Well, as I'm posting this chapter, I'm starting to feel sad. After this, there will probably only be a couple more chapters. It seems like I just started this story but it's been over two months. Wow. I just want to say thanks to all my reviewrs. You've been so supportive and you guys have been great and I hope this story ends like you want it to. So, without any futher delay, on with the story!
Chapter 21
Luffy's bare feet padded through the deserted streets as the sun began to set. His head hung low as the rain dripped from the brim of his hat and poured down in front of his face. Visibility was nearly impossible. Lights from the surrounding houses reflected off the puddles that had formed in the streets.
He paused at one of the windows and slowly turned his head to look in. A woman was setting plates on the table in front of a man and little boy. The boy laughed and Luffy lowered his head and walked off. It was too much like the life he used to have. A time when that laugh would have come from him and the people around the table would have been his friends.
"Is this what it feels like to be completely alone?" Luffy wondered.
As he walked, the rain slowly took it's toll on the devil fruit user and Luffy was forced to take shelter in a closed shop's door frame. He lay in the door frame in such a way that he was now facing the palace. He was now faced with a problem he had run away from and he cursed himself for looking back. With a mutter of some sort, he shoved his hat down farther on his head and did his best to curl up and sleep, something he soon found impossible.
He looked back up for another quick glimpse of the palace. He saw the light that seemed to shine from every pore of the palace walls. There was a certain warm feeling about the whole place, and for a second, he was tempted to run toward it.
"Stop it. You've made your choice. It's not like anyone would want you to stay. I've hurt them, all of them, too much. Maybe...if only...if only I'd had the courage to ask them to come back. To tell Vivi how I really felt. Then maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't be here right now. But I was a coward. What's happened to me? Is the world really this cold? I'm the Pirate King. I got what I always wanted. Right? Or did I lose it all?" Luffy thought. As these thoughts echoed through his mind, he soon drifted to sleep out of pure exaustion as the rain pounded around him and he shivered in the cold.
At the Palace
Vivi's words hung in the air as each person began to comprehend what she had just said. Slowly, their mouths dropped open and their eyes went wide in shock. Even Zoro and Robin seemed slightly taken offguard. The only person who hadn't lost their cool was Kohza who had been told the whole story earlier.
Vivi looked down at the table. She gripped the back of the chair she was standing in front of until her knuckles went white. Hot tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she bit down hard on her lip to stop them from running down her face.
"Gone?" Nami finally asked.
"Gone!!!" Usopp cried as the meaning of Vivi's words finally sunk in.
"Oh great." Zoro muttered. "Luffy." He gritted his teeth.
"Are you sure about that princess?" Robin asked calmly.
"HE'S GONE!!!!!!!" Chopper cried with a small sniffle at the end.
Sanji sighed and took out a cigerette. He could see the pain in Vivi's face. "Luffy, I'll get you for this later." he thought.
Franky broke down and started weeping. "Luffy-san!!!" he wailed.
"Why?" Nami finally dared to ask the question they all wanted to know.
Vivi struggled to hold in her tears. She took a shaky breath and gripped the chair for support before speaking again. "He...he felt like he had done too much to come back. He felt like he had become a monster and didn't deserve this. I tried to show him he was wrong but he wouldn't listen!" Bitter tears began rolling down her face. "He doesn't realize what he's doing by leaving!!! He's wrong!!! He's wrong!!!!!" she cried, her pain turning to boiling anger.
Everyone watched Vivi in silence, unsure of whether to comfort her or give her some space. Luckily, Kohza knew exactly what to do. He stood up and walked over to her. He pulled out the chair she was gripping for support and gently lowered her into it. She buried her head in her hands while he stood above her, not doing anything but merely being there. It seemed to work because eventually, Vivi sniffled a little, wiped away a few remaining tears, and turned to face the rest of the people in the room. She whispered something to Kohza and he returned to his seat.
"I guess I should tell you about our relationship. I told you a little about it a few days ago, but alot has happened since then." Vivi said calmly. And so she explained. She told them about what had happened in the chamber all the way to their conversation earlier that day, no matter how much it hurt. In fact, when she was done, she felt alot better. Her story was greated by another wave of silence.
Zoro was the one to break it. "Who's going to find him this time? I thought we gave up this game when we went our seperate ways, but it looks like Luffy still wants to have his little fun." he said, his hand on Wado's hilt.
"Zoro!!!" Nami cried. "Don't be so rude!!! It's not that easy!!!!!"
"He's right." Kohza said bluntly. "We have to find him."
