*Disclaimer! I don't own anything One Piece related, that belongs to Oda*
Roger was still having a mental breakdown after ten minutes and didn't seem to stop anytime soon, much to Law's dismay. He didn't want to stay in this room any longer than he needed to.
Law could see Rayleigh still patting Roger's back trying to soothe his captain- not that it was really working- and Shanks, awkwardly watching the whole ordeal. The first mate looked to be talking to Roger, seemingly to soothe him, Law assumes, since he couldn't hear what was being said.
Law huffed in annoyance and leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes trying to stop the headache that was starting to form behind his eyes.
How did he get into this mess? One minute he was on a half-freezing half-scorching island, the next, teleported into a room with living- and dead- legends watching the past and possibly the present, and future. How was this even possible in the first place? This anonymous person who brought them here must have a very powerful devil fruit, Law concluded. The power seems too complex and diverse just to be one power. How can one person teleport, show the past, and bring back the dead? You can only eat one devil fruit which means you only have one power. Maybe this person ate more than one? But then how did they not explode? It is common knowledge that eating more than one devil fruit results in your body exploding. Maybe they have a similar devil fruit as Blackbeard? Law furrowed his eyebrows at all the thoughts swirling around his head. This certainly wasn't helping his headache.
"Sleepy Trafalgar?"
Law squinted his eyes open and glanced to his right, not moving his head, only to see Eustass smirking at him leaning his back against his armrest, with a clearly amused look on his face. Law chose to ignore the man, preferably not to make his headache manifest more than it already has, and closed his eyes.
"Ignoring me now?" Eustass scoffed. Law grimaced at the harsh voice but ultimately kept his eyes closed.
Suddenly, Law felt a heavy pressure on his legs and huffed from the force. Law opened his eyes only to see a pair of black boots resting on his lap. Law felt his eye twitch in annoyance and controlled his breathing in order to not lash out at the owner's boots.
"Eustass," Law started slowly, "Kindly remove your feet from my vicinity."
Eustass smirked at him, placing his remaining arm on the armrest and resting his head on his hand. They stared at each other for a moment before Law sighed at the comfortable-looking man,
"What do you want, Eustass?"
The redhead didn't reply immediately, only studying Law.
"What's your deal?" Eustass asked bluntly.
Law raised his eyebrow at the question that demanded an answer. What is Eustass trying to get out of him?
"What's my deal?" Law asked, "My deal is that your boots are getting dirt on me."
Eustass snarled at his remark but otherwise didn't move from his position to Law's chagrin.
"Don't be a smartass Trafalgar. Tell me, what is your deal?"
"Saying it again wont help me understand what you're talking about."
Law could see a tick mark form on the red-haired man's forehead and internally smirked at the man's agitation.
"Stop screwing around!" Eustass raised his voice, catching the attention of others. The echo of Eustass's voice echoed off the walls filling the silence. They eventually looked away clearly not that interested in what they had to say. Law realized that he was probably provoking the Eustass a little too much and decided to humor the man.
"Alright fine, I will answer your question," Law finally said after a moment, "But I honestly don't know what you mean by 'my deal'."
Eustass huffed in annoyance, "I mean what's your deal with Straw hat?"
"What does he have to do with anything?"
Eustass raised his eyebrow at him, "You seem to know a lot about him and his crew."
Law was feeling a sense of deja vu, and not the good kind. Law could feel his headache starting to grow.
"You don't read the News Coo?" Law answered coolly.
Eustass narrowed his brows, clearly not satisfied with his answer.
"You seem to be interested in them." the other captain prompted, "Even back at Sabaody."
Law did not like the man's prodding, but if he didn't give a satisfying answer, Eustass would keep badgering him about for the rest of the time they were in this room, and Law is not about to test his patience.
"If you really want to know why don't you watch these viewings, and find out for yourself?" Law stated. The red-haired man glared at him but didn't press him anymore for an answer. Law hoped that pleased Eustass for a while so he could be left alone in peace.
When Eustass didn't say anything Law shoved his legs off his lap and crossed his own legs to prevent the other man from using it as a footrest. Eustass rolled him but otherwise kept to himself.
"If you kids are done with your lover's quarrel," Rayleigh voiced, "we are ready to start."
Law snapped his head towards the voice and saw the past pirates plus Shanks smirking at them. Law felt his cheeks warm and hid the lower half of his face in his jacket as Marco snickered in the background. Eustass scoffed at them and turned away, but Law could see a red glow form on the tip of his ears. Law seriously hopes he won't need to stay here any longer than necessary.
Law noticed that Roger finally stopped hyperventilating, and he sat up in his seat waiting to see what will be shown this viewing. The lights started to dim and the screen lit up.
Luffy and Usopp are fishing on the side of The Mary and have dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
"You know," Marco deadpanned, "It's getting a little annoying not knowing anything going into these viewings."
"Yeah, it would be nice to know what we are getting into." Roger commented, before pouting and grumbling quietly, "Especially after that last one."
Rayleigh sighed at his captain but otherwise didn't comment about the man's childish behavior. Shanks chuckled at his former crewmate's actions and turned back toward the screen.
At the end of their fishing lines is a man in a ballerina outfit, with makeup on, and hanging on Carcue, who is bait.
"Uh- what."
Carcue makes a noise of distress and the man looks at the duck and says,
"Oh no! Why am I grabbing a spot-billed duck I only just met!?"
Luffy and Usopp look at each other in confusion.
"A-A mermaid?" Luffy asks.
"Dunno."
"I am so confused right now."
"Same."
"Uh-oh!" the ballerina exclaims, as he loses his grip on Carcue. The man falls towards the sea and falls into the ocean while Luffy and Usopp watch.
"Help me! PLEASE!" the man shouts as he struggles in the water, "I'm a Hammer and I can't swim-"
"I guess he has a devil fruit…" Shanks says uncertain, also not knowing how to respond to the viewing.
Law would agree with the man's statement but was too confused to voice it. His brain was trying to make connections trying to figure out if this man was important or if he had seen his picture anywhere in the newspaper or a bounty. The ballerina man doesn't look familiar, and Law doesn't understand why this man would be important.
Later, we see the man dripping wet on the deck of The Merry breathing heavily while the Straw hats, minus Sanji, watch.
"Woah! What is that creature?" Marco voiced, "Is that a raccoon?"
'Raccoon?', Law thought. He did not see a raccoon anywhere as he scanned the screen searching, before his eyes landed on a tiny brown fur ball, and- oh.
"It looks more like a raccoon dog to me," Roger said, squinting at the screen.
"Oh, you're right!" Marco nodded with a smile, "It totally does!"
