DISPAIR

"But father! I want him!" The shrieking voice was accompanied by a flailing of arms.

"Hm? But you have already an army of slaves, my dear. Why would you need such a scrawny boy?"

The young woman turned around, a hand going to her forehead dramatically. "I am not sure myself father. I've been quite taken with him for months." The accentuated word served only to underline the seriousness of the situation.

The older man blinked, his face showing an interested expression, though his eyes held a bored light.

"Are you sure this is what you want, my dear? Remember he is a pirate. He cannot become one of us."

His explanation fell on deaf ears. The red haired woman allowed herself a grin, before she turned around, her expression melting into an innocent one.

"But no one has to know father! Besides, I will transform him into one of us. Please believe in your beloved daughter!" She clasped her hands, trembling for effect.

The older man studied her for a minute more before he nodded slowly, albeit hesitantly. The red head whooped on the inside, patting herself on the back for a farce well done.

"WHAT?!" A lava fist collided with the wooden table, instantly melting it. The man behind the table sat up so quickly, the piled reports flew off.

"You are to take down the Strawhats and do exactly as I tell you. I will inform the reporters in the Marine's place. Understood, Fleet Commander Sakazuki?"

Sakazuki gritted his teeth hard. Damn them all.

"Understood."

"The Strawhat crew was captured!"

The news made the plaza feel smaller than it should have. A deep silence permeated every ounce of space, making even the frivolous sound of waves lapping the shore feel like an important anchor to reality.

Young and old people stood completely still, their faces a mixture of disbelief and confused relief. No one had been prepared for the news the News Coo would bring. It had been a normal day until then.

"It appears that it's true, sir." A deep, rough voice spoke slowly next to a man lounging on a nearby boulder. He was reading from the newspaper that arrived that morning and was the reason for this situation.

STRAWHAT LUFFY DEAD-THE STRAWHAT CREW CAPTURED

The title on the cover page glared at him and he glared right back. Bored eyes lifted from the printed paper to gaze at the market in front of them.

"Is this the end of the line for one of the most notorious crews from the Worst Generation?" His companion snorted quietly. The man had to agree.

That bloody bastard.

Lifting himself up from the rock, he dusted off his fur coat and took a long drag from his cigar. Black eyes shined with unrestrained irritation for the situation.

The bulkier man lifted his head, an inquiring expression passing through his eyes before they became blank again. "Sir?"

"Damn that Mugiwara. There he goes putting me in the most uncomfortable situation." The man sighed, hands on his hips.

"It appears they've been sent to Impel Down."

"Obviously, idiot." A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke again. "I don't like it, but-"

"But it appears that we don't have a choice anymore." His companion interrupted looking at his boss. The man wouldn't have cared in the past, but after their tangles with the black haired boy something had changed.

Crocodile was usually a reserved man, but now he was even more reserved. Though that didn't mean anything. His boss would never let himself be dragged down by promises.

"We have." The man agreed. "But I ain't gonna stand around and do nothing while he's dead." Another puff of smoke followed.

A ghost of a smile passed on Mr. 1's face.

"We've gotta go celebrate. And then go laugh at them." Crocodile threw his head back, releasing a bark of laughter.

"This is some news." Rayleigh released a tired sight. His eyes hadn't moved from the article ever since it arrived that morning.

Shakky's smile was grim. "The better question would be how did they manage to capture them. Those kids are powerful."

Rayleigh's chuckle was laced with irony. "Sakazuki of all people went and led the attack. With a fleet."

Black eyes slid over the paper, before returning to stare at the other. "It doesn't say anywhe-"

"Of course it doesn't!" His exclamation caused the woman's eyes to widen. "Those damn bastards would never say such a degrading thing."

"Rayle-"

"I'm wondering if they are alright, that's all." Fingers brushed through grey locks.

"I'm sure they are." Shakky's voice held renewed belief. "Those kids are survivors."

A small smile graced the former pirate's features. "But for how long."

It was a statement met with silence.

"Luffy!" The black haired woman gave a shrill cry, startling everyone in the room.

Hancock read the article over and over, silently praying that it was a joke, trap, anything!

"Sister..." Sandersonia looked unsure. She reached out to comfort her older sister, but a snake stick stopped her.

Elder Nyon shook her head, silently beckoning everyone out of the room.

"We will talk after you regain your senses." The older woman closed the door behind her with an echoing booming sound.

"I'mma kill 'em." Smoker growled under his breath. He took a drag from his cigars trying his best to keep himself from destroying anything too important.

"Smoker-san please calm down." Tashigi admonished with a grim downturn of the lips, her face set in a determined expression. "This was how it was supposed to be."

"How's that make any sense?!" The white haired man barked. "That bastard Sakazuki just took my prey!"

"This sounds a little off, but I completely agree with you." The black haired woman crossed her arms. "But now it's over."

Her superior gave her a look. "Those bastards only called their loyal dogs. Like hell I'm going to stand around like an idiot."

"Ha, the bastard got himself killed. Well," Buggy did a pirouette and posed, "I say he deserved it!"

His laughter was echoed by the crowd of partying pirates below.

"Let's start this party!"

"Oi, Buggy." Mr. 3 yelled, his voice barely heard over the ruckus.

"What?" The clown scrunched his nose, clearly not happy with the interruption.

"There's a message for you from The Dark King." The bespectacled man looked a little unsure.

Buggy paled. Then he began flailing around. "Nope, I'm not home. Tell 'im I'm not home!"

The others watched the spectacle with growing fascination. Mr. 3 could only feel irritation.

"Just read the damn message!"

The raven head on the hospital bed groaned, trying to open his tired eyes. His eyelids felt like bricks and he couldn't feel his tongue. Or the rest of his body.

He groaned again, just to be sure. Then he blinked his eyes open to an infernal beam of light assaulting his retina. There was a shuffle of footsteps before a red form entered his blurry eyesight. In his numb state of mind, the young man could only think one word before darkness claimed him once again.

Fire?

A sudden shrill tore through the air, successfully waking the young man up. This time, his eyes met with a dim light. After a couple of minutes, a ceiling could be discerned through the fog. He tried to lift his arms up but found he couldn't. Then he tried his head, but only managed a few centimeters before he dropped it back down, exhausted.

"Lucy-kun, are you awake?"

The teen blinked in confusion. He did not recognize the name nor the voice. Suddenly, the same red hair entered his vision. He saw her this time.

