Warnings: nothing explicit, violence and cursing
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
YOU CAN SEE ART FOR THIS AT-
strays-fic dot tumblr dot com
Some things you should bear in mind for the next few chapters btw:
-why did marco call whitebeard something different from the other revs?
-shanks wtf?
-luffy what the hell are your dreams
-jake?!
Chapter 36 – BONUS CHAPTER – The King's Disposition
Drip. Drip.
Luffy stares in horror, eyes wide and smarting as the smoke stings them. The ground is harsh and hot under his knees, morphing and melting like molten rock, and his skin blisters with the pure heat coming from Akainu. Above him, Ace coughs, throat rasping. Blood drips down his chin. Akainu's fist in his chest morphs and pulsates with light, tearing the young revolutionary open from the inside out. The fire-user's face is screwed up in pain, eyes tearing up, and Luffy's heart aches.
Akainu snorts with disgust, as if he's just stepped in something unpleasant, and pulls his fist from Ace's torso roughly. Luffy stares up at his older brother as he sways, teeth clenched against the pain that must be shooting through him horrifically. His mind refuses to comprehend this. Ace falls to his knees and onto Luffy, boneless, and Luffy can hear him choke on a yell of pain. Around them, the battlefield has gone horribly silent. Somewhere far away, Marco yells out in mingled horror and pain, caught up in his own battle but unable to miss what just happened.
Akainu steps forwards once more, prepared to finish off yet another of the three brothers, but a nimble, tall figure intercepts him. "Room!" yells a voice, and Law unsheathes a rusty dagger with a snarl and lunges forward. He and Akainu clash, Gift against Gift, but Luffy can't pay attention. His ears are ringing. Ace's body is hot upon his own and when he looks down, he can see his red shirt spread with a darker shade of crimson.
"Luffy...?" Ace's voice shakes. Throat catching with the tail end of a sob, Luffy clutches Ace tightly to him. "Are y-you okay?"
"A-Ace-" Above, the sky is fractured by lightening. It lights up the agony in Ace's eyes. "Ace!"
Ace opens his mouth to say something else, face contorting in pain, before the ground suddenly shakes beneath them. The world itself tilts on its axis suddenly, and Ace is abruptly ripped from his brother's arms. Luffy cries out in alarm, reaching desperately for him, hurtling through open air as the world shatters around him. Light pours in, thick and fast, before-
"Luffy! Luffy, wake up!"
The captain lurches upwards in bed, chest heaving, a yell ripping from his throat. His body is coated with cold sweat and his heart pounds madly in his chest. For a second he's disorientated, not knowing where the threat is or how to combat it, and somebody grabs his shoulders and shakes them hard.
"Luffy, I need you to calm down!"
The hands on his shoulders feel too hot and for a second Luffy is back there, clutching Ace for dear life as he bleeds out. He squeezes his eyes shut, fighting desperately and lashing out at the person holding his shoulders. A grunt of pain echoes through the room as his fist makes contact with flesh. Luffy scrambles away from the hands, eyes still clenched shut, back hitting a wall. Panic roars to life within his blood itself, and then it happens.
His cheek snaps to the side, a sharp crack piercing the air. A shivering second of silence slips by. Abruptly, Luffy opens his eyes, staring down at a white bedspread in dim light. His mind feels surprisingly more clear even as pain blossoms across his cheek. After a moment, he looks up, making eye contact with Marco. The older man looks concerned, hand slightly red from the force with which he slapped Luffy. "Are you okay, yoi?" he asks quietly, even though it's a stupid question.
Luffy pulls his knees tightly up to his chest, burying his face in them and ignoring the twinge of pain that shoots through the stab wound in his stomach. "I saw it again. Ace dying."
He hears Marco sighing, sat down on the other end of the mattress. "I know you're worried about him, yoi, but that won't do anything. There's no use having nightmares and dreaming up horrible scenarios just because you're scared."
Luffy clenches his teeth, curling up tighter. "You don't know how real they are! Every time I dream it, it's exactly the same. I can feel pain too, and it just-" He swallows. "I can remember it really clearly."
"We'll be there soon. If you're not up for fighting, then I guess we could just leave you here, yoi..."
