Chapter 20: He Lives
"Wow! What a cool town!" Luffy said as he took in his surroundings. Just above him was an archway with a sign clearly stating that they were now at Loguetown.
"The place used to be full of pirates on their way to the Grand Line. It has everything you could ever need!" Nami said knowingly, having heard about this town many times before from the pirates she used to steal from.
"Alright! I'm gonna go get equipment for our upcoming great adventure!" Usopp boasted with a smile.
"Looks like I can get some good ingredients here. Good women too!" Sanji said, a perverse look on his face at the thought.
"I got something I wanna buy, too," Zoro said, more to himself, but immediately, Luffy felt Namis greed rise as the redhead turned to look at the swordsman.
"Oh? How are you gonna do that? You're flat broke, as I recall!" She said, a little too cheery for the words she was saying.
"Alright! I'm gonna check out the execution platform!" Luffy said, ignoring Nami completely in favor of smelling the air. He didn't know what an execution platform would smell like, but he was sure he'd find it eventually.
"Huh?" Usopp and Sanji asked. They both turned to look at Luffy, but by the time they'd turned their eyes away from Zoro and Nami, their Captain was already running off.
"I'm gonna see where the King of the Pirates was executed!" Luffy called out to them, not even turning to address them.
"Hey, wait! We still haven't decided where to meet up at!" Usopp's yell was too late as Luffy was too far into the crowd of people to hear him.
Running through the street, Luffy could feel his excitement rising. Just the thought of the execution platform- that he hadn't known about until they were already heading to this island- filled him with awe and wonder. To see where the Pirate King had been born and then died? It was an opportunity Luffy hadn't exactly expected to stumble upon, and yet here he was.
In his musings, Luffy had managed to run himself in circles. Thanks to his nose, he didn't wind up back at the port, but he did manage to end up in a strange alley. Looking around, a sign caught his eye, and- momentarily- his hunt for the execution platform was put on hold.
Walking down the stairs and then into the strange place, which looked to be a run-down bar on the inside, Luffy looked around and saw an old man sitting at a table.
"Huh? Do you work here, old guy? It said Gold Roger on the sign outside. Is that this place's name?" Luffy asked, examining the man carefully. The quick color check told him the old man had a blue aura, and a scan of his emotions showed nothing but peaceful calm, acceptance, and a hint of bitterness.
"Scram. This ain't a place for a runt like you. Besides, we're closed for good as of today." The man said as he poured himself a drink, probably not his first from the looks of it.
"It went under?" Luffy questioned, not planning on leaving despite the man's words.
"It didn't go under! I'm shutting it down myself! Now get lost!" The man repeated, and like with most people that came into contact with Luffy, there was a growing ball of irritation in the man.
"I was just curious about the name, that's all. I'm lost. I was wanting to go to the execution platform... Can you tell me how to get there?" Luffy asked, moving to the bar and sitting on one of the stools. The second he did that, though, he got a look at where the man was sitting, an object on the table he sat at.
"What's that on your table? Oh! A skull?! It's huge!" Luffy said in amazement. Even though the man hadn't seemed all that interested in talking, he didn't seem to mind it now as he launched into a tale of who the skull belonged to, a man once known as Killer Giant.
Luffy listened to the story with rapt attention, nostalgic for the stories that Whitebeard used to tell him. This old man seemed to have the same knack for storytelling as Whitebeard did; Luffy hanging on to his every word. All of the stories were centered around Gol Roger himself, from when this old man knew him as a resident of this very bar, to when he was executed 22 years ago.
"But now look! The town's full of nothing but cowards and scum now! Men crazy enough to challenge that sea of evil are all but gone now! That's why this bar is closing down for good today." The old man said, almost wistfully. The bitterness was back, but Luffy paid it no mind, still smiling widely from the stories and swinging his feet back and forth in the air.
"I'm going to the Grand Line too!" Luffy said, more to himself as he looked to the ground.
"Huh?" The old man asked in disbelief, eyes widening.
"Gold Rogers so cool... He's how a pirate should be! I set out to sea for lots of reasons, but Rogers definitely one of them. I'm gonna go to the Grand Line, and then the New World, get the One Piece, and be the King of the Pirates!" Luffy said, lifting his head to show the D grin on his face. Again, the man's disbelief rose, eyes as wide as they could get.
"Those're some mighty big words! And in this bar, of all places!" He finally decided on saying.
"I only said what I meant," Luffy said honestly, smiling becoming more relaxed. The old man sighed, smiling now as well, and any and all bitterness that had lingered in him was gone completely.
"Kiddo! If there're still patrons like you out there, maybe I'll hold off on closing this place!" He said. Confused, Luffy straightened.
"How should I know if there are?!" Luffy asked, not understanding.
"You're right! Of course, you wouldn't know! I haven't been in such a good mood since back then! I'll treat you to a drink!" The old man said, shuffling away from his table and behind the bar, digging around for something. Luffy turned his head to watch over his shoulder, confusion gone now.
"I don't drink alcohol." His words were met with a laugh, and Luffy could that the old man was in a much better mood than when he'd first walked in here.
"Right! Then have this." The old man said, holding two glasses of milk and holding one out to Luffy.
"Let's have a toast! To the Eternal King of the Pirates!" The man said, taking off his hat and grinning at Luffy. Turning to face the man fully now, Luffy smiled again in determination, grabbing the glass.
"To the Eternal King of the Pirates!" Luffy toasted, the two clinking their glasses together before chugging them down.
Luffy stayed for only a few minutes longer before telling the old man he had to get going, leaving his empty glass on the bar for the old man to clean. Before he left, the old man gave him instructions on how to get to the platform, and with a thanks, Luffy left to begin his hunt anew.
As he walked down Main street he talked quietly to himself, taking in the sights and trying to imagine whether Roger walked these same streets or not.
Once he got down the street, he was stood in a large plaza staring right at the tall execution platform the towered over everyone.
"There it is... So this is where the King of the Pirates was executed... The place where the greatest pirate in history died... The place where it began..." Luffy said, a smile slowly forming on his face. Without any hesitation, Luffy moved to the base of the platform and promptly began climbing it.
Everyone in the plaza stopped to stare at him, some of them telling him warnings of how he could get hurt, but Luffy ignored them.
Well, that is, until one of them was a marine.
