Chapter Text
Law had never really believed in Gods, not in the way the people of his island seemed to. He didn’t really have an opinion on the topic, but he had been raised by a mother who prayed to deities constantly, so he knew a lot of them. Despite this, Law didn’t actively pray to any of the numerous Gods, didn’t give them offerings like others did, but he was desperate and the only thing he has yet to try is praying to the Gods.
It was rumored that the Sun God Nika was one of the strongest in battle and kindest out of fights. It was said hundreds of years ago, before the sun and the stars were made, Nika had come down to Earth and offered the warmth of the sun and became beloved. When a war broke out over the warmth he provided, he had ended it single handedly and then created the sun for everyone to share.
Law needed a miracle, and Nika sounded like one. That is why Law found himself kneeling in Nika’s shrine, praying for the Sun God to help him end this war. The war that had plagued his home – the people from other islands called them the Great Kingdom – since before he was even born. We’re at war with the world, his father had claimed when he was still breathing, and Law had never understood.
Now, at nineteen, he was aware that a lot of islands didn’t necessarily like their kingdom. Called them powerful, proud, and threat. Law had lost his parents to this war and he refused to lose his last family member, his brother, to this pointless battle as well.
Law felt ridiculous kneeling in the shrine, he’s sure he looked ridiculous, but he had tried everything else.
He didn’t expect an answer, he didn’t even know why he was here.
“Shishishishi,”
Law jolted back, staring up at the man who could only be explained as other worldly stared back. The man practically shined, hair floating and fiery, eyes an odd shade of orange and white. His clothes consisted of cloth locked on his hips, ending mid-thigh, and he had white clouds wrapping down his shoulders, puffing behind his head.
Law swallowed nervously as the God grinned at him, eyes intense as they watched his every move. When the other worldly being blinked at him, Law hurried to bow.
“Lord Nika!” he uttered.
“Shishishi, who are you?” the Sun God asked, bare feet hitting the floor of his shrine and entering Law’s sight. The spear he had in his hand was left on the block of marble he had appeared on, and Law swallowed.
“My name is Tsuki Law,” he answered hurriedly.
“Oh cool!” the god chirped, laughing, “Whatcha bowin’ for?”
Law didn’t…know how to respond to that. His mind was still whirling at the fact that the Sun God even existed.
“I’m a lower lifeforce?” Law questioned.
Was he not supposed to bow?
“Shishishishi, okay, if you say so,” the god’s arm shot forward, hauling him by his collar and Law met his eyes frantically.
He’s dead, he’s so, so dead. He should’ve known better than to mess with the gods, of all things.
“So what did’ja call me for?” the god asked him, smile never slipping and Law was at a loss for words. “Shishishishi. You’re the one that called me, right?” Nika looked around wildly, as if trying to find someone else in his shine.
“I did,” Law agreed nervously.
Those strange eyes met his again, and the god’s grin widened. He sat in front of Law, folding his legs and let go of his collar. Law slumped back onto his knees, eyes wide.
“Whatcha need?” Nika asked him, leaning forward and practically bouncing with energy.
Law swallowed, steeling himself. “There is a war going on,” the Sun God’s eyes darkened slightly before brightening back up, “All the men in our village are being called to the front lines; well, any capable man. My older brother is ill, but he has to fight, and I am also being called to the front lines.”
“That sucks,” Nika said, absolutely unsympathizing, smile never slipping. “What do you need me for? Shishishishi.”
Law closed his eyes, steeling himself, “Lord Nika, I…please, save us. I’ll do anything, I-I’ll give you anything! Please, save him!”
“Hmm, okay.”
Law’s eyes ripped open, shocked, and he watched as the Sun God bit into an onigiri Law was sure he had in his own pocket a few minutes prior. After subtly checking his pocket, Law found it empty. But that didn’t matter, what was important…
“What…” Law stared, flabbergasted. “You’ll help me?”
“Sure!” Nika chirped, finishing the rice ball.
“Thank you, oh, thank you!” Law felt tears prick at his eyes, “I will do anything! What do you want in return?”
“Shishishishi! You fed me, so I have to repay the favor!” Nika said, eyes twinkling as he licked at the rice on his cheek, his tongue stretching in a way no human should be capable of.
But…Nika was a God. He could get anything he wanted for any blessing someone asked of him. But he was going to help because he ate Law’s first meal in days? That was all he had to give up?
Law had been prepared to give his life, prepared for this request that he might’ve not been able to fulfil. He had been ready to do whatever was necessary. And…all it took was a rice ball?
Law couldn’t stop the tears in his eyes even if he wanted to.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika was undefeatable.
Law watched in awe as the Sun God tore through the army in front of them, laughs echoing loudly in the air as he used steam and fire or his spear or legs and arms to defeat person after person.
That wide smile never slipped once, not during the battle and not even when the enemy surrendered.
Law had never seen anything like it in his life.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Shishishishishi!”
Law startled, turning sharply. Behind him stood the Sun God, clouds and flaming hair and all.
“Lord Nika,” he sputtered, shocked.
No one had seen the god since he disappeared from the battle – which was known as the Battle of the Sun – and Law had spent all his afternoons for the past five weeks praying at Nika’s shrine, leaving onigiri with every visit he could. He had never imagined he would get to see the god again and seeing that shining form didn’t do his memories justice.
“I think I forgot your name!” Nika said cheerfully, leaning further into Law’s space.
“L-Law,” Law gasped.
“I’m Nika, shishishishi!” Nika chirped, “Let’s be friends!”
Law nodded hesitantly, not really believing what was going on. Nika’s smile widened, and he looked over Law’s shoulder. “Whatcha doing, shishi?”
“I’m preparing medicine for my brother,” Law explained, licking at his lip nervously.
Law couldn’t afford a doctor, so he tried to learn some basic medicine to help his brother, but he wasn’t sure how much it helped. He usually added the herbs into what food he could get his hands on, if he found out Law was spending what little money they had on medicinal herbs, he’d get upset. But Law wasn’t going to take the risk the, herbs seemed to stop his cough for a while, and his fever would go down for a while.
It was worth it.
Nika floated – actually floated – by his side, curious and smile still present, if a bit smaller. Law hesitated before he started towards the only room in the house where he kept his brother. Nika followed after him, eyes curious and thoughtful as he looked around.
“Brother,” Law murmured as he entered the room. His elder brother looked over to him, eyes dim and Law forced his from into a smile. “I have your dinner, Brother.”
“Thank you,” his brother, Emery, said, voice hoarse and weak. His eyes widened and a cough startled out of him when he saw Nika by Law’s side, and Law hurried over to sooth him.
Once the coughing fit ended, Law carefully assisted his brother to sit up. He sat on the edge of the bed, carefully spooning at the soup he managed to make. One of the elderly couples from the village gave him vegetables and some bones for the part he played in the war – summoning the Sun God – which had ended up saving their son and grandson. He had boiled the bones into broth and the vegetables added with the medicinal herb.
It was easy to eat, would help him feel better, hopefully, so Law would make sure Emery ate as much as he could.
Nika sat on a wobbly chair by the bed, eyes intense and smile small, thoughtful. It was quite for a moment, the two focusing on each other intently, before Nika grinned and started to speak of some giant golden beetle that had been some deity long ago, throwing his arms up and adding sound effects. By the end of his story, the bowl of soup was empty, and Law was gently lowering his brother back into the bed.
When Law turned to speak to the god, he was gone.
(He closed the door to his brother’s room with a small smile; it bad been a while since he’d seen Emery smile like that.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika wandered around his shrine impatiently. He never really stayed in one shrine in particular; always off and seeing the world or the other Gods that were still left after that. But this shrine had one particular worshipper that he was particularly fond of.
Tsuki Law, a commoner man who Nika might or might not have followed around several times now. Of all the humans Nika had met, Law was someone he particularly liked. He was different than other humans, who feared him or wanted something from him. He was genuine, caring, if a bit meek, and all he wanted from Nika was help in saving his brother from having to go to war.
Nika knew war, it wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t pretty at all and losing someone in a war was worse. It had been because of that desperation, of that fear in Law that Nika had agreed to assist him. Nika and the other gods didn’t really like to interfere in human problems, they haven’t for at least a century. The humans had used to be grateful and pure, but something had tainted them, and they became greedy and desperate.
When a human managed to succeed in killing one of the few gods left – the Goddess of Memories – Nika had collected her power and stored it with all the others he had. After that, he had told the other gods it would be best if them and humans stayed separated.
(“We’ve put up with them for centuries!” the God of Regeneration, Deryn, had snarled, “They’ve killed too many of our kind!”
The Goddess of Stone, Yu, young at the time, still physically growing and only fourteen, had bared her teeth and agreed. “Lord Nika, why don’t we just end them?”)
Nika, the Lord of all Gods however reluctantly it was, had never intended to get close to a human. They were interesting sometimes but getting fond of one wasn’t something he had wanted. But he wasn’t upset for liking Law, not when those hazel eyes sparkled in interest, or his full lips would turn into a smile that made the patch of white over his right eye crinkle beautifully.
The others wouldn’t agree with what Nika was doing – with what he was feeling – but it wasn’t like he had to listen to them anyways!
When he heard a steady lull of footsteps, Nika perked up from where he was floating above the marble slab in his shrine, looking over excitedly. Law appeared after a few seconds, messy shoulder length hair tied back with a band of leather, hazel eyes hit by the sun just right, his dark and pale skin gleaming in the light.
Nika has seen many, many individuals in his long life. He’s seen gods that had beauty so captivating people had been force to stop and stare, but even compared to those gods, Law would forever be even more beautiful than them. His beauty was incomparable, but Nika didn’t really care for looks.
Law’s laugh, his voice, his eyes. The way he lit up when he spoke about medicine or how he’d rub food off of Nika’s cheek before blushing and apologizing profusely. The way they hunted together, Law laughing happily when he managed to get his first boar. The way Law would stare at him when he thought he wasn’t paying attention, looking at Nika like he had created the sun – which he sort of did, but that gaze made him feel like he was something more than this God of Gods or this deity that could end battles single handedly.
It was who Law was that made Nika stare at him and decide that his beauty was incomparable.
In the months Nika has spent around Law, he knew very well he wasn’t going to let him go. Nika was in love and Law was going to be his.
Nika beamed, leaning forward, laughing lightly and Law’s teary eyes met his and he paused.
“Law?” Nika asked, feet touching the floor.
“He’s dead,” Law uttered, hands pulling up to cover his face, “My brother is dead, Lord Nika, what do I do?”
Law was sad.
Law was crying.
(Nika, too, knew what it was like to lose someone that had been your whole reason for living.)
Nika placed a hand onto Law’s head, pulled him forward and he embraced his human.
Nika didn’t like it when his human was sad or crying.
“I promise,” Nika said, determined, “I’m going to be with you forever.”
That was all he could offer. It was all he wanted.
Law clung onto him, crying and muttering apologies and gratitude, and Nika held him.
(He would never let Law go. He will wait eternities for him if need be.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Shishishishi! Ne, ne, Law, I wanna go home with you,” Nika said as Law started to leave his shrine.
Law sputtered, “You can’t do that!”
“What?” Nika gasped, “Why not?”
Law covered his face as a flush rose on his cheeks, “You’re a God, Nika. You don’t want to come to my home…”
“But I do.” Nika insisted. “I’ve been there before!”
Law looked up at the floating, pouting man, sighing softly. He fumbled with his fingers, adverting his eyes, “Okay, I guess I can’t stop you.”
“Yay!” Nika cheered, throwing his arms up with a laugh.
“Can you do that blend in thing?” Law asked, “People talk a lot…”
Nika landed next to him, feet slapping the cold floor of his shrine and his hair of fire turned to unruly dark locks and his shine dimmed, leaving tan skin and brown eyes. Nika looked up at him, smiling widely, and then slipped his hand into Law’s.
Law felt warmth well in his chest as Nika swung their hands.
He wasn’t exactly sure why a god, let alone Nika of all people, stuck around him for so long, almost two years. He was a commoner, a farmer that had been turned into a soldier during the recent battles, and Nika was the Sun God. It made no sense but Law didn’t try to find any reasons.
Nika made him feel warm and loved, so it didn’t matter.
The trip to his home was quick and uneventful, Nika speaking some story and Law listened on eagerly. Nika’s stories were always so bizarre, but they were always so interesting. When they arrived at his home, Law found himself grilling some meat – Nika’s favorite – and they sat down sharing a meal, Nika’s shine back and as radiant as ever.
“My name isn’t Law,” Law said sometime later, and he wasn’t sure where it came from.
Nika blinked at him curiously, “It’s not?”
“Well, I go by Law,” Law explained, “I just think my real name is silly.”
“What’s your name?” Nika asked, grinning and leaning forward eagerly.
“Torao,” Law said.
Nika’s grin grew. “Torao, I like it! Shishishishi, it’s like a special name for you just for me!”
Law smiled fondly at the god, “I like the sound of that,” he admitted, a murmur.
Nika’s smile sipped slightly, and Law watched him curiously. “You don’t have a special name for me, Torao…”
Law thought for a moment before locking their fingers together shyly. “Luffy.”
“Luffy?” Nika asked, blinking in confusion.
“I can call you Luffy,” Law explained, face red, “A name just for me to use.”
“Shishishishi! I like it!” Nika – no, Luffy said cheerfully, and Law smiled.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
It had been a winter night that Luffy informed him that he had to leave for a few days – something about meeting with the people of Fishman Island.
“I’m being called to battle tomorrow.” Law replied carefully. He was wrapped in Luffy’s arms, his body warm compared to the chill around them.
He felt the frown Luffy kissed onto his shoulder, “Can’t you stay? Until I get back?”
Law’s face softened and he caressed his wild hair, “I can’t, but I’ll be okay. I promise it.”
Luffy’s frown let up slightly, but he still looked displeased. He didn’t like wars, didn’t like to put himself onto the front lines and fight. Law didn’t know why exactly, but he knew it was justified as he himself didn’t like to go into battle. Wars seemed pointless to him, and he knew that Luffy agreed with him.
“I don’t care what you have to do,” Luffy said, “But live, Torao.”
“I will,” Law said softly, caressing his cheek. “I love you.”
Luffy closed his eyes, looking as though he was savoring the moment, “I love you too.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Forgive me, forgive me.
Law was no doctor even if he was interested in learning medicine. He was no doctor, but he knew a fatal wound when he saw one.
Luffy, please forgive me.
Law didn’t want to die. He had so much to live for, so much to do. He had Luffy, and he didn’t want to leave him alone.
Luffy hates being alone.
He knew logically that he’d die one day and Luffy would continue to live on, but the time they spent together, the love they share, had made him push those thoughts side. Law always knew he was going to die one day and Luffy would live on.
He just hadn’t expected his death to be sooner rather than later.
I love you, I love you, I wish I could say it to you one more time. Luffy, I–
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy walked along the battlefield, everyone branching away from him. Mortals were always the same. They were greedy and foolish. They threw life away too easily, too frequently.
Luffy hated humans. They caused a war between his kind, made him do acts he otherwise thought impossible for him. They killed his people, tried to harvest their bodies, tried to take their powers. No matter how much they prayed, they never changed.
They were greedy little things.
But Torao was different.
Torao had been different.
Luffy stared down at the body of his lover, of the only human who had ever loved him for him instead of what he was. The only human who bossed him around. The only human who ever stretched his cheeks out and sighed in that exhausted way but smiled and kissed him. The only human who Luffy had ever cherished to such a degree.
The only person who called him Luffy.
Torao had been different.
Luffy had been willing to turn him; to keep them together forever. He had been planning on doing so as soon as he could.
But it was too late.
Torao was dead.
Luffy kneeled carefully, caressing Law’s bloodied cheek and stared into those lifeless hazel eyes. Those eyes always lit up, always stared at him with such joy and love. His spotted skin was covered in soot and blood and was nothing like the skin he would always caress, nothing like the skin that would turn such a lovely shade of pink whenever Law felt too embarrassed.
He was cold.
Luffy gathered Law into his arms, held him close to his chest. He looked up at the battle around him, at the thing that killed his Law, and he screamed.
The world would forget about this place, the island that would be called the Great Kingdom. They would forget about the people, the accomplishments, and they would forget that the Sun God Nika destroyed everything in his path in his grief.
They would forget about the tears he shed as he held onto the one person, he loved more than anything, fire and steam and Haki shooting out from his body and destroying anything in its path.
The world would forget, but he would remember.
He would remember the feeling of Law’s body held against his, blood staining his skin and garb, feel metal biting into his skin as he sobbed. He would remember the desperation he felt when his skin glowed brighter, as his hair rose higher, and his eyes burned a liquid gold.
Law was Luffy’s everything.
Luffy would do anything to have him back by his side, and there was a way.
Luffy would wait centuries for him; Law was worth it.
“Come back to me!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika the Sun God would be known as someone who fought for freedom – he was the embodiment of freedom. His power was ridiculous in form and in power.
The Twenty Kings – who would one day be nineteen – also known as the World Government, hated this man. The control they had over the world slipped and slipped with every action Nika made. Weapons that would one day be known as the Ancient Weapons would end up destroying the god, and the world would forever be changed with his death.
Powers – fruits would flood the world with mystical powers as Nika took his last breath.
Torao…I’ll see you again. Wait for me
The world would forget about what happened that day, the only thing existing to speak of what had happened being known as Poneglyphs, the God’s Writing etched into steel.
The world would forget, but Luffy would remember.
Chapter 2
Summary:
Eight hundred years, he's been dead.
Luffy threw his head back and laughed, his grin wide, “Shishishishi! That’s perfect! Shishishishishi!”
Notes:
Ah ha ha...I'm back XD Don't expect updates this quickly, I mostly hop around my fics whenever I write and I just so happened stayed on this one for a while longer lol
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
There weren’t many things in the world that was unexplainable. People had a reason for everything, even if the reasons might be wrong. What created the sky and the sun and the moon? What created the Grand Line? What created the sea and the stars? What created Devil Fruits? For humans, these things were mostly explainable to a certain extent.
Everything happens for a reason, so what could that reason possibly be?
Long ago, the reasons were simple. The sky was created for those to gaze at, the sun was created to offer warmth and the moon was created to pull the waves. The sea was created for voyage, for food and for life and the stars were created to navigate and awe at.
Why was the Grand Line created? How about Devil Fruits? Well…those reasons weren’t very simple.
Devil Fruits aren’t natural. The ocean rejects them, drowns them in her depth should they even try to enter the waters. The ocean, which was created for voyage and life hated these things and the people who ate them. Yet, it was unexplainable, to humans.
Before, the world had been simple. Not peaceful, no, but it was simple and kind. The Gods had governed over the mortal lands, using their gifts to bless the people. But one by one they left and left until no more gods remained, until no more blessings were heard.
And there’s a story as to why.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The taste was horrendous. He’d never tasted anything like it in his entire life, and though short, Leo knew there’d never be anything else that would ever taste this bad. He swallowed it down anyways, looking at the swirly fruit in disgust.
And then Leo wasn’t Leo but something – someone – more. He hadn’t ever been alone, of course, he had always had something just out of reach but now it felt as though he could grasp it. A life flashed before his eyes, his throat dried, and the fruit dropped from his hand, bouncing once, twice before rolling away. He grasped his shirt, tearing at his chest.
The chest that had been caved open–
He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, couldn’t hear. His mind was flooded with too much information too quickly, it was overwhelming, it was – it was–
A moment prior, there had been Leo.
Now there was Nika – now there was Luffy.
Tears dripped from his eyes, and Luffy forced his breathing to slow. He blinked the fuzziness from his vision and stared up at the red-haired man who was talking to him, expression worried.
“ –chor! Did you eat that fruit?! Are you okay!? Spit it out, spit it out!”
Luffy was lifted by the feet, suddenly held into the air, and was shaken.
…what fruit?
His eyes landed onto the swirled fruit that was on the floor, and he felt nauseous. He felt his own power in that fruit, felt his energy spiking and flooding the area, thick and suffocating and he knew the other humans in the room could feel it too by how they suddenly stumbled and looked at the source in shock. Luffy’s legs stretched, body planting onto the floor and the red-haired – Shanks, his mind whispered – human screeched in shock.
Luffy pulled his legs back to normal, pushing himself up as he stared at the fruit. Had he been stuck in there? He placed a hand over his chest, feeling the fabric over his chest – solid, whole, not bent in and bleeding.
He had died.
He looked at his hands, small hands that very well belonged to a child, and frowned. He looked back to the fruit.
Oh, he thinks, I understand what happened.
Luffy lunged forward, snatching the fruit, and devoured it. His body wracked with shivers as his own power assaulted his body, but it was welcomed.
It was needed.
One moment he had been Leo.
Now he was someone more.
His body flickered, hair lifting with flames and his eyes burned gold. He scratched at his throat, feeling like he was suffocating which was ironic seeing as he didn’t actually need to breathe – it just made everything easier if he did – so he couldn’t really suffocate. Luffy felt the power in the area thicken before shooting at him, Haki sparking and steam rising, and he absorbed every bit of it.
It felt like agony yet it felt perfect.
He coughed, bracing himself on his hands and knees, and he glowed. Bright and strong and warm, he glowed like he had when he had first gotten his ability, glowed, glowed, glowed, and it felt good – it felt too long since he’s been able to simple exist.
And then he started to dim, dim, dim. His skin grew tan, hair falling limp, losing its fiery feature, and the gold glowing from his eyes dimed to a deep brown.
Luffy took in a shuddering breath, feeling his power soak in his skin, felt it deep, locking itself away and he trembled.
He was back.
(Every Devil Fruit eater experienced a sudden shiver, felt an awful foreboding take place in their guts.
Some people couldn’t stop the tears from rising, couldn’t stop the way they shook because finally, oh finally...)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika looked up as his hands were bandaged – he had cut them on a broken bottle, but he didn’t know when that had happened. The humans around them haven’t really spoken, seemingly shocked and unbelieving – trying to find a reason for everything. He didn’t blame them; it must have been a few years since he’s been on the planet – been formed. It was strange for him to be in such a young version of his body, though.
He had memories of all these people, of living as a boy named Leo. He wasn’t the first god to reform in such a way – when a god died, their powers stayed and when they were reborn they attached to their bodies or they reformed with their power alone. Even if this wasn’t the first time this has happened – although it can only happened to the stronger gods, admittedly – Nika himself had never experienced the process.
He had never died before.
“How long has it been?” Nika asked, looking up at Shanks.
“Since what, Anchor?” The human asked him warily.
Anchor…only Torao was the only human that had ever been bold enough to call him something other than his title.
Luffy, Torao called him, and he was not alone.
Luffy smiled slightly, he found he quite liked being treated like a normal human instead of this all-knowing deity.
“Since I died.” Luffy answered and everyone in the room stared, “It has to have been a few years…”
He looked to be a child, maybe younger than ten. That meant he had around seven hundred and ninety years until Torao was reborn. That’s okay, Luffy could wait as long as he needed to see him again.
The humans had yet to say anything and Luffy looked at them expectantly.
“Um,” Benn shrugged, looking lost for words.
Shanks however seemed to understand what was happening with every second.
“Who are you?” He asked.
Luffy titled his head, “Shishishi! That’s silly! I’m Luffy! Oh, well,” he paused, “Everyone calls me Nika, only Torao calls me Luffy!”
“Nika?” Shanks asked again, and a murmur rose around the crew.
“How long has it been since I died?” Luffy repeated himself.
“To be honest,” Shanks said, “I’ve only heard of you from the Poneglyphs.”
“The Poneglyphs?” Luffy tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What’re those?”
“It’s the only documentation of the Void Century,” Shanks explained, patient, “There’s one on Skypiea, and there’s one on Laugh Tale. The one on Skypiea talks about the Ancient Weapon Poseidon and how it was hidden away because it killed a god.”
The name sent a shiver down Luffy’s spine, eyes darkening. He raised a hand up to his chest…he knew of the weapon. Knew it on a personal level.
(Rage, rage was all he felt. How dare those humans. How dare they create those weapons using–)
“You know of them.” Shanks mused.
“They killed me,” Luffy said back. He inhaled slowly, “How long has it been?”
“Since the Void Century?” Benn questioned, “Around eight hundred years.”
Eight hundred years.
Eight hundred years, he's been dead.
Luffy brought his hands up to his face, wiping at his tears.
Torao was alive now. Torao was alive.
Luffy threw his head back and laughed, his grin wide, “Shishishishi! That’s perfect! Shishishishishi!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“So, Shanks,” Luffy kicked his feet as he grinned happily at the man, “You’ve been to the Island of Gods?”
“The what now?” Shanks blinked at him.
“That’s what everyone calls the island in the sky!” Luffy said, giggling to himself, “But we didn’t live there, you know! They thought those people were our angles but they’re just regular humans!”
“Ah, you mean Skypiea,” Shanks grinned at him, “Mhm, I went a long time ago.”
“Shishishishi! That’s so cool!” Luffy looked up at him, “I haven’t been there in forever!”
Not since then.
“You know, you don’t act that different from Leo.” Shanks mused.
“That’s because I am Leo!” Luffy threw his arm to the side, snatching a leg of meat from the plate besides him, “I’ve always been Leo but I just got aaaalllll my memories and my powers back, shishi!”
“Does this happen often?” Makino asked worriedly.
“Nope! This is the first time for me!” Luffy sent the woman a grin, “It used to happen to Deryn all the time! He used to get reborn in fire, it was so cool!”
“Do all gods get reborn?” Benn asked.
“Nope,” Luffy sobered slightly, “Only those of us who are super strong,” he tilted his head to the side, “Since I was reborn and I ate the fruit with my stuff, I got my memories all back.” Then he shrugged, “That’s what Deryn would say anyways.”
Everyone sweat dropped, “You don’t actually know, do you?” Shanks asked warily.
Luffy laughed, “Who cares! I’m still alive so it doesn’t matter!”
Luffy looked over to Shanks, curious. “You don’t seem to care that I’m a god.”
“Nope,” the pirate captain said, grinning. “To me, you’re a silly kid.”
The only person who hadn’t cared he was a god – after some time, he’ll admit – had been Torao. Luffy snickered, “I like you! Let’s be best friends!”
Shanks laughed, “Sure thing Anchor.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy was in the body of a child, his powers were limited to only rubber qualities, and he forgets this constantly. While he did remember living as Leo – he remembered everything – it was difficult to transition to this in such a little amount of time.
Luffy really liked Shanks. Shanks was a great friend, something he hasn’t had in nine hundred years if you counted the whole, he’s been dead for eight hundred years thing – not counting the few gods that had been alive before he had died. He was very protective of his friends, and he let his temper get the better of him.
The thing about Luffy was…he never learned how to swim. He could levitate so he normally just…levitated. But with his powers significantly low and inaccessible, Luffy was sinking.
He had challenged a bandit when they group had been making fun of Shanks, had then lost in fight because he was a child and apparently lost most of his aiming skills, and well was thrown into the ocean during the leader’s escape.
Torao would be scolding him right now.
Luffy tensed in surprise when a flash of red entered his vision, Shanks grabbing onto him just as a Sea King rose up to attack. Luffy might not have his abilities yet, the ones he was born with and relied on pretty heavily, and his Haki wasn’t trained in the slightest, but he was a god either way.
Luffy would not lose anything to a fish.
“Stop,” Luffy said, voice quiet and Haki unrefined, unused, small.
The fish stopped anyways, and Luffy stared at it, expression as dark as it could be.
“Get out of here.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Say, Shanks, you should take me with you!” Luffy declared, bouncing.
“No Anchor,” Shanks grinned, “You’re still a kid.”
“But I’m super strong! My punches are pistols!” Luffy whined.
“Sure they are,” Shanks teased, and Luffy pouted.
Something was placed atop his head and Luffy looked up in surprise. Straw entered his vision.
“Bring that back to me when you become a great pirate, yeah, Luffy?” Shanks asked, voice gentle and Luffy cried.
It has been decades since he heard his name – his real name.
“I’m going to be the King of the Pirates!” Luffy declared, “I’m going to give this back to you then!”
Notes:
So, I doubt I explained it in a way people can understand, so I'll clarify here~
Gods can be reborn, but they have to be to a certain ability/strength. Luffy is technically the strongest, so he was able to be reborn, but it is hinted at that the way he was reborn isn't something he's ever heard of and he's seen quite a few rebirths - this is important later on in the story but I will not explain why.
There are things about the rebirth I am keeping unknown atm and will be hinted at for the next few chapters before I outright explain it, but I figured this little scene was a bit confusing sooo~ clarification XDNext chapter we meet Ace and Sabo~!!
Chapter 3
Summary:
The fact that humans were all cut in the same cloth is something Nika grew up knowing.
The fact that humans were all different and complex is something that Luffy learned.
Notes:
Okay~
I wasn't very sure on this chapter, but I liked the main focus of it?? Idk XD
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Luffy had a mother and father once. His mother, made of fire and sharp smiles, had been kind, sweet, and loving. She had smothered him in a way that his father had seemed unfit for someone of Luffy’s caliber. Luffy knew, after years and years, that she had never loved his father, had only stayed because it was her duty. Luffy cherished her very much either way, held onto her flames in his hair, in his spirit. When she had passed, Luffy had been young – still aging. He had waited and waited for her to reform, for her to come back and to be his loving mother once more.
She never did come back.
Luffy had been nineteen, young in all the gods’ eyes, but he had been one of the strongest even then. He was educated with how the god’s rebirth process worked, and he knew for a fact that his mother was strong enough to reborn.
And yet, she never did come back.
It had been centuries since Luffy’s last seen his mother, his memories of her were blurry at best, but he remembered her warmth, love, and her presence. Despite being one of the strongest people he knew, she had felt torn in a way, broken but living. She had hated their people with her whole being yet had adored Luffy in every which way.
This boy in front of him had that same feel. He felt broken but wanted to live, deep down.
So Luffy smiled and chased after him even if he knew the human wanted nothing to do with him.
(He chased after the boy because he too knew how loneliness felt.)
“Let’s be friends, Ace!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The fact that humans were all cut in the same cloth is something Nika grew up knowing.
The fact that humans were all different and complex is something that Luffy learned.
He had spent centuries watching over humans, giving them blessings from time to time, and he had seen a lot of lifetimes. No human was identical, no humans had the exact same goals or the exact same struggles, and no human had the same personality.
Luffy had only one human whom he truly cared about, before. But with his rebirth, he already had several humans whom he cared for deeply. Torao, Shanks, Makino, Shanks’ crew, even the human Garp had earned some affection – the initial D making Luffy feel less apprehensive when he first laid eyes on the man after gaining his memories.
“I want to be called Luffy,” he had told his grandfather and Garp had shrugged and muttered about youth these days being strange.
It was ironic, seeing as Luffy was several centuries older than him.
The bandits had a much more neutral opinion. Luffy didn’t care for bandits, but these didn’t seem too horrible, so he would give them a chance at the very least. But it was Sabo and Ace that gathered a different emotion within Luffy.
For Torao, it was love, adoration. He felt alive with Torao, felt like he was floating and fluffy and happy and he loves, loves, loves him. With Shanks, it was a friendly relationship, he really liked Shanks and his crew a lot! With Garp, it was a hint of respect and light fondness, even if the man was part of the World Government. Makino gave Luffy a feeling his mother had, a sort of parental love.
Ace and Sabo gave Luffy a feeling similar to love, but it wasn’t like Torao’s love. Torao’s love was searing, addicting, warm and soft, something Luffy didn’t ever want to live without. Ace and Sabo’s love was more…friendly but more.
Luffy and the two human boys had become friends under strange circumstances. Luffy had been captured by pirates who were after Ace and tortured – he’d been through wore, he’d barely felt a thing – when the boys showed up and saved him right when he had been about to save himself.
“Are you happy I’m alive?” Had been the first thing Ace had asked and it had hit too deeply within Luffy.
