Getting ready to bite into a piece of meat, Luffy suddenly stopped, before looking away.

"Huh? Is there a problem, Luffy-san?" Brook asked.

"I have a strange feeling," his captain told him.

"You're not the only one," Usopp asserted, resting a hand on his head.

"What's wrong, Usopp?" Chopper wanted to know, seeing him wince.

"I feel like I felt someone's soul had left their body! Yet it came back afterwards but… it looked different to me."

" What ? "

"Hey… Help me!" Someone suddenly pleaded.

Turning their heads towards the entrance to the courtyard, all could see Tsunoda arriving, grimacing. Letting Taniuchi lean on his shoulder, as the high school girl's feet dragged on the ground, he also had his arm wrapped around the waist of a figure, resembling that of a young man, who was unconscious.

"Tsunoda?" Takashi wondered. " What happened ?"

Suddenly dropping the aggressor's body to the ground, the boy fell on his buttocks, dead tired after this physical ordeal. Remaining, meanwhile, standing, Taniuchi seemed to have a completely empty gaze and looked around her, without showing the slightest emotion.

"Hey, what happened to you?" Mizusu wanted to know, approaching them. "And who is this guy?"

"That asshole…" the high school student growled. "He tried to kill Taniuchi there."

"Huh?" Kawamoto wondered, approaching her friend. "What are you saying? What happened, Taniuchi?"

Looking at her at this moment, the schoolgirl took a step towards her, before putting a hand on her neck, which still bore marks of strangulation. Then, in a husky voice, she asserted.

" I am in pain … "

That was all she could say, before letting herself fall forward. Catching up with her, Kawamoto managed to keep her from falling, while Taniuchi suddenly started screaming in terror.

"No, I don't want to die! I don't want to die."

"Hey, calm down! What's the matter?"

Suddenly falling silent, the young girl brought her hands to her neck before making strange noises, as if she was suffocating.

"He's… he's strangling me."

Seeing her then start to suffocate, Kawamoto cried out.

"Chopper, come quickly! She's feeling bad."

" I come. "

Seeing them do, Tsunoda brought another look of hatred to their attacker's body. He hadn't made a point of taking him with them. Nevertheless, he was afraid that he would wake up, before he came back to look for him, and take the opportunity to go away.

"This is all his fault .."

It was then that the man started to moan. Letting out a little cry of pain, putting his hand on his nose, he began to sit up. Recovering, little by little, his spirits, he ended up looking at the place where he was, before fixing the people around him.

"Where ... where am I?"

Looking at him, for a few moments, the Luffy crew, as well as Law and Bellamy, began to widen their eyes.

" Im … Impossible ! "

"This… that can't be true."

"There's no way he's here too."

Quiet, compared to the others, Luffy probably put on the most surprised face. Eyes widening, he finally took a step forward, as tears appeared in his eyes.

"You… you…?" He began.

Watching him in surprise, the man in front of him didn't seem to understand what was going on. Yet for Luffy, it was definitely him. It was impossible to confuse him with another person. The man had short black hair, eyes the same color, and freckles on his face.

Dropping to his knees in front of him, Luffy continued to cry, as he began to stutter.

"You… are you… alive?"

"Hey, Mugiwara!" Tsunoda called out. "What's the matter with you?"

Approaching him, Law suddenly put a hand on his shoulder before asserting.

"It is better that you leave him."

"Huh? Why?"

Answering that question, Luffy ended up wrapping his arms around the man, before starting to scream.

" Ace ! "

Despite this brotherly gesture, the man suddenly pushed him away, before declaring.

"No, but what's wrong? Who are you?"

Shocked, Luffy was about to answer him, when Zoro affirmed.

"Luffy, this guy is not your brother."

"Huh?" His captain wondered. " What ? "

Staring at the bared arms of the man, who was only wearing a simple T-shirt, Zoro noticed.

"He doesn't have his tattoo, on his arm! Plus, the last time I saw him, your brother had gaudy musculature! Apart from that, he has a rather lean body! It's not Ace, Luffy! He's just a person like him. "

"Ace?" Hisashi repeated. "Who is this again?"

"He's Mugiwara's brother," Bellamy explained to him. "Rather… it was his brother, before he was killed in the Summit War in Marineford."

"Huh? But you said earlier that Luffy braved all dangers to get there and save him."