"Hey. Hey, 11097!" With a pout, Luffy turned to look at the man, pleasantly surprised that this Marine had a blue aura. He didn't look like the usual clueless marine lackey. No, this man looked to hold at least some kind of power, and for a marine with power to have such a clear blue aura was rare for Luffy to see.
"What do you want? I'm busy right now!" Luffy called out, not bothering to come down from where he'd started climbing.
"So you are 11097 then. The ex-Whitebeard." The man continued. As he spoke, Luffy noted that the man had two cigars in his mouth, making him curious as to whether Fossa had ever tried doing that before.
"I'm Luffy. Do you need something?" Luffy asked again, wanting to go back to his task of climbing the platform. After he said that, though, he slipped down a little, surprising him. Managing to stop himself before he hit the ground, he turned to look at the Marine again.
"I'm Captain Smoker of the Navy. I'm in charge of Loguetown. You're under arrest." Luffy almost laughed at those words, because in all his time of being a pirate, he'd heard that line more times than he could count, and yet, he was still free.
He kept himself from laughing, but he couldn't stop the large smile that formed on his face instead.
"Nah, I don't think so. I'm just about to go back into Paradise and be the King of the Pirates! I won't get arrested in a place like this." Luffy said knowingly. It would be highly unlikely that Luffy would run into someone here that could take him down.
"You'll have to fight me, then. You don't get into the Grand Line unless you can beat me. That's the rule of this town. That's assuming you're brave enough to fight me, of course." Smoker challenged, and now Luffy was interested. Not interested enough to come down from the platform just yet, but interested none-the-less.
"So I cant go back to Paradise unless I beat you? Then I'll beat you!" Luffy said, grinning, his excitement growing at the idea of a fight. Hopefully a good one.
"Go ahead and try." Smoker said, also seeming to prepare for the fight. Reeling back a fist, Luffy threw it forward, only to spin and fall back, his torso stretching but his legs staying wrapped around the metal of the platform's base.
"Ah! I'm tangled!" Luffy muttered, looking to his legs and stretching back to normal.
"So you are made of rubber then. Just what the hell are you doing?!" Smoker barked once he noted Luffys abilities. He didn't like the fact that it seemed like Luffy wasn't taking him seriously.
"I'm not doing this cause I wanna! It's my legs..." Luffy said defensively, trying to pull said appendages free from the metal they were trapped between. With a snap, they were freed and he flew back away from the platform.
"I'm unstuck! Gum Gum Pistol!" Luffy called, spinning his body midair and aiming a punch right for Smoker. The man watched as the fist came his way before jumping out of the way, appearing behind Luffy.
"Too slow!" Seeing- and feeling due to his haki- the fist aimed at his face, Luffy ducked, laughing to himself as he did. Smoker wasn't done though as he appeared again behind Luffy, swinging his leg out to kick Luffy which the teen also dodged.
"Now who's too slow?" Luffy asked as he re-centered himself, throwing another punch towards Smoker. At the same time that he did that, Smoker threw a punch of his own that Luffy moved out of the way of. When this happened though, Luffy noticed that his fist, which should have hit something by now, hadn't. Looking, he saw the hole in Smoker that was now quickly being filled with smoke.
"Devil fruit." Luffy determined quickly.
"That's right. I ate the moku-moku fruit so my body is made entirely of smoke." The marine explained, demonstrating by having the smoke he could control surround him. Luffy took this information in stride, a little more excited now than he had been before about this fight. This Marine was not only a good color, but he also seemed to be able to put up a little bit of a fight against him.
Of course, with Luffy preoccupied with his thoughts and excitement, he didn't notice the fist until it was hitting him in the chest, sending him flying into the metal base of the platform and onto the ground again.
"22 years ago, I saw his execution. His proud final moments were worthy of the King of the Pirates..." Smoker said, Luffy feeling that he meant every word he was saying from where he still lay on the floor.
"You, King of the Pirates? Don't make me laugh! You may have been to the Grand Line thanks to Whitebeard, but you're no longer with him." Smoker said, underestimating Luffy like everyone always does. Luffy didn't know if he was amused or annoyed by the assumption, but either way, he stood back up with a smile.
"I may not be with Pops anymore, but that just means I'll have to go and try taking on Paradise with my own crew. Get ready, cause here I come! Gum Gum... whip!" Stretching his leg behind him, Luffy swung it forward, sweeping Smoker away before he could move away. Luffy felt the man's surprise, most likely wondering how he'd managed to get hit in the first place.
The marine was flung through a few buildings due to the force behind Luffys kick and because of that, Luffy was left with only two marine lackeys who were watching with dropped jaws. The civilians around them were speaking in hushed ones of fear amongst each other, but Luffy ignored them, looking at the marines.
"I'm gonna climb this now, ok?" He asked, jutting a thumb out behind him and using it to point to the execution platform. When the marines didn't respond- still too shell-shocked- Luffy merely shrugged before turning and jogging back over to the base of the platform.
Now that he didn't have any interruptions, Luffy was free to climb the platform without any issues. When the marines snapped out of it, they made an empty threat of forcing Luffy to come down and arresting him, but one confused look from Luffy had them running after Smoker.
Scrambling up the scaffolding quickly like the Monkey his name signified, Luffy finally reached the top. He had quite a few onlookers from below, but Luffy ignored them, instead shielding his eyes from the sun and looking over the town.
"Wow! So this is the scenery that the King of the Pirates saw... Wow!" Luffy said in awe, a giant smile on his face as he took it all in. The peaceful view was interrupted by a much louder than normal voice.
"Hey, you! Come down right away!" They shouted, megaphone in hand to amplify their voice.
"Why?" Luffy called back, not wanting to come down just yet.
"That's a special execution platform under control of the World Government! Come down right now!" They continued shouting. Stubborn, Luffy only smiled, cupping his hands around his mouth in an attempt at amplifying his own voice.
"You don't have to be so strict, officer." He yelled.
"Either way, I'm going to have to arrest you! I'm coming up now!" The man called, but he didn't even have the chance to take a single step forward when a spiked club hit him in the face, knocking him out cold on the ground.
