Portgas D. Ace collapsed into the middle of the living room sofa, exhaling loudly as relief flooded his over taxed muscles. Who knew working on heavy and intricate machinery nonstop all morning could be so tiring? A weight appeared on the cushion to the right of him soon after but the division commander didn't need to look over to know it was Hiluluk taking a break as well.
"Kid," He started with a breath to follow, "I know it doesn't seem like it, but we're only a few steps away from making this bad boy work I just know it!" Hiluluk commented proudly. Ace raised an eyebrow and turned his head to look at the man.
"You've said that just about every fifteen minutes for the past three hours." Ace stated tartly, becoming increasingly more annoyed with the man's blind optimism. Another weight plopped down onto his left side, announcing that Luffy was also ready to be finished with this endeavor.
"Ace, are we done yet?" The youngest asked in a desperate plea. The division commander groaned, reclining his head against the back of the sofa.
"I wish." He grumbled. It seemed like this day couldn't go any slower and the fact that he also didn't understand half of the things the old man instructed him to do put a damper on his spirits. Everything he'd occupied himself with around the cottage from the moment he arrived was mind bogglingly confusing and this break was much needed for his body as well as his head. It's not like he was an uneducated fool, but the quantum-theory-particle-physics mumbo jumbo was really starting to get to him.
"Come on, boys! Don't get your spirits down! I swear it's only a few more loose screws and simple tweaks!" Hiluluk announced, attempting to put some pep back in their step. Ace frowned at the man, muttering to himself that the machine wasn't the only thing with a few loose screws when Luffy suddenly spoke up.
"This is so boring! Why can't we just walk through a door like how we got here?" The pirate captain asked wildly, spreading his arms over the backrest of the couch in a show of exhaustion. Ace internally agreed with his youngest brother, wishing this could just be as simple as that.
In fact, why couldn't it?
"Yeah, old man? We came to this world through a door, so maybe if we find it we can get back out." The division commander hypothesized.
"This world? You mean time line? And don't be ridiculous, it couldn't possibly be as simple as that!" The man countered, standing again and walking over to tinker with the time machine once more. Ace frowned sourly at the dismissive behavior from the other but was cut off from saying anything when Luffy came rushing into the living room with the front door in his grasp. The division commander hadn't noticed when the pirate captain got up and left but he liked the way his brother was thinking.
"Will this work?" Luffy asked, poking his head around the side and smiling proudly. Ace grinned back.
"Yeah, that's perfect! Good thinking." He complimented, standing as well.
"Boys, that will never..."
"Bring it over here and put it against this doorway-looking bit." Ace stated, pointing to an archway of the time machine that looked as if someone was supposed to walk through it.
"Doorway? That's no doorway, that's where a person stands and inputs his coordinates. Wait what are you-don't touch that!" Hiluluk dashed over to where Luffy was setting the door against the archway but neglected to watch Ace's movements and missed the part where his power drill was snatched from the table. When Hiluluk's time machine had malfunctioned it also managed to take a good part of the man's lab with him and Kureha to medieval times.
"Hold it steady." The division commander said, ignoring the old man's dismay as he began drilling the hinges into one side of the arch. When the two finished their task they stood and surveyed their work a moment before high-fiving each other.
"That's delicate machinery you fools! You might have just ruined essential parts I may never be able to replace!"
Unfortunately for Hiluluk though, the two hadn't been paying attention to him for quite a while now.
"Should we try it?" Ace asked, wondering exactly how the rest of this plan was going to work now that this part was done.
"Yup! I'll go first." Luffy stated excitedly, reaching out his hand and grabbing the doorknob. But when the pirate captain pulled the door forward he was gifted with the same sight through the archway as it was before, meaning nothing significant had happened. Luffy frowned disappointedly but attempted to walk through nonetheless and, of course, all he accomplished was walking a few feet. Ace scratched his chin at the situation, pondering for a moment more.
"What did you think would happen? Honestly, all you two did was screw my front door onto an empty arch. Did you really think..."
"Wait!" Ace called out excitedly, cutting the old man off before he could finish. "Remember when we were in that weird place and Sabo tried to open the door but nothing happened?" He asked his brother. Luffy's face suddenly lit up as well from the revelation.
