A/N: So, the sequel. Finally, eh? (smiles) I think that Dark Luffy was used waaay too much. Lots of serious Luffy will be seen in this fic, so I'm sorry… (sheepish) I'll try to tone it down but…

Tap, tap, tap.

Cracking open an eye lazily, his eyes located the approaching figure. "Can't I have some time alone?" He asked teasingly as the elder frowned.

Tap, tap… thump.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed that he was lying on, the other scowled. "As if." He replied, his voice oddly cold and distant. It just went to show, he supposed, how much he had changed over the years, how he had grown more open to them all, though towards himself it wasn't that big a difference. "You're leaving, how could I just leave you alone when it could be the last time I ever see you?"

The elder's words caused a frown to catch on his own features as well, a mirror of the other's expression. "Come on, Ace." Sabo whined. "I can handle myself. I can fight. I'm 20, for goodness sake." Sabo paused and made a face. "Man, am I old."

Ace laughed at that, a small, hesitant sound. "I know that you can but…" Exhaling loudly, Ace hung his head, revealing the truth of where his thoughts were travelling.

"Luffy." Sabo breathed in hesitant agreement. "…I know. It's hard for me, too. But Luffy will find us when he reaches the top. He'll visit. He knows our Den Den Mushi number, and heaven knows how much he'll use it… or rather, how much Marco will use it."

He managed to get Ace to crack a slight smile at that.

"And I'm not leaving permanently either." Sitting up, Sabo gave Ace's hand a slight squeeze. "It's just a week, like always. I leave the first week of every month to help the revolutionaries… this isn't anything new. We both knew that this day would come."

"Doesn't mean that I have to like it." Ace grumbled sourly, but tossed Sabo a sheepish grin. "Alright, fine, I get what you're trying to say. It's just…" He made a vague gesture with his hands. "…hard, you know?"

Sabo scowled. "What do you think I'm trying to do, idiot?" He demanded. "Trying to forget that he's leaving, and then you come along, all whiny and like, don't leave me! You sound so pathetic."

Ace snickered. "Listen to Mr. Whiney." He retorted. They smiled at each other, both put at ease with the teasing that had long since become tradition. "Well, he's finally going. And starting in the East Blue, of all places." Groaning slightly, Ace shook his head with a sigh. "Honestly, what on earth is he thinking? The weakest sea…"

"We came from there." Sabo reminded him, as Ace made a face as though trying to ignore Sabo's logic. "He might miss Dadan, Makino and all the others. I used to. And don't pretend, I know that sometimes you missed them too. Then we got used to being here. But wouldn't it be nice to see them again, just one more time?"

Ace stared at him for a moment, before sighing. "Maybe." He shrugged. "I can barely even remember when we left anymore… it seems almost like a fading dream, a lost memory. I'm so used to life here, I can't imagine what it used to be like without being on the Moby Dick anymore… life, I mean." He added the last three words hastily.

Sabo nodded. "I can't imagine life without Luffy." He admitted, eyes drooping. "Maybe it's not that bad. Maybe we'll just get on like normal and it'll be basically the same…" And yet, they both seemed to know that that was only a wistful dream, not very likely to happen in reality. "Or maybe we'll hate life without him." He started rambling. "Maybe our lives will never be the same ever again and we'll wish forever that we had begged him to stay, and we'll regret that he left and wish that we went with him and maybe we can all be co captains on the ship or—"

"Oh, come on, you wimp." Ace stood up, seeming to decide something. "You just told me that I was an idiot for worrying and now you're getting all depressed and wishy washy? Get a spine and do what you want! Luffy grew up with us! He's stronger!"

Sabo nodded, then, in a small voice of worry carrying all his fears, he asked, "But is he strong enough?"

A cloud of gloom seemed to settle above the two brothers' heads, and then groaned at the discomforting thought of their little brother getting into any trouble—scratch that, they were worried for the future, because Luffy challenged everyone to a fight, that idiot, and even when he didn't want to fight he ended up ticking off the wrong people!

"That's it." They both groaned as they heard the ship thump against Dawn Island and heard Luffy's cheer of excitement. "He's going to get in so much trouble…"

"May as well see him off." The two's head snapped open, and they heard a distinct, "ow" of pain as someone's neck cracked.

