Ch. 69- The Aftermath of the Nightmare
One Piece © Oda
Story and OCs are mine
The Straw Hats all stood together in the darkness, silently watching and waiting for anything to happen. However, it didn't do anything to calm their turmoiled hearts. If nothing else… they only had more questions than answers.
"I… I still can't believe that really happened," Nami spoke up after what felt like an eternity.
"Here I was, thinking it was gonna be another adventure," Sanji added, "but man… we were dead wrong about that."
"And the worst part is Luffy never told us about any of this," Usopp pointed out, a heavy feeling sinking into the pit of his stomach. "I mean… doesn't he trust us?"
"I think trusting us is the issue here," Robin said. "Maybe… he was too scared to tell us."
"After all that, I can't say I blame him for not wanting to say anything about it," Franky spoke up.
"I can't believe that… we all died," Chopper added, casting his eyes to the ground with a troubled expression on his face. "That was… so scary."
"Maybe that's why Luffy didn't want to tell us," Zoro spoke with his arms crossed. "He probably did blame himself for what happened on that island."
"Big Brother was probably hurting the most, then," Aika said, sadly. "To have something like that happen to him…"
"It was indeed quite the traumatic experience," Brook chimed in with a grim expression on his skeletal face.
"Poor Luffy…" Kumi said with a sad whine as her ears drooped.
"No one should ever have to go through something like that, alone," said Blizzard.
That's when the darkness faded away, revealing a graveyard full of tombstones, which caused Chopper to gasp as he recognized them instantly.
"The graveyard…!" he whispered.
"What's going on?" Usopp asked. "Why are we seeing this place?"
That's when they heard the sound of footsteps, and soon enough, Past Luffy soon appeared. He was still wearing that sleeveless hoodie from earlier, but now, it looked like it had been washed, for it was much brighter than before, and he had his hat tilted over his eyes. Also, he had bandages wrapped all over his body, practically up to his neck, and he had a small patch on his left lower jaw.
"Oh, man…" Franky muttered. "How many bandages did you put on him?"
"I think I remember," Robin said. "This took place the next day, didn't it?"
"Yeah," Chopper answered. "We took Luffy back to the Merry so I could get him patched up. We agreed to stay on the island for just a little longer, just so he could rest."
"Yeah," Sanji replied, "but when I went to bring him his breakfast the next morning, he wasn't on the sofa where he was sleeping."
"I remember," Usopp said. "We were all panicking because we didn't know where he went. I guess this is where he wandered off to."
That's when Past Luffy sat down in front of something. It was a cross, crudely made with what looked like some driftwood… and the Baron's goggles were hanging off of it. There were even some flowers resting in front of it. It didn't take the Straw Hats very long to realize what it was.
"Is that… the Baron's grave?" Brook asked.
"It looked as if it was just made," Robin pointed out. "I wonder why."
"Hey… you don't think that Luffy made that for the Baron, do you?" Nami inquired.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Sanji exclaimed. "After all the crap that that bastard put him through, he makes a grave for him?!"
A pause… before Past Luffy began to speak.
"You were really hurting inside… weren't you?" he asked, causing the Straw Hats to gasp silently in surprise. "I'm not saying that what you did was right… but still… I understand how you feel. It must have been horrible." He paused. "Being alone… is more painful than anything in the world."
"Luffy…" Usopp whispered, sadly while Chopper sniffled as his eyes teared up a little. Even Franky got a bit choked up, though that was no surprise.
"To spend every day without your friends," Past Luffy said, "must have been so hard for you… and to be without them for so long, too." He closed his eyes. "At least this way… you can be with your friends, again… if you can."
The Straw Hats all glanced at each other as they listened to their captain speak. They should have known that Luffy would understand more than anyone what it was like to be alone. He was truly a great man.
"I'd hate it, too," Past Luffy said. "I hate the thought of not being able to be with my friends… and yeah, I hated that you took them away from me… even just for a little while… but it's not gonna happen. Not again." He raised his head, revealing his determined face. "I'm going to protect my crew until the very end… and I'm never gonna lose them, again."
The Straw Hats watched in awe as they heard these words leave their captain's mouth. Even after all the trauma he had experienced, it only served to make his determination to protect his friends even stronger. It was just absolutely amazing to them.
Suddenly, someone else came and joined Past Luffy, and it was revealed to be none other than Brief, who sat down beside him.
