Marco raised his hand, gesturing for Izou to wait. He furrowed his brows, listening to Thatch's hushed, worried tone. It was unusual coming from the chef; a tone not often heard from his cheery brother and it made him listen immediately.

"Marco there's a kid, he's small and cute looking and they want him dead. We're sure of it. It says alive but they can't mean that, not when they have a bounty on him and Garp is worried and-"

"Woah, hold on there." Marco tried to calm down his panicking brother, his own thoughts racing on how Garp the fist was involved. Izou moved closer, the silk of his perfectly kept kimono brushing against his left side as he leaned forward to listen to what Thatch was saying.

On the line, Thatch took a deep breath. "There's a boy, his name if Luffy. He's Garp's grandkid and he's being targeted. He looks so cute and small; I want to help even if Garp wasn't calling in that favor."

Marco stilled, the weight of just how much was on the line making his shoulders tense. Marco had been around long enough to see Garp age into the man he was today, saw him save pop's a time or two or turn a blind eye to them when all they wanted was peace. Years ago, pops had told the man he'd at least owe him a favor, though Garp had insisted he'd never use it. He let out a sigh, exchanging a glance with Izou and rubbing a hand down his face even as he brought the den den closer to his mouth. Before he got the chance to speak Thatch cut him off.

"He's in the bounties that came yesterday"

Marco looked back at Izou who whirled around and demanded the newspaper be brought over, gesturing for everyone else that had stuck around to leave after. Izou sorted through them quickly and Marco saw his eyes darken and his hands still. Izou snapped his eyes up at him, red lipstick looking like blood in the dim room before handing over the bounty. The first thing Marco recognized was the straw hat.

He stilled, eyes widening on its weathered form and aged red ribbon. It was a little too big on the boy who wore it, but it seemed to fit him perfectly all the same. He swallowed and knew his father would have recognized it in an instant. His blue eyes trailed down, memorizing the curve of his face and the squint in the kid's eyes. Monkey D Luffy. He was young, but seemed so full of life and joy and unseen adventure, it nearly made Marco's heart ache. There was something in his smile, in the way it stretched a little too wide that reminded him of something, of someone who he had known a long time ago. He swallowed, feeling the lump in his throat loosen even as he felt a headache coming. Clenching the paper in his hand, his eyes were drawn back to the hat.

"Thatch," his voice didn't come out as easy going as he wished it had and he could almost feel Thatch's turbulent emotions through the line. "What does Shanks have to do with this?" Izou froze next to him, wandering at his train of thought and Marco gestured to the straw hat. Izou's eyes widened just as Thatch cursed up a storm, both realizing that yes, it was the same hat.

"I-I don't-" Thatch cut himself off, clearly caught off guard.

"It's alright, yoi. I'm sure pops already knows. However, this might get messy if things go wrong." Marco bit the side of his cheek, thinking about a possible strategy before shaking his head in frustration. We'll keep an eye out. Ask pop's what he wants to do about... all that and let us know."

The den den in his hand nodded, "Right. I'll call you back." The line went dead and the snail went to sleep.

Marco and Izou exchanged another glance, eyes worried and frowns etched on their faces. After several moments of silence Marco broke eye contact and smirked. "Ready for some chaos?"

Izou didn't look too excited.

xxx

Luffy could feel it in his soul before he felt it on his skin. The backdrop of emotions were always there, communicating with him and making sure he was never alone. So, when a swell of anger erupted from deep within, he knew it wasn't his. This anger was older, one that had been allowed to simmer for longer than Luffy had been alive.

"Hold on to something" his voice was quiet but his brothers heard him, both stiffening and jumping towards a secure piece of wood on the ship. Luffy didn't, he never had to. Whether the ship capsized or a wave swept him away, he would always be safe in his mother's clutches. Not a moment later the sea began to churn, their ship jolting sharply and the sky darkening. Luffy stayed standing with his back against a wall, watching the currents fight each other like they were alive. Of course they were, and they showed how angry his mother was. She never spoke, but somehow, he always knew what she meant. And now, something was tugging at him, asking for him to join her in her anger. He wasn't mad, didn't know what there was to be upset about yet, but she always had a good reason.

He turned to look at his older brothers, meeting blue and silver eyes and watching as their hands gripped the wood under their fingers tightly. Their bodies were being pressured by the forces and it almost seemed unfair that Luffy could stand so calmly on the rocking ship. He gave them a bright smile, "I'll be right back!"

They didn't answer, only gave him a knowing look and nodded. He was glad to have brothers that understood him so well, even if he knew he scared them sometimes. Still, their love was unparalleled and Luffy wouldn't want it any other way.

With a twist of his body, he rocked himself forward and into the water, this time choosing to keep himself dry. The currents immediately gripped him, dragging him down, down, down.

The light was gone in a few seconds, the area dark around him. His mother knew he couldn't see down here though, and soon a fish swam by, nodding its head towards him and illuminating something at the base of its head. Around him, he felt the slithering of eels and their synchronized shocks kept his immediate area dimly lit. It would have to do. Luffy had never been this deep before, had never needed to be. When he was younger his mother allowed him to grow up without any worry, without knowing any of the unease that treaded through her waters.

