"One-Two-Three"
"One-Two-Three!"
"One-Two-Three."
"One…Two...THREE!"
Luffy felt himself swing up, the ground rushing by him as he was thrown into the air. The blue sky seemed to grow ever closer above him as the clouds tilted. A moment later, the world lurched as he fell back into two strong hands.
"One-Two-THREE!"
Once again, he felt the hands leave him, tossing him back into the air like he was a sack of flour. The wind rushed through his hair, and he screamed in delight, having gone higher yet. As the gravity shifted and he hurled back down to earth, the strong arms were ready to catch him.
From somewhere over the hill, he heard a sweet voice, reminding them to be careful, but they ignored it.
"One… Two…THREE!"
He shrieked in joy, feeling himself go higher still, so high it felt that he could reach out and touch the clouds if he wanted to. He was so high; he reckoned he could see all the way across the ocean. He bet even the birds were jealous of him.
But the next second, he was falling back down into his grandpa's waiting arms.
"Gotcha!"
He laughed again, feeling his grandfather swing him back and forth as if the sheer power of his re-entry into orbit was too much for the man to handle.
"Ooh, you're so heavy- think I'm going to drop you!"
"NO!" Luffy yelled, his hands scrambling onto his grandfather's shirt.
"You're heavier than a cannonball!"
"Liar!"
"It's true," the old man insisted, "we ought to put you on the ships, and launch you at our enemies!"
"NO!" Luffy insisted again. He didn't want to be a cannonball.
"Really? You don't think they could handle a Luffy Bullet!"
Luffy's yell of denial turned into a happy scream as his grandfather once again threw him through the air.
"Garp!" Makino's sweet voice reminded him. "Be careful this time."
Garp caught Luffy again, holding him under his arms so he could stare at him. "One time," the old man told him, "drop ya' one time, and she won't let me forget it. You were fine."
Luffy didn't remember being fine, he remembers busting his head, and Makino stitching it up for him. But his grandfather told him that real men had plenty of battle scars, and at the time, that felt more important.
Besides, it was hardly the first time the old man had nearly killed him. Just this afternoon, he had tossed him into a lake to try to 'teach' him how to swim. Unfortunately, the lesson did not work, and Luffy ended up hugging a small family of ducks until they eventually towed him back to shallow water.
After that, the five-year-old had made a solid effort to avoid talking to his grandfather, which lasted for about an hour before the old man started throwing him around, and Luffy caved. He loved a good Luffy Bullet.
Now, with Makino's gentle judgment and the sun beginning to go down, Garp muttered to himself, settling back onto the dock, Luffy on his lap, his little feet splashing in the water below them as they watched the sky slowly bleed into red.
"You know," Garp began, "you're going to have to learn how to swim if you want to be a marine."
Luffy tilted his head, mulling the thought over. He didn't particularly feel like he 'needed' to do anything. Aside from his grampa's visits, there weren't a lot of things he 'had' to do. And that was how he liked it. But he didn't have the energy for an argument, one he would most certainly lose.
"Luffy?"
Luffy tilted his head back to look up at the old man, a slight pout on his face.
Garp chuckled, reaching out to adjust the bandage on his nose, smoothing it down with his thumb. "What's that look?"
"It hurts."
The lake had been cold, and full of leaches, and apparently, ducks had teeth, plus Grampa had all but drop-kicked him.
The man just snorted, mildly amused. "Your opponents aren't going to stop just because they hurt you."
Luffy's pout deepened. He was five; he didn't really have opponents- well, except those monkeys Garp kept making him box.
"The world's tough kid, you got to be tougher."
Easy to say for the man who hadn't gotten bitten in the butt by a duck.
"I'm plenty tough," he said, his feet going back to kick in the water.
Garp just snorted. "You're soft. We will have to work on that."
Luffy tilted his head back again, sticking his tongue out at the old man, something he quickly regretted as the geezer ground his fist into his head.
Luffy pouted again, lapsing into silence, as the sky grew steadily darker, the sun being dragged under the horizon and into the water. The sea at Luffy's feet began to turn cold, and he felt himself slumping over onto his grandpa as his eyelids started to get heavy.
"Listen, kid," he felt the man's chest vibrate with his deep gravelly voice. "I know you think I'm too strict- but the world's tough, you need to be tougher. Otherwise…"
XXX
Luffy couldn't help but cry out, as an immense weight pressed down on his chest. At that moment, every rib he had shattered, and his internal organs were squished- or at least that's what it felt like.