"Yeah! And how I got a piggyback ride from Torao! But why does that matter?" The captain asked skeptically, his expression falling when he didn't understand how his brother was trying to relate this situation to the one before. Ace didn't even bother addressing the pirate captain's blatant naivety though.
"Sabo just tried pulling at the knob at first and nothing happened so maybe…" The division commander cracked his knuckles in anticipation before reaching out his hand and taking hold of the doorknob. He glanced briefly at his brother who was watching him intently and grinned, excited to see if his theory panned out like it should. Ace then twisted the knob and pulled the door open, revealing an unlit room that was completely black.
~0~
Law lay in irate silence, glaring at the ceiling above him with his arms crossed. Sabo was on the cot next to him and had already been awake for almost a half hour meaning he was fortunate enough to witness when the old woman dragged the pirate doctor through the door of his recovery room and forcefully shoved him onto the other bed. Of course, that wasn't even the end of the sudden surprises; before Law had the chance to either escape or persuade Kureha he'd be good and stay still, the old woman clamped a handcuff from his ankle to the bedpost and successfully stopped the man from leaving his spot.
Sabo hadn't been given the grand introduction of Doctorine, but with the few times he heard her speak or saw her pass by the door he knew she wasn't someone he'd ever want to make an enemy of.
"Are you alright?" Sabo asked a little hesitantly. He figured Law wasn't in the most fit of conditions, but he didn't think the other needed to be chained to a bed in order to reduce possible injuries. The pirate doctor flicked his gaze from the ceiling to the one lying on a cot similar to his just a few feet away. But in the end he didn't respond and returned his vision to where it was before in order to resume his petulant sulking. Sabo couldn't help smirking at the display.
"Come on… come on, that's it. No! Don't bite me you stupid… stop!"
Both Law and Sabo's attentions were brought to the doorway once more when they heard Stellard talking as if he were coaxing something into doing what he asked. The pirate doctor raised an eyebrow when he saw the nobility enter the room backwards with something white and fluffy trailing right after him, but he was even more surprised when he understood the nobility was trying to get Bepo to follow him.
Baby Bepo made a noise of frustration as he attempted to snap at the peach slice in the other's hand but Stellard wouldn't allow him to eat it and when he finally reached the person he was looking for he thrust the bowl of fruit into Law's hands. The doctor stared at it in bewilderment for a moment then up at the nobility who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world so long as it was far away from the little polar bear. But when Bepo began trying to climb up onto his bed, Law turned back to the cub with an elated smile. He moved the arm that was closest to the bear so it was underneath him and helped scoop him up onto the mattress as if a child trying to sleep with the family dog when his parents didn't allow animals in the house.
Bepo snuffled around curiously, nudging the pirate doctor's cheek with his nose until he finally located the bowl of peaches and continued eating them. Law trailed his fingers behind the bear's ears and along his jaw, scratching gently while the little guy happily ate.
Law briefly glanced between the two others who were also occupying the room until his sights landed on Stellard once more.
"Thank you." He stated simply, causing the nobility to blush and look away awkwardly as he twiddled his thumbs from his sudden unexplainable nervousness.
"It's nothing." He replied curtly. While he was looking around the room for something to take his attention away from how edgy he abruptly felt, his vision fell on Sabo who was looking up at him with a smile of his own.
"What?" He asked defensively. But Sabo just chuckled without an explanation and glanced over to find the little bear now lying contently next to the pirate doctor. Bepo swatted playfully at Law's nose until the man resumed petting the bear, making a happy noise from the attention he was being given.
Stellard stared at the two for another few seconds until his senses came back to him and reminded him he wasn't exactly the favorite in this group of five. He decided to leave the room since there was nothing of interest around but was stopped short when a new guest came in through the door. The nobility nearly had a heart attack with what he saw, jumping back against the wall when a very large polar bear came lumbering into the recovery room. Sabo also stared disbelievingly, ready to shout for Ace and Luffy to do something since he and Law were out of commission and Stelly was virtually useless against a full grown bear, but when the large animal peacefully ambled the rest of the way in and casually walked over to the pirate doctor he held his tongue.
