Chapter Text
You know the worst part about this? It’s becoming normal to me. And this normal kind of feels like ass.
Note to self: sleeping in a pile on a sparsely-grassed cliff actually fucking sucks.
“I think I displaced the bottom two rungs of my ribcage,” I groan, trying very hard not to turn my head and set off a cramp that’ll have me looking to the left at a 60° angle for the next ten minutes.
Someone had come and covered us up with blankets at some point in the night, but they did fuck all in terms of back support.
Vindictively, I’m glad it’s not just me suffering. Ace is pouting and rubbing at his lower back, and Sabo seems to be having more trouble than he should getting his feet to work in his chunky goth boots.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Luffy laughs, perfectly bouncy and animated despite the state of the rest of us.
I point an accusing finger at him. “You would’ve been fine if you slept with your neck at a perfect right angle, shut your fuck up.”
“Yeah Luffy, shut your fuck,” Ace seconds.
“This sounds like a skill issue to me,” Luffy whistles, rocking back and forth on his heels.
“Who taught you that?” I demand.
“You taught me that,” Luffy immediately replies.
Fuck girl did I do that? Goddamnit. Dumbass decision on my part.
“Had I not sworn the very fabric of my existence to your wellbeing, my GOD I’d murder you,” I grumble under my breath, turning my attention to the beach as we approach.
The Boa sisters and Gloriosa are back and talking with Rayleigh again, Jimbei hanging at the edge of the conversation, with a new cart of food to the side that Coin is currently pillaging fruit from while shooting pathetic kicked puppy looks over at where Gloriosa is completely ignoring him.
Law’s ship is also gone, vanished from the shores of Amazon Lily at some point when we weren’t paying attention, or sometime while we were still asleep.
“Coin better have gotten my shit before Law left, the Hokage was still in there,” I mutter to myself.
Ace makes a questioning hum, craning his neck down to hear me better. Ass.
“Law fucked off and didn’t even say a final heartfelt farewell, the dickhead,” I complain at a normal volume. “For a guy committed so thoroughly to a motif, he sure does shy away from the heartfelt stuff a lot.”
At that point Coin finally seems to notice our approach, head perking up in our direction and breaking out into a grin and a wave when he sees us.
“Oh good, you’re up!” he calls cheerfully, sauntering over at a leisurely pace while the rest of the contingent give us waves of varying enthusiasm.
“Morning,” I greet, submitting to the hair ruffles and noisy kiss he smacks onto my forehead with minimal complaint.
Behind him I can see that the rest of the group have gone back to their conversation easily enough, but Hancock is still looking over at us with an almost contemplative expression. When her eyes meet mine she does a full body twitch, then turns her nose up with a huff and jerks her head the other way.
She still turns red with embarrassment, though.
I have a moment of empathy for her, from an aromantic perspective. In a ‘trying to brainwash yourself into having romantic feelings for someone because that’s the societal expectation’ way, and an understanding of how platonic feelings can feel twisted up inside you when you’re only getting a specific kind of outside pressure, and other explanations aren’t made readily available.
I’m surprising myself with how much I feel for Boa Hancock. Considering how much of a BITCH she is.
Then again, I’m kind of a bitch too.
…Oh god I can’t believe I’ve almost conned myself into liking a woman who kicks baby seals. What the fuck is wrong with me. Goddamnit my taste in friends is SO fucking terrible.
“If you folks don’t mind, I’ll be stealing your silly guy so we can get this message prettified to terrorize the government,” Coin says brightly, scruffing Luffy and trotting off. “Thanks, bye!”
“I — what the fuck,” I deadpan, hand half extended after them before I redirect it to pinch between my eyes. “Terrible taste, terrible fucking taste,” I hiss under my breath.
“On that note, I think it’s time for our chat,” Sabo says lightly, clapping a hand that should NOT be that immovable onto my shoulder with a smile that screams DANGER.
“Chat?” Ace questions.
I point at him. “No, you already got your chat. No do-overs!”
“What chat?” Ace asks after us, at a complete loss as Sabo steers me off to the side with that iron grip.
“This really does feel unnecessary,” I chuckle, trying to hide my nerves and probably not doing a good job.
“I suppose we shall see,” he says, still somehow managing to sound both lighthearted and ominous as fuck.
