Hey guys,

This story follows a slightly different timeline than the canon, but is planned to cover a significant portion of what we all know and love, along with major additions and changes along the way. I'd say it's similar in what many other fanfictions such as different devil fruit Luffys or time travel fanfictions attempt to do, in which they follow the main story but with their own twists and changes.

Now Luffy won't be getting a different devil fruit, and this isn't a time travel fic, but you get the gist.

I have a lot planned and a ton already written so stay tuned!

Small note for those who might feel like you've read this before:

About half a year ago I released a story called "To the Top." After a hard drive failure which lost all my progress and notes, as well as a subsequent lack of motivation to write, I stopped posting to it. It only had four chapters, and sat relatively unnoticed until I deleted it recently.

Anyway, I edited and rewrote part of its first chapter to fit my new outline. I really doubt anyone will have noticed this, but just a disclaimer I figured I would point it out.

All subsequent chapters are completely new.

Chapter 1: And Then There Were Two

"Ace! Sabo! Wait for me!"

The voice echoed lightly off of the trees in the forest. A young boy was leaning out the window of a makeshift treehouse utop a stout tree. Above him waved a crude jolly roger, clearly the work of children and their fantasies. Scowling, the boy leaned further, his tiny hands digging into the wood as he strained his neck. The object of his cries were two boys in the clearing below him. They were a few years older than him, the first traces of puberty starting to show on their thin frames.

One turned towards the treehouse, grinning. Sabo wore a large, comically oversized top hat with goggles above the brim. It set a shadow over his short blonde hair and bright eyes. Clutching a broken half pipe, he lifted it in the air as if to cheer. Grinning wider, showing off a few chipped teeth, he yelled up at the younger boy.

"Come on Luffy! We're going to Gray Terminal!"

Luffy beamed and giggled lightly. It had been awhile since they had been to the scrap heap at the edge of the forest. Gray terminal was filled with junk, but also treasure. It just took some looking. Luffy couldn't wait to see what he could find.

"I want a telescope!" he declared loudly.

Clutching a straw hat a few sizes too big, Luffy jumped from the tree, whooping as he went. This ended in a cry as he thudded firmly into the dirt, his limbs splayed out like an octopus. The other older boy, Ace, scowled. Just like Sabo, he also held a broken pipe in one hand. However unruly black hair, Dark eyes, and a splattering of dark freckles across his face, made him look the opposite of the blonde boy next to him.

"Luffy stop messing around, you're always acting like a kid." Ace frowned.

"Sorry, Sorry!" Luffy grinned up at the boy. He leapt to his feet and dusted himself off. Unlike Sabo, Luffy looked like he could be Ace's brother, although much younger. He had a round childish face, with a small semi-circular scar underneath his left eye. He had the same unruly black hair, and wore similar clothing. The only thing missing were the freckles.

Luffy wasn't related to Ace. But the three were brothers, as much as you could be without the same blood in your veins. They had exchanged vows over cups of sake, and spent all of their time together. They were as close as you could be. Ace and Sabo were the older two, and they took it upon themselves to protect their younger brother. Luffy could be quite the handful.

"tch." Ace spat, "Let's go then."

Without another word he turned and started walking. Sabo grinned at Luffy before turning as well, running a few steps to catch up. Luffy ran after the two, bubbling with excitement.

The three boys lived alone in the treehouse they had just left. Most of their days were spent in the forest hunting for food, or in the nearby Gray Terminal terrorizing the homeless that took up residence there. They hadn't always been alone, previously the three lived with some kind hearted bandits that also lived in the forest. However several months ago the kids decided they were going to become pirates and had set out on their own.

In the present they were nearing the edge of the forest, and the noise of a distant town began to reach their ears. Perking up Luffy ran ahead, his hands above his head in a cheer.

"We're here!" he hollered as he ran off. Sabo and Ace chased after him, yelling complaints.

Gray Terminal was a depressingly large field of refuse that surrounded the tall walls of a city nearby. Goa Kingdom was a rather wealthy city filled with nobles and merchants. Inside the walls the city was a beacon of prosperity. Each night, the trash was collected from each residence and business of the city and was then promptly dumped outside the gates into the ever growing sea of trash that surrounded it.

Of course Goa also gathered the dregs of society and trash of the populace and dumped them outside the gates as well. Out of sight and out of mind. And so Gray Terminal was also home to a sizable population of poor, homeless and people of ill-fortune. But it was also home to all manner of scum as well.