Law looked as relaxed as ever like occurrences like these happened just about everyday. When the bear was close enough, he held out a hand for inspection and waited patiently as his fingers were thoroughly smelt.
"You know, carnivores are more prone to attack those who have a distinct fearful quality to them. I'd advise you both to calm down before she catches on." Law warned with a sly grin, placing his hand atop the polar bear's head and smoothing back her fur.
"Butbutbutbutbut…! How can you be so calm? !" Stellard whispered hysterically, trying not to be noticed by the predator despite his poor precautions.
"Because she's Bepo's mother." The pirate doctor replied simply like it was the easiest answer in the world. "She's not the one you should be scared of; his father is the brute of the family." He finished, scratching underneath her chin and earning a large satisfied smile in return. Sabo managed to cool his apprehension quite a bit, still not entirely sure what the other was talking about but deciding to trust his judgment anyways.
Just then Bepo's mother stepped forward the rest of the space between herself and the bed, breaking Law's petting routine and abruptly invading his personal bubble. The pirate doctor edged away from the second damp nose that suddenly found the need to smell his hair and neck but wasn't able to travel far before he was stuck. Of course, his situation managed to worsen itself when he felt a coarse tongue run up his jaw and just in front of his ear.
"Stop!" Law called out, using the hand Bepo wasn't lying on top of to push the bear away only to have an enormous paw engulf his free arm and pin it to the mattress as she resumed giving the pirate doctor a loving bath.
Law struggled a bit but eventually gave up when he realized his resistance was futile. He attempted to ignore the fact that his hair was probably beginning to look even more outrageously spiked than usual and glanced over to find the snickering face of Sabo grinning back at him.
"Shut up." He stated unpleasantly. More weight then appeared on his arm as the large polar bear lifted her other arm and used her paw to turn the man's head in order to get at the other side.
"Well it's about time somebody did something with that ridiculous mop on your head you consider hair."
Law frowned bitterly, not needing to see the speaker to know it was Kureha currently mocking him. But he wasn't given a chance to respond when the bear began licking at his nose and cheeks, forcing him to close his eyes tightly until his nose was scrunched as well. The scrubbing pad of a tongue then moved on to the top of his head, revealing his forehead entirely and causing his hair to stick up straight. He heard footsteps approach and when he finally opened his eyes he could see the old woman standing over him, smiling amusedly.
"Looks good on you, brat." She stated in hilarity, cackling wildly before taking a swig from the bottle in her hand.
"Shut the hell up, witch." Law seethed, becoming increasingly more fed up with her.
"Oh, sca-ry. What are you going to do about it chained to a bed with a teddy bear in one arm and momma bear stepping on the other?" She asked jokingly, earning an even more irritated glare from the pirate doctor. The large polar bear soon finished grooming the man and got down from the bed, sitting contently beside it. Law used this chance to rub his face with his free hand and attempt to rearrange his hair all the while glowering at Kureha.
"Don't give me that look you little prick. You're laying there for your own good." Kureha stated in retaliation to the menacing look she was receiving, giving him an equally unyielding stare. "After all, you were the one stupid enough to run around with shrapnel in you chest. You're lucky your ribs didn't slice up a second artery and the bit embedded in your heart hadn't decided to rip open a new exit."
Law rolled his eyes, trying to brush off his injury as if all it required was a Band-Aid. However, Sabo could see right through his acting and decided it was in the pirate doctor's best interest to stay chained right where he was.
"Torao! Sabo! Weirdo!"
Running footsteps dashed through the hallways of the cottage before Luffy slammed into the recovery room door with a bright expression on his face. The pirate captain looked ready to call out something else until Ace crashed right into him soon after since he was unable to stop himself in time from his enthusiasm.
"We did it!" The division commander stated excitedly, standing straight again when Luffy began pushing the man off of himself.
"Come on! Come on!" Luffy called out, ignoring that he'd been squished between his brother and the door frame, dashing inside and heading straight for Law. But before he was able to get within three feet of the guy, Kureha shot out a hand and took hold of the pirate captain's nose with two fingers.
"If I have to tell you to be careful around my patients one more damn time you're going to join them." She warned dangerously, easily catching the other's attention and making him instantly compose himself.
