Author's Note: Hi everyone and welcome to Chapter 20! We are officially halfway through this story of mine, so it's about time for some things to be revealed ;) Over the next few chapters, we'll be talking about important plot points and moving into the next semester (as well as towards the upcoming war). I hope ya'll enjoy it!
To Oracle: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! You may have to wait a bit to see his Naga form again in all its glory but it is coming up soon ;) Thanks so much for the encouragement!
To Guest: Haha, inspiration is a great thing! Lol I'm glad I could make you laugh XD
To kuromi123: Whitebeard does indeed have an entertaining hobby lol. Katakuri and Luffy are so wholesome, honestly...just in a weird 'I'm still your enemy' sort of way at the moment XD
To hiroyildiz: Luffy is amazing :)
To Ani-Me Fanboy 123: Yeah, he might get in trouble...though it depends on who disciplines him lol. More on teams and the like in a few chapters, though you can expect some potential manipulation from ill-meaning summoners, for sure. I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far!
To Nis Safiyyah: Thank you so much!
To livinganime14: Hehe should read and see what happens ;)
WARNINGS:
- Chaos
- Kidnapping (?)
- Mihawk has been keeping secrets
Luffy moved before he'd even thought about the consequences of confronting a very dangerous creature. All he knew was that Mihawk appeared out of nowhere and approached his friend, who looked scared. That was enough for him. So, ignoring Whitebeard's questioning bark, he leapt into action and put himself between the demon and Zoro without a second thought.
He dared not move under Mihawk's golden stare even as the whispers started in the stands. People were noticing the odd occurrence in the arena.
"Uh, looks like something's happening folks…we about to get a ranger show?"
Luffy ignored the announcer and focused on the enemy before him. He knew very well that Mihawk was stronger than him, but he refused to let him touch Zoro.
"I warned you to stay out of my way…and yet here you are." Mihawk said, still appearing 'human' though Luffy could tell he probably wouldn't stay that way for long, "Was it you who attempted to remove my mana from Roronoa?"
"Yeah." Luffy answered, ears perked and listening for an attack, "He's not yours to manipulate!" Mihawk scoffed and his eyes glowed brighter for a split second.
"You understand nothing, boy. Now get out of my way before I make you move."
Sensing Mihawk was going to move, Luffy leaped backwards and tackled Zoro to the ground just as the demon released whatever spell was keeping his mana hidden. A shockwave flew over their heads and gasps of shock came from the crowd. A glance over his shoulder revealed that Mihawk no longer looked human.
"W-What in the world!? Is that a-"
"What the hell!?" Luffy's head swiveled to where Bellamy had remained after his loss to Zoro, eyes blown wide open at the sudden appearance of the creature.
"Bellamy, run!" He yelled while tugging a still catatonic Zoro to his feet. Even afraid as he obviously was, the jerk made a face at the suggestion, like he didn't want to listen to Luffy, so he tried a different tactic. "Do you want to die!? RUN!"
That seemed to resonate with him and he ran towards the stands, attempting to climb up the wall that separated the arena from the spectators. When Luffy turned around to run himself, he yelped at the sudden appearance of Mihawk. He was so fast!
"Where do you think you're going?"
Luffy quickly attempted to brace himself for an attack, but it never came because a massive (and familiar) trident embedded itself in the ground between them. He looked up and saw Katakuri, no longer in hiding either, looking menacing as usual.
At Katakuri's appearance, the screams started and the announcer suggested they evacuate.
"Tch." Mihawk clicked his tongue in annoyance before flapping his wings to create a strong gust of wind. Luffy barely managed to hold onto Zoro as they were sent tumbling into the far wall. He grunted at the impact, seeing stars for a few seconds.
"Luffy…you okay?" Zoro asked, holding his head gingerly. He nodded and moved to balance on the balls of his feet despite having the wind knocked out of him. By the time he had recovered from the attack, Katakuri had landed in the arena and created a triangle of sorts between them. "W-Why is Mihawk here? I…don't understand."
