IM BACK BITCHES

Literally been working on this chapter since Kidnapped ended cause im a lazy personnnnnn.

There may be some minor changes that didn't happen in cannon so beware yo.

DISCLAIMER

"Bye Luffy! Next time you see me we'll both be pirates!" Ace, seventeen years old, shouts as his boat drifts further into the sea.

"I'll be much stronger by then too! You just wait! I'll beat you!" Fourteen-year-old Luffy shouts back, one hand cupping the side of his face and the other waving madly.

"Bye Ace!"

"We'll look for you in the newspapers!"

"Don't forget to write!"

Makino, the mayor and the bandits all wave along with Luffy, shouting their goodbyes until they were but specs in the distance to Ace.

Ace stops waving and grips his hat to keep it from blowing off. He gazes fondly at the island he grew up on, taking in it's features before he leaves and doesn't see it for a longtime.

'Maybe never again...' He thinks to himself. The call to adventure may be so great that he wouldn't ever want to return to the boring clump of dirt full of snotty nobles. The ocean was also a dangerous place, and he could perish at any moment.

Ace shakes his head to clear it. He's supposed to be worried about Luffy, not himself. That idiot got into more trouble than it was worth.

"Are you sure you're alright with me going?"

"Ace! Stop being annoying! We promised Sabo we would leave at seventeen years old!"

"But what if you get hurt?"

"There's the bandits and Makino."

"What if you have trouble hunting boars, or you run into the tiger lord?"

"I'm stronger now Ace."

"But what if-"

"Ace!" Ace groaned then walked up to Luffy, pulling him tightly into a hug. He placed his chin on Luffy's head and sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry Lu, I'm just a paranoid older brother." Luffy chuckled and hugged Ace back.

"Don't worry about me. It's time you had fun for yourself. Start the path to your dream and live life with no regrets!" Ace kissed the top of his brother's head and squeezed him tighter.

"Thanks Lu."

Ace keeps watching as the island shrinks more and more into the distance. When the treetops finally disappear from his view, he turns to the horizon and feels the buzz of excitement running through his veins.

It was time to start his adventures.

Luffy waves until he can't see Ace anymore, a wide grin remaining on his face. As soon as he disappears Luffy runs into the forest.

"Luffy! Where are you going?" Makino asks him. Luffy screeches to a halt, kicking up dust near his feet.

"To train of course! I can't let myself be beaten by Ace!" He says as if it's completely obvious.

"Why don't you come with us..." The mayor trails off when he notices Luffy already left, crashing through the forest. The mayor sighs and Makino giggles.

"Come on everyone, let's go celebrate Ace's departure at the Party Bar. My treat!" Makino says happily. The bandits cheer and they all go to drink all night long.

Two weeks later

At the Party Bar, Makino stands behind the counter drying a beer glass. In front of her is the mayor, sipping a cup of coffee instead of an alcoholic beverage.

"I swear the next time Garp visits which is in..." The mayor looks around Makino to the calendar behind her. "...three months, he's going to have a heart attack." Makino places the cup away into a cupboard and takes another from the sink.

"Ace-kun and Luffy-kun are only following their dreams." She says. Woop Slap snorts.

"Becoming pirates isn't a dream. They'll turn into tyrants!"

"They aren't that different from tyrants now, am I right?" She argues with an amused smile. Woop Slap leans back into the stool and takes a big gulp of his coffee.

"With Ace gone Garp is going to put double the amount of 'training' into Luffy." Makino giggles and Woop Slap stands, digging his hand in his pocket for money. Makino holds a hand up to him.

"On the house today Mayor." Woop Slap thanks her and exits through swinging doors. Not even a few seconds later, a group of sketchy looking people stomp in arrogantly.

"We want sake!" One of them demands, waving a finger in the air.

"Right away sir." Makino hurries to get their drinks and places them quickly on their table. There is about five of them, and they drink in a tight circle talking to each other rather quietly. It strikes Makino as odd from their loud entrance, but she dismisses her suspicions. They were customers!

Makino returns to her original position drying glasses but keeps a careful eye on them in case they wanted anything. Suddenly the doors burst open and Luffy stands there in all his glory.

"Makino! I need meat!" He declares loudly. Makino chuckles and nods to the stool in front of the bar.

"Come sit down then." Luffy bounds over to the bar and bounces eagerly in his seat.

Luffy stiffens when he feels eyes on his neck. He peers around his shoulder to the men at the far corner of the room. They all seem to look at him and Luffy keeps his back to them, uncomfortable. An inkling of recognition runs through him as he thinks about their appearance.

"Is that the kid?" One whispers, but Luffy can hear it clearly in the empty bar.

"No doubt about it, he has the straw hat on his head."

"Then he's related to the other one."

"We knew hangin' around here was a good idea, people's been sayin' they've seen him come around here a lot." Luffy shifts on his stool in discomfort, trying to ignore them.

"Here you go Luffy!" Makino places the large steak in front of Luffy and he brightens up a bit. He eats it quickly, but nowhere near his normal pace.

Eventually the group leaves and Luffy sighs in relief. Makino notices his behavior and leans on the bar, elbows propping her head up.

"Is there something wrong Luffy-kun?" She asks, a thoughtful look on her face. Luffy reluctantly meets her gaze then swallows the remainder of his steak.

"I think I know who they are. I've seen those people doing dirty jobs for the nobles in High Town." He says. Makino tilts her head in confusion.

"But I thought nobles don't like to associate with, um..."

"Commoners? Even though they're too 'dirty' that makes them perfect to do the jobs that nobles don't wanna do." He shrugs. Makino's mouth goes taut and she takes his plate away to wash.

"But what's got you so upset?" Luffy shuffles uncomfortably.

