Ch. 44- Luffy's Doubts
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Shade © Gakuto1991
All was quiet in the dark void. Kovar sat curled up before Luffy, sound asleep...but as for Luffy himself, he had this strained look on his face, sweat dripping down his forehead. He also had dark circles under his eyes and his breathing was a bit ragged.
To put it simply...it looked like Luffy was having a nightmare.
"No...ugh...!" he grunted. "Urrrgh...!"
As Kovar slept, someone cautiously approached him and the black dragon. The figure glanced momentarily at the beast before approaching Luffy...and it was soon revealed to be the white cat. Her golden eyes fell upon Luffy, who continued to groan and let out shaky breaths, causing her to place her paw on his head.
"...You poor young man," the cat said. "You carry so much in your heart...and you try your hardest to be strong...but it's this façade that has allowed Kovar to take hold of you."
"Ugh...haa...!" Luffy grunted, again.
"...Help is coming for you," the cat whispered. "For now, though, try and hold out." She then placed her paw on Luffy's chest...right where his scar is. "May this put your heart at ease...if only for the moment." That's when a golden glow shined on Luffy's chest, causing him to sigh in relief...but then she tensed up as she heard something stirring behind her.
"What do you think you're doing here?"
The cat turned to see Kovar, who glared down at her.
"Didn't I tell you before?" the dragon asked as he opened his mouth, from which embers began to seep out from. "Mind your own business!"
FWOOSH! Kovar breathed out a jet of fire at the cat, who quickly leaped out of the way. She panted as she ran away before she turned, seeing she had stopped at a good distance. Kovar glared at her before he went back to sitting before Luffy.
"Heed me, Kovar!" the cat shouted. "You may have taken the souls of countless others, but you will not take this one's soul! Your time is coming!"
"...I'm shaking," Kovar said, mockingly, which caused the cat to hiss at him before she turned and ran off into the shadowy void.
XXX
After waking Aika up from all the excitement, the Straw Hats continued to watch the memories. This time, the Past Straw Hats were sitting around Ace, who was sitting on a barrel while holding a tankard of rum.
"So, Ace?" asked Luffy. "You sure you don't wanna join us? Come on, it'll be lots of fun!"
"Sorry, Lu," Ace replied. "I can't do that."
"Aww...why not?" Luffy asked with a pout.
"Well...I'm out on business," said Ace. "You see...there's this man that I'm trying to kill."
"A man?" Luffy repeated. "Who?"
"His name...is Blackbeard," Ace answered, "and he's committed the worst crime on a pirate ship: he killed one of his own crew members."
The Past Straw Hats all tensed up...and even the current Straw Hats seemed stunned.
"Blackbeard..." Aika whispered, nervously. "Big Brother told me about him, before."
"B-Blackbeard?" Past Usopp repeated, also nervously.
"I've heard about him!" exclaimed Vivi. "Isn't he the pirate who attacked Drum Kingdom?!"
"Oh, yeah, that's right!" Nami realized. "Ace was after Blackbeard, wasn't he?!"
"He must've gone to Drum Kingdom, first, hoping for a clue," said Zoro.
"I guess he didn't find any," said Franky.
"Despicable...!" Brook hissed. "A pirate who kills his own crewmate is no pirate at all, I say!"
"Trust me, I agree with that sentiment," said Blizzard with great disdain.
"He also killed Whitebeard during the Paramount War," said Robin.
"What?!" Franky questioned. "That scumbag!"
"Blackbeard was a pirate from my fleet," said Ace. "He was one of my men...therefore, it's my responsibility to track him down and take care of him...for good."
"So that's why you're after him," Past Usopp muttered.
"I came here because I got a tip that he was last seen here in Alabasta," said Ace. "It was said that he was seen in some town called 'Yuba', so that's where I'm headed."
"Yuba?" Past Nami repeated. "Vivi, that's where we're going, right?"
"That's right," Vivi nodded.
"What's Yuba?" asked Kumi.
"Yuba is an oasis town in Alabasta," said Chopper. "Well...sort of."
"What do you mean?" Aika asked.
"You'll see later, honey," said Nami while Vivi pulled out a map of Alabasta, explaining that the town that they had just left was called Nanohana and that they were on their way to a place called Erumalu, the "Green City" as Vivi put it. They would then cross the desert to Yuba, where the leader of the rebel army was said to be stationed.
"Since we seemed to go be going the same way," Ace began, "you guys don't mind if I tag along, do ya?"
"Ooh!" Luffy exclaimed, excitedly. "That's a great idea! Let's bring Ace along! Can we, Vivi?!"
"I don't have any objections," Vivi smiled.
"Nami! Vivi!" Past Sanji exclaimed, happily. "Just tell me where to go and I'll follow you anywhere~!"
"Hopefully, right off a cliff," quipped Past Zoro.
"What was that, Moss-head?!" Past Sanji questioned.
"Enough, you two!" Past Nami barked before she looked to Ace. "Get used to this, Ace. You're gonna be with us for a while."
"I can handle it," said Ace.
"Either way, we're happy to have you aboard!" Past Usopp added.
"Me, too!" Past Chopper piped up.
"Shishishishishishi!" Luffy laughed before he held up his tankard. "This is gonna be awesome! To you, Ace!"
"CHEERS!" the Past Straw Hats cheered as they also held up their mugs, and on that, the memory faded to black.
"Big Brother sure did look happy," Aika smiled.
"He was happy to see his brother again after so long," said Nami.
"The way you all welcomed him so quickly," Robin noted. "It was like he was one of the crew, already."
"In a way," Sanji began, "Luffy did get what he wanted, even if it was just temporary: his brother is traveling with him as a pirate, just like he wanted when they were kids."
"Hey, you're right!" Usopp realized.