"I don't know," Luffy admitted, keeping his eyes trained on the two creatures, "but I think we're gonna have to fight. Are you up for it?" Zoro tensed his jaw and nodded, slightly shaking hand moving to rest on one of the swords on his belt.
"Yeah, let's do it."
Just as they got into a fighting position, Mihawk charged again, only to be stopped by Katakuri. When the two demons clashed, pulses of energy were sent throughout the arena, making rubble fall from the taller aspects of the coliseum. Luffy watched with big eyes as people covered their heads, screaming as they attempted to avoid being hit.
However, his attention was quickly drawn back to Katakuri and Mihawk when they separated and the hawk demon rushed around him with great speed, targeting Zoro. While Katakuri wound up for another attack, blue-flames descended from the sky. Luffy and Zoro ran around the edge of the coliseum while Marco attacked Mihawk, screeching loudly in his true form.
"This doesn't look good!" Zoro managed as they ran, eyes locked on the three powerful creatures, "They could bring down the whole place!" Luffy couldn't help but agree and activated his mana sight so he could search for his brothers. Trying to ignore the immense amounts of mana coming from the fight was a bit difficult, but he managed to locate Ace and Sabo on the edge of the arena.
They were both unmoving and concentrating hard, which probably meant they were sending mana to Marco to help him in the fight. Just as he was about to tell Zoro they should run towards his brothers, something appeared right in front of them. As fast as they were going, they both smacked into it rather violently and were knocked onto their backs.
"W-What the-"
"Gurarara!" The massive thing laughed, making Luffy's mana senses tingle, "This certainly looks fun…I think I'd like to join in."
Luffy's mouth dropped when he realized that Whitebeard was no longer a dog, but a giant. His ridiculous mana flowed off him in waves and was so thick it was almost smothering. He was so large that Luffy only came up to about his ankle. Still, even massive, Whitebeard gave off a warm aura that hadn't changed…just got more intense as he prepared for battle.
Luffy and Zoro both yelped when the giant knelt down and grabbed them in one massive hand, bringing them up to his face while (probably unintentionally) pinning their arms to their sides.
"Are you all right, little ones?" He asked, looking them over for injuries.
"Uh…yeah, we're fine." Luffy answered, looking over his shoulder at the fight behind them. It was getting aggressive and difficult to see what was going on. He gasped when the giant's tightened ever so slightly. "Erm, y-you're kind of squishing us, Mr. Whitebeard."
The creature immediately opened his hand, allowing them to collapse onto his palm.
"My apologies, children. It was not my intention to hurt you."
Just as Luffy caught his breath in the palm of the giant, the fight began to migrate over to the newly appeared Whitebeard. Zoro and Luffy were both forced to cover their heads as the wind picked up and the powerful creatures clashed right over their heads. While Whitebeard immediately closed his fingers to protect them, Luffy could still feel the furious mana of the monsters fighting.
It was almost ridiculous how strong they were.
"What should we do, yoi?" Marco asked, retreating from the fight to speak with Whitebeard. Luffy peered up at his beautiful form through Whitebeard's fingers with awe while Zoro seemed uncertain about being so close to creatures. He clearly didn't like being held by one. "If this continues, people could be hurt."
"Yeah, which is why we need to take the fight elsewhere." Whitebeard explained, eyes never leaving Katakuri and Mihawk who continued to clash, "Go pick up Thatch and your humans…take them home. I'll be along shortly with the others."
"Hold it right there, Whitebeard!" A familiar voice called, drawing the creature's attention. It was Shanks in a form Luffy had never seen before. He had feline ears like Lucci did when he transformed but also seemed to have leathery, black skin in patches all over him like that of sea mammal. Luffy noted a little bit of fur and cat-like fangs, but the rest of him looked more aquatic. "You don't really think I'm going to let you take some of our students, do you?" Whitebeard chuckled in amusement.
