LW: And here it comes, the end of the Flashback arc! Good luck and goodbye Goa Kingdom
Rubber King and Mirror Master - Sealed Potential, Iron Resolve
Previously on RKMM….
'I'm not afraid of anything, as long as I can be free. I just have to be far away from here' he thinks, smiling widely, tilting the wheel slightly to the left so he was clear of the wake of the ship heading toward the island "I may be a pirate in the future, but I'm not an asshole, they clearly have right of way" he chuckles to himself as both ships pass without incident "It's a nice ship though, hope my pirate ship will be as cool as that one someday" he grins, though puts his fantasies on hold until he was clear of danger…
KA-BOOOMMMM!
Flashback, earlier that week
"Do you think the Boss is going to be ok?" Mogra grimaces as Luffy twitches but otherwise barely stirs
"She was going up against Bluejam with 2 kids, I'd worry about her chances, except those kids were Ace and Kaos" Dogra chuckles bitterly "Fucking idiots, but stubborn. They'd have made good bandits if they weren't so set on being pirates"
"True" the larger man smiles, before a commotion brings their and all the other bandit's attention to outside. Flinging open the door a mildly burned Ace was running/ limping towards the home, Dadan not too far behind, more heavily injured and lugging an unconscious Kaos over her shoulder, looking like she'd taken more than a few tumbles on the way out of the flaming Hellscape that was currently Grey Terminal
"Boss, you're ok!" the bandits cheer, the woman grunts and stumbles her way into the home, dropping her middle child like a sack of spuds before sitting down beside Ace and allowing themselves to be checked up on and their injuries bandaged up.
"Are you ok? What happened back there?"
"Bluejam's dead, he won't be coming after my boys again" Dadan mumbles, clearly running on fumes, Ace having already passed out and Kaos hadn't awoken "The fire had only gotten worse since you guys left, I was worried I wouldn't get out, but, I had to get them to safety somehow. Even if it killed me I needed to protect my sons" she sighs deeply, though seeing Luffy, Ace and Kaos, alive though unconscious/asleep, it helped her relax enough to take the medicine and crawl into bed herself, Mogra and Dogra moving the boys upstairs back to their old room in case they woke up in the middle of the night
2 days later
"I'm bored, and these bandages are itchy" Luffy whines as he stares out the window
"That's cause your injured dumbass, you have to sit around and let your injuries heal, not go running around like that idiot on the roof is, even if he says he's just helping keep watch" Dadan grumbles, knowing Ace was just as stir crazy as Luffy was, and both were just as worried about Sabo.
"How come all Kaos does is sleep and eat though? He's usually at least trying to play parent and limit the stupid of the day?" Luffy wonders aloud
"He's being a good patient and letting his body recover before doing the next stupid endeavor, you might want to try that some time" Dogra scowls
"Plus, that fight with Bluejam, it did something. I think it drained him on the inside, and while it's not the best he's filling that recovery time with quiet contemplation, rather than doing my head in" the bandit chief adds, punching Luffy lightly on the head
"Still boring" Luffy huffs, walking over to annoy the dog, as at least he'd want to play with him
Back to the start of the chapter, timeline wise
"Oh my, he hit the fishing boat"
"Is the child ok?"
"The brat shouldn't have gotten in the Celestial Dragon's way like that"
"A black flag on a ship is a mark of a pirate, everyone knows that. A commoner should know better. DON'T CROSS MY PATH YOU FILTHY PIRATE BRAT!"
KABOOM!
The 2nd shot finally did it, taking out the little ship till nothing was left but flotsam, jetsam and flaming timbers, the people on the docks, and the mountain bandits on the hillside frozen in shock and horror
'Oh no, the boys are going to be devastated'
Mt Corvo
"I wonder which one's gonna win" Luffy grins as he pushes the beetles toward each other hoping they'll fight sooner or later
"Maybe they're just not in the mood to fight" Kaos hums, having recovered enough to go back to his unofficial job of Luffy's primary babysitter "Don't bother them too much or they'll decide to fight you instead" he chuckles, then frowns as Dogra comes out of the tree line with a thousand-yard stare "Hey, is something wrong? You said you were going to check out the commotion in town with that Noble guy coming to visit, did something happen?"
"Oh, something happened alright" Dogra mutters, walking robotically into the house before relaying the news, Luffy and Kaos following him curiously
"WHAT!"
