"LUUUUUUUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Luffy raised his head, Zoro's rage evident through the speakers. "If you even think about getting killed or captured… I'll… I'll kick your ass!"

"Zoro…" Luffy groaned, pushing himself to his feet.

"Keep walking," the soldier demanded.

Luffy snaked his legs around both of the soldiers' closest leg. He pulled himself up, arching his back like a bow. The soldiers looked at him in confusion before they realized what he intended to do. He yanked his arms, and theirs, down throwing them backward. Once on the floor he moved quickly, his elbows smacking roughly into their faces.

"Fuck!"

Luffy was on his feet before anyone else could react. He was running down the hall, full speed, a strange pinch in his side. He was almost to the corner; he was almost out of their line of vision when something struck him from behind.

He collapsed face down, a painful stinging sensation spreading from his skull and down his neck. His vision went black and it was several terrifying seconds before Luffy pieced together what had happened. He'd been in shot in the back of the head. He felt someone lift him up and another sharp pain in his neck. And then he felt nothing.

Luffy woke up a little while later in the back of an armored ambulance. He was secured to a gurney, an IV port in his arm. He blinked slowly, looking around from unfamiliar face to unfamiliar face. "Who are you guys?"

"Put him back to sleep," someone said.

"I have to go back…" Luffy insisted. "Zoro's waiting for me."

Another answered, "On it."

"No, wait!" Luffy breathed out, shaking his head. Luffy let out a pained hiss as the medicine burned through his veins. "I can't sleep… now…"

Suddenly there was a boom. The vibration seemed to shake the very Earth. Luffy struggled to stay awake. The ambulance swerved and someone screamed. There was another boom and they slid to an uncomfortably abrupt stop.

The next time Luffy woke up he was still strapped to the gurney. He blinked slowly, looking around the empty ambulance in confusion. Something was in the air and it made it difficult to breathe. He slowly realized he could see the night sky. He stared at the open vehicle doors in bewilderment. Finally he spoke, "Hello?"

He struggled against the bloodied restraints, swinging his arms back and forth until the bonds broke. He sat up, yanking out the IV. He jumped off the gurney, adjusting the makeshift belt holding up his pants. "Hello?"

Luffy crawled around the disheveled cab and peered into the empty front seat. He clicked his tongue and looked around the rest of the ambulance, searching for anything he thought he should grab. He found a dusty package of trail mix and tore open the wrapper, dumping the contents into his mouth. He chewed noisily, his cheeks protruding rudely. He had just discovered a small drop of dried, black blood on the floor when something distracted him.

There was a noise outside and Luffy's head jerked toward the open doors. He swallowed with effort, unlocking the wheels of the gurney with his feet. He waited another moment and then he shoved the gurney forward, flinging it from the back of the ambulance.

After an excruciating stretch of silence, Luffy gave in. He jumped out of the ambulance, landing on the ground beside the overturned gurney. He looked around the rain-slicked road in surprise. He was completely alone.

"Hello?" Luffy called out, louder this time. There was another sound and Luffy turned, watching the tail end of a dog slink behind the concrete highway divider. "Hel-loooo!"

Luffy crouched low, walking fast after the vanishing canine. He jumped over some sort of metal wreckage, nearly falling into a large sinkhole in the road. Luffy cursed under his breath, speeding up, "Come here, puppy… Come here…"

Luffy's stomach growled hungrily and he considered that he might be stalking his food. The thought left his mind the moment he cornered the stray against a pile of scrap metal. She was a sweet looking yellow dog with a swollen belly and emaciated hips. She had something between her paws and she growled when Luffy approached.

"Aw, what is it, girl?" Luffy wondered, reaching out. He expected a puppy, hidden away. Or something else, anything else. Anything beside the human hand the dog began chewing on. Luffy straightened up, narrowly avoiding being bitten by the dog. Luffy shook his head, his tongue involuntarily jutting outward in disgust. "You can have it."

Luffy looked around. Even in the darkness of night Luffy immediately realized that something was very, very wrong with the landscape. He turned in a wide circle, shaking his head. The city was gone. The skyscrapers and office buildings and monuments, everything; everything was reduced to a smoking pile of rubble.

The longer he stood there the more clear his surroundings became. It was dark but the silhouettes of twisted, burned bodies lined the road. The city had been razed to the ground along with all the people. He shook his head, perhaps, they could've been zombies.

Luffy jogged back to the armored ambulance. He opened the driver door and checked the ignition. He whistled lowly and turned the key in the starter. The engine choked. Luffy tried again, looking around nervously. The engine clicked this time. "Work, you stupid piece of shit!"

