my crew!" he exclaimed.

A stern scowl found its way to Nami's face. "No way! I already told you that I hate pirates! I only like money and mikan!" She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, ending the conversation.

Nami was furious. The nerve of this pirate! To invite her into his crew when she clearly declared herself a thief who steals from pirates.

Although…

Nami peeked at the young captain with a sideways glance. She was sure they had nothing valuable to steal, but they were both strong, and didn't seem to be very smart. She could definitely use brutes like that in the Grand Line. She had dealt with Arlong and the rest of his non-human crew for so many years, she could handle a couple more pirates. It shouldn't be extremely hard. The longer Nami mused, the more she liked the idea.

"I would consider making an alliance," she proposed at last with a sly smile, "with one condition."

An awkward silence settled in the room. Luffy once again was staring at Nami, not hearing or ignoring her offer. She fidgeted nervously.

Zoro glanced at his captain, and as he said nothing, he put forward a question, "You said you hated pirates. Why suddenly change your mind?"

"I didn't change my mind, but I can restrain my sentiments for a good business deal."

The swordsman paused with the bottle near his mouth. "Business deal, huh?" He took a gulp. "Well, it's up for the captain to decide."

Luffy just stared.

He couldn't pinpoint what exactly caught his attention in Nami's presence, taking a good look at her. Her emotions and feelings were heavily guarded, spiking only when she talked about treasure or her hate for pirates. But something was there. Something dark, heavy and thick locked under the tightest lock, shoved so deep inside her that Luffy couldn't help but take interest. It felt way too familiar to the darkness of his memories from that time. If there was a chance to help her, he wanted to do that.

The straw hatted teen smiled. "Alright," he said simply, sliding down from the bar and walking over to the orange-haired girl. "Let's make an alliance. That sounds like fun!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. Trust his child captain to make a decision based on if it's fun or not.

"We'll divide all the treasure we collect in half. I take one half and the rest of you the other," Nami set forth her conditions and smirked slyly. "Accept that, or I won't shake hands."

Luffy shook his head. "No."

"What?! Why not? It's a great deal!" the thief flailed her arms. "Fine! I'll take forty percent and you take the rest."

"Nope."

Nami clenched her teeth. "You're killing me…! Okay, we can share the treasure in equal parts between us three." She smiled confidently. That was definitely a very tempting offer. No pirate could pass it up.

Her smile faltered, when Luffy frowned again. "I don't really care about the treasure that much," he stated bluntly, glancing to his green-haired nakama over the shoulder and asking, "You, Zoro?"

The swordsman shrugged. "Not really."

"See?" the teen grinned at Nami. "You can have all the treasure, just pay for our food."

"And booze," chimed in Zoro.

"And booze," Luffy echoed.

The orange-haired thief regarded them both with suspicion. That was way too good to be true. She narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"

The straw hatted pirate blinked. He scratched his head trying to figure out the catch. "I can eat a lot," he confessed, not sure if it would be enough to persuade his navigator.

"I can drink a lot," added Zoro.

Nami arched her eyebrow. The green Neanderthal seemed like he could hold his liquor, but that wouldn't be such a great loss considering their strength and opportunities to collect tons of loot. The boy with the straw hat was really scrawny, so Nami completely dismissed the possibility that he could eat more than her.

Strengthening her resolve, the thief grinned. "Deal!"

Next Chapter: Protecting the Captain's Back

Chapter Text

Warnings: this chapter contains Buggy. Urgh.

"Luffy, are you coming?" called Nami.

"Yeah!" Luffy patted the dog sitting in front of the pet food shop one last time and grinned. The small, white beast had woofed at him, happily wagging its tail. "You be careful too! Bye, doggie!" Luffy waved and ran over to his two waiting companions.

The orange-haired girl met him with a scowl on her face. "You remember our plan, don't you?"

"Of course, Nami, don't worry," the teen reassured her. "Zoro and I will kick Buggy's and his crew's asses, while you go and steal the map to the Grand Line and his treasure."

All three started to walk. Nami was still slightly limping, but she swore to the others that she could sustain the weak pain in her sprained ankle until their business here was concluded.

"You better not underestimate Buggy. He's a pirate with one of the highest bounties in the East Blue!"

Luffy tilted his head, closed his eyes and brought a hand to his chin, like he was seriously assessing something. After a moment, his eyes opened, and he shook his head before grinning. "Nah, these pirates aren't strong enough to take us!"

"How do you know if you've never met them?!" demanded Nami in exasperation.

"You sound very sure of that," Zoro agreed. He didn't doubt that they could take these people, but Luffy's absolute confidence in what he said piqued his interest.

"Shishishishi, it's a mystery power!" the captain laughed, causing Nami to facepalm and Zoro to groan. "Although," he continued in a serious tone, "those three morons from the sea said that Buggy is a Devil Fruit user. First, we need to learn which fruit he has."

"A Devil Fruit? I thought they were only a myth," said the thief.

"Nope," Luffy denied. He hooked a finger around the edge of his mouth and stretched it.

Nami's eyes widened and she took a step away from him, making him laugh mirthfully.

"I ate the Gum-Gum fruit and became a rubber man," explained the straw hatted pirate. "There are a great variety of fruits. Some are rather funny. One time I met a guy with–" he cut himself off. A painful expression flashed across his features for a split second, and he unconsciously touched the left side of his neck.

The thief was too immersed pondering Devil Fruits and monsters, but the swordsman's sharp eyes caught it. A subtle frown found its way onto his face.

"Anyway," with a small, strained smile, Luffy continued, "some fruits may be very dangerous. Until we know which one Buggy has we should be careful."

"Roger that," muttered Zoro, before looking around. "Are we going in the right direction?"

"Yeah!" the captain confirmed firmly.

"How do you know?" Nami doubted.

Luffy's lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "Mystery power!" he yelled in delight.

This time Nami groaned. Zoro just sighed, and Luffy burst into laughter.

Whatever mystery power Luffy possessed, Zoro had to admit that first, it was actually real, and second, it was extremely useful. Just around the corner, the captain had suggested to Nami to split up because of the trouble ahead. And just like that they were ready for Buggy's crew's ambush when they stepped into the town square.

A man with a coat over his shoulders, a cap with the Jolly Roger symbol, and a very conspicuous red, round nose scornfully looked them over. "So, you're the flashy bastards who attacked and beat up Mohji?"

"So, you're Booger?" innocently retorted Luffy, at the same time picking his nose.

Zoro had to suppress a snicker.

Buggy clenched his teeth in anger. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING BOOGER?!" he screeched then cocked his head arrogantly. "I'm the great pirate, Captain Buggy-sama!"

"Bogey?" Luffy mockingly tilted his head to the side.

This time Zoro couldn't hold in the laughter. The clown in front of them turned the color of his nose.

"You'll regret insulting me like that, Straw Hat," he said in a dangerously low voice, causing the black-haired boy to grin widely. "Why are all straw hatted brats so flashily cheeky?" Buggy murmured under his nose. He motioned to his men and screamed, "ATTACK!"

Roaring war cries, a bunch of circus pirates jumped onto their two opponents. The green-haired swordsman unsheathed two of his katanas and started cutting through the crowd. The hatted teen was laughing merrily while weaving around all the hits, punches and slashes from his enemies, at the same time successfully counterattacking and taking down them in groups.

Zoro lazily fended off a clumsy attack from one of the few pirates still standing and slashed him across the chest. Again, Luffy was right. These guys were nowhere a challenge for either of them.

"So," a smug voice sounded near him, and swordsman spun around to face Buggy, "you two are bounty hunters? Pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, did you come here for my head?"

"Not interested. Besides, we're not bounty hunters," Zoro smirked. "We're pirates!"

"Pirates, you say?" laughed the clown, pulling out several knives and spinning one of them between his fingers. "It doesn't matter, because I'm interested. If I kill you spectacularly, my name will become more famous!"

Without diverting his eyes from Buggy, Zoro took his black bandana from the left bicep and tied it around his head. He unsheathed the white katana and put it into his mouth before grabbing the other two and shifting into fighting position.

"Come and get me," the green-haired pirate taunted his opponent.

The clown chuckled and dashed towards the three-sword user. "Show me your true skills, or you'll soon be covered in blood!"

Zoro took one step forward, preparing his blades, and when Buggy was right in front of him, he swung all three of them simultaneously. The feeling of cutting through the flesh washed over swordsman's body, and he shot a short glance over his shoulder to the defeated clown. He started to slide swords back into their sheaths.

But something was amiss. Buggy clearly was dead, nobody could survive having his torso cut in two, but Zoro's instincts told him otherwise. "Anyway, some fruits may be very dangerous. Until we know which one Buggy has we should be careful." Luffy's words rang in his mind, and it suddenly clicked. Swordsman looked back again, just in time to see a separate hand with knife moving through the air towards him. His eyes widened. It was too late to dodge!

An unexpected pull by his shirt collar threw Zoro to the side. The knife flew an inch from his waist, twisted mid-air, and assaulted swordsman again. He repelled the strikes and jumped away.

"Zoro," his captain's voice beside him startled the green-haired pirate, "time for the clown swap."

"You bastard, Straw Hat," growled Buggy, while reassembling himself, "I almost got him!"

"That was a nasty move, Buffoon, attacking Zoro from behind."

The swordsman glanced at Luffy. The boy was glaring icily at the clown who was completely unharmed by the swords.

So it was Luffy who saved him from the stab. It somewhat hurt Zoro's pride. From the very beginning he wasn't able to show any of his skills to his chosen captain, always having his hide saved by him instead. The swordsman wondered how the kid even decided to recruit him in the first place without seeing what he was capable of. He clenched his teeth. He really needed to get his shit together.

Ignoring Buggy's shouts of outrage from butchering his name again, Luffy gazed at his nakama, slight frown present on his face. In these couple days he got used to Zoro's strong and determined presence, and a sudden wavering shift in it made him worry.

An image of an incoming attack from behind flashed through Luffy's mind. At the same time, Zoro started to move, and the hatted teen knew that he didn't need to dodge this time. As blades clashed behind his back, he smiled.

"This whole circus consists only of cowards," growled Zoro, standing back to back with Luffy, and with one of his katana deflecting a sword hit from a pirate on the unicycle. "I got this, captain."

"Yeah," Luffy nodded, not even glancing behind, showing the absolute trust in his nakama to protect his back, "I'm counting on you, Zoro."

The swordsman smirked.

"That's seems fair, Roronoa Zoro, to fight you as a swordsman," said the acrobatic clown. "My name's Cabaji, Chief of Staff of Buggy's pirate crew."

"Fair? I don't think so." Zoro's pleased smirk changed into a demonic one, his eyes glinting dangerously. "You attacked my captain's back. I'm not in a mood to play games." He crossed his two katanas across his chest with the third one in his mouth horizontally behind them.

Cabaji scowled. "Then I'll finish you with only one strike!" he bellowed enraged and launched himself on the green-haired swordsman with an outstretched sword.

"Oni Giri!"

Zoro's swords cut through his opponent, leaving three deep slashes on his chest. The man fell from his unicycle and onto the ground, blood splattering from his wounds.

The swordsman breathed out and scanned the area. If there were any pirates left, they were all in hiding. He re-sheathed all three katanas, before tying his bandana back on his arm.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING BABOON!" roared Buggy nearby. "NOW STAY STILL YOU LITTLE SHIT SO THAT I CAN HIT YOU!"

Zoro turned around to watch the fight between the captains. Luffy was grinning, openly enjoying teasing his enemy by giving him different names. Buggy was so red from fury that even his nose paled before the color of his face.

"No way!" laughed Luffy. "I don't want to be hit!"

He ducked below the flying hand with knives and simultaneously dodged to the side to avoid the kick. The straw hat slipped from his head and floated in the air.

Buggy smirked deviously. "That hat is important to you, isn't it?"

Luffy snatched the straw hat by its rim. His eyes widened as he saw a thrown knife nearing it. He instantly hid the hat behind his back, and at that moment another knife, held by Buggy's de-attached hand, sunk into his shoulder.

"Luffy!" yelled Zoro from the sidelines, worry underlying his voice.

The clown burst into hysterical laughter. "You and your stupid hat! You remind me of that red-haired idiot, who liked to wear a similar thing!" he cackled. "That's what you get for trying to protect such stupid things!"

"This hat is my treasure," Luffy said calmly, while plopping the straw hat back on his head. The blood from the wound slowly ran under his shirt's sleeve and dripped to the ground from his fingers. But he didn't seem to be feeling anything. His face was now emotionless, the previous smile nowhere to be found.

The teen grabbed Buggy's hand which still held the knife and squeezed it. "So, you want to play rough?" he asked, amused by his opponents painful pleas to let go of his limb.

An evil smile slipped on the hatted youth's lips. He smashed the hand on the concrete and stomped on it with all his might. Luffy grinded it for a good measure without any mercy or sympathy after the clown started to scream from pain.

Zoro cringed from the sight. He still couldn't get used to the drastic personality changes, and it was all because of that straw hat. The swordsman scratched his head as he remembered yesterday morning. Luffy gave it to him willingly though.

"That's for trying to damage my hat," the black-haired pirate declared. Despite everything his voice was still calm and composed.

Luffy yanked the knife from his shoulder and chucked it at Buggy. Not waiting for him to finish dodging it, he threw both hands backwards and shot them at the clown's stomach. The man didn't even have opportunity to come apart. He flew across the square and crashed into the fountain.

The hatted pirate started to walk over to the fountain. Buggy barely rose from the rubble, coughing and struggling not to go down onto his knees. His second hand with the knife soared through the air towards Luffy's throat. The teen easily sidestepped the attack and kept walking. The hand turned around and chucked the blade. Luffy tilted his head to the side, avoiding the knife, without even looking at it.

Buggy narrowed his eyes. That kind of agility reminded him of Observation Haki. But there was no way that a no-name brat from the weakest Blue had a Haki.

"You better prepare yourself, Straw Hat!" the clown smirked. "Bara Bara Festival!"

Buggy's whole body separated into pieces, floating all over the place. Only his head hovered in one spot, laughing hysterically.

Luffy glanced over all the parts, before stretching his arm and catching the clowns head by his nose.

"Wha…! What are you doing?!" he screeched. "Let go of my nose!"

The future Pirate King grinned. "See ya, Booger!"

A solid fist planted itself into Buggy's mug. It smashed into the house on the other side of the square, with all the other pieces of the clown flying after it.

Luffy waited a few moments before nodding to himself. "Shishishishi, I won!" he cheered.

Zoro stopped near him. He eyed the bloody shirt. "How's your shoulder?"

"Eh?" the teen looked at him with surprise. He glanced at the wound. "It's nothing. I've had much worse many times before."

"You should at least bandage it."

"I guess you're right," Luffy smiled warmly at the swordsman, before turning to the side and yelling, "Nami! How long do you plan to hide there?!"

An orange-haired head popped up from an alley, a nervous smile on the thief's face. "I-I wasn't hiding, or anything," she said quickly. "Just… you know… letting you finish your fight!" Nami dragged a big bag as she crossed the square to reach them.

"I see you found your treasure," Luffy remarked. "Did you get the map?"

The thief smirked. "Who do you think I am, captain?" She pulled out the scroll and showed it to the boy. A happy grin broke across his face, and he lifted his hands to take it. "No touching with bloody hands!" Nami immediately ordered.

"Okay, okay!" Luffy submitted. "I'm going to clean myself up." He promptly strolled to the nearest house and entered it the same way as before – kicking down its doors.

"Do you need help?" wondered Zoro, amused as he watched Nami haul the loot bag with all her strength.

"I can do it myself!" she assured as she stopped for a breath, panting. "Just… Just need to take it to the boat." The thief stared at the house Luffy disappeared in, leaned closer to Zoro and quietly asked, "Is he always so ruthless?"

The swordsman rubbed his neck, thinking it over. "I've known him for only a couple of days, but I would say no," he replied. "It seems he's just overprotective of that straw hat."

"Only for a couple of days?" Nami skeptically raised her eyebrow. "Why would a pirate hunter suddenly turn into a pirate anyway?"

Zoro pondered on his answer to that. There were several reasons. He went against marines, so either way he would had become a criminal. Luffy saved his life. But the most important one was that Zoro deemed someone worthy enough to actually pledge his loyalty to that person. "He saved me from the execution," he finally decided to say.

"Execution? By whom?"

"Some marines that were corrupt to the core," the swordsman smirked. "Luffy took them down."

Luffy slowly moved his bandaged shoulder. He felt a pain pierce through it, but he didn't flinch. It was nothing compared to what he had survived in the past.

His old bloody shirt was thrown on the floor. Fortunately, the teen found a new red shirt to change into in the house he'd broken in. He was holding it in one hand, ready to put it on. Dark thoughts spun around his head, so Luffy passively stared through the window. He was so lost in it that he didn't hear the door open behind him.

Zoro entered the room with his usual bored expression. His sharp, silver colored eyes instantly fell on the back of his captain, and he stiffened on the spot.

What he saw was an ugly burn mark.

Next Chapter: The Truth Behind the Mark

Chapter Text

Zoro entered the room with his usual bored expression. His sharp, silver colored eyes instantly fell on the back of his captain, and he stiffened on the spot.

What he saw was an ugly burn mark.

It didn't appear that Luffy had been burned in some accident as the mark had a distinctive circular shape with the spots above and under it. The swordsman's eyes flickered to several round scars on the boy's non-bandaged shoulder. That didn't look like stab wounds, more like… bullet holes? He scowled. How could Luffy have scars from bullets if they were ineffective against his rubber body? All that together with the nightmares, screams for help, and Luffy's words about losing his freedom meant that his guess that something really bad had happened to the kid in the past was actually true.

Luffy gasped at the sudden feeling of Zoro in the room. He swiveled around to see the green-haired man staring at him. A barrage of thoughts attacked his mind. He saw! Zoro saw the brand! A slight panic gripped Luffy, but he forced himself to calm down.

Luffy preferred to hide his dark past from the whole world, but he was not so naïve to believe that it was truly possible. Not with an unremovable mark on his back. If his nakama would ever want to know about it, he would not lie to them.

The swordsman cleared his throat. The split second of fear on Luffy's face didn't go unnoticed by him, but it wasn't his place to question other people's scars. "I came to see if you needed any help with bandaging your wound," he said.

"I'm fine, but thanks." Luffy put on a new shirt. Apparently Zoro wasn't familiar with what that mark stood for, and he was glad about it. "Where's Nami?"

"She dragged her loot to the boat," Zoro replied. "Are you sure it's a good idea to invite the thief to join us?"

The rubber pirate smiled. "Trust me, Zoro," he requested. "She'll become our nakama in no time."

The swordsman stared at him, before sighing. "Your mystery power again?" he asked, more as a joke, but Luffy giggled blissfully.

"Shishishishi, that's right!"

-Previously, somewhere in the New World on the Moby Dick-

Ace leaned on the railings. He closed his eyes, feeling the last warmth of the sun for the day and enjoying the light breeze, caressing his whole body. The noise and voices from his new brothers and sisters somewhere on the ship behind him gave Ace a pleasing feeling of safety and home. His lips curled up into a serene smile.

"Watcha doin'?" came a playful question from beside him.

Ace opened his eyes, and looked to his right at the grinning pompadour man. "Thatch," he acknowledged, and turned to face the sunset again. "Just indulging in the calmness of this moment."

Thatch raised a questioning eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like you. Are you feeling okay?"

The freckled pirate chuckled and flashed him a satisfied grin. "Never been better!"

"Well, that's more like you!" the redhead laughed and joined Ace by leaning on the railings.

Having his good friend and brother so close to him, Ace's thoughts drifted to his youngest brother, back at Dawn Island. He wondered what Luffy was doing right now. He was too young to leave the island, so he had to stay there all alone. His baby brother must feel so lonely. Did he still have those nightmares? What had caused them in the first place?

Ace suddenly perked up. "Oi, Thatch?"

The pompadour man gave him his full attention, while still relaxing on the railings.

"Do you know anything about a certain burn mark on a person's back? It's… um… a circle with three triangles above and one under."

Thatch hummed thoughtfully. "That does sound like a slave's brand of the Celestial Dragons."

Ace's mind went blank. Coldness washed over his whole body. His fingers dug into the railings, and he had to summon all of his willpower not to tumble down as he felt his legs weaken. "Slave?" he whispered. Ace knew about Celestial Dragons and their inhuman pleasures. Back at Sabaody Archipelago when he was preparing to cross the Red Line, he had seen one briefly from a distance, surrounded by his slaves who were leashed like dogs and crawled on all fours.

"Those bastards do horrible things to their slaves," not noticing his friend's distress, the red-haired pirate continued. "Starving, beating, various tortures, that's just a few things those World Nobles do to them. I heard most slaves who manage to run away can't live normal lives because their bodies are so broken. Some of them go completely crazy. Most can't handle freedom altogether, and decide to take their own life."

Ace's heart was now thumping painfully against his ribcage. The weight in his stomach increased with every word coming from Thatch's mouth. Now he fully understood why Luffy behaved like he did from the moment Ace had found him on that cliff. The heartbreaking plea from his baby brother played again and again in his mind.

"I wouldn't wish for such a fate, not even for my worst enemy," stated Thatch.

"What fate, yoi?" joining the conversation, the 1st division commander walked over to them.

"Becoming a slave for the Celestial Dragons," explained the redhead. "Marco, can you imagine what it feels like to get branded by a hot branding iron? That would hurt like hell!"

Ace's mouth ran dry, but he couldn't muster even an ounce of strength to lick his lips. Luffy got branded like that. While Ace uncovered his back to show his pride – the tattoo of Whitebeard's mark – to the whole world, his little brother would have to hide his back for the rest of his life. Ace clenched his teeth. Just how many wounds had he had to endure before he was rescued?

"I believe it would," Marco agreed casually. He glanced worriedly at Ace who was unusually still. He could see the tension in the young pirate's shoulders, but he brushed it off to the effect of hearing about such disgusting things. "Why are you two even talking about that?"

"Acey here asked," Thatch grinned. "Do you know anything?"

"I heard that after an incident in Mariejois when most slaves fled the place, Celestial Dragons found a new game to entertain themselves. They pit their slaves against each other in death matches."

Ace suddenly had to fight an urge to throw up. He didn't want to hear anymore. He already knew that Luffy's four unaccounted years had been really awful. But the vague understanding he'd had until now was nothing compared to every fact his friends were laying out in front of him. Luffy went through all that? And Ace did what?! Enjoyed an easy life on Dawn Island!

"Shut up," whispered Ace, but it was so quiet that neither of the two pirates heard him.

"They especially enjoy using children in those matches," Marco added, anger clearly in his voice.

"Shut up," this time the freckled pirate said it a bit louder. Marco glanced at him, but Thatch still didn't hear him.

"Whoa! That's horrible!" the redhead continued.

"Shut up!" Ace screamed. He grabbed Thatch by the collar and pressed him against the railings, almost flipping them both into the water. "HE'S NOT A SLAVE!" he yelled in rage as fire flared to life across his shoulders.

Both older men were now fully alarmed. Ace was usually a calm and composed person, keeping his hot temper under complete control. All the crew were fascinated by that, and at the same time absolutely surprised by how the flame user could keep his head cool in the toughest situations. It was so rare for him to lose to his temper.

Thatch tried to gently take Ace's hands away, but withdrew them immediately from the first nip of fire.

"Ace–" Marco started.

"I don't want to hear anymore, so just shut up!" Ace lowered his head, but his grip on Thatch's shirt only tightened. "He's not a slave… Luffy is… He's free, dammit! He'll become the freest person in the world!"

The redhead shared a worried glance with the phoenix. None of them knew what their younger brother was talking about.

"He's my Pirate King!" Ace suddenly exclaimed proudly, followed by a chuckle which soon got choked by a sob. The flames slowly died with it.

Thatch opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came to mind. He looked at Marco with a pleading glint in his eyes, but the blonde was also rendered speechless.

Ace was crying, and they didn't know why or how to help him.

A surge of anger sparked in both older pirates. A sudden desire to kill whoever made their dear brother sad like that washed over them. First, they needed to figure out who Ace was talking about.

Thatch carefully placed a hand on Ace's shoulder. "Ace, talk to me, brother," he beseeched gently.

"I-I couldn't do anything. He spent four years in that hell… Thatch, four years!"

"Who?"

"He was taken right from under my nose, and I did nothing! The same with–" Ace fell silent. Luffy's words emerged from his memories. "Oh, so Sabo was killed by them." Flames flared again, responding to a sudden wave of fury. Those despicable people harmed both his brothers!

"Who was taken, Ace?" inquired Marco, watching the fire dancing on the youth's skin cautiously, ready at any time to help Thatch if needed.

The younger Whitebeard pirate was on a serious emotional rollercoaster. This was becoming more dangerous with every minute. The 1st division commander deduced that someone close to Ace was kidnapped and sold as a slave. That was the only feasible explanation to his behavior.

Ace just cursed. He finally let go of Thatch, and the man stepped away from him instantly. Ace felt the urge to punch someone. Or burn someone alive. Preferably, barbecued dragon.

"Oi, Marco!" one of the Whitebeard pirate shouted, strolling towards them. "Watchers saw some rookie pirate ship coming our way, looking for a fight. Pops asked for you to take care of it."

A chuckle reached all of their ears, and three pairs of eyes fell on Ace.

"What perfect timing." Ace turned to them. An evil smile played on his lips, eyes glinting with murderous intent. "I'm ready to take them on."

"Um, but Pops said"-

Marco interrupted the pirate, putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking his head. He turned to the flame user. "Ace, go ahead, yoi."

"Thanks, Marco."

Once Ace and the other pirate went to haul the Striker out, Thatch gawked at Marco.

"What the hell?!"

The phoenix sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I would like to know too. As I understand, someone close to him was taken and sold."

"No kidding." The redhead's gaze lingered to where his freckled brother had disappeared. "What should we do?"

"What can we do, Thatch? We can't force him to tell us what happened."

The pompadour man frowned. "I guess we'll have to wait until he decides to speak about it. Damn! And I thought he was just curious."

Marco patted him on the back. "Let's go watch the show, yoi," he smiled.

They got to the main deck just in time. Ace was already surfing the waves towards the enemy pirate ship. The flames powering the engines of the one-man raft glowed menacingly in the late evening's darkness.

"Where's Pops?" Marco asked of Fossa who was also on the deck, watching the Striker gracefully dodge canon fire.

"He's already retired for the evening," replied the swordsman. "Shouldn't we help Ace?"

"I would advise against it," the phoenix commented. "Ace is grumpy at the moment."

Thatch snorted, "Putting it lightly."

Fossa looked at them both, puzzled.

A pillar of fire in the distance drew the attention of everybody present on the Moby Dick's deck. The bow of the attacking ship was now engulfed in flames. There was another burst in the middle, much smaller. Suddenly all the fire subsided.

Whitebeard's crew fell silent, dumbfounded. No one wanted to believe that their new brother just lost to a bunch of rookies.

A fireball slowly started to form in the middle of the sea, just a bit further from the rookies' vessel. It grew into an enormous ball of flames, roaring with supernova's heat and destructive power. Most of spectators aboard Whitebeard's flagship cringed as it collided with the enemy ship, devouring it completely in mere seconds.

"Did I just see Ace drop a freaking sun on that ship?" Haruta inquired, joining the other commanders.

"Yeah," breathed out Thatch. "Poor sods."

"So that's what grumpy Ace look like, huh?" Fossa mused, nervously chewing on his cigar.

The Striker sailed back and after a couple of moments, the flame user jumped over the railings and onto the Moby Dick. He turned to the men on deck. "Can someone take care of my raft? Thanks."

His authoritative tone didn't leave any room for refusal, and several crewmembers scrambled to do what he'd just asked.

"Feeling better, yoi?" wondered Marco, closely observing Ace with his usual bored expression on his face.

"No," replied the youth. He walked past all four commanders, a brim of his hat shadowing his eyes.

"Um, Ace, would you like me to make you a pudding?" Thatch blurted out awkwardly. "Or pancakes, maybe?"

Ace stopped, causing the redhead to have an inner debate whether it was a good idea to call out for him and if he should run and hide in Pops' room now. Thatch was worried sick about the kid, though. He really liked him, but apparently his newest brother was able to transform into a vengeful devil, dropping suns, as Haruta had said, on the unlucky souls like it was nothing.

The flame user turned around and looked straight at Thatch. Part of his consciousness realized that he couldn't really do anything now, that he'd already helped his little brother as much as he could, that all the hell Luffy had to go through was in the past. Luffy was a strong person, his unyielding will was above anything Ace had ever encountered, but he still felt so horrible, so guilty and so helpless, because of all the knowledge he now possessed. Some part of him wished he'd never asked about it.

The happily grinning face of Luffy popped into Ace's mind and he smiled too. "That would be great, Thatch."

-Presently, somewhere in the East Blue-

"Do you understand what you are looking at?" Nami asked.

"Of course!" Luffy huffed. "The map to the Grand Line!"

Nami was standing at the edge of her boat, which had a small cabin in the middle and still held a black sail with Buggy's mark, and was leaning over it to get better view of the map which was outspread on her companion's dinghy's floor. Luffy was sitting cross-legged in front of it, while Zoro napped nearby.

"Yeah, but can you read maps, Luffy?"

The teen pulled his eyebrows together as he stared at the map with great concentration. After a moment, he let out a heavy sigh of defeat, but then cocked his head and declared proudly, "Nope!"

"It's not something to be proud of!" the thief raised her voice in exasperation. "It's a miracle you survived up to now!"

"Shishishishi. That's why I've got you now, Nami!" Luffy flashed his usual sunny grin at her. "Zoro is my swordsman, and you're my navigator! We're nakama!"

"I'M NOT YOURS!" screamed the girl, before turned her back to the rubber boy. "Stupid pirates always think about people as they are just tools to be used."

"You, guys, are too noisy," mumbled Zoro, sitting up and rubbing his eye before yawing. "I can't sleep in peace with all this noise."

Luffy observed the orange-haired thief with sad eyes then turned to Zoro and grinned. "Sorry, sorry." Something in the horizon caught his attention, and he squinted. "Oi, I see an island!" he exclaimed excitedly, jumping on the bowsprit and leaning forward, trying to spy what kind of island it was.

Nami brought her binoculars up and looked through them. "That island is unpopulated, so it's not worth landing there. Let's just keep going," she reasoned.

"Nah, it's perfect!" cheered the boy, grabbing oars and starting to row towards the island.

"How's that perfect?! WAIT!"

As the dinghy bumped into the rocky shore of the new island, Luffy jumped off of it and glanced over the area before his eyes.

The shore was hard and rocky, but relatively smooth with some huge boulders on one side. Dense forest line stretched across the wide and empty field.

Luffy grinned. It was certainly perfect for what he wanted to do. Zoro landed beside him and stretched his neck. Nami's boat also bumped into the shore, but the thief wasn't in a hurry to step on the ground.

"Like I said, this is an unpopulated island," Nami huffed. "The sun has already started to go down, so let's just use the daylight while we still can."

Not paying any attention to their navigator's discontent, Luffy turned to Zoro. "Want to spar?"

The swordsman gave him incredulous glance. "Spar?"

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I sparred with anyone."

Zoro smirked. He would never miss a chance to see what his captain could do. It had been ages since his last spar too, so he felt that he might be a bit rusty. The swordsman's gaze fell on the boy's shoulder, and he slightly frowned. Luffy fought with his bare fists, a wound like that would really undermine his abilities.

"Come on!" Luffy walked forward, excitement radiating from him. "It'll be fun!"

"Oi, Luffy, aren't you hurt?" Nami asked. She persuaded herself that she just felt sorry for the boy, she was in no way concerned about the pirate's wellbeing.

"Don't worry, Nami!" a cheeky smile spread across the straw hatted captain's face.

"I'm not worried!" she screamed, causing Luffy to just laugh it off. "Fine! You can both just kill each other, like I care!"

"Luffy," Zoro called, unsheathing his two katanas. "I hope you can defend yourself against my blades with just bare fists."

Luffy's smile grew wider. "Who said I'll fight you with only my fists?" he inquired as he pulled out three metal sticks from behind him and assembled them into a Bo staff.

He started to spin the staff in front of him at an incredible speed. Not slowing down, Luffy lifted his hands to spin it above his head, occasionally twisting it around his back. At one point he flung the whirling staff into the air, caught it again and just kept spinning. When the weapon finally came to a halt, Luffy smiled satisfied. It had been quite a while since the last time he used his staff, but his body still remembered how to properly wield it.

Zoro observed the captain's short warm up routine with the staff. "Interesting," he muttered, as he felt his own excitement rising. He pulled out his third sword and put it into his mouth.

Next Chapter: Different Kind of Monsters

Chapter Text

Zoro observed the captain's short warm up routine with the staff. "Interesting," he muttered, as he felt his own excitement rising. He pulled out his third sword and put it into his mouth.

Tranquil anticipation settled onto the sparring ground while the two opponents stared at each other.

Nami gulped nervously. She felt tension rising between Zoro and Luffy, but couldn't understand why. They were only supposed to be having a friendly match weren't they? So what's up with all the pressure in the air?

Zoro was the first one to finally spring into action. He launched himself at Luffy, all three katanas gleaming dangerously in the light of the setting sun. The blades and the metal staff clinked sharply as Luffy blocked the attack. For several minutes Luffy was on the defensive, blocking or parrying the hits. When he switched into the offensive, it was Zoro's turn to block the blows from his opponent.

The pirates exchanged a few more strikes in a playful manner, before jumping away from each other. The swordsman smirked, and Luffy broke into his usual grin. The boy suddenly kicked off of the ground, leaping high into the air, and swung his staff down into the two crossed katanas.

Zoro bit his white katana even harder as he fended off Luffy's attack, trying not to kneel. His biceps almost went numb from the pure force of the blow. For being such a small guy, his captain certainly had an inhuman strength. Finally, the swordsman pushed the teen away, and instantly had to jump backwards because Luffy twisted his weapon around and thrust it forward aiming right at Zoro's stomach.

The swordsman crossed arms with both swords parallel to each other. "Oni Giri!" All three blades sang slicing the air, but Luffy ducked below them and swiftly kicked his sparring partner's legs out from under him.

Zoro dropped onto the ground with a groan. His eyes widened as he saw Luffy's leg stretched upwards right above him. He rolled to the side dodging the foot which shot back like a lightning bolt from the heavens. The earth cratered from the impact, deep cracks forming from the center.

Not wasting a moment, the green-haired pirate jumped to his feet, swung the two katanas, and clashed them against the defensively raised staff. He swiped at Luffy with the sword in his mouth. The teen yelped in surprise and hopped back to avoid it.

Zoro spun around. "Tatsu"- he started to mutter, before Luffy stabbed his staff into the ground, causing one of the swords to smash into it and thus breaking his special attack.

The black-haired boy yanked his weapon out, tucked it under his arm and swiveled around in the similar manner as Zoro, delivering a quick and powerful strike. The swordsman barely blocked it. The force flung him across the field and into the forest. Luffy bit the staff, stretched both arms to grab at the tree and slingshot himself after the three-sword user.

Nami slumped onto the bottom of her boat once both boys disappeared from view. Her eyes were still wide from shock. That fight, because she couldn't call it any other name, was more like a duel to the death between two enemies than a friendly sparring match between two nakama. Were they really trying to kill each other? The thief shook her head. Even if they were acquainted for only a couple of days, there was no way that they would actually wanted to harm each other, right?

The loud creaking of trees reached Nami's ears. Flocks of birds suddenly burst out of the forest as one of the trees toppled over. The navigator gaped. What the hell was wrong with those two?! They were both genuine monsters!

Zoro parried another attack from Luffy before swinging his weapons at him. The teen successfully dodged to the side, and the blades sliced another tree. It creaked painfully and collapsed.

Some kind of small bush squeaked and jumped right from under the falling tree before getting squashed. The swordsman spared the strange thing a split second glance, but he couldn't afford to be distracted by it. Not when his opponent was launching himself at him again.

Luffy smashed his staff into the defensively crossed katanas. He turned his head slightly to look at the odd looking bush which now tried to sneak away unnoticed.

Zoro didn't hesitate to take advantage of the boy's momentary distraction as he instantly twisted one of the swords in his hand for a counterattack. "Tatsumaki!" A violent tornado roared to life as the swordsman spun around several times.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" shrieked the bush in total panic as it was caught by the tornado and hurled up high into the air.

Ignoring the screaming bush, which apparently was stuck in the chest beside him, Luffy righted himself mid-air, gripped his weapon with both arms and raised it above his head.

This time Zoro wasn't able to stay standing as he knelt down on one knee to support himself against Luffy's heavy blow from above. After a moment of deadlock, the rubber boy jumped away, allowing him to stand. The two sparring partners exchanged several more hits.

Luffy suddenly rammed his staff into the ground, utilizing it as a support for himself as he kicked Zoro with both legs. The swordsman blocked it by crossing his weapons in front, but the impact sent him backwards. As he skidded along the ground, Zoro stabbed his katanas down and managed to stop himself right before crashing into some kind of small rocky plateau in the middle of the clearing.

"Gomu Gomu no…"

A sudden deep voice startled Zoro. He lifted his head to look at his opponent, but managed to register only a red blur approaching him with arms stretched far behind. His instincts sent alarms and started to scream to get the hell out of the incoming attack's way as fast as possible.

"…Bazooka!"

The swordsman barely rolled out of the way as Luffy snapped both his arms forward, straight into the rocky plateau. With a loud bang, half of it crumbled down.

The rubber teen jumped from the falling rocks, and suddenly burst into laughter. "Oops, I got caught up in the moment," he confessed sheepishly, turning to the swordsman. "Are you okay, Zoro?" Luffy asked, offering a hand to his nakama who was still sitting on the ground.

"You really don't show any mercy," Zoro smirked, accepting the hand and letting his captain pull him up, "but it was fun."

"Shishishishi, I told you!"

Zoro sheathed his katanas. His hands were slightly trembling from such an intense workout. It was ages since he had a fight like that, if at all. He knew that Luffy was strong before this match, but now Zoro ascertained that he also was an experienced fighter.

Luffy walked over to his Bo staff where he'd left it stabbed into the ground, and plucked it out. He was disassembling it back into separate parts, when a question came from Zoro.

"So, how was I?"

The teen looked at him, surprised. He would have never thought that Zoro would ask him to assess his skills.

"You're strong," Luffy said honestly, slipping the metal sticks back into their place in the holster attached to his lower back. "You could do even better if you had more fighting experience against stronger opponents." He furrowed his brow, trying to think of the correct way to convey his point. "It seems that you don't know how to take advantage of your own skills."

Zoro unconsciously caressed his white katana, while thinking over Luffy's words. "Would you like to spar more in the future?" he asked after a couple of moments.

An impossibly-sized grin spread across the straw hatted captain's face. "Of course!" Suddenly his stomach growled causing him to laugh lightly. "We should go back to Nami."

Zoro nodded, and Luffy started to walk towards where they left the boats. The swordsman though promptly strolled in the opposite direction.

"Zoro," the rubber pirate called, confusion written all over his face. "Where are you going?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean where? I'm going back to the shore."

"So, why are you going in that direction? The boats are over there." Luffy motioned behind him.

"Really? I'm pretty sure we need to go this way."

"Shishishishi. No wonder you got lost on your way home." The teen stretched his arm, grabbed his nakama by the shirt and dragged him over. "I can sense Nami in this direction, so that's where we're going."

Zoro just grumbled something under his breath about 'not being lost', but complied and followed the captain through the forest. "Your mystery power again? Next thing you'll tell me that you can see the future," he joked.

Luffy hummed. "Well, sort of," he answered, making his green-haired companion choke on his own words. "My mystery power allows me to see the incoming attacks pointed at me before they happen," he explained, before showing a cheeky smile. "It's really hard to hit me!"

Zoro gawked at him in shock. "Seriously?"

"My brother always complained how it's unfair," the teen pouted.

"I can agree with him," the swordsman muttered. He really needed to stop joking about Luffy's mystery power.

Nami's eyes widened as she sighted the two pirates emerging from the forest, engaged in a friendly chat. For a moment, she expected to see one of them coming from the forest all bloody while dragging the other's body… The navigator shivered from her own imagination.

"Didn't you two just try to kill each other?!" she demanded an answer.

Luffy and Zoro regarded her with total bewilderment.

"What are you talking about, Nami?" Luffy asked, really aggrieved with even the mere thought of that. "I'll never go against my nakama."

"Have you never seen a sparring match?" nonchalantly inquired Zoro.

"Sparring match?! Yeah! What you two were doing certainly didn't look like one! It was more like a fight to the death!" the thief screamed, but before any of her companions could retort, she lifted her palm, showing that she didn't want to hear anything from them. "It's not like I was worried! I don't care what happens to you two monsters! Let's just go!" She huffed, turned around, and went to prepare the sail for the journey.

The swordsman stared for a moment. "What's her problem?"

"Beats me," the teen shrugged.

The pirates left the unpopulated island and headed for their next destination, coordinated by Nami who was still in a disgruntled mood. She insisted to sail as far as possible until the sun completely went down, but to her dismay the wind died, and now the two boats simply drifted in the calm waters of the East Blue.

The thief retired for the night into her boat's cabin. Luffy was sitting in his usual spot on the bowsprit of his dinghy and was munching on an apple. Zoro was lounging on the side of the same dinghy with closed eyes and both hands behind his head. This time he wasn't napping, but contemplating the sparring match with the captain.

"AH!" suddenly exclaimed Luffy, gaining a worried glance from his swordsman. "I forgot to check on that guy we met in the forest!"

"What guy?"

"You don't remember?" the teen looked at Zoro over his shoulder. "He had big green hair and was stuck in the chest."

Zoro frowned, thinking for a moment. "You mean that talking bush?!" he suddenly asked, sitting up into straight position. "Was that even a human?"

"Yeah," Luffy nodded before laughing mirthfully. "I hope he landed successfully after you sent him into the sky."

"What do you mean 'stuck in the chest'?" The swordsman relaxed, leaning on the side of the boat again. "Is he like a 'boxed son'?"

"Shishishishi, who knows? Maybe."

Gaimon lay sprawled on top of the half destroyed rocky plateau where he crashed after being tossed into the air by that freaky tornado. A bunch of treasure chests were scattered around him.

He tried to calm his panicking heart and finally allowed himself to let out a breath he was holding in until now as he couldn't hear the voices of the two strangers anymore.

"Demons…" Gaimon mumbled to himself. "Those two were definitely demons."

"Shahahaha!"

Nami rolled on her other side, still in deep sleep.

"Shahahaha!"

She curled into a ball, trying to hide from the scornful and cruel laughter as much as possible.

"We ain't got any food for a filthy human brat like you!"

A silent whimper escaped the girl's mouth, and she pulled a blanket over her head.

"So shut up and keep drawing those maps!"

And she drew. Nami kept drawing while her whole body was trembling and aching, while tears ran across her cheeks and smeared the lines in her maps. She drew even as the scared, hungry girl with an almost broken spirit couldn't see hope anymore. Nami felt a painful tingle in her fingers. She was drawing maps for her tormentors until her fingers started bleeding, her own life liquid mixing with the ink.

"You're our nakama, Nami, don't ever forget that. Shahahaha!"

Nami hated that word. She hated to be called a nakama, because the only one who ever called her that was the murderer of her beloved mother. The thief despised the mere thought of it. She dug her aching fingers into her shoulder, wanting nothing more but to rip off her own skin with that despicable Fishman's tattoo and finally become free.

"Die for your stupid love."

Nami jerked from her sleep and sat up right away. She pulled her legs to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and buried her face into the knees.

"Nojiko! Nami! I love you."

Bellemere's last words echoed in her ears together with the gunshot from Arlong's pistol. Tears gathered in the navigator's eyes as she bit her lip trying to stop it from spilling out.

Nami felt a tender touch on the top of her head. Someone started to stroke her hair with just his fingertips, so very gently and soothingly, that the thief unconsciously leaned into the touch. It reminded her of the feeling of Bellemere's hands from her distant and happy childhood.

Not able to hold the tears inside anymore, Nami suddenly jumped from her curled up position and wrapped her arms around the person in front of her. The sobs finally escaped her mouth as she buried her face into the stranger's chest and started crying.

The stranger said nothing, using only his strong, but kind presence to console the weeping girl. Several times she broke down like that in front of Nojiko, and her sister always tried to calm her down with soft promises that everything will be okay, that someday they'd escape their hellish life under the cruel regime of Arlong. And Nami wanted to believe her, she really did, but some annoying voice deep inside her just kept whispering that Nojiko's words were empty, voiced aloud just to comfort her.

The gentle hand was still on her head in a comforting manner, and Nami felt safe for the first time in so many years. She remembered other words her deceased mother once said to her: "If you continue to live on, you'll surely come across fun times as well!" The hope Nami almost surrendered suddenly flared like a beacon. She'd collect 100 million beli! She'd buy Cocoyasi Village! And she'd definitely protect the people she cared about!

Now that the thief finally calm down, a thought that she was in the middle of the ocean alone with two monstrous pirates as her only companions popped into her head. Her eyes widened, and she instantly recoiled from 'the stranger', pushing him away.

A soft smile under the straw hat met her frightened gaze when Luffy stepped back.

"W-what do you want here, pirate?!" a demand slipped from Nami's mouth, and she winced from her own harsh tone.

But the boy kept smiling and looking at her with that sad, yet sincere, glint in his eyes. "Nothing," he replied as he turned and walked to the exit. "Sorry for the intrusion." With a final glance at a bewildered navigator, Luffy left the cabin.

Nami stared at the doorway where the pirate had disappeared. She was so confused. Did Luffy really come here just to comfort her? How did he know about it? Maybe he came in to do something to her while she was asleep? Or maybe he wanted to steal her treasure?

The thief gasped. She leapt from the cot and ran to the corner to check on her bags of treasure. But the bags were like she left before, nobody had touched it.

Nami bit her lip. A sudden wave of shame engulfed her. Luffy probably just heard her thrashing around and came to check on her, and Nami didn't even say thanks. She'd jumped to the conclusion that the young captain wanted to harm her just because he was a pirate.

"Zoro is my swordsman, and you're my navigator! We're nakama!"

Nakama. Nami had to wonder what that word really meant for Luffy. Was it really so different from Arlong's?

She couldn't fall asleep anymore. As the first ray of sunrise shone through the small window of her cabin, Nami threw the blanket off of her and exited into the fresh morning air.

The thief stretched and smiled contently. She glanced at the dinghy, tied to her own boat for the night. Zoro was quietly snoring, still in a deep and peaceful sleep. Luffy was sitting on the bowsprit, watching the sunrise.

Nami gingerly walked closer and stopped at the bow of her boat, near the young pirate. She glanced at him, but if he knew of her presence he didn't acknowledge it.

"Luffy," the navigator called, suddenly feeling so very out of her depth. The rubber boy turned his head to look at her. "I wanted to say thanks for…" Nami tilted her head towards the cabin, not sure how to express what she wanted to say.

The same gentle smile which got stuck on Nami's mind from last night appeared on Luffy's face. "You're welcome," he answered.

"You're not going to ask about it?" she blurted out, hugging herself like trying to shield her person from the outside world.

"Nami," Luffy changed his position so that he could face his navigator face to face, "would you tell me if I asked?"

The orange-haired girl bit her lip and hugged herself even harder. She really wanted to tell someone about all the hell she was going through, just scream for help at the top of her lungs, but she couldn't do that. Last time Nami yelled for help, people got hurt. She was all alone in her misery, she could trust only herself.

"And that's why I won't ask," the straw hatted teen stated firmly, throwing Nami into confusion once again.

She stared at the black-haired pirate who still had that soft smile on his face, so different from his usual happy grin or cocky smirk. Without even realizing, Nami whispered, "The pirates killed my mother."

"Oh." Luffy's smile faltered as he gazed at his nakama compassionately. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment.

The navigator smiled distantly. Luffy might had been a pirate, but he was definitely not like Arlong. Maybe being called a nakama by this exuberant rubber boy was not such a bad feeling after all. She could enjoy that, at least for a while.

Next Chapter: Pirates' Games

Chapter Text

"There's no way we can get to the Grand Line in our current condition," Nami suddenly stated.

The two boats had been sailing through the calm waters of the East Blue for a while now.

Luffy looked at her from his spot on the bowsprit, then to the small piece of apple in his hand. "You're right. We need to restock on food," he said, throwing the fruit into his mouth. "It would be bad if you guys had to starve."

Zoro peeked at his captain with a sideways glance. That was some strange wording, like he hadn't included himself into the possibility of starvation. He bit at his own apple and mumbled, "Some booze would be nice, too."

"Do you two think about anything but food and booze?!" the navigator huffed. "The Grand Line is the most dangerous place in the world! There will be lots of pirates with powerful ships and crews. We don't even have a normal ship, not to mention that we lack manpower."

"Yep, we definitely need some more people," the straw hatted pirate agreed, gazing again at the distant horizon. "A cook, a musician, and a fluffy one, they are the most important!"

Nami blinked. "Fluffy one?"

Luffy just showed her a goofy grin before bursting into laughter.

The thief gawked at him in absolute bafflement, then shifted her eyes onto Zoro who apparently wasn't surprised by the odd declaration of his captain. She stared at him intensely, trying to drill a hole in the side of his head. The swordsman scowled, but said nothing.

"Well?" Nami broke the silence between them, impatient for an answer. "Are you going to explain?"

"Why are you even asking me?" Zoro send an annoyed glare towards her, but the orange-haired girl placed her hands on her hips and brushed it off like it was nothing.

"You've been sailing with Luffy longer than me. You should know what he's talking about."

"I have no idea," deadpanned the swordsman.

A blissful giggle reached their ears, and both pirates looked at their child captain who observed them curiously. "You two are so funny!" he declared with the biggest, sunniest grin, splitting his face in half.

Nami groaned in exasperation. "You don't make any sense! Fluffy one? Musician? What do you think a pirate crew is?"

"Nakama!" Luffy shouted in glee. "Like a family!"

The navigator sighed. She couldn't understand this kid at all. Sometimes he acted like a true pirate in a ruthless and brutal way, but sometimes… The night when she cried into his chest flashed in her mind, and Nami frowned. "Do you even know what pirates usually do?" she asked.

"I do," Luffy replied in such a serious tone that the thief got startled from the sudden change. "Different pirates want different things." The boy placed a hand on top of his straw hat and grinned with confidence under it. "I sail the seas to become the Pirate King! Zoro wants to become the world's greatest swordsman!"

Zoro simply smirked at Luffy's statement.

Nami gaped at them. Pirate King? World's greatest swordsman? Those were rather presumptuous ambitions! But in a way her childhood dream was quite similar. Sadly she'd had to abandon it so that it wouldn't get in the way of her current goal.

The thief almost flinched when she heard a question from Luffy, "What's your dream, Nami?"

Nami suddenly found herself under heavy scrutiny of those piercing obsidian eyes. She hated that. When Luffy peered right into her eyes like that, she felt like he could see all the ugliness she tried so hard to hide and she had to fight an urge to spill everything to him.

"I want to draw the map of the world," the navigator conceded finally.

"Ohhh, that's an amazing dream!" praised Luffy, grinning widely. "Shishishishi, to reach One Piece we'll have to visit a lot of places. So, how about joining my crew instead of an alliance, Nami?"

Nami scowled. "I already told you no."

The teen still wanted to say something, but suddenly something in the distant sea caught his attention and he looked in that direction, trying to figure out exactly what it was.

Nami followed his line of sight, squinting at the small fleck on the horizon. "That's a pirate ship," she announced after looking at it through the binoculars. "We should go around it if we want to sneak past them unnoticed."

"Why?" Luffy asked, confused.

"They are pirates!"

"Well, we are too. Oi, Zoro!" the rubber boy called, getting the attention of his swordsman. "Are you up for some exercise?"

"What do you have in mind?"

A mischievous smile curled on Luffy's lips. "I say we go visit them," he pointed at the pirate ship.

"Are you insane?!" exclaimed the thief. "We don't even know what kind of pirates they are! Or how strong they are!"

"If they are good guys, we can just make friends," suggested the captain. "If they are bad guys, they could have some treasure for you to steal."

Nami's face instantly lit up at his words, and both pirates could swear that they saw beli signs in her eyes. "Alright, captain, let's go!" she cheered, promptly changing the course of her boat towards the enemy ship.

"She doesn't make any sense herself," Zoro commented sourly, eliciting a laugh from Luffy.

As they approached the red and black pirate ship with a black cat as a figurehead, they perceived that the ship was actually at anchor. Nami informed them that there was an island maybe half a day from here, so the pirate ship staying so close to it was quite suspicious.

This pirate crew was also very inattentive. Two boats sailed right next to the ship and came to a stop by bumping into its hull, but nobody rang an alarm or even yelled a warning.

"How are we going to climb up?" Nami asked, while looking up, trying to spy anyone staring down at them. It was an enemy vessel, after all, and judging by its size, the crew had to be quite big.

Luffy just grinned. "Pass me the rope," he requested. As soon as he grabbed one end of the rope, the teen stretched his other hand upwards, gripping the railings and pulling himself up.

He landed on the railings, and immediately scanned the deck. There were only a couple of pirates, lazily observing the ocean on the other side of the ship. Luffy could sense the others inside. He tied the rope and gave a signal to his nakama.

"Oi, guys!" the straw hatted captain shouted at the two pirates. They turned around and blinked at the strange kid, sitting on the railings. A bright smile spread across Luffy's face. "Hi! How are you?"

The men just stared at his goofy grin, unable to comprehend the situation. When Zoro's head popped up from over the hull, they finally snapped out of their daze. "WHO ARE YOU?!" they both roared in unison.

"I'm Luffy, this is Zoro," the rubber boy introduced them both. The swordsman hopped over the railings and leaned on them right next to his captain.

"Well, boys, you really found the wrong ship to sneak onto," one of the pirates grinned evilly while unsheathing his saber. "This is a pirate ship, you know."

The second man ran inside to call out the rest of the crew.

Luffy's grin grew even wider. "We're pirates too!"

"Oh?" answered the man, amused, before laughing mockingly. "What kind of pirates are you? Baby pirates?" He sprinted across the deck, swinging his saber at the hatted boy.

Zoro drew his blade in a flash, deflecting the attack and slashing the assailant. "We're stronger pirates than you," he remarked coolly as the guy dropped down bleeding.

"I guess it means that they are bad guys," Luffy decided, disappointed. He nonchalantly watched the rest of the crew bursting out onto the deck and starting to fuss about the intruders and their crewmate lying out cold. An idea suddenly popped in the teen's mind, and he grinned again. "Zoro, wanna make a bet?"

The swordsman raised an eyebrow at that. "A bet?" he echoed.

"Shishishishi! Let's make a bet who can take more of them," the captain pointed at the pirates, ignoring a bunch of angry growls and glares. "The winner will get to ask one favor from the loser."

Zoro showed a savage grin. "Okay, I'm in," he agreed, already pulling out the other two swords.

Luffy gave him his own cocky smile. "You have a head start," he jumped from the railings and cracked his knuckles, "but it doesn't mean that I'll let you win."

"I'm Sham," introduced the slim weirdo.

"I'm Buchi," said the fat weirdo.

"Together, we're the Nyaban Brothers!" they both chorused, striking a pose.

Luffy and Zoro shared a baffled glance. When the last pirate had dropped on the deck, these two weirdoes in cat costumes had shown up from seemingly nowhere.

Ignoring them, the rubber teen looked over the railings. "Oi, Nami, the enemy is down, you can… hm?" Two empty boats were lazily swaying on the sea next to the ship's hull. Luffy eyed the vessel he was on, smiling after a moment. The thief was already doing her job.

"H-how dare you attack our ship!" asked the slim weirdo, stuttering a bit.

"We're this ship's guardians, our duty is to protect it," mumbled the fat weirdo.

"So, why won't you do it?" Zoro teased, re-sheathing two of his swords. These pirates weren't even worth their time, they seemed already scared out of their wits.

"What? How can we… Buchi, we can't beat them!" Sham declared, frantically waving his hands in front of him and sweating profusely.

"Yeah!" agreed his brother, nodding violently. "You, guys, look so strong!"

"But we need to do it!" cried the slim weirdo, almost in tears.

"We need to protect the ship while the captain is out!" the fat weirdo seconded.

Luffy stared at them. These two were the strongest he'd met in this crew so far, so why were they acting like weaklings? They weren't even really scared.

As both enemies suddenly launched themselves, at the same time crying and wailing, Luffy shouted a warning to his swordsman, "Zoro, stay alert!"

A sly smirk suddenly slipped on Sham's lips as he swung his gloved arm with the sharp claws on it, but the three-sword user reacted to his captain's order without any hesitation. The moment the claws clashed to his defensively lifted katana, he pulled out the second one and slashed, forcing the cat-pirate to retreat. Zoro bit the third katana, "Tora Gari!" Sham screamed in pain, falling down as deep cuts appeared across his chest.

The fat body of the second weirdo flew back past Zoro and crashed through the railings, landing in the water several metres away. A carefree chuckle came from Luffy after his arm snapped back into place.

"Luffy, be more careful where you throw your opponents!" Zoro chided.

"Shishishishi! Sorry, sorry!" the rubber boy replied in a not very apologetic tone. "So, how many do you have?"

The swordsman smirked proudly. "Seventeen."

Luffy gave him a smug grin. "And I have eighteen!" he exclaimed, fist-pumping the air.

Zoro frowned. "Tch…"

The straw hatted teen burst into victorious laughter.

Nami peeked at the deck from behind the door, making sure it was safe. At the sight of her companion laughing so merrily, she exited the ship's interior, and looked at him, puzzled. "What's so funny?" she inquired.

"Oh, Nami!" Luffy beamed at her. "Working hard, I see. Did you find anything interesting?"

The thief shook her head and sighed in great disappointment. "This is one of the poorest pirate crews I have ever seen. I only managed to find a few thousand beli." She glanced over the deck, littered with defeated pirates. "Who won your bet?"

"I did!" Luffy shouted with glee, causing the swordsman's frown to deepen.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Nami put forward the next question, "What are you going to ask from Zoro?"

The green haired man perked up at that, also looking at the hatted teen with curiosity while the latter hummed thoughtfully. "Don't know yet," he answered.

The navigator sighed. She glanced at the sun. "We should get moving if we want to reach the next island before night."

"Right! Let's go!" the captain cheered.

Usopp was a coward. He would be the first one to confess that, even if someone else would state otherwise. He always tried to appear brave, adventurous, and heroic, full of false bravado, however it didn't change the fact that Usopp the Liar was an actual coward.

But deep down there was another side to the young sharpshooter, he was also a protector. He couldn't stay on the sidelines while seeing injustice before his eyes. He also couldn't bare the sight of someone suffering. Maybe that's why he approached Kaya for the first time. Usopp was unable to ignore the girl's misery.

The boy wanted to see everyone smile around him. He ran through the village every morning to make people happy. Usopp wasn't stupid, he knew that most of the villagers actually enjoyed chasing him daily. He always had a warm feeling well up inside his chest because of all their smiles and laughter.

Usopp was a protector. He couldn't just run or hide from the moment he had eavesdropped the conversation between Kaya's butler Klahadore and that weirdo Jango.

And that's why now he stood up alone on the peak of the slope and watched a pirate ship nearing the shore. His legs were shaking, sweat poured off of him. He gripped his slingshot so hard that it left bruises on his palm. But the liar refused to step back. Even when the gunshot wound in his arm throbbed painfully, even if his whole body ached from the beating he got yesterday, he refused to let scum harm his village.

Usopp clenched his teeth, gulping down the urge to bolt from his spot, as the pirate ship finally reached the shore and the group of pirates appeared from it. He readied his slingshot. He'll protect this island! He'll protect Kaya!

"You just stepped on the land of the great captain Usopp!" he yelled to the pirates, getting their attention. "I'm in charge of the security of this village! So, turn around if you don't want to see me getting serious!"

The men snapped their heads at him, much more startled than Usopp actually thought they should be. Seeing only the lone, weak-looking teenager with a funny long nose, they heaved a heavy sigh of relief in unison.

"I thought it was that kid with the straw hat again," muttered one of them.

"Or that green-haired demon," seconded the other. Several of his friends responded with wild nodding.

Usopp noticed the pirates talking with each other, but he was too far away to hear any of it. He wasn't discouraged by the lack of their response though. He would do anything to defend the village and its people. This pirate crew didn't even look so intimidating. Only about fifteen men and all of them seemed wounded. The sharpshooter nodded to himself. These pirates were a joke!

Wait, what?

Usopp paused in his musing, and blinked at the pirate crew below. He rubbed his eyes, thinking that maybe he was dreaming or something got into them.

Every pirate seemed bandaged heavily. Some were limping; others used crutches to help them walk, or leaned on each other for aid. There was a groan heard in the crowd from time to time. The only one who seemed alright was the hypnotist weirdo Usopp saw yesterday. The man kept jumping around his beaten looking crew and barking orders.

All in all, these men seemed like they'd just returned from a deadly battle. Usopp couldn't believe his eyes. What's up with this sorry looking pirate crew?

"Who are you?!" Jango yelled in his direction. "What do you want?!"

Usopp showed them a smile, full of confidence which he really didn't have, and shouted at them again, striking a dramatic pose for extra effect. "I'm warning you! RETREAT NOW! Before I call my 80 million crewmen to kill you all!"

"Oi, oi… only an idiot would fall for that…" muttered one of the pirates.

The hypnotist's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! 80 million crewmen?!" he shouted in awe. "So… So many!"

The man next to him facepalmed. "Captain!" he screamed. "He's only lying! Don't believe him!"

Jango blinked at his crewmate before glaring at the long-nosed teen. "You, bastard, how dare you lie to me?!"

Usopp gritted his teeth, trying to hold in a violent shudder. He grabbed several projectiles from his bag and put it into his slingshot.

"I already said I'm sorry!" suddenly rang a jolly voice from further along the beach. "Stop trying to hit me!"

Everyone present whipped their heads to look at the speaker. Three people were coming towards them, completely ignoring or not noticing what was happening in front of them. The orange haired girl was waving her fists, trying to land a hit on the black haired boy. Holding his straw hat with one hand and grinning sheepishly, the kid easily dodged every strike. The third person, a green haired man with three swords, was observing the exchange indifferently.

"Let me! Hit you! At least! Once!" Nami squeezed through clenched teeth, simultaneously attacking the rubber idiot who weaved out of her every blow seemingly without any effort.

"No way!" Luffy protested. "I hate violence!"

Zoro snickered at his words, and Nami palmed her face. "Just whose mouth did that came from…" Then she propped her hands on her hips and glared at the straw hatted pirate. "If you hadn't rowed your boat after that stupid bird, we would have landed on this island yesterday!"

"It looked yummy," Luffy pouted.

"It's not like we're actually in a hurry," the swordsman chimed in.

A stern scowl found its way on the navigator's features. "Well, I am!" she exclaimed. "Why are you on his side?!"

Zoro shrugged. "Luffy is the captain."

Luffy nodded in agreement. "And it's the captain's job to decide the course of his boat!" he declared proudly.

"Yeah! But the captain needs to listen to his navigator while on the open sea!" Nami swung at the hatted teen again, but he ducked under it, laughing lightly.

"You'll never be able to hit him," Zoro noted with a teasing smirk. "Just give up."

"Shishishishi!"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Really?" She clenched her fist, stomped to the swordsman and smacked him over the head.

"What the hell, woman?!" he yelled at her, rubbing the back of his head where he was hit.

The thief sighed. "It's not the same thing as hitting Luffy," she said, still irritated, "but I feel a bit better now."

"Good for you, Nami!" cheered the captain.

"Oi!" Zoro objected. He suddenly noticed the group of people in front, and stopped in his tracks, glancing over the ship. "Aren't they the same pirates we met yesterday?" he asked his companions.

Luffy and Nami also looked at the men, then at their ship.

"Indeed, they are," the thief agreed. "What are those penniless idiots doing here?"

Luffy grinned at the already paling pirates. "Oh, we meet again!" He lowered his head so that the rim of the straw hat would shadow his eyes, and his happy grin slowly changed into the wicked one. "Ready for round two?"

Next Chapter: The Tale of the Gutsy Liar

Chapter Text

Luffy grinned at the already paling pirates. "Oh, we meet again!" He lowered his head so that the rim of the straw hat shadowed his eyes, and his happy grin slowly changed into the wicked one. "Ready for round two?"

Some pirates stepped away from him, several plainly fell on their butts with terror etched across their features.

"C-c-captain Jango! It's them!" stuttered one of them.

"What?! You were defeated by three kids?!" the hypnotist yelled in outrage.

"Actually," Luffy interjected, "Nami didn't participate, so they were defeated by only two of us."

Zoro smiled, and Nami chuckled.

"We'll just have to deal with them now!" Jango ordered.

"B-but, captain…"

Zoro narrowed his eyes at the man's title. He glanced at Luffy, but the boy observed them passively.

"YOU IDIOTS!" Jango reprimanded his crew. "Did you forget captain Kuro's orders? We can't mess it up or else he'll kill us all!"

"If you want to fight, I'll be your opponent," the three-sword user said with a smirk, before turning to Luffy. "No objections, right, captain?"

The straw hatted teen stared at him, confused. "Uh, sure, Zoro."

Zoro's smirk grew into a satisfied grin as he pulled out all three of his katanas and readied himself for the fight.

Jango gritted his teeth. "Fine! I'll deal with you myself!" he declared while pulling out a chakram. "Look at this. After I say '1, 2, Jango!' all three of you will fall asleep," he instructed, swinging the ring on the string like a pendulum. "1… 2… Jan–"

"Oni Giri!" Zoro cut off his opponent by unleashing an attack on him. The pirates gasped in horror as their captain fell down, blood splattering from his wounds. The swordsman took the blade out from his mouth and faced Luffy with a wide grin. "And with this," he pointed a katana at him, "I have eighteen."

Slowly the realization dawned on Luffy, and his eyes widened. "WHAT?! No way! It's not fair!"

"Our bet is a draw now," Zoro claimed, grinning at him smugly.

Nami couldn't hold in her laughter after seeing Luffy's dumbfounded expression.

"You cheater!" the teen hissed. He snapped his head to the nearest pirate, causing him to flinch in fear.

The knuckles planted themselves in the poor bastard's mug, sending him flying. He crashed into his friend, standing right behind him, and flung them both across the shore.

"See?" Luffy pointed at the beaten men. "Now I have twenty!"

"No, Luffy," Zoro shook his head, "you can't count them twice."

The straw hatted captain bended his brows in discontent. "Why not?!"

"Sorry to tell you, Luffy," the navigator said, finally able to catch her breath after her fit of laughing, "but Zoro has a point. You already defeated them before."

The teen crossed his arms in front of him in a childish pout. Nami chuckled again, and the swordsman broke into a victorious smile. Even if he didn't actually win it still felt good to end the bet as a draw.

Usopp watched the exchange between the pirates and the three teenagers with an open mouth from shock. As he understood it, they were responsible for the current condition of that crew. Whatever their quarrel was about, the sharpshooter was glad that the strange trio appeared at such a convenient moment.

Usopp was so absorbed into observing what was happening on the shore that he failed to notice the presence coming at him from behind.

"It's been pretty long since dawn, I was wondering why the plan wasn't carried out…"

The liar almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice right behind his back. He leapt to the side and gulped nervously as his eyes locked on the man in the black suit.

"Klahadore…" Usopp whispered in terror.

Kuro sneered at him, adjusting his glasses with his palm, before looking down on the people at the beach. Several veins popped on his forehead, and he couldn't hold in the rage building up inside of him. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?"

It drew the attention of every person present as they turned to look at the tall man on the top of the slope. Already scared out of their minds, the pirates suddenly plunged into a total panic. Their eyes darted between the newcomer, the straw hatted kid, his companions, and back to their former captain.

"Cap… Cap… Captain Kuro!" wheezed out one of them.

"We… We're done for now!" another wailed.

Luffy frowned while staring at the new person. It was quite rare that he took an instant dislike to anyone. But this man had such a dark, sinister presence that the teen marked him as his enemy the moment he laid eyes on him.

"The Black Cat pirates have been reduced to a truly sad state…" Kuro remarked, glancing over his terrified, beaten looking crewmembers. His eyes fell on Jango's body, and he scowled. After pushing his glasses up with his palm, the pirate captain shifted his gaze to the three unknown kids. "You were the ones who took them down, I take it?"

"That's right!" Luffy replied.

Kuro focused on the straw hatted boy. "Who are you? What's your business here?"

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" the teen introduced himself, smiling. "We're pirates who just landed here."

Usopp gasped. So these strangers were pirates! This situation was getting worse by the minute. His shoulders dropped. There was no way he could deal with two groups of pirates, especially with that bastard butler present.

"Pirates..?" Kuro repeated. He glanced over the Black Cat crew, frowning in thought. His plan got completely ruined. His men were defeated, those still standing could hardly do anything against a group of villagers. The most important figure in his long three year scheme was also taken out. There was no other choice now but to scare Kaya and force her to write the will, but how to make the attack on the village happen?

The former pirate captain smirked slyly as all the details in his newly changed plan clicked into place. He adjusted his glasses, and addressed the straw hatted kid again. "I would like to make a deal with you," Kuro proposed. "If you and your pawns could ransack the village on this island, I would reward you."

Luffy's smile faltered. "My pawns…?" he repeated, glaring at the man, but only loud enough for his two nakama to hear. "I don't like him," he finally admitted.

Nami and Zoro smiled at his words and nodded in agreement.

"Captain Kuro!" called one of the pirates. "But what about us?! Aren't we suppose to attack the village?!"

Kuro snorted. "You fools are expendable," he replied calmly, putting his bag on the ground and pulling out the strange gloves with long blades attached to every finger. "I will exterminate all of you. As long as your bodies are here, I can prove my innocence."

"Don't joke around like that, captain Kuro!" someone pleaded.

"We can still attack the village!" another insisted.

Luffy fixed his hat more firmly on his head. Before he could yell to shove his offer where the sun doesn't shine, he felt one more person rushing towards the man in the suit.

"KAYA!" Usopp screamed, pushing the girl away and jumping in front of the descending glove blades when Kuro spun around and slashed at the possible assailant.

The liar winced as the claws slid over his arm, but he held in the urge to scream in pain. Getting Kaya away from here was more important. He looked at the girl who was shaking from the near death experience and staring at her ex-butler with wide eyes full of terror. Kuro glared at her, pushing his glasses up in his usual manner.

"Kaya, why are you here?!" Usopp demanded, holding his hurt arm and trying to stop the bleeding.

The girl shifted her gaze onto him, then down to the blood seeping from his wound. Her already pale complexion blanched even more, and she put a hand over her mouth. Tears collected in her eyes. "Usopp-san…" the young mistress squeaked out. "I'm sorry, Usopp-san! We treated you so badly, and yet you're–"

"That doesn't matter now!" the sharpshooter interrupted. "Why did you come here? I told you to run away! He wants to kill you, Kaya!"

"But, aren't you fighting?!" Kaya shouted helplessly.

"We're different! I'm the son of a pirate, a brave warrior of the sea!"

"KLAHADORE!" the girl yelled at the pirate in front of her. "If you want my money, I'll give it all to you! So just leave this village! Please!"

"You surprise me, Ojou-sama," Kuro admitted. "How do you know about that?"

"Merry told me everything."

"Oh, so he didn't die?" the pirate noted. "I didn't show any mercy to him."

Kaya bit her lip, trying to stop the tears from spilling out. This man wasn't the Klahadore she knew. He couldn't be the same gentle and attentive caretaker she loved. This man was a pirate, an unmerciful killer who wanted nothing more but to take hers and the villagers' lives.

"But you're wrong, Ojou-sama," Kuro continued after adjusting his glasses. "It's not only money I'm after. What I desire is the tranquility of my soul."

"Kaya, just run!" Usopp shouted. "He's not the butler you know!"

The blonde winced from his words, then bit her lip again and with trembling hands pulled out a pistol, pointing it at Klahadore. "Leave this village!" she ordered with a shaky voice.

"Oh, you've grown a lot these past three years, Ojou-sama. Do you still remember? A lot has happened in"-

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Usopp suddenly roared, jumping to his feet. He grabbed the pistol from Kaya, instantly pointed it at the butler and pulled the trigger.

"Usopp-kun," the cold voice rang from behind, and the long-nosed teen flinched, still staring at the empty spot where just a split second ago Kuro had been standing.

Blades surrounded his head. A chill ran down his spine as Usopp realized that he would be killed now for sure.

"You really shouldn't interfere when I'm speaking," Kuro commented with a cold-blooded smile on his face. He narrowed his claw's grip…

A fist smashed into Kuro's face, sending him backwards and onto the ground. The moment after, a joyful laughter resounded from the shore.

Luffy's arm snapped back, and he turned to Zoro with a face-splitting grin. "NINETEEN!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

The swordsman blinked. Nami burst into laughter. Even if she thought that this whole situation wasn't funny at all, the pure happiness on Luffy's face was really contagious. Not to mention the completely dumbfounded expression of Zoro.

"Wait, wait, WAIT!" the three-sword user protested. "Can we even count that man for our bet?!"

"Sure, we can!" Luffy affirmed. He looked at the nearest pirate and asked him the question, "He's your captain, isn't he?"

"Y-yeah… Sort of…"

The straw hatted teen grinned at his swordsman again. Everyone could practically see stars twinkling around him from his absolute confidence.

Zoro groaned, palming his face. "Damn…" he cursed quietly.

Luffy turned to look up at the top of the slope, a slight frown marring his face. The man in the suit was standing tall and glaring at them.

Kuro seethed at Usopp, suddenly lifting his leg and kicking him hard in the stomach. The long-nosed teen yelped, skidding along the slope and finally stopping in the middle. Kaya gasped, but she couldn't muster even an ounce of strength to do anything.

"I guess you're not just playing pirates, like this trash." Kuro sneered at the trio.

"Don't talk about Usopp-san like that!" Kaya cried out.

"Ojou-sama," the man addressed her softly, but then his eyes hardened and a chilly chuckle escaped his mouth. "I will take care of you after them, so be patient."

Usopp managed to lift himself off the ground. He staggered a bit, calling all of his will not to drop down. "I'll not allow you to touch Kaya, you bastard!" he proclaimed. "Even if I'm no match for you… I'll… I'll protect her! I'll protect them all!"

"Oh, you speak such brave words despite being the son of a filthy pirate who abandoned your family, leaving you to play make-believe with a bunch of kids."

"Don't insult my father!"

"Hmph," Kuro dismissed him, looking back at the straw hatted kid. "I'm a bit curious… That was quite an odd attack you just used. Looks like you possess the power of a Devil Fruit."

Luffy's frown deepened. "You should be down," he stated, deeply annoyed. "I can't count you if you're not down."

"What are you talking about?" the enemy captain asked, confused. "Never mind," he added, while pushing his glasses up. The glass crackled and crumbled from the frame, causing Kuro's face to screw with malice. He moved his arms to the side, spreading his blades. "I'll just deal with you quickly!"

There was a puff of dust, and Kuro was gone from his spot. Everyone widened their eyes from surprise. On the contrary, Luffy narrowed his eyes. That was interesting. He swayed to the side, eluding an attack from behind, and smirked at his opponent.

"That was a neat way to move," the straw hatted teen commended. "Can you show it one more time?"

"You insolent fool…!" growled Kuro, ignoring how easily the kid avoided his blow. "Fine! Let me show you the terror of a real pirate!"

He seemingly vanished from the sight again. This time Luffy closely watched his footwork. That was definitely similar to a technique he had witnessed in the past. In that place. He remembered its user very clearly now. After all, if not for Luffy's mystery power, that guy would have killed him. The rubber boy even tried to copy his movements, but he was too weak at that time for it to work.

Now he was different.

A smile spread across the straw hatted captain's face, when he moved his body just enough not to be scraped by the claw's slash. He promptly threw a spinning back fist, knocking Kuro onto the ground once again.

"Real pirate, huh?" Luffy taunted. "Honestly, I don't think you know what a true pirate is supposed to be. That guy," he pointed at Usopp, startling him, "has more guts than you."

The enemy captain hauled himself up. "Are you saying that I'm inferior to that 'captain' in a childish pirate game?" he inquired, glaring at the straw hatted kid in front of him.

"Shishishishi, I guess I'm saying exactly that."

Unexpectedly, Kuro burst into laughter. "You're so stupid!" he exclaimed. "Don't get cocky just because you landed a couple of hits!"

"At least I landed a couple, you haven't done even that much," the boy countered, goofy grin plastered on his face.

The man glared at Luffy, baring his teeth in rage, but then he smiled and fixed his hair with his palms, calming himself down. "I'll show you, puny ant," he said in a dangerously low voice, lowering his hands and his head, "the terror of the pirate who's been at the brink of death and survived!"

"WAAAAH! That stance!" a random pirate cried out.

"Don't tell me it's that special technique!"

"I'm pretty sure that's it!"

Zoro eyed the panicking men, then the slowly swaying captain. He also glanced at his own captain who had his eyes fixed on his opponent, but didn't seem too stressed about his odd behavior.

"Please, don't use that technique!"

"We'll do anything!"

Nami raised an eyebrow at the sudden chaos. "What are they talking about? He's just swaying there…"

"We're all going to die!"

Usopp looked at Kuro, then at his crew, then at the straw hatted boy, then at his two companions, then back at Kuro. He had no clue what might happen in the next minute.

Suddenly Kuro disappeared.

Nami gaped, Zoro frowned. Usopp gasped and ran up where Kaya was sitting on the ground. The rest of the crowd kept wailing and pleading him to stop.

Two pirates got knocked down with deep cuts across their bodies. Two pairs of slashes appeared on the rocks near Luffy.

"Zoro, protect Nami!" the straw hatted captain ordered, and the swordsman instantly fell into the defensive pose in front of their navigator with a katana at the ready. Luffy's eyes darted to the left and right as he followed Kuro soaring throughout the area, looking for an opportunity to stop him.

Two more pirates fell down as his victims. An invisible attack rammed into Zoro's sword. The swordsman groaned, pushing it away, but the force disappeared as quickly as it came.

Luffy smirked when the man finally swung at him in his blind dash. He jumped from the claws reach, stretched his arm after Kuro, grabbed him by his collar, and then flung the man over his shoulder and into the ground.

"Gotcha!" the teen grinned at Kuro. "You know, you fail as a captain," he said, his voice taking a serious tone. "A captain's duty is to protect his nakama, not harm them."

"Nakama? What's that?" Kuro chuckled, while standing up. "A pirate crew is just a bunch of random outcasts!"

"And that's why you fail not only as a captain, but as a pirate too," Luffy stated before flashing him a cheeky grin. "Also, you suck at your own movement technique."

"You…!" Kuro now was trembling from the inner rage. "I'LL ENJOY KILLING YOU!" he roared.

"Nope!" the rubber pirate popped 'p'. "Here, I'll show you how it's done efficiently."

Luffy put one hand on top of his straw hat to hold it in place… and vanished from sight, leaving only a small dust cloud in his previous spot. Kuro's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets from the force of the punch aimed right into his stomach. His body flew backwards and smashed into the cliff, destroying part of it in the process.

"And stay down!" the future Pirate King ordered. He turned around and grinned at his shocked nakama before exclaiming happily, "Nineteen!"

Zoro smiled. This kid was such an oddball. "Fine, captain, you won," he admitted with a sigh.

"YOSH-A!"

Nami laughed merrily from their antics. She couldn't even remember a day when she'd laughed so many times since Bellemere… Her smile faltered. It was all temporary. The thief couldn't get attached to these guys. She wasn't allowed to. Her nakama… No, this alliance–

"Nami, are you hurt?" asked Zoro, interrupting her line of thought.

The navigator looked at him. There was slight worry visible in his eyes. "No, no," she shook her head, and laughed it off. "I'm fine, thanks."

The swordsman stared at her for just a bit longer. "Alright then," he accepted.

"–and begone!" Luffy finished his speech to the Black Cat pirates with an authoritative shout. Then he shifted his attention to the long-nosed teen who was just standing at the top of the slope and gawking at them.

Feeling the eyes of the straw hatted pirate on him, Usopp winced. This kid was dangerous. He defeated Kuro so easily! Without a scratch on himself! "Kaya, can you stand up?" he asked of the girl behind him, watching the trio cautiously. "They are pirates, too. We need to get away from here."

"I'm sorry, Usopp-san…" blonde answered quietly after struggling to stand. "My legs… they just don't listen to me."

The sharpshooter clenched his teeth. The boy seemed younger than him, and kids were supposed to be simple-minded. He gripped his slingshot tighter. "I'm the great pirate captain Usopp!" he shouted, while striking a heroic pose. "It's best if you don't try to attack this village, because my 100 million men are not going to forgive you!"

All three pirates blinked at him.

"He can't be one of that creep's men, right?" Nami wondered in a hushed voice, so that the long-nosed teen wouldn't hear her. "With an outrageous lie like that."

"I doubt it," Zoro agreed.

Luffy smiled, amused. "Oh, so you desire a fight then?" he asked. "We're pirates! No one orders us around!"

Usopp cringed. That was not the reaction he'd tried to achieve. Summoning all the bravery he could muster, he stood his ground. "Don't underestimate me!" He aimed his slingshot at the black-haired kid. "Leave now!"

Luffy said nothing as he started walking up the slope towards him. His eyes were hidden under the shadow of the straw hat, the ominous smirk playing on his lips.

"What's he doing?" the navigator hissed to Zoro. "He doesn't plan to kill that boy, does he?"

The swordsman gave her an incredulous glance. "He's not serious, just playing," he explained. "Can't you tell?"

Nami stared at him for a moment then looked at Luffy. "No," she confessed. "Are you sure that you know him well enough after only a week?"

"Don't come closer!" yelled Usopp, not able to control his trembling legs anymore. He wanted to just bolt from here, but… The liar glanced at Kaya over his shoulder. The girl stared at the approaching pirate with eyes full of fear. "Damn…" he cursed under his breath. Turning back to face the black-haired boy, he shouted, "Or I'll make you stop!"

"So, make me," Luffy urged him, not faltering in his steps at all.

Usopp fired a barrage of pachinko balls, but the pirate captain sidestepped them all without any effort, not even slowing down.

Luffy's smirk grew into a wide grin. This guy was certainly worthy. Judging by this short performance, he was a good shot, but what mostly caught Luffy's attention was that he refused to leave his immobile friend and flee. Anyone could stand up against a weaker adversary, but only a really brave person had enough strength to face an opponent he couldn't hope to defeat, just so that he could protect others.

Usopp was shivering violently, sweat poured from him in a fountain as the straw hatted pirate stopped just a step away. That was it. The end of the great captain Uso–

"Join my crew!" Luffy proposed, showing the man in front of him his usual sunny grin.

Usopp blinked, feeling his jaw drop. "Huh?"

Next Chapter: The Smile of the White Sheep

Chapter Text

"Join my crew!" Luffy proposed, showing the man in front of him his usual sunny grin.

Usopp blinked, feeling his jaw drop. "Huh?"

"Do you have a dream?"

"Uh…" The liar was completely stumped by the random question, not to mention the pirate's overall attitude change. "Why do you want to know?"

Luffy placed a hand on his hat. "Everyone sets out to sea with their own dreams and goals. I aim to become the Pirate King!" he declared adamantly, his whole being radiating with steely determination and confidence.

Usopp was stunned. He was a liar, maybe not a very good one, but still, he could always tell when other people lied. This kid was not lying. The next Pirate King was standing before him, offering a place in his crew. "I-I want to become a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp announced, all previous hesitation swept aside.

The rubber boy grinned. "The Pirate King could definitely use such a person on his ship! I'm Luffy, this is Zoro, and Nami," he motioned to his nakama who a moment ago had walked over to them.

The sharpshooter smirked cockily. "I'm Usopp, but you can call me the great captain Usopp!" he pointed at himself proudly.

"No," Zoro promptly declined. "There is only one person I'm willing to call 'captain' and he's standing right in front of you."

"I have to agree with Zoro on this," Nami admitted, eyeing the long-nosed teen up and down. "You don't strike me as captain material."

"Oi!" the liar huffed before whining, "You could call me captain sometimes at least..."

Luffy burst into laughter. Ah, his nakama were the best!

"W-why did you come to this island?" a shy voice from behind Usopp asked, and everyone looked at the blonde girl, still sitting on the ground.

"Ah, Kaya!" exclaimed Usopp, flailing his arms and wincing right after as the pain surged through his wounds.

"I'm sorry about Luffy, he doesn't know how scary he appears to outsiders sometimes," Nami apologized with a friendly smile, offering her hand to the young lady to help her stand up.

"Do I look scary sometimes?" the straw hatted teen asked the other two males.

"Yeah!" they both instantly replied in unison.

"Shishishishi!"

"Be serious, guys…" the thief sighed, after helping Kaya off the ground. "We're not here to attack a village or anything," she explained. "We came to this island to restock and maybe find a ship."

"You're looking for a ship?" Kaya asked.

"Yeah, we can't go to the Grand Line with the two small boats we have right now," the navigator told her.

"Maybe you have a ship to give us?" Luffy inquired, being all serious.

"You can't just ask people for such big things!" Nami scolded him, absent-mindedly swinging her hand to smack him over his head and missing when the teen leaned out of the way.

Kaya chuckled. "Luffy-san, Zoro-san, Nami-san and Usopp-san," she bowed gracefully before them. "Thank you all for saving this village, and me."

The rubber captain hummed. "It's not that I tried to do that, but you're welcome!"

"If you feel indebted to us," the thief smirked slyly, "you could gift us a ship."

"Oi, oi!" Usopp objected.

"You don't make any sense," Zoro grumbled. "Didn't you just tell Luffy not to ask for such things?"

"It's not the same!" Nami seemed offended. "What I'm asking is only a small token of gratitude!"

"Sounds the same to me…" the swordsman muttered.

Suddenly Luffy's stomach growled loudly, demanding food, and he smiled sheepishly.

"Let's go to my mansion for now," Kaya suggested. "Usopp-san, you need to bandage your arm, and I left Merry after Klahadore..." she trailed off, a sad expression creeping across her features.

"Kaya…" Usopp didn't know what to say to her. He was staring at the girl with worry written all over his face.

"Okay, let's go," Luffy agreed, breaking the sudden silence which had stretched between them. "But after that – food!"

Piiman and Ninjin were staring at the tree which was one of Usopp's many hiding places.

"He's not here either," Ninjin remarked.

"Where is the captain today?" wondered Piiman while looking around. "And where is Tamanegi?"

"He's probably still sleeping," the purple-haired boy said. "I'm worried about the captain. He wasn't like himself yesterday."

"I agree."

"WAAAAAAAH!" a cry suddenly rang in the distance, and both kids looked at the blonde boy with glasses, dashing madly at them while crying at the top of his lungs, "THIS IS BAD! THE PIRATES!"

"Why are you yelling, Tamanegi?" asked the green-haired boy.

"What's this about pirates?" Ninjin questioned.

Catching his breath, Tamanegi stopped in front of his friends. "I saw two boats on the southern part of the shore, and I went to investigate them. One of them has a black sail with the Jolly Roger! It's the symbol of Buggy's pirates!"

"You're lying!" both boys chorused.

"It's true!" exclaimed the blonde. "There are pirates somewhere on the island!"

All three kids fell silent for a moment, until they heard voices nearing them. They promptly jumped into the forest and hid in the bush.

"That's the captain!" Ninjin whispered as he spotted Usopp with three strangers walking along the path.

"What's he doing?" wondered Piiman.

"I have never seen those people before…" Tamanegi pointed out before paling. "They are probably the pirates!" he hissed to his friends.

"The captain is in danger!" the green-haired boy stirred, but Ninjin stopped him.

"Let's follow them for now, and see where they take the captain," he suggested.

Both boys nodded, determination burning in their eyes.

"Usopp…" Luffy tilted his head to one side. "Usopp…" He tilted his head to other side. "Usopp…" The rubber boy continued chanting the name of his newest crewmate and swaying his head in deep contemplation. "Usopp…"

The long-nosed teen grew more nervous every time the straw hatted pirate said his name. Even though this kid just invited him into his crew, and he kind of accepted the invitation, Usopp was aware that he was dealing with real pirates here. A real pirate captain probably ruled over his crew in a ruthless and brutal way.

"Usopp…" Briefly glancing at the bush further away from the path they were taking, Luffy continued, "Usopp…"

"Ahhhh! Stop it!" Nami was the first one to finally snap because of his chanting. "What are you doing, Luffy?!"

