Warning: Death (of an ass), gruesome and gross injuries from a gross and gruesome battle
XXX
His hands trembled, rivets of blood flowing freely from in between his fingers. Forcing his numb knuckles to obey him he closed his hand around the jagged shard of rock in his side and pulled with all his strength.
Pain momentarily overtook him, muting the world around him. His grip on the stone slipped, wettened with blood and debris.
He fought back a grimace on the verge of a sob, letting air hiss through his teeth.
Sabo hurt.
But he wasn't done yet. Not until this was over.
Fire rushed through his veins as he once again tightened his fingers around the slippery black stone fragment.
From a glance, it didn't look so bad. An inch, maybe two, of that dark flint-like material the entire base was crafted on, embedded just under his right rib cage.
If he had been luckier maybe it would have bounced off his rib bone and left him alone. If he had been unluckier, it would have pierced straight through, taking out his organs as it did so. Although it had done plenty of damage as it was.
The fragment wasn't very wide, but it was deep. Sabo knew that much. He could feel it shift as he breathed, something alien nestled against his lowest rib, grating against it as his lungs struggled to expand and contract in time to keep up with his labored breathing.
Every jostle sent electric impulses racing up his arm. Like a soundless alarm for Sabo to leave it be. But he couldn't do that. Not when there was a war to fight. Fingers crossed it wasn't as bad as he thought, or he really might bleed out.
This time he dug his nails into the stone, tightening his fist around it with the strength he had left. He didn't cry out this time. Not so much as a sound, even as his vision swam. It was all Sabo could do to stay on his knees amidst the rubble as he stared down at the bloody stone fragment in his hand.
When the bomb had gone off some of the walls had splintered off, lodging into everyone like it was artillery fire. Sabo had been the furthest away and he had still taken his share of damage. Between this piece of shrapnel and the two others he had pulled out of his leg, he was bleeding pretty heavily. Not to mention the blood pouring down his face from a wound somewhere on his forehead, and the fact that his right eardrum had blown out. Honestly, he was more upset about that than anything else.
Wounds would heal. He needed his ear to fight. Maybe if both had been functioning, he might have avoided the agent's knives.
Sabo had been the lucky ones. The marines who tried to interfere were both dead or about to be, trapped beneath the collapsed archway. The CP0 agent was another story.
He had taken heavy losses as well. Sabo hadn't been paying too much attention, but it looked like several fingers if not a good chunk of his arm was gone. Not to mention he had received seven of the splinters of rock, to Sabo's three. Although none to his vital organs, which was annoying.
The explosion had rattled Sabo's head, so much so that he missed the agent's attacks until it was almost too late. He had gotten two of the man's knives embedded into his arm for that particular oversight. Although if he hadn't shielded his body, it would be a lot worse.
It was a bloody fight. Unnecessarily so. Sabo was beyond angry, and the agent- well he had always just been out for blood.
There was a sputtering sound from the other side of the room. It morphed into a drowned laugh as Sabo frowned, turning around. The stone shrapnel fell from his fingers. The agent had fallen where Sabo had put him down, his head at an odd angle, amidst a bloodied and jagged rock, his body laying unnaturally atop the rubble.
Just because both of them had taken heavy damage didn't mean either had been willing to concede to the other. Not by a mile. But that was then- before the man had twisted the splinter in Sabo's side so deeply that it grated against an organ, and in turn, Sabo had bashed his head against the rock.
When the agent spoke, blood bubbled up from his mouth, dripping down his chin. "Little revolutionary so far from home," he panted, laughing at the thought. "Didn't anyone tell you what happens to birds that migrate too far from their flock?"
"Your dying," Sabo told him, shifting his attention to his staff, partially buried in the debris. If he wasn't strong enough to finish this, then the metal pipe would have to do. He had meant to leave the rock in until it was all over. But the thought of keeping that jagged piece of hell in his side for one moment longer just didn't seem worth the blood he was now losing.
It was possible that his brain wasn't functioning entirely optimalism-ully.
Sabo didn't need haki to see the future, they both knew what was coming. The man would die, and Sabo would win- and then sometime in the near future bleed out. But he would cross that bridge when it came up.
"Little bird is going to die down here, with two broken wings- oh what a sight." The man hummed to himself, divulging heavily into coughs before he could finish.
