32 Chapter 32

⚠: Contains intense stuffs! Read at your own risks. ⚠ 

"UWOOOOOOOO!!!!" The pirates below yelled raising their weapons and looking far scarier than before.

"No way!" Nami gasped in shock. "They were all shaky just a while ago." Nami flinched as she saw a pirate punch a rock and break it into pieces. Even Zoro was shocked and Usopp started trembling, not wishing to fight them at all.

"How did they gain so much strength?!" Zoro asked with confusion.

"They have really been hypnotized!" Nami shrieked in fear.

"If just one guy can crush the rock-" Usopp started but was unable to finish as a rumble of thunder echoed in the skies, halting every pirate and making them flinch at the loud rumbling.

"What the heck?!" Nami shouted. There were no signs of any storms to come right now and this one doesn't even look good! The temperature had also suddenly dropped, giving her goosebumps all over the body. The sky was turning blood red, and streaks of lightning, which were starting to form in the sky were announcing the arrival of a blood-sucking thunderstorm. It was a terrifying sight. 

"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" The pirates below started screaming, fear engulfing their whole body. In all this commotion, a faint beating of drums was heard, which started getting louder and louder and louder making Zoro, Nami and Usopp turn towards the source and find Luffy who was all still.

"Luffy!?" Zoro asked but his eyes widened at what he saw next.

Luffy's hair strands were getting whiter and whiter slowly. And if that didn't scare the shit out of Usopp and Nami then the fact that his hair, which was starting to float made them want to crawl under a stone and never get out. The feeling that they were standing before a predator who could skin them alive scared every one of them.

Luffy was standing still, no one could see him moving a single muscle even. He seemed to be glowing too! It was so bizarre and then all of a sudden he started laughing..

"SHISHISHISHISHISHISHISHI!!" Luffy's- no Nika's- laughter rang amid the thundering clouds, which made everyone cover their ears, trying their best to block and protect their eardrums from exploding. His laughter was as loud as the thunder itself! 

Luffy's bangs lifted to show the reddish eyes that would haunt some of them for all their lives, but to some it almost looked mesmerizing and ethereal. Zoro didn't even know what he was seeing. He didn't know if the person who was standing in place of Luffy was even him! Luffy was acting nothing like himself. He was laughing weirdly, with one hand on his stomach and the other covering his eyes, but still leaving a gap for the reddish eyes to peek through.

Nika removed his palms from his eyes with a snap, making the onlookers feel that his hand didn't have any bones at all. It was a sight they thought they would never get used to. 

"Shishishishishishi!!!" Nika laughed wild and free, as he looked at the weaklings which were begging him to toy with them.

"Let's have fun!" Nika's voice boomed, with the black and red lightning sparking from his body. The clouds roared as if responding to his call and the ground freaking bounced under him, in the process flinging him to the pathetic excuse of pirates.

The thunder played on his drum beats echoing throughout the shore, throughout the island, throughout the East Blue, throughout-

Suddenly a huge wave  crashed onto him, silencing the entire place where the life-taking, howling thunder once rolled. The sky started to clear away once more. The wave took Luffy with it to the shore, drowning him, and silencing him.

Unfortunately or fortunately, all the Black Cat pirates were knocked out.

Nami's legs gave up as she fell to the ground, followed by Usopp who was even scared to breathe. Usopp never in his wildest lies would be able to come up with anything more unbelievable than what he just saw. 

Zoro didn't falter. He couldn't falter! He wouldn't falter. It was his Captain who got taken away by the waves just now. His captain is a kid, who doesn't even know how to swim. Zoro dashed to the shore, never minding or caring about the pirates he crushed along the way under his shoes and dove in to rescue the idiot, the only one who could give any answers to what the heck happened right here, just now!

He didn't even care about the raging waves that tried to force him away from his captain. He was determined. He needed to save him. That's all he knew.

"T-Th... W-W-What... w-was that?" Nami asked, her hands trembling and her body shaking intensely. She couldn't even muster to stand up on her own. That storm... It was not something natural! It was not predictable. It just came and then... vanished all of a sudden when Luffy got taken by the waves... Did it have something to do with Luffy? No.. it couldn't be.. Luffy wasn't what she just saw, right?