The girl towering over him had her hair tied up in a loose bun, red as furious flames. There was a light purple material covering her mouth and her eyes were almost white and she gazed down at him in worry.

"How are you feeling?" Her voice was smooth and calm, her stare never leaving him.

"I... I-m... go-od?" His voice was so croaked, he almost cringed. The girl didn't seem to mind.

She released a soft giggle and disappeared from his field of vision for a moment before returning with a glass of water.

"Here you go."

Water never felt so good.

"Do you want to sit up?"

The black haired boy nodded his head fervently, making it hurt a little.

"I don't..." He began uncertainly, "Feel my body." His tone was a mix between disappointed and scared.

The girl giggled again. "Sorry." She threw him an apologizing smile. "They put you under too many sedatives, but you were badly injured."

The patient nodded his head, taking in the barely furnished, white room and her white dressed form. Those clothes did not suit her, Lucy concluded. His gaze went to his own form and he noticed the white bandages covering every patch of skin visible.

His mind went on to the subject of what happened to him, but it came up blank. He couldn't remember anything, not even who he was or where he came from. Did he even have a home?

Hesitantly, he looked over to the younger woman, still smiling at him. She was waiting patiently for him to speak. Lucy was not sure what had happened, but he decided to just begin with a small step.

"Who are you?"

He blinked when she laughed again. "You find yourself in the hospital and you question this?"

Red locks shook as she continued to laugh. The black haired teen felt his cheeks flush. Well, now that she said it, he didn't think it through.

"My name is Ivy. It's nice to meet you, again."

Lucy mirrored her smile, though he was confused by the last part of her sentence. "Yeah, me too. Uh." How come he only realized now that he didn't remember his name.

"Lucy."

Large, black eyes blinked up at her.

"Your name is Lucy."

The name brought a pang through his chest and head but he squished them down, trying not to look as bad as he felt. He still had to search for answers. Gripping the sheets tightly, he fixed his eyes on the white material covering his form. It wasn't a bad name, though he didn't remember ever hearing it before.

"You look tired. I will let you sleep." Ivy stood up, straightening her clothes.

"No!" His outburst surprised them both. The girl smiled sweetly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. You should sleep, it will make you feel better."

With those words, she took her leave.

Lucy gazed at his bandages, hoping that they would have the answers to all the questions running through his mind. It was making his head hurt. Maybe he should sleep. Sighing in defeat, the teen slumped down on the bed, his mind still reeling. But the answers never came.

The white ceiling almost shined in the sunlight, reflecting onto the white walls. His white sheets were crumpled, half on the floor from his unusual sleeping positions. The white bandages from the day before were squeezing the life out of him.

White, white, white. Everything was white.

He was starting to think his skin was as white as those damned walls. Now that he thought about it, he didn't even know how he looked like. Did he even have a nose? He should've, since he kept scrunching it because of the damn smell. He didn't like it in the least!

His eyes went to gaze through the window but he only saw a white wall, probably from the building next to the hospital he was in. Lucy swore under his breath. He was starting to hate this color.

He wondered how much time he had to stay in this white inferno and prayed to all the gods out there that it won't be for long. He will go crazy at this rate. Lucy didn't even know how many days he had been there for.

Ten, twenty, years?!, a hysteric side of his mind supplied. His only reference point was the guy clothed in white that gave him those strange injections. His resistance was for naught, so he complied in the end. So far, the guy came four times and he never talked. Just stabbed him and left.

Bastard.

"You are awake." Her voice snapped him from his dark thoughts and he wiped his head to look at her. The flaming red of her hair was a nice change from the blasted white. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Lucy nodded, smiling back. Ivy made her way inside, taking a seat on the chair besides his bed.

The two stood in silence for a while, black eyes gazing absently at the white again. Lucy didn't know how to begin. He had so many questions he felt like his head was going to burst at this rate. Though he didn't recognize the girl next to him, she seemed to know him well. But a small part of him still remained reserved and untrusting. He had felt something was off ever since he woke up in this white nightmare.

"You'll be discharged tomorrow."

Her words brought him back to reality and he wiped his head to look at her with wide, hopeful eyes that made her giggle softly. "You are really cute with that face, you know."

Her teasing tone made him duck his head in embarrassment. It didn't last long.

"Finally! I thought I would die from boredom in this room." Lucy exhaled, feeling his body finally relax. The news that he will be able to leave this damned room and see the outside world brought a wave of unexpected hope in him.

"Say, how long was I here?" He eyed the red head with pure curiosity.

"Almost one month. Your injuries were worse than we first thought."

Lucy nodded his head, a determined feeling settling in his chest. He wasn't sure what had happened to him, but he will find out and try to remember everything that had happened. He owed himself that much.

BALTIGO

On an uninhabited island in the New World, a blonde haired young man was currently having an important discussion with his superior.

"But Dragon-san! Why can't I-"

"Because we need your powers here. I am not going to let you go in there alone and die like an idiot, Sabo." The black haired man threw his Chief of staff a look one would give to an impertinent kid. It made Sabo cringe but he didn't back down.

"It's almost been a month! There hasn't been any sign of him, they didn't even find his body, I-I-" The blonde gestured with his hands wildly, his tone gaining a hysteric shade. "I have to find him! Even if he's..."

The rest of the sentence died along with his voice. Sabo did not dare meet Dragon's eyes, instead opting to gaze at the amazing stone floor. Someone should clean it better.

"I know how you feel Sabo." The older man sighed, and turned to gaze out the window. "But you must understand that you play a big role on this world's stage."

The blonde was about to refute, but Dragon didn't let him.

"Ace," The name brought a pang of pain in Sabo's chest. "Luffy... they had played their parts. You cannot let yourself be dragged down because they died."

"But it's not fair!" His reply made him feel eleven again.

"Nothing is fair in this filthy world." The revolutionary turned back, eyes narrowed, face devoid of expression. "That is the worst argument you could have given me. This chat is over."

The finality his voice signaled no further chance of changing his mind.

Lips pressed in a tight line, the blonde haired man let his hat shadow his eyes, fists clenched at his side.

I've finally saw you again and then you go die on me, both of you. How is that fucking fair?!

"Ivankov-san is back!"

A soldier yelled from the open door. Both men looked up at him silently. Dragon started towards the entrance to greet his colleague with Sabo following him hesitantly.

"Dragon, Sa-boy, I was just about to start searching for you." The purple haired man crossed his arms over his chest, none of the usual cheerfulness present on his face today.

Both men braced themselves for the inevitable bad news. The unrest was accentuated by his next words.

