It took a week, but all three boys were in full recovery. Physically, anyway.
Only having a few scrapes here and there (Sabo's shoulder was the worst when it came to injuries, never fully having a chance to heal) and being malnourished, the 10-year-old boys were allowed out of the infirmary in three days. Although Aria ordered that they were to be kept a close eye on just in case.
The two got a tour of the ship and were given a room down the hall from the infirmary with three beds against the left wall and a small closet in the back. They each picked a bed, Sabo in the middle and Ace on the left, closest to the door. They figured Luffy would wanna be in the corner as far away from the hallway as possible, and they wanted to be able to jump in front of him should something unwanted walk through.
The door could not be locked, but they both decided against letting Luffy know that.
Speaking of Luffy, he had also been released, but after a full week instead of three days. Aria managed to get his immune system back in gear by feeding him. The recovery speed was scary fast but she blamed that on the devil fruit powers of the child. When she asked Luffy about it, he simply mumbled something about meat being a cure all, which was rather amusing.
Though his immune system was working it was still very weak. She judged it'd be a year or two before he was up to full speed again. His fever had subsided and he was no longer ill, so she let him leave after two extra days of rest.
She had met with his brothers as well as Marco and Thatch to discuss his mental health. She's diagnosed him with serious anxiety, depression, (She discovered that one two days ago), touch starvation, psychosis, (Not serious, but still there), and PTSD. There were traces of other things, but she didn't think it significant enough to actually worry like the other things mentioned.
Sabo looked up with a confused and concerned look. "Psychosis? What's that?"
The doctors mouth twitched slightly and she ran a tired hand through her hair.
"Luffy has zero perception of time and hardly shows any emotion.. Or.... No.. More like he doesn't know how to show which emotion he's feeling. It's all a jumble to him," she explained warily.
Ace narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean 'he has no time perception'? Like he can't tell time or-?"
"Yesterday," The doctor elaborated, "I asked him how long he though he thought he was on the ship for. He just shrugged and said he didn't know. Then, he asked me how many hours he'd been off the ship. When I told him he's been here for a week he just stared at me and then I guess it triggered something because he started freaking out. I don't think his brain can comprehend passing time. So things either feel like they're passing by in seconds or that years are taking up single moments."
She looked up and saw how worried Ace and Sabo looked. She gave a gentle smile and ruffled Ace's hair, which he scowled at, but allowed. "Don't worry. It'll take some time but he'll be able to figure things out now that he's outside of the box," she grimaced at the term and added, "I don't suggest telling him how long he was actually on that ship for a while though. Maybe if he asks, but if it can be avoided don't let him know. "
Everyone in the room nodded.
"I'm gonna go report this all to Pops, yoi," Marco stated while heading towards the door.
Aria agreed and waved him off.
Thatch turned to Ace and Sabo with a smile on his face. "I gotta go start dinner for the crew. You two wanna join me?" He offered happily.
Ace and Sabo looked over hesitantly at Luffy but before they could answer, Aria was pushing all three of them out the door.
"Go on! He'll be finnnnneee! You two need the fresh air," the doctor said urging the trio out the door.
Once they were in the hallway, Thatch started walking towards the galley, leaving Ace and Sabo lingering at the door looking up at Aria.
She stuck a finger out and pointed down the hallway. "I don't want to see either of you until after the dinner bell! Go on now. Luffy will be safe and sound."
The two jumped slightly when she closed the door in front of them. They exchanged glances in the dimly lit hallway and then trudged after Thatch to the ship kitchen.
They'd had a good time helping Thatch, learning that Ace was scary good at cooking and Sabo was terrible at it, almost forgetting about all their worries. Almost. They'd never forget about Luffy as long as they both lived. But, the evening was a successful stress reliever on the boys and they were slightly glad they had been forced out of the medical wing.
Well, at least, they were happy until they heard someone wailing from across the ship. The brothers exchanged expressions of horror as they thought the same thing.
Luffy!
They both raced down to the infirmary, leaving Thatch in the dust along with the few crew members they'd been introduced too.
They skidded to a halt in front of the door and opened it to find Luffy sobbing in a ball on the bed with Aria trying to calm him down.
