Midnight was fast approaching the Thousand Sunny and in the dimly lit halls below the deck, most of the Strawhat crew slept soundly, licking battle wounds of a hard day before. The wooden walls of the berth deck creaked and groaned in the cool night air and, despite this, it held an inexplicable sense of warmth. Not a single cabin door remained closed, a post battle habit the crew had picked up over the course of their adventures in case Chopper needed easy access, and so it felt less like the sleeping quarters of hardened pirates and more like a series of bedrooms for one big dysfunctional family. Which, in fairness, was exactly what it was.
The sounds of hard earned rest reverberated off of the cabin walls, filling the spaces between with whistles and snores like a symphony. Beneath this cacophony of noise, a single harmonious note rang out: the low humming of a beautiful tune that broke and crackled every few minutes as its maker choked back her sobs.
Yamato closed her eyes around the mist of barely formed tears, ceasing her humming when she realised that it was only making her feel worse. It had meant to be for him, to soothe his unconscious mind into restful sleep but the fact that he wasn't responding the way he usually did was terrifying her. Normally, even while deep asleep, Luffy's spirit was uncontrollable. He tossed and turned, snored and sighed, all while grinning from ear to ear, his dreams plain as day on his face. Now, he lay as still as a corpse, his shallow, steady breath making barely a whisper of noise as he exhaled. It was unsettling. He lay in Yamato's bed, head nestled in her lap as comfortable as she could make him but still, he would not respond.
She stared down at his youthful face, softened further by unconsciousness, and lightly brushed the tips of his fringe from his eyes. She traced the taut tissue of the scar under his eye and smiled through the tears at the memory of when he'd told her how he'd got it. At the time, she'd of course, called him a moron and laughed at his expense when he pouted indignantly, but now the humour felt hollow. She bent over him, lowering her face to his, and placed a feather light kiss upon the roughed skin, holding her breath for a long moment, hoping that he'd twitch, sigh, smile, do anything in response. Nothing.
If only the world could see him now, the ruthless, dangerous, monster of the seas Strawhat Luffy bed-bound by a nameless devil fruit wielding pirate.
It was still early, not too far away from sunrise, and that was probably how the fleet had appeared as if from thin air, using the darkness of the cloud hidden moon as cover. 5 ships had surrounded the docked Sunny, cutting off any possibility of escape by blocking the entrance to the cove they'd used as a hideaway. Yamato didn't recognise the flag, but something about the three menacing skulls set off warning bells in her brain that had her on edge and she could sense that the rest of the crew felt exactly the same.
Zoro, Sanji and Jinbei were battle ready in an instant, subtly moving themselves to the front of the group where their captain stood, facing the enemy. Yamato joined them without a second thought. The less martially inclined of the crew shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, glancing at each other in apprehension but preparing themselves nonetheless.
From the corner of her eye, Yamato just barely caught a glimpse of Luffy's face and his cold, steely gaze frightened her almost as much as the opposing flag. Something was off with him but she didn't exactly have the time to ask him what was wrong.
"Zoro, Sanji, Jinbei, Yamato, take a ship each, everyone else keep yourself alive," the Strawhat captain said, barely spearing a look for his crew before launching himself with acidic pace at the nearest approaching enemy. His voice had been frigid, so unlike his usual self that it caught all of the crew off guard, even the ever stoic Zoro.
"Luffy…" the swordsman called out, but shook his head half way through his words, following his captain into the fray. A split second later, he was followed by Sanji who looked just as troubled as Yamato felt.
So focused on the ramrod stiff spine of her captain was Yamato, she didn't even notice Jinbei at her side until he placed a comforting palm on her shoulder, squeezing it gently, "Later, Yamato. Let's deal with his first," he advised, before rushing off to carry out Luffy's orders. Yamato forced her body to move, trying to get herself into action before she could think too much on it.
The enemy pirates swarmed the shallows of the cove by the hundreds, with more pouring from each ship like ants but it didn't take long for most of those on the ground to be beaten bloody by the Strawhat pirates. By the time Yamato had even reached the ship she was assigned to destroy, half of the attacking force was unconscious or incapcitated, all without a single scratch in retaliation. In the thumping euphoria of her own battle frenzy, even with a troubled mind, Yamato allowed herself a smile. Her father had always said that a good fight was the greatest joy in the world and often, Yamato found it hard to disagree with him, bastard though he may be.
