(Who decided that giving plot bunnies a name as innocent as bunnies was good idea? They've got nothing to do with innocent and fluffy things! They're demons! They posses you, suck your energy and turn you into a zombie until they're done with you!)

reflections on broken waves

rising storm

The silence of the mountain is broken by a scream of utter terror.

In front of the mountain hut where this scream originated from, an old man wearing a summer shirt holds up a child no older than seven to the bandits' leader.

Over the course of the next few minutes, her face crumbles into one of utter despair and white faced fury (horror). The one causing this reaction couldn't care less and marches back down the mountain through a forest filled with ferocious beasts with an ease that only someone assured of their place at the top of the food chain can manage.

It goes without saying of course, that the bandit leader does not have that ease. Not even remotely. Like at all. Given that, she doesn't know if she should start ordering the brat dumped on her to do chores the other one it too small to do or if she should be afraid of a kid the height of her knee with his pinky up his nose, a straw hat on his head and a blank look on his face.

The correct answer?

She should be afraid.

Very. Very. Afraid.

xXx

"Who're you?"

"'m Luffy! I'm goona become the Pirate King! Wait – where're you going? Let's be friends!"

The round, tiny face attempts to scowl but comes off more as adorable, which the other boy is utterly oblivious to unlike the bandits who curse Garp yet again as they watch the older boy hurry after the smaller one who yet again decides that exploring a forest filled with blood-thirsty beast easily ten times his size (never mind his weight!) is a good idea.

xXx

Luffy tilts his head.

The boy tilts his head.

Luffy sucks on his lips.

The boy sucks on his lips but he can't do it as well as Luffy cause he isn't rubber. (It's not a lame fruit! That that Shanks!)

Luffy sucks on his lips more. Meanie Gramps dropped him in a really bad place. Luffy hates mountain bandits!

It's cool that he isn't alone with them, but the monsters in the forest are really strong. Even though Luffy's punch is like a pistol! (Almost!)

But Luffy really doesn't like this place. The bandits don't give him enough food and they are mean. Ace doesn't like them a lot either even though he's lived with them all his life!

Luffy wants to go back to the village and Makino. But he can't. He promised Shanks that he'd become a great pirate and Pirate King! He is going to have a crew better than Shanks and he'd have lots of adventures with them and protect them and have fun! He has to be strong for that.

Stronger than the animals! He wouldn't give up!

But babies sure were funny. Dadan said Ace wasn't a baby, that he is four years old, but he is so small. Lots smaller than Luffy even! (Even though he is almost grown up, he knows he's still growing and Ace definitely has a lot more growing to do than Luffy!)

Ace blinks and Luffy grins. He won!

Ace glares, pulls on Luffy's cheeks but Luffy still stared without blinking longer! Yay! That means he gets to decide if they have to go left or right to go back to the bandits'.

Ace is small and tiny and weaker than Luffy. But Luffy decided they are friends, so he's got to be grown up and responsible now and find them the way back.

xXx

…they maaaay end up a bit lost. And stumble over a tiger on accident.

(On accident: that will become the word that thoroughly summarizes their childhood. Stumbled over a tiger on accident, beat up thugs on accident, robbed pirates on accident, caused an avalanche on accident...)

Lufy doesn't know how they make it back and he doesn't remember a lot of fighting the tiger. But it was Luffy's adventure and Ace got hurt because of Luffy's adventure.

- and Luffy will definitely have to do better.

xXx

Doing better is hard. He needs to think a lot and that hurts his head. But once they discover the use of weapons, it's a good start.

xXx

Luffy falls in the river. Ace waits for him to come back up.

He doesn't.

Jumping in after is maybe a stupid idea given that Ace can't really swim yet either, but Luffy is so useless sometimes, like when he accidentally made a knot of his arms and needed Ace to untangle them.

Still, stupid or not, Ace doesn't want to go back to life with only the bandits. Living is warmer now.

xXx

Luffy is eight years old already when he and Ace see Gray Terminal for the first time.

xXx

They're only a bit older when they meet a blond boy as old as Ace beating up some bad men, and decide to gather a pirate found together.