"What idiots." Law heard the quiet whisper from Eustass. Law rolled his eyes at the man and decided he would clear up the misunderstanding.
"That 'raccoon dog'," Law started gaining the attention of the occupants in the room, "Is actually the reindeer, Chopper, and is the Straw Hats doctor."
There was a beat of silence.
"How did that big creature turn into something so cute?" Marco said in wonder.
"He ate the Human Human fruit." Law supplied.
"Oh." the phoenix said simply, "Wait, he's a doctor?"
"Yes."
"Oh, cool… still doesn't look like a reindeer."
Law sighed before turning back to the screen.
"Oh… I thought it was all over." the man says out of breath, "No, really! Swan, swan. My life has been saved by pirates that I do not even know. I will never forget your kindness!"
"Swan, swan?" Law heard the incredulous whisper from his couch partner.
The man bows his head in thankfulness.
"Oh, but I was wondering if I might have a bowl of soup?"
"WE DON'T HAVE ANY!" The crew all shouts with shark teeth.
"Jeez, that was aggressive," Marco said with raised eyebrows.
"WE'RE STARVING TOO!" Zoro yells.
"I wonder how they ran out of food," Rayleigh asks, scratching his beard.
"Luffy probably ate all of it." Shanks says offhandedly.
Law wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, he has heard that Straw hat's stomach rivals Jewelry Bonney's.
Vivi is on the second level looking down at the scene.
"It seems the princess is still with them." Whitebeard comments.
"I wonder how long time has passed since she is still with them?" Marco questioned.
"Possibly a week." Whitebeard offered.
Marco shrugged at the guestimation and turned back towards the screen.
"Oh my~! Well, aren't you cuuute~! My little fruit, I just want to eat you up~!" The man says towards Vivi and blows a kiss.
"Desperation is not a good look on a man," Eustass said with a disgusted face.
"Yeah," Marco said looking a little green, "That was pitiful."
Vivi makes a disgusted face,
"What a strange person…"
"You can't swim, huh?" Luffy states more than asks from where he crouches.
"You're so right there. I ate a Devil's Fruit." The man informs.
"Ah, which one?" Usopp asks, interested.
The man stands up and says,
"Yes, well… I suppose there's no need to rush while I wait for my ship to come get me. I might as well put on a show."
"Really?" Shanks asked with a raised eyebrow, "I would think they would be more cautious with an unknown person on their ship."
"They are pretty naïve aren't they," Rayleigh said with a fond smile.
Luffy swings his arms in anticipation and makes a noise of excitement.
"Prepare to witness my ability!" the ballerina says dramatically before slapping Luffy in the face, making him slam into the wall upside down.
"I hate to say it, but he deserved that." Marco laughed. The other past pirates and Shanks chuckled at Straw hats misfortune.
Law agreed, Straw hat is reckless and his crew is no better since they decide to follow that man, which possibly makes them worse interestingly enough.
Zoro immediately grabs his sword, Usopp has a shocked look on his face as do Nami, Chopper, and Vivi. Zoro unsheathes his swords and exclaims,
"What the-!?"
"Waaait! Waaait! Waaait~!" Luffy says with a weird voice, "I said I was putting on a show!"
"A voice mimicking devil fruit?" Roger thought out loud.
Law was thinking the same thing. A possible mimicking or copying fruit. Something that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
Zoro has a shocked look on his face and makes a noise of disbelief. Luffy continues,
"Stop joooking around!" We see Luffy in the ballerina's outfit.
"Oh- pfft!" Marco laughed at the frozen image of Straw hat in the ballerina getup. Law could hear laughs start to erupt from the left side of the room.
"Bwahahaha! That's my grandson!" the marine laughed, clearly enjoying the bizarre image of his grandson.
"I guess you were half right Roger," Whitebeard said to his rival.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess I was!" Roger said a little breathlessly, the man trying to calm down from his laughing fit.
The real Luffy is upside down, flips, and lands on his feet grabs his hat, and exclaims,
"It's me!"
"Surprised you! Surprised you! Surprised you!" the imposter Luffy laughs.
"This is so weird!" Marco smiled, the teenager enjoying the comical scene.
"When I touch myself with my left hand…" not-Luffy touches his face with his left hand and he changes back to his normal self, "See! Back to normal~! This is the ability I gained from eating the Copy Copy fruit!"
Law heard a low grunt from the right side of the room and looked over at the noise to see the Beast Pirate raise an eyebrow at the screen. The motion only lasted for a split second before the emperor contorted his face back to a neutral one. Law narrowed his eyes in suspicion before a voice interrupted his forming thoughts.
"What an interesting devil fruit," The Dark King muses, "that power has the potential to be powerful, depending on the use." Rayleigh's couch buddies nodded in agreement.
"His voice…" Nami trails off.
"...and even his physique were the same!" Usopp says in disbelief.
"They're still naïve about the grand line," Kaido comments in a bored manner, "How they haven't died is a mystery."
"True, it is a little silly that they still question devil fruits." Shanks says, "But it seems they've seemed to be doing alright in the New World."
Kaido grunted at the red-haired man's statement and turned forward.
"They're in the New World?" Roger asks interestingly.
"Yes they are," Shanks confirms before smiling, sneaking a glance at Big Mom, "And it seems the Straw Hats caused quite the commotion at Fishman island."
The past pirates looked toward Big Mom as they tried to understand Red Hair's meaning. Law was a little puzzled by the man's statement and looked over at the female emperor in confusion before he remembered what Big Mom stated before they even started watching these viewings. Law felt a cold dread enter his body as remembered her words, "He only causes trouble, and he's just a pestering fly that I will soon crush because he ate all my candy."
How could he forget that Straw Hat was already on the bad side of an emperor? Law probably suppressed the memory from all the other weird encounters he has had today. But Straw Hat also had another one backing him up, his brain tells him. Right, Law can't lose his cool yet. Also if these viewings will eventually show the future, he will be able to determine the right choice in whether he should form an alliance or not. Law sighed and turned back towards the screen.
"C-COOL~!" Luffy shouts excitedly while the ballerina man touches the rest of the crew's faces with his right hand.
"Ok, I can't defend them when they just let a stranger with a copying devil fruit touch them." Shanks sighed, looking like he regretted what he said a moment ago.
Kaido huffed in amusement, startling Law at the positive gesture.
"Well, there really is no need to hit anybody though. Hi! Look at me~!" The man touches his face with his right hand and turns into Usopp.
"If I touch my face…" He says in Usopp's voice and then turns into Zoro, "...with my right hand…" then he turns into Chopper, "...I can imitate aaanyone…" finally Nami, "Just like this!"
"Even the body."
