Chapter 59

The freest man in the world

"Ace, Luffy. One day we'll go to sea, we'll leave this kingdom! And we'll be free!"

Luffy slowly opened his eyes. Lying on the damp ground of the forest, the sun dazzled him and it took him a few moments to remember where he was. Sabo's sentence still resonated in his head despite all these years and today even more than usual, it had a particularly bitter flavor.

The pirate blinked but refused to move further. Exhausted by grief, he had finally fallen into sleep but the shadow of his brothers hadn't left him. He was in pain and all the tears in the world didn't seem to soothe the hurt that was crushing his heart.

"By drinking this cup of sake, starting today, we are brothers!"

Luffy felt tears fill his eyes again. He missed Sabo every day and imagining adding Ace to that absence was unbearable. Fate had taken his brothers from him and he was helpless. Each time, incapable of saving those for whom he had sworn to give his last breath in exchange for their lives.

"A-Ace… I wanna become stronger so… so I can protect the ones I love! I don't wanna lose anyone again! Please, Ace, I'm begging you… Promise me you'll never die!"

Luffy closed his eyes again and tears slipped silently down his cheeks. He was still that crybaby, weak kid that Sabo had asked Ace to protect. He wasn't strong enough; he never had been. He had put his whole heart into it but his enemies were countless and he was alone.

"It's okay to mourn your brother but you can't forget your crew. Everyone is waiting for you."

In the midst of his pain, Luffy opened his eyes, his heart beating a little faster in his chest despite himself.

Zoro. Nami. Usopp. Sanji. Chopper. Robin. Franky. Brook. Malek.

His crew.

No, he wasn't alone. As his journey progressed, he had met amazing people who had agreed to accompany him on the most dangerous sea in the world because they believed in him and his dream. Exceptional human beings who each possessed fabulous qualities and gifts. The straw hat boy knew that he could count on all his companions to defeat those who stood in their way. They were here for him as he was here for them. They were a team. A family.

So he wasn't alone and he still had a reason to want to improve. To protect them. He couldn't give up because he needed to become stronger for them. So that they could make their dreams come true at the same time as he would achieve his own. With his crew, they would overcome all obstacles because if one of them were to fall, the others would be there to catch him. Like today.

"Sabo died before knowing freedom. We are brothers and we're alive. So listen, Luffy, we must live without regrets. We'll go to sea one day and we'll live as we please. We'll be the freest people in the world!"

Luffy slowly stood up and shook off his hat covered with dirt before placing it on his head.

For Sabo. For Ace. For his crew.

For them, he would become better. He was lucky to be alive thanks to his friends and this gift was priceless. So he had to enjoy every moment and every second.

For them, he would be the King of the Pirates one day. The freest man in the world. To cherish the memory of his brothers. To continue to keep their dreams alive even if they were no longer by his side to taste them with him. He would continue to fight. Because as long as he was alive and he remembered them, those he loved would never completely disappear.

The Straw Hat Pirates were trying to keep busy and prepare as best they could in anticipation of the inevitable confrontation that they would soon face despite the absence of their captain. The atmosphere was heavy and everyone mechanically checked their weapons and stock in an unusual silence on the deck. Eyes only turned towards the sea to check that no Marine flag appeared and on the first mate of the crew who was polishing his swords in a corner of the ship. With the same fear.

Zoro hadn't said a word since he returned but no one was naive enough to believe that the fencer would change his mind regarding his previous decision. As the hours progressed, his crewmates feared the moment when he would open his mouth to pronounce an irrevocable sentence. The noises had stopped in the forest for a while, but the straw hat boy didn't show up. Everyone prayed that they wouldn't reach this dramatic end. They wanted to believe in their captain.

This is why when Luffy's figure suddenly appeared on the deck in mid-morning, his appearance as much as his face obscured by his straw-hat surprised his friends more than it relieved them. It didn't stop Nami from immediately rushing into his arms though.

"You came back!"

Her voice breaking because of the emotion, the young woman hugged him tightly. Yet he remained frozen and she quickly looked up to examine him, her gaze full of tears. Luffy had dark circles around his eyes and his face was haggard. He was covered in scratches and his clothes were torn and stained with dirt. But it was his immobility and silence more than his wounds that really worried the navigator. Luffy wasn't known for this defeated look and it actually betrayed all the suffering that was still within him.

Nami ran her hand over his cheek to caress his pale skin with her fingertips then gently placed her lips on his other cheek, overwhelmed.

"I'm so sorry, Luffy…"

Her captain's arms slowly moved up to wrap around her waist and he finally raised his head. His gaze then met that of his first mate sitting on the railing of the Sunny and he made an imperceptible movement of his head in his direction. Zoro nodded back and Luffy returned his attention to the rest of his crew.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, guys."