At first Sabo honestly doesn't know what to think of the two boys at first who stumble into his life (and Gray Terminal) with all the subtly of a sledgehammer. They're loud, wild and Sabo's never seen such horrible manners or disregard of social conventions.

In short, it doesn't take him long to decide they are a riot (by themselves and by what they do to others') and absolutely worth sticking with for that reason alone.

One reason becomes many quickly. Sabo hadn't known he was lonely until it's gone. Living hurt a bit before, but with Luffy and Ace it's suddenly fun.

Sabo learns how to beat up the animals that used to force him to run and hide, and how even sharing a meal can be an adventure!

Glowing affection from Luffy (that he's had to do nothing for; the mind boggles) and rivalry with Ace fill his days.

Together, they dream.

"I'M GOONA BE PIRATE KING!"

"I'LL BE A GREATER PIRATE THAN THAT GUY EVER WAS! I'LL BECOME STRONG AND STRONGER AND I'LL LEAVE MY STAMP ON THE WORLD!"

…

"...Luffy, Ace. Let's leave this country one day. Let's leave and get out on the ocean and be free!"

xXx

Ace is Luffy's little brother and if anyone wants to hurt him, they'll have to go through him first.

It's nice, having a brother. He's never had a brother before. And having a second brother is great too! It makes him all warm and comfy inside when they play and hunt and train together.

For them Luffy is going to be as great a big brother as he is goona be a pirate! He'll protect them both and become the strongest of all and -

xXx

-he isn't strong. He is weak! He can't even protect his little brother, how can he become Pirate King?!

Clutching a letter in his fists, Dogra's words in his ears, Luffy cries.

Luffy is bright and strong and warm.

Ace is eight years old, the son of (maybe) a demon, a child who everyone tried to kill before he was born, who everyone would kill if they knew who he was, and he has a big brother who cuddles him in his sleep, drools with him over food, trains with him, fights with him, hunts with him, who can't be bothered to learn what a compass is, who still hits himself with his devil fruit more often than he hits Ace (though if he throws a normal punch then Ace and trees haven't got a chance!), who drags and shoots him through trees when he tries to fly like a rocket, who hugs him for no reason, who laughs and smiles with Ace, who is a crybaby, who thinks that its the coolest thing ever that he's the Pirate King's son, and who -

punches the man through a wall.

Ace stands, stunned. The bar is deadly silent. They all stare at Luffy who blows out a puffing breath through his nose and who is angry, pipe clutched in his hand and bent from force.

Because they said bad things about Ace. (Because Ace asked, but that's besides the point.)

Ace may be the child of a demon, he may not.

Ace doesn't know, he's never met Roger, that's why he asks, but everyone only says bad things about him, so he must have been evil in some way, Ace sometimes thinks -

Though when Luffy looks like that, when his eyes are all dark and fists trembling and hat that is too big for him getting put upon his dark hair to cast a dark rim of shadow over his eyes -

(like he would put himself between Ace and the world)

- that he is just Ace, that the blood he can feel pumping through his body and see under his skin is not evil and not poisonous and not black and not cursed.

(Luffy is warmer and brighter and stronger than the sun. When Ace is with him, not even the world they are standing on can touch him.)

Luffy is seventeen today and he's finally setting sail!

His crew and adventures are waiting for him, he can feel it!

He'll become Pirate King.

(He'll be free like Sabo never was.)

"Bye everyone!" He shouts, waving his arms as his little ship leaves the only land he's ever known. "I'll see you in three years Ace! Become a great pirate!"

"Worry about yourself first, Luffy!" Ace waves, laughing and crying (geez, and he always calls Luffy a crybaby). "I at least know how to read a compass!"

"Shishishishishi!"

And then the ocean stirs and the Lord of the Coast gets sent flying. Luffy nods to himself. A good start to a journey.

"Hey you. They say you're strong. Want to join my Pirate Crew?"

Zoro isn't in the mood to entertain crazy kids. He's got bigger problems like the deal he made that is going up in flames and his current inability to defend himself should he need it. "...why would I want to be a pirate?"

He has no idea what he is dealing with. His ignorance won't survive the next five minutes.

