Author's Note: I'm on a roll with these updates XD Some more important revelations in this chapter (this time about Luffy) and we will also be moving towards dealing with Nami's problems ;) Thanks so much for your continued support and I hope ya'll enjoy the new chapter~
To OracleNorZi: Very interesting indeed ;)
To RVD: Aw thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
To Ani-Me Fanboy 123: Yeah, sorry Perona...she didn't have much of a roll. Emotionally intelligent is a good way to describe Luffy :) We shall have to wait and see what happens with Katakuri and everyone, but lots of exciting things are ahead! Thanks so much for the review!
To kaigirl16: Lol I tried to catch most of ya'll by surprise with Zoro but I did drop some hints XD
To livinganime14: Zoro does need hugs, poor guy :(
To Summer Nickels: Thank you so much! Here's an update for ya :)
WARNINGS:
- Garp being Garp
- Luffy teaching important lessons
- PLOT
As soon as Luffy, Zoro, his brothers, and Shanks returned to the Mesa, they were quickly ushered to the Headmaster's office. Mr. Akainu looked less than pleased and didn't have many nice things to say, but Shanks did his best to explain what happened.
"Are you telling me that you two idiots let powerful creatures into the Exhibition…including Whitebeard!?" Akainu bellowed, glaring at Ace and Sabo, "What the hell were you thinking!?"
"In case you forgot, they helped protect everyone."
"Don't change the subject." The Headmaster growled, focusing in on Ace who didn't seem ruffled at all, "If you two were still students here, I'd expel you."
"Their actions aside," Shanks interrupted, trying to get everyone back onto the main topic, "danger is coming to the Mesa, Sakazuki, and we need to decide what we're going to do about it."
Akainu sneered and Shanks and turned his attention back to Luffy and, more specifically, Zoro. The green-haired summoner met the Headmaster's gaze as steadily as he could but Luffy could tell he was nervous. Akainu wouldn't try and punish Zoro for something he couldn't control…would he?
"I should've known something was off about you." The man growled, eyes fierce as they looked Zoro over, "No commoner has a mana score of 98 without getting outside help…and now you bring a dangerous entity into my school."
"It's not Zoro's fault!" Luffy exclaimed, leaping to his feet in anger, "He just found out about this himself yesterday!"
"Sit down, ranger. I'll get to you in a moment."
"Hey, don't talk to Luffy that way!" Ace put in, clearly upset. Soon, the whole room erupted into noise as his brothers yelled at Akainu and the Headmaster screamed back. Shanks tried to get everyone to calm down but no one was listening. Beside him, Zoro hung his head, obviously upset by how the meeting was going.
"And here I thought humans could be civil." A cool voice suddenly said, quieting the room immediately. Luffy swiveled around; and gaped at the sudden appearance of Mihawk. The demon had just appeared seemingly from thin air and wore a familiar charmed cloak that made his golden eyes glow slightly.
"You…" Akainu growled, his mana flaring up like he intended to summon a creature in his office, "How the hell did you get here?" Shanks huffed and ran a hand through his disheveled hair.
"As Lucci and I have been trying to tell you, our wards simply aren't effective against the more powerful creatures. We've had many, many creature infiltrations over the past few months." Akainu bristled at that.
"That is preposterous. Our barriers and wards have kept us safe for generations!"
"You put too much trust in your own abilities." Mihawk added, stepping closer, "I myself come quite regularly, but that is not why I'm here." Shanks turned to face him when he moved to stand just feet from Luffy and Zoro. His friend glanced at Mihawk over his shoulder.
"I just spoke to Katakuri and he has given me an estimate of approximately three months before Big Mom discovers Roronoa's identity." Luffy's eyes widened at that. He'd expected just a few weeks…that was great! "I suggest you use the time wisely to prepare yourselves for war."
"We are not going to war!" Akainu yelled while slamming his fist onto his desk, "The mere notion that-"
"War is coming whether you wish it to or not." Mihawk stated in a low voice, "When Big Mom learns that the Demon King's heir is alive and here on the Mesa, she will invade…and thanks to his spies, Kaido will likely come as well. Be grateful that Dogtooth has given you time to prepare at all."
