Sabo's stance was firm, his eyes unwavering. "Do it," He ordered.

Ryū hesitated and Sabo took another step forward. He was as unyielding as steel; He would not blink, not move, not even tense. He could not risk it. He knew even without looking into Ryū's eye, that his older brother would stop them the moment he showed even an instant of hesitation or uncertainty. If he faltered, all their progress would be reset.

I won't fail. I won't. I won't. I won't give up, or give in. Never again.

"Do it, Ryū-nii. I can take it."

His older brother eyed him critically. After what felt like hours of silence, Ryū finally nodded, just once.

Heat sweltered between them, slowly and steadily building until Sabo's cheeks stung with it. He did not flinch, did not show fear. Ryū's eye burned behind the flames. Even with the firelight flickering against the white, the blue of his eldest brother's eye was still a backdrop just as violently alive. A constant, attentive reminder that Sabo was not– not there, in the waves, in the flames– no heat from his brother's palms could ever be oppressive the way those were. He had to believe that.

If I ever want to be able to leave Dawn Island I have to be able to do this. It's just Ryū.

The fire curled and danced off Ryū's fingertips. Mocking him, laughing with every pulse of heat and light.

It's just Ryū.

His offered palm was white-hot like coals in a fire pit, like a weapon in a forgery. Sabo wondered if that was what a star looked like. It could burn him. it could kill him. It could reduce him to a handful of ashes and charred bones and the sickening smell of cooking flesh.

Healed in all purposes but one– the scars still pulled. Still ached, still pulsed as if the heat had seeped below his skin and slept in his flesh. Sometimes he swore he was burning all over again. Sabo knew better than anyone how fire burns. He knew, he knew– how could he not?

But he also knew Ryū better than anyone… because how could he not? That's himself, kneeling before him. His supernova of an old inevitability, hiding every little fear and flicker under a mask of affectionate harmlessness. That's his brother, who loves him, and Ace, and Luffy all as unconditionally as if they had all been born in each other's arms– as if bound by more than bonds, or even blood. Who tells them all he wants is for them to be safe and happy. Who pretends he's okay even to Ace, who refuses to really see them, who loves them even though he doesn't even think they're real. His brother, who is stupid, and smiles at them, and laughs when Ace tries to fight him, and loves them, and Sabo wasn't able to believe anything otherwise anymore–

His brother, who is fire.

Sabo took Ryū's hand.

Fire licked at his palm and fingers. Sabo stared it down, forcing himself to watch as the flames brushed up against his skin only to leave nothing behind. His hand was unharmed, unmarred. The dissociation between phantom pain and reality left him frozen– left him teetering on the familiar edge of dread and anticipation– but he hadn't fallen just yet. Frozen on an impasse, he swallowed his stuttering heart down in his throat. Ryū's fingers were semi-solid. If Sabo could just focus enough to move, to touch, he knew they would shift, would dance around his fingers without doing more than warming his skin. He knew that.

Those fingers slowly inched closed, slowly wrapped around his, and he did not flinch.

Ryū was practically a shadow in the backdrop of their hands by the time Sabo finally managed to tear his eyes away. "Doin' alright?" He asked quietly. Any softer, and Sabo was sure he would lose the words under the crackle of flames.

I'm not losing anything, he scolded himself. All of this is Ryū. Even the fire. It's all him.

His brother's smile, the white of his eye and the arch of his cheekbones were all outlined in gold and red. The firelight made him seem to glow at the edges. Fuzzy, Sabo thought distantly, distorted at the edges. If I didn't already know about devil fruits I could believe he's a ghost.

Sometimes, Sabo could hardly believe the man was real. (That didn't make it any less infuriating when Ace had told him that Ryū didn't entirely believe that he was real either.)

Painstakingly slow, Sabo reached for Ryū's other hand. His brother extended it without hesitation and never asked a question, never broke the silence as Sabo carefully held. Neither of them dared to say a single word. As if breaking the silence now would mean losing track, losing focus– and never getting it back. Ryū could only wait, eye sharp and unblinkingly vigilant as Sabo leveled both his hands in between them– one engulfed in flame and the other bare.

They were equally warm to the touch. Equally familiar. The same leather gloves, the same long fingers and rough calloused palms.

Sabo breathed in deeply. It's just Ryū. He would never hurt me.

Ryū carefully stilled when Sabo pulled his still burning hand to rest delicately over his scarred eye. The move to extinguish the flame was immediate and instinctive, like a yank to his gut– but stopped before he could. His heart, however, raced uncontrollably with frenzied anxiety. Hiding how his fingers twitched in an aborted jerk away was nigh impossible– he was only lucky that Sabo was too unfocused to even register the tiny movement. The child was entirely transfixed on his hand, as if it held an answer. (Ryu hoped he found one. He hoped there was an answer at all, one he just hadn't been able to see until (Ace) the mera-mera had settled below his ribs.)

"It tickles," Sabo murmured, eyes slipping shut. This way, he was no longer blinded by the fire. The flames were almost cool, brushing his scar like licks of summer air rather than the deadly blaze that had threatened him before. It was so much easier to dissociate from his accident, like this.

Ryū sighed shakily above him.

He let go when the other shifted, eyes remaining closed even as his brother gently caught him in a hug so light and delicate that Sabo knew nothing more than a twitch would make him let go. Always so painstakingly careful. So diligent, so aware of every little movement. Any other time, Sabo would be furious.

He's so warm. "Thank you," he whispered, and knew without looking that Ryū heard him even muffled into the older's shoulder.

I feel happy, he didn't say. I feel safe, he didn't say.

"You're welcome, kiddo," Ryū said, with all the affection of someone who perfectly heard it all anyway. "Whenever you need it." The flames all went out and all of the tension drained out of Sabo's body. He didn't pull back right away, content to stay exactly where he was. I may be a bit out of it. The thought felt like it was echoing from underwater. ... Just a bit. A gloved hand pressed into the back of his head, the other still gently run around his back, and he fully relaxed into it without hesitation.

"So he passed?" Ace's voice was distant and quiet, passing from somewhere over Sabo's head. He couldn't remember whether his brother had been silent the entire time, or if he had just missed an entire conversation. He didn't currently have the energy to care.

Ryū's chest vibrated against his cheek when he spoke. He barely registered moving, Ryū's arm shifting under his legs in one smooth movement as he stood with Sabo still in his arms. "With flying colors," he promised, voice warm with something more than fire, and if Sabo had an ounce more focus in him he would have been embarrassed from the sheer amount of pride directed at him.

Distinctly rubber hands brushed past his hair and Sabo vaguely knew by how Ryū jerked that his little brother had jumped up onto him. "Does'at mean we're gonna leave Dawn now?" He asked loudly, right next to Sabo's ear. The world shifted as he halfheartedly bat at the source, a mumbled attempt asking for lower volumes barely incoherent off his lips. Quieter, Luffy paused before asking again in a harsh whisper, "does'at mean we're gonna leave Dawn now?"

Sand shifted below him and Sabo squinted his eyes open to meet Ace's gaze just as his older brother reached for him, the action seeming to be unconscious in it's intent to check on him. The freckled boy visibly relaxed when he looked at him, his shoulders loosening and stance straightening as he turned his attention to Luffy's question instead. "Besides Lu, Sabo 'n I can use some haki now— an' Lu can sorta aim," He chipped in. Luffy glared. The smaller boy's immediate move for swift retribution was only barely halted by Ryū plucking him up by his tank top to deposit him right back onto the sand like a cowed kitten by the scruff.

"Start packin', Boys," Ryū said, and immediately all of Luffy's annoyance was evaporated under a maelstrom of excitement. Sabo shut his eyes again to the sound of Ace shouting and the twaang of rubber.