“Of course,” Luffy said earnestly. “Of course, I’m very happy you’re alive!”
He had been alive for many, many years. He had shined down onto humans and had given them the warmth of the sun for generations. He’d seen a lot of things in his life. Luffy didn’t really care about a lot of things. People could die in front of him and unless he cared for them, he could care less, but…it felt so wrong for a child to ask him this, of all things.
After that they grew closer and closer until Ace and Sabo became his humans in a way like Shanks and his crew and Makino and Torao had become his too.
And one day, Ace approached them, grinning as he held a bottle of sake, and spoke.
“If you share sake, you become brothers!”
And Luffy wanted that.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy didn’t really go out of his way to help people. When he had been young, he had exerted himself of months’ worth of energy to create the sun, but even then, he didn’t have just the humans in mind. He was a greedy person; selfish the other gods would whisper.
And then he became the person they all relied on, all looked up to and they would praise every move he made
Lord Nika, Lord Nika, Lord Nika.
It had become suffocating. Luffy liked being free, like being able to go wherever he wanted, answer prayers when he wanted or not answer them. He had lost that when he became the Lord of them all. Both humans and gods bowed to him, feared him and loved him but it was only because of his abilities.
It was because of what he could do.
Torao had been different. Luffy had gone out of his way to help him because he understood that pain Law had been facing and then he realized that Law was so very different. Not like any human, not like any god. Nika had become Luffy. Me, had become us because they were supposed to spent eternities together.
Nothing Luffy ever did was not without selfish intent. When he met Law, he had thoughts of how he could make Law happy, how he could make Law proud and smile at him, what he could do to make Law smile and whisper his love.
He had gone to islands after islands to give blessings because he knew Law would like it; like Luffy helping people instead of just him.
Torao had always been selfless.
Luffy didn’t exactly go out of his way to help other people, not without something selfish in mind.
It had always been for Torao – for his smiles, his laughs, his love – but now, it was different…
The Gods used to have a saying. “Death changes a person,” had been something people who were reborn would say. It was like a joke to them, death. They knew they would never truly die, so it had been humorous.
(Look where that got them; dead.)
Luffy didn’t feel different, didn’t think he changed due to his death minus the obvious, having his power drained almost completely. But something in him had changed since Torao’s death to now. Humans who didn’t care he was a God existed, laughed with him, made fun of him. He had a grandfather in this life, had a mother-like figure who was still alive and whole. He even had brothers.
Nika didn’t really care for humans.
But Luffy did. He cared for his humans.
Luffy…he hated. He hated a lot of things. The thing he hated the most in this world was nobles, and the damned World Government. It was ironic seeing as many centuries ago, he had been considered one of the few noble gods, but he hated anyone with royal blood.
And then there was Sabo.
Sabo who hated his blood just as much, if not more than Luffy did. Sabo who was a child, who didn’t know what had happened in Luffy’s life. Sabo who was his brother.
Before Luffy had died, he had cursed the Twenty Kings and anyone who dared to stand with them. He had cursed them around the blood filling his throat, around the strain of trying to heal. He had spat on their descendants and anyone who was unfortunate enough to be born with blue blood. He had sworn he’d end their lives, their entire empire would fall and he would laugh as he crushed everything under his heel.
And then there was Sabo.
Sabo who Luffy cared about.
“Do you like being noble?” Luffy asked though he knew he didn’t need to.
“I hate it!” Sabo stared at him in horror.
That was good. Luffy smiled, laughing, “Well, then who cares if your noble? Let’s go get some lunch!”
Luffy was going to treasure these people even if it was the last thing he did.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy didn’t believe that Sabo was dead. And it wasn’t denial, he learned how to accept death long ago. He had a feeling that Sabo was still alive, and feelings like these were usually right. Ace didn’t believe that Sabo was dead either, but it was more denial than actual belief. He was acting irrational, had to get tied to a tree and has been struggling against the ropes for almost an hour now.
Sabo’s voice was weak but steady, so Luffy didn’t feel an ounce of despair.
“Ace,” Luffy said as he approached his brother. He stared up as Ace scowled down and he smiled. “I know where Sabo is.”
On a boat on the far side of the island, preparing to go an island over. They’d be leaving soon and if Luffy was like before he could get them over there quickly, but he wasn’t so they’d have to hurry. Ace had stumbled his first few steps, but Luffy helped steady him before they were off. The forest was their territory, they knew every root and leaf, every twist and turn.
When Luffy had been young, he had lived in a pure white castle, never allowed to leave the walls to visit the forest around for anything but training. It was freeing to be able to do this, on normal days. Now he felt something similar to fear as he hurried and hurried towards the ship that was already starting to leave.
“Gomu Gomu,” Luffy wrapped an arm around his brother, making the grip tight, and sent the other flying.
Luffy refused to let any more people he loves die.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Shouts hurried over the deck the moment Luffy and Ace managed to get on deck, Luffy’s arm snapping back into place with a snap. Ace twisted the pipe in his hands, eyes dark as he looked around.
Luffy has fight many battles, and he knew malicious intent like an old friend. None of the people here had a malicious voice to them, but they didn’t exactly seem the friendliest.
“Ace, over there!” Luffy called, pointing in the direction Sabo’s voice originated.
Ace hesitated, looking around and then at Luffy. Luffy couldn’t do anything if he was constantly worrying over Ace’s wellbeing while trying to fight. He wouldn’t be able to take down all of these people with his physical abilities, and his God’s Haki was less than controlled. While he knew Ace would be able to handle the exposure – he too had God’s Haki, he had let a burst out when they had been stuck in the fire – he would rather be safe than sorry.
“I’ll be fine, shishishi!” Luffy said, grinning at his brother, “Go get our brother!”
It’s strange, Luffy thought, that he trusted humans to this extent.
He hadn’t even trusted Torao to go and take down an enemy, wanting to end it quickly himself. It had been less of not trusting him and more of wanting him to stay safe. But Ace was strong so Luffy knew he would be fine for a few minutes.
Ace nodded once sharply and headed to the room. Luffy looked over to the humans, grinning sharply.
“Shishishishi,” he pulled at his Haki, pulling it closer and up. It burst from his skin, floating around the air, making it turn stale.
It wasn’t necessarily weak, but it wasn’t necessarily strong either. It made a few drop, but most of them simply wavered, surprised. Luffy spun the pipe in his hand, gripping it tight, and rushed forward.
The last real battle that had real consequences he’d been in ended with his death.
Luffy refused to die, not until he saw Torao again.
Notes:
I kind of wanted to show a part of Luffy's past and some of his thoughts without giving too much away, so I hope it turned out good and was easy to understand XD
Next chapter we get a peek at Law and then I pick it up after this last scene for this chapter~
Chapter 4
Summary:
He owed this human a debt, and it left a sour taste on his tongue, but Luffy had honor.
Notes:
I'm back from a little mini vacation of mine before I start college for the summer, so depending on how the course is/how much time I need to spend on it, my updates for all my fics might drop. Just a heads up^^
Enjoy!!
Chapter Text
Law, for as long as he could remember, had been accompanied with dreams. Of course, everyone had dreams, but his had always felt so different. They had felt childish, him spending his dreaming hours doing mushy things like holding hands with someone or talking about very outdated medicine eagerly. He had been ten years old, already smart enough to be an assistant doctor; he should’ve outgrown this by now.
But when Flevance started to fall, Law clung to those foolish, foolish dreams. Those dreams always made him feel warm, made him feel like everything was going to be okay.
“I’m going to be with you forever.”
And then his parents were killed, the hospital that held Lami caught on fire, and Law was alone.
“I’m going to be with you forever.”
Liar! Law wanted to scream, to cry, because this man who was in almost all of his dreams was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t here when Law needed him most; when his home needed him most. The dreams had seemed to hold a theme of melancholy as Law hid in bodies of corpses, desperately trying to stay alive for a reason he didn’t know.
“My brother is dead, Lord Nika, what do I do?”
“I promise, I’ll be with you forever.”
Nika was the name of the man in his dreams, the man who created the sun and had a smile just as fiery. Law tried his best to ignore the dreams, even as they seemed to grow more and more desperate.
Remember, remember, remember
, they would whisper,
remember–
When Law joined the Donquixote family, he felt like he could finally escape those dreams. He could kill as many people as he could before he inevitably died.
For some reason those dreams showed him scenes of him and Nika sharing words of hating conflict.
“My real name is Trafalgar D. Water Law.” Law had said, and everything changed.
Corazon sighed smoke as he stared at him, having just revealed he could actually speak and wanted Law to leave the family. All because of some initial? It was ridiculous! Why the hell would he do that?
“You have the secret name of D!” Corazon said, “That means you’re one of the few people of D! You have to get out of here! Back where I grew up, we were convinced to behave with the tale of “If you fon’t behave, you’ll be eaten up by the D.” Every once in a while, people will show up with the name D, and the elderly always say “The D will always cause another storm!”
“What?! You calling me a monster or something!?” Law sputtered, glaring.
“Maybe, no one knows the truth.” Corazon said, “But the name lives in all the shadows of the world…Those who carry the D are known as the enemy of gods,” Corazon’s voice grew more serious as he spoke, eyes never leaving him, “The gods are the Celestial Dragons in this scenario. Perhaps your clan’s purpose is the destruction of the world. Nothing at all like Doffy, for certain, the Clan of D have a philosophy that put them against the gods, no doubt!”
Law’s mind ran.
He’s had dreams for years of a man; Nika. Nika who was otherworldly.
“Nika,” Law said and Corazon’s eyebrows furrowed, “Do you know a God named Nika?!”
“The Sun God,” Corazon muttered, frowning, “How do you know about him?”
“Torao, have I ever told you how pretty you are?”
“P-Pretty? Luffy Nika, I’m not pretty!”
“Shishishi! Of course you are! You’re gorgeous!”
“I just joined the family so I could kill everything!” Law changed the subject with a sputter, scowling, “I’m not going to listen to anyone, I work for Doffy! I’m just gonna die in a year anyways!”
“You can search for a cure!” Corazon yelled as Law turned and started to run.
“There is none!”
Law knows this better than anyone.
“I’m gonna go tell Doffy about all of your powers!” Law yelled.
“What, no, don’t!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Months later, Corazon would be bleeding out in pure white snow.
Months later, Law would be crying as he prayed to a man who existed only in his dreams.
Months later, Law would have a new goal in mind, would have new dreams.
Remember, remember who you used to be, remember, remember.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Ace threw the fourth door open, panting, and wary. He needed to find Sabo quick and get out of here. Luffy wouldn’t be able to hold those men off forever. A cold burst of air flowed from the exit, making goosebumps rise and a shudder to work down his spine.
It felt similar to that feeling he had when he and Luffy had been in the fire.
“Sabo!” Ace yelled, all thoughts on that strange pressure flying the moment he laid eyes on his brother. “Sabo, we gotta go! Luffy’s not gonna last forever!”
He froze when he saw the people in the room, dozens of grown men all with weapons. In the center of the room was Sabo, sitting on a med and bandaged. He stared at Ace and there was no recognition in his eyes.
“Sabo!” He said anyways, relieved beyond belief.
Suddenly the people in the room were hurrying over to him, faster than Ace could react. They were grabbing onto him, locking his arms behind him and holding him still. Ace struggled, snarling, and sneering at them. Sabo looked confused, worried, dazed.
He didn’t seem like Sabo.
“Hmm, two boys have caused all this ruckus?” the person with the large head of hair mused, looking down at him with a curious shine in their eyes. “For the boy you saved, Drago-boy?”
“Shut up!” Ace hissed, “Let me go! Give me my brother back!”
“B-Brother?” the blond asked hesitantly, “We’re brothers?”
“Of course we are!” Ace yelled, hurt, “Why would that change!?”
“Sabo has amnesia,” a woman with orange and white hair said, “That means he has no memories. The wounds he got were too severe, you see.”
“No…memories?” Ace froze, his studdling stopping. “But – But…”
Suddenly there was noise coming from the hallway, the sound of metal hitting the floor, the noise loud and startling. Ace tried to look over, but the people near him blocked the view. There were heavy footsteps and then that strange pressure was back, slightly stronger than last time.
Ace tore himself from the people’s grip, grabbing his pipe as Luffy stepped through the doorway.
Ace would never forget the pure rage and hate in his little brother’s eyes. Luffy was always this happy, cheerful kid that was borderline too happy to be real. But standing there, eyes cold and lips in a thin line, blood running down his face, Ace barely recognized his brother at first. It was eerily silent as Luffy stared at everyone, eyes not those joyful ones Ace cherished.
Luffy looked deadly and it was so, so wrong.
Luffy’s eyes suddenly snapped to the person with the large purple hair, then to a woman with orange and white hair, lastly to the man with the tattoo, and he suddenly looked lost. Confusion took over his features, grief in his eyes, anger shining with it.
Ace lunged forward when Luffy suddenly wavered, eyes rolling back, and held his baby brother up. He bared his teeth at the people in the room. “Sabo, let’s go! We need to go!”
Luffy was hurt, they needed to get him out of here, where he’d be safe.
“Stop,” the deep voice came from the man with a tattoo over his face. His eyes were locked onto Luffy, surprise in his eyes and something Ace couldn’t quite place. “Let us help bandage him. We’ll drop you off at the island at daybreak.”
Ace growled, holding his brother closer. “Why the fuck should we trust you?”
“That boy’s name is Leo, isn’t it?” the man asked.
“It’s Luffy,” Ace said, eyes narrowing. “He goes by Luffy now.”
“I see,” the man said, nodding, “Either way, we’ll help him.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy woke up slowly, mind fuzzy and he felt as though he was being rocked. The bed he was in was swaying, slow, even, calming.
His mother used to rock him when he had been young…
There were soft murmurs reaching his ears, it sounded as though they were under water. He himself usually stuck to going under water in a bubble, though the handful of times he forgone that, he hadn’t been able to speak, and his lungs had felt a bit too tight. The last time he went under the ocean, to Fishman Island, had been to write in steel.
Luffy felt a strangely familiar presence, no three familiar presences near him. They were harmonizing, beating and pulsing with energy.
Serpil, his mind whispered, but not, that was wrong. Serpil died long ago, Luffy had…
Nika had been there, he had seen it.
Nika had killed him.
Luffy blinked his eyes open slowly, a fuzziness coating his vision. He blinked a few times, mind swimming as his eyes focused, and a freckled face was in his line of sight instantly.
Ace.
Ace who was bandaged and bruised but smiling.
Ah, that’s right. They had been trying to get Sabo back.
Luffy shot upright, head slamming into Ace’s, the boy cursing and scowling as he reached up to his forehead while Luffy felt no pain – rubber body and all. “Where’s Sabo–”
“He’s fine!” Ace said, planting his hands onto his shoulders. He frowned, seemingly determined, “You’re hurt, don’t move!”
(Nika had survived worse.)
“Luffy,” a soft grin stretched tan and pale cheeks, “I want to take care of you today! Don’t move!”
“Shishishishi! But I want to take care of Torao!”
Torao smiled at him, hazel eyes twinkling, “But you do every day, let me spoil you.”
Luffy relaxed instantly. He trusted Ace, like he trusted Torao. Ace looked relieved seeing that Luffy wasn’t going to push – his ever-stubborn little brother – and looked to the right. Luffy followed his line of sight, eyes connecting to Sabo, who looked nervous.
“He doesn’t have any memories,” Ace said, looking down as his grip on Luffy’s shirt tightened, “But the Revolutionaries said it might come back…”
“Who hurt him?” Luffy asked.
He had an inkling.
Ace’s face contorted, “Some people called the Celestial Dragons.” He spat.
Luffy’s face fell blank.
Celestial Dragons. He hated them. He hated them more than anything in the world.
(He would burn everything they built; he would make them regret everything. How dare these foolish humans try to stand against him. How dare they make those weapons, how dare they, how dare they, how dare they–)
Luffy looked around the room, seeing multiple people in the room. The one with the large head and purple hair gave off an energy that made his hackles raise – the same could be said for the person with split-colored hair and the man with the tattoo on his face.
His eyes narrowed.
“Luffy, are you okay?” Ace asked, sounding genuinely worried.
Ace was worried. His human was upset.
Luffy smiled brightly, reaching out and patting Ace’s hair. “Shishishishi! Sabo’s okay, so I’m okay!”
“Gah, I told you to stop doing that!” Ace sputtered but only made half-hearted attempts at removing his hand.
Luffy shi-shi-shi-ed before looking around again. His eyes caught onto a human with a red tattoo over his face. He felt…sharpened. He felt trained in a way that only the Clan of D had managed to feel. But now that he thought about it, so did many in the room.
The Gods and the Ds had one thing in common: their Haki.
These people were warriors, but they didn’t seem to be from the Clan of D. None of them had any visible mark indicating so, but the man with the tattoo could be from the clan…
It’s been eight hundred years, he remembered bitterly, of course things must have changed.
“You saved Sabo,” Luffy said, staring at the tattooed man.
He dipped his head, “I did.”
Luffy disliked most humans and he disliked ever bowing to them. The only human whom he’s ever dipped his head to had been Torao (and later Garp, he was surprisingly scary for a human), and even then, Torao had freaked out and forced him to stop.
“Don’t do that, Luffy, don’t bow to me! We’re equals!”
And yet for some reason, Luffy found himself dipping his head in respect, in gratitude. He had been unable to protect his brother, but this human had. Luffy would’ve given him a blessing in return, but at his power levels, he doubted he could make any wishes come true.
All he could offer was “Thank you.”
He owed this human a debt, and it left a sour taste on his tongue, but Luffy had honor.
Luffy didn’t wait for any response, simply pulling the pipes – or were they needles? – from his arms. He stood, Ace fretting by his side while trying to seem like he wasn’t and stumbled his way over to Sabo. He wrapped his arms around his brother, holding him tight even as Sabo tensed. He tried to pull at his power, tried to pull at his healing.
Nothing reached his fingers except golden hair.
That wasn’t right…Luffy could heal. He didn’t like to use this ability, but he could. He’d used it when Torao had cut his fingers while cooking for hunting, had used it when one of his friends had ended up injured, but he never liked using the gift.
But Sabo was his brother – Luffy loved Sabo. So he would push past the discomfort and pull at the healing, and yet nothing arrived.
Serpil was still around him.
Luffy couldn’t heal.
No, no, no, no.
Luffy knew what was going on.
It shouldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be happening. He was the Sun God, he was strong. How could he let this happen–
“Um, y-your my brother, right?” Sabo asked hesitantly.
Luffy hugged him tighter, “Yep.” He said, closing his eyes tightly, “Shishi, I’m glad you’re okay. We can get your memory back together!”
Seems like Nika wasn’t all that perfect after all…
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Dragon looked at his son for a moment. They were nearing Dawn, and once on shore in Foosha, they’d drop the three boys off and probably never see them again.
His son went by Luffy, now. He was seven years old, five years older than Dragon last saw of him in person. He had a scar under his eye, a bright smile and odd laugh, and he was more than he let on. But Dragon had no right to be in his life, so he wouldn’t try to nose his way into it.
He was just glad that his son had people he could rely on.
(Those eyes had been so dark as they gazed up at him, Foosha Village right behind him. It was as though his son was trying to stare into his soul.
“You’re a D, aren’t you?” Luffy had asked.
Dragon had dipped his head, confused as to how Luffy would even know let alone care about the initial.
“Shishi, I thought so,” his son said, looking over to Ace as he tried to seem unbothered by Sabo laughing at some story he was telling. “You saved Sabo.” for some reason, when Luffy looked back at him, Dragon could see a dim glow to his brown eyes, “So I owe you.”
The weight of those words…there was no way a child was capable of it.)
Chapter 5
Summary:
“Those powers weren’t created by devils,” Luffy said, serious. Sabo and Ace shared a look before looking at him expectantly. “They’re divine,” he told them, a whisper like he was sharing a secret.
He was, in a way.
Notes:
I don't know how much I like this chapter, but it has some important elements, so here it is XD
Enjoy~!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Luffy was seven and a half, almost four months after Sabo’s incident, that he heard a faint whisper. The moment he heard that soft, soft, voice, he had froze where he stood, eyes widening as his brothers continued forward, not noticing he stopped walking.
P-Please! Nika, help him! Help me!
Torao.
That was Torao.
A loud sob wrung through his head and Luffy hissed, hands flying up to his ears. The pipe in his hand clanged onto the ground, hitting a root before rolling into Ace’s heel. His (physically) older brother turned, confused, and then worried when he saw Luffy.
Sobbing, hiccupping, pleading…Law sounded miserable. He sounded desperate, sounded hysterical, angry and sad. Luffy has always hated when Law was sad.
(Even when his brother died, Law hadn’t sounded this broken.)
You’re a God, aren’t you!? Help us! He’s going to die!
Luffy normally would’ve been by his side in a second. He would’ve been there, all blazing glory, and he would’ve held Law close as he tried to help in any way he could. But Luffy wasn’t that person anymore – not right now. He couldn’t access his powers, he couldn’t pop up in a different location from thin air.
Luffy, now, was so, so weak.
He couldn’t save Law, couldn’t help him.
(Nika? Nika would’ve been there in a flash. He would’ve promised Law over and over that he would never leave him, would’ve comforted him, would’ve claimed they’d never truly part – they’d be together for centuries to come. He would’ve tried to save whatever person Law obviously cared for simply because of the tears on his lover’s face.
He would’ve been useful.)
Luffy, in a way, had caused this. He had caused this suffering by bringing Law back. He had died. If he hadn’t lost his life, if he had swallowed his pride – his anger – he wouldn’t have died. He would’ve been able to flee, would’ve been able to live, and what was eight hundred years for someone like him? It would’ve been lonely, but he would’ve been there for Law.
Luffy felt hands on him as tears dripped down his cheeks. He could hear the worried voices of his brothers, but he couldn’t focus on them.
Law’s voice was simply anguish. Sobs and hiccups and screams. It was getting quieter, quieter, quieter. After fifty years, the first time Luffy’s heard his lover’s voice, he was breaking, hysterical. He lost someone he obviously cared for deeply.
It would be the last time he heard Law’s voice, they wouldn’t see each other again until years and years later. Years and years later, Luffy could still hear the screams Law pleaded with, and they would haunt him.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
It had been exactly one year and four months before Sabo regained all of his memories. It had been a slower process, but his brothers had been there every step of the way. It had been weird at first, having no memories and relying on Ace and Luffy’s word alone. But Sabo felt like he could trust them, so he did.
Losing his memory gave him many opportunities, though, he noticed. He was experiencing – or reexperiencing? – everything with a new look, he knew almost nothing about his brothers as he was, and he slowly learned their tells, had a relatively unbiased look on them.
Sabo had a feeling that there were things he didn’t know about his brothers, even if he had his memory – but it wasn’t really like he had the memories to know this. Sometimes he could catch Luffy zoning out, staring at something and his grip on his pipe to leave small indents. It was like he was angry, some days, and then mournful the next. Sometimes Sabo would see Ace slip out of the tree house to go to the cliff, to fold into himself and to stare at the sea like it had all the answers in the world.
(Sabo felt as though there was something darker in Luffy and something broken in Ace, but he knew, even then, that he could help his brothers, even if all he could do is make their days just a little brighter.)
When Ace told Sabo that his father was the Pirate King, Sabo had felt a sense of nostalgia – like he had been told that before. It was like he was seeing the scene replay before his eyes and then he had gasped out his first response. “Eh, really? Does that make you a prince?”
Ace had socked him in the shoulder, but it had hurt a lot less than Sabo remembered.
The day that Sabo gained all of his memories – or the ones he still had missing – had been a rainy day. The wind was hitting at the windows that had long since been boarded over, the fireplace in the bandit’s hut was smoldering, the fire they had started earlier dying out as time went on. Sabo had been woken by Luffy grumbling something, kicking at his side in his sleep and Ace had been drooling on his neck, and Sabo had been watching water leak from the roofing to the bucket placed below and constant drip drip drip, and then he suddenly had this terrible pain his in head.
His ears had felt like they had been stuffed with cotton, his eyes like they were flooded with water, his head like it was being bashed in.
His scream had woken everyone and when he woke two days later, he remembered everything.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Shishishi,” Luffy watched his brothers spar with a careful eye.
For humans their age, they were fairly strong; most humans who were active fighters had reached their strength in their peak when Torao had been alive. Luffy had seen Law lift trees over his shoulders more times than he could count, and Law would always flush and say he wasn’t the strongest there was, always the humble man he was. Luffy was certainly surprised to see eleven, almost twelve-year-olds with that strength.
It made sense for Ace to be this strong, of course, being the son of two Ds. The D clan had been blessed with strength that went beyond regular humans – they just had to cultivate it with training, of course – and they also had an easier grasp to Haki. Ace had used the Devine Haki – the Ds had called it God’s Haki – without any training when those pirates had cornered them in the flames. He had a lot of potential; Luffy had a feeling he would do great things.
Sabo, however, was from a noble decent. Human nobles had always been weak little things, relying on their people or weapons that should’ve never come to be to win wars. It was certainly strange for a noble child to have the ability to kick down a tree three months after being shot out of the water.
Humans had certainly evolved.
“My turn!” Luffy chirped when Ace managed to beat Sabo, managing it easily due to Sabo stumbling over a root.
Luffy had used a spear in battle before. His regular spear – or, well his old one, seeing as how it probably didn’t exist anymore – had been created by the Goddess of Weapons and been infused with his own Haki during creation. She had been the best weapon’s smith Luffy had ever heard of and she had been very helpful during the war – had made almost every weapon their side used.
She had also been killed because of it.
Luffy twirled his pipe slowly, fingers twisting to keep the spin smooth. He had taught Law how to do it, had taken months of his lover flushing red at his constant failures which included sending the spear flying into Luffy’s laughing face. Luffy had eventually snickered as he stood behind his lover, holding his hand, and slowly helping the spear spin his Law’s spotted hands.
He had wanted it to last forever, yet he should have known it wouldn’t – not without some difficult times. When Luffy found him again, they would be together forever.
Luffy ducked to the side, snickering slightly as he shot his leg out and tripped his brother. Ace yelped, planting his pipe down to stop his fall. Luffy listened to his voice – unruly, loud – and pulled his leg pack, lifting his pipe to meet Ace’s blow. It was harsh, rattled the pipe in his hands.
It packed a punch, but so did Law’s. And Law died.
They needed to be stronger, needed to have more force, more power, more finesse. They all did, Luffy included. Luffy knew they were kids, they were still growing, they would continue to grow, but he wasn’t going to let people he cared for die again.
He had already failed enough people.
Hundreds, thousands.
Law.
…Nika.
Luffy twisted, wrapping his fingers around Ace’s pipe multiple times, and yanked. The pipe went flying, fingers snapping back into place, and Luffy tackled Ace to the grown. His brother was sweating, staring up at him in shock, hair a mess of tangled curls and his hands were starting to blister – this was the last fight of the day for him, after all.
One-hundred spars a day and they were exhausted after.
They needed to get stronger.
“It’s no fair!” Ace sputtered, “You have a Devil Fruit!”
Luffy winced at the name, plopping down to sit on his brother’s chest and Ace wheezed, pushing at him weakly.
“That’s rude, Ace!” he told his brother, it sounded childish, and it was.
Luffy didn’t like those powers being disrespected with such an awful name.
“How is it rude!? You’re sitting on me!” Ace scowled slightly, flopping back.
“Those powers weren’t created by devils,” Luffy said, serious. Sabo and Ace shared a look before looking at him expectantly. “They’re divine,” he told them, a whisper like he was sharing a secret.
He was, in a way.
“How?” Sabo asked, sitting next to them. His top hat flopped to the side, his curly blond hair starting to frame his face. He had started to grow it out after the incident, claimed it felt better than having it longer.
His parents had always shaved his head, Luffy thinks he knew that even without his memory.
Luffy smiled at them, shaking his head. “They just are! And I’m hungry, let’s go eat!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
A man stared out at the vast sea, hand on the railing in front of him. It had been almost three years since he last felt Nika’s presence. Nika was alive and yet he couldn’t find where the God had gone.
They would meet again, he had waited eight-hundred years, he could wait anther century if he needed. He would wait as long as he needed, to see his brother again.
Notes:
I wonder who that guy is hehe~
Chapter 6
Summary:
Nika was perfect in every which way.
Luffy was not.
Notes:
ehehehehehe I'm so not happy with this chapter but I introduced some important aspects that will be used later on~
I was going to write out asl growing up but I have great plans for this fic and it'll only start when Luffy's journey does, so~
Also, not me making an original work off of my original plot of this fic XD
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Good!” Luffy said cheerfully as he dodged an attack from his brother. Sabo shot out behind him and Ace launched forward to cage him in and Luffy let out a shi-shi-shi as he sent his arm out. His hand connected with a tree and he used it to help him get out of the way, bringing a Haki-infused leg up to block his brothers’ retaliation.
They had gotten much better with Haki, were very strong considering they were just regular humans – or at least Luffy thought they were, even after almost seven years in this new time, he was still unsure as to what was considered a normal human. Luffy’s arm snapped back into place, and he grinned sharply, dashing forward towards his brothers.
They both grinned back at him, Sabo brandishing his pipe and Ace his fists, and they launched right back at him.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy watched his brothers pack their separate boats. Sabo was leaving in time with Ace as they now shared a birthday – Sabo deciding he didn’t want anything to do with nobility and that somehow included his birthday; he and Ace referred to each other as twins now – and Luffy felt mixed emotions about this. He didn’t like being separated from his humans, the last time that had happened, Law had died and Luffy had broke.
But he trusted his brothers, so he grinned and waved them off.
I wonder if you’ll like them, little brother, Luffy thought, waving as his brothers disappeared from view. Deryn probably wouldn’t like them one bit – he absolutely loathed humans, has since he had been young and following Luffy around with eyes no child his age should wear.
But that was what war did.
Nika had been no help.
Luffy rolled his shoulders, popping his knuckles as he walked into the forest, the bandits and Makino dispersing.
Luffy didn’t like being alone, but those humans would never understand. Not like his brothers would – not like Law would.
(It was when he was alone that his thoughts attacked him the most, reminded him of those lonely days before Law and the miserable ones after.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Elio smiled softly as she walked along the garden in the castle. It was an extravagant thing, flowers from almost every island planted within these marble walls. The grass was soft under her feet, tickling her skin. The robes she wore dragged behind her, gold glinting on her skin and gosling with each step.
“Mother?” her sweet, sweet boy asked, his hand warm in hers. It wasn’t often that she found something that felt warm to her – she ran hotter than most, being made of fire.
“Yes, my little Firefly?” She asked kindly.
“What’s that flower?” Nika asked, pointing to a yellow flower that was in full bloom.
Everything in this garden was constantly in full bloom as long as she was around.
“Those are sunflowers,” She murmured, “They come from the South Blue in the mortal realm.”
“Woah,” her son awed, his tiny hand tightening its grip on her fingers. Nika glowed, smile bright as he looked up at her eagerly, “What do they mean?”
Elio brushed at her son’s white, glowing hair, the curls bouncing back where they were once, they untangled from her fingers. “Joy and sincerity, my Firefly.” She kneeled in front of her child, holding his hands as they gazed at the blooming flowers, “Make sure you live with joy, my dearest son.” She murmured, meeting his ringed eyes. “Live with joy and be sincere, alright?”
“Of course, Mother!” Nika smiled widely at her and Elio smiled back.
“Mother?” Nika croaked.
He stared at the blood that soaked into her white garb, as her hair no longer held flames. Her lifeless eyes looked back at his, and Nika shook.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The first letter he got from his brothers had been sent by Sabo a few months after they set sail – almost seven to be exact. Sabo had ran into Revolutionaries early into his journey and decided to join them instead of becoming a pirate. He spoke of the new people he’s met and how he felt like he was meant to be a Revolutionary. Sabo always had issues believing he didn’t fit in somewhere – even with him and Ace at times – because of being born noble
Luffy is happy that his brother finally found his calling.
