Me: *Sweats very nervously*
W-why hello there. I promise there is an explanation as to why it's taken this long for an update at the bottom ok? A have a rule to not blabber on for too long up here since I know you guys just want to get to read the chapter already, so all you need to know is that I in my defense can say this chapter is the longest to date with over 11K words!
Warning, I repeat, WARNING, this story contains some pretty gruesome explanations regarding injuries and is very heavy on death, even of some beloved characters. A bit of swearing too, but not more than what can be expected for a normal One piece fanfic :)
So here, I won't hold you back, go right ahead and read this thing!
Chapter 7: Escape!
"U… u-under attack!?"
"B-b-but this is a government ship, isn't it!? Who in their right mind would be stupid enough to attack us!?"
The faces of the two dastardly cowards lost all color.
The agents were absolutely horror-struck. Who? Who!? WHO COULD POSSIBLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!?
Had their fears become reality? Had info about Luffy's capture somehow been leaked, and now somebody had actually come here to rescue him!?
It that was so, then they were screwed, no matter who that might be! The revolutionary army… Red-haired Shanks… Whitebeard… really, it was just a matter of choosing who you wanted to be killed by.
Kay, however, was having none of their childish whining. Her mood was already considerably bad, so really, it was their fault for not cooperating.
This was the moment where Kay proved that despite how she looked (she was really nothing outstanding… just a basic scrawny thin lady) no one should ever underestimate her.
Before either of the two dunces even had time to realize what was going on, Kay had suddenly stomped her way over to them, grabbed and twisted their collars, and was pushing them against the wall with such force breathing suddenly became very difficult.
She locked her gaze with the two men's whimpering eyes, sending them a look of utter fury that burned into their souls. A demon. That right there was the look of a demon.
"Quit your wailing! If you don't wanna fight and are just gonna hide in here like the witless babies that you are, I swear to Oda I'll give you a damn reason to fight!"
The message was so painfully clear not even a second of hesitation was needed to weigh their options after that.
"Y-YES MA'AM!" They correspond, despite being strangled and barely had the air left to talk.
Kay immediately let go, causing them to pathetically drop to the floor, gasping for air. Surprisingly, however, they needed only 3 mere seconds to recover, and then instantly began crawling away without wasting any time getting up, as if their lives depended on it, which honestly, it might as well have.
Last time Luffy had seen anybody run away that fast (well crawl away he supposed…?) was back when Garp would chase him and Ace (and Sabo for a short period too, of course) until their tiny hearts were about to burst and their legs would be sore for the next week to come.
Of well, those guys could go die for all he cared…
"Kay!"
Luffy was happy - truly relieved to see her again. Really, he really was. But his voice was still broken - still filled with dread thanks to the earlier shock he had received and had yet to calm himself after.
Kay felt a lump form in her throat because of that. She always found herself to feel that way when something horrible would happen or be said so Luffy's suffering increased.
Hurriedly, she walked over and swiftly unlocked and opened the cell (as swift as one can be when opening an old creaking door, of course) squatting down right beside the small child.
The moonlight seeping in through the open door was currently their only source of light. Although her sight was very limited, she was now sitting much closer to Luffy, and it became very apparent to her that the poor boy was a mess again.
Small droplets of tears shined in the corners of his weary eyes, strongly suggesting he had indeed been crying recently. In the silence, Luffy's quick and unsteady breath was also very obvious. His heart was pounding, she concluded from this.
She could see him trembling… and unfortunately, she had a knack feeling it wasn't just because it was so freakishly cold (she herself was now wearing a coat but still getting chilled to the bone).
Obviously, he was scared. Terrified, in fact. And sadly, that just made way too much sense considering the circumstances.
God, no matter how many times she saw it, the sight of a miserable child was never ever pleasant. She got a sudden urge to embrace the boy, but immediately brushed the feeling aside, as it more likely than not would leave them both in a veeeeeery awkward situation. Plus, she didn't do hugs. And that was that.
From the door (basically all around them since noise travels through walls too), loud yells and swears and the tramping of a large group of people rushing around on deck sounded… loud booms of cannons being loaded and fired off as well.
"Kay? W-what exactly is going? Why… w-why are there explosions..?"
Luffy looked up at Kay with those eyes - the eyes of a scared child looking for reassurance… a child who deep down knew the undeniable truth, but needed an adult to fully crush their heart before they would start crying.
Kay's heart dropped.
It's gonna be fine… nothing bad is gonna happen. That's what she wanted to say. But the truth was that it wasn't. It would, in fact, not just be ok.
She looked away, avoiding Luffy's hurtful gaze.
This made Luffy very unnerved. He stared back at her with a nervous look of anticipation, feeling his worry grow.
This was wrong… Kay never failed to answer his questions. Sure, her answers were maybe a bit confusing or harsh at times, but at least she'd always say something.
"Kay…?" He asked hesitantly.
This time he got a response. A deep very drawn-out breath. It was much unlike how she'd usually sigh, just let out a just bit of the frustration or stress she was subjugating. She was… preparing herself to say something.
"Listen, Luffy, I… what I'm gonna tell you is gonna sound a little crazy, but just try to follow along, ok?"
Luffy blinked once in confusion. No. Nothing was making sense right now. The ship was under attack? Was that what she had said earlier? Why? And by who? And what did it matter?... When… when would it stop again?
He wasn't quite sure how much more his brain could process right now thanks to his internal struggle of keeping the hurting flashes away, but even so, he still nodded, determined to at least try to understand.
"Alright… as I yelled in the faces of the blockheads earlier, the ship's being attacked. By pirates… but that's… in all actuality, not a bad thing..."
Luffy's brows furrowed. Well, sure, this wasn't the worst thing that could ever happen… if they were lucky, chances were said pirates might give the agents some well-deserved ass-kicking, but aside from that, what could she possibly be…?-
"Admittedly, they're no one stupidly infamous… probably just a bunch of overconfident simpletons who've had a recent stroke of good look and have gotten it into their thick skulls that they're invincible. It won't take long before the battle that you hear now will be dragged onto the deck of this ship, and once that happens, things'll turn real shitty real fast…"
Kay bit her lip.
"Thanks to your influence, (at least that's what she'd heard, although she didn't know the full story and didn't really believe it either) we've already lost 2/3rds of our troops… a battle now would surely take the full attention of all agents, which means they'll be too distracted to keep an eye on you…"
No.
Even if she was a cold, short-tempered and ill-mannered woman who coincidentally was also no stranger to make tough choices, how could she possibly make Luffy go through with her current idea?
He was just a kid dammit! He was already suffering enough as it was. She would also gladly bet even her right arm and leg that the only reason he was still somewhat coherent and had not already completely given up was thanks to her influence and presence.
No that was just freakishly depressing… she wasn't exactly a prime figure one should come to guidance for or look up to as a role model...
Luffy was in no condition to do anything right now… his body and mind were both exhausted, and she knew, knew that things would only get better in the long run…
But nearly anything she'd take over this.
Suddenly, she reached inside the woolen pocket in her thick winter coat, pulling out a small familiar object which glinted in the moonlight seeping in.