Atop the deck of the enemy ship, one vicious swipe of her club was all it took for the mast to shatter into splinters like rain and the sails to cave in on themselves. None of the attackers could match the raging Oni in her element and they knew it, most of them vaulting the railing in search of a foe not quite so great to test their strength. Yamato chuckled at the thought, there would be no easy fight to be found here, not against her crewmates.
The two ships to the left of her were already wrecked: one had been sliced in two as if cut by some gargantuan guillotine and the other was a flaming husk, with cavernous holes littering its deck. To her right she could clearly see the form of her captain, dancing between foes with a deadly grace that had her captivated, even mid-fight. He ducked and weaved out of the way of enemy attacks, striking back with tightly controlled anger that was out of place, punching harder and kicking with more venom than he strictly needed too. Even at a distance, Yamato could see that his face was as hard as stone. He halted his violent whirlwind when he came face to face with one enemy that stood out from amongst the rest on the sheer age difference alone, the man's advanced age giving Luffy pause for thought even in his odd mood.
The old man did not back down, pulling his lips back and showing his teeth in half snarl half grin. He was dressed like the rest of the pirates, loose white shirt stained dark with age, matched with ratty bottoms and worn leather boots, but he held no weapon, choosing instead to stare down an emperor of the sea with nothing but his wits. By all accounts he looked like a civilian, but the sinister twist to his face told a different story.
Luffy's reluctance gave his remaining foes a chance to surround him and soon the pirates had locked the Strawhat captain at the centre of a loose circle, trapping him inside with the elderly man. Thick, curling strands of purple smoke dripped from the man's finger tips, coalescing into one mass that swirled ominously around his feet, mixing with the dust of chaos that had covered the deck. The purple fog rolled towards Luffy, encasing him in a vortex of splinters and smoke.
Still, the emperor stood in defiance, glaring at his foe with imposing ferocity even as the mist surrounded him, but he didn't notice the same fog seeping through the cracks of the deck until it was too late. It attacked him, twisting around his leg like some ghastly snake, clawing its way upwards and upwards until it covered him from head to toe. When the mist retreated, Luffy stood stock still, the anger that painted his features replaced by a look of abject befuddlement as he began to sway on his feet. The invading pirates waited with bated breath for their chance to strike, edging closer and closer as the rubber man rocked back and forth.
The Strawhat captain hit the floor amidst a bubbling mass of pirates, any of whom that were close enough taking their chance to kick him while he was down. They cheered and jeered but Yamato couldn't hear anything over the blood pounding in her ear drums. Her vision tunnelled, the colour and importance of everything except for Luffy and his attackers leached from the world as if soaked in rainwater. She propelled herself forward, striking the deck of the ship like lightning, but she was far too slow in her own eyes, her racing mind stretched every second into minutes, into days, making her body feel sluggish.
She watched as those with minds on more than simple bloody violence pulled Seastone cuffs from various packs and belts but they wouldn't get far, their plan only served to fuel her fire. Blinded with rage, Yamato hit the group at top speed and cleaved half of them down with one kick, sending them flying into one another. She spun on her planted foot and backhanded another dozen with her kanabo, effectively clearing the deck, leaving only the old man and a handful of the more cautious pirates left to fight.
"What did you do to him?" Yamato demanded. Her voice barely wavered, more controlled than she thought possible given what boiled beneath the surface, but the man merely laughed.
"Oh just sent him for a little nap. Don't worry, he'll wake up once we get him to the admiral," his voice was tinted with malice, "Would you like to join him, my dear?" Once again he thrust his hands forward but, unfortunately for him, Yamato knew what was to come and she was ready. The sickly purple mist roiled towards the Oni, converging on her like a phantom as she took several deep breaths to prepare herself. As it rose up in a wave to swallow her as it did Luffy, she inhaled as much clean air as her lungs woúld allow and dived head first into the dense mist.