The grin that splits the straw-hatted boy's face is that of the devil. "'Cause otherwise you'll die here and if you agree I'll even get you your swords."

...it's not a choice.

Zoro will later learn that he really, really didn't stand a chance.

xXx

When it rains a body from the sky that somehow is still alive, Nami doesn't let shock get the better of her long enough to miss taking advantage of it.

She feels a bit bad for throwing that guy to the wolves, but well. It's a dangerous world and everyone for themselves.

Only it turns out it wasn't him who was thrown to the wolves. She doesn't think she ever saw a fight end that quickly and it stuns her appropriately.

Trying to sweet talk this golden chance to move things along so that she comes within arm's reach of not only the map to the Grand Line but also Buggy's gold doesn't work until she gives an inch.

"How about you help me first? Then we can work together."

"Okay."

It's an inch she's never going to get back.

Usually she not only takes her inches back but, ah, 'borrows' a couple miles at the same time.

Thing only get crazier and by the end of the day she's helped ruin one of the most feared pirates in the East Blue, got recruited as a Navigator for a crew that including her counts a grant total of three members, was introduced to more Devil Fruits in one day than most people see in their lifetimes, and gathered a couple million more for her treasure. Her head spins.

She thinks she found a couple of strong guys to protect her while robbing other pirates (and eventually them) blind. She is wrong. Oh so wrong.

xXx

It doesn't take Usopp long at all to decide that jumping on the Going Merry to follow Luffy was the best choice of his life. Granted, the things the rubber captain drags them into leaves him terrified more often than not, but he's out on the sea, he's on the crew of the (maybe) future Pirate King and he'll one day catch up to his father. His dream of becoming a brave warrior of the seas is no longer something absurd and out of reach. He has taken the first step towards it!

He'll take more.

"Shishishi! Look Usopp! Don't you think that shadow looks like a Sea King? Let's go fishing!"

"NO! ARE YOU CRAZY? THAT THING WILL SWALLOW THE MERRY WHOLE!"

….even if he'll be terrified and, er, watching from strategic distance away from the monster punching legitimate, giant, violent sea monsters out with one punch.

xXx

Through all the ups and downs of his life, Sanji can definitely claim that he has never met someone as bat-shit as Luffy before.

He wonders on a side note what it says about him that he ends up following that boy, but mostly he is concerned with working out rations and meal plans and where is he supposed to store all that food which means its a good thing that Luffy does not only attract trouble like bees to honey but that a good percent of the fish he and Usopp catch end up twice the size of the Merry and perfectly eatable.

Sanji has pity, not for the first time, with Luffy's parents who must have gotten eaten out of house and home. (Assuming they aren't the same, but that way lies madness.)

"Sanji~~. Fooooood~."

As it is, he has all pans on the stove, fires burning, and has to bat rubbery (menace!) hands away from the desserts he is currently making and the special delux tropical juice for the only blessing of god on this testosterone manned ship, the beautiful Nami-san~~~.

xXx

"Ace! Ace, look here! It's Luffy!"

The teen almost tears the paper in half, so eagerly does he take it. "A wanter poster!"

xXx

Her cover identity dissolving like salt in water is, as she later learns, just one of those things that just happen around Luffy.

Giving credit where credit is due, Luffy didn't actually do anything other than mess her Baroque Works mission up. He just happened to be around when the consequences of her own actions caught up with her.

Still, it's easy to blame Luffy when the most well laid plans just habitually keep going up in smoke around him and her identity would likely have done the same had it not already been compromised.

Relaxing on deck is also easy, very much so.

Indulging Luffy with sudden games or spontaneous hugs, watching Nami smack sense into whatever chaos unfolds, mediating between the swordsman and the cook, making sure that they do not use Carue as bait for Sea Kings again is exhausting and stressing at first, but two weeks into her travels with them, she wakes up and finds herself following a routine without second thought, and without the constant fear and weight on her shoulders that had been her companion for the past years.

The Straw Hats are not like any pirates she knows. She would bet her royal treasury (if it weren't currently empty) that there are no pirates anywhere like them.

It makes her feel humble and grateful that she is the one blessed with encountering them, makes her wonder what gods are watching out for her and her people.

