Adventures In One Piece

I love that Sanji is afraid of spiders.

… Ace stops in his track. raises his bloodstained hands like you would when approaching a wounded animal. 

“… Sabo?”

a little illustration for chapter 9 of After Us by @paox  

I STILL GOT MOTION AFTER THIS CHAPTER DAMMIT!!! IT HITS ME IN THE HEART LIKE A FUCKIN TRAIN (sorry for the language)

and dammit I don’t know how to color it properly

Keep the awesome work! I will always wait for the updates of every saboace & asl fic of yours.

Portgas D Ace by *viria13

nami and her tangerines 🍊

I approached Marine Ford looking for an alliance.

And found a grieving soul instead.

How fitting and cruel.

If you like this piece and would like merch of it, find it on REDBUBBLE

Find this art on twitter and instagram!

marco the phoenix, but a little bit more phoenix

To let go (part 8)

“…I wanted to stop him for the future…”

Luffys eyes squeeze shut as he lays his head on Aces shoulder.

“…there’s so many who can help you…”

He doesn’t want to hear them anymore.

“…let’s go home…”

Neither of them.

“Luffy.” He blinks his eyes open slowly but makes no move to sit up. “C’mon Lu, isnt it time to get up?” Ace says to him as Sabo kneels down to look into his sleepy eyes. Luffy thinks about it for a moment. For just a few seconds before pouting. Just being around his brothers makes him feel so small. He feels a childish spark zap through him and it’s almost as though they’re kids again. He pouts and squeezes his eyes closed.

“No.” He replied simply, feeling a bubble of pride in him.

“Now Luffy, you gotta get up.”

“No.”

“Luffy…” Sabo sighs exasperatedly and Ace laughs. He sees his crew on the ship when he opens one eye. He sees Usopp fishing with Chopper as Brook leans over to watch. Sanji hands the girls some beverages and turns to fight Zoro who did absolutely nothing. Franky was chatting with Jinbe and they let out a laugh that’s carried over to him by the breeze. Before he can take a look towards Law, Sabos pouting face comes into view.

“Luffy… my arm is nuuuuuuumb!” Ace complains. Luffy reaches around his brother and pulls him onto the sand earning a loud ‘oof!’ from Ace. Sabo cackles at them but doesn’t count for the fact that Luffy reaches over and drags him to the ground with them. Sabo let’s out a high pitched wail as he flops over his laughing brothers and Luffy has never felt like this. He doesn’t think he’s felt this whole for a long time. This full of pure, clear love for his big family. Pirate king becomes a secondary dream in his mind when he feels his brothers and crew surround him. He wishes this is how it ended. He wishes this was his world. This was the reality he would eventually return to.

“Luffy you’re such an idiot.” Ace chuckles. Luffy snorts at him.

“You’re the bigger idiot.”

“No you.”

“No. You.”

“You both are absolute dumbasses.” Sabo pipes up, as he stares at them. They stick their tongue out to him. Luffy sees Usopp and Chopper look over to them and smile. They wave. He waves back at them. They lay there for a while, bathing in the sun on the Amazon Lily beach. Ace huffs.

“Sabo, you’re heavy.”

“That I am Ace. I am a muscular man after all.”

“Not as much as me though.”

“No, no definitely more than you. I don’t need to be shirtless to show it.”

“…That isn’t the point asshole, get off I am literally suffocating.”

“Good. Die.”

“I just escaped death and here you are trying to kill me again.”

“Yes. Die.” Sabo smiles politely and Luffy howls with laughter as his brothers try to wrestle each other though it was more of Ace flailing to hit Sabo who simply refused to move. He looks up at the sky.

“So… what are you going to do now?” He asks. They both pause and look at him.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… what are Ace and Sabo going to do now? That it’s over basically?”

“Well…” Ace starts and looks at the Sunny. “Pops has decided… to disband the Whitebeard pirates…” Luffy sits up immediately. This… this isn’t good. What should be bizarre is that Whitebeard even survived… but the fact that he himself disbanded them… huh.

“What?”

“It’s true. Of course I asked Marco if they refused. Of course they did. Why wouldn’t they? He told them though. He can’t…” Ace took a deep breath and Sabo sits up off of them. “…He can’t keep going anymore. He can’t keep leading us. He told us that after the close call of Marineford, it- it really showed him, he says, that the old era is over. The new era has risen and he’d rather be alive to witness it.”

