His feet moved away from the encroaching waters, back peddling before the sea had a chance to touch his skin. Nika swallowed, throat tightening as he watched the waves retreat towards the mass of the ocean, his eyes trailing across the surface to take in the twisted features of his friend. She rode on the waves, her eyebrows scrunched, and lips drawn into a thin line as she gazed back at him. Her hair was a deep pink, darkened by the waters that weighed it down and made it cling to her bloodied face. The grip she had on her spear tightened, causing it to shift and reflect the setting sun that made her glow. Water clung to her, sliding down the ridges of her body in a near possessive grasp, binding her to the sea more strongly than before. Her punishment was his doing, even if unwittingly.

"She will know, Nika." Her voice was soft, gentle, as it carried in the breeze towards him, and he gave her a sad, knowing smile.

"I have a lot to do until then, there are more like you out there." He gestured down and her gaze shifted to follow. Because down towards the sea floor, where it should have grown darker with each meter, it only grew brighter. Nika looked behind him, taking in how the trees he stretched reached for the remaining light. "It's because I'm missing from her sight that she won't let you go. I'm-"

"Do not apologize in your mother's steed. It is her own fault for lacking such faith in you." His friend cut him off, her voice low, almost a whisper, as if she didn't want the waves to hear. Yet even with her low tone, her voice held the strength of her experience. Her attention was drawn to his twitching fingers, and she scowled, deep lines wrinkling her young face as she took in the sight of him.

"You have overexerted yourself again." The mermaid spoke as she swam as close as she could, observing how his limbs shook and his recovering powers were once again diminished.

"It was worth it. And now, you can be warm and hidden too." Nika paused, taking in a deep breath before hardening his resolve. "This won't be forever, I'll be back, and she should let go of you. And then, we can always go on that walk you wanted." He grinned at her, gesturing towards the lush grass of the resin island and the planes of the empty forest behind him.

Her hardened face relaxed gradually, smile turning up the corners of her lips. "We shall, and my people will follow onto the lands of your grandmother behind us" Abruptly, she straightened her back, face hardening once more as she raised her spear into the air, her blue eyes glowing with her strength. She projected her voice, the ocean shaking with the force of the creatures that came to her call. All still hidden, all still under the sea, but the tremors they made were widespread across the surface as they disappeared into the horizon.

"Today I declare! This gift shall not be forgotten, I swear this on my name!" She slammed the spear she held against her chest, the gold armor she wore echoing against it loudly as the water sloshed from the movement. The motion was repeated, and the drumming of her weapon drew attention. All around her, fishman and mermaids rose from under the water, breeching the surface with wide eyes as they watched their queen declare her promise. Fresh blood poured out from her wounds along her arms and chest, but she did not falter from her pain, seemingly gaining strength from it, as a reminder of their recent trials.

"Hear my voice!" And the very sea trembled at her call, every living being within it able to hear her words. "I Poseidon, vow that my descendants will know of your deeds, of the freedom you have granted us, and the promise to me that you shall keep!" She paused, staring him in the eye for a moment before giving the sea she swam in a hesitant glance. She grinned then, a sly, cunning upturn of her lips, and Nika felt his shoulders sag in relief when she continued.

"JoyBoy!"

He tilted his head back and laughed at her play, knowing his mother must have also been listening to Poseidon's declaration. And now, she would not know he was there. Nika nodded, his creation warming the skin of his face as he turned to walk away, hands raised in farewell.

Poseidon should have known what a terrible omen it was, to watch Nika leave with the setting sun.

xxx

Sabo laughed as he watched Ace chase Luffy around, Lucky in tow. His little brother was giggling uncontrollably, jumping over people in the crowd or stepping on their heads as a launch pad as he ran away. On the other hand, Ace was barreling through, knocking people down and quite literally steaming with anger as he called for Luffy. With a sigh, Sabo followed behind, apologizing to the disgruntled people of the underwater city as he kept up with their trail of destruction.

"Luffy no!"