This was getting annoying. Sabo tried to stand but his legs weren't listening to him anymore. When he tried to push it too far he lost his balance, still clutching his staff as he fell heavily on his stomach.
He huffed in frustration, his eyes tracing the distance between them. Was this really all he had? Pathetic. He was the revolutionary's wing for God sakes, yet here he was squirming on the floor, unable to even get up. Blood dripped down the stone, serving only to irritate him further.
"Can the little bird die any faster?"
"You first," Sabo hissed, forcing his broken arm underneath him to pull himself up. "I'm screwed, but you're already dead." He tried to sit upright again and cussed when his arm threatened to collapse.
'Sorry, Luffy.' This would have to do. It wasn't revenge, but it was as good as Sabo could do right now. It didn't matter if he couldn't do it himself, this man was going to die and Sabo had nothing better to do than lie here and watch.
"If you really are here for little one and… the other, - uufh- you are wasting your time. Those boys are marked for d- death." The man smiled again, showing his blood-stained teeth. "It's their destiny."
Sabo wanted to shut him up. Painstakingly he dug his staff into the ground, using it as leverage to sit up. Panting with exertion by the end he threw the man a dirty look. "There is no such thing as destiny. That's just what you people tell yourselves to justify doing stuff like this."
The man laughed. "There's no morality in this world little revolutionary. You are the terrorist threatening the safety of the world government. All I did was follow orders. See- see how our words twist when… y- you try to find the light and dark. It's-s just fate boy."
Sabo closed his eyes against a wave of dizziness that threatened to overtake him. He was no stranger to shades of gray, but destiny was out of his scope.
There was no such thing as destiny- at least not for him. He wasn't important or a player on the board. He was just the unfortunate offspring of some mid-class scum nobles. Maybe he could have had a destiny if he had listened to his father. If he had married a princess and become a king. Then maybe things like fate wouldn't feel so annoying to him. But honestly, that was never going to happen.
If fate wanted him to be a king, then it should have made him someone different. Because there was no bone in Sabo's body that was cut out for that. He had always been so much happier amongst the trash, the stuff the people had thrown out, scrounging for food scraps, or fighting tooth and nail for a meal, than he had ever been in the suffocating house.
All he knew was that the only future he had was the one he made.
He opened his eyes, fixing his stare at the man. "As far as I can see, the only fate either of us has is this." – and it was dark.
None of the others understood like Sabo did, what it meant to be interrogated by that man. The kind of stuff they did in the name of justice. But this was about so much more than just this man.
It was the world's fault.
Sabo was bartering his life at a chance to pay the world government back for everything it had taken from him. -And it had taken Everything.
This stupid man, working for this stupid broken world, was everything Sabo hated the most. If his brothers really were destined to die, then it was because of him- because of them.
The world had given Sabo's heartless parents power while keeping everyone else in the dirt. The stupid system had all but killed Ace before he was even born and tried to finish the job at every chance it got. It had taken Sabo's entire life away from him, his brother's choices, his friend's families, his comrade's lives. And now, just when he thought it couldn't possibly want more, it did this to Luffy- to Luffy! A clumsy kid with an oversized hat in the East Blue that liked to catch beetles and could fall asleep literally anywhere. That was who the world government decided was their deadly enemy.
"That's it huh?" the man said.
"That's it." Sabo agreed. "You tried to kill my brother, I kill you, and if I die here, then I die content with a world without you in it."
"Ouch," the man stuttered. "Lil bird has a bite. So angry. If only you knew."
"Die already," Sabo seethed, rubbing at the blood coating one side of his face. The panic hadn't set in yet, that was good. He didn't really want to think about how he was getting out of this. He hadn't been thinking for some time now.
"The k-kid," the man said, his gaze beginning to drift past Sabo. "He looked just like you. All tiny and broken on the floor." The words were slow, jumbled. As if just speaking was taking what was left out of the man. Yet he had no shortage of them. "Trying to be brave. But he knew he was all alone in the world."
"Shut up!" Sabo snarled, he whirled his pipe at the man but his aim was off and it collided with the wall with a dull -thunk.
"He stopped moving, and his little hand got all cold." The man smiled at the memory, closing his eyes. "I watched the light leave his eyes."
"You're lying."
"No. The man shook his head. "You were too late. Months and months. Do you think he's dying now? He never really came back. I told you he's marked for death. Death just hasn't caught up yet… but it will.