Law brought his hand up to the brim of his hat and pulled it down in order for it to cover his eyes, he did not like where this was going. Law glanced at movement from his left and saw Rayleigh and Whitebeard both respectfully looking away from the screen as well.
She/he says as not-Nami opens up her/his clothes towards Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper. All three of them go bug-eyed and make noises of shock.
"Oi! What the hell?!" Marco said, covering his eyes, "Why would that ballerina do that?!"
"Well, at least we didn't actually see anything." Shanks shrugged before furrowing his eyebrows in disapproval, "But still that's still disrespectful to Miss Nami."
"Yeah, no shit." Marco said incredulously, "I wouldn't want someone to do that to me."
Law decided it was safe from Red Hairs' remark, and looked to the screen to see Straw Hat, Usopp, and Chopper with comical looks on their faces. Law huffed at their expressions and waited for the viewing to start again.
Nami punches the ballerina in the head.
"OUCH!"
"Deserved." Marco deadpanned.
"Knock it off!" Nami shouts with a tick mark on her head.
"Oi, you okay?" Luffy asks as he crouches next to the man.
"Well, now… I'm sorry to say that I shouldn't show you any more of my ability than.." the man says offhandedly.
"You're awesome! Do some more!" Luffy shouts excitedly, while Usopp whistles in agreement, and Chopper yells in encouragement.
"As I said before," Rayleigh chuckled, "They're very easily entertained."
Yes, they are, Law thought warily.
"Ah! Really, I guess I have no choice! Wanna see some more?" the man twirls clearly enjoying the attention.
"Show us! Show us!" The three shout.
"What is the point of showing us this ridiculous display of childishness?" Big Mom suddenly voiced, clearly upset with this whole ordeal.
Law wisely kept his mouth shut, not wanting to become the target of the woman's anger
"Don't know," Roger said with a shrug much to Big Mom's offense, "But it'll probably be important if this person deems it necessary for us to watch it."
Big Mom glared at the man who seemed to make a jab at her, not that Law thinks that's what the Pirate King intended, and huffed in indignation before she continued to eat her treats. Rayleigh smiled at the exchange and shared a look with Shanks that seemed to speak a thousand words. They both smiled at each other before giving their captain a fond look and tturningback to the screen.
"He's going right along with them," Nami says with her arms crossed standing next to a sitting Zoro with his arms also crossed.
Law felt a little sympathy for the navigator dealing with her crew's stupidity.
"Very well! I'm going to show you something!" the man says dramatically while the three claps, cheering him on, "My memory ability!"
The three yell in excitement, clearly excited about the show. The ballerina touches his face and changes into strange-looking people, and the three laugh in amusement at the display. Suddenly, Vivi has a shocked look on her face staring down at the man.
"Woah, what was with that look," Marco questioned with an eyebrow raised.
"Looks like the princess knows something." Whitebeard hummed.
"Hopefully she tells Luffy about it," Shanks commented.
"Spin, spin~! Spin, spin~!" the man says as he twirls around while the three clap.
"This is bullshit." Zoro states with a disgruntled face.
"That is something I can agree on." Eustass grumbled.
"What? You're not having fun Kid?" Shanks smiled at the other redhead in the room.
Eustass glared at the emperor and looked away, clearly not fond of having small talk with the man who took his arm. Shanks huffed in amusement at the younger man and turned back to the screen.
"So how was my performance? I don't usually show this to people." the man informs.
Vivi still has a shocked look on her face.
"I hope she is ok," Roger said worriedly.
"Don't worry captain," Shanks smiled reassuringly, "Luffy is with her, so I am sure she is fine." Roger smiled at his not-so-small cabin boy and nodded in agreement.
"It was great!" The three clap at the man's performance.
Suddenly all four of them sling their arms around each other and dance,
"So cool! So cool!"
"Stop joking around~! Stop joking around~!"
"Well, they became friends fast." Marco deadpanned.
"Do what you want." Nami sighs.
"There's my ship." the man says amongst the shouting.
Nami looks up in confusion and notices a ship sailing toward them.
"And that ship just came out of nowhere." Marco sighed.
"Great! Great! Gr-"
"OH!" the man suddenly leaps into the air and lands in the railing next to Nami, "My. The time has come for us to part. How tragic."
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper make a distressed noise.
"Please don't go!" Usopp pleads, with tears in his eyes, as he clasps his hands together.
"Do not be sad! Journeys and partings go hand in hand."
"Where did this dramatic music come from?" Marco asked incredulously, "They haven't even been friends for more than a minute?!"
"It does make it more entertaining," Rayleigh said with a small laugh.
The man says wisely, while the three have tears in their eyes, "But, remember this: Too thumbs-up true friendship…" The man wipes his tears with his thumb and they sparkle, he makes a thumbs up sign and continues, "...how long you've known each other means nothing!"
The ballerina suddenly leaps from The Merry's railing towards his own ship and shouts,
"Don't cry for me!"
"WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN!" Luffy shouts and tears roll down his face. Chopper and Usopp try to control their tears but fail to do so.
"I don't know whether to laugh or not."
"Me either."
"Now, let's go men!" the ballerina orders.
"Aye! Mr. 2, Bon Clay sir!" they reply and sail away.
"Uh- wait-"
The Straw Hats have shocked looks on their faces as Usopp shouts,
"MR. 2!?"
"That was… Mr. 2, Bon Clay!" Vivi says.
Law didn't know if the Straw Hats attract luck or misfortune, but it was something.
"H- how…?" Marco trailed off, "How did they make friends with their supposed enemy?"
"Dwahahaha! What an interesting turn of events!" The Pirate King laughed.
"I'll say," Rayleigh smiled, "At least they can use their knowledge about his devil fruit to their advantage."
"That's true, this could've been a blessing." Shanks laughed.
Law didn't know what to call it, but Rayleigh is right about using this interaction to their advantage, not that Straw Hat will think of a plan, Law thinks. Their only hope is probably the navigator for coming up with a solid plan.
"Vivi! Didn't you recognize him!?" Luffy asks disbelievingly.
"No… I've never met Mr. 2 or the Mr. 1 pair before…" Vivi informs, "I don't even know their abilities!"
Vivi steps back and her back hits the wall and she slides down to the floor.
"But I did hear rumors… Mr. 2… They said he is a flamboyant ballerina with a loud voice… who wears a swan coat… with the words Bon Clay written on the back."
"Not a very observant one is she?" Shanks said with his head tilted.
"Yeah no." Marco deadpanned.
"You should have noticed." Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp deadpanned.
"What's wrong, Vivi?" Luffy asks, noticing Vivi's behavior.
