"The waters are filled with ash."

"And worse to come still."

"The noise is scaring the fish away; my offspring will go hungry for weeks."

"When a ship is destroyed it disappears for the humans in an instant, but it takes years for the ocean to reabsorb."

"-And until that happens it's just more human junk in our waters."

Luffy shifted a little but, coming back to it. Immediately Thatch's grip tightened on him.

"Don't," he muttered.

Like he could tell Luffy what to do. Ignoring the protests Luffy pushed himself up, leaning against the wall as he rested his feverish forehead against the stone.

"After every great battle there is great destruction."

And then- there was something else. Luffy shook his head, trying to clear the discomfort that was gathering at his temples. A headache?

"Luuffy," Thatch groaned. "I'm not going to keep doing this with you. I don't want to play. There's nowhere to go."

There was nowhere to go…? Then what was…

He shut his eyes, feeling the cool uneven edges of the stone wall. That wasn't true. He could hear them. Louder than before. Like they were having the conversation just a couple of rooms away. Luffy wished he could go straight through the wall- and just keep going. Not like that was a new wish. But now it was more annoying than anything. He wanted out. Now! He was so so close to freedom. Stupid Thatch. -Stupid Ace while he was at it. He thought his brother was better than this. But whatever! It wasn't like getting left behind by his older brothers was anything new- although it had never stung nearly as much.

Whatever, whatever, whatever- he kept telling himself. He was too tough to dwell on it. Plus, he really couldn't afford to get caught up in that ugly dark tangle of hurt that had taken root inside him, springing up from the cracks that had formed. Just like the twisted knot of weeds that grew from the cracks in a sidewalk. It he wasn't careful he would get overtaken again.

In the tangle of hurt Luffy absolutely ached for the comfort of his hat. But it wasn't as bad now that he knew Boshi was with Ace- watching over him for now. Besides, as much as he missed it. Luffy felt like he shouldn't touch it. He had this fear, small at first but now practically overwhelming, that if he were to hold it then the bloody dirt on his hands would get on it too. Staining the straw like he had been stained. And for the rest of its life, Boshi would have to bear that dark smudge.

Don't think about it! Luffy shook his head, pressing his forehead into the wall harder he tried to shut off his brain, focusing everything on his ears. "Help me," he breathed. "I want to go."

"Luffy?" Thatch shifted besides him. Luffy ignored him, shrugging off the hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about your home. They took my home from me too. I don't want to lose anything else." He rubbed his forehead again, feeling the pain increase.

…Cub…

The whispered voice echoed through the rocks. Not quite as close as it had been last time. But nearer to him then when he had first heard it.

Run-

And Luffy understood all at once. It wasn't a headache. It was a warning; one he wasn't familiar with. Someone was coming. Was it him? Was this what he felt like?

No right? God! Luffy really didn't understand any of this. Who cared what Sabo said. It was all magic mumbo jumbo as far as he was concerned. And not even cool magic- it was complicated vague bullshit magic. Which had to be the least helpful kind.

Luffy's eyes snapped open and he turned to Thatch. "He's coming."

The man blinked, trying to catch up, his own eyes clouded with sleep. "Huh. Who is?

Luffy looked back at the dark puddle, somewhere in its depths he knew was the door out of here. He shook his head wordlessly. He didn't know. But on a scale of Ace to Him…. "A bad man."

Thatch nodded. Processing the information slowly. "Okay," he said looking towards the ink black water as well. "How far?"

Luffy shook his head.

"Just one? Are they strong. Do they know we are here?"

"I don't…"

"Luffy," Thatch's voice was serious. "You have haki! And it's scary strong. I need you to try and concentrate. You've done it before."

Thatch didn't understand. It didn't work like that. Pouting now, Luffy turned his attention to the door again. Closing his eyes as he tried to pinpoint his discomfort. Holding on tightly to the annoying pain in his head. He tried to remember what it felt like, trapped in his tiny dark call- and just knowing He was in there with him. Just waiting. Like having a sleeping tiger on your bed. Every muscle in his body was tight, ready to snap. Too scared to even breath.

How it felt to never quite know if you were truly alone. Or if there was a knife to your throat. And the second you started to fall asleep….

Luffy's eyes flew open as he gasped in air, realizing just then how there didn't seem to be enough of it. Trying to catch his breath, he hiccupped, feeling Thatch's hand settle on his shoulder but he pushed away, feeling too flighty for that kind of comfort right now. "I don't know," he said between breaths, "I don't know. I don't..."

