WHO NEEDS AUTHOR'S NOTES WHEN I'M ALMOST DONE LET'S DO THIS POOPER SCOTCH

Chapter 6: The Separation

I blinked in utter confusion, trying to process my location. A few seconds ago, I was on Sabaody Archipelago facing Kuma. And then I was...in a forest? I was unbelievably confused, but I eventually processed something that instantly lifted my spirits:

I was alive.

So everyone else had to be alive, too.

Zoro was alive.

I nearly jumped with joy, laughing and screaming. Happy tears replaced the sad ones, and I stood up with a goofy smile on my face. I didn't know where I was, but I had to get back fast. I'm sure the others would be there by the time I reached the ship, but I didn't want to be the last one.

With my mission in mind, I rushed off to figure out where the heck I was. Then I ran into a lady with a snake bow, and things began to make just as much sense as that sounded.

Things settled down after a while, but I was still very antsy. I wanted nothing more than to meet up with all of my friends up until I found out Ace was captured by the marines.. I only needed a boat...and a map...and a way to figure out where I was...and a crew to help me sail the ship… Okay, so there were a lot of things I needed that I didn't have. So I was going to ask Hamcock for hers. I scuffed my feet against the stone pavement on the palace balcony. The old lady told me to wait there while she woke her up because she was sick or something. She wouldn't let me inside or help in anyway, so I just waited.

"Did you need something, Luffy?"

I looked up to see Hamcock's silhouette in the doorway. I smiled and turned towards her.

"Hey, can you do me a favor? I need a ship to go help Ace."

"Of course! It's no problem at all!" Something sparkled in her eyes, and she smiled with more kindness than I'd ever seen her show to anyone else. I found it kind of suspicious at first, but I didn't question it.

"Yes! Thank you so much!" I jumped with glee, already preparing my rescue plan. I was so excited, I barely noticed the shocked gasps and whispers coming from inside.

After spending an irritatingly long time on the boat, I finally found out why Hamcock was so nice to me. We reached Impel Down, the first step to reaching Ace, and she was going to extensive lengths to help me. She helped me hide (in her coat-a weird position for her to choose, in my opinion) and lied a lot for my sake. Then she kept saying we were married or something.

I definitely was not used to someone having a crush on me.

It was hard to manage, too. I had to keep telling her that we weren't dating and my lack of interest for the relationship. Regardless of how many times I told her, she just didn't listen. I was very tempted to tell her that my heart wasn't for sale and be done with it, but I remembered the conversation I had with Nami a while back.

"But even...even if he doesn't mind that I...Isn't it...awkward? To be liked by someone you...don't?"

"Yes, it can be, but it's not worth breaking their heart and leaving."

I was never someone to be so mean to someone undeserving, so Hamcock was no different. I could relate to her; it's hard to really like someone who just isn't interested. I figured I could let her feel happy with her imaginary relationship, and I could just see us as friends from my side.

The situation gave me hope in a strange way. Zoro wasn't mean, at least not to me. He promised to help me, and he didn't seem to be the kind of person to break a promise.

I didn't feel scared anymore.

I wasn't scared when I went to Impel Down, with all of the enemies I had once fought. I wasn't scared when I faced that weird commander guy who tried poisoning me. I was sad, not scared when Bon Clay sacrificed himself again. I wasn't scared when I saw Ace on the execution platform.

I was mortified when Akainu punched straight through my brother's chest and left him dying in my arms.

I woke up from a coma I didn't know I was in and found myself on an island with about a billion trees. All these trees and plants, a doctor or whatever, and fore stupid trees.

But where was Ace?

In my mind, the only thought in my mind screamed unbearably high like a sharp set of nails raking against my skull. It cycled over and over, a record with a scratch, demanding to know:

Where is Ace?!

I didn't know how long I was in a state Rayleigh deemed as psychotic, but I felt just as empty when I was pulled out. When I was rampaging, I had a shred of hope linked to Ace's life. But when I was awake, I had no choice but to accept the reality.

Ace was dead.

My brother was dead.

My chest hurt like I had been punched straight through my ribcage, and that hand tore my heart from its place. I hadn't considered doing anything else besides mourning on my own, but Rayleigh was very straightforward with what he thought about that.

"Luffy, I know it's hard to lose a person so close to you," Rayleigh spoke sternly to me as I slouched defeatedly on a log, "but you need to move on."

"Move on?! How could I just-"

"What about your friends?"

I stopped instantly, and I felt my eyes widen. Flashes of my friends' faces shone behind my eyes, and my empty chest filled with hope.

Nami...Robin...Usopp...Chopper...Brook...Franky...Sanji…

Zoro…

"See? Didn't think of that, did you?" Rayleigh acknowledged my hesitation. "When tragedy happens, it's easy to get stuck in the present, but you can't forget the future."

Rayleigh's words began to sink into my mind, and a faint smile spread on my red dusted cheeks. I still had my friends, my family. Ace couldn't be replaced, not as long as I live, but I still had my family.

"You're right! I need to get back to the Archipelago! My crew is probably there!" I stood up to leave, but a strong hand forced me to stay.

"Where do you think you're going? You think you can just go back to the place you got your ass kicked and get by in the New World perfectly fine?" I stopped to consider his words and sighed in defeat. We all had to get much stronger than we were, or we would never even have a chance. I turned to listen to him, and we formed a plan.

The crew all agreed before we got to the island to meet back on the ship in three days. Rayleigh decided that two years of rigorous training should work fine.

The presses were still shooting at the war site and death place of Ace, Whitebeard, and other fighting pirates. Rayleigh said I should take advantage of their lingering to send a secret message out. I had a note written on my arm for the crew to see without others catching on.

I stood at the massive wound in the earth and threw in a bouquet of flowers. I took off my hat and closed my eyes to give my respects, and I could hear panicked footsteps rushing to span dozens of pictures. As I stood there, my mind drifted to the message on my arm.

3D2Y. An "X" over "3D" and "2Y" left alone.

Don't meet up in three days, but instead two years.

Two years…

When I returned to the island, where Rayleigh was planning my training session and Hancock prepared a feast for me to devour, and I considered the time gap alone. People can change in two years, and I knew everyone would really change with their strength. I thought more about how Zoro would change. I nibbled on some meat and fruit, mentally picturing what Zoro would look like after a two year work out. He puts a lot of effort into perfecting his strength, so he was sure to get larger muscles and…

"Luffy! Stop daydreaming and get over here so I can tell you the training plan!"

I jumped in surprise, dropping my food and worrying my not-wife. Hancock tried giving some romantic goodbye, but it gave me a reason to get away as soon as possible.

Ace is gone, sure, I thought as I ran to the mystery behind the trees, but I still have my friends. They are my family, and I need to stick with them. I still have Zoro.

I still have hope.

That felt like a filler chapter to me, but I didn't want to go to what happened after the timeskip without saying what happened in between. Yeah, we all know, but it would make no sense from a writer's perspective to skip that much time without a good transition. Like at all. Lol. Welp, two more to go! Almost donion rings!