(Later: what gods enjoy tossing Luffy at a problem and watching the resulting mayhem.)

She knows the pirate flag over their heads stands for something (dreams, adventures, defiance), understands that they would not take it down for anything, but as Nami fights a fever for her life, as innocent people shoot at Luffy and this miraculous ship it makes her wish they could see what she sees – these wonderful kind people who give hope.

Luffy bows his head and pleads for help, but the kingdom's soldiers don't listen. They see pirates, they see evil, they see the money of his bounty. A second shot falls, then a third and Vivi knows its over when Luffy raises his head and stands up, and his eyes are colder than the snow and ice surrounding them, darker than the sea at night.

Her hands drifting to her own weapons, she feels sorry for these people, but Nami's pain is burned into her vision and as a princess of a kingdom (pirate) she draws a line. If they will not help Nami then…-

- they will be made to.

xXx

The human is getting better and Chopper is glad, because the sooner she is better and the sooner she and her companions will leave.

….it's not that Chopper wants the first pirates he's ever met to leave. It's just…

"Heeeeeey! Monster! Join my crew!"

That.

He hadn't run this much this far, this fast through the forest since, well, ever, but the human with the straw hat Just. Won't. Stop.

It takes Chopper hours until he's finally lost the human (he hopes) and begins his trek back to the big tree that Doctorine and he call their home when he smells something. Blood.

His ears twitch and pick up the metallic clash of weapons before shouts and voices get audible, and he comes to a dashing stop, hooves digging grooves into the snow.

Drum Kingdom's soldiers have his home surrounded, guns and swords rised.

Doctorine leans against the doorway. The pirates are around her. There is a tornado tearing into the soldiers.

The tornado stops and it's actually the blond human who wanted to cook him. He's smoking a cigarette and looking like the virtual platoon is nothing more than an annoyance.

A relatively short amount of time and a rumble ball later, the army lies in the snow, defeated, and Chopper stares at the humans that have invaded his home with an open mouth. Even that bull-human was defeated.

(Chopper remembers him. And he watched him closely. He seemed almost happy to call the army to retreat if a bit worried.)

Now that they have fought together, the blond human stops trying to make him into food and Chopper can start looking after the sick human again. The others make camp in front of their door and celebrate their friend's growing health, ignoring the cold like no humans he's ever seen.

They are so strong! Is that what pirates are like?

But even if they are strong, they'll leave (…) and now the army found where they live. Doctorine and Chopper will have to move.

It never comes to that.

With the strike force that had been send to capture the pirates having been defeated so soundly, even more are back the next day in addition to the bull-man and two other humans that Chopper knows are important in the Drum Kingdom. While they get sent home packing as well, the real trouble starts when on the third day Warpol himself comes down from the castle.

Warpol comes down from the castle, and the straw-hatted human bursts out of the forest - from which he had not reappeared since Chopper managed to loose him three days ago - riding a Lapan, laughing, followed by an entire herd of the vicious, violent flesh eating monster rabbits.

Who promptly start chewing on the soldiers and gleefully listen to gleeful shouts of the gleeful human.

At least, Chopper is gratified to note, he isn't the only one whose jaw thunks into the snow.

Then he has no time for shock, because the human is back to badgering him into becoming his crew-member. A short respite is only granted when Warpol shakes his shock off, starts chewing on the Lapans in red faced fury and promptly gets sent literally flying (definitely off the island at that angle and a good bit at that, Chopper estimates) by the straw-hatted human who can stretch and is made of rubber because Warpol hurt the Lapans and the Lapans are the straw-hatted human's friends.

The terrifying blank expression melts as the human looks back at Chopper, an eager mischievous smile growing on his face and Chopper's fur stands on end. He runs.

It doesn't help.

xXx

Her life and her history are one and the same. Robin lives for history; her history, the world's.

Once, her life was saved by a giant bearing an initial that even he did not the meaning of.

History repeats itself and her life is saved by a boy carrying the same letter in his name. She's heard rumors of it, whispers spoken behind hands in awe, in surprise, in defeat, as pure statement of recognition.

D and the Will of D.