"It's not normal for them to come around Foosha Village. They usually stay around Low Town and Grey Terminal." Makino dunks the mugs into the sink and begins scrubbing them.

"Well if what you say is true and they do usually stay in Low Town then they shouldn't be coming around anymore." Luffy hesitates, but decides to believe her. With a smile he changes the subject and talks to her about his latest fighting move.

In the months that pass, Luffy trains hard despite his brother being gone. In this time, he sees Ace's wanted poster in the newspaper.

"No way! Ace joined another pirate crew?" Luffy exclaims as he reads his brother joined the Whitebeard pirates. Why wouldn't he be a captain?

"I guess Ace must really like them!" Luffy laughs. As long as Ace found a nice crew who made him happy, what was there to complain about?

On another side of the island up in High Town, a noble was reading the very same paper Luffy was. He looks at the wanted poster in disgust as he recognizes the smirking face.

"So, Gol. D Roger's little admirer has finally made his mark on the world." The noble sneers. It was not that hard to identify that the pirate in the paper was the former rodent who scrounged around High Town.

Flashback

Boris turned the corner of the dirty streets in a hurry. He stumbled over the puddled pavement but held his pace, gripping several books to his chest in fear of dropping them.

His master was already angry at him for retrieving the wrong books, if he dropped the right ones now he would be severely punished.

'Maybe he'll beat me with the pipe this time...' Boris thought with a gulp. The sound of boisterous laughter in between nearby shops made him slow down to look.

At the back of the alley was a group of gruffly looking men laughing and patting each other on the back. What made Boris's eyes widen was a small child, no older than ten, glaring at them with shaking fists.

What startled Boris was the boy's eyes. They were full of darkness and hate that only burned brighter whenever the men spoke. But something about the child was familiar to him, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"What if Roger had a son?" The child asked quietly.

"If Roger had a son? Well, he should die of course! Just like his son of a bitch father!" One junkie cackled.

"Rot in hell is more like it, he would he the biggest sin on this earth!" Boris noticed how deadly calm the boy suddenly seemed.

"Don't know what whore would make that." The child seemed to snap at that comment and punched the guy in the face.

"Hey!" Another shouted in protest but soon received a blow to the gut, making him topple to the ground.

As the boy progressed in defeating them all, that's when the servant remembered him. He has seen this event play out before, every week in fact. The same boy would ask the same question and receive the same answer which would end up with the same results, someone getting beat up.

When the child bolted away from the scene so did Boris, deciding he took too much time observing.

Flashback done

The servant had informed him about that child after Sabo died, remembering the incident when they once saw Portgas in town.

Outlook hates that child. And his little companion. It was their fault he lost an heir to his family and caused him massive embarrassment amongst the members of high society.

He hates those rats with a passion and always wanted to dispose of them. Outlook even took the time spreading rumours about the 'Devil Children' around town, in hopes that someone would kill them on sight.

However, a recent turn of events has occurred. One of the brats who he now knows as Portgas D. Ace has become a well known pirate away from this island. That would mean no revenge for him.

There was the younger one though. He hasn't seen the boy in awhile and lost track of him.

But recently a small group of bandits had come across him in Foosha Village on the edge of the island. They said that he came down there regularly to talk to a barmaid. A sly grin stretches across Outlook's face.

Satisfied with himself, he uncrosses his legs, sets his tea down and picks up the snail phone.

He has a Celestial Dragon to call.

Luffy finds himself walking into Makino's bar like he has done every day now. Without Ace around it gets pretty lonely.

"Hey Makino," he begins as he plops on the stool in front of the bar. Makino is washing the dishes but she makes a hum to let him know he's got her attention.

"Has Gramps stopped by at all?" He asks while placing his head in his hands, wearing a troubled expression on his face.

"No, he hasn't." She answers honestly. "I'm actually quite surprised, Garp-san usually comes around now every few months." Luffy only shrugs then grins widely.

"Shishishi at least I wont have to go through 'training' for awhile!" 'Or fist of love...'

Suddenly the swinging doors bang open, grabbing the attention of Makino and Luffy. A man stumbles through the door, pausing to catch his breath. Makino rushes from around the bar to the gasping man.

"Are you okay Hans?" She asks, a little confused over his outburst. With wide eyes he looks up at them.

"The nobles are here! They want everyone outside right now! Apparently they're looking for someone." He bursts.

"Nobles?" Luffy's face screws up in confusion and disgust.

"That's not all, they have a Celestial Dragon with them!" Luffy immediately feels a spark of anger. Those dragon whatever's are the ones who killed Sabo.

"I've got to go now Makino! They said they would kill my family if I didn't spread the word." With that, he scampers out of the bar to the house across the street. Makino peeks from the doorway to get a glimpse of the incoming nobles.

The small population of Foosha was crowded on both sides of the street, ranging from crying infants to grumpy old fishermen. A sliver of fright goes into her heart and she turns back to Luffy. Sensing the boy's hostility, Makino tells him to stay put.

"Don't come out until I tell you it's safe!" Then she walks out the door, down the road and stands next to the hairdresser of the town, exchanging whispers.

Luffy being Luffy couldn't sit still and disobeys Makino by sneakily looking outside. He sees the villagers stiff with fear and suspicion huddling on either side of the road watching a plump figure strutting in the center.

'Must be the dragon guy.' Luffy thinks angrily. He looks a little off to the side and notices another figure walking slightly behind the Celestial Dragon. His eyes widen slightly in shock then narrow in anger when he recognizes Sabo's dad.

"Who is this boy again?" Luffy hears the Celestial Dragon ask. He sounds slightly bored and his face is screwed up in a permanent scowl. Outlook seems surprised to be addressed and coughs to clear his throat.

