Keep the Promise

16

Part Second

Chapter 1 - After All That Time

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Ace could only remember his little brother's lifeless body. He would have never thought that he would see him again, but something happened. Something changed in Luffy, he wasn't like a normal human. Even if he had been a rubber boy he still was a human, with emotions and memories of his life. But the time Luffy came back to him he was like an empty shell.

It was like Luffy had just been born into the world. He was small and looked like a kid, but he had some swirls on his whole body. His eyes were blank, like he had never seen happiness in his life. Ace was thrilled by it. His happy and dorky little brother was gone, now he was holding only a left outer shell. But he decided to do something.

"Luffy...do you know me?" Ace asked the baby on his lap. He was sitting in Makino's bar, Sabo went to buy some things and Ace was left alone. But not by himself, he was alone with a being that supposedly was his baby brother. The baby only stared at him with nothing in his eyes. After some time Ace only got frustrated and sighed.

"What happened to you?" He wondered. He was thinking about the Paramount War and how Luffy had died in his arms. He wanted to know the answers, why was Luffy here, was this even Luffy? Why was he a kid in the first place, or why did he look like another being.

Ace was caressing Luffy's little arms, he was looking at the swirls and all of the marks that were on his little body. But before he could ask another question he heard someone in front of the doors. Ace quickly put Luffy in some crib Makino left earlier and he went to inspect the outside. His eyes widened at the scene. The one and only person in front of him was Red-Haired Shanks, the person he had met before.

"Huh?" He was standing in front of the scarlet headed man. Shanks put a hand on his neck and caressed it.

"Man...long time no see." Shanks said.

"Yeah..." Ace inspected the man. He looked really tired. He didn't look like an Emperor at all. From behind Ace they could hear some shouts. It was Sabo, he just got back from shopping. He was carrying a big bag with many things.

"Heeee..." he breathed because of the run he had just ran. He looked up and saw a really weird scene. Ace and Shanks in the same place. He sweatdropped.

"Em...why are you here?" Sabo looked at Shanks. He only glanced back.

"Just wanted to see some old places." Shanks answered. Ace and Sabo knew the story from Luffy. It was here where Luffy had first met Shanks. But before they could say something again, they heard a noise from the inside of the bar. Ace quickly ran to the bar in worry, Sabo and Shanks behind him.

When they entered the bar they were so shocked that they stayed there for a good minute. Luffy was bigger now. He looked like a 4 year old kid. He was out of the crib and he was holding some kind of ball he found.

"Wha-..." Shanks was the first to say something.

"Why is Luffy bigger now?!" Sabo exclaimed, grabbing the attention of the Emperor.

"Luffy?!" He shouted. Ace walked to the kid and took him in his arms. The kid only stared at him blankly, like always.

"Yes...we think that this is Luffy." Ace said calmly. They sat at the table, Luffy was sitting in his own chair, but he was too small to be seen by the other side.

"Can you explain now?" Shanks asked.

"Yes...so we found this guy on the beach at the other side of the island. Like you can see he is resembling Luffy, he has the scar and most importantly he can stretch." Sabo started. It was unbelievable, how could someone so badly hurt come back to life and even in the form of a kid. It was ridiculous, but in this world everything was possible.