"So this is where you were," he said.
"Hey, Brief," Past Luffy greeted.
"Your friends are looking for you, by the way," Brief said. "It seems you put them in a bit of a panic."
"Shishishi!" Past Luffy laughed while scratching the back of his head. "Did I? I guess they worry about me a lot, huh?"
"With a captain as reckless as you, I can't say that I blame them," Brief pointed out. "Your ship's doctor says you're supposed to be resting. Why aren't you doing that?"
"I… I dunno," Past Luffy answered. "I guess I just… don't wanna be around them, right now."
"Even though you just got them back?" Brief asked.
"It's… it's complicated, I guess," Past Luffy replied. "I mean, I'm happy I saved them, but at the same time…" He sighed and shook his head. "They… they don't even know what happened here… and… the thought of telling them just… makes me scared."
The Straw Hats just quietly watched, some of them sad, worried faces as they realized that after witnessing the events that took place, their captain's worries were not unfounded. After all, it was still fresh in his mind at the time, and bringing it up would have only brought more pain.
"I understand," Brief said as he placed a hand on Past Luffy's shoulder. "It's never easy to talk about such things… but you know, Straw Hat… you shouldn't hold back."
"Huh?" Past Luffy muttered.
"Just as a crew trusts its captain, a captain must also put faith in his crew," Brief answered. "You mustn't be afraid to tell your friends about what took place here."
"He's right about that," Brook said. "Luffy should have come forward about this to you all."
"You're right, he should have," Zoro agreed while shaking his head. "He should have trusted us with the truth."
"Luffy…" Nami whispered in concern.
"I… I guess I could tell them," said Past Luffy, although the look on his face made it clear that he was still unsure. "By the way, Brief… what are you gonna do?"
"Honestly?" Brief asked with a sigh. "I'm not really sure. I could stay here, but… this is the place where I lost my crew. I might stay here a little longer… give my last respects to my comrades. Then, maybe, I'll leave and take the Teacup Pirates. Who knows? We might start a new life somewhere else."
"I see," Past Luffy said with a smile. "Good luck out there, then." He then gave Brief a grin as he put his finger under his nose. "Mustache!"
"Hehe!" Brief laughed as he soon mimicked the gesture. "Mustache."
Past Luffy grunted a bit as he got up to his feet, then turned to walk away.
"Oh, and Straw Hat!" Brief called, causing him to glance back at him. "Don't forget what I said."
Past Luffy blinked at Brief before he nodded his head, then turned to leave. His stomach rumbled noisily, causing him to gently rub it as he realized that he didn't eat yet. As he rounded the corner, that's when he saw Past Sanji and Past Nami talking with each other.
"Where could he have run off to?" asked Past Nami. "That idiot… I swear, it's like he likes to make us worry!"
"You know how Luffy is, Nami," Past Sanji answered. "The only way he'd sit still for more than 5 seconds is if he's either asleep or passed out from a food coma."
"Yeah, well… I just wish he'd listen to Chopper," said Past Nami while crossing her arms. "I feel like he does these things on purpose. He doesn't even realize how much he's worried everybody with him just disappearing like that!"
"By the way," Past Sanji began, "how do you think Luffy got hurt like that? When we found him yesterday morning, his back was full of puncture wounds."
"Yeah, I know," Past Nami said with a worried expression. "Honestly… I'm a bit scared. I feel like… something happened here, but I don't remember what."
"Yeah, me, too," Past Sanji agreed while he put his hand to his head, trying to think. "Whenever I try to remember, my head feels all foggy. It's weird."
"How could we forget something so heinous?" Usopp asked.
"It must be due to the effects of the Lily Carnation's power," said Robin. "After it was killed, any memory we had of it was erased."
"I still have trouble believing all those things ever happened," Nami added, putting a hand on her chest. "Especially the part about…"
"Yeah…" Sanji muttered as he cast his eyes downward.
At that moment, Past Nami and Past Sanji both spotted Past Luffy, who was standing in place as he watched them.
"Oh, there he is!" Past Nami exclaimed before she and Past Sanji ran up to him. "Luffy! What are you doing out here?!"
"We were looking everywhere for you!" Past Sanji added.
"Sorry," Past Luffy said while he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I guess I just… needed some fresh air."
"Everyone's worried sick, Luffy, especially Chopper," Past Nami chided as she put her hands on her hips. "You could have at least let us know where you were going, first."