“Ace…” Sabo puts his hand on his shoulder. Luffy stares. He’s unsure. Of course this never happened but…

“It’s ok Ace! Your old man is still alive right? That’s all that matters!” He knows there’s no need because he has to leave. He has to go home. He’s forgetting his crew is waiting for him. He’s forgetting. He’s forgetting…

“Yeah I guess… but it’s ok because Marco says that he’s going with him to a place where he knows they’ll be safe. Everyone else told me that…” Ace clears his throat. “That they’ll be ok. That we’ll see each other again soon. They’re going their separate ways.”

“I’m sorry… you didn’t go with them because of me didn’t you…” Luffy looks down. He feels horrible because he doesn’t feel bad about it.

“Nah of course I would stay with you! My little brother needs me! Of course you have your crew but I’m a big brother. It’s what I do.”

“Hey I’m here too!” Sabo pouts before turning to Luffy and smirks. “He was crying by the way. Him and the Whitebeard pirates were crying. So hard.”

“SHUT UP!”

“They were practically wailing and it took three hours for them to hang up.”

“ITS NOT TRUE SHUT UP!”

“It’s true and Whitebeard was laughing so hard. He even told Ace to shut up and hang up already.”

“Oh my goooooooddddddddddd-“

“Sounds about right.”

“LUFFY.”

“Anyways,” Luffy turns to Sabo, completely ignoring Aces glare. “What about you?”

“Well…” Sabo begins and looks into the forest. This felt like deja vu. “I told Dragon I would be spending some time away. There’s something I want to do. He was a little hesitant at first but he heard me out and agreed with me.”

“Oh…” Luffy looks down, regret for not regretting.

“No no, Lu. I decided this.” He looks at Ace who nods. “Actually, there’s something we wanted to talk to you about.”

And Luffy doesn’t know why he’s so scared. He doesn’t know why he shakes slightly. He has to grab his own hand. He’s never been so worried. Never. He isn’t ready for what this fake reality will tell him. He isn’t but… at the end of the day he’s still scared.

“Luffy.” Ace smiles at him with Sabo grinning excitedly. “We wanted to ask you-“

“Can we join you’re crew?”

And Luffy doesn’t think he’d ever be as surprised as he is right now for the rest of his life.

my pieces for @oppokezine 🔥🔥

inspired by this,just the background tho hehe:')

It’s ace’s bday already in Japan so happy bday my angel, light of my life, my brightest sun 😭💚

The day Luffy became sick and accidentally unlocked something 😔 pt 4

-

They have to make a plan.

Ace and Yamato seem to be struggling a little bit-

When the younger brothers are off causing trouble and the older siblings have to look after the youngest problem child.

Good lord with these kids-

The siblings be swimming… well most of them-

A bit like a silly family pic I think they should have a camera tbf imagine what they’d be like

To Let Go (Part 5)

-

Sanji bursts out of the ocean, cold and wet and heaving for air. One minute he was cornering that person, the next he was in the ocean. What kind of bullshit is this? He struggles to see for a moment before he realises someone was approaching and reaching out their hand to him.

“Hey! You ok? Climb on!”

He hesitates for a moment. That voice is younger than he remembers in the present but it rings clearer than any bell. He’s heard it before. So much younger here. He gets on and stares at the hand in his. He looks up to the dazzling, carefree and younger grinning captain in front of him.

“Oh! Sanji! You aren’t supposed to be here yet! I haven’t even found ZORO yet silly!” He laughs. “How are you here?”

“I suppose… I'm meant to find you, shitty captain.”

“Shishishi, well you found me! What will you do now?” He tilts his head, grin never leaving him. Sanji sighs at his young captain's words. He has no idea. He doesn’t even know how he got here. He’s never even been to this damn time before. He reaches for a cigarette and his lighter but… he doesn’t have one. Oh whatever. Who cares.

“I have no clue. I’m supposed to bring your dumbass home I guess but… we’re in the middle of nowhere. If only my dear Nami was here she would know what to do…” He says the last part quietly. Luffy just stares but his grin never falters.

“Nami… I don’t know her. I don’t know her yet but she would have helped somehow I think.”

“Of course she would! She’s incredible!”

“Shishishi Sanji is incredible too! Though I don’t know it yet, you’re incredible!”

“Wh…” Sanji has heard him say it many times before. Many, many times but here. Right now. This wasn’t his Captain yet. Not his Luffy right now. Not theirs yet but he is here. And he’s still HIS captain even if they haven’t met yet. He shakes his head. “Well regardless, we have to go. The others are probably looking for us. Your shitty first mate is probably lost too.”

