Hi there.

I'm so sorry that it took me over a month to finish this chapter. But you can say I got distracted, was lazy, blocked and at the end also sick. So yeah, a good mix for being able not to write anything.

But I'm back with the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. ^^

yukino76: Thanks^^ I'm always happy when a surprise works out fine^^

buterflypus: thank you

SakuraKoi: Thanks =)

~Chapter 11 – A Fallen Angel and a Promise~

Luffy grinned at the blonde woman. "Nice to meet you."

Then he turned his head to look at the big whale.

So there was a person taking care of the whale. Now that was cool. This person got to be strong.

"I want to meet him. Can we stay here until he is back?"

He didn't notice the surprised glance of the blonde.

"We can only stay as longs as the Log Pose needs until the route is clear", Ain said with a sigh. "So don't think about running off. Otherwise, someone else will be quicker to reach the One Piece."

Luffy frowned. "I don't want a quick journey. I want to see the world and be free. Otherwise, it wouldn't be an adventure and you aren't the freest person in the world", he said and put a hand on his hat.

"Interesting view, young man", a new voice said. It was an old male who reminded Luffy of a flower. Was that the person who did look after the big whale? He didn't look strong, but Luffy could feel a strong aura around him.

"Crocus-san, is Laboon fine again?", Conis asked the man who nodded in return.

"He is fine for now. But I really have to find a way to stop him from trying to break through the Redline…"

"Why would it want to that?", Luffy asked, but Ain poked him and mumbled something about being rude. The black-haired one tilted his head and looked at his former babysitter.

"Sorry for Luffy interrupting you, sir. He can be a bit impolite", she apologized. "I'm Ain and this is Luffy. We just docked to wait for our Log Pose to set the course."

Luffy hadn't really listened to her apologie. His eyes were back on Laboon. He saw the scared front and it filled him with respect for this powerful animal for trying so hard to break through.

"It has some really strong determination", Luffy whispered.

A sigh of Crocus shifted his attention to the old man.

"Fifty years ago, Laboon came here as a baby whale, I guess, together with a pirate group called the Rumbar pirates. A lively, friendly crew. They stayed a few days to repair their ship. Before they left, they asked me to take care of him, because they thought it would be too dangerous for him. Two or three years, if I remember right, they did say.. until they would be back for him."

Luffy swallowed hard. He also noticed how Ain's Eyes widened in sympathy if he guessed it right. Like him, she knew that something happened. Because Laboon was still here and the reason for that couldn't be a happy one.

"They never came back. Around twenty years ago, I went looking for them. Maybe finding a clue what had happened to them. Because as beautiful as the Grandline can be, it isn't called a Pirates' Graveyard for anything. But… I didn't find them. Not even really a clue. Only rumours that they left the Grandline through the Calm Belt. But I don't rely much on the source for being true…"

"So they abandoned him…", Ain said.

Luffy didn't say anything. His eyes were back on Laboon.

The whale wouldn't stop hurting himself. Not under these circumstances. Not with this determination it showed.

But... there was a way how he could maybe help.

"You two better start to behave and not bicker every time you are around each other and the other says something."

Law was really in some kind of mother-mode. Scolding her misbehaving children. If it wasn't for the vein on the surgeon's forehead Ace would tease him for losing his cool. When he and Luffy had first met Law. Ace had thought that it would be impossible for the older one to lose his cool. Well, that was before his precious baby brother had wormed his way in the surgeon's heart. Now it seemed that Law's protective instinct for his baby brother had made his mate more prone to reacting more instead of being emotionless.

But whatever the reason was for it now. Ace knew that if he would tease Law the full wrath would be directed at him. Something he didn't want at the moment.

Because it was fun to see his mate being mad at someone else.

He couldn't really understand how Luffy thought that it would be boring to watch.

"LUFFY!"

Ain's voice made him turn his head and jump up as fast as possible.

"This will be bad", Bepo said in a panic. "Luffy-senchou is strong", he could hear Bartolomeo admiring his little brother.

Ace followed the way they looked to see his baby brother fighting with the whale.

Over the water… His baby brother was fighting against a giant whale over the sea.

"Law, swap him. Please swap him. He will fall into the water and no one will be able to save him", Ace panicked.

He didn't care if he now showed that he had possible a big brother complex. But seeing his baby brother using his devil fruit ability to fly to fight against the whale above the sea was a worrying sight.

He clenched his fingers around the railing. His thoughts were running. How could he help Luffy if his baby brother got hit?

Bad memories raised inside him. It made him remember how once he hadn't helped his brother against a big animal and had nearly lost it. Just because he had gotten angry with Luffy.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down. Trust, Luffy. He wouldn't pick a fight like that for no reason", Law said calmly. "But…" "If there wasn't water on him you wouldn't be such a panicked mess." "Yeah… Hey, I'm not a panicked mess. I just think about the possibility that Luffy could fall down."

"Why are you bickering? The fight is over", Zoro than stated behind them.

Confused Ace looked to his baby brother.

"Shishishi, you are strong, Laboon. Now it's a draw. When I'll come back we will have a rematch", Luffy said to the whale. To his surprise, the whale started to cry. What was going on?

"Now I will also paint our Jolly Roger on your head as a sign of our promise. So don't hit your head against something any longer."

Wait a sec… Had Luffy just started to fight against the whale to prevent it from hitting its head? What was his stupid brother thinking again?