The next letter had been from Ace, and while Luffy had been following his achievements in the paper (Sabo was rarely in the paper, and when he was it was just his silhouette in a blurry photo), getting a letter from his brother was relieving.
Just two months after, however, the paper read of Portgas D. Ace going after some legendary pirate named Whitebeard only to be defeated. Luffy knew Ace was alive but the fact that Ace had lost meant Luffy had failed – had failed to make him strong enough, failed to protect him, failed to be there, again.
“I’m joining the Whitebeards,” Ace’s next letter said, and Luffy felt bitter at the thought of sharing his human with more people.
He was glad Ace was okay, is happy.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy was sixteen, going on seventeen, when he first tried to access his locked away powers. He understood that it would take some time for them to recuperate – or at least what wasn’t stolen – but he hadn’t expected almost a decade to pass without a hint of his abilities to rise. He had been young when his glow rose up onto his skin, with his grandfather being a star god and his mother being made of fire, it had been a given that he would’ve had some of their shine – even if his father was what he had been.
His brother had been always fiery, taking after their mother in a way Luffy hadn’t. His fire hadn’t been his, after all. Luffy had always been jealous of that; that his brother had flames in his hair like their mother had yet Luffy had taken more after his father than the Goddess of Flame.
Luffy had a feeling he’d never get his own flames back and he bit down on his rage at the thought.
Nika would kill them, whomever had those flames.
Luffy would too.
Luffy kept his eyes closed as he felt deep for his power. He had never had a issue pulling his ability up, floating whenever he felt, changing size on a whim, grinning as steam shot off his body. It had come naturally to him, for as long as he could remember, and his father had been so, so happy.
His mother had been fearful.
Luffy’s eyebrows furrowed as he pulled at the power locked away, pulling, pulling, pulling. Steam forced his eyelids open, his ears, nose, mouth flooded with it. Luffy’s hands reached up, coughing against the feeling as his head was forced back. The air around him flooded with the steam and tears rose up in his eyes at the attack at his eyes, and Luffy coughed around a wet sob.
Luffy has been in pain before.
His chest was caved in, blood flooding his lungs, and he could see his ribs, bent, and cracked–
He’s been in a lot of pain before.
But this was somehow worse.
He fell onto his back with a wheeze, steam rising off his skin and it was warm, warm in a way it shouldn’t be. It burned his insides, boiled at his skin. Luffy pulled away from his power instantly and the steam lessened quickly. He stared up at the sky, wisps of stream floating in the air as if it was taunting him.
Nika wouldn’t have had to deal with this. Nika was perfect in every which way.
Luffy was not.
What would you think of me now…
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
A shudder worked it’s way down Law’s back and he looked up. His crew bustled around, cheerful as always. He looked behind his shoulder, frowning.
That voice sounded oddly like the man from his dreams.
Notes:
Next chapter should show the start of Luffy's journey and Zoro~
Chapter 7
Summary:
“That writing is the same found on Poneglyphs.”
He felt his face pale as he looked back to the writing on his report. How...?
Notes:
I was too lazy to go back to the first episode and rewatch it all and write it out, so I’m only adding what I find important for this fic. Otherwise, things ended up like canon.
Fun fact, this fic was originally going to be a few thousand words one shot XD
Enjoy!!
Chapter Text
When Luffy had been a child – still aging – he hadn’t had the best of lives. Unlike what most people would think, being the only son of the King and Queen of the Gods wasn’t all that it cracked up to being. His father had been one of the few who had been created, his mother being born from two whom had been created. His bloodline was as pure as it could get for the third-generation god.
As new generations of gods arrived, they grew weaker. And then there were the odd ones out who were called half-breeds to the gods – half human and half god. Humans had called them Deities.
They hadn’t lived easy lives.
Luffy had been five when his ability was unlocked, and his skin started to glow. His grandfather had been a god made of stars, constantly shining, his mother was made of fire, the flames dancing off her. It made sense that Luffy, too, would have a bright quality even if his father had been, well, him. Luffy had been six when people understood that he wasn’t your typical third-generation god.
Luffy was strong.
So he had become a weapon.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy yawned as he blinked his eyes open. He brought a hand up to push his hat from his eyes, staring up at the blue sky. Zoro, his first crewmate, was sound asleep on the other side of the boat – or so he probably wants Luffy to think, he’s been awake since Luffy yawned.
Luffy wasn’t really sure how someone was supposed to go about gathering a crew, but he figured he was going something right. In all his years, Luffy had never seen a human wield three swords, and so accurately at that. Nor had he seen any gods, and they had always been prideful at being better than humans, even if most of them perished to them after the war.
They’d been drifting for a while now, apparently Zoro couldn’t navigate and Luffy had never bothered to learn. Someone else would be their navigator anyways, so it would be useless if he learned.
“Don’t you think it’s strange that you can’t navigate?” Zoro asked, opening an eye to peer at him.
Luffy pushed himself up, hands on his knees, “Nah. I’ve bene drifting and it works for me!”
It wasn’t like he could just pop up anywhere with a shrine of his or where someone he cared for was anymore. He knew he still had a shrine somewhere, he heard Law’s prayers all those years ago after all, but he wasn’t connected to it – probably because he couldn’t access all of his powers. He couldn’t even teleport to Ace or Sabo, so he knew for a fact that it had nothing to do with having a shrine or not.
“Well, either way we need a navigator. I followed a pirate out to sea and couldn’t find my way back, so I made the best of things and went after the pirates in the area.” Zoro explained, cutting Luffy from his thoughts.
“So you got lost?” Luffy asked bluntly.
“You don’t have to put it like that!” Zoro sputtered. “We need a navigator as soon as possible or we won’t even make it to the Grand Line.”
“And we need a cook, and a musician–” Luffy started to list.
“Those can wait!” Zoro yelped.
Then they both proceeded to plop down, “I’m starving.” They chorused.
“Hey…it’s a bird,” Zoro pointed out.
“It looks pretty big…” Luffy agreed.
“LETS EAT IT!”
“Huh? How?”
“I’ll grab it! Gomu-Gomu…”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Boss! You came to rescue!” the girl with orange hair said, perking up.
Luffy stared at her in confusion as she stood up and ran, shouting that she’d let him take care of the men currently towering over him. Luffy looked up, curious.
Behind him, rising his left arm.
Luffy twisted his had to the side, twisting to punch the man. He went flying and his friends rushed at him. Luffy handled them just as quickly, patting at his knuckles.
“Wow, you’re pretty tough.”
“Hm, who are you?” Luffy asked, looking at the woman behind him.
“I’m Nami! I rob pirates.” She lifted a hand, “Want to team up with me?”
Luffy tilted his head, his smile slow to form. “Sure.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Zoro looked at his captain from where he was tied up and locked in a cage. He had felt this…presence in Luffy since they first met. There was something more than this cheerful idiot in Luffy and it had caught him off guard originally. But as he spent more time around him – admittedly only a few days – Zoro understood a few things about his new friend.
Luffy had a part of him he resented, and Zoro could respect that.
But seeing Luffy tied up, locked in a cage, Zoro could see this dark, dark, glare in his eyes, eyes that were on this Buggy the Clown guy. Zoro had known it instantly, that getting on this Luffy’s bad side wouldn’t be a smart thing to do. Luffy was hiding a lot about himself, he was strong, and a part of Zoro felt that he was ruthless.
And yet when Zoro met Luffy’s eyes, it was like that presence was suddenly pushed aside. Luffy smiled happily, cheering his name. “I’m glad you found me! Now get me outta here!” Luffy chirped.
“Always goofing around, first you fly away with some bird and now you’re in some cage,” Zoro breathed a sigh before laughing, “Fool!”
Zoro heard whispers from the people around, but he paid them no mind. He just needed to get his stupid captain out of here.
“So you’re Roronoa Zoro, eh?” Buggy the Clown said, suddenly by his side, “You must have come to capture me!”
“Nah, I have up pirate hunting.” Zoro waved him off. “I have no interest in you.”
“Well, I am interested in you.” Knives were held in the captain’s hands and Zoro held onto his swords.
“You asked for it!” He said. He cut the man into pieces with ease, “How disappointing. Anyways, we can’t open this without a key, and the bars are too thick for me to cut through…”
“Zoro,” Luffy’s voice was stern, “Go to the left. Now.”
Zoro paused for a moment before he hurried to the left, per his captain’s orders. Not even a second later, there was a floating hand carrying a blade flying past him.
“The Bara Bara no Mi!” Buggy said, completely whole minus his floating hand from behind Zoro. “You can slice and dice me but you can’t kill me!”
“Trying to stab someone in the back is fighting dirty, Big Nose!” Luffy yelled.
Zoro lunged forward to grab the hand that launched off of Buggy’s body. “Luffy!” he shouted, too slow.
Luffy grinned, the blade between his teeth. He bit down tighter and the blade snapped, “I’m gonna clobber you.” He said.
His grin was dark.
“Clobber me?” Buggy shouted, laughing, “Don’t make me laugh! You three are about to die!”
“Shishishishishishi!” Luffy’s laugh was loud, filled with a dark sounding mirth, “No way! I’m not gonna die again!”
Again.
Before Zoro could say anything else, Luffy was smiling at him. “Zoro, run.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Sabo hummed to himself as he wrote on the side of his report. He’d have to send a letter to Luffy soon; he set out a month ago. His little brother was plenty capable of himself, Sabo knew that from firsthand experience, but he still worried. There were plenty of occasions where Sabo would have died if not for his brother’s training of essence – something he later corrected to being called Haki, which Sabo was still confused about – since they were young.
The Revolutionary Army had been surprised to find out he already had a grip on Haki when he joined. He had been learning it since he awoken his observation when he had been thirteen.
Luffy was so mysterious, but Sabo wouldn’t have him any other way. His little brother was so loveable.
“Hey, Sabo!” Koala said, “I need to grab that report! It was due fifteen minutes ago!”
Koala had been very kind to him since he joined, and Sabo could happily say she was his closest friend here at the army. They were placed as partners, even with Sabo’s recent promotion as the Chef of Staff.
“Just finished it,” Sabo said, closing the file and handing it over to his partner.
Koala pinched at his cheek with a huff before hurrying out of the room and Sabo laughed. He looked over his desk, finding a letter from Ace he’s been meaning to read for a while now, and grasped it. He tore through the envelope, leaning back into his chair.
The letter was the same as usual, telling him about some mission, a few things about his crew, then a few things about the First Division Leader being hot; Ace things in general.
Before Sabo could start to write a reply, Koala was opening the door and fidgeting. “Dragon wants to see you.” She informed.
Sabo stood, placing his brother’s letter into his pocket, and followed after the woman. Koala hadn’t even started to scold him about something, so Sabo felt his nerves start to make themselves known but pushed them down. It took a few minutes to reach Dragon-san’s office, and when he did, there were other main officers.
“Sabo,” Dragon greeted, lifting the report, “Care to explain this?”
“Uh, it’s a report about my last mission.” Sabo said hesitantly.
“Not that,” Dragon said, and then he pointed at the margin where Sabo has scribbled a few side notes. “This.”
“Oh, that was a few suggestions I had come up with.” Sabo explained, grinning, “If we have a few soldiers who want to retire but are still sympathizing with our goal, we can use them as spies for World Government-supported nations.”
“Sabo,” Hack said and Sabo looked over to the man with a smile. “That writing is the same found on Poneglyphs.”
Sabo felt his face pale as he looked back to the writing on his report. He’s well aware of how Nico Robin was hunted since she had been a child because she had the talent to read that writing. He’d never actually seen a Poneglyph before, and even then, Luffy had taught him and Ace to write in that language a long time ago.
How on earth did Luffy know how to write, read, and speak in Poneglyphs…
Chapter 8
Summary:
But it had been so easy.
It was always so easy…
Notes:
I skipped through Usopp and Sanji joining the crew since it’s basically going as canon, and I didn’t feel like writing it out when we already know how it goes XD
Chapter Text
“Brother,” Deryn said as Nika looked out to the courtyard of his palace.
He had returned from the human realm some time ago; blood was still drying on his hands. Blood was such a fickle thing, even the smallest of wounds could cause the substance to flow freely. Human or God, they all bled when Nika struck. It was almost pathetic; it would be if not for the fact that Nika was superior to any being that could ever exist.
Nika was the Lord of Gods, and thus he was the strongest. He always would be.
“Yes, Deryn?” Nika asked. He wasn’t that interested in what needed to be said, instead tapping the marble under his fingertips. The blood splattered against the stone.
“There has been another attack,” his brother said stiffly, anger in his voice. He paused for a moment, clearing his throat and Nika looked at him from the side of his eye, “The Deity of the Forest is in terrible condition. The healers request your aid to save her.”
“Hm,” Nika acknowledged, looking back out at the window. It was cracked, has been since he had been thrown out it when he had been young – his father not agreeing with how his training had been coming along and thus throwing him out of the castle quite literally.
Fifty years later and that man still haunted him.
“Humans led the attack?” Nika asked as his feet touched the floor. He straightened out his robes with a brush of his hands, red streaking pure white.
“Yes,” Deryn growled.
His brother had a certain hate for humans that was certainly expected, most of their kind did. The only difference was that Deryn could keep up with Nika – he had the will to, had the power to. They were almost equals. It only made sense, for all that they share blood, Deryn was created, not born. He was technically a mix between a first and second generation god, unlike Nika, who was a third generation.
He was strong, he was Nika’s brother.
“I see,” Nika said as he walked. His brother followed at his heels, his sandals slapping against marble.
Everything in this castle was too bright; white and gold covering every square inch that wasn’t covered with useless décor. The Sun Castle as they called it since Nika had become the Lord; it was no longer the Castle of the Elders.
It was a pity, really.
“Are you not going to do anything?” Deryn asked, pausing once more, “This is the fifth attack this month! We lost the God of Desert just hours ago!”
“I’m not going to do anything,” Nika agreed as he made it to his room. His bloodied hands stained the gold doorknob.
Red was such a pretty color.
“You destroy what is weaker than you, after all,” Nika smiled over his shoulder, dead and dark, and his brother’s features pinched with displeasure. “You can do as you please,” He paused for a moment, “But if you die, know there will be consequences.”
“Of course, brother,” Deryn said, dipping his head and Nika closed the door.
His room was dark, destroyed as it always was.
Nika smiled.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy walked along the path to Arlong’s strong hold, slow and dangerous with his crewmates by his side. He didn’t necessarily hate fishmen – they were just people after all. Gods didn’t necessarily look like humans like most had believed, some made completely of moss and vines, some not even having a physical body. The Goddess of the Sea is literally the sea.
But Luffy had helped the people of Fishman Island years and years ago. Law had once voiced how he found it unfair how the fishmen were being treated, and Luffy had gone under the ocean current to help them. He had blessed them with sunlight and helped them prosper.
After Law died Luffy had been a figure of freedom for them; freeing them from the Celestial Dragons, attacking the World Government, placing his claim on the island as his. Fishman Island had been a place that held one of the few shrines that had been safe from the World Government’s destruction.
(He had written there. Apologized to the people of Fishman Island; apologized to Law. He had left once it was set in stone and he had never returned.
He had died.)
Despite this, Luffy had no qualms fighting Fishmen, just like he had no qualms fighting humans.
He pulled his arm back – Nami crying, arm stained in red just like Torao had been when he– and he raged.
(Nika showed no mercy.
In a way, Luffy was the same.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Boss!” the Fishmen shouted, and Luffy jolted as though shaken from a trance.
Luffy stared blankly at Arlong Park. It was in ruins – and so easily too – the walls cracked, the building demolished, the leader of the Arlong pirates strew onto the concrete.
His voice was gone.
Luffy had killed him.
(Nika would have killed him too.)
It had been so easy; one hit sent him flying, a whisp of Haki had made blood rise, and a twist of his wrist…Luffy let his fingers relax, the heart of the fishman who had terrorized Nami dropping to the floor with a spat. He reached up, touching the wetness on his cheek, pulling his hand back to find only red.
It was always red.
Red that stained his hand, that gathered under his nails, that dried and stained his skin. He had grown used to the color when he had been young – fighting a war when he had been nineteen that decided his life for many, many centuries does that to someone, God or no.
Luffy hadn’t killed anyone since he had died, and even then, Law had convinced him that like was precious. It shouldn’t be thrown away so easily, Law would always say. Luffy had lived by that, had always aimed to maim than kill and most of the time he had stayed by that.
But it had been so easy to end Arlong’s life.
It was always so easy…
Luffy turned on his heel, lips forcing itself up into a smile, and he waved at his crew, hands bloody like they always, always had been.
It was okay.
It was okay, it was okay, it was okay.
Luffy was okay.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
He stared down at the poster held between his fingers. Even with that human disguise, he knew how his brother looked. Blood on his hands, smile wide, eyes closed; that was Nika.
Monkey D. Luffy, his bounty said.
Luffy.
That human had called Nika Luffy. He had been happy to learn that the human had died, even with his brother being so distraught he had destroyed an entire island. He hadn’t seen an act like that come from his collected, if a bit deranged, brother since long, long ago. It had been surprising.
But the human had been dead, so there was nothing to worry about. Nika would be back to normal, he had believed.
And then he had seen the tears.
His brother didn’t cry – he was a God. He was the ruler of all of the Gods. His brother shouldn’t cry, especially not over some human.
But now, now he understood. Now he understood why his brother shed tears over a human, why he had mourned and destroyed everything around him. With the bounty that belonged to his brother in hand, he turned away from the railing and eyed the human man walking down the deck of the ship.
He caught his eyes and the human smiled brightly, waving to him wildly.
Yes, he understood his brother now.
“Hey, got some new bounties.” He said, waving the handful in the human’s direction, “A few new rookies too.”
“Oh really?” the human asked brightly, “My brother should be setting out soon!” he exclaimed, “Is there someone named Luffy in there?”
Chapter 9
Summary:
Be strong.
He was strong. He always was.
Notes:
ehehehehe
I have no regrets for how I ended this~
Enjoy!
Chapter Text
He stared at the poster in his hand, smiling slowly. Nika – well it was Luffy now, he supposed – had always been an odd ball, for as long as he had known the lord. Nika had been the only one who had ever accepted him, despite all the other gods trying to kill him since he had been born.
“Shishishi, I’ll take care of him.” The shining god had claimed, grin wide and eyes curious. The lord’s brother had sighed, glared at the child Nika was picking up, but didn’t fight it.
No one fought the Sun God’s whims.
Nika had raised him, had trained him to be the strongest of his kind – had trained him to survive. When Nika fell, he had lived. He had survived.
“Ray?” his wife said, worry in her tone as she reached the hand that wasn’t holding her cigarette to touch his hand. “You okay?”
Rayleigh brought his hand up to flick the tears from his eyes and he smiled at the wanted poster. Soon, they’d meet again soon. He couldn’t wait.
“I’m great,” Rayleigh said.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Death was often glorified if it was for a good cause. In actuality there was no good cause for a death; it was simply the end. Before, the dead used to be honored with eternal dreams or a cycle of being reborn. Luffy had seen the process when he had been young, and later on he had been the one who handled it.
He had abandoned the duty not long after he had been bestowed it.
(He was a being of light, not of darkness, after all.)
But the point was, before death had just been death. Now death was done with either a good cause in mind or the opposite. The King of the Pirates, a human who had been free, was executed and his death was glorified, immortalized, with the execution stand in Loguetown. Luffy didn’t care much about what went on in the world; so long as it didn’t affect him or his nakama, why should he? The world was ran by them so it was going to be awful either way.
But Gol D. Roger was Ace’s father even if Ace loathed him, and his death was being glorified.
(Luffy’s father’s death had been glorified.)
Luffy stalked his way to the structure, raising his hand to touch the worn wood of the leg. He felt familiar presences heading to him – dead, they’re both dead – and looked over his shoulder as a pretty woman and Buggy headed towards him. He dug his fingers into the leg of the structure and pulled.
The crack it made was loud, loud, loud. Everyone in the area paused and stared in horror as the execution stand swayed, one leg completely demolished, and Luffy grinned sharply as it fell.
“I will be the Pirate King!” he declared for all to hear.
“Mugiwara!”
Smoke entered his vision and lightning cracked.
(“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Nika sobbed as he clung onto the young goddess, “Please, you can’t die! I didn’t – I don’t want this!”
“Lord Nika, be strong,” the young one whispered, holding onto him, “Please, win this fight. Be strong. Kill him.”
Just hours later, Nika was holding his staff into a man’s chest. The people around him bowed.)
“Luffy!” Zoro and Sanji yelled from behind him and Luffy inhaled deeply before he turned on his heel and grinned.
“C’mon, let’s run!” He laughed.
Be strong.
He was strong. He always was.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Ash floated in the air. It was eerily quiet, no one moving as they stared at the center of the battle. Many on both sides were lost, gone and never to return. It was haunting – that gods, who were so very powerful, could be killed, never to return to the land of the living.
Nika breathed heavily, pulling his spear from the chest it was lodged in and planting it onto the pillowy cloud under his feet. Blood leaked out of his eyes, nose, ears, mouth. He felt a thrum in his veins, a heavy feeling in his gut.
He felt horrified at what he had done – felt nauseous at the possibilities.
The former King of the Gods laid dead at his feet, hundreds if not thousands of gods just like him. The islands in the sky would forever be streaked in red because of this day, Nika managed to think.
With a dep breath that rattled his bones, Nika stood. He wavered slightly, grip on his weapon tightening. His back straightened and his hair sizzled as it floated up. It would have resembled fire if not for the darkness that corrupted his bright glow.
Everyone around him bowed and Nika felt sick.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“What?” Ace asked the snail in his hands, eyes wide.
A sigh left Sabo’s lips, and he looked tired even through the Den-Den. “Luffy taught us how to read and write in the ancient language that’s in Poneglyphs.” He repeated.
“But – But how!?” Ace yelped. Then he paused, cursing loudly.
“We don’t know how – Ace?” Sabo asked, concerned, “What’s wrong.”
“I write my reports using that.” He hissed.
“Ace,” Sabo groaned.
“It’s a habit!” He yelped; it had been the first language he learned to write and because of that, he usually found himself writing in it without even thinking. “I turned in my first actual report a few hours ago – fuck, they probably already saw it!”
“Calm down,” Sabo said, “It’s fine.”
“How!?” Ace yelped, “How did Luffy even know that? Why the hell did he teach us?”
“I don’t think Luffy even knows.” Sabo said, sighing.
“Wait!” Ace interrupted, “I talk in that language all the time, you don’t think…”
“Fuck,” Sabo said, eyes widening, “I hadn’t thought of that. Ace…”
Ace pursed his lips, thoughtful. “Well, I don’t know what we expected. He’s Luffy after all.” He laughed.
Sabo’s lips quirked up. “I guess,” he agreed, chuckling.
“Say, we should meet up when Luffy gets into the Grand Line.” Ace said, “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
“Yeah,” Sabo said, grinning. “Maybe Saba–”
There was a loud shout and the bell wrang, Ace standing quickly. He wrenched his door open quickly; the hallway flooded. He followed after the group of people.
“What happened!?” He demanded.
“Teach attacked Thatch!” someone shouted.
Bright blue flames burst, and Ace watched in horror as Marco forced his flames into Thatch’s back, looking panicked.
“Stay with us, Thatch, yoi!” Marco barked, “Get the med bay prepped!”
Chapter 10
Summary:
The King of the Gods was a being that thrived in darkness and death.
Nika was not.
Notes:
As you can see, I am very excited with this fic XD
T/W for the first section: abuse (child and spouse), gore, death. It's not a pretty segment, I'll admit, and I had to take a few breaks when writing it bc I was just so upset with how it was going - which was exactly how I wanted it to go but it was still rlly bad. Luffy's father is a real piece of work and he's really unsettling for me to write, so just throwing that out there just in case XD
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Nika flicked the coin in his hand; it was from the human village that stood just a few minutes ago. His eyes tracked across the ruined buildings and destroyed crops. There were bodies littered in the road, women, men, children.
The coin dropped into his hand, and he launched it back up into the sky. The gold glittered in the pale light coming off his body. The light he shined was brighter than the only light available in this world, the moon.
He hated Nika’s brightness.
“Prince Nika,” one of the royal guards said in surprise one he saw him, eyes squinting as they landed onto his glowing body. “We hadn’t known you would be here.”
Nika hummed in answer. The coin hit his hand.
“Do you know where my father is?” Nika asked plainly.
“O-Oh,” the god to the right stammered. His eyes were a bleeding gold, hair like straw, “King Daruk is at the end of the town.”
Nika started towards the direction he was pointed in. His bright gaze traveled along the cracks in the ground, buildings, people. He twisted the coin between his fingers, it curved over his index, middle, ring, and then back. He paused his walk when he caught sight of his father, a human dressed in silk clothing – a sword in the ground nearby had the Clan of D. cress, Nika noticed – in his hand.
“Nika,” his father’s voice was a cold, raspy thing like it always was. “You’re late.”
“My apologies, Father,” Nika said. “I was called by the council beforehand.”
“Who do you think is more important than the council?” his father hissed, the darkness clinging to his body smoking, growing.
“You are, Father, forgive me.” He said.
Daruk hissed something under his breath, and Nika stood stiffly behind him as he turned. The human in his hand struggled, fighting his grip.
“May I ask you something.” Nika asked.
His father waved his hand in his usual continue, so Nika continued.
“Why have we been attacking the Clan of D. more insistently?” Nika asked. “I thought we were–”
Cold broke out across his face, goosebumps rising as his father grabbed onto his face. Daruk, King of the Gods, was a large man, standing tall and wide. He was a shadowy thing, face pale and eyes as cold as his touch.
He was a being that thrived in darkness. Nika was not.
“Don’t you dare question my actions,” his father hissed, nails piercing elastic skin, and Nika didn’t dare blink. “I am the King, don’t get a large head simply because you are my son.” The way he said son was similar to how his kind said human.
Like he was worthless.
“My apologies.” Nika uttered, automatic.
He was shoved, feet digging into the broken ground, and he felt something his back. The wall behind him shattered as he broke through it, and dust rose. Nika stood instantly – he had to. The King of Gods clicked his tongue as he stared over to him and Nika kept his face blank.
“Kill him,” Daruk said simply, tossing the human towards him.
Nika closed his eyes tightly.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.” The god said darkly, “You won’t like it.”
Nika knew he wouldn’t.
He knew it.
“Please, have mercy!” the human cried as Nika stepped forward. “Please, King, Prince! What have we done to earn your wrath?
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
“Please, have mercy on–”
Nika watched the light bleed from the human’s eyes, and he slowly pull his hand from the man’s chest. He looked into his father’s eyes as he let the human drop, tilting his head back to keep the eye contact.
“Good.” His father said, cold, cold, cold.
He reached his hand out and Nika placed the human heart in his palm. The pale hand twisted as he observed it. Then his father reached out, hand floating above Nika’s head, and squeezed.
The heart in his hand dripped, dripped, dripped.
Nika was raised to be a weapon. He was raised to be refined, strong, bloodied.
His father walked past him, “I expect no hesitation next time.” He said before he departed.
Nika’s hands shook as he balled them into fists, blood dripping down his face. It was in his eyes, running over his lips, staining his glow.
Daruk was a being that thrived in darkness and death.
Nika was not.
(Later that night he would hear his mother shout – he’s only five, she would claim, please, let him be a child!
This would be followed with the sound of skin meeting skin, his mother crying out, and his father hissing he’s my son, I’ll do as I please, before he left the room.
Nika would sneak into his mother’s room, and no tears would fall from her eyes, her skin was too warm for such an act. But he would huddle close to her, holding her bruised cheek as she softly claimed she was perfectly fine.
Nika knew she wasn’t. He pretended to believe her anyways.
And then she would wrap him up in her warm arms and would hum a soft song, voice floating in the air and caressing him to his very core and for a moment, just a moment, he could pretend he was a normal child.
But a normal child he was not.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy had two dreams in his life. The first and most important one was finding Law. He would achieve this no matter what he did, no matter what he had to do. He was going to see Law again; he was going to hold him and kiss him and he was simply going to love him.
(Luffy was going to turn him.)
His second dream wasn’t as important but was no less pressing.
Luffy lifted his leg, sandaled feet hitting the barrel in front of him and claimed, “I’m going to be the Pirate King!”
And Law, his nakama, and his brothers would be by his side. Luffy will not settle for anything less.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Law looked at the dim glow coming off of his lover’s skin, the glow caressing the walls and furniture beautifully. Everything about Luffy was beautiful, at least Law believed so.
He trailed his fingertips along his lover’s hair. Normally, it would be warm to the touch, fire blazing in replace of his hair, but there were moments when that front slipped, and Law got an eyeful of pure white hair that curled beautifully. He always wondered how Luffy was able to do what he did; for all Law knew, gods only had one distinct power. Yet Luffy could stretch his body far, use steam to help his attacks, could change his form with little effort.
He could turn his hair into fire.
Law nudged himself further into Luffy’s arms, ear resting over the god’s steady heartbeat, and sighed contently. The sun was already entering through the window, streaming their bodies in its glow, and it was still hard to believe Luffy created it. Law wonders how Luffy even managed it.
He wonders why Luffy, a god that’s been alive for hundreds of years and could have anything he wanted, wanted Law. Law was just a human farmer, his skin was covered in white patches, his hands were rough and calloused, his hair was coarse and rough. Luffy could have anyone and yet he wanted Law just as much as Law wanted him.
There was a soft mumble from Luffy’s lips not a second later, his arms flexing and pulling Law closer. “Torao~” he whined, leaning down in a way only his body would allow to rub their cheeks together while keeping his body in place.
“Good morning,” Law said softly, fingertips gliding through glowing curls.
Luffy
hummed, pressing a kiss against Law’s cheek, then his eyelid, then his nose, eyebrow, forehead, and lastly his lips. It was a soft thing, lips barely pressed together, lazy, and gently and it felt so full of love, Law felt like crying. Luffy traced one of the patches of white on his tan face, pressing another kiss to his lips before pressing their foreheads together.
His eyes were closed, lips pressing into a smile, and Law cupped his cheek with his own soft grin.
“I love you, Torao,” Luffy said, voice a murmur, like the words were for Law’s ears only.
Law loved it. He loved him. He loved Luffy so much.
“I love you too, Luffy,” Law responded, smile growing.
Like this, his heart felt so full; felt like it would explode with how much love he had for this man. He never wanted this to end.
“Luffy,” Law said softly, and his lover hummed in response, “Can I ask you something?”
Luffy
pressed a kiss to his nose, “Shishishi. Always, silly Torao.”
Law smiled, and Luffy’s eyes peeled open, a shining white and orange-gold meeting his hazel, “Why do you have so many powers?” he asked, instantly noticing when his lover tensed. “You…you don’t have to tell me.” He reassured, trailing his fingers down Luffy’s spine.
The god sighed through his nose after a moment, placing his chin on Law’s skull, nose in his hair. “It happened a long time ago,” he said softly, “I killed so many people, Law.”
Law’s breath held, and he held Luffy tighter.
“I didn’t know I could do that,” he continued, voice a soft murmur, guilt and regret and anger in his voice.
“Do what?” Law asked hesitantly.
“I didn’t know that I could–”
Law jerked awake, breath coming quickly, and he looked over to where Shachi stood by his bed. The man had his hands in the air, a grimace on his lips, and Law looked around.
“Where’s Nika?” he rasped, finding his bed empty and the light coming from the roof, not the Sun God who he shared a bed with…in his dreams?
“Captain…” Shachi said slowly and Law sucked in a sharp breath when he realized what he had said. Law panted his head into his hand, and his friend sat next to him slowly. “They’re starting up again?” he asked quietly.
“They never stopped.” Law admitted.
Shachi awkwardly gave his shoulder a squeeze and Law appreciated the thought, but it was pathetic that dreams caused such a reaction. “I’m alright.” Law said blandly.
