The Strength of a Strawhat Crew

ONESHOT ONE PIECE

(Before you read, please note: This might not seem like a canon Luffy's mindset, but for the sake of angst, i'll need to tweak his motivation a bit. Even if he might not think this way in the show itself. Thank you and please enjoy.)

The sun was shining, giving the ocean a simmering glow amidst the blue deep vast waters.

Luffy sat on the figurehead of the Thousand Sunny, his fingers lightly gripping the wood. The wood felt stable, but he wasn't. For almost two years, he'd been suffering the weight of the memory of magma, blood, and the feeling of a brother going limp in his arms. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard it: "Thank you for loving me!!."

For so long, he's been in pain. Losing someone so close to him all his life. Just disappear in his arms. Although he acted pretty normal and was able to function properly in front of the crew, even if they knew about the events. Though, not what was hidden underneath, or at least, the gravity of it. 

Everyone could see it. Something, very subtle had changed within Monkey D. Luffy. Once or twice, he even skipped dinner. Which was unheard of, to them. Another day, Franky could hear sniffling in the cabin, suspecting it was probably Luffy. Before he could open it at the time, Luffy walked out like nothing happened with a grin plastered on his face. And then this other time where Nami and Usopp lounged on the deck, and noticed both together, how Luffy had sat on the figurehead of the Thousand Sunny for 2 hours straight. 

You'd think he'd moved by now, but something strange had went on with the captain. He is very strange, but not in the sense where it affected mental performance and odd uncharacteristic behaviour. They were unsure how to approach the topic without...hurting Luffy or digging up old wounds. So they'd decide to wait until he broke or 'got better'.

Back to the moment Luffy was sitting, watching the horizon, he watched the sun go down.

He then looked at the deep blue seawater. To a Devil Fruit user, the ocean wasn't just water; it was a grave to their kind. He was so tired of being alive. Positive. Trying to do everything in his power to achieve a goal that was feeling impossible after the tragedy. 

"What's on the other side?" Luffy wondered, his eyes reflecting the sunlight. "Will my dreams be there? Will Ace be waiting? I can't take this any longer...I should try it right now."

Without a sound, he leaned forward. And he let go.

The splash was swallowed by the waves hitting the boat, but the sudden change in air caused everyone to turn, and their bloods rushing cold as they realize what had happened to Luffy.

Everyone ran towards the edge, searching desperately to see what became of their captain, where he was and to hurry and save him before he drowned from his devil fruit. Usopp found him first, an impulse rushing through him. His legs shook violently. He was a coward, he knew that, and the deep cold ocean felt like a nightmare. But as he looked at the dark water, he didn't see monstrous danger. He saw his best friend sinking.

"Luffy!" Usopp screamed. Forgetting his cowardice, forgetting his weakness, he threw himself over the railing, defying every instinct of survival he possessed just to reach out into the dark.

"Usopp!" Nami's voice shouted across the deck. Her heart stopped. Seeing the boy she cared for so much get wrapped into something like this made her desperate to do something, in a way she couldn't do at her village all those years ago. She sprinted to the cabin to search for a floating ring. She found it, tossing it to Sanji who was at the deck. "Why did that idiot end up in the water?! He better not drown...Please Usopp!! Get him!" She thought in her mind, praying to the gods nothing bad will happen.