“Of course we’re going to Sanji! I’m going to find a crew! But you… you can’t be my first mate. Zoro has to be. When I find out about him.”

“No you moron, I mean go home. To the Sunny. She’s waiting for all of us.”

“I don’t want to.” He grins even if his eyes betray his distress. “I want to continue this journey. I want to keep going. I want to meet you again. Again and again and again. But no further. This is the happiest I’ve ever been. I want to be happy. I want to feel free and I want to be ok.”

“…Luffy…” Sanji pauses for a moment and thinks about his mother. What she would say. How kind she would be. How kind Luffy has been to him. He wishes he had a lighter and cigarette right now.

“Sanji. Let’s travel together. Let’s talk about your dream all over again!” He’s grinning wildly, eyes hopeful and almost manic. Sanji still pauses, looking carefully at him. He’s almost tempted. Tempted by the little boats rocking. Tempted by Luffy's gleeful words. Tempted…

East blue is the safest after all.

“No Luffy. You’ve already found us before. You’ve found us.” He thinks of his mother and wishes he at least had a cigarette to keep between his lips. Unlit. “We’ve already been found and we want to stay found. We want to be with you. With our shitty captain. To be happy with. To go on adventures with. To eat lots of food with. Don’t you want that… to be with us?”

“I… I do. But it hurts sometimes. I don’t want to hurt because I don’t want to tell when I do. I don’t know why I’m hurt yet but I can’t tell you. Because Sanji doesn’t need to worry.”

“You idiot… of course I’m going to worry! We always worry and that’s what a family is! We worry for each other and care for each other. No matter how many times you go through this Luffy, that fact remains. We will always worry.”

“But…” Luffy looks at him. He grins anyway. Sanji really needs a cigarette. “I… I don’t want to worry anyone. I want you all to be happy like we were…”

“Sure we were happy and a lot of us were trying to forget what we’ve been through but… you know as well as I do that it never lasts. Happiness doesn’t last but neither does sadness and pain.” He puts his hand in his pocket, aware there’s nothing to pull out but he can’t cook right now either. He hears his mothers soothing words and soft gentle smile. Eyes like the sky above, calm and kind. He smiles at the young boy. He’s just a kid, he thinks. ‘Maybe we all were.’ He thinks.

“…” He whispers something so quietly he can barely hear but his grin is struggling to stay put. He crumbles slightly. Sanji sighs and reaches out with hands, grabbing both of his captains. He rubs his thumbs over the back of them. Luffy's eyes widen as he mumbles something about his hands. Sanji shakes his head at him.

“My hands are made for more than just cooking. I can use them to hold my family close when they need me. Tell me Luffy, say it louder.”

“I… I’m scared.”

“I’m sure you are. I’m surprised but I shouldn’t be. I’ve got you luffy. Come home with me.”

Luffy shakes his head, stubbornness in his eyes, struggling to keep up his facade. “I don’t want to go. Not yet!”

“Come on Luffy, you know you want to. We’ll go together. Back home.” He’s trying. He’s coaxing him.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” Luffy whispers, his grin has fallen and he looks up with watery eyes and oh! This… this feels so painfully familiar but now he’s standing on the opposite side. “I’m not going back!” Unlike him, he’s desperately holding on to the lightest part in his life. His was the darkest compared to Luffys. He can’t help the smile that comes back on his face. He’s never felt so full of understanding and pure love in his life at that moment. He puts a hand on Luffy's cheek, making him blink owlishly at him in shock. He freezes in place as Sanji leans forward and puts his forehead on his and lets out a quiet chuckle. Oh how different this altercation has gone. How he wishes he could have let it all go. How he wishes he could grab all of Luffy's pain and throw it away. Kick it and kick it and keep kicking it away.

“Luffy…” He whispers, “Say what you really want, little brother.”

“S-sanji…” He moved away and looked into the dark, swirling eyes as his young captain broke down in front of him. He slowly leaned into Sanji's arms and no one would ever know. He would never tell. The other shitheads, except his dear Nami and Robin of course, can die without knowing. But in this moment, and in every moment until the day he finally stops breathing, he will be there for his captain. Luffy takes a deep breath. “I wanna go back to the Sunny…!”

