TWO THINGS!
1) SPOILERS FOR GEAR FIVE AND THE MOST RECENT MANGA CHAPTERS. (Please be warned) we are going to go into all kinds of spoilers. I think most people have probably gotten the reveal ruined, but either way, if you are avoiding Luffy's gear five spoilers please skip this chapter. The story will still make sense without it.
2) I know I said two more chapters. But this is the first half of chapter 69. I am trying my best to wrap up the whole war arc and the last two chapters together, so you guys don't have to wait. But I don't know if they will get finished before I get sent off to camp (not the fun summer kind, the environmental monitor adulting type where I tell middle-aged men not to dump toxic chemicals in the river) so I figured I would post this chapter early because you guys keep asking me if Gear five will be in this story and this is my answer!
Cheers : )
(Also warning for underage drinking)
XXX
The color was draining from the sky. The world was quiet here. It was… nice. Removed from everything.
All Luffy had wanted was for everyone to be quiet. They were so loud. It was finally silent. He should be worried. He should be something. He needed to get up. But he didn't want to. Everything was all right now-
Everything would be all right now. One way or another.
…
"Stop, stop," he begged, wiping tears out of his eyes as he did so. They had been at it so long his stomach absolutely ached. He hugged his arms to his middle, trying to soothe the ache.
He couldn't stop laughing. Even as his eyes teared up and his chest hurt with the effort.
And yet the bandits continued, oblivious to his pain.
The first person to pass out drunk had gotten dressed up as a baby. They had just finished fastening the bonnet onto the poor man's head, Luffy melting on the floor from the sight when they started doing the voices. He had never seen something so ridiculous. He laughed loudly and freely, bringing his hand up to cover his watering eyes. The evening was warm, the food was plentiful, (he and Ace had brought down a king bear earlier in the day), and the booze was overflowing. Where the bandits had gotten this huge haul was anyone's guess. But Luffy didn't question it as they handed him his first, second, third…. Eleventh. His head felt light and jumbled. And honestly, it was just so funny. When he started to laugh, he always had a problem stopping.
It was one of the things Luffy was best at.
He laid back on the floor as his hysterical laughs turned to relentless giggles. His ribs were so sore, but every time he thought about it, he just started snickering again. It was funny. He was going to laugh himself to death.
"What the hell?"
Luffy opened his eyes, his brother was staring down at him, a slight frown on his face.
"Oh Ace," Dadan tried to get up, landing on her ass when her legs moved out from under her. She broke off into a string of cusses. That only made Luffy start up again, rolling on the floor at the sight of her. She was even drunker than he was, and Dadan drunk was a funny sight. She invented curses when she really got going.
"You guys started without me."
"You snooze you lose kid."
Ace sat down beside the group, reaching out for one of the bottles, still frowning. "I was working jerks."
He had drawn the short straw for one of Dadan's errands tonight. Clearly not expecting to come back to a party. Ace liked to drink, more and more as he got older. Far more than Luffy who only overdid it on occasion. It tasted too bitter and didn't fill his tummy like a good piece of meat. But Luffy never turned down a party and he had a bad habit of copying what others did.
"Thanks for coming to get me Lu," Ace muttered.
Luffy just giggled all over again as the room spun. Right now, imagining Ace running around in the dark outside, no doubt cursing Dadan the whole way while everyone else was drowning themselves in a pint was hilarious to him. Sometimes it was just funny when your siblings suffered.
"Your unlucky day," Luffy told him or tried to. It came out sounding more like a jumble of words between laughs. Ace frowned, putting his drink down.
"How wasted are you?"
That just set the other bandits off. "Weakling, he couldn't even keep up with a round against the boss."
Ace's frown deepened. "Dammit Lu, I told you not to drink against her. It never ends well for you."
"Ooooh," one of the bandits called back.
"You got in trouble Luffy."
"Mama Ace is disappointed in you."
Deciding that being the only sober person in the room was too daunting of a task for him, Ace drained the bottle, and then the next one, wiping his mouth with his sleeve as he reached for a third. "Shut it," he said, and the bandits erupted into drunken snickers. "There's no sport in beating a lightweight Dadan."
"You wanna go against me brat?" Dadan hiccupped. "I've been driving since before ya' were in your mom's belly."