"What is that?" Luffy asked, just straight-up confused as to what Kay was trying to tell him.
"It's a key, Luffy. The key to those seastone handcuffs you're wearing. This is your chance… while those oblivious fools are all gonna be busy fighting it out, you, are gonna escape. Onto the pirates' ship..."
Luffy's eyes widened as realization poured over him.
Hold on, what now? Escape..?
"I know I know. I know it sounds crazy. Trust me, if there was another safer way than sneaking straight through a freaking battlefield and onto a ship filled with damned pirates, I swear to Oda that's the way I'd force you to take instead."
"..."
That was it. A dread-filled silence was all the answer she received.
That was not right.
Kay understood that Luffy was probably scared. She understood and fully respected that fact. Heck, just the fact that he was still alive proved he was a whole lot more tenacious than any brat she'd ever met before. She wasn't one to blame a kid like him for being scared.
It was crazy, she knew. She'd seen and felt the cruelty of the world - even without the influence of the World Government - and knew to escape to such a place might just feel just as hellish (if not worse) than staying confined in a cell.
At least here slave traders, thugs, kidnappers, weren't a constant threat you'd need to be ready to defend yourself against, which was probably the one and the only benefit about staying here.
But still, this silence was very unsettling, considering how loud Luffy had proved himself to be when something upset him.
"Luffy…?"
Now it was her turn to weakly utter his name.
"Escape…?"
Luffy's voice was dead. Empty as if the word held absolutely no meaning to him. Kay couldn't recall ever hearing him sound like that. And she didn't like it. It so didn't fit him.
"How!? Even if I run away now, I have nowhere to go! Don't you know they burnt down everything...!? The treehouse…! Foshia village…! mount Corvo…! Gray terminal…! High town..! It's all gone! GONE!" Luffy cried.
Kay could only stare with hurt in her eyes, not knowing what to say. Even if she knew Luffy did, in fact, know (and since long ago had sadly realized) the full extent of the tragic events that had transpired, hearing him say it out loud was… just straight-up torture.
She wanted to tell him sorry (really, she did) since she was technically on the side of the unforgivable villains that had stolen everything from him, but she doubted that would change anything right now.
Luffy apparently seemed to realize Kay seemed clueless as to what to say.
Well, if she wasn't gonna say something, he sure as hell would.
"Where am I supposed to go!? If… if I leave then… then I-I'll be… I'll be completely alone again! Being alone is worse than getting hurt!"
That particular comment seemed to trigger something inside Kay's head.
"No..." She muttered, just loud enough for Luffy to hear. And that did not sit straight with Luffy.
"No!? What's that supposed to mean!? Are you saying there's something that's worse than that!? E-even worse than being weak and not being able to save anybody!? Worse than watching everything just disappear like that!? TO HAVE EVERYONE KILLED JUST BECAUSE I-"
"Luffy."
Kay's voice was stern. Strict. Telling him to shut up and listen.
"I might not know all the details surrounding your history but… I know for a fact that you're not alone. "Fire fist" Ace. He's your brother, isn't he? And he's still very much alive and roaming the seas."
Luffy felt his heart skip a beat.
A...A-A-ce…?
Thanks to the explosions (which as a chain reaction had triggered a stupid inescapable flashback) from earlier, he had - and he fell stupid and guilty and even dumber than usual because of this - completely forgotten about Ace.
During the past week, he had been solely fixated on ensuring his brother would not become a target for elimination. Not once. Not once had the thought that he could even get to see Ace again crossed his mind.
The tears quickly overflowed, warming up Luffy's red icy-cold cheeks as they poured down his face and dripped onto the floor, creating a small puddle.
Ace. Ace. When Luffy thought of the name, it seemed more like it belonged to a stranger than to his brother. Even though everybody... although everything else he treasured and held very dear was now long since gone, Ace wasn't. Ace was alive. And now, he had the chance to see him.
And Luffy wanted to. He truly really really really wanted to right in that exact moment.
"Y… y-you're right… I.. I still have Ace!" Luffy wailed, his crying only intensifying by the second.
Kay could have smiled from relief at the sight of the weeping child. She didn't want him to stop crying like this. His tears were no longer from the agony of losing or from his unchangeable weakness…
The tears flowing stronger than waterfalls were purely from realization. Because Luffy truly did not like being alone, it was like a stab of joy to know that he wasn't. And that was only a good thing…
It might seem like a silly thought, but this would be his first step in moving on. Although the number of tears and snot was a little overkill, maybe…
She thanked the many gods from above that the fierce (at least she supposed it was) battle from outside was blocking out the sound of Luffy's cries. Although Luffy was being loud, she still doubted anyone would hear.
'It's alright kiddo. Just let it all out…' She thought calmingly as if he could actually hear her.
"I… I want to see him…! I want to go right now!" Luffy begged, attempting to wipe away his tears. The task, however, proved impossible.
When Luffy looked straight up into Kay's face with a sudden newfound non-broken pleading look, tears were still overflowing, although now, not as violently as before.
O-o-O-o-O
Kay had suddenly found herself petting his hair to comfort the small boy. It had been weird but seemed to have helped with calming him down faster. After the crying was finally over, though, Kay had been very quick to unlock Luffy's shackles.
Honestly, it that been a massive relief on both of their behalfs.
You could literally see as the color and strength immediately return to Luffy's small figure, making him look way less like an empty shell of misery and sorrow, and much more like an actual child… a… ruffled up one admittedly.. and one who certainly looked like he hadn't slept for eaten for weeks, but it was certainly an improvement, they could both agree without words.
Luffy also felt way better. Like… like something huge that had been pushing down for last long time had finally gotten lighter. He didn't really understand that feeling, but still, he suspected it wasn't just thanks to the stupid handcuffs finally being gone.
Luffy swore to himself right then and there that he never ever wanted to wear those cuffs ever again.
And then the challenge of getting up had come. Luffy's legs had been very wobbly and had ached harder than he could ever recall. His head had been spinning like crazy, and his vision had nearly turned black.
It had been surprisingly difficult to move, even ever so slightly, after the past two weeks. Nevertheless, that was over now, and the two didn't want to waste any more time just standing around any longer.
"..."
'Will this really be alright..?' Kay thought to herself, just now getting second thoughts.
She and Luffy were standing in the doorway leading out of the prison hall (thank Oda the door was hidden away off to the side and not directly onto the main deck), in what - at least it did to her - felt like a very awkward silence.
The cries and violent shrieks of the battle had gotten much clearer and louder now, and it was very apparent that a very big group of noisy and annoying people were quickly approaching, thanks to the increase in voices yelling and swearing curses at each other.
Luffy, however, didn't seem bothered by this fact. Kay found it amazing (or worrying perhaps…?) how he didn't react even in the slightest when he moments ago had nearly lost his mind over just hearing cannon fire…
Actually, he seemed to unbothered he had barely moved at all since they had taken a single step outside.
Instead of panicking like Kay had thought he would, Luffy stared up at the sky.
It was greyish, and honestly, just a very depressing sight, but Luffy seemed obsessed with simple glaring with wide unblinking eyes.
Kay really didn't understand why that was but had already given up trying to anyway.
