Oh, just look at that. What's this? An update?! Yes, yes, guys, yes, this is an update. You're welcome. Considering how slow I update, you can think of all my stories as if they are on permanent hiatus. Wouldn't be an exaggeration at all lol
Before I forget, the prologue had been rewritten to add Jinbe as a crew member! Go read it!
Betaread by The Patient One!
Special shout-out to colin9999 who is the first and only person to buy me coffee! He and The Patient One are the ones who motivated me to write this chapter much faster than I'd have otherwise :D Be grateful!
Before continuing, better read the ending of the last chapter to recall where we left off!
Chapter XII
"If anything, Luffy came from the future."
(Luffy/Usopp ~8.5, Nami ~9.5, Zoro/Sanji ~10.5, Bepo/Ace/Sabo ~11.5, Kuina ~13.5, Law ~15.5 y.o.)
-Shimotsuki Village, the Isshin Dojo-
"As you wish."
Zoro and Kuina's eyes remained locked, both of them measuring their opponent and neither in a hurry to attack first.
Zoro rearranged his fingers on the shinai's handle, already feeling sweat on his palms. His blood was pumping, and his stomach fluttered, teetering between nervousness and excitement.
This was it. The fight he had been preparing for all year. Their 1501st duel and time to see the results of his training with the brothers.
Zoro tensed when Kuina's stance shifted ever so slightly. A few more moments passed by and then, in silent unison, they both sprung forward. Opposing shinai met with a sharp snap, followed by a rapid series of bangs as two fighters exchanged several blows in as many seconds. Neither seemed to gain an upper hand.
Kuina was smart and skilled. What she lacked in raw strength, she made up for with technique and speed, masterfully parrying and counterattacking even the most brutal blows of Zoro's onslaught.
But…
Zoro's teeth flashed in a vicious grin as he crossed his swords for a block.
But she wasn't stronger than Ace, she wasn't faster than Luffy, and she wasn't better than Law or Sabo with his damn pipe.
The moment their shinai made contact, Zoro swung his arms wide open to the side. With a surprised gasp, the girl staggered. Her weapon flew from her hands and clattered to the floor behind her, and she managed to catch herself just before the tip of Zoro's shinai touched her neck.
Silence reigned upon the dojo. Zoro's chest heaved, sweat covered his forehead, but his eyes were bright and his smile was wide.
"Winner, Zoro!"
Everyone winced at the voice that broke the unnatural stillness, heads whipping to look at the Dojo master, Koushirou. And then, as if a dam was suddenly opened, the whole crowd roared in cheers. The only ones who didn't move yet were the two fighters in the middle of the room.
Zoro's heart raced. He did it. He finally did it! He defeated Kuina! He stared at the older girl, expectant. Not sure what exactly he was waiting for. Kuina recognizing his win? Acknowledging that he was stronger than her? Whatever it was, he felt happy, giddy, downright ecstatic—
Zoro's smile froze and thoughts ground to a halt upon noticing tears in Kuina's eyes. The latter turned her head away in a vain attempt to hide it, but it was too late. She slapped the shinai away, spun on her heel, and ran out of the dojo.
Once again, an abrupt silence blanketed the dojo.
Zoro's gaze was fixed only at the door where Kuina disappeared, any signs of happiness absent from his features.
"Zoro."
The boy flinched at the voice next to him. He turned, silver eyes meeting familiar dark ones. It never stopped surprising him how old sometimes they seemed, despite Luffy being the youngest among them. There was wisdom contained in them, far beyond their physical ages.
"Good fight, Zoro."
It was unnerving, Luffy staring like that, as if peeling away all the layers of skin on Zoro's body to leave his soul bare for Luffy's scrutiny. The young swordsman opened his mouth to say thanks, but closed it again and instead averted his eyes.
Luffy didn't congratulate him on the win. Zoro was glad he didn't. Victory felt wrong all of a sudden. Hollow. The image of Kuina's tears and utter despair on her face remained stuck in his mind.
Not what he expected or wanted to see. With a mumbled, "I'm going to wash my face," Zoro walked out.
He reached the inner yard and the wooden arbor with the well in no time, arms moving on their own to reel some water up. His head buzzed in absolute chaos, many thoughts coming and going away without any order or reason. All emotions tangled together and swelled inside his chest until it felt like it would burst. Cold water offered no comfort, didn't appease the turmoil, granted no explanation of why he was feeling so bothered, so frustrated, so angry.
"Damn! Why?" Zoro grabbed the water bucket and flung it aside with a furious growl. Panting, he stood there, blankly watching how water soaked into the ground. "Beating Kuina was always my goal, so why?! Why?! What's wrong with me?!" he yelled as he punched one of the support columns for the well's shade structure.
Zoro was about to wind his arm for a second hit, then something big dropped from the roof right in front of him. He screamed involuntarily as he ungracefully landed on his butt.
"Shishishishi! Yo, Zoro!"
The boy scowled at the grinning Luffy who was hanging upside down from the corner of the roof, holding his straw hat in place with one hand and waving with another. In the end, Zoro said nothing, crossed his legs, making himself comfortable on the ground, and stared at his own feet. "Hey, Luffy," he called after a while. "Have you ever won a fight and didn't feel happy about it?"
The other boy stopped swinging to the sides to answer with a simple, "Yep."