Ace snorted, a grin creeping over his at the challenge. "When you need a new liver don't look at me."
Luffy's giggles abruptly cut off as he suddenly sat up, covering his mouth with his hands as his stomach rolled. Everyone else went silent as well, waiting to see what kind of mess he was about to make all over the floor.
The resounding burp nearly shook the walls. With every inch of his usual tact, Luffy fell back against the floor with a yawn.
The entire house erupted into laughter, the bandits slapping the floor. "Luffy's wasted."
"Don't want a repeat of last time. I was cleaning the wood for hours!"
Luffy frowned, oblivious to their insults. "I think I much too drank."
Dadan grunted. "Sore loser." She looked at Ace. "Take care of the brat before he goes and wrecks my house again."
"You're the ones who got him drunk, you deal with 'im."
"Oy," she snapped at Dogra, "throw him in the yard. He can hurl out there." Her usual punishment for those who got piss drunk. Herself withstanding of course. A total hypocrite.
"Fine," Ace said, caving as absolutely everyone knew he would. His soft spot for his little brother was well-known amongst the group. No matter how tough and uncaring he pretended to be. "You had better save some for me."
Luffy broke into another fit of giggles when Ace grabbed him again, pulling him to his feet. "Come on lightweight."
Half pulling, half carrying him, Ace dragged Luffy over to the ladder, having to loop his arm around his chest when Luffy's drunken fingers couldn't coordinate themselves to climb right. Which of course only made him start another fit of giggling.
"You're a pain in the ass to look after. You know that right?"
"Your frumpy," Luffy teased him, climbing into the attic of their old bedroom with relief. It was dusty in here. They had been back here for a couple of weeks over the summer. Their last base had burned in a wildfire when the nobles got tired of the ever-expanding rainforest.
They would move on soon, Luffy could tell Ace was getting antsy again. But despite that, they had still stayed much longer than usual. Ace was sixteen now, his birthday just a few months away. Luffy figured it was his brother's way of easing Luffy into that.
"Your too careless," Ace scolded, although half-hearted, as he pulled Luffy up, pushing him towards the window. "You have to look after yourself. How are you going to be a pirate if you can't be on your own."
"My crew will help me," Luffy told him, already quite confident in his plan. After all, how was he supposed to be expected to do everything- play with weapons, cook, read books, drive ships, not die in hurricanes- honestly it was already out of his wheelhouse.
"Isn't the captain supposed to look after the crew, not the other way around."
"We'll look after each other," Luffy told him. "Like us!"
"Us huh," Ace said. "Is that how this works? When exactly do you pitch in?"
Luffy sat back on his butt, reaching underneath the brim of his hat, to pull out one of the bottles he had stashed up there for Ace."
Ace took it without hesitation. "I stand corrected, you are amazing. Now go before you puke on me."
Luffy snickered, crawling out the attic window and onto the roof of the bandit's hideout. The night air felt good against his face, and he collapsed onto the shingles with a happy sigh. Ace sitting down next to him, popping the bottle open.
The night sky stretched around them, the ocean lulling somewhere beyond. Their fort was nearly buried amongst the vast darkness of the forest, the lights from inside seemingly the only thing keeping the night away from their party.
Luffy could hear them inside, the angry shouts as a drunken brawl erupted. Bandits were a riot. He sure didn't mind them as much as he thought he would when he was a kid.
"Idiots," Ace said, rolling his eyes as their argument carried across the night air, although Luffy could see his brother's amused smile.
It was kind of weird. Luffy always thought the older you got the less you smiled, and the more you worried about taxes and stuff. But Ace was totally the opposite. The older and older he got the less tense his shoulders seemed to get, and the more he smiled. At first, it was just with Luffy and… but slowly little by little, it was with everyone. Now at sixteen Ace was almost… almost friendly. He sure was a weird one. And Luffy collected weird people like treasures. They were his favorite type.
"I think they are hilarious."
"Yeah, you would," Ace told him and Luffy stuck his tongue out at him, the movement making his head spin.
"They make me laugh."
"Everything makes you laugh," Ace said.
"Mm," Luffy agreed. "Shanks said I was a chortle turtle."
Ace spat out his drink, making a noise between a snort and surprise. "Um, what?"
"Chortle turtle," Luffy repeated. "Cause I'm tough like a turtle and because I laugh like one."