Several seconds of tense silence engulfed the ship, the surrounding sounds of battle seemingly so far away: Yamato did not emerge from the fog. The old man smiled and began to gesture for the rest of the men to continue containing the downed Strawhat captain but could do barely more than raise his hand before an ethereal looking canine landed on his chest, appearing from the purple haze, an avenging spirit ready for war.
Dog and man tumbled across the deck, both scratching and biting until the animal got a mouthful of the pirate's filthy shirt and, in one graceful move, swung him like a stuffed toy into the eagerly awaiting sea. She continued her momentum, rolling as she changed back to her human form and landing next to the prone Luffy, glaring at any who dared move. The pirates scattered after a rumbling growl spilled from the Oni's throat.
With no immediate threat to keep her occupied, Yamato wasted no time in throwing her limp captain over her shoulder and scrambling as fast as she could to find Chopper. She couldn't even risk a glance at his face, not trusting herself to be able to stop her panic from taking control. She bounded from the deck, all sounds of the dying battle drowned by the oppressive sound of Luffy's shallow breathing and the screaming of her own internal thoughts telling her to go faster.
She spotted Chopper amongst a forest of Usopp's odd plants tending to a minor cut on the sniper's arm. The pair sat laughing and joking, no doubt happy to come out of a fight alive, but stopped the instant they caught sight of the distraught Oni and her unconscious passenger.
Yamato slumped to her knees at their feet, not saying a word, merely presenting Luffy with a silent plea and, not for the first time she wondered how the crew's youngest member had such nerves of steel. The little reindeer didn't even ask what happened, he simply got to work, checking his captain's vitals and no doubt already formulating a possible cure.
Usopp wasn't quite so calm. He choked on his words trying to ask a million questions at once but Yamato could barely hear him. The blood once again pounded in her ears, leaving her mind laser focused on Luffy's sleeping face. The rage and pain that had marred his boyish good looks was gone, giving him a peaceful look that almost calmed the Oni's overdriven heart. Almost.
She lost track of time after that. Even as she was ushered away to allow Chopper to work in peace, she let the world pass over her, her traitorous mind focusing purely on the nightmarish fact that Luffy was in danger and she could do nothing to help.
In the brief moments of lucidity her mind allowed, she heard Jinbei explaining their enemy. The words 'Blackbeard' and 'Brother' struck chords within her but she was too exhausted to grab on to the thoughts. She could see the looks on the faces of the rest of the crew and even in her shell shocked state, they saddened her. Zoro, Sanji and Robin look enraged, fists clenched tight with fury, embodying their captain's earlier mood, while Nami and Usopp appeared to be on the verge of tears. Franky, Brook and Jinbei looked more concerned than anything else and, as always, Chopper was too focused on his task to show any emotion beyond resolute determination.
The return to the Sunny was a blur for the most part. Yamato carried Luffy's limp form gently under Chopper's instructions and stubbornly, she told the reindeer that she would watch over Luffy until he awoke. She placed him gently upon the silk sheets of her own gargantuan bed and sat beside him, settling in for the long wait, swearing to herself and the rest of her friends that she would make sure that she would be there when he awoke.
That had been more than 12 hours ago and still Luffy showed no signs of improvement. He was stable, according to Chopper, but since the effect came from a relatively unknown source like a Devil Fruit, there was no way to tell when he would recover. It could be any second or it could be days, either way, Yamato didn't plan on leaving his side for a moment.
She slumped back against the pillow padded headboard of her bed and closed her eyes, heaving a deep sigh. Bare slivers of moonlight slipped through the glass of her window bathing the mostly dim room in a silver glow that would have been beautiful had she been in the mood to admire it, instead it just felt like mocking. The room was hot, uncomfortably so, but Yamato didn't have the will to get up and open the porthole even if it was only the otherside of the room. The scant five foot walk may as well have been a million miles away because she felt like if she left him for even a moment, he would slip away from her, and she would be alone again, just like before. She shook her head in defiance, forcing herself to stay away from that train of thought. Instead, she surveyed her room for a distraction.
