Luffy stared down at the image before him, fingers trailing across the delicate lines and shading. After the mess with the slavers' ship and the marine ship that came for them afterwards, getting Zoro back to East Blue to hunt down the bastard that sold him out with a promise to find him after Luffy turned seventeen, he travelled towards Torao as fast as he and king possibly could.
Bepo and Penguin were injured, one with a broken foot and Bepo had several cuts and whip marks across him. They didn't have the supplies needed to help, but Torao did and Luffy knew his brother would prefer to check over his Nakama himself.
And he was indeed correct, they barely surfaced and were crawling out of King's mouth when suddenly Bepo and Penguin were shambled onto the deck of the Polar Tang, two fish left in their place. He giggled and gave King a belly rub quickly before launching onto the Tang where Ikkaku was waiting.
"What happened to the ones who did this?" Law asked darkly as he stitched the slash on Bepo's arm while Shachi set Penguin's foot and plastered it.
"Pretty sure Mugiwara fed them to King," Penguin replied with a hiss, ignoring Shachi's apologetic whispers. "Pretty sure he fed most of them to King, there was only a handful or two left when we freed the others."
Golden eyes snapped to dark red with a critical gaze, a room flickering wider to scan Luffy as well. There were no injuries to speak of, not even a scratch and Law wondered what exactly Luffy had done to take on a ship and be wound free.
"Danke, Brüderchen," Law mumbled to his brother, completely missing the way his crew snapped their heads towards him. Bepo, Penguin and Shachi knew those words, wasn't hard to pick up their captain's native language when he fell into it naturally when angry enough or exhausted.
"You don't need to thank me, not for this, your nakama is my nakama and I won't have them be in chains," Luffy replied with a wide grin.
Penguin and Bepo shook their heads vigorously in denial of those words. "No, you saved us, we owe you Mugiwara," Penguin explained as he took a seat across from him. "There has to be something we can do, please."
Luffy paused, gaze flickering over the two of them with a frown. He could see that they were being serious, that it would bother them until they felt the unnecessary debt repaid. He could see that Law would be the same and he sighed, eyes dropping to the table in thought, his gaze catching the dark ink of his brother's tattooed hands. An idea sparked, his hand coming up to press against his chest.
"Actually," He started looking up. "There is one thing you could do for me."
"If it's within our power, we will make it happen," Law said firmly before his crew could. "Even if it wasn't, we would find our way to make it happen."
A large sunny grin pulled at Luffy's lips. "Tell me Torao, who did your tattoos?"
That question now led him here, sitting in a chair with Ikkaku hunched over him with the stencil of the image in his hand imprinted on his chest. Penguin had drawn it for him and the design that went into it was amazing. Shanks' jolly roger wearing a Straw Hat sat before Ace's fiery spade, the flames licking around the edges of the skull. The crossbones were two pipes to represent Sabo, his own tattoo in memory of his family, something to keep them with him always.
"This feels like it doesn't equate," Penguin murmured next to him, a frown on his face. "You saved us from being slaves, you saved our lives and all we did was give you a picture."
"It's not just a picture, it's my family," Luffy explained softly, fingers trailing over the sketch. He knew they had questions; it wasn't hard for them to recognise Shanks' Jolly Roger, but they let him keep his secrets, all of them trusting him and Law. "My fathers, my brothers and I."
He had Ikkaku add the heart tattoo that was on Law's shoulder to the inside of his right wrist, his initials in the middle of it and four sake cups underneath while Penguin had drawn up the design. It was something that Ikkaku could easily do, the sake cups were a simple outline, and the heart was already on a stencil from one of the earlier basic sketches Penguin had done in a smaller size long ago. When she found out the why, she was all the happier to do it in secret, a surprise for Law.
"I can carry them for the rest of my life, that's the most important." He explained softly, tearing his eyes away to stare at Penguin. "Thank you."
Penguin stared, his eyes roaming across Mugiwara's face intently for any sign of lie, only to spot none. The teen truly did believe that this was worth the trade, his and Bepo's life for a tattoo design that took him an hour, yet… he could understand the meaning behind it and he let it go. He gave the teen a nod before getting up and walking out, giving the boy privacy.
It took a while for Ikkaku to finish, she made sure that it was perfect, that there was not a line out of place or colour missing in places before wiping it down with disinfectant. "I know that you plan to travel home soon, but make sure to keep it dry for two weeks, no salt water, keep it clean… but knowing how fast you heal it wouldn't surprise me if it was healed in a fraction of the time it should."
"Thank you, Bee!" Luffy grinned wide, laughing brightly as Ikkaku mock-slapped him. Bee and Butterfly stuck with the way her hair stuck from under her beanie to look like wings, it had stuck and became a term of affection much like Peng, Bear, Torao and Orca.
Ikkaku rolled her eyes and waved him off, a soft smile pulling at her lips. "You're welcome, now go bother the Captain, Mugiwara."
