After a few minute I break the hug and, with a smile, I put the straw hat on Luffy's head. "What do you want to do next, captain?" I say.
"Why…" he starts shaking. He's looking down and his fists are clenched so tight that little trickles of blood begin to flow. "Why do you still call me that? Why do you still want me as captain after everything I have done?"
"Because, despite everything you say, you are one of the best men I know. And you have saved my life in more than one way on several occasions."
"So what? I've probably killed you now. We're stranded here." Without a moments hesitation I slap him. The blow doesn't faze him because of his rubber body, but the pain it sends through my own body is enough to put me on my knees. Luffy doesn't even help me up. Has it really gotten this bad? He just stares down with that solemn gaze.
"Who are you?" I say, fighting the tears. He doesn't respond, "Who are you?" I scream as I pound my fist into the earth. "What happened to the happy man that I knew? What happened to his dream?"
"He grew up." He turns around and checks the fish. No. That can't be. Not Luffy…not him, "The fish is ready." he turns his head, but refuses to meet my eyes, "I'm sorry if it's not as good as Sanji's cooking. Take as much as you want." Without taking any for himself Luffy sits against a tree, staring into the distance. Even his appetites gone. I understand being upset over the loss of a crew, but even after losing Ussop, Luffy still had a great deal of optimism—even if he starting being more cautious about heading into danger. But this…he's just given up. He honestly thinks that only we survived. This isn't like Luffy. I never would have expected him to lose that aspect of his personality.
Normally I'd stubbornly refuse to eat until he took food, but I can't do that. He's already in a bad enough state of mind. If I don't eat it will only worry him. I can't do that to him. I grab food, more than I usually, would and start eating the somewhat burnt fish.
I finish my last bite of food and stare at the remaining fish by the fire, "Luffy," I say, "aren't you going to eat?" He's facing away from me, sitting on a rock. He's staring at the sun as it slowly goes down.
"No." he doesn't even face me.
"Why not?"
"Because," damn it, Luffy, why aren't you talking to me.
"Luffy, what's this about," I ask calmly. There's no use getting angry now, "Can't you tell me anything?"
"I'll eat when my crew gets back," his crew? What's happening to him? He's never called them his crew before, not when any of us were around. He really does blame himself for everything. He's taking all the responsibility. "I'm saving it for them."
"Luffy…" I hear a whistling sound. What the…oh my god, "Luffy, get down," I dive forward and knock him off the rock as something whistles by my right ear. Every part of my body screams as I hit the ground. I can't help but let go of Luffy and curl into a ball. Luffy's hat lands on the rock.
"You little—" Luffy screams as he throws a gomu gomu punch from the source of the bullet. I hear a fleshy collision as he manages to hit his target despite the trees and foliage blocking his view. Luffy pulls back—reeling in the shooter, "Who the hell do you think—" He stops mid-sentence. We're both speechless as we stare at the unconscious body of the man in Luffy's grasp.
"Usopp," I say. Is this possible, could this really be him? "Usopp, is that you?" I stand up shaking and I slowly limp toward him. He's gotten older in the time of his absence, but it's him. I smile…good. Maybe now Luffy will start to get better.
Luffy is still in shock and Usopp is still unconscious in his grasp, suspended in the air. I manage to break Luffy's hold on him and drag him to a tree, but Luffy is still standing there. His arm falls to his side, but his eyes are blank. Seeing Usopp alive must be tough on him. A whole year of blaming yourself for his death, and now he's back. What's going on in your head, Luffy?
"Usopp," what? Was that Luffy? I look over, his eyes are watering, "Usopp," he says again and he falls to his knees. He stays in that position for some time before closing his eyes and crashing onto his front. I walk over to him. I guess exhaustion is finally getting to him.
I look toward the horizon, the sun is about to fall below the sea. "Finally, Luffy," I say out loud. I don't know how much more of this he could have taken. I pick his hat up off the rock, "When you wake up," I place it on the back of his head, "you're going to have a lot to deal with."
I sit at the base of a tree and remove the piece of cloth from my leg. The bleeding finally stopped, but there is a horrible scar below my knee. It doesn't look like it's going to be infected, nor does the wound in my side. Luffy must have cleaned them. But is this—I inspect Luffy's unconscious form—Is this the cost of responsibility?
I watch the last dying embers from our fire extinguish as the sun disappears from the sky. I look up at the sky, "A storm is coming…" I close my eyes, "what'll happen to us," I say with a smile and let exhaustion take me.
The change between being carefree and being responsible is a big deal. One must make sure that, in doing so, you don't change who you are.