"A close friend, or perhaps brother of the notorious Fire Fist Ace." He reminds the high noble with an excited yet quiet tone. The Celestial Dragon grunts in understanding, but has a glint of excitement in his eyes.

Luffy's anger bubbles up at the second but evaporates when he sees Makino approaching the men tentatively. She put on a kind smile, but Luffy could see her hands shaking.

"Is there something you gentlemen need?" She asks, her smile not faltering. Suddenly the Celestial Dragon slaps Makino across the face with the butt of his gun. She falls to the ground with a startled yelp and cradles her reddened cheek with her hand.

"You inferior filth! I am Saint Garlow! You cannot just talk to me whenever you please, nor look me in the eye!" He spat. Luffy immediately abandons his hiding spot and charges into the square, helping Makino stand up.

"Luffy!" Makino hisses to him quietly, surprised and concerned that he came. Outlook immediately lights up and he points to Luffy eagerly.

"That's him! That's the boy!" The Celestial Dragon looks Luffy over for a second then snaps his fingers.

"Guards! Grab him!" Suddenly marines pour out from the docks and grab his arms, leaving him immobile. Luffy struggles against them in vain, immensely confused of what's happening.

"What are you doing!"

"Let Luffy go!" The town erupts into protests, advancing towards the marines holding Luffy captive. The marine pulls out a sword and holds it close to Luffy's neck, making the town freeze on the spot.

"Don't come any closer!" The marine warns. With everything still and quiet, Saint Garlow waltzes up to Luffy. He places his hands on his hips and scrutinizes Luffy's face.

"So this is the devil child's brother..." He mutters. Luffy feels slightly confused. Was he talking about Ace? Luffy glares at the ugly noble.

"Ace is not a devil child!" He spat. Luffy was going to continue but the guard flashed the sword at him, silencing him. The Celestial Dragon turns back to the town and clears his throat.

"I hereby decree that this town is guilty of harbouring demons. Foosha Village is now a sin on this earth!" The noble proclaims. He turns his back to the townspeople and snaps his fingers.

"This whole village will be my slaves to keep and sell. Guards, empty their houses of valuables and get them in cages for now." The guards take a step towards the citizens.

"You can't!"

Saint Garlow turns back to a lone villager who has a desperate look on his face.

"You can't take this town; it's protected by Vice Admiral Garp the Fist!" The town murmurs their agreement. But the noble merely scratches his stomach with a bored expression.

"I don't know and don't care who that is, the navy works for me." The man takes a step back, defeated.

"This town will become a buying market," the Celestial Dragon continues. "any noble can pass by and buy the slave they want. Since I own you all, I will be in charge."

The clearing is silent, taking the words in. Luffy's mouth is slightly agape and his eyes are wide. A woman shrieks in horror and the citizens start to flee.

"Guards! Round them up immediately!" Saint Garlow demands, veins popping from his forehead.

The marines charge forward to apprehend the villagers by force. Outlook smirks as they are being beaten and dragged to the center of the square where they were chained.

Luffy struggles against the arms holding him and bites one hard. The marine screams and lets go, making it easy for Luffy to wrench his arm out of the others hand.

"You brat!" The guards leap at him and he ducks at the first punch. He kicks one in the face and sends him flying across the clearing. Luffy ducks just in time to avoid a sword slicing where his head was.

He bounds back up and lands an uppercut to the grunts jaw. The marine falls to the ground unconscious and Luffy dusts his hands in satisfaction.

"I'm not weak you know." He tells them with mocking disappointment. Luffy looks to the center of the square and sees that most of the villagers have been caught with only a few squabblers. He charges towards them getting ready to pry the chains off.

"Stop-" something grabs Luffy's ankle and he face plants on the dirt. He tries to push up on his elbows but to his surprise more and more weight was being added to his back. If it weren't for his devil fruit he would have suffocated.

When a hand lands in front of his face he realizes the marines were dog piling him.

"Get off of him!" Makino shouts from the group in the center. Several more protests and yells of concern were sent until they yank him from under the pile.

As soon as he snaps back into his original form, something clamps on his wrist and immediately drains his energy. Luffy couldn't find the strength to fight back as they tossed him to Makino.

"Luffy-kun! Are you okay?" She asks, concerned. Makino looks like she's about to cry. He nods weakly in response. Luffy turns his attention to his new shackle and tries to pry it off, but as soon as he grips it he feels his strength deplete significantly.

Luffy feebly looks around and notices their all huddled like cattle. The marines are surrounding them at gunpoint, preventing them from escaping along with the chains that bound most of them. Just behind the marines stood Outlook, scanning the area.

"There is also a lot of these rats in and around grey terminal who can be put into the collection." He suggests to the Celestial Dragon. Luffy's stomach falls. The bandits are out there.

The high noble waves his hand and grunts in acknowledgement. He walks to the forest with several guards. Outlook smirks evilly at Luffy as he follows behind.

Suddenly the guards grab his arms and he is wrenched out of the crowd. Since the bracelet is sapping his strength he can't put up much of a fight. Luffy could only kick weakly as they drag him away. He looks to the citizens and sees they are being treated in a similar manner. One guard picks Makino up roughly and begins dragging her.

"Leave Makino alo-!" He is cut off as they toss him in what appears to be a giant cage that already holds a good amount of people. The marines shove a few more citizens in it and close the door when Makino is pushed in.

"Luffy!" She quickly wades through the crowd and hugs Luffy tightly to her chest. He hugs her back and looks outside the cage where there were several more enclosures filled with people.

Luffy silently hopes they wouldn't be kept in this cramped space for long as they could all barely fit. Beside him is a mother holding her crying baby while huddling against the corner. With pitying eyes, he watches as she tries to soothe him but fails continuously. Luffy angrily went against the bars.