"I need to speak with you in private."

"What do you think it's about?" Koala whispered to Hack. The fishman watched his comrades depart with a blank expression. He shrugged.

"If it's important we'll find out sooner or later."

"What happened, Ivankov?" Dragon was the first to break the silence. His friend sighed.

"About what happened a month ago..." Black eyes blinked in surprise when the head of the revolutionaries rolled his eyes in exasperation and his chief of staff threw him a dirty look from under his hat.

"I'm tired of that subject, if you've got nothing else important to say besides Luffy's death then-"

Sabo opened his mouth but the man in front of him beat him to it.

"Ah, that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about." Ivankov shook his head. He reached inside his cape and took out a white envelope, placing it on the table.

Dragon raised an eyebrow, demanding an explanation.

"They are attempting to gather." The purple haired man chuckled. "Though I am concerned about what the end result will be."

"And?"

"Wait, who are they?" The blonde looked between the two older men, silently berating himself for his outburst. Now they could refuse to answer him.

"They as in the people that Mugiwara-boy released from Impel Down. Though I only helped him escape, I will go as well. This is what I came here for."

"I'm surprised Rayleigh managed to find them." Dragon shook his head. His eyes fell on his Chief of Staff and he almost groaned. The boy had a determined face on, his eyes burning with a fire compatible with his Devil Fruit.

"I want to go too, Dragon-san." Wide, fiery eyes gazed at the other insistently. "Please."

The older man had to blink at the word. Sabo has made up his mind and there was not ordering him around anymore, he was an unmoving stone filled with rage and determination.

They really are brothers, this stubbornness must be contagious.

"Fine, do what you want." With that, Dragon excused himself, returning to his documents. He did not comment when Sabo sighed in relief.

The boy would've been useless so distracted anyway.

MARIEJOIS

"Wow, this town is really big and shiny!" Lucy exclaimed, his curious eyes roaming their surroundings.

Ivy smiled. "Isn't it? I'm always telling my father this."

The two continued the last part of their walk in silence until they arrived at a large 'sparkling' as Lucy had put it, mansion. The inside was as big and shiny as the outside.

The black haired teen had been enjoying his new-found freedom and hesitated to step over the threshold. He did not want that feeling to disappear. The girl beside him seemed to guess his thoughts.

"Don't worry, Lucy-kun. You'll be able to walk around freely from now on."

Her smile allowed him to relax a little, and he nodded.

Inside the lavishly decorated house stood two lines of black clothed men, bowing to them. At the end of the two lines, stood a black haired man, clad in the same type of clothes as Ivy. As they got closer, the man offered a small, polite smile.

"It is nice to see you again, Lucy-kun. Welcome back."

The teen blinked but nodded, trying his best to remain polite.

"Thanks."

The awkward silence was quickly shooed away by Ivy.

"I will show him his room now, father. Please excuse us."

The older man nodded. "All right then. Anything you need, call the servants. They are at your service at any time."

Lucy nodded absently, gazing at the sparkly floors and statues. There was so much gold!

Just like a treasu-

"Lucy-kun, are you alright?"

Snapping away from his thoughts, he looked at his companion and grinned.

"Sure. Let's go to my room, I can't wait to see it!"

His... room, maybe more like a whole storey of a normal house, contained more than Lucy truly felt he needed. The bed was too big, in his humble opinion. The closet too full of clothes he doubted he would ever wear, books that he didn't have the patience to read, paintings of different people and places that he could care less about.

The only thing that deserved to be there were the two small weights that could be used for training. Those he could find a use for. All these and he didn't even see the bathroom, though he was sure it would double the number of useless things that could be found in a house.

During his short stay in this town, Lucy had learned that these people were rich-like filthy rich. And he was sure he hadn't seen it all.

Letting his eyes wander around the luxurious bathroom that he found no use for, besides playing something like football, his sight set without his will on the red haired girl standing next to him. Feeling his eyes on her, her white gaze locked with his and they resumed their silence, simply staring into each other's eyes.

Lucy was the one who broke it with an embarrassed cough. He moved back into the main room, dropping himself on the bed and motioning for Ivy to join him.

He let himself open up when she was sitting next to him.

"How did I end up in the hospital?"

Black eyes found her wide ones and he swallowed. The question came out of the blue and she was surprised. But she answered him, looking hesitant.

"Y-you were on a cruise in the New World. There were some business you had to attend." She paused, her eyes glazing over. "But then suddenly your ship was ambushed by pirates and sank! I thought I lost you, but thankfully the Marines were near and they managed to save you. You had horrible wounds from your fight with the pirates." Ivy bit her lip, staring at the ground.

"I can fight?" The prospect of that happening was exhilarating news. If it was true Lucy would surely continue to train.

Ivy nodded. "You tried to defend the ship, but those damned pirates were playing dirty!" She spat the name like acid, making the boy blink.

Somehow, he couldn't make himself hate them. He didn't even remember what pirates were like. They could've been how she described them, or not. Lucy didn't know what to think about this subject right now. So he decided to change it.

"What-" He cleared his throat. This question was not one of his favorites. "Are we friends?"

It left his mouth better than he would have thought he had phrased it. Not bad.

Ivy giggled. "You really are cute when you're embarrassed!"

Her shout did not help him in the least.

"You are my fiancé." The red head smiled sadly. "I'm kind of sad you don't remember even that."

Lucy was shocked, truly. He didn't even remember her face or this place and now he found himself with a fiancé! Though he will admit he didn't remember anything from his life save the last month he had spent in that hellish hospital, so he supposed it couldn't be helped. Yet, he couldn't help the shocked 'what' that escaped his lips at that moment. He had had better moments, he was sure.

Thankfully, Ivy did not seem perturbed. She only laughed. "You are even funnier with that shocked face."

Biting his lower lip, Lucy sighed. This woman will kill him with his own embarrassment.

"I should get going." Suddenly, her face took on a serious mask. "Tomorrow you'll begin your training."

Lucy's eyes were wide with anticipation. "Fighting training?"

He was met with disappointment when she shook her head. "It's the training all of us have to go through. You missed it for the last two months so you have to recuperate."

She didn't say anything more on this matter and he didn't ask. He would find out tomorrow.

NEW WORLD

"Captain, Red Hair is here!"

Marco turned his head to gaze at his frantic crewmate. His eyebrow rose in silent surprise, but he did not say anything on the matter besides ordering everyone to their posts. If Red Hair was really coming, they'll have to be prepared.

It did not take long for his ship to come into view.

