So. Returning back here and checking when I last updated this thing, I realized that had I waited another single day, it would have been exactly 2 months. Which I found *sweats* kinda hillarious.
First of all, I took a bit of a break to more carefully plan out the next many chapters so I actually know what I'm doing. That took some time but felt so neccesarry and satisfying that once I was done, I was definitely happy I decided to do it.
Secondly, because my country is pretty much reopened again and the hospital also is back in bussiness, I've also been dealing with that, and it's honestly been pretty exhausting.
And lastly, which is the biggest factor here, I hit my first serious road-block when suddenly I just COULD NOT figure out HOW to write anymmore. No joke, a month passed just with writing the 2nd half of this chapter and I'm still pretty iffy about it -_-
Regardless, this has been quite the ridiculous break and chapter 14 is here at last! Allow me to just give a quick shout-out to Lusamine who helped me immensely by sending me a PM that gave me some inspiration for the future I'm really excited about getting to! You've been a great help, thank you for the trouble! :D
Also, without giving away any spoilers, let me just apologize in advance for any potential OOCness you might expirience in this chapter. I tried, I really did, but I don't know how it turned out really O-O Also, as I'll so often say, this chapter isn't the most exciting or revolutionary - or even longest - thing that's totally worth the wait, (personally, I'm really excited about the chapter coming up after the next one) so, there's that too TwT
Let me also just tack on an extra warning for this particular chapter in case you're very easily disgusted by injuries. It's not too bad (at least I definitely tried not to make it?), but just know it's in there :)
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 :)
Chapter 14: Prisoners
Luffy stared with his weary eyes in honest confusion at the self-proclaimed mayor.
"Why would poachers capture you guys? I thought they wanted animals?" The teen questioned, as his knowledge of such dirty business, fortunately, was limited.
The mayor scoffed, apparently having a pretty damn good idea himself.
"It doesn't surprise me. These guys are as greedy and loathsome as any pirate out there… unless something's done, we'll all be separated and sold off to different noble households as slaves, all so they can get a little extra pocket-money." The elder's sheer disgust for the men's actions was indisputably displayed in his bitter voice.
Luffy paid the whole "as-bad-as-any-pirate-out-there" assessment no mind (he, at least, knew that wasn't true), but grimaced at the man's full explanation, absolutely no less appalled than the mayor.
"Those bastards…! If I wasn't hungry or at full strength, I'd totally kick their asses!" Luffy grumbly declared, pouting as he stared at the ceiling where he knew the crew was walking just above them.
It was quiet in the prison - to such an extreme that the poacher's undeserved laughter and the soft tapping of their footsteps could be heard clearly through the wooden boards. It was unnatural for a room overflowing with animals. But beasts weren't meant to be locked in cages either.
The mayor, however, having not expected Luffy to use those words, blinked blankly for a solid 3 seconds. His bemusement, however, soon became too much, and he couldn't stop a whole-hearted genuine merry outburst of laughter, of course, unaware Luffy was actually serious about his proclamation.
Ok, it was official. He already liked this strange boy.
"Can't say I've heard that one before, sonny! And although it's very considerate of you to get angry on the animals' and our behalf, you should probably be tending to those injuries of yours before anything," the stranger noted, his voice quickly growing dim once more. He couldn't admit to finding pleasure in the sight of children covered in blood.
"What even in this dejected ever-slum godforsaken world of ours happened to you boy? It's difficult to receive injuries as grave as those unless you're deliberately trying to wound yourself," the elder half-joked with a bitter smile.
Luffy provided the man no disclosure to that little worry of his, disinterested in explaining all the mayhem that was to blame for his current condition. Chances were fair the man wouldn't believe him anyway - the marines considered to be the good guys but still obliterating an entire island and all. Though that Luffy didn't care about. He didn't need the condolence of some old geezer anyhow.
The mayor quickly took note of Luffy's silence as an unfortunate sign he wasn't gonna answer him.
That certainly didn't help alleviate his concerns for the poor boy, sure, but he immediately decided to just drop the subject. The world was such a harsh heartless place after all - filled to the brim with tragedy and, fittingly, equally as many children who had to endure said adversity. All alone even, in some instances…. without the so absolutely essential love of a family or a warm home to return to.
Luffy might as well be one out of hundreds of thousands of bleeding souls. But regardless of that fact, he and the kid were still together now. Here. On the ship owned and controlled by a crew of damn poachers, the villagers captives and future slaves, and Luffy basically the equivalent of a walking corpse.
Of course he felt responsible for doing everything in his power to ensure that would change.
Suddenly, the sore old man began fumbling his way up onto his feet - his back and/or knees seemingly making that a decent challenge - all to then turn his back on the 14-year old and carefully step through the abundance of villager-bodies. His unstable movements might suggest the elder was more used to the support of a walking stick.
"What are you doing?" Luffy asked, not understanding his goal since the cage was locked.
"You sit tight my boy. We've got a doctor among us who can help you," he reassured, just a second before slowly bending over a young raven-haired beauty, gently placing a hand on her shoulder and lightly shaking her with the obvious intention of waking up the exhausted female. Luffy stared in silence, not about to complain if the mayor kept his word.
Few seconds passed before the supposed doctor-lady stirred. She, clearly sore after resting against the steel bars an hour or two too long, shifted in discomfort before blinking open her dark-blue eyes.
"..The hell..? Mayor-san? S' there trouble?" She sleepily questioned.
"Language my dear. But no worries. All's unfortunately still as before, but there's someone who needs your help."
