A/N: I'm in the middle of a tough time and my writing is currently taking a back seat. I've been worried about my health, Bio is kicking my ass and just interacting with different people is stressing me out. I'm not even getting enough sleep, really. I'm not going to apologize for not getting it out sooner because I'm honestly not writing this for you. I'm writing this for me, and I've decided to share it (because that just lights up my life when I get positive feedback).

I like reading your reviews. Some of your comments and opinions even make me think. I know a recurring request is that the other Straw Hats go into that world. However, this story isn't really about them, but I have considered the idea. So they'll probably pop in at the very end to take Luffy home, but that's about it. They don't have a real place in the plot. Because yes, believe it or not, this has an actual plot and isn't just for shits and giggles.

Also, for the love of god don't ask me to write longer chapters. They'll be as long as they will. End of story. Stop being so greedy.

(You can tell that I'm not in a good mood when I'm writing this, can't you?)

Right.

Alia Inverse: Yes Luffy and Ace will meet, and Ace is definitely darker than before, but I still think that he'd join up with Whitebeard. Ace has been through a lot in both worlds and I can't take that home from him.

Lord Edric: I'm not going to go into much detail (or none) about what happened to the other Straw Hats. Yeah I think Zoro would go on a rampage when he finds Helmeppo lied, and would survive (even if he earned himself a bounty from that). Nami I think would be alive but absolutely miserable, knowing that Arlong is a sadistic son of a bitch. Oh, here's a thought. If Luffy didn't help out, do you think that she'll meet Jimbei? Other than those two most of them would be dead or in similar shitty situations ... (Chopper, Usopp, Robin and Sanji are definitely dead ...)

Esaki Nalex: Good job for spotting that!

Insane Blood Prince: Think about this. The Marines hate pirates (especially a select few) and if they were to discover Luffy's identity as a pirate they would attack and either try to arrest him and send him to Impel down, or outright kill him. The main thing is that they wouldn't send him home (because they're nowhere near strong enough to take him down), and he's really missing his crew, so he wants to keep them happy.

Alright. So one more thing. Before you ask this stupid question, no, I'm not including any pairings.

- DW

05
I have serious head rush.
.

Vegapunk fidgeted nervously under his superior's gaze. Sengoku watched the elder man like a hawk, eyes never wavering or shifting from the panicking man. The silence was thick and stifling, both only waiting for the inevitable pin-drop to break the awkwardness.

"You've been hiding something from us, Vegapunk," Sengoku slowly said, making sure that Vegapunk comprehended the pressure he put behind the words. He, being the mad and ingenious scientist that he was, completely understood and nodded after a short pause.

"Aa, I have," Vegapunk said, giving a loud sigh before he flopped down (almost melodramatically) in a chair in front of the desk. He had been caught red handed, so he might as well spill the beans. "It was me who stole all the light fixtures from–"

"Dammit this isn't about that!" Sengoku shouted, a dangerous tick mark appearing on his forehead. Vegapunk laughed.

Joking aside, he knew perfectly well that now was the time to explain. There wasn't really a need to keep secrets from the Fleet Admiral, after all. "Alright, alright, I'll be serious."

"Tell me what you know about Monkey D. Luffy," Sengoku said, reminding himself of who he was talking to.

"Well, first of all," Vegapunk began, "I should explain that I don't know the whole of it myself. I contacted myself from numerous worlds until I got lucky. I explained the situation and he suggested Luffy."

Sengoku raised his eyebrows, "Really? It was that simple?"

"Oh, no, it's a mite more complicated. Their world is in an era of peace, but most people don't really recognize that it's peaceful. Monkey D. Luffy, the undisputed strongest man in their world, is no hero."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Sengoku frowned, thinking over the possibilities. Those words struck a chord of uneasiness deep inside him, and the reports and demonstration of the boy's power (even if only a fraction) were enough to draw concern.