"Just then…" Vivi says with her hand on her head, eyebrows furrowed, "among those faces he showed from memory… My father's face was in his memory!"
A flashback is shown showing Mr. 2 changing his face to Vivi's father.
"The face of the King of Alabasta, Nefertari Cobra…" Vivi says distressed.
"You were right Rayleigh," Roger stated seriously, "This devil fruit can be powerful when used the right way."
There was a grim silence at the thought of the enemy being able to copy the King of Alabasta. Law didn't like the odds of the enemy being inside the kingdom. That will make things harder for sure. Impersonating the king could mean there is an inside spy. There is also the…wait…why is he even thinking about this. For a second, it felt like he was there on the Straw Hats ship trying to think of a strategy to defeat the warlord, Crocodile. Law shivered and cleared his head from his previous thoughts and looked toward the screen.
"If you could impersonate the King…" Zoro states uneasily, "you could pull off some pretty nasty things."
"We just let a really dangerous guy get away." Usopp states.
"He was our enemy?" Chopper asks Usopp.
Law heard a scoff from his couch partner but otherwise ignored the redhead.
"He certainly will be in a lot of trouble if he turns out to be our enemy." Nami says, "After he discovers that we are hush enemies… he can use that memory of his to impersonate any one of us. We won't be able to trust our own nakama."
"I wonder how they will counter the fruit's ability." Rayleigh wondered as he scratched his beard.
"Yeah me too," Marco said excitedly, "I hope it's something cool."
"Really?" Luffy asks with his brows furrowed.
"Listen, Luffy…" Nami starts.
"Well, wait a second." Zoro interrupts, placing his hand on Luffy's shoulder, "While this guy may not have any basis for his opinion, he's right in saying we don't have to be afraid of that guy."
Law quirked a brow at the swordsman. Seems the man has a plan and not the navigator, not all hope is lost for the Straw Hats.
Zoro smirks,
"I think we're lucky that we met him. Now we take countermeasures."
"I like the way he thinks!" Roger laughed.
Zoro is tightening a white cloth around his left forearm with his mouth. Vivi is tying Nami's for hers, Chopper is tying Luffy's.
"Alright, make sure you tie it tight." Zoro says through his gritted teeth, "There's too much we don't know about our enemy."
"I see," Vivi says, tightening Nami's clothes.
"If we use these to confirm our identities, we won't have to doubt our nakama." Nami states.
"Eehh," Marco said disappointedly, "I thought it would be cooler than that. At least it looks effective."
"Did he really look like you that much?" Sanji asks, tightening his own cloth,
"When he did the "Copy Copy Fruit" transforming thing?"
"The problem was that he didn't just look like us… he was us! Too bad, you really shoulda seen it! We were even dancing with the guy!"
"I'm not interested in male 'ballerinas'," Sanji says.
"Since we know that kind of guy is among the enemy…" Zoro says, "we can't go around acting carelessly on our own."
That might be a hard job for at least one member of the crew, Law thinks warily.
"Hey, what should I do?" Chopper asks.
"Right! Do what you can!" Usopp says determinedly, "There's no need to do more than that! It's okay to run away from enemies you can't beat!"
"Is this guy really a part of the crew?" Eustass scoffed, "He acts more like a marine than a pirate."
Law had to agree although it's been a couple of years since this happened, so maybe longnose has matured over time.
"Are you just telling that to yourself?" Sanji deadpanned.
"Do what I can… Got it!" Chopper says enthusiastically.
"I can see the island!" Luffy shouts.
"We're going to stop at the port called Nanohana." Vivi informs, "We have to hide the ship.
"Yosh! Whatever happens from now on…" Luffy starts, "This left arm is…"
Luffy holds his left fist in front of him and the rest of the crew plus Vivi and Carcue.
"The mark of nakama! Now, let's get on dry land! TO EAT! Oh, and Alabasta…"
Laughs erupted from the left side of the room. Straw Hat as a one-track mind it seems, Law internally sighed.
"Sort out your priorities." Everyone deadpans.
"We're going up against a group of assassins, Luffy," Nami informs Luffy.
"Yeah, that's right." Luffy nonchalantly says.
"So refrain from acting on instinct!" Nami exclaims, "Understood?"
Vivi is shown looking at the cloth on her arm, smiling.
"Yeah, I got it." Luffy says, "Ow! I got it!" Vivi laughs.
"I don't think he cares," Shanks said with a small laugh.
The scene fades to black but the lights don't turn back on confusing most of the occupants in the room including Law. Before anyone could question anything words started to appear on the screen.
"This next scene will show the Straw Hats and Vivi already in Alabasta, just for some context."
Well, that's good to know, Law thinks. It seems that they were closer to the final fight.
"Thank you!" Marco says, clearly happy not going in blind.
Whitebeard chuckles at his son's antics and pats his head. The words started to disappear before new ones appeared.
"You're welcome."
There was a beat of silence before the words disappeared and the screen lit up.
Zoro is seen in a new attire with an orange cloth wrapped around his head as he walks through a town. He looks over to his right when he notices something.
"That guy…"
Ace is seen shirtless and in an orange hat. His tattoos are visible; one on his arm spells 'ASCE' while there is the Whitebeard Pirate symbol on his back. He is leaning over a table talking with an old woman.
"Wait, is that Ace?" Marco asks with his head tilted, "What is he doing here?"
"Yes, it is." Shanks confirms before shrugging, "He did say he would be waiting for Luffy in Alabasta."
"My son!" Roger exclaims as he stares at Ace with wonder in his eyes, "I hope he can reunite with Luffy…"
Roger trails off as he looks at the screen with a blank face.
"Oh, you're right." Marco nods, "I guess I didn't recognize him. Although that tattoo looks like his name so-"
Marco suddenly goes quiet and his eyes go wide as he stares at the screen in shock. Law turned his head toward the screen trying to understand what they were seeing, but couldn't find what the problem could be. He analyzed the scene trying to find the issue and his eyes met ink and- oh, now Law understands.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard suddenly laughs and Rayleigh covers his mouth with his hand.
Roger bows his head and takes a deep breath. Law warily watched the man as he took controlled breaths, and didn't know whether to laugh or tense up in fear at the outburst that was about to erupt.
"Is my son…" Roger started with gritted teeth, and the room tensed, "...one of the Whitebeard Pirates?"
There was only the sound of Rayleigh trying to cover his laughs as his whole body shakes from the effort, and Whitebeard's chuckles, filled the silence. Shanks facepalmed, seemingly at himself, Law thinks, since Red Hair did leave that little fact out, and now it's come to bite him back in the ass.
"Uhh right," Shanks sighed, and looked towards his Roger, "Sorry captain, but yes, he is."
