Chapter 21

"I see land!" yelled Zoro.

"Oh, cool!" said Luffy. He and Nami were sitting in the lounge chair instead of his usual seat on the head of the sunny. Nami was currently 5 months pregnant, and was due in 2 months.

"Alright." started Nami. "We're not staying here as long as the last island, so don't get too comfortable. Luffy and I will go into town and find out a few things. Zoro and Robin, you guys can stay here if you want. Usopp and Franky, tools. Sanji, food. Chopper, medicine. Brook, I don't care."

"YOHOHOHO!"

"Actually, Nami, it would be better if you stayed here." said Luffy.

"Huh? Why? I have you, don't I?"

"Yes, but I don't want anything in town to hurt you. If there's marines here? I want you to stay."

"Well, alright then." Everyone went off into town. After Luffy got something to eat, he decided to look around for a bit. Eventually, he noticed that he was the only one outside.

"Where's Luffy? He's not here yet?" asked Sanji. Everyone else had already returned to the ship.

"No, he must be exploring." said Nami. Back in town, Luffy was wandering around.

"Where did everybody go?"

"They went into a safety lock-down procedure, Straw Hat." Luffy turned around to see none other than Akainu standing in his path.

"W-Why are you here?!"

"I told you that I would not be satisfied unless I killed you myself. Although, at this point, I suppose I'm doing you a favor."

"What do you mean?!"

"More bodies are piling up on your conscience. I killed Ace two years ago, and now, a member of your crew." Luffy froze. "While they were all in town, there was a single woman left. I knew she was important to you, so I killed her. That navigator of yours, I believe her name was Nami. Now, after I'm through with you, you won't have to deal with the pain of loss anymore."

"Y-You...k-killed her? Both of them?"

"Hm? Oh, right. She was pregnant I suppose. Probably with your child. So, yes. And that's the end of that."

Luffy was boiling with hatred. He needed to fight Akainu right now. But was he strong enough? A voice in his head was telling him to say two words that would decide the match.

"...Fourth...Gear..." said Luffy quietly. His body turned red with the second gear aura, but it didn't hurt as much. Black steam lines were coming off instead of grey ones. He felt his power surging. He hardened his arm and faster than the eye could see, he smashed Akainu in the stomach.

"Tell me...Does it hurt? That scar I just gave you?" Luffy pulled his arm back again. "Third Gear. Gum Gum...Giant Red Hawk!" Luffy aimed for his chest. It pulverized him with such force and speed that Akainu didn't have time to react.

"And that's that." said Luffy, throwing his own words back at him.

"You've...done nothing. All you defeated was a copy...a clone." Akainu melted and disappeared. Luffy's powers deactivated. He fell to the ground and tears started to stream down his face. "Nami..." he mumbled, barely audible.

"My God, what's taking him so long?!" asked Usopp.

"I'm gonna go look for him. Robin, come with me." said Nami. They walked through the town looking for Luffy until they saw him, sitting on the ground. Nami walked up to him.

"Luffy?" she asked. No response. "Luffy!" He slowly looked up, his face stained with tears, his eyes bloodshot. He was a wreck.

"L-Luffy! What's wrong?!"

"...Na...mi?" he asked, confused. He started to hyperventilate.

"Hrrt!" he said as he grabbed his chest in pain. He passed out.

"LUFFY! Robin, help me get him to the ship!" They carried him back hurriedly.

"Chopper! Help Luffy! He's barely breathing!"

"WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" They rushed into the infirmary and Chopper started listening to Luffy's heartbeat.

"He passed out from a major trauma or shock...OH NO!"

"What is it?!" screamed Nami.

"He's had a heart attack!"

End.