Welcome back to TKTP. I wrote the first three chapters before even putting up the first chapter, so right now I'm working on chapter 4. I don't how long it will take, so please be patient. Anyway let us get back to the story.
I do not own any rights to One Piece or its characters, they all belong to Oda-san.
Chapter 2: Back to the Past
After the marines had captured Luffy, they sailed for Impel Down. They locked Luffy away in Level 6. The entire time while Luffy was in custody he never fought back once. All he was now was a shell of the man he once was. Over the next 2 years, Luffy was tortured, both physically and mentally. A lot of Celestial Dragons took revenge on Luffy by having him moved frequently from level 5 through Level 3 and back, making him suffer through heat and cold and forms of torture. All the while the prison guards chipped away at what was left of Luffy's mind by bringing him news of who the government was hunting next. The World Government had declared, after having captured Luffy, that anyone who had helped Luffy along his journey and any who were related to the Straw Hats, would be hunted down and executed. They first started with Foosha Village; they killed everyone in the village, even killing Dadan and her mountain bandits. Next, they moved onto Shells Town, killing Rika and her mother; then onto Cocoyashi village, Syrup Village, The Baratie, Orange Village, Drum Island and even going to Alburna and killing Vivi, her father, and all under the royal family. They went after Johnny and Yosaku, Laboon, Crocus, etc. They went after everyone, those that were spared were those in the marines. They killed anyone who were friends or family to the Straw Hat Pirates.
Some guards were at Luffy's cell bringing him news of Shanks death. They laughed as they left him to his demise. Luffy began to cry as he realized he had lost everyone now. There was no one left that he knew and/or trusted out on the seas. While he was crying he didn't sense that someone had opened his cell and had walked in. Said person looked upon Luffy with eyes filled with great sorrow. They quickly composed themselves and spoke, "Euhm" hoping to get Luffy's attention. They did, Luffy stopped crying and looked up to see who it was, forgetting he couldn't see well. He quickly realized this, so he slowly began to speak, using a muscle he hadn't used in years. "Who are you *cough* what do you want? If it's to torture me more, I'll save the trouble and tell you there's nothing left to break." His voice was weak and horse, it felt like sandpaper when he spoke. The person in front of him frowned, "Luffy, I'm here to help you." Luffy scowled when he recognized the voice, "Tch, what are you doing here Tashigi? Did Smoker send you? What does he want this time?" Luffy thought that Tashigi's voice sounded weird, but then again he hadn't seen here since he was imprisoned. "Sigh, Luffy, I'm here to help you escape. And before you say anything, no this isn't a ploy. I'm here by my choice. I'll explain more once we're away from this dreadful place." Luffy was now really confused, why would she try to help me escape? He didn't have time to say anything before Tashigi spoke again. "Now Luffy I need you to hold still I've never done this with two people before, okay." Tashigi walked over to Luffy and placed her hand on Luffy's shoulder. All Luffy could think was what, before Tashigi yelled, "Space Jump" and they both disappeared from the cell with a blip. The only sound heard was the chain links clanging against the wall as they swung free. Luffy had escaped Impel Down for the second time.
Luffy was too shocked to even realize what had just happened. After Tashigi had yelled he was thrust through space 500 miles away to a boat on the sea. Lucky for Luffy it was night, but the light from the moon was still enough to blind Luffy for a bit. When he regained his vision he found that he was no longer in a prison cell. Then he realized he could move his hands, the cuffs were gone. His strength slowly began to return to him. He brought his hands in front of him as he rubbed his wrist, trying to get the blood flowing into them. He looked around and found himself on a simple Cog (a small basic one mast ship), with no markings on the sails. He then saw Tashigi walking towards him, as she walked out from the shadow into the moon light, he gasped. The Tashigi in front of him looked like an old woman in her late 50's, now it hit him why her voice sounded so strange. Her hair was silver in the moon light, she had many wrinkle and stress lines on her face, making her look like his grandfather did. Even though she was old she still herself strait up with a sense of pride, though it looked like she had a slight bend in her back. Luffy spoke cautiously, "T-Tashigi, is that you?" Tashigi nodded and gave a warm loving smile he never saw before."Yes and No Luffy. I am Tashigi, but I am not the Tashigi you know. Here," she gestured to two chairs and a table with a mountain of food on it, which made Luffy's drool like a waterfall, "sit down and eat and I'll explain everything like I promised." They both walked over sat down, Luffy then began to devour (Yes devour, there is no other way to describe Luffy's eating habits) the mountain of food.
Tashigi waited until Luffy finished eating. Like magic, Luffy began to look like himself again, after the food did its work on his body. Luffy finished wiped his face and looked up at Tashigi with a serious stare he hadn't worn in years. "Okay, now explain to me what is going on." Tashigi made herself comfortable, knowing this was going to be a while, "Okay, as you can see I am older than when you last saw me. That is because I am not the same Tashigi of this time." She let her words sink in for a moment before continuing. "I am Tashigi from 20 Years in the future. In the future the World Government has taken control of everything. They kill anyone who even thinks of something wrong about Government. If they believe you are plotting something, you are executed. It is horrible." Her voice trembled, Luffy toke note. "But isn't that what guys wanted?" "No, nothing like that. Never like that. They murder innocent people in the streets. It's not what I fought for."Tashigi said crying. Luffy then asked, "Wait, if you are from the future how are you her?" Tashigi smiled, how perceptive of you Luffy. "One day I was ordered by my superiors to secure a dangerous fruit for the Government. It's called the Jikan-Jikan fruit, or the Time-Time fruit. It is a devil fruit that grants its user the ability to control time." Luffy eyes widen at this, thinking of the implications.