He made a noise, somewhere between a cry and a gasp as he tried to breathe in air, at the same time as he spat seawater and blood from his lungs. He felt a tear fall down his cheek as he lay on the cold ground, staring up at the sky above him. The colors felt wrong, like there was some kind of filter over the world, and he wasn't seeing them right.
He felt someone try to shift him, and pain shot through his body.
Was he dead?
No, there was no way it would hurt this much. Right? Where was he? What was…
He closed his eyes as hard as he could, trying to block out the world. He felt strong arms work their way under him, and for the second time, everything went black as he was lifted. His head spun around at the movement, making him cough up another mouthful of bloody water.
For a second there was only panic and pain, as he tried to fill his lungs, despite the water that had collected in them. Luffy couldn't focus on anything but the burning feeling in his chest, and how hard it suddenly seemed to take a single breath.
He must have blacked out for a moment there- he wasn't sure exactly when, by the time he became aware again, the arms were setting him down, talking to him softly. He couldn't hear the voice, but he felt the rumbling of a broad chest sending vibrations through him.
He felt a calloused hand on his face, brushing back his wet hair to feel his forehead.
"-ur warm."
It took a second, a long second, for him to come back to himself. For the blackness around him to slowly clear to blurry shapes, and for his broken ears to adjust once more to the sounds of fighting. He was in a war- hell- and he was hurt, and his friend was alone.
Luffy remembered falling, hitting the water. He remembered the moment he felt his friend's comforting presence flicker like a candle, and then fade out.
And when his own world began to fade, he hadn't even noticed.
He was done. Really and truly this time.
So why was he still here?
"Luffy?" The blur in front of him moved, and Luffy tried to push himself back, succeeding only in a pathetic-sounding moan when his arms refused to support his weight as he fell back once more.
The shape moved again, taking his small arms in its large hands, gently pulling him to sit up, tucking something soft behind him.
They didn't say anything, instead moving to sit in front of him, those familiar calloused hands going back to his head, fussing over his left temple.
"-top," he said, pushing the hands away with a weak sigh, "Stop!"
The hands paused but didn't move away. Rather, they stayed there waiting. He was bleeding from his temple, pretty bad if the stained rag was anything to go off of. Luffy didn't care.
"Stop!" he said again, looking his grandfather in the eyes.
The old man's face was weary and weathered, as it always was. His face was impossible to read as he stared back at Luffy, not saying much of anything.
It had been a while, longer than usual, since they had seen each other. Maybe since before Ace left? Luffy didn't remember, nor did he care at the moment. Garp always made his way back eventually, so he hadn't been surprised to see him among the faces of the marines back when Lizard was rampaging. Nor was he surprised his grandfather was one of the few who stayed, neither intervening nor abandoning the area. He had simply stared at Luffy, as he was doing now.
How long had he been here? How long had he known about what had happened? How long had the old man been watching? Honestly, Luffy didn't really care to get the answers.
But that didn't mean he had stopped trusting his family. He was sure that in his own disapproving way, his grandfather had done what he could for Luffy, even if he didn't show it. How much that had been before Garp's duty as a marine interfered was the real question, but honestly, that was the old man's decision, no one else's business.
Luffy had figured this all out for himself a long time ago. He hadn't needed the confirmation, nor the lecture, that no doubt came along with it. Luffy didn't need anything right now, certainly not his grandfather's help. Not now, of all times.
The old man was still wet, dripping with seawater from his dip in the ocean while retrieving Luffy. His hands were still holding the bloody rag, waiting for Luffy to do something before he went back to trying to fix him. Only Luffy hadn't wanted fixing, nor saving, nor care. He had wanted to stay with his friend.
For a long second, the two of them sat there in silence, the bloody rag hanging loudly between them. Aside from his grandfather, Luffy had never met anyone he was blood-related to. At least he didn't think so. So he didn't exactly have a lot of proof, but the two of them were similar in a way. They spoke the same language. They just understood each other in a way other people seemed to fail to.
Luffy hadn't given it much thought, but he had never considered himself a complicated person. Other people were complicated, spinning webs of words, and yet totally different actions, honestly it made no sense to him. So, he always said what he meant, and did what he wanted- as simple as it came.
And for some reason, that seemed to confuse the hell out of anyone else that came across him. Even Thatch, for as long as they were together, never seemed to understand him.
But his grandpa, even with all of his… Garp-isms, took one look at him and seemingly understood what Luffy wasn't saying.
The old man moved, settling down against the ground with a weary sigh, letting the rag drop to his lap, as he looked out at the surrounding ocean. He must have swam them back to an inlet on the island. Luffy could still hear the fighting, but they were covered by the jagged rocks, and a narrow strip of beach that extended around the island.