The mayor pointed in Luffy's direction. The woman's expression upon finally spotting Luffy, however, was unreadable. Shocked, perhaps. Or maybe she was slightly put off by the fact a blood-soaked silhouette shaded by the prison's lanterns had appeared out of seemingly nowhere and was staring at her like some sort of horror movie.
"Who the hell's that?" She called out (still minding her voice, though, as to not wake up nearby children) but it didn't take long before she rose from her resting spot and began navigating her way to the cage's front bars, just to find out exactly that.
As Luffy's actual appearance became clearer, however, the doctor found herself immediately frozen, not even the tiniest bit amused by the wicked sight. Her mouth fell open as if she was about to comment, but no words left her lips.
"Holy sh-… that's… a lot…" She struggled to find the right word. A lot. Yeah, that was one way of describing it...
"Language," the mayor repeated. It honestly sounded like he was used to correcting the young lady. Especially considering how easily she seemed to dismiss his scolding.
"You, come over here," she commanded, amazement still apparent in her sharp voice.
Luffy - not minding the crude description of his injuries - slowly approached the cage of strangers, not entirely sure of how to react. This was good… right? Because the black-haired lady was a doctor?
He took off the burdensome medicine-bag which only seemed to grow increasingly heavy with each step and plopped it safely onto the ground before proceeding any further.
Impatience was written all over the doctor's face, however, and as soon as the teen was within arms reach, she grabbed his boney wrist and pulled him close, forcing him to plop into a sitting position on the floor in front of her. The sudden motion led the boy to flinch, but he didn't complain.
The mayor soon joined the pair on the floor, silently watching the doctor turn around and inspect the teen's hands. Knowing her, however, it probably wasn't the horrible condition of the bandages that irked her, but rather, the busted up cuffs locked around his wrists.
"What are these?" She asked, gently towing at one of the chains as if that'd get them off.
"Handcuffs," Luffy answered confused, not quite sure how a smart doctor didn't get that. They were annoying as all hell, even in their broken state, though. He couldn't move too well or fast when he was so drained 24/7.
"Well yes, I can see that…" She suppressed a headache with a sigh, patience dwindling quickly. Intelligence obviously wasn't one of this kid's strongest traits.
"I meant to ask why you're stuck in these. How the hell are they broken?" She tried.
"-You're swearing in front of children as always...-"
"Hmmm… well, they broke when I was in that explosion. It really hurt afterward, so I couldn't move too well and didn't really have time to go look for the key," he casually explained.
"..."
"Wait...e-e...explosion? You… you survived such a thing?" The mayor asked with gaping (more like horrified?) eyes.
Luffy nodded. But it had kinda been his fault that he got caught up in it in the first place.
"Well that explains the burns at least…" The doctor cut in, taking note of the black burnt edges of his clothes.
With a silent empty expression, the doctor began swiftly working to unwrap Luffy's bandages to get a full grasp at the severity of the wounds he'd let himself to get.
The mayor stared on helplessly in worry, attempting his hardest to remain as calm even with all the blood. He, however, couldn't keep in a gasp as Luffy's arms rapidly were freed, revealing a pair of fists that more closely resembled an adult's in size and looked like a train had been allowed to run across them. They looked sick in Luffy's eyes, but he wasn't quite sure if hands or injuries worked like that.
"Turn around. I'll help you get off your vest," was all the lady doctor had to said to that. It would get worse. She knew. And no, she wasn't letting Luffy do anything with his hands right now.
Luffy silently complied. Despite the lady's sharp attitude, she was notably careful as she lifted the ripped fabric around his shoulders. (Maybe she just couldn't control what she was saying? Luffy speculated adults who always strangely seemed so upset about swearing in front of children wouldn't be fans of that.)
Luffy's red vest was stiff - thanks to the dried blood the doctor suspected - and had multiple buttons missing. It didn't serve much good as a shirt anymore. Heck, if Luffy hadn't been wearing it, she doubted she could have recognized it as one.
Putting that aside, she returned to untying Luffy, this time, his chest. The bandages were in poor condition. The only thing that had saved them from falling off until this point was how skillfully they'd been applied. Whoever was responsible had treated the boy with care if nothing.
Her movements became slower, as more skin became visible. The mayor's mouth fell open, while a flash of (… was it awe?) crossed her face. Astonishment shined in the medical professional's eyes at the reveal of his stomach-injury.
The area around the cut was burning red. And the cut itself looked a disgusting yellow mixed in with some black. Although the blood smeared all over his chest did well to hide it.
Luffy grimaced. It had been quite some time since he'd actually seen the repulsive mark. Although he was sure it wasn't supposed to look like that...
The woman stared. For the first 20 seconds at the gaping wound, and next with a flabbergasted straight look into Luffy's clueless eyes.
"Kid, how the hell were you standing just a little while ago?" She asked, dead serious despite her astonished tone of voice suggesting otherwise. A miracle. It was nothing short of a miracle he wasn't dead yet.
"Is it as bad as it looks?" The mayor interrupted. The man averted his eyes, too nauseous to keep staring.
"I think that goes without saying…" She sighed, feeling another headache incoming.
Suddenly, the look on her face shifted from stupefied to outright angry. As if without saying a word, Luffy had greatly offended her.
"You! Just what the hell have you been doing to get this messed up!? Don't you have any regard for your own safety or well being!?" She whisper-yelled, reaching out through the bars to give Luffy a gentle gonk on top of the head.
Gosh, why weren't there someone watching over this kid!?
"Well it's not my fault the pigeon-bastard is so strong..." Luffy argued back weakly. His energy was as good as non-existent at this point.
"Pigeon-?"
From the sounds of it, the kid had taken on this "pigeon bastard." Did that mean he'd gotten this injured in a fight against a bird?