"Hey! Let us out of here! It's too cramped!" He shouts to the nearest guards.

"Shut your trap devil! You'll be in a proper facility soon once we start deconstruction." The guards laugh and walk away, leaving more people distraught.

"What do they mean deconstruction?"

"Their going to destroy my home?"

"Mommy they can't do that! The dolly papa gave me is at home!" More children start to cry and the parents try their best to soothe them, struggling to keep their own emotions in check.

Luffy sags to the ground and presses his palms to his eyes. Makino kneels down and strokes his hair.

"Luffy-kun?" She asks. But to her surprise Luffy's shoulders were shaking.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry everyone it's my fault!" Makino pulls him into a hug and shakes her head.

"No Luffy, you have done nothing. Please don't blame yourself!" Makino pleads. The hairdresser, Wanda, that Makino was talking to previously kneels down to Luffy.

"She's right! It's that damn nobles fault!" More people offer their support to Luffy, not blaming him for their capture but Luffy still can't help but feel bad. One man turns around and shakes his head in anger.

"He's only a child, he shouldn't have to feel this way."

They spend the entire day and night in those cages, huddling for warmth and ignoring their growling stomachs. But the next day was one of deep sadness.

That was the day they watched their village burn.

Nothing was spared, not even Makino's bar that Luffy had visited since he could remember. He felt a part of himself crumble as it collapsed on itself.

"Get your damn hands off me!" Luffy's head shot up at the familiar gruffly voice. Dadan and the rest of the bandits bound by chains were being led to the cages. Upon further inspection Luffy saw other people he recognized scouring Grey Terminal were also caught.

As the bandits pass, Luffy flashes them a brief but guilty glance. However, Dadan looks relieved when she sees him, but it left as quick as it came.

The marines shove them into an already crowded cage and Magra beat against the bars with his fists.

"If you think you can keep us in here you're sadly mistaken." Dadan warns, biting on a cigarette.

Day in and out the citizens grow more and more restless in the cages. The guards are often asked when the facility would be built so they could get some breathing room. But every time they would just laugh in their faces.

After the third day the celestial dragon struts up to the cages freshly bathed and fed.

"You will now be released from your cages." There were some gasps of shock and sags of relief.

"Where is the place we're supposed to stay?" one man shouts. The celestial dragon's face turns up in disgust and he points to a nearby marine. The marine walks up to the man and smacks him in the face with the butt of his gun. The man falls back and the inhabitants of the cage back away.

"Do not speak to me you filth! There is no place for you to be locked up. You will be building it yourselves so I do not have to waste marines." He snaps and the marines approach the first cage.

"Don't try anything funny." The grunt warns, opening the cage. But as soon as the door creaks open, a man shoots out and makes a beeline for the forest. Desperate from minimal food and water, the man is too fast for the marines to chase.

"Shoot him! Shoot him now!" Saint Garlow demands. Several marines hold up their rifles and shoot an array of bullets, all hitting their target.

Makino gasps and covers Luffy's eyes so he wouldn't see. He was about to protest that he has seen these kinds of things before, but he let her try and protect him.

No one tries to escape after that. They let themselves be led silently out of their cages and set to work. The citizens all work quickly and effectively despite their lack of food; one piece of bread and one glass of water per day under the hot sun.

"Here Luffy," Makino pushes her piece of bread to Luffy while taking a gulp of her water.

"Have mine." She says as she wipes her mouth. She did this on some days, but in the end Luffy always gave his portions to her. He was hungry, more so than usual, but he was glad Makino was getting more to eat.

They would get beat if they worked too slow or did something wrong. This usually consisted to a kick in the face or a smack with a gun. No breaks were given, even for the mothers who had to work with babies strapped to their chests.

And it wasn't just the marines who beat the newly made slaves. The Celestial Dragon would look upon their progress and deal blows when he saw somebody slacking off.

At some point or another people started to rebel, destroying parts of the complex or outright attacking the marines. However, those who rebelled were taken and never returned, so everyone kept their intense hatred a secret.

"You get treated extra special today devil brat."

The marine socks Luffy in the gut, making him bend forward and wheeze painfully. He was tied to a pole with his arms spread to both sides of his body.

"Oh? You don't like that? Well have some more then!" The marine launches another and another and another punch at Luffy and eventually his allies come to assist in the beating. He tries to hold in the tears and screams of pain but it was really difficult.

Even though he was at the brink of unconsciousness he could see the sympathetic looks of the townspeople as they walk by. They want to help, but know very well that as soon as they open their mouths a bullet would be there faster than the speed of light.

Luffy closes one eye as a punch hits him particularly hard in the abdomen. That's when he sees Makino looking at him straight on with an enraged expression. Abandoning her work, she starts striding towards him with the intention of freeing Luffy.

Alarm courses through him and he hisses loudly at Makino. The marines mistake it for pain and laugh mockingly. Makino stops and they meet eyes in a silent mental battle.

Luffy's eyes urge her to turn away and not get shot in the face. But she can't take seeing this anymore. To Luffy's luck, Wanda approaches Makino and places a hand on her shoulder. Wanda leans in and murmurs something in her ear and to Luffy's relief, Makino backs away but would not tear her gaze from his form.

He ends up staying on that pole for two days straight; worse than the regular which only lasts a few hours with minimal provisions. When the two days were up they let him down and ordered him to return to work.

"Luffy come here..." Luffy stumbles over to Makino and they both sit behind a stack of wood. She reaches for her dress and tears a chunk off the hem.

"You have to stop drawing attention to yourself Luffy!" She warns in a whisper, tying the cloth around his bruises. "You know they dislike you more because you're Ace-kun's brother."