It was Ace's turn to laugh this time, tilting his head back to the sky as he held his stomach. "God Lu, he was making fun of you."
"What?"
"He was probably saying you laugh a lot and you're slow… like a turtle. A simpleton. He was dissing you."
"That jerk!" Luffy said, suddenly very awake and angry at the six-year-old insult.
That only made Ace laugh harder, his previous annoyance long gone. The sounds of his voice carried around them in the darkness.
"It's not funny! I'm nothing like a turtle."
"Yeah, turtles can actually swim," Ace snorted.
"It was before he gave me the gum-gum fruit."
Right before Anchor' became an infinitely more hilarious nickname to the pirates and the crew had switched to that. Come to think of it, teasing Luffy seemed to bring the man so much joy.
"Gave you," Ace said incredulously. "Didn't you steal it?"
"I didn't steal it, it was unlocked! The lid was fully open and everything. It was like it was asking me to eat it. How was I supposed to know!"
"He left it open?" Ace asked. "In the middle of a bar? Isn't the fruit like … super valuable? Why would they do that?"
"It was open," Luffy insisted.
"Fine," Ace gave up easily, still quite amused. "Only you would eat something that valuable and lame by complete accident. I'm almost surprised it wasn't the clown fruit. Although I guess rubber suits you. It's ridiculous."
Luffy wondered if there was such a thing. He leaned back again, staring up at the sky above him. "I'm not," he argued. "I'll show you when I'm pirate king. I'll beat you so hard you'll cry- then you'll see."
"Like I'd ever let you beat me. I'd die of embarrassment first- Shooting star."
Both boys sat up, tracing the star as it streaked across the sky, until it vanished on the horizon.
Luffy laid back again, smiling in satisfaction. "What did you wish for?"
"That you'd be pirate king," Ace told him and for a second Luffy felt guilt well up in his stomach, but it was quickly replaced when Ace continued. "I'll be fine, you need all the help you can get." Jerk- "What did you wish for."
"To make you cry," Luffy said, not feeling quite so bad about it now.
Luffy had a habit of catching people off guard. And when he did that, more often than not, they laughed. Even his brother, who knew him better than just about anyone, had a hard time predicting him.
And now, with the alcohol finally kicking in, Ace tilted his head back and laughed. His amusement rang out over the silent night air. "Brat."
Luffy smiled, laying back, the sound of his brother's laugh settling into his drunken bones. There was a whole world out there in front of them. One Luffy couldn't wait to discover. But for the moment- he felt complete. He was safe.
XXX
"What did you do!"
The pressure on his chest let up, the second voice stammering. "I didn't mean too- I didn't mean too- I swear it."
There was the sliding of metal, the sound of a sword being drawn. The man's whimpering grew louder.
"It was an acci….. please don't."
With everything he had left Luffy reached out, his hands blindly grasping for the pant leg. He latched onto it, holding it with all the strength left in his shivering body.
The larger man made a noise of surprise, nearly stumbling forwards.
The other man was still making that sound, seemingly torn between staying and running.
"Kid!" The pirate tried to reason with him. "It's going to be okay, don't move."
Luffy ignored him. His hazy eyes met the marines. The man's face was ashen white and pale. He had abandoned his sword at some point.
"Go," Luffy's voice was no longer working. But the man understood all the same, taking one last look at Luffy.
"I'm sorry," he said again, before turning on his heels and running, trampling over the button as he did so.
"HEY!" the pirate called, moving to go after him, but Luffy didn't let go, the movement sending waves of pain through him. He made a pathetic noise, and all fight drained out of the pirate as he cussed. Kneeling to the ground in front of him.
"Hey kid, it's okay- it's okay- it's…..
….
…
….
The sky was so blue above him. Not a cloud in sight. He wanted to stare at it for hours, but there was darkness pressing in on the corners of his vision.
Luffy blinked, trying to focus only on the sky.
"L-fy"
"S-tey w-gh me."
"shi- nfu-ffy."