"He did! Nonetheless, when everything seemed to be going better, Ace and Luffy confronted someone, stronger than them, and ultimately perished, saving his brother's life."

"In that case,…" Kohta began, looking at the newcomer.

"Whether Ace comes from your world or not, there's no way he's here before us." Saya understood.

"Hey, who are you?" Franky wanted to know. "And don't be foolish, otherwise I wouldn't have any qualms about shooting you."

"My… I… my name is Draoul." The man introduced himself. "I… I'm just an assistant baker! Nothing else!"

"What are you doing here?" Nick wanted to know, pointing his gun at him.

"I… I was just running away! I just left town and was walking at random trying to find a place to take refuge! I found myself here seeing smoke coming from the campfire that you were doing. did! Nothing else! "

"Then why did you go after one of us?" Law wanted to know.

"I… I didn't do it on purpose." Draoul assured. "She surprised me with her sword, that's all! I thought she was going to attack me and I panicked! In fact, I…"

A punch met his jaws and knocked him to the ground. All eyes then turned to Tsunoda, who put on an angry face. Still having his fist clenched, he began to mumble.

"Did she surprise you? Is that what you're saying? Don't make fun of me."

Seeing him raise his fist, Miura and Takuzo girdled him to immobilize him.

"Hey, stop that."

"What the hell is the matter with you?"

"This guy," the boy roared, pointing to Draoul. "He attacked Taniuchi from behind! I saw him! And even when she dropped her sword to the ground, he continued to strangle her without hesitation! This guy is a killer who wants to hide his true personality! can't trust that asshole. "

"Asshole?" Someone repeated.

Grabbing him by his collar, Luffy suddenly faced Tsunoda, much to the surprise of the other two high school kids and the rest of the group.

"I forbid you to call Ace an asshole."

"Are you stupid, or what?" Tsunoda questioned, trying to break free. "We just told you he wasn't your brother! There's no point in thinking otherwise! Your brother is dead! And if he was like that guy, he deserved it."

It was the last sentence, sensing that something was going to happen, Sanji began to scream

"Luffy, let go!"

Too late. Looking dark, Luffy swung his fist behind him, before sending it straight at Tsunoda's face. Unable to defend himself, the high school student was punched in the face and found himself thrown into the air, before crashing violently against the ground. His face bleeding, he only wanted to cry out in pain. Still, gritting his teeth, he tried, as best he could, to straighten up in order to send a hateful look at Luffy.

"So… like that… are you supporting someone… who tried… to kill… a friend? That's good… behavior… of a pirate, that."

Frowning even more, Luffy finally ran towards him, in order to give him a second blow. However, he was suddenly interrupted by Sanji, who blocked his fist with his foot. Then pushing him back, the cook made sure to push him back far enough that Franky could grab him and hold him back.

" Hey, Luffy, calmes-toi, damn it !"

"I forbid anyone to make fun of Ace," his captain roared.

"Fuck you." Tsunoda roared, standing up.

Putting his hand in front of his face, he finally left before mumbling.

"You are really stupid, Mugiwara."

"So how is she?" Robin wanted to know.

Entering the room where the other eight pirates of Luffy's crew were, Chopper ends up teaching her.

"Taniuchi fell asleep in the end! Those days are not in danger! I think, in fact, that she suffered an emotional shock from the fact that she almost died! Added to the fact that she either under constant stress, I understand why she ended up losing her mind a little. "

Turning then, towards his captain who, lying on the ground, had his eyes closed and seemed to think, Chopper ended up teaching him.

"Luffy, I know Tsunoda's words made you angry, but you know these high school kids as well as I do! Other than Saeko and Kohta, I'm sure none of them would have attacked another person. , let alone someone like Taniuchi! She's one of the weakest and fearful people in the bunch! You really think she's going to go after a man she doesn't know, with a gun that she doesn't know. 'she doesn't even know how to handle? "

Noting that his captain made no move, he continued.

"Even though he looks like your brother, this guy is not Ace! He's just his doppelganger and therefore can have a much darker personality! If he really attacked Taniuchi from behind and actually planned to kill her," so what I'm saying is true! Right now Nick has locked him in a room, however, we don't know if this was all part of a plan or not. "

"What's next?" Luffy asked. "What do you want me to do? Kick him out, right?"

"Right now, it wouldn't do any good," Nami retorted. "Now that he knows how to get here, he could reappear at any time."