"Long time no see, Marco. I see things have been good." Shanks flashed his usual grin, his only hand dragging a large bottle of sake after him.

The blonde haired man did not grace him with an answer, his face remaining carefully blank. When both men stood meters apart, they dropped down to sit on the deck, two sakazuki cups between them.

"It's been hard," Marco answered. "But it turned out fine in the end."

Shanks nodded and sipped his alcohol.

The Zoan user waited a few moments more before asking the question that's been haunting him ever since their arrival.

"What did you come here for?"

"Rude, but to the point." The red head laughed. "That's what makes you so charming."

Unmoved by his words, Marco simply raised an eyebrow, silently beckoning the older man to answer his question. The smile dropped from the Yonko's lips and a serious air suddenly surrounded them.

"I'm here to ask for your help."

The statement was a surprise no matter how you put it.

"Why?"

A grimace crossed over his mouth. "That incident a month ago..." Black eyes shined in the dying sunlight. "It wasn't a happy accident or an unprepared throw down. It was planned."

The current captain of the Whitebeard pirates had to think back hard to remember what could have happened. The memory was grimmer than he would have guessed when the news of the destruction of the Strawhat crew shook the world. He's been surprised and sorrowful, angry at himself for failing the old man's last words and Ace. But those days passed by in a blur and so did his feelings. They had learned the hard way to deal with things like death.

"What about it?"

Sharp eyes watched him through red bangs. "Luffy's not dead. I'm sure of it."

Half closed eyes widened before they narrowed. "Red Hair, I know it's hard, but you're only deluding yourself if you continue with that line of thinking."

The man in front of him gave a lopsided grin. "I'm sure of it, Marco! And I'm not the only one." He reached inside his black cap and took out an envelope, placing it on the wood between them.

"This is a message from old man Rayleigh. He is gathering everyone that wants to save Luffy. Knowing him, he's gonna rush into Impel Down and save those kids from that hell."

Marco tensed when he mentioned the blasted prison, but his expression lifted the longer he gazed at the white sheet of paper. This was no joke. Was the Dark King getting disillusioned or was this a legit thing?

"What do you say Marco? Are the Whitebeard pirates going to step in?"

The blonde haired man closed his eyes, thinking hard and long what he should do. There wasn't any real evidence that the straw hat boy was alive, but at the same time it was Rayleigh who was behind all this, so there should be some gram of truth somewhere down the line. He supposed that just going there to see for himself was not going to hurt anyone. If he was convinced, then they'll help. He owed Ace's brother that much.

"Fine."

MARIEJOIS

The sound of laughter was echoed by the roaring thunder. A lightning bolt descended from the sky like an arrow. His breathing was ragged and his right hand felt like a ton of bricks, dragging him down. His eyes lifted to gaze at the enormous ship floating above through the clouds. Giving a roaring battle cry, he catapulted into the sky just as he heard the scream.

"LUFFY!"

Lucy stood up, panting. His hand went automatically through his damp hair, trying to find some order through his muddled thoughts. That dream felt so tangible, yet he couldn't remember anything about it. Shaking his head in exasperation, he glanced at the enormous clock on the opposite wall.

8:15

Ivy had said that his 'training' would begin at 9. Just enough time for a quick breakfast, he thought as he entered the bathroom. His stomach growled in approval.

As he gazed in the mirror placed above the sink, the raven head realized that he was finally looking at his own self and released a relieved breath when he saw that, indeed, he did have a nose. And black hair and eyes. It seemed that Ivy was speaking the truth when she said he knew how to fight since he had scars too and people that knew how to fight usually had scars. So Lucy knew how to fight.

The thought brought a smile to his lips. He wasn't sure why it was so important for him, but it was, so he was fine with it. There was one under his left eye and another on his neck.

Ouch.

It looked pretty new, circling around his neck in a jagged line. The skin was an angry pink compared to the rest of his tanned skin and looked almost like a chocker.

It's probably from the fight that got me in the hospital.

Holding down a grimace, he resumed his business. He was content in knowing how he looked.

I swear I will get lost in here.

The thought was too horrifying to entertain. Lucy looked around at the numerous statues and paintings and cringed. Those were not funny to stand around and await your end with.

A beam of light invaded his eyesight as he turned the corner and he sighed in relief. The light at the end of the tunnel was his savior, as cliché as that sounded.

Lucy arrived in the main hallway he had seen yesterday and stopped. The room was no more helpful than any he had passed on his way here. He looked around, scratching his head in confusion and was about to start off in a random direction again when someone spoke from a nearby doorway.

"You are 5 minutes late." An older man with glasses informed in a tone devoid of any emotion as he neared him.

The teen blinked. Apparently, he had been wandering for some time around this freakishly huge house.

"Aha, sorry. I got lost."

"I can see that." The man's glasses glinted in the sunlight. "It doesn't matter now. Let's go."

Lucy's face dropped, an important though occurring to him.

But what about my breakfast?

The brown haired man guided him down the road and after a left turn they ended up at an even bigger house.

Even during mornings, the streets were shining and there were people that were walking around with children, all dressed in the same white clothes. Lucy had concluded it must be a rule or something, as he didn't know how else someone would want to wear only those white, ugly clothes.

The mansion he was ushered into had two sets of stairs, one going up and the other somewhere down below. The big room was unfurnished save the stairs.

The man dressed in a black butler's suit guided him to the stairs leading underground and after a couple of minutes they arrived at a door. The metal swung open with a groan and he was gestured inside. The man remained at the edge of the stairs watching him go.

As the door closed behind him, Lucy's eyes finally adjusted to the dim light and found himself looking at another, older man with a surgical mask over his mouth. The man pointed to a table in the middle of the room and the boy complied.

"Take off your shirt."

Black eyes blinked, but he did as he was told. A confused expression appeared on his face when he saw his chest covered by an angry scar.

Where did this come from?

Shaking his head and storing the thought for later, he sat down at the edge of the table. No matter how he looked at it, he didn't like this atmosphere or the creeper standing in front of him, surely grinning behind that mask.

Suddenly, he felt cold hands on his shoulders and he only had time to turn his head a fraction before he was slammed on the table and cuffed in place.

"This won't hurt if you stay compliant, master Lucy."

NEW WORLD

Cavendish gripped the paper so tightly it crumpled in his closed fist. Jaw clenched, his blue eyes lifted to gaze at the idiot that called him here in the first place.

