The world was swimming in a haze of unconsciousness edging to blissful sleep.. but it wasn't sleep. As there wasn't the warm feeling that cradled one gently into dreams. No, this was absolute. A void. Because not even silence existed in it. Because this was the absence of everything. As if time itself had been frozen and gutted, as if the laws of sound, sensation, memory and even gravity had been plucked from reality and tossed into a pit.
It almost seemed as if there were no heartbeat. No thoughts. No dreams. It was like drowning in static while being swallowed whole by an abyss too ancient and too vast to even comprehend. It almost seemed like the unknown force had taken the occupants of the marine base into a place where minds didn't belong. Where the power to comprehend and analyze lay forgotten. Where returning seemed almost impossible.
But something was slicing through the hazy fog like a blade with a single breath. It was a soft exhale, faint but alive, real and warm.
It was coming from Luffy, whose body had been lifeless moments ago but now pulsed with a fragile rhythm, his chest rising and falling ever so slightly, with each of his breaths weaving unknown golden threads into the very fabric of the dead air. It wasn't just a breath, at least not the normal one. It was warmth, ancient and divine, trickling out of him like sunlight spilling into a tomb of the realm of unconsciousness.
Zoro was the first one to stir, being the closest to Luffy. He was laid out beside his captain when they had all fallen, sprawled in a defensive crouch even in his weakness. His body was the first one to catch the warmth spilling out of Luffy unconsciously. It was seeping into his skin, into his bones, into the place behind his ribs.
At first, it was a twitch in Zoro's fingers, then a grunt, before his eyelids fluttered. And the darkness clinging to his mind shattered, leading Zoro to gasp awake.
His eyes blinked open slowly, as if dragging themselves out of a muddy swamp. His entire body felt like it had been steamrolled by a ship. The overhead lights of the infirmary were buzzing faintly, blurring and spinning in his vision. His head was throbbing with every beat of his heart, but he forced himself upright, placing one calloused hand on the floor to balance his weight and the other over his pounding skull.
"Ugh.. What the hell was that..?" he groaned, his voice gravelly, before the haze began clearing bit by bit.
The Haki. The King's Haki. Dominant and pressuring yet not having the familiar warmth… yet not of Luffy's, which had made them all drop like flies. Zoro remembered seeing Chopper and Nami collapse mid crying, Sanji gripping his head before falling too with tears in his eyes. He had tried to resist, to stay up, to guard, but his body hadn't even had the time to draw his blades. The Haki wave had devoured them whole. Not letting them to check, to guard, to protect–
"Luffy.." The words left his mouth as memories slammed into him with a blinding force. The blood. The denial. The rage. Luffy's tiny body laying still. Cold. Childlike. As if the very essence of joy and life which built him had been drained out of him. As if..
Zoro's body moved before his mind could finish the thought, his eyes desperately searching and focusing. "Luffy!" his voice echoed through the infirmary like a whip crack, filled with true, unfiltered panic carrying desperation. He needed to check on him. Check if he was breathing. Confirm that he hadn't left him.. that he hadn't died..
But the moment his eyes fell on Luffy's bed, the panic stopped, halted mid strike, as if time itself was brought to a halt. Because there he was. Luffy.
Not in the toddler form from earlier. No longer ghostlike, lifeless miniature form they had seen. But himself. The familiar, lanky frame with the mess of black curls–still having a little white streaks in it. His strawhat was resting just beside his head on the pillow. He still was thinner than usual, paler than what was normal, but unmistakably Luffy.
Zoro stood frozen, staring in disbelief. For a second, he genuinely wondered if he had died and was hallucinating. Because he was breathing. Because Luffy's chest was rising u and down in a slow yet steady rhythm. Because he was alive.
"Chopper! Chopper! Get the hell up!" Zoro bellowed, his voice raw and cracking, almost hoarse with relief, panic and disbelief.
Zoro was already moving, stumbling forward, his movements shaky but quickly regaining his strength. But still his knees felt weak and he dropped beside the bed, placing his head against Luffy's warm chest, straining to hear.
Dum dum da da~! Dum dum da da~!
It was faint, but it was there. Defiant. Alive. Beating that silly, infectious heartbeat of his.
Zoro's eyes widened further, his breath hitching. He chuckled under his breath, feeling breathless and slightly manic. Hell, he would definitely go crazy with all the shit and insanity which Luffy keeps dumping on him. He would get gray hairs very soon, with his heart getting attacks, one after another. But the funniest and craziest thing of all was that Zoro didn't even want to exclude this petty nonsense, this craziness from his life ever. Because that would mean no Luffy and Zoro didn't even wanna entertain that thought. He had no direction before, he was aimless, with only a target too far to even comprehend. But now that he has promised to follow Luffy, his captain, he has found the compass of his life. But his sense of ambition and direction would go down the moment he would die.
"He's breathing.. He's actually breathing.. He's alive.." Zoro was chanting it like a mantra, trying to calm his racing heart that everything was truly fine now.
While Chopper, roused by Zoro's yells, drowsy, shot up from where he had slumped over a nearby counter. His fur was puffed in alarm, his hat nearly falling off as he scrambled over in a flurry of limbs.
"What? What's going on?! Zoro–?!" Chopper's eyes fell on Luffy and his mouth dropped open at the sight. "H-He–"
"Check him," Zoro ordered. "Now."
Chopper didn't need to be told twice. His hooves were already working, his fingers trembling as he pulled his medical kit toward him, jamming his stethoscope in his ears. He placed the cold disk on Luffy's chest, leaning in. Then he checked the pulse. Then his breathing. Then his pupils, which were still red instead of being brown. Then his temperature, which was slightly more than normal for Luffy, was no longer scorching.
"He's alive.." Chopper whispered, as if saying it too loudly would undo the miracle. "His vitals are slightly weak, but.. consistent. Everything's stabilizing. It's like.. something in his body's fixing it."
On the other side of the bed, Sanji groaned low and dragged a hand across his face, his body still sluggish from the overwhelming haki that had slammed them all to the floor like puppets without strings. "The hell.. My head feels like it got squashed.." he muttered, voice scratchy, but gaining strength by the second.