"Please don't tell me that's exactly like how it sounds," she pleaded.
Luffy diverted his eyes from hers, unsure of exactly how and much less where to begin explaining that one.
Well, it'd begun with a Buster Call obliterating his home of course…- in which he'd been slashed across the stomach. And then he'd proceed to beat his own hands numb while in captivity. Oh, and then there was that time he fell down a cliff. More than once, might he add. Plus he'd thrown up that one time and nearly done it again when he had finally eaten meat again. And all of that was without mentioning all the damage he'd suffered when he'd had his encounters with those jackasses trying way too hard to restrain and capture him.
"Oi, catch the boy a break. We don't know his side of the story," the mayor suggested, placing a hand on the ill-tempered woman's shoulder before catching her gaze. There was that authoritarian glint in his eyes, telling her "no, enough is enough." Proof of why such a gentle soul could be the mayor of an entire village, however small it might be.
"...Fine, I'll let it slide for now." She reluctantly grumbled. "But my supplies are all back at the village…" Her fist tightened.
"Ah-" The teen suddenly uttered in realization.
Hold on, if this lady was the doctor of that village he'd just been too...
"Hey, your house blew up." He stoically blurted out, getting quite the stares from the pair.
"..."
"...What?"
"A bolt of lightning hit it and blew it up," Luffy elaborated.
"..."
"...Lighting? From the storm just now? How would you know that?" The doctor skeptically questioned, split between not believing the story and sounding scared it was true.
"Well, I was hiding right behind it when it happened. That stupid lightning came out of nowhere and blasted me right in the face!"
"..."
"Lightning?-"
"-Blasted you in the face?" The two agape and currently understandably leery villagers said, finishing each other's sentences unintentionally.
Luffy nodded a tad too seriously. That lightning… it'd totally wrecked that nice lady's house and given him away!
"But… the storm started approximately… 2 hours ago… 3 at most. How have you managed to sneak onboard a ship after getting stuck by freaking lightning and having no recovery time?" Doctor-san asked, really just starting to question the meaning of life and the works of human bodies.
"Hm? Well yeah, not like it hurt or anything," Luffy explained, as if that was normal.
But just the fact he was sitting here and talking to them right now should serve as living proof of that.
"..."
"..."
Sigh.
The doctor officially gave up. Whatever miracles had saved this boy up until this point she could only thank god-whoever for. But regardless of his luck in the past, his body was screaming for help now, and unless it would get that and get it soon, she sincerely doubted his chances of continuing onward for much longer.
"So, you are positive my house is gone? That a bolt of lightning really hit my house and destroyed it?... And everything inside it?" The doctor asked with nearly pleading eyes.
"Yes, I already told you!" The teen repeated, slightly annoyed.
"..."
"Damn… what luck… then it's really pointless, even if we could somehow get back..." She sarcastically moaned.
Great. Well, the shack was small and easily rebuilt, but all that medicine she'd spent her entire life gathering and brewing was an entirely different mess. And knowing her luck, and it wasn't hard to imagine all her notes and recipes were burnt to ashes as well so nothing beyond the recipes she remembered could be redone...
"-But I have all your stuff!" Luffy suddenly excitedly exclaimed, interrupting the doctor's moment of depression.
'What!?'
"Look!"
Luffy twisted around and snatched his luggage, now bringing full attention to the bag that had been completely ignored earlier. The woman's eyes grew wide as she almost immediately recognized the dirty worn-out old thing.
'That's!-'
"My bag! But how!? Where'd you get this?" The overwhelmed homeless woman confusedly cried, nearly ripping the heavy thing from Luffy's fragile hands. Heartfelt relief seemed to warm up the woman's cheeks as the zipper was opened and she found loads of her cherished medicine safe in the bag.
She pulled the priceless battered muddy decaying but irreplaceable messengerbag close to her chest, determined to never lose her valuables again. Flimsy as a wet stained poorly made bag filled with drugs of all things might seem, it was still hers, and as of now, everything she owned.
Luffy, however, suddenly broke away his glance, his dismal mood-change immediately apparent. The teen felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, especially sitting face-to-face with the (as it turned out) fairly friendly victim of his innocent "purchase."
"I'm sorry…" He bowed his head as low as his stomach-scar allowed. "I know it was mean of me to just take this while you guys weren't home…. I had some money to pay, but then those stupid jerks took it when I tried to leave it and a note behind…" He nervously sought her gaze once more.
No scolding followed, however. A single depressed sigh and head shake was the most extreme reaction to Luffy's confession.
"Don't want it.' I'm indebted to you, boy."
Sure their entire village might be doomed, but the kid had yet to be spotted. If just his injuries didn't kill him, he could still slither away next time they arrived at an island. It was too dangerous and out of question for him to try and intervene with the poachers.
She for a second only glared fiercely into his deeply apologetic eyes, but suddenly flicked a finger at his forehead. It didn't hurt, but Luffy still flinched at the unexpected move.
"You know, there are a lot of doctors willing to help out a brat like you out there. In fact, if not for our little situation at hand, I promise I'd take my time and help you get back to full health before anything else."
She broke eye contact, focusing instead on scrambling through her medicine. It was impossibly stuffed and hurriedly packed. Finding anything would prove a challenge on all its own.
"No, I don't have time for that!"
She stopped.
"Why would that be?" The mayor was the one to ask, voice calm but noticeably troubled anyway.
"I'm looking for someone! Portgas D. Ace, my older brother! I met this old man at a bar who told me if I went to some Fauna island, then I could meet a woman who knew something about the Whitebeard Pirates!" Luffy briskly summarised.
Eyes grew wide at that exclamation.