"You can't be serious" Ace scowls, jumping at the short man "You lying bastard, don't even joke about something like that!"
"Ace, get off him" Dadan growls though he heart wasn't in it, lifting the squirming brat off one of her best men
"I wouldn't joke about something like this Ace, I liked the kid too, and even if I didn't I saw how close you all were. It all happened so fast, by the time I understood what was going on, it was too late, the ship had been sunk" Dogra explains, his tone frantic and hands shaking
"Fuck!" Kaos hisses "For once it seems Luffy was right"
"I was?" said boy blinks, confusion momentarily overtaking sorry in his mind "How?"
"We should have gone to High Town, fuck the consequences and kidnapped/rescued Sabo, then, even if it meant being on the run for the next few years until we officially became pirates, at least he would still be alive. I shouldn't have suggested we wait" he scowls, knuckles white as they clench around Hebi's hilt
Mogra quickly tries to dissuade this line of reason "Hey, don't be like that, you had no way of knowing this would happen, just like the fire nobody could have known the Noble would sink Sabo's ship just for being nearby. As far as you knew, he was safe for at least a few years"
"That's what you said" Ace sighs "Let Sabo live his life, his father spent too much time and effort to just kill him now. Well it seems whatever he did do, turned Sabo's stomach enough he would rather set off into the abyss without us. It's not your fault…. It's the BASTARD WHO MURDERED MY BIG BROTHER'S FAULT! I'LL GUT THE NOBLE SHITHEAD AND STRING HIM UP BY HIS ENTRAILS!"
"You idiot, nobody can hurt a celestial dragon, it's impossible!" Dogra gasps
"Just watch me!" Ace yells, grabbing his pipe and running for the door, almost succeeding, only for Dadan to grab him by the head and pin him to the floor
"Enough of that Ace. I get it, you're pissed off that Sabo was killed, but what can you do against a World Noble? You think he's just some thug and while he may act like it, you wouldn't even get close, you'd die alone and unnoticed, swept under the rug and not even a mention in the papers. The bastard may have pulled the trigger, but it was this rotten country that killed Sabo, this whole Goda forsaken World! Your father, on the other hand, changed the world with his death…. When you get to be as famous as that mustachioed fucker, THEN you can have your revenge, when your life matters to more than just the people in this room. You understand me you stupid punk?" Dadan screams into his face then turns to her men "Tie him up, make sure he doesn't go anywhere until he's cooled off" she sighs, turning to her other 2 kids, both crying, though while Luffy was going off like an air raid siren, Kaos was silent, though the tears streamed down his cheeks onto Luffy's straw hat, the taller boy holding him like a teddy bear, no…. Like he would disappear too, if the purplette loosened his grip even a fraction.
Next morning
"You done acting like a feral ape, and at least calmed down enough to use words?" Dadan asks, Ace giving her a death glare, but nods slowly "That will have to do. Boys, cut him loose but keep an eye on him for the moment" she orders, this whole week was just one headache after another, and that damn NewsCoo was just making it worse
"Holy shit! Guys, we got a letter, and it's from Sabo!" Dogra bellows, rushing over after collecting the bird's message "He must have sent it just before he headed out to sea"
Ace's eyes widen "Give it here!" he barks. "I won't go anywhere, I promise, that letter's for Luffy, Kaos and I, isn't it? Speaking of, I don't hear his crying anymore"
"I don't know if Kaos fell asleep before or after Luffy, but the kid tired himself out crying and eventually passed out, both were out cold when I went to check on them about an hour later" Mogra answers as Dogra passed Ace the letter
"Then I'll read it myself and tell them about it when they wake up, can I have a minute?" he asks, oddly nervously
"We won't be reading over your shoulder or anything, but we'll be keeping you within line of sight so don't run off on me ok?" Dadan compromises
"That'll do" Ace nods, tearing open the envelope before walking into the woods to read it
Ace, Kaos, Luffy
I hope you all survived or were somehow spared the fire, maybe you'd been building a new basecamp that night and were nowhere near Grey Terminal. I'm worried about the 3 of you, but my gut tells me you all made it out alive, even if I'm also feeling I should be deeply concerned for at least 2 of your's mental state.
Anyway, I have a special announcement to make: by the time you get this letter, I'll be long gone. [Ooof, poor choice of words, but the kid's not psychic so we'll give him a pass] That's right, I'm heading out to sea. One thing led to another and I decided to head out before any of you.
