When Luffy looked down at his bare chest, he winced. That was not what it looked like last time he checked. But, that was probably why it was hurting him so much right now. He slid off his shirt completely. Glad to be rid of the fabric that had been irritating the wound since he woke up. Slowly, gently, he placed his hand over top of the center of the wound and hissed when the cold skin made contact. After a few seconds the cold began to sooth the pain a little. Just enough that the sharpness of the pain was gone. Leaving a thrumming deep pain. The relief would fade soon, and he should probably see Chopper about it, but he didn't want to explain everything to the reindeer and knowing Chopper, he would freak at the extent of the wound. After all, it did take Traffy to save him. The thought of Trafaglar made him smile. He'd be pissed that Luffy disappeared. Kidd would probably just laugh and make fun of Luffy. Saying he got lost or eaten or just got himself into some deep shit like usual. Which Luffy guessed was true this time. Sabo...Sabo would be pissed as well. But he would also be worrying so much that he'd be unable to focus on anything else really. Then there was his crew. Traffy, Kidd, Sabo, and him had separated from their crews to do something that they didn't want them involved in, so his crew probably didn't know yet. What would Sabo tell them? Cause he knew it would be Sabo. He would claim that since it was his brother who was gone that he should be the one to tell his crew. And neither Kidd nor Traffy would have any problem with that. But did any of them have even close to an idea of what happened to Luffy? Cause Luffy sure didn't. Well, he knew he was sent into the past, but how it happened is another story completely.
He brought his other hand up to his scar as the sharpness of the pain began to come back. Letting the coolness seep into his skin before deciding that he had kept Ace and Zoro waiting long enough. So he turned around.
Zoro couldn't help but stare.
Ace felt his body go rigid and could taste bile in his throat.
It was bright red. Inflamed. Even slightly bloody in small patches where it had been agitated. The skin at the edge of the wound was jagged, and the closer it got to the center of his chest, the deeper it got. The giant 'X' that crossed Luffy's chest looked painful to say the very least.
"It hasn't been like this since I first got it three years ago. I'm guessing that whatever weird voodoo, magical, thingy ma-bob, transferred my scar to my younger body, made my younger body not very happy." Luffy told them. Ace swallowed and after glancing at Luffy's face, decided that it was differently not something his brother wanted to talk about, so he punched a still starring Zoro in the arm before changing the subject.
"You got that three years ago? Exactly how old are you Luffy?" Luffy's face scrunched up as he did the math.
"Uhhhh, well I'm 20 right now but in my time my birthday was in a month, so pretty much 21." Luffy laughed and his grin stretched up to his eyes as realization crossed Ace's face.
"You're older than me?!" Ace yelled it like he was angry, but Zoro could see the small smile on his face and he couldn't help but smile as well. Since this Luffy had arrived in the past, it was the first time he had laughed, or smiled that shit eating grin that Zoro would never admit that he loved seeing. That grin, that smile was one only Luffy could pull off, and it was contagious like you wouldn't believe.
"Only by eight months." Zoro outright laughed at the statement Luffy had made, knowing full well that it would only make his brother more upset. Ace groaned in frustration at the fact that his little brother had just become his older brother in everything but body. "I'm not done the story guys." Zoro and Ace looked up to see that Luffy had gone serious again and Ace had to admit that he missed his Luffy. The idiot one that couldn't be serious even if his life was on the line. The innocent one that believed that the world could be a good place if he tried hard enough. The happy one that smiled and laughed so much that when it was quiet you knew he was either pissed, or nowhere near you. Ace's gaze wandered onto Luffy's scar and he was reminded that this is Luffy. No matter what he looked or sounded like. No matter what he said or did, the one standing in front of him had been his Luffy at one point. Then the idiocy, the innocence, and the happiness had all been ripped away from him, and those were things that once they were gone, they were impossible to get back. Yet Ace could see a glimmer of hope. A fire in Luffy's eyes that refused to be dimmed by the years of pain. He also heard the way Luffy laughed at him. Though hollow, his laugh held a realness to it. It had not been faked just to please him. And Luffy's smile. Though filled with painful memories, it was as contagious as ever. No matter what anyone said, the man standing in front of him was his little brother. And he would protect Luffy this time. Even if that meant doing the impossible, and helping him get back all that he'd lost. Including Luffy's precious happiness.