Most of these inhabitants knew of the three boys that were arriving now. Be it as a friend, nuisance, or adversary, almost everyone had come across the trio at one point or another.

The older brothers gave hurried greetings to those they came across as they chased after Luffy.

The new batch of trash had been delivered several hours before the trio arrived, so most of the decent stuff was probably gone. But today they were there for building materials, not valuables. Luffy had quickly forgotten about their goal, so it was up to the older brothers to find what they needed.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Ace looked up. Clouds were drifting lazily across the reddening sky. He had lost track of time and now the sun was setting and the world was growing dark. He turned towards Luffy who was crawling through the heaps of scrap. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips involuntarily as Luffy lost his footing and crashed his way down the slope.

"Luffy! It's almost dark, it's time to go!" he called towards the boy.

Ace leapt deftly between piles as he climbed to the top of a particular large mountain of scrap. Reaching the top he turned in a wide circle, scanning for Sabo. Luffy crawled up the pile and collapsed next to Ace, grumbling.

"Ace, where's Sabo..." Luffy whined. But Ace was no longer next to him.

"Over there!" Ace shouted behind him as he slid down the precarious slope. A few trash heaps away Sabo was surrounded by a group of grungy thugs with swords. Sabo stood tall in the middle of them, clutching his pipe close to his chest. Standing a little ways back was a heavyset man. He was a large rotund man, a perfect caricature of a pirate. He was missing half his teeth and wore typical pirate attire. Bluejam, the leader of the local pirate group.

"Sabo!" Ace shouted, sprinting full speed towards the group.

"Ace!" Luffy cried hastily, scrambling to follow.

The pirates turned towards the shout, just to see a blur of red and black rushing towards them. Before they could cry out, Ace was upon them swinging away. Sabo joined the fray and the two deftly dealt with the rushing pirates.

"Ace." Sabo grinned, as he ducked the swing of a sword. Twirling he brought his pipe around and slammed it into the pirate's gut.

"Look what you've gotten yourself into, Sabo." Ace complained as he jumped out of range of two oncoming lackeys. Rolling to the side of a swipe, he pounced forward over another incoming slash and slammed his pipe into the side of a pirate's head before turning and smashing the other end against the second Pirate's sword. Pushing back he forced his opponent to stumble backwards, giving him his opportunity. Nimbly dashing past his defense, Ace shot his pipe upwards, colliding with the pirate's chin.

A sudden scream brought the two out of their combat trance. Turning towards the source they saw Bluejam give them a nasty grin as he held their younger brother up by his shirt, a knife pressed against his neck.

"Luffy!" They both cried out.

"Alright, Alright. That's enough boys." Bluejam smirked before giving an evil laugh.

"Don't hurt him!" Sabo shouted, gripping his weapon. He swore inwardly. He and Ace had taken care of the majority of Bluejam's lackeys, it was only a matter of time before they would have won. But Bluejam had Luffy!

"Okay Blondie, if you don't want the boy to get hurt you need to do exactly what I say." Bluejam spat, still grinning. Sabo hardened. Ace was shouting something next to him but he couldn't hear it. Did this have something to do with his family?

"Your father is very worried about you." Bluejam grinned. Sabo swore aloud. Damn his parents. He didn't think they would hire pirates to come after him.

"Sabo doesn't have parents!" Ace shouted angrily at the big man. Luffy began struggling again.

"That's right! We're his only family!" Luffy called out. The pirate only laughed.

"Family? You think you brats are that kids family?" he laughed again. "You two peasants? This kid is filthy rich and you two are just his play things!"

"You're wrong!" Ace screamed without hesitation. Beside him Sabo trembled, his eyes shadowed as he looked down. "Sabo lives in the forest with us! We're going to be pirates!"

"Bahaha! That's too funny! Bahahahaha!" The pirate laughed repeatedly. Around them his lackeys started to come to. They were quickly surrounded. Ace grimaced as he prepared his weapon.

"Alright guys! Kill the brat! We only need the blonde on alive, so don't hurt him!" Bluejam cried out. The men roared and rushed in for a second fight. Ace swung his pipe back, ready to bash whoever came first.

