An Eternal Bond

Goa Kingdom

"How could you let Ace die?!" I heard Dadan's voice echo through the small town that Luffy once called his home.

I came to visit the island, although the memories that were engraved in the air was weighing down on my like boulders. I just felt like I needed to see some familiar faces. I hadn't realized that the news had came all the way out here... and quickly, too.

With a soft sigh, I turned to the back of a building and walked down the back of the assembly of shops, catching a glimpse of the chaos going on in the centre of town.

I pulled my hood down and stepped into a restaurant. "Hello." I greeted as I sat down. "Do you know who these kids are?" I slid a picture of Ace, Luffy, Sabo and I across the table and the elderly restaurant owner looked over, pausing the circulation of his cloth on the dirty plate.

"Oh yeah! Those are those damn kids that stole some food all those years ago!"

I placed a small bag on the table and began walking away. "That's the 'treasure' they mentioned. Sayonara." And I strode out of the restaurant with the chef staring dumbfounded at the sac of belies.

"You're wrong." Dadan had begun. I wasn't sure what she was talking about until she said, "Luffy and Y/N... do you know how much they admired Ace? How much Y/N loved him? They're the ones suffering the most."

Tears began brimming my eyes again and they streamed down my cheeks, dripping off my chin and wetting the fabric of my cloak. I slowly walked passed the small developing crowd, not noticing that Makino was about to bump into me until she crashed into my side.

"O-Oh, I'm so- Y/N...?"

I tensed up once I noticed my hood fell off and I looked away. I was shaking as I felt a sob creeping up my throat. "H-Hey... thought I should vi-visit."

Makino took my shoulder and turned me around, seeing the tears staining my cheeks as I pursed my lips to muffle an upcoming sob.

"Y/N..." She whimpered as I turned again. "It's... good to see you..." I barely whispered before I felt tears wet my cheeks as they dropped off my chin and onto my clothes.

My bottom lip quivered again and I stepped back. "S-Sorry, I should really-" Dadan suddenly wrapped her arms around me and held me close. I didn't realize that she already got off Garp until now.

I deeply inhaled as if her scent was a comforting incense, though it was of smoke and alcohol. But it was familiar. It was... home.

I put my hand over my mouth as one sob escaped it. Then two. Three. More. Finally, I just stopped holding it back and I began sobbing uncontrollably.

I had already cried in front of Ace and Oyaji's grave. I cried on the nearby island. Was I not finished?

It was like all the things that would cause me to cry came rushing into my head as my mom, Thatch, Sabo, Oyaji, Ace, and my abandoned village came into my head. I pictured Luffy's suffering figure. The stolen navy ship leaving the island I was dropped off at with my brothers standing atop the deck.

Was this normal?

I stepped back slowly with my face still buried in my hands. "Sorry..." I said at last. My hands fell from my face and revealed the tear stained expression I forced upon my face. "I'll... be leaving now."

I pulled my hood far down my face, sparing a glance at Garp, then the other navy soldiers. One glared back at me and I held eye contact until he suddenly fell over.

"Tsch." And I walked away with no answer to what exactly happened.

Garp knelt down in front of the navy soldier. There were no injuries on him so he knew that I didn't attack. Garp looked up at my retreating figure. "So... you do have it."