When Dreams become Reality
Chapter 3
"Okay, minna. We still have some time left before we arrive. Sanji, do you have everything on the list we need to restock on?" When Zoro and Luffy walked over to their nakama, Nami was already taking the lead, like always, by making sure they had everything ready for their short stay.
"Of course, my dear! I wrote down everything we need" Sanji hummed happily.
"I´m gonna go and buy new barrels of cola. We´re running low on them, too, though it´s still enough for a Coup-de-Burst if we need one." Franky looked towards Nami, who nodded and tilted her head, calculating the amount of money they gonna need.
"I hope you didn´t forget to write down booze on your list, shit-cook. We´re low on that, too." Sanji´s face immediately switched from grinning dumbly at Nami to glaring furiously at Zoro. "Shut up, moss-head! You can go buy that cheap stuff you like to drink yourself! I´m not gonna waste Nami-san´s money on shit like that, especially if it´s for you!"
Before anything else could be said that would unpreventable end up in another fight, Nami lifted her hands and smacked both men on the head, silencing any insults that were sure to follow suit.
"I know what I´m gonna do on that island" Nami muttered to Robin, who stood beside her, smiling softly at the display of Zoro and Sanji still grumbling at each other, both rubbing their sore heads. "First I´ll shop for new clothes and then take a nice long soak. Those idiots will be the death of me."
Robin chuckled. "Would you mind if I join you? I wanted to look for new clothes as well." Nami smiled, nodding in agreement, and turning back to face the crew. "Alright. It´s gonna be around noon when we arrive. Sanji had already prepared our bentou, that means we´re good to go as soon as we dock."
While Nami and Robin deepened themselves in their conversation of what they were planning on buying, the guys went back to their previous tasks.
Luffy didn´t pay much attention to what the crew had discussed moments ago, but he started shouting for Chopper and Usopp as soon as the group broke up. Zoro couldn´t help but smile at his captain´s childish display. Heading towards one of the trees on Sunny´s lawn deck, the swordsman decided to take a quick nap before they docked.
Reaching the tree with the swing attached to the bigger branch, he took his swords out of his sash and leaned them against the trunk, settling himself at the base of it and crossing his arms behind his head. As Zoro closed his eye, he finally felt calm settle in his chest, only now noticing how the whole ´Luffy-scenario` had troubled him. But Luffy had promised him to be careful and he trusted him. Luffy would never break a promise, not even the smallest.
Only when Zoro´s leg was being poked by something, he noticed that he had indeed dozed off. He blinked and sat up, stretching his arms over his head and feeling the blood returning to them after sleeping on them for who knows how long. He looked around to look for the source of what, or rather who, woke him from his nap, only to be met with sparkling brown eyes belonging to a small reindeer that smiled at him. Zoro could almost feel the excitement radiating from Choppers small body.
"We´re there, huh?" Zoro asked, smiling at his small nakama when Chopper started to jump up and down. "Yes, finally! And look at all those colors! Come on, Zoro, look!"
Zoro pushed himself off the ground, put his precious swords back into his sash and bent down to pick the reindeer up to put him on his left shoulder. Chopper squealed and held himself steady by putting his hooves on Zoro´s head, ruffling the green hair slightly and snickering at the grumbling sound the swordsman made, though his smile didn´t fade.
Zoro walked the two of them over to the railing, and he was surprised to see that they had already anchored. Chopper was babbling about all the things he wanted to do, all the herbs and plants he was going to look for, and all the fun they would have.
It was just another island they had to stop at on their voyage over the the Grand Line, but since they entered the New World, every new island meant a new adventure, an even more exciting, more dangerous adventures compared to the ones they had already experienced in the first half of the Grand Line, the so called ´Paradise`. This was the cause for Chopper´s excited ramblings every time they reached a new island.
But these were now pushed to the back of Zoro´s consciousness, as the young man studied his new environment.
Chopper was definitely right. To the right side of where they had docked he could make out the town. The houses looked all the same with their brown roofs and the walls consisting of a mixture of stone and wood. But behind the town, there was a huge forest that stretched out as far as he could see. The trees weren´t only a lush green. There were colors Zoro couldn´t even name. It was like an ocean out of yellows, browns, reds and greens, but with so many more shades that it seemed to all blur together.
