Sabaody Archipelago:

"Luffy?" Ace called Luffy's name as he walked into their room, "Where are you going?" Ace asked seeing that Luffy was on his way out of the room. Luffy shrugged and tried to get out but Ace blocked the doorway with his body.

"Don't know…" Luffy said looking anywhere but Ace and whistling, Ace sighed and stood straight. "Luffy, I know that you are lying whenever you do that," he said and Luffy sighed and looked at Ace straight in the eyes.

"It's not that big a deal I'm just going to see an old friend," Luffy said and before Ace could realize it he ran past him and off the ship. "Dammit, Luffy… I was going to let you go anyway." Ace said mumbling the last part. Kicking non-existant dirt Ace wandered around the ship with the goal of filling his time.

Once Luffy got off the ship Luffy first went to a nearby souvenir stand and bought all the food he could get and started eating it as he walked down a familiar path. 'I wonder if he'll look different?' Luffy wondered popping a souvenir bun in his mouth.

"He won't know me anymore," Luffy said out loud deep in thought, "No one will know me," he said and started thinking about what to do. "Ahhh! Whatever, I'll just meet them again. Thinking is too hard." Luffy yelled out red in the face.

Luffy finally got to his destination, after all that time of being distracted and wrong turns, 'Shakky's Rip-off Bar. Last time I was here it was after the two years.' he looked at the name of the familiar bar for a second before walking in.

"Can I help you, hon?" a woman holding a cigarette asked as she leaned over the counter. "You don't seem old enough to drink," she observed and Luffy shrugged. "This place sounds like fun.," Luffy said with his usual grin in place. Luffy noticed Rayleigh sitting in the back watching him with a curious eye but ignored him.

"Looked fun? Hardly," she said and Luffy still sat down on a stool, "What's your name?" Luffy asked and just as she answered a news coo flew into the bar and landed in front of Luffy.

"Huh?" the bird dropped a letter and flew out to continue his deliveries. "It's from... JIJI!" Luffy yelled in a panic once he read the address. Luffy then hurried outside out of the bar and opened the letter and saw that it was pretty short.

Luffy,

You will become a marine! I'm coming to get you before you get a bounty on your stupid head.

Grandpa,

After Luffy read the short letter Luffy ran back into the bar to grab his buns and was about to leave but Rayleigh grabbed his wrist. "You looked distressed, what was that letter about?" he asked holding Luffy back from running.

"What letter?!" Luffy said whistling but it was useless since he was still holding the letter. Luffy quit his attempt at lying and handed over the letter. 'Oh well, at least I know I can trust him.' he thought. While Rayleigh was reading Luffy tried to get out slowly but failed to do to Rayleighs haki.

"Fine," he huffed crossing his arms with a pout. "I see your problem. There's a simple solution right over there," he said pointing in the direction of the auction house. "You could easily get a pretty hefty bounty right here at the auction house," Rayleigh explained but Luffy shook his head.

"I want to get my first bounty when I become captain. And Ace did so much to keep me out of the eyes of the marines, it'll be a waste." Luffy said and Rayleigh put a hand to his chin in a thinking position.

"Then what will you do?" he asked and Luffy looked contemplative before looking up at Rayleigh. "I just want to get down to Fishman Island and past the red-line as fast as possible," he said and Rayleigh nodded.

" I can definitely help with that. I can coat your ship so go get your ship and bring it to this dock. Make sure to explain it to your brother." Rayleigh told him and Luffy nodded, just as Luffy started to leave Rayleigh handed him the letter and he was off to the Piece of Spadille.

"Why're you helping that kid?" Shakky asked curiously and Rayleigh just smiled and closed his eyes. "Did you see that kids hat? And he reminds me of him."

"Hat? Yeah, it's an old straw hat." she smiled and took a puff of her cigarette, "Exactly, if I'm right that is Shanks' old hat. Remember when he came around a while back with his arm gone. He was talking about this bright and happy kid. Luffy is that kid I'm sure." Rayleigh said and after the conversation, he sat down to finish his drink.

"Ace!" Ace turned around to see Luffy running straight at him with a big smile. "Yo, Luffy What's up! Your back," Ace said taking Luffy into a hug as he jumped onto him. All of the crew smiled fondly at the scene as they sat around the deck waiting for orders.

"What do you have?" Ace asked noticing the buns, "I got some really yummy souvenir buns. But we need to move the ship to a different grove." Luffy said handing the buns over to a confused Ace. "Why? We have to get ready for-" Luffy didn't bother explaining and just handed him the letter and waited.

As soon as Ace started reading his eyes widened partly in fear but he hid it quickly. "Where did you want to move it again?" Ace asked with his eyes shaded. 'Damn that old geezer.' he cursed in his mind and Luffy answered the question from before, "well Rayleigh is in grove thirteen so there." he said and Ace's expression turned to a shocked one.

"How did you know Silvers Rayleigh?!" Ace asked and Luffy remembered an important detail. "Well… um, I knew him from when my crew and I were separated but he also trained me." Luffy said realizing that Ace had died before that happened.

"Oh, I see I was probably dead already." Ace murmured to himself but shook it off and turned to his lazy crew. "Huh? Are you guys eavesdropping? You heard Luffy, right? We need to move the ship. We can do all of the errands from there." Ace said and begrudgingly the crew got up and started working.

"They seem sleepy, Ace," Luffy commented noticing how slow they were working. "Yeah, probably from the all-nighter last night. How about we help 'em out?" Ace suggested and Luffy nodded agreeing fully. Both Ace and Luffy picked up most of the work which let the crew relax a bit.