Behind him, Nami let out a sharp inhale, followed by a muffled curse. She sat up in panic, her head whipping toward the source of the noise. Her heart was in a frenzy, galloping in her chest from fear. "What.. what happened?"
Zoro turned, face twisted in emotion, he was clearly struggling to hold back. "He's alive. Luffy's alive."
"W-Wh-What..!?" Nami looked towards Luffy's bed and gasped, hands flying to her mouth and eyes leaking tears. "L-Luffy!" she cried, stumbling toward him, knees buckling at the sight.
Sanji followed right behind her, as a half-choked, "You better not be playing with us, Marimo–" dying on his lips the moment he saw Luffy.
Warm. Breathing. Alive.
For a second, none of them spoke. Taking in the miracle.
They just stood over Luffy, all caught in a limbo between disbelief and overwhelming joy.
Just the soft beeping of the infirmary machines. The quiet rise and fall of a chest that had stopped moving a moment ago. The soft glow, divine in nature, once again kissing his skin. But still holding that faint, deathly pallor yet containing the undeniable warmth instead of cold.
"He's really back.." Nami's lips quivered, as she wiped the new onset of tears leaking from her eyes.
"Yeah, he's weak, but alive." Chopper answered, his eyes blurry and a smile curling on his lips.
"Still pale as hell," Sanji muttered hoarsely, his voice low and nearly cracking. "Face looks like paper. Paper that's been through a goddamn storm." There was no quip, no teasing, no sharp edged jabs. It was just Sanji, stripped raw by the sheer relief bleeding through every vein in his body.
Zoro scoffed, but even that sounded off, like his throat wasn't ready for the hurricane of his own emotions. His hand was still lingering over Luffy's chest, fingers hovering as if afraid that if he let go, the rhythm might stop.
"Tch. You're gonna cry, Cook?" Zoro still asked, without looking away from Luffy.
Sanji didn't even react with the usual fire in his voice. He just let out a shaky exhale, his hands stuffed into his pockets like he was trying to ground himself. "I already did. Didn't you see?"
Zoro turned slightly at that, noticing the red rimmed eyes of Sanji and the genuine relief and hurt in his eyes. He didn't reply soon, letting the silence between them say enough. They weren't exchanging any snide comments. No taunts. Just an understanding. That whatever the hell had just happened–Luffy dying even if for a few horrible minutes–had scared the absolute shit out of them.
"..We're not letting that happen again," Zoro answered, stepping back a little to give Nami and Chopper space to cry over Luffy and pester him. He didn't wanna let go, but he was okay as long as Luffy was there, breathing and alive.
"I'm sick of it though," Sanji's voice cracked, as he too stepped back, joining Zoro in just watching over Luffy from a little distance. "Sick of pretending I'm fine with watching him break every damn time for us. For the crew. For the people who don't deserve it. We keep talking about protecting him, we keep talking about things never repeating, but we let him fry himself like some kind of walking sun until his.. mortal body gives out!"
Zoro's fists clenched, as his eyes flickered with guilt he didn't have the words for. He knew that what Sanji was saying was absolutely right. That happens always, even though they have been training harder and harder to protect Luffy, the crew and themselves.
"But what the damn hell can we do? I don't really have answers… We can just.. train. Harder. We can be stronger. But Luffy's always.. he's always doing everything, trying to shoulder everything on himself." Zoro gritted his teeth, his voice trembling just slightly. "He never even says when it hurts…"
Sanji's shoulders sagged, he can feel the guilt radiating off of Zoro. "..but it's not your fault," he muttered. "But the next time he starts glowing or pulling out some divine nonsense, I swear I'm gonna strap him down and force feed him damn vegetables he so hates."
Zoro snorted at that. "You really think that'll work?"
"No," Sanji admitted, knowing the dangerous weapon Luffy possesses. His puppy eyes which will never let him feed the damn brat any vegetables. "But I'll do it anyway. I'm not losing him. Not again. Not ever."
Zoro nodded. "We'll drag him back the next time. Even if it means going to the other side."
"Damn right–"
Sanji stopped mid-sentence, his eyes snapping to the slight movement. Luffy's fingers curling slightly in the blanket, jerking faintly. Of his nose scrunching adorably.
"He's waking up..!" Chopper uttered, happiness leaking from his voice.
"..'ood.."
Zoro froze. Sanji blinked. Nami gasped. Chopper cried. All that from hearing the first words coming from Luffy's mouth.
Luffy stirred, just barely. His fingers twitched again before curling slowly into a fist, as the faintest of groans left his lips, hoarse and cracked like it hadn't been used in days. Although his eyes didn't open fully, as it just barely fluttered weakly, he looked far better than lying still.
"...Z'or..?" he mumbled, voice slurred and small. "N'mi..? 'Ji..? 'Per..?"
Zoro, Sanji, Nami and Chopper could feel their eyes welling up at that.
"..s'bright.. head feels all floaty.." Luffy whined, his words tumbling like half-baked thoughts mixed with the slurry waves of his voice. "..why loud here..?"
Sanji walked forward, kneeling beside the bed again, his eyebrows scrunching and his voice going impossibly gentle as he caressed one of Luffy's hands. "You little dumbass.." he whispered. "You scared the crap out of us."
"S'ry," Luffy's eyes barely opened, letting the peeking slits of red beneath the heavy lids appear for a moment. His gaze was unfocused, like he was still trying to catch up with reality, but he still smiled, soft, small but real.
"..I.. want'd t'come back," he slurred slowly, his words tumbling out, unsteady and soft. "I.. tried s' hard.."
Zoro's breath hitched as he moved closer on instinct, wanting to comfort Luffy, tell him that it's alright now, to hug him but the wires attached to him, scared him. He didn't want to mess up anything now that Luffy's back to them, to him.
"..but.. 't was all wrong," Luffy continued, as if talking was taking a lot of him right now. "So.. so hazy.. couldn' see nothin'.. like.. like I was swimmin' in clouds but.. but with no warmth.. so cold.. lost.."
