Summary: Luffy has one more brother. That brother was the whole reason why Ussop was in the Straw-Hat crew. And if you can't figure it out... Kaku is that brother.
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters or the songs... or the afros.
A/N: This is slightly AU. Doesn't follow the exact fighting sequence. In this one, Luffy doesn't completely fight Lucci, and thus, some techniques aren't used between the two.
-x-
"...I..." zoom into a group of three, starting with a man with black hair and a straw-hat on, his blue vest was the only article of clothing that covered him up other than his shorts and whatever underneath that. Oh, and his sandals.
Now, onto the quadrilateral long-nosed man with the black cap, black jacket with the collar standing up to cover up his face, or at least the bottom part and neck, and the orange handkerchief sticking out of his top pocket, long legs covered by black pants, "I... I can't do this..."
The only CP9 member standing right now. As Jyabuya was defeated by Sanji, Lucci by Luffy, Kumodori by Franky and Chopper, Kalifa by Nami, Fukuro by Chopper and Franky, and Zoro could've sworn that he had defeated the long-nosed male a while back...
"...What are you talking about, Kaku?" another male, with curly black hair in a small pony-tail, asked the cap wearing man, who had the tip of the blade at his neck, barely touching as his back was against the broken wall, the sunlight revealing all around the pair.
"I... I can't kill him," he said at last, sighing deeply.
"...Kaku, do you know what this means?" the man narrowed his dark eyes.
"I... I know Lucci," withdrawing his sword, he sheathed the two in his arms as he walked off, staring off at the blue sky.
"...Are you ready then?" Lucci asked, "I don't hold back on traitors," he slowly made it to his feet, barely conscious with all the wounds he had received from straw-hat. He had lost. He knew that.
But he can't let the traitor get away.
"I'm not a traitor if I don't go against my own words," Kaku replied, "I'm sure you remember them," a thin, tight, smile held on his face.
"...Your dreams... they were to find your brothers, and then, to come at the top of the World Government, and change it's policies, am I correct?" the man turned to face the shorter one's back.
"Yeah," the breathy answer came, a bit surprised that he had remembered.
"You do realize that if you leave the government, that we'll find you, and kill you? Also, the fact that you were once apart of the government is the valid proof that pirates need to kill you? You'll be safe nowhere," the older man continued talking, and it almost seemed as though he didn't want him to go.
"...Then, when I die, I'll go to the ocean, and when the moon takes me and makes me a star, you'll know," a grin with complete bliss came upon his face, "Besides, your the Rob Lucci of CipherPol 9, you'll find a replacement."
"...Tools are easily replaced, not people," Lucci replied, shaking his head as though he could just wave off this bad, bad joke.
"...Sometimes, I have no idea what we are," a hollow laugh as the man finally turned around and bowed to the man, "It's been nice."
"...Don't think that you can get away with that," the man growled, moving into a battle stance.
"I don't plan to," the reply was simple.
"Then Kaku, why do you protect him?" Lucci asked once more, glaring at the ex-comrade.
"...He's my brother," he said, and then loudly, "Listen, I don't think I'll make it out of this one alive, so," a grin came upon his face, "If you ever meet a guy named, 'Ace' that has black hair, he's a pirate, so he'll be at sea... you'll probably kill him...Oh! And another one, 'Sabo'... He wears a top hat and goggles onto of it," the grin was just a small smile as he stared as his eyes never left Lucci, "And... a younger one... he can stretch his limbs, like rubber," the man on the floor eyes grew, "His name is Luffy..." he sighed.
"You... Ka..." the man gasped.
"Please, when you see them, tell them that Kaku is waiting in the sea, so that the moon will call upon all of us, together," he grinned once more, "And then, tell them that I love them."
With that, Kaku redrew his blades, running head to head against Lucci, fighting like never before.
After a while, screams were heard, "Luffy! We have Robin! Let's go!" they screamed at the man.
"C'mon! We gotta get out!"
"Move it!"
"Lu...Luffy?" Kaku couldn't believe what he heard, but that single moment of distraction caused a bullet wound to burst within his chest.
Coughing pitifully in the corner, and Lucci sighed as he stood over him, his disappointment showing in his eyes and voice, "You're better than this, Kaku. That's why I wanted you to..." he trailed off as he turned to Luffy, gasping for air almost as he took Kaku's knife, "Now then..."
"I'm not done just yet, Lucci," standing in front of the Straw-Hat man, a single trace on happiness in his eyes disappeared as the next line of words left him, "I'm glad I get to die for my brother, huh?"
