XXX
Luffy could have looked at it forever. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He had grown up underneath the sky, wild and free. And one of his favorite things to do was sit up there and watch the stars with the people he cared about.
A lifetime ago, when he had turned fifteen… well… he had forgotten on his actual birthday. But when he finally got around to remembering he was a year older he was excited. One year closer to becoming a pirate like Ace. One year closer to becoming the Pirate King, and living a life of endless adventures. He was naïve- and willfully so. Life got too complicated when you worried about the details. What was going to happen would happen. No use worrying about it. But that was then, and he was here now- and back then he could have never imagine he would come to this. Starved of the sky, weaker than even the most pathetic of men- and perhaps most heinous of all- at odds with food.
Life was a mixed bag, you had to take the good with the bad. Luffy loved the good- and he thought he was tough enough to laugh off whatever bad came his way.
He thought wrong.
He had forgotten what this felt like. He had forgotten what it looked like- and it looked beautiful.
The giant creature had put him down on one of the jagged rocks that dotted the coast. Only then remembering himself Luffy shifted himself onto his knee's catching it's attention as he moved, he pushed his forehead against the stone.
"Thank you- very very much," he told his friend.
The creature made this hissing sound again, spewing water in either direction. Its tail swished in the water, creating a current around them. It paid no mind to the gratitude or the words.
You will go now?
Luffy pushed himself up, looking over his shoulder back at the island where the sounds of fighting carried over. "I'm going back."
The creature made the noise again, displeased. They will enslave you again.
No- they wouldn't. They would have to kill him before he let that happen again. No one was putting him in a cage Ever again. Best he die under the sky- then lose his freedom. But he didn't even bother explaining it. He hadn't been able to make Thatch understand, even after all this time, and honestly it was too much effort at this point. Let the whole world think he was crazy. He had never cared what others thought about him…. But Ace understood. He knew he did. He always seemed to. Luffy tried not to think about that.
"I'm not scared of dying," he said for the millionth time. He looked over his shoulder at the fortress, the cave where he had come from, and the horrors he knew lay inside.
Then why have I wasted my time on you?
"Cause your nice!" Luffy told him. Back when smiling came easy to him- he would have offered his friend a smile. But now it was far too much work, and Luffy had never understood the point of faking emotions. "Just cause I'm not scared doesn't mean I wanna." These last few months had proved just how worthless and weak he was. But that didn't mean he had to accept it. Besides- "I'm no one's pawn." People who do stuff like this were the type Luffy hated the most. And … " I'd rather chew off my own tongue and drown in the blood than go along with them."
The creature made that noise again- a chittering, as ocean foam was pushed through its elongated teeth. It sounded amused.
Another explosion shook the rock, and Luffy turned back to look at the hulking rock before him. "I'm sorry they are destroying your home…. And sorry I hate it here so much. It's just… kinda miserable."
This is your world- the creature reminded him- If you could see mine underneath, you would understand. I could show you, but you might drown.
"Yeah… maybe not that," Luffy agreed. "I'll just take your word for it, kay!" He cast one more look at the sky, committing each piece of it to memory. It would still be here, waiting for him when this was over. As would the ocean around him- and everything else that was taken from him. But for now-
"I need to go there!" he pointed towards back towards the island, where the sounds of fighting drifted through the hulking rocks. "Can you help me?"
The creature sneered, moving forwards as it's large claws once again encircled him. Luffy closed his eyes, sucking in a breath of air just before he was once again dragged under the surface. Once again, his lungs burned as the current raced past them. Just when the need to breath became overwhelming the creature let him up, placing him back on the rocky shore.
When the claws once again withdrew from around him, Luffy scrambled up to his feet- needing two attempts with how weak his legs had become. The creature watched him with clear doubt.