“You’re crying,” Shachi pointed out bluntly.
Law rubbed at his face, cursing himself for the tears he felt as his face burned in shame.
“Listen, Cap’n,” Shachi said, meeting Law’s eyes from under his shades, “It’s okay. None of us will ever judge you for this; there’s nothing to judge. You are our captain, through and through, and a little dream crush isn’t going to change that. If you ever need to talk, though, we’re all happy to listen. Okay? Breakfast is almost ready, if you want to eat.”
And with one last pat on the shoulder, the man was marching his way out and Law sighed.
The dreams themselves weren’t the problem, not exactly. The fact that Law’s skin was spotted in white, and he was an adult made terrible memories rise – ones of Amber Lead and how badly it hurt, how badly it itched, how badly it killed. And then there was Nika, a man who was so kind and loving and happy and no, he wasn’t perfect. He was far from perfect. But he looked at Law like he was the only thing on the Four Blues that mattered and even from his dreams, Law’s heart felt so full of love for this man his brain decided to create, taunting him with a love he could never have.
Law buried his face into his hands, fighting back the image of soft eyes and a beautiful grin. Nika didn’t exist, he knew this well enough.
Law longed for him anyways.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The darkness always hated the light. It was a curse; it ruined the darkness.
The light existed, shone brightly and tauntingly. The light stilled lived.
The darkness would change that.
Daruk wished he could kill Nika his own hands, but this pathetic human would do it for him.
Notes:
So I got a comment and realize I never specified something XD The Gods age up to a certain age - for Luffy, it was 20 - and then they just stop aging. Gods are centuries years old; for example Rayleigh and Deryn never died, so they are at least 750+ (the time length that Luffy had been dead) years old.
Hope that cleared some things up, sorry about not clarifying that in the story sooner ^^
Chapter 11
Summary:
"Say, Zoro." Luffy asked, “Have you heard of the Twenty Kings?”
Notes:
Sooo~ there is a part in this where Luffy sings something under his breath, and I added the link to the song at the end notes for those who want to listen to it ^^
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sanji noticed a few things about his captain rather early on. He had only known his captain and their two crewmates (plus bounty hunter friends) for around two and a half days by the time they landed onto dear Nami-san’s island, but the cook felt that he had gathered the gist of everyone’s personalities.
And then the goofball captain was ripping a man’s heart clean out of his chest, this awful, awful blank look on his face but this…sick rage in his eyes. Pirates killed; Sanji knew this. But seeing that innocent captain kill a man so savagely then turn around and smile as bright as the sun with blood on the hands that waved to them was surreal.
Sanji’s captain was a little crazy, but what pirate wasn’t? Sanji did not regret joining this crew at all, he loved having Nami-san around like one did a sibling (or so he believed, it’s not like he had real siblings to know), Usopp grew to be a stupid little brother that was loved so much. Zoro was reluctantly loved in the way people loved idiots with no navigational skills (and maybe something that was reluctantly more).
Luffy? Sanji loved Luffy in a way that was vast and different from everyone else. He respected him deeply, took pride in knowing the straw-hatted man was his captain. He had no fear for Luffy, not even after seeing how ruthless he could be. If anything, his admiration grew. Sanji loved Luffy, his captain, like one would a silly little brother but at times he felt like he loved Luffy like one would an older, wiser brother, and it confused him
Luffy was confusing. But it didn’t matter, not on this vast sea with their nakama around.
They’d been at sea for roughly two months, but it had been plenty of time to bond with the crew. At least Sanji thought so. He learned everyone’s favorite dish, what the liked and didn’t and even their allergies – apparently, Zoro’s liver was allergic to all that alcohol he drank. Luffy had laughed happily when Sanji had said that, and Sanji had strangely felt like it was a win.
The laugh had sounded so weird; relieved and light and happy. But it was strange because Luffy was always so happy. Wasn’t he?
When wonderful Vivi and her duck Karoo joined their ship, Sanji had noticed the change in Luffy instantly.
“You’re a princess?” Luffy asked, eyes shadowed by his hat as he tilted her head, “To where?”
“She already said Alabasta,” Nami said, turning and pausing when she saw their captain, “Luffy?” she asked hesitantly.
Luffy let out a hum, low and it felt…dangerous. “Vivi.” He said, and when he looked up, his pupils were tiny yet dilated, a shine in them that put Sanji on edge.
“Y-Yes?” the woman sputtered, no doubt sensing the sudden tension.
“Which family do you belong to?” Luffy asked, slow, dark, calculated.
Sanji lit his cigarette.
“What?” Vivi asked.
“Answer the question,” Luffy said, “Which family do you belong to.”
“Nefertari.” Vivi said hesitantly.
Luffy’s lips pulled back in a snarl, fists balling up and his body twitched. It looked like he was fighting with himself as his expressions changed; rage, hate, and then something like displeasure.
Sanji knew is captain; he was a loveable idiot yet he could be ruthless at times.
He feared now was one of those times.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy, once, had tried to befriend the Twenty Kings. He had tried to make peace, had tried to end wars, tried to forgive because that’s what Law would have wanted. They had ate up his kindness ruthlessly, had claimed they were planning to spread peace along and the world would be happy, healthy.
Then they started to enslave people. All Luffy could see, as he watched these miserable people, was people getting torn from their loved ones by pathetic humans. Law had once claimed that he put himself in other’s people’s situations to be empathetic.
Luffy had imagined Law getting dragged away, being forced to endure hell, and he snapped.
Before he knew it, he had become Nika, the God of the Sun and symbol of Freedom. After almost fifty years of doing this, of ruining the government the kings oh so desperately tried to build, they finally cornered him, weapons brought with them, and when Luffy had felt at them, he had froze.
Rage had clouded his mind; whispers flooded his mind – Lord Nika help, help, help, help–
“Why do you do this?” one of the Kings had roared, Nefertari Luffy recalls, “Why do you care?”
“You killed my human, you killed my people,” Luffy had snarled, “You pathetic things think you can get away with killing gods? With killing what is mine?”
His chest had been carved in two hours later, five kings and seven armies falling with him.
(Those weapons remained, he wondered what had happened to them. He vowed to destroy them. He vowed to free them.)
And in front of him, on his ship, near his nakama, was a descendant of one of the Twenty Kings. A descendant Luffy had sworn to kill with blood in his throat as he held a hand on his torn chest, blood dripping from his missing eye, humans scattered by his feet; Luffy had sworn as he died and as he corrupted the land he stood on with so, so, so much power.
Luffy wanted to tear into the human, wanted to claw the life from her, wanted her to suffer like he had. He wanted to make her pay.
Nika would. Nika would’ve been picking the blood from his fingernails by now.
But a voice caressed Luffy’s ears.
Life is precious, it whispered, please, don’t go fighting wars anymore, Luffy. For me.
Don’t make a promise if you aren’t going to fulfill it! The same voice chided, only make a promise if you’d do anything to make sure it came true!
Law was too honorable for someone like Luffy. Luffy guiltlessly held on anyways.
So Luffy inhaled deeply, in, out, in, out, just like Sabo had shown him. He forced his hands to relax, fists unbaling, and he turned to face the descendant of one of his killers.
(The descendant of one of Law’s killers.)
“I made a promise,” he said, “I’m going to take you to Alabasta and I’m going to kick Crocodile’s ass.” Vivi’s expression filled with relief and joy and hope. Luffy didn’t feel a shred of anything as he added, “But don’t step out of line, royal. You won’t like the consequences.”
He felt like the old King.
He hated himself for it.
Luffy wondered what Law would say, seeing him now.
Luffy turned on his heel, paused when his eyes caught onto a woman sitting on the railing, and blinked up at her.
Her voice sang with loneliness and Luffy’s own ached. He knew the feeling well. But there was something about her that was strange…
“Ms. All Sunday!” Vivi cried from behind him and the human woman in front of him smirked.
Luffy liked her already.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked out at the sea, considering. The figurehead of Merry was his favorite place on the ship; it was his spot and he felt most connected to Merry this way. Her voice was so kind.
The sun was starting to set, Usopp was working on something behind him, Sanji was cooking, Nami was creating a chart in her room and the princess was awkwardly hovering on the deck with her duck. Luffy didn’t know how to think of her; he didn’t like feeling hate – Law hadn’t liked hate at all. He hadn’t liked it when Luffy hated.
(Law had begged him to think of mercy, and Luffy had crushed the man under his foot anyways.
“I don’t know what mercy is.” Luffy had claimed simply and Law had started to cry, had held onto him hesitantly with shaking hands. Luffy hadn’t know why his lover had cried, but he had hugged Law back and had buried his face into Law’s neck.
“No one will ever hurt you,” Luffy whispered, “I won’t let them.”
He had made an example of that man. Law had held him tighter, tears dropping onto Luffy’s shoulder.
“Please, let’s just go home.” Law muttered.
He hadn’t talked to Luffy for hours and Luffy hadn’t know why.)
Luffy didn’t like to hate, not now, but it was…hard not to.
Luffy wasn’t his father. He knew this well.
Vivi wasn’t her ancestors. He knew this but…
But it was so difficult.
Luffy wanted Law.
He wanted Sabo, wanted Ace.
He wanted Deryn, wanted Rayleigh, wanted his mother.
A breeze flowed in his face, his hat falling down, the string attached to it making it rest on his back. His clothes billowed, his hair swayed, and Luffy’s eyes widened.
(“Mother?” Nika looked up, glowing locks hitting his mother’s silk robes as he twisted her fingers between his fingers, “Can you sing our song?”
His mother smiled at him, eyes softening, her free hand running through his hair. Her skin was so, so warm. “Of course I can, dearest firefly.”
“Wandering child of the earth, do you know just how much you’re worth? You have walked this path since your birth. You were destined for more.” Elio hummed, falling back against the grass, and taking a giggling Nika with her.
“There are those who’ll tell you you’re wrong, they will try to silence your song. But right here is where you belong, so don’t search anymore.” Nika chirped back, and his mother giggled.)
(“You are the dawn of a new day that’s waking, a masterpiece still in the making.” Nika mumbled, watching the sun rise. “The blue in an ocean of grey, you are right where you need to be.”
“Father?” Nika looked down at the child cuddling with him, blinking wide eyes at the half-god. “You’ve never finished that song before. C-can you?”
Nika smiled, swooping Rayleigh up in his arms as he stood. The tall grass swayed with his movements and his child laughed happily in his arms. “Shishishi! Of course I can, my silver.”
“Poised to inspire and to succeed, you’ll look back and realize one day,” Nika started, and those bright eyes widened in wonder.)
(“In your eyes, there is doubt, as you try to figure it out.” Law sang softly as he ran his fingers through Luffy’s hair, “But that’s not what life is about, so have faith, there’s a way.”
Luffy wrapped his arms around his lover tighter, breath fanning along his skin as he buried his face deeper in the crook of Law’s neck. “Though the world may try to define you,” he sang back, and his voice was thick with emotions, tears in his eyes. “It can’t take the light that’s inside you.”
Law smiled into his hair, curling further into him, “It’s a lovely song,” he said, not for the first time. “I wish I could have met her.”
“I do too,” Luffy rasped, clinging to him, “I wish you could have met her too.”)
“So don’t you dare try to hide, let your fears fade away.” Luffy muttered with the wind, raising his hand to bring his hat back into place atop his head. “You are the dawn of a new day that’s waking, a masterpiece still in the making…”
“Where’s that from?” Zoro asked after a few moments of silence. Luffy looked down at where Zoro rested on the railing by him. “I haven’t heard it before.” He explained.
Luffy smiled, tilting his head as he turned to face his swordsman. “My mom used to sing it.” He said.
“Hm,” Zoro hummed, thoughtful, “It’s nice.”
“Shishishi, isn’t it?” Luffy agreed. “Say, Zoro,” he said.
“Yes, Captain?” Zoro responded, eyes opening to meet his.
“Have you heard of the Twenty Kings?” Luffy asked.
“No, can’t say that I have.” Zoro said, frowning thoughtfully.
“Well,” Luffy drew out, “These twenty kings from twenty different countries gathered together one day and they claimed they’d spread prosperity throughout the world. They saved islands from war, saved them from illness, and everyone was doing so much better.” He paused, letting his eyes follow a few seagulls that flew in the air, “And then they placed a large tax onto the islands they saved. The places that couldn’t pay, well, the kings took all their valuables.” He met Zoro’s eyes, “Including the people.”
And then Sanji was declaring dinner was ready and Luffy was beaming, hurrying to the kitchen with a laugh and Zoro stared wide-eyed at the place his captain once sat.
Was Luffy…no, Zoro thought, there was no way.
Notes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70VlAyEUXYM Wanderer's Lullaby by Adriana Figueroa. I totally recommend listening to it, it's a very beautiful song~
Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed!! I've been reading people's theories and a lot of them are so, so close to what I have planned but they're also dead wrong at the same time. All I have to say is there is going to, hopefully, be a plot twist that surprises a lot of you :D
Chapter 12
Summary:
Nika; the giants worshipped him.
(Why, why, why.)
Notes:
Was gonna work on my kidlawlu fic but ended up getting distracted by this XD
Enjoy!
Chapter Text
“Why don’t you like me?” Vivi asked as she followed after the Straw Hat’s captain. He had left the ship with a cheer once they landed at Little Garden, smile wide as he took the lunch Sanji made eagerly.
Luffy looked over at her, a curious glint in his eyes on his otherwise unexpressive face, and Vivi steeled her nerves. She understood that some people didn’t really like royalty; she has understood that for a long time. But Luffy’s hate seemed…unfounded? No, she’s sure there’s a reason. It just seemed odd for someone like Luffy to hate someone because of their blood.
“Someone I loved dearly was killed by royalty.” Luffy said after staring at her for a long, long moment.
Vivi gasped, shocked, and Luffy’s eyes seemed to observe her like he was waiting for something. “Why!?” Vivi shouted, “Why would anyone…”
“It was war,” Luffy said, he turned on his heel, batting away a large leaf as he continued on, “They started it, and he died because of it.”
“Not everyone who’s royal is like that!” Vivi argued.
Luffy snarled, turning sharply, and glaring at her. “It was your people who caused it. Your ancestors.”
“But…but Alabasta has been a peaceful place for decades.” Vivi said – how could he have lost anyone in a war if it was decades ago? “We’ve changed.” She said anyways, despite her confusion.
Luffy shook his head, turning around once more. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” he asked and Vivi felt like she was being put up on a test.
Her fists clenched. She was going to show him; show him that he didn’t have to fear or hate her.
Vivi trudged after him, “Hey, wait!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy had met many giants in his lifetime. Hell, he could be a giant if he wanted to, before. His father had been a first-generation god – had been created – and thus he was pure, and his mother had been the result of two first generation gods. They both had the ability to enlarge their bodies. As a third generation, despite being the son of two pure gods, Luffy shouldn’t have had the ability to enlarge his body, especially not the way he had been able to.
Yet another cause for his father’s wrath.
Humans had feared giants, long ago, and had once called the Gods to exterminate them. Luffy remembered hearing the prayers and he had curiously followed the voices.
(He had destroyed the humans’ village. Had made an example of them.)
He had befriended the giant leader somewhat. He had laughed and partied with them and then they were heading off and Luffy had lost interest in them rather quickly. It had been a long time since he’s seen a giant, and while last time he had grown to match their size, it was still a strange feeling to have to look up that high.
“This sure is good, Mr. Giant!” Luffy said as he munched on the large leg of meat the giant Dorry had provided.
Dinosaur was as good as he remembered it to be.
“Hohohoho! Your pirate lunch box ain’t bad either!” the giant laughed. “Not very filling though.”
“Of course it’s good!” Luffy laughed, “Shishishi! My cook is the best, I’d knock you down if you didn’t like his food!”
“Hohoho! What a funny little guy!” Dorry laughed.
“Hey, but the way, why are you here all alone?” Luffy asked, tilting his head, “Don’t you live in Elbaph?”
“Ah yes,” Dorry said, sobering, “In my village, we live by a code. When there’s a dispute and neither side yield, the god of Elbaph decides the matter. Our God protects the one who is right and lets him live.”
Luffy hummed thoughtfully.
“I started some trouble and now I’m on this island fighting another warrior. Whoever is right will be favored by Nika,” Dorry then threw his head back and laughed, “But we’ve been at it for a hundred years already! And nothing’s been settled, hohohoho!”
“You’ve been fighting for a hundred years?” Luffy asked.
Nika; the giants worshipped him.
Why, why, why.
“Aw that’s nothing. Our life spans are three times a humans!” Dorry laughed.
“Even if you do live that long, wouldn’t you lose your passion for battle?” Vivi sputtered, “Do you still want to kill each other!?”
(Blood, his own blood was everywhere. He couldn’t breathe, his lung crushed in and pierced by bone, throat welling with the blood that had previously flown through his veins.
Is this how you felt, Torao, Luffy thought, I hope not, I hope not, IhopenotIhopenot–
His legs gave out, his jaw falling open as he coughed and coughed and coughed. His vision blurred, the sky reaching his eyes, and Luffy could almost feel Law laying by his side like they used to.
Luffy couldn’t die, he couldn’t die. He needed to live.
He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t see, his ears rang, his limbs felt so heavy--
His grasp on the powers slipped, his vision blurring more, the fire in his chest numbing.
Torao, Torao, I wish I had said it just once more, I love y–)
Luffy knew what it was like to have a lifetime fighting a grudge.
“It was decided some time ago, that the eruption of the dead center mountain would be the signal for combat.” Dorry said.
“A hatred that makes you hack at each other for hundreds of years?!” Vivi yelled, “That’s insane, what was the dispute about in the first place!?”
“Quiet,” Luffy muttered as he sent his hand back, covering the princess’ lips, “That doesn’t matter.”
(But it did. It did, for Luffy. He didn’t care about a lot of things, so it mattered.
Law mattered. His death mattered.)
“That’s right,” Dorry said, “This is a matter of honor.”
(A matter of honor.
Luffy’s fight was honor-less.
They had no honor.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Nika…are you sure you want to do this?”
Nika looked over his shoulder, his closest friend Cosmos staring back at him. Their pure white eyes shined with determination, and Nika sighed.
“I have to do this.” Nika said.
“We don’t.” Cosmos started. They raised their hands when the other gods in the room raised their weapons. “I meant, not so soon. Don’t you think he’s expecting this?”
“I don’t care if he is.” Nika replied blandly, “He’s killing us. I won’t stand by.”
“Nika, listen,” Cosmos said, “I don’t think you’re in the right mind for this.”
“I don’t need to be in the right mind!” Nika slammed his hand down, the table cracked and splintered. The gods in the room quieted instantly, staring at him with somber expressions.
Their Prince was usually so put together, but this was an unfortunate meeting.
“I don’t need to be in the right mind,” Nika said again, quieter yet no less powerful, no less angry. “He is killing our people, my people. I will not let this continue.” He looked up, eyes blazing, “If you are too cowardly to give up your life for this, get out of here. We don’t need you. But if you’re ready to lay your life and fight, stand tall and join me!”
He grabbed his spear, standing tall in the room filled with beings decades and centuries older than he. His presence commanded attention, commanded respect anyways.
“Join me, and help me end Daruk’s tyranny.” His lips pulled into a dark grin, “And we can finally enjoy the light.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Smoke flooded past the giant’s lips as he fell back and Luffy stared up at him in horror.
“Why did the ale explode?! That didn’t come from my ship, did it?” Luffy yelled as he moved closer to the giant.
“It exploded in his stomach! You don’t think the other giant did this, do you?” Vivi panicked.
Honor was something Luffy took pride in, something the giants too pride in.
Honor was something Law took pride in.
“Weren’t you paying attention!?” Luffy snapped, “Nobody fights for so long for honor would pull such a dirty trick!”
“Then who are the deceivers?” Dorry asked, voice a rasp as he sat up, grasping his sword. “It wasn’t Broggy. We’re proud warriors of Elbaph! Who could have done it but you!?”
“Lets run! It’s useless to argue!” Vivi shouted.
“It’s useless to run, too.” Luffy said. He knew this from experience.
(He knew this from his own actions.)
“Sorry, Mister. But I’m going to shut you up.” Luffy said.
Nika practically sang.
Luffy wasn’t doing this for Nika.
“You humans dare…to trick the Mighty Dorry!?” Dorry yelled.
“You pathetic humans dare to kill my human!?”
The fight – but Luffy wouldn’t dare to call it such a thing, the giant was injured. There was no honor in this – was over in minutes.
Luffy cracked his knuckles, “There’s someone else on this island.”
Nika would have killed them by now.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Law woke up to something clinging to his back.
Now, logically, he knew that nothing could get close to them without Luffy noticing. Luffy would’ve been out of bed and detaining whatever it was clinging to Law the moment it approached if he didn’t recognize the presence or if there was malicious intent. So, whatever was clinging to him meant no harm. He knew this, yet–
Law shrieked, jerking closer to Luffy and the person? The animal? The thing clinging to him dropped off the bed with a loud thump.
Luffy sat up quickly, hands grasping him, steadying, protective, and his glow brightened as it always did when he was awake. Law pressed himself closer to his lover, pointing to the edge of the bed.
“There-There’s something in the bed!” he sputtered, pushing Luffy to the edge, “Get it!”
Luffy blinked at him, looking dumbfounded, before he peered over the edge of the bed. A snicker left his lips and he reached down. When he righted himself, there was a child that couldn’t be older than four in his arms. Law gaped.
“Father,” the child said, looking up at Luffy with a yawn, “That human is noisy.”
“Shishishishi,” Luffy laughed without a care, “When did you get here, Rayleigh?”
“Wait-wait,” Law sputtered, “Father?”
“Mhm,” the child said, looking over to him and – and Law had kicked a child out of a bed.
Law snatched the child in his arms, making distressed shushing noises as he checked him over for injuries. Rayleigh stared wide-eyed at Luffy, and the god laughed merrily.
“Rayleigh, meet Torao,” Luffy said, “He’s your new dad! Well…second dad!”
“Luffy, what–”
“Father, what are you talking about–”
(Hours later Law would be screaming at Luffy and Luffy would be so, so confused.
“You have a child?!” Law would yell.
“Yes?” Luffy tilted his head, confused.
“He’s barely four! We’ve been together for years, Luffy! Am I just another human to you? Do I even matter to you!?” Law’s shoulders shook with his tears and Luffy’s heart shattered.
“Torao, he’s fourteen?” Luffy said, confused, as he reached out to console his lover. “And you are the only person I will ever love. No one can ever compare; you are the only person I will ever hold, ever kiss, ever love. Do you understand?”)
Chapter 13
Summary:
“Do you want to live?” he asked, tilting his head.
Notes:
I am back!! This chapter took me a bit to write bc it was kicking my ass XD
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It was cold. Chills attacked his skin, making shivers run through his body. He stared at the wall in front of him, the blankets piled atop him doing nothing against the cold seeping in his skin.
Nika shuddered, bandaged arms wrapping around his middle as he bowed into himself. It’s been weeks since the war; he should’ve been healed by now, and yet the natural ability that all gods possessed seemingly vanished from his body. His wounds were slow to close, but most had by now.
A chill worked its way down his spine and a sharp whisper flooded his mind. It was like a damn breaking and more and more and more and more and more and more and more–
His teeth tore through his lip as he fought to stifle the noise that was simply unbecoming of a god – unbecoming of him – as the whispers grew in noise. He didn’t want this – he had never wanted this.
He had tried to undo everything, had tried to let them free, and it had resulted in disaster. It was better for it to stay like this; he knew one day the whispers would be drowned out, his will making the will-less whispers bend and soon they would be gone.
Nika felt nauseous.
A burst of steam rushed off his body, the flames in his hair lashing out and darkness seeped off his darkened hands. The bandages on his fingertips withered to nothing, the shadows whispering off of him and into the air with no real purpose. The tapestries, paintings, vases, everything in his room shuddered as his power hit at it, marble chipping, fabric tearing, porcelain shattering. Nika shuddered as he forced himself further into his covers, the whispers loud and ringing in his ears.
He didn’t want this, he’s never wanted this.
Nika sobbed, it was quiet in his room, drowned out by the howling of steam and fire and darkness. Gold was wet on his cheeks, spotting onto the bed and drying into the torn quilt in flakes.
Soon the whispers quieted as he pushed his will at them. They hushed under his scrutiny, and he was left in a heap on his bed, panting and forcing himself to relax.
He was fine. He was trained to be fine under stressful situations.
He was born to be a weapon.
He was born to be bloody.
He wasn’t meant to feel – wasn’t meant to cry.
Nika stared up at the ceiling, gold leaking from his eyes.
Nika wanted to die.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Anyone who’s spoil a battle of honor is no real man!” Luffy declared as he rushed forward, chasing after Mr. Three. He froze when he finally caught up with the man, only to find several of him littered around the trees.
“Welcome to my Wax-Wax mansion!” Mr. Three declared. “Which is the real me? Can you tell?”
Luffy knows this power, knows how it works. He’s used it before, after all.
He switched his weight to one leg, and kicked back. His foot reached Mr. Three’s face, sending the man flying.
“How did you know…where I was?” Mr. Three asked weakly.
Luffy stared down at him, “Instinct.” He said simply. “You are nothing.”
“Ha! Lord of the Gods? You’re nothing, you’re nothing, you’re nothing.”
Luffy turned on his heel and walked back to where his friends were.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“They only came to this island because of me,” Vivi said mournfully, and Luffy watched her with a critical eye as Nami grabbed her cheek and scolded her to not worry about it.
“She’s right, Vivi, don’t worry about it.” Usopp said by Luffy’s side, munching on a rice cracker.
Luffy stared at her thoughtfully. Vivi truly seemed upset over the conflict, and she had put herself in front of Usopp to protect him. Luffy hated royalty, he hated the Twenty Kings, hated nobles. No matter the race, he hated them all. Nika would’ve never given Vivi a chance, but Luffy…
Luffy was from a royal bloodline. He was the purest form of a royal god there ever could have been.
And Vivi, she was a human royal descended from one of the Twenty Kings.
They weren’t so different, were they?
(Luffy had fought in a war when he had been nineteen, had killed so many of his people and had ended his father.
Vivi wanted to prevent something like that.
In a way, she was a better person than he was.)
“Ah! Nami! Vivi! And you guys,” Sanji burst into the clearing, “You’re all safe! Thank goodness!”
“Hi, Sanji!” Luffy chirped.
“He wasn’t around before but now he is? The nerve!” Usopp raged.
Luffy watched his crew and he smiled.
It felt like the most genuine smile he’s had in a while.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Everyone, come quickly!” the shout made everyone pause, “This is bad!”
“What is it?” Luffy asked, mouth full as he peered started out of the kitchen.
“It’s Nami! She’s burning with fever!” Vivi cried.
Luffy hopped down to the deck, staring at his navigator in shock before he reached down and picked her up gently. She was flushed red and her skin was too warm for a human, her breathing labored.
Luffy couldn’t heal anymore.
“Lord of the Gods? You’re nothing.”
He was, wasn’t he?
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“What is the matter?” Nika boomed as he walked in even steps towards the group of gods. He could sense a strange presence in the center of the group, and his frown deepened.
“It seems they’ve found a half-breed, Brother,” Deryn said, his orange eyes with slitted pupils dragging down to look at him. “It’s nothing we need to be involved with.”
Nika looked back up at him before looking to the gods staring at him. “Move.” He said, and they parted instantly, knowing better than to disobey him.
A child met his eyes; he was young, probably three at the most by appearance. Blond hair got in his silver eyes, the child bruised and bloody.
“Did you do this?” Nika asked, looking to the group of gods on his right.
“Of course, we did, Lord Nika,” one of them said, sneering at the child, “It shouldn’t exist. Should’ve died with its mother.”
Nika stared at him for a long moment before facing the child once more. He walked closer to the child, and he scooted back, fear in his eyes. Nika folded his legs in, balancing his weight on his toes, and met his eyes.
“Do you want to live?” Nika asked, tilting his head.
There were tears in his eyes as the child nodded hesitantly.
“I see,” Nika murmured. He reached his hand out, an offering, “Then live you shall.”
“Lord Nika, I must protest!” a goddess to the right sputtered, “That thing is half human!”
“I’m well aware.” Nika said, waiting patiently for the child to grasp his hand.
“It shouldn’t exist!” another god hissed. “We should just end it!”
Nika raised his hand, let is essence flow and targeted the gods in the area. “This child is now mine.” He hissed, venom thick in his voice, “Dare to question it once more and I will not be merciful.”
The gods stared at him in fear as he let his presence slip, and he turned back to the shaking child. He smiled, a softer thing that hasn’t been on his face for centuries. “Shishi, you must be hungry, let’s get you something to eat, hm?”
He offered his hand once more and the child slowly reached for him. Blood was on the child’s hand, and Nika held onto him tighter. He held him stand, picking him up with the demi-god’s legs wobbled and gave out, and stood. He sent the gods in the area once last warning look before he continued to his palace, his brother following by his side.
“You will lose face,” Deryn said, giving the demi-god in his arm a look of distain.
“What face do I have?” Nika mused.
Deryn let out a huff, “Shall I prepare the half-breed a room?”
“Yes,” Nika said, “And he’s a demi-god, Deryn, don’t make that mistake again.”
His brother dipped his head, “Of course, brother.”
Nika watched him hurry off, before he looked to the child in his arms. He smudged at the blood on his cheek, letting his healing rise to repair the torn skin.
“What is your name?” He asked.
“Mommy called me Ray-Rayleigh.” The child in his arms said, voice quiet.
“I see,” Nika grinned, “You can call me whatever you’d like. Welcome to your new home.”
Notes:
Next chapter will probably be all about Rayleigh! If not, then we'll have Chopper! :D
Chapter 14
Summary:
He would return once more centuries later, and this time it would be with a man who he called Captain.
Notes:
Yay, I finally finished this chapter!! T-T It's been a struggle with me trying to not give away too much XD
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Rayleigh wasn’t like anyone else. He was one of a kind, to his knowledge. His father had been a human and his mother a goddess, and in return he was a mix of both. He was nine when the gods found out about his existence, his mother crying as she urged him to run. He returned hours later to find his home burnt and his father dead.
It hadn’t been long after that before the gods found him and took him.
Rayleigh knew a lot of the Lord of the Gods; the man who ended the war between gods and created the sun. He was known to be cold and detached from the world, fighting wars for the thrill, and walking around in red-stained clothes.
In blood-stained clothes.
And yet the Lord of the Gods who was known to be cold and harsh and detached from the world had smiled at him, offered a hand, and took him into his care.
The detached lord called Rayleigh my silver.
Rayleigh called him father.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Rayleigh had been fourteen, going on fifteen, when he noticed how different his father acted. The rumors of the Sun God fighting wars lessened to nothing, Uncle Deryn had claimed he was acting nicer (when they reluctantly crossed paths), and when his father showed up, he would speak of this kind human that he wanted Rayleigh to meet one day.
Rayleigh nibbled on the loaf of bread as he looked over to where his father and the human – Torao, his father claimed – argued. The human claimed the god was unfaithful, and Rayleigh almost wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it.
The God of the Sun didn’t simply take one human into his bed. It took someone special to even look at him wrongly some time ago.
“Torao, I love you and you are the only person who I ever have this way!” Rayleigh heard his father refute.
“You have a child, Luffy!” Torao cried, and Rayleigh was surprised to hear the tears in his voice. He heard what sounded like a hand getting slapped and his father made a confused noise.
Strange, this human was so very strange.
“This isn’t a joke to me!” the human yelled, “I expect you to stay loyal to me or whoever has your fancy! I will not let you use me to cheat!”
“Torao!” the god sputtered, “What are you talking about?”
“You got with a woman and had a child!” Torao stressed.
“Rayleigh’s mother was a goddess!” Rayleigh took another bite of bread as the human made a strangled, hurt noise, “Ray’s a half god, silly Torao!”