"No!" Luffy practically snarls it, though he still doesn't look up. "I already lost Sanji and Law and Robin!" The unspoken I can't lose Ace too rings loud and clear on the air.
Marco is silent for a second. When Luffy looks up at him, his eyes are sad. "Marco?"
The man lets out a puff of air through his teeth and looks at the ground, a bitter chuckle escaping from his throat. "Sorry, yoi. You just remind me a lot of your brother."
"What do you mean?" Luffy asks, unfolding slightly.
"He spoke like that. Told me once that he didn't want anything else to burn," Marco replies vaguely, nostalgia thick in his voice. "I'm guessing you two were close, yoi?"
"Mmhm!" Luffy unfolds further still, letting his legs slip down until they're folded under him. "All three of us!"
"I'm glad." Marco stands, stretching his arms out, and says, "Don't pay attention to the dreams. I'm sure they don't mean anything, yoi." He strolls towards the door and when he reaches it, he glances back at Luffy, who is still lying on the guest room's bed. "I'll be in the meeting room if you need anything."
Luffy nods mutely and watches Marco go. He understands why Ace liked him.
The rubbery teen flops back onto the bed, frowning at the ceiling. Ace's execution is in a week now. The Moby Dick, as well as an armada of other revolutionary ships, are anchored at an island a few mere miles from Marineford. The last few days have been a mad scramble to make preparations, tactics being arranged and fighters being organised. Shanks and Whitebeard have been in touch, and apparently Luffy's father is going to attack from the other side. The pirate captain has his own hoard of allies to fight alongside him. They make a formidable force - the Revolutionary Army's only worry is that the navy and the Foxes are more so.
Anticipation has been boiling through Luffy for days. The intensity of it is new, something he's never felt, caught between anticipation and apprehension. His brother is going to be there. Maybe Sabo will be there. The teen's heart clenches at the memory of that photograph, and his gut churns. Neither of his brothers are doing all that well at the moment.
Suddenly, the door slams open with a bang. Zoro runs in, closely followed by Usopp, panting hard and looking urgent. "Luffy," the swordsman grits out, "We have a situation."
Luffy jumps up, instantly alert. "Zoro, Usopp? What is it?"
"Just follow us!" replies Usopp quickly. His voice is shaking slightly, half with fear and half with something else.
Luffy doesn't need persuading. The trio run out of the room and down the corridor, through the bowels of the massive ship, feet pounding on sturdy wood. The rubber captain's heart pounds in his ears. They ascend one flight of stairs, then another, and soon emerge onto the deck.
It takes Luffy a few seconds to register what he's seeing. The deck is mostly empty, and a few figures stand in the middle. The other strawhats. They look to Luffy desperately, as if they expect him to know how to deal with this, and their eyes are filled with concern. In the centre of their small huddle is Nami. Except... she doesn't look like Nami. Her eyes are wide and her face is horrified, and she's motionless. In her hands is a newspaper. Nobody moves for a moment, and the silence hangs like a knife.
"Nami...?" Luffy asks in a surprisingly small voice, taking a step forwards with caution.
Something seems to jolt through Nami like an electric shock and she slumps, helpless, to her knees. This is all it takes for Luffy to run forwards, alarmed, and sink to his knees by her side. "Nami, what's wrong?!"
When he tries to touch her arm to read the headline of the newpaper, however, Nami jerks away. Her eyes are dark and furious, filled with more fire than even Ace's used to be, burning like hot coals. She throws down the newspaper with a small, choked noise, like her own grief is trying to force its way out of her chest. Luffy backs off slightly, wide-eyed, as she stands. The navigator's eyes are filled with tears but still, they burn.
Zoro reaches out to touch her shoulder, maybe to turn her to face them, and the girl lashes out in a split second. One second Zoro looks confused and concerned - the next, he's reeling back with a roar of pain as Nami spins and sinks her fist into his jaw. He doesn't fall, but blood starts to run in a steady stream from his nose, staining his white shirt. As he stumbles back, cursing, Nami pulls back her fist and wipes it clean on her shirt. Two or three of her knuckles are split, but she doesn't wince. As the rest of the crew stare, the sixteen-year old says, "Don't touch me."