Roger didn't say anything as he kept his head lowered. Shanks warily stared at him, trying to understand how he was feeling before he continued,
"He is the Second Division Commander."
There was a beat of silence.
"Pfftt."
All eyes went towards Rayleigh, the man shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, he leaned his head back and let out the loudest laugh Law has ever heard.
"Wahahaha! T-This is g-got to be the fu-uniest thing I have ever h-herard!" Rayleigh laughed breathlessly.
Rayleigh wiped his eyes from the tears rolling down his face, and Law felt a little better that the first mate wasn't upset at the information, but he still wasn't sure about his captain. Roger took a deep breath and looked up at his first mate, and the room tensed.
"Rayleigh, stop laughing!" Roger yelled with a pout.
Yeah, Law had nothing to be worried about.
Rayleigh laughed at his captain while Roger glared at him. Shanks smiled at their antics as they conversed loudly with each other, but still looked worriedly at Roger.
"Are you not upset, captain?" Shanks asks.
Roger looked over at his cabin boy in confusion before he raised his eyebrows in understanding,
"Well, it's a bit of a shock learning that my son is a member of my rival's crew," the man started with a small pout, before he smiled, closing his eyes, "but if it's what my son wants then I support his decision."
Shanks smiled in relief at his captain's words.
"Does this mean Ace is my brother then?" Marco exclaimed before he gasped in excitement, "And by default, Luffy is my brother too!"
Law quirked his brow in confusion at the teen's logic but still found it amusing that the boy was ecstatic by the news. The past pirates and Shanks laughed at Marco's words and Whitebeard patted his son fondly.
"Well, it certainly looks like it, son." Whitebeard smiled.
Marco smiled in joy and bounced in his seat at the thought of having new brothers. Roger then turned towards Whitebeard and pointed up at him with a serious expression,
"You keep my boy safe, Newgate. If anything happens it's on your hands."
Whitebeard raised his brow at the shorter man.
"There's no question that I will keep Ace safe since he is my son. Are you questioning my strength, Roger?" Whitebeard challenged.
"I know your strength, Newgate." Roger sighed "I'm just saying if anything happens to him, I won't forgive you, not that I expect anything will."
Law felt very uncomfortable and he could see Red Hair was as well with the way he was shifting in his seat.
"Hmhmhmhm." a laugh echoed from the right side of the room.
Marco and Rayleigh raised their eyebrows at the voice but otherwise ignored it in favor of watching their captains quarrel.
"I don't need your forgiveness, Roger." Whitebeard huffed, "Ace will be under my protection as well as Marcos and his brothers."
Marco beamed nodding along to his captain's words. Roger looked between them before nodding in acceptance and smiling at them, trusting their words. Shanks watched with an unreadable expression, but Law understands what Red Hair is thinking.
Without anyone noticing Rayleigh glances at Shanks with a suspicious look.
Everyone settled down and turned back towards the screen.
"I'd like to ask you something," he asks the old woman.
Luffy's bounty is shown of 30,000,000 beris.
"Eh? Monkey D. Luffy?" the woman questions.
Zoro makes a noise of surprise at his captain's name as do Usopp, Nami, and Chopper.
"Do they not know who Ace is?" Marco questions.
"They might not know what he looks like," Shanks suggests with a shrug.
Marco nods at the reasonable explanation.
"It does look suspicious when a random guy is asking about their captain," Rayleigh starts while scratching his beard, "They might assume things."
Law wonders how this will turn out, and if it's anything to go by Straw Hats' reputation, it will probably be unexpectedly stupid.
"There's a chance he might be in this town." Ace says, "I've been looking around here for a little while now."
"I've never seen him." the old woman answers before she looks to her right, "Oh yes, if you're looking for someone, maybe you should try the restaurant down the way. The master there is well connected around town."
"Thank you." Ace bows in thanks, "A restaurant, huh? I was getting hungry, anyway."
"A good idea, Luffy and his crew did run out of food in the last viewing. Luffy might be gorging on food there." Shanks commented.
"Ah yes!" Marco smiled, "They will reunite! I can't wait!"
Law didn't understand why that might be exciting to witness, but he was curious about Ace. After all, he was a major part of The War of the Best.
Ace starts walking towards the restaurant while Usopp, Nami, and Chopper watch, they are also in different outfits.
"Why is Nami wearing a dancer's outfit?" Marco asks with a bewildered face.
"Maybe to blend in…?" Roger says unsurely not knowing the reason.
Law didn't really think that was a wise disguise since it brought more attention than blending in. Law sighed and looked back to the screen.
"Who was that?" Chopper asks in his heavy point form, "He looks really, really strong."
"And why's he looking for Luffy?" Usopp questions warily.
"A bounty hunter?" Nami suggests.
"You were right Rayleigh," Roger said as he patted his friend on the back, "They are assuming things about Ace."
Rayleigh huffed at his captain for his actions but smiled nonetheless.
"No." Zoro says, "He's not."
Ace is back shown as he walks towards the restaurant.
"This is annoying," Roger grumbled, "I haven't even seen my son's face yet. It's either always shadowed or this viewing thing doesn't show his face."
Now that Law thinks about it, they haven't seen a clear view of Ace's face. He guessed he never noticed since he already knows what he looks like.
"You're right," Rayleigh said, "I am curious if he looks anything like you, Roger."
"I know!" the Pirate King exclaimed, "At least I know he has my hair."
"Wait," Marco interrupts with a confused face, "Who is Ace's mom?"
Roger blinked at the teen before his eyes lit up with joy.
"Portgas D. Rouge." the man said with the biggest smile.
Rayleigh had a knowing smile as he looked at his captain. Marco still had a confused face but otherwise felt satisfied with the answer.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed, "I knew there was no other woman for you, Roger, with the way you talk about her!"
Roger smiled sheepishly and laughed with his rival. Law watched the exchange, a little bewildered by the scene. Sure Law has heard about the Pirate King and the man that could rival his strength but seeing them actually interacting, and friendly at that matter, was a sight to see. Law sighed, he wondered if this will get normal anytime soon, or if it ever will.
"That mark…" Zoro trails off with an unsettled look.
Usopp, Nami, and Chopper look over at him in confusion.
"As a former pirate hunter," Zoro starts, "I can never forget that mark."
"Well, not a lot of people don't know that mark," Marco says proudly.
Whitebeard smiles fondly at his son, and Law can see a glint of pride.
The three look back at Ace in confusion as Zoro stares warily at Ace.
The scene fades to black and a new one starts up.
Ace has his face in his food while he sits in the restaurant. His arm is up with his hand still holding his fork, with a lot of empty plates around him.