"Luffy! It's alright! I'm back okay? I'm right here, you aren't alone. Luffy!" She coaxed gently and looked up when she saw Ace and Sabo rush over to their brothers side.
"Luffy!" They both yelled as they clambered up the bed beside him.
Luffy recognised their presences and latched onto Ace and Sabo, letting out loud wails of terror and chocked sobs into their chests. His hat was on his head now but they could see the crinkles in the brim from where the seven year old hand been holding onto it for dear life.
Ace and Sabo shushed the younger sibling in a comforting manor. Sabo had lowered his hat so That it was hanging from Luffy's neck and began stroking his inky black hair gently to try and calm him down.
Luffy had begun hyperventilating at some point and was gasping for air, his breath hitching dramatically as he continued crying. Ace glared at Aria who stood by awkwardly, feeling guilty at breaking her promise to the boys.
After twenty minutes of Sabo telling Luffy to take deep breaths and breathe slowly through his nose, Ace rocking Luffy and trying to get him to quiet down, and all of the commanders walking in to see what on earth was the matter; Luffy finally quieted down.
His breathing was fast, but he was no longer hyperventilating, just anxious. He was still clutching onto Ace and Sabo with white knuckled fists as he cried quietly into Ace's shirt.
Ace, not caring about the fifteen other people in the room, looked up at Aria and let anger flood his features.
"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!?" He yelled making everyone in the room flinch, including Luffy. Ace spared a worried glance at the straw hat boy and lowered his voice to a growl.
"You said you'd take care of him! Why was he flipping out like he'd been attacked by a madman!?" He queried angrily.
The glare of the angry ten-year-old was enough to make Aria advert her eyes and chew her bottom lip nervously.
"I went to get him some medicine," she said quietly, "I had asked him if it was okay if I left for a second to go get him some pills for his anxiety cause he seemed on edge. He nodded yes so I went-" she pointed to the open medical closet in the back left corner of the room, "I hadn't even been gone thirty seconds...."
Ace's eyes were still hardened with anger, but now he understood that she thought he'd be alright. He looked to his left as Sabo sighed loudly and rubbed a hand over his curly blonde head.
"Luffy," he whispered to the small raven.
Luffy shifted his gaze and looked up at Sabo with large an watery brown eyes. Panic still very much noticeable in them.
Sabo smiled wearily and gently put a hand to Luffy's head. "What happened? What's wrong?" Sabo asked as he brushed away the bangs that were plastered to his face with wet and sticky tears.
Luffy raised a hand that trembled terribly and reached behind his head, pulling his pride and treasure up onto his head.
"Dark." He whisper so quiet and hoarse that Sabo had to lean in to hear him. "I don't wanna go back. I don't wanna. I can't do it Sabo, I can't be alone again," Luffy looked up into Sabo's eyes, his own spilling water once more, with pain written into the brown stare.
"It hurts too much."
Sabo and Ace felt a pang of guilt and pain in their own hearts. They knew what Luffy meant. Luffy hated being alone more than anything, but now he couldn't take it. He couldn't be without someone near him. It has been too long this time. He was afraid to let go.
All because we couldn't rescue him.
Ace looked at Aria again, her face still wrought with guilt, although now he had a similar expression.
The freckled raven nodded to her and whispered "Thank you, for watching him." Just loud enough for her and Sabo to hear.
Her eyes widened at the sudden sentiment, but then softened, and she smiled lightly. She walked over to the people crowding the room and ordered them outside to give Luffy and the brothers some space.
Luffy fell asleep after that and a new rule was set into play:
Luffy was to have someone with him at all times, no matter what.
Aria had reported the incident to Whitebeard, seeing as he was concerned considering all the commotion the incident stirred up.
"These boys do seem like a handful," Whitebeard said thoughtfully as the head doctor finished her report.
"They really are. But they have a good bond, and I think that if they can get past this they'll be great pirates one day," she responded with a smile.
Whitebeard laughed heartily at her words and his eyes shined with cheer. "I've really got to meet these new sons of mine! They sound like quite the bunch!"