"Your friend was brave," he said after a long moment.
Despite himself, Luffy felt tears welling up in his eyes again.
"Sea Kings don't usually interfere with human conflicts outside of hunting. I've never seen it at least. He must have been a good friend to you."
Garp said nothing as Luffy sniffed, feeling the tears slide down his cheeks before he could help it. Just when he had thought he had nothing left to cry, when there was not enough left inside of him to feel like this, one sentence had a fresh wave of pain washing over him, chasing away the numbness that had taken root in his bones.
He looked out at the sea before him, blurred by tears. When he held onto Lizard's matted mane, the hair was coarse and slimy like seaweed, but if you were patient enough, it was also soft.
Garp was watching him. "You're still young kid, you don't know war. It's not just you, everyone who survived it feels what you're feeling now. We lose people, and we ask ourselves if it was our fault. If there was some way, we could have saved them, done anything other than what we did.
"Was it?" Luffy's voice was soft.
"Hm?"
"Was it my fault?"
"I can't answer that," his grandfather told him. "You have to decide for yourself."
Luffy didn't know. He hadn't asked for any of this to happen. He hadn't started this. He had just been trying to get out of it. But he was the reason his Ace was here, trying to get revenge for him. He was the reason Lizard had come to save him. He was the thing that demon fire marine guy hated, not Lizard. That blow had been meant for him.
His grandfather moved again, placing the rag against his temple once more, trying to stem the bleeding. Luffy said nothing, his gaze fixed on the horizon, feeling his tears bubble up and through him like the breaking of a dam. He hadn't meant to leave his friend. But a part of him was glad he was here. Lizard deserved these, it deserved someone missing it. Luffy hoped some of the friends it spoke of had escaped and were doing the same, from somewhere in the ruined waters of their home.
"I didn't want this for you," Garp told him. His usually sure voice was softer now. "When you're strong enough, no one can mess with you. But you're still a bean sprout, so don't take it personally, all right? You'll get there… although not as a marine, it seems." He looked around them. "What a mess."
"Get there?" Luffy echoed, feeling that familiar hollow feeling return with a vengeance. He wasn't going to get anywhere, let alone stronger. He was as he was, and nothing was changing that now.
Garp regarded him once more. His eyes seemed old, older than Luffy remembered seeing them.
The man moved the rag, fishing in his pocket for a bandage. He pressed it against the wound, making sure it was sturdy. "You'll get there," he affirmed, sounding surer than Luffy was.
"Grandpa," the old man's eyes flitted from his temple to meet his eyes.
"Hm?"
"I don't think so."
The old man snorted. Not a humorous sound, but a laugh all the same. "Oh?"
Luffy said nothing, looking out at the sea once more. A small part of him expected his grandfather to pull him up and force him to 'get back in there', or do some bizarre training until he went back on his words. But Luffy was certain if the old man tried rather than fighting his way back to overconfidence, he would simply shatter on the spot.
"You're giving up?" Garp said, "You?"
Luffy said nothing, turning his head away from the man as if he could hide from the conversation. Leave it to Garp to cut to the root of it. The old man had never exactly coddled them.
"Is that so?"
"…."
"Well then, what are you doing here, kid? You made it an awful long way to die on this beach."
Garp had brought him here. Luffy hadn't asked to be saved. Although he knew it was pointless to say it, arguing with his gramps always gave him a headache.
"Tell me, Luffy, what were you trying to do?" He felt calloused fingers grab his chin, forcing Luffy to turn his head back from the ocean so his gaze met the old man.
"Well, kid, look me in the eye and say it. Tell me you are done, and I'll believe it."
Luffy brought his hand up to his grandfather's, trying to get the old man's hand off his face. He felt more trapped by the gentle touch than when those marines had kept him in that black room. He felt his nose sting; he felt his chest ache, and those stupid tears spill down his cheeks again.
"I-" his throat was sore; it was hard to get the words out.
"Say what you really mean."
Luffy looked up into the man's weary eyes, feeling very small and breakable in comparison. "They killed it," he said, closing his eyes as he sniffed. "They killed Lizard… I couldn't save 'im!"
"Hmp." Garp let him go, wiping Luffy's nose with his sleeve. "Don't mistake sorrow and hopelessness, Luffy. Plenty of soldiers go that was. Make that mistake and you're going to lose long before the battle is over."
Luffy sniffed again, keeping his eyes closed as he asked the question he had really wanted to say but was too scared of the answer. "Did he kill them?" his voice was small, timid, nearly undecipherable, but Garp heard him all the same.
"Hmm," the man said again, seemingly satisfied. "So that's it. You were going after your brothers. Some things don't change, do they, little grandson?"