"Oi, oi. There you are Sabo!" an arrogant voice called. The pirates screeched to a halt. Ace lowered his weapon in confusion and looked around. The sound of marching reached the site of battle. Sabo turned towards it with a glower on his face. Luffy finally managed to free himself and rushed over to his brother's side.

Rows of soldiers covered in full bodysuits and gas masks marched into view. At their front a tall, neatly groomed man walked confidently. He had the look of wealth about him.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! Your mother has been worried." the wealthy man called, feigning concern. Sabo grit his teeth. Bluejam laughed heartily as he called his men back. His job was done for now.

"You're not my father!" Sabo cried in defiance. The tall man tsked as he walked forward. As he approached Sabo gripped his pipe and readied it. The man halted his advance.

"Come now son. Your time playing peasant is over. It's time you got back to your studies." the man scolded. Sabo shook with rage. Ace turned towards his sworn brother and studied him carefully. There was a slight resemblance beneath the dirt.

"Bluejam! Who are these two runts?" the man called to the pirate.

"Oh they're just some gutter rats the boy has been playing with. Nobody important." Bluejam grinned at him.

"I see. Take care of them. Let's remove any incentive for Sabo to run away again." he said as if he were talking about the weather. Ace readied his pipe again. There was no way he could win against these numbers, but he had to trust Sabo. He was his brother. Luffy shook his confusion off and yelled.

"What are you talking about. Sabo is our brother we won't let you take him!"

Sabo didn't say anything as he looked down, trembling with rage. The man turned towards the younger of the three with interest as if he were studying an animal in the zoo. Around him the pirates roared with laughter.

"Brother? You rats? That's ridiculous." the man said incredulously. "Come now Sabo let's go home. Bluejam, kill them already." he turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Sabo cried. The man turned back towards him. "Don't hurt them! I'll come with you if you leave them alone!"

Ace gasped. Luffy started crying. "Sabo no!" he cried. Sabo turned towards the two and smiled sadly. Their time together looked to be drawing to a close. The memories the three shared flashed through his mind as he took in their faces.

"Tch. Whatever. Let's go then." the man called back and turned to leave again. Sabo took a step towards his brothers before stopping again. He didn't want to make this harder than it had to be on the two. He put on a small smile as he prepared his words.

"Ace. Luffy. I'm going to have to go now. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. I know you two will make great pirates." he grinned, trying to hold back tears.

Ace didn't say a word as he tried to take in the situation. Luffy started bawling loudly. Sabo stood still for a moment before turning and trudging sadly after his father. There wasn't anything else he could do. At least he was able to save his brothers. He hoped they would forgive him.

Soon Sabo was a distant speck on the horizon. The pirates shifted restlessly as they waited for Bluejam to give an order. Besides the wind, the only sound was Luffy crying. Finally, Bluejam grinned and stepped forward.

"So. I have a job for you two."

The Following Night

"Say, Bluejam, what are these boxes for anyway?" Ace questioned.

"Ah," Bluejam laughed, "You see, we were hired by the nobles to take care of a very important job. Tomorrow a Celestial Dragon is due to arrive in Goa Kingdom. So the king wants to be rid of the waste surrounding the capital!"

Ace stopped. Luffy rammed into his back, the wooden box digging into his shoulders. Luffy huffed and sat down. He was too tired to be working. Ace eyed Bluejam carefully. The pirate turned towards him and grinned.

"In exchange for doing this job, the king has promised to make me a noble! I just have to go to the west gate after I'm done here! How does it feel to know you helped set up the explosion that will engulf Gray Terminal and end it's wretched existence?" Bluejam roared with laughter.

Ace dropped the box and without a word drew his pipe. Luffy rubbed his eyes and looked up at his older brother. Were they going to fight now? They were alone with Bluejam. His lackeys were all over the place setting up the explosives. Narrowing his eyes, Ace sized his opponent up.

Bluejam grinned at the sight. "What do you think you can do, you snot nosed brat?!" he shouted as he drew his sword. He was going to enjoy this. It had been awhile since he had watched the life drain out of someone's eyes. He watched the scowling boy carefully. Ace was notorious in the area, and it wasn't for no reason. He wouldn't underestimate him, even if it was a kid.

"Luffy, go back and get Dadan from the mountain." Ace called, his voice low and deadly. Luffy didn't understand what was going on but he was suddenly filled with determination. His brother needed him for something and he wouldn't let Ace down. Not after he had already lost one brother. Luffy wheeled around and sprinted for the forest. And tripped.