"Okay! Okay- shh." Thatch's hands paused above his shoulders, as if unsure where to go or what to do. Finally, he dropped them. His eyes wide. "I'm sorry. I pushed you too hard. It's fine kid. Take a deep breath okay." When Luffy got his breathing back under control Thatch offered him a weak smile. "You, okay?"

He nodded, and Thatch man stood, offering his hand to Luffy to pull him up as well. Thatch gathered the blanket, and the runaway supplies from the floor, stuffing them back into the bag. "If they can do what you can do. And I'm really hoping they can't… then we're like candles to them," he explained. "But we're both kind of dim, you especially," he frowned as he said that last part. "Down here we kind of stick out in the emptiness. Except it's a big space, and we're flickering and sitting between a lot of solid stone. It must be pretty hard to see us, otherwise they would have found us a long time ago." He caught Luffy's look. "I know somethings. I'm old. Occasionally you learn stuff." Thatch pushed the bag of supplies into the corner, covering it with some of the loose rocks. "You're going to be okay- I promise."

So, everybody kept telling him. But that wasn't really up to them. Luffy had accepted that a long time ago. It would be a lot easier if everyone did as well.

Cub…

Luffy turned to look back at the wall for a second, before Thatch grabbed his jaw, forcing him to meet his eyes. The man searched them for a second before sighing. "I literally never know what you're thinking." His mouth turned down in the beginnings of a frown, before he remembered himself. "Take pity and just tell me?" his smile was weak, watery. Like he already knew what Luffy wasn't saying.

Luffy was actually thinking that he really hated goodbyes. They were stupid, and pointless. And it meant being a little more alone. But then again… life wasn't always kind enough to give you the chance.

"Don't worry about me anymore."

Whatever Thatch had been expecting- it wasn't that. He paused for a moment, staring at Luffy with that familiar dumb look. "Huh?

"You're my friend," Luffy told him. "You're not in charge of me or nothin… So don't feel bad because you didn't fail… you did a good job. You were a really good friend…." He trailed off again, unsure of what else to say. Words weren't really his specialty and typically when people were being stupid like this, Luffy either bonked them or left them to sort it out themselves. But this time he felt bad- cause it was Thatch. Plus, he needed to know how stupid he was being. In just a couple of months, Thatch had done more for him then his own parents ever had. Then most people in fact. Aside from his family, and Shanks. And yet somehow the man still felt bad. How stupid was that! Honestly, people were so weird.

Thatch was staring at him now, his hand clenched tight at his side. He didn't say anything, so Luffy said it for him.

"Whatever happens next isn't your fault-kay?"

Something about the words seemed to set Thatch on edge as he frowned, putting the palm of his hand on Luffy's forehead in a gesture that was getting kind of annoying with how often people seemed to do it to him. "Your warm." He sounded concerned. A.K.A- he thought Luffy was delusional.

Thatch took his arm, pulling him towards the back of the room, near a pile of rubble where even the flickering light of the lantern couldn't reach him. "Stay here," Thatch said. "Don't move until I tell you the coast is clear, okay? I'm going to go take a look outside."

"Don't!" Luffy warned. Thatch just pated his head. "I'm just going to stay near the entrance. Worst comes to worst I can collapse the flooded section of the tunnel. I'd rather be trapped here by a pile of stone then by them. I'm not going to let anyone get you kid."

Thatch hadn't really understood. Or maybe he was just pretending not to because he didn't want to admit he couldn't protect Luffy from himself.

All those months Luffy had spent alone, he had desperately wanted a chance to say goodbye to Thatch. And somehow here he was again. Always standing right here- always saying goodbye. No… NO! This wasn't like last time. He had a choice this time.

When Luffy didn't answer, Thatch patted his head again before turning away- clearly having taken none of the 'you're not my parent' stuff to heart.

He hadn't made it more than a step before he paused, mulling Luffy's words over more carefully. He seemed to understand then- on some level that Luffy was making peace with him. "What happens next…" he repeated the words. "What's going to happen next?"

"…"

"Luffy?" Thatch turned back to him, his face unusually serious. "What are you going to do?" He looked around the room, as if to confirm he was indeed trapped here. "What happens next?" He asked again.

Luffy shrugged. How was he supposed to know that?

The man sighed, rubbing his face wearily. "Oh kid, what are you planning?" When Luffy didn't answer Thatch crossed his arms. "Is that what you've been wanting to tell me?"

He nodded, and Thatch frowned.