Sanji holds him closer. He puts a hand on the back of his head and cards through his hair to soothe the boy. Luffy holds on tighter. “I’m scared for our crew! I’m scared of telling Sanji I’m scared! I don’t want anyone to worry because I’m the captain! I don’t want to be alone anymore because it hurts! But I want to see them again! I miss them so much!” Sanji grins because he knows this moment. He knows it so well.

“Well, that’s just how you are, Luffy.” He says as he lets him hold onto him and cry until he’s done. He lets him say how much he misses home and oh does that make Sanji realise how much this family means to him. How much he would give to stay with them forever. He, unfortunately, realises how much he misses them. Any moment away is a moment he begrudgingly realises how much he misses them. He wants to go home too. Ahhh… he doesn’t need a cigarette anymore he realises.

After a while, Luffy starts to let go and his crying is reduced to sniffles.

“We… we should go home.” He whispers to him with a little smile. There’s a sudden tug on the boat but it is not very noticeable to Sanji at the moment.

“Of course we should, idiot. But how-” Before he could say anything more, the boat was rocking. He leans over to see their boat being pulled into a whirlpool. The panic bubbles to his throat and he looks to Luffy to see him stand shakily to his feet. He grins and looks over to the middle. There’s a light dimly glowing in the middle of it when he turned back around. Sanji blinks. He knew exactly what he had to do. He clicked his tongue. This fucking sucks. This is insane. He grins wildly. Would he really be a Strawhat if he wasn’t at least a little bit insane? He stands and takes Luffy's hand.

“Well, I guess this is the way we get home huh.”

“Sanji can get home this way!”

“…what?”

Before he answers, Luffy jumps. Sanji is pulled in. Luffy is laughing, wild and free. Sanji feels himself laugh along as he’s pulled in. The whirlpool and the light isn’t what’s pulling him in. Luffy has always been someone who pulls others into his orbit. He is the sun. He laughs as the light washes over them.

They’re going home.

To Let Go (pt 4)

-

“…I will always navigate us back out…”

…

“…I want to be the freest…”

…

“…no matter what… we will live…!”

Luffy opens his eyes, slowly and weakly but the world above is a blur to him. He heard Nami's voice. He heard them both. He blinks. The ceiling is white. There’s machines around. There’s something on his mouth. A sword beside his bed. Beeping.

Beep… beep… and it gets louder as he begins to take it in more and more and-

He’s been here before.

The beeping picks up speed as blood rushes to his ears.

He remembers this. He can’t.

Not again… not again..!

The memories of his brother in his arms, his exhaustion seeping through to the very bone as he wails and cries and whitebeard and his crew are broken as well and-

There’s a crash as his fist connects with the machine. He’s tearing himself out of bed and throwing it all away as he lets out a bloodcurdling scream. He’s vaguely aware of people around him but he can’t focus. He can’t control himself. The grief that builds and shoots through his very being. Controlling and twisting his heart and soul with new fresh pain. He throws and punches and kicks for dear life as he crashes outside calling for his brother.

“HE'S GONE! I LOST HIM AGAIN!” He wails, never ending sorrow creeping back in. The one he bottled up years ago like Jinbe taught him. Full and fresh and waiting. How can this world be so cruel as to force him to go through it again.

He’s hurting himself as he hits his own head on trees and rocks without thinking. He couldn’t anyway. He was simply not seeing anyone. How he got there, what he's done he doesn't know. The Polar Tang is as far away as his thoughts are. He screams and calls and searches blindly for the body he knows he’s never going to find. For the warmth he will never sense ever again.

There are warm hands on him pushing him to the floor as another grabs the hands that keep tearing at his chest. His name is being called and suddenly there’s fire. There’s fire. Fire. It doesn’t burn. It’s soothing. It’s warm and calm. And safe. And… and…

“Ace…” There’s clarity again. He can hear more. He can start to see the people in front of him again.

The fire is familiar. It's safe. Safe.

“Luffy…” one of them says softly, almost pained.

Alive. The fire is alive.

“We’re here little brother we’re here.” Says the other, as gentle as the ocean breeze. He blinks. He has to blink again to clear the tears. His brothers are right here in front of him.

“Ace… Sabo…” His voice is the smallest he’s ever heard himself sound. It could have annoyed him. It could have. The tears spring up again, blurring the scared and worried faces of his precious brothers in front of him. His treasures. “Ace…! Sabo…!”

They pull him up and hug him close. It doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel real. This can’t be real because what was all that he went through then? What were those two years for? What was everything he went through?

