The thick smell of muddy soil and water-drenched plants mixed terribly with the putrid scent of blood that seemed to travel from everywhere. Slowly, presences started to make themselves known to Luffy as the assailants from further back walked forward. He could feel them now, though not many. Flicking a quick observing glance to his sides, Luffy took note of just how many more people he could see rather than feel and it was confusing… what happened to his haki…? After a short and quick assessment of his surroundings he focused all his attention back to his navigator and her assailants. There, barely five metres in front of him, a man was holding Nami by the neck, though he seemed to loom over in size. Luffy could feel the strength from his presence and he knew that the man in front of him was so much weaker than himself. Though… that didn't make him any less capable. Luffy had learnt from his experience as a pirate that a person, no matter how weak, can always have something up their sleeve that gave them the advantage they needed to win any fight. Someone could have a devil fruit after all, and those were completely unpredictable. The aura coming from this man told him he was crafty though, and that was enough to make him pause for his navigator's sake.

Luffy could see that she was bleeding heavily from behind where the weapon had met with her lower back and saw the way Nami's eyes seemed to flick between focused and in pain to an almost-closed glazed look. She was flicking in and out of consciousness… Meaning that she wouldn't be able to fight currently. There was a quiet thud as Nami's mapping tools slipped through her fingers into the now-wet ground from when the umbrella that had been planted into the ground had knocked over, allowing the slightly-heavier rain to seep over. (look at chapter 2 to see what she does to avoid the rain as she maps)

The raven-haired pirate scanned further over their situation and began to search for some way of escape. Being a pirate for the past four years had allowed him the mental tools he needed to survive situations such as these.

He could always use Conqueror's Haki and hope that it would be enough to knock all the surrounding pirates. But that would cause all the pirates to fall… including the one holding the semi-conscious Nami who was now holding a small but clearly sharp blade to her front. If they fell, they would fall forwards. Nami would fall into the sharp blade… Could he – should he – take the risk…? Nami could easily die from that sort of blade going through her, especially at the level of how injured she was already currently. At the same time, if he doesn't do anything… it could risk making the situation even worse… Even then, if it failed and didn't knock out everyone then there would be the risk of having to fight off the stronger opponents while protecting Nami and that would be dangerous for her.

Luffy's eyes narrowed at the current threat to his nakama but stayed silent as he readied himself to fight when necessary. Looking around, he sees just how many enemies are surrounding them in comparison to the ones he can actually feel are there. 'Why isn't haki helping…?' Normally he would have sensed them long before but now, he can only sense the ones within a few metres of him…

A heavy rustling came from the plants surrounding his front right and he instantly knows more people are coming. 'More enemies,' he inwardly growled and then he could see them. A small group of incredibly large, muscular people made themselves known from the distance and walked closer to the larger mass although, they seemed to stand out entirely.

After a short while, the large mass of pirates seemed to settle and it was then that Luffy allowed himself to hope that that had been truly everyone… The way the thick crowd of both lanky and buff, tall – practically giants – and short men and a few women seemed to spread like liquid and fill each possible space that was available was rather daunting.

Amongst all of the people, a good number seemed at least some bit familiar… Or at least he thought they did. Honestly, Luffy's memory still wasn't entirely developing into a strong point any time soon and for that, he inwardly groaned. No matter how dangerous his current situation was, there was usually something to mope about in some way… Sometimes making the situation seem lighter made it easier to deal with for the Straw-hatted man.

Looking again at the surrounding pirates (he really couldn't envision them being anything else… the auras he felt and the voices he managed to hear were such a way that reminded him of all those scary stories his Gramps had told him of pirates in order to get the young boy to want to be a marine… not that it worked…) a tight tug pulled at the back of his mind and eyes again. He had thought seeing this group of so-called-pirates would have stopped that feeling, since he would have been able to see the dangers in front of him. The rain poured a little heavier now and the smell of blood slowly washed away as it buried itself under the folding movements of the semi-solid earth. His eyebrows furrowed to an expression of rage to bury that tingling sensation of worry that seemed to clutch with every action and breath he made. But he couldn't afford to think like that just right now. It would need to wait. For the moment, Luffy would need to think and come up with at least some sort of useable plan. He took note of the way Nami was being held threateningly. Whoever all these people were, they weren't going to just go in for the easy kill and that was both useful and concerning. If these pirates weren't going straight for the kill then that meant they had other plans… possibly using his own crew as leverage against him…? After all, that had happened in a fair amount of previous fights…

