The deck of the Moby was quiet, a strange occurrence with how chaotic it always is and it set Marco on edge. Pops was on deck reading the paper, their newest and youngest chaotic firebug Ace was napping at his side, no one was squabbling or causing chaos, it was a genuinely nice day… there wasn't even a ringing denden that Luffy had done something… Marco didn't trust it, in all his years as a pirate, there was no such things as nice days.
Just a prelude to chaos, to pain.
Hesitantly Marco flew up to rest on his Pops shoulder, eyes scanning the deck for the reason why every single hair of his was standing on edge. His instincts screamed that there was something wrong, he could feel it, and his birdie senses were tingling.
The day went on and still nothing happened, no emergency fire extinguishing, no fights needed to be broken up, Ace was still sleeping happily beside them, and his Pops was allowing Whisky to give his new dose of medication without complaint.
Squinting slightly Marco got comfortable on his Pops shoulder and closed his eyes, he might as well try and get a nap, perhaps nothing would go wrong today.
"POPS! MARCO!" Haruta's voice cracked across the silent deck, jolting all three men as the door slammed against the wall.
He spoke too soon.
Marco surged forward as Haruta dragged out one of the large screens that they had to view marine broadcasting, their face pale as both set up the screen as fast as possible.
He really wished he didn't, he certainly wished that whatever this was, was some form of elaborate prank because when he finally took what was happening on the screen, Marco wanted to be sick. He wanted to scream and nearly snapped his neck with how fast his head snapped around to stare at Ace who had indeed screamed.
"Luffy!" It was mournful, fearful and Marco would question that later, on how their Firebug knew his Sunflower.
There on the screen before him was Beckman hanging across from Luffy, Zoro, Killer, X-Drake and Trafalgar side by side. All unconscious, all wounded and in extreme danger.
Marco swallowed thickly; his eyes glued on the image of Luffy who was chained in sea stone cuffs to a cage that sat dangerously close to the edge of a platform. Nothing had changed since the video feed had started half an hour ago. No one had awoken even with bastard who had designed all this, some old Marine who had escaped from Impel down, who had lost everything and blamed it on those that put him there.
Marco remembered that Marine, the reason why Baterilla had happened, how some of the kids that were 'killed' ended up as slaves, how it was because of Shanks overhearing him on an island and reported it to Rayleigh who told Garp and Sengoku.
It had been the first time since God Valley that Marines and Pirates worked together.
"Haruta! Do we have a location on…" Marco started before shuddering as he shook off the familiar wave of Haki that surged across the ocean and slammed into the Moby. Shanks had come and he was unhappy.
The Red Force looked war-torn, repaired but barely, yet still sailed swiftly towards them. Marco turned his eyes to Izou and Vista, telling them silently to urge their weaker-willed siblings below deck while he tore his gaze away from the screen reluctantly.
"Permission to come aboard!" Lucky Roux's voice called out waspishly, jarring by the fact that it wasn't Benn's.
"Permission granted-yoi." He replied, flinching as Shanks stepped into view, eyes dark and red rimmed, bruises and cuts all over his face and neck. Fury lined every bit of him.
"Uncle!" Ace rushed forward with worry and Marco shot his pops a look as he watched Shanks shove away everything to greet their firebug, it was now sinking in on how Ace knew his Sunflower now… Ace was Firefly, his Sunflower's most beloved little brother.
Fuck, this wasn't going to end well.
##
A cough tore from Benn's parched throat, blood still dripped into his eyes and blinded him for a moment. He knew he was the oldest one here, followed by that Sword Captain and the Massacre Soldier. "Sound off, everyone okay?"
"Mugiwara-ya is the only one unconscious still, but with how much sea stone they've chained on him that doesn't surprise me." Law croaked out, body trembling as he fought off the effects of the sea stone himself.
Zoro chuckled, it sounded slurred. "Captains awake, whatever they hit us with won't affect him, sea stone doesn't really work well on him too. Ain't that right Cap?"
