Change the Course | By : Demonized Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 4604 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
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Smoke and ash fill the air, which is accompanied by the stench of burning bodies. The smell is sickening, but it doesn't seem to faze Sakazuki or Borsalino in the slightest and he can't help but wonder how they can stomach it and the carnage that they have created. Marines and pirates alike fall victim to the attacks the Fleet Admiral and the Admiral make, showing just how far they will go to see their Justice carried out.
"LUFFY!" Nami's scream is piercing as she fails to dodge the consecutive attacks from Borsalino and Sakazuki, the latter's magma quickly devouring her.
He fights as ferociously as he can, but nothing works, and it is like their separation all over again, only this time it is absolute. "NAMI! NO!" He tries to make it over to where she had been but Borsalino blocks him with a cruel smile. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
"Oh?" Borsalino drawls out, hands in his pockets as he baits the pirate captain. "And ruin all of the fun?"
"MOVE DAMNIT!" He throws out a Jet Pistol at the Admiral, only for it to be easily dodged. A beam of light from Borsalino has him leaping up, only to receive a Haki-imbued kicked to the gut. He lands hard on the ground several feet back and coughs out a bit of blood.
"You bastard!" Zoro tries to get away from Mihawk to aid him, but his former mentor blocks his path and attacks the younger swordsman with his kokutō, Yoru.
"Your fight is with me, Roronoa Zoro." Mihawk's stare is merciless and he takes advantage of Zoro's distraction, as well as his blindside, to deal him a devastating blow. Yoru easily slices through his former apprentice's left arm.
Blood pours from the wound in copious amounts and the younger swordsman is now at quite the disadvantage, especially at the rate he is losing his blood. He grips Wadō Ichimonji's hilt with his teeth tighter and switches his hold on Shūsui while his vision begins to swim. It is no good, he is dying and Chopper has already perished to Sakazuki's magma. The doctor had been among the first, with Franky, Usopp, and now Nami.
"I had such high hopes for you, but you are like all the other insignificant insects I have crushed after all." Mihawk spins out of Shūsui's reach, ducks beneath Wadō Ichimonji, and twists slightly to run Zoro through with Yoru. He takes in the look of absolute desperation in his former apprentice's eyes, which is quickly followed by sorrow and…success? Mihawk blinks as he feels pain blossoming in his chest and looks down to find another Shūsui embedded there. What? The original Shūsui and the arm holding it vanishes as if they are merely an illusion.
"I'm sorry, Luffy…" Zoro stumbles back, Shūsui dropping from his grip, and Wadō Ichimonji falling from his mouth. He slides off of Yoru, which is still in Mihawk's grasp and falls to the ground where he remains motionless.
"ZORO!" Sanji is the one to yell out his name, but it is to no avail. The swordsman is already dead, and the rest of their Nakama are being slaughtered.
Luffy can only watch as Robin, Brook, and Sanji all are overcome by Sakazuki, leaving only a battered Jinbē and himself behind. "No… Everyone… NO!" Tears are running down his cheeks as their bodies vanish into the magma, Sakazuki's cruel laugh echoing in his ears. He kneels there, his body trembling and the taste of blood in his mouth, as Borsalino backs away from him and Sakazuki slowly approaches.
"No one can save you now, you scum." Sakazuki chortles as he let his right fist turn into molten lava, victory already in his eyes. "Your brothers are dead. Your father is dead. All of your friends are dead, and so is your crew. Nobody will save you now." He flings a bowling ball sized glob of magma at Jinbē, the Fishman struggling to get up.
Luffy sobs as he senses the life leave the last of his Nakama, his entire world-shattering because of this one man. How someone can have so much hatred in them…
"Luffy!"
Arms wrap around him and a strange look comes over Sakazuki's face before pure rage settles onto it. Before the Fleet Admiral could do anything though, a weird feeling comes over the pirate and he blinks as everything starts to grow distorted. The image of Sakazuki is warping and bending before disappearing completely. Everything around them, the island they are on, all of it is gone. Everything is dark, pitch-black if he can even begin to describe it, but he can still feel the pain of his injuries as well as the arms wrapped around him. "Who?"
"I'm… I'm so sorry, Luffy. I don't have a good grasp on these powers, so I don't know where they'll take us, or when." A familiar voice speaks up softly and the arms tighten around him slightly. "I think I pulled us out of there too quickly…"
"C-Coby?! Is that you Coby?" Luffy struggles to turn around in his marine friend's grasp, but the hold is too tight on him, and for some reason, he feels like he isn't able to move. Something warm and wet is pooling under him, and for once he hopes it isn't what he thinks it is.
"Y-yeah. It's me, Luffy." Coby's voice starts to sound weak, just as a forest appears around them. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have done more for you. Instead, this is the best I can do."
The arms go slack around him and he can finally move. Turning around, Luffy's gaze widens as he takes in the sight of the first friend he had made on the seas. Bile threatens to come up as he looks down at where Coby's legs should be, instead they are missing. Everything from the marine's navel down is missing, leaving his entrails and organs to spill out. "Coby! No! Coby!" His tears fall faster as he gathers what remains of his friend into his arms, holding him close.