Usopp's teeth were clattering as he tried to comprehend what had happened. All he knew was that everything went from damn scary to hella scary.

Kuro, the man of a thousand plans, who had just arrived the moment Jango had used his hypnosis on the crew, had witnessed it all. The only thing that was keeping him standing was the tree which he was desperately clinging to. The fear that had echoed in his heart at the sight of the storm and the teen's changed demeanor was something that he was sure to get as a nightmare for the rest of his life.

He may not have gone to the Grand Line, but he had sailed the East Blue several times to know that storm was not a storm that should ever occur in any of the blues or heck, even in the Grand Line! A part of his brain wanted him to run, to give away all the plans he had made for the last three years, to run from the kid who had turned hysterical. He couldn't fight him! He was nowhere near the kid's level who hid the vast power behind his small structure and childish self.

Even if the kid, who was fetched by the swordsman from the grasp of water would stay unconscious, there would be no way to get Kaya to write her will as Jango was unconscious with the other pirates and he wasn't sure if they would be waking up anytime soon. A shiver ran down his spine as the swordsman trekked to the cliff where his other friends were with the mysterious boy in his hands. The swordsman had a worried look on his face, screaming that something was wrong. 

A silent question broke through his mouth breaking the silence which had dared to engulf him. "W-Who is he...?"

A little while later when his mind was finally able to comprehend everything, he blamed the whole incident on the kid having a devil fruit because no other human being could do the things he had done. Was he even human?

Everyone standing there questioned in their mind, when they were able to think of anything, why the weather went wild when Luffy got hypnotized.

The situation didn't look good at all. Kuro standing there was getting his edge and his blades ready to attack the teens who had dared to destroy his plans. Zoro who was trying to wake Luffy up and Nami and Usopp were crying out of sheer fear.

This was the time Kaya took to come out, trembling, terrified of the storm that she had witnessed just moments ago but she needed to come.

"Klahador STOP!" She shouted as much as she could, breaking Nami and Usopp from crying. The three kids who had led her here had wanted to hide as soon as the thunder had started but they were Usopp Pirates, they wouldn't be afraid of some petty storm!

Usopp didn't need to think anymore. He didn't need to be terrified anymore. He ran to protect Kaya and his little crew, even if they didn't believe him yesterday. "Kaya! Why are you here?!"

Nami got up on her own legs as the thoughts of treasures managed to fight the fear that was echoing in her body. She took one glance at Luffy who looked adorable, not scary like he had been just a few moments ago and ran to the ship after informing Zoro, who nodded and stood up after making Luffy lay nearby on the ground.

Before the fighting could restart, which was only defeating Kuro, Kaya tried to stop it, even saying that she was ready to give her inheritance to him if he'd stop and leave. Merry, her other butler, had explained everything to her after she found him bleeding in the house early in the morning.

Kuro didn't want that and went on to explain his reason for wanting to kill her. Kaya surprised everyone by taking out a pistol and pointing it at Kuro. She still tried once more to make Kuro realize that what he was doing was wrong. She tried to make him remember the days they had spent together but all Kuro said he hated those moments. He detested them! Kaya was heartbroken after she heard that Kuro never enjoyed her company and that she was just a burden to him. 

Usopp couldn't take it anymore as Kuro continued to make Kaya cry and moved forward to punch him, only for Kuro to dodge him.

"Still haven't thanked you for the punch you gave earlier," Kuro said with a smirk and ran to attack Usopp, but was met with Zoro, with his three swords out.

"If you really want someone on your level, fight me!" Zoro told through the swords in his teeth.

Kuro gave a mean laugh as he stepped back twirled the blades in his hands and said, "Die!"

"No way!" Zoro said and glanced momentarily to take in the position of everyone. Usopp was in front of Kaya, trying to defend her from Kuro and Nami was well hidden in the ship looting it and Luffy... he was unconscious.

