A/N: Hi guys! Um, I can explain... I didn't have a space to write, our house is having a major renovation and I attended several seminars as well. So, I only got into it again and I'm truly sorry for the long wait. I didn't mean for this to happen I swear. :'(
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
Chapter 12: The Departure.
*Heart of Rubber*
Marco came back to the Moby2 with a slight bounce on his step. Luffy's influence him more than he thought, just thinking about her name brings a smile on his usually bored face. Heads turned around as he walked, whispers followed him everywhere he went.
His crewmates aren't used to see him brimming with positive emotions Marco supposed, and to prove his assumption, he smiled and gave a little wave at a random crewmember. The poor bastard gaped and drop whatever it is he was holding on his own foot. Damn, that must have hurt. But oh well, not his problem. He'll talk to Oyaji first, he'll freak them out later.
The commander burst into his captain's room with a happy smile glued to his face. Whitebeard grinned at seeing this, it's not every day he sees Marco this happy after all.
"It went well I see."
"It was great! We actually have a promise yoi."
"So, you got a promise from the brat." Whitebeard mused.
"Luffy doesn't take promises lightly yoi." Marco said, now perched contentedly on his captain's enormous bed.
"Duh, I know that. So, what are you gonna do now? Do you need me to-?"
"No! Don't. Do anything yoi. I'll wait for her. She has dreams and she's too young so it will be the best for her to see the world first. Luffy wants to get stronger to protect the people she cares about and I wholeheartedly support that yoi."
"Are you sure about this? Don't you want to grab the opportunity while it's near? Or something like that."
"While it lasts yoi. No, she asked me to wait Oyaji, so that's what I'll do." Marco replied with a shrug. "Besides, aren't you curious what she'll do after her training? I know I am yoi."
The older man gave a shrug of his own as his answer. "Burarara! Whatever it is, there's going to be chaos and the brat will undoubtedly be in the thick of it. I honestly can't wait!"
"Me too, me too yoi."
*Heart of Rubber*
"You have everything you need? Food, water, clothes for different seasons and-"
"The kid is going training, not in a vacation." Rayleigh said, frowning at the brothers fussing over their little sister. With the rate they're going, he'll have a whole year supply on his little boat. Luffy needs to learn how to survive in the wild, not to be pampered.
"We know that. If it's a vacation, Sabo and I will be there." Ace told the older man with a ferocious scowl.
He just shook his head at the reply and beckon the kid instead. "Come on Luffy, we need to get going."
When she heard this, the girl latch herself to her brothers who rap their arms around her tight in return. They stayed like that for a while, and it had looked like they wouldn't let go. But eventually, they did.
"I love you Ace, Sabo. Don't worry about me, I'll train really, really hard so I can be strong like you. Shishishi!"
"We love you too Lu. And you can't stop us from worrying, it comes with being a big brother." Ace told her as he ruffle her hair fondly. "Especially, your big brother."
"Yeah. Besides, I skipped out for ten years, so I won't be able to stop now." Sabo said, squeezing Luffy's shoulders warmly. "I owe the both of you after all, and it's the least thing I can do."
A chorus of "Over protective siskins." was heard but went silent immediately when the brothers threw glares over their respective shoulders.
Luffy and Rayleigh are about to get on the small boat that the Dark King has requested for the journey. He'd refused Whitebeard's offer to get them there, Boa Hancock has helped them enough already. He got everything prepared and was only waiting for the kid to finish her goodbyes.
"I gotta say, I'm gonna miss ya Brat." Whitebeard told the cheeky little thing.
When Whitebeard decided to storm Marineford for his son, he expected to die there. But, the brat came and blew everything to hell instead. She managed to save Ace, find her long lost brother, got the Whitebeard Pirates rap around her little finger and catch the heart of his first mate. Damn if Whitebeard isn't impress. Now, he'll have things to look forward to because of the brat.
"Shishishi, I'll see ya later Old man." Luffy replied and then, she jumped up and rap her elastic limbs around the other captain and squeezed hard.
Whitebeard was surprised but he let-out a soft chuckle none the less. The kid was really sweet, he'll give her that. Definitely worth the trouble if someone ask him. "Are you sure you don't wanna be my daughter?"
The ship went deadly silent when Whitebeard had ask the question. Everyone stared at him in shock except Marco who glared at the back of his head. He ignored them all to focus at the wild youth still clinging to him.
Luffy blinked and replied, "Nah, I'm gonna be the Pirate King so I won't join you. I already told Ace that." she pouted and finally let go of him.
Oh well, at least he'd ask. Whitebeard felt Marco's relief at her answer and he couldn't help but to grin at this. So he said, "Marco will miss you, you know?"
Ace and Sabo growled and Marco groaned. "You're really trying to kill me yoi."
"Eh, but I'm gonna miss Marco too! We're gonna see each other later though, we promised." Luffy said, hands on her hips and now looking directly at the blond.
Marco straighten at this and smiled. "Yeah, we will. I'll wait for you yoi."
Luffy rewarded him with a blinding smile that almost split her pretty face in two and before anyone could react, she stretched her neck to give Marco a small peck on the cheek. After that, she gave each of her brother's quick hugs and promptly jumped over Rayleigh's boat.
"Don't kill Marco okay Ace, Sabo? We have a promise!" Luffy shouted while waving at the crowd. "I'll see you guys later! Shishishishi!"
"What. The. Hell!" Ace forced out, exploding into bright angry flames.
"You fuckin bastard, you're dead!" Sabo threaten as he lifted his arm, his trusty pipe covered in black.
"Oh wow..." Marco murmured, his fingers still on his kissed cheek with a slightly dazed look on his pink face. "I-I mean oh crap." his senses kicked in and blue fire surrounded him as he flew away from the murderous brothers.
"Hey, the brat said don't kill 'em!" Whitebeard shouted, a gleeful grin on his face.
"Good luck Commander!" the rest of the Whitebeards hollered while the others just laugh their asses off.
*end of story*
A/N: It's short, I know. I wanted to give you a longer ending but I felt that this story has to stop here or I'll just drag this along so I ended it like this. Thank you so much for the reads, reviews, favorites and follows you guys! Heart of Rubber became my most popular story and I didn't expect it to be. It's because of you guys and I can't thank you enough!