Ace sighed but made no move to help him up. Bluejam roared with laughter, his cackling echoing off of the heaps of metal surrounding them. Luffy got up nervously, and with a single look back, took off for Dadan's house.

"Now. I'm going to beat you so bad your brains will leak out of your empty skull." Ace threatened. Bluejam made no comment but smirked at the boy's arrogance. Insults meant nothing. The fight would determine who was stronger.

Suddenly Ace rushed forward, a blur of vengeance. Bluejam was surprised at his speed but quickly whipped out his pistol. He fired off two shots but Ace was already ahead of him. With a roar Bluejam fired off the rest of the bullets in a flurry, hoping to catch the boy with one of them. Ace was too quick. As he got in range he leaped forward, crashing into the big man with all his weight.

Bluejam stumbled backwards but stayed on his feet. With a grunt he pushed Ace backwards and took a haphazard swing at him. Ace swept under him, the sword hissing through the air above him. Without pausing Ace launched upwards, his pipe smacking dully against the pirate's thick chest. Bluejam retaliated by swinging the empty pistol hard against Ace's head.

Ace hit the ground in a burst of dust and his vision flashed. Without thinking he rolled to the side as the sword swiped downward in a deadly arc. Ace leapt to his feet and raised his pipe in time to block a second blow. Bluejam may be big, but he was a brute. He had no finesse to his combat and Ace knew he could defeat him. But a stray swing could be the end of his life, so he had to be careful.

For a few tense moments Ace gracefully parried, dodged, and clashed with Bluejam. But then he saw his opening. With a war cry he leapt forward, utilizing his momentum to swing his pipe in a short arc, catching the edge of bluejam's handle guard. The sword clattered out of the pirate's hands. Ace dove for it.

Unbelievable! Bluejam cursed the boy before he kicked with all his might at the diving boy. A loud crack sounded out. Ace coughed up blood and wheezed. He felt his side as he stood. He definitely had some broken ribs. But there was nothing he could do about it now.

Gulping down his spittle, Ace straightened. He held the pirate's sword in one hand and the pipe in the other. The now defenseless pirate scowled darkly at him. Ace smirked, he knew he had the upper hand. With a flash he charged forward to end the fight. Bluejam let out a triumphant shout as he pulled a second pistol out of his waistband.

Crap!

Ace dove behind cover, swearing. A beat passed and he realized there was no sound of gunfire. Peaking forward, he saw the pirate's figure as he hobbled away. Damnit! He was running!

Jumping to his feet, Ace took off after him. There was no way he was letting him get away!

At the mountain bandit's house

"Dadan! Dadan!"

Distant yelling reached the dwelling. A large woman with curly hair was busy chugging down a huge jug of alcohol and paid no heed to the calls. However a short scrawny man heard the cries and was trying to get the larger woman's attention.

"Will you stop bothering me Dogra!" the larger of the two shouted drunkenly. She threw her fist outward, connecting with the shorter man's head. He was sent flying into the wall. Content, Dadan went back to drinking.

"Dadan!" the yelling was closer now.

Dadan looked up, a blush settling heavily on her cheeks. She let out a belch before wobbling to her feet. She looked at the crumpled man on the floor and sighed. What a useless lot they were.

"Dogra, why didn't you tell me someone was screaming!" she spat sharply. Huffing, she threw open the door and walked outside. The sun was setting nicely. It would be a good night.

Wait, was that smoke? She squinted at the sky, trying to force her aging eyes to work.

"Dadan! Dadan! Help!" the yelling was very close. Soon she could see the form of a young boy running up the hill towards their hideout. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the form. What was he doing here? Where were the other two?

"Luffy!" she shouted, "Where's Ace and Sabo?"

Luffy flew up the hill, not stopping. He put on a last burst of speed as he saw the cottage come into view. It looked like Dadan was on the porch yelling something. He couldn't hear her over the pounding of his heart. With a cry Luffy burst forward ramming into the woman's stomach, sending them both flying back into the building.

"Damnit Luffy!" Dadan roared as she got up. "What the hell do you think you're doing!"

The people inside the building shrank back from her imposing form. Dogra sat up and limped over towards the boy and the woman. His eyes widened as he noticed who it was. Luffy hadn't been back in months! What was he doing here all alone now?

