"Then I'm going to go swimming and camping and fishing and sleep out under all the stars!" Luffy babbled excitedly. "And eat pancakes and a ton of meat every day! Whenever I want, and second and third and fourth breakfast!"

Thatch said nothing as he let Luffy ramble, the little kid sticking close to his side as they made their way through the ship. His plan was to take Luffy back to their ship where he would be safe and Thatch would be free to join the search for the captain. After all this was no place for a child. Either Luffy didn't notice that they were currently in a warzone or he just didn't care. Either way Thatch was grateful for the lack of drama and Luffy's absolute absence of attachment to his father. It made all of this much easier. Instead he filled the silence with everything he planned on doing once he got off the ship and away from his controlling captor.

"Aren't you a little bit nervous?" Thatch asked.

"-Bout what?" Luffy asked as he scurried over a partially smashed crate just for the fun of it. They were lucky to avoid the fighting so far but there was evidence of it littered all around.

"Everything," Thatch told him. "This is all you know right?" He gestured around and Luffy nodded. "Well what are you going to do without it?"

"I just told you, I'm going to go swimming and-."

"No I got that. I just- most kids in your place would be a bit worried." Thatch just couldn't figure him out.

"Nervous about what?"

"I'm not sure, the unknown can be a bit scary. So can change."

"Yea but I didn't like it here right?" Luffy said matter-of-fact-like. "So why would I be sad to leave. Besides why should I be scared? You guys said you won't let anything really bad happen to me yea?"

Thatch smiled at him. Unable to argue with that. "Yea." He assured him. "You'll be okay."

Luffy smiled brightly up at him, his wide eyes on Thatch's face. Then just to the right of his head as something else seemed to grab his attention. The smile fell away as he reached out to clutch at Thatch's hand, something he claimed to be too grown up to need.

Thatch felt Luffy's hand at the same moment he heard a sound behind him.

"Don't!" Luffy cried as something flew towards Thatch. The pirate shoved Luffy behind him a moment before someone attacked him.

The last thing Thatch saw was a strong hand reaching out for his face and then he knew nothing else.

Luffy was inconsolable. It was nearing a week since Ace had been taken and since then they hadn't been allowed to see him even once. Although Sabo was still fighting to make sure he got food.

Luffy was taking it really hard. He thought the whole thing was his fault. Despite Sabo promising him that Ace didn't actually hate him. Up until that point Luffy had been happy. Well happy-ish. He didn't enjoy their current living conditions, but he found a way to keep smiling and laughing no matter how bad things had gotten for them. But now, Sabo could hardly get him to eat anything. He no longer left their cell to work. At first the guards had been furious but after trying every kind of kicking they knew they eventually gave up. But the incident had not been forgotten and one of the guards had given Sabo a terrifying warning.

"Slaves who don't work don't get fed."

"I know," Sabo told him. Luffy hadn't been wanting to eat anyways but Sabo forced him to eat some of his rations.

"Well is he going to help out or not?"

"You took away our older brother," Sabo tried to explain. "Luffy is just sad right now."

"Yea, I don't care how sad he is. Do you know how much men sell for?"

"Uh- no." Sabo stammered.

"Well not as much as females. And do you know how much scrawny kids like him sell for?"

"Ah-."

"Less than even that. We're going to make a quarter of the usual price off of him."

"I-don't."

"Listen if he isn't working, and we can't motivate him to work anymore, and he won't make us much money well then he isn't really worth keeping, is he?"

"No," Sabo said understanding what the man was saying. "He will! I'll find a way. I'll make him. I can do his work! Just- don't hurt him please! I can't. You can't hurt him. He will work."

"God shut up," The man said. "You're a broken record. Fine make him work again and you have nothing to worry about."

Sabo was able to force Luffy off the floor of the cell to go back to work through a mixture of begging and guilt. He helped Luffy with every task he was assigned, and he watched him like a hawk. Unlike before there was no Ace to help so if Luffy messed up again and Sabo took the fall there would be no one to protect him. And Sabo had a horrible feeling the guards would do something awful if he left Luffy alone that long. His worst fear was to be dragged away only to come back to an empty cell. He couldn't let that happen.

"Please don't kill him!" Luffy begged as he threw himself on top of Thatch. The older man was unconscious on the floor, unaware of the danger he was in.

The captain pushed forwards; his sword drawn. "You disobeyed me."

"I'm sorry!" Luffy cried his little fingers digging into Thatch's shirt. "I won't do it again."

"You always disobey me. You have to learn; your actions have consequences."

"I know!" Luffy cried. "Don't hurt Thatch and I will listen to you. I'll never run away again." He cried out as the man tried to yank him off.