"You're glad to waste you life, Kaku?" Lucci growled out.
"Kaku?" the voice was barely a whimper as Luffy looked up.
"That's me. Soru," he whispered, disappearing off against Lucci into a high-speed attack leaving Luffy looking at him in surprise, "Get out of here, Luffy!" Kaku called,
"Please." He sounded pathetic as two males rushed into the room.
"What's taking you?" Zoro demanded and threw the male over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Luffy, you know him?" the blonde asked.
"He... He's my brother..." Luffy replied, startling the other two, and standing up,
"Let's get him and go," it's been awhile since they have seen the male so...
Serious.
"Rokugan!" Lucci yelled, causing Kaku to throw up some blood, and then the man dropped like a fly, but struggled to get up, "You would've done better if there were no distractions," he said, "But it's not bad," he had a failed attempt to smirk, as he huffed for air, "I wish that you wouldn't leave."
"I-Is that so?" Kaku gasped as he stood up, "That sounds like a proposal."
"...If you just stay down, we can stay together," Lucci forced out.
"Yeah, probably..." a gasp here as more blood flowed out of his mouth, and then, a small grin, a childlike grin that Lucci only remembered from the Water 7 mission.
Looking up at the male, and sighed, "Make sure you tell Jyabura that I'm sorry."
Lucci twitched as he growled once more, "So disappointed," once again, he turned away to Luffy, who was currently dragging the said captain out of the area.
"Luffy!" Kaku gasped and muttered darkly at the male, forcing himself to stand.
"Shigan Oren!" Lucci growled lowly as he allowed his fingers to make multiple blood patterns on his opponent.
And instead of Luffy, Kaku fell.
Too much blood... Lucci, Sanji, and Zoro knew what was coming.
"Kaku!" Luffy screamed as blood erupted from the long-nosed male's mouth, and feeling something around his hips, Kaku felt the wind rush at him.
So... I get a chance to fly... a small smile on his face as he blacked out.
"KAKU!" this one of the very few times the crew ever saw their captain like this. The serious, heartbroken look on his face as he repeatedly screamed the same male.
Meanwhile, Lucci blinked in utter surprise, and slight amusement as he croaked a laugh, he fell over, shoulders shaking as he grinned. If I... If we were born differently...
The Straw-Hat crew's hearts were torn apart at the impatience of their captain.
"Luffy, calm down!" a woman said, she had orange hair with dark eyes, flashing concern as the man dropped, "Zoro!" she scolded the swordsman who knocked him out.
"He's not going to calm down without force," he said.
"That doesn't mean to knock him out cold," the blonde said, "Right, Nami-swan?" fluttering his eyelids at the orange-head navigator.
"Sure. Could you make us some food Sanji?" she asked the cook, who gladly left.
"But... Who is he?" another man, with a long, cylinder nose, and black curly hair tied back with a bandanna and goggles.
"I don't know, Usopp," the black-haired woman said, walking in and talking to the man.
"Robin!" Nami and Usopp turned to the woman, "Are you okay?" they asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said, smiling ever so lightly, "But, why are we helping a CP9 member, that tried to kill us?" she asked.
"He's on our side," Usopp replied, "Apparently, he and Luffy are brothers."
"Really? So he's Ace's brother?"
"Apparently."
…
Kaku sighed, on top of the wounds he had received from the green-haired swordsman, who he lost to, he was saved by a pirate. Whether it be his brother or not, he made the greatest crimes of them all.
Raising a hand against a government official, and then, helping a pirate.
What has the world come to?
His breathing uneven and coming out in barely gasps, he was awake.
"Shit..." he cursed.
"KAKU!" a man came at him, wrapping his arms around him, "I missed you!"
"Yeah..." slightly dazed, he nodded his head at his brother, "I know. I'm sorry,"
adding onto his crimes, he was apologizing to the straw-hat captain that declared
war on the government.
"So, what are you going to do now?" the crew was in the room now, and the long-
nosed male shrugged, wincing ever so lightly as he sat up, with the help of the
small reindeer next to him.
"Thanks," he muttered, "Well, looking at the fact that I helped you guys... I can't
get back to the government... I can't really come to Water 7, because well, I tried
to kill Iceburg. Even if he forgives me, it doesn't mean that everyone else would," a
small smile here.
"...Do you want to join my crew?" Luffy asked, receiving glances all around.
"W-what? What are you sayin Luffy?" Nami cried, "He's a government dog!"
"No, he isn't," the rubber man was perfectly calm, not a single hint of emotion on
his face, "He's justice's giraffe."
Kaku shook his head, "She's right though, I follow justice."
