Bonds and Feels

After sailing for a week we finally docked at another island, I went off on my own and looked around. Maybe hoping to find some clue of how to get home, I slid my hands into my pockets and sighed as my eyes drifted up to the sky. 'It should be mother's birthday in a few days, that is if time, days, months, and years work the same here as they do in my universe. I could end up finding a way back only for it to be fifty years in the future or something,' my face twisted. 'That would mean I'd be seventy-four…' Shaking my head, I glanced at the wanted poster on the wall next to me.

My brows furrowed as I stopped and turned towards it, "Blue flame? That's a stupid name." I looked at my face on the poster. "How'd they even take that?" My gaze drifted down to the bounty "100,000 beri? That seems like a lot but I don't know if the equivalence of this universe's currency is the same as my universe, my best guess is maybe, but I could be totally wrong."

Shrugging, I continued my walk down the street; glancing around at the different shops and buildings as I snuck next to a fruit box and grabbed an apple unnoticed. I slid the fruit into my pocket as I continued, after I got further from most of the people I took the apple out and ate.

"'Scuse me young man, but you didn't steal that apple. Did you?" I heard a voice behind me as I stopped and slightly turned my head,

"Nope, you can check my pouch. I'm 5 beri short of what I had before." I told him as his eyebrow raised slightly. "You can go back and ask the lady if you don't believe me, I left the money on the counter." His eyebrows furrowed, eyes drifting from me for a few seconds as his brows relaxed and a sly smirk appeared.,

"Even if you paid for the apple, you are a wanted man." He pointed some place, my eyes drifting as I noticed my wanted poster hanging on the wall.

Sighing "Well, shit. The notoriety before was pretty nice, considering I don't have a lot back home." I whispered the last part. Glancing back at him, I watched as he grabbed the two giant... Pocky's? From his back, I blinked for a second and when I looked again, they were covered in some sort of black steel.

My brows furrowed "Hand over that 100,000 beri bounty!" he shouted as he charged at me. My eyes widened as I quickly dropped the apple and took off towards the ship.

"Why the hell do you have pocky's that big?!? And why are they suddenly covered in black steel?!?" The question drifted off into the air with no response as I sent a wave of blue flames towards him, he used the black steel pocky's, blocking my attack. "Tch, why is everything so weird in this universe? First the devil fruits, then that navy guy, and now this guy with his black steel pocky's."

Quickly turning down into an alleyway, I sent a wave of flames towards him before running to shake him off. Glancing down the different pathways, I noticed Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp heading back to the ship. I rushed towards them, turning towards them while still moving backwards.

"Dabi?" Usopp was the first to speak.

"I think you guys should start running, he's pretty fast." Chuckling as I turned back around to keep running.

"Get back here bounty!" The guy shouted as they all started running, I couldn't help but laugh out loud as we ran to the ship. It was just a wave of nostalgia, me and the League running from the heroes as we always somehow lost them. Toga always managed to knick a few with her needles, I always burned a few, Shig dusted some arms, and Compress put a few in marbles. It was always fun, my smile faded a bit with a sigh.

'There's been this thought in the back of my mind, that. What if I can't get home? I won't see them again, I won't see anyone from my universe again…'

Shaking my head as I jumped onto the ship, everyone ran around trying to set sail as I watched the pocky guy. Once he got close enough, I concentrated a constant wave of fire towards him.

"Hold him off Dabi!" Usopp shouted as I clicked my tongue.

"That's what I'm doing!" Shouting back, my fingers tingled, my nerves were slowly heating up, it was a clear sign that I wouldn't be able to keep doing this for much longer. I pushed on anyway, Chopper will definitely chew my ear out later. The ship finally started moving as my flames unconsciously heated up, my nerves sparked as my arms slightly shook.

My breath was slightly unsteady as a shock of pain shot through my right arm, my flames immediately dissipated with a grunt as I grabbed my arm. Focusing on my breathing a bit, trying to flatten it out. I glanced down at my hand and arm as a pained sigh escaped me, the smell of burnt flesh was more noticeable now. Shaking my arms a bit as I messed with my fingers; I sat down on the stairs as my eyes stayed plastered on my hands. Glancing up, my eyes met Luffy's; he sat next to me as he watched my hands.

"Does your power hurt you?" A soft chuckle left me before I could fully process his words.

"Yeah, the unfortunate event of my body being perfectly resistant to cold, yet vulnerable to my own fire." Clasping my hands, I looked up at the sky, "Guess that just means I'm weak, or unlucky... Maybe both, considering." I trailed off when Luffy suddenly got up and moved in front of me, my brows furrowed when he suddenly bashed his head into mine. Falling back, I pressed a hand to my forehead, "What the hell was that for?!?" shouting as I looked at him, I paused after seeing his dark eyes and deep frown.

"If you're weak then train, so what if you're unlucky? Just try again, if you lose, get back up. If you win, then celebrate and fight again, if your friends are in trouble then fight until they aren't, if you're in trouble then count on your friends to save you. Count on them to help when you're weak or unlucky, don't just lay down and take it. If you do that, then you're less than weak, weak means there is a chance to grow, but giving up and taking what the world gives you shows you don't care, it means that you don't think what you say or do has any effect or meaning."

He said as I stared at him wordlessly; my head fell low as my eyes studied the wood. Lightly chuckling, I sighed. "It's like seeing a mix of Shoto and greeny." Smiling softly as I looked up at his perplexed expression, standing up and patting his head I replied. "Alright, I get it. Don't get so passionately angry." My hands slid into my pockets as I disappeared to the aquarium.

As I thought, Chopper chewed my ear out after checking up on my arms. I fully expected it, but that didn't make it any less annoying. At least the smell of burnt flesh had almost completely dissipated, though the smell that replaced it was a heavy medical smell. I was just glad I didn't smell like a corpse anymore, I also finally got a bed for myself. Well, hammock. Not that it was bad, it was better than sleeping on the streets or floor.

Luffy seemed a bit distracted whenever he looked at me now, I think it might have to do with what happened yesterday. Sitting down, I leaned against the log as Luffy sat down beside me, "What's up? You've been looking off whenever you see me. Do I remind you of someone?" Taking a chance, he sat silently for a bit before responding with a question.

"Who's Shoto?" I chuckled.

"Hey, I asked first." Looking at him, I noticed the interest shining in his eyes. Sighing, "You kind of remind me of him, just a mix of someone else as well. He's my younger brother, though he has ice and fire powers."

I replied as he turned his head "What's he like?"

'What's he like? Hm, he's the better, less, yet still fucked up part of us. Dads dream maker.'

"He's mostly quiet, strong, determined, I haven't seen him for a while though. He's probably a lot stronger." Looking up at the sky with a soft smile. "You two would probably get along." My head turned towards him, a small smile lifted his face.

"Ace... He was my older brother." He replied, his tone happy but with an underlying sadness.

"Did he have fire powers?" The question came easy, he nodded 'I see... That's why he looked at my flames like that, and why he was looking at me that way.' "He probably cared for you a lot." Smiling softly, he returned it and nodded, stretching my arm out towards him, I created a small flame.

He stared at it for a few minutes before looking up at me; clasping my hand shut, the flame extinguished. He suddenly hugged me as my body tensed up at the unexpected contact, my eyes burned a bit as my hands rested on his back. 'Not being able to cry certainly has its ups and downs.' Sighing softly, my arms tightened around him unconsciously, my head resting on his shoulder. 'Shoto..'