"You don't realize who this man is."

"It doesn't matter!"

"He was going to hurt you."

"Was not!" Luffy said getting angry now.

"You are too naive to know better. You know nothing of the real world! Now move aside." His hands grabbed Luffy's arm as he pried him off Thatch. Luffy cried as he was thrown to the ground. "You don't yet understand anything. You are so ungrateful you would choose a stranger over your family?"

Luffy pushed himself to his feet. He had never seen the man so angry before. Not even when he tried to run away. If he didn't do something, then Thatch was going to die. And Luffy didn't want that.

"Dad PLEASE!" He cried grabbing onto the man's arm before he could bring the sword down on the unconscious pirate. He almost always got his way when he called him that. And even though Luffy didn't really know what it meant, not all the way, he didn't care. So long as he won this one.

"If you let him go I won't run away again. I won't ever trust anyone else. I'll listen to you always and go wherever you want me too. I won't even complain anymore. Just don't kill him."

The man turned towards him, the blade inches from Thatch. "Is that so?"

Luffy nodded, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

"And you will keep your word?"

"Yes father."

The man contemplated for a moment before he stepped back, sheathing his sword. "There will be consequences if you lie."

"I won't."

The man nodded, holding out his hand. Luffy took it reluctantly as he followed him out of the room.

"Bye Thatch."

Luffy sat on the floor of the darkened dining room, cradling his head on his knees as he tried to stop himself from crying. Today was the fifth day back at work and he still felt awful. Nothing was the same without Ace and Luffy knew that it was all his fault. It was just a matter of time before he lost Sabo to a careless mistake and then he would be all alone. Forever. He should be trying harder to work, to be better. But he couldn't stop being sad, no matter what Sabo said or did. If the guards caught him crying it would be bad, so until he stopped, he was hiding in here. Nobody ever really came in here so he would be left alone. Luffy knew that because he had hidden here before. It was only used at dinner time for the fancy men on the ship to eat and stuff. At least he thought.

Right when he was about to go back, he heard the door open. Unsure of what else to do he scampered beneath the table, tucking himself behind one of the table legs just in time before the person entered.

He couldn't see them from below the table, but he saw their boots. They weren't a guard. Their shoes were too clean for that. Hopefully that meant they wouldn't get Luffy in trouble if they found him.

He hoped they would leave quickly but they didn't. Instead the boots lingered at one of the shelves and he heard the noise of rifling as some items were sorted.

Everyone on this ship was weird he decided. Luffy pushed back a little further his tiny fingers tangling in the carpet underneath him. It was nice, really pretty and colorful. Not like anything he had seen before. Sabo said that meant it was for rich people and historically Luffy didn't like rich people.

There was something hard and cold buried in the carpet threads. He frowned as his hand closed around some type of metal circle. He picked it up, feeling along it in the darkness. It was heavy and shiny. It was the weight and size of a circular pond stone, only made of gold with a little silver chain running along it. Luffy liked how smooth it was under his fingers. Maybe he could show it to Sabo and they could throw it against the wall or something for fun. With that thought in mind he slipped it into his pocket.

First he just needed the man to leave. But he wasn't going fast enough. The boots had moved from the shelves to the bookcase before drifting closer to the table. And then without warning one of the boots kicked the table in anger, causing the entire thing to shutter. Luffy jumped, slamming his knee against the leg by accident. He covered his mouth to stop himself from crying out, but the damage had already been done. The man had heard the thunk.

"Someone's here." Came a low voice. He didn't sound angry at least. Luffy curled in on himself. He couldn't get caught. He wasn't going to cause more problems for his brother.

When neither moved the man grew impatient and crouched down to his hands and knees to see for himself.

"Listen, whatever this is about…" He trailed off as he locked eyes with Luffy. "Ah, you're just a little boy?"

Luffy kept his mouth shut, tightening his hold on his knees.

"You're a slave then," he said noticing the state of Luffy's clothes and the cuff around his ankle. "They aren't supposed to take them this young."

Luffy didn't know what to say to that. He didn't really think there were any rules when it came to stealing people.

"It's okay boy, come out from under there."

Luffy didn't dare move.

The man sighed as he adjusted his position to sit on the floor so he could see Luffy better. "Yea, I can't imagine they've been very nice to you have they? You look like you were having a rough time." He was talking about the wet streaks on Luffy's cheeks.

Luffy wiped them clumsily, sniffing back the rest of the tears. He didn't need sympathy from them.

"What's wrong little one?"

Luffy just shook his head. There was silence between the two of them for a moment before the man spoke. "I understand a little of what you must feel." The man told him. "I'm a bit sad today as well. It feels as if the world is ending, but everyone else just keeps going about their lives. Like they don't even care."