The rubber captain hummed, bending his eyebrows into an annoyed frown. "I can't remember where I heard that name."

"Huh? You heard my name somewhere?" the liar looked at him before grinning proudly. "Of course, you did! After all, I'm the great capt–"

"No, it was something else…" drawled Luffy. All that thinking was starting to give him a fever.

"Maybe you heard something similar," the navigator tried to help.

The black-haired teen face lit up after some more struggling to remember. "Oh! That's it!" He flashed a bright grin at his nakama. "Nami, you're so smart!"

The thief smiled back at him, glad that he would stop his irritating chanting now.

"Usopp!" Luffy yelled, turning at the long-nosed teen and once again startling him. "You're Yasopp's kid, aren't you?"

The sharpshooter almost tripped over on the flat path from hearing his question. He gawked at the grinning rubber boy in shock. "H-how do you know that?"

"I've known him since I was a kid!"

"Really? You know my dad?"

"Yup," Luffy nodded before closing his eyes as memories from the time spent with Yasopp and the rest of the gang flashed through his mind. "Yasopp's shooting skills are the best! He never misses anything within his range!"

A slight blush dyed Usopp's cheeks like it was him who Luffy had praised. He felt pride welling inside of his chest. His dad was a hero to him!

"Is your father a pirate too?" Zoro asked.

"Yeah!" Usopp confirmed without any hesitation, smiling happily. "Even though he left me for the sea, I'm always proud of my dad!"

"Yasopp is a great pirate!" Luffy exclaimed, excited. "He's one of the Red-Haired Shanks' nakama, and Shanks is an amazing pirate!"

"So he's on that Red-Haired Shanks' ship huh…" the liar drawled while looking into the distance, thinking about his dad chasing his dreams on the far away oceans right at this moment. Suddenly he blinked, turning at the grinning straw hatted boy. "You mean Shanks..? SHANKS THE RED-HAIRED?!"

Zoro scratched his head. Where had he heard that name? Nami was listening to the conversation wondering what connection Luffy had with that Shanks person.

"Shishishishi!" the rubber teen chuckled. "That's right, Usopp! Your dad is on the Yonko's ship!"

"Yonko?!" both Zoro and Nami exclaimed at the same time.

"How do you know such a pirate, Luffy?" the swordsman inquired cautiously.

The boy brushed over his straw hat's rim, and a melancholic smile tugged the edges of his lips. "He saved my life and gave me this hat," he finally replied. "Shanks was the first one who inspired me to go on this journey."

The thief stared at the straw hat before asking, "Is that why you care about it so much?"

Luffy's smile faltered. He clutched the hat's rim with both hands and pulled it down harder, like he was afraid that it would fly away at any moment. "It's… very important to me," he uttered in a hushed voice.

Zoro glanced at his captain, remembering that episode after the nightmare he had the first night they sailed together. The hat actually helped the kid to calm down and come back to his senses. It was probably somehow connected to whatever happened to him, but the swordsman wasn't sure he wanted to hear about it. Every sign showed that Luffy's past was far from pretty.

Nami suddenly felt guilty for asking her question, she definitely didn't like the sight of Luffy cringing and clinging to his hat with apparent desperation. He was always so confident, strong and reliable. Now the boy looked scared, but of what, the navigator couldn't tell. She wanted him to smile brightly again, the way he always did.

Usopp was really confused. The straw hatted teen was a strange person, even more so if you took into consideration that he was a pirate at such a young age. A very strong pirate captain, at that. But now while staring at him, the sharpshooter couldn't see more than just a kid who needed some comfort and be protected from the hostility of the world.

"The tavern is just around the corner, guys!"

"Luffy, we're almost at the place where we can get food."

"You haven't forgotten that I'm paying for your food, captain? So you can get as much as you want."

All three of them suddenly started to speak at the same time, trying to cheer up the smallest one among their group. Luffy lifted his head. His companions were watching him closely, worry and concern visible on their faces. The rubber boy tugged his straw hat down again, but this time he couldn't fight the relieved, happy smile growing on his face. He wasn't alone anymore. He had trustworthy nakama by his side!

Nami felt tricked, conned, deceived and defrauded. All at the same time.

The group was sitting around the table in the local tavern where Usopp had led them to have a dinner.

The thief one more time eyed the pile of empty plates towering her, and had to gulp down the urge to bang her head on the table. She looked Luffy up and down. Where the hell had all that food gone?! And why did he never eat so much while in the open sea? If he did, they would certainly go out of food in a day.

Her gaze shifted to the swordsman, sitting next to her. His tower of plates wasn't that impressive, but the number of empty bottles on his side of the table would have put to shame even the heaviest drinker. Scratch that. Bunch of drinkers.

Nami groaned and actually hit the table with her head. "I knew it…" she mumbled, resting her forehead on the table. "I knew there was a catch in this deal."

"Hm?" Luffy swallowed another bite from the meat chunk in his hand. "What's wrong, Nami?"

The navigator clenched her teeth, slammed her fists on the table, and straightened up, glowering at the straw hatted pirate. "You tricked me!" she yelled. "My deal to pay for your food," she pointed at the tower of plates, "and booze..!" she waived at the empty bottles. "I-I had no idea you two can eat and drink this much!"

"I told you that I can eat a lot!" Luffy grinned at her, causing Nami to scowl.

"And I told you that I can drink a lot," Zoro added, not paying attention that his words made the thief's eyebrow twitch.

Yeah, Nami remembered clearly that they'd said that, but… she glanced over the plates and bottles once again, and banged her head back down on the table with a pained sigh. She couldn't go back on her word, but right now she would have to spend half of her money just to satiate these two monsters every time they visited a place to eat.

"What kind of deal are you talking about?" Usopp asked, curious about the despair radiating from the orange-haired girl.

"When we first met we made a deal with Nami: she can have all the treasure we find, but she pays for our food and drinks," Luffy explained, throwing another steak into his mouth.

"Yeah, now half of that treasure will go to just feeding you…" the navigator whined meekly.

"Shishishishi!"

Ninjin, Piiman and Tamanegi dashed through the empty area between two houses and flattened themselves against another house's wall. Ninjin peeked around the corner, scanning the remaining distance to the tavern. He gave the signal to the other two boys, and all three tiptoed towards their goal. They hid behind some barrels and formed a ring to decide their course of action.

"This is the place where the pirates brought our captain," Piiman summarized.

Tamanegi pulled out his wooden sword and clenched it, determined. "We must save him!"

"Real pirates are savages," Ninjin pointed out, also drawing his toy weapon. "They might have brought captain here to eat him."

"Idiot! It's onibaba who eats people!" the green-haired boy reprimanded his friend. He lifted his wooden sword in front of him, and the other two followed his lead. "This is going to be the most dangerous battle for the Usopp Pirate Crew! Everyone stay alert and ready!"

All three boys nodded and bumped their swords together, resolving themselves for the life or death battle to save their captain. With a final last glance between each other, they kicked the tavern's door open and stumbled inside. "The Usopp Pirate Crew is here!" they chorused.

The pirates looked at them from where they were sitting. Luffy raised an eyebrow, his mouth full of meat, preventing him from saying anything.

Nami stared at the boys. "What's going on?" she wondered.

"Usopp Crew?" Zoro mumbled under his nose, contently sipping the sake straight from the bottle.

"AH! The captain is not here!" yelled Ninjin, all color draining from his face.

"D-don't tell me… he was…" Tamanegi stuttered.

"Oi, pirates, what did you do to our captain Usopp?!" demanded Piiman, pointing his wooden sword at the enemies.

"Give us back our captain!" the other two pleaded.

Luffy swallowed the last bit of his food, patting his stomach in a blissful satisfaction. "That was some delicious meat!" he exclaimed happily.

Three pairs of frightened eyes fixed on him.

"M-meat..?"

"C-captain really was… eaten..?"

"No way..!"

Nami started chuckling, amused by the reaction of these kids.

Zoro placed his arm on the table and leaned on his palm. A sinister smirk appeared on his face as he stabbed one of the last meat cuts left with a fork and lifted it up to his mouth. "Your captain," he drawled, getting attention of the three boys, "was just eaten."

The children blanched, watching as the swordsman ripped the piece of meat in his hand in half and chewed it, grinning evilly. They eyes darted back at the straw hatted teen when he hummed loudly.

"Maybe I should eat some more?" Luffy asked nobody in particular while eyeing the kids up and down. He licked his lips, and a smile spread on his face.

The boys took a step back. "GYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" they screamed at the top of their lungs. Their eyes bulged out, tears and snot splattering everywhere.

The pirates burst into laughter. That was quite a cruel joke, but neither of them regretted playing it on these kids. Their reaction was priceless.

Usopp suddenly ran over from somewhere at the back of the tavern, alarmed by the scream of doom. "What happened?!" he hastily questioned, and only then he noticed three boys lying on the floor, trying to catch their breath after literally screaming their lungs out. "Piiman, Ninjin, Tamanegi? Guys, what are you doing in here?"

The boys gawked at him for a while. "CAPTAIN!" all three shouted, jumping up and tackling him into a group hug.

"We thought you were gone!"

"The pirates said that they ate you!"

"We were so scared!"

Usopp was stunned. "Wha… What happened?" he asked. He never saw his pirate crew so frightened, and certainly hadn't expected to be hugged by them.

"Maybe you went a bit too far?" Nami whispered to her companions, feeling slightly guilty and worried about the children.

"Nah, it's fine," Luffy brushed her worry off, grinning. "It was just a joke, Usopp!"

The tavern's door opened again, this time more carefully as the blond girl came inside. Upon seeing the pirates, Kaya's face lit up. "Here you are!" she exclaimed, excited.

"Hey, ojou-sama!" Luffy flashed his usual sunny smile at her.

Kaya's eyes fell on Usopp and his younger friends who still refused to let him go, and she giggled, causing the long-nosed teen to blush.

"Come on, guys, let me go," he urged his crew. "You're the Usopp Pirate Crew! You shouldn't get scared that easily!"

The boys gasped, jumping from him and grinning. "Right, captain!" they chorused.

Kaya chuckled again then turned to Luffy and his nakama. "I have a surprise for you all. I hope that you would accept it openheartedly."

"A surprise? For us?" the straw hatted boy asked, tilting his head to the side. Nami and Zoro also stared at her, curious about what she had in mind.

"Yes, follow me, please."

"Oh, I will join you later," Usopp quickly said. "I need to talk to my crew before that."

Luffy smiled at him. "Okay, see you later, Usopp!" He waved his hand before following the young mistress out of the tavern.

"While not losing sight of our ambitions, swear that you will go on the road you have chosen!" Usopp shouted, standing proudly in front of his pirate crew. Tears started to gather in his eyes.

The boys nodded furiously, trying but failing to stop their tears from spilling out.

"Starting today the Usopp Pirate Crew…" the young sharpshooter swallowed hard, but held his head high. "…IS DISBANDED!"

Kaya was smiling with contentment while all three pirates were beaming with pure happiness from the sight of their surprise gift.

"Ohhh!" Zoro cheered, wide smile plastered on his face.

The ship with natural brown hull and white railings was peacefully swaying, anchored at the shore.

"A caravel!" Nami rejoiced, jumping from excitement.

The sails were singing as the wind brushed through them, while flags lazily fluttered in the breeze.

"WOOOOW!" Luffy shouted in awe.

The white sheep figurehead with swirly horns was softly smiling at the three young pirates who'd soon sail it to the faraway seas of adventure, chasing after their dreams.

"It is somewhat old-fashioned, but I designed it myself," the man who they met at Kaya's mansion spoke to them. "I call it Going Merry!"

"Going Merry…" Luffy repeated, before breaking into huge, sunny grin. "One more nakama!"

"I will explain the steering system," the ship's designer smiled softly at the hatted boy, happy that he liked the vessel. "First of all, in order to–"

"Ah, you can explain all that to Nami," Luffy interrupted him. "I don't think I would understand any of it, and she's our navigator!"

Nami nodded. "I'll listen to the explanation."

"I'll go find Usopp in the meantime."

Luffy was laughing joyfully while carrying Usopp's enormous bag without any effort. "How did you plan to reach the shore if I hadn't come to get you?" he asked.

The long-nosed teen puffed his chest. "I could carry it myself!" he claimed. "But I'm not in the mood right now."

The rubber boy laughed again. They reached the shore where Going Merry was anchored. Zoro was already napping on the ship, leaning on its railings. Nami was chatting with Kaya who waved her hand once she spotted both boys coming down the slope.

"So, you're going to the sea, Usopp-san?" the blond girl inquired.

"Yeah, I'm going as a member of Luffy's crew," he confirmed. "Please, don't stop me."

Luffy easily jumped onto the ship with Usopp's bag. Nami climbed the rope ladder right after him.

"Oh, you're back?" Zoro mumbled groggily, before yawning.

"Yep!" Luffy grinned at his nakama, dropped the bag, and leaned on the railings to watch Usopp and Kaya saying their goodbyes.

"I look forward to that!" the blonde smiled shyly at the sharpshooter. He smiled back and turned to climb onto the ship.

"Not going to kiss her?" Luffy suddenly asked.

Nami blinked at him. Zoro snapped fully awake. Usopp almost slipped from the ladder, and Kaya blushed.

Luffy frowned, confused by their strange reactions. "Shanks always kissed Makino when he left the village," he recalled. "I thought it was a normal way to say goodbye to a female." His frown deepened than Zoro burst into laughter, Nami facepalmed, and Kaya's blush intensified.

"L-Luffy, that's…" Usopp stuttered, but didn't know how to explain that it wasn't actually that normal.

"I kissed Makino and Dadan on the cheeks when I left," Luffy said, scratching his head in confusion. "Maybe that's why Dadan fainted… Makino was really happy though."

"We really should go!" Nami suddenly exclaimed, breaking the awkwardness which started to build up among them. "Thank you again for the ship, Kaya!"

The blonde cleared her throat, smiled and waved. "Have a safe trip everyone!"

Next Chapter: The Scar of the Past

Chapter Text

"To a new ship and a new nakama!" Luffy shouted mirthfully, lifting his mug of rum.

"CHEERS!" the others responded eagerly, mirroring his gesture and also lifting their mugs.

The newly formed pirate crew clanged mugs together and downed their drinks, at the same time laughing joyfully. The new ship, Going Merry, was gracefully soaring through the sea, carrying the pirates to their new destination and adventures.

"Now that we have a ship and four people in total, we can raise our pirate flag!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Do you know already what our Jolly Roger will be?" Usopp asked.

The rubber boy smirked. "Of course, I do! Wait a minute, I saw some cloth and paint when I was looking around earlier." He bolted to the storage room and returned with several paint buckets and black cloth tucked under his arm. "Alright, here we go," Luffy said, laying the black flag on the floor.

Usopp, Nami, and Zoro leaned closer when the captain dipped the brush into the paint and started painting. He quickly stroked across the cloth, sticking his tongue out in great concentration. But with every line the faces of the three pirates grew more concerned.

"Maybe it's some kind of abstract art...?" Nami quietly wondered.

Luffy finished his masterpiece with a bright grin. "It's done!" he yelled proudly. "What do you think?"

His crew dumbly stared at the warped white skull with a lop-sided straw hat on its top.

"That's our mark?" Zoro asked with disbelief. "The pirate's flag is a symbol of death and terror, but this…"

"It's… uh, unique?" Usopp suggested.

The thief shrugged. "It sure is terrifying in some sense."

The captain frowned and looked at the Jolly Roger he just made. He didn't see anything bad about it. Even before he went to the sea, Luffy put a lot of thought into what kind of symbol he wanted to sail under.

"Don't worry, Luffy, this genius painter will come to your aid," the sharpshooter boasted, pointing at himself and getting several skeptical glances. "I've honed my artistic talents by drawing on the walls of people's homes for years." He urged the black-haired boy to step aside and took his place in front of the new black cloth.

After some time, the flag was finished and the liar grinned proudly. "There we go!" Usopp would have never thought that he'll leave his home village so soon. Just a day ago, he was simply a kid. As much as he boasted about being a pirate, the sharpshooter realized that it was just it—boasting. But looking at his own handiwork, a sudden apprehension that now he would sail under this Jolly Roger in pursuit of his own dream as a true pirate dawned on Usopp, causing his smile to grow even more.

"Oh, it's perfect!" Nami cheered. She was genuinely happy. The navigator really tried not to like these guys, not to get attached to them, but it was getting harder and harder to do with every passing hour. It seemed like that grinning skull with a straw hat overshadowed Arlong's mark on her shoulder, and Nami felt at ease and safe around these pirates, under this specific Jolly Roger.

"Eh, so this is our mark from now on?" the swordsman also smiled, looking at the straw-hatted skull. He still hardly believed that he really called a strange kid who popped out of nowhere his captain and became a pirate. But Zoro didn't have any regrets about his decision. He was confident about traveling next to the future Pirate King. After all, following the person whose ambition was even bigger than his own was bound to throw them into mayhem and against the strongest in this world.

Luffy patted the long-nosed teen on his back. "Good job, Usopp! Now paint this on the sail too!" he ordered excitedly, but then paused. "Ah, but before that, can you paint it on this?" The boy untied his black bandana from his neck and spread it in front of Usopp, lifting his head in anticipation of an answer. Three pairs of wide, startled eyes met his gaze. Luffy frowned, confused, and when it clicked. He placed his hand on the neck's left side, hiding the scar from the view.

"Luffy, that's…" Nami started but suddenly felt the lack of words. She couldn't wrap her mind about how horrible the wound had been if it left that kind of scar.

Usopp nervously gulped. That kind of injury would be enough to kill an ordinary person. The sharpshooter shuddered from mere thought about somebody actually inflicting it on the straw-hatted boy.

"It's just a scar," Luffy said, averting his eyes from his nakama. It worked as a reminder for him, although the teen didn't really care that much about it, but he knew how other people reacted upon seeing it. "A simple scar," he insisted with a small, strained smile, "nothing for you to worry about."

Zoro stared at his captain's hand, covering the ugly scar from their eyes. Luffy didn't strike him as a person who would hide battle marks from other people. Maybe he wouldn't want to talk about how he got it, but the swordsman was sure that the boy wouldn't keep it hidden. He almost seemed ashamed of that particular scarring. "If I ever feel my freedom threatened… I'd rather kill myself than lose it again."

Zoro eyes widened when the realization hit him like a wall of bricks. "You did it to yourself, didn't you?!" The question came out of his mouth before he could stop it and much harsher than he'd intended.

Luffy bit his bottom lip but didn't deny the swordsman's words. Nami put a hand on her mouth in a silent horror. Her eyes were still glued to the spot on the rubber boy's neck, unable to get the image of the scar out of her mind.

"Zoro, what are you talking about?" Usopp showed a wry smile, trying to lighten a sudden grim atmosphere on the deck. "Why would Luffy—" The liar hadn't finished, because he was rendered completely speechless with one quiet word from the captain.

"Yeah."

"Stay."

The stern order slowly sunk into the foggy mind of Luffy, and it took him a couple of minutes to fully understand it. The boy felt relief washing over his aching, tired, injured body and tortured mind. It was probably the first time he obeyed gladly. Luffy really couldn't do anything more at the moment, just staying still. Every move, despite how small it was, hurt, and the boy felt sick in his stomach, even though he couldn't remember the last time he was fed.

The ground beneath his bare feet was swaying, and it made the struggle to keep standing more difficult. Luffy tore open his eyes, and with glazed gaze looked around. That's right, he was on the ship. That person took him on his voyage as a personal pet, but before that he finally ordered to take out a bullet from the boy's shoulder, lodged there as a punishment for almost a week from his last fight.

If Luffy had more strength, he would have laughed from the memory of that person's and slave handlers' expressions when he boldly refused to kill a defenseless child he was pitted against at that fight. For whatever reason, he couldn't do it, even though Luffy had been forced to do it countless times before. Maybe he just finally lost his mind completely. Maybe because the black-haired, freckled child reminded him of Ace.

Luffy wondered if Ace still remembered him. Probably not. If he did, he would have come to take his brother away from this hell already. Maybe Luffy did something unforgivable, and that was a reason why neither Ace nor Sabo came for him. He was always such a loud, stupid and weak brat, always eating too much, sleeping too long, unable to keep his mouth shut or protect himself…

Maybe his existence really was a sin like they had been telling him from the moment he told them his name.

Monkey D. Luffy.

D.

He really shouldn't have told them his name.

Suddenly the ship jerked to the side, and Luffy was thrown from his standing spot into the mast. He gulped down the moan which wanted to rip away from his throat. It was a long time ago that the boy learned not to entertain them by openly showing pain, discomfort or despair.

Luffy heard urgent shouts, warning yells all around him, but because of his clouded consciousness, he couldn't make out the words. Lots of people were running on the deck, their every step interflowing into a united cacophony of sounds: voices, waves, wind, distant beast's roar…

A small, almost invisible smile appeared on Luffy's face. He remembered Makino singing while they walked on the beach, waves washing his bare feet, seagulls squealing above his head, warm wind ruffling his hair, and—

"What is going on?"

A voice next to him made Luffy flinch, his smile vanishing instantly.

"Saint Kenjord, it's not safe here, you should go inside!"

"Are you ordering me what to do?!"

"No, Sir, I-I am sorry…"

A deafening roar rang somewhere nearby, followed by a bunch of terrified screams. The ship violently jerked to the side again, causing Luffy stumble forward and fell down on the deck. He shook his head, lifted his eyes up and gasped.

A huge, magnificent creature towered over the vessel, snarling and baring its teeth at the panicking people on the deck. The Sea King roared again, its tail rising from the depth of the ocean on the other side of the ship. It swished in the air aggressively and suddenly whipped down at it.

Luffy slid across the deck when the ship shook. Fortunately, he bumped into something and stopped. Rapidly blinking, the boy tried to comprehend what was happening around him.

"Oh, you ugly, wretched little trash!"

Luffy shivered from a venomous growl right next to his ear. He turned his head to look behind at what stopped his slide, and his eyes widened, immediately filled up with overwhelming terror. That person!

"How dare you touch me, you dirty scum of D?!" Saint Kenjord bellowed, standing up and yanking the boy from the ground by his sea stone collar. "I should have killed you years ago, be grateful to have been left alive till now! I'll show you, nasty, vile thing, how to disrespect me!" He threw Luffy across the deck towards the bow of the ship, from where people were fleeing the rampaging Sea King.

Luffy slipped on the wet floor and tumbled down, skidding forward right into the beast's line of sight. The Sea King growled and dipped his head down, opening his mouth and revealing a line of sharp teeth.

The boy's body froze from fear, the mind shutting down completely with only one thought going in circles: 'I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!'

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

Luffy's scream sliced through the roar of the Sea King and yells of the people. A wave of power rolled from the boy and blasted across the surroundings like an invisible explosion.

An absolute silence set in for a split second. Even wind stilled.

Then a bunch of thumps resounded all over the ship. With an enormous splash of water, the Sea King divided back into the depth of the ocean.

Luffy inhaled a ragged, shaky breath, unable to suppress his entire body from shaking, and tears from silently sliding over his cheeks. He glanced around. The Sea King was gone, all the people on the ship lay sprawled on the deck, apparently unconscious or dead, the boy wasn't sure. The wind was picking up again, and the only sounds were it blowing into the sails and the occasional creak from the ship.

After some struggle, Luffy stood up. He was so tired. All he wanted right now was to curl into the smallest ball and sleep. Mustering the strength, the boy walked to the nearest person. For a while, he just stood there staring at the body, then reached and tentatively shook it. There was no reaction. He repeated his action with another person but got the same result.

When the third man hadn't shown any sign of awareness, with trembling hands Luffy carefully pulled his sword from its scabbard. The slaves weren't allowed to wield weapons outside the arena, it was punishable by severe whipping or even death. Luffy didn't care anymore. He would rather die than go back to that kind of life.

While he was trying to cross the ship towards the escape boats, Luffy's limbs almost completely stopped functioning, refusing to move even an inch further. Without any other choice, the boy crawled in between two boxes and hid behind the third one. He curled into a small ball with a sword tightly clutched in his hand and dozed off.

Luffy got dragged from his nightmares by a screeching noise like someone was pushing the box from its spot. His body tensed up as he opened his eyes and saw that that was exactly what was happening.

"Found him!" someone yelled, once the box was moved to the side, revealing a scared and heavily disoriented child.

Another man joined the first one to stare at the cornered boy. Luffy's exhausted mind couldn't understand what was happening. He observed the man crouch down with a hand stretched towards him. Soon he'd grab him, drag him back to that person and his life would go back to the previous hell.

Luffy was not going back there. The solution was simple—he would better die free from his own hands than get killed as a slave by those monsters.

"You're not going to have me…" Luffy whispered. He lifted a blade and touched the left side of his neck, right beneath the sea stone collar. As he jerked the sword down, not even wincing from a sudden pain and a fountain of blood, Luffy could swear he heard a worried shout from the stranger.

"No, Luffy, STOP!"

Luffy stared at the faraway horizon, looking distant and detached from the surrounding world, dark emotions flashing through his eyes as memories of his rescue day played in his mind.

The crew of three observed him, worry boiling under their skin. None of them really saw their captain being so gloomy and distant before, sad or thoughtful, yeah, but not this. The idea that Luffy—their cheerful, happy-go-lucky and carefree captain—tried to kill himself hadn't sunk fully in either of their minds.

"It was…" Luffy started but didn't know how to say it without giving his nakama unnecessary details. He brushed fingers over the rim of his straw hat and sighed. "I was not in my right mind. I didn't know what was happening around me, that those people tried to help, not hurt me. I felt… cornered."

That was a very vague explanation, not at all clarifying why Luffy decided to slice his own throat.

Usopp almost jumped out of his skin when Zoro's hand landed on his shoulder. He glanced at the swordsman and blinked confused as the man motioned at the bandana still spread in front of him.

"You should finish painting," Zoro said, fixing the sharpshooter with a sharp gaze.

"Um… Yeah, that's… that's brilliant idea!" Usopp agreed, forcing a smile on his lips.

As the liar grabbed the brush to paint a straw-hatted Jolly Roger on Luffy's bandana, the swordsman turned to their navigator. "Nami, are we on the right course?"

Nami finally tore her eyes from Luffy's hand, hiding the scar, and focused on her green-haired nakama. "What?"

"Our course. Are we still on course?" Zoro repeated, patiently.

"Oh." The navigator glanced at the sun's position, then at Merry's sails, taking note of the wind's direction. "Yeah, I think we're still on the right course, although I need to check maps and plan it further."

While Nami talked, Luffy stood up from where he was sitting and quietly walked away. Zoro, Nami, and Usopp observed him jumping on the figurehead and sitting there cross-legged.

None of them mentioned Zoro's subtle intervention, allowing Luffy to retreat from being questioned more, because none of them were sure if they really wanted to question him further.

"Alright, it's done!" Usopp shouted proudly as he untied the rope from his waist and eyed the sails with a huge, straw-hatted Jolly Roger on. The black flags freely fluttered in the wind. Going Merry was now fully ready for action as a pirate vessel!

But the mood on the ship was still grim, to say the least. Luffy hadn't moved from his position on the figurehead, not even sparing a glance for whatever was happening behind him. Zoro was lounging against the main mast and, judging by the quite snores, he was sleeping without a care in the world. Nami got herself buried under the mountain of maps, studying each of them with the professional dedication.

Usopp's smile faltered and he heaved a heavy sigh. If the situation wasn't remedied, this journey would become unbearably awkward. He smirked. Lucky for these bastards, they now had the awesome captain Usopp in their midst!

The sharpshooter put the brush away, picked up the black bandana with Jolly Roger on it, and strolled to the ship's front. The paint was already dried, and if Luffy tied it back on his neck, he should cheer up.

"Luffy," Usopp called, getting the young captain's attention as he turned to look at the sharpshooter, "your bandana."

The straw-hatted teen took the bandana, unfurled it for a moment to see the mark. "Good job, Usopp," he praised before tying it back around his neck. Finally, that scar was hidden again, and Luffy felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. Maybe it did bother him much more than he assumed. "Thank you."

Usopp broke into a cocky smirk. "There is nothing this genius painter couldn't paint!" he boasted, puffing his chest and cocking his nose. "Just look at Merry's sails!"

Luffy glanced at the sails, and couldn't fight the grin which grew on his face. "Whoa, it's amazing, Usopp!"

"Heh, you've seen nothing till you see my true talent," the liar bragged further.

"What is that?"

"I'm the Great Champion of the hide-and-seek! Nobody—and when I say nobody, I really mean no one on this mortal plain—can compete with me in hide-and-seek game!"

Luffy's jaw dropped. "The Great Champion?!" he exclaimed in awe.

Usopp nodded. "Aaaaaaand…" he drawled the word dramatically for the bigger effect, "this Greatest Champion is inviting you to the hide-and-seek duel!"

The rubber boy leaped from his spot on the sheep's head and grinned happily at his nakama. "Alright, let's do it!"

Usopp insisted on being the first one to hide, and Luffy to seek him out. The problem was that Luffy was so used to his mystery power, that he didn't know how to turn it off. So once he was done the counting, the teen strolled right into storage room and barrel where Usopp had hidden.

"I found you!"

The sharpshooter frowned. "No, no, that was just the first try. I was testing you," he insisted. "Now I'm gonna hide for real!"

And so Usopp hid and was found again as easily as the first time. He hid for the third time. Luffy found him again. Slowly, their hide-and-seek game grew into a tag game, as the long-nosed teen vainly tried his hardest to avoid and hide from his captain.

Usopp was sneaking across the main deck when suddenly rubber arms winded around his torso. "Shishishishi! I found you again!" Luffy exclaimed, slamming into his nakama's back as his arms snapped back.

The liar staggered forward with a yelp. His foot got caught by Zoro's leg, and he stumbled down on him together with laughing Luffy on top.

The swordsman groaned under them. "The hell are you two doing?!" he yelled in anger.

"Playing hide-and-seek!" Luffy informed with a usual sunny grin in place, unwinding his arms from the sharpshooter and standing up.

Zoro pushed squished Usopp off of him, sat up and scratched the back of his head. "With you seeking?"

"Yep!"

The swordsman promptly burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that his eyes started to tear up.

"What's so funny?" Usopp asked, glaring at him.

Zoro brushed the tears out of his eyes. "You tried to play hide-and-seek with Luffy seeking?" he asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, and he's so good at…" the liar trailed off as Zoro burst into laughter again. "What's so funny?!" But he didn't get an answer. Usopp glanced at Luffy who just shrugged before he looked back at the swordsman. "STOP LAUGHING!"

Nami put a water to boil for a tea. Going Merry was anchored for the night, and it was her turn to do a night watch until early morning, so she wanted to drink something warm before the long hours up in a crow nest.

The thief looked behind her then she heard the door to the lounge area opening. Usopp entered first, closely followed by Zoro. Nami raised an eyebrow in question. It was already quite late, and she thought that the boys were already down in their room.

"So, what do you wanted to talk about, Usooooopp?" Zoro asked, failing to restrain a yawn at the end.

"Have you guys seen Luffy sleeping?"

Nami and Zoro blinked at him dumbly. "What do you mean?" the navigator carefully inquired.

"It's been a couple of days as we left Syrup Village," the sharpshooter started. "I haven't seen him sleeping longer than half an hour or so. Last night I stayed up, just to watch him. He was out like a light, but about a half an hour later he mumbled something, woke up and went outside where I found him in the morning."

Nami furrowed her brow in thought. Now that Usopp mentioned it, she couldn't recall seeing Luffy actually sleeping, not dozing off for a short nap.

"I don't think I've seen Luffy asleep since our first night on the sea," Zoro admitted, in unusual solemn tone. "He had a nightmare."

A silence settled down as all three pirates pondered on this new information.

"It's not healthy," Nami finally stated. "We need to make sure he gets a good night's sleep."

"Agreed," Usopp said, while Zoro just nodded.

Nami wrapped a blanket around herself more tightly, and leaned on the railing of a crow nest, fixing her gaze on the ocean. It was a calm night, only slight breeze ruffled her hair.

The boys were all sleeping down in their room. Luffy was quite reluctant, but he finally surrendered and agreed for a long night's sleep. Nami wondered how she hadn't noticed how really tired the boy actually was. Even his bright grin these days wasn't reaching his eyes.

The thief sighed. She had to pay more attention to these kinds of things because, apparently, her captain couldn't take care of himself properly. If Luffy insisted on calling her his nakama, she could demand of him to look after himself. That was what nakama did for each other, right?

A serene smile found its way onto Nami's lips from that line of thought, vanishing completely a moment later when a blood-chilling scream from below pierced the peaceful night's silence.

Next Chapter: Chasing the Nightmares Away

Chapter Text

A serene smile found its way onto Nami's lips from that line of thought, vanishing completely a moment later when a blood-chilling scream from below pierced the peaceful night's silence.

Nami hastily climbed down from the crow's nest to check whatever was happening downstairs. The instant her feet touched the deck, the hatch to the boy's room slammed open. The thief jumped, startled by the loud bang, and turned to look at that direction.

Bareheaded, Luffy leapt out from the inside and immediately started to look around the ship wildly. He had his back turned to Nami, and hadn't noticed her approach.

"Luffy?" the navigator called, touching the boy's shoulder to get his attention. She hadn't expected him to swivel around so fast, absolute terror and despair etched on his face. Nami flinched when Luffy smacked her hand with a considerable amount of strength.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled, backing away from her. "Go away! You're not real!"

Nami just blinked at the teen's actions and words, ignoring the throbbing of her hand, but pulling it to her chest nonetheless. She couldn't understand why he acted so scared, completely out of his mind from fear which was simmering openly in his obsidian eyes.

"I guess now we know why he wasn't sleeping."

Zoro's voice right behind her startled Nami, and she briefly glanced at the swordsman who stopped at her side, before looking back at Luffy. "What happened?" she asked.

The swordsman rubbed his jaw where Luffy punched him when he had tried to wake him up, staring intently at his captain. Luffy backed away from them until he hit the wall. "One moment we were all sleeping, and the next Luffy woke us with his screams," Zoro replied. "I don't think he realizes what he's doing right now."

They needed to shake Luffy out of his nightmare or hallucination, whatever it was, but Zoro was wary about approaching him in that kind of state. He got punched halfheartedly while trying to get ahold of his flailing arms, but nobody was able to tell whether the rubber boy would attack them for real if he felt cornered.

Luffy suddenly stilled. His eyes stopped darting around and fixed on the people in front of him. The overwhelming terror was pushed to the side by steely resolve. His hand slipped behind his back. Fingers slowly curled around the handle of the dagger.

Zoro felt his stomach churning as his eyes followed Luffy's hand, and he realized what the boy was thinking. "Wait, Luffy, what are you doing?!" the swordsman exclaimed, stepping forward. "You're safe here! Nobody is threatening your freedom, so just calm down!"

Nami and Usopp, who climbed onto the deck after Zoro, shared a bewildered glance with each other. None of them knew what their swordsman was talking about, and why all of the sudden he seemed on a brink of panic.

"Shit…" Zoro muttered when there was no recognition sparking in Luffy's eyes. "The hat!" he shouted unexpectedly before turning around. "Where is his hat?!"

"Uh, I think it's still down in the room," Usopp answered.

"Go get it."

"How does the hat hel–"

"NOW!"

The long-nosed teen sprang to action and clambered back down into the men's room without any further questions. He emerged from below after several seconds with Luffy's straw hat in hand. Zoro grabbed it, and quickly strode towards his captain, closely observing his hand behind his back.

The swordsman was within a few feet of him when Luffy drew his dagger. In one swift motion, Zoro gripped the blade, successfully stopping it mid-move, and jammed the straw hat on the teen's head, praying that he would be right about it.

Luffy's tensed frame sagged instantly. His unoccupied, trembling hand rose and gingerly brushed over the hat's rim before clenching it tightly.

"Are you with me, Luffy?" Zoro asked, still holding the dagger's blade in his palm.

The boy flinched at the voice. He lifted his head and stared at his nakama. "Zoro," Luffy finally whispered. His eyes drifted to the side, widening at the sight of his drawn dagger and Zoro's blood dripping through his fingers onto the deck. He looked back at the swordsman, his eyes suddenly guarded and wary. "I'm sorry, Zoro."

Zoro's gaze lingered on his face for a bit longer, trying to ascertain if Luffy was truly fully there. Deciding that it was safe, he unclenched the fist from around the blade, and grunted, "It's fine."

Nami and Usopp let out the breaths they were holding once they heard Zoro's statement. The swordsman turned around, leaving Luffy to stare at his retreating back, and without a word went down to the men's room. Usopp scrambled after him in haste, muttering quietly that he'd help him to bandage his hand.

Luffy's eyes flickered to his dagger, coated in his nakama's blood.

He thought he was able to shove all those memories aside, bury them in the deepest layers of his mind. He thought that he could hold those night terrors at bay, that he already got over the nightmares and flashbacks. He thought that they didn't have any hold over him any longer.

The teen's grip on the dagger's handle tightened as he narrowed his eyes at it.

No, he would not lose to them and all the horrors they inflicted on him. He would show the world that they were unable to break Monkey D. Luffy, the future Pirate King!

"Luffy?"

Luffy glanced up, meeting worried brown orbs of Nami's eyes. That's right, he was not alone anymore. Hopefully, he would never have to be alone ever again. A ghost of a smile crossed the rubber pirate's features from that thought.

"You can go to sleep, Nami," Luffy said, brushing the blood from the dagger with his fingers. "I'll take over the night watch."

Nami wanted to help, really wanted to say something to comfort Luffy, but she couldn't find any words to tell him. She was a damaged person herself. The night when she cried into his chest was still fresh in the thief's mind. Luffy managed to give her what she needed most at that moment: the strong presence beside her who overshadowed Arlong's threat. Nami was weaker than Luffy. She couldn't become the pillar he would be able to hide behind from whatever demons were haunting him.

And Nami hated that all she was able to do was to mutter, "Okay. Good night, then," and turn her back to her captain.

Doing so, Nami missed a true, soft smile which curled on Luffy's lips. He knew that she cared, that they all did, and it was all he needed to push away the darkness that threatened to overwhelm him.

It was a nice, sunny day. The wind was almost down, so the Going Merry floated peacefully on the calm waters of the East Blue.

The ship was silent for the moment. All morning, Usopp played the hide-and-seek game with Luffy, and again lost miserably. Now, he was nursing his pride by crafting something in the lounge area. Trying to avoid being included in the teens' hide-and-tag game, Zoro climbed onto the roof of the lounge for his usual nap and was snoring undisturbed there. Luffy sat on Merry's figurehead, and with a smile observed the surrounding never-ending sea.

And Nami was standing on the stern deck, glowering at the wooden Bo staff in her hands. Being a thief who stole from pirates wasn't an easy profession, especially for a girl, so Nami had to learn how to wield a weapon. But there was no one around to teach her properly, so all her skills were self-taught, and consequently mediocre at the best. After witnessing sparring between Luffy and Zoro, the navigator started to wonder if she really was capable of defending herself in a pinch.

Remembering how Luffy spun his own Bo staff, Nami tried to copy that. She somewhat succeeded, until she decided to quicken her pace. The staff slipped from her hands, clattered on the floor and almost rolled off of the ship before the thief managed to grab it. She glared at it. Luffy used his weapon so masterly in both defensive and offensive techniques, but Nami could merely whack her opponents without any grace.

The thief peeked around the corner at the lonely figure on the sheep's head. She bit her lip, hesitating to go and ask him for some training tips. Nami didn't want to give herself additional reasons to like these people and get attached to them even more. This voyage was only temporary for her. Once she collected enough money, she'd have to go back. Arlong was probably already getting antsy because of her long absence.

Nami shook her head to disperse thoughts about that despicable Fishman. She took a deep breath and walked across the ship. "Luffy," the navigator called, once she reached ship's bow.

The straw-hatted teen glanced back. His gaze flickered to the Bo staff, Nami was holding in her hand, then back again at her face, and he raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

"Um, I saw you using a Bo staff," Nami started, uncertain. "It happens that I'm using one too, so I was wondering if you could give me some tips."

"Sure!" Luffy replied cheerfully, sliding from his spot to stand beside his navigator. "Show me your stance."

Nami blinked. Stance? Show him her stance? What stance? She glared at the staff again, gripped it with both her hands, unsure of what stance should really be, and looked at Luffy for guidance.

A light frown crossed his features, but the boy hadn't commented on Nami's lack of knowledge. "Can you spin it?" he asked instead.

The thief gritted her teeth while the blush dyed her cheeks, remembering how she almost lost her staff trying to repeat Luffy's spectacular spinning. "No!" she denied forcefully. "Why is it so important?!"

"It's the easiest way to get accustomed to your staff. A weapon can be just a tool you use, or it can become an extension of your arm. I'm sure you understand which one is better," Luffy explained. "You can ask Zoro if you want. He'll tell you the same thing." He waved in the direction where the swordsman was.

Nami turned to see Zoro sitting in his previous napping spot, observing them closely. Noticing her gaze on him, he nodded in agreement with Luffy's statement.

The rubber boy continued, "It also helps to train your hold on your staff. You can't afford to lose your only weapon in a fight." He smiled. "Here, I'll show you." Luffy stepped a bit further from the girl and motioned to her. "C'mon, attack me."

Nami snapped her head to stare at him. "What? I'm not going to spar with you!"

The straw-hatted pirate tilted his head in confusion. "We're not sparring. I just want to show you one move." After a pause, he nonchalantly added as an afterthought, "Besides, you can't hit me anyways."

The thief narrowed her eyes. Inability to land a hit on Luffy was extremely frustrating to her, and damn that Luffy's talent to taunt people with only his words!

Luffy smirked mischievously when Nami thrust her staff towards him, caught it easily with one hand and held firmly in place. "What are you gonna do in this kind of situation?" he asked.

The navigator stared dumbly at first, then vainly tried to yank her weapon out of the captain's grip. Luffy put one foot forward for better balance and brought his free hand down on the staff so hard that Nami squealed when it was violently ripped from her grasp. The black-haired teen wasn't finished, though. He slightly shifted position of his hands, twisted his wrist, and the other end of the staff promptly swung around and stopped merely an inch from the thief's top of the head.

Nami's eyes widened as she realized what happened, quickly stepping from under the staff.

"That's why you need to have a good hold on it," Luffy concluded, casually spinning the Bo staff. He did it slowly so that Nami was able to see how his hands moved. Then he stopped and extended the weapon for the girl. "It doesn't matter how slow you go at first. Now, practice!"

The thief took the staff without a word and tried to repeat what she just saw, with Luffy correcting her.

"What are you guys doing?" Usopp asked, coming up onto the bow deck.

"Nami is training," Luffy informed him.

"Training?" The liar eyed the orange-haired girl, twirling her staff with knitted brows in concentration. "Oh, I know!" he suddenly exclaimed, bolting to the storage room. "Luffy, come here to help me!" came a shout from inside.

"With what?!" the captain yelled back.

"With a cannon!"

Zoro leaned forward so that he could see Usopp pushing cannon out from the storage room. "Why do you need a cannon?" he asked, curious.

The sharpshooter looked up at him and shook his finger together with his head. "Tsk-tsk-tsk, Zoro, I see that you still have no idea of my position in this crew!"

The swordsman blinked at him. "And what is that?"

Usopp smirked. "I'm the great capt–"

"He's our sniper!" Luffy cut him off cheerfully as he wrapped his rubbery arms around the cannon several times and with one swift move lifted it easily from the floor.

The long-nosed teen gulped nervously at such display of power. There was no way that he would be able to stand against Luffy on equal ground. Usopp also guessed that because of all the mood swings, nightmares plaguing his sleep, and other haunting psychological problems, Luffy was probably not the sanest person in the world. Yeah, the sniper nodded to himself, agreeing with his own thoughts, there was really no need to aggravate his captain by claiming his position.

"Hurry up, Usopp!" Luffy called from the back of the ship. "I can see a rock in the middle of the sea, you can practice on it!"

"Roger that!"

Luffy stared excited at the rock, sticking above the surface, while Usopp made preparations to shoot the cannon for the first time.

"Judging the distance between here and the target… The wind direction…" the newly appointed ship's sniper mumbled under his nose. "This should about do it…"

The straw-hatted pirate suddenly froze as his mystery power picked up a human presence on that small rocky island. "Usopp, wait…!" he cried out, simultaneously shoving cannon to the side. It slid away slightly and fired. The shot caused recoil, and cannon rolled backwards, straight on Usopp's foot.

As his long-nosed nakama screamed from pain in the background, Luffy heaved a relieved sigh when cannonball plummeted into the water with a huge splash next to the island. He concentrated on it. There was a second presence there too, very dim and weak. The rubber boy frowned at that. "Nami!" he hollered. "Can we go to that rock?!"

"Why?!"

"There are people there!"

"…Alright!" an answer came after a short pause.

Zoro jumped from the lounge roof. "People?" he asked, a hand instinctively sliding on his white katana's handle.

Usopp lifted his head up from where he fell down, eyes still full of tears as he clutched his sore foot in his hands. "Eh, people?" he sniffled.

"Yeah," Luffy replied them both, turning around to face them. He couldn't fight an amused smile from the sight of Usopp. "Sorry about your foot," he apologized.

The liar glared at him. "You don't sound sorry at all!"

All crew gathered on the bow deck as Going Merry neared the rocky island. The first thing they spotted was an average sized boat with a small cabin and a mast in the middle of it. Then they noticed a person on the island. He was sitting next to another person, lying on the ground, but jumped up to his feet once he noticed the pirate ship approaching.

It was a man with a short black hair, sunglasses, and a black tattoo on his left cheek. He tightly gripped a sword hanging on his waist, before all of a sudden, a surprised expression appeared on his face. "Zoro-aniki?" he asked in disbelief.

"Huh?" Zoro squinted at the man, recognition crossing his features. "Hey, aren't you Johnny?!"

"Anikiiiii!" the stranger exclaimed happily.

"What are you doing here?" the swordsman inquired, then he looked behind Johnny at the second man who hadn't given any reaction to the pirates. "Is that Yosaku? What happened?"

The man clenched his teeth. "Yosaku is… He's sick."

"Sick?!" Zoro echoed, voice layered by surprise and worry.

"With what?" Usopp asked.

"I-I don't know… He was just fine a couple of days ago," Johnny recalled, sitting beside his friend again. His eyes were trained on the lying man, hunched shoulders showing despair and grief. "But then he turned pale and kept passing out! His teeth have begun to fall out, and his old wounds have reopened…" His voice grew shaky, and Johnny put a palm on his forehead. "I don't know what to do anymore. I was trying to let Yosaku get some rest here, but he's not getting any better!"

Luffy cocked his head to the side in thought. Where had he heard those symptoms before?

Johnny was crying now. "Yosaku and I lived and worked together as bounty hunters for years! Is this… how it's all gonna end?!"

Luffy remembered where he'd heard about it with a jolt. His brother gave him a very long and boring lecture about how he had to eat all kind of fruits and vegetables if he wanted to be healthy. "Maybe he just needs to eat some fruits to get better," he suggested.

"What?!" Johnny bristled, jumping on his feet again and grabbing a handle of his sword. "A no-name pirate dares to make a mockery on my partner's suffering..!"

"No, Luffy is right," Nami concurred. "Usopp, there are some limes in the storage. Squeeze some juice out and bring it here."

While the sharpshooter scurried off to the storage room, the straw-hatted teen turned to his swordsman and quietly asked, "You trust them?"

Zoro's attention snapped to him, but seeing that his captain was completely serious with his question, he nodded.

"Alright, then," Luffy accepted his answer. He motioned to Johnny and smiled. "Bring your friend onto our ship."

"He's afflicted with scurvy," Nami stated after Usopp brought a mug of fresh lime juice and with the help from Luffy was trying to make a bounty hunter to drink it. "If we're not too late, he should recover just fine in a few days."

"A-are you telling me the truth, aneki?!" Johnny shouted, ecstatic about the news.

"Please, don't call me that." The navigator scowled at him, but continued her explanation, "It's caused by lack of nutrients found in fruits and vegetables, so it's like Luffy said – you need to eat them to stay healthy while sailing."

"Wow, I'm surprised you knew that, Luffy," Usopp commented.

"Shishishishi!"

Suddenly the sick man opened his eyes, blinked dumbly at all the people around him, then leapt from the floor with a joyful yell, "It's working! I'm recovering!"

Johnny grinned at his friend, hooked an arm around his, and they started to dance around. "Haha, my partner's fine now! Welcome back!"

Nami's eyebrow twitched. "You don't recover that fast!" she shrieked.

The two men stopped, striking the same pose – one arm around their waist and another touching their jaw.

"Sorry for the late introductions," one of them said. "The name's Johnny!"

"And I'm Yosaku," the second one added. "We're pirate hunters!"

"Zoro-aniki used to be one of us, too," Johnny remarked. "It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

Yosaku bowed down. "I don't know how to thank you. I thought I bit the dust for sure."

"Zoro's friends are our friends," Luffy replied, giving them a friendly smile, "even if you're pirate hunters."

"Well, I'm so surprised! I never would've expected the infamous pirate hunter Zoro to have become a pirate himself!" Johnny babbled happily. Yosaku paled, swayed and lost his footing as the blood gushed out of his nose and mouth. "Whoa, partner!" his friend yelped, rushing to help him.

The pirates brought the bounty hunter inside for the so-needed rest and sat themselves around the main deck. The conversation went about various dangers they'd face on long voyages and how important cook's position was for the survival of the crew.

"As I've already told Zoro and Nami," Luffy said with a matter-of-fact tone, "a cook, a musician, and a fluffy one are the most important positions in a pirate crew. We're definitely getting them as soon as possible."

"A fluffy one?" Usopp asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Nami sighed. "Don't even try to understand that," she recommended. "That's Luffy for you."

"Fluffy… Luffy…" the liar mumbled. "Is it because of his name?"

The navigator frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Take the first 'F' from 'fluffy' and you get 'Luffy'."

Zoro snorted at that. Nami simply facepalmed herself, and Luffy seemed marveled by Usopp's idea.

"If you're looking for a cook," Johnny spoke, "I know where you could find one. Of course, getting one to join you is another matter altogether…"

The captain smirked confidently under his straw hat. "If there will be anyone worthy, I'll take care of it. So, where are we going?"

"The floating restaurant – Baratie!"

Luffy threw a last glance at the sea, sighed, and jumped from his favorite spot on Merry's figurehead. It was a late evening, and whole crew with their two guests was gathered in the lounge, whiling away the time remaining before they went to sleep. The rubber boy was the last one to join them.

Nami was sitting by the table and reading a newspaper, shuffling through the pages from time to time. Usopp was intently hammering something in his spot which he claimed as his 'workshop'. Zoro lounged against the wall, contently sipping from a bottle of sake. Johnny and Yosaku were sitting opposite of Nami, and imbibed lime juice with a great resolve.

Luffy stopped in front of Zoro, his face marred with a light frown. "Zoro," he called, drawing the swordsman's attention, "remember our bet?"

"You finally decided what favor you want to ask me?" his green-haired nakama asked, lifting his bottle to his lips for a sip.

"Yeah," the teen nodded. "Sleep with me."

Zoro instantly choked on his booze and went into a coughing fit. Nami ripped a newspaper in two, blinking owlishly at her captain, while Usopp smashed a hammer on his finger, but hadn't noticed, instead stared at Luffy dumbly. The bounty hunter duo spat their juice all over the table and gawked at the young pirate with remnants of it dripping from their jaws.

The straw-hatted boy frowned deeper, puzzled by their reactions. Did he just say something wrong again? Yeah, probably that. He turned to ship's guests. "Johnny, Yosaku, can you leave us for a minute?"

"S-sure, Luffy-aniki…" they both stammered out in unison, a small blush reddening their cheeks.

Once they closed a door behind them, Luffy faced Zoro again who finally managed to clear his pipe and now just gawked at him, completely dumbfounded. "My nightmares…" the teen trailed off, biting his lower lip. He took a deep breath and continued, "They are getting worse since I got sho–" he cut himself off, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter… Thing is, they are getting out of control." All three pairs of eyes fixed on him widened as they remembered his horrible episode last night. "I used to sleep next to my brother… It helped." Luffy paused. "I just need to feel someone I trust next to me while I sleep."

A silence settled in the room after Luffy's confession. Zoro mulled over his words, remembering how this kid stepped in front of marines' rifles and stopped the bullets. And then the memory of small, round scars on Luffy's shoulders emerged from his mind, and everything clicked into place.

"Fine," the swordsman replied shortly, standing up from the ground and putting his sake bottle on the table. "Can someone take over my watch tonight?"

Usopp's hand shot up. "I'll do it!"

"I can replace Usopp in the morning," Nami offered.

Luffy smiled at his nakama. "Thank you."

Usopp carefully climbed down, trying to be as sneaky as possible. A small candle in his hand hardly lighted the men's room, but the sharpshooter wasn't bothered by it. He knew exactly where his hammock was. If he took a longer path to it past Zoro's sleeping space, it was just that – an accident.

Usopp stopped and glanced at two sleeping forms. Luffy was curled next to Zoro, his back leaning against the swordsman's side. He clutched his straw hat to his chest, and even though there was tension visible on his features, the teen was sleeping in relative peace.

A small smile appeared on the liar's lips. He looked up and winced when his gaze met sharp silver eyes.

Zoro nodded once, indicating that everything was alright, and Usopp stepped away from their hammock with his heart finally at ease.

Next Chapter: A Restaurant on the Seas

Chapter Text

"Nami-aneki…" Johnny whined. "Can I go now?"

Nami's eyebrow twitched. "I told you not to call me that," she said, pushing one tip of her Bo staff into his hands. "Now, hold it tightly. I want to try this again."

As he gripped the staff, the bounty hunter winced, fully knowing what was coming next. The navigator brought one hand on the staff, ripping it off from Johnny's grasp, when shifted her position and twisted her wrist. The staff swung around and the other end of it smashed on the hunter's head.

"Oww…" Johnny moaned, nursing one more lump in his already rich collection.

"Yeah! Finally, I can do it easily!" Nami exclaimed happily, but then she frowned at the bounty hunter as he kept groaning. "Stop it. You're a man, aren't you? Can't you take a little of beating?"

"A little?!" Johnny yelled, outraged. He pointed at his head. "You call this a little?!"

"Whoa!" an awed cheer came from the other half of the Going Merry. "That's amazing, Zoro-aniki! Luffy-aniki!"

Nami and Johnny looked at the commotion. Yosaku, who evaded being the thief's training partner because he was still healing, was sitting on the lounge's roof and observing a sparring between Luffy and Zoro. The stern deck was pretty small, so two pirates couldn't get a serious sparring match. What they were doing was more akin to playing with each other using wooden replacements for their weapons.

Zoro clenched his teeth as the straw-hatted teen eluded his attack again and immediately countered it by seizing a split second opening and successfully delivering a hit to his side. The swordsman felt so weak. He would never be able to win against Luffy – it was impossible to beat your opponent if you couldn't land a hit on him.

"Zoro, focus!" the captain urged, thrusting his staff to the swordsman's stomach and getting a groan as a strike connected. "Losing your focus in a real fight can cost you your life."

Zoro knew that, but he still made such an amateurish mistake. He needed more training. Beating weaklings till now really made him fall under an illusion that he was invincible. The swordsman smirked as he attacked Luffy one more time. Meeting this goofy rubber boy was a fortunate turn of events, making him realize his own weakness much sooner.

"Aniki is strong, but Luffy-aniki is amazing, too!" Yosaku cheered at the sidelines again. "How do you even manage to dodge every attack from Zoro-aniki?"

Luffy slipped past another round of hits and smiled at his swordsman, feeling the turmoil in the latter's presence finally calming down. The teen's attention was solely on the man in front of him, so he replied to the hunter's question without really thinking what he was saying: "In death matches, every strike can kill you, and you learn to avoid it if you want to survive."

"Death matches?" Yosaku and Zoro asked in unison.

Luffy's smile fell, and his face became carefully blank. He was saved from the need to explain by a shout, coming from the crow's nest.

"Boat off the starboard bow!"

Everyone looked up in response to Usopp's call and turned their attention to the direction he specified.

"One man on the boat!" the sniper specified, looking at it through binocular.

Luffy could sense a presence on the boat. It felt muted and dim, like a faded color. The young pirate knew that it meant that the person was either injured or weakened by other means. In any case, he needed help.

"Nami!" Luffy shouted, but at that moment the Going Merry suddenly turned towards the boat.

The navigator appeared from around the corner. "I knew you'd want to investigate that," she said with a knowing smile.

"Shishishishi."

The man in the boat was not happy to see a pirate vessel coming towards his location. He glared at the pirates on the bow deck with a considerable amount of hostility, clenching an oar in his hands.

Luffy eyed the man intently, unfazed by his aggressive stance, noting his pale, unhealthy looking complexion, dark circles under his eyes, and dirt mixed with blood on his gray and green clothes.

"Captain?" Zoro grunted, a hand resting on his white sword, ready to draw it on a moment's notice.

"Wait," Luffy ordered before calling out to the stranger, "Hey! Are you hungry?"

The only answer he got was a startled expression on the man's face, but it was quickly covered by a silent indifference.

"Why is that the first question you ask?" Nami inquired, staring at the captain with a raised eyebrow.

Luffy just shrugged nonchalantly like that kind of question was the most common thing to ask of the person you had met in the middle of the ocean. "He looks hungry," he declared.

Usopp also carefully eyed the stranger in the lone boat. "How do you know?" he asked, honestly curious.

The straw-hatted teen thought for a second, then shrugged again. "It's obvious to me."

Zoro snorted. "Your mystery power again?"

"Shishishishi! That's right."

"What's it to you if I am hungry?" the man in the boat finally threw a question back at them.

Usopp frowned, mumbling to himself, "Mystery power?"

Nami looked between her captain and the stranger before sighing in surrender. She called out to him, "We have some food to spare if you want it."

It took a full minute for the man to respond as he stared at the young pirates, slightly stunned by their un-pirate-like generosity. "...I'd appreciate that," he said in a subdued voice.

"This is good," Gin, as he had introduced himself, complimented Nami, biting another bite of his rice ball.

They were all gathered in Merry's galley. Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku joined their guest and also were eating, while Luffy, Nami, and Zoro were just keeping them company.

"I second that!" Yosaku exclaimed cheerfully.

Johnny gulped down his bite and grinned at the orange-haired girl. "Nami-aneki is an amazing cook herself!"

"Oh, it's nothing special," Nami waved them all off. "And for the umpteenth time, I told you not to call me that." She smacked the bounty hunter across his head. Then she turned to Usopp and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Usopp, this food was for our guests."

The sniper cringed, stuffed the last piece of rice ball into his mouth and hastily slurred, "Iw eawth nogthwingh."

"Oh, really?" Nami asked with a sweet smile plastered on her face. "Of course, you can always pay me for serving you food, and we can call it square. What do you say?"

"None of us are real cooks," Luffy suddenly said to Gin, drawing his attention from the scary pirate woman. "We're actually on our way to a sea restaurant Baratie to try getting one."

"Baratie, huh?" The man smiled fondly from hearing that name. "I just came from there; a blonde chef named Sanji made the best meal I've ever had in my entire life!"

Usopp let out a painful 'Ow!' when Nami's fist collided with the top of his head, but Luffy completely ignored what his nakama were doing. "Oh, you've been there?" He grinned at Gin. "The best meal made by a chef named Sanji... Gotcha!"

"Yeah. Great guy, fed me even when I couldn't afford it. The rest of them are bastards," Gin recalled, wiping away the last crumbs from his face. "Thanks a lot for offering me your food, too. But I should probably get back on my way."

"Oh? You weren't just drifting?" Zoro chimed in.

"Of course not," the man denied, baffled by a question. "Who would be stupid enough to try to cross the ocean without at least having some basic navigation skills?"

Luffy and Zoro blinked at him, then pointed at each other. "He would," they both deadpanned in unison.

Nami facepalmed. "Idiots… All of you."

Gin chuckled. "Well, I'm heading back to my captain, the great Don Krieg," he explained.

"Krieg?" Johnny and Yosaku perked up. They pulled out a pile of bounty posters, quickly rifling through them. "'Foul Play' Krieg, wanted for 17 million beli?"

"Yeah. He's the strongest man I've ever met."

"So, you're a pirate?" Luffy asked. An excited grin stretched across his face. "Is your crew traveling to the Grand Line too?"

"Y-You're going to the Grand Line?"

Luffy pursed his lips into a thin line as he felt a fear spiking in his new friend's presence. "Have you already been on the Grand Line?"

"I… We… We had been there…" the man squeezed out, clenching his hands into tight fists. "And we were decimated. Seven days, that was all what it took to lose all our fleet of fifty ships… It was destroyed by one man."

"Fifty ships?!" Usopp shrieked in alarm. "By one man?!"

Gin put a hand on his headband and pulled it down. "Yeah… You all are still young. There are other waters to sail as pirates. Don't go to the Grand Line."

Everyone was startled. Zoro and Nami stared at Gin with wide eyes, Usopp chewed on his nails, and the bounty hunter duo threw worried glances at the pirates.

"Sounds like you had a tough luck," Luffy stated, not fazed by the shared news at all. He put a hand on his straw hat and grinned. "But we're still going there."

"M-m-maybe we should consider it more carefully…" the sniper tried to object.

"There's nothing to think about, Usopp," Luffy said firmly. "One Piece is somewhere out there, so we're going."

Zoro smirked. "Heh sounds interesting."

Nami stayed silent, an unreadable expression on her features.

Gin smiled as he stood up. "Well, I just wanted to warn you, but you're free to do what you want. It's not that I have the right to stop you."

Luffy beamed at him. "You're a good guy, I like you!" he exclaimed. "If you hadn't had a captain already, I would have asked you to join my crew."

They slowly walked out of the lounge and onto the stern deck where Gin's boat was tied up.

"Thanks, but I'm proud to sail under Don Krieg's Jolly Roger," the pirate said before jumping into his boat.

The straw-hatted teen leaned on the railing to look at him. "As long as he's the true captain and takes care of you and his remaining crew, I will not complain about that," he stated. "Good luck, Gin."

"You, too. Thank you for the food again!"

"Anytime!"

"Zoro-aniki! Luffy-aniki! Usopp-aniki! Nami-aniki! We're here at the restaurant!" the bounty hunters duo's holler rang through the Going Merry, spurring everyone into action.

Nami gritted her teeth. "Why am I 'aniki' now…?"

"Because you didn't want to be their 'aneki'," Usopp supplied while passing by.

The navigator let out a frustrated growl and stomped to the bow to give the hunters a piece of her mind, but all her frustration vanished as soon as she saw a three-storied, fish shaped ship. The boys were already excitedly awing over it, and Nami could only smile at their enthusiasm.

The pirates carefully maneuvered Merry to anchor at the side of the restaurant near the main entrance. Luffy bounced onto the lower deck of the Baratie and eagerly urged the rest of his crew to hurry up. Nami followed him shortly after. While Zoro pushed an anchor to the water, Usopp prepared to leave the Going Merry too, when suddenly a bigger vessel sailed right next to them.

"Oi, oi, little ones," rang a voice full of mockery from the other ship. "This is our target, it would be too much for the kids like you. Go terrorize some kindergarten or something."

Everyone turned their heads to look at the speaker. He was standing in front of the bunch of men under a black flag with a skull and crossbones fluttering high above them, scoffing at Luffy and his crew.

"I don't recognize their Jolly Roger…" Johnny muttered, scanning through his bounty posters.

"Hmm…" Yosaku hummed. "Isn't their captain called 'Butcher' Torp?"

"Oh, you're right. He's worth 4 million beli."

Luffy stared at the unfamiliar pirates for a bit before a wicked smirk tugged his lips. Nami winced. She knew that smile. It was one of those 'If you're asking for a fight, you'll get more than you bargained for' smiles.

"We're good, but thanks for your concern, old man! You can go now, bye!" Luffy answered cheerfully, waving his hand as a goodbye.

Nami snickered. Zoro burst into laughter, ignoring furious glares from the enemy crew.

The captain 'Butcher' Torp, a huge man with even bigger saw sword strapped on his back, grabbed his weapon's handle, with another hand motioning to his men to attack, and ground out, "You'll pay for that, little shit."

It was a common day on Baratie.

Sanji got up with the sun to start the work in the kitchen. It was a simple chore – prepare ingredients, add spices and sauce, be patient and pay attention to small details. Nothing too hard or complex for the Assistant Head Chef.

In these moments Sanji's mind wandered far away from Baratie, outside of the East Blue boundaries into the place he saw only in dreams. The All Blue! A mystical sea of legend rumored to be the only place in the world where the North, South, East, and West seas met. In this legendary ocean, it was said that there were fishes from each of the four seas, and to have such a resource at one's disposal was the ultimate dream of every chef.

One day, Sanji would go and find the sea of his dreams.

One day, but not today. Because Patty was already screaming that there was a customer waiting to make his order, and there were no waiters to wait on tables. The old geezer Zeff was giving him that look again as Sanji passed him, and the blonde tsked in annoyance.

Yeah, it was a day as always.

A good day, if he had any right to say his opinion. There were quite a number of beautiful ladies today visiting the restaurant, and Sanji had his work cut out for him. To please and compliment every lady was not an easy job, as much as it seemed like one.

Sanji was busy cooing around one of the gorgeous customers when a scream came from the outside. A man who had just left came back inside in a hurry, a panicked expression on his face. "Pirates!" he yelled. "Two pirate crews are fighting outside!"

Yep, just a simple day on Baratie.

"I'm sorry, my lady," Sanji apologized and kissed the top of woman's palm, causing her to blush, and her companion to down another shot of sake biting down a snarl. "But there is an emergency I must deal with to keep you safe."

"Oh... Be careful!"

The blonde cook almost melted into puddle pleased to hear a heart-warming concern in the lady's voice. "Of course, my lovely princess, I will!" he promised as he tore himself from her and made his way outside.

Sanji lit a new cigarette as he stepped through an entrance, quickly sweeping the area with his eyes to get an understanding of the battle. There really were two groups of pirates, going by their ships docked nearby. One crew seemed like a run-of-the-mill, typical pirates with a bunch of ugly men, armed to the teeth. Another group was way more interesting, as Sanji could see only six members, four of them being of his age or even younger.

"Don't touch this ship, you jerks! I can't eat the best meal of the lifetime in wreckage! Go away!" A shout drew the chef's attention to the short black-haired kid with a straw hat who easily dispatched a bunch of grown-ups with a single punch and pushed them off the Baratie and into the water.

"Huh," Sanji mused. At least now he knew for which group to cheer. Not to mention, there was a petite orange-haired girl with them. Sanji stared at her and felt his heart skip a beat.

Nami smirked as the pirate she was fighting against suddenly grabbed her Bo staff. The thief quickly used the move she was honing for the past few days and soon her opponent was lying on the floor out cold. Nami grinned in victory. "Yeah! I did it!" she cheered.

"Gyaaaaahhhhh!" a screech of doom came from the Going Merry, and Nami turned to see what was happening. Usopp was running laps around the ship with two guys on his tail. They waved their sabers and spewed curses, unable to catch a fast prey.

Zoro, who somehow ended up on an enemy ship and was wreaking havoc there, suddenly grabbed one of the pirates and threw him over his shoulder into the air towards the Going Merry. A shrieking man crashed right on top of both Usopp's pursuers. The sniper made another lap, not noticing that his enemies were already down, but when his foot got caught by their bodies and he fell flat on the face.

Usopp lifted his head and looked around, noting unconscious men under him. "Ohhh! Nice, Zoro!" he cried out.

The green-haired man glanced at him. "What?" he asked.

"Just like I planned!" Usopp flashed thumbs up to the swordsman, causing him to frown in confusion.

Sanji smiled, amused. What an interesting group of pirates. Suddenly he heard a female's scream, and tensed up immediately, quickly zeroing on the orange-haired girl again. One of the run-of-the-mill pirates had forced her to drop her Bo staff and now loomed over her aggressively. "Shitty bastard…" the blonde hissed as the man lifted his sword to finish the girl.

Sanji didn't even have time to move an inch from his standing spot to protect her when out of nowhere a boy with the straw hat appeared in between the man and his crewmate.

Luffy grabbed the pirate's hand which held the sword, yanked him closer and menacingly growled out, "Try to touch even a hair on my nakama's head, and I'll rip those fingers off and cram them down your throat." He smiled in a dark and sadistic manner. "Maybe if I'll feel generous, I might ask cooks of this restaurant to grill them first for you," Luffy said while tightening his hold on the man's hand. A handle of the sword cracked under the pressure.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! S-s-s-sorry!" the pirate cried out through tears of pain. He vainly tried to free his crushed palm. "I'm so sorry!"

The straw-hatted pirate glared at him for a bit longer. Something dark flashed in his eyes. A glimpse of bloodlust in them was squelched as soon as it appeared. "Piss off!" he ordered, letting the man go, and the latter hightailed out of there, nursing his broken arm. Luffy picked Nami's staff, turned around and grinned brightly at her. "I saw you using that move I showed you earlier. Nicely done!"

Nami just stared at her captain, feeling dazed. His mood swings were starting to give her whiplash. "Um, thanks," she said, taking her weapon back.

Zoro landed next to them, sheathing his katanas, and yawned. "I could use a nap… and sake," he mumbled, absent-mindedly scratching the back of his head.

"Aniki's so cool!" Johnny and Yosaku exclaimed in awe.

"What's so cool about that?" Nami wondered.

Luffy chuckled. He turned to the Going Merry and waved to his sniper. "Usopp, hurry up! Let's go eat!"

"Coming!" the long-nosed teen replied.

Suddenly, Luffy appeared right beside him and pushed him to the side. A battle ax crashed into Merry's deck where Usopp was standing a moment ago. The sniper paled as he realized that his captain just saved him from being cleaved in two.

The straw-hatted teen swung one of his fists back and punched the enemy pirate in his gut. The man staggered, his eyes rolled back and he fell down.

"Sneaky bastard…" Luffy spat out. He glanced at his nakama. "You okay, Usopp?"

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

"How long do you plan to sit there and watch?!" the rubber boy yelled at the enemy vessel. "Your crew is down! What kind of captain are you?!"

A huge shadow moved, revealing 'Butcher' Torp sneering at the straw-hatted teen. "If you want to play, kid, come at me," he invited.

Luffy smirked at the invitation and jumped to the other ship. He ducked below the wide swing of Torp's huge saw sword as soon as he landed.

Sanji walked to the green-haired swordsman. "Aren't you gonna help that kid?" he asked him.

Zoro raised an eyebrow at the question. "Who? Luffy? Our captain doesn't need help against that weakling," he deadpanned.

The blonde glanced at the black flag on the sheep ship. So, that small boy was really a captain. Sanji observed him avoiding yet another sweep of the saw sword. "Why doesn't he attack then?"

"Tch," Zoro clicked his tongue, scowling in irritation. "Luffy, stop playing and let's get something to eat!"

The straw-hatted teen's head literally spun around at 180-degree angle to look at the swordsman. Nami, Usopp, and bounty hunters gasped in horror. Sanji's mouth opened and his cigarette dropped on the floor. Even Zoro's eyes widened in surprise.

Luffy's eyes flickered to the blonde man in a black suit next to his swordsman, and he beamed in pure delight. "You must be Sanji, the cook Gin was talking about!" he exclaimed, not even paying attention to the sloppy strike from the enemy captain because it went way off the mark. Torp was blinking at the black-haired kid's back of the head shell-shocked.

"What the…" Sanji muttered, unable to believe the bizarre sight in front of his eyes.

"DON'T SCARE US LIKE THAT, IDIOT!" Nami and Usopp yelled together.

"Sorry, sorry!" Luffy replied. His head snapped back into correct position as he stretched one of his arms far behind him and brought it back right into Butcher's stomach. The man gurgled and crumpled down unconscious.

"Whoa, captain!" cried out some guy peeking around the corner.

Luffy looked at him. "If you want your captain back, give me all your treasure," he said. "Or else I'll throw him overboard."

"What are you, a devil?!" another man accused.

"I'm a pirate," the teen stated in a matter-of-fact tone. An evil smile slipped on the future Pirate King's lips, sending shivers along Torp's goons' spines. "So, the treasure?"

"Shishishishi," Luffy chuckled happily, jumping from the enemy vessel with their treasure bag in hand. He extended it to Nami. "This is yours, Nami, like we agreed on."

The thief's face lit up instantly. Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku rubbed their eyes, trying to dispel the illusion of beli signs in her eyes.

"Captain, you understand me so well!" Nami squealed, hugging the bag tightly to her chest.

"Ooooh, lovely lady~!" Sanji jumped towards her. "I can be your treasure, too!"

"DON'T TOUCH MY MONEY!" she shrieked, landing a punch to his face and sending the chef sprawling on the floor.

"So… strong, but… so beautiful!" the blonde stammered out.

Everyone just stared dumbly at the scene, before Luffy burst into laughter. "Sanji!" he suddenly called out. "Can you give us that best meal I've heard so much about?"

Sanji closed the door behind him and filled his lungs fully with fresh salty air, feeling a usual piece settling on his shoulders. He lit a new cigarette.

"Having a break?"

Sanji turned and looked up. The straw-hatted pirate was sitting on the third-floor railing, dangling his legs in a carefree manner and smiling down at him. "What are you doing here?" the cook asked. "I saw your crew inside just a moment ago."

Luffy shrugged. "I don't like to be in the crowded places for too long."

"Huh." It was strange. This exuberant teen seemed like the one who would the heart of the party. "Well, did you like the food at least?"

Luffy beamed at him. "Absolutely! It sure was one of the best meals I've ever had!"

The blonde smiled. "Good to hear." He faced the sea again, leaning on the railing. "If only the old fart would acknowledge my cooking..."

The pirate stared at Sanji. He could feel it now. Deep in his presence was the same passion that not only he possessed himself, but could also be found in Zoro, Nami, and Usopp. The yearning for freedom to chase after their dream without any restraints.

Luffy jumped down and settled on the railing next to Sanji. "Do you have a dream?" he asked.

The blonde glanced at him. He blew out a puff of smoke, thinking over to tell this guy his dream or not… "Have you ever heard about the All Blue?"

"All Blue?" Luffy tilted his head to the side and hummed thoughtfully. "Nope."

"What? You've never heard of the ocean of miracles? Well, you see, in the All Blue…" With an excited, wide grin plastered on his face, Sanji happily told him everything about the All Blue and his dream to find it one day.

Luffy listened to his tale, marveled at how the man's presence buzzed with the thrill of joy from simply talking about his dream.

"...and it's in the Grand Line somewhere! So, I want to go out there one day and find it!"

"Alright," Luffy nodded to himself, "I've decided."

"Decided what?"

A sunny grin split the boy's face in two. "Join my crew! Let's find the All Blue together!"

Sanji only blinked at him, stunned.

Maybe it wasn't such a common day after all.

"Luffyyyy~" Usopp whined. "As much as I like the food here—though, it's so damn expensive—when are we going to set sail again?"

"The food here is really delicious!" Nami said with a happy smile, joining her captain on Baratie deck to go inside the restaurant for a late breakfast.

"I enjoy it, too," Zoro agreed, smirking. He also jumped down from the Going Merry.

The sniper's eyebrow twitched. "That's because you don't need to pay for it!" he yelled in anger.

"We second that!" Johnny and Yosaku chimed in.

Luffy smiled at his long-nosed nakama. "It's just for a couple more days until I can convince Sanji to join us. His food is the best!"

Usopp sighed in surrender, checked his wallet again and trailed after his crew to the other side of the restaurant where the main entrance was located.

"Whoa!" they all let out a surprised shout as they rounded the corner and saw a gigantic ship bobbing right next to Baratie.

A loud laugh drew all their attention to the entrance. There was a tall, bulky man with a dark brown fur-lined cape standing in the doorway. The pirates stopped right behind him, unable to enter.

"Excuse me," Luffy called, "let us through." But he was completely ignored. It didn't seem that the man even noticed them.

"I'm ordering you." They heard the stranger growling out menacingly. "Nobody disobeys my orders."

Luffy's face darkened. He lifted his leg and kicked the stranger right in his butt with a considerable amount of strength, snapping in annoyance, "Move, you jerk!"

The man flew across the restaurant and crashed into the spiral staircase in the middle of the hall.

Nami facepalmed. Usopp suddenly felt that he'd contracted the I-can't-go-into-this-restaurant disease and Zoro just smirked, enjoying the fact that his captain started yet another fight.

Luffy's gaze drifted to the side and he perked up as he noticed a familiar man in gray and green, kneeling on the floor. "Hey, Gin!" he greeted him cheerfully. "Nice to see you again! Did you meet your captain already?"

Gin stared at his goofy grin, completely stumped. "Yes," he replied slowly. "You just kicked him."

Luffy glanced at the figure, slumped at the base of the staircase, then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oops."

Next Chapter: An Oath Made on the White Blade

Chapter Text

Luffy's gaze drifted to the side and he perked up as he noticed a familiar man in gray and green, kneeling on the floor. "Hey, Gin!" he greeted him cheerfully. "Nice to see you again! Did you meet your captain already?"

Gin stared at his goofy grin, completely stumped. "Yes," he replied slowly. "You just kicked him."

Luffy glanced at the figure, slumped at the base of the staircase, then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oops."

A sheer silence settled on the restaurant as everyone gawked at the straw-hatted boy in a complete disbelief, while he surveyed his surroundings with a distinct lack of nervousness.

Luffy narrowed his eyes at Gin, noticing how he held his right shoulder as if it had been hurt. Then he looked around the room, taking in the Baratie staff's positions and the abandoned tables with spilled drinks and unfinished food. Finally, his gaze stopped on Sanji, who was sitting on the floor with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

The man Luffy kicked suddenly roared in pure fury, climbing to his feet and sneering at the young pirates. "You'll pay for that with your life! I'm the fleet admiral of fifty pirate ships and the commander of five thousand men! The only one worthy of the title 'Don'!" he yelled, his voice booming throughout the whole restaurant. "You damn worms think you can defy me?! I'm the strongest!"

Krieg ripped his own shirt off, revealing the gold colored armor underneath it. His sneer transformed into an evil smile. "Now, die," he snarled at the black-haired youth in front of him, laughing madly as he drew twin double-barreled pistols, and his armor's shoulder-plates and waist compartments opened to display more guns.

Nami and Usopp yelped and scurried to one side while Zoro ducked to another, grabbing Gin by his jacket collar and dragging him out of harm's way. Luffy, however, didn't move from his spot. As the sound of the first shots echoed in the air, he closed his eyes.

When Krieg finally stopped shooting, the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling were riddled with bullets, causing a cloud of dust to cover the restaurant's entrance. The man laughed maniacally. "That's what you get for going against me!" he spat out, smirking contently.

"Luffy…" Usopp whispered, horrified.

Nami's hand flew to her mouth as she stared at the dust cloud with wide eyes. Zoro glared at the enemy captain. He gripped the hilt of his white katana and slowly drew it out.

"Whew, so much dust!" a cheerful voice came from behind Don Krieg, startling everyone. They whipped their heads and blinked in shock at the straw-hatted boy standing there without a scratch, a wide grin on his face. "You missed."

"Luffy!" Nami and Usopp exclaimed, relief washing over them, and Zoro simply smirked, sheathing his katana.

"Don't get cocky because you dodged one attack! I've won every single battle I've been in!" Krieg shouted into the younger captain's face. "This body of steel, tougher than anyone else's! This steel armor—" Luffy rolled his eyes. "—more powerful than that of anyone! My entire body-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You really like to talk," the rubber boy interrupted all of a sudden. "So, tell me, was it you who hurt Gin?"

"He dared to question my actions! No one is allowed to—"

Luffy cut the older man off again with another question, "You attacked my cook, too?"

"Oi!" Sanji protested. "I'm not your cook!"

Krieg bellowed with laughter. "Yeah, it was me! And what are you gonna do, boy, eh?!"

The teen pursed his lips into a thin line, his obsidian eyes burning with fury. Without any warning, he swung his fist straight into the older pirate's mug, sending him sprawling back at the entrance where he originally had been standing. "I'm gonna kick your ass," Luffy deadpanned before smiling smugly. "Oh, wait. I already did that a few minutes ago."

All the people around them snorted, trying to hold their laughter in. Some of them chuckled, remembering Krieg suddenly flying across the restaurant.

"I guess I'll have to settle on beating you into a bloody pulp," Luffy announced, cracking his knuckles.

Krieg heaved himself from the floor and bared his teeth at the kid. But before he could say anything, a huge bag was put in front of him.

"Owner Zeff!" the Baratie staff gasped.

"There's enough food here for a hundred people," an old man with a toque as tall as he was said calmly. "So, hurry up and bring it to your men."

The pirate captain's eyes grew wide. "Did… Did they just say 'Zeff'?"

Luffy frowned. "Oi, cook-ossan, if he goes to feed his crew, I won't be able to fight him," he complained, ignoring the other cooks yelling their discontent with giving food for pirates.

Zeff looked at him. "I can't ignore one hundred starving people. Pirates or not."

Luffy tilted his head, then nodded. "Good point," he agreed. "I'll wait then." He made his way to one of the tables and sat down, pulling a plate of soup towards himself.

Don Krieg still gawked at the Baratie owner. "Y-You're Red-Leg Zeff!" he stammered out. "So you were alive… The peerless captain and cook of his own pirate crew, Red-Leg Zeff."

"So what if I'm alive?" Zeff countered.

"Eh, cook-ossan was a pirate…?" mumbled the straw-hatted teen around a mouthful of the steak he'd grabbed from the nearby table.

Zoro plopped down next to his captain, drinking from a sake bottle he lifted from one of the abandoned tables. Nami and Usopp came around the room, avoiding the enemy pirate that was too busy with his monologuing to notice them.

"Luffy, what are you doing?" Nami asked, confused.

"Waiting," the teen answered. "Eating," he added, stretching his hand to snatch another plate from another table. "Eating while waiting," he finally stated, stuffing food into his mouth.

"Oh, free food!" Usopp cheered, joining his crewmates at the table.

The navigator sighed, looking at the younger boy. "Can you beat him?"

Luffy shot her a quick glimpse, then continued his meal. "That Kidney guy?"

"Krieg," Nami corrected.

"Yeah, no problem. Oi, Usopp, that was mine!"

"Not anymore!"

Nami glanced at Don Krieg worriedly. The pirate was still engrossed in his conversation with Zeff, though the words from her companions made it hard to hear anything from them.

"You jerk! Take that!" Luffy exclaimed and a moment later burst into laughter.

"Geh!" the long-nosed teen yelped. "Now you made the great captain Usopp angry! Take it back!"

Zoro growled menacingly. "Usopp…!"

"Sorry, Zoro!" the sharpshooter squeezed out between the fits of laughter. "Nooo! Don't throw it at me again!"

As it became clear that the head chef and pirate's exchange wouldn't be erupting into a fight, Nami turned back to her crew. "Guys, what are you–" A sticky octopus suddenly smashed into her face. The laughter stopped. She stood still for a second, easing her anger down, then lifted her hand and slowly ripped the octopus off, at the same time wondering where the heck they even got the thing from. The navigator glared at the boys who observed her intently.

"It was him," Luffy and Usopp both stated in unison, pointing fingers at the swordsman.

"You started it!" Zoro bristled, pointing his own finger at Luffy.

"But Usopp continued it!"

The sharpshooter shook his finger at his green-haired nakama. "It was you who threw the octopus at Nami."

"Usopp is right. You're still at fault, Zoro," the captain agreed.

The swordsman scowled. "Oi!"

Sanji stepped closer, all the fuss finally drawing his attention. "Stop playing with food, you dipshits," he warned aggressively, but once he turned to Nami all the hostility melted away and the blonde kneeled on one knee. "Oh, my fair lady, let me take it off your lovely hands~!"

The navigator facepalmed. "Idiots…"

"Silence, you numbskulls!" Zeff hollered out at his staff, snapping everyone's attention at him.

The pirates (and thief) only now noticed that Krieg was gone. Luffy's gaze shifted to Gin, who was still seated on the floor where Zoro had left him. The man was trembling with his head bowed.

"Have any of you ever been hungry enough to die?" Zeff continued angrily. "Do any of you know just how terrifying and painful it is to be stuck on this ocean, deprived of food and water?"

Sanji quietly lit up a new cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke, his eyes locked on the ceiling.

Luffy scrunched his face like he tasted something very sour. A nasty feeling churned in the bottom of his stomach, and he pushed away a full plate he'd just collected, suddenly not so hungry anymore. Zoro was the only one to see it, and he said nothing.

"W-what do you mean, owner?" asked one of the cooks.

"The difference between all of you and Sanji is that he knows that feeling."

Luffy glanced at the blonde chef, then heaved a heavy sigh. "I just want to beat that guy," the rubber man declared nonchalantly, motioning at the door where Krieg disappeared. "He annoys me."

"Are you insane?!" Gin cried out, desperation seeping from his voice. "Haven't you realized how strong the Don is?! You all need to run away while you still can!"

The straw-hatted pirate cocked his head to the side. "Why are you so worried about us, Gin?" he inquired after a moment, peering straight into the older man's eyes.

The latter lowered his head, unable to withstand that soul-piercing stare.

Luffy smiled. "As I've said, you're a good guy," he stated. "Remember what I'd told you back on my ship?" The teen paused, allowing the man a moment to recall his words. When Gin's eyes suddenly widened, Luffy smirked darkly. "I have a lot of complaints about your captain now. Besides, he attacked my nakama, and I won't let that slide."

Sanji clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You're talking about me again, aren't you?"

The young captain simply shot him an innocent smile.

"But the kid is right," the blonde concurred. "Feeding the hungry is what being a cook is all about. However, the ones who're coming to attack this ship are those who've already been fed." Sanji fixed Gin with a menacing glare. "If someone is planning to take over this restaurant, then I'll kill that person without a second thought. Got that?"

Gin gulped nervously. He stared at the cooks, seeing determination and stubbornness burning fiercely in their eyes.

"Shishishishi…" Luffy chuckled quietly. "Our cook is so cool, right?" he said to Usopp, a perfectly D-shaped grin plastered on his face.

"Who cares about him now?!" the sniper snapped. "Are you really gonna fight Don Krieg?!"

"Yep!"

"Can you at least think a bit before replying?!" Usopp pleaded, eliciting a joyful laughter from his captain.

"I'm actually wondering about the man who defeated Krieg's whole fleet," Nami said. "Can you tell us anything, Gin?"

The man paled just from hearing that question. His eyes were cast down as he spoke, "He just appeared out of nowhere… Our ships sank one by one… And if it weren't for that storm that whisked us away, even our main ship would have sunk. I don't even want to think about what happened… How could our entire fleet be defeated by a single man?!" Gin cried out before his shoulders hunched up and he folded his arms tightly around his body. "That man… His stare pierces through you, like the eyes of a hawk!"

"What?!" Zoro abruptly jumped from his seat. "The man with hawk eyes?"

Luffy looked at his swordsman. "You know him?"

"He's the man I've been looking for…" Zoro exhaled, sitting down again. Luffy hummed in understanding, keeping his gaze on him.

"Maybe he had some kind of grudge to settle with you guys," Sanji wondered.

"I don't remember anything like that!" Gin denied.

Zeff suddenly let out a short amused laugh. "Perhaps you disturbed his afternoon nap…" he suggested, smirking under his long braided moustaches.

"Bullshit!" the pirate screamed. "You mean to tell me he destroyed our entire fleet for that?!"

Luffy giggled. "I heard that stuff like that happens at the Grand Line. I'm so excited!" A huge grin split his face in two, his eyes closed in bliss as he rocked himself to the side. "Ah! Can't wait to finally go there!"

Usopp scowled before reprimanding, "Can't you be more concerned about our safety?!"

A predatory smirk appeared on Zoro's face. "Now, I've no qualms going to the Grand Line." His fingers curled around his white katana hilt. "Knowing that 'that man' is there as well!"

Loud cheers exploded somewhere outside, and most people inside cringed. Usopp turned to the straw-hatted boy and whined in a pleading tone, "Luffy~…"

Luffy ignored him, though, instead was staring into the side wall with a serious expression on his face. He knitted his brow into a frown as he glanced at Zoro.

"Are you morons?" Sanji jibed. "You must be those who rush to their deaths."

"You might be right, but it's none of your business," the swordsman replied coolly, fixing the blond chef with a steady and determined stare. "Ever since I decided to become the world's greatest swordsman, I threw away my attachment to life. I'm the only one who can say that I'm the idiot."