He needed to die!
Sabo stood up, with all of his effort focused on the screaming muscles. The sliced skin on his side shifted in agony, nearly drowning his thoughts out. But he pushed it down, taking a shaky step, then another.
"Why?"
"Because I could."
"He's just a kid."
"We all were once. That was his mistake."
"I hate you!" Sabo's foot slid, dislodging some loose rubble and he fought to stay upright.
"It'll pass," he promised.
The next time Sabo fell he slammed into his injured side and blackness flooded his vision. He tried to suck in air but he couldn't seem to catch enough. He passed out, feeling the blood begin to pool underneath him.
He heard the man laugh- and then nothing.
XXX
The passage was devastated. What had once been a narrow twisting corridor was nothing more than a pile of broken chunks of stone, making the tunnel impassible.
Ace's heart sunk. The explosion from earlier-
He was used to this from Luffy. Well, not this- but the extreme worry that came along with how reckless his little brother was. Until quite recently Ace had forgotten how reckless Sabo could be when he set his mind to it. It was strange. In his head, when he had allowed himself to think about their dead brother, Ace had remembered him as so smart and calm and collected. The 'good one,' who would never do something like this? And to some extent he was. At least he was better than the two of them. But this was also part of Sabo. Doing whatever the hell he wanted, whenever he wanted. He had always been protective of Luffy. Sometimes even more than Ace. Sabo wouldn't let this stand. He wouldn't just let them get away with what they did to their little brother.
Ace felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. It felt like having his heart outside of his chest, getting banged up every which way. Who the hell had raised his little brothers to be so reckless.
He scrambled over a large chunk of the collapsed ceiling, to where he remembered the opening being. He heard the steady rhythm of footsteps reach the hall behind him. The Whitebeards had caught up. Part of him had hoped they would just let him go and go join Whitebeard.
A smaller part of him hoped that maybe that would be the last time they would speak. That after the battle they could go their own separate ways, and they could recover from the mess he had caused, and he could try to forget about them as quickly as possible.
He fell to his knees at the wall, uselessly trying to move some of the toppled rocks. Why did they just keep following him? Chasing after him when he had made it clear that he hadn't asked for their help, and there was nothing he could give them in return other than death and betrayal.
They were odd, that was for sure. That's why Ace liked them.
In another world he would have wanted to make it up to them. – Or he would never have betrayed them at all. And things could have been amazing. But what happened happened, there was one outcome for them now, and whatever it was Ace had already accepted the consequences when he had decided to accept their offer and stay with them.
He was such an idiot.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away from the wall. When he tried to shrug it off they pulled him away insistently.
"Stand back," Jozu said, his arm already hardening to diamond. He met Ace's eyes, and it was only then that Ace realized he was staring. Stepping back, Ace turned his gaze to the floor, rather than look at anyone.
Luffy had been a good buffer, distracting as he was, even while sick. But he wasn't here anymore, it was just Ace and the crew he had double-crossed, and the silence was stifling.
He covered his face with his arm, turning away as Jozu set to work on bringing the already cracked portion of the wall down. The noise alone shook the hallway, probably the whole network of tunnels. Once the marines figured out where the sound was coming from, they would be here in minutes. That's if they weren't already on their way.
"Careful!" Jozu insisted as a large fragment of the wall slid away, and he already splintered ceiling groaned in warning at the abuse.
Ace's face felt hot. Why did they just keep helping him?
"Sorry," he muttered.
"It's fine, just stop running off by yourself," Jozu said, completely misunderstanding.
Ace closed his eyes, "Sorry." He said again.
And he was. But there was no way anyone heard him over the shattering of stone. Losing the thread of the conversation for a moment Ace pushed through the rubble, not bothering to wait for the dust to settle as a final piece of rock splintered. Crouching down to all fours he climbed over the fallen rocks.
If the hallway was bad the room was worse. They had been hiding out here only hours ago but now it was nothing but a partially collapsed corner with large chunks of rubble scaping the floor like hills. Somewhere beneath the stone were the marines who weren't lucky enough to make it out. Ace could see their now stained white and blue uniforms from between the stone. He ignored all of it, continuing through the room, crawling over the displaced hills of the wreckage when he needed to.