Sabo looked away from the mermaid he was helping up and gaped. A barrel of cooking oil lay broken on the floor, and in the middle of the mess, Luffy sat bewildered. Ace used that opportunity to launch himself forward, hands firmly grasping around Luffy's wrist as he yelled. "Damnit Luffy! We're not supposed to draw attention to ourselves and look at what you did!"

Sabo and Lucky facepalmed simultaneously, both realizing that Ace yelling at the top of his lungs didn't exactly help the situation.

"It's fine! I always wanted to see this place!" Luffy wiggled and now, covered in oil, he slipped his arm out easily from the grip Ace had on him. It would have been hard to keep such a grip on normal skin, but given that Luffy was rubber it was now nearly impossible.

"Oh he's just as bad as when he was a squirt." Lucky sighed and took a final bite of his meat, bone and all. "I'll get him."

There was a rush of air, and when Sabo blinked his eyes open Lucky had vanished from his immediate sight. Surprise flashed across Sabo's face, head robotically turning just in time to see Lucky grab Luffy, hands covered in black and grip unrelenting as he hoisted Luffy up from under his arms. Ace's hair was still windblown from where Lucky had passed him, and he looked equally as confused as Sabo felt. He never thought that a man of that size would have been able to move so swiftly, not did he think that Luffy would have been so easy to catch.

"Woah! That was so cool! How'd you do that!? Wait owow that hurts!" Luffy's excited yell turned into a whimper as Lucky began pinching him, tight smile on his face as he looked at the troublemaker in his hands.

"You're such a brat! You really are the captain's kid!" Lucky's grin widened as Luffy stilled, his little brother stunned for a moment before a large smile overtook his features.

"Shishishi! Of course I am!" Luffy's smile was infectious, and Ace's bad mood was dissipating before Sabo's eyes; his brother's face relaxing and eyes turning into crests as he began to smile.

"How about we eat huh?" Lucky gestured towards the restaurant they were near and the barrel of cooking oil that had been destroyed from their antics. "The least we can do is give them good business."

Luffy nodded eagerly and when Lucky put him down, he didn't immediately run away. With a sigh of relief, Sabo quickly went over with his handkerchief, wiping his baby brother down and making sure he would at least be presentable to sit in the restaurant.

"Hey, why don't we go see the castle!?" Ace exclaimed as he showed them all a poster that displayed a king on steps that led to a massive door. Sabo blinked, surprised that Ace would offer something that could be considered educational. He was sure there had to be more.

Luffy hummed, twisting his head all the way around like an owl until he could see the looming palace in the distance. There was a shift in the air, one that he and Ace had grown used to over the course of the years, and they both simultaneously braced themselves to hear something they may not like. Lucky tensed next to them, either feeling the same thing or understanding their unconscious cues that something was about to happen.

"I guess we could." Luffy's voice was low, distant like the final hum of sound down a tunnel.

"Actually, we don't quite have time for that." Lucky spoke slowly, gesturing towards the sky and how the height of the day had long passed. "I told capt we would be back not too much longer after the sun sets. So that gives us just enough time to eat." He looked apologetic, and Luffy just shrugged, letting his head spin back around as he headed towards the doors of the restaurant. With a wave of his hand and a laugh, Luffy reassured them. "Don't worry it's fine! I rather eat anyways." As Sabo made to follow, he paused when little brother did, catching the way Luffy's eyes sparked as he took a final glance back towards the palace. "Besides, she's not awake yet."

Luffy entered without them, leaving Sabo and Ace stunned in place. Lucky bit his lip, looking them over before sighing. "I suppose that's worth mentioning to the boss?"

His question went unanswered for a moment, and when it was clear Ace wouldn't respond, Sabo did. "Yeah… Yeah I think so."

Lucky shrugged and smiled, "That's fine then. Let's hurry up and join him, I might even be able to tell you guys how I caught him too."

