Oh, my goodness. One Piece has been crazy (good) lately. But it's giving me anxiety.
I was telling my friend 'Who unfortunately hates Ace, Sabo and the WB's (I know!)'. One little conversation between Luffy and Marco wasn't going to kill anyone. Thank you Oda. Dreams really do come true. That was beautiful.
Warning for mentions of torture, PTSD, Drug use
XXX
The stars bright above them, and the open sea beyond. The two of them sat near the helm, both leaning up against the wooden walls of deck, heads back, gaze fixed on the sky. Most of their brothers and sisters had passed out hours ago. It was only thanks to Marco's inability to stay drunk, and Ace's apparent immortality that they had managed to outlast the others. Well except for Oyaji. Their captain was still going, and Marco was pretending not to notice.
"He'll feel that one tomorrow," Marco muttered, tilting his head towards his father's giant jug of sake. "What's say we replace it with apple juice, see if he notices."
Ace laughed, tilting his head back as he did so. He himself wasn't black out, but he was drunk, and as usual more relaxed, as if the weight was once again lifted from his shoulders. In moments like these he wasn't a jaded pirate, rather just a kid with a love for adventure and anything mischief.
The longer he stayed here, the more he started acting like that carefree kid. Maybe one day, years from now, the angry one would just fade away.
"What if we fill it with crushed beets."
"Huh?"
"He takes a sip," Ace gestured to their father, "and all of a sudden- Blood!"
"So, you want to dye his sake bright red, so he thinks he's dying? Pretty dark…. but kind of fun. I doubt it will work though."
Ace shook his head, still laughing at the idea, no matter how stupid. "I've done it before. This lady- she drunk like a gallon a day before, well she didn't touch the stuff for a week."
"Yikes," Marco tried to imagine that in his head, and image Ace apparently found hysterical, as he was still snickering to himself.
"I guess not though," he said after a moment between laughs. "She was like- scarred… I don't want to do that to someone as nice as Pops."
There weren't many people who would call the great emperor Whitebeard nice.
Marco whistled, impressed. "She must have done something."
"No," Ace said, then he thought better about it. "Nah, just a mean drunk. Well- meaner. I don't care what she said about me. I probably shouldn't have done that though-," he was frowning now. "But she was poking fun at Lu-"
"Lu?"
"Uh, Lu- hm, Lucrative ideas." He shook his head, the smile back, like he had gotten away with something. "Real good ideas."
"Sure," Marco said looking back up at the sky. "You're so weird."
Ace laughed, tilting his head back as well. The stars were exceptionally bright tonight.
"The remind me, every time," Marco told him. "Just how small we are."
Ace pulled his knee closer to him. "Insignificant," he mumbled.
Marco turned to look at him. "That's not what I meant."
Ace laughed, actually laughed at his words. Leaning back to hold his stomach as he did so. Marco watched him, unsure if he should be laughing as well or cutting him off. When he reached for the bottle Ace let him take it, still smiling as he wiped his eyes.
"You are so nice for a pirate," he told Marco.
Marco snorted. "Not so much, ask my enemies if I'm nice. But I make an exception for the people here," he gestured around. "And especially you."
"Because you feel bad for me?" Ace pressed.
"I don't," he protested for a moment then thought better. "Well, I mean I do. But that's a side note. Like it or not, you're on this boat and we consider everyone here family, so you're like our brother… a rash, bratty, annoying little brother," he teased.
Ace groaned again, gently hitting his head against the wood. "Oh my god I'm Lu."
"Huh?"
"Thanks," he told Marco. "I guess… I mean I'm not though. I'm not your brother, trust me, I don't think you would want that if you knew- but thanks. I'll be your friend for as long as you guys will have me."
"Hm," Marco mused. "Sure, if that's what you want." He let Ace have this one, ignoring the fact that you didn't get to choose how others saw you. That would only make him uncomfortable, and right now he looked happy.
"I feel like that too," Ace told him happily tilting his head back. "Small- and pointless. That's why I like them. I like feeling… unimportant."
"Weird," Marco said. "We all figured you had a massive hero complex as a kid. You know, convinced you were destined for greatness or something. I even bet Thatch over it. That's going to sting when he finds out he was right."
"Never bet against Thatch."
"Apparently," Marco said.
"No, I think I had a villain complex if anything."
"Like you were petting white cats and laughing."
"I mean yeah- who didn't go through that phase," Ace laughed. "I just figured that if all anyone was going to see was something disgusting. I may as well act like it. I didn't want to be a hero, but I didn't really want to be a psychopath either. I didn't even want to be left alone. I just wanted to be me- a no body, a nothing- "
"-Insignificant," Marco finished for him.