Somehow, the seven representatives that swore the oath found themselves unconsciously regrouping after the horrible news spread throughout the world. That article made the blonde question the Government more than he did in the past.

Cavendish was a pirate and he knew that the Strawhats were on the list of most searched for pirate crews in the world, but he didn't think the Marines were so desperate that the Fleet Admiral had to be there personally.

Why the hurry?

"Let's get going. It's no use staying here." Ideo suggested, his eyes scanning the room.

Bartolomeo made a sound that was hard not to pity.

The blonde pirate shook his head in disbelief. The idiot has been like a walking corpse the whole month, as far as his crew told Cavendish.

Silence permeated the room again and he sighed partly in irritation, partly in pity at their sorry states. Someone had to take charge now that the fanboy was down.

"Stop fucking moping and let's get going!" The model barked. "This ship ain't gonna sail itself and Rayleigh-san sure as hell won't wait for us forever!"

His words seemed to breathe some life into his companions as they lifted themselves slowly from the ground and went to their posts.

It was a good beginning.

MARIEJOIS

"Can you stand up, Lucy?"

The boy in question didn't move a muscle. His eyes remained fixed on the ceiling above their heads, unseeing but focused. After a couple of minutes his mouth moved.

"No." The answer was croaked and it almost made the boy cringe. He didn't know what those people did to him- he didn't remember clearly- all he did know was that he couldn't move because it hurt. Like hell.

Ivy sighed, shaking her head. A small smile was playing on her lips. "You can move if you'd want to."

"What was that even?" The black haired boy snapped suddenly, his brow furrowed. "It surely wasn't training." He turned his head slowly to look at his silent companion. "Do they do that to you, too?"

Ivy pursed her lips. "Yes, but only a few times when I was little."

"All I remember was the guy telling me that I'm a Celestial Dragon or something over and over. What's that about?"

The red head's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she opened her mouth to answer but Lucy was not finished.

"And how comes I didn't do it when I was young like you? Actually," His furrow deepened, as if the thought had only occurred to him just now. "Why can't I remember anything from my past?"

The string of questions left Ivy speechless for a few moments before she shook her head, ridding herself of the stupor the unpredictable teen put her in.

"The pirate attack that I told you about and your injuries left you amnesiac. They say it will be a long time until you remember. Since your long term memory was affected they had to put you under that training again. They wouldn't risk it if they can help it."

Lucy's gaze turned confused. "Risk what?"

Another silence, stronger than the last, hit the two and the room was once again still. The black haired teen was sure Ivy won't answer that.

She didn't. Instead, the girl stood up and took his hand, forcing him to stand up.

Lucy groaned as his body protested fervently, but he allowed himself to be escorted out of the room and down a stairway he hadn't seen before. A few couple of turns and they were stepping on grass.

As his eyes adjusted to the setting sun, the black haired boy studied the garden around him in wonder. It was big, as everything here. There were all kinds of trees, multi-colored flower beds and stone benches scattered around randomly. A pond was at the right edge of the garden and a fountain on his left, leaving its visitors multiple possibilities of spending their free time and enjoy themselves.

Ivy dragged him to the pond and both plopped down to watch the colored fish swimming around. Lucy's hand went to play with the water absently, staring at the fish.

Plop

Whipping his head up, he looked just in time to see a large bubble fly into the sky and disintegrate a few meters above them. A sudden image flashed inside his mind, but it disappeared just as fast, so he was left to wonder what it meant.

"What's that?" He found himself asking, eyes still fixed on the spot where the bubble had been.

"It's a bubble made by the resin of the Yarukiman Mangrove tree. They are not as big as the ones in Sabaody Archipelago but they still produce bubbles." The red head explained, watching another bubble take flight into the orange sky.

"What's Sabady?" Lucy's attention was caught by the name and his curiosity nudged. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the name felt familiar as he spoke it.

"Sabaody." The girl corrected. "It's an island near our city."

"And what's in there?" Her companion urged, his attention focused solely on her.

The girl shrugged. "It's an island where many travelers gather to go to the New World. Especially pirates. There are tons of common people."

There it was. That spitting acid tone she took when she spoke of things, he had learned, she didn't like. This time she switched from pirates to people. Her white eyes narrowed hatefully, fists moving from playing with the hem of that ugly costume to tug at her nails.

"Common people?" He decided to feign innocence. In truth, he wasn't exactly sure, but he supposed he had a small idea. "Are they different from, uh... us?"

Ivy looked him in the eyes. "I've never been there many times, but from what I remember they aren't that different in appearance. You can ask anyone here about them and they'll answer the same thing: they are filthy and the worst kind of trash."

Large eyes blinked as he tried to digest what she said. It sounded wrong somehow, but he didn't ask anymore. Even if what she said was true, it didn't concern him as far as he knew. So there was nothing to burst his head thinking about. Now that he thought about it, the last month had drained him of energy from all the thinking he made, no matter how ironic. Smiling to himself, Lucy decided to just let it go.

It wasn't his business anyway.

Unbeknownst to the two, a pair of dark eyes watched them from a window on the second storey. The man clasped his hands behind his back, mouth pressed in a tight line.

"How was it?" He addressed the question to the thin man standing behind him.

"He has a stronger mind than he lets on. It will be a challenge, though I believe we can extract at least a few things from him before the hypnosis is complete. Contrary to common sense, his perception of the hypnosis we put him under is perfect, he looks almost willing to respond. I've only met a few subjects this docile." The scientist explained, his eyes never straying from the man in front of him.

The other turned around to face him fully and sighed. "At least something good might come out of my daughter's wish. If the World Government will be able to learn something useful from this pirate, then it represents no problem to me, whatever his fate might be."

"Did she mention why she had insisted that he be brought to her?" The thin man asked hesitantly.

The black haired man's eyes were narrowed. "It might be only a passing infatuation or another reason I cannot discern. Her actions have not proven otherwise at this moment."

"If this is an infatuation then it will be a problem, should it prove to be serious." The doctor commented as his companion nodded his head.

"She will have to understand or it will become a very nasty situation. For both of them."

MARINEFORD

Coby played with the hem of his shirt absently, watching from the corner of his eye Helmeppo's shuffling. The blonde was moving back and forth in a cycle of footsteps, repeating the same process over and over. They have been at this for over an hour now, the clock on the wall told the young man grimly.

Coby sighed, his fingers brushing his already unkempt hair. His mind reeled in attempts of organizing his thoughts, but he only managed to get a headache. The marine swore.

