Chapter Text
The Grand Line is a mysterious place, one of questionable qualities that doesn't necessarily follow the laws of nature. For example, Reverse Mountain. The weather patterns. The types of people you meet also vary. You could be sailing for hours and not see a single cloud in the sky, wind breezing in the sails of your ship and waters calm, and within seconds your ship could be torn apart by a raging storm, waves hundreds of feet tall crashing against the hull and washing over the ship.
Foggy or misty weather is also questionable, and advised against breathing in. Especially if it's any color, like the blue mist that's gently cascading over Luffy, who's taking a nap on his favorite spot on the Going Merry, the sheep figurehead. Nami, who was relaxing on the deck, screeches in panic at the mysterious mist, successfully catching the attention of two others on deck, Chopper and Sanji.
The reindeer doctor panics, "Who's hurt?!" he yells, and Sanji does a noodle dance, "NAMI-CHWAN ARE YOU OKAY?!" He yells, immediately by her side.
"Get Luffy away from that mist!" She shrieks, wide eyes at her captain, who hasn't woken up from their yelling. Sanji immediately complies to her order, and Chopper holds her leg, "What's wrong with the mist?" He innocently questions, worried. Nami taps her foot against the wooden ground, "It's weird, there shouldn't be any colored mist anywhere, I'm worried it might be poison!" She tells the small doctor, who gasps.
When Sanji drags the unconscious rubber captain back onto the deck, the reindeer immediately starts checking over him. Checking his eyes for dilation, looking for physical injuries, hearing for irregular breathing, etc. Nami stands by, nervous. Had she just steered her captain to his doom? Chopper exhales in relief, making Nami also relax, and Sanji asks, "Will he be okay?"
Chopper looks at the two, "I don't know," he answers honestly, "I can't find anything physically wrong with him, I think it just knocked him out." He tells them, "We'll just need to keep an eye on him and go from there," he fidgets and sighs.
"Can you bring him to the men's cabin for me?" The young doctor asks Sanji, who grumbles something they couldn't hear before complying, hiking Luffy onto his back and bringing the captain to the requested room.
Hopefully Luffy's okay, Nami worries.
Luffy yawns and stretches, hearing his back give a loud pop and sighing in relief. He scratches his head and looks around.
Uh, this isn't the treehouse? Where is he?! He panics and flails, small arms stretching before he remembers. Oh, he's on the Merry with his crew! Wasn't he in the treehouse with Ace and Sabo though?
He furrows his brow, this doesn't make sense. He knows he was sleeping in the treehouse with his brothers, but he also knows he was napping on Merry's head, his favorite spot. He backtracks and tries to piece together the events he remembers, his brain overheating at the effort.
Okay, he was with Ace and Sabo, they hunted some alligator for dinner, Ace yelled at him for almost getting eaten, Sanji yelled at him for eating all the food-
No wait, that doesn't make sense!
He groans loudly and turns over, nearly falling out of his hammock. He rights himself and sighs in relief, that was a close one!
Chopper opens the cabin door at that moment, shrieking at the sight before him and nearly making Luffy fall from his hammock in shock. Why is Luffy smaller?! He looks like a baby! Is he younger too?!
"Oh!" Luffy yelps, surprised, "Hi Chopper! Do you know where Ace is?" He asks, he knows Ace was with him, maybe he got Ace to join his crew! Or maybe he knows what happened, since Luffy can't remember some things.
Chopper has no idea who Ace is, "Who's Ace?" He asks, genuinely curious. The Captain never mentioned someone named Ace before. Luffy purses his lips, he could've sworn he's told his nakama about his Aniki!
He opens his mouth, about to explain when Chopper facepalms, "I need to tell the crew!" He rushes out of the room, leaving the younger captain to himself.
Luffy pouts, he didn't let him explain!
Oh! He suddenly remembers, of course Ace isn't on his crew, he chastises himself, Ace wrote him a letter telling him about his own crew! And then he joined the Whitebeard pirates! How did he forget that? Hey, why doesn't he have any letters from Sabo?
He leans out of his hammock, trying to untangle himself safely, and ends up face-planting on the floor.
Nami then barges into the room, and they both stare at each other for a moment. "Luffy?" Nami whispers. The young boy that looks remarkably like her captain grins widely, "Hey Nami!" he greets, getting off the floor and bounding over to her. "Why're you so small?" She mutters, and Luffy only reaches her knees.
"I'm only seven!" He huffs, "Gimme a few years and I'll be taller than you!" he exclaims, shaking a fist at the navigator. Honestly, the nerve! He already gets enough from Ace about his height, now Nami too?!
"Hey, we should go find Ace!" He suddenly suggests, bouncing on his feet. He's been meaning to find out about Whitebeard, he's gotta make sure his Aniki is safe and happy with the old Jiji! If he isn't, he'll beat the geezer up!
"Who's Ace?" Nami tilts her head, confused. "My Aniki!" Luffy exclaims, exasperated. Did he really not mention him before? He continues on like he hadn't just stunned the navigator silent, "We gotta go get him! He's with the Whitebeard's and I gotta make sure he's happy!" He doesn't remember getting any other letter from Ace besides the one that said his original crew disbanded, he's gotta know what he's up to!
Nami deflates, "He's on a Yonko's crew?" she whimpers. Luffy sticks a finger in his ear, "Huh?" he smartly says, "Oh! Yeah, I guess so!" he laughs.
Luffy is literally insane, Nami internally cries, how can he casually suggest they go find a Yonko?! How is his brother on a Yonko crew?! Luffy suddenly speeds past her, intent on telling the rest of the crew they're about to go find his brother. And 'The Strongest Man in The World' by extension.