"Did he?"
"What do you think?"
"I don't know."
Garp's eyebrow raised. "No?"
Luffy shook his head.
"Then what are you doing here?" Why did he keep asking that? "You're still here, going after them? And you say you don't know."
"Do you?"
"I saw the same thing you did," Garp told him.
Luffy sniffed. "Are they okay?"
"You seem to think so. Otherwise, what would you be doing here?"
"Tell me!" Luffy insisted.
"Tell you what? Why don't you find out for yourself? You've done most of it already."
"I don't know how," he admitted, feeling fresh tears burn in his eyes. "I don't know where to look." They were just gone.
Garp regarded him for a moment. "But you're still looking… you're crying, but you seem to be the only one. I thought you made more faith in Ace."
Ace had never let Luffy down before. But he had also never failed to come when Luffy needed him. And he needed him now. So where was he? Both of them knew it was odd for Luffy to be here crying all by himself. Usually Ace was here, one fist for Luffy for not being tough, and another for whatever had caused the tears.
"Don't rely on other people to make your choices for you. I thought you knew that."
Leave it to his grandfather to sneak in the lecture all the same. Even right now, when everything was slipping away from him, Luffy felt a spark of anger. "I do."
The man just made a noise, not believing him, but not pushing the point. "Well, I suppose if you have to lean on someone, Ace is probably fine. He is used to taking your weight. Just for right now, all right, you need to learn how to stand on your own legs, Luffy."
Luffy had heard that one before. Many times. He should be mad, that after everything, his grandfather was worried about him being 'too dependent on others,' like Luffy had chosen this somehow. But rather than anger, he felt relief that even in the middle of hell, when everything was going wrong, Garp was there with a band-aid and a lecture for him. Like this was just another day. Like Luffy had a future to shape.
"You know," Garp said, regarding him carefully. "Ace put a lot of faith in you. They both did. You were gone a while. And no one knew where you were or what was happening. Your brothers were looking for you for months and months without fail."
Luffy looked up at him, clumsily wiping his cheek with his hand. He already knew that.
"They had a lot of faith in you. For a long time. I bet there were days they doubted you were still there waiting for them."
Luffy shifted, understanding what his grandpa was going to say.
"But you never gave up, did you? You never lost faith in them just because it took a while, or you were tired of trying."
"It's not like that."
Garp ignored him. "I'm not telling you what to do. I'm just telling you what I see. And you seem like you have already decided who you're putting your faith in."
His grandfather made it sound so simple, so easy. But it wasn't. It was tough- tougher than Luffy had been. Even now, he didn't know if he physically could. Getting up and keeping going felt like climbing an enormous mountain. But it was useless to say because he already knew what his annoying grandpa would answer with, 'You don't know until you try.'
Luffy looked up at the man, his brow furrowed. "You're annoying."
The man snorted. "Least I'm not a quitter."
"I am NOT!"
The old man's eyes went towards the path back to the fighting, narrowing ever slightly. He held out his hand to Luffy, not taking no for an answer as he grabbed his bruised wrist, forcing him onto unsteady feet. Luffy grabbed the man's sleeve to steady himself.
"Listen Luffy, because I am only going to say this once. The law is unforgiving and unbreaking. In order to keep the peace, it cuts through every obstacle in its way. This time, that was you. I don't pretend to agree with the decisions the government makes, but I stand by my choices, no matter how hard it gets. Do you understand?" Luffy shook his head and Garp sighed, raising his thumb to stroke Luffy's cheek. " And it gets really hard sometimes, kid. You know that now. I wanted better for you. All of you. But it's your life, Luffy, not the governments, not your fathers, not Ace's, and not mine. So live it how you want. See it through to the end."
That was a new one. Part of Luffy thought he must have too much blood in his ears and misheard. But the next second, Garp dropped his hand and stepped away, facing the left side of the island.
"Real men stick with the decisions they make, Luffy, finish what you started, as far as you can go, and you will have your answer."
Luffy rested his hand on the rock wall to steady himself, his legs shaking underneath him. All of him felt shaky and cold, but he had one answer. He could still stand- for now- and if he could stand, then he could probably walk. Whatever that cotton candy-haired person had given him was still flooding through his veins. He still felt the adrenaline, even if just a bit.
"LUFFFY!"
Surprised, Luffy looked up, past his grandfather at the thin strip of sand that separated the rocky walls of the hold from the sea. It curled past his view but the sound had been unmistakable.
"LUFFFY!" another voice called out, deep and gravelly.
"KID!"