For freak's sake, how many outlandish secrets did this one boy have to hide?
"You mean to tell me your older brother is a pirate? And then even the infamous Portgas - 2nd division commander of Whitebeard, no less?" The mayor asked in raw awe.
"That's right! If I stop... for even a second, I might never get to see him again!"
"..."
The two went dead quiet. The doctor lady especially seemed to have abysmal thoughts crossing her mind. What about was impossible to tell. The mayor too, strangely, focused entirely on her reflective state. His expression was disheartening and unreadable as well.
"Boy."
The mayor took responsibility for talking.
"You're well aware that the island you've just abandoned is Fauna as I brought up earlier, are you not?"
Now it was Luffy's turn to be flabbergasted. His eyes filled with desperation, heart starting to race a thousand miles as realization dawned on him.
No. No, in fact, he'd managed to completely ignore the mention of the name when the mayor had introduced himself.
"-Then!?"
"You're in luck. If it's a woman with some connection to Whitebeard you wanna find so badly you'll even put your body's basic needs aside, you've found her." The doctor interrupted, dead-faced.
"Really!? Do you know them!?"
"No, not personally. But my home is just a few hundred miles east of here, a tiny non-existent poor unmarked island the World Government couldn't care less about called Slumtasia. I moved away over 12 years ago to pursue my love for medicine, but since then, old man Whitebeard stopped by when some pirates attacked and claimed the place as his own. I owe him a great debt for saving my family and friends' asses, but let's just say… there's a very specific reason I probably won't ever go visit the place again…"
Pirates will always be pirates.
A popular saying amongst the marines. Even if Whitebeard wasn't the back-stabbing kind of guy - proved by his terrifying obsession with protecting his crew - he wasn't exactly innocent either. He'd killed. He'd plundered. Just because his protection was sincerely needed didn't mean she liked to accept it.
"I'm sure everybody there would be willing to help you out. It would be as easy as asking for a den-den mushi and then calling Whitebeard directly."
Usually, those were meant for emergencies only. In case a crew of psycho pirates one day actually decided to ignore Whitebeard's mark and attack the island at their own demise. But surely, exceptions could be made.
" Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to help you with getting there…"
"Huh?"
Well, not like Luffy had expected that to begin with. He had (miraculously) been getting around on his own up until now. But since she was the one who brought that, up he couldn't help but be curious.
"You see, I did have an eternal pose-"
"Eternal pose?" Luffy interrupted immediately.
"Yes? Instead of the usual needle that records the magnetic waves of an island before then moving on to the next, an eternal pose is eternally locked on a single island no matter how long it spends away from it," she explained, slightly confused.
If this kid (because no way had he traveled alone from one of the blues or worse, New World, here too) lived in the Grand Line, how come he didn't already know that?
"..."
"...So it's a mystery pose then."
Facepalm.
The doctor stared. The mayor broke into a burst of restrained bubbly laughter. God, wasn't that cluelessness just precious in a shithole like this.
"Ahem!" She fake-coughed. "Case in point, an eternal pose gives you a direct pathway to any specific island. I had one for Slumtasia in case I ever felt like returning but…"
She averted her eyes, looking uncomfortable to continue.
"... It was stored… in my house which… you know…"
Luffy blinked, for a few seconds not understanding until:
"Oh."
Right. That mystery pose was probably gone now too. And even if that wasn't the case, no way in hell could Luffy go back to Fauna. Not with those guys probably tearing the forest apart looking for him if they didn't already know he was here.
"What about Water 7?" The mayor all of a sudden cut in, stupefying Luffy's train of thought.
"Is it a possibility that an eternal pose could be found there? The poachers did acknowledge they were visiting Pucci to form a contract with an anonymous buyer. Of course, all to move by sea train to Water 7 to avoiding docking such an illegal ship at a densely populated island mere hours away from Enies Lobby."
The doctor's head immediately flooded with possibilities at the mention of the famed city of water. A hand was thoughtfully placed over her mouth. Yes. Yes, that could might actually work.
"It's certainly possible… Slumtasia is fair ways away, so many people would want an eternal pose thereto to stop by for supplies to stock up on while sailing…"
"What are you talking about?" Luffy broke in, not following along with their conversation.
Water 7? Sea train? And that Enies Lobby place again that the pigeon-bastard had also mentioned?
"It's nothing… nothing you have to worry about yet at least," the doctor said with a sigh, not about to waste away her night explaining.
No, they'd wasted plenty of time already. She had an infected wound getting worse by the second to treat here - a screwed up pair of swollen fists, and an ass-ton of 2nd degree (at best) wounds to top everything off.
Swiftly, before Luffy was allowed time for any objections, a tiny bottle of something was pulled out from her overflowing medicine mountain, skillfully injected into a syringe and next with the smallest prick, directly into Luffy's arm. She doubted, seeing all his existing injuries, a puny needle would scare him.
The effect was almost immediate. Clouds blurred the teen's mind and vision. If not for the fact he was already on his knees, he assuredly would have dropped to the ground considering how unhealthily weak his throbbing muscles rapidly turned. The fatigue was overwhelming.
"...What was that…?" He faintly groaned in a last-ditch effort to speak.
He desperately clung to the bars of the cage, consciousness starting to slip.
"Just a little something to make sure you're out while I treat you. You're gonna need stitches from the looks of it, and I'd rather as hell ensure you won't be feeling that on top of everything you're already suffering from."
"My dear, you're doing it again-" the mayor's faint voice snapped, growing notably more annoyed by the second.
But Luffy heard none of that. His world had already turned black.