You should make peace with your gods now
"Rude," Luffy told him. He had come this far right? Shaky legs or not. Besides, there was no god he felt like praying too. Even if they were up there, they were probably just as selfish and flawed as the rest of them. If he was going to believe in anything then it may as well be himself, and his friends – and he had already made peace with that.
Its tail flicked sporadically in the water once- twice- before pointing to three large cement drains above his head.
In the rainy season when the ocean swells, our younglings can get caught in there, if you continue through the middle one you can get to the other side of the human castle.
"Thank you!" Luffy told him again. "Thank you-thank you- Thank You!" Why was it that the only one willing to listen to what he wanted today was a giant water lizard. People were so stupid.
It's truly pitiful for those elders to pick on injured cubs, even for humans they have shown a weak character, they should have either eaten you or set you lose. We teach our own cubs not to play with their food. If those humans step foot into these waters, they will meet my teeth. I do not wish for you to suffer the same fate. You are… interesting. When you tire of this foolish quest and the humans, I might consider coming if you call, should you wish to be taken away from here. You would do well as a sea king.
"I can't swim though," Luffy said, imagining his life as part of a sea king colony. It sounded fun. He had been part of a wolfpack for almost a day when he was a kid. That had been kinda interesting.
There is air enough in the underground caverns and we are always in need of bait when the pack hunts. You are small, and wiggly. You could bring in many sharks.
"Thanks… I think." Luffy was wiggly. Everyone always said so, and things were always trying to eat him. Weird to imagine that being seen as one of his good attributes. Wait until he told Sabo and Ace that a childhood of being accidental monster bait had finally paid off… Shit! Ace and Sabo! He shook his head. He was getting distracted again.
"Thanks for the offer. But I want to go with my brothers and friend." Maybe they could all live with the sea kings? There was an idea. They should revisit that later… if he survived. "I got to go find them. But I'll see you later kay!"
The creature snorted again, as it slid underneath the water, it's fins the last to disappear, gliding around for a moment before they too submerged.
Bye Cub
"It's Luffy," he told the water, once again alone with the tunnel in front of him, mossy water lazily dripping from it. The darkness beyond made him shiver.
This was the dark he was familiar with, not like the sky. Pure black. Empty. Gritting his teeth, Luffy forced through the pain and stretched his arms to grip the mouth of the drain above him, hoisting himself up in one clunky movement that sent little pinpricks throughout his body. Another thing to add to the list. He missed being able to stretch without twisting his cuts and bursting the stitches. The doctor dude- Marco-would be so mad right now.
And here he was- having said goodbye or having been said goodbye too, by everyone and trapped in the dark. That icky feeling of hopeless abandonment crept in on him once more. Bad things happened to him when he was alone in the dark.
Luffy shook his head, instinctively reaching for boshi, just to remember halfway through, and he dropped his hand feeling stupid. As he did every damn time. No! He chose this. This was what he wanted. So screw the dark, and the cold! He forced one bare and bandaged foot to move, sloshing through the small stream of water at the bottom of the pipe. One foot and then the other. His arm reached out for the wall to feel his way along and he squeezed his eyes closed. Not wanting to see the darkness- or smell that smell. Dank-alone-cold-unloved-abandoned-
It had nearly driven him crazy. Having everything taken from him. Unable to stand up for himself, and then unable to just stand. But even when he was in that cell, he would just close his eyes really tight like right now, focus on the sound of his uneven breaths, and hold every good memory he had as close as he possibly could. Living in his head, and trying to reject the outside world. Ignore, un-attach, disassociate.
It had worked- probably a little too well. But that was a problem for another day.
He hummed to himself, the sounds echoing strangely off the metallic walls as he moved. It sounded a little crappy, especially since his throat was so scratched, but it was better than the silence and it reminded him of happier days with Shank's crew, when they used to play all those songs. He tried to remember the words and the tunes, but they jumbled around in his head. The more he focused on them the more they seemed to slip away.
Focus- focus-focus. He couldn't afford to lose control of his breathing and start panicking.
