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Monkey D. Luffy leaves the world quietly.
It's peaceful; He spends his last days in bed, the hours slipping through his fingers as he dozes off, too tired to do much more than listen when others speak. He picks at his food, rice and soups and smoothies Sanji lovingly prepares to Chopper's strict instructions.
He can't eat much meat; He doesn't have the energy to complain about that.
He's quiet, growing more so by the minute. The crew can do nothing but watch, can't help except to be there, keep him company for as long as they can.
Monkey D. Luffy leaves the world in a way completely different from how he lived in it.
There was no grand battle, no opponent strong enough to finally defeat him... Unless one would count life itself.
Perhaps it is simply the curse of the Pirate King, to die young. Perhaps the universe decided this is the price for reaching the mythical last island. Perhaps Luffy has always been meant to leave at this time, and his achievements meant nothing in the face of that.
He leaves his crew behind, but they can't begrudge him. Luffy hates being alone, they all know that; As much as they hate losing him, it is better than if he has to lose them first.
Zoro keeps watch; He doesn't leave Luffy for a moment, unless someone else drags him away to tend to his body's needs. He sits by Luffy, letting his captain burrow into his side, seeking the comfort none of them could truly bring him.
Nami doesn't have much work; There aren't many new lands to map when you're not having any new adventures. They've already consulted with Torao, they've already been by Drum Kingdom. All there's left to do is pass the time. She brings fresh tangerines, digs her nails into the plump fruits, fills the room with the citrusy smell even if Luffy can't eat more than a single piece a day.
Usopp drinks honey tea by the pitcher, making sure his throat is in tip-top condition. He's got hundreds of stories to tell, thousands of adventures he must share while Luffy is still there to hear them; his most enthusiastic listener. Usopp has two roles in the crew, being their sharpshooter and their liar, and with no enemy to snipe, he overcompensates on his other job, bringing all his best stories out for his captain.
Sanji spends a lot of time in the kitchen. He calls Zeff, the other Baratie cooks, even his sparse contacts on Momoiro Island or in Totto Land, asking for recipes. Asking for ways to make food delicious even when it has to be light, to make it full of energy even when the portions are small. It takes a while to get used to cooking smaller portions. The second day after Luffy falls sick, Sanji has to skip preparing new breakfast and lunch, just to make sure the leftovers don't pile up. He still catches himself reaching for the larger pots and pans, trying to buy far too much produce in the markets, waking up in the middle of the night, blearily making his way to the kitchen before realizing no one is trailing him while begging for food... The new recipes are a distraction. Sanji's not sure what he'll do when he no longer needs those.
Chopper splits his time between Luffy's bedside and the infirmary. They've kept their captain in there for a while, but eventually, he's been moved back to their room, to keep him closer to everyone. There is no reason why he would have to stay anywhere other than his own bed, despite Chopper's best efforts to prove otherwise. He conducts every test he knows how to and brings in others for the tests that aren't his forte. He brings in everyone he thinks could help; But neither Torao nor Marco, nor even Crocus or Kureha can think of a cure. This doesn't stop Chopper. He's the Strawhats' doctor, he's the doctor who can cure any disease. There's no such thing as an incurable disease, and he won't let his captain prove him wrong.
Robin is at a loss. Medicine has never been her forte, and there isn't much she can contribute when compared to the greatest doctors in the world. There's no convenient poneglyph to translate, one which would explain what is wrong with Luffy and detail how to cure him. Her strengths aren't of use to her captain, but she creates a task for herself anyways. She finds rare encyclopedias, atlases of bugs, and brings them to Luffy's bedside whenever Usopp runs out of words. She reads through the pages, lets Luffy stare at the images with sparkling - if fading, fading so quickly - eyes, lets him declare his next dream in a weak croak. He's already the King of the Pirates; he should have a massive palace filled to the brim with all the bugs in the world! He says. Robin believes he can achieve such a goal, wholeheartedly, and she tells him such. She believes him, even though she knows he won't.
Franky tries to make Luffy more comfortable. Any little trinket, any small invention that might improve his quality of life, if Luffy as much as wonders how cool something would be, Franky will spend the night in the workshop and bring a finished prototype over the very next morning. He doesn't much care about the aesthetics of it, about polishing the designs; He doesn't have time for things like that. His inventions are for his captain’s use; He'll sacrifice the looks for functionality. There's a lot he would sacrifice for his captain, but trade-offs in his inventions are the only exchanges he has any control over.
Brook knows his role. He's the crew's musician, a task his captain specifically wanted him to fill, so his job is obvious. The moment Luffy is put on bedrest, Brook is there by his side, violin in hand. He plays while Usopp and Robin talk, and he sings when they don't. Thanks to his fruit, he doesn't need to sleep, his muscles don't cramp, he doesn't need to take breaks... He's never been as grateful for having it as he was in those few weeks, when it allowed him to remind Luffy of his crew's love for him without any interruption, for as long as Luffy can listen.