Someone was talking above him. Their voices muffled like they were underwater. He ignored them in favor of the sky. He felt a hand on his cheek gently trying to turn his head. The blue disappeared in a flash, and he felt a stab of panic. -NO-
He tried to tell them to stop! To bring back the sky, but it came out as a strangled whine. The soft movement had caused the blackness to creep further into his field of vision, overtaking his eyes for a second. When it finally cleared enough for him to blink the blurriness away the blue of the sky was gone, replaced by the grey sleet stone of the floor that his cheek was now pressed against, and just beyond him- lay a single broken button.
He made that sound again. The pitiful moan, as he tried to reach for it. But his hand was so heavy. Not fully responding to him, it felt like his arm had fallen asleep. Pins and needles danced through his body as he reached out for the tiny black scrap. Why was there so much blood? When he tried to clumsily grab it his fingers came up short and he realized that the button was just out of reach. Something about that send absolute panic through him as he tried to stretch for it, his breathing growing more desperate as the reality slowly sunk in. He couldn't reach it- He couldn't reach it! He Couldn't Reach It!
The hands were back, trying to calm him, trying to get him to look at them. And from somewhere beyond the noise of fighting, someone was screaming for him.
XXX
Ace was waiting for him. Back on the roof. Right where he always was. It was dark tonight, the base surrounded by the woods, like a small ship amongst the oceans.
Luffy felt nothing but relief as he sat beside his brother, basking in that feeling of warmth he got- of safety. Up here, he was untouchable from everything that lurked in the woods below.
Ace was holding a sparkler in his hands, his attention ensnared into the slow dancing flames as the toy reached the end, the sparks flying lazily, burning itself out. Grey eyes looked up; the embers reflected in them as he smiled at Luffy.
"Your back again."
Luffy stared at the flames, watching them sputter. He wondered where Ace had gotten another one. His brother held it up to him, gesturing for him to blow it out.
"Want to go in? it's getting dark."
Luffy shook his head, he wasn't ready just yet. He wanted to stay here.
"Want to hear a funny story?" Ace said, smiling when Luffy looked up at him, his curiosity peaked. "One story," Ace warned. "As long as the light lasts Lu."
Luffy nodded, settling into his brother's side, soaking up the warmth of the other.
"I heard it once," Ace said. "I don't remember all of it anymore. But I think it went something like this: Back when the world was dark, and the people were sad, there was a weird man. Like weird, weird," Ace grinned at Luffy. "-Weird like you."
Luffy said nothing, sinking deeper into Ace's side. He was too tired to rise to his brother's teasing.
"When the world was hard, and the people cried, this weird man would do this ridiculous dance, and instead of crying they would laugh at him. And when they fell to their knees in despair he would celebrate, when they screamed, he would sing."
Luffy looked up at Ace, a frown on his lips. Celebrating others' pain? He knew someone like that. He shivered. "Sounds scary."
Ace's smile grew. "Scary? No, Lu. Weird people, people who aren't like the others, they always scare people at first. But they are the reason we are all still here."
"Like you?"
"Like us," Ace told him. "And like this man, someone who smiles at the world's problems, and chases away the world's ills with his song. And whoever hears it, is forced to sing and dance until they cast off their black veil of despair."
"Forcing sad people to dance. Is he bad?"
Ace laughed. "Bad? Who knows who gets to decide that? What do you think?"
Luffy thought about it, tucking his knees to his chest. They didn't sound bad. But he couldn't imagine someone forcing him to dance and smile right now. He shuttered. "I don't want to have to smile. Then it's not really a smile."
"Hmm," Ace agreed, his smirk edging on mischievous. His free hand thudded on the roof, "boom-ba-boom-ba-boom!"
"Stop it," Luffy said. "You're not funny."
"Boom-BOOM-BOOM!"
"Ace!" Luffy grabbed his hand to stop him, not finding it amusing at all. "Stop."
Ace just snickered, his attention going back to the sparkler which was miraculously still going. He blew on it gently, encouraging the smoldering embers to keep going. "You are so weird," Ace told him again. "Your real family is so far away, honestly it seems like they don't want anything to do with you half the time."
"Ace!" Luffy said again.
"-But they're also right here," Ace finished. "People that would give their lives for you. Your beloved. You know that right? Truly and honestly."
"What are you talking about?"
He didn't feel beloved. He felt cold and alone. He felt defeated.
Ace raised the sparkler. "Want to blow it out?"
Luffy shook his head. "Can we stay out here a while longer?"
