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Luffy takes a deep breath, before letting out a content sigh. It's nice to be here, napping with Sabo. To have Sabo with him and close enough to nap with, whenever he wants. Luffy spent so many years, missing this. Missing him. Not being able to turn and see Sabo. Or even just knowing that Sabo is out there, living his own dream.
It's so good, having his brother back.
But what's missing hurts too, the yearning climbing into Luffy's head like an unwelcome visitor. Except not, cause Luffy doesn’t actually want to stop missing Ace. It hurts, but that pain is a lot of what he has left.
The fact that there should be three people napping here. That Ace never got to know Sabo is alive. Sabo didn’t know Ace when he wasn't angry. It all hurts. (Luffy loves time alone with Sabo. It's also when he aches the most.)
He was never supposed to lose Ace. That loss, that failure, that betrayal echoes through him so much sometimes, his hands tremble and his chest hurts.
Ace promised not to die. Promises should be kept.
A promise is a link. A claim. The thought comes from somewhere deep, something like instinct and knowing and power. Inside him but also slightly not. Luffy frowns slightly, poking at it.
It comes from the bright place. The place of sun and freedom and power that he’s only really known about since he discovered Gear 5. That some people say makes him a god.
Luffy isn’t really interested in being a god. He's the Pirate King and that's all he's ever wanted to be.
Still, as he pokes, something pokes back. Responds to his want with just a nudge.
Luffy can claim divinity. That comes with power.
And with knowledge. There is something there. The world is driven by dreams and Luffy is the freest man in the world. He can chase down any dream he wants. Luffy doesn’t quite understand what he's doing, but he still reaches out desperately for understanding. Hope a sudden and desperate and burning thing, painful. But Luffy doesn’t flinch from pain.
Ace, he thinks. Demands of his Devil Fruit, his instincts. How?
Price and sacrifice emerge in his mind. It can be done, if Luffy is willing to do it. Luffy is dreams and freedom and desire, he is power and this is within his. If he will pay the price. End a million, million dreams. All to save the life of one. To return what has been lost.
“He's my brother.” Luffy speaks it to himself. To the thing inside of him. It's the only thing that matters.
Luffy is free. He can put his own dreams first. And he's a pirate, not a hero.
“Luffy? Everything okay?” Sabo still sounds sleepy, Luffy must have woken him up. He knows how he smells right now, kinda. All burning sun and heat and determination and power. Buzzing through his veins, telling him that he can do this.
Fix where he failed years ago..
But this is about Sabo too. Most people, Luffy wouldn't bother asking. Would just take. But he can't do that to Sabo.
“Sabo.” Luffy can't tell what exactly his voice sounds like, it echoes slightly in his ears. And when did he sit up? Whatever he sounds like though, Sabo sits up immediately. Eyes landing on Luffy, and he follows Sabo's gaze to see where his hair has gone white. “Do you trust me?”
“Always. Maybe not with little things, but…” Sabo shrugs, but Luffy doesn’t hear doubt in his voice. Good. Luffy doesn’t know what doubt would do now, but he doesn’t think it would be good.
“What would you do for Ace?”
“Anything.” The reply is instant, Sabo not even having to think about it. “Luffy, what's-”
He sounds confused, but Luffy has stopped listening. Instead reaching out, grabbing hold of Sabo and pulling. Except Luffy doesn’t touch skin. He reaches deeper. Watches as fire comes to Sabo's skin, as the power of the Flame-Flame fruit makes him into living fire.
The thing so many people have dreamed of being.
“Let go.” It's a command. Luffy isn’t even sure who it's for, his voice layered in haki and heat and something he can't define. Sabo still listens, Luffy can feel it. Because Sabo trusts him and Luffy said this is for Ace.
It's not enough. Luffy concentrates, pulling harder. And slowly, it begins to give. Sabo begins to return to flesh and bone, fire instead dancing across the surface of his skin.
That won't do. It all needs to be together, Luffy knows. So his hands reach out, brushing over Sabo until all the flames are collected in his hands. Until he can press and press and the flames in his hands form the shape of a fruit.
A logia. A dream and many held in his hands.
Luffy presses down harder and they twist but he doesn’t let them go. All his strength and power and love and hope and will, put into his own two hands as he pushes against the embodiment of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
And.
It.
Shatters.
Luffy feels heavy, so heavy. But he isn't done. He can feel it. Something's been broken but nothing's been fixed.
So he opens his hands and breathes across his palms, on the little shards of Flame glowing there. Come back, come home, I love you. Need you.
Sabo, he vaguely feels pressed against him. Shivering but also keeping Luffy standing. The two of them doing this together is right, Luffy knows it somehow. Sabo will be fine.
Just a few more minutes.
Luffy's lungs empty of air, but he still keeps blowing. Until all of the sparks are off his hands, a glowing pile on the floor. And he wills, even as his hair becomes so white it's no longer just white.
“Come back. Keep your promise.” It doesn't count as dying if it doesn't stick.
The embers waver, shifting and forming. A shape, a bright glow that Luffy doesn’t dare look away from. He thinks he hears something. Laughter? Is that coming from him?
Not important.
Because the form becomes more visible, the light slowly dimming. A shocked, familiar face looks back at him from where the remnants of the Flame-Flame fruit danced. Laughing becomes crying as Luffy throws himself forward.
Into arms that catch him by reflex, even as everything goes black.