"What happened to him?" Marco says with a bewildered look.
"Ok, it's like they don't want me to see his face," Roger says with a pout.
Pedestrians stand behind him with worried looks. Suddenly, Ace lifts his head and everyone screams behind him in shock.
"HE CAME BACK TO LIFE!"
"Did they seriously think he was dead?" Eustass scoffs.
Ace blinks lazily with food all over his face.
"Really? Only his eye?!" Roger shouted incredulously.
Law thinks this is getting a little ridiculous, if not slightly amusing.
He looks rapidly from left to right in confusion. The woman to his left asks,
"A-Are you okay?"
Ace interrupts her by using her skirt as a napkin.
"I did not teach him that," Roger says hurriedly.
"You're dead, remember." Rayleigh deadpans.
Roger's face immediately falls at the reminder and his shoulders drop,
"Oh, yeah."
The woman screams as do the bystanders, and she runs away.
"Man... Damn…" Ace starts, "I fell asleep."
"YOU FELL ASLEEP!?"
"How is that even possible?" Marco asks with raised eyebrows.
The other past pirates also had disbelieving looks on their faces as they stared at the screen. Law was curious about Ace 'falling asleep, it could be a medical thing, or a 'D' thing, he thinks warily.
Ace starts to eat again with an unbothered look on his face.
"T-That's not possible!" a man shouts, "In the middle of a meal and conversation!?"
"And he just starts chewing again.." another man yells bewildered.
Ace looks over his shoulder
"He has Rouge's freckles!" Roger exclaims with a smile.
Shanks and Rayleigh smile at his captain's happiness with a glint of sadness.
and asks with food in his mouth,
"Anyhow, what are you guys all worked up over?"
"WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" three guys shout at him.
"You hire comedians or something?" Ace asks the bartender pointing his thumb at the three guys.
"Well, no…" the bartender starts, "But if you're okay, I'm glad."
Ace goes for another bite of his meal but his head falls onto his plate.
"Hahaha! My brother is funny!" Marco laughs, the teen clearly overjoyed about his new brother.
"OI!" the three guys and bartender yell, "DON'T FALL BACK ASLEEP!"
Ace starts to snore and people start leaving the restaurant a little upset that Ace wasn't actually dead. A man with two cigars in his mouth white hair and a weapon strapped on his back looks over at the restaurant and furrows his brows.
"Whose this guy?" Marco asks with a suspicious look, "He looks shady."
"Don't worry Marco," Shanks reassures with a smile, "Ace can handle his own."
Marco looks a little relieved that Ace can protect himself, but Law sees the teen glare at the man on the screen when Shanks looks away. Law huffs in amusement at the Phoenix's newfound protectiveness for his brother.
Ace, now awake, throws his fork on his plate.
"Ah, I'm full!" Ace says as he picks his teeth with a toothpick, "By the way, old man."
"What?" the bartender questions as Ace grabs something from his bag.
"This guy hasn't come to this town, has he?" Ace asks as he pulls out Luffy's bounty, "A pirate wearin' a straw hat…"
"I guess you don't have a problem with eating in public." The man with two cigars says from the front of the restaurant with a jacket with the words 'JUSTICE' on the back,
"Damn, a marine." Eustass grumbles.
Law looks over at the man with a raised eyebrow,
"You worried for Ace, Eustass?"
The red-haired man looks at him in disgust.
"No, Trafalgar." Eustass states before grumbling, "Marines are just annoying in general."
Law hums in agreement but otherwise doesn't comment back.
"You say something about Marines, brat?" Garp grunts with a cracker in his mouth.
Eustass glares at the elder marine but doesn't answer the man and turns back to the screen. Garp continues to snack on his food and does the same. Law sighs and follows suit.
"Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Second Division." Ace smirks, "Portgas D. Ace."
"Portgas?" Marco questions, "Wouldn't it be Gol?"
Roger had a confused look on his face but didn't look upset at the information, his face formed an understanding expression,
"He took his mother's name."
"Oh," Marco awkwardly said.
"W-Whitebeard!? The bartender says bewildered, "The Whitebeard Pirates!?"
Everyone in the restaurant whisper in excitement and fear at the news.
"That dumbass guy is part of the Whitebeard Pirates!?"
"I knew I'd seen that mark on his back before…!"
"It's definitely the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Why is he here?"
"What business does an infamous pirate like you have in this country?" The marine asks.
"I'm searching." Ace turns around in his seat and looks up at the marine with a smirk, "For my little brother."
The marine and Ace stare at each other.
"So then…" Ace starts, leaning his elbows on the counter behind him, smirking, "What should I do?"
"Sit there and let me arrest you." The marine says.
"Like anyone would compile to that." Marco scoffs.
"Rejected." Ace says casually, "I'd rather not."
"Well, that's what I expected." The marine sighs, "Right now, I'm looking for a different pirate. I'm not really interested in your head."
"Then let me go." Ace shrugs.
"I can't do that…" the marine makes a fist and smoke starts to form around his arm, Ace smirks, "As long as I'm a marine… and you're a pirate."
"What a dumb reason…" Ace states as he casually leans on his elbows, and looks at the man with a raised eyebrow, "Shall we have some fun then?"
"Ah yes, a fight! I want to see some action!" Marco exclaims with a gleam in his eyes.
"I am also interested to see my son's strength," Whitebeard says offhandedly. Roger glares up at the giant man and opens his mouth but Whitebeard interrupts him, "As he is my Second Division Commander. He must be strong if he has to fulfill that role."
Roger opens his mouth to retort but closes it and repeats the action. The Pirate King huffs and crosses his arms and turns away from his rival in annoyance. Whitebeard chuckles at his friend and smiles to himself. Marco looks between them and sweat drops before he sighs, and turns back at the screen wanting to watch the fight.
There is a tense silence as the two men look at each other waiting for the other to make the first move.
"GOMU GOMU NO… ROCKET!"
"Wait… isn't that…"
Law sighs as he starts to feel his headache resurface.
Suddenly Luffy rockets himself into the restaurant and slams against the marines' back. In slow motion, you can see the marines' pained expression and Ace's slowly forming into a look of shock. Ace makes a noise as the two bodies slowly get closer to him. The time reverts to normal speed and all three of them crash into each other on the wall behind Ace and smashes and smoke form everywhere.
There was a beat of silence before laughs erupted and echoed around the room.
"D-Did you s-see his f-face?!" Marco said breathlessly as he slapped his knee.
"Only Luffy!" Shanks laughed.
"That's my grandson! Ace should've seen that coming! I need to give that brat a lesson!" Garp exclaimed as he made a fist with his hand.
