Chapter Ten
"These wounds are terrible, Luffy!" Chopper fussed, disinfecting the burns on his arms. Luffy hissed as the disinfectant washed over the burns. Those really were the worst. But after such a close call he was just relieved to be home.
Chopper's fussing now was nothing compared to the attention he'd received when he and Zoro had first returned to Sunny. He wanted to feel glad to be back, but all he could feel was guilt. Everyone had been so worried about him. Knowing that he'd died and left them once before added insult to injury. He didn't want to hurt them anymore. And Ace, who'd already mourned two brothers and had to relive that hell because of him. It just wasn't fair.
And it would only get worse before it got better. Today they would feast and party the way Sanji and the others had promised. They'd talk and laugh and Brook would play for them all. But tomorrow he'd have to tell them he was leaving.
There were doors to be opened. Probably a whole lot before he found the right one. But he was confident he'd find it, and set things as close to right as he could manage.
Sabo used to do puzzles when they were kids. Not all the time, because Luffy wasn't good at being careful around them and Sabo would get mad when the pieces scattered. But he liked them, and they weren't expensive, and Ace didn't care if Sabo took over a corner of the tree house to work on one.
Luffy liked watching in short bursts. He'd help Sabo by sorting the pieces with a straight side (border pieces, Sabo used to call them) in one pile, and the middle pieces in another. And Sabo'd smile at him and say he liked it when Luffy was helpful.
There was one big puzzle that Sabo spent a long, long time working on. And when he was finally almost done, he realized a piece was missing. Luffy saw how frustrated his brother became and spent the night looking for a piece that'd fit.
The next morning Sabo shook Luffy awake, and offered him a grin and mussed his hair affectionately. "You found a fit," he'd said brightly. Luffy had returned the smile. "S'not the right one though. It's from a different puzzle."
"Who care?" Sabo laughed, "it's not perfect but at least it's complete."
The color was a little off. It wasn't the original. But it fit. And at least it was complete.
And this whole mirror situation felt like a big scattered puzzle missing a piece. He thought if he could just put things back close enough, maybe everyone could have a happy ending. Or, at least, a second chance.
The Original World
The morning Luffy's vivre card first slowed in its smoldering, and then stopped completely, was the very morning Sabo arrived at the bustling island the Straw Hats were anchored off of.
When Luffy's brother had found them, they were laughing and cheering at the sight of a fully recovered vivre card. Drinks were being poured and food brought from the kitchen. When Sabo approached he was quickly invited to join them, and join them he did. His appetite almost rivaled Luffy's, and now that imminent danger had passed, he really seemed like a laid back guy.
The party might have gone all night if it wasn't for the mirror. Nami carried it on her now, using a belt as a makeshift holster. The weight and bulk of it had taken some getting used to, but she couldn't take any chances.
So when Luffy's voice rang clear as a bell through the music and conversation, everyone noticed.
"Hello? Nami, are you there?" a pause, "Is this really working? It looks really dark."
"What's with the noise? It never did that before. Sounds like Brook's playing." That was Franky's voice.
Nami yanked the mirror from her belt and her face lit up at the sight of Luffy on the other side.
"Luffy!" She cried, the rest of the crew and Sabo crowding around her to get a look.
"It's about time!" Zoro grinned.
"Luffy!" Chopper climbed up Zoro's head until he covered half his face.
"Hey guys!" Luffy laughed, "Sorry, but the mirror won't work long this way, so I've gotta hurry."
"Luffy," Robin said, "I don't understand how we're able to talk like this. Could it be that you have figured out a way to use the mirror as a door?"
"Huh? I guess. The mirror just told me. And I picked the one that felt right."
Robin wanted to ask more, but Luffy quickly continued.
"Anyway, I'm calling to tell you I know how to get home. The mirror said it's easy. But I can't come home yet. Sorry, but please wait for me a little longer."
Nami's stomach clenched at the words. Hearing that Luffy knew a way back was the best news she could have wished for, but she also knew that the other world had something they couldn't offer him. Her mirror self had said that Ace was alive. Would Luffy be able to leave him in the end? After all he'd been through in this world?
"What do you mean 'not yet'?" Nami pressed.
"There's something I've gotta do first"
"Luffy, I understand that you don't want to hurt them, but you don't belong there." Robin said from over Nami's shoulder.
And suddenly Nami was afraid. She knew Luffy was in an impossible situation, one where there was no way to avoid hurting the people he cared about most. What if the other Straw hats convinced him that they needed him more? What if Ace had?
"I know, but these guys are my crew, too! They're you. I think there's a way I can help them and help myself at the same time."