"He's dangerous, Sengoku. Risk follows him constantly, wherever he goes. He's saved thousands of lives, but he's ruined just as many. Can you comprehend that Sengoku? No one has experienced anything like it since Roger still sailed the seas," a sparkle of excitement and imagination twinkled in the elder's eyes.

"So he's not a Marine."

"No, not by a long shot," Vegapunk chuckled and shook his head, "That's what separates our two worlds – the occupation of Monkey D. Luffy. He's a catalyst, that one. My other self told me that he's unpredictable, so we have to be careful. Right now he's under the impression that we are his only way home to his Nakama – who have let us borrow him by the way – and this puts us in a position of leverage. However it's a dangerously precarious position and if we were to make one wrong move he could and would annihilate us."

"Why does he think that we're the only option?" Sengoku asked.

Vegapunk grimaced, "Well, I … sort of outright lied to his face. His Nakama know he's here, but he doesn't know that they know. We can also send him back any time."

"Idiot, if he's really as powerful as you say, why on earth didn't you tell him?"

"He'll try not to cause as much of a ruckus, which is good for us. He's notorious for stirring up trouble."

Sengoku massaged his temples, feeling an oncoming migraine. The situation had just become a lot more complicated.

Ricka fumbled with a tall stack of papers and folders, on her way to deliver them to her superior. Her glasses were askew and her nose itched terribly, but she couldn't put down the mountain of paperwork. Recent events had spurred a movement in headquarters, and everyone was feeling the strain.

Her thoughts were turbulent and chaotic. Questions droned on like bees, battering her repeatedly and not helping her in the slightest. For every question answered two more would take its place.

She was so lost in her thoughts that when she rounded the corner she bumped into someone, sending all her pages to the floor. "Sorry!" she squeaked, not even bothering to check who it was. Immediately her focus was on the things scattered across the floor. Irritation tickled at the edges of her mind. She was very tired.

"Watch where you're going next time," a deep voice barked in annoyance. Ricka glanced upwards and spluttered in surprise. It was none other than Admiral Akainu.

She jumped to her feet, giving a quick salute, "Yes Sir!"

Before she could return to collecting her things Akainu grabbed her by the arm and looked into her eyes. "You're friends with that Luffy brat, right?"

"Err … well … I guess?" It was true she was friends with their Luffy, but the other one she wasn't so sure. At that point she had no idea which one he was talking about.

"What do you know, girl? You have got to know something about that bastard. There isn't something right about him."

A wave of panic overcame Ricka, and though she tried to hide it her expression was painfully obvious. The grip on her arm tightened, and his thick fingers heated up. Fear accompanied the panic as he shook her small form savagely, "Tell me what you know!"

He was definitely talking about the other Luffy. The burden of knowing that Luffy was a pirate suddenly became very heavy as she looked up into the Admiral's face. He was an idealistic juggernaut that cruelly enforced his viewpoint. To him all pirates were scum, and those scum had to be killed.

Though she didn't know him that well, and even though he was a pirate, she couldn't bear to see him dead.

"Tell me!" he shouted, and tears sprung to her eyes. She wrenched her bruised arm out of his grip and ran, not caring about the lost paperwork any longer.

She would tell no one of what had just occurred.

"Ow!"

"Hold still dammit!"

Ricka fumed as Luffy pouted childishly. After the incident concerning Crocodile, Luffy had sort of unofficially become a part of their military in some people's eyes. So of course he had been sent for a general physical and checkup. Ricka was drawing blood, and the boy simply refused to co-operate.

"You stick it in too hard," Luffy stuck out his tongue at the young doctor, who growled in return.

"Shut up," she replied, feeling a vague sense of deja-vu. Sometimes he was too much like the Luffy that she knew. It made her inexplicably sad. This man, this pirate, was so strong, had gone through so much pain and agony, was hated simply for being born and yet his life was filled with joy. The way he spoke told volumes. He loved being alive. He loved being a pirate.