"So what's the plan?" Sabo asked curiously, trotting at Ryū's heel. "We still hav'ta steal a boat, so will we leave in the morning?"

A gloved hand pushed his hat down. It was a testament to Sabo's exhaustion, that he didn't even bother reaching up to bat Ryū's hand away and instead just glared from under the brim. "There's no 'we'," the eldest admitted, and didn't turn even when he heard the boys all stop walking. "I'm going alone. You three just have to wait by the beach, so I can sail around the island and pick you up." For a long, stifling moment, none of them said a word. Ryū couldn't hear the boys breathing anymore, frozen as they were.

"What?" Ace finally snapped.

Ryū sighed and stopped walking. Here we go.

"You can't do that," Luffy started, sounding remarkably scandalized for a seven-year-old, and if Sabo had any energy left, he would have been nodding furiously. "You can't go there alone!"

"At least one of us should come," Ace said. Ryū refused to turn. He knew the moment he did, he would be inviting this opposition to be a conversation— god forbid, an argument— when he was already set on what was going to happen. There would be no changes. The boys were just going to wear themselves out before they even left the island.

Luffy latched himself to his legs and Ryū considered that maybe it was already too late to avoid a conversation. "I'm going alone," he said firmly. "I'm the oldest, strongest, and fastest— and no one there knows my face besides as some guy who sells furs and skins sometimes. It's best for me to go alone."

Not that any of them cared about what was "best", or "smartest". Maybe Sabo would, if he was slightly more awake– or cared less. Luffy was already violently shaking his head, cheek squished to Ryū's thigh. He had to resist the ever prevalent urge to ruffle the boy's hair.. As it was, those huge brown eyes nearly froze him with indecision. "This isn't a choice, Lu." It couldn't be. This was different from all the visits before– longer, riskier. He refused to put them through it when he was perfectly capable on his own, past trauma and memories or not.

This is a dream. It's all a dream and yet– yet–

It was just a dream, just a figment of his imagination. No amount of hope would ever make it real– he wouldn't fool himself like that. To do so would just be inviting weakness back in. All of the grief and hopelessness he gained, in the void made from losing Ace––

It's just a dream. The best one I've had since Ace died. The only place I could ever have all of my brothers again, in one place– safe and alive and happy… even if they aren't real. Even if nothing I do is real, even if I'm not real–– Tears stung in the back on Ryu's eyes, unbidden and inevitable and he violently pushed down the boiling anger, the helplessness, the frustration, the clinging desperation and cold reach of despair–– I won't risk it. I won't risk the only dream I've gotten so far that has– that could make me so happy.

Knowing he would eventually wake up and leave this all behind didn't change that. He had this chance to protect his family— whether it was real or not couldn't change how he felt.

Not that he thought his little brothers would think of that as a good reason. He knew better than to hope for that.

"We're going to go out when it's dark anyway," Ace pointed out, "so what if you're stronger! We're strong too, and no one will even see us. We're coming." When Ryū didn't respond right away, the second eldest tensed as if preparing for a physical fight. "You can't stop us," he snarled, something heatedly protective burning to life in his eyes. "You've been training us every day, and we could get in and out even before that! We're not lettin' you go alone."

It was a fairly solid argument– after all, Ryū hadn't wasted his time trying to hammer at least one branch of haki into the boys. None of them could truly be treated as if they were normal, and armament haki was a steady if not tiny development for both Ace and Sabo. They couldn't focus enough to keep it up, or to be anywhere as solid as Ryū could, but even a flicker could save their life in the long run. Sabo's extra time in training meant his stamina was better than Ace's, but in general, both of them had a long way to go before being able to even touch New World levels.

Regardless, it was an investment that could only keep giving. Ryū wasn't sure if he was more surprised or proud that any of them had already come so far… but again, it wasn't as if any of them were normal. Not to mention the thought of training Luffy in armament haki was more than a little scary. He had barely figured out how to aim– if Ryū had to deal with more cracked ribs or landslides because a wayward fist planted itself wrong he was going to throw himself into the ocean.

He hadn't even brought up conqueror's haki yet, and he wasn't sure if he was quite crazy enough to admit he was looking forward to it.

(Something missed about Luffy nagged at the back of his head, dutifully ignored. Luffy wasn't able to hide anything– there was nothing to worry about right? There was nothing suspicious about his brother's increasingly familiar and uncanny ability to judge others at a glance, or tell how any of them felt… Luffy was just Luffy. His intuitive youngest brother. Nothing to worry about.)

He had been quiet for too long. The tell was starting to become more and more frustrating obvious, with how often Ryū kept zoning out about other things– and there was no mistaking the look on the boys' faces. Ryū should have known better than to think normal tactics of logic would work. The boys didn't care for logic– not even Sabo did, all the time. Diversion might, if they didn't catch him out on his lie, but––

A glance at Sabo confirmed his doppelgänger was still dazed, only vaguely participating in the conversation. Despite his clear distaste with the argument, his mind was clearly elsewhere. He barely even reacted when Luffy nearly knocked off his top hat in his efforts to vehemently argue for High Town.

Diversion it is. "Okay," Ryū said, and when he loosened his shoulders Ace predictably stilled. Luffy paused in his tirade, eyes pinned to his brothers. Sabo didn't do more than blink, looking up at the sudden quiet. His eyes weren't focused, clearly not fully following the conversation. Perfect.

Ryū smiled disarmingly and only felt a little guilty for its success. Normally he would never manage to fool Ace or Luffy– much less so Sabo. But with his smaller counterpart down and out for the count, mentally exhausted, focused on conserving his energy, Luffy and Ace both were left open to Ryū's bad habits.

They must really not want me to go alone.

The guilt was carefully folded and compartmentalized away.

"Fine then," he said, and made sure his voice sounded annoyed, tired. The boys predictably perked up at the sound, backs straightening and bodies stilling.

Ace was even smiling. Ryū was starting to wonder if he was only managing to punish himself, lying to the only people he never should have had to like this– "We can come," he said, and it wasn't a question. Luffy's eyes practically sparkled in victory.

Ryū shoved every tension and twitch deeper. Kept his shoulders loose, his hands open. "Of course," he said sweetly, and watched, carefully still, as both his youngest and oldest cheered. Sabo just sent them a distracted smile, blinking hazily as he reacted instinctively to his brother's happiness without fully having the presence of mind to process it.

Ryū pocketed his hands before they could give him away. His face was still as stone. A twitch in his smile could give him away. "I'll wake you before we go," he promised, long-suffering and fond– playfully exasperated. Perfect. Predictable. An ever diligent prevaricator, playing a controlled role on a stage.

He wouldn't.


The Grey Terminal was unrecognizable. What had once been his home, over a decade ago, was now little more than one giant black scar marring the island. Even months after the "cleansing" fires the cloying stench of burning rubbish still choked the air before even reaching the forest boundary. Ryū's boots sank with every step into dark ash and charred soil.

He looked up at the wall separating the trash from the filth.

Ryū didn't think he was a short man. He may not be massive, like Whitebeard, or Big Mom, or even Doflamingo, but he was a solid 6'2 and well built. That didn't stop the walls of Goa from towering over him– cold, detached, impenetrable— and now, he mused, tracing a hand down one of the new and numerous violent smears and streaks, burnt to shit.

A breeze ruffled his cloak, forcing smoky air into his lungs. Any cold tiny particles of amusement faded like ash in the wind.

Ryū took a last, absentminded glance to confirm the moon's position in the sky before digging his hardened toes firmly into the crumbling stone and launching himself as high as possible. It only took a few pushes— his fingers leaving a distinct 3-pronged mark that he knew in the future would have given him away— to clear the wall entirely. A sweep of haki proved the closest presences patrolled just out of eyesight. Ryū tucked himself into a roll straight off the boundary wall and into the darker edges of the street. It had only taken maybe a minute, quiet and unnoticed. The city slept on, unaware that one of it's particularly wild street rats had come home to it's perfectly clean sewers.