"Yeah," Franky said. "It's just too bad he didn't realize Sabo was alive until later."
"Yeah," Nami agreed. "Poor Luffy."
Soon, a new memory began to play in front of the crew. This time, it showed that Luffy was in the kitchen, all by himself. One look at his face and the Straw Hats knew...he was looking for a snack.
"That idiot never learns," Sanji grumbled.
"Tell me about it," Nami added with exasperation in her voice.
"Hmmm..." Luffy hummed as he looked around. "No sign of that mouse trap..." His stomach grumbled, causing him to rub it soothingly. "Shh~! Quiet, tummy, or Sanji's gonna hear you!" He then glanced behind himself before he opened up the refrigerator, where he saw an assortment of food inside, but what caught his was a nice thick slab of meat on the bone.
"Shishsihishi!" Luffy laughed as he grabbed it and took it out of the fridge. "It's all mine...!"
"Luffy?"
"AAH!" Luffy shrieked as he turned to see Past Nami, who glared at him with her arms crossed.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"Uh...nothing," Luffy replied as he hid the meat behind his back.
"What do you have behind your back?" asked Past Nami. "Are you sneaking food, again?!"
"No!" Luffy denied.
"You liar," Past Nami said as she stomped toward him. "What do you have?! Let me see it!"
"No! It's mine!" Luffy replied. "I mean, I don't have anything! G-go away!"
"...Oh, wait..." Nami muttered with dread. "I remember what happens here!"
"...Oh, yeah," Zoro realized. "I remember this part, too."
"Wait, what?" Aika asked. "What happens?"
As if to answer her question, Luffy and Past Nami both struggled against each other, the former trying to keep the meat out of the latter's hands...but then, Luffy gasped as Past Nami pressed herself up against his chest...giving him a clear view of her cleavage. As soon as he saw them, the memory began to turn pink and the Straw Hats could hear Luffy's heart pounding in his chest.
'Uuunnh...she's up against me! What do I do?! What do I do?!'
"WHOA!" Luffy cried before he fell backward onto the floor, but he accidentally grabbed Past Nami's shoulder and pulled her down with him, causing her to let out a shriek of surprise as they both collapsed with pots and pans clanging on the floor. Luffy groaned as he opened his eyes...only for them to go wide and his face to flush even redder as he found Past Nami's lips up against his own!
'Is...is she...KISSING ME?!'
"OOOOOOOOH!" Brook exclaimed in shock and awe.
"Whoa...!" Franky said as he lifted his sunglasses.
"...Their first kiss...!" Aika squeaked with her eyes sparkling in delight.
"Well...that happened," Blizzard muttered while Robin chuckled in amusement.
"Oh, my," she said.
"Wait," Sanji said. "THAT'S what happened in there?!"
"It was an accident!" Nami exclaimed with a blush on her face. "He grabbed me and we fell over! You saw it, Sanji!"
Just then, someone else happened to walk into the kitchen, possibly because of the commotion, just as Past Nami pushed herself off of Luffy...only for them both to turn and see that it was Ace, as well as Past Zoro, Past Usopp, and Vivi.
"Well, well," Ace smirked. "What do we have here?"
"Oh, my goodness...!" Vivi whispered with a blush on her cheeks.
"Damn, Luffy, you could've at least taken the top," said Past Zoro. "She dominates you, no matter what, huh?"
"W-what?" Luffy stammered.
"I-It's not what you think!" Past Nami cried, her face as red as a beet. "He was sneaking food and I came in here to stop him!"
"Right," Ace smirked as he turned and walked away. "Didn't mean to disturb you guys!"
"Uh...wait for me!" Vivi called as she ran after him.
"Good thing Sanji didn't see that," Past Usopp muttered as he walked away, too. "He'd have a fit."
"Hey, I'd actually welcome that," Past Zoro said before he looked to the captain and navigator. "You two lovebirds have fun, okay?" He then went to join the others.
"WE'RE NOT LOVEBIRDS!" Past Nami yelled, her face turning even redder.
"Wait, what just happened?" Luffy asked as he sat up, only for Past Nami to growl at him.
"You IDIOT!" she shouted as she bopped him on the head.
"OW!" Luffy cried as he held the bump on his head. "What was that for?!"
"Thanks a lot for embarrassing me!" Past Nami yelled as she stood up and stormed out. "God, I can't even look at you, right now!"
"...But...what did I do?" Luffy asked, still rubbing the bump on his crown before he got up and followed after Past Nami, only to run into Past Sanji, who growled at him.
"What the hell did you do to make Nami upset, now?!" he asked.
"I-I didn't do anything-" Luffy stammered, only for Past Sanji to bop him on the head, next, causing another lump to form. "OUCH!"
"Don't you go near Nami until she's ready to talk to you! Got that?!" Past Sanji questioned before he stormed off. "And another thing! Put that meat back where you got it!"
"...What's with everyone today?" Luffy asked as he rubbed his scalp. "I keep getting bonked on the head and I didn't even do anything wrong! Jeez!" He then absentmindedly licked his lips and smacked them a bit.
'Hmmm...tastes kinda fruity...'
"Oh, Luffy," Nami said. "Now I can't help but feel bad."
"Me, too," Sanji added. "I didn't even know about his feelings for you until later."
"So your first kiss was an accident?" Chopper asked.
"Yeah," Nami said. "I mean...it wasn't a REAL kiss, so it doesn't count! At least not to me..."
"It counts for something," Zoro smirked.
"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. "I didn't think Luffy had it in him until now!"
"Oh, give it a rest!" Nami spat.
"So, how was it?" Robin asked. "The kiss, that is?"
"Robin!" Nami exclaimed with a blush on her cheeks.
"Yeah, Big Sis, how was it?" Aika asked.
"...It...it wasn't anything too special," said Nami. "And...he tastes a little...salty."