"Why?"
Luffy hummed. "Because I was fighting my nakama. He challenged me. As his captain, I had to accept." He paused, fingers tightening around the straw hat. "It wasn't a fair fight. Or a pleasant victory. I never wanted to see my nakama defeated."
Zoro's head snapped up, eyes wide. "It wasn't a fair fight."
"I was so much strong—"
"Not that!" Zoro yelled. He finally figured out what kept bothering him. "My fight with Kuina. It wasn't a fair fight."
Kuina was his rival. He would never admit it out loud, but Kuina was strong and skilled and she always pushed him to try harder, to train harder. Before Zoro's trip, they both trained at the same dojo, with the same people. Only their amount of effort put into training determined the victor. His time with the brothers gave him a significant advantage over her who stayed behind. That wasn't fair. If he wanted to defeat her in a fair duel, they had to stand on equal ground. Otherwise, he refused to accept the win.
"Luffy, can, uh…" Zoro rubbed the back of his head, not sure how to word his request. He was bad at such things. "Could Kuina join our training?"
Luffy cocked his head to the side, regarding his question and not replying right away. "I don't know," he replied with a shrug. "Let's ask her."
"What are you—?"
"Oi, Zoro's girlfriend!" the kid shouted to an empty space in the yard. "Come out!"
The young swordsman spluttered, "She's not!" at the same time, "I'm not!" echoed from around the building's corner.
A moment later, Kuina stepped out into view, cheeks dusted with pink. She pointedly wasn't looking at either of the boys, rubbing her elbow in a nervous gesture. "It was you, right?" she spoke carefully. "The one who helped Zoro get stronger in the past year?"
Still hanging upside down, Luffy threw his arms open. "Training together was so fun!" Not held down anymore, his straw hat floated away from him. He hurried to catch it and press it back on his head with a quiet 'shishishishi'.
"Can—" Kuina bit down on her lip, nails digging into her own flesh where she gripped her forearm a bit too tightly. She took a deep breath to gather her wits, straightened her shoulders, and made an effort not to let her voice tremble when she put forward the question, "Can I also join your training?"
Luffy's entire demeanor shifted. His carefree grin slowly evened out into a grim line, his expression turning thoughtful and serious. An expression that was very out of place on a child's face.
The tense silence curled around Kuina's courage, the heaviness of that gaze feeling almost like a physical weight on her shoulders. She faltered at the lack of response, because wasn't that telling in and of itself? Her eyes burned. She suddenly bowed her head and tried once more, "Please, let me join your training."
Zoro knitted his brow at seeing her like that. He glanced at Luffy, frowning but he didn't interfere, already familiar with that look on the younger boy.
Luffy reached up to grab onto the corner of the roof, unwrapped his legs from around it, and lowered himself down. His sandals hit the soil with a soft thud. "My name's Monkey D. Luffy. The Pirate King." He fixed his straw hat before continuing, "One day, I'll leave East Blue to travel the Grand Line and regain my title. For that, I need a strong crew beside me. Nakama who aren't afraid to stand against the whole world once it deems us too dangerous to exist. Only the best."
There was something sharp and chilling in the boy's tone, Kuina's skin felt icy. She stayed in her bowed position, even if hope to be accepted withered away with every passing second.
"I need a crew of dreamers."
Tears trickled down her nose and dropped into the dust below. It was too much. This was her last chance and yet another rejection hurt. She covered her mouth to muffle the sob. It hurt so badly.
"What is your dream?"
The question caught her completely off guard. There was weight in it, invisible yet demanding, expecting something, but she couldn't fathom what exactly. "W-What?" she stammered out, looking up. Once she met the boy's eyes, she couldn't look away, feeling as they were gauging her worth in the world.
"Your dream," Luffy repeated. "What is it?"
"I-I…" Kuina's lips trembled. She took a shaky breath. "I want to become the—" She bit down on the next words. Was that even possible anymore? She had already lost to Zoro. Soon she wouldn't be able to compete with the rest of the male swordsmen. Just because… Kuina gritted her teeth. Just because she was a girl. Stating her dream was pointless now.
"Become what?"
And yet something in that mysterious kid's voice compelled her to say it. "I want to become the world's greatest swordsman…"
Luffy fiddled his finger in his ear. "Eh, I can't hear you."
"I want to become the world's greatest swordsman," Kuina said just a bit louder, a small frown forming between her eyes.
"Louder."
The girl sniffled, brushed a hand across her face, and complied, "I want to become the world's greatest swordsman."
"Louder!"
Kuina followed the boy's yelled order with a shout of her own, "I want to become the world's greatest swordsman!" It felt so good to just scream it for everyone to hear. So liberating. So invigorating. The doubts plaguing her retreated all at once and her chest swelled with newfound conviction.
A wild, savage smile pulled on Zoro's mouth, excitement pouring out of him in waves.
"There you go." Luffy's eyes softened and his expression radiated approval. "If you won't believe in your own dream, no one will. And who's better to tell it to the world than yourself?"
Kuina's throat closed around the giant lump, but not out of sorrow or desperation this time, Luffy's words ringing in her mind like a gong. This boy… The realization that he did it on purpose hit her hard. Somehow, he knew how she felt and forced her to find her resolve again. "Who are you?" the girl had to ask one more time. There was no way he was just a simple kid.