Luffy panted before looking up at the woman. "It's Ace! He's fighting Bluejam! They are gonna blow up the gray terminal!" he cried.

Dadan's eyes widened. "What was that? Ace is fighting Bluejam?! Lead me there!"

A huge explosion shook the room. Everyone rushed outside to find the source. Off in the distance a large smoke plume was gathering, blotting out the remaining sunlight. Beyond the forest, a brightening glow filled the sky.

"Nevermind. Dogra stay here with Luffy! I'll go find Ace. Keep Luffy safe!" Dadan shouted. Luffy protested but Dogra was holding him down tightly. No way were they letting such a young kid rush back into that mess. Dadan rushed inside and pulled a rifle off of the wall. Then she ran back outside and towards Gray Terminal. She would not let Ace die.

By the time she reached the edge of the forest she was panting heavily. She wasn't out of shape necessarily, but the smoke was incredibly thick. Her eyes stung but she pushed through it. Ace was in there somewhere. Stumbling through the haze, she found herself surrounded by flames. She drew in a deep breath and almost hacked it back up due to the smoke.

"Ace!" she shouted as loud as she could. The sound was lost on the wind and amidst the roaring of the flames. She wouldn't give up. She may not show it, but her boys meant everything to her.

Finally after pushing through a particularly bad patch of smoke, she saw two blurred figures ahead. One was a large heavyset man, while the other was tiny in comparison. It looked like the big man was unarmed however while the boy held both a sword and a pipe. Dadan rushed through the flames.

Ace was out of breath. There was just too much smoke. He had chased Bluejam as fast as he could but he hadn't got there in time. Just as he had turned the corner, Bluejam lit the fuse. Now Ace's ears rung and the smoke made his eyes water. He could barely stand, much less fight.

Bluejam however looked almost unaffected. He continued cackling even as the world burned down around him. Slowly he pulled out a small knife hidden somewhere on his huge body. Ace stumbled a bit as he tried to maintain his position. Raising his newly acquired sword, he waited for what would be the final fight.

"Ace!" Dadan shrieked as she came into range. Ace looked backwards in surprise. Dadan?!

This gave Bluejam the opening he needed. He launched forward and bowled into Ace like a cannonball. Flipping the boys legs out of under him, Bluejam landed on top of him with a crash, sending the wind out of both of them. Dadan roared at the sight of her boy being injured and leveled her rifle at the man's side.

Ace struggled to breathe. First the smoke, now this huge fat bastard on top of him. The world was going black and no matter how hard he struggled, he just. couldn't. move. He could feel his life flashing before his eyes but he wouldn't give up. His strength slowly ebbing away, he continued to punch, kick, and smack as hard as he could but the big lug wouldn't move. He let out a large sickly cough and a thick stream of phlegm and blood dribbled on his lips. Would he drown in his own blood?

A giant crack whipped through the air. Another followed, and another after that. Dadan was crying now, but refused to stop firing. Six, Seven, Eight bullets later she stopped. Bluejam was heaving, and blood was pouring freely out of him. Below him Ace had stopped struggling.

With a final roar, Dadan shoved Bluejam off of the boy's frame. Ace was covered completely in blood. Absolutely soaked in the liquid. He was wheezing softly, trying to get the thick stuff out of his throat. Dadan lifted him up carefully, as she sobbed. The flames roared on around them.

The Next Day

Luffy woke with a start. For a moment he remembered nothing as he looked around sleepily. The world was still gray and lifeless. The room was dark and nobody else was there. Reaching up he felt salt streaks dried upon his cheeks. Slowly everything came back to him.

His heart jumped into his throat as he remembered Dadan stumbling back home, Ace cupped in her arms. He had been bathed in blood and Luffy couldn't tell if it belonged to him, Dadan, or someone else. Dogra had put Luffy in his room while he bawled, so he wouldn't get in the way.

He had fallen asleep just like that.

Standing Luffy struggled out of the room. His strength was sapped. But he had to see what happened. The door creaked as he pushed it open only to find the lights still burning in the next room. Dadan sat dozing next to a crumpled pile of blankets. Next to her Dogra was curled on the floor. Scattered throughout the room were more of the bandits sleeping in various piles.

Luffy crept forward. Peaking out of the blankets, Ace slept soundly. The blood had long been cleared away, but bandages were plastered all over the boy's face. He must have received some heavy burns. Luffy blinked, before heaving a sigh of relief. Ace was safe.

