Warning for mentions of torture and death
XXX
"No, no, no, no, no-," Thatch breathed over and over like a mantra as he ran over to the boy on the floor. He heard people talking in harsh whispers around him, they were worried. He ignored them. They didn't matter.
He crashed to his knees, hovering his hands over him unsure of what to do. "Luffy! LUFFY!" He called growing concerned when the other didn't respond.
"Your okay, your alright," He promised him even though he knew Luffy couldn't hear him. He placed his palm over the others face waiting for the soft shallow breath, only there wasn't one. His shaking hands clambered for a pulse but when he realized they were trembling too much to be of any use Thatch lay his head against Luffy's chest, listening for a heartbeat, for his lungs to draw a breath. But there was nothing, only silence.
-And somewhere deep in his heart he knew he was dead.
They had killed Luffy, for a war he had no part in. They had tortured him over and over all for what? This wasn't justice as the marines claimed. This wasn't fair. Even Thatch, a good for nothing lawless criminal in their eyes, would never have done the things the world government had sanctioned.
But none of that mattered right now because Luffy was dead. They were friends, more then that with everything the two of them had shared. Thatch had promised to protect him and he was dead.
He lifted his head slowly, pressing a clumsy kiss into Luffy's messy blood matted hair.
"I am so sorry," He whispered to him putting every word he had into his apology. "I wanted to protect you." He looked over the still body. "I've done a horrible job haven't I?" The man wiped his nose on the back of his hand turning away.
The marines were watching him intently. They had wanted him to fix Luffy, that was what they told him when they had dragged him from his cell and down into the prisons. But by the time Thatch had gotten down here it had been too late. Luffy must have died all alone in this horrible room. The man who had done this was no where in sight. Neither were the others, but Thatch was sure they would be here soon. After all they still had use for him.
He turned back to Luffy, reaching out to pet his hair in a way that would have been comforting if the other could feel it. He moved a bit closer, so the marines couldn't hear his next words. Not that they looked particularly interested in what Thatch had to say other then his inability to fix this problem for them.
Luffy looked so small on the floor of that cell. New injuries scattered across him from the marine's final attempt to break him. His face was pale and smattered with old grime and new blood. But despite everything he looked peaceful, a small smile on his face underneath all the pain and injuries. That was just like Luffy wasn't it. Thatch bowed his head so the crowd couldn't see the tears threatening to spill over.
"No ones going to use you anymore," He promised him. "No one can hurt you again-," his throat tightened and his voice trailed off, unable to continue.
He heard the sounds from the hallway, they were coming, they had been told finally. He knew they would take him away, condemn his body to the sea or continue to use him for power. There wasn't much time left for Thatch to make this right.
"Wherever you go know that you will not be alone."
He knew the words by heart by now. Thatch, while not old, was far from young. He had seen his fair share, far too many funerals. He knew the Sailors Song by heart.
"May the sea comfort you on your journey"
"Let the waves pass you by, for you press forwards no longer"
"We'll wait for the year, when the tide comes"
"Rolling over the rails"
"From here to the end of the island"
"Washing away all that was you"
"And taking you to a softer place"
He faltered as his voice once again failed him. What was he going to say to Ace? What could he possibly say? Luffy could have been free. But he had come back for him. And it had cost him everything.
However many times he had done this for his fallen comrades that had come before. It had never been as hard as it was right now to get the words out. Even if his family rescued him tomorrow, and he was allowed to walk out of this place on his own two legs. Without Luffy, he could never truly escape. He would never fully be free from here. Not when he had left such an important part behind.
The door flew open, Teach cussing up a storm. The doctor on his heels as he knelt before the pair of them. Stethoscope in hand the man searched for something that wasn't there. Thatch felt a hand on his shoulder as someone tried to pull him away. He shrugged them off leaning closer so he could be sure Luffy would hear his words wherever he was and forced himself to continue.
"Wonder no longer my friend"
"You have lost your path,"
"And we have lost our song"
"But with the sea as our witness, we send you home"
"Well!"
