Crimson Tides

Missing

Ace walked down the stairs to his little brothers room. He hoped the boy was ok. Luffy had been down lately, and nobody could figure out why.

Ace knocked on the door. No response. That wasn't unusual lately, so he called out, saying that he was coming in. Ace opened the door and brought in the food, expecting to see the small vampire curled up somewhere, either sulking or playing with his toys. Ace turned to the door before stopping.

Where was Luffy? He hadn't actually seen the boy. He turned again and scanned the room.
Nothing.
Ace started to panic. Where was his little brother? He rushed further inside, and saw something.

A table with split in half, with the chains to the wall being smashed. A huge axe sat next to it. The sharp object radiated magic. Ace looked around the room for any clues, and saw something wrong. Luffy always left the jewelry that his older siblings got him on display because he didn't like it. And yet all of it was gone.

No. No, it couldn't be. Luffy was gone, the chains were broken with magic, and the valuables were missing. Ace didn't want to face the grim reality of the situation.

Someone had broken into the mansion, robbed it, and then kidnapped the youngest Scarlet sibling.

Right under Ace, Sabo and Utas noses.

Ace tore up the stairs that led to Luffys room. He headed towards the library, where everyone would be for a plan meeting. Ace saw the door, and practically burst through it.

"Ace, please don't damage the mansion." Koala groaned on exasperation. Sabo nodded, both of them almost looking back, before registering the look on Aces face.

"Ace, what is it?" Uta asked concerned. Ace swallowed hard. Everyone was looking at him. Luffy wasn't safe in his room. Nothing was alright.

Ace opened his mouth.

"It's Luffy...hes gone!"

-

Vivi sighed as she stepped outside her shrine. Robin had just stopped by to tell her Nami had gotten into more trouble, and that their circle of friends was having a meeting.

Robin was of course, sitting outside drinking tea.

"So, Robin, what did Nami do this time?" Vivi sighed to the Gap Yokai as she walked down to sit beside the woman. Robin laughed a little, which didn't make Vivi feel any better.

"Why, she made a new friend while exploring." Robin said in a cryptic tone. Vivis heart dropped. That meant that the ginger magician had probably went looting and broken into someone's house. Vivis glum mental spiral was interrupted by the arrival of Chopper.

The young reindeer lived nearby, so of course he was first. He hurried over to the pair of women and immediately started asking questions.

"What did Nami do? Why are we meeting on such short notice?" Chopper asked frantically, also knowing that the local magician had definitely done something wrong. Robin gave the same vague answer, making Chopper also look down in defeat.

Zoro and Usopp arrived quickly after, since they lived further away. That surprised Vivi, since Nami was a fast flyer, and Zoro was a pain to travel with. The 2 new arrivals didn't question the meeting like Chopper did.

Usopp looked resigned to whatever fate Nami brought to them, and Zoro looked slightly annoyed. Robin grabbed more tea for the new arrivals and every sat, waiting for the culprit to get there with whatever problem she'd caused.

"Alright, Luffy, we're here!" a familiar voice exclaimed from the air.

Everyone looked over to see Nami and a young boy arriving. The boy looked odd, with standout wings. He carried a parasol, shadowing him from the sun.

"Nami, who is this." Vivi asked flatly to her friend. Nami looked over at the shrine Maiden and smiled confidently.

"This is Luffy Scarlet! He was locked up in one of the rooms I was looting, so I got him out!" Nami stated, gesturing towards a bag that she'd tied to her broomstick. Everyone groaned in exasperation. Of course she was robbing someone and had found a random kid in their house.

"So you kidnapped him?" Zoro said flatly. The boy, Luffy, immediately started shaking his head no to the question. That was a little startling, as the boy had seemed rather nervous around the magician.

"No! I hated that room! Miss Kirisame let me out." The child elaborated quickly, seeing their startled expressions. Nami looked slightly smug, and slightly relieved as he backed her up.

Robin laughed lightly and Vivi sighed, resigned to whatever fate Nami's actions got them into. The young boy suddenly changed expressions, as though he had remembered something important.

"Um, Miss Kirisame said that one of you guys could work with her to get these off." He asked timidly, but desperately. Vivis eyes widened at the dark cuffs that hind likely on the boys wrists, each of them pulsing with magical energy.

Who would chain up a child no older than 11? And with such powerful enchantments no less.

Usopp stepped forward, proclaiming that it was probably him that was requested, and that he was the best locksmith in the land. Nami and him quickly got to work on the cuffs.

Vivi sighed for what felt like the millionth time. This was going to be a long day.

-

"Please return him home safely." Uta asked desperately. Her voice was laced with worry. Besides her, Ace and Sabo stood besides her, also worrying. Their youngest brother was gone, after all.

"Of course, Lady Uta!" A man said to the vampire princess. He had blond hair which covered one eye, a swirly eyebrow, and a green outfit.

"Thank you, Sanji. We trust you." Uta thanked him. The blond bowed, and swiftly left the room, headed towards the front entrance. Sanji was worried too.

The young vampire noble was lonely, Sanji could tell, but he was also dangerous. The boy had no control over his magic or powers, and of it wasn't put of the question that he could kill someone.

Privately, Sanji was just as worried for whoever stole Luffy, as the vampire himself.