Soliloquy of the Broken Soul

Better or Worse

It was the next morning, and Luffy was back to being gloomy and skiddish. Not as much as before, but still a troublesome amount.

Sabo was helping the Strawhat get dressed, and grimaced at the insignia clearly burnt into the shoulder blade of the seven-year-olds rubber flesh as he slid a red vest over his arms.

He really hated that mark.

All of them did, and they tended to avoid mirrors because of it. They knew that was a bit foolish; they'd have to at least be trying to see it if they walked by one since all three had it in their backs, but that didn't really mean much to them. Just the thought of accidentally seeing it made Sabo shutter.

They kept it covered, no matter the cost.

Once they'd finished getting dressed they just sat silently for a while. Luffy hadn't said anything so far this morning, but he kept jumping when something brushed against him, tense. His eyes had and anxious sheen to them, flicking back and forth every now and again as if something was trying to hunt him down.

Over all, he was a back to being a bouncy ball of anxiety.

And it irritated the brothers to no end.

Not at Luffy, of course, but because for the life of them they couldn't figure out why. It was sudden to a point of a literal mystery (unlike the kind Luffy constantly proclaimed) and it bothered them to the brink of madness.

Luffy was distant in mind but stayed close in body. Quiet. A trait that was very un-luffyish and didn't suit his personality well- or his real one anyway. The brothers frowned as he jumped back violently to the knock at their door.

Sabo patted Luffy's ruffled black hair as he looked up curiously. "It's probably just Marco, don't worry," Sabo reassured with a smile.

Sure enough, they opened the door to find one pineapple Phoenix staring lazily in the door frame. His Morning appearances had become somewhat routine, though entirely welcome. The boys were grateful for some kind of schedule, a new contact to replace the old ones.

"Morning Marco," all three siblings greeted, though Luffy's voice was a tad smaller than the others.

Marco noted the hesitancy in the youngest, and how he clung a little closer to his brothers from yesterday. It didn't take long for him to take a gander at Luffy's current mood, though it wasn't totally unexpected. The back track in progress was disappointing, frustrating even, but at least he wasn't running away in fear.

"Morning, yoi. I came to see if you wanted breakfast, and to inform you that we'll be reaching Razkatoon Island in eight hours or so," the old pirate smirked.

Luffy brightened a bit at "reaching" and "island". Even in at state of mental instability, one unknowingly controlled by unknown forces, no one could keep the rubber boy from his love of adventure. It was engrained in his blood, after all, early half of their childhood was life with forest bandits.

"They have jam right?" Luffy queried sheepishly through obvious excitement.

Marco chuckled and nodded. "Yup, that's the one Luffy, yoi."

A spark ignited in Luffy's chocolatey irises, dim and shadowed, but there.

Ace and Sabo smiled at their little brother. So yesterday did keep some affect.

Ace leaned down, taking a knee to meet Luffy's eyes.

"Are you hungry now, Lu? We can go get some food," he asked in a coaxing manner, unsure of the boys appetite had retreated with the rest of his usual confidence.