I don't know where I'm going, but I know one thing for sure, anywhere is better than this place. Don't worry though, I've not given up on my dream, I'm still going to be a pirate! I got a head start, but I'm sure you'll all catch up to me pretty quickly, even you Kaos, there's a pirate in you even if you don't want to be a captain, not everyone does. When we meet again we'll be unstoppable! Believe it!
We'll reunite on the Grand Line one day, 4 pirates, brothers of fate and choice, because that is a bond that will never be broken, and will always be my greatest treasure, more than all the riches of the Seas. Also, as the new Eldest brother… keep an eye on our little bros, they need all the help they can get to be real pirates ;) I need you to step up for me Ace, and take care of them now I can't. I'm sorry to leave like this, but I make a promise as your brother, WE. WILL. MEET. AGAIN.
Sabo no last name, Pirate Captain of the Sabo pirates
Standing on the edge of the island staring out into the sea, only Dadan as a witness, Ace finally cried, cried for the pain and injustice of the world, but more importantly, cried at the loss of his oldest friend, and big brother.
Ace kept the letter to himself that day, partially so he could process it alone, though showed it to Luffy and Kaos the next morning, as it was addressed to all of them, and they deserved to read what was now essentially Sabo's last words to them.
Kaos, he laughed, actually cackled for a solid minute, before starting to cry again, then as he sat down muttered "Optimistic little bastard wasn't he" with a deep sigh. Meanwhile Luffy, seemed to be inspired, or maybe something had finally clicked in his head due to Sabo's sudden loss to their lives
"I wanna get stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger! Until I'm the strongest there ever was or will be, and then, I'll protect everyone, I'll never lose people precious to me ever again!" he shouts even as tears and snot runs down his face "You both gotta promise me, don't die, ok?"
Ace groans, and slaps him upside the head "Dumbass, you're the one we're worried is going to die long before we do, you're the weakest out of everyone! Ask me that again when you can at least hold your own in a fight with me, got it crybaby? Not that it matters, because I'm NEVER going to die!" he declares, then sighs deeply "As you read, Sabo told me to protect and keep you 2 dummies safe, so if it makes you feel better Luffy…. I promise not to die. Happy?"
"Yes" Luffy sniffles
"Good. Now, we're going to set sail and be pirates just like Sabo did someday, but until then, we train, until we're the best damn pirates in the East Blue, then the Grand Line! Nothing will stand in our way, as long as we live, with no regrets! This will make us lots of enemies though, we might even have to fight Garp someday, but that's the price to pay for freedom. Let's agree to set sail at 17, just like Sabo planned!"
Luffy nods, a determined scowl on his face, while Kaos' had less enthusiasm but still agreed. A pact was made, and their journey was just beginning
One month later
Kaos groans as he comes to "Ow, what hit me, and why am I outside?" he hums, sitting up and feeling something tug at his neck. Looking down there was a silver chain with a pendant or locket attached, one side reading くたばれ [Fuck off], the other ここには何も表示されません [Nothing to see here] and the edges sealed so whatever was inside was both unreadable and inaccessible "I have a very bad feeling about this" the boy mutters, taking the pendant in his hand and moves to snap the chain and throw it away…. Only he couldn't. The same when he tried to remove it the correct way, he was just unable to perform the action and remove the item.
"I feel like I'm being pranked, but this is way too complicated to be Luffy's doing, so I'm stuck with this stupid thing for at least the foreseeable future…. Great" he sighs deeply, seeing only one option left if he wants to avoid the chance of the thing snagging or being pulled by a thug, or Luffy being a dumbass and choking him. From experimenting and tinkering with his Devil fruit Kaos had found it capable of creating what amounted to a pocket dimension within the reflections, so as his skin gained a silvery sheen and rippled, the weird trinket sank into his body like it had been dropped into a lake.
"Good, you finally woke up, I knew I didn't hit you that hard" Kaos turns to see Garp enter the clearing he'd been dropped in like a dead cat, Luffy, and Ace following the old geezer in concern "Like your new accessory? After Dadan told me about the Grey Terminal incident I paid a lot of money to have some weirdo in a bucket hat give me that to ease your burdens. With that thing on there's no way you'll even be able to think criminal and rebellious things, nor can it be removed by those with ill intent. With this baby you'll be the greatest marine the world has ever seen!" Garp bellows before laughing his ass off, laying it on a little thick but Kaos wasn't much older than Luffy, and Luffy was dumb as a crate of rocks last he checked so Kaos would be just as easy to fool as him, right?
