Survivors Guilt HIATUS

Chapter 24

Upon waking up, Luffy chose to proceed with his day as if he hadn't just told his brother, his cook, and his sniper about the most traumatizing experience in his life. Ignoring the looks the three kept sending him proved to be harder than he thought, but he managed. After all, food was more important.

The trip between Lougetown and Reverse Mountain was taking longer than he expected. Had it really taken them almost an entire day to get to the Red Line from the island? Huh. Then again, Luffy was neve really one to keep track of time until after Ace had...you know. He usually did whatever whenever, knowing what time it was usually always fell on everyone else's shoulders. Maybe that's why they seemed stressed? Oh, well, questions for another day.

Nami came out of her room about an hour after Luffy had talked with Sanji, Usopp, and Sabo. She obviously knew something was wrong because the deck was quiet. The storm had let up, so she had assumed Luffy and Usopp would be messing around, but the only two people on deck were Luffy and Zoro! It was a cute sight and Nami wished she had a camera, but she let the two be. Instead, she went to the galley where she found her two other crewmates and their guest. Again, it was too quiet.

Sanji was leaning against the counter, lost in thought. He didn't even have a lit cigarette in his mouth! He was understandably stuck on the fact that he captain - by choice or blackmail - was from a different timeline. Then again, a few things that didn't before, now made sense. He'd have to ask if Luffy could teach him anything.

Much like Sanji, Usopp was astonished - whether that's a good feeling or not is a different matter altogether - at the new information he'd received. Terrified was another emotion he was feeling. Luffy, a goofball in every sense, was from the future?! What kind of- Though, maybe it wasn't as far fetched as all that. The boy - was he though? - seemed to know things he shouldn't. On another note, maybe he'd be willing to share more? Maybe about how he all really met them!

Unlike the others, Sabo had already known his little brother was from the future of a different timeline. He'd known since he was seventeen and Luffy was fifteen! But, that didn't make any difference in his response. Luffy had withheld this information for - what he assumed to be - nearly six years before telling anyone. And even then, he'd only told a fraction of his story, a few days in the early beginnings of his life! And for the new information to be that their older brother died in his arms-! Sabo couldn't - wouldn't for fear of hurting - even begin to imagine the kind of mental and physical pain his little brother had gone through.

Throughout the mix of emotions the three men felt, they could all agree on a few things. First, they'd never let the World Government hurt Luffy as long as they were alive and beyond. Second, the ray of sunshine that was their friend, brother, and captain was far stronger than they had ever thought.

But thi all begged another question in their minds. Did Nami and Zoro know? If so, when were they told? They had to have known before Usopp joined the crew, but that still didn't reveal much. No one knew how long the three had traveled together, but that was the least of their problems.

"We're about three hours from Reverse Mountain." Nami said a few minutes after entering the galley. Her voice effectively pulled the three males from their thoughts.

"You know how to travel the waterways, right?" Sabo asked. He held no doubts of the navigator's abilities, he was just making sure.

"Yeah?" she was confused as to why he was asking this, "We're on the right current, so it should take us straight through to the Grand Line." For all his might, Sabo couldn't help the ominous chuckle that escaped him. "What?" Nami narrowed her eyes, "What's so funny?"

"There's no tunnel going through Reverse Mountain."

"What?!" Usopp shouted, "Then how are we supposed to get there if we can't go through?!"