"Hmph! Now's not the time for small fries. I've been looking for you, Luffy. Long time no see..." Luffy was already frowning at the unnecessary attack on the officer, but it was quick to turn to confusion when he saw the lady that was speaking. He didn't recognize her, but a familiar scent drifting to his nose told him he knew her. Or at least, he'd smelled her before.
"Huh?" Trying to think about it, Luffy sifted through everyone he'd smelled, trying to match previous smells with the person in front of him now.
"Don't tell me you forgot my face..." Around the woman, the civilians, male and female alike, were awestruck by her beauty.
"Perfume and metal..." Luffy muttered to himself, knowing he'd smelled the combination before somewhere.
"Though it seems you've forgotten me, I'll never forget you. You're the first man who hit me." The awestruck civilians were quick to start shooting daggers Luffys way, but the young Captain was still confused.
"Hit you... perfume and metal..." Luffy continued muttering, rubbing his chin in thought. With a snap, Luffy realized, the dots connecting in his brain.
"Ah! You're that Almyra girl!" Luffy realized, pointing to her. Even as he said this though, he couldn't help but wonder if he was right. Was his nose messing with him? Cause this woman didn't look anything like he remembered.
"That's right- Almyra? My name is Alvida. No matter, I will make you mine, Luffy." She said, smiling at the thought. Luffy frowned, raising an eyebrow at the words and taking a step back.
"You're under arrest for harming the police captain! And you, 11097! You're under arrest as well! Get off of the execution platform!" Luffy and Alvidas conversation was cut short as a small group of officers ran out. Alvida didn't move though, only turning her head to smile in their direction.
"Are you sure that's something you can do?" She asked sweetly, reminding Luffy of Nami whenever she was thinking about money and feeling greedy.
"Ah... Captain, I don't think we can arrest her..." One of the, now awestruck, officers said.
"It doesn't matter... we have to..." The first officer didn't have a chance to finish as a loud explosion went off, one of the fountains exploding nearby. The rubble went flying right towards Alvida, but Luffy felt that she wasn't worried in the slightest. She didn't make any move to dodge the incoming stone and everyone watched as the second it hit her it seemed to slip right off and away from her.
"What just happened?" Luffy asked, thoroughly confused. He'd just wanted to see the execution platform and now he had to deal with, not only Smoker, but Alvida who possibly might not actually be Alvida. Oh, and from the smell of it, that clown guy was here too.
"That was dangerous, you know," Alvida said, but despite her words, she was smiling at the group of hooded figures.
"Flashily sorry. But your smooth skin is unharmed, of course. So don't worry Beautiful Alvida." The one Luffy knew to be Buggy said. Alvida's smile never fell as she rubbed her arm.
"You're right. Thanks to the Sube Sube no mi, no attack can hurt my skin because it slides right off it. Unfortunately, my beauty couldn't be improved that much, though. One big change was... yes, my freckles are gone." She said, now rubbing her face with a small look of dismay.
Luffy could feel that she was actually sad about that.
"I don't think that was it..." Luffy said, remembering how Alvida had looked before compared to now.
"After becoming a new person," Alvida continued, completely ignoring Luffy.
"I joined forces with him since we had the same goal; finding you." She finished, jutting a thumb to the cloaked figure of Buggy. With a low laugh, the clown grabbed the edge of his cloak and pulled it off at the same time that the rest of his comrades did, revealing themselves.
"Now, the ultimate star appears super flashily!" Buggy announced, clearly pleased with himself. Luffy only blinked as he watched them, unamused.
"Monkey D. Luffy! Since the day you blew me off, I've been obsessed with revenge on you. That alone led me to finally find my crew. It was indeed a great adventure-" Luffy zoned out as the clown continued talking, instead more focused on how he was going to get back to the Merry.
Wait, what about his crew? He should probably find them first, then go to the Merry, then leave. He'd seen the execution platform now, which is the reason he'd come here after all, so now there was no reason to continue lingering here.
"Are you even listening?! And why am I telling you a story, you bastard?!" Buggy yelled angrily.
"What? Wait a minute, what was your name?" Luffy asked. He hadn't bothered to remember it; after all, he had been a bad guy. Luffy barely remembered good people's names, and that was only because Sabo had yelled at him more times than he could count about it.
"Boggy? No, Boogie? No, Behie... isn't right... Oh yeah, it's Buffoon!" Luffy announced with a grin, happy to remember. Clearly, Buggy didn't like this answer because there was a sudden blast of rage within him.
"Buffoon?! Stop messing around! You sure haven't lost your nerve, you moron!" Buggy screamed. Around him, the civilians were starting to realize who was in front of them, and once they did they all began yelling and screaming, trying to leave the plaza.
"People! Remain flashily where you are!" Buggy ordered, his men pulling out guns and aiming at the civilians. This made everyone stop running instantly, no one wanting to get hurt. Luffy frowned, not liking what was happening.
"I'll show you good how scary I am." Buggy said darkly. Even though Luffy was preoccupied with what was going on below the platform, a sudden thought broke his concentration.
"That's right! Your name is Buggy!" He said.
"You just remembered it?!" Buggy shrieked. Luffys haki screamed that there was someone behind him, and even though he went to avoid them, he wasn't able to avoid the top half of the pillory that pinned him to the ground.
"Ah! I wasn't expecting that!" He said, blinking as he looked up to see the swordsman Zoro had fought back in Orange Town.
"Long time no see 11097. Is Roronoa Zoro well, too?" They asked, sitting on the top of the wooden board and smiling down at Luffy.
"Okay, Cabaji. Good job." Buggy praised from below with a laugh.
"To my several hundred billion servants around the world! Look! We'll now flashily start the open execution! Monkey D. Luffy! You can no longer move even an inch. You feel honored, 11097? You can die in the same place the King of the Pirates died." Buggy said, laughing loudly again. No matter how Luffy twisted and turned, he couldn't get out of the board. As he was doing this, Buggy took the time to join him on the top of the platform, still laughing loudly.
"Pirate Monkey D. Luffy, former Whitebeard Pirate, is to be flashily executed for the crime of getting me angry! Live it up flashily!" Buggy announced, his men cheering and dancing below them. Luffy stopped his struggling, watching the dancing with a smile.
"This is my first time seeing an execution." He said cheerily, forgetting what was happening.
"We're executing you!" Buggy barked, reminding the straw-hatted teen of that fact.