"How long has he been like this?" Doc Q asked ignoring his captain in favor of glancing up at the uneasy looking marines above him.
"We don't know when he stopped breathing," One of the men said reluctantly. "A few minutes maybe?"
"Do something!" Teach commanded his doctor. "If we lose him, we lose our footing with the revolutionaries. And they are not a group you want to mess with without a backup."
"I'm doing all I can," The man told him spilling his tools onto the floor so he could pick the needle free of the mess. With strong steady hands he had gotten from years of practice he loaded it with one of his vials.
"Fix him!"
"There's not much I can do at this point," the man grunted as he pushed the needle into the deathly still arm. "I'm not a miracle worker."
Someone tried once more to yank Thatch away but he held on for one moment longer. Just long enough to say goodbye before he fell apart.
"When the sun sets on the ocean blue"
"Remember me as I will always remember you"
"And when the sun rises, we will part ways you and me,"
"Because my brother"
"Now you are free-"
XXX
Luffy was lost. And he didn't like it. Every single doorway looked the same to him and all of them were locked leaving him to wander the empty hallways endlessly. The further he went the darker it seemed to get. At first all he could feel was the cold but now it didn't bother him so much anymore.
"Thatch!" He called out hoping his friend would answer him back. But he was alone here, and Luffy hated being alone.
"Somebody!" He asked the dark pathways before him. "Anybody!"
"Hey there Lu."
Luffy perked up at the familiar voice and he hurried down the hallway, bare feet flying over the stone floor as he broke into a run. He recognized that voice.
This far down it was so dark but everything was becoming clearer step by step. The world around him was coming into focus.
"Miss me?" The boy asked with a big smile as Luffy slammed into his arms.
"I missed you so much!" He replied his voice muffled by the others chest. "I thought I would never see you again," He told his brother as he hugged him tighter.
"I was alone here," He said out of breath. "I thought I would be wondering around lost forever." He told him as Sabo pulled back to get a good look at him.
"Were they picking on you again?"
They had been. And it had really hurt. But he didn't care about that now. Luffy smiled up at his brother. He looked just how he remembered from when they we're kids, but taller, and older. It seems like he and Ace weren't the only ones who had grown.
"Sabo can you help me get out of here?" He asked looking around them. "I don't like it here and I'm worried about my friend."
"You can't go back the way you came anymore." Sabo ruffled his hair. "You have to keep going until the end. But if you're worried about your friend you better get there before the door opens."
"End of the hallway, got it!" Luffy said, even though he really didn't as he grabbed his brothers hand pulling him along with him as he ran down the hallway.
"Open the door. No problem."
"Before the door opens," Sabo told him patiently as he allowed Luffy to pull him into his stride.
"That's what I meant," he corrected himself.
"How dark is it going to get?" He asked his brother as he was forced to slow down a bit in the blackness.
"Scared of the dark now are we little brother?" Sabo asked and Luffy frowned, marching them both through it in a show of bravery.
"I'm not afraid of anything," he told him.
"Right," Sabo said unconvinced. It wasn't like Luffy could lie to him easily. They had grown up together, he had seen all the things that scared Luffy, especially when he was a kid. But he didn't need to bring it up right now.
"It isn't the dark you need to worry about," Sabo told him, ever the factual one. "It's-,"
"What's that?" Luffy paused again. The path in front of them had begun to glow. A bit like in those early mornings when the first glimpse of sunlight climbs the horizon and slips out over the fields, making everything shine with an orange tinge. Except there was no color in the light, it was just- light.
And Luffy paused because- well it unsettled him.
"What's down there?" He asked for the first time.
"I thought you weren't scared of anything," Sabo reminded him tugging him forwards down the path with him.
"I'm not," he said again.
"Except being alone," Sabo reminded him being, in Luffy's opinion, really unhelpful.
"I was alone before I knew you," Luffy reminded him. When he turned behind him he could no longer see the dark. It was like a switch had been flicked and the hallway was now flooded with light.