Not a sound, not a trace, he repeated to himself. Years of espionage, of sneaking and hiding and prying from the gaps in the clockwork would not fail him here. He drew his cloak tighter around him regardless. Somehow the stink of Grey Terminal, even desecrated as it was, had air less choking than the heady and artificial perfumes of High Town.

Ryū sighed. High town always made me nauseous, but if I keep getting distracted like this I'm going to screw up somewhere. Shaking off his unease, he refocused on his haki, orienting it towards where he last felt the guards—

—and then was sprinting before he could register why, just in time to see a tiny bundle rocketing at high velocity over the same wall he had just vaulted over.

He had to leap just to catch it— as it was, he barely managed to snag it before it could smash into the wall of a house. Ryū cursed under his breath, tucking the parcel instinctively into his stomach as he carefully landed in a crouch just inches from scuffing the building loudly. A cold sweat was beginning to soak through his shirt, through his hair, because while he was still too panicked to think he didn't need to look to know—

"Lu!" He sputtered. The name almost exploded out of him, hissing past teeth clamped tight to block the swell of nausea on his throat. The child in his arms wiggled, familiar tiny hands poking free of his cloak to try and shove the fabric off. Adrenaline was still hammering through Ryū hard enough to hint at a quickly building migraine. He was too shocked to even be pissed. Yet. "What are you doing here?!"

Luffy finally squirmed enough to poke his head free from his own tangle of limbs and fabric and smiled brightly. A rubbery little hand nearly smacked Ryū in the jaw in its owner's haste to wave energetically at him— as if the little gremlin hadn't just snuck out without permission, or followed Ryū without permission, or slingshotted himself directly into a ton of people who hated him without permission––

"Hi Ryū!" He chirped, "I rocket'd over the wall!"

Ryū didn't even bother fighting the urge to facepalm. He did so gladly— and as dramatically as possible with a rubbery armful of obstinate baby brother. "I saw, Lu," he moaned, "but why did you rocket over the wall?" The guards moved in the distance, slowly turning to double back and Ryū carefully slipped into the closest alleyway. "You're supposed to be at home," he hissed quietly, "at home and asleep."

...Not that he was really surprised. The more he thought about it in retrospect, the more he realized he should have anticipated this happening. That didn't mean he liked it.

He couldn't feel Ace or Sabo, now that he was actively checking (He should have always been checking, should have looked both behind and before, should have known–), and hated that he wasn't sure yet if it was a blessing or a curse. He had a feeling he knew exactly why Luffy wanted to come, too. "Adventure" alone did not put such a defensive look on his smallest brother's face.

"No way!" Sure enough, Luffy was scowling the moment Ryū had spoken. He tried to dislodge the arms around him, but when Ryū only held him tighter he settled for crossing his arms over his chest. It didn't in any way stop him from sending Ryū the most accusing pout he had ever seen on the brat. "You lef' Ace n' Sabo behind, but I'm not gonna go anywhere! Ryū-nii shouldn't be here alone."

The migraine he felt coming was starting to dance a jig right behind his eyes. I have never been so annoyed to be right.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ryū shut his eyes in a useless attempt to stave off the inevitable. "Luffy," He tried again, "You need to go back to Colubo. I can handle being in High Town for the few minutes it'll take me to snag a boat– how do you think Ace is going to feel if he wakes up and you're not there?" he only got a pout for his troubles. Luffy squirmed uncomfortably, but didn't make a move to jump out of his arms again. Ryū let himself hope, just for a moment, that he had gotten through to his youngest.

"No! Even if Ace gets mad, he'll be madder that you left without him 'n Sabo."

Fuck, he's right.

"Lu–" Ryū squinted, leaning back just an inch before rubbery fingers could poke his eye out in their flailing.

"No!" Luffy wailed. "I'm coming too!"

"Hey–"

"You can't go to High Town alone! Sabo hates it! I hate it! It stinks and it's dark an' cold an' everyone there is gross, an'–"

"Luffy."

Luffy's shouting was muffled under Ryū's hand and the boy wriggled angrily, trying to pry it off until he caught sight of Ryū's face. The eldest wasn't looking at him anymore. Luffy carefully went still, hands freezing over Ryū's hand as he finally heard the footsteps quickly coming closer. Ryū pulled them further back into the alleyway.

"I swear I heard something, it's not even windy tonight!"

"Sure, and I bet whatever stupid rich lady's lapdog you heard agrees. Let's just go, man, if there's a notice in the morning we can just come back and get paid for it."

The brothers stood absolutely still, blended into the shadows as the two guards passed them by without a glance. Even after Luffy couldn't see them, Ryū didn't let up. It was only long after they couldn't hear the guards, their presences far down the street, that Ryū carefully set Luffy down. The elder's face was serious. "We can't afford to waste time like this if we want to set out in the morning," he said quietly. Luffy, for once, paid full attention, recognizing the situation for what it was. "If you keep yelling, we're going to be caught, and then it's going to be a lot harder to sneak out unnoticed."

Luffy broke eye contact, guiltily scuffing at the ground with his sandal. "We're gonna be pirates anyway though…"

"You're only seven, Lu. You've got ten more years before you actually set out— we're leaving now so that I can better train you three, so we can go somewhere better— you don't want to cheat by getting a bounty early, do you?" He smiled when Luffy shook his head violently back and forth, nearly twisting it all the way around with the force of it. "Then you have to be quiet. Otherwise, I'm taking you straight back up the mountain myself, and then we won't be able to leave tomorrow like we planned." He eyed the child critically. "Fair?"

A familiar intensity sparked in the air, as solid as a pinch to the arm– or a punch to the gut. For all of Luffy's excitement, the energy in him visibly steeled into something still and focused. Ryū's stomach churned with a quiet thrill of adrenaline.

He won't be a crybaby forever. Just look at what he is now, charging into things headfirst as always and always managing to keep pulling through; pulling victory out of a hat like a magician who doesn't know his own tricks. I wonder what he's gotten up to recently.

I wonder what I've missed, so far, in the real world.

Ryū carefully folded that thought away, placing it neatly among the hundred others he refused to touch.

Pressing a finger to his lips, his winked for effect just to make Luffy giggle as he drew his cloak open dramatically. "Come on then," He invited playfully, and watched with an almost uncomfortably soft mixture of fondness and amusement when his baby brother swallowed back a cheer and clambered under his cloak. It was just long enough to cover Luffy's toes, allowing him to stand on his own without latching onto Ryū's waist. Still, he only moved forward when he felt rubber arms wrap securely around his waist.

Without another word, they strode out into the streets of High Town.


So far, they were having good luck. Luffy seemed to have taken Ryū's warning to heart more seriously than the older had honestly expected.

At least, as seriously as Luffy was capable. Ryu had to constantly remind himself that thisLuffy would have less, if any of the integrity of his real self. Even if he was constructed by Ryu's dreamworld, so far he had consistently acted as Ryu could remember from before he lost his memory… smaller, weaker, more dependent on his brothers to watch out for him, and yet… Something still seemed to resonate with the Luffy Ryu did know. Something deeper than physical strength, or innocence, or naivety.

(The same something that Ryū refused to confront, refused to acknowledge.)

It was made slightly easier within the confines of Ryū's cloak– both harder for Luffy to be able to dart out of Ryū's range in time to escape and harder for him to be distracted in the first place. Even if a noise caught his attention, Ryū had so far been able to snag him before he even left the boundary of their shared disguise. (On the plus side– though Ryū refused to acknowledge it beyond a passing thought– was that the cold-sweated nausea was less overwhelming, with him focused elsewhere. He had a feeling that somehow Luffy knew that without him saying anything. His little brother kept tightening his grip on his hand every time his thoughts drifted.)