Thatch. Luffy looked at his grandfather, who had positioned himself between Luffy and the pirates. The old man looked back at him. "Their pirates, I am a marine, you thought- you're not anything. You are free to go whichever way you want."
"Luffy!"
Thatch- the man was still looking for him. Luffy felt guilt well up in his chest. None of what Luffy had told him had been taken to heart. He had never wanted Thatch to save him. He had never expected Thatch to save him. So why was the man so obsessed with it? Luffy's grandfather, as annoying as he was, was making a lot of sense.
But now… Luffy loved Thatch. He didn't want him to be sad. But he knew the man would try to stop him again, hold him back from what he wanted.
He took a step back, his shoulders pushing against the rock wall behind him. He didn't want them to fight. He didn't want his grandfather messing with his friend. But he knew better than to go up against Garp, and he knew if Thatch grabbed him, it would be over. So he stayed there, torn between his options as the voices grew nearer. Close enough for him to recognize the others.
There was Thatch, Sparkles, the one with pretty hair, and a lot of unfamiliar voices. Luffy had figured Thatch would try to come after him, but as they got closer he was surprised by just how many friends Thatch had.
"LUFFY!" Thatch yelled in relief as he and the others drew closer, the man's eyes immediately landing on him. "Thank God you are okay!"
"Come here, Kid!"
"Don't touch him!"
"Shit, that's Vice Admiral Garp."
"Get away from him!" Sparkles growled at his grandfather. "Slowly."
Garp turned to Luffy, his brow quirked as if asking, 'You going with them?'
Luffy looked out at the group, at Thatch, whose tired eyes were full of hope and anxiety, locked squarely on him.
And Luffy pushed back into the rock, his feet neither wanting to leave nor head back. Going towards Thatch was a big unknown. He trusted his friend implicitly. But that was a lot of people and a very large captain whose actions were unaccounted for. Luffy couldn't imagine the headache. His shoulders tensed just thinking about it. They would try to touch him, poke him with needles, and ask him a million questions. They might even stick a ton of doctors on him if they thought he was bad. Luffy shivered at the thought.
The pirates were quick to go after Garp, as they swarmed him like angry bees in a hive. Of course, Luffy's grandfather was more than up for the challenge. Despite being fifteen on one, Luffy was mostly worried his grandfather would end up trying to throw Thatch in jail. He didn't want that. But try as he might, he couldn't seem to get his feet to move.
"Luffy," Thatch said, careful to avoid the all-out brawl on the beach. He skirted around the group, heading towards him.
Before Luffy could blink, Garp was there, seemingly slipping away from the others faster than the wind he charged Thatch, pushing him back. Thatch was ready, raising a gun towards him and pulling the trigger without mercy. Luffy flinched, even as Garp laughed.
"I expected better from the Whitebeards."
"Back at you, Vice-Admiral," Sparkles hissed. "What were you going to do to him?"
"Mind your own damn business."
"Luffy!" Thatch tried again, holding his hand out to him. "Come on! It's okay."
Sparkles came around again, his body hardening into diamonds as he attacked Garp with a throw that could shatter bones. His grandfather deflected easily, driving the man into the ground, pinning him there with a firm boot as he twisted around, grabbing the wrists of two swordsmen and spinning them around with enough force that their feet momentarily left the ground as they were pushed back.
It was violent and getting more so by the second. Pathetic as it was- they were scaring Luffy. He was sick of this, of all of this.
He watched with wide eyes, remembering the anger on Sparkle's face as he tried to kill Ace, the anger when the small one had accused Sabo. There was real hate there. The same hate they were giving his grandfather. The same hate they would show him if they had the chance?
He looked back at Thatch, wondering how many times he would have to repeat himself before it stuck- and Luffy shook his head.
He heard the man call after him, once again blocked by his grandfather. But Luffy's body was moving for him. Using the sharp rocks like a crutch, he turned away, putting one foot over the other, he made his way away from all the craziness, towards the other end of the cove- towards the silence.
Above him, towards one of the base's lookouts, he noticed a column sticking out of the side, no more than a couple dozen meters above his head. A flag was mounted on it, ragged and singed now. It beckoned him and, without ever considering if he could do it, Luffy felt himself move. Praying he had one good stretch left, he extended his arms towards it, holding the cold stone like a lifeline. He felt the moment of friction as the force caught up to him before refracting, as his arms snapped back. He shut his eyes, ignoring the burning of his injuries as what was left of his stitches burst. His feet left the ground as he shot upwards, nearly smashing into the poll as he was launched up past it, his whole body spinning in a free fall dozens of feet up in the air.