Before the swordsman could say anything to the ships doctor, laughter and clatter could be heard from behind the door to the men´s quarters, and only seconds after that Usopp emerged with his Kuro Kabuto in hand, fiddling with his bag that hung loosely over his shoulder, while Luffy happily jumped up and down behind him, eyes already sparkling with excitement, just like Chopper´s.
Luffy was stilled dressed in his trademark sandals and blue shorts, but he had traded his normal red vest against a little thicker one with a hood. It won´t do him any good though, thought Zoro, because his new outfit still lacked the proper protection of his arms against the wind. But he knew that the rubber-man was practically immune against cold, and wouldn´t bother putting on something more appropriate even if he was ordered to by Nami.
"Luffy! Usopp! Come on, I wanna explore the island! What took you guys so long, anyway?" Chopper waved them over to where he and Zoro were still standing at the railing. Luffy smiled at the site of the little reindeer perched on Zoro´s shoulder, who started moving towards the two boys. Zoro saw it and rolled his eyes, what only led to Luffy laughing.
"I had to check what I need to buy for my ammunition. And Luffy wouldn´t stop messing with other people´s stuff!" the sniper ended with a glare directed at the boy currently playing with the strand on his hood, not even noticing that he was being addressed.
"I am SUPER ready guys!" Franky shouted over the whole ship, striking his pose. "Yeah, so are we!" Chopper replied, jumping off Zoro´s shoulder and starting to dance with Usopp and Luffy, all shouting in excitement for a new adventure.
Franky joined them on the lawn deck. "Oi, minna! Let´s get going!" the captain shouted and the rest of the crew assembled.
"Yohohoho, I wish you all a wonderful day! I will stay here and guard Lion-san to the best of my capabilities. Oh, and Chopper-san, would you bring me some new tea leaves?" Brook asked, while handing Chopper some money. The reindeer nodded and put it into his bag before securing it to his back. "Of course. Do you need anything else?" "No, that would be all, thank you" the tall skeleton answered and bowed, making the young doctor giggle. With one last bow in the direction of the girls, he turned around and headed for the galley, humming a tune only he could hear.
"Okay, everyone knows what to buy. And boys," Nami addressed the three youngest of the crew, " I know it´s a waste of my breath to say it but still: try not to get into any major trouble okay? Just this once." The three youngest looked at each other, grinned and looked back at Nami, nodding their heads, still grinning from ear to ear.
"Why do I even bother trying?" Nami threw her hands up in an exasperated gesture and turned to leave the ship.
"Nami-swan~! Robin-chwan~! May I accompany you to carry your bags? Such beautiful women should´t carry such heavy luggage themselves!" Sanji was already swooning around the girls before they could even answer him properly. Nami grinned mischievously at the blond cook, before descending the ladder that led down to the pier. Sanji was taking that as a yes, and therefore had trouble containing his nosebleed attack.
Zoro wasn´t even trying to hide his disgust, rather going for the offensive method by snorting and grumbling something about idiot blonds that don´t realize that they were being used by those witches. As soon as he ended with calling Nami and Robin witches, Sanji´s behavior changed from dumb noodling to burning with rage faster than the eye could see. Nobody got away with insulting his angels!
But before another fight could break loose Nami called from down the pier.
"Sanji-kun! Are you coming?" Everyone could tell that she was acting, just trying to end the starting bloodbath. And again Sanji´s mood switched and jumped down the side of the ship, accompanying Nami and Robin, and the trio made their way towards the town, waving good-bye to the crew.
"See ya guys later then. Have a SUPER day!" said Franky before climbing down the ladder as well.
That left the swordsman with the boys. He looked at Luffy, who had a puzzled look on his face
He nudged his captain with his arm, seeming to bring him back from wherever he was, and watching his every move.
I know he told me not to worry, and he may not notice it, but he´s still acting weird.
"Why aren´t you already off the ship and bugging the nearest restaurant for food, senchou?" He leaned in a little closer so that Usopp and Chopper couldn´t overhear them, though they too started heading towards the ladder. "Still feeling alright?" the swordsman whispered.
For a second Luffy looked like he just wanted to play his question off like it was nothing, but then he seemed to change his mind and nodded his head.
"What are you waiting for you two? Aren´t you coming?" Usopp shouted, having already reached the pier with Chopper. "Go ahead you guys, we´ll be there in a sec!" Luffy answered, his voice sounding as carefree as ever, but Zoro could make out the pressure behind it. The two gave the pair a thumbs up and descended the ladder as well.