Still, Ryū didn't expect anything to last. Luffy would, inevitably, be anything but patient.

"Are we there yet?" Luffy stumbled trying to keep up as Ryū slipped into an alleyway to avoid another pair of guards. They had to stop more and more the closer they were to High Town. Ryū would have preferred to avoid it entirely– but taking the extra time to skirt all the way around the middle of the kingdom would lose them precious hours before dawn. If they wanted to get out with the least risk, he would just have to suck it up.

Ryū's gut churned with sickness. His hands were steady, his expression blank– but he wasn't able to ignore how his heart pounded as if trying to dig out of his rib cage. Every step further into the kingdom had him more and more on edge. Even being invulnerable to most physical attack, even knowing he was currently in the weakest sea, even knowing nothing was truly happening–– he still had the distinct feeling that at any moment, he would turn and see flames in the distance. If he closed his eyes he could almost smell the smoke; could almost hear the clamoring of the crowd that had smothered him in their rush to prostrate themselves before the celestial dragons who had destroyed him––

"Ryū-nii," Luffy whined, head poking out from under the cloak. Ryū twitched, startled out of his memories. He returned to tracking the guards silently as they walked further away rather than trying to force words past the sudden lump in his throat. Luffy huffed and glanced around before pausing.

Alarm bells blared in Ryū's head.

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly, perking up. "I know where we are!" Before Ryū could so much as curse, limbs still hesitant and slow to react, Luffy had already darted out from under their disguise– sprinting for the open street– where the guards still were–

Shit, goddammit– "Luffy!" Ryū hissed. Panic flared in his gut as the two blips of the guards flashed, auras brightening to attention as Luffy sprinted straight past them. Ditching the shadows, he bolted after his brother. "That's not the right way! Get back here!" Luffy didn't seem to hear him. He only turned back, still running forward without looking, the idiot, to pout as if to say what are you waiting for?

Snarling insults to anyone that was listening, Ryū slipped past the guards without even blinking at their alarmed shout. All pretenses were forgotten in the face of catching his idiot little brother before something catastrophic could happen– something more catastrophic. I'm going to kill him.

His legs alone were a head taller than Luffy– it should have been easy to overtake even a hyperactive rubber child. Ryū had plenty of practice chasing him down before, and thrice the stamina and strength– and yet.

Even for all High Town represented to him, it was still little more than a fuzzy handful of memories. Flashes of shouting, choking perfumes, his brothers laughing and jumping across rooftops and skulking through alleyways. Luffy weaved and ducked with the ease of familiarity– tearing through the streets a constant and frustrating few steps ahead. His little brother always had a hellion's courage, and right now Ryū wanted to strangle it. His grip on his haki was slipping into blurred streets and distant auras.

"Luffy!" he tried uselessly.

"We're almost there!"

"Almost where?!" He couldn't risk slowing enough to look around. Catching a landmark could mean losing sight of Luffy, and that would mean wasting time, and that would mean delays, and recognition, and capture and bounties– "This isn't where––" He nearly tripped over Luffy when the boy jerked to a halt, wide eyes staring up, and up, and up–

"See?" Luffy said proudly, breathless with exertion. "Told ya I knew the way!"

The Outlook mansion was exactly as he recalled it– standing clean and white, picture-perfect. Not a speck of dirt, or trash, or filth. It still towered about him. Entirely made of white marble and stone, polished until it shone. He could even still recognize the flowers on the sills as the same ones his mother would yell at the servants to get perfectly, still sickly yellow and pink and unblemished white. His eyes were drawn to the windows of his room without his consent. The bars were still there, over the glass. Decorated with flowering vines and white paint, as if it was a decoration, a pretty aesthetic and not a cage–

Ryū couldn't breathe.

The low churning nausea burned up into his throat, sharp and searing as hot glass. His legs were frozen stiff. He couldn't hear the guards, or shouting, or even Luffy anymore– his hand jerking to cover his mouth to hold back bile. He couldn't force himself to look away even as the tugging at his coat became frantic.

"–ey! Hey! You, are you even listening?!"

Ryū's heart stuttered. Mind racing, he yanked Luffy closer into the folds of the cloak. Guards were steadily surrounding them and he wasn't entirely sure how so many had picked up on their trail, nor when or how long they had been there. I need to get a grip. This is my responsibility– how could I be losing it like this?! I thought I was over these sort of reactions– Two guards edged closer into his peripheral, guns drawing with a click. They seemed to be slowly inching between him and the mansion, Ryū noted faintly, almost hysterical with the realization. Do they think it's this place that needs to be protected– he thought, disgusted, –as if it wasn't this fucking place that– that––

Tiny hands, so much smaller and softer than his own, pulling desperately at him.

Ryū snapped out of his thoughts. The guard was still speaking, his mouth moving, his eyes flinty with suspicion; suddenly none of it mattered in the slightest.

I am a revolutionary, Ryū reminded himself, breathing in deeply. They are standing in between me, and my target. Not my family. That isn't my family, nor my home. He squeezed Luffy's hand twice, heart slowing when his little brother stilled against him before squeezing back tightly. My family is right here. They haven't taken it from me. Not here. The nausea still settled heavily in his stomach began to fester and burn. Fire branded itself in the chilled cavern of his ribcage, turning the dregs of his anxiety to ash.

I am not a child anymore.

"How do you do, gentlemen," He finally responded, bowing in mock courteousness. He almost wished he could have put his tophat on, under his hood, just to have something tip at them. It was always fun, being casually polite to people who expected you to cower. Luffy shifted, pressing against him with a muffled giggle.

"How do you do, he says" One guard snarled, gun cocked straight at Ryū's head, "This isn't the place for strangers to wander, young man." They were starting to close in rank, drawing a tight circle around the brothers.

Ryū felt something finally settle in his chest at the familiar thrum of adrenaline.

"I am a grown adult, excuse you Sir," He released Luffy's hand, slowly trailing it up his back to wrap around his pipe hooked into his belt. "Would you please step aside? I am only passing through." He didn't doubt they wouldn't let him go, nor did he doubt they thought he would let them go. Not being a revolutionary in his dreams didn't remove the hard-wired "no witnesses" rule of the army.

"What's going on here?!"

Ryū's head snapped up. He could faintly hear Luffy squeak in alarm, craning up against his back to better hear.

Outlook III faltered when Ryū's gaze immediately stilled on him with an intensity that made the man visibly uncomfortable, his face screwing up with an almost confused sort of fear.

After a moment he shook it off, turning to the guard closest to him, but Ryū was pleased to see his biological father casting uncertain looks his way. "What's going on here," he asked again, voice raising. "Who is this— degenerate, on my property?! Can't you guards do your job right?!"

Under his cloak, Luffy went familiarly still.

Shit. Ryū tensed in preparation– and barely in time. A second later, he was jerking forward in order to snag Luffy mid-lunge. His littlest brother barely even seemed to notice he wasn't moving, still growling like an animal and snapping his jaws as if he wanted to bite a chunk out of Outlook. Ryū didn't doubt he really would if he wasn't holding him.

"Luffy," He bit out, already knowing it was useless. His little brother refused to tear his eyes off Outlook. A dense aura was starting to rise off of Luffy almost like steam– chilled and intense, like a bubble building to burst. Ryū felt as sweat began to bead tellingly at the back of his neck. Fuck. Shit. I should have known– I should have talked to them about conquerors haki after all, this is not the place for– "Luffy!" He hissed frantically. The boy didn't even twitch.