There was a pause and then, “What?”
“Rayleigh’s my son but he’s not my blood,” the god said, “I would never be unfaithful to you, Torao, you’re all I’ll ever want…”
Later that night, Nika (or was he Luffy now?) out hunting, Rayleigh looked up at the human who was nervously messing with his hands.
“I’m almost older than you, you know,” well, probably not, the human looked to be twenty-two at the most, “Don’t treat me like a child.”
“What?” Torao asked, eyes wide.
“I’m a demi-god, we age slowly.” Rayleigh huffed, crossing his arms, “I don’t know what dad sees in you, but he’s never been this happy. So thanks, I guess.”
Torao smiled at him, “He makes me really happy too.”
Rayleigh looked up at the human; yes, he was a strange one.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Rayleigh stumbled to his father, the ground under his feet ash. A town used to stand here. Their home used to stand here.
“Father?” Rayleigh croaked.
In Luffy’s arms was his papa. His father looked up at him, cheeks covered in ash and gold streaking down from his eyes. Rayleigh choked, he didn’t know what on, and stumbled to his parents.
“Father, why – why is – what happened?!” Rayleigh cried, “Papa’s okay, isn’t he!?”
Luffy’s hands shook as he pulled Rayleigh closer to him, and the young demi-god sobbed in his father’s chest.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Rayleigh was in his late sixties when his father died. His body was that of a young teen’s, his hair long and a startling blond. He was taller than his father now, physically older too.
Or he used to be.
Rayleigh inhaled deeply as he stared at the graves, his uncle next to him. Deryn hadn’t said a word since they grabbed Luffy’s body and rushed away from the humans.
Those weapons they used were despicable, just like those blasted fruits that rose with Luffy’s death – with his essence.
“It was the love he had for that human that caused this.” Deryn said, voice blank of emotion.
“Fuck you!” Rayleigh spat, turning sharply, “Did you even meet him?! Did you ever see how happy dad was with him?!”
Deryn bristled, sharp teeth bared, “No! I don’t need to know some damn human! Don’t act like you’re all that, you’re just a half-breed that was favored by my brother!”
“I’m glad I’m nothing like you,” Rayleigh spat, turning sharply. “I don’t want to see you again. Stay the fuck away from me.”
“You act like I even wanted to see you again.” Deryn scoffed at him. “You defile our land. You and that pathetic human.”
“Touch his grave and I’ll kill you,” Rayleigh promised.
Deryn sneered at him before he disappeared in a flash of flames.
Rayleigh looked to the graves of his parents, and he bit his lip. “I know you’ll come back, one day.” He said, and then he left.
He would return once more centuries later, and this time it would be with a man who he called Captain.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy yawned loudly as he rubbed at his shoulder, looking out at the sea. They were already very close to Alabasta, last he heard from Nami – who was better now after their stop at Drum, which resulted in a new crewmember – they were only a few hours away from the country. It was getting warmer, too, Luffy noticed as he looked around.
All his crewmates were all dressed to the barest minimum, staying in the shade, and doing their own thing. Luffy’s gaze fell to Chopper, their doctor, a Divine Fruit eater. Chopper was younger than everyone on the ship and it brought out a side of Luffy that hadn’t been around since his brothers had been little.
He missed Rayleigh – he wondered if his son was still out there.
He hoped so.
“Ne, Chopper,” Luffy called and the reindeer looked over to him with a grin, though he was visibly exhausted, probably from the heat.
“Yeah?” Chopper asked.
Luffy grinned at him but didn’t say anything. He wondered if Law also missed their family. After a moment of thinking, Luffy skipped his way over to Chopper and cuddled him like he always had to Rayleigh. Chopper blushed, saying something about how that didn’t make me happy, you bastard, and Luffy snickered.
(The only good think Nika did that Luffy could think of, was saving Rayleigh.
Nika cared for some reason. But he wouldn’t have for Chopper, and Luffy held his doctor just a bit tighter.)
Luffy looked behind him as Usopp let out a yelp about catching a fish, eyes narrowing slightly when he sensed a presence that most definitely didn’t belong to a fish. A man dressed in pastel colors with swans on his back was lifted out of the water. The man proceeded to bow and thank them for saving him from drowning.
“You can’t swim?” Luffy asked, though he knew the answer already.
This man ate a Divine Fruit.
“Yes, I ate a Devil Fruit!” the man explained.
“Really?” Usopp asked, “What kind?”
“Well, since my crew isn’t here yet, I can show you some entertainment.” The man said, grinning, “This is my power!”
Luffy sensed the hit coming before the man moved to strike him, and he leaned back, before the hit came. The other’s eyes widened slightly, and his hand barely brushed along Luffy’s face, the force no less powerful. Zoro’s swords were out of their sheath in seconds, baring them at the man who waved his hands, Luffy’s face replacing his previous one.
Luffy paled.
This…this wasn’t good.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Hey, have you seen this boy? About yay tall, straw hat?”
“Monkey D. Luffy?” the woman in front of him asked, “Can’t say that I have, you might want to check that restaurant. The owner always seems to know everyone in town.”
“Ah, thank you,” Ace bowed, grinning, “I was getting hungry anyways!”
Notes:
We get Ace and drama and ANGST NEXT CHAPTER, LETS GO
Edited this on a call when dukas stepped away for a sec, but anyways, go check out the fic we wrote together!! It's lawlu angst~ XD
You're all gonna cry, waaaa - dukas
Chapter 15
Summary:
“It was my first language.” Luffy admitted freely. “I’ve always known it, Ace.”
Notes:
Hello dear readers!!! Fully italicized dialogue will be a different language - aka Poneglyph :)
Enjoy!!
T/W: thoughts implying former slavery
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Luffy stared at the glowing face – his glowing face – in shock. There was a faint outline around the man’s body as he used Luffy’s face, a slight glow. His hair was curled at the ends, a slight shimmer in the dark hair, and the eyes were, fuck, Luffy’s eyes–
Luffy swallowed down the emotions rising because that glow meant something. It was more than just his real form; it was more than just something he’s suppressed since he arrived here. That glow meant his powers were growing. It meant that one day soon he’d be able to access them all.
Luffy didn’t know how he felt about it.
“Why is Luffy glowing on you?” Zoro asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
“Hm, strange,” the man said, thoughtful for a moment before seemingly not caring. “And then I touch my face with my left hand. See?!” the man touched his face and Luffy’s glowing one left, was relaced with his own, “I’m back to myself! This is the power of the Clone-Clone Fruit!”
“Even his voice!” Nami gasped in shock.
And his body too!” Usopp uttered.
The man quickly touched all of the crewmembers on the main deck and switched himself to show each of their faces. When he opened his shirt to reveal Nami’s body, Nami quickly punched him upside the head.
“Ah, sorry, I can’t show any more of my powers,” he said, waving a hand with a grin.
“What!? No! You’re amazing!” Chopper and Usopp cried. “Do more! Do more!”
“Ah, well, if you insist!” he did a few spins, grinning widely before he started to change his faces to random ones.
Luffy felt his blood run cold, eyes widening, and lips parting and it felt like time slowed. The third face shown was that of a man’s, white patches dotting his tan skin, smile wide and seemingly carefree, eyes a startling green, hair long. He was tall, lanky, and there was a circle on his finger where his skin was lighter, hidden from the sun where Luffy personally knew a ring once sat.
Torao. That was Torao’s face.
Tears dripped from his eyes before he even realized they were there. Torao’s face, he remembered it so well, but it has been ten years since he had the chance of seeing it, and it was…it was…
Luffy dipped his head as he made a choked noise, his throat burning as he tried to stop his tears. How many years had he desperately told himself that Law would one day rise again, and they’d be together forever? How many years has Luffy waited? How many years had he mourned, had he cried and tried so desperately to hold onto the hope, to the fact, that he’d see his beloved again?
When the man’s crew arrived and he slipped off the Merry, Luffy stood and slipped away from the deck, away from the man who had Torao’s face, the face he had copied.
(Nika would’ve torn through the man for even daring to impersonate Law.
Luffy couldn’t even fight past his tears.)
His crew watched him depart, confusion written all over their faces.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Zoro stalked after his captain after a moment. He had stopped the crew from following after him the moment Luffy fled the deck with tears starting to stream down his face. He had reacted to that face, who they were guessing was Mr. Two, copied.
“Let’s continue to Alabasta, I’ll talk to him.” Zoro advised, and the others nodded, if a bit reluctantly.
Zoro wandered towards the men’s bunks, where Luffy had hid away. He entered the room after knocking, scanning the room to find everything basically in place, save for a knocked over table. Luffy was in his hammock, straw hat resting over his face.
“Captain,” Zoro said and Luffy twitched, head tilting over to look over to him. Zoro approached him, unsure of how to go about the thoughts running through his mind and stopped besides Luffy.
“You knew that man?” Zoro asked carefully.
Luffy reached up, lifting his hat and letting it slide down from his eyes. Zoro would have normally written off the glow in those eyes as the light, but he thought back to how Mr. Two’s copy of Luffy glowed.
“He’s very special to me. He…” Luffy trailed off, and if Zoro could see what looked like gold rising in his eyes like tears would on anyone else. Luffy closed his eyes, draping his arm over his eyes. “He freed me. I am who I am because of him.”
He freed me.
Zoro felt ice flood his veins. He hadn’t stopped thinking of that night weeks ago when Luffy told him a story. The story of Twenty Kings, the story of people being enslaved by them.
Luffy had been freed.
Fuck, no. No, no, no, no.
“Captain…” Zoro tried to find words, his voice a croak and Luffy looked over to him in alarm, serious. “Captain, were you ever…not free?”
Luffy’s eyes trailed along his features, searching, and his gaze felt heavy. It felt like Luffy was looking into his soul.
“I hadn’t been free, not before I met him.” Luffy said.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
His brother had been born through his mother’s death, had risen from the fire dancing in his mother’s garden and the first thing he ever saw was Nika cradling their mother as his power expanded and expanded and he raged, absolutely hated, vowed to destroy – and minutes later Nika had grasped his hand and tugged him away from the burnt garden. He had been tiny, teeth sharp, hands dusted in the sooth and nails sharp – sharp enough to tear and make people bleed.
Luffy had never really been kind to his brother, not before he met Law and understood more of the complexity of emotions and being kind to someone he loved. He had only managed to be a father because he had his mother’s influence on his life, as short as it had been compared to his hundreds of years of life.
And then he met Law, Law who taught him how to show his love. Law who caressed his cheek, who smiled so sincerely yet shyly, who didn’t hold back his affection; hugs, kisses, I love you.
Luffy had cherished his brothers, Ace and Sabo, since they became close. He had never strayed from his affection, he always told them just how special they were to him. It’s been three years since he saw them – since they set sail. He taught them how to fight, how to survive, how to live and be happy. He has always felt a bit protective of them, always knew he’d do anything for them to live.
They could do no wrong, he didn’t think so.
Fire wisped in the air, a presence brushing along his skin and – and it felt so soothing, so nice, so familiar.
It felt like warm hugs in a flower-filled garden, felt like soft brushes to his hair, loving smiles, a soft voice.
My firefly…
“M-Mom?” Luffy called, and his voice cracked.
Ace turned around, looking over to him with a confused expression, body morphing from fire, “Why does everyone call me that!?” He yelped.
Ace. That was Ace.
Right, right, right.
His mother was dead. Luffy knew this.
“Ace!” Luffy yelled, beaming, “You ate a Fruit!?”
“Heh, you’re looking good, Luffy. I ate the Mera Mera no Mi.” Ace snickered, turning back to the marines in front of him, “You go on ahead, let me handle this.”
Luffy smiled at his tattooed back before he pivoted on his heel and started to run. Luffy helped Ace become as strong as he was, he knew he’d be okay.
“Lets go, guys!”
His mother had also been made of fire…Luffy smiled, something told him it was meant to be.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked up at his brother as Ace introduced himself to the crew and thanked them for taking care of my troublesome kid brother!
“Aren’t they great!” Luffy asked cheerfully, smiling at his brother.
“They sure are,” Ace agreed, dropping to sit next to him, lips ticked up in a grin. “Only you’d have a crew like this, a princess, huh?”
“Vivi isn’t part of the crew,” Luffy said bluntly, ignoring how everyone else on the deck winced at him.
Ace caught the action, raising an eyebrow at Luffy. Luffy smiled instead.
“Well, no matter,” Ace leaned back, “It’s good that we ran into each other, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Luffy tilted his head, scooting closer to his brother eagerly. Ace looked over to the crew, smiling an apologetic grin, and they seemed to understand that he wanted this to be a somewhat private talk.
“Well settle down, I’ll start some tea.” Sanji said, rolling up his sleeves as he headed towards the kitchen.
The others on the deck scattered, Usopp and Chopper near them, Vivi and Nami a slight distance, and Ace turned back to Luffy. When he spoke, Luffy was pleasantly surprised to hear his mother tongue.
“Luffy, how do you know how to write and speak Poneglyph?” Ace asked, voice hush and the language of the Gods floating smoothly off his tongue.
“I’ve always known it.” Luffy says, tilting his head, “Why?”
“It’s a language that died out centuries ago!” Ace exclaimed, waving his arms up for the emphasis, “Sabo accidently wrote it on a report, that’s how we found out about you teaching us how to write Poneglyphs!”
Luffy’s eyebrows furrowed as he accepted the cup his cook gave him. “Thanks Sanji! And of course, it died out, Ace,” he said, “It wasn’t known by anyone but the Kozuki clan. I don’t see what’s wrong?”
Ace’s eyebrows furrowed, staring at him with visible confusion. “Luffy, the World Government made the language illegal. Anyone who even tries to learn it is labeled a criminal. They destroyed an entire island because a child knew how to read Poneglyphs for Sea’s sake!”
Luffy’s grip on his glass tightened, the porcelain cup in his hand shattered and tea went flying. Luffy stared his brother in the eyes, and Ace stared back, shock slowly entering his expression.
“Luffy, your eyes…” Ace said slowly.
Luffy dipped his head, letting his hat shadow his eyes, and his fist tightened around the glass in his hand. Blood flowed from his fist, a constant drip, drip, drip.
“Why…why is it…” Luffy grit out.
“Apparently, it’s what’s written in what’s called Poneglyphs. They hold history from the Void Era.” Ace sighed, slowly peeling Luffy’s fingers back so he could get the glass from his skin, “Where did you learn it, Luffy?”
Luffy slowly breathed in and out, forcing his anger to leave.
How dare they? How dare they make the Language of Gods a crime? How could they destroy islands over it?
Do they realize the insult it was? Did they realize he could kill them over it, absolutely destroy them?
“It was my first language.” Luffy admitted freely. “I’ve always known it, Ace.”
How could those foolish mortals disrespect his language in such a way?
Nika would kill them for it.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“What are they talking about?” Nami asked, looking to her captain in concern. They had planned on giving the brothers a moment to themselves, no listening in or anything, but then Luffy suddenly looked so furious and even destroyed a glass.
“I can’t understand what they’re saying.” Usopp admitted, eyebrows furrowed.
“What?” Vivi asked, “Let me hear.”
She shuffled up to where Usopp was and listened to the conversation, frowning when she didn’t recognize the words being spoken. Alabasta was a trading country and because of this, she’s heard the few other languages that are scattered around the world but never had she heard something so…beautiful. The syllables flowed off of Ace and Luffy’s lips like a song would. It was soft and had an almost sweet feeling to it.
The language was so beautiful, but she didn’t know what it was.
Vivi looked over to Zoro, who had a grim expression on his face, eyes attached to his captain. Maybe, she realized, she didn’t know a lot of this crew.
“Marimo, do you know it?” Sanji asked, gritting his teeth.
“No,” Zoro said simply. No, he didn’t know it, and he wondered if he ever wanted to know where it originated.
Notes:
Ehehehehehe, i like this chapter. Suffer XD
Chapter 16
Summary:
“Captain?” Bepo asked carefully.
“I’m fine,” Law muttered, “I’m fine.”
Chapter Text
Nika walked slowly, the once lively grass crunching loudly under each step of sandaled feet. The garden he and his mother tended to since he could crawl was dried to a crisp, fire flooding the area.
His footsteps were slow, horror flooding his veins as he gazed at his mother. She was strewn over wilted flowers. The lilies were splathered in her blood, her white garb turning red and the gold on her skin was damaged. Her skin was blue, like she was cold. She probably was; she certainly had never been cold a day in her life with fire running under her skin.
“Mother?” Nika croaked, his shining hair growing brighter. A white glow bounced off the marble pillars that were in shambles in the garden.
Nika kneeled, hands shaking as he pulled his mother into his arms. Her hair was dark, like ash and soot, the fire that he had always seen gone. He carefully pulled her closer to her, and her head lolled lifelessly. Nika stared at her, his glow growing brighter, brighter, brighter. His energy pulsed, erratic as he tried to process what was going on.
His mother was dead. It was like all of her energy was zapped from her. His father’s darkness was a wisp, barely noticeable leaving her skin but Nika saw it. His vision was quickly swarmed with gold.
Gold, gold, gold.
Nika wasn’t exactly sure how he did it. One second, he had been holding her and the next his power was expanding. Fire and steam crackled as it was pushed from his body, and his back bowed. It felt as though his powers were leaving him, floating up and up and up.
The sky was filled with fire.
His hair crackled and sizzled.
Nika, God of the Sun, people would call him, and nothing would ever be the same.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Rice had been expensive; it had been a luxury to Law before Luffy had arrived into his life. Onigiri had been his favorite, the one with creamy filling and perfect rice outside had made his day no matter how many times Luffy brought it. He had always brightened so beautifully, eyes crinkling and glowing and hell, Luffy had loved it so much.
He was so weak for Law, he had realized long, long ago. He was so weak for his smile, his eyes, his voice, his love.
Luffy stared at the rice balls placed in front of him, unblinking. Ace sat by his side, thanking Sanji and starting conversation with the others in the crew. Luffy’s mind still spun as he tried to wrap his mind around everything Ace had just told him minutes ago.
His language was illegal, anyone who knew it would be killed or impression or whatever. And those Celestial Dragons caused it. They thought they could control his culture, his people, him, and that he wouldn’t do anything about it.
And yet…at the moment he didn’t care. He didn’t care at all because rice was in front of him and Law had loved it so, so much. Luffy picked the onigiri up slowly, biting into it and it was nothing like the cooking he and Law used to make. But it was so familiar and Luffy could almost see how Law used to smile at him lovingly as they both tried to form rice.
“L…Luffy?” Sanji asked, voice rough, and Luffy looked up at him in surprise. “Is it not good? Is something wrong!?”
Luffy shook his head, wrapping his cook into a hug and buried his face into Sanji’s stomach. The man tensed under his arms, confusion wafting off of him, but Luffy held on tighter.
“It’s good, thanks,” he said weakly. “Thanks.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Ace watched Luffy skip out of the kitchen, yelling about if they were at their destination or not, as if he hadn’t been crying in his confused cook’s arms minutes prior. Ace picked up his glass, leaning back in his chair with a small sigh.
“Luffy does that a lot,” he said before the crew could ask him what happened. He could see the question rising and sighed softly. “Sometimes he’ll find something that reminds him of, well I’m not exactly sure what it reminds him of…but he gets sort of lost in his memories for a bit.”
Zoro eyed him for a moment before leaning forward, “The Twenty Kings?”
“The who?” Ace’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“The Twenty Kings…” Vivi muttered, pursing her lips in thought. “Wait, Zoro,” she said, turning to the swordsman, “Do you mean the Celestial Dragons?”
Ace tensed while the others in the room asked who Vivi was speaking about.
“Like actual dragons?” Usopp awed.
“No, no,” Vivi shook her head, “Celestial Dragons are the descendants of the founders of the World Government. I think I heard before that the Twenty Kings was their original founders!”
Zoro’s eyes narrow, “And these Celestial Dragons…?”
“Imagine the worst people you can and double it,” Ace muttered, his hat shadowing his eyes, “They are monsters, and the entire government is at their beck and call.”
He thought back to that day years ago when Sabo couldn’t move without crying, when they’d have to wrap up his injuries and he couldn’t even walk right because he wasn’t used to being blind in one eye. Those people called pirates monsters, but Ace knew that they were worse.
He stood, giving them a grin that probably looked forced, and tilted his hat before wandering after his brother. Ace raised a hand to his chin, thoughtful. Zoro brought up the Twenty Kings like he was expecting it to mean something – something to Luffy, most likely. It made Ace wonder why.
“Yo, Loof,” He said, waving at his brother, who sat on the figurehead of the ship, “Are you okay, baby brother?”
“It reminds me of him,” Luffy mumbled into the wind.
There was a thing about the language Ace remembers spending month on end speaking in as a child. Luffy had always spoken it when Ace and Sabo had heard Luffy speak it one night and demanded to learn it. The language itself was so complex it had taken Ace years to speak it without any mistakes and for it to flow naturally; it had taken Sabo even longer to even sound out the syllables. But it was a beautiful language, even when they were angry, Ace had never once not heard that language sounding so sweet.
Luffy was sad and the language he spoke sounded bittersweet for once in Ace’s life.
“Of who?” Ace asked softly, leaning onto the railing next to Luffy.
“Have you ever met someone who just changed you?” Luffy asked, “Someone who has seen your worse and loved you anyways? Someone you would die for?”
Ace paused, a thoughtful thing, and his mind wondered for a moment. “Yeah. Yeah, I have.”
Luffy turned to look over to him, sniffling slightly, and he rubbed at his eye. “I have someone like that too,” he said, “I love him more than anything.”
Ace reached up, ruffling his brother’s hair, and pulled him closer so they could knock their foreheads together. “Tell me about him sometime?”
“Yeah,” Luffy said, “Yeah, I will.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The sands of Alabasta were hot, the heat of the sun shining down onto their clothed backs and making sweat rise. Luffy himself was unbothered; he was a being of light, but he was also the creator of the sun. He knew heat and he could handle it better than most could.
Ace, who was now also a being of heat, looked unbothered as well. Luffy still wondered how his brother even managed to get that fruit of all of them. It was certainly a blessing, but something told him it hadn’t been a coincidence.
They’ve been in the desert for a while now, and even now, they’ve been separated. Luffy sighed as he and Zoro and Chopper walked into the cave they had found while wandering. It certainly was cooler and Luffy did appreciate it more than feeling his skin burn in the sun, but something told him something was off.
He wandered around the room, eyes searching the walls before he felt the ground under him crack and break. He let out a yelp as his friends fell with him and landed roughly onto the ground beneath him. He shook his head, laughing slightly as he looked up. A slab of steel met his eyes, the writing engraved into it familiar and Luffy paused.
Deryn. Deryn had written that. Luffy would know his brother’s writing anywhere.
Dear Brother, I know one day you will return. The world has fallen to ruins, that demigod you call son has disappeared, and no more gods remain. The Celestial Dragons have started to call themselves Gods as if they are anything more than filthy mortals. You will return one day, and I must be there for when you rise from the ashes. I will wait centuries for you, if need be, brother.
But I am being hunted. So, I must blend in and settle down. I must become human.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Lord Nika,” the elderly god said, bowing to him as he entered the room. The Council of Gods had been formed eons ago, when the Elderly Fathers still ruled the gods and walked the land, and the Council itself was created to help with decisions and listen to the people’s wishes.
Nika detested them. In his hundred years of ruling, they have been trying to get more power. He could only guess as to why, but he knew overthrowing him was on their to-do list.
“What is it?” Nika asked blandly, smoothing down his blood-stained attire.
“My Lord,” one of the women stared; he believed she was the Goddess of Souls, but then again he didn’t really care. “The people have been speaking,”
“As they normally do.” Nika said, rising a curled eyebrow, “What of it?”
“We’ve all believed you should produce an heir. We must always keep the bloodline going!” another claimed. “A wife and an heir is what the people are asking for!”
Nika sneered at them, the flames in his hair crackling. “An heir is only required should I die.” He hissed at them, “Do you think I will just lay down and accept death?”
“O-Of course not,” they all sputtered.
“My Lord, please calm yourself.” One requested shakily.
“You are a council, but you have no true power, do not get too arrogant.” Nika sneered, “You are nothing more than insects to me and I can crush you easily. An heir is not needed, and I will not provide one, is that clear?”
“But Lord Nika–”
Nika flicked a knife at them, eyes burning black, “Do not test me, you pathetic worms,” he hissed, “Did you see what happened to my father? Are you aware of who took him down?” his smile was all teeth, “His heir did.”
He turned, walking towards the exit, “I will have no heir and I will never get betrothed. Never ask me this again.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Say,” Luffy Nika mumbled as he trailed his fingertips up Law’s arm before wrapping his arms around his waist, “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Law said, twisting in his arms so he could face Luffy. He wrapped his arms around Luffy’s Nika’s neck, smiling.
Luffy Nika grinned, kissing over Law’s eye and then peppering more kisses over his nose and cheeks and forehead. Law laughed slightly, chasing after Luffy’s Nika’s lips, humming when their lips connected. The arms around his waist hauled him closer, and he tangled his fingers into soft, glowing hair.
“Ne, ne,” Luffy Nika mumbled against his lips, “Marry me?”
Law blinked slightly as he sipped on his coffee, tears welling up in his eyes. He had felt so…complete a moment ago. Felt like nothing could go wrong – like he was safe and whole.
He felt loved.
He lifted his hand, stared at his hand, and saw no ring but tattoos.
“Captain?” Bepo asked carefully.
“I’m fine,” Law muttered, “I’m fine.”
He wasn’t. He wasn’t.
He wanted Nika.
Chapter 17
Summary:
“Who is this Torao guy, anyways?” Nami asked after a moment of silence.
Notes:
This isn't as long as I would have wished, but I have something I want to introduce around here, so next chapter will have that and thus will be longer ^^
Enjoy!!
Chapter Text
“Stop this nonsense!” Elio yelled as she stood in the battlefield, in front of the leader of the opposing side. “Stop this needless violence, please.”
“Ah, Princess Elio,” Daruk mused, “I had wondered when you would show up and here you are.” His eyes flashed, smoke rising from the irises, “Do you think you can stop me, Princess?”
“No.” she said, tilting her chin back, “I have a proposal.”
“Daughter, no!” her father yelled, and the sword on his neck increased in pressure.
“Do tell,” Daruk prompted.
“End this war and I will do whatever you say. My people will follow.” She said.
“Princess!” the gods around her cried.
“You’ll wipe them out, won’t you?” Elio asked, the fire that was her hair sweeping off her shoulders and fanning out with the wind. “Give us mercy and I will be at your service.”
Daruk looked around for a moment before he looked down at the King of the Gods. “With the former king alive, rebellion is inevitable.” He mused. “If you agree to submit, I will end this war.”
“Never,” the man spat.
“Tsk, tsk,” Daruk mocked, “Seems your plan isn’t working, Princess.”
“I will marry you.” Elio said in a hurry, “You will be the rightful king, everyone will follow your lead. Please, please just let my people live! End this war!”
A dark smirk lifted the god’s lips even as the gods behind the goddess cried their refusals. “Let’s celebrate our marriage with the death of the former king,” he declared.
“No!” Elio yelled, lunging forward just as the sword sliced through glowing skin.
Her hands shook, tears burning before they could touch her skin, and she forced her vision away from her father’s body. She raised her hand, and the god in front of her grabbed it roughly.
“Till death do us part, yes wife?”
Elio looked over the gods that were part of her father’s army, and she let her flames block her vision. “Yes, husband.”
She didn’t do this for them.
She did this for him. Everything she did was for him…
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked up at his brother before looking down to the slip of paper the other had handed to him. He could sense his brother’s presence on it in a way that should have been impossible – it felt like he was holding Ace himself, not a slip of paper. It was interesting.
“You sure you have to leave?” Luffy asked his brother.
“Yeah, I still have to find Blackbeard,” Ace said, grinning easily.
“Be careful,” Luffy said, and he meant it.
“I should be saying that to you.” Ace tipped his hat slightly, “Take care, baby brother.”
Luffy smiled, reaching up to poke at his freckles, connecting the dots and Ace watched him fondly. He and Sabo used to do this growing up; they’d claim his freckles reminded them of stars and they had to connect the dots. Ace used to scoff, mutter about how he didn’t have stars on his face, but Luffy knew he liked the attention.
After a lingering moment, Luffy nodded, “Let’s meet up again, okay? We still have a lot to go!”
Ace laughed, stepping back one, two, three, and waved. “We still have to meet up with Sabo, too! He’s going to be so jealous!”
“Shishishi!” Luffy waved at his brother as he started towards the sun, before he turned to his crew. “Hey, Ace?” he called, and Ace looked over his shoulder in question. Luffy paused, throat drying, and he met his brother’s eyes, “Love you.” He spoke.
Ace smiled fondly at him, “Love you too, little brother.”
Luffy had so much he wanted to say, but this would do, it was enough. It would always be enough.
“Let’s get going!” he chirped after one last look at his brother.
His crew continued on and Luffy paused for a moment to look back at where Ace was leaving. “Bye, mom.” He whispered to the wind, and a spark of fire lifted off of Ace’s shoulder.
And that was enough. It always would be.
Luffy hurried towards his crew, and he felt light.
(Ace grumbled as he put the fire out, wondering if his control over his fruit was slipping again.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“I’m not going to teach anyone how to understand Poneglyphs.” Sabo said, not looking up from his paperwork.
“Why not?” Koala asked, throwing her hands up, “It can be a great code for the Revolution!”
“I already said no,” Sabo sighed, “My brother taught it to me, and I doubt he knew it was something dangerous to learn. But it means something to him, so I’m not going to share it.”
Koala frowned thoughtfully as she sat down next to him. “I guess I can understand that,” she muttered.
“What?” Sabo asked after a few moments of silence, Koala’s gaze practically burning into his skin.
“Did your brother also teach you that language you sometimes speak?” Koala asked curiously.
Sabo looked up at her, “You mean the language I speak with my brother?”
“Yeah, that one,” Koala nodded.
Sabo smiled slightly, “Yeah, he did.”
Luffy had taught it to them when Ace admitted he couldn’t read or write. Luffy had been the first to offer to teach him, and when he had filled a sheet of paper with random squiggles, Sabo had sighed and realized it was up to him to teach his brothers how to write and read. Luffy had only laughed at him and explained that what he wrote was an actual language; God’s Tongue, he had called it.
Ace had found Luffy’s language more interesting and had taken lessons on that one first and Sabo had joined in because he wanted to learn it too. And since then, it had become like second nature to write out the characteristics of the language Luffy somehow knew. Sabo had always had a feeling it was special, but to find out it was literally Poneglyphs was a shock to him.
(Something about Luffy has always put him on edge since he had first met his brother. Something dark would shine in his baby brother’s eyes at times, a dark type of thing as he bared his teeth, people around him knocked down and breathing but Sabo had never known how long that would last.
And then Luffy would look at his hands and shake – God, Sabo could still see how badly Luffy trembled. But none of it mattered because Luffy was his baby brother and Sabo loved him – loved both of his brothers so much he doubted the Blues could hold it all.)
“You really care about them, don’t you?” Koala asked, smiling at him as she rested her palm in her hand.
“I do,” Sabo nodded, smiling to himself, “And I’m not doing your paperwork.”
Koala huffed as she grabbed onto her stack of paperwork, “Party pooper.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy stared up at the night sky. The stars here in Alabasta reminded him of what the sky used to look like – or at least it was the closest imitation of the former night sky. Everyone was asleep now; they were close to where they needed to be. In the morning they’d be fighting Crocodile according to Vivi.
The sand was cool under his palms as he leaned back. Before he had even been born, there had been a Goddess that walked the sky and created stars in her wake. She had been tabled a Titaness, had been stripped of her power and had been killed because of spreading light in the world that should have been dark. But when Luffy had been named King, the stars had burned bright, and the sky had become something more than an inky black void.