"And you hated that didn't you."
Luffy didn't answer. He didn't want to admit Sabo had a point. What he wanted was to see where the hallway ended.
"it's getting brighter," Luffy said.
"That means your running out of time."
"Time to do what?"
"Just time." He told him simply.
"Sabo your being weird," Luffy told his brother as he pulled them along faster. It was like they were trapped in a maze where the only direction he could go was forwards. That sounded like Luffy's kind of maze, like hell he was going to lose at going strait. He was directionally challenged, not slow after all.
"What do you remember about before?" Sabo asked him and his pace faltered.
…
…The cub doesn't have long left now
"Bye Thatch."
"You die today son of Dragon. I will not tolerate your blood on this ocean any longer."
Pain, there was so much pain
Someone was screaming- he thought it might be him. Yep-that was definitely him, but the man was angry because he wasn't screaming the right thing. They wanted him to scream the answers to secrets he didn't think he had. But even if he did he would never give it to them.
"Stop! Stop it!"
…
Luffy shook his head, tightening his grip on his brothers' hand. "I don't know," he told him.
"Yes you do," Sabo urged him. "I know it hurts but this is important all right. You have to try and remember. He pressed his forehead against the younger willing him to do it.
"Come on Lu."
…
"Why won't you STOP!"
He was begging them to stop hurting him. And when they didn't, he began to scream something different.
Without realizing it he had started screaming for Ace like he was seven years old again.
"HELP ME!" He cried to his brother. "Make them Stop Ace!"
"Nii-chan Please!"
"DON'T LEAVE ME HERE ACE!"
And the man did stop. But not because anybody made him. Because he was laughing.
"Oh you poor thing, you don't know yet do you."
"K-know wh-what," he asked shaking in pain."
"That boy that you keep screaming for he's not going to help you."
"You d-don't know him." Luffy told him firmly." H-he's not going to leave me."
The man shrugged putting the knife back on the tray. "Your right I don't know him. Maybe he would have come, maybe not. But it doesn't matter now."
"Why?"
"Aw kid, keep up with the news yea. He's dead."
"Shut up!" He snarled.
"It's true. Guess they forgot to tell you."
"Your lying! Shut your lying face!"
"Yell if you want." He told him. "It won't change anything. Teach ordered him to kill his captain. Dumb kid confronted the man on his own and he pitched him through a wall and strait into the ocean. They couldn't even fish his body out of the sea. Devil fruit users, you lot sink like stones."
"I don't believe you," Luffy told him his voice low.
"I don't care if you believe me or not. I'm just telling you what happened." The man told him wiping the blood from his blade as he changed his tools.
"Your pirate friend, Blackbeard bugged him. He heard the whole thing go down. As you can imagine he is none to happy to have lost his double agent. Probably why he fought so hard to keep you out of here. But here we are, and here you are. So believe me kid, that hero of yours isn't coming."
"No," he whispered as a stabbing pain worked it's way up into his chest. It was so strong all other feelings in his body were momentarily canceled out.
"Your lying! Your lying. Your LYING. Ace would never do that! He promised me. He promised me he would never die. He has to be here for me. HE WOULDN'T DO THAT. HE WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME HERE."
"Then why are you still here?"
…
"Luffy," Sabo's voice was soft as he shook the others shoulder. "Luffy can you hear me?"
At some point, Luffy didn't know when, he had sat down, tucking his head into his knees.
"He- he -said," Luffy tried to force out but his voice wouldn't obey him.
"You remember," Sabo asked softly and he nodded.
"He said – he said Ace is dead!" He finally cried hugging his legs tighter. "H-he's lying, tell me he was lying."
"Hey, its going to be alright," Sabo comforted. "It's okay Lu, I need you to get up alright. You can't stop here."
"I-I can't." He cried harder and Sabo kneeled down in front of him, placing his hands on either side of his head and forcing Luffy to look up at him.