"Hahahaha!" Usopp laughed.
"Shut up, I said!" Nami yelled. "It didn't mean anything!"
Soon, the memory shifted, showing Luffy wearing red desert robes and a cloth around his head to keep his hat from falling off in the wind.
"Luffy! Are you ready?" Vivi called.
"Yeah! Here I come!" Luffy replied as he came outside to see the others. The Straw Hats could see that Ace was also wearing robes, and even Past Nami and Vivi had covered up their dancer's outfits (to Past Sanji's sorrow).
"What a shame," said Brook. "You looked so good in that, too."
"Oh, lay off!" Nami barked. "We were about to walk across the desert, you know! We couldn't risk getting our skin burned!"
"The desert must be really hot, then, huh?" asked Aika.
"Oh, you better believe it," said Usopp.
"It's especially bad when you have thick fur, like me," said Chopper.
"It actually gets to be over one hundred degrees during the day," Robin said.
"You're kidding!" Kumi exclaimed.
"Eh, that's nothing compared to Level 4 of Impel Down," Blizzard said.
Then, Aika noticed someone was missing. "Hey, where's Carue?"
"Oh, Vivi sent him on ahead of us to deliver a message to her father," Nami explained. "The message explained Crocodile's plan, that she'd returned home and was with brave friends fully prepared to fight for the country."
"Wow!" Aika said. "What a brave duck! But how were you going to get around the desert?"
"We found a way," Nami replied.
As the group began to make landfall, something suddenly jumped out of the Sandora River: a group of seals wearing turtle shells.
"Hey, look!" Aika said. "It's those cute seals! Uh...what are they called again? Karate Seals?"
"Uh...I thought they were called Ninja Turtle Sea Lions," said Kumi.
"What are those?" asked Past Nami. "Seals?"
"I think they're turtles," said Luffy.
"They're Kung Fu Dugongs!" cried Vivi.
"...Oh, yeah, Kung Fu Dugongs!" Aika exclaimed. "That's what they're called!"
"You mean one of those seals that helped us get back Caesar from that pet-guy?" asked Franky.
"Uh-huh!" Chopper nodded.
Soon, the leader of the dugongs began to bark and wave his flippers at the crew, challengingly.
"'If you wanna disembark here, you'll have beat me in a fight before you do,'" said Past Chopper, "'otherwise, go dock somewhere else, you bunch of cowards!'" He then looked up at the others. "That's what he says."
"Heh," Past Usopp smirked. "There's no way I can back down after being called a wimp!" He then jumped off the railing to challenge the Kung Fu Dugong. "HERE I COME!"
"Usopp, wait!" Vivi cried...only for the sniper to end up getting easily pummeled. "Kung Fu Dugongs are a lot stronger than they look!"
"I really wish she would have said that, sooner," Usopp muttered, remembering the humiliation of getting beaten so easily by such a small animal while Franky, Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard all laughed.
"Just your luck, huh, Usopp?" Blizzard asked.
"Ah, shaddup!" Usopp barked.
As for Luffy, however, he easily managed to overpower the leader, who was lying on the ground with a large bump on his head.
"Well, that's no surprise," said Zoro.
"When you consider where Luffy grew up," Robin began, "it's no wonder he was able to overpower the dugongs."
"I WIN!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Looks like it's clear who's stronger," said Past Nami.
"WINNING IS JUST AS BAD!" cried Vivi, just as the Kung Fu Dugongs began to surround Luffy. "Whoever beats the Kung Fu Dugongs become their new master!"
"Huh," Aika said. "I didn't know that."
"It's their way of living," said Chopper. "That way, they become even stronger!"
"All right, then!" Luffy exclaimed as he took a fighting stance. "Now, watch me!" He then thrust his fist forward. "Now...PUNCH!"
The Kung Fu Dugongs soon mimicked his action.
"Now, again!" Luffy shouted as he thrust his right fist forward and repeated the motion. "1, 2! 1, 2! 1, 2!"
"You call that martial arts?" asked Past Zoro.
"I guess that's as basic as you can get," said Past Nami.
"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled. "Big Brother looks like he's having so much fun!"
"I still don't think that's real martial arts," Zoro quipped.
After a while, the group got ready to leave again. At first, the Kung Fu Dugongs were about ready to follow Luffy, but they knew they couldn't bring them along since the harsh desert heat would be too much for the aquatic mammals. Thus, Past Chopper had to bribe them with food to get them to stay. Of course, it did end up depleting their rations a bit. It was then that Vivi revealed that the Kung Fu Dugongs don't normally live in the river. Due to the drought that plagued Alabasta, the Sandora River had lost much of its force, and thus the Kung Fu Dugongs lived at the river's edge, where the mouth meets the sea.
As the group kept going on, they eventually reached an old abandoned city, littered with skeletons and filled to the brim with sand.
"...Whoa...!" Aika whispered in disbelief. "What is this place?"
"It's Erumalu, the Green City," said Nami, sadly.
"It doesn't look very green to me," said Franky.
"What the hell happened?" asked Blizzard.
"This is the result of the drought that hit Alabasta," said Sanji. "This place was once a thriving oasis...but when we got there, it was a ghost town."
"This was all because of Crocodile," said Usopp with a hateful glare. "He caused all of this!"
"...How awful," said Aika, sadly.
"...I can't believe I helped him," Robin said as she looked away in shame. "To this day, I'm still ashamed of myself."
"Robin, you know that we don't hold anything against you," said Zoro.
"He's right," Nami agreed. "Besides, I'm sure Vivi's forgiven you!"
"...I hope so," said Robin.