Before Zoro could focus on his opponent once again, Kuro vanished in thin air, from his sight and random scratches started appearing everywhere. Whenever a slash would come too close to Kaya and Usopp, Usopp would take the blunt making Kaya scream for his well-being. It was the time, which made everyone feel that Usopp was brave but he didn't even know it himself.

Zoro gritted his teeth as he tried to focus on Kuro, even if he got scratches running on his shoulder or his chest. Blood wasn't his worry, but the defeat that it would bring to him was something he wouldn't be able to handle. He tried to focus again on the winds, on the sounds, on the footsteps even if they were difficult to follow. His captain was down for the count, so he needed to take care of the butler in his place. He needed to finish the battle so he could get Luffy the medical help he needed. 

"Agh," A sound of groaning came, making Zoro turn towards the kid who had lost control just a few minutes ago. 

"What happened?" Luffy groaned, feeling that he has a migraine coming, hurting his head. 

"Luffy!" Zoro said in relief. He was scared when he found him, when he was not breathing. He had thought to tell Nami later about it, but it looks like it won't be required now.

"Zoro!" Within a flash Luffy was up and at his back, holding something or rather a particular someone who had tried to stab him at his back. Zoro didn;t know how Luffy could still move, let alone that fasr but decided that's not what he's supposed to be focusing on. 

"How interesting!" Kuro said, hiding the fear that threatened to eat him whole at the sight of the kid. He couldn't believe that the kid was up and fighting. He's truly a monster. "Y-You are up!"

"Don't you dare touch my nakama!" Luffy said punching the scared man to the ground, finishing the fight in an instant. Zoro thanked Luffy mentally but also noted that he needed to train more, to protect himself and others, if he wanted to be anything. To be the strongest swordsman in the World, he shouldn't rely on his childlike yet mysterious captain. 

Before he could give in to his thoughts completely, Luffy stumbled. Zoro's eyes widened comically. 

"LUFFY!!" Zoro, Usopp, and Nami screamed together as a paler Luffy kissed the ground.

Zoro felt awful that he couldn't stop his captain from crashing to the ground. He thought that Luffy was alright now..

"W-We need a doctor!" Kaya said with her trembling hands going up to cover her mouth.

"N-no d-doctor.." Luffy didn't want that. He couldn't let that happen. He felt tired, so he stuttered as he finally gave into the abyss of unconsciousness.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'No doctor' YOU NEED MEDICAL HELP, DUMBASS!!!" Nami yelled at Luffy even though the same kid could kill her off in an instant. In all this, no one saw the huge wave engulfing the Black Cat Pirates. A mother showing her anger to them for pushing her son to something which he wasn't ready at all.

"And he is out again," Zoro said with a sigh lifting the kid, who obviously fears doctors. He checked his breathing and fortunately he was. He didn't want to leave him like he did last time. 

Nami reprimands him for checking his breathing but was surprised when she touched Luffy's skin. His skin was burning. It was very very hot. Luffy got a fever somehow. 

"I know a doctor," Kaya said as she stood beside the three kids who were helping her.

"Let's go," Nami replied. As much as she was scared of whatever Luffy did and is, she couldn't think of abandoning someone she thought of as a younger brother. She won't let him down.. like her own sister..

They went to the village doctor, who went wide-eyed the second he placed his stethoscope at Luffy's heart, making the rest of them scared about the kid's condition.

"W-What happened doctor?" Nami asked, her eyes trembling in fear. It was really scary how she had become attached to the young teen in just a few days.

The doctor let out a nervous laugh as he replied, "Ah, nothing! My hearing is just getting a bit bad since I'm old.. that's all!!" There was no way a heart could beat like this, it's a pattern that he never heard of! No way a heartbeat is like what he heard. It's just his old age and his old instruments who are at fault here.

That reassured the ones there and the doctor went off to pick a thermometer to check the boy's temperature since he could feel that the teen's temperature was high through touch only. His thermometer reading went outlandishly high the moment it came in contact with the teen's body. 

'Okay! I have not used it for years. It is obviously damaged!' He assured himself as he thought of the next test to do on the kid. Blood test.