The sky above him spun in a dizzying blue and for a second he felt weightless, finally finally above it all. Everyone looked so small beneath him. Then the next second the world tilted, and he felt himself fall back down, black spots threatening to overtake his vision. He reached up towards the sky as he fell, but nothing reached out and grabbed him.
He hit the ground hard.
Darkness mingled with the bright sky, twisting above him like a kaleidoscope. He lay there for a long moment, going in and out of it without managing to get a hold of himself.
He had run from Thatch again. They were fighting his grandfather. Luffy didn't know which side he was supposed to be helping, so instead he had just helped himself.
His head was bleeding again. He felt that familiar wetness spread through his hair.
His friend was dead-
His grandfather didn't think Luffy was done-
His grandfather didn't think his brothers were dead-
Apparently neither did Luffy-
After all, everything he had been through, he was still here, wasn't he? All the way from his little island to laying, somewhere on the base, staring up at the sky. It did seem silly to give up now, after everything. Even if it was the most logical move by far.
His friend had died protecting him, not so he would just close his eyes and give up.
It still hurt a lot. Everything felt like a painful, fresh wound in his heart. He was dying. But he wasn't dead yet. And he hadn't gone as far as he could go, not just yet.
It wasn't all or nothing. He didn't have to be the pirate king, or go on all these amazing adventures, or be the strongest on the seas.
But right now, he was free. And that would have to be enough.
Feeling his broken bones shift, the blood drying on his face, Luffy pushed himself up. Lizard had told him that maybe in the next life, he would come back as a Sea king. Luffy didn't want that. He didn't want another life- this one was proving to be tricky enough. But he did want to be someone else. Someone stronger, or if he couldn't have that, then at the very least, someone who gave up easier. Weak and relentless was a bad combination. But more than anything, he wanted to be someone who cared less. He didn't want to feel like this, and yet be so unable to do anything against it. And right now, when he could hardly breathe without his lungs screaming, he didn't want to care so damn much about everyone else. But he did. So much so that he wanted to keep going for them. He felt those threads that connected him to everyone pulling him now like a puppet. No matter how thin or far away some might be. They tugged at him relentlessly.
So Luffy stood up, never giving up if it took one or five tries. When he stumbled, he pushed himself back up. Half crawling to the cliff to look over it.
The beach was below him. But he couldn't see the others down there. Maybe he had been tossed further than he thought, or maybe they had left. He felt a sting at his betrayal. He wasn't being fair to Thatch. But then again, there was no such thing as fair in a pirate's world.
When at last he pulled himself up, heading back inland, he wondered where he was supposed to look. He didn't think he could bear to go back to that smoldering wave of lava. But where else was there?
Garp was right, Luffy wasn't being fair to Ace either. Since when had this ever been about Luffy trying to find his brothers? He had it backward. They would come to him. That was the deal. They were busy right now, doing the stuff Luffy didn't have the strength to do . It wasn't his job to track them down. He was just meant to hang on until they came for him. And he was doing a really shitty job.
He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath, trying to calm his hammering heart. There was so much bad out there. He felt it. Greif, despair, blood lust, hatred, envy- all of it flooded into his head, now stronger than ever. There were people down there, people like sharks- as HE had been. Those dark, twisted things that fed on cruelty.
He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, trying not to get drawn into it or else he would remember too much and lose control of his breathing. So Luffy held on to the other stuff. The feeling of needing to protect someone, the love, and the comradery he also felt. And- it was more than that. There was something warm- familiar and-
A noise startled him as he opened his eyes, turning around.
One of the marines had wandered up to the lookout ledge. He was a mess. Blood splattered his clothing and his face was full of tears. He seemed to be talking to himself, muttering into his hands. Clearly, the battle was not going well for him.
Luffy tilted his head, recognizing the man. It was the guy with the teddy bear. The one who had given him the button. Well, it had been a full stuffed bear first, before that stupid demon man had burnt it to a crisp. Now it was just two halves of a broken button eye that Luffy had been forced to hide in his cheek for like a whole two days. But he had already decided not to tell the man that part.
The marine seemed scared, hyperventilating as he ran his fingers through his hair desperately.
Luffy had been there. He bet giving the button- well, what was left of it- back would help. Remind the marine of his little daughter whom he loved. Feeling a little better at the idea of at least being able to return this, even if he couldn't return Boshi, Luffy started towards him.
"Hey, you." His voice was too soft after everything it had been through. The man didn't even hear him. Regardless, Luffy reached into his pocket, pulling both halves of the button out. "Hey!"
The man's back was to him.
"Hey!" Luffy said around, reaching out to poke his shoulder.
