Kira494: I don't usually put my precious readers through cliffhangers but I had to this time!

Helloush: I would never stop a story at a moment like that! I'm not evil!


Extremely short chapter since it's the segway into the final part. Not many more chapters to go. I'm gonna be sad when it's done. And if you really want to know what happens after this chapter, if it's killing you, PM me and I will answer the umber one question everyone will have. Enjoy~


Luffy was flying low, hungry and weak, desperately wishing a fish would jump out of the water. Anything. He was talking with Ace, wishing they had something more fun to talk about. Now, it was mostly warnings and recommendations on how to stay alive and free.

It was a boring topic. Ace had stopped talking, probably conversing with someone else, when he reminded, again, to make sure to look for flags on certain islands. He yawned as he flew slowly.

I know. I'm trying to find- but all he was able to do after that was scream and roar in pain and fear. He had gotten too close and careless with the water, and now he was trapped in the mouth of a sea king. He shrieked and writhed around, stabbing spikes of ice inside the mouth of the sea king. It bit down harder and he felt and heard the delicate bones of his wings crunch in the mouth of the monster, and felt skin tear away.

Luffy froze the inside of it, its whole body, making it into a frozen corpse, and kicked out of the side of its mouth, shattering the cheek and dragging himself out. He formed a piece of ice to catch himself.

He clawed his way to the edge of the ice sheet, away from the bloody, frozen mess of the sea king that had ripped off most of Luffy's left wing, rendering them useless. He continued to wail at the pain and utter hopelessness. He should have been more careful about being so close to the water.

The white ice turned red and slippery, but the good thing was that Luffy's wings were thin and mostly membrane, so he wouldn't die of blood loss. But this was it. He had no way to get anywhere anymore. He was going to die, all alone, starving and helpless on the sea of the dangerous New World. He couldn't even move the wing anymore without having sharp spikes of pain go through it and into his back.

He sobbed, in so much pain and so distressed that he had blocked out Ace's voice shouting in concern, and now just laid on his stomach, looking over the edge of the ice sheet. He cried his eyes out. Now, he was a sitting duck for anyone. Animal or humans. He looked down at the mangled mess, with leathery skin ripped apart. He'd never fly again.

There was just no way his wing could heal from this. He didn't want to die. Not alone and not like this. He sobbed his eyes out onto that ice. The only thing keeping him alive and from drowning. It had taken so long to be able to fly, and to have it ripped away from him in less than a minute crushed his morale.

At least Ace wasn't with him. If he was, they'd both be stranded. Now, Luffy couldn't even do what was unique to him. He was helpless, pathetic, and useless. He made sure not to look back at what had been his left wing.

Luffy never replied to Ace, unable to tell him it was time to say goodbyes. He couldn't, not yet. And Luffy didn't want to say goodbye. Not all alone. He was supposed to live thousands of years, yet he loses a wing as a teenager?

He laid on the ice for a long time, staring at the water beneath him, waiting for the next sea king to come, or an enemy pirate crew, or Marines. He wasn't getting back home to Ace. Finally, after almost drifting off to sleep, Ace's voice came back and Luffy could gather his thoughts. It was getting darker outside, and he was starving and thirsty.

LUFFY?! GODDAMNIT, LUFFY, RESPOND! He was hysterical, and Luffy felt bad for leaving him hanging for hours.

Ace… Luffy replied weakly. I'm gonna die, Ace. Ace gasped, and frantically asked what the hell Luffy was talking about. A sea king got me. My left wing is destroyed. I'm gonna starve or get eaten, all by myself. I miss Sabo. Do you think I'll get to meet him again? Or not, since we're both mass murderers? Luffy wondered, delirious with hunger and thirst.

N… no, no Luffy, NO! You can't die! You can't leave me! Please, don't die, please! You can do it, your wing will be fine, Ace tried to plead. Luffy knew he didn't mean to, but Ace's words just made him feel worse.

I'm sorry. It's impossible for me to fly anymore. I don't want to leave you either, Luffy replied in a flat and lifeless voice. You made my life good. You and Sabo. I want you to stay with the Whitebeards, okay? You found another family. I- I'm sorry I can't be part of it with you.

Luffy started to feel strange in the head. He listened to Ace's pleading until it faded away. All of his thoughts faded away, and all that was left was the desire to eat, and live. He didn't remember anything anymore. The world was suddenly quiet, and all he thought about was survival.

He couldn't hear Ace's hopeless sobbing, didn't even know there was an Ace, or that there was a Luffy.


End of part 3.


Poor Luffy, I put you through so much. I'm sorry Lu!