Nami was really starting to think that the doctor was a fraud. None of his instruments were working and Luffy needed immediate medical attention. 

The doctor left to retrieve a syringe. He found one and started to extract some blood for testing. Everyone's eyes widened and some gasped as the red and golden blood emerged in the syringe. The golden blood reminded everyone of the sun, which always shone bright. The blood in the syringe almost looked ethereal and breathtaking, but there were other issues to think about rather than admiring it.

"Wh-What the h-heck is that!?" Usopp shrieked. Kaya gasped as she tried to lean at the wall, not knowing what to do at all.

"I-Is he dying?!" Nami asked her eyes threatening to leak tears for the mysterious boy. His blood had gold in it?! Does it mean he has a blood problem? She didn't understand! 

"No way.." Zoro whispered, with his eyes as wide as plates. Luffy...

"I am not sure about what's happening to the lad," The doctor finally stated, not knowing what to do with the teen who had all the wrong symptoms. Even if his eyes were betraying him due to his old age, he won't ignore that the others are seeing the same thing as him. The kid might have something that is unrecorded or something far more dangerous. But the first question is: is it infectious? "Have you seen him having this disease earlier?"

Everyone turned towards Nami and Zoro. They had met the kid just a few days ago and they haven't seen anything like these. But all of a sudden things clicked to Zoro.

"I have seen him bleeding that once but there were only golden trails not.. like this," Zoro said in a low voice, clearly remembering the golden trail which he had passed as sunlight shining on his captain, who had an aura similar to the sun. The major concern was that the golden part in Luffy's blood had somehow increased.

"I have also seen but never golden!" Nami said with trembling lips.

"That won't kill him," Zoro clearly stated. He had seen Luffy healing faster than any normal human can. This might be the reason Luffy bled golden with red blood and didn't want to see a doctor. Did he make a correct decision by disobeying his captain's orders? He is a kid and obviously kids hate doctors, that was the only reason he had carried him here.

"I need to remove-" The doctor was cut off by a stir and a low choking sound in his patient's body. He cleared his throat once the boy didn't move again. "I need to remove the gold looking blood. He needs a blood transfusion." No one said anything. Mainly because some were lost in their own thoughts and some were too panicked to say anything. "Does anyone know what his blood type is?"

The moment the doctor tried to connect the bags and the instruments to his patient's body, the teen woke up with panic clearly written in his eyes. His eyes widened further as he saw the injection containing his blood. He snatched it instantly from the stunned doctor's hands who tried to get that back from him and threatened to strap the unruly teen to the bed.

"GET LOST!" Luffy yelled at the doctor. He had promised to not let anyone see his blood, until he was stronger and yet here he was holding the evidence of his failure, of his blood which flows in his veins in his very own hands.

"I am just trying to help you!" The doctor said with irritation but Luffy could not allow the doctor to treat him even if he had good intentions.

"YOU ARE NOT HELPING ME, OLD MAN!" Luffy shouted getting off the makeshift bed where he was laid on to. He looked at his friends, who were looking awkwardly at him. He wonders if he did something to make them not listen to his pleas of no doctor.

"Luffy..." Nami spoke, her eyes shiny with the onset of tears. "Are you d-dying?"

"What?" Luffy asked calming a bit down. It made him realize that they were only worried for him not scared of the thing he is. "I am not dying."

"Then your blood?" Zoro asked.

"It has always been this way since I was born!" Luffy said defending himself and getting out of bed. Since he has been born centuries and centuries ago. Since his Dad and Mom brought him into existence.

He looked at his hand, at the object which was pricking him. He had subconsciously broken the syringe because of the stress he was feeling. The broken injection in his hand, his blood painting his palms. The concentration of the golden color had increased. It was freaking increasing! All of a sudden he could only see his blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Corpses. Dead body.

He needs air. It's too suffocated here or he will throw up. He needs to get to his mother who knows what to do right now. He messed up. Just like before. He hears his mother calling for him. He hears his siblings trying to calm him down. He hears everything FREAKING speaking at the same time. The wind. The sun. The forest. The trees. The animals nearby. His mom. His sibling. His crew. His friends. The doctor. Literally everything! He is gonna throw up. He needs to get out. He needs air. Ocean. Mom. Mom. MOM!