It was then that Vivi began to explain how the drought came to pass. It all started three years ago. The nation's capital, Alubarna, would often get rain for days on end, just like Erumalu. At first, people called it a miracle...until an incident occurred at the marketplace: someone had "accidentally" revealed bags of this mysterious substance known as "Dance Powder" that had been shipped to the capital. Past Nami then revealed that the powder originated from a country that had no run. When it was burned, it would cause premature rain clouds to grow and create rain on the spot.
"So what's the problem?" Aika asked. "Shouldn't they be glad?"
"You don't understand, Aika," said Robin. "Dance Powder matures rain clouds at a fast rate, that much is true, but it comes at a cost: it causes neighboring countries to experience drought...and a result, it caused wars."
"What?!" Aika questioned.
"It's true," said Nami. "That's why the World Government prohibited its use...but then Baroque Works got a hold of it and used it to set up Vivi's father."
"They were a despicable bunch of bastards...not counting Robin, of course," Sanji hissed. "Because of what they did, various towns around Alabasta began to dry out and rebellion stirred up."
"Crocodile was behind everything," Robin said, hatefully. "Looking back, now, I hated that I helped him...but back then, I didn't care. I felt I had to do what was necessary to achieve my goal." She then sighed. "Thank goodness that's not who I am, anymore."
Suddenly, there was an ominous howling noise, causing the Past Straw Hats as well as Ace to look up at the sound.
"Whoa! What the hell is that?!" Past Usopp questioned.
"Ghosts!" Past Chopper cried as he hid behind Luffy.
"No," Ace said. "It's just the wind blowing through the empty buildings."
"That's not what it sounds like to me," said Aika, glumly. "It sounds like crying."
"In a way, it is," said Nami, and that's when Vivi suddenly fell to her knees, sobbing loudly.
"It's...it's like the city itself is wailing over its current state!" she cried.
"Vivi..." Past Sanji said as he put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him before she hugged him, which seemed to startle him at first, but then he gently returned her embrace, trying to comfort her as best he could. "I'm sorry, Vivi."
"...That poor girl," Brook said while Franky sniffled and whimpered.
"What a kindhearted girl...!" he sobbed.
"Vivi was someone who loved her nation," said Sanji. "To see the life being taken out of it like this...it was just too much to bear."
"Oh, Vivi..." Nami whispered, sadly.
As for Luffy, he stared down at Vivi before he glared at a nearby empty building...then he sighed as he began to approach it.
'I understand, Vivi...I understand it all.'
As if sensing what he was about to do, Past Zoro and Past Usopp followed after him before they approached an empty house, then without warning, they completely destroyed it.
"What are they doing?!" asked Aika.
"Relax, Aika," said Nami. "They were mad because Vivi was upset...that was only the way they could take out their anger."
As the trio approached the group, they spotted Ace helping Vivi bury an old skull, which she seemed grateful for before she turned to face Luffy, who grunted as he rolled his shoulder, causing it to pop.
"Let's go, Vivi," he said. "I'm itchin' to do this."
And on that, the memory faded to black, once more.
"Poor Vivi," said Chopper. "It hurts me seeing her like this, again."
"She must've been through a lot," Aika said.
"Oh, honey, like you wouldn't believe," said Nami.
"Damn that bastard, Crocodile," Sanji cursed as he clenched his fist. "If Luffy hadn't gotten to him first, I would've kicked his ass, myself, for making Vivi suffer the way he did!"
"You think you're the only one who was angry at him?!" Usopp asked. "We're still angry, for crying out loud!"
"We'll worry about that, later," said Zoro. "The memories are about to come back."
True to form, the memories began to return, and this time, it was nighttime. The stars twinkled brightly in the dark blue sky and the Past Straw Hats sat around the campfire, huddling together for warmth. As usually, Luffy was complaining that he was hungry, but Past Sanji wouldn't let him eat until the food was ready.
"How come you were all shivering?" asked Brook.
"It gets really cold in the desert, at night," said Nami, rubbing her arms on instinct. "Gives me the shivers just watching."
"You're tellin' me," Usopp concurred.
"I dunno, I kinda liked it," said Chopper.
"Well, of course, you did!" Usopp said. "You have that thick fur coat!"
"Wow, look at all the pretty stars!" Aika exclaimed.
"Yeah, there are so many of them, I can't even count them all!" Kumi added. "Not that I can count very high, though."
Just like Aika and Kumi, Past Chopper was also admiring the stars, staring up at them in awe and wonder.
"Beautiful...!" he whispered. "There are so many stars up there!"
"Don't you see the stars from where you come from?" asked Past Usopp.
"Sometimes," Past Chopper admitted. "Where I come from, the skies are always filled with heavy snow clouds, so I never got to see this stars, before."
"Is that true?" Aika asked.
"Yeah," said Chopper. "This was the first time I saw so many at once."
"I don't blame ya," Franky grinned as he lifted his sunglasses. "Look at those babies shine!"
"It really is a beautiful sight," Robin smiled. "It's like the night sky is giving you a light show."
"Yohohohoho!" Brook chortled. "Indeed!"
"Brrr...!" Past Usopp shivered. "How can anybody enjoy watching the stars when it's this cold?"
"I don't mind the cold," said Past Chopper. "It actually feels good to me! A nice break from the hot desert sun..."
"That's because you have such a nice fur coat!" Past Usopp exclaimed as he snuggled up against the little reindeer, who cried out in shock.
"Didn't you tell him earlier that day that he was wearing a stupid costume?" asked Sanji.
"I was about to pass out from heat stroke!" Usopp countered. "I didn't mean it!"
Soon, Past Usopp shrieked as Past Chopper turned into his Heavy Point form, roaring angrily at him to not make fun of him and Past Zoro was complaining about it not being warm enough and telling the human-reindeer to shrink back down. It wasn't Luffy got into the fray, jumping onto the group and hugging them close together.
"Ahhh...nice and warm," he said. "See? Isn't this cozy?"
"Uh-huh," Past Chopper nodded.