Akainu silently seethed at the creature's statement, not that it seemed to bother Mihawk much.
"Students, return to your dorm." He ordered, eyes never leaving the hawk demon's golden ones, "Now." Recognizing that the man wasn't messing around, Luffy and Zoro stood up. Shanks sent him a reassuring grin when they passed him while Mihawk simply gazed down at them.
He wondered what decision they would come to…
About an hour later, Shanks leaned against the wall of Akainu's now very crowded office, listening to the quiet murmur of voices. The Headmaster had called most of the faculty along with some additional people for a meeting, one that would potentially determine the fate of Reverie Academy.
The other rangers in attendance were Lucci (of course) and Robin. While he would've preferred more, Akainu's office wasn't big enough for everyone to come. Among the summoner faculty was Buggy, Kuro, Smoker, and Hina, all teachers who were mostly involved with the first year students.
There were others there who simply invited themselves, such as Garp and his grandsons. Akainu tried to get them to leave, but they refused. And then there was Mihawk who lingered at the back, just watching. No one had the courage to try and force him out, so he was left alone. The most impressive attendees to the meeting were two Celestial Knights and a highly ranked ranger.
Shanks already knew that Sengoku was around but seeing Aokiji was a surprise. The man was notorious for his laziness and dislike of Reverie Academy. Still, Shanks was glad to have him there, but his eyes lingered on the other ranger in the room.
Fujitora was a very talented ranger despite being blind and could easily qualify as a Celestial Knight if they allowed rangers to take that title. As far as Shanks knew, no other ranger could successfully manipulate mana without their eyes. He was a prodigy and a good man at that. Secretly, Shanks hoped he could get him to come speak to his first years at some point.
"All right, all right…settle down." Akainu bellowed, causing the murmurs to cease, "I'm sure you all have questions, and we shall get to them, but first we have some serious issues to discuss. As most of you know, we have been trying to resolve the incident at the Exhibition and finally have some new information regarding what occurred. Akagami…go ahead."
Shanks nodded to the Headmaster and stepped forward, gaining everyone's attention. He explained everything in great detail, not leaving anything out. From Luffy being attacked to Zoro's heritage, he made sure they knew everything despite his reservations. Like it or not, this wasn't just a small problem anymore, it concerned the entire student body and the Mesa as a whole.
"Hmmm…Hina is concerned." The pink-haired summoner said after Shanks stepped back, "If what you say it true, then we have a very short period of time to come up with an appropriate strategy."
"I'm going to assume that these high-ranking demons can get to the Mesa?" Smoker asked, eyes sliding to Mihawk. The demon nodded silently. "Damn it. I for one don't feel like the students are ready for this kind of confrontation, especially the first years."
"I agree." Kuro added, pushing up his glasses, "They are all much too cocky and used to comfort. Frankly, if they can't even master mathematics, I seriously doubt they are ready to be on a battlefield." Shanks hummed in agreement. The summoner students in particular hadn't had much interaction with creatures other than their own and had only just began to participate in contained battles.
"Then we make sure they're ready." Lucci stated while crossing his arms, "The students are already anticipating the formation of teams…so let's ensure they do it quickly. Then, we can start having joint classes with the summoners and rangers to better prepare them for what's to come." Shanks nodded, liking that idea.
"Wait, wait…all of this is because of one student, right?" Buggy said in that high-pitched voice of his, "I hate to be the one to bring this up, but why do we have to put everyone in danger for him? Why not sent him away!"
"Because then you would all die." Everyone turned around to face Mihawk when he finally spoke up. "Roronoa Zoro is currently on your side…but what do you think would happen if Big Mom or Kaido managed to wrench Asura's soul from him? They would gain unimaginable power and would subsequently crush all the worlds, including yours."
The murmurs started up again, many voicing their concerns.