"I've already told you." With the half of the face shadowed by the straw hat, only a D-shaped grin was visible, bright and ferocious, like a roaring inferno ready to swallow the whole world. "Name's Monkey D. Luffy, the Pirate King. And you," he looked up, Kuina tensing instinctively at finding herself being pinned down by that unwavering gaze, "just became my nakama."
"But—" Kuina gulped. "But I'm a girl."
Luffy blinked, cocked his head to the side. "So?" And then proceeded to stuff his finger into his nose, the previous dignity and aura of grandeur vanishing without a trace.
Zoro burst out laughing at Kuina's dumbfounded expression, but all she could think was that Luffy didn't belittle her for her gender. As she watched him flicking a booger away, apparently entirely disinterested in the topic, she realized that he couldn't care less about it. Something tight and nasty inside her loosened up at the knowledge.
"Whoaaaaaaaaaa!" Luffy screamed as he suddenly dashed straight into the nearby bush. Moments later, he popped back up beaming with sheer delight, a huge beetle in his grasp. "Looooook! An Atlas beetle! So huuuuuge! So awesome!"
Kuina's mouth was hanging open at this point, barely believing what she was seeing. This transformation was too ridiculous. Was this the same kid who just gave her a pep talk? "Is he… always like this?" she managed to ask.
"Yep," Zoro snorted, completely unfazed.
"Just look at him!" the straw-hatted bundle of energy cheered, showing them the insect as if it was the coolest thing in the universe. "Look, look, Zoro! Zoro's girlfriend!"
"I'm not!"
"She's not!"
Both swordsmen yelled in unison.
"My name's Kuina! And I'll become the world's greatest swordsman!"
Zoro turned to the older girl with a growl. "I will become the world's greatest swordsman!"
Kuina smirked. "We'll see about that."
"It's a promise, then," Zoro said, sporting a matching smirk. "One day, either you or me, will become the World's Greatest Swordsman. We'll compete to see who does it!"
"I won't lose," Kuina declared firmly as she grabbed the boy's hand to shake on it. "It's a promise."
The promise between two aspiring young sword masters marked the birth of the World's Greatest Swordsman and the World's Greatest Swordswoman. Although, "Waaaaaaaaah! Come back, Atlas!" someone equally important who was present that day didn't care a bit about such trivial matters.
At night, the dojo emptied completely. All students returned home, even the stragglers who stayed longer for some extra training. And thanks to the hype from Zoro and Kuina's duel, almost everyone had been such a straggler.
Kuina padded along the porch, footsteps of her bare feet against the wood hardly audible. She stopped at one of the doors, hand pausing just shy of touching it.
She and her father were the only ones left at the dojo. She actually never wondered where Zoro lived until now, but all she could get from him was dismissing hand wave and a noncommittal grunt. Well, she did find him napping in the weirdest of places before, so it wouldn't surprise her if he slept somewhere in the woods like a wild savage. And Luffy seemed the same type.
But this wasn't the time to think about those two. The wind blew Kuina's hair into a tousled mane. Closing her eyes, she inhaled and held it in, listening to the symphony of crickets in the garden, then slowly let the air rush out of her lungs.
Alright, she was ready.
"Father?" Kuina called softly, knowing that the man would wait for her tonight.
"Come in."
The girl slid the door open. Her father kneeled on the floor, a cup of still steaming tea in front of him. She stepped inside, quietly closed the door, and then sat down on the prepared spot opposite of him.
"Father," she spoke first. Koushirou looked up at her, silent permission to continue. "I want to take a leave from the dojo to train with Zoro and his friend."
"Kuina."
The girl stiffened. That tone, as if she was someone to take pity on. She hated it, but she wouldn't allow her father to shake her resolve again. Balling her fists until her nails dug into her palms, Kuina started speaking before Koushirou did, "Father, I know you don't believe in me. You don't think that I can become the greatest swordmaster just because I'm a girl. However…" Kuina held her father's gaze, determined not to back down. "I will prove it to you. Even if I have to become a pirate, even if the whole world will be against me, I will become the world's greatest swordsman to show you!"
"A woman cannot become the world's best."
Kuina's jaw tightened, eyes blazing. Wordlessly, she stood up and left.
Koushirou picked up his cup of tea, looking at the moon through the door that his daughter left open, and smiled. "But I'm looking forward to you proving me wrong."
-the gang's temporary ship, waters of the East Blue-
"I have a favor to ask."
Zeff browsed the cupboards, taking the list of all available ingredients. "Out with it," he told the boy absentmindedly, smiling to himself as everything he had requested was there. Ah, this bunch of rascals…
"Please, teach me how to cook!"
The man's hand paused on the bag of flour that he was about to pick up. Only for a moment, though; surprised or not, dinner wouldn't prepare itself and those kids were able to eat a fortune. "Teach you?"
"I've already promised to help you out in a restaurant until the day comes when I'll leave for the Grand Line in search for the All Blue."
Zeff's mouth quirked up into an amused little smile.
"But for that…" Sanji's voice quieted down and he stayed silent for a bit. "Luffy… He believes in the All Blue. And I—I need to become the best chef there is! So that I can prepare the finest dishes during the journey to the All Blue! Because we will find it."
Zeff showed no reaction to his passionate declaration. The only sound he made was the rhythmic striking of his knife against the cutting board.