She cursed herself in passing for never getting around to filling her room with more personality, reaping the rewards of that negligence by having nothing more to stare at than hardwood walls and the shadows that played across them from the minimal light. In her defence, she never really used the spacious cabin, instead she spent most nights sleeping on the deck under the open air, in the massive hammock fit for a mainsail that she often shared with Luffy. Now, she was regretting at least not putting something to differentiate between the barren walls.
The only thing that drew her eye was a lone yellow and red hanging from the corner of her bedside table.
Luffy's prized possession had been damaged in the scrap that followed him being knocked out, one of the pirates had taken great pleasure in intentionally stamping on it when the string tying it around Luffy's neck had broken. Yamato had a vague recollection of a tearful Nami, bringing it to her, having repaired it as best she could, and now it sat in Yamato's room, within easy reach of its owner ̶i̶f̶ when he awoke.
She wasn't sure what compelled her but she took the hat from its resting place and passed it back and forth between her hands, inspecting its ratty and worn exterior.
Luffy often told her how much this innocuous accessory meant to him, how it was drive and ambition, and how the man who had given it to him changed his life forever. The first time he'd told her the story, she'd recognised the absolute sense of boundless admiration and inspiration that shone from his eyes: she knew it better than anyone because it was the same way she felt whenever she read her hero's journal. This hat represented a piece of Luffy's soul the same way her bible represented a piece of hers: it was a tangible piece of his conviction, something that made him who he was. A small, shattered and frantic part of her brain wondered idly if it was even worth it if the price to pay was what lay before her.
She clutched the frayed edges of the hat like a lifeline, her trembling fingers threatening to rip the tattered fabric. Slowly, she placed Luffy's treasure atop her head, mindful of her horns, and resumed the rhythmic pattern that she traced into his scalp with her fingertips. Somehow, the simple hat made her feel better, like she was closer to him somehow. Gods she thought I must be going insane.
"Looks good on you,"
The voice cut through the humid air of the cabin like a razor, almost sending Yamato flying across the room with her heart burst from her chest. The words themselves weren't anything special, rather the person who had said them was. For a brief moment, she thought that her mind was playing a cruel trick, making her hear his voice, but then she lowered her gaze and she almost broke down into tears. Strawhat Luffy stared up at her, his tired yet smiling face draining her fears out to sea and making her heart race.
"Maybe I should be 'Strawhat' from now on," the tremble in her voice was unavoidable but Luffy didn't mention it, choosing to laugh instead. Somehow, even after hours of being in a coma, it was as strong and as heartwarming as it always was.
"Nah you can't do that, then you wouldn't be Yamato anymore," he said, pushing himself up with his forearms and accepting Yamato's help with a quick thanks. Once he was sat up properly, Yamato wasted no time engulfing him entirely with a bone crushing hug. Tears flowed unabashed from her reddened eyes, soaking the bandages that wrapped around his torso and shoulders, but he didn't seem to mind.
"If you weren't in bad shape I'd beat the hell out of you myself," Yamato choked, her voice somewhat muffled as her head was buried into the crook of his neck and shoulder. "You scared me," her voice was so low when she said this that she half expected him not to hear her, half didn't want him to either: being vulnerable wasn't something she was particularly fond of even if it was in front of someone she loved. Luffy stiffened at her words, sucking in a sharp breath, but returned her embrace with near equal vigour. Well, he tried to at least, but Yamato's bear hug had pinned his arms to his side.
"I'm sorry, I was careless," he mumbled
To this, Yamato couldn't hold back a snort: trust him to state the obvious. "You? No, that can't be right," she giggled. He hadn't been awake for more than two minutes and already he was making her laugh. She could feel his shoulders shaking with his own amusement, clearly in better spirits himself.
"Shishishi, Yamato is mean…" he teased, pulling back from the embrace, grinning at her. Then, as quick as it appeared, his smile drained. His face became pale and taut, his entire body coiled like spring.
"What's wrong?" Yamato asked, taking his comparatively small hand into her own.
"Is everyone alright? Is anyone hurt?" His voice was feverish and rushed, clearly distressed at the possibility and Yamato couldn't help but feel that his concern over others despite him being the unconscious one, was telling of his character.