"Marines or death, an interesting conundrum" Kaos hums before pulling Hebi from his jacket, not that Garp noticed until…
"Kaos don't do it!"
SHING
The marine finally looks down, his jaw drops seeing Ace had run to and thrown himself at Kaos, who now had Hebi's blade cutting across his cheek, before extending several feet behind him and impaling a bird to the tree behind him
"You idiot! The old man is clearly talking shit, you don't need to kill yourself!" Ace screams at the taller boy
"I'm aware" Kaos responds flatly, and Ace notices his throat was covered in the silver fluid of his Devil fruit "I just wanted to see how far it would take to call his bluff, and sending Hebi through my reflections seemed the easiest method, and if she happened to damage this talisman in the process, then that's great" he adds with a humourless chuckle, flashing a smile with too much teeth
Watching Hebi retract Garp scowls internally 'It's already taken root, I need to stop this before the effects become permanent and uncontainable' he thinks before cracking his neck and beginning to walk over to the lanky kid "That's a pretty dangerous toy you got there kid, as you'd expect from a pirate, so allow a marine like me to show you how to properly dispose of such a thing" he gives a serious look and an attempt at a comforting smile, before cocking his arm back and swinging with a black fist at the sword…
FIST OF JUSTICE
CLANG/SNAP/CRUNCH
…which at its owners will melts and encompassed his right arm all the way up to his shoulder, forming a gauntlet-greeve combo which he used to try meet the punch, barely even flinching as it breaks every bone in his arm, though both boys can see clearly that criminal and rebellious thoughts' being stopped were bullshit, given the murderous rage clearly blazing in his eyes, as well as the fact, Hebi didn't break.
"Next time you want to kill me, be upfront about it" Kaos drones, arm now hanging limply by his side, though even has he turns to walk away his Devil fruit starts trying to warp and contort his body into a stable condition, Ace and Luffy chasing after him to check on him, as well as get as far away from Garp as possible
His eyes weren't on the boys though, but his own bloodied knuckles, he knew in his head that wouldn't work, the Hebi no Oni no mi is a Saijo O Wazimono, he might as well have tried to snap Yoru with his bare hands. But he just wanted his grandson to be safe and free from that thing's corruption, before it made him a monster like its previous master. Though in hindsight he should have seen this coming, like it or not the boy was a Kuja at his core, and they were stubborn, some even as much as a Monkey clan member, and if he was anything like his mother, the marine just stepped on a landmine
Flashback - Marine Blacksite 15 years ago
'This isn't right, the things you've done, it doesn't matter if they're complying or following orders, they're better off dead'
Crash/Splatter/squelch
'Garp do something! Stop her!'
'This isn't justice, it's sick, and while I can't kill you, I can break every one of your toys until the message sinks in. You don't get to just fuck with people's heads and call it justice!'
Flashback ends
And yet, here he was, from the kids' and probably his mother's (Goda rest her soul) point of view, instilling his will upon the boy and removing his freedom in the process, when he was simply doing what was in the boy's interest, protecting him from the darkness of his weapon, and any traces of the man it once belonged to.
Later in the year
"Gum Gum Pistol" Luffy shouts as he's throwing his long-range punch to the face of his grinning brother
Spronggggggg
"I mean, you almost hit your target this time" Kaos hums, while Ace was a little busy laughing as not only did Luffy miss, but the kid managed to punch himself in the face on the rebound "You'd think you would prioritize aim over power by this point" he sighs deeply, knowing Luffy wouldn't listen, but feeling the need to at least say it on the off chance it sunk in
"Exactly" Ace smirks once he'd stopped laughing "Power doesn't mean crap if you can't hit anything. I've been telling you rubber's a crappy power for what feels like years now, at least when it comes to fighting"
"You take that back!" Luffy shouts
"No, I can prove it. Kaos, go beat the crap out of him" Ace orders, both brothers blink in confusion before they shrug
"I'm not going to go easy on you just because I'm mad at Ace, you know that?" Luffy asks raising his fists, while Kaos draws Hebi into his body and stretches his limbs
"I'm aware, and I wouldn't want you to, no fun that way" he smirks, letting the younger boy charge him.