Stupid Ace! Luffy decided. This was his fault! If he had just taken Luffy with him, he wouldn't be here right now. When he found his big brothers, Luffy was going to smack them so hard! And if they tried to do it again, he would bite their faces off! Well… no. But he would bite really hard!
Strengthened by his new resolve, he pushed forwards, willing to legs to hold, his lungs to keep breathing in and spitting up air, and his eyes to stay shut. Because he didn't want to see what came next.
XXX
Before the Marine could even think about attacking Ace again, Marco was there, talons raised as he swooped out of the air, aiming straight for Aokiji's face.
In a second, ice surrounded Marco. It mattered little, as he broke through it easily. Only to have it replaced by more.
"Whitebeards shoulder parrot," the man drawled. "Was wondering when you would be flapping past."
"And I was waiting for you lot to show your faces," Marco said, his fire creeping over the frozen shield towards the man. "Kidnapping kids, to blackmail kids, this has the world government written all over it. I'll bet playing with your puppet strings is a lot better when you don't have any of the consequences. Honestly, Marco was a Dr. He had taken a look at Luffy, well parts of the kid. He had seen firsthand what the World Government had sanctioned.
The Marine was silent for a long second before repeating the spiel Marco had heard a thousand times before.
"Some trees need to be cut down, to make way for the big ones to fall. Otherwise, the fires will destroy the whole forest."
"Keep telling yourself that! But Oyaji would have never." And perhaps more importantly, Marco would have never stood by someone who would do that. And everybody knew it. That's why they were going to win.
XXX
War was… well it was war. As gritty and merciless as Ace had remembered it being. He tried to avoid most of it, Sabo right at his side as they sprinted, scrambling back up the rocky cliff to the top which they had been shoved right off of by that stupid ice guy.
The two of them were fast, faster than most of the men here. Zig zagging between the fighting, so quickly that by the time the marines looked up, the two were already gone.
And something about this desperate situation reminded Ace of when they were kids. A lifetime ago, when the two of them used to race each other through the trees, and up and down the mountain. Little Luffy clumsily running after them, always trying to catch up to them.
….Little Luffy, who Ace had lied to, abandoned, and asked his friend to drug.
-Don't think about him.
"Hey!"
….
"I said HEY!"
Ace felt a split-second headache, the only warning he would get. Both he and Sabo moved, throwing themselves back just in time to avoid the incoming attack. The stone Ace had been standing on splintered from the force of the pirate.
"Down!" It was Sabo this time, tackling Ace back onto the floor when he tried to get up, as gunfire broke out above them.
"Idiot!" Ace hissed, locking his arm around his brother and flipping them easily so he was in between them. Ready to burn up whatever was shot at them. Honestly, sometimes Sabo needed to worry more about himself.
The pirate who had launched the first attack, having jumped from the stone ledge above them, stood now, facing Ace- and his heart sank.
"Brew."
The man glowered at him, as the one shooting at him came to stand by his side, flanked by yet a third familiar face.
-Baggaley and Amadob.
While he hadn't been on the crew for that long. Ace was familiar with all the subordinate captains. Of these three, he had only met Brew face to face. But the other two had sat through plenty of the commander meetings. They were hardly friends, hardly anything with how short Ace's tenure as the second division leader had been.
Brew's face darkened. "You remember us."
Of course, he did. He turned to Sabo who was frowning at the men before them. "Go." His stupid brother shook his head.
"Where do you think you're going Ace?" Amadob spoke up, circling the two of them, "To Teach."
"Yes, to kill him," Ace said.
"Umm- That's not what you were up to before was it. Word is you're his pet."
"No!" Ace growled. Never that!'
"Whitebeard seems to think we can trust you now. That all of this was a mistake," the man continued. "Do you think it was a mistake Ace? What did you do? Say you were sorry. Say you didn't mean it."
"What do you want!" Sabo snapped. Clearly having no patience for this right now.