"Huh? Stop joking!" Luffy yelled to the clown.
"You stop joking!" Buggy yelled right back.
"We are now going to start the flashy execution openly!" Buggy called out. Below them, the civilians were watching in fascination, whispering to each other as they wondered if the infamous 11097 was going to be killed here by Buggy. Luffy meanwhile, was continuing to struggle, yelling at Buggy to let him go to no avail. Eventually, the teen stopped his struggles and looked up at Buggy with an blank look.
"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Please save me." Luffy said monotonously, clearly not meaning his words if the bored look on his face was anything to go on.
"Why would I save you?!" Buggy asked, pointing a sword at Luffys neck.
"Buggy the Clown, you will unhand pirate Monkey D. Luffy 11097 this instant!" A familiar voice from below had everyone looking to see Smoker, along with a blue-haired woman and multiple marines, standing there with their weapons drawn.
"I will, will I?" Buggy asked, not moving either the sword to Luffys neck nor the foot on the teen's head.
"11097 is wanted alive only by the world government. If you refuse to release him, we will be forced to make sure you do." Smoker explained.
"Like I care what that flashy world government wants! Straw Hat here pissed me off, so I'm doing my civic duty and removing him from this world!" Buggy said, smiling widely and turning to look back at Luffy.
"Since you have a big audience, do you want to say something before you die?" When Luffy didn't answer, Buggy continued on.
"Well, that's okay. Whether you wanna say something or not doesn't matter since you're gonna die." Buggy continued, but his words seemed to spark something in Luffy as the bored expression left his face and was replaced, changed to one of determination.
"I'm the man who'll be the King of the Pirates!" Luffys shout was heard across the whole plaza. Jaws dropped and anyone who was moving froze to look up and stare at the straw-hatted teen. Even Smoker and the Marines were surprised by his words.
"Well then, I guess I'll do it now... you damn rubber." Buggy said, laughing again.
"Stop the Buggy Pirates!" Smoker ordered, getting over his momentary shock. This snapped the marines out of it as well as they all moved into action. Smoker himself was about to use his powers to get to Buggy, but a new arrival stopped him, as well as the clown.
"Stop the execution!" Everyone stopped what they were doing at the loud exclamation. They all turned to see who had spoken and a wide smile spread across Luffys face.
"Zoro! Sanji!" He called out happily, picking out the green and blonde hair easily out of the crowd.
"Shame on you! There's a limit to how much you can fool around, Luffy." Zoro chastised, though he was smiling as he said the words. His hand was on his swords- now three once again- and he'd already started taking one out. Beside him, Sanji had his hands in his pockets, a grin on his face as well and a cigarette ever-present in his mouth.
"If you're starting a sideshow, let me join you. What we have to do for now is drive those damn pirates away?" Sanji asked, scanning the crowd in front of him and easily picking out the pirates from the civilians.
"P-Pirate Hunter Zoro!" Seeing the man, the civilians were filled with another bout of fear. All of them moved to the edges of the plaza, leaving space for the showdown that was no doubt about to happen.
"Sanji! Zoro!" Luffy cheered again, still smiling largely.
"So you're here, Zoro! But you're a little too late!" Buggy laughed, raising the sword high in the air, preparing to remove Luffys head from his shoulders. Seeing the threat, Sanji and Zoro went into action, running towards the pirates who were facing them with their weapons.
"We'll bring down that execution platform!" They shouted as they ran.
"Roronoa Zoro!" A blue-haired marine woman exclaimed.
"Tashigi, this is no time to gawk. Men, handle the Buggy Pirates!" Smoker ordered, the marines moving into action again at the words.
"Get 'em boys!" Alvida shouted, all of the pirates charging as well. With all three groups attacking each other, it was chaos, but Luffy was able to easily follow the action with his eyes. The marines held up well enough with the Buggy Pirates, but it seemed they were evenly matched against each other. For Zoro and Sanji, however, the two had no issues as they mowed pirate after pirate down in their efforts to get to the base of the platform.
"Not even Zoro can stop me now! This is the end of your Captain!" Buggy laughed, sword still raised high above his head.
"Damn bastard!" Sanji yelled, and Luffy could feel that both Zoro and Sanji had a desperation growing in them, as well as even a small ball of fear that was slowly growing in size.
A fist followed by a trail of smoke attempted to hit Buggy, but the clown merely broke apart, laughing all the while as Smoker's fist returned to his body. Luffys haki was screaming at him to move, to get out of the way, but Luffy ignored it knowing that there was nothing he could do to avoid the incoming attack. He was able to cover the back of his neck in haki though, knowing that would be enough to buy his crew some time to knock the platform down.
Luffy lifted his head, showing off his infamous D smile as he waited for the sword to hit the haki covered skin. Buggy's sword was closing in on his neck, and Luffy tried to ignore the dread and fear coming full force from Zoro and Sanji. Even Smoker's emotions were all over the place, from shocked to defeated from not being able to stop Buggy, all if the unknowing that Luffy would be just fine.
Luffy tried not to focus on any of that though, his smile never leaving his face as he felt a tingle in the air. When the sword was mere centimeters from his next, there was a loud crack and a flash of white. Beneath him, the platform rumbled and then collapsed to the ground, inflamed. The rain came slow but increased quickly in intensity until it was pouring.
With a laugh, Luffy stood up from the rubble completely unharmed. The same couldn't be said about Buggy though, as the clown was charred and unconscious on the ground nearby.
"I'm still alive after all. I got lucky." Luffy said as he stretched his freed limbs. He began walking over to Sanji and Zoro, the two in a complete state of shock as they watched Luffy approach, talking quietly amongst themselves.
"I was worried about what was gonna happen for a while." Luffy continued as he reached them. It was true, because he could only use haki so long until he was forced to go without it. Zoro had managed to get over his shock now, but it had been replaced with a weariness as he looked over to the remaining Marines, Smoker and Tashigi included.
"It seems we still have some problems." He said, getting both Sanji and Luffys attention.
"Oh, Smokeys still here." The straw-hatted teen noticed.
"Corner those pirates!" With a roar, the plaza was filled with Marines from all angles. It seemed that there had been Marines waiting outside the plaza for them.
"Here they come!" Sanji said as he turned to face the incoming marines.