Chopper's ears lowered, his eyes went wide, as his heart felt like shattering into pieces. He hadn't been able to help Luffy at all. His treatments hadn't done anything..
"like a bad dream… 'cept I knew I couldn' wake up.." he mumbled, his brows twitching with effort. "..there was.. no sky.. no wind.. no sun.. jus'.. empty.." his voice cracked at that, and for a moment, the entire infirmary went silent. Even the machines seemed to dim in the face of what Luffy had just whispered.
No sun.
Chopper's hooves clenched tighter around his stethoscope, his ears sticking to his head. Sanji's hand stilling over Luffy's, trembling. Nami's breath caught in her throat. And Zoro froze. Because for someone who was the sun god.. the idea of Luffy–Nika–being in a place where even his light didn't reach, was terrifying beyond words.
"..but then.." he whispered, barely audible, "..somethin' warm.. it.. it hugged me.." his eyes glossed over with tears, his mouth trembling with emotion, he didn't have the energy to understand. "..it was 'cary.. I didn' wanna leave.." he hiccupped on the words. "..but the light.. filled with love.. it.. showed me.. the way back.."
His lips trembled again. "..I came back.. 'cause.. I didn' wanna leave.. I wanted to.. see you all again.. wanted to stay a bit longer.."
Nami let out a soft sob, her face crumbling as she covered her mouth with her arms. Her shoulders were shaking, her heart torn between crying and screaming. She had wanted to scold him for scaring her so much, but now she couldn't. Not with the way he looked like.. So small, so tired, so honest, so.. scared.
"We were so worried about you, idiot." Zoro uttered, choking back his emotions.
Sanji wiped his tears, his heart heavy with emotions. "Welcome back, you dumbass."
"Please.. don't ever scare us t-this way," Nami cried, brushing away her tears.
"Thank you for coming back," Chopper whimpered, furiously trying to get rid of the fountain of tears leaking from his eyes.
Luffy smiled tiredly at his friends before his shaky hands started moving, reaching up to fumble weakly with the oxygen mask over his face, tugging at it.
"Luffy, wait! No–!" Chopper squeaked, scrambling forward to grab Luffy's wrist. "Y-You still need rest, you shouldn't–!"
"M'fine…" Luffy mumbled. "Can't breathe with it on… it's itchy…" he scrunched his nose, his eyebrows crossing a little as he tried to tug the mask off again with his shaky hands.
"..Okay," Chopper admitted reluctantly, removing the oxygen mask carefully, knowing that Luffy was okay now despite looking exhausted. "B-But I wanna keep it close just in case–"
But Luffy was already moving, ignoring Chopper, as he stubbornly tried to rise, pushing his arms against the mattress like a newborn. But why did he not have an ounce of energy in his body? Why did it feel as if he had woken up after sleeping for eons? Why–?
"Idiot," Zoro muttered, interrupting Luffy's thought process as he stepped in to help. He crouched beside the bed, sliding an arm gently behind Luffy's back, to help hoist him into a sitting position.
"I can do it," Luffy pouted, only for him to flop weakly against Zoro's chest the moment he was left alone for a second.
"Don't force it," Zoro warned gently. "You're still as pale as a ghost."
"M'not," Luffy muttered, half heartedly. "'M just hungry.."
Sanji's heart truly couldn't take the sight of Luffy's puppy red eyes looking at him, almost begging him for food. He would have said something along the lines of 'Don't worry, Sanji-ni's gonna get Luffy-chan lots of food' if he hadn't bitten his inner cheeks on time. It was just too adorable. He truly had thought that he could deal with the puppy eyes attack of his, but them turning red now? It was more devastating than usual.
Sanji let out a soft sigh, his hand brushing away his bangs as he tried to compose himself. He tried his best to deviate his eyes from Luffy, whose face was still flushed slightly from his effort, still had that sleepy pout, his red eyes sparkling and practically whiny like a kid denied his candy.
"Alright, alright, I got ya, captain," Sanji finally said, his voice softer than usual. "I'll be back in five minutes. Gonna cook up something warm, something easy for your stomach, okay?"
Luffy's tired eyes lit up at the mention of food.
"But–" Sanji reached into his jacket, pulling out a small, plastic-wrapped energy bar. "Until then, munch on this, alright? Gotta get something in your system first." With that he gently placed the energy bar in Luffy's lap and left the room.
Back at the bed, Luffy blinked slowly at the bar in his lap. He was propped up now, mostly thanks to the pillows behind him and Zoro's arm still steady along his back like a brace, ready to catch him if he falls. Luffy didn't mind the extra help but he didn't like how his body had forgotten how to exist. How every muscle of his ached, even the lil ones.
Still, he reached for the energy bar with both hands. Happy to finally get at least something to eat.
But his fingers promptly fumbled on it because the wrapper was just too slippery. His fingers, no longer trembling violently, were still sluggish and uncoordinated. He gripped the bar but promptly dropped it, before picking it open only to try and open the middle seam with utter failure.
Zoro side-eyed him, unimpressed. "You good, or you wanna wrestle that thing?"
"Can do it," Luffy mumbled stubbornly, before his sleepy brain decided that the wrappers were optional anyways and he can eat that too.
Meanwhile, Zoro blinked, watching in slow horror as Luffy opened his mouth, his hands lifting the bar–
"Don't you dare," Zoro warned but Luffy didn't stop.
"Oi–LUFFY!" Zoro yelled, as Luffy was about to take a bite into the energy bar, with wrapper and all. But luckily, Zoro snatched it from his hands just in time.
Luffy blinked, feeling utterly betrayed. "..Hey, Z'ro.." his lower lips wobbled as a whiny pout erupted on his face.
"Don't make that face to me," Zoro shielded his eyes from Luffy, who was looking like a puppy who got kicked.
"Luffy! You shouldn't eat the bar with the wrapper on!" Chopper reprimanded in horror. He had been preparing some medicines and tugging the wires out of Luffy's system, while keeping the IV attached.
