Chapter Text
It was all so sudden.
Luffy was just sitting there at the beach near Foosha village, minding his own business for once. (Makino said that mayor Wood Slap probably wouldn't survive much longer if he was given too many more heart attacks. So to save the mayor’s heart and mind, he wouldn’t cause any trouble near the village.) Makino had gone on a trip to the neighboring island to get some more booze and supplies for the Party’s Bar.
Luffy didn’t really go down to the bar that much anymore because he was busy with training. Dadan checked in with him from time to time. He was mostly alone… he didn’t mind though!
Garp would appear soon, from where he went after visiting them; Garp won’t be too happy since he’ll find out that Ace had left to become a pirate about three to four weeks ago. Luffy hoped Garp won’t take that anger out on Luffy’s ‘training’. (Luffy personally hated when he was left in the bottomless pit.)
As Luffy was sitting there thinking (I know, dangerous) about beatles something Dogra said in passing…
After he said something about how much of a pain it will be when Garp gets back here, mentally and physically. Dogra said to Luffy something along the lines of how his family is insane. Luffy had asked what a family was, Dogra had kicked him out and told Luffy to think about himself and warn them when Garp arrived.
So that's how Luffy ended up in this part of the beach staring out at the waves and thinking about what family means. (Not really that last bit)
“Hey you, whatcha doing here?” A stranger asked. Luffy was a little surprised when he appeared, no one really likes to talk to him unless they're forced too.He looked a little strange and the sun seemed to get dimmer when he arrived, but people here were strange. Not that big of a problem, If that was the case why did Luffy's gut turn whenever the stranger looked at him.
Luffy decided to ignore it.
“Nothing much” Luffy replied, Luffy had taken off his sandals and was letting the water try to pull him into their depths.He found it fun to watch it, pulling him along, thinking of how it could end his existence if he just let it… though he wished that he could go back into the water without drowning, though it's not like he could swim even before the Devil fruit. The sand between his fingers was helping him from not sliding into the ocean, kinda.
“It's pretty dangerous for someone as young as you to be here alone. Maybe someone will nab ya’, and sell ya’.” the stranger got slowly closer as he sat down next to Luffy. Luffy felt his straw hat on his back, like reminding himself of its presence. Luffy would rather die than lose his straw hat.
“I’m not that young! And Well, not many slave traders would mess with me around here. Cause’ I’m strong!” Luffy proudly stated.
“That's Great! What do you do around here anyway? I’ve been pretty bored.” He says in a monotone way that makes it sound rehearsed.
“Well you can go into the woods and try your strength against the tigers! Or the other animals there. They’re pretty tough! Of course I can beat them all” Luffy offered, laying back in the sand.
“That’s nice! You seem like you’re a great fighter, could I see some moves?” The stranger asked. Luffy was happy to oblige in that request, maybe he could get away from this greasy person next to him.
When Luffy sat up, he sat up a little too fast and shot a little ahead of him. Instead of being disgusted or weirded out he instead looked fascinated, curious, and.. greedy. Luffy couldn’t help that he started to get goosebumps from the bad vibes radiating off of him.
“Are you a devil fruit user?” He asked leaning closer, like he is studying him and is imagining how much he would make.
“..Yes-” As Luffy backed away from him, as Luffy could no longer push down the bad feeling in his gut. As if the person beside Luffy could feel that Luffy was going to run away from them, the stranger grabbed Luffy’s arm.
He pulled Luffy back by his hair and dunked him into the water. He pulled luffy’s head back above the saltwater letting luffy get a few gasps out before dunking him back in. Luffy held his breath until it hurt and the stranger brought him up Luffy took a couple deep breaths, and looked up at the person currently pinning him to the ground. Luffy wiggled around under the pressure of the person over him. Even If Luffy yelled no one would come, they were too far from the village for anyone to hear him.
The person over him was calling over another person while keeping Luffy firmly in his hold. When the other person ran over presumably from a hiding spot, he had a bag and a paper with him. Luffy couldn’t make out most of what they were saying from the sand in his ear but he caught snippets, ‘Devil fruit…Seastone…Price…Looks…’.
At that last part Douchebag #1 lifted Luffy’s face using the hair he was holding to let the other catch a good look at his face and Douchebag #2 looked Luffy over. Douchebag #2 grabbed at Luffy’s face, Luffy’s first Instinct was to try bite the hand coming closer but Douchebag #2 pulled his hand back before it could get close enough for it to get bitten.
In anger and as it looked...disgust(?) Douchebag #2 kicked Luffy hard in the face, it shouldn’t hurt, why did he spit out blood? Luffy shouldn’t have been able to get hurt by things like that. What was happening.
Douchebag #2 keeped on stepping on and kicking Luffy’s face. Beating it to a pulp and bruising it all over and getting sand in Luffy's. Luffy was on the edge of consciousness, he hears something,
“We’ll ditch the hat on the way to the ship. Well, I can say he is pretty durable, would be good for beating up. Probably not very obedient, but don’t some of the celestial assholes up in Mary Geoise like breaking these types. ‘Would be a fun challenge for the buyer’ add that in will ya’. This bitch boy will definitely sell for at least 100,000mil.” Douchebag #1 said something about selling Luffy, Luffy won’t get sold.
Luffy can’t get sold, he needs to be free.
He has to be free