"I'm really glad I met you, Luffy. You're my best friend." Coby smiles, though his expression is pained, then closes his eyes and slips away.
"COBY!"
Hours pass before he finally moves, his friend cold and stiff with rigor mortis, and begins mindlessly digging a hole with his hands. That takes him several hours more, his pace never once slowing down, until the hole is large enough and deep enough.
Ever so gently, he wraps Coby's body up in the coat he wears and carries him down into the grave. Luffy places him down with care then takes the worn straw hat that Shanks had given to him and places it on his friend's chest. "You deserve this more than I do, Coby." With that, he climbs out of the hole and begins filling it back up. Once the grave is filled, he finds a large stone that is suitable and places it at the head of the grave to mark it.
With that taken care of, he kneels there for a few minutes, his hand on top of the stone, and his head bowed. "I don't know what you did, or where I am, but I won't let your death or theirs' be in vain." His words are spoken in a low tone, his hand balling into a fist. "I'll make sure that bastard pays, for everything."
Luffy stands up and finally takes in his surroundings, the area seems familiar to him. Blinking, he frowns and wanders through the forest. It is starting to grow dark, but it doesn't matter any as he comes out upon a familiar path. Walking along the path, he stares at an all too familiar village in the distance. Fūsha… It's Fūsha. So that takes care of the where. He is confused by what Coby had meant when he had said when though. When… What can that possibly mean?
Walking down to the village, he frowns as he notices a kid skulking near the perimeter. The kid has wild black hair and wears a white shirt and blue shorts. That is all he can make out from observing the kid's back. "Oi. You there," he calls out, and the kid jumps slightly.
"H-hai?" The kid turns around, tears in his eyes and snot dripping from his nose which he quickly tries to dry.
Luffy had opened his mouth, a question poised on the tip of his tongue, which instead dies away at the sight of his younger self. The kid blinks and stares up at him, confusion, fear, and increasing worry on his face. The older Luffy blinks and looks down at himself. He is a dirty, bloody mess and more than likely looks a fright. "I won't hurt you. I promise," he states softly and kneels in front of him.
"You won't hurt me?" The child's eyes are large and pleading, but he remains wary and keeps his distance. He rubs at his nose again, sniffling as more snot drips out.
"I won't." Luffy holds both hands palms up to show that he is unarmed, though, in reality, his hands are his weapons. "What are you doing out here?"
The kid shifts around nervously, his head bowing as he mumbles out an answer.
Luffy blinks and then frowns, trying to wrack his brain to locate this particular memory. He doesn't recall ever meeting anyone outside of Fūsha, especially not himself, but he is obviously in the past. Or is he? "I didn't catch that."
The younger Luffy flushes a little and looks up at him, hands now hidden behind his back. "I was running away so my Grandpa couldn't find me."
Ah… It is that time. Nope. Hadn't met himself, or anyone else. Well, apart from Makino, who had come looking for him.
"Luffy!" Speak of the devil.
Thinking quickly, he holds a finger up to his lips then leaps up onto the roof of the closest house. The kid stares after him in awe before running off towards Makino. Sighing, he follows via the rooftops and watches as his old caregiver scolds the younger Luffy before wiping his face clean and ushering him into her home.
He waits until Makino has gone to sleep before he sneaks into her home. It is relatively easy since he still knows the place like the back of his hand, and locating the kid is even easier. He is still awake, sitting patiently on his bed with his legs dangling over the side.
"Who are you?" The younger Luffy questions, his voice soft.
He frowns, unsure of what he should tell his younger self if anything at all. Saying nothing will undoubtedly leave things to play out as they had from the time he is from. He can't go through that all over again, and he certainly doesn't want Coby sacrificing himself again either with whatever strange power he had acquired. Most likely a devil fruit power. And he is in the past, so it is one that could manipulate time. "I'm you, from the future."
Younger Luffy blinks at him then takes in his appearance again. Blood-stained, dirty and scarred, yet the resemblance is there. Stars immediately appear in his eyes and he jumps down from the bed to come closer. "Really!"
"Shh! Makino-san is asleep." The pirate whispers before nodding. He smiles faintly, sadness in his eyes, as the child covers his mouth and flushes in embarrassment.
"Sorry," the boy mumbles from behind his hands, then slowly lets them drop. "What happened?"
"I…" The pirate pauses and looks away, unable to tell his younger self what he had gone through earlier that day. "A lot of bad stuff."
The younger Luffy blinks then cocks his head to one side. "Is that why you came back? To keep the bad stuff from happening?" He moves closer, no longer afraid of his older self.
"I… Yes. I want to keep the bad stuff from happening." All of it, he adds silently to himself. Looking back to the kid, he is surprised to find him so close, close enough that they bump heads. As soon as they make contact with each other everything goes dark for both of them.
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