"Bu-*cough* but Makino I'm not going to be ashamed of Ace and how can I just stand by while they beat on our friends!?" It's torturous watching his friends and neighbours being beat to the ground and not doing anything about it.

"Luffy you're only fourteen..." She scolds. 'He still feels guilty.'

"My age doesn't matter! I'll kick all their asses as long as it saves someone else a beating!" Makino just sighs and tends to his wounds, frequently glancing around to spot any guards. She finishes wrapping and helps him up to a standing position.

"Let's go organize those boards, it will cause you less strain." Makino leads Luffy to their station and they set to work.

"I promise Makino," she looks at Luffy curiously.

"I'll get us out of here so we can be free again. So don't worry about me!" He turns to her and grins widely, the first smile she's seen since they became slaves.

Makino smiles and kisses the top of his head.

"Thank you Luffy."

After long grueling weeks the prison was built and all the slaves were hooked up to chains in the cells. Each cell held around six people and it was rather small with minimal walking space.

It didn't take long for nobles to come strolling in from high town to select a slave or two for their "collection".

It was a sad scene when one of their own was dragged away to a guaranteed horrible life. At least one other person would break down into sobs about how they were a husband, sister or father.

Luffy would cling to Makino at those times, trying to keep her away from the men who would potentially buy her. She wouldn't say anything, Makino only stroked his hair and pulled him close.

Luffy almost jumps through the bars and bites the ugly disgusting man who wouldn't stop looking at Makino like she was a piece of meat. Makino shuffles uncomfortably under the gaze and Luffy continues to glare.

Suddenly, an idea springs to mind and Luffy leans over to whisper into Makino's ear. Her face screws up in confusion as he speaks.

"Make an ugly face." She breaks away and looks at him weird.

"Just trust me." Then Luffy turns his face into the weirdest thing Makino's ever seen in her life. Glancing at the noble she sees how he looks at Luffy in disgust and understands.

Makino complies with Luffy's request and makes herself look as un-speakingly ugly as possible.

Luckily, the noble seems to quickly change his mind about his selection and walks away with a snort muttering about "mental ones." As soon as he was gone, they both sigh then start to giggle.

At least they didn't have to worry about being bought.

"You're supposed to be a marine ain't ya? Then why are you hurting the public?"

It was late at night and the slaves were settling down to get some rest after another painful day.

That was until one of the men snaps and starts berating the guards. Everyone is awake and stare wide eyed at the one who can't handle it any longer.

"You good for nothing son of a bitch what kind of hero are you?! If I get out of here I'll make sure to burn the marine base to the ground!" He sneers to the guard now standing in front of his cage.

"Tanner! Stop it!" Someone hisses behind him.

"Yeah do you have a death wish?" Another whispers furiously. But Tanner gives no indication that he hears them. Unfortunately, he should have listened because the marine shoots him on the spot with a bullet right through the head.

Somebody screams as the body falls with a sickening thud. With blood pooling everywhere it was expected that the guard take the man away, but he merely leaves the body there and walks on. The people sharing the bloody cell scramble back to avoid the new corpse.

"We need to escape! This is no place for my baby!" Shouts a skinny woman cradling her still child. Mumbles and shouts of agreement ripple through the men and women.

"How the hell are we gonna do that?" Luffy recognizes Dadan's now scratchy voice. Everyone breaks into murmurs with their cellmates.

"Maybe Luffy can squeeze through the bars with his powers and free us!" One man suggests. The room goes quiet and everyone save Makino all look at him questioningly. Luffy's head shrinks down in shame.

"I can't. They put this weird bracelet on me that makes my powers disappear. I'm sorry everyone." An old man with a scraggly beard in the cell in front of Luffy stands.

"It's alright boy, it was merely a suggestion. We shouldn't have thought to burden you when you are already being treated the worst out of us." Luffy nods his head but keeps a troubled expression.

"So what are we going to do now?" He asks. Makino places a comforting hand on his head.

"If someone could make a distraction then we could knock a guard out from the back and steal his keys." A skinny woman suggests. The man beside her nods his head eagerly.

"Then we can riot and head towards Low Town to hide. Maybe around Grey Terminal if there's good enough hiding spots." A teenage boy, no older than 17 speaks up.

"Who can still fight?" He asks. "We're all pretty weak after this. Are we enough to take down fully trained marines?" Silence stretches out before them. Luffy was about to speak up when Dadan snorts.

"Of course I can fight, what do you take us bandits for?" The rest of the bandit's cheer in agreement. A man around forty years old stands up.

"I carry 70 pound sacks of flour everyday. I think a few skimpy marines wouldn't be a problem." He cracks his knuckles ominously.

More volunteers pile up, and with that they have enough for a riot.

The next day after their regular work shift, the slaves are all being led to their respective cells in heavy silence.

"You're all a quiet bunch today." A marine comments as he locks the remainder of Luffy's group in their cell.

"Finally resigning to your fate huh?" The marine snickers, prodding Dadan forward with the butt of his gun. The two marines in the room start laughing.

Suddenly Dadan halts and blocks the path down the hallway. The marine taps her with the gun none too pleased.

"What are you doing you slave? Get moving!" He shouts at her, but she stays rooted to the spot with her back to him.

"He didn't give you orders to stop! Have you got brain damage?" The other marine turns his attention from his previous spot to Dadan.

The slaves waiting behind Dadan and the guards exchange looks, realizing their opening. With them distracted, the muscular slave from before smacks the guards over the head with a heavy pipe. They drop to the ground with a thud out cold.

"Get the keys!" A slave behind bars shouts. The burly slave scoops up the keys and runs from door to door freeing the captives.

"Thank you! Thank you!" A woman with two children in hand bows in gratitude when her cage is opened.