Luffy could do or say the most unpredictable things at times, and strangely enough, Kay had learned that 90% of the times, the reasons behind why he did as he did were stupidly childish or too confusing for her unimaginative mind to understand.
A nice thick layer of snow was coating everything, and thousands - no - millions if not billions of snowflakes were still drizzling down.
Honestly, Kay found it amazing just how many factors were in Luffy's favor right now. Escape very well might be possible.
That she was truly starting to believe… it was no longer just hope or an action she took thanks to desperation.
Small lumps of snow had already started piling up on Luffy's unmoving body. He had pulled his straw hat (honestly it was too big, but it had just made him look adorable, so she hadn't complained) onto his head in an attempt to keep his ears a little warmer.
While it did manage to keep away the snow, Kay knew that would only mean his hair and hat would be drenched once that mound of frozen water would melt.
Although he tried to not let this fact bother him, Kay could hear his teeth clack and see how his body was shivering... his cheeks and nose were even redder than her own, and he was clearly suffering from the cold.
It was pathetic really. Luffy was supposed to escape, but at this rate, he would get frostbite before that could happen...
A sudden idea, however, struck her as to how such a scenario could hopefully be avoided.
Luffy didn't notice what she was doing. As painfully cold as it was, he felt… just… something now that he was finally outside again.
Maybe it was the smell of the salty waters, or just how, when he looked around and saw the vast dark ocean instead of a dark small nasty room that made him (quite literally) freeze like this.
Luffy had to wonder if Sabo had felt the same back then. He didn't know the full story… just from little things he had personally told him, that Sabo was very unhappy where he had been before meeting him and Ace.
He said he didn't have any freedom at his home. That fact had made Luffy very very unhappy because losing your freedom - he now knew better than ever - was one of the worst things besides being alone.
Luffy had always understood that it was better to die fighting at sea than while being trapped. This, however, was the first time ever he really got to embody that feeling, the first time he -
"..."
"What are you doing?"
"Stand still."
Luffy barely had time to realize what was happening, much less complain or fight back.
Kay, satisfied, took a step back as if admiring her own work.
Ah yes, much much better.
Luffy was now properly tucked into her woolen, nice and big, comfortable, and (most importantly) warm jacket.
It was so long it would be an understatement to even compare it to a dress. The wool-coated bottom was hovering just half an inch above the ground, and that was only thanks to his straw sandals making him just a tini-tiny bit taller.
Well, that was fine. That meant his feet would be kept warm as well.
The sleeves were too long too, but luckily, the tips of his fingers still peeked through the holes, so Kay counted that as good enough.
Also, the hood would have totally covered Luffy's entire face if not for Luffy's straw hat keeping out of his eyes.
He was like a little boy wearing his parents' clothes. The only bad thing about this, really, was that she was now the one to shiver - the one clutching her arms in an attempt to get warmer.
All in all, he was (even she was willing to admit it) adorable in the oversized clothes, even if moving around in them might prove a little challenging.
"Kay you're freezing!" Luffy exclaimed as if it wasn't obvious enough. He immediately began struggling with taking off the big winter jacket, but he was stopped as Kay raised her hand in protest.
"I-it's fine. I can always j-just snatch another one."
She hadn't wanted to bring an extra coat with her in the first place. It would've undoubted raised questions, and while she could always brush off such questions, it could have led to unneeded caution on the agent's part in case something was up. (Which - blame on them - there was)
A sudden loud battlecry from beyond the wall they hid behind suddenly diverted their attention. This was it. It was time.
The pirates had finally come aboard, ready (and hopefully just as eager to retreat once they realized they couldn't win) to fight, and oblivious to the small passenger they were about to get.
Kay honestly thought it was stupid herself. Stupid how she was basically gambling with Luffy's life. So so many things could go wrong she couldn't even with her current knowledge think of all the possibilities…
Luffy would have to sneak onto a ship filled with pirates that totally outsized and outnumbered him, in hopes that he could hide without being spotted by any of them until they reached land somewhere…
But, of course, there was also the possibility that it wouldn't even get to that.
It really all came down to whether or not those pirates could even get away after this attack… their chances were slim, but… she would just have to believe! (As stupidly idiotic as that sounded).
"That's your cue I guess…" She mumbled.
Luffy nodded seriously, understanding fully how important this was.
If he failed, Kay would have gone through all that trouble for nothing… and he wouldn't get to see Ace. He would be killed, or worse, thrown back into that cell. Luffy was determined that he would, in fact, rather die than being thrown back into that horrible cage again.
"So… that means this is goodbye, then, huh?"
To her surprise, Luffy shook his freakin head, speaking before her bewilderment could show.
"I don't like saying goodbye… there's no reason to when we're just splitting. Goodbyes are would be like saying I'd never get to see you again, and I like you, so I don't like that!" Luffy reasoned with a frown.
Kay couldn't help but let her brows furrow into an expression of surprise. Since when had Luffy begun being half-smart like this?
He was only, half-smart, though, because he was wrong.
Really, she prayed to Oda that they would never ever see each other again. Luffy needed to be with his brother. Needed to be somewhere he would be safe. Being with her meant Cp9 was right there as well.
She forced a hoarse chuckle to escape her lips.
"Alright then. No damned goodbye. But… I don't want you to ever come back here for any reason, got that?" She threatened.
Luffy nodded to this. Of course, he didn't even need Kay to tell him that, stupid as he was.
And that's when… it happened.
Kay had honestly thought it to be inconceivable… she… she hadn't even considered this to be a possibility, even after the many hours she had somehow spent with Luffy during the last couple of weeks…
A smile.
Luffy - as in, the same kid who now would forever be scarred both with the ugly unerasable mark on his chest and mentally thanks to the trauma he had experienced. The boy who had literally been balling his eyes out every godforsaken day and night - who had almost lost all grip of reality and nightmare- smiled.
And it wasn't just some weak barely-even-a-smile-anyway kinda smile. No. It was wide… wide and bright and heartwarming and just so much more fitting on Luffy's face, as if had he been born with it.
Just the pure shock of seeing something so adorable - so damn right - on a child like Luffy's face caused her body to freeze.
Honestly, it was the most beautiful thing Kay had seen for years…
"Thanks so much, Kay! I swear I'll never forget how much you helped me." Luffy exclaimed in an unbelievably cheery, child-like voice - in a tone totally unlike how she was used to Luffy's saddened voice sounded, his magical smile not fading in the slightest either.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. J-just what kind of miracle was she witnessing here!?
Luffy found himself to be very confused. Kay send him a look of befuddlement, worry, and awe, but she didn't say anything.
Seconds - a minute perhaps - passed like this, and Luffy decided it was probably nothing important if she didn't want to say.
Luffy turned around, taking a few steps in the direction of the loud battle. Although he was directionally challenged, and kinda dumb, it was obvious even to him the battle must be where the people and the other ships must've been...
There was that saying talking about how no words were needed for men's departure… but wait, Kay wasn't a man so did that mean he did have to say something?
"Wait Luffy!" Kay suddenly cried, causing Luffy to stop his wandering and wondering.
"What's wrong?" He asked all innocently.
