Authors Note: I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

The sun rose on the horizon as Luffy reached his destination.

Seven graves.

The pirate plopped down and adjusted his hat, ignoring how the early morning air nipped at his exposed skin. He had nabbed a bottle of sake and a small saucer from the kitchen while he was leaving.

Luffy uncorked the bottle and carefully poured some sake into the saucer. He lifted it into the air, being careful not to let any of it spill, and tilted it towards where the deceased members of CP9 lay. He gulped down the burning liquid and gasped. A memory came to him as he spluttered and shook his head.

""When you exchange sake, you become brothers."

Luffy wasn't sure if the bitter taste in his mouth was because of the sake or because of his memories. That's when he felt Zoro approaching.

The swordsman collapsed to the ground beside him and they sat in companionable silence as the sun inched its way up the sky. "Pass the sake," Zoro said gruffly after a few minutes has passed.

Luffy handed him the bottle and Zoro gulped the rest of the bottle down in a few seconds. The green-haired man let out a long, contented sigh and put the bottle down.

"How are they?" Luffy asked.

"Sanji will be fine."

"And Pigeon bastard?"

Zoro's face revealed no emotions. "I'll tell you straight Captain," the First Mate said, "there's a good chance he won't make it."

Luffy sighed and clenched his right hand. He lightly punched the ground. "God damn it!" He snarled. Zoro stood up and shielded his eye from the sun's rays. Luffy shakily got to his feet. "Thanks for not dancing around the subject, Zoro."

The swordsman nodded. "Let's go back to Sunny, the others will be waking up so soon.

Luffy didn't respond, the rubber man was studying his hand. "Luffy?" Zoro questioned.

"It was like Ace all over again," the pirate whispered to himself.

Zoro stiffened, this was the first time Luffy had ever brought up his older brother since they had been reunited. "Luffy…" Zoro shifted in place, Mihawk had told him how Ace had died.

It hadn't been pretty.

Zoro silently cursed, he wasn't good with emotions. "L-luffy, it wasn't your your fault," Zoro tried to reason. "Lucci needed to be stopped and he's still alive!"

"But for how long?" Luffy asked, his eyes never leaving his hand. "If he dies...I'll never forgive myself!" Luffy clenched his hand into a fist as he yelled.

Zoro could only stare, his tongue suddenly as heavy as lead in his mouth. Luffy smiled sadly. "Let's go Zoro." Luffy walked off and, instinctively, Zoro fell into place half a step behind him.

The aroma of food made Luffy's stomach rumble as he sat at the head of the table. Whatever Robin was cooking up smelled as good as anything Sanji would make. Everyone but Chopper and Brook were present. And Sanij of course.

Luffy didn't want to have to repeat what had happened last night multiple times so he was waiting on Brook. As if on cue, Brook appeared at the door frame. "Yohohohoho, good morning everyone!" The perverted musician greeted before noticing something was out of place. "Where's Sanji and Chopper?"

"That's what I want to know," Nami grumbled as Robin began dishing out the food.

Luffy took a deep breath before taking the plunge. "Chopper's performing surgery on Sanji right now."

Stunned silence.

Then.

Pure chaos.

"QUIET!" Zoro thundered, slamming his fist onto the table. "Let Luffy explain."

Luffy twisted his fingers and cleared his throat. "Last night...Lucci woke up."

Usopp groaned and was about to speak when he caught sight of Zoro's glare. The liar epp'd and gestured for Luffy to continue.

"Sanji was the first to find him and he's never faced actually Lucci before so I think he underestimated him. Anyway, by the time me and Zoro got there it was all over."

"Sanji was pretty okay and should be up in a few days...Lucci might not make it."

Franky was the first to break the tense silence that followed. "Suuuuper!"

Luffy blinked in shock, not sure how to respond to the cruel statement.

"Sanji being okay, I mean," the shipwright hurriedly backpedaled, "Not Lucci dying."

"He's not dead yet," Usopp reminded.

"How badly is Rob Lucci injured Captain-san?" Robin inquired as she fetched some coffee.

"Broken bones," Zoro interjected as Luffy opened his mouth, "and multiple burns."

Robin rested her chin on her hand. "And something like that has put Lucci's life on the line?"

Zoro silently cursed. "Sanji really put him through the ringer, his chest is especially bad."

Robin seemed to accept the answer and the rest of breakfast passed quickly. Zoro volunteered to wash up and soon only him and Luffy were left in the kitchen.

"I don't like this," Luffy whispered softly, "you lied to everyone."

Zoro stopped rinsing the plates and sighed. "Did you want me to say you smashed through his chest like Akainu did to Ace?" Zoro only fully realised what he'd said after he'd finished speaking.

He whirled around but Luffy was already gone, the kitchen door swinging in the breeze.

Chopper dropped the scalpel and observed his handiwork, Sanji's wounds were all stitched up and the cook would probably wake up in the evening. The reindeer estimated that Sanji would be back to normal in a week or two.

The door was nearly thrown off its hinges as Luffy barreled into the room. Chopper opened his mouth to yell at the rubber man but stopped when he saw the demented look in Luffy's eyes.

Luffy walked over to the end of Lucci's bed and looked at the frail man hooked up on life support. Luffy took a deep breath, his very body shuddering.

"PIGEON BASTARD!" Luffy roared up at the very heavens themselves, "DON'T YOU DARE DIE! YOUR NAKAMA DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU YET!"

The roar echoed through the Thousand Sunny and the unnamed island itself, reaching all the way to the row of graves.

Lucci's heart monitor beeped in response.