Aria's smile faltered a bit. "Yeah... I'm sure the older two will be ready enough for it. But I'm not sure about the youngest... " she trailed off into her own thoughts.
Newgate looked down at his daughter with an inquisitive expression. "What do you mean by that?"
The doctor sighed. "He's mentally unstable and skittsh. He's scared of almost everyone and after tonight I'm sure that trust has only diminished. You might... Startle him. " she chances a glance up at her Captain and father but was surprised to see only understanding in his eyes.
"You are this ships doctor my dear, and I trust your judgement with this entire ships life. When he's ready, I'll be happy to meet him." He encouraged with a smile.
Aria returned the gaze and headed back to the infirmary with newfound hope for the boys. She hoped that they would be able to rebuild the trust between the three youngest brothers and the rest of the crew.
The doctor walked into the medical wing to the sound of soft snoring coming from three sleepy figures huddled together on Luffy's bed.
With Luffy in the middle, the three boys had all fallen asleep and were snuggled tightly together.
She grabbed a white sheet and threw it over the boys, thinking how cute they looked. She flicked the light switch and locked the infirmary door to keep out any disturbances.
From the hallway, she placed a hand on the wood door and sent a single thought the boys way.
Goodnight you little trouble makers. Sweet dreams.
With that, she called it a night and went next door to her own room to get some well deserved sleep herself.
***
It had been three days since Luffy left the medical ward's confinement and there was not a single moment he was seen without holding onto one of his brothers.
He was always with Ace or Sabo, clinging to them like a lost puppy. And of course, his brothers didn't mind one bit. They couldn't possibly imagine what was going on in Luffy's painstakingly damaged head, so neither argued nor minded when the youngest tightly grasped their hand or hooked arms. In truth, they were both glad for it. Happy that Luffy still had so much faith in them. That he didn't blame them.
Whenever Luffy latched on, it put them at ease, and he was welcomed with opened arms.
The first thing they did when Luffy was released is show him their room. The crew had begun giving the three more space now that the weren't ill, but someone was always nearby in case they (Luffy) needed it.
'Someone' usually ended up being Marco or Thatch, since the newest editions to the Whitebeard Pirates* didn't really know anyone else, much less trust them.
Ace and Sabo had reluctantly accepted the trust of Marco, Thatch, and Doctor Aria. The only reason was because they had helped both them and Luffy. Being on the brink of death, they didn't really have a choice but to accept the help and hope they were right to trust it.
Luckily, it had worked out.
But now that Luffy was back up and about, they were letting him make the calls on who was and wasn't trust worthy.
Ace and Sabo knew all to well that Luffy's instincts trumped everything else when it came to people. He could tell just by looking at them if someone wasn't safe. Now, Luffy was a bit more wary and much less trusting, but his instincts continued to be correct, which led to a few more allies on the Whitebeard ship.
Luffy had taken quite the liking to a man named Izou, whom Ace and Sabo both thought was strange, but it always seemed that way with Luffy.
Izou had been the first person Luffy talked to of his own accord that wasn't either Ace or Sabo.
He dragged Ace over to the black haired cross dresser (because Luffy was currently attached to Ace, refusing to let go of his arm) and looked up at him with curious, but nervous, eyes.
"Uhm... Mr?" Luffy asked quietly, tugging slightly at the pink kimono.
The man turned around to see who was trying to get his attention, and was very confused at seeing no one there. Until, he heard a small 'hello' from below him.
Izou looked down and his eyes widened a bit when he saw the three boys (Sabo had quickly followed after them) beside him.
The surprise never fully left, but he smiled and bent over in a graceful fashion so that he was at eye level with Ace and Luffy.
"Why hello there. It's quite rare to see you three talking to us," he said with a high and friendly voice, "What can I do you boys for? "
Luffy shifted nervously before gesturing to Izou's Kimono.
"I was... Wondering. Why you wear it?" Luffy stumbled over the words but Izou nodded in understanding.
A few people on deck had stopped to watch the interaction, marvelling at the fact that the boys were even talking at all, much less to one of them.
"You want to know why I'm wearing a kimono? And make-up and such?" Izou clarified and continued after getting a nod from Luffy.
