It had been a week since Luffy lost contact with his crew. One moment they were all fighting together against a powerful enemy, and the next Luffy found himself alone, washed up on a deserted island. At first he refused to believe his crew was truly gone. It had to be a mistake. But as the days passed with no sign of his nakamas, Luffy was forced to face the horrible truth - in his moment of weakness, he had somehow failed as a captain.
As the days dragged on with no sign of his crew, Luffy sunk deeper into despair. He replayed that fateful battle over and over in his mind, torturing himself with what he could have done differently. If only he'd been stronger, faster, smarter.
Maybe then he wouldn't have lost them.
Night after night, the silence of the empty ship was deafening. Usually it was filled with the sounds of his lively crew- Sanji cooking in the kitchen, Usopp tinkering with one of his inventions, Chopper humming quietly to himself as he organized the medical supplies, Zoro either snoring loudly as he slept through the ruckus on the ship or training... Now all Luffy heard were the creaks and groans of the Sunny and the lonely crash of waves against the hull.
The solitude gave Luffy too much time to dwell on past regrets. He found himself revisiting the moment each of his crew had pledged themselves to sail under his flag. Zoro's bold claim that he planned to be the World's Greatest Swordsman. Nami's teary declaration that she now considered them friends. Usopp's promise to become a brave warrior of the sea. Sanji's confident boast that he was joining as the cook. Choppers dream for adventure, Frankys dream to build and see through the best ship ever built, Brooks need for a new crew.
Gradually Luffy realized just how much he had come to depend on each of them, it wasn't them who needed him... he needed his crew. And in his failure to protect them, he had lost not just his crew but also his purpose as a captain. He no longer believed he deserved to chase his dream of becoming King of the Pirates. Perhaps it would have been better if he'd never met them at all, so they wouldn't have suffered because of him, all the pain and fights they have endured due to his reckless actions, he regrets every single one, while they brought adventure, they also brought pain and suffering to his crew...
Day after lonely day passed with these dark thoughts as Luffy's only company. Until one morning, as a familiar voice reached his ears from on the horizon...
Luffy quickly shot up, looking around desperately to find the source of the voice.
As the unfamiliar raft drew closer, for a moment Luffy allowed himself to hope. Could it be...? But no, he didn't dare believe. It was surely just another cruel trick of his longing imagination.
When someone on the raft launched a rowboat and a group stepped ashore, Luffy didn't turn to face them, He didn't have the fight in him and he didn't want to feel the disappointment when they weren't who he prayed for.
A gruff but kindly voice called out. "Oi Captain, miss us?"
Luffy's eyes widened. He knew that voice. Slowly, hesitantly, he looked over his shoulder. And there, smiling as brightly as ever, was his brave marksman Usopp. Behind him waved Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Robin, Franky, Brook, and even stoic Zoro seemed relieved.
It was them. His crew. Alive.
Overcome, Luffy crumpled to his knees in the sand a weak hand over his mouth as he sobbed quietly. "You're...you're all okay..." he choked out. Before he knew it, warm arms had surrounded him from all sides as his crew rushed in for a massive group hug.
"Shishishi, of course we are!" laughed Usopp. "It'll take more than that to take down the mighty Straw Hat Pirates!"
As Luffy was swarmed by his friends' happy chatter and affection, he found tears of relief streaming down his face. He had been so lost without them. But they were back, and this time he vowed he would never let anything tear them apart again.