"Yes, but according to you, they currently do not have this ability." Robin's soft voice prompted the others to quiet down. "Yet you still seem concerned…why?" Mihawk huffed at her question.
"Just because it is difficult doesn't mean it's impossible. One of your own students, Monkey D. Luffy, managed to remove some of Asura's mana."
"Is that…rare?"
"Very." Mihawk continued, golden eyes flashing, "Frankly, my mana should've stopped him from even attempting it, but he was able to bypass it like it was nothing. Not only that, but Asura's mana didn't kill him. I still haven't figured out why that happened but it will likely make him a target as well."
"So we send them to two separate worlds!" Buggy all but yelled, "Separate them so that even if one is caught, they won't be able to get the power."
"You are not sending our little brother away!" Ace loudly objected, making Shanks sigh, "He's been through enough already."
As expected, things started to get loud again as everyone voiced their own opinions on the matter. Shanks supposed it was only natural. The Reverie had never been in a situation quite like this before and all they wanted was to protect the students (and the human realm, of course). It would be difficult to come to a consensus that everyone agreed on.
"If I may ask for some clarification…" Shanks looked up when Fujitora spoke, his deep baritone cutting through the cacophony of voices. "If any other ranger were to attempt to remove the Demon King's mana…what would happen?"
"Most I have seen die, burned to a crisp." Mihawk answered bluntly, "What makes Monkey D. Luffy so special…I'm not sure."
Shanks' eyes flicked over to Garp, observing him for any unusual reactions. If anyone would know why Luffy had that ability, it was his grandfather. Unfortunately, the old man just sat there seriously with his eyes closed, not revealing anything with his expression. Akainu seemed to have the same idea and turned his gaze him as well.
"Well, Garp? Do you have any insight on this?"
The old man didn't move but did start to whistle and awkwardly looked away from everyone.
"I…I have no idea."
Everyone in the room sighed collectively. Monkey D. Garp was a terrible liar.
"Garp, if you know something, you need to tell us!" Sengoku demanded, "There is too much at stake!" The old man scratched at his forehead while Ace and Sabo seemed concerned.
"Gramps…do you know something about Luffy?" Sabo asked, making the man groan, "You do, don't you?"
Garp shuffled in his seat. It was obvious that whatever he knew wasn't something he wanted to reveal to anyone, let alone his current company. Unfortunately, now wasn't the time for secrets.
"Garp!"
"Oh fine!" The old man answered, relenting to Sengoku's insistent prodding, "I guess it'd be revealed eventually. Luffy's resistance to Asura's mana…is probably his old man's fault." Ace and Sabo balked at that piece of information.
"…Luffy has a dad?"
"Of course he does!" Sabo hissed, elbowing Ace in the gut for his stupid question, "I-I mean…I guess we never really thought about it, but everyone has a dad. Why did you never mention him before?"
"You never asked." Garp admitted with a shrug, "Besides, Dragon has always preferred his solitude."
"Who?"
"You know…my son, Luffy's father."
The name didn't mean anything to Shanks and it looked like most of the others didn't know him either. Some just seemed surprised that Garp of all people had a son.
"…explain." Sengoku said with a resigned sigh, as if he was prepared to hear something truly terrible. Garp cleared his throat.
"Well, you see, my son was always a bit of a rebel. He didn't like to be told what to do and hated the idea of coming to Reverie Academy, so naturally I forced him to go anyway." Shanks cracked a shaky smile. Garp would've been a difficult father to have. "He was powerful like me so there was no way I was letting him shirk his duties and run off…unfortunately, that's exactly what he did."
"Get to the point, please." Sengoku requested, not liking the (admittedly amusing) story. Garp just laughed before continuing.
"Long story short, Dragon left the Mesa early in his school career and began to travel across the different worlds with his contracted creature. They…er…they fell in love and…well, I think you can infer the rest…"
The room went completely silent.
"A-Are you telling me that Luffy isn't completely human!?" Ace managed, eyes as big as saucers. "That's kind of important to know, Gramps!"