"So we only have two choices left." Zoro remarked. "Either this guy got really attacked by Taniuchi and strangled him to defend himself! Or he poses a threat that we have to get rid of."

Hearing this, Luffy finally got up, before declaring.

"There is no question of killing him."

"Luffy, we…" Usopp began.

"Ace is already dead in front of my eyes." Roared the captain. "I'm not going to let this happen again."

With that, he then left the room, while none of his companions did anything to stop him. Truth be told, everyone expected roughly a similar reaction, if the person Luffy had just met was the real Ace. Still, they didn't expect him to be so protective of someone who had confessed to him that he wasn't Ace.

"What do we do now?" Brook wanted to know.

"Let's try not to escalate the situation," Sanji advised him, lighting a cigarette. "Luffy, Tsunoda and Draoul! From now on we will have to watch these three so that none of them make matters worse."

Staring blankly, Taniuchi stared at the ceiling of the room she was in. Resembling a small bedroom, it had a bed where the young girl was lying in it.

Looking at her for a few moments, Kawamoto, sat down on a chair, ended up asking her.

" Are you OK ? "

She got no answer.

" You want something ? "

Always nothing. As if her friend didn't even know she was there.

Standing up then, Kawamoto asserted.

"I'll go get some water."

But hardly had she time to move towards the door, than she heard.

"Do you really think my life was worth saving?"

"Huh?" The redhead wondered, turning to her.

Still staring at the ceiling, Taniuchi told her

"I was told my heart had stopped beating, before Tsunoda could manage to save me! In other words, I was dead, right?"

Approaching her, remaining silent, the redhead let her speak as she continued.

"It seems that god, or I don't know who, decided to give me a gift, giving me a second chance to live my life! Nevertheless, in such a world, wasn't it wiser to save someone? 'Anyone else? To let soldiers, doctors, warriors live ...? In that case, why did a high school student like me have this right, when my presence in this world makes no difference? "

Suddenly starting to smile sadly, she asserted.

"Getting strangled like before was the only death I deserved, other than getting bitten by one of the zombies! I don't deserve anything better than that and then, it's not like if anyone was going to notice that I was dead. "

The edge of Kawamoto's hand suddenly hit him in his stomach. Wincing in pain, Taniuchi clapped her hands on the latter before asking. "

" Why did you do that ? "

Turning around, the redhead finally reached the door of the room, while whispering.

"You are just a fool."

Staring into the distance, Tsunoda gazed at the acres of fields surrounding the farm, while sitting on a fence. His cheek swollen, he only showed an angry face, influenced by the pain he still felt from Luffy's punch.

"Mugiwara…" he growled. "He really is a moron."

Then, heaving a weary sigh, he spat.

"I'm not in the mood for you to lecture me, Mizusu."

Approaching him, the girl was astonished that he had succeeded in hearing her, as she had endeavored to make no noise.

"I didn't come to see you." She retorted. "I was just passing by."

"Really?" The boy growled, leaving his seat. "In that case, have a good walk."

"Wait." The young girl stopped him. "No, actually I…"

"There's no way I'm going to apologize to Mugiwara." Retorted the high school student, guessing the girl's attentions! In this story, I'm right in emphasizing that we have to beware of the other murderer. "

"I know that very well." Mizusu asserted. "Still, just try to figure out Luffy! He has an exact replica of his brother in front of him! Do you really think he could hit him, see him kill him? We don't even know if he really meant to kill him? Taniuchi. "

She barely had time to speak when the boy grabbed her by the collar of her uniform, before bringing his face closer to hers.

"Alright, listen to me, Mizusu! I don't care what you, the other pirate jerk or whatever! I know for a fact that this guy is untrustworthy and I would never trust him. ! Get that in your head! And even if I have to alienate everyone, I'll make sure to get this guy out, with or without the use of force. "

Looking at him without batting an eyelid, Mizusu finally slapped his hand, so that he let go. Then, with a cold look, she asserted.

"You're trying to be tough, but you're far from being tough, Tsunoda! Instead of trying to be tough, go apologize to Luffy-san instead and find a way to make him listen to sanity, instead. than bringing out your violent side! That would be very useful to us coming from you, brainless brute. "

"Tsss!" The blonde said just, turning around.

"No, not '' tsss ''" retorted the young girl, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Go apologize."

"Damn it, but you're gonna…" the boy started, giving him a hateful look.