"I can make that happen," Ace was still smiling. He leaned forward resting his forehead against Luffy's. And Luffy closed his eyes, feeling a tear escape his eyes as he did so. He was so tired.
"We're connected you and me," Ace told him. "Deeply and unevenly."
"Uneven?" Luffy drew back. Were they?
"You're like a puzzle piece," Ace told him. "But you keep changing to fit into me. And your edge," he tapped Luffy's forehead with his finger. "It's close but not quite right."
"Your drunk," Luffy told him, pulling the finger away. "You're making my head hurt."
Ace just snorted a laugh. "You're my favorite you know. You make me laugh."
Luffy nodded. He already knew that.
"I chose you."
He knew that too. Luffy would always remember that day, the terrible taste of the sake, and how happy he felt that he finally found a family. They had chosen each other. But Ace shook his head apparently reading Luffy's mind. "No, I chose you. I've been running for a long time. Chasing freedom. You're hungry for it too, everything. You're selfish, you do what you want, you're soft and gentle, and when the world falls on your shoulders you don't buckle."
Many of those things were insults. Luffy couldn't figure Ace out tonight. Half the time it seemed like he was teasing him. Trying to get a rise out of him. Probably waiting for a good laugh. But Luffy didn't want to play. He looked at the sparkler, feeling exhausted.
"I don't feel like me anymore," he said, he was a shell, whatever was left after everything.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"You're just tired," Ace told him. "It happens to everyone, even you. But you're still you." He reached into his pocket, pulling out the button, now one piece, and Luffy's eyes grew wide. "Only you would have held onto this. Been so worried about that man that did this to you. Only you would still care so much about everybody. Only you would never give up."
"I give up," Luffy said instantly. "I give up."
Ace wasn't smiling now. His eyes were tired, maybe as tired as Luffy. He looked old. Far older than he had any right to be. "You're tired," he said, handing the sparkler to Luffy. "Want to blow it out?"
Luffy stared at it. It was still pulsing in his hand, the embers had burned right to the end. Still, tiny sparks leaped from it, refusing to relinquish. It was so small and weak now. Once upon a time, it had probably been a big and bright flame.
"I can keep fires going," Ace told him. "Long after they should have burned out. You're tough Lu, but even you need a little help sometimes."
It was warm in his hands, pulsing like the wings of a tiny bird. Fragile like one too. It felt wrong to extinguish something that was working so hard to keep burning. But then again, even if he did nothing the sparkler would go out. They all would one day.
"Maybe for anyone else… but not for you," Ace said. "That's true if you make it true. You can go now… just like the rest of them. Or you can stay…. if that's what want. I've told you all this before. You have to remember this time."
Luffy looked up, meeting his gaze evenly as he drew away, holding the sparkler to his chest. "Where's Ace?"
"Lu-,"
"Where is Ace."
"You don't trust me anymore?" Ace teased him.
Luffy had been here, many times. He only remembered now, when he was sitting on the roof staring at the starless sky. But never like this before. Never this long, never this clearly.
"Are you going to make me smile like the story?" He asked.
"Luffy," Ace said, and there was actual exasperation in his voice. "Nobody makes you do anything." He said it with so much confidence, so sincerely that for a second Luffy thought he must be mistaken. But no. Ace looked like Ace, he talked like Ace, he knew Luffy inside and out like Ace- but Ace would have never ever let him go that easily. If it was Ace's choice, he would snatch that sparkler right out of Luffy's hand, remind him of their promises. Never in a million years would Ace sit there, calm as ever, and ask Luffy what he wanted. They had been together long enough for Luffy to realize that his brother held Luffy's life close to his heart, guarding it more than he looked after himself.
"He's your guide," Not-Ace told him simply, seemingly knowing exactly what Luffy was thinking. "Out there on the seas, he is your guide for adventure, for navigating the world. And you're his, for navigating people. Protecting them, friendships, and family, he learned it all from you after losing your brother. It broke him open so badly, leaving all this space for new friendships, like a cavity.
Luffy said nothing, feeling the slow pulsing warmth of the sparkler. It was sputtering, flickering, ashes falling from it instead of embers. He remembered that night, after Ace's birthday when the two of them had stood in the yard, watching it go for hours.
"Are you scared," Not-Ace teased him. "Think I'll make you dance- think I'll hurt you?"