Their Luffy had only spoken once of being a pirate. Only once, and it surprised both Ricka and Toma, the only two witnesses. It was just a childhood dream, he said, when he thought the world was just peachy and such adventure was real. Ricka hated that conversation. The way that he spoke that time was nothing like the boy she knew. He sounded regretful, as though he still longed for that childhood fantasy.

And here he was, from a different world, with different abilities and friends, living his dream.

She hoped that the two wouldn't meet. The end result would be disastrous.

Ricka huffed, "Hold out your arm, I still can't find a vein."

"No, I don't wanna."

"For the love of God don't make this harder than it should be!" she shouted. He laughed it off, but finally complied.

She grabbed his arm and searched for the tell-tale blue mark. When she couldn't find one on the inside of his elbow she turned to his hand and examined the back of it. His knuckles had thick callouses. With a small smile she finally found a vein and carefully inserted the sterile needle. Luffy wrinkled his nose at the smell of the antibacterial wipes, but otherwise didn't complain.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Ricka said as she carefully labeled the sample before placing it in the tray. "By the way, why does your skin feel rubbery?"

The pirate laughed, surprising her. He continued to grin as he answered, "I ate a Devil Fruit when I was little: the Gomu Gomu no Mi. I'm a rubber-man!"

That certainly explained a lot. "You're made of rubber?" Ricka asked.

"Yeah!" Luffy hooked his finger on the corner of his mouth and pulled. The skin stretched, extending farther than should be possible. When he let go it quickly snapped back into place.

"Whoa," Ricka grinned. She hadn't yet had the chance to examine a Devil Fruit user's ability up close before. "How far can you stretch?"

"Why don't I show you?" he chuckled. "Just go up to the roof tonight."

"Alright!" her eyes sparkled, and she could feel the stirrings of an adventurous spirit from deep within her. This man's optimism was contagious.

Ricka sneezed when she opened the door up to roof. It was a crisply chill night and the moon was bright and plump, illuminating the city below in a silvery wash. He was already there, wearing a sweater temporarily borrowed. His Straw Hat waved in the wind from its place on his back, hanging from his neck by a string.

When she stepped out onto the roof he immediately turned his head to look at her. He slowly stood up, careful not to fall off and approached her. "You ready?"

Ricka nodded, undeniably curious. She wouldn't admit it, but she was very excited to see more of his abilities. "Yeah."

With a 'Shishishi', he turned around, scanning the city with a smile. "Climb onto my back and hold tight." A frown marked her confusion, but she did it never the less. He made sure that her grip was strong enough before he singled out a single spot further down.

He sent his arm stretching into the distance, where it latched onto a flag pole. Realization and horror dawned on Ricka, but it was far too late. With a scream on her part both of them were launched at break-neck speeds.

She was sure she was strangling him, especially since he was trying to loosen her death-grip on his neck. That had probably been the most reckless and stupid thing she had ever been a part of. "Are you an idiot?! We could have died!"

He laughed and made sure that she wasn't about to suffocate him before launching them off in another random direction in similar fashion. Very soon Ricka found herself enjoying the exhilarating rush that it brought, even if she was sure she was going to have a heart attack. The wind whipped across her face and through her hair, the cold stinging her skin. She could feel her heart beat against her ribs.

It was the most amazing experience she'd ever had.

When they returned to the roof she punched him in the face for endangering their lives, but as she walked back inside, followed by his laughter, she couldn't help but smile.

Garp let out a deep breath, watching the morning fog clear as they approached Marineford. The sea was a murky green, the sky mostly clear. Fishing boats dotted the coastline, a few of which he waved to on their way in.

A loud explosion alerted Garp of his grandson's arrival long before he actually showed, running from a couple of angry cooks. As soon as the boy had lost those on his tail, he went to his grandfather. There were dark circles under Garp's eyes, showing that he hadn't had much sleep on the voyage. Luffy was incredibly restless during the whole thing, excitement coursing through his little body from the prospect of a grand and important mission that had been described to him from others. And because he was restless, he made everyone else tired and cranky.