Jinbe, like Sanji, can't leave his post much. As a helmsman, it's his responsibility to guide the Thousand Sunny through the seas, finding the quickest and safest paths to wherever they may wish to go. He leads the ship where Nami points to, ensuring the calmest of passages for his captain, the one he disbanded his own crew to follow. He delivers them to doctor after doctor and, when the time comes, he delivers them to the East Blue.
Sabo arrives days after they call him, exhausted after using his devil fruit non-stop, powering his little skiff to go as fast as it possibly could. The desperation to make it in time, to be by his brother's side, made everything else feel insignificant. He barely takes the time to tie Striker to the Sunny, making it onto the deck in a single jump and never stopping moving until he gets to Luffy. Sabo climbs into the bed, burrows himself against Luffy's side, holds his brother tight enough to almost pull him out of the embrace of death, and only then listens to their words again. Hears the conclusion. Refuses to acknowledge it. He lost ten years; He lost Ace. Luffy isn't allowed to leave yet.
Garp arrives soon after, on his old Marine ship. The crew debates hotly what to do, whether to attack, the moment the dog figurehead appears on the horizon. So hotly, in fact, that they don't notice Garp's arrival until he's already crashing into the deck, making the whole ship sway wildly. He, like Sabo, doesn't listen to a word they say. He makes a beeline for his grandson, looking at him intensely from the doorstep, weirdly solemn in his tropical shirt. Just like the other Pirate King, he shakes his head. And Luffy better not leave him a brat to care for! He's much too old for that. And no executions- The crew is bewildered to hear that. But Luffy just giggles, the weak shishishi nothing like his typical laughter. 'M not gonna let marines do it, he says. That's stupid. Garp just nods. Good, he says. Leaves soon after; To prepare folks on Dawn, he tells them, which is when they finally set their destination.
Koby doesn't. Leave, that is. He arrives on Garp's ship, Helmeppo in tow, and doesn't even blink when the man passes him after loudly announcing his departure. Garp pauses, thumps Koby on the back hard enough to make him stumble, and continues on his way. Koby stays behind, moving to hold Luffy's hand with tears in his eyes. He laughs when Luffy calls him a crybaby. He cries when Nami explains there's nothing anyone can do to help. His presence becomes a regular part of the Sunny.
Shanks comes to visit. He seems surprised at the sight of a Rear Admiral, but doesn't let that stop him, heading straight for Luffy. His son boy struggles to raise his arms up, taking the strawhat off with care, offering it to Shanks with shaking hands. Shanks accepts the hat, pressing it against his chest. Brushes it off against his shirt a little, just to have something to do with his hand. He thinks. Taking a step forward, he leans down, presses a kiss against Luffy's forehead and stuffs the hat back on his head. You've become a great pirate, he says. The greatest, even. You made that strawhat a part of your legend; I think it likes you better, now. It makes Luffy huff in amusement, no longer strong enough to even giggle. Shanks hides his thoughts behind a smile. How he already passed his legacy once. How Luffy was meant to outlive him. How he doesn't think his shoulders could bear the weight of that hat back on his head, an endless reminder of who he lost. How maybe he should have never given Luffy that hat in the first place, if this is how the story ends. He doesn't voice any of those thoughts. He just sticks around.
Law arrives shortly afterwards. Or, rather, returns. He's already come once before, when Luffy was still in the early stages of his illness, working with Chopper towards figuring out a treatment plan. He kept in contact through the Den Den Mushi while he was gone, his submarine letting him reach places too far away for Sunny to reach on short notice. Law spends the interim checking in with every medical professional and every even minutely relevant paper. He returns with empty hands, but Luffy doesn't seem to mind. He just says that empty hands are better to hug with. Despite all the fuss Law usually pulled at being hugged... When Luffy is stuck in bed and unable to pounce, Law voluntarily puts himself in the hugging range, even if that means getting within mere inches of Luffy.
They decide against the insanity of the Reverse Mountain. They make it just close enough to let Luffy see Laboon again, supported as he was by Zoro and Koby, before turning around towards East. Polar Tang pulls them across the Calm Belt; Red Force sails beside them, Shanks' Haki keeping the Sea Kings at bay. They arrive on Dawn in record time.
Party's Bar is completely changed. All the tables and chairs are pushed to one side and a massive bedding is prepared in the corner, large enough to fit Luffy and anyone who might wish to join him.
All the Bandits are already there, Makino and Dadan having taken charge over the preparations. The village all came together, preparing food and space to sleep for more people than the island had ever seen in its entire existence.
There's other people already waiting for them, too. A group from Cocoyashi, led by Nojiko. Kaya, with a select few from Syrup island. Mihawk has shown up, though he claims he just ferried Perona. He doesn't mention Crocodile's presence, and Crocodile feels no need to explain himself either; He's just there. Dragon, too, is amongst the few already waiting, having arrived alongside Ivankov, Bon Chan, and a select few Revolutionaries. Vivi brought an entire delegation from Alabasta. Rebecca brings another, all the way from Dressrosa.