This place felt sort of wrong. It always had. Part of Luffy thought he shouldn't be here. But he had been comforted by his brothers both times. Lured in like a fish on a hook.
Luffy was scared. After months of refuting it, he realized there was no point. He had been scared this whole time, and he was scared now. He nodded, watching as the smile on Not-Ace grew.
"Oh yeah? Too weird for you?"
"Not you," Luffy told him. Weird people scared people. But Luffy collected weird people like lucky charms. He preferred them. They made sense to him. Otherwise, they were too dull, too predictable.
Luffy had been here before, multiple times. Luffy had stood in this position two-three times now, with that little voice in his head edging him on. Luffy should have died so many times in his life. Sabo had stood there with him, patient as always, asking him what he wanted.
"You helped me."
Not-Ace shrugged. "You helped yourself," he gestured to the flame in Luffy's hand. 'I just keep fires going. Not always but- I like you. I chose you, not that other man."
"Shanks," Luffy said.
"Hmm," Not-Ace agreed. "I liked him. But I like you more. So I'm waiting for someone."
Luffy tilted his head. "Waiting for what?"
Not-Ace shrugged. "Who's to say, everything, all of it. Someone to rip the world apart, shake everything up."
"That sounds like a lot of work," Luffy told him honestly. "It's not me, I don't want to destroy anything, or rule anyone.
"It's not you," Not-Ace agreed, he gestured to the sparkler. "Are you going to blow it out, it's dying."
That it was, nothing but embers burning at the very bottom of the stick, the rest blackened to ash. Still, Luffy hesitated. "Where are they?"
Not-Ace reached over, taking Luffy's free hand and showing it to him."
Luffy's frown grew. Flipping his palm over and over. "In my hand? Is that a metaphor," he pouted. "I can't read good enough for metaphors, they hurt my head."
Not-Ace laughed, a real one this time, covering his eyes as he did so. When he finally dried his eyes, he was still smiling. "No, they are right there, you're the one who went somewhere." He pointed to the embers.
"Make a wish and blow."
It was a dark joke. Luffy guessed that Not-Ace thought even those were funny. But Luffy didn't want to laugh right now.
"I wish to give Boshi back to Shanks." Either way, he didn't need it anymore.
Not-Ace smirked in amusement. "Boshi belongs to you- because Boshi belongs to me. Both that hat and that fruit are mine."
"Please," Luffy said, and Not-Ace huffed.
"Tell you what, if that's what you want then both the fruit, and the hat will go back to him. I chose you, but you and you alone will always get whatever you want. That's your real power. Total and absolute freedom- it's always going to be your choice. Not your family's, not your fates, not the government, not Shanks, and not me. You brought yourself here, all your actions put you here. Now live with it or die with it.
Luffy looked down at the sparkler, just a ghost of what it had been. But- honestly, this was a lot of talking. He didn't understand it, he didn't understand any of it. But he didn't want to say that to Not-Ace.
This whole thing was too complicated for him-one big mystery fruit he had accidentally eaten. A weird one too. Just his luck. But… the way Luffy saw it- if he put it into terms, he understood… They were both weird, they liked to laugh, and they liked each other.
They were friends.
It was just another day, another weird friend, another relationship to fill Luffy's insatiable heart.
Luffy looked down at his hand, it felt warm, gentle and familiar. It was on fire. His eyes grew wide.
Not-Ace laughed. "He loves you. He doesn't want to let you go. Neither of them do. They are interesting- like you. Their fates are both- checkered. Intertwined with yours maybe."
"I don't believe in fate."
He watched the fire flicker and twist, fading out slowly until it was little more than a warm feeling. With it went the comfort and Luffy felt his eyes tear up.
"Is he…?"
"Following you," Not-Ace asked. "He's certainly looking for you.
Luffy looked down at the sparkler in his hands. Ace's birthday present, it was the only one he had gotten. And he had given it to Luffy.
"Can I give it back?" Luffy asked.
"He doesn't want it, they want you."
"Make a wish and blow," Luffy said, holding it up. "You said make a wish and blow, that it's my choice. You and Boshi can go wherever you want." Shanks would understand, he knew it in his heart.
"You're sure?" Not-Ace asked. "Because you weren't going to choose this, you were never going to blow it out."