Laughter followed him out the door, the call for her captain just as loud and excited. He would never truly know or understand how appreciative the Heart Pirates were of him, they had grown worried in the last year or two with how cold and tired their captain was becoming, Ikkaku could only remember Law smiling once before Luffy came along, now he smiles all the time. Plus, if what Bepo, Peng and Shachi told them all, what Law was like before he found out Cora-san was still alive…
"Hey guys come quick! Mugiwara has a bounty! Holy shit, 200,000,000 for a first bounty!" Shachin's voice screamed out shocked, followed by loud thuds and Anka's excited yell. With a shake of her head, she cleaned up her bench and went to find her crewmates, seems there was going to be a celebration.
XX
Luffy chuckled as he watched Corazon pace around the small hut they built two months after he woke up, his entire body hunched as he threw in random clothes for Luffy to take, patting himself down as fire lit at his shoulders once more.
"Shishishi, I have everything I need Cora-san." Luffy laughed, smiling at the giant of a man he considered Nakama, family. "Everything else is staying here, where it'll be safe. All my precious treasures."
Cora felt the tears bubble up as he turned to see Anka brush his fingers over a small trinket he himself had made for him, next to it was a snow globe that Brûlée had given him from her small island. There were little trinkets from all of them, Katakuri, Law and his crew. But he knew the ones that Luffy treasured the most was the Red Straw Hat that was always on his head and the mask. Not only that, Cora's grin turned soft as he caught the glint of Mogura near the door, Luffy carried that everywhere with him now too since Kuri had given it to him.
It was the first time that both men had been referred to as Uncles, Cora had to admit that he cried like a baby and nearly smothered Anka in an embrace that only Law was able to save him from. However, the best part was Katakuri's reaction later on when they had gone to bed.
"I have many nieces and nephews, but being called Uncle felt different, better. I think this is the first time someone called me that and meant it, so pure and honest."
It ached sometimes how Katakuri was seen as this thing placed high on a pedestal and told that he must be admired and loved or else. The only ones who were worth knowing, who loved him for all he was, were Brûlée and Pudding, the other outliers of the Charlotte Family. They too hated being seen as only a tool for what they were able to do and help the family.
"You know I worry Anka! What if you get cold, or lost? What if you need this here!" Corazon exclaimed holding up the coat and tool, smiling sheepishly as Anka only raised his brow. He looked so much like Law when he did that.
"Rosi, he's been packed for a while now, let Little Dogtooth leave." Katakuri chuckled from his reclined seat by the door outside. "Law already triple-checked and even made Bepo go into King's mouth to pack even more things. I have made sure that the harness is pierced into the fins so Anka has something to hold."
Rosinante's shoulders dropped as he sighed. "Alright, I guess I am being silly."
"That's okay Cora-san," Luffy whispered as he launched himself at the giant, sending them both tumbling around the room and out the door, landing right next to a smirking Katakuri. "It's why I love Tio, he's just showing me he loves me like everyone else."
Tears once again pooled in Rosinante's eyes as he pulled the kid into a hug, how did he ever get so lucky? Yes, his start to life was a harsh one, the years training to be a marine and the abuse under his brothers' commands, the abuse he dealt to those kids, to law… how could he still be worthy of having a son? A husband? How could he deserve a nephew like this kid in his arms who trusted him even after learning he was a marine, especially after what they had done to his home?
"Are you sure you want to return home alone Anka? We can always come with you, Law won't mind a detour or two." Rosi asked once Katakuri helped them up.
Luffy shook his head, heart both aching and warming at the offer, his hand stretching back to grab Mogura by the door. "No, this is something I need to do alone. A promise I made to my brothers long ago needs to be kept and if the island is watched, I don't want to endanger you both and Law."
"But it's not right that you'll spend your birthday alone Little Dogtooth," Katakuri stated, casting a look down as they made their way to the shore where everyone else was waiting.
"I won't be alone, not really. I'll have King and I will have you all here." Luffy replied with a grin while he tapped at his heart. "Plus, I know you've placed presents in King's stomach somewhere for me to find."
Everyone chucked at that, the Heart Pirates stepping forward and swarming Luffy in a hug, each giving him a tearful goodbye. Hakugan had handed the mask back to him, explaining that he had adjusted it so the bubbly coral could be activated with a press of a button instead of separately. Shachi, Bepo and Penguin exclaimed that he would be missed and they plied him with enough food, Ikkaku handed over a compass as well as a log pose as she rolled her eyes at the three idiots, plus had handed Luffy enough dye for his hair if the red began to seep through if he wished instead of ash.
"Be safe Lu-ya." Law muttered softly pulling him into a hug. "We've liberated a Den Den from one of the bases we raided, it's white so it can't be listened in on. Call me if you need us, and no matter when and where we will come. Don't make me find out you were seriously hurt from the News Coo."
Luffy pulled back and stared at his eldest but newest brother, catching the hidden words in the depths of his pain-filled eyes. "I will, I promise Torao. I'll make sure to stay in contact. Keep an eye out for my new bounties, I'll surpass yours before you know it."