There was silence, thick and heavy before a low raspy chuckle started and it had Benns hair standing, it was a familiar one. It was something he hadn't heard in a long time, deeper now than it was when Anchor was a kid... a low rumble hiss of an alligator, morphing into a chuckling burr of a tiger till it leapt up in the screech of a monkey.
The laughter of a feral child, an angry child, of a Monkey D pushed beyond limits.
Benn cast his gaze towards the others, seeing their eyes wide and searching for the beast that created that noise. Dangerdangerdanger their instincts screamed. It was then he realised, that he remembered that Luffy hadn't been a Monkey D since that day on Dawn when Benn and Shanks claimed him, the world doesn't know and neither does the bastard who took them.
If he did, Benn was sure that he would have second guessed about taking his kid, because no matter if you were a Pirate, Marine, or civilian... all knew you just did not fuck with the Monkey D family.
Law flinched back as those dark eyes lifted and pinned him with intensity the likes he hadn't felt or seen before. It was worse than being under the eyes of Doflamingo, worse than the scorn of the doctors Cora-san dragged him to. It made him feel weak, pinned, and displayed like a fascinating bug and yet still found lacking.
He knew that Mugiwara-ya was a monster, how could he not after everything they and he alone had achieved? But this, this was something else, something more and it unsettled Law.
Relief swept over him like a tidal wave, leaving him breathless once those dark eyes were off him and he watched as he gave all the others trapped with them the same penetrative gaze. Only Benn Beckman was able to face that head-on without a flinch.
"Da..." Luffy growled low, a whine really as he took in the wounds on Benns face, the blood, and the bruises… the chains. "Where's mom? How bad are you hurt?"
Surprise flickered across Law, Killer and, oh how did no one see X-Drake. Law expected other questions, a 'what happened', a 'why are we here' and was surprised there wasn't. How does he keep underestimating Mugiwara? Perhaps it was because they only saw what the man wanted them to see, the childishness and the free, nothing else.
"We were on our way to see you, I remember that. Then there was a swarm of something, and Captain's Haki exploded. I recall something hitting me, Captain falling and nothing till I woke here. I'm fine Anchor, a little beaten, a little bloody and coming down from a high with the drugs they hit me with." Benn explained truthfully, he wasn't going to lie to his kid, not now at least.
He still vividly remembers a small Luffy beating a man within an inch of his life after smacking Makino and causing her to trip and sprain her wrist. He remembers the feral snarling, the jagged teeth that latched onto Shanks when he tried to pull him off and nearly losing a chunk in his neck because of it, Benn's arm and wrist still carried the scar from those teeth as he tried to get him off Shanks before he killed him.
The breakdown after coming out of a battle rage was worse than the rage. The entire crew had to comb through the island to find their little Anchor when he ran off horrified and scared, crying heart-wrenching sobs and apologies.
It was the first time he called them Mom and Da, and it was in agony.
"Zoro?" Luffy asked after a beat more.
Zoro lifted his gaze, teeth clenched as he struggled against the chains. "I'm good Captain, nothing hurt but my pride."
He was furious, and swore to never lose again yet here he…
"Zoro is stupid if he thinks this is shameful, Zoro saved Chopper from being taken, Zoro tried to save me too." Luffy giggled out, body sagging as he gave his first mate a wide toothy grin, hiding the snarling beast within.
Relief and respect flooded through Zoro at his captain's words, he was right. Chopper would have been taken instead or he would have been killed. He did his duty, now he will have to do what he always does, trust his captain to get them out of here. "Aye Captain."
X
"We need to get out of here, that bastard that took us wiped out my entire crew to reach me." X-Drakes voice rasped once the bastard that took them left, chains rattling as he struggled weakly. "My father didn't even give a shit about us, my death will mean nothing to him, this was pointless."
Law grimaced and shared a look at Roronoa-ya who seemed to be asleep, but he knew better, he knew that Mugiwara-ya's First Mate was awake and pushing his Observation Haki to the limit. "I'm not even blood related to Sengoku and Zoro-ya is a casualty to this mess."
A broken cackle tore from Killer, body twitching. "My father was a bastard, true and completely. Barely even knew him, grew up in a junk heap with Kidd, don't know why I was even brought here, far as I knew he was a drunkard."