It was then that someone else came forward until at the innermost ring of pirates encircling the two others. Luffy suddenly froze as a dark, piercing, familiar aura broke from amongst the crowd as they approached. The aura was suffocating as the pure concentrated evil presence filled the earlier confusing silence. Knowing just exactly who was approaching from behind made him choke slightly with his mind urging him to turn around, kick, punch, bite, claw and just get the hell out! The loud raging encompassing sound of a simple "Zeheheheheh…" was more than enough to send his joints into a dangerously locked position. This man – no, this creature – had taken so many Luffy held dearly close; people whom he had deemed nakama, though not in his immediate crew. Luffy's memories drifted to his most recent loss… his second older brother. Luffy was the King of the Pirates. He was known for being the strongest – a pure monster and demon in human form, to some – but that didn't mean anything to anyone if he damn wasn't in the place he was needed at the right time… Recalling his moment of coming a little too late at Sabo's fall made him inwardly cry. Yes, he had mourned and yes, the majority in that battle had escaped. None of his crew was lost and for that he had been both grateful and fortunate. That fight had lasted so long… It had been just another needless war… It was in those moments that he truly relished in the bond he had with the family he had come to create over the past four years. And now…

Luffy pulled himself from his thoughts, attempting to ignore all of the blood and pain that last memory had brought. He was better, and now was surely not the time to be thinking about these things. And yet, it was so hard not too… what, with his brothers' murderer standing behind him with his presence, his very breath itself, crying once more for his own blood and the blood of his nakama. So, so tempted to turn around and yet he needed to keep an eye on his navigator. He wouldn't let Nami get hurt, no matter what. But he was still frightened, just grasping how many people there were and now he knew who was in charge of this ambush. Before he could even hope that the rest of his nakama were safe he felt the rest of Blackbeard's crew push past over to where Nami was. Each main crewmember of Teach's carrying a person or two from his own crew…

His eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat. His initial worry and now intensely solidified fear hardened at the sight of the people he had come to see as friends and family. Thuds and squelching sounds played in front of him as he watched each of his close nakama being thrown roughly into the ground in front of him. There was Robin's bloody form that hooked around at an awkward angle as she lay limply in the mud; the smell of blood thickened as a shadowed crimson red mixed with the earthly browns and greens beneath. Zoro and Sanji were thrust heavily into the waterlogged earth and continued to be held down by one particularly large man with densely formed muscles from neck to foot – long black hair running down the sides of his head and neck similar to a lion's mane. Luffy recognised this man as one of the stronger and more recent members of Blackbeard's so-called 'crew'. These people may be pirates but they were far from the real pirates he had grown to respect and appreciate.

Zoro's much-longer hair flattened against the pressure of the rain and blood Luffy could see dripping from the older man's forehead drenched the previous green creating some sort of messed up Christmas scene. Blood seeped through the back of Zoro's shirt and Luffy analysed the long shredding cut that dragged in length across his first mate's back. Sanji was no better and the Pirate King could see the awkward-angled twists of the blond man's legs and silently cringed at the sight. A dirt-tinted crimson also mixed amongst the yellow of the man's hair that appeared to be torn in places. Luffy's eyes darkened as he continued to look over his hurt nakama. Jimbei had been dropped alongside Robin and was clearly struggling in his efforts to look up at his captain. When he did though, Luffy could only read guilt and an almost shameful apology written across his features. Whatever had happened, his large friend only blamed himself for it. For that, Luffy returned his own apology through his eyes that he knew the fishman would see.

But it wasn't just an apology… Jimbei could see the horror and worry in his captain's eyes as he looked over the state of his crew and feel what little remained of their previous overpowering presences. They had been made weak. Beaten and, in most cases, drugged and dragged or hauled through the beating rain. Chopper was tossed across, no one bothering to hold down the battered and bloody reindeer and everyone watched despairingly at the slow subtle rise and fall of the doctor's small chest. Usopp was held down behind him and Luffy could see the sniper's mouth go to make a shout to the captain only to have his face pressed with great force into the forest's floor, only muffling whatever words or sounds he would have made.

'What the hell is this…?' Luffy looked across his crew and for a moment, he only saw black and red. Emotions turning bland and numb as his mind tossed itself into a deep pit of denial, hoping against all his experiences as a pirate and wishing against his earned title itself that this was not. Happening.

And oh, Franky… One arm was absolutely destroyed and torn – coming loose from his body entirely once held down while the other appeared more like a disgustingly dislocated shoulder; the arm hanging loosely a bit off from where it should be at the his shoulder's socket while the elbow was detached almost completely, only holding together by cords and wires that thankfully weren't exposed too dangerously in the rain. Luffy could only plead with the sky and ocean that by whatever unseen force existed that Brook was at least safe.

Tears pulled at his eyes as nothing but grief, pain and a terrible harrowing sense of hopelessness wracked every corner of his mind. Those of his crew that were still capable of the neck movement involved to look at him in the eyes could only see the reeking despair that came with every slight twitch and turn in the muscles of Luffy's face. Jimbei, Zoro and Sanji met his gaze, each with wet, frustrated eyes at their pathetically helpless situation.