A good question. (-Well, a lot of things were obviously wrong, of course, but nothing new that Luffy didn't already know of).
Kay didn't exactly know why she had called out like this… was it because of worry? Was there one incredibly determining factor that made this impossible after all she had forgotten about?
"..."
"Please… just… stay safe. And... smile some more." She found herself saying, despite wanting to say more.
-Yes, and don't get into fights that could potentially worsen your injuries, don't trust any stranger, no matter how politely they treat you or nice they are, and for the love of Oda, do not stop moving, no matter how much more crap you'll have to go through to reach your brother - oh, and do be sure to still eat and sleep when possible, ok?
Kay's comment, however, merely made Luffy giggle, 'cause that was a promise he certainly could fulfill!
"Of course!" He agreed enthusiastically.
And with those words, Luffy sent Kay a small wave and a reassuring smile, to which Kay awkwardly waved back.
In the span of 3 seconds (yes, Kay did in fact count) he disappeared around the wall, out of Kay's life, and hopefully forever.
Her uplifted hand fell sluggishly along her side. Whatever kind of relief or sense of having done a good deed she had felt was instantly washed away now that she stood there, freezing her ass off all alone on the empty deck with the loud roars of a battle Luffy was now headed straight for.
'No.'
She shook her head.
She had to trust to Luffy could somehow do this. His journey was just about to begin… a long pain-filled journey with lots of frustration, hardship, and sorrow … no, actually, it already had begun, starting with the task of sneaking onto the pirates' ship.
Kay, however, knew she was just about done… that very likely, it was not Luffy's, but her journey that would come to an end with this next step.
O-o-O-o-O
Freaky. That was the only word Luffy knew that could properly describe the current situation. He had only needed to oh so very carefully peek his head around the corner and take a single glance at the battle unfolding before him to have come to that conclusion.
The amount of people on the deck of the marine ship were uncountable, but even so, it was clear (yes, even to Luffy) that the bad guys (aka CP bastards) were outnumbered and fighting a desperate battle.
The shooting had stopped. There was simply no point now that the pirate ship was moored together with their boat, and any damage done to it could damage the government's vessel as well.
Honestly, just the sheer size of that thing had completely surprised Luffy. It was far bigger than Shanks's ship, that was for sure, and it also towered slightly above the already massive marine battleship. A freaking pirate boat meant for a crew of pirates. Not an army.
Oh well, hopefully, that meant sneaking around would be easier… as long as he wouldn't get lost or something...
Speaking of the matter, Luffy was indeed doing just that right now. Somebody (bless the idiot who had thought it to be a good idea) had placed barrels, crates, and massive piles of rope in one big row along the ship's outer walls.
Of course, Luffy hadn't missed out on this golden opportunity and had immediately leaped over (miraculously without being discovered) and had squeezed himself in between for cover.
Yeeeaaahhhh…. there it was not a whole lot of space he had to work with. But, for a small boy - one made of rubber nonetheless - it was manageable at least, even if his straw hat and shoulders were getting a little squished.
So here he was, crawling one careful crawl at a time, slowed down by the oversized jacket and the snow which made it tougher to move. Even Kay's coat did well to keep his ears, fingers, and toes warm, it was annoying how it got in the way.
Luffy couldn't see anything as of right now. It was a blessing too, though mostly a curse.
"Die you pieces of pirate trash!"
"As if I'd ever listen to somebody from the Government! Bring in on, scum!"
There was the sound of something sharp- a sword Luffy assumed - slashing through flesh and a loud scream of pain. A loud thump.. a cocky snicker. Next was a small weak utter for mercy, followed shortly by another stabbing noise and then… silence.
Luffy had no clue as to who had just won that fight, but he had a pretty good idea as to what happened to the loser.
Curses, swears, screams, cries, blood splattering, flesh getting cut, commands to attack, roars, the sound of a group running through the crackling snow, gunshots, more screams, more swears, more loud thumps indicating another fallen man...
Luffy wanted to cover his ears to block out the stupidly loud noises, but he couldn't because of the confined space. So instead, he tried to ignore it.
'Calm down Luffy… these guys all deserve what they're getting. J-just because t-they're getting k-killed, d-doesn't mean you have to think about… it…'
Luffy words, however, no matter how true, only barely managed to keep the tears at bay. He could feel his body trembling underneath the weight of the heavy coat, feel his feet and arms go numb, refusing to carry to on.
No! He had to stay focused. He couldn't stop. He had to go. He needed to find Ace, and to do that, he needed to get out of there and not let himself be overwhelmed by something like this.
Luffy would have shaken his head if possible, but instead kept his eyes locked on the ground, determined to keep crawling. He, however, didn't get as much as move a single inch.
A few of the barrels in front of him suddenly splintered with a loud crash, wood, nails, snow, and alcohol flying straight in his face. (This was how Luffy concluded the liquor was indeed Sake, thanks to the horrible taste). It drenching him, but luckily, caused no pain or harm.
Luffy panicked.
Crap! Had somebody seen him!?
…
No, that wasn't it.
It quickly became apparent to Luffy what had happened. Before him laid the surprisingly big chubby body of a fat pirate (Luffy concluded this thanks to his unshaved sunglass-free ugly face) who had somehow flown into the barrel.
Oh oh, this was bad.
The man was not unconscious yet, although, he was bleeding slightly…
As soon as he seemed to regain a few of his senses, he was staring right at Luffy with big confused eyes.
Luffy stared back with just as wide fear-written eyes, desperately wanting to retreat backward. Problem was the coat. He couldn't. Not in time.
"What the (insert swear word a pirate such as him would use)... a… brat? What's a brat doing-"
*BAM*
The pirate was cut short when a sudden unexpected bullet came flying out of nowhere, aimed right at his head and penetrating his skull, instantly killing him.
Luffy's eyes widened further, this time from shock and terror. He dug his teeth into his lip to prevent himself from screaming, shut his eyes closed as to not see a damn thing, but it was as if his eyelids had suddenly become see-through.
The battlefield grew quiet for a few drawn-out seconds before suddenly, roars and screams louder than before exploded.
"YOU ASSHOLES! HOW DARE YOU KILL GARRY!"
"YOU MONSTERS!"
"GET THEM, YOU GUYS! SHOW NO MERCY TO THE GOVERNMENT!"
A loud roar followed those insults, and the sound more intense fighting followed that. The pirates sounded pissed. Who knows, maybe Garry was - well, had been - a nice guy.
Luffy sat unmoving behind his little cover, feeling his heartbeat increase the longer he stared at the corpse before him.
'N-no. C-calm down, calm down, calm d-down, Luffy. H-he's not Makino. H-he's not M-Makin-no… h-he's… n-not h-her...'
It was to no avail though. A flash came. A sound resonated. The sound. The flash. One that Luffy had already had replaying in his mind countless times, only to get more and more painful for each and every damn time it would.
Makino. Dead. Makino. Makino. Being shot. Makino as she was simply protecting Dadan. And as she was killed for doing so.
Blood trickled from his lips as Luffy once again bit through. Poor lips… how many times had Luffy bitten through and bled like this? He'd lost count at this point, and Kay had warned him they would start swelling if he continued like that.