"To fulfill a dream requires some sacrifices," Luffy said as he stood up. "If you're not planning to lift even a finger to achieve it, you might as well stop dreaming." He shot a pointed look at Sanji who gritted his teeth. "But to stop dreaming is the same as to acknowledge a defeat against this world. At least I'll never do that." Luffy flashed a quick confident smile, walking past the blonde and towards the entrance of the restaurant. "I'll become the Pirate King, or I'll die trying. Death is nothing. I'm familiar with worse things than that."

The rubber boy exited the room without a second glance, leaving his words hanging in the air. The way he said it, in a calm and dauntless tone, unwavered by the gravity of those words' meaning, left no place to doubt him. The young pirate's deep conviction settled as a heavy weight on everyone's shoulders.

Sanji balled his fists tight, Luffy's words cutting painfully into his heart. Zeff observed him before a small smile crossed his lips.

Usopp stood up, shaking and sweating profusely. "I-I-I also d-d-don't—"

"Liar," Zoro deadpanned. He lifted himself up from the chair and strolled to the exit.

"Oi! I haven't even said it yet!" the long-nosed teen fumed, trailing after the swordsman.

Nami watched them go, suddenly feeling like she didn't belong here with these people. She wasn't worthy to be their nakama because she gave up her dream a long time ago.

The thief hugged herself. It was time. Nami had to leave, even though she really didn't want to.

As Zoro crossed the threshold, his eyes immediately landed on his captain, standing to the right and staring intently at the distance. But what surprised the swordsman mostly was that the kid had his metal Bo staff assembled and was gripping it so tight that his knuckles went white.

"Luffy?" Usopp called. It was the first time the sharpshooter saw the rubber boy with a weapon. "Are you worried about Krieg?"

"I'm not worried about that idiot and his goons." Luffy pointed at the distance, not lowering his eyes from it. "I'm worried about him."

Both swordsman and sniper followed the direction and squinted at the small boat. When it drew closer, they were able to make out a tall figure with a wide-brimmed black hat decorated with a large plume, and a long, open black coat. Zoro eyes widened as the man pulled a huge black sword from behind his back, swiftly swung it two times and gracefully put it back into its place.

Luffy and Zoro looked at Krieg's galleon ship, while Usopp blinked confused. "Wha… What happened? What did he do?"

The marksman's answer came when Krieg's galleon creaked painfully, and then suddenly separated into three pieces, water rushing between two clean cuts. A huge wave lifted the restaurant ship and almost toppled it over.

"Gyaaaaaaah!" Usopp screamed at the top of his lungs as he lost his footing and was thrown into the air. A rubbery appendage wrapped around him, yanking him back onto the ship. Luffy and Zoro had their arms hooked around the railings until the waves finally subsided.

Urgent shouts echoed from the inside of the Baratie, its owner barking orders for his staff. More panicked yells rang in the galleon's wreckage, its captain's voice the loudest of them all.

"Merry!" Usopp shrieked. "What about Merry?!"

"Nami, Johnny, and Yosaku are taking care of Merry," Luffy replied, his sharp gaze fixed on the stranger in the boat.

The swordsman gripped the railings. "Luffy, is that…?"

The straw-hatted boy glanced at him. "My guess is, yeah. He probably followed Krieg all the way from the Grand Line." He noticed how tense Zoro was, twitching with anticipation and almost smiling. Smiling as if something good was about to happen. His usually composed presence was in a complete turmoil, as though someone suddenly shook the very foundation of the man's existence.

By that moment, the strange, coffin-shaped raft with two green-flamed candles drifted even closer and everyone else also saw the man in it. The cooks were crowding the entrance, staring wide-eyed at the destroyed galleon.

"It's him!" someone from the Krieg's crew screamed. "The one who destroyed our fleet!"

"'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk," Zeff announced, folding his arms in front of him and casually leaning against the wall. "A swordsman above all of the world's swordsmen."

"Zoro," Luffy called. After it fell on deaf ears, he frowned and coldly declared, "You won't win."

That got his swordsman's attention. His head snapped at the captain, an angry expression crossing his features. "Are you saying that I'm that weak?!"

"No," the rubber boy denied, not fazed by the sudden aggression. "I'm saying that he's that much stronger."

Zoro scowled. He observed Mihawk deflecting bullets with a tilt of his sword, fascinated by the grace of such a simple action. "I'm still gonna fight him," he stated.

"Of course. I'm not stopping you," Luffy replied. "But you're not allowed to die."

The green-haired man grinned. "Aye, aye, captain!" He jumped over the railing to the floating platform which previously was a deck of the greatest Krieg's ship. "I've never seen such graceful skill," he said to the world's greatest swordsman.

"A sword without grace is not a powerful one," Mihawk responded.

Johnny and Yosaku came running from the other side of the Baratie ship.

"The ship almost capsized!" Johnny yelled.

"Good thing that Nami-aneki came!" Yosaku added.

"What the heck happened?!" they shouted the question together.

Usopp pointed at the man who right then stepped from his raft and scrutinized the younger swordsman standing in front of him. "That guy cut Krieg's galleon," the long-nosed teen explained.

"WHAT?!" bounty hunters yelled.

"Is Merry okay?" Luffy asked, not removing his eyes from the two swordsmen.

"Merry is fine now," came an answer from Nami as she walked over her captain and stopped by his side. She eyed the Bo staff in Luffy's hand, noticing how his fingers seeming to sink into cold metal, his stiff shoulders and blank, emotionless expression on his usually bright face. The thief frowned. Luffy might have seemed calm, but she guessed that under that unperturbed demeanor raged a real emotional storm.

"It comes from my ambition and a promise to a friend!" Zoro proclaimed loudly, drawing all attention back to him. He had all his three swords out, and his black bandana was tied around his head.

"No one can win against aniki!" Yosaku exclaimed proudly, to which Johnny added, "Aniki's the best!"

"Zoro won't win," Luffy deadpanned.

"What did you say?!"

"You're calling aniki weak?!"

Bounty hunters stomped towards him. "We'll show you how to call aniki weak!"

"Whoa, guys, wait!" Usopp tried to stop them, but he was pushed aside.

When the duo was only a step from Luffy and reached to grab him, the straw-hatted teen suddenly snarled, "Do not touch me." He didn't even turn to face them, but the tone of his voice made two men freeze.

A short distance away, Mihawk stared at his challenger with half-lidded eyes, a small knife in his hand. "Do you really believe that you can win?"

Zoro was silent for a moment. "Probably not," he admitted, recalling his captain's words. "But my ambition would be worth nothing if I didn't even try."

The world's greatest swordsman paused. A satisfied smirk slowly crept on his lips. "Indeed," he said slowly, his sharp yellow eyes now looking differently at his challenger. "Whenever you're ready, youngster."

Zoro shot forward, his three swords gleaming in the sun. Luffy tightened his grip on the Bo staff when Mihawk easily stopped his attack with that tiny knife.

He was used to simply stand on the sidelines and watch people fight and kill each other, forced to do so numerous times. After a while, it didn't bother him anymore, and Luffy seized the opportunity to study those fights. There were no friends in that place. Friendship was only a forgotten word, only uttered in the middle of the night to comfort oneself. Every person learned the hard way what it meant to get attached to another. They always used it against them, so everyone avoided it.

This fight was different. Zoro was his nakama. Luffy couldn't just coldly calculate their next moves if he wanted to keep his mind, though, was doing exactly that by sheer habit. His heart was beating madly in his ribcage, and almost stopped as the knife sunk into Zoro's chest. The boy couldn't hear what words passed their lips as they'd spoken too quietly, but something shifted in Mihawk's presence. A respect that was just a small spark till now flared, pushing hostility and scorn away.

"Kid, tell me your name," Mihawk requested as he pulled out the knife from his opponent's chest.

Zoro held his swords in front of him. "Roronoa Zoro."

"I shall remember it, for the strength of your will is not often seen in this world," the man commented, reaching behind him for his huge sword. "And to pay my respect to you as a fellow swordsman, I shall end this duel with my Black Sword, the world's most powerful sword."

The clash between two swordsmen was quick, just a mere blink of an eye. Everyone held their breath as both warriors stood still. There was a crack, and Zoro swords in his hands shattered, pieces clattering sharply on the wood in the deathly silence. Blood spattered from a new gash on his chest.

Luffy's free hand gripped the railing to keep himself in place. Said railing fractured under the inhuman pressure of his fingers when Zoro turned around after sheathing his surviving white katana, and for a brief moment their eyes met—the boy could clearly see an apology written in those silver orbs.

Zoro held up his arms and showed a lopsided grin to the startled Mihawk. "A wound on the back is the swordsman's shame," he said with conviction.

"Splendid!" the man praised with a smile before bringing his sword down.

Luffy didn't move. There was no real murderous intent in Mihawk's action, he knew that he left Zoro alive and the promise to his swordsman not to interfere kept him in place. Although all his being wanted nothing more but to rip out the throat of the man who hurt his nakama.

When Zoro fell into the sea, his treasured sword slipping from his fingers and rolling abandoned on the platform, something inside Luffy exploded before he could take control of his emotions.

"Aniki!" Johnny and Yosaku dived into the water after the fallen swordsman.

As a slight chill suddenly settled in the area, Nami's and Usopp's eyes opened impossibly wide and they instinctually took a step away from their captain. Zeff and Sanji whipped their heads to stare at the boy, surprise and confusion on their faces. The other cooks and pirates were looking around aimlessly, baffled by why they felt so intimidated for no apparent reason.

Mihawk's hand flew to his sword's handle once more when a power wave slammed into his psyche. He instantly swiveled around and zeroed on the assailant – a seemingly unexceptional kid with a straw hat. A very familiar straw hat. Mihawk smirked in amusement. "A friend of the young swordsman, I presume?"

Luffy's glare only intensified. He vanished from his spot and reappeared a few meters in front of the world's greatest swordsman.

The crowd around them let out a surprised gasp, but Mihawk simply eyed him up and down in an open interest. "Fear not, your friend is still alive," he said.

"I know," the straw-hatted pirate replied. "That doesn't change the fact that you'd hurt my nakama."

At that moment, two bounty hunters emerged from the sea with Zoro propped on their shoulders.

Mihawk cocked his eyebrow up. "So, you want to avenge him?"

Luffy tilted his head and thought for a moment. "No," he said at last, a small smirk tugging the edges of his mouth. "Your head belongs to my swordsman. It's his to take. I'm here for his katana."

Hawk-Eye couldn't stop the pleased grin as he scooped Zoro's blade from the ground. "Well said." He faced the restaurant where the two bounty hunters, Usopp, and Nami pulled their wounded friend out of the sea and now fussed around him. "It's much too early for you to die, young one. My name is Dracule Mihawk!" he exclaimed. "Find your true self, your true worth, become stronger! No matter how long it will take, I shall stand at the top of the world and wait for you! Forge ahead with that fierce conviction and surpass my sword! Surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!"

Luffy sighed in relief at the feeling of Zoro's presence fluttering in excitement. Mihawk extended the katana to him and he reached out to take it.

"Boy, what do you aim for?"

"The crown of the Pirate King," he replied without skipping a beat.

"A difficult path, indeed. Even more so than surpassing me."

Luffy flashed a confident grin, fixing his straw hat more firmly on his head. "I'm gonna do it anyways," he said before vanishing again and reappearing next to his fallen nakama.

Zoro hand flew up and grabbed the end of his katana. "L-Luffy…" he croaked out. "Sorry for worrying you… I… I know that if I don't become… the world's strongest swordsman, I… don't deserve to be your crewmember."

Luffy furrowed his brow at those words, keeping steady eye contact with the man on the floor. Tears appeared in Zoro's eyes and he tightened his grasp on the sword. "I'll… I'll never lose again!" he shouted all of a sudden. "Until the day I fight him and win… I swear to never lose again! Any problems with that, Pirate King?!"

"Shishishishi," the rubber boy snickered. "Nope! No complaints." He took off his straw hat, squatted down and put it on Zoro's head, hiding the tears still streaming freely down his face in its shadow. Luffy had to pry the swordsman's fingers off of the blade's sheath with how hard they held it, but he extracted the sword and placed it next to its master. "Now, rest and heal, Zoro. Captain's orders."

Nami let out a long, relieved sigh. "Idiots, stop worrying me so much," she whispered.

Usopp sagged on the floor like his limbs suddenly became jelly while Johnny and Yosaku sobbed uncontrollably, at the same time tending to their aniki's wound.

A sound of gunshots startled Luffy. He jumped to his feet, immediately scanning the surroundings for an imminent threat.

Mihawk had disappeared in a whirlwind, raft and all, as though he were never even there.

"Hmph, gone already..." Don Krieg grunted before erupting into laughter. "Hahahahaha! What a coward!"

Luffy snorted. "Ne, cook-ossan," he called. "They've already eaten, can I beat that fool now?"

Zeff smiled. "Do as you wish."

Next Chapter: Choosing One's Path

Chapter Text

"Hmph, gone already..." Don Krieg grunted before erupting into laughter. "Hahahahaha! What a coward!"

Luffy snorted. "Ne, cook-ossan," he called. "They've already eaten, can I beat that fool now?"

Zeff smiled. "Do as you wish."

"Yosha!" he cheered with a huge, excited grin.

"But before that, kid," the head chef said, observing the young pirate intently. "Do you know that power you've used?"

Luffy stroked his chin in thought, wondering if he should answer or not. "I sometimes lose control of my mystery power," he finally explained, shrugging nonchalantly. "This time it wasn't so bad, I managed to focus it mostly on that hawk-guy." He let out a short laugh. "In the past, people fainted around me. That freaked me out the first time." The boy paused. "Well, the second time. The first time, I hadn't even realized that I used it."

"Mystery power, huh?" Zeff mused, smiling under his moustaches knowingly.

Everyone else, including the bounty hunters, Usopp, and Nami were staring at the straw-hatted boy with squinty eyes as though they were looking directly into the sun. A sound of a gunshot from the shipwreck drew their attention back to Don Krieg, who was yelling at his own crew, at the same time threatening them with the double-barreled pistol.

"Wow, he really likes to talk," Luffy remarked. He disassembled his Bo staff into separate parts and slipped them back into the holster on his lower back.

"O-Oi, kid, don't you need your weapon if you're gonna fight Don Krieg?" one of the cooks asked.

"Against him? Nah. I took it out because I didn't know what the hawk-guy was planning," Luffy informed, gazing back at the opposing captain, who was still talking. Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread on his face. "Oh, I know!" he exclaimed and quickly ducked inside the restaurant.

"Damn pests," Sanji growled, glaring at the Krieg's pirates. "They're gonna attack any minute now." He turned to one of the other cooks and said, "Go to the control room and open up the 'fins'."

"Eh? Are you sure?" the man doubted. "That'll just give out enemies a foothold."

"The geezer won't shut up if we fight inside the restaurant."

"Oh, right. On it!" the man cried out before scrambling to fulfill the request.

A short distance away, Don Krieg was riling up his men for an attack. "Now you understand that they are nothing special?!" he yelled. "That's why we need to get the log from that old man!" He pointed at the head chef, turning to face him. "Red Leg Zeff–" The pirate's speech abruptly broke off when a sticky octopus smacked right into his face. Krieg froze.

"Ha! Bull's-eye!" Luffy cheered as he fist-pumped the air. "Did you see that, Usopp?"

The long-nosed teen flashed a thumbs-up. "Good shot, Luffy!"

Nami simply burst into laughter, soon followed by Johnny, Yosaku, and the Baratie cooks. Stifled snickers could be heard even in Krieg's crew. The more composed pirates elbowed the ones who couldn't manage to stay quiet, in a vain attempt to shut them up.

Krieg stiffly reached for octopus, slowly ripped it off his face and squished it in his palm, a furious sneer distorting his features. With a wild roar, he brought out one of his shoulder plates as a shield in front of him and pointed it at the restaurant's direction. He grinned evilly and muttered, "MH5."

Krieg's crew went into chaos, fumbling around their clothes and yelling in a complete panic.

"Wait, captain, we won't make it on time!"

"Don't use it, please!"

"We're all gonna die!"

The cylinder-shaped projectile shot from the center of the shield with a bang. Krieg instantly whipped out a gas mask and put it on. Some of his crew pulled out their own gas masks, but the not so lucky men assaulted them, trying to grab it for themselves.

The cooks just stared dumbfounded, until Usopp's high-pitched shriek jolted them back into awareness.

"IT'S A POISON GAS!"

But there was no time to hide, especially for young pirates as Zoro was still lying unconscious on the Baratie deck. Some of the people dived into the water, trying to escape imminent doom.

A platform suddenly emerged from the sea, joining with the restaurant's entrance bridge. Luffy instantly sprung forward, using the whole length of it to gain a momentum, and kicked off of the platform as soon as he reached its edge. He did a somersault mid-air, kicking the underside of the gas projectile and sending it high up into the sky where it exploded. Then the rubber boy stretched his arm, grabbed a railing, and pulled himself back onto the ship, landing gracefully in front of the shell-shocked chefs.

A minute ticked by as people, both cooks and pirates alike, were gawking at the unnatural purple cloud high above their heads where it couldn't harm anyone, still unable to shake the idea that they were so close to death. Krieg, however, glared at the straw-hatted kid, hating him even more for averting such a good plan so easily.

"Gin," Luffy's calm voice pierced the silence, "do you still think of that scum as your captain?"

The man flinched from becoming a target of the boy's attention so unexpectedly. Till now he had been hanging around the restaurant's shadows, silently observing what was happening outside. "I…" Gin felt the lack of words as he rolled the question around his head.

"He tried to kill you. He discarded you like an unwanted thing just because his pride was hurt," Luffy stated coldly before turning around and addressing the rest of Krieg's crew. "All of you. He tried to kill all of you."

"Poor sods," Sanji commented, blowing out a puff of smoke. "They really chose the wrong person to follow."

"I-I'm sure the captain wouldn't just have let us die!" one of Krieg's men spoke up.

"Yeah," another agreed. "He would have thought of something, how to protect us."

"The kid is trying to make us betray our Don!"

"Kill him! Kill them all!"

Luffy frowned as the more and more pirates joined into cheering for Don Krieg. They drew their weapons out, shouting battle cries.

"Hahahahaha!" their captain bellowed with laughter. "You see that, brat? They respect me and my decisions! If someone doesn't understand that, they are not worthy to serve under the great captain like me!"

"Respect should be mutual, asshole!" the straw-hatted boy snarled.

Back at the spot where Nami, Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku were sitting around injured Zoro, the sniper whistled. "The stupidity of those guys is truly remarkable," he commented.

Nami smiled sadly. "Really makes you appreciate our own captain, doesn't it?" she muttered under her breath.

As if to prove her words true, once the enemy crew began advancing on restaurant, Luffy's order rang sharply amid the noise of the crowd: "Nami, Usopp, protect Zoro!"

Usopp jumped to his feet and proudly puffed his chest, jabbing a thumb at himself. "Leave it to me!"

"I don't… I don't need protection," Zoro slurred, stirring from his unresponsive state.

"Waaah! Aniki! Don't move!" the hunter duo cried out in alarm.

Zoro managed to lift his body up a little and lean on his elbows.

Nami scowled. "Of course, you need protection in this state," she declared in a matter-of-fact tone before slapping a palm on the swordsman's chest, not so gently, and pushing him back down. "So, just stay down, you Neanderthal."

"Aaaaaah!" Johnny and Yosaku shrieked, seeing how the orange-haired girl handled their aniki. "Nami-aneki! Be more careful!"

Zoro cringed as the pain surged through his body. "You… damn witch…" he ground out words through clenched teeth. Luffy's straw hat slipped from his head and landed a bit farther from them.

"Ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you," the thief warned Usopp who at that moment reached to pick the hat, stopping him mid-move.

"Eh?"

"As far as I know, Zoro is the only one allowed to touch it."

The sniper eyed the straw hat like it had personally insulted him. "But we're his nakama!" he exclaimed.

"I saw how he reacts to others trying to touch it. I doubt Luffy would do that to us, but better be safe than sorry." Nami shivered as she remembered Luffy's ruthlessness because of that thing and shook her head. "No, I'm not touching it."

Zoro sniggered, recalling his own first experience with picking up Luffy's straw hat from the ground. He pulled it closer by the brim, then put it on his head again. He would safeguard the future Pirate King's hat proudly until the latter would be done with his fight.

After Luffy gave the order to his crew and got an affirmation from Usopp, he turned to Krieg again who was smiling with contentment, watching as his men began to swim towards the platform and climb onto it. The cooks gathered behind the black-haired pirate with their weapons at a ready.

"Last chance to take your crew and go if you want to live, Krill!" Luffy yelled to Don causing him to sputter death threats and fume how stupid the kid was that he couldn't get his name right.

"You shouldn't insult the man if you want him to back off," Sanji pointed out, unable to stop an amused smile from spreading on his face.

The rubber boy grinned wickedly. "Too bad. I've warned him, though."

"No, stop!" Gin suddenly shouted with a wide, concerned eyes staring at Luffy. "You can't hope to beat Don!"

"Hahahaha! Listen to my Battle Commander, brat! You're an idiot to believe that you can even touch me!" Krieg scoffed.

Luffy simply stared at the other captain. "And I thought that the guy at Usopp's village was bad, but at least he had some kind of passion inside him, twisted and sick as it may have been," he said before his whole demeanor suddenly changed – his carefree manner melted away, shoulders straightened up, eyes unmercifully cold and dark. "But you… You're empty. Blinded with too much pride. Just like them." Luffy spat the last word out like it was something extremely nasty on his tongue.

"Oi, shrimp, don't talk like that with our captain!" a random pirate threatened, coming closer with his saber out.

The teen shot a glare at him for a briefest of moments, but it was long enough to make the man freeze and starting sweating. "You're right. I'm done talking or listening to him," Luffy stated and vanished.

Krieg had only a split second to blink when a punch into his gut sent him skidding backward. It didn't harm him because of his armor's protection, which made the pirate roar with laughter. "You can't make even a dent in my–!" Another impact in his protected stomach interrupted him. Krieg gritted his teeth in anger, lifted his shield and released a round of short steel spears.

Zeff hummed as he observed the fight. "He's dangerous," he murmured.

"Of course Krieg's dangerous," Sanji replied, nervously chewing on his cigarette. "He wouldn't be worth 17 million beli if he wasn't."

"I'm talking about the kid, numbskull!" the old man huffed. "I don't envy those who cross his path and become his enemy. Guys like that are the worst enemies you can have. They stop at nothing to reach their goal."

Luffy weaved around the projectiles with ease and soon Krieg ran out of ammo. None of them even grazed the black-haired boy.

"Argh! Enough!" Krieg yelled in frustration, whipping his hand in front of him and throwing several small bombs around the rubber boy.

Luffy quickly jumped on the nearby piece of wreck, avoiding an impact. When bombs exploded, he leaped high into the air and stretched both his arms far behind him.

The crowd erupted into surprised shouts.

Krieg sneered and suddenly pulled out a cape covered with sharp spikes. "Why don't you try hitting my porcupine cape?!" he challenged with a confident smirk on his face.

"Watch that boy carefully, Sanji," Zeff ordered, smiling. "In life and death fights, there is no place for hesitation. The one who fears death and hesitates for even an instant shall fall for their doom."

Sanji knitted his brow in contemplation. "What do you mean by that?"

"Within that boy lies no hesitation."

Luffy's arms snapped straight into Krieg's stomach ignoring the dangerous cape entirely. He didn't even blink as the spikes pierced his fists, the stoic expression on his face not changing in a slightest.

An impact sent Krieg flying and he smashed into his old ship's mast, breaking it in half and causing a huge cloud of debris to scatter in the air.

Luffy halted, staring at the cloud. Blood from his wounded hands slowly dripped on the destroyed galleon's deck.

Everyone held their breath.

Suddenly the teen sent his both arms backward again. "Gomu Gomu no…" he muttered.

With an enraged roar, Krieg emerged from the dust cloud, holding a huge spear in his hands. He swung it towards his opponent, the spear's blade singing while soaring through the air.

Luffy shot forward. "…Bazooka!" The rubber arms whipped into the same spot he'd targeted till now, but this time the armor protecting the older pirate's abdomen shattered, pieces of it flying in all directions, and the strike connected to his stomach.

Krieg coughed up blood. His spear slipped from his fingers and his body was thrown back again. Before he could drop into the sea below, Luffy grabbed him by his shirt with a stretched arm and swung him in a huge arc into the Baratie platform, making the pirates and cooks scurry to the sides with scared screams.

Krieg groaned and slightly opened his eyes. The black-haired teen was next to him, his merciless obsidian eyes staring down straight into Krieg's own as he wound back his fist for a finishing blow.

Krieg's heart almost stopped as the realization hit him. "Wait–!" he managed to croak out before the powerful attack hit his exposed chest.

The crunching sound of his bones breaking was deafening.

"I said that I was done talking or listening to you," Luffy remarked darkly a moment later as he stood up.

An absolute silence settled in the area, spectators too speechless from what just had happened in front of their eyes. Luffy's own crew gawked at him completely stunned by his action. They knew that Luffy sometimes could get ruthless, but none of them ever believed that the kid could actually kill somebody intentionally. The way he did it showed that it wasn't even his first kill.

"Now, he's no longer the strongest," Luffy stated coldly, looking at the former Krieg's crew. Then he turned and fixed his soul-piercing eyes on Gin. "Gin, you're free."

Nami visibly flinched from his words, even if they weren't intended to her.

Gin, however, was unable to comprehend what the young pirate captain was saying. "…What?" he asked.

"You're free," Luffy repeated patiently. "From him," he added, motioning at the body next to his feet.

"What… What should I do now?"

A dreamy grin spread on the rubber boy's face. "That's what freedom is about – doing whatever you want, and not what somebody else wants. You'll figure it out, I'm sure. Bye, Gin." He turned to go, but something shiny on Krieg's gauntlet caught his eye. Luffy pulled it off the man's hand and without a second glance walked away, leaving the cooks to deal with the rest of the pirates.

"Luffy-aniki!" Johnny and Yosaku cried out. "You've beaten Don Krieg!"

"If not for that weird cape thing, he would have lost one hit earlier. And I really wanted to shatter his armor," Luffy said nonchalantly, like it was not such a big deal at all. "Zoro, how're you feeling?"

"I'm fine," the swordsman responded with a grunt.

The black-haired boy hummed softly, satisfied with his reply. "Nami, this thing's shiny." He tossed the gauntlet to his navigator. "Maybe it's worth something."

The thief furrowed her brow in deep concentration as he studied the gems. Suddenly her face lit up. "Diamonds! True diamonds!" she squealed in delight, hugging the gauntlet.

Usopp frowned at the captain's fists. Blood was still oozing from many puncture wounds. "Luffy, sit," he ordered quietly. "I'll help you bandage your hands."

Luffy obeyed wordlessly, plopped down next where Zoro was seated and leaned against the wall mimicking him. The swordsman took the straw hat off and put it on the boy's head.

Luffy flashed him a tired smile. "Thanks, Zoro."

"No problem, captain."

Usopp squatted down in front of Luffy and dipped a cotton piece in a medicine to clean his injuries. "It'll sting a bit," he warned, then carefully touched one of the wound, but Luffy didn't even wince or showed any other sign of discomfort. The sniper briefly glanced at the cotton piece to make sure that he got medicine on it.

"I really thought you'd gonna invite that Gin guy to join our crew," Zoro admitted, watching how the former Krieg's crew surrendered now without any real fight.

Luffy hummed again. "Gin's a good guy. He didn't deserve that jerk as his captain," he said, his gaze shifting to the man in question. "But now he's lost and needs to find his own dream and goal." He paused. "Besides, who would want to work with a man who killed a person you respected and cared about?"

Nami chuckled bitterly. "No one."

The straw-hatted teen nodded. "And that's why I haven't invited him."

They sat there in a comfortable silence. Usopp finished bandaging Luffy's hands when a shout drew their attention to the sea.

"Hey, Straw Hat!" Gin was standing on the bowsprit of the boat which was fully occupied by the former Krieg's goons. The man smiled when Luffy's eyes met his. "Let's meet again out on the Grand Line!"

"EEEEHHHHHHH?!" the crew behind him let out a surprised screech.

"Shishishishi," Luffy chuckled as he waved his hand in goodbye. "Yep! See ya!"

"What are you talking about, Commander?!" one of former Krieg's men yelled.

"We're going back there after all?!" another added.

Gin turned to look at the crew, who were staring at him in horror. "We'll go, but not now. First, we need to get stronger. Let this," he motioned at the wreckage of their former ship, "be a lesson for us."

"But, Commander~!" somebody whined.

"Oi," one man elbowed his neighbor. "Gin is not the Commander anymore, is he?" The rest of them stared at the speaker, then everyone turned their heads to the man on the bowsprit.

"Captaaaaaain~!" their collective whine was heard even at the Baratie from which their almost sinking boat had been slowly drifting away.

Zeff had offered a room for Zoro to rest in and then invited the rest of them to the dinner. For their help defending the Baratie, he had said. While their injured nakama snored blissfully in his room after he had been checked over by one of the cooks who had a bit of medical knowledge, and guarded by his two loyal followers, the crew came to eat and found out that there were no chairs for them to sit on. Sanji was already settled on the floor, fuming against his co-workers. Nami got pissed and demanded a place to sit, so Sanji simply kicked one of the cooks into the wall and offered his chair to her. Meanwhile, Usopp was simply cheering for a chance to eat for free again and Luffy didn't care at all where exactly he was eating.

The soup was one of the best things they'd ever had. And as such, the pirates (and the thief) stared in total bafflement as the restaurant's owner followed his staff members ' example and also smashed his plate onto the floor.

"What's with this disgusting soup? Is it supposed to taste like sludge?" the head chef insulted Sanji. "We'd go out of business if we served this to the customers!"

That was the last straw for the blonde cook as he grabbed his mentor by his shirt and shook him. "Don't joke with me, you damned geezer!" he yelled in fury. "How's this any different from the soup you make?!"

"The soup I make…?" Zeff growled through gritted teeth. "Don't get cocky!" he shouted, planting a punch into the younger man's face. "It's a hundred years too early for a lil' eggplant like you to be comparing my soup with yours! I've cooked all around the world!"

Sanji spat a blood and glared at Zeff from where he fell on the floor. The latter glared back.

"Isn't that convenient?" a jaunty voice chimed in. Everyone snapped their eyes at Luffy who was grinning happily. "It's your chance to go around the world, Sanji! Come with me!"

"I've already told you NO!" the blonde exclaimed, frustrated. "How many times do I need to refuse you until you get it, shitty bastard?!"

Luffy's eyebrows bent into an annoyed scowl.

"Luffy, I don't think he wants to join…" Usopp pointed out in a hushed tone.

"Alright, it's time to get serious, then," the teen deadpanned, standing up. His straw hat shadowed his eyes, his lips were pulled into a thin line as he slowly walked over Sanji.

The cook tensed up, the way the kid had dealt with Krieg still fresh in his mind. Zeff, however, only smirked.

Luffy pointed a finger at the man on the floor and firmly stated, "It's me who refuses!"

Sanji only blinked dumbly. "...Eh? You refuse? Refuse what?"

"I refuse your refusal!"

There was a deathly silence before the blonde suddenly jumped on his feet and got in the pirates's face. "Are you a complete idiot?!" he screamed. "I'm not gonna leave until that shitty geezer acknowledges my cooking!"

Luffy turned slightly to the side and now was pointing at Zeff. "I also refuse your lies," he declared matter-of-factly.

The head chef's shook his head, still smiling. "You're fearfully observant brat," he said. Luffy flashed an innocent smirk.

That made Sanji pause. "Huh?" His confused gaze darted back and forth between the teen and his mentor.

"Sanji," Zeff called softly. "I don't have anything else to teach you, you're already the best here. You need to travel the world, to cook on other seas, to learn about different cuisines and spices to get better. You need to follow your– no, our dream, and find All Blue!"

Sanji stared at him with his mouth agape and eyes wide with shock, until Luffy slapped him on his back, hard.

"Good news!" the straw-hatted teen cheered. "We're leaving to travel the world and find One Piece tomorrow. Wanna join?"

Sanji shot a glare at the kid for the slap. Then sighed, pulled a new cigarette and lit it up. For a while, he smoked while staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Fine," he finally said, his one uncovered blue eye finding the obsidian orbs of Luffy. "I'll join you… captain."

The grin he received from his new captain could have extinguished the sun itself with its brightness.

Nami was leaning on Going Merry's railing, lazily twiddling the gold colored gauntlet in her hand. The diamonds on it sometimes caught the light from the lone oil lamp, standing at her left.

It was almost midnight. The ship was empty. The rest of the crew was sleeping inside the restaurant tonight, crowding the room where the owner had allowed Zoro to rest. After Sanji agreed to join, at last, Luffy announced that they were leaving for the Grand Line early in the morning.

The thief sighed. With these diamonds, she definitely had the necessary amount of beli to pay Arlong for her village. She didn't need to go to the Grand Line anymore, not for the money at least. And during this short trip with Luffy, Nami realized how naïve she had been, believing that she could handle that part of the ocean alone. She would need to stick close to the boys and they would certainly not want to go back to the East Blue before reaching their dreams or perishing on their path there.

Nami twisted the gauntlet, marveled by the light's reflection on the gems. Maybe the boys would agree to deal with Arlong for her?

As soon as that thought came to her mind, the image of their broken, bloody bodies lying at that despicable Fishman's feet flashed before Nami's eyes, the mocking laughter 'Shahahaha!' soon echoing in her ears. The navigator shuddered.

"Stupid…!" she berated herself, lowering her head on her forearm.

"Who are you calling stupid?"

Nami jumped from fright, feeling her heart almost leaping out. The gauntlet juggled in her hands until she managed to secure it by pressing it to her chest. The thief spun around and glowered at the grinning straw-hatted idiot. "You! Don't sneak up on me like that!" she fumed.

"Shishishishi… Sorry, sorry," Luffy apologized, and for once he actually sounded sorry. Amused, but sorry nonetheless.

"What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep in that room. I feel better… safer here." Luffy slowly brushed his fingers across Merry's railings. "This ship… it's our home now, you know?"

Nami stared at the boy's serene face with a soft smile curled on his lips. It was so strange seeing him like that. It reminded her of that night when she cried into his chest after the nightmare. Considering that, Nami finally asked the question that had been bothering her since that very night.

"Why did you become a pirate, Luffy?"

The teen looked up, his eyes locking with hers. "At first it was an ambition, a promise to a friend. After…" He frowned slightly, as though he were trying to work out the correct wording, unconsciously placing a hand on the left side of his neck where the scar was hidden under his black bandana. "After something bad happened to me, I couldn't become anything else even if I wanted to. Pirates are free, Nami!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed with a wide, toothy grin. "They are free to go wherever they want, do whatever they want whenever they want!"

"Yeah, like destroy towns and kill people," the navigator scoffed, causing the rubber boy's grin fall.

"There are pirates like that," he agreed calmly. "But there are also those who would sacrifice their own arm to save a child from becoming a dinner to a sea monster," Luffy reminisced while gently caressing the rim of his straw hat, all his wistfulness and affection in the motion. "Also, pirates can save an innocent man from execution by the Marines, or good men and their homes from a bunch of other pirates." He smiled softly at Nami and added, "Or save a girl from a bully."

The thief's eyes widened, wondering if Luffy had suspected something about her. "W-What do you mean by that?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

The straw-hatted teen gave her a peculiar stare. "The situation we had found you in, what else?"

Nami let out a short bitter laugh. "Oh, right."

Some part of her mind wished that Luffy would have actually found out about a tie-up between Arlong and her; that he would corner her into telling him everything so that she wouldn't need to leave. The same image of their decimated corpses at Arlong's feet slivered into her mind. Feeling a sting of tears in her eyes, she quickly turned around.

"You can go to sleep, I'll keep watch," the navigator stated, unable to fully keep a shaking from her tone.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, of course. It's just… today was full of surprises!"

Nami felt Luffy linger behind her a bit longer, his heavy gaze drilling at the back of her head.

"Okay…" he finally conceded. Silent footsteps receded towards the main mast, after a moment the latch into boy's room was opened. "But, Nami," Luffy called, "you know that if you need help you can simply ask me, right?"

"Of course!"

The captain stared at the thief, unimpressed by her wide, fake grin she'd sent to him over her shoulder, but he didn't push it. With a quiet "Good night, Nami," he was gone.

Nami heaved a heavy sigh, twiddling the gauntlet and absentmindedly watching the playful reflection of the oil lamp's light on the surface of the diamonds.

Tonight she would leave.

Nami was planning to steal the Going Merry earlier that day, but she got worried after those freaky waves came out of nowhere. Now, with the captain sleeping on his own ship instead of the restaurant, that option was out of the question. Besides, with how fondly Luffy was speaking of it, the thief doubted that he would have just let it go. He would have probably hunted her down to get Merry back.

Her gaze wandered to the boat of the bounty hunters. That would do. She'd have to move all the treasure to it once Luffy fell asleep. Nami hoped that his sleep would be free from nightmares tonight.

The thief's hand moved to her mouth to muffle the sobs as tears finally began streaming down her face. "I want to be free… Please, help me…" she pleaded in a whisper, knowing well that it was too hushed even for Luffy to hear, but she couldn't stop those words from escaping her.

Next Chapter: The Runaway Nakama

Chapter Text

Luffy jolted from his sleep and almost toppled over the edge of his hammock. His fingers instinctively curled around the rim of his straw hat which had been previously resting on his chest. His heart was racing inside his ribcage like a scared bird while his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. When his mystery power sensed one of his nakama above him, the teen latched onto that feeling with all his might.

After a moment, Luffy calmed down. He shifted into a more comfortable sitting position, put the straw hat on top of his head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Usopp was on the main deck of Going Merry together with Johnny and Yosaku. He could even hear their muffled voices if he tried hard enough. A bit farther, he sensed Sanji with other cooks. Zoro's familiar aura shone like a beacon nearby, easily distinguished among others.

A small frown etched on Luffy's brow. He couldn't find Nami. Spreading his powers as far as he was able to, the young pirate finally caught the flicker of his navigator's presence quite a way from their current spot. It seemed that she was moving away from them, because her aura slowly disappeared over the boundary of his powers.

Luffy jumped from the hammock and quickly climbed up the ladder.

"What do you mean your boat was stolen?" he heard Usopp asking as soon as the hatch was open. "We're in the middle of the ocean. There is nobody else around, only us and the cooks."

It was still very early morning. Only a bit more than half of the sun peeked over the horizon, illuminating the surroundings with its soft golden light.

"We're telling you, Usopp-aniki!" Johnny exclaimed, wildly flailing his arms towards the direction where their boat had been tied up. "It's gone!"

"Yeah!" Yosaku agreed. "We searched around the Baratie, and the rope was definitely cut off!"

"Ah!" the sniper suddenly gasped, looking around with frightened expression. "M-Maybe some of Krieg's men are still hiding somewhere here waiting for us to lower our guards so that they could–!" Usopp's eyes fell on his captain and he perked up. "Luffy!"

"None of Krieg's men are still here," Luffy said, hopping out of the hole and closing the hatch. "But Nami is missing."

The long-nosed teen blinked in surprise. "What? But I saw her like an hour ago…" he trailed off, tapping his chin with one of his fingers. "She was acting a bit weird, though. Wait!" He ran off into the storage room.

"So, Nami-aneki stole our ship?" Johnny mumbled in discontent.

"All the treasure is gone too!" Usopp announced, emerging from the ship's inside.

"Putting all that aside," Luffy spoke, "Nami might need our help. Let's go meet with Zoro and Sanji and decide how we're going to find her."

"Need help?" Yosaku inquired.

A frown on the captain's face deepened. "Yeah. Something is up," he said, letting his gaze wander along the horizon. "And I have a bad feeling about it."

Zoro groaned in annoyance, leaning on the wall as he sat on his bed, his remaining white katana propped against his shoulder. "If that woman ran away, why we should go after her?" he stated. "Just let her go. No good will come chasing after that thief."

"Oi, oi," Sanji growled, flicking the ash of his cigarette out of the open window. "If the beautiful Nami-san is not in this crew, I lose ninety percent of my reason to stay with you."

"Like I care, punk," the swordsman retorted.

The blond took a step towards Zoro. "What did you say?!"

The other man stood up from the bed, his hand itching to draw his blade. "I said what I said. Want to fight?"

"Zoro-aniki! Cook-aniki!" Yosaku and Johnny exclaimed. "This is not the time to start bickering!"

Luffy huffed, but said nothing, choosing instead just to stare at his green-haired nakama. His expression was smooth and placid, but his steady and determined gaze from under the straw hat was a challenge, reminding Zoro the first time he had been stared down like that by the same person.

Unable to hold his captain's eyes any longer, Zoro looked away.

"I'm the captain," Luffy began and both young men instantly stepped away from each other. "Zoro is the swordsman. Usopp – the sniper. Sanji – the cook. And Nami is our navigator. We stick together no matter what. If one of us needs help, the rest of us help them. No questions asked."

Usopp hummed in thought. "Why do you think that Nami needs help? Isn't she the thief who steals from pirates?" he asked.

The straw-hatted shrugged before stating offhandedly, "Just a feeling."

Zoro sighed. "Your mystery power again, huh?" he asked, getting a wide grin as his only answer. "Fine, then." The swordsman strapped his katana to his waist. "Let's go and find our navigator."

Luffy leaped to his feet, fist-pumping the air, and exclaimed joyfully, "Set sail to get Nami back!"

"NAMI-SAAAAAN!" Sanji cried out at the top of his lungs, sticking his head out through the window. "Your knight is coming to save you, Nami-san! Wait for me!"

"Yeah, Nami-aneki!" the bounty hunter duo joined the chef. "Wait for us!"

"Well, I'm all for that," Usopp interrupted with a serious tone, "but haven't you all forgotten one thing?"

The rubber boy cocked his head to the side. "What thing?"

"Do you know where Nami is? Where she went?"

Luffy opened his mouth to reply, then paused and closed it, frowning. Everyone in the room was silent for a few minutes.

"Has she ever mentioned any places? We could start from there," Sanji suggested.

"Not that I can remember…" the sniper mumbled.

"Nami has a tattoo," Luffy said, his hand unconsciously moving to rest on his left shoulder. "She always kept it hidden though. It was a fish… No, more like a shark."

"A shark?!"

"No way!"

All four pirates turned at bounty hunters who pulled out a pile of bounty posters and were rifling through them. "That sounds like Arlong's mark!" Johnny exclaimed, while Yosaku grabbed one paper and shoved it at Luffy.

The straw-hatted pirate took the bounty poster and looked at it with Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji peeking over his sides. Luffy chuckled, "Shishishishi, what a funny nose!"

"Is that the only thing you noticed?!" the long-nosed teen shouted, stabbing his finger into the particular spot on the poster. "Look at the number! The number! It's bigger than Krieg's!"

The captain stared blankly at the bounty sum of twenty million beli. After a moment, he started picking his nose, before finally asking, "So?"

Usopp groaned in frustration. "Zoroooo…" he whined out. "Please, say something to him!"

The swordsman glanced at the poster one more time. "His nose is strange," he observed.

"And he has a big chin," Sanji chimed in.

The sniper instantly facepalmed.

"Usopp-aniki is right!" Yosaku agreed. "You three are being way too naïve!"

"Arlong is a true monster!" Johnny added.

"It doesn't matter," Luffy said. "Nami might be there, so we're going."

Usopp suddenly gripped over his heart and staggered. "Listen, guys, I think I just caught I-can't-go-after-Nami disease…"

"Suck it up!" Zoro ordered.

"Aah! I think I'm dying…"

"Well, the fresh air will help you out, Usopp," the rubber pirate declared, striding out of the room. "Set sail!"

"It doesn't work like that!" the long-nosed teen cried out desperately after him. "Luffyyyyy~!"

The young captain turned around, laughing. "Ne, Usopp, imagine! The brave warrior of the sea and the future Pirate King fighting fishmen pirates together!" he said, a wide sunny grin plastered on his face. "What a tale that would make!"

The sniper blinked, then thought it over, rolling the idea around his head. Slowly, a smirk crept on his lips. "Hehe, you're right, that does sound cool," he admitted. "Yosh! This great warrior of the sea will bravely face these evil adversaries!" Usopp followed his captain from the room with a certain spring in his step. "To tell you the truth, it's not the first time I will be fighting such fiends! One time I had to fight a hundred… no, no, no, a thousand of them! Let me tell you this amazing adventure of the great warrior Usopp!"

As the two youngest teens left the room, Sanji blew out a cloud of smoke and said, "He's already assuming that we're gonna have a fight."

Zoro smirked. "I wouldn't put it past Luffy to know something we don't."

"Oh? How so?"

"His mystery power thing," the swordsman explained. "You shouldn't underestimate it."

The cook stayed silent, recalling the strange feeling from yesterday and Zeff's interest in the kid.

"Zoro-aniki!" Johnny exclaimed. "Are you really going to where Arlong is?"

"Luffy wants to go there, so yes," Zoro replied. "Besides," a feral grin appeared on his face as his finger stroked the handle of his sword, "it could be fun to clash with someone worth twenty million."

Sanji let out a snort, eliciting an icy glower from his new crewmate. "You couldn't beat an octopus in your current state," he noted smugly.

"Oh, yeah?" Zoro responded, flicking his blade out of its sheath by an inch. "Wanna try me?"

The bounty hunters glanced at each other helplessly as the two pirates readied themselves for their fight. However, before they could even start, a loud voice shook the whole restaurant ship, causing them both to freeze.

"ZORO! SANJI! HURRY UP!"

Sanji tsked in annoyance while Zoro let out an irritated harrumph, but both lowered their aggressive stances and stalked out of the room, heeding their captain's order without a second thought.

"Kid."

Luffy tore his eyes from all the food Baratie cooks were stuffing into the bags for them to take and looked at the owner of the restaurant.

"Cook-ossan!" he cheered. "Thanks for all the supplies you're giving us!"

"It's the least I can do," the old man replied. He extended a leather bound journal for the teen who raised his eyebrow in question. "This is a journal from my venture in the Grand Line. You can take it if you want it."

"Nah, I don't need it." Luffy waved his hand in dismissal, then adjusted his straw hat, grinning excitedly under it. "That was your adventure. I'll have my own."

Zeff chuckled. "Thought so." He began to turn around, but when paused and glanced at the straw-hatted boy again. "But allow me to tell you something about your power." Seeing the kid's orbs shine with curiosity, he continued, "It's called Haki."

"Haki?"

"There are a lot of people that are able to use it on the second part of the Grand Line. All the high caliber Marines and pirates are usually Haki users."

Luffy's eyes widened at the news. He would never have thought that the mystery power was such a common thing somewhere.

"I never learned it myself," the old cook admitted. "So, can't really help you more. Tell me, who taught you how to use it, but never told you what it is?"

The young captain's expression twisted into a slight scowl. His hand drifted to the left side of his neck. "Nobody taught me, I learned it myself," he answered after a moment.

Feeling that it wasn't a topic the brat would have wanted to elaborate on, Zeff turned to his men. "Well, hurry up, lazybones! These people don't have all day, and we also can't be slacking off any longer! Soon customers will be coming here to eat!"

"Yes, owner!"

"And you, brat," the old man addressed the straw-hatted boy again. "Take care of that lil' eggplant of ours, will ya?"

Luffy gave him a hundred-watt grin. "Of course!"

Going Merry was soaring across the sea at full speed. It was still quite an early morning, the sun was yet to reach its zenith, but the weather promised a nice and clear day. The pirates were two to three hours behind their runaway nakama, but they had a favorable wind, bringing them closer towards their destination quickly.

"Waaaaah…!"

Luffy frowned in his spot on Merry's figurehead and turned around, so that he could observe what was happening on the deck. The rest of the crew and their guests were all gathered at the front of the ship.

"Stop it, you two!" Zoro snapped, unable to bear the bounty hunters' wailing anymore.

"Cheer up already," the captain added.

"B-But we're so touched…" Yosaku stammered out, rubbing his tear stained eyes.

Johnny nodded, sniffling into his coat's sleeve, somehow managing to do all the crying with his sunglasses still on. "It was truly a beautiful goodbye, cook-aniki…"

Sanji let out a frustrated growl.

The swordsman snorted. "Yeah, that was amazing…" he drawled, shooting an amused glance at their new cook.

"Shut up, shitty cripple," the blond retorted.

"What did you call me, damn crybaby?!"

Ignoring his two bickering nakama, Luffy turned to the hunter duo and asked, "You know the place where that guy from poster lives, right?" As the men bobbed their heads in affirmation, the boy's mouth stretched into an impossibly wide grin. "We're gonna grab Nami and be off to the Grand Line!"

"Just the five of us?" Usopp inquired.

"I want to add musician and a fluffy one immediately, but we can always recruit them in the Grand Line."

"Are you seriously planning to go to the Grand Line with only five people?!" Yosaku exclaimed in disbelief.

Sanji, for his part, stopped what he was doing and frowned in confusion for an entirely different reason. "A fluffy one?" he asked, staring at his captain as though wanting to make sure that he had simply misheard it.

"Yup! Every pirate captain needs to have his fluffy one!" Luffy grinned giddily. "I bet mine will be the most awesome of them all!" he declared and promptly erupted into mirthful laughter.

Sanji took a deep drag on his cigarette. Finally, he turned to Zoro and asked, "Is he serious?"

Luffy puffed his cheeks, pouting childishly. "I'm always serious!" he announced.

"I believe he is," answered the swordsman. Seeing an incredulous look on the other man's face, he gave him a crooked smile. "Welcome to the crew, cook," he said.

"Well, as long as Nami-san will be on this ship, I don't care about anything else," Sanji shrugged. After a moment, his features twisted into a dreamy expression. "Just thinking about her inexplicable beauty makes me jump for joy! I sure would like to see her again soon…"

Zoro lay down, leaning against the railings and getting comfortable for a nap. "I don't care either way," he stated, stifling a yawn. "Luffy wants that woman back, so I guess we're getting her back."

"Shishishishi."

"You all are too carefree!" Yosaku suddenly burst out.

"And way too naïve!" Johnny seconded. "Don't you get it?! We're getting closer and closer to Arlong's base!"

"Mmm…" Luffy hummed, knitting his brow, seemingly puzzled about something. "Isn't that our plan all along?"

"Do you even know who Arlong is?!"

"The funny-nose from your bounty poster," the straw-hatted boy responded easily. "I mean, his nose is stranger than Usopp's! How could I forget?"

"Oi!" the said strange-nosed teen protested, eliciting a laugh from Sanji.

The hunters' jaws dropped. These pirates were crazy! They were sailing towards their death and cheerfully joked about it! Yosaku and Johnny shared a determined conspiratorial glance and nodded to each other. It was their duty to teach these youngsters that there were powers in this world which were better left alone.

"Alright, listen up!" Yosaku shouted loudly, drawing the attention of the pirates. "We'll have to explain who Arlong is to you guys!"

He stepped back, giving the front spot to his partner who coughed into his fist and started: "Arlong is a fishman, who's already been to the Grand Line."

"A fishman?" Sanji questioned.

"A fishman, huh…" Usopp trailed off and then smirked confidently. "To tell you the truth, I had already battled once against a horde of fishmen. Everyone called me 'Usopp the Fishmen Destroyer'! I will tell you this astonishing story, so listen and don't be surprised—no, no, be surprised, because I—Oi! Pay attention when someone is telling you their story!"

"Come to think of it, isn't Fishman Island a very famous travel destination in the Grand Line?" Sanji said dreamily, completely ignoring the liar. "I've heard that the most beautiful mermaids live there!"

"Mermaid…" the sniper mumbled, pulling out a notebook and starting to doodle something with his tongue sticking out in great concentration. In the blink of an eye, he finished whatever he was drawing and showed the picture to the others. "Like this?"

Sanji's cigarette fell from his gaping mouth as his eyes fell on the gracefully arched sleek fishtail. A drool started to collect at the corner of his lips as his gaze followed the slender body up to the nice bust with just the right sized breasts and farther up to the beautiful, no, gorgeous face of the… real fish.

The cook was staring silently for a few seconds, then, "DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?!"

Usopp eeped in fright and quickly moved away from the livid chef. Luffy was laughing so hard that he almost tumbled down into the water.

"Couldn't you guys be more serious here?!" both hunters bellowed in unison.

As the uproar calmed down, Yosaku took a deep breath. "Fine! I'll start again from the top!" He gave a short, theatrical pause. "The Grand Line is called the 'Pirates' Graveyard' because of the three great powers that rule over it. One of them is a group called the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

"Oh, yeah, I've heard of them."

"They're—wait, you have?" Johnny asked, all attention turning to Luffy.

"Yeah. They're seven pirates that the World Government gives immunity for whatever they do as long as they agree to be their…" Luffy frowned as he tried to think of the right word. "Mercy? Merchants? Mermaids?"

"Mercenaries," Johnny and Yosaku intoned together.

"So, basically, they take out who the Government tells them to, and they can get away with anything else they do? That's just wrong," Usopp murmured.

"And pirates don't become Warlords unless they're freakishly strong!" Yosaku exclaimed, getting back on track. "Mihawk, for example, the guy who beat Zoro-aniki, he's one of the Warlords!"

Everyone instinctively glanced at the swordsman, but he was already sleeping without a care in the world.

"But the problem is with another Warlord!" Yosaku hurried to tell while the rest of the pirates were still listening. "The leader of the fishmen pirates, Jinbe!"

Luffy's eyes narrowed at the name, memories buried deep, but never forgotten, emerging in his mind.

"…After that, Jinbe became our second captain. He's a good person, always took a great care of his crew. When the invitation to join the Seven Warlords came, Jinbe accepted it because of us, former slaves, so that we could return home to our families. Pehehehehe… I guess I can't really call myself a former slave now, can I? Well, anyways… Everyone belittled Jinbe for his decision, calling him the World Government's dog and whatnot, but we'd always be grateful to him. …Ah, do you know what the Warlords are, Luffy?"

"In return for joining the Warlords, Jinbe let a terrifying monster loose in the East Blue!"

"Listen, kid, if you— No, when you get out of here, can you do me a favor? If you'll ever run into Jinbe, can you tell him that…"

A deep frown creased Luffy's face.

"The place we're headed to is Arlong Park! It's an area ruled by—"

"Hold on a second," the captain interjected. "Where did you get that fact about Jinbe?"

"Eh?" Yosaku mumbled, surprised by Luffy's second interruption of his enthusiastic monologue. "Uh… It's a well known rumor."

"I had a friend who was a member of Jinbe's crew, and he told me the real reason why his captain joined the Warlords. It's not what you're saying."

Sanji's eyebrows shot upwards. "You have a fishman friend?"

"Had," Luffy corrected. He lowered his head so that the rim of his straw hat would hide his eyes. "He's dead."

The cook observed the boy, taking notice of his stiff shoulders and carefully blank expression. His interest was piqued. There was definitely more to that story that Luffy let on, but it wasn't Sanji's place to question his past, so the blond chose not to ask anything. Unfortunately, not everyone had such restraint.

"Uh… What happened to him?" Usopp asked hesitantly.

Luffy hunched into himself even more, his fists resting in his lap were so tightly gripped that it made his knuckles white. "Does it matter?!" he shot back more harshly than he'd intended.

The liar winced. "Sorry, Luffy. I was just curious."

Luffy sighed and shook his head. "I really don't want to talk about it."

That killed the mood for a few seconds. Seeing this, the newest member of the crew got to his feet. "In any case," Sanji said, intertwining his fingers and stretching his arms forward. A wry grin appeared on his face. "Let's eat. Any requests?"

Usopp lowered the binoculars and scowled at the distant horizon. He was standing in the crow's nest, observing the surroundings while Sanji prepared food. Zoro was still napping, Luffy sat in his usual spot, and the bounty hunters were milling their time at the back of the ship.

Going Merry was quickly nearing her destination: the Conomi Islands and, inevitably, Arlong's base.

Of course, such a brave warrior like Usopp was not afraid of Arlong or any of his fishmen goons! Even if Johnny and Yosaku told him that fishmen were about ten times stronger than humans. Even if these pirates were veterans of the Grand Line. Even if Arlong had already destroyed more than twenty villages and killed a lot of people…

The sniper felt his knees weakening with every bit of information he had recalled.

Okay, maybe he was afraid. A little. Just a tiny bit.

"No, no, no!" Usopp mumbled, shaking his finger. "No one knows that we're really going to fight with them!" he pointed out. "And even if we do, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji will be there." He nodded his head in agreement with himself, a confident smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I'm gonna call it the adventure in the unknown and dangerous fishmen lands, featuring the brave and heroic captaaaa—"

"Yo, Usopp!"

"Gyaaaaah!" The liar leaped into the air, a high-pitched, panicked scream tearing out of his throat.

Luffy chuckled, pulled himself up and sat down on the railing.

Usopp heaved a heavy sigh in relief that it was only his crazy captain. His hand was resting on his still racing heart. "Oh, that's not good for my heart…" he exhaled, then rounded on the other teen and exclaimed, "Don't do that! Stop scaring people like that!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

The sniper glowered at that goofy grin before his shoulders sagged in surrender. "Ne, Luffy," he called after a moment. "Are we really going to fight these fishmen?"

The captain thought it over. "If it's them who made Nami feel like that, then, yeah, we're definitely going to," he replied seriously.

"Feel like what?"

"Sad, lonely, despaired." Luffy paused. "Hopeless… Like the darkness inside you would swallow you up at any given moment."

Usopp stared at his captain as the cheerfulness fell away. The emotions in Luffy's black orbs seemed so raw and deep, as though they were etched directly into his being. With the start, the sniper realized that Luffy was talking from his own experience, and he couldn't understand how such a strong person could be so broken at the same time. What could have happened in his life, to leave those kinds of scars on his soul?

"Fishmen are dangerous. They are so much stronger than humans and their techniques with water are deadly," Luffy said, causing Usopp to blanch. The smile cracked open, brightening the rubber pirate's whole face up. "But I have nothing but faith in all of you to hold your own." He took off his straw hat and spun it on his palm. "I never would have brought you onto my crew, Usopp, if I thought that you weren't worthy of sailing with the future Pirate King." As Luffy said the last words, he caught the spinning hat and put it on his long-nosed nakama head.

Usopp was startled by the boy's words and his action. Nami's warning not to touch the straw hat echoed in his mind, and he just stood there, frozen in place, unable to think of anything coherent to say. "Luffy…" he whispered, but the captain simply graced him with one of his impossibly sized grins.

A shout from below jolted the liar from whatever trance he had been in.

"Oi, shitty bastards, food is done!"

"Shishishishi," Luffy chuckled happily before he pushed himself off the railing with a joyful, "Let's go, Usopp!" and fell down.

The sniper stayed in the crow's nest for a few more minutes, still too stunned from the absolute trust his captain just showed to him. He brushed his fingers over the rim of the straw hat, and a pleased smile slipped onto his lips. How could he say that he was afraid of anything when Luffy put so much faith in him?

"Bring it on!" he challenged the distant horizon, grinning confidently at it.

Luffy was sitting in his favorite spot on the top of Merry's figurehead again, a piece of meat on the bone in his hand as he chewed on it slowly, his worried gaze fixed on the skyline.

The wind had died out during their meal, and because of that, Going Merry was barely moving forward.

"Just how long he's gonna sleep?" Johnny asked, poking Zoro at his side. The swordsman swatted his hand away reflexively, but didn't wake up.

Yosaku shrugged. "Dunno."

Usopp snickered. "Maybe I should paint something on his face while he's asleep? What do you think, Luffy?" The sniper turned to the straw-hatted boy to hear his opinion, then blinked. Luffy was leaning forward and staring intently at the water. "What's up, Luffy?"

"I think there is someone… something beneath us."

"Eh?!"

At that moment, an enormous silhouette rose from the depth of the ocean, easily towering over the small vessel.

Usopp's, Johnny's, and Yosaku's eyes almost popped out from their skulls and their jaws dropped on the deck as they stared up at the huge light gray sea cow with green spots, horns and all. "ARGHHHHHHH!" all three screamed at the top of their lungs.

The beast lowered its head towards Luffy, who didn't even move an inch, and sniffed the air. "What?" the boy asked casually. He waved his meat around. "Want this?"

"Mooooooooo!"

"You all are so noisy… Can't a person take a short nap?" Zoro mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes before yawning. Then he blinked and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the sea cow, but didn't get alarmed in a slightest. "What the heck is this thing?"

"IT'S A SEA MONSTERRRRRR!"

"Shishishishi! If you want this you'll have to work for it!" Luffy jumped to his feet with a mischievous smirk and extended his free hand. "Shake!"

"Are you an idiot?!" Johnny cried out.

"Don't be crazy, Luffy-aniki!" Yosaku agreed.

"Luffy, it's not a dog!" Usopp pointed out.

The straw-hatted pirate wasn't deterred by that. "Alright, then… Give me high five!"

To everyone's biggest surprise, the sea cow suddenly pulled one of his frontal fins out of the water and raised it into the air.

Luffy's grin grew even wider as he stretched his arm and high-fived the beast. "Awesome!" he cheered before throwing the meat towards the mouth of the monster. "Here, catch this!"

The sea cow chomped on the piece and licked his lips, looking at the straw-hatted human in front of him. "Mooooo!"

"Ahahahaha! You like that?"

"Mooooooo!"

Luffy beamed. "It was made by Sanji! He's the cook in my crew, and he's the best!"

"Mooo!"

"Hey, wanna be friends?"

"Moooooooooo!"

"Alright! I'm gonna name you Moomoo!"

"Moo! Moo!"

"Shishishishi!"

The rest of the crew and their guests could only gawk at their friendly interaction completely stunned. Sanji joined them earlier as he came out to check what all the screaming was about.

"W-W-Why Luffy's such a fast friend with that sea monster?" Usopp stammered out.

"Because they're both monsters in their own way?" the cook offered.

Zoro grunted his agreement.

"…and she ran away!" Luffy continued talking with his new friend, vividly waving his arms around. "So, now we're trying to reach the island where this Arlong person lives, but with this wind—"

"Mooooo moo moo!" the cow let out an excited sound, his eyes sparkling with happiness. "Mooooooo!"

The boy blinked at the beast. "Do you know that place?" When Moomoo nodded his head in confirmation, Luffy grinned. "That's wonderful! Can you help us get there faster?"

"Mooooooooooooo!"

"You'll be a great help, Moomoo! Thanks!" Luffy turned around to face his crew. "Guys, put your backs into it! Let's make it happen!"

"Aye-aye, captain!" they chorused, springing into action to harness the humongous sea cow.

-Some time later, Conomi Islands, Cocoyashi Village-

"Shahahaha!"

The loud scornful laugh reverberated throughout the whole village as Arlong backhanded another villager. The latter flew across the street and crashed into the wall.

"What's this?" the fishman captain asked in a far too joyful voice for the situation he currently was in. "A rebellion?! Shahahaha!"

A group of villagers glared at the monstrous pirate. The ones who hadn't been beaten helped the others to stand up. So far, no one had died, as Arlong's crew was loitering at the side, looking bored, while the captain busied himself with playfully tossing humans around. However, many had been hurt.

"I've heard that someone was keeping weapons here, so I came here to confront him, and you all suddenly decided to go against me?" Arlong ridiculed the people in front of him. "And I'd been so good for you all because this is Nami's hometown!"

"Don't give us that shit, Arlong!" a woman spat at him. "We know what you did!"

"What I did? And what exactly did I do?" he inquired curiously before laughing scornfully again. "I do a lot of things!"

"You—!"

"ARLONG!"

Everyone turned to look at the direction from where the shout came.

Nami was standing there, looking sick and disgusted at the sight of her beloved people bruised and bloody.

Arlong grinned as his eyes met Nami's glare. "Ohhh, Nami!" he greeted her, throwing his hands to his sides as a welcoming sign. "You're back! That was quite a long trip. How much did you rake in this time?"

The navigator's gaze slid over the ruins of destroyed house, and she squeezed her fists so hard that nails dug into her skin drawing blood. "What is the meaning of this, Arlong?!" she screamed. "We have a deal—!"

"Oi, oi. It's not my fault that these idiots decided to attack me," the fishman replied without skipping a beat. He turned to the villagers with a predatory grin. "And everyone knows what happens to those who dare to oppose me!"

Nami's eyes widened when she saw Arlong taking a step closer to humans. "STOP IT!" she shrieked on the brink of hysteria. Nothing was important now but saving her people. "I have your money! I have one hundred million beli! I can buy Cocoyashi Village now!"

"Nami!"

"Na-chan, wait! Listen–"

The fishman captain glared at the speaker and the latter instantly shut up. Arlong glanced at the orange-haired girl, an unnamed something lingering at the edges of his eyes. "Is that so?"

The navigator felt dread creeping in. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You're not gonna go back on our deal, are you, Arlong?"

"Shahahaha! Of course not!"

"Then, follow me." Nami shot the last glance at villagers, and then spun on her heel and marched towards her home.

"Come on, boys," Arlong urged his crew, and the whole group of fishmen followed the lonely human girl.

Something was not right. Nami furrowed her brow as she again scanned the approaching scenery of her home. Something was wrong, but her mind refused to understand what exactly was amiss.

For the whole road the navigator didn't utter a word to her tormentor. She had the money. She and the village would be free just a few minutes from now. She should be happy, but a tiny doubt in her heart didn't want to give her peace.

"Some of the money is still on the boat I've returned with," Nami said, trying to keep her attention from wandering off from business on hand.

"That's alright," Arlong waved her concerns away. "We can always grab that later."

As soon as they neared the peak of the hill and the view of Nami's and her sister's home greeted them, Nami knew exactly what was amiss.

Bellemere's mikan plantation was destroyed. Some trees were chopped down, some simply rooted out and tossed aside. The piles of earth dotted the perimeter, and the ground itself was riddled with dig holes.

Nami's brain short-circuited. She just stared at the horrible sight with wide eyes and her mouth agape, until Arlong laughed next to her.

"Shahahaha! Did a reconstruction?" he mocked. "So, there is that money you promised me?"

Nami's body moved on its own. Her heart declined to believe what her mind was already screaming at her, vainly trying to hold onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, the assailants didn't find what they probably were looking for.

As a big empty hole met her frightened gaze, the last sliver of hope evaporated, and Nami felt despair swallowing her up. She dropped to her knees, burying her hands into the soil. "They are here… The money should be somewhere around here…" she muttered non-stop under her breath, feverishly digging around. "Just… Just wait, Arlong. I'll find it and… and… and…"

"Ahhh, too bad, Nami," the fishman said, fake sadness clear in his tone. "If you don't have the right amount of money, you and your little village stay under my control."

The navigator's mouth suddenly felt dry. "You can't do that!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and facing the pirate. "I-I have the money! Someone just took it! You can help me find–!"

Arlong suddenly grabbed her lower part of her face and squeezed it, dragging the helpless girl closer to his own mug. "That's quite unfortunate of you, Nami, but I don't have to do anything," he growled out in dangerously low voice. "No money, no deal. I thought you're a sensible woman and would understand that." A cruel smile graced the fishman's lips when tears rolled from Nami's eyes. "If you can't pay me one hundred million beli, I can't just return village back to you. It means that I can do whatever I want with you and your village. Maybe you'll be luckier next time! Shahahaha!"

Arlong let the navigator go, and she collapsed on the ground into a sobbing heap.

"Don't hold a grudge against me, Nami, I have to teach those rebels a lesson," he taunted further. "But don't worry, I won't kill them all. We don't want you to do something you would regret later, do we? Shahahaha!" He turned around to leave. "Let's go back to Arlong Park for now. We'll visit Cocoyashi Village again later."

Nami hadn't even paid attention as they left. Her whole body was shaking with an uncontrollable wail, and it took her a while and a lot of effort to calm down. When she finally managed that, the thought that she didn't see her sister anywhere suddenly struck Nami like lightning.

"Nojiko…?" the orange-haired girl whispered, wildly looked around. "Nojiko?! NOJIK—"

Her voice hitched as she noticed something on the ground. Nami stood up on trembling legs and slowly moved closer to inspect it.

The soil in that spot was darker, and the grass had reddish stains on. The origin of those was clear as day.

Blood.

There had been a big puddle of blood until it dried up.

At that moment the last pieces of her entire world crumbled, leaving only a bottomless pit of despair, pain, and sorrow.

Next Chapter: Living a Lie

Chapter Text

"We're gonna crash! We're gonna crash! We're gonna crash!"

Luffy laughed loudly, ignoring or not hearing Usopp's, Johnny's, and Yosaku's terrified screams behind him. He had one of his rubbery appendages twisted around Merry's figurehead so that he wouldn't fall as the huge sea cow pulled their ship. "Faster! Faster!" he urged excitedly. "Full speed ahead!"

"Moooooooo!" replied the beast. A strange twinkle entered his eyes.

Suddenly Going Merry jerked forward, speeding up even more. The wave threw it into the air, eliciting laughter from the captain again. "Yahoo!" he cheered as the ship landed roughly back on the sea surface.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!" the cowardly trio yelled in fright, hugging the main mast for dear life.

Sanji brushed his hair from his eye as Merry jumped another wave. "We're making a good time with this hippo's help," he casually commented.

"Yeah," Zoro agreed, nonchalantly leaning on the inner railing with his arms folded. "We might even catch up with Nami before reaching that island."

"Ah! Beautiful Nami-san~! I can't wait to see her again!"

"You two are way too relaxed!" Usopp shouted at them from his spot. "Show at least some concern for our lives!"

Luffy put his free palm above his eyes to cover the sun, because his straw hat was wildly dangling in the wind, and squinted at the distance. "Oooooi!" He flashed a huge grin over his shoulder. "I see land!"

"Finally…!" Zoro drawled with his hand on his katana and a small smirk playing on his lips.

Sanji clicked his tongue. "Nami-san is our top priority, you hear, shitty swordsman?"

Zoro's eye twitched. "What did you call me, damn cook?!"

Before they could start fighting once more, a mirthful laughter drew both their attentions to their exuberant captain. Luffy just then stretched his arms to grab Moomoo's horns.

"He's not gonna do what I think he might do, right?" the cook mused loudly.

The swordsman snorted. "Of course not."

They held their breaths as the boy's arms snapped back. Luffy collided with the back of the sea cow's head, giggled under his breath, and then climbed up to sit on top. Fist-pumping the air, he exclaimed, "Wait for us, Nami! Here we come!"

Zoro and Sanji heaved heavy sighs of relief, for some reason feeling as though this time luck was on their side that Luffy didn't decide to simply shoot himself to the island ahead of the ship.

The huge sea beast started to gradually slow down till it came to a halt right in front of the Arlong Park.

Luffy beamed at his new friend. "Good job, Moomoo!" he praised, at the same time gently patting the beast's head under him. "Thanks."

The cow closed his eyes in bliss. "Moooo…"

"Mohmoo? What are you doing?"

An unfamiliar voice coming from the land drew the pirate's attention and he turned to look at the speaker. It was a tall fishman with six arms and octopus-like face. Luffy's eyes widened slightly as his gaze fell on the fishman's forehead, instantly recognizing the mark burned onto it.

"Nyu! Is this human bullying you, Mohmoo?!" the stranger yelled in outrage, lifting all of his fists ready to fight.

That caused the straw-hatted boy to blink in surprise. "Shishishishi! No, we're friends," he informed with a sunny grin. "Right, Moomoo?"

The sea cow nodded his head. "Mooooooo!"

"Oh…" The fishman lowered his aggressive stance, and then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I never saw Mohmoo getting friendly with a human before."

"That's fine," Luffy waved him off. "I'm Luffy! And this is my crew!" the young captain gestured proudly at the approaching ship from behind the sea cow.

The fishman grinned, pointing one of his hands to himself. "I'm Hatchan, but you can call me Hachi!"

"Whoa!" Usopp said in astonishment. He was standing on the bow deck and openly gawked at the unseen being, all his fear for the moment forgotten. "Are you a fishman?"

"Of course!" Hachi replied, doing a little wave dance with all his six arms. "I'm a charming octopus fishman! Do I look like a human?"

"Definitely not," Sanji murmured, blowing the cloud of smoke.

"Shishishishi," Luffy chuckled giddily. "I never imagined meeting another Sun Pirate so soon in my adventure!"

The octopus fishman suddenly froze, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "Nyu?! You know about the Sun Pirates?!"

"Yeah! I remember your name! Tooki always talked fondly of you," the rubber boy said, excitement etched on his features. "He told me a lot of stories about you guys. I really liked the ones about your first captain, Fisher Tiger. He became a hero to me from the moment I heard what he did!"

"Tooki the Storyteller?!" Hachi all but cried out. "Where have you met him? He disappeared so long time ago and nobody knows where he is!"

Usopp winced, thinking that the other boy would get angry again. Luffy's expression twisted into a scowl, his hand unconsciously drifting to touch the left side of his neck. A sigh escaped his lips.

This was Tooki's crewmember, and his nakama deserved to know how he died.

"No, no, no… Tooki, w-what are you saying? Stop saying stupid things!"

"Listen, Luffy–"

"I-I can't! I just… can't! You're my friend, Tooki!"

"Listen, kid! I know how hard it is for you, but you're young, just a child yet, whereas I'm an old cripple. If we need to choose who lives and who dies, then there is nothing here to choose from. Pehehehehe… Never would have thought that I'd sacrifice my life for a human and have no regrets for doing so."

"Please, don't make me do it…"

"And you know what they do if we don't fight. They're gonna kill us both! So, you have to do it, Luffy! You have a dream, right?! Fight for it! Survive for it! Live for it! Do it! Kill me, boy! Kill me!"

Luffy shook his head, tugging the straw hat down, trying to hide from the whole world as the already familiar dark abyss of pain, guilt, and shame threatened to overwhelm him.

An uneasy silence hung in the air as everyone was watching the rubber boy who just a moment ago was only smiles and sunshine.

"Tooki died about seven years ago…" Luffy's voice cracked and he went silent again, but no one dared to urge him to speak further. After a moment, he continued, "He sacrificed his life for mine."

"How strange…" Hachi trailed off, considering something over. "Never would have believed that Tooki would protect human."

The straw-hatted pirate's mouth corners twitched up a bit. "Yeah, he was surprised by it himself," he said quietly, then turned his head towards Going Merry and simply stared at his crew for a while.

Never, ever, would Luffy allow a similar situation to occur. He would do anything to keep them all safe. His nakama and friends were his to protect, not for them to sacrifice their lives for saving him.

The barely there smile on Luffy's face grew to a nearly there smile. He suddenly stretched his arm to grab a railing of Merry, pulling himself onto his ship to stand together with his nakama, basking in a warm and safety that their presence had brought to him.

"By the way, Hachi?"

The fishman looked up at the straw-hatted human. "Nyu?"

"I'm looking for one of my nakama. She had a tattoo of the same Jolly Roger as that flag." Luffy pointed at the top of the building in front of them, and everyone instinctively glanced at it. "Her name's Nami, the girl with orange hair. Do you know her?"

A shock flashed across Hatchan's octopus-like features. "Nami?" he asked. "Of course I know her! She's part of our pirate crew!"

"Part of your pirate crew?!" Usopp shrieked in disbelief.

"Didn't Nami say that she hated pirates?" Zoro recalled, irritation clearly visible in his voice and his entire body language. "Nothing but lies comes from that woman's mouth."

"Nami-san must have her reasons," Sanji protested.

"Go away. I don't need any help from people like you. I HATE PIRATES!"

"The pirates killed my mother."

"Yeah, like destroy towns and kill people."

Luffy's eyes flickered to the fluttering flag again, the slight downward turn of his mouth giving the only indication of his concern. The more he thought about this, the more he didn't like what his gut was telling him.

Of course, the captain remembered that Nami never agreed to join his crew, constantly reminding him that they were only allies and nothing more. Maybe this was the reason behind it, although he always assumed that it was because of her hate and fear of pirates, for that was a genuine emotion. Luffy could feel it lingering in his navigator's presence all the time, but it dwindled significantly after some time traveling together. Adding the other pirate crew's mark which Nami kept hidden…

Something was very wrong with the whole picture here. The bad feeling Luffy already had doubled in its intensity.

The captain fixed his hat and asked, "Ne, Hachi, do you know where I can find Nami? I need to ask her something."

"Nyuuuu…" The fishman scratched his head. "If she'd returned and she's not here, then she must be back at her house. Follow the coast until Cocoyashi Village." He pointed at the direction on his left. "Nami lives there."

"Okay, thanks!" Luffy grinned while the others already proceeded to move Going Merry. "Hey, maybe later we could meet up again and you could tell me more about the Sun Pirates and Fisher Tiger?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

Hachi suddenly seemed very uncomfortable under his enthusiastic gaze. "Yeah, sure…"

The straw-hatted pirate tilted his head, confused about such a drastic mood drop, but chose not to question it. He turned to the sea cow as the ship started to sail away. "See ya later too, Moomoo!"

The beast brightened up and saw the young pirates off with a joyful, "Moooooo!"

Nami stared at the dried up blood for a while, her mind void of any coherent thought, as she was completely in denial of what might have happened in this place.

After some time, the thief finally forced her body to move. She checked the rest of the mikan orchard, the house, and also the mikan sapling garden on its other side. As Nami looked over the later, she absentmindedly noted that saplings this year seemed very strong and healthy, perfect for replacement of all the destroyed trees.

Finding no clues of what exactly was going on here, Nami decided to return to the Cocoyashi Village. If Nojiko got hurt, she was probably brought to the doctor. Hanging onto that spark of hope, the thief rushed towards the village.

There was a group of people crowding the entrance to the clinic, so Nami hid behind the corner of the house on the other side of the road. She couldn't face them now, couldn't look them into eyes and pretend that nothing had happened. They didn't know anything after all.

They didn't know that the money was gone. They didn't know that Arlong was planning to come later to take care of the rebels.

Nami shook her head. One thing at a time. Once she made sure that Nojiko was alright, she would think of what to do next. Maybe offer Arlong some additional deal to let villagers go this time. They always paid on schedule, never before they defied cruel regime of fishmen pirates. It should work…

The navigator slapped her own cheek to stay focus on things at hand. Then she sneaked across the road and past the crowd, finally sighing at ease as she reached the back door of the clinic. Not wanting to delay the inevitable, Nami entered, carefully closing the door behind her.

"Nami?"

The thief froze at the voice. A split second later she recognized it and swiveled around to make sure. There she was – her sister. Despite her somewhat pale face and bandaged waist, Nojiko seemed fine.

"Nojiko…" Nami exhaled long and slow, feeling the stress drain out of her and relief washing over every part of her body. Distracted, she wiped a few drops of tears out of her eyes. "Nojiko!" this time the navigator exclaimed happily as she closed the distance between them and hugged her sister tightly. "I-I thought… I'm so glad you're okay!"

Nojiko smiled, returning an embrace. "Sorry for scaring you, Nami."

"What happened?" Nami asked when they eventually let each other go. "I led Arlong to give his money because I finally got it all, but… Who did that?"

"Arlong, huh?" the blue-haired woman scoffed, glaring at nothing in particular. "That sly bastard…"

The navigator felt her stomach churn with trepidation. "…Why?"

"It was a work of Arlong's pet Marine," another voice said.

Nami turned to the speaker and her eyes widened at the sight of Genzo standing in the doorway, one hand gripping the jamb to keep himself upright. His whole torso and arms were bandaged and there were still remnants of dry blood at the edge of his mouth.

"Gen-san, you shouldn't be up," Nojiko chided. "Doc's orders."

The man waved her off, earning a scowl. "I'm sorry, Nami," he apologized quietly. "We couldn't protect the money that you spent eight years to collect to free the village."

Nami gawked at him, her mind drawing a blank because he knew. Genzo knew about the money. "How did you… know that…?" she stammered out.

"I knew all along. We all did," he confessed. "Back then, we couldn't believe what you'd done no matter what, so we forced Nojiko to tell us the truth… But we feared that if you knew that we knew, our hopes would pressure you into staying if you ever want to run away from it all."

"Wha…"

"That's why we pretended not to know." Genzo clenched his teeth, his knuckles going white from how hard he squeezed it. "Those Marines… They knew exactly what they were looking for. "

"Arlong was probably planning to do something like that from the very beginning," Nojiko added.

"Nami," Genzo said, looking dead in the eye of the startled orange-haired girl, "you can leave now. Leave this village, this island. You fought well."

"What… What are you saying?" the thief whispered, terror seeping in. "What was the name of that Marine?"

"Captain Nezumi," her sister answered.

Nami gaped at Nojiko, her words slowly sinking into her mind. She knew that name. That Marine had been in Arlong's pocket for a very long time. So, it was true – that despicable fishman set it all up. He never intended to let her or her village go.

"No, no, no, no…" a denial left her mouth as the navigator backed away until she hit the wall. "No, no, no… It can't be… It can't be… It can't be that the last eight years was all a lie!"

"Nami–"

"No! Arlong promised me! He promised… We made a deal… One hundred million beli for the freedom of me and Cocoyashi Village… He promised… He promised…" she muttered under her breath.

It's not like Nami didn't expect it. She did, she just didn't want to admit that Arlong could go back on his word. She hoped that he wouldn't. She hoped that her effort would actually pay off, pushing any kind of idea about her tormentor simply lying to her. He promised. They made a deal…

Nami covered her eyes with her palms and pressed it until the colors exploded under her closed eyelids.

She wanted to scream. Just scream until her throat became hoarse, until there was no strength left to scream. Maybe someone would hear her. Like Luffy…

Nami wished that back then she had been forced to tell Luffy everything, just spill all her misery and pain and ask for his help. Luffy would have definitely agreed. But it was too late now. They had no knowledge of where she ran off. The boys should be on their merry way to the Grand Line, far, far away from their runaway nakama and her problems.

Did she even have a right to call herself their nakama when she simply up and left them?

The thief chuckled darkly. No matter how monstrously strong those guys were, there was no way they could match a real monster. So, it was for the best really that the boys weren't here. She wouldn't forgive herself if more people got killed because of her. Like her mother…

"I need to see Arlong," Nami abruptly said, pushing off of the wall. She quickly ducked out of the clinic before anyone could stop her.

"Nami!"

Nami completely ignored her sister's calls from behind her as she marched along the rice fields towards the Arlong Park.

"Wait! Nami, stop!" Nojiko grabbed her by her hand and forced her to stop.

The thief gritted her teeth, yanking her arm out of the other woman's grip. She spun on her heel to face Nojiko. "You can't stop me! I need to talk with Arlong!"

"And what you're gonna say to him?!" the mikan grower shot back. "He's gonna lock you up! Or worse – kill you!"

"I don't care!"

"But I do!"

"What are you suggesting me doing then?" Nami demanded. "Leave you all to die and run away?"

"Yes!" Nojiko replied without skipping a beat. Seeing a startled expression on her younger sister's face, she sighed. "We already accepted the outcome of this, Nami. We allowed you to fight alone for the past eight years, but now it's time for you to stand down." She smiled. Just a small, proud curve of her lips. "You're cunning and you've got what it takes to survive out there. Besides, you got a dream to fulfill, right?" she asked with a mischievous wink.

Nami couldn't believe what Nojiko was saying. She opened her mouth to protest–

"Oooooooi! Nami! Ooooi! Oi!"

–and instantly her jaws closed with an audible click as the happy, though annoying yell resounded from the distance. "It can't be…" she muttered, before slowly turning around, afraid that it was just a delusional product of her scrambled mind. "Luffy…?"

The straw-hatted boy was truly there, standing at the forest line and waving his hands in a lively greeting, the wide sunny grin plastered on his face, seemingly lightening the whole surroundings with its presence.

"Aaaaah! Nami-saaaan!" another figure emerged from the trees and joined the arms' flailing. "It's me! It's me! Remember me?! Let's set sail together! And the second beautiful lady too! Come with us!"

"Shut up, idiot cook!" the swordsman grumbled. "Your constant shouting makes my head hurt."

"Eh? What was that?" Sanji grimaced at him. "Don't you know that love is always a hurricane?"

"Speaking of hurricanes," Usopp smirked, "let me tell you how that one time I saved the village from the biggest hurricane in history… Oi, listen to me!"

"I can't believe it!" Johnny cried out.

"Nami-aneki is indeed here!" Yosaku added.

"Shishishishi! I told you."

Nami was speechless. The whole crew was here with all their craziness and quirky antics. She didn't even have a mind to wonder how they'd find her, happiness swelling in her chest simply by seeing them all again.

Nojiko glanced at her sister and raised an eyebrow at her brightened up face. "You know them, Nami? Who are they?"

Nami started from her questions. She looked back at Nojiko, her eyes instantly drawn by the bandages around the woman's waist.

Shahahaha!

The thief bit her lip. She couldn't involve Luffy and the rest in this mess. The mere thought of them getting beaten and killed by Arlong terrified her to her very core.

"Nobody," Nami said. The hopeful light that shone in her orbs a moment ago dimmed and then died completely after she repeated her statement. "They are nobodies. Just a bunch of pirates I stole from."

"Really?" Nojiko asked in disbelief. "They don't seem like nobodies going by your reaction."

The navigator ignored her, rearranging her features into a cold stony façade and facing the pirates. "What did you come to this island for?" she inquired frostily. She had to call forth all of her willpower not to falter in her act when Luffy's eyes narrowed a fraction, fixing her with his soul-piercing gaze.

"We've come for you, of course," the rubber boy replied. "You're nakama," he added like it explained everything.

"Nakama? Don't make me laugh. I told you many times that I'm not your nakama. It was nothing but a stupid little cooperation," Nami stated, her voice biting. "You're a nuisance. Go away."

Luffy said nothing. He just stared at his navigator with a worried crease in his brow.

"How can you be so cold, Nami?!" Usopp demanded angrily. "You were enjoying yourself when sailing together with us! Have you been deceiving us all along?"

Nojiko's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "Oh? Enjoying herself, eh?"

"It was just an act," the thief countered the liar's words. "How did you find me anyways?"

"Your tattoo."

Nami almost flinched from Luffy's response. Her hand instinctively moved to cover her left shoulder. Oh, how she hated that thing, marking her as a property of Arlong and working as a tag on her invisible leash to inform others about her master.

The navigator didn't even feel when her nails dug into her flesh, drawing blood.

"So, it's true that you're a member of this fishmen pirate crew?" Zoro wondered, eyeing the orange-haired girl suspiciously as though not entirely believing that being legitimate fact.

Nami clenched her teeth so hard that it felt like they could shatter under the pressure. "That's right!" she stated forcefully, showing the others her accursed tattoo. However, the part of the desirable effect was lost because of scratches left by her nails. "I'm an officer of the Arlong Pirates. I only stuck with you for the money. Now when you don't even have a beli, I couldn't care less about you all."

Nojiko sighed. The pirates and bounty hunters were staring at her, not uttering a word.

"I don't have time to deal with you," Nami declared, already walking towards her initial destination. "Leave this island! Go search for your One Piece or whatever." As she was passing Luffy, he suddenly grabbed her arm, successfully stopping her. "What do you want?!" she snapped.

"I can help."

"STOP SAYING THAT!" the thief cried out, swinging her hand upward until it connected sharply with the boy's cheek.

Everyone was left dumbfounded. Nami herself gasped in surprise, pressing her stinging hand to her chest as if it had been burned. She watched the red blotches slowly appearing on Luffy's cheek with wide eyes full of fright and shock.

Luffy never allowed others to hit him, playfully or not. If he could avoid it, he always did. Even a common physical touch was usually initiated first by Luffy himself. The fact that the slap didn't miss meant only one thing – the young captain let Nami strike him deliberately.

Now he was looking at her with that sincere tenderness in his expression, still waiting.

"Get off of this island," Nami forced the words out of her, but it was delivered without any kind of heat behind them. "I don't want to see you again. Farewell." Her voice wavered at the end, and in that moment a pang of grief crossed her face. The navigator spun on her heel and dashed away before anyone could stall her again.

"Nami, wait–!" Nojiko rushed forward just to stagger as the pain unexpectedly shot through her injuries, making her dizzy. "Urgh…"

Sanji was at her side to aid her in a blink of an eye. "Are you alright, miss?" he inquired softly, helping the woman to stand straight.

"Yeah, thanks." Nojiko smiled weakly at him, then she glanced where her sister disappeared and cursed. "That damn girl… She'll get herself killed!"

"Uh… What the heck is going on here?" Usopp asked. "Nami… She's… Argh! I'm so confused!"

"First, I'd like to know who you all are," Nojiko stated. "Depending on your answer, I might tell you."

Luffy finally tore his eyes from the road and faced the mikan grower. "We're Nami's nakama."