Ace perked up instantly, savage grin stretching across his face. "Deal!"

xxx

Shanks found himself in his cabin, staring blankly at maps and supply tickets, unable to comprehend anything that was written. His mind was far off, lost in the stories of his youth and the adventures of his captain, father. As glorious as those days were, there was also the bad that came with it. How he would stay up at night with Rayleigh stroking his hair, catching spots of dried blood that he missed when wiping himself clean. Or how he would be beaten in the streets before he knew how to fight, when he was too curious for his own good and ran away from his protectors to fulfill the sense of adventure he was seeking. His breath left him in a huff, lips pursing in thought as he wondered at what Luffy's life would be like. Would his own son watch men be beheaded so young? Or would he be caught and dragged away from him, branded a slave and denied his free will? Anxiety crept up his stomach, clawing its way up through his chest and settling in his throat, choking him. He remembered a time when he had been captured, the leers of disgusting men still made his skin crawl, his only respite being the memory of his captain beating his captors into oblivion.

Shanks shifted, scattering the papers away for another time. He never wanted Luffy to go through that, and now he wondered if his son was doomed to live on the run because of his decision.

"Benn," Shanks didn't look at his first mate as he spoke, choosing to stare blankly at his desk. The scratching of pen on paper didn't stop, but Benn hummed in acknowledgement that he heard.

"Did I mess up, letting Luffy use his powers?"

The scratching of the pen stopped abruptly, and Shanks chanced a look over at his friend. Benn was still focused on the paper in front of him but his pen was still, gripped tightly enough that his fingers turned white.

"I have two answers to that," Benn began as he leaned back and dropped the pen. His silver eyes flickered up at him, highlighted by the lone flame that let him write. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Shanks nodded without hesitation and Benn's tight lips quirked into a slight smile. "It was absolutely reckless to let him reveal his abilities, and for him to call his mother freely." Benn was blunt, voice monotone in his assertion even as Shanks winced like a scolded child.

"But there is some good that can come from it. Once others see how difficult it is to tear the sea child from his mother, they will slither away with only fantasies of glory." Benn's grin was cold, eyes shining with the thought of violence to those who would do them wrong. "The other answer," the silver eyed man raised his arm out, palm up and fingers splayed open as he gestured towards him. "Depends on you. And what you wanted for him."

Shanks chuckled and shook his head, red hair swaying into his vision. "I want what he wants. I want him to be free."

"Then that's all that really matters." Benn shrugged and picked up his pen once more, smiling when Shanks spluttered in disagreement.

"But is it? What if he wants something else later? I'm the adult don't I have to make better decisions than what we both want?"

"We're pirates, we do what we want." Benn grinned as he echoed the words Shanks spoke many times back to him, nearly laughing when Shanks growled in annoyance and pulled at his hair.

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Shanks blinked his frustrations away, taking in a deep breath before calling his subordinate in. "Yeah?"

At the same time, Benn leaned back in his chair, his face smoothing out into the perfect mask of placidity as the door to his chambers opened.

Yasopp stepped through, face nervous as he held a den den up towards him. "It's Garp."

Shanks paused, brows raising in surprise as he stared back at the snail, its features blank and bland, indicating a secure connection. He could understand the worries that Garp would have considering what he may have heard regarding the incident in Sabaody, but he hadn't expected a call. Garp was high enough in the chain of command to know whether or not someone of interest was killed or captured, which begged the question of why he would risk doing something like calling an emperor. Secure line or not. He motioned for Yasopp to give him the line after a moment of hesitation and scowled as he spoke.

"This better be damn good Gar-"

"Luffy's father is going to drop by." Garp cut him off, and whatever Shanks was expecting it hadn't been that.

"He didn't really tell me that he was going, but consider it a fatherly instinct." There was static in the line and Garp's groan of frustration hardly came through. "Just be on the lookout, it shouldn't be long." The line clicked closed and the snail in his hand went limp, returning to sleep without a chance to reconnect. Shanks stared blankly at it, trying to process what he was just told and how little information he was given. He glanced over at Benn who looked just as bewildered as he felt. His eyebrows were near his hairline and his drink was halfway to his mouth.