She doesn't know what they mean yet, but now she thinks she can start grasping the merest outline of it. Something that, as of yet, she can no more put into words than she can put a storm in a jar.

Monkey D Luffy is strong and impulsive. Willful and determined. Warm and terrifying. But when he needs to lead his crew he is (shockingly) responsible.

At his wish they fly into the sky, on his whim they challenge a god and for him dreams are not something that might exist or might not but something that simply hasn't been found yet. Sky Island exists. One Piece exists. Rio Poneglyph exists. And Gol D Roger was Pirate King, why shouldn't he be able to read the words the World did its best to kill?

("Why should the freest man in the world care about letters and languages? It's like what those words say changes just cause its a different language, right?" Lying on his back on the Merry's figurehead there is honest puzzlement on Luffy's upside-down face as he does not see the greatest barrier put between the world and its secrets, and Robin thinks that for the first time she understands (one of) the complexities that make up her captain.)

(She smiles and says with an ease she thought lost years ago, "yes. Yes, it is, Captain.")

Maybe she shouldn't have gotten involved with him. But it had just turned out that way, there had been no conscious decision on her part and no decision on his aside from an offhand "sure, welcome". They had just collapsed into this.

This.

A government flag burning over her head in the eternal sky. The center and symbol of the world's justice laying in chaos and falling to ruins before her eyes. Seven people challenging the world for her.

"SAY IT ROBIN! I HAVEN'T HEARD IT FROM YOU YET!"

Saul's ghost is in her ears.

Shards of her life resemble, are ground into dust, spring into detail and nothing matters but this moment (this dream, this force, this typhoon's eye).

"I WANNA LIVE!"

xXx

As everyone knows, Franky is SUPER. He's a SUPER delinquent, a SUPER ship-salvager (shipwright), a SUPER cyborg. Of course someone like Straw Hat wants him on his crew.

Franky totally understands.

A super pirate needs a SUPER ship and a SUPER shipwright for SUPER adventures they are going to have.

While saying goodbye to Water Seven is one of the hardest things in his life, it is one of the easiest too, because Franky wants to go. Really, really wants to.

"Come on board of my ship, Franky! Or I won't give your pants back. Shishishishi!"

So yes, Franky has no issues with becoming a Straw Hat, becoming a pirate and he more than enjoys the SUPER trip he is on on the way to building a legend.

There is no doubt in his mind that the next Pirate King is going to be Luffy. Who else could? Franky barely understands what that title means ("I'm proud with a DON of building a ship for the man called Roger!"), can barely comprehend the sheer size of it because it is not just finding the final island, that's just the easiest definition.

But whatever it is, Franky cannot imagine that a Pirate King can be anything other than what Luffy is (will become). He is beyond and above human understanding, a really super grand person, how could there be any other future than that of the freest man in the world for him?

Now Franky only needs to make sure that the ship is up to the wild ride and worthy of carrying the future Pirate King.

And damn, will it be.

xXx

What Brook knows best is fog and mist and loneliness and ghosts. They have been his companions for more than half his life and he is all too happy to leave them behind on Lion-chan.

He's had so many dreams of leaving this dead prison behind, but never once had he considered that it might as a part of such a colorful crew.

Never had he considered that he might continue his journey to fulfill the promise made to the last one of his comrades still alive from over fifty years ago. To travel around the world and meet again at Reverse Mountain upon once again entering the Grand Line.

Book has been given this chance in a tumble of miracles.

Strangers met his ship, strangers were not afraid of him, strangers wanted to have him in their crew. Strangers went and challenged and fought a pirate of the likes Brook had never seen before. Strangers that he now has the honor of calling his comrades won.

In the years he spend in the Triangle he missed a lot and he hadn't known there could be a king of pirates before, he hadn't even known the name Gold Roger, but none of it matters. The grandness of the goal, the length of the road ahead – Brook doesn't need to know them.

All that matters is that his Captain, Monkey D "Straw Hat" Luffy, decided that Pirate King was what he is going to be and so be it.

"Brook~! Play a song!"

"Yes play a song! Play a song!"

"Yohohohoho! As you wish. What would you like to hear?"