"We want to hear you're excuse's from you Ace," Brew said.
"Cause Pop's has got a soft spot for ya," Amadob cut in. "And after all of the stuff we heard you did. That you allied yourself with Teach, betrayed Marco, tried to kill Oyaji!"
"We need something better than sorry."
Ace didn't want to give them an excuse. He didn't want to give them any kind of out. But right now, they really didn't have time for this. Luffy was waiting for him. Sabo seemed to be thinking along similar lines. Although he held none of Ace's patience for his ex-crew.
"Oh, you're disobeying your captain's orders then." Sabo said in perfect understanding.
"Never!" Amadob spat. "We're looking out for him."
"So, you don't trust his judgement?"
"Of course, we do!" He snarled. "We are protecting the old man. Oyaji trusts us absolutely, whether we deserve it or not. And some of us don't." His eyes flashed to Ace. "Look at Teach."
Ace gritted his teeth, tightening his fists at his side. Sabo looked over at him, his frown deepened. "I think you should listen to your captain. Unless you don't think he's smart enough to make decisions for himself," Sabo said.
"What did you say!"
Sabo grabbed Ace's wrist, dragging him back a step. "Let's go."
"Ace," Brew said, and Ace froze. "What happened."
"Ace… later," Sabo urged. And he was torn between the two of them. He knew his brother was right but, he didn't know if his crew… ex-crew would let him go that easily.
"It wasn't like that," he said. "I didn't want to hurt anybody."
"Then why did you?"
"Because Teach was blackmailing him," Sabo said annoyed with them. "Go ask Marco for all the details. We really don't have time."
"Blackmail," Bagaley said, processing the new information. "Why didn't they just tell us that?"
"Ask them!" Sabo said.
"No…" the man shook his head, as if clearing the idea away. "I'm asking you."
"Then come back later!"
"I'm not going to say this again!"
"It was my brother!" Ace said. He hadn't wanted to reveal anything, just in case their anger transferred back onto Luffy. But they would probably find out soon enough. "Teach took my little brother," Ace said again, to their surprised faces.
The men fell silent for a second. Clearly not having expected that. Finally, Brew spoke up. "Where is he?"
"With Thatch," Ace told him letting Sabo pull him away. "That's the truth I swear." But he hadn't made it more than a few steps when Amadob spoke again.
"Lies! All of them lies!" He pointed to Sabo, "who is this then? Your dying Mother? We came after you because we thought you twisted your words about our captain's head, an' got away with it cause he has a soft spot for ya. Now we are just supposed to take the word of the boy who attacked our captain! Who ran Teach's errands and hurt Marco. Cause you had no choice, right? Of the thousands of us, you're the only one who turned to Teach's side. And now you say it's because he's blackmailing you. Decided to make a victim out of you personally. Let me guess, your bro's a terminally sick orphan, and your all he has. You're just a pirate to afford the medicine." The man turned to his companions, full sneer. "Give me a break Fire fist. I've heard that one a thousand times."
"Ace," Sabo tugged him along, and this time Ace didn't stop. "He told you, whether you believe it is up to you," his brother called after them.
"Is that true?"
Honestly. To them- what did it matter. Sabo was right. Ace ignored the call, continuing forward. And that was when everything happened at once.
They both felt it, Sabo turning on his heels to look over his shoulder a split second before something collided right into him. The impact sent him flying backwards.
"SABO!" Ace scrambled, up to his knees, staring at the white blur that now had his brother pinned.
Sitting confidently on his stomach, with delicate legs on either side, was some blond chick Ace had never seen before.
"Gotcha," she laughed.
"Shit!" Sabo moved, trying to dislodge her, but she was quick to avoid him, slamming his head against the stone.
"I'm tired of chasing you little revolutionary," She was still smiling, although there was something ugly in her words. "You and your friends always scurry out of the cracks when there's chaos. But when we turn the light on, you disappear. Back into your holes."