"But there's no time, old lady! We fixed the door and we don't know how long it'll stay open so we need to leave now." Ace tried to explain, heading over to Sabo and throwing away the sheets that were covering him. Much to the revolutionary's chagrin, he found himself hefted into his elder brother's arms once more like a tired child.
"Yeah! So let me get Torao so we can get out of this place!" Luffy seconded through a nasally voice since Doctorine had yet to let go of him.
"Like hell you are." Kureha retorted. But before she could do anything, Luffy pried himself away from her grasp and ended up stumbling back a couple of steps. Ace noticed they'd wound up in a bit of trouble since the old doctor was just as stubborn as he knew she'd be. The speech about how her patients weren't allowed to leave her care until they were cured resonated in his ears but he chose to ignore it as he recalled what he planned to do next if he couldn't make the woman consent to releasing Sabo and Law. He approached Luffy who was rubbing his nose pitifully and caught the youngest's attention when he handed Sabo off to him.
"Make sure you both get out of here." Ace instructed to the pirate captain, earning a determined nod in return. Luffy dashed out of the room, not catching Kureha's fearsome glare as he turned down the hall towards the living room. "You too, Twitchy." The division commander ordered next, not even physically acknowledging the nobility and not caring if he actually listened. Of course, Stellard did and he was out the door following after the Straw Hat captain.
All that was left was himself and Law. Ace briefly wondered if he could get away with tricking the old woman and stealing her keys, freeing the pirate doctor before using the same cuffs to latch her to the bed frame instead. But he wasn't given a chance to make another grand and foolish scheme when something was tossed to him. He caught it easily but stared at what was in his hands with puzzlement when he found a key sitting in his palm.
"You five are nothing but trouble." Kureha muttered as she began to leave the room. Ace blinked in mystification. "Don't consider this to be the sympathy of an old woman, consider it as me kicking you out of my house because I'm tired of dealing with you ungrateful shits." She finished, stepping through the door and walking the opposite way the other three had run off to. Ace stared for a moment in confusion until he remembered what he was here to do.
~0~
"So, do you think if we just walk through we'll be home?" Luffy asked as he peered into the black void before him at several different aspects and angles.
"I dunno. I guess we just have to try." Sabo answered from the couch he was sitting slouched in. Luffy grinned resolutely.
"Yosh! I'm first then!" He announced, cracking his neck from once side to the other. Sabo felt like he should tell his brother to be careful but realized it was Luffy standing in front of him and no amount of nagging could change the guy from any of his initial plans. Without any sort of wary hesitation, the pirate captain dove straight into the blackness and was engulfed entirely, making the revolutionary's heart skip a beat in alarm from his brother vanishing. But his sudden and small fit of panic was quelled when something came tumbling to the ground on the other side. He couldn't see what it was, but he knew it was Luffy.
"It didn't work?" Sabo asked curiously with a hint of disappointment in his tone. However, he wasn't given an answer from his youngest brother. After an uncomfortable moment of silence he looked up at Stellard with worry written into his expression, silently asking for him to go check on the pirate captain. The nobility hesitantly complied, not voicing his fear since he didn't have the guts to disappoint Sabo anymore than he already had even if something new and terrifying might have popped out instead of the pirate captain.
He softly stepped around where the old door was screwed into and was surprised to find Straw Hat Luffy lying on the floor fast asleep.
"Is Luffy alright?" Sabo called out, but before Stellard could answer Ace came into the room with Law's arm draped over his shoulder.
"Old lady Kureha let me and Law go so I don't know how much time we have, so let's get a move on." The division commander said as he helped lower the pirate doctor onto the couch Sabo was occupying. "Where's Luffy?" He asked, noticing the most excitable of the group was missing. His gaze fell on the nobility who was pointing to just behind the archway of the time machine, right out of his line of sight. A spike of panic skipped through his heart, understanding the youngest had already attempted to go through the door and worried something horribly wrong might have occurred. He approached Stellard who promptly moved out of the way in order to reveal the scene and then knelt down to find out if his fearful suspicions were confirmed or not.
To his relief, Luffy began blinking groggily as if waking up from a long and deep sleep. He was glad his brother was okay, but then again also disappointed since it didn't seem their crazy idea actually worked.
