We froze in our tracks the second a gunshot rang out.
"Wh-what was that...?" Shanks asked. "Was that a gun shot?"
"LUFFYYY!"
I bolted from my spot and ran through the open doors.
"It's not too late," I whispered under my breath, "it's not too late, it's not too late, it's not too late, it's not too late... Please... please don't let it be too late..."
The sight in front of me nearly made me pass out. Luffy was on the ground, clutching his arm. A redhead fell on her knees and frantically held his hand, crying.
"Luffy!" she cried. "Luffy!"
"Damn it." My focus turned to the old man holding the pistol. "Now I'm one short... Oh well, I'll just send them your corpse."
"You," I growled, "you did this...!"
I charged at the old man like a raging bull. He grabbed my wrists and held me back, gritting his teeth.
"You escaped...!?" he barely managed to say, keeping my weight off of him.
"What did you do to him!?"
As my consciousness slowly came back, I heard a familiar mature yet raspy voice yell through my ears.
"Luffy!"
"Sh... Sh-Shanks...?"
"Oh, thank God," he gasped. "Don't worry, kid, we're gonna get you outta here."
"Principal-san...!"
My eyes wouldn't open, but I knew he and Nami were really there by my side, causing a smile to work its way onto my face.
"Shanks, get the kids and get outta here!"
Dad?
"Come on, kids-"
Another gun shot rang out. I struggled to raise my eye lids to see my Dad standing next to Garp, and blood dripping from his head.
"D-Dad..."
"Dragon-san!"
He fell over on his side.
The pistol that shot him clicked several times, trying to imitate the noise it made when it injured him.
"Darn, out of bullets," Garp growled as he tossed the gun on the ground. "Oh well, I can take you out with my bare hands."
Our Principal stood up and held out his arms.
"Nami-chan," he whispered. "Your friends should be out there waiting. Take Luffy and run, run as fast as you can. Don't worry about us."
"Y-yes, sir," Nami stuttered as she picked me up.
"Sh-Shanks... Dad..."
The last thing I saw before my vision faded was Shanks falling on the ground.
"Dragon," a gentle voice said calmly.
I slowly opened my eyes to see my late wife standing across from me, her folded hands on her chest, and her soft blue eyes staring at the sky.
"Nigami!"
"Honey, I know you can't hear me... All I can do is speak my will and hope by fate you manage to hear it."
"Nigami, I'm right he-"
"I'm afraid I won't be able to make it out of here," she interrupted, oblivious to my presence. "Our son is asleep near the front door, they should have found him the moment they entered. Dragon, if he survives... then I leave our son in your care."
Her body turned into flames that flew away.
"Nigami!"
"Honey," she said as she burned. "Take care of Luffy, okay?" As those words left her mouth, her head dispersed into flames.
My eyes shot open.
I knew what I saw. Nigami let me see her final words, and her final wish. I was the one who had to save Luffy.
With new determination and a sense of sanity in my eyes, I turned my head over to see Shanks tied next to me.
"Shanks," I whispered. "Shanks!"
"Dragon... san...?"
I turned over on my side.
"Come on. Let's go save Luffy and the kids."
I squirmed over to him and bit the rope around his chest, some saliva dripping on his shirt. My teeth eventually gnawed through, freeing his chest. After he untied me, I immediately stood up and opened the door.
To my horror, no one was in the house.
"They're gone...!"
"Don't tell me he took them and left," Shanks said. "But where? Where is he taking them? We don't have time to check the entire city!"
"We don't have a choice."
We were tied and gagged. Garp had found the others kids, and in no time we were in separate large suitcases in the back of a truck being hauled to a plane ready to head to India.
I was in a suitcase with Nami, Franky, and Robin. They were all crying through their gags, struggling desperately to get away.
Why were they keeping hold of their emotions, I thought. If they kept the will to feel, they would just feel more pain. Oh, well. I figured they would eventually break like I did, and they wouldn't mind the torment.
Nami turned over to face me, still crying. She squirmed closer to me, and buried her covered face in my chest.
I looked up to see Franky and Robin trying to hug each other as well, crying. When I looked back down at Nami, she was still crying, but something was different about her eyes. They seemed brave and happy.
She winked.
I looked back up to see Franky and Robin smiling through their gags.
Why were they smiling, though? I think they were trying to say... they wouldn't give up.
The straw hat slid off of my head and onto Nami's. My senses came back.
That's right, I thought. I forgot about Shanks' hat... I still need to give it back to him!
My emotions started to return. I remembered my reason for escaping. My tears fell onto Nami's hair. Even though her mouth was covered, I could tell her smile widened.
I nodded.
I won't give up either! Shanks... and Dad... will definitely come to save us.
After several hours of searching, we found Garp in line at an airport. I clenched my fist and felt my blood boil.
"There he is," I growled.
The principal put his hands on both of my shoulders.
"Dragon-san, I know we don't have much time, and I know you want to save your son, but-"
"I know, we need a plan," I interrupted. "What do you have in mind?"
"You... you want me to come up with a plan?"
"No, I want this cat to come up with a plan. Yes, you, dummy."
Shanks started crying as he hugged me.
"Dragon-san~!"
"Hey, hey," I said as I pushed him off with a blush. "Don't go homo on me."
He chuckled and rubbed his hands together.
"... I don't have a plan."
I fell over. The moment I stood up I grabbed his hair and shook him.
"Think, you idiot!"
"I'm trying!"
"He's almost in." I shook him harder. "Think! Think! We're on a deadline here!"
"Wait! I know!"