"Well," he responded thoughtfully, "It's because I enjoy the pretty things in life, and I want to be pretty too. I found what I liked so I became it," he smiled and looked at Luffy for a reaction before adding, "Is that so bad? "
Ace and Sabo looked at Luffy who seemed to be taking a minute to process what the man had told him. Then, slowly, Luffy reached out his free hand and held the long sleeve of the kimono in his two small fingers.
Izou looked down with confusion at the hand and then back up to Luffy, who now had a small smile gracing his lips, bright yellow hat rustling slightly atop his head in the sea breeze.
"I think... it's alright," Luffy said with what almost sounded happy, almost, but still not quite. "You had a dream right? And you made it real. I think that's pretty cool."
Izou sat and blinked at the child in front of him. He was left a bit speechless at the seven-year-olds insight, although the explanation did seem a bit monotone.
Izou chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that true." Then he went for a bit more conversation, "Say, Luffy, right?"
Luffy nodded, moving slightly closer to Ace and Sabo.
"Do you have a dream?" Izou questioned intently.
This piqued Ace and Sabo's interests as well. Luffy hasn't said a single thing about his old dream, but still clung to the thing that promised the dream like a life line. They looked expectantly at Luffy.
Luffy trained his gaze to the ground and let go of the kimono, shifting his hold to the yellow hat upon his head.
"My dream..." Luffy started out quiet, but then looked up with that look in his eyes. It was a light that only Luffy could give, and though it was small for the moment it flashed, it made Ace and Sabo smile at their little brother.
"My dream is to become king of the pirates." He stated precariously, almost as if asking if his dream was alright. If it was allowed. And yet, it also sounded as though he was stating it, as if it was already so and that no one could change it.
Ace and Sabo knew the old Luffy would've shouted his dream out with all the breath in his lungs whenever asked about it, but they were still content. This was a sign that Luffy was still there with them. They hadn't lost anything, it just got a bit damaged. But Ace and Sabo were determined to fix it good as new.
Ace gave Luffy's hand a little squeeze of reassurance.
Izou smiled brightly at Luffy, but didn't laugh. He could sense the child's unease and decided against making any move that seemed even remotely demeaning to the child's vision of the future.
"That's quite the dream you've got there, " Izou commented amusingly. "You'll have to beat Pops in order to make true... " he looked Luffy over and then offered a soft smile resting a hand on Luffy's hatted head.
Luffy flinched slightly at the contact but looked up with big brown eyes at Izou.
"I think you can do it." Izou stated encouragingly.
Ace and Sabo smiled as a little bit of light seemed to enter Luffy's eyes.
All three decided that they rather liked this Izou character and that he could be a powerful ally if they needed it.
After that, Izou left saying he had some paper work to do for his division, leaving the three standing on the deck with the sea breeze.
"What'd ya think, Lu? Is he trustworthy?" Sabo asked from Luffy's left side.
Luffy nodded and looked at Sabo. " I think so, yeah."
Came the response.
The rest of that day was pretty relaxing, at least as relaxing as it could be for Luffy. He had been put on medication for his anxiety but he was still constantly paranoid or slightly panicked. There was never a time when Luffy wasn't jumpy.
They tended to stay off the deck, and when they did go on the deck they tried to stay out of the way.
Dinner, on the other hand, had been different every single time. The first day Luffy went, the day he was released, he got to overwhelmed and the boys ended up retreating to the quiet of their own room.
The night after that they decided to sit with Izou who introduced them to a few people, or tried too. Luffy just sat quietly inbetween Sabo and Ace while munching on the food on his plate.
Luffy had held on tightly to Sabo that night and hardly said a word, which worried the elder brothers but overall they let it slide, knowing that it was probably Luffy trying to stay calm.
This would be the third time they went to the galley, and Ace and Sabo were prepared to dart out of there Luffy gave the word.
Th galley was full of long wooden tables that were filled to the brim with pirates. The three boys walked to the back of the room and placed themselves at the end of one of said tables, away from most of the other crew mates.
Luffy used his devil fruit abilities to reach across the table and grab food from the entrees set out so he could fill his plate. Ace and Sabo both laughed as they noticed it was mostly brown meat and the younger boy waited eagerly to dig into it.