"It's getting crazy!" Luffy said as he jumped out of the way of Buggy Pirates that were being thrown back by the Marines. When someone grabbed the back of his shirt, he nearly went to attack them before he smelled a familiar scent.
"Hey, Luffy," Zoro said, having been the one to grab him.
"Oh, Zoro!" Luffy grinned.
"We need to get out of here!" The swordsman said. None of the marines were attacking them yet, too focused on the Buggys Pirates, but it was only a matter of time until they were all that was left.
"We'd better hurry back to the ship or we'll never be able to leave the island. We won't be able to enter the Grand Line!" Sanji told Luffy.
"What?! That's not good!" That was all it took for Luffy to get running, Zoro and Sanji close behind.
"The Straw Hat gang is running away!"
"Capture them!"
"Go after them!" No matter how many marines tried stopping them, the three easily took them down in their mad dash to the harbor.
"We'd better hurry or we'll be in trouble! Move! Move! Move!" Luffy yelled to the two, his smile still on his face as he laughed loudly.
"Which way do we go?!" Sanji asked, yelling over the rain.
"This way! I smell the sea over here!" Luffy answered as he continued on down the street. It was a little harder to smell due to all the rain, but he was still able to smell the faint scent of saltwater.
"There they are!" A shout from behind them clued them into the fact that there was still a horde of Marines chasing them.
"What persistent bastards! Should we stop and fight?" Zoro asked.
"We don't have time for that. Oh? Whos that woman?!" Sanji asked, spotting Tashigi ahead of them. They reached her quickly seeing as they were running right to her and she wasn't moving. It was clear she held a grudge against Zoro- Luffy could feel it- and Zoro told them he would handle it. Sanji wasn't happy that Zoro was now attacking a lady with his sword, but after yelling some threats and a warning, he and Luffy ran off to continue towards the ship.
As they continued running, Luffy saw another person ahead of them. With all the rain, Luffy couldn't tell who it was until they were visible, but once close enough he saw that it was Smoker.
"So you're finally here, Straw Hat Luffy..." The marine said, standing beside a large bike.
"Didn't I tell you that you cant enter the Grand Line unless you beat me first?" He asked. Both Luffy and Sanji stopped to look at the man and a smile lit up on Luffys face.
"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Luffy said.
"You're such an airhead..." Smoker muttered. Beside him, Sanji leaned closer to Luffy.
"Hey, Luffy..."
"Sanji, go on ahead. I'll be right there." Luffy reassured.
"I don't know about that. This is the end for you." Smoker continued, taking a step forward. Luffy could feel Sanjis apprehension, stopping the chef from going on ahead.
"Go!" Luffy repeated. The conviction in the straw-hatted teen's voice was enough for Sanji to get moving again, running around Smoker and towards where Luffy had said the harbor was, leaving Smoker to Luffy.
Lightning continued flashing above them as the marine and pirate stared each other down. Water poured off of Luffys straw hat, but he was undeterred, ready for a fight.
"I'll beat you and enter Paradise again. I'm the man who'll be King of the Pirates!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Enough of your idle talk!" Smoker barked, his fists turning to smoke that trailed to the ground, and then surrounded Luffy. Before it could do so completely, Luffy grabbed the edge of a nearby roof, pulling himself out of the smoke and towards the building.
It worked for a second, but the smoke only continued following him. Before he could do something about it, Luffys grip slipped due to the rain and he fell back to the ground, but again, the smoke followed him. It wrapped around Luffy and lifted him into the air, but like Krieg's net, Luffys arms and legs were exposed.
"Gum Gum Bazooka!" Luffy yelled, throwing back his two fists and then shooting them into Smoker's chest. It was obvious the smoke man expected the attack to go right through him, but when it didn't, Smoker was forced to let Luffy go as he flew back from the force.
Luffy landed gently on the ground, a grin still on his face as he watched Smoker get back up.
"How were you able to hit me?" Smoker asked, Luffy feeling his confusion and surprise; emotions that didn't show on the man's face.
"Shishishi~! New World secret!" Luffy laughed. Smokers frown deepened and he sent his smoke towards Luffy again, but another pistol to the face from Luffy stopped that attack as well.
"You're a good guy Smokey, but I've got to go back to Paradise! I won't be beaten here!" Luffy told the man as he watched him fly into the wall of the building. As much as Luffy wanted to stick around and have an honest to goodness fight, he knew he had to get to the Merry.
As Luffy ran past Smoker and down the street, there was a second where Luffy felt the presence of someone else nearby. Before he could look for them, a sudden gust of strong wind swept him, as well as Smoker, off the ground and flying down the street. When the wind dissipated, Luffy sat up in a pile of rubble, confused.
"What just happened?" He asked, looking around and seeing Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji beside him.
"Luffy!" Namis yell clued Luffy into the Merry drifting away from them in the water.
"Nami!" Luffy answered, jumping to his feet.
"We'd better hurry up or the ship will be swept away!" Sanji yelled.
"Okay! I got it!" Luffy yelled, running the opposite way of the Merry. The others watched him in confusion as he jumped into the air and over a railing that he grabbed onto, letting his body stretch.
"Gum Gum..." Luffy called.
"What?" Sanji asked.
"W-Wait!" Usopp shrieked.
"I have a bad feeling..." Zoro muttered.
"Rocket!" Luffy yelled, shooting himself at the three.
"Ah, I knew it..." Zoro said as the three tried running away from Luffy. It was no use as the rubber man reached them, grabbing them all and holding tight as they rocketed towards the Merry. They landed safely in the sails, falling down to the deck in a heap.
"Everyone..." Nami said, relieved that they'd made it. The water was still roaring around them, waves crashing dangerously into the Merry as the heavy wind carried them through. Lightning was still going off, rain was pouring and the clouds blotted out the entire sky, covering it in a blanket of grey and black.
They were all quick to get to work trying to keep the Merry afloat. When it was clear they wouldn't be capsizing anytime soon, they all went to the front of the ship, watching as a mountain range became more and more visible.
"See that light?" Nami asked with a smile.
"Is that a lighthouse of the island?" Usopp asked, clinging to the mast in fear.
"It's a guiding light. The entrance to the Grand Line lies ahead of that light." Nami informed him.
"The Grand Line is ahead of that light..." Luffy said softly, a nostalgic smile on his face.
