Okay. Confession time. I had a beta and I sent them everything, but they haven't given it back to me yet. I figured I might as well just post it now and update the chapters later when she sends me the chapters back. Just a warning, from here on out, nothing is beta'd. I did my best but I'm sure I didn't catch everything.

Luffy blinked lethargically up at the ceiling. He felt so out of it, and yet, he couldn't find it in himself to try and sleep, despite how late it must have been.

The elder had practically shoved Luffy and Zoro into his guest room—which was really just a tidy storage room—with promises of the opportunity to talk at breakfast. So, with a heavy heart, a whirling mind, and an empty stomach, Luffy lie under a thin blanket—which he really didn't mind since it wasn't all that cold—continuing his staring contest with the gloomy ceiling.

It wasn't what he wanted to be doing, but this wasn't the Thousand Sunny. Luffy couldn't just get up and have fun maneuvering past Sanji's traps in the kitchen. This place wasn't his shop, and as much as he wanted to, there was no way he could get out of bed in the middle of the night to raid the kitchen, able to sleep or not.

"Hey, Luffy?"

Luffy hummed in response, lacking the energy to formulate words. From somewhere to the right of him, Luffy heard Zoro shift—probably to face the captain so to talk better. Luffy didn't move, though, too comfortable and too lazy to try and turn himself towards Zoro's general direction.

His mind kept going in circles. Had he already counted that swirl in the wood? He was up to eighteen now, lazily scanning the ceiling to check if he had missed one.

"Luffy, you should get some sleep," Zoro told him.

Luffy didn't say anything, any coherent thoughts or words flying straight out the window, but he obediently closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was in another world.

The light of the dying fires reflected in the frozen Luffy's eyes. All around him, fallen bodies littered the ground. Battles rage on.

Above him, two streaks of light, one the blue light of Phoenix Fire, clashed again and again, fighting for dominance. Luffy didn't watch long, for other battles caught his attention, but he let himself stop for a few moments as he watched in awe at the sheer power both devil fruit users possessed.

"Luffy!"

"Strawhat!"

"Luffy-kun! Keep on going!"

Voices called out to him, cheering him forward.

Why would they be doing that? Why were they cheering him on like that? He wasn't fighting like everyone else. Not like Marco. Not like Whitebeard. Not like all the marines and pirates battling it out around him.

Everyone was fighting, but he was just standing there, staring at the execution stand. A face stood out among the others, grimy face locked in a stricken look of fear.

"LUFFY!"

Admirals blocked the rubber man's way to the execution stand, and Luffy faced the three logias head on. He was up in the air, soaking wet and carrying the broken mast and, as expected, the admirals didn't even flinch. Aokiji froze the mast with his ice powers and sent the broken ship flying back full force. Luffy waited for the frozen mast and kicked to pieces, sending them flying back at the admirals.

He was on the execution stand now, with no memory of how he had made it there. Hadn't he just been fighting the admirals? Luffy didn't question it much longer, though, and turned toward the figure dressed with chains.

"Ace," Luffy croaked, inserting a wax key into the lock of the cuffs.

His tattooed brother looked so lost, like he was battling against his own emotions. Sad and happy, angry and proud, scared but grateful; there were a range of emotions that Luffy figured Ace was probably feeling right now. Still, as Luffy looked Ace over, relieved tears leapt to the corners of his eyes.

"I'm your brother, Ace," the young captain whispered. "I'm your younger brother and I need you with me."

He was a young boy, sitting on a cliff overlooking the sea, oversized straw hat covering his teary face. Ace stood next to him, arms crossed and face stoic. It was the face of someone who pushed emotions away.

"Listen up, Luffy, and remember this! I'm not going to die! Sabo asked me to look after you, too... so I'm not gonna die, no matter what! That's a promise! Like hell I could die and leave my weak little brother all on his own! I'm not all that smart, so I can't figure out what was really responsible for Sabo's death... but whatever it was, it must be something totally opposed to freedom...! Sabo died without ever becoming truly free... but we shared that drink with Sabo and we're still alive! So remember this, Luffy. No matter what, the two of us... have to live our lives with no regrets! We're going to set out to sea someday...! Live our lives the way we want to...! With more freedom than anyone in the world! I'm sure we'll end up making a lot of enemies on the way... even Gramps will be our enemy! We'll be risking our lives! But when we turn seventeen, we set sail! We're going... to be pirates!"