It was such a simple words, but they were delivered with so much conviction behind them, and after witnessing her sister's interaction with these guys, Nojiko saw no reason not to believe this straw-hatted stranger. A genuine smile slipped on her lips. "Alright, then, I guess I can tell you," she decided. "But promise me that after you'll know everything, you're gonna take Nami and immediately flee this place."

Luffy frowned. "I'm not interested," he said, turning to walk away. "If Nami wants me to know her past, she can tell it herself."

"Are you sure?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah. The past doesn't matter on my ship," Luffy informed before sitting down with his back against the tree, way out of earshot.

The woman stared. "What's up with him?"

"Don't mind him. That's just the kind of guy he is," Zoro commented as he too got comfortable sitting on the ground. "But we'll listen to what you have to say."

Nojiko blinked at the strange swordsman who promptly fell asleep after his last word.

"Don't just fall asleep as soon as you say that!" Usopp screeched before huffing. "Well, I, for one, will listen to understand what's going on here."

"Me too!" Sanji exclaimed.

"And us too!" Johnny and Yosaku piped in together.

Nojiko chuckled. "What a strange bunch you found this time, Nami…" she muttered to herself. "Alright, I'll try to be quick with this story…"

Nami skidded to a halt in front of the Arlong Park's land gate, pushing any thoughts about Luffy and the others out of her mind. "ARLONG!" she hollered in pure rage as soon as she stomped inside.

The fishmen fell silent, gawking at her curiously.

"What's wrong, my talented little cartographer?" Arlong inquired smoothly from his throne. "Why the sour face already? I haven't killed anyone yet. Shahahaha!"

"It was your pet Marines you keep on the payroll who stole my money!" Nami shouted, coming right up to him and grabbing him by his shirt, trying to shake the fishman. "It was your doing! What's the meaning of this?! Didn't you say you'd rather die than break a promise involving money?!"

"Hm? When did I ever break my promise?"

"Don't play dumb with me–!"

Suddenly, Arlong pushed her off of him. Just a twist of his arm, but it was enough to send the small girl flying a few feet away. As Nami crashed onto the ground with a painful cry, the whole fishmen crew erupted into laughter with an exception of Hachi who reverted his eyes.

"Don't forget your place, Nami," Arlong said, standing up. "Even if you're part of this crew, you're still only a lowly human, although a useful and a talented one. Now," he cracked his neck and grinned, revealing all his sharp teeth, "I think I have some business to attend to in the Cocoyashi Village. Shahahaha!"

Nami pushed herself from the ground into sitting position.

"No need to go to the village, Arlong. We're all here."

Nami's heart almost stopped at hearing Genzo's calm voice. She whipped her head up. Everyone was really here, glaring at the fishmen and holding various housekeeping equipment as their only weapons.

"Wha… What are you all doing here?!"

"We'd hoped that Nojiko would stop you from coming," Genzo shook his head. "That's why we took another route here."

"Shahahaha! Coming themselves? Such brave rebels!" Arlong mocked. "Welcome! Welcome!"

"We're not afraid to die!"

"Time to show you what we're made off!"

"We're ready to fight you!"

"What a joke," The fishman captain sneered down at them. "Humans thinking that they can defeat me?" He stepped towards the crowd. "I'll show you how to bare your teeth against your master!"

"NO!" Nami jumped to her feet, pulling out her Bo staff from where she kept it hidden and taking a defensive stance between the villagers and the fishmen. "I'll not allow you to kill them!"

Arlong cocked his head up and roared with laughter. "Ah, this is too precious!" he exclaimed. A split second later he was already towering over the thief, his teeth shining brilliantly as he bit down on her staff. The wood shattered, and Arlong spat the pieces out, staring down at Nami in absolute disdain. When those brown orbs lit up with a spark of defiance, he backhanded her across her face, flinging her to the side.

"Nami!"

"Na-chan!"

Arlong waved his hand, signaling the others to take care of the villagers. "Nami, Nami, Nami," he intoned with a sly smirk as he approached the dazed navigator. "And what should I do with you?"

Nami tried to still the trembling, but her body didn't listen. A nasty looking bruise on her face was already started to form and a split lip stung. If it didn't hurt so much, the thief might have even laughed from the irony of getting the same treatment as she gave Luffy.

"If you ask nicely I might let you go, you know?"

Not wanting to show her fear, Nami glared at her tormentor, pouring all her hatred and loathing into it.

Arlong scowled, not liking that look at all. "Tsk-tsk-tsk, that won't do at all." His mouth stretched into a crooked smile. "I spoiled you too much for your own good. Maybe I should break your hands?" His smile widened into a predatory grin when the girl's face paled from fear. "Nah! You need your hands to draw my maps. Your legs, however…" Arlong lifted one of his own legs, ready to strike, his eyes sparkling with amused cruelty. "THOSE CAN GO!"

"Ever since that day eight years ago, that girl decided not to show her tears to anyone and never ask for help," Nojiko told the pirates. "All because she doesn't want to see anyone to be killed by Arlong, just like our mother was…"

Sanji puffed out a cloud of smoke, silently observing it dispersing in the air. "That explains a lot," he said, dropping a finished cigarette on the ground and grinding it with his foot.

"It sure does…" Usopp muttered, scowling in thought. "In order to save her village, she forced herself to join the very pirates who killed her mother…"

"Waaaaaaaaah…!" wailed the bounty hunter duo. "It's such a heartbreaking story! Nami-anekiiiiii!"

Nojiko heaved a sigh, glancing at the only guy who refused to listen to Nami's story.

A pinch between Luffy's eyebrows at that moment twisted into a deep frown and then into a snarl. His eyes shot open and he leaped from the ground, glaring at the direction where Nami rushed off. A moment later, he visibly relaxed. "That pisses me off so much!" he suddenly yelled, startling the mikan grower. "Guys, we're going!"

"Roger!" everyone responded in unison.

Nojiko could only stare in amazement as boys quickly followed after the smallest of them all. Even the sleeping swordsman was up and about. And only then she realized that she never asked who exactly they were. Not that it really mattered. As long as they were on Nami's side, Nojiko knew that her sister would never be alone ever again.

"THOSE CAN GO!"

A terrified scream left Nami's throat as Arlong began to lower his foot. She shut her eyes, scrambling backwards, trying to escape the oncoming torture. Once the first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream, all the stress, fear, and pain catching up to her in this agonizingly long moment as she waited for Arlong to crush her legs.

But nothing had happened.

A sound of flesh hitting flesh reached her ears, and Nami reluctantly opened her eyes. She blinked in surprise at the sight of Hachi standing between her and Arlong. The latter rubbed his cheek and glowered at the octopus fishman.

"What is the meaning of this, Hachi?" the shark growled. "Have you lost your mind? Protecting a human?! Going against me?!"

"I have nothing but respect for you, Arlong. But…" Hatchan trailed off, all six hands balling into tight fists. "But someone made me remember boss Ti and his last words, his dying wish… What we're doing here goes against everything boss Ti was fighting for!"

"Boss Ti was killed by humans!" Arlong roared. "Did you already forget?!"

"Of course not! And I would never forgive those who killed him!" Hachi yelled back. "But… our actions only make humans hate us more–"

"You always were a human sympathizer," Kuroobi interrupted him with a disappointed head shake.

Chew also added his two cents, "And never committed to our goals fully, chu."

"Humans who aren't scared of us, don't hate or scorn us, that's what boss Ti wanted to achieve!" Hachi insisted. "Even Tooki changed his mind and died protecting a human!"

"Tooki?" Arlong echoed in disbelief, before bellowing with laughter. "Shahahaha! Nonsense! Tooki hated humans even more than I do! Now I see that you totally lost your mind. Kuroobi! Chew!"

The other two fishmen officers suddenly sprang into action, assaulting Hachi from both sides.

Nami sniffled, vainly trying to stop her tears. While Hachi never was as bad as the rest of them, he never went out of his way to help her either. She felt extremely confused about his sudden decision to protect her.

"Na-chan, run!"

A cry jolted her out of her musings. The villagers were still holding their own against the fishmen which was quite surprising, but several of them were already lying on the ground in red pools.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Arlong sneered, launching himself towards her.

Nami stumbled to her feet, her flight or fight instinct kicking in. But she was too slow. Arlong was upon her in an instant, seething with rage, ready to rip her apart… only to be stopped by his own crewmember again.

"Hachi…" Nami whispered between sobs.

"Run, Nami! I can't hold him for long!" the octopus yelled as he wrestled with his captain. "Find your friends and… Ugh!"

"Friends…?" A grinning face under the straw hat popped into her mind, and the thief raced out of the Arlong Park without a second glance back.

"If you run away, I'll kill them all!" Arlong shouted after her, but the girl didn't stop. "I'll find you, Nami! You can never escape me! Remember that!"

Nami wasn't listening, the only thought circling in her mind - to find Luffy. He was the only hope she had left now. Maybe he was still on this island. Maybe he would agree to help her, even after everything she said and done. She could only hope that he would.

Luffy noticed Nami approaching way before she actually came into view. Her presence felt almost unrecognizable, but at the same time, he was intimately familiar with that kind of despair. There were only a few people who didn't feel like that in that place.

This whole matter reeked of the same stench, and Luffy felt the stability of his psyche slipping. The dark side of him that he usually kept under tight control surfaced, and he didn't – couldn't – chose not to suppress it this time. It helped him to survive the hell before, after all.

Zoro stopped and made the others do the same while Luffy walked forward to meet their distressed navigator.

"Nami!" Nojiko exclaimed, but a hand on her shoulder held her in place. Sanji shook his head when she looked at him.

"Luffy!" Nami came to a halt in front of the straw-hatted pirate, his eyes narrowing at the bruise on her face, something dark flashing through them. "Luffy, I… I-I need help…" she stuttered out, collapsing onto the ground as her legs gave in, sobs shaking her entire body. "Please… I beg you…" a plea escaped her, causing Luffy to reel away from surprise. "Please, help me… I beg–"

"Nami, stop! Stop!"

Nami fell silent. Her trembling hand covered her mouth as she attempted to rein her emotions in. If Luffy would refuse, there would be nothing she could do. Everyone would die. Everything would be lost. Her hand drifted to her left shoulder, nails digging deep into the flesh, and she dragged her fingers across the tattoo, leaving bleeding scratches behind.

Luffy crouched down, so that they could be at the same eye level. "Nami, I've already told you. If you need help, you can just ask me. There's no need to beg." He smiled a small, benign smile. "We're nakama." A calloused palm gently pried her hand from her shoulder and then carefully covered the tattoo, soothing fresh wounds with its warmth.

"Th-They're gonna die… I-I tried to save them… but the money got stolen…" Nami rambled. "A-Arlong lied… H-H-He never intended to let me go… And now Hachi protected me… Luffy… I don't know what to do…"

"You want Arlong gone?"

The thief looked up into those black orbs. "Y-Yeah…" she choked out, all of her eight years long pain and torment crammed into that one word.

"That's all I need to know," Luffy stated, standing up. He reached for his straw hat and jammed it onto his navigator's head.

Nami froze, then slowly, gingerly touched her captain's treasured hat.

"Don't touch my hat."

"This hat is my treasure."

"It's… very important to me."

"Luffy…" Nami whispered. She wanted to lift her head to look at him, but Luffy pushed his straw hat down on her eyes.

"Keep my hat safe for me, alright?"

The navigator nodded, her fingers curling tightly around the hat's rim, clinging to it fiercely like her life depended on it.

Behind the two, Zoro tied his black bandana around his head and gripped his katana's handle in a death grip. Sanji loosened up his tie and poked the ground with his shoe, making sure that it didn't come loose. Usopp lowered his goggles over his eyes and checked his slingshot and its ammunition.

Without any verbal command, all three fell into step with their captain. Johnny and Yosaku silently trailed after them, feeling a bit out of place, like they were intruding into something they shouldn't.

Nojiko came closer then and hugged her sister, watching backs of those four brave people, as Nami cried into her shoulder.

Arlong glowered at his bruised and bloody crewmember, hanging limply in Kuroobi's and Chew's arms. By now, the humans were subdued; though many were still alive, they were beaten enough that they couldn't pose a threat.

"Have you learned your lesson, Hachi?" the captain asked.

"I stand by my words..."

"So stupid…" Arlong muttered. "You do understand that I'm gonna catch Nami again, right? She can't escape me, ever. And this time, I'm gonna lock her up in her room for good."

"Nyu… Boss Ti would be disgusted if he'd see us now."

The captain gritted his teeth in frustration. "It's your last chance to come to your senses!" Hachi didn't speak again, only raising his head to give a defiant glare. "Fine!" Arlong snapped. "Fine. As you wish." He winded his arm for a finishing blow…

…but it never reached its intended target. There was a gust of wind, and all of a sudden a human boy was standing in front of him.

It took a moment for Arlong to realize that this tiny black-haired brat caught his punch seemingly with ease and now leveled a bloodcurdling glare at him.

A cry of pain startled the shark-fishman. He quickly glanced up, just to see Kuroobi flying into the water as a young blond man in black landed in his place and took a deep drag of his cigarette.

Chew let Hachi go, and the latter crumpled to the ground. "Oh, you hum–" the long-lipped fishman didn't have a chance to finish, because a several accurate explosive projectiles hit him, causing him to stumble backwards.

"Take that, bastard!" the long-nosed human teen shouted from the side, aiming another shot a bit more carefully.

This time it collided straight with the fishman's mug. As it exploded, Chew fell down screaming and clutching his bleeding face.

"Tatsumaki!"

Arlong looked behind. A shrieking tornado was flinging his crewmembers to the sides and they crashed down with cut marks all over their body. The villagers who were still conscious gaped at the abrupt appearance of a green-haired swordsman with a katana in his mouth and another two swords with flat tips in his both hands.

"Tch, weaklings…" the stranger muttered disappointed.

"You must be Arlong," the tiny brat in front of him said, drawing the shark's attention back to him, his voice creepily void of any emotions.

"That would be me!" the fishman captain confirmed, baring his teeth in anger. "And who might y–"

"Good. Just a person I've wanted to see," the kid interrupted. His mouth slowly, almost lazily, stretched into a sharp, evil grin. "Name's Monkey D. Luffy." The look in his eyes was dark, almost demonic in its nature, bordering on the edges of insanity.

For the first time since he left the Grand Line, Arlong felt a slight feeling of fear. His whole being was alarmed and strung-up, instincts screaming at him not to mess with this kid. A kid! A human kid! How could that be that he was afraid of a human kid! That was simply impossible! Impossible! IMPOSS–

A punch to his gut snapped Arlong out of his daze. His breath left his body in an explosive, painful gasp, and he coughed blood. Before he could retaliate, another punch landed onto the side of his face, the force behind it knocking him right off his feet and hurling him directly into the Arlong Park's building. Part of its wall collapsed as he crashed through it.

Luffy cracked his knuckles, ignoring the blood dripping through his fingers, still grinning in that half-crazy, half-amused manner. "And I'm gonna rip your heart out."

Next Chapter: Payment in Blood

Chapter Text

A punch to his gut snapped Arlong out of his daze. His breath left his body in an explosive, painful gasp, and he coughed blood. Before he could retaliate, another punch landed onto the side of his face, the force behind it knocking him right off his feet and hurling him directly into the Arlong Park building. Part of its wall collapsed as he crashed through it.

Luffy cracked his knuckles, ignoring the blood dripping through his fingers, still grinning in that half crazy, half amused manner. "And I'm gonna rip your heart out."

A silence that followed his words was deafening. Villagers were too shocked at a sudden appearance of unexpected saviors, and fishmen equality astonished by the easiness the said saviors dispatched their leader and officers.

"You bastard!" one of the fishmen yelled in fury, drawing out a sword. "How dare you hit Arlong-san!"

A few of his crewmates followed his lead and also launched themselves on the black-haired teen, their teeth bared and weapons shimmering under the sun.

The young captain didn't even spare them a glance, his eyes boring into the spot where Arlong laid, hidden under the debris.

"Luffy, watch out!" Usopp shouted in alarm while Zoro and Sanji cursed and got ready to move in.

The blade was only inches away from Luffy's bandana-covered neck when it happened. One second he was there, the next, he was gone. A gust of wind swept up a dust from the ground, scattering it harmfully around the attacking fishmen. And then, they were all blown into different direction, some crash-landing into the water, others smashing into the building or surrounding stone fence.

Usopp eeped when one of the bodies whizzed past him. He turned just in time to see it cleaning up a hostile pirate who tried to sneak up on him. "Whoaaaa…" he breathed out, wiping a sweat from his brow, his eyes still impossibly wide. "That was too close." He looked back to where his captain appeared in his previous spot as if nothing had happened at all.

Zoro smirked, dropping his katana from his mouth into his hand. He knew his chosen captain was strong, but his prowess still impressed him every time. And, damn. It seemed that he would finally see Luffy getting real serious in the fight. An excitement bubbled in his chest as he watched the boy raising a questioning eyebrow at the fishmen, taunting them wordlessly.

"Shitty captain…" Sanji mumbled under his breath. "I worry only about ladies!" he exclaimed more to himself than anyone else. He frowned at the still smoldering cigarette on the ground. His hand absentmindedly reached inside his suit and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, taking and lighting a new one. He blew out a cloud of smoke, observing some of the pirates actually taking a step back from his captain when the latter smiled darkly.

"You cheated, humans!" someone screamed.

"They didn't see you coming!"

"That's right!" another voice agreed. "They weren't prepared!"

"Just wait till they retaliate!"

"Despicable humans!"

Luffy chuckled. It was a quiet and soft laugh, but somehow it got carried through the whole Arlong Park, successfully shutting the enemy crew. "We're pirates, you idiots," the rubber boy said, his tone full of mirth. "We aren't compelled to play by the rules if we don't want to."

A splash of water perturbed the newly set silence when Kuroobi pulled himself out of the water, sneering hatefully at his blond assailant. Chew also staggered to his feet, his baleful gaze fixed on Usopp.

"Straw Hat…"

Luffy shot a glance over his shoulder at Hachi, just a brief turn of his head, before he was staring at the rubble again. "Johnny, Yosaku," he called out.

The bounty hunter duo flinched in surprise, still stunned by the young captain's show of power. "Y-Yes, Luffy-aniki?" they both said in unison.

"Take care of Hachi."

"Of course," Yosaku replied as they rushed forward, giving Chew a wide berth. With a united effort, they managed to lift the injured octopus fishman up and slowly dragged him towards villagers. The moment they passed Zoro, bounty hunters let out a relieved sigh, even though no one actually moved to intercept them.

The rubble of the broken wall moved, and Arlong sat up in the middle of it, glaring at Luffy. He licked his lips and then spat bloody saliva, wiping the hand across his mouth. "A pirate, you say," he said, his voice dangerously low. He smiled, revealing the rows of razor-sharp teeth. "What can an inferior being like you possibly do? Without a surprise attacks you all just lowly helpless humans! Shahahaha!"

Luffy stared at him unimpressed. "I was wondering why Tooki never mentioned you when he told me stories about the Sun Pirates. Now I understand," he noted dryly. "He said that there were a few scumbags in the crew who weren't worth mentioning."

Arlong growled as he slowly climbed to his feet, his narrowed eyes glued to the teen who evenly met his predatory gaze. "Tooki was a traitor if he told a puny human about our crew!" he spat out scornfully.

In an instant, Luffy's face blanked out. "That is not very nice of you," he said, his voice emotionless. "Tooki was my friend. He saved my life in more ways than one. I won't allow you to speak of him like that."

It was feeding time.

Luffy could hear the increasing bustle coming from the direction of the front cells: the shuffling of feeders, their taunting words and bursts of cruel laughs, the desperate begging of the starving people and quiet sobs of those who were denied the food for an amusement of their tormentors.

Luffy tightened his arms around his legs. Such a brief movement strained his skin and muscles, and he winced as the pain like fire spread across his shoulder. Devastating dizziness instantly engulfed him, sapping the leftover strength with lightning speed. Luffy screwed up his eyes and rested his forehead on his knees, fighting bile inside his throat that suddenly threatened to choke him.

Feeders were finally in front of his cell, but the boy ignored them. "Hey, hey," the man who held a bag with bread in his hands elbowed the second one. When he got his co-workers attention, the feeder grinned and motioned towards Luffy. "This is the brat I told you about."

"The one who ran away and got caught a few days ago?"

"Yeah," the man chuckled. "Little fool thought that Marines would help him. Like they would ever help these animals."

Luffy tightened his hold on his legs again, this time deliberately triggering the pain so that his mind would have something else to occupy itself instead of focusing on mocking laughter. Tears stung his eyes, but the boy refused to let them fall. He cried enough already.

Ace and Sabo always said that he was a crybaby, and Ace even told him that he hated crybabies. If Luffy managed to change himself, to become stronger and stop crying, maybe, just maybe, his brothers would come to take him away from this awful place, rescue him from this never-ending torture like they did when he was captured and beaten by Porchemy.

"Hey, brat!" the feeder with the bag called. "Are you hungry?"

Fingers of the boy's bare feet curled under, the only indication that he heard the question.

Luffy knew this game. If he said that he was indeed hungry, feeders would laugh and deny him food simply for their own amusement. If he lied and said that he wasn't hungry, they would laugh and still leave him without food. As he learned so far, the best choice was to stay silent with his head down and pray that these men would take pity on him. But Luffy was exhausted and feverish, so he did the only thing that he could at the moment: he lifted his head just enough to peer at the bastards, his onyx black eyes ablaze with overwhelming hatred, seemingly containing enough heat to melt down the iron bars separating him and the two slavers.

The little boy's open defiance startled the feeders. They gawked in surprise before the first one suddenly spat at him through the bars. "No food for you today, slave!" he stated coldly and after a moment muttered in disdain, "Tch, what a freak… Almost two years here and he still can glare like that."

"I don't understand," the second feeder complained as they turned to continue their work. "Why doesn't Saint Kenjord just kill this slave? I thought all runaways ended up in The Red Room permanently."

"Because this slave is his favorite," his partner replied with a snort as he pulled out a loaf from the bag and chugged it into the cell next to Luffy's. "But he was punished. The boss even left a sea stone bullet in his shoulder. Do you know how painful it is for a Devil Fruit user? It's like an agonizingly slow lethal poison." The man grinned widely, shooting a glance at the boy, before shrugging. "The master always orders to pull it out before he dies, though."

"Is he any good in the arena?"

"Ha! You really are a newbie! He could break your bones just like that," the feeder said while snapping his fingers.

"Pff, right."

"I'm serious! You should see him in the arena. His devil fruit is so much fun to watch! Not like those Logias, Paramecias are all about getting close and personal. He's a monster, I tell you."

They moved further along the rows of cells as they talked and soon was out of hearing range. Luffy went back to his former position with his hot forehead resting on his knees. He stayed like that even when feeders returned after making their rounds. They strolled past all the caged people, chatting happily until exiting through the door. Silence consumed the slave pens again.

"Two years here and you're still fighting against them."

A deep, quiet voice on his left made Luffy look at the speaker. His tired eyes met curious, yellow ones, gazing at him as if assessing him. It was one of those strange humans with different colored skin and additional parts on their bodies. This one had green skin, a crooked fin on his back, and there were some teeth protruding from his thick blue lips.

Luffy sometimes saw this kind of humans in this place, but never spoke with them. Not many people in cells spoke with each other here. Everyone knew that they could be pitted against anyone here in the deathmatch, and no one was eager to kill their friend or be killed because of them. So nobody tried to make friends in this place. It was easier. The survival took a priority.

But Luffy was always prone to making new friends, and he had been starving for any kind of friendly socialization. That's why he actually responded to the strange man's words. "I won't be a crybaby anymore," the boy declared, his voice just above a whisper. "Then my brothers will come for me."

The man's expression softened. "I'm sure they would come for you right now if they could, kid."

Luffy didn't reply, lowering his head back on his knees. A silence settled between them, broken only by a quiet wailing somewhere in the front cells. After a few moments, a hushed "I won't die here," left the boy's mouth. "I won't die until I reached my dream," he repeated a bit louder.

The man raised his eyebrow. "And what's your dream?"

"Become the freest person in the world." Luffy glanced at him again. "Become the Pirate King."

The words were delivered with so much conviction behind them that it left the stranger stunned. "Pehehehehe!" he suddenly bellowed with laughter, and it sounded very unbefitting and out of place in this gloomy atmosphere. "You're a strange little human, aren't you? What's your name?"

"Luffy."

"I'm Tooki. Nice to meetcha, kid." He grinned brightly before sticking his hand through the bars that separated their cells and carefully throwing the loaf of bread to the spot in the boy's reach. "There, you can have it."

Luffy stared at the bread with wide eyes. "But… this is yours."

Tooki just waved his concern off. "You need it more than I do. I still have some fat on my bones," he joked as he patted his belly. When the boy still didn't move to take it, he gently insisted, "Just eat."

"Thank you," Luffy whispered as he delicately picked up the loaf with his uninjured arm, his motion full of reverence. He already learned that if he devoured the food like he was used to back home, it would make him sick. So, he started to slowly nibble at the corner. "You're a strange human, too," he said softly.

That comment elicited another bout of laughter from the green-skinned person. "That's because I'm not human."

Luffy blinked in confusion. "Not human?"

"I'm a fishman, kid. We're a species that inhabit the seas."

Luffy's eyes widened in wonder. "You live in the sea? Can you swim?"

Tooki chuckled. "Of course. With these," he pointed at gills between his shoulder and neck, "I can even breathe underwater."

The boy's mouth formed 'O' as he gawked at the fishman practically with stars shooting out of his eyes. "That's so cool!" he exclaimed joyfully and instantly winced as the intense pain burned his shoulder. Luffy closed his eyes and bit his lip, willing the agony away, but it took a couple of minutes for it to subside.

Tooki was observing him with a worried crease in his brow. "How are you feeling, kid?"

A tiny smile appeared on Luffy's lips. "I'm okay," he assured, and the fishman sighed. The boy nibbled at the bread as he gazed at his new friend's face intently. "You feel more human than those who keep us here," he deadpanned abruptly.

Tooki's head snapped to look at Luffy so fast that it made him dizzy. He scrutinized the kid for a while, trying to determine his intent, but the young face in front of him was open and sincere. "You remind me of Koala, the girl my pirate crew helped to bring back home."

Luffy's eyes grew wide as plates. "You're a pirate?!"

"I am. Want to hear some stories?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright." The sunny grin brightened the boy's features, and Tooki couldn't help but smile too. "I will tell you about my amazing friend and captain of the Sun Pirates, Fisher Tiger. Listen carefully, because this story is not known to many…"

Nami and Nojiko sneaked into the Arlong Park the same moment Johnny and Yosaku brought Hachi to a safe place. Cocoyashi's resident doctor offered to check his injuries because everyone felt grateful to the octopus fishman. Without him, Nami would have been hurt more than she was, she wouldn't have been able to run away and call for help.

Nobody recognized the youths who were now confronting the Arlong Pirates. Even though their unexpected saviors turned out to be pirates themselves, the two sisters' insistence that they were here to help them was the only assurance they needed to accept them.

Nami was chewing nervously on her lower lip as she observed the conversation between Luffy and Arlong, waiting for a conclusion of it like everyone else. One of her hands was still gripping Luffy's straw hat, partially to hold it in place, partially to ground and assure herself. Luffy was strong, she repeated again and again in her mind, stomping on any feeling of doubt that reared its ugly head.

"That is not very nice of you. Tooki was my friend. He saved my life in more ways than one. I won't allow you to speak of him like that."

"Your friend?" Arlong asked, pulling his lips into a sneer. "Just how low Tooki had fallen to be friends with a maggot like you? Pathetic!"

Luffy's left eye twitched, the only reaction to the insults. He didn't move, didn't say anything for one long moment. "You took over this island, forced people into submission, marked a person like your property, pretending to be some kind of god…" he listed in a calm, measured voice.

Nami's heart skipped a beat at her captain's words and she blinked rapidly to clear her eyes from tears that started to gather anew.

"Just like those bastards." The last word was said with so much venom that even Arlong was taken aback. After a short pause, Luffy continued, "You're everything your captain fought against."

"You know nothing about my captain!" Arlong snarled in fury, his body trembling in animalistic, unrelenting, inhuman anger. "I AM the god to you, lowly human!"

"God, huh?"

The navigator involuntarily shuddered at the sound of Luffy's chuckle. It sounded wrong, warped somehow. Dark and hollow.

"Well, good thing I'm a D then," the boy informed as he allowed his lips stretch into a macabre parody of his usual grin.

Fear crept up into Nami like thousands of insects, crawling just under her skin. That was not Luffy he came to know and trust. She could think up only one word that described the vibe she was now getting from the normally warm and caring boy.

Insane.

Nami shrunk into herself, eyes screwed shut, panic spreading throughout her mind like wildfire. The second hand shot up, grabbing the straw hat, and she tugged it down, trying to hide from the scary image before her.

"Enough of your nonsense!" Arlong roared, propelling himself at the black-haired teen with his arm drawn back. "I'M GONNA ENJOY KILLING YOU!"

Luffy met his full-powered punch with a punch of his own. Time seemed to stop for a second before restarting with a devastating shockwave from where their fists collided. Both opponents were blown away by its force. Arlong crashed back into the rubble he just climbed out. Luffy flew through the air, but quickly righted himself and landed gracefully on his feet, skidding backward and stopping just barely at the edge of the pool.

Their clash functioned as the sign to start, and suddenly everyone lunged on their targets with adrenaline induced vigor. Kuroobi against Sanji, Chew against Usopp, and the rest of the crew against Zoro…

"Oi, are you serious?" Zoro complained in annoyance as he sidestepped the clumsy attack and stuck his feet to trip one of the goons. The latter flattened on the ground with a yelp, and the swordsman kicked him right in the teeth. "Why is it me who needs to deal with these weaklings?!"

"Waaaaah!"

Screaming his lungs out, Usopp zipped past Zoro and through the gates, the long-lipped fishman hot on his heels. The green-haired man flashed a grin at the opportunity and stepped forward, blocking the pursuer's way with a raised sword. "I'll play with you," he said as the fishman halted.

Chew scowled. "I don't really care who the first one to die is."

Zoro drew his katana and bit it, readying himself for a fight. Then a rotten egg splashed at the fishman's mug and both of them froze. The swordsman blinked in surprise.

"Mwahahah!" Usopp cackled, standing at the safe distance with his slingshot in his hand. "Welcome to the Crap Café! Today's special is fish with eggs!"

"That's my line, Usopp! How do you even—? Patty," Sanji realized with a grumble.

Chew glared at the sniper. "If you wanna die so badly, I'll kill you first!" he yelled furiously, dodging around Zoro and sprinting after Usopp.

"Gyaaaah!" the liar shrieked, turning to run away again. "Zorooooooo, save me!"

"You idiot!" the swordsman cursed. "Johnny! Yosaku!"

The bounty hunters sprung to their feet without a second thought. "Aniki?"

"Protect Nami and these people!" Zoro ordered as he threw the duo's swords back to them, then dashed after the target he had his sight on. "Usopp, stop running or I'm gonna kill you myself!"

"Get back here, you long-nose!"

Usopp's speed doubled. "I'm doooooomed! They're gonna kill meeee! Waaaaaah!"

The villagers stared dumbly after the three figures until they disappeared over the horizon.

"What was that?"

"Dunno."

"Are these kids really pirates?"

"Now is not the time to gawk uselessly!" Genzo reprimanded them sternly. "We need to protect ourselves and keep the pirates away from the injured ones!"

"Yeah!" the crowd cried out, gripping their makeshift weapons more tightly and facing the Arlong pirates with determination plastered on each of their faces.

"I'm…" Hachi staggered to his feet. "I'm gonna help too."

"Whoa, Octopus-aniki, you're hurt!" Johnny yelled in alarm.

Yosaku eyed the approaching fishmen forces with a concerned scowl. There was so many of them! Suddenly, he noticed Nami standing all alone with the straw hat over her eyes, not paying attention to her surroundings. A pirate strode towards her. "Nami-aneki! Watch out!" the hunter screamed.

The navigator lifted her head and met the malicious eyes of the fishman. She didn't even have time to react to his presence; grinning evilly, the pirate winded his arm to hit her.

"Nami-san!" Sanji exclaimed but before he could move to help, the punch in his gut flung him across the Arlong Park and through its fence where he skidded on the ground, stopping sprawled in the dust.

Nami gasped, slamming her eyes shut, waiting for a pain to come. It never did.

She peeked over the hat's brim and her eyes widened as all she saw was a red shirt and black disheveled mop, standing protectively in front of her. Nami's attacker was nowhere to be seen.

"Shahahaha!" Arlong laughed. "Allowing yourself to get injured just to save another human! How useless!"

Nami's gaze snapped back to Luffy and she immediately understood what Arlong meant.

The young captain yanked the set of shark's teeth from his shoulder and tossed it aside. The blood splattered from the rows of deep puncture wounds, flowing along his arm and dripping down from his fingers on the ground. Luffy didn't seem to be bothered by it as he glared at Arlong with the stony face.

"Luffy…" Nami whispered.

The boy looked at her and a gentle smile curled on his lips. It took her breath away. That was Luffy she knew. The same person who was shining brightly like a sun in the endless darkness with its alluring light attracting everyone into its gravity field. And Nami wholeheartedly wanted to stay there, to be one of the stars that circled that sun, basking in its brilliant warmth and protective ferocity.

The navigator couldn't even recall why she got scared of her captain. It didn't matter that he was scary sometimes, didn't matter that he was able to kill, didn't matter that he had more demons haunting him than all of them added together. Nami was absolutely certain that Luffy would never hurt her or any of his nakama, that his insane rage was always pointed at the enemy who deserved it and never at innocent people.

"You're nakama, Nami," he said firmly. And that was that. Luffy always delivered such words with finality that only he could pull.

There was a lump in her throat and the navigator simply nodded, unable to speak.

Satisfied, Luffy returned his attention on Arlong.

"Did you finish say your goodbyes?" the fishman captain asked with a mocking smile. "Because you all will die today, but I won't kill Nami. No, she still needs to draw my maps."

Without wasting time for a retort, Luffy raced forward with his arm stretching behind him. In a red blur, he was instantly in front of his opponent, too fast for him to react. The punch hit unprepared Arlong's stomach and sent the fishman flying into the building once again. Luffy smirked.

Meanwhile, his first crewmate reappeared at the entrance of Arlong Park.

"The heck? Why I am back here?" Zoro muttered angrily. "Damn! Usopp just had to go and get lost."

"Zoro-anikiiii!" Johnny and Yosaku wailed as they tried to push several fishmen away from the injured villagers. "Help!"

Zoro growled. In seconds, he was in front of his friends, snarling at their pursuers.

"Piss off!" he snapped. The fishmen recoiled from the pure wrath, oozing out of the green-haired man. Before they could consider attacking him instead, a flurry of Zoro's attacks pushed them all away as though they were mere dolls.

With a beastly gleam in his eyes, Zoro glanced left, then right. "Shit!" he cursed, punching the closest fishman out of pure irritation. Arlong was Luffy's, the cook was engaged the guy with strange elbows, and Usopp had to go and get lost with the last decent fighter from this crew. Well, he wasn't worried about the long-nosed liar; Usopp could take care of himself. But now he didn't have anyone worthy to fight.

Zoro glared at all the small fries, causing them to shrink away.

Ah, he was so frustrated. And the best way to let his pent-up frustration was to kick someone's ass. So, that's what Zoro did. There were lots of asses around just waiting to be kicked.

One minute later, the swordsman was gazing at all the sprawled bodies around him, his posture screaming boredom.

Nami tentatively sidled to him. "Thanks, Zoro, for your help protecting the villagers."

Zoro looked at her, and she forced herself to show a strained, small smile. Her eyes were red and puffy, the bruise on the side of her face already fully formed, and she seemed thoroughly exhausted, one hand holding onto Luffy's straw hat like a lifeline. "No problem," the swordsman replied. "We're pirates, but not the kind that they are."

Nami's smile became more genuine. "Yeah."

Zoro grinned ruggedly back. Then they both gave their attention to the ongoing battle.

It seemed that Luffy was entertaining himself by throwing Arlong to his own home again and again. Walls of the ground floor were riddled with gaping holes, covered by rubble and debris, the left side of it lay completely in ruins. It was a miracle that building itself still stood.

Luffy stared at one of the newest holes, a wide, sly grin plastered on his face. He paid no mind to the ray fishman who appeared behind him with his arm drawn back for a punch.

"Luffy-aniki, behind you!" Yosaku yelled.

The rubber captain didn't even twitch at the warning, because his cook was suddenly there, his leg burying itself into the side of Kuroobi and hurling him across the yard and into the fence.

Sanji lit a new cigarette and took a deep drag, slowly puffing out the smoke. Then he pointed at the fishman who crawled out of the rubble. "Just returning the favor, fish-sticks."

"I like that name!" Luffy chirped cheerfully.

"I like it too!"

Everyone turned to look at the new voice. Usopp was standing at the hole in the fence made by Sanji with his thumb up.

"Usopp!" Nami called happily.

"Did you finish that fishman?" Zoro asked.

The sniper beamed, puffing his chest. "Of course, I did! Too easy, too easy!"

"You bastards… You're just inferior animals," Arlong growled out in the darkness of the building. "You should be groveling at our feet, thankful that we allow you to exist beneath us."

Any cheerfulness that Luffy possessed vanished, being replaced by that half-crazy, half-amused expression as he cracked his knuckles. "Come on, fish-sticks," he taunted.

Sanji sniggered and launched himself on his own opponent.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Arlong roared, bursting out from the building with a gigantic, multiple-bladed sword. His eyes were strange, slit pupils burning with overwhelming fury.

"Kiribachi!" Nami gasped in horror.

Arlong swung the sword in dramatically wide swing with a loud battle cry. The heavy blade descended down and crashed into the spot where Luffy had been standing, rocks crumbling away from the force of the impact.

The shark fishman was already moving, roaring again, swinging the sword sideways at his target.

The boy leaned backward, letting the blades glide just an inch above him. He put his hands on the ground and flipped his body out of another Kiribachi's attack, instantly landing on his feet and putting some distance between him and Arlong. "It's destructive, yes, but you're too slow, too wide, too predictable," he noted flippantly. "I can see your strikes coming from a mile away."

Arlong howled in outrage, preparing another unnecessarily big swing with his sword, making himself wide open.

Luffy breathed in and closed his eyes, concentrating on that warm, pleasant, vibrant force, buried deep in his gut. It uncurled by his will, and the pirate diverted its flow into his fists. As he felt the tingling under his skin reach his fingertips, his eyes snapped open. "Gomu Gomu no…"

A punch hit Arlong straight into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"…Gatling Gun!"

Then another punch slammed into the side of his face, one more into his shoulder, hip, face, stomach, until there was no spot on his body that wasn't bruised. His nose was broken, his ribs were shattered, and he had a hard time breathing, choking on his own blood.

Arlong's mind scrambled to find a reason why there was so much power behind every strike. The kid wasn't that strong just a mere moment ago! Did it mean that he was toyed with up till now? That the brat wasn't even using his full strength in their fight until this moment?

Not letting that strange force flitter away, Luffy stopped his flurry of punches, sending his both arms far behind him as he himself moved forward. "Gomu Gomu no…" In a blink of an eye, he was inside his opponent's personal space. "…Bazooka!" His palms hit the fishman's abdomen with a force of a small meteor. Kiribachi slipped from Arlong's suddenly lax fingers before his body was launched backward and into the building again.

This time Luffy followed him in a leisure stroll. The small pebbles crunched under his sandals as he made his way inside.

Arlong flinched at that sound, terror that he had never had felt before coursing through his veins. He struggled to heave himself from the ground. One of his arms was twisted at an odd angle and didn't budge. He managed to push the other arm under him, lifting his broken body just enough so that he could flip himself and look up pleadingly at the young pirate. "No…" he wheezed out, his previously strong and mocking voice only a pathetic whisper now. "No, please, have mercy."

Luffy gazed coldly down at him. "Mercy?" he echoed. "You called yourself a god in front of me, played pretend to be one of those Celestial bastards, and forced my nakama into such despair that she begged me to help her." Luffy clenched his teeth at the last statement. "I see no reason to show you mercy."

"If… If you think that you can use that woman better than I did, you can have her. Just let–" The rest of Arlong's offer died at the back of his throat and a scream of pain ripped out of it instead when fingers suddenly dug into the flesh of his chest.

Luffy seethed with absolute, terrifying fury. He pushed his hand deeper, fingers wiggling between the fishman's ribs, and snarled, "You monsters may have put your mark on our bodies, but you've never truly owned us!"

Zoro saw the body flying towards him only a split second before it would have collided with him. He made some bizarre move back and to the side to avoid it, and Kuroobi whirred past him, crashed through the fence and disappeared into the cloud of dust.

Zoro heaved a heavy sigh of relief not to be flung out with him. "Watch where you throw them, cook!" he rounded on Sanji.

"Tch," the blond man clicked his tongue. "I missed."

"You–!"

"Aaaah! Nami-swaaaan!" the cook exclaimed, all but dancing towards the confused navigator. "I'm so happy you're alright!"

"Yeah, but…" Nami looked at the house in front of them. "Luffy still in there with Arlong."

Sanji hummed in assent, turning around to watch and wait with the rest of the restless crowd. A deathly silence enveloped them like a heavy blanket.

They heard light footsteps a moment before Luffy emerged. His eyebrows were drawn together into a frown, his dark eyes focused on the sea in front of him. A fresh blood dripped from some small object in his hand, leaving a trail of red droplets behind.

Luffy stopped at the edge of the pool, pulled his right arm back, stepped forward with his opposite leg, and suddenly threw it as far as he could into the horizon.

Usopp squinted. "What was that?"

"A heart," Zoro grunted.

"A heart?"

"Pretty sure it was Arlong's," Sanji said.

Before that had any real chance to sink in, Luffy whipped his outstretched leg around, swiping it throughout the ground floor of Arlong Park's building. It gave a moan-like creak and finally gave in: cracks run across all outer walls, the roof caved in, and the earth under it shook.

The villagers scrambled to get away, dragging the ones who couldn't move after them.

"YOU IDIOT!" Luffy's crew cried out together, helping the people to escape before the building crashed down on their heads.

As the dust settled, there was only a huge pile of rubble instead of Arlong Park.

"It had fallen…" someone whispered and another added, "Arlong's gone."

Villagers looked at each other, grins that threatened to split their faces in two blooming left and right, before they exploded in a chorus of cheers.

"WE WON!"

"ARLONG PARK HAS FALLEN!"

Next Chapter: Let the Sea Set You Free

Chapter Text

Zoro wasn't sure what exactly he felt about Luffy's fight with Arlong.

At first, he didn't even know what to think because Luffy was clearly toying with his opponent. It didn't mean that he wasn't serious; the rubber boy always took fights seriously, despite his goofy grins and heedless attitude giving evidence to the contrary. Even in their occasional spar sessions, Luffy approached training with all the intense seriousness of a seasoned combatant who went through countless death-and-life battles.

The confrontation between the fishman and his captain was strange at first. But then, there was a shift. Just a subtle change in Luffy's demeanor that caused Zoro's grip on the handle of his katana to unconsciously tighten until it threatened to shatter. A sudden surge of adrenaline pumped through his veins and overwhelming excitement made him giddy.

And then the fight ended in a matter of seconds.

Disappointment swept over Zoro from the anticlimax of it. Not disappointment in his chosen captain, no. He was dissatisfied that Arlong was beaten so quickly, that the fishman wasn't strong enough to give Luffy a real challenge, that he, Zoro, couldn't witness his captain go all out.

Villagers were cheering around him, but Zoro paid them no mind. He squinted through the dust particles still hovering in the air, searching the area for a familiar red shirt. Movement near the wall that framed the sea gate caught his attention, and Zoro turned his head just in time to see Luffy vault himself over it.

Surprised and curious, Zoro nodded dispassionately at some villagers' seemingly unending words of gratitude, slowly moving to the edge of the crowd. With a last pat on some random guy's shoulder, he finally slipped away and walked toward the spot where his captain disappeared.

Zoro climbed on a pillar to reach the top and peeked down. Luffy was squatting by the water, feverishly scrubbing his hands in it. Thinking that the boy's mystery power already informed him about his presence, the swordsman quietly heaved himself up and over the wall, landing behind his captain on the cobbled floor with a click of his boots.

Luffy was on his feet and facing him with his stance ready and arms raised for an attack so fast that for a brief moment Zoro thought that he was going to punch him.

Of course, that didn't happen. As soon as Luffy saw who it was, the tension immediately seeped out of his posture, his arms dropped with a silent sigh of relief, and he lowered himself down to the water to continue rubbing his hands raw, though they were already thoroughly clean.

Zoro observed the boy with a small frown on his face. It seemed that Luffy wasn't unaffected by his own actions – taking two lives in a row. Some part of him relaxed at that fact, knowing that he didn't conscript himself into the crew under an extremely ruthless and bloodthirsty captain who didn't have any kind of regard for human lives.

When even after a few minutes Luffy didn't stop scrubbing his hands, Zoro finally spoke up. "Luffy," he began tentatively.

"Arlong deserved to die," Luffy stated in a quiet voice, his frantic movements not stopping in the slightest. "He's like them." After a short moment, he started to mutter angrily, "…Calling themselves gods, enslaving people, branding them, using them for their own entertainment…"

The feverish muttering reached Zoro's ears, and his mind flew as it connected the pieces to what he already knew.

He's like them. Zoro's eyes flickered to the dagger that was attached to the lower part of the teen's back.

Enslaving people. 'If I ever feel my freedom threatened… I'd rather kill myself than lose it again.'

Branding them. Then to the spot where he saw that strange mark burned into his flesh.

Using them for their own entertainment. 'In death matches, every strike can kill you, and you learn to avoid it if you want to survive.'

Zoro felt his stomach churn in disgust at the picture all the clues revealed. "You aren't talking about Nami anymore, are you?" he asked softly, keeping his tone carefully steady.

Luffy instantly stiffened and his hands stilled. He didn't reply, but he didn't need to; his body language told more than enough.

The silence that hung between them was truly uncomfortable, the loud cheering in the background and splashing waves with occasional seagulls screams failing to relieve it a whit.

Zoro's mind worked a mile a minute, trying to find a way to defuse this situation, not wanting to push Luffy even further if his guess turned out to be correct—and he was sure it was. Ultimately, however, relief came from another source:

"Luffy! Zoro! What are you two doing there?!"

Nami was glowing with pure joy. She met every villager's bright grin with an equally bright smile of her own. She wanted to laugh like there was no tomorrow, and she did burst into elated laughter the moment that thought crossed her mind.

Because Nami knew that tomorrow would come now, full of hope and dreams that were waiting to be chased across the seas. She was absolutely certain of that.

Arlong was dead and he wasn't coming back. His crew lay defeated and they didn't pose any threat to Cocoyashi or its people anymore. Even if they tried, Luffy and the boys were still here.

Nami looked around. Usopp was not far from her, enthusiastically recalling his grand battle with the fishman to the eager crowd with Johnny and Yosaku in the front rows, cheering for their aniki. A small frown settled on her features when she failed to spot the others, especially Luffy. Instantly, worry pushed any other thoughts away as the thief realized that she didn't see him after Arlong Park's destruction. She quickly glanced around one more time.

This time, Nami noticed Sanji leaning against the wall that separated the inner yard and the sea. He had his head up, staring at the sky, smoldering cigarette hanging loosely between his lips.

The navigator slipped away from the crowd and walked toward him. "Sanji-kun," she called softly, not wanting to startle the man. "What are you doing here? Are you feeling okay?"

The cook flashed a quick smile. "It melts my heart that you're worried about me, but I'm fine, Nami-san."

Nami scowled skeptically at him, her eyes sweeping over his body, searching for any obvious injuries. Sanji was sent flying straight through the stone fence after all. However, he really looked fine. "Have you seen Luffy? Or Zoro, for that matter?"

The blond blew out a cloud of smoke before tipping his head toward the wall and answering, "They're on the other side."

Nami blinked. "Why?" she asked, but Sanji just shrugged. "Luffy! Zoro! What are you two doing there?!"

No reply came. Then Luffy suddenly appeared in the air, using his rubber power to spring himself over the wall. He landed a few steps away from Nami.

A moment later, Zoro's green mop also popped over the edge as he pulled himself up. He grumbled a curse under his breath when his chest wound got aggravated by that kind of activity. Ignoring a slight tinge of pain, he also jumped down.

"Oh, there you all are!" Usopp exclaimed as he joined their little group. His eyes fleetly scanned each of his nakama, gauging the mood. "What are you guys doing here?"

With his brow furrowed, Luffy also looked at each of his crewmembers. "About Arlong," he started, his gaze stopping at Nami. "I don't regret killing him. Or Krieg."

Such bold and unprompted statement brought surprise and confusion on the faces of four pirates.

"But it's still a killing," the young captain continued, his expression shifting from determined into guarded. "I guess that makes me similar to those guys…" He grimaced, clearly appalled by that idea himself. "So, I understand if you want to leav—"

"Shut up."

Nami's voice wasn't loud and no action accompanied her words, but Luffy's mouth clamped up immediately. He stared intently at the female.

The straw hat shadowed Nami's eyes, her lips were pursed, fists balled at her sides, and her whole posture screamed anxiety and anger. "Do you want to take over some random island where you could go on and on how your blood is superior?" she asked.

The rubber boy scowled at her. "Of course not."

"Do you want to kill everyone in your way who dares to speak against you?"

"No!" The answer was out even before she could finish her question.

Nami looked up and met his gaze, a volatile current running beneath her voice as she put forward another question, "Will you kill your nakama to save yourself just because they are expendable to you?"

Luffy's eyes widened and his face blanched, evidently horrified by the mere thought of that. "No! Never! Not after—" He clenched his teeth, biting down on whatever sentence wanted to escape his mouth. "I would never," he finally said.

"Then." The thief moved forward, her hand reaching for the straw hat. "Stop talking nonsense, Captain," she ordered gently, putting the hat back on his head with a warm smile. "It's not like you."

The boy stared at her face for one long moment, searching for something. When he glanced at the others, Nami hoped that he did find what he was looking for.

"I was a bounty hunter," Zoro was the first one to speak. "None of the bounties wanted to go willingly so that I could collect money for their heads. Some resisted more than the others."

"I was raised by the pirate who had a reputation for kicks of ridiculous strength and brutality, leaving his shoes covered in the blood of his enemies," Sanji informed casually.

Usopp's eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. "Whoa, the old cook was that powerful?" he asked, and everyone's eyes were suddenly on him. The liar gulped. Right now, he realized that all in all he had a pretty good, peaceful life compared to the rest of his crew. He didn't have to kill anyone, he wasn't an ex-bounty hunter or raised by an infamous pirate.

"Well, don't get surprised once you hear it," Usopp began, a fictional story already miles long in his head, "but I'm the King of the Snipers from the super-secret Sniper's Island!" A cocky grin slid on his lips. "I gained that title then I was five years old due to my awe-inspiring skills during the war between the tribe of little people and the evil throne usurper. For I, the Great Capt– Uh… For I, the Great King of the Snipers Usopp, single-handedly eliminated the tyrant's forces..." He made a dramatic pause before shoving his fist forward with his little finger outstretched. "…with only my pinky."

Nami crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the long-nosed teen unimpressed. "Wouldn't that mean that your sniper skills were useless?"

The liar blinked. "Eh?"

"Yeah, Usopp," Sanji chimed in, "don't be a mindless brute like some Cactus-head."

Zoro twitched. "Oi, cook, what did you call me?!"

"Who said I was talking about you?" The blond turned to him with a sly smirk. "But if you want to be called that…"

The green-haired man flicked his katana out of its sheath. "Wanna fight, you pervert?"

"Don't call me that, you shitty swordsman!"

As they got into each other's faces, Nami appeared beside them. "Settle down, you two!" she yelled, smacking them both upside their heads. "We're having a serious conversation here."

"Ahhh! Nami-swan is so beautiful when she's angry!"

Zoro rubbed the offended spot, glaring at the thief. "What the hell, witch?!"

"Oi, Cactus-head, don't insult the lady!"

As they both went at it again, Nami heaved a suffering sigh. "I said…" she began softly, raising her fists. "SETTLE DOWN!"

This time, her double punch left them lying on the ground.

Usopp paled as he watched Nami subduing two monsters so easily. "Nami's scary!" he yelped.

The navigator's fiery eyes were instantly on him. "You said something, Usopp?"

The sniper shook his head so fast that it made him dizzy. "No, ma'am!"

Meanwhile, Luffy just watched his nakama, a smile growing on his lips with every passing second until it reached its peak, bright and powerful, taking a shape of a perfect D. "Shishishishi." His quiet laugh got his crew's attention. "Yosh!" Luffy fixed his straw hat more firmly on his head and announced, "Next stop – the Grand Line!"

The four pirate's faces lightened up. "Aye, Captain!"

Genzo was skeptical. It came with the territory really – they just spent the last eight years oppressed by the tyrannical pirate crew, merely allowed to exist underneath them, just like Arlong had claimed so many times.

Not anymore, for they were saved by another pirate crew. Irony at its best.

But there was no such thing as heroic pirates, so, of course, Genzo was not convinced that these kids didn't have any hidden agenda for their actions. He kept a close eye on them as they walked towards Cocoyashi Village, worried and unhappy that it was only he, Nami, and Nojiko accompanying the pirates. Being locals, the three of them led the way with the swordsman and the suit-guy in the middle, the captain and the long-nosed teen bringing up the rear.

The green-haired pirate was subtly shooting heated glares at the back of Nami's head while the blond not so subtly ogled at the two sisters. That didn't help put Genzo's mind at ease. At least the captain wasn't making any concerning moves, too busy listening to the other boy narrating his many grandiose adventures alongside wild gestures and mocking laughter at his supposed adversaries.

And that kid with a straw hat was the biggest mystery of this group. Sporting a broad smile and with eyes twinkling in amusement, he truly gave an impression of being simply an innocent kid, nothing like the ruthless and experienced fighter Genzo had witnessed. That kind of criminal was the most dangerous. There was no way to know what exactly they were planning.

While the ex-soldier pondered, the two men in the middle were drawn into the long-nosed one's story when they challenged whatever the latter had proclaimed. He also noticed Nami slowly gravitating to join them, and he couldn't let that happen.

Heroes or not, they were still pirates.

Genzo grabbed Nami by her arm, causing her to look at him in confusion. He leaned closer and whispered, "Can we trust those pirates?"

"Of course," she replied instantly without a shred of doubt in her tone.

"They're pirates. That boy not only killed Arlong, but ripped his heart out," the ex-soldier argued.

"And that monster deserved that," Nojiko chimed in from Nami's other side, scowling disapprovingly at Genzo. "Just how many humans he had killed during all these years?"

"I know that, but… pirates are always up to no good."

Nami furrowed her brow too, her dislike of his animosity towards her nakama written all over her face. After a moment, she abruptly stopped walking, yanked her arm out of his grip, put it on her waist and declared proudly, "I'm a pirate, too."

The four male pirates flanked her, looking puzzled at what was going on.

"You were forced to be a pirate!" Genzo countered. "Now that Arlong is gone, you're free from it!"

"True, but I wasn't talking about Arlong Pirates," the thief said, a mischievous smirk curling on her lips and her brown orbs gleaming with joy. "I'll be leaving with Luffy as a member of his crew!"

The man's eyes widened. "Whaaat?!" he cried out in surprise.

"Shishishishi!"

"Yeah, Nami-san! Let's go together!"

After opening and closing his mouth a few times without any sound leaving him, Genzo finally managed to gather his wits. "Have you lost your mind, girl?" he hissed. "Bellemere would never—!"

"She wouldn't be against it," Nojiko cut him off with certainty.

"Nojiko!"

"And even if she said 'No'," the blue-haired woman continued, ignoring the old man's rebuke, "would you listen, Nami?"

The navigator grinned. "No way!"

Both sisters were staring at Genzo now as if challenging to contradict that statement. He tried to find any valid arguments to make these stubborn girls understand the consequences of that decision, but came up empty.

"Don't worry, Pinwheel-ossan," Luffy said. "Nami is nakama, we'll keep her safe."

The gaze of those sharp black eyes was unnerving, but Genzo could see only honesty and conviction shining in their depths. And it was impossible to miss how Nami's expression lit up from hearing those words. He frowned. "Being a pirate… No, being a member of your crew, it will be a dangerous endeavor. Can you vow on your life that you'll protect her?" the man challenged.

"Gen-san! What are you—?"

"Yes."

There was no pause, no doubt, no buts or ifs. The young captain delivered his answer with the same strength he used for his punches. The kid continued to pin him in place with that unwavering stare, and Genzo felt the fight draining out of him. "Alright," he sighed. "I guess I have no other choice but believe you."

Luffy's smile flared to an incredible level.

"But first, you need to show that shoulder to the doctor," the man reminded as he regarded the pirate with a more caring attitude. The latter scrunched his face in a displeased grimace.

"Our resident algae also needs a check-up from a professional," the suit-guy spoke nonchalantly.

Genzo only blinked, his mind drawing a blank. The long-nosed teen sniggered, but was silenced by the swordsman's glare. "You bastard," the latter growled as he turned to the blond again. "You're really asking for it..."

His threat was brought up short when Nami slapped a palm on his chest, making him clench his teeth and cringe. "Zoro," she said sternly. "No fighting, no sparring, no training, and no drinking until you get that gash taken care of."

"What—you can't just—"

"I'll show you to Dr. Nako's clinic," Nami cut him off with finality.

"That reminds me of that time when I battled the evil doctor. Armed with only my wits, I faced his thousand men zombie army!"

"Shishishishi! That's amazing, Usopp!"

"Luffy. You're coming too."

"But, Namiiiii~! I don't like doctors!"

"…Just imagining Nami-san in the nurse's costu—"

"Don't put me in the middle of your perverted dreams!"

Genzo was startled out of his shocked stupor when Nojiko chuckled. "I don't think you need to worry about them hurting Nami, Gen-san," she said, amused by the scene in front of her. "It most likely will be her bossing them around."

The ex-soldier couldn't help but laugh at that. "Without a doubt, you two are Bellemere's daughters. Strong, hard-headed women, just doing whatever you want or feel is right." He paused, his eyes wandering from the lively pirates to the direction of one special grave. "She would be proud."

Luffy pouted. This was his last shirt and they had to cut its sleeve so that the doctor could access the bite wound Arlong had left on his shoulder. They tried to make him take it off, but there was no way Luffy would have allowed some strangers see that thing on his back, so that was the only acceptable compromise for both parties.

The straw-hatted teen sat on the ground, leaning against the wall of the clinic with his hands behind his head. The people, going in and out of the building, did a double take as they passed him. They easily recognized him as a pirate captain who defeated Arlong and killed him in a pretty gory way (although seemingly nobody had seen him doing it, so there was a lot of speculation going around). The sight of him so obviously pouting like a perturbed child caught everyone off guard.

Sanji and Usopp lounged on the nearby round bench in the shade of the umbrella, listening to moans and groans of pain, coming through the nearby window. The cook held the smoldering cigarette near his mouth, but didn't appear to be in a hurry to finish it, his eyes following a random cloud in the sky.

Usopp shifted as yet another muffled scream escaped from the clinic. "They're still working on him?"

"Well, of course. That was a serious injury," Sanji replied. "Alain might have checked Zoro, but he's a cook, not a doctor."

The sniper hummed in agreement. Then he glanced at his captain. "What's up, Luffy?"

"This is my last shirt…"

"You should have just taken it off when they asked you to," Sanji chided. "You gave so much trouble to Nami-san."

Luffy pouted even more. "I would have been fine... I'm a rubber, I heal fast."

"Stop complaining," Nami ordered as she walked out of the clinic and heard her captain's last words. They stared at each other before her hands went up in surrender. "Fine! I'll see if I can find you a replacement. I can do at least this much." The new wave of Zoro's groans made her wince. "We really should recruit a doctor as soon as possible."

Luffy frowned. "But I want a fluffy one and a musician first."

The thief shook her head, her lips curling into a fond curve, and murmured, "You and your fluffy one..."

Occupied with the current state of her crewmates, Nami didn't notice the lone fishman who had escaped the carnage coming from behind her. When she finally took notice of his presence, she flinched visibly.

Hachi offered a sad, tight smile, backing up a bit to give the girl more space between them. Bandages covered most of his body and his every move was stiff and measured. "I'm sorry, Nami," the octopus said quietly.

The navigator's expression twisted into a scowl. "It's not like I'll forgive you for everything your crew did to me and this island if you apologize," she responded coldly. Hachi shrunk away from her harsh tone, and after a moment Nami heaved a defeated sigh. "But you helped us when it mattered, so you're heading in the right direction."

The fishman beamed at her. "Nyu! Thank you, Nami!"

"What will you do now, Hachi?" Usopp inquired.

"I did enough bad things, I'm done being a pirate," Hachi declared bitterly. "Mohmoo and I will go back home to the Fishman Island and…" He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "I always dreamed of owning a takoyaki stand."

Sanji perked up. "Takoyaki stand?"

"Yeah! I'm pretty good at cooking takoyaki!" the octopus exclaimed proudly. "You're going to the Grand Line, right?" He brightened up even more as the pirates nodded. "Once you arrive at the Fishman Island I'll feed you as much takoyaki as you'll be able to eat!"

Nami grimaced. "Fishman Island, huh?" she muttered.

"Fishman Island is the halfway point," Luffy said, standing up and dusting himself off. "It's still a long way for us."

Usopp cocked his head to the side. "Halfway point?"

"Tooki told me that if pirates wanted to go to the second half of the Grand Line, they had to travel through the Fishman Island." The boy put a hand on his straw hat, a grin stretching from one ear to another. "One Piece is somewhere out there and I can't become the Pirate King without finding it. We're definitely gonna pass it eventually, so I'll hold you to your word, Hachi."

Nami leaned closer to the octopus and whispered to him conspiratorially, "From my personal experience, I must advise you against making promises of feeding Luffy until you see what kind of bottomless pit he is."

"No problem! I'll be prepared for you all!"

The navigator shrugged. "Don't cry later that I didn't warn you."

"Ne, Hachi?" When the fishman looked at him, Luffy asked, "Is there any chance that you'll see Jinbe?"

"Nyu… Probably," Hachi replied, scratching his head in thought. "Since Boss Jinbe became a Warlord, he usually stays on the Fishman Island."

"Can you tell him that I have a message from Tooki and will want to meet with him?"

"Sure."

Luffy grinned. "Thanks!"

The party went far into the night and nobody seemed to even have a thought to stop. The whole island gathered in the Cocoyashi Village as soon as they heard the news to celebrate the defeat of the Arlong Pirates and their newly found freedom.

Nami was walking through the crowd, looking around. She squeezed her right upper arm where her new tattoo was hidden under the bandages. The thief was excited to share the news that she got rid of Arlong's mark with her nakama, especially with Luffy. If she could find them in this chaos.

Finally, Nami caught a glimpse of that familiar straw hat. She was about to call her captain's name when a laugh nearby made her blood run cold.

"Chichichi!"

Her head snapped towards the direction he heard it, the joy of her new tattoo all but forgotten. People were clustering into a big group, surrounding a few Marines in the middle. And captain Nezumi was in the front, a smug look adorning his face as he stared at the people like they were just dirt beneath him.

"What a lucky day indeed. I would never have thought that those disgusting fishmen could be defeated by some random passing pirates," Nezumi spoke, lazily scanning upset villagers around him. No one dared to move against him because of his subordinates aiming their guns at them. "But thanks to them, Arlong's bounty, as well as all his treasures, belongs to me. You can be thankful that I, Captain Nezumi, of the Marine's 16th Battalion, arrived just in time for—"

"Don't joke around, you scum!"

Nezumi sneered at Nami who pushed her way through to the front and now was glaring furiously at him, clenching her teeth.

"And, pray tell me, what I am joking about?" the Marine scoffed. "Everything of pirates belongs to the Marines. If you people won't return what you stole from there, I will be forced to take action."

"Stole?!" Nami screamed, seeing red. "You almost killed Nojiko and Gen-san! You stole my money and did nothing against Arlong for so many years! You have no right to do anything now!"

"Che, stupid girl," Nezumi spat before a malicious grin distorted his features. "And what can you do? You're alone, and if any of you would dare to go against me, you would go against the World Government! Hahahaha!" he finished with a loud bellow of laughter. "Now, where is my treasure?"

Nami bit her lip. Her mind whirred with possible solutions to this situation, but none of them was good enough. She didn't want to put the people of Cocoyashi into any unnecessary danger. They had been through enough already. She really had no other choice but to give—

"Going against the World Government? Count me in." A voice full of amusement drew everyone's attention to the side where civilians parted, letting Luffy step through. His eyes shone with dark delight, strengthened by a sharp, predatory grin on his face. He stopped in front of the Marine and cracked his knuckles. "And I can start with you."

Nezumi's eyes bulged out and his jaw dropped. "W-W-Who the hell are you?!"

A few muffled screams together with a sound of flesh hitting flesh rang from behind him. As a gust of wind ruffled his clothes, Nezumi swiveled around, almost tripping over his own feet in a rush. His escort of Marines was down for the count with three strangers standing in their places.

"Gobbling all the fun for yourself again, Luffy?" Zoro inquired with a smirk and his hand casually resting on the handle of his katana.

Sanji flicked an ash from his cigarette. "Seriously, it's my job to save the lady in trouble."

"I-I don't mind!" Usopp stuttered out.

Happiness swelled in Nami's chest, filling her being to the brim and threatening to spill over. She was far from being alone. Her nakama were here with her. "Guys, this one's mine," she said, motioning at shell-shocked Marine Captain. "Can I borrow your staff, Luffy?"

The rubber pirate blinked at her, and then with a shrug reached behind his back. In a second, the metal Bo staff was assembled and offered to Nami.

It was so much heavier than the thief was used to. Its weight pulled her arms down, but at the same time, it was reassuring. Because she knew that whatever happened, her crew had her back.

Nami pushed everything into that swing, every ounce of negative emotions she accumulated during these long eight years: her despair, sadness, grief, anger, disappointment, pain, resentment, fear, helplessness. She couldn't hit Arlong with all that anymore, so this pathetic Marine would have to do.

The staff collided with Nezumi's ugly mug, knocking out a few teeth and sending him skidding backward. The inertia of the metal Bo staff was much stronger than Nami anticipated and she stumbled herself.

Sanji was suddenly there, his arms steadying her before she could face plant onto the ground. "Careful, Nami-san," he cautioned gently.

The thief flashed him a smile and muttered a quick thank-you. Then she gripped the staff more firmly and strode towards the collapsed Marine. It wasn't a fast gait, but it was strong and full of purpose.

Nezumi twitched as Nami neared him. "Y-You can't do this to me!" he yelled, glaring up at her. "I'm the captain of the Mariiiiiiiiii—!" He squealed when a high-heeled sandal stomped on his crotch.

All present males winced in sympathy—enemy or not, that was cruel.

"We're pirates. We don't care about some measly rotten Marine," Nami stated, a hint of steel in her voice, her brown orbs cold like the surface of a winter puddle. "You see that young man with a straw hat? That's our captain. That random passing pirate who dealt with Arlong? That's him." She leaned closer and added quietly, "Ripped that monster's heart out with his bare hands." She paused, letting those words sink in. "I heard he isn't very fond of corrupt Marines… I wonder what he would do to you if I let him."

Nami smiled darkly at the sheer terror on Nezumi's face. She felt a bit bad using Luffy like that, but it worked so well!

"Now," the navigator said, putting a bit more weight on her leg that pressured the Marine's manhood. The latter squeaked in alarm. "You guys will take care of cleaning up after the fishmen and help reconstruct Gosa Village. You won't touch even the slightest bit of Arlong's money. All of it belongs to the people of this island! And you will return everything you stole from me. Till. The last. Beli. Understand?" She flicked the stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "Or should I call Luffy here to have a talk with you first?"

Nezumi paled. "N-No! I understand! I-I'll do as you say…"

"Good, because if you don't, we're gonna hunt you down."

"O-Okay…!"

Nami glared down at him for a bit longer, then, with the last press on his sensitive parts, she walked away.

"He seems so scared. What did you tell him?" Usopp wondered curiously as the navigator rejoined them.

A laugh welled in Nami's throat, and she couldn't stop it. After calming down, she grinned at her bewildered nakama, wide and bright, and said, "I told him just how cool we are."

The party resumed all night and into the next day. People were too rejoiced to end it so soon, so after some rest, the celebration continued in full force.

Nezumi kept his word and delivered Nami's stolen money, giving other pirates a wide berth. Before leaving though, he did yell to Luffy that he was going to regret going against him. The moment the young captain turned around to look at the Marine from the other side of the square, the man was already fleeing from his sight.

It confused Luffy, but he just shrugged it off and continued to devour free food around him.

Later that day, the pirates gathered at the shore to bid farewell to Hachi and Mohmoo. The octopus fishman didn't want to stay longer than was absolutely necessary, not wanting to antagonize the villagers with his presence. Both parties confirmed the promise to meet again at Fishman Island and cheerfully parted ways.

Because of more Marines coming, the crew agreed to leave as quickly as possible. The next morning, few hours after the sunrise, Nojiko accompanied Nami to where Going Merry was anchored to see the pirates off.

Luffy jumped down onto the land to meet two sisters while others stayed on the ship. "Ready, Nami?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, moving forward to the ship. Suddenly she froze, they departure from Syrup Village coming to her mind. 'I thought it was a normal way to say goodbye to a female.' Nami's eyes widened and she whipped her head to look at Luffy. He was staring at his sister with a wide grin, an—

"No kissing!" the thief suddenly screamed causing everyone to blink at her, completely stumped.

"Kissing?" Sanji's blond mop poked from the galley. "Someone said something about kissing?"

Nojiko smiled slyly. "Getting possessive, eh, Nami?"

"No! Just…" The navigator rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "Luffy's understanding of saying goodbyes to females is a bit strange."

"Hey! Shanks did that all the time!" Luffy bristled. "And Makino always was so happy after it! I don't see how's that a bad thing!"

Nami rolled her eyes. "Of course, you wouldn't get it. Just how old are you, anyway? Fifteen? Thirteen?"

The straw-hatted pirate frowned. "I'm seventeen."

"You're seventeen?!" Nami and Usopp shrieked in unison, and even Zoro looked surprised. "But you're so…" the navigator paused. "…short!"

"So?" Luffy seemed even more confused. "I can still kick ass!"

Nojiko chuckled. "Well, he's of the right age," she commented smugly. "And quite cute."

Nobody gave the slightest attention to a sudden wail of 'Noooooooooo!' in the background.

Still shocked that Luffy was actually only a year younger than her, Nami couldn't even react to what her sister said. "…Huh?" was her eloquent respond.

With the same sly smirk on her features, Nojiko darted past her and planted a quick kiss on Luffy's cheek. "I'm entrusting my sister to you. Keep her safe," she whispered into his ear and then backed off with a grin.

The straw-hatted pirate flashed a thumb up to her and then turned to Nami, looking so smug that the latter instantly wanted to facepalm. "See? Shanks was right," he stated as if it was she who was slow on the uptake.

Nami gave in to her urge to facepalm, Sanji grumbled something about lucky bastards, and the rest of them burst out laughing.

Nami exited Merry's storage room and stretched her arms with a pleased groan.

It was a very early morning – the sun was yet to rise – on the second day after their departure from Conomi Islands. With her sails rolled up and anchor dropped for the night, Going Merry was lightly rocking under the still, dark, starry sky.

Nami looked around the ship, her gaze stopping briefly at silhouettes of the three Bellemere's mikan trees. They were among the few trees that survived the destruction of the groove, and Nojiko had insisted that she would take them on her voyage so that she could always remember her home. Now, the navigator was really happy that she didn't fight her sister.

An appetizing smell tickled her nose, wafting out of the kitchen area where Nami could hear Sanji cluttering the dishes in breakfast preparation for the crew. If she pricked her ears, she could also hear a faint muttering from the back of the ship.

"—two hundred seventeen… two hundred eighteen… two hundred—"

Nami sighed. Stupid Neanderthal was already training, despite the doctor's orders to rest for at least a few more days.

The thief's eyes moved towards Merry's front and she wasn't surprised to find Luffy sitting on the figurehead, watching the sea. It was a common sight, especially when his nightmares and night terrors got too intense even for Zoro's presence to soothe them.

Usopp was not around, so Nami knew that he was most likely sleeping. The sniper took it upon himself to cheer their captain up on these occasions by telling stories, each one more daring than the last. And it worked – Luffy always listened with rapt attention, instead of spending time with whatever ghosts were haunting him.

However, every time the faraway sky filled with blended reddish golden tones, Luffy's attention would flitter away and Usopp would quiet down, both of them observing the sun breaching the horizon in an awed silence.

Nami never understood what was so fascinating about the sunrise.

The navigator slowly walked to the bow. "Luffy, I…" she started as she approached the motionless captain, unsure of what exactly she wanted to say. "I'm sorry for slapping you," she blurted out without thinking.

The straw-hatted boy looked at her with a small, baffled furrow on his brow. "It's okay."

"Still. I feel so bad…"

"You're nakama. You're among those I promised to protect."

And there it was – the words conveyed in that matter-of-fact tone, that lit her up inside and granted the feeling of belonging she didn't know that she could ever feel again. The tears stung Nami's eyes again, but this time they didn't arise from her sadness and despair. She laughed unexpectedly, brushing her hand across her face to wipe them away.

"Look, Nami. The sun is rising."

The first brilliant rays appeared on the skyline, a breathtaking display of radiant colors. Bright streaks of red, pink, orange, and yellow slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of the twilight sky, splashing the clouds with an endless palette of vivid and vibrant hues. The sea was no longer an abyss of black, glistening as the occasional spear of light danced over the surface.

All the bitter moments of those bad times Nami had just been through seemed to wash away with the soft lullaby the waves sang along the dawn. A herald of a new day, full of hopes and dreams, a day of carefree freedom she never believed to witness again.

Suddenly, it was crystal clear why Luffy loved it so much.

An easy salty breeze picked up, caressing Luffy's skin and ruffling his black hair. He lifted his hand towards the horizon, letting the soft amber glow of the sunrise pour through his fingers and onto his peaceful face. "It's great, isn't it?" he said. "To be free."

Watching Luffy smile at this moment was like watching the sun rise the second time.

Next Chapter: The Stranger on the Dawn Island (Part I)

Chapter Text

-around 2 years ago, the Dawn Island-

Luffy sat in his favorite spot on the cliff overlooking the sea. The sun had already risen and now bathed the world in its ethereal golden and red light.

A soft sigh left the boy's mouth. He missed Ace.

It had been six months since his brother left to become a pirate and chase after his dreams. Luffy longed to see Ace, the loneliness dragging him deeper into that dark place where he never wanted to be again.

He missed Sabo, too. Oh, how he missed his cheerful, kind-hearted blond brother.

Sad black eyes wandered around, following a random wave at the surface of the sea, then flicking to the lonely seagull that flew towards the shore, passing above a strangely shaped washed-up log on the beach.

Luffy squinted at it, but apart from its odd form, nothing seemed amiss. At this distance and in the dim light of the dawn, he couldn't really determine what exactly piqued his interest. His curiosity getting the better of him, the boy quickly stood up and slid down the slope onto the beach.

When he was a few steps away, Luffy immediately stopped when he realized that the 'log' was a person. The rubber boy scrunched his face up in disgust; Ace, Sabo, and he once discovered a drowned person washed ashore, and it wasn't a pretty picture. None of them could even look at the food for a whole day without wanting to throw up, and with his and Ace's appetites, that was telling a lot.

The boy sniffed the air. No smell yet, so it meant that the body got carried here tonight and wasn't exposed to the sun thus far. He really needed to bury it before the sun reached its peak and birds found it.

With his mind set on this task, the young teen approached the body. It was a man, as far as he could tell, with dark short messy hair and wearing a hoodie with the hood raised, one of his arms twisted under.

Luffy reached to roll him over, but the moment he grabbed the hoodie, he heard it – a quiet, almost inaudible groan. With eyes wide in alarm, he jumped away from the stranger, ready to defend himself if needed.

For the next few moments, the boy held his breath in and strained his ears to listen. However, there were no more sounds or any kind of movement from the man. Furrowing his brow, he nudged the not-so-dead guy with his feet instead. Nothing. He squatted down and carefully rolled him on his back, eliciting another silent groan.

The left hand that was previously hidden under the man's body, now rested on his chest, and Luffy froze at the sight of one side of metal cuffs locked on it. He touched it with great caution, and withdrew his hand as if it was burned the instant that it touched. Sea prism stone. He would never forget the feeling of that accursed thing touching his skin, draining his strength, leaving him weak and hopeless and at the mercy of—

A shake of his head banished those awful memories back into the darkness from where they had crawled out, allowing him to focus again on the stranger.

The left side of his hoodie, including its sleeve, was shredded and burned, stained with dark blotches that Luffy knew immediately were blood.

Luffy's frown deepened. He couldn't just leave this guy here. If he was a Devil Fruit user, he would definitely die from that kind of nasty injury with the sea stone cuffs on and drenched in seawater on top of it. And if he was on a run from someone—which he most certainly was—he needed a safe place to recover and figure out how to take the manacles off.

Decision made, the straw-hatted teen maneuvered himself so that he could heave the stranger on his shoulders and carry him to the treehouse.

Travel through the forest with such a heavy burden was pretty slow, but Luffy persevered. Once he reached the treehouse, he decided against hauling the injured man up. It would have unnecessarily aggravated his wounds, and a bonfire would help to keep him warm during the night; Luffy could already feel the stranger's skin being clammy from fever.

It was as safe on the ground as it was up in the actual treehouse; the beasts of Mt. Colubo knew better than to approach this place too close. He and Ace secured the area years ago by setting traps around the whole perimeter. And if that somehow failed, Luffy was a light sleeper and there was no creature on the island that could stand against him. Overall, he wasn't worried about that.

His injuries, on the other hand… Luffy wasn't very good at giving first aid, it usually was Ace or bandits who took care of whatever damage they'd managed to inflict upon themselves. He had only managed to pick up a few basics from observing: bandaging the wounds to stop the bleeding and putting a healing salve on the burned skin.

Luffy had realized that the stranger's injuries were serious once he removed the damaged clothes, and he debated with himself whether or not it would be better to ask Dadan and the gang for help. Ultimately, however, he decided to rely on his basic knowledge unless the situation worsened; the less people that knew about this guy at this moment, the lower the chances that his enemies would find him.

Luffy cleaned and bandaged the wounds to the best of his abilities, then nestled the man into the blankets that he brought from the treehouse. The moment he finished that task, a tattooed hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Luffy froze. A panic instantly bubbled inside of him, provoked by the unfamiliar person's touch, but he pushed down the urge to swat it away. There was no malicious intent etched in the man's presence; the boy could feel only fear and confusion. Hazy, unfocused, and barely open amber eyes were staring at him.

The hand slid from his wrist a moment later. Luffy caught it and put it down gently. There had been no force in that grip in the first place, the action itself probably cost all the strength the guy had left.

"You're safe," Luffy said softly but firmly, peering directly into those bleary eyes. "No one is going to hurt you."

That was what Luffy had always wanted to hear while stuck in that place, while being hurt and exhausted, vulnerable and despaired, so he poured all of his heart into those words. He wanted—no, needed—to be believed in, for he wished to give others what Ace finally made real for him—the sense of safety.

After a moment, the man's eyes fluttered closed and he was lost to the blissful unconsciousness once again.

Several hours later found Luffy tucking the blankets back around the stranger after they were tossed away and frowning worriedly at his pale and sweaty face drawn with pain. Fever nightmares were the worst kind and it seemed that they refused to give this guy a break.

The straw-hatted teen sighed, moving towards the bonfire to kindle it. It was middle of the night already. Earlier that day, Luffy had made a quick trip to the bandits and brought more bandages and some medicine. They hadn't let him abscond with the supplies without revealing why he needed it; fortunately, however, they also instructed him on what to do to reduce the fever and promised to visit Goa to purchase more medication.

With the fire back in perfect shape, Luffy prepared a wet cloth to help with the fever. When he brought it over, he was surprised to see those amber orbs staring at him again. However, the man seemed even more out of it than the first time he'd regained consciousness. "You're still safe," the boy assured with a warm smile.

The stranger was still looking at him, then a few tears rolled down from his eyes and a faint whisper left his lips, "…Cora-san?"

There was no point in denying or telling this guy that he wasn't the person he was calling for, so Luffy simply brushed his tears away and said softly, "Go back to sleep."

Law woke up to the world of pain, splitting headache, constant strength draining effect of sea stone, and fever induced dizziness. Not to mention the lingering terror at the back of his mind from the nightmares.

But he was alive. Somehow.

How the hell he was alive?

Law tried to open his eyes and winced as the light hit them. With a groan, he brought his right hand to shield them and lay there for a while, assessing his body's condition.

That explosion really did a number on him. He could barely move his left arm without wincing in pain, not to mention the damned sea stone cuffs that were still on it. And he lost the key when Gladius exploded the wall where Law had hid to hurriedly unlock the cuffs and then escape.

This was great. Just… plain fantastic. With Kikoku missing as well, he had absolutely no means to protect himself now.

With the grim state of his body established, Law turned his senses outward. He heard leaves dancing in the slight breeze, the echoing sounds of forest animals far away, and birdsong all around. The air was rich with the fragrance of greenery and earth, and as he carefully opened his eyes and blinked several times to adjust, he was met with a sight of the high tree canopy, sun streaking through the boughs in brilliant beams, and what appeared to be a treehouse.

The pirate lowered his gaze down to the ground. A black-haired boy with a straw hat resting messily on his head slept nearby, tightly wrapped in a blanket and slumped against a tree root.

You're safe. No one is going to hurt you.

A deep frown creased Law's face as the words floated at the forefront of his mind. Where did that come from?

Suddenly, a kid jerked awake and literally shot from his spot to his feet in an instant, startling Law. He took in the boy's pale face and wide, fear-stricken eyes, sweeping around as if searching for a non-existent threat.

After a moment, the kid seemed to calm down, raking fingers through his hair and pulling his straw hat back on, fixing it in its place. Then he turned around and blinked as their eyes met. "You're awake!" he exclaimed with so much genuine joy and a bright grin on top, that it momentarily threw Law off balance.

Painstakingly slowly, he lifted himself up into a sitting position, stubbornly ignoring the burning pain in his whole left side. The simple action left him almost gasping for air, but even if this was just a kid, there was no way that Law would let his guard down. Sitting at least gave him some semblance of defense, though he knew well that it was just an illusion.

The boy was right next to him in a flash, his brow slightly furrowed. Black eyes watched Law's every slight move with a startling sharpness, probably noticing wincing and stiffening, but he said nothing. He looked to the side, then stretched his arm all the way across his little camp and grabbed a waterskin.

Law's eyes widened at the display. "D-Devil Fruit?" he croaked out, hating how his voice stuttered due to his dry throat.

"Yeah!" The teen grinned at him, offering the waterskin to him. "Just like you, right?" When the man eyed the offered item suspiciously, the boy uncorked it unprompted and took a deep gulp before offering it again. "Water's safe."

You're safe. No one is going to hurt you.

Unbidden, those words emerged in Law's head again. He was not even sure why his mind seemed so fixated on them, but this confirmed that they definitely came from the kid.

Seeing that the latter went out of his way to assure that the water was indeed safe to drink, Law gripped the neck of the waterskin and guided it to his mouth. His left arm was useless, so the boy still held the heavy waterskin, his other hand shooting out to steady the man when he lost his balance for a brief second. Law drank his fill, feeling refreshed despite the lingering lightheadedness from his fever.

"Where am I?" the surgeon asked, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

"Dawn Island."

Law had never heard of such an island. "Do you know in which part of the North Blue it is?"

The boy looked at him incredulously before replying, "It's in the East Blue."

The pirate's thoughts screeched to an abrupt halt. "…What?" he rasped out.

"You're in the East Blue," the teen repeated patiently. "Are you from the North Blue?"

The question earned him a deadpan stare of disbelief.

Well, Law certainly was from the North Blue. His crew was still in the North Blue, and he got ambushed and captured by Doflamingo's lackeys in the North Blue. He didn't even realize how long he had been in their hands, but apparently it had been weeks if they managed to enter into the Grand Line and then cut through the Calm Belt into the East Blue. Probably for some business they wanted to take care of before shipping him to the damn Warlord himself.

"Unbelievable," Law muttered, rubbing his eyes with his index and thumb as if trying to massage away the headache.

If there was one silver lining to this situation, it was that his crew should be safe. He left them to oversee the construction of their submarine while he traveled to the nearby island to collect some information. He hoped that they weren't freaking out too much because of his impromptu disappearance.

"So, what's your name?" the kid asked curiously, not deterred that his first question was ignored.

The surgeon sighted, still with his hand on his eyes. "Trafalgar Law."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" the boy introduced with a great enthusiasm.

Law dropped his hand and snapped his head up to look at him so fast that it made him dizzy. "D?!" he all but demanded, all his anxiety and surprise and urgency crammed into that one syllable.

After what Cora-san said about people with the middle name of D, after what he did because Law carried that name, after that clumsy idiot sacrificed his life for him, he always kept an eye and an ear for others like him. However, besides his dead family, he had never met another D before, hadn't even heard about one.

But now he was accidentally saved by a D?

Luffy, though, suddenly grew wary, his eyes hardened in suspicion, lips thinned, and his muscles tensed, ready to spring into action any given moment and defend himself. "You know something about D?" he asked carefully, a barely perceptible threatening note underlying his soft voice.

Law picked up on it. He sighed again, collecting himself. It wasn't like him to lose his cool like that. Damn this pain and this fever. "A very important person to me once said that we're enemies of gods."

The kid stared at him. "We?" His eyes widened in realization. "Are you a D too?"

If he had been in less pain, Law would have facepalmed. Really, he needed to get a grip! Mistakes like that could cost him his life.

"…Yes," he admitted begrudgingly.

Luffy simply nodded in acknowledgment. "Enemies of gods, huh?" he muttered, his lips twitching down into a frown. "That person wasn't wrong, you know."

Law blinked at him.

The boy had his head turned to the side, glaring at nothing in particular, but what shocked the man was the look in those onyx orbs. They were too dark, too intense, and too jaded for a child of his age, filled with smoldering fury and deep hatred.

Like his own.

Luffy suddenly heaved a heavy sigh, closing his eyes, visibly anchoring himself back into reality. Then he stood up. "I met those gods," he uttered quietly as he walked to the bonfire and crouched down, his voice eerily void of any emotion. "We're enemies, alright."

Law stared at the boy's back, unable to read his shadowed expression anymore, but there was definitely a story there. A story that was better left untouched.

Just like his.

"The person who told you that," Luffy spoke again, "is he also a D?"

"He wasn't."

The boy hummed, lowering himself down to fan a fire, but didn't comment on the past tense. "I'll have to go food hunting today," he stated absentmindedly. "Didn't have time yesterday."

"How long have I been here?" Law inquired, inspecting the bandages.

"A day," Luffy replied, glancing at Law over his shoulder. Noticing what he was doing, he flashed him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm not good at that."

"It's good enough," the surgeon assured. "I'm a doctor, I can take care of it myself now."

"Ooh! How cool!" the kid cheered before suddenly he perked up and turned his head to stare at the forest.

Two men walked out of it after a few minutes, stopping short once they saw Law. The latter also tensed at the unfamiliar people, quietly clicking his tongue when he instinctively reached for his sword that wasn't here.

"Hey, Dogra! Magra!" Luffy greeted them both with an exuberant wave and a big grin. "Did you bring the stuff?"

"Yeah," the short one confirmed, his narrowed eyes resting on Law.

The boy bounced to them, seemingly none the wiser of the glaring battle between two parties, and grabbed the small paper bag from the other man's hands. "Thanks!"

"Who's that?" the one whose appearance resembles that of a chicken asked, pointing at the surgeon.

"A friend," Luffy answered without skipping a beat. "His name's Traffy."

Law twitched at his butchered name, but didn't correct it. It was better that these two guys didn't know his real name.

"Ma, ma, Luffy, are sure about him?"

"Yep. He's a good person."

"Really?" Dogra doubted, his gaze zeroing on the DEATH tattooed on Law's fingers.

"You know that Ace would kill us if something happened to you while you're still here," Magra pointed out.

"Nah, Ace wouldn't kill you. He loves you all too much," Luffy brushed his concerns off, grinning brightly. "He would probably just beat you all to bloody pulps."