He left the room and dashed to the shore, taking in the air and trying to calm himself. Trying to feel in control over himself. Trying to control over the voices. Trying to exclude the voices. He shakily sat down on the shore, his arms wrapping around his legs, which got wet due to his mother. He couldn't afford to give more to anyone than they have already got today! He can't. He has a promise to keep. He keeps promises-

"Breathe, Nika!" His mother's soft yet commanding voice rang in the air.

His rasping broken breaths, his shivering body, his teary eyes, his sniffling, his actions all halted as he followed his mother's words, breathing in and out. In and out. In and out. Ignoring the panicking words of his friends, who followed him down out of concern. He was not there, not lonely, not forced to be away from his friends, not seeing the dead and rotting corpses of the one who relied on him for their living, he was not before-

.

It was the first time he had disobeyed his father's orders of not abandoning his duties. It was the first time he stepped on the mysterious planet where his mother, his siblings and many other mysterious creatures resided. It was the first time he was feeling so free and roaming around aimlessly.

Humans are creatures who are smart and call themselves. Animals were the creatures who ventured on the planet alongside them. Birds were the creatures who could fly! Everything around him was so fascinating and colorful to him. He kept moving from one place to another in search of new things. In search of exciting adventures and the lands which his siblings promised him to show.

He even made friends! The animals loved him whenever he would try to play with them. Some humans looked at him with awe while he looked at them with the same fascination, if not more. He even made friends with several of them. Some were the biggest he had ever seen! While some looked so tiny and adorable. Some even had elongated arms and some long legs. Some even had flames flickering on their back! They all looked so unique and so cool that he could never resist himself to make friends with them and elongate his stay.

Time passed and soon months passed of his stay on the planet and he acknowledged that despite being the most exciting place he had ever been to, some creatures were dominated by others, which he couldn't bear to watch and hence punched them square on their faces and thus freeing the oppressed.

But sadly everything has an end and it came when he got to some other place. It was all dark, with no signs of life anywhere. He was walking aimlessly until.. he stepped on something or someone... it was a dead body.. of a child. It made him angry, unsure of who committed such an act.

The next second his Dad appeared before his eyes, making him take a step back. 

"This is why I told you to never abandon your duties!" He yelled making him finally realize that the deed was none other than his own. He felt sick in his stomach, throwing up whatever he had eaten just a few hours ago. His legs collapsed and he puked more as he took in the sheer chaos and destruction he had brought by his selfish actions.

Tears streamed from his eyes as he was made to look into the bony figures of humans, animals and birds alike. It was all his fault. If he would have never come down.. if he would have never stayed this long.. if only he could do something...

"It's all your fault!" His Dad scolded him, taking him to other places where he had caused destruction.

Even the places where the sun was shining, had people dying out of thirst, dying out of lack of food due to their crops getting destroyed. Some places even caught up in wildfires due to the dryness.

The blood of everyone who had died was on his hands, even if his mother tried to defend him, tried to take his side, tried to assure his Dad that it would all be fine. That everything will be okay. Things will change. But he couldn't feel the strength within himself to forgive himself.

After a lot of arguing, in which he sat through listening, and crying, like the youngest brother he was in the family in the arms of his siblings. Crying like a child for something he destroyed. But this time he had destroyed life, he had killed many. He hadn't destroyed a part of the sun as he had done many centuries ago and created the moon accidentally. He had killed. Their blood was on his pale hands. On the hands, he used to lift to free creatures from their oppressors.

HE KILLED THEM ALL!

.

"Nika!"

His racing heartbeat got into the rhythm he loved. He took a stuttering breath as he took in everything. His mother's calm and relaxing sprinkles on his face, and his worried friends, who were trying to get him to respond. He took in everything, finally calming himself. He could feel Zoro's concerns, Nami's curious and worried eyes on him and Usopp's clear discomfort and the feeling of uncertainty and fear lingering in the atmosphere.

