NOTE:
Italics are thoughts
Everyone was going to die because of Arlong...
Every one was going to die.
I failed
The money was gone, now every one would die. Nojiko, Gen-san, everyone. My knees hit the ground as everyone ran past me.
Not a soul left in sight, an empty town.
"Arlong" I could hear someone shout, a twisted, alien shout. It's me I realized. I could hear his laughter in my head. First my mother now...
"ARLONG" Now everyone else. An empty town.
"ARLONG!" I keened, tears spilling down my face, I grabbed the knife that I had dropped, when Gen-san had hugged me, and stabbed that horrible tatoo on my shoulder. I have to get it off.
"ARLONG!" I sobbed. He would laugh that laugh when he killed them, everyone. An lonely village.
I had lost. I brought the knife down again, barely registering the pain from the first time. There was nothing left to do now. Nobody else...
The knife was stuck on something immovable. I turned and saw a straw hat and calm, controlled eyes/ I turned and saw strength and power at my back holding the knife immobile.
"LUFFY!" I gasped. Why does he have o be here as well!?
"What is it now?" I demanded, my voice cracked. "You don't know anything." He is just a stupid kid with an impossible dream.
"No I don't know anything" he agreed. Tossing the knife down . This kid was going to die as well. Why didn't he understand that?!
"It's none of your business" I yelled at him gripping the dirt since he would not let me have the knife.
"I told you to get off the island" I sobbed hating how pathetic, how weak I sounded. But that is what I am, weak, I failed to protect my friends. I threw the dirt at him.
"Yes. You've already told me" He agreed again in that infuriatingly calm voice, as if he understood. He can't possible know. Everyone is gone, everyone would die, everyone, everyone...But...perhaps this...stupid...kid.
"Luffy. Help me." I begged turning to look up into his calm face. I saw something snap into place in his eyes, there expression changed from that stubborn, control, close expression that I had seen on his face since I had first met him on the road and told him to go was as if he had been waiting this whole time. Because what replaced that look frightened me. He took off his hat. It is like someone has let a monster lose to play. Luffy placed the hat on my head. He took a few steps forward, past me and took a deep breath. I looked up at his hat This is his hat, his treasure. I remembered from our first conversation.
"OF COURSE I WILL" He shouted. He began walking again, the same way that the villagers had taken out of town.
"Let's go!" He told Zoro, Usopp, and the newest member, Sanji. I didn't even notice they were there.
"Yeah." They all agreed. Even Usopp, without hesitation.
For the first time in years I felt like I had a family again For the first time in years I felt true joy. I gripped the hat tighter. THANK YOU.
Thank you.