"You're welcome to try, brat, but I believe moving this altercation is the best option…unless you have a better idea?"
"You just want to kidnap them!" Shanks accused, bristling at the giant, "You're taking advantage of this chaos and I'm not letting Luffy get kidnapped again!"
Suddenly, Shanks shifted forms and began to grow larger and larger. Luffy's jaw hit the floor yet again when his teacher turned into a massive dragon and threw himself at Whitebeard without warning. The giant tossed him and Zoro up into the air where Marco gracefully caught them, one in each claw.
Luffy swallowed hard. Now there were two fights going on. Thankfully, most of the students and guests had already evacuated and the rest of the rangers couldn't be far away.
"Marco!" Thatch called, waving his arms wildly from beside Ace and Sabo. They'd both stopped concentrating on their mana and were watching them with aft attention. "What's the plan?"
"We're leaving, yoi." Su-Zaku answered while flying over towards them, "I'm going to get a portal going and-" Marco was forced to stop speaking when Mihawk leapt up and attacked him, slicing through his legs with that massive sword of his. He squawked in pain while Luffy felt himself go weightless.
Mihawk had essentially cut off Marco's feet, forcing him to drop them. Without even thinking, Luffy tapped into his Valera abilities. He grabbed Zoro's arm, rotated so he was facing Marco, and threw his friend back up towards the quickly regenerating creature. Luffy heard his brothers calling his name as he fell but he focused on Zoro. Thankfully, Marco caught him and maneuvered away from Mihawk.
Just before he thought to rotate his own body so he wouldn't break something when he hit the ground, something caught him.
"You are reckless, boy." Katakuri chided, placing Luffy on his shoulder as he rushed after Mihawk. He held on tight, ears flapping in the wind.
"Sorry!" He replied, heart racing when the demon leapt up to meet his opponent in the air.
Zoro pulled himself away from the flaming creature who'd caught him the second he was put on solid ground and rushed forward to search for Luffy. Thankfully, he'd been caught before being seriously injured but now he was holding on to yet another creature for dear life.
"We can't just leave Luffy!"
"I know, but you need to let Pops handle it, yoi."
Luffy's brothers were arguing with the creatures and he grit his teeth. It made him uncomfortable to be around so many creatures in general but with Mihawk around…his emotions were a total mess. Not only that, but he was fairly certain he could feel the bastard's mana getting agitated inside him, which only made him angrier.
Zoro turned back towards them when the bird, Marco he remembered, opened a portal with little effort. His eyes opened wide when the dark elf just grabbed Luffy's brothers and dragged them through the portal.
"You need to go too, yoi." The creature ordered, drawing a snarl from his lips.
"No, I'm staying. Luffy needs help."
"He'll be fine so long as Pops is here." Marco continued while approaching him, "Not only that, but Katakuri seems quite fond of him, yoi. He won't let him be hurt." Zoro jolted in surprise when the large demon with the trident was finally named.
That was Katakuri…as in the demon who kidnapped and interrogated his best friend!? Luffy was definitely not safe with him!
Zoro attempted to draw one of his swords but was skillfully stopped by Marco. The creature pushed the weapon back into the hilt and spun him around towards the portal, one arm twisted behind his back.
"Sorry about this…but we really need to go, yoi."
He was forced into the portal kicking and screaming.
Luffy kept his mana sight active as the fights grew more and more aggressive, all while being very careful not to absorb any of Katakuri's mana by accident. He didn't want a repeat of what happened in the mirror world. When Mihawk noticed that Marco had taken Zoro and the others away, his attacks grew more forceful.
He seemed almost desperate to get to Zoro, which worried Luffy.
Meanwhile, Shanks and Whitebeard were clashing in a very large scale battle that had already destroyed a good portion of the thankfully empty stadium. Luffy searched the stands for other rangers but could tell that most of them were handling the evacuation.
"Calm yourself, Mihawk!" Katakuri snarled while thrusting forward with his trident, prompting the hawk-demon to agilely move out of the way, "This isn't like you!"