"NO!" The cry ripped from the man as he whirled around, panic in his eyes, ready to fight or flight in an instant. Simultaneously, Luffy felt a firm shove to his chest as he was pushed back a step. The button was knocked from his fingers, both halves falling to the ground.
Luffy's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked up at the man's furious face. What had he done? The man seemed to register Luffy's face in the same instant as their eyes locked, and his fury melted into surprise and then horror as he recognized him.
"No," the words were soft at first, but quickly gathered strength as he realized what he had just done. "No, no, no, no, no, NO!"
For a second, Luffy felt incredibly light, disconnected from everything, even as the blood began to pound in his ears, cutting out the man's chant. Then he felt gravity return with a vengeance as his knees gave way.
The man moved, reaching out with one hand to steady him, the other still clutching his sword. Luffy's confusion grew as he realized something was wrong, his eyes tracing the marine's sword.
Luffy brought his hand up shakily to his chest, feeling the blood stemming outwards. They both looked down at the same time. The broad sword had stabbed him right through the chest. Sinking through Luffy like he was one of those straw practice dummies.
Luffy blinked, his foggy brain too slow to make the connection of what had happened. The man was much quicker. Unable to take the sight, he flinched back; the sword moving with him.
Luffy hadn't felt it stab him, but he felt this. He felt the metal move against him, scraping and vibrating every bone he had as it was withdrawn tortuously slowly, and with it, it felt like the last of his energy bled out.
He tried to yell, but only a soft huff escaped him. With nothing holding him up, he fell to his knees, the world shifting around him.
"Oh NO!" the man said, finally getting ahold of himself. "No-no-no! I'm sorry. Kid! You're okay, you're okay!"
The man's voice went in and out, as the sky around him seemed to get bluer. He felt his hands uselessly pressing against his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. Off in the distance, he heard the Sea Kings start to sing. And all around him was the ocean, glimmering like treasure as it beckoned him, growing steadily closer and closer.
The ocean was vast, spanning out from all directions. As far as Luffy could go, and he would find his answer.
It bothered him now. He really believed it too. The stories, the One Piece, the adventures, and all the amazing stuff that those waters were hiding. An amazing journey, stretching and twisting beyond the horizon. Filled with the wonders of the world. All they had to do was look.
The adventure was waiting for someone somewhere. Luffy could see the start of it, from the end of his.
And it looked amazing!
XXX
I'm expecting some hate mail after this one.
(I'm sorry guys).
Hang on a lil bit longer, I promise I have a plan. Even if it's not what you wanted.
So I think there is a little of One Piece philosophy clashing here. That classic Garp parenting, which makes it impossible for Luffy to understand Thatch's more standard 'I'm actually protecting you'. Say what you will about both of them, but one ends with Luffy safe and unhappy, and the other ends up with….
I'm no Garp basher. I love that guy, but he is definitely the grandparent of four very independent, crazy, badass people and not four well-adjusted normal members of society. But either way, he was probably one of the few people who could have shaken Luffy out of his grief, and said what he needed him to hear.
I know my other FF updates are late, and I promise I will get to them. But with this story so close to its peak (after many years) and I am probably going to wrap up these last two or three chapters before getting back to the other ones.
Hopefully, everyone has a nice long weekend, (I'm off on Canada day). I really needed it, I survived a week of my swift water rescue course. I am a certified badass now. I can now say I survived getting swept down the river when I didn't make the back Eddie, and going up and under the rapid water while giving a thumbs up to my hot British search and rescue instructor as he lazily paddled after me in a kayak explaining what I did wrong. I figured we could wait for dry land for the speech, but apparently not.
Was I the best in the class? No…. definitely not. I thought five years of lifeguarding and swim team would eventually kick in as I floated down my second rapid. It did not. Was I the best girl in the class? Yes- yes, I was. Was I the only girl? Also yes. Do I have the most shin bruises? Oh by far. Sometimes it's good to be number one at something. Did one of the dudes try to hit on me when I was saving him. Unfortunately. Did someone else fasten my dry suit too tight and then say, "Aw, sorry, don't want to choke you while we still have our clothes on." The joys of working up north in male-dominated fields you guys.
The moral of the story is always wearing your life jacket! Even on dry land. You don't ever take that thing off kids! Because somewhere, somehow a river is out there, waiting to eat you.
Next update is on the way. Hang in their guys! It gets better.
XXX
Eternal She-Wolf : Hopefully this one wasn't too rough for you! Yes! Luffy is a tough egg to figure out, especially right now. A lot of people aren't quite handling him right, even with great intentions! Luckily Luffy's family understands him well enough!
