Chapter Text
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Had Dragon done something wrong? Had he been so occupied with taking down the world government that the world had to be so cruel to him? To his… son?
Dragon could only clench his fist's in frustration at the thought. The thought that just because he, who wanted to liberate people from the world government. That the world had to fuck up his life than it already is, to curse his child. His child, his son.
‘This symbol, Dragon... it's a curse! the hourglass in the child's wrist is the time his life would end. Please… forgive me Dragon!’
Those were the word's that were haunting him inside his own mind, a curse huh.. a curse. The hourglass is the time limit of his son's life. He'd die after the hourglass at the bottom is filled. And his child won't even live long? What kind of twisted fate is this? Had he done something? Is it because he wants to liberate the people from the world government?
Is it because he's done something unforgivable? Well, if the world wanted to curse someone. Than maybe they should've cursed those fucking world government! Better yet those fucking celestial assholes! NOT HIS SON GOD DAMNIT!
Dragon gritted his teeth together as he lowered his head, his fists clenched tight that it was a miracle there wasn't any blood. He moved his hands on his face as he hanged his head low.
He was just born.. a baby so small that he would've died if he had held him any tighter. He was a small bundle of joy when Dragon had first saw him, then those memories alone were haunted by the statement that was given to him by the mother of his son.
She cried in his arms when she had said those word's, the guilt and sorrow in every word she had said. The word's that asked him to forgive her that she was in lineage with those people who slave other's for their own amusement.
But she wasn't one of those people, no she was a normal human the moment he had seen her. So Dragon tried to reassure her that she was not at fault, that she wasn't the same as them. That she was different, different from those ‘Gods’.
But she still cried in his chest until she stopped, the last few word's she had said was she was sorry. Until she wasn't breathing anymore. She left him, she left the world feeling sorry. And all Dragon could do was hold the dead body of his beloved lover in his arms.
And now.. he had to figure out the entirety of the curse in his son's wrist. An Hourglass, a curse that has the limit of time in his son's life. A curse, if he's lucky enough, if he's hopeful enough, that assures that his son's life would be a long and happy life.
Oh, but the world is far too cruel to him. After so much research. After a long desperate search for anymore information of the curse, he finds out that his child could only live longer than 21 years old.
Dragon's entire world shuttered in that revelation, his hope crumbled, the luck he hope he had was in fact a bad luck, a bad terrible luck. His child could only live until he's 21 years old..
Dragon mindlessly stood up from where he was sitting, and walked towards a room where his son was sleeping in. He opened the door, and he was greeted by the sun through the window shining in the room, making him look at the crib that held his baby inside.
He was blessed with a child, but he was also cursed that he won't see his son live a long happy life.
He closed the door behind him. He walked towards the crib, the sun in the room illuminated everything as if everything was glowing, as he continues to walk and finally when he saw his baby, who was sleeping happily in his crib, having a smile on his face as he slept. Dragon's eyes were soft, softer than anyone would ever see as he stares at his son, his precious son.
He lifted his hand and placed it inside, as he stroke his son's head gently with his big calloused hand. So small even compared to his own hand, Dragons smile fades as he pulls his hand back. He could only stare again, sad in every frame of his body and expression as he looks at his son.
“My…son..” Dragon's words stop for a moment before he continues. “Please, forgive this father of yours. I cannot even find any solution for the curse that was bestow upon you.”
A curse given to his son on the day he had been born. It felt as if the entire world has been waiting for him, waiting for what? For them to curse his child? He should've known better. He should've known that the world can be the cruellest as well, how unfair it is.
If they wanted to curse someone, let it be him. Not his son, he has a life he could fulfill on his own, not.. not like this… Not have half of his life get taken in the cruellest way possible. He had just been born in this world, and yet he can only live until he's 21? How can it be so unfair.
He would managed to outlive his son, isn't that just the cruellest part of all this.
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Dragon was busy working in his office in his desk, when a knock on his door was heard. “Come in.” he said as he doesn't look up from the paper's he was doing, busy making sure everything he did was in perfect conditions for the work's that lead to the makings of the revolutionary.
That is until something was thrown in his desk, making the paper's that were neatly piled up in his right scatter and fall on the floor.
“Oho? vlooks likes Luffy-boy vwant's his papa's attention.” A man says as they walk inside Dragon's office, clearly saw the destruction the little boy had made. Emporio Ivankov, Dragon's most loyal friend, a friend who had stayed loyal to him, until they build a revolutionary to overthrow the world government.