Tashigi saw and nodded, "Exactly, which was why I couldn't allow the Government to get its hands on it. When we arrived on the island it was rumored to be on, I left everyone on the ship to look for the fruit myself. When I found it I did the only thing I could do, I ate it." Luffy's jaw dropped, he couldn't believe she would do that. "After I ate it my hair became silver and I aged 10 years. Which explains my appearance. I returned to the ship and informed the crew that a mad man had consumed the fruit and I had to execute him because he refused to work for the Government. I told them he used his powers on me, which caused my appearance. I lied to hide the fact that I betrayed the Government. If they had gotten their hands on that fruit they would have been able to erase all pirates from history." Luffy couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I then trained for three years in secret to master my abilities. I found out that with abilities to control time, I could also affect space. Scientist in my time believed that time and space were connected and this fruit proved their theories right. I can jump from island to island without even moving. The only problem is I have to see in mind where I'm going, so I can't go somewhere I've never been."
Luffy just sat there listening as everything clicked into place. "So that's how you got me out of Impel Down." Tashigi nodded again, "Yes, unfortunately it took almost all my strength to bring myself here, to this time. The farther I send something back in time, the more it takes out of me. But Luffy I didn't come back to chat, I need your help." Luffy raised an eyebrow, wondering how he could help her. "I need your help to change the future." Luffy's eyes widen and his jaw hit the deck, she needed WHAT! He shook himself, "Whoa, how do you expect me to do that?" "I can send you back in time to change the past so that my future never comes to past. It can never happen, do you understand me Luffy?" Luffy nodded his head in understanding. "Good, now before I send you back I'll explain the process, but I need you to promise me something, okay." Luffy looked puzzled but went with it, "what do you need me to do?" Tashigi looked into Luffy's eyes and said, "I want you to promise to find the Time-Time fruit and destroy it." Luffy's demeanor softened as he understood, that fruit was too powerful for anyone to have. He began to laugh, "Shishishi, if that's all you want. Yes, I promise I will destroy it."
Tashigi relaxed, "Good, and Luffy" Luffy looked up at her, "If I am being truthful, I'm really sending you back to make sure that that day never happens." Without even saying so, Luffy knew which day she was talking about. "Okay, not only can I send people back in time, but also their minds. That's what I am going to do with you. We can't have two Luffy's running around. Hehehe." Luffy laughed with her. "What I do is send your mind backwards in time where it takes the place of your mind of that time. You retain all your memories and experiences while having a younger version of yourself to live in. But, I will also be sending your body back with you. It will act in the same manner as your mind, you will retain all your scars and strength. Except, you will be a younger version of yourself, with all your energy youth." Tashigi thought that might have all gone over Luffy's head. When she looked at Luffy though, she was shocked to see he had understood everything. Contrary to what people say he wasn't stupid. Luffy may be naive and innocent, but not stupid.
She continued, "It may hurt so bear with it. If you give in you may be lost forever." Luffy nodded. Tashigi stood up and walked behind Luffy; she placed her hands on the sides of Luffy's head, her fingers pressing against his temples. "Luffy, I'm going to tell you the name of the island where the fruit is located. Tell no one of this." She leaned down and whispered the location in his ear, he nodded in acknowledgement. Tashigi got back into position and began to concentrate, "I'm going to send you back, the time and destination will be decided by you." Luffy thought long and hard, "okay, I have both decided in my mind" "Good keep them there and concentrate on them." Luffy did as he was told. Tashigi began to mumble to herself for a few minutes before her eyes shot open, they were shining pure white. Luffy felt like he was having needles being driven into his head, but he did Tashigi told him to and thought of where and when he wanted to go and bore the pain. Tashigi suddenly shouted, "Body and Mind Time Traversal" Luffy then felt himself get wrenched backwards, it felt like he was falling down a well. Except he was being pulled backwards, yet he still concentrated like Tashigi told him.
After what felt like an eternity, the tugging sensation stopped. Luffy slowly opened his eyes, what he saw made him start to cry again. He was sitting on a branch, in a tree on a hill, overlooking his home town, Foosha Village. I'm back, I'm really back. Wait could all of that have been just a horrible nightmare? Luffy look at himself and found, to his disappointment, the X-shaped scar on his chest. But, just like Luffy, he grinned his idiotic grin and shouted, "Yahahaha, I'm really back!" He then lost his balance on the branch and fell backwards out of the tree. He hit the ground head first; he found that he had his straw hat once again on his head, he picked himself up began to laugh, fixing his straw hat. "Shishishishi." He stopped when someone started talking to him. "Hahaha, you stupid idiot. What do you mean you're back? I didn't know you had left. If you left, then where did you go?" Luffy turned and stared at the person talking to him. His eyes went wide as he saw who it was, he couldn't believe it. Said person stared back at Luffy, feeling a little uncomfortable asked, "What are staring at Luffy?"
To Be Continued In Chapter 3….
Phew. You guys don't realize how hard it is to write these chapters. It's not that I can't think of anything, but that I keep criticizing my own work and wanting to change it. Its an internal struggle just to say 'that's good now just type it up you idiot'. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry if it seems to be going slow but I just want to get the story laid out and all backgrounds covered. Till next time, Sayonara and Arigato.