"None of you understand." Mihawk hissed back, eyes bright and glowing molten, "It's not time yet…he's trying to awaken and I have to make sure he stays asleep!" Luffy frowned at that. What was he talking about?
It was then that Whitebeard threw Shanks' massive body across the arena, right at them. Katakuri skid to a halt while Luffy's eyes just widened. The ranger, however, seemed completely fine with being tossed like a hacky sack and simply morphed into the smaller cat-like form from earlier in mid-air. Katakuri cursed and lifted his trident to guard, but Shanks slipped by it like an eel and snatched Luffy off his shoulder, landing with an arm protectively around Luffy's waist.
"You okay, kiddo?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Luffy replied, ears falling back against his head when he noticed how displeased Katakuri seemed to be to have him removed from his shoulder. "Uh…what now?" Before Shanks could reply, the ground shook, sending almost everyone to their knees. Whitebeard was walking towards them.
"Now…we take this elsewhere." The giant said in a deep, resounding voice. Luffy's eyes widened when the sand beneath their feet vanished, disappearing into a massive portal that appeared out of where. Beside him, Shanks cursed and grabbed Luffy, holding him tight as they sunk down into the darkness.
Seconds later, they were falling.
Luffy yelped in surprise at how high above the ground they were and immediately wished he could summon his Leaper friends to help slow his fall. Thankfully, Shanks just turned into his gargoyle form and used his wings to slow their fall. Not far from them were Mihawk and Katakuri, both drifting down slowly as well.
He looked around while they approached the ground, curious where they were. It definitely wasn't the Mesa since the sky was a mixture of yellows, browns, and blacks as it swirled a pretty twilight haze. Below them was a green field with lots of flowers and a few groves of tress spattered around.
"Damn old man." Gargoyle-Shanks muttered, "He's taken us to his realm."
"This is where he lives?"
"Yeah…you can see his castle over there." Luffy followed Shanks' gaze and gasped when he finally noticed the massive structure fit against the side of a mountain. It was grand and medieval and awesome. He focused back on Shanks when they landed in the field, scattering a few flower petals.
"Luffy!" Someone called, making him turn his head towards the sound.
"Zoro, you're okay!" Luffy answered, waving at his friend who looked particularly pissed off. Though wary of Shanks, Zoro ran up to them nonetheless, hands fingering the hilts of his swords. When he jumped down onto the grass, Zoro immediately starting checking him for wounds.
"Did that bastard hurt you?" He demanded, all but growling at Katakuri who'd landed nearby and neatly folded his wings against his back.
"No, he didn't-" Luffy grunted when Ace and Sabo rushed him as well, squeezing him in a tight hug, "Ouch…I can't b-breathe." They quickly released him at that.
"Sorry, Lu, we're just glad you're okay." Sabo put in, eyeing his ears with great interest, "A Valera, huh? I didn't think you could get cuter…but those ears." Luffy blushed at that while Ace just ruffled his hair affectionately.
"You guys are embarrassing me…"
"That's our job as your big brother." Ace quickly replied with a wink before turning back to the other creatures gathered there, "So now what?"
Luffy looked up when Whitebeard himself descended from the sky, landing not far from them. He seemed quite pleased with himself but hadn't let his guard down completely.
"Welcome to my realm, little ones." The giant smiled down at Luffy, his brothers, and Zoro before turning to Mihawk and Katakuri, "What do you say we talk this out over a meal? I'd prefer not to ruin my landscaping when we can settle this peacefully." Katakuri hummed and allowed his trident to vanish into darkness.
"Very well."
Mihawk seemed to consider the giant's words but didn't sheathe his blade.
"I cannot rest until I accomplish what I came to the human world to do."