"Don't thank me yet lady, we've got to get out of here." He says gravely. He then turns to Luffy and examines his wrist cuffs.

"Do you think any of those keys will work?" Luffy asks with big eyes. The slaves are milling around, meeting up with loved ones and trapping the two unconscious guards in cells.

"I'm not sure..." He trails off looking through the key ring, but finding no key small enough to fit in the lock.

"Sorry kid. We'll try and break those things off of you as soon as we get out of here." He says, placing a reassuring hand on Luffy's shoulder. Luffy smiles up at him and hugs him.

"Thanks Old man! Shishishi!" He giggles. The man blushes lightly but lets himself be embraced.

"It's Trevor." He corrects as Luffy releases him. Luffy grins even wider if that's possible and tips his hat.

"Nice to meet you Tractor! The names Monkey D. Luffy and I'm going to be the Pirate King!" He declares. Makino giggles at his side.

"It's Trevor..." He corrects but it goes unheard by Luffy when he turns away.

"Let's get out of here!" He yells and they do a battle cry in response. The slave group bolts through the door and zooms through corridors.

"Escapees! Guards! Capture them!" One grunt yells when he spots the group. The armed marines stream out of rooms and hallways straight for them.

"Get ready to fight!" Trevor is the first to break from the pack and punch out two marines immediately. Everyone including Makino all storm the guards, forming a full blown riot.

The nobles who were visiting all cower to the walls, terrified of the commotion. Amongst those nobles is Saint Garlow, speaking low and urgent into a snail phone. Suddenly a large explosion goes off and people scream in terror.

"We're doomed!"

"How did they get an admiral here?" Dread piles up in Luffy's stomach when he sees a large admiral at the other end of the large hallway. He's a devil fruit user by the looks of it, with magma spurting out of his hands and body.

"By the name of justice, I will get you all!" He booms. Just then he sends magma straight out of his hands into nearby slaves. Everyone is scattering, terrified at the display but the admiral is faster catching and killing some who slip out of his path.

Luffy is looking on enraged that all of his friends are dying or being kept here. He takes a step forward about to face the man when Makino grabs his arm and leads him down a series of hallways as far away from the scene as possible.

"Makino let go! He's destroying everyone!" He protests while yanking his arm.

"Not now Luffy-kun. You can't beat him, I'm sorry but it's impossible." She says solemnly, shaking her head.

"But I'm strong Makino! I can-"

"You can't!" He's shocked into silence at Makino's outburst. A wall explodes nearby.

"You're not going to risk your life for a hopeless cause. I'm not letting you die, I promised Ace-kun I'd look after you and I will. Are we understood?" She says staring directly in his eyes. He nods slowly and notices for the first time the people around them.

"What are we going to do now?" Wanda asks. Her perfectly curly hair is now frizzed and charred at the edges.

"We need to make a run for it." The woman with her crying baby says. The old man next to her nods and takes the baby from her. A grandparent apparently.

"Where to?" He asks while bouncing the child. They all look around.

"If I remember correctly we are near the main forum and the boiler room. If we head to the right, there should be an exit." The woman says, rubbing her chin in thought. Luffy beckons them and they stride towards the first corner.

Luffy and the old man stick their heads out and see the passage is empty of any incoming marines.

"The coast is clear, let's go!" Luffy hisses. Everything seems to be going fine, they are making a straight shot to the next hallway without leeway.

All of a sudden magma shoots out from the wall ahead of them, spilling all over the ground and blocking their path. The woman screams and Luffy and Makino stick their arms out to keep from falling into the lava.

"You can't escape me!" The admiral booms, his ball cap shadowing his raging eyes. He sends out another surge of lava and they all jump out of the way. The old man made a yelping noise as his foot got singed.

"Why are the marines doing this to us?! We haven't done anything wrong! It's the nobles who caused the destruction!" Wanda hollers. She steadily walks closer to the raging marine.

"Wanda wait!" The other woman warns, reaching out for her friend. But the admiral struck fast, swinging a fist at Wanda and knocking her into the wall. They all gape as she slides to the floor with a thump.

"Wanda!" The old man shouts in concern. He grips the baby tighter as the little tike starts to whimper.

"How could you?!" The woman yells. She grabs a pipe that had fallen on the floor and rushes up to him, aiming to strike his head.

"Stop Julia! You have your child to think about!" The old man shouts. He runs after Julia to stop her.

"Stop resisting and cooperate! Face the consequences for going against the law!" The admiral swings his massive hand and magma surrounds the floor around the two.

"Grunts!" He booms. "Come take these scum away!" Marines come out from the halls behind him.

"Yes Admiral Akainu, sir!" They chant in unison. Makino grabs Luffy's wrist and backs them up slowly, much to Luffy's annoyance. He wants to beat this guy!

'But Makino...' He thought guiltily. He can't leave her defenseless. However as he looks to the marines dragging an unconscious Wanda, injured father, daughter, and baby he felt more rage pour into his stomach.

"Sir! That's the devil child!" One marine shouts, pointing directly at them. They freeze on the spot as Akainu stands up a little straighter, looking down at the pair intimidatingly.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten about him." He says, raising a magma fist. Needing to get Makino out of there, Luffy spins around and grasps her upper arm.

"Let's go!" He shouts. Not needing to be told twice, she hurtles down the hallway with Luffy.

"Where do you think your going?" Akainu teases. He holds his fists in the air and shoots magma meteors towards them. Luffy shoots forward and pulls Makino around the corner just as the magma balls land on their previous spot.

"Keep moving!" He urges her. They run down the path that they came from, winding and twisting through the series of hallways. Magma rivers and beams shoot around them, destroying the walls and high ceilings.

