"Luffy!"
Luffy turned around, to the voice which called him. He didn't say anything. The whole ship was silenced. Dragon, who watched his son, smiled.
Luffy just gave out a confused look.
Sabo took another huge breath and saw Luffy in his eyes and said,
"Luffy, it's me!"
Ace inwardly cursed, what was Sabo thinking? That the first thing to across Luffy's mind after seeing a blonde-haired man with blue clothes is Sabo? Of course not!
"Huh? What do you mean, It's me? Do I know you?" Luffy asked,
Luffy looked at Robin who was standing next to Koala, seeking for help since she always reminded him of people's faces. But Robin, simply smiled.
Luffy couldn't recognise Dragon, but found his tattoo quite interesting. The silence on the ship was unbearable for Luffy, he quickly got distracted and said,
"Whatever I don't remember, Sanji FOOD!" Luffy turned around to look at his cook, but stopped the pleading when he saw the serious faces of his crew.
"Luffy stop!" It was Ace, going full on brother mode.
It confused Luffy.
Sabo felt pain, but didn't show on his face.
Luffy wasn't a complete idiot. He knew when to be serious and he knew when not to joke around.
"Ok man, I am not able to recognize you," Luffy sighed,
"Can't you recognize your own brother?" Sabo asked,
Luffy shot his head up and fired at Sabo,
"Brother? Listen here! I don't remember you! But I do remember that I never called random people Brother! The only people who I call brother are Ace, who is standing right next to you! Ace say something!" Luffy whined,
Sabo smirked a little, and took his hat off. He used his fingers like comb for his hair.
Sabo did realize that Luffy does remember him. He noticed the plural form 'are'. Sabo took this opportunity to ask Luffy,
"And?"
Luffy was taken back.
This time Luffy reminded himself of Sabo.
Sabo's features and Sabo's voice.
What did Sabo look like?
He had round eyes, a missing tooth, short curly blonde hair. He always wore a huge black hat and blue goggles. He also was wearing a blue jacket, and some of noble clothes.
The guy in front of him was quite similar too, wasn't he?
What was this looking like? Black coat, blue shirt, Black hat and blue goggles?
Luffy gulped and looked at the guy in front of him again,
"And my other brother, who died a long time ago..."
Sabo smiled, apologetically.
Luffy looked at Ace who was nodding with a small smile.
Luffy's eyes widened. 'Sabo?'
That's not possible right? Luffy took a step back, another step back murmuring
"No way,"
Which was quite audible. He stopped in his feet and had his eyes covered with his thick black hair. He looked at Sabo with a teary wide eye. Sabo's heart clutched seeing his little brother in teary state.
"SABO!!?"
Luffy took his attack position, seeing this Sabo opened his mouth to say something but was stopped when Luffy spoke again,
"No way!!"
Sabo smiled one more time and spoke,
"We once stole Dadan's booze to share cups,"
That's it. Ace pulled Koala and Robin away from Sabo and made sure to clear the path behind Sabo, within those 3 seconds. It was as if Ace predicted the future.
Sabo was caught off guard with a bone crushing hug. And salty rain dripping on his face,
"Sabo!!"
"Buff," Sabo got a taste of Luffy's sweaty jacket.
"Bawah!!!" Luffy cried loudly.
Chopper who was standing beside Nami was worried, since he never saw his captain crying.
Nami was confused, and so was Usopp. Sanji decided to go to the kitchen and keep himself busy.
Zoro being a responsible vice-captain, he pushed all the crew mates inside the room by just giving them a look.
"Bwat hadda thod yuza deah! Whah kuh bom da flubba ahh ga ueahh! Bwaa!!" Luffy cried and said some gibberish words, to which Sabo had a hard time understanding,"
Sabo gave a breath out, he stopped Luffy again,
"Thank you," Sabo exclaimed,
"*sniff* ??" Luffy looked at his big brother,
"I am so glad, that you remember me," Sabo smiled,
"Of course! After all you were the nicest!" Luffy hugged Sabo tighter and ignored Ace's shouting
"I am sorry Luffy, I nearly lost you,"
Luffy leaned back on the deck and cried, he cried more and more.
Ace sighed at the sight, his little brother always acted like a baby in front of Sabo and sometimes even with him.
"There you go Sabo. Luffy always acts like this, when he's around you,"
Luffy's cries became less, to a point that it was just sniffs.