Pulling open the door, Luffy padded outside quietly. It was just before dawn. The smoke had long cleared away due to a moderate breeze rushing down the mountain. Luffy took a quick glance back before setting off towards Gray Terminal. He didn't really get what had transpired the day before, but there was a strange smell on the air.

It took him half an hour to reach the edge of the forest and by that time he was starving, his stomach seemingly waking up from its slumber. He stopped for a moment and complained to nobody in particular before deciding to continue on. Finally everything came into view.

Well. It was still gray.

Other than that it was barren. Ash covered everything. Lines of workers were pushing the remaining trash into piles while soldiers swept outward to look for survivors. Luffy put his hat on his head and pulled it down over his eyes. He had already glimpsed the charred bodies but he didn't want to see any more of it.

Taking care to avoid as many people as possible he plodded towards the town. Every once in a while he stopped to inspect something or hide from a passing soldier, but he was making steady progress. finally as the sun fully crested above the horizon Luffy stood below the giant walls of the city. Bluejam had said something about the nobles inside wanting to burn the place. Luffy frowned darkly. He didn't really understand what was going on, but he was going to find out for himself.

After stowing away beneath a cart of soldiers, Luffy quietly watched the ground pass from ash, to dirt, to cobblestone as he entered the city proper. After a few moments he slunk away from the cart before anyone could spot him. Luffy's stomach reminded him that he hadn't had breakfast yet and so he set off in search of food. Soon a smell of cooking had reached his particularly sharp nose and he followed it to an open window.

He pushed himself up and inside the empty room, the smell of food guiding him. Finally he found the kitchen where a middle aged man was working away at the stove. He had already set what looked like ham on the table, so Luffy sat down and started thoughtfully chewing away at the food.

A few minutes later he stood and walked out without saying a word. The man had never turned around and Luffy saw no reason to talk. He was somber today.

He leapt out of the window and hit the ground softly. Deciding to follow the steady stream of people, Luffy soon heard the roar of a crowd. Perking his ears he picked up the pace. Soon he found himself at the docks where a huge crowd of people was formed. He shoved his way to the front and craned his neck to see. Finally he spotted what everyone was in an uproar about. There was a huge vessel coming up to port.

"It's a Celestial Dragon!" someone beside him shouted.

A dragon? Luffy thought, images of a fire spitting demon filling his head.

"I can't believe he came all the way here! It's a lucky day!" another said, waving a flag above their head.

"Wait! What's that boat!" a woman screamed pointing towards the bay. Luffy turned and peered at what she was pointing at. Sure enough a small dinghy was floating towards the larger ship. Luffy squinted to try and see clearly, but people all around him were jostling and pushing frantically.

"Ah! That's my ship! Some boy stole it!" a man cried, waving his hands above his head.

"Come back boy!"

"That's a world noble don't get in his way!"

"What are we going to do!"

"Someone do something!"

The crowd was in a panic as the boat drifted further out to sea. Luffy watched curiously, not quite understanding. He looked around briefly before finding someone a few yards down holding up a spyglass. Slyly he let his arm slink forward before snatching it up and pulling it back quickly. The man shouted but it was lost in the crowd.

Luffy grinned and pulled the glass up to his face. Peering through it he looked to find the boat. First he found the large ship and looked curiously on board. There was a pudgy man with weird hair standing near the rail. He wore a strange bubble looking thing around his head, and equally weird clothing. There were several soldiers and guards surrounding him.

Dragging the spyglass across the waves he found the smaller vessel. At the top a black flag waved. Pirates? he thought. As he brought the lens into focus his heart soared. Excitedly he looked down towards the deck for confirmation.

"Sabo!" he screamed. On the deck of the little boat, the blonde boy stood proudly looking over the waves. Luffy sighed in relief. Sabo was alright. Why was he in a boat? Luffy wondered. We promised to leave when we were 17 and Sabo wasn't that old!

His thoughts were cut short as a loud blast sounded from the ship. The crowd roared again. Another blast. Luffy peered through his spyglass again and blanched. Sabo's ship was on fire! Another blast. No! Sabo!

"SABOOO!" Luffy yelled with all his might, his voice cracking. Hot tears were already pouring down his cheeks before he realized it. He dropped the spyglass without a thought and couldn't even hear it break as it hit the ground. The crowd around him was fading. He couldn't hear anything. Desperately, he pushed against the maddening crowd and clawed at the wooden railing he was squeezed up against.