"Ah, it's not that big a deal-"
"Yes it is!"
Shanks brought a hand to his chin and let his thoughts wander. If Luffy's mother was a creature, that could explain a lot…but there were still quite a few misses pieces to the puzzle. Why was his mana so low, how could he touch Asura's mana, and why did Katakuri's mana resonate with him?
"Who is she? The boy's mother." Mihawk asked, head tilted to the side. He was clearly just as curious as the rest of them.
"Her name is Rosa." Garp continued, waving off pokes from Ace, "I've only ever met her once, and that was at Luffy's birth. She's a strong woman…punched me in the face when I tried to help."
"Right, okay…but what kind of creature is she?"
Garp closed his eyes briefly, like he was picturing the woman.
"She is an Ursa, one who has a very convincing human form. Couldn't even tell that she was from another world, honestly." Ace and Sabo sent each other a look while Shanks drew every bit of information he knew about the Ursa to the front of his mind.
They were powerful beings who lived in Skotàdi amongst the other dark races. Ursa were often mistaken for regular bears but were much larger and incredibly dangerous when provoked. The main ability that set them apart from other races was their incredible mana control. It was said that once they sensed you, an Ursa would never forget your 'mana profile' and could find you anywhere in the world. Beyond that, they were very loyal to those who gained their trust.
"That would explain his mana." Shanks added, speaking up to break the silence, "Now that I see the connection, it makes total sense." Ursa weren't known to have great amounts of mana but that didn't stop them from being dangerous.
"Rosa…I know I've heard that name before." Mihawk muttered, while the room buzzed yet again with whispers, "…but where?"
"But you guys are sure you're okay, right?" Usopp asked with a worried look on his face. Luffy sent him a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, we're both fine. We have some strong creature friends, shishishi!"
Zoro didn't respond to Usopp's probing and methodically cleaned his swords. After being dismissed from the tense meeting with Mr. Akainu, Luffy and Zoro met up with their friends outside the green house. Apparently everyone was pretty freaked out after what happened at the Exhibition and the teachers were having trouble calming everyone down.
"Well, I'm just glad you two idiots are alive." Sanji put in with a huff, "Honestly…it's like trouble follows you, Luffy."
He just giggled at that comment. It did seem that way, didn't it. Luffy's smile brightened when Vivi passed him part of her snack, a bunch of apple slices. He'd asked her about Nami, but the Princess wasn't sure where she was. The orange-haired girl always seemed busy.
Looking around at his present friends, Luffy was struck by how down they seemed. What could he do to cheer everyone up? Suddenly, an idea popped into his head and he jumped to his feet.
"Ne, let's do something fun! Grab whatever you need to summon your creatures and meet me at the stables." His friends seemed confused but agreed nonetheless. With a short wave, Luffy took off ahead of them and sent Sanji a text, asking him to bring some food. What they needed was a nice, yummy picnic to get their minds off the troubles ahead.
When he arrived at the stables, Luffy rushed into the 'office', startling Kaku who was working on some paperwork. It admittedly wasn't much of an office, just a simple desk and a few bookshelves, but it served its purpose.
"Woah, Luffy, what's the rush?"
"I wanna bring my friends out to the pond if that's okay." Luffy quickly said, eyes sparkling, "Please! I promise we won't disturb the hippocampi." Kaku hummed before sending him an understanding smile.
"All right, just make sure you leave everything as you found it."
"Aye, aye!" Luffy chirped before rushing out as fast as he ran in. Not wasting any time, he made his way up to Merry's pen. The horse whinnied at him in greeting and walked out when he opened the door for him.
Sunny snorted in displeasure when Merry trotted past her, so Luffy let her out as well. It would do her some good to stretch her wings. By the time he'd gotten a bridle and saddle on Merry, his friends arrived. He was happy to see that Sanji had brought some snacks.
"Uh, so…what're we doing here?" Usopp asked, eyeing Sunny suspiciously, "Shouldn't that Pegasus be, er, tethered or something?" Sunny neighed loudly at him, making the teen yelp in fear.
