Let's Go One More Time On An Adventure Together!

Izo

Having Izo lay down in pops lap while leaning against Marco and Thatch with his head in Luffys lap.

Luffy closes his eyes before gently putting his hand on Izo's head before a soft golden glow starts to surround him and then Izo himself.

Taking a deep breath, Luffy says the command.

"Memory Transfer."

Izo grimaced at the headache he was getting before passing out with a groan. 30 minutes later, he groans before waking up.  The last thing he remembers is dying in Wano. Feeling all the eyes on him, he carefully opens his eyes. The first thing he sees is Luffy above his head with a concerned look and feels how the kid is squeezing his hand.

"Izo? Do you.... remember me?"

Izo just chuckles at the child before squeezing in return, replying gently.

"Of course I do strawhat. It's hard to forget Ace's little brother and Marco's reckless mate."

He said with a smile. Turning his thoughts inward, he goes over what he remembers last before his eyes widen in shock.

"Luffy? Is this real. Are we... are they really?"

He asks with tears in his eyes, voice choked up. But he refused to look away from the child above him.  Looking at him desperately. Luffy doesn't answer, but his gentle smile and the way he clutches his hand speak for itself even as his father answers his question.

"Yes, my son. This is real. You really are back and have a chance to fix things."

Izos eyes immediately snap to Whitebeard in shock and hope.

"Oyaji? Is it really you?"

Izo asks with tears streaming down his face.

With a gentle smile and an even gentler touch, Newgate wipes away his sons tears before replying.

"I'm here, my son. I'm alive, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Thats all the confirmation he needed before launching at his Pop's with a cry as he sobbed into the man's arms as they held him close.

It was as he cried that he remembered what happened to bring this on before whipping his head around to Luffy startling him before he brought the child in for a crushing hug as he told him.

"Thank you, Luffy. For giving me this second chance and know that you are forever my ototo from now on. I am so, so sorry that it came to this, but I promise. Tou will never be alone again. I've got you, it's okay, you can let it out ototo, ani is here."

That's all it took for the sunny child to freeze in suprise that slowly turned from confusion to sadness until finally heartbreaking cries came out of the boy's lips as he clung to Izo like he would disappear if he let go.

"That's it, Luffy. Let it out, I've got you. It's gonna be okay now. We'll stop Teach and Akainu. We'll keep Ace safe and stop the navy from destroying the world."

That got a shocked gasp from Luffy.

"You know about that? But I thought... you... at Wano... Marco was devastated... were you still?"

He asks with a look of anguish and a hint of betrayal. But that's as far as it got. Because Izo was gently shaking his head as he pet Luffy's hair.

"No. I... hhh, I did die that day.... but I knew about what Teach and the navy were doing before that. One of my jobs in this crew was Intel gathering. I never really stopped even after....I guess it was my way of keeping my promise to Ace, and I felt... like if I didn't keep an eye on you, then Ace would be worrying about his precious baby brother even from beyond the grave. But....I also felt like even after the war you were my little brother just because of how determined you were to save Ace and how you took time to train before trying to keep moving forward and not letting Ace's death hold you back. I am so proud of you ototo."

Sniffling Luffy clings even tighter to Izo before saying.

"I'm so glad you volunteered. I'm so glad I'm not alone. That it worked, and we really can fix this."

Izo just held the child closer as he finally looked around. He looked at his fellow commanders. Feeling as Marco shifts next to him, he glances at him before hearing a voice he thought he would never hear again.

"So I take it the future isn't that great huh, Izo?"

Izo froze at the voice. Many commanders frowned at this. Because they knew the one who spoke was also Izo's soul mate. The two were more inseparable than Marco and pops. Slowly, tears built in his eyes as Izo turns to the person behind him. Freezing once, he locks eyes with the person who spoke.

"Thatch? Oden-sama, please don't let this be a dream."

"It's no dream, Izo. I'm here. This is real."

Hearing his long lost mate again was hard, but knowing that he was really there and alive was the final straw. Izo immediately broke down into heartbreaking sobs, just like Luffy did not even minutes ago.