"You already do Lu-ya." Law chuckled with a shake of his head.
"No, not as King Tamer." Luffy giggled, nose scrunching as he laughed. "You be safe as well, make sure he eats and sleeps Bepo! See you all again, when I make it to the Grand Line! KING TIME TO GO!"
Laughter and cheers were the last things Luffy heard as he launched himself over to King, activating the Bubbly coral as he went, Mogura tight in his grasp. It was time to go home and start his adventure for real, like he promised so long ago, then he could find his brothers once and for all.
XX
~~We are nearly there Little King, I can smell and taste the waters of our home~~ King rumbled, waking Luffy from a light doze.
They had been travelling for days and Luffy was anxious, they were cutting it close, too close. Three times they have had run-in with Marines when Luffy had needed to restock the food and be dry, three of those always ending in a fight and a delay. In the end, Luffy gave up and crawled down into King's belly to the broken boats that formed Luffy's stash spot.
King was a small sea king by sea king standards, still growing and will grow bigger with more space. Luffy was excited to see if he would grow large to eat a whole pirate ship or two in one go like he had seen when they cut through the Calm Belt. But since he was still small, he could only hold so much debris in him before it became cramped, and he had to digest it.
"How much further?" He asked standing, hand clutching Mogura tightly and placing the straw hat on his head, a comfort.
Luffy was anxious about returning home, at seeing everything gone. He knew no one survived, hard not to when he heard it all. The Voice of All Things, it was a blessing and a curse, one where some days he wished he didn't have it, just to get some peace and quiet, just so he couldn't hear and feel the voices of the world go out.
Observation Haki did the same of course, but not to the depth Luffy felt and heard, not for the distance. The Land and Sea spoke with him sometimes, their voices a comfort as well, soft and crashing like the waves on a calm day and a rumble of rocks settling.
~~We're here Little King.~~ King replied, sorrow heavy in his voice.
Luffy shot forward the moment King opened his mouth wide, hands grasping the teeth to slingshot himself out and towards the land. His eyes widened and heart hammered as he came to a staggering stop, knees giving out as he took in the devastation around him. Trees and shrubs had begun to grow back in patches, but the land was still scorched, still dead.
His vision blurred as tears pooled up, fingers digging into the dirt of what once was his home. Foosha was gone, only empty husks of what was and scorched earth. The only bright bit of colour was up ahead, his feet moving automatically towards it, heartbeat loud in his ears. A memorial stood where Makino's place used to be, a small dedication of dried flowers well maintained. He thumbed the petals gently, eyes catching the bits of pieces he could recognise.
Makino's' bandanna, Woodslaps glasses, little things of the people who lived here. There was a carved sign, with all their names that Luffy struggled to read, it was only because of the whispers of its voice that allowed Luffy to know every name and who carved it. His Gramps had come and Luffy wondered what his reaction to this was, did he know? Did he leave Luffy to his fate or would he have come to save him only to arrive late?
"I'm sorry," He whispered sadly, bowing his head as he turned and made his trek up the mountain.
Like Foosha there was nothing left, half the mountain collapsed, and the forest burnt away. Another memorial was resting in front of the empty shattered husk of what once was Dadan's Country, a sign like the others and a string of melted beads. Ace and Sabo had been here, they had found the items and built the memorial alongside Gramps. He whispered another apology before turning towards the cliff, something calling for him.
"Oh," He gasped the moment he saw the memorial for him. How could it not be?
There on the cliff he and his brothers shouted their dreams to the ocean was Sabo's pipe, wrapped around it was a collection of things, Benn's dagger, the locket his gramps always had on him, Ace's bracelet Luffy had made long ago… trinkets from his uncles… But above it, tied securely to it and mended was his Straw Hat.
"Dad," Luffy sobbed as he staggered forward, hands gripping the old yellow straw. He had thought it was lost forever, his promise with Shanks but here it was. He could hear the heartbreaking cries of his father in the new stitches, could feel the power and the grief of lingering Haki. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I should have gone to find you, both of you, but… but I was a coward… I was – am – still scared you'll be mad at me, I lost your treasure, I…"
Sobs tore through Luffy as he whispered his apologies and excuses into the wind. Tomorrow he would be seventeen, tomorrow he could set sail like he had promised his brothers, like Ace had done. Resolve flooded through him as he clutched the hat, removing the red one before placing the worn yellow straw of his father's hat on once more.
Something deep settled within him as it came to rest on his head once more. Tomorrow he will look for his brothers, his Papai and Da. He will gather a crew and meet them on the seas of the New World, he will take the first step in becoming King of the Pirates.
A grin pulled at his lips, a laugh escaping not long after, bright and free in ways that he hadn't laughed since Dawn was raised. He laughed and laughed till the sun began to set, unbeknownst to him that the Ocean below stilled, the earth of Dawn halting just for a breath as the faint sound of drums filled the night sky echoing in the laughter.