"Shishishi, nah she's fine." Luffy answered as he tightened the straps around Merry's belly, "I wanna take you guys out to the pond but it's a bit far from here. You guys should summon your creatures."
"Why?" Zoro questioned, fingering his swords. Luffy smiled cheekily at him.
"So you can ride them of course!"
Vivi gasped while the others just gaped at him.
"L-Luffy…you know we can't…" Usopp managed, looking over his shoulder like he was afraid someone overheard them, "It's forbidden!" Luffy sighed and leaned back against Merry.
"Well, I think it's a stupid rule. That's like telling me not to ride Merry…or even Sunny!" The Pegasus' ears perked up at her name and she flicked her wings up. "Come on, just summon them and let me show you."
His friends looked uncertain and didn't do anything right away, that is, until Zoro summoned his hellhounds. All three of them appeared in a circle before him and the green-haired teen looked down at them cautiously. Following Zoro's lead, the others summoned their creatures.
Luffy practically vibrated in excitement as he finally got to look at the beasts up close. Usopp's Amphiptere was super cool and Sanji's Kitsune looked just as fluffy as ever. Vivi's spot-billed duck just quacked at him curiously.
"All right, first thing's first." Luffy stated as he approached the black Kitsune. She tilted her head at him and sat down on her haunches, sniffing at his hand when he offered it to her. His summoner friends held their breath as the creature got closer and closer…until she finally let him pet her fuzzy head. "I want you guys to touch your creatures."
"Uh…um…" Usopp spluttered, looking up at his partner, "I'm not so sure about that. I-I don't think Kabuto would like it." The Amphiptere just sniffed the air with its tongue and shuffled around on the grass. To Luffy, it seemed like the creatures were unsure why they were not doing anything.
"Don't worry, they like it." Luffy assured them as he moved to scratch the Kitsune behind her ears. She leaned into the touch and soon she flopped onto her back, exposing her belly to him. Sanji's jaw dropped at the display while Luffy just laughed, barely avoiding being smacked by nine fluffy tails. "They'll let you know if there's something they don't enjoy, so just try it!"
Reluctantly, Vivi reached out with her eyes scrunched shut to her partner, prompting the duck to tilt its head curiously. Luffy's grin widened when it met her halfway and pressed its head up into her palm. The Princess flinched but recovered quickly, smile forming on her face.
Not far from him, Sanji knelt down next to his Kitsune and carefully put a hand on her belly. The nine-tailed fox barked happily at him and let her tongue fall out of her mouth. Usopp was clearly terrified but did put his hand out to Kabuto (though he shook like a leaf). The Amphiptere seemed amused by his fear but slithered up to him regardless.
Usopp yelped when it nudged him playfully.
"See? They're having fun!" Luffy stated happily while standing to his feet, "…Zoro, you gonna try it?"
His best friend hadn't moved from where he stood and simply stared at his hellhounds with trepidation.
"I'm…not sure I can, Luffy."
"Why not?" He questioned, moving to stand next to the green-haired summoner. Zoro shrugged and aggressively scratched at his arm, like he was trying to distract himself.
"It's dangerous to see creatures as anything other than tools or the enemy. I-I shouldn't get attached." Luffy felt his smile fade at his friend's statement. He'd suspected that Zoro felt that way but it hurt to hear it out loud. Without saying a word, he transformed into his Valera form, startling his friend. "Luffy what-"
"Then start with me." He said softly while bringing Zoro's calloused hand to his head, nestling it right between his fluffy ears, "I'm just as much a creature as they are now."
His friend flinched at his words but didn't move his hand. Luffy knew that this was something Zoro struggled with but it was time he let those feelings go. Creatures could be good and bad…but they were definitely not tools. Zoro bit his lip and cautiously poked one of Luffy's ears, tensing like he was worried he'd hurt him (or that the fur would shock him or something).
"See, it's not so bad." Luffy whispered with a soft smile, "Now I want you to try with your hellhounds."