Luffy, on top of the execution stand once more, grinned at his big brother. "You promised, remember?"

"Luffy." Ace, free from his bonds, mimicked Luffy's wide smile. "You're one hell of a guy."

Warm, welcoming fire enveloped them.

Luffy blinked and found himself on his knees in the middle of the battlefield once again, the execution stand destroyed.

A shadow rushed towards him, and the captain found himself face to face with a marine admiral. A wave of fear rolled over him when he realized his predicament.

Admiral Akainu.

Something was nagging at him to look down, away from the admiral. A feeling told him that the admiral wasn't the most important thing right now. And yet, his instincts were threatening to kick his ass if he dared to take his eyes off of the monster in front of him. Torn, he sat there, unsure of what to do. The feeling grew stronger, and for once, Luffy ignored his instincts. That was his first mistake.

He glanced down at the bloodstained ground, reaching out. For what? He didn't know why, but a small piece of paper, burning and smoldering away the edges bit by bit, was lying in front of him. It looked almost like he had dropped it there on accident. Wracking his brain for answers, Luffy stretched out toward it, heart beating loudly against his ribcage. This was extremely important, even if he didn't know why.

He was reaching for it, but he couldn't stretch, his body pushed too far past its limits. He felt sluggish and exhausted, pain from every nerve resounding throughout him. His vision was tinted red, blurring in and out as the agony slowly took him over. Pure will power was the only thing keeping his body going by now.

While reaching for the card that moved farther and farther away the more he crawled towards it, he ignored the survival instincts screaming at him. This little piece of paper was more important than his own life.

He didn't notice Akainu pull back his fist. He didn't notice the lava that sizzled and dropped off of the logia's arm, disintegrating he stone ground underfoot. He didn't even notice that the man was aiming to kill him. And when he did, it was far too late.

Akainu loomed over Luffy, fist driving forward with insane speed. He couldn't move; couldn't escape. Gone was that smiling captain that had saved his brother. He was doomed to die at the hands of a marine admiral.

"LUFFY!"

A blur swept past him, the consequential breeze slightly ruffling his hair and vest. But Luffy hardly noticed.

Things seemed to continue in slow motion. Unable to squeeze his eyes shut, Luffy sat there, shell-shocked, a mortified look plastered on his face. He didn't want to see this happen. Not again.

The smell of burning flesh slammed into him full force and Luffy resisted the urge to gag. He stared up in horror at the one who had saved him. No. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not like this. How? Why?!

Luffy's savior teetered in front of Luffy protectively, a lava fist impaled through his chest. Luffy's bottom lip trembled as he struggled to understand what was happening.

"Z-Zoro...?"

Luffy gasped awake.

The teen struggled with his blanket, trying to fight against the confused, frightened haze that had settled over his half asleep mind. Once the bedding was out of the way, his trembling hand groped desperately for the comfort of his straw hat. His fingers lightly grazed the familiar texture of straw and he stuffed it on the top of his head. Thankfully, the numb, shell-shocked feeling had settled not just in his bones, but in his emotions, too.

"Luffy!"

Luffy jumped to his feet as the door swung open, still a nervous wreck from what had transpired in his dream. Zoro walked in with a serious look on his face and a hand resting on his swords.

"...Zoro?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow, looking Luffy over. The captain was still shaking, but it was a lot less noticeable now.

"Are you okay?" the swordsman asked, scrutinizing Luffy's agitated form.

"I'm fine."

Zoro didn't seem fooled in the least, but he didn't press, respecting Luffy's right to privacy. He nodded and walked towards the captain. Grabbing Luffy's shaking hand, Zoro pulled Luffy towards the door. Zoro hardly seemed to notice the subsiding tremors as the two pirates walked out of the room and into the small house's kitchen area.