On the bright side, when not trying to use what would essentially be Super moves, Luffy at least knew to get as close as he could to his opponent so that he couldn't miss, and in the bright sunshine, it was really easy for him to see whenever Kaos used his fruit as a blocking method, though even then it was mostly his hands and gut. However Ace wanted him to make a point so he did, muttering 'Akuma Kagami' under his breath.
Catching Luffy's fist, Kaos threw his other arm back and to the surprise of the other 2 boys, it stretched back about 80% more than it was supposed to, before shooting right back and slamming Luffy square in the stomach, sending the boy flying backward into a tree as he'd let go just before impact
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol Shot. Damn Ace is right, this is a crappy move" he laughs before continuing "See, your biggest problem is simply your inability to hit a barn door while on the inside" Kaos laughs, his knuckles glint in the light before moving to help Luffy up
"That's some bullshit right there, how'd you do that, being stretchy is my thing!" Luffy whines
"My Devil fruit is the Reflect reflect fruit, therefore I decided to see if due to the nature of reflections, mimicry was something I could do…. And it works, sort of"
"Guess I've finally found Luffy a teacher, saves me a lot of crap" Ace chuckles
"Don't even think about it!"
"Just cause Kaos is my favourite doesn't mean you get to slack off!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Ace yells slamming Luffy's head into the ground
"See. Only you ever randomly hit me, Kaos and Sabo were nicer" Luffy groans, deciding to stay down and recover
2 months later
"Didn't we fight this bear already?" Kaos asks, the scar on its face seeming familiar, or at least distinctive
"Less chatting, more helping!" Luffy yells "This bear is really big"
"Eh, you got this covered" Ace shrugs, lazing around on the branch the older boys were observing from.
As it turned out, Luffy didn't have it under control, his attacks doing little more than annoy the bear, before it finally decided to just swat the rubber boy like a fly, slashing deep across his chest, and sending the other 2 into action
'Fuck fuck fuck fuck!' Kaos thinks as he carries Luffy, Ace running on ahead to alert Dadan and hopefully have the medical supplies prepped for their arrival 'We really shouldn't have let him do that all by himself' he adds with a grimace, which deepens as Hebi remains painfully silent the entire trek
"You guys made it in time, though if the wound had been any deeper it would have been a completely different story" Mogra sighs, watching over Luffy's sleeping form, while Ace cried and Kaos practically collapsed in on himself
"Moron, that's what I am. Training with Nagari showed us it's not about going it alone, individual strength isn't what makes you a captain. I'm not good enough, I'm still not enough. I'm sorry Luffy, I let you down, I'm a failure of a leader and a brother!" Ace cries burying his face in his hands
"You're not alone Ace, I could have helped too, but I just sat there with you until after Luffy got hurt. You're an idiot, yes, but it's for trying to carry everything on your shoulders" Kaos sighs "Fighting one on one is important, but yes teamwork is the best method of task completion. We are brothers, why can't we all fight side by side?"
Some time later
"Hey Makino's here, and she brought booze!" one of the bandits shout
"You want to know how to properly say thank you?" Makino repeats for clarification, to which Ace nods "And what's this about paying respects?" she adds, holding in a chuckle as this was NOT what she expected a boy raised by mountain bandits would even want to know about.
Ace grins "As a pirate, and Luffy's big brother, I have to pay respects to this Shanks guy" he explains "Luffy says he owes him his life, so it's really the least I can do"
"Just buy or steal him some booze!" Kaos shouts from his current position as lookout
"Nobody asked you, you lanky fuck!" Ace bellows up, before turning to Makino with a tired look "So…. can you help me"
Makino does giggle this time "I'll see what I can do. First after a meal…."
A week later - Edgetown
"It's a Dine and Dash!"
"Somebody catch those hooligans!"
"This is surprisingly good stamina training, even when the city guards aren't called to catch us" Kaos chuckles, before almost running into Ace's back
"Shit, we almost forgot to pay respect!" Ace gasps
"Right!" Luffy nods, then all 3 boys turn to the tired chef and bow
"Thank you for the meal, it was delicious!"
"Keep your thanks, are you going to pay me for my food?"