O-o-O-o-O
The imminent silence hung ponderously in the air. Between the uncountable and uncomforting numbers of jail cells hosting outlaws so detestable they were better off forgotten by society, you'd imagine nothing but utter chaos would come out of locking them all up in the same place.
Then again, silence - well, the eternal boredom the silence was presumed to bring - was the punishment for the power-hungry fools of level 6. Garp knew better than to take the peace for granted, even if it made the atmosphere immensely unsettling.
It had been a mere few weeks since he'd arrived at the great prison. At least if Garp's loose counting and poor attempts at keeping track of time held up. With all light and access to the outside world cut off, time was impossible to know exactly.
Needless to say, his stay so far had been far from pleasant, even if his treatment had been nothing like the usual for Impel Down standards.
For one thing, he'd been allowed to keep his clothes and marine coat and medals. Although the generous intentions were kind of made pointless by the fact he couldn't change his clothes anyway.
Oh, and due to the little fact they were nothing but shiny accessories since his title had temporarily been revoked. He now held no more status or power than an old geezer with his fists. (Which, admittedly, still was a lot, but that was beside the point).
The use of chains restraining him was still excessive, though. As if restraining his hands with a set of cuffs and binding his feet to the wall (all with seastone of course) wasn't extravagant enough.
The man had been alarmingly quiet since the second he stepped foot in the prison. What was brewing in the man's thought was as good as anyone's guess. At times he looked on the verge of crying. And at others, like he sincerely wanted to murder someone.
The reactions of the prisoners as the glorious "Hero of the marines" had waltzed right in and, shockingly, went behind bars had certainly been something to behold. Heck, some of the prisoners would inevitably recognize Garp as the one responsible for bringing them in in the first place.
Not like it mattered if any of the prisoners saw him and began hypothesizing. The speculations of men locked up in a place where they'd never even see a slither of sunlight again wouldn't travel far.
And their opinions ultimately had little any impact on Garp.
But he at this point probably was looking like some madman who hadn't slept in days. Probably because he hadn't. Or at least that's what he told himself as to not let the time ticking by one excruciating silent second at a time drive him to insanity. Missing sleep and constantly being shredded in gloom didn't do wonders for appearing friendly either if the insecure stares of the guards discreetly delivering his food didn't prove that.
Needless to say, things weren't optimal on his end.
The elder grumbled, visibly irked. He was uncomfortable. Legs and arms crossed. He'd lost count of for how many hours he'd sat like that. His legs were sleeping, so there was that. But he didn't really feel like shifting positions despite that. He tapped a finger impatiently against his bicep.
Tap tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tap. A fast and impatient rhythm matching his bubbling frustration.
He gritted his teeth, annoyance only spiking by the second.
Those damned Gorosei. They'd really stepped across the line this time.
Of course his imprisonment had come as no surprise. The five elders were a bunch of smartasses leaving nothing to fate after all. The lack of torture or inhuman treatment proved this was simply a way to incapacitate Garp. And no better place than the impenetrable Impel Down, most enclosed place in the world.
With all his connections to his crew, the news, the Cipher Pohl's, rumors, the marines, his title, sunlight, moonlight, the ocean - even just a basic grasp of time effectively stripped, he was as good as useless. Knowledge was power in the big game after all, and as things stood, he knew… absolutely nothing.
Luffy.
The brat had pulled out one of his astounding miracles once again with this one. It was just like him to even in his condition find a single friend willing to risk their life to allow him to escape.
But where was he now? Was he eating enough with that stupid big appetite he had him to thank for? Was he injured? Hurting? Staying out of trouble? Laying low? (Who was he trying to fool here...) Crying? In absolute despair? Even still the same dorky helpless kid he used to visit? Had he found someone willing to protect him?... was he horribly lonely or even still…-
Alive?
He grumbled again, this time bitterly as a lump immediately blocked his throat.
All these unanswered questions were starting to drive him crazy. If it was the Gorosei's twisted way of torturing him, he wasn't ashamed to admit it was starting to take its effect.
More than ever he truly detested every single little corrupt aspect of the "justice" system he'd vowed to follow. But although he was already infamous for slithering around orders, he hadn't ever done a conscious effort to get in the higher-ups' way before. Not to this degree at least.
Garp was selfish - no point in trying to deny it. He'd idly stood by in the past. Mostly turned a blind eye to the tragedies he and the marines had assisted the World Government in causing.
Didn't mean he accepted it. Nor that he ever had.
But every side had its darkness, all humans their greed, and all organizations a need for a leader. Living under the fist of the World Government was sure as hell a lot better than just allowing pirates to cause anarchy. At least that's what Garp had always believed. Picking the greater of two evils.
But now... when he was the one put to the test and the ones threatened were people he actually cared about, all his prior disgust at their actions turned to anger, to desperation, to regret, to feeling helpless and like he obviously should have done more to prevent this all in the first place. Selfish indeed.
This was different from anything Garp had ever agreed to be a part of before, though. This time, the government had its eyes set on a single little kid. His kid. It would be one thing if he was a pirate, got brought in, and then sentenced to a public execution because of his dad. At that point, it'd be the punishment he as a pirate deserved. That was the way justice worked. The way punishing criminals was supposed to work. And Garp felt no compassion for criminals.
But the tiny little fact that kept Garp's rage burning to no end was exactly that. Luffy was no criminal.
He was a 14-year old boy with a far too cheeky attitude and a dangerously big mouth. A boy cursed by the name of his father. The son of an outlaw - or even worse, a potential bargain chip in the eyes of the government.
But none of that was his fault now, was it? How anybody could so willingly neglect that fact and yet still claim they strived for justice was beyond him.