"Yeah, we are not adding plastic poisoning to your recovering list, idiot," Nami spoke worriedly.
Luffy slumped further into the pillows, clearly sulking. "But it was winnin'.."
Zoro sighed, shoving the now unwrapped bar into his childish captain's hand. "There. You win."
Luffy blinked at the exposed bar, then brightened immediately. "Thanks, Z'ro!"
"You're hopeless," Zoro mumbled, glancing down at Luffy, who was happily munching on the bar now.
.
Sanji kicked the infirmary door open gently, one foot nudging it wider as he balanced a steaming bowl of soup in one hand and a small tray stacked with warm side dishes in the other. His tie was loose, sleeves rolled up, and the marine chef uniform discarded from his being.
"The food's here. I need you to eat everything without leaving a bite." Sanji declared, strutting in with a soft smile.
Luffy perked up immediately, eyes glittering, cheeks puffed as he was still working through the last bit of the energy bar. "Food! Yay!"
"Yeah, yeah, slow down, the food's all yours." Sanji said, setting the tray carefully on the bed, before handing out some food to the others as well. They ought to be hungry from the ordeal.
"By the way," Sanji started after giving everyone their food. "Everyone one the way here.. They're not asleep," he uttered, his tone shifting slightly as he straightened up and rolled his shoulders.
Zoro's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean they're unconscious," Sanji clarified in a low tone, as if telling a secret. "It's nearly one in the morning, yeah, but these guys weren't snoring or changing shifts. I mean, every single marine, officer, and even the nurses were flat on their face, lying on the floors or the desks.. Not a single soul is conscious."
"What?! How's that possible?!" Chopper squeaked.
Luffy, munching on his food, blinked. For the first time since he had woken up, his tired gaze focused on the energy radiating off the base, sensing each and everything. The base, indeed, didn't have a single awake soul other than them. Not even Robin or Usopp were awake, lying asleep in the abyss of unconsciousness.
And the cause of it all?
It was their energy. Hidden yet clearly in view. Soft, powerful and familiar. Carrying the whispers of roots and brine, the scent of earth and tide interwoven like a forgotten lullaby. Surrounding the base, engulfing it yet just being here with its unmistakable charm.
It was the gentle chaos of Vinie, her powers over the spirits, that had brought him back. It was his mother's gentle worry, who forced her to come to him.
Luffy's heart felt overwhelmed with gratitude and joy, at the chance of once again living his life without restarting it from the beginning without any prior memories. A smile graced his lips at the thought, lighting up the room, leading the moonlight to peek inside too, breaking the gloom of the infirmary.
'Thanks, Vinie, Mama..'
"This is the perfect time to bail," Nami uttered, her voice brisk and determined. "The guards are down, the base is knocked out, and we've still got our ship. We can get back the things they might have taken from us before leaving, if we move now."
Chopper nodded in quick agreement. "A-And maybe even stash a little of their medicine supplies!"
Nami's eyes gleamed as another thought entered his mind. Treasures. The marines got to hoard a lot in their vaults. So what if they get some.. or all? After all, they are the ones who might have taken their gold first.
Luffy licked the corner of his mouth clean as he placed the bowl back on the tray and leaned back slightly against Zoro's support.
"We can't leave just yet," he uttered as his lips curled into a grin, one that was deceptively lazy.
Everyone paused, looking at Luffy as if he had grown a second head–which won't be a shocker anymore.
"..Excuse me?" Nami said, blinking. "Did you not hear the part where we can finally escape..?"
Luffy grinned wider, as his sleepy sunlight red eyes started to look mischievous. "Gotta do something first."
Sanji raised a brow. "What're you thinking, Luffy?"
"Revenge," Luffy said, his voice airy and sweet, as he leaned back in confidence. "For thinking I'd do their bidding. For daring to send me a proposal for the Warlord seat."
Zoro smirked, absolutely loving the plan of messing up with the marines. "Now that's the Luffy I know. So what's the plan?" He was truly happy to see Luffy being able to speak properly without speaking like a baby.
Chopper and Sanji leaned in, eyes wide with curiosity, wanting to hear the plan. And already in it.
Nami, on the other hand, paled. "Revenge!? Luffy, revenge on the World Government?! Have you lost your mind?!"
"Hey!" Luffy pouted, huffing cutely, before he giggled, childlike and soft but it was the kind of softness that called hurricanes. "But it's already started.." he grinned.
Nami blinked. "What do you mean–?" before noticing along with the others, except Sanji who had already noticed it and was still confused about it.
The infirmary walls, once clean and polished, were stained with damp moss now. Vines were crawling across the corners basking in moonlight. Cracks in the ceiling let in the moonbeams that illuminated the thick roots pushing through the stone. The floors were damp, and a faint humidity hung in the air, like the inside of an abandoned, overgrown, flooded ruin.
"..This place.." Zoro muttered, eyes narrowing. "It didn't look like this an hour ago."
"I-It's like a ghost base now.." Chopper whispered, shivering.
Nami gaped. "H-How.. When..?!"
"I noticed it on my way to the kitchen and am still confused," Sanji said with a shrug.
"It's due to Mama and Vinie coming in!" Luffy chirped with excitement, as he inhaled the last piece of food on his plate.
"HUH!?!"
"They revived me," Luffy sheepishly grinned, casually dropping the bomb while trying to get off the bed all on his own, only to dangerously fall towards the floor. He really would have hurt his face if not for Zoro and Sanji, who ditched their shocks to rescue their idiot captain.
.
It was about ten past one in the night.
The winds, which had howled like wounded beasts just hours ago, were now whisper-quiet, gentle, brushing past the cliffs in soft exhalations. The ocean, once a tempest snarling like a monster with its dangerous waves, was now lapping gently at the shore. Even the raging rains had completely disappeared into the winds and the clouds.
It was as if the very world had now calmed down. As if the sky had taken a breath. As if the sea had let go of its anger that it had been holding onto too tightly.
And from the very dark ocean below, a ship was slicing through the waves, its black sails glowing faintly under the moonlight. The Jolly Roger of the Spade Pirates was snapping in the wind, its sails ominous, proud and pissed.