The worry for his baby brother appeared. Instead, he felt angry at him. Ace went off the ship to give Luffy a piece of his mind.

His baby brother was busy preparing the paint. Ain, Chouchou, the blonde woman and an old man stood next to him.

He clenched his fists. A good fist of love would be good…

Shit… he sounded like the old man. But well… in this situation, he could live with it and then forget it.

So Ace hit his little brother hard on the head.

"Luffy-san", the blonde seemed shocked. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Ain shook her head softly.

"Ow, that hurt, Ace. You meanie", Luffy looked up at him pouting.

"Meanie?! I'm a meanie when you are being reckless and fight above the water without preparing anything in case you fell into the water. Just as memory, you cannot swim. You are freaking anchor as soon as you touch the water. Got it memorized?", he scolded his younger brother.

"But I had to something. Because Laboon felt lonely despite the Ossan being here with. He misses his Nakama and needed a new hope. That's why I fought him. To give him a new reason to hope and wait. It will be a promise to see him again", Luffy grinned brightly at him.

He couldn't believe it. His baby brother once again thought less about getting hurt physically… because there was one thing that hurt more. Being alone.

Ace sighed and hugged Luffy close to him. "Stop being such a reckless. You know as your older brother I can't help but worry", he mumbled.

He felt Luffy tilted his head. But the next words made him laugh. "So Nii-chan is afraid of being alone? But you are not alone. You have Torao, Zoro, Sanji, Chouchou, Greenhead and me."

He really adored his baby brother for being so simple sometimes.

"Mh~ boy, what is your goal?", the old man suddenly asked looking at Luffy. Ace's eyes studied the man critically. Who exactly was that?

"Becoming pirate king and be the freest person in the world", Luffy said with a determination like it was set in stone.

Well, it was set in stone for him that his baby brother would fulfil his dream and he would do anything to make it possible.

The man showed a rare smile. "You said, you want to have a great adventure on your way, right? Would you mind doing me a favour? It ends in an adventure for you maybe. Conis here isn't from the Blue Sea. She is from the White Sea, a wonderful place. Bring her home, if that is fine with you."

Ace, Ain and the blonde woman, who seemed to be Conis, looked surprised at the old man. Why did he suddenly asked them? And what was the White Sea?

"The White Sea? That does sound like an adventure. But we are pirates…", Luffy said. "But you know the importance of a promise. Also being a pirate doesn't define the person. You said a pirate is free. So it is your decision to bring her home or not."

"Are you able to defend yourself at least a bit?", Ace asked and studied the woman. He knew that Luffy would say yes if he had deemed this person as okay or good. But he also knew that their route is going to be dangerous and they will attract lots of trouble. So everyone they take on board had to know how to defend themselves at least.

"Crocus-san thaught me a bit about how to shoot your weapons. But I don't think I'm very useful without dials", Conis said.

"Okay, we will take her home. She can stay on board close to Bepo or Sanji", Luffy decided and then went back to his plan to paint the Jolly Roger on the whale.

Conis looked surprised after him.

"Don't try to understand the logic of my younger brother. It can give you a headache just to try it. But I have a question for you, old man. Why did you ask us? We can't be the first persons who came by here since she is here, right?"

The old man had a small sad smile on his lips. "You are the first ones who value a promise and are worthy of being asked. There were lots of pirates who would probably have sold Conis into slavery when I would have asked them. Your brother is a devil fruit user so I guess you can imagine how much trouble it can be. Also, your brother reminds me of someone I met years ago. I have a feeling I can trust him."

Ace nodded while clenching his fist. Just the thought about the chance that his brother or anyone of their crew falling into the hands of slavers made him angry.

"Oi, the Log Pose is set. We have to set sail now", Bepo shouted from the ship.

"Well, need any help caring something, Conis?", Ace asked but the blonde shook her head. "I only have what I have on me."

Ace let Ain lead Conis on board and explain the situation while he took Chouchou and then pull his little brother after him the moment he landed.

"Ne, Crocus, I promise I'll see you again when Laboon and I have our rematch and I promise I bring Conis home safely", Luffy shouted his 'goodbye'-words to the old man. Ace just shook his head but smile. That was Luffy's way of saying goodbye.

But Ace didn't hear Crocus' last words and Luffy possible didn't hear them either.

"Roger, I think I saw someone who will be your successor."

So the next chapter will be marked as a 'filler' because I don't know how quick I will write the next chapter and the first filler is nearly finished. So I will probably publish it in two weeks or so if nothing else happens which needs my attention.

To this chapter. There is one thing, I like to address just in case someone asked. The Log Pose, I don't remember how it was in the manga/anime. But if I remembered right they just set sail. But I think I have read somewhere on a OnePiece-wiki that some pirates wait at Twin Peak to choose their route. So I took it that way the Log Pose stays still for a certain amount of time before he starts changing again because of the different routes you are able to take. (I hope my explanation is understandable^^)

Also, I like to apologize in case if there are still grammar or typing mistakes. But I think Grammarly does have a little problem with showing the mistakes in time at the moment because it always shows 'loading/checking' but never finished despite that I haven't written anything in the document for 5 minutes or longer. So I only trusted the word-correction.

Just a quick question then, can it be that the free version of Grammarly does have its problem when the document gets too long (I have 90 pages).

But that is it for now.

See you next time^^