"How do you drop a bomb like that then just hang up!?" Shanks leaned back and groaned, blindly handing the den den back to Yasopp before taking another deep breath. His stress was already sky high, and he didn't need some man to come into his life and try to stir up trouble with his kid. "What's it matter that he comes anyways? He clearly never cared about Lu, so what difference does it make now?" Shanks scowled and sat forward, eyebrows scrunching as he tried to figure out the motivation for the sudden visit. Shanks knew nothing about Garp's son, but if he was anything like that lunatic it wouldn't go over well with him. That monkey didn't know the meaning of 'no', and if his kid tried to force Luffy away then Garp would end up burying his own son in no time.

"He knows where we are then," Benn spoke up with his mouth around a cigarette, fire flickering as he tried to get it to catch. Yasopp shifted, humming as he brought a hand to his chin, slowly beginning to nod his head in agreement.

"Yeah, I suppose that can't be ruled out. We are pretty hard to catch while moving though, but of course that's up to you boss."

Shanks groaned, rubbing his temples as he tried to think. It would be unreasonable of them to leave immediately; the kids were still out in town and his crew hadn't had enough time to properly restock or fix the Red Force.

"It's unfeasible for us to leave so abruptly," Benn took the thoughts out of his head and let out a long puff of smoke as he exhaled. "You've met Garp's son before, no?"

Shanks shook his head in denial. "No, and if I did, he wasn't memorable. Captain would usually talk about more serious matters with Garp without me or Buggy around. It was easier that way." He shrugged as he stood, rolling his shoulders and latching his cloak back on. Benn and Yasopp followed suit, ascending the stairs with him to the deck. The air was crisp, the rays of light that illuminated the island beginning to fade as the surface world began to welcome the night.

"Makes you wonder," Benn's voice came out with a cloud of frost, reminding Shanks just how cold the seabed was without the warmth of the surface to give it life.

"How does he know where we are? I somehow doubt Garp told him, knowing the relationship, or lack of one, that his biological father has with Luffy, why would he tell him where we are?" Benn's face scrunched, concentrating as if a particularly worrisome thought came to his mind. "Unless he always kept tabs on Luffy."

Shanks' scowl deepened further, lips pulling back in a sneer. "I doubt it. If he kept a baby alone on Dawn, why would he care now?"

Yasopp shifted uncomfortably next to him, and Shanks realized he may have hit a sore spot with his crewmate. "It's hard being near them," his sniper began, lips between his teeth as he stared up at the darkening seawater around them. "Just because Usopp never met me, didn't mean I didn't visit when I could."

Shanks and Benn paused, taking that for the hint and rebuttal that it was.

"Abandoning him didn't mean that I didn't care."

Shanks didn't get a chance to respond, hackles rising and haki flaring as a fast approaching being came into his purview. He turned, eyes zeroing in on the distant building where a man suddenly appeared, cloak flaring around him and face cast in shadows. Shanks hummed, drawing the attention of Benn and Yasopp as they followed his gaze, eyes sharp and deep as he glared. Any semblance of emotion was washed off his face as he stared at the figure of the revolutionary Dragon. He wanted to deny his initial thought, that this was the man that had claimed to be Luffy's birth father, but the timing was too suspicious. Garp must have known more than he let on, and Shanks was now caught off guard by the powerful figure before him.

He forced a smile, waving his hand forward with invitation for the man to step on his deck. And with the next breeze, Dragon materialized before him, like a sand dune forming on a breeze. The silence between them was staggering, only the far-off chatter of the town audible in the distance as neither breathed.

"You have my son." Dragon's voice was low, like the roll of a tide and the crunch of rock against a surf. It instantly reminded Shanks of the shore, and he idly wondered if this was one of the reasons the sea had been enamored with this man. Still, he wanted to deny it.

"And how does a god have a father that is so painfully human?" Shanks spoke with a smile, eyes flashing red as his haki begged to be ripped from his skin. Dragon didn't respond immediately, what he could see of his face impassive and flat, impossible to read.