"Quiet, it doesn't matter if his logic is flawed, the man's insane!" Benn snapped but his eyes were still locked on his son who had been silent since he asked Zoro how he was, a very rare occurrence and it told Benn a lot. "Luffy."
"Da?" The reply was a barely contained snarl.
Closing his eyes Benn sighed, his gaze falling on Luffy once again with resignation. But he was here, and Shanks was not, his husband could be hurt, and the world would be burned to ash if Benn and Luffy weren't found... if Luffy had to watch them fight and die.
He had already watched many of his loved ones almost die in his arms, and had seen some things that even he and Shanks don't know about because neither of the brothers wished to speak about it. But Benn knew that Luffy couldn't take much more, not when they were his, so resolve washed through him.
"Remember that promise you made to Shanks and me long ago? The secret one?" He asked, meeting the dark gaze head-on.
Luffy nodded once, face set in a grim line. "Uhuh, and I have! Well, not as bad! But I've kept it… I swear…"
"Anchor, just this once, I'm not going to be mad if you break it," Benn confessed, honesty dripping in each word. "I know, I know that a promise is a promise kid… especially this one, Shanks won't be mad either."
The gaze of his son turned penetrative, and it made the older man feel exposed, but he didn't look away, couldn't look away. Anchor indeed was the only one who could help them, only one with the strength to break the chains and send this island back into the sea.
"Are you sure?" Luffy asked seriously, all note of his usual giggle pitch gone. "Really sure because last time I..."
"Son, son, I know, I'm sure. But you're the only one who can help, the only one who can save us, Anchor." Benn interrupted, watching as Luffy finally let go of the restraints he held within himself since he was a kid.
He just hoped that Shanks was close, that he didn't have to make his kids Nakama and allies kill him to stop before they were taken by his rage too.
X
Ace watched with wide eyes, his head snapping over to Shanks who had caught up to them, his gaze flat but unsurprised at what Beckman said. In fact, his face was blank, his hand coming up to rub at the junction of his neck where an old scar was. Ace squinted and felt his eyes widen as he saw a set of teeth marks on Shanks's shoulder.
Shanks turned his gaze away from the screen towards Lucky Roux, hand dropping. "You better ring the old man and tell him what's about to happen, then ring Garp and warn him if he doesn't already know. We may need him and Dragon. Benn has condemned that island and that bastard."
Lucky Roux laughed as he began to make his way back to the Red Force, gesturing to Limejuice to gather the Den Den. "Well, the bastard did break one of the unwritten rules of the sea."
Newgate jolted, head snapping around to the red-haired brat with wide eyes and dawning realisation. "No, he can't be that clueless to not realise who he took and who he hurt."
"Pops? What's going on? What rule and why are you calling shitty gramps?" Ace asked confused, stilling a few people.
"Ace, you're Luffy's brother you should know but if not... Tell me, you do know Luffy's name, right?" Shanks asked as they turned their eyes back to the screen, Luffy snarling and twisting, the rocks cracking at the wall.
"Benn D. Luffy, he's always been a Benn D. I've never heard Lu-nii refer to himself as anything else," Ace stated and both Shanks and Newgate shared a look.
"Benn doesn't have a D in his name Ace and though I am a Gol D by adoption I don't carry the name or gene either," Shanks explained just as a scream filled the air, loud and furious and rivalled the tiger lord. "Luffy's name before we adopted him was Monkey D. Luffy and you just don't fuck with the Monkey Ds."
The silence that followed was thick, no one knew what to say, and could not truly understand what was about to happen, even those who knew. Marco snapped his gaze up to his Pops as he felt his gaze land heavily on him before looking away.
He knew his Sunflower's heritage, and it was the one thing Luffy had ever asked him to keep from everyone and though Marco was hesitant to, he agreed. He tore his eyes away from his Pops, knowing there was going to be a talk later at the sound of a rumble.
It started off low, a continuous growl so deep it was more vibration than noise. Shaking the screen with each low rumble, they could see that it caused a flare of panic as the others sensed the danger triple, all eyes snapping to Luffy whose bare chest heaved, hands clenched tight and crumpling the sea stone with the force.
