Chapter - 46

"What do you want Sabo?" Luffy said taking a large gulp from his cup.

"I came to see you of course brother." Sabo took a drink from his cup. "I wanted to know if you were okay brother."

"No, I'm not, I'll never be close to okay again." Luffy deadpanned swirling his drink around devoid of any thought.

"Luffy, I'm sorry about Na-" Sabo shut up with the look his brother threw him. Even Dandan started to grow uncomfortable.

"I'm very sorry for your loss Luffy. I will never understand your pain, but I'm here for you brother, now and always.

"Thank you, Sabo." Luffy said returning his attention to the cup in front him.

Dandan broke the silence. "Luffy do you want more tea?" A grunt was his response. The woman left to the kitchen to get more tea.

Luffy and Sabo continued to sit in silence until Sabo reached out to brother.

"You did the right thing brother." He said trying to stir any signs of life in the man. "The world may be shut down for another day, but now we have to rebuild it." Sabo said raising his voice hoping to get to Luffy.

"It doesn't matter to me anymore, you guys won, Dragon owns the world—I have nothing.

"No brother." Sabo shook his head. "You own the world, our family does. Our family needs you."

Luffy sat still waiting for his tea cup to refilled. He was barley listening to the conversation if this was considered one.

"Sabo... I can't do this, I don't want to do this without her. My friends... they'll never forgive me over what happened." Luffy said grimly.

Sabo wasn't sure if that could be the truth or not. Even though Luffy wasn't responsible, he felt he was anyway. As for his crew mates they would need their own time to grieve. Even if he went back it would only make things worse. Sabo knew his brother was feeling too guilty to see the straw hats at this point.

"We still have Akainu." Sabo said sipping his tea— he could immediately see the rage in Luffy's eyes once again. That same fierce look he had to protect, was replaced with a ferocious one to kill. If Luffy did kill Akainu it would've have added a body count.

"Luffy he's not awake yet, he's still in a coma but when he wakes you'll be first to see him I promise you." Sabo stated folding his arms. "On one condition brother, you lead us into the future as the ruler of the free world. Make this world safe and better than it ever was... you know she would want that." Sabo downed the rest of his tea awaiting Luffy's response.

Dandan emerged holding a fresh tray bringing it to the table. She had heard the entirety of the conversation in the kitchen.

"Luffy" Dandan went to sit across from Sabo next to her youngest foster son.

"Sabo is right Luffy... I may have not known her. But knowing you.." she touched his cheek so he would look at her. He could see the tears start to see the tears fall. "She must've loved you for the idiot you were, and I could see how much you love her even now. To love her so much,you must've been good to her, and she to you. Don't lose sight of the good person she wanted you to be, she's still with you Luffy." Dandan said through her tears. The pain was radiates from Luffy as the cup shook violently in his hand.

Nami should still be here with him. Or at least it should've been him. The world took away the one thing he loved more than anything. Now he was faced with ruling the world he no longer desired to live in. There was only one thing driving him forward— his pain, his thirst for vengeance.

Luffy finally gave his answer

.

"Dandan." The old woman stopped sobbing to look at him. "Your right, I won't lose sight. I'll never forget." Luffy said with so much conviction, Dandan could only nod at his statement.

"Sabo— Let's make this world a better one. I'll make sure nothing like that will happen again, I swear it." Luffy states standing up.

Sabo patted his brother's back standing up as well. "You lead, I follow brother. The same goes for Dragon, your the High Councilor now of the free world now."

Dandan and Sabo came around the table to hug Luffy.

"T-thanks you guys." He managed to get out before they released him. The door slammed open revealing Monkey. D Garp appeared in the doorway.

"Grandpa." Both the brothers said greeting the old man.

"Ah Dandan, my grandsons..." before either could react he scooped all them in his arms tightly hugging them.

"Too tight." The trio heaved slumped on the table. Garp examined the room to see his youngest grandson slumped on the table. His eyes were so different then before. The eyes that once housed happiness and a sudden eagerness was replaced with pain, anger, and sorrow along with guilt. The man had still yet to truly grieve, Garp knew it was just beginning. Never again would he leave his grandsons side. He wanted to make sure before he died, Luffy made the world better than it ever was.

"Hey on my way up, I heard you're become high councilor Luffy. I want to help you in anyway I can. This former admiral may be too old to fight, but I have invaluable knowledge and tactics acquired over sixty years of military experience. You could say you'd be lucky to have your old man." Garp said smiling only to see Luffy's solemn mood return.

Garp gave no second thought as he gave a love punch to Luffy only causing his hand pain. Since Luffy was entrusted to him, his fists he had always felt. He was just trying to get his the old Luffy back.

"Sabo, Dandan, leave us alone for a moment."

The two stood up heading outside.

"Luffy I'm sorr-" before Garp could say anything his grandson was letting his tears flow.

Luffy grit his teeth trying to force them to stop. "Grandpa why the hell would you follow me? I failed to protect my family, my girlfriend, my son." Luffy said finally stopping his tears. Garp was not surprised by his emotional response, he wanted him to let it all out.

"My friends won't look at me the same ever again. I don't deserve to be high councilor of the new world. Nothing matters to me now it seems, I don't know if I can-" Luffy was interrupted by his grandpa embracing him.

"I'm so sorry, grandson, for what you lost. I know all seems lost at this moment, but your friends will want to see you again— I can assure you of that. It's your choice wether you want to go through with it, I'm never leaving your side either way. You should deal with Akainu first before you decide." Garp suggested. Luffy stood up with a vengeful look in his eye.

"We're leaving, I want to be there when that bastard wakes up." The captain was ready to get his revenge. Being high councilor could wait he had to deal with the person responsible, Akainu.

Luffy, Sabo, and Garp immediately left the village saying their goodbyes to Dandan promising to return.

The family trio were on their way to Momoiro Island. It was a great distance away but Luffy could easily make the trip.

Once more he called forth his dragon form that made an appearance at the Holy City. Seeing the form up close was something entirely different from a distance away. Luffy's body grew to an impressive height rounding near seven feet. His frame was the total opposite of his bound man form. Instead of taking a circular round somewhat muscular shape— into a leaner mass, as if he condensed all the energy retaining his original body. His wingspan was an astounding twenty two feet at full length.

"Hold tight" Luffy said simply stretching his arms to wrap the two men up.

Luffy crouched to the ground wrapping his massive wings around them before springing up into the sky at an impressive speed—the force of his departure ripping a hole through the clouded sky.

Dandan could only watch them disappeared into the stomp sphere far out of sight.

Since Ace's death Dandan had never cried or drank as much than that night. She could feel her heart shredding at the thought of her youngest foster son's pain. Remembering when he first left the island waving off telling him he was leaving to go on an adventure. Now he returned to her a mass murderer who lost his family, and worst of all— she feared the worst was yet to come.

She fell on her knees in the middle of her room wracked with sobs.

Her idiotic, naive, childish son had grown to be a man and find happiness and love. In one instant it was taken away. Now he was ready to unleash his vengeance to anyone who opposed him.

"Oh Luffy, I'm so sorry... that no one can save you..." The old nan said collapsing from emotional exhaustion. The last thing on her mind was Luffy smiling telling her he was going on an adventure to be strong like Ace. She imagined that version of Luffy finding love and raising a family. It was nice for her to dream, but that's what it would only be— a dream.