Chapter Text
Waking up came slowly, in a way that Luffy wasn’t used to, normally he would be awake in a second, jumping up from wherever he was sleeping, yelling at Sanji, or Penguin that he wanted some food and would subsequently be able to eat breakfast not long behind that.
But now, it felt as if his body was heavy, just as heavy it had been when he found out that Ace, his brother, wasn't there anymore, when the other who had promised to not leave him had left him too. The ache around his heart told him what he didn’t want to believe, he couldn’t be alone. It couldn’t be that he had lost each and everyone of his Nakama.
Opening his eyes, he couldn’t see very well, but he could smell searing flesh in the air, a smell that made the memories come back part by part. It was almost like Marineford all over again, only this time, he knew that it wasn’t just Ace that he had lost.
He’d made it to Laugh Tale, had made it to the island he had longed to reach. Only to find out a Buster Call had been issued by Sakazuki in an effort to keep the Pirate Age from continuing on. The way the fleet admiral went about all of it had gotten him quite some protests, all of who were silenced. The man wanted to put an end to Pirates, and the New Pirate Age, by any means necessary.
After all, the man had gone after everyone who had at one point stood besides or behind Luffy, his crew or allies, willing to kill off everyone who believed in pirates over marines, all because pirates still chased after freedom and marines were willing to give theirs up for whatever position of power the celestial dragons were willing to give them.
Sakazukiwas even worse at that, in that he didn’t care if people were royalty, or other marines, or small time pirates, everyone had to go when they wouldn’t turn to the marines and the ultimate justice he believed in. His Ultimate justice would prevail, at the cost of so many others.
When word came to them that Alabasta had been wiped off the map like O'hara, for the only reason that Queen Vivi refused to listen to the Fleet Admiral, and proclaimed she’d trust pirates again before turning to Marines for help. Not when they had been willing to just turn a blind eye while Crocodile was let loose on her country all those years ago.
Sakazuki had taken offense to that, and had shown for the first time that he was willing to do just about everything to get his own hold on the world, no matter who had to fall for that to happen. It had shown others that this wasn’t the marines they wanted to follow, most noticeably were Sengoku, Fujitora, Tsuru and Garp - all of them already on edge for what Akainu stood for.
With this happening, they realized that it was all going downhill even more.
Everyone finally realized what Sakazuki would do to get his perfect vision, to get his utopia, no matter the outcry or the resistance he faced because of it. He had been willing to kill a Queen connected to the World Government for no other reason than her support of her Nakama instead of the people that had tried to keep her meek and powerless.
---
Nami had been inconsolable when the news got out, her sobs cutting through all of their hearts, especially those that had also known and loved Vivi. One of the East Blue crew, or Robin, was with the redhead 24/7 after that, to make sure her depression didn’t make her do something that would break all of them.
In the end Nami didn’t give in, although she could be found sobbing on all points throughout the day, always hugging someone close to her, mostly Robin or Luffy, who’d wrap their arms around her and just let her cry. Patting her on the back or head, knowing that they couldn’t do anything more than that.
The calls began coming in after that, and within months all of their home islands had met the same fate. Only this time, Garp called after to let them know he got out as many people as he could; had tried to save as many innocents as he could.
But that didn’t take away that the Baretti sank to the bottom of the ocean, Zeff still on board, or that it wouldn’t be able to bring back all of those who were lost to Sakazuki’s madness.
The old man had agreed with them, telling them that there was a resistance forming, one more than willing to join the Straw Hats when the moment arrived and Sakazuki got the crazy idea to take out the new Pirate King.
For all that he never took in his grandsons, this was the first time that Garp had acknowledged that Luffy would become Pirate King. That his grandson would be able to change the world as it was right now, in a way that just wasn’t possible for his generations. Not with Sakazuki in power, the Mad Dog was living up to his name.
He was, however, more than willing to take the same bet Shanks had taken, and see Luffy through to the end.
---
Sadly, it hadn’t been enough. With Sakazuki rampaging through the seas, he had taken out enough of their support that when the Buster Call came for Laugh Tale, they had a fleet surrounding them, and no one to back them up. All of them are either injured, dead or too far away to be of any use.
The Straw Hats held out as long as they could, never happier when a ripple of Haki took out quite a few marines on the ships surrounding them, the Red Force making its way through them and taking out as much as they could. They too had lost people they cared about, even with Shanks more docile nature, the red head wasn’t willing to let this slide.
