Chapter seven: Help us

"Are we there yet? I have still some pizza to eat y'know." Bonney grumbled with her scarlet lower lip sticking out as she kicked off a small stone out of the way.

"Just a bit more, about five more minutes or so-yoi."

*GROOOOWL

Koala almost tripped at the sudden monstrous sound but was luckily saved by Marco's quick reflexes.

"Watch out-yoi."

"Oh th-thanks, sorry." Koala smiled shyly at her companion, but in her mind, she screamed.

'The fuck?! That actually scared me. Does she have a starved sea king inside her stomach or what?!'

Glutton's happy demeanor from a few minutes ago changed drastically. Her face twisted into an annoyed scowl and her violet eyes literally screamed 'Try me bitch and I'll eat your face'.
But that wasn't all there was to it. Luffy noticed another, less... spottable things. They were subtle, but rather obvious to him.

He was always pretty good at reading people, and the last five years of the experience just strengthened this ability.

Most of people are like open books. Their eyes, voice, posture and gestures can tell you a lot about them and their feelings. Foot tapping, almost unnoticeable hitch in their voice, quick unnecessary blinking... All of these actions are important sources of information. And yet, there are those who are different... They seem like an open book, but its pages are blank, without any text whatsoever.

They're look like they're genuine, but...

... they are not.

All them knew that fact really well. Marco especially.

These individuals are the most dangerous ones. And It seems that Bonney was certainly not a one of them. She clearly didn't have much control over her emotions.

Her voice sharpened, and her eyes ticked from corner to corner, watching out for a possible danger emerging from the shadows. She was clearly getting suspicious of them. Well, who can blame her? They were clearly leading her to one of the most darkest, the most deserted alleys in the whole city. Who wouldn't be suspicious?

"AAAAAAAAH!"

A high-pitched scream cut through the tense silence and frozen each person in the group.

"Be cautious." Luffy hissed behind his teeth as he narrowed his dark brown eyes.

Now is not the time to play around.

Five years ago, he would've simply run in the direction of the scream, not caring about anything else but discovering the source. However, he wasn't like that anymore.

They carefully sneaked around the last corner.

They were prepared to fight,... but they certainly weren't prepare for...this.

Their jaws dropped down to the ground at the sight before them.

A burning man. A fricking burning man was rolling in the snow, trying to extinguish himself.

Law just stood there, bent over, laughing his ass off and banging on the cold brick wall next to him.

More father in the back, there were Issho and Rayleigh, passionately playing cards and ignoring everything around them...

...like for example the loud purring of a giant cat with horohorohoroing girl rubbing its belly lovingly.

Vivi stood there, in the centre of the chaos with a fake smile, twiching right eye and clenched trembling fists. Her smile widened when she saw the arriving group.

"Hi! You must be Jewerly Bonney! Nice to meet you." Vivi beamed as she offered her hand to the flabbergasted woman, who broke into a contagious fit of laughter.

"Nice to meet ya too, girlie! Wahaha oooh man. Pipsqueak, your friends are so damn funny wahaha." she snickered and gave Vivi a firm handshake.

The fire was finally put out, and the scorched man sighed out in relief. His feather cloak was a bit charred. Luffy stepped towards Law that had yet to compose himself and grinned at him.

"Yo, you told him everything?"

"Pff-haha y-yeah. W-wait a sec." Law cleared his throat and deeply exhaled.

"Haaa, okay I am good now...Ah, I told him all he needs to know for now, details will have to come later."

"Good" Luffy nodded in approval and crouched down to corazon's eye level.

"Hi! I am Mo-"

*BONK

"SHHHHH! Are you out of your goddamn mind?! Did you forget she was here too?!" Koala snapped at him and pointed with towards Bonney.

"Ouch, that hurt you jerk!... Hey, it doesn't matter anymore. She is our ally now, isn't that right Bunnie?"

"Well, firstly my name's Bonney not Bonnie or Bunnie like some fucking bunny and secondly, I don't remember you being my ally pipsqueak, rival maybe but the only thing I agreed to was doing you guys a favour." she huffed "And I still don't know who you guys even are, so If you want something from me then reveal your faces or the deal is off!"

'Why is she calling me a pipsqueak? I am taller than her. Ah! She must be dumb'

"What?! We can't do that!" Koala retorted angrily.

"Okay." Luffy said as took his hood off, revealing his unruly raven locks decorated with a few stray glimmering snowflakes.