"How do you know?"
"Because you never do. You never would. You're too hungry. Too curious. Too kind. I picked you for a reason."
Not-Ace was right. Fumble as he might, Luffy would probably never have chosen this, not until now. But his, life for his brothers, he would gladly pay that price. They would be okay. They would stick together, follow their dreams, and lean on their friends. See the world for him.
"Your promise? Both of them?"
"I promise."
And Luffy smiled. "I hope you find who you're looking for."
"Maybe one day, but not quite yet, it's not time yet." And it wasn't Ace who said those words, but Luffy himself.
He stared back at himself, his eyes widening. He watched himself, reach out, grabbing the embers with both hands, holding him there. His hair pale, paler than Luffy had ever seen on anyone. White even, his eyes red like blood.
For a moment the two of them stood there, two halves of the same coin. Then he- Luffy- smiled at him, a smile far too wide. He blew the embers out just as blue flames erupted over both of them.
"I like you. You make me laugh."
XXX
….
I have a lot to say about this one. I have no idea how you guys are going to like it. These nonsensical artsy chapters are definitely not the ones you were requesting, (but they do make me happy). This is the last one I promise.
Ever since the gear five reveal I have been dying to write this chapter. I read that manga chapter and my first thought was 'Yes! My fanfic will make more sense now!' The longer I spend on a story the more fun I have connecting threads that really don't need to be connected. But here we go!
This is very non-cannon compliant. It is kind of hard writing this before any of the actual manga reveals happen, but I tried my best and it was fun to speculate. Apparently, Joy Boy is a real Caribbean legend. The story 'Ace' told Luffy was the real-life myth that Oda is basing "Joy Boy' off of. Which I did not know and is very cool.
So! Before you guys ask! Luffy is not dead! I know I ended on a cliffhanger, but I am not so evil to make you guys wait like three chapters for that.
So 'Joy boy' or the devil fruit, or Nika (I have no idea who it actually is) has been testing Luffy all along, trying to suss out if he is the 'chosen one'. He also believes strongly in freedom of choice, letting Luffy choose what he wants. That is why throughout the story he always asked Luffy what he wanted, and towards the end he was almost daring him to give up (blow out the sparkler). Luffy was never going to give in, even if it seemed like he might, it's not who he is. But he did try to trade his life for his brothers in an instant. Joy Boy thinks Luffy is interesting and is constantly entertained by his actions. He takes freedom of choice seriously and lets Luffy decide what he wanted. Which was to save Ace and Sabo. But of course, if Luffy dies the devil fruit leaves him and reappears somewhere else, so the only way to save them, was to save Luffy which is what he was doing in the end.
(The blue flames were Marco- but more on that in chapter 71!)
So! I am sorry this whole chapter is vague and metaphorical. I might have had too much fun. But to break it down easily. This whole series of events stressed Luffy out enough and pushed him to develop a lot faster than in the cannon. Making Luffy begin to awaken his devil fruit. Joy Boy has been behind the scenes for a good chunk of this story. The first time Luffy died, and he was wandering the halls with Sabo, that was Joy Boy. He wanted to appear as the person Luffy needed so he wouldn't scare him. There was a hint that something wasn't right in that chapter when Luffy heard the Sailor's Song and asked what it was. At first 'Sabo' said he couldn't hear it. Later when Luffy asked again 'Sabo' explained exactly what it was.
The Second time was a few chapters ago- when Luffy was drowning. That little voice was Joy Boy- and he basically said the same thing 'Sabo' did in the earlier chapters. Reminding Luffy to choose, telling him he could be done if he wanted to be.
And then this chapter- Luffy learns that the safe place he was disassociating to when things got too brutal for him, that was actually Joy Boy, helping him out. Revealing it all to him when he finally figured out that not only was it, not Ace- but it wasn't even a memory of Ace- rather something entirely different.
It's my personal theory that the Joy Boy fruit aligned itself with Shanks. But chose Luffy instead. Shanks was guarding that fruit so carefully that he brought it inside with him to a bar rather than leaving it on the ship. But he left it unlocked and wide open where even a little kid could grab it! No way- it wanted Luffy to eat it. (Just like the Marines were saying about the fruit somehow evading them like it had a will of its own.)