The two men grimaced. "I don't even know if it's better or worse," Dogra grumbled.

"Shishishishi!"

With a last glance towards Law, they turned around to leave. "Be careful, Luffy," Magra warned.

"You know where to find us if you need anything," the other one added.

"Yeah. Bye!" Luffy returned to the surgeon's side and offered the bag to him. "Medicine and bandages," he explained.

"Who are they?"

"Bandits."

"Bandits?"

"Don't worry, they are good people."

Law shook his head in a mild exasperation. "You seem to use those words very easily."

"Not easily, no." Luffy smiled a smile with a touch of sadness and something else that the surgeon couldn't decipher. "Not anymore."

Law propped himself against the tree with his uninjured arm, a silent curse slipping through his lips.

He was still too weak and in too much pain, even disregarding the weakness brought upon by the sea stone cuffs. The surgeon allowed himself to rest for the whole day and became acquainted with Luffy. But the next morning, when Luffy went somewhere, he left.

Law was grateful to the kid—how could he not be?—but his pursuers were bound to show up soon, and he couldn't drag Luffy into his mess. Cora-san wanted to protect D, and Law chose to follow in his footsteps long time ago, that was why he couldn't stay here any longer.

Not that he knew where to go or what to do next, but that was beyond the point.

Trafalgar Law would never admit that he needed help anyway.

He was about to push himself from the tree and continue his sluggish hiking through the forest of gigantic trees when he heard a rustle and a deep growl behind him. He instantly spun around and froze at the sight of huge tiger eyeing him hungrily and crouching down for a pounce.

Law successfully jumped to the side as the beast descended, but his legs gave out as soon as he touched the ground and he collapsed, biting down the scream that threatened to tear out of his throat when a pure agony shot through his injuries. Sweat gathered on his forehead and black spots danced in his vision, and suddenly he was completely out of energy as if all of it was somehow sucked out.

The tiger roared in fury, stalking towards him. Law watched him approach, feeling dread twisting his gut into a knot.

This was not how he was supposed to die.

At best, he would have lived till old age. At worst, he would have perished in the fight against Doflamingo. But if this was how it ended, at least he would see his family and Cora-san sooner than he had planned…

A small smirk graced Law's lips almost unconsciously.

The tiger towered over him, its jaws open to swallow him whole when suddenly something slammed into its side. Such a powerful force sent the predator flying with a painful yelp.

Luffy landed in front of the stunned older raven with a soft thud of his sandals. "Just in time!" he cheered, turning around with his usual wide grin. It immediately faltered upon noticing how Law held himself. Those dark eyes narrowed, a slight furrow of his brow betraying genuine concern.

He said nothing though, and the surgeon felt grateful. He had already shown too much weakness and vulnerability in front of a stranger as it was.

Luffy's gaze snapped back on the tiger when it rose from the ground, growling fiercely. He dismissed it in the next instant, his eyes sliding past the beast and onto an inconspicuous spot in the surrounding trees and bushes.

A man walked out of it a few moments later.

Law stiffened as he remembered him: one of the Donquixote lackeys who was present on the ship were he had been held captive.

The man stopped, staring at the tiger, then at them. When his eyes landed on Law, recognition flashed across his features. "He's h—!" And that was all that the pirate managed to yell because Luffy was suddenly in front of him in a blur of motion, both of his arms whipping back from their outstretched position into his stomach, knocking him out for the count in a single hit.

The kid didn't let him fly away. He caught his body and swung it around with ease towards the hissing tiger. "For you, big boy," he commented as the body smacked the beast across his muzzle.

The tiger smashed its paw down on the unconscious man with a ferocious snarl before proceeding to tear at him with its teeth.

"We need to move, more are coming," Luffy said urgently, quickly walking to Law. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah," the surgeon mumbled, carefully pulling himself up with a groan.

This was honestly unexpected. Law had underestimated Luffy due to his young age, sunny grins, cheerful personality, and solicitous attitude. But the kid was surprisingly strong and downright ruthless. He lived in the wilds, so maybe that was why. Survival of the fittest, huh?

"They're already all over the place," Luffy spoke as they started to trudge slowly through the forest, his eyes flickering here and there as if following something that was out of his sight. The way he matched the speed of Law's wobbly steps wasn't lost on the latter either.

The surgeon was just beginning to think of what to do when Luffy turned to him, his alert scowl giving way to one of those big, happy grins. "Come on, I know a good place to hide," he said, tugging Law on the sleeve of his hoodie, which he himself gave to Law, and forcing him to change direction. "Ace and I found a cave when a storm caught us unprepared and we needed a shelter to wait it out."

Law sighed. His head was empty. He was tired, frustrated, and in great pain; exhausted beyond really doing anything about this situation. What could he do anyway? The fact that it meant him unintentionally putting all his trust in the boy went unnoticed. "Who's Ace?" he asked after a moment instead.

Luffy beamed: his grin stretched beyond a normal human's capabilities, his eyes lit up and face brightened up, his whole being glowing with a boundless adoration. "My big brother!" he announced in a subdued exclamation, then glanced to the left and immediately did a sharp turn to the right.

Law perceived that if his enemies weren't around, Luffy would have screamed that at the top of his lungs to the whole world to hear. "Where is he?" he inquired after they did another turn. If he didn't know better, the surgeon would have said that they were merely taking a stroll through the forest.

The boy's grin widened even more which, quite frankly, was becoming a bit disturbing. "He went out into the sea to become a pirate," he replied, his voice carrying an immense amount of pride. "I'll be leaving too when I'm seventeen. I'm gonna be the Pirate King! Shishishishi!"

Law raised an eyebrow at his declaration and then smirked, suddenly feeling amused. "It means that we'll be fighting for the same thing." Seeing a blank expression on the younger D's face, he added, "One Piece."

"That's right!" Luffy paused, frowning. "Are you also a pirate?"

"Yeah. I'm the captain of my own crew."

The boy's mouth formed 'O' as he stared at him in awe. "Ah, we're here," he said as he looked in front of him.

They were at the base of the mountains, and Law saw nothing but bushes and fallen rocks alongside the wall of stone.

"It's well-hidden," Luffy pointed out before chuckling. "If Ace wouldn't have slipped on the wet ground while running and slide straight into it, we would have never found it. Scared me so much when he suddenly disappeared."

After a few seconds going through the bushes, they entered the dark tunnel which opened up into a spacious cave chamber. There was a small pond of crystal clear water in the middle, surrounded by the patches of green where the sunlight reached the ground, shining through the holes and crevices in the rocky roof.

Law lowered himself onto the grass and leaned against the big rock with a relieved sigh.

"You can rest here, they won't find you," Luffy stated as he turned around to leave. "But to be sure, I'll see if I can lure them away."

The surgeon's head snapped up, eyes wide in disbelief before they narrowed in suspicion. "Wait." The boy stopped, glancing back. "You don't know me. Why are you helping?"

Luffy hummed softly as he stared somewhere beyond the walls of the cave, his hand coming to rest on the left side of his black bandana covered neck. "Because I was in your place once and I was denied help," he answered finally, looking back at the man with a gentle smile curling on his lips. "I don't want anyone to go through that, so that's why." His smile grew into a dazzling grin. "Besides, I like you! Shishishishi."

Law stayed silent, afraid that if he spoke, the voice would betray him. It wasn't this unknown kid standing before him all of a sudden, but Cora-san and his stupid grin and black feathers and 'I love you, Law' and snow, Doflamingo, gunshots, blood…

A straw hat landed on his head, startling Law out of his thoughts, thoughts that were quickly spiraling down into the dark place where he had never wanted to go. Luffy was in front of him, onyx eyes drilling into his amber ones, and his presence radiating reassuring strength.

"This straw hat is very important to me," he told him, straightening up and turning to leave again. "So, I'll definitely be back for it. Keep it safe, Traffy."

"…It's Law."

Luffy laughed. It was a rich, bright laugh, ringing off the stone walls. "Right. Sorry!"

And with a carefree hand wave, he was gone.

Next Chapter: The Stranger on the Dawn Island (Part II)

Chapter Text

-around 2 years ago, the Dawn Island-

Like a silent bird of prey, Luffy perched on the branch high up in the tree and looked down at the two men traversing the forest. They were chatting and laughing about how this test was already in their pockets, how they were going to join the main crew, and also loudly wondering what kind of rewards they would get once they found the guy.

The teen's lips pulled back into a feral snarl, dark irises flashing with bloodlust.

Those people, those gods, loved their damn manhunting feasts. It was their favorite sport event, the most popular form of entertainment: hunting down helpless prey in the form of other humans. Sometimes shackled ones, sometimes almost starved to death, sometimes shot or slashed so that they would bleed and leave tracks for them to follow.

Occasionally, the same humans were used as hunting dogs instead of real hounds to pursue those who were prey in the macabre and cruel game. More exciting, they said, more thrilling.

The boy took a deep breath, calming himself, pushing the demons of the past back into the darkness from where they had slithered out. He had survived each and every of those hunts he had been forced into due to his Devil Fruit, his mystery power, pure luck, or sheer stubbornness; that was the most important thing.

This was not the time to lose his mind, and there was no need to confront all of these scums either. Luffy could feel all of them scattered around, and there were many. To fight all of them was not an option, especially when he could sense that at least two were so far above his level that he knew he had no chance of victory, and there were a bunch more who would pose a real threat.

The teen turned, intended to move towards the next group for observation. These men were moving away from the cave now and thus were of no interest to him.

"–not bad! That guy knew about the swords, I give him that."

Luffy paused, the words catching his attention. He looked at them again, frowning, then stretched his arm to grab the next tree and pulled himself into it, landing soundlessly on the branch right above two oblivious pirates.

"Hahahh-haha!" the blond one cackled crazily, looking at his blue-haired friend. "Where did you even get that?"

That apparently was a large sword, sheathed in a black scabbard decorated with white crosses and a small piece of red rope.

"Boss Diamante said that they didn't need it and that I can have it," the guy with a sword replied giddily, before he grinned and pulled out a white fur hat with a black dot pattern along the rim all around it. "Together with this!"

Luffy tilted his head to the side, thinking. Those dots reminded him of the ones on Law's jeans. Could it be his? He chuckled quietly, imagining his new friend with that hat. Yeah, it would actually suit him.

He observed his targets for a bit longer, feeling his anger rising when they both tried the hat, cackling mockingly like crazy.

These two were pissing him off. They needed to disappear.

Luffy jumped into another tree and then down, landing gracefully on the ground in a crouch at the moderate distance behind the pirates. He waited for the right moment, and, once the blond was facing forward, his arm suddenly shot towards the blue-haired man. Steely fingers wrapped around the latter's neck and yanked him back, eliciting a terrified scream.

"Sarkies!" the blond yelled out in surprise after his companion had been dragged into the bushes.

Luffy winded his other arm and smashed the struggling man into the dirt, unconsciously inserting much more strength into his punch than was required. Needless to say, the guy wouldn't be waking up anytime soon after that, if at all.

The boy heard an enraged roar, at the same time his mystery power warned him about incoming attack, and he twisted his body to the side, letting the blond fly past him harmlessly.

The man landed on the side of the tree and seemed to sink in before he sprung from it with a surprising force and speed that left an indent in the trunk.

Luffy ducked the charge to the side again, catching the sight of his opponent's legs turned into springs.

Devil Fruit user.

He tuned out all the screams and threats, concentrating on the man's movements, his body language, and the guidance of the mystery power. It was too dangerous to drag this out; fights with fruit users always turned out tricky and others might take notice of their confrontation. While the teen had confidence that he could run away—he knew this forest like the back of his hand, after all—he didn't want to expose himself unnecessarily or risk getting caught.

Luffy closed his eyes, focusing on his inner mystery power. Unbidden, the memories of the manhunts crawled out to the forefront of his mind again. The snarl returned with a vengeance, and he poured all of that vibrant energy into his right hand till the last drop.

The blond sprung towards him again with a furious, "DIE!"

"Gomu Gomu no…" the boy muttered under his breath, sending his arm back and then whipped forward. His fist, covered by a barely perceptible blackish sheen, met the man's mug in the middle with a sickening crack, using the latter's own momentum for a bigger impact. "…Pistol!"

Leaving only clouds of debris in its path, the blond's body flung backward crashing through trees and bouncing off the ground, and was out of Luffy's sight in an instant.

Luffy exhaled, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. That took more out of him than he had expected. His break was short-lived; approaching voices echoed in the distance. He rushed to quickly collect the fur hat, grabbing the sword too just in case, and then took to the trees, disappearing into the foliage without a trace.

The Donquixote Pirates did not have a good time on the Dawn Island while searching for their runaway prisoner.

One group stumbled upon the nest of giant, poisonous snakes, when they came to investigate some kind of suspicious sound. Another somehow ended up falling from the cliff into the resting spot of man-eating alligators. Some were chased by the enormous and unreasonably infuriated predators, and when they rallied into the bigger group for safety, a baby gorilla that appeared in their midst out of nowhere and started wailing brought upon the wrath of its troop.

"What the hell is wrong with this forest?! It's rare enough to find this kind of viciousness in the Grand Line, and we're in the fricking East Blue!"

"Shut up and ruuuuuu– Argh!"

Sitting high up in the tree, hidden from any prying eyes, Luffy sniggered as the men below got themselves pummeled into the ground by the riled up gorillas. This particular species was extremely hard to deal with, even he and Ace as a team struggled against the whole troop, so these poor sods had no chance whatsoever.

However, Luffy had no sympathy to spare for these bastards. They dared to bring manhunt onto his home island, dared to go after an injured and shackled person, a person that he decided to protect—no, they deserved all that and more.

He wondered what he should do to force these people into leaving his island. It wasn't like they knew for sure that Law was here, the only guy who had seen him ended up in the Lord's belly.

Suddenly, Luffy's head snapped up when a familiar presence entered the range of his ever-active mystery power. After a moment, a wicked grin stretched across his face. He quickly stood up and started to move towards one of the two strongest enemies.

The boy landed on the branch above the group. The man in a black long coat, sporting a white mask that covered the lower half of his face, goggles, and a top hat was tapping his feet impatiently with his arms crossed in front of his chest, a pistol in one of them. Another man was lying on the ground—Luffy could smell blood—while a few others just stood around, fidgeting helplessly and with a fair amount of fear etched on their features.

Luffy grimaced at the scene. The stranger's hat was especially agitating. An image of the curly blond boy with a warm grin under the similar top hat popped in his head, but he didn't let himself linger on the memory.

With a mischievous smirk dancing on his lips, the teen dropped down from the tree, allowing enemies to take a glimpse of him, and then immediately bolted.

"Catch him!" the guy in goggles boomed from behind. "Don't let him escape! He might know something!"

Luffy was quick and agile. Twigs snapped under his feet as he ducked beneath the intertwined roots of the ancient Mt. Colubo trees and dust flew up into the air as he jumped over fallen heavy trunks with barely an effort, blazing through the forest like a gust of wind.

His pursuers lacked his grace. They huffed and cursed, tumbling after him and trying to match his speed to no avail. The boy kept a constant distance between them, luring the pirates towards the familiar presence.

An explosion behind shook the ground under Luffy's feet, and he stumbled not expecting that. He instantly recovered though, shooting a glance over his shoulder and catching a sight of the broken tree trunk being blown high into the air.

The man in goggles was suddenly right behind him, reaching to grab him, and Luffy's eyes widened. He burst out from the forest and into the path, that extended all the way from the Foosha Village to the top of Mt. Colubo, a cry already leaving his mouth, "Grandpa, help!"

Garp's already scowling face twisted into something unsightly, something fierce, and his whole presence darkened, turning oppressive and violent, screaming dangerous loud and clear.

Flee.

That was Luffy's first impulse as this gigantic looming aura bore down on him. Acting purely on self-preservation instinct without any other thought, he dug his heels into the dirt in an impromptu stop, skidding through it due to his momentum, his body already in a process of whirling around to run away from what his senses clearly identified as a deadly threat.

Garp vanished from his spot, scattering dust into the air.

A light breeze ruffled Luffy's black hair.

Screams and shaking ground followed soon after.

When Luffy finally came to a full stop and turned around, everything was already over. His pursuers were strewed all over the place, some thrown into the surrounding trees, some buried into the earth.

Garp himself stood in the middle of that carnage, his hand clamped hard on the guy's with goggles throat, a murderous expression sitting on his face, teeth bared aggressively. "What the hell do you think you're doing to my grandson?" he ground out in a low growly voice.

Luffy stared wide-eyed, an overwhelming feeling of wonder and admiration stirring in his chest. He had never seen his grandpa like that: furious, brutal, domineering—frighteningly protective.

The pirate clawed at the grip of steel choking him, then suddenly his both forearms started to swell. Garp growled as he lifted his other hand, now completely covered in black, and punched the bastard into the ground. He didn't move again.

The old Marine's eyes instantly flickered on his young grandson, scanning his body, checking for any kind of injury. "Are you okay, Luffy? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"I'm fine," the teen assured with a small smile. "They couldn't even catch me."

"Bwahahahaha! That's my grandson!" Garp commended, reaching to pat the boy's head.

Luffy couldn't quite stop that little flinch the moment his grandfather's big palm touched his hair, the strength of the Fists of Love and accompanying pain ingrained into his brain forever.

Garp's expression grew somber with a tinge of something that caused Luffy to tilt his head in confusion. After a single gentle pat, the old man's hand dropped back to his side, and he turned to the beaten pirates, scowling. "Luffy, can you hide somewhere for a few days?" he asked, glancing over the tree line in front of him. "Your grandpa has some trash to clean up."

"Okay," the boy complied without argument. "They aren't good people."

"No, they aren't," Garp agreed. His eyes flicked down at the bodies around. "Guess I'll have to send my guys to pick these up," he muttered before looking at his grandson again. "Stay safe, Luffy."

Luffy flashed him a thumbs-up. "Kick their asses, grandpa!"

Garp grinned at his encouragement. "Of course!" And with that, he turned and soon disappeared into the forest.

The teen didn't move yet, instead stared at the pirate with goggles and spiky, light blue hair – the top hat he had previously worn nowhere in sight – then carefully sidled to him and nudged him with his foot. When there was no sign of him waking up, Luffy crouched down and started to go through his pockets. After a moment, a hundred-watt grin spread on his face and he straightened up with a joyful, "Aha! Lucky~!"

Squeezing the newly found item tightly in his fist, Luffy pivoted on his heel and raced into the forest – first towards the spot where he stashed the hat and the sword, and then back to the cave.

Law lashed out the moment someone tapped his shoulder, even before fully awake. Just a feathery touch, but it was enough for him to imagine the worst, sending a wave of panic and fear through his frazzled mind and tightened nerves.

The person ducked under his clumsy swing with a quiet, almost cheerful, "Whoops."

Law blinked, trying to shake off the sleepiness and exhaustion, instinctively reaching for Kikoku and immediately remembering that it wasn't there–

His fingers wrapped around the intimately familiar sheath, the rope pressing into the inside of his palm, and the feeling of reassuring strength in the weight of his blade, of relief, of safety that came with it, left him in a stunned, befuddled daze.

"So, it's yours, then?"

The question snapped Law out of his astonished stupor, and his eyes flicked from his nodachi up to Luffy's face.

"You grabbed it right from my hands," the boy said when Law failed to utter anything. "Oh. Sorry for waking you up, by the way."

"Where–" the man paused before clearing his dry throat, unconsciously bringing Kikoku to rest on his shoulder, the comfortable weight calming him down. "Where did you find it?"

Luffy smirked, a perfect blend of smugness and gleeful pride. "Some assholes had it, so I beat them up. Also found this." He pulled out the fur hat. "Is it yours too?"

"Yes," Law replied, slowly taking it from the younger raven, only to realize that the latter's straw hat was missing from his own hand, and then the fact that he had actually attacked the kid. Amber eyes quickly scanned Luffy's body up and down. Thankfully, there were no visible injuries – from him or from Doflamingo lackeys.

Luffy put his straw hat on, which he most likely picked up after Law dropped it while attacking, and held it down, tilting his head forward to hide his eyes, a dazzling grin stretching under it. "I also brought this!" he all but exploded in excitement, whipping his arm in front of Law's face.

The surgeon leaned back to focus on the thing in his grip. Instantly, disbelief sprouted in his heart because it couldn't be. It should have been with Diamante or at least Gladius, and even if Luffy was able to win against random goons, there was no way that he was strong enough to go against officers of Donquixote Pirates.

But it was right there. In front of his eyes.

A key.

There was no way, right?

Luffy hummed in satisfaction. "Let's check if it fits," he said, pushing it into the keyhole of Law's cuffs, carefully avoiding touching it directly. After a twist, cuff opened up with a soft click, the sound almost too loud in the deadly silence of the cave.

Law stared at his freed hand, feeling the energy and strength rushing through his veins now that they were not sapped by that accursed sea prism stone, his mind stuck in the incredulity of this situation. Effortlessly, a room swirled in his palm upon his mental command. Like usual. Just another sign that he truly was free.

Just… how?

Law looked at the boy again, clenching his hand into a fist, willing his fruit powers away. "…How?" a question came out as a whisper, but he didn't really care at this moment. Somehow, he managed to cram all of his rising immense gratitude into that one word.

Luffy let out a short carefree laugh. "Those jerks were really unlucky to land here on the day when my grandpa came for a visit," he explained. "He knocked out the guy with goggles, mask, and the hair like thaaaaat." He made a motion with his arms from his head to the sides, emphasizing his words. Gladius, Law realized. "And I checked him just in case, cause he's strong, so I thought maybe he's one of the bosses and might have it. Bosses always have this kind of things," the teen babbled happily, grinning. "And I was right!"

"Your grandfather knocked him out?"

"Yep. With a single hit! That was so cool!" Luffy cheered. "Grandpa is very strong and he's gonna take care of the rest. They don't even know that you're here, we just need to stay hidden for a few days," he continued as his expression softened and his toothy grin smoothed out into something warm and understanding. "So, you don't need to worry."

You're safe. No one is going to hurt you.

Law's lips twitched up into a small smile while his now free hand covered his eyes. "Unbelievable," he muttered.

What chances were for him to wash up on this particular island and be found by another D? For the latter to come upon the person who had his stuff? For his grandfather – whoever he was – to choose today to come here? For him to knock out the person who had that particular key?

All of these events were small miracles by themselves, but all of them happening consecutively was absolutely preposterous.

He never had been this lucky.

It was a sheer surprise that he had survived at all, not mentioning being freed from the sea stone and successfully eluding the notice of Donquixote Pirates. Apart from him ending up stranded in the East Blue, everything else turned out alright.

A thought of Doflamingo developing an aneurysm from letting him slip right from under his nose made Law chuckle in dark amusement.

A hiss of disgust and a splash of water startled the older raven. He looked up, catching sight of Luffy glaring at the pond, circles of tiny waves marring its previously perfect glassy surface. One glance down revealed cuffs gone from his side.

Luffy turned back to him, a beaming grin plastered firmly on his face. "Ne, Traffy, what kind of Devil Fruit do you have?"

"It's Law."

"Right. …So, what kind of Devil Fruit?"

The surgeon stared at the kid blankly before sighing in defeat. "You're just gonna keep calling me that, aren't you?"

"Shishishishi."

-a week later-

Law smirked as he watched another thug skedaddle out of sight at the first notice of Luffy. This was pretty hilarious. It seemed that the kid had his dominance established not only in the vast forest of Mt. Colubo, but this trash dump too.

Speaking of the kid… He got unusually quiet the closer they came to the Goa Kingdom's main city. Law shot a sideways glance at him and couldn't help but frown.

Luffy's whole body language screamed anxiety and agitation. He wasn't scared of his surroundings though, those hardened onyx eyes didn't flicker around, searching for a threat, but stared straight ahead at the colossal wall that circled the city.

The Goa Kingdom was also their current destination. With the danger of Donquixote Pirates gone and his injuries healing nicely, Law wanted to contact his crew. The submarine wouldn't be finished just yet—building such a thing was much harder than a common ship and required more precise work, not to mention parts that they had to ship from other places—but even if it were, his crew would stay around the shipyard. They didn't know what exactly happened to him so they wouldn't be moving from the spot where he could find them.

Trying to call the shipwright company seemed like the only way to get hold of his men. And for that, Law needed a Den Den Mushi powerful enough to reach the North Blue. Considering that the Goa Kingdom was a rich seaport city, it definitely had considerable local and international traffic of people and cargo, and thus Law hoped to find such snail in a bar or an inn at the port.

Luffy offered to guide him, but looking at the latter's tense small (too small for an almost fifteen years old teenager) frame, Law wondered if he should have refused and went alone.

"Luffy-ya, I'm positive that I can find my way around in the city, you don't have to go," he said, narrowing his eyes at the tiny flinch when he spoke all of a sudden.

"It's been years from the last time I was in there, but I still remember the way to the port," the teen replied quietly, keeping his voice carefully even. "It's fine. I can do it."

Well, it wasn't his place to dictate what the kid should do and what he shouldn't, so the surgeon said nothing more. Besides, sometimes demons of the past needed to be confronted so that they wouldn't drag you even deeper. Of course, Law was in no position to preach on that particular topic; he was running from his own demons and ghosts as long as he could remember.

They stopped right next to the wall, hidden in its enormous shade and behind mountains of trash from any unwanted attention. Law raised his head up to peer at the top. This was one big ass wall. He pondered what these people were so afraid of to voluntarily imprison themselves behind such monstrosity.

"You ready?" Luffy asked. His eyebrows were knitted in concentration as he stared in front of him without really seeing anything. "There are no people on the other side at the moment."

Law removed his eyes from the top of the wall. "Yeah," he replied as he lifted his hand, summoning a room into existence with a single thought. They had worked out the plan before coming here, choosing the easiest way to get inside by using their both unique abilities. One twist of his tattooed fingers and they stood on the other side of the wall, leaving only two trash bins in their previous spot.

"So cool," Luffy cheered with a ghost of a grin present on his face.

Law breathed out, flexing his injured arm, and then smirked, satisfied. Using his Devil Fruit didn't put a strain on it anymore. Good. He looked around an empty alley. There really wasn't anyone here.

Luffy's mystery power, as the boy dubbed it, truly was mysterious. It seemed much stronger than what Haki could do. Or at least what little Law knew about Haki from the bits and pieces of information he'd heard during his time with Donquixote Pirates.

"The quickest way to the port would be going through the main street."

Law glanced at the younger raven and said, "Lead the way, then."

Luffy seemingly hesitated for a split second before starting to walk. Law followed after, keeping an eye on him, taking note of all the anxiety signs. It really was a jarring change in image from the self-confident, overly exuberant wild boy from the forest to this frightened child.

Luffy literally jumped when a person slammed the door of the nearby building.

The surgeon sighed. "Luffy-ya," he called out.

The teen shot him an apologetic glance. "Sorry."

"Tell me about Ace."

Luffy stopped short. This time his gaze was full of surprise and stayed glued to the man's face. "What?"

"Tell me about your brother," Law requested again, his tone light and nonchalant. He wasn't even looking at the kid at the moment, his amber eyes scanning the surroundings, Kikoku resting on his shoulder in a relaxed manner.

With his face blank, the boy stared right at him, his eyes searching. Then, slowly, his lips stretched into a small but genuine grin. "I was right, you're a good person," he stated as a matter-of-fact.

Law turned back to him with a scowl.

"You two are similar in the way that…" Luffy trailed off with a soft hum. Without clarification what he meant, he started to walk again. "I met Ace when I was seven and he was ten. At first, he didn't like me one bit! Tried to kill me so many times, shishishishi."

Law raised an eyebrow at his cheery attitude speaking about such a thing. And besides, what kind of relationship started with one trying to kill anoth—

A memory of a dagger sinking into Corazon's back flashed through his mind and his mouth curled into a wry smile. Right. Sometimes that was how the strongest bond began.

Luffy kept babbling about Ace and, even if his eyes occasionally flickered around in anticipation of danger and he appeared still on edge, he calmed down significantly.

At least until they stepped onto the main street.

Luffy's speech died abruptly in mid-word and he just froze, his face draining of all color.

"Luffy-ya?" Law called. When he got no answer, he stepped in front of the boy and leaned down to look straight into his eyes. "Luffy," he said a bit sharper. That earned him a slight flinch, but those wide and fearful onyx orbs kept staring somewhere through him.

The surgeon furrowed his brow, concern fluttering over his features. This seemed like a PTSD flashback. Quite a strong one too. Good thing that the kid could still hear him. Law racked his brain for the best approach to the victim of the flashback. It was one thing to deal with it when he had them himself after Cora-san's death, but the completely different thing to help someone else.

"Luffy, you're safe. Whatever you're seeing is in the past. This is now, and you're safe," he said in a firm, calm tone.

The boy tried to take a shaky half-breath, but it instantly hitched in his throat again.

"Luffy, can I touch you?"

"D-don't…"

No surprise there. "Alright, I'm not going to touch you, Luffy," the pirate reassured. "But I'll stay here with you. Or would you feel better if I wasn't this close? I can step aw–"

"No!" Luffy's hand shot up and caught the older man's wrist in a death grip, causing Law to wince. "P-please, don't leave," he pleaded in a whisper. "They– They– Don't let them t-take me again."

Law's scowl deepened. Kidnapping, huh. And most likely a torture too if all those scars that he had accidentally seen were any indication.

"It's okay, Luffy," he continued, ignoring the boy's painful grasp on his hand. Fortunately, it wasn't his injured one. "You're safe. No one is going to hurt you." And wasn't it ironic to return those words to the person who told them to him first? "Just focus on my voice, Luffy. Don't let those memories control you. They are not real, we're here in the present and everything's okay."

Luffy took another deep breath. This time it went smoothly through his pipe to his lungs and he closed his eyes, eyebrows drawn together in his effort to ground himself while his other hand went up to clutch at the rim of his straw hat.

"Oh my, do you need help?"

Law looked up at the owner of an unfamiliar voice. A couple of senior citizens was looking at them, something akin to worried curiosity written on both their faces. "We're fine," he said curtly, glancing at his young companion to make sure these people didn't make it worse.

The old lady frowned in disbelief. "But there seems to be something wrong with the boy," she argued.

Law saw her reaching for Luffy's shoulder, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't touch him," he demanded, stopping her hand with the sheath of his sword, and she recoiled back. "I'm a doctor. He'll be fine."

The woman brought a palm over her mouth, shooting a petulant glare at them. "Distasteful," she mumbled under her breath.

Law clicked his tongue in a great ire when Luffy cringed from her obvious display of disgust.

The old man eyed him suspiciously. "What kind of doctor is carrying a sword?" he asked.

"The kind that's gonna chop your heads off if you don't go away right now," the surgeon snapped, finally losing his patience. He kept his voice deliberately low as a threat and also to not scare Luffy even more.

He had to admit that he was acting a tad bit protective, feelings long lost after Lami's death stirring against his better judgment, but he owed the kid so much that helping him go through something this traumatic didn't even start paying it off.

Trafalgar Law always paid his debts.

The pirate glowered after the retreating forms of the old couple, when Luffy's grip on his wrist suddenly eased up.

Despite the boy's ashy complexion, he was definitely back to reality. "Thanks, Law," he said quietly.

Law observed him for a few seconds, feeling weird hearing Luffy calling him by his preferred name, then let out a small sigh. "We can take the longer route, there's no rush," he suggested, absentmindedly shaking the numbness out of the hand that Luffy held onto.

The boy observed his action wordlessly. "But your nakama—" he started before the older D cut him off.

"Waited this long and can wait a bit longer."

Luffy hesitated.

Feeling slightly exasperated, the surgeon rolled his eyes. Goodness knew this brat could use being just a bit selfish once in a while.

Someone shouted down the main street.

Luffy conceded immediately, swiveling around and hurrying back into the side alley they had walked out previously.

Law followed suit, a small satisfied smirk toying with a corner of his mouth.

-presently, somewhere in the East Blue, the Going Merry-

Luffy put the last bite into his mouth and pushed the plate away, indicating that he was done.

Sanji, who at that exact moment placed down another bowl of roasted meat on the table, scowled at his action. "Eat," he ordered, glowering down at the seated straw-hatted teen.

Luffy cast a single fleeting glance at him. "Nah, I'm good," he declared before turning to face Usopp, sitting in front of him on the other side of the table. "Ne, Usopp, let's go fishing!"

The cook shot a warning glare at the sniper. The latter gulped as he got the hint and instead of agreement, what left his mouth was, "You should really eat more, Luffy."

The captain frowned, a spectrum of emotions flickering across his expression until it settled on conscientiously crafted neutral. He said nothing, though.

Sanji exhaled a cloud of smoke, tapping the butt of his cigarette at the corner of the ashtray. "I've seen how much you can eat. This plate doesn't amount even a quarter of that, does it?" Sanji chided. He pushed a bowl towards the younger teen. "So, eat."

Nami pursed her lips disapprovingly at the blond's pushy behavior, but didn't move to stop him.

The only one who was missing from the galley was Zoro. They were unable to wake the swordsman up and left him napping against the mast.

Luffy stared up at his cook. He knew how much he could eat better than anyone else, but they were in the middle of the sea with limited supplies and no nearby islands. What if they ran out of food? He didn't want his nakama to starve. He was used to that, they weren't.

The boy realized that Sanji had only good intentions, but he couldn't help a sudden feeling of being threatened, and the blond towering over his seated form only strengthened it. Without saying anything, he stood up, intended to leave.

Sanji tsked. "You shitty rubber, do I need to chain you up and force feed you?"

Luffy froze mid-move, his whole body going rigid.

Just chain it up and force feed it!

He was not on the Going Merry anymore, not even in the East Blue. He was back in that room, forced to kneel before that person, sea stone cuffs biting into his skin, draining his strength, leaving him weak and hopeless and at the mercy of those people.

"Saint Kenjord, he's refusing to eat. Probably noticed that his food had been drugged lately."

"I don't care! Just chain it up and force feed it! I need this pet ready for today's match!"

Luffy heard a distant echo of his name before he felt a touch on his shoulder. He lashed out, momentarily forgetting where or with whom he was.

He knew what he was experiencing right now wasn't real; Law explained this to him. It was just a flashback, becoming a wounded piece of himself that had been sliced off during his time in that place and hung there, suspended in that horrifying past.

It wasn't real. Not real, not real, not real…

He knew that, yet still could clearly feel rough and sweaty hands manhandling him, grabbing, dragging, shackling him down, prying his mouth open, stuffing their food down his throat. He didn't like it. It always made him sick, like his body and blood was on fire, leaving his mind in shambles, causing him to be restless and angry. So, so angry, angry enough to tear anyone in sight apart.

Luffy couldn't recall how he ended up outside, leaning over the railing, acidic taste of bile clinging to his tongue. His body was hot and uncomfortable, the disgusting, sickening feeling of those hands crawling like larvae just under his skin, out of reach. He wanted it gone, to rip his skin off to make it disappear.

The sea. The seawater was supposed to be cold and refreshing.

He vaulted over the railing and into the deep abyss below.

"Luffy!" Nami and Usopp screamed in horror. Before they could even move, a blur of white and green shot past them. Zoro, who had been sleeping soundly till now, dove overboard without a moment's hesitation.

"Rope! We need a rope! Or ladder!" Usopp panicked, scrambling inside in search of the rope.

Sanji walked to the railing and stopped next to the navigator. He looked down, absentmindedly rubbing his cheek that was still red and stinging after Luffy had punched him. "The hell is this about?" he mumbled under his breath, his eyes quickly scanning the surface of the sea, searching for a familiar green-head and their idiot captain.

Silently, Nami pressed Luffy's straw hat to her chest as she also observed the sea, waiting.

After an excruciatingly long several seconds, Zoro finally emerged from below the sea and began swimming one-armed towards the ship. At the same time, Usopp showed up with a simple rope ladder and tossed it down.

The swordsman made it to the ladder and latched onto it, adjusting the rubbery teen to hang over his shoulders, but Luffy reached for the ladder to climb himself. Zoro let him without any objection, just silently supporting his weakened body so that he wouldn't end up in the ocean again.

Slowly, they both climbed back onto Merry.

"Thanks, Zoro," Luffy said quietly as his feet landed on the deck.

"Sure," the man replied nonchalantly, however his sharp silver eyes fixed on his captain's back was anything but nonchalant.

"Luffy…" Nami trailed off, biting her lip, unsure of what to say. This episode was as bad as that night terror, maybe even worse.

Luffy's gaze flicked to her, then down at his straw hat. "Thanks, Nami," he spoke in the same flat tone, taking his treasured hat from her, but didn't put it back on. He turned to leave. "Going to change."

Sanji gritted his teeth in frustration. "Hey, wait!" he ordered, unconsciously lifting his arm to stop the teen from walking away. "Expl—"

Luffy smacked his approaching hand away. Lips pulled into a snarl, he faced the blond and hissed, "Do not touch me." He maintained his glare for a bit before continuing towards the hatch of the boys' room, leaving a wet trail behind.

Once he was inside and out of earshot, Zoro turned to the other three pirates and scowled, a mute demand to explain. When no one spoke, he barked out, "What happened?"

"W-We don't know!" Usopp stammered out in defense.

"One moment we were eating and then…" Nami knitted her brow, contemplating. "I… I think he might have been triggered by your words, Sanji-kun."

"What did he say?" Zoro asked. His scowl deepened when Nami reverted her eyes while Usopp simply seemed confused. He rounded on the cook. "What did you say?"

"That I'm gonna chain him up and force feed—"

Zoro fisted his hand into the lapel of the cook's suit and slammed him into the mast. Usopp squeaked startled. Nami recoiled in fright from the swordsman's sudden aggression.

Sanji, however, held his fellow crewmate's glare evenly, but didn't fight against being manhandled. He had already figured out that for some reason his words worked as a trigger for Luffy. He felt guilty, yeah, but he would have lied if he said that he wasn't aggravated by Luffy's attitude.

"Freedom for Luffy is everything," Zoro growled. "Idiot," he spat, shoving the blond. Then he collected his sword and boots and sauntered off, some of his anger and irritation leaking to show in his stride.

Sanji pulled out a new cigarette and lighted it up. "Dammit," a silent curse slipped past his lips. "I'm gonna go talk with Luffy."

"You think that's a good idea?" Usopp asked uncertainly.

"Like I have a choice," the cook replied under his breath. He walked to the hatch and ripped it open. Not bothering with a ladder, he simply jumped inside, landing smoothly on the wooden floor.

"Now listen, Luf—" Sanji didn't finish, his voice getting strangled somewhere along his throat.

The hatch above fell close, plunging the room into the half-darkness, but not before Sanji laid his eyes on Luffy's back, the latter caught off guard and not fast enough to pull his new dry shirt over it.

The lit cigarette hit the floor, throwing glowing specks of cinder in a small circle around it.

"That's…" Sanji spoke breathlessly. "That's a slave brand."

Next Chapter: Dead or Alive

Chapter Text

The hatch above fell closed, plunging the room into the half-darkness, but not before Sanji laid his eyes on Luffy's back, the latter caught off-guard and not moving fast enough to pull his new dry shirt over it.

The lit cigarette hit the floor, throwing glowing specks of cinder in a small circle around it.

"That's…" Sanji spoke breathlessly. "That's a slave brand."

Luffy's guard instantly went up, his expression going flat with practiced blankness. A sudden flare of fear in his dark eyes was forcefully suppressed and replaced by deadly sharpness with an underlying caution. His body shifted ever so slightly, muscles tense and ready, conveying intense mistrust, wariness, and apprehension without even saying a word.

Sanji, for his part, didn't notice yet; his mind was still struggling to fully comprehend what he had just stated aloud.

Luffy's voice, low and as cold as ice, sliced through the suffocating silence: "How do you know?"

It finally jolted the cook out of his dazed stupor. Two pirates stared at each other, anticipation dancing in the air. There was something dangerous and chilling in the rubber teen's stance that whispered to Sanji's instincts. But the boy wasn't preparing to attack him, he realized. Luffy was ready to defend himself.

That epiphany hit Sanji like a punch to his gut.

Luffy was ready to defend himself from him. From his own crewmate, the person he himself invited to join him on his travels, his nakama, and all because he saw the—

Sanji made a few unsteady steps backward and sat down on the couch.

All because he saw the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon burned into his flesh, the symbol that should forever mark someone as 'less than human.'

No wonder his captain was feeling defensive. Who wouldn't? In the eyes of the world's majority, humans like him were technically the property of the World Nobles, regardless of how disgusting that sounded. The instilled fear and the consequences of going against such people often outweighed the person's humanity and conscience.

Luffy expected to be betrayed.

"Zeff," the blond finally croaked out. "The geezer told me about it." He rummaged through his pockets, searching for his cigarettes. "A few years ago he got drunk and told me a story about how he met a woman during his journey through the Grand Line. She was one of…" he trailed off, pushing a cigarette between his lips. "He said that those people dismissed her after disfiguring her face." The damn lighter refused to work. "Eventually, she took her own life."

A heavy silence sank down on them, disturbed only by Sanji's vain attempts to ignite his lighter.

Click. Click. Click.

Luffy said nothing, simply watching, searching, judging, though Sanji was falling back into his own thoughts.

Zeff rarely drank and even more rarely got drunk, but when he did, he always had a loose tongue. The blond was curious at that time, so he asked to tell him more. If those monsters could do such awful things to women, he couldn't even imagine what they did to men or… kids.

Sanji stumbled over the last thought, and words slipped out without his consent: "For how long?"

The boy shifted again, lips twitching down in a small frown. "Four years," he replied reluctantly. "That's what my brother said."

That's what his brother said. Sanji clenched his teeth. It must have been so horrible that Luffy himself lost the feeling of time. He was seventeen now. Four years. Even if he had been freed recently, it meant that he was just a kid during his enslavement.

The cook himself spent several months in a similar situation, and it was enough to leave deep scars for the rest of his life; he could only begin to imagine how deep four years' worth of scars ran.

Click. Click. Click.

So many things suddenly made sense. Luffy's nightmares, his weird eating habits, his terrifying fury against Arlong, the whole hassle in the clinic over his shirt, his extreme dislike to be touched—

Here, Sanji's mind sputtered to an abrupt halt, fingers freezing on the ignition mechanism.

Sexual slavery… Wouldn't his dislike of touch imply that he was used for this particular purpose? It was possible. Luffy was a kid, and there was no doubt that sick psychos who liked that sort of thing existed among those Celestial bastards.

Sanji felt his stomach churn just from thinking about it. He tried to light his cigarette again, hands trembling, but the lighter was still stubbornly not working.

Click. Click. Click.

"Dammit."

"Sanji?"

The cook glanced up. Luffy was staring at him, his head slightly cocked to the side in the way he did when he was confused by something. He seemed more relaxed now, not entirely at ease yet, but at least not like he was cornered without a way out and ready to fight to the death for his freedom.

"Do I need to chain you up and force feed you?"

Click. Click. Cli—whoosh.

The fire finally flicked to life, and Sanji took a long and much-needed drag, filling his lungs with smoke. He had a nagging feeling that it wasn't just a chain comment that triggered his captain. Force feeding. Why would they force him to eat? Did he try to starve himself to death? Would those people care if he did?

Suddenly, Sanji recalled the celebration on Nami's home island and how Luffy chose only those dishes which had already been tasted by someone else. It baffled him back then, so he noted it down, but decided to ponder on it at a later date. Now, his blue eyes widened at the realization of the significance of that particular observation.

"Did they do something to your food?"

Luffy went rigid. The silence stretched on, and after some time, Sanji started to think that he wouldn't be getting a reply at all this time.

Then Luffy finally spoke. "They used drugs to make me—that made me—" Luffy never finished, instead pulled his straw hat down. Adding that to the dimness of the room, he successfully hid his expression from the prying eyes, but his soft voice betrayed the magnitude of pain and torment buried deep inside his soul. The boy sounded vulnerable and wounded—utterly broken.

Sanji's heart gave a guilty lurch. Drugs. Of course, it was drugs. Very colorful strings of curse words flashed one after another in his head. Simultaneously, he ran through the list of ingredients that he wouldn't be using in his cooking or using very sparingly from now on.

There was also a problem with Luffy's refusal to eat properly while on the ship. He would have to create a special diet for him, full of food and products that were packed with nutrients and vitamins, to increase his energy levels and maintain his alertness and focus throughout the day.

The boy's inability to sleep soundly also had to be taken into consideration. Maybe something to help him relax? But Sanji would have to inform the teen first that it could make him drowsy to avoid any misunderstandings.

The blond ruffled his own hair in sudden frustration. Luffy wasn't even a girl! But he accepted this brat as his captain, and he'd be damned if he let his captain just to fade away due to some scum of the earth and his twisted idea of entertainment. This rubber-brained idiot would never manage to reach his dream without someone going out of their way to properly look after him.

If Sanji still held any misgivings about joining this crew, they were completely erased now.

Luffy flinched when the man abruptly stood up. It was only a slight flinch, almost imperceptible, but the cook noticed. Right, the trust between them was shot to hell at the current moment.

"Listen up, Luffy," Sanji started, stuffing his hands into his pockets to appear less threatening. "When one of my crewmates starves in front of my eyes, it means I'm not doing my job as the cook of this crew. Of course, I can't force you to eat if you don't want to. That said, from tomorrow onwards you'll be on a special diet to deal with your high energy demand. And I don't want to hear anything against it, got it, you shitty captain?"

Luffy stared at him, looking completely surprised and thoroughly baffled. "Okay…?"

Satisfied, Sanji nodded. "Now, I'll have to excuse myself." He turned to leave. "Our lovely Nami-san is waiting for her after-dinner dessert!" Despite his declaration that it was for the only female member of the crew, his mind was preoccupied going through his various recipes, searching for something easy to digest but loaded with proteins. He also needed to check available supplies and decide on the diet for Luffy.

Sanji put his foot on the first step of the ladder leading out when Luffy's question stopped him.

"Are you going to tell the others about… it?"

The blond faced his captain and smirked. "I thought that the past doesn't matter on this ship."

Luffy returned his smile. It was just a ghost of his usual sunny grins, but at least it was a smile, and a genuine one to boot. "That's right," he said as he walked closer, brushing his fingertips along the brim of his straw hat. Then he took it off and put it on his cook's head. "Thanks, Sanji."

The blond was startled; he heard just how much this hat meant for the captain, to the point where no one was allowed to touch it unless the owner himself permitted it. His lips stretched into a bright grin. "I'll try to keep it away from the fire," he joked, proceeding to climb up.

"You better!"

Sanji chuckled at the fuming shout from below. He pushed the hatch open, jumped on the deck, and instantly felt three pairs of eyes zeroed on him. There was no need to tell them that everything got sorted out because they could clearly see the straw hat sitting on his head and immediately understand the importance of it. So, the blond strolled into the galley without a word.

Usopp and Nami heaved a deep sigh of relief in unison, finally able to be at ease. After watching the cook until he disappeared inside, Zoro huffed and closed his eyes, preparing for another nap.

When Luffy climbed back to the deck sometime later, nothing seemed out of place. He welcomed this feeling of normalcy.

Zoro was peacefully lounging near the bow of the ship, his arms behind his head, legs crossed, and his sword resting at his side.

Usopp had his workbench settled nearby, deciding to do some work while basking on the deck. Now he was busy concocting a new type of projectile with the utmost precaution.

Nami was reclining in a deckchair under the umbrella, a rolled up newspaper at her side that she just bought and planned to read.

Sanji burst out of the galley, carrying a tray with four drinks. Seeing Luffy together with the rest of the crew, he smiled and approached him. "Your hat," he said as he took the straw hat and returned it to its rightful place on the future Pirate King's head. Next, he picked up the only glass with a green liquid and offered it to the younger teen. "And a special drink."

"Eh? But—"

"None of that," the cook reprimanded. "I want to see you finish all of it. It's good for you."

Nami and Usopp blinked at the blond's surprisingly caring attitude towards their captain. Even Zoro peeked at the scene with one eye, curious at the sudden change in handling Luffy. Sanji's behavior still came out as pushy, but something in it felt instinctively different.

"Super special dessert for you, Nami-swan!" Sanji exclaimed, skipping towards the navigator and leaving pouting Luffy behind. He gave her the only red drink. "Made with my infallible love just for you~!"

"Yeah, yeah." Nami took her glass, not in the slightest fazed by the cook's lovey-dovey disposition. "Thank you, Sanji-kun."

"You're welcome," the man chirped happily. Then he turned to the remaining males, all the care and affection melting away from his face into a disinterested expression, and put the tray with two yellow drinks left down. "And these very common drinks are for you two."

"Oi! Why is the service so obviously different?!" Usopp complained.

Zoro leaned forward to take his drink without any comment.

Nami picked up a newspaper with her free hand and shook it open. That's when two sheets of paper fell out from between its pages and floated down to the deck. It caught everyone's attention.

"Ah…"

"Aghh!"

"Aaah!"

"Huh?"

"Oh?"

-Conomi Islands, Cocoyashi Village-

"Nojiko! Nojikoooo!"

Nojiko straightened up from where she had just planted a young mikan tree, wiped sweat from her brow, and turned towards the yelling, scowling. "Why are you yelling, Gen-san?" she asked when a man approached her and stopped with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "What's got you so worked up?"

"Have you read today's newspaper?"

"Hm? Not yet," Nojiko replied, glancing back at the row of newly planted saplings. "It's a good day for transplanting the trees, so I've been busy from early morning." She looked back and raised an eyebrow at Genzo's obvious distress. "Anything I should know?"

"Yeah!" the man exploded, pushing two flyers into her hands. "Just look at this!"

"Oh? That's impressive," Nojiko noted without a shred of surprise as she saw the first bounty poster of Luffy who was grinning brightly like there was no tomorrow. Then she pulled the second one from behind it and suddenly laughed. "What a cute photo!"

Genzo was appalled by her reaction. "That's not what's important! I'm pretty sure they made a mistake!"

With a wide grin stuck on her face, the woman stared at Nami's bounty poster. Her sister managed to pose in such angle that neither her bandaged shoulder nor a bruise on her face was visible, creating a perfect mix of seductive and mysterious.

"We should call the Navy HQ and demand to take it down!"

Nojiko ignored the old man's rant, scrutinizing both photos. It seemed that they were taken during the party. Sneaky Marines. "I doubt Nami had planned this," she said quietly before sniggering again in amusement. "I'd love to see her reaction."

"This is not something to laugh about!"

"Relax, Gen-san, Nami's a big girl. She can deal with this." Nojiko shoved Luffy's bounty poster to the old man's chest, eliciting an indignant huff. "Besides this guy can and will protect her."

"You seem to put a lot of faith in that boy…" Genzo griped.

Nojiko hummed in assent and smirked. "Just one of those unexplained hunches, you know?"

The man sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

-an undisclosed island, the Revolutionary Army's main base in the East Blue-

"Hey, what are you looking at?" a brown-haired man asked as he sat down at the communication table next to his friend.

"New bounties, issued just this morning," the other revolutionary replied, pushing two sheets across the table for him to see.

The man whistled in appreciation. "The thief girl is hot, and the boy's amount is nothing to scoff at. Why such a high reward for a harmless looking kid?"

Another man shrugged, indifferent. "Those Marines piss their pants way too easily," he laughed. "Anyway, what did Betty-san say about why those two came to our base?"

"She doesn't know either."

"Huh? Seriously?"

The brown-haired man nodded. "It's strange, right?" he mumbled, deep in his thoughts. "Why would the Boss and—eek!" he gasped in surprise when an arm suddenly came into his sight, reaching for the table over his shoulder.

Both men looked at the owner of that arm, and their eyes almost jumped out of their sockets upon seeing who it was. "D-D-Dragon-san?!" both revolutionaries exclaimed in alarm.

Dragon picked the boy's bounty poster they were looking at a minute prior and a feral grin stretched across his face. "I'll take this," he said, already spinning on his heel to leave.

"S-Sure…" one of the men stammered out as they watched him exit the room. He shared a baffled glance with his friend who whispered to him, "Why is Boss interested in that kid?"

"No idea."

Meanwhile, Dragon kept his steady stride along the corridor while staring at the wanted poster. The longer he gazed at that happily carefree smile in the photo, the more his own grin seemed to get wider. "So, you've finally started your journey, Luffy. I'll make sure to see you off," he uttered to himself, then pulled his eyes from the paper and cast his gaze around. "Now, where did that brat ran off to?"

-on the Going Merry-

The pirates kept gawking at the two wanted posters. Then…

"AAAAAHHH!" Luffy, Nami, and Usopp screamed together. One scream of excitement and two screams of terror.

"Wanted dead or alive 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy for 37 million beli," Zoro read loudly before smirking. "Not bad, Captain."

Sanji did the same with the second poster. "Wanted dead or alive 'Cat Burglar' Nami for 1 million beli! Aaah, wonderful as ever, Nami-san~!"

"Finally!" Luffy whooped in delight, fist pumping the air. "Take that, Ace! It's higher than your first one! Hahahaha!"

The navigator, on the other hand, felt no joy whatsoever. She picked her bounty poster with trembling hands. "Why… Why did they put a bounty on my head too?!" she cried out in disbelief. "Is it because I threatened that ugly rat? But he deserved that! Argh, I'm finished! This is so unfair!"

"Don't worry, Nami-san! This knight of love will protect you with his life!"

The girl didn't seem to hear the self-proclaimed knight. Still looking at the paper, she mumbled, "At least the photo turned out pretty nice…"

"To think that there is something so beautiful in this world!"

"The only thing unfair here is that the Great Me didn't get a bounty this time! But soon the world will know the true might of the Great Capt—ah, I mean… the Great King of the Snipers Usopp! Mwahahah!" the long-nosed teen puffed his chest and cackled like a madman.

Nami scoffed, flicking the strand of hair out of her face, obviously annoyed now. "Well, it is unfair! I hate this! But..." She glared at the poster. "If they have to put a price on my head they can at least do better!" Her tone changed to one of anger as she shook the sheet in front of Usopp's nose. "Just look at that pitiable reward! Am I worth only one measly million?!"

"You're worth ten million! No, a hundred million! No, no, a billion!" Sanji proclaimed.

"You're such a tool…" Zoro snorted.

The sniper was speechless. "At least you got a bounty! Be happy about that!"

"How can I be happy?! You don't understand the gravity of the situation," Nami declared. "This means our lives will be in constant danger! We can't afford to wait around in the East Blue any longer."

"That's right," Luffy agreed with a huge grin. "We're going straight to the Grand Line!"

"Aye, aye!" Sanji and Usopp cheered. They hooked arms over each other's shoulder and proceeded to do a little jig, chanting 'Grand Line!' all the while.

Nami let out a long-suffering sigh.

Zoro seemed to think about something before a smudge at the horizon drew his attention. "Oi! I see an island up ahead."

Luffy instantly perked up at that, pulling himself up on Merry's figurehead.

"That island is the proof that we're close to the Grand Line," Nami started. "The famous town there, Loguetown, is the birthplace of the Pirate King Roger, as well as his execution spot. That's why it's called the town of the beginning and the end."

"The place where the Pirate King died…" the straw-hatted boy muttered, his eyes locked on the island in the distance.

The navigator smirked. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah. I want to see it." After a moment, Luffy glanced down at his bounty poster which he picked up earlier, focusing on one particular word. The word 'Dead' in the "dead or alive."

The fact that that one word was printed on it meant that those people hadn't taken notice yet. Maybe they never would. But the possibility of that happening couldn't be overlooked. That person might be gone now, but his brother was still around. If he would take notice…

Luffy shot a quick glance over his shoulder at his oblivious nakama and the paper crumpled in his tightened grip. It was selfish of him to put them all in danger like that, but he had no real choice. He could only hope that they would understand and forgive him.

He had to be ready. And he needed to prepare his crew too. Make them stronger so they could protect themselves in case he'd failed to do so.

Zeff said that everyone could use the mystery power—Haki, as he called it—and it was a great boost to strength. The teen didn't quite recall how he learned it, it just happened over time, and wondered how one should go about teaching it.

Going Merry drew closer and closer to the new island.

Well, eventually he'd figure it out, Luffy concluded in the end.

-somewhere at the very beginning of the Grand Line on the Polar Tang-

"Aw, man," Shachi groaned, pushing the appropriate amount of beli into the News Coo's bag. "When are you gonna stop raising your prices?"

"Caww…" the bird squeaked in apology.

The pirate sighed dejectedly, shooing the seagull away. Then he noticed something sticking out from between the newspaper's pages. "Hm? What's this?" he wondered, tugging it out. Upon seeing the bounty poster of a familiar boy, his eyes widened. "Captain!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, rushing across the Polar Tang's deck to the spot where the captain of the Heart Pirates was sunbathing, leaning against the sleeping Bepo. "Captain!"

"What's the ruckus?"

"What's up, Shachi?"

One after another, pirates popped onto the deck, lured by their crewmate's screams.

Law cracked open one eye to look at his nakama, and his curiosity piqued at the undeniable excitement etched into his features. "What is it?"

"Look at this, Captain!" Shachi passed him the newly dubbed Straw Hat's wanted poster.

Law's lips curved into a smirk, sharp and fierce and with a touch of glee. "Looks like Luffy is finally setting out," he remarked. "How're our repairs going?"

One of the technicians flashed a thumbs-up. "Few hours and we're good to go!"

"Good," Law said, satisfied. "Once it's done, we'll go to resupply and then set sailing too."

There was a pregnant silence before everyone exploded into thrilled cheers, "FINALLY!"

Their celebration was short-lived because the next moment Bepo, who didn't even twitch during all the commotion, suddenly out-voiced them all with a loud, "I'm not fluffy!"

Every single pirate except the captain stilled before screaming back at him, "OF COURSE, YOU ARE!"

"I'm sorry…"

"DON'T APOLOGIZE IN YOUR SLEEP!"

Law kept smiling at the antics of his crew. Inevitably, his eyes returned to the younger D's photo, fondness smoothing out his smirk into something much gentler. 'It'll be interesting to meet you again, Luffy."

-somewhere in the New World on the Moby Dick-

"Pops! Look, look, look!" Ace brandished the bounty poster and pointed his finger at the photo, all smiles and sunshine. "This kid is my little brother!"

"Oh?" Whitebeard leaned forward and squinted at the paper in his son's hands. "Gurarara! Looks like a very cheeky brat."

"You have no idea, Pops!"

"What's going on here? Something interesting happened?" a new voice chimed in. The pirates turned to its direction and saw Thatch strolling towards them. As soon as he came closer, a sheet of paper was literally shoved to his face. "What the—?"

"Check this out, Thatch!" Ace exclaimed, excitement pouring out of him in waves. "This is my baby brother!"

Whitebeard let out a hearty laugh, while Marco simply rolled his eyes. As the person who showed their fire user the newly issued wanted posters, he was the first one to suffer through his endless fanboying.

Thatch was unamused. "Ace, I can't see. You're pretty much pressing this thing into my face."

"Er, sorry," the younger pirate apologized sheepishly, bringing the poster to the more appropriate distance. "See? See? My li'l brother!"

The pompadour man took a look. "'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy… Such a high reward, huh?" he said, sounding genuinely impressed. "Not bad for a rookie!"

Ace beamed like the sun. "I know, right? I was so surprised too! That's almost double my first bounty! Hehe, he'd never let me live it down!"

"37 million for such a harmless looking pipsqueak?" Marco asked doubtfully. "Is he really worth that much?"

"Hey!" Ace instantly rounded on him. "Luffy's very strong! Actually, we were equal in strength when I left and he's three years younger than me!" he stated with so much pride and conviction that even Whitebeard raised his eyebrow. Everyone knew just how monstrous their young Commander was, even without his Devil Fruit.

"And considering that he spent four y—" Ace abruptly stopped talking. His face momentarily darkened, something unsightly flashing through his eyes. "Anyways," he continued, "Luffy's the man who'll become the Pirate King—no offense, Pops—so sooner or later you'll know just how strong he is."

A fond grin spread across the giant man's face. "None taken, son."

Thatch and Marco shared a knowing look. The phoenix then glanced at their captain, catching his gaze, and the latter furrowed his brow.

Thatch hooked his arm around Ace's shoulder before the kid took notice of the silent exchange and grinned at him. "If your baby brother wants to become the Pirate King, he'll have to challenge Pops one day, right?"

"Uhh…" The freckled raven scratched his head. "I guess?"

"So, which one are you gonna cheer on at that moment?"

Ace opened his mouth, closed it, opened again, closed… "Both?" he tried, eliciting a deadpan stare from his two fellow commanders and rumbling laughter from Whitebeard. "I don't know!" he blurted out, throwing his arms into the air, becoming more flustered with every second. Ultimately, his temper exploded. "Argh! I really don't know! How am I supposed to choose?! They're both equally important to me!"

"Uh, Ace?" Marco called. There was a distinct tone of amusement underlying his voice. "Your brother's poster just went up in flames, yoi."

"What—aaaaaaahhhhh!" Ace screamed in horror when he glanced at his hand and saw only the black, charred paper. It quickly crumbled with every sweep of a sea breeze and soon the remaining ashes slipped through his fingers. "Nooooooooooo! What have I done?! Luffy, I'm so sorry! Your brother is a hopeless idiot!"

Thatch teased him goodheartedly, "You got that right."

Ace lifted his head to look at him, his big eyes glistening with unshed tears and lower lip tucked between his teeth. An overwhelmingly pitiful sight to behold.

Thatch froze. He would not succumb to such a lethal pair of Puppy Eyes. Definitely not. Nuh-uh. Not happening. Urgh, he had to resist this… He had to resist… had to… to…

…Aw, shit. He could feel his willpower fold like wet tissue.

"Here, I have a spare one," the older commander muttered, pulling out an intact bounty poster from inside his clothes. He had already planned to use it for some teasing after witnessing Ace so hyped up about it. Or blackmailing; that also would have worked. Curse his soft and unbelievably awesome heart. Super Thatch to the rescue! "My subscription of 'The rare cuisine of the world' this morning came with it. Dunno why."

Ace gasped, clasping the paper like it was his saving grace. A moment later, he tackled his friend into an octopus-like hug. "You're the best, Thatch! From now on, you're my best buddy!"

"Oi! Stop slobbering all over my clothes!" the swordsman fumed, struggling to push the younger man away. "And what do you mean 'from now on'?! I thought I already was your best buddy! You damn matchstick!"

Ace ignored him, detecting a new target at the corner of his eye. "Vista!" he cried out in excitement as he untangled himself from the irritated Thatch and pounced on the other commander. "Vista, look! This is my little brother! Cool, right?!"

-later that night-

Ace sat down, slipping his legs between the railing pillars, sticking them outside Moby Dick. With a sigh, he rested his cheek against the pillar, unrolled Luffy's bounty poster and stared at it for a while.

Luffy seemed so happy. His grin stretched as wide as possible, his eyes bright and lively, hand lifted into what appeared to be a wave, with celebrating people in the background.

Ace speculated what kind of party it could be and slowly his mind veered towards worrying about what kind of people his little brother recruited into his crew. Were they strong? Trustworthy? Loyal? What would they do if… no, once they learned about their captain's past?

The raven clicked his tongue. This was driving him crazy! Maybe he should ask Pops for a leave and travel to the Paradise to personally welcome Luffy? He smirked. That sounded like a plan.

"Ho, I know that smile. Only trouble follows it."

Thatch was standing right behind Ace, grinning down at his seated form, a Devil Fruit he had come into possession of yesterday in one of his hands.

"Huh? You're still carrying that thing around?"

The older man hummed, tossing the fruit up and down. "Marco mentioned that Izo might have an encyclopedia of Devil Fruits, so I'm bringing it to him to ask if he can help me identify it."

"Are you planning to eat it yourself?"

"And become a hammer like you? Nah, not interested."

The raven scowled and slapped his friend's leg. That earned him an overly dramatic moan of pain. Ace suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, instead turning to stare at Luffy's photo again.

After a moment of being so blatantly ignored, Thatch squatted down next to him. "He's the one, right?" he inquired carefully, wincing when Ace stiffened but pushing forward nonetheless. "The one who was taken."

The silence stretched for almost a minute before the young commander finally gave in, "Yeah." His fist around the paper tightened. "Four years, Thatch. My brother spent four years in that place, tortured and alone. Sometimes—" He gritted his teeth. "After I found him back on our home island, the first thing he said to me was an endless plea to be allowed to stay and not to send him back there. Like I'd ever do that! And sometimes I can still hear it over and over again."

Thatch squeezed his shoulder in his support and comfort. "But you helped him through all that," he noted softly. "He looks like a very happy kid."

Ace's lips curved upwards as he gazed fondly at the photo. "I've told you that he's strong!" he boasted.

"You sure did. Although, after the first hundred times I stopped listening," the man chirped as he stood up. "I'd better get going before Izo goes to bed."

Ace snorted. "No one wants to wake Izo from his beauty sleep."

"Yeah, no kidding." Thatch shuddered. "You should go to sleep too. It's way past your bedtime, kiddo."

"Aye, aye~! Wouldn't want an old man like you to have a heart attack and die on us while worrying about me, now, would I?" the raven quipped back without skipping a beat. He then spluttered and frantically flailed his arms when his cowboy hat was suddenly pushed down over his face, followed by a mirthful laugh.

"See ya in the morning, matchstick! Don't burn your brother's poster this time!"

"Can I burn your silly hair instead?!" Ace shouted after his best buddy, only to grin when the latter flipped him the bird over his shoulder.

He continued to stare at Luffy's smile for a few minutes, but it really was time to take some rest…

Ace's head shot up when a suspicious noise somewhere nearby caught his attention. He pricked his ears and listened for a bit, then jumped to his feet and quickly walked towards the source. "Thatch?" he called out as he rounded the corner. The moment his eyes fell on the scene in front of him, they widened and his mind screeched to a complete stop.

Teach was there with a knife buried into Thatch's back, all the way till its hilt. When he turned his head and saw the young commander, he swore loudly and spun around, pushing the body of his victim on top of the witness, pulling his knife as he did so.

Ace caught his injured friend and stumbled from the weight. It helped to snap him out of his daze. "Teach!" he hissed, his tone cold and deadly, but the air temperature seemed to spike at the same time. "The fuck are you doing?!"

"Zehahahaha!" the older pirate cackled maliciously, eyes gleaming with sinister light as he picked up the Devil Fruit with bloody hands. "This is worth so much, you have no idea! No one realized just how invaluable this fruit is!"

"You sick bastard! I'm gonna burn you to a crisp!"

Teach noticed the surrounding temperature gradually rising and gave Ace a crooked, mocking grin. "Well, you can either chase me or try to save our beloved fourth commander's life," he said, turning around and casually waving his goodbye. "Your choice, Commander! Zehahahaha!"

"Treacherous piece of shit…" Ace ground out through his aggressively bared teeth. In the span of a heartbeat, flames ignited along his raised hand, converging onto his palm. It expanded and took the shape of a spear that he immediately threw at Teach, the latter not yet far enough to be entirely hidden by the darkness of the night.

The traitor was caught off-guard, not expecting such a retaliatory move. The fire spear impaled his shoulder, putting him on fire, and he shrieked. Struggling to extinguish it, he accidentally bumped against the railing, flipped over it and splashed into the sea.

Ace looked back at the lifeless Thatch in his arms and his heart stilled before restarting and speeding up to a frightening pace. "Nonononono… Thatch, buddy, you can't die…" he muttered under his breath in panic, laying the man down on his stomach so that he could press on the heavily bleeding wound.

"I need help!" he hollered at the top of his lungs as he heard a rushing sound of approaching footfalls. "Medics! Call the medics!" Ace pressed harder on the wound, pleas flowing non-stop from his mouth, "Hold on, Thatch, help is coming. Just hold on…"

Next Chapter: The Town of the Beginning and the End

Chapter Text

Five teenagers stood before the entrance arch, staring at the plate attached to the top that proclaimed the town's name in carved letters.

Loguetown was big, bustling, and seemed to be much more developed than the villages and towns any of them had visited before. Buildings that stood several stories tall towered everywhere, and between them were paved streets packed with people of all sorts.

Luffy's gaze flickered here and there, a wide grin slowly growing on his face. He felt excited. "I want to see it," he declared suddenly, catching his crew's attention. "The view the Pirate King saw before his death, the place where the Great Pirate Age started. See ya later!" And with that, he took off.

"Hey! We haven't decided on—huh?" Usopp blinked when he couldn't see the straw-hatted teen anymore. One moment he could still spot him and the next he vanished completely out of sight. He scratched his head. His captain had surprisingly low presence when he really wanted to. He shrugged, banishing the thought out of his mind as not worth the trouble. "Well, I'm gonna go buy some equipment for my upcoming great adventures!"

Sanji's nostrils flared, sniffing all the delicious smell of the food and perfume in the air. "I bet there are a lot of good places to stock up on food," he said. A moment later, he murmured something under his breath, too quiet to hear in the noise, but if the giggle that followed was any indication, it was definitely something lewd.

"I need to go to a weapon store," Zoro admitted grimly, glancing down at his single katana. "Santoryu won't work with just one sword."

Nami's face lit up with an overly honest and innocent grin. "Oh? You don't have any money, right? I can lend you some." Her voice, on the contrary, was way too smug and suave to be remotely virtuous. "With interest, that is."

Zoro grimaced at being the target of that sly, business-like attitude. Unfortunately, he had no real choice in the matter. "Tch," he grunted. "Fine."

"Wonderful!" The navigator clapped her hands in glee. She reached for the pouch of beli, but noticed the other two males already starting to wander off on their own. "Sanji-kun, wait! I'm coming with you!" she immediately called out, hurrying to catch up with the cook.

And that left the swordsman behind without his promised money. "Oi!"

"Pick out your swords first, send me the bill!" Nami yelled to him over her shoulder.

Soon, Zoro was the only one left standing at the entrance. "Damn witch…" he grumbled under his breath. He scratched his head, thinking on what to do now, but then just shrugged. "I guess I'll go and look around."

Sanji put a new cigarette into his mouth and shot a fleeting look at their lovely navigator, walking right next to him. They were strolling without saying a word for a while now. "What's wrong, Nami-san?" he asked.

"Ah? Nothing! I just—" the girl floundered. After a moment, she sighed and fixed the cook with an intense stare. "Did Luffy tell you what happened to him?"

Sanji's finger hesitated on the ignition mechanism of his lighter. "Not exactly," he replied as he flicked it. The fire flared up without a problem and he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He half expected it to not work again. "But I can guess what happened to him. Not in details, but..."

When he trailed off, Nami furrowed her brow. Seeing that her nakama wasn't going to continue, she quietly asked, "It's something similar to my situation, isn't it?"

The blond blew the smoke out, observing how it dispersed in the air. He offered no comment this time.

The thief drew her own conclusions from his silence. "Maybe something even worse…" she whispered, crossing her arms and rubbing them lightly to stave off the sudden chilly feeling that prickled her skin.

"Don't think too much about it. As Luffy himself said, the past doesn't matter on this ship," Sanji reminded softly.

Nami responded in a half-hearted hum, her mind obviously lingering somewhere else.

"Do you know what he said when you ran away from Baratie?"

The navigator looked at him, confused. "No. What?"

The blond flashed a lopsided grin. "We stick together no matter what. If one of us needs help, the rest of us help them. No questions asked."

Nami smiled, then chuckled. "That sounds like something Luffy would say," she admitted quietly. After a few moments, her expression hardened as she seemingly reached some kind of decision. "So, all we should do is just support him when he needs us. No questions asked."

"Yep," Sanji agreed easily.

The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt so much better now. "Alright, I'm off!" she exclaimed as she waved her hand at the cook, jogging away. "Thanks, Sanji-kun!"

"Eh? W-Wait! Nami—" Sanji watched their lovely navigator scampering away like a beautiful fairy she was and he looked absolutely crestfallen by her sudden departure. "—swan…?"

Unsurprisingly, Luffy got himself lost.

Of course, if he had simply followed the main road, he would have reached the square pretty fast. To him, though, going in a straight line seemed a very boring idea when he had the whole town to explore! So, with only the final destination in mind but without any knowledge how to reach it, the eager future Pirate King roamed around Loguetown.

After wondering side-streets and back alleys for quite some time, Luffy came upon a rundown bar where he met a cool old man and heard some exciting stories about Gold Roger from him. It fanned the flames of his thirst for adventure to the unimaginable heights and, with some directions from the old bar owner, he finally arrived at the town square.

And so, there he was, standing tall on top of the execution platform. "So, this is the place where the greatest pirate in history was put to death," he said, taking in the sight of Loguetown spread out before him. "And the place where the Great Pirate Age began…"

Luffy closed his eyes, feeling the breeze caressing his face and the sun on his skin. Slowly, the noise and buzz of the crowd fell away as he breathed deep. Tales claimed that the Pirate King died smiling even when the blades pierced his heart. The teen could almost hear the ghostly laughter, a mere mockery in the face of death itself and a challenge against the whole world.

A vicious grin stretched under the straw hat.

The Eternal Pirate King, huh?

"Hey, you! On the platform! Get down from there this instant!"

Luffy blinked, jolted out of his reverie by a loud, crude yelling. He looked around, then down. A man in a uniform was glaring up at him from down below, a megaphone in one hand.

"Who? Me?" the straw-hatted boy questioned, pointing at himself.

"Yes, you! Get down right now!"

"…Why?"

"That's a historic landmark that belongs to the World Government! So get down from there imm—rggghhh!" The man's screaming was cut short by a spiky iron mace smashing into his face and sending him flying.

A beautiful young woman in a cloak with heart design and white cowboy hat propped the mace against her shoulder. "It's been a while, Straw Hat Luffy," she said, her lips curving into an alluring smile as she looked straight at the teen on the platform. "I've been looking all over for you!"

Luffy's eyes narrowed. Her presence seemed somewhat familiar, but he failed to recall it. Probably someone insignificant, he concluded.

"Don't tell me, you've forgotten my face?" the woman asked. "So cold! After all, you were the first man to ever hit me." She rubbed her exposed stomach, her soft and provocative voice suggesting that it wasn't a bad thing. "The way you handled me so roughly… It left me breathless."

The rubber boy's eyes suddenly widened. "Ah! I remember!"

"Of course! How could you forget the most beautiful pers—"

"Baby Whale!"

In an instant, Alvida's face darkened and a pulsating vein popped on her forehead as Luffy's carefree laughter echoed throughout the entire plaza. She harrumphed, composing herself, and forced back a smile on her face. "You're still as cheeky as ever, I see," she stated magnanimously. "You said that the baby whales were cute, so I'll take that as a compliment."

"Yeah, okay," Luffy dismissed her, not really listening what she was saying, his entire focus now on someone else behind her. "Oh, hey!" he exclaimed. "It's you! Uh, what was the name…?" He trailed off, frowning. "Booger? No, Baboon? It's not Buffoon either… Oh, right!" Luffy's fist hit his open palm once he figured it out. "Bunny!"

"BUNNY?!" the cloaked figure in the crowd roared. "Who are you calling Bunny?! You flashy idiot, you haven't changed at all!" He ripped the cloak off and threw it down, stomping it with his foot like a child throwing a tantrum. When his frustration subsided, he straightened up, putting his hands on his hips, and laughed maliciously, his big, red nose turned to the cloudy sky. "It's me! The great pirate, Buggy-sama!"

The group behind him followed his example and tore off their cloaks, revealing the rest of the clowns in a wide variety of shapes and colors, armed with pistols and swords.

"Buggy the Clown!"

"The, the pirates?!"

"It's the Buggy Pirates! RUN!"

It set off the chain reaction as the screaming mass of terrified people was suddenly spurred into fleeing the plaza. Not all the civilians were lucky—some were rounded up by the pirates in order to be witnesses in whatever Buggy was planning.

"Ever since that day, nothing but thoughts of your death filled my mind, Straw Hat!" Buggy proclaimed to Luffy who was standing there on the platform, not a single sign of concern seen on his face. The clown bit down an irritated growl and instead let a gleeful grin slip on his lips as he observed his second mate appearing covertly behind the boy. "And today is the day I'd flashily kill you!"

Luffy's head suddenly snapped up, his features rippling with surprise when his mystery power notified him about a presence he had never even considered of meeting here.

Cabaji stumbled forward when the boy unexpectedly sidestepped his attempt to trap him; the boy who, to all intents and purposes, should have been oblivious to his sneak attack from behind and was clearly distracted by something else.

Not sparing the acrobat even a single glance, Luffy kicked him in the ass, sending him flying off of the scaffold. Black eyes stayed glued to the roof of the building across the plaza where he could barely make out a silhouette of the person hidden in the shadows.

The sun was gone now and only heavy clouds loomed in the leaden sky, every shade of grey and black bearing down on the town of the beginning and the end. The wind started to pick up too, howling between the buildings. The distant rumble of thunder went unnoticed by everyone through all the chaos.

For Luffy, the only thing he cared about at this moment was that shadowy figure, the rest of the world receding into a muted, colorless background. His heart raced, his eyes shone, and his whole being vibrated in excitement.

He was here! The person who took him away from all the suffering and torment, who ignored the rules of the self-proclaimed gods, who saved him.

The memory of his savior's presence was foggy and fragmented, but Luffy was certain that it was him. He didn't know why, but he felt an overwhelming urge to tell that person, to show him that he was fine now, that those monsters were unable to fully break him.

Meanwhile, Buggy had climbed the execution platform. "Gyahahahaha!" he cackled like a madman, brandishing his sword. "Pirate Monkey D. Luffy, for laughing at me and pissing me off, I sentence you to a flashy death! Just keep standing frozen in fear like that!"

"WAIT!"

Buggy paused, turning towards the yelling. The civilians quickly parted, stepping out of the way of two running men. The Buggy Pirates tried to obstruct Zoro and Sanji, but the two plowed straight through them.

Luffy sucked air into his lungs, as much as possible.

"Gyahahahaha!" Buggy laughed again. "You're just in time to witness the last moment of your captain!" he exclaimed and swung the blade at the Straw Hat's unguarded neck.

And at that exact moment, Luffy opened his mouth wide, but it wasn't just a simple shout that came out, but a thunderous roar, equaling the storm in its strength.

"I'LL BECOME THE PIRATE KING!"

His voice, so unbelievably loud and clear, overpowered every other sound in the vicinity. As its echoes reverberated in everyone's ears, the time seemed to slow down to the snail's pace.

Zoro and Sanji felt their blood freeze in their veins as they watched a perfectly D-shaped grin spread across their captain's face. Desperate cries hitched inside their throats. They could only watch helplessly as the rubber idiot made no move to avoid what obviously was a lethal strike.

Buggy's sword was a mere inch from his neck when a spark of electricity flickered around its blade.

A bolt of white-hot lightning broke the graphite sky. Like an omnipotent heavenly whip, it cleaved the air and forked down straight into the execution platform, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

Everyone's sight vanished in a brilliant ball of light. The people standing near the scaffold got knocked down on the ground. Fortunately, no one got hurt, saved by the fact that the lightning struck the spot so high above their heads.

The execution stand, however, was beyond help; flames ignited from the lightning licked at every corner, wrecking its stability and leaving it to collapse in on itself, falling to pieces.

Luffy's straw hat floated down together with the first drops of rain and landed gently on the ground. An unscathed scrawny arm picked it up and pushed it down on the disheveled mop of black hair where it belonged. "Stupid lightning startled me," Luffy stated in a tone that did nothing to hide his annoyance.

Eyes wide as plates, jaw hanging open, absolutely flabbergasted witnesses—civilian, Marine, and pirate alike—could do nothing more than gape, shocked into senselessness by the sheer absurdity of the scene. None paid any attention to the gradually worsening downpour.

"Sta-startled you?" someone stammered out.

"It should have done more than just startle you!" another screeched, pointing at the charred form of Buggy.

"Really?" The teen glanced at the miserably twitching and convulsing clown and shrugged, unconcerned. "I got lucky, shishishishi!"

"H-Hey, do you believe in God?" Sanji asked Zoro who seemed equally shell-shocked.

The swordsman exhaled, "No" as he sheathed his katana. The odd feeling of numbness in his muscles after the lightning strike so close made him uncomfortable. "We're not out of trouble just yet. Oi, Luf—!"

The rubber boy zipped past the two with a warning, "Lots of hostiles incoming!" and the order, "Time to leave!"

A group of Marines rushed off the street that the three young pirates were aiming for and lined up in an effort to block their retreat path. The last thing they saw was a wicked smirk under the straw hat before an outstretched leg swatted them all out of the way like flies.

"Bye, Bunny! Bye, Baby Whale!" Luffy yelled over his shoulder, waving his goodbyes to the fellow pirate captains. Continuing to run past the groaning Marine grunts, he broke into laughter, practically oozing out liquefied joy and contentment.

In any other situation, Sanji would have raised an eyebrow at that. As it was, he was in the middle of a mad dash and rather upset with the younger male, leading him to instead shout at him.

"Why are you in such a good mood, Luffy?! You almost died, you dipshit!"

"That's because…" Luffy's smile threatened to split his face in two. "…I finally met him!"

The cook glimpsed at Zoro. The latter's expression showed only confusion, so he asked, "Who?!"

However, this time instead of giving an answer, the boy burst into another bout of delighted giggles. "Oh, right!" he suddenly exclaimed. "What about Nami and Usopp?"

"They went back to secure Going Merry," Sanji informed, begrudgingly allowing the change in topic. "Nami-san told us to return to the ship as fast as possible. If we don't hurry, we won't be able to get off this island!"

Zoro glanced at the sky. "It's getting worse way too quickly… What kind of storm—?"

"Roronoa Zoro!"

Three pirates looked up ahead to see a very, very upset dark-haired woman with a sword standing in their way.

"An enemy, huh." Luffy winded his arm back for a punch, but stopped when his ears registered his nakama's sword being pulled out of its sheath.

"To think that you were Roronoa Zoro! And a pirate at that, too!" the Marine woman screamed. "You were just toying with me!"

"You bastard!" Sanji yelled in outrage. "What did you do to that lady?!"

Zoro growled at the accusations. "You've never said you were a Marine either!"

"Wado Ichimonji," she uttered as she unsheathed her own katana and shifted into an offensive stance, "I will never allow such a magnificent blade to stay in the hands of a criminal like you!"

Two opposing sword masters clashed, glaring at each other as the storm continued to rage above their heads. Tashigi had stalled the man's strike, but her weapon shivered under the brutality of his compelling strength, causing her to clench her teeth in the unfairness of it all.

"Go on ahead," Zoro said to his comrades, at the same time reaching for the second katana.

Luffy and Sanji skirted around, but then the youngest skidded to a halt and turned around. "No," he declared firmly as he crossed his arms, obviously pouting. "You'll just get yourself lost if we leave you and I'm not going to the Grand Line without one of us!"

The cook barked out a laugh at that.

Zoro twitched. Momentarily forgetting his showdown with the Marine woman, he faced his two crewmates and opened his mouth to give them his piece of mind about being accused of getting lost—which was absolutely untrue!—but Luffy held one finger up.

"One minute, Zoro."

And that was that.

"Aye, aye," the swordsman grumbled, shifting his attention back to the fight. He bared his teeth into a savage grin. "Well, you heard my Captain," he said as he pulled out the second blade and smashed it into the woman's sword.

Tashigi parried and instantly counterattacked. Unfortunately, under the flurry of the pirate's attacks, each swing carrying the same overwhelming amount of force, and within the set time of one minute, she was overpowered, disarmed, and pinned to the wall with a blade to her neck.

"Don't you dare hurt a lady, you shitty swordsman!" Sanji screamed, held in place by Luffy's steely grip on his shoulder.

Zoro stared at her face for a moment, then, without a word, stepped back and sheathed his swords, turning to walk away as he did.

The woman's surprise lasted for a few more seconds before she snarled at his back, "Why don't you kill me?!" That brought no reaction from the pirate. "Is it because I'm a woman?!"

Now, that had rooted Zoro to the ground, though he didn't turn to face her.

Tashigi gritted her teeth in an infuriating frustration. "Women are supposed to be weaker than men, but it's humiliating to have someone go easy on you on a serious duel! Of course, someone like you would never understand what wishing to be born a man would fee—"

"Shut up!" Zoro shouted, his already stretched thin patience finally snapping. He spun on his heel and rounded on the Marine who jerked back at the volume of his voice. "It's your damn face that bothers me, not your gender!"

"Wha…?"

"You look exactly like my friend who died years ago! And now you go spouting the same bullshit she did! Stop copying her, you rip-off!"

"I've never heard anything so childish in my entire life! I've always lived by being me and only me! I have no idea who this friend of yours even is! Aren't she copying me?!"

Luffy scratched his head as two opponents kept screaming at each other. His attempt to call Zoro bore no fruit. Sanji also was eager to jump in if how much he struggled under his grip was any indication. What was the captain supposed to do in this kind of strange situation?

"I wondered what held you for so long."

Everyone looked at the direction the new voice came from. There stood a muscular, white-haired man with two cigars hanging out of his mouth, many more strapped to his marine jacket, and a jitte attached to his back.

"I'm Captain Smoker of the Marines Headquarters," the new guy introduced himself. "Straw Hat Luffy, you're under arrest."

"Mmm, no thanks," the boy replied absent-mindedly. "Zoro, we should go!"

Such unmistakable dismissal made a tiny tic mark pop on Smoker's forehead. He thrust his both arms forward, bellowing, "I won't allow you to set sail from this island!"

Luffy's eyes widened when the man's arms turned into plumes of white smoke. He immediately jumped backward, trying to avoid being enclosed by it. The smoke kept coming, forcing him to retreat even further.

Sanji darted towards the Marine and kicked at his chest. However, the attack went harmlessly right through the latter's body as it transformed into smoke that soon converged around his leg, trapping it. The blond muttered a confused, "What the…" before he was flung into the nearest building.

A sword slash cut Smoker's body in two only for the lower part turn into smoke. "Out of my way!" he yelled, punching Zoro to his face and sending him flying into the opposite direction than Sanji.

Luffy slid into the stop, eyes fixed solely on Smoker, tracking his every movement. He paid no mind to a cry of, "Prepare yourself!" from behind, swaying slightly to the side at the last possible second. Tashigi's sword whizzed an inch from his arm and hit the cobblestone with a sharp ding. Still not sparing her a single glimpse, the teen stomped on the blade, eliciting a surprised squeal when it got ripped from her hands. Then he grabbed the woman by the collar of her jacket and, with no trouble whatsoever, hurled her at the quickly approaching Smoker.

The Marine Captain bit down on his cigars, watching how the young pirate disappeared from sight the moment he threw his protégé at him. A curse slipped from his mouth as he maneuvered to catch her.

"Thank… Thank you, Smoker-san," Tashigi murmured as she was put back on her own two feet, feeling a bit unsteady.

"Stay out of the way, Tashigi."

"Y-Yes, Sir…"

Luffy appeared next to his two nakama who were already ready to rejoin the fight after gathering themselves from the previous failure. "He's a Logia, you can't really do anything against him," he explained as if knowing what they were thinking. "I'll stall him and then find an opportunity to escape."

"Devil Fruit?" Zoro questioned, gripping his katana's handle so hard that his knuckles turned white. He hated this debilitating feeling of powerlessness.

Luffy nodded, then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Go," he ordered, his tone leaving no space for protest. Not waiting for their responses, he stretched his arm behind him, twisting it around in the process. "Gomu Gomu no…" he muttered as he shot from his spot like a bullet.

Smoker met him half-way, propelled forward by his smoke to give him the greater momentum. "Don't be so coc—!"

"Rifle!"

The man's words died in his throat as Luffy's full-powered punch connected with his stomach and, to the absolute shock of everyone around, launched the seemingly untouchable Logia user into the building and through its wall.

Sanji swore under his breath, "Damn…"

Zoro tapped the blond on his shoulder. "Let's go." They both ran away without further delay.

In the ruins of the wall, Smoker heaved himself up with a groan, feeling a sharp pain searing through his abdomen. Spitting bloody saliva, he wiped his mouth with a back of his hand and took a few moments to reassess the boy's abilities. Be it the fact that he could overpass his Devil Fruit's intangibility or the sheer force behind that punch, it certainly took him by surprise.

A Haki user in the East Blue sounded like a bad joke, but it seemed that he was the one getting cocky, not the kid. He didn't even try to put his guard up against Luffy's attack. What a stupid mistake that turned out to be.

Deciding not to underestimate his foe anymore, Smoker grabbed his jitte and leaped back into the street.

Luffy sidestepped the jab of the jitte. The moment its tip almost brushed across his exposed skin, he felt his hair standing up on the back of his neck. He distanced himself from the Marine in a flash, narrowing his eyes at that weapon of his. "A very nasty stick you've got there, Smokey," he hissed, a surprising amount of venom counting each word.