The Kuja crew arrives shortly after the Strawhats themselves, Shakky and Rayleigh having caught a lift with them. Boa's solemnity is, perhaps, the biggest sign of how seriously the world is taking Luffy's illness. They bring some remedies with them; Herbal, fungal, some things endemic to the Amazon Lily and some things which Rayleigh has spent twenty years collecting. None of it has much effect, but it helps, somewhat.
Bartolemeo arrives on the Going Luffy, select few of the officers joining him in Foosha while the rest of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet surround the island, observing from a distance.
The Fishman Island sends a ship, too. Shirahoshi has somehow convinced her father to let her come; She tells Luffy it’s because she would have regretted it if she didn’t come talk to him one last time. Luffy grins in response to that, his eyes squinting in happiness.
There comes a delegation from Wano; Momo, Yamato and O-Tama all crowding around Luffy’s bed and telling him of the changes Wano has undergone ever since his last visit. They reiterate that Luffy has freed them; That there are no outstanding promises he has with any of them. Luffy seems to appreciate the reminder.
Even Totto Land makes a token appearance, though it remains uncertain whether Katakuri and Pudding are acting in any official capacity or out of their own volition. It doesn’t change the fact that they both pay their respects, mentioning how different life is when Big Mom is no longer leading them.
The final one to arrive is Marco, alongside the remains of the Whitebeard crew. He brings with himself perhaps the only gift that would mean anything to Luffy at this point: he brings everything they have left of Ace. The knife, the bead necklace, the hat; Luffy gathers enough energy to speak when he sees them. The knife, he asks Sabo to keep. The beads, he asks Marco to safekeep. The hat, he presses to his chest and refuses to let go of.
It’s almost as if that’s the last thing Luffy’s waiting for. He sighs in satisfaction, a small smile dancing on his lips, and closes his eyes.
He doesn’t open them again.
Monkey D. Luffy leaves the world surrounded by all his friends and family; Yet another way in which his death differs from his life.
Sabo is the one to carry his body to the boat; He can’t help but feel like it should have been Ace - carrying Luffy on his back when he can’t do it himself, just like he did back when they were children - but in his absence, Sabo doesn’t let anyone else fill in those shoes. They’re loose on his feet, the time he spent with Luffy a mere blink of an eye compared to the years Ace was his big brother, but he has to do it. To live without regrets; Out of all the promises he's broken, he's determined to keep at least that one.
Luffy’s body is laid gently in the shallow dinghy, not unlike the one he has set sail on. Back then, only Makino and Dadan and Woodslap watched him go, a few of the villagers hanging around in curiosity.
This time, the shore almost isn’t large enough to fit everyone.
They lay his flag over his body and cover him in flowers; Pile them in until only Luffy’s face is left visible. There’s other tokens of their affection mixed in, as well. Not everyone puts something in, but all the Strawhats do. Sanji for his part, prepares a pirate lunch; The very last one he’ll ever make with his captain in mind. Nami gives him her tangerines. The others hide their gifts underneath the petals, keeping them just for their captain.
Garp and Shanks are the ones to drag the boat out into the sea. They get it just far enough to reach the deeper sea; From that point, the Lord of the Coast takes over the reins, pulling Luffy’s boat further away from the shore.
Sogeking makes a brief appearance; The crew can’t think of a better person to shoot the projectile setting the boat on fire. It feels almost nostalgic; Only this time, they can’t just declare war on the world to keep one of theirs from dying.
The sun sets as the flames devour the small boat. Red spreads over the sky, following the last rays of light disappearing over the horizon.
The fire dies, ashes spreading over the waters. The sun disappears, darkness falling fast. Luffy is gone, leaving them all behind.
Half of them never expected to outlive him.
Monkey D. Luffy leaves the world with a boat filled with tokens of love. The world is left with nothing but a memory of his smile impressed upon thousands of hearts.
Most of the visitors leave within the next day or two; They have their own responsibilities they neglected for long enough to attend the funeral, but life goes on, even if that doesn’t feel true for a handful of them.
The Strawhats, in particular, seem at a loss for what to do with themselves. It’s understandable; they’ve dedicated years of their life to following their captain’s every whim. The Straw Hat Grand Fleet are in a similar boat; Luffy never officially gave them any orders, but they still acted in his name.
What do you do when the light of your life goes out? Do the same thing as always, is the answer the Fleet settles on. Mope on an East Blue island, seems to be the answer for the core crew.
As much as he would like to follow their lead, Sabo can’t afford to do the same. He takes Luffy’s strawhat and Ace’s hat before venturing out into the jungle, his feet carrying him through the familiar path towards their old treehouse.
It’s in disrepair, but it still stands firm. Sabo doesn’t need it to be habitable; He just needs it to be safe enough.
He places the two hats side by side on the old pallet they used as their bed. There’s a moment of contemplation - trying to decide if it’s okay to do, if he has the right - before he pulls off his own top hat, resting it next to theirs.
Sabo can’t join his brothers, not yet. There’s far too much to do, still. They'll just have to wait for him a little longer, but he's sure they won't mind. He leaves shortly after, but the hats remain; Finally together, at least in some manner.
Monkey D. Luffy leaves the world, but his legacy remains behind.