With that she turns, orange hair flying, and storms towards the main cabin in the opposite direction. Nobody goes after her. The only audible sound that comes from the group is the sound of Zoro's muffled cursing as he tries to stop the bleeding and, after second, Chopper's worried exclamations about the swordsman's condition. Luffy looks down at the floor, expression unreadable. His eyes soon land on the newspaper and though the look on his face doesn't change, regret stabs through his chest at the sight of it. As he picks it up, barely able to read but able to at least decipher the title, the captain swears the waves are pounding a funeral march on the side of the ship.
"Don't be u-upset. I'll be able to tell Leo that- that J-Jake misses him." Ace's voice thins with every word, choked on his emotion. Not again, Luffy prays, don't make me watch this again. How many times does he have to see Ace die?
"D-Don't talk like that! No!" Luffy cries out, but his voice cracks. They fall further to the floor, slipping on the blood-slicked ground. "Please don't say that…!"
"Luffy, you need to wake up, yoi."
This time, the young captain wakes in a calmer manner, eyes slipping open slowly to land on Marco's face. The older man looks slightly healthier than the last time Luffy saw him, but his face is twisted into a look of concern. As Luffy examines his expression, he tries to regulate his breathing, panic slipping slowly out of his system.
"The same dream again?" Marco asks, shifting backwards on the bed to give Luffy some space. "You were crying in your sleep, yoi."
Luffy reaches up, disbelieving, only to find that his face really is wet. His eyes feel numb and hot in their sockets, crusted with tears and sleep, and he rubs at them furiously for a second. Marco has the decency to turn away for a minute.
Once Luffy is done scrubbing all evidence of the nightmare from his face, he glances up at Marco, head cocked to the side. "Why are you doing this?" he asks after a second, breaking the silence.
"Doing what?"
"Helping. I mean, you've stayed in here with me for the last few days just to wake me 'cause the nightmares are bad, but don't you have better stuff to do?" Luffy pushes himself up, body stiff, and clicks his fingers one by one.
Marco chuckles. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Ace – you're not the only one who gets nightmares. I'm the second-in-command of the whole Revolutionary Army. Even if you're not officially one of us, you're Ace's family, and his family is our family. Alright, yoi?"
Luffy searches the older man's face for a few seconds, expression blank, before his own suddenly breaks into a grin. "Alright, Mango!"
"It's Mar-"
"Hey, have you seen Nami?"
Marco's face falls. "She's in the crow's nest, yoi. Hasn't come down since she ran up there. It's been hours."
Luffy stares at the ceiling for a second, as if actually considering what he's going to do, before nodding to himself and standing. Marco stands too, still keeping a comfortable distance between them. Still treating Luffy like an equal, not a weak kid, even with all that he's done for the teen. Luffy appreciates it.
"I'll go up to see her." Luffy darts towards the door. When he's just about to leave it, he turns to Marco and grins. "Thanks for everything, Marco!"
Before Marco can reply, before he can even process what Luffy just said, the kid runs out of the room and down the corridor. Marco is used to taking care of his crew; now Luffy needs to take care of his own. The corridors pass quickly, and by the time Luffy gets to the deck, the sun is already rising. The smell of sea-salt on the air is thick and strong. Down here in the south, it's hotter and more humid than up north, and the sun beats down without mercy. Zoro is sitting at the foot of the crow's nest when he reaches it, and nods to Luffy as he approaches, standing.
"She's not doing too good," he says quietly.
"Then let's go help her," Luffy replies without missing a beat. Captain and first mate share a look of understanding for a second. They don't feel much like teenagers anymore.
Before Luffy can start to scale the rigging, however, a yell echoes across the deck. A lookout stationed near the hull has apparently spotted something, and turns to yell for Marco, who's only just emerging onto the main deck..
"Marco-taichou!" Her next words make Luffy's heart leap in his chest. "One of Shanks' ships is approaching!"
The boy wakes to the quiet hubbub of conversation buzzing through the room around him. It's a sharp contrast to what he's used to waking up to – the loud shouts and laughter of the men in the galley, raucous yelling and the occasional smash of furniture being broken. The surface beneath him is also, strangely, very soft. It's something he hasn't felt in years. He's close to melting into it, boneless and sleepy, when he remembers just how he got here.
