Their Regret

Disclaimers: I DON'T own One Piece

The Strawhat's view and feelings for Luffy after finding out about the war. Their regret at not being able to help and not being there for him.

It happened 2 weeks ago and they never knew. 2 weeks ago when they were all thinking more about the fact that they had been separated than the fact that he may have needed them. They all knew, how troublesome he was and how his luck most often was.

So that being said, when they first heard the news, they felt so guilty. Guilty because their Captain went off and broke into the world's most secure prison and stormed the world's governments HQ all to save his brother, only to lose him in a blink of an eye.

He lost his most important person in an incredibly brutal way that was caused by a tiny, miniscule moment of weakness and exhaustion. He needed them! And they weren't there. How could they have let this happen? How could they let him go through that all alone?

Zoro

He was the 1st mate. He was supposed to be by his side in everything! And yet he was stuck on some random far-off island fighting overgrown monkeys while his captain was suffering and in pain. Being the "Universal Luffy Translator," that he was, he knows better than anyone else (Other than Ace) that Luffy was feeling as if his entire world had come crashing down. Zoro remembers all those conversations he's had with Luffy about Ace. He remembers Luffy once telling him in a sleepy daze that "Sabo is the sea, Ace is my sun, my crew are my heart and Ace is my soul." He remembers that it was Luffy's way of telling him that Ace, Sabo and his Crew were everything to him, they were his whole world.

Nami

Nami KNOWS what it's like to lose someone precious, and after meeting Ace she knows that Ace and Luffy loved each other probably more than she loved Bellemere. She knows that he must be in so much pain. And when she sees that the whole time that she was stuck on an island she had been conning old men the entire time, she feels ashamed that she couldn't help him at all.

Usopp

Luffy is his best friend. He knows how much Luffy loved Ace. They all saw it in his eyes and in the way his soul just seemed to light up in the presence of his brother. He saw the way Luffy was when he showed off everything he could, from the ship to the crew themselves to stories of all their adventures. It was because he had witnessed the pure amount of love they held for each other that when he realized that while he was stuffing his face with food, his best friend was suffering through the pain of his brother's death.

Sanji

He saw the way Ace looked at Luffy. Where someone else would have been irritated or mad, he was calm, accepting and looking over his baby brother's actions with love and fondness. He knows Luffy loved his brother a lot. That was why he was so disappointed in himself when he heard it was all over, he had done nothing to help and was sitting on an okama island in a dress and make-up acting like an okama.

Chopper

Chopper never had siblings, or many people who cared for him at all. But even so he could see how much the two D. brothers cared for one another. So with that in mind, knowing how reckless his captain was, he started to pack up to leave, so that he could go to his captain with hopes that he could help his captain ease the pain in his body and his eventually, his heart.

Robin

She never had family to care for her, and she's never met Ace, so she doesn't know him at all. But knowing her captain and hearing the stories told by the crew and seeing what was written in the log book, she knows that he must have been an amazing person, especially if her captain had temporarily forgotten about their promise and went to save him. But she has faith in her captain, and that's why she'll pray that she'll see more news about him soon and hope that when they do see each other again, he'll be the same person they all loved and respect.

Franky

Knowing all he knows about Luffy, he realizes that Ace must have been a SUPER~ MEGA awesome person for Luffy to do all that he did for him. Yes, he's seen him do the same for Robin, but that was with the whole crew, it was different. Luffy going after his brother was a whole new level of personal, especially since he went by himself to a stronghold for the worst criminals and bashed down those stuck up marines main HQ all for the sake of his brother.

Brook

Brook may not have been with the Straw-hats very long but he knows that Luffy would never put himself at risk for someone who didn't deserve it on every level. And since it was Luffy's brother he figured that Luffy went into that war knowing full well, that he could very well die and leave his crew behind. Since it was Ace, he more than deserved to see Luffy there, to see the person he loved the most…even if he may not have wanted him there.

On some level, even though their afraid to admit it, they ALL are happy that it was Ace who died that day, and not their Captain. They know that the way Ace died was unfair, unjust and was just another display of prejudice and immoral morals of their corrupt government. They know that Ace sacrificed himself for Luffy –for his light, his ever so precious baby brother who was like a treasure to him. They know it hurt Luffy a lot, they saw it in his eyes when he looked at his scar, they often saw it when he just sat in their figurehead, they all saw the shadows in his eyes once their 2 year separation was over. And it's every time they see that scar that they remember why they trained for 2 years, it was for his sake. They trained so he would never have to go through all that pain every again. Without even realizing it, 2 years ago, on each of those islands, scattered all across the world, they all unknowingly made a promise to Luffy – A promise to get stronger for his sake, so that he would never have to push himself to the point of death for them again, a promise that they would always be by his side, as long as he will allow them.

Please let me know what you think. Originally. this was supposed to have separate chapters for each crewmate but I'm lazy and that's too much work. Especially since I don't know what else to write.