Next to Luffy, Zoro bristled, clearly angry. He glanced at his friend but was taken aback by the mana surrounding him. Mihawk's mana was once again visible in his eyes and around his forehead, but his friend's own mana was also seeping out like a vapor. Unlike most mana he interacted with, Zoro's was…black? Humans normally had blue mana…what was going on? Didn't Mihawk's mark keep his mana from leaving his body?
Shanks seemed concerned as well and looked over Zoro with an appraising eye.
Across from them, Mihawk's gaze was locked onto Zoro and he took a step towards them, making the green-haired summoner reach for his swords.
"Don't come any closer!" He snapped, black mana pulsing. The other creatures had noticed the odd occurrence at this point while Ace and Sabo seemed confused.
"Uh, Zoro?" Luffy asked softly, trying not to freak him out, "Y-Your mana…do you feel okay?" His friend didn't respond, eyes locked onto Mihawk. Luffy attempted to place a hand on his shoulder but recoiled with a hiss of pain. Zoro's skin felt hot to the touch.
"You need to calm down, Roronoa." Mihawk called, walking towards him once again. This, however, seemed to have the opposite effect of making Zoro's breathing get faster.
"No, no, no…y-you…" Luffy's eyes widened when the black mana suddenly recoiled, gathering inside Zoro, "You…STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" They were blasted backwards when the black mana exploded out in a shock wave of power, sending even Whitebeard to his knees.
When Luffy recovered and straightened up, Zoro looked like a man possessed.
He was floating in midair with streaks of black appearing on his skin. They wound around his arms, neck, and even his face, framing his currently closed eyes. Mihawk's mana across his forehead seemed to be wavering from the sudden attack and didn't look like it would retain its hold on Zoro for much longer. Around Zoro's body, the black mana formed what looked like wings at his back and reflections of two additional sets of arms materialized like mist below his existing ones.
"Mihawk…what the hell is this!?" Shanks yelled, ducking to avoid a streak of black lightning that struck over their heads. The hawk-demon looked distressed and grit his teeth as he stood across from Zoro.
"He's woken up…"
"Who!?"
Luffy jolted when, suddenly, Zoro's eyes opened wide, revealing blood red eyes. While everyone watched, Mihawk sheathed his sword and walked slowly towards the floating summoner. Zoro's frightening gaze tracked the demon and he tilted his head like he was appraising him. Luffy swallowed nervously.
What happened to his friend?
When Mihawk was just a few feet from Zoro, he knelt like a vassal before his king.
"My Liege…it is an honor to see you again."
"Eh?" Luffy managed, mouth open in shock. His Liege? From what Zoro told him, he and Mihawk weren't on good terms after the demon murdered his family…so why was he…
Luffy was very confused.
"Oh, Dracule." Zoro replied in a strange voice. It sounded like him but it had another layer in his voice that was deeper. "It's been a while…where am I?"
"The Bearded Giant's realm." Mihawk answered, still kneeling, "I apologize, things have gotten out of hand…and your spirit is still incomplete. Please allow me to redo the seal for the time being."
Zoro (was it really him?) just hummed and scanned the crowd with his red gaze. Eventually, it settled on Luffy and he floated up to him with surprising speed, making him jump and his ears go back. His friend looked him over, bringing a now clawed hand up to his chin like he was thinking hard about something.
"Yes, I remember you…you're the polite one."
"P-Polite one?" Luffy questioned, unsure what he meant. Zoro just smirked.
"Yeah, the little ranger with essentially no mana who introduced yourself a few days ago. It's been a long time since anyone has had the skills to touch my mana without dying. I'm impressed." Luffy squeaked in surprise when his friend suddenly picked him up under his arms, holding him off the ground a little. "Yes, you'll do. DRACULE!"
He called the hawk-demon, earning his attention.
"My Liege?"
"I've decided I want this ranger as my servant. Make it so."
"Wait what!?" Ace put in, eyes wide. Luffy was too shocked to say anything and remained limp in Zoro's grip. He was now convinced that whoever this was…it wasn't Zoro. They were just using his body. Unfortunately, Ace's outburst drew the creature's attention and he immediately licked his lips, exposing sharp teeth.