Sabo coughed up bloody spit, growling at her. "I was wondering when the rest of CP-0 would get here. You guys smell blood like a pack of sharks."
She slammed his head again, and Ace was on his feet and running, fire dancing across his skin.
"GET OFF OF HIM!"
The woman had to jump back to avoid the jet of flames that rushed towards her, completely engulfing Sabo. Behind him, Ace heard the pirates behind him yelling in a jumble of sounds.
He let the flames vanish as quickly as they had come, offering Sabo his hand, which his brother took, somewhat shakily, as he rose to his feet.
The woman snarled, fanning at the singed threads at the hem on her dress. He had almost got her.
"You," she looked him up and down, "Can't say your all that impressive. I thought you would be more somehow," she licked her painted lip. "We can't always live up to the legend though can we."
"Shut up!" Ace growled, and for the record, he considered that a compliment when compared to Roger.
"You two are friends, cute." She smirked at Sabo. "I bet your boss loves that huh? Who better than to paint on a flag then this one. Is that what got you the promotion? Or does the great Dragon just hate Whitebeard that much."
Sabo frowned, meeting Ace's own confused eyes. "What?"
The woman caught the look of the Whitebeard pirates several meters behind them. "Come on," she smiled. "Give it up already boys. Everybody knows about Dragon's plan by now."
"What plan?"
"Shut up!" Sabo told her, lunging forwards but she was quicker, ducking out of the way, and lashing out at his knees. He went down for a second, quickly recovering.
"To pit Whitebeard against the World government," she said. "Let the world deplete their resources against each other, and then when both are on their last leg's take them out and rise up in the remaining power vacuum." She winked at the three pirates. "Why else would Dragon's right hand be rubbing shoulders with your favorite traitor?"
"Liar!" Ace snapped, finally understanding what Sabo already knew about Cipher-Pol. They were absolute bastards. She looked over at him, and winked.
Behind them he heard the angry exclamation of the pirates, and once again everything happened too quickly. Distracted by his anger, Sabo failed to sense the other until it was too late. Something big grabbed him, easily throwing him to the ground. He made a sound, something between a yelp and a strangled scream as his injuries- recently cauterized injuries, were pulled at.
Another unwelcome member of CP-0 was here.
Ace was already moving, but the woman just smiled at him, using his distraction to her advantage she lashed out, appearing in front of him quicker than he could track. And she lashed out against him, the force of her kick sending him back, straight into the group of pirates.
"Sabo!" Ace hissed, trying to sit up, only to see the flash of a sword inches from his nose. He leaned back, looking up into the furious faces of the Whitebeard Pirates.
And beyond them, he saw the two agents, circling his brother.
XXX
It had taken fifteen terrifying minutes of waiting for the cipher pol agent to pass them. Thatch had spent that time, concealed in the flooded darkness of the tunnel, staying as close as he could to the wall, waiting. At first, he wondered if Luffy had been mistaken. Nothing against the kid- but well- he obviously needed to be in a doctor's office, being fussed over by nurses, and having several tubes stuck in his arm, surrounded by get-well teddy bears rather than enemies, trapped in a tunnel, forcing himself to keep breathing through broken lungs.
Thatch was about to go back when he heard the sounds of footsteps. Quite at first but they got louder and louder, headed straight down the tunnel. A strange type of calm settled over him- much like when he had been facing his own death back in the throne room.
Hand on his gun, he waited there, knees in the water, as the footsteps slowed.
"Nothing down here," the voice echoed off the walls and Thatch closed his eyes. Praying that he could somehow mute his own heartbeat, in fear of it being overheard.
"Roger- coming back."
And slowly, so so slowly the footsteps began to fade. Thatch waited several minutes before he risked creeping out of his spot. He waded back through the tunnel, having to swim the last thirty yards or so to get back to the room where he had left the kid in.
"Luffy it's okay," he called.