"You pick!"

Brook is surrounded by life and noise. Robin-san reads a book on a lawn-chair, Nami-san tends to her tangerines and from the crows nest the faint thud of heavy weights can be heard. Brook wonders if he should inform Chopper-san of it, because while Brook might not understand how great the ambition of the young boy he follows is, he has been made more than aware of the dangers.

He would devote his life to this, to what he has now, to what he has been granted, but that has already happened somewhere along the brightest night of Brook's life, naturally and easily.

Brook is only one of many who are loyal and devoted their captain, who live and die for him, who are completely taken in by him and his life.

Brook loves this life and Luffy-san for offering it to him.

He is but one of many.

xXx

Luffy didn't remember at first.

Camie is his friend. If she doesn't feel safe enough to fulfill her dream unless they're there to look out for her, of course Luffy will help. He wants to go to the amusement park anyway, so there.

Unlike his nakama, she isn't strong though and Luffy has to look out for her like he used to look out for his brothers, and the bad man in the rabbit costume is fun so long as he is wearing the costume and the ice and balloons are nice. But Luffy still punches him into the ground with enough force to split the mangrove when he tries to take Camie and offers a price to buy her when they don't let him.

That is that and they continue playing in the amusement park even though it takes time to make it fun again because everyone is suddenly tense and looking over shoulders. But fun it does become again – the roller-coaster! So exciting!

Then more men come – Luffy recognizes stupidly smug grinning friends of the rabbit-guy; he should have hit them too and not let them run – and even some with uniform, though its not marines.

"In the name of Saint Charlos, hand over that mermaid! Saint Charlos decrees for it to be kept in his aquarium."

The amusement park isn't fun anymore.

All the other people run and scream and Luffy wouldn't care for that except even the people making the rides run are gone.

Luffy doesn't know what a Saint Charlos is.

He tells the men so and also that Camie is his friend and not a thing and if they don't stop talking about her like that he's going to kick their asses.

Camie is trembling and afraid, clutching Hachi's jacket, eyes wide and pale. In the amusement park that she always dreamed about.

"Sorry Camie," Luffy says on the way back to Shakky's after he made good on his threat. "I said it would be fine but they ruined your fun anyway."

Camie shakes her head and smiles bravely. "No, it's fine. Thank you, Luffy. For taking me to the park and protecting me. It was really fun." But Luffy can see the fear still in her eyes.

Luffy crosses his arms and huffs. He isn't happy with this. Maybe he could-

Huh. People are kneeling again. Left and right and making a street for those rich something-or-other people. It itches at the back of his mind, that making space, but he can't remember why.

Though he isn't in the mood to kneel even at the request of a friend, but he lets them drag him into a building.

To hide. Luffy doesn't like this. At all. If he hides he hides because he wants, because fighting marines is annoying or to play hide and seek. Not because he must.

But he gets it. He isn't strong enough to fight an Admiral yet as Aokiji proved, his friends are afraid and if Luffy doesn't listen to them they'll be even more afraid. Luffy would ruin Camie's day.

"Saint Charlos! What brings you here?" That's the sniveling voice of the suit wearing guy that had ordered the soldiers around.

Outside of the house Luffy hears a someone sniffing. It doesn't sound like a sad sniff.

His friends have pulled the curtains closed, but Luffy can still hear the outside as he raids the pantry. "What's taking you so long, fool?! Where's my mermaid?"

Luffy twitches. His friends' sudden terror has them cower against the walls.

"...ah, Saint Charlos, there was some unexpected interference-"

"I don't want your excuses! Where is my mermaid? I want her in my fish-tank with the piranhas!"

"Ah, er, yes. We've...ah, been following them...they're hiding out in that building however, my Lord -"

"What?! Hiding? How dare they? Come out now, fish! You belong to me!"

Luffy keeps eating. It's not like he cares about what someone says or claims since its obviously nothing close to true. Camie doesn't belong to anyone and anyone who thinks so is stupid.

However...

The door gets thrown in and more of those spike headed uniform people block the light. Luffy chews annoyed. Haven't they learned their lessons yet?