They had found nothing, just as expected.

"I can't wait to tell Ricka and Toma about what we saw," Luffy said, excitement still evident in his tone. He leaned over the railing, silently willing Marineford to come into view, to emerge from the fog and announce the end of their seemingly endless mission.

Slowly but surely the fog completely cleared and they could see headquarters in all its glory. The massive stone structure was still awe inspiring. Garp found himself smiling as they made their way into the harbor. There were people waiting for them on the shore.

They docked rather quickly, and Garp and Luffy were the first ones off the boat. As much as he loved the sea Garp couldn't help but feel grateful that he was back on dry land. He slowly breathed in the salty air and watched the sun hit the sparking white stone.

"Vice-Admiral Garp!" Garp turned his head to look at who was calling out to him. It was his colleague, Vice-Admiral Stainless. "Welcome back," they clasped arms and laughed good-naturedly in a display of camaraderie.

"I hope you guys didn't do anything too rash in my absence. I read about Crocodile."

Stainless looked perturbed suddenly, the exact opposite of what Garp had been expecting, "Actually … about that."

"You didn't do anything stupid, right?" the frown made its way into Garp's voice. The nagging feeling in the back of his mind was suddenly brought to the forefront as he examined his fellow Vice-Admiral, who was looking a little sheepish.

"Vegapunk found a 'solution' to our problem with the war."

Oh shit … this can't be good.

"What's going on?" Garp demanded.

"Vegapunk pulled someone from an alternate reality into ours. We didn't think it was possible, but it's true. He made a deal with Sengoku, but we wanted to be sure it was legitimate, so we sent him off to capture Crocodile …"

"Are you saying he defeated the Shichibukai?" Garp trusted Stainless, and if he said someone had come from another world he would believe it, no matter how unbelievable the claim was.

"Yeah, I was there," the man shook his head, "It was scary, honestly. Vegapunk told us that he's the strongest man in his world, but it is one thing to hear about it and another to experience it. The kid knocked all of us out with Haki and then beat Crocodile within an inch of his life."

That was impressive.

"Did you say he was a kid?" Garp asked.

"Yeah, you see, that's the thing. You're not going to believe who it is."

"Tell me."

…

"It's your grandson."

Luffy pushed through the crowd, searching for his two best friends. A wide smile spread across his face when he caught sight of Toma, who was also searching the crowd for his longtime friend.

"Toma!" Luffy called, running towards him. The smaller boy looked over at the approaching Marine, but he didn't jump for joy or even smile. Instead he looked worried, even sick.

"Luffy, how was your trip?" Toma asked, twitching nervously.

"It was great! I even saw some whales!"

"Fantastic. Listen, Luffy, I have to tell you something. This is really important."

The smile slid off of Luffy's face at Toma's tone of voice. He nodded, serious for once. He listened as Toma quickly explained the project, how Vegapunk pulled the strongest man through from another world and how that same man defeated Crocodile.

"Sugoi …" Luffy whispered under his breath, already indescribably excited. His whole body was trembling in anticipation now, longing to actually meet this incredible individual. A grin once again spread across his face, but this only seemed to make Toma worried. "Where is he?"

"Luffy that's the thing–"

"Oi!" a voice called out, and the two of them turned to see Ricka coming towards them.

Luffy's heart stopped beating for a moment when he caught a glimpse of who was trailing after her. His breath caught in his throat, eyes widening in shock. He suddenly wanted to run, to hide, and to curl into a little ball and cry. All sounds faded as he watched himself walk towards them.

It was him.

It was him.

"Toma," Luffy rasped in a hoarse voice.

"What's wrong?" the other man turned his purple eyes towards him, expression worried.

"That's him Toma, from those dreams a couple months ago," he swallowed thickly. Toma's eyes widened when he realized what his friend was telling him.

He'll kill us all.