Helmeppo stopped, took a look at his friend and cringed. Then he looked in the mirror and immediately regretted it. He didn't look any better. The Lieutenant Commander sat down, clasped his arms, resting his chin on them and resumed his thinking.

"Do..." His companion began after another prolonged silence. "Do you think what we heard was true?" Coby refused to look up, his face scrunched up in a grim mask.

The blonde thought this over for a moment before answering as honestly as he could in that confusing moment. "Yeah. I mean, why would Sakazuki lie to Garp-san?"

Coby could enumerate a number of reasons. "But, Luffy is Garp-san's grandson, right? Why would he want to give him this info?"

Helmeppo shrugged. "It might be a trap." He offered.

The pink haired marine closed his eyes tightly, willing away all the unfairness of the world. One month ago he had been ready to believe that his first friend was dead. Killed off by the Marines for no other reason than that they were dangerous pirates. But Coby had learned to not believe everything written in those newspapers. So he and Helmeppo had to dig around more for solid information.

It had been a fruitless search. No one in the Headquarters knew anything about it more than that it had been an order enacted by the Fleet Admiral. And none of them tried to make sense of it. Garp-san was no more useful. He hadn't even known the attack happened until the News Coo arrived the next morning.

But luck had been on their side today when Coby had been ordered to take a few files to Sakazuki's office and the boy almost stumbled upon an important meeting. Thankfully, his reflexes did not leave him and he kept his distance, but not before placing a small Den Den Mushi on the ground. His hideout in the bathroom adjacent gave him the perfect opportunity to overhear the shocking news the Fleet Admiral delivered to his mentor.

Luffy was alive, but in an artificially-induced amnesia. And he would remain like that. The killer combo was given when the lava man confessed that the former pirate had been taken to Mariejois, in the midst of the Celestial Dragons. When Garp demanded to know the reason, Sakazuki remained silent, signaling that even he didn't know. From all of that, Coby understood that the Tenryuubito must have ordered him to do it. It was the only logical explanation he could arrive at since nothing else made sense. Luffy's disappearance had been concluded in the newspapers as death, so the Nobles had to have a reason for that.

Or not.

Coby thought grimly. Those people were as reasonless as Luffy is. It wouldn't surprise him if it was one of their whims.

Replaying the events of the day on fast forward once more, the pink haired marine finally arrived at a conclusion.

"I don't think that the Marines were up on destroying the Strawhats."

Helmeppo's head shot up in surprise to hear him speak.

"Probably the Fleet Admiral didn't have a choice. If he's in Mariejois then the Government must be on to something. And since it was the Tenryuubito, it might be plausible to think that the reason could be as trivial as wanting a new plaything."

His companion furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Then the Fleet Admiral told Garp-san because he didn't have any reason to keep it a secret." Helmeppo finished. Coby nodded.

The blonde sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "But this means that no one can touch him anymore, Coby! He's as good as gone."

Jaw clenched, the Captain grudgingly agreed. It might be impossible.

But Luffy-san has done the impossible so many times before!

Fists clenched, he stood up so quickly, his coat fell from his shoulders.

"We have to find Luffy-san. No matter what."

Helmeppo wanted to retort to that declaration, but his friend was radiating determination and he supposed trying wouldn't hurt. He only hoped that Luffy didn't rub on Coby in some way. Then it would be real trouble.

He didn't know how right he was.

MARIEJOIS

"LUFFY WATCH OUT!"

Lucy blinked his eyes open, lifting himself from the ground and looked around confused. His droopy eyes closed and he yawned widely, scratching the back of his head in wonder.

He didn't remember falling asleep. The sound of water reminded him that he was in the garden, by the pond.

Ah. Now he remembered. He wanted to relax and he somehow found himself walking back here. His first visit from a few days ago with Ivy replayed in his mind and he dropped back down on the grass.

Gazing up at the clear blue sky he wondered where she was. Things were pretty boring without anyone to spend his time with and he had no one to nag.

"Remember, you are a Celestial Dragon master Lucy."

Black eyebrows furrowed as he remembered the 'training' from yesterday. The same ritual, only he wasn't confused and unprepared this time. It irritated him that the two men that did those things to him refused to answer any of his questions. They didn't even listen to him!

Shaking his head to rid himself of the horrible memory, he returned to study the sky, losing himself in its enormity. The lapping of water only served to entertain his imagination, the wide, blue ocean jumping into his consciousness with its lulling waves and angry storms.

Man, it must be nice to sleep on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

A sudden thud brought him back to reality. His head turned around to lock gazes with white, silver sprinkled eyes. Now that he looked better, there were very light shades of green and blue dancing in her iris as well. Her giggle snapped his concentration away.

"I'm surprised you have the patience to stay put. You're usually off destroying something." Ivy's mouth was twisted into a cocky grin, clearly a challenge.

Lucy grinned back widely. "Aw, it's cute that you think so highly of me." Since he had so much time to play around, he might as well do that.

Ivy looked taken aback by his reply, but it did not last long. Instead, she stood up and asked.

"So what are we doing today?"

The black haired teen tried to figure out the time by the sun. His skills were obviously bad, but he supposed nightfall must be four hours away at most.

"You got any more secret places in this garden?"

The weeks passed by in such a blur Lucy was not even sure if it was possible.

One more week and it'll be two months since I'm here.

"Lucy, what do you think of this one?" Ivy's voice snapped him back into the shop they were currently in. The red head had literally dragged him out of the house and through the whole shopping district.

He never wanted to see clothes again. This whole situation was giving him a nostalgic feeling but he didn't have time to dwell on it. There was something more important bothering him right now.

Studying the short, red, velvet, simple dress the girl showed him he scratched his head, totally lost.

"You don't even wear anything else besides that ugly white costume. Why bother buying it?"

Ivy's temple twitched, a reflex he saw when she was irritated at something. She didn't say anything as she made a beeline for the register, slamming the money down with a thirst only meant for him. Lucy sighed in defeat.

"Actually, why do you wear that?" The black haired boy asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"It's a traditional costume." The girl's answer was clipped.

"So you gotta wear it, like, always?" His tone was laced with disbelief. He continued his rant, hands thrown in the air to empathize his point. "Then when do you wear all this clothes?!" He shook his arms full of shopping bags.

"I wear them too." Ivy answered, her eyes never straying from their path.

Lucy pouted, before a devilish grin crossed his face. With an agility he didn't know he possessed, his hand snapped up and snatched the purple cloth binding her hair in her usual bun and made a run for it.