"Oh…and what's this? Delectable morsels all lined up for me. You are too thoughtful." At the threatening posture, Marco and Thatch appeared, pushing Luffy's brothers behind them.
"I don't know who you are, but these humans aren't up for grabs." Thatch said, now back in his dark elf form. The being in Zoro's body chuckled darkly and dropped Luffy down onto his bottom without warning.
"A dark elf, hmmm? I'm almost offended at your lack of respect but I suppose it is understandable…I've been gone a long time." Zoro's eyes glowed and all of sudden, Thatch was thrown to his knees in an almost prostrate position. Based on his expression, it hadn't been of his own free will. "Isn't that better?"
Marco immediately lit up one of his arms in a blue flame like he was going to attack, but a deep voice stopped him.
"Stand down, Marco." Luffy turned to stare up at Whitebeard who looked very serious while Shanks (back in his human form now) helped him to his feet and stepped away from Zoro. The red-eyed creature turned to Whitebeard, smirk widening as he did so. "I must admit that I didn't think I'd ever see you again…Asura."
"Edward!" Zoro answered almost gleefully, "What a pleasant surprise! The last time I saw you, you were so young…look at you now."
Luffy rubbed at the skin under his arms, looking between the two obviously powerful creatures. Mihawk was on his feet by now and Katakuri seemed shocked. Who was this being who'd taken over Zoro's body?
Who was this…Asura?
"I ask that you release my son before things get unpleasant." Almost immediately Thatch recoiled from his knees, breathing hard.
"Of course, my apologies. I wasn't aware that he was one of yours. I suppose this means those delicious humans are also yours?" Ace and Sabo flinched when Asura turned to stare at them again with longing. "Such a pity…"
"My Liege." Mihawk put in, taking a step forward, "I know you want to enjoy yourself, but now is not the time. I need to re-seal you-"
"Yes, yes, I know." Asura replied, flippantly waving the demon off, "I haven't been awake in a few millennia, let me have a little fun."
"Who are you?" Luffy found himself asking, making the creature turn back towards him with an almost amused smirk. As it approached him yet again, Shanks tensed beside him, ready to fight if he needed to.
"You mean you don't know, little rabbit? Surely you were taught about my exploits in school."
"You are Asura, Bringer of Death." Katakuri suddenly said, walking towards them with slow steps, "A creature who most of us had conveniently forgotten."
"Wait…you don't mean-"
"I do." Katakuri continued, frowning down at the much shorter yet equally terrifying creature, "You are the previous Demon King, which means this human is your heir."
How Katakuri didn't recognize the Demon King at first, he didn't know. Then again, even Mama and Kaido forgot about him, and he was beginning to think it wasn't just because time passed. However, when he laid eyes on his mana, even in a different body, Katakuri knew him. Memories of visiting the King when he was just a child came flooding back…along with the fearful reverence he held for him.
How could they even think that little Luffy was the King? Perhaps it was all part of whatever spell was placed on them to make them forget.
Katakuri should've predicted that Mihawk's human was Asura's heir, but shamefully, the thought didn't even cross his mind. It made sense in retrospect…the marking, mana, strange obsession with him. Mihawk was protecting his master.
But then…why was the human, Zoro, so afraid of him? Perhaps he too, was unaware of the power he caried.
"Ho…you're one of Linlin's brats." Asura replied with mild interest, "You've aged as well, makes me feel old."
"I'm surprised you chose a human to be the next King." Katakuri continued, trying to get Asura back on topic, "Most wouldn't deem that wise or acceptable." The other creature just snickered and made to respond but stopped when his wings and arms started to flicker, like they would disappear any second.
"Whoops, looks like my time is up. Dracule, can you handle the rest?"
"Of course."
With that, the black mana retreated back into the human and the markings began to disappear. As he floated down to the ground, his facial expression relaxed, and his eyes closed. A few seconds later, the teen collapsed forward, caught by young Luffy who rushed forward to catch him. They stood around the two in silence for a moment until one of Luffy's brothers finally spoke up.