Sanji shuffled his feet, frowning. After a full minute of silence, he growled, "Geezer!"
"That boy," Zeff started, "is special."
And wasn't that an understatement? At first, he only humored the kid by supposedly accepting his self-proclaimed title of the Pirate King. But the more he observed him, the more time he spent with Luffy, the more he came to respect him. The power, the skill, the thousand other little things—all of it was far beyond anything he could have expected from a child his age.
It wasn't that hard to believe that this tiny monkey would be able to go all the way. Especially when he surrounded himself with so many unique, extremely determined individuals. Like the sun pulling other stars into its gravity field.
Just like this little brat of his got pulled in without him even noticing.
Zeff smirked at the thought. Turning around, he pinned Sanji with a stern gaze. "You think becoming the best chef will be enough to earn a spot in your Pirate King's crew?" he challenged.
For a moment, the boy's eyes widened. But the next moment, he glared at the old pirate, stubborn resolve clear on his face. "I'll get stronger!" he exclaimed, punching the air. "I already started training with the brothers!"
"And you call yourself a chef?" Zeff scoffed. "A chef's hands are their treasure and you want to use them for fighting? If you think being the pirate cook is that easy, you should forget it." He waved dismissively as he spun around to resume chopping the vegetables for dinner.
He could almost hear the boy gnashing his teeth. So much tenacity in such a small body. Quite impressive.
"Well, you were the pirate cook, right?!" Sanji demanded. "And you're strong! So, train me!"
Zeff couldn't help to tease him again. "Weak lil' eggplant like you?"
The kid didn't disappoint and flared like an agitated firecracker. "I told you that—!" A bowl landed on his head and he wobbled, caught by surprise of having something so heavy on his head, arms shooting up to balance the thing in place before its content could spill all over the floor. "What's this?" he muttered, lifting it from his head and peering inside. It was full of, "Potatoes?"
"What are you waiting for? Go peel them for dinner."
"Huh? What about—" Sanji's mouth clamped up. Then, he sniffed, making a show of it. "I'll do it."
"From now on, washing dishes after every meal will be your duty."
Sanji froze mid-step, exploding a moment later, "You shitty geezer!"
Instead of getting angry, Zeff laughed. He might have been forced to retire, yet he doubted he would ever get bored in the future with these kids around.
"Luffy."
Instantly, Law found himself at the end of three sharp pairs of eyes.
"What about Luffy?" Ace asked, sounding a bit apprehensive.
"Is something wrong with him?" Sabo worried. "Is he sick?"
"No. He's fine." Law watched as his brothers sighed in relief, a bit of tension seeping out of their shoulders. "But," and with this single word he had their undivided attention, "I've been thinking lately—"
"Pff, what a surprise."
"—what if all his stories are true?" Law spoke, ignoring Ace's little jibe. He wasn't surprised by blank looks from his brothers, as if he completely lost his mind. While he was suspecting of something amiss for a long time now, he couldn't quite connect the dots. Until recently that was, when, after listening to yet another retelling of Luffy's unbelievable adventures, it suddenly clicked.
Sabo knitted his brow. "What do you mean by that?"
"I know we all got used to Luffy's bizarre character and don't even question anymore the feats that, logically, should be impossible for a kid his age." Law paused, quickly ordering his thoughts. "From the start, we all assumed that his stories were simply fantasies, because of how unbelievable they sounded. Now I suspect that they are, in fact, real."
"Water current that you can ride to reach the sky?" Sabo asked, incredulous by the mere concept of such a heaven-defying current.
Bepo piped in with, "Bear zombie that's spacious enough to hide three people inside it?"
"Human legs that can speak by farting?"
Law shot a brief glare at smug-looking Ace. "Alright, some parts Luffy definitely imagined, but—"
"And let's not forget his latest tale," the younger raven interrupted. "People traveling from the past to the future! And you say his stories are true?"
Law snapped his fingers. "That," he pointed at Ace, causing him to blink dumbly. "First, I speculated that maybe he could see the future or somehow gained knowledge of what's to come, but that story gave me the piece of information that I was missing all this time and never considered."
"Are you saying that Luffy traveled in time?" Sabo wondered cautiously.
"Exactly."
"What?" Ace narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "You think Luffy came from the past?"
"No, Ace," Sabo replied. "If anything, Luffy came from the future."
As the raven's jaw dropped at the implication, Law couldn't help an approving smile that appeared on his face. With brothers like Luffy, too chaotic to fully understand, Ace, not the smartest tool in the shed, and Bepo, who tended to keep quiet unless absolutely necessary, Sabo was the only one Law could count on to catch on to things faster than the rest.
Four boys sat in silence for a while, the eldest allowing the others to digest this idea.
"This is crazy," Ace muttered finally, scrubbing a hand down his face.
"It explains a lot," Bepo said thoughtfully.
"I can't believe that I'm saying it…" Sabo sighed. "But it would make a lot of sense."
Ace growled at him. "Then why did he never tell us anything?"
"It's not like he really hid it, though," the blond pointed out, "just never outright said it."
"We never asked."
Three human boys stared at Bepo before groaning in unison. Yep, sounded like their air-headed little brother alright.
"Indeed," Law agreed. "Luffy knew us before we met. All of us. We experienced it, but without any explanation, turning a blind eye to something so weird was easier." Three brothers nodded.