Apparently not, because Luffy has to punch them both 'cause they were all pompous and self-something that marines tend to be when they try to arrest him and it was instinct when they looked at Camie like that.

His friends eep. Luffy kicks the body of a third one out the door with enough power that it flies.

And oops? Looks like someone was in the line of fire.

The bubble man seems have fallen on his behind as the projectile passed him and the expression on his face is so funny that Luffy has to point and laugh and that makes it even funnier.

"...Luffy." Chopper tugs at his shorts, looking up at him with anxiety. Which kind of reminds Luffy why he was supposed to avoid the bubble-head.

Luffy grins and says, "Let's run!"

Camie and Hachi and Pappag are a bit white in the face. Maybe they didn't eat enough meat? But they nod eagerly and Luffy stretches an arm out to the roof of the next building -

A gunshot falls.

The bullet bounces harmlessly away from Luffy. A deadly sort of quiet falls. Everyone is staring in horror and shock and what (if Luffy were the type to use such words) could only be described as gut-clenching horrified dread.

Luffy turns his head, motion to escape aborted. His gaze falls on the shooter, his head tilting in a way that his friends recognize but no one else identifies as a warning. "Camie isn't yours. And she isn't for sale." He states. This situation is becoming awfully familiar and it's not a nice memory that it reminds him of.

Picking a fight is bad, Admirals he can't fight yet.

The onion-man stomps his feet and shouts, and Luffy doesn't bother to listen to the sniveling, waiting for actions to tell him what he needs to know.

The pistol gets pointed at Hachi, and Camie, and more of those stupid pointy headed uniform guys charge.

Luffy doesn't let them of course. But defending them and his friends against those pointed people with a bigger threat looming on the horizon makes something click.

And he remembers.

On this island, all and everything is chartered to these people. Like to the nobles of Goa Kingdom. They steal freedom, they steal even emotions and they steal even the right to say no.

No one is even allowed to say they don't want this.

They aren't allowed to live as they want.

Everything happens because those strange people say so and not even because those people want what is done for them. They feel like it already is theirs, like it's their right. That sort of chocking blanket is familiar.

Like Sabo's father taking Sabo away from them because it's what he expects and not what Sabo wants.

Everyone on this archipelago moves out of the way for these people to pass by and if they don't a marine admiral is called? That's exactly like what Dogra said happened to Sabo! Luffy's little brother, on his way to the freedom that he never reached.

And now this sniveling little weak man wants to take Camie?

Like his little brother was taken from him?

Rage invades Luffy's vision.

Everyone is looking at Hachi like he is a monster. That bad man says Hachi is going to be his slave? Un-free like Sabo was?

Luffy.

Doesn't.

Think.

So.

A fight with marine admirals is not one he wants to pick at this moment, he can't protect his crew from them, but.

No one takes a friend from Luffy. No one.

In the end, though, it doesn't matter. His feelings aren't enough. His fists are too soft. His determination isn't hard enough.

His Will isn't sharp enough.

As he is, he can't even protect his friends.

He is TOO WEAK!

Even though he promised himself he would NEVER be too weak again.

He failed.

Again.

(He feels useless and like the crybaby Ace always accuses him of being.)

(Luffy misses him. But Ace is still back on Dawn Island, growing stronger for his own adventure.)

(Ace. Luffy is his big brother. What sort of big brother is he if he falters? If he needs to rely on his little brother to stand back up? None at all. He can't protect his little brother like this either.)

Luffy will become stronger.

TBC

...this idea sort of mutated from an innocent contemplation on what life would be like if Roger hadn't died and if the brothers had grown up together between the Roger Pirates and the Revolutionary Army. No Ace struggling to find his place in the world, no straw hat and no Pirate King dream for Luffy, instead sailing together and forming a crew (not necessarily pirates) together and taking their time and just wanting to sail happily and having adventures - lots of potential for hilarity and confusion. As in whose children are they, Garp's-wait-those-are-my-grandkids?!, casually kicking butt because they may look innocent but are anything but, and it's not their fault people want to take Robin from them. Stuff like that.

How did this happen from that? Just. How.

Anyway.

As always, please drop me a review so that I know how I did with reflections.