"Nope" they answer, then continue running away
"Another victory for Ace!" the older boy laughs, after kicking Luffy into Kaos, sending both of them into a tree
"Clearly a battle royal was a bad idea" the taller boy sighs, before throwing Luffy at Ace, only him to side step the flying rubber boy
"Bear attack, take 2!" Luffy shouts, himself and Ace wielding pipes while Kaos was using Hebi in a Kanebo form
"Teamwork makes the dream work" Ace chuckles, the boys bouncing around, keeping the bears attention away from each other until Ace manages to gab his pipe into the bears throat, then with Luffy and Kaos' assistance impale the animal through the skull, taking it out and giving the trio a choice of bear meat stew for today's dinner
After a while, the local gangs and ruffians realised it wasn't worth the time or effort to try to fight the boys, preferring to flee and keep their bones unbroken, than fight and get the ever loving shit beat out of them by a bunch of kids
The animals of Mt. Corvo though, were still a problem if they weren't careful (they did learn Giant Centipede tastes like shit though, so knew to never hunt it again)
Garp showed up periodically to beat the crap out of them, but with their futures decided and hearts set on the path, it was just free training for the 3 teens, and to a certain extent, they believed Garp knew it too, so decided that if they were going to be pirates, they better be tough enough to survive anything the world throws at you! Maybe it was childish optimism, naivety, or wanting to justify his treatment of them to themselves, we will never know.
Finally, the moment arrived, Ace was 17 and about to set out on his journey, but he had one thing to do first.
"I know you're not leaving next year" he states to Kaos, even now a little pissed he had to look up to look his little brother in the eye "You're going to stick around and leave with Luffy, he's the one you decided will be your captain" Kaos nods, not seeing where this was going "Well, as the eldest brother, I pass on the responsibility of watching over our little troublemaker. Keep him alive at least long enough to make it out to see will you?" he chuckles, getting a smirk, and head slap from the also grinning purplette
"Good Luck Ace, you'll be fine"
"I know that dumbass. And I better see you both on the grand line with a proper pirate crew in at least 3 or 4 years' time, you got me!"
"Promise" Kaos nods, giving a very cold, reptilian smirk
Everyone turned up to see Ace off, the entire Dadan Family, Makino, Mayor Woodslap, and of course Luffy and Kaos, [Luckily not a single Garp in sight] waving as he kicked his little boat off into the relatively calm waters of the East Blue
"Take care Ace, see you soon!" Luffy cheers, waving frantically
"Yeah, I'll be waiting to hear about your exploits. Keep training, you might even be as good as me one day" Ace winks, feeling the need for one last jab before setting off
"Sesesese"
"Just you wait, in 3 years time my wanted posters will be everywhere you look" Luffy declares, getting laughs from the whole gang, and Ace's grin softens into a gentle smile, he knows Luffy will be fine, though he'll still worry, he is a big brother after all.
"Keep an eye out for me in the papers, I'll make a big splash soon enough!" he calls back, before fading from audible range
A few months later
"Luffy, Kaos, get over here!" Mogra shouts, running to where the boys were training
"Something wrong?" Kaos hums, relaxing his Devil fruit's coating over his limbs
"He was right, Ace made the papers!" the short man explains, passing it to the rubber boy, Kaos reading over Luffy's shoulders
"You're right, Ace is doing great, he's got a ship and a crew and everything!" Luffy cheers, laughing as he does "But… I'm going to be even stronger someday!"
3 years later
"We're leaving Dadan, and the guys. Hey, aren't you going to see us off?" Luffy asks from the doorway of what's been his home for nearly a decade at this point
"Are you dense kid? Don't answer that I already know the answer is yes. Makino and the mayor may tolerate us, but we'd scare the shit out of all the other civies down in Fushia Village" Dadan grouses
"I mean you guys may be bandits, but you're a lot nicer than that bastard we met back when Shanks was in town" Kaos hums, a little disappointed all things considered
"Oh. Ok then" Luffy pouts, before bouncing back as best he could "Goodbye then, catch you around one day. Oh… and thanks for caring for me all these years. I still think mountain bandits are lame… but you guys are awesome" he says with a slight bow, before leading the march to Fushia, his brother following with long lazy strides
"What a nice kid" Dogra smiles, while Dadan tries and fails to hold back the waterfall of tears escaping her face, as all her kids have left the nest, she may not have wanted to take them in in the first place, but they were her boys damn it!