After a moment, Sabo's eyes widened at the sudden realization. "Luffy didn't deny visiting Raftel and called himself the Pirate King from the start."
All boys shared a startled look.
"You think…" Ace started. Sheer amazement displayed on each face in front of him precisely mirrored what he was thinking too. "No way!"
"Now I'm curious about the reason why," Sabo admitted.
"Because we died," Law uttered, his posture tense and expression grim. "Luffy lost everyone and is trying to prevent that from happening again. He said that himself, remember?"
The breakdown their little brother had after an incident with Outlook III emerged to the forefront of everyone's mind. How he put a fake happy façade for days after that. How they would find him awake in the middle of the night, guarding their sleep in silence, for weeks that followed. How he remained on edge during all these months and was so reluctant to let them out of his sight.
Knowing that Luffy might have already lived through losing them once really put this whole situation into perspective. Being a straightforward and honest person, Luffy never hid anything from them, true, but he also never went out of his way to explain his situation either. There were layers and secrets beneath his smiles, darkness that went beyond what anyone could imagine. And yet, he shouldered all of it alone, letting everyone else live a life free of problems as much as possible.
"I'm not sure how Luffy did it or why he's a child again if he truly came from the future, but I want to know," Law said. Each of the boys' expressions echoed the same feelings coursing through him.
They were going to confront their little brother. If their suspicion turned out to be true, they wouldn't allow Luffy to carry such a heavy burden by himself anymore, Pirate King or not. They were going to share it. That was what family did and was for.
-a few days later, Mt. Colubo, the construction site of Dadan's bandit new hut-
Dadan stared.
Luffy grinned from ear to ear.
Dadan's lips twisted downwards into a frown.
Luffy's grin didn't wav—
"Yeah, alright."
Luffy blinked. So easy this time. "This is Kuina!" He motioned towards the teen girl stiffly standing between him and Zoro. "She's gonna be staying with us for a while."
"Of course, she is," Dadan waved her hand dismissively as she turned to leave. Her footsteps were uneven and she seemed to sway slightly to the sides. When she started giggling under her breath, even Luffy grew concerned.
"B-Boss..?"
It fell on deaf ears. "Aaaah, just look at this little flower," Dadan cooed, squatting down next to some random blooming weed among other grass. Her face was a picture of absolute delight, eyes closed in bliss and a silly happy smile dancing on her lips. "So pretty!"
Okay, that was creepy. Luffy felt goosebumps run across his back.
"We have to plant more pretty flowers around," Dadan continued in that oddly elated tone.
Dogra brushed tears away and desperately cried out, "Boss, snap out of it!"
"And paint walls bright yellow and blue and green…"
"BOSS!"
Kuina shook her head. Trying to unsee this strange scene failed, however. "Are these the supposed mountain bandits that take care of you and your brothers?" she asked in disbelief.
"Mm, they are acting weird today," Luffy mumbled. He observed the burly woman leaning down to sniff the flower. "Oi, guys," he called the closest bandits, "what happened to Dadan?"
"She completely lost it," someone commented with a sigh.
"Huh?"
Another rounded on the boy and screamed, "And whose fault do you think this is?!"
Luffy tilted his head, staring at the adults with those big innocent eyes. "Whose?"
A series of palms hitting foreheads and defeated groans were his only answer.
Kuina was apprehensive about staying in this place during her training. Luffy assured her that they were all good people, but mountain bandits were notorious for their cruelty and savagery. Not to mention that besides Dadan, all present were men. Lonely men living in the middle of nowhere.
She didn't have to be worried, though. Once Dadan snapped out of whatever episode she had, she gathered her men and reminded them what could happen if they stepped out of line. Kuina never heard such crude language before. Never imagined that it could be used to deliver such expressive threats either. Even Luffy and Zoro looked a bit pale.
After that, everyone had fallen into a routine. Training, hunting for food, helping bandits with construction work—a lot of things were new to Kuina. It was a rough transition between two completely different lifestyles, but she adjusted. And it was thrilling. She didn't act as wild as the boys, of course, and still, the freedom that this style of living offered made her blood sing and heart soar.
About a week later, the rest of the family returned. Kuina felt the previous nervousness trickling back in and curling into a ball in her stomach. In the end, she was still a girl. Despite Luffy accepting her, it didn't necessarily mean that his brothers would welcome another person—and a girl on top of that—into their circle.
Once again, Kuina underestimated the people Luffy gathered.
"We're back!"
The moment he heard it, a hundred-watt grin crept onto Luffy's face and soon stretched from one side to the other showing every single tooth. Planks he had been carrying crashed down with a loud bang. "Guys!" he yelled as he darted to meet his family. "Welcome back!"
Luffy slammed into the nearest person who just happened to be Ace and sent them both flying. Sabo was unfortunate enough to be in their path and all three brothers landed on the ground in one big heap.
"You dumbass!" Ace's fist bonked his giggling little brother on his head. "Get off me!"
Sabo heaved a sigh, rolling back to his feet. "Home sweet home," he muttered, dusting himself off.
"Hm?" Luffy looked around and furrowed his brow. "Where's Sanji and Cook-ossan?"
"Zeff-ya wanted to personally oversee the restaurant building and Sanji stayed with him," Law explained. "Cora-san will be here soon."