Meanwhile, something entirely different was slowly starting to sneak its way into his head along with the inextinguishable anger. Try as you might, but it was impossible to stay infuriated every second of every hour of every day.
Garp was convinced humans weren't meant to be as isolated for as long he'd already been. With nobody to talk to and distract him from it, far more disturbing thoughts than he'd usually ever allow himself to think of came crippling. And with all the empty time his brain was trying to fill in an attempt to keep him sane, it was starting to get beyond the point where Garp could just easily shove it aside any longer. Not like he usually would with something this major anyway.
He sighed.
Dawn Island was really gone, wasn't it?
The reality and weight of those words went beyond just getting enraged and desiring revenge upon whichever bastard was responsible (although that thought certainly never left Garp's mind. Indeed - how he had the sweetest dreams of about smashing the Gorosei's skulls in...)
It was just as if there was a certain point when, simply, in his head, it had clicked.
He'd never again get to stop by at Dadan's, get drunk, and then yell at them all night all for being shitty caretakers. Never again could he hurl around Luffy the forest with the excuse that it was "training" all whilst remembering the time Ace - and for a short time, even that strange Sabo kid - were victimized as well. Maybe he'd never even see his grandson again. Maybe all the innocents of the Goa kingdom and Foosha village died with a fiery resentment in their hearts, and nobody would ever be able to give them the justice they deserved.
Their deaths were permanent. They were gone. As in, gone forever.
The thought made Garp want to obliterate something. He'd been so careless in preventing it. He felt like crying like a little child throwing a tantrum at how unfair the world worked as if he hadn't been exposed to it for years on end already.
And yet he said nothing. Unlike being stabbed or sliced or bruised or pummeled, this pain he found impossible to wrap his head around.
It was a mess. He was a mess. Truly, Garp had never been as conflicted about anything as he was right about now. He was probably sounding like some drunk man with his depressed rambling.
It was about in this unlikely time he'd found his thoughts arriving at his second home;
Really, there was no denying he belonged in the marines, was there? Where would he go if he wasn't with them? Navy HQ had been his home ever since he was just a fledgling recruit. His safe haven to return to when missions went terribly wrong and he could seek reassurance from the more experienced marines while he'd still been young and climbing his way through the ranks. Where he constantly met new recruits full of life and a burning passion to do all the good in the world. The place where his lifelong dream had finally come true.
How could he possibly betray such a place? Garp wasn't a traitor. At least he'd never intended to be - he just always did what he wanted to without caring about the consequences of his actions.
It felt as if there was an immutable voice in the back of his head tempting him and yelling "screw it all, beat up the bastards responsible for this!" fiercely clashing with his unyielding loyalty to the marines. It was a battle that seemed to only slowly conclude, and it was driving Garp insane.
In the end, he didn't know what to do.
Obviously, he wasn't gonna be let out of here before this entire thing reached some conclusion. He hated to the thought of leaving Luffy's safety in the hand of others, but truth was, he was overpowered and had already failed to protect him.
Heck, he wouldn't even be surprised if his grandson hated him and the marines after the crap they'd pulled this time, and would push away any help he'd offer, even if he ever got the chance to talk to him again. The brat was dangerously resilient once he'd made up his mind about something after all.
All odds were stacked against him. He could fight it - fight the marines for real all just for a chance to save a single grandson. But the harsh truth was there simply were people just as powerful as him and better equipped for this.
Red-hair. Dragon. Maybe even throw that damn Newgate into the mix if it became absolutely necessary. They'd all survived an encounter with him, so if anybody in the world stood a chance at helping the boy, it was them. But this was an unpredictable crazy race. No - a hunt. A hunt for Luffy. And it scared Garp that he couldn't tell who was winning.
Garp couldn't help but sigh. These thoughts were all too much.
Maybe it was about time he pulled back and retired. After all this mess was resolved of course - but Garp was starting to hit his limit for how much more of the World Government's crap he could take.
A sudden loud resounding sound interrupted the ex-vice-admiral's thoughts. Loud as ever, the prison's only elevator had arrived at level 6.
Garp paid it no worry. With his haki, he easily sensed four figures approaching long before their actual steps became apparent. Oddly enough though, it quickly became clear their steps were growing very loud very fast.
Somebody was coming. And since he had a difficult time imagining anybody outside had a strong relationship with any of the other level 6 inmates and the connections to actually come here just to visit, it was a safe bet to assume to see him.
He silently waited, mildly conflicted about what he should do. He hadn't spoken to anyone in days, which might have been for the best. No telling the swears and harsh protesting that poor bastard would have been put through.
Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for Magellan's towering figure to appear outside his cell. He looked as stern and apathetic as ever and a few emotionless guards accompanied him, which at least explained the extra people he'd sensed earlier.
"Garp the fist. You have a visitor," The warden calmly and openly elucidated, not afraid to look Garp straight in the eyes despite his vehement glare.
The marine's brows twisted in confusion, having not expected that. A visitor under these circumstances? There definitely weren't a lot of people who had the authority to make such a decision on their own.
Sengoku was the first possibility that came to mind. But why go through the trouble of coming all the way to the Calm Belt when he could just call? How would he even have found the spare time for a trip like this?
The man found himself quite pleasantly surprised when the guest revealed himself to be somebody entirely different. An old friend of his. Kuzan "Aokiji" - admiral of the marines.
"Yo," he cooly greeted, waving two fingers at the man he still owed a great debt. Quite the casual hello considering Garp's situation, but that was Aokiji in a nutshell, wasn't it?
Garp didn't return the hello, leaving the group in a silence that very quickly would turn awkward unless somebody was quick to say something.