"Hey, what happened?" Ace asked, confused since the archway was still inexplicably black. Luffy began to focus on his surroundings, frowning lightly as he took in both the sights and company around. Fire Fist waited for the other to answer, wondering vaguely if jumping through the doorway had actually screwed something up in his little brother's head.
Suddenly, a fist shot out and aimed expertly for his nose. Ace quickly evaded the attack, hopping back to his feet and utterly perplexed about what had just happened. Of course, he wasn't given the chance to ask any questions when Luffy jumped to attention and bolted straight past him, most likely in search of a way out.
"Hey!" Ace called out, knowing for a fact that the Luffy he knew would never execute an attack like that. He scrambled after the other and managed to catch up, tackling the younger to the floor before he was able to escape to freedom.
"Release me, mercenary swine!" The stranger called out in Luffy's voice, sounding nothing like his dear baby brother. Ace's eyes widened when he realized what was going on here.
"You're not Luffy." The division commander mused, speaking mostly to himself. Roger's first in command narrowed his eyes up at the other, frowning in confusion as he momentarily stopped thrashing around.
"Of course I am, you fool. And take care not to underestimate me;" Without any warning, Luffy clipped the other man in the ribs with his elbow before twisting himself around until he was on top of Ace, kneeling over the elder and pinning the man's wrists above his head. Ace glared back. "I am not so easily restrained."
"Well, neither am I." The division commander retorted with a smug grin. Soon after, Luffy found himself with his face planted into the floor again only to be lifted up shortly after and hauled back for the living room he'd tried to escape from. He struggled in his captor's grasp which made Ace tighten his grip, causing a grunt of pain to escape but he just ignored it. The division commander returned to the bemused expressions of Sabo, Stellard and Law and the eldest spoke.
"I assume your contraption works?" He asked, not missing the startled features and following glare which came from the other pirate captain.
"Trafalgar Law." Luffy seethed, hatred dripping from his tone. "What the hell is going on here? What are you up to?" He inquired accusingly. Law raised an eyebrow.
"I shall take that as a yes." He stated, directing the comment mostly to Ace. The division commander grinned pleasantly, holding fast when Luffy attempted to use this time to escape. A growl of irritation came from the youngest.
"I guess this means we should send someone else." Sabo spoke up, earning everyone's attention. Luffy's expression lit up with confusion for yet another time.
"Father Sabo?" He asked, understanding his situation less and less. The revolutionary was a little surprised the other recognized him but decided to pay him no mind.
"Ace? I need your help." He said, motioning for the other. The division commander wanted to protest since he was the only thing keeping Luffy from bolting out the door only to realize they had no reason to hold Roger's first officer any longer. He let go of his youngest brother's wrists, giving him a warning glance that if he tried to pull anything that would lead to a fight, he wouldn't hesitate to retaliate.
He walked over to the couch and helped his brother stand, guiding him to the doorway Luffy just walked through. Sabo stopped in front of the entrance, giving the black void before him a contemplative look then moving his gaze to his brother.
"Here goes nothing." He stated, allowing Ace to move away so he could stand on his own. The division commander walked around to the other side just in time to catch the blond before he could collapse to the ground. He lifted the revolutionary into his arms and began heading for the recovery room but paused briefly when he caught Luffy staring at him. This whole situation seemed to be a little too much for Roger's commanding officer to comprehend, but instead of pointing accusatory fingers he stayed in his place and continued to wait for answers. When Ace left, Law glanced over at the nobility.
"Your turn." He said. Stellard stared blankly for a moment before understanding what he'd been told.
"M-me? !" He asked exasperatedly.
"Unless you plan on staying here." The pirate doctor replied smoothly. When he heard that, the nobility was quickly reminded of the lack of electricity, absence of civilized laws as well as the shack he'd woken up in somewhere at the end of a potato field. He quickly approached the door and still hesitated, visibly having to motivate himself to step beyond the blackened doorway in order to escape this place before he could be roped back into tending the fields. When he finally did, another large thump came from the other side and Ace appeared shortly after.