The Revolutionary army followed, and as soon as they were close they sent medical aid toward the island, to patch up those on it. They attacked with a feriousity that could only be done by 2 Monkey D. 's and one honorable one, Garp, Dragon and Sabo tearing through everyone in their path, to make sure that the aid they sent to Laugh Tale would make it in time. To make sure that even their lives weren’t as important as Luffy making it out of this alive.
It ended in Luffy losing a second brother to Sakazuki’s lava fist, only this time there was no one holding Garp back from killing the bastard who did it, and he retaliated, which cost him his own life.
Law and Marco appeared soon after, Koala had already been on the island, horrified when Sabo was cut down, her sentiment shared by Law and Marco. Luffy not far behind, and on his legs even when he couldn’t feel them.
Law supported him, a grim look on his face, “Luffy-ya, we need to leave. I don’t… I don’t think everyone is going to get off of this island alive.”
Luffy sniffed, looking next to him, where Nami was laying, her eyes glassy and empty while the wounds on her torso told him what had killed her. At least she would be together with Vivi again, she deserved that much. She deserved that for standing her ground even if he knew she had died at the same time Vivi did. At least she could rest now.
Before they could get to the submarine however, they all noticed the heat, Koala’s scream before the stench of burning flesh made its way to them. The sudden silence of telling them what had happened to the woman Luffy had seen as his sister-in-law. As the last remnant of Sabo now that he too had fallen.
Marco roared, and took on Sakazuki who came out of the smoke, a charred corpse in his hand, which he threw away to take the Phoenix on. The blond looked at his remaining brother-in-law and nodded once, before throwing himself into the fight, getting assistance from Shanks, Zoro and Sanji in that same moment. The four of them covered them as they made their way to where the One Piece had to be.
Ferocious in their fight against the marine who had taken it all away. Who was willing to become a monster he proclaimed Pirates to be, to gain his ultimate justice.
Law supported most of his weight, as they hobbled through the jungle, but not fast enough, as Sakazuki gained on them fast, and the implications of him being able to do that hurt both the captains down to their core.
Law pushed him down a shaft as he took on the marine on his own and Luffy fell down, which is why he lost consciousness.
Now that he opened his eyes again, hazy and blurry as they were, he could see a specter waiting there for him. He had seen enough to know that this was Roger, the previous Pirate King, who smiled down sadly at him.
“Tell me Pirate King, if you could have one thing in the world what would it be?”
Luffy sobbed, “My nakama, all of my nakama with me again.”
Roger sighed, a sad look in his eyes, “It can’t grant that, can’t bring back the dead, and I know you know that no one is alive anymore.”
Tears ran over Luffy’s cheeks as he nodded again, not finding any of his Nakama’s haki, anywhere around the island. Not even Law’s which should be right on top of him.
“I know… All of them gave their lives for a dream we all had, and now none of them can see it.”
Roger nodded, “Not here they can’t.”
Luffy looked up, to see Roger kneeling in front of them, pulling him up to stand, before he looked Luffy right in the eye, “Here everyone is dead, and the world will soon follow. But before, they will still be there, and you wish to be with your Nakama, to have them close - and I begin to think you mean everyone that counts as Nakama.”
Luffy nodded at that, “Nakama is family, if they’re family of my Nakama, that also makes them mine, so that is a lot of people.”
Roger just grinned, “But a lot of people are good, take care of Ace for me, will you, Luffy?”
With that, the former Pirate King pushed Luffy into the underwater lake that was in the cave, and he could feel himself sink, thinking for a moment that this was all a set up, that it was someone able to morph who had pushed him. But he found that he didn’t mind, this way he could be with his Nakama too, they’d all be together again.
He hoped that the words spoken were true, and deep down he could feel them as just that. He would see them all again, and who knew, it could be a whole new adventure once more.
---
When he woke up again, something he didn’t suspect, it was to the sounds of a port town, kind of like Foosha, he sat up in his bed in that very instance, at the sound of Makino’s voice asking him if he was up already.
Tears made their way down his cheeks as the words Roger had said came in, that his Nakama couldn’t be there with him, but here they obviously could. Looking down, he noticed just how small his hands were. He was back in Foosha, with Makino outside the door, no doubt looking like she had the day Shanks came to visit.
Feeling around he could feel the older pirate’s haki closing in, that would be the first of his Nakama that he would be able to see. The first of many, hopefully they would also remember, or believe him as he told them what had happened.
He hoped so, he didn’t know how he would face Shanks, Ace, and Sabo as they were, without the ties of Nakamaship and family binding them together. Getting up he rubbed his face, got dressed and hoped for the best. Only time would tell after all.