"What do you wanna do?" Nami asked him.
"B-but there's no reason to enter during a storm like this..." Usopp tried reasoning, though everyone else seemed to have different ideas as they smiled to each other.
"Okay then! Shall we hold a launching ceremony for setting sail on the grand ocean?" Nami asked.
"Hey!" Usopp yelled, though he was ignored.
"Yeah!" Luffy cried happily.
"Let's do it! In order to find the All Blue!" Sanji said, placing his leg on top of a nearby barrel.
"In order to be the Pirate King!" Luffy said next.
"In order to become the greatest swordsman!" Zoro continued, adding his own foot.
"In order to draw the world map!" Nami said. Luffy could feel all of the happiness and excitement, but from Usopp, there was a feeling of being flustered and scared.
"I-in order... to become a brave warrior of the sea!" The sniper eventually said before raising his own foot up. He felt the sniper's emotions ease until even he was wearing a small smile of his own, everyone looking down at their feet.
"We're going... to the Grand Line!" Luffy exclaimed. At once, they all raised their legs high.
"Yeah!" Bringing their legs down together, they destroyed the barrel below them. With spirits high, they turned to look to the lighthouse again, knowing that it was their destination.
Even though the wind was helping them out, it was still going to take a little while for them to reach it, but with how giddy they all were, they were fine with standing there and just watching it grow closer.
With how much rain was surrounding them, Luffy had a hard time even picking up the scent of his crew surrounding him, but his haki was left unhindered which is how he noticed the incoming presence beside the Merry.
"Huh?" The crew looked to Luffy as he said this, becoming more and more used to their Captain noticing something that they couldn't.
"What is it? It's not the marines, right?" Usopp asked, his joy changing quickly to fear at the idea that the navy had somehow managed to follow them through this storm.
"I don't know, the rain is messing with my sense of smell," Luffy said, eyebrows scrunched together as he walked to the railing. The crew followed him, Usopp more hesitantly than the rest, and when Luffy peered over the railing to the tiny boat beside the Merry he was confused to find it empty.
"Only you, a pirate wanted alive, could annoy someone so much that they'd rather kill you than get your 360 million berry bounty." The effect was immediate as a smile, as large as possible, grew on Luffy face. Zoro and Sanji were in a defensive position immediately as they turned to look at the voice while Usopp and Nami screamed in surprise.
"Shishishi! Sabo!" Luffy called out, running over to the blonde standing in the middle of Merry's deck. His brother smiled at him, bracing himself as Luffy threw all of his weight into him.
"Good to see you too Luffy." Sabo laughed. While Luffy was preoccupied with hugging him, Sabo let his eyes drift over to the crew standing in stunned silence in front of him. The swordsman and the blonde had shifted out of their defensive stances the second Luffy showed he knew Sabo and Sabo was glad to see that they were at least ready to fight when necessary. The long nose and redhead had been surprised and scared to see him, which was a reaction he was used to so it didn't bother him all that much.
"What are you doing here?" Luffy asked, pulling away from his hug to look at Sabo's face. The teen had felt Sabo's feelings, could feel him assessing his crew members, but he knew Sabo would like them.
After all, Luffy had the best crew.
"Well I meant to see you back on Loguetown, but somebody got a little too hasty and didn't leave me the opportunity like they promised," Sabo said with an irritated sigh and a shake of his head. Luffy didn't question who this someone was, not really caring as long as he got to see his brother.
"I heard you were heading back to Paradise soon so I asked if I could tag along on a little trip here to see you off." Sabo further explained.
"Ah! I missed you! And Ace, and Pops and everyone else too!" Luffy admitted, his smile still stretched across his face. If he wasn't made of rubber, his face would hurt from how big and how long he held the smile up.
"I've missed you too Lu. Now, why don't you introduce me to your crew? You of all people should know that they're unable to do it themselves." Sabo said, nudging his brother and gesturing to the still gaping crew. Usopp and Nami had dropped jaws while Sanji and Zoro's eyes were wide. It was obvious they recognized Sabo or at least had a guess as to who he was.
Blinking, Luffy realized all of the shock and surprise behind him and turned to face his crew, laughing.
"Oh yeah, Sabo, this is my crew! That's Zoro, he's a swordsman that uses three swords! Isn't that cool?! And that's Sanji, he's our chef! His food tastes better than Thatchs! Oh, and that's Nami, our navigator, and that's Usopp, the sniper! He's also Yasopps son!" Luffy explained, pointing out each member as he introduced them. Sabo nodded along, committing the names to memory as he heard them.
"Guys, this is my older brother Sabo!" Luffy said, now gesturing to the blonde beside him. Sabo took his top hat off and gave a bow, smiling politely to them.
"Pleasure to meet you. I hope Luffy hasn't been too much trouble for you." Sabo said, making Luffy pout, mumbling that he wasn't any trouble at all.
"Oh, no, he's been fine." They all said in unison, much to Sabo's amusement.
"Really now? He hasn't given you any trouble?" He asked as he stood from his bow, replacing his hat on his head.
"Nope. Not at all." They continued to say, shaking their heads.
"You've found a good group of people Luffy," Sabo said, wiping the pout from his brother's face and replacing it with his cheery smile.
"Right?!" He asked with another laugh. The rain was still pouring around them, soaking them all to the bone, but no one minded in the slightest. What with the entrance to the Grand Line being so close, and now Sabo being here, no one even thought about moving inside and getting dry.
"How long are you staying?" Luffy asked. There was a flicker of something inside Sabo now, a deeper emotion of dread and fear that confused the youngest and he was sure to show it on his face.
Knowing he'd been caught, Sabo sighed.
"About that. There's something... rather important that I need to talk to you about Luffy." Sabo said gently, tone lowering. Luffy felt that bundle of bad emotions slowly growing in his brother, along with a worry. For the first time, Luffys smile fell as he looked over his brother closer.
"It's... not exactly something I think we should talk about out here. It has to do with-" Sabo stopped, looking over to the crew who were listening curiously. Luffy looked over to them as well now, guessing what Sabo was hinting to.
"I haven't told them about what happened in the facility, but they know it's a bad place," Luffy said in a quiet voice, so low that the crew couldn't hear over the rain, but Sabo could hear it just fine.