Panting, Makino looks behind her and is shocked to see that the admiral and his subordinates are close.

When they round another corner, Makino pushes Luffy into the nearest room. He turns around, waiting for her to come too but she is closing the door. Luffy quickly sticks his foot in the door, stopping her from leaving.

"Makino? What are you doing?" He asks confusedly, sliding his foot back into place. She sighs and closes the door further so only a crack remains.

"Go call Garp-san, there's a Den-Den-Mushi on the desk over there. I'll be a distraction to buy you time."

"But Makino! I can't let you do that!" He protests with pleading eyes. She shakes her head no.

"If anyone will help us, it's Garp-san. Good luck Luffy-kun!" With that she closes the door and Luffy hears the click of the lock behind her.

'No no no no no no no no!' Luffy is about to go after her when he hears the crashing footsteps of the admiral right outside his door. Luffy stiffens as the footsteps stop.

He is careful not to take a breath as the door knob slowly turns. A loud crash destroys the silence and Luffy jumps a little on the spot. He hears a shout from the admiral and they leave him behind.

'That's probably Makino!' Luffy scrambles for the Den-den-Mushi. The faster he calls for help, the faster he can get back to Makino.

After some quick shifting of papers, Luffy grabs the Den-Den and dials Garp's number that has been ingrained into his head since he was a kid.

'Listen here! This number will connect you directly to my emergency Den-Den Mushi! So if something happens call it! Don't forget it!'

Luffy lifts the phone to his ear and taps his foot impatiently on the floor. This was his emergency line right? So why wasn't he picking up?! Suddenly the ringing stops and Luffy's heart beats faster when he hears a clicking sound.

"Gramps! It's Luffy!" He says, not waiting for a reply. "The celestial whatever's took control of the town and made us all slaves! The burned everything down gramps! Even the Party Bar!" He felt himself choke up and tears fall down his face.

"You probably don't know because you would definitely protect the island if we needed help! But we need you right now because an admiral with lava is trying to get us all 'cause we escaped, that's how I got to this phone. B-but Makino is trying to be a distraction and I need help! So please gramps..."

He waits for an answer but it's dead silent on the other end.

"Gramps? Are you there?" He asks, but the silence is deafening. His face scrunches in despair but he tucks it away and leans on the desk.

"Please, I-I don't know what to do!" He breaks down and his hands ball into fists.

"It's all my fault! They wanted me but they took the whole town and I'm not strong enough to stop them cause I'm a damn kid!" He doesn't bother wiping away the flood of tears.

"Ace isn't here and I don't know what to do! I need help so please...please just answer...anything please..."

But the silence only drags on and Luffy is crying in the phone waiting to hear something. The minutes feel like hours and he sags his head in despair. Their main source of help is eliminated.

"Damn it..." Luffy hangs up the phone and pauses to think. Where was he going to turn to now? He brushes a hand on his arm, still shocked about Garp's lack of response. He decides he needs to find the next person he trusts.

"Ace." With new determination Luffy runs to the door and throws it open...

To see the utter destruction outside.

Luffy's eyes widen as he steps out into the burning and crumbling hallway. The magma is dripping off the walls and melting spots in the ground. The ceiling has completely collapsed on itself and the red ash filled sky is clearly visible. It was due to some sort of miracle that his room was spared.

Luffy's mind reminds itself of his priorities and he turns down the last hallway where his mother figure went.

"Makino!" He calls, hands cupping his mouth. With no response, he continues to explore the destroyed building while calling her name.

"Maki-" Luffy's foot catches on a clump of debris and he falls face first on the dusty ground. He moans in pain and clenches his eyes shut as he slowly picks himself up.

That's when he sees the man's hand.

He probably would have missed it if he hadn't fell, as it is surrounded by cement ceiling and almost covered by the rocks that are crushing it.

Luffy should have left it alone, but something made him lift the boulders off the fallen person. Once he has a whole arm uncovered he notices the back of the head is untouched. What was unsettling was the pool of blood under it.

With careful and shaking hands, Luffy turns the head on its side and his breath catches in his throat.

"Trevor..."

A sudden crash from further away makes Luffy's head snap up. With one last glance at Trevor he sprints down the hallway dodging magma and falling cement.

He can now hear the panicked murmurs of people and he rounds the corner to the old cells.

"Mina!" They all turn their heads to Luffy and he can see Makino standing in the mix.

"Makino!" He runs and hits the locks, but they stay firmly in place; only clattering against the bars with each hit. Luffy looks up to meet the people's eyes expecting them to be trying to break the cage down, but they are all... trying to shoo him away?

"Luffy-kun!" Makino pushes past the crowd and grips the bars in front of his chest.

"Are you okay?" He asks, voice and face laced with concern. But to his surprise Makino grips the bars tighter, a desperate expression taking over her features.

"Get away! It's a trap-" Suddenly something hard and solid smacks him hard in the side. He flies back at blinding speed and breaks through the wall on his left.

There's a ringing in his ears but he makes out the cries of protest from the villagers. He remains in the rubble, stunned for a moment but tries to get up soon after. The sharp pain to his hip makes him flinch and settle back down. Luffy scowls at the bracelet that's blocking his powers, knowing he wouldn't be hurting as much with it gone.

The ground rumbles like an earthquake and Luffy squeezes his eyes shut trying to keep still. When the trembling stops he slowly opens his eyes to reveal the massive figure in front of him.

"So you are the devil child's brother. I guess that makes you equally monstrous hm?" He says, raising a fist that quickly transforms into magma.

"Stop calling Ace a devil!" Luffy's temper flares. "He's not a monster! He's my brother!" Admiral Akainu snorts and clenches his fist.