Smoker smirked. "It's the end of the road for you, Straw Hat."

Two enemies glared at each other, tense and ready. Luffy said nothing more, his hand reaching behind his back. He was about to pull his metal Bo staff when a bolt of lightning flashed above their heads, illuminating the surrounding and blinding them for a split second.

Suddenly, there was a dark, tall, cloaked figure standing between them. Their eyes widened at the same time. But while Smoker's reaction was one of complete surprise and bewilderment, Luffy's face lit up with boundless joy.

"It's you…" he whispered before immediately taking a deep bow. "Thank you!"

After four long years of suffering and humiliation, after being called 'it' like he was lower than a human being, after forced to kneel and bow to those self-proclaimed gods every day, Luffy promised himself to never ever lower his head to anyone. There was only one exception to this rule.

Gratitude.

And even this bow of immense gratitude was not enough to express just how thankful he felt to this person.

"No need to thank me."

The man's voice was low and rough, but Luffy could detect the softness and warmth underlying it. There was an undeniable trace of sadness and guilt too, though the reason behind those emotions eluded him.

The teen straightened up, wanting to see the face of his savor. But there was a sudden weight on his head and his straw hat was gently pushed down on his eyes, obstructing the view.

"Run along now," the stranger said, "and give the world your answer."

Right then, a powerful squall swept the street, howling and whistling, carrying the debris, people, and other stuff with it. Luffy didn't quite manage to keep his footing either. He yelped when the wind lifted him up and hurled him down the road.

The bizarre phenomenon ended as abruptly as it started. Smoker and the cloaked man were the only ones remaining on the scene.

"Dragon!" Smoker snarled. "Why did you help him escape?!"

Dragon was still gazing to the direction where the boy disappeared, his back turned to the angry Marine Captain. 'Good to see you still smiling, Luffy,' he thought as he raised his head, letting the rain wash his tattooed face. 'The Pirate King? Perfect!' His loud mocking laughter echoed throughout the Loguetown's silent streets.

When Dragon finally deigned a glance at Smoker, another lightning jagged across the dark sky, followed hotly by its cracking boom. The light it provided was enough to reveal a fierce grin under his hood.

"Who are we to stand between the man and his dream?"

Dragon scowled at the Celestial Dragon's vessel in the distance. "Seems that it's just drifting around in the ocean without anyone controlling it," he shared his worries.

"It certainly looks like it," Ivankov agreed as he joined his leader at the bow.

"Something feels wrong."

"Dragon-san!" One of his men ran to him and passed him the binoculars. "You must really see this yourself."

The man's scowl deepened as he brought the binoculars to his eyes.

Bodies lay strewn around the deck in various positions, but there was no blood or any other indication of a battle taking place there. Everyone seemed just to collapse where they stood.

Dragon lowered the binoculars and turned to give the order to the crew, "Get ready to board the ship!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"What is happening, Dragon?" the okama questioned. "Why are we suddenly hunting down the Celestial Dragon?"

"Don't ask me such unnecessary questions, Ivankov."

His curiosity denied, Ivankov let out a hum of indignation, closely watching his friend with a sideways gaze. He had been acting strangely for the past few years, investing a lot of time and effort in gathering the information about something. What precisely it was remained a secret even now. It baffled his comrades to no end.

While Emporio Ivankov was busy pondering on his friend's slightly suspicious investment, their ship approached the other vessel, but apart occasional creaks of the wood, there was no activity on it whatsoever.

Dragon boarded the ship first, looking around. There was a peculiar feeling penetrating the surroundings, a certain buzz in the air, a familiar tingly sensation on his skin. Similarly to the storm producing a clean, crisp air in its wake, all these were clear signs of one thing and one thing only.

"Conqueror's Haki," Dragon said before anyone could even confirm that the people here were just knocked out and not dead.

The revolutionaries shared a startled glance. "An awakened conqueror on this ship?" someone wondered loudly.

Dragon's eyes roamed around and finally landed on a man in a thick white suit. His expression hardened. "Search the ship," he commanded, tearing his eyes from the unconscious noble. "Inform me if any of the lifeboats are missing."

"Um… What are we looking for exactly?"

The guy who asked cringed under his leader's sharp gaze. "A boy," Dragon replied. "Twelve years old, black hair, a small scar under his eye. He's… a slave."

Ivankov's eyes narrowed at the barely perceptible hesitation in the man's voice, but he chose not to comment in the end. At least, for now.

A few minutes ticked by, people scurrying around the deathly silent ship, searching. They unconsciously gave their leader a wide berth every time someone needed to go past him.

"Found him!"

Dragon moved before the speaker even finished his sentence. He halted, letting others drag the boxes out of the way, and then crouched down.

When he saw the boy, his heart skipped a beat and his blood ran cold.

Luffy was so small, Dragon's brains registered first. So skinny and sickly pale, eyes unfocused, every part of his being radiating fear. And then, suddenly, that fear vanished completely, replaced by the infinite determination.

"You're not going to have me…" the boy whispered as he raised the sword to his neck.

Dragon lunged forward to stop him. "No, Luffy, STOP!"

He was one second too late. The blood gushed out in a fountain, instantly dying everything around in crimson. Dragon ripped his cloak off and pressed on the wound. "Inform the medics! Find the keys!" he bellowed and his men quickly scattered to execute his orders. "Iva!"

The okama understood what he was asked for. His fingers turned into syringes that he stabbed into the boy's side, pumping him with healing hormones. It wasn't capable of repairing the wound directly, but even the slightest boost of the body's natural healing capabilities in this situation greatly improved the child's chance of survival.

Someone brought the keys. The sea prism stone collar was finally removed and thrown aside. Dragon scooped the kid into his arms and rushed him into the infirmary where doctors were already waiting on standby. Being pushed aside, he observed the medics fussing around the boy. His gaze lingered on Luffy's tiny face, the scar under his eye now abnormally juxtaposed against his white as a sheet skin.

Dragon closed his eyes and exited the room.

On the passageway, he stopped, seemingly lost and not knowing what to do. He glanced down at his hands.

Hands covered in the blood of his child.

"Dragon?"

The man looked up at Ivankov. Wordlessly, he walked to the opposite wall, leaned against it, and slid down to sit on the floor, still staring blankly at his bloody hands.

The okama frowned. It was the first time he had seen the great leader of the Revolutionary Army acting like that. "You can't let your men see you like that," he admonished, though there was no real bite in his tone. And because he had already shooed everyone away, there was no one around to witness this anyway. He had said that only to get some kind of reaction from his friend.

To his dismay, there was none.

"Who is he?"

The silence stretched on. Ivankov huffed, thinking that he wouldn't get an answer this time either, but then Dragon spoke.

"He's my son."

"Oh. So, he's your son. I see," the okama nodded, happy to finally get some justification for his friend's strange actions. "That explains why you've reacted like that. It's perfectly underst—" Here his voice hitched, eyes growing impossibly wide. He blinked. "Y-Y-Your son?!" he shrieked, stumbling back until he hit the wall. "You have a son?!"

No reply came. Ivankov mulled over this new piece of information, unable to pick his jaw up from the floor.

After a while, Dragon scrubbed his face with the back of his hand and sighed. "Can you give an order to the crew in my stead, Iva?" he asked, feeling so tired, tired to the bone, tired more than he had ever felt before. "I have to stay here for the moment Luffy inevitably needs the blood transfusion."

His weary voice snapped Ivankov out of his shocked daze. "Yes, of course," he replied as he gathered his wits about him.

"Tell them to rescue the rest of the slaves."

"And everyone else?"

"…The Grand Line is a dangerous place. Ships and their passengers go missing every day."

"Understood."

"Capture the noble for now," Dragon said as he stared at the closed door in front of him, dark eyes brimming with barely restrained fury. "I have something to tell him."

Ivankov smirked and left.

…

Several weeks later, Dragon stood on the thick branch of a tree, hidden in shadows, and observed the young boy sunbathing in the grassy field below.

Dragon remembered how terrified and absolutely unresponsive Luffy was when he awoke from his coma. Every action, every voice scared him. But just after two days in this place, his son seemed so much healthier in body, mind, and spirit, a content smile never leaving his face. And it always grew a bit brighter, a bit happier every time he looked at the older boy sitting nearby who kept watching him like a mother hawk.

Dragon's lips curled into a small grin. Bringing Luffy back here was definitely the right decision.

The next instant, the tree was already empty.

Luffy flew along the street with a cheerful, "Wheeee!" He spied his nakama running in the distance, yet to be hit by the squall, and called out, "Hey, Zoro! Sanji!"

The moment two males turned around, the wind and Luffy with it slammed into them, sending all three soaring. The gale finally exhausted itself and they crashed to the ground in one big heap, conveniently near the place where they anchored Going Merry.

"You shitty rubber…" Sanji groaned, pushing the giggling captain off of him.

"You damn cook," Zoro growled from under him, effortlessly shoving them both to the side.

"Guys!" Usopp shrieked from the ship. "This rope won't hold for much longer!"

Sanji was up on his feet in an instant, waving wildly, "We're back, Nami-swan!"

"Hurry up and get on board!" Nami yelled, anxious. "We're setting sail immediately!"

"Roger that!" the three pirates chorused, rushing to board their ship.

The rain was still coming down strong, bright snakes of lightning dancing across the black sky, followed by the heaven shaking thunder, but they got lucky. The tailwind brought them straight to the right current that picked their little vessel and carried them further from the island and closer to their destination.

The crew was just starting to relax after all the ordeal, then a massive gust of wind hit the ship and they all latched onto whatever was nearby to avoid being thrown into the ravaging sea. The wind suddenly ceased and something—no, someone—crash-landed into Nami's mikan groove.

"W-W-What is that?!" Usopp squeaked, hiding behind Zoro who already fingered the handle of his katana, ready to draw it at the moment's notice.

Sanji chewed on his cigarette nervously. "An enemy attack?"

"At a time like this?!" Nami panicked.

All their focus was on the unknown person, so they never noticed the expression that settled on Luffy's features.

The pirates stilled when their unexpected guest sat up, brushing his fingers through his wavy blond hair in an attempt to get it under some control. "That was a new experience, alright," he muttered as he climbed out, unfolding his form to its full height. He patted himself off, tugged his long black overcoat up, smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt, and fixed his cravat. Then he reached into the orchard and first pulled a long lead pipe that he slid into a special loop on his back and next picked a top hat with goggles wrapped around it.

Only when the hat was secured on his head, the man turned to the pirates. "Hi!" he greeted them with the most charismatic and disarming smile they had ever seen. "Do you mind if I hitch a ride?"

Next Chapter: The Stranger on the Dawn Island (Part III)

Chapter Text

-four months after Law washed up on the Dawn Island-

The enormous Mt. Colubo tree split in two a mere second after Luffy rolled away from his position right in front of it. He sprang to his feet and sprinted across the field, swiftly maneuvering around the random remains of trees and chunks of boulders. When the shadow fell upon him, he glanced up and immediately darted to the side. Pieces of wood and stone one after another smashed to the ground after him, kicking up the big cloud of dust. It obscured the view and successfully hid Luffy within.

Law furrowed his brow in concentration. He rearranged his fingers on his unsheathed nodachi's hilt as his gaze flickered between both sides of the cloud, waiting for the boy to show himself. He didn't want to admit, but Luffy's ability to seemingly vanish from his perception area unnerved him. It was like he knew how to become insignificant enough not to be noticed, the total opposite of a usually loud and exuberant kid.

The man's ponderings were brought short by the slight air movement behind him. At the same time, his instincts screamed in alarm and he twisted around, lifting his blade to block the strike from Luffy's metal staff. Weapons met with a sharp, crisp ding.

Two opponents exchanged several blows. The younger D's staff sometimes twirled in a way that would have been impossible if the wielder hadn't been made out of rubber, but the older one still countered every blow with a flawless accuracy.

At the corner of his eye, Law spotted the boy's free arm stretching backward. He instantly switched with the nearest rock which the rubber fist pulverized a second later.

A smirk slipped on Law's thin lips. For such a scrawny kid, Luffy could sure pack a punch. He had the utmost confidence in his own body's durability, but he honestly wanted to avoid getting hit as much as possible. Fortunately, he was getting more successful in that with every spar they had.

Summoning his Devil Fruit powers, he readied Kikoku for another swing.

Luffy's head suddenly snapped in a different direction and his complete focus together with it. "Wait," he said quietly. "Someone's coming."

Law paused, his blade freezing mid-swing. Then he exhaled, easing his body and mind out of the battle mode. He recalled the Room, lowered the sword, and while resheathing it asked, "You don't know who?" When the boy shook his head no, he reminded, "It's about time for my crew to show up."

"But it's only one person."

The pirate let out a soft 'hmm', turning to look where Luffy was staring at. They were standing in the middle of the destroyed part of the forest—the unfortunate side effect of their frequent sparring matches—surrounded by the dense flora from all sides and had to wait till the visitor reached their battlefield to know who it was.

After a few tense minutes, the unknown person finally stepped out of the shadows and under the sunlight. He stopped, keen eyes sweeping across the area, quickly taking in all the destruction, before settling on two people.

Luffy drew a sharp breath, feeling like someone sucker-punched him. He knew that face, that hair, that hat, even his clothes and weapon of choice—the pipe—were similar.

Sabo.

But it couldn't be him. Ace said that Sabo died. There was no way that this person was his brother.

The shadow of doubt passing across the boy's face didn't go unnoticed. The stranger's lips twitched into an uncertain smile. "Hey, Luffy." His voice was cautious but gentle, expression soft in a way that spoke volumes of immeasurable fondness.

Luffy's eyes widened and he unconsciously took a shaky step back.

Law scowled at his reaction, shifting his nodachi into a more suitable position to draw it at a moment's notice, and made a subtle move forward so that he would be standing slightly in front of the younger D.

The blond guy seemed to catch on his motive and an odd gleam of approval entered his grey-blue eyes.

"Ace said you died," Luffy uttered, unable to tear his gaze from the man's slightly different, more mature, but still achingly familiar features. "Said that they killed you."

"They almost did, but a certain man saved me. Though I didn't come out of it unscathed," the stranger explained, brushing his bangs from his face's scarred side to allow a better view. "The head injury caused amnesia."

Luffy blinked. He had no idea what it was, so instinctively turned to Law for clarification.

"Sounds like the case of retrograde amnesia," the surgeon noted, inspecting the blond's scars with a critical eye. "It's when the person cannot remember events that occurred before the trauma, but have no trouble forming new memories. Depending on the level of damage, it could be temporary or permanent. If I had to guess, your memories came back either naturally with time or as an aftereffect of some outside stimulus."

"I saw Ace's bounty poster," maybe-Sabo replied as he eyed the older man with obvious curiosity. "Are you a doctor?"

A stern glower was the only reply he received from Law.

"…Sabo?" Luffy asked. He sounded so unsure it was clear that he was grasping at straws.

There was something not right about the smile that appeared on Sabo's face. So full of sadness and regret, shame and guilt, and absolutely out of place. "I guess, someone of my birth is not the person you wish to see right now, but I—"

He was cut off when Luffy slammed into him. The boy wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face into his chest.

For a moment, Sabo was unable to process what happened. Unconsciously holding his breath in, afraid that it might be just a figment of his imagination, he glanced down at his little brother. His little brother who he left behind and who suffered through all the torment of someone from a similar social class as he had originated. If only he wouldn't have tried to leave the island—

"Don't think about it," Luffy said, his voice muffled by Sabo's clothes. "You are you, and always be just Sabo for us." His hug tightened. "I missed you so much."

The tension Sabo felt from the moment he had learned about Luffy's past from Dragon ebbed away into corners of his consciousness. His arms came up to press his precious little brother as close as possible, unbidden tears gathering in his eyes. "I missed you too, Luffy," he murmured into the boy's black hair, breathing in the faint smell of grass and fresh soil that lingered on it.

Law watched two brothers for a few more moments. With a sigh, he turned around and walked away, not wanting to intrude into such an intimate familial moment more than he already did.

Luffy was the first one to loosen his embrace though he made no move to detach himself from his wayward brother. He leaned back and fixed his eyes on Sabo's face. After a moment, he lifted his hand and touched his scar with his fingertips as if scared that even such a feathery contact would harm. "Does this amee—amon—this memory-thing still hurt?"

Warmth spread in Sabo's chest at Luffy's concern, even if the guilt still lay like a chunk of ice in his guts. What happened, happened. He could not undo the past, but he could make amends by protecting and supporting this radiant ball of sunshine in every way he could in the days to come.

The blond grinned sheepishly at Luffy's disapproving frown. "No, I'm alright," he finally answered as he grabbed the straw hat that dangled around his brother's neck and pushed it back on that messy black mop. "Especially now, after seeing you."

A smirk lit up Luffy's face. In a flash, he snatched Sabo's top hat from his head, eliciting a surprised 'Hey!', and switched it with his straw hat. They stared at each other and then burst out laughing realizing just how silly they looked.

"You said you've seen Ace's bounty poster, right?" Luffy asked as he toyed with the brim of Sabo's hat. It was slightly too big for him and he had to push it up from time to time. "It seems he got his own hat now!"

"I always suspected that he was jealous of us."

"Totally! Shishishishi!"

Two brothers talked as they sat on the grass under the trees, hiding from the hot sun, the world beyond the Mt. Colubo ancient forest momentarily forgotten. Their conversation flowed like a river, picking up momentum at some topics and slowing down in others.

They reminisced about their childhood, their brotherhood ceremony, and that they should definitely repeat it once the three of them gathered into one place again.

Luffy told about his time with Ace before the latter left, about Law and bad guys who were after him, about Garp, Makino, Dadan, and the rest of the bandits. Sabo revealed his affiliation with the Revolutionary Army and what exactly it was, recounted some of his major adventures, and told about his comrades and friends.

"So, you're working with the man who saved you?"

"Yeah, he's actually the leader and he's…" Sabo seemed to waver before he took a calming breath, at the same time hardening his resolve, and pushed forward, "We are fighting against the rule of the Celestial Dragons."

Luffy stiffened. His face betrayed no emotions, but Sabo caught the flash of fear in his eyes. It saddened him. The guilt that almost eased off returned tenfold.

"You know?" the younger teen asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He sounded wary, alert.

Sabo's heart broke despite it already being in pieces. He didn't take offense at his brother's reaction, it was normal. "Some of my friends have the same past as you," he revealed. "Our leader, the man who saved me, was also the one who rescued and brought you back home."

Luffy perked up. "It's the same person?" When he saw an affirmative nod, his eyes lit up with eagerness. "Can I meet him?"

The blond smiled. "I'm sure you'll meet him someday."

The boy hummed, staring somewhere into the forest. "It seems like we have the same goal, so I guess that's true," he muttered to himself.

"Same goal?"

Luffy suddenly jumped to his feet. "Let's go hunting! Like old times!"

Sabo chose not to comment on such an obvious and abrupt change of topic. "It's been a while," he admitted as he heaved himself up and stretched out, working kinks in his muscles. "How about an alligator?"

"Alligator it is!"

"Luffy," Sabo called suddenly, drawing the rubber teen's flittering attention back to him. "For me and Ace you'll always be just Luffy, our little brother."

Luffy stared at him and then as bright as the sun and as wide as the horizon grin stretched across his face. "I know, Sabo."

Law sat down on the log right after rekindling the bonfire. It wasn't dark yet, but with the twilight fast approaching, he didn't wish to interrupt his reading by the need to light the fire.

He put Kikoku at his side and flipped the book open. A few pages later, mirthful laughter resounded somewhere in the forest and soon Luffy and the blond guy walked out, dragging a huge alligator behind them.

"Traffy!" Luffy exclaimed, a brilliant expression beaming at him. "We're back!"

Law closed the book. He gave no response to the exuberant greeting, but the younger D didn't expect it anyway.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself," the blond spoke with a polite smile. "I'm Sabo, Luffy's older brother."

"Like Ace!" the boy chimed in, already preparing to barbecue the prey they brought back.

Second older brother. The surgeon's eyes flicked between the two. They looked nothing alike. Not blood brothers? "Trafalgar Law," he returned the courtesy by introducing himself.

"Luffy told me about you, Law-san," Sabo said before he leaned into a half-bow. "Thank you for taking care of my little brother."

Law stared at him for a bit. "Think nothing of it." The corner of his lips quirked up. "I'm just returning the favor."

"It might be true, but I'm still deeply grateful for you. Luffy can be a bit of a handful sometimes and makes his older brothers constantly worried."

"Shishishishi!"

"I understand. I had a younger sister."

The instant these words left his mouth, Law just froze. He was probably the only one surprised by what he had just blurted out without thinking. There was no logical explanation of why he revealed something so personal to these people. He never spoke of his family to anyone. Not about his father or mother, not about his sister, and definitely not about Cora-san. Although, the latter probably knew about Lami; Law recalled fragments from the time his fever got out of hand and he was too delirious to distinguish dreams from reality.

Maybe it was because he spent too much time on this sleepy backwater island and got too comfortable here. Maybe because these two were brothers and Law could clearly see all the love and care in the older one's gaze. He himself failed that role quite spectacularly…

Luffy's face suddenly popped into Law's sight, just a few inches away from his own. He suppressed a flinch of surprise, his fingers curling around the hilt of Kikoku out of pure habit. Fortunately, he retained enough awareness not to draw it.

"Stop that," the kid said, his tone strict and hard. No, it was a demand. An order. "Stop thinking about something unnecessary."

What the— Law didn't know what to say to that. How did he—

Luffy pursed his lips and his eyebrows drew together. His piercing black eyes drilled straight into the older D's amber ones, as if able to see through all his meticulously built walls and defenses. And that's when the words came out, "She wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

Law's mind turned disturbingly blank and unhelpful. "…What."

"I don't want my brothers to keep blaming themselves, so I'm sure that your sister wouldn't want to see you doing the same either."

The man's brain refused to formulate any coherent thought other than a dumbfounded 'What?' going on a loop. Law was pretty confident that he gave no outside clues of what he had been pondering in the privacy of his own head, so this came completely out of nowhere. Could Luffy read minds?

A tantalizing smell wafted through the air and the straw-hatted boy jumped away with a cheerful, "Yay! Food's done!" like he didn't just tilt Law's whole world on its axis.

Not that he objected. It saved him from the need to respond.

Sabo watched as the man visibly shook himself out of the shocked stupor and then tugged his hat down in a poor attempt to hide his anguish. He turned away, a wry smile perched on his lips. Oh, he could relate to how this guy felt.

This Luffy was pretty different from the one he remembered. His new ability to read people like they were an open book in front of the scholar was frankly downright frightening. He could be so thoroughly savage with his sincere bluntness on occasions like this and still stay blissfully oblivious of just how truly deep his words carved into his unintended and thus unprepared victims.

Though, what their little future Pirate King said made sense, it didn't help to get rid of the festering guilt inside one's heart.

Luffy landed on one of the upper branches without a sound and looked down at a group of three—two men in white jumpsuits and a white bear in a yellow one—and a huge tiger standing in a staring deadlock.

The beast growled, its tail swishing to the sides aggressively, but seemed hesitant to attack, while the trio stood ready to defend themselves. Finally, the massive feline decided that this prey wasn't worth its time, turned around, and stalked away.

The two humans collapsed to the ground, letting out an overly emotional sighs of relief.

"What the hell is wrong with this island?!" one of them complained loudly.

"We had beasts coming at us one after another from the moment we entered!" another agreed. "Ne, Bepo, is Captain really here?"

"It should be this island," the bear replied, looking around.

Luffy's eyes widened when the strange bear talked. A moment later, his mouth stretched into a big grin. He jumped down, landing gracefully in a crouch behind the oblivious group. "Hey!" he greeted them cheerfully.

"Aaaaaaaahhhh!" two humans shrieked in fright, scrambling to their feet. The second the trio saw the straw-hatted kid waving and smiling at them, their faces washed blank with confusion, like their brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in what was in front of them.

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

"A kid?"

Luffy stared at the bear with practically stars shooting out of his eyes. "I can't believe that Traffy was right! You really are a bear who can talk!"

Bepo lowered his head and hunched into himself. "I'm sorry…"

"No, no! That's so cool!" the boy exclaimed. "You're big, white, and fluffy! And you can even talk! I like you!" He stretched his arms to the side to show how much he liked him. "Hey, can I scratch your ear?"

Two humans burst out laughing. Bepo shifted from one foot to another, clearly embarrassed, and maybe a little bit uncertain.

Luffy's expression fell a bit, but he didn't let that deter him. He continued to wait patiently.

One man patted his furry companion on the shoulder. "There is no harm in letting the kid pet you, right?"

"Penguin's right," the other one concurred with a smile. "He might help us find Captain."

"Oh, yeah, I can lead you to Traffy, no problem," Luffy assured, inching closer to the cool bear.

Bepo blinked. "You know Captain?"

"Yup. The tall guy with cool tattoos, fuzzy hat, and a huge sword," the boy quickly described Law as he took another step closer. "So, can I scratch your ear?"

"O-Okay…"

Luffy's face lit up like a bonfire and without hesitation, he stretched his hand to pet Bepo.

"Oh, that's definitely Captain," the red-haired pirate noted. "I'm Shachi by the way. This is Penguin," he motioned to the second human male and then to the bear, "and Bepo."

"Luffy," the rubber teen answered somewhat distracted, continuing scratching around Bepo's ear. "Whoa, so soft and fluffy!"

"How do you know our captain?" Penguin asked curiously.

"He's living at my place while waiting for you guys."

Shachi rubbed the back of his neck. "Living with you? It's hard to believe."

"Care to share why?"

The pirates were too preoccupied to react to the fact that a new voice joined their conversation.

"Well, Captain hates kids for starters," Shachi explained thoughtfully. "Living with one for a few months would be impossible."

"You'd probably be dead after a week." Penguin nodded his head in agreement. "Wait…" He paused. "Was that Captain's voice?"

Both men looked at each other, then swiveled around.

Law stood there, lips turned downward, eyes narrowed, and he kept tapping his nodachi against his shoulder. Sabo was right next to him and looked like he barely held himself from laughing.

"Captain!"

The joyful shout of his crewmates got Bepo's attention too. He shook himself out of the pleased daze, looked at the obviously irritated Law, and his eyes watered. The next moment, he pounced on the man with a tearful, "Captain!" and engulfed him into a literal bear hug.

Shachi and Penguin soon joined in this impromptu display of affection, wailing their lungs out and latching onto their captain for dear life. Though Law didn't push them away, going by his expression, he was not amused by their antics.

Sabo melted into a fit of chuckles while Luffy watched the scene with a soft smile.

After a full minute, Law finally had enough. He summoned a room and switched himself with a piece of a fallen tree that was lying nearby.

Luffy beamed at the older D when he appeared not far from them. "So, that's your crew?"

Law grimaced at the undeniable mirth on the boy's face and voice. "Just a small part of it," he sighed. "Oi, Bepo, Shachi, Penguin," he called out to his three crying crew members, still busy with hugging the tree. "Where are the rest of you idiots?"

That finally snapped the trio back into reality. They stared at the thing they were hugging and then turned to their captain with faces scrunched into childish pouting.

"That's so mean, Captain!" Shachi whined.

"We were so worried!" Penguin added.

Law was not moved by their words in the slightest. "I've already told you via Den Den Mushi that I was fine."

"Isn't that what you always say?!"

"Even if you're not fine at all?"

As their captain narrowed his eyes, two men winced before ducking behind Bepo to hide. "I'm sorry!" the bear squeaked instantly.

Law pinched the bridge of his nose, successfully hiding a tiny smirk behind his arm.

Luffy nudged Sabo. "They care about each other so much," he told him in a low voice. "Exactly the kind of crew I want to have myself."

The blond grinned down at him. "I'm sure you'll find the most amazing people to join you, Luffy."

"Traffy's so strong, I want to find a powerful swordsman to join my crew too. Also, a cook," the young pirate-to-be pondered out loud. "And a fluffy one is an absolute must!"

Sabo raised an eyebrow at the last one. "Fluffy one?"

"Fluffy ones are so cool!" Luffy nodded like that made any sense. "Let's not forget about the musician. Oi, guys! Do you have a musician?"

Law and the trio turned to look at him. After a moment, the only answer Luffy got was a bewildered, "…A musician?" from Penguin.

"Well, yeah. Pirates gotta sing, you know."

Shachi touched his chin in thought. "Really?"

Law scowled. "No, they don—"

Luffy's jovial, "Of course!" interrupted his denial. "I can even teach you a song!"

"Oi!"

"Alright, listen up!" The pirates huddled around the boy and leaned closer, listening to him with rapt attention, efficiently ignoring their own captain. "It goes like this…"

Law facepalmed, letting out a frustrated groan as he did.

Sabo felt the need to politely offer the stressed man a comforting shoulder pat and a sheepish apologetic smile in his brother's stead.

-next morning-

Sabo chuckled as he looked around the beach. Bodies of sleeping pirates were sprawled out all around it. Some of them were cuddling with each other, some were lying with their limbs stretched in all directions. A few ended up sleeping on the deck of their docked submarine.

Law's reunion with the rest of his crew yesterday somehow turned into a party and inevitably into a singing contest once everyone got their share of booze in their bellies that boosted their courage. After dozens of totally off-key songs, Law's gradually wearing thin patience finally snapped and he proceeded to cut the loudest few into pieces using his Devil Fruit powers.

The crew seemed to take it in stride which made Sabo speculate that it wasn't the first time it happened. Luffy, however, was pushed into hysterics until he couldn't breathe from laughing so hard. Then, he and the rest of the drunken pirates started to assemble their friends piece by piece. The blond couldn't quite remember his little brother having so much fun before.

Now Sabo wondered if those poor bastards got every bit and part attached back to their bodies, the parts that actually belonged to them and not someone else.

Absent-mindedly, his gaze moved to the nearby tree where three people were resting in its shadow. Bepo lay on his back, snoring peacefully, with Luffy sprawled on top and Law leaning against his side.

It was remarkable just how much Luffy liked and trusted Law. It was even more surprising that despite the latter's cold, aloof, and sometimes even unfriendly attitude, Luffy managed to warm his way into his heart.

Sabo smiled to himself. Or maybe he shouldn't be that astonished for it wasn't the first time his baby brother achieved such a feat. Ace was a prime example of his ability to find a way around someone's defenses, no matter how impregnable they were.

Puru-puru-puru.

The blond startled as he heard the sound of the Baby Den Den Mushi from his inner pocket. He pulled it out and answered the call, "Yes?"

"Hey, Sabo," a male voice greeted him through the snail. "Dragon called and said that our allies at Roanoke Point suffered a defeat when the reinforcements arrived to aid the king. They could use your expertise. He's stuck on Gatanby Isle and you're closer too."

Sabo furrowed his brow as he listened. He looked back at the spot under the tree. Two pairs of eyes met his, both ravens fully awake now and unintentionally eavesdropping on his conversation.

"I see," the blond replied with a heavy heart. "I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Cool." There was a pause. "…What?" The voice sounded more distant now like the speaker wasn't speaking directly into the Den Den Mushi. Sabo could hear someone's murmur in the background, too far to comprehend the words. "Got it... Oi, Sabo, the lookouts saw a pirate ship approaching the small village near your position."

Luffy's eyes widened in alarm and his head whipped towards the direction of Foosha Village.

"Do they recognize the flag?" Sabo inquired.

"Their Jolly Roger doesn't ring a bell, so maybe rookies? Anyway, you said you had an acquaintance in that village, so just wanted to give you a heads-up."

"Thank you, Matius."

"Want us to take care of it?"

"No, I'll do it myself."

"Alright," the man answered and the snail's mouth stretched into a grin. "See ya tomorrow!"

The Den Den Mushi fell asleep and the blond pushed it back into his pocket. When he looked back to the spot where his brother had been just a few seconds ago, he found him gone.

"He ran off," Law supplied.

"Of course, he did," Sabo sighed. He turned to leave, glancing at the pirate who was about to stand up. "You coming?"

Law gave a curt nod of affirmative and then glowered at the knowing tilt on the blond's lips.

Bepo stirred from his sleep, blinking in confusion at the backs of two men as they started to walk away. "Ah! Captain! Where are you going?"

"To the village at the base of the mountain."

The mink scrambled to his feet and rushed after them. "Wait for me!"

Luffy skidded to a stop, his momentum marring the ground under his feet. The first thing he noticed was a few houses on fire. Then, a bunch of armed men crowding the village center, a group of villagers kneeling in front of them.

The burly guy with a messy black bear stared down at subdued civilians. "Money and women," he said, hefting his two-handed sword casually on his shoulder. "That's all we're asking." He swept through the group, his crew cackling behind him until his beady eyes landed on a dark-haired woman. His tongue darted to wet his lips before a grin broke across his face, splitting his skin into something foul and hungry.

Luffy's chest felt like it was made out of a block of ice from the way his blood ran cold. He recognized that look.

Guards in that place sometimes got that kind of expression while looking at female fighters. And then those women would scream and cry and beg, and Luffy would just curl in the corner with hands on his ears, soundless pleas on his lips for them to stop, and painfearshamedespairdisgustragehateHATEHATE soaking through his skin and finding a home in his soul.

And now that exact look was pointed at Makino.

Luffy was running before he could even tell his body to move. Because Makino was in danger, because someone was looking at her like that, and she would scream and cry and beg, and Luffy—

The pirate grabbed his intended victim by her arm and yanked to her feet. His grin didn't falter when she leveled a hard, defiant stare at him. He reached to stroke her cheek, but Makino leaned back to avoid it. "Oh, I like women who play hard to get." The man was still holding her, meaty fingers digging into her arm as he pulled her closer. "But not today!" he snarled and backhanded her.

Luffy was too far, too slow, he wouldn't make it. There was a white-hot feeling somewhat akin to terror climbing up his chest and then his throat.

He saw tears in Makino's eyes.

"Stoooooooop!"

Everything stilled, froze in place—a little stutter in time. And on the next blink, the time restarted and with it, everyone's, pirates and villagers alike, eyes rolled back and bodies collapsed.

Luffy smashed into the pirate at full speed with a furious, "Don't touch Makino!" and sent him flying through the several houses. Landing lightly on his feet, he turned in a flash to make sure Makino was alright.

She wasn't.

Luffy's knees hit the hard ground next to her still form. "M-Makino?" he called softly, touching her shoulder. Nothing. "Makino?" He gave her a little shake. Nothing. "Makino, wake up!" He shook her harder. Nothing. "Please, wake up…"

Someone embraced him from behind, one hand covering his eyes. "Don't look, Luffy. Feel it." Sabo's voice weaved around him, smooth and steady, bursting with promises of safety. The blond guided Luffy's fingers to Makino's wrist and pressed them on her vein. "Feel her heartbeat. She's alive, Luffy. Alive."

The boy held his breath. There it was—beats of life under his fingertips. He slumped against his brother's chest, letting the latter's natural body warmth chase away the chill clinging to his skin. He felt Sabo's free arm coming around him now. Not to restrain, but to comfort. After a moment, Luffy grasped lightly at the hand covering his eyes and it immediately moved away. He peered at his brother. "Why is she unconscious?" he asked. Glancing around, he added, "Why is everyone unconscious?"

"You knocked them out."

Luffy stared, face blank. "Me? But I—oh." His mystery power acted up just now, didn't it? "I panicked."

"That's alright, Luffy. They aren't dead, only fainted."

A blue shimmering screen phased through the brothers and they both looked up. Law pulled Kikoku out of its scabbard, eyes narrowed, and expertly cut all the burning parts of the houses off, lifted them, and dumped them into the sea.

Sabo smirked at the man who was now approaching them. "That's useful."

Law furrowed his brow at the teasing comment. He sheathed his nodachi, crouched down next to Makino, and lifted his hand above her. "She's not hurt," he told Luffy. Some intensity left his amber eyes as he watched the boy sag in relief. The Room dispersed. "Bepo," he addressed his crewmate, standing silently behind his back, "call the others here."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" The bear took off back into the forest.

Sabo let Luffy go once he made sure that his brother was calm enough. He pushed one arm under Makino's knees, the other under her back, and effortlessly hefted her up.

Before he could say anything, Luffy tugged to follow him, already in motion to lead the way. Sabo followed obediently, a brief thought about mentioning that he had already visited Partys Bar before going up the mountain and thus knew where it was located, stayed only that, a brief thought.

Luffy surveyed the village center, coming here straight from the Partys Bar.

Makino woke up maybe an hour after an incident with Luffy standing guard over her bed. The first thing she did was pulling the boy into her arms, whispering assurances and comforting words into his ear. Only then Luffy's heart finally settled down from trying to pound out of his chest.

Soon after he explained what happened and that they were taking care of the situation, Luffy left Makino to rest and came here to help. However, it seemed that he was too late for that.

The Heart Pirates were the only pirates walking around the village with enemies nowhere to be seen. Villagers were carefully laid into the shade with pillows under their heads.

"—notice how he stacked the ship parts together?"

Luffy pricked his ears at Shachi's voice.

"Are you kidding?" Penguin asked in return, sounding incredulous. "He does that when he's particularly angry."

"Haven't seen Captain this pissed in a long time."

Two pirates rounded the corner and came into view. Upon seeing the kid, they both smiled at him, warm and kind. A touch of concern didn't go unnoticed either.

"Luffy!" Shachi exclaimed, trotting up to him. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Luffy didn't smile, couldn't force himself. Not yet. "Thank you."

Penguin waved him off. "You don't have to thank us," he said dismissively. "We're in your debt for taking care of our captain. He can be a real pain in the ass sometimes."

Just like yesterday, Law and Sabo approached from behind two pirates. The blond was once again trying his hardest not to laugh, while the other man simply asked, "Really?"

"Oh, yeah," Shachi agreed airily. "Makes us worry all the time, that bastard."

Penguin suddenly gripped his friend's forearm. "Was that… Was that Captain's voice?" he whispered, feeling a dreadful sense of déjà vu.

This time, Luffy wasn't able to fight against the urge to grin.

Two pirates glanced behind them, heads snapping forward again upon seeing their captain tapping his sword against his shoulder. Unfortunately, Bepo wasn't around to be the shield. They shared a look, mutual understanding flashing through their eyes. On the next moment, they ducked behind Luffy to hide.

Law just stared at them through half-lidded eyes with all the patience of someone who had long learned to tolerate idiots around him. Barely. It made Luffy chuckle. The man's gaze focused on him. "I already checked the ones who got injured," he informed. "Two are heavily wounded, but no one's dying."

"Thanks, Traffy."

Sabo mussed his brother's hair in a brisk show of sibling affection while he just took it all in without complaint. "We sent those pirates away," the blond said then. "They won't be coming back."

Luffy nodded. He caught Sabo's hand into his own, then seized Law by the sleeve of his hoodie. "Let's get something to eat!" And dragged the two men off, eliciting a resigned sigh and a bright laugh for his action.

He never asked what exactly happened to the pirates. Nor did he comment on how they both smelled like blood.

-next day-

"—you might pass out, your old wounds might reopen, and—"

"Sabooooo~!"

A whine interrupted Sabo's enthusiastic monologue about perils to one's health on the sea. He glanced at his little brother, a corner of his mouth twitching up at the sight of Luffy's cheeks slightly puffed into an obvious pout. "…And your teeth might fall out," he added as an afterthought. "You won't be able to bite into your meat if that happens."

"What!" Luffy exclaimed, looking scandalized. He even stopped walking and just gawked at Sabo in horror. "That's super serious!"

Walking on Luffy's other side, Law snorted, but quickly covered it with a clearing of his throat, a tattooed hand rising to hide his lingering smile of amusement.

"Indeed," Sabo agreed, schooling his expression into one of grave seriousness. "That's why you should eat more fruits and vegetables, especially once you set sail."

Luffy scrunched his face up. After some consideration, he gave a reluctant nod.

The trio continued on their journey through the forest towards the spot where the revolutionaries anchored their ship. "What are you going to do now, Law-san?" Sabo asked, curious.

"We'll stay for a couple of weeks to make sure my patients are healing properly," the man replied, and, for a fleeting moment, his gaze flicked to Luffy before returning to watch where he was going.

Sabo really liked the guy, no matter how dishonest he seemed with revealing his true feelings.

"It seems too much trouble to go back to North Blue, so we might stick around this Blue for a bit and later leave for the Grand Line."

"That's not fair!" Luffy fumed, throwing his arms up. "I still have to wait so long before I can leave!"

Law smirked, only agitating the youngest further.

The boy glared at him, then crossed his arms, and declared, "You should wait for me!"

The man quirked an eyebrow at the statement. "You want us to be opponents on our way to One Piece?" he challenged, his voice swirling with teasing lilt.

"No, not opponents," Luffy said. Simple. Direct. Unyielding. "Allies."

Law's gait faltered and, this time, it was he who stopped just to stare, his amber eyes piercing as they regarded the boy in front of him. It was a sharp look, calculating and astute, but he wasn't looking down on Luffy. Quite the contrary.

The blond could see the exact moment the man came to a decision. For being such a private person, he mused, Law wasn't a hard one to read. Not when he was communicating with Luffy. Or maybe he simply felt more at ease in Sabo's company after their mutual agreement on what to do with the pirates that attacked Foosha.

"You don't even have a crew yet," the pirate remarked, light and unhurried. He resumed walking, two brothers falling in step with him.

"I'll get one!" Luffy shot back instantly. "The best one! I'll get a swordsman, a cook, a musician, and a fluffy one at the very least." He folded a finger for each member he had planned to recruit. "And my fluffy one will be even cooler than Bepo!"

"Oh?" Law's lips tipped up on one side. "Then let's meet in the Grand Line and I'll see it for myself."

Luffy's grin was up in all its megawatt glaring glory. He fist-pumped the air and raced through the tree line, bursting onto the beach with a thundering, "I'll become the Pirate King!" followed by a peal of ecstatic laughter.

Sabo and Law stepped out of the forest at a more subdued pace.

The sunlight blinded him, and instinctively Sabo pulled his hat slightly down to ward the worst of it off. Luffy suddenly slammed into him and he stumbled back, caught off guard.

"I'm gonna miss you."

Sabo smiled down at his little brother, heart swelling with all the love his body could contain. "How about we meet in the Grand Line too? I'll find you and come for a visit."

The boy looked up, awe filling his impossibly bright eyes. "Yeah!" he cheered. "Hey, are you going to meet with Ace now?"

"After my current mission is done."

Luffy broke into a grin. "Say hi to him from me!" He then buried his face back into his brother's chest and added more quietly, "Tell him I'm fine."

"I will."

Light breeze wrapped around the two of them, plaiting the salty scent into their hair. Gentle fingers combed through black strands.

"I love you, Sabo."

Sabo placed a kiss on top of Luffy's head. "I love you too, Luffy."

Next Chapter: To the Grand Line!

Chapter Text

"Hi! Do you mind if I hitch a ride?"

The rain was coming down in great torrents, the wind whipping across the deck. Going Merry heaved and tossed, the sea beneath her turbulent and unforgiving.

The pirates stared at the stranger on their ship. Every sense on high alert, every muscle already working beyond normal capacity, various thoughts running rampant in their heads. Was he a friend? Or an enemy? With no other ships in sight, how did he turn up here? What kind of monster was he?

Waves of rain hit the wooden deck like the steady tap of a drum.

One second, Luffy attacked. Faster than anyone could react, his stretched-out arms latched onto the inner railing and he catapulted himself straight into the man, sending both of them into the mikan groove.

Two seconds, Zoro drew his new swords. Sanji's teeth clamped down on his soggy cigarette. Nami assembled her Bo staff. Usopp grabbed his slingshot and rummaged around his bag for suitable ammo.

A flash of lightning cracked the sky, silently. No thunder yet.

Everyone was ready. No way they would allow their captain to fight alone. This was neither time nor place for the prolonged battle; this violent storm posed enough danger on its own.

Three seconds, a soft laughter reached their ears.

Four seconds, Luffy's four crewmates shifted their feet, their balance steady and their bodies ready to move at a moment's notice.

Thunder rumbled overhead.

Five seconds, any moment now the fight would begi—

…

Wait a moment.

They blinked at the mikan groove, then at each other, then back at the spot among Nami's trees. They could see the blond stranger sitting there with a bright smile on his face, one that their captain matched. The stranger ruffled Luffy's wet hair, apparently not minding that the latter was sitting on his lap. Then he reached for Luffy's straw hat dangling in the wind and pressed it back on the boy's head.

And Luffy only laughed at that before tackling the man into a hug again.

Four pirates blinked again, trying to make sense of the scene in front of them. Nami and Usopp even rubbed their eyes.

They were talking, Luffy and the guy, but due to their low voices and a storm still raging around, no one could hear their conversation.

"Umm…" Usopp started but failed to find something more to say. That about summed up everyone's current thoughts anyway.

Luffy suddenly jumped to his feet. "Alright!" he shouted with one hand on his hat and another fist-pumping the air. "Grand Line here we come!"

With a soft laugh, the blond also stood up.

"Hm?" Luffy looked at his crew who were gawking at him in utter disbelief. "What are you guys doing?" When he got no answer, he leaped down and then vaulted over the railing, landing lightly in front of them. He scanned their battle-ready stances, growing a bit wary. After another moment of silence, he tilted his head at their weird behavior. "Is this some sort of a game?"

"Lu-Luffy…" Sanji squeezed through his clenched teeth. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

The rubber teen scratched his head, thinking hard. "No? I don't think so?"

"Forgetting someone?!" Usopp squeaked. His gaze ever so often shifted towards the unknown man. He eeped and ducked behind Zoro again when the blond jumped down from the galley roof.

Luffy glanced at each of his nakama. He even looked at the blond guy who at that moment landed next to him, flashing him a sunny grin.

The crew unconsciously held their breaths.

"Nope," their air-headed captain concluded happily in the end. "Everyone's onboard!"

Nami couldn't hold it anymore and shrieked, "Who's that?!"

"Who's who?"

She felt like pulling her hair out. Luffy acted like it was only natural for this man to be present on their ship.

As he sheathed his sword, Zoro heaved a heavy sigh, letting tension seep out with it. Their unexpected guest was obviously not an enemy, going by Luffy's reaction.

The said guest chuckled. "Let me introduce myself," he said, swiping his top hat off his head and pressing it to his chest as he bowed in greeting. "I'm Sabo, Luffy's older brother."

"Sabo and I promised to meet up," Luffy piped in. "Didn't I tell you?"

"NO!" Nami, Sanji, and Usopp screamed together.

"Shishishishi, sorry, sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all. "It's a bit earlier than I've expected, but I'm glad."

Zoro eyed the blond. "How the hell did you arrive here?"

"Oh, my apologies for startling you all." Sabo broke into a sheepish grin. "I missed your departure due to how sudden it was and some errands I had to run. My boss gave me a lift."

"Your boss?" Usopp parroted. "Gave you a lift?!"

"That's right. But don't mind me," the man pointed at something in the far distance, "and better look over there."

All five pirates turned in the specified direction.

"What's that?" Luffy put a hand above his eyes to block out the rain and squinted. "A light?"

Nami's face lit up. "It's the Light of Guidance!" she exclaimed, running up the stairs to the very front of the ship with everyone clambering right after her. "The entrance to the Grand Line is just up ahead of that light!"

Sabo stayed behind. He leaned against the mainmast, observing his little brother interacting with his crew. Quite an interesting bunch of people, he had to admit. Even he had heard about the Pirate Hunter, so seeing him on Luffy's crew was quite a shocker at first. But the way they all reacted at the assumption he was an enemy…

Sabo smiled.

Luffy indeed found himself a good crew.

Sanji zipped past him and into the storage room, bringing a barrel out on the deck a few seconds later and setting it in the middle of the ship. "Alright!" he yelled to get the attention of others. "We're almost at the Grand Line! Let's have a little launching ceremony to mark the importance of our voyage!"

"During this storm?!" Usopp couldn't help but complain.

Luffy bounced closer. "Let's do it!"

Sanji turned to Sabo as the crew gathered around the barrel. "Will you join us?"

"No, no," the man declined, the unspoken message being that he wasn't staying permanently. "You five go ahead."

With a smirk, Sanji put his foot on top of the barrel. "To find the All Blue!"

Luffy planted his own heel, a bright grin never leaving his face. "To become the Pirate King!"

Zoro was next, lips pulled into a confident smile. "To become the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

Nami's expression radiated excitement as she placed her foot. "To draw a Map of the World!"

Usopp joined in the last, taking a deep breath first. "T-To become a Brave Warrior of the Sea!"

They stared at the collection of feet. Different sizes, but all placed together on top of the barrel. Different shapes, yet heading towards the same destination. Different pasts, but ready to share the mutual future.

"To the Grand Line!" Luffy cheered.

"Aye!" his nakama cried out eagerly.

"The entrance to the Grand Line," Nami slapped a map on the table for everyone to see, "is a mountain."

The storm let up somewhat and the crew gathered inside the galley, to dry and warm themselves before they had to go out once more. Luffy sat next to Sabo with Usopp and Zoro opposite of them while Sanji was leaning against the kitchen's cupboard.

"A mountain?" Usopp asked.

Luffy tilted his head at the map, blinking at it curiously. Sabo propped his chin with his hand, choosing to watch on the sidelines instead of ruining the surprise for his little brother and his nakama.

"That's right. I had a hard time believing it myself, but it's drawn here on the map." The navigator pointed at the specific spot and then repeated her previous statement, "The entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain."

"You mean we have to crash through the mountain?" Zoro wondered, absentmindedly scratching his chin. "Or, do we have to drag Merry up the mountain?"

Nami shook her head. "According to this map, there's a waterway to the top."

Luffy studied the map, then he suddenly said, "Oh! I got it."

His crew looked at him, eyes wide. "You did?" they all chorused.

"It's a Mystery Mountain," the rubber teen declared with a firm nod.

Pirates slumped after hearing his answer with a mumbled, "Idiot…"

Luffy turned to his brother who clearly had fun watching their antics. "It is, isn't it?"

Sabo hummed. "The mountain itself is not a mystery."

Nami instantly perked up. She put her hands on her hips and shouted, "Ha!" at her captain with a smug smile on her face.

Luffy sulked, justifiably upset.

"But who built those waterways across it is still a mystery," Sabo added.

This time Luffy shouted, "Ha!" into Nami's face. The navigator scowled at him and then at his brother. The latter offered her an apologetic smile.

"Have you ever been in the Grand Line, Sabo?" Sanji inquired, lighting a new cigarette.

"Well… I've been living there for the past ten years."

The silence that followed this revelation was broken by, "Whaaaaaaaat?" yelled in the quartet, accompanied by Luffy's merry laughter.

Zoro eyed the man once more. "You must be strong to survive the Grand Line for so long." With a vicious smirk dancing on his lips, he seemed to be itching for a fight.

"Sabo's super strong!" Luffy boasted in his brother's stead.

"Whoaaaa, you must know a lot about the Grand Line!" Usopp said, eyes sparkling in admiration. "Hey, hey, can you tell us—"

"I'm sorry," Sabo cut him off. "I don't want to spoil my brother's adventure."

"That's right, Usopp," Luffy agreed. "It's no longer an adventure if you know too much about it."

Dismayed, the sniper settled down with a whiny 'awww'.

Sabo glanced through the galley door's window, spotting an abrupt end of storm clouds and the start of baby blue sky in the distance. It was closer than the last time he checked. "Of course, I'll pitch in if necessary," he said. "Like now, for example, I think someone should man the rudder. We sailed too far into the south."

"Eh?" Luffy looked up at him. "Something's wrong with the south?"

"Not yet, but—"

The door was slammed open, almost leaving it embedded into the wall, when Nami burst outside. "Aaaaaaaargh!" she screamed a few seconds later. "Hard to starboard! Right now!"

"As you wish, Nami-swan!" Sanji replied in an instant as he pirouetted to the whipstaff to turn the Going Merry.

"Can't we just sail directly south and enter the Grand Line through there?" Zoro suggested.

"No," Sabo replied at the same time as Luffy yelled, "No, we can't!"

"That's right," Nami chimed in as she leaned against the door frame to observe the ship's trajectory. "And there's a perfectly good reason for that."

"We can't cheat!" Luffy declared.

Sabo laughed. The navigator's eyebrow twitched, but she just shook her head and let her captain's silliness go. "It's because we'd have to cross the Calm Belt and that's impossible," she explained. "There's never any wind or currents, so we couldn't move unless we rowed our way out. But more importantly, the Calm Belts are the nesting grounds for the Sea Kings. The big ones, especially."

Usopp's eyes bulged out. "Waaah, that's super scary!" he panicked, stumbling over the seat to help Sanji with the rudder. "Warn us next time!"

"Still," Zoro said, "I've never heard about ships climbing mountains."

"It must be because of sea currents. If strong currents from all four seas were to head towards that mountain, then they would drive the water up the waterways," Nami pondered. "And at the very top, the currents would merge and come out to the Grand Line. Ah, that's enough, Sanji-kun."

"Aye, aye~!"

"Now we're back riding the right current," she continued. "It should bring us straight to the entrance. If we steer properly, we'll enter the waterway with no problems. Otherwise, Merry will crash against the Red Line and the currents will drag us down to the bottom of the sea."

Usopp paled and even Zoro looked a bit nervous.

"Oh, I've heard a little about it," Sanji joined in, a crooked grin on his lips. "Supposedly, half of the people die trying to enter the Grand Line. It's no easy task." And then he threw his arms to the side, puffing out a series of smoke hearts. "But we have Nami-swan with us! We'll be fine!"

Nami ignored him and collapsed on the seat next to Luffy. "Urgh, I can't believe that we almost drifted into the Calm Belt…" she muttered as she laid her arms and then head on the table for a short break. "Thanks for the warning, Sabo."

"You're welcome."

Luffy didn't quite understand what happened, but he knew that whatever problems they would encounter, his navigator would always be here to guide them. "Good job, Nami," he said as he gently patted the girl on her head.

Nami hid her face in the crook of her elbow, the tips of her ears turning bright red.

Simple praise from her captain shouldn't have made her this embarrassingly happy, but it did. Maybe because the pat reminded her of Bellemere. Or maybe because Luffy's praise was so inherently different from Arlong's, she hadn't quite got used to it yet. Either way, it filled Nami with nothing but warm and fuzzy feelings.

The rain outside wasn't letting up, still chugging along, relentless and tempestuous. Lightning struck, illuminating the room, with a crack of thunder following suit. The storm was right above them.

Abruptly, Merry swerved to the side. Everyone grabbed onto whatever they could to stay upright or in their seats. Even before the ship completely evened out, Nami was on her feet and sprinting out of the galley again.

"Guys!" she shouted from outside, sounding a bit breathless. "Come look!"

Boys scrambled from their spots and through the door, almost flipping over the railing out of sheer shock when they saw it in the far distance—the colossal wall of jagged sanguine colored rocks rising from the roaring, churning ocean all the way to the clouds and beyond, stretching along the horizon to both sides as far as eyes could see.

The Red Line.

Sabo followed the pirates at a more leisurely pace. He had seen the Red Line before a few times, but the sight of those gargantuan cliffs humbled him every time.

"The entrance is close!" Nami cheered. "Luffy, Usopp, the sails please!"

"Roger!"

"Sanji-kun, the rudder!"

"Aye, Nami-san!"

"Zoro… don't get lost!"

"Oi!"

As the crew dispersed to carry out her orders, the navigator laughed at the heated glare the swordsman sent her way. Then, she glanced at the ship's guest, struggling to decide if she should include him in dividing chores or not. For as kind and amiable as his attitude was, Luffy's brother possessed this strange, aristocratic air about him—which was odd, considering that Luffy was, well, Luffy—and asking him to participate in such mundane tasks didn't seem appropriate.

Sabo saved her when he swiveled around and effortlessly leaped on the galley's roof with a shout, "I'll take care of the lateen sail!" and soon disappeared behind the mikan trees.

Nami's expression brightened up. "That'd be a great help! Thanks!"

"I can't believe it…" Zoro muttered, looking through the binoculars. "The ocean is really going up the mountain."

The water was roaring up the waterway carved into the Red Line. Ten massive rectangular arches with mysterious designs and ancient drawings engraved across their visible surface lined up along the entrance.

Merry's speed continued to increase as they got closer to the mountain, but the storm also grew in its intensity. The wind was practically howling now. The sea foamed and frothed in its terrifying rage, surging waves smashing and pummeling against Merry's sides.

"We're veering off course!" Luffy yelled in alarm, still hanging on the main mast's yard. "Turn starboard! Starboard!"

Usopp ran to help Sanji. One pulled the whipstaff, another pushed, and for a moment it looked like the ship started to turn. There was a sharp snap and they both crashed into the table with the whipstaff's upper part still in their hands.

Going Merry was already almost at the first gate, heading directly into its pillar.

"We won't make it…" Nami whispered in horror.

Luffy sprung from the yard, using it as leverage to propel himself towards the fast approaching archway. His crew watched in utter disbelief as he suddenly inflated, growing almost five times his original size, and wedged himself between Merry and the stone pillar. They stumbled when the ship bounced off of him and raced up towards the top in a straight line.

Luffy deflated as he descended towards the sea and his inevitable doom.

"Luffy!" Zoro was on the stern deck, leaning over the railing with an extended hand. "Grab on!" He saw the boy's arm stretching towards him and they were about to take hold of each other, fingertips touching, when the gust of wind pushed Luffy's hand off-course.

Zoro's eyes widened. He barely registered Sabo's presence at his side, too focused on trying to catch Luffy's hand. He succeeded, but his foot slipped on wet wood and he flipped over the railing. Sabo's hand brushed over his shirt, but it was too late—he was falling into the depths below.

There was a scream and several pairs of feet rushing over. Zoro had no time to even start thinking of what to do, because on the next moment Luffy slammed into him, the force of his rubbery limb snapping back to normal creating a needed momentum and flattening them both against Merry's hull.

Zoro instinctively grabbed the edge of the deck and also his captain to keep him in place. The latter giggled in his grasp. "Scaring us like that…" the swordsman grumbled, unamused by the boy's mirth in the face of grievous danger.

Multiple hands seized them and hauled them back on deck. Luffy immediately found himself in the tight embrace of his distressed brother. He patted the blond's back with a soft, "I'm okay." A few seconds later, after reassuring himself that it was true, Sabo released him. Luffy looked at his nakama, all four staring at him, intense and worried, and beamed at them. "We made it!"

His crew broke into bright grins. "WE MADE IT!" their united holler rumbled like a clap of thunder.

The pirates rushed to the bow, eager to watch as Going Merry sailed higher and higher. Though the dark clouds still covered the sky, the rain turned into a drizzle and soon stopped completely.

Nami whipped off her raincoat and let it flap freely in the wind as she laughed. Sanji and Usopp hooked arms around each other's shoulders and started dancing. Luffy pulled himself up on Merry's figurehead to have the best possible view of their journey to the summit. Zoro stood at the base of the figurehead, making sure of keeping one eye on his captain in case he fell off. He absentmindedly nodded at Sabo when the man came to stand beside him.

The ship charged into the layer of clouds, chill settling across everyone's skin. It didn't last long, because they emerged on the other side with nothing but a luminous blue dome above and brilliant sun chasing the cold away.

They could see it now—the top of the Reverse Mountain.

The water shot into the sky and then splashed into all directions, glistening and shimmering like diamonds. Going Merry flew up together with the current she was riding and for one short thrilling moment seemed to just float in the air. Gravity won in the end and she descended where canals from all four Blues met and currents collided, merging and creating a single monstrous one roaring down the slope. With a lurch, the tiny caravel was pulled into that waterway and glided downstream at double the speed than coming up.

At this altitude, no one could tell where the sky ended and the sea began. They both melted seamlessly into awe-inspiring scenery laid out in front of the eyes of lucky spectators.

"I can see it! The Grand Line! The greatest sea in the world…" Luffy trailed off as he stared straight ahead.

The greatest sea in the world and also the place where his freedom was once stolen. He pressed the hand on top of the straw hat, the familiar texture under his fingers bringing him the comforting sense of confidence and strength. And at the same time, the dagger weighed heavily where it was hanging behind his back.

His body might not be chained down anymore, but his mind and spirit were not fully free yet. Some parts of him were still confined by all those horrible memories and shackled by the darkest emotions he soaked in that place. He didn't want to admit it and even less to accept it, but it was the truth.

Luffy looked behind him, meeting Zoro's sharp silver eyes first. With his fingers wrapped tightly around his white katana's hilt, his swordsman let his lips draw back into a fierce grin. Ready, Captain.

The teen whipped his head around to look at Nami. A bright smile swept across his navigator's face, eyes closing in sheer delight. Ready, Captain!

Luffy glanced up where Sanji perched on the main mast's yard. His cook smirked at him around his cigarette. Ready, Captain.

Black eyes flicked to the crow's nest to find Usopp. His sniper flashed him a thumbs-up. Ready, Captain!

And finally, Luffy's gaze stopped on Sabo. His brother smiled at him, expression soft and warm and kind as always. I'll always have your back, Luffy.

He could easily imagine Ace standing next to Sabo with his arm draped around the latter's shoulders and a toothy grin on his lips. I'm rooting for you, Luffy!

The teen looked back at the vast ocean stretching endlessly in front of him.

Somewhere out there, One Piece was waiting. And with it, the chance to attain absolute freedom, to become the Pirate King! One day, he wouldn't need that dagger anymore. Not today, not tomorrow, not even the next week, but one day, he would throw it away and break the last chains, he was sure of it now.

Luffy took a deep breath, his chest filling with fresh air and promises of adventure, and bellowed, "Full speed ahead!" just as Going Merry dived into the clouds.

-around the same time on the other side of the world, Sabaody Archipelago-

"Thwish ish sho good!" Ace mumbled around the mouthful of roasted marshmallows.

He was sitting on the ground, legs crossed beneath him, with multiple sticks between his fingers, each having a marshmallow speared on. A small, cozy bonfire fluttered in the breeze in front of him.

Ace stuffed another portion of roasted marshmallows into his mouth. These were amazing! He glanced down at an empty package, etching the manufacturer's name into his memory. Before he left, he had to buy a few as a gift for Luffy.

An explosion nearby rocked the area. Ace looked up, lazily chewing on his sweets.

A veil of murky smoke shrouded the bright blue sky, its source an inferno swallowing a big building nearby. Burning deep red and amber and yellow, the wooden frame splintered and snapped all over the place. The massive signboard spelling 'HUMAN SHOP' creaked when fire greedily engulfed it, not sparing a single inch of it and producing crackling noise that sounded almost like laughter.

Ace bit down on the marshmallow and dragged it off the stick as he watched it happen. A corner of his mouth curled up.

Besides the pirate's peaceful little camp, the entire place was in total chaos. People scrambled into different directions, some shrieking in panic, some barking orders, others following them.

Ace stood up and dusted himself off. He was upset and at the same time relieved that there were no Celestial Dragons today in this place. His knuckles itched to punch those scums of the earth, but Marco was right. The World Government and the Navy protected those monsters and hurting them might have brought trouble for Luffy. If he had ended up running into them here, however, he doubted that he would have been able to count on his self-control.

Regardless, Ace ate all the marshmallows, except the last one still on the stick, so it was time to leave. He had all of Paradise to cross if he wanted to meet and welcome his little brother. As he carefully nudged soil on the bonfire to put it off, he tried to remember where exactly he bought those marshmallows.

A high-pitched scream startled him. His eyes narrowed. Wasn't that the direction captives fled towards after he rescued them from the auction house?

Ace practically flew there. It turned out, he was right. Marines blocked the path for a group of people he previously released from the cells and their collars before setting the whole place on fire.

"L-Leave us alone!" a boy, no older than ten, demanded. Despite his whole body shaking, he kept glaring at the Marines as he stood in front of the collapsed woman, arms spread to shield her from getting hit again.

"You little shit," one of the Marines, an officer by the looks of it, sneered. "A slave dares to talk back to me!" He lifted his hand and the kid cringed, closing his eyes.

Ace felt his blood boil. Oh, hell no!

The boy blinked when the pain never came. He looked up, up, up, his eyes widening at the sight of a young man with a cowboy hat holding Marine's wrist.

"Yo, Officer of Justice," Ace drawled out, teeth bared into a predatory grin. A wisp of vapor escaped from under his fingers where they pressed tightly into Marine's skin. The latter hissed in pain. "What do you think you're doing?"

The man yanked his hand out of his grasp, lips pulled into a snarl. There was now a distinct shape of palm burned around his wrist. "Do you know who you're dealing with, boy?!" he growled.

"Nope," Ace popped the 'p' and then returned the question, "Do you know who you're dealing with?" Not waiting for their reaction, he turned around to face the boy and the rest of the former captives.

Marines now had a perfect view of his uncovered back. Most of them gasped, a couple even retreated a step the moment they saw the Whitebeard's tattoo displayed proudly on it. A few from the back line turned around and hightailed out of there.

"Hey, kid," Ace spoke quietly. His previously vicious expression smoothed out into the one he perfected for his baby brother: kind, reassuring, and soft in all the right places. It worked like a charm. The boy didn't shy away when the pirate ruffled his hair. "That's your mom?"

The kid nodded, still staring at Ace with wide eyes, something akin to awe sparkling in those innocent pools of green.

"Good job on protecting her, little man," Ace complimented. "Here, you can have this." He thrust the last stick with the marshmallow into the boy's hand and then gently pushed him towards his mother. "Now, run along."

The woman hugged her son, tears streaking down her cheeks. After a moment, she took his hand and rose to leave, but not before mouthing 'thank you' to Ace.

He watched them go. They weren't even slaves yet, not officially, not until they were branded, and these Marines already treated them like cattle, like something lower than humans. If Luffy ever ran into these sort of people…

Ace spun around. Marines flinched. They couldn't decide what was more terrifying—the smile on the man's lips or the one in his eyes.

"F-F-Fire Fist!"

"Oho," he said, sharp and deadly. He slowly pulled his arm back, his fist bursting into flames. "Congratulations on figuring it out."

-Reverse Mountain-

Going Merry whizzed down the waterway, wind blasting in the faces of her passengers. The cloud layer here was even denser and wider in range than the one they passed on their way up. They could barely see a few meters ahead, but it didn't matter—it was a straight beeline to the very bottom of the mountain.

Zoro frowned, leaning forward and squinting into the fog. "Did you hear that?"

Luffy also stilled, cocking his head to the side. He appeared puzzled by something.

"Eh? Must've been the wind!" Nami replied. "The terrain here is quite odd, it could have easily caused it!"

A low, eerie sound rolling across the waterway reached everyone's ears this time.

"That's not the sound of the wind," Sabo muttered.

"When what is it?!"

"It's another mountain!"

"Huuuh?!" the navigator yelled at Sanji. "That can't be!"

Another wail reverberated all around, as haunting as the previous ones.

Luffy stared into the haze, expression scrunched up in concentration. "What do you mean by—" He never finished his sentence, because the next moment he was drawing as much air into himself as possible and then, "WE ARE HERE! COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN!"

It was almost as loud as the next cry of the unseen creature that shook the mist. His crew looked at their captain with various degrees of confusion.

Sabo blinked at his brother. Luffy never did something without a reason. "Luffy, why are you saying that?"

"A voice asked where we are," the rubber teen replied easily. He scratched his head. "I think."

"A voice?"

The fog thinned and soon Merry broke through. The weather cleared out to show them a gigantic looming form towering just at the base of the waterway.

"It's not a mountain!"

"It's a black wall!"

"No! It's a—it's a—"

"It's a whale!"

Even Sabo's eyes widened. And not just because of seeing such a magnificent creature for the first time after hearing tales about it. Currently, their little caravel headed straight into it at full speed. If they did nothing, they would end up as nothing but a bloody smear on its side.

Luffy still had his gaze fixed forward as the massive whale let out another wail that tore through their eardrums. "And now he's saying that he's here, he's waiting," he informed. A second later added, "Probably. It's a bit confusing."

"Waiting for what?!" Nami shrieked.

"Who cares!" Usopp sobbed. "We're about to crash!"

"Th-there's an opening on the left!" Zoro pointed at the tiny gap in between the whale and the cliff. "Turn port! Hard to port!"

"The rudder broke earlier!" Usopp cried out, already inside the galley and gawking at the broken whipstaff in horror.

Despite the reminder, Sanji forwent the rigging and jumped directly down in front of the galley door before ducking inside.

"We gotta do something, dammit!" the swordsman vaulted over the railing and rushed across the ship to help out too.

Sabo glanced at Luffy who seemed too preoccupied with the supposed voice he kept hearing to show any reaction. The boy jolted when the blond called his name and turned his head to indicate that he was listening. "Do you remember that morning after party when you knocked everyone out in Foosha?" Luffy's brow furrowed at the memory, but he nodded nonetheless. Sabo didn't like to make his brother remember it, but he pushed through with his idea, "You think you could recreate that feeling?"

A surprise and understanding fluttered across Luffy's features. He looked back at the quickly approaching whale and asked, "Would that help?"

"I believe so," Sabo answered, firm and trusting. "You can scare it off."

"Wha—What are you two talking about so leisurely?!" Nami screamed. "How can you scare something that big?!" Despite the best effort from her three nakama, Going Merry had barely changed her course. The girl's legs gave out. She collapsed, watching helplessly as the ship barreled into her doom and bringing them with her.

With the straw hat pinned on his head by the weight of his hand, Luffy closed his eyes. The world slowly fell away, until he could hardly hear the roaring wind. He pushed aside the airy, refreshing force that always accompanied him. Immediately, a different one, warm and vibrant, poured out, but this wasn't the one he needed either. He dug deeper into his very being until he found it—a slumbering behemoth of power. Chained down, restrained by invisible shackles, but still able to respond to its owner's call through its cage and roar.

Luffy channeled all of that overwhelming feeling and slammed it into the whale ahead.

The pressure from the whale's cry cut off abruptly. Silence followed. Going Merry was still speeding down the slope, still on route for a collision.

And then the whale tipped to one side and crashed into the surface, its massive body practically splitting the ocean in two. The water rushed to fill an empty space. Shortly after, an enormous tail rose from the sea.

Finally at the end of the waterway, Going Merry sailed up the giant wave, created by the tail slapping the surface, and then slid back down, coming to a stop where the whale disappeared.

No one dared to move yet, paralyzed by the brief moment of death breathing against their necks.

"He—he really—he really did scare it off…" Nami stuttered under her breath.

"Unbelievable…" Sanji breathed out where the three of them rested on the floor after being knocked off of their feet.

"Luffy…" Usopp sniffled around the giant lump of we're alive stuck in his throat.

Zoro could only gawk, trying to process what exactly transpired in the last few minutes.

Still sitting on the figurehead, Luffy stared into the swirling water below. "Ne, Sabo," he said. "I don't think he liked that."

Sabo let air rush out of his lungs and it came out as a nervous chuckle. "Does it really matter?" he asked, pulling his top hat off and racking fingers through his wavy hair. "It's gone now."

Luffy let out a soft 'hmm' as he continued to peer into the depths. Suddenly, he stiffened. A quiet, "Ah…" was the only warning the rest of them got before the sea all but exploded.

Two gigantic jaws shot up on either side of the ship, lined up with the rows of sharp teeth, each easily dwarfing ten Going Merries stacked together. And the pirates watched in pure terror as that nightmares-inducing maw surrounded them until there was nothing left of the outside world, only a narrow slit of the blue sky far, far above their heads.

"Oh, shi—"

The jaws closed and the Straw Hats were no more.

Next Chapter: The Ones Left Behind

Chapter Text

"So, what do you guys think of this?"

"What do I think of this?" Zoro muttered.

"Yeah," Sanji replied. "Anyone have any explanation for this?" He blew out a puff of smoke as he, as well as everyone else on the ship, stared at the view in front of them.

A peaceful little island floated innocently in the serene greenish ocean, framed by a backdrop of blue sky with white fluffy clouds. A nice little cottage stood in the middle. Trimmed grass, a laundry line full of clothes, and a sun chair under the lone palm tree indicated that this place was indeed inhabited.

When no one offered any bright ideas of what was going on, Sanji continued, "I could've sworn we were swallowed up by that whale, but…"

"We're just dreaming, right?" Usopp piped in. His eyes, brimming with hope, shifted to the two brothers nearby. The older one especially. No doubt, after living ten years in the Grand Line, he would know.

Sabo still held onto Luffy, having pulled him off the figurehead and into the safety of his arms just as the giant maw closed. Good thing he did, the trip down the whale's throat was anything but gentle.

"We were eaten by a whale!" Luffy cheerfully exclaimed.

Sabo unwrapped his arms from around his brother with a sigh. "I have to say," he started, finally giving the new surroundings a more judging sweep, "getting eaten is a first for me too."

"Nooooooo!" Usopp wailed. "We were not eaten! It's a dream! A dream!"

"It definitely feels like an illusion…" Nami agreed.

"Pretty sure the whale's stomach shouldn't look like this," Sanji added.

While everyone gawked at the island, waiting for answers they all desired, Luffy bounced up and down like an effervescent ball of excitement. "Ne, ne, Sabo," he called, a grin dancing on his lips, "do you think we taste good?"

The blond glanced down at him, then back at the island with a contemplative hum. "Considering you're made out of rubber, you'd probably be hard and chewy." He smirked. "Though that alligator that swallowed you when Ace kicked you into a river didn't seem to complain about your taste."

"Ace was so mean…" Luffy pouted. "But you were always nice to me. I think you'd taste very sweet!"

"Eh? Sweet?"

"Ace would taste super spicy!" Luffy scrunched his face in distaste. "Like that pot of stew we stole from the house next to a barbershop."

Sabo grimaced from a mere memory of it. His throat suddenly felt like it was on fire again. "How could I forget? That thing was nasty," he grumbled. "But you have a point. Ace would taste extra spicy."

"Shishishishi."

"Wait, wait. I think I just heard something very disturbing," Usopp said. Sanji and Zoro nodded in agreement. "Luffy was eaten by an alligator?"

Nami couldn't endure anymore. "Why are you two so relaxed?!" she exploded, throwing her arms up in pure frustration. The two brothers only blinked at her outburst. "We were eaten by a whale! It's not the same as getting eaten by an alligator! Why and how did you get eaten by an alligator?!" Nami's anger simmered down into a panic. "What do we do?! What's going to happen to us?! I don't want to get digested!"

"Don't worry, my sweet mellorine! I'll gladly get digested instead of you!" Sanji exclaimed as he pirouetted towards the navigator with his arms outstretched and hearts in his eyes and—

—got decked by a single punch. "I don't want anyone to get digested!" Nami yelled, still holding her fist up as if daring anyone else to offer themselves up.

"Isn't this easy to solve?" Luffy asked, completely serious now.

So serious, in fact, that his crew straightened up unconsciously. Their undivided attention focused only on their captain, ready to soak in his wisdom.

"In one way, out the other!" Luffy declared, head held high in pride and hands on his hips. "We just have to find the whale's ass and get—!" Before he could finish, he ducked under Nami's punch with a yelp.

Zoro facepalmed. Sanji groaned, hiding his face behind his hand as if embarrassed himself. Usopp just sighed.

Sabo watched Luffy weaving around enraged Nami's attacks, like a swirling wind around her fists. There was a playful grin on his brother's face and mirth in his eyes. With what he knew about Luffy, he wouldn't take this situation as a game if Nami attacked with a genuine intention to hurt him. Sabo shook his head at their antics and looked away, instead choosing to study the rest of the crew.

The three teens were discussing the fake sky and birds and why there was light in here. Even Usopp, who Sabo observed was more on the cowardly side, offered his input about their current predicament. It seemed that Luffy's silliness helped in easing the tension among these young pirates. Sabo wondered if his brother did it on purpose. The latter could be incredibly unpredictable and hard to read sometimes.

"If you don't like it, we can go back through where we came from," Luffy suggested, sidestepping yet another clumsy hit. "We just have to climb back up the throat and—"

"Shut up!"

"Namiiiii~," Luffy whined. The girl paused to catch her breath, and he took the chance to retreat to a safe distance. "Why are you so angry? I just—hm?" His gaze flicked down at the deck, the intensity of his gaze seeming to look through the ship, and Sabo mirrored his action a few seconds later. "Something's coming," he warned, now deadly serious.

Sanji tensed. Zoro grabbed the hilt of his sword. Sabo reached for his pipe.

The water rippled violently and then the surface broke as the huge pink beast burst out of the depths. It towered over the Merry, furious eyes boring into the tiny humans on her deck and tentacles flailing aggressively, threatening to smash the ship into smithereens.

"A GIANT SQUID!" Usopp and Nami screamed.

The others were about to make a move when three harpoons speared the squid through its head. In the fountain of spurting blue blood, the squid dropped back into the water, dead. The group traced the ropes of harpoons to the cottage. Someone was standing in the doorway, holding the other end of those ropes, but the light didn't penetrate the lingering darkness inside the cottage, so all they could see was a vague silhouette.

Zoro flicked his sword out. "Looks like someone's home."

"Better hope it's a person," Sanji muttered.

The ropes tautened and the squid started slowly getting dragged towards the island. In a nerve-racking silence that made most of the Straw Hats sweat bullets, the hunter pulled his prey closer and closer until he finally stepped out into the light himself.

"It's a flower!" Sanji exclaimed. Then, he blinked. "Ah, no. It's a person."

It was a person. At least, he looked like a human. Like an old man, to be precise, with his white hair and beard and wrinkles on his face. Curiously, he had yellow-purple flower petal-like things growing in a semicircle around his head.

Apart from the brief interruption, the silence continued. The old man reeled the squid all the way to the island and secured it to a wooden stake. The pirates felt their hearts start racing as the stranger straightened up and fixed his steely eyes on them. They felt paralyzed by that gaze, like powerless prey in front of an apex predator.

The man began walking, not lowering his penetrating glare from the ship.

He glared.

And glared.

And glared.

And then…

He plopped down on the sun chair and opened up a newspaper.

It was such an underwhelming turn of events, Sanji's strained nerves snapped, "Say something, you jerk!"

The man looked up from his reading material.

"W-we'll fight you if that's what you want!" Usopp stated, legs shaking. "We have a cannon on our side!"

The man's eyes hardened, boring into each of them with the intensity of a warrior ready to cut an intruder into the smallest of pieces.

He glared.

And glared.

And glared.

And then…

"Don't. Or someone will die."

Nami and Usopp whimpered. Zoro and Sabo narrowed their eyes. Luffy tilted his head curiously as he regarded the stranger.

Sanji cracked a tight smirk around his cigarette. "Oh?" he asked, feeling a cold sweat sliding down the back of his neck. "And who would that be?"

"Me."

"You?!" Sanji seethed. "Freaking bastard…" He looked a second away from jumping to the island and strangling the guy. "Making a fool out of me…"

Grinning at the cook losing his temper, Zoro pulled him back and stepped forward himself. "Oi, old man! Mind telling us where we are? And who are you?"

The man glared at the swordsman for a few seconds that seemed to stretch into an uncomfortable amount of time.

He glared.

And glared.

And glared.

And then…

"It's proper manners to introduce yourself first before asking someone else's name."

"Yeah, right. Sorry about that," Zoro floundered. "I'm Roro—"

"My name is Crocus, the Lighthouse Keeper of the Twin Capes," the old man interrupted. "I'm seventy-one-year-old, Gemini, blood type AB…"

As information got less and less relevant, Zoro's patience snapped. "Can I kill him now?!" he snarled, his sword halfway drawn.

Luffy burst out laughing.

"Please, calm down." Sabo patted the swordsman's shoulder. "He's just messing with you."

Crocus' eyes widened furiously, pinning them all down without effort.

He glared.

And glared.

And glared.

And then…

"CUT THAT OUT!" Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp howled.

Sabo let out a sigh. "What a weirdo," he said under his breath. He had met his fair share of weirdos until now—the Revolutionary Army was full of them, honestly—but this one turned out to be quite unnerving. Looking at his brother who was still busy giggling, he couldn't help a smile that made its way onto his face. Luffy was enjoying himself, so the man probably wasn't a threat. "Never a dull moment while traveling with you, is there?" he teased.

"Shishishishi, I like that old man."

"You're wondering where this place is? You trespass into my private resort and—"

"I'm Luffy!" the rubber teen cheerfully cut the lighthouse keeper off to introduce himself. "Do you happen to know where the exit in this Mystery Whale is?"

"How rude of you to interrupt while others are talking," the old man scoffed. And promptly got glared at by a few people.

"You're the one to talk…" Zoro grumbled.

Crocus didn't seem to hear him… or if he did, he paid no mind to it. "The exit is over there." He pointed at the huge steel gate in the distance.

The Straw Hats blinked. A huge steel gate. Surrounded by a fake sky with clouds. In the wall of what was supposed to be the whale's stomach.

"…how did we miss that?" all five of them asked.

Sabo squinted. "It's not painted, is it?" he wondered.

Usopp pulled his goggles down and took a couple of seconds to adjust the lenses, everyone waiting for his report. "Looks real," he affirmed. "There is a steel platform at the side with a smaller doo—gah!" With a startled gasp, he was thrown off his feet when the deck under him unexpectedly shifted.

The waters around them began shaking and churning. Both Going Merry and the small island rocked in violent waves. Before anyone could catch their breath, the acid ocean around them tilted: one side rose, swallowing the fake sky, and the other side sank in, revealing numerous skeletons of various creatures and half-digested ships. Merry's front rose together with the rising water.

"Brace yourself!" Zoro shouted as he hooked his arm around the nearest railing.

Like a wooden shaving in a glass of water that was tipped over to the side, Merry slid backward down the forty-five-degree slope.

Luffy wrapped his rubbery arm around the mast and at the same time, his other arm shot out to snatch shrieking Usopp who got tossed into the air by the sudden shift. At the corner of his eye, he saw Sabo jumping up to catch Nami in midair before landing safely on the galley's wall. Zoro was hanging onto the front railings with Sanji next to him.

Everyone was safe for now. Not for long, though, because they were about to crash into that steel gate they had been looking at earlier. Exiting in such a way was not what any of them had in mind.

Fortunately, the Merry started slowing down and, as the acid sea evened out, they came to a stop.

"Is everyone alright?!" Sanji called out from the front.

"Yep!" Luffy cheered.

"I want to go home…" Usopp sniffled from where he laid face down on the deck.

Once Sabo's arm withdrew from around her, Nami collapsed, her trembling legs unable to keep her on her feet. "What-what-what the hell was that..." she whispered, trying to get her bearings. They had barely entered the Grand Line and it was one thing after another without a pause.

Sabo tugged his overcoat up, shooting a glance down at the navigator, and fixed his hat. "All good here!" he answered.

"Hmm, I don't see Flower-ossan on his island," Luffy commented. He looked around before his gaze inevitably drifted to a single spot in the water, though he seemed to look through it rather than at it. "Ah, he's fine," he murmured.

"What the hell?!" Sanji yelled.

Indeed, the island somehow got misplaced together with their ship. The palm tree, the cottage, the squid—everything.

Sabo's eyes flicked over the edge of the island where it met the water. "I think it's a ship," he said. "Probably made out of iron or steel to fend off the stomach acid."

"Who cares?" Zoro growled. He was so done with this whale. "The exit is right there!" He pointed at the gate, all frustrated aggression. At least, they got lucky by being thrown towards it and not farther away from it. "Let's just get out of here."

The small door in the gate suddenly slammed open. Everyone startled, heads whipping up to look at the possible new threat. A man and a woman in flamboyant clothes burst out through the door onto the platform, carrying heavy bazookas on each of their shoulders, and…

…immediately keeled over and started vomiting.

The Straw Hats stared.

"What's up with those clowns?" Usopp asked no one in particular.

"Urgh…" the man with a crown groaned. "I didn't expect the whale to move so much while we were inside…"

The blue-haired woman pressed her hand against her mouth. "I'm not feeling well, Mr. Nine…"

"This is the last chance, Miss Wednesday," her companion replied. "We have to focus…" The woman nodded. "For the whale…" A nod again. "For our village." They both reached for bazookas which lay abandoned on the floor. "For our mission!"

"Ah, that's not good," Luffy said.

"What?!" Usopp instantly panicked. He didn't know what he should be panicking about, because the two strangers didn't seem to be targeting them, but maybe the captain noticed something he didn't. "What's not good?!"

With a roar, the duo brought bazookas up, intended to blow a hole in the whale's stomach...

…only to shoot back into the steel gate. The force of the explosion slammed into their backs and hurled them clean off the platform.

"See? They had their weapons backward," Luffy pointed out dryly.

"You're right. Not good at all," Usopp agreed calmly. "Seriously, what's up with those clowns?"

"AAAAAAAAH!" screamed the duo, plummeting down. "IT'S A SEA OF STOMACH ACID!"

The Straw Hats stared, too baffled at the moment to even think about saving them. During the time they were distracted by watching a flailing bazooka pair, the old man resurfaced and started climbing the steel ladder. Just as the two splashed into the water, he reached the top.

The world shook again. Less than the time before, but it still was strong enough that the pirates had to grab onto something in order to stay on their feet.

"Arrrgh! I've had enough of this!" Nami yelled. "How do we open the exit?!"

"I'll open the gate for you kids in a bit," Crocus called out to them from the platform. "In the meantime, can you keep an eye on those two for me?"

The weirdo pair managed to resurface, but the rough waves tossed them back and forth and threatened to pull them back under.

"Alright!" Luffy agreed instantly. "Usopp, get the rope!" Both his arms shot forward, stretching to the pair and latching onto them. He ripped them off of water and pulled onto the Going Merry, forgoing any thought of their safety.

The man faceplanted onto the deck, slid across it, and slammed into the railing, barely missing Usopp who darted to the side with an eep. He slumped where he stopped, and the woman escaped the same fate only by Sanji swooping in to catch her.

The old man turned to leave through the smaller door in the gate, but the two abandoned bazookas caught his eye. With a disgusted sneer, he kicked them into the acid below and only then proceeded to leave.

"…this is how you tie people up," Sabo said as he tightened up the ropes around their prisoners, not paying attention to their groans. "No one ever escapes tied up like this. And they can even feed themselves if you keep them long enough that you have to feed them."

Usopp eyed the blond man warily. He was grateful to learn a useful trick, but the way he talked implied that he had to use it quite often. "That's a weird skill to know."

Sabo hummed. "Something I picked up here and there."

His lighthearted comment only strengthened suspicion in Usopp's gaze.

Sabo smiled amiably at the heated glares sent his way from the weirdo duo. He stood up, his eyes shifting to his brother.

After returning to the real world and the real sky above their heads, they settled around the stone table at the base of the lighthouse where Crocus shared the story about the whale waiting for his nakama for fifty years.

Throughout the story, Luffy sat cross-legged on the table and stared at the looming colossal form of the whale—Laboon—without uttering a word. No one could read his expression, his face was completely blank. He never touched the cup of tea that Crocus offered either.

"To think he's been waiting here for fifty years and still believes his nakama will return," Usopp muttered. "I hope they still really come back!"

As if he heard it, Laboon let out a sorrowful cry.

"Idiot," Sanji flicked the ash off of his cigarette. "This is the Grand Line. The answer is obvious. There's no reason to wait for them anymore."

Sabo moved to stand behind his brother. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"Ace waited for me," Luffy murmured. He never noticed when his hand drifted to rest on the left side of his neck where the scar was hidden under the bandana. "He didn't know if he should, but he waited anyway." The loud wail shook the air once more and the teen stayed silent throughout it. His gaze never strayed from the whale. "Maybe these guys are also in a bad place and can't come back. No matter how much they want to or how hard they try."

"The truth is crueler." Crocus shook his head. "They ran away from the Grand Line."

That revelation distracted the crew (or at least half of it) from the little tidbit their captain shared about his mysterious past.

"W-what?" Usopp stuttered in disbelief. "And the whale continues to believe in his nakama's promise?!"

Even Nami felt agitated by the news. "So they just left the whale behind?!" she shouted. "If that's the case, then why haven't you tried telling him the truth? This whale understands human words, right?"

"He knows," Luffy muttered.

"The young lad is right. I've told Laboon everything, but he refuses to listen."

"He won't listen?" Nami whispered to herself.

"Ever since I told him the first time, Laboon has been bellowing at the Reverse Mountain and bashing his head against the Red Line." Crocus let out a breath of utter defeat. The end of his words was swallowed by a mournful cry reverberating throughout the area. "I've tried telling the truth many times during all this time, but Laboon refuses to accept it."

They never talked about it, Luffy recalled, he and Ace. Ace never asked what he had to go through after his disappearance, but Luffy never questioned how Ace lived through losing both his brothers either. The scars on Laboon's head reminded him of faint scars on his brother's knuckles; the way Ace would sometimes punch the tree disregarding his own well-being, then would simply wave it off with a perfectly fake smile when it left another bleeding wound.