"Don't agree with him!!!" Nami practically screamed as she half jumped from her chair.
"Nami-san, it's okay. They're right." Vivi said, attempting to keep peace and order, a habit she had developed over the years.
Nami opened her mouth to protest, but thinking better, merely sat back down and pouted.
"So, it's settled then?" Kohza asked as he leaned back casually in his chair.
"Right." Vivi agreed. "I'll go find Karoo and get ducks for-"
"You stay here." Kohza said, cutting her off. She began to protest but he held up a hand to stop her. "Look, it's getting late. It's raining. You haven't rested in over three days. You wouldn't do any good tonight anyway. I'll just take some guards with me and we'll search the city. If we find him, he'll come back with us whether he wants to or not." Alarm shone on Vivi's face and Kohza chuckled. "Relax. I'm kidding."
"But how do we know he hasn't left the city? He could be anywhere! He could have even left Alabasta if he had the right transportation." Vivi pointed out.
Kohza frowned. "The rain. It could have slowed him down." he suggested hopefully.
"Do you really think that's true?" Vivi replied skeptically.
"Actually, he's right. Since Luffy is a devil fruit user, he couldn't have gone far without having to seek shelter. It's highly probable that he's still in the city." Chopper explained.
"So...so he's really here?" Vivi asked, hoping for the best.
"Most likely. But there's an exception to every rule. Luffy is usually that exception." Chopper said, trying not to get Vivi's hopes up too much. It was too late.
"Still, you're probably right. If there's any chance he's still here, we have to find him!" Vivi exclaimed. Her face was glowing now, her eyes bright, a smile dancing on her face.
"Vivi, Chopper's right. He's probably not here. Look, you go to bed and I'll take a few guards and we'll go look. You need to rest." Kohza said.
Vivi's smile faded slightly. "I know, it's just, I want to be there when you find him."
"If we find him." Kohza corrected.
"When." Vivi replied.
Kohza sighed, defeated. "When."
"I'll sleep for a couple hours. Then, I'll come join you." she said.
"But Vivi-"
"No buts. Just be glad I'm resting at all." she said. She stood up to leave but then whirled around before she ever reached the door. "Oh, and send a couple of guards to Nanohana. His ship should be docked there if he's still in Alabasta. If it's still there, have it watched around the clock. He's not leaving. I still have business to finish with him." Then, turning to the other people around the table, she said, "You're welcome to stay as long as you like. The guest room is yours. If you want, you can join me in the morning. If not, Terracotta-san should be happy to fix you breakfast." Then, she was gone.
Everyone watched as the doorclosed, dumbfounded. Vivi's sudden mood change had left them speechless.
"Should we...go to bed?" Nami managed to ask.
Everyone shrugged. They weren't really sure what to do.
"I guess I should get going." Kohza said. He slowly made his way out of the room, leaving the rest of the people to fend for themselves.
"Miss navigator is right. We need our rest. I have a feeling the princess will need our assistance in a while." Robin said. She calmly stood up and made her way out of the room. The others slowly followed suit.
Meanwhile, Vivi was anything but asleep. She was looking out her window into the rain and blurred lights of the city around her. "Wherever you are Luffy, we'll find you. I know you won't leave me. I won't let you!" she said quietly.
The Next Morning
"Hey you little street rat, what do you think this is? A charity?!" a man asked angrily.
"Huh?" Luffy mumbled as he peeled his eyes open. When he looked up, he saw the face of an angry man glaring at him. He quickly sat up, picked up his hat which had fallen beside him, and jumped to his feet. "I-I'm sorry sir." he stammered as he shoved his hat on his head. The sun was shining and only the small remenants of puddles were nature's only indication of the previous days rain.
The man softend slightly when he saw what a pitiful shape Luffy was in. "Look, I have a business to run. Sorry, but you'll have to find some other place to stay." he said. He pulled out a ring of keys and began unlocking the door but he soon turned around and slowly looked Luffy up and down, pausing at the scar and strawhat. "Have we met before? You look...familiar." he said slowly, deep in thought.
"Umm...I don't think we've ever met. I've got to go." Luffy said and hurried away before the man remembered just where it was he had seen him last.
Just as he reached the stairs, he heard a voice that sent chills up his spine call out, "Monkey D. Luffy, not so fast! You have some unfinished business and you're not leaving until then. Got a problem with that?"
Bum bum bum! Who's voice is it? Who's finally recognized him? Stay tuned and find out! Mwa ha ha! I love leaving you hanging. I'm so cruel --