Jake sits up quickly, head spinning with the movement, and somebody yells, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Kid, calm down!"
Once his vision clears, the fourteen-year old can see a man with scarlet hair peering at him with concern. Jake is lying in some kind of infirmary, and he and the red-haired man are the only ones here. Conversation floats through the ajar door behind the man, who is looking Jake up and down curiously. He stares right back for a second, still disorientated, before ducking his head quickly. Making eye contact is one way to get them angry.
"Sorry," Jake mutters, voice as quiet as he can get it while still being audible.
"For what?"
Jake can't come up with a good answer. Instead, he continues to look down. Awkward silence reigns for a second, before the man says, "Well, anyway, I'm Shanks. Captain of the Red-Haired Pirates. We sabotaged one of Blackbeard's ships. Guessed you weren't one of them, by the bruises."
Nodding minutely, the teen chances a look up. Shanks is still looking at him curiously, with no hostility in his face. If anything, he seems curious. "I'm not, yeah," Jake replies quietly. "Thank you for taking me with you. I'll try to pay you ba-"
"Nonsense!" Shanks actually grins, carefree and friendly. "We only did what any decent people would do."
"O-Okay, uh, thank you anyway...?"
Jake winces, hoping that wasn't the wrong thing to say, but Shanks just laughs. After a second or two, his chuckles tail off and he stretches in his seat. It doesn't look comfortable, and Jake wonders how long he's been sitting by his bedside.
"We're taking you to the Moby Dick - the revs' ship - 'cause they'll probably be able to patch you up better than us. Do you know anybody in the Revolutionary Army?"
"I was one of the Blackbeard Pirates' cabin boys for five years, sir. My big brother meant to join them, but I don't know whether he actually did, sir." Jake keeps his head down still, not daring to meet Shanks' eyes. He can't risk it.
"Alright, well he might be there - we'll have to find out." Shanks stands from his seat, glancing to the door. "We should be there soon. I'll come and grab you when we reach them, okay?" Jake nods, not looking up.
Shanks' footsteps move towards the door. Adrenaline is throbbing beneath Jake's skin. He didn't say anything wrong. He's staying alive, at least for now. Thank god.
"Kid?" Jake's instincts betray him, and he looks up into warm, brown eyes. "You don't have to call me 'sir'. We're not them."
Before Jake can answer, Shanks has smiled and turned and left. The fourteen-year old is left alone in the room, looking down at his bruised hands, marvelling slightly at what just happened. So much has changed in barely a few hours. He's no longer a slave. He might even see his brother again. And this man, with red hair and warm eyes, doesn't seem to care who Jake used to be. He just seems to want treat him like an equal. Which has never happened.
Has it really come crashing down so fast?
Somebody above deck suddenly yells, "We've got eyes on the Moby!" Jake pushes himself up, trying to ignore the aching in his limbs, and stumbles towards the infirmary door. When he gets there, however, he hesitates. The world outside of that door is foreign and unknown to him. For all he knows, this is some trap. Some big joke, to entertain the crewmates.
Before Jake can worry about this anymore, however, Shanks shoulders his way through the door and into the room. "Hey! You didn't have to get up on your own, now the doc's gonna kill me!" Even though Shanks' tone is teasing, Jake can't stop himself from flinching.
"Sorry, si- Shanks." Jake manages to contain his shivers as Shanks slides an arm under his own and helps him out of the room, noting that the touch is actually relatively gentle.
"It's no problem, kid, I was just asking." Shanks chuckles, but this time it sounds a little sad.
Together, they edge up the corridor, taking their time as Jake's limbs betray him and shake and shiver. Soon, the pair reach a door that leads out into the sunlight. Jake takes a moment to bask in it, forgetting his worries for a split second as the warmth rushes over him and sinks into his skin. When was the last time he stood in the sunlight? When was the last time he even felt this warm? Shanks says nothing, and soon Jake turns back to him, snapped out of his near trance. Feeling the sun on his skin again is good, but the possibility of seeing his brother again is better.
