Author Notes: Another day, another one shot. This one is kinda dark. Experimenting with layers. Probably hard to read because of it. There's three of them - one with just Luffy, one for each past memory, and one for the 'death' scene (which is lumped in with the memory scene, thereby making it slightly confusing?)
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.
Day/Theme: Sept 24 - "even my beloved people will fall like petals"
Warning: Character-death. Luffy angst. Pretty heavy. You have been warned.
Pairing: LuffyxZoro IMPLIED
~!~
Without My Nakama, I Am Nothing
~!~
It was the end of his reign. As Pirate King, he should have expected an end like this; it was almost as if Roger had set a precedent. But Luffy didn't know if he could live up to the legend, didn't know if he would have the strength to stand before the people with a smile. At one point, he would have. Now...
This place where he was being held, chained to a wall. He knew this place. If he had wanted, he might have been able to pull out of his slump and break free, even with the seastone cuffs keeping his devil fruit powers at bay. If he really wanted to. But there was no point anymore. They were gone.
All of them.
His arms hurt but the pain was easy to ignore. A part of him wished it weren't so easy to ignore. Then he would have something else to focus on. As it was, his mind drifted.
He took in a deep breath, coughing back tears that could no longer fall. The air was dirty, filled with the stink of death and decay. Here he was, Monkey D. Luffy, Pirate King, trapped in a cell alone.
All alone.
He closed his eyes and shuddered.
~!~
No matter how many deaths that I die
I will never forget
~!~
"Yohohoho!" Brook approached him with a merry grin, the skeleton carrying his violin in one hand, as if he knew what his captain had called him for.
When the musician was close enough, Luffy glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping green haired swordsman. He grinned and turned to Brook, seeing a gleam in the eye sockets - light bouncing off the bones at just the right angle to make it look like the skeleton had winked.
Luffy slapped a fist against his palm. "Yosh! Play a song! It's Zoro's birthday!"
Brook quickly complied, always willing to add music to the ship. As Brook began to play, Luffy moved to the still sleeping swordsman. He snuck into the man's lap and put a finger to his lip, making a quiet motion at the musician. Brook understood immediately. He didn't stop playing, he just got quieter and softer, slowly building as the rest of the crew waited for Luffy's signal to shout out their surprise for the swordsman.
This was what Luffy loved about Brook. His music. His ability to understand exactly what he wanted. And the full heart and soul he poured into every performance.
This was why Luffy had wanted a musician, and Brook made a great nakama. The perfect choice for musician. Even if it had taken so long to come across him. But it made him no less special.
...And Brook could fight, too.
Never had Luffy seen someone who could wield music as if it were a weapon. Playing a song, humming a tune, it all added into his attacks.
But it wasn't enough against the marine's best; it wasn't enough against the Admirals.
None of it was enough.
And as the fight wore on, the skeleton musician finally discovered the truth to his supposed immortality fruit. It only worked once. Even a skeleton could fear death.
And Luffy lost his first nakama.
~!~
Luffy shifted against his bonds, hearing the chains rattle at the movement. Tear tracks marked his dirty face, but he could not make fresh tracks no matter how hard he tried, no matter how sad his memories. He had already relived them.
Over and over and over again.
His nakama. Gone.
Everyone.
Gone.
Footsteps sounded down the hallway.
Luffy ignored them. Closed his eyes again.
~!~
No matter how many lives that I live
I will never regret
~!~
"SUPAR!" Franky called after a rowdy dance, leaving Luffy laughing as they finished, sprawling back onto the deck.
Zoro scoffed somewhere behind him, and Luffy chuckled. Even if his swordsman felt that his newest choice of nakama was a bit off, Luffy still enjoyed the crazy cyborg. And he always picked someone he would enjoy having on the crew.
Franky rarely acted his age, always willing to step down to entertain the kids, always willing to act a kid or be a kid. And it was this willingness to enjoy life that Luffy adored. It was fun to pose like a super hero, to imitate the cyborg.
He loved Franky for such little things, especially when it came to equipping the Thousand Sunny with a mini boat to pay tribute to the Going Merry. It had made Usopp excited, and it made Luffy happy to see all his nakama together and enjoying life again.
In a fight, Franky wasn't one of the strongest of the crew, but he was always willing to step up and be back up. He had a limit because of his reliance on cola to stay powered, but when he did burst out he proved he was worth his position on the crew.
Not to mention, he tended to watch over them like a father watching over children. And just as willing to step in front of a blast intended for someone else.
At least Franky died protecting his nakama. A true respectable pirate.
~!~
Luffy shifted again, shaking his head. Wishing he could get rid of the memories. They were gone. He had to admit it. It was so hard to admit it. He didn't want to say it too much. If he said it enough, then it would have to be true.
This wasn't just a nightmare.
It was truth.
They were gone.
They.
Were.
Gone.
He sobbed, his eyes still lacking tears, and hiccupped.
"Monkey D. Luffy." A voice stated from in front of him, somewhere on the other side of the cell bars.
But he didn't look up. He didn't care.
~!~
There's a fire inside this heart
and a riot about to explode into flames
~!~
Robin smiled as she set a book to the side, glancing up at him. "Yes, Captain-san?"