Ivy's shrill was lost in the distance as the teen made his way through the crowd, deftly avoiding anyone in his way. The path he followed ended up in a park and he immediately took for the safety of the bushes when a body slammed into him, sending them both sprawling. The tangle rolled on the ground before stopping, both of them breathing hard.

"Caught you bastard." Ivy rasped through a shaky breath.

"I hope you're not mad at me anymore, shishishi." Lucy grinned, dangling the cloth from his fingers teasingly.

He saw her temple pulse again, but then she smiled and laughed.

"You are an idiot. I almost burst my lungs running after you."

Lucy joined her and they laughed for a few more minutes before Ivy sat up, snatching back her binding from him on the way up.

Lucy looked at her trying to tame her hair and he almost laughed at the display. It was like her hair had a mind of its own.

"You look better with your hair down." The words left him before he could think them but he shrugged. It was true anyway. He blinked in confusion when the girl in front of him blushed a color not unlike her hair.

"T-thanks, I guess." Finally mastering her red mane, she tied it up tightly.

Lucy lifted himself up from the ground, brushing the dirt and leaves off his pants and gathered the scattered shopping bags from their fall.

"I wonder what's for dinner." The black haired boy hummed as they started their walk back home.

"You'd eat anything, why bother asking?" Ivy laughed as she saw her companion's wide grin. She didn't know how Lucy could stretch his face so much, it looked painful, but on him it seemed natural.

The girl's smile dropped, white eyes darkening for a moment before they resumed their usual cheerfulness.

Lucy remained ignorant, still chatting happily.

"Eh, you're leaving?" Lucy's eyes were wide, something akin to fear passing through them. Unknowingly, Ivy had become a sort of anchor to his surroundings for him and now she was leaving.

The red head snorted. "I'm not leaving forever. It's just a few days." Her mouth curved upwards. "Try to not get yourself killed without me."

The black haired boy grimaced and nodded. He flopped back on the bed as the door to his room closed and tried to think what he should do today. It would be boring without Ivy but he would manage.

What to do, what to do.

A tremor ran through him and he jumped from the bed. Just like he had thought, thinking wasn't for him- pun intended. It would be better to just go outside and attempt to walk aimlessly around. Maybe something interesting would pop up.

His thoughts clouded for a moment as he remembered that tomorrow, a new week would begin and with it came another round of 'training'. He hated it.

Sighing, he pushed the thoughts away and exited the house. Somehow he had learned the way to the large double doors and he silently congratulated himself for the feat.

The city was sparkly as usual, the lines of houses on both sides of the street arranged neatly and looking all the same save a few subtle differences such as the color of the curtains and stickers plastered on the windows' glass. Small shops sprouted, squeezed through the houses.

The people walking along the street didn't give him anything more than a look and he was thankful. Everyone was dressed in the same ugly clothes but now that he looked closely, there were other people that were dressed in normal garments too. Some flocked around the white dressed people, all silent and walking behind them. A black eyebrow shot up in surprise but he let it slide.

Looking ahead again he smiled when he noticed a kid that looked to be no more than sixteen, dressed normally like him. The boy looked up, his eyes wide with an indescribable fear.

Lucy opened his mouth to call out to him but in that moment something pushed the boy and he stumbled to the ground.

"Huh." A black haired, fat man huffed adjusting himself on the bloodied man he was riding on. "You are too slow. Move it or I kill you." He rattled the chains of their metal cuffs pointedly.

The boy nodded hurriedly and pushed himself up, resuming his walk, the ugly pig behind him dragging a whole line of different people of all ages by the chains. All of them had sad, tear stricken faces but none said anything about the inhuman treatment.

Lucy's mouth hung open, his eyes disbelieving. He had been so shocked that when he finally snapped out of his stupor and was about to give the ugly fat a piece of his mind, they were already gone. Black eyes swiped the street and concluded grimly that he missed his chance. Shaking his head he continued onwards, noting that none of the people on the street were even a little moved or surprised, they looked used to the situation. Now that the teen looked closely, there were other people with chains rattling at their feet and hands, the white clad people dragging them around.

Lucy looked down at his clothes and cringed. Did they think he was one of them too? He surely hoped those people weren't criminals. He couldn't imagine such an innocent looking child to be a vicious murderer. He would have to ask Ivy or someone else to clear it up for him, his head was starting to hurt again.

After a while the houses became noticeably smaller, lacking their usual shiny exterior and expensive looking decorations. The buildings that took their place were normal looking, still looking pretty awesome in Lucy's eyes, but he guessed the people living in them did not have so much money like the others. Another few steps brought him to a large plaza filled with activity.

People of all kinds, buzzed around stands and children played happily around the big fountain in the middle. Some people were even dressed -like him!- with different, multicolored clothes. A look to his left brought his attention to an island of green placed in the middle of the concrete.

"It looks pretty fun." Lucy muttered to himself as he watched the nature around him. In the center of the park was a square of sand filled with toys. Kids were scattered about, playing in groups and laughing happily. He had to pause from his musings when a group ran closely past him and he stumbled but regained his balance at the last moment.

"They should be more careful." The black head sighed, his hand lifting to feel the space above his head. He blinked when he felt nothing but air, sure that something must've been placed there. His growing confusion from the thought- that he knew that something was there but wasn't!- gave him chills but before he could further dwell on it, a blonde haired boy stumbled out of the line of bushes at his side, falling on the ground.

Lucy blinked, helping the kid up and dusting his t-shirt. "You okay, kid?"

The boy sniffed but nodded. "Thanks for helping me mister." He grinned widely.

Lucy already liked this kid. "What's your name?"

"Kiiro. Yours mister?"

"Lucy." The raven head looked around them once before speaking again. "Where are your friends?"

The child blinked and shrugged. "They didn't come today." Suddenly, his eyes sparkled. "You wanna see something awesome Lucy?"

Lucy nodded and Kiiro took his hand, happily dragging him by the hand towards a large tree. It looked like the feeling was mutual, the boy didn't take long to open up to someone.

"This is my hideout. It's awesome, right?" He grinned, eyes shining with mirth.

"Yep." Lucy agreed, hands on his hips, taking in the thick bark and branches. It was an awesome tree, you could even build a tre-

"I wanna build a tree house up there. Me and my friends will start it tomorrow. Then we'll be playing pirates!"

Black eyes widened but he smiled. "Yeah, it's an awesome idea." His tone was lustful and melancholic. It made the boy blink.

"You wanna play with me mister?"

"Sure."