"Aww, that's so cute!" said Aika.
"I think Luffy did that because he just wanted everyone to stop fighting," said Robin.
As the memory went on, the Straw Hats' gaze fell upon Ace, who was staring at Luffy and the others with this eerily serious expression. He had been doing this ever since Luffy brought him aboard the Merry, just staring at the Past Straw Hats like he was some sort of judge. It was almost scary.
"How come Big Brother Ace keeps looking at you guys like that?" asked Aika.
"We wondered about that, too, actually," Zoro answered. "I think it's because he wanted to see if he left his little brother in good hands."
"I can't say I blame him," said Robin. "He just wants to make sure that Luffy found himself some good friends. That's what any big brother would do, really."
"...I guess you were surprised, huh?" asked Vivi, causing Ace to glance over at her. "I mean...by Luffy, that is. I was surprised when I first met him, too."
"She's talking to Luffy's older brother," said Zoro. "He's known him since they were kids."
"Yeah, I bet nothing about Luffy surprises him, by now," said Franky.
"Vivi can be such a worrywart," said Nami. "It's sweet, though, that she cares."
"Luffy...doesn't seem like much of a pirate captain, does he?" asked Vivi. "I mean...normal pirate captains are respected or feared by their crews. I mean...just earlier this afternoon, a simple drink of water led to that big fight."
"We respect Luffy!" Usopp spoke up. "Well...most of the time, anyway."
"Well...I wouldn't exactly call us 'normal', ourselves," said Franky.
"You got that right," Blizzard smirked.
"Maybe that's why we like Luffy so much," said Sanji. "If he was an asshole, like all the other pirates we ever met, that'd be different. We'd either jump ship or toss him overboard."
"I think," Vivi began, "that that's just how Luffy does things...it took me a while to understand that."
"Just as how it took us a while to realize that Luffy works differently from most pirates," said Nami. "I mean...even now, we don't understand half the things he does, but in the end, they prove to be for the better, don't they?"
"That's our captain for you," said Zoro.
"...Heh," Ace smirked. "He's been that way for as long as I've known him."
"Huh?" Vivi muttered in surprise.
"I mean...look at him," Ace said as he watched Luffy, who was arguing with Past Usopp and Past Chopper. "He hasn't changed one bit since we were kids. Sure, he looks like a fool, at times...but people have always been drawn to him. He may be my little brother, but he's always had this weird charm about him."
The Straw Hats couldn't but agree. They couldn't really understand it, themselves, though, even while they were watching their captain's memories. Luffy always had this magnetic personality about him. Whether it was his childlike behavior or his stubbornness, they couldn't really say for sure...but they knew this much. They wouldn't have Luffy change for anything.
Seeing him smile and laugh and hearing Ace talk about those traits...it reminded them why they loved him so much.
"I guess I was telling you things that you already knew, huh?" asked Vivi.
"Well...he and I do go way back, you know," Ace replied. "I appreciate it."
"Huh?" Vivi asked. "Appreciate what?"
"You thought I was worried about him, right?" Ace inquired. "I appreciate you being concerned about him for me."
"I'm sure Ace was worried about Luffy, as well," said Robin, "just as Luffy was worried about Ace."
"If Luffy were my little brother, I'd be worried, too," said Sanji.
"...I guess Big Brother worries about me a lot, too, doesn't he?" asked Aika.
"You know how he only worries because he just wants you to be safe," said Blizzard. "Plus, you're a lot younger than the rest of us. If you were about three years younger than Luffy, that would be different. You're still a kid, though, so you have lots of growing up to do."
"I figured out that much," Aika said. "Still...I don't mean to make Big Brother worry about me...like how he got worried about me, today when Kovar attacked us."
"Would you rather him not worry about you, at all?" asked Kumi.
"Kumi's right, Aika," said Nami. "If Luffy didn't worry about you, that would mean he didn't love you."
"And if he didn't love you, what kind of brother would he be?" asked Brook. "The same thing goes for Luffy and Ace. If they didn't worry about each other, they wouldn't be brothers, now would they?"
"...I guess I never thought of it that way," said Aika. "I guess I was thinking about how sad or angry Big Brother looks when he does get worried about me."
"At least he doesn't stay worried for too long," Robin pointed out as the memory went on with Vivi smiling and chuckling a little.
"I guess my concerns were a little misguided," she said as she put some more dry sticks on the fire.
"He won't always be this way, I'm sure," said Ace. "Give it some time and he'll mature...of course, I don't think he'll ever stop being so goofy."
"...Luffy has shown that he's matured after those 2 years," said Zoro, "but even then...he's still Luffy."
"Yeah," Chopper agreed, "and we wouldn't have him any other way."
By now, Luffy, Past Zoro, Past Usopp, Past Chopper had finally fallen asleep from their scuffling, and the memory began to fade to black, but only momentarily. When the memory shifted, it was still dark out and the stars were still out, too. That's when the Straw Hats noticed that Luffy wasn't with the others, who were sleeping in their tents.
"Where's Luffy?" asked Usopp. "I thought he was still sleeping with the rest of us."
"...Oh, look! There he is!" Nami said as she pointed to a sand dune in the distance, and sure enough, there was Luffy, sitting on top of it, staring up at the sky with his arms hugging his knees to his chest. He had the rare thoughtful expression on his face which did give the Straw Hats a bit concern. They knew that Luffy didn't make that face unless he was way deep in thought, and they meant WAY deep in thought.
"You mind if I sit with you?"
Luffy turned to see Ace approaching him.
"Oh, hey, Ace," Luffy said. "Did I wake you?"
"Nah," Ace replied. "I've been up." He then sat down next to his younger brother before he stared up at the sky. "...It sure is one beautiful night, huh? I remember when Sabo and I used to sit out and look at the stars with our sister."