“We’re here, Lu. We’re here for you little brother.” Ace says, a pillar of strength and safety for Luffy's trembling form. Warm and alive. He can’t be here because he died. He died in his arms. This isn’t… how it went at all.

“We won’t leave you again. We’ll be with you. You have us Luffy.” Sabo whispers in his hair as he rubs his back. Luffy is sobbing because this isn’t real. He doesn’t remember this.

“This… this isn’t real.” He says and his brothers murmur protests and comfort beside him as they tighten their hugs. It isn’t real. Even if the pain feels real. Even if he feels warm and safe. Luffy knows as he smiles.

But maybe that’s ok. For now, that’s ok.

-

To Let Go (pt 3)

-

Nami opens her eyes and finds herself at the edge of a forest. She feels the breeze hook itself on her hair as though trying to guide her. She follows the gentle pull and she looks up at the cliffside. There, she sees a little figure standing alone. The child was shaking as they gripped onto something in their arms. Their back was turned to her and they were hunched over. As though they were hiding from something. Instinct washes over her before she can question her whereabouts and she makes her way quickly but silently to the child.

“Hey! Are you alr-“

The words die in her throat when the child turns to look sorrowfully into her own eyes. She’d know that strawhat anywhere. She’d recognise that scar anywhere. She’d know this boy no matter how many lifetimes she’d find herself in. She doesn’t know why she’s in this situation. She doesn’t know how. She doesn’t know how she got here. She was searching for her captain and then…!

She finds herself here. She doesn’t understand why even as she falls to her knees in front of the heartbroken child before her nor does she care. Luffy is luffy and he is her captain and no matter what she will always navigate him out of the darkest storms. Even within his own mind.

“Oh luffy…” Gently. Ever so gently. As soft as she could ever be to a child. “What happened?”

“You… who are you? I don’t know you but… I do… I do as well… I wasn’t here and now I am and now I’m so sad. So, so sad Nami.”

“I know Luffy, I know… what’s made you so sad? I can try to help as best as I can.”

“He died… he’s dead and gone. Someone… Someone I know is alive is dead but even if I know, I'm stuck here. I'm so sad. It hurts so much. He's gone. Right now he's left us. My brother is gone!”

She holds him tighter. She keeps him as close as she can to shield him from even the sunlight that tries to touch him. She knows. She knows where he is right now. She knows why and who. She knows what this time is but she can’t tell him he’s alive because he knows. He knows but not now and… in this moment all she has to do is navigate them home if she can.

“I know little one, I know… it hurts. You feel so full. So full of pain and grief and hurt. The hurt that you’ll never see him again and you feel so broken apart and so empty and…”

She trails off because she starts to cry. Luffy should never have to experience this, no child ever should. But not her captain. Never her captain. The light that illuminates her path to see as far and wide as she can. They were drawn to that light. Saved by it. Clearing the way to the future. She can’t let him be alone and sad ever again.

Never again.

Luffy sniffles and looks up at her.

“Nami… Nami is sad and I don’t like it. You understand but I don’t know how. I don’t know how yet… you’re warm.” He puts his head back on her chest and curls up as he cries.

Warm… and it breaks her heart that she knows what he’ll go through.

“I’m here for you. I’ll be warm and I’ll keep you safe.”

“Nami, I want to stay here and sleep. I want… stay here with me? Stay and be safe with me? We can stay with Dandan and the bandits and Makino and Ace…! I…!”

“We…we must go luffy. Our crew will be lost without us.”

Luffy looks up again and tilts his head, sad, sad eyes peering deep into hers.

“But… but I’m not whole Nami. I can’t do it.”

“You have me. You have me to keep you whole. I’ll keep you whole and so will the rest of our crew.”

“But… but you… you can lead without me Nami. Nami can tell them where to go while I stay here. I’ll stay here.”

“No. No, I won't leave without you.”

“They need you. Nami is needed.”

Nami blinks. He’s a child, she thinks.

“And so is Luffy.”

“No. I want to stay.”

“They need you to lead. But if you do stay, then I will stay with you. Right here.”

“Wh-“

“But fair warning, if we stay, you will owe me so much money. Your debt will grow.”

She pouts at him in fake anger and he laughs. He laughs through the tears that won’t stop no matter how he feels. Because this is a vulnerable, broken child. A child who makes a promise to live. One that hurts him in the end.

“Nami is mean!”