Outlook, completely unaware of the rising danger, flushed beet red in furious recognition.

"You," He snarled, stabbing a finger in their direction, "you little vermin! Where have you put my heir now?! I'll have you and that other street rat disposed of–" Luffy stretched his neck forward past Ryū's reach and Outlook jerked back in time to narrowly avoid losing his finger. Ryū didn't bother to stop Luffy– a second more and he would have lunged himself. As it was, sweat was starting to soak into the noble's collar, blood rapidly draining from his face the longer he was exposed to Luffy's building haki.

"Sabo is ours," Luffy shouted, "Ours! Our brother! He's free now!" Ryū was forced to adjust his grip as Luffy wriggled violently, fingers white with how hard they pulled at the elder's arm.

Outlook sneered, face twitching in disgust. Ryū strongly considered just taking his chances and putting Luffy down. The guards had devolved to just watching the back and forth in tense, uncomfortable silence, unsure whether or not they were allowed to act without Outlook's express consent. Intruding on a noble's personal business, even if it involved illegal activity meant for the state to handle, often had too many consequences to ignore.

"Free?!" Outlook snorted an ugly laugh. "That little ingrate is still going on about such childish endeavors! How could such a miscreant have come from our blood– when I retrieve him I'll finally fix that flaw, I'll–"

"That's enough."

Luffy kicked and squirmed as Ryū wrestled him back down into the cloak, only to freeze instantly when he caught the eldest's face. The budding conquerors haki unconsciously tempered down to a simmer in an instant until it was just roiling under the surface, as if caught off guard and meek. In the corner of Ryū's eye, he could see the guards' shoulders unconsciously falling in relief.

Thank God. This really wouldn't be the greatest of places for Luffy's abilities to come out. Not that there was ever truly a good time, besides mid-battle. Luffy wasn't even ten yet– wasn't even a teenager. Ryū wasn't about to let all his anonymity and childhood resemblance of safety be thrown out through official report of any of his boy's capabilities–– not so soon in the game, before they could learn to use them to protect themselves.

The child in question grumbled and squeezed Ryū into the angriest hug he had ever gotten, but still willingly ducked back under the fabric. Patting the cloak down, Ryū finally smiled. It was almost amusing to watch how the guards leaped to attention.

Fingers jerked to triggers and barrels aimed as he lashed out. There was nothing any of them to hope to do– not that they knew that just yet. Ryū, still grinning widely, reached forward and snagged Outlook by his drenched lapels to drag him forward from his protective circle of soldiers. Outlook's eyes bugged out his head, an order to shoot choked out of him incoherent to everyone but Ryū.

Ryū's face was dark with humor. "I've stolen your son, Outlook," He sang mockingly. "I can't promise you'll ever get him back, you see? It just wouldn't be," Outlook wheezed when Ryū tugged on his collar like a dog on a leash, scrabbling uselessly at the hand forcing him onto his toes "–Polite, as I'm sure a noble such as you would understand." Fear had far capsized the righteous anger so commonly poisoning the noble's expression. The longer he met the eyes of his past father, the more controlled Ryū felt. He had never seen such a look twisting into his father's ugly features– never had such a dissonance from his memories to compare.

(Without even noticing, the clammy pallor to his cheeks had faded. The sickness in his gut had settled.)

"L-let him go," A guard shakily ordered, gun pointed directly at Ryū's head. The blond didn't even twitch. He stared into Outlook's eyes, unable to shake the need to. So much indignant fear, all in the eyes of a man who had taken so much from him, before. Outlook had always loomed so much larger in his dreams– except for this one.

Hidden under the cloak, Luffy shut his eyes and hugged Ryū as tightly as he could.

This has never happened before. Are my dreams just giving me a break? Normally everything would have gone terribly by now– I could almost call this a pleasant outcome.

"You're pathetic," Ryū blurted out. It was so sudden, he was surprised by his own voice, not sure when he had even started speaking. His gloves were becoming slick with the sweat dripping down his biological father's face, flushed down his neck with humiliation and helpless fear. More voices twisted up in Ryū's throat, unbidden, unrestrained, and he just let them go. "You're weak and disgusting." You have always been second only to the Dragon's themselves, father. I bet you'd love that. "Even in the Grey Terminal, I have never met someone so unfailingly filthy."

Clicks echoed all around him as safeties were switched off. Ryū couldn't find space in him to be concerned.

"Step away from the civilian," the closest guard managed, hands trembling despite the steadiness of his voice.

My gloves are becoming rather gross. "With pleasure." Luffy giggled under his cloak when Ryū unceremoniously dropped Outlook like a bag of sewage, startling the nearest guards into fumbling their weapons.

Outlook scrambled to his feet to get the ring of guards between him and Ryū. "S-Shoot them." He slapped away any hands trying to help him up, fear twisting into smug fury the moment he perceived himself safe. "Shoot them!" He roared. The guard trying to help him flinched as spittle sprayed across his cheek. "Kill them both– him and that brat!"

"Yes– Yes sir!" Guns clicked and glinted.

A bullet ripped through Ryū's shoulder in a blazing streak of flames. A second tore through his cheek to the same effect. Outlook's face was pale as a sheet.

Ryū bowed with a sardonic smile, every movement chased with thin tendrils of golden fire.

"He's not human," Someone whispered, and everything quickly flew into hyperfocus.

The first guard to have shot barely had a chance to scream, blinded through wisps of flame and flash fire as his pistol crumpled like paper under the force of haki-imbued fingers. Ryū was ripping carnage through the crowd– crushing weapons everywhere he turned even as he kicked a guard hard enough to ram an entire group into the ground. They were unable to do much more than watch as their adversary flew over them to land with heels blazing, sending guards skidding out of the way to avoid being seared alive.

"Yeah! Hit 'em–" Luffy shrieked in excitement, his eyes wide and delighted where he poked his head out of the cloak. Ryū barely paused to grab Luffy before his little brother could fling himself into the fight, hands almost unconsciously flashing out to snap a sword into shards.

Looping an arm firmly around the struggling boy's waist, he grinned mischievously and poked at his cheek until Ryū knew he had his attention.

"Lu~" He whispered playfully, "Can you do your best biggest brother a favor?"

Luffy blinked before glee practically sparkled in his eyes, already nodding rapidly. He would never turn down the chance to do something fun, especially when his older brothers were trusting him specifically to do it–! That was a matter of pride!

"I need you to go on a treasure hunt for me," Ryū explained briskly, barely pausing to kick an approaching guard hard enough that the man bounced far across the street. Luffy pouted, not happy at the thought of not getting to fight, but still giggled when his brother ruffled his hair lightheartedly. "It's not an easy task for me," Ryū said mournfully, swooning dramatically for effect, "You know I hate this place, would you really want your dear older brother to go in and do it alone?"

Luffy's eyes swept over the mansion with an intensity that made Ryū hide a smile behind another punch. Even with one arm occupied in holding his littlest brother, the guards were no match for him. There were already bodies strewn all across the cobblestone– more than a few left were (rather offensively,) starting to look appropriately wary. If it wasn't for Outlook shouting at them, Ryū wondered if they would have just let him go.

A shaky bullet blew right through his hip, barely missing Luffy. The atmosphere immediately chilled a few unmistakable degrees. To his left, a guard shivered from his hands to his boots, seemingly unaware why. How rude. They don't even know he's rubber.

Luffy wiggling in his grip made him glance back down, snapping out of his thoughts. "Lemme down," He whined, "I gotta hurry before you finish!" Ryū smiled and pointedly did not tell Luffy that he was definitely going to be finished by the time the "treasure hunt" was done. He leaped straight at the guards in front of them, laughing when they cursed and ducked out of his way to allow him to sail straight over the pearly front gates of the mansion, directly up to the pristine entryway.