"A curiosity that I could not answer." Dragon moved slowly, conveying his actions to be non-threatening as he pulled his cloak back from his head. The black hair that greeted Shanks was spikey and wild, windblown. His eyes were deep-set and narrowed, clouded by the horrors of injustice the world had to offer. "Another is the meaning of his birth. He is mine yes, but not truly."

Shanks blinked, mind screeching to a halt as his thoughts raced. Was Luffy adopted and abandoned again before he came around? He never said as such and Shanks figured he would have been in his son's good graces long enough to have been told.

"You're right to doubt my connection to him." Dragon leaned back against the railing, eyes trailing across the town to a particular spot where Shanks knew Luffy to be. He tensed, eyes narrowing even as Benn gave him a warning look. They couldn't make a mess of this place; they had promised the old man they wouldn't make a mess of his territory.

Shanks wanted an elaboration of what he meant, because surely it wasn't what his initial thoughts had led him to believe. "What-"

"I have a connection to him either way. He's still mine." Dragon cut him off without a care and looked back towards him, eyes nearly black and challenging. "He's still my son."

"Was," Shanks gritted out, teeth clenched and eyes darkening as he took a step forward. Benn's hand on his shoulder became his ground, but Shanks doubted Benn would hold him back if this man came back to claim the son he never wanted.

"All I remember is picking up and abandoned boy that loved to sit by the sea." Shanks grinned wide and cruel as he finally saw some emotion flash in Dragon's eyes. It was brief, but the pain had been there nonetheless.

"And even with that, you'll never see him as he is until he decides the time is right." Dragon didn't smile, didn't grin at his victory, but Shanks was smart enough to know that there was something he didn't know. A breeze kicked up, the air manipulated by something other than nature, a clue that Dragon had a power that was never supposed to be his. The green cloaked man pointed towards the town with a finger, eyes unfocused for a moment before he spoke.

"Can't you hear them, Red hair?" Dragon looked back towards him, using his other hand to gesture to the bubble of sea water they were surrounded by. "Don't you hear the drums?"

In the recesses of Shanks' memory, a god sat before him, white haired and grinning, laughing to the tune of his own heart.

"No, I supposed you couldn't." Dragon continued on, hand falling from where it had been pointing. His face was still featureless, but Shanks had the distinct impression that Dragon was smug.

"I chose what I thought best, and so did you. I'll be there for him when you cannot be, and if you care so much about him, pray that day never comes." Dragon looked back towards the town, mouth tightening into a flat line. "He's not yours."

Shanks felt his anger boil over, his eyes burning red as Dragon dissipated into nothing, riding on the winds. He stood there for a moment longer, body locked in rage before he knew what to do with himself. Shanks turned on his heel, teeth gritted and jaw clenched so hard he thought his bones would shatter. Benn and Yasopp followed behind, but whatever they had to say felt muted and far away, his anger blinding him to the noise of the outside world.

Once he was back in his quarters he ripped the den den off the table, hands shaking with effort as he tried to keep from breaking the delicate shell. Shanks called the last number, a harsh breath leaving him as he heard a resounding crack echo in the room. The dial tone filled with static, and Garp's mangled voice hardly managed to make it through.

"What the hell Garp!" He snarled, haki finally lashing out and blowing out the windows of his ship. Glass scattered outwards, a sharp wind blowing objects off their shelves and scattering them around the floor. "What the HELL!?" The line cut out, and when his vision became clear, the remnants of the den den lay smeared on his hands.

xxx

Long, drawn out creaks and groans filled the silence of the night. The rocking ship stretching and bending to the will of the waves and wind that acted upon it. Even docked, the Red Force was alive with the noise of the sleeping crew, and the resting ship slumbered along with her passengers into the night. Sabo should have been sound asleep along with the others, lost in his dreams of adventure with his brothers, but he couldn't. He gripped the sheets tighter around him, fists turning white as he laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling with an expressionless look on his face.