“I’m your navigator. And no matter how many years we stay here, I will always navigate us back out. Whenever you’re ready to come with me.”

He tightens his hold on her. Luffy's head rests against her shoulder.

“I don’t know where we have to go. I don’t know how but… I miss you Nami. I miss home. I want… I want to be the freest and I want to live. I want… I want to be the pirate king.”

There's a twinge of joy and relief at the words, like this was the first time she's ever heard them. In a way, she guesses it is.

“Of course you do. You're our captain. Our Luffy.” The conviction and strength in her voice does not waver. Luffy sniffles as he looks up at her through the blur of his tears.

“Nami. I have to.” His eyes shine like her captains always do.

She listens carefully as he talks.

“I want to get stronger! Stronger and stronger. Stronger and stronger.” His little first tightens as much as they can with barely any strength left in him. Only determination. “Stronger and stronger. And even stronger than that!”

She gives him a watery smile that he can’t see.

“Of course.”

“And then, I’ll be able to protect anything… I won’t have to lose anyone ever again!”

“Of course you will. You’ll have us by your side too.”

“So please… Nami…” he looks into her eyes and she sees Ace looking back from within them and… oh. This is… this is… “Please don’t die!”

She takes a deep shaking breath.

“I can’t… I can't promise I won’t die. I can’t say that but I can promise, I can swear to you luffy, that no matter what we will live. I will navigate us out of all the dangers. I will help keep us safe. We will be free. We will definitely live without regrets.” The fire burns behind her eyes. She will fulfil this promise no matter what it takes. He blinks, slow.

“… that’s what he said to me you know. You’re just like him.”

And that struck her heart more than she would admit it would. Tore it up and built it back. Just like when… when she… right before Arlong…

Small, chubby hands on her face make her blink. She looks at him. The tears are constant. They flow like a waterfall in their infinity.

“Nami promises. If Nami promises, then I know it will be ok. I trust you.” He snuggles close to her again, like a puppy searching for the warmth of his mother. Her heart pinches. “Can we go home?” He asks her an innocent question on the surface but held with so much weight and trust. She grins and she stands with him safely in her arms.

“Of course we can Luffy. You have nothing to worry about as long as I’m here.” He points to the forest and she walks. She smiles at the little ray of sunlight that decided to stay with them and she knows she’d follow him anywhere and he her. The unwavering trust between a navigator and a captain, as it should be. She feels before she sees the blinding light as she walks and she uses her body to shield the tired little bundle in her arms. When she leans away, for the briefest of moments, she thinks she sees a freckled face run past.

-

To Let Go (pt 2)

-

Zoro wakes up in the middle of a village. He’s unsure of what village he ended up in nor how he got there. After a brief glance at his surroundings, he begins walking. He observes the people as they go about their everyday activities, almost uncaring towards Zoro being there. As he trudges along, vigilant and careful, he wonders if it was all a dream. He wonders if he is totally not lost. Because he’s not. Or maybe he's dead and he doesn't know it. That would be a shame. It irks him to think about. There's no way he could go down that easy. He'd never allow it. Luffy would never allow that. So he has to get back to him, even if he is dead.

He sees a bar and enters, coming face to face with a young woman with dark green hair hauling a barrel of booze. He swiftly walks over and lifts it out of her hands with ease, helping her place it in the back. As he does so, he converses with her for a little while and introduces himself. He explains that he has no idea where he is and how he got there. Asking if she could tell him. Assist him to get out so he can find his crew and captain. She smiles softly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Zoro. My name is Makino. Right now, you’re on dawn island.”

Zoro freezes. His eye wide with shock and confusion. Of course he immediately knows where he is. He's heard the story before. From him. How could he ever forget. He himself belongs in that side of the blues after all. He knows he can find who he’s looking for here. After all, a first mate should know the most about their captain. He stands and asks Makino whether she’s seen luffy. She raises an eyebrow, asking how he knows him. She’s suspicious, his brain supplies. Yet even so, there's a twinkle in her eye. One he's never seen before. It's… odd. He clears his throat.

“I promise I'm not here to hurt him. I am a friend.”

She smiles at him again. Knowing. Understanding.

“I know.”

She walks back through the door. Zoro moves to follow. He stands in the doorway as she mulls about, moving things around. She tells him that he’s outside at the harbour. He nods. He runs out and heads towards the harbour (asking people where to go along the way). Heavy footsteps sending dust up as he goes. Quick and sharp, ready for what he will find. He sees a mop of messy dark hair. He grins and calls out, seeing them stand.