"Okay, will someone kindly explain to me what the hell just happened?"
Later that evening, Luffy sat in a chair next to the bed they'd placed Zoro in after he'd passed out. He was alone in the room at the moment since Shanks was currently attempting to 'negotiate their release' from Whitebeard's clutches. Luffy didn't think the old giant had any bad intentions towards them. He'd even given him and his brothers presents!
Ace and Sabo hadn't been very impressed with the dresses (or tunics as Whitebeard insisted) but Luffy thought his was really comfy, and it had his name on it which was a nice touch. Of course, his name was spelled 'Loofi' but he didn't mind. Currently, he wore the oversized tunic over his other clothes while he waited for Zoro to wake up.
Even after they'd questioned him, Mihawk refused to explain more about what happened until Zoro could be present. Apparently, he'd decided that the green-haired teen needed to hear more about the thing living inside him, which Luffy thought was weird considering he'd worked so hard to hide it.
Luffy huffed and drooped slightly in his chair.
Was Zoro really the Demon King's heir? It was hard to believe but it seemed to be indisputably true. His conversation with Katakuri in the mirror world came to mind and he couldn't help but worry for his friend. Kaido had gone to great lengths to kidnap him because he thought Luffy was the heir. Now there was a good chance Zoro would be targeted.
"You okay, Lu?"
He turned around to see Sabo in the doorway with a tray full of what smelled like food. Luffy nodded absentmindedly while tracking the delicious smelling things in his brother's hands. Sabo smiled fondly down at him and pulled up a chair, dropping the treats in his lap.
"Thatch made these. Apparently they're scones of some sort? I don't really know, honestly, but they taste pretty good."
Luffy giggled at his brother's statement and snatched one of the scones up, munching on the end of it. His eyes lit up at the taste and he quickly grabbed another one while the first scone was still hanging out of his mouth.
"Slowly, Lu…don't choke."
"I won't." He managed with the food in his mouth, chewing slower as he turned back to Zoro. Sabo must have noticed his expression change because he scooted closer and put an arm around his shoulders.
"He's going to be okay. Marco looked at him and said nothing's wrong…at least physically. I bet he'll wake up soon."
"Right, but then what?" Luffy asked softly, clenching the tunic's fabric that fell around his thighs in his fists, "What if it's not…Zoro."
"Then we'll make him give Zoro back." Sabo shot back, squeezing Luffy affectionately, "Listen, I talked with Whitebeard and Marco a little about this so-called 'Asura' and found out some interesting things. You wanna hear?"
Luffy turned to his brother and nodded vigorously.
"Asura lived thousands of years ago and ruled Skotàdi for a long, unspecified amount of time, but apparently, one day, he just disappeared and folks' memories of him just…faded away." Sabo glanced to Zoro for a split second before continuing. "This is odd because in the past, most Demon Kings chose a successor, usually their child, and passed their soul on to them prior to the end of their reign. Eventually, the two souls merged together and the new King was born."
"But…if Azzie-"
"Asura."
"-lived so long ago, how come his soul is in Zoro now? He's not that old."
"That, I don't know." Sabo admitted, stealing another scone for himself, "I'm afraid we'll need Mihawk to fill in the rest of the gaps." Luffy sighed and leaned against his brother, nestling himself against his shoulder.
"Katakuri told me people are gonna come for the heir…that Kaido-guy thought it was me, which is why he tried so hard to catch me." Sabo nodded and ran a soothing hand through his hair. "But now it's Zoro and Katakuri knows, so he'll probably tell his Mama…and then-"
Luffy flinched when Katakuri's mana sent him a warning jolt just as he was about to discuss his vision of the future war. Sabo seemed concerned about it but didn't say anything. Thankfully, he gave-up trying to speak about it, so the mana relaxed.