"We can talk in the kitchen. We'll be right back." Luffy told his crew, because even though he was going to tell them about the facility eventually, now was not the time. Especially not when everyone was so happy to go to the Grand Line.
The crew seemed to understand that whatever needed to be discussed was important as they nodded, all heading back to the front of the ship to give them some privacy. Luffy was grateful to have found a crew like his as he led the way to the kitchen, Sabo close behind.
When they were inside the relatively small room, Sabo shut the door firmly behind them, listening to make sure there were no eavesdroppers- not that he expected any. It was more of a force of habit than anything else.
"Luffy, I'm gonna need you to sit down for this, alright?" Sabo asked, moving to the nearby table himself because even he wasn't going to be able to say this standing. Luffys suspicion only grew as he nodded, sitting across from Sabo. The blonde's emotions had only grown in intensity- the anxiety, the fear, the worry, the dread- all of it to the point that Luffy couldn't take it anymore.
"This is going to be hard to hear, and I should have told you sooner. I know I should have, and I'm sorry I didn't, but I could never find the right time to do it and I didn't- well, honestly, I was scared." Sabo tried explaining, losing all the eloquence he usually had when speaking as he rambled. Luffys frown only continued to deepen, not liking where this was going, especially seeing as it had something to do with the facility.
Taking a deep breath, Sabo closed his eyes for a second, gathering himself.
"Alright, here goes." He said quietly, opening his eyes and looking to Luffy.
"Do you remember back when we found the other facility? And Ruta and I were in charge of getting all the information we could while you and Ace got the kids out?" Sabo asked. Luffy remembered that all clearly so he nodded, wanting to know where this was going.
"And you remember when you and Ace came to check on me? Marco was with me and you noticed that I had a lot of bad feelings?" Sabo continued to ask, and again, Luffy nodded.
"I told you at the time that I saw something in the papers that gave me some bad memories, and while that was sort of the case, it wasn't exactly the entire story," Sabo said, his voice getting quieter and quieter as he spoke. He wasn't looking at Luffy anymore and was instead looking at the table while Luffy shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"You see... a lot of those papers had pictures of doctors that worked in that facility. As I was going through them, I saw one of them and realized that it was... It was Haru." Sabo said, swallowing hard as he got the words out. Luffy visibly paled at the name, lips thinning and fists clenching, but he didn't say anything yet.
"I looked over it, and it said that Haru had been working at that facility only a few days before we'd gotten there. Luffy... Haru is still working in facilities..." Sabo said, voice as low as it could go where Luffy could still hear him.
As Luffy tried processing those words he was vaguely aware of the fact that his breathing had become more rapid than usual. He knew that his fists were clenched so tight that his nails were digging into the skin, close to drawing blood. He knew that his eyes were wide and unblinking, even starting to sting from lack of moisture. He knew all of this, yet he couldn't do anything. He couldn't move. He couldn't blink. Even though he was breathing heavier than usual, it felt like he wasn't getting any air at all, that he was suffocating.
Sound was muffled. His vision was blurry. He couldn't see Sabo in front of him, he couldn't see the kitchen around him, couldn't see the table. He couldn't hear the rain outside, couldn't hear his harsh breathing, couldn't hear the waves hitting the Merry. He could barely even register that he was still sitting.
Distantly, he felt someone put their hand on his back. Luffy tried using that sensation to ground himself because touch had always been a sure-fire way to help Luffy when he was in need.
Slowly, his senses came back to him. First, it was his sight, the blurriness turning into shapes, and then clearing to actual objects. Sound was next as the muffle slowly went away and he was able to hear the voice beside him telling him to take deep breaths.
"With me Luffy. Follow my breathing. In, and then out. Like this." Luffy knew the voice, but he didn't try to place it with a face and instead focused on the words. He hadn't known he was hyperventilating, but as he followed the persons breathing like they said, he could feel the tingling sensation in his body, the light-headedness.
It was slow going, but Luffy had managed to come down from what was no doubt an anxiety attack. He still felt a little dizzy and tingly, but other than that he was breathing normally again. Sabo was sitting beside him, fidgeting and looking at the table again.
"I'm sorry Luffy. When I found out, Marco said that I should tell you and Ace soon after, but I was never able to do it." Sabo said almost meekly.
"D-Does Ace know n-now?" Luffy asked, trying to regain the ability to talk. Sabo sighed again, heavier than before.
"I told him right before I left to head to Loguetown. There's... more though." Sabo said. Luffy already knew he wasn't going to like it, because what more could there be? Knowing Haru was still alive was bad enough, so what else could there be that was worse?
"The reason I decided I needed to tell you and Ace now was because of what I found not too long ago. You know I joined the Revolutionaries and one of their goals is to liberate facilities and get information on other facilities." Sabo began again, Luffy nodding as he followed along.
"I've mostly done information runs since I'm still new, but I've even started going on scouting missions. Turns out, having super hearing is a nice perk to have when you're a spy." Sabo said, the corner of his mouth twitching ever so slightly at the amusement at the thought.
"On one of our scouting missions, I overheard some doctors talking to each other. They mentioned Haru, and how he worked there, mentioned how... great of a doctor he was." Sabo said, spitting the word 'great' out with such venom that anyone would be able to feel it without Luffys abilities.
"They also said that he had spent a lot of time in the New World ever since we escaped, but now he's heading back into Paradise," Sabo said, again, his words slowing and tone turning gentle as he spoke. It was Luffys turn to swallow hard now, because he'd been so excited to head back into Paradise. Now he wasn't so sure. Not when Haru would be somewhere there too.
"I wanted to make sure this wasn't just some gossip, especially when I knew you were close to heading back there yourself. When we liberated that facility, I made sure I was there when it happened so I could look for anything on Haru while I was there. I found another paper like at the facility we found, and it showed that Haru had been there. There was even a note on it that mentioned relocation, but nothing else. I'm not entirely sure, but it's possible that Haru is going to be in Paradise as well." Sabo finished.
Luffy sat quietly for a minute, trying to take in everything he'd just heard. Sure, Paradise was big, it was highly unlikely that Luffy would stumble upon Haru again, but just the possibility that it could happen? That terrified Luffy. He'd thought all this time that Haru had been killed along with all the other doctors when the Whitebeards had saved them. He'd never had any reason to believe otherwise. Now he was facing the very real fact that Haru was, in fact, alive and well. Working in facilities.