Law did not want to know what 'lesson' meant.
"I love both of my brothers! They're a riot!" Marco smiled after he calmed down from laughing.
"They're certainly entertaining to watch!" Rayleigh smiled amusingly.
It took a few minutes for everyone to calm down from the comical scene, and they turned back to the screen.
Everyone has a shocked look while Luffy lands on the floor and cheers,
"A restaurant! I finally found one!" the bartender looks at the destruction in shock as Luffy celebrates, "Now I can eat! I'm starving!"
"You were right Shanks!" Roger laughed, clearly in a good mood, "We would find Luffy at a restaurant. Well, eventually."
Luffy suddenly sprints towards the bartender and sits down on a stool at the bartop,
"Old man! Food, food, food! I need it bad!"
The bartender looks at Luffy in shock not knowing what to say.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry." Luffy smiles as he clangs his utensils together to form a beat, "Food, food, food!"
"Of course, Anchor doesn't realize the situation he is in." Shanks shook his head in disbelief but was clearly amused by Straw Hats's actions.
A little while later.
"Whoa! This is such a great restaurant!" Luffy yells.
"Y-Yeah…" the bartender trails off as he stares at Luffy, "Thanks, but you…"
Luffy is stuffing his face with food and looks up in confusion.
"You should probably get the hell away from here." the bartender says.
Luffy momentarily stops eating and asks, "How come?" and then continues to eat.
"Do you know exactly who you just sent flying?" the bartender questions incredulously.
"Sent flying? Who did that?" Luffy asks with food in his mouth.
"You did."
"I did that? To who?"
"This boy is so slow it's disgusting." Big Mom snarled, "The brat might kill himself before I can get the chance."
Several people from the left side of the room glared over at the female emperor, not happy with ruining their good mood. Law could tell that they weren't planning on this snide comment slide and he didn't know if he was ready for this conflict. If one did erupt, he might find a bathroom to secrete himself.
"I think it's part of his charm," Shanks says offhandedly.
The glares immediately dropped and they looked over at Shanks confused at his casual behavior. Shanks glanced at Big Mom in a slightly challenging look, Rayleigh being the only one to see it. Big Mom scoffed at Red Hair and returned to eating her sweets. The past pirates raised eyebrows at the exchange, and Rayleigh with a proud one. Law guesses the Dark King is seeing his former cabin boy's potential strength.
The bartender points his thumb behind him to several holes in walls and Luffy leans over at the destruction.
"What's that hole there for? This restaurant is pretty weird. Is that your hobby?" Luffy asks as he continues to stuff his face.
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DID IT!" the three guys from before and the bartender yelled.
"Me? When?"
"Asshole.." Ace starts as he gets up from the rumble, "Who the hell was that? Jeez…!"
Law smirked at Ace's remark, finding it amusing that Ace is cursing out his little brother. Although now that Law thinks about it, Ace probably has done that a lot with Straw Hats' behavior.
The marine slowly starts to get up with an irritated look on his face,
"Messing with me…"
Ace starts to walk back toward the houses,
"What's the big idea? Doing that to me…"
Ace is walking through all the buildings and he sees a family sitting at a table with shocked looks on their faces as they stare at him. He suddenly straightens and deeply bows toward them,
"My apologies for disrupting your meal."
"I guess he does have manners…?" Marco trails off unsurely.
The marine relights his cigars as Luffy counties to eat.
"Who was the freaking idiot that did that? Jeez." Ace grumbles as he stomps back through the wreckage.
The bartender and customers run away in fear as Ace comes through the hole. Ace finally sees the perpetrator and he smiles in recognition.
"Finally, the reunion!" Marco sighs in exasperation.
The marine, a little bit behind Ace, eyes widens his eyes at Luffy while the younger pirate eats to his heart's content.
"Uh- wait, does this marine know Luffy?" Marco asks.
"Well, Luffy is gaining recognition throughout the East Blue." Shanks shrugs, "And possibly the Grand Line."
"But why would he care about Luffy when Ace is the Second Division Commander of our crew?" Marco states.
Shanks furrows his brows at the logic and tilts his head to the side,
"Hmm, you're right, that is a little weird."
"Maybe this marine personally knows Luffy." Rayleigh suggests, "Although, to go along with what you said Marco, it is a little weird that the marine had more of a reaction seeing Luffy than Ace."
They sat in silence trying to understand the marines' behavior.
"Maybe if you would shut up and watch, you would find out," Kaido grunted.
The past pirates and Shanks look over in surprise at the voice.
"Ah, you're probably right Kaido," Shanks smiled.
"Shut up Red Hair."
Shanks sighed at the harsh voice, but complied and turned back to the screen while his former crew mates smiled in amusement at the interaction.
Ace smiles in joy,
"Lu-"
The marine makes a noise of shock.
"Oi, Lu-" Ace starts before the marine slams Ace's head into the ground.
"Oi! What the hell!" Marco yelled angrily at the display.
"Yeah! What the hell!" Roger furrowed his brows at his son's treatment.
"What'd you expect Roger?" Rayleigh said, "He's a marine and Ace is a pirate."
"I know that!" Roger huffed, before he grumbled quietly, "Doesn't mean I have to like it."
Rayleigh rolled his eyes at his captain while Shanks laughed at the two.
"STRAW HAT!" The marine yells and runs past Ace towards Luffy.
Luffy looks up in confusion but still eats. The marine stops in front of Luffy and stares at him,
"I've been looking for you, Straw hat. I knew you'd come here, to Alabasta."
Luffy stuffs his face not answering.
"STOP EATING!" the marine shouts.
Luffy does the opposite and stares at the marine.
"Luffy doesn't look bothered that there is a marine in front of him." Marco deadpanned.
"Yeah, he looks content to eat his fill," Rayleigh says with a raised eyebrow.
"Isn't he?" Luffy thinks.
Luffy starts to sweat as he remender the marine from Loguetown.
"Ah, so they have met before." Rayleigh comments.
He suddenly spits out his food straight into the man's face.
Small laughs erupted before they were quickly controlled.
"You're that smokey guy! What are you doing here!?"
"Punk…" Smokey grumbles.
"Wait a minute!" Luffy puts his hand up in a 'stop' gesture, then he grabs all the food into his arms and shoves it into his mouth.
"Thank you for the meal." Luffy bows in gratitude.
"I can see where Luffy got his manners from." Whitebeard raised his brow in amusement.
The bartender and customers look on in confusion, and Luffy sprints out of the restaurant.
"WAIT!" Smokey yells as he chases after Luffy.
Ace looks up from his position, grabs his bag, and runs after them,
"Wait, Luffy! It's me! Hey, wait! Oi! Luffy!"