"Time for breakfast!" Maki greeted from the counter she was sitting on top of. She was eating a small chocolate chip muffin. The old village elder grunted from his seat at the kitchen table.

Luffy's lips twitched into a small smile, his mind used to the want of food, but his stomach rumbles nervously. After last night, the prospect of keeping food down seemed rather improbable.

Maki held out another muffin. "You want one?"

"Sure."

Luffy didn't know why he took the breakfast food from Maki when he knew he wouldn't be able to eat it. Maki just looked at him with those bright, golden eyes that radiated happiness.

Zoro was silent, as per usual, but the air between the captain and first mate was sort of tense and heavy. Unable to ignore it any longer, Luffy glanced at the green-haired swordsman. There was a small, disapproving frown donning Zoro's face that caused Luffy to look away again.

"Hey, Mr Pirate Captain? How'd you get that big scar on your chest?"

Luffy forgot how to breathe.

Crocodile was stabbing him through the stomach with his poisoned hook. Lucci's Rokuogan was slamming into him with enough force to damage every single organ in his body, even though they were made of rubber. Luffy was using both second and third gear at once, and it felt as if he were being ripped to shreds from the inside out.

He was hyperventilating now. Memories from his disturbingly vivid dream from last night flashing in front of his eyes.

Arms surrounded Luffy, and in his panic, they were bindings, trapping him and stopping him from escaping. He grappled desperately against them.

"Shit Luffy! Stop struggling!"

He did more than that. He quit moving, collapsing forward into Zoro's solid form. The swordsman helped him stay upright, doing his job as a friend as well as a crew mate.

"Just breathe, Luffy. You're alright," Zoro told him, unintentionally copying Chopper's words from the day before. "Just breathe."

Luffy inhaled shallowly and the darkness that had edged into his vision retreated with every slow breath he took.

"I'm going to lose them," Luffy whispered hoarsely. In the whole last week, never once had Luffy admitted his deepest fear. But he was freaking out! Where was that numb part of him when he needed it? Why was he feeling this so much? He could usually push his emotions away so easily, so where was that push now?

The kitchen had frozen. Maki and the elder stared at the wreck Luffy had become in confusion and surprise, not fully understanding the consequences of asking a question about Luffy's scar. Nobody moved a single muscle. Even Zoro, who would usually do something, anything, to break the tense silence, just held Luffy close to him, lips pulled down into a disappointed frown.

"If you're thinking like that, why didn't you say something earlier? Chopper was freaking out about your health and crap, second guessing himself because you weren't stepping up and telling him how you were really feeling. You can't keep pushing your emotions away, Luffy."

"You do it," Luffy countered, his voice low and dangerous. Zoro's eyes flashed in warning. "And besides, a captain is supposed to be strong!"

"I'm not the one who's keeping secrets from my friends."

Luffy glared at the floor. "I'm not keeping secrets from anybody. I'm just trying to be a strong captain."

"Strength isn't measured by how long you can go without breaking, dumbass. I thought you knew what true strength really was."

So did Luffy. Time after time, Luffy had gotten up after being unable to dodge everything that had been thrown at him. He kept going no matter what. After Crocodile. After Lucci. After Moriah. After the Saobody fiasco with Kizaru and Kuma. After Impel Down.

And then he managed to save Ace and lose him within the same day.

"I always stand up. Always," Luffy said, voice breaking on the last word. "I do it every time thinking that if I just keep going then everything will be alright."

But it didn't always happen that way, no matter how much will power Luffy had. He hadn't had the strength to make his brother see reason, and his brother died because of that. After Ace, strength and courage were a whole other world away; somewhere Luffy was unable to reach with his current abilities.

"Strength is meaningless if you have nothing to protect," Zoro reminded him. "You kept getting back up because you were trying to protect something dear to you, right? What counts right now are your friends. Even if you do fall, you aren't falling alone."

Luffy hung his head morosely. "I don't want any of us to fall again."

"Then why are you even here?!" Zoro asked angrily, his hold on Luffy becoming tighter. "Why are you sailing the seas? How are you supposed to reach One Piece if you never risk anything to get it?!"