He raises an eyebrow. Confusion ripples through his body as he stares down at the boy in front of him.

Luffy was a child. Not the child he first met, no. A very small child.

He’s confused. He doesn’t understand. He’s questioning him but Luffy doesn’t really know who he is. He just blinks up owlishly at him, eyes wide. He doesn’t know what’s going on.

“I know I wasn’t here.” Small Luffy says to him, “And… and I know I was somewhere else. I know you. I know Zoro. But I don’t want to go. I'm ok here. I want to stay. The future is too scary. I haven’t met him yet. I haven’t met the man I’m supposed to yet. Maybe it’s better if I don’t?”

First, Zoro thinks to himself, this isn't like Luffy. He's not like his captain. Then, Zoro notices he doesn’t have his Straw Hat. He blinks slowly down at the boy. He begins to understand what point in time this luffy is. Which Luffy it is. When this Luffy is. And in this moment, he will treat this Luffy with kindness and tenderness. If anyone, he will treat his captain alone with this softness. He smiles at him, the gentlest he has in years. Or at least he hopes so and kneels down in front of his little captain. He takes his hand into his own much bigger one.

“But luffy, don’t you want to meet so many friends? Don’t you want to help your future friends?”

“Yes but… but I don’t want to be on my own. I don’t want to do it alone..”

“You’re Never alone luffy. You have us with you. You always have and always will. We are your luffy. You’re our captain.”

“…I’m a captain?”

“You are.”

“Am I good captain?”

“The best in all the seas.”

“And Zoro is..?”

“Your first mate.” He says proudly, eye shining brightly. “The first to join you.”

“Really? That is so cool. Zoro is so cool!”

Zoro chuckles at this little Luffy and the boy looks down before he speaks again.

“… I want to stay. But I know Zoro and the others need me.”

Zoro nods, his captain's stubbornness still so strong no matter where or when they are. He grins, just as stubborn as he is but he knows that Luffy doesn't need that.

“I won’t force you to come with me luffy but I’ll stay here with you for as long as you want me to.”

“But Zoro… Zoro won’t reach his goal.”

“That’s fine by me. As long as I’m here with my captain.”

“If Zoro can’t reach his goal…” He pouts, “I want you to.”

“I won’t leave without you.”

“…grandpa won’t like it.”

“You have me to protect you.”

“…promise?”

“I swear it on the life I have given to you.”

Luffy's eyes are wide and clear as he stares into Zoro's remaining eye. There's a flame there. Zoro grins. He's got him.

“Ok. I’ll come home with you.”

Luffy takes his hand and leads him towards the forest. Before Zoro can ask where he’s taking him, he has to shield his eyes.

-

Luffy blinks up and catches the hat that fell from the blonde man’s head. His face splits into a wide watery grin. He holds tight as his eyes shine with tears. Marco slams into Akainu, knocking him far away from them as he fights him off. Luffy jumps and hugs the man.

“Sabo! Sabo, how did you remember?! You aren’t supposed to remember!”

“What are you talking about Lu? I was already coming to save Ace and yet I didn’t even factor in that I’d see you again this quickly. Well since last we met at Water 7 with gramps anyway.”

Luffy is confused by this because Sabo isn’t supposed to remember. Yet everyone is calm and not confused to see him. That leaves him even more confused. Sabo is… here with him. To save Ace but… he's not supposed to be. Ace comes over and crashes into the hug. He’s relieved. Luffy looks up at Sabo. He stares at his face. This is different. There is no scar.

“Come on guys, we have to go!”

He hears Usopp calling for them and without hesitation, he grabs his brother's hands and runs. He runs and runs and runs. He calls to Whitebeard a quick thank you as he goes and Whitebeard smiles at him. He looks back for a moment to see his brothers, tired and hurt but alive. His blood runs cold as he feels his movements become sluggish. He can feel his adrenaline going down, he’s tired. His head begins to throb as he runs desperately. A flash and he sees something.

A warm, calloused hand in his. A gentle smile.

…

“You’re Never alone luffy… we are yours… you’re our captain.”

…

“I know Zoro and the others need me.”

…

“I won’t leave without you.”

…

“Promise…?”

But he can’t hear the rest. His head aches. His eyes go blurry as his energy is zapped. He falls forward. Someone reaches for him. He grabs the hand and leads them away. He can feel the denial and refusal but that child took him away…