A well aimed burst of armament haki reduced the front walls to perfect white rubble– pipes sticking out of the destroyed walls like broken bones. A picture frame shattered at Ryū's feet. somewhere behind him, Outlook made a sound as if his hand was just run over by a bull.

Awkwardly leaning to the side, Ryū slipped his cloak off just as Luffy wiggled free, leaving himself exposed with a black bundle of squirming fabric at his side. The guards, still scrambling after his path, thankfully kept their guns pointed at his face even when Luffy's little head popped up, hair messily sticking out from under the too-large hood.

"Keep your face hidden," he said, "and I'll let you eat anything you can carry back."

His words earned him a frankly darling smile from the little hellion.

Still grinning fondly to himself, the expression soft and completely out of place, he turned back to abusing law enforcement as Luffy scampered straight through the unconscious bodies. His littlest brother bounced out of the way of any groping hands with ease, weaving in and out of sight around the rubble now strewn all over the cobblestone and out of sight within seconds. He only tripped over the cloak twice! Ryū was so proud.

Ryū stood over the men still stumbling over each other to get away from him, absentmindedly yanking a random pipe out of the debris to twirl in his hand. "Now, now," he teased, and something sadistic reared gleefully in him watching the blood drain from various faces, "Bored of me already? I've been nothing but polite, you know." Two bullets slammed through him, one belting through his shoulder and the other splitting the edge of his smile with a lash of fire that turned his visage a golden red. He barely turned before smashing the pipe into the shooter's jaw with enough force to send him flying. Blood flecked across the bridge of his nose, sizzling where it splattered across his still glowing grin.

Distantly, he registered a flash of light in his right peripheral.

Thank the seas I sent Luffy inside.

His pipe whistled and sang with every swing. For an improvised weapon, she was hefty with decent metals and a good weight– leaving superheated welts on every guard that brushed her. Someone screamed, something crashed, and Ryū sighed blissfully. This is rather therapeutic, actually. I can't wait to be back on the Grand Line.

Unfortunately, his brawl wasn't hoping to be anything but brief. It only took maybe a minute before those who actually risked trying to arrest him (or kill him– which was annoying. Didn't they realize yet that bullet or a sword couldn't hurt him? They acted like men straight out of Marineford, with all of its fancy seastone funding and decent training) were all out for the count, leaving a messy heap of bodies at Ryū's feet. He didn't even have a hair out of place. It was almost annoying, to so easily outmatch others. Even Ace and Sabo, at their ages, were a far better fight! Sighing in irritation, Ryū leveled the new pipe casually over his shoulder. This is kind of embarrassing, honestly. Thank the seas we're leaving.

Outlook, crumpled to the ground, was backed up against the rubble of his home.

Slapping a smile on his face, Ryū daintily strode forward, stepping over bruised and beaten guards as if not wanting to get blood on his boots– as if he didn't already have plenty of it splattered across his clothes. Outlook pressed uselessly against the wall.

"Look at that," Ryū said pleasantly, just to be an asshole, "What a riot!"

Outlook's face twitched, conflicted between being terrified or being indignant before settling on fury. "What now then," He scoffed, "You've beaten up a bunch of guards. I can always call for more– the marines will get a hold on you even if these useless fools won't!" Ryū only grinned maliciously, enjoying how Outlook's eyes darted fearfully to his hands as the younger man reached for him.

"Maybe so," he said, still coolly casual in a way that made Outlook boil. Whisking a pair of handcuffs out of a random body's pockets, he lazily snapped them onto his biological father's wrist before happily cuffing him to a passed out guard and pocketing the key himself. "It still won't stop us." Outlook sputtered uselessly, too stunned to even pull at the chain, and Ryū gently knocked him over the head.

The noble slumped like a ragdoll, finally, blessedly silent.

Sighing, Ryū leaned back on his new pipe to glance over the carnage of guards and the ruined mansion. I wonder if Luffy is done yet?

Almost on cue, Ryū moved in time to catch a familiar rubber projectile just as it hurled itself out of one of the third story balconies. "This isn't necessarily a habit I like, Lu," Ryū complained with no small amount of exasperation. "You're not a bouncy ball! Being rubber won't help you if you land on broken glass, you know." Luffy only giggled, leaning into his hands as he carefully brushed shards of glass from his hood and hair. His little brother pouted when he glanced over his shoulder, whining loudly at the sight of the remains of the guards.

"Aww, come on! That's so stingy, Ryū-nii!" Despite his complaints, he made no moves to escape Ryū's arms. The elder took the time to eye Luffy's haul and hummed perplexedly. Luffy's tiny body protectively cradled a mass of what looked like just an assortment of random objects, many of them smeared with bits of food he could only vaguely recall. He really did just stuff everything he could grab into the cloak, didn't he? Ryū couldn't even recognize some of it, and lots of pieces were clearly broken off from something else, or just– broken.

"...Lu? What is that?" He asked hesitantly, poking at a shiny… something. Maybe a candlestick? It was so… squiggly.

Luffy glanced down at his "treasure", eyeing it with a complex expression. "Umm…" Poking at what might be a decorative door handle (it still was connected to a torn chunk of wood, getting splinters everywhere), he grinned. "Dunno!"

Luffy may be small, the smallest of them all, but the load really was large. The rubber boy had to wind his arms multiple times around the cloak like an improvised sack just to carry it all without overbalancing– and every jostle sent loose coins and jewelry and obscure shiny knick-knacks spilling across the floor with little musical clinks. Luffy looked particularly proud of his armful of stuff and things; he was beaming happily at Ryū even as they both scrutinized it with confusion.

Ryū supposed it was less him being happy about the metals and various possibly precious materials and more that he was excited over the food they could both smell buried in the pile. The longer they stood there the more an unidentified sauce was soaking through the fabric and into Ryū's sleeves. Luffy had meat sauce and cream smeared on his face. So that's what took him so long. Gluttony.

"Sabo says it's nasty," Luffy started defensively, watching how Ryū's nose scrunched up, "But nobody was eating it! So it's mine now." Suddenly the boy glared, protectively hovering over his stash. "'M not sharing," He warned.

Ryū only laughed. "Don't worry, I think it's nasty too. It's all yours– unless Ace wants some."

His youngest brother opened his mouth, clearly about to start violently defending his food again, only to hesitate. He eyed his prizes with a critical eye.

Ryū's heart burst into flames (nearly literally, if he hadn't clamped down on that quickly enough–) when Luffy carefully picked out a hunk of something that smelled sickly sweet even through its shiny red paper box before determinedly handing it to his older brother for safekeeping. "I dunno what it is," Luffy admitted sheepishly, "But it smells really good! So, Ace will like it, right?"

"Of course." Barely hiding his gag at the overpowering smell of chemicals and sugar, Ryū indulgently packed the little pastry into an inner pocket. Ace was more predictably to like that Luffy managed to save him something that smelled good to him, rather than the pastry itself. Either way, it would still get eaten, and Luffy would be happy. And Ace too, Ryū thought in amusement, he's going to turn so red.

Amusement vanished as he picked up voices, hushed and frantic, coming from the opening he had forced out of the walls. He only needed to wait a moment, however, for a tiny maid to stumble out of the rubble. She squeaked loudly at the sight of the guards and Outlook, frozen in front of Ryū only to scramble out of the way when Didit nearly trampled her running outside with Stelly in her arms.

"Father!" Stelly shrieked dramatically, eyes bugging out as he noticed Outlook passed out on the floor.

Ryū raised an eyebrow to see how ruffled and dirty his past step-brother was, smeared with cream and sauce and sent a questioning glance to the unmistakable culprit in his arms.

Luffy smiled innocently up at him.