"Everyone's okay," she soothed, placing her free palm on his cheek, "You think Zoro would let anything happen to us while you were out?" He visabled relaxed at her words, the tension in his shoulders slipping away as he realised that his crew were safe. "Though I bet they're wondering when their moron of a captain is going to wake up," she added, trying to ease his stress further. Instead, Luffy's eyes filled with something akin to shame, something that was so out of character for him, that it threw Yamato off kilter. The rubber man reached his hand towards her and ran his thumb softly across her cheek, wiping away a lingering tear that she hadn't even realised was still there.
"I made you cry," he said plainly. He didn't yell or shout or plead for her forgiveness, he didn't need to. Those four words, four words that didn't even constitute an apology for worrying her, carried more weight than any simple 'sorry' ever could. Luffy lived a life without regret, it was one of his qualities that drew her to him, but those four words told her that he would do everything in his power to make sure he would never be the cause of her tears again. It made her feel loved beyond explanation.
Yamato tugged gently on his wrist, dragging him towards her slightly at the same time as she leant forward herself. When he was close enough, she rested her forehead against his "Close your eyes," she whispered. He did as instructed, inhaling sharply through his nose. They stayed like that for a while, both enjoying the proximity and neither willing to break the steady peace that they often found in one another. When Yamato was sure Luffy wasn't going to open his eyes however, she pulled away somewhat, angled her chin until they aligned, and kissed him deeply.
Immediately Luffy gasped again, overwhelmed by the sudden kiss but, after his initial shock, he melted into her, making a little noise at the back of his throat that let Yamato know he was more than okay with it. He wound his arms around her waist and gripped the fabric of her shirt with intensity, desperate to remain as close to her as possible, while she ran the fingers of her free hand through the untamed mess of his raven hair. They became lost in one another, the whole world except for the two of them fell away, unimportant in the face of their intimacy and, even if it was just for a moment, the trauma and stress of the day was gone, replaced only by the now: something that the both of them sorely needed.
They parted slowly, both panting, red faced and immensely pleased. Luffy's goofy smile was infectious and Yamato didn't mind one bit. Their faces were still close, close enough for Yamato to bump her nose into his, playfully. "I was worried about you, idiot, of course I cried. Don't dwell on it," she said, still short of breath. Then, quicker than Luffy could blink, she pulled away in rapid motion, and proceeded to mercilessly flick him on the forehead, snapping his head back with the force of a bullet, enough to draw a high pitched yelp of pain from the rubber man. "But if you do something like that again, I'll be the one to knock you out, got it?" She scowled at him as she folded her arms.
Luffy narrowed his eyes as he rubbed his sore skull, clearly debating if she was joking or not. The combination of the stinging pain and the death glare she was giving him gave him his answer. He smiled gently. "I'll be counting on you."
Yamato smirked, satisfied. She was pretty certain that he would heed her words but it was always good to remind him that she would smack him around for being too stupid if need be. She kissed him again, a quick peck on the lips for placing his trust in her, even if it was a given at this point anyway. "Right, that's settled then. Just one more thing," she said, taking smug delight in his dazed expression, "Who were those pirates? What set you off like that?" She had a suspicion that it had something to do with Ace, if the snippets of what she heard from Jinbei were anything to go by, but she wanted to hear the full story from Luffy himself. Whatever the situation was, it was big, and Yamato wanted to make sure that she had the whole picture.
For what felt like the millionth trip on the apparent emotional rollercoaster he was having , Luffy's charming smile dropped from his face quicker than Yamato could bite back her words. He bowed his head and the low light of the room's only lantern cast his face in eerie shadows. His grip on Yamato's hand tightened, not to a painful degree, but enough to let her know that something was seriously bothering him. Whoever those pirates followed was someone that even he was concerned about. "That was Blackbeard's crew, he's…he's the one that captured Ace and gave him to the Marines. He's the reason my brother's dead," when he spoke, he spoke with great pain: his voice was heavy, holding more than a dose of anger.
The words hit Yamato like cannon fire, and suddenly the bone white grip of Luffy's hand, and the reckless rage he'd displayed earlier started to make sense. If she was in his position, she was positive that she would have been just as blinded.