"Luffy," Sanji was over Nami's shoulder now, looking serious, "I have a freezer full of meat that I expect you to eat. You'd better be back before they go bad or I'll kick your ass!"
"Yeah, don't take too long, Luffy. We won't wait forever! So you'd better hurry up." Usopp added.
Luffy laughed and nodded. Then…
"Zoro?"
"Here, Captain." Zoro stepped closer.
"Hi, Zoro!"
"Idiot," Zoro grinned, "stop messing around and get serious. You're late."
"OK! But first, do you think you guys could try to get Sabo on the den den mushi? I have someone I want him to talk to."
The mirror was beginning to fog at the corners the way it did when time was running short. Nami knew what Luffy wanted to do and smiled. She could do him one better. She handed Sabo the mirror and walked away.
" Let's give them some privacy."
The others paused then followed. If anyone deserved this chance, it was those brothers.
Luffy handed Ace the mirror and walked away, the crew following his lead. Ace wasn't sure what to expect when he looked into the mirror. Sabo had been a kid the last time he'd seen him. Maybe he wouldn't even recognize the face he saw.
But when he mustered up the courage to look down at the glass he couldn't manage to suppress the choked sob that escaped his lips. On the other end Sabo wasn't fairing much better. His lips were quivering and his eyes were full to the brim.
"Ace…" Sabo breathed, "I can't believe I'm actually talking to you."
Ace let loose a watery laugh, "tell me about it. I spent so much time wondering what you'd look like if you had the chance to grow up."
The mirror was fogging up faster now, but their voices were still clear as ever. There wasn't enough time. They would never be enough time, even if they could spend hours talking just like this. But they would take what they were given and make the best of it.
"Thank you, for making us brothers, Ace, " Sabo said, "and for taking care of him when I couldn't."
The glass was almost opaque now. Time was up.
"Sabo!" Ace called, "You loved me even though I was never any good. Thank you!" He could see the barest hint of color through the clouds of white. He desperately hoped he was getting through.
"I'll leave things to you now, so please, take care of him for me!"
"Of course I will!" It was faint, but it came through. Sabo had heard him. He wasn't sure he'd ever experience something so bittersweet as a second chance to say goodbye.
When the mirror cleared again Luffy gathered everyone on the deck. He wasn't sure if this would be goodbye. After all, if his plan worked, he'd be seeing them again soon, and they'd be seeing him.
He placed the mirror on the deck and squatted down beside it. Pulling his arm back, he brought his fist down straight onto the center of the glass. He heard Nami gasp and realized he'd forgotten to tell her what he'd have to do. Whoops.
The mirror had cracked into sixteen fragments. He frowned, hoping that would be enough. He didn't know how many worlds were out there, but it'd probably be hard to find the exact one he needed.
He picked the fragments out of the mirror until only the gold frame was left. That he tucked into the sash around his waist much like his world's Nami had.
"I guess I'm going, now." He said, turning to his crew and brother. Their expressions tugged at his heartstrings, but in the end he knew this was the only chance they all had to be happy. "But I'll come back! It might take me awhile, but I definitely will. Make sure you're ready for me when I do!"
Suddenly Luffy was tackled in a hug. Usopp, Chopper and Brook were piled on top of him, all weeping like babies. It wasn't long before Franky joined in and pulled anyone in range into the giant group hug.
No one objected, and when Luffy broke away and pulled a single fragment of glass from his pocket, they were all filled with a strong sense of hope and the promise of a second chance.
It was in the eleventh world that Luffy found what he'd been looking for.
He picked up the paper the news coo dropped at his feet. The front page made his knees weak and he stumbled to the ground, never letting go of the paper on the way down.
Ten pictures were presented in two neat rows of five.
Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Franky, and Jimbei made up the top row.
Brook, Robin, Chopper, Usopp and Sabo made up the second.
In extra large black newsprint was the headline Deceased. It was exactly what he'd been looking for this whole time, and now that he'd found it he couldn't bare the reality of this world's tragedy.
In that moment it didn't matter if this was Luffy's world or not, he felt the loss all the same. His body trembled. The wounds from his imprisonment were mostly healed, but his body suddenly felt as weak as the day he'd escaped.
He didn't know how they died, and didn't want to know lest he keep his sanity, so his imagination filled in the holes for him.
Ace's death replayed over and over again in his mind. Sometimes it was Ace, just as he remembered. Other times it was Nami or Chopper or Sabo. He couldn't get it to stop.
Crowds of people parted around the strange boy folded in on himself in the middle of the street. No one stopped to help him, or ask if he was OK. He probably wouldn't have been able to respond even if they had.