It was less impressive– and far less adorable– to see his once-step-brother glaring at him. "How dare you," he seethed, shakily posturing. "You'll pay for this!" Despite his words, the kid folded the moment Luffy made for him.

Ryū calmly tugging at his cheek to halt him in his tracks before the child could do something impulsive like try to launch himself at someone again. "Protect the treasure, Lu," He said, putting Luffy back on the ground and winking playfully. "Your big brother will handle this one."

Dijit tripped over her own feet backing away as he approached, face twisted in a mixture of disgust and fear– but Ryū only sidestepped her, stopping before the mansion. For a long moment, neither of them said a word. Ryū pensively knocked against one of the many supporting pillars holding the upper half of the mansion. "W-What are you doing?" She finally snapped. Ryū glanced at her and she froze.

"Searching," He said simply. His right hand, still resting on the pillar, blackened with haki. Both nobles screamed when his fingers bit into the white marble. Ryū only smiled as the stone shattered into dust and rubble, showering them all– except Luffy, who was sitting just out of range– in white powder and pebble. A cheery hop and a skip was all it took for Ryū to reduce the next pillar to the same fate.

The house rattled ominously.

Shrieking, Dijit dove out of the way as one of the large balconies collapsed above her. Ryū kicked in a fifth support beam, taking out a wall alongside it, when the whole mansion began to shake apart at the seams.

Luffy giggled, raising his hands up to Ryū as the older snatched him back up, both of them grinning delightedly as rubble and debris chased at their heels. The clattering of glass and fine china could be heard even through the chaos. He couldn't see her, swallowed by the cloud of kicked-up marble dust and dirt, but Ryū could hear his blood family screaming. Outlook must have woken up. Good.

Unable to stop smiling, Ryū hugged Luffy tighter to him. "Okay," he said breathlessly, "detour's over— if we get to the docks now, everyone should be distracted over here!" He didn't even bother to put Luffy back down. The boy didn't seem to care in the slightest, one arm tangled in his stash and the other tightly gripped onto Ryū's blood-and-dirt-streaked lapels. "We're going to set sail," he said dreamily, memories nearly glazing his eyes with tears, and Luffy cheered loud enough to rattle his eardrums.

The streets were all but empty— it took what felt like milliseconds to reach the docks. The only people there were a handful of watchers, a sailor or two checking the anchors and ropes— it was easy as breathing to shove some hapless keeper overboard and hop onto the first boat they saw. Ryū finally let Luffy go to rush for the rigging, skin fever-hot with excitement. "Raise the anchor," he rushed out, "just throw it on board! Snap it if you have too— we're leaving!" Food and ornaments christened their new stolen deck where Luffy unceremoniously let the cloak tumble to the floorboards. Ryū couldn't even breathe through the excitement. His mind was a rampant mantra of setting sail, we're setting sail, setting sail again, gone, free, goodbye–

"Hey! Stop— wait!"

"That's not yours— sir!"

Ryū laughed, loudly and free, his heart burning in his chest as Luffy's hissing little giggle filled the air. Without him even needing to ask, his brother ran to the head of the ship and latched onto the railing, huge eyes watching the dark horizon. There was no time for Ryū to anchor himself– no time to tie anything to the back end of the boat. He would just have to hope the momentum didn't throw either of them overboard.

"Let's go," he gasped, shoving a sail into place and digging his heels in, gloves sparking white-hot, "hold on tight!"

A flash of fire so hot it evaporated the waves lapping at the docks exploded out of his hands. The boat tilted violently. Luffy shrieked in excitement as the entire ship lurched. Ryū poured firepower into his palms until the ship practically was rocketing away from Dawn Island, splitting across the ocean as if a stone skipping across the surface. "T-the wheel!" He managed, shouting over the roar and praying Luffy actually heard it, "turn it left! Towards the forest!"

"I can do it!"

I know, Ryū's entirely body screamed, I've always known!

He didn't stop throwing fire until the docks disappeared around the curve of the island, shocked faces swallowed by distance and familiar forest. Ryū's hands shook just the slightest bit when he finally let the flames lapse. "We're clear," he called. Something edging into disbelief was audible in his voice. He swallowed thickly, "we're clear!"

Barely a heartbeat later he couldn't see past his sudden lap full of little brother. Luffy was unstoppable, practically vibrating out of his skin where he wiggled restlessly in his lap. "We did it!" He cheered, throwing his fists up so violently in victory that the resulting stretch and recoil nearly snapped him back onto the floorboards. "We're sailing!"

"We are," Ryū choked out, breathless beyond belief. Years of sailing, of traveling everywhere with the Revolutionaries— years of being free— and yet he stood there staring at the ocean, just as taken aback by how far the world seemed to stretch.

The first breath of freedom never truly got old. Never became tiring, or boring, or expected— every spray of ocean mist, every inhale of salty air, was a firm reminder of what he had to gain.

For a single, paralyzing moment, Ryū felt terrifyingly awake. Felt as if, suddenly, every blind in his mind's windows had snapped open. Drowning, he stared over the horizon, eyes wide open.

I have never had even a night terror as real as this.

"Ryū! Ryū-nii! Come on, we hafta hide everything before Ace sees it!" Luffy cried distantly. Ryū blinked, mind steadying to focus on his little brother to watch as he frantically stuffed pastries into his mouth. His world was still tilted, spinning nauseatingly— but the longer he looked, the more it began to reorient. The distinct feeling of wrong, something is wrong, something has always been wrong, was again pushed somewhere far down and dark. Somewhere Ryū hadn't even noticed he had stuffed the thought before.

Luffy again moaned for his help and he swiftly shut the door on the feeling.

Nothing is wrong. I'm allowed to have a good dream now and then, aren't I?

The worry, this time, refused to fade.


Ace and Sabo hadn't stopped glaring from the moment they saw the boat sailing towards them.

"You bastard," Ace hissed, "who said you could just ditch us?"

"Luffy got to go," Sabo murmured darkly. The blond was, at least, not as angry as Ace clearly was— he had never wanted to go to High Town in the first place. But waking up minus two brothers, especially their headstrong youngest, was less than impressive. (Was terrifying, actually, but he wasn't about to up and say that and neither was Ace. The hour spent scouring the forest before stewing in their realization would go with them both to the grave.) "You could have at least woken us."

"Or just not lied," Ace cut in bitterly.

Luffy nodded sagely. "Brothers don't keep secrets."

Ryū only watched on as his two smaller brothers smacked their youngest upside the head, hurtling him forwards onto the grass. He deserved it for that one, I'll give them that.

"That hurts," he whined, rubbing the back of his head, and Ryū wasn't sure whether to be exasperated or proud that his little siblings had taken to haki for what felt like solely to scold Luffy. (He would only be proud if it worked, he decided, and knew right then and there that he had doomed his own bet to fail.) "You don't hafta hit me jus' 'cause I'm right!"

"Shut up," The two middle brothers snapped in tandem. "You're the one who snuck out! You didn't wake us either, you rubber-brained, airheaded–"

"Okay," Ryū cut in. He raised his hands in amused defense when three glares were all redirected to him. "Okay," He tried again, "Either way, we're back safe and got the boat!"

The looks only seemed to harden. Sabo jabbed a finger in his direction with all the scrutinizing sharpness of an experienced field medic. "You have no right to talk," His doppelganger accused. Ryū sheepishly stepped back as Sabo rounded on him, Ace hot on his heels. "What do you think woke us up!?"

"We could hear the yelling all the way from High Town," Ace supplied. Ryū winced.