"What are you doing?! Do you want to screw the whole mission up?! Do you even remember how much time it took to plan i-" Koala bellowed, boiling with fury and just about to strangle her boss.

"I know, but she is the only person who can help us right now and we need her to trust us." Luffy grounded Koala by his comment and she finally shut her mouth close.

'I-I know he is right. I would entrust my life to Luffy... He cheered me up and showed me a path to hope again... but... I' m just so scared we'll fail again...'

"I'm *hic sorry Lu... I'm j-just...*hic." Koala sobbed as she rubbed her eyes. This was all really hard and emotionally heavy for them. The desire to see their dead friends and families, the excitement from new adventures... and the fear of failure...

'Screw celestial dragons! The thing I fear the most is losing them!'

Luffy's eyes were hidden beneath the shadow of his be loved strawhat that he out on again.

He came up to Koala and...

...pulled her into his arms.

"I know. We all are. But hey, if we don't take any risks, we can't move forward. And... You believe in me... right?" the boy murmured in a low voice and granted her another of his blinding smiles.

"Un." Koala said with a soft smile as her tears were being rubbed away by Luffy's sleeve.

"Yosh! Come on! Everyone take you hood off."

Koala felt a warm rough hand land on her shoulder. She turned her head around and faced Marco's comforting kind smile.

"Don't worry. He knows what he is doing and... y'know... I agree with him. She might become one of our greatest allies in the future."

Others came forward and also put their hoods down.

Bonney's eyes widened at the sight of few rather familiar faces.

"Rayleigh the dark king... Fujitora... Marco the phoenix... What the hell is going on?!" she yelled in distress. What was this all about? A sick joke? A weird cult? Or... Was she dreaming?

'Anyway, this doesn't look good.'

"Is this some kind of trap?! What do you want from me?!"

"Calm down... It's nothing like that. Let me explain." Marco sighed tiredly at the unnecessary hassle.

".. And this is our boss M-"

"The name's Monkey D. Luffy, the man who is going to become the king of the pirates and rewrite his destiny, what's up? And yeah, we really traveled in time, isn't that cool? shishishi. " he laughed as if he just told the joke of his life, which to Bonney it really sounded like.

"Are you serious? " Bonney gaped at them.

"Yep" Luffy said unblinking, and laughed again

"It seems crazy horohoro."

'These people are either crazy or this is some kind of sick ploy to captured me.'

"Oi, Vivi! Do you still have energy for another few jumps?"

"Yeah, but after that I won't be able to use it for a long time and to tell the truth... I'm exhausted. I can't wait to get back to Alabasta and to the palace." Vivi placed a palm to her forehead and sighed.

"Oh, that's right you will become princess again! Can we have another banquet when me and my crew visit?" Luffy blurted out in excitement and started drooling.

"Of course. That was decided from the start."Vivi chuckled and ruffled his raven hair.

'Yeah definitely crazy alright. I'll play my role for now and see where this goes.'

"Okay, let's say I believe your insane story,...but what do you want from me? Spill it."

"We need your devil fruit ability... To turn us to ages we would be at this time." Perona explained slowly, trying to read Bonney's face for any indicators of anger...

... Instead of anger... She found a...

...FEAR

"H-huh but i don't have such ability? What kind-d of bullshit are you trying to pull?! Take your time travelling shit and fuck off from my town you weirdos! Don't brother me again, you hear me?!" She bellowed and sharply turned around, trying to escape.

"Wait! We really need your help! We can't do this without you!" Vivi shouted desperatly, already on the verge of crying.

"Now don't be so hasty to go... Connie the queen of Sorbet kingdom." a ragged voice rumbled through the air.

Bonney stopped abruptly in her track but didn't turn around.

"Where did you hear this shit?" she whispered threateningly with a dark unpenetrable aura surrounding her.

It became even colder than it already was.

"As we said... We are from future... and we need you to turn us younger or we won't be able to achieve our goal... By the way... how's Kuma? Already in revolution army?" Rayleigh provoke her with a rowdy smile on his face.

"Tsk... Grr...you even know about him, huh... And why should I help you,... you little kids don't know anything about time and how dangerous playing with it might be." she hissed in disgust "Trust me I have an experience..."

Everyone undestood what she implied and didn't asked any further. That would be just too cruel.

"How old are you?"

Well, maybe except that rubber goof.

"You idiot! You don't ask lady that! an-and after what she said!" Vivi shouted.