"...Then, what's your justice?" Sanji asked.
"...I don't know, I'm going to look for it," a grin followed by a sigh, and then a slight
wince, "Damn, Lucci really is strong," he sighed, "Well then, thank you for your hospitality, but, I gotta keep moving," nodding his head in thanks, "You never know," he grinned, "Maybe we'll see each other later, Pirate King."
"Nope. You're joining," Luffy snarled, folding his arms in front of him, a pout on his face, "Because I said so. Captain's orders."
Another sigh erupted out of the capped-male's mouth, "Is that okay with your crew though?"
"...Sure," surprisingly, Zoro spoke first, "You're... You're an honorable swordsman,
and so, you're number two."
"Nah, I'm a weaponist," Kaku grinned.
"A... Weaponist?" Chopper was confused.
"Hmm? Oh, it's someone that makes weapons, and carries a lot of them," Usopp
muttered.
"...I wouldn't mind Kaku being in the crew either..." the doctor muttered to himself,
"I mean... He saved Luffy and bought time for us to escape... He's not a bad guy..."
"Neither is Lucci, or Jyabura, or Fukurou and Kumadori, and not Blueno or Kalifa either," the man whispered, "People just see more differently than us."
"...That's the same with us as well, weaponry-kun," Robin said, a smile on her face,
"There are people that have bad titles because of something they are or did," she
said, "But the only people that accept them are those that are similar... I vote that you join as well."
"I object," Sanji said, standing up, "I don't mind making another serving for someone, but... Why do I have to feed a government dog... giraffe?" he snarled, crossing his arms, "This sounds really fishy to me."
"...I... I don't mind," Nami said, "But if you pull anything, we're throwing you overboard."
"Wh-what?" the cook was baffled.
"Fair enough," Kaku nodded and then bowed his head, "I'm Kaku, former CP9 member, and I might join your crew."
"Shishishi..." Luffy laughed, "I'm glad that your back though," he said happily, almost in a way that made everyone think that Luffy would kidnap the male to be in their crew.
Smiling back, Kaku's world went black as people cried out for him.
]Lucci, Jyabura... Oh how you would laugh at me.
It was the last thing he wanted to see.
When he woke up, in a comfortable bed, he realized that it wasn't rocking, so he wasn't aboard a ship.
Where was he?
He got up, clutching his stomach as he huffed, the blood ready to ooze out of him.
He walked down the stairs, silent, when he realized it.
He was in Galley-La.
Cursing silently under his breath, Kaku hoped that he could leave just fine.
Limping down the stairs, he gulped.
"Dragon the Revolutionary is Luffy's FATHER?"
Kaku blinked, and then chucked, he should've expected something like this.
He groaned as his hand started getting wet, and looking down, a dark red liquid
slipping through his hand and he sighed.
When did he get this?
Gritting his teeth, he walked back up the stairs, getting some clean cloths and
slowly changing as he grabbed his swords.
Sighing once more, he adjusted his cap and walked down the stairs, clad in all black, with the exception of an orange hanky, he walked down the stairs.
Everyone had already left, and almost happy with that, he was stopped by a tall male, with black curly hair, but was nothing like Lucci.
But he knew who he was.
"Akoji-san..." Kaku gulped as he gripped his sword tighter, a smirk appearing on
his face, "I'm not going to let you take Luffy."
"I don't want him," Akoji said.
"Then..." he got into a defensive position, as both hands made their way to a blade.
"I don't want you either," he said, "I just wanted to talk to someone."
"Nico Robin?"
The male looked back at him, rather interested.
"Yes."
A smirk, "CP9 got away," he said.
"What?" Kaku looked up, "Are the okay then?"
"I don't know, that's all I know," the male said, adjusting his sleeping mask, "Why
do you care? Didn't they abandon you?"
A smile as Kaku laughed, grinning like an idiot, he said quite cheerfully, "But I owe them a lot."
"Is that so?"
"No, not really."
"Huh?"
"Well, I need to return my share of bruises too..." Kaku sighed, "But... It's good too
know that the survived."
"They left Ennis Lobby, but with no boat, and looking at the fact that not a single
one of them can swim, it's rather easy to figure out where they went," Akoji said, turning to leave.
"Do you know?" Kaku asked, eyes narrowed as his grin, as well as any other traced of happiness evaporated.
The admiral turned to look at him, "I'm not going to pursue them."
"Do you really think I'll believe you?"
"Yes."
Kaku blinked, watching the male leave, smiled once more, "Thank you."
He coughed.
