The man stared calmly at the dancing blue seas in front of him. He's not hungry, for now. All he wants is peace and all alone for now. No fights, wars, quarrels with mates, pranks on mates, or anything. He wants to enjoy this sight.
His one last sight.
He sighed. He shook his head. He know that he was going to die. That's why he's gloomy and all. He wants to be alone. He doesn't want his nakama to be worried.
He doesn't want them to notice those eyes of his.
He's going to die. But he won't tell them.
It's so obvious as he can already see Death passing him once or twice, he can't remember that. When fighting with Lucci, he thought he was already in the end until his long-nosed partner poured some oil onto him.
He became fired up and all. And that he knows that he won't die, yet.
But now, he's going to die. He has not reached Raftel but he could feel his time ticking. No matter what, he's going to die. That's it.
He smiled sadly. Remembering how merry they were on Merry and Sunny.
They were partying a if there's no end to this world. They had crazy adventures as if that's their only chance to experince it, ever.
"Shanks," he thought. He's too lazy to grab his hat for now. He silently apologized that pirate for not being able to return the hat as promised.
He silently thanked the pirate. He was the cause of everything. He made him want to be a pirate. He made him meet these nakama. He made him feeling all happy.
Up till now, he's still happy. Satisfied. He didn't regret of losing Ace anymore because of them being pirates.
He then smiled again. He's going to meet Ace, right? And Sabo, too. So he won't be alone up there. He'll be watching his nakama accomplishing their dreams. Without him.
'So. This is it, I guess,' he thought and he took the hat into his hand. He cuddled it to his chest and slowly closed is eyes.
"See ya later, dear world," he muttered.
Zoro, in the other hand was raising an eyebrow, feeling uneasy.
"Something's not right," he muttered. Brook tilted his head at the swordsman. "What's wrong, Zoro-san?" he asked, in concern.
The green-haired man dashed down the gym.
He ran past Usopp, Chopper and Franky who were spending time together to play cards. The trio looked at him in confusion.
He ran past the sunbathing navigator and archaeologist. The two also gave him concerned looks.
He also ran past the cook who was delivering deserts to his fellow ladies as usual. The cook cursed at the swordsman before raising an eyebrow.
"LUFFY!" he yelled, sounding desperated.
He reached to the smiling captain. He sat beside him before shaking him.
Tears flowing straemingly down his cheeks. He didn't shook the raven anymore. He doesn't want to disturb his peaceful eternal peace.
But, this is too early! None of them have yet accomplished their dreams! Not even him!
After gathering them all to the oceans, he's going to leave them?
"Captain... ," he muttered sadly.
The others gathered on the upper deck, concerned.
"Z-zoro! Wh-what's wrong?" Chopper broke the silence.
The swordsman took the 'child' into his arms and brought him to the upper deck. He placed his body onto the seat near the steering plate.
The boy was still smiling like there was no end. Zoro sniffed before deciding to cross his legs and sit down, facing the captain.
"Zoro? What's wrong?" Robin felt her heart aching this time. She's feeling so uneasy. Especially with the sight f their captain unmoving but smiling.
She remembered how people were talking about the late pirate king's smile before his death. Also, the picture of Ace's dead body still smiling.
It was similar to this young boy. She bit her lips hard enough to shake off the idea.
"Luffy's, sleeping," the crew raised an eyebrow at this, all feeling the same way - uneasy.
"... forever."
No one dared to make any noise to that. Not one.
However, the long-nosed man dashed towards the 'dead' captain and pushed Zoro aside. He shook the raven's body and tears by tears slipped down his cheeks.
"Luffy... Luffy... Wake up, you idiot!"
Nami sat down, not knowing what to do. This was all too sudden.
Robin stared blankly at Zoro before moving her eyes to Luffy. Brook also did the same. Chopper did too. But for the cook, he stomped away but tears can be seen rolling down his cheeks. He didn't want to believe in what he had just heard. But his steps was stopped by a short person in a black cloak.
He raised an eyebrow in annoyance.
"Who are you?"
The person in the cloak ignored his question and headed to the 'dead' man. Seated beside him, a hand came out of the cloak and the hand touched the innocent calm face of Luffy's. The hand slowly carressed the man's face.
"Who are you?" Zoro was the next one to hiss.
The mysterious preson pulled off the hood revealing a shoulder-length shiny red hair and a pair of sad golden eyes.
Robin raised an eyebrow to this. It was as if she knew this person.
"You know him?" Franky whispered to Robin, seeing that the person looked like one of the Revolutinaries, that is the person wore a cloak.
"She's a she, actually," Robin corrected. The cyborg raised an eyebrow, trying to find proof saying that this she is a she.
"I'm here to bring your beloved captain back to life. Chill," the person uttered. The red-haired stood up before putting a right hand out and some dark bubbles formed around the hand.
"Yomi no doa. Open," with that, the captain's body was glowing in light and the crew couldn't avoid from closing their eyes.
Zoro and Nami were the first ones to witness the miracle in front of them. Followed by the others.