Zoro swallowed hard but nodded, turning towards the three canines. The white one stepped forward immediately, like she was anticipating instructions. His friend knelt down in front of the beast and held out a shaky hand to her. The hellhound, Wado, if Luffy remembered right, tilted her head before placing her paw in Zoro's hand without any hesitation.
His friend gaped at the snow white hound, giving the other two time to approach. Soon they were all licking his face and smothering him with affection. Luffy laughed as Zoro struggled under their large bodies, unsure what to do with himself.
"Shishishi, looks like they've been waiting for you to say it's okay!"
"Y-Yeah…I guess so." Zoro managed, the corners of his mouth curling up ever so slightly, "Thanks Luffy."
"No problem! Now come on, let's head out."
With some encouragement, most of Luffy's friends managed to mount their creatures. Usopp, however, chickened out so he held onto Luffy's waist on Merry's back. Kabuto slithered along behind them and didn't seem particularly bothered by this. Vivi nearly fell off her duck a few times but did seem to enjoy the experience while Sanji took to riding his Kitsune like an expert. They galloped around just having a grand time.
Zoro refused to ride his hounds (as expected) but did walk beside them as they headed out to the pond. By the time they arrived, the sun was high in the sky, illuminating the green hills and frolicking creatures all around them. Luffy dismounted Merry and helped Usopp off just as Sanji skidded to a halt right on the bank.
"Woah…is that a hippocampus?" He called, pointing at the water horse lounging in the middle of the pond.
"Yeah, but we shouldn't disturb them." Luffy replied while trotting up to Sanji, "Ne, you brought food, right?"
"Sure did. Come on, let's eat!"
With all their creatures surrounding them, Luffy and his friends started their picnic. They laughed, generally had a good time, and (much to his delight) everyone quickly became more comfortable around their partners. Even Zoro didn't push the snout of one of his hellhounds away when it nosed at his shoulder.
"You want a sugar cube, Sunny?" Luffy whispered to the Pegasus who'd followed them, obviously upset at the very thought of being left out. The mythical horse whinnied happily and took it from his palm. Leaning back against Merry's side, Luffy sighed contently.
After all the crap they'd been through…taking a break sure was nice.
"So we've established that yet another of our students isn't human," Akainu all but growled, glaring at Garp, "but you still haven't explained why he can touch the Demon King's mana." The old man just shrugged.
"I figure it must be Dragon and Rosa's fault somehow. Other than his heritage, Luffy is completely normal."
"Seriously? That's all you have to say?"
"If you want specifics you'll have to ask Luffy's parents yourself." Garp shot back, sending Akainu a blistering glare, "I raised Luffy and never noticed anything out of the ordinary, so I don't know what to tell you."
"Could you contact them?" Smoker asked, making Garp shake his head.
"Nope. We're not exactly on good terms, you know." Everyone sighed when the old man began to pick wax out of his ear. "If I had to guess, they're probably in one of the other worlds right now, but I have no idea which one."
"All right, well…discounting the fact that we don't know exactly why Luffy is resistant to the mana," Shanks put in loudly in an attempt to get the conversation back on track, "it is very important that we protect both Zoro and Luffy from our enemies."
"Agreed." Aokiji stated with a yawn, "If they fall into the wrong hands, things could get a whole lot worse."
"Then it's decided." Akainu bellowed, standing to his feet, "Get to work preparing the first years for battle and up security at every defensible part of the Mesa. Not only do we have to watch out for a potential attack, we still have the issue of some students going missing…be vigilant."
After a few hours of messing around, Luffy and his friends began to pack up their things scattered around the pond's bank. While the summoners stood up and stretched, preparing for the journey back, Luffy had one last romp with Sanji's sweet Kitsune (called 'Kit' he learned). In Valera form, they rolled around in the grass and he couldn't help but laugh.
'It was a good idea to do this.' He thought, grinning at the sky while Kit nuzzled his cheek affectionately. As he stood up, however, his ears picked up…an odd sound.