Marco felt his jaw drop as Luffy jerked forward, muscles straining, teeth bared as the rumbling snarl grew loud and vicious in a wild display he had never seen before.
"By the seven seas…" He whimpered as he watched his Sunshine's muscles bulge and the sea stone crack under the strain. He should not find this so hot, not with the danger they were all currently in…. but… Davy Jones was he lucky.
Whitebeard chuckled low. "He sure got his grandfather's strength didn't he."
The look that Shanks sent back had Newgate shifting. "You have no idea old man, none."
##
Luffy growled low, hands twisting around the sea stone links to gather a better grip and pulled. He could feel his muscles burning, chest heaving as black and red blur around the edges of his vision as all his mental chains shuddered.
Rage the likes of nothing he's ever felt before coursed through him, burning brighter and hotter with each pass of his gaze on those that are his. Each wound he could see on Law, Killer, Zoro and his Da were categorised for payback when he gets his hands on the swarm bastard that put them here.
He hurt his friends, he hurt his Nakama, but worst of all he hurt both his Parents.
He didn't know if Shanks was okay, didn't know if his mom was alive if what his Da told him was true…
Luffy felt the links holding his rage break one by one, and the foundation of the cage the beast within him resided in… crumbled.
"Give up, it's pure sea stone, you cannot break it." The man chuckled as he appeared out of a swarm of flies, only aggravating him more.
His body thrashed violently as laughter ripped from his lips, back arching as he let himself go, the sound of stone finally starting to give under his fury. A shark tooth grin pulled at his bloody lips, gleaming like rubies in the sun, eyes burning bright.
"Sea stone may weaken me a little, but you forgot one thing." Luffy snarled low, dark red eyes piercing into the very soul of the bastard before him through blood-red hair.
"Oh, and what is that little pirate?" The man spat with distaste, a hint of amusement at the audacity.
Luffy ceased his struggles and grinned wide, wider than any smile should be able to stretch. "A Monkey D I was born; Benn I was claimed... but Akagami no Shanks is my Ocean Blessed father and Silvers Rayleigh my Jiji." The words were dark and playful, a hint of what was to come hidden in their depths. "And they taught me that Haki cannot be restrained."
With those words, Luffy let go of the control he had on his Haki the moment he yanked the chains free. It roared violently around them all, sending the few mercenaries and disgraced Marines to their knees as the ocean violently churned under the platforms their cages resided on. The hills of the mountains that framed them shook, the bare amount of shrubbery and trees flattened, and the sky trembled with the force.
Metal bowed outwards like a flower petal, but violently, oh so violently. Luffy stood in the middle, chains draped across him in broken links falling around his feet like an omen. Steam rose up from his shoulders, dark red hair flickering up like embers with the sheer amount of haki that radiated from him.
Fear washed across the bastard's face as all eyes turned to him, face three shades paler and slowly backing away, body half turning into a swarm of flies before Luffy struck. Fist coated with haki slammed into the cages of his nakama, allies and kin… eyes never turning away from the bastard. They stayed locked on him no matter which way he tried to escape, there was no escaping from a hunter locked on their prey.
"You made a big mistake," Luffy growled as he crouched, bare toes digging into the metal, bending it under the force.
Within one blink and the next Luffy was gone.
X
Shanks paced the deck with gritted teeth as he waited for Dragon to arrive, ignoring everyone on the Moby and his own crew. The only person he had acknowledged when spoken to was Ace and that was because there was no way in hell he would upset the little firecracker that his son claimed as brother.
A surge of light flickered across Shanks's stretched-out Observation and he turned sharply just as Dragon landed on the deck of the Moby, another person at his side, one that he knew too and held his arm open for Sabo to surge forward and Ace once again following.
"We know where he is," Dragon stated blandly, raising his hands to lower his hood. "It's not far from here."
Everyone tensed at his arrival, relaxing slightly as the other Rev surged towards Shanks followed by Ace only to tense again at the information.