Law had liked the stars. He used to lay in the grass, would stare at it in wonder; had claimed it was humbling to know there was something greater that existed. Luffy still didn’t get it, but he had to admit that the stars were pretty.
“What are you doing awake?” Nami asked as she dropped to sit next to him.
Luffy shot her a smile, “I was just thinking, shishishi,”
“Thinking?” Nami’s eyebrows furrowed, “Who are you and what have you done to my captain?”
“Shishishishi!” Luffy laughed as he let his back flop onto the sand. “Do you like the stars, Nami?”
“Huh? I mean, yeah,” Nami said, sounding confused, “I can use the stars to navigate so of course I like them. Do you?”
Luffy’s eyes tracked a cluster of stars. “I used to look at the stars with Torao.” he said softly, quietly, “They make me feel…sad that he’s not here but I’m happy because of the memories.”
Nami nodded slowly, “Like rice, right?” Luffy looked over to her in surprise, and Nami rolled her eyes. “We grilled your brother about it after you left.”
“Shishishishi,” Luffy shook his head as he smiled, “Yeah. Yeah, it’s like that.”
“Who is this Torao guy, anyways?” Nami asked after a moment of silence.
Luffy raised a hand, reaching for the stars, “Torao is someone who shines brighter than all the stars in the sky,” Luffy murmured, “He’s special. I’m going to find him again.”
Nami looked back up to the stars, “Brighter than all the stars, huh?” she mused to herself, “Say, Luffy, how…” she shook her head with a smile when she saw her captain slumbering. “Night, Captain.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
His grip on the railing tightened as he looked out at the sea. The bounty in his other hand crumbled, the smirking face of the pirate Trafalgar Law crushed as a smirk started at his lips.
This; this would make that boy suffer. He could see it now; see the pirate dead at his feet. Maybe he could even tie the man up, keep him locked away, on the edge of death just to toy with the God he earned the fancy of.
Blackbeard threw his head back and laughed loudly. Yes, yes, yes, his plan was perfect.
Nika was going to crumble and he was going to enjoy every second of it.
Chapter 18
Summary:
His brother was dead and Deryn didn’t know what to do.
Notes:
This entire chapter is for Deryn!!! I was going to add much more to it but I think where I left it off is good for now eheheh~
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Brother, may I ask you something?” Deryn asked slowly as he watched his brother. Nika was sitting on the railing to the balcony. His gaze was on the sky, and he was still in his royal garb from the event they had left a while ago. His clothes a pure white, gold on his forearms, even his forehead crown was still snug in place.
He looked peaceful, and it’s been a long time since Deryn has seen his brother like this. After the war that decided the fate of not only the humans but of the gods as well, Nika had been different. Granted, Deryn hadn’t known Nika for long before that war had stared – he had been born a few months beforehand – he had noticed the change.
“Yes,” Nika hummed, looking over to him with a type of curiosity in his eyes, in eyes that had previously been so blank.
“That child has changed you,” Deryn acknowledged, and he wasn’t sure how he felt.
The gods were above every other species, and half-gods were below them. As such, they were treated like any other pathetic existence and yet his brother called a demi-god son, had him dressed in royal clothing, had him announced as his heir. Deryn normally would’ve been furious at such an act, even if he couldn’t do anything about it, but his detached and cold brother was resembling the brother he had seen glimpses of before the war. The playful and quietly happy brother; the one who had not a care in the world.
It was nice.
“I suppose he has,” Nika said, sending him a slight smile. “I feel like he has redeemed me, Deryn.”
“What is there to,” Deryn paused, clearing his throat and his brother eyed him knowingly. He cleared his throat again, holding back a scowl, before finishing his sentence, “Redeem?”
“Shishi, there’s plenty to redeem,” Nika said and it sounded bitter.
“Everything you’ve done is for us gods, y–” Deryn clamped his teeth together.
“You don’t have to do that,” Nika said, “You don’t have to be perfect.”
“I am a god,” Deryn hissed, “I am perfect.”
Nika shook his head, sighing. “I think I’m going to explore the human’s world.” He said, reaching out towards the thick forest.
“What?” Deryn asked, caught off guard.
Nika sent him a grin, sharp and toothy and it wasn’t as threatening as it normally was. “Why should I stay on this island when I can see the world?”
“Brother, this is madness,” Deryn said. “You ordered us to stay away from them.”
“That’s because everyone else is weak,” He said blandly, “They aren’t like us, Deryn, they die easily.” Nika gave him a stare from the side of his eye and it felt heavy, “They try to be perfect. I suggest you don’t follow in their footsteps.”
Deryn watched his brother walk away, sharp teeth grit, and looked out to the dense forest that protected the God’s city from outside intervention. With a scoff he turned back to walk into the castle, his brother would be back after his little whim was finished; there was nothing to worry about.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika hasn’t returned once in five years. Rumors reached the island of the Sun God fighting wars and destroying armies.
Deryn handled his duties.
The gods grew restless at the lack of their crowned king after so much time. Rayleigh was the official successor, but the demi-god wanted nothing to do with the responsibilities just as the population didn’t want him as their king. He often disappeared for months on end, only to return with tales of Nika’s exploits. Deryn could only satisfy the gods as a ruler for so long. Five years was plenty of time to enable this whim of his brothers, Deryn had long since decided.
He found his brother living in the human island the world called the Great Kingdom, on a patch of farmland. Deryn landed in front of his brother, letting his flaming wings melt into his skin. Nika didn’t say a word, simply stared at him, glowing eyes taking in his form as if trying to find any difference. Deryn hasn’t changed; he’s a god, he simply doesn’t change unless he wants to.
Nika has changed, though. Deryn can see it.
“It’s time for you to come home,” Deryn said.
“I am home,” Nika responded, no hesitation in his words.
Deryn frowned at him, “You are in a human’s territory,” he said slowly, mapping out the words carefully. “This is not home, not for you.”
Nika frowned at him, tilting his head to the side. The fire in his hair left sparks in the air and Deryn’s own frown deepened. “I am not going to return there. I am happy here.”
“You say that as if you hadn’t been happy with me,” Deryn snapped. Nika’s eyes were tired as he sighed softly. Deryn shook his head slightly, “Brother, please return home.”
“Luffy?” the call made Deryn glare over to the human he had sensed in the house behind Nika. The human was young, white patches covering his skin, shoulder length hair billowing in the slight wind as he stepped out of the home.
He wasn’t anything special.
“Go inside,” Nika said but it didn’t sound like an order. There was no harshness in his voice, no hidden demand, no affection hidden by a harsh cover.
Nika sounded worried – worried for this human.
The human frowned at Nika before his eyes landed onto Deryn. The frown deepened and Deryn’s eyes widened slightly.
“You must be joking, Brother.” He said.
“I’m not.” Nika said.
“A human?” Deryn demanded. “A human?”
“Yes, a human,” Nika tilted his head back, “Deryn, I will not be returning. I am not needed, nor do I wish to be there.”
“What about me?” Deryn asked and he hated how he sounded so weak.
He was a god; he was not weak. He was perfect.
Nika reached out, placed his hand onto his shoulder and squeezed it. “You’ll find a place,” he said, “Where you will be happy.”
“I am happy with you,” Deryn said.
He’s never lived a day without Nika existing and by him. Nika was his big brother, the man who raised him ever since he was born from the ashes their mother had left behind.
“Brother,” Nika said mournfully, “Are you truly?”
Deryn watched numbly as Nika turned after one last glance, heading to the house where the human resided. Nika paused once he reached the door, turning slightly so their eyes could meet once more.
“When you are ready, I’d be happy if you met him,” he said.
Deryn didn’t respond and his brother nodded slowly, opening the door, and disappearing inside.
As if Deryn would want to meet the human who somehow earned Nika’s fancy. When the man died, Nika would return. That was good enough for Deryn.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Deryn had felt the blast of Nika’s power the moment the attack had started. He had a feeling he would have felt it even if he hadn’t been close to the island Nika frequented. He had expected to find his brother fighting a battle, leveling a forest, anything similar.
He hadn’t expected to find a wave of his brother’s power destroying the entire island. Where buildings once stood was now covered with debris, where forests once stood was now covered in ash. There were only two presences, Nika and that demi-god.
The human was dead; that meant Nika would return. Deryn flew closer to his brother with a grin starting on his lips. Good, good, good. This was excellent.
What Deryn hadn’t expected was to find Nika holding the human close, golden tears dripping from his eyes as Rayleigh cried over the body of the human. He landed in front of them and Nika looked over to him, lashes clumped together with tears, lines of gold running down his soot-covered cheeks.
Nika was the strongest god; one of the purest gods to exist. He was perfect.
And yet he cried.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika was dead. He was dead and he wasn’t returning. He was killed by humans, humans who created weapons that shouldn’t have ever come to creation.
Nika was dead. Fruits were scattered over the world; the world that was now changed forever.
Nika was dead and Deryn didn’t know what to do.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Uncle!” the yell was unexpected as the human who was about to kill him was thrown back, blood flooding its front.
Deryn looked up, dazed, as he was pulled up and into someone’s arms. The humans all around him were watching in shock before seemingly collecting themselves and pulling forward, swords drawn. Deryn caught sight of his army; all the gods laid dead in the battle. The humans had whipped them out.
How? How, how, howhowhow–
“Uncle,” the man said again and Deryn blinked, finding the battle field gone. He blinked spots from his vision, his regenerating flames rising up and stinging at his wounds. “Are you okay?”
Deryn caught Rayleigh’s gaze, “Where are the others?” he demanded.
Rayleigh shook his head, frowning, “They’re dead.”
And yet Deryn lived.
“Why did you save me?” he hissed out and Rayleigh scoffed at him.
“Father cares for you, when he reforms, he’ll want you alive.” Rayleigh explained, frowning at him.
“You should have left me to die, yoi!” Deryn barked.
“You’d like that, huh?” Rayleigh sneered at him, “Go ahead and die then! I should have left you to die like all those other gods!”
Deryn shot forward, sharpened nails swiping up before he even realized it. Rayleigh stumbled back, hand flying up to his face. Blood dripped between his fingers, following his arm before dripping off his elbow.
Rayleigh’s teeth ground together, and his words were a hiss, “The next time I see you, I’ll end you.”
Deryn didn’t say a word as the man disappeared, body blocked by trees. He banged his fist into the ground, and for the first time in centuries, Deryn cried.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Humans were awful creatures, his skin crawled just being near them. But he was being hunted and thus he needed to blend in. Deryn – or should he say Poe, now – would do anything it took to survive.
He’s not sure if his brother would wish to see him again, especially after he scarred his son’s face, but Poe liked to hope. He would live to see his brother once more, and his dreams would finally become reality.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
His essence has changed. The few people who learned it – he didn’t understand how they possibly could have, it was a technique of the gods yet the gods had been killed by human hands, a part of his mind whispered – and the even fewer who have used it against him had shown that it had grown stronger over the centuries.
Poe wasn’t sure how exactly it was possible, but it was even stronger than Nika’s had been.
He trained.
And trained, and trained, and trained.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Lonely. He’s so lonely.
(Nika had never made him feel lonely, but he had never felt truly happy, either, he realizes.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Jerial – as Poe goes as now – frowned slightly as he read the newest article in the paper. Pirates were making a new comeback, the population of the scum rising in a way he hadn’t seen since he was just a child.
He supposes its only natural for humans to fall back into their old ways, even after centuries has passed. Jerial wonders what Nika would say if he saw it.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Marco, as he now goes by, frowned harshly as he looks at the burning of the town he’s taken as his home for the past years. Creating a new identity was much easier in an island that wasn’t under the World Government’s palm, but they were also much more susceptible to attacks by outward forces. Being in the form of a teenager made fights easier, people underestimated him and thus it was easier to strike and escape.
Humans were disgusting.
Marco darted down an alley way, looking behind him to watch the village he had been stay at being pillaged. He noticed how none of the villagers were being attacked, just the temple they had here – one that used to be a shrine for a god. Which one, Marco wasn’t sure, and he frankly didn’t care.
The gods were gone, there was no reason to.
“Eh, looks like it’s just a kid,” someone said from behind him, and Marco turned sharply, looking up. It was a female human, long blue hair that seemed to glow in the sunlight being its only quality that stood out.
Nika’s hair used to glow.
Marco’s hair used to glow.
These humans were poor imitations of the real thing.
Flames rose up his arms as his legs formed talons and he lunged forward. He’d be damned if pirates took him down; Nika would one day return, and Marco needed to be there for it. The human gasped as he slammed it into the wall behind him, talons tightening their grip and he barely flinched as a sword was thrusted up into his stomach. Haki hurt him, but he wouldn’t die from it.
“Well, what do we have here,” a booming voice demanded, and Marco sneered up at the large human.
He recognized the image the man made.
The pirate Whitebeard. He was only human; Marco could end him.
(The human was strong. Stronger than he had thought. Marco had lost.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Marco eyed the large human suspiciously. He had surprisingly been thrown unconscious by this human – it had eaten a fruit, one of the strongest. Marco shouldn’t have been so careless – and yet they hadn’t tried to end him. Not that they would have been able to; Marco didn’t die easily and even if he did, he just reformed within minutes.
“You are strange, brat,” Whitebeard claimed.
Marco frowned at him, where did this human get off calling him a brat? He’s lived for thousands of years. He scanned his surroundings, seeing the pirate crew bustling on the deck of their ship.
There was only ocean around them.
Marco looked up at the pirate, bared his teeth and snarled, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
“Gurararara,” Whitebeard laughed, looking at him with mirth, “You’re an interesting brat.” Is all he said.
(Marco flew away when night fell and he didn’t look back.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Marco found out two weeks later that the island he had been staying on was wiped out by Marine orders.
He looked at the pirates in a new light, but that didn’t mean he liked them.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Marco cursed his luck. The Whitebeard pirates were once again on an island he was holing out at, but they simply seemed to be restocking. If he stayed out of their view, he’d be fine, and his cover would last for the next few weeks. He stayed in the shadows, kept from their view…until he couldn’t.
Marco lunged forward, hands grasping the marine’s head and he pulled the thing down as he brought his leg up. The crunch the impact made, made him grin savagely. He flicked a blade from the human’s limp hands before he went for the other marines. The knife was smaller than the one he used to use, when he had been fighting battles as Deryn the God of Regeneration by his brother’s side, but after so many years, he knew how to use many weapons.
Once the group of marines were down, Marco looked over his shoulder to a human with strange hair, a Whitebeard symbol on his shoulder. It was staring up at him in surprise, hand pressing to its side, where blood coating its torn shirt.
Marco normally wouldn’t have bothered. He really shouldn’t have in the first place.
Yet he found himself kneeling, blue flames flickering, and pressed his palm to the wound.
He left once he was sure the human would live.
It seemed he needed to find a new island to hide out on after all.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Have you ever thought of being a pirate?” Whitebeard asked three months later after they somehow crossed paths again.
“No,” Marco said.
Whitebeard observed him, “Why are you constantly traveling to different islands?”
“I’m waiting for someone,” Marco informed; he honestly didn’t know why he even stayed, “My brother.”
There was a glint in the human’s eyes that suddenly made Marco uneasy. “Don’t you think sailing on a pirate ship would be…more efficient?”
“What are you getting at?” Marco asked roughly.
“Join my crew.” Whitebeard declared and his crew all seemed to pull towards them eagerly.
Marco didn’t understand humans.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Four months later he was wearing Whitebeard’s mark on his chest.
He wondered why he didn’t feel like he was betraying his brother by swearing his life to someone else.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The first memory Marco has was of when he was created. He had been created because of the clash of powers between the King and Queen of the Gods in the garden the woman had cherished. He had pulled his body out from under ash and broken marble, and the first thing he had ever seen had been destruction. And in the center of it had been a god glowing so brightly it hurt his eyes, clinging to the body of a woman he didn’t know yet somehow cherished.
The sun had been created that day; the god’s back bowing as it physically tore from his skin. Gold had dripped from his eyes, a substance – blood, he would later learn – dripping from his nose and onto the goddess in his arms.
He mourned for a woman he would never meet.
Nika, the God of the Sun is what people would call him. Marco called him brother.
The second most prominent memory he has is of war. Nika hadn’t wanted him to join but Marco had gone anyway; he had seen how his brother tore through the gods fighting on their father’s side, saw how each death seemed to weigh onto him more and more, and then lastly, he had seen how Nika had finished their father’s life.
Marco never liked war, but he grew up around destruction. He was used to it. He was used to the death of people he held dear – his brother’s body falling limp, chest torn apart because of humans and their pathetic, unnatural weapons – but he had never thought he would feel this way again.
Especially not for some human.
“She’s going to be fine, son,” Whitebeard consoled, and Marco frowned as he looked up from his knees where he was curled up on the armrest for the man’s chair.
“How do you know, yoi?” Marco asked.
Nika was going to be fine, and yet he had died.
“Gurararara! We have medics on the ship, Marco,” he pointed out.
Marco nodded slowly. He had studied medicine for a while, having taken so many identities in the past centuries to not have dabbled in medicine a few times, but the way medicine was used and practiced changed all the time. He knows his skills are rusty, but he thinks it’s about time to catch up with the past few decades of medicine.
Whitebeard grinned at him as though his thoughts were on his face.
Marco smiled back and he wondered if this is how Nika felt when he was with his odd human; happy.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Why do you say yoi?” the cat mink asked, looking up at him excitedly and Marco blinked.
Gods were perfect and with his verbal tic that has been there since he was created, Marco had never been perfect. He had concealed it for as long as he could, fearing the worst, and yet whenever it slipped, these humans only smiled at him. They didn’t see him any less because of it, and thus he slowly found himself not needing to stop himself.
(He recalls, centuries ago, that Nika had told him he was perfect just how he was. He wonders why he had never listened to his brother.)
“It’s a tic,” Marco explained, smiling and it felt so weird to truly smile.
“I’ve never heard of that!” Oden declared and Marco shrugged.
“Is it because you’re a peacock?” Izou asked.
Marco stopped, feathers puffing at his neck, and hissed, “I am a Phoenix, yoi!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The Roger Pirates were people Marco’s only heard rumors of; from the newspaper and from the crew respectively, but he had never met them in person. The moment he landed onto the island with his crew, he had felt the presence instantly. Every creature had a certain presence to them; humans, fish-folk, giants and so on, all have a different voice to them. Gods were by-far the loudest yet gentlest, like their language.
Demi-gods were different on all wave lengths. They were unnatural creatures, a mix of a god and another inferior species. They had no gifts – they weren’t Gods, after all – and they aged, yet it was a slow process. Marco has heard of a Demi-god living well into their thousands while looking like they were only thirty in human years; it simply mattered on how powerful their godly parent had been.
Rayleigh had been taken in under Nika’s wing, had been raised by the Lord of Gods, and had been strong despite being what he was. His presence was something Marco hasn’t felt in centuries, not since they had parted ways for the last time.
The last time Marco had seen him, Rayleigh had been in the body of a child, fifteen at the most with short blond hair and silver eyes that had belonged to his mother. Now he was a man, tall build with longer hair, his eye had a scar going through it, glasses riding low on his nose. He stood by Roger’s side, hand falling to the sword on his hip. Their eyes met and Marco inhaled shakily.
“You look young,” Rayleigh commented, gaze sharp as he observed the Whitebeard crew Marco called family.
“You look old, yoi,” Marco murmured, flames buzzing under his skin as he prepared himself. He still remembered Rayleigh’s promise from all those centuries ago.
Not a minute later Rayleigh’s sword was clashing with Marco’s talons.
(Marco wondered why the fight seemed more like a harmless spar.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Marco looked at the human teenager who had challenged Oyaji, frowning slightly. There was an ache in his chest, and he numbly rose is hand to massage at his skin, but he knew it wasn’t any physical pain.
That child had his mother’s powers.
“Portgas D. Ace, huh,” Marco mused as the unconscious human was brought aboard. “Interesting, yoi.”
Notes:
Congrats to who guessed his identity correctly ig XD
Chapter 19
Summary:
(It made him feel human.
But human he was not.)
Chapter Text
As the crew made their way from Yuba, Luffy pulled his arms behind his head. The people of Alabasta were suffering; he’d known this since Vivi arrived on his ship. But seeing that people still had faith in that human king, in Vivi, made him wonder.
He’s spent the last few weeks traveling with Vivi, and although he instantly disliked her, he had acknowledged and tried to learn more about her. He knew that children weren’t their parents – that he wasn’t his father – but it was difficult to see past the bloodline.
(It was difficult to see past the black in his eyes, eyes which had belonged to his father.)
Luffy hadn’t cared for Vivi weeks ago, but now…now there was something different. There was no distain when he looked at her, there was no lingering hatred when he thought of her. There was no fear when he saw her smile; the smile her ancestors have given him as they showed their weapons, the weapons’ voices screaming for him to save them, Lord Nika please-
Luffy didn’t hate nor did he fear Vivi any longer. He was growing to care for her, and why was beyond him. So he sat down under the next tree he found and relaxed against it. His crew all looked over to him in shock, questioning his actions and Luffy stayed relaxed.
“I quit.” He said simply.
“Huh!?” the crew all said slowly, in disbelief.
“You…quit?” Nami asked.
“Luffy-san…what do you mean?” Vivi asked softly, eyes widening.
“C’mon Luffy!” Usopp said, sighing, “Now isn’t the time for one of your whims!”
“Yeah, if we don’t go back to Katorea, the way he came and stop the revolt, a million citizens here are gonna clash and things’ll get ugly really quick!” Sanji nearly yelled. “This is for Vivi-chan! Now, let’s go!”
Luffy pushed Sanji away from him lightly when he grabbed onto his clothing, the man stumbling back slightly with a yelp.
“That’s boring.” He said.
“What was that?” Sanji asked, scowling slightly but he didn’t refute. He saw the look in his captain’s eyes.
“Vivi,” Luffy said.
She wrung her hands nervously. “Yes?”
“I want to kick Crocodile’s ass!” he snarled, face morphing into a scowl and he tilted his head down so his hat could cover his eyes as they burned. “If we stop the revolt, will that stop Crocodile? We won’t be able to do anything in Katorea anyways. We’re pirates, you know. Things are better off without us around.”
The gods had been better off without him around.
“You want it so nobody dies in this fight.” Luffy said simply. “None of the citizens, none of us, even though we’re up against a Warlord of the Sea and a million of people are going wild…you hope that everyone will stay safe and sound. Don’t you think that’s too naïve.”
“Luffy! Show some sympathy for Vivi!” Nami scolded, scowling at him.
“Wait, Nami-san,” Sanji said, putting a hand out in front of her. Nami refuted but Vivi spoke up.
“And what’s wrong with thinking that!?” Vivi demanded. “What’s wrong with not wanting people to die!?”
“People die.” Luffy said softly.
Luffy saw the attack coming but he stayed where he was. He tumbled over the sand as Vivi yelled at him. “That’s what we’re trying to stop!” she exclaimed. “You don’t even understand what it’s like to lose people! You’re heartless!”
Flaming hair out, warm skin cold and blue, bodies of gods falling as he pressed forward because he had to, patched skin spotted in blood, green eyes he loved dull, his chest caved in – Seas why can’t be breathe, why does he feel numb, no, no, nonononoheneededtoseeToraoagainhecan’tdie–
Heartless. He was heartless.
She didn’t know a thing.
He did what he had to do, and he became someone he hadn’t wanted to be because of it. Gods had called him heartless, humans had called him heartless, giants, fishmen, nobles, they all had.
So that was what he had become. He had become a monster that thrived in the darkness in the world despite creating the light that shined down on it. He thrived in wars, scared people with a mere look. Nika was heartless and so was Luffy. He had been this way for hundreds of years, but then–
Luffy stood back up. His face contorted in anger, a scowl deepening his expression. His eyes burned, burned, burned, darker always darker because while he was a being of light he was always–
He reared his arm back, and his fist connected with Vivi’s face.
But then he met Rayleigh.
But then he met Law.
“Then why are you putting your life on the line!?” he shouted at her.
He shouldn’t care. He really shouldn’t. He should hate her, he should want nothing to do with her.
Yet he cared.
(Nika hated it.)
(Nika, once long ago, had tried to be a being of mercy. He had that choice taken away from him.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy stands slowly, coughing slightly as the dust around them settled. The room they landed in was strange, glass surrounding them and water beyond the glass. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw a bananawani swim freely past the wall across them. The wall that was blocked by bars.
As if some regular cell would be able to stop him or the others with him. He reached out, fingertips brushing over the metal before gripping it and shocks instantly shot down his arm, quickly followed by exhaustion. His body locked and he sagged under his exhaustion, hands slipping off the bars and suddenly he felt normal.
Nika had never once felt something like that.
“What is this?” Luffy wondered aloud and his friends all looked over to him in surprise.
“Luffy? Are you okay?” Nami asked worriedly.
“I got super tired when I touched this!” Luffy said, eyes wide as he touched the bars again. He only stayed somewhat upright this time because he was prepared for what was coming.
“Do you seriously not know what Sea Stone is?” Smoker said gruffly from behind them. Luffy looked over to the marine, frowning at him sharply.
“This is sea stone?” he asked, eyes narrowing at the man.
Luffy looked back at it, frowning. Sea stone had been…an important metal back when he had been alive and known as Nika throughout the world. Sea stone had been something that decorated bodies, had been armor for the richest of nobles, had coated castles for those who were rich enough to have the construction done and have the stone provided.
(Law’s wedding ring, the one Luffy gave him, had been made of sea stone.)
“Why does it make me tried?” Luffy asked; it never had before. He had worn it plenty of times.
He had held Law’s hand plenty of times.
“It has the same affect as the ocean,” Smoker said, scowling at him and though Luffy couldn’t see it, he could feel it. “Devil Fruit eaters get too exhausted to function in the ocean and because of Sea Stone.”
“That’s because those fruits aren’t natural,” Luffy muttered under his breath.
It’s because those fruits shouldn’t exist.
“I can just cut through it,” Zoro commented idly, pulling his swords from their sheaths.
“You can’t,” Luffy muttered, “Sea Stone is one of the strongest metals in the Four Blues.”
Not even Nika had been able to destroy it without difficulty. It had been made from the Sea Goddess’ body, after all, it was strong. That’s why Luffy had given it to Law. It would last forever because they were supposed to be together forever.
It had been used during wars, had chained gods down like they were mere insects
Zoro frowned but put his swords back in their sheathes and Luffy always felt so grateful when he saw just how much Zoro trusted him.
(It made him feel human.
But human he was not.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Law woke up to heat coming from his side – or more accurately the body by him. A blistering heat that ate at the blankets, brushing against his skin, flowing up the wall.
“Luffy–!” Law sputtered, moving back from the heat slightly. Luffy Nika shot upright, breath heavy as he looked around; he was dazed, Law could see this. What made him pause was his lover’s eyes themselves.
There was no white in them, the orange he loved, too, was covered in darkness. Smoke wisped from his eyes as golden tears trailed down his cheeks. The look didn’t seem anything like the strongest god known to man – but Law already knew that he wasn’t. Luffy Nika wasn’t this perfect being, he wasn’t an almighty god that could do no wrong.
He had faults; so many of them.
Law loved them. He loved everything about Luffy Nika – the good, the bad, the awful.
Seeing Luffy Nika like this, crying, scared, burning, it hurt. It hurt so much, even though he wasn’t feeling the pain that Luffy Nika truly was. Law reached for him, pushing past the heat that burned at his skin, and pulled the god into his arms. Luffy Nika laid slumped against him, tears trickling down his shoulder. They burned and Law grit his teeth, pushing through the pain because it really didn’t matter.
Not when Luffy Nika was suffering.
“Luffy, I’m here,” Law said, holding him tighter, closing his eyes tightly, “I’m here.”
After a few minutes the heat under his palms lessened and lessened, arms going around his own waist, and Luffy shuddered as he inhaled. “I hurt you,” Luffy Nika rasped.
“I’m okay,” Law soothed, running his hands through his golden locks.
Luffy
Nika brushed at the gold on Law’s skin, fingertips pressing into the burns and a different warmth flowed into his body as he felt the aches disappear. “I’m sorry,” He whispered.
“I’m okay,” Law repeated. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Luffy
Nika held him tighter. “I had a dream.” He said softly.
“What was it about?” Law asked.
“It was when I killed my father,” Luffy Nika mumbled, voice against his skin, and Law’s eyebrows furrowed.
Luffy
Nika…didn’t talk about his past often. He didn’t like it, lived in the present, and Law respected that. But he had never really imagined his past would make Luffy Nika lose sight of what was going on around him.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Luffy Nika said, as if he needed to explain himself. Perhaps he felt like he did, but he never needed to with Law.
Law knew Luffy Nika. That was enough.
“I never wanted to,” Luffy Nika continued, “He would have killed so many people. He did kill so many people. If I hadn’t done what I had, everyone would have–”
“It’s okay,” Law repeated, “You don’t need to explain yourself. I understand.”
And he did, in a way. Luffy Nika had once been the leader of the gods, and like any leader, he had to make tough decisions. Those decisions impacted the way he thought; to be merciless, to not care, to fight battles that only he wanted and felt like he could win.
“I love you,” Law said, and Luffy Nika hugged him tighter.
It was quiet for a long moment, the heat in the room dissipating, the aches in his body leaving as Luffy’s Nika’s warmth flowed and then–
“I love you too.”
And that was all Law would ever need.
That was all Law ever wanted.
But he couldn’t. Because Nika didn’t exist.
(He never would exist, and Law would forever be without him.)
Notes:
Come yell at my friends and I on our discord server!
Chapter 20
Summary:
“Yes, I would die for you. Nika, wasn’t that already obvious?”
Notes:
This chapter was supposed to be longer but meeh I couldn't add all the scenes I wanted to and make it flow smoothly. Alabasta probably has around 2-3 chapters left, if things go as planned! I am so excited for literally all the arcs, so hopefully the imagination gets a flowing XD
I started school about three days ago, so be warned, updates may slow down on all of my fics. I am also starting a new fic (go figure, right lmfao) for Milo that is MarAce and a time loop, so it should be out tomorrow or the day after. It'll probably be about 5-8 chapters?
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Deryn gazed at the painting hung proudly in the dining room of the Sun Palace. It was beautifully painted, a woman in the center dressed in the finest of clothing, pearls and gold on her red-tinted skin, hair a blaze of fire. She looked peaceful, she looked kind and wonderful. Elio, his mother…just a two years ago, she had been dead in Nika’s arms and Deryn had been born.
Deryn wished he could have met her, just once. Nika seemed to love her very much, and that must mean she was wonderful.
He turned on his heel after a moment, continuing on his way to his brother’s quarters. Nika had promised to take him to the mortal realm, and Deryn wanted to see what exactly their people were giving blessings to.
(Deryn reached up, holding onto his chest, and wondered what exactly he was feeling.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Marco walked down the hallway in the Moby, sighing to himself as he navigated through the wave of people. He smiled and waved some of them off, agreeing to join for some poker game later that night. He needed to find Ace to inform him of the newest Division Commander meeting – the man being gone on a mission when the last one took place. He returned home to the Moby earlier that day, and Marco wanted to get the briefing over so they could discuss anything other than their duties.
It’s not like he cared what they spoke about, just being around Ace made him feel warm. He wondered if that was how Nika felt with that human. Safe and warm and happy.
(Marco wondered if Nika had ever felt happy before he met that human.)
Marco stopped at Ace’s room, where he sensed Ace currently in. The door was open slightly, and Marco nudged it open further, picking at the files in his hand.
“Ace–” He started but paused when a murmur reached his ears.
Blood drained from his face, eyes opening wide and lips parting in shock. Ace hadn’t seemed to have noticed him, talking on a transponder snail, and the words that came from his lips were ones that Marco hadn’t heard in a long, long time.
The Gods’ Tongue was like music to his ears, and it was Ace who was speaking it. Ace who had the power of flames, Ace who could speak a language that only gods knew of, and Ace who Marco was in love with.