Thatch retrieved their supplies, once again lighting the lantern with one of the soggy matches Marco had left. His hands trembled from the cold, making everything that much harder.
"Come out kid," Thatch said, taking the lantern towards the corner where he had stashed Luffy. -It was empty. Frowning now, Thatch searched the other corners. Finding nothing each time.
"Luffy come out!" He called louder than he should have, his voice trembling.
There was no answer, and Thatch felt his heart skip a beat. He was gone? He searched the whole room, even wading through the first several feet of water.
"Luffy…"
He was gone. He couldn't be gone? There was no way out other than swimming through the cave. Thatch checked again just to be sure. Has someone taken him somehow? No, Luffy would have raised hell if anyone tried to touch him, and Thatch would have heard that!
"Don't worry about me anymore."
"Whatever happens next isn't your fault, Kay?"
No! This was his doing. Thatch wasn't sure how. But Luffy had done this. He was impossible when he set his mind to something. And he had been saying goodbye. Luffy knew somehow that there was a way out of here for him.
And what was worse- Thatch knew it too.
On some level, he had understood why Luffy was trying to make peace with him. Against his better judgement he had left him alone. Because logically there was no possible way. He shouldn't have been able to slip away. Plus being discovered wasn't something Thatch could have ignored.
But that didn't change the fact that Thatch had known. That was why he had told Luffy that stuff. Trying to get him to understand that he was being selfish. That his life wasn't just about him. But apparently it hadn't been enough. Because he had still left-
"And as the sun rises."
He had said that, and Thatch was certain he must have misheard. Because that was impossible. But apparently impossible was just Luffy.
-And as the sun rises… "We part ways you and me," Thatch told the empty room.
Luffy was gone. And Thatch had failed everyone.
XXX
The sky was so blue above him. Not a cloud in sight. He wanted to stare at it for hours, but there was darkness pressing in on the corners of his vision.
He blinked, trying to focus only on the sky.
"L-fy"
"S-tey w-gh me."
"shi- nfu-ffy."
Someone was talking above him. Their voices muffled like they were underwater. He ignored them in favor of the sky. Her felt a hand on his cheek gently trying to turn his head. The blue disappeared in a flash, and he felt a stab of panic. -NO-
He tried to tell them to stop! To bring back the sky, but it came out as a strangled whine. The soft movement had caused the blackness to creep further into his field of vision, overtaking his eyes for a second. When it finally cleared enough for him to blink the blurriness away the blue of the sky was gone, replaced by the grey sleet stone of the floor that his cheek was now pressed against, and just beyond him- lay a single button.
He made that sound again. The pitiful moan as he tried to reach for it. But his hand was so heavy. Not fully responding to him, it felt like his arm had partially fallen asleep. Pins and needles danced through his body as he reached out for the tiny black scrap. Why was there so much blood? When he tried to clumsily grab it his fingers came up short and he realized that the button was just out of reach. Something about that send absolute panic through him as he tried to stretch for it, his breathing growing more desperate as the reality slowly sunk in. He couldn't reach it- He could reach it! He Couldn't Reach It!
The hands were back, trying to calm him, trying to get him to look at them. And from somewhere beyond the noise of fighting, someone was screaming for him.
…
Luffy froze, hand still anchoring him to the wall of the tunnel, although his breathing had become panicked and irregular.
What was that?
XXX
On my sword I swear henceforth that I am banned from the use of sarcasm until I learn to control its ironic powers.
I promise when (/ if we are all still alive in seventy years) I finish this story it will be a satisfying resolution for every character that will rival Lord of the Rings in terms of unnecessary long endings, and probably a twelve-page authors note about the essence of hope or something dumb like that.
In other news film Red was so cute. Lil baby Luffy and Uta were so cute.
I really want to keep my promise to get through the war section quickly, so I will do my best to go back to a weekly update schedule. Obviously, everyone, me included is very skeptical I will be able to pull that off. But I can confidently say I'll try. Because-I am so excited to get to the cute stuff.