Sabo.

The flames on the ship went out, leaving just the billowing black smoke and the floating debris. The large ship continued onwards as if nothing had happened, the huge wake causing the wreckage of the little ship to break apart. Luffy barely registered as a rope fell from its side and pulled the blonde boy on deck.

A half an hour passed and Luffy had barely breathed. His struggling had ceased and now he swayed lifelessly with the crowd.

Sabo.

The weird man with the bubble hat was parading down the street, a long rope in his hands dragging a lifeless boy's body behind him. Luffy felt his heart stop beating. It was deadly quiet in his mind even though he could see the people in the crowd cheering. Everything was growing dark and he couldn't feel anything. A strange feeling was bubbling up in his chest.

A cold wind rushed swiftly across the crowd causing several people to stumble against it's stiff force. Luffy couldn't feel it, only the strangely hot bubbling that was rising up his throat now. His body felt like it was burning up.

Suddenly the world rushed back. The roar was suddenly deafening. The tears on his face were burning. The bruises on his body were screaming. His heart was tearing. Luffy couldn't take it. With a huge burst of emotion he screamed.

Luffy's scream was a hoarse and broken noise, barely human. His vocal chords sounded almost as if they were ripping apart. With his guttural cry, a huge wave of power burst out. His body was boiling and the power was releasing in huge waves that swept and engulfed the square. The entire crowd was suddenly completely silent. Luffy's voice trailed off into sobs which echoed softly off the stone buildings around him. The wind rustled wordlessly through the suddenly quiet crowd. And then, one by one they began to drop lifelessly to the ground.

High above the burning city, a lone figure watched.

Draped in a heavy green cloak, the man's face was masked in shadow. He seemed to be in deep thought. From his perch he had observed the ceremony of the Celestial Dragon. Just as he had turned to leave, a huge wave of base emotion washed over him. He stopped and turned back towards the plaza. Slowly he raised his hand and pulled back his hood.

The man had a large red tattoo that covered nearly half his stony face which was currently devoid of emotion. The only sign of life was his sharp eyes which seemed to look down at the events with a sort of hungry pride.

The waves of power continued to wash over the man and the surrounding city, but it seemed to have no effect on him. Instead he looked down at its source. His eyes narrowed briefly, almost imperceptibly as they found the center of power.

A lone boy, hardly more than a toddler stood amongst the frozen crowd, small sobs wracking his body. The man's face was unreadable. He seemed to be in deep thought. Then, a small smile played across his face.

As if breaking out of his reverie, the cloaked man shook his head. With an almost imperceptible change of the wind, the figure disappeared. A second later he was on the ground, amidst the slowly falling people. They were all unconscious. Some had small bubbles of froth on their mouths. All of their eyes were glazed and empty.

The man walked slowly towards the crying boy. When the last of the people had collapsed, the man stood alone in front of the small sniffling frame.

"Boy."

His voice was deep and hoarse, as if it was hardly used. His face was still stony and empty. His eyes cold and sharp.

Luffy wiped away at his nose and looked up at the imposing figure timidly.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly, hardly able to suppress the sobs.

"You should get going. It won't be safe here for long." The man ignored his question.

"But Sabo…" Luffy cried.

The cloaked man looked towards the fallen noble and the rope he had been dragging. After what seemed a second of thought, he looked back at Luffy. A small wave of pressure exuded off of the man and rushed into the small boy's body.

Luffy grew still, his sobs suddenly gone. He looked up at the man almost unconsciously.

"Get moving." The man said simply.

Luffy complied immediately and began to trudge down the street and towards the gate out of town. His mind was completely clear save those two words. All he knew was that he had to follow those orders.

The man watched the retreating figure quietly for a several moments. Soon the boy was out of the plaza and heading down the road. Finally the cloaked man began to move as well. He turned and began to walk slowly but deliberately towards the unconscious world noble. A second later he was looking down at the strangely shaped man.

The bubble he had been wearing seemed to have popped. His nose had broken when he had collapsed and was now bleeding freely. Dirt was now streaked across his previously pristine clothing.

Wordlessly, the cloaked man stooped down and picked up the body. With ease, he threw the body over his shoulder and straightened. For a second he hesitated, but then turned towards the broken boy the noble had been dragging who was collapsed nearby. Another beat passed before the cloaked man came to some decision. Again he stooped down and scooped up the small boy. With a bit of shuffling he seemed to have a good hold on both bodies and straightened again.