The bartender looks after them in shock,
"Eat n' run…"
"I kinda feel bad for that guy." Marco voiced before he shrugged, the teen seemingly over his pity for the guy.
Vivi, Sanji, and Carue are seen waiting in their own outfits.
"I wonder where Luffy is…" Vivi trailed off.
"He's impossible." Sanji stated, "A captain we always have to be looking out for. Oh, Nami!"
"Ok, Luffy's crew is who I feel bad for." Marco corrected.
Whitebeard chuckled at his son's words.
"Oi, oi, there's bad news." Usopp says, as he, Nami, Zoro, and Chopper walk towards them, "We have to leave right aways, this place has bad vibes."
"Bad vibes?" Sanji questions.
"The marines are here." Nami states.
"The marines!?" Vivi asks, shocked.
"And a strange man too," Chopper says.
"Ah right," Shanks starts, "They think Ace is after Luffy."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Marco said.
"Let's find Luffy as fast as we can and get out of this town," Nami says.
Zoro notices some noise to his left and pushes them behind the wall,
"Hey, get down!"
"What?" Vivi asks.
"What's going on?" Chopper questions.
Yells are heard coming closer to them.
"Marines." Zoro answers in a whisper.
"They're making a lot of noise over something," Usopp observes with a low voice.
The marines are shouting with their weapons out,
"Don't let him escape! After him!"
"I'm sure it's nothing, they're probably chasing some idiot pirate who's running crazy around town." Sanji says offhandedly.
There was a beat of silence before all of them simultaneously say,
"Some idiot pirate?"
"Pfftt!"
Suddenly we see Luffy running in the background, shouting, while Marines chase after him.
"IT'S LUFFY!" they all shout incredulously.
Laughs erupted throughout the room again, and Law could only sigh. He hoped that Straw Hat had matured over the years. Although from what he has seen at Punk Hazard, he is being too optimistic.
Luffy looks over and smiles,
"Yo, Zoro!"
Zoro makes a not-so-flattering face at being spotted.
"Whoa, everyone's over there!" Luffy shouts and starts to run toward them.
"IDIOT!" Zoro yells, "Don't come here until you've lost them!"
Law wondered if this anonymous person had medicine he could take for his headache.
"It's the Straw Hat Pirates! We've sighted them!" a marine yells.
"Hey, what should we do?" Usopp frantically asks.
"Our only option is to run," Nami says as she, Vivi, and Sanji collect their things.
"We have to get to the ship!" Vivi exclaims.
"What's taking you so long?" Luffy asks as he runs by them, "Let's get going!"
"YOU MORON!" they all yell.
Yes, a good adjective for Straw Hat.
"That Straw Hat is mine!" Smoker shouts as he uses his smoke to fly after them.
Luffy looks back,
"Ah, he caught up with me!"
"WHITE BLOW!" Smoker yells as he uses his smoke to propel his fist toward Luffy.
Luffy hurriedly runs away.
"You won't escape!" Smoker states.
Luffy scrunches up his face as he runs away.
"HEAT HAZE!" Ace shouts and fire collides with Smoker's fist ultimately stopping Smoker's pursuit.
"Good thing Ace is there to help Luffy." Marco smiles.
Law looks over and sees Shanks smile sadly at the screen. Law looks away not liking the feeling whenever he sees that expression on the man.
"Looks like my son," Roger emphasized, "is strong!"
Whitebeard raises his brow at the proud-looking father but otherwise doesn't comment on the little jab. Rayleigh sighs in exasperation and pinches the bridge of his nose.
"Looks like he is a logia type," Marco interjects with an intrigued look.
"Yes you're correct Marco, Ace ate the Flame Flame fruit." Shanks supplied.
Marco's eyes light up at the information,
"His fruit is a little similar to mine!"
Shanks tilts his head to the side thinking before he nods in agreement,
"Yeah I guess you're right, although yours is a zoan type, they both have flames."
Marco nods, clearly happy to have something in common with his brother.
Everyone stops, shocked at the turn of events, and Ace is shown in the middle of the flames.
"You again…" Smoker grumbles.
Ace smirks,
"Give it up." Luffy has a shocked look as he watches Ace, "You may be smoke, but I am fire. With our abilities, a fight would be pointless."
"That guy has a Devil's Fruit ability?" Zoro asks bewildered.
"Who the hell is he?" Usopp questions, "Why is he helping us?"
"Ace!" Luffy says shocked.
Ace looks over his shoulder and smirks at Luffy,
"You never change, Luffy."
"Ace…" Luffy trails off, "It's Ace! You ate a Devil's Fruit!?"
"I wonder how long Luffy has seen Ace since he didn't have a Devil Fruit when they last met." Rayleigh pondered as he scratched his beard.
"I did meet Ace about four and half years ago," Shanks started closing his eyes, the man trying to think, "He already had his Devil Fruit by then, so probably more than two years since they have seen each other."
"You've met my son, Shanks!?" Roger exclaimed.
"Oh, yes I did, but only once, and came to meet me actually," Shanks answered.
"Why did he come to see you?" Rayleigh asked curiously.
"He wanted to thank me for saving Luffy. We had a few drinks and he eventually left." Shanks said, smiling at the fond memory.
Roger smiled at Shanks's words,
"I am happy that you have met him, Shanks!"
Shanks smiles at his captain, but Law could see the pain and guilt behind his eyes.
"Yeah, the Flame Flame Fruit." Ace answers, before he turns back to the marines,
"Anyway, we can't talk like this! I'll catch up later! You guys run for it! I'll keep these guys busy! Go!"
"Let's go!" Luffy orders immediately and runs away.
Usopp makes a noise of confusion before following orders.
"But, Luffy…" Nami calls as they run away.
"Who the hell is that?" Sanji finishes.
"Wait, Luffy. Just who was that?" Nami asks.
"Is he someone you know, Luffy?" Vivi questions.
"Yeah!" Luffy exclaims in happiness, "He's my brother!"
The others have shocked looks on their faces at the new information.
"BROTHER!?" they all shout.
"Wait, they didn't even know that Luffy had a brother?" Marco exclaims incredulously.
"Why am I not surprised?" Shanks huffed a laugh while shaking his head in exasperation.
"It must be hard having a captain like that." Roger laughs tilting his head back as he does so.
Rayleigh laughs along with his captain for a moment before he suddenly hits him over the head.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" the Pirate King shouted as he rubbed his head in agitation.
"'Cause I felt like it," Rayleigh said with a strained smile.
Shanks sweatdropped at their actions as did most of the occupants in the room. Law sighed for the hundredth time and the scene faded to black and the lights turned back on.
