Work Text:
"Luffy we're coming near a slave ship in a few minutes" Nami informed the crew that were all gathered in the kitchen.
Luffy sitting at the head of the table with robin next to him holding a cup of tea brook besdie her, Usopp and chopper on sitting side by side talking about who knows what with franky, sanji cooking something for the crew and zoro sitting beside the door on the floor with law standing a few feet from him.
Anyone can tell the atmosphere in the room was tense. The usually cheerful straw hat captain was putting on a serious face that was only reserved for an especially cruel enemy that hurt one of his.
Without missing a beat Luffy stood up
"Zoro, Sanji, Torao lets go" he said as he walked out receiving a nod from each of them following the captain out with the others tailing behind.
Luffy stood at the head of sunny staring at the gloomy looking ship a head of them. "What can you feel strawhat-ya?" Standing beside him, kikoku in hand ready to use.
"Five people , all weak. But one small one..." Was all he replied not even glancing at his friend? Guest?
"You think its him??" Sanji voiced from behind, lighting up a cigarette.
All four staring ahead as the ship got closer
"I dont know" he said as he jumped on sunny's head holding on to his strawhat.
That day was an unusual day for the straw hats , with no bickering cook and swords man, no captain screaming for food or even the gunner and doctor running around the deck. it was a quiet, eerie and tense day.
Ship after ship They've destroyed leaving only one left.
When the ship got closer enough the three stood straight, ready to jump to battle just waiting for a signal from the captain.
"Let's go" He said , and with one final adjust to his straw hat he jumped across the ocean landing gracefully on the other ship with Three thumps following a few seconds later.
The small group walked silently with luffy leading. Footsteps light as to not let anyone hear, they head straight into the eerie ship. No one spoke a word or even questioned the captain as to where he was going, they just followed.
The captain lead the group deep into the ship, stopping in front of a single door where noises could be heard coming from the other side .
"Stop please stop, I cant take anymore pleasee" came a broken voice from behind the door.
Hearing the broken plead luffy's darken to a look never before seen by the crew, making the tree become tense. They could physically feel the murderous aura he's emitting.
Taking a deep breath, and with one single kick he broke down the door making it fly off its rusty hinges .
at the noise the occupants of the small humid room turned to what was once the door.
On the floor lay a small naked black head surrounded 5 fat old men in all stages of dressed.
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!!" bearded fat guy 1 demanded raising to his feet, grabbing a gun from beside him.
From the scene in front of them none of the four had to think to much to know what was going place.
Their faces darken, no one more that Luffy's.
Taking a small step Luffy gave the five fat men a single glance before focusing on the small body on the floor.
Hand tightly clenched to the side he held back the urge to just kill the five right then and there.
"Sanji , zoro" The captain voiced ignoring the rooms occupants all standing to their feet
" Take them out and kill them " voice dark with fury he gave the orders
"aye aye captain" The duo chorused walking to the front and without breaking a sweat dragged the five fat guys screaming and fighting out of the room, leaving their captain and law with the small boy?
'sniff' 'sniff' the body on the floor curled in himself, shaking and crying. muttering to himself "Please don't hurt me" over and over again.
Luffy walked closer to the boy/man? taking a closer look to make sure.
Standing a few steps form said body, Luffy could see small freckles on his face. Barely noticeable in his dirty state.
"Ace....?" voice so small, afraid of frightening him more. Luffy's face was indescribable, something between murder and self blame.
The small body stiffen, head slowly looking up eyes swollen and filled with tears, face filled with bruises and cuts he looked up to the man in front of him. Eyes wide recognition clear in his face "Lu-Luffy??" He sobbed out trying to sit up straight to get a better look ,unfortunately his skinny bones had no strength in them and he fell back.
but before he could hit the floor, warm soft arms surround him cradling him. Luffy cradled the small body, who is much too light.
"Ace" luffy said looking at the shaking man in his arms, making him look up as more tears gather in his eyes.
"Luffy..." He sobbed out, voice soo hoarse and broken it tore Luffy heart.
Luffy hugged ace tighter to him , as if he could make all the bad things disappear.
"Luffyyy Luffyy Luf-" Ace cried wrapping his hands around him as sobs racked his body.
"It's okay now, I've got you. I'm gonna protect you" voice so soft he hushed the sobbing man in his arms.
furiously nodding, tears streaming down his face. His body start to still, knowing what's happening Luffy held ace closer " I love you Ace" he said as the blackhead was swept into a sleep attack.
Luffy waited a few seconds to make sure Ace was asleep, he stood up carrying him bridal style.
"Is it truly him" Law asked as he draped a white cloth on Ace's naked body.
"Yeah" Luffy said , eyes fixed on the body in his arms. He looked at law and gave a nod as thanks.
Luffy slowly walk out the room careful as to not jolts the body in his arms. Law shadowing behind they walked up to the deck.
Light rain falling on the deck, he adjust the cloth so that it entirely covers the body. He walked out into the rain, droplets falling on his straw hat.