Ace smiled at him. "Just insignificant old me."
…
XXX
Ace looked out at the battlefield below him, with ships dotting the horizon as far as the eye could see, and he felt his stomach threaten to revolt.
Somewhere down there, in all the chaos were his friends- ex friends, his captain, and Sabo's comrades.
He was going to get everyone killed.
"Did I do this?"
"No." Sabo's voice was light, meant just for him. "They brought themselves here."
Ace found Oyaji again. The man easily towering over the others, looking like a statue rather than a man- unwavering. It was odd, but looking at him right now, he seemed unafraid, infallible, even to Ace. It wasn't a feeling he was used too, but Ace didn't want to look away. Just for the moment, he really wanted to think it was all going to be okay. That Whitebeard was going to make it alright again.
He thought of Luffy's face, covered in bandages and bruises. He thought of how his brother finally smiled right at the end. Luffy didn't have a Whitebeard to come and fix his messes. He didn't have an all-powerful captain to betray when it suited him, and then beg for their help.
He just had Ace.
So, Ace couldn't let himself think like that. Not right now. He needed to fix this, like he promised Luffy he would, so he could keep his promises to his brothers.
Even if it meant facing every mistake he had ever made.
He turned to Marco, the man surveying the chaos below, his wings spread out around them like a shield. Even now he was still trying to protect them.
Ace remembered that night- when Marco told him he was like their little brother. He could see that now, after all the man had spent the last few months trying to look after him. Even when Ace pushed him away- and acted like a brat.
Despite everything, literally an entire ocean of trouble Ace had caused him. He had never once given up on him or betrayed him- or Ace's little patchwork family. And he had every opportunity- and reason- to.
"Marco-,"
Sleepy eyes snapped from his father to look at Ace, and he could see the fire raging in them. He was worried.
Ace wanted to tell him everything. His unbelievable gratitude, his overwhelming fear, and mostly the deep dark pool of regret swirling inside him. This whole time, he could have made his friend's life so much easier by just talking to him instead of pushing him away.
Yep, Ace was an idiot all right.
But he knew Marco well enough by now to know that's not what his friend wanted to hear, nor did he want an apology, or admission or Ace's stupidity.
"Go," he gestured to Pops and the others. "Check on them." Marco turned to look at them as well. "They must have missed you."
Ace had taken him from them for too long already.
Marco seemed to be considering it. "You two will be okay?"
Ace nodded. "Look after yourself for once."
"I'll be back," Marco promised Ace.
Why? But he didn't say that, instead shaking his head. "I'm not going to be able to make this up to you," he said. "Any of it."
"I don't remember asking you too." Marco told him, still distracted with the prospect of being so close to his family. "Why is he like this?" he asked Sabo, in that exasperated way of his. Half teasing and half serious.
Sabo glanced at Ace, answering easily. "He's doesn't like needing people. He thinks it's weak."
"Hmm," Marco mused, "good to know."
This paring was unfortunate that was for sure. Ace almost missed it when they didn't get along. Marco who liked to psychoanalyze him, and Sabo who unfortunately had all the answers about his psycho- analytics.
Annoying as it was, Ace was going to let them have this one. "We get it- I'm crazy and pathological- and everything."
"Your words…" Sabo said.
"But go check of Oyaji," he told Marco seriously. "We'll be fine… and thank you- for absolutely everything."
Marco was staring at him, again. Concern clear on his face. "Are you trying to say goodbye?"
"No." not yet at least. He would save that conversation for if they all survived this. "I'm trying to tell you that you guys made me feel really small, and unremarkable."
Sabo looked between them, clearly confused, but Ace could see the smile tugging at Marco's face.
"Just one tiny little stupid star."
A little star sitting beside hundreds of others, brightening up space together. Not dark and disgusting- normal- and never alone.
"I can't make it up to you," he said again. "But I can try... If we don't all die today."
"Oh yeah?" Marco asked, and Ace could hear something in his tone- something warm. Was he relieved? Relieved Ace was finally thinking about his future- or their future. "Just look after each other yeah," he gestured at the two of them. "Watch each other's backs, and Luffy's. All three of you are insane about risking your lives- but I want to see you beat this. So just don't let them kill you- and as far as I'm concerned, we're even."
Ace and Sabo looked at each other, their eyes meeting as silent words passed between them. Their own secret language spent from so many years together. Yeah, they could do that. At this point, looking after each other came as naturally as breathing did.
"I'll be back," he told them, unfurling his massive wings from around them, as he cast one last glance at the two of them, and he was gone. Stepping off the ledge of the spire, and falling for several feet to glide across the air, a single beat of his wings carrying him meters above the others. -Finally going to reunite with his family.
