As you are walking down the street of Loguetown, you feel your stomach churning from all the worried thoughts crossing your mind. You grimace when you could not find a method to block them from entering your head.
"Y/N, we have to go this way," Sanji tells you before you could take another right turn. You just notice that you were not even thinking about where you were going.
"Ah, right..." you mumble. Both of you are currently heading to the town centre, the meeting point you all agreed on before going your separate ways. With little confidence, you are leading the way, occasionally glancing back at Sanji, looking for confirmation if you are going the right direction.
"Isn't it better if you went ahead of me?" you finally ask. "Why are you staying behind me all the time?"
Sanji blankly blinks at you for a few moments, then responds, "I just wanted to make sure that nobody was following us. This way I can keep an eye on you as well.
"Eh?" His words took you by surprise. "Oh... I see. That makes sense." You scratch your cheek and walk on, oblivious to the fact that Sanji is chuckling from seeing your reaction.
After a while of silence, you could not hold it in any longer. "You know what?" You stop walking and wait for him to catch up to you. "I'd much rather have you walk beside me."
"Huh~?!" Sanji's eyes shape into hearts from your statement.
"I have a bad sense of direction," you confess, hooking your arm into his. "You lead the way now." His heart skips a beat from the sudden skinship, he could hardly concentrate right now with you so close beside him. You, on the other hand, did not even think twice about it, simply feeling a lot more relaxed now that you do not have to worry about which turn to take.
Not long after, you arrive at the town centre. A mass of people are gathered here and you could barely hear your own thoughts in this murmur. When you spot Nami, Usopp and Zoro among the crowd, you let go of Sanji's arm and run towards them.
"We're here!" you say, waving your arms in the air. Nami smiles at how excited you seem.
"What's wrong with him?" Zoro points at the cook, who's swaying around giddily.
"Looks like he's barely conscious..." Usopp remarks.
"Where's Luffy?" you ask, ignoring everything else.
"He said he wanted to check out the execution stand," Nami answers. "Which should be right here in the town square."
Little did you all know, he is getting a first-hand experience of the execution stand. With wide eyes you stare at the top of the wooden structure, Luffy's neck is caught between two planks as if his head will be chopped off any second now.
"Why the hell is he on the execution stand?!" Usopp's loud voice snapped everyone back into reality.
But not only was Luffy there, an old opponent is standing up there with him as well. Buggy the clown is currently enjoying all the attention he is getting from the crowd, announcing the flashy execution is about to carry out.
All of a sudden Nami and Usopp disappear from your side. They are running back to the ship. "Why are you in such a rush?!" Usopp asks. "Shouldn't we be trying to save Luffy?"
Nami continues to run at full speed. "We have something more important to worry about. A storm is headed for this island!"
"What?!"
"The air pressure and temperature have been dropping. For a while, it felt like it would stop but now it's becoming even more evident!"
You stood still in shock of what you are seeing. Your eyes are wide but the rest of your face is totally blank with unbelief. Suddenly Luffy's vivid voice rang out, "I'm the man who'll become the Pirate King!" Just like that, as though they are the last words he wanted to say, he smiles widely when Buggy brings down his sword onto his neck.
"Luffy!!!" you cry out and at that exact moment a streak of lightning tears through the sky, striking the blade which was about to decapitate Luffy, blinding everyone for a few seconds.
Everything goes silent, only the crackling of the fire spreading out on the execution stand and the splattering of the incoming rain could be heard. Your tears are mixing with the rain as you stare up at the dark sky.
Luffy stands up from the rubble and picks up his straw-hat, still smiling like nothing big happened. Sanji and Zoro, who fought through the crowd to come to his rescue, are quite stunned by this miracle. When the voices of marines break the silence, the three of them make their escape.
You could see them running towards you but your body still would not move. Luffy is getting closer and closer, his smile almost radiating cheerfulness. All of a sudden you feel rubber hands lifting you up and now you are moving along with them.
You press your face against his back, letting out the remaining tears. "How can you smile in a situation like that," you whisper into his red shirt, words only he could hear at this moment. "You being gone... it's scary."
Luffy's smile softens a little. He is happy to be alive too.
ஐ
"The wind is blowing west, so if they were to set sail, they'd catch the tailwind," Smoker ponders. "Is this all purely a coincidence?! It's as if the heavens themselves want that boy to survive!" He is chasing after the pirates, turning into smoke to get rid of anyone in the way.
Soon, he catches up to you, grabbing Luffy and you in the process. Resistance is futile with his Logia type abilities. Nobody could touch him when he is in this form.
"Hm, two birds with one stone," Smoker comments when he sees you.
"Let us go!" you shout and suddenly a strong wind blows his smoke away, setting you two free. Without looking back, the four of you run as fast as you could. Upon reaching the ship, you quickly jump on board to set sail from this troublesome island.
The waves are crashing against the ship, rocking it back and forth and almost flipping it. "The light over there is known as the Light of Guidance," Nami explains. "The entrance to the Grand Line is just up ahead of that light."
The door to the kitchen swings open, Sanji brings out a wooden barrel with him. "So we've reached the Grand Line, have we? Well, this calls for a celebration!"
"To find All Blue," Sanji says, tapping the sole of his shoe on top of the barrel.
"To become the Pirate King!" Luffy shouts, absolutely convinced that he can do it.
"To be the greatest swordsman..." Zoro smirks.
"To draw a map of the world!" Nami says with determination.
"T... T-To become a brave warrior of the seas!" Usopp stutters.
All of the crew members are standing with one foot rested on the barrel, looking at you expectantly and smiling patiently.
Softly, you tap your sole on it as well.
"...To find freedom."
✘