"Yes you can," he promised him. "Lu you've been so brave. But you need to keep going. Your running out of time. The door is almost open and then there will be no going back."
Luffy fought off his hold and he pressed his forehead back against his knees.
"I don't care!"
"Yes you do!" Sabo told him patiently. "You've come so far all on your own. It's just a little bit further. But I can't carry you. You need to walk there yourself."
When Luffy still did not move he sighed, standing up. "Come on I'll help you," He told him holding out his hand for the other to take. When he didn't Sabo tried again.
"Come on little brother, just a little bit further. Don't you want to get out of here, see the sky again?"
Luffy sniffed, slowly lifting his head at that. He nodded and Sabo smiled. He took the others hand and he helped him onto his feet.
"Don't let go," Luffy warned him as they began down the hallway once more.
"Never," Sabo promised squeezing his hand.
The light was almost pure white now. Blindingly so. Luffy had to close his eyes as they crossed through the last archway and into the room at the end of the hallway.
Luffy hadn't seen the entrance when they had arrived here. He had been, In Thatch's words, -Super drugged up. So he didn't even know what the door looked like. For all he knew they could have entered the base on a magical rainbow, although he would have been angry if they had and he missed it.
But just like Sabo said there was a large wooden door. The dark wood was faded with rusted square bolts embedded in it. It looked just like the dozens of other ones Luffy had passed on his trip down here and the hundreds that he saw during his time in the Hold.
"It's just a door," he told Sabo a little disappointed. "I thought it would be cooler."
"Well this is your party Lu, and you've always been a pretty literal person. Not to mention you don't have much of an imagination."
He would have shot back, annoyed his brother was throwing shade at him right now. But Sabo had a point and Luffy was too distracted. Because this door was different then the others in one way- this one was open. The light in the hallway had come from the outside and it spilled easily through the open door, lighting up everything around him with a frightening intensity. Like a thousand suns burned just outside the threshold.
And Luffy ventured closer, Sabo's hand gripped tightly within his own. He could feel the warmth from here. But not a burning feeling like when they were hurting him. It was a nice glow, like falling asleep in sunlight.
"What do I do now?" He asked.
"Now? You leave." Sabo told him simply. "That's what you wanted right."
Luffy stared back at the door. That was the only thing he had wanted for months now.
"I can leave?" He asked taking another step towards the light. "It's as easy as that?"
"It's as easy as that," Sabo promised. "Nobody can stop you anymore. You will be free forever. They can't cage you and they can't hurt you. No more pain, no more loneliness.
Luffy smiled as he held out his hand to the light, it felt good on his skin. That sounded perfect.
Whe-vr…y-kn…oh-…tha-y-t'alone
He paused, his hand resting on the door as he looked back behind him.
"Sabo can you hear that?"
The blond shook his head and Luffy took a step back, trying to see the hallway behind him.
"What do you hear?"
He frowned, tilting his head to listen. It was faint, but there all the same. It was as if someone was speaking far away from them. Back on the other end of the hallway. No matter how far Luffy had come he could still hear them.
We'll wait…th-… year… -the tide comes.
"Someone's talking," He told his brother. And remembering himself he took another step back towards the hallway.
"What about Thatch?" He asked. He had forgotten about his friend in all the chaos. "I can't just leave him here. What will happen to him?"
"His family is coming for him," Sabo assured him. "They have been looking for him for a long time."
"But what if they can't find him in time."
"Then he comes here," Sabo gestured at the door. "Would that be such a bad thing?"
Luffy looked back at the light and shook his head slowly. No It wouldn't be. But all the same-
"He's my friend," He told him. "I don't want him to be on his own."
"Are you asking what happens if you stay?"
Luffy nodded, figuring that must be what he was asking.
"Well the doors not completely open yet, you might still have a chance to close it. But is that really what you want? You don't like being alone. If you stay here you might have to be."
"What do you mean?"
"Luffy you heard what he said about Ace," Sabo told him softly. "He might not be here anymore," he gestured to the door. "He might be out there now waiting for you."