"Well... I suppose I'll leave to the two of you alone for some privacy, as I have other duties to tend to. But, remember... we're watching," Magellan warned Aokiji as if he wasn't threatening one of the navy's most loyal members and biggest monsters.
Of course, out of all the floors, level 6 was the one with the tightest security and littered with visual den-dens on every little corner. There wasn't a crack in the wall that couldn't be seen from the guard room, but unfortunately, the snails came with this tiny little inconvenience that sound didn't travel through and any... unfitting conversations the prisoners might've been having went unheard.
Actually, now that Magellan pondered the thought, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.
"Yes, yes, of course. Thanks for the trouble, I guess. I promise this won't take long, though," Aokiji said dismissively, plopping his hands back into his pockets.
The warden made no further comment, feeling no personal need to as an antisocial man spending 8 hours of his day alone in the bathroom. Which yes, was his own decision. Wordlessly he left the two alone, the other escorts following closely behind their commander.
Garp looked grimly at his colleague (the brat was as unreadable as ever), but waited until the prison staff's footsteps had vanished completely before speaking up:
"So… mind explaining what this little unexpected visit is all about, Kuzan?"
The ex-marine vice-admiral found himself surprised by how empty and defeated his voice sounded. Maybe being in a constant battle with his own head was more exhausting than he realized while he was just sitting alone.
"Hm? What, can't a man drop by to check up on his old friend without being accused now? Besides..." he lowered his voice just enough that Garp could still hear him. "Just between the two of us, Bogard also personally asked me I please visit to make sure you, you know, were still eating and taking care of yourself despite your… " he stopped momentarily, searching for a word that wouldn't make him sound like an insensitive jerk. "Losses..."
The carelessness in the follower of "Lazy justice's" voice was misleading, but anybody who'd known the guy for more than a day would know the concern was real and was there behind that tired face of his. Hell, Garp wasn't even sure he'd gotten permission from Sengoku to actually be here in the first place, which meant it must have been a pain to orchestrate this little visit.
And Aokiji… Aokiji was not the kind of guy who'd deliberately put himself in some bothersome position.
"I have to admit, though, Garp… it feels kinda weird seeing you in this way."
That imprudent comment caused Garp to snort.
"There's nothing weird about a grandpa getting a hit in on the bastard responsible for his home getting obliterated by the very same organization that works as his second home, all for sake of getting to his grandson to imprison and use him despite the fact he's never done a damn thing wrong, is there? Or would you beg to differ, admiral Aokiji?" Garp growled, shooting the man a glare as if daring him to as much as even try it.
Aokiji didn't mention another word about the matter thereafter. A few seconds of silence led to Garp sighing, realizing his anger didn't do him any favors.
"So, how is he?" he joylessly asked, not even needing to clarify.
"I'm afraid that's classified information," Aokiji coldly informed.
Classified? Oh right, no title and all.
"The hell it is! That's my grandson they're hunting Kuzan! He's just some kid! He hasn't done anything to deserve any of this! You've seen it yourself, haven't you...?! How devastating one of those damn Buster Calls are? The government went way too far this time and you know it!" Garp snapped remorselessly.
Of course it made sense the government kept him in the dark to spare him from the more grim details and avoid to invoke any more unnecessary reactions from his side. A simplified summary at the end of it all was smartest, that's what they thought, wasn't it?
Aokiji said nothing to Garp's outburst. Killing his own friend… watching the evacuation ship filled with civilians being blown to oblivion… even taking on the responsibility of watching over the only 8-year old survivor just to see if she would one day fit in somewhere so he wouldn't have to take her in. Of course he understood where the elder's frustration was coming from.
The admiral sighed. His heart was too damn big for his own good sometimes.
"Fauna," he uttered in defeat.
"At least from what the most recent report says, that's where he last was. Apparently, the group led by Rob-Lucci managed to catch up to him, but he gave them the slip by throwing himself into a river. They searched for a body, but none was found, so they suspect he's somehow made it off the island," he summarised.
The boy was either impossibly tenacious or had no significant regard for his life if he'd managed to outrun the government's top agents for this long, was what Kuzan personally had concluded from the intel.
Either way, it was worrying. Somebody who didn't care about getting hurt would drag themselves to their grave without others to look out for them. And hell if that boy was gonna be allowed a break to receive any substancial help.
Garp laughed dryly, sounding oddly relieved about the news, however.
Thank heavens… so he was still alive then.
"Boy's a fighter, that's for sure," the elder said shortly, bringing about silence between the two.
As overjoyed and profoundly proud Luffy's evasiveness truly made him as his grandpa, he'd bet a week's worth of meals the government was starting to get sincerely annoyed and worried about how much longer this incessant goose-chase would last.
It wouldn't be long before there would be taken more drastic measures to ensure his capture, Garp was sure.
"..."
"Are you gonna go after him too?" Garp bluntly asked all of a sudden. He didn't at all sound like he'd blame his colleague if he would.
"No. Not unless I receive explicit orders to at least. Unlike that crazy Sakazuki, I'd rather not get involved any further in this mess…" Aokiji admitted resolutely.
Garp groaned at the mention of that fiendish admiral's name.
"I don't suppose he's been talking about anything other than wanting to blow a hole through my grandson's chest for these past days, or am I wrong?"
No answer was required for that obvious question.
"Well... I heard he had a run-in with Red-hair just a little while ago... apparently, he was forced to retreat due to a lack of manpower…. or so I heard…" Aokiji nonchalantly explained, scratching his curly black hair as it making at least a bit of an attempt to remember some details. He certainly didn't appear worried about his colleague's defeat though.
Garp couldn't repress a sly smile from spreading across his wrinkled face.