"I am exactly 753 years old, but my body is currently 25 and my alterego of queen Connie is 87... I have seen some things kid and I know a lot... And yet, I still can't die even if I don't manipulate my age... It's a curse, pipsqueak... An unbreakable one..." Bonney answered him with hint of deep pain in her voice as she stepped closer to Luffy who had that unreadable expression on him.

"Cease this. Don't play with time and go home. It will bring less suffering. To you and your friends." she tried persuading him while sqeezing both of his shoulders.

"No. We are going to do this. We can't let it happen like this... Not only our loved ones,.. But the whole world will suffer if we don't do anything!" Luffy said in serious tone, raw determination burning in his eyes. "Don't worry. It'll work out somehow. We're strong shishishishsi."

Bonney stood there dumbfounded.

'Just who is this man? How can be so confident even after failing?!'

"Tell me more... About the situation of the world in your time... Maybe then I'll agree..." she said twirling her hair around her finger nervously with a small pouť.

"Why should we explain ourselves to you? Don't waste our time. Will you help us or not?" Law sneered impatiently.

"Shut up nerd and your nasty mouth!" Koala slapped his arm "Excuse this bastard he still didn't have his coffe today."

"And neither have you it seems" Law frowned as he rubbed his forearm.

"Law-San! Koala-san!...ugh...Don't mind them please... Please lady Connie! ...Lend us your help! We can't stop here, there are...

... milions of lives at risk... W-we can save them!" Vivi exclaimed, resolved to go through hell again if it meant to help her people and friends.

"Alright, alright...I'm listening."

" I see...I'll do it." Bonney showed them a small sad smile.

"Really?! That's great! Thank you Bonney!" Luffy beamed with happiness and hug the started woman.

"Sure sure, just get off me...I have a flavour too then..."

"What is it?" Law wondered out-loud, though he didn't mean to.

"Don't let government take my son away... Please..."

"Of course. We already own him a big favour, so we already planned to rescue him." Luffy giggled. "Kuma's also one of my brother's nakama. I can't let him die."

"Thank you." Pink-haired woman said gratefully as few tears picked ať the corner of her eyes.

"Okay then! Tell me the ages and consider it done!"

"Excuse me, before we start... I want to a dress some minor problems." Vivi hesitated.

"Carrot is four years younger than Luffy and we are in time when he was 6 years old and that means... That she is only two years old! Is that even okay?!"

"Nyan ah yes that."

"I take it that you already have a solution in mind Neko-san?"

"Yeah rnyan, she wasn't born on Zou to begin with so she doesn't have parents there, I believe it was Pedro that found her in the Grand Line and took her with him... I thought it would be good if you-gara make yourself same age as Luffy, 6 years old that is, and train under Pedro again, I'll tell them that I found you on my journey and when the Pedro brings the small you, we just get rid of it... Smart, eh nyan? "

" What do you mean get rid of the original one?!" Bonney thundered, but as she was about to go off again, Fujitora stopped her.

"Calm down miss, he just worded it badly. When miss Vivi experimentem with her devil fruit she found out a very curious detail about time travelling, isn't that right?"

"Ah yes. I discovered that when I was travelling into the future, my body disappeared from that time and reappeared in the time I was travelling to, but as for travelling to past... I climbed a hill and then traveled a few minutes back just to find myself looking at the past me climbing the same hill... When I touches it, it dissolved into the air... My theory is that once we, travelers touch our past selves, they become but a memory of us being there and they cease to exist in that time. They'll exist only in our memories and nowhere else. It's not like we are killing them, because they didn't really exist to begin with."

'I don't get it... Hmmm... It's a mystery memory thing'

"Oh, I see... I almost jumped into conclusion there." Bonney coyly apologized.

"That is great plan Nekomamushi-sama! This will be fun!" Carrot cheered. "But hey, your past self was away from home too in this time? Just like Pedro was? Why weren't you together?"

"Rnyay, now it's not the time for this... We just have to find the past me before it returns to Zunisha nyan." giant cat dismissed her previous question with a giant grin and kept on puffing from his pipe.

"Now onto the other problem... " she looked at silent Corazon, who was carefully observing the whole thing.

Her gaze startled him.

"What? Me? What did I do? I swear that fire thing won't happen again!"

"A god damn liar." Law whispered but nobody heard him.

" You can't stay looking like that... " Vivi said with a disapproving look.