"But what about you?" Luffy said. "You're here, you have to be. You saved me, you gave me your goggles."
"Are you sure about that?" Sabo asked him gently. "If that was me why did I leave you. Why did I never come back for you. Why wasn't I there to save Ace. When have you ever known me to let him go against a stupidly strong opponent without backing him up?"
"They were your glasses," Luffy said defensively. He did not like what Sabo was saying.
"So what if they were," He said squeezing his brothers hand gently. "Maybe they found their way back to you all on their own."
"It was your handwriting."
"Are you sure about that. Are you really sure it was?"
Luffy wasn't sure, he thought he was but… it had changed a fair deal. He had wanted it to be. But right now he didn't know what he still wanted. He felt frustrated tears well up in his eyes and spill down his cheeks.
"But what if your wrong," He asked finally. "What if they're here waiting for me and I leave."
"Don't cry little brother," Sabo told him pressing his forehead against his once more. "The time for tears is behind you. There's no suffering beyond the door."
"But I'll be alone," He sniffed.
"No," Sabo shushed him. "Not even for a moment. There's no time anymore, no more space. If you choose to go and we are still here then we will be back with you before you even realize it. Everyone you ever loved will be."
"But-but you guys will be here alone. Won't you be sad if I'm gone."
"Of course we will be. But we will also understand." Sabo used his sleeve to dry Luffy's cheek although it was all for nothing as new tears spilled over.
"We never wanted any of this for you," he told him. "We never wanted you to be hurt or broken. I know how you feel inside- that there is this huge crack through you that seems to get bigger and bigger until you slide out of place. If it's permission, you want you already have it. It's okay Luffy. You've been so brave and strong and I know you can handle it. You can handle anything. But just because you can doesn't mean you have to. It's okay if you want to be free now."
Luffy wiped his nose on the grubby sleeve of his shirt as he turned to look at the door behind him. Like Sabo said it was almost all the way open, there was only a few inches between the wall and the wood, a few inches before he had to go.
He could hear the voice a little clearer now. He wondered if it was because the door was almost open or because he was listening for it.
"I was going to be pirate king," he told his brother finally.
There was nothing but understanding in Sabo's eyes as he nodded. "I know."
"I was going to go on so many adventures. I was going to see everything out there." All these years and all he truly knew of the world was the tiny island he had been born on. But there was so much out there, he knew it. He would be giving up all of it. But what's more important was his brother. If Sabo really was gone and Ace was still alive then he would be leaving his brother all alone here. And while it might be nothing to him it would be a lifetime for Ace.
"I don't think I could do that to him," Luffy whispered and somehow Sabo understood what he meant.
"He wants you to be safe," Sabo told him softly. "He wouldn't forgive himself if he found out that you stayed behind, that you were hurt again, to protect him."
"Isn't that what brothers do for each other?" Wasn't that what Ace had done for him all his life. "Besides he would be all on his own here."
"He has his crew, his friends, Thatch," Sabo told him rubbing his cheek encouragingly. "The choice is yours Luffy and yours alone but you have to make it quickly. Even now I don't know if you can force the door closed. But whatever you do you have to be sure. If you stay and we are already gone, there is no guarantee that someone is going to save you. You could be trapped forever. Teach is going to turn you over to the marines soon and they will make it so you can't ever escape. They will clip your wings and if that happens you won't ever see the sky again. They could keep you in the dark and cold for the rest of your life. Is that really what you want?"
He shook his head, that wasn't what he wanted. He wouldn't wish that upon anyone, not even stupid Teach and the ones who had locked him up here.
He turned back to the door, even now he could feel the light. Making all of the hurt before nothing but a distant memory. Out there was nothing but freedom. And no one was forcing him to stay here any longer. It would be so easy wouldn't it, to just walk out the door. He would be with his family again. He had everything to gain by going, and everything to lose by staying.
-If his brothers really were gone, if they were beyond that door and he chose to stay. He would be alone in this world again. Trapped here where people continue to hurt him over and over again. Like Sabo said, for the rest of his life. Or until they messed up and killed him again.