He saw the cipher-poll agent first, laying brokenly on a slab of stone, one leg hanging off the side, and the other one too mangled to tell.
Ace stared at him for a moment, nothing even remotely akin to sympathy as he looked at the blood pooling under his head. He hoped it hurt. He hoped it hurt as much as possible.
Tearing his eyes away from his little brother's tormentor Ace caught sight of a flash of blue, and his heart thudded. Forgetting everything else he ran to where Sabo lay on the uneven floor, dropping to his knees. He held out his hands to help but faltered seeing the blood coating his brother's face, and staining his clothes. His trembling fingers finally landed on Sabo's neck, finding comfort in the fluttering yet strong pulse beneath his skin.
Ace checked the back of Sabo's head next, his hand coming away red with blood. Moving carefully Ace leaned closer, holding his brother's cheek in one hand, the other over his shoulders as he gently repositioned Sabo to lie against his chest.
"What happened here?"
He heard the crunching of debris as the Whitebeards caught up to him, taking in the wreckage of the room. Ace ignored them for the time being, too focused on his brother.
"Sabo," he patted his cheek, trying to get a response. "SABO!"
There was a sound, like grating sandpaper -laughter. The cipher pol agent was laughing at them. Ace held his brother tighter, as he turned his attention to the man, even as Izou knelt down beside him, surveying Sabo's damage.
"What the hell is so funny?" Izou demanded of the agent.
"Is the little bird d-dead yet?"
"Shut up!" Ace snarled.
"What did you expect," the man continued, croaking out his words like each one may be his last. "With your cursed blood. Everyone you touch will turn to ash, s-staring with the bird, and then that kid, the pathetic old man is close behind."
Despite the obvious trap, Ace felt his anger spark, his fire flaring to life as flames danced across his shoulders. This man knew exactly what to say to engage him. What was worse was Ace was scared he was right. He scowled, turning his expression back to his brother in his arms.
"To me, it doesn't seem like there's a curse," Marco said leaning over Izou's shoulder to get a look at Sabo's injuries. "Just you, and the vendetta of the world government."
"Ace, this is bad," Izou muttered, "he's losing a lot of blood."
The agent overheard, and he broke out into a wet laugh once more. "The a-arms of justice aren't always swift, but they will be carried out one way or another."
"Don't flatter yourself," Marco told him. "You're not justice. Just a psychopath who tortured a defenseless little kid."
Izou was right, Sabo had lost a lot, too much. There were wounds on his arms and leg, all of them still bleeding. His dark clothes were nearly stained black with it.
Ace put his hand over the deep gash on Sabo's side, pressing down to try and contain it. He looked up, meeting Marco's concerned eyes, feeling scared and pathetic as he once again begged the man.
"Help him-Please."
Marco knelt down beside them, his face serious as he held out his hand. "I'll do what I can," he promised, his voice holding no real authority. He sounded unsure.
Unsure about helping Sabo? Was he honestly still harboring a grudge? No, Ace realized. Marco had just given more than he could afford of his power to Luffy. It was all he could do to just be on his feet. He physically didn't know if he could save him.
Ace clutched Sabo tighter. Why the hell were his little brothers so stupid?
"He's going to be okay Ace," Marco muttered, catching his look. His phoenix flames radiated out from the man's fingers as he ran them across Sabo's body.
Ace could see the beads of exertion across Marco's brow as the man forced his powers to manifest. He was doing so much to help him, despite everything that had happened. It made Ace sick to think about. But not nearly as much as Sabo did.
"I-I didn't get to play with him- until he broke." The agent said, his broke voice sounding dreamy. "We w-w- would have had fun. Almost as much as the kid."
Ace tightened his hold, all too aware of how flames radiated from him like a wildfire spurred on by the wind. The only thing keeping him in check was how pale Marco looked right now as he forced whatever power he had left through his fingertips into Sabo's slowly healing wounds. Izou was by his elbow, his hand on Marco's shoulder, keeping him upright when he lost his balance.
"Ace," Marco's soft voice anchored him to the present. "I can't… you have to cauterize it."
Ace nodded, laying his own blood-soaked hand over the deepest wound.
"I did what I could," Marco told him, leaning against Izou heavily, panting as if he had just run a great distance.