.

When Luffy ran away from the doctor, Zoro was the first to run after the teen, his captain. Nami, the second 'cause she was worried, and scared if Luffy was lying about his illness. Usopp couldn't decide if he should follow them or not. On one hand the kid had scared him shitless and the other, he had saved the village with whatever he had done. One look on Kaya said that she wanted to go but she wouldn't be able to.

Making up his mind, Usopp also ran commanding the three kids to look after Kaya and then running off to Luffy, who was crouching near the shore, his whole body shaking badly. The sounds of harsh breathing were coming from the teen as Zoro and Nami stood a bit away from him to give him some space.

"I-Is he okay?" He asked in a scared voice, but was shut off by Zoro's glare which clearly meant that he could see it for himself clearly.

Nami was biting her lips, unsure of what to do. She wanted to help the boy, even if she was scared of him. Her mental debate ended when she heard a heartbreaking sob from the boy. She gathered up her courage and took a step forward, flinching when she heard a sniffle and saw the tears that were streaming down the adorable face.

"L-Luffy?" Nami said in a low voice. She wasn't a doctor but she could clearly tell that the kid was having a panic attack. Was it the reason he hated going to doctors? Did they really shouldn't have taken him there?

No response came, but Luffy's breathing was getting rapid, getting unsteady, and getting abnormal. For a moment she feared that he would choke on his own breath and tears.

"Luffy!" Nami repeated, crouching next to the boy. "You need to breathe slowly."

Nothing. No improvement. No change. It felt as if Luffy wasn't able to even listen to her. She really wished to help him, but if she touched him right now, then there were chances it would make things worsen further.

"H-Hey Lu-Luffy," Usopp joined her, taking a seat near him, even if he was a good distance away from the boy, who could kill him anytime. "Th-There are no doctors now. You will be okay." Usopp stuttered out. He was only there because a part of him felt that he needed to be here, needed to be with the boy without whom Kuro wouldn't have been defeated. Without whom his village would have been slaughtered and Kaya would have been killed.

No response. Only a low sniffle. But there was a bit of improvement. Luffy was beginning to breathe slowly. Breath normally.

Zoro sat down on the sand just beside Luffy, giving him silent support. There were no movements for some time. No sniffles. Luffy wouldn't even look up from the shell he made himself trapped in. Until his mother's voice broke him out of his thoughts. He was not in the past. Not in a memory that he wasn't supposed to go through right now. He was in the present. No one had died due to him. And no one will die anytime soon.

Luffy silently leaned on Zoro's shoulder, placing his head there. It took him a moment to come to himself and hear everyone's concerns, even if no one was speaking.

"Are you okay, now?" Zoro seemed to silently ask him while Usopp stuttered the same thing and Nami looked relieved.

"T-Thanks," Luffy said in a low voice, feeling his throat dry and hoarse.

"W-What happened?" Usopp asked, and Luffy could feel fear coming from the very statement.

"Nightmare," Luffy whispered. It would have gone almost unheard if they were a bit away from the teen.

"Want to share?" Nami asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Luffy shook his head, not wanting to even remember the past right now.

A few minutes of silence went by. Thousands of questions were swirling within everyone, Luffy could tell. They were eager to ask something. But what?

"What happened to Kuro?" Luffy asked breaking the silence. His memory was blurred after seeing the weird guy do something and all he remembers is asking his friends to not take him to a doctor.

"W-W-What?" Usopp was the first one who asked in shock.

"What happened after that weird guy used his ring?" Luffy repeated again, standing on his own and stretching. He was feeling better now.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked puzzled as she looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't you remember?"

Luffy honestly shook his head. Everything was hazy and a blur.

"Storm? Your hair turning white-"

"And floating!"

"T-The ground bouncing under your legs-! "

"And flinging you like a rocket!"

"Your eyes changing to red color!"

The three of them said together, making Luffy blink his eyes. As much as he remembers he doesn't have the powers to turn to his that form.

"You three are joking," Luffy said with a laugh as he started walking towards the town. He is getting hungry.