As much as Luffy hated to admit it, Zoro was right. Of course he didn't want to lose his friends, but they fought to protect each other, and he couldn't give up now. It was time to decide what he was really ready to risk. Was his dream worth it?

Of course it is, you big dummy! How long have you been dreaming of becoming King of the Pirates? Didn't you make a promise?

One hand absentmindedly reached up and rested atop his straw hat, the reminder of his promise with Shanks.

He promised Shanks. Shanks had trusted Luffy. Everyone trusted him. He had to move past his lack of strength at Marineford and get stronger. For everyone.

Luffy sat atop the hill overlooking the village, old houses spread out below him. He wondered if this was what it was like to be King; detached, separated, able to see but unable to reach. If this was his goal, he wasn't sure he wanted to reach it any longer.

For as long as Luffy could remember, he had wanted to be King of the Pirates, sailing and adventuring with his crew. But at this rate, with his friends on their deathbeds, it looked like he was destined to become the lonely, isolated King.

He was drowning, he realized. It was like being immersed within a sea of doubts and indecision. The emotions were dragging him down.

Why he was having so much trouble with a decision that should have been relatively simple Luffy didn't know. He had said it himself.

"I'm not leaving without that Kudzu root!"

"I won't let my friends die!"

He had said he wouldn't let them die, so why was he acting like such a coward? Why couldn't it just be like usual? He's headfirst into battle without a second thought to protect what he loved most.

So his decision? There was no way he could make one, even with his friends' lives in danger. And it was killing him.

Luffy couldn't think anymore. He was back to drowning in his depression, despite the pick me up from Zoro earlier. His mind was too chaotic and nothing made sense anymore. Nothing could reach him. Somehow, he had to make it out of this torrent by himself. A motivational speech from a friend wasn't going to part the depths, no matter how many times the swordsman preached at him.

The fact that Luffy couldn't say yes to a simple deal of beating up some bad guy and saving the island for the key to saving his friends seemed really odd, too. It wasn't that he didn't want to say yes, it was just that he couldn't, no matter how hard he tries. There was a sense of wrongness about the whole situation. Something felt off.

Zoro wasn't helping, either. The whole time the old guy tried to get Luffy to help or to leave altogether, Zoro stood there and took the guy's side. Luffy didn't get why Zoro couldn't understand his hesitance. Didn't Zoro sense the danger?

"Stop sulking."

The captain chose not to respond. He wasn't in the mood to deal with all of this crap.

"Don't take it out on everyone around you."

Luffy blinked. And blinked again before it him like a brick to the face. This wasn't Zoro.

He jumped to his feet and was in his horse stance immediately. In front of him stood a young man, tanned and dressed in clothes that reminded Luffy of the Shandorians from Skypeia. His brown gaze held pride and cockiness. Luffy recognized a rookie without much battle experience when he saw one. This man had hardly seen the battle field and had probably never fought with anyone of real caliber, and therefore, the man probably hadn't had the opportunity to taste much defeat.

Still, Luffy couldn't afford to underestimate the guy. Looks alone didn't tell the whole story. After all, everyone had always underestimated Luffy since he looked too carefree and innocent, and most of the time, it had helped him in battle. At least, that's what Rayleigh had taught him.

"So you're Monkey D. Luffy." It wasn't a question, just a statement, and for some reason it set Luffy at ease.

Luffy stood up straight and tilted his hat back a bit so he could see the guy better. The stance didn't exactly put Luffy in the best position for a quick attack if one was needed, but he could still dodge pretty easily.

"Yeah. What of it?" Luffy asked.

"You're shorter than I thought you'd be," the guy said, scrutinizing Luffy's form thoughtfully.

"Just 'cause I'm not as tall as Robin or Brook, it doesn't make me short," Luffy huffed defensively.

Never before had Luffy felt insecure about his height. It never really bothered him that most people towered over him. He had never particularly cared that, excluding Chopper, Luffy was the shortest on the crew. He made up the difference of height in strength of power. It wasn't supposed to bother him, so why did it now?