They had a disproportionally large head. They have an indigo afro hairstyle, and has long eyelashes. They also have a noticeably odd-shaped chin resembling an arrowhead. They are also an okama, and as an okama, they dressed in reddish-purple woman's leotard with a high collar and a deep V-neck that reaches down to their belly, that and they also has a personal Jolly Roger tattooed just below their chest.
They wore matching gloves and boots, as well as a pearl necklace. They also wear a net cape on their back and matching net leggings. They also wear heavy, but tasteful makeup. To signify their queen-ship of Kama Land, they wear a queen's crown with a king's crown on top.
“Iva… can you help me pick up these files. That and I also seem to need to give Luffy some attention since he.. seems to want my attention.” Dragon says in his usual nonchalant voice, but for Ivankov he can tell Dragon definitely wants to go towards Luffy already.
Ivankov only waves his hand in a dismissal movement, as he smiles at Dragon with a wink. “No no, vit's alright, vyou can go on a head and give that little cutey all vyou's attention, I'll pick up these paper's for vyou.”
“Ah.. thank you Iva.” Dragon says, before he picks up the toy that had made the mess and walked towards the crib that was in the room. Ivankov can only smile at the sight and started picking up the files and folders scattered on the floor, even as a baby the little cutey is definitely a little gremlin.
Dragon looks at Luffy, who was chewing at his long sleeves, how cute. And when Luffy saw him he stopped, and gave him a bright smile, showing his gummy mouth as he held his arms out towards Dragon.
Dragon's eyes soften, as he smiles at how adorable his baby is acting. He puts down the toy in Luffy's crib, and picks up Luffy under his armpits before settling Luffy comfortably in his arms. He made sure to hold Luffy in the most gentless way possible, he also made sure to hold him firmly not wanting to drop him.
“Well aren't you being a little too much early in the morning, Luffy?” Dragon says as he looks at Luffy in his arms, his eyes full of love for the little baby. So small, yet so full of brightness.
Luffy only giggles as he looks up at him with those brown doe eyes of his, full of specks of gold, as he goes back to chewing his long sleeve again. Dragon let's out a low chuckle at that, as he walks to the side of the crib and grabbed a bottle that's already filled with milk. — he has no knowledge of how to take care of a baby, luckily some of the seniors in the revolutionary army had siblings to take care of as kids and babies of their own so they helped out — Dragon looks at Luffy, who was practically staring at the bottle in his hand.
And it looks like his eyes are shining brighter than before. It seems his son loves baby milk more than his own Father. But that's alright, because he loves seeing his little sunshine smile.
And speaking of his sunshine, Luffy hasn't been in the revolutionary for long. Only a few revolutionary member's know about Luffy's existence. The only people he had told were Ivankov, Ginny and Kuma, and even Ivankov's right hand man Inazuma.
He trust's them all, but maybe he shouldn't have told them about Luffy's existence. But he also wants to keep Luffy safe, so telling his most trusted people, is the best option right now if he wants help in finding a way to break his son's curse.
The other's haven't met Luffy for long, but they have already grown fond of his sunshine. Ginny had practically told him that she would he Luffy's Aunt right there and then. And of course Kuma tried to calm Ginny down, but he too fell for Luffy and happily and respectfully asked to be Luffy's Uncle too. And it didn't take long for both Ivankov and Inazuma to also make themselves to be Luffy's Aunt/Uncle.
— Ivankov didn't know which one's to pick so they have settled with both, because why not? —
They had searched far and wide, even reading books from books that we're made decade's ago, and have been destroyed by the world government. Only a few hints of here and there were found, but the most common thing that were shown through each book's sentences were.
“If you wish to break the curse, you must at least find a far stronger curse. It can overlap the previous curse that was given to you, if the curse you have right now is far stronger it cannot be replaced by another. But if a curse is weak, it can be replaced by another much stronger curse.”
“It is not ideal, but it is the only way to overlap the curse you have been given as punishment.”
That was the only clue that was given in the book, after that nothing else was given. The pages of that book were ripped off, it's even a miracle that it's still readable because it was published over decades ago. Decades probably over 200 years ago.
And that those last word's… punishment huh. What kind of cruel thing has a baby who isn't even no older then a month have to do with a punishment? What kind of a shitty joke is this? He should've realized sooner, he should've known that the World Government isn't his only enemy. The world itself is also his enemy, no matter how ‘neutral’ it can be, but the fate and the world itself has a grasp on every living being in this world.
Including him and those who are around him, but he has no other choice but to step up. To help change this cruel world, not just for him, but for the sake of his own son, and for the sake of other people's lives. They are the revolutionary army after all.