He puffed his lips and stared at the book she had been reading. "What's it about?"
She frowned and tilted her head to the side. "What's what about?"
He rolled his eyes and moved forward to pick up the book. "This." He flipped a few pages, glancing through it but not reading.
Sanji dropped the dish he had been cleaning. And he could definitely feel Zoro's eyes on his back, meaning he had successfully proven to Usopp that the swordsman wasn't really asleep.
Robin smiled softly, her eyes not even blinking. She understood what Luffy was really up to, and her surprise only lasted for a few seconds at most. "It's a history," she answered, even though she knew by now that Luffy didn't really care.
That was the funny thing about Robin. She always seemed to know what he was thinking. Or understand why he would do something out of the norm.
She was always happy to be part of the family. Although she had invited herself to the ship, Luffy knew that he would have invited her anyway had he met her in different circumstances. She could read him, but he could read her better.
And when she fell in battle, he felt the loss hit as if he had known her for as long as any of the others, as if he had always known her.
And it hurt no less than losing anyone else.
~!~
A click. A loud, deep, long groan of metal bars moving. Luffy lifted his head, meeting the eyes of the jailor for but a moment before staring back at the ground.
So. His execution was near.
Maybe he could finally meet the rest of his crew. Maybe he would find them beyond death.
Keys shook. A voice spoke but he didn't listen. His arms came down. He was pulled to his feet and shackles were replaced around his wrists behind his back. The chains on his ankles stayed and threatened to pull him back down.
But a hand was on his shoulder. A familiar face. Pink hair. A sad looking boyish frown lost amid a growing adult visage.
Coby, his mind said. He opened his mouth to speak the name, but no sound came out. And the pink haired man shook his head and moved behind him.
Luffy stared at the pink and found himself thinking of someone else. Found his memories tugging back into the darkness of his mind.
~!~
No matter how many times that you told me
you wanted to leave
~!~
"Oi, Nami," he called, glad to see her smile in response.
Her past had moved behind her and he was glad. The situation was solved. She was his nakama. It had been taken care of so long ago, but he had noticed her staring into space less and less. She was finally accustomed to their ship, finally a member, finally well respected for her abilities and definitely well loved among the crew - except maybe Zoro who was always saving her and yet being manipulated away from his share of the beri.
"Sanji said he wanted a copy of your bounty picture."
Nami laughed at him and folded the newspaper she had been reading. "Of course he does, and let me guess, he sent you to ask for it."
Luffy nodded his head, amazed that she had figured it out. Then again, Nami was one of the smartest members of his crew. "He said not to tell you..."
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
Nami leaned forward, looking him straight in the eye. "Do you want a copy?"
Luffy laughed and pulled his arms behind his head, glancing to the side to stare at Zoro, who was busy training on the other side of the ship. "Why would I want one?"
Nami snorted and leaned back into the chair, returning to reading the paper. "Then you don't get one."
Luffy tilted his head to side, blinking at her in slight confusion, not following her statements. "But, I don't want a copy. Sanji does."
Nami sighed. "If you don't want one, then nobody gets one."
Later, Sanji would berate him for messing up his chance, but Luffy would rather face Sanji angry than Nami any day. Nami wasn't just the weak female member. She could definitely hold her own in a fight with her Clima-Tact and her knowledge of how the weather worked. And she was also scary when she was angry at him for stealing food or messing up something important.
He had fallen to his knees, losing his will to fight, when he heard her scream. When he saw her fall, her blood staining the ground.
He started to call the names at that point.
~!~
Luffy shook his head as he was shoved forward, falling to the ground, unable to keep his balance. The jailors scoffed at him and forced him to his feet, muttering something about the weakness of the supposed Pirate King.
He didn't care.
He just didn't care anymore.
He wanted to cry and wail and throw a tantrum, demand to wake up from his nightmare.
But still, the tears refused to fall.
~!~
No matter how many breathes that you took
you still couldn't breathe...
~!~
"Oi, Usopp, let's play something."
Usopp looked up from his current experimentation and tilted his head to the side. "Like what?"
Luffy shrugged. "Let's try to get Zoro to play tag! That's always fun."
Hearing the comment, Zoro shouted back. "I'm not playing!"
Usopp lifted his goggles, stared at Luffy for a moment, then at Zoro, then he turned back to Luffy and grinned. Standing up, he sauntered over to the swordsman and teasingly said, "You're just scared of losing."
"Am not!"
"Yes you are! Scared-y cat swordsman!"
Luffy laughed as Zoro puffed up angrily and made a swipe at the sharpshooter, only to miss and chase after him. Moments like these were some of the best, playing childish games with his nakama. Chasing each other around the ship.
He jumped after the two. "Oi, Zoro! Play with me too!"
"I'm not playing!"
From his new vantage point on the higher end of the ship, Usopp turned and waved at Luffy...
...Much the same way he waved when he fell in their last fight. A goodbye wave.
And Luffy didn't have the heart to wave back. Didn't want to. Because that would mean accepting it.
~!~
He was forced up stairs, stumbling as he went, letting his mind take him to other places.