"Luffy... how has Aces wave been?" Sabo suddenly asked, surprising Luffy from his thoughts.
"Aces wave?" Luffy asked, pulling it up as he asked. Sabos was bright and opaque, leading right to his brother's chest. Beside it was Marcos, stretching outside the Merrys kitchen, and it was just as bright and opaque as Sabos. Finally was Aces, and as Luffy inspected it closer than the other two, he saw that it seemed to be doing just as well.
"It's fine right now. I think he was in some fights not too long ago though. I saw it get a little lighter. I told Jozu when I called to tell Ace to be more careful. Why?" Luffy asked, letting the waves disappear from his sight.
"It's just... I don't know how Ace is handling this." Sabo said slowly, his own eyebrows scrunched in thought.
"The two times I called him he wasn't on the Moby. Everyone kept saying he'd be mad cause he wasn't there to say hi to me." Luffy said, remembering back to the two times he'd called.
"After I told Ace he kind of... exploded. I think I managed to calm him down at least a little, and I talked to Marco right after. He promised he'd talk to Ace about it, but when I tried calling Ace back later he never picked up. I think at the very least he's ignoring my calls, but you said he wasn't even on the Moby?" Sabo asked, Luffy nodding in confirmation.
"Do you have your snail? I left mine back at the base." Sabo asked next, looking around the kitchen for it.
"It's outside. Should I get it?" When Sabo nodded, Luffy stood from the table to go retrieve it. His mind was racing a thousand thoughts a second, and he felt a little wobbly as he walked, but he managed to get outside without too much issue.
He could see his crew still at the front of the ship, feelings filled with worry and concern for him. They were also getting closer to the entrance of Paradise. The thought had excited him before, but now it made him sick.
Grabbing the snail, he noticed that his crew had spotted him, but no one said anything. They only continued watching him, their concern rising as he grabbed the snail and went back inside. Sabo was still sitting at the table with a frown. His emotions hadn't gotten any better and Luffys mixed with the blondes were making for a very negatively filled Luffy.
Setting the snail on the table, Luffy sat down and immediately began dialing the number for the Moby, handing it over to Sabo. Luffy was filled with too much anxiety, worry, concern, fear, dread to even attempt having a conversation with everyone back on the Moby.
As the snail slowly rang, the tension in the air grew. Finally, there was an answer.
"Whos this?" Sabo let out a relieved sigh to hear the familiar voice of Marco. If he wanted to get some straight answers, the best one to get them from would be Marco himself.
"Marco. It's Sabo and Luffy." Sabo greeted. The snail blinked in shock before responding.
"Sabo and Luffy, huh? So you two met up, yoi?" Marco asked, his tone much more lighthearted than anything else in the room.
"I heard Luffy was heading to Paradise again so I thought it'd be a good idea to tell him about Haru," Sabo explained, glancing over to Luffy again as he said this. Luffy tried not to let the name affect him as much as it had last time, but it did regardless. It wasn't as bad, but his fists did clench tighter than they should and it was harder to breathe evenly.
"I see.." Marco said, knowing that Luffy most likely hadn't taken the news well if the teen's silence was anything to go on.
"We were wondering where Ace was though. He hasn't answered any of my calls and Luffy said he hasn't been around whenever he called." Sabo said, getting to the point of the call. There was an audible sigh from Marco before he spoke again.
"He's not here. After you told him about you-know-who and he ran off, I went to calm him down like I said, yoi. You know how your brother can be though, and even with Whiskey's help, it was no good. He was determined to go after him." Marco said. Sabo and Luffy could practically see the man rubbing his forehead as he spoke.
"He told Pops and I that he was going to go look for him. We tried stopping him, yoi, but he's a stubborn one. I made sure to stick a mini den den on his Striker, but knowing him he hasn't even noticed it's there." Neither Sabo nor Luffy liked the idea of Ace going off on his own after Haru, but at least they knew what he was doing now.
"Thank you, Marco," Sabo said with another sigh of his own now.
"It was no problem, Sabo. I'll talk to you two later, yoi." Marco said, Sabo nodding in agreement as the snail hung up.
Luffy had remained silent throughout the conversation, head still reeling. Haru was still alive, Haru was in Paradise, Ace was going after Haru, Ace was alone. The thoughts ran through his head over and over to the point that Luffy was getting a headache.
"Luffy? Luffy, why don't you go lay down. I'll explain to your crew that you need some rest and help them through Reverse Mountain if you want." Sabo said, his voice gentle again as he laid a hand on Luffys shoulder. The teen shook his head though, denying that idea.
He was a Captain now. He had to take care of his own crew.
"I'm fine," Luffy mumbled, standing from the table and grabbing the snail. As he left the galley- going to return the snail to its place on the barrel outside- Sabo watched with worry. He knew Luffy should rest, take the time to process what he'd been told, but Luffy could be just as- if not more- stubborn than Ace could be.
With yet another sigh, Sabo stood from the table as well, following his brother outside.
After all this time, Luffy and Ace are finally made aware of the fact that Haru is still alive! And not only that, but he's headed back to Paradise, which is where Luffy is headed as well.
Coincidence? Well, we'll just have to wait and see!
So this is one of the big changes being made to this universe compared to canon. I've seen some people already speculating how things will change seeing as Teach isn't alive in this universe, and now with Haru, we'll be seeing some new plot points being created while also tying up loose ends that were created with Teachs death. Things, in my opinion at least, will be picking up now and will start getting interesting.
In any case, Loguetown was wrapped up in one nice long chapter and we'll be moving right on into Reverse Mountain as well as everything else that entails. So far I don't plan on using any of the filler arcs in this story that the anime had, but I may add filler arcs of my own in the future. That's still undecided. For now though, there won't be a filler arc between Loguetown and Reverse Mountain, so in the next chapter, you can expect to see everyone's favorite whale; Laboon!
Final note; these next two weeks are going to be absolutely crazy for me. It's the last two weeks of this semester which means final papers and final exams galore. This is just to say that I may be a little late getting the next chapter up, and if that's the case, it'll be another week at most. I should be fine, but again, this is just a warning so you guys have a heads up of what to expect.
And now, to say thank you for everything you amazing readers! I hope to see you all next time with the next chapter!