….Wonder no longer…..friend
- lost…y'… path
And we h' lost…..
The sea…s' ou'…..we send you home
"What is that?" Luffy asked again.
"It's called the Sailors song." Sabo answered. "It's a prayer to those who are lost or buried at sea. It's supposed to give them safe passage into the afterlife."
"Why?"
"Your friend is saying goodbye to you," Sabo told him. "If you can still hear it there might be time left after all. But your hesitating at the gate," Sabo told him. "Why?"
"I don't know what to do." Luffy told him as he rubbed his eyes uselessly.
"Yes you do." Sabo promised him. "You know, you just don't want to do it."
And then he felt a sharp stabbing, like a bee sting.
"Ouch," Luffy rubbed his arm in surprise although there was no mark there. "That hurt! Wait why did that hurt?"
"They are trying to bring you back," Sabo told him.
"Can they do that?"
"No, you are beyond their reach now. The only one who might be able to drag you back is you. It might help you close the door though if that's what you want.
Luffy tilted his head, hearing the song clearer now as if it was growing closer.
…-on the ocean blue
Remember me…..always remember you
And when the sun ris'…we w'part ways you and me
Because m'-brother
Now you are free-
Luffy turned back to his brother holding out his arms. Sabo obliged catching him up in a great hug as he squeezed him tight.
"Can you help me with this?" He asked into his shoulder.
"No you have to do the rest yourself."
"I missed you."
"-I know," Sabo promised.
"I love you."
"I love you too little brother."
And then he was gone, and Luffy was standing alone in front of the big door as the light grew brighter all around him.
He sniffed, drying his tears a final time on his sleeve. He could feel whatever they had stuck him with work its way into his body, although he felt it distantly like a phantom pain. He couldn't hear Thatch anymore but that was all right. He knew his friend would understand, he knew everyone would understand.
-everyone but himself
So Luffy closed the door. Which was one of the hardest things he ever had to do before. For a long time the door didn't budge and it seemed like it would not move for him. But the door didn't know Luffy very well, he was very stubborn. So little by little he closed it and the light began to fade. It was slow at first but the more he closed it the easier it became to move until he slammed it shut all at once and everything was dark once again.
Only this time the dark was a relief and he gave into it happily.
XXX
I am super sorry guys, this was that half chapter I kept talking about. I decided not to write it but when I sat down to write the next one it just kind of wrote itself. All this to say I promised you a happy chapter and did this instead, so I am really really sorry I lied. To make it up to you I will start writing the next chapter, 33, the one you were supposed to get instead of this, as soon as I can. And that one is a happy one. Hopefully when you read it you will forgive me.
Since I am both literally out of sad ideas, and things can not physically get worse for Luffy the next little bit is going to be mostly about Ace and Sabo. I could be wrong, but I think that this is the last time you will see Luffy and Thatch for a little while (particularly Luffy). But it won't be long now until his brothers come to get him.
Is it weird if I half want someone to say that poem at my funeral? like how badass would that be to just break out a fake sailor poem for my nineteen cats (that I assume I will have when I am that old) to grieve to. And everyone can be like: was she a sailor? And they can say: No. no, she was just kind of weird, but her nineteen cats will mourn her.
But then the song (In a Black out) that I stole a couple of lines from is going to sue me and I can't put my hypothetical cats through that.
Anyways sorry again guys. I promise I will try to make it up to you for lying and slipping one last dark-arc chapter in there.
XXX
JustCallMeCookie: It's okay, there was a bit more going on in that fight then it seemed. Luffy hates saying goodbye but this time I think he figured it wasn't them that he wasn't going to meet again it was him that was going somewhere so he made an exception. And Uff, now I feel double guilty. I am so sorry I lied about it being over. At the last second I decided to cut this chapter out and that's what I told you guys so putting it back in seems really unfair. But I will do my best to make it up to all of you. And Teach will have to suffer watching all of his carefully laid plans unfold soon.