Fuck.
(Weeks later, Ace would be rushing off to take down a man who had attempted to kill Thatch, and Marco wouldn’t see him again until the man he loved was kneeling on scaffolding.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy has fought people who could turn their bodies into an element before. He had never had the ability to become fire or sand or water, like some of the other gods had been able to, but he had known how to counter and win fights with people like that. Haki – as it was called now – had been the main thing. He used to be able to force anyone into submission with a small wave of his presence; he had been the strongest, he could defeat anyone, and everyone he faced had feared death even a little bit.
Luffy had gone into this fight confident that he would win – he’s only lost, really lost, once in his life and he wouldn’t lose like that again – and yet he was lost. Haki had barely grazed the man made of sand, had barely affected him. In the air, Luffy was held, a hook skewering him.
Bones snapped, blood dripped from the whole in his chest, skin tore, breaths choked on blood–
Water dripped down from the mini barrel that had been tied around his neck, his breaths caught as he stared down at the human, at Crocodile, holding him up in the air.
“You will burn,” he rasped.
The warlord gave him a slightly bemused look before seemingly not caring as to what he had said and dropped him. He walked away without a care, sand starting to pull Luffy down, and the god snarled as he struggled.
If Haki wouldn’t work, then Luffy would have to use something else. Something like water.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Robin looked at the young pirate consideringly as she let the extra arms that had pulled him out from under the sand disappear. He was alive, breathing somewhat strained, and his eyelids were fluttering. He looked over to her, and Robin could tell he wasn’t staring at her but something she couldn’t see.
“…Torao” the pirate whispered shakily, the word making Robin pause for she did not understand the language he spoke in.
(It felt familiar, it felt right, it felt like something she knew but didn’t.)
His words continued, music to her ears yet she couldn’t understand them. When the pirate stopped speaking, it was after a few simple words; words that had made Robin freeze and stare at the boy with bated breath.
And then he was blinking, his gaze was focusing, and then he was staring at her with a furrowed brown and Robin was leaving him in the hands of another.
(She wondered why his eyes seemed to glow.)
Robin stared out at the horizon, frowning slightly as her mind worked. The words the pirate spoke were echoing in her ears, and she mumbled the words as best as she could, only for the wind and sand to hear.
“I will not die here; I need to see you again. Wait for me...Torao.” she smiled slightly, sadly, “Fascinating. I wonder if that is why you continue on, the Will of D? Who are you people…”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika looked around the dark realm, his glow bright yet never managing to clear at the dimness surrounding him. He raised his hand up, touching one of the skulls in front of him, scanning the thing. The skull had no jaw, had no eyes, had a large crack running down from the left side of its forehead to its right cheek.
“I wonder why you keep this here,” Nika mused, shifting to the skull next to the one he had been gazing at.
“Why not?” was the rumbled reply, the voice deep and raspy; unused.
Not a lot of people visited the underworld, after all. And it wasn’t like its ruler left often.
“You’ll drive yourself insane,” Nika said simply.
A snort was his response. “As if you aren’t ahead of me with that.”
Nika’s lips twitched with the start of an amused smile; it didn’t look bright nor happy, something closer to dark or insane. “I cannot argue with that,” he mumbled, “Enma.”
The Deity of the Underworld – something non-gods called Hell – finally came into view, fangs bared in a grin, “My Lord,” Enma greeted with a dip of their head, “What brings you here? You’ve been gone for a while.”
Nika walked forward, running his fingertips over the throne placed in the middle of the dark room with bones lining the walls. He inspected the dirt on his fingertips blandly, uncaring.
“Enma,” he repeated, and the Deity lost all of their playful energy, tilting their head back to stare him down, seriousness radiating off of their body. “I have something to request of you.”
“Oh?” the Deity purred, “What can I do for you, my Lord?”
Nika sat himself onto the throne, throwing one leg over the other and resting his chin in his palm, elbow on the armrest. He stared at the Deity for a moment, before he smiled slowly, “Would you die for me, Enma?”
“Of course,” Enma said, no hint of hesitance in their voice. They were genuine.
Nika ran his tongue over his teeth, “Good,” he mumbled, “That’s good.”
Enma studied him for a moment, “What do you request of me, my Lord?”
Nika stared at the skulls on the wall – at the skulls of the gods who had died in the Great War almost a thousand years ago. He looked back to the glowing red eyes of his loyalist follower – of his last real friend, and he spoke his request into the quiet, dark room.
(He hated the darkness, but he was never truly a being of pure light.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Enma watched Nika walk away thoughtfully, sitting themselves onto their thrown. They leaned back complete darkness falling into their throne room the moment the other god left. Their realm was a dark one; they preferred it this way. They had grown up when the world hadn’t known what the sun was, had only seen darkness.
They thrived in darkness, even if they truly were the Deity of Absorption and got a great deal of power by absorbing the essence of others, darkness fit them well.
They inhaled slowly, whisps of gold entering their lungs and filling their veins with power. It was only a small bit of power that Nika gave out; he was constantly letting essence leave him because he was too powerful to keep it all in and stay sane. Enma’s throne room, their entire realm, was filled with the essence of the Lord of the Gods. Just the barest hint of his power left Enma knowing they would die by that God’s hand, should they ever fight even if it would never happen.
A smirk showed off sharp fangs and a laugh echoed in the throne room, the Deity laughing freely.
“Yes, I would die for you,” Enma breathed, “Nika, wasn’t that already obvious?”
Notes:
Okay! in the first scene, Deryn was around 2 years old. He seems really mature, right? Well, that'll be explained later on.
As for Enma, Nika and their relationship is absolutely platonic, there is no romance between them. Luffy only has feelings for Law and Enma is more like a deranged friend/follower to Luffy.
Chapter 21
Summary:
“Say, Enma,” Nika looked up at the Deity, “Want to tear through heaven one more time?”
Notes:
A short chapter just for Enma!!
Enjoy!
Chapter Text
“What are you doing here, little prince?” the words were a hiss, floating around him. Nika couldn’t tell where it had come from, didn’t really care to.
“Are you going to kick me out?” he asked simply, keeping his forehead pressed against his knees.
There was a rumbled hum, and a second later Nika felt a hand press against his back. “He got you too, huh, little prince?” Nika hissed slightly at the feeling of a hand over the large, new seal over his back.
Nika turned his head to gaze at the god kneeling behind him. The Goddess of Absorption, a deity that tried to overthrow the Dark King all by herself and almost succeeded, many centuries ago. He took in her short white hair, dark horns protruding from the sides of her head, gold dangling from the sharp bone. Sharp teeth were borne in a grin, gold eyes searing into his skin, and Nika quirked an eyebrow.
“You aren’t as scary as the rumors imply,” he said bluntly.
“And you aren’t as bright as they say,” Enma quirked back. “Little Prince.”
Nika sneered at her, “The unruly goddess that tried to tear through the Land of Gods.”
Enma’s amusement seemed to vanish, “I’m not a goddess. Watch it, Prince.”
Nika tilted his head, observing. “The unruly deity,” he fixed, and the deity in front of him nodded, pleased.
They sat next to him without a care, one hand placed back while the other braced itself onto one of their knees. It was quiet for a moment as they both watched over the underworld and wandering souls.
“So,” Enma drawled, “What made the big bad Daruk seal you?”
Nika looked at them from the corner of his eye, “I could ask the same.”
“You already seem to know the gist,” the Deity waved a hand, squinting down at him, “Not gonna say, eh?”
“You already know the gist of it,” Nika retorted, “It’s not very different from what you had done.”
Enma stared at him for a moment before barking a loud laugh. They slapped at his back, and he hissed at the feeling of the seal on his back being hit but didn’t do much as the Deity continued to chortle to themselves.
“Wonder why he didn’t kill you,” Enma asked as they calmed down.
Nika looked back out to the wandering souls, “He needs me,” he said simply, tilting his head back, eyes narrowing, “He knows that he can’t kill me. He’s scared.”
Enma hummed and Nika felt a twitch in his lips, as though he wanted to smile. “He should be scared,” he mumbled, “Say, Enma,” he looked up at the Deity, “Want to tear through heaven one more time?”
The Deity’s sharp teeth made an appearance, a dark look crossing their face as they smirked, “What’cha have in mind, Little Prince?”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Enma walked slowly, scanning the palace as they made their way towards Nika’s quarters. The war had ended with their victory, but it had been anything but a clean victory. They had lost many people, hundreds if not thousands had died, and the war had taken a huge toll on their new leader. Nika hadn’t been seen in weeks since the war ended, and Enma has handled quite a bit of his responsibility.
Two gods up ahead paused when Enma approached, quickly moving out of their way with tense expressions. Enma didn’t really care; soon enough they’d be going back to the underworld soon enough. Their image didn’t matter, not now and not ever.
They reached Nika’s room after a few minutes, sliding the door open without bothering to knock, and entered it quickly. The room was in shambles; paintings torn, clothes strewn everywhere, blood splattered randomly. Nika was sat on the large bed in the center of the room, his hair an ashy grey, blood leaking from his nose, and he looked terrified, hands over his ears.
Enma hasn’t known this god long – he was so, so young, a part of their mind tormented – but they cared for him. They fought a war by their side, and he genuinely cared. He cared about his people, about the humans and the giants and the fishfolk. Nika was a god, but he had humanity in him, and that was something not many had.
She had it, Enma thought. Elio had been nothing like the other Gods; had been kind and loving and had seen the good in everything. It only made sense that her son would have some of those elements.
Enma sighed softly before stepping forward. Nika’s eyes shot up to gaze at them, one eye completely dark and the other glowing. It was as though his form was fighting itself, trying to stay light yet trying to be dark.
Nika wasn’t something that ever should have existed, a being of light and darkness. It was easy to pretend he was mere light, but after the war – after what he had been forced to do – there was no use denying it anymore.
Nika was in the middle of it, he was something that shouldn’t exist. And because of that, he was powerful.
“You’ll be okay,” Enma said, kneeling in front of the young god. He struggled to speak, a rasp leaving his lips and he curled into himself more as smoke took over his glow. Enma raised their hand, “You’ll be okay. You can fight it.”
“How?” he whispered, and Enma watched as gold rose in his glowing eye, dripping down his cheek as he clawed at his forehead. “I’m not strong.”
“But you are,” Enma said, carefully taking the god’s hands, lest he tore through his skin even more. They stared into his eyes, unflinching, “You are strong, Nika, and you are not alone. I am here. We’ll fight it together.”
And Nika sobbed.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Enma licked at their teeth as they looked around. The mortal realm was as awful as they remembered it to, same old dirt, same old buildings, same old creatures. Enma didn’t care much for a lot of things, and the mortal realm wasn’t something that fell into their I’d care if this was destroyed list.
However, there was something that was curious about the realm at the moment. Enma inhaled deeply, sparks leaving their lungs as they exhaled. Nika was around, his power was practically dripping in the air.
How curious, Enma mused. Nika had rarely left the Land of Gods without sending a large wave of mortals to the underworld; for him to be here and Enma not aware was odd. Curiosity beat the need to finish their duty – Nika didn’t care if Enma worked anyways, and neither did Enma – and they followed after the sparks of gold only the eyes of a God could see.
Enma ended up at a human’s farmland. For Nika to stray around here and not a battlefield was baffling, and Enma’s lips parted in shock as they watched Nika smile at a human as if the human held the world in his hands.
Elio used to look at me like that, Enma thought. The image of the fiery goddess smiling flashed through their mind, her eyes scrunched closed and grin wide.
Nika’s eyes opened, and he looked over to Enma, eyebrows rising slightly in surprise before he grinned slightly over to them. Enma’s expression softened, a proud feeling rising up, and they quirked an eyebrow back.
Good job, kid, Enma thought, smiling as they turned and headed back to the human who needed to be drug to the underworld, good job.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Enma didn’t care much for humanity, even though they had once been a human as well. They were filthy creatures, humans, that had little honor and tore at each other like animals. They might wear jewels and eat well, they might seem civilized and try to come off as peaceful, but they were mere animals.
Animals that had no respect for the rules of nature, animals that disregarded all of the warnings bestowed upon them. Animals that used the bodies of gods to make those so-called weapons. Animals that killed Enma’s son.
They were animals, but they were in luck. Enma was an animal too, and they would tear those bastards apart.
(It would be later, in their realm with blood drying on their skin that the situation would set in. Nika was dead, and though he would return, his body was buried next to the human he held dear.
The powerful Deity of the Underworld would sit on their thrown, surrounded by the bones of gods. “You fool,” Enma said and that was the first tear of many.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy walked along the walkway to the tomb, breaths slightly uneven as he walked. His second fight with Crocodile hadn’t exactly gone as he had wanted, but this one would end in his favor. He knew it would. He entered the large room, scanning for Crocodile and snarled when he saw the man.
The man who had the woman who had saved Luffy currently skewered by his hook. Behind them was a large slab of stone, familiar handwriting etched into stone. He scanned it quickly, unable to help himself, as he rushed the other pirate.
(It spoke of the death of Nika the Sun God and how the Ancient Weapons that had killed him were hidden away, forever out of the hands of people.)
Luffy’s – Nika’s back suddenly stung.
“I’m going to make you regret this,” he swore, and then the fight started.
(Nika will return, I know you will. I will wait, for you are strong, and you are not alone. I am here with you, my son.)
Chapter 22
Summary:
But Luffy had a feeling it would be worth it.
(He was going to give her the ability to live.)
Notes:
I wrote this in a vc to the discord server I run w/ my friends, telling everyone in it all about my angsty ideas for this fic XD
Enjoy!!
Chapter Text
“Thank you,” the human said, “For saving my country, Lord Nika.”
“Thank you for saving my country,” The king said, bowing his head and Luffy looked over to him.
“Is a king supposed to bow like that?” Zoro asked, and Luffy noticed how he seemed to shuffle closer to him; protective.
“King Cobra, a king should never lower his head!” Igaram scolded.
“Yer a king now, Nika,” the mournful expression on Enma’s expression was hidden behind the mask of dark lace but Nika could imagine the expression, “You cannot be like you were before.”
“A man’s title comes off with his clothes. Here in the bath, we’re all the same,” Cobra said, “A king is not a king when disrobed. I’d like to say, not as a king but as a citizen of this land, thank you for saving this land.”
“I know, Enma,”
“I’m sorry, Nika.”
“I know.”
Luffy let a small smile slip onto his lips, and turned away, sinking into the warm water of the bath.
(His back
burns
.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
They needed to get out of there. The marines had swarmed Alabasta the moment the fight between Luffy and Crocodile had come to an end – the rookie pirate winning against the Warlord. The only good thing about staying in the palace had been the food, anyways. Luffy hadn’t enjoyed staying in the palace that one of his killers had built and lived in, so when they left it had felt like he could breathe for the first time in a few days.
They had escaped thanks to Bon Clay. He had saved them not only once but also twice, taking the marine’s main attacks so the Straw Hats could get away. It hadn’t been the first time someone took a deadly blow for him, so he could live because Nika’s the strongest, he needs to live. But it certainly was one that had made him feel remorseful about.
Bon Clay was human; his life was short. He should have been able to enjoy an entire life.
(Nika ruined everything he touched.)
Luffy looked behind him as he heard a yell from a familiar voice. Vivi stood on the island, looking over at them with Karoo. Luffy watched her for a moment, as the others exclaimed in surprise.
Vivi inhaled deeply and then yelled, “I would like to continue my adventures, but I love this kingdom!”
Take me with you, take me with you, take me with you. Her voice was a whisper to his ears, and Luffy studied her for a moment. His breath caught for a moment, eyes widening slightly.
Luffy took a step forward and then threw his arm out. It stretched across the ocean, and he grabbed onto Vivi and Karoo, quickly pulling them forward as the princess let out a surprised scream. He pulled them onto the ship, shooting a grin to the marines chasing after them.
Luffy hated nobility, hated the Kings – but he could make an acceptation.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked at the woman who had gotten onto his ship, and he had somehow missed her presence. Nico Robin, a woman wanted by the Navy, and who had been partners with Crocodile, stood in front of him with a smile on her lips and empty eyes.
“You saved me when I simply wanted to die,” she had said a moment prior, “Own up for what you have done.”
He stared at her consideringly as Vivi spat venom by his side, and the crew all backed her up fearfully. Her eyes never left his, a dark blue like the hue of the ocean’s depth, and Luffy tilted his head to the side as he listed to her voice. It was calm, unafraid, lonely, numb. It was like this woman simply didn’t care, but Luffy knew better.
There was a spark in her voice. A spark he knew.
“You can stay,” he said.
“What?” Vivi gasped, “Luffy, you can’t – but she-!”
“She can stay,” Luffy repeated himself.
There was no hesitance in his words. There was no argument that could be had with him.
“Sanji, lunch!” he chirped happily, twisting on his heel with a laugh.
“You heard the captain,” he heard Zoro mutter, and he let his smile slip when no one could see.
That woman, she was going to be trouble. But Luffy had a feeling it would be worth it.
(He was going to give her the ability to live.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Luffy,” Vivi’s voice was slow, anger evident but she was seemingly trying to make herself sound neutral.
Sailing could be slow sometimes. In the company of people, you cared for, time passed quickly. But when the wind was slow and the air was tense, time passed by slowly. Luffy wondered how long it would have taken Vivi to come talk to him about what was really on her mind, and here she was.
“Yeah?” he asked, though he knew what conversation they were going to have.
He looked over to Sanji as the cook busied himself with cleaning one of the pots that had made that night’s dinner. He tapped at his cigarette, shooting a questioning look to Luffy as though to ask if he should leave, and Luffy merely smiled. Sanji could stay if he wanted, Luffy wasn’t actively keeping anything from his crew.
“I’ve tried to understand why, but I can’t.” Vivi said, sitting down in front of him. Her eyes were red, as though she had been crying, and Luffy felt a flicker of anger towards himself for allowing her to be upset. “Why do you let her stay?” the former princess spat.
“A long time ago,” Luffy began, “A race of Gods went to war amongst themselves. Some people didn’t like how they were being leaded, some did, others didn’t want to fall to the side rebelling against their fearsome ruler. But one god, in particular, rose up and defeated the big bad King.”
Vivi’s expression pinched, but she didn’t interrupt. Luffy tilted his head to the side.
“The God of the Sun became the new King. He ruthlessly led his people while keeping them away, and one day hundreds of years later, he met a human.” His smile was soft when he thought of Torao, “The human made him learn the value of life, that all life was sacred.”
When the silence drew out, Sanji hesitantly asked, “What happened? To the human?”
Luffy looked him in the eye, “He was killed. And the god broke.”
Vivi inhaled deeply, eyes widening. There was something in her gaze that made Luffy uneasy, like she was seeing through him, like she understood the story. He wondered what she thought, having an idea as to who he was.
(Wondered if she realized he was a monster.)
“All life is sacred,” Luffy said again, grinning, “The god lived the rest of his life remembering that, and so he learned to forgive and to love.” He stood, grabbing onto his hat, “I’m not asking you to forgive or to love Robin, but maybe…try to understand her.”
And then he left.
(More questions rose and Vivi felt sick at some of the answers.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Sky Island. The islands that sat on clouds and help people rumored to be angels – at least in the past, they had been – is a place Luffy loathed. It was a place that held a lot of pain, for the gods, for the people that lived there. If the log pose hadn’t connected to Sky Island, Luffy would have never thought of returning to that place.
(He would have never gone back there, would have never even thought of it.)
Not even Law could have convinced Luffy to return to the islands resting on clouds. It was something Luffy held strictly behind him. That’s how it was supposed to stay.
So why…why did he want to go back up there with his crew?
Luffy wanted to be a better person. He wanted to put the past behind him.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The town of Jaya stunk of darkness.
Luffy looked and looked and looked and yet he sensed nothing.
(He wondered if it was because he was paranoid. He wondered if he was just thinking of his failures.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“What do you want to do with your life, Torao?” Luffy Nika asked softly, watching the sun set slowly over the horizon
“I suppose just live my life out here,” Law answered back, voice just was quiet as he burrowed into Luffy’s Nika’s warmth.
“Don’t you want to see the world?” Luffy Nika asked, surprise in his voice.
“What about the fields?” Law asks, this was where his family was.
“You can see the world, Torao,” Luffy Nika says.
(You are my world, is left unsaid and unheard.
“We can see the world, can’t we?” Law whispers.
Law’s breaths wheeze as he forces the door to the sub open, waiting desperately for the rays of the sun to shine down onto him.
The moon was out.
And he sobbed.
Chapter 23
Summary:
Law had made him Luffy. Law had made him something close to human.
Notes:
So sorry for the delay, life has been kicking my ass and I started a new fic XD People who've been following my fics for a while know I'm crazy about time travel fics lol
I'm going to try to bring the updates back to once a week but don't hold your breath ;-;
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Nika leaned back on his thrown, staring down at the gods bowing at his feet. He placed his chin in his hand; there was something about these gods that made him uneasy.
“What do you want?” He asked, voice bouncing off the white walls despite the low volume he took.
The god in front of the rest bowed again before rising his head. Nika met his eyes, quirking an eyebrow. Stringer could be considered his cousin, but Nika felt nothing for the god. He was weak and he was jealous – Nika couldn’t care less for someone like him.
“Nika,” Stringer said and Nika narrowed his eyes at the familiar address. The god continued, unshaken even as the others behind him shifted in unease. “The people have been speaking.”
“I do hope so,” Nika intoned blandly, “It wouldn’t do for them to hold their voices.”
Annoyance danced in Stringer’s eyes, Nika almost felt like smiling in amusement. “They have not been saying good things, my Lord.”
Nika studied his cousin for a moment before he stood. The white toga he wore brushed against his calves as he stood, his bare feet slapping the floor as the crown he wore shifted, his hair rising.
“Do you honestly believe that I’m not aware of the poison you’ve been whispering to lowly gods?” Nika asked, smiling with dull eyes when he saw Stringer’s eyes widen, “Shishishi, I’m no fool, cousin. I’m not above killing my own blood, either, but I’m certain you all know this.”
(“This is your fault! You can’t end me; I am the one who will end you; it’s supposed to go as I’ve planned!”
“Goodbye…King of the Gods. I’ll see you in hell.”)
Nika walked past the gods still dutifully bowing, silent.
A mutiny was plaguing his people. Nika welcomed it.
(It would never come to be; he wondered if he should feel disappointed.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Not all fights are worth it, Luffy,”
Law had said that to him, many years ago. It had been such a startling concept; the idea that he had the ability to not fight someone – that he could merely walk away from a situation. The number of fights that Luffy had been in was - and still is – uncountable. He had been thrown headfirst into battles since he had been able to hold his own, and he had never been able to look back.
He had wanted to, sometimes.
So when Law had grabbed his wrist, had uttered those words, it had been as though his world had shifted an axis.
“Not all fights are worth it, Luffy.”
He didn’t have to fight. He didn’t have anything to prove; especially now in this life with no gods breathing down his neck. He didn’t have to be Nika, the tyrant god that ruled everything with an iron fist yet was also missing. He had never wanted to be Nika. He had never wanted to be the man that created the sun, never wanted to be a Lord.
Law had made him Luffy. Law had made him something close to human.
Sometimes Luffy wondered if he even wanted to be human. He’s spent so long trying to be one, trying to be mortal, to be flawed, but he’s never truly managed it. He wasn’t a human, wasn’t raised as one, everything that he is, is superior. Under his human disguise, Luffy was glowing. His hair was not dark strands but glowing curls, his eyes were not a honey brown but glowing orange, his clothes wasn’t red but white, his skin wasn’t tanned but glowing.
Luffy wasn’t human. He tried to be, tried to be like Law. But he wasn’t, he never truly would be.
He wondered why he would even want to be human, but Law’s smile danced behind his eyelids and the answer was clear.
“Zoro,” Luffy said to his first mate as he stood from the debris that had once been a bar counter. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead, his hat shadowed his eyes as they burned, pupil growing until his entire eye was simply black.
Rage burned under his skin, mind swirling with thoughts.
How dare this human think it could touch me?
I should crush its puny existence.
How dare it touch me? How dare it try to harm me?
How dare it try to recruit me?
I’ll make it pay, I’ll end it, I’ll kill it–
“Zoro, don’t fight back.” Luffy commanded.
Nika would tear these humans apart; he would make it hurt.
Luffy didn’t lift a single finger.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“What the hell happened!?”
The question had been demanded by everyone on the ship, even Robin showing curiosity on the reason why the captain and first mate returned to the ship heavily bruised and bloody.
“Nothing, just got in a fight,” Luffy said simply, Zoro nodded along with him as Chopper forced them down to bandage their wounds.
“Must’ve been a monster if they could have landed all those blows on Luffy and Zoro,” Usopp said, horrified.
“It wasn’t even a fight!” Nami yelled, anger caressing her features, “Luffy and Zoro didn’t even fight back!”
“What?!” Everyone shouted, doubtful.
“It was my captain’s order.” Zoro said, eyes intense as he gazed at them. “I follow my captain’s orders.”
“Why would Luffy not fight back?” Sanji demanded, taking his gaze off the swordsman to the captain. He breathed out smoke, frowning in concern, “Luffy?”
“Not all fights are worth it,” Luffy said, hands flexing on his knees. His knees bent in with each spasm, and he looked at the deck for a moment, trying to control himself. “We won that fight.”
“No you didn’t,” Nami whispered, fights clenched, “They don’t even have a scratch on them.”
Luffy smiled up at them, wide and uncaring, “We won.” He insisted. Then he turned to Sanji and requested food. The change in the conversation was obvious and everyone listened to the unspoken request to drop it.
Their findings were told, and soon enough, they were sailing away from the town and towards where a man was rumored to be staying. Luffy looked back at the town of Jaya, face falling blank as he watched the town. Wisps of a dark presence brushed against his skin, taunting him.
The town was empty of darkness, and yet the feeling lingered.
(Luffy found a new target. Nika practically grinned with glee.)
Notes:
Next chapter will hopefully be longer, thanks for reading <3
Chapter 24
Summary:
Nika raised his hand, stared ahead, and called upon the power tingling under his skin.
(He walked away as the island burned.)
Notes:
This chapter does have some gorey bits in it, so if yall have a weak stomach to that, I would suggest not reading it frfr. I'll have a summary at the end notes for those of you who don't like mentioned death/blood/war/ptsd/ect.
Anyhow, I actually got an update!!! It's a bit shorter than I wanted, but I also covered like two chapters worth of stuff in one, so Skypiea will hopefully end sooner than planned XD I also have a lot of foreshadowed parts in here, so keep them eyes pealed lol
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sky Island. It was a place Luffy knew all too well, and a place he most certainly didn’t care for. Who wanted to see a place on top of clouds anyways?
His crew, apparently.
The knock up stream had been the way people – mostly humans – came to Sky Island when it was known as the Sky Full of Gods, Home of the Gods’ followers, and all of the hundred other false names humans created to make it an attraction all those years ago. Luffy remembers coming here through a different path, made by the God of the Sky thousands of years ago when titans had walked the earth.
(He had been with hundreds of gods. He returned with much, much less.)
Luffy looked out at the beach to one of the sky islands, frowning as he watched the waves tickle fluffy sand. It was peaceful. It was pure.
There was no blood in sight.
A part of him had feared that the bloodshed would have stained the sky. He had feared that, upon returning to this blasted, unholy place after so many years, all he would find would be the stains of his past. He had feared there would still be bodies of the gods even knowing that he had taken care of the dead personally. He had feared there would be disaster all around, that his power would still taint the land, trying to overpower the much darker force that had dared to go against him.
Instead, all he found was pure white clouds, happy people, and a prospering island.
(Nika didn’t know if he should be pleased or not. Luffy didn’t know what to really feel.)
Luffy closed his eyes, the battlefield flickering across the darkness his eyelids provided, and he feared, for just a moment, that he was just seeing things. That the sky wasn’t pure, that it was still tainted by his war, that there would still be death around him and that he would be standing in the center of it with gods bowing all around him.
When he opened his eyes once more, he saw nothing but white.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
It was something Zoro had noticed almost instantly. Once they entered this Upper Yard place and were reunited, Zoro had noticed that Luffy was seemingly tenser than before. Something about this place put Luffy on edge, so naturally Zoro was too.
The captain and his team looked a little worse for wear, but Zoro knew the opponent they faced was mostly likely in a worse condition. It didn’t stop him from wondering if perhaps whatever they fought made Luffy wear an expression like that; hardened eyes with a wide, fake smile, expression unreadable beyond the mixed emotions of anger and something similar to fear hidden in his eyes.
Luffy looked out at Merry for a moment, smile slipping into something more neutral at the sight.
“You recognize it?” Zoro asked, because it seemed as though Luffy did.
Luffy nodded slowly, “It’s a Sacrificing Altar.” He explained, and the crew latched onto his words as he continued, “The people who lived here used to send sacrifices to the gods, to appease them.”
“Gods,” Zoro scoffed, looking out at the altar. “Even if they do exist, which they don’t, why would they want something like that?”
Robin hummed slowly, “Different cultures have different means, but a lot of them believed that certain gods could only be appeased with death.” She explained, “For example, a lot of cultures believed that the Sun God had been a being of war and would send him sacrifices in times of war, while others believed that he was a kind being.”
Nami made a face, looking at Robin questioningly, “Why would a Sun God be something for war?” she inquired.
“Some cultures just believed that,” Robin explained, a smile working on her lips. “It’s actually quite fascinating how many different places have similar stories but with different ideals or characteristics. The Sun God has been heard of throughout history, though I’m afraid not much is truly known of him or his followers.”
“He was…” Luffy mumbled and Robin looked over to him quickly, curious. He shook his head instead of finishing his thought and turned, smiling at them kindly. “Let’s get a camp going, I’m starving!”
He was a monster, Luffy had wanted to say.
Not was, Nika jittered, cheerful and cruel, Is.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika made his way to the island in the sky, fighting to keep his expression neutral. The war had taken place four weeks ago, and the entire place has been placed in lockdown by his own order. Any being trying to come up here was to be struck down, the people who were unfortunate enough to live up here were grounded to their islands.
Enma was by his side, standing tall and towering over the gods around them as they both walked further towards the carnage. The clouds were still stained with blood, he noticed distantly.
“My Lord,” the God leading the barricade, Ingo, bowed at him.
Nika raised his hand, allowing the man to stand. “Has everything been done as I ordered?”
“Yes, my Lord,” Ingo answered instantly. Nika cringed slightly at the address – but that was who he is now. He was the Lord of the Gods.
(King had always been his father’s title after all. Nika was no King.)
“Good,” Nika murmured, “Lead me.”
Another deep bow and then the God was leading him towards an island not far from them, walking above the ocean of clouds using his power. Nika could see the use in it as he looked down at the ocean through the clear force; it was easy to see how Ingo was named a general so soon despite not being of a higher social status.
Once they stepped foot onto the island, Ingo moved aside and bowed once more, the other gods on the island following suit. Nika’s guards flanked off with the other worn Gods, but Enma followed after him dutifully.
In the center of the island laid the fallen gods.
Nika’s hands shook as he stared, and Enma was quick to place a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Enma murmured lowly just for Nika’s ears alone. Their golden eyes shined with earnest as they tilted their heads, gold glittering off their horns. “I can handle it, Nika.”
And yes, Nika knew Enma was more than capable of dealing with their fallens’ bodies. But this was more than just dealing with it; it was a reassurance. Nika trusted Enma, but there was no one he trusted more than himself.
(He wanted to be certain this was dealt with. He didn’t want any doubts.)
He raised his hand, stared ahead, and called upon the power tingling under his skin.
(He walked away as the island burned.)
Notes:
So quick summary: Luffy thinks about how Sky island had been a war zone when he was Nika, and fears that it is still like the war zone. The last scene is when he was Nika and was dealing with the dead gods of the war that took place in Skypiea, aka burning the bodies.