"What in God's gracious heavens is going on here?" Luffy asked quietly in mystification. Ace looked like he wanted to reply but stopped himself since he really didn't know how to accurately answer the other's question. After all, how does one describe a situation as peculiar as existences from another dimension crossing over space and time to somehow be trapped in the bodies which could very well be just another aspect of themselves? It sounded crazy to him and yet he was living it. He let the inquiry slide and approached the pirate doctor.
"Ready?" He asked with a grin. Law returned the smile with a peevish look but accepted nonetheless. His arm was draped over the division commander's shoulders once again as he was led to the doorway.
"Hold on, boys! I'm here to investigate!" Luffy, Ace and Law turned to find Hiluluk bursting into the living room sporting a cooking pot on top of his head with the handle dangling below his chin along with scraps of metal tied to his forearms and shins like armor. Following soon after was the deer coming to a stop beside him and standing rigidly, probably preparing to fend off Luffy's friendly advances. Last was the little polar bear, practically tripping over his disproportionate paws as he stumbled in.
"Sorry old man, but you're a little late." The division commander announced humorously. After opening a portal between dimensions with such a simplistic attempt, the old doctor had run off somewhere calling over his shoulder not to do anything until he thoroughly investigated it. Hiluluk regarded the other in confusion until he noticed the absence of company. He lowered the spatula and frying pan he was holding in disappointment at this revelation.
"I thought I told you boys to hold your horses." The old man replied in annoyance. Ace shrugged.
"You're not leaving yet, are you Law?"
The two pirates along with the royal guard glanced at the speaker in astonishment whereas Bepo just ambled over to the pirate doctor. He stopped at the other's feet and stared up with big pleading eyes, looking as if he wanted the man to stay forever. Law blinked, wondering if his imagination was playing tricks on him or he was now hearing things. However, the look on Ace's expression told him he wasn't the only one going crazy.
Bepo stood, resting his paws on the pirate doctor's waist and nudging the man's free hand with his nose. Law shook himself from his confusion and ran his fingers gently over the little bear's head.
"Sorry, Bepo. But it's time for me to leave." He replied with a kind smile. The look he was given was riddled with devastation but the little bear didn't have a chance to plead for his new friend to stay when he heard a familiar commanding voice.
"Leave the brat alone, fuzz-ball." Kureha called from the the entrance to the living room. Bepo turned but reluctantly complied, sitting back down when he caught Doctorine's authoritative stare. She then pointed for him to come back to her and a pouting look crossed his features. He glanced up at Law, earning a knowing smile in return before he turned and left.
Just then an ugly grunt and snort came from behind the time machine's doorway and Stellard came around shortly after. He had a distinct vacant look to his eyes along with a slumped posture while he scanned the unfamiliar room. Without a single word he slowly began tromping past everyone, not in the least bit hurried or curious of his environment. When he left through the front entrance, everyone could clearly hear the other hock a loogie. Ace crinkled his nose.
"Fitting." He commented, earning a soft noise of agreement from the pirate doctor. After the trotting steps down the porch were gone, the two pirates turned back to their original objective. Ace allowed Law to walk through the doorway on his own, catching the other before he had a chance to fall on his face coming out the other side. He carried the eldest to the couch, not missing the extremely conflicted expressions from Luffy along with Hiluluk's look of awe. His sights landed on Kureha last, along with the talking bear cub standing beside her.
"So, you're not a miracle worker?" He asked teasingly, calling the woman's bluff. Kureha shot a glare down at Bepo and the little guy didn't need to look at her to know she was mad at him. But she didn't do anything and instead regarded Ace once more.
"What? You wanna know my secret to how I keep myself lookin' so young and beautiful or something?" She asked with a crooked grin. Ace pursed his lips.
"No need." He replied, and with that he left through the doorway.
~0~
"...ce!"
The second division commander groaned and placed a hand to his head, wondering vaguely where he was and who was calling his name.
"...ke up, ...ce!"
His suddenly bolted upright and the headache that had been throbbing relentlessly intensified.
"Ow! Ace, that hurt!"
The division commander glanced over to find Luffy also holding his head, obviously the reason for his worsening migraine. However, before he could tell his brother to quiet down, the throbbing began to subside. He eventually glanced up to find Sabo, Law and Stellard standing around.
"Sabo, you're alright!" He called out excitedly, climbing to his feet to join the others. Sabo frowned lightly.