"Say," Lucy looked at the younger boy from his place near the rough tree bark where they were currently taking a break from the continuous playing.

Kiiro looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Why does everyone wear those white robes up there," he pointed in the rough direction he came from. "But people here wear normal things too?"

The blonde gave him a long look, signaling it was pretty common knowledge but didn't call him on it. Instead, he answered him.

"You mean the people from the Inner City," the boy pointed in the opposite direction Lucy had pointed earlier. "They are the pure blooded Celestial Dragon families. They dress like that to show their rank. This is one of the Outer Districts and people can dress however they want. Even some common people come here to sell things."

The older took in the explanation, digesting it quietly. Now everything made more sense. It seems his little escapade brought him to the outskirts of the city. But still, there was one more thing that was bothering him.

"So the Celestial Dragons are really important or something?"

Kiiro's eyebrows were almost touching his hairline. "Duh! They are the ones that lead the world! You live here and you didn't even know that mister?"

Lucy grimaced, but nodded. "I've, uh, had a problem with my head and I can't remember things." He explained lamely, hoping the boy would buy his explanation. It was a simplified truth, after all.

"Oh, okay." The blonde kid shrugged, accepting his words without any further question. Kiiro was smarter than kids normally were at his age.

Casting a long look at the sky, Lucy sighed. "All right, I guess I should get going. It's gonna get dark soon."

The black haired teen stood up, waving at his newest friend. The blonde child looked at him in doubt.

"You know how to read the hour by the sun mister?"

Lucy scratched his head. If he was going to be honest with himself, he'd say he didn't but at the same time he did know. It was a confusing feeling he didn't like to dwell on if he could help it.

"I guess. See ya, kid!"

"It's the other direction, mister!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" The older teen laughed, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Kiiro put his hands on his hips, looking like the mother of the duo.

"It's fine, I will make sure you go in the right direction." He flashed the other a grin which was reciprocated.

The two arrived at the edge of the park and Lucy's eyes met with the plaza he was in earlier and the commotion currently underway.

"You fucking piece of trash! I shouldn't have bought you at that stupid auction!"An outraged man cried from the middle of the square.

"Oh." Kiiro's eyes were downcast.

"What's happening? Do y'know?" His older companion looked down at him in concern.

"It's Saint Thetra. He's abusing his slaves in the middle of the street again."

A black eyebrow lifted up. "The-who and what slaves?"

"Those ones." The boy pointed to the two bloodied people on the ground near the fountain. Lucy realized he was looking at normal dressed people, bound with shackles on hands and legs. His stomach dropped.

"You bastards, Camie's not something you can sell!"

"They are slaves?!" The disgust was clearly laced deep in his tone.

"Yeah." There was that obvious edge to the boy's whispered voice. "That guy is real bad. Don't go near him."

His advice went unheard and he suddenly found himself alone. Kiiro almost had a heart attack when he saw Lucy going straight for the preoccupied Noble. He didn't even stop to acknowledge the boy's cry or the other peoples' concerned and horrified stares.

Booted feet stepped up and stopped just behind the man. Saint Thetra paused in his actions and looked back with a taut expression on his oversized face. He opened his mouth to lash out at the bastard that dared interrupt him but a fist colliding with his face prevented him from saying anything.

Lucy didn't even know where that intense feeling of rage came from, but it gave him enough boost for a well deserved hit. Hell, he didn't know he had that much force to make the guy fly into the fountain. It didn't matter, he didn't regret it one bit.

A frozen silence descended over the plaza, every citizen asking themselves if it was possible and how the black haired teen could be so stupid.

Lucy cracked his knuckles, frown etched deep into his face. The bastard seemed to have fallen asleep into the water. Well, it didn't matter. He had said what he had to say.

"Thank you." A small, whispered voice made him look down. A green haired girl that looked to be the same age as him wiped her bloodied nose and offered him a small smile. Lucy grinned widely.

"That was no problem!"

"You did what?!" Ivy shouted, hands on her hips and an exasperated expression on her face. She couldn't believe it.

"I swear you are a recipe for disaster! How the hell can you be such an idiot?"

Lucy ducked his head, a pout on his face. He tried to make himself as small as he could in fear of the girl's rage. Her flaming red hair did not help the demon image in his mind.

"I'm... sorry?" He offered, though in all reality he wasn't in the least. The fat bastard had it coming.

Ivy exhaled, trying to calm down. "No, you're not." She stated and rubbed her temples when her black haired companion threw her a wide grin.

"Aw, you know me so well Ivy! 'Course I'm not sorry, the bastard deserved every last bit of it!"

"Yes, it is a problem, Lucy!" The red head retorted.

Lucy snapped his mouth shut. She never used his name until things went down to shit. Oh well.

"You are lucky that father could pacify the guy. If not, you'd be executed right now!"

"Fine, fine, sorry. Can you please stop shouting now?" The raven haired teen muttered, hands in his hair.

Ivy shook her head and began again, albeit in a softer tone. "Look, you can't just hit a Noble and get away with it. There are rules and then there are laws. Got it?"

Lucy nodded. His black eyes lifted to stare back at her in wonder. Now that the shouting was over, he could ask what had been on his mind for a while now.

"Say, am I a slave?"

The red head chocked on her spit in an unladylike manner. "No. Where the hell did you get that idea from?!"

The teen blinked and shrugged.

"Ugh, I swear I leave you one day alone and you manage to break the law, get stupid ideas and you even destroyed a fountain!"

"Ohhh, I did? Awesome! Shishishi." Hands in the air, Lucy whooped and laughed.

A fist over his head was his friend's answer.

A/N: *promises to not write Luffy OOC*

*doesn't like to have many OCs in my stories*

*promised to not include so many characters at once again*

And what do I end up writing? An OOC Luffy story with tons of cannon characters and Ocs... oops

Anyway, Hello there! :'D

I've been writing furiously these past weeks on this sudden plot bunny that entered my head and I could never make it leave. So I decided to take it out of my system at least xD

I should offer some warnings: As you could see there's OOC Luffy (but because of reasons)

Also, my Ocs (that hopefully are more normal than the other ones, but I don't count on it)

As this is a multi-chaptered fic, I will try to post the next as soon as possible. I only have to write the ending and I'm all wrapped with this story (technically) so I decided to take a risk and actually post the first chap before I finish it

On another note, why do i always make Sabo a hysteric mess and make him always worry about Luffy xD... poor older brothers ._.

Oh well, I hope you enjoyed! Reviews and Feedback are loved! :D