However, when Jake turns, he's shocked into a stupor yet again. The ship towering over theirs is so large in comparison that it sends a monstrous shadow over half of the deck, blotting out a huge chunk of the sky. Silhouetted by the ocean and the clouds, it sails alongside Shanks' ship as if meeting up with an ally, or an equal.
"Shanks!"
The booming voice that echoes from the monstrous ship resounds over the ocean around them, seeming to make the waves quiver themselves. Jake takes a small step backwards, eyes wide, but before he knows what's happening Shanks is pulling him along to board the ship, and he can do nothing but follow.
Luffy runs towards the railing, unable to control a small whoop of excitement, previous mission forgotten. Revolutionaries around the deck turn and stare, curious, as the young captain tugs on Zoro's arm to get him to hurry up and get to the side of the ship. The swordsman hears somebody say within their own conversation, "He's Ace's brother, remember? Shanks must be his father."
Just before Luffy reaches the port side, two figures pull themselves up over the side of the ship - or, rather, one pulls the other up and over. Once the sun stops silhouetting them and they can make out their faces, Luffy cheers and lunges forwards, knocking aside a small, skinny boy to pounce on Shanks with a laugh. "Dad!"
"Oof- Luffy!" Despite being obviously winded, Shanks hugs back enthusiastically. As they reunite, both beaming, Zoro turns his gaze to the small boy Shanks brought on with him. He has pale skin and eastern grey eyes, with sandy brown hair sticking up in every direction, and looks intimidated by both the size of the ship and its occupants. There are some half-faded bruises coating his face, like gruesome war paint, and they sink deeply into the hollows in his cheeks as if they've been there his whole life.
The boy notices Zoro's stare and flushes, looking down at the ground. Casually, Zoro lets his gaze flit back to Luffy and Shanks as if it never left them, just as they pull apart.
"How are you, Luffy?" Shanks laughs, hair sticking up everywhere from the force with which Luffy tackled him. After a second, he notices the small boy standing awkwardly by his side and grabs his arm. "This is Jake. We came to drop him off here."
Luffy tilts his head to the side. "Why?"
Shanks leans in as if to whisper some big secret, eyes glinting. "'Cause the revs are a bunch of pansies who take in kids-"
"Shanks. What's this I hear about us being pansies?"
Shanks' head snaps up and his eyes meet Whitebeard's, the man having just made his way over. "Whitebeard."
The old man rolls his eyes, as if Shanks is some petulant child, but only says, "What did you say you came here for?"
"Oh, yeah." Shanks grabs Jake's arm and pulls him forwards, and Zoro can see his small shoulders shaking. "Jake here says his brother might have joined you."
Whitebeard turns his gaze on the small boy, who flinches under it, looking down. "What's his name, son?"
"L-Leo, sir," Jake replies, voice shaking but clear.
A woman just passing them, pink hair tied back into a sloppy bun, pauses and turns to look at Jake. Her eyes are both curious and regretful. "Sorry, did you just say Leo?"
A few people surrounding them stop talking, more eyes landing on Jake. He nods shyly, saying, "That's my brother. D-Do you know him?"
The pink-haired woman winces, looking at the ground. "I won't be like Marco here and lie about it - I'm sorry, kid. Leo used to be our second division commander. He was killed on a mission two years ago."
Jake's eyes widen, pupils dilating, and he stumbles back a few steps. "That can't... A-Are you sure there isn't anybody else called Leo?" His back hits the railing. "He has black hair- and pale skin, and he's really tall. A-And he has grey eyes...!"
The pink-haired woman shakes her head sadly. "Had," she says simply. "I'm sorry. We'll still offer you a place to stay if you need it, but we can't bring Leo."
Jake stares at the floor and nods, and Zoro can see the grief in his eyes and lining his shaking frame. Even Luffy has stopped bouncing around, concerned now, though he's sting hanging off Shanks' arm like a monkey. "Okay," replies Jake softly. He seems unable to look up. The woman and Whitebeard exchange knowing looks, and she steps forwards, getting Jake's attention without touching him.
"Would you be comfortable with going to the infirmary so we can check you over?"