"What is wrong with my face?!"

"Maybe the fact that it should be burried few feet underground in a graveyard? You should are 'dead' you know." Law snickered and swung an arm around Rosinante's shoulders."If someone who knows you recognizes you, then we will have whole Navy and Donquixote family on our tails in few hours."

"Ah... That's right. I forgot."

"Who forgets their own death?!" others screamed with shark teeth at the shy ex-spy as Law laughed.

"So I need some kind of disguise?" Corazon pondered as someone sneaked up on him and grabbed a strand of his hair.

"I'll take the job!" Perona exclaimed as her eyes literally shone with excitement.

"I already can imagine it! Hmm hmm blue hair, black face mask with white x hmmm this is gonna be so much fun!"

'Perhaps I should be worried?' was Corazon's last thought before Perona dragged him away.

"Okay, now that you finally stopped playing dress-up the klutz, let's start the de-aging." Bonney grumbled, bored of her mind.

"Right." Marco agreed and took out his leather journal." Let's start with Koala. She would be ten years old, just around the time Sun pirates found her."

"Age alteration!"

A light pink light engulfed Koala and her body shrunk.

"Then there's Luffy and Carrot, make them six years old."

"Age alteration!"

"Nekomamushi... I know how much you wanted to go further into the past, exactly seven years more, so we could rescue Oden... But... Vivi just doesn't have that much energy... I'm sorry..."

"Rnyan Rnyan, what are you saying? What happened is a ancient history, now let's concentrate on bringing our enemies down and protect our friends." Nekomamushi smiled warmly and shrugged off Marco's concern with his robotic paw.

"Okay, so Nekomamushi will become 27 again."

"Age alteration!"

"Now who else do we have here... Ah! Issho in this time is 41 and Rayleigh is 65...hmm let's make you ten years younger... So 55 yoi!"

"Ohohoho My back won't be killing me again for a while!" Rayleigh bursted out laughing, clutching his head.

"Age alteration!"

"Vivi? You'll be only five years old and Perona... Aw c'mon there is no way you're that young-yoi." Marco sighed in annoyance as he shoved the journal up to her face.

"Haaah, you're saying I'm old or what?! "Perona barked.

"Rona." Luffy pressed her for answer.

"Tsk, fiiine I would be 12 by now, not 7..."she clicked her tongue and pouted.

"Age alteration!"

"Law's one year older than Perona, so 13 and I'll be 32."

"Age alteration!"

"And what about Cora-san?" Law inquired. "What about making him younger so he is even more unrecognizable?"

"You've got some good thinking right there." Bonney pointed out with a grin.

"Thanks." Law smirked.

"Okay, what about 18 years old? He would appear young, but would be already an adult... What do you say Rosinante-San?" Vivi offered her suggestion with a light clap.

"Yeah sure why not. I don't see any problém with it." Corazon smiled and lighted a cigarette that Law gave him."Gah, wait! I'll be dad in 18!That's too young!"

"Age alteration!"

"Aw, shucks."

...

"You were adorable, Giggles." Marco grinned down on the little boy running around like a madman.

"Shut up I am not cute!" Luffy yelled and kicked his Shin.

"Shit taht hurt! You little-!"

"Yes you are Luffy-ya. Deal with it and let me hug you." Law neared him with open arms and dark look on his face. Were those stars in his eyes?!

"Me too! I have weaknesses for cute things!" Perona squealed as she chased him too.

"Unhand me you bastards!" Luffy cried as he was being squeezed to death.

In Marco's case probably intentionally.

...

"Remember, we all have our tasks to do. Stay in contact and follow the plan." Marco emphatized.

"Aye!"

"Now, scatter!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Aye!"

Warm rays of the sun tingled on his tanned face, and playful wind ruffled his hair. The sea, the village, and the nostalgic sense of inner peace...

He was home...

It was almost like a dream.

It was so perfect that he couldn't believe it to be true.

Tears of relief slid down his cheeks as his knees hit the ground.

He can do this again. And do it right this time.

Ace! Sabo!... They are up there. Breathing, smiling and running around.

'I can't wait...To meet you again... My brothers...but before that, there is another thing that I must do!'

Hi, so how did you like this chapter? It's a bit slow, but I personally don't enjoy the quick ones, I mean... They have to struggled to get what they want or else it wouldn't be fun, eh? But they should really be careful, because all of their actions determines the future...

Kalon Thorn~