After Marineford Luffy had made a desperate promise, one that he had gripped tightly throughout their adventures; he would never again allow himself to lose another Nakama. The truth crashed over him as he felt the last vesper of his chosen Nakama leave the mortal plane, he had failed, and he had felt it as one by one they had all fallen to the great war.
The endless final battle for the one piece, a vast expansive battle of many factions; some competing for the title of King of the pirates while others stood tall trying to maintain the status quo.
The battle lasted days as they traversed this forsaken land.
In the end Luffy had made it, he had achieved his dream, but as he swayed on his knees in front of the treasure that had begun it all he felt hollow.
What good was ultimate freedom when you had no one to share it with, no more dreams left to chase, no more laughs to be had.
The drums of liberation had come to a halt and Luffy was left in the silence.
Time froze as he sat there, weary in the knowledge that the world was burning around him. Islands had fallen in his name, the world irrevocably changed, and for what?
"Anchor" A strained voice broke through the fog in Luffy's mind.
Luffy stared chillingly at the chest in front of him, it remained unopened, after everything he knew if his Nakama weren't by his side, it wasn't worth it.
The cost was too high.
So attuned to his crew and family Luffy had felt as each fell, days of feeling the chill creep up, choking him with its white knuckled grip. He wouldn't have gotten this far without Robin tugging his lifeless frame determinedly forward, her stern reminders that the crew had put there faith in him. He had to make it, if he didn't they would have died in vein, she had been his fight but even she had fallen against the insurmountable odds. It was all over and Luffy was done, the fight taken from him along with his crew.
"I surrender" Luffy muttered his empty glassy eyes meeting Shank's own.
Shanks closed his eyes, unable to face where his choices had led. Time passed in the endless void the two remaining captains face to face for the first time in years. Slowly two streams of water escaped Shank's closed eyes.
Luffy wished he had the will to cry, but it had long deserted him.
"I'm not here to stop you Luffy." Shanks voice broke, he reached out placing a shaking hand on the younger mans head, gently stroking the hat of his once captain.
Luffy was too deflated to protest the red head from his actions, disassociating from reality a part of his shattered mind gave a small snicker at the irony of the position.
Shanks having not received any rejection pulled the lifeless form of Luffy into his chest.
"I'm sorry Anchor" Shanks voice broke with desperation. "I'm so sorry."
Luffy lay heavily against him wishing silently for the end.
"This was never what I wanted" Shanks was sobbing, his frame trembling against Luffy's stillness. "It wasn't supposed to be you. I will never forgive myself" Shanks pulled back, forcing Luffy to look into his eyes. "I'm so sorry Luffy, the odds were stacked against you from the very start. Next time will be different, you can make it different." Shanks held the boy to him, reaching out for something, anything that could spark the light within that had once seemed endless in the younger captain.
"Next time you can save them all, I promise."
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Updated 25/08/2024