And Ace felt his heart tighten, with both relief and regret. But the pain passed in a moment. He couldn't be sad now. Sabo was literally right here. The only reason Ace had made it this far was because of him. His entire life he would have given anything to get him back by his side. And here they were, just them against the world again. Just like they were five years old again.
"What do you want to do?" Sabo asked.
There were so many things he wanted to do. Go apologize for a start. Go back to Luffy and be there when he woke up, be there for absolutely everything his little brother would face in the future. Go get the others. But there was a reason he came here.
"Teach," Ace told him. The catalyst for everything. "We need to stop him!"
Sabo nodded looking at the drop below them. They were literally on the edge right now.
"Let's go get that brother stealing bastard."
XXX
Whitebeard saw him first, as he dropped from the cloud cover, swooping down to his crew. He watched as their faces turned towards the sky. And all of a sudden everyone was screaming.
The massive boat actually rocked with the force of the pirates, violently running towards the railing.
"MARCO!"
The voices cried in unison.
Marco landed on the railing, furrowing his wings behind him as he felt hands reaching out to grab him.
They pulled him down, grabbing, shoving, but mostly pulling him towards them, drowning him in a sea of his siblings desperate to touch him, to see him. To make sure he was real.
"God Marco!" A rough voice he instantly recognized as Vista.
"You're really here aren't you"
"Whitebeard said- but we didn't know."
Marco smiled gently, letting his eyes close for a moment as he felt the crew shift around him.
"I'm okay," he told them. "And I'm not going anywhere."
"Thank god," Namur said, and he heard a sniff- several actually.
For a second everything was right with the world. The whole crew just stood there, clustered around Marco like moths to a lantern. And all was well.
There was a gentle tremor of the deck and Marco felt something massive come to rest on his shoulder. He looked up, gently breaking free of some of the hands to meet his fathers' intense eyes.
He smiled at him, feeling the overwhelming relief of finally coming home after a very long day.
"Oyaji," he greeted.
"Welcome back my son."
"And Thatch…" Namur asked.
Oh right- that.
"He's okay," he told the sea of desperate faces.
"Where is he?"
Marco looked at the base before them, hulking and ugly. Good question. Probably somewhere in the collapsing tunnels.
"He's fine. Or he will be. He really misses you all," Marco told them, watching their faces light up at the idea and some of their eyes grow misty.
"You spoke to him?"
Marco nodded. "Yeah, we had a lot of time to talk waiting for you slow pokes to drag yourself out here. Izou, Jozu and Haruta are fine as well. They just got a little held up."
"Is he mad?"
"Is he eating enough?"
"Where are Izou, Jozu and Haruta?"
"Is Teach still alive?"
"Why are the marines working with him?"
"Did you meet the revolutionaries?"
"Is Ace really dead?"
"Did Ace try to kill you?
"-need to kill him!"
Whitebeard cleared his throat and the chatter cut out.
He looked up at his father, a frown tugging at his lips. "I thought you would explain."
"I did try," he looked down at the crew. "But some of you guys won't listen to me." "I didn't want to risk any details if we truly have a spy in our midst." Whitebeard told him. "Anything I said could get back to Teach."
Marco snorted at the thought of that. "That ship definitely sailed. Teach knows Ace is alive- and what he's been up too. And a hell of a lot more…. But thank you, it looks like the attack surprised him."
He turned to his siblings once more, not quite knowing where to start. He knew this was part of the plan. Trick them, lose their trust, convince the players to convince the chess master Teach. But even so- why did things always have to end up like this for Ace. The more Marco learned about him the more he understood why he was the way he was, and what he would do next.
While Ace probably wasn't fine with their hatred, he had been expecting it, and he accepted it. After all what did it matter if a handful more people wished him dead when compared to the entire world.
Marco looked back at his siblings. Taking in the confusion and pain on their faces. They hadn't had an easy go of it lately, their trust fractured and splintered by Teach. But neither had anyone. Everyone was hurting right now- Everyone-
Usually, he would go along with his father- push it aside until the situation wasn't so dire. But after everything he had just been though, Marco was feeling particularly protective of his littlest brother right now- no matter who and no matter where.
"I know none of this makes sense to you guys," he said, getting their attention. "I'm sorry for that. It's Teach's fault, all of this. If you want to hate anyone- hate him. You don't know what he's capable of-" Luffy's small fingers flashed through his mind, broken and bloodied, the nails ripped out. "But Ace didn't kill me, he was trying to protect me…in his own way."
"Then why did he attack Oyaji?"