Newgate stared at the brat on his ship who invited himself on, no matter how drastic of a lifestyle change Dragon had, he was still a Monkey D and just like his father, not giving a damn about the rules.
"Where?" He asked as Dragon dipped his head at the reproach in apology.
The blonde who had rushed forward turned and grimaced. "Delta Island, it was declared uninhabitable after the Pirates Festival and Luffy demolishing Douglas Bullet. Apparently, this was the island where they drove Suzumebachi and caught him, ironic really. And apologies Captain Whitebeard, for coming aboard without permission."
Newgate waved the boy off as he saw how happy his newest son was.
"Delta Island is not too fa…" Shanks trailed off as a massive wave of Haki slammed into them all, his head snapping around to the screen only to see it black, no signal to be found. "We need to leave now, is Garp close?"
"Father is going to meet us there, he's coming from the other direction," Dragon stated as Shanks and those of his crew boarded back onto the Red Force, yelling to Gab and Building Snake to set course.
Marco whirled around to his Pops. "We need to go-yoi. Please Pops, if Sunflower needs me…"
Newgate nodded and immediately told his sons in the Second Division to follow Akagami. Ace was his newest son, brother to Straw Hat Luffy and his eldest son was madly in love with him and Newgate knew it was mutual. The youngest Yonko was family and Newgate did all he could to aid and protect his family.
He just hoped that between Garp, Shanks, Dragon and himself that it would be enough to calm a Monkey D rage.
X
Benn staggered with a gasp as they escaped the platforms and made their way to land, the opposite side of where his kid and the bastard who caused all this were fighting. Benn and Zoro were the only ones who could withstand Luffy's haki without staggering, so used to the intensity of a King.
"We don't have much time; we need to get to the furthest point of this god-forsaken island." Benn gritted out, hand tugging along the Surgeon his son was allied with.
Zoro grunted as he tossed Killer over his shoulder as he had broken his leg after being thrown mid-air, landing badly on the shore. "I predict two minutes."
"Less," Benn replied as he picked up his pace, casting a glance over his shoulder to see Luffy's form flickering black and red. "Much less."
"Fuck, what the fuck is that!?" X-Drake wheezed as he limped after them, a sea stone shackle still around his wrist he was struggling to pull off, eyes frozen on the flickering demon hovering above where they just escaped from. "Is that Mugiwara!? He didn't look like that when he beat Kaido!"
"Look, there are several rules of the sea, do you know them?" Benn asked as he jerked back as his Observation pinged for an incoming chunk of land.
X-Drake turned his eyes towards the elder pirate. "Uh, vaguely."
Benn paused and stared back and down at the kids – because they were kids no matter if one was in his 30s – in shock and saw the confusion on their faces. Wild curses escaped his lips violently, fuck, did no one seriously tell these supernova's the rules?
"The unspoken rules of the seas are simple. One: If Big Mom asks you to attend a tea party, go, unless you're connected to an emporer. Two: do not get in the way of a battle between emperors, or steal their territories, you will either die or wish for it. Three: The Grand Line is unpredictable at best, pray to Davy Jones for safe passage because no one will save you. But the most important, the one everyone knows be they pirate, marine or civilian is… you do not fuck with a Monkey D." He explained breathlessly as he took off in a run, dodging around debris and random explosions of swarms.
"What happens if you do?" Killer asked with a hysterical laugh that was reminiscent of Wano.
Benn cast a look over his shoulder as they slammed to a stop, Luffy's laugh echoing loud in their ears as he bound past them. His face was stretched wider than humanly possible, eyes ablaze with his rage and screams sounding in his wake.
"If you do upset a Monkey D. run. You run hard and fast, but if you can't then you pray to whatever gods you believe in that death is swift and with mercy." Benn explained. "I have seen Anchor beat a man taller than me near to death when he was seven. He nearly took my arm and nearly ripped the throat of my Captain out with his teeth. Garp has destroyed an island alone with only one punch."