"Yeah," Luffy agreed, but then he blinked in confusion. "Hold it...we didn't have a sister."
"Oh, yeah," Ace smirked as he playfully ruffled Luffy's hair. "That was you, wasn't it?"
"You didn't have a sister, yet," Aika whispered while Luffy laughed and nudged Ace in the side.
"Thank you, okay?" Luffy asked, causing Ace to chuckle as he nudged him back.
"...So...what are you out here, thinking about?" Ace asked.
"...Just...stuff," Luffy replied.
"What kind of stuff?" Ace asked.
"Nothing," Luffy answered.
"Well, if it's nothing, it's not really 'stuff', now is it?" Ace questioned.
"...Fine, I guess you got a point," said Luffy. "...I was...thinking about Sabo."
"...Oh," Ace realized.
"...I still think about him, sometimes," Luffy said, sadly.
"...So do I, Lu," Ace said as he put his arm around his brother's shoulders. "So do I."
"Oh, Luffy," Nami whispered in concern while Zoro sighed and closed his eye and Sanji took a drag of his cigarette, puffing out some smoke a few seconds later.
"I wish he were still here," Luffy spoke up as he looked up at the sky. "I wish he could go on adventures, too, like the rest of us."
"I do, too, Luffy," Ace said, "but he's alive in our hearts...that's what matters."
"...Mm," Luffy nodded his head, though he still had that somber expression on his face.
"...So, tell me," Ace started, "how does it feel, being the captain of your own crew?"
"It's awesome!" Luffy replied, instantly beaming. "I love every minute of it!"
"That's what I thought," Ace smiled.
"It's everything we ever dreamed about and more," Luffy said. "It feels great, having my own crew of friends. We get to go on all these crazy adventures, together, and it's so much fun!"
"I bet it is," Ace replied.
"It really is the best thing ever," said Aika.
"Yeah, when we're not running for our lives from some extreme peril, that is," Usopp quipped.
"Ah, come on, Usopp," said Sanji, "Live a little."
"If I lived like you guys," Usopp began, "I wouldn't be alive, at all!"
"Shh~!" Robin shushed. "They're still talking."
"You know, Ace," Luffy began, "you could still join my crew if you want to! You could be the first mate!"
"Me, first mate?" asked Ace. "Yeah, right. I could still kick your butt."
"No, you can't!" Luffy countered. "I bet I could take you, now!"
"Oh, yeah?" Ace asked. "Well, let's see." He then raised his fist, causing Luffy to flinch a bit. "Ha! Two for flinching!" He then gave Luffy two light punches in the arm.
"Ow! You don't have to hit so hard!" Luffy said, rubbing his sore bicep. "It felt like Gramps punched me."
"Ha!" Ace laughed. "If Gramps punched you, your arm would be broken."
"How was Big Brother Ace able to hurt him?" asked Aika.
"It looked like Ace developed his Armaments Haki long before Luffy did," said Robin.
"Huh," Chopper replied. "I guess that's how Ace was able to hurt him so easily."
"How did you know about Grandpa's Fist of Love, anyway?" Luffy asked. "Don't tell me he taught it to you."
"Nah," Ace replied. "Pops taught me."
"Pops?" Luffy repeated.
"...Whitebeard," Ace said.
"Oh," Luffy nodded. "...Ooh! Hey! You think you can teach it to me?!"
"I don't think I'd be a good teacher," Ace answered. "It took about three years to know the stuff I know now, and even then, I still got a long way to go."
"Well, you're no fun," Luffy pouted.
"There's always room for improvement," Zoro affirmed.
"...Hey, Lu," Ace said.
"Yeah?" Luffy asked.
"How is it that you don't have a first mate?" asked Ace. "I mean...why not Zoro? He joined up with you, first, didn't he? I bet he qualifies."
"...Oh," Luffy realized. "Uh...no, I don't think Zoro would like that."
"...You don't think he would like that?" Ace repeated.
"Wait...Zoro's not the first mate?" asked Chopper. "I always thought that he was."
"So did I," said Brook. "He certainly has that sort of authoritative look to him."
"And we do kind of listen to him when Luffy isn't around," Usopp added.
"When he's not being an idiot, that is," Sanji pointed out, which caused Zoro to growl, although he had to admit, he was a bit confused, too. He had always thought that since he was the first to join up with Luffy, that made him the first mate, and yet, Luffy never gave him the title. Come to think of it, whenever he read newspaper articles about the Straw Hats' exploits, he never saw the title of first mate under his picture. Just "swordsman" or his epithet, "Pirate Hunter".
"I just thought Zoro would be better off just being the swordsman," said Luffy. "That's all."
"...You're lying," Ace said, causing Luffy to look at him.
"No, I'm not," he replied.
"Luffy, I know you," Ace countered. "I know how you can be and I know when something is actually bothering...and something tells me it has something to do with Zoro."
"...You're not gonna get mad at him, are you?" asked Luffy.
"I won't get mad," Ace began, "that is as long as you tell me what it is that's bothering you."
"...You really wanna know?" Luffy asked, causing his older brother to nod. "Well...it's just..." He then sighed as he hugged his knees again and looked toward the sand dunes with this solemn expression on his face. "...I didn't ask Zoro to be my first mate because...I don't think Zoro wants to stay with us."
Ace's eyes went wide, as did the Straw Hats'...but Zoro seemed to be the most shocked out of all of them.
"...You...don't think he wants to stay?" Ace asked. "I don't follow."
"...Look...don't get me wrong," Luffy said. "It's not that I don't trust Zoro or anything...I think he's a great guy. It's just..."
"Just what?" Ace asked.
"...We...kind of have a contract or something," said Luffy.
"A contract?" Ace repeated.