Luffy's slowly collapsing state barely processed the movements in front of him until Blackbeard was finally standing directly between him and his precious nakama. At that, Luffy slowly brought himself back to the reality of the moment. He needed to think – to save his nakama no matter what. At that, the Pirate King snapped his head upwards and glared, sending every ounce of pain he had ever felt from the losses caused by this monster in front of him into a force of determined hate that made any sane person cower into submission. This however, only made the monster broaden his broken-toothed cocky smirk into a truly dark version of the bright glowing smile that Luffy usually emitted.

"Zeheheheheh…" the monster in front of the man who stood freest of them all, laughed in a deep sickly manner. This time, Luffy didn't react.

"It's nice to see you, Strawhat. Akainu sends his apologies for not being able to make it," Teach chucked slightly as he took in Little King's eyes that widened in unmasked surprise.

He had everything he needed to make this experience painstakingly memorable for the imbecilic brat that dared to get in his way. At least, today, peace would be found in the destruction of these toys. Blackbeard would be careful to make these moments entertaining. But he wouldn't lose either. If worst came to worst then Blackbeard knew he would have to cut things short. But he wouldn't do that until his very own life was at risk. Even entertainment and revenge weren't worth risking that.

Luffy's eyes reverted from Blackbeard to his own nakama. The anger and absolute hate in his eyes returned to the previous worry as before. His own crew shared his or her own shattering glares of unmasked rage towards Blackbeard before fixating on the captain's own worried gaze.

Jimbei continued to look apologetic and grave with an underlying layer of rage and disgust that was purely directed towards the other crews. Zoro and Sanji grit their teeth in anger. Sanji, for his part, held back small droplets of tears that were visibly forming at the corners of his eyes when he flicked his gaze over to Robin, who continued to remain motionless and unbreathing. Usopp barely managed to struggle his head to the side under the pressure of the overweight man standing over him, still affected by whatever drugs had been shoved under his skin. In the end, each of them shares their own worries for their hurt nakama and yet, they continued to hold the firm faith in their friend, brother, and captain's abilities. He had pulled each of them through and out of every desperate and miracle-needing situation. No matter how bad things got, they would always fight for the man who gave them a chance at everything. And they each knew with unrivalled certainty that he would do the same for them. They could only hope that Brook had managed to-

Trudging sounded upon the slow laborious arrival of two fishmen who would easily tower over Jimbei had he been standing at full height. In one of the arms of the man standing on the right was nothing other than a mangled and worn-down suit-wearing skeleton.

Several others arrived. All of them being fishmen. Each wondered to their own space amongst the crowd as the two with Brook continued onwards before tossing the incapacitated musician lightly into the group of held-down Strawhats.

Luffy watched on with a sudden prick feeling of anger and fearful helplessness as Brook was tossed amongst the rest of his nakama. Everyone was here now. Everyone was here and hurt in one way or another. Even one of Brook's own legs was missing and his left pant leg flicked wildly with the heavy wind and rain. Even with a numb mind, Luffy's body seemed to react to the sight as his body seemed to falter slightly – all against his own wishes but, of course, he could barely get his mind and body to act the way he needed in order to get them all out.

"What did-" Luffy mentally admonished himself over the croak and weakly falter of his own voice.

He needed to be strong, damn it…! He mentally cursed but was quick to make sure his voice would not fail him a second time.

"What the hell did you do?!" his voice grew louder with each and every word, spitting with a seething venomous rage that was, for every word and emotion ingrained in the question, meant for the monster at the bare centre of this hellish moment. The two fishmen who now stood at the front line of the crowd knew that the fiery question had been directed towards them as well, even if it was just a fraction for what had been thrown towards the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates.

Blackbeard only smirked at the boy's current faltering state and turned to the slightly smaller though stockier captain of the Vex Pirates.

Luffy concentrated solely on his crew as he quickly thought of various ways he could manage to escape with his crew as unharmed as possible. Could he get them all out…? Everyone was so badly injured or simply just couldn't move a finger in their current state. Looking at Robin, he wasn't even sure if she was alive… He couldn't feel his crew particularly well amongst the chaotic presences of the enemy pirates closest to him that overpowered that of the weakened ones of his crew. But he would hope. He knew that Robin had to be alive. They all had to be. They were his nakama! At least in Chopper's position he could see the slight rise and fall of the doctor's chest. Still… once they got away from all of this… it would be dangerous. Their doctor was amongst the most injured and that meant the rest of his crew would risk a lot with whatever fight would come. But they would still do it…

That sharp burst of energised hope was interrupted with an even sharper voice of-

"Set the signal."

Luffy once again turned to Teach in his tense state. Those in his crew that heard were unable to stop the sudden stiffening of their muscles at those words. Briefly, each of them shared the same thought.

'What?'