Sabo brings us to a solid stop, spinning me around to face him and planting both hands on my shoulders (still careful of my burn, thank god) to pin me in place. He still has that evil, evil benign smile plastered on, but there is fucking nothing behind those eyes.
“I’ll cut to the chase,” he leads with. “The amount of ways I know how to kill a human being are, frankly, astounding. Now, I like you. I would honestly prefer not to hurt you, especially in any way that could get… messy.”
“You are so fucking intimidating dude, I promise you do not need to be doing all this in addition to the sheer force of your aura,” I wheeze.
Sabo shrugs. “Maybe I enjoy it.”
“Maybe you need a new hobby,” I mumble dejectedly.
“Anyway,” he continues precisely. “I trust that you have no ill intentions toward my little brother,” this he says like a threat, “but I have no objections to planning a perfectly crafted thematically rich and incredibly dramatic death for you, if it comes to that.”
I don’t know how the actual threat part was less threatening than the first half of the sentence, but needless to say I am impressed. And afraid. I already know how fucking competent he is.
I scoff anyway. “Luffy’s gonna kill me one day, it’s literally part of our vows now, so you really don’t have to worry about that.”
The look Sabo gives me searching, judgemental and distantly curious among the regard and appraisal. Then he sighs. “Unfortunately, the devotion and care you two have for each other is painfully obvious —”
“The fuck you mean ‘unfortunately,’” I butt in incredulously.
“— SO,” he resumes loudly, like I didn’t say anything, “I am willing to leave well enough alone.”
I pause. “Wait really?” I ask, blinking rapidly.
“For now,” he says, sharp and crisp. “As my baby brother’s partner and spouse, if you ever fuck it up, I’ll be on you like a dry field and fire.” Then his face softens some, and a smile that isn’t made out of fiberglass and evil spirits peeks through. “But as a person, I like you and wish you nothing but the best.”
I stare at him for a long moment, and he stares right back, and then I heave a sigh.
“You gonna crush my fingers if I offer a handshake?” I ask, already offering my hand regardless of what his answer will be.
Sabo’s smile is all teeth and barely restrained glee. “Does it matter?” he raises rhetorically, giving me a firm (but not finger crushing) shake before taking a step back and releasing me.
“So what would my thematic and dramatic death look like?” I question conversationally as we turn back to the main group.
Sabo shrugs again. “That’s for me to know and you to have nightmares about,” he states simply.
Well. Fair e-fucking-nough.
————
Sabo sets his sights on the cart of food as soon as he’s had enough of putting the fear of god in me, which leaves me heading for where Coin and Luffy are standing and talking.
I see Coin ask him something, and him thinking about it hard for a long moment. Then Luffy says something in answer that makes Coin laugh. Wonder what that’s about..?
Because of the way they’re standing, I get a head on look at the bold letters and numbers stamped down Luffy’s bicep in stark black. The calligraphy is impeccable, the lines smooth and sure from a professional’s hand. Lines of flourish, swash and ligature curve about the piece, some branching off the 2Y and forming up into the X crossing out the 3D in artful sweeps.
It’s familiar and yet foreign, it’s been far too long since Coin has seen it for it to be a perfect recreation, and maybe that’s what’s so… nice about it.
Something not entirely new and still carrying the same meaning across the distance. It’s poetic, or something. Full circle.
“What kind of dumbassery were you two chucklefucks talking about,” I drawl with a raised eyebrow when I make it close enough.
“Nothing you gotta worry about, kid,” Coin says brightly, draping an arm over my shoulders and guiding me away while shooing a hand at Luffy. “Your brother — not the off putting one — looked like he wanted to talk to you, you better go find him, hm?”
“Ok!” Luffy says, flashing a thumbs up before he’s cantering off.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, alright. Sure. The fuck was that?”
“A surprise tool that’ll help us later,” Coin says cheekily.
“You shitdisturber,” I grumble under my breath, which just makes Coin laugh, because he’s a shitdisturber.
“Got all your stuff with Pontiac,” he says, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder towards the shore. “Picked it all up from tall dark and emotionally constipated before he took off.”
I snort hard enough at the name it makes my ribs twinge. “Hokage included?” I ask. “My black Transponder Snail, I mean.”