"Sabo," Ace called out next to him, his voice low, but not full of the thickness of sleep, indicating his brother had been awake just as long as he. Sabo took in a breath as Ace continued, bracing himself to face reality.

"It's…bright." Ace only hesitated briefly, but it was enough for Sabo to hear the unease in his tone. He nodded along in silent indication, biting his lower lip as he slowly turned onto his right side, the blanket slipping and pooling at his back, his blonde hair shifting into his vision.

The light shone more intensely now that he looked at the source dead on, but it could have simply been from how dark the room was prior to this phenomenon. He watched with squinted eyes, observing how with each intake of breath, Luffy's skin grew bright, hair flaming up and sparking. Like oxygen feeding an open flame. And as his little brother breathed out, a blissfully unaware smile on his face, the light receded to nearly imperceptible levels. Over and over the process repeated itself, lighting up the room in a white glow before diminishing to nonexistence.

"He didn't do that before," Ace whispered above his right shoulder, and when Sabo turned to face him, he was met with distressed features. Ace's hair was unruly, sticking up higher on one side more than the other, and the creases on his face were made more prominent when the light Luffy gave off was at its fullest.

"Yeah, I think I would have been able to tell," Sabo whispered back, rolling his eyes when Ace looked offended at the obvious. They grew silent after several more moments, watching their baby brother sleep peacefully in the swaying ship. Sabo blinked and furrowed his brows at the realization, eyes flicking away from his little brother to gaze at his coat hung up on a beam. It swayed more than last night, and more than he thought was normal for a docked ship. He turned back to Ace, about to voice his thoughts when his brother took the words out of his mouth.

"She's still trying to rock him to sleep." Ace's voice was breathy, surprised. And it was punctuated by his raising brows and widening eyes. Sabo nodded again, moving slowly to tuck a blanket more carefully around Luffy from where it had gotten loose.

"Do you think the others know?" He wondered as he crept back to his own spot. Ace snorted, smirk pulling at his lips with a brow raised.

"They'd be some kinda pirates if they didn't realize their ship was being moved so much."

"You'd be right about that," A new voice echoed from down the room, near where the door was. It was at a moment when the room had gone dim, and Sabo was unable to make out anything in the brief darkness. He froze at the sound of the newcomer, muscles locking up as his eyes widened, mind racing, worrying over how to cover for his baby brother. Just as the room began to brighten, he heard a shift and Ace launched himself over him, swaddling Luffy in blankets and tackling him to the other side. Now the room stayed dark, and as a testament to their brother's ability to sleep through anything, a snore tore through the silence.

The sound of boots on the floorboards echoed and grew closer, the voice speaking up once more and making Sabo relax as he realized who it was. "Haha, he's even worse now than when he was a toddler!" Shanks didn't bother to lower his tone and Sabo relaxed just as Ace cursed from somewhere behind him.

"Fucking warn us next time," his brother grumbled, and suddenly light bloomed once more. Ace was scowling, having thrown the thick blankets off Luffy and gesturing angrily towards his baby brother. "Can you explain this?"

"Which part? Why he's sleeping so hard or glowing like a firefly?" Shanks gave a half smirk and sat down near them, legs folded under him and chin resting on his hand.

Sabo answered, knowing Ace's worry was manifesting in anger and he really didn't need the headache at the moment. "Both?" He had always known that Luffy sleeping so hard wasn't normal, but he didn't bother to question it. He had other secrets to keep, and Ace was worried enough about how Luffy would be on his own.

"He always slept that hard, and at the time I never really knew why. I sort of got some clues earlier today when we went to town... but it's just a guess on that part. Well, on everything I tell you really." Shanks straightened and rummaged through his coat, pulling out a flask and knocking back a swing.

"It's 3am" Sabo deadpanned, staring at him in disappointment. Shanks didn't even pause before taking another shot, nodding along as he did so. The glow of light that pulsed in the room reflected off the shiny metal surface of his container and amplified a few streaks of bright red across his hair.