Marco looked up at his father. He knew the answer- it was easy. But not now, and not without filling his captain in first, on everything. So, for now- it would have to wait.
"It doesn't matter!" Marco told him, his statement met with an outcry of objection, which Oyaji silenced with a shattering stamp of his staff. The crew settled down once more.
"Listen to me," their father told them. "There is time later to talk for now, your brothers are alive and well for now. I know that's all you really care about. That being said- brats- this is a recovery mission, not a battle for the history books understood. We are here for our crew; we need to cripple the marines for long enough so us and our allies can escape."
The crew nodded, their faces tense.
"Ace is alive," Whitebeard continued. "He's no doubt going after Teach." Marco frowned at the thought. "Teach didn't just stab Thatch. He attacked all of us that day. But no one as deeply or personally as Ace."
So instead of standing here talking, it was finally time to do something about it.
XXX
He was hot, really hot.
He rolled to his side, surprised to find his arms free from the stupid sea stone that made him sick. He had to get out of here before someone realized.
It took a few tries for his limbs to listen to him as he tried to move. They felt heavy and annoying and sleepy. In fact, all of him felt so tired. Like trying to scream in a dream, only to realize your body won't obey you.
After a few tries he managed to roll from his side to his stomach, pushing his tired arms underneath him as he sat up.
It was dark here, and it smelt… well unfortunately familiar now. Dank, and dark, and cold and copper- and pain.
He shivered, feeling his way along the floor. Something was wrong- like a tugging at the back of his mind- reminding him that this wasn't right- but he pushed it aside. Not right now, he had to go, to get out of here before-
Strong arms closed around him, and he screamed, kicking as best as he could with his heavy limbs.
"Gotcha," HE hissed in his ear.
Luffy screamed again, feeling the terror collect once more in his chest. He shook his head, struggling to get free.
He swore, tightening his grip in anger until Luffy couldn't even breathe.
"Where are you going?" nails dug into his skin as the grip tightened. "No one's coming. Your alone."
Luffy's broken fingers clawed at the one's holding him, desperate to make him let go. But he didn't- instead squeezing him tighter and tighter until his ribs cracked under the pressure.
"No-no-no-no-no-NO!" He repeated over and over, his voice hoarse and broken even to his own ears, and on the verge of absolute panic as he felt the feeling in his chest tighten.
The man laughed at the pathetic display. "That's all you can say? I thought you were going to be the greatest! I thought you were going to be the Pirate King? All I see is a scared brat who can't even fight his own battles."
"No!" He whispered closing his eyes. He was wrong.
"You can't protect the people you love."
"No!"
"One by one- they're going to die."
"NO!"
"And you're too weak to save them."
"NOOOO!" Luffy yelled again, feeling his fear burst forth once more, breaking free from the tight knot in his chest and flowing outwards like a tidal wave of emotion so strong the walls shook, and something cracked above him.
"Shit!"
He felt the arms go lax around him and he pushed free, forcing his body to obey him as he scrambled away, crawling blindly into the darkness. He felt sick and dizzy, but more than anything scared, and impossibly alone.
The freedom was short lived as a hand reached out to grab his foot, and he felt himself be dragged backwards, his arms giving out as he faceplanted into the cold damp floor.
As the arms closed in around him once more, with the intention to trap, humiliate, and hurt him, he felt his panic spill over- and then he was screaming.
"HELP! PLEASE ACE!"
"Oh god, not this again."
"Ace please!" Luffy begged the darkness. He closed his eyes, feeling a stinging tear spill down his cheek, even as his abused voice faltered. "I'm scared," Luffy confessed to his absent brother. "I'm not like you! I can't- I can't…I-I," he felt his stomach churn at all of the yelling and the movement, and he tried to roll onto his side, but the hands held him back, always restraining him. Keeping him put.
-I'm not strong enough
-I'm not enough of anything
He clawed at the fingers once more, as he felt his voice cut off, his stomach heaving violently partially due to the persistent dizziness, and partly due to his overwhelming and sickening fear. He heard the man cuss again, as he spat up a mouthful of blood, the only thing left in his stomach.
"Oh shit, Luffy! I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Disgusting-"
"Disappointing."
He felt the hands on him, working up to his shoulders to heave him up. No doubt for whatever horror came next.
Luffy shoved them off, giving up on getting away he reached his shaking hands up to his head to feel for boshi to try and hide his face in it, before he remembered, for the hundredth time- that it was gone. He felt so overwhelmingly exposed without it.
Instead, he settled for pushing his head into his arms, curling into himself. The hands were back, tugging at him insistently, he just screamed every time they pawed at him, not caring how frail his voice had gotten, nor how much his throat hurt.