Law gagged as bile rose in his throat, pain and nausea sharp. None of this surprised him, nothing about Mugiwara-ya did these days when it came to fighting. But he knew that rule, remembers faintly of the night Cora-san told him the tale of God Valley. How Dragon wiped out an entire nation in an hour after someone shot his son and everyone assumed killed.
But, as his eyes turned up towards Luffy-ya, watched as the man who had saved him long ago snarled, teeth glinting like rubies… it answered a few things for him. Monkey D… huh…
X
Laughter tore from Luffy's lips, intermittent with the screeches and snarls as he fought the disgraced Marine – the man who hurt his family and friends. There wasn't even a challenge in it, he was only toying with him now. Throwing and catching, sinking his teeth and fingers in quick as lightning in places that would hurt but not kill him.
He repaid all the wounds he gave back threefold and Luffy had to give the bastard something with the fact he still stood.
"Can't run forever bug."Luffy chittered at zigzagging swarm.
Panic and fear washed off it in waves as it tried to escape, to flee but Luffy was always there in the blink of an eye with the help of Soru and Gear 2, blocking his escape for freedom each time. Giggles escaped him as he Shaved closer to him, haki-coated fingers grasping tight around the end of the swarm and swung him down with all his strength.
Debris shot up and the ground rumbled loudly as an impact wave knocked everything around it down. The man, now solid, groaned and tried to claw his way out of the crater his body created. Curses and pleas escaped his lips in tandem, unsure if he wished to spit at Luffy or beg, it amused the Yonko.
"There is no mercy for you, bug. Not after what you did." Luffy growled low and bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile. Flares of light pinged along his senses, bright sparks of his crew, his gramps, his mom and his Birdie.
Good… He thought as he closed his eyes briefly. I'm sorry… please forgive me…
He heard the aching voice of his mom telling how close it truly was for Shanks and that apology he offered was the last coherent thing he felt as the world faded to a black-red sheen, screams the last thing he heard as the roar took over.
The haki that exploded out caused the ships to surge backwards and rock violently as a massive spark of red and black, the colours of the supreme king surged in the sky. Many of the pirates dodged and those who were able to slice through rocks began to defend their ships and crew as the island seemed to erupt outwards.
Newgate surged to his feet, sake cup shattering on the deck as he leapt up onto the figurehead of the Moby, his devil fruit vibrating in the air. He slammed his fists on each side, eyes flickering over every large chunk of rock and spread his hands, shattering them into smaller pieces.
"Divine intervention!" Shanks's voice cracked across the sudden silence, sword slashing out with his own surge of haki to take care of another large piece of land sent his way.
It was followed by the bellow of Garp's Galaxy Divide as he used Geppo and Soru to join them over this side of the island.
"Brat!" Garp bellowed towards the red-haired brat. "That no-good husband of yours and the others are safe! I got my pink-haired brat to get them and Bogard will bring them over."
Relief over the fact his husband was safe flashed through him briefly. "Luffy?"
A grimace pulled at Garp's lips. "Succumbed. It's going to hurt."
"Us or him?" Dragon rumbled as he landed next to his father, taking the Fist of Love greeting with a grimace.
"Both, let's go," Garp ordered.
Marco surged forward, landing next to Shanks just before the man was about to take to the skies. "I'm coming with you-yoi."
"This isn't something you can help with chicken." Garp snapped as he turned his gaze to the pirate. "You won't survive the blood rage my grandson is in."
"He won't hurt me, he can't." Marco snapped back furious, letting his flames take over. "I'm going either way, hopefully, I can get through to him faster than you all."
"We're coming too!" Sabo and Ace snapped together, landing on the deck of the Red Force. "Lu is our big brother! We're coming too and you cannot stop us!"
"Yes, we can." Shanks rumbled furious, his haki surging out in his rage and knocking the twins down and winding the others. "You think Luffy will forgive himself if he hurt you? Us hurt wont matter, he's hurt us all before, he'll be sick with himself but if he woke to find he hurt you both he'll throw himself into the sea himself."
"Sabo, stay here with Ace. If we cannot save Luffy and if the Pheonix cannot reach him after we pin him down, then, and only then will it be up to you." Dragon ordered as he took to the skies, fruit drawing in the clouds and electricity in the air to build a storm.