Then suddenly a loud cry got Dragon out of his thoughts. He looks down at Luffy who was crying his eyes out, he looked at the bottle in his hands and it was already empty. How long had he been thinking? Maybe he shouldn't have gotten distracted.
“Ah… there there, Luffy.. I'll get you another bottle! Now now don't cry Luffy..”
Dragon carefully rocked Luffy in his arms, trying to soothe his cries. The baby’s tiny fingers curled against the fabric of his coat, and his wails echoed louder than anything else in the room. Dragon’s jaw clenched — not in anger, but in helplessness. He had fought kings, toppled tyrants, and silenced entire halls with his speeches. But none of that prepared him for this: a crying child who he could not promise a future to.
He managed to get another bottle, slightly warmer than the last, and held it against Luffy’s lips. His son latched on instantly, greedily drinking with that same intensity Dragon had seen in revolutionaries before a battle.
A fire burned behind Dragon’s eyes. His son was innocent — so terribly, utterly innocent. And yet the hourglass on his wrist ticked down like a cruel joke. Every grain of invisible sand that fell reminded Dragon that time was not on their side.
He cradled Luffy closer, placing a kiss gently on his forehead.
“I’ll find a way,” he murmured, barely louder than a breath. “Even if I have to burn down the world itself.”
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Back at his desk, after Luffy had finally drifted back to sleep, Ivankov handed Dragon a folder. “Ve got something,” they said, eyes unusually serious. “A lead. Not solid, but... interesting.”
Dragon flipped through the worn, weathered pages. The paper was old, older than anything he’d read since becoming a revolutionary. It spoke of a long-forgotten island once untouched by the World Government. A place said to harbor forbidden magics and those who wielded ancient curses like contracts.
The last line of the excerpt hit Dragon like a cold wind:
“Only a curse born of true sacrifice may consume another. But beware, for curses do not vanish — they merely change hands.”
Dragon stared at it for a long time. A stronger curse? A sacrificial one? That could mean—
“...Iva,” he said slowly. “Is it suggesting… someone could take the curse in his place?”
Ivankov nodded solemnly. “That’s what it looks like. But even if it’s true... vyou know vat that means.”
Dragon’s fist clenched around the parchment.
Yes. He knew what it meant.
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That night, long after the stars had covered the sky, Dragon stood outside under the canopy of trees near their hidden base. The night was still. Silent. His cloak fluttered slightly in the breeze as he thought about what he had read.
He thought about Luffy. About his late lover. About the words she had whispered with her final breath. About the curse that wrapped around his son like invisible chains.
He thought about the fire that had been lit inside him the moment he had held his child for the first time. A fire stronger than any revolution he had started.
And he whispered to the darkness:
“I don’t care what I have to give. I’ll take the curse. I’ll carry it. If it means he lives… I’ll pay whatever price the world demands.”
From the shadows behind the trees, someone watched — a tall figure cloaked in black, face unseen, aura unreadable. The winds around the figure were still. Even the trees seemed to hold their breath.
The figure turned away and vanished into the dark, like mist swallowed by shadow.
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A Few Days Later – Secret Room of the Archive
Dragon sat in front of ancient texts with Ginny and Inazuma beside him. Pages torn, ink faded, but one line repeated across the different scrolls and parchments like a warning etched into history:
“No curse is born without a witness. And no curse dies without a price.”
And then another, scribbled in a language long buried:
“When the last grain falls… a will must awaken.”
Dragon's eyes narrowed. A will? Could it mean Luffy’s will? Could his spirit… his purpose… defy the curse?
Ginny leaned forward. “You think… maybe Luffy could resist it? If he has something strong enough to fight back with?”
“Not alone,” Dragon said, his voice low. “But maybe if enough people believe in him… if he carries enough hope…”
Inazuma placed a hand on the table. “Then we make that his legacy. Not sorrow. Not grief. But strength. A future built on hope — for him, and for the world.”
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Final Scene – A Quiet Moment
Dragon stood by the crib once more. Luffy was sleeping again, his tiny chest rising and falling. The soft glow of moonlight washed over the child, and Dragon could swear the faint shimmer of the hourglass on his wrist pulsed slower — just for a moment.
He dared to believe, just a little.
“Sleep well, my sunshine,” he whispered.
“And one day… I promise… you’ll wake to a world that no longer fears the truth, nor punishes the innocent for the sins of the powerful.”
And for the first time in years, Dragon allowed a single tear to fall — not for sorrow, but for the chance, however slim, that the future might still be saved.