He eventually froze, however, seeing Mizusu starting to sob, while still holding his gaze.

"Toshimi…" She began. "… I abandoned her, when the zombies were attacking us, when we were in high school and it was Chopper who managed to save her! If he hadn't been there, Toshimi would have died by time. 'It is. "

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Staring at the boy, she asserted.

"If she had died, by the time I speak to you, I would have been consumed with remorse and guilt for a thoughtless gesture on my part! What are you going to do? If something is wrong with you? For once in your life, stop thinking about your pride and yourself and try to open up to others. "

Shocked by what she had just said, the boy made no move, when she finally turned and walked away. Finally, annoyed by her words and the hand on his forehead, he mumbled. "

"This girl… who does she think she is, in the end?"

Suddenly seized with an urge to smoke, in order to calm his nerves, the boy ended up rummaging in his pockets in the hope of finding a cigarette. Then heaving a sigh of relief, he ends up extracting the only survivor from his package. The same one he had tried to smoke just before the zombie was executed by Saya's father at the mansion.

"In the end, I did well to keep it. "

Immediately taking his lighter, he brought it closer to the end of his cigarette so that he could light it. However, for some strange reason, his gesture was stopped by a voice, in his head.

"Instead of trying to be big-headed, go apologize to Luffy-san instead. ''

Growling again, repeating Mizusu's phrase to himself, Tsunoda finally throws his cigarette and lighter away.

"Why am I never left alone, damn it?"

"You are hurting me." 'Cried Draoul.

"I just want to be sure you don't lie to me," Nami told him.

In the company of Takashi, Rei and Saya, as well as Zoro, who seemed to be snoozing in the background, the young pirate was in the room where the group had decided to lock the man. Preparing to ask him questions, Nami first grabbed him by both cheeks before giving him a dark look, with a carnivorous smile, to show him that she would not be joking.

"Okay, first of all, where are you from?"

"From… Saitama prefecture! When the place was attacked I went to the capital, thinking of finding refuge there! It was a big mistake since there were many more zombies per square meter than 'There were no survivors left in the whole town! Since then, I've been zigzagging all over the countryside and looking for a place where I can be quiet while it calms down. "

"In that case, why did you go after one of us?" Rei wanted to know.

"I told you, I panicked! Your friend had a sword in her hand, when I saw her and, in the heat of the moment, I attacked her."

"It's strange." Saya asserted. "Because, if Tsunoda is telling the truth, you attacked him from behind."

"Hey, where are you from?" Draoul wanted to know. "No matter whether he is alive or not, a person with a weapon is always likely to kill you! In this chaos, what do you think the survivors are doing now? They prey on others in order to rob them! Myself, I've been shot before! It's normal to be afraid of someone walking around with a sword in their hands. "

Staring at them, he began to testify.

"Look at me! Do I really look like a murderer? I repeat: it was just an accident."

"Accident or not, this shows one thing though." Zoro retorted, opening one eye. "You are able to kill without much hesitation."

Suddenly getting up, he ends up walking towards Draoul before continuing.

"Having someone like you at camp is a problem because we just have to turn our backs on you so you can take the opportunity to stab us from behind."

"So what do you want me to do? I'm ready to do anything! In the first place, I just wanted to find shelter! So please don't send me back in this lost world! I don't want to die. "

Suddenly kneeling in front of them, he finally asserted.

"Me in my life, I just studied to become a baker, nothing more! I do not know anything else with my hands and even less how to handle weapons! I cannot survive on my own in such a world ! Besides, I'm cowardly and I have a tendency to make the wrong decisions! So please! Let me stay here! I ask you on my knees. "

Seeing him do it, no one could think of anything to say. Finally, then leaving, Zoro asserted.

"Personally, I don't care if you stay! However, this decision is up to only three people: Luffy, Law and Nick."

Being in the stable, while giving hay to a horse, Yuuki ends up watching it eat, while whispering.

"I wonder if you have any idea what's going on in our world."

Continuing to chew, the horse gave him a few seconds of attention, before resuming his meal. Smiling a little when she saw him do it, the youngster ended up caressing him on the level of his head.

"I would have done anything to be like you."

"Are you that desperate?" A voice asked.

Freezing then, Yuuki ends up turning to see Sanji walking in his direction.

"So, was that where you were?"