Ace and Sabo supposed that being so out of the way and no where near the other Whitebeard pirates was a bit easier on Luffy's stress level, and made a mental note to sit here as often as possible.
One thing about Luffy that had certainly changed was his eating habits. He no longer reached for anyone else's food and only ate what was set in front of him. He always waited for one of his brothers to start eating before doing so himself, which they found weird, but didn't question.
The biggest and probably most concerning change was that Luffy only ate what was on his plate. Once it was gone, he didn't even ask for more. Most times, the brothers saw that Luffy wouldn't even finish his plate of food. Ace or Sabo would always end up eating it for him, being absolute black holes when it came to food, but it still worried them.
They'd be lying if they said that almost everything about Luffy had changed. Or that they weren't constantly worrying over their little brother. But there was one thing that remained no matter how much the rest of Luffy changed: he still held true to his promises and always managed to find friends, even if he himself was wry of them.
And that gave the boys hope for their younger.
Luffy had just finished eating as Ace and Sabo ate entire entree dishes dry.
Sabo looked at Luffy who seemed to have zoned out into his own world, staring blankly at the plate in front of him.
"Hey Luffy-" Sabo's eyes widened slightly as Luffy jumped violently at being drawn from the world in his head, and looked up with a shaky gaze at Sabo.
"Sorry...." Sabo murmured as Luffy continued to look at him with big puzzled eyes. "Are you still hungry?" Sabo asked curiously.
Luffy glanced between Sabo and the empty plate a few times before shaking his head and pushing the dish slightly away from him.
"No," he answered quietly, fidgeting with his hands on the edge of the red vest Doctor Aria had given him to wear.
Sabo furrowed his eyebrows together and Ace watched the interaction from behind, still shoving food into his own mouth.
Ace swallowed hard and offered his own suggestion.
"Do you wanna go talk to anyone else?" He inquired calmly.
Luffy seemed to think about this a minute before looking up to answer Ace.
"Do you think Marco is here?" He asked quietly, and hesitant.
Ace glanced around the dinning hall and saw Marco at the center table talking to the other commanders. He saw both Thatch and Izou being there as well.
"Yep. He's here. He's talking to the other commanders... He's got Thatch and Izou with him too," Ace informed.
Luffy was silent for a moment. Then, he slipped off the wooden bench and grabbed Sabo's hand, waiting for him to lead him to Marco and the others.
Sabo let a smile grace his lips as he hopped off the seat and led Luffy over to the commanders, Ace following closely from the side.I
They walked across the galley, Luffy sticking close to his brother's sides and avoided eyes contact. Eventually, they arrived at the table just behind Marco and Izou.
"Mind if we join you?" Sabo asked, successfully gaining Marco's attention.
All the commanders stopped their conversing to look at the boys who usually kept to themselves. Luffy could sense the eyes. His grip on Sabo's new blue tail coat tightened and he shifted so that he was slightly behind Sabo and Ace, hiding from the looks.
Marco ruffled Sabo's hair and tapped the bench next to him, sliding over so he could make room.
"You're always welcome, yoi!" He invited happily.
The three sat down down, Luffy in the middle, and looked at the commanders. There were a few minutes of awkward quiet before one of the Pirates broke the silence.
"I'm Namur!" He introduced cheerfully, "I've heard a lot about you boys, although I'll admit never even see ya till this moment."
He offered a smile which Luffy and Sabo returned awkwardly, but Ace made no such effort and kept a definite scowl glued to his features.
Luffy was currently clinging to Ace's arm, and he was much more worried about his little brother than outward appearances, much less for people he didn't even know.
"They're almost like ghosts!" A short brown haired man stated enthusiastically.
Quite few commanders laughed at that, all grinning in good nature. "You're right, Haruta!" Agreed another out loud.
Sabo looked around before trying for some conversation. "So," he started, "I saw little bit of the navigation quarters in our tour... But do y'all have a set Navigator? Or is it like a team?"
The one called Namur smiled and gestured his mug of booze at Marco. "Why that him right their, kiddo! Head navigator of the whole ship!" He informed loudly.