"You've got holes in your clothes, Ryū-nii," Sabo continued, barely pausing to breathe. "Those weren't there before! I was in Grey Terminal long enough to recognize bullet holes–– and that blood on you wasn't there before!" Luffy shrunk when the blond spun on him, glare losing none of it's edges. "Don't think I miss the holes in that cloak either! Both of you got caught, what does that mean from now on? We could see the fire even from the treehouse, whatever happened wasn't just a dine and dash, was it?" He again turned on Ryū, face thunderous. "If you dare lie to me again..." He snarled.

Whistling, Luffy's eyes darted into the treeline. Ryū felt sweat pearl at the nape of his neck.

Sabo sighed, long-suffering and tired.

"...We still got the boat," Luffy broke in, waving his arms wildly. "An' both of us aren't hurt. None of the blood is even ours!" The two middle brothers faltered, physically unable to maintain their composure when their smallest brother turned huge glistening eyes on them. "We're gonna set sail," He said, the words still tinged with the same untempered awe and bewilderment as the first time he said it, "aren't you excited?!"

Ace and Sabo exchanged a quick glance. Whatever unspoken argument they had soothed into acquiescence without Ryū even needing to risk their ire again, allowing the bare hints of eagerness to sneak back into their expressions.

Nodding, Ace finally uncrossed his arms. He immediately put them in his pockets instead, but Ryū still counted it for a win– as much of a win as Sabo smiling was. "I guess," They conceded. Their tone belied the exhilaration quickly building in their frames, the adrenaline barely shoved under the surface in time to act angry.

Ryū grinned. These kids are going to be the death of me. "Hop on then," He said, and cheerfully scooped all three boys in his arms before they could do something stupid like actually hop in themselves– or remember to be angry at him. Luffy barely even blinked, only winding his limbs firmly around him and giggling as his older brothers' protests fell on ignorant ears. "We're going to go on an adventure!"

"At least let us grab our stuff!"

"Ryū-nii! Are you even listening?! Goddammit, let me down–"

"Shishishishi! Setting sail~"

It took a single trip to get everyone on board, living and nonliving included. Ryū sang obnoxiously the entire time to cover how he was delightfully watching the boys react to being on the ocean. Without even setting off yet, all three little brothers were practically bursting at the seams. Luffy bounced with the rocking waves, excitedly pointing out everything he could to Sabo. He spoke at a mile a minute, rattling off what he saw used for in the brief trip they made from Goa. Ace side-stepping his brothers, leaving them to talk while he stared off the side of the ship with an expression Ryū hadn't seen his brother make in... a long time.

Ace looked up at him with a look in his eyes so unbelievably soft, stunned into honesty. His guarded older-little brother, in that moment, seemed to unfurl like a flower in the sun.

"We're leaving Dawn," He whispered, and Ryū could do nothing but listen, but lean in and desperately memorize the way all the hard lines in Ace's face melted under his skin. How his shoulders loosened, how he smiled without seeming to care that anyone was watching. Luffy and Sabo had fallen suspiciously quiet, behind him, and for the life of him, Ryū wasn't able to turn away from this moment.

(The one he never had.)

Ace grinned at him brilliantly, his eyes reflecting something so childishly happy that Ryū was speechless from it. "Were going to be pirates," He said. Conviction turned such a breathless little statement into fact, into fate– something undeniable and inevitable. "Were going to be free."

Warmth exploded outward from his chest, expanding all the way to his toes. Ryū's answering grin split his face so widely he thought the corners of his mouth might turn to flames. Luffy attached himself to his leg, Sabo trotting to Ace's side to watch the waves below, and Ryū–– laughed.

He laughed, loud and long, and didn't care what showed on his face, or if the boys caught the suspicious wetness he could feel in his eyes. Everything was okay, more than okay. The boys smiled at him, watery and full and alive, and he nearly caught himself sobbing with the force of how happy he was.

I can't believe I have this, he thought, mind desperate with the thought, with the sudden, overwhelming need to hold on tightly, to dig his nails in until they bled, and bled, and bled–– I can't believe I could have had this.

The boys moving to tackle him at once nearly knocked them all right off the bow of the ship. None of them could care less.


Setting off alone was an emotional affair. They were still close enough to see the windmills of Foosha Village. If Ryū squinted, he could just make out the top of their treehouse.

Still, it was now or never. "Any last words?" He asked, sitting down with a thump on the floorboards. "You won't be able to see Dawn Island for a long time, if any of you ever bother to come back. Now's the time to say our goodbyes, don't you think?"

"Hell no."

"Good riddance."

Ever the optimists, Ryū thought exasperatingly. Both Ace and Sabo had made equal disgusted expressions at the mere sentiment of saying goodbye to the place where they had been beaten, ostracized, outcasted– used and abused. Ryū wasn't surprised to see such a lack of regard– and yet–

Luffy, still beaming ear to ear, jumped to the edge of the ship. Ace and Sabo both watched, eyebrows high in confusion while Ryū just smiled complacently. Leaning over the railing, he breathed in as deep as his little lungs could allow him.

"GOODBYE MAKINO!"

Ace and Sabo watched on, eyes wide, as Luffy took another deep breath.

"GOODBYE WOOP SLAP, AND THE PARTY BAR, AND– AND––!"

The boys exchanged a stunned look before staring up at Ryū. Their eldest didn't react, smile only barely softening around the edges as he nudged them forward with a knowing glint in his eye. Ace blinked, jerking in surprise as Sabo stumbled to his feet after Luffy.

"GOODBYE!" The two boys screamed. Sabo only paused for a moment, looking back at their missing sibling. Ace's breath stuttered.

Ryū continued to smile.

Jerking upright, almost as if in a daze, Ace shakily joined his brothers at the railing. They shared a smile, breaking at the edges, and inhaled as one. "GOODBYE DADAN! GOODBYE TO MAGRA, AND DOGRA, AND ALL THE STUPID BANDITS, AND EVERYONE IN FOOSHA!"

"GOODBYE!" Luffy screamed, voice breaking with the effort. "THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!"

Ryū finally cracked, laughing hysterically even as tears, for the second time in just an hour, pricked his eyes. The boys panted furiously, shoulders heaving with the exertion of their yelling. None of them even glared at their oldest brother for laughing, only able to share an overwhelmingly excited grin as if feeding off each other's giddiness.

He continued to laugh, chest tight and yet looser than it had been in what felt like years. He laughed until the boys all clambered back into his arms, sharing the success, the victory, the hope, and Ryū was left nearly breathless with joy– so much of it that it drowned out the seemingly endless cold in his chest he had woken up with–

(Because this was all he had ever wanted, and never got.)

"Goodbye," He said, hoarsely, when all the boys had left was exhausted exhilaration and fading adrenaline. Falling asleep in his lap, he doubted they even registered what he was saying. He was fine with that– this was as much for them as it wasn't. (For all the people he never got to thank, who he never got to remember,) "Thank you."

Dawn was getting smaller in the distance. He should really get up and make sure they were still on course for– wherever they wanted to go next. Anywhere.

He couldn't get up. Not yet.

"Thank you…!"


Dadan paused, drink halfway to her mouth.

"Boss?" Magra asked, looking up from where he was making rice. "What's wrong?"

The bandit hesitated before shrugging and taking a long gulp of sake. "...Nothing," She eventually said, unable to think of how to quantify the sudden warmth that had bloomed in her chest, like heat from a distant campfire, or a hot drink that burned all the way down. "Just wondering what the boys are gettin' up to, right now."


In the middle of wiping down a table in the Party Bar, Makino stopped to raise her hand to her mouth and laugh.

"Those boys," She said, shaking her head fondly, unable to explain how she felt but knowing they somehow had something to do with it. "They all better stay safe."

She had no doubt they'd be just fine.


AN - i sold my soul to make this chapter! enjoy.

next update wont be for... a while. less than a month, but a while- bc ive Barely started it.