The man let out a small sigh. His vision swept over the hundreds of collapsed civilians in the plaza. Finally he looked back towards where the sobbing boy had left the plaza. He hesitated briefly, but then the wind shifted quietly and the man was gone.

Luffy's mind returned soon after exiting the city. The wind had picked up and ash was in the air. Gray terminal had taken flight and a huge cloud of dust was hanging low in the sky. Down in the city, fires had started to rage. It seemed everyone had been knocked out cold, and now unattended the city was alit. Smoke was gathering with the ash above, turning the world a dark grey shade.

Fresh tears began to fall. Luffy wanted to just stop and curl up in a ball, but something told him to keep moving, to go to Dadan and Ace, to go home. There was nobody around. Of course all the bodies had been moved or buried. The workers would have been in the city for the Celestial Dragon's arrival. There were huge mounds everywhere. Mass graves for the dead.

Soon Gray terminal was gone and Luffy was back in the forest. It was alive and moving, the same as any other day. Birds were calling and the trees whistling. It seemed almost unfair. Almost as if nothing had happened.

The bandit hideout came into view eventually. Standing outside was a worried Dadan. Luffy looked up at her dejectedly, before entering the house without saying a word. The big woman frowned as he passed.

Ace had been moved into their room and was still sleeping soundly. His bandages had been replaced at some point, but it didn't look like he had awoken yet. Luffy collapsed next to him, face down into his pillow. His body began heaving as sobs began anew.

Marine Headquarters

Sengoku was not having a good day.

Being Fleet Admiral came with a lot of responsibilities. Thus when the den den mushi started ringing he only sighed before picking it up. He didn't have the luxury of ignoring phone calls. But soon he would wish that he had ignored just this one.

"WHAT?!"

Back aboard the Celestial Dragon's ship, docked in the Goa Kingdom

"I demand you take action! Tell the marines to take action!" a nasally man was screaming into the receiver.

Outside was pure pandemonium. People had begun to wake up all over the city, but it was to a world of destruction. The fire had spread rapidly and was engulfing nearly half the city. Some had taken advantage of the situation to begin looting stores. Others had begun to flee the island in droves once they had realized something very wrong had occurred. Nobody wanted to be around for what would occur next.

"That's not enough! I want you to destroy this island! Wipe every last vermin off it's face!" the nasally man's face was red. The bubble helmet was fogging over. Several guards looked on in fear. After all, they had failed at their job. Who knew what the noble would do after he was done with destroying this island. His brother was missing after all. And it was their fault.

"I don't care if they belong to the government! I want them GONE!" the man screamed, spittle flying.

After receiving some answer the man visibly calmed down.

"Yes. Okay. A buster call, okay good. Whatever you want to call it I don't care. Good. Alright." For almost a minute he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line.

"They already searched. Can't find him anywhere. Said some peasants probably dragged him off and killed him somewhere. That was my brother! Now his blood is on their hands and if you don't make sure every last one of them is dead by morning, I'll make sure it's on your head!" he had gotten angry again all of a sudden. Finally with a huff at some confirmation, he slammed the receiver down. He turned towards the guards with a glower. After eyeing each one he turned towards his navigator.

"Alright let's go. I want to see this country burn, but lets do it at a safe distance." he haughtily swept his drooping cape and walked out of the room. The guards sighed audibly. They had escaped punishment for the moment.

Aboard a Navy Battleship

"Vice Admiral Garp! We have received word of a buster call near our location!" a marine reported to the greying man. Said man was currently busy slurping noodles noisily out of a bowl, seemingly uncaring about this report.

"Where?" Garp asked after a moment of slurping. He chewed thoughtfully. Damn buster calls, they were a terrible thing. There hadn't been one in years, but he usually tried to steer clear of where they were happening, but this had taken him off guard. What was a buster call doing out here in the east blue? He took a long sip of alcohol.

"The Goa Kingdom sir."

Garp spit out his sake in a huge burst of mist. His eyes bugged out of his head. The Goa Kingdom?! God damnit! Why there?!

"Set sail immediately!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. The marine visibly flinched before shouting confirmation.

Luffy. Ace. Stay safe.

Next time: Buster Call!

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!