The man scratched his head, ruffling the short amber locks furiously. "Hm. I didn't really mean that you were short," the guy clarified. "I just imagined you differently."

"Oh," Luffy said, not really understanding what was happening. "You imagined what I looked like?"

The guy nodded. "Yeah, I figured you'd be taller, you know? From the rumors about you I just thought you'd be more...monsterish and less...short."

Luffy just laughed, relishing the feeling of normalcy. Finally, someone who didn't know to treat him any different. "I don't really get it, but it's kind of fun to scare people who have heard about me!"

"You have no idea what I'm getting at, do you?" the guy asked drily.

"Not a clue."

The guy sighed. "Look Strawhat, I'm trying to say that I've even dreaming about meeting you. It's an honor to finally come face to face with you."

Luffy wasn't really sure what to say to that one. It wasn't like he knew the guy. Should he be honored to be recognized? It was just one step closer to becoming the Pirate King, right?

"Are you actually strong?" Luffy asked.

"Hey!" the guy yelled indignantly, startling Luffy. "Don't diss the muse man!"

"Muse man?"

What the hell did that mean? Was he...did he mean thy he ate a devil fruit? If that was true, what kind of powers did a muse man have?

The guy scoffed. "I have amazing powers of the likes you've never seen before! I can predict your every move, read your every thought, and evade your every attack!" The guy struck a dramatic pose. "I have eaten the amazing...Muse Muse Fruit!"

Luffy looked at the man skeptically, not at all impressed. "What the hell is a muse?"

Laughing, the guy moved forwards towards Luffy. Luffy let him, still curious about this strange guy and his mysterious mannerisms.

"A muse is a muse," the man said simply, a slight tremor in his voice. "You know, it's what makes thoughts come into your head. As a muse man, I am able to read your mind."

"So I won't be able to hit you?"

"I basically know what you're going to do," the guy explains. "Tobio the great has never lost a fight!"

A small frown crossed Luffy's face and the captain held out an arm. It didn't matter if this guy was a marine admiral, Luffy would never roll over and let someone walk all over him without giving a fight first. Especially if that someone was in the way of something important.

The guy, Tobio, smirked at the captain. Luffy was once again struck with that off feeling in his chest. Something wasn't right and Luffy briefly wondered if he should back off he /had/ learned that it was smart to pick and choose your battles. To be safe, he stretched his arm out enough for it to recoil and trigger his second hear. Whether he was fighting or not he couldn't leave himself open for potential attacks. He wasn't invincible.

"Let's see how fast you can dodge this," Tobio said, smirk still prominent on his tanned face.

Tobio disappeared in an instant, leaving nothing but a small breeze and a rustle of grass behind. Luffy stayed still, not dating to breathe. Reaching out with his observation Haki did absolutely nothing, he realized frustratedly, so he prepared himself. He shifted his weight to his toes for better balance and maneuverability. He was not eager for a fight with someone he couldn't sense.

It was so quick Luffy almost missed it. One minute all was silent atop the hill, the next, Tobio was behind him, aiming a giant stick at Luffy's head. Luffy spun around and the two made brief eye contact. Tobio swung.

Left.

He dodged right.

It was a good thing he did because of Luffy had gone left like his brain had told him to, even having a rubber body wouldn't have helped. On the ground now, Luffy could practically taste the aura of the haki infused stick. There would be no bouncing back after a hit from that.

Jump.

He ducked.

The stick passed safely a few inches over his head. Luffy cursed his confused mind. The only thing that was saving his sorry ass right now was Rayleigh's rigorous training. His body was trained to dodge a haki infused stick even while sleeping. It was so ingrained into his instincts that his body had no trouble evading. His mind, on the other hand, was a different matter.

Dodge right.

He back flipped out of the way f the deadly arc of the sweeping stick.

Something was happening to his head, and he had no clue how to fix it. Luckily, Luffy was still in second gear. After taking a calming breath, it was Luffy's turn to disappear. He was moving faster than the eye could see. The stick swung wildly at Luffy, but the captain caught the wood and pulled it out of Tobio's hands before the guy could even react. Another second and Luffy had Tobio pinned on the ground underneath him, unable to move.