"Maybe because, you always were harsh on him," Sabo mocked,
"No..." Luffy said in crack voice,
"??" Sabo looked at Luffy,
"Ace became very nice and kind, after you left. He always took care of me just like Sabo. He changed," Luffy said in a cracky and a teary voice.
Hearing this Ace blushed a bit and shouted at Luffy,
"I am not soft!"
Luffy again ignored Ace. He sat up and catches Sabo's face.
"Sabo, it's really you,"
"Hmm, hm,"
Luffy hugged Sabo again, everyone left them and minded their own business. Sabo said Luffy about what happened 10 years ago, but Luffy didn't care. The only thing mattered him was that his brother was alive. Luffy slowly dozed off in Sabo's arms.
After 15 minutes Koala and Dragon came near Sabo.
"Aww so cute! Dragon san, your son's so cute!" Koala beamed,
"*cough* *cough* Which son?" Dragon asked, to which Koala reddened a bit and retracted soon,
"Luffy off course,"
"He always acts like a baby near you," Ace came from behind and crouched down to Sabo's height,
"Maybe because, I am his favourite brother?" Sabo mocked to which he earned a hit from Ace.
Dragon smiled at the scene,
_____________________________
"*cough* *cough*" everyone turned their head to find the owner of the voice,
"Tch," Ace got up and took a few steps behind, rolling his eyes,
"D-Dark king Rayleigh?" Koala stuttered,
"Enough chats," Rayleigh pulled Luffy's rubbery body away from Sabo.
He knocked Luffy's head arousing him,
"Ouch ouch!" Luffy got up,
"Ah now that you are awake," Rayleigh dropped Luffy,
"Old man Rayleigh!?"
"What are you doing here? I was going to come back to Saboady!"
"I guess you had a fun time," Rayleigh asked, sitting down,
"Yes! I met Sabo!" Luffy cheered, Rayleigh laughed,
"Now, let's get down to business,"
Everyone on the ship became silent. They stopped whatever they were doing. Even Dragon and Whitebeard became interested and heard the conversation to which Rayleigh didn't mind.
"What Rayleigh?" Luffy asked with a confused look,
"You said you were going to Saboady, didn't you?" Rayleigh asked,
"Yeah. I want to go to the New world,"
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Rayleigh asked,
"?!"
"Don't you remember, what happened to you people, on that island?" Rayleigh asked in a serious tone,
"..!!"
'Everyone! We have to run away! We can't beat them right now!'
Luffy shuddered.
"Are you going back just to repeat that fiasco?"
Luffy lowered his head, Rayleigh continued,
"I have a suggestion, whether you accept it or not is, of course entirely up to you,"
_____________________________
"HUH?!"
"What do you mean?"
Nami and Usopp asked.
"That's what Rayleigh said," Luffy said,
"And you accepted?" Nami pulled out Luffy's rubbery cheeks,
"Understandable," Zoro commented,
"Yes," Sanji nodded,
"Huh," Nami sighed,
"But Luffy can't we all be in one place?" Chopper asked,
"If you want you can come with me," Luffy smiled,
"But I will be only focusing on Luffy," Rayleigh commented,
"I have a place for myself," Zoro said,
"What place?" Nami asked,
"Huh? The best place to learn new sword techniques, Kuma teleported me there, " Zoro grinned,
"Where are you going Luffy?" Sanji asked,
"Rayleigh said that he had a place in mind,"
"If I go with you, I will only distract you and myself. So! I am going with Hercules!" Usopp shouted,
"Then I will go to the place where I was teleported! There are so many books!" Chopper shouted,
"I have a place too, but it's hard to reach that place," Nami bit her lower lip,
"May I help you with that?" Marco asked coming from behind,
"Yes please!" Nami jumped,
"Robin san, want to join revolutionaries temporarily?" Koala asked in a cute pleading voice,
"I guess I have nowhere else," Robin giggled,
"Yay!" Koala jumped,
"Yo-ho-ho! I have a promise to full fill," Brook said,
"I have birdie to drop me!" Chopper informed,
"Marco will drop me," Nami informed too,
"I and Hercules will go together," Usopp said putting his hand on Hercules's shoulder,
"I will go using my super jet fly! Brook's island is somewhere nearby, I'll drop you," Franky assured,
"Thank you, Franky san! Yoo-hoo,"
"Hmm, I'll go on my own," Zoro sighed,
"You'll get lost," All the straw hats said at the same time as a matter of fact,
"Not at all," Rayleigh came in the picture again,
"?"