Hearing his words, his friends seemed to relax and Usopp immediately played along. "Hey, don't worry about it. We wanted to take on these Marines alone but we figured you'd be happy if we left you one or two."

"L-Luffy!" The straw hat boy lowered his head at the same time as the navigator in his arms to see the little reindeer clinging to his captain's leg, his eyes brimming with tears. "I-I didn't know how to h-help you… I-I'm sorry, Lu-Luffy!"

The latter placed a reassuring hand on his hat, a smile on his lips. "Don't worry, Chopper. I'm better now."

"It's good to see you, Captain," Franky agreed.

Luffy nodded in his direction and Brook took a step forward before bowing deeply. "I offer you my deepest condolences. I realize that I didn't know him much, but know that I stayed up last night in honor of the great pirate that was Fire Fist Ace and that I composed a ballad in his memory."

"Thanks, Brook."

"We're all mourning the Second Commander of Whitebeard's fleet and if you'd like to pay your respects at his grave, Malek and I think we can locate where Red Hair Shanks had him buried alongside the man he considered his father," Robin told him.

"Shanks was there?" The straw hat boy was surprised and the archaeologist nodded. "He intervened to put an end to this war. He also asked to dispose of the bodies in order to be able to pay them a final tribute with dignity."

Luffy nodded slowly. "I'm glad Ace is buried with this old man. He really liked this guy, he thought he would be the King of the Pirates even though I kept telling him it'd be me. I think he'd have been pleased."

"Would you like us to look for this island?" Malek suggested, "We have come to the conclusion that it must be Whitebeard's native island because he cared deeply about it, but we don't know exactly where it is yet…"

His captain shook his head firmly. "I don't need to go there to think about Ace. I'll go when I become King of the Pirates to show him that I haven't forgotten what we promised each other with Sabo. We wanted to be pirates to be free."

A more serene silence stretched over the Sunny until Luffy glanced out to sea before looking at his friends, frowning. "Where are we anyway? And what happened to those Marine guys?"

Still pressed against him, Nami shook her head. "We're on a small uncharted island that I followed when we escaped."

"You passed out after the Vice-Admiral showed us those awful images," Chopper reminded him sadly.

"That bastard wanted to take advantage of it but Zoro-bro took care of him," Franky continued.

At these words, the straw hat boy turned towards the fencer. "You kicked his ass, Zoro?" He asked. His eyes were bright with excitement.

"Not exactly." The man muttered while pointing to his injured leg, "He was really tough."

"All the officers on the island ganged up on us and we had to flee," Usopp grimaced.

"Our dear swordsman had to shorten his fight to join us," Brook continued.

"This Vice-Admiral chased us and sent all his troops after us but Nami lost them at sea," Malek added.

"We were lucky. A storm started behind us and slowed down their ships," the navigator said, "I was able to observe the last clouds just now and we also recovered some pieces of boats."

"That explains why they're still not here," Luffy understood.

"I don't think you realized it at the moment but there is one important thing you need to know, Captain." The straw hat boy and the entire crew instantly turned towards the archaeologist who was observing him. "What did you find, Robin?" He asked her.

"Upon hearing the news of your brother's death, you released considerable energy. Conqueror's Haki to be more precise."

"Oh yeah! It was downright crazy!" The cyborg remembered.

"That's right, it swept everyone away!" Usopp added.

"Except for that Vice-Admiral bastard," Zoro grumbled.

"It was an extraordinary power," Brook confirmed. "Most of the people fainted."

"Do you remember it, Luffy?" The little reindeer asked. The straw hat boy looked at him for a moment before tilting his head to the side as if to help himself think better. "I don't," he admitted after a while. "I don't really know what happened anymore…"

"These are probably your emotions," Malek chimed in. "Because of the shock, you no longer controlled them and they released this unconscious force."

"We know now that your power is about feelings; it is very interesting," Robin pointed out.

Luffy stared at them for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders. "If you say so. But even more important, I need to train myself to be able to use it now!"

"The easiest way would be to find some sort of master to teach you how it works," Usopp suggested.

"At least we know that you can trigger this type of Haki and since it's the rarest, you can surely activate the other two more easily," Franky pointed out to him.

"There are many avenues to explore," Brook agreed.

At this moment, Luffy felt the navigator flinch in his arms and he immediately looked up at her figure facing the horizon. "What's wrong, Nami?"

"They-They found us."

The crew turned in the direction the young woman was pointing and, in the distance, everyone could observe several Marine frigates looming on the horizon. Usopp grabbed his binoculars. "I count five ships. There are fewer than yesterday but a good part survived the storm," he summarized after a few seconds through gritted teeth.

"Is the Vice-Admiral with them?" Zoro wanted to know, his hand on the hilt of his swords.