"Oh, God," Luffy breathed out, dropping from the ambulance back to the ground. He turned around, trying to reorient himself. "No…" Luffy shook his head, his hands curling into fists at his side. He began to run, his chest tightening. "No…" He kept running, uphill and over the heaps of ash. He jumped off of concrete cinder, sliding down piles. He ran and ran until he was completely lost.

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted, bolting down what used to be the street. "Zoro! Where are you?!"

Luffy searched through a three sided building, "ZORO! Where are you?! It's me! It's Luffy!"

He continued sprinting carelessly through the ruined city until his feet were raw and bleeding. His chest hurt, his abdomen ached. He choked on the smoke-filled air. The ash stung his eyes. And his stomach growled loudly, drowning out the sound of his beating heart.

"Who's there?"

Luffy jumped in surprise. He ran toward the voice, "I'm over here… Where are you?"

"I'm here!"

Luffy stopped running as the other person came into view. The wounded man was wearing a dusty black D Foundation uniform. The man recognized Luffy and let out a miserable laugh. He shook his head, sinking back down against the broken wall behind him.

"What happened here?" Luffy asked, approaching slowly.

"They attacked."

"Who's they?" Luffy pressed.

"I don't know, but I think… Only one group it could be…"

"Who do you think?"

"The god damn Revolutionary Army."

Luffy's eyes narrowed, his lips pursed together in frustration, "They didn't…"

The soldier nodded, "Yeah. They bombed the city."

"Why?" Luffy demanded, reaching down to grab the man. He shook him forcefully, his body trembling with rage. "Why the hell would they do it?"

The soldier groaned in agony, blood leaking slowly passed his teeth, "That hurts… And I don't know… But I imagine…" Luffy stopped shaking him and backed up. "I imagine that they couldn't resist the opportunity."

"What opportunity?" Luffy questioned.

"You and Law and the Boss," the man explained, "All in one place…"

"My father," Luffy said quietly. "What a father…" He looked up at the sky, his hands wrapping around his head, "I think I was better off without one."

"Of course you survived," the man chuckled humorlessly. "Of course you did."

"What about Law? What about everyone else?" Luffy wondered, closing his eyes.

"No clue," the man sighed, his breathing hitching, "You know everything I know… now…"

"Do you have any food?" Luffy asked, crouching beside the man.

The man laughed again, "I think I might have a little something… in the case over there…"

"Thanks," Luffy gushed, bouncing over to where the black case was lying open. He pulled out a freeze-dried package of meat and tore into it hungrily, "I'm absolutely starving. I feel like I'm gonna die… Really…" Luffy tore into a second package of food and swallowed greedily. "You're a lifesaver." Luffy twisted off the cap of a bottle of water. "What about you? Need something?"

The man didn't respond and when Luffy looked up he realized the man had quietly passed. Luffy sighed heavily, finishing the water. He rummaged through the pack and collected a few things he thought he might need. And then he stood, looking around for the next place to search.

"ZORO!" Luffy shouted. "Zoro! Can you hear me?!"

Luffy spent the remaining hours of night navigating through the destroyed city. He came across a few more groups of survivors; it was a relief that kept him going. He also stumbled across several hordes of zombies. They seemed as dazed as the survivors and didn't seem to be looking for trouble. He ignored them and kept walking.

It was morning when Luffy finally made it back to the last place he remembered being. The hospital was gone. He spent too long trying to move the heavy stone and was exhausted by the time he finally left. He sat down in the middle of the ashen lane and held his head in his hands.

It was a short walk to where the museum had been. But he couldn't do it. Not yet. He couldn't. So he laid down in the road on his back and stared up at the cloudy blue sky. It was hot and humid. The fires still burning throughout the city made it even more unbearable. But he still couldn't bring himself to continue. He couldn't give up on his last, final hope.

"You're not dead," Luffy said aloud. "You're not. You can't be."

A slight breeze picked up, sending dirt and ash into Luffy's face. Luffy wiped at his eyes, blinking protectively. He closed his eyes and didn't open them. He listened to the sounds of the wild. It was so different from everything he'd ever known. And suddenly it reminded him of something; another life in a jungle in Brazil.

Luffy mused for a moment. He contemplated if he could become a killer like his father had done. Luffy didn't have a wife and child but he had Zoro and he had his friends. Everyone he knew and loved was dead. Take some responsibility, his brain screamed at him. And he wondered if he could. He couldn't kill himself. He couldn't kill the people who created him… He paused. What did taking responsibility look like?

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself," Luffy reprimanded. "Get up."

Finally he climbed to his feet. He continued trekking toward the museum, lost deep in thought. He was there before he realized it, but once he did, the little hope he'd held onto disappeared. If anyone had been inside the museum, they weren't coming out alive.