Let him go.

Luffy felt the intense urge to get up and let Tobio go free. He didn't like this feeling at all. It was like he was a slave to his own mind. But Luffy's will power was stronger than that. There was no way he would just let someone control his body.

"Like hell I will!" Luffy snapped out irritably. "Just tell me what you want and what the hell you're doing to me!"

The visible look of shock led to more questions than answers. Luffy didn't know what the heck was going on, but he was pretty sure he wanted it to stop. When Tobio didn't answer, Luffy's frustration boiled over.

"Dammit!" Luffy yelled. "My friends' lives are on the line! Just tell me what the hell Avalo is up to!"

Tobio coughed awkwardly, a sheepish, nervous smile turning the corners of his face upwards slightly. "Well, you see, I ate the Muse Muse Fruit."

"I know that already!"

"Right, right," Tobio placated. "But I lied about my abilities."

"You did?" Luffy asked, calmer as more confusion settled over him.

Tobio nodded vigorously. "Yeah. Do you remember what I said before about the word muse?" Luffy shook his head and Tobio blanched, taking a moment to compose himself before continuing. "You see, I can't actually read thoughts. You were just mumbling aloud about some stuff and I happened to overhear it."

"Huh? Why the hell don't you ever make sense?"

The muse man waved a dismissive hand-well, as much as he could while being pinned to the ground by a rubber man. "Don't worry about it. Just know that those thoughts that confused you earlier were from me."

"Really?"

"Yep," Tobio nodded. "Basically, I just influenced your mind to give you small directions, but being one of the amazing super rookies, I'm not surprised you were able to overcome it."

Luffy didn't get it. At al. But there wasn't time to dwell on this guy's powers. No, Luffy needed answers. He grabbed a fistful of Tobio's shirt and pulled him closer, hoping to at least intimidate Tobio into giving him more information.

"Who is Avalo and what is he planning on doing to this island?"

Tobio paled at the mention of Avalo. "You're after the secrets of this island, then?"

Luffy nodded. "Yeah. It's the only way to save my friends."

"Me too."

"What are you talking about?"

Tobio's bright, honest eyes stared deep into Luffy's. This was a man who could never bare to betray his friends. "I'm talking about beating Avalo at his own game," Tobio breathed out softly.

Luffy released his hold on the man's shirt and let Tobio up, warily disengaging second gear and stepping away from the man he had just fought. Trust like this wasn't supposed to be given out so easily, he knew, but something was telling him Tobio was telling Luffy the honest truth.

"So you're a good guy?"

Tobio shrugged as he stood up, dusting himself off. "I'm not a good guy or a bad guy. I'm just someone trying to save my friends. I'm a double agent for the village elder."

"If you aren't really working for this Avalo guy, why'd you attack me?" Luffy asked.

"I was testing you."

Luffy scrunched up his nose in disgust. "Did I pass?"

Tobio gave him a thumbs up and a large grin. "With flying colors, my friend. Not a lot of people can resist those urges I send out."

So that was what had been happening. A lightbulb clicked on suddenly and everything seemed to click into place. It had been Tobio's devil fruit powers that had been telling Puffy the wrong things. Luffy could suddenly understand why not many could resist those thoughts. Not a lot of people had ever gone through the training regimen Luffy had. If his body didn't instinctually dodge, he'd probably end up with his head bashed in.

"How?"

Tobio hummed thoughtfully. "Are you asking how my powers work? Well, a muse is something that puts a thought into your brain, so as a muse man, I can literally influence your train of thought. Do you get it?"

Luffy didn't, but he nodded anyways, tired of trying to make sense of this guy's words. He'd just pass Tobio's powers off as an unsolvable "mystery" for now until he could dwell on it more later-which he would probably never ever do.

The two males sat atop the hill, a silence falling over them, which Luffy found rather uncomfortable. Was he supposed to be all chummy with a guy with cool powers that he hardly knew? Maybe he normally would have at least put in some effort to sound energetic and generally happy, but Luffy was far too emotionally drained to keep up with this.