Despite it being the centrepiece of every newspaper she could get her hands on for a good few months, Yamato knew very little about the details of the death of her once great friend. She knew that he'd been captured by someone and turned into the Marines for execution, but she'd always assumed it had been one of the Navy's powerful fighters that had subdued him, not a fellow pirate. Whoever this Blackbeard was, he had to be extremely dangerous to not only have been able to capture Ace, but to have the gall to attack an emperor of the sea like Luffy as well. The only person she knew of that possessed such heedless ambition was… well, the Strawhat captain himself.
She recovered quickly from the shock, forcing herself to feel her own emotions with reckless abandon later on, far away from Luffy so that she might be able to soothe his pains in that moment. Instead of re-opening the mourning wound for her lost friend, she steeled herself, Luffy was her priority, she could cry later. She lifted his lowered chin with the crook of her finger, bidding him to look at her again and kissed him gently on the forehead, ignoring the tickle on her nose from his unkempt bangs. He met her gaze with reluctance, but the kiss helped win him over.
His uncharacteristic timidness did not faze her as she spoke her mind. "When Ace died, you were alone but those days are gone. Now you have us, now you have me," Yamato stared into Luffy's unblinking eyes and she could see the helplessness that had plagued him so long ago, buried deep behind his new strength. It reminded her of herself in a way: just a kid pushing back against an immovable mountain. "If we run into this Blackbeard again, don't rush off on your own, because I want the chance to kick his ass alongside you, got it?" She held his gaze with the intensity of someone unshakable in their resolution, something she was sure he'd approve of.
She wasn't just saying it for his sake either, Ace had been her dear friend.
When she'd learned of his death it had broken her: she was trapped on that godforsaken island, while her only real friend had been killed a thousand miles away, and she could do nothing to stop it. She wasn't one to seek vengeance against others (except her father of course) but she had to admit, the idea of beating up the guy who was responsible for the best friend's death was certainly appealing.
For his part, Luffy looked back at her with a mixture of admiration and hope that made her heart skip several unimportant beats. His gawking was unaccompanied by words, but Yamato knew better than to intercede with her own talking, the rubber man needed time to think after all. A few moments later, he appeared to be done: his appreciative look cleared up a little and he gulped ever so slightly. He clenched his jaw, uncertain of what to say. When he couldn't find the words, he gave a curt nod and smiled with his trademark warmth, letting Yamato know that he had taken her words to heart. Satisfied, Yamato gave him a bright smile of her own and moved to stand up.
"Good," she slid off of the ruffled sheets of the bed, "I know that you've been knocked out for a while but you need proper rest, get some sleep and i'll bring you food when you wake up again," Yamato began to make her way out of the cabin, where she planned to let everyone know that the captain was okay, and then to pester Sanji until he put together a mountain of food for the rubber man. She didn't even make it two steps away from the door before she felt a soft, desperate grip around her wrist, turning to find Luffy shyly inspecting his hat, face red from cheek to cheek.
"Stay…" he said, unable to meet her gaze. "Hum for me again."
Without so much as a second thought Yamato reclaimed her seat on the bed, the ruffled silk sheets somehow feeling oh so enticing now. How could she say no to that face? She crossed her legs monk style and patted her thigh invitingly for Luffy, something that he took her up on, laying his head down upon her lap much the same way he was positioned earlier. On reflex, Yamato's fingertips found their way to Luffy's messy locks where she began to run them, through softly, earning her a contented sigh of approval as she began to hum her best approximation of one of Brooks originals, this time with no sobbing pauses. Luffy was asleep within minutes.
Once again, Yamato stared down at the drowsing face of her captain, this time taking pure delight in every twitch or snore or sigh that animated his boyish face. The once stuffy and overbearing warmth of the room now seemed comforting by comparison now that the world was right again, and it drew a mighty yawn from the drained Oni. The tension she had been holding in her body, the steel tight muscles and the lock stiff joints, slowly began to loosen with every relaxing breath and she took it as a good sign that her exhausted body was now demanding rest. It wasn't long after that she followed him into the realm of sleep, sliding down her massive bed to the side of where he lay, draping one muscled arm across his body protectively, letting the world know that Strawhat Luffy was her family and that nobody was going to take him away.