And at the bow stood Ace. Portgas D. Ace. Gol D. Ace. The captain, whose flames were licking off his shoulders. He didn't wait for the ship to dock. He didn't wait to be told to be careful. He didn't wait for the others to follow.
No, Ace jumped the moment they got close enough, soaring through the night air, leaving behind a startled "Ace! WAIT!" from Deuce and a chorus of yells from the rest of his crew. But Ace didn't hear them. Or rather, he didn't care. His only focus was locked onto one thing, or rather being.
Luffy.
His Haki was screaming, unchained and unbound. It wasn't leaking, it was just free, shouting to anyone with the sense of sensing his position, flooding the base like sunlight, unhidden, unfiltered, untamed.
He hadn't flared it this openly since they were kids. Since they were taught to hide their presence.
Ace landed hard on the cliffside, barely pausing to inhale before he took off again, running through the wild maze of the overgrown base, covered with vines and molds, damp and humid. It took him only a moment, only a second, to finally see him.
Coming out from one of the half-crumbled wings of the base, Zoro was moving at a careful, steady pace, carrying a familiar mop of black hair streaked with white strands and red eyes. It was no doubt Luffy. Perched there, his arms weakly hanging around Zoro's neck like a sleepy baby, with his face pale but smiling. Smiling that dumb, sleepy grin of his that somehow always managed to punch Ace in the heart and bring a smile on his face.
But Ace's breath hitched and his eyes glossed. He didn't think anymore. He just sprinted.
"LUFFFYYY!"
Zoro looked up just in time for a blazing fireball to rocket towards him followed by a hoard of crowd, all of them having familiar faces.
But Zoro wasn't given enough time, even when Sanji, Chopper, and Nami stood before him to defend Luffy. He was about to get his swords, when the blazing inferno receded to form the familiar figure of Ace, who practically teleported across the corner.
"Huh–!?" This was all Zoro managed before Ace was there, snatching Luffy off his back like he was his baby and he was rightfully taking him back.
"ACE?! W-Whoa!?" Luffy yelped, blinking as he was spun around in the air and then hugged tightly against a warm, rapidly thumping chest. While his legs dangled uselessly, and his arms slowly, slowly rose to rest on Ace's shoulders.
"Ace..?" he said again, voice soft yet confused. "You came..?"
"You.. YOU IDIOT!" Ace choked, pressing his forehead against Luffy's. His voice was cracked, his hands trembled around Luffy's back, and his eyes shed tears in sheer relief. "I felt it. I saw it. Your vivre card disappearing.. You moron." he was babbling nonsense at this point, but Ace didn't care. "I felt your Haki, you idiot. Why was it.. Why are you flaring it like that? I thought.. I thought you.."
His voice cut off with a broken exhale as he clutched Luffy closer, as if afraid he'd disappear.
Luffy blinked, dazed from the whirlwind hug and the heat radiating off his brother. "M'okay.." he said softly in a reassuring manner. "M'okay now. See? Shishi.."
Ace pulled back only slightly to inspect him, his fingers ghosting over Luffy's cheeks, his collarbone, his temples. "You're sickly pale. You're shaking. You look like a damn ghost. Your eyes are red?! What the hell?!"
"That's a question I also wanted to ask," Usopp muttered from Zoro's behind. He had been woken up by Sanji, and the others, who looked like a wreck. But the worst of them was Luffy, who looked as if he had died and came back.. And why was Ace here now? As if what he is thinking has truly happened? It didn't, right..?
"Red eyes?" Luffy tilted his head, a small frown pulling at his lips. "I always had them, at least earlier. But they are cool, right?" he smiled, grinning a bit brighter now.
Ace didn't say a word. He just hugged him again.
While the rest of the Spade Pirates finally caught up, skidding into Luffy's view, panting, wide-eyed, and collectively collapsing with a chorus of 'LUFFY!' 'CAPTAIN!' 'Oh, thank god he's okay–'
Meanwhile, Ace, still cradling Luffy like a fragile baby, turned to the Strawhats.
"Who did this?" Ace asked, his voice dropping into something much darker. His grip on Luffy didn't tighten but his flames did curl up around his shoulders, not hurting him though. "Who did this?! Who let him die? Which motherfucker is responsible for this?!"
"Ace–!" Luffy uttered quickly, not giving his crew a chance to answer or Usopp to express his shock. But it seemed like Robin knew it and noticing her red rimmed puffy eyes, she had cried too. "It's okay, it's okay!" Luffy was squirming a little by now, trying to lean back towards Zoro or at least reach out for his crew. "I'm fine now, really! I just.. um, took a short deep nap..?"
"Nuh-uh," Ace said firmly, still holding him in place. "You died, didn't you?! Don't lie to me, Luffy!"
Luffy gave the guiltiest little giggle. "Shishishi.. Kinda..? But only for a short while.. shishishi.."
"Luffy died?! When?! What the hell happened?!" Usopp shrieked, worried, and cursed himself for jinxing Luffy. But now everything was making sense. The puffy eyes of everyone, even of Robin, who was woken up by the group who knew it, after he was.
Zoro just sighed behind them, arms crossed. "He's stubborn as ever. Don't waste your breath."
But Ace wasn't letting go yet. His arms remained gentle but unmoving, not letting go of Luffy. Because he almost lost him, his baby brother again. And this time he wasn't letting him go until he knew everything.
"Tell me," Ace growled low, arms still wrapped tightly around Luffy's frail frame. "Who the hell did this to you?! I swear I'll give that fucker the worst possible death. Burn him till the bastard's nothing but ash."
Luffy flinched, not at the swearing–he was used to it–but at the tension, at the fury in Ace's voice. He was sweating profusely by now, wriggling in his big brother's arms like a caught toddler, shaking his head frantically, mumbling weak, croaky little protests. "N-No.. no no, Ace, Ace don't–!"
But that was when Ace noticed it, and blinked, noticing Luffy's desperate struggle in his grip and.. everyone–Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Chopper, Robin–pointing towards Luffy. Not naming an enemy's name. Not pointing towards a marine or someone else. But at Luffy.