Also also- the end of this arc, probably chapter 70ish is going to have some mild spoilers from the Wano arc. It's going to be really really vague and will probably only make sense if you have already read the recent chapters, otherwise it will just be a weird nonsensical detail without context (certainly nothing that's not all over tumbler) But just a forewarning. I'll let you guys know in the chapter.
Do I know how observation haki works? Apparently not as I wrote this chapter and then had to look up if it was possible. It was not. But considering all of the shenanigans they used Haki for the Red movie, and all of the sloppy things I've done in this story, this is probably not the most unbelievable.
Anyways, please tell me what you thought, and see you next Monday? Maybe?
XXX
Foreverarmy: Here you are my friend.
Lofiskyrabbit: Of course! I am glad you like it. Luffy is a force to be reckoned with! I was really trying to do it justice haha. So thank you for the kind words.
Mel72000: He really is! Such a sweet boy! I will not kill him permanently! Just a lil.
(Yeah sorry, I should have been clearer)
Crazykittylover: Yes, haha I've seen the error in my ways. I won't abrupt end like that I promise. Thanks. And thanks for the nice words.
blazeMemory: Of course! That is very nice. Go for it. Thanks for the kind review.
Shandar1: Nope! More to come I promise! I wouldn't leave such a passion project story hanging like that! I'm glad you liked it though! It was many years in the works.
MeganeD-chan: Yes! Me too. The lil bouncy ball deserves it. Thatch is okay… just really sad haha. But alive.
Nancy2239: Why thank you.
Onar27: Yes,I feel the same way about binging webcomics. Good in theory, never in practice. I'm glad you liked it! Luffy didn't trick Thatch as much as waited for Thatch to leave, knowing he would have a window to slip out. He is still Luffy so his poker face was terrible haha, and he decided saying goodbye was more important than being sneaky.
In Ace and Sabo's defense, yeah, it was a dick move. But it was also their best option. They couldn't bring Luffy with them. He is in no shape to participate in a life or death battle, especially since all of the marines would be immediately know where he was and try to recapture him. They could have stayed with him, or had one of them stay. But the outcome of the war isn't really guaranteed, I think the odds are probably with the world government. So if they are all going to die, the two of them are going to do everything in their power to win, not just for revenge, but for Luffy so he can escape, and have a future that's not getting chased to the ends of the earth. It might seem like they are doing their own justice thing, but I promise they are putting Luffy first! (But they do feel really bad about it! Luffy was supposed to be asleep through the entire thing, so not to have to feel lonely, and scared. But Thatch is a lil push over.) Although if it's revenge, Ace and SAbo are definitely going to regret leaving him haha.
Djihye: Thank you!
Wishfull-star: I'm glad you liked it! Thatch didn't let him go as much as he slipped away haha. Same to you! Stay safe.
xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Yeah sorry! Sarcasm really doesn't track well over text. I need one of those lil cross out options. More to come. I promise1
iiMeshls : I'm glad you liked it! Sorry to scare you! I'll try to have the next one out quickly!
Goliatth: Of course! And no apologies! I am so happy to hear people are reading the story in different languages. I am so glad you enjoyed it. And thank you for the kind words! Aren't pancakes a hobby?
ScarletRoofs: Thx
Polars: Nope! Not over. I just don't know how humor works. More to come promise.
The hat is Luffy's partner! And I am so glad you liked it. Shanks will be slightly involved in saving Luffy! Ace and Sabo would die under any circumstances when they see what Luffy is up too. But unfortunately they are going to meet in very not ideal conditions.
The straw hat is really the light in Luffy's heart! The use of interspersed poems is also very
eri1325: No! Luffy is still fine. His escape for real was paralleled with the last time he almost escaped (only last time it was the escape via death lol.)
HollowSea: Not the end! Promise.