"Your sad?" Luffy asked.

The man nodded. "I miss my family. It's the day- well I suppose it's an anniversary of sorts. And I must have dropped them."

"Dropped them?" Luffy echoed.

"My pocket watch, it's my prized possession. They gave it to me and it has my only picture of them. It's like carrying around a little piece of them with me. But I've lost it now. Today of all days."

"Oh," Luffy said. He supposed that was sad.

"And what about you…. I won't tell anyone." He promised.

Luffy looked the man over again. He didn't know why a stranger would care. But he guessed someone that missed their family might understand. "You won't tell no one?"

"Not a soul."

"I miss my brother." Luffy said.

"Your brother?"

He nodded, feeling the tears threaten to well up again. "They took him away a few days ago cause they think he started a fire but he was just protecting me and I can't see him anymore and I think he hates me now but I don't care I just really really really miss him and stuff and I want him to come back but he won't ever and I think Sabo thinks he's going to die and I want him back," Luffy rambled.

"Oh I see," The man said after a moment. "So that's what that was about."

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone right? Cause I don't want to get my other brother in any more trouble."

"You're secrets safe with me if mine is safe with you. Now will you come out?"

Luffy reluctantly crawled out from under the table while the man went to turn the lights on. "So what's your name little one?"

"I'm Luffy."

"Well Luffy it's nice to meet you."

Luffy tilted his head, "Why are you being nice to me?" Certainly, the first person not in shackles who had been.

"I suppose I have a bit of a soft spot for children. My sons around your age. You remind me a bit of him. He's a tough thing too. Always looking out for his mother."

"Oh," Luffy said. "You lost their thingy, right?"

"My pocket watch."

"What's-it look like."

"A pocket watch? Hm, It's a flat circular item with golden engraving around the edges- my god!"

Luffy had pulled it from his pocket to show the man. "Here." He handed it over easily.

"You found it?"

"It was under the table." Luffy told him.

"You found it! And you would give it back. Just like that?"

"Of course, what would I do with it?" Luffy figured he should keep the hucking it at the wall part to himself. He wanted the man to have his family more then he wanted entertainment.

"Surely you deserve some kind of reward!"

"Can you get my brother back!" He brightened at the thought.

"I am sorry little one, it's beyond my control."

"Oh," Luffy fell back on himself.

"Anything else I can do?"

"No," He told him. All he wanted was to see Ace. "It's okay. At least you get your family back." Luffy supposed that was good, even if he couldn't have his.

The man stared at him for a long moment before he put his hand out, patting his hair. "You are a good kid aren't you? Thank you, for this. You should go before you get into trouble."

"Kay," Luffy said as he moved towards the door, waving at the man as he left.

"Thatch, Thatch," The voice was getting insistent as the man felt his shoulder shake.

"Marco?" He said sitting up in confusion. His head felt horrible, like his brains got replaced with wet cement.

"What happened," Marco questioned him. "Are you alright?"

"Uh," Thatch looked around. He was lying in the center of one of the storerooms. He tried to wrack his brain for what had happened, but he came up empty. He had no clue. He didn't remember even coming in here. His whole brain felt foggy and confused. Like he was disconnected from everything.

"Thatch where's Luffy?"

Thatch looked around, panicking for the first time. He pushed himself to his feet even as Marco tried to stop him.

"LUFFY!" He called out to the darkened room. "LUFFYYY!" But there was no reply.

"This is not happening." Thatch muttered. "Tell me I didn't lose him."

"You didn't lose him," Marco told him. "He was taken."

"What? No!" That was so much worse.

"It was probably his dad. Damn I should have anticipated this."

"I- I let him down," Thatch said in horror. "That man is unhinged. Who knows what he is going to do to him."

"We'll get him back," Marco assured him. "We are going to find the captain, make him tell us what in the hell is going on, and then we are going to get Luffy and every last slave still breathing off this boat and burn it to the ground."

"Do you think Luffy can hold on?" Thatch asked not even trying to hide his horror at the situation.

"He's survived this long," Marco told him. "That kid is a lot tougher than anyone gives him credit for."

Sorry It's been a hot second guys. I owe you this. Thank you so so much for your support. I love hearing what you guys thought. All of you make me want to keep updating as quickly as I can. And I am happy to say this chapter marks the mid-way point (It's not going to be a terribly long story). But everything is about to go down in the next two chapters and things will start making more sense soon enough!

As always thank you for taking the time to read this. Please let me know what you thought.

(And don't worry too much about Luffy, he will only be with his psycho dad for a very short while before he get's to eat his pancakes and third and fourth breakfast."