He felt fingers pressing insistently against his cheek, clawing and pulling, and bruising, and scratching- and… and gently rubbing the side of his face, shushing him softly but insistently.
"Shhh, Luffy," the man whispered. "You did it! You won. You won."
Luffy pressed his face further into his arms, not wanting the motions nor the comfort- only to be left alone. The hand stopped, although they didn't let him go.
"It's okay," the man said. "Everything's going to be okay. You can stop fighting now."
"No," he whispered. No, he couldn't. Not now- not ever. "Just let me go," he begged. "I don't like it here. Please- I can't see the sky."
The man sighed- a deep, dark, bone-weary sigh. "I know," he whispered. "Me neither."
And before Luffy could beg anymore, the hands yanked him back once more, dragging him right back where he started- completely trapped.
XXX
Someone was trying to drown him.
He spat out the water that kept being forced into his mouth. Shutting his teeth intent to keep it out.
"Luffy?"
Someone's hand tightened on his own, and he tried to pull back on reflex, but the fingers were insistent.
Luffy looked around, the room was dark and damp, and he felt rather damp himself. His clothes still slowly drying, despite the warm blanket that someone put over him.
"-Atch?" He tried to sit up, but the arm gently tightened around him, asking him to stay put. So he did. Both of their clothes were kind of wet, and Luffy was shivering, even though his forehead felt kind of hot. Thatch was hugging him really tightly; his hand being squeezed to death.
"Shh-shh," Thatch told him as Luffy tried to wiggle away.
Too tired to fight it, he did just that, feeling his limbs lose their tension. "Where are- what happened- where is?"
"You had a bad dream," Thatch told him, his own voice very- odd. But still incredibly soft, like he thought Luffy was a little kid, on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Luffy looked around them, at the cold, dark room, and the shadows that lurked beyond. Still stuck here-
"Am I still having a bad dream?"
"Yeah," Thatch told him gently, his fingers smoothing down his hair. "You don't have to be scared- everything's okay."
"M' not," Luffy told him.
"Okay," his friend agreed easily. 'Whatever you say,' his face said. And Luffy huffed, annoyed dream Thatch was calling him a baby. But that too he let go, too tired to deal with it. Plus Thatch- or fake Thatch was being weird.
"Are you Okay?"
"Yeah," Thatch said, before thinking better and making a noise. "I've been better," his laugh was hollow. "I'm worried about you."
"Me?"
"I think you had a bad reaction to the uh-," Thatch looked down at him and smiled, rethinking what he wanted to say. "Actually, I think you just had a bad few months. Me too buddy… me too."
Luffy knew this. He pulled insistently at his fingers, and this time Thatch let go, dropping his hand. "I wish you told me- what you were going through."
Luffy closed his eyes, fighting back a soft huff. Thatch was so weird! Even in a nightmare- he was just a weird dude. If someone fell out of a tree- he would probably want to stand around talking about it all day, he probably wouldn't even laugh at them.
"Why do you want me to say something?" Luffy asked. This sucked. He knew it, Thatch knew it. Everyone knew it.
They hurt Luffy, and took away his sky, and his freedom and it made him sad. He could say all that out loud if dream Thatch was going to be annoying about it. But there was literally no point.
"You could have relied on me more," Thatch told him. "Didn't you think I would protect you?"
"No," Luffy answered honestly.
"Ah." The man sighed, silent for a moment as he looked down, "I guess that's fair- after everything."
"It's not your job to," Luffy told him-for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Not mine," Thatch recalled. "It's Ace's?"
Luffy shook his head, frowning now as he had to bite his lip to stop it from trembling. He had the memory of Ace- probably another bad dream- where he left… again. Leaving Luffy all alone. He forced air into his lungs, expelling it, back and forth as he tried not to think about all of that.
"No," he finally said. "It's not. I'm supposed to look after myself. But…" But that never stopped Ace. "He just does it," Luffy told his nightmare. "I don't know why." He rubbed his nose with his sleeve, wanting very much to be done. "He always does, no matter what." Even When Luffy was little, and weak and useless, and a crybaby.
If it was Ace here, instead of Luffy- things wouldn't have turned out like this. Ace wouldn't have been this- this pathetic. He wouldn't have even been scared, just fearless as always. Luffy sniffed again, rubbing his nose once more. Stupid Thatch- making him think about stuff he didn't want to.
He tried to sit up again, but Thatch gently held him back again. "He's coming back, you understand why he did that right?"
Why he left-
Luffy shook his head. Thatch was the one who didn't understand. He knew Ace was going to try and come back. That wasn't the point.