All the while his mind replayed events with his nakama. Reminding him of the people he had loved, the people he no longer had in his life.
And with every step, he denied the truth, denied that they were gone.
And still, he could not cry.
~!~
No matter how many nights that you lied wide awake
to the sound of the poison rain
~!~
It was late at night. The best time to sneak an extra bite to eat. With stomach growling, Luffy prowled forward. He reached for the refrigerator handle...
And was kicked away by the force of the cook's attack. Thrown against a wall, Luffy rubbed his head and pouted as he stood back up.
"Aw, Sanji, but I'm hungry."
"Can't you ever wait? Or try eating in your sleep; that might keep you from waking up in the middle of the night. At least give me until breakfast time like a normal person!"
Sanji stood back and lit a cigarette, and Luffy pouted his lips. "But I'm hungry now."
Sighing, the cook reached around the darkened corner and pulled out a plate of meat specifically made for the ridiculous food cravings of the ship's captain. "I don't know why I do this..."
Luffy felt his mouth split into a wide grin as he dove forward to capture the precious food. "You don't have to kick me if you're going to give me food anyway, you know."
Because Sanji's kicks always hurt a little, even though he was holding back. And as the adventure expanded, the kicks only grew, but Luffy would grow as well and soon learned ways to dodge them entirely. Though Sanji quickly learned how to catch him off guard again.
But against the marine ambush, his kicks weren't strong enough.
Nothing was strong enough.
And Luffy cried as the blond haired cook fell, defending an already broken, dying Nami.
~!~
Up the stairs, down another hallway, out into the open. Walking through the streets. A crowd formed, silent and watchful. Some of the children pointed and gaped, amazed.
But Luffy couldn't even smile for them. He could only frown and let his thoughts take him deeper and deeper.
As the sun beat down, he began to feel his eyes water just ever so slightly.
~!~
So let it breathe, let it fly, let it go
~!~
Luffy jumped over to the sleeping Zoro, intending to curl up in his lap and try his hand at a nap. But he froze when he saw someone else sitting in his spot. Chopper had situated into the swordsman's lap as if he belonged there, and the image made the reindeer look so comfortable, and so happy...
Luffy bit his lip and stared at the two of them before squatting down, keeping his eyes focused on the content smile on Chopper's face.
With a sigh, he moved forward and softly brought Chopper into his arms so that they could both sleep on their favorite green haired swordsman. Breathing happily, Luffy cuddled, drifting into a sleep himself. He was startled once, when Zoro's arms moved to encompass them both, and with a smile he drifted off again, holding Chopper close as he heard the heartbeat of Zoro against his ear.
And when Chopper fell, standing over an injured Sanji, trying to heal the already dying cook...when Chopper joined the list, Luffy crawled forward and pulled the reindeer close to him, crying.
Now there was only Zoro.
~!~
He came back to the present standing on the execution platform. He was forced to his knees, forced to look out over the crowd. His eyes searched through every face but he saw nothing.
He glanced up to the sun but couldn't force a smile. He needed to smile. Something told him he needed to keep the Pirate King legacy alive. If he went out like this, there would be nothing but sorrowful tales of his end. He had to be better than this.
But his eyes were watering. It was too bright.
He lowered his head, closed his eyes one more time...
~!~
Let it fall, let it crash, burn slow
~!~
"I'm not joining your crew!"
Luffy pouted and crossed his arms as he glared back at the supposedly strong swordsman currently tied to the wooden posts. "I got your swords! If you want them back, you have to promise to join my crew."
"That's blackmail!" Zoro complained. But as the situation worsened, he growled. "All right! All right! Just get me out of here!"
To think that's where it all started...with one reluctant, stubborn pirate hunter forced into being a pirate. And now, Luffy was so glad he had done that, so happy he had chosen Zoro and forced the swordsman to join. Because Zoro was his, the greatest swordsman next to the Pirate King; after all, how could he accept any less out of his first mate?
And as their nakama fell around them, Zoro stepped in front of Luffy, taking a hit for his captain for what seemed to be the thousandth time.
As his first fell, Luffy stopped crying silently and he screamed. He started pounding at the earth, trying to wake himself up from this nightmare. Because it couldn't be real.
Zoro couldn't be gone...
Not Zoro...
~!~
"Oi, Luffy!"
At the muffled, hazy voice, Luffy lifted his head, blinking his eyes. A vision of Zoro stood before him, kneeling in front of him, face serious with creases of worry. He was incorporeal, an image or a ghost, something from his imagination.
Luffy blinked again.
And finally managed to shed another tear.
And then another.
And another.
The flood gates opened.
"Stop it! You can't go like this, Luffy!" The image of Zoro sighed, stood, stepped back. To show the whole group of nakama in images in the clouds. "We're waiting for you. So smile."
And Luffy did. His grin was wide and it never faltered as the killing blow came down.
And all would know that the Pirate King died with a smile on his face...
...Keeping the legend alive.
~!~
A/N: Sorry! Why do I like sappy endings? I don't know! But I love them so. And I love making myself cry, too! So there! *hides behind Luffy* Please don't kill me... (Remember: review if you read!)