A ghost at sea

Choice

Danny POV

Danny had been in the forest for 2 days and the choice between leaving the island or staying was driving him mad. He had chosen a secluded location in order to think but has gotten nowhere.

With great frustration, Danny ruffled his hair before gripping it on either side of his head and groaning low and loud. Stopping just before the groan could turn into his ghostly wail, Danny thought back to Roger's words and felt conflicted on if he should listen to his friend's advice or not.

Danny decided that just sitting was getting him nowhere and that he needed to take a walk so he split his 'tail' in two and began to walk between trees.

Allowing his thoughts to wander, Danny began thinking about the 18 years he had been on the island. He then thought of before the island, back when his family was still breathing and his friend's hearts still beating.

With a core-deep sadness that had once crippled him and now only caused him to tear up, Danny thought of what they would say to Luffy's offer. He thought about how Tucker would tell him to "go for it" and that "how many people get to be friends with actual pirates?!"

Sam would probably tell him to "stop being a wuss and just go" while Jazz would make him write a list of pros and cons before making a decision. His mom and dad would just tell him to do what makes him happy and to "go on an adventure".

He could practically hear their voices telling him to go.

A small, sad smile took over his face as he continued walking between trees, over a creek, and past boulders.

Without realizing it, Danny had reached a cliff side with a view of both the ocean and the ship that brought change to his island. He stayed in that spot long past sunset and only stirred when the sun began to rise for the next day.

With a final deep breath, Danny stood up and watched the sunrise until the sky was a bright blue and the sun shone warmly on his face.

Mind finally made up and core at peace, Danny confidently flew back, past the village and towards the beach where he had seen small figures boarding the ship with one figure waiting in front. Danny had made his choice.

———————————-
3rd POV

Roger didn't know what to think when Danny flew off but knew to just trust that Danny would choose wisely. He had been with the boy for 10 years so he knew Danny quite well and knew that, for a while now, Danny had been longing to leave the island.

The only things holding Danny back that Roger knew of was his sense of duty to the people on the island and his deep loyalty to them.

Because of this, Roger never pushed Danny to leave, but, now that Luffy's crew reached their island, and seeing how deeply they trusted each other, Roger knew that there would be no better time to push Danny towards a brighter future than staying with them would hold.

It pained Roger deeply to tell Danny he should go. Honestly he selfishly wished to keep Danny on the island where he could watch over him and bask in Danny's company. But deep inside he knew he couldn't do that to his friend.

His time on the sea ended when the blades entered his body but Danny's time has just begun.

So with a heavy but content core, different but just as unique as the one Danny had, Roger hoped with all his being that Danny would choose to sail with Luffy and made the choice to quietly wait on the beach with the pirate crew on the third day.

Luffy was stubbornly waiting on the beach for his new Nakama to appear on the third day.

Arms folded and legs spread apart, Luffy stared at the forest with his back to the Sunny. He knew without a doubt that Danny would join their crew. It was the same feeling that drove him to ask each of his other Nakama and, like each of the others, held the same weight in his heart from when he asked each crew member to join.