"When Zoro joined me," Luffy began, "it was only because I saved him from getting executed by the Marines...and...we made a deal: as long as I don't get in the way of his dream, he'd do whatever I say, sort of. It's different from how the rest of my crew joined me. You see...Nami was forced to work for somebody who killed her mom because she didn't want anyone else to die...and Usopp joined because he wanted to protect his village and his girlfriend..."
"Kaya is NOT my girlfriend!" Usopp spat with a blushing face.
"Yeah, right," Sanji quipped. "Even Luffy can see it."
"Sanji wanted to stay at this sea restaurant to pay back the old man who saved him a long time ago," Luffy continued, "and Chopper is living someone else's dream."
"...And Zoro?" Ace asked.
"...Zoro...Zoro's different," Luffy said. "Zoro is somebody who puts his ambition before anyone else...even the crew."
The Straw Hats all stared at each other in silence...although Zoro, Sanji, Blizzard, and Brook seemed unusually tense. They immediately thought back on what happened at Thriller Bark. What they saw and heard about on that day...it was a truly deep contrast to the Zoro that Luffy was talking about.
"Why would you think that?" asked Ace.
"Because," Luffy began, "Zoro and I have this agreement. We agreed that...if I did anything to interfere with his dream, then I would have to kill myself."
Ace didn't speak...but he looked quite stunned...and the Straw Hats couldn't really blame him.
"That's why I didn't make him my first mate," said Luffy. "That would mean he'd put the others before his goal of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman."
"And that would mean you're getting in the way of what he set out to do, am I right?" Ace inquired, but it looked like he already knew the answer.
"Yeah," Luffy sighed.
"...Luffy...is kinda right," Usopp said.
"You mean Zoro's never really put us before his dream before?" asked Aika.
"Talk about selfish," said Kumi.
Zoro was about to counter with saying that he wasn't selfish...but at the same time, he bit his back his words. To this day, he felt that no one else about what happened on Thriller Bark.
"I get it, now," said Ace. "You didn't give him the position of the first mate because you didn't want him to feel obligated to you."
"...Yeah," Luffy replied, almost sadly. "And...this one time, back at that sea restaurant where I met Sanji...well...Nami kind of stole our ship."
"She stole your ship?!" Ace asked in disbelief.
"She didn't have a choice, back then!" Luffy pointed out. "Anyway, I told Zoro to go after her...but...instead..."
"Instead...?" Ace repeated.
"...Zoro went to go fight Hawk-Eye," Luffy replied. "And...I tried to tell him not to go...but then I stopped because I remembered our deal."
"...I see," said Ace. "So he's even willing to disobey orders from you if it means achieving what he wants, right?"
"Yeah," Luffy replied, "but...I almost don't want him to."
"Why?" asked Ace.
"...Because once he does," Luffy began, "he'll leave...and I don't want him to leave." He then clutched his pants. "I don't want...anyone to leave."
The Straw Hats felt their hearts sink...but Zoro felt the most guilty out of all them. It was true, now that he thought back about it. He really did put his goal before the crew...but it wasn't because he didn't care about the others. He was just so focused on fulfilling the dream that he and Kuina once shared that he was almost blind to what was more important.
Still...he knew that was no excuse. He remembered back when he scolded the crew for trying to bring Usopp back when he left in Water 7...and yet, he disobeyed Luffy back at the Baratie. He felt like such a hypocrite, now.
And now, seeing this memory and hearing Luffy's confessions...it made him feel even worse.
"...You're afraid that once everybody accomplishes what they wanted to do," Ace began, "that they'll all leave, too, huh?"
"Isn't that how it works?" Luffy asked. "Once they accomplish their goals...that's it...that means they won't want to be part of the crew, anymore."
"That's not true," Nami whispered as she put her hand over her heart.
"Yeah, we can't leave you, now!" Usopp added. "Not after everything we've been through together!"
"But that's what Luffy believes," Robin said. "It's because of what Shanks said, long ago. Pirates can't stay together, forever...eventually, a crew has to disband for one reason or another."
"...But if we all leave," Aika began, "that means Big Brother will be lonely, again..."
"...Damn..." Franky cursed, softly. "Poor guy..."
"...Maybe they will leave, one day, Luffy," Ace said, "and yet...I find that very hard to believe."
"What makes you say that?" asked Luffy.
"The way I see it," Ace said, "no matter what, come good or bad, a pirate crew always sticks together. I mean, sure, they'll probably go visit their homes and families, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll leave. Even if you guys decide to retire, it doesn't mean your bounties are nullified."
"That's true," said Brook. "Rayleigh's retired, and he still has a bounty."
"And the old-timer's still pretty strong," said Sanji.
"Maybe," Luffy said, "but...if they do accomplish their dreams, it's not like I won't be happy for them. If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be a very good captain, would I?"
"Or a good friend," said Ace.
"That's why...I'll protect them," Luffy said. "I'll protect them and their dreams...or die trying."
"Well, that's really valiant of you, Lu," said Ace, "but...that's not really how it works."
"It's not?" Luffy asked.
"No," Ace said. "The crew is supposed to lay down their lives for their captain."
"...Oh," Luffy said. "But...I don't want them to die for me...I don't want anyone to die for me. If they died without accomplishing their dreams, then what does my dream mean?"
"...Luffy..." Zoro whispered, remembering how he had told Kuma the exact same thing.
"Look, Lu," Ace said. "I might know what your crew has plans for in the future...but I doubt they'll leave you. You're a good captain, I can tell...and your crew is a direct reflection of that...so maybe I wouldn't count them out, just yet."
"Maybe..." Luffy replied. "I guess I don't know what I was so worried about, huh, Ace?"
No answer.
