Captivity

15 - Lovers

"Do not search for him, he deserves some rest."

"Yes, Sir!"

The marine easily recognized the dismissive tone and left the office. Sengoku sighed, massaging his temples with one hand. He still couldn't believe what had happened and his beliefs were beginning to shake because of that.

He'd always followed orders through and through, without questioning nor delaying them. The Reigning Justice needed to be accomplished and established, somehow, for the greater good. He'd always believed so... He'd always done what he had to.

But it was the second time someone he personally trained, and even nurtured into the man he'd become, had died. He'd felt breath leave his lungs, when he'd received the report. Twice the tragedy... Twice already too late. And for what?

Though similar to Rosinante's situation, it had been also completely different. The elder boy had been spying on pirates while the Monkey had been captured... How, he still didn't understand. Luffy could have escaped anytime, in his opinion. He could dodge a fatal blow even if wounded or cuffed with sea"stone, Sengoku knew that all too well. The raven was not one to give up on life so easily. He had this feeling that something was amiss...

Not considering Whitebeard was not the type of scum pirate that back"stabbed at any given moment. He'd never seen the old man do something that hinted at malevolent. Especially if his sons were concerned.

But, maybe, Sengoku was simply being hopeful... Hopeful that it was all a lie, a well"built cover for Luffy to go into hiding... The raven didn't like the job, he'd understood that much. He had joined because of some pact with Garp, that believed his nephew to be safe among the marines. In the Fleet Admiral's opinion, it was the opposite...

There were a lot of people in their ranks that would have killed him on sight if they had known his lineage... Akainu was the cruellest one. He didn't want to suspect of an Admiral without proofs, based only on suspicions, but... The whole ordeal just stank to him and Sengoku's duty was to uncover and show the truth, to administer the Reigning Justice he worshipped.

If doing that meant expel one of the strongest... He would have done it. Without thinking about it twice. But, he needed solid proofs.

A low commotion reached his ears through the window. Sengoku ignored his subordinates and looked down on the desk without focus, remembering how the majority of them had taken the news.

Though Luffy was.... Had been one to wreak havoc everywhere he went, the raven was not hated. On the contrary, most of the marines, even the new recruits that had only heard of him, held the man in high regards. Because of his deeds, because he was always sunny and friendly, because he randomly was wise... Had been.

He was dead... According to the report.

...

Why couldn't he simply accept it? With Rosinante, it had been simpler, even though without having a body and only sightings of his corpse being dragged by Doflamingo's crewmembers. This time, he just didn't seem keen on accepting it. It was not a simple matter of pain, because he wasn't feeling much. Instead, he felt empty, blank, a white sheet of paper that couldn't be printed on, almost magically.

But it was not magic. It was his inability to face the fact, at the moment. His unpreparedness to the possibility of it happening... Because, honestly, Luffy dying? It was just out of the world.

The commotion had grown, while he dealt with his mental debate on what to do. That had been the incipit of it all, deciding how to act about it. The sounds were in the corridor in front of his office, he could tell. Sengoku didn't feel like checking on it and sighed, surrendering at doing paperwork.