He was so scared all the time. He needed someone to help him. He had wanted to break out on his own- but he failed, so instead he held on for Ace- just for his brother to come save him. And he just kept leaving him again.
It wasn't that he couldn't hang on or wait just a little while longer. It was that he didn't want to have to.
-If he didn't follow him, he would be alone
-and that hurt more than anything
Luffy wanted to tell nightmare Thatch to shut it- cause now he was thinking about all the bad stuff. But bad dream or not, he didn't have it in him to be mean to his friend right now.
"Ace is young," Thatch told him softly. "-not much older than you. But I know he's doing his best with you."
Like Luffy didn't already know that. He was just frustrated. He bit his lip again- hard, until he tasted blood -why did dreams taste like stuff?- he met Thatch's concerned eyes, looking right into his friends bruised and soot streaked face. Luffy must have looked pretty pathetic, literally having unable to stop his lip from shaking, his own eyes wide with confusion. Unable to take the look Thatch was giving him, he turned away.
"Let go," he said even as the arms hugged him against him tightly. Thatch closed his eyes, resting his cheek on Luffy's head. The opposite of letting go.
"I'm so sorry kid," Thatch breathed.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
Thatch let out a shaky laugh. "I really did miss you."
Thatch did let him go, but not beyond arms reach as he messed with some stuff in vials and little glass bottles, mixing it all into a water bottle. He told Luffy about the explosion, about how the tunnels broke, and how they were probably safe here, because he had to swim through a flooded tunnel to get here. Luffy wasn't really listening.
Thatch gave him the water bottle, but he didn't want it.
Usually, the man was nice about this- not at all like a doctor. But this time he was really annoying, not letting it drop. He really was the nightmare Thatch.
It hurt a bit to use his devil fruit, but Luffy did it anyways, pushing Thatch away with his foot, and tossing the bottle a good distance away.
Thatch swore, his eyes going wide. "I am never going to get used to that huh?" he retrieved the bottle before it rolled all the way back into the flooded hallway.
When he came back, he was surprisingly strong, grabbing Luffy's jaw, and tilting his head back, his grip firm. Thatch was still patient, making sure he didn't hurt Luffy- but also not giving him a choice. When he let up a bit Luffy shook him off, spitting the water back up.
Thatch watched all his hard work go to waste, rubbing his temple with a groan. "Luffy." He sounded defeated and absolutely exhausted. "I promised Ace I would look after you."
-And Ace promised Luffy he wouldn't leave him. If they wanted to help him then drinking whatever that was, wasn't going to do it. He wanted to go outside.
Thatch must have seen something in Luffy's look, because he caved. He really was a squishy pushover, even in a bad dream.
"I don't like this," Luffy told Thatch, rubbing his arms as he looked around. It looked so real- and it was starting to feel real too. But his head was so – strange- out of it- he knew it wasn't. "I want to wake up."
Thatch looked in his eyes- at his pupils, apparently finding whatever he expected as he nodded. "I know," he told him sympathetically. "This wasn't my idea, I promise." Whatever that meant.
He pushed him to lie back down on the blanket. "Maybe, when you do wake up, all of this will be over."
Luffy frowned. "Like I died or something?"
"What! No! The good kind of over. Like your far away from here. You're so weird Luffy!"
The man tucked the medical bag under his head, pushing him down again when he tried to get up. "It's okay, I got you. I'm not going anywhere. You're not alone, okay."
Luffy would take nightmare Thatch over just about everyone on this stupid base any day. Even if he seemed sadder than the regular one.
He made him drink the stupid water bottle again, and this time Luffy was too tired to put up as much of a fuss. But he made sure to spit it out when Thatch wasn't looking.
He would have listened to his friend, except he really- really- wanted to wake up now.
XXX
I am so sorry it's been a sec. Things got crazy for me again, like I havn't gone to the store in three weeks and thus, it's been a second since I ate something that came from the ground that wasn't a jellybean I found in the carpet. But now that I have free time again I will write a lot more chapters between now and Halloween (So many evil plans).
You know in One Piece when something big happens and we are all happy until the narrator goes "Unknown to them this event led to a giant calamity, but don't worry about that now." Well, I don't have a narrator but I'm going for the similar sense of dread each time Ace makes any decision. Kind of a "Path Chosen" vibe. Like just imagine every time he says anything, heavy organ music playing the background.
Ace's kind of the one whose been leading the plot, and since all of his choices are shaping the confrontation there is more conflict on the horizon. Nothing which is his fault. Considering everything he's really doing the best he can. All his decisions are based on fear and love, which is why he's getting so much support. But even the best intensions, and the most logical solutions can always lead to disaster : )
I always meant to bring this up sooner, but Thatch and Luffy have been clashing for a little while over their different philosophies. Thatch, being a good human being that loves Luffy see's their relationship as kind of a little brother/ uncle / paternal role where he was continuously trying to protect a helpless (yet very tough) kid.