Ace glanced down at Luffy after feeling him tighten his hold on Ace. He had moved his free hand over his ear to try and block out the excess noise from the room. Ace frowned, realising that the galley itself was much louder of a place than Luffy had visited in years. No wonder He stressed out every time they came here.
He looked back up to the conversation, but continued to keep an eye on his sound sensitive brother.
Sabo had shinning eyes as he looked up at Marco, who was grinning proudly.
"Did you draw all those maps in the navigation room!?" He asked, bouncing a bit where he sat.
Marco's smile only grew larger as his chest swelled with pride. "Almost every last one! Except for a few of the larger atlas'. Everything else was me, yoi!" He answered haughtily.
Sabo's eyes had turned to stars. He loved maps so much and now he was sitting right next to someone who made them for a living!
To put it bluntly, he was fangirling.
"Do you want to be a Navigator, Sabo?" Haruta asked.
Sabo nodded his head rapidly. "It's why I wanted to set sail as a pirate!! I'd find a crew and then draw maps and command the seas!" His eyes shined with hope and everyone at table couldn't help but smile at the pureness the blond emanated.
"Well," said Marco, "come by the Navigation Quarters anytime you like and I'll teach you a thing or two."
Sabo stood up on the bench and smiled brightly.
"Really!?"
Marco chuckled and nodded, patting the enthusiastic 10-year-olds head. "Really."
"Woo hoo! " Sabo pumped a fist in the air and then sat back down, giddy with glee.
Ace smirked at his brothers happiness, glad that he still found fun in things they had once forgotten. Left behind when they got in that dreaded ship. Forced. He spared another glance at Luffy, but was confused when he saw the young boy staring at something behind him.
"Oi, Luffy," Ace called, trying to get his attention.
When it didn't work, and sighed and tried to see if he could spot what his little brother was staring at. He turned around and saw the other table, filled with many more pirates to the Whitebeard crew. Ace tried to follow Luffy's gaze to see who or what he was looking at, but it found it more difficult than he thought.
Eventually, he gave up and clicked his tongue in annoyance. However, he didn't like the look in Luffy's brown eyes as they stared into what seemed an endless void. His eyes looked dull, and haunted. He decided he'd let Sabo handle it.
"Yo, Sabo," Ace said while tapping his shoulder.
"Eh?" Sabo turned to Ace with an eyebrow raised in confusion.
Ace tilted his head towards Luffy, who was still looking off at the other table.
Sabo frowned and his brows furrowed together.
"Hey? Luffy-" Sabo tried but was cut off by Izou.
"Imma get some sleep. I've got night watch tonight," he announced as he carefully untangled his legs from under the table.
"G'night!" They all called after, drowning out Sabo's attempts at getting Luffy's attention.
After Izou left, a couple other pirates did too, as well as a few other commanders. Leaving only ten or so left at the once full table.
Luffy was still transfixed on something or someone and it began to concern the older two.
Just as they were about to try calling out to him once more, Luffy snapped out of the daze and moved closer to Ace, grasping his shirt in his hands.
"Luffy!?" Ace asked, suprised at the sudden motion.
Luffy's eyes were wide and panic written, as they followed someone behind them.
It didn't take long for them to find out who as a large black -bearded man walked up to the commanders table and sat down. No sooner had the man taken his place did Luffy frantically try distance himself from the man, putting his face into Ace's chest as if to hide from the world itself.
"Luffy, what's wrong?" Sabo asked, voice saturated in worry. Ace put his arms around Luffy to trying and calm him down but it was to no avail.
Marco overheard the kerfuffle caught the apprehension in Sabo's voice and looked over to see what the fuss was about. His brows knitted together as he saw Luffy shake his head rapidly to something, obviously distressed. He figured he'd wait a moment to give Ace and Sabo a chance to handle it before stepping in, knowing how much they hated outside assistance. He kept a lazy eye on them as he began talking to the pirate next to him.
"Zehahaha! Hello everyone!" Came the blacked haired pirates booming voice, causing a tremor to take hold of Luffy.
The commanders all happily greeted the man, starting small talk. Although Marco was only half listening, more intrigued by Luffy's reaction to the man than the man himself.
