Our last sail

19. The battle scars

"Luffy": talk

"Sabo": whisper

"ACE": shout

"Gomu Gomu no": the skill's name

'idiot': thinking

<Joyboy>: voice of all things

-Into the story-

A few days later, something unsual happened. Luffy had always been very energetic and goofy, but lately he had been very anxious about something that no one around him could explain why. Whenever one of his brothers wasn't in his sight, Luffy would panic and ask where his brother was, then immediately went to find them. Today all of them decided to come to the Grey Terminal together, but on their way, Luffy suddenly stopped, which got the others to worry.

"Lu, what's wrong?" Shachi asked while getting closer to Luffy and patting his shoulder.

That was when the oldest realized something. Luffy was shaking while his head was still lowered. Suddenly, the kid grabbed Shachi's clothes like his dear life depended on them. Shachi and the others were all worried, but then he decided to let Luffy cling to him and make sure the kid wasn't going to fall. Shachi then asked again while making a circle on Luffy's back with his hand to help him relax.

"Hey, Lu! Calm down, we are all here for you. No one is going to get hurt, OK? All I need you to do is tell us what's wrong, so we can help you. Could you do it?"

Luffy had been more relaxed, but he still didn't say anything. The straw hat boy just kept hugging his brother like he was scared the older boy would disappear if he let him go. Peguin decided to help Shachi convince Luffy to talk, but the result was the same. Sabo and Bepo were worried, they didn't know what to do while watching their baby brother shaking like crazy just because he was scared. Ace and Law didn't do anything, but they sure were mad at whatever made their sunshine be that scared, Ace's fingers had been lit up while Law had ready his sword in case they needed to kill someone for their Luffy.

After a while, Luffy held out both his hands toward Law, wanting the teen to hold him, which Law immediately did. It was out of character for Law, but just to make Lu more relaxed and happy, Law would do anything for the kid. Luffy then spoke up.

"I saw the Grey Terminal was on fire, Sabo was taken away from us by his father. Shachi, Penguin and Bepo were unconscious on the ground with lots of blood. They were protecting Ace, Law and me, because we had been chained up by seastone cuffs. I felt so useless watching each one of you fall down to the ground, I couldn't do anything to help. It was like I'm back at that time, I don't want to come back, I don't want to be alone again."

Luffy cried on Law's shoulder while repeating 'I don't want to be alone' again and again, until he passed out. The others looked at Luffy with sadness, but they were confused at what Luffy had said. It was like the kid could predict the future, but that was impossible, right? No one was able to do it. That was what they thought until Law spoke up.

"Let's go back home!"

"Wait, you believe him?" Ace asked.

"Of course I would. Luffy was one of the few Haki users who could see the future. If we keep going to the Grey Terminal, then what Lu saw would likely happen."

"Wait, Haki could do that?" Penguin asked.

"Yes, it could. But he's not supposed to have it right now, Lu's Haki isn't in his best state, and the last time I checked, he didn't have the advanced ones, yet." Law then lost in his own thought.