"Sure is." The emperor said with a lazy grin, smiling as he set his worried gaze on Luffy. It was then that Sabo could see the stress on his face, the lines in the corners of his eyes and the shadows that were forming under them. How his expression seemed a little too tense even as he grinned. He chanced a look at Ace, noting that his brother must have also seen the change in Luffy's father because he was no longer bristling like an angry animal.

"Luffy wanted to go see something today." Shanks began, and Sabo didn't detect anything abnormal from that. His brother was always curious, always searching for adventure. "He pointed me towards a place I knew well, somewhere that my captain visited when I was younger. It's a large, iron block, and it has writing on it from an era that was forgotten, in a language so far removed that I only knew one person who could read it."

Sabo tensed, eyes widening and heart stuttering as he realized what must have happened. Shanks, as weary as he seemed, caught onto his shift in emotion immediately, eyes zeroing in on him with such an intensity that Sabo nearly froze.

"You experienced this." Shanks didn't ask, he was sure of his statement and Sabo could only nod, glancing down at his hands and wringing them as he fiddled with the little piece of blanket he had left. He spoke even as the room continued to pulse with light, attempting to articulate his words in a way that would describe more the atmosphere his brother had around him rather than the actions.

"When we were in Alabasta, Lu wanted to go see something. I followed him for a while, across a desert and I was honestly wondering how he knew where he was going. But he looked so sure. And we ended up underground of all things, but it was like he had a honing instinct." Sabo let out a weak chuckle not looking up and tracing the cracks in the planks instead. "We saw a big block, I think it was actually iron, but so covered in old sand that it also kind of looked like stone. And… he was able to read it. Then, it was like I wasn't with Luffy anymore." In the next pulse of fading light, Sabo chanced a glance up, blue eyes scrunched with his own worry. Shanks' own eyes were closed, left hand on his face and red hair obscuring his features. The flask he held was tipped over, but it had been emptied some time while Sabo had been talking.

"Did you notice anything about Luffy?" Shanks' voice was muffled, and ice crept along Sabo's spine.

"His eyes were glowing," he murmured, glancing towards his brother who still pulsed with light in his sleep. His eyes trailed along his hair, fascinated as it flickered to life from the roots, white and hot.

"This place he wanted to go to, you took him there and then what?" Ace cut through both their thoughts and Shanks gave a weak shrug.

"He began to tell me a story, but by the end, when I looked back at him, he stayed like that." Shanks gestured towards Luffy when he shone the brightest, and Sabo wondered at what it would be like for his brother to always be in that form. "I thought it was a different person in his place at first," Shanks continued, ignoring the devastated looks on the brother's faces.

"But by the end of it, I think they're the same. He doesn't remember much, and I think he's recovering, but only time will tell. There's still hope though, because by the time it was all over, he seemed to remember the last thing he said." Shanks sounded more like he was trying to convince himself, and Sabo took no comfort from that.

"He's recovering, and this place is familiar. I bet when we leave, he might forget any of this happened." Shanks was careful not to look at them as he spoke, careful not to give away the depth of his feelings on the matter. "Gods don't die, and I don't know what remembering will bring him." Shanks lips tightened, and his hair covered his eyes just a bit more. "From what I heard, maybe it's best he doesn't remember."

The pit in Sabo's belly deepened, his chest aching at the thought of losing the brother he knew to memories of his past self. And worst of all was the way Shanks held himself as he spoke, because even if he was careful with what he said and what he portrayed, Sabo couldn't help but feel a deep, echoing pang of sadness of a grieving parent.

"He's still Luffy." Ace's voice cut through the lingering depression; his eyes focused on their sleeping baby brother. Sabo caught the sight of his clenched fists, and the slight scorch marks of burned handprints on the floor beside him. "And even if,-" Ace's voice choked out and Sabo bit his lips, eyes beginning to burn as he watched his brother try to convince himself that everything would be alright. "And even if he forgets what he knows now, I'll always be there for him anyways."