"What do you mean we are joking?" Nami screeched, making Luffy turn towards her.

"'Cause I had lost that ability a long long time ago!" He said flashing a grin. He won't say that he missed it but it was relaxing that he didn't need to be lonely. Didn't need to have burdens of duties or responsibilities. In those thoughts he missed his mother's sad waves rolling on the shore, the hushed whispers from his siblings, and the glances that his friends shared.

"Wh-" Usopp was about to speak again, but Zoro shook his head stopping anyone from questioning further. Luffy said that if he had lost that ability then that wouldn't be any of their concern unless he got hypnotized again. So it's better to forget it for now.

"Man, I am hungry and you all didn't even tell me if we need to beat the bad butler!" Luffy stated with a pout, acting nothing like a few minutes ago. It seemed that he never even had a panic attack!

"He left," Zoro replied to Luffy honestly.

"No way!" Luffy said puffing out his cheeks, back to his normal self already. "I wanted to kick his ass." He said kicking dust with his legs.

"Language, kid!" Nami said bonking his head and unknowingly falling into the usual routine.

"Hey! I don't need to mind my language! I am a pirate, not a kid!" Luffy said puffing his cheeks out.

'How is this boy anyway harmful?!' Zoro, Nami and Usopp thought together. But they knew and have seen the undeniable truth.

.

Usopp was facing the rest of the Usopp Pirates, with a heavy heart. He was about to make a decision today. A decision that would definitely change his entire life. The thought of the pirate flag calling him, the thought of the sea calling him for the adventures that resided beyond the horizon was mind-blowing. The risks that came with his ambition were also higher, but one thing Usopp had learnt from the pirates who had helped him save his village was that with risk comes adventure.

He was going to start his own soon enough and here was the work in his hand before him. He had already completed one part of the work, where he wanted to keep his status as the lair of the village, not one of the saviors, even if he had practically done almost nothing. The village didn't need to know anything about the pirates. They didn't need to worry about any pirates attacking again. The village is small and there is no chance any pirate crew would attack it.

"Captain Usopp, what is it that you wanted to talk to us about?" Ninjin, the boy whose hair hid his eyes asked, curiously.

"Oh, yes, you're all here!" Usopp said breaking out of his thoughts. "You guys were brave enough this morning to come to the coast and protect Kaya there. It was a battle worthy of the Usopp pirate group. I am very proud as the captain!"

Usopp was really proud that despite the fear of the bloody storm that had summoned itself, the kids had tried to help Kaya. Tried to check on her and he will forever be grateful for that.

"5 years ago.." Usopp said reminiscing the day. "We formed the Usopp pirate group when you guys were four. We fought many things together and this was the greatest and the most magnificent battle we have experienced in those 5 years."

With his hands crossed over his chest and his eyes looking straight at the clouds, he said. "And now, I have decided to go to the sea by myself. I'm going to become a real pirate."

The three kids gaped at Usopp, not believing the words that he spoke.

"What..?"

"Captain?"

"No way.."

"After seeing them, I decided to leave this village. There is only one reason because the pirate flag is calling me!" He declared with determination-filled eyes to his little rag-tag group of his.

"Captain! That's also a lie, right?" Piman, the helmet boy asked in shock.

"That's so sudden! Besides, don't you love this village, captain?" Tamanegi, the orange-haired boy, asked.

"What's going to happen to the Usopp pirate group?!" Ninjin voiced his thoughts next.

"Thanks for everything, guys," Usopp said not wanting to answer the boys. He was not lying this time, even if he was feeling scared and at the same time excited. He loves the village but the sea more. "I don't plan on telling the folks in the village. Say bye to them for me," Usopp said turning his back to the three kids and looking at the horizon and feeling the call.

"No!"

"No, I don't want to say that!"

"Don't go, captain!"

The kids pleaded, not wanting him to go yet. They knew Usopp and his habits. They were worried for his safety, but Usopp didn't know.

Usopp with a soft smile, made them reminded of the days they spent together, chasing small things and making them seem as if they were great adventures. His eyes started burning as he continued speaking, even though the three kids asked him to stop.