That could only mean Bogard must've actually listened to him and contacted that cheeky Red-haired brat. And all depending on how roughed-up he'd left the detestable admiral, maybe he was starting to kinda like the Yonko that had indefinitely stirred his grandson towards the path of piracy.
...
But just a little bit.
Silence enwrapped the two again, quickly making it abundantly clear there was nothing more to be talked about. Perfect timing. Aokiji hadn't intended to stay any longer anyway.
Wordlessly, the admiral turned his back on the prison cell and began heading back for the elevator. He lazily lifted a hand as a last polite gesture of goodbye.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around again eventually Garp…"
Same as earlier, Garp didn't return the farewell. Simply staring as his colleague disappeared around the corner and out of sight, it immediately seemed to turn even quieter than it had before the admiral's visit.
I've seen speculations regarding Garp pop up every so often in reviews, but here is a little update on his current situation!
...yeah, I'll admit this was the part that blocked me. I've discovered Garp is an impossibly difficult character to write, as I kept switching between making him depressed or furious and, as you can see, I decided on both in the end because I really just didn't know. So how was it? Totally unfitting? Honestly I don't know anymore :P I took inspiration from the time Ace was captured, but still kept in mind how different this entire mess is. As I wrote in the chapter, Garp doesn't consider Luffy to be a criminal and therefore (plus the fact Dawn Island is his home) doesn't at all think the Buster Call is justified at all. That's kinda is the major difference between Luffy and the deal with Ace (which, yes, I know, that's obvious) Garp just so "does no give a crap" that he even speaks out against the celestial dragons in the Canon, so how far would he be willing to go now? I DO have plans for his return eventually, but if any of you genious peeps have any brilliant ideas, feel free to share! :D
(ah. That felt surprisingly good to vent out of my system OwO)
So! Our boy is heading for Water 7 to aquire an eternal pose! Anybody worried? Because I am worried considering who lurks undercover! O-O
Also quick side note, the ingenious name of Slumtasia was a result of mine and my sister's best naming efforts colliding with inspiration from Canon islands. If anybody from the name alone can figure out what kind of place it is, you are a real MVP! XD
After all this time, here are your well deserved replies to your awesome reviews!
Kiiro no Akuma: Ahahaha Luffy's always getting himself into trouble isn't he? Unfortunately, it's not getting better just yet... XD
AysaWolf: ;-; I thank you for your concern and sweet compliments, you are litterally an angel! It's been a nice sort of stress reliever to write on this thing, so I'm just so glad readers enjoy it as much as I do! Well, one quetion at least that was answered with this pretty calm chapter; yes Luffy finally gets some help and that's good! Also I hate being a tease, but there's this moment with Shank coming up that I'm sure I'll be yelled at for, but still I'm really really excited about it, so don't worry, all your quetions regarding him will be answered! XD
MelodiofHope: Thank you! Hang on and you shall see! UwU
Caraline Fisher: I'm sorry sweetheart, that just breaks my heart :( As a good friend of mine often says, life can be a b*tch sometimes, but I'm at least very very relieved to hear you can still find pleasure in reading stories like this! Awesome sweet peeps like you are always so motivating and I mean that! Yeah, my pain's been really fluctiating and I am currently restricted to a wheelchair and I can't lift anything heavier than a carton of milk DX! At least it helps that it's summer vacation I guess. I've been steadily improving though, so slowly it is getting better! I'll pray things get better for you too dear, no suffering lasts forever! *Cookies to you and for great improvements~*
KatilynUzumaki: Ahaha, so true, so true! XD But I agree, I need Ace to find out about this too soon damn it! And Luffy... I still hurt for poor Luffy, but this chapter wasn't mean to him at least!
Boss Moss: WHAAAAAAAAAA! LET ME HUG YOU CUZ' I'M CRYING RIGHT HERE ALONG WITH YOU! But wait, just wait, I know it hurts - it hurts me too - but things will be better eventually! DX
Aiso: O-O sorry for the delay once again~ (and honestly I agree, can't can't wait either!) But thank you, I had fun imagining them ahaha. And you found an answer to your quetions - nope! First, a little stop at Pucci or more importantly - Water 7! :D
Sophia Mendes-Coruja: (It honestly feels weird writing that name and not just Sophia-chan now XD) And first *huggos returned tenfold to a beam of sunshine too pure for this world* Ahhaaaaaaa your compliments never fail to embarrass me Sophia! O-O I just have the time of my life writing action and angsty confrontations (as you know OwO) hahahaha - please, I'm not evil I swear-
Syiera Aquila1: I humbly thank you back for the kind words and well wishes! :D I'm glad you're enjoying this story, even if it's tough (I'm sorry~ a hug for you). I can tell you my plans for the story kind of get a little more blurry the longer ahead I think, but I do have some ideas for the Straw hats if nothing!
SereneDragneel: Aw, you're doing great sweetie! And I thank you, no matter how many times people might tell me that they're excited for the future it'll never get old or be even the slightest less motivating! XD I also apologize ahaa, it won't usually take this long - especially since I now have more thorough plans for the next little while UwU
I've noticed how I'm almost at 400 follows (which... how did that even happen? O-O) so I guess it's that boring/cringy to time to say thank you for that! UwU And a thank you to anybody who's still excited after this long break, I'll be looking forward to what you guys have to say after this ahaha TwT
To anybody who is on vacation, have to best of fun you can regardless of the current circumstances of your country - even if with the quarantine, it can feel annoying and unneseccary more than anything.
Also, because I originally intended for more to happen in this chapter, but I then realized it would be way too long if I included it, I already have a good chunk of the next one written, which is a first! OwO
Updates are still to be expected!
-Cookie