"Haruta." Sabo breathed wearily. "I know…"

Haruta snickered as she ruffled their hair. "You two look like the living dead. Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Everything!" Ace declared, eyes darkening. "Luffy's leaving and I can just imagine the havoc that he'll raise…" Sighing, he shook his head. "That idiot already has a bounty of a five million, too…"

"If it offers you any comfort, that's an incredibly low bounty." Haruta offered, though she had a sneaking suspicion that her words would offer no comfort, especially since that was the bounty Luffy was given after only one raid. Afterwards his brothers had begun chaining him onto his bed every time they docked on an island... Haruta suspected that after Luffy got into a fight, the bounty would skyrocket. But she didn't say so to the brothers, not wishing to be subject to their bro-con-ness.

The two said nothing, but merely groaned in unison. After all, you couldn't cure a bro con.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Okay, before Sabo and Ace would freak out when he told them, Luffy sooo did not plan this. Seriously, it was impossible to plan a sudden whirlpool! Okay, so there may have been signs of it, and he may have just stuck around to see how big it was, but seriously, it wasn't his fault!

…Alright, maybe it was his fault (not that he'd admit it), but he got out alright so it was all good! They couldn't get mad at him not! Oh yes they can…

Which brought them here, to Luffy blinking at a certain high pressured pink haired boy.

"Um, are you alright?" He asked worriedly, tilting his head to the side before staring at the fat lady curiously.

"We're doomed!" Coby screamed as Alvida began to glare at them. "I'm never going to become a marine! I'm going to die young! I don't want to die young! Why did this have to happen? I just wanted to have some freedom, to uphold justice! So why did this happen?"

"I dunno why this happened." Luffy replied with a slight shrug. "Ace and Sabo say that I have the worst luck. Maybe it's because of my luck! I bet my luck's a jerk." Luffy pouted. "Luck, why can't you be nicer?"

Alvida gave them the stink eye, probably because they were ignoring her. "I'll give you incompetent slugs one chance to redeem yourselves and save your lives." She finally exclaimed haughtily. "Who is the most beautiful woman in the sea?"

Coby stared at Luffy, then stared at Alvida. "I.." He looked like he was about to cry, filled with self loathing about what he was about to say. "The most beautiful lady in the sea is…" He choked slightly. "Alvi—"

"Not you." Gasping, Coby turned to gape at Luffy as the straw hatted boy glared childishly at her. "You meany! You totally ruined my lunch, so there's no way that you're the most beautiful! Bleh!" And, he stuck out his tongue at her. "So…" The air itself seemed to tense as Luffy's glare darkened, a terrifying feeling seeming to come from the furious boy. "GET LOST!"

Alvida gasped, before she fell over, foaming at the mouth.

Coby gaped. "You… that… what did you…"

"Oh…" Luffy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, seeming embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm not very good at controlling my conqueror's haki because Marco said to try not to use it too much because I might hurt my nakama. I tried to aim it at her, but I guess you felt some of the leftover stuff."

Coby stared, amazed. This man was amazing. Terrifying. Dangerous. Inspiring. "You want to be the king of the pirates, right?" He asked softly. "I think you can do it."

Luffy's smile was brighter than the sun. "Shishishi!" He chuckled. "Of course!" Then, Luffy paused. "Uh, do you have a boat we can use? I kind of lost mine's."

Coby sighed, already so accustomed to the older boy's presence that he didn't even need to bother asking how he could possibly lose a boat. "Don't worry." He gestured at the ship they were standing on. "I can navigate us decently enough to get us to the next island. There we can get a real boat, restock a little." Because though big and sailable, this pink monstrosity embarrassed even him.

Luffy smiled. "I like you!" He cheered. "By the way, is there anybody strong around here to join my crew?"

Coby frowned for a moment, pondering, then he shook his head. "The only strong person around is Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro and he…" Coby shivered at the thought. "He's not exactly someone you want as nakama."

Luffy blinked. "Oh, you know him? Is he a mean guy, too?"

Coby shook his head. "I don't know him…" He replied cautiously. "But I've heard the rumors. Everybody has. He's a demon disguised in human flesh! A heartless, cruel man who ruthlessly slays all who stand in his way! I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole!"

Luffy's features darkened, and his face became closed off. "So." He said icily. "You believe in those rumors?" And just as suddenly as the first time, the air seemed to thicken and become more heavy.

Coby gaped, unable to speak as he shrank back.

Luffy sighed, and the air lightened. "You can't always trust the rumors, okay, Coby?" He asked softly.

Coby nodded, too terrified of this man to say anything.

Luffy smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that." He apologized, looking away slightly. "It's just… there are some bad rumors about some of my family." A soft, wistful smile crossed his features. "People judge him because of their strength, or their parents and… I think that's wrong. It's mean. I just…" He tugged his straw hat down to hide his eyes. "I think you need to meet someone to know what they're really like."