Luffy mentally shook his head, suddenly slamming his fist into the ground, feeling - though choosing to ignore - the severe pain rush through his broken fingers, into his hand, up to his arm, nearly numbing it.
This action was so loud that had it not been for the snow damping the sound, that would have given him away.
No.
All of a sudden, Luffy thrust his head into the snow. It was icy cold, though instantly began melting thanks to the heat of his face. It made his head sting incredibly, which was exactly what he wanted.
"No" he didn't want to remember now!
Instantly, the stupid vision began dulling away, his breath turned more steady and less loud.
He just wanted to get going already! He didn't have time to be pathetic like this!
Luffy forced the small (nearly frozen) tears in the corners of his eyes back, forced his head back up, forced his eyes to open and for them to look ahead at the horror unfolding.
He quickly realized how convenient things suddenly were.
Because some of the barrels had now been shattered, it could give Luffy a clear vision of the battlefield, while at the same time, that pirate's fat body covered him almost completely, which meant nobody else would spot him.
As disgusting and heinous as taking advantage of a dead body was, Luffy really had no other choice. The man was at least 14 feet tall you know. He couldn't just move him even if he wanted to! (Which he didn't but still) He was in the way, which meant there was only one thing he could do.
Ignoring the twisting feeling of shame in his stomach (this was basically the same kind of respect those CP jackasses would show dead people), Luffy grabbed onto his blood-splattered jacket pulling himself up just by the smallest amount to peep at the continuing battle.
The pirates were ganging up in groups to take on single or smaller groups of agents, which, had it been anybody else, would have gotten Luffy's blood boiling for pulling such a cheap trick. The pirates fought with some weak looking swords and the agents with their rifles.
Luffy couldn't really tell who was winning, though. Both parties had their strengths, though the pirates' numbers were dropping pretty fast, which, surely, wasn't good. He couldn't navigate, so he needed at least some of them to get away so they could steer the ship for him.
Something was not right about that chaotic ordeal as a whole, though...
Where was that bird-brain pigeon bastard anyway?
It was worrying. Lucci was strong. Stronger than Luffy. Running into him could - no, would certainly mean gamer over. He wasn't even sure how much of a fight he had left in him at this point.
Lucci, however, surely would stand out from the enraged crowd, even if he too was wearing all black. Why wasn't he though? Why wasn't he out there, swatting the pirates like flies like Luffy knew he was capable of?
...
Well, whatever… the fact that he stayed away was just good. He wouldn't start complaining and jinx himself.
"Come on crew! Let's show them what we're made of! Kill every single government dog and we'll get famous!" A mean with a shabby, torn, and lame red cloak and two fancy-looking swords - the captain, Luffy assumed from how he was giving out orders - commanded.
"YEAH!" The crew screamed back in excitement.
"Tch! Do not falter! They're just mere pirate pieces of rubbish!" A random agent shouted back as a reply to their cockiness.
"All of you have committed a great crime by attacking an official ship of the World Government! This will be your execution ground, pirates!"
Aaaand, with those yells, the fighting - slaughtering more correctly - continued.
Luffy decided he shouldn't waste his time watching their fight any longer. He needed to figure out how exactly he was gonna get onto that ship.
The deck was swarming with nothing but enemies. Both parties would probably just kill him, which meant going straight across and using his rubber arm to grab onto the pirates' ship to swing across would do no good.
His brows furrowed.
Man. He was - and never had or would be - good at thinking ahead or making plans to that stuff. How exactly was he supposed to get out of here? Staying hidden meant nothing if the pirates were just gonna leave without him.
Kay was maybe not been as smart as she had first seemed, simply telling him to escape without giving him any instructions as to how. Maybe she was overestimating Luffy's abilities or underestimating the pirates.
He began sweating nervously…
No! There had… just had to be a way out of there! It wasn't impossible, he just knew it!
What would Ace do in a situation like this? Well, he would charge right through, kick their asses, and simply steal their entire ship if he couldn't get the pirates to listen to him and take him where he wanted.
But that wouldn't work now. Luffy was too weak to fight all those guys alone, so as much as it pained him, staying hidden was his only option.
Then again, had he been Ace, he wouldn't even have been caught in the first place...
Ok then, what about Sabo? E-even if he was gone now, he could still imagine it, right? Well, he would try anyway. Sabo was always more careful and considerate… if a fight was too tough to simply charge head into, he would make a strategy as to how he could win.
The problem with that was that Luffy was not smart enough to make strategies. At least, not strategies that had any sort of hope of actually working.
Luffy thought harder. What had Sabo told him? To… to look around and look for anything useful? But what exactly would be considered 'useful' in a situation like this? No mere weapon or something of that sort could defend him from an entire army.
Despite that, Luffy nervously glared around. Agents and pirates fighting on the right. Pirates and agents fighting on his left. Nothing but a dead body and a splintered alcohol barrel beneath him.
'Come on stupid brain, think harder or I can't go see Ace…!' Luffy scolded mentally as his fear continued to grow wider.
This was bad. He knew that.
As Luffy was panicking, he suddenly spotted three figures (pirates from the smell and look of it) approaching him directly.
He immediately slid back down, hiding his head.
Crap! Had they seen him?! He wasn't sure.. they hadn't stared directly at him or shouted "hey you!" or "die!" yet, which was probably a good sign. Unless their plan was a sneak attack, but that didn't make much sense.
Luffy tried pulling back as fast as the stupidly big coat would allow him but quickly realized that was pointless.
Instead, he went onto the next-best thing - making himself as small and flat as rubber-humanly possible. He pressed himself against the snow-covered deck, immediately feeling the frosty biting sensation on his skin.
He, however, ignored the pain to lay still and hold his breath as he heard the cracking of the snow. They had stopped walking. They were so close now Luffy was sure they would spot him if they just looked down, and it would nearly be laughable if they didn't.
And since he was wearing a Navy coat and they were pirates…-
"Poor guy, Garry."
"He deserved better - no, he still does!"
…
Luffy nearly let himself let out a loud sigh as a massive wave of relief washed over his small figure. He only stopped himself because he was still not discovered and wouldn't dare do something that would change that fact.
The pirates sounded genuinely sad. Not that Luffy doubted pirates could have a heart - not in the slightest. After all, Shanks had been like that, and that's how he would sail the seas too. It was just ironic, hearing that from them when they were in the middle of a raid.
"...Wanna, get to moving him then? He would want a proper burial after all, don't you think?"
"Sure, but we'll need some back-up. Not to be mean or anything ol' friend, but… you're not exactly the definition of attractive anymore, wouldn't you agree?"
The joke was followed up by a few hoarse laughs.
Immediately, the sound of boots quickly stepping through the thick layer of snow indicated they had run off somewhere.
Luffy pushed himself to sit, shivering. Great, now his entire front was soaked as if it wasn't already cold enough!
The conversation he had just heard, however, was mostly meaningless. All he knew was that he needed to get away. Or he'd be found when they returned.
The problem was his escape routes were numbered, and he needed a way to get onto that ship! Of course, he could always attempt crawling back the way he came and think of another way, but he feared the pirates would leave or an agent would spot and call him out while he did so.