"I saw you… on the floor." The words slipped away from the man like water through a sieve.

Luffy's face furrowed, confused.

"You were… cold…. But you looked peaceful."

Ooh. And in a second he understood what Thatch was trying to say.

"They wanted me to bring you back…. But… I didn't." If Thatch was expecting or hoping, he would interject he was wrong. So, he was forced to keep going, tripping over his words. "I didn't…. I didn't even try." Unable to take the sight of Luffy's wide eyes he turned away, looking at the damp stone by his feet. "I don't know why…. No- That's not true. I didn't think you were coming back for anything. I didn't know you wanted too…. I didn't want to do that to you… or for them." He paused again, glancing up to look at Luffy. They stood in silence for another beat. And Thatch wiped his nose with his grubby sleeve. All too aware of the time he was wasting while the threat closer. But still. There was just something… some little voice in his head that was warning him not to let Luffy out of sight.

"You looked… free… and I didn't want anyone to take that from you."

Luffy had been. It was difficult to describe, and he didn't understand it himself. But he had been. Free to choose.

"I see now that was wrong… I was wrong." His eyes were tired and sad.

Luffy wondered if that's what he looked like to everybody. No wonder they kept apologizing and asking if he was okay. He hadn't known that. Any of that. Luffy had been trying to protect his friend, especially in the end. Shelter him from stuff like that. He tucked his arms a little closer, digging his fingers into the sleeves of his baggy shirt. He didn't like that- didn't like the thought of Thatch there, in that place. Seeing him like that.

Probably misinterpreting the look on Luffy's face, Thatch forced himself to push on. "I don't know where you've been, or what they did to you since then. I know it was bad. Worse- far worse than what was going on with me. But…but you were gone." The man shivered, as if just then realizing how cold and miserable it truly was here. "-you were gone," he said again, more to himself this time. "And I didn't know if I could leave here without you. And now…Now you and me both go free. Or not at all. Do you understand?"

"…"

Luffy did understand. He felt the same way. He couldn't imagine leaving Thatch here. Everything he had did. Especially towards the end- had been to protect his friend.

Thatch clumsily wiped his nose in the following silence. "Say something?"

It was all for the best. Luffy was sick of goodbyes. He had always hated them and for good reason. Before, when things had been darker. He knew it may as well be his only chance. But now, the sun was finally coming up. And he wasn't going to say it again. Not when he hoped to see Thatch later. Maybe in an hour, maybe in a day, maybe in a decade.

"Okay," Thatch nodded at his silence. "I need to go. I'll be right back. Stay here. Don't come out under any circumstance. If I have to, I might get stuck on the other side of the tunnel if I collapse it. But we'll get you out I swear….Luffy?" He sighed, glancing over his shoulder at the flooded entrance he would soon need to brave once again. "Say something," he said again. "Tell me to stop being stupid, tell me you want to leave, or you want to come."

Cubbb-

"Yes," Luffy told him, and despite the sadness building in his eyes Thatch smiled.

"I'll be right back." He was halfway across the dark room, when he got his wish.

"And when the sun rises-"

Thatch whirled around his eyes were wide again, this time in disbelief. Luffy stared back at him. He didn't repeat it. It was a long second before the he moved, turning away onece more. Neither said another word, and Luffy watched him wade into the water.

Child

Luffy didn't move. Staring at the spot his friend had disappeared into. Like it was some type of monster, dissolving everything he cared about until it was just this. Him alone- with a useless goodbye on his tongue.

Human

Forcing himself to look away Luffy turned his attention to one of the corners. Like much of the space, the support beam that used to stand here had toppled, creating a mess of stone shards, and larger chunks of rock piled against the wall.

It was here. This wall. He could hear his friends' voice coming through the stone. Or rather through the small cracks and nooks. He could almost feel them. Like Thatch was saying about the flickering flames. It was hard to see light through such darkness. But just knew somehow.

Luffy dropped to his knees, his hands running over the stone. He wrapped his bandaged hands around some of the smaller debris, shifting them away from the corner. It wasn't very hard. He had hardly started before he heard it again.

CUB

Louder than before. Luffy almost smiled. He didn't have a lot of strength left, forced to instead nudge some of the larger pieces aside with his feet, and shoulder. He only managed to move them an inch or two, but it was enough for an already small and incredibly malleable person to push through the crevices of some of the larger rocks until he could stretch out and touch the cracked wall behind the rubble. There was another one of those drains here, like the one he had hidden in from Dr. Marco that first night. This was how he could hear his friend. Their voices carried through the opening. An opening that somehow led him back to the sea.