The ones left behind. A pain they suffered. And the dwindling will to keep themselves safe.

Laboon reminded him of Ace, Luffy couldn't leave the whale be.

Abruptly, the rubber teen hopped off of the table. "Hope is a horrible thing to hold onto," he said as he started walking. "But living without hope is even worse." After a few more steps, he paused and turned around with a frown. Beelining directly to Sabo, he flicked his forehead.

"Wha—?"

"Stop that."

Sabo rubbed the stinging spot, barely able to maintain eye contact with those demanding dark eyes. Others might have been confused at this exchange, yet he knew exactly what his little brother wanted. For him to not feel guilty. "I can't," he told him quietly. Sincerely.

Luffy pursed his lips, every inch of his expression radiating disapproval. "You had that memory-thing happen to you. They are to blame." His insistence, unyielding and full of certainty, was met with silence. The two brothers stared at each other, ignoring the odd looks from others. "Would you have waited fifty years for me?"

This time his brother replied, "Of course," without a shred of doubt. Because there was none.

Luffy's expression shifted, softened. "Isn't that enough?" he asked, bouncing backward. Not your fault, he didn't say, but Sabo heard it anyway. A bright grin straight from the heart banished the shadows that fell upon the boy's face. Flinging his straw hat to his brother, he spun around. "Hold onto it, I'll be back in a bit!" And then jogged off.

For some time, no one spoke. Eventually, the curiosity won over. "That memory-thing?" Nami was the first one to ask the question on everyone's mind.

"Ten years ago, they blew up my boat while I was on it. I got saved, but suffered a complete memory loss," Sabo explained. His words were heavy with thoughts like he was still going through a million things in his head at once. "My memories returned only recently."

Usopp worked up the courage to cautiously inquire, "Who are… 'they'?"

The burn scar on his face started aching. Sabo's fingers tightened around the brim of Luffy's straw hat and he couldn't stop the sneer from twisting his features. The silence stretched on, and it quickly became clear that he wasn't going to answer.

"Gomu Gomu no…"

Everyone perked up at the familiar voice, but Luffy was nowhere to be seen.

Soon Usopp yelled, "There he is!" as he pointed at the mountain behind the building. Luffy stood on the rocky slope with his arms stretched all the way to a weathervane on top of the lighthouse.

"Huh?" Nami put a hand above her eyes to ward off the sunlight. "What is he doing there?"

Sanji wondered the same. "What is he up to now?"

"I have a bad feeling…" Zoro muttered, gripping his sword for some reassurance.

"…Rocket!" Rubbery appendages snapped back and catapulted Luffy over the lighthouse and in the direction of—

"He's going to hit Laboon!" Crocus shouted in alarm, jumping to his feet. "Hey! Hey, kid! Watch out! You'll get hurt!"

Even if Luffy would have wanted to heed his warning, it would have been too late. He slammed into the whale's side with such a powerful momentum that, regardless of massive size and weight, it staggered Laboon.

Luffy rebounded from the whale's body. "Hey, you big dummy!" he called out as he descended. "Remember me? I made you move earlier!"

An entire sea shifted under his body as Laboon turned sharply, eyes narrowed, anger and indignation flitting across them like lightning, and rammed the still airborne pirate.

Despite having only a split second to do so, Luffy managed to right himself in midair to stick the landing. He crashed, red rocks crumbling away from the force of the impact under his feet. The ground shattered even farther when he sprung back into the air like a released coil. The world blurred around him. The power bloomed, thrumming through him, pulsing in time with his accelerated heartbeat.

A tiny fist hit Laboon's eye dead center and the whale let out a pained whine. It grew in intensity and volume until the whale was all but roaring as he charged the human.

The moment Luffy's feet touched the ground again, he whirled around, sending both his arms behind him. Moving to meet Laboon head-on, he whipped his arms forward with a roar on his own.

The resulting shockwave of their clash rocked the area. Laboon lurched back and Luffy was sent flying into the mountainside.

"Luffy!" the crew yelled in worry.

"I'm hungry," was what they heard in return. The dust settled down, revealing their captain sitting among the rubble with an easy smile dancing on his lips.

The whale glared at the human, ready to attack, yet not taking an initiative.

Sanji tsked. "What the hell is he saying…" Despite sounding slightly annoyed, he was already running through the list of dishes he would be preparing as soon as this situation was resolved. It was such a rare occasion to hear Luffy say it—honestly, Sanji wasn't sure if he had heard him say it even once till now—he would have to cook a feast and see to his captain having his fill while they were still on land.

Luffy ignored the confusion pouring out from his nakama, staring the whale dead in the eye. "We'll have to postpone our fight for now," he said, heaving himself up, "but we must fight again someday to see which of us is the strongest!" Luffy walked to stand in front of the whale and extended his fist. "Once we're finished sailing the Grand Line, we'll be back to see you!"

Laboon stared at the tiny human, then tentatively leaned closer, yet not close enough to touch his still outstretched fist. He huffed, the puff of air ruffling Luffy's hair.

The boy's smile widened into the D-shaped grin. Powerful, honest, and confident. "That's right." He tapped the whale's head with his knuckles. "It's a promise!"

Laboon's eyes watered.

"We might be rivals, but from now on, we're nakama too!"

Laboon threw his head back and bellowed into the sky. Not out of despair or sorrow this time, but out of pure joy.

Zoro couldn't sleep. Usually, he would simply lie down and be out like a light. Not this time. Luffy, Usopp, and Nami making a ruckus in the distance had nothing to do with it.

He felt restless. Frustrated. It boiled inside of him, nerves threatening to rapture, agitation rising slowly but surely, until his own skin felt too tight. Until he couldn't stay still anymore.

With a click of his tongue, Zoro rose to his feet, pushing his katanas into their place at his side, and peered up at Laboon. Could Zoro make a dent in the whale's thick and tough skin? Doubtful. Could he even be able to make Laboon move with his current strength? Also doubtful.

But Luffy could. He could make such a huge creature move without even touching him. His physical strength was on par with the whale too.

Zoro was too weak.

With an irritated grunt, the swordsman started walking.

Usopp almost bowled him over, an angry Nami hot on his heels with a splash of white paint now adorning her hair. "It was an accident, I swear!" the sniper shrieked.

"I don't care!" She brandished a brush, coated with paint. "Come back here!"

Hanging on the side of Laboon's nose, high up in the air, with a huge brush in his hand, Luffy laughed at the scene below. His eyes briefly landed on Zoro and his laughter faded. His swordsman obviously had something bothering him. Luffy looked after him for a minute… then, with a shrug, he let him be. Sometimes people had to work out their issues on their own. He knew that better than most.

With a nod to Crocus who observed the antics of the youngest pirates with a warm smile, Zoro passed the Going Merry where he could hear the cook humming as he busied himself in the kitchen and strolled straight to the person who seemed just as restless as him. "Yo, Sabo," he greeted. "Wanna spar?"

It came as no surprise when the man pushed away from the rocky wall he had been leaning against till now with an immediate, "Yes. Gladly." He grabbed his lead pipe that was propped against the same wall. "I need to clear my head."

In a mute agreement, they moved away from everyone to have space for their sparring match. Once they were adequately far, they came to a stop in front of each other.

Sabo twirled his pipe between his fingers as he measured his opponent. "What's the story behind the famous East Blue bounty hunter joining a pirate crew?" he asked. There was something in his voice and in his gaze, a keen sharpness, as though gauging the man Luffy had chosen.

Zoro paused with his katanas halfway drawn. It wasn't that long since he met Luffy, yet the events of roughly a month felt like years with how much he had learned, seen, and grown. The reason why he joined, huh. There were several. He went against Marines. Luffy saved his life. He didn't laugh at Zoro's ambition. Most importantly, "Luffy's dream is bigger than mine." He finished drawing his swords. "That's why he's my Captain."

"Oh?" was all that the blond said, those steely eyes of his still on the swordsman, studying him, judging.

Zoro bit down on Wado. Time to try his new blades. He attacked. Weapons collided, metal on metal. Sabo's pipe was a whirling blur as he parried or blocked the fierce slashes and countered with smashing strikes of his own.

Two katanas slammed down on the pipe, but it didn't even budge. He pushed and Sabo pushed back in equal strength. "Why a pipe and not a Bo staff like Luffy?" Zoro asked while they were locked in a battle of pure muscle power. He was also genuinely curious about it.

Sabo chuckled. "It's a strange choice for a weapon, isn't it?" He looked at his pipe and his eyes softened with fondness, though his stance against the swordsman held just as strong as before. "The three of us used to run around with these when we were little. The heavier head was surprisingly helpful in fights with adults and beasts in the forest, giving needed weight to hit harder than we would have been able to do otherwise."

A mighty swing of the pipe sent Zoro skidding backward.

"After I got separated," Sabo continued, "I accidentally picked it up during my training and it felt right in my hand. Maybe my body was just trying to tell me that I—" Sabo's knuckles whitened from how tight he gripped his weapon. Realizing it, he eased it with a sigh. "That I forgot something very precious."

Zoro used the momentary opening to strike again. His eyes narrowed when the blond sidestepped his attack with ease without even looking. It reminded him of Luffy's mystery power. His teeth clenched around Wado's hilt.

He was too weak.

Sabo went on the offensive this time. Zoro managed to fend the onslaught of attacks, but he felt each of them in his arms, his muscles, and even bones. Sabo was definitely stronger than him, he realized with sudden clarity. Instead of feeling discouraged, though, he could feel it coursing through his veins and making his heart race—excitement. Strong people like this lived in the Grand Line. He might be weak now, but he could become stronger if he fought against such people. Following Luffy on this journey was the best decision Zoro could have made in his life.

Sabo slammed his pipe into defensively crossed swords. "Have you ever sparred with Luffy?"

"Yeah." Zoro flipped Yubashiri around and turned, pushing the other man away. He continued spinning until a violent tornado roared to life.

Sabo stayed rooted to the ground, despite the wind threatening to topple him over. His hand shot up to hold his hat in place. He secured it by pulling it down and lifted the same arm, fingers rearranging into a strange, claw-like position, and then brought it down. The rock shattered upon impact, exploding outwards and ripping the tornado apart in the process.

Zoro's eyes widened. For a split second, before he lost sight of the man in a cloud of dust and debris, he could swear he saw Sabo's hand turn completely black. What the hell was that? He had no time to mull over whatever he had witnessed, because his opponent was on him again.

"As far as I know, Luffy uses his staff only against opponents with bladed weapons," Sabo commented, effortlessly swinging his pipe around. "His primary style is unarmed, but his Haki isn't strong enough just yet to protect him from blades." A grin swept across his face, brimming with pride. "Considering that he's purely self-taught, his control over it is truly impressive."

Fending off those precise, relentless blows, Zoro had no choice but to start retreating. "Haki?"

"I believe my brother calls it a mystery power," Sabo laughed. It caused his guard to slip, because he only barely dodged the diagonal slash from Sandai Kitetsu.

Zoro used this opportunity to turn the tables and forced Sabo onto the defensive. "The thing Luffy used to force the whale to give us the way," he guessed.

The blond let out a quiet 'mhm'. "There are three types of Haki. The one he used on the whale was the one a person can't simply learn, one has to be born with it to manifest," he explained, ducking under the blades and letting them pass harmlessly above his head. Exploiting a perfect opening this maneuver created, he launched a punch into Zoro's stomach.

Keeping his feet firmly on the ground, Zoro skidded backward. Once he came to a stop, he dropped to one knee, Wado clattering on the ground. He hadn't been in this much pain since he lost to Mihawk. Looking up, he met the other man's expectant eyes. "But you can learn the other two?" he growled out.

A smirk pulled at the corner of Sabo's mouth as he lifted his hand. "Yes, you can. I'm also a Haki user." This time the swordsman clearly saw the black sheen that spread from his fingertips to his elbow. It faded a moment later and the blond swung his pipe to point at the kneeling pirate. "Let's proceed?" It was as much an invitation as it was a challenge.

Zoro rose to his feet. There was a grin on his face. A wild, predatory sort of thing. "Gladly."

Next Chapter: Miss Wednesday

Chapter Text

Vivi slumped in defeat. The pirate in a top hat was right. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get these ropes to loosen up. Going by puffs and huffs beside her, Mr. Nine had just as much luck as her.

This was not good.

This mission already took longer than she had expected. She couldn't waste even more time. She needed to go back home as fast as possible.

Vivi wiggled her hands. A heavy sigh left her mouth when her efforts to free herself once again ended up in vain.

She wondered what was happening in her country. Did her father get her letter? He should have, by now. If nothing unexpected happened. He must be worried sick though. She and Igaram planned to leave soon after sending the letter with a summary of all the information they had gathered, but this mission came and they couldn't risk blowing their cover when they were so close.

Her chest started to ache. It hurt her to remember that her family had never been so far away from her before. Now she was all alone in the world, miles away from anyone she could trust…

Vivi clenched her fists, feeling nails digging into the flesh of her palm. She ought to go back no matter what. Tenacious brown eyes shifted up to look at the pirates who were starting to gather back at the stone table. Even if she had to beg these pirates to bring her back.

Sitting at the table, the pirate girl continued to towel dry her hair after a bath that she had just taken in the lighthouse. Conversely, the two boys who painted the whale were wholly unbothered by the various colored splashes decorating them as they chatted and laughed nearby while organizing used equipment and leftover paints.

The blond in the top hat and the swordsman were still somewhere behind the lighthouse. Vivi could hear the faint dings of metal clashing against each other from the direction they had disappeared to.

"Nami-san~!" the other blond cried out, the one with curiously swirly eyebrows, as he popped on top of the cliff carrying various sized plates piled high with filets of fish. How he managed to climb the ladder with all that was a mystery. "The meal is all ready, my dear~!" He set everything he was carrying down on the table.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun," Nami said, making the last few taps with a towel on her hair.

Sanji danced backward from her with a dopey smile, but not before swiping a couple of plates full of food. "The rest of you!" he hollered towards his other crewmates. "Food's done!"

Vivi jumped with a surprised gasp when the blond swooped in to kneel on one knee before her in a flash. At the corner of her eye, she noticed Mr. Nine eyeing a plate with food that was placed in front of him.

"Oh, fair maiden! Will you allow this unworthy one to know your name?"

Vivi shrunk away from the pirate, despite him simply staring at her with sparkling eyes and not trying to sneak a hand to touch her. "M-Miss Wednesday…" she replied meekly.

"Such a mysterious name for such a beautiful lady~!" Sanji crooned. "Will you soothe my pounding heart by accepting this food that I made with all my love?"

"Y-Yeah!" Vivi hurried to take the plate. And not because she was particularly hungry. "Thank you…"

When she glanced back at the gathering spot for pirates, she saw the two who were previously sparring out of sight returning too. The swordsman moved straight to the table, brushing the sweat from his forehead, a little satisfied smirk dancing on his lips. The one in the top hat stopped next to the duo painters, gazing up at the giant straw-hatted Jolly Roger on the whale's head.

"Nice work, Luffy."

"Thanks, Sabo!" The black-haired boy beamed. "Usopp helped! He's really good at it!"

The second teen cocked his nose up. "Of course!" he boasted. "I once painted a mountain as high as the Red Line! Painting this on Laboon was an easy job!"

"Oooh, that's amazing, Usopp!" Luffy cheered.

The whale huffed.

"Laboon's asking where in the world is another mountain as high as the Red Line?"

"Uhhh… Well, it's… It's, uhm," Usopp stammered out. "It's hidden under the magical fog and guarded by the giant three-headed hound! I battled it for nine days and nine nights until—"

Vivi completely missed Sanji moving back to his crew. She slowly ate the meal she had been given, keeping an eye on the pirates, observing them, trying to figure them out.

As Usopp's absurd story of the battle between titans went on and on, Sanji piled up food after food onto two plates in his hand. He slid the bigger one in front of Luffy as soon as the latter sat down, not sparing him even a single glance, and then offered the second one to Nami with an exaggerated flourish. The swordsman—Zoro, was it?—muttered something in between bites and the two instantly fell into a verbal tussle that might have grown into a physical confrontation if not for Nami distracting the cook. All the while, Luffy gobbled down the food, Usopp's tale was still going strong, and Sabo and Crocus quietly conversed with each other.

Such a ridiculous crew of pirates.

Rookies that probably knew nothing about the Grand Line.

She could use it.

Her stomach felt hollow at the thought. It came so easy now: tricking people, lying to them, using them. It felt like an indelible stain on her person, guilt sitting in her heart like an ugly scar.

But Alabasta needed her. Vivi swallowed down all those festering emotions and steeled herself.

"We're in trouble," Mr. Nine whispered to her, his gaze also trained on the pirates. "We're long overdue in our mission to catch the whale and, in this situation, it's impossible to finish it. We have to go back and report."

"You're right, Mr. Nine," Vivi agreed, slipping into Miss Wednesday's persona with practiced ease.

"But with them around," the man motioned at the group at the table, "we can't steal Crocus' ship to replace the one we lost." He looked at his partner. "What's the plan?"

"We have to ask them to bring us back."

"What?!" Mr. Nine squeaked. Loud enough to draw a few stares from their captors, but he just slapped a nervous smile on his face and successfully diverted their suspicion. Once the unwanted attention moved away, he hissed at her, "Ask them?!"

Vivi nodded, resolute. "Just follow my lead."

The man seemed dubious, not convinced at all, but nodded to her regardless.

They both stilled when they noticed Sanji heading towards them again. "Oh, my lady," he said, bending down in front of her onto one knee. "Did you enjoy your meal?"

"Yeah," Vivi mumbled out, giving her empty plate to the guy. "It was very delicious. Thank you."

A bright grin broke across the blond's face. "How happy I am to hear it!" he exclaimed, putting a hand over his chest. "It makes my heart sing from joy and—"

"Hey!" Mr. Nine interrupted the gushing. "We have a request."

Sanji's teeth clamped down on his cigarette, anger twisting his features. Fixing a menacing glare on the man, he growled out, "Huh? A request?" and then kept staring him down.

Mr. Nine gulped under the pressure of the pirate's glower, but managed to repeat himself, "Yes, a request."

With a quiet tsk, Sanji turned to his friends and yelled, "Oi, Luffy!" A straw-hatted head popped up from behind the others. "They want to talk!"

Vivi furrowed her brow. This confirmed what she and her partner already suspected—the boy in the straw hat acted as a captain for this rookie pirate crew. How weird and unexpected. Maybe people like the swordsman and the blond in top hat only humored him for whatever reason? Because of the boy's strength? Because they wanted to divert attention from themselves?

Luffy stopped a few feet away from the prisoners with his arms crossed and looked them over. First, he eyed Mr. Nine, then her. With colorful paint smeared all over him, he looked quite ridiculous, and yet, Vivi felt a moment of irrational nervousness when the boy's gaze locked on her and sharpened.

The other pirates also came closer, flanking the boy from both sides. Sabo took a spot on Luffy's right, slightly behind him. Crocus stayed seated at the table. Laboon also continued to float at the surface of the sea, towering over the small rocky cliff.

"What is it?" the captain asked. When he didn't receive an answer right away, he added, "Laboon is our nakama now, you can't hurt him." He didn't sound angry or threatening, but his tone held no tangible friendliness in it either.

"We have a reque—" Mr. Nine began only to get cut off by his partner.

"Before that." There was something Vivi wanted to do since she heard the story that Crocus had told the pirates. About the lonely whale waiting for his nakama even after fifty years. She lowered her head into a bow. "I would like to—" Catching the small slip of her tongue, she instantly adjusted to the tone more appropriate to her current persona. "We'd like to apologize to Laboon for trying to hurt him."

It was selfish of her, Vivi knew. Asking for forgiveness after trying to kill the whale. The things she had been forced to do to stay hidden and survive, the things she regretted, and things that weighed heavily on her consciousness piled up with every day, week, month spent undercover. She was selfish, but the desperate wish to alleviate her burden even by the smallest margin won over in this situation.

Thankfully, Mr. Nine followed her and bowed too.

Crocus scoffed from behind the group. "Don't listen to these two scoundrels," he cautioned. "They'd say anything to save their hides."

Luffy stared. Silent.

"Trying to gain some sympathy points now that you're in trouble?" Nami remarked with a touch of derision. "After attempting to kill such a nice whale?"

Vivi bit down on her bottom lip. She didn't raise her head. "We were desperate!" she blurted out. At the back of her mind, she realized that her own hopelessness over Alabasta was bleeding through, but it didn't seem important at this moment. She had to go back no matter what.

Luffy tilted his head to the side, eyes still glued on the blue-haired girl.

"Our town is on the verge of running out of food. Our main source of income slowed down recently, so we can't buy enough to feed everyone, and we're not strong enough to hunt something more aggressive," Vivi continued. "We didn't know that the whale wasn't just a mindless animal. It's not an excuse and I fully admit that we were at fault."

Mr. Nine gawked at her with wide eyes, clearly taken aback, but Vivi had no regrets. It rolled easily off of her tongue, because that was how she truly felt.

For some time her words were met only with silence.

"She's being honest."

Out of surprise, Vivi looked up. It was the straw-hatted boy—the captain—who said it. Other pirates looked equally caught off guard by the confidence in which that statement had been delivered.

"He isn't," Luffy pointed at Mr. Nine. Vivi clenched her teeth and shot a glare at her partner who flinched and lowered his head. "But she is. Ne, Laboon!" The captain suddenly turned towards the whale. "What do you think? What do you want us to do with them?"

Laboon shifted. Both agents went rigid when they felt his judging gaze fall on them. A moment seemed to stretch indefinitely until the whale finally let out a short, "Buooh."

"They were trying to kill you."

"Buooooh!"

"Eh? You sure?"

"Buooh."

Vivi blinked a few times. They were having a conversation. A human and a whale were having a conversation. Maybe it was just a coincidence?

"But you know… they might send someone else."

"Buoooooooh!"

Nope, the young captain and Laboon were still talking. Apparently, this wasn't common, because his crew seemed equally bewildered by the fact.

"Am I the only one weirded out by Luffy talking with that whale?" Zoro wondered.

"It's not even the first time," Sanji grumbled, lighting a new cigarette.

"Right, right, I remember," Usopp piped in. "He talked with that sea cow we met on our way to get Nami back."

Nami turned to Usopp, completely flabbergasted. "Luffy talked with Mohmoo?"

"Yep. They were also fast friends."

Zoro looked at Sabo. "Is this also Haki?"

"No," the blond replied thoughtfully. "This is something entirely different."

Sanji chimed in with curiosity, "Haki?"

Crocus stayed quiet. That straw hat on the boy's head... After a moment, he looked away, his eyes slightly glossy and a smile tinged by nostalgia.

"Alright!" Luffy exclaimed brightly before turning back to the agents. "Laboon forgives you, but if your town will send someone else, he won't be taking it lying down anymore." He smirked. "And Laboon's strong! You don't want to mess with him."

Vivi and Mr. Nine shivered. They had seen these two fight. They felt the tremors that shook an entire mountain. They definitely didn't want to go against the whale if he stopped being docile.

The boy went back to staring at Vivi. "Who are you anyway?"

Mr. Nine instantly replied, "I'm a king," like he always did.

There was no warning. It came out of nowhere and filled the air until it became heavy and suffocating; a feeling that built along the edges of their consciousness, innately unsettling and eerily dangerous. The surrounding temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees when Luffy focused solely on Mr. Nine. Merciless eyes pierced through and pinned him down like icy spears. All the man could do was to cower, sweat pouring down his face and a plea on the tip of his tongue that he couldn't get out no matter how hard he tried.

Then, as quickly as it came, the ghost of a sensation retreated with Luffy's quiet, "You're lying." Yet, he watched Mr. Nine stone-faced, and the latter had the feeling the pirate was still in the mood to possibly attack him.

Sabo put a hand on Luffy's shoulder. As if a switch was flicked, the boy relaxed under the tentative touch. He leaned into it, the remaining cold fury draining from his expression.

Mr. Nine collapsed as if his body suddenly turned boneless when the captain's attention finally moved away from him.

On the contrary, Vivi's heart sped up when it settled back on her. Maybe he knew or somehow deduced who she truly was. She almost expected to be called out on her lies any moment now.

"You still haven't answered the question," Usopp pointed out. "Who are you two?"

Vivi banished her previous ridiculous thoughts. No way could these rookies, fresh out of the Blue, recognize her. They were going to part ways without them ever knowing. Finding solace in that fact, she proceeded with their plan. "I'm Miss Wednesday," she said. "And he's Mr. Nine."

Zoro scratched his chin, eyes sharp and keen, observing the duo like a hawk.

Nami scoffed. "That's not even real names."

"I'm sorry, we can't say more!" Vivi insisted. "Our work requires us to maintain a certain level of secrecy."

"All we want is to return to our town!" Mr. Nine exclaimed as he bowed down again. "Let us hitch a ride with you, please."

"Navigating the Grand Line is hard. We can provide you information as a repayment," Vivi pitched in. "And give you our Log Pose."

"Log Pose?" Nami, Usopp, and Sanji questioned together.

"Oh! I completely forgot," Sabo said somewhat sheepishly. He pulled something out from inside his overcoat. "Nami, catch this."

Nami easily caught whatever he tossed to her. Others leaned closer to look at it too.

"This is a special compass to navigate the Grand Line called Log Pose. I meant to give it to you earlier, but things happened and it slipped my mind. I'll explain how it works later." Sabo flashed the agents a smug grin. "Thanks for reminding me, by the way."

Vivi scowled at the Log Pose in the pirate girl's hands. Here went their leverage for the trip home.

"Don't you need it yourself, Sabo?"

Sabo smiled warmly at Luffy. "I brought this one for you. How can I let my little brother enter the Grand Line unprepared?" he teased. "Consider it my welcome gift."

Luffy's face lit up. "Thanks!"

"Please, we just want to get back home!" Vivi and Mr. Nine begged. "It's the first island on one of the routes through the Grand Line, Whiskey Peak!"

Sabo's eyes narrowed. "Whiskey Peak?" He let a little bit of his sudden anger slip the leash, his smile now just a little too threatening to be called polite. "The town consisting of only bounty hunters?"

The agents stiffened and then went completely rigid when at the same time Zoro's lips drew back into a feral grin, bloodlust shining through.

"And here I was wondering where I had heard those ridiculous names before," the swordsman drawled, one hand resting loosely around the hilt of his katana. "Baroque Works, isn't it? The bounty hunting organization you work for?" His grin widened at the sight of the duo blanching.

"Whaaaaat?!" Usopp screeched. "They are bounty hunters?!"

"So they want to lure us to their town so that their buddies could help them," Sanji muttered. "How vicious."

"Bounty hunter den on the first island on the route through the Grand Line," Nami sneered. "Taking advantage of the unsuspecting, overconfident rookie pirates that just entered the Grand Line."

"It's—it's not like that!" Vivi denied. "We really want only a ride back home! We don't have any thought of attacking you!"

"That's right!" Mr. Nine added. "It's not like we have time to go after every no-name rookie pirate. We have no interest in criminals without bounties!"

Luffy huffed, puffing his cheeks. "How rude!" He was obviously pouting. "I have a bounty!"

"Eh?" both agents balked at the fact. "…What?"

"Nami has too!"

Nami shot a withering look at her captain. "They don't need to know that!"

"Even if it's only a million beli."

"They especially don't need to know that!"

Vivi let the relief soothe her worries. If their bounties were only at this amount, they didn't have to worry. The pirates and the bounty hunters would still have clashed and it would have provided enough distraction for Igaram and her to slip away. Now that the pirates knew of Whiskey Peak being a town of bounty hunters that plan went down the drain. There was no way they would agree to—

"Okay. We'll bring you home," Luffy said.

"WHAAAAAT?!" Nami, Usopp, Vivi, and Mr. Nine screamed in unison.

"Facing an island full of bounty hunters…" Sanji trailed off as he blew out a cloud of smoke. A corner of his mouth curled into a smirk. "It'll make a good warm-up before we travel deeper into the Grand Line."

Zoro bared his teeth into a savage grin, reminiscent of a starving tiger that just came across the trace of an enticing prey. "I like the sound of that," he concurred.

"You… You will give us a ride?" Vivi stammered in utter disbelief.

"Sure," the captain replied, short and unruffled.

Both agents gaped, shocked speechless.

"It's an island full of bounty hunters!" Usopp cried out.

Luffy nodded.

"It's dangerous! They might kill us!" Nami chimed in.

Another nod.

Usopp was on the brink of tears. "So why are we going there?!"

Luffy jabbed a thumb in the direction of the blue-haired girl. "She really wants to go." He tilted his head, expression serious yet curious. "Maybe she also has a promise to keep."

Usopp's will to argue wilted at those words. Nami facepalmed, groaning under her hand. Her shoulders slumped as a clear sign of defeat.

"You sure?" Crocus asked, coming to stand with the pirates. A well-hidden concern layered his voice. "You don't owe them anything."

"I know." The boy paused, pondering. "But once we're there, we can also tell them not to send anyone else to hurt Laboon."

"You have my thanks."

Laboon let out a happy chirpy howl that caused Luffy to laugh.

"Tell me, kid," Crocus spoke again. "Why did you decide to sail the Grand Line?"

Luffy put a hand on top of his straw hat. There was power shimmering in his eyes, the strength in the line of his shoulders, the challenging upward tilt of his chin. "To become the Pirate King." And there was a grin as bright as the sun and an untamable soul yearning for freedom.

"I see," the old man murmured after a beat of silence. Then, he chuckled. "That straw hat suits you."

"Shishishishi."

The other pirates decided to ignore the two as they started laughing for whatever reason. Laboon joined in on their fun soon after and bellowed happily into the sky.

"Urgh, I guess we better prepare to sail now."

"Don't worry, Nami-san! I'll protect you!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"G-guys, listen, I, uh, think I-I've developed a—"

"Liar."

"Oi, Zoro! You jerk! At least let me finish!"

The pirates started to wander off, chattering among themselves. Vivi and Mr. Nine gawked after them, unable to figure out if this crew was that stupid or that overconfident.

Sabo crouched down in front of them, jolting them out of their shock, and reached for their bound hands. After a few tugs and pulls, ropes loosened up enough for them to undo the rest. They were about to do exactly that, but froze when the blond pirate gripped their shoulders. Steely fingers pressed into the meat of it and they winced.

Sabo's eyes seemed to gleam in the shadow of his top hat, like chips of ice in the sunlight. He looked dangerous—felt dangerous.

"Behave."

A single uttered word caused a breath hitch in the duo's throats. It was a threat, no buts of ifs. A threat from the man who had no qualms to follow through with it. An open threat with no defined consequences of what would happen if he indeed followed through with it.

"Sabo!" Nami's voice rang from a distance. "Can you explain to me the Log Pose now?!"

Sabo swiftly rose to his feet, hands rising together with the motion to tug his overcoat up, and yelled, "Coming!" as he walked away.

He never glanced back.

But neither Vivi nor Mr. Nine dared to move until he was fully out of sight.

"Luffy, what are you doing?"

Luffy tore his eyes from the object of his hard stare and blinked at Zoro.

The swordsman was lounging against the side of the ship on the main deck, his arms behind his head and his three katanas resting next to him as always. He raised an eyebrow at the boy who had been staring at his swords for the past half an hour without a twitch.

Without replying, Luffy's focus returned to the weapons. He lifted a hand and pointed at one of them before looking back at his nakama. "Can you handle it?" he asked.

Silver eyes flicked at the swords to see which one his captain singled out. Sandai Kitetsu? Zoro scowled. There was no ridicule or anything like that in Luffy's tone, he actually sounded concerned. "Why do you ask?"

"Mmm…" Luffy's expression darkened the longer he stared at the cursed sword until he was all but glaring at it. "I can't be sure, but… it's not friendly."

Zoro blinked. How did he— Ah, never mind. He would rather not try to figure that one out. Not like he could ever understand how Luffy did it. Instead, he settled down and said, "I can handle it," with utmost confidence.

"Okay!" Luffy beamed. "I trust you, Zoro."

Zoro smirked, closing his eyes for a nap.

"Luffy!" Sanji's voice rang across the Going merry. "It's time for your drink!"

"Eeeeeeeeeh…"

"Don't 'eeeh' me and come to the galley!"

Luffy stuck his tongue at the galley door that just closed. Despite this brief childish act of defiance, he stood up and obediently trudged there. He bounced inside and took the seat at the table, opposite Sabo. His brother had his head propped against his hand as he scribbled something into a journal. The teen leaned forward to look at the pages, but there were only lines upon lines of text. "Watcha doing, Sabo?" he asked curiously.

Sabo sighed, his writing coming to a stop, and rubbed his eyes. "A report I need to write for my work," he muttered.

Luffy reeled back so fast, one might think the journal attempted to bite him. "Sounds boring," he declared.

Sabo smiled wryly. "It is boring." He was startled when Sanji placed a cup of steaming hot tea in front of him. It smelled delicious.

"To boost your productivity," the cook informed before he placed a tall glass with a green drink in front of Luffy. "To the bottom, as always." Not waiting for an answer, he moved back to the kitchen side of the galley.

Sabo took his cup of tea and took a sip. "Thank you. This is exactly what I needed."

"My pleasure." Sanji flashed him a grin over his shoulder and returned to stirring a pot.

Luffy turned his glass left, then right, left, right. Peeked at his cook, at his brother, at his drink, at Sabo's tea. Finally making a decision, he leaned forward again, put one hand around his mouth to muffle the sound, and, keeping his eyes on Sanji, whispered, "Want to switch?"

Instead of Sabo, it was Sanji who replied, "You can switch," without a glance at his captain who froze like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar, "but I'll make another and you'll still have to drink it."

"But, Sanjiiiii~!" Luffy whined. "It tastes like grass!"

The other pirate pinned him with a stern stare. "It's a nutritional drink made out of various seeds, herbs, and other plant matter," he explained. "Of course, it tastes like grass. What did you expect? For it to taste like meat?"

"You can make it taste like meat?" Luffy asked, sounding a bit breathless. His eyes all but sparkled by how big and bright and hopeful they became.

Sabo snorted, barely stopping himself from exploding into laughter. He could see Sanji's jaw tighten, teeth clamping down on his cigarette. And that? That expression right there? Was exactly what Ace's face looked like exposed to Luffy's lethal puppy dog eyes, knowing that he had already lost but unable to admit it openly. Ace would go for an insult, maybe put up a fight for a minute, and in the end still begrudgingly give in.

"You shitty rubber, always demanding things," Sanji muttered. "I can try, but no promises."

Luffy's grin was up in all its glaring glory. "You're the best, Sanji!"

"Oi, Luffy, come look!" Usopp called from outside. "It's snowing!"

"Whaaa! Really?!" the boy exclaimed, then downed his drink in one go and sprinted out like a wind.

When the doors slammed closed, Sabo allowed himself an amused chuckle. Sanji's gaze flicked from the door to him. With a click of his tongue, he wordlessly went back to cooking. Sabo still caught a small smirk on his face before he turned away.

For some time, none of the men spoke.

It was Sabo who broke the silence with a soft prompt, "Nutritional drink?"

Sanji hummed, but didn't comment. He lowered the intensity of the stove fire, letting the content of the pot simmer, and moved to chop some vegetables. "Luffy struggles with eating while traveling between islands. The longer we stay on the open sea, the less he eats."

Sabo frowned. He hadn't known that, but of what little he knew about his little brother's four years of captivity, he could guess how it happened.

"I don't know what's going on in his head, what could have caused it… what they did to him." It ended with a loud thwack of the knife hitting the cutting board with more strength than necessary.

They, huh. Sabo's finger circled the edge of his teacup, absorbing the heat, acute gaze boring into the pirate's back. Sanji knew. How surprising. And also comforting to know that someone had Luffy's back despite knowing the horrors of his past.

"I can't watch someone starve themselves in front of me, much less my Captain, but I can't force him to eat either," Sanji continued. "All I can do is to set him on a diet that will help to keep his body healthy and to deal with his high energy demand despite the occasional lack of sleep."

"Looks like my brother is in good hands," Sabo murmured. "Thank you."

Sanji simply shrugged. "What other choice do we have? Luffy's our Captain."

Sabo's heart felt at ease. These were good people, they would look after his brother. Luffy did it—gathered the crew that cared about each other deeply, just like he planned.

Sanji sat down on the other side of the table with his own cup of tea. "I heard you were telling Zoro about something called Haki?"

Sabo grinned. He wasn't about to force an idea of getting stronger on Luffy's crewmates, but if they showed interest in it themselves, he had no qualms about lending them a helping hand.

Nami checked the Log Pose before casting her gaze along the horizon. The last few hours were pure hell and, though the wind calmed down and the sky cleared, she refused to lower her vigilance.

Sabo wasn't lying when explaining about the beginning of the Grand Line and the zone of utterly ridiculous weather. Snow, rain, wind, icebergs, fog, whirlpools, sleet—any possible weather pattern and sea hazard all jammed into one place and happening at the same time.

No, she wouldn't allow herself to relax just yet.

Nami checked the Log Pose again.

Standing nearby and noticing the navigator's action, Sabo smiled at her and said, "I'm pretty sure we passed it now. Should be smooth sailing all the way to Whiskey Peak." Not waiting for a reply, he moved down the stairs and across the lower main deck, carefully stepped over Zoro, who was napping against the mainmast, and then Luffy's limbs sprawled in all directions and sat down with his legs crossed, resting his back against Merry's starboard side.

Luffy flipped himself around and plopped onto his brother's lap, his straw hat resting on his back. The latter must have expected it, because he immediately shifted to accommodate him without a complaint. Folding his arms on Sabo's thigh to work as a pillow for his head, Luffy settled down with a satisfied huff. "It was fun," he mumbled, eyes closed and voice subdued. "The journey so far."

"I think your crew might disagree."

"Shishishishi..." Luffy's giggles faded into a smile. Different from his usual wide and peppy grins, this one was small and drowsy and stunningly peaceful. "I'm happy you're here, Sabo."

"Me too," the blond said, combing through his brother's hair in a gentle, careful motion in an attempt to lull him further into sleep.

Nami watched the exchange between two brothers. Such a warm scene, so much trust conveyed from Luffy and tenderness expressed by Sabo, it filled even her with fuzzy happiness and the tight sensation nestled inside her chest eased up.

Because Luffy finally fell asleep.

Somehow, Nami had a feeling that it would be a long and nightmare-free sleep. How unfortunate that they were relatively close to their destination already, just a bit over an hour away. She would have loved it if her captain had more time to rest.

The galley door opened and Usopp walked out, finished with helping Sanji to take stock of all the damage. "Oi, Luff—" Nami's fingers clamped around his arm and he winced. "Nami, what—"

Nami put her index finger to her lips and then motioned to the corner of the main deck.

Usopp peeked behind her and realization flittered across his face when he saw two brothers. "He fell asleep?" he whispered. "He hasn't had much rest lately. This is great."

"It is," Nami replied, eyes flicking down to check the Log Pose again. "Let's make sure he can rest until we reach Whiskey Peak."

Usopp gave an affirmative nod. Now that his previous plan was off the table, he glanced around the ship, trying to come up with something to occupy himself. Maybe he should also take a nap…

"Are you really that naïve?"

Both pirates froze at the voice. Rude. Condescending. And obnoxiously loud.

Mr. Nine and Miss Wednesday stood a few feet away, just returning from the back of the ship, and stared down at the resting pirates on the lower deck with open contempt.

"The Grand Line is the kind of ocean where anything could happen. You can't let your guard down just because the weather is nice," the woman jeered.

Luffy stirred, an incoherent mumble slipping free.

"Underestimating this ocean means—"

—death.

Mr. Nine choked, feeling the embodiment of that word breathing down his neck. His partner wasn't fairing any better, face white as paper and sweat starting to bead her forehead.

Dark, murderous gazes stabbed as painfully as physical knives.

Gone were friendly, ignorant pirates; overconfident rookies that seemed to come to the Grand Line only to die a dog's death. Instead, there was a pack of wild wolves, ready to rip anyone who threatened one of their own into shreds.

Nami's and Usopp's deadly glares scraped across their nerves and Zoro somehow had a sword in his hand despite being dead asleep a moment ago. Despite that, the bounty hunters counted themselves extremely lucky that Luffy decided to use Sabo's lap as his pillow, because while that meant he wasn't moving…

'Behave.'

The man's eyes spelled death.

Nami opened the galley's door, Usopp pushed the two inside, and they both entered after them. Sanji was about to inquire what brought their lovely navigator into his kitchen, but he took note of the absolute livid expressions on the faces of her and Usopp and opted to stay silent instead.

"Umm…" Mr. Nine started meekly.

He wasn't permitted to finish.

"If you wake Luffy up," Nami said in a dangerously low voice that left the agents shivering from the chills running down their spines, "I'll throw you overboard myself."

"And I'll help." Usopp crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Do you understand?"

The bounty hunters furiously nodded their heads.

"Stay inside if you can't keep your mouths shut," Nami ordered, then turned to Usopp. "Keep an eye on them."

"Will do."

Nami made sure they were still sailing towards their destination before leaving the galley. The moment she stepped outside, she sought out two brothers to check on her captain.

Still soundly asleep.

Good.

Feeling the refreshing breeze on her skin, Nami allowed herself a wide grin.

-Meanwhile in Whiskey Peak-

The ground shook as an explosion went off. The plume of smoke rose to the sky while debris rained down on the three people in the street.

One of them, battered and bloody, hit the brick wall of the house and collapsed there. Desperate hands pressed down on the heavily bleeding wound on his side, the other rose to cover his mouth as a harsh cough ripped out of him, leaving a crimson trail down his chin. However, as he raised his head to glare at the two people standing in front of him, they glimmered with valor and fighting spirit.

"Kyahahaha!" one of the two cackled, a young woman with short blond hair. She kept spinning her yellow parasol as she looked down at the injured man with nothing but pure mockery. "You're still quite energetic after taking such a beating. Maybe you're not so pathetic after all."

"Igaram, the head of Alabasta Kingdom's royal guards. One of the spies that had infiltrated Baroque Works," the man next to her spoke in an apathetic tone as if he had absolutely no interest in what was happening. "Where's the princess?"

Igaram gritted his teeth and stayed silent.

"She must have yet to return from her last mission," the woman chirped. "Oh, what a surprise waits for her here!"

"We have the direct order to eliminate both of you." The man paused. "But we'll reward you for your dedication. We'll wait… and kill her in front of you!"

"Kyahahaha!"

Nothing would have changed if he said anything, so Igaram didn't entertain his enemies with a response. Yet, Princess Vivi was in danger and he couldn't just lie down and do nothing. His spirit wasn't ready to accept defeat, but his broken body could barely move. Even if he somehow could push himself beyond the physical limits, he would have to go through two literal monsters looming over him.

Igaram steeled his resolve. Without the Mr. Five pair noticing, he glimpsed at the end of the street, taking a gamble and placing his last hope on the only person on the island who might just help him.

Peeking from behind the corner, Miss Monday met her partner's glance and nodded. The sheer relief on the man's face made her heart ache. She didn't let herself dwell on it, stepping back with great caution. Wouldn't do if the officer agents saw her.

Mr. Eight had given the signal and she had a promise to fulfill.

Using the directions he provided for her a few days ago, Miss Monday rushed to the edge of the town where the river opened up and debauched into the ocean. She stopped in front of the small two-story warehouse, eyes flicking through its doors and windows.

There. The red sun-shaped symbol drawn on one of the doors. This had to be it.

Miss Monday tried her luck with the door. To her bewilderment, it was unlocked, so she slipped inside and looked around before climbing up the stairs to the second floor. At the back of the room, behind the broken cupboard and ratty carpet, she found a small box.

An empty small box.

That couldn't be right.

Miss Monday rummaged around the entire warehouse, but found no other boxes. Confused, she walked outside, wondering that maybe she got the wrong building after all. Turning around to take a better look, she saw what she was so desperately searching for.

A white flag with a sun-shaped symbol, already fluttering in the wind at the top of the warehouse.

And in the nearby shadows, a single blue eye observed Miss Monday unseen. After a moment, satisfied with its observations, it closed and broke apart into phantom flower petals.

Next Chapter: That Day in Whiskey Peak

Chapter Text

"Land ho!" Usopp's shout rang across the entire ship, reaching the ears of everyone onboard.

Nami perked up where she was leaning against the railing and watching the sea. Zoro opened his eyes and moved to stand up, yawning. Sanji appeared from inside the galley with Miss Wednesday and Mr. Nine cautiously trailing behind him.

Leaning forward, Sabo patted Luffy on his back and murmured something into his ear.

Luffy stirred. "Wha—island?" he muttered, rubbing at his eyes with his hand. It took a few seconds for those words to sink into his still drowsy mind. His eyes widened once they did sink. "We reached an island?!"

"Whoaaa!" Usopp exclaimed from the crow's nest. He watched the approaching island through a spyglass. "Check out those huge cacti!"

Luffy scrambled to his feet, pushing his straw hat back onto his head. He stretched his arms to grab the neck of Merry's figurehead and pulled himself directly on top of it. Peering at the horizon, he was treated to his first glimpse of a new island. "Whooooaaaa! What big cacti!" He practically vibrated in excitement. "The first island of the Grand Line looks fun!"

Because none counted before this one. This was the first one he was going to step on by his own violation and explore freely. The first island in the Grand Line on his journey to becoming the Pirate King!

Luffy couldn't wait!

"So this is Whiskey Peak," Sanji noted, standing on the front deck with the rest of the crew and ship guests. "What a weird looking island."

"Such pleasant weather after that ridiculous beginning!" Nami cheered.

While the crew rejoiced, Mr. Nine and Miss Wednesday shared a knowing glance. As one, they sprung forward and dashed for the railing. Leaping on and landing in a dramatic crouch, they spun around to face the bewildered pirates.

"Now then, this is our stop!" Mr. Nine declared.

Miss Wednesday cocked her chin up. "Thank you for the ride, my ho—" Her words died on the tip of her tongue, eyes going wide.

Straw Hats just watched in utter confusion when she suddenly flung herself across the deck, almost flipping over the opposite railing in her rush. Her gaze never left the shore of the island, probably seeing something no one else had noticed.

Mr. Nine was equally dumbfounded by his partner's behavior. "Miss Wednesday?"

Instead of reacting to his call, the young woman climbed over the railing and dived into the sea without any of that previous flamboyant dramatics.

"M-Miss Wednesday?!" Mr. Nine shrieked, scrambling past the pirates and after his partner. On top of the railing, he paused. "We're taking our leave now!" he announced in an attempt to salvage their image. He was in an obvious hurry as he blurted the next words pretty much without a break. "Iffatewillsitletusmeetagain! Bye, bye, baby!" he tacked on at the end before back-flipping off the ship and into the water below.

The Straw Hats stared for another moment.

"Well, that happened," Sanji deadpanned.

"Seems like something indeed happened," Sabo observed.

Zoro smirked. "Trouble in the paradise of bounty hunters?"

Usopp gulped. "T-that's right, this is an island full of bounty hunters." He nervously looked around as if those bounty hunters were hiding on the ship and were ready to swoop down on him any moment now. "C-can't we just pass this island and go straight to the next one?"

"We can't!" Luffy and Nami denied it at the same time.

"See? Even Luffy gets it," Nami said, pleased. "We have to wait until—"

"We can't cheat!"

Nami facepalmed. Why did she even expect something else from her air-headed captain at this point?

"It's not cheating if we take a glimpse and then skirt around it," Usopp argued.

But Luffy was having none of that. "Skipping islands is cheating!"

"I'm with Luffy on this one," Zoro chimed in, a grin stretching across his face as he gripped the handle of his white katana. "We can't cheat."

"Urgh, I wonder why you say that," Usopp griped. "Just look at that bloodthirsty smile of yours."

"Heh," Sanji scoffed, flicking the ashes from his cigarette over the board and looking at Zoro with a smug smirk. "I bet I can beat more bounty hunters than you."

Zoro rounded on him, eyes blazing. "What did you say?"

Nami stepped in between two men. "Knock it off, you two muscleheads!" she ordered, eliciting an irritated grunt and an elated 'Yes, Nami-swan~!' Ignoring both of them, she pointed at the Log Pose, attached to her wrist. "Either way, we have to stay on this island until the Log Pose records its magnetic field and only then can we move on to the next island. So," she put her hands on her hips and swept her nakama with a stern gaze, "we need a plan."

"There's a river right up ahead," Sabo noted. Everyone looked up at the mouth of the river, obscured by a heavy fog that spilled out of it and covered the sea in front of it and along the coast. They could barely see the river itself. "It's probably the main route into the town. That's why I think we should choose another way in."

Luffy jabbed his finger in the seemingly random direction, away from the river, and declared, "We go that way," with the finality that only he was capable of.

"That way?" Usopp echoed, squinting into the distance. "The way those two weirdos disappeared?"

Luffy nodded like it was a very good idea, which probably was for him. "Then we can go to the town and see what everyone there is doing!" he cheered before bursting into laughter.

They had been traveling together for a month, give or take, and they were all used to seeing Luffy do whatever made him happy and make random decisions that made no sense, but always pulled them through eventually.

Nami heaved a defeated sigh. "That way it is, then…"

Tendrils of fog started to creep around Going Merry as she approached the coast, slowly climbing up her sides and covering every inch. It was thick, like a heavy blanket that seemed impenetrable but still allowed sunlight to pass through from above.

Just as Going Merry started to turn towards her new destination, the fog engulfed her until she was completely covered in a dense shroud of grey, escaping any possible eye that could have watched her.

Vivi grabbed the edge of the rock and pulled herself up, panting as she tried to catch her breath. She allowed herself a minute of rest before climbing over the rest of the rock formation that went along the coast of the island. At the top, she paused, scanning the empty streets of Whiskey Peak.

The bounty hunters must have seen the pirate ship approaching and gathered for their usual welcoming party. Regardless if they decided to ambush their prey the moment they dock or not, the confrontation was inevitable with the pirates in the know. Vivi only hoped that they were strong enough to put up a good fight and buy her time to figure this out.

Her eyes zeroed on the inconspicuous flag at the top of the house Igaram and she agreed upon. The flag that was their signal if they had been compromised.

It could also be a trap.

Vivi bit down on her bottom lip, glancing left, then right again. She needed to make sure.

Hopping down from the rock, Vivi rushed across the street and ducked behind the adjacent house to the one with the flag. She walked along the wall to the other side and peeked from around the corner.

Nothing. Not a single soul in sight.

Slowly, carefully, Vivi sneaked to the door of the warehouse, reached for the handle, and—

The door opened, a hand shot out from inside and grabbed her by the lapel of her coat. Before she could even let out a sound, she was yanked in. Swiftly spinning around on her heel, Vivi was already halfway to pulling out her weapons to defend herself, but froze upon seeing her assailant's back turned towards her.

"Miss Monday?"

The muscle-bound woman didn't react right away. She made the last sweep of the area in front of the warehouse and then closed the door. "Miss Wednesday," she said, finally giving Vivi her full attention. "I don't know what exactly is happening, but all agents stationed on this island are now under the orders to capture you."

Vivi's blood ran cold. Her hands shook. "What?" she asked through numb lips. So, it was true. They were compromised. "What happened to Mr. Eight?"

Miss Monday's brow wrinkled. "He was captured by Mr. Five and his partner."

"Mr—Mr. Five?!"

"Mr. Eight must have suspected something, because a few days ago he told me that if something happened to him and you were yet to return, I should put up that flag," Miss Monday pointed up, indicating the Alabasta's flag on the roof, "and made sure you escaped unnoticed."

Vivi clenched her teeth. Mr. Five and Miss Valentine were Devil Fruit users; monsters in more ways than one. Crocodile found out about her and Igaram, there was no other explanation. At this point, she had to assume that the letter she had sent to her father had been intercepted. Her father still knew nothing about the conspiracy and manipulation. Alabasta was still in great danger. If both of them fell here, there would be no one to bring this news to him now. Vivi understood Igaram's intentions and his sacrifice, but…

She stared Miss Monday in the eyes. "Why are you helping?" she asked when the woman shifted under her suspicious scrutiny.

"We've been working together for so long, I've started thinking of you two as my friends." A wry smile appeared on Miss Monday's face. "And I'll gladly suffer to be a shield for a friend."

Vivi didn't know what to say to such a confession. "Miss Monday…"

"What are you waiting for? You need to flee from here!" Miss Monday urged. "Everyone was called in once the pirate ship was spotted approaching. This is your chance!"

Vivi's eyes burned, helplessness curling around her heart and constricting her chest. She knew that she should run away. No one, except Miss Monday, was aware that she returned, so it was a perfect chance to flee, but…

But…

"Is Igaram—I mean, Mr. Eight still alive?" she asked quietly, arms stiff at her side.

"I…" Miss Monday hesitated. "I'm not sure. I heard Mr. Five pair say that they want to kill you in front of him, so the chance that he's still alive is high."

"I'll go find him," Vivi declared, brushing past the other woman. She opened the door and jumped in surprise, coming face to face with her partner. "Mr. Nine?!"

Without a word, Mr. Nine pushed her back in. "I heard everything," he said after closing the door again. "If we're going to save Mr. Eight, we need a plan."

Miss Monday nodded. Then both of them stared at Vivi expectantly.

"B-But… why?" she asked. "Why are you helping me too?"

"After our failed mission, I'd be punished anyway." Mr. Nine offered her a lop-sided grin. "Just like Miss Monday, I'd rather help my friend in this case."

Vivi couldn't help a small smile. She never expected to make any allies in her time working as a lackey for Baroque Works, but these two were ready to go against the organization for her sake. "Thank you," she whispered. She took a deep breath to center herself. "Alright. Let's figure out a plan."

The Straw Hats surveyed the empty streets and houses in utter confusion. As they neared the coast, they had expected an ambush or bounty hunters noticing their arrival from the shore, but no one was around. Not a single person.

"This is suspicious," Nami muttered as she scanned the windows, eyes narrowed in concentration. When she didn't spot anything out of place, her grip on her Bo staff tightened. "Where is everyone?"

Zoro clicked his tongue. "All this hype and we get only an empty town?"

"It's not like they could have disappeared," Sanji argued. "They have to be somewhere."

"They're probably waiting in hiding to ambush us," Sabo said, turning towards the direction of the river. The same direction Luffy had been silently staring at from the moment they disembarked.

"Don't say such scary things!" Usopp squeaked. "Maybe they all simply went away on vacation! Yeah! That's probably it!" He pressed a hand over his racing heart. "Oh, thank g—"

"Nope," a single word from Luffy dashed all Usopp's hopes. He pointed at the distance. "They're all over th—"

A series of weird noises cut him off and everyone snapped their heads towards it. Clattering, scratching, thumping—all sorts out of place sounds.

Luffy's face lit up. "That's weird!" he declared in an overly cheerful tone, happy that something was going on in this ghost town. "Let's go check it out!"

"Wait a second!" Usopp screamed, grabbing the rubber teen's arm before he could take off. "No one sane deliberately goes towards the weird scary sound!"

"We do!" Luffy cheered, breaking free and running off. "We always do!"

"I hate that about us! Can we not do that?!" Usopp fumed, but went after his captain nonetheless.

The rest followed without any objection.

Luffy slid to a halt in front of the house where the suspicious noise was coming from.

Usopp almost barreled into him, but managed to stop in time. "Luffyyyyy~" he whined in great distress, tugging at the other boy in an attempt to persuade him to turn around and not go in. "There might be monsters or bounty hunters inside!"

Luffy wasn't listening. "We're already here, might as well check it out! Excuse me, coming through!" he exclaimed as he grabbed the door handle—

"Nooooo! Don't let monsters out!"

—and ripped it open.

Digging his heels into the soil, Usopp could only latch onto his captain's shirt to stop him. Yet that didn't stop Luffy from stepping over the doorstep and dragging the sniper in with him. "Monsters are going to eat us! Stopppp!" he wailed desperately.

"Huh?" was all Luffy said. "A duck?"

"Monstrous duck is going to eat us!" Usopp screamed, before blinking in obvious confusion. "What? A duck?" He peeked over his friend's shoulder. "Huh. Indeed a duck."

Granted, it was a huge duck, standing as tall as the average human, but duck nonetheless. It had yellow plumage, black-tipped wings and a tail, and was wearing a blue-and-white hat with goggles. A saddle was strapped on his back.

The duck was also tied up with his wings pinned to his body, legs bound, and bill wrapped up with a cloth.

Two boys stared at the duck.

The duck stared at the two boys.

"He's kinda pitiful," Usopp muttered, all the possible monsters inside this house forgotten.

Shooting a vicious glare at Usopp, the duck started to thrash around again, muffled noise escaping through his tightly bound bill.

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed. "You think he tastes good?"

The duck didn't enjoy that question if his doubled effort to break free was any sign of it.

"Duck Confit. If you slow cook duck legs in duck fat, it softens the meat until it's tender, silky, and just melts in the mouth," Sanji uttered as he lazily blew out a cloud of smoke and grinned. "Then crisp the skin to golden perfection."

Luffy and Usopp glanced behind them to see the remaining crew and Sabo gathered at the entrance.

The duck, who went deathly still with his eyes bugging out at the cook's words, began squirming and thrashing around again.

Luffy just watched him for a few moments, then reached out and yanked the cloth away from his bill.

Instantly, the barrage of screeching quacks assaulted the ears of the pirates. "Quaaaaack! Quuuuuack! Quackkkk!"

"You like to brag, eh?" Luffy's mouth curled into a smirk. "Alright," he said, crossing his arms. "We won't eat you if you can do what you're saying you can do."

"Quaaaack!"

"Ooooh, no way!"

"Quack!"

"Shishishishi. Okay, hold on, Ducky. Let me get those ropes off."

Usopp sighed. "Aaaaand here he goes again, talking and being fast friends with random animals."

"How does he do that?" Nami wondered.

Zoro shook his head. "I don't think we'll ever find out."

While they talked, Luffy managed to free the duck and now the latter stood at attention in front of the straw-hatted teen, a determined spark in his eyes.

Luffy rubbed his chin, thinking. Then he extended his hand toward him. "Shake!"

The duck touched his palm with his wing and a short, "Quack!"

"High five!"

"Quack!"

"Sit!"

"Quack!"

"Stand up!"

"Quack!"

"Step to the left, step to the right, turn around, sit down, turn the other way around, stand up, step to the right, step to the left, jump up, throw your wings up and shout 'Yay!'"

The duck's eyes flashed. He stepped to the left, to the right, turned around, sat down, turned the other way around, stood up, stepped to the right, to the left, and finished it all with a big leap up, flailing his wings up, and a loud, "Quaaaaack!"

Luffy broke into merry laughter. Sabo and Zoro stared, unimpressed. Nami, Usopp, and Sanji started to clap, though they didn't seem particularly enthusiastic and seemed to do it only out of general politeness.

The duck puffed his chest, pleased with his performance and preening under what he perceived as positive reactions from his audience.

"Anyway, what is this duck doing here?" Zoro cut to the chase.

"Good question," Nami agreed. "He seems smart enough."

"He also saddled, so he should have an owner," Sabo pointed out. "But for some reason, he was tied up here?"

Sanji shoved his hands into his pockets and grumbled, "What the hell is happening on this shitty island?"

"Quaack!" the duck screamed suddenly and then proceeded to let out a trill of high-pitched quacks and other noise.

Luffy tilted his head curiously. "Your owner is in trouble?" He listened to another series of quacks that grew in volume and amount of desperation and panic bleeding into the duck's voice. "Some super strong guys want to kill her?" After the duck's confirming nod, Luffy asked, "You need help?"

The giant bird stayed silent for a few seconds, gazing into Luffy's eyes. "Quack?"

Luffy's smile widened to a D-shaped grin. "Of course! You're our friend now!" He turned to his crew. "No objections, right?"

"I hope those strong guys are strong enough," Zoro rumbled. "It's been a boring island so far."

"Just so you know, duck!" Nami pointed at the bird, startling him, and then stared at him through half-lidded eyes. "I'm not sharing my loot from this island with your owner!"

"Nami-swan is so beautiful when she's greedy~!" Sanji swooned over the navigator before addressing his captain and the duck behind him. "But aren't we here to fight bounty hunters anyway?"

"Such a loyal bird, so inspiring…" Usopp wiped a tear and straightened up, knocking his chest with his fist. "The greatest warrior Usopp will join this fight!"

Sabo chuckled. "No objections from me either."

"See?" Luffy said, looking back at the duck. "So brush your tears and let's go, Ducky!"

The newly dubbed Ducky let out a meek quack, but then scrubbed his wing over his teary eyes, and with a renewed vigor screeched, "Quaaaack!"

With a quiet shishishishi, Luffy led everyone out. They didn't get far before running into a group of people armed with various pistols and bladed weapons.

"Did you free that duck?!" one of them shouted.

"How did you get here?" another asked.

"Who are you?!"

"We're pirates!" Luffy declared, proud and bold.

Everyone in the opposing group stared at him, expressions blank, but then one after another they startled sniggering and cackling, cocking their guns, and pulling out their swords.

"Pirates, eh," one said, licking at his blade. "And here we thought that you weaklings ran away when we lost sight of your ship."

Another cackled. "Welcome to Whiskey Peak, pirates!"

The sound of Luffy cracking his knuckles and the wide smile that was suddenly neither friendly nor reassuring in any way made the bounty hunters falter.

Zoro drawing out his swords while baring his teeth into a grin that spoke of savagery that he was itching to let loose against his enemies made them hesitate even further.

When Sanji tapped the tip of his shoe on the ground with a nonchalant remark, "Finally some action," before slamming his foot down, leaving several circles of cracks behind, they knew they were screwed.

They were not wrong.

Vivi waited around the corner, watching the front door of the house where, according to Miss Monday, Igaram was kept. It was an old jail, abandoned for a newer, bigger, and more secure one a year ago.

Vivi flinched at the loud bang in the distance, the ground shaking beneath her feet. She looked up, startled. A huge column of dark smoke was rising from the town several streets away. She focused, pricking her ears, but she couldn't quite perceive the fragments of voices the wind carried towards her.

Regardless, this could mean only one thing—the bounty hunters and pirates were finally confronting each other. Good. She also was observing this building for half an hour already—no sign of Mr. Five or Miss Valentine. They must have gone to deal with the pirates. Also good.

No better opportunity than this.

With the last glance down the street, Vivi ran across it and pressed her back to the wall next to the door, chest heaving, listening.

Nothing.

She jiggled the handle, but the door wasn't locked. Fishy, but she wouldn't be surprised if the two officer agents felt overconfident and didn't care about it.

Vivi smothered uneasiness that started to sprout, drawing courage from the fact that Mr. Nine and Miss Monday were hiding nearby, keeping an eye on anything suspicious, and would come to her aid if need be.

She pushed the door open, took a peek inside, and slipped in.

The room was not lit, so despite the sunlight spilling through the only two windows, the murky darkness shrouded the back of it where the cell was built under the stairs to the second floor.

A person was inside the cell.

"Igaram?" Vivi called out.

The person moved, groaning under his breath.

Vivi's heart skipped a beat and she held her breath, because if this wasn't Igaram, if he—

"Princess?"

Her chest swelled, happy, elated. That voice, that single word banished all her worries. She wasn't alone! "Igaram!" she exclaimed, rushing forward. "Just wait, Igaram. I'll—"

"No!" the man screamed, clenching his teeth when his sudden movement aggravated his injuries. "Get out of here, Vivi-sama! This is a trap!"

"It's fine," Vivi said, looking around for keys of something that she could smash the lock. "Mr. Nine and I brought some pirates here, everyone is busy dealing with them." Not finding anything, she reached to grab the lock to inspect it. "We can—"

"Don't touch it!"

Fingers touched the cold metal.

All went blinding white for one split second in a sudden, total silence.

The explosion blast slammed Vivi through the window in a whirlwind of glass, heat, and smoke. She rolled across the street until she hit the wall of the house on the opposite side.

She took a desperate gasp of air, but only managed to choke on blood and ash. It hurt. Her head, back, waist, legs—all her body. She could barely feel her arms through the excruciating burning agony. Her nose was stuffed only with a horrible smell of burned flesh and the thick grit of smoke. It seemed as if the rest of the world was submerged underwater. All sounds were garbled like a damaged recording and her vision was blurry.

Someone gripped Vivi by her elbow and she hissed. At the next moment, a strong pull set her on her feet, though her weakened knees barely managed to keep her upright.

Laughter broke through the insistent ringing in Vivi's ears. "Kyahahaha! What a lucky princess! Survived the explosion!"

Vivi shook her head. Her vision cleared, revealing a burning ruble where the jail had been standing just a minute ago. Her heart stilled and then restarted, reaching a frightening speed in an instant, threatening to burst from her chest. "Igaram!" she screamed, lunging forward only to be caught by strong arms.

"Miss Wednesday!"

"No! Nononono! Igaram! IGARAM!" Someone grabbed Vivi by her shoulders and shook her until she finally focused on their face. "Miss Monday…?"

"You have to go, Miss Wednesday!"

Vivi's gaze shifted back onto the burning house. "B-but Igaram…!"

"We planned to kill you in front of him," Mr. Five intoned, a cruel smirk curling on his lips. "But seeing this is even better."

Vivi's hands started to tremble, but soon her whole frame was shaking. "You… you…" She bit down on her lip until the blood trickled down her chin. "You monster..!"

"Kyahahaha!" Miss Valentine laughed. "Resisting is futile, Princess of Alabasta, Nefertari Vivi!"

"P-princess?" Mr. Nine stammered out, looking at Vivi with wide eyes.

"Under the direct orders of the Boss," Mr. Five said, picking his nose, "we shall hereby eliminate you!"

Vivi's head swum and she staggered. If not for Miss Monday still holding onto her, she might have collapsed. She could barely keep herself up after getting caught in the direct blast of the explosion. She had no strength to fight.

Mr. Nine stepped in front of her, his metal bats firmly in his hands. "I'll hold them off for you, so hurry up and run away, Miss Wednesday!"

"Mr. Nine, what—"

"I'm a pretty good guy, aren't I?" The man flashed a smile at her. With a cheerful, "Bye-bye, baby!" he somersaulted towards their enemies.

"Mr. Nine!" Vivi cried out.

Miss Monday grabbed the princess by her waist. "Time for you to go, Miss Wednesday," she uttered and hurled the princess over her head and onto the roof of the building.

"Nose cannon!"

Vivi crashed onto the roof just as another explosion ripped through the air. She rolled across it from the momentum of the throw, sliding to a stop inches away from the edge on the other side.

She shuddered and slowly tried to push herself up, arms quivering under the weight of her body. Lungs rattled inside her chest and she tucked a scream back into her throat. It was the first time she looked at her arms after the initial explosion and all she could see were torn muscles and burned skin. At least all her fingers were still attached.

"Kyahahaha!"

Vivi whipped her head up at the familiar shrill laughter above her. At that moment, her already shaking arms gave out from the sudden movement and she staggered. It ended up saving her life, because Miss Valentine's leg whizzed a mere inch from the top of her head, hitting only her metal hair tie. It shattered from the blow, allowing blue hair to cascade down her shoulders. The force of the attack pushed Vivi backward and over the edge.

Instead of the hard ground she had expected, Vivi landed on the relatively soft surface. She blinked down at an old ratty couch someone dragged out onto their porch, but she had no time to be surprised.

Igaram counted on her to bring what they learned back home. Her father counted on her to reveal the mastermind behind the rebellion. Millions of people counted on her to be saved.

Alabasta counted on her.

She had resolved not to die. She promised not to die regardless of what she had to do. She needed to flee. Had to survive. Survive and go back at any cost!

Mustering the remaining strength, Vivi pushed herself up and stood on her wobbly legs. Only sheer willpower drove her forward without falling.

"What a sorry sight."

Vivi gritted her teeth at the mocking remark from behind her. She didn't allow herself even a single thought about what happened to Igaram, Mr. Nine, or Miss Monday and only continued to stumble along the street.

"You can't escape from us," Mr. Five intoned again. "You should know your limits... Nose cannon!"

Vivi flinched at the last part, turning around, eyes widening at the tiny booger flying towards her…

A yellow flashed at the corner of her eye.

An explosion went off behind.

A wind swept her hair back.

Soft feathers susurrated under her fingertips.

"C-Carue?"

"Quack!"

Vivi's eyes glistened with tears. "Carue…" she whispered, hugging the neck of her duck as the tears finally fell. Miss Monday informed her that officer agents captured Carue and she didn't know what happened to him after. "I-I thought they killed you."

"Quack!" Carue replied, making a sharp turn to the left that almost threw Vivi off.

Another explosion shredded apart the crossroad they just passed.

Carue was fast. Fastest of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops. No wonder he was the captain.

Hope sprouted inside Vivi's chest.

They could make it!

Until she realized where Carue was bringing her.

The street they were traveling through opened up into the town square. Even from this distance, the princess could see the pirates and the bounty hunters clashing with each other.

"Carue, stop! Wait!" Vivi pleaded, tugging at the reins. All in vain, as the duck had no desire to stop or change directions and she couldn't muster any strength in her injured arms at all. "Carue! Pirates are there!"

This was the worst route to go! It would only put her between a rock and a hard place, especially now when her disguise fell apart!

Vivi could still feel that dangerous cold edge the captain exuded after Mr. Nine called himself a king in front of him. She could still remember feeling death breathing down her neck after they almost woke him up and the crew showed that unexpected deadly reaction.

Despite her efforts, Carue was adamant about this direction. Vivi could only watch as they got nearer and nearer to the fierce fight.

Already familiar laughter from somewhere above drew her attention, but she couldn't spot Miss Valentine anywhere. Looking back she saw Mr. Five flicking another booger towards her—

"Carue, dodge!" she cried out just as they burst out into the square.

Carue had no intention of listening to her and ran straight forward.

Vivi screwed her eyes shut—

Something wrapped around her and Carue.

—and the next thing she felt was a strong yank and explosion going off somewhere far behind her. She opened her eyes to find herself and Carue surrounded by pirates on the other side of the square.

The captain's rubbery arm returned to its normal size as he eyed Vivi up and down and then smiled at Carue. "So, she's the one you wanted to save, Ducky?"

"Quack!" Carue answered happily.

"Shishishishi, good for you!"

"Oi, oi," Usopp said, pulling his goggles up to gawk at the princess. "Isn't this Miss Wednesday?"

Sanji pirouetted to her side, casually kicking a random straggler into the nearest building on his way there. "Oh, beautiful Miss Wednesday~!" He paused, gaze flicking up and down her miserable appearance, lingering on the burns for a bit longer. His expression softened. "No need to worry anymore, my dear. We're here to protect you!"

"I-I..." Vivi didn't even know what to say. Not a single coherent thing came to mind. Carue wasn't moving anymore, no matter how subtly she tried to urge him to run. What was this? What kind of situation was this? Here to protect her? And the captain didn't deny it? "What?" What was going on?

After a brief look around, she could see bodies upon bodies of defeated bounty hunters lying everywhere: around the square and in the nearby street as far as eyes could see. It seemed that despite Whiskey Peak residents putting up a fight, the crew kept traveling through unimpeded.

Her heart sank. Just how greatly had she underestimated these pirates?

But…

Vivi looked back at Mr. Five and Miss Valentine coming to a stop in front of the pirates.

…can they win against these monsters?

"Oho, you beat all the low-ranking agents?" Miss Valentine asked with that perpetual wide smile on her face. "Is this supposed to be impressive? Kyahahaha!"

Mr. Five scoffed, showing what he thought about this accomplishment. "Why are some rookie pirates trying to protect the Princess of Alabasta?"

Instantly, Luffy's expression soured, his focus snapping back to the blue-haired girl. "Princess?" Something terrifying flickered in Luffy's eyes as he said this, Vivi paralyzed by that gaze. "Hey, Ducky." His voice was low, serious, almost menacing in its intensity. "You didn't say that the person you were looking for was a… noble."

Carue lowered his head, taking a half step back. "Quack?"

A flicker of annoyance flitted across Luffy's face and he looked away with a click of his tongue. "I hate her kind, but a promise is a promise," he muttered with his hand resting on the left side of his neck. "If she's the one you want to protect," his fist hit the open palm of his other hand, "then I won't let anyone harm her."

Vivi flinched when Sabo appeared right next to her, but the man only scanned her burned arms, his brow furrowing.

"Sabo!"

The blond turned towards Nami and caught a first-aid kit she threw to him. The navigator must have scavenged it from the nearby houses.

"Please, excuse me, Princess," Sabo said with a polite smile as he swiftly swept her from the saddle into his arms bridal style.

"W-What are you..!" Vivi managed to get out through her surprise before she was carefully settled down on the ground. Her confusion over his intentions cleared when Sabo crouched down, opened the first-aid kit, and pulled out gauzes and bandages.

Carue sat down as well, observing the blond man starting to clean her wounds.

Luffy also watched them, black eyes piercing, but the rest of his face completely empty.

Vivi ducked her head down, not wanting to be the target of that cold fury simmering just underneath the captain's emotionless façade. She almost expected him to order his brother not to tend to her injuries.

"You don't even want to protect her," Mr. Five noted, picking his nose. "Then why do that? Just give her to us and we can part ways peacefully."

"That's right. We have no interest in no-name pirates," Miss Valentine chimed in.

Vivi stiffened, fear pooling in her gut.

Luffy frowned at the two agents. "I don't break my promises," he told them. "And besides, I have a bounty!"

"Just how much can a kid like you be worth, kyahahaha!"

"Well, regardless. You're in our way," Mr. Five intoned as he plucked the booger out.

Luffy moved.

Mr. Five reeled back when the boy was suddenly in front of him with his arm winded up for a punch, but it was too late for him to evade. Luffy's fist connected with his face.

Miss Valentine's eyes widened.

And then the explosion engulfed all three of them.

"W-w-what!" Usopp squeaked. "He exploded?!"

"Mr. Five ate the Bomb-Bomb Devil Fruit. His partner is also a fruit user," Vivi explained quietly. "I'm afraid, your captain…"

Just as Miss Valentine shot into the air, floating on air currents as light as a feather, Luffy jumped out of the explosion blast, hopping backward to make distance from the flames. He looked a bit singed, but otherwise perfectly fine.

Mr. Five stumbled from the other side. His sunglasses were gone and he held a hand over his heavily bleeding, broken nose. "You bastard," he growled out. "How dare you make a fool out of me?"

Luffy didn't reply, only smirked which worked wonders on infuriating his enemy.

"I'm gonna kill him off with my ability, Mr. Five!" Miss Valentine warned from high up in the air.

"Lu-Luffy-san, watch out!" Vivi yelled. "That woman—"

Luffy ignored her and the blonde above him, his attention only on Mr. Five.

Miss Valentine gritted her teeth at being brushed off so blatantly. "Eat this!" she screamed as she plummeted down at high speed. "Ten thousand kilo press!"

Blades flashed in the sunlight.

Red drops splattered in the air.

Zoro landed behind Luffy, his katanas drawn. A couple of feet away, Miss Valentine's body hit the ground with a thud and soon blood pooled beneath her unmoving form. Zoro whipped his swords downwards, shaking off red droplets from them, flipped them around, and pushed them back into their sheaths. Then did the same with the one he held between his teeth and finally pulled the black bandana from his head. He tied it back around his bicep as he strolled back to join the crew.

While Vivi gaped, shocked by the ease the swordsman dispatched one of the officer agents, the remaining Straw Hats weren't surprised in the slightest.

"You shitty swordsman," Sanji muttered. "Couldn't you be gentler with the lady?"

"Shut it, curly brow," Zoro barked back. "How can we even call ourselves his crew if we aren't resolved to protect our Captain's back?"

Sanji had nothing to retort to that. Those words resonated with all of the crew as they seemed to come to attention.

Meanwhile, with a taunting smirk dancing on his lips, Luffy beckoned Mr. Five with his finger.

A vein popped on the man's forehead. He pushed his hand inside his coat, "I don't want to use this on a trash like you," and pulled out a flintlock revolver, "but you won't be able to avoid it."

Luffy's smile fell in an instant, replaced by a sullen glare.

Mr. Five grinned, finding courage in that expression, not realizing that he was misreading it all along. "End of the line for you, punk! Behold my greatest ability!" He popped the cylinder out and spun it, blowing into it. With a flick of his wrist, the cylinder returned into its place, and Mr. Five aimed at Luffy.

Shots rang.

Luffy dashed to the side. Explosions followed him, but he dodged them all. One, two, three, four, five… After the sixth shot, the boy turned toward Mr. Five, closing the distance between them in a blink of an eye. "I hate guns!" he growled, his fist burying itself into the man's stomach.

Mr. Five doubled over, eyes bugging out and spit flying out. This time, he didn't explode on contact and had no time to activate his ability as the next punch sent him face-first into the ground, leaving him dazed and disoriented.

"I hate their sound." Luffy slammed his foot down on the revolver, not paying attention that the man was still holding onto it.

A scream ripped out of Mr. Five as his palm got crushed together with his weapon.

It immediately got cut off by Luffy's foot slamming down onto his back. "I hate their smell." Luffy's lips twisted into a snarl as he lifted his leg again. "And I absolutely hate the feeling of bullets inside my body..." With these whispered words, he brought it down for the last time right across the man's neck.

Bones cracked. Mr. Five gasped for breath without a sound. His eyes fluttered closed and his head fell to the ground as he slipped through the death's hands.

Luffy stared at his dead body, eyes blazing in fury. After a moment, he reached for his straw hat and put it down on his head, hiding his expression in its shadow. Another moment later, he looked at his crew, moving from one face to another as if trying to imprint every little thing about them into his mind. From Zoro to Nami to Sanji to Usopp to Sabo and even Carue. In the end, his eyes settled on Vivi.

Vivi's breath hitched in her throat and all that got into her lungs was fear. That overwhelming power, that efficient brutality—she didn't expect any of it.

Luffy's gaze shifted to the roof of the nearby house. "Who are you?" he asked coldly, though no one was there.

Or at least that's what the others thought until a dark-haired woman stepped into the sunlight and the view of everyone from the shadows cast by the adjacent building. She wore a revealing purple cowgirl outfit with a matching cowboy hat and carried herself with poise and grace that all but exuded some kind of regal, yet intimidating aura.

"Oh my, I didn't foresee someone noticing me," the woman said. Keen blue eyes regarded the pirates, before she looked back at the captain, meeting his intense stare with an easy smile barely touching the corners of her mouth. "How very observant of you. You ruined a surprise."

Luffy didn't deem that comment important enough to reply. He stared at the new arrival, lips pulled into a straight line. No one could tell what was going on inside his head.

"Whoa! What a beautiful lady!" Sanji exclaimed.

Vivi gasped. "You! You're…" she stammered. "Miss All Sunday!"

"Miss All Sunday?" Nami and Usopp repeated.

"She's part of Baroque Works?" Zoro questioned, shifting into a battle-ready stance.

Sabo's brow furrowed as he stared long and hard at the woman before a flash of surprise crossed his face.

"Why are you here?!" Vivi shouted, sheer anger making her voice waver.

Miss All Sunday spared the princess a glance, but the young pirate captain seemed to hold her genuine interest more. "So, you're the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates," she noted idly. "Monkey D. Luffy."

Luffy said nothing.

"Not very talkative, are you?" Miss All Sunday teased. "You know that if you continue protecting a princess targeted by the Baroque Works, you'll become targets yourselves."

This time Luffy did answer her with a flat, "So what?" It sounded almost like a challenge.

The woman let out a soft chuckle. "I don't dislike young spirited people," she said, clearly amused. "It is just too pitiful to see a lone princess forced to entrust herself to a handful of small-time pirates. A Princess who thinks she can save her country by taking on the entirety of the Baroque Works by herself… Quite ridiculous, don't you think?"

Vivi's fingers curled into the dry soil she was sitting on, glare burning with pure hate leveled at the woman. "You let us tail you so that we could find who the boss was!"

"You worked so hard. I had to cooperate," the woman didn't even try to deny it. Instead, she offered a pleasant smile. "I even put up the flag you and Mr. Eight agreed upon as a signal of you being compromised, but you still ended up in this situation."

"Wh… You're lying! Why would you do that?! Just what are your true intentions?!" the princess yelled, desperation and helplessness bleeding through. "What exactly do you want?!"

"Who knows," Miss All Sunday replied, looking somewhere into the distant horizon, her expression tinged with what seemed almost like hopeful nostalgia. "Perhaps I have some ulterior motive in mind. Or perhaps I'm just following Mr. Zero's orders for his personal gain." She smiled at the young pirate captain now, a bit wider than before. "Or perhaps I'm just looking for some entertainment to kill my boredom."

The straw hat suddenly left Luffy's head and flew over to Miss All Sunday who caught it by its brim.

Only… no one was allowed to touch Luffy's hat without his permission.

Next Chapter: Not Who They Seem

Chapter Text

Robin took pride in her ability to read people. It was a skill born out of necessity, but it was a valuable asset.

She knew how to gather someone's personality simply by watching how they moved in a conversation or a fight. She knew how to pick apart what people said, discerning truth from lies and taking note of little things that they didn't intend to reveal. And from there, she knew how to approach them, how to manipulate them, where to push and when to ease up. She never stopped watching, and so she could see the telltale signs of incoming betrayal days, sometimes weeks before it would happen.

Of course, she was under no illusion of Crocodile's true intentions for her.

But this was neither the time nor place to ponder about that. Her only orders now were to get an update on the whereabouts of the Alabasta's princess, working as a failsafe in case Mr. Five and Miss Valentine failed their mission. And it seemed Crocodile's paranoia wasn't for naught this time.

Mr. Five and Miss Valentine did, indeed, fail their mission. The princess ended up in the hands of the small pirate crew, fresh from the East Blue and led by a young boy with the middle name of D.

Robin had a personal interest in people who carried the name of D, and thus she paid extra attention to any tidbit of information related to it. A wanted poster of Portgas D. Ace caught her eye three years ago. His name quickly rose to infamy even before he joined the Whitebeard's crew, and at present, his head was worth a frightening 700 million.

And now, Monkey D. Luffy.

She could hardly believe the fact that both Ds came from East Blue. Was it merely a coincidence? Regardless, if this young pirate was anything like Fire-Fist Ace…

Her hand rose to hide her smile, despite no one being there to see it.

A 37 million beli bounty was too low for a person of such potential. The ease with which he defeated Mr. Five only strengthened that notion.

The boy noticing her presence wasn't in Robin's plans, but it still fell in range of her expectations. She had no desire to fight him or his crew, but if it came to that, she had confidence in her abilities. Strength and speed meant nothing against her, after all.

Besides, she had Monkey D. Luffy all figured out.

A carefree boy who most likely grew up on grand stories about pirates and their bold, daring feats, and thus decided to take off into the sea to pursue fame and money like those heroes from his childhood. A bit naïve, perhaps, letting his raw strength and power of the Devil Fruit go to his head, believing that the sky was the limit, and not realizing that, at the same time, bigger and more dangerous fish swam in the same barrel and were ready to swallow him whole.

Yet, Robin didn't peg the boy as foolish. In the end, who didn't want to chase after some lofty dream when they were young and blind to the horrors lurking in the shadows? She had been this innocent and ignorant in the past as well. If fate so willed, Monkey D. Luffy would survive and carve his name in the records of this world.

And so, Robin showed herself, toyed with the princess a bit, and teased the pirate boy, albeit not very successfully. Maybe that was why she decided to do what she did. She bloomed an arm on the boy's shoulder. Just for a brief moment, long enough only to throw his straw hat to herself.

Robin always kept an eye on everyone in her close proximity—such was the life of a hunted criminal—so she noticed the rest of the crew going rigid with eyes bulging out and jaws dropping.

Why such a strong reaction, she wondered. What could possibly bring it upon them?

At that moment, her fingers closed on the brim of the straw hat.

It happened suddenly. So suddenly, she didn't have time to react. In one blink, the pirate boy was still standing below. In another, he was right in front of her, and then… the world just flipped. She got flung from the roof down onto the ground level and rolled farther away along the street until her battered body finally stopped.

She didn't feel the impact. Or pain, at first. Instead, the massive heat spread across her stomach and chest, rapidly turning into a throbbing, then aching, and all the way to excruciating pain. A reflex came, and she hawked some blood into her hand, breathing ragged, all the while her mind desperately tried to compute what had just occurred.

A soft thud startled Robin. Her head whipped up, and her eyes widened upon seeing Luffy straightening up where he landed into a half-crouched position after jumping down from the roof.

It was then that she realized—he attacked her.

She misread him. Judged his character wrong. And now was paying for this grave mistake in her assessment.

Her heart pounded in her ears, loud and irregular, together with the pulses of pain, but Robin barely registered it. Because the pirate was coming for her. Every step, every brush of his sandals against the beaten dirt of Whiskey Peak sent waves of dread throughout her mind.

Dread filling her mind from the boy's fight she observed before, Robin crossed her arms, summoning the power of her Devil Fruit to her fingertips.

"Diez Fleur: Clutch."

Ten arms grew out of Luffy's body, a pair for the head and each limb, grabbed at him, and twisted.

The boy lost his balance and stumbled. Yet he didn't fall, despite his legs being bent beyond what human joints allowed. A deep, furious growl rumbled from within his throat. His hand, deformed and presumably unusable, shot out to grab at one of the phantom limbs that had twisted his head backwards.

Robin felt it—his strong grip. Felt her bones shifting under the skin. With a hiss, she dispersed the additional arms before he could break them.

A little shake and the boy's limbs and head simply swirled back into their original position. He proceeded to walk forward again, his eyes drilling into her.

As if nothing had happened.

There was danger in those eyes. Those black eyes peered at Robin like a hawk would glare at a rabbit.

She cursed herself for not considering the power of his Devil Fruit more. Something elastic. Something that could bend and stretch and return to its original form.

Something like rubber.

Her powers were ineffective. Useless against a human who couldn't be broken by brute force. Robin's mind worked a mile a minute. He should have a weakness. Everyone had a weakness. Even someone like Crocodile.

Her heart might as well have stopped beating at that terrifying moment of clarity when she realized someone wanted to kill her, and she was powerless to stop him. Utterly helpless against this young boy with the middle name of D. Could do nothing to stop him, only wait for the beating that was surely coming.

Luffy stopped in front of her. Reached down.

Robin's body flinched even when she tried to stop it.

But the boy didn't reach for her. He picked his straw hat that must have been accidentally flung here as well. Luffy examined the hat, brow furrowed and eyes focused. He brushed and rubbed at its brim, as if Robin's touch dirtied it somehow. Once satisfied, he pushed it back on his head with a quiet huff. Only then did he look back at her.

"Do not touch my hat." It was an order and a warning.

Robin's mouth opened, but nothing came out. After several attempts, she managed a soft, "I apologize."

The pirate stared, effortlessly pinning her down with only his glare. "If you touch it again, I won't forgive you," he said after a long moment. This time he didn't wait for a response; he simply turned around and walked away.

Robin didn't dare to move until the boy hopped back onto the roof and disappeared down into the square on the other side. She waited there until the sound of his footsteps was long gone, expecting him to return, laughing mockingly at her face. How could she believe that he just let her go as simple as that?

That young man wanted to kill her. Was ready to do so, she had seen it in his gaze.

All because she touched his straw hat.

Robin misjudged him to a ridiculous degree.

She had to move before the pirate could have a change of heart and come back to finish what he had started.

The adrenaline was burning off now. Robin looked over her injuries once more. They weren't severe enough to threaten her life, but still needed attention. A broken rib or two, no doubt. She shifted position, trying to relieve some of the pain, but ended up only coughing another fistful of blood. Some inner damage too.

Robin pushed herself up and stood on shaky legs, glad that no one was around to witness her in such a vulnerable state. Carefully, she started her slow trek toward the cost. If she could reach Banchi, her transportation turtle, she should be safe. It wasn't that long since the Straw Hat Pirates landed on this island, their Log Pose shouldn't have set for the next destination yet. Unless…

Unless they somehow got their hands on the Eternal Pose, receiving an opportunity to leave right away.

She had to hurry.

A footstep behind her sent her heart hammering against her already abused ribs. She turned sharply towards the sound, arms crossed for immediate retaliation. "Who—?!"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," the man said, stepping out from the nearby alley into the light, gloved hands raised in a non-threatening manner and a polite smile on his scarred face. He was holding Robin's cowboy hat, which she lost during the previous scuffle.

Robin recognized him. One of Monkey D. Luffy's companions, the tall blond in a top hat—Sabo. The former's older brother, if she heard correctly.