"He's not in there," Luffy said to himself, shaking his head. "You know he's not in there."

And he did know. He didn't feel his presence. But he couldn't stop himself from digging through the rubble, tossing the stones light enough to lift by himself. He couldn't stop searching for him. He couldn't stop expecting to see him. He couldn't stop wanting to see him.

The sun had set when Luffy finally grew too tired to continue shifting rock. He was sweaty and bleeding. His thirst and hunger were nearly debilitating. His skin was sunburned and his lips were cracked. "I told ya," Luffy said to himself. "He ain't in there."

It didn't feel strange to speak to himself. And that realization was probably the most upsetting thing at the moment.

"I need water," Luffy decided, limping away from the demolished ruins. "And meat."

He'd been walking for another half hour before he decided to drink from the stagnant fountain. The water was green, the cement slimy, and the taste was truly foul. Luffy thirstily drank, swallowing handful after handful of dirty water. He wiped his mouth and closed his eyes. The water burned at his parched throat.

It was pitch black out there. It wouldn't be easy to hunt for food. All the animals still awake would be able to see much easier in the dark than Luffy could. His stomach churned and he hoped it was due to hunger and that he wasn't about to get sick.

He kept walking. He'd pause every few minutes or so to vomit and then he'd start right back up again. He realized, halfway through the night, that he'd been going in circles, but he didn't care. He was thirsty and his feet hurt and his stomach ached. But he kept walking.

In the morning a group of survivors spotted him. They called out, "Hola! Mijo! Ven Conmigo!"

"What?" Luffy called out hoarsely.

"Tenemos agua! Ven aca!"

Luffy stopped walking and shrugged, "I don't know what you're saying. I'm sorry."

"Hey! Over here! We've got water!" Luffy looked around unsurely, as if they couldn't really be speaking to him. They continued waving and shouting and eventually he made his way over to them. A short woman with soot covered black hair approached him, "Here, some bottled water."

"Thanks," Luffy murmured.

"We saw you last night but we thought-" the man trailed off.

"We thought you were a zombie," the woman finished with an apologetic smile.

"You were moaning and shuffling around…" the man explained.

Luffy groaned, "Yeah, well, I was sick last night."

"Solito?" an older woman questioned, handing Luffy a corn-wrapped tamale.

"You alone?" the younger woman asked.

"Ah, I don't know," Luffy answered. He inspected the lukewarm food unsurely before taking a bite.

"Wait, remove the corn first," the man gasped, chuckling in amusement. "You've never eaten tamales before?"

"Ooooh," Luffy grunted in approval, stuffing his face. "This is amazing…"

"¿Está herido?"

"My mom asked if you're hurt," the young woman translated.

"Just hungry and thirsty and tired," Luffy admitted, sinking to the ground. He finished the tamale and the bottled water and was pleased when he was offered a full plate and another bottle of water. "How are you making food?" Luffy wondered. "There's no power…"

"We're Mexican, we're resourceful," the young woman announced proudly. She gestured behind her at a small camp of survivors. "And this is Texas," she beamed, "We can make something outta nothing, every time."

"¿Cuántos años?"

"How old are you?" the young woman repeated.

"19."

"¿Es el casado?"

The woman clicked her tongue, "Madre! No!" She shook her head, "I'm not asking that."

"What's your name?" the man asked, tossing Luffy a pair of shoes.

"Luffy," he said, pulling on the shoes and lacing them quickly.

"I'm Josè, this is my wife, Maria, and my eldest daughter, Marisol," the man explained.

Luffy's eyes widened, he beamed from ear to ear, "Your name is Josè?!"

The man nodded and laughed, "Yes."

"That's like the best name ever," Luffy replied.

"Ah, well, thank you," Josè replied. "I guess it's okay."

"Pregunta de dónde es."

"Where are you from?" Marisol questioned.

"Ah, Brazil."

"No, I mean, when the bombs dropped…"

"Ah, I, well, the last thing I remember is leaving the hospital."

"You were lucky to survive the bombings," Marisol said looking to her father. "That area was fucking flattened."

"Marisol!"

Marisol smiled guiltily, "Los siento, Mama."

"So you are all alone." Josè realized. "I'm sorry." He bowed his head solemnly, "You are welcome to join us here. We don't have much but everyone is willing to share…"

"Thanks but I can't stay," Luffy revealed.

"But there's nowhere to go," Marisol argued, shaking her head.

Luffy finished the rest of his water, crushing the bottle loudly, "Yeah, well, I'm gonna go kill the bastards responsible for this."

"I don't understand," Josè admitted.

"I know who did this and I will make them pay," Luffy vowed.

"It's the end of the world, it's not the time to hold grudges," Josè insisted.