Looking down, the schoolgirl started to leave, while declaring. "

"I don't know what you want but I have work to do."

"I have come to apologize to you."

"Excuse you?" Yuuki repeated, turning to him. "For what? For pushing me away? Or for making you suddenly angry?"

Hearing it, Sanji declared.

"Yes, for pushing you away when you meant no harm to me! I'm sorry about that but, it's just that I hate people talking about my father or the rest of my family."

"May I know, at least, for what reason?"

Then heaving a sigh, the cook ends up dropping onto a pile of hay before raising his face in the air before asserting.

"When I was a kid, I was constantly persecuted! I was beaten, harassed, insulted… and my tormentors were none other than my own brothers."

" Your brothers ? "

"Yes, compared to them, I was born as a normal child, while they, thanks to the technology that my father acquired, were all born with above-average strength! thus became the weak jersey of the family and this ruined my whole childhood. "

Wanting to find a cigarette, he finally sighed, remembering that he didn't have any left with him. Finally, for want of finding better, he ended up grabbing a bit of straw, the end of which he wedged between his teeth.

"The worst memory I had was when my mother, one of the few people who appreciated me as I was, died, because of her fragile constitution! During her funeral, it was My father was hardly saddened by his death! It was then that I truly understood that he was only a monster without the slightest hint of humanity in him. "

Clenching his fist, he declared.

"I'd rather not say more about him! No sooner do I think of him than I feel immense anger come over me and I…"

"I also hate my father." Yuuki suddenly told him.

"Um?" The cook said, looking at her.

"I actually… I… he…" She began.

Finally, she retorted.

"No, forget it! Act like I haven't said anything."

Looking at her for a few seconds as she looked away from him a little, Sanji decided to let it go and asked instead.

"So can I be forgiven?"

"After listening to you, I can understand why you got angry! Your father must have traumatized you during your childhood! Still, you are not forgiven."

"Huh? Why?"

"For flirting with Kawamoto, right after leaving," Yuuki asserted, with a pout.

Surprised, hearing this, Sanji wanted to know.

"In the end, can I know how you see me? I don't know why but I feel like…"

He then fell silent, seeing the high school student start to get angry:

"How do I see you? But are you blind or what? Can't you see that I'm doing everything I can to get you to look at me? That you consider me something other than just acquaintance?"

" Yuuki ? Tu … "

"I love you, damn it." She cried. "I… I know you want to go home but…"

Suddenly throwing herself on him, she hugged him so sharply that the man struggled to hide the blush on his face and the stream of blood that threatened to escape his nose.

"… I want to stay with you! I don't want you to go.

"Yuuki, I… I…"

Eventually pulling himself together, Sanji suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders before gently pushing her away.

" Je ne peux pas rester dans ce monde ! Tout comme Luffy, j'ai un grand rêve à réaliser ! Et il ne peut l'être que dans mon monde à moi ! Et puis, il y a des personnes que je veux revoir, dont un vieux croûton et une bande de bras cassés qui se prétendent cuisiniers. "

Lui prenant soudain les mains, Yuuki s'écria.

" Dans ce cas, laisses moi venir avec vous ! Je me fiche de quitter ce monde. "

" Quoi ? Comment ça ? Tu as bien une famille, non ? Ou des amis. "

" Tu parles. " Rétorqua la jeune fille. " À part les gens de notre groupe, cela ne me dérange pas que tout le reste du monde se transforme en zombie ! Tous, en mon égard, m'ont traité comme la dernière des prostitués ! Parce que j'étais belle, des filles m'ont intimidé ! Parce que j'avais rejeté leurs demandes, des garçons se sont mis à faire circuler des rumeurs à mon sujet ! Et parce que j'étais une fille, mon père m'a … "

Elle se tut alors, s'arrêtant à temps, pour ne pas prononcer la fin de sa phrase.

" Je … je n'ai aucune attache à ce monde ! À vrai dire, tu es la première personne qui m'a sauvé et me voyait comme la personne que je suis ! Et, pour cela, je veux rester avec toi ! Je veux devenir ta femme. "

And to prove it, she brought her face closer to his, before kissing him. Feeling the contact between his lips and hers, Sanji's eyes eventually turned to heart, before his whole body turned to stone.

"Sanji?" Yuuki wondered, seeing him fall backwards, frozen like a statue.

"Hell, All Blue and the mermaids, I can die in peace now." "Thought the man."