Luffy looked around the empty ship before turning towards his first mate. What the taller man didn´t expect, was his captain suddenly slumping against him, leaning his head against his shoulder and pinching his eyes together. Not knowing how to react, Zoro just stood there, letting his friend lean on him, and carefully resting a hand on the smaller boy´s shoulder.
"I take that as a ´no` then" Zoro softly grumbled.
"The headache is back. And it´s stronger ..." Luffy said, his voice sounding strained. "Then we should stay on the ship" Zoro suggested, concern painting his voice. "But there´s a new island to explore! Zoro I can´t miss out on that!"
It took one glance at his captain´s pleading face, and big, strong Zoro crumbled like a cookie. "Alright. But you don´t leave my side okay? I don´t want anything happen to you, and you attract trouble like a freakin` magnet."
Luffy cheered, but winced almost instantly, holding his head in his hands, but still grinning stupidly at Zoro. The swordsman just shook his head, walked over to the railing and jumped down.
Suddenly he felt a pair of hands grabbing his shoulders, and before he could even turn around, Luffy had already slingshot himself down to his swordsman, laughing at the startled cry that escaped Zoro´s throat before the impact send both pirates flying.
. . .
The trip through the town ended up like any other.
While the captain bounced through the streets, ooh-ing and aah-ing at everything new he saw, pointing at different things in the shop windows, and always making sure his companion was still following him, the first mate had trouble to keep an eye on the hyperactive teen in front of him. Not to mention to try and keep up with him.
As usual, the weird pair drew the eyes of the towns people on them, not caring the slightest about the disturbed looks they received and the whispering that followed them.
If Zoro wouldn´t know better, to the untrained eye it would look like the straw-hat-wearing boy had the time of his life and was overflowing with energy. But the swordsman knew better; he could see that Luffy´s behavior lacked the usual enthusiasm, and his eyes weren´t glowing as much as they used to. He was putting up an act, trying to convince himself that nothing was wrong by playing it off.
But after some time flew by, the captain grew quieter and sticked more by his friends side. Zoro was very well aware of that, but didn´t say anything.
Though Luffy hadn´t complained about any headaches the whole time they were in town, it was more than obvious to the observant swordsman that the teen was in more pain than he showed.
Two hours later, it was around afternoon by then, the two pirates had picked up everything they needed, and had decided to head back to the ship.
They were walking quietly beside each other, both content with just enjoying the company, when suddenly an explosion shook the ground, followed by two more. People started screaming, mother´s shielding their children from any harm, not really knowing were the ruckus came from and what was happening.
Luffy winced at the loud noises, resisting the urge to cover his ears. Zoro´s head whipped around, immediately spotting the dark smoke coming from near the town´s center.
One look at each other was all it needed and both pirates sprinted into the direction people were pointing to, some running towards the source of commotion, others fleeing from it.
Once they reached their destination, the town´s central plaza, Luffy and Zoro started to push their way through the crowd, some making way for them as soon as they saw the dangerous look the green-haired man with the three katana wore.
The plaza before them was in chaos.
Debris covered the left side where only moments before a huge house had been, the booths that once made out the entire center were now burning, creating not only the thick smoke, but also a disgusting smell consisting of burned meat, vegetables, spices and other things that could not be identified. Parents were screaming for their children, babies were crying, and the wounded tried to escape from the cause of all this, if they were still able to move.
It was obvious who was responsible for the destruction and the panic. Between the sounds of fear and agony, Zoro and Luffy could hear laughter. It came from a man standing at the sidelines on the other side of the crowd. He was tall with broad shoulders, and a a light stubble was covering his jaw. His clothes were stained with soot, and it was obvious that he was the one pulling the strings in the background. Some of his men were laughing with him, others running around the plaza, slicing up men and women alike if they weren´t fast enough to escape.
Suddenly he turned his head and looked directly at Luffy and Zoro as if sensing their presence in the crowd. When he grinned at them, the fire around him captured in his eyes, letting them shine with madness.
Luffy felt a hand on his shoulder and knew that Zoro had took off to take care of the man´s crew. He clenched his fist and walked over the guy, eyes never leaving the man´s. Why was he doing something like that? This town had no problem with pirates docking here, but men like this guy were the reason so many other towns did.
"Strawhat, finally. I was starting to think you tucked your tail between your legs and ran. But he was right. You are always there wherever shit goes down, aren´t you?"