And trying to sneak through the bloody merciless battlefield of death and slaughter was not an option… too... painful for Luffy's current taste.
…
Wait-
Luffy stared blankly at the corpse in front of him, biting his lip yet again as another idea struck him.
No! That would be wretched and heinous and wrong and disgusting and shameless and disrespectful and… and-! The mere thought made him want to throw up!
But… did he even have a choice…? That guy was big enough for him to crawl under his clothes (jacket of course) and hide. Then when those guys came back to pick him, they would take the dead guy and him to their ship, and he could sneak out and hide until they reached an island or something.
Luffy kept staring, thoughts racing through his head.
He really wanted to go see Ace… even if he had to sink this low. Even if it meant hiding on a corpse. Even if it meant enduring a little more death and blood and screams and explosions, he would do it.
He clenched his teeth and pushed aside the nauseating feeling he got simply by looking at it.
'Ace, I'm coming!'
With that thought, Luffy held his breath and expeditiously slithered his way - as if was he a little ant - under the thick fur.
Two - no, three - things immediately struck him as he did so.
First, it was surprisingly easy to get a good grip. All the man's fat was perfect for grabbing, as inconvenient as doing such a shameful thing really would be to any ordinary human.
Second, the coat was wet. Luffy had a hunch it wasn't just water - snow that had melted like with himself - or heck, even blood or something like that since it was also stinky.
That wasn't good, maybe that meant he would be stinky afterward too… plus, he was for some strange reason not wearing even a tank top or something underneath the jacket, which meant thousands upon thousands of long greasy hairs were tickling his face and giving him a dangerous itchy feeling in his nose that hopefully would not lead to a sneeze.
Third, and lastly, the man was cold. As cold as a stone, even though he was wearing his jacket. Even as Luffy was laying on top of his massive hairy chest, no thumps of a beating heart could be felt, no raise or fall from the chest. Just emptiness. Just a daunting silence, except for the fuss from the many fights around him.
It (quite literally) made Luffy sick to his stomach just laying there.
"Over here!"
Unintentionally, Luffy began holding his breath at the unfamiliar voice. It belonged to a pirate though. The agents didn't bother with dead bodies. They'd probably just dump all of them into the ocean once the battle was over.
'Calm down, it's gonna be fine. They can't see you, remember?' Luffy thought.
It was true, they couldn't. As much as the fact had annoyed him to end in the past, he was small. Small enough that there would be no lump visible where he laid.
Despite knowing that fact pitifully well, his heart didn't want to calm down.
'Shhh! SHHH! Stop it, you're gonna give me away!' Luffy mentally scolded his heart for thumping so incredibly loudly.
"Is he the last one? I really would like it if we avoid more casualties tonight…"
"Yeah, let's get 'em, then scram from this shitty hell."
"Damn straight. Although this boat of crap had no treasure, surely your bounty will be up after a big attack like this one capt'n."
Their (in Luffy's current state of mind very boring and irrelevant) conversation stopped briefly. An uncountable amount of groans sounded, and before Luffy - inside the darkness of the coat - could follow along, felt the massive body he laid on wobbled unsteadily as it was raised off of the floor.
How they had managed to lift up the man was beyond Luffy. Maybe the guys weren't as big of pushovers as he had first thought… that could mean trouble...
The 14-year old dug his fingernails into the corpse's skin as he had his grip slip a little.
No. He would for the love of Oda not allow himself to fall down now that he had finally come this far! (And it was not like the corpse complained about it soooooo…)
"Damn… when'd he… get this heavy…?" A breathless voice said with a snicker.
"Guess we held… a few too many parties the last few weeks… we're all a little outta shape, doncha think?"
A hoarse winded laugh followed that particular observation.
"Damn… and I was really enjoying… hooking up with a new girlfriend at every new... town we came by... guess we'll need to watch it… from now on?"
That's when Luffy began stopped paying attention to their conversation. It was boring - they were just talking about something about girls, a 'one-nighter' whatever the hell that meant. He had a serious problem.
It was starting to get hot. Like, really, really, really hot.
Yes, now that just a few minutes of tedious nothing had happened, Luffy was starting to realize he maybe should have taken off the jacket before crawling under a thick air-less coat stuffed tightly with fur on the inside.
He could barely breathe at this point. The heat made it painful to breathe slowly (well, as slow as he could with a heart racing over 1 million miles an hour) and with every small breath he took, his lungs screamed for more air.
It made his lungs hurt and his head begin to spin. Again. And also, he was drenched in sweat. While his hair was also starting to stick to his forehead and block his vision, his biggest concern was still keeping a grip.
Although the bandages (even if they were drenched from earlier) prevented his sweaty palms from slipping, his fingers were just about numb from how painfully they were currently throbbing.
Luffy felt his grip loosen. He wanted to push past the pain from his broken fingers but there was no response in his hands. (And of course, it didn't help that he had earlier smashed his right fist carelessly into the ground either...)
Oh oh, that was not good.
Luffy gritted his teeth in frustration, immediately focusing his strength to other limbs to compensate for that lacking in his fingertips. Desperate, like a little child clinging to its mommy, Luffy 'hugged' the massive body much tighter, not knowing what else to do.
His sore muscles immediately began complaining by throbbing as well but that much Luffy could deal with.
'Please just hurry your asses up!' He thought, scared.
"Oi! Stop right there! Where do you pirates think you're going carrying that thing!?"
"Thing!? He was part of our crew y'know!"
Luffy felt that they stopped walking (not that they had been moving quickly anyway). "Don't stop now, just ignore that guy!" is what he wanted to get up and yell in their ugly faces. They were so close (at least he thought so)... couldn't they just get this over with already!?
"Go! Deliver some ass-kicking since they dared insult one of us!"
"...And, don't you dare stop until you've paid them back tenfold, got that!? That's an order!" A nearby voice shrieked.
"YEAH! Come on guys, let's deal one last wave of destruction!"
"One more push!"
And that, Luffy decided, was the one time he would be happy to have his face squished against a hairy, stinky chest.
Luffy could only listen, but really, he had no clue what he was actually hearing. There were gunshots without a doubt. And also the use of swords, Luffy assumed from the sound of tearing flesh followed by a cry... But everything else was just chaos. A blur of really scary noises.
Were they (Luffy had no clue if it was even soldiers or pirates)… crying from pain and despair or simply just howling in anger? The pirates wanted vengeance for their fallen nakama. Where they actually managing to do that? If the agents were losing, then how bad was it? How many of their bodies were now flooding the deck?
None of those questions Luffy could seem to find an answer for where he was currently laying. He didn't want any either. The many awful sounds around him he did not want to be apart of any longer.
He just wanted to get away already!
O-o-O-o-O
Kay sighed. Not unusual, especially for these past minutes. Honestly, she thought she might have made a new personal record or something...
'Alright, that leaves just two.'
Kay found herself to be quite peculiar. Medicine, wounds of any kind or severity, poison, diseases, poisons, you name it she would know basically everything (except for some rare exceptions of course, but forever learning new stuff was part of being a doctor).
And yet, she found herself to be so laughably bad as basically everything else. She wasn't actually smart or good at strategizing or thinking ahead. Therefore, even she had been surprised when her mind had remembered an issue she had needed to address.