Even Usopp, who looked like he'd just been hit with the truth not even five seconds ago, was pointing too, towards Luffy, with tears pricking his eyes, fists clenching in silent agony and eyes showing clear helplessness. Perhaps someone had finally enlightened him about the situation.
Sanji looked like he was trying not to kick a wall down. Nami's shoulders were trembling. Robin was standing silent, arms folded tightly, like she was holding herself together. Zoro was looking down, ashamed and wanting to do something.
Ace's heart skipped, his lips parted, dry suddenly.
"..No," he muttered, his eyes darting down to the squirming mess in his arms. "No.. you didn't.. Tell me you didn't use that–"
"He did." Zoro's voice cut in, sharp and cold like a blade, but there was no anger directed towards anyone but himself. "He fuckin' used that form," he gritted out, as anger, guilt and helplessness waved off his posture. "And stayed in it. For goddamn four days."
Ace's mind reeled. Four days. Four days of Luffy being Nika. Four fucking days!
And now that Ace knew, really knew, there was no unseeing it. The red eyes. The white streaks in his black hair. The slight golden hue faintly clinging to his skin. The overwhelming Haki that still pulsated through the base like a war drum in slumber.
He used it. Before his crew. He burned it. Burned his mortal body in it. He died. Almost didn't come back.
And now, his crew knew. Somehow, they knew. And they were just as wrecked, just as broken over it, as Ace felt in that very moment.
Luffy was whimpering, still squirming but with desperation, with panic. Though still too tired from being revived. Too weak to run. Too stubborn not to squirm. His fingers were clinging onto Ace's shirt like a scared kitten who just wanted to get away.
Ace's heart dropped. He had wanted to beat the crap out of Luffy for transforming into Nika, for endangering his body, his life, this way, when he knew that his mortal body wasn't capable of handling it yet.
But instead, his lips wobbled. His rage collapsed under the weight of helplessness. "Fuck, Luffy," he whispered, his voice breaking into a whisper. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," his fingers curled in Luffy's shirt. His forehead pressed against his little, baby brother's.
"I'm so fucking sorry I wasn't there." he cried, for not being there to help Luffy fight whatever enemy it was that took Luffy to transform into Nika. "I should've been there. I should've–" his voice cracked. "I'm the worst big brother in the goddamn world."
Luffy stopped squirming and his body went still in Ace's arms as he finally saw Ace's face, his eyes leaking tears. His emotions radiating, pouring into him like crashing waves. Unfiltered. Raw. Overwhelming.
He had been able to feel everything, every little thing's emotions for a while, but these emotions radiating off of everyone was making him nauseous.
Chopper's frantic worry and sadness of being unable to do anything despite being a doctor. Nami's silent, bone-deep helplessness and cursing herself for not being stronger. Zoro's boiling rage, directed at himself, for not being a good first mate. Sanji's guilt, laced with protectiveness, for not taking care of him. Robin's quiet grief, and hatred for herself, for not even being there for him. And Usopp's fear, for his life, for not being there, for being weak and insufficient.
But none of them compared to Ace. Not even his own crew, who were looking at him with sadness, guilt and helplessness in their eyes. No, Ace's emotions were burning. Not with fire, but with guilt, sorrow, love, protectiveness, and every damn negative and positive thing.
It was overwhelming. It was like being submerged under the sea without his mother and in the clouds without a protector.
Luffy's breath hitched. His eyes glistened, glowing. He could feel Ace's heartbeat thumping erratically in his chest, fast and scared. Scared that Luffy would reject Ace, and hate him.
"'S okay.." Luffy mumbled, his voice soft and trembling and hoarse, as his little fingers, still shaky, reached up and clumsily wiped the tears off Ace's cheek. "'S not your fault.."
Ace blinked, stunned at the forgiveness.
Luffy's lip trembled for a second but then he took a deep breath and said, a little louder, "Wasn't anyone's fault.. My body just.. did it. Turned into me 'gain. 'Cuz we were so close to the sun, y'know?"
His words were slow, slurred, almost childish, like his brain was still trying to remember how to speak after being asleep for so long. But they were clear enough this time.
"Felt amazin', though.." he murmured dreamily, a small smile coming over his face. "Like.. like I could do anything. As if I had.. absolute freedom..Like I didn't hafta hold back. I could just be me.. All of me.. Without holdin' anythin' in.. without controlling myself.."
There was a brief silence. Before Luffy, still leaning against Ace, cracked his eyes open again and looked up. His smile was wide, bright and warm like the sun.
"No regrets," he whispered with a grin. "M'okay now… even if I don't have a lot of energy right now.."
Ace stared at Luffy. Everyone stared at him. The soft glow in his face. That stupid, radiant smile. He looked so small, so tired, yet still.. so Luffy.
"You're a dumbass," Ace muttered, smiling through his tears as he let out a choked breath, half a laugh, half a sob and dropped a kiss to Luffy's pale, shaky hands, making the little dumbass giggle as if everything was okay again. Which indeed was.
And that was when a gust of wind ripped through the corridor in a hurry, revealing Sabo and Dragon–the one behind the frenzy in the winds–land right behind them.
"LUFFFY!!!" "Luffy, what happened?!"
Ace flinched at the blond twin's war cries just as Sabo barreled forward like a blond missile, without even waiting for a second. He just launched himself right at Ace and Luffy like he was ten years old, in that fire, afraid and panicked and worried and crying. He tried to pry Luffy out of Ace's hold, but when Ace didn't budge, clearly not planning to hand Luffy over anytime soon, Sabo gave up. He simply squeezed himself in. Making it a three-person brother sandwich, as he checked Luffy, making sure that he truly was there.
Luffy let out a confused little "Eh?" as Sabo wrapped his arms around both him and Ace, burying his face into Luffy's shoulder and crying, while muttering, "You idiot.. You're alive, you're alive.. I was so scared.. Why did you leave? Why?" Sabo was crying, not even caring about his reputation being destroyed. "Who did it..?! Who the hell dared to touch you..?! Tell me, I am gonna kill that bastard–"
"'Bo!!!" Luffy whined, tired by now by explaining that he truly was fine. "M'okay. M'fine."