"I don't see him."

"We're not gonna run away this time." Breaking away from the navigator's embrace, Luffy walked to the Sunny's railing. He then raised the brim of his straw hat further to better stare at the enemy boats which were growing and crossed his arms across his chest decisively. "This is my chance to see if I can still trigger this Haki or another one."

Behind him, his crew nodded firmly, ready for battle. The captain was back, and with him all their determination.

"Gum-Gum Pistol!"

Luffy's elastic fist flattened the officer who had had the misfortune to be in the wrong place on the frigate which was speeding towards the docked pirate ship. Indeed, the Marine boats hadn't yet reached the Sunny when the straw hat boy had decided to launch hostilities with renewed enthusiasm. This is how his attack soon turned into an onslaught of fists as he sent a devastating Gum-Gum Pistol Shotgun which struck down most of the Marines while digging huge holes in the deck of the lead ship.

Gathered around him, his crewmates were also having a blast, galvanized by their captain's energy.

"Two-Sword Style. Nigiri: Ripple!"

Zoro sent two blades of air that sliced the next ship up and down diagonally. The boat screeched horribly and part of the mast and hull cracked before breaking away. The swordsman repositioned himself to launch a new attack. He wasn't yet able to sink boats in one shot, but he had no doubt that he would with a little more training.

Next to him, Nami had activated her Clima-Tact.

"The weather is still stormy, this isn't over!" Black clouds immediately gathered in the sky above the enemy fleet and soon electricity charged the atmosphere. The navigator then sent a ball of energy which crackled above the third ship. "Thunderbolt Tempo!"

The officers on the boat were instantly struck by lighting and without missing a beat, Franky revealed a sight on his left hand before it detached itself from his arm to show a cannon intended to permanently pulverize their opponents.

"Weapons left!"

The projectile took away a large part of the ship's hull and the surviving officers began to scream as they saw their ship sink. The cyborg proudly put away his weapon to strike an enthusiastic pose. "Franky Super Army!"

"My turn; watch this!" Standing on the railing, Usopp aimed his slingshot towards the fourth ship, a confident smile on his lips. "Lead Star!" The gunner fired a volley of lead balls that struck his enemies at the speed of light, leaving them confused and stunned on the ground.

"Cien Fleur!" On his left, Robin closed her eyes and grew her arms all around the mast before using the strength of her combined limbs to tear it from the deck. Unable to prevent her, the officers who had escaped Usopp's attack saw their boat go out of control and drift.

Brook then focused on the remaining ship. "Nemuriuta Flanc!"

Using his blade as a bow on his violin, the skeleton's melody flew to his enemies who began to yawn before suddenly falling asleep. In his Heavy Point form, Chopper successively threw several tree trunks towards the opposing frigate and their speed deeply cut the hull. Not far from him, Malek shot his arrows one after the other, cutting all the ropes holding the sails and the boat's equipment, and thus destabilizing the officers' maneuvers to escape. In the end, he ignited one of his arrows on the tree that Chopper was about to launch thanks to Franky's Fresh Fire and the two projectiles combined ended up making the immobilized officer ship useless when it burst into flames in a few seconds.

A minute later, the members of the Straw Hat crew realized that victory was theirs and everyone congratulated each other warmly until a rustling of water from the other side of the Sunny made them quickly turn around. All their enthusiasm suddenly vanished when they discovered that the Vice-Admiral's ship had outflanked them and that their commander was staring at them grimly, his sword drawn.

Nami, Chopper and Usopp instantly yelped in terror and Luffy took a step forward, determined to meet the challenge. Vice-Admiral Momonga and his crew appeared to have also suffered from the storm and although he was still standing, the Marine officer had a large bandage on his chest and his ship's sails were torn in several places.

"Roronoa!"

Luffy paused and the swordsman beside him tensed up, his hand clenched on the hilt of his swords that he had just put away.

"Permission to finish my fight, Captain?" Zoro asked without taking his eyes off the Vice-Admiral.

"Zoro, you're hurt!" Chopper got immediately frightened.

"This guy masters Haki, it's risky," Franky agreed, frowning.

The swordsman ignored them, his attention entirely focused on the straw hat boy's response despite his gaze fixed on his enemy. Luffy took the time to observe him before also directing his attention to the Vice-Admiral who was towering over them from his immense ship.

In the end, he just nodded. "Permission granted. Make him eat dirt."

A predatory smile stretched the lips of his first mate who unsheathed his three swords at once, his gaze still riveted on that of his opponent. Zoro was going to keep his promise faster than expected and he was well aware that this time, one of them wouldn't get back up.

The duel has begun and there'll be a special chapter for this scene!

Next chapter, we'll be with Sanji.