Newgate watched them leave, giving his son a look to be safe as he followed.
X
Two generations of Monkey D, Shanks and Marco landed on the island hard, their feet kicking up debris as they took off in a run towards the impact site and the sound of maniacal laughter and growls.
The closer they got the stronger the smell of blood became.
Marco nearly collided with a building as he saw his Sunflower standing bare-chested in the middle of a blood-soaked crater. Head tilted back and chest heaving with the force of his laugh. Even now, hands coated in gore and covered in grime of the dust around him, Marco was extremely turned on, something said he shouldn't be but he told that thought to drown in Davy Jones's depths.
Even more so as he watched his Sunflower beat back the Galaxy Fist of the Hero of the Marines, twisted and weaved around every swipe of Dragon's Dragon Claw and slash of Shanks's haki-coated blade.
His hindbrain cooed at the strength of his mate, the sheer grace and brutality of it. He'd protect us good, good mate, strong, ours, ours, ours… his Pheonix cooed in the back of his mind as he too surged forward, dodging and weaving every attack sent his direction.
Garp snarled as he was slammed through what was left of the mountain, he shook off his own blood rage as he hauled himself out of the hole and threw himself back into the fight with a cackle. He was proud of his grandson and the strength he wielded, a true Monkey D no matter the name he carried.
A squawk left Marco's lips as Shanks was kicked back into him, sending them both tumbling painfully over the rocky ground till they slid to a stop near another crater.
"Shit, Anchor." Shanks gasped as he struggled to get his breath back, but his eyes were locked onto the mangled corpse of the fuck who attacked them, who bound his husband and kid in chains for petty revenge.
Shanks had seen many things in his long life but this… this was something he had only seen once as a child in the most barbaric of places. The corpse was blood eagled, barely still alive enough to even class it as such and everything else was broken to hundreds of pieces. Even if the bastard lived, he would never walk or move ever again.
He spat on the body and drove his blade down into the man's spine, severing his head. A mercy really.
"We need to snap him out of it." Shanks wheezed as a strangled scream left Dragon's lips, his eyes watching the way his little Anchor broke his biological father's arm while his teeth were buried in the arm of his Grandfathers. "He's sinking further into the blood haze, any more and we'll lose him, we'll have to kill him…"
The agony in Shanks's voice struck Marco violently as reality slammed into him. Determination flooded Marco and he turned towards one of his oldest friends and the father of his Sunflower. "Let me try, all three of you need to slam your haki in him, I need him still for several moments, okay?"
"Are you sure you can reach him, Marco? Because I cannot risk…" Shanks trailed off as Marco nodded sharply.
"I'm sure."
"Alright then let's go!" Shanks surged forward and let go of all restraint on his haki, letting it go for the first time since the death of his father and slammed it all into his son with an apology.
Garp and Dragon pulled themselves up and followed through, their Haki coated bodies locking around their thrashing Luffy as he screamed and raged, the snarls loud and vibrating through them with enough force that they felt they would crumble to pieces like the island did.
"Sunflower!" Marco yelled over the screams, hands locking around the face of his love and forcing him to look at him. "Come back Sunflower! We're safe, you're safe! Come back to me!"
Marco didn't stop calling for his Sunflower to come back, didn't stop even when those teeth dug into his arm, severing his hand from his wrist painfully. The perks of his fruit grew it back easily enough, but still, Marco didn't let go, not till the red faded from his eyes to reveal the darkness of them once again.
"B–Birdie?" Luffy rasped, blood splattering across Marco's hands as he coughed.
Luffy stared blearily around him, taking note of the blood soaked earth before looking at his birdie who had looked like he had been through a war. His shirt was ripped and mangled, his glasses were nowhere to be seen, and there were fresh marks indicating fresh healing, including a bite around his wrist. A whimper left him as he ran his tongue across his teeth and tasted blood, his eyes dropping from his Birdies gaze to his Mom who was collapsed on the ground breathing harshly.