Don't forget to join the discord if you haven't already! You can yell at me to write more/hj XD
https://discord.gg/2aDD5YTUm9
Chapter 25
Summary:
“I can,” Luffy said. “And you cannot stop me.”
Notes:
This chapter has been something I've wanted to write for like ever!! It has major hints in here for a lot of the elements I created for this fic! I hope yall enjoy!
Chapter Text
Luffy, Nika, whoever he was now, didn’t care for gods. Since he had been a child with glowing hair and a father dark as night, he had never cared for the species that called themselves gods. They were weak, always falling in line because of a bit of fear. They were full of themselves as though one look from him wouldn’t have them bowing at his feet and pleading for mercy.
But the one thing Luffy truly despised about gods was their emotion. They were too emotional, quick to anger, ready to kill over being disrespected by anyone that wasn’t above them – and it was only him, who was truly above all.
Nika hadn’t been one for emotions, later in his life. He had been centuries old, dressed in red-stained clothes, gold on his already glowing body, and he had towered above any god. Little affected him, he cared for little things and any matters brought to him were trivial. A waste of his time. He used to think the people lashing out at each other, angry or hurt or saddened, were fools.
Who cared, was something he thought often. Who cared if someone looked at you wrong, who cared if the people you gave everything to protect were planning a coup. Hell, Nika had welcomed it with open arms, grinning as he told his people he simply didn’t care.
Come at me, he had claimed.
They had fallen to their knees, begged for forgiveness.
Weak, they were all so weak. A bit of fear and they were nothing.
However, this god in particular – the man standing in front of Luffy, lightning on his arms – he wasn’t falling to his knees. He wasn’t terrified.
He was simply angry.
(Nika hated him. Luffy understood him.)
“Nika,” the man said, unimpressed. There was hatred in his eyes, and Luffy stared back evenly.
“I don’t go by that anymore,” Luffy answered simply, tilting his head back slightly so he would stare down his nose at the god before him.
“Oh, of course you don’t,” Enel sneered at him, “You must have abandoned it when you abandoned your people.”
“I didn’t abandon anyone who hadn’t done so to me first.” Luffy said.
Enel growled lowly in his throat, “Don’t give me that!” he snapped, “You were our leader and you just left!”
“Why should I have stayed?” Luffy quizzed, head cocking to the side as his eyes narrowed in a glare. “What was left there for me?”
“You were a King.” Enel scowled, waving a hand around him, “You could have had anything you wanted.”
“I was no King,” Luffy snapped, baring his teeth before calming himself down. “I already had everything.”
“Oh, how could I forget,” Enel said blandly, “All you wanted was some weak thing to treat you like something you weren’t.”
In some way, that was true. Luffy had wanted to be something he wasn’t and Law had treated him like he wasn’t a God. Like he hadn’t been Nika. Luffy had clutched to the love Law provided and it had ultimately hurt them both – he knows Law would not have died without guilt.
But Law had not been weak. He was the furthest thing from weak.
All the calmness Luffy had left, eased away. His eyes darkened as he gazed at Enel, and he could tell the god caught onto the switch. Nika had not been known for his mercy, and Luffy himself wasn’t exactly either.
But where Luffy was kindhearted, Nika was ruthless.
Luffy shot forward, fists pulled back, and Enel didn’t seem to have the time to retaliate. He was thrown back, crashing over the edge of his ship, and plummeted towards the ground. Luffy ignored Nami’s shout, launching himself after the god.
Enel let out a loud laugh, as though this situation was amusing to him. He wiped his jaw, eyes alight with smugness as lightning danced down his arms.
“I’m not scared of you,” Enel said, “You’re a terrible imitation of your past self. Weaker.”
Luffy knew this. He’s so much weaker than he used to be.
That didn’t mean he would lose.
It was a flurry of attacks. The earth cracked under their feet, blood spilled from their wounds, and Luffy grit his teeth as he fought to keep his Haki active. It’s clear that even his Haki wasn’t strong enough, not like it used to be, and it was showing. Enel’s Haki was stronger; something Luffy would have laughed at even days ago.
“Was it worth it, Nika!?” Enel taunted, “Was it worth it, falling in love with a weak human!? Dying for the memory of such a pitiful creature?”
Suddenly a heat flooded his body and Luffy looked up with eyes completely dark. It burned, like lava running through his veins, boiling under his skin. Steam rises from his body, and Luffy mirrors Nika’s grin because it’s back.
It’s back, it’s back, it’s back.
Nika is back.
And he could ruin the world now. He could ruin everything – everyone.
But Law wouldn’t be too pleased with that, would he? A part of him whispers.
Nika could ruin the world and yet he doesn’t make a single move to.
Instead Luffy steps forward, and he’s faster now, stronger now as lava pooled in his veins. He knocked Enel into the ground, pushing and pushing, punching and punching until the man’s breath was mere wheezing and blood stained Luffy’s knuckles. He pulled his fist back to deliver another blow but paused, terror making him stumble back.
His hands were ripped, blood staining his skin. How long has it been since he’s lost control like that? How long has it been since he’s done anything like this?
Nika would have killed Enel. Luffy would not.
He stumbled to the god and placed his hand over the man’s chest. Nika would have killed Enel. He would have made it slow and painful, and he would have made the man know it was a terrible idea to even dare to think of going against him.
Luffy was going to take the one thing that made Enel think he was special.
Darkness pooled under Luffy’s fingertips, lightning meeting his touch. A jolt shot up Luffy’s arm, flooding the rest of his body as Enel jolted.
“No–” Enel said, and it was a gasp. “No, please, no, you can’t!”
“I can,” Luffy said. “And you cannot stop me.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Nika looked up as the door to his room - the room that used to be his mother’s - opened. His eyes strained slightly at the light coming from the hallway just outside the door, only used to his own soft glow, which had been much weaker days ago when Enma had rushed him back to the palace.
Peeking into the room was the young god he found in the garden weeks ago, when he had found his mother dead in her precious flowers.
Nika distantly realized he has yet to name the child. He was the god’s ward, after all. With his mother dead and the former King slayed, there was no one but Nika left to take care of him.
“What is it?” Nika asked, voice a rasp.
The child looked down, frowning slightly and Nika could see tears forming.
“I wanted…I wanted to see if you were okay.” The child says softly, “I heard you screaming yesterday.”
Ah, yes. Nika hasn’t particularly been silent as of late. Enma was the only one brave enough to venture into the room and try to assist the anguish his mind and body has been experiencing.
He will forever be indebted to them.
“I am alright,” Nika soothed as best as he could.
Anyone else would have taken it as a dismissal, would scurry out of his room and hope they hadn’t invoked his wrath. The child merely stood there, fiddling with the hem of his toga, and Nika frowned slightly.
“Do you need something, child?” Nika inquired, not unkindly.
The god looked up once more, the blue flames framing his face lighting up slightly in what Nika could only assume was nerves.
“Is this my mother’s room?” The child murmured.
Nika nodded and the god looked down at the floor. After a moment Nika spoke. “Come closer,” he instructed, lifting his aching arms in what his mother used to do when offering a hug.
This child was the last thing of his mother. The god scrambled to him and Nika found himself holding onto his younger brother. The child sobbed at the loss of someone he would never be able to truly love, and when the tears turned to snores, Nika found himself clinging to the boy who was embodiment of blue flames.
His eyes burned with his tears as he hunched over, sobbing.
His mother was gone, the King was dead. Nika was now the King, he was now the one who had to watch over everyone.
He had to take care of a child.
(He had to take care of a child when he had so much blood on his hands)
“What am I going to do?” He weakly asked. “What am I going to do?”
Chapter 26
Summary:
“He knew who I used to be.” Luffy said quietly. “He knew Nika. Not Luffy.”
Notes:
Sorry for the delay in chapters, Christmas gifts had to be and still need to be written 😂 This chapter is kinda small, sorry about that, but next chapter should start up with Water Seven!!
Chapter Text
Luffy stumbled towards where he heard his crew’s voices, arm wrapped around his waist in an effort to comfort himself. His body shook and his breaths were labored, steps shaking more and more with each movement.
Years ago when he had been young, he had experienced this. It had been worse — had been so much worse — but his body had been prepared for it. His body had been made for it.
This body wasn’t. This body was almost human.
Lightning danced down Luffy’s arms and his chest tightened. He grit his teeth, steadying himself on a nearby tree, and let out a hissed breath.
His body was so close to being human, now.
It wasn’t meant for something like this.
He suddenly dropped onto his knees, legs weak as he fought for breath. He hit his chest with a shaky hand, and lightning sparking off his fingers. He blinked quickly, trying to rid the black spots from his vision.
He was Nika, he was a god, he should not be on his knees fighting for breath. He was strong, stronger than the weak lightning coursing through his veins.
Jaw grit, Luffy fought against the power he had taken. There was a distinct lack of a voice, he noticed distantly, there were no taunting whispers, no hateful screams, no how could you, how could you howcouldyou—
Luffy smoothed a hand down his arm, forcing the sparks of energy under his skin. Trembles took over his limbs, teeth chattering, breathing ragged, eyes unseeing and wet, but he could do this. He would do this.
He was Nika. He was powerful. This power would not win him, it would not overpower him.
(He would not die here because Law needed him. Law was waiting for him.
Luffy needed to see him again.)
⊱ ────── {. ⋅ ✯ ⋅ .} ────── ⊰
Zoro broke through the brush with a swipe of his sword. His body protested, muscles screaming and wounds aching, but Luffy needed him so Zoro would ignore it. Nami had ran to them with a terrified expression, claiming Luffy had rushed Enel off his ship and landed somewhere on the ground.
Zoro had no doubt that Luffy had won that fight. But he didn’t know what condition Luffy would be in after, and it was that worry that made him swing his sword even as his body hated him for it.
Another branch cut out of the way with a sharp snap, and Zoro’s eyes landed onto Luffy. Luffy who was crumbled against a tree, body twitching and blood staining his skin.
“Luffy!” Zoro yelled, surging forward. He moved to grab his captain, only for a hand to grip his wrist in a crushing grip.
Luffy’s eyes were black, lips pulled into a snarl, and gold stained his cheeks. Zoro froze, but not out of fear. He could never truly fear Luffy, even when he looks unrecognizable like now.
“Luffy,” he said again and Luffy let go of his wrist like he had been burnt.
“Zoro,” the captain said raggedly. “You’re okay, i-is everyone okay?”
“We’re more worried about you,” Zoro informed him. “Let me get you back to everyone, did something happen to your eyes? Chopper will need to look at you.”
Luffy shook his head quickly, another spasm running down his arms. “No,” he said roughly, “Just…I just need a minute.”
Zoro didn’t argue. He sat next to his friend, watching as Luffy continued to twitch and hiss out his breathes.
“Captain,” Zoro said slowly and Luffy jerked to look at him. “What happened.”
Luffy blinked, once, twice, his eyes as dark as shadows and Zoro could see himself in the reflection. “I killed him,” Luffy said, running a hand down his arm.
Lightning sparked under his touch.
There were so many explanations. Zoro could come up with dozens of reasons as to why Luffy was as he was. The lightning was there because of his fight. The gold was there because Enel fought with gold. His eyes were pitch black because he got something in them.
None of them convinced Zoro.
“Luffy, what happened. Really. Nami said he knew you.” Zoro demanded, worried. Everything he thought he knew of Luffy seemed to fizzle away.
“He knew who I used to be.” Luffy said quietly. “He knew Nika. Not Luffy.”
Then Luffy pushed himself up, braced himself on the tree and said, “Let’s go, Zoro.”
When Zoro met his eyes once more, there was white edging back into place in Luffy’s sclera. Gold still sparkled on his cheeks and his limbs still trembled but there was no lightning on his skin.
Nika, Zoro thought. It just added another piece to the puzzle that was Luffy.
“Aye, Captain.”
Chapter 27
Summary:
“It changes everything,” Luffy said, “You know what I am, now.”
Notes:
Unedited but enjoy!! Happy new years!
Chapter Text
”When is he going to wake up?” Nami asked worriedly, looking over to the unconscious captain by her side. Luffy was bandaged, but he wasn’t as injured as she feared he would have been. Whatever was keeping him unconscious wasn’t an injury.
Chopper frowned slightly, shuffling nervously. “He should be awake already,” he mumbled, “I don’t know why he’s still asleep. There’s nothing wrong!”
Vivi wrapped an arm over Nami’s shoulders in an attempt to comfort her, and Nami leaned into the embrace. Tears pricked her eyes but she didn’t let them fall, Luffy was going to be fine. She knows he’ll wake up; he won’t die that easily.
”When I found him, he was covered in lightning.” Zoro said suddenly and everyone turned to look at him. “Nami said the lightning wouldn’t hurt him, he’s rubber. But when I found him he kept being covered in lightning.”
Chopper squawked about how he should have been informed sooner, and Nami felt Vivi tense against her.
“Has anyone found Enel?” Vivi asked shakily. When the answer was negative, Nami saw her face pale.
She wondered what it is that made Vivi look so sick.
⊱ ────── {. ⋅ ✯ ⋅ .} ────── ⊰
“Torao, don’t go.” Luffy Nika muttered, gripping Law’s arm desperately.
“I need to.” Law responds evenly, staring back as Luffy’s Nika’s face creased with displeasure.
“It’s dangerous, Torao. You don’t need to do this!” Luffy Nika argued, gripping Law’s arm tighter. “I can end it-”
“No!” Law snaps because Luffy Nika cannot fight in this war. Law knows what it does to him — knows how much it makes Luffy Nika suffer. “This is my country’s fight, not yours.”
“If it’s your fight, it’s mine.” Luffy Nika said harshly. “I don’t want you to fight in a war. What are you going to be able to do?”
“What?” Law asks, scowling. “I’m capable, Luffy !”
“But you’re human!” The God snapped at him. ”I need to protect you!”
“I’m strong!” Law yelled, jabbing a finger into the god’s clothed chest. “I am strong!”
Luffy Nika suddenly grabbed his wrists with one hand, holding them in a tight grip. Law struggled against it, trying to pull his hands free, but Luffy’s Nika’s arm didn’t even move.
“You can’t even break out of my grip,” Luffy Nika says, soft and sad, “What will you do in a war, Torao?”
“I hate you,” Law whispers, shaking as he looked to meet the golden eyes of the strongest being in the world.
The grip around his hands loosen, the God’s face falling. Eyes wide in horror, lips parting, and hurt was the only thing Law could see on him.
He hates himself for it.
“Be safe, Torao.” The sun god said, voice weak. Golden eyes stayed glued to the floor, and he stepped back quickly, away from Law’s hand as he reached for him.
“ Luffy ,” Law tried.
“I love you,” Luffy Nika said and then he was gone in a flash of gold.
Law woke with a gasp on his lips, tears in his eyes, and his stomach flipping dangerously.
I hate you , he had said to the man he loves more than anything.
No wonder his life is so miserable. This is his punishment, it must be.
(Why else would Nika leave him alone?)
⊱ ────── {. ⋅ ✯ ⋅ .} ────── ⊰
When Luffy woke, his eyelids were heavy and his body felt as though it was being held down by lead. The roofing of the Going Merry reached his gaze, and if he stretched his senses he could feel his crew mingling out of the men’s quarters.
They were going to explore the island today before leaving, but Luffy wasn’t exactly excited for it. When he had used this technique for the first time, he had been nineteen and newly King. His mind had screamed at him for years, the lives he had absorbed tearing at his nerves and trying to stop him — to gain their freedom from the recesses of his mind.
Nika had won the battle, but it had taken time .
He had only taken one this time, yet the aftermath still made him weak. A humorless laugh left his lips at the thought of one God leaving him in this state when so many years ago he had taken on thousands at a time.
Luffy shifted, moving to get out of his hammock. His feet hit the floor with a thump, and his torso twinged at his sudden movements. By his side, he saw someone shift on one of the couches.
“Captain,” Vivi said, sounding slightly nervous.
Luffy stared at her for a moment. “Is something wrong?” He asked, finally.
“I…actually I wanted to ask you something,” Vivi twisted her fingers together nervously. Luffy nodded his head with a small smile and the former princess stared him in the eye as she asked, “That God you told me about…Luffy, is that you? Are you the Sun God?”
Luffy inhaled sharply at the title, one that he has hated since the very beginning. He closed his eyes before a laugh left his lips without his permission.
“I used to be,” he said, almost an agreement.
He looked away from her, unable to stomach the look of horror that would no doubt caress her face at the confirmation that he was, in fact, a monster.
“Luffy…” she whispered softly. It was quiet for a moment before Luffy heard her get up. He had expected her to leave the room in a rush, but instead she just walked over to him and took his hand. “Luffy, this doesn’t change anything.”
“It changes everything,” Luffy said, “You know what I am, now.”
“And what is that?” Vivi demanded. “A God?”
“A monster.” Luffy hissed back.
“I don’t see a monster,” Vivi said. “Would a monster save my country when he doesn’t even like it? Would a monster have friends - h-have people he loves? People he would risk his life for?”
Luffy couldn’t help himself.
He threw his head back and laughed.
Chapter 28
Summary:
“Don’t worry, Little Star,” Enma whispered gently, “I’ll protect you.”
Notes:
So this chapter is all about Enma!!
Elio is Luffy's mother btw, I know she hasn't been mentioned in like forever lmfao
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When he had first met Elio, he had been young and standing by his father’s side. The Goddess had been the embodiment of flames, her father the embodiment of light, and they had brought a blessing upon the torn clan of D. She had taken his hand in hers and smiled a beautiful thing and told him I will protect your clan.
Enma believed her.
The second time they met had been the day Enma’s father declared an heir to the clan; his eldest son, Enma. Elio had shown up in his room, a curious twist to her lips and said “I thought humans only allowed men to be clan heirs.”
Enma had met the goddess’ eyes and claimed, “I am a man.”
A small breath left her, and it sounded amused but not mocking. She placed herself onto the bed, the flames of her long hair licking the blankets, but no fire caught. “Us Gods can change our forms to an extent. Make ourself look more human, less human…more like a man or more like a woman.” She smiled, curious. “How did you do it?”
Enma let out a soft breath, and something like awe made it to his gaze. “I just cut the tits off,” he said, brash, “No one knows a thing.”
Elio threw her head back and giggled. “I think I’m starting to like you, human.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The day of Enma’s coronation, the Flame Goddess arrived to watch it. People had whispered about, awestruck by such a regal, important goddess showing herself for the D Clan. When Enma had donned the brooch that named him Clan Head, she had taken his hand and pressed a kiss to his wrist.
A mark appeared on his skin, and the D clan was blessed by the gods.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Enma had lost count of how many times Elio had visited. She would appear randomly, smile widely and laugh a silly tune before holding his hands and gazing at him as though he was something precious. Their relationship was no secret within the clan, and it was the only thing that kept Enma from being married off to some high ranking woman with the hopes of having a heir – one he could not have.
Elio always brushed her fingertips against his forehead when the thoughts arose, smiling a soft thing and requesting he told her a story.
A part of him wondered if she was just curious about him. If she was just humoring some whim of hers before she lost interest and left. But she always came back, and soon it wasn’t often that she left.
Love, she would claim, is what kept her there.
Enma liked to think that love is why he thought about her all the time, too.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Elio appeared before him days after she left to the home of the Gods. She looked anxious, and her hair sparked dangerously with her nerves.
“You must leave,” she said, fearful. “I cannot protect you.”
“What?” Enma questioned, taking her warm hands in his. “What is going on?”
Elio sniffled as her tears sizzled against her skin. “My father has started a war amongst our people, it’s terrible. Oh, it’s so terrible.” She shook her head, taking one of her hands from his grasp to rub at her eyes and she looked so young in that moment. She looked human. “You must leave. We cannot protect you and the Dark One is coming after your clan.”
The Dark One, the god of darkness and death. He was not someone to be trifled with, too many stories existed of people trying to harness his ideals and they all ended up dead with darkness clinging to him.
And he is after the D Clan.
“What will you do?” Enma asked, worried.
“I will do what I must.” Elio said, “To save my people.”
“Elio,” Enma whispered, “What are you going to do?”
Elio caressed his cheek and smiled sad thing. “My love, you must leave. Gather your clan and run, do not look back.”
“Elio,” Enma clung to her hand, “No, I won’t.”
“You will,” Elio said, and suddenly she was more like a goddess than his lover. “You will because I wish it.”
And so the D Clan fled.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
They did not manage to get far. Soon they were surrounded and fighting Gods, the people they were to worship and serve. Betrayal stung heavily in Enma’s gut as he sliced through the people trying to kill him and his kin. How many of these gods had he worshiped? How many of these gods had he drunk with, laughed with, joked with?
Enma might have been born a woman, might have clawed his way to the top by sheer luck and his will, but he was a monster. The D Clan were always like that; not human enough to be with their kind but not monstrous enough to be with the others. It was the Gods that saw their potential, and cultivated it. Taught them the art of controlling their wills, taught them how to fight and tear and bleed and they taught them how to take it.
And how here they are, killing the humans that have worshiped them for decades.
Betrayal is all Enma felt as he used what they had taught against them because he will not go down without a fight.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Enma woke with a gasp, body jerking and his mind foggy. He surged up and his head swam, his stomach lurching and he gagged as bile made itself up his throat. A hand rubbed his back, and it felt warm and familiar.
“Elio,” he rasped, and his voice was higher than he last knew it to be.
Elio had tears of liquid fire running down her face as she stared at him, and Enma wondered what could have possibly made her cry.
“I’m so sorry,” She said, sobbing, “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me,”
Enma looked behind his lover’s shoulder and stared at the wreckage that surrounded them. His clan laid dead around them, and there were no gods, no survivors.
A surge of pain surged from his skull and Enma jerked as he reached up. Protruding bones – horns? – met his fingertips. Enma ran his hand down his head, feeling the coarse, blood matted hair, and when he caught sight of it, it was pure white.
“What-What happened?” he gasped out.
Elio dipped her head and the grown melted with each drop of her tears. “I couldn’t – I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t let you die, I can’t-”
She was cut off with another harsh sob, and Enma placed a hand on hers. His body felt different, too heavy yet not at the same time. His lover cried and Enma held her but knew everything would change.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The first time Enma saw his reflection, he had nearly thrown up. His face seemed more feminine, his chest wasn’t bulging with muscle but instead with breasts, his hair was white and choppy, and two dark horns curled out of his skull.
Elio apologized once more, and Enma shook his head.
“I guess I don’t need to be a man anymore, anyways.” They said and smiled weakly. “I’ve always wondered what tits were like.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“I must go.” Elio said softly.
“Where?” Enma questioned.
Elio pressed a kiss to their forehead. “I’m going to end this war. Forgive me.”
Enma caught her hand, closing their eyes as they basked in her warmth for just a moment longer. “This sounds an awful lot like goodbye.”
“I’m sorry,” Elio said, her fingertips skating over their hair. “I’ve made you immortal and I…”
“I love you.” Enma claimed. “I will never stop loving you. I will do everything to save you.”
Elio’s expression softened and she pressed their lips together gently. “Dear Heart,” she murmured, “I will wait for you until my flames burn out and even longer then.”
Enma kissed her once more, and then smiled. “I hope I won’t keep you waiting for long.”
Elio smiled and then she was gone.
And Enma, in a body that doesn’t feel like theirs, with powers that they had yet to understand, shook with tears that they would not let fall.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Fighting the Dark One, the new King of the Gods, had ended with failure. A scar would forever mar the King’s face, and his blood would forever stain the blade that held Enma’s sealed away soul.
Locked away in the darkness of the Underworld, weak and unable to save the one they love, Enma grew restless with rage.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“You knew my mother?” Nika asked softly, and it was rare that the boy spoke at all recently.
“Yes,” Enma said. “For decades.”
Nika nodded his head slowly, and a flinch quickly stole his expression. He placed a hand on his head, closing his bloodshot eyes. He hadn’t slept much after waking after the battle – Enma assumes his head is not a fun place to be right now. Not with all the Gods that he and his father absorbed rattling in his head.
“Did you know?” Nika asked after a moment. “Did you know what my…what the King was?”
Enma thought back to the day when their soul and their power had been ripped away from them, how the darkness had edged at their mind and threatened to take over. They were still alive because the King had wanted Enma to suffer – and instead of taking Enma’s power, he sealed it away forever to be unseen by the Ruler of the Underworld.
“Yes.” Enma said, resting their palm over Nika’s forehead. The boy leaned into their hand, sighing softly as his eyes closed once more. “I tried to kill him, but the only one that could have managed is someone with his power.”
“Me, you mean.” Nika muttered.
Enma brushed the glowing hair from Nika’s forehead. Elio’s son was all that was left of her, and Enma would be dammed if anything happened to the boy.
“Don’t worry, Little Star,” Enma whispered gently, “I’ll protect you.”
Nika gripped the front of Enma’s yukata, “I miss her.” he said, and golden tears slowly made their way down his cheeks.
“I know.” Enma soothed and took the boy – the new Ruler of the Gods – into their arms. “I’m here for you, I’ll protect you.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
In Enma’s arms, Nika didn’t move. He did not breathe, nor did he smile or laugh or blink.
In Enma’s arms, their son was still and bloody and dead.
Enma’s next breath stuttered from their chest and the mighty ruler of the Underworld wept.
Notes:
So Enma is afab but identifies as a man and then later on as nonbinary :) I hope that clears it up, I wasn't sure if I explained it well XD
Chapter 29
Summary:
Luffy hadn’t said how he seemed to be doing everything for Torao these days. “Why?” he questioned.
“Living for yourself is so much more fulfilling,” Torao explained, fingertips making goosebumps rise. “I’d be happier if you lived for yourself, Luffy.”
Notes:
So. Six months since the last update?? How crazy is that? The line at the store was long, I'll tell ya that. Sorry for such a late update omg, I'll try to get them out faster
Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“I don’t see a monster,” Vivi said, “Would a monster save my country when he doesn’t even like it? Would a monster have friends – h-have people he loves? People he would risk his life for?”
Luffy couldn’t help himself.
He threw his head back and laughed.
That was such a human thought process. People having decent traits made them good people. Luffy bore the blood of many and he had thrived in it for years, had thrived in the fear and the hate. He was a monster; he had created the image of a monster.
(A part of him realizes that the proud, thriving feeling he felt hadn’t necessarily been his own.)
“Monsters are created for so many reasons,” he said knowingly. “Love is easily one of them.”
Vivi’s face contorted, “You’re a good person, Luffy.”
Luffy wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that he was a good person, had a heart of gold and clean hands.
(He remembered the nights where Torao would run his fingertips across Luffy’s skin, would smile at him with this soft, soft look and murmur about how Luffy was a great man. Not a God, not a King, merely a man who loved and hurt just as any did.
“I try to be,” Luffy had said, “For you.”
Torao had cupped his cheek, had kissed him so, so sweetly. “You should do it for yourself, Luffy.”
Luffy hadn’t said how he seemed to be doing everything for Torao these days. “Why?” he questioned.
“Living for yourself is so much more fulfilling,” Torao explained, fingertips making goosebumps rise. “I’d be happier if you lived for yourself, Luffy.”
Luffy hadn’t lived for himself in a long, long time. He doubted he ever would. Instead of replying, he leaned forward and captured Torao’s lips with his, and for a long while, the only noises that came from them were hitched breaths and sighed confessions of love.)
“I try to be a good person,” Luffy said.
Vivi softened, looking a bit heart broken. “You are.” she insisted.
Luffy hummed. He pressed a hand against his head as it ached, and Vivi rushed forward with a glass of water and pain pills.
“It won’t do anything,” Luffy said, waving her off. “It’ll pass.”
“What did you do to him?” Vivi asked, but she didn’t sound horrified. Didn’t sound scared.
“I took what was most important to him,” Luffy explained and let sparks fly over his knuckles.
Vivi gasped, eyes widening. “You took his powers?”
“He’s as human as you,” Luffy confirmed.
Vivi was quiet for a long moment. “Luffy,” She said slowly, “Why did you hate me when we met?”
“You are the descendent of a man who took everything from me.” Luffy said, and couldn’t quite meet her eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you like that.”
Vivi placed a hand on his wrist carefully, “It’s okay. I know the stereotype for royalty.”
Luffy laughed, “I’m sure you do.”
Vivi smiled at him, a light expression. “I won’t tell the others.” She promised, “But, they won’t care either, you know?”
Luffy looked up, as if he could see through the ceiling and watch as his crew mingled on the deck. “Maybe they won’t.” he agreed, “But I don’t want you to look at me and see a dead man.”
“None of us will,” Vivi gave his wrist a pat before she stood. “Because you are a great man, Luffy.”
(He’s been a great man for Torao and Ace and Sabo. He’s been a great man for his crew.
He wonders when he’ll be a great man for himself.)
“Thank you,” Luffy said honestly, smiled just a little. “You aren’t so bad for a King.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Vivi replied, starting to the ladder. “I’ll tell the crew you’re going to be up in a bit.”
Luffy watched her leave and leaned back in his hammock. He could still feel the God buzzing around in his skull, and laughed low in his throat.
(This world kept surprising him.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy sat stiffly at the table, shoveling food into his mouth as quickly as he could. They’ve been floating down to the ocean for roughly thirty minutes now, and he was glad to be leaving the Sky Islands behind. He would not miss them.
“Did you find any other Poneglyphs up there, Robin?” Nami asked curiously.
“I did,” Robin replied, smiling slightly. “It was very interesting.”
Luffy frowned slightly, “What did it say?” he hadn’t known of any Poneglyphs being on Sky Island.
Robin eyed him for a moment, a curious look. “ A boy stood tall amongst the battle, and the King fell to his hands. He would become powerful, would one day rule the world. Nika’s death rippled the world, but he would return and he would take us all by storm.” she said.
Luffy stared at his plate. Vivi shifted nervously at his side.
“Sounds cool,” he said cheerfully. “What kind of storm?”
“Who knows,” Robin replied, “It could be in our favor or against us. Nika is a constant contradiction between the cultures that do speak of him.”
He had been a contradiction because he had cared very little about the world around him.
Luffy looked out the window, out at the sun. There were so many things he regretted in his previous life, but they were his actions, and he would never turn his back to them. He’s come a long way since then.
Maybe he was on his way to becoming a good man.
(It would be a shame if something changed that.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Rayleigh spun on his heel, pouting slightly as he watched his dads slowly trek after him. He didn’t know why they were so damn slow when Father could literally teleport and he wanted to be at the market since yesterday.
“Father!” He complained, and said man laughed.
“Be patient!” Luffy said, “Torao says walking is nice, Silver!”
“You both are ridiculous,” Torao replied, voice fond. “It’s not very far.”
“Dad,” Rayleigh said, very serious, “I want to try this honeycomb delicacy you speak of!”
“And you will,” Torao assured, laying his hand over the one Luffy had wrapped around his arm. “We’re almost there.”
Rayleigh huffed again, but leaned into his dad’s hand when he ran his fingertips through his golden hair. Luffy had this fond look as he watched them, and Rayleigh smiled shyly. He pushed himself between his parents, and they both chuckled as he gripped their hands.
He felt oddly childish doing such actions, but Torao looked fond and Luffy had a smile that was real instead of being pasted on his lips.
Rayleigh hoped they could stay like this forever.
(Just a few years later, Rayleigh would land on his home and find nothing but ash and blood and tears. His father would cry tears of gold into his dad’s eyes and nothing would quite be the same again.)
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked up at the ice around him, his breath puffing around him. His eyes burned and he knew, even without seeing them, that his irises burned gold.
Years and years ago, Luffy could have handled this fight with his eyes closed and his limbs tied together. Years ago, he had been a God. Now, he was something just a bit closer to human.
The Admiral in front of him moved and Luffy was turned to ice.
(Such an oddity it was, being frozen when he was the embodiment of heat.)
Notes:
Join my discord to bully updates out of me /j XD
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