Still sitting with Luffy on his lap, Ace noticed an unfamiliar female teen approaching them. "Who's that?" he asked.
The girl lowered herself into a respective bow. "I'm Kuina. Pleased to meet you all."
Bepo immediately mirrored her greeting gesture with a bow of his own. "Hello."
"She'll be staying with us from now on!" Luffy chirped.
"I see," Law said. Golden eyes flicked down to the katana in her hand while his lips quirked up. "Welcome aboard."
"Thank you." A tentative smile appeared on Kuina's face. "I'll be in your care."
"Hi!" Sabo flashed a wide toothy grin. "Nice to meet you."
"Another sword user?" Ace said, eyeing her up and down. Then, he scratched the back of his head, thinking. "Guess I'll have to use my pipe at first."
While they greeted each other, Luffy scrutinized his brothers, carefully looking for anything out of place. And there was something which caused his blood to freeze over, wide eyes fixed on white cloth around Law's hand and fingers. "Is that a bandage?"
His strangled sounding voice alarmed the others. They followed his line of sight and relaxed upon seeing what scared him.
"I was planning to do some tattoos recently and got lucky enough to find tools for it on sale," the eldest explained. "I tried them out on our way back."
"Tattoos?" Luffy whispered. His whole body sagged in relief with a quiet, "Oh."
Ace folded his arms in front of his chest and harrumphed. "I still don't understand why I can't get one too."
Law rolled his eyes. "I told you why. Wait a few more years, Tiny."
"Wha—Did you—Did you just call me 'Tiny'?!"
"I sure did," the teen replied airily, dark amusement upon his features. "And besides, writing your own name on your body is so…" he paused to annoy the other boy more thoroughly. "…lame."
"You damn creep…" Ace growled. "Do you want to be even creepier by tattooing DEATH on your fingers?"
Law didn't even bat an eye. "Yes."
Ace could only gape. He had nothing to retort to such a blatant acknowledgment. He would make sure to wipe that little smug smirk clean off his face later though.
Kuina watched them bicker, still unable to believe that they were so nonchalant about her joining them. As if strangers joining their group was an everyday occurrence and they got used to it.
"A girl?"
Kuina's anxiety was about to let up completely when this single word brought it back tenfold. She tensed, head snapping towards the speaker. A gasp of astonishment slipped through when a giant man appeared behind the boys.
"Cora-san!" Luffy cheered. He stretched his arms to latch onto the dangles of the man's hat and launched himself up.
With practiced ease, Cora caught him mid-air by the scruff and tossed him on his shoulder. The way he did it so effortlessly betrayed that he was used to it already.
"Shishishishi, Kuina's a nakama!"
"Ah, that makes sense," the man said before smiling kindly at the girl. "Hello."
Kuina thought that it made no sense. However, it seemed that common sense didn't exist for these people at all, so instead, she decided to go with a flow. "Please, take care of me," she said with a bow.
At that moment, Zoro shuffled to them, stifling a yawn. "Yo, guys, welcome back." He looked around. "Where's the curly brow?"
"He stayed with Zeff-ya on Neal Key Island."
"Heh, skipping the training?" the young swordsman scoffed. "That's why he's a weakling."
"Ha!" Ace laughed. "You're the one to talk."
Zoro's jaw tightened. "Let's go for a match. Right now."
The raven jumped at the challenge. "Bring it on!" He halted when Law called his name, turning to the teen to see what he wanted. The latter glanced at Luffy and then back at him expecting something. Ace frowned. Right. He forgot about that. "Later, Zoro," he said to the other boy's dismay. "Hey, Luffy!"
The rubber boy peered down at him curiously. "What's up, Ace?"
"We need to talk."
Luffy followed Law with Ace, Sabo, and Bepo flanking him from both sides. That was why, despite his growing uneasiness, he felt safe. Protected.
He still wondered what was bothering them.
No injuries, after that scare he made sure of it. They would have also told him if something happened to Sanji or the old cook. All he could pick up with his Observation Haki was confusion and a deep desire to protect.
Luffy had been expecting something, so once Law stopped at the edge of their favorite cliff and turned around, putting forward the question, he showed no sign of surprise.
"Are you from the future, Luffy?"
"Yep."
Sabo facepalmed. "Do you have to admit it so casually?"
Luffy shrugged. "You obviously figured it out and I'd never lie to you."
"Why?"
The silence that followed was telling.
"Did we die?" It came out more aggressive than Ace had intended, he looked pissed too. "We did, didn't we?"
Luffy didn't say anything, didn't move, not even a twitch. His eyes bored straight into Ace, at his chest, and he could almost see Akainu's arm ripping it open. The world seemed to turn still around him. The only sound that prevailed was blood gushing out, knees hitting the cobblestones, and a faint 'Thank you for loving me' ghosting on his ear.
His breathing hitched when a hand suddenly covered his eyes. Another landed on his back, rubbing it soothingly, their steady movements working towards calming him. The reality came back in a rush like a tsunami, presences of his brothers encompassing him as a blanket draped over his shoulders, all warm and alert and alive.
"Sorry," he apologized quietly. "Remembered something."