"Shishishi, that was fun," Luffy said holding onto his straw hat because of the wind, and Ace gave him a thumbs up before his narcolepsy kicked in and he fell asleep. Luffy amusedly laughed and left him in search of a marker.

"I see you made it ok," Rayleigh said with a smile after seeing Luffy drawing on Ace's face. "I don't think he'll like that," Rayleigh said and Luffy threw the marker across the deck and hopped out of the ship.

"Don't tell him, it's funny when he finds out. Shishishishi!" Luffy said with his signature laugh which made Rayleigh give a small chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, I need all of the living beings off and out of the ship. We don't know how far away your grandpa is so it's best to start right away." Rayleigh told Luffy who nodded along.

"Got it!" Luffy then walked over next to Ace and bent down, "ACEEE! WAKE UP!" Ace jumped up with his fists in a fighting position. Ace realized what Luffy did and tackled him. "Luffy! I can barely hear anything now!" Ace yelled with an almost unnoticeable smile on his face.

After all the yelling was done Luffy finally introduced Ace to Rayleigh, "Ace this is Rayleigh. He's going to help us get away from gramps." Luffy said and Ace nodded and turned to Rayleigh to give a handshake.

"Pleasure to meet you. I need all of the crew out of the ship so I can coat it. I recommend getting all of your materials and supplies." Rayleigh suggested and Ace agreed. "Thanks for this," Ace said, "ALRIGHT GET MOVING EVERYONE OUT OF THE SHIP! EVERYONE IS GETTING SUPPLIES TODAY!" Ace yelled out the orders and in a couple of minutes, everyone was walking towards the shops and carts.

An Hour Later:

"We're back Rayleigh!..." Luffy kicked open the door to the Rip-off bar while Saber, Pinnacle, and Aggie followed behind carrying piles of food and barrels of water. "Luffy! You here yet!" Ace said as the door was kicked open again and more of the crew came in with more food and water including new clothes.

"Perfect timing. Your ship is done. It wasn't that big so It was easy to finish." Rayleigh said and then closed his eyes. "Now… Are you ready for the new world?"

"Of course!" Luffy yelled out giving the biggest grin of all time. Ace just smirked and nodded, 'finally, I can get back to my family…' Ace said in his mind gave a quick bow to Rayleigh. "Thanks for everything. Come on Luffy we gotta get moving to Fishman island."

"Yeah," Luffy said but before he followed Ace back to the ship he jumped on Rayleigh unexpectedly. "Thanks again, Rayleigh," Luffy said as he hugged Rayleigh. Rayleigh smiled and hugged back before letting go and waving as Luffy got on the ship and until they left.

"Hey, Saber I need you to go underwater and release the bubble," Duece said and Saber nodded while already moving to the railing. Soon enough Saber released the air and there was a huge bubble surrounding the Piece of Spadille.

"To Fishman Island!" Luffy excitedly yelled as the ship sank into the depths.

Not long after the ship started to sink Luffy started to get an unsettling feeling and he knew exactly what it was. "Last time I was here was with them." Luffy murmured while looking at the sea from the railing and decided on something.

"Luffy? What's up?" Ace asked curiously and Luffy turned around with a determined look on his face. "Ace. I don't wanna see any of it." Luffy said focusing only on Ace who sighed but nodded at the same time. "Got it, you wanna experience this with your friends right?" he asked and Luffy nodded.

"You can stay in our room. I'll bring you your food and other things so you don't have to see anything." Ace said and Luffy displayed his signature grin. "Thanks, Ace!" Luffy gave him a quick hug and ran towards the captains quarters with his head down.

"What's wrong with Luffy?" Duece asked walking up to Ace, "Nothing he just went to the quarters." he replied staring to the sea. "Do we have any recent newspapers?" Ace asked and Deuce thought for a moment before answering.

"Yeah you can talk to Pinnacle, he always has stuff like that," Duece said and Ace thanked him before walking away looking for the trio that was always together. "Saber, Aggie, Pinnacle! Where are you?!" Ace yelled out and eventually Ace sensed the three trudge onto the deck from the men's quarters.

"We're tired cap'n. What's up?" Saber asked and then yawned which set off a chain of yawns throughout the four. "I was just wondering if we have any current newspapers… I have to check on something important." Ace said and the three just looked at him numbly.

"Let me get this straight." Aggie said, "you woke up all three of us for a newspaper that only Pinnacle would have." Aggie said and turned back to the quarters. "He's all your Pinnacle." Saber said following after Aggie.

Pinnacle just shrugged and pulled a paper from his robe, "Here, this is the newest issue. Got it from the archipelago. May I ask What it is that you want to know?"

"Well, I want to know more about what the Whitebeard pirates are up too." Ace said which shocked Pinnacle. "I heard a rumor that the captain was interested in us." Ace said and Pinnacle's eyes widened the widest they've been before.

"Don't tell anyone," Pinnacle nodded an walked slowly back to bed. Ace took the newspaper and headed to the captains quarters.

"Hey, Lu looks at this-" Ace was talking but then noticed that he was sleeping and sat down on the bed next to him. Ace Looked at Luffy's sleeping form and then looked over the paper again. He didn't really look at any articles before he found one about Whitebeards movement but when he went over them again he panicked.

Fire-fist Ace Protecting? Who is the mystery, member?

The title alone made him do a double take, "Dammit they finally caught onto you." Ace murmured looking at Luffy again. "Nevermind that pops is moving towards that island but, who will we deal with this?" Ace asked himself as he laid down next to Luffy and eventually fell asleep trusting the lookouts.