There was no looking back. Literally. He was already in too deep. "See you later Thatch," he said under his breath, pushing forwards blindly. Clambering through the tightly packed rocks and through the gap in the bars of the drain.

His hand slipped on the slimy moss at the bottom, and he landed hard on his chin, gracelessly sliding forward a couple of feet, before he managed to stop himself. This one was a lot steeper. And it was taking him down. He hoped the pipe wasn't flooded at the bottom like the tunnels. Otherwise, he would drown. But there was only one way to find out.

In the pitch blackness, Luffy started moving, crawling along on his hands and knees.

Cub- Come

"It's Luffy," he told the darkness. And here, completely alone with his thoughts. He did something he hadn't done in a long time. Not since he was a kid - he thought about his parents-

He thought they were dead… or busy… or they just didn't want him. He figured it was for the best. Sabo and Ace had had parents- in theory. And they weren't any better off from knowing why they were still alone.

They were probably right about that. Luffy did have a dad. He was alive- somewhere, and important from the sounds of it. Important enough to make all of this worthwhile for people. He wasn't dead, maybe busy… but he just hadn't wanted Luffy.

Ace was worth all of this. But Luffy's dad wasn't. Ace and Sabo were right -screw their fathers. Screw the trouble they had caused. If this was the kind of legacy his parents left him, then Luffy was going to go back to ignorance. There was bliss in it. Honestly more people should try it.

And this way- his dad could have been anyone. Even someone like Thatch. Someone nice, and honest, and brave, and loyal. Who would have tried to protect him, even when it was stupid, pointless, and didn't make a lot of sense.

So, everyone was mistaken when they had said that. They got the wrong Luffy- it made sense when you thought about it because- well. Everyone was so stupid. And they could keep their secrets. He didn't want 'em.

Besides- he already had a pretty big family. He didn't really need anything else.

The water at the bottom of the tunnel started to rise, going from a puddle to a gentle current, to a strong stream of water, threatening to make him lose his grip in the stone floor of the drain. He fought against the current at first. But when his friend spoke again, louder than ever, his fingers slipped, and he gave in the overwhelming power of the water. It sapped his strength, shoving him down, bruising his elbow and knees against the bends and knicks. The force of the water picked up as it finally overtook him, rushing over his head. Luffy gulped in one last breath, closing his eyes.

It felt like that time he got swept up in the river as a kid. It was kind of fun, but mostly scary as he felt every dip and turn and -OUCH!- unfortunately a wall. The impact stole his breath, the bubbles seeping from his mouth. But before he could morn the loss he was falling. Just like that time in the river, when he reached the waterfall-

Only this was the end of the line, where all the tunnels' pipes emptied out, straight into the ocean. He fell, with the rest of the water, a cascade of muddy, inky black leftovers, straight into the waiting sea below.

And then he was drowning all over again. Recognizing the feeling of being paralyzed and powerless. But he wasn't scared this time.

Because he wasn't alone.

In the dark water he could make out a flurry of fins and tails. And when he shut his eye's, he could still hear them. Arguing, snarling.

He felt the scaley hands close around him once more, raising him up.

Luffy gasped, spitting out water as he tried to catch his breath. Those giant eyes watched him, slitted like a snake.

"Thanks," he managed to cough.

Some of the sea kings wanted to eat him. He heard them talking about it. But they wouldn't. He wasn't their enemy. Besides, he knew the lizard wouldn't let them. When his sight cleared, he could no longer see the others. But he could still hear them.

The giant water lizard had known where the pipes had let out. The same way he knew the course of the water of his home that races through the wretched human fortress.

"We watch more than most humans can know in one lifetime. We are smarter than your kind realizes."

In the dim, Luffy looked back up at the cavern wall, just able to make out the falling water from a dozen or so drains a hundred feet up. That had been pretty risky.

"You are not."

Luffy was fine with that.

He glanced over his shoulder, looking for the source of the light, however feint. It was behind him. Peeking out from a gap between the inky water and the sheer stone.

He held out his hand to the light, it felt good on his skin.

"Can you take me there?" He rested his arm against one of the massive claws, closing his palm around what he could grab in a silent plea.

"Where?"

And despite himself Luffy felt like laughing. He rubbed at his nose when it began to sting. Wiping at it as he met his friend's giant orbs.

"I want-," and his voice shook. "-I want to..." He rubbed his palm over his nose again before he looked up once more.