Meanwhile, Dragon stood still at the edge, his expression unreadable and jaw clenched as his sharp eyes scanned Luffy–at least what was available in view–head to toe.
The signs were clear. The sickly pale skin. The glowing red eyes, with slight rings flickering in them every so often. The faint white streaks blending into Luffy's black hair like sunlight, though, can be possibly hidden by his strawhat.
But his haki–Nika's haki–still clinging to the air, mixed with some more divine presence leaking off of Luffy.
Dragon knew what had happened. His son had transformed. Gone beyond his limits. Once again. And judging by the reactions, the worry in the faces of the Strawhats, and the way not a single one looked confused but deeply helpless and in guilt, it was obvious.
They all knew.
Dragon's hand twitched slightly. By all logic, by every cold, revolutionary instinct he had drilled into himself, this should have been a threat. A secret no one should've known. A secret whose price is instant death.
But.. he could see them.
Zoro and Sanji hovered close, tense like watchdogs, ready to defend their captain. Nami, Chopper and Usopp sniffling and wiping their tears, but never once looking away. Even Robin looked ready to attack anyone who posed as a threat at a second's notice.
They all loved Luffy. They all embraced Luffy being Nika, the Sun God.
And that was all Dragon needed. So, he exhaled slowly. And instead of drawing a blade or summoning another gust, he walked forward and with a gentleness, which should be unknown to him, he ruffled Luffy's wild hair.
"Papa!" Luffy slurred, instantly reaching up as joy lit in his tired eyes.
Dragon cleared his throat, taking his son in his arms, though clearly flustered at the old calling. "Don't say it like that in front of others," he muttered, voice slightly gruff, though hopeful to hear the word once again and always. "You're not seven."
Ace and Sabo snorted, though slightly offended at their Dad for taking Luffy away from their arms. Zoro and Sanji definitely smirked. Even Nami, Usopp, Robin and the others let out a low chuckle, clearly able to see the tsundere personality of the man.
By now, the base–the little corridor–wasn't just filled with three brothers and a tsundere dad. It was filled with the Strawhat pirates, the Spade pirates, and the entire revolution.
Bonney came crashing through the entrance with the rest of the Revolutionary Army, her sobs loud enough to be heard a corridor away. "LUFFYYY-NIIIII!" she was wailing, sprinting over, tears flying everywhere as she practically climbed over Dragon's tall structure, tackling Luffy in a hug. "You idiot! I thought you were g-gone–!"
Behind her was Kuma, lumbering forward slowly with silent sobs leaving his mouth and shoulders trembling. He didn't say anything at first. He just stood beside Dragon, his massive hands trembling, as he gently placed his palm over Luffy's head. A single tear slid down his cheek and then another. The kind of tears that belonged to a man who had lost too much already and didn't have the heart to lose any anymore.
Luffy blinked at them all, confused and overwhelmed, but smiling.
Even the Spades who had been holding back till now, joined in, their usual swagger tempered by the relief of seeing their youngest alive. Patting his hair, taking him in his arms, making jokes, crying when they thought no one was looking, in sheer relief.
When the chaos finally settled, when Luffy had been kissed, hugged, crushed and nearly suffocated under piles of love, questions began to be thrown at Luffy, of threats to the one who did it.
"M'fine!" Luffy whined, getting to Zoro somehow, who was ready to defend him from anyone, even his brothers at Luffy's command.
"But we need to know what happened, Lu!" Sabo insisted, his hand already twitching to strangle the one who did all this.
"Zoro! Explain them, pretty please," Luffy whined, hiding behind his swordsman, not wanting to be handed from one person to another right now. He was tired and he still had to bobbytrap the whole base and mess it up!
"Why me?" Zoro frowned dramatically, though he was soon to launch onto the explanation, seeing that everyone present there knew that Luffy's the Sun God, Nika, at least.
When everything was said and the listeners were given ample time to process the information, Kuma stepped forward. "Dragon," he said. "What about the Revolution's timeline? You had moved it up. You said the world had to move now.." he glanced at Luffy, at his god, "But the reason for that urgency was that Ni-Luffy was.. gone."
Everyone turned to Dragon, who opened his eyes, his gaze unreadable. But when he looked at his son, peeking behind his swordsman's shoulder, red eyes sleepy but burning with life, his shoulders relaxed.
"..Looks like the world still has its light," Dragon answered. "The new timeline stays. But the target isn't the World Government yet. It's the P.P.P."
There was silence. Pure silence as everyone was taking in the words. But this was also when the faint alarm, that hadn't been stopped yet, kept blaring off. Shouting for anyone to hear about the warning.
'B.O.R.I and P.I.E!! B.O.R.I and P.I.E!'
Dragon's eyes widened as he instantly recognized the alarm. The new code that was associated with the 3C's. But why was it ringing here of all places?
"B.O.R.I.," he muttered. "Blue. Orange. Red. Infiltration. That's a high-level breach code.. Used only for signs of the 3C's.." his gaze flicked to Luffy, knowing that his son had to do something with this. "Why is that blaring here?"
Luffy blinked up at him innocently, cocking his head like an innocent puppy who had been caught with something he shouldn't have done.
"Dunno~!" Luffy chirped, voice high and lively, way too casual for a man that was supposed to have died less than an hour ago. Then, without missing a beat, he leaned more into Zoro's arms and dramatically kicked his legs in the air, grinning. "Anyway! I need to wreck this whole place before we leave."
That got a raised eyebrow from some, while deadpans from the others.
"I did get a letter from the Marines," Luffy pouted, remembering the paper he had torn to pieces. "Asking me to join the Warlords. Tch. As if I'd ever do their bidding. Gotta leave my mark, right, to pay them back? Y'know.. Like the old days."
His tone dipped just slightly at the end, nostalgic and dangerous.