Ace's death always felt like the one that affected him the most. He loved and treasured all of his nakama equally. He mourned their deaths as wholeheartedly as he did Ace's, but with time he became so weary. If he hadn't needed to bring Law back to join the others after his fall, he would have simply lied down right there and then, in the middle of that battlefield, and never got up again. Maybe that was why they lost in the end, they both felt so tired.
A hand moved away and four pairs of worried eyes met Luffy's gaze. Roger might have given him the chance, but his nakama was the reason he went through with it.
"Sabo died first. Shot down by the Celestial Dragon while fleeing the Goa Kingdom after his father forced him back home."
Sabo's eyes widened and not only because of what he just learned. Luffy sounded so detached like he was recounting a boring life event of someone else.
"Then Ace. The Admiral punched him straight through his chest right in front of my eyes. I failed to save him."
Ace almost choked on thin air after that piece of information.
"Bepo and Sanji covered our retreat after Law got hit by a seastone bullet. We never heard of them again."
Bepo fidgeted, wanting to pull Luffy into a hug, but restraining himself.
"Never saw Sabo's death, but I watched his Vivre card burn to ashes."
"W-Wait…" Sabo had to interrupt him there. "How could have I died twice?"
"Oh," Luffy uttered as if only now noticing the discrepancy in his story. "You came back after Ace was gone."
"What?"
"You had, mm… Am… Am-ammonia?"
"Amnesia," Law supplied, ever so perceptive about what his little brother had in his head.
"Yeah, that," Luffy agreed. "You got hit real hard to your head and you forgot about your life on Dawn Island. My dad saved you and you stayed with him since."
"Your dad?" Sabo echoed. "The Revolutionary Dragon?"
Luffy nodded and the blond settled down with a thoughtful 'huh'. After the momentary distraction, the previous haunted look on the boy's face returned as he spoke again, "Law was—"
Law pushed his straw hat down, successfully shutting him up again. "You don't have to tell us everything," he said sternly. "It doesn't matter seeing as you're here and we're alive."
Luffy let the weight of Law's hand on his head ground him and he reveled in that feeling. His whispered, "Yeah…" was barely audible.
"So, how did you do it?" Sabo asked. "How did you travel back in time? Was that a Devil Fruit power?"
"Roger sent me back."
"Roger?" Ace scrunched his face as if he tasted something sour. "Gold Roger?"
"Yeah, your dad."
"Don't call him that!" the older boy snapped. "Cora-san is the closest thing to a dad I'll ever have in my life." Ace almost squirmed under Luffy's intense gaze. "What?"
The corner of Luffy's mouth twitched up. "Well, who knows."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Sabo patted their hotheaded brother on his shoulder. "Ma, ma, calm down, Ace."
Ace huffed and turned his head away.
"Gold Roger sent your consciousness back in time into your six-year-old self?" Law wondered. Receiving a nod from Luffy, he scowled. "Isn't he dead?"
"I met his spirit on Laugh Tale. Ah, that's the real name for Raftel," Luffy elaborated. "Roger named it like that."
"You really did it? Reached the last island in the New World?" this time Bepo chimed in, eyes sparkling in awe. "In Zou, everyone said that it was almost impossible to do."
"Of course," Luffy stated in a 'well, duh' tone. "I am the Pirate King after all."
"So, you abandoned your title, came back into your six-year-old body, and the first thing you did was travel to North Blue to meet me?" Law noted, golden eyes drilling into the younger D. His voice was tight, as was his hold on the nodachi. "Would have Cora-san made it out of that island if you haven't shown up?" Luffy didn't have to say a word for Law to read his expression. The sheath of Kikoku whined under the pressure of his grip. "Was it Doflamingo?"
Luffy's eyes darkened. He gave a sharp nod.
"That fucking bastard…" Law snarled, a deep, ominous sound from the base of his throat. "Did I at least kill him?"
"Yeah, you did. Several years and attempts later."
"It needs to be repeated," the teen said, smooth and cold and deadly.
"And this time you won't have to do it alone," Ace declared, flames shimmering along his arms and shoulders.
The air thrummed with electricity when Bepo punched his open palm. "I'll help too!"
Sabo twirled his pipe. "Count me in."
After a moment, Law reigned in all his murderous intent that spilled over and took a deep breath. They weren't in danger with Doflamingo miles away. He startled, realizing that Luffy risked everything to reach him. He was stuck in the child's body, no allies, no physical strength, no Devil Fruit power, weakened Haki as his only weapon, and he still made a journey to North Blue in that state.
Law tugged his hat down. "So, you risked your life to find me and maybe be on time to save Cora-san?"
"You're a nakama." An instant reply. Like that would explain anything. And it did. Nakama meant the world and beyond to Luffy, they knew. "He was important to you. I had to try."
Law flicked the rubber boy's forehead, using a drop of Haki, merely enough for him to feel the sting of it. "You're an idiot."
Luffy rubbed the offended spot, glaring, though the effect of that glare was halved by the pout present on his face.
"But I'm thankful for that," Law added. "I don't know what kind of life I had before, but I wouldn't trade this one for anything else."
Luffy's features lit up like a sunrise. "Shishishishi."
"Speaking of Doflamingo," Sabo said as he rummaged inside his jacket. He pulled out a newspaper a moment later and gave it to Luffy. "You should see this."
Luffy glanced at the article that was on the first page and a photo was enough for him to understand what happened.
The pink bastard became a Warlord.