"Of course you will," Shanks spoke as he clambered back onto his feet, ungraceful and staggered, clearly drunk. "You're his brother after all."

Ace, for once, had no retort. His face too twisted in barely hidden grief, and throat too tight to do anything but nod. Sabo took in a breath, his lungs shaking in his chest as he steeled his will. "Of course," he repeated after the emperor, unphased when the silence stretched on afterwards.

It looked like Shanks wanted to say more, but whatever it was that he was thinking, he didn't say. "Seep tight." And with that, they watched as the red haired man left the room without a sound.

Sabo glanced back towards Ace, observing how he gently moved Luffy's limbs in a more comfortable spot before tucking him in. He couldn't help but smile, glad he was one of the people that was able to see the more gentle part of his closed off brother.

"You gonna just sit there looking stupid or are you gonna sleep?" Ace griped as he gestured pointedly towards the nest of blankets that they could share. With a roll of his eyes Sabo smiled and nodded, shuffling over to Luffy's other side and settling in. Everything would be fine, he had to believe it.

xxx

He had been still for hours now, his side leaning against the wall and face smushed against the glass of the small porthole, eyes far away and dead. Despite how tired he was, Shanks couldn't sleep, could hardly think, but he supposed that was normal. After his initial shock had worn off, he couldn't help but constantly play the scenes of the day through his head, keeping him wired and weary, worried. His only comfort was his best friend, tucked away in his own corner of the room as he gave him company. Benn had his eyes closed but was just as far from sleeping as Shanks was, his legs were outstretched and hand on his knees, tapping rhythmically with his own worries. The ship rocked like a gentle cradle, and Shanks was sure that if he looked, they would be the only ship in the port moving as such. It was meant to be a comfort, but it gave him nothing but anxiety, a constant reminder that the sea goddess cherished her child just as much as he did. He had too many enemies in this world, and the admirals being called away so swiftly gave him reason to believe that the higherups were involved in the situation now. Shanks just couldn't know anymore; he couldn't know if he would be enough to protect them.

"Hey Benn," Shanks murmured into the still air, gaze out the window and eyes focused on the streetlights of the underwater city. He didn't get a verbal response, but his senses told him Benn was listening, even as his best friend stared out of the window silently with him. "What am I going to do?" That question could have applied to many things in his life, but Shanks knew he didn't have to elaborate. Benn always knew.

The city was starting to wake up, the citizens of the town rising early to go to work or take care of errands. Each lost in their own life as the sun rose over them. Red eyes followed the beams of light, watching as they scattered further and encompassed them all in its embrace. He wondered then, if that had always been Nika's intention. After losing those he loved to the cold, was he desperately trying to hold everyone close by creating of the sun? Shanks swallowed, chest beginning to ache even as he watched men and women bask in their gifted light. He always knew Luffy's worst fear, and he wondered if it was influenced by the loss of people in his past life.

"You just try your best." Benn finally spoke, startling Shanks out of his melancholy thoughts. "Raise him right, teach him to protect himself. That's all a parent could ever do, even if you were a god." Benn gestured vaguely to the outside surroundings, to the sea. "Even as powerful as she is, all she could do was try her best. Now, that's what you have to do." His vice-captain stood from the corner he sat near, stretching and rolling his shoulders as he approached the door of his room. "I'm going to go get some sleep, don't stay up too late." Benn paused, his grip on the doorknob tightening. "Don't think too much." His vice-captain glanced over his shoulder; silver eyes stern but unable to hide the wariness they also held. Benn waited until he nodded in acknowledgment, unable to even muster a reply before the door clicked closed, leaving him alone for the first time since they went underwater.

Shanks let out a breath, eyes finding their way back to the rays of sunlight that warmed the seabed outside. His shoulders sagged as he gripped his elbows, smile growing tight. "My best, huh?" He hung his head, hair falling limply around his face as he stared at the polished floor of his cabin, trying to see past it and to the waters below.

"Would that be enough for you?"

In the silence of his cabin, there was no response.

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