"Uh...Ace?" Luffy asked, only to be met with a loud snore, causing him to look to his left and see Ace, conked out with a snot bubble in his nose. "Ace! Oh, come on, man, you fell asleep again?!" He then began to jostle him around in an effort to wake him up, but that proved to be a losing battle. Eventually, Luffy tired himself out and collapsed on the sand in resignation.
"I give up..." he groaned before he soon fell asleep, too, causing the memory to fade to black, once more.
"...I remember, now," Nami said. "That time Luffy got really depressed because he thought that we'd all leave him, eventually."
"But he knows that we won't leave him, now, right?" asked Chopper.
"We don't really know for sure, Chopper," said Robin. "For all we know, he could still be afraid of that happening."
"At least Ace made him feel better," Franky began, "I mean...a little."
"Still," Zoro began, "Luffy should know better...he should know by now that I'm not going to put my goal before the rest of you...and especially before him." He then looked down to the ground. "...I...I only wish I could tell him that, now."
"You'll get the chance to tell him," said Sanji, "but first, we gotta find him and get him away from Kovar."
"I can still sense Big Brother's aura," said Aika. "He's still fighting...but...it feels like he's struggling."
"Well, at least we know he's still fighting," said Blizzard. "That's good...let's just hope he holds out until we reach him."
"...I hope so," Aika said as she clutched the rim of her brother's hat.
Soon, the memories returned, but this time, it showed the Past Straw Hats standing in the midst of some rocky outcroppings with the sun setting in the west. For some reason, a camel was with the group, this time.
"Oh, it's Eyelash!" Nami exclaimed.
"Who?" Aika asked.
"He's just some pervy camel," said Zoro. "Pay him no mind."
"How rude!" Nami chided. "I'll have you know that Eyelash helped us a lot during our travels in Alabasta!"
"Yeah, he's pretty cool!" Chopper added.
"He only let Nami and Vivi ride him!" Usopp barked. "Meanwhile, the rest of us were left to drag our feet through the sand!"
"Yeah, the jerk!" Sanji shouted.
"Well, I can tell I already dislike him," Brook said with a glare in his eye sockets.
"Oh, please," Nami muttered. "You're just as big a pervert as Eyelash, Brook."
"So you admit that the camel was a perv!" Zoro pointed.
"Well, yeah," Nami began, "but I wasn't gonna say no to a free ride! My feet were hurting!"
"And you call me lazy," Zoro sneered.
"So wait, what happens here, anyway?" asked Franky.
"Oh, right," said Nami. "Well, here, Ace is getting ready to leave."
"What?!" Aika questioned. "He's leaving you guys?!"
"You're kidding!" Kumi cried.
"He was only in Alabasta because he thought Blackbeard was there," said Chopper. "You see, there was this bounty hunter named Scorpion who said he killed Blackbeard, but that was only because he wanted to lure Ace out. It turned out, though, that Scorpion had two sons named Chip and Dip. He only lied about killing Blackbeard because he just wanted to give them a better life."
"Oh, I see," said Aika.
"Sometimes, a father will do anything for his children," said Blizzard. "Even outlandish things, like lie."
"Despite what he did, though," said Nami, "at least Ace had the decency to save him and his sons from a landslide."
"That was caused by one of his own bombs," Sanji pointed out.
"Well, I guess I'm off," said Ace as he stood up with his knapsack over his shoulder.
"So you're really gonna leave, Ace?" asked Past Chopper.
"Yeah," Ace replied. "Blackbeard isn't in Alabasta, so I guess it's time for me to move on."
"Where will you go, now?" asked Sanji.
"Scorpion said some guy in the west saw Blackbeard," said Ace. "I guess I'll look for him, there." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. "Here, Lu. Catch!" He tossed the paper to Luffy, who caught it in his hand. "Keep that with you, always, you hear me?"
Luffy unrolled the paper, but he saw that it was blank.
"This is just a blank scrap of paper," he said.
"Yeah," Ace said, "but it'll bring us together, one day...what, you don't want it?"
"No, I'll keep it," Luffy said. "If it's important to you, then it's important to me."
"...Is that...?" Aika asked.
"It's Ace's Vivre Card," Nami confirmed.
"Having a little brother that's a little slow can make a big brother worry," said Ace before he looked to the Past Straw Hats. "I hope he won't be too much trouble for you guys, either...but take care of him for me, will ya?"
Despite the humor in it, the Straw Hats knew what Ace really meant. He was leaving the wellbeing of his younger brother in their hands. He sounded a little relieved, actually, like he had found the answer to some sort of question.
"Anyway," Ace began, "Luffy...the next time we see each other, we'll be distinguished pirates."
"Heh," Luffy smirked. "You bet!"
"Until then," Ace started, "you and girlfriend try to get along, okay?"
"Ace, we've been over this," Luffy said while Past Nami blushed. "Nami is NOT my girlfriend."
"Sure, she isn't," said Ace.
"She's NOT!" Luffy denied.
"Not yet," Usopp quipped, which caused the other Straw Hats to laugh a little.
"Hey~!" a voice called out, causing Luffy and the Past Straw Hats to look up and see Scorpion and his sons, waving goodbye to them, which caused them to wave back...but when they turned around to do the same to Ace, they found he was already gone.
"Huh? Where did Ace go?" asked Luffy.
"Looks like he's gone," said Past Zoro.
"...We'll see him, again," Luffy said with a smile on his face. "One day, we will."
And with that, the memory faded to black, once again.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within
Vivi: We made it! It's Yuba!
Past Nami: Uh...Vivi?
Vivi: *gasps* No...
Aika: Wow...this looks just as bad as Erumalu.
Toto: Vivi? Is that you?!
Vivi: Toto?!
Luffy: Wait, who's that?
*A while later*
Luffy: Hmm...I quit.
Vivi: What?!
Next time: Luffy's Beliefs
Yeah, I'm really sorry about taking so long with this one, but at least it's up, now!