Thank you for saying that, that is so kind of you. I feel like to the people who had to wait the five years to read the story it is going too slow but hopefully when it's all done and they can read it at whatever pace they want it won't be as bad. And wow one day. That must have taken a while. Whenever I do that I end up staying up until five on a school night haha.
Thank you for the compliment. That is so nice. Right back at you. I loved your review, thanks for taking the time to write me one. I hope everything goes your way as well (and you don't hex me for lying).
Resnelia: Is anyone really dead? So long as we keep them in our hearts or something like that.
(I can answer for realzies next chapter)
And thank you. I am really glad you liked it!
SoulMore: Thank you!
Sakihinata: Yes he is : )
Magic Morgana: Yea tell me about it. I can't believe nobody has called me out on that before you. When I started writing this story I wasn't a huge fan of it but somewhee along the way I got super into it and now it's going to be a monster. I think Teach is the one who is falling into Ace's game more then the other way around. And I promise by the time he realizes it will be too late.
And right! Dumb marines and their self-importance. Don't worry though, Ace was a little bit more in control of that situation then it seemed. He wouldn't commit suicide when Luffy still needed him.
I totally agree with you there. Ace needs Luffy to be alive and happy. His crew wouldn't be enough. Which is why I think Luffy did what he did at the end of this chapter.
Thank you! I am really glad you liked it. Hopefully the rest does not disappoint. Thank you for the review!
Kira494: Yes, he is a doctor! I can reveal this only because I realized I slipped up and wrote it into last chapter haha. Although way to go! Being the first person to question what he is doing with Sabo. Although I can answer that question only after the next chapter! The save Luffy arc starts now! And its only another few chapters before his brothers come to save him. I'm glad you liked it! I try to update regularly but when school picks up it can get kind of tricky to do that.
Sophia Mendes-Coruja: Aw thank you! That is so nice to say. I'm glad you like the dark chapters and I promise the Luffy rescue arc is starting next chapter! It won't be that long now before they come to save him!
ScarletRoofs: Ooff, I am so sorry to have lied about that. It is over now though. And over all things with Whitebeard are going to be okay, there was a bit more going on under the surface of their fight. Teach will loose! And wants more he will be forced to watch as his plans crumble around him. Hoepfully you will forgive me for this after the next chapter.
Onlyafraidoffear: Um, I think it was the blue one. Like it also could have been red but for some reason I get the feeling like it was blue…
BlueThief: I know : ( He is especially sad after this. He lost his little friend.
The sea kings will and do help them out! But just a bit later on.
I think Izo realized that Ace was only acting normal to try and throw them off his trail. He wasn't actually feeling better, only pretended too. Don't worry though starting next chapter Ace is going to be back with Sabo and in a better(ish) head space. I am also sorry I lied about that. But this time I mean it when I say dark-arc is over. Not spoiling anything but some of those guys might start working together!
-Thank you for the review!
Pause143: Sorry about yet another cliff hanger. Thank you though!
Mel72000: Of course! Thank you for reading!
xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Yea I know I'm sorry haha. I was kidding a bit when I wrote that. Thank you as always for you reviews! Ace will talk to someone for real soon.
iyulia juuzou:
selalu menulis!
RIAEVANS: Thank you! I am glad you liked it. It will get much better starting next time.
MR97:
¡Gracias! Me alegro de que te haya gustado. ¡Prometo comenzar a resolver los problemas en el próximo arco!
-Saludos desde Canadá
Onar27 : Do't worry Ace has a plan! Or at least Sabo does.
And yes Luffy can! He can't control them but they might still listen to him if nothing else because he can hear them and their goals line up. But right now he doesn't know what they are yet.
And Sabo is going to get them back really soon! Just not quite yet. I hate him too, he has such a busted moral compass.
I am sorry I lied about it, but as of now we are on the rescue-Luffy arc! For reals this time. Starting next chapter.
I will update as soon as possible! I am really glad you like it. Thank you for reading.