"All we can do is prepare." Sabo said, scratching at Luffy's scalp, "I imagine the Academy is pretty freaked out after what happened at the Coliseum so once we return, there will be a lot to do, but we'll handle it. Everything will be fine."
'I hope so…' Luffy thought, closing his eyes to take a brief rest.
"How is he, yoi?"
"Exhausted." Sabo whispered, responding to Marco's inquiry, "He's been through a lot lately."
Marco sent Luffy a sympathetic glance before stepping up to Zoro and placing a hand on his forehead. A blue flame appeared, indicating the creature was checking the teen's condition. While he was working, Thatch peeked inside.
"Hey, how's it…oh, sorry."
"It's okay." Sabo replied with a thin smile, adjusting his sleeping brother in the hopes of making him more comfortable, "Did you need something?"
"Pops wanted to offer you guys a room." Thatch whispered, careful to not wake Luffy, "Izo has already taken Ace there and Katakuri got one of his own."
"Shanks?"
"He's still talking with Pops."
Sabo pressed his lips together in thought and glanced back to Zoro.
"Will he wake soon?"
"Probably in the morning, yoi. His mind is…well, it needs rest."
"All right, then we'll take you up on your offer." Sabo said while standing to his feet and lifting Luffy up into his arms. The boy looked awfully comfortable in that dress (tunic) and snuffled into his shoulder, still dead asleep. "Will one of you two stay with Zoro in the meantime? I know Luffy would appreciate it."
"Of course, yoi." Marco affirmed with a nod, "No harm will come to him."
Meanwhile…
The Academy was in chaos following the surprise attack at the Colosseum, but that didn't really concern Nami. If anything, it was good…made her activities draw less attention.
Vivi and the others were all a bit of a mess and uncomfortably emotional after learning that Luffy and Zoro had been caught up in the attack. The two were currently missing but given the fact that powerful creatures somehow appeared without issue, the leaders of the Academy had other things to be concerned about like the safety of the Mesa. There were even rumors that they'd be calling for some Celestial Knights to be stationed at the school for a brief period until they found out why their security wasn't working like it should.
"A-Are you sure we should be doing this? There's a curfew and-"
"Oh come on!" Nami replied to the random first-year summoner she'd convinced to come on a 'walk' with her, "I thought you wanted to have some fun?"
"U-U-Uh yeah, I mean, I do but…"
Inwardly, Nami cringed at the blush that appeared on the teen's face. He hadn't been difficult to coax out of the dorm on vague promises of a good time, but she hated the fact that this was the new plan. It was so much more efficient to just kidnap everyone at once, but a certain ranger ruined that attempt.
Who hurt you?
Nami tensed slightly when Luffy's voice echoed in her head.
I'm your friend, Nami.
'No, stop thinking about him!' She chided herself, biting her lip to refocus her mind on the mission at hand. Faking a laugh like she was having a good time, Nami led the unsuspecting student to a familiar alley where her 'partner in crime' was waiting.
"Oh, how fun…a new friend." Carina cooed, making the summoner's face turn bright red. Nami just rolled her eyes. Men were too easy. "Why don't you come right over here…we have a reward for you."
Nami watched, emotionless, as the student followed Carina like a lamb to the slaughter. Once he was close enough to the wall, a portal revealed itself and an arm reached through, grabbing him. He tried to scream but wasn't given enough time. Seconds later, it was just the two of them.
"I hate this."
"I know…it's tedious." Carina echoed, gazing at where the young summoner disappeared with surprising sympathy, her coy expression gone. "But if this is what Master Tesoro wants, then we'll do it without question. For our freedom."
"For our freedom." Nami muttered, turning around to return to her own dorm like she hadn't just led an innocent soul into a captivity unnervingly similar to her own.
I can help…WE can help.
'No one can help me.' She thought, fighting away the tears that threatened to fall. Nami had been fighting on her own for years and made steady progress until so-called friends came into the picture.
Yes…she was better off without them.