Coby nodded again, and smiled. "I get it. You're going to be the King of the Pirates, so people will be scared of you and say cruel things about you behind your back, right? But you're a pretty nice guy." The small boy paused. "You know what, Luffy? Even if the entire world thinks you're a devil… I promise I'll know what you're really like. I won't judge you based on the rumors. I'll always know what kind of a guy you are."

Luffy grinned even wider. "Shishishi, thanks!" He exclaimed. "By the way…." A loud crackling sound filled the air, causing Coby to leap back and look around fearfully. "I'm hungry. Do you have any meat?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

Day 21.

Closing his eyes as a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, past his cheek and finally dripped from his chin onto the dusty earth beneath him, Zoro let out a small sigh of exhaustion.

Today, he decided, was a strange day. He had hung on this cross for days—he had reached the three week mark today. Only one more week to wait. He had just been there, an ornament in an otherwise empty cage. Each day the bastard son had come to tease him, but other than that, his days had been uneventful.

He had passed them thinking of the outside world, of the food he'd eat when he was free, the bounties he'd collect—anything to keep him from thinking of how he hated being here, how he wanted to free himself despite knowing that he couldn't. He didn't want to think about breaking his promise… the temptation was trying to make him stain his honor.

They could call him a demon. They could call him a devil. Whatever they wanted to say behind his back or to his face, they could say. But he had never regretted a thing. He didn't want to start now.

But today, a little girl had come with the salty onigiri filled with her feelings of wanting to help someone who did the right thing.

A boy had come, quivering in fear, but more of the thought of getting caught that Zoro himself, something that Zoro found quite amusing.

But, most importantly, the boy with the straw hat and the crazy words had come.

"I'm going to be the king of the pirates!"

It was ridiculous to think that this boy with the straw hat, this boy with the bright smile and thin arms, and probably not an ounce of strength could become the king of pirates. It was a ridiculous dream.

Just like his dream.

"Join my crew." Three words, an offer that he immediately denied. But the boy had simply smiled, and denied his denial. "I heard you were strong. So join my crew."

"I'll never become something as disgraceful as a pirate." Zoro hissed in reply. "I'm not going to stoop so low as to become one of those fiends… I don't care if that costs me my life. I'd rather die than stain my honor."

Luffy's eyes, dark and serious, seemed to pierce his soul. "Pirates aren't demons." He replied. "We're not scum, fiends, or disgraceful. We're adventurers!" His features brightened as though the darkness had never been there. "I'm going to be on the greatest adventure of all time! If you don't join, you'll definitely regret it!"

Zoro blinked. "Do you know what a pirate is?" He demanded angrily. "A pirate is someone who kills people! Steals for the fun of it! They set villages on fire just to hear people screaming! Pirates aren't what you're describing! Pirates aren't kind people!"

Luffy laughed. "Then you haven't met the right kind of pirates." He replied in amusement, his smile stretching even wider. "Well?" He asked, features soft and full of a type of kindness that Zoro found rare nowadays. "Would you like to come with me?"

Zoro stared at the hand that the boy with the straw hat held out. He sighed. "Fine." He agreed. "Why not?" But on one condition."

Luffy immediately drooped at those words, looking as though he was about to be sick. Zoro smiled slightly. Seriously, how old is this guy? He wondered.

"Never interfere with my dream." Zoro's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to be the greatest swordsman in the world. If you interfere, then consider your life forfeit."

Luffy blinked at him, before dipping his head into a nod, smile widening. "I expect no less than the best on my crew." He agreed proudly. "So… want me to go get your swords now?"

Zoro rolled his eyes, glaring at the ropes tying him down. "Yes." He replied, trying to keep down the sarcasm in his voice. "That would be nice. That would be very, very nice."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

He woke from a familiar nightmare in a familiar, yet unfamiliar place. Looking around the room, then at the empty spots on his bunk bed, Ace pressed his forehead down on his knees. Come back, Luffy, Sabo. I miss you already. Nonono… he was not crying. No way was he crying. Because he couldn't possibly be crying over this.

It felt lonely. Ace's chest hurt and as he looked around, he stood up and flicked on the light switch. He took in the room's decoration. Their first bounties—from when they had raided the marines. Ace laughed a little at the memory, remembering how much he and Sabo had freaked out.

Afterwards his bounty and Sabo's had increased, and it had been a losing struggle that they had thankfully won to keep Luffy's bounty at the same price until he left to start his own crew.

He peered at the picture, Luffy with a wide grin, up close to the camera (that idiot—why would he do that?), his familiar straw hat just barely in the frame. Ace and Sabo in the background, beating up some poor soul.