So you wanted to know about Avalo's plans, right?" Tobio asked. He waited for Luffy's nod before continuing on. "Well, the truth is I've only recently infiltrated Avalo and Balckbeard's crew. It was hard but-"

"Wait a minute!" Luffy yelled out, jumping to his feet. In his anger and outrage, he hardly noticed Tobio flinch at his sudden raise of voice. "Did you just say Blackbeard?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm coming with you," Luffy demanded, turning his rage filled eyes toward the double agent. His body was shaking with unbridled anger. A pained feeling struck him suddenly, causing Luffy to falter and choke on a surprised inhale of oxygen. He hadn't felt like this in a long time. His body was literally humming in anticipation.

"What? What do you mean?" Tobio asked, slowly standing up as well, turning so as to face Luffy.

"I mean what I said. I'm coming with you. We're going to go kick this Avalo guy's ass all the way back to Blackbeard's sorry crew," Luffy told Tobio.

Tobio shifted uncomfortably at Luffy's enthusiasm. "You do realize he's got practically the whole island enslaved, right?"

"I don't care."

"Okay, so do you have a plan?"

"I kick his ass," Luffy stated. Why the heck was Tobio questioning this so much? Isn't this what Tonio had wanted? For someone to fight against Avalo and save the villagers?

"Luffy!"

Luffy's anger faded in a millisecond and he turned to find Zoro marching up the hill, an unusually worried look on his face. Luffy almost wanted to ask his friend what was wrong, but he kept his mouth shut, the dream creeping back up to the forefront of his mind.

"Who the hell are you?" Zoro asked, aiming a barely perceptible nod at Tobio. "He your friend, Luffy?"

Luffy shook his head. "He's some double agent mind reader guy," Luffy said.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Mind reader?" the swordsman snorted, crossing his arms skeptically.

"I'm not a mind reader!" Tobio defended. "I'm just someone who can influence thought in battle."

"So you're a dangerous devil fruit user," Zoro said, his gaze gardening as he stared down the poor muse man.

"Zoro!" Luffy interrupted, waving his arms around like a maniac. Successfully distracted, Zoro raised an eyebrow at how different the captain was acting compared to earlier that morning.

"What is it?" Zoro asked. "Did you finally make a decision?"

Luffy slowly lowered his arms and took a step back. There it was again. Zoro wasn't supposed to be pushy like this. He was supposed to leave the "do what I say or else" to the other crew members. Zoro was just supposed to be his best friend. Zoro was supposed to steer gun right when he was wrong. In times of weakness, Zoro was supposed to build him up to be strong again. Zoro wasn't supposed to push Luffy to do anything that he didn't generally believe was right.

So that bagged the question. Did Luffy really believe that all of this was right?

Luffy looked Zoro over. The swordsman looked disheveled, his spiky green hair ruffled, his clothes in disarray and rumpled, and dark bags under his eyes. Luffy was sure he didn't look any better. He probably even looked worse.

The two pirates had traveled all this way and Luffy's friends had gone through hell and back. He couldn't just abandon them in their time of need, no matter how horrible he was feeling at the moment. They needed Luffy to get this Kudzu root and the captain had no right to ignore their needs, even with this dark shadow overlooking him. No matter how off it felt, Luffy knew he couldn't deny his friends this. They needed him.

"Yeah," Luffy responded, pulling down the brim of his hat to cover most of his face in shadow. He tried his best to hide the shakiness in his voice. "I did. I'm going to go kick Avalo's ass and save the villagers."

Zoro nodded.

"Stay here and protect Maki, Corvi, and the old guy while I'm gone, okay?"

Zoro looked uneasy at the order but nodded anyways. "Aye, captain."

Luffy turned abruptly, his trembling hand gripping his hat for any comfort it could give him. "I'll save them," Luffy whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I promise."

And Luffy followed Tobio done the hill into the forest of the unknown and beyond. There was no turning back now.

"Wait for me, Avalo. I'm going to make you wish you had never heard of Monkey D. Luffy."