A set of strong hands wrapped around his upper arms and lifted him up, pulling him through the crowd and into a dark alleyway between two shops.
Luffy blinked up at the man, a sudden wave of relief soothed his sorrow. "Traffy..." he cried.
He threw himself into his friend and wrapped his arms around him not once but twice.
"How did you get here? I told you to wait on Goa." Law asked. He sounded more concerned than upset. Luffy had never been so happy to see him.
Luffy pulled himself together the best he could and wiped away the snot and tears with his sleeve. With a shaky voice but determined eye he met Law's gaze and said, "I need your help."
"You need to find… you?" Law looked skeptical, "that doesn't make sense, even for you, Luffy."
Luffy perked a little at Law's casual use of his name. This world's Law was definitely a little different than the Law he knew. He seemed less snappy toward Luffy, and even offered to buy lunch. He didn't even get mad when Luffy racked up a bill more suited for a party of twenty.
And there was the touching. This Law would muss up Luffy's hair with a smirk or rest an elbow on his shoulder. It was weird, but it was a good weird. Like getting a preview into the close friendship that could be if his world's Law would let himself have some fun once in a while. Or, 'pull the stick out of his ass', as Zoro liked to put it.
"I'm from a different world," Luffy said nonchalantly.
Now Law's eyes narrowed and Luffy could tell that big doctor brain of his was at work. Chopper got the same look sometimes when he was trying to figure out what was wrong with someone. Luffy would just have to prove it to him. He pulled his hat from around his neck and stuck it under Law's nose.
"See?"
"It's your hat." Law deadpanned.
"Well yeah, but the ribbon isn't supposed to be red, right? In every other world it was a different color."
"That doesn't prove anything. I figured you just switched out the orange ribbon for a red one."
Luffy frowned. Obviously he hadn't done that, but he could tell that Law was being a doctor right now, not a friend. He couldn't imagine how this world's Luffy had reacted to losing his whole crew. He thought it would drive him crazy. In this world, maybe it had.
"Well then just bring me to the other me. If I'm crazy then you'll just be bringing me back to where you left me anyway, and if I'm telling the truth you'll see for yourself."
Luffy thought that logic was pretty sound, if he did say so himself! Law sighed, shaking his head, "I didn't say you're crazy."
Luffy just blinked up at him expectantly. Law let out another sigh.
"Fine. Let's go."
This Goa looked exactly like his Goa. The windmills in the distance brought a strange ache to his heart and he realized that he'd forgotten to miss this place. Now that he was here there was so much he wanted to do. Makino and the mayor would be in town, and there was Dadan and the others, the tree house, the forest…
But he couldn't be sidetracked. Everyone was waiting for him. He wasn't very good at keeping track of time even when things were normal. He honestly had no clue how long he'd already been gone. He used the newspapers in each world to rule them out. If the Straw Hat crew were mentioned in a recent paper, then he knew they were alive and it was time to move on to the next world.
He wasn't sure where he was right now, or how far it was from East Blue, but he missed his crew and hoped it'd pass quickly.
This world's Luffy didn't turn as Luffy approached, and he didn't look when Luffy sat besides him on the cliff's edge. Luffy frowned as he noticed the lone mikan clutched tightly in his counterpart's hands. He felt his eyes sting but didn't look away. This wasn't his loss, no matter how much it felt like it.
It wasn't his pain and yet every corner of his heart ached knowing that any version of his crew suffered and died before their dreams could be reached. And Sabo, whom he'd mourned in this very same spot once already? How could life be so unfair?
There was no replacing them. There was no wish, no power in the world that could stick a band aid on a wound like this and see it mend flawlessly. But he knew himself enough to know what would happen to this world's Luffy if nothing was done. He couldn't bring this Luffy's crew back anymore than he could replace the Luffy they'd lost.
But again he remembered Sabo's puzzles, and how sometimes the pieces fit, even if the picture didn't match up right.
At least it's complete, Sabo had said. Not perfect, but the void was filled.
The wind was blowing cooler now that the sun was setting. They sat together in silence, listening to the waves and watching the ocean catch fire. After some time Luffy asked what he'd come here to ask.
"Want another chance?"
But he was asking himself so he already knew the answer. And sure enough some awareness returned to the other Luffy's eyes. He managed a hesitant nod. Maybe he thought this was a dream. After Ace had died Luffy had dreams like this sometimes.
He'd have to explain some stuff. A lot of stuff, probably, but that was OK. He knew this version of himself would die for the chance to have his family back, and Luffy could give him that chance.
From his pocket Luffy pulled two shards. One a door to the world he was born to, another to the world he'd been pulled into over two months ago now. They'd go their separate ways shortly.
Home was waiting.