That is going on here as well. That clash of ideals. (Like normal vs The Monkey family), but I think you got it exactly!
Yes! As seen with the others, Luffy is very reluctant to trust new people right now. I like the monster idea but I think Ace is all right with being a monster, just not his specific brand of Gol D. Roger, he just needs acceptance from the WB's, and all will be well.
(It was Garp )
Yes! Luffy is quite hostil to everyone right now, while still being a cinnamon bun. He is too tired to give people the usual chances. They will be very understanding when we get there! Knowing he was gone through it.
No, unfortunately not. When I update on AO3, I also edit the old chapter (because it really needs it), and re-update on both sites, so it takes like forty-five minutes per chapter. And since I have like seventy chapters to go, plus five ff stories, and three real life stories, and a blog- and a full time job, finding the time is quite the challenge right now. But I really want to get better at it, and once I catch up there should be no problem!
94Insane: I know! I'm sorry. Hang in there. Lizard lived a good life! This was unfortunately the end of it. He originally had a much smaller part, but I liked him so much he got a whole lil story arc. But he died defending his home.
TatsuyaShiva4: I don't know if the moral is quite that linear. Sometimes bad things happen without a reason. How you chose to move on is up to the individual. It's more about the journey : )
Shandar1: Luffy will not die! I know the chapters keep saying differently. But he will make it through! Just hang on for a bit longer. And no, haha, Ace is not going to have to take over for him. (Thankfully I live on the north coast, where it rains so freaking much here we aren't all too worried about the fires. But yes, they are bad right now! Thank you for your concern.)
Wishfull-star: Garp to the rescue! More on all of that next time. Stay safe as well!
Nancy2239 : Aww thank you.
I'm not crying you arethank you so much for the update this made my day️️️️️️love it
Hinamori-chan21: Aww, thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Chapter 70 is so close! And I will do my best to shoot through it. (Why thanks. I love my job! Those suckers are paying me to hike around a lot outside and outsmart birds! It's such a dream to a biology nerd like me.) You English is perfect.
Byebye!
eri1325: Why thank you. I will absolutely continued the woods run red, the next chapter is mostly done. Tail of the Sea too. But I think I am going to get this story past the climax before I go to my regularly scheduled program.
Irene Sharda: Aw man, I wish. I like to think that's happening off-screen. Luffy gets all the attention this chapter. I would love to have a psychology of Luffy podcast. He is so unique.
Tinajp: Lizard :'(
That's very sweet to hear. Hopefully, this one wasn't too sad. Things will get better! It's really fun to write a story pushing Luffy's limits further than the anime. (While also kind of not).
Happy birthday!
Urutiyori: Hello my friend! Yes, he is already doing it, I don't know how obvious I made it but two chapters ago, where Luffy 'drowns' and see's his reflection smiling at him the: "I like you, you make me laugh," was that. I will go pretty deep into it in the next couple of chapters. It will be a plot point. One that's going to freak Marco out so bad. (I can't wait). Thank you for being the first to ask, because I am quite excited about it.
evelynromano0808: Poor Luffy indeed!
LunaDaUni: Haha, oh man, that's a good question. In my heart of hearts, I am hoping no more than 30. But this story gets away from me. But I am truly and honestly shooting for a 100 max! Because oh my goodness, there are so many things I should be doing instead of fanfic writing!
Mel72000: This is true! And one of the points I'm shooting for. As sad as he is, Luffy will end up happier at the end with both of his brothers still with him!
Rose Narcissus: I know how much you guys want Shanks. But he likes to be fashionably late. Luffy needs a lot of cuddles.
VayNami: Luffy will do his best! As always I promise! Now Ace just needs to do his part.
MorningStar: Hello friend. I think part of the fun with fanfic is knowing you are going to work within the bounds of the cannon, while still seeing how far you can stretch it. So I promise everyone will survive (unless they suck lol).
I do like discussing stuff with people so here we go : )
So humbling was an interesting choice of words. It might not have been the right one, but I am sticking with it. I eventually need this divergent story to align with the cannon and to do that Luffy needs to realize the strength of the world he plans to go against and feel the fear of not being strong enough to protect the ones he loves so he never has to go through this again. Which is what is happening right now. Luffy didn't do anything to deserve this, (neither in this story nor the canon). It's not a matter of being cocky or having a swelled head. I meant it in the sense of loving baseball, and going to a baseball game and watching how much better the pros play, and realizing you still have quite a long way to go. It's not a bad thing, nor something he brought upon himself. But either way, he saw how strong everyone was compared to him (even though it was incredibly unfair) and he realizes he still has a way to go if he is going to challenge them again. That's all : )