"Where did you go?" Past Sanji asked, and Past Luffy looked at him as he momentarily glanced down at the ground, possibly thinking about what Brief had said… but as he opened his mouth to speak…
"Luffy… this is all your fault!"
Past Luffy gasped silently as he visibly tensed, remembering seeing Past Sanji's angered face as everything went wrong, just two nights prior… and meanwhile, present-day Sanji felt his heart sink. It was like this memory wasn't going to let him in particular forget what he said to Luffy that night… and honestly, he couldn't blame him. He didn't realize just how much those words messed his captain up until now. He should have known better, but he just wasn't thinking at the time because of the Baron's manipulations.
"Hello?" Past Sanji asked. "Earth to Luffy!"
"Huh?" Past Luffy muttered as he looked up at the cook, who looked visibly concerned, as well as Past Nami.
"Luffy? What's going on?" the latter asked.
"Yeah, you've been acting a bit weird," Past Sanji added. "I mean… I know you didn't have breakfast yet, so maybe you're hungry or something?"
"Oh, yeah!" Past Luffy exclaimed, his face instantly brightening up. "Thanks for reminding me, Sanji! I'm starving! Let's all head back and eat!"
However, as he walked past the two…
"Hold it, Luffy!" Past Nami called, causing him to stop in his tracks. "I get the feeling that this has nothing to do with you being hungry. Luffy… when we found you yesterday morning, you were practically close to death! What happened to you that got you hurt so badly?"
"Yeah, Luffy," Past Sanji agreed. "What happened?"
Past Luffy bit his lower lip as he glanced at the sand beneath his feet, once again. The Straw Hats watched, wondering what he might say… but then, Past Luffy sighed before he turned to face Past Sanji and Past Nami… and gave them a smile.
"It doesn't matter what happened here," he said. "Everyone's okay. That's what counts in the end."
Past Sanji and Past Nami both glanced at each other, their captain's answer leaving them confused, while Past Luffy just kept walking. As for the Present-Day Straw Hats, they just watched with concern as they watched their captain's smiling face contort into one of pain. By the looks of things, it really looked like he wanted to tell them what happened, but what had happened that night was still fresh in his mind… and they knew it was about to get worse.
The memory shifted, showing that it was nighttime. The Past Straw Hats were all asleep on the Going Merry, which was still moored at the shore of the now empty Omatsuri Island. Judging by the phase of the moon, it had to have been at least 3 or 4 nights since they made landfall here. All that could be heard was the lapping of the waves and the gentle breeze… until…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
The Straw Hats jumped, startled by that scream, while the memory was suddenly filled with images of the Baron, the Lily Carnation's mutated form… and the Past Straw Hats in that misshapen sculpture attached to it. All of the images were tinted red and flashing one after the other, but that wasn't even the worst part.
"No! NO! NOT AGAIN! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Luffy! Luffy, wake up! You're having a nightmare! WAKE UP, DAMMIT!"
Past Luffy gasped as he sat up with a jolt, his chest heaving in and out as he looked around and saw Past Zoro, who was gripping his shoulders tightly, and judging by the look on his face, he looked like he was almost in a panic, himself. Behind him stood Past Sanji, Past Usopp, Past Nami, Past Chopper, and Past Robin, all of them watching with worried faces. It was then the Straw Hats got a look at Past Luffy's face; his eyes had dark circles under them and sweat was dripping down his face. He looked as if he had not slept for quite a long time.
"It's about time you woke up!" Past Sanji exclaimed. "You started screaming like crazy!"
"Chopper almost had to give you a sedative, just to get you to calm down!" Past Usopp added.
"Are you okay, Captain?" asked Past Zoro, causing Past Luffy to swallow thickly as he licked at the roof of his mouth.
"I… I need water," he said.
"Wait here," Past Sanji said as he walked out of the room, then after a while, he came back with a pitcher and a glass of water. "Here you go, Luffy."
Past Luffy didn't even wait, though. He just snatched the glass right out of Past Sanji's hand and gulped down the water faster than anyone could so much as blink before he held out his glass.
"More," he said before Past Sanji poured more water into the glass only for Past Luffy to gulp that down. Just when he was about to ask for another, the Straw Hat Captain just grabbed the whole pitcher and guzzled down the water. Most of it wasn't even going down his throat. It just dripped down the sides of his jaws and dribbled onto his clothes until finally, the pitcher was empty, and Past Luffy gasped as he finally pulled it away from his parched lips.