"Luffy, is it that guy? Is something wrong with him?" Ace asked quietly, trying not to draw attention in case he was correct.
And if course, he was.
Luffy nodded vigorously and then whispered, "He's not right."
If Sabo and Ace knew anything, it was that Luffy was never wrong when it came to people. So, without a second thought, they stood up and quickly asked "Do you wanna head back to the room?"
Luffy once again nodded Sabo excused themselves from the table, Ace guiding Luffy who was still clinging to his shirt, and they left.
Once they had made it to their quarters, Ace set Luffy on the bed while Sabo closed the door behind them.
"Sorry..." Luffy mumbled as the rim of his straw hat covered slightly panicked eyes, shadowing them so no one could see.
Ace and Sabo sighed. Same ole' Luffy.
"It's alright. We trust you," Sabo said gently, placing his hand on Luffy's.
Luffy raised his head and smiled slightly at them, glad they still had faith in him.
"He just wasn't right..." He spoke out loud, thoughtfully.
"Wasn't right? " Ace questioned.
Luffy nodded, quickly realising he'd spoke his mind aloud, as he was so used to doing. "Yeah... It's like... He was a dark cloud... I don't know. I'm probably just crazy," Luffy finished solemnly.
"Don't talk like that!" Ace ordered, lightly knocking the side of Luffy's head.
Luffy raised a hand and rubbed the spot, brown eyes now trained on Ace's face.
"If to you say someone's no good, then their no good. End of story. And you're no crazier then you were before that wretched ship ride! You're still you you Luffy! So stop putting yourself down," Ace lectured.
Luffy stared blankly at Ace a few seconds, blinking a few times, before grinning largely and laughing.
"That's funny coming the guy who questioned his existence for years shishishi!" Luffy laughed.
Ace and Sabo stared at their their little brother, which shocked expressions. They couldn't remember the last time they'd seen Luffy smile or laugh like this, and they hadn't realized how much they had missed it. It wasn't quite as big or bright as it had been all those years ago, but it was still there.
Both Ace and Sabo ended up laughing and smiling heartily right beside Luffy, not being able to help but feel happy at seeing their supposedly broken brother smile once more.
"Yeah Luffy, I guess you're right," Ace smiled.
The boys talked a long while after that, pushing away the worried and concerns of the night for now. Simply enjoying being with each other once again. It was something they had all long wished when they were aboard that blasted boat, and something they certainly weren't willing to let go of again.
They were going to make sure it stayed like this forever.
From outside the door, unbeknownst to the boys, was Marco, listening to the light hearted laughs quietly from outside the room. He had planned to go in and check on Luffy, but it was quite obvious that all three were doing just fine on their own.
He walked away from the door, leaving them to their privacy. He went down the many hallways of the Moby Dick and into his own room.
Marco sat down at his desk, which was riddled with half finished maps, ink, and paper work, picking up a pen to begin signing some of the work away.
He paused for a moment, and a small frown made its way to his face as he remembered something Luffy had said.
"He just wasn't right..."
He wondered what Luffy could've possibly meant like that.
Marco sighed as he continued to scrawl his name across documents, the name of the pirate, name of the brother, in question still lingering in his troubled mind.
Teach.
*****
Starred Terms:
Whitebeard Pirates:
Nothing important really, but while I was writing I realised I had made an error in typing pirates.
So, instead, it said Whitebeard Pie. Which I found hilarious, and simply had to share.
*****
Haha! And so the plot thickens! But not really! Hahaha!!!
What did I do to deserve you all!?
(⑉꒦ິ^꒦ິ⑉) I've gotten so many notifications that people have added my story to their list! Guys!!!! I'm So happy! I even got a few votes! *squeals* Honestly, thank to you so much!
This chapter isn't my favourite, but it's build up, so it's needed. The next one should be a bit more interesting, hopefully. There's always a little panic in each chapter, but the next chapter focuses on Luffy and couple of...issues. No more information!!! I'll spoil my own story lol.
Anywho, enough chit-chat. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll get the next one out as soon as possible! As always, thank you for reading! I hope to see you again next time!
Chão!
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