"You shouldn't be so friendly with Fire Fist Ace. Any pirate is a monster, no matter whom they are." Luffy's vision is suddenly blurred as he's kicked so hard that he flies through and out of the building. He flips a few times in the air and rolls across the barren and destroyed village.

Luffy finally skids to a stop on his hands and knees, kicking up dust around him. He falls on one elbow and wheezes on his hurting lungs.

'I need to find Ace.' He thinks absently, wobbling to a standing position. Luffy thinks of the trapped citizens and decides if he was going to help them, he has to take matters into his own hands.

Suddenly magma and debris explode from where he flew through the wall. Admiral Akainu steps through the newly made space and walks towards him at a leisurely pace. Luffy spins around and runs into the forest to get away.

"I'll give you a small head start rat, but it won't help you much." He says semi-amusedly. Meanwhile Luffy scrambles through the trees and debris to find a way out of this chase.

The admiral is far behind and Luffy can't see him anymore, but the crunching of his massive feet lets Luffy know he's still there.

A shot of magma has Luffy veering to the side and into a tree. He spins around and is shocked to see dozens of magma bullets speeding towards him. He dodges a few then scrambles through the forest again, trying to avoid his incoming death.

"You can't hide anymore. Expose yourself and let me purge you from this earth." Akainu's voice reverberates through the forest just as Luffy reaches a cliff overlooking the coast.

Just then, a particularity large magma bullet speeds through his arm. He screams in anguish and stumbles forward to the ledge.

The footsteps getting closer is the only thing that keeps Luffy going and he bites his lip to keep out the moans of pain. He manages to stumble into nearby bushes and collapse in the undergrowth.

The admiral walks out of the forest on the side opposite of him and Luffy keeps silent as he walks forward.

"I heard your screams... I know you're here." He says into the air and Luffy tenses, gripping his heavily bleeding shoulder.

Akainu steps slowly to the edge of the cliff. Luffy can't see what he's looking at, but he assumes it's just his blood judging by the large red splotch staining the grass. The admiral takes a few more steps forward until he's leaning over the edge.

"So it seems you fell, a fitting death for scum." He sneers. To Luffy's surprise he leans over to collect something off the ground. He picks it up and with a glance down Luffy's breath stops all together.

Admiral Akainu walks off and takes Luffy's dismembered arm with him.

Luffy barely registers that it's his arm that the admiral is carrying and only stares at his stump in shock.

With weak legs and a weak mind, he forces himself to a standing position. After wavering dangerously to the side, he gets ahold of himself and numbly climbs down the ledge to the beach.

Step by agonizing step he walks around the beach until he spots a small rowboat sitting up on the sand.

Luffy drags his legs to the floating device and is barely able to push it into the water. He quickly jumps on the boat with a groan and rips off part of his shirt, tying it around his bleeding shoulder.

Exhausted and extremely light headed, he lays down on his back preparing for his death.

Tears run down Luffy's face and he cries to the world as the flames sprout from his home and into the sky.

Wanda shrieks in horror as the arm is dropped in front of her and the rest of her cellmates. She reaches blindly for Makino and buries her face in her shoulder.

"Is t-that...?" Magra stutters, eyes blown wide and Makino cries in horror.

"That is what he deserves for being the brother of Fire Fist Ace. Pure monster through and through." Akainu states calmly, eyes unblinking. But to his surprise, they all stand and radiate pure anger at him.

"What is wrong with you? What is wrong with this system?" One person shouts, tears streaming down their face.

"Who cares who he's related to! What a pirate has done doesn't mean that he bears the same sins!"

"You killed an innocent boy!"

"Luffy was the sweetest kid!"

The admiral looks on in curiosity, but if he felt any guilt he didn't show it.

In a marine base far away, an old marine sits in the center of a dark office. The air is heavy and the only noise comes from the occasional quiet crunching. Said marine, also known as Vice Admiral Garp the Fist, grabs another cracker and munches on it slowly.

"Damn it." He curses quietly, gripping his hands into fists. Garp knows what is happening to his hometown. The destruction, the capturing and yet there's not a single thing he can do because the Celestial Dragons are responsible. It's at times like these where he really hates who the marines serve.

He continues to lament when a call on his emergency Den-Den-Mushi interrupts his thoughts. He knows who this is, this phone was made specifically for them.

He places it delicately in front of him then lets it ring. A bit reluctantly, he answers and immediately there's a reply.

"Gramps! It's Luffy!" All his instincts are to reply, but he keeps his mouth shut.

"The celestial whatever's took control of the town and made us all slaves! They burned everything down gramps! Even the Party Bar!" The sadness in his voice almost makes Garp choke up.

"...and I need help! So please gramps..." He can't talk to him. What would he say? That this is justice?

"Gramps? Are you there?" Garp can hear the disappointment in his voice. It's silence after that, only small scuffling and he thinks Luffy is trying to get his bearings.

"Please, I-I don't know what to do! It's all my fault! They wanted me but they took the whole town and I'm not strong enough to stop them cause I'm a damn kid!" Garp can hear the tears at this point.

"Ace isn't here and I don't know what to do! I need help so please...please just answer...anything please..." The silence is now echoing with silent sobs from the snail phone. It's utterly heartbreaking and Garp is biting his lip, tears streaming down his face.

"Damn it..." After the soft curse the call ends and Garp hangs his head low.

"Luffy, Ace...I'm so so sorry!" He apologizes to thin air, knowing he can't face his grandsons anymore.

Well this only took forever. I've been dabbing on it for months, but I haven't really taken the time to really work on it.

The chapters are going to be this dang long and posted whenever (next one should be done soon-ish).

I'm working my ass off on this plot so fav, review ride a donkey or whatever! Thank you!

Next time; Sneaky doctors and singin' songs.

~ until the Florida driiiiive