Jake nods, still not looking up, and allows himself to be ushered away. He shoots a look at Shanks over his shoulder, a little fear swimming in stormy grey eyes, but the pirate gives him an encouraging smile before he's pulled below deck. Once Jake is out of sight, however, Shanks' smile falls in a split second. He and Whitebeard meet eyes again, and this time, they both look grim.
Zoro senses that the coming conversation is one they probably don't want to be caught up in and grabs Luffy's arm, tugging him away despite his protests. When the pair are a safe distance away, the rubber captain straightens his straw hat and says, "That Jake kid was weird. He seemed like a real wimp!"
Zoro rolls his eyes at Luffy's insensitivity but doesn't comment on it. He finds his eyes drawn to the ocean again, the sea which has befriended them all this time, and notes that anticipation is churning inside him. Inside all of them. Luffy runs off, leaving the swordsman to his own thoughts, and Zoro gives a small sigh.
Something tells him that not all of them are going to make it out of this war.
(line break)
Sorry if this is a lil incoherent. I have like four friends lecturing me abt getting enough sleep. Tired...
ALSO. MY LIL BRO IS ANSWERING REVIEWS WITH ME TODAY! HIS NAAME IS TY AND HE NEEDS TO SLEEP LMAO. YOU CAN FIND HIM ON TUMBLR lostorbit OR HERE Tetsik.
AsunaLucy, Chapter 35, Jul 11:
so the imortal one is definatly rayleigh right. thanks for chrushing my soul by the way.
Hey! Anytime! Im laughing really hard rn!
Ty: don't worry. my soul gets crushed in advanced thanks to a certain author.
Tetsik, Chapter 35, Jul 11:
AGAIN I READ THIS IN ADVANCE
IT HITS ME
FEELS
EVERYTIME
ICANTEVENWRITEAPROPERRESPONSE
MEANIE BO PEANIE.
I just love being mean. Wtf. Im an awful older sister but I don't care.
YJV, Chapter 35, Jul 11:
Oh wow, yes! They finally get out of that hell hole! But what about the other people in that place? And what about Thatch? And Ace and Sabo finally get to talk to each other again! Although briefly. But what's with the last part of the last chapter? QwQ
Hey! Yep, they're finally out :D whoop! And don't worry, that'll be revealed in the next chapter I promise! But thatch….thatch is dead, yall. AND YEAH THE BOIS… I LOVE THEM
and who even knows what's going on there anymore lmao
thanks for reviewing!
Ty: again since im sorta betaing for this I know some things.
don't buy the innocent act of the author.
NovaTheHedgehog7500, Chapter 35, 17h ago:
Oh look, it's my emotions. Trying to clobber me to death. Huh.
Again, im laughing so gd hard this is amazing
Ty: SAME. Spade here is the meanest kid on the block.
turnipdragon, Chapter 35, 17h ago:
FREEDOM YAS. I AM ALL READY FOR MISSION IMPOSSIBLE SABO, but he still won't save ace ToT.
THE REVIEW WAS PERFECT AND THEN YOU ADDED THE LAST PART. ASDFGHJM. I AM LIVING.
Ty: poor poor child. you'll end up being another victim of spade's sick twisted ways.
zoewinter1, Chapter 35, 11h ago:
GOOD JOB YOU FUCKS NOW THE FUCKING PURGATORY VOID IS DISSOLVING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ALL THE DEAD PEOPLE HUH? Y'ALL ARE GONNA DIE AND I HAVE NO SYMPATHY BECAUSE ACE IS ALSO FUCKING DEAD AND SABO ISNT GOING TO ARRIVE IN TIME AND NOTHING IS ALRIGHT ANYMORE AAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Asdfghjk im crying?
im sorry for giving you pain friend. Well. not really but yknow
Ty: *distant laughter*
Guest, Chapter 35, 10h ago:
I loved Sabo and Ace talking again, I really want the brothers to be well and together though going by your last answer I doubt it. Finding out that Perona was worried about how Zoro was doing now was really touching. Since it seems they got out I can't wait to see what happens now with Sabo set on finding Ace... Thanks for the hugs and for the update
Heyo!
I'm glad you're liking it- im loving it rn too! And yeah, poor perona D: im glad her bro's still alive though. And definitely staying that way.
I'll update soon, thanks for reviewing!