"I want to go," he said, making sure his voice strong. "I want to leave." No one could stop him anymore-

The creature snorted, water spraying outwards like a geyser from its great snout. Luffy himself sucked in air, filling his lungs, as he locked his arms around the claw, feeling the other fingers close in on him. He was pulled back under the water.

-He could see everything out there. All these years and all he truly knew of the world was the tiny island he had been born on. But there was so much out there. He knew it-

He felt the water race past him, slipping through his fingers. And he let it all go. He would let it ALL go. Everything and more if he could.

He didn't remember coming here. Or what the sky looked like the day Thatch had grabbed him and carried him to the deck of the ship.

But everything else- everything that had happened to him since he gotten trapped here. He was probably going to remember that for the rest of his life. However short that may be.

He felt the great creature, shift, and despite how much he wanted to, Luffy didn't dare take a breath. He stayed still, holding the monster closely, as it went.

He felt the current slow, the little bubble of air pop, and the feeling of the waves breaking above him. The water streamed from between the cage of his friends fingers, hitting the rocks below in a freefall as Luffy was lifted up again.

He couldn't hear as well as he used to. Or smell… or see…or even freaking taste. But for a second none of that mattered as everything hit him at once.

The open air was cold against his wet skin, and it smelled of salt, and dead fish, and seagulls, and grime, and seaweed, and wet rocks- and freedom. He realized in that second how muted everything had been up until right now. He could hear the waves smashing against the rocks, the foam sneaking through the cracks, the popping of the bubbles.

Above him, the creatures' fingers fell from their protective hold, and for a second the light- even the dark- was too bright for his eyes. But he didn't close them. Not even when they watered and stung. He waited until they cleared.

And when the sun rises-

Since when were there so many colors in the world?

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The sky stretched on forever above his head. There was no moon- only thousand and thousand and thousands of stars carefully placed in the dark sky. No- not dark. Before had been dark. Luffy was used to dark. This was something different.

-We part ways you and me

It wasn't a void. It was the opposite. It was everything. Every color mixed together, covered in pinpricks of light. He could see a dark blue, a royal blue, like the darkest water of the lakes back home. And the deep purple like wildflowers. The ocean was no longer the infinite pool of deep black ink he had gotten used to. Rather it rippled and moved, like it was breathing. And the sky above reflected in it. Catching the colors on its waves.

Because my brother

This time the light was a relief, and he gave into it happily. Making

all of the hurt before nothing but a distant memory. Out here was

nothing but freedom.

It was so….

It just was.

Luffy stared at it hungerly. Drinking it in.

Now you are free-

…

XXX

The End

XXXX

Thanks for coming folks. Fun story. Bye forever.

XXX

(Lol could you imagine tho). Yay! Luffy did it. And it only took him like six years (yikes). Sorry high school me. This probably wasn't the action-packed chapter you were hoping for. But I have been waiting quite a while for this, so I decided to lean into it- as Luffy really deserved this. The whole ending part was a call back to chapter 32. But where that chapter started and ended sad, this was supposed to be a happy ending, or I guess kind of bittersweet.

It might be obvious now, but "When the sun rises," was the beginning sentence of the last thing Thatch said to Luffy in 32. Luffy being Luffy- and not as much of a sentimental dork as me, said it because it felt right to him in the moment. Like remembering a dream.

But it means several things:

First, he was telling Thatch goodbye again (again-again). Both a see ya' later, and also, one or both of us might die. When the sun rises, also meant a daybreak or light at the end of a very dark tunnel they were in. We part ways you and me- Luffy having to split off from Thatch. Because my brother- Luffy affirming that they are basically family now. Now we are free- both literally and Thatch is free of the responsibility of taking care of Luffy.

The whole phrase was kind of answering Thatch. Yes, dying sucked- no Luffy wasn't mad that Thatch didn't try to bring him back. No Luffy was not going to stay put, he was going to leave and yes! Luffy was incredibly f-ing sorry that Thatch had to see that, and suffered without him.

But more than anything it was meant to be hopeful. The beginning of the last thing Thatch said to him before he died, was also the last thing Luffy said back to him before he was freed. Basically, the end of the night is the beginning of the dawn.

(And as I am reading this back, I realize I both need to go to bed and also a hobby because I clearly have too much time on my hands). Next time I will give you guys the chapter you probably actually wanted! But I had a lot of fun writing this and after so long it was cathartic. So, I really hope you liked it. See you guys next time. I'm already working on the next chapter!

XXX