Ace, Sabo, Dragon, Bonney, Kuma, the Spade Pirates, most of the revs present there, Robin, Zoro and Sanji… they all caught it. The glint in his eyes. The mischievous look, that maniacal grin, which was always brought together with Cyra.
But none of them said a thing. Instead, everyone else–some of the revs, the Strawhats who didn't know–just tilted their heads.
"..Why do you sound like you're about to pretend to be the actual 3C's?" Usopp asked with a shiver.
Sabo slid in fast, pulling Luffy out of Zoro's grip with a wink, protectively wrapping an arm around his small shoulders before anyone else could get nosy. "What's the plan, Lu? You got anything in mind?"
Luffy's grin turned wicked at that. "Oh yeah. I'm gonna bobbytrap this entire base," he said cheerfully, his legs happily kicking in the air as much as they could without getting tired while in Sabo's arms. "From the command rooms to the docks to the ceiling toilets. Everything."
That was all it took for more ideas to come forward and chaos to be officially declared as the Strawhat Pirates, the Spade Pirates and the revolutionaries came together, evilly planning methods to make the lives of marines sufferable.
"Graffiti!" Usopp shouted, his arm shooting into the air like he was answering a question. "We need a big art! Something that'll make the marines regret ever seeing it!"
Zoro leaned against the wall and cracked his knuckles. "If you're gonna be running around, Luffy," which he definitely can't right now, "I'm going with you, dumbass. Someone's gotta make sure you don't collapse mid-prank. And hey, bobbytrapping sounds fun!"
Nami grinned, already calculating damage costs and profits. "Let's release all the marine ships into the open sea. No crews. Just the ships drifting away slowly. And take all the gold, jewels, and stolen treasure from their vaults."
Sanji lit a cigarette, blew out smoke, and glared at Ace, Sabo, and Luffy in turn. "But we're not messing with the food. Got it?"
"Exactly!" Chopper nodded furiously. "And leave the medical supplies alone! Some people are still injured, and we need those."
Ace raised his hands, grinning. "Eh? I was planning on eating some and maybe putting mini bombs in every boot locker?" he smirked.
Sabo chimed in, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Only if I get to rig the showers to explode glitter."
Robin smiled sweetly. "I'll rearrange all their documents into smudges of ink and maybe line the handles with spikes. For.. ambiance."
Even Bonney sniffled, wiping her tears. "I'm painting over every single portrait with Luffy-ni's face."
"How about powdering the place with glitter bombs?"
"Painting the marines' faces!"
"Let's use permanent markers for that!"
"Dying their clothes pink sounds good too!"
This way, almost everyone gave their ideas of messing the place up, while Dragon just stared at all of them with a warm smile on his face. Happy to finally see the chaos of his sons unleashed once again in a marine base, so afraid of the 3C's.
.
It was a beautiful morning. The sun was peeking gently over the cliffs, painting the sea in soft golds and pinks. The waves were even lapping calmly, the birds chirping in that annoyingly peaceful way they always did after a disaster, and the scent of damp and faint burnt greens drifted through the air.
Commander Jonathan opened his eyes, groaning, his entire body aching. "...Why am I on the.. bathroom floor?" he questioned himself, blinking up at the ceiling, which had vines growing across it like an abandoned greenhouse. He could even feel something stuck to his eyebrows.. which turned out to be.. glitter.
He literally had no memories of having ended up like that on the floor. Nothing after he'd slammed that emergency button the night before, shouting the alarm of the presence of the 3C's in his base, which alone should have triggered a lockdown. But here he was, lying on a cold floor with almost no memories of ending up here.
He grumbled, pushing himself up with old man joints cracking in protest. His sharp, calculating mind kicked in even as his back did not. With stiff legs and a confused frown, he trudged out of the bathroom, only to stop.
"..What the actual hell."
The entire corridor was messed up. With damp floors, green vines crawling across walls, which were somehow painted to resemble the dramatic faces of his officers, who were sprawled over with drawings on their faces, flower crowns, or even tiny mustaches drawn on with.. Permanent marker.
One of them was even tied upside down from the ceiling with seaweed. Peacefully snoring like a baby.
Jonathan took a careful step, only to walk on a water balloon mine, barely dodging the atrocious thing dangling in a net of confetti and bells. But the next second, his boots squelched.
"Yup. The 3C's were definitely here," he muttered with a tone of acceptance as if it was a daily ritual for the man.
He walked further more through the disaster, all the while triggering traps which even in the plain sight were seeming to be unavoidable. One of them even launched a jack-in-the-box that screamed, "MARINES, BEWARE! THE 3C'S STRIKE AGAIN!"
Jonathan's left eye twitched in irritation. He wanted to crush everything in his sight, kick his officers awake, but he needed to get to his office. His head was already pounding, his joints were groaning, and his whole body was trembling with suppressed rage.
But the moment he made it to his office, barely escaping some of the traps and getting attacked by almost all specially those bobbytraps which were every damn where, he regretted it.
Jonathan freaking regretted opening the door of his office, because POOF! A bucket filled with glitter, sticky, pink and clingy, covered his entire face, coat, and body.
"..Great. Just great." Jonathan groaned, wiping down some of the glitters, only to find it hard to do with his sticky glittery hands.
He sighed, as he stumbled to his window next, brushing the glitter off with a napkin from his eyes at least, but he paused once again at the view which greeted him.
Outside, the seas were sparkling in serenity, nothing like the night before. And in those seas, three ships were sailing away. One of them carrying the Jolly Roger of the Strawhat Pirates and the other two seemed to be worn apart from the previous night's storm, making it unrecognizable. Perhaps, the Strawhat Luffy, the enigma whom he wasn't even able to see, was still being hunted down by the 3C's, chased and now captured by them..
Another shocking part was the marine ships.. which were just floating. Unmanned. Drifting. With no care of the world.
Jonathan slumped against the window frame. Glitter still clung to his hands and face, the latter probably being covered with drawings.
But he was too tired to care.
"I hate pirates," he groaned, before correcting himself with a long, exhausted sigh. "..I shouldn't have woken up today.