(Luffy has started to awaken the fruit, but he isn't quite there yet, sorry guys. I know you all wanted gear five, not a teaser trailer.)
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.7: Aww, I am so glad you liked it. You did not have to wait long! Thank you so much for the review : )
Hinamori-chan21: Hi there! Thank you for the review!
I feel the same way! I really like Garp- but he isn't the best guardian is he? Putting your friends and family firs tis definitely the right move. I think that's why the three boys are so close, and Garp has always been a bit more distant. (They choose each other, he chooses his values). Garp should have also said "No Luffy! That Sea King Dying was definitely not your fault", lol.
I'm just about done messing with Luffy! Promise this time. I know everyone wants Shanks- almost there.
And why thank you! I'm nothing compared to my awesome cliff climbing co-workers. But hopefully, one day I will make you all proud haha. The only girl in your class, ooh, I would hate that. Your english is great! I have more mistakes than you for sure haha.
Stay healthy and take care!
Lucy: Hello my friend. I have actually been meticulously planning these last chapters out for a couple of years. It's the one's after that- which I have no idea. Luffy is not going to go full gear five (but we are going to get close) that includes some of his weird powers. I have a whole Arc planned, where he scared the crap out of Marco and Marco spends the rest of the story trying to figure out what the heck happened. I have been planning it since the manga chapter first came out : ) Thanks for asking.
Guest (the kinda mean one):
Ouchie bro, you don't hold your punches, do you? I don't really know what to say except you are totally right. This story just isn't that good anymore, the plot is a mess, the characters are bad, and everyone's dumb (My parents are honestly quite disappointed in me). You should definitely stop reading it and go find a better one.
MorningStar: Next one is a bit intense as well! I am glad you liked it. Thank you so much for the review. Garp is interesting! Neither good nor bad. I have great plans for ASL! Mostly just panicked cuddles from Luffy who is quite traumatized. But they all will be alive! It is kind of hard to figure out how Luffy should act since he is reacting to situations the cannon Luffy would never be in. So part of the reason I wanted to write this chapter was to show what Luffy is supposed to be like, and how much he has changed.
Thank you so much for the review! I hope you liked this one even if it was a bit- overdramatic haha.
Acpola01:
Yes! They all survive, as hopefully this chapter shows. Fluff en route via door dash- delayed at red light- will arrive shortly.
Rose Narcissus: I am actually done being mean to Luffy now! He won! I'm not done being mean to Ace and Sabo but in two more chapters things will get better and better until the end!
Starflower525: No! They are not going to be. But sweet lil Luffy won't let them hurt the marine with the daughter. Yes! One day I will migrate there! The promised land with less update bugs.
Eternal She-Wolf: This is quite fair. I can't promise it will be worth it haha. But I will certainly try my best.
Thank you! Garp does love them all, even if he has a weird way of showing it. Way to guess it! Good job.
And yes! My plant for the rest of the story is Luffy following Ace absolutely everywhere (well not letting Ace leave until he is well enough to be out and about) and then doing that lil baby duck thing from when they were kids.
Luffy is tougher than anyone- even himself knows! But yes! The WB's are real sus to him until they redeem themselves by not bullying his family. Thatch, Jozu and Izou know about Garp- but they had some others with them that did not. And after all the BS the Marines pulled the three of them just instantly assumed the worst of Garp. Especially when they saw Garp try to stop them from getting to Luffy.
Not at all! It's helpful to hear that people prefer AO3. It's a lot of work changing it over but it is worth it if people would like it : ) I just will be a bit slow in the process. I like that site better as well.
Hopefully this chapter answered that haha. Please let me know if you liked it and thank you for the nice review!
Miqila: Oops lol, I originally meant to say parent- and included Dragon in my count. Then decided Garp was still more of a grandparent than parent to Ace, Sabo and Luffy, and moved it to three, and never changed it.
Lol, Hughes. Poor man. At least he makes it home to his daughter.
Shandar1: Why thank you.
Haha you are tougher than me. I could never kill Luffy, he's my lil guy.
Mel72000: I only want to almost kill him haha. So he can have his main character moment.
Wandering-Mind 95: That is so sweet. I am so glad you like it. Hopefully this chapter isn't too weird for you. That is so sweet of you!
evelynromano0808: He will next time! And he is done almost dying! Path chosen!