"Haa… haa…!" he panted. "Oh, god, that's so much better!"
"Luffy?" Past Chopper asked, getting his attention. "What's going on?"
"Yeah, this is seriously not like you," Past Usopp answered. "You don't have normally have nightmares this bad."
"Are you okay?" asked Past Nami, looking very concerned as she approached her captain. "Do you… wanna talk about it?"
"It might help you feel better if you did," Past Robin spoke up, looking genuinely worried, and for a moment, Past Luffy looked like he was considering talking about what happened… but then he sighed before he just quietly got out of his hammock and walked out of the cabin.
"W-wait, Luffy!" Past Nami called.
"I just wanna be left alone," Past Luffy said.
"But-" Past Nami started.
"Alone!" Past Luffy emphasized before he shut the door behind him. As he walked toward the figurehead of the Merry, he suddenly froze as he heard Past Sanji speak up from behind the door.
"Okay, seriously! What is going on with Luffy?!" Past Sanji questioned, angrily. "It's bad enough that he's not eating like he usually does, and normally, I'd actually be relieved, but he barely leaves so much as a dent in his plate, now!"
"And have you noticed?" Past Chopper asked. "He's been losing sleep, too. That's the second time he's had a nightmare like that this week."
"Obviously, it has something to do with what happened on the island," Past Robin said.
"But what?!" Past Nami asked. "Okay, that's it, I'm going to get to the bottom of this!"
"No!" Past Zoro shouted, suddenly. "Leave Luffy alone! Look, whatever happened, maybe we shouldn't push him about it."
"But it's been a week, now!" Past Usopp complained. "Why doesn't he speak up?! Doesn't he trust us?!"
Usopp felt his heart sink while Zoro sighed and shook his head. Perhaps this was his fault. He could tell something was bothering Luffy back then, but he just didn't press the issue because he thought that he would come forward about it, eventually. It's just… eventually never came.
Chopper just watched sadly while Robin cast her eyes downward. Chopper remembered how Luffy had deteriorated during this time. He remembered he was still recovering, but he hated the fact that he never knew what happened until now. As for Robin, she could somewhat understand why he never spoke about this. Still, she knew it must have also been very hard, and at the time, she had begun to open herself up to the Straw Hats, so seeing Luffy, who was normally so bright and cheery, act like this, was rather concerning to her.
Nami, meanwhile, was sniffling as she wiped her eyes. She was frustrated and sad and everything in between, and Sanji was busy smoking a cigarette to try and calm his nerves. Truthfully, he wanted to yell. He was angry at Luffy for not wanting to come forward about this… and all because he had to go and blame him for something that wasn't really his fault.
Now, while Franky, Blizzard, Brook, Aika, and Kumi were not present at the type, it still hurt them, as well. It was such a sad sight to see Luffy being so depressed. They just really wished that he never had to bear such a burden, alone.
As Past Luffy climbed onto the Merry's figurehead, he sighed as he looked up at the starry sky. As he did, tears welled up in his tired eyes and he sniffed before he soon pulled himself into a fetal position, hugging his knees and hiding his face in his arms.
"I'm sorry, guys… but I just can't tell you," he whispered. "I can't tell you… that I let you all down…!"
With that, he began to quietly sob into the night… just as the memory faded to black, once again. As the Straw Hats stood quietly… they didn't notice six red eyes glaring at them from behind before the owner slunk away, growling deeply.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Shade: It seems the Straw Hats are still persistent, Master.
Kovar: Hmm… rather impressive, I'll admit… but it still won't be enough.
Aika: What's this place? Why are the streets full of water?
Robin: This is… Water 7!
Usopp: Oh, no…
Nami: I knew this part was coming, but still…
Aika: W-what happens here?
Usopp: …This was the place where our crew fell apart… and I made my biggest mistake.
Past Luffy: Usopp… you knew you could never beat me!
Past Zoro: Let's go… we can never return to this ship, again.
Next time: A Broken Ship and a Broken Crew
Okay, now that I've finished this part of the story, I'm going to see if I can update Wano for a bit (and if people still wanna be mean, then that's their problem, not mine).
Also, I am aware that the new video game, One Piece Odyssey is out now, but please, don't spoil things for me. I will be getting my copy next Friday.
Review, please!