Luffy, being Luffy, isn't really wanting or used to having the adults he meets actually look after him or protect him like Thatch was trying to do. In Luffy's world he has 'friends' who help him out (and he helps them back), and people who are kind to him, but he doesn't really understand the adult- child dynamic.
So throughout the story when Thatch tried to act like a supportive adult figure it confused Luffy more than anything else, as he views them as equals (as he does all of his friends). That's why he can't understand Thatch's guilt over 'failing him'.
***(In case anyone was wondering. Everything was in that water bottle. Antibiotics, pain medication, replacement calories, concentrated liquid dark matter, the drug that makes him sleepy. He's so high maintenance!)
Anyways, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. (Next chapter soon I promise)
XXX
94Insane: Haha am really sorry, not all of them yet. But incredibly soon! (Yeah, Luffy and Thatch have been better. But definitely also worse : )
Crazykittylover: Aw thanks. Sorry it was a bit of a wait. I promise no more two month gaps for a while. And that is so nice to hear! I promise I will! And thank you again, I am a little worried abut making it epic enough but I will do my best!
Guest 1ish: Thank you! Unfortunately we sped right past the acceptable story wordcount by now and are just highway cruising to series length haha (send help). That is so sweet of you. Thank you for the kind review.
Pause143: Wow, you are brave. I tried last month and I only made in a couple of chapters in before I got bored! But I am so glad to hear other people like it XD. Yes! I will definitely have a series of one shots, and just a lot of stuff after his rescue in general. I think the current plan if by all of these bad things happening it takes away the need to have Ace die, and the whole summit war, so if all goes well Luffy will be a bit more like timeskip Luffy.
I have read boy with a scar, and I did like it despite those not being my usual type. I admire the writer's dedication to detail! This might be hypocritical but it made me too sad haha.
I think Luffy's DF will remain the same, he just needs to learn how to use it better. I think he'll end up closer to his crew in the post timeskip way (of realizing they are his family). In the chapters that follow this war the WB's are going to try and deal with his food/ and panic violence, so he's not starving and dropkicking everyone when he gets stressed!
Guest 2-ish: Thank you! And stupid agent. Luffy's giant water lizard friend will return!
Lofiskyrabbit: Thank you for the nice review! And yes! Poor Ace. He needs so many hugs and then maybe therapy. But mostly Luffy to be okay!
What a fun question! I use the power of extreme unmedicated ADHD, so I really just go for it- like write the whole thing in a night, then post it and fall asleep on my keyboard.
I do what they call a pantser (not a planer). I'll slowly write loose bullet points down, and then yolo the rest. (And if this was one of my non fanfic stories I would intensely- we're talking years and years- edit every word of it). But since it's fanfic it's just for me and just for fun so I just go for it : )
I think it's all part of my ADHD, I do terrible on tests, but I also don't really get writers block, so for every singe one of my stories it's not a matter of want it's more just not having enough time to give the effort the ideas deserve. But having so many people who support this story is the biggest reason this story got so much love and attention. There is nothing better than being able to share an idea with such a supportive fandom! And of course an extreme obsession with One Piece!
I think it's great if you want to start! Good for you! I would say just make sure it's really something you enjoy, and make sure your story idea is the idea for a backbone (aka plot) rather than just an idea that will carry you through the first chapters. I actually have a blog for aspiring fiction writers (A case of the Writes -Jayden Forrest) it's painfully unpopular, and oh my goodness, there are much better resources than me out there! But unfortunately, I have to have one to be taken seriously by agents, so I wrote a few articles about getting started! Mostly if you love it! You will always come back to writing one way or another. (And thank you for such a kind review! Let me know how it goes!)
Urutiyori: Thank you! Sorry for the long wait. And no, I'm so sorry. Thatch was just escaping deeper into the cave. They will get out soon though. Just not into safety.
Poor Luffy! He is so close to being taken care of again!
Wishfull-star: Yeah! Thatch is such a sweet heart! Thank you and you too!
Silly Shiro-Chan: Haha, I am sorry in advance about this chapter. The humor will be back, it is just heading into the most serious part of the story. But then things will lighten up until the very end. Sabo will not let Ace out of his sight! Ace is threat level midnight! And the Whiteboards are worried (haha sorry I had to).
ASL will be together, for real this time! In just a little bit, hopefully working towards their more carefree days as kids.
xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Aw, thank you. I am a sucker for Luffy and Thatch, and I am so glad other people like them!