Luffy frowned. He had been waiting for him? How did he knew they even were on this island?
"Should I know you?" He wasn´t in the mood for chit-chat, but he should at least know the man´s name before he beat him up.
"No, but I know you. Well, almost everyone had at least heard the name of Mugiwara no Luffy." The grin on the mans face grew into a smug one, causing Luffy´s muscles to tense. In the distance he could hear the screams of the scared pirates that accompanied the familiar clashing and slicing by three famous katana.
"Ever since the Paramount War, that is."
Luffy´s face darkened considerably at the mention of Marineford.
He thought he was able to cope with what had happened at that horrible place after those two years, especially after reuniting safely with his crew, but whenever a stranger dug that topic out he had to shove the painful memories away and lock them back into the place he only visited when he was alone at night and couldn´t bear the pain any longer. He hated to conceal his emotions in front of his crew, but those feelings were something he had to deal with alone.
Luffy knew how much his friends still blamed themselves for not being able to be there for their captain, but it wasn´t their fault. He didn´t want them to feel more guilty for something they shouldn´t even feel responsible for.
His eyes searched for the familiar green hair in the chaos around them, calming down when he spotted his first mate on one side of the former market, shouting something towards the other side. Luffy´s gaze moved to the side Zoro was shouting to, relief and pride coursing through him when he saw Sanji, Nami and Robin running towards the center. Sanji was already furiously kicking the men´s heads in, while Nami and Robin helped the hurt citizens escape. When a familiar cry of "Captain Usopp!" reached his ears, accompanied by the sound of hooves running over cobblestones, Luffy couldn´t help but chuckle lightly to himself.
Of course they would come.
The boy´s attention snapped back to the man standing in front of him, face becoming serious again.
"I don´t know who you are, and I don´t care. But I´m gonna kick your ass for getting those nice people hurt." Luffy´s voice was low and filled with suppressed rage, the brim of his straw hat shadowing his eyes.
"As if you´d be able to beat me! I am Ichirou, first mate of the Shingetsu Pirates." The man stood proud, looking down on Luffy with a menacing glare as if his name alone would make Luffy cringe and back away from him. When the strawhat boy didn´t even blink in acknowledgment, his grin disappeared into a scowl. "I will make you eat those words."
Without further talk, Ichirou jumped into the air, coating his entire arm with Busoshoku Haki and charged towards the boy, aiming his punch for Luffy´s head. The attack gave Luffy more than enough time to jump back, knocking his fists together to coat both his arms in the black armor as well, and raising his arms above his head, crossing them like a shield.
Even though he readied himself, when the man´s fist connected with his crossed arms the impact was by far greater than he anticipated.
Suddenly his head started to ache again, and with every passing second his opponent was pressing down on him the pain grew and grew. His knees buckled under the pressure and he groaned from the strain. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the bright spots away that gathered before him, dancing through the dark like exploding fireflies.
What was happening to him all of a sudden?
With a determined cry he tensed his muscles and pushed the guy off him. Not loosing any time to catch his breath, he rushed after the taller man and punched him in the gut. The strawhat captain heard his opponent gasp above him, all the air escaping his lungs in a rush.
But just as Luffy wanted to jump backwards to get out of Ichirou´s range, he was met with an elbow connecting with his face. He was rubber, so despite the Busoshoku Haki it shouldn´t hurt him as bad. Shouldn´t.
The elbow made contact with his temple and searing hot pain erupted in his head, coursing through his veins like boiling water.
The strawhat captain let out a howling cry at the feeling of being burned from the inside out, clutching at his head desperately and falling to his knees, his legs no longer being able to hold him upright.
Luffy didn´t know what was happening to him. He could withstand the former pain in his head, but this was different. He could hear the voice of his opponent rain down on him from outside, but couldn´t make out any words. It was like he was captured in this world of heat and pain.
His breath was ragged, and he felt like he couldn´t breath because of the heat pressing down on him. Luffy tried taking deep breaths through his nose to calm his mind and trembling body. Trembling? When did he start to tremble?
The first few breaths were able to calm him down some, but the next one was stained with a metallic like flavor. He had to suppress a shudder. The heavy smell seemed to surround him and with more effort than he would admit, Luffy opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to drive the bright spots away to see properly.
At first his vision was still blurred, but after a few seconds he could take in his surroundings. Where was he?