"Thank you," Ace murmured watching as Haruta stepped forward, close enough to hold Sabo down if he woke up. But there was no need. His brother didn't so much as stir as Ace scorched the wounds on his leg. The smell of burning flesh, although brief, made his already turbulent stomach churn.
Ace was quick, he had done this before on occasion. But it would still scar, although he doubted Sabo would care. After all, he was the idiot who had done this to himself.
Marco patted Ace's shoulder as he struggled to his feet. "Good job," he praised turning back to the agent.
Ace didn't respond, reaching out instead to rub at the blood staining Sabo's pale face. Eventually, he gave up, instead choosing to flick the other in the forehead in a pointless show of disapproval he usually reserved for Luffy.
Sabo was supposed to be better- some of the time…
The broken man was laughing again, his humor directed at Marco this time. "-hitebeards right-t hand. You can't save them," he said as Marco turned to look at him. "The old man's empire will crumble and these three little fire- Ahh- fireworks, that burn so bright, they will burn themselves out right before your eyes."
Marco said nothing as he started towards the man, his steps slightly unsteady, yet he carried the weight of a man not to be trifled with.
"They've already started," the man said. "You know I'm right. One…. two," his eyes went to Sabo before meeting Ace's eyes with a terrifying coolness for a man on his deathbed. "Three."
Marco lashed out, his foot pressing the man's neck against the rock with a sickening snap."
Dead silence replaced the laughter.
XXX
Take that stupid agent.
I apologize for the delay guys. My life, well not as busy as in collage, still has a lot going on and at the now ancient age of twenty-four, writing fanfic sometimes has to take a backseat to my more direct goals. But don't worry it is still one of my favorite past times and if I could do it every day I would!
No spoilers, but I really wanted to post this last week for how insane the One Piece updates have been! But life got in the way so here we are! Let me know what you guys think about 1044 and1045. As always, I am excited for what comes next!
I'll try to upload Defenders again this month (no promises though). I'm going to try and update The Woods Run Red, Tail of the Sea (I know I owe you guys the next chapter), and possibly a secret one-shot project about Luffy and Zoro, before next month. We'll see though.
(Super small unimportant detail from the last chapter. It was Marco that put Luffy to sleep with the needle, Ace was just distracting him so his friend could get an opening. If it had been Ace he probably wouldn't have been able to go through with it.)
Anyways! Marco is getting protective over Ace's lil-brothers and the world has one less scumbag. Please tell me what you guys though!
XXX
Wishfull-star: Of course! Ace is being very protective of his lil bro right now. Plus Luffy isn't doing very well. Thank you! Stay safe as well!
samantha. : Haha, I think Luffy learned a lot from Teach's crew.
Caelan0012: Aw, That is so sweet. It is so nice to hear that you like it. The direction right now is war, and some mild heart palpitations.
If all goes well, then there is one last heartbreak to be had right before everything gets better at the very end of the war. (But no deaths!) Will try to gently harass Luffy, I promise.
Urutiyori: Luffy needed it! But not as much as Ace needed a smile from him : )
Haha, I think Luffy is easy to fall in love with. He is sweet boi! No, thank you! For reading.
JustCallMeCookie: Hello again! I'm sorry you were having a hard time. I hope you are doing better. I know it's been a crazy few years for everyone.
Haha, sorry to make it so sad. I like to think that this is the part of the characters' journeys before they can get to make their dreams come true (like how all the characters had sad pasts). Luffy is forced to face the more realistic shortcomings of his world, rather than skirting around them. But, he will get to adventuring still! But I would take this version over the original only because in this story Ace isn't going to go anywhere :..( and he gets to see how well Sabo grew up. So it's sad, but a trade-off!
And yes! Haha this story saw me through senior year of high school, uni, and now my first year as a professional adult human. It's less motivation and more my concerning, ongoing obsession with One Piece!
Motivation has never been my nemesis, so much as spare free time: ) But that is incredibly sweet of you to say. That is always so nice to hear people are still interested after all this time. I will do my best to give this story a good finish!
Crazykittylover: Don't worry! Sabo is an idiot but still alive! I will do my best to make the war as epic as possible as a marine ford substitute. Teach is freaking going down! I just haven't decided how yet. Aw, thank you. I'm glad you like it so far! That is so nice of you.
Mel72000: Thank you! Happy 2022.
VayNami: Of course!