But as he grew older, he could feel the press of responsibility digging into his shoulders. He had his own dreams and ambitions, he was still his own person, but he was aware of everything else in the world that just wasn't quite right. The currents around him let up and he touched the ocean floor, the sea creatures hovering close to him and waiting for his move. The currents were cold this far down and he could feel the lives of everything that crept around in the darkness. He had grown used to constantly being watched in the water, he knew his mother asked them to.

An eel slightly further off illuminated and Luffy saw why he was needed. There, laying on the ground and half buried was a chest, it looked new and freshly made, but it was weighed down all the same. He felt the urging tug in his heart and listened, approaching the chest that was being torn apart by sharp waters and harsh bites from the eels. When he reached for the fruit that sat heavily in the sand he paused, looking at his arm that had grown transparent. It was like watching salt and freshwater clash, his fingers keeping their shape by some force separating him from the sea yet merging and mingling like they were one in the same. He took a breath, the water entering his lungs feeling refreshing rather than painful and clearing his mind with the burst of cold. Of course he couldn't drown, how could water drown itself?

Luffy took his hand back, leaving the fruit and crossing his legs to sit. The gentle hum of electricity around him was soothing, like a lullaby from his mother with words she couldn't speak. It was in these rare instances where he was reminded of how different he was. And just sometimes he needed a moment to ground himself again. He always came back to the same conclusion though, no matter how many times things got weirder and wilder. Luffy wanted to be free, he wanted everyone to be free. People like Ace and Sabo who were held down by the weights and legacies of others. That was all he needed.

Luffy nodded to himself and blew out a sigh, the water that had been in his lungs swishing out and mingling with the currents that gently tugged him forwards again. Luffy was tied down too, as much as his mother was and they both felt the weight of it. But they had the same dream, so it was okay.

Luffy grabbed the devil fruit, unsurprised that his water made fingers could grip it firmly. Under the dim light it looked red, with swirls clashing on it in every direction and a green stem withering under the sea. It felt like he found something he had lost eons ago. Something that had always been seen but just out of his reach.

'Up' he thought, and the currents listened, wrapping around his limbs and moving him away from the sea floor. The anger he felt from his mother was waning, her satisfaction at him having the fruit overcoming her hatred of those that stole it from her.

The eels and stray fish that had given him light drifted away; their task completed as he saw the sunlight begin to break through the water. When he broke the surface the waters were calm and the thunderclouds were in the distance.

"Lu!" Ace called as soon as he spotted him, offering his hand. Luffy grinned and waved, willing the currents to take him closer to his older brother. He reached up, his hand flesh once more and hauled himself out of the water, smiling at the concerned faces of his brothers.

"I'm okay, here look!" He uncurled his arms and showed them the devil fruit, their eyes widening in surprise.

"A devil fruit? What kind?" Sabo spoke and stepped closer, trying to get a better look. Luffy let them have it to inspect, knowing they wouldn't eat it unless he said to.

"I don't' know, wait let me try something!" Luffy reached back for it, extending him limb and plucking it out of Ace's hands. He plopped down on the deck and tilted his head to the side, holding it up to his ear to listen. Ace and Sabo quieted, realizing this was one of their brother's strange quirks and tried not to make a sound.

The fruit hissed, burning in the wake of the salt water that had surrounded it. It whispered of ash and destruction and boiling seas. It reminded Luffy of the harsh heat and a dry desert, of somewhere even his mother couldn't reach. But it also reminded Luffy of warmth, of a cozy home and a fierce protectiveness. He knew then what it was. How it came to be in the world long ago. It was a hint of his mother's fierceness stollen, her emotion wrapped up and trapped in the fruit.

"It's fire." Luffy finally said, taking the fruit from his ear and twirling it in his hand. He didn't know what to do with it, but his mother seemed to have calmed down either way. Sabo seemed to notice his indecision because he gave Luffy a gentle smile and a pat on his head.

"Let's just leave it for now, I'm sure we will know what to do with it eventually." Sabo gestured for the fruit to take it the bottom of the ship. Luffy nodded and handed it over, smiling wide at his blonde brother's helpfulness.

"Yeah, I think you're right!" Just as he stood to follow his brothers along he froze, tilting his head to the side and listening to the crash of the waves. There was a tug on his chest and he went back towards the railing, staring down at the water hard.

"Luffy?" Ace came to his left and Sabo his right, both unsure. Luffy heard it then, on the wind, words only he could hear carried on the breeze. He didn't know where Sabaody was, but he figured he'd find out soon enough. Another voice came, this one older and gruff and promising pain.

Oh.

Luffy gulped and paled, staggering back and letting his older brothers catch him and run their fingers along his hair.

Blue and grey eyes were focused on him but Luffy couldn't hear what they had to say.

"Guys," they stilled, waiting and tense.

"Gramps knows."

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Hope you enjoyed!