It was still cold outside, and even if she was under deck, she could very much still feel the low temperature, even to the very core of her bones. It wasn't as bad as earlier though, so maybe that meant the temperature would start rising back to normal again soon.
Getting another coat to protect herself from getting sick, however, could wait.
As the battle had still been raging on at a headache-inducingly loud level above her, she had been busy. And as of right now, she stood in the communication office. An area in which she was, under normal circumstances, prohibited from entering without permission.
Fortunately, however, the current circumstances were anything but normal. With all the guards gone, she figured she would invite herself in. After all, she was now a woman with a plan.
Kay sent a silent prayer in Luffy's way. Hopefully, things were going alright… she hadn't heard anybody scream "son of Dragon" yet, which was probably a good sign.
She would help him. Even if it was in an indirect way like this.
*Snip*
Another wire was cut. That was another den-den mushi disabled, now unable to be used for contacting HQ to report any of the things that would transpire on this ship.
This way, she could save time. For Luffy.
It wasn't gonna be long before somebody would notice his absence. Hiding the fact that he was now gone would be impossible. However, they were on a ship, days of sailing away from any island with a marine base on it.
After stealing a pair of scissors, cutting off the den-den mushis was as easy as pie. While it didn't mean Luffy was now safe from pursuit, at least this way he would get a few days before a squad could be sent to recapture him.
Only the higher-ups even knew of his existence, after all, so even the marines wouldn't be of any threat unless Luffy did something stupid to catch their attention.
Sadly, she wouldn't put that past him. All she could do was pray that Luffy had learned his lesson and would be extra careful.
With wary steps, Kay silently walked to the last table with the last snail-phone.
"This is it…" She said to herself, not hesitating in even the slightest as the last wire was cut - hopefully, to never be used again.
She let out a breath, and something resembling a weak smile formed on her lips. All anxiety and worry dissolved, and instead, a feeling very unfamiliar to the doctor washed over her.
She was… proud? Accomplished? She had really managed to do something she herself had decided to because it was really for the greater good and not meant to hurt anybody?
It was strange. Going back, all she could remember was taking orders from the government.
They'd told her to throw her pride as a doctor aside and let her patients die. They'd said the lives of the agents - who were still flesh and blood humans, even behind the monster-like facade they put up - their very own mattered not if it was too much trouble to treat them.
They'd also told her to stand by and watch as they would torture their prisoners, just so she immediately could get to treat them and the abuse could continue on for a little longer. Just to be sure they would suffer for longer… every single day minute and second mattered.
It was wrong. In those situations, she - a doctor! - would rather just let the unfortunate victims die.
For years she had followed through with it too. Simply because there was no other choice. They could always replace her. Like they replaced their soulless soldiers fighting and dying for the stupidest of reasons.
Huh… the more she thought about it, maybe it wasn't too strange it felt so damn good to rebel against that very corrupt organization.
She chuckled to herself, feeling like a teenager laughing about misbehaving against their parents.
"What's so funny?" A sudden horribly familiar voice spat out, causing Kay's stomach to twist from shock.
She froze, more from surprise than fear. She hadn't expected anybody to be onto her yet…
Except, just one not-so dumb jackass, that was...
Her expression remained stern, but not even she could hide the few droplets of sweat forming on her forehead. She casually - as if had she not just committed a literal crime - turned her head to look at the man standing in the door.
"When'd you get there?" She commanded to know, no ounce of fear or nervosity in her plain voice.
A great question. Knowing him, it could have been the entire time, and she still probably wouldn't have noticed.
"Shouldn't you be up on deck fighting? Your troops are probably in trouble without their big strong leader."
Lucci ignored her question. He was here for answers, not to give them. And Kay would answer him. Even if it was pretty damn obvious what she was up to.
"The lives of those disposable fools matters not. My gut was telling me something was wrong… I found the cell with the government's current most important prisoner empty. Under no circumstances should a weakened child have been able to escape on his own, even if his cell was unguarded for a short while. And then, I walk down here to find you, down here with those in your hand, causing trouble..."
Lucci locked his gaze with Kay's. Both of their eyes were fuming, unwilling to look away no matter the intensity of the staring. Kay's will was strong and unbendable, no doubt. Lucci had known that since the very second he had met her years ago.
Even now, she wasn't shaking. She wasn't scared. Even if she knew a single wrong word to lead to her demise. This was just another meeting - another talk with one of the humans she loathed so very much, much like any other day.
"Just what do you think you're doing..? Do you not know what dangerous game you're playing, woman?"
Kay snickered, unwavered by his cute attempt at threatening her.
"Oh trust me, I of all you dumbasses would know. Know that I've done the right thing by helping Luffy escape. He's still just an innocent brat after all."
"There is absolutely nothing innocent about a kid of his lineage."
"Maybe. Or maybe, you're simply too blinded by your obsession with control to realize that nor he or any of the thousands of people you've killed have done anything to deserve this."
She was ranting a little more than she'd normally let out. Oh well, that was fine. There was no way her actions wouldn't have any repercussions, so might as well add in a few curses just so she could feel extra good about this.
Silence.
It was tense, but Kay didn't let it face her.
She was ready for whatever would happen to her. Death was an empty thought. A numb feeling of nothingness. It was a threat that no longer made her as much as raise a brow or feel a shiver when thinking about the crapload she had witnessed.
Nor about how she would someday - very possibly today - have the same fate as all those victims in the government's cruelty.
"Where is he?" Lucci demanded to know, pulling his blood-soaked hands (even if they were currently clean, Kay knew that they had taken more lives than she could ever hope to count) out of his pockets.
He was readying himself.
If Luffy was no longer in his cell, that meant Kay had some kind of plan so he could escape. How? Lucci couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. If she truly wanted to protect the damn troublemaker, what would she dem the safest?
Have him hide on the boat until they landed on an island to report of his disappearance?
Have him sneak through the chaos of the battle and silently steal a lifeboat to get away on?
No. He could - would - not allow such a thing to happen. And Kay would, in fact, tell him exactly where he could find him.
The doctor, however, merely stared blatantly back at him, without answering his command.
Honestly, it was strange, wrong in some eyes, maybe. To simply give up on everything herself and her life after all the years she had endured the suffering. And it would all be for Luffy. For a kid whose smile shined brighter than Kizaru's lasers, a smile she, at some point she couldn't remember, had devoted herself to protecting.
And in all actuality, she was pretty ok with that.
"Where is he..? In some place that's better than staying on this damned ship, that's for sure." Kay replied.
It had gotten quiet around them… no more creaking planks above them. The yelling had faded into a distinct barely even noticeable chatter. It was 'peaceful' again compared to just a few moments ago.
It could mean only one thing. The battle was over, which meant it would no longer matter if Lucci was smart enough to figure out what had happened. Although she had no way to know for sure, she was confident Luffy had managed to pull off his escape… probably...
Lucci visibly flinched from anger at Kay's vague reply. He understood, though, and as realization dawned on him, his emotions arose.
"You…! Don't tell me you…!"