Why was this man here? Did he want to finish what his brother started? To not leave any loose ends?

Robin's eyes narrowed. She shifted, biting down on a groan that wanted to escape her. She did nothing to hide her suspicion, in too much pain and aftershock to think clearly, so no wonder Sabo noticed her discomfort with his presence. "I'm not here to fight," he said as placating as possible. "I just want to talk."

Robin didn't let her guard down in the slightest. Her powers should work on this one, right? Unless… he also possessed some weird Devil Fruit. He wasn't jumping into battle with the bounty hunters, always hanging behind and interfering here and there only when needed.

Suspicious.

Treading on the side of caution, Robin withheld from attacking right away. She couldn't afford to get into another fight right now when she didn't have all the information on this person.

"What would a pirate want from me?" she asked, masking her weariness with a fake aggressiveness.

"I'm currently accompanying my little brother, but I'm not a pirate," the man replied, not even batting an eye at her less than friendly tone. "I'm a member of the Revolutionary Army."

Robin couldn't help a small frown. This made even less sense. Nobody should know that the brewing rebellion in Alabasta was artificially instigated, including the Revolutionaries. They shouldn't have had any interest in that desert kingdom. So why was this man here, wanting to talk with her?

"I know who you are, Nico Robin."

Her breathing hitched, but the blond was not making any threatening moves, standing with his arms up, still relaxed and not tensed up for a fight.

"The only survivor of Ohara, the country that stood against the world," Sabo continued. "For many years now, the Revolutionaries have been looking for you."

Robin didn't mean to take a step back, to show this man her fear, but she couldn't stop her body from moving.

"Not for the same reason as the World Government! We're not interested in Ancient Weapons!" Sabo hurried to explain. "Every member of the Army is under direct orders from our leader to protect you at any cost if we find you. I didn't expect to meet you here, Robin-san, and as a possible enemy of all things." He rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "I'd like to avoid further confrontations if possible, but all I want is to ask you to accept an invitation to talk with our leader, Dragon."

Robin stared at him and couldn't shake a feeling of sincerity in those words. Still, she wasn't about to accept such a shady proposition from, as he put it himself, a possible enemy of all things.

Sensing the woman's incoming refusal, Sabo implored, "Please, think about it. The offer will stand indefinitely." He briskly walked to the barrel at the side of the house and put Robin's hat on it. Then he pulled what looked like a medical kit from inside his coat and put it there as well.

"But if I may offer advice," he said, looking back at her. "If Luffy decides to get involved in this situation, regardless of whoever your current boss is, you'll end up on the losing side." He turned to leave. "It's not too late to switch."

The last words of the departing blond revolutionary kept ringing in Robin's ears even after he melted into the shadows of the alley. The sun was finally dipping closer to the horizon, painting the blue sky with more red and gold with every passing moment.

Robin allowed herself to sigh, relaxing her stiff posture. Hobbling to the barrel, she picked up her hat. After gazing at the med kit for a few seconds, she grabbed it too.

What a disastrous day. Too many close encounters, too many questions, and not enough answers. Robin needed some time to think about all that happened and what she learned before making any kind of decision.

-a bit earlier in the town's square-

The pirates watched as the straw hat suddenly rose from their captain's head and flew towards Miss All Sunday.

They could hardly believe their eyes. While none of them understood how exactly it happened, it was obvious this mysterious woman had something to do with it. Especially when she extended her arm in preparation to catch the hat, that small yet devious smile on her face. Of course, she couldn't have known, but to be this incredibly unlucky in provoking one of Luffy's biggest triggers…

No one was allowed to touch Luffy's straw hat unless Luffy himself gave it to them first. It was a sign of his explicit trust, which wasn't given as easily as others might have thought. Everyone in his crew knew it, though why he cherished his hat so much was still unknown to them.

Sanji's cigarette fell out of his open mouth before he spun around, unable to bear witness to the consequences of such action. No matter how his heart ached for the beautiful lady, she shouldn't have done it.

The princess gasped and her duck hid behind his wings when Miss All Sunday got hurled from the roof and out of sight a split second after she caught the hat. Despite expecting something like that, the others still winced, partially out of sympathy for the enemy.

They watched as Luffy followed the woman by hopping down into the street on the other side. For some time, no one moved or said anything.

"I've never seen someone with such a strong death wish," Usopp breathed out, wiping sweat from his forehead as if it was he who was in danger. "I thought she was looking for ways to kill her boredom, not herself."

"W-wha-what happened?" the princess stammered out.

"She took Luffy's hat," Zoro replied sharply. "It's a big mistake, touching it without his permission. Or touching him." It sounded like a warning. The way the swordsman's hard stare drilled into her showed that it was indeed a warning.

A light thud put everyone on high alert in an instant, drawing their attention to the side. They relaxed upon realizing it was only Luffy jumping down from the roof.

"Where is that woman?" Zoro asked as soon as the captain rejoined the group.

Luffy's lips twitched in a momentary sneer. "Don't know, don't care." Even thinking about how he let a stranger put her hands on his treasure pissed him off. Sure, she apologized, being genuine about it, but it still was very upsetting. "I don't want to see her again." He fixed his straw hat to sit more firmly on his head with an angry, "Touching my hat twice…" muttered under his breath.

"Twice?" Nami repeated. "How did she manage to touch it twice?"

"It was weird." It happened so fast, Luffy would have missed it if he hadn't been in a heightened battle state of mind. "Her arm suddenly grew on my shoulder and threw my hat to her."

"W-what?!" Usopp cried out, his eyeballs almost climbing out of their sockets. "An arm grew on your shoulder?!" He leaned forward and to the side, eyeing Luffy's shoulder as if expecting to see the arm still there.

Nami also looked highly unsettled. "Is that the power of the Devil Fruit?"

"Must be," Zoro grunted.

Luffy nodded in agreement. It happened again later, in an attempt to stop him, so it must have been some sort of the Paramecia Devil Fruit.

Sanji threw his arms up, hearts practically shooting out of his eyes, and exclaimed, "Miss All Sunday! Such a mysterious beauty! I wouldn't mind feeling her beautiful hands on me~!"

"I bet a woman will be how you're gonna die one day," Zoro scoffed.

"And I'll die happy then!"

"What a fool…"

"What did you say, you shitty marimo?"

"What did you call me, you damn cook?!"

Luffy ignored his two nakama's bickering and glanced around. He didn't see Sabo anywhere. "Where's Sabo?" he asked out loud and at the same time, spread his senses as far as possible.

Ah, there he was. Next to that woman who had dared to touch his hat. Luffy stared into the distance. Didn't seem that Sabo was in any kind of danger, his presence calm and bright as ever. With a little shake of his head, Luffy let his brother do his own thing.

While he was focusing on making sure Sabo was okay, his crew looked around in surprise. No one had noticed him leave.

"Wasn't he just here, next to the princess?" Usopp wondered.

Princess.

Luffy's gaze snapped from where he was looking into the distance down at the blue-haired girl.

Right. There was a princess here. He almost forgot.

That person's daughter liked to call herself a princess. She wouldn't have let herself be forgotten. Yet this one tried to be as invisible as possible, staring up at him with eyes wide and weary.

The princess visibly gulped under the pressure of the captain's steely stare before she offered a small bow and a quiet, "Thank you for helping me."

"Quack…" Carue agreed, bowing as well.

Luffy scowled. This princess didn't match the image of the nobles he was familiar with at all. It felt like trying to fit a jagged, lumpy piece into the wrong frame, the one that had much smoother and softer edges. The problem was that he didn't know any other pieces to fit into a frame he was familiar with. For that reason, he decided to simply ignore her and instead called, "Nami." The fact that he didn't respond to the girl's gratitude didn't go unnoticed by his crew. "When can we leave?"

The navigator blinked at the sudden question, then glanced down at the Log Pose on her wrist and shook her head. "It hasn't set yet." She perked up as an idea came to her mind. "Hey, Princess, how long does it take for the Pose to adjust to this island?"

"A bit over four hours," the girl replied quietly. "Call me Vivi, please."

Call me Princess, you filthy vermin!

Luffy went rigid, breath hitching.

"My Daddy! It does not call me Princess!"

"This one is very stubborn, indeed."

"I want it to call me Princess! …Can I break it? Can I? Can I?!"

"You cannot, my Princess. The midsummer hunt is coming and I want to use this pet as a hunting hound this time. I need it to be in top shape."

"But, my Daddyyyy! I want it to call me Princess! I want! I want!"

"I shall give you another pet to break, alright, my Princess? A new batch should arrive today, how about you choose one from it?"

"But I want this one!"

The ragged fabric of the bandana rubbed against Luffy's palm when he pressed it at his neck until he could feel the rough skin of the scar hidden beneath.

"Luffy?"

Startled black eyes blinked at what stood right in front. Zoro held Nami's wrist, but his full attention lay only on Luffy's face. He must have stopped Nami from touching him, and for that, Luffy was grateful. At this exact moment, he wouldn't have taken it well, and he wouldn't forgive himself if he ended up seriously hurting his nakama, even by accident.

Sanji and Usopp observed him from the side, radiating nothing but concern and kindness.

Luffy latched onto the warm and caring presence of his crewmates, let it envelop his every fiber, and drown him until the coldness penetrating to his very marrows receded and vanished.

He moved his hand from his neck to rest on top of his hat, letting it linger there for a bit, reveling in the familiar texture of straw. "Yeah?"

Hearing his answer, Zoro visibly relaxed. Nami was still worried though, looking at Luffy with such care, it made him smile.

That not exactly genuine but not completely fake smile failed to put Nami completely at ease, though she did feel reassured somewhat. "We still have around two hours to wait," she informed him instead of voicing her concerns.

"Okay."

"Are you alright?"

Usopp's question hung heavily among them for a brief moment.

"I'm fine," Luffy replied, hoping the others wouldn't pick up on his wavering. "I just got lost in my thoughts."

The others shared glances with each other before nodding in acceptance. They weren't stupid; they just didn't press any further, not wanting to push their captain too hard while he was vulnerable like this.

"Then we should—"

A terrified scream cut Nami off. They all turned towards where it came from only to see Mr. Nine stumble out into the street backward until he fell on his butt, shaking like a leaf while staring into the alley he came from. His clothes were in tatters, he was missing his crown, and had bandages wrapped all around his limbs.

A moment later, Sabo stepped out from the alley as well. "It's not polite to eavesdrop," he said with a cordial smile that screamed danger.

"I-I-I wasn't trying to—!" the poor man defended meekly.

Vivi's eyes widened upon seeing him. "Mr. Nine! You're alive!" she cried out in surprise.

"Ah, y-yes, Miss Wednesday." Mr. Nine shuffled away from Sabo who walked past him to rejoin his little brother and his crew. "Miss Monday is alive too. Mr. Eight as well."

"W-what?" the princess stammered out. "Igaram is alive?!" With a shout, she was moving, staggering to her feet. She would have fallen again if not for her duck jumping in to catch her. "I need to see him!"

"He's quite injured…"

"But he's alive?"

"Well, yeah. For now."

The pirates watched the pair and the duck disappear around the corner. Luffy didn't say anything and so they let them go without a word as well.

"We still have time, so I'll be going off to try and find their treasury. Such a big bounty hunter's base! I smell the money!" Nami declared, her eyes practically projecting the beli signs.

Sabo hummed. "I want to find their communication center and see if they have a long-distance Den Den Mushi."

"We resupplied in Loguetown, but the more supplies we have, the better," Sanji said. "We can definitely relieve these bounty hunters of some food."

Usopp also pitched in, "They should have gunpowder reserves somewhere. I'll look for that."

And just like that, four of them wandered off on their own, leaving Luffy and Zoro alone with nothing to do.

Luffy scratched his cheek. With any desire to explore the island gone, two hours of waiting seemed too long and boring. At least, he wasn't the only one bored here. "Let's spar?" he asked his swordsman.

Zoro froze mid-way through yawning and let his mouth stretch into a grin instead. "Sure thing, Captain."

A late afternoon breeze tousled loose blue hair, weaving the salty smell of sea with the heavy scents of ash and blood in between the strands. Vivi stared at Igaram lying in a bed, watched his chest rise and fall with every shallow breath he took. Alive. Though barely holding onto his life, he was alive.

For now.

No doctors were left on this island after this disastrous day. No matter how hard the three of them had searched, they couldn't find even their corpses. They didn't have many to begin with, and the few that were stationed here must have fled soon after the first confrontation with the pirates, knowing what awaited them after failing to repel them.

Vivi curled her fingers into fists, feeling her nails scraping across the naked skin of her legs.

Igaram needed immediate medical attention. His injuries were beyond what any of them could patch up. Vivi even considered asking the pirates, but she knew for a fact that their crew didn't have a doctor either.

What should she do now?

What could she do at this point?

She couldn't do anything. She was powerless. Useless in this hopeless situation.

The taste of blood on her tongue jolted Vivi out of the dark place her mind spiraled into. She eased her bite on her already nibbled lower lip and slumped in her seat, covering her face with her hands. She stayed like that even when Miss Monday squeezed her shoulder.

"Mr. Nine will find a ship, so once your Log Pose is set for the next island we can leave immediately. Mr. Eight—"

"Unfortunately, it won't be that easy," a new voice spoke up, and both females looked up at Mr. Nine as he entered the room.

Dread filled Vivi's chest. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Besides the pirate ship, there are no other ships left here." Mr. Nine sighed, looking tired as his fingers rubbed over his face. "Mr. Five and Miss Valentine must have destroyed the ships in the main port, and survivors must have used the ones from the secret port on the southeast shore to flee the island."

Vivi's mouth suddenly felt dry and her stomach twisted unpleasantly. They had to somehow get off this damned island and find a doctor. If they couldn't—

Igaram's chest continued to rise and fall.

White bandages slowly turned red where Vivi's fingers pressed into her injured palms.

If they couldn't, Igaram would die.

No. Not like this. She couldn't allow Igaram to die like this. They had been through so much together, she couldn't give up on him now. One way or another, she was going to save him. There was only one choice left.

Vivi stood abruptly, her legs shaking from overexertion. She pushed through the exhaustion, through the aching muscles and stinging injuries, making every movement feel like a giant task. No matter how much her body screamed at her to stay, to rest, to just leave everything else for another day, she had to act now before the pirates sailed away. With a determined, "I'll ask the pirates to bring us to a doctor," she exited the room.

"Miss Wednesday! You can't!" Mr. Nine shouted, chasing after his partner. He fumbled through his inner pockets to pull out a sheet of paper. "Look at this! Please!"

Vivi halted to take a look. It was a bounty poster of the grinning Monkey D. Luffy. Right, he did say he had a bounty on his head. Her eyes flicked down to the number and her heart shook.

37 million beli.

Vivi could almost feel those cold black eyes staring at her, the mangled body of Mr. Five lying at the boy's feet.

Oh, how she misjudged him. He didn't seem like a savage, murderous pirate warranting a high price on his head, but it was stupid to assume that the captain had a similarly low bounty as his crewmate.

Who knows how he would react if she appeared in front of him again asking for another favor? The way he behaved after learning about her princess status…

"I still have to try," Vivi bit out, shoving the bounty poster at Mr. Nine's chest with more force than necessary, then turned, and sprinted away before anyone could try and talk her out of it. Including herself.

Nami put a tea cup down into its plate, listening to the sharp clink it made at the contact. She sighed as she pushed the now empty cup away from herself.

Why was she so unlucky? All the enemies they had come across so far were so miserably poor that she wanted to weep, and these bounty hunters were no exception. It was pathetic! When would the day come when they could actually go against someone rich?

With another sigh, Nami stood up. No point in thinking about it now. They were pirates and the road ahead of them was still long and unexplored. They were bound to run into someone with treasure sooner or later.

Comforting herself with this thought, Nami glanced down at the Log Pose. It looked like the thing finally adjusted to the island's magnetic field and now pointed to the next one. They could finally sail away in search of treasure! With a small smile, she walked out of the galley and into the deck of Going Merry.

The sun had already set and while the light still poured from over the horizon, the evening was rapidly becoming the night. A bit late to set sail, but no one wished to stay on the bounty hunters' island for longer than necessary. Despite them beating everyone on this island earlier.

"Zoro, catch another!"

"Aye!"

Nami's gaze flicked from the Log Pose to the main deck. Zoro leaned over the railing and snatched a middle-sized wooden box from mid-air, then put it down into a pile of boxes already on a deck. Usopp seemed to be taking stock as he stood next to it and scribbled something into a small notebook.

"Zoro!"

One more box came flying from below. With a bored, "Alright," Zoro caught this one as well and put it down.

Nami frowned and walked to the railing, catching sight of Luffy tossing yet another box up for Zoro to put on the ship. "Hey!" she shouted. "Stop throwing boxes with food around! What are you gonna do if it all turns into mush!"

"Don't be silly, Nami!" Luffy called back. "I was extra careful while we were loading food!"

The navigator's eyebrow twitched. Didn't that mean that he threw boxes of food onto the ship like this anyway? But if these didn't contain food… "What's inside those boxes, then?"

Luffy picked one of the last two boxes, flashed her one of his most brilliant grins, and cheerfully exclaimed, "Gunpowder!" just as he launched it up.

Nami almost fell off the ship in shock. At the next moment, her expression twisted with anger. "Stop throwing gunpowder around, you fools!" she yelled. "Do you want it to explode?!"

"Stop bossing us around, witch. We're fine," Zoro grumbled. Luffy heaved the last box his way and he reached to catch it, "I'm catching them as they come," only to miss it. "Ah."

Nami's eyes grew wider and wider the closer the box got to the ground. Just before it crashed down, she ducked down, covering her head.

A second ticked by.

Two seconds.

Luffy laughed.

Blinking, Nami stood up. Looked down.

Luffy grinned at her from below with the same box in his arms.

"Stop laughing! That's why I said to stop throwing gunpowder around! Why do we even need so much gunpowder?!" Nami screamed, on the brink of hysterics. "That's it! I'm done! I'm going back to the East Blue!"

"Bye, bye," Zoro said impassively, waving his hand.

With a roar, Sanji tore out of the storage room. "Don't talk like this with Nami-swan, you shitty swordsman!" His black shoe clashed against a drawn sword.

"Is there something wrong with your ears, you third-rate cook?!" Zoro roared back.

"Guys, stop fighting," Usopp tried to placate his two fired-up nakamas.

Nami facepalmed, letting out a frustrated groan.

"Luffy!"

Luffy turned at the call and beamed at his brother, strolling towards him. "Sabo!" he cheered. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Sadly, no. They had no Den Den Mushi powerful enough to reach the next island, much less what I needed. Which is extremely strange," Sabo mused. "They belonged to an organization and their higher-ups aren't on this island. So, how did they receive their orders or report to their boss?"

Luffy hummed. "We missed something."

"Definitely." Sabo narrowed his eyes at the empty town, slowly being swallowed by the darkness. "Let's hope we'll be far away when the news from this place reaches the boss, whoever he is."

"Oi, stop it! That's scary!" Usopp whined from the ship, after listening to the two brothers. His teeth chattered as he looked around. "Do we really need to worry about more bounty hunters coming after us right after we entered Grand Line?"

"Just give up, Usopp," Nami said as she joined the sniper at the railing. Behind her, Zoro and Sanji lay flat on the deck. "It's inevitable when our captain has a decently high bounty on his head."

"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed quietly. Then he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the salty scent of the ocean while gazing at the darkening horizon. "Are we ready, Nami?"

"Sabo came back, the last box to load is in your hands, and the Log Pose is pointing at the next island…" Nami grinned, Luffy mirroring it. "We're ready, Captain!"

"Alrigh—"

"Pl-please wait!"

"Quaaaack!"

Everyone looked in the direction of new voices that interrupted them.

Sanji jumped to his feet and swooned at the sight of the princess, riding her giant duck. "It's our beautiful Miss Wednesday~! Did you come to personally send us off?! Ah, my heart~!"

"How about I send you off?" Zoro muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he stood up.

In an instant, Sanji rounded on him, features contorted in fury. "What did you—?"

"Settle down already!" Nami howled.

The effect was instantaneous: Sanji swirled on his heel with hearts in his eyes and an obedient, "Aye, Nami-san~!" and while Zoro only tsked under his breath, he didn't try to pick a fight with the cook anymore.

Meanwhile, the princess and the duck reached Luffy and Sabo who watched her without a word. She hesitated after climbing off of her mount, standing awkwardly in front of them. It was obvious that she tried to avoid Luffy's sharp gaze.

The princess balled her hands into tight fists. After another moment, she must have gathered her courage, because her head shot up, resolute brown eyes looking straight into the pirate captain's eyes without wavering. "I have a favor to ask," she said, steel in her voice.

Luffy tilted his head slightly to the side, observing, but staying silent.

"What? Another request?" Nami scoffed. "Aren't you a shameless one?"

"Seriously," Usopp agreed. "Asking for a favor after hiding who you are and trying to lure us here to be killed by bounty hunters…" He shook his head. "Isn't very nice, is it?"

"She should have her reasons," Sanji murmured, puffing out a cloud of smoke, but he didn't jump in to defend a woman as he might have done in a different kind of situation.

Zoro crossed his arms in front of his chest, silver eyes flicking down to his captain. Sabo also turned towards Luffy, carefully gauging his reaction.

The boy continued to stay silent. His features held no discernable friendliness, but the anger from back then was also missing. It was an expression that told nothing of what its owner could be thinking.

Vivi clenched her teeth at the silent treatment. "Please!" a plea escaped her mouth as she lowered her body into a deep bow. "My friend is seriously injured and there are neither doctors nor undamaged ships left on this island. Please, help me to bring him to the next island to see a doctor!"

The duck mimicked his owner and bowed with a pleading quack.

None of the pirates offered any comments this time. The prolonged silence curled around Vivi's courage and she faltered at the lack of response, because wasn't that telling in and of itself?

"It's your choice, Luffy," Sabo gently prompted his brother.

Luffy stared at the princess for another second and then simply closed his eyes, making a decision. "Alright," he said. "We'll bring you and your friend to the next island."

Vivi straightened up, eyes wide in utter disbelief, a few stray tears running down her cheeks. She brushed them off, visibly shaking herself out of her shock. "Thank you!" She bowed one more time. "Please, wait. I'll bring him here immediately!" She smiled at her duck, wide and happy. "Come on, Carue! Let's go get Igaram!"

"Quaaack!"

Once the two of them disappeared out of sight into the town, all four pirates and Sabo's attention returned to the rubber teen.

Sanji was the one who voiced a question in everyone's heads, "Are you sure about this, Luffy?"

Luffy chucked the box he was still holding over his shoulder with a confident, "Yeah."

Usopp and Nami shrieked something about an imminent explosion while Zoro and Sanji almost broke into yet another fight when they both moved to catch the box. Sabo simply watched his brother.

"I want to see more," he said, fixing his hat. His hand brushed across the left side of his neck on its way down. "More of a princess who can bow her head to save someone else."

Next Chapter: Little Garden

Chapter Text

It had been two days since they left Whiskey Peak. Igaram's face burned with fever and was lathered with sweat. Even in his unconscious state, he was frowning in pain.

Vivi wrung the water from the cloth and carefully placed it on his forehead. Then she knelt beside his futon with a quiet sigh, her bandaged hands clasped together on her lap and her eyes locked on his face.

Vivi knew little of medicine, but even she knew that the skin around his wounds turning an angry red wasn't a good sign. Sabo had reassured her, being the one with a more thorough understanding of medicine than anyone else aboard. But the way his brow furrowed in obvious concern made a fear of infection creep into her mind.

She couldn't imagine losing Igaram; the idea was just unthinkable. He seemed stable for now, but if his fever didn't break in the next few days…

Vivi bit her lower lip, shutting her eyes as soon as she felt tears welling up. She swallowed hard, sniffed, and opened her eyes again. She didn't cry. Tears wouldn't help anyone in this situation. The room suddenly felt too small and stuffy, so Vivi slowly stood up to get some fresh air.

As she climbed out of the girls' room, which for now was sort of a sick room, not for the first time, Vivi wondered what kind of pirates were so generous in their kindness. Nami allowed her room to be taken over without a single complaint about having to sleep with the boys for the time being. Though the new arrangement caused quite a ruckus on the first night: Sanji was now banned from entering the boys' room when Nami was sleeping inside.

The door leading to the main deck clicked behind her as Vivi stepped outside. A sea breeze blew through her hair, and the sun instantly warmed her face and neck.

The room arrangements weren't the only thing that baffled her. The pirates let her roam around without constraints, stayed respectful, and while they were attentive to her needs, none crossed the boundaries. Not even the cook with his never-ending swooning. No one asked about her circumstances either, respecting her unspoken wish for space.

The princess had to admit—this was quite a weird pirate crew.

She glanced around the ship. Nearby, Zoro napped against the side of the ship. On the deck's other side, Usopp was humming happily under his breath while preparing fishing gear. Sabo was sitting on the railing of the crow's nest, keeping an eye on the horizon and enjoying a refreshing wind sweeping past Going Merry.

"Oh, Vivi!" Nami called her from above. "How's Igaram doing?"

Vivi shook her head. "The same," she replied, making her way up the stairs to join the other girl. She was halfway up when Carue suddenly appeared from the back of the ship, quacking loudly and flailing his wings. Vivi yelped when he bounded down the stairs, almost bringing her with him.

"Come back here, Ducky!"

Vivi flattened herself against the side of the stairs again, just in time not to be knocked over by Luffy, who zipped past her with joyful laughter, hot on Carue's heel. They raced around the mast a few times, up and around and back down the front deck, around the mast again. Then two of them stomped on the sleeping Zoro—

"You idiots! Can you stop that already?!"

—bowled over Usopp—

"I hook this here and—GAH!"

—and overall created an absolute mess around the ship.

"Can you two pipe down?!" Nami yelled.

"Sorry!"

"Quack!"

Neither of them sounded apologetic. However, Nami didn't seem to hold it against them, heaving a heavy sigh but not telling them off again. She simply watched as the duck and the boy continued to run around and just be general nuisances to everyone involved.

"Ah, I'm sorry about Carue, he's just…" Vivi fidgeted, unsure how to finish the sentence in a placating way. She hoped Carue's natural playfulness wouldn't get them kicked out of the ship.

Nami blinked at her. After a moment, she waved her hand dismissively. "Asking Luffy to calm down when he's happy like this is almost impossible."

Vivi watched as a new peal of laughter from the captain brought a fond smile to Nami's face, and she wondered what had caused this girl to join a pirate crew. She looked at the other members and found herself repeating the question for each of them. None of them seemed like normal criminals. Not even the captain, especially in moments like these. Would they tell her if she asked?

Luffy finally caught Carue right after the latter ran over Usopp for the second time. The boy wrapped his arms around the duck and pressed him down. It was a clear order to surrender, but all actions carried an obvious gentleness and caution to not hurt by accident and a smile that spoke volumes of how much he liked the bird.

The moment Carue yielded by stilling against Luffy's hold, the boy burst out laughing and unwrapped his arms but didn't let the duck go. He plopped on top of him, buried his fingers into the feathers, and started moving them up and down.

Soon Carue melted under his touch, letting out a content trill of quiet quacks.

"Shishishishi," Luffy chuckled as he kept scratching along the duck's neck and back. "You might not be the fluffy one I'm searching to recruit into my crew, but your feathers are so soft!"

Vivi thought she had misheard him. Recruit what into his crew? "Fluffy one?" she muttered in disbelief.

Nami let out a short laugh. "Luffy's adamant on finding one," she said, mischief written in her features. "The fluffy one."

Vivi stared at Nami's grin that screamed 'it's an inside secret' loud and clear. Obviously, being allowed on the ship didn't mean she was privy to the crew's secrets, and she didn't want to endanger her precarious position by asking potentially wrong questions. No matter how curious she became about some things.

Vivi looked back at Luffy and watched him play with Carue with a constant bright smile. He wasn't what she had expected him to be. None of them were, but the captain caused her the most confusion.

On the way to Whiskey Peak, she couldn't observe the crew, spending most of it with Mr. Nine in the galley under Usopp and Sanji's watchful eyes. Not to mention the captain slept through most of that trip.

And then, on Whiskey Peak, the pirates showed that they weren't pushovers. They had more than enough strength to take on whatever the Grand Line threw at them. More importantly, Luffy demonstrated the power and brutality befitting of a pirate captain.

Vivi made a gamble by boarding this ship again. Knowing the captain's obvious hate toward her, she had been prepared to suffer through all kinds of harassment and mistreatment. Nothing like that happened. Luffy actively avoided her. Or if he couldn't, he ignored her completely. She truly expected him to be much more terrifying.

As Vivi watched, Luffy switched from scratching the duck's neck to kneading his wings. Carue was practically melting under his soothing massage treatment.

She got lucky to have Carue accompanying her, didn't she? The young captain seemed to have a soft spot for animals.

Vivi paused in her contemplation.

Luffy never hurt her, even after a less-than-pleasant first impression. Or once he learned that she was a princess. And even now on his ship. On the contrary, he agreed to help her. Maybe she judged him too quickly.

"I hate her kind, but a promise is a promise. If she's the one you want to protect, then I won't let anyone harm her."

Hate her kind. What exactly did he mean by that? Royals? Or simply nobles? Or—

Vivi shook her head, trying to chase the sudden thought away. There was no way someone from the East Blue would have ever encountered them.

The World Nobles.

Vivi could still remember the day when she turned ten. Her father sat her down and told her a story about their ancestors. How Nefertari Family was one of the twenty royal families which founded the World Government. How they decided not to abandon their own country and refused to move to Mary Geoise. How those who did move started calling themselves Celestial Dragons—the gods of this world.

She remembered crying herself to sleep after her father told her about the nasty deeds of those gods.

Her ancestors were wise not to accept the invitation to become the World Nobles. Vivi was grateful for that, and it fostered pride in the ancient blood of Nefertari flowing in her veins.

But, honestly, even disregarding the World Nobles, one wouldn't have to look far to find a noble that acted like the scum of the earth. She met a few like that herself during royal visits to other countries. Noble clans existed all around the world, including the East Blue. It was quite possible for Luffy to somehow cross paths with that kind of person. If it truly happened, who could tell how it ended? For all Vivi knew, his dislike might be warranted.

Vivi's line of thought got disrupted by the door opening behind her. Both Nami and she turned to see Sanji coming out of the galley. A weird fruit sat in his hand: a dark purple apple covered in S-shaped swirls with a long yellow stem.

"Ladies," the cook nodded at them in greeting before he danced away with hearts floating around him. "You look so beautiful today, my dears~!" When he reached the stairs, he turned away from them and called out, "Luffy!"

Luffy glanced up. Upon seeing the fruit, his eyes widened, and he stood up to meet his nakama. Zoro, Usopp, and Carue joined them, with Sabo looking down from his perch in the crow's nest.

"I found this in one of the crates from Whiskey Peak," Sanji explained, offering his find to his captain.

Luffy frowned as he picked up the weird apple. "It's a Devil Fruit," he stated after a moment.

"Whoa," Usopp breathed out, peering at the fruit with wide eyes. "First time I've ever seen one."

"Quack?" Carue asked, tilting his head curiously.

Luffy grimaced. "No," he replied. "It tastes horrible."

"Wait," Nami said as she hopped down the stairs. She pushed past Zoro and Sanji to take a closer look at the strange thing. "How did a Devil Fruit suddenly appear on our ship?"

"Once the fruit user dies, a Devil Fruit reincarnates into a similar normal fruit. The time and place it eventually happens varies," Sabo explained as he jumped down, narrowing his eyes at the apple. "It must be the fruit of that exploding man."

"Yeah," Luffy said. "The one who can make your boogers explode." He extended the fruit toward his crew. "Anyone want it?"

All four made a face.

"Nope," Zoro refused immediately.

"Exploding boogers? No thanks," Nami muttered, somehow managing to stuff all her distaste for that kind of power into four simple words.

Sanji shook his head and then mumbled under his breath, "If I ever eat a Devil Fruit, it's only that one…"

Usopp scratched his chin, not eager to become a fruit user either. "Maybe we could sell it?"

"Sell it?" Nami perked up. "What a wonderful idea, Usopp!"

"Uh…"

"Let's sell it!" Nami shouted in glee, clapping her hands. "Aren't Devil Fruits worth millions of beli?!"

Luffy stared at the fruit, brow still furrowed and features tight with seriousness. "No," he uttered quietly before looking up straight at Sabo. "Would it help your fight?"

The rest of his crew stared, confused by what he was talking about.

Sabo took a moment to consider. "I'm not particularly interested in eating a Devil Fruit myself, but one of my comrades definitely would," he replied. "So, yes, it would help."

"Then take it and bring it to your friends." Luffy tossed the Devil Fruit to Sabo, who easily caught it.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Luffy, are you sure?" Nami chimed in, eyeing the fruit in Sabo's hand with eyes full of regret. "You could get millions for it…"

"I'm sure," Luffy confirmed in a tone that left no space for objections. "Use it to fight them, Sabo."

The crew seemed to come to attention at the mention of 'them', while Sabo's lips curled into a wicked smirk before he replied, "We will."

Luffy nodded. Now that this was decided, everyone relaxed and started drifting away to continue what they were doing before. Luffy's head whipped to the side as something caught his attention and his face lit up. "Look, everyone!" he cheered, pointing at the sea. "It's a dolphin!"

"Whoa, so cu…" Nami trailed off when the dolphin leaped from the water, soaring over their heads. Its massive body was at least ten times the size of Going Merry. Her jaw dropped. "…It's freaking huge!"

"Run for your lives!" Luffy screamed, throwing his arms up. He sounded utterly ecstatic about their sudden predicament.

His enthusiasm turned out to be contagious. His crew grinned, their excitement almost tangible in the air, and shouted, "Aye, aye, Captain!" as they all sprang into action.

It was late morning on the fourth day when Luffy, who was sitting in his usual spot on Merry's figurehead, finally spied a shadow of land in the far distance. "It's an island!" he hollered, his loud voice reaching even Vivi down in the girls' room.

Footsteps resounded across the ship as everyone dropped what they were doing and gathered at the front. As they were still in the open sea, the weather continued to be pleasant, but they could already feel the rise in temperature and humidity permeating the air the closer they drew to the unknown island.

Nami lined the Log Pose with her eyes. "There's no doubt about this. That island is our next destination," she stated with a satisfied nod.

"Our second island on the Grand Line!" Luffy fist-pumped the air before his eyes closed in bliss, a grin stretching beyond the capabilities of a normal human. "I'm so excited!"

"Oh, Vivi." Nami looked at the princess, coming out of the storage room and moving to stand beside her. "Do you know anything about this island?"

All the others turned toward her to listen, except the captain. Luffy couldn't care less about what anyone knew about this place. He could already smell the adventure! He sniffed the air. For some reason, it smelled a little bit like rotten eggs. Well, who cared?

"Not much, I'm afraid," Vivi said, squinting at the approaching island. "If I recall correctly, its name is Little Garden, and it's supposedly dangerous, but I don't know in what way."

Sanji took a drag of his cigarette. "Little Garden, huh?"

"D-dangerous?" Usopp stammered out. "Are there any m-monsters there?"

"It's an island on the Grand Line, Usopp," Zoro said as he coolly observed the never seen landscape. "Anything can happen. Be prepared."

Usopp grabbed at his chest. "Ah, guys, listen…" He swayed on his feet dramatically. "I think my we-can't-dock-at-this-island disease is acting up again." Unfortunately, no one paid his misery any mind.

As they sailed closer, they could see more and more details about the island. It had two huge light grey mountains, overgrown with greenery, and several smaller ones, brown and with strangely flat peaks.

Sabo leaned forward, tugging his hat slightly down to ward off the worst of the sunlight as he squinted at those brown mountains. "Aren't those volcanoes?" Just as he said that, one of them spat out a huge cloud of ash. "Active volcanoes," he added. "…I don't think this is an inhabited island. Seems a bit too dangerous for people to live around live volcanoes."

"What?!" Vivi cried out, blood draining out of her face. "But, but…" This was her only hope of finding help for Igaram. If the island was uninhabited, there was no guarantee that the pirates would agree to take them to the next one. And even if they did, Igaram might not survive till then.

"It doesn't mean that no people are living there at all!" Sabo hurried to backtrack on what he had blurted out previously. "I just doubt we'll find a big settlement with such a hazard in a neighborhood."

"Don't worry, Vivi-chan! I'll find a doctor for you even if I have to run around an entire island!" Sanji proclaimed.

Vivi nodded, but she also bit her lower lip, her shoulders pulled up, and she nervously rubbed her forearm as if trying to stave off the non-existent chill. While her gaze stayed on the island, she didn't seem to be really focusing on it anymore.

Everyone could see that these attempts at reassurance failed to put her anxiety at ease.

Even Luffy glanced over his shoulder. It might have been the first time he intentionally looked directly at the princess, and even if it was short, it was more than the passing glances she'd gotten until now.

Regardless of the uneasy atmosphere, Going Merry sailed forward, and eventually, Nami directed them into the inlet, which turned out to be a river leading deeper into the land.

Giant trees lined the shore on both sides, with lush plants and overgrown grass tucked between them. Canopies intertwined and created a leafy roof high above the highest point of Merry's main mast, letting sunlight spill through them in myriads of tiny brilliant beams. The air carried a rich scent of plants in different stages of blooming and growth, as well as a visceral smell of decay and rotting plant material. The sounds of various birds, beasts, and insects were a constant cacophony around the little caravel and her passengers.

"Who thought that Little Garden was a fitting name for this place?" Sanji grumbled. "There's nothing little about it."

"It doesn't look nearly as cute as its name…" Nami agreed.

Usopp backpedaled from the railing. "I-i-isn't this just an untamed jungle?!" A bone-chilling screech from a weird, never-before-seen bird flying overhead sent him and Carue skittering to hide behind Zoro.

"Go away, Usopp! Duck!"

"Noooo!"

"Quaaaack!"

Meanwhile, two brothers were silently staring in the same direction.

"Do you sense it, Luffy?"

Luffy hummed an affirmative at Sabo's inquiry. "A strong one," he murmured. After a moment, his eyebrows drew together in concentration. "Two of them."

"Huh? Sense what?" Zoro asked as he continued to push the clingy Usopp away.

Luffy opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a fierce roar nearby. A giant tiger staggered out from the jungle, eyes wild and teeth bared… and then it collapsed, blood splashing in all directions.

"What?! What happened to it?!" Nami shrieked in panic. "T-this is not normal! How can a tiger, King of a Jungle, collapse in its own blood?!"

Usopp nodded, sweat dripping from his face. "L-let's just quietly wait on a ship until the Log Pose sets and—"

He got interrupted by Luffy's loud and exuberant laughter that frightened a flock of colorful birds out of the trees. "This reminds me of home!" he exclaimed as he slid down from Merry's figurehead.

His crew, the princess, and the duck gawked as if he completely lost his marbles, clearly showing what they thought about the comparison between this wild jungle in the Grand Line and his home back in the East Blue.

Luffy ignored them all and instead grinned at his brother.

"You're right," Sabo smiled back, his expression tinged with nostalgia. "We should go out to explore."

"Shishishishi… Sanji! Prepare two pirate lunchboxes!"

The cook blinked at him. "Pirate lunchboxes?"

Sabo turned to Sanji and inquired, "Are we low on provisions?"

"Well, no. We resupplied on Whiskey Peak, so we're good."

"In that case, Luffy and I will scout the island and see if we can find any sign of civilization," Sabo said. Luffy was bouncing up and down next to him, eager to go. "To avoid having any delays by missing each other, I suggest the rest of you stay on the ship until we're back. It shouldn't take longer than a couple of hours."

Usopp's arm shot up. "Sounds like a good plan!"

Nami joined him. "Agreed!"

Carue also lifted his wing to show his support for this decision. "Quack!"

Vivi simply nodded. Zoro didn't say anything either. He lay down and promptly fell asleep.

"Sanji! A lunchbox! A lunchbox!"

"Alright, alright," the cook sighed, smirking in amusement at his captain's overflowing energy. "Just hang on a moment, I'll be quick."

Sabo watched Luffy running around, pointing out various colorful flowers, weird-looking fruits, and even weirder-looking insects with childish glee.

"Whoaaa, look, Sabo!" Luffy exclaimed, pointing at something growing inside a hollow trunk of a fallen tree. "This flower looks like Dadan!"

Sabo raised an eyebrow, stunned for just a moment. A flower looking like Dadan? He definitely had to see this one. Walking to his brother, he poked his head around the corner of the trunk to look at the flower.

And he couldn't hold his laughter in. It was some type of orchid with orange petals at the top and one big lower petal of lighter color with an uncannily similar pattern to a human's face.

"It sure does look like Dadan!"

"Right?!" Luffy beamed. "This place is awesome!" Something new caught his ever-changing focus, and the boy zipped off to investigate it. "What's this?!"

Sabo felt a tiny prick at the back of his neck, and he instinctively slapped a hand over it, then made a face at the remains of a squashed bug stuck on his glove. He brushed his other hand across his neck to make sure there wasn't anything gross left on there.

Sabo glanced at his brother when he heard a splash of water. Luffy was standing in the shallow pond and tried to fish something out.

"Look, Sabo! A shell squid!" the boy exclaimed as he straightened up with something big and round in his hand.

"Oh?" Sabo wiped his hand on a big leaf as he passed it, more interested in inspecting the wriggling tentacle creature in a shell that Luffy had found. "Isn't this an ammonite?"

"It's a shell squid!" Luffy cheered. "You think we can eat—" He never finished his question. His excitement was obviously getting the better of him because his focus switched yet again in a blink of an eye. "Whoaaaaa!" He dropped the ammonite and jumped out of the pond where he found it, finger pointing somewhere up as he cried out, "A Sea King on land!"

"Hm?" Sabo craned his neck up, holding his hat so it wouldn't fall.

There was a gap in the tree roof above the pond, and they could see the sky. But that wasn't what made Sabo gape. A colossal creature grazed on the leaves from the tree tops. From their spot, the two brothers could only see its long, thick neck with a relatively small head at the end.

"That's… a dinosaur."

"A dinosaur?!" Luffy asked. His grin was bright enough to rival the sun. "Like the one from that book you read me when we were little?"

"It's a different type from the one in the book, but yeah." A grin stretched across Sabo's face as a wild idea popped into his head. "It's so tall! I bet a view from the top of its head is amazing!"

"It'd be a perfect place to eat our lunch!" The corner of Luffy's mouth quirked up in a gesture of confidence. "Let's race and see who can reach the top first?"

"Race it is." Sabo pulled his hat down and fixed his gloves. "On three."

"One…" Luffy said, adjusting the straps of his backpack.

"Two…" Sabo shifted into the better starting position.

"Three…!" they chorused and took off.

Vivi returned to the deck after checking on Igaram again.

Sanji was missing, probably back in the kitchen, but the rest of the crew was still there. Zoro continued to sleep. A few feet away, Nami lounged in a sun chair and read a newspaper, most likely deeming a spot so close to the sleeping swordsman safe to let her guard down. Usopp and Carue crouched at the railing, holding onto it for dear life, as they peered at the jungle before them.

While Vivi was hesitating to join them or go back to Igaram, the galley's door above swung open.

"Anybody want some cold drinks?" Sanji asked, already making his way down the stairs. A second later, he spotted the princess and appeared before her in a blink of an eye with a tray balanced on his hand full of clear green drinks, ice cubes clinking inside the glasses. He swiped one glass off of it and extended it to Vivi. "I made this drink especially for you with all my immeasurable love, Vivi-chan~! Will you accept it?"

The drink he offered was one of the only two with a slice of orange, a cherry, and a couple of leaves of mint. The rest had none of these decorations. Vivi couldn't quite find the words to refuse it, so she took it with a grateful "Thank you."

Sanji danced away with a dopey smile before he twirled around with a heartfelt cry, "Nami-swaaaan~!" and swooped in front of the navigator with the second decorated drink extended to her.

The man's exaggerated flourish didn't faze Nami in the slightest. "Thank you, Sanji-kun," she said as she accepted the drink.

The cook put the tray down, allowing Zoro and Usopp to take their drinks. As Usopp was teaching Carue how to drink through the straw, Vivi finally crossed the main deck and climbed up to join the pirates at the front. She leaned against the railing, staring down at her untouched drink as she listened to the joyful commotion. When the laughter at Carue's clumsiness died out, the princess felt she had gathered enough courage to ask what was on her mind. With the captain out, she saw this as an opportunity to understand these people better.

"Why did you all join a pirate crew?"

Four pirates blinked at her, not expecting such a question. After a moment, Zoro scoffed, closed his eyes, and continued to sip his drink. His demeanor projected that he wouldn't be participating in this conversation.

Others didn't seem opposed to some chitchat with the princess.

Usopp scratched his head. "Why do you want to know?"

Vivi fumbled with her glass under the inquisitive gazes. "You're not what I imagined a pirate crew to be, so I'm curious." She paused before quickly placating, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to!"

"To be clear," Nami said, "neither of us joined just any pirate crew. We joined Luffy's pirate crew."

"Is… there any difference?"

"Of course, there is!" Nami exploded. "There's no way I'd become a pirate if Luffy wasn't my captain!"

"Same here," Sanji agreed.

"Yep," Usopp chimed in. "Though eventually I'd have set sail on my own and made a name for myself!"

Zoro didn't say anything, but by the lack of objections, it must have been the same for him.

"I'm sorry, I…" Vivi's hold on her glass tightened to the point where just a bit more strength and it would have shattered.

Pirates were cruel. The strongest among them would always be a captain, making others submit to their will. Sometimes even forcing others to work for them against their will. Pirate crews didn't care much for their own crewmates, throwing their friends to the wolves at the first sign of danger they couldn't overcome.

Vivi had worked as a bounty hunter. She had witnessed the pirates betraying and backstabbing each other all the time.

And yet, here she was. On a pirate ship with a pirate crew that was the exact opposite of what she knew. They cared. Cared so much about each other. Vivi had a hard time believing or even understanding any of it.

"I simply don't understand," was all she said aloud.

Nami sighed, folding the newspaper to put it aside. "It's not surprising when Luffy isn't that friendly with you. He's usually not like that."

"Luffy has his reasons," Sanji noted, flicking the ash from his cigarette over the ship's side. "It's nothing personal against you, Vivi-chan."

I hate her kind.

Vivi wasn't quite sure about that. The captain most likely had some bad run-ins with royals or nobles. "Did he, perhaps, have a bad history with royals?"

"He's—"

"Cook." Zoro's sharp voice cut in like a knife, his silver eyes cold and glinting with a warning.

"I wasn't!" Sanji snapped in defense.

Zoro huffed, apparently content with the blond's response, even if Vivi couldn't quite catch what kind of response it was. "Luffy went through some shit and now doesn't trust people easily," the swordsman said. There was a finality to his words that marked an end to this topic. "That's all you need to know."

Vivi pursed her lips, but her annoyance was short-lived. She stored what she learned in the back of her mind for now and decided to ask them again, "Then, why did you all join Luffy-san's crew?"

"We all have dreams that can be realized only at the end of this journey," Usopp said with a shrug. As if he wasted time stating such an obvious thing. "Luffy has his own dream. And he needed nakama to help him achieve it. So here we are."

Vivi looked appalled. Didn't it mean that—"He forced you to join him?!" Sudden fury spread like fire in her veins. What did she expect? Why did she think that Luffy might actually be different? In the end, he was just like any pir—

Usopp's steely, "That's not what I said," interrupted her quickly spiraling thoughts. "He invited us, and we agreed."

"Luffy would never force anyone to join him," Nami murmured, her hand drifting over her shoulder tattoo. A fond smile warmed its way onto her face. "He'd never deny someone's freedom by forcing them under his mark against their will."

"He can be obnoxiously insistent, but Nami-san is right. He'd never force his will onto someone in such a way," Sanji also assented. "Sometimes it can almost seem like he knows what you want—or need—more than you yourself do."

"Ah, that's true. Especially considering how you've ended up joining us, Sanji," Usopp teased with a good-natured grin.

Zoro didn't miss this golden opportunity to cough "Crybaby," into his fist.

"Shut it, marimo!"

"Dartbrow!"

"Algae for brains!"

"Burnt toast for a face!"

Nami pinched the bridge of her nose as Zoro and Sanji started insulting each other. Ignoring them, she stood up from the sun chair and walked to lean against the railing next to the princess, who seemed to have fallen into deep thought.

"Eight years ago, my village was taken over by a pirate crew," Nami started. "They killed my mother in front of my eyes and, after learning of my map drawing skills, forced me to work for them." She squeezed her shoulder. "They even tattooed their Jolly Roger on me…"

Nami wasn't quite sure why she wanted to tell Vivi her story. Maybe because of Miss All Sunday's words about the princess's attempt to save her country by herself… It sounded so intimately familiar; her heart ached.

Vivi now stared at her with wide eyes, horror etched across her features.

"But then, I met Luffy, and he saved me and eventually my village. I could finally get rid of that tattoo I hated so much and got the one I wanted instead." Nami's expression was soft and heartwarming as she said that. She kept playing with a straw, pushing melting ice cubes around, and they clinked against the glass now and then. "We all have our own dreams, but it's not the only reason we're here. Luffy's…" She trailed off briefly, and her smile grew as she found the right words.

"He's like a sun," she breathed out, her tone tilting as if in awe. "The moment you get to know what it means to be under his protection and how it feels to be called nakama by him, it's like leaving the darkness where you had lived until then and learning how warm and bright the sun is for the first time. That's why I'm here. That's why we're all here." She flashed a grin at the princess, a grin reflecting a vast array of happy emotions. "We just can't get enough of that feeling!"

Vivi continued to stare at her before casting her gaze on the other pirates in the middle of heated bickering. She didn't understand. Couldn't. Wouldn't be able to, no matter what. She wasn't a pirate, after all. Even if she was, the Straw Hats didn't fit the usual image of pirates. Besides, the captain would never accept her into his circle of nakama. "You're not like any pirates I'd ever seen or heard," she uttered.

"Of course not! We're the crew of the future Pirate King," Nami declared with pride. "The only one in the entire world!"

-Fishman Island-

"…and that's how I was able to come back," Hachi finished his story. He wrung all three pairs of his hands, stealing unsure glances at the person before him—Jinbe, his former captain and the current Warlord of the Sea.

They were sitting at the table on the upper floor terrace of the teahouse, Jinbe having led them there to catch up when Hachi unexpectedly showed up on his doorstep. With no customers present at this early morning hour, they could talk freely without fear of eavesdropping. And so Hachi told his old captain everything: from what they did after leaving to how they were defeated and how he returned.

The Warlord listened in utter silence, never interrupting. And as Hachi finished, Jinbe put his arm on the table and leaned his head against it with a deep, tired sigh.

Hachi fidgeted, playing with his thumbs. He knew that they screwed up, and badly. While he got lucky, the others paid the price for their deeds. Hachi himself was guilt-ridden all the way back home, but there was nothing he could do to change what he had done. He knew that, yet his stomach knotted itself at hearing that disappointed sigh from a man he greatly respected.

"I never got a hint of what Arlong's gang was up to. I thought he calmed down after some time and didn't do anything drastic. But you just bribed the Marines," Jinbe said, his voice a quiet and weary rumble. "Why would you do that? Why would Arlong—" Abruptly, he straightened up with a shake of his head. "No, I should have realized Arlong would have never let his hatred go. Should have known that him being this quiet was unnatural."

"Nyuu… Don't blame yourself, Jinbe-san."

Jinbe didn't respond. For some time, he gazed at the city scenery outside the terrace, people walking along the streets and children squealing as they raced each other.

"So, Arlong's dead now?" he finally asked.

"Yeah…" Hachi replied. "But the things we did to those humans… We could never atone for that, even with our deaths."

"You said it was a human pirate?"

"Yeah, but, Jinbe-san!" Hachi exclaimed, sounding panicked. "That human was only protecting his nakama! Arlong would have never let her leave! If they hadn't stopped him, he would have hurt her even more than we already did!"

"You misunderstood, Hachi," Jinbe placated. "I'm not resentful toward the human who stopped Arlong's reign of terror, I feel grateful. Fishman or not, one should pay the price for such heinous actions, and, in Arlong's case, the price ended up being his life."

Hachi relaxed, slumping in his seat. That had scared him. "It was a young human pirate by the name of Luffy." He paused, furrowing his brow. "He said that he met Tooki and that Tooki sacrificed his life for him about seven years ago."

"Tooki? Sacrificed his life for that human?" Jinbe asked in a sudden urgency. "Are you sure?"

"I don't think he lied," Hachi said, tilting his head to the side. Now that he thought about it, he truly believed that Luffy told him the truth. How weird. "He knew so much about the Sun Pirates and even Boss Ti."

Jinbe stared at him, his mouth slightly open from disbelief.

Hachi didn't notice, thinking back on the friendly human pirates. "I promised them as much takoyaki as they could eat once they come to Fishman Island." He rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. A pleased smile spread across his face at the fact that even Nami didn't outright refuse his offer. "Nyuu~ Luffy and his crew should have already made it into the Grand Line by now."

Jinbe leaned against his seat. "I see," he muttered, his tone thoughtful. "A young human who Tooki sacrificed his life for."

Before Hachi could say anything else, a couple of voices came from the street below.

"Hatchin!"

"Hachi!"

Both men looked down to see a mermaid and a starfish waving at them.

"Camie! Pappag!" Hachi called back happily. "Ah, Jinbe-san," he turned to the Warlord, "I need to go! Need to make my takoyaki stand the best before Luffy, Nami, and the rest come here!"

Jinbe couldn't help a short laugh at his enthusiasm. "Go ahead, Hachi." He waved him off. "I'm glad you came back safe."

Hachi waved him back and was about to leave, then he suddenly stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot, nyuu," he said. "Luffy said that he has a message for you from Tooki and will want to meet you." With the last goodbye, he darted out through the door and soon appeared on the street, greeted by his two new friends.

Jinbe watched them go, not in a hurry to leave the teahouse. He called the waiter and ordered some more green tea for himself.

Tooki always was a free spirit. If not for the tragic incident during his childhood that cost him his entire family and sowed a seed of hatred toward humans, he would have most likely followed in Fisher Tiger's steps and left Fishman Island as soon as he came into age. But staying on Fishman Island didn't stop him from nurturing his wild imagination to tell stories to anyone who listened. Soon people started calling him Tooki the Storyteller.

No one knew at that time what possessed Tooki to leave with Fisher Tiger when the latter left for his usual travels to the upper world. All they knew was that he appeared again only after Fisher Tiger's attack on Mary Geoise among the other rescued slaves.

Tooki returned different, yet the same. He was still a carefree and happy person, laughing more often than not. At the same time, his hatred toward humans only grew deeper, and his brutality against them made even the Sun Pirates shudder. Despite that, he firmly refused to hurt a human child and even went as far as to protect them from a few of his crewmates who had no qualms about doing it.

But that wasn't the only weirdness about Tooki. The man had an extraordinary, almost unnaturally good sixth sense. So good that it saved the crew more times than they could count. No one knew much about it. Jinbe and Fisher Tiger both agreed that Tooki's intuition was similar to Madam Shyarly's future predictions, but even they never got a direct explanation from the man himself. Tooki simply brushed it off with a laugh about weird vibes and feelings he got sometimes that somehow turned out to be true.

A waiter with his tea order awoken Jinbe from reminiscence about his old friend. Sipping on it, he fell back into his thoughts.

When the news about Tooki's recapture by the Celestial Dragons finally came, it crushed Jinbe. Because it came too late. His friend was already dead. The only information he could piece together from hearsay was that a young human slave killed him during a death match—a new entertainment the World Nobles created after Mary Geoise's attack.

Jinbe couldn't do anything about the emptiness his death left behind inside his heart. Tooki was dead, and he mourned his friend. But now Hachi came back with unheard news about the man.

A young human for whom Tooki sacrificed his life and to whom he entrusted his final message.

And a young human slave who had no other choice but to kill him to survive.

Could it be the same person? All signs pointed that it was.

Jinbe put down an empty cup, dropped money on the table, and left the teahouse.

He had to find that human pirate. So many reasons to meet with him too. Apology for what Arlong and his gang did. Gratitude for the people who stopped them. Tooki's message for him. And finally…

If this pirate Luffy was the same slave boy, Jinbe wanted to see just what kind of person he was with his own eyes. To see what kind of human his dear friend sacrificed his life for.

A wooden box back at his house with the iron brand of the sun came to his mind. The mark of the Sun Pirates and the symbol of freedom.

Maybe, if Luffy turned out to be a man worthy of respect, Jinbe could offer the brand to him—to lift the curse of the Nobles and, at the same time, to cement a friendship between the two of them.

With that decision made, Jinbe went to check the recent bounty posters. The pirate that defeated Arlong was bound to get one at this point, and it would help to pinpoint his approximate location on the Grand Line.

It seemed that he was going on a trip to Paradise.

Next Chapter: Giant Hearts

Chapter Text

Sabo heaved himself one last time, finally stepping on top of the dinosaur's head. When he looked up, he got treated with a blinding, smug grin. His eyebrow twitched. Not that it was hard to scale the dinosaur—it took him barely a couple of minutes—but Luffy did it in mere seconds!

Jumping to his feet, Sabo caught his little brother in a headlock and ruffled his hair, eliciting a surprised yelp. "Your Devil Fruit's a cheat," he grumbled.

"S-Sabo!" Luffy spluttered and then, with a twist, slipped from his brother's grasp. Shooting the latter an indignant glare, he fixed his straw hat.

"I still remember when you used to punch yourself. It was always a sight to see!"

Luffy stuck his tongue out at him, and Sabo laughed.

The dinosaur suddenly moved its head down, reaching for treetops. The two brothers wobbled, but couldn't keep their balance and fell onto their butts. Gathering a full mouth of leaves in the next few minutes, the dinosaur straightened its neck again and began to chew on its food.

"Hmm, I wonder if it's really safe to stay here for long," Sabo mused out loud, not in a hurry to stand up just yet in case the dinosaur moved again.

On the contrary, Luffy seemed entirely at ease. "She doesn't seem to mind," he said then, petting the dinosaur below him with a small smile. "As long as we don't hurt or disturb her while she eats."

Sabo trusted Luffy's instincts and Observation Haki, which he had already judged was way above his own abilities. Shifting in his sitting position, he crossed his legs and made himself more comfortable before finally casting his eyes on their surroundings.

The island was bigger than Sabo had initially thought. More long-necked dinosaurs were wandering around, their bodies hidden below the trees. Two white cavernous mountains on both sides dwarfed everything else in this mostly dense jungle-covered land. Multiple volcanoes dotted the landscape in the distance, with a lake shimmering at their base. Everything was framed by the brilliant blue sky with white clouds floating by.

"Wow," Sabo breathed. "I was right. The view from here is breathtaking."

"Shishishishi," Luffy chuckled, swinging his backpack in front of him to rummage through. After a moment, he pulled the lunchboxes. "Here, Sabo."

"Oh, thanks." The blond gratefully received the lunchbox. Sweeping his gaze across the island, he frowned. "I can't see any signs of civilization."

"Me neither," Luffy slurred around a mouthful of meat from his own lunchbox.

For some time, neither spoke again, eating their food in comfortable silence. When the food in Luffy's box was almost gone, Sabo decided it was a good time to talk. "Luffy?"

Luffy let out an incomprehensible noise to indicate that he was listening.

"You said you want to see more of a princess who can bow her head to save someone else," Sabo paused, glancing at his brother to gauge his reaction. Luffy frowned but didn't tell him to stop. "But you're not even trying to give Vivi a chance."

"I do," Luffy muttered, his frown morphing into a scowl.

Sabo felt like a jerk. But they needed to talk about this, so he pushed.

"You purposefully leave the room if she happens to come in. You skipped dinner because that one time Vivi came to eat with us. You never talked with her. Heck, you never even looked at her."

Absentmindedly, Luffy nibbled on a piece of carrot that Sanji snuck into his lunchbox and, for a long moment, stared into the distance, saying nothing

Sabo sighed as he realized Luffy most likely wanted to avoid discussing the princess. His heart stung a little at the thought that his baby brother didn't trust him enough to open up, but he smothered it up. "Luffy, I just—"

Luffy dropped the carrot back into the lunchbox and put it to the side despite it not being completely empty. "There was… her. His daughter."

His voice held an unfamiliar edge that brought goosebumps across Sabo's arms.

"She really liked to be called 'princess'. Forced us to call her that. In any way she could think of." Luffy's lips pulled up into a sneer. "I didn't like how it made her happy, so I refused. Over and over again. Never gave in."

The hatred vanished, and his expression twisted. His mouth cracked open in a wry smile that seemed more weary than anything else, yet his eyes glimmered with sadness.

"I guess I was lucky that I was one of her daddy's favorites. It didn't feel that way back then."

Words failed Sabo when he saw that hollow look on Luffy's face. His mind could barely process the meaning of what he just heard. Refusing the Celestial Dragon might as well be a death sentence. What kind of price had his little brother paid not to be killed every time he refused? He dreaded to even think about it.

Sabo instinctively reached out to soothe and comfort, but just as he was about to touch Luffy, he snatched his hand away. The boy never noticed. All this time, his eyes stayed on the faraway horizon.

This place was perfect to talk about it, Sabo thought. An open space with nothing but sky stretching in all directions. No walls or roofs and no feeling of being caged. No better place for such a topic.

"I—" Sabo gritted his teeth. He knew he might be setting himself up for rejection, but he wanted to help his brother. Luffy's current attitude wasn't good for anyone. Not for him, not for his crew, and not for different kinds of people he might meet in the future.

"I was also born a noble," he blurted out before he could change his mind.

Luffy's head whipped around to peer at Sabo through narrowed eyes. "But you ran away," he said sternly, turning back to glower in the distance. "And besides, you're my brother."

The corner of the blond's lips curled up at Luffy's familiar 'are-you-an-idiot?' tone. He shelved the warmth that acceptance brought deep inside his chest before continuing.

"What if… I wasn't your brother?" he continued. "What if I never could run away from home, and so I'd never met Ace, and we never became friends? Never met you, and we never exchanged cups of brotherhood?"

Luffy was staring at him again, brow furrowed and lips thinned. He looked slightly angry now. Sabo pushed forward regardless.

"And then, we met right at this moment anyway?" He let that question hang between them for a few moments. "I don't know what kind of person I'd be if I hadn't become brothers with—"

"A good one," Luffy interrupted sharply and with finality. It made Sabo's heart hurt, but in a good way this time.

"But I'd still be a noble. I still am a noble, no matter how that fact makes me sick. And you wouldn't like me purely because of that," Sabo stated. He paused to let it sink before cautiously proceeding, "Perhaps Vivi isn't a noble like those you know."

Luffy's tight expression twitched at the mention of those nobles. He had a deathly grip on his emotions, so that was his only outward reaction. After a moment, the tension of his shoulders bled out, and he whispered, "She isn't."

"She might not be a bad person either."

"Maybe," Luffy allowed. Then his attention shifted again to something in the distance. "The strong one is coming."

And that marked the end of this conversation. Sabo wasn't disappointed. Luffy opened up about his past, even if just as little as he felt safe, and he accepted Sabo's attempt to help him sort out his bottled-up emotions.

Looking to where his little brother indicated someone approaching, Sabo saw a giant human figure approaching them. His eyes widened. Before he could say anything, multiple roars shook the air, the head they were sitting on jerked, and they found themselves soaring through the sky.

Sabo grabbed his hat that was about to fly off and glanced down at the vast jungle below. They were pretty high up. The landing would be rough.

Luffy's rubbery arm latched to Sabo's overcoat. The boy pulled himself to him and tackled him in a hug koala-style, cackling like a madman.

And then an enormous palm appeared right below them. With Luffy still wrapped around him and giggling into his chest, Sabo stuck the landing. "Whoa," he breathed out as he wobbled before finding his balance yet again. The hand wasn't quite as hard as the ground after all.

"Gegyagyagyagya!"

Sabo and Luffy blinked at the giant bearded face grinning down at them.

"Aren't you two courageous little humans!" the giant boomed. "Picnicking atop a longneck's head!"

"It had a great view!" Luffy replied cheerfully, jumping to stand on his own feet. "But you scared the dinosaurs away, and we were thrown off!" he complained, though he never stopped grinning.

"I see! I interrupted you!"

"Yeah, you did! You better apologize!"

"Gegyagyagyagya! My apologies!"

"Shishishishi! That's okay!"

"I'm Elbaf's strongest warrior, Dorry!"

"I'm the one who will become the Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy!"

They both laughed again.

Sabo watched the exchange in amusement. How come these two immediately hit it off with each other?

"Ah." Luffy paused, remembering something. He pointed at Sabo. "This is my brother, Sabo!"

Sabo smiled. "Nice to meet you, Dorry-san."

"Gegyagyagyagya! What a joyous occasion! I haven't had guests in years," Dorry said with a wide grin. "Let me invite you two to my place! We have to celebrate!"

"I'd love to!" Luffy shot back instantly, but then his expression turned more serious. "But I can't. We have an injured person onboard our ship and need to find a doctor."

Dorry's lips twitched down in a concerned frown. "That's a problem, indeed, because there are no humans and so no doctors on this island."

"No humans at all?" Sabo asked.

"None. Just me and my friend, Brogy," the giant said. "Most humans who come here end up dying before their Log sets. Some are eaten by dinosaurs, some give in to heat or starvation, and others try to attack us…" He shook his head. "A single year on this island is just too much for you, little humans."

"A year?" Sabo repeated. After a moment, a surprise flitted across his features. "Does the Log take one full year to set here?"

"That's right," Dorry grinned. "So, let's get to know each other better!"

Sabo hummed in thought.

Luffy put his straw hat back on. "We can't stay here for a whole year! We're in a hurry! Not to mention, it'd be boring," he whined. "Can't you do anything about it, Big-ossan?"

"Gegyagyagyagya!" Dorry bellowed with laughter. "Even I can't do anything about the Log Pose. There's only one Eternal Pose on this island, and it points toward my home, Elbaf." His eyes glinted, and he had a challenging look as he asked, "You want to try your luck and steal it from us?"

Luffy dismissed it with an impassive, "Nah. We're not trying to go to Elbaf."

"Gegyagyagyagya! That's true!"

"Wait, Dorry-san," Sabo spoke, and the giant focused on him with a curious 'hm?' "You said most people who come here die before their Log sets, right?" When the giant nodded, Sabo wondered, "Maybe you know where we can find some of their remains?"

Luffy tilted his head in confusion. While he had no idea what Sabo had in mind, he trusted his brother to know what he was doing.

Dorry rubbed his bear, thinking for a few moments. "I see where you're going with this. That's smart and worth a try." His mouth once again stretched into a giant grin. "Actually, Brogy and I've been gathering some remains in our camps. Doesn't sit well with leaving those who fought valiantly before succumbing to their deaths in the jungle."

Sabo brightened up. "That's perfect! Can you please lead the way?"

"Sure, little human. Hop on," Dorry said, shifting his hand to his shoulder so that Sabo and Luffy could resettle there for the trip. Once they were on, he strode straight towards one of the cavernous mountains.

There was a loud snap somewhere in the jungle. A flock of screeching birds took off into the sky.

Zoro and Sanji froze amid insulting each other, and both turned toward the jungle with matching expressions of seriousness. The other three people and the duck were startled by their unexplained behavior.

There was a huge shadow looming beyond the tree line.

Zoro gripped the handle of his katana. Sanji shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"Guys, what are you—"

Usopp never finished his question because right then, a pair of giant hands clasped the closest trees and parted them. Bent beyond their limits, the thick trunks cracked and broke, revealing a row of teeth. Giant teeth.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Nami and Usopp screamed in unison, accompanied by a loud thump when Carue fell over, foaming from his mouth.

"Th-that's a giant!" Vivi stuttered out.

"A giant?!" the pirates repeated in unison.

It was indeed a giant man with a neatly trimmed beard framing his toothy grin. "I have a question, little humans," he boomed, peering at them from high above.

Eyes narrowed, Zoro flicked his katana out.

Sanji ground his cigarette with his teeth in a nervous gesture. "Yeah?" he asked, bending his knees and ready to jump into action any second.

The giant's grin stretched even wider. "Do you have any beer?"

Nami and Usopp sniffled, unable to squeeze a single word out. Vivi gaped at the giant, frozen in spot. Zoro's shoulders relaxed a little, and he clicked his sword back into the sheath.

Sanji also straightened up, letting the tension seep out, and replied, "We do."

"Oh! So you've got some!" the giant exclaimed, features lighting up in anticipation. "How fortunate!"

"Who are you?" Zoro demanded.

"I'm Elbaf's strongest warrior, Brogy!"

"Elbaf?" Sanji asked. "Is that an island?"

"Gababababababa!" Brogy roared in laughter. "Elbaf is—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" As the giant screamed, Nami and Usopp screamed as well.

Brogy looked over his shoulder. There was a big, lizard-like creature biting his rear.

"Is that a dinosaur?!" Vivi yelled in shock. "This must be a prehistoric island!"

"The Grand Line is truly weird," Sanji commented casually. "First giants and now dinosaurs."

The rotund giant in front of them gripped the axe hanging at his side, turned, and beheaded the bold predator with one swing.

"Oho," Zoro said in appreciation. A lopsided grin was a clear indication of just how much he would have enjoyed pitting himself against this giant warrior.

Brogy picked up the dinosaur's head, still dripping blood, hefted his axe on his shoulder, and turned back to the humans with his usual grin. "I got some meat now to go with your beer," he said. "I welcome you all as my guests! Let's have a feast! Gababababababa!"

"We're grateful for the invitation," Sanji started politely, "but—"

Ahead of the ship, a tree toppled over and fell into the river. The Straw Hats stared, unblinking, as the second giant stepped out of the jungle.

"Oi! Oiiiiii! Guys! We're back!"

They squinted at the tiny figure waving his arms on top of the new giant's helmet. And then those arms suddenly stretched forward and latched onto Merry's railing.

His crew had a bad feeling about it. "Oi, Luffy! Don—"

With laughter trailing after him, Luffy shot toward the ship at the speed of recoiling rubber. And when Zoro realized that he was standing in his captain's trajectory, it was already too late to avoid the collision. His arms instinctively rose to catch the idiot, but it neither stopped nor lessened the impact. They flew across the deck, crashed into the railing, flipped over it, and splashed into the river.

The other pirates sighed. Partially relieved because that wasn't them, and partially resigned because what else could they have expected from Luffy?

"Oh, Dorry!" Brogy cheered, grinning at the other giant. "Are you here for the beer as well?"

"Brogy!" the long-bearded giant greeted with a wide grin, strolling closer. "Little humans have some beer to share? That's great! It's been a while since we had any!

"Gababababababa! That's true!"

When Dorry reached the spot where Going Merry dropped an anchor, he lowered his hand toward it. Sabo jumped from his palm down to the ship. Ignoring the shocked stares, the blond spun around and waved at the giant. "Thank you, Dorry-san!"

"Gegyagyagyagya!"

Meanwhile, Zoro emerged from the river. "You damn idiot," he growled out, hauling himself and his still overexcited captain to the shore.

"Shishishishi," Luffy giggled before springing to his feet. "Second giant! So cool!" he cried out, limbs flailing and stars practically shooting out his eyes. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the one who will become the Pirate King! Nice to meetcha, Round-ossan!"

"Gababababababa! What a funny little human!"

"So, what about that beer?" Dorry questioned.

Luffy blinked in confusion. "Eh? Beer?"

"They," Brogy pointed at the people on the ship, "promised me some beer."

"Sure!" Luffy grinned. "Sanji, give them some!"

"Aye, Captain," the cook gave his affirmative, already walking toward the storage room. He beckoned the sniper to follow him. "Usopp, help me out."

Vivi sidled up to Sabo and inquired, "Did you find anything on the island?"

"I'm sorry, Vivi-san, but there are no humans here." Sabo offered a comforting smile. "We'll have to try our luck on the next island."

Dejected, the princess murmured, "I see…"

While Sanji and Usopp dragged four beer barrels out, Luffy and Zoro climbed back onto the ship.

"What?" Brogy asked the straw-hatted teen after the giants took two barrels each. "The guests won't stay for the feast?"

"Sorry, Round-ossan, but we're in a hurry to reach the next island!"

Brogy's jovial expression faltered. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah! We need to find a doctor as soon as possible. We have an injured person onboard," Luffy explained. He didn't notice Vivi looking at him with genuine surprise. "But I'm glad I had an opportunity to meet you both! Giants are awesome!"

"Gababababababa!"

"Gegyagyagyagya!"

"Shishishishi!"

"Wait, Luffy," Nami suddenly interrupted. "We can't leave just yet." Frowning, she pointed at the Log Pose attached to her wrist. "The Log hasn't set for the next island."

"That's obvious, Nami," Luffy said in a 'well, duh' tone that made the navigator want to punch him. "It takes a year for it to set. We can't wait here for so long."

A second ticked by.

"Whaaaat?! A year?!" Nami shrieked.

Dread landed in Vivi's stomach like a lead weight, and her legs gave out, face dropping into her palms. "Igaram won't survive that long… And who knows what would become of my country during this time… What should I do?" she muttered, voice layered with despair. "Do I really have to stay here for a full year?"

"Ah? Why? You still have something to do here?"

Vivi whipped her head up, meeting Luffy's black eyes. He was looking at her. Not just throwing a passing glance but looking at her without whatever ghosts constantly haunted him pulling at his attention. But she felt too defeated to care about that right now or get angry at his dismissive attitude. "No, b-but—!"

"Oh! Right!" Luffy shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled something out. "We found an intact Log Pose that had already set so we can sail off right away! Shishishishi!"

Nami grabbed his arm and pulled it closer to her face to inspect the Log Pose. "It is pointing to the next island," she finally announced. Narrowing her eyes at Luffy, she asked, "Where did you get it?"

Sabo chimed in, "As we were talking with Dorry-san, he mentioned that most people that come here die before their Log sets. I thought we might find one that has already recorded this island's magnetic field on their remains. And I was right."

"And so," Luffy tossed the Log Pose to Nami, receiving a glare and a huff for his careless action, "let's go to the next island and find us a doctor!"

Vivi lifted her trembling hand to cover her mouth. Her entire body shook as she tried and barely succeeded in keeping her sobs from spilling out, so relieved and so grateful that she didn't quite know how to voice any of it. "Thank you," she whispered, the only thing she managed to squeeze through unbidden tears falling faster than she could wipe them off. "Thank you…"

Nami crouched down. Her gentle hands coaxed the other girl into a hug, rubbing soothing circles onto her back.

Watching the princess try and gather herself in Nami's embrace, Luffy's expression smoothed into something much softer. But then he turned back to the giants who were observing in silence and grinned, all teeth. "So that's that! We'll be taking off now!" he said. "Thanks for everything, Big-ossan! Round-ossan!"

"Busy little humans, aren't you?" Brogy responded.

"It's a shame, but we won't force you to stay," Dorry agreed. "Maybe we'll meet again one day!"

"I'd like that!" Luffy called back.

Zoro pulled the anchor up. Usopp and Sanji unfurled the sails.

"Because you shared your beer with us, we should advise you not to follow this river to exit into the western sea," Dorry warned.

Brogy nodded in agreement. "You should go back through where you came in and take the longer route past the northern peninsula."

"But why?" Nami asked.

"The western sea is a monster's territory. Gegyagyagyagya!"

"Gababababababa! It should have grown quite a bit by now!"

"Alright!" Luffy waved at them. "Thanks for the warning!"

"Turn the ship around! Turn the ship around!" Usopp instructed, sweat dripping down his neck at the mere thought of an unknown monster lurking somewhere under the ocean's surface.

Sabo knitted his eyebrows in thought. "How are we supposed to turn the ship around in this narrow space?"

Everyone froze mid-action. Right. How were they supposed to do that?

Dorry stepped over the river to the other side with a booming laugh, then crouched down and reached to cup Merry's front with his palm. Brogy did the same with her end. With a heap, they lifted Going Merry into the air and swiftly flipped it around, carefully placing her back into the water.

A few seconds of awed silence passed as the pirates processed what happened. And then…

"WHOAAAAAAAA!" they all chorused.

"They lifted Merry up just like that!" Luffy yelled.

"And then turned her around!" Usopp continued.

Both fist-pumped the air and shouted, "GIANTS ARE AWESOME!"

"Gegyagyagyagya!"

"Gababababababa!"

The ground shook, and the hot, tropical air vibrated with a noise that left everyone's ears feeling like they just exploded.

While the humans were gathering their bearings after another shock in a growing chain, both giants straightened up and turned sharply toward the island's northern part. The sky in that direction that was blue just moments before was now filled with black smoke, billowing upward in growing plumes.

"It's the middle one," Brogy noted.

"Indeed," Dorry agreed.

Fingers curling around the handles of their weapons, the two giants looked at each other. Their usual grins were nowhere to be seen.

Still jumping around from sheer excitement, Luffy and Usopp froze when the mood changed at the drop of a hat.

Luffy sucked in a breath. "It's starting."

"Starting?" Usopp repeated. "What's starting?"

"The duel."

Usopp still couldn't understand. The others also had no clue of what was going on. The giants who were laughing together a few moments ago, now glared at each other as if they were enemies. The change was too sudden.

Sabo decided to shine some light on the current situation. "The giants in their village, Elbaf, have a tradition—those who have an argument and can't settle it alone ask for the judgment of their god. They believe that their god is just and will bestow divine protection on the righteous one," he recounted what Dorry told them earlier. "And so these two have been dueling on this island for the past century. The one on the right will triumph and survive under their god's blessing."

"Century… A hundred years?! Why?!" Vivi exclaimed in equal half of shock and horror. "Why would they waste a hundred years fighting? Do they hate each other? Aren't they friends?!" No one offered her any answers.

Going Merry was slowly making her way back to the sea.

"The beer our friends shared with us will taste especially great today once I win, Brogy!" Dorry declared, putting the booze barrels to the side so they wouldn't get damaged in their fight.

"Indeed! I can't wait to win and see how great the beer will taste in my victory, Dorry!" Brogy countered, doing the same.

Vivi ran to the railing and yelled as loud as she could, "You two can't possibly hate each other so much to actually try to kill each other for over a hundred years! Just what exactly is the reason for this fight?!"

Two identical grins stretched across the giant faces.

"The reason?" Brogy said, winding his axe.

"We forgot!" Dorry finished, brandishing his sword.

With a burst of merry laughter, they brought down their weapons with all their might. Blades clashed, the shockwave of that impact uprooted trees in the near vicinity and bent the ones further away almost to the ground. Misplaced by the force, the river's water rose into a wave chasing after Going Merry, who got blasted down the river by the gust of wind.

Even when the ship sailed far enough not to be affected by the giants' duel, everyone stayed at the back, watching the fight. Even after knocking each other down, Dorry and Brogy stood back on their feet and continued with their battle, their smiles not fading in the slightest.

"I-incredible…" Usopp stammered out. "One mistake, and it'd be a certain death!"

"And those two have been trying to kill each other like this for a hundred years?" Nami wondered, observing the duel skeptically.

"I don't understand," Vivi growled under her breath.

"Quack," Carue echoed her sentiments.

"I thought they were friends! But you can't fight someone for so long and not hate—"

Luffy's breathless, "They don't hate each other," interrupted the princess's rant.

"Then why?!" she rounded on him now. "What could possibly be a reason for them to continue fighting?!"

"Honor," Zoro said.

"Respect," Sabo added.

"Pride," Sanji chimed in.

"Free will," Luffy whispered.

"This is it," Usopp muttered. He couldn't tear his gaze from the two giants. "This is what it means to be the Brave Warrior of the Seas! I want to become a proud and honorable warrior like them one day!"

Luffy pressed his straw hat down on his head, a savage grin growing across his face. Echoes of emotions from the giants were still pulsing through his veins, making his heart race inside his chest. He lived through numerous battles and duels. He had seen a ridiculous number of them. But this was the first time that he felt this way.

These two were free! They fought because they wanted to. Raised their weapons because that was what their opponent expected of them and what they expected from their opponent. Not because they had been forced into this fight for someone's entertainment. Not even because it was an inevitable fight against an enemy.

"Ne, Usopp," Luffy called out. "We should visit Elbaf one day."

"Yeah!" the other teen all but jumped at the prospect. "Absolutely!"

Stewing in her helplessness, Vivi wasn't having any of it. "Do all those reasons make this all okay?!" she demanded. "What will happen when one of them kill the other?!"

"The victor will mourn his friend," Luffy replied.

"This makes no sense!"

"People die," the captain said, "but only the strong ones can choose how they die."

He sounded so calm, so uncannily peaceful, as if he had no qualms with the cruel fact he delivered. It made Vivi grit her teeth in frustrated anger. "Do those strong ones should also choose how the others die, too?!"

"Should? No. But this world isn't such a fair place. It never was and never will be." Luffy's expression hardened, and his lips twitched in a momentary snarl. "In such an unfair world, the weak don't get to choose how they live or die; the strong ones choose that for them." He pinned Vivi down with only his gaze, and there was more weight in it than she felt should be there.

"It doesn't mean the weak should roll over and give up. They should fight, survive, and live until the day comes when they become strong enough to have control over their lives. Or die trying. At least then, their death would be on their terms."

Instantly, a protest, a retort, a defense formed on the tip of Vivi's tongue, only to quiet into silence, interrupted only by the occasional jungle bird cry and softened by the wind rustling the leaves and water hitting Merry's hull. Luffy's words settled like dust on her body. Slow and light, almost imperceptible, but the more she thought of them, the heavier they felt against her being.

Luffy held her gaze for a moment longer before looking away. And the spell broke.

Vivi's eyes dropped down, a thoughtful frown etched across her features. The others kept stealing concerned glances toward her, but the captain had turned his back to her. Even if she was still looking at him, Vivi couldn't see what emotion lay hidden behind his eyes anymore. However, she knew that it was something fierce. Something unyielding.

They were far enough now that the giants were mere silhouettes against the jungle backdrop. Even at this distance, they could see them knocking each other over in a double knockdown, and soon, the wind carried fragments of their laughter.

Vivi straightened up, excused herself, and retreated into the girls' room to check on Igaram.

Nami sighed and clapped her hands together sharply, the noise reverberating around the ship. "We're about to sail back into the sea, so let's prepare, everyone!"

As one, the crew brightened up. With a chorus of ayes, they sprang into action.

"Ah! There they are! There they are!" Up in the crow's nest, Usopp chanted to himself in glee as his gaze swept the sea through the monocular. "The million giants of Elbaf welcoming me, the Great Warrior Usopp-sama!" He made a full circle and now was spying at Little Garden again. They hadn't sailed far from it yet, but with a favorable tailwind, the island was quickly shrinking into the distance. "I can already hear the songs they'd—hm?"

The ocean between them and the island was rising.

Usopp blinked once.

A huge fin stuck out from the water.

He blinked again.

Two gigantic eyes gleamed just below the surface.

The boy adjusted the lenses and squinted into the monocular.

The surface of the ocean broke, revealing a massive head.

The monocular slipped from Usopp's grip and hit his feet. "W-w-what the hell is that?!"

His panicked scream at the top of his lungs drew everyone's attention whenever they were up on the deck, like Luffy, Zoro, and Nami, or inside the galley, like Sanji and Sabo. Even Vivi had probably heard him down in the girls' room.

Luffy looked up and then turned towards where his sniper was gawking. His eyes widened. "A giant goldfish!" he squealed in utter joy, jumping off the figurehead and running to the back to see it better.

The others weren't far behind. The goldfish was far enough not to threaten them but still close enough to realize how monstrous it was.

"That's the western side of the island," Nami said. "If the giants wouldn't have warned us…" She shuddered at the thought.

Sabo chuckled. "We'd have been eaten again."

"I doubt there's an old man building gates and waterways inside that thing," Zoro muttered.

"We're also lucky to have our amazing Nami-san to guide us away from the island so fast~!" Sanji proclaimed, dancing around with smoke from his cigarette forming hearts.

The goldfish started sinking back into the ocean and didn't seem inclined to chase them. Usopp sighed heavily and leaned to pick up his monocular. He glanced down at the sound of a door opening to see Vivi reemerging onto the deck. Then, something in the open sea caught his attention, and he lifted the monocular to investigate. "A ship off the starboard bow!" he announced.

"Marines?" Luffy asked just as Nami inquired, "Pirates?"

While Usopp was adjusting the lenses, everyone gathered at the center to hear him. The monocular almost slipped from his hands a second time as the writing on the unknown ship's sails came into focus. "It's Baroque Works!"

Vivi paled. "B-Baroque Works?!"

Luffy pulled himself onto the galley and squinted at the distant ship. "Are they coming to us?" he asked his sniper.

There was a moment of tense silence until Usopp reported, "They were, but now they're turning around."

"Reconnaissance team," Sabo stated. His hand scratched at the back of his neck, face scrunched up in displeasure.

Zoro eyed him wearily. "You okay?"

"Just a bug bite," Sabo replied with a small smile. He tugged his overcoat up. "Baroque Works should have gotten the news from Whiskey Peak by now, so they must have sent a team, or multiple teams, to investigate. Miss All Sunday had seen us protecting Vivi-san and most likely assumed that we'll be picking her up." He hummed in thought. "Even if they hadn't spotted her right now, they'll still be rushing back to report our whereabouts to their boss."

Sanji tsked, angrily flicking the butt of his cigarette into the sea. "Should we try to catch up to them?"

Nami shook her head. "No point. They're too far, and the wind isn't blowing that way." She scowled. "Besides, we don't have time for that."

"Do we have to do anything, Nami? Or can we sail like this for a while?" Zoro asked suddenly.

Nami instinctively glanced down at the Log Pose from Little Garden she had previously attached to her wrist instead of her old one. "Wind seems steady, and we can continue along the current we're riding," she answered. "Why?"

"Isn't it about time we heard her story?" the swordsman pointed out, motioning toward the princess. He pulled his three katanas from his side and into his arms as he moved to sit down on the stairs.

"That's true," Sabo concurred, leaning against the ship's side. "We're already involved, want it or not, but we still know nothing."

"He's right," Nami agreed with a sigh.

With a quiet, "I'll make some tea," Sanji ducked into the galley, leaving the door open to listen.

Vivi clasped her hands together, rubbing at her knuckles. After a moment, she glanced up at Luffy.

Luffy didn't say anything, though didn't object either. He perched on the edge of the galley's roof, throwing his arms back to lean on them. Then he finally spoke.

"So. Who's the boss?"

-somewhere else on the Grand Line-

Mr. Three lifted a cup of tea to his nose and inhaled the citrusy bergamot scent. Taking a sip, he almost moaned at the strong and rich taste. Earl Grey was the best among any teas.

After a few more sips, Mr. Three put the cup down. Staring at the sleeping Den Den Mushi in front of him, he tapped his fingers on the table, thinking of the report he received from Billions several minutes ago.

His target, the pirate crew that defeated the Mr. Five pair and decimated one of the Baroque Works bases, left the next island on their route, Little Garden, and were sailing forward with the missing princess of Alabasta on board. A plan to ambush them on that island was now meaningless.

"Mr. Three," a girl's voice called from outside the little cabin of Mr. Three's personal ship.

Mr. Three ignored his partner and took another sip of his tea, savoring the floral bitterness. His mind always worked better while drinking Earl Grey.

How did those pesky pirates avoid spending a full year on Little Garden? Did they simply lose their minds to despair and decide to take their chances at sailing off without the Log Pose?

"Mr. Three."

Little Garden was known as the place where no one had returned from. People went in but never came out. People with Log Poses of their own. Did the pirates find one of those lost Logs, already set, and use it to travel to the next location?

"Mr. Three," Miss Goldenweek called again. "There's a man standing on the sea."

Mr. Three's eyebrow twitched. "As if a man could stand on the sea!" he snapped before taking a deep breath. "No, no. I can't get distracted," he muttered, lifting his tea for another sip.

Then, pulling a map that was lying on the table closer, he peered at it. Whichever hypothesis was correct, their next destination would be Drum Island.

A corner of Mr. Three's lips quirked up. By the snowy weather outside, they were near Drum Island, and Mr. Zero had ensured he had Eternal Poses of all the islands on this route. It didn't matter where he prepared his ambush; he would teach those pirates what it meant to antagonize an underground criminal organization.

"Mr. Three," Miss Goldenweek once again called from outside. "Another man is eating our ship."

Mr. Three frowned. As if someone could eat—

"Ptui! This is disgusting!" an unfamiliar voice raged, full of contempt. "What is this ship made of? Wax?"

"What?!"

Next Chapter: The Right Kind of Royal