Luffy is going to be more than upset haha, he is going to do something really stupid. I know I keep splitting them up but after the war it will be the last time!
I would love to see Luffy scolding them! He was trying to scold them when he told Ace off for breaking his word last chapter. But your idea is more fun!
Luffy's almost done! Just one more war and he is free. What could go wrong haha.
Aquarica: Poor Luffy indeed. His situation will be normal as long as he stays out of the equation haha. Luffy invites chaos. I'm glad you liked it!
qiaraz97: Poor Ace, just now realizing he still has options with his life if he survives. I'm glad you guys liked the happy Luffy moment! Much more of that after the war! Nothing but cuddles. And that is so sweet! Thank you.
Yes, if Karma is a giant man with an upside-down mustache. In which case Teach better watch out for Karma.
Vanimelde Melindel:
Yes! I had to go home twice November, and December while I was out of work. Sorry about the delay. I've been kind of busy for a while now. I'll try to have the next one out sooner. The kick-ass part is upon us now!
The claustrophobia is strong is everyone, especially poor Thatch and Luffy who are in desperate need of some vitamin C. That is so nice to hear! I'm glad you like it.
Irene Sharda: Why thank you! Sabo is secretly a ninja when he has the braincell.
I'm not sure about Luffy going home. But at this point Luffy has seen too much to go back into his box haha, he wants more of the world now. And ASL trip is what Ace has in mind but yes! Luffy is going to need a long time, so will they all, to overcome all of this.
Luffy hasn't given up on his dream. But he isn't really in a place to be thinking about the far future when he is trying to survive the day, or even the hour sometimes. His new goal, for the time being, is to leave with Ace and Sabo. He is taking a sabbatical from pirate king right now.
xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx:Aw, thanks. Luffy has brand Loyalty to his favorite Whitebeard haha.
Skyla579: Yes! So much cuddles and talking about feelings.
HollowSea: Of course! That is really nice to hear. Haha in Luffy's defense, he has emotional issues, and distress, he is just too stupid to realize it. (I kidd, he will go into it a bit later when he feels safer and isn't actively dying.)
Tinajp: Why thank you. You are so nice! High praise for me (who only posts rough drafts) haha. I am glad you like it. Luffy is such a pure, kind boy. That's why we all love him (or at least me).
Ace is going to show Luffy all of the cool stuff and blow his lil mind.
sane-abandoned: That's nice to hear that you liked it! I promise to leave Luffy be, right after the war. One last torment for happy boi. Let the war begin!
A6r6o6k: Thanks. Six years and so far no plans to abandon! I will do my best.
Willow: They will live, promise
MeganeD-chan: They missed each other too, haha. Luffy really needed someone talking to him like a person and some non-life threatening time with his bro. Luffy is going to be insanely hyper when he recovers from all of this and gets to see everything!
Don't worry about Sabo. He is a tough lil cookie. Just like his brothers.
Yumi-nachan: Why thank you! That is high praise. I do my best but they are always OOC sometimes. But yes! That was what I was going for with their personalities. I will do my best to update again soon! Thanks for the support.
RozenDark: I'm glad you are okay and hopefully feeling better.
Haha, sorry about that. I read a one-piece FF one time that make my stomach do the flippy-flips, (I hated every time that story was updated). Hope fully this one isn't as bad as that. I promise it will have a happy ending! Not bittersweet, Happy!
I wanted the three to be reunited for longer, but with the plot bunnies in motion, none of them have the personalities to stay still long enough, so soon! After the war, they will be together again for a long time. But Ace and Sabo are stuck together like glue for a while, and Luffy is in time out right now.
(Yes, Ace is having a hard time looking after his reckless little brothers right now.)
Thank you for reading! I will do my best on the next few chapters as well!
: Don't worry, no one will die (who doesn't deserve it). That is my company slogan after writing such a depressing fic! This one is sad but it has a really high survival rate. Almost dying is fair game though, (Luffy.)
One miracle coming up!
I'm glad you like it! Stay healthy as well!
Summer Nickels: Aw, thank you. That's so nice.
AzraelMairsile: Haha, I think the WB's will just be caught off guard that tough, unstoppable, self-sacrificing Ace has a lil baby bird that follows him around everywhere that he is both super soft with and really bossy. As for Luffy, once he get's back to himself, he will be excited at being able to make so many friends.
XXX
That's all folks!