Fushia Village
"Luffy, no offense, but I think you should take my old fishing boat, that one won't last very long out at sea, it's barely big enough for the both of you" a villager notes
"I was thinking the same thing, that boat's much too small for you boys" another pipes in
"I wanna start small, but I'll find us a big ship soon enough and fill it with a super badass pirate crew in no time!" Luffy grins, getting a chuckle from Kaos as he adjusts his cloak and hat, currently sitting on their supply barrel
"Sabo. Ace. And now us. I may be the last, but I'll be the best soon enough. Watch out for me Sabo, I'll make you proud!" Luffy declares to the sky
"Why are you talking to yourself, is it some kind of pirate ritual?" one of the dock workers asks jokingly
"No, it's a challenge, to our brother Ace, and a prayer to our brother Sabo" Kaos answers, the villagers understandably not knowing who either boy was, so shrug and let Luffy do his thing.
"Ok, I'm good, we're leaving for real now" Luffy announces, before the 2 row out into the sea proper, ready to start their adventure
"I knew this was coming eventually, but it's still sad to see them go" Makino sighs, her eyes sad though her face holds her smile
Woodslap groans "Sad indeed like this world needs more pirates"
The mostly happy mood shatters when a Sea King rises from the depths, the Lord of the Coast ready and able to devour the little ship in a single bite. But while the residents of Fushia Village were panicked, the brothers weren't… for damn good reason as Luffy aimed his perfected long-ranged punch at its face.
"GUM GUM PISTOL" Luffy shouts, oneshotting the beast with a rubber-powered fist to the jaw, sending it flying out of their way like an animal 100 times smaller
"That's my boy" Dadan grins proudly, hidden as she was alongside Mogra and Dogra "He might actually do it, achieve of that dumb dream of his"
"Some day, I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy bellows, before the journey begins properly, as you all have seen already ;)
Present time
With Luffy on the mend and now actually sleeping, Kaos moved somewhere quiet to check on a private matter, a silver chain dropping from his skin for the 1st time in 9 years. He grins maniacally as his shadow ripples and expands, extending like he was standing in the path of the rising sun before leaving the ground and standing itself. The being in front of him towered over even his own impressive 9ft stature, mostly due to its long neck, with a smile that extended just past the midpoint of his head. It seemed to lack eyes, though whether it never had them and Kaos merely misremembered, or it was a sign of the echos age, he neither knew or cared
"It worked then" the shadow croons, the voice, which had returned as a whisper when he ate the Hebi Hebi no mi, finally returned to it's original tone and volume "Your suicidal gambit paid off after all"
Kaos nods "I was right that it would take a marine to break the charm, Garp would have commissioned it so only the 'hands of justice' could remove it. The FIST of Magma was a more than adequate substitute" he smirked, glad he had been able to shift the talisman to the centre of his chest when he used his Devil fruit to open a hole for the Admiral's attack to pass through, destroying it in a flash of heat and if he was honest, ensuring Kaos had enough access to his 2nd fruit that he was able to fully transform and survive the attack in the first place
"By the time they realize what's happened, it will be far too late" Apophis' shade laughs, the dual toned echo showing all 3 of them were in agreement: the navy just fucked themselves
"gah zan tak gah zan tat tat brak"
"§It's time for salvation to finally come
I feel this rage, and I'm feelin' it strong
This weeping and wailing has gone far too long
Nothing left but to yell! Yeah! Yeah!
I know you feel it, too, so keep on singin' this song
Even when they abuse us we'll keep singin' along
We'll start another Big Bang when we all sing as one
United, we're fightin', bring 'em down with our song of ruin§" (1)
Kaos cackles madly, his Devil fruit warping and contorting across his form as his hands turn black as night before he slams them palm down onto the stone floor, with a scream of…
BLACK VORTEX
"It's good to be whole, once more, Zesesesese"
TBC
LW: And, that's the end of the flashback arc, we'll be heading back to the Main RKMM story for at least a chapter, maybe more, really depends on where I'm going to be putting the Time Skip stuff I guess.
(1) Tot Musica, the demon summoning ritual disguised as sheet music, only works when sung by the holder of the Uta Uta no mi. With no danger to himself, and the sheer wrongness of knowing the song, do you really think the embodiment of madness and chaos, Mayhem D. Apophis wouldn't at least learn the lyrics?