"By the way, the group's by the swimming pool, having a feast," he said.
"I... don't...deserve to go there..."
"Really?"
"Yeah," closing his eyes once more, he sighed, "I know what I'm going to do."
"GYA!" Chopper's scream echoed through the hallways as the group snapped their
attention to their small reindeer that came running down towards them, "Kaku's gone!"
"What?" the Zoro shot up.
"Where's Iceburg?" Sanji demanded, "Knowing him, he's probably-"
"Leave it," Luffy said, as he started to grin, "He's not gonna kill him anymore," he
said.
"Luffy?"
"Shishishi!" straw-hat began to laugh.
"That's not the problem!" Chopper yelled.
"Then, what are you talking about?" Nami, the ship's navigator questioned.
"If he continues to push himself at that rate..." a chilling silence fell through the
group, "He might receive a permanent injury!"
The group stared at the brown reindeer.
"So?"
Chopper sighed and Robin let out a soft laugh.
What was the worst that could happen if an ex-assassin was to meet his failed
victim?
Frankey wiped the sweat off of his face as he continued to saw, barely realizing
when Iceburg and come to join him.
"...Just let me look at the blueprints," he said, a soft smirk on his face.
And then, he had soru'd in.
Apparently, Frankey was completely shocked by all this, and began to sputter
useless nonsense and Iceburg, who was surprised, narrowed his eyes at his ex-
subordinates.
"Kaku."
The long-nosed male was quiet, eyes on the ground, "I'm not here to kill you," he said.
"Is that so?"
"Oi, Bakaburg-"
"Stay out of it, Franky," Iceburg snapped.
"I'm not here to ask for forgiveness that would be a waste of time," Kaku gulped.
"Get to the point," the Mayor was cold, true to his name.
"I'm not trying to redeem myself," the long-nosed male said, and then, dropped to
his knees, effectively surprising everyone.
Especially Paulie, Tylestone and Lulu, who walked in, ready to fight.
Ripping his prize cap off, he brought his head down to the ground.
"PLEASE!"
Needless to say, everyone watching and knew Kaku were stunned beyond words.
"I... I don't know if they'll be back... And I don't care what happens to me afterwards..." Kaku growled, at this time, he could careless about his pride, "I... In case they ever have to come by here..."
"What?"
"You don't have to forgive them or anything," Kaku let out a shaky breath, "But please, let them go."
"If I do, what will you do?"
"...I'll give you my life," the orange-haired male looked up, eyes boring directly into the blue-haired ones.
"Your life?"
"Yes," Kaku said, nodding his head, a broken smile reliving his features, "It's not a lot, but... It's the most I can give."
Iceburg almost considered this, when Paulie walked in, "I don't like this at all."
Kaku looked up, fear reflecting in his eyes as he quickly looked away, "I don't expect you to."
"And yet you-"
"I bother to ask," Kaku said, and then turned back to Iceburg.
"...Fine," Iceburd said at last, and Kaku grabbed his hat and wore it as he stood up, a grin on his face as Paulie sputtered.
"But these guys tried to kill you!" Paulie said, flabbergasted.
"...Nma..." Iceburg sighed as he turned to Kaku, "Go help out."
"Hai!" the male said energetically, before rushing off to Franky, who looked morbid and scarred for life, but reluctantly allowed the male to help.
"Iceburg-san, are you sure that this is..."
"Yeah, because in case anything else happens..." Iceburg looked at Paulie and
scratched his head, a smile on his face, "He's not a liar, you would know that better than anyone else."
Paulie stiffened and he continued to look at the once ex-enemy.
What was he supposed to believe?
"So, you're not coming with us?" Luffy asked and Kaku laughed.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
As the 1000 Sunny (as Iceburg has named it) was finished and Straw-Hats gazed at it in astonishment, bewilderment, and down right bliss.
"Why not?" the black-haired male pouted and the capped male laughed, more
nervous than anything as he looked at Iceburg.
"Because this isn't my life anymore," Kaku said and looked up at the male, "If you run into Sabo or Ace again... Tell them I said Hi."
"Will do!" Luffy said ecstatically.
The two brothers laughed some more.
And after the whole "FRANKY! WHERE SOMETHING TO COVER YOURSELF!" incident,
ending with a literal 'bang!', the Straw-Hats left, taking their other long-nosed friend with them.
Leaving Kaku alone, a marked traitor to only those that know.
But then again, this isn't his life to deal with.
Turning away from the sea, he fell over, blood seeping through his clothes and
faintly, in the far off distance, heard screaming.
This time, he'll rest.
And next time, he's meet his brother.