"He was a Warlord before," Luffy muttered. "He has connections with Celestial Dragons and those guys are always bad news. We have to be careful." Paper crinkled under his fingers, fury burning through his veins like molten lava at the thought of Dressrosa. Dammit! He completely forgot about it! "His base is in the New World, so we should be safe for now."
"Hm?" Law leaned over, quickly scanning the text. "But it's written here that he made his base somewhere in the first half of the Grand Line," he pointed out.
Luffy blinked up at his older brother before his gaze snapped back to the article, skimming until he found that sentence. A grin spread across his face. Something he did must have changed Mingo's plans, however temporarily. "This is great!" he exclaimed. "Now I need to contact Grandpa."
The moment Luffy neared the unsuspecting Cora sitting in the shade of a tree, hunched over something, he jumped on his back koala-style with a burst of laughter. Rubbery appendages wrapped loosely around his neck as Luffy snuggled closer.
The man flinched, caught off-guard. "Luffy," he murmured, patting the boy on his head a few times and eliciting soft giggles. They were separated for over a week, no wonder his youngest was so clingy today.
Luffy peered down, confused about seeing the Den Den Mushi that Garp left for them to contact him. "Whatcha doing, Cora-san?"
"You see, I want to contact—" Cora stiffened at the feeling of someone else pressing at his side. Bepo was there, hugging him and mumbling 'garchu' under his breath. "—contact your—" His head whipped around where Sabo buried his face into his other side. "—y-your grandfather," he finished, dumbfounded.
"What a coincidence! I want to talk with Grandpa too!" Luffy cheered. "Dial it! Dial it!"
Cora tore his eyes from the little blond, deciding not to question what was going on with his brats, and proceeded to dial in the correct number.
Law observed Cora's reaction to his brothers showing him affection and couldn't help but smile. Ace stayed behind, despite showing obvious signs that he also wanted to join in, but felt too embarrassed to do so. What a stubborn kid.
Ace glowered at Law after sensing him staring at him. The older D only motioned mutely towards their adult guardian and quirked an eyebrow. Ace glared harder before letting his lips pull into a vicious grin as he lifted his hand and brushed across his neck.
"That's cute, Red Cheeks."
"Shut it, Pale Butt."
"…'ello?" a voice came through the snail once it connected. A series of other sounds were present too: music, singing, and the most annoying one—someone munching loudly straight into the receiver.
"Grandpa!" Luffy exclaimed in delight.
Munching stopped. "Oh, Luffy." And then continued again. "Bwahahahaha! How're you, brats?"
"Whatcha doing, Grandpa? Sounds fun!"
Garp bellowed with laughter again. A faint, "Admiral Kurokaba, your drink and snacks," was heard somewhere nearby. "Thanks," he said to that person, and then directly into the receiver, "Well, I'm on my vacation."
Cora bit down on his cigarette. "Garp-san!" he snapped. "Doflamingo just became a Warlord. What about the information I provided? What about Dressrosa?"
Luffy blinked. This was unexpected news to him. He glanced at Law, but the latter shook his head. He wasn't aware of Cora knowing about Dressrosa either, huh.
"I'm putting the information to good use." Garp was munching again. Luffy felt hungry. "Dressrosa is a very nice spot for a vacation, don't you think?"
Everyone stared at the Den Den Mushi. If an Admiral like Garp, as famous as he was crazy, decided to stay on the island for some time, there was no way a mere Warlord could make a ruckus in that place.
"No way I'm gonna let some pink bastard ruin my vacation spot. I plan to return here later."
Luffy exploded in laughter. Cora's face dropped into his palms, stiff body unwinding with relief.
"Huh?" Garp grunted suddenly. "Who took my crackers?" A faint voice said something, but it was too far for the snail to pick up. "What? Fairies? Those little thieves..!"
Abruptly, the line died. Luffy laughed again, finally unwrapping himself from his adoptive father and jumping down. Dressrosa was safe, but he still had to grow stronger to help others.
"Time to train!"
-half a year later-
(Luffy/Usopp ~9, Nami ~10, Zoro/Sanji ~11, Bepo/Ace/Sabo/Nojiko ~12, Kuina ~14, Law ~16 y.o.)
"He's been doing this quite often lately, isn't he?"
"Every day."
"Is that the reason why he sent Zoro and Kuina back to their home island for a while?"
"Seeing him so still is weird."
"Luffy's listening."
Law, Ace, and Sabo looked at Bepo, a mute demand to explain. The mink would usually stay with Luffy when he spent hours sitting on the cliff.
"He's listening to the sea talking."
"Is that, uh, that Voice thing?" Sabo guessed.
"I think so," Bepo agreed.
Law hummed, eyes focused on Luffy's back. Despite watching him, he startled when the kid suddenly sprung to his feet and announced, "It's time," in that calm tone that they all recognized meaning danger.
It made them all uneasy.
Ace braved forward and asked, "Time for what?"
Luffy fixed his straw hat to sit more firmly on his head, fierce eyes never leaving the faraway horizon. "Time for us to hunt a shark."
A/N
Did you know that Garchu greeting of the Minks comes from Nepalese 'Timilai Maya Garchu,' which means 'I love you'?
Also, I have a discord channel now, so if you're interested, here is the link: discord. gg/a7tQPPa