"Can you really do it?" Marisol demanded. "Make them pay?"

Luffy nodded, "Yes, I can."

Marisol nodded her head, "I believe you."

"Thanks."

"Dad," Marisol began, turning to face Josè, "Can I give it to him?"

"I don't…" Josè started reluctantly.

"Dale."

Marisol smiled, "Follow me."

Marisol led Luffy through the small camp. Everyone smiled at him, kind but full of grief. Most of the men were sweeping debris further away, the women were preparing food and tending to the younger children. The older children followed Luffy and Marisol, chattering excitedly in a language Luffy couldn't understand.

Marisol turned down an alley; two fallen buildings had smashed together and still threatened to topple down. She stopped and gestured grandly to the armored vehicle parked safely between the rubble.

"Oh, wow," Luffy breathed out.

"It works," Marisol explained. "But there's an issue…"

"What's the issue?"

"There's zombies inside."

"Really?" Luffy wondered, stepping closer.

"They're in the back, locked in," Marisol clarified. "We found them like this."

"And no D Foundation guys were here?"

"D Foundation?"

Luffy shook his head, "The mercenaries in black. Any of those around?"

Marisol shook her head, "They're dead."

"And where are the bodies?" Luffy asked, fearing the worst for the cab.

"We buried them."

"You buried them?!"

"Of course, they were dead," Marisol responded. "Look, you can take it. I think it will be more useful to you than us."

"Are you sure?" Luffy wondered, "It's shelter that you may need."

Marisol shrugged, "It's a cage."

Luffy nodded, a strange feeling in his chest, "Ah, yeah, I see what you mean."

"Just don't get eaten by the zombies," Marisol reminded him. "And it's yours. Go and kick their asses or whatever."

Luffy smiled, "Yeah. Sure. I will."

"Come on," Marisol said, gesturing with her hand. "Let's get you set up with some supplies."

"Ah, I couldn't, you've done enough," Luffy argued. "There are kids here."

"Take the shit and say thank you," Marisol snapped, laughing afterward.

"Okay, thank you," Luffy replied. "Thank you very much."

"Careful getting it out," Marisol warned, "One inch the wrong way and you'll be buried beneath those buildings."

Luffy made a face, "Any chance you wanna pull it out for me then?"

Marisol laughed, "You can drive, right?"

Luffy shrugged, "I have before, yes…"

"And did anything terrible happen?"

Luffy nodded slowly, "My friend told me that I almost killed him…"

Marisol nodded in agreement, "Alright, dude, I'll pull it out and park it far away from my family." She laughed pleasantly. "Just don't run us over or I'll end up kicking your ass."

The group of survivors were generous. They had almost nothing themselves but they were willing to spare so much for Luffy. He wished he could repay any of their kindness but he realized he had nothing to give. "You'll just have to save the world or something," Marisol teased. "And save us, right? Remember the little people when you're a hero…"

Luffy shook his head, "I'm not hero material, but I will remember you. And I will make those bastards pay."

"And remember the zombies in the back," Josè interjected. "They're dangerous."

"I'll move away from here and then take care of it," Luffy promised. "I won't chance them making it back where they came from."

"Bueno suerte," Maria said kindly, patting Luffy on the shoulder.

"Thanks for the tamales, lady. They were delicious," Luffy beamed, hugging her with one arm.

Luffy had never liked goodbyes so without another word he hopped into the armored vehicle. He turned on the ignition and shifted into drive. He pressed too firmly onto the gas pedal and he lurched forward, the tires spinning and throwing up rocks. He heard the bodies in the back slamming around.

He eased up and pulled away from the camp, his face pulled in a tight, nervous smile. He drove for a few minutes until the banging from the back became too distracting. He stopped in the middle of what used to be the street and threw open the door. He walked around to the back and slammed his hand against the metal.

"Shut up! What's with all the racket? There's no one for you to eat out here anyway!" Luffy shouted, picking the lock quickly. "I'm just gonna kill you when you get out here. I have to. You're too dangerous."

Luffy popped the lock and the knob twisted. The doors swung open and putrid air escaped through the opening. Luffy took a step back, shaking his head, "Holy fuck. That is bad."

He was surprised when the zombies didn't burst out. He inched the doors open further and peered inside the darkness of the vehicle. "Hello?"

The doors suddenly flew open, smacking Luffy roughly in the face. A man leapt out, blood and dirt (and God knew what else) smeared all over him. He crashed over Luffy, stepping on him as he came to a stop. The slender man dropped to the ground, his long tattooed fingers curling into a fist. He raised his hand, preparing to punch when he finally saw Luffy beneath him, "Luffy?"

Luffy sat up and sobbed, "Law?"