"I know few people who would like to help you," Rayleigh smirked,
"Who are they?" Zoro asked,
"He will come later here, you'll see,"
"But the place where I have to go is," Zoro murmured,
"I know," Rayleigh said,
All of them enjoyed the night,
Luffy got a call from Garp. Garp was mostly shouting at Luffy for being reckless, after Garp even Coby spoke to Luffy.
Garp gave Luffy a number and asked to call it as soon as possible, and Luffy did.
Luffy called, only to hear a crying Vivi who was worried to the core. She apparently somehow begged Garp to give her number to Luffy.
Luffy got a letter from Makino. It seems that she normally writes for Ace since he's always on a fixed position, Whitebeard ship.
Luffy didn't really meet Dragon, since Dragon felt it was not the time yet. But he did stumble into Dragon a couple of times.
He climbed on Sabo's back, telling him all about the childhood they spent.
They had a blast party, everyone enjoyed.
Luffy wasn't drunk since Ace and Sabo made sure he doesn't get alcohol.
But everyone else were, pretty badly drunk.
Luffy laid his back on the deck , he had Sabo on his right and next to Sabo was Ace. All his crew was on his left, it was a hard job for Thatch and Haruta to bring them in one place.
Luffy asked an odd question,
"Ace, Sabo, why did you guys come to save me?" Luffy asked,
"Huh?"
"Guys, we all thought to meet at Saboady, I would come on my own. Why did you?" Luffy was cut off by a non-drunk Nami,
"What's wrong with you? Are you drunk?"
"No why?" Luffy asked back,
Nami just rubbed her eye brows and sighed,
"Then why are you asking the question?" Ace, A very drunk Ace asked,
"because we promised to not involve in each others life once we become pirates!" Luffy pouted,
"..." Sabo and Ace gave look to each other.
"And you guys! I said I will be coming to Saboady, don't you trust me?" Luffy's voice faintly disappeared, informing them that Luffy was half asleep.
"Rules are meant to be broken, now shut up and sleep," Nami said,
"But, promises aren't..." Luffy dozed off,
Nami smiled at herself. She remembered how Vivi was saying them to take proper care of Luffy, how Coby was telling Luffy that he should only be captured in Coby's hands not by anyone else. She realized why her captain was interested in the topic.
"Idiot, you really think we came here to save you because we owe you, or because you are our captain?" Nami said,
"Yea, those promises were made so that you won't get into trouble while saving us," Ace stated,
The whole crew and Sabo agreed to their words, because most of them became sober at that point.
Luffy mumbled a 'why' in his sleep,
"Why ah?" Zoro looked at the sky opening his eyes. Everyone parted their lips to say the same exact words,
"Because...
.... We love you Luffy!!"
_____________________________
Epilogue
Luffy and the others bid their good byes and parted ways. The kamas didn't fail to hold onto Sanji.
Ivankov promised Luffy to take care Sanji against Sanji's will and Luffy approved.
Luffy went with Rayleigh on Trafalgar law's ship.
Chopper went with Birdie. Franky and Brook as said left too.
After some time, Dragon and the Revolutionaries with Robin and a protesting Sanji, left Whitebeard's ship.
Usopp left that day afternoon with Hercules.
When the sun was going to set, Marco found it to be the perfect time to leave Nami on the sky island.
Nami left, and now it was only Zoro.
He was hitting his head, asking himself why did he have to listen to Rayleigh.
It's been 4 days since everyone left. There was an article on Luffy's escape and Black beard's traitoring.
Whitebeard pirates became a hot topic in the news circle.
Zoro felt like he was in prison for few days.
He did learn a little sword fighting from Vista.
After a week which felt like forever, a ship came.
Zoro was inside his room
After 30 minutes the door banged open revealing a man with one arm.
"Heard you wanted to go to Mihawk? I'll get you there. By the my name is Shanks,"
_____________________________
Hey guys!!!!!!
Hope you all like the chapter!!
Thank you so much for reading this book!
There is one more chapter after this, which is a Q 'n' A chapter.
And... Happy Birthday to me!!
Have a great day!