Luffy entangled his hands from his raven hair, letting them fall limp to the ground. But instead of making contact with solid ground, they fell into a scalding hot liquid. He recoiled with a pained cry, cradling them at his chest like they were burned. He looked down to what he thought was the ground, only to be met with a viscous red fluid bubbling under him. He tried jumping back from it, only to find himself unable to move. Luffy´s head moved from right to left, but the only thing he could make out was the boiling pot beneath him.
His eyes widened, realization dawning on him and fear started to creep his way into Luffy´s body. He tried to struggle, to move his body, but found himself constricted by something.
His eyes moved over his arms, searching for whatever made him unable to move, and he clenched his fists when he saw the thick ropes tightly secured around both his wrists, his arms stretched to his right and left side. But the reason why he couldn´t move were the ropes tied around his stomach, leaving him hanging over the boiling pot. Why was he suddenly hanging?!
His breathing became erratic, and sweat run over his forehead and into his eyes, forcing him to pinch them together.
As soon as his eyes were closed, the metallic smell from before hit him like a fist in the face, and he had to suppress a gagging.
Luffy tried to piece everything together, but found it hard to think properly with all his senses jumbled and overloaded.
The heat. The smell. The red liquid. The ropes around his body.
Suddenly something inside his brain clicked together, and memories he´d rather forget, came rushing through his mind.
He was back in Impel Down.
He was being held captured on Level 4 in Impel Down.
Panic overtook his whole body, his arms and legs started thrashing around frantically, and he could feel the ropes cut painfully into his skin, like they had so many times before him to other prisoners.
Luffy threw his head back and a strangled cry escaped his strained lungs, the sound more feral than a human should be able to make.
Through his clouded mind, the rubber-man could hear cries echoing around him. At first they were only muffled, but became clearer the longer he tried to concentrate on them. But they were not the painfully familiar cries of tortured prisoners. Those cries, ripped free from all hope and painted with the bitter taste of desperation, were still haunting him at night.
The ones he was now hearing were battle cries. Men shouting over gunfire and explosions, accompanied by the sound of thousands of feet running around.
But as suddenly as those sounds had appeared, they were gone again, tuned out by Luffy´s tangled mind and shoved to the back of his consciousness.
A shiver ran down his back. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking to make the sting go away, and noticed that he wasn´t held captured anymore, but instead again kneeling on solid ground. Dust was surrounding him, only the occasionally flashing of an explosion somewhere in the distance shining through.
The Strawhat captain took in a deep breath, relieved to be away from that hellish place. He tried to stop his muscles from twitching, clenching and unclenching his hands slowly.
That was when he felt it.
A thick, warm moisture was sticking to his palm and fingers.
Luffy´s eyes widened. No. No this was all too familiar! Too real! This couldn´t be happening!
And slowly, with shaking arms, the young man lifted his hands and turned his palms up, already fearing what he´d be able to see.
As soon as he laid his brown eyes on the red substance covering his palms, a small sob escaped his mouth.
No. This wasn´t happening. This wasn´t real!
Luffy averted his gaze from his blood-covered hands, his chest heaving with suppressed sobs.
But before his eyes could unwillingly move towards the body that he knew lay in front of him, beaten, burned and bloody, a loud cracking sound ran through his head like a bullet. His breath hitched, and only then he noticed the silent tears that were streaming down his in sweat in dirt covered face.
The world around him moved suddenly, his gaze swimming before him and everything, the smells, the sounds, the feelings, all crumbled together like a building being knocked down.
Luffy tried to scream, to reach out for the crushed body of his brother, but with everything tossing and turning around him he couldn´t make out where he was anymore. Suddenly his body started to convulse, and a burning sensation made it´s way through his throat.
The last thing Luffy registered was the light feeling of being lifted up into the air.
To be continued
. . .
A/N:
Hey everyone!
First, I have to apologize to all of you for the really long delay. I know it´s been quite a while since the last update …
But I hope I can make up for it with this chapter and the promise that I´m already working on chapter 4. It took me forever to write this one, so I´d really appreciate it if you could leave me a review on how you liked it!
And if you´re interested, these are the meanings of the japanese names I´m using in this story:
genzou = illusion/phantom
Ichirou = "ichi" means "one" and "rou" means "son", so it basically means "first son"
Shingetsu = dark moon
Thanks to all of you who are reading and following my story! And special thanks goes to my beta reader, Jayce, who always supports me on everything and helps me decide on how to continue with my story.