This was bad… really really really really bad. Small drops - but drops nonetheless - of sweat appeared.
For once, Lucci's professional front seemed gone, replaced with a panic-stricken look and wide eyes.
Kay innerly wished she had a camera. That right there was a face she would never ever forget, and would forever be thankful to the god above that she had actually been allowed to see.
"You'd be underestimating me to think I wouldn't have thought of this, leopard-brain."
Lucci, completely ignoring the woman's unacceptable attitude, spun around and immediately began running at full speed, leaving Kay behind.
She was unimportant, at least for the time being. How? How could he possibly have allowed this to happen? How had he been just a second too late to notice and to stop this?
Furniture; lamps, pots with flowers, and desks were knocked over and broken as the man sped by down the hallways of the ship.
Although he was fast - the sprint to the deck was in all actually over before he even had time to consider changing into his leopard form to go even faster - every damned step he took felt as if it brought him nowhere closer to his goal.
Every second his worry increased.
Please. For the love of Oda, do not net him be too late.
The door to the main deck was soon in sight. Lucci chose simply to break it down as he forced his way through, onto the main deck he had left just a mere 10 minutes ago.
It was a mess, to say the least. His main laid scattered pathetically in the snow which was now a sludge of brown (and also noticeably red thanks to blood he assumed) disgusting goo.
Some - well, most - seemed dead, if not on the verge of being so, groaning and clutching their bleeding parts with that empty look of a dying man plastered all over their cold faces.
Some of them batted him an eye as he rushed onto the deck. Some of them didn't.
"Rob… Rob Lucci… sama…" Came a dying breath from one of them.
Lucci ignored their frivolous cries, desperately scanning his surroundings with his heightened sights for any sign that it was not yet over.
There was nothing, though.
Just bloodied corpses and the few survivors. It was actually pretty peaceful compared to earlier, now that the sun had even poked through the chunky grey clouds hanging in thick lumps above them.
No.
In desperation for an answer, Lucci turned his frustration towards a random man sitting by the side of one of his dying comrades, grabbed his collar roughly and forced their eyes to meet.
"Where are they!?" He spat.
"Wh-what? Who?" The confused man cried, feeling his injuries hurt by the sudden violent treatment.
"The pirates! Where did they go!? Tell me right now!"
The man could not get himself to utter even a single word, too frightened, too hurt, too puzzled, to even attempt it. Weakly, he raised a trembling arm to point out at the sea, as that was all he could muster.
Lucci dropped him carelessly onto the floor, ignoring his weak cry of pain as he did so, hurrying to the railing to look closer.
…
In the distance, a ship - a small dot definitely impossible for any human eye to spot - was slowly sailing further and further away, towards the burning bright sun rising in the horizon.
Lucci knew they had lost. With this many of his men biting the dust, there were not enough to operate the ship. And he was a devil fruit user, which meant no swimming. There was no going after him. And Kay's efforts had, in fact, not been in vain.
They were stuck. And Luffy was free.
And BOOM! With that, Luffy's journey can finally begin!
Sorry if this chapter was not the greatest... it's necessary, though and I promise the next one will be very good, with the return of Garp and Luffy having to learn what it means to be on the run! (I'm personally really looking forward to writing it as well!)
I can also, in fact, promise these will be the darkest chapters in the entire story (although I do have some pretty evil plans for the future that Luffy is not gonna take lightly) and the next few chapters will have a much lighter feel to them.
Next, let me address a matter I've seen multiple people write about in their review. I will just come out and say right now, that sadly (and yes it pains me just a much!) Ace won't be appearing in any of the next couple of chapters :( I just want to *SPOILER* give everybody (Dragon, Shanks) a chance to properly become involved in this mess and not just awkwardly show up once it's over like, "Yeah sorry we didn't do anything earlier and weren't there when you really needed it, but hey, we're awesome, so now we're here!" Y'know? I totally understand if you don't have the patience to wait for that boring stuff though, and if that's the case, just be on the lookout for a chapter called "You've suffered enough" :D
Here are some answers for the reviews from awsome folks:
wjgr: Thank you so much for pointing that out. Honestly, the whole concept of seastone has always been confusing, and I'm a complete idiot for not looking up how it actually worked when I wrote that chapter. It was my bad. My very stupid mistake. And I apologize for that if it's taken away any enjoyment of reading my story. I swear I will not make the same mistake in the future now that you've corrected me. There's still the things with his hands though. Going back and changing it would take so much time I decided I would rather keep it, even knowing its a big flunk. Forgive me for that? Please? I swear I'll never do it again!
Sophia Mendes-Coruja: Hello Sophia! Yes, the nurses took perfectly good care of me, and I already feel just a little better. And thank you for your kind words, you are truly the sweetest 3. And yes, I am already looking forward to the scene where Ace and Luffy meet. Trust me, you seriously should too if you love getting your heart shattered ;)
Rahhpixy: Glad you think so! And yes, while I fully agree Luffy needs other people who can care for him, he'll have to learn the hard way not to trust anybody just because they care for him ;)
Guest: Your English was perfect, do not worry about it! And thanks, my back hurts a lot, so that's why I went for treatment, so I'm doing better now! And I am glad you enjoy reading my story, I just try my best and hope it's acceptable :D And GOD even if it will be a while, I really can't wait to get Ace involved... he'll be so pissed when he finds out about everything... like how Luffy hid on a freaking corpse to escape XD
LUO: Glad I was able to satisfy you! I promise I'll update again as soon as my brain and fingers allow me too. I don't know exactly when Ace's chapter will be, but if I have to make a rough estimate, I'd say 5 or 6 chapters (maybe?). It's a long time, I know, but I'll do my damn best to make it as satisfying and heartwrenching once it does happen!
ChunkyFunkyMunky: Of course, going back and re-reading my chapter for myself, I can certainly see why you would feel that way. I respect your outlook because Garp is a great character who I, admittedly, have a hard time writing. I will promise he'll actually take action in the next chapter and do some major things but don't expect to have an entire second story just focused on Garp's struggles alongside Luffy's...
Push23: Yes. They do. Do not worry, though, I promise karma will eventually come and bite their big fat butts. Regarding Kay, you'll find out her fate in the next chapter, promise :)
silverrayn123: AJSODFJAOSJDFAO! I AM SO SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT! I personally felt the last 2 chapters weren't quite as good as I know the upcoming ones will be, and that really annoyed me when I was writing, so I'm happy you got a bit of enjoyment while reading :D
lou: (Dunno if you're also LOU, but oh well, I'll respond separately just to avoid confusion XD) Yes, thank you. The flu is an incredibly annoying disease that I'm fortunate enough to have not been hit be yet this year. Oh, and I hope you've had a great spring festival! I don't know what that entails, but it sounds really awesome :D
That's it for now! Again, thanks so so much to anybody who bothers leaving a review, I love you guys so much 3
Updates from now on will, however, be a little slower as I've begun drawing fanart and other stuff, so that can take off a few days of my writing schedule :( Promise it'll never be longer than 2 weeks though, so do not worry, I WILL continue writing and updating as much as possible, and really, just a few more days to write will help prevent any stupid burn-outs from happening, cause no one likes that!
-Cookie