The arms around him spasmed as they let go and Luffy turned to see his Gramps and Dragon stepping back, all three of them wounded. His Gramps was the only one smiling, a rumbling laugh escaping his lips as he cracked his neck and fingers.
Dragon though not smiling like his Gramps, Luffy could feel the pleasure of a good fight surge through him.
Relief flooded off all four men as he shook his head. He could barely remember anything, and he could still feel the rage simmering under his skin, could feel it wanting to release properly for the first time in decades.
"You all need to leave." He gasped out, choking down the sob or a snarl, he wasn't too sure. He scratched at his head and throat as he snapped his head up to his family. "Now, I can't… I need to release all the rest… please… go… run… run… RUN!"
The four of them nodded and dashed back towards the ships but Marco stayed where he was, transforming and taking to the sky as he watched his love tear himself apart and break. "I'm not leaving you Sunflower, in sickness and in health remember, better or worse… that is what we swore to each other under the stars. I won't break that vow. You won't hurt me, can't. So let me stay."
The memory of the night of their vows to one another on an island so far from here flashed through Luffy's mind.
"I'm yours, Edward Marco, from now until the day we die, in sickness and in health, for better and worse… I will love you for the rest of my life and the next." Luffy whispered down at his love, fingers brushing across his cheek and wiping away the tears as the stars shone in his eyes.
"And I'm yours Benn D. Luffy, in this life and every one after it, in sickness and in health, for better and worse-yoi… My heart is forever yours Sunflower." Marco replied, kissing the pad of Luffy's thumb as they made love till sunrise.
Luffy wouldn't break that vow either, no matter how angry he got, no matter how much he feared he would hurt his Birdie in said rage. He shot his love one last look and nodded, he let it all go, letting Gear 5 take over as he rose to the air. Haki swarmed around them both as they took to the sky.
He would have to trust himself, trust that Marco would not lie to him about this.
Laughter slipped from his lips as his heartbeat beat louder and louder, body growing as his rage surged through the freeing joyful liberate, he normally felt. The world blurred and spun as he twisted.
"GOMU GOMU…" His voice boomed through the air, deep and guttural. "DIVINE IMPACT!"
Everyone watched with wide eyes and dropped jaws as they watched the most cheerful person they ever met, their liberator, saviour, friend, captain, brother and son… land a shattering force into the island below with a roar.
Light flared causing them all to squint their eyes as the world stilled for several seconds, with no sound, no view. Haki washed over them like a battering ram.
Shanks couldn't have been prouder of his little Prince, of his strength and power. His father would have loved this… he thought to himself as he squinted against the light, bathing in the sheer joy that followed the wave of rage, warming him to the core.
"He's stronger now…" Benn rasped as he staggered back on board, eyes closed but he could find his husband anywhere. "Lived up to his oath to us."
"No one will stop him now," Shanks whispered as he watched Marco carry Luffy back to the ship, laughter spilling from his son tiredly as the twins' dog-piled him and his doctor ambushed him. "No one will claim he isn't King after that; this is proof he is strong enough to carry the burden."
Benn blinked away the spots and turned towards where the island once stood, now nothing but little peaks of rock above the waves. A new Ships Graveyard if people didn't avoid it.
"Come, love, let's go see how our son fares," Benn urged as he pulled Shanks towards where their son was on deck.
Shanks nodded before raising his brows as he watched his little Anchor pull Marco into a very passionate kiss. His son wasn't so little anymore.
His gaze caught the sight of all the younger pirates still gathered at the railings of all the ships, mouths dropped open and fear, disbelief, and wonder on their faces causing him to snort. It was a familiar look; one he had once given after seeing Garp devastate an island with a flick of his wrist.
Another generation to remember that you just don't fuck with the Monkey D family.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Shanks nodded to himself pleased and made his way over to his son. There was a blue chicken he needed to have a word with once he knew Luffy was okay and everyone else tended to, himself included.
Then… then they were all taking a vacation.
It was well earned.
And much needed.
After all, this day could have been so much worse... so much worse.
Author Note: I don't even know if this makes sense. I wrote snippets in my discord server and then just slammed it all together. so uhh... Enjoy?