Luffy frowned and willed his tall ears to extend as far as they could go. It sounded like a scream but it was cut off abruptly. Was someone out here? They were quite a distance from Marie-Jois…
"Something wrong?" Zoro called, noticing his odd position. Luffy hummed and stood to his feet, listening intently. The sound didn't occur again but his instincts told him they shouldn't just disregard it.
"I think someone may be in trouble." He responded, causing the rest of his friends to go silent, "We should check it out."
"All the way out here?" Vivi questioned, turning her head to scan the horizon, "That seems unlikely, but…"
"If you heard it, Luffy, we should look into it." Sanji added with a determined smirk, jabbing Usopp in the ribs when he tried to sneak off, "Besides, it would give me a chance to show off to our lovely Princess." Vivi chuckled awkwardly at that statement while the blonde summoner simply straightened his hair.
"All right!" Luffy chirped, spinning around so he was facing where he heard the sound, "It came from that cliff. Maybe someone fell and hurt themselves?"
"Only one way to find out." Zoro muttered while summoning his hellhounds back into their sheaths, "Let's go."
The group of friends made their way towards the rocky outcropping mostly in silence (with the exception of Usopp detailing his 'I'll-die-if-I-go-to-a-scary-place' disease). Luffy led Merry by his reigns while Sunny circled above them. Once they reached the cliff in question, they located a skinny valley in the center of the cliff, forcing the rest of the summoners to dismiss their creatures. Most of them were too large to fit.
Merry whinnied after them but seemed content to wait outside the hole for them.
"This is a b-bad idea, guys." Usopp whispered as they sidled through the thin opening, "What if there's monsters or-or-"
"Shhh." Luffy quickly shushed his friend when his ears picked up voices ahead. Normally, he wasn't one for stealth, but the way his stomach clenched told him they shouldn't just rush forward. He peeked around a large boulder and his eyes widened.
It was Nami and a student he didn't know.
"Nami? What is she doing out here?" Vivi whispered as they watched the odd interaction unfold. The orange-haired girl seemed unnaturally smiley and continuously led the other student towards the end of the trail. The young man seemed frightened and backed away slowly. Suddenly, when he was almost touching the wall, a portal appeared out of nowhere.
Luffy watched with wide eyes as a blue arm grabbed the student and dragged him away. They retreated slightly when Nami turned around, scanning for pursuers, before stepping through the invisible portal herself. The friends were silent for a few seconds before Luffy rushed forward.
"O-Oi, Luffy, what're you-"
"Give me a second…I'm gonna look at this circle." He muttered, channeling his mana up to his eyes. As he suspected, it was a complicated spell that created a hidden portal…and it led to a very familiar world. "This is a portal to Koràlli."
"What is that witch up to…?" Zoro growled, hands casually moving to his swords, "I knew she was acting weird but this-"
"Don't insult her." Sanji shot back, glaring at the green-haired teen, "I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for this."
Luffy remained quiet while his friends started to bicker. He'd learned a little bit about portals in his ranger classes but what really stood out to him were the runes that indicated the location of the exit portal. This one brought people to a place very close to where he'd met Surume. Could it be that Nami was involved with the fishmen who tried to kidnap their first year summoners?
"I…I think she's in trouble." Luffy said firmly, quieting his friends. He thought back to when Nami confronted him in the infirmary…how she'd drawn a knife on him…how her skin was covered in bruises. "We should help her."
"We can't go in there!" Usopp exclaimed, face pale, "We're summoners, Luffy! I-If we have to fight, we'll run out of mana."
"Not while I'm there." Luffy replied with a small smirk, "I'll make sure you can all fight, so come with me." Zoro nodded and stepped forward while Sanji spun around dramatically.
"Of course I'll help! Anything for the beautiful Nami~"
With a silent nod from Vivi and shuddering 'okay' from Usopp, Luffy turned to the portal and touched it, causing the blue circle to activate. He admittedly wasn't sure what kind of stuff Nami was dealing with, but she was his friend. If nothing else, he wanted to be there for her…
…even if she didn't want them there.