Pause143: So true! Luffy is fate's chaotic cousin.
More trauma bonding (I like that haha). I think everyone's a little impressed with Luffy for a couple reasons. But he will get a little bit of a cool moment I think (followed by some not so great stuff!) And that's a good question. I hadn't thought about Ace awakening his fruit.
I don't know if Luffy is the sacrificing type haha, maybe the accidentally tripping at the right moment type. But he will do anything to help Ace! I can't promise no holes, and beatings, but definitely less, with a higher survival rate! And of course more Thatch time.
Thank you for the nice review!
HollowSea: That is so nice!
And Ace needs a good scolding to keep him in check! Luffy is about to be a force to be reasoned with! And yes, after all of this, Luffy needs to grow up a bit and Ace and SAbo need to let him. -I hope you liked this one as well : )
RevolutionaryCleo: Sabo is hanging in there! Mostly thanks to Ace and Marco, but sooner than later all of them are going to start to hit their limit! And I think the WB's are going to be a bit confused, and prickly about Ace. They need some time, and a real explanation, including about Sabo.
See you next chapter as well! Stay well!
eri1325: No, Marco just stopped him from dying long enough for them to save him! But he is very much still sick. -And thank you : )
Couchpotato40: Thank you! Here is some Thatch+ Luffy to clear up what they've been up to!
Sinvey: Poor Luffy, he's really struggling.
Shandrabowlby: Of course! And thank you! All I hope to be is cannon haha. That's very nice. I can't wait for the show, even if it's bad I've committed to being in denial about it! Luffy's giant water lizard friend will be back!
ChuLian: why thank you!
Sakihinata: Aw : )
Aquarica: Yeah, haha. I didn't really know where to go with it at the beginning. Thanks to everyone's support I started getting really excited about it, and tried my best to make it better. Don't worry! No one will die! But I will commit to my fake out deaths in ode to Oda! For the bit! Not because I lack original drama. Luffys water lizard will return!
Mako-clb: Yeah :.( Luffy's not real impressed with them right now! But they got some points for trying to be responsible. Poor everyone. (Thatch the real main character haha).
Guest: Why thank you!
Mel 7200L: Thanks for reading!
Guest: Thank you!
Yumi-nachan: That is so sweet to hear! He will call his lizard friend when his need is greater than giving Thatch a heart attach XD. I'm still undecided about gear five but I will definitely put something about it in! Especially the drums!
leafpool5: That is so nice of you. Thank you. I love all of them so much, my lil fan heart.
WizardyWitchy: That is so nice! Wow, you read a lot of fanfic, and are also so sweet. Thank you!
BlueTigerRose: I love ASL and WB's 57 chapters much haha. Thank you.
The agent is part of CP-0. He's not a real character, just an OC (without a name). There are other WB's and Allies that didn't directly hear that, and are choosing not to listen until they can get a better explanation. But right now they are going into a war and being protective and it's just chaos. Most of them aren't going to kill him on sight which is all WB is going for right now. I think everyone is just really upset and up in arms, and yes, it will be a conflict. But Ace's part in the war is going to help diffuse it.
Luffy is trying to be upset, but is such a sleepy confused boy.
And that's great! I will definitely check it out! It sounds so funny! Good for you! I hope you had fun.
me-llamo-elmo: Awww, thanks. So nice!
mydo3598: Of course! I'm sorry for the slow reply. That is incredibly flattering. Please translate any story you like. I am so glad you like it!
Lofiskyrabbit: I know T.T I'm sorry. Luffy has really been through it. He's very tough though, and dishwasher safe. He also has so much to live for, that's why he is so stubborn. I think Ace thinks of WB like a parents, (despite denying it), so he felt safe with good old Whiteboard XD
I'm not sure about that. Sabo will definitely prank anyone who annoys him, and Thatch and Luffy will team up! Ace is trying to be on his best behaviour after all of this.
Guest: Aw- AWWW! Thank you!
luvan1mefang1rl: That's so nice! And I really admire you, I can't even read it all the way though once haha.
Ryuu24: Pinkey swear! (I mean not for longer than ten to fifteen minutes!) I am also ready to march over Ace's death! We must rise! Our boy!
Ryuu24: For leaving Luffy, or stopping Ace? Marco might be a bit cold sometimes, but he is trying to help with everything he does!
Guest: Right! ASL will live rent free in my heart. (haha thank you). Marco is a very gentle person!
Nancy2239: Thank you : )
Djihye: Thank you, I will keep writing.
Tessa Goldflower: Sorry about the wait : )
XXX
Oh my goodness, see you guys soon.