Then he peered at his. He had been a kid at the time, so he looked different from now. He was smirking at someone off the frame (probably Sabo) and shouting something, his cowboy hat knocked loose and on the floor. Some idiot was trying to sneak up on him.

Sabo's face was hard to see. The brim of his top hat covered his eyes, though Ace knew what color they were by heart, and the wide grin with the missing tooth was easily identified. His curly blond hair was barely seen by how the picture was taken, and most of him was hidden by either his blue jacket or the pipe he held in front of him.

Why did they have to leave? He felt slightly bitter as he placed his cowboy hat on his head—a familiar, slightly comforting presence. Maybe I should go talk to somebody…

Oh, or better yet, raid the kitchen.

Ace smiled at the idea as he changed from his pajama pants to some shorts, and toed his way out of his cabin, quietly shutting the door with a click.

As he reached the galley, he stared suspiciously at the door. Thatch had undoubtedly set up some sort of trap, being smart enough to see this kind of thing in hindsight… but what kind of trap?

Or maybe he just was counting on Ace's paranoia, and hadn't set a trap at all…

Ugh, why couldn't he be an airhead like Luffy or smart like Sabo? Why was he cursed with a paranoid yet average way of thinking?

"There aren't any booby traps, yoi." He whipped around to Marco's amused call. The blond smiled slightly sadly at him. "It's a little lonely without them, isn't it?" Marco asked with a slight sigh. "I didn't think I'd miss Sabo since I'm used to it but… Luffy being gone just sort of takes away the cushioning that I used to have there."

"He has his own adventures, and we have ours." Ace whispered. "We said that when we were younger. We're living it now. It just feels…" He made a vague gesture. "…Kind of strange, you know? Not having them there for me all the time."

"Yeah." Marco opened the door and they walked in, waving in amusement as they found quite a bit of the crew in the galley, all drinking or eating comfort food. "We're so used to Luffy bouncing here and there, looking at this and that and going 'Ooh, aaah!' like a broken recorder at everything he sees, but… you know, he wasn't all that annoying."

"Aw, jeez." Stepping up to them with a slight grumble, Thatch handed them both hot chocolate. "Don't worry, Ace, you've got extra marshmallows, yes, the hard kind, and don't worry, Marco, it has some coffee mixed in so it's not too sweet." Sighing, the chef stared at the galley. "Some of the fourth division came for comfort food and… well, my boys aren't getting it any time soon, if you know what I mean."

"I do." Ace replied, sipping his drink with a slight sigh. "Since when did Luffy affect this much people?"

Thatch blinked. "This much?" He echoed. "Ooh, yeah. I had to send a lot of people back to their rooms… some got drunk and I didn't want people who were trying to be comforted to deal with drunken depression or obnoxiously loud singing, you know?"

Marco laughed lightly. "I know what you mean." He agreed, slightly sadly, and held up his cup. "Cheers. To whenever our little rubber brained idiot gets his bounty raised."

"Cheers." Thatch echoed, smiling at the thought.

"Why are you cheery?" Killer intent filled the room as Ace scowled at the thought. "Anyone who tries to even look at my little brother for his bounty is going to find himself an eunuch!"

Everyone sweat dropped when Haruta asked innocently, "What if it's a girl?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as Ace replied coldly, "They'll find themselves blind, their blood used as paint, their very memories erased, their nails pulled out and their guts used as food for the dogs."

Thatch snickered slightly. "Bro-con." He muttered under his breath.

And suddenly, despite the fact that one cheery little brother was gone, the Moby Dick was back to normal.

A/N: SO! That was the first chapter of the sequel to Forever Alive! I know, it was bad. It took me a long time to write due to the fact that I was juggling this with Forever Alive itself, NaNoWriMo, realizing that manhwa is awesome and learning that watercolor is evil. (I know, TMI. Sorry.) Anyways, thanks for reading!

Omake: If Zoro Had Tried To Look For His Swords

As he dashed down the halls, he let loose a couple of swear words that he knew the Master wouldn't approve of. "Where are my swords being hidden!? That ***ing ***!"

He opened the door closest to him randomly, and his eyebrow twitched as he stared at the frilly pink room.

"...They are definitely not in there." He decided, before continuing.

Later...

Zoro stared in disbelief at his swords. "These were in that creepy pink room?" He repeated in a futile echo of his new captain's words.

Luffy nodded proudly. "See, I told you I'd find your swords!" He said happily, unaware of Zoro's inner plight.

Zoro started to sob. "My poor blades... you must be traumatized..."