Nami could only widen her eyes. "You are the swordsman, from... that family," Nami muttered. The person thenput back the hand into the cloak.
"Well, apparently, I'm a girl, not a man," the mysterious person uttered with a very small friendly smile.
"A girl, but you don't look like it," Sanji glared disbelieving those words.
Usopp and Chopper gave her a look that looked nicer to her than the other looks given by the other crew members, minus Robin.
Franky gave up. He shrugged before deciding to question the so-called girl.
"Whatever it is, how can you know that Luffy's a sudden-goner?" before Franky could ask, Zoro had asked first.
The girl gave him a look which made everyone sweatdropped. She was not smiling but her curved upside-down smile was a bit cute. Only a bit. Nami's cuter. Her eyes were wild and filled with despair and loneliness and many more sadistic and pathetic things.
"You can see me as his guardian, then," she uttered.
"Oh. Then you're an angel," the skeleton uttered. The others sweatdropped while the girl chuckled.
"I'm kinda more to the devil side. You all know what my epithet is. And, sorry, Brook-san. I can't show you my panties," the girl explained. The skeleton nodded understanding her.
"Wait.. What's your name again? Yuki? Kori?" Usopp bravely stepped forward and folded his arms with his lips twitching. Everyone was playing the same question in their head but had many more important questions involving their captain to be asked.
Chopper clinged on Usopp's right leg faithfully and looked at the girl with his big round innocent eyes.
The girl smiled wider. But this time, it was filled with some kind of proud feelings. It was more to a smirk.
"Koyuki Hazuki," she then puts on her hood and the wind starts to blow hard again.
She then disappeared in the wind.
"Guess she appears and disappears in the wind," the skeleton exclaimed while everyone was staring blankly at the place where this Koyuki disappeared.
Just as everyone was about to throw out more head-aching quetions, they heard the supposed to-be dead man grunted in pain.
Zoro blinked disbelieving the sight. He swore that this boy didn't breath earlier! Not that he wants his capain to die but this was too unnatural.
He hates this types of things. Gods, demons, devils, angels, and bleh. Being an atheist he is, he totally hates believing them.
Especially after his captain defeated the self-proclaimed god, Enel.
With a sudden drastic move, the captain jumped up as if he woke up from his sleep as always. He stretched and his crew mates just eyed him awkwardly.
A few moments ago, they were about to burst into tears but now, they feel like wanting to smack their heads on something.
"Hey, I thought that I was dead?" Luffy asked out of the blue, pulling the crew out of their tense.
"L-Luffy, you did, but... ," Zoro, playing his role as the first mate tried to explain the unnatural situation earlier.
'This is the New World, damnit,' the swordsman mentally tried to calm himself down.
Zoro couldn't come up with anymore words as Luffy looked like he knew what happened.
"So she came... Why didn't you guys invite her for a tea?" the captain scolded, signing that the girl whom had brought him back to life was yet another of his close friend.
"What do you mean, a tea!? You were dead a few minutes ago, she appeared out of nowhere and brought you back to life... Saying to us that we can see her as your guardian... And you're scolding us for not inviting her for a tea!?" Nami bickered. Tick marks popped on her head.
Usopp rolled his eyes as the navigator started to quarrel with the captain longer.
Before Sanji could interfere the bicker as Luffy pointed out something that made Nami shut, Doctor Chopper came in between the navigator and the captain.
"I need to examine you, Luffy. Something very fishy is going on with your body, lately," the doctor uttered. The captain complied without any complains, silencing the two hot-heads.
"Koyuki-chan is a Revolutionary. But she rarely involves herself in arranging strategies with your father in order to throw out the World Government. Is she some kind of assigned to take care of you?" the archaeologist frowned at the captain.
All she received was a shrug. "I dunno much about her secret affiliations with anyone else, and I don't care about it. All I know is I can trust her and count on her like each one of you. "
Everyone blushed at that comment waving their hands at their captain.
"That's too much of a praise, Luffy... ," Nami and Usopp mumbled.
"Yohohoho! Luffy-san always reminds me of Captain Yorki! He was always praising me a lot," Brook yelped while preparing his musical instruments.
"In what course did he praised you?" Franky asked.
"In musical cousre of course~ Yohohoho~~" the skeleton replied.
Sanji closed his eyes and snorted before smiling in relieve.
Zoro aslo smiled in relieved. He was glad that their captain was not leaving them.
Silently, the two monsters thanked the mysterious girl, namely, Koyuki.
Luffy smiled as everyone starts to behave like they were always like.
He was glad that they quickly forgot about him dying a few minutes ago.
True, he died. But it was due to him forcing himself too much while saving his beloved brother, Ace, two years ago.
His life had come to an end but his friend had come and pulled him back.
There's still a lot more.
But at one moment, he wondered. If things were going as they should be, why is Koyuki involving herself into his business?
Koyuki is destined to keep Luffy's paths of life correct and right and good, she won't be involving herself in helping him unless there was some distractions in his life journey.
A lot more needs to be explained but the captain was too lazy to think all of that. Now, he is only focusing into his main goal.
He's the man who's gonna be the king of pirates!