Usopp turned towards them finally and asked, "What are your life ambitions?"

"To own a bar!" Ninjin replied.

"To become a master carpenter!" Piman declared next.

"To become a writer!" Tamanegi said the last.

"While not losing sight of our ambitions, swear that you will go on the road you have chosen!" Tears began to freely flow through each and everyone's eyes as they realized the inevitable was coming.

"STARTING TODAY THE USOPP PIRATE GROUP IS DISBANDED!"

.

Luffy didn't like the scary feelings that Usopp was emitting whenever he was near him. He wanted to hear a story and he had decided that Usopp would be the one who would tell him right now!

"Ne, Usopp!! Usopp!!" He chirped excitedly, bouncing on his legs as he approached Usopp who was on his way somewhere.

"L-Luffy!" Usopp stuttered out, acting confident, even if his shaking legs and the scary feelings deep inside him told Luffy otherwise. Luffy pouted. Usopp is his friend and no way in hell he should feel scared.

"Can you tell me a story!" He asked with his bright grin and puppy eyes. It worked on everyone and right now he needed Usopp to chase away the scary feelings and be his friend.

"What?" Usopp asked with wide eyes, his legs finally coming to a halt without shaking and the bad feelings getting replaced by shock, then confusion and lastly confidence. He pointed to himself and with a proud smirk said, "Of course! You have come to hear the Great Adventures of The Mighty Usopp! I will definitely entertain you with my tales. One time.."

And Usopp launched himself into the story, narrating things animatedly, making Luffy gaze at Usopp with starry eyes and awe at his every word. He knew the man was telling lies, but he loved those. He loved the way he told the story! He wouldn't compare it to his Mom from whom he had been hearing stories of literally anything and everything since his birth, 'cause she was different.

"And then with my powerful slingshot, I killed the giant starfish." Usopp proudly finished, raising his slingshot in the air and firing perfectly at the rustling leaf which was about to touch the ground. Luffy felt amazed at it and found Yasopp's sharpshooting skills in the said boy.

"Join my crew, Usopp!" The fear was back in Usopp full force as he looked at the boy, who asked him to join his crew. His eyes were back to golden red and not red, which he had seen just in the morning. His legs began to shake violently as he struggled to move under those eyes. Those eyes scared him all cause it felt like they could snatch away his life with just one blink. Usopp was scared, a lot!

But thankfully, those reddish-golden eyes vanished to give away the doe brown eyes which were too adorable on the teen. The other color also looked adorable on Luffy but those eyes held a lot of power which was definitely far beyond his imagination.

"I-I-I-" Usopp was stuttering, not really knowing what to do.

"You can tell me your decision by tomorrow," Luffy said patting his back, making him flinch. Luffy noticed it but didn't say anything.

"Luffy!" Nami's voice interrupted their conversation, which Usopp thanked. He really needed it. The said teen gave him a wave and ran off to the orange-haired girl.

Usopp was scared and that was what he knew. Luffy had a monster within himself that could kill him in an instant. His eyes could change to golden red or just red and then back to the brown doe eyes and the mystery behind that scared him more.

But the teen's thoughts were not of the type of a monster. When the teen had been told briefly of what had happened, Luffy instantly expressed his dislike for the Black Cat Pirates and Kuro. Especially the part where Kuro had talked about killing his useless subordinates who were already lying unconscious. He had said, "I hate them. He was wrong! That's not how Nakama's should act."

The teen had shown no hostility towards any of his friends. Even when he had done whatever and brought down the Cat Pirates, they were left unscathed. Unharmed. Conscious.

It was a difficult choice to make and Usopp knew it. But he also had time in his hands and choices. He can either set off on his own or join Luffy.

A/n:

So, another chapter is finally out! We really hope this chapter was interesting. 

I guess that the readers are now at least getting a hold of what they can expect in this story. Not everything will be sweet by Luffy getting into that form. 

Anyways, how was today's episode? I guess it was as amazing as always, huh? 

Have a good day/ night! 

Over and out!