"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked, worried that something might have happened to his brother after they just met again. Ace opened his mouth with a reply only to close it shortly after.
"I'm not sure." He stated, scratching at his temple since he couldn't seem to remember why he was so concerned for his brother's well-being. It must have been important because the reason was just at the tip of his tongue and he couldn't help feeling Law had also been in some sort of peril.
"No matter, we need to find a way out of here." Law stated, glancing around the area quickly before folding his arms as a shiver ran through his frame.
"Yeah, the last door was a dud. Maybe if we find another one it'll actually lead somewhere." Sabo stated, also looking around the barren land until his sights landed on the last sinking sun. It was incredibly dark out yet there was no place to take shelter. The ground was especially eerie since there didn't seem to be a single fault in or on it; not a crack, not a stray rock and not even a plant broke through the shiny black slab.
He hoped there weren't too many wild beasts wandering about in this place, if any at all.
"So that door really didn't go anywhere?" Luffy asked a little dishearteningly. He folded his arms as a shiver also ran down his spine and caused the hairs on his arms to stand on end.
"Afraid not." Ace replied, wiping a bead a sweat from his temple after a sudden wave of heat.
"Darn, I could've sworn I got to wear some pretty cool armor and eat some tasty food in an enormous castle." The pirate captain muttered, wishing all of that hadn't been a dream. Law, Ace and Sabo froze, blinking collectively.
"Did you...?" Ace asked, glancing to Law and earning a hesitant nod from the other. "And you...?" Sabo nodded as well.
"What?" Luffy asked. Ace wanted to say he'd nearly had the same dream but stopped himself, shaking his head.
"Never mind. We should just focus on..." The division commander faltered midsentence, trailing off when he turned his attention to the vast wasteland. However, instead of endless miles of nothing, it was now endless miles of doors. Ace's jaw fell open and a similar reaction also came from Law, Sabo and Luffy.
"Wow! When did these get here?" The Straw Hat captain called out, immediately running up to one of them. It was large and looked to be made of iron with Gothic designs along the sides and draped over the top. There was a large unlocked deadbolt pad-lock holding the latch in place but when Luffy went to remove it, wondering aloud where this door possibly led, Stellard spoke up.
"Wait, Straw Hat!" The nobility called out. Luffy stopped before he could touch it and the four brothers collectively turned to look at the one speaking. Stellard recoiled lightly when he realized he was under scrutinizing stares, trying to quickly think of something to say.
"I mean, uhm... That door looks so formidable, just look at it!" He tried to explain only to immediately regret his choice of words.
"Does that mean there's an adventure on the other side? Cool!" Luffy called out, quickly reaching for the handle again.
"No, no; wait!" He called once more, stopping Luffy for yet another time. The pirate captain turned around with an annoyed frown, practically asking for the other to give a valid reason as to not go on an adventure. Stellard thought quickly.
"I mean, not formidable in a fun way. I meant it might lead to a dead-end, somewhere that's just black and we can't get out of." He tried to rationalize, laughing nervously. Luffy frowned deeper, but before he could turn around and try for a third time, Law called out.
"How about this one?" He asked as his teeth visibly began to chatter. He stood in front of regal french double doors, elegantly painted and decorated in gold leaf along with a beautiful combination of cream and red trim. The four others approached, but no objection was voiced; even Luffy stood muttering that his door was more awesome but decided not to force his opinion. Law reached out when a silent consensus was made, placing his hands on both knobs and twisting them open, revealing yet another unlit room that was completely black. The five didn't even look between each other before jumping through.
~0~
AN: if you've ever heard that i make routinely scheduled updates regularly then the person who told you is a liar and a cheat. if that person happened to be me, well...
anyways, another weird chapter. more weird, weird everywhere and i dont even know why. why do i make this story so weird? because every fanfic writer has that one overly weird story. don't think it's weird? wait until they wake up...
is anyone going to be disappointed if i don't add in an epilogue for Gold Roger and his war against Doflamingo? or are you guys just too exasperated with my neglect towards updating to really care?
good news is, in my absence i graduated from high school. bad news is i'm signed up for fall quarter college. why is it bad, you ask?
college means more work
ugh