The deck was clear of any fat men. Only the cook and first mate stood silently watching the captain "Is that him"
the green hair asked addressing the body in his captain's arm , to which he was given a small nod.
The duo stared at the small bundle in his arms as Luffy took careful steps to the edge of the ship , the rest slowly fallowing behind.
Luffy jumped on the railing and with a little more adjustment to the small bundle, he once again jumped across the ocean and onto sunny's head.
The occupants on sunny stayed silent as luffy made a beeline for the infirmary.
"Is that him" Nami softly asked the cook walking towards her as she watcher her captain with the small bundle in his arms, face filled with concern.
The cook gave a nod , also looking at the strawhat man.
"Is he going to be okay" Nami continued, hugging herself seeing the look on luffy's face
lighting a cigarette and taking a deep inhale sanji stood closer to nami " I don't know" he answered.
who she was referring to didn't matter, as the answer complied to the both of them .
"We'll be there for the both of them" Robin said , side hugging the navigator who was close to tears .
"We will" Zoro commented sitting on the floor beside brook who was silently tuning his violin.
no one commented that he had done it multiple times already.
"I'll go contact koala-chan" Nami said running to the navigation room.
"Where's Robo-ya and Nose-ya??" Law asked from the side
"They're getting a room ready for him" came the answer.
"Lay him on the bed please" Chopper said as he got everything ready.
Luffy as carefully as he could laid his precious bundle on the bed and sat on the chair right next to it, still holding Ace's hand. As if letting go would make him fade away
After setting everything up chopped folded the cloth to reveal a battered body, cuts and bruises scattred all around his body in all stages of healing.
Chopper let out a small gasp looking at the frail body already getting to work.
Luffy all the while sat there not taking his eyes of his brother, hand tightly in his.
It was a silent few hours as chopper finishes up on his patient.
"Luffy... " chopper started as he cleaned up his tools. Luffy not even looking up to acknowledge the small doctor.
with a sight he continued "I'll be truth full. He's in a terrible state" he jumped down from his little stool to take a clean blanket, carefully draping it across Ace hiding the bandages on his frail body.
"He's severely malnourished, has a few cracked ribs, some broken bones that didn't set properly that we have to deal with later, a couple of infections, and there were multiple injuries and scars on his genitals..." He took a deep breath looking at his captain
"He was raped Luffy... multiple times" He slowly said waiting for a reaction from his captain.
But he didnt give any, he just sat there looking at his big brother broken and battered on the bed peacefully asleep.
"How long was he there" Luffy whispered , afraid of waking the blackhead.
Chopper thought for a couple of seconds , putting it all together to give a time line "With them I dont know. But the abuse have been going on for at least 2 years " He gave an answer to his silent captain.
"Physically with some treatment a long bed rest plus a healthy diet he'll be fine" Chopper continued, ignoring his silent captain.
"But mentally... only time can tell" He gave his final diagnosis as he finishes cleaning up his equipment, washing his hoofs??hands?? in the sink.
"I'll go start the diet menu with sanji..." He gave one last look to his captain who's gaze never left Ace's
"He'll be out for a while..." Chopper said as he left the two brothers alone.
Luffy just stared at his brother for minutes after Chopper left. With a small sigh he stood up got in the bed with his brother and laid there with him, like they used to when they were kids in the tree house.
Luffy hugged Ace to him, putting his head on his brother's ignoring the greasy and matted hair,
"I'll kill them. I'll kill the ones who did this to you. I promise" He muttered darkly in the balck hair
"I Love you ace" He said as he kissed the top of his head.
The room was silent apart from the light snoring from Ace. Luffy even after a few hours didn't fall asleep, he just laid there holding his brother waiting for him to wake up.
What happens then...?? He doesn't know.
Purupuru Purupuru 'click'
"....Did he find him..." asked a male. voice filled with concern, worry and sadness.
waiting a few seconds Nami replied " Yeah...Luffy found him"
slowly tears start to form on the snail, sobs coming from the blond on the other end.
"He found Ace..." He said ,voice broke at the end.
Nami gave a sad smile to the sobbing snail. "We found him Sabo, Chopper's looking at him right now"
At that the blond just cried even harder
"ACEEEEE" he sobbed out
"Can you pass it to koala-chan ,so I can arrange a meet up"
"Sure" he said hiccupping ever so slightly
"Koala here, so I take it you guys found him"She said.
"Yeah... when do you think you'll get here??" Nami asked as she gave their coordinats
Koala gave a humm and she figured it out " We'll be there tomorrow, assuming this idot wants to set sail immediately" She gave a sigh
"Thanks Nami"
'kachak'
"He found him koala" Sabo sobbed hugging koala, tears staining her shirt.
Koala gave him a soft hug "Yeah... he found him."
"Two months of seraching, we finally found him" He cried, holding onto koala's like a ...koala
"He's gonna be fine now" koala said trying to calm down her partner.
"Now let go , I have to contact Dragon-san"