“Hokage included,” he confirms, grinning wide at the name.
I shake my head with a smile. “No idea how that bad bitch survived everything I did, but I am thoroughly impressed.”
Coin takes us on a walk in the direction of the shore at a meandering pace, stopping at the food cart thing to get me some breakfast before continuing in a companionable quiet.
“So. The Wisher King,” I say, breaking the silence and glancing up at Coin out of the corner of my eye. “That’s what it’s called, yeah?”
Coin pauses, steps slowing until we’ve stopped, looking grim and charmed both for all of a moment before sighing. “You spoke, then?” he asks, mouth twisting into something dour. “This truly was a very close call, then,” he adds a beat later, somber and near silent in its sorrow.
I tilt my head to look at him more fully. “It was,” I agree without sugarcoating it. “Shit happened. I’m still here. That’s the way it is.”
Coin huffs a sound that’s half laugh. He puts a palm to my cheek and smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, kid,” he murmurs quietly. “Doesn’t change that shit happened, and the best I’m able to do is help you through the aftermath.”
I close my eyes and lean into his hand, letting the hard edges of whatever tangled ball of feelings is choking up my chest push in for a moment, breath stuttering.
“I’m gonna help you,” Coin promises, sure and determined and a little in awe — like he can’t believe he gets the privilege.
I reach up and squeeze his hand, then duck under his arm and tuck myself into his side. “Thanks. Thank you,” I manage, half-muffled into his shirt while I smooth out the edges of the tangle again.
Coin presses a kiss into the crown of my head. “Always,” he assures, hands warm as they wrap around my back.
I let it linger around me for a beat, then separate myself from him before I start crying like a little bitch. “So, we just about ready to go?”
“Just about,” he concedes, eyes flickering over my shoulder. “I think there’s someone you gotta talk to first, though.”
I turn to see Luffy as he makes his way over, something set in his expression. Coin gives me a quick squeeze on the shoulder and I glance back at him when he nods his head where he had pointed earlier. “I’ll be getting Pontiac ready to go. You come meet me whenever you’re ready,” he says, then leaves with another brief squeeze.
I turn back to my Captain, ready to ask what’s up, but he beats me to it.
“I don’t want you to follow after me anymore,” Luffy says, quiet and damning.
And I fucking freeze.
My immediate assumption is that he’s had e-fucking-nough of me, and that little cry together we had after waking up and the whole misunderstanding about my motivation was the final straw.
I’m smarter than my assumptions, though. And I know Luffy better than that. And I… well, I guess I want to believe something nicer than that. I do believe something nicer than that.
“You don’t have to follow,” Luffy continues, low and adamant. “I can’t — you disappear when I’m not — you don’t —” he makes a frustrated noise that’s more just a hard exhale.
I just stare at him.
“You don’t have to follow,” he repeats. “Just stay — stay with me. Be next to me. You don’t need to be two steps behind, if you don’t want to, I just want you right here.”
I watch my Captain for a moment; the tempered steel determination in his eyes, the defiant set of his jaw, the barely-there apprehension betrayed by the furrow of his brows.
“Yeah,” I breathe out eventually. “You said we gotta stick together forever, didn’t you? And I’m not allowed to get too far out of your range.”
I smile at him, something soft and sweet, then take his hand and lean down to press a kiss into his knuckles.
“You know me, Captain. I’d follow you beyond where stars form, and that’s a choice I make willingly,” I murmur into his skin, looking up and raising my eyes to meet his. “I keep telling you, every step of the way. And if you want those steps side by side, I’m alright with that.”
The black pools of Luffy’s eyes dance as he leans down and pulls his hand up in one move, thunking our heads together. “Ok,” he says, almost hushed.
My smile stretches wider. “I’ll just have to keep working hard, so I can get strong enough to stand right there at the front with you.”
Luffy twists our hands so he can hook our pinkies together, eyes sparkling and all but beaming at me. “Promise?” he asks cheekily.
“Promise,” I return, feeling fit to burst with affection.
We just smile at each other for a beat, basking in the warmth of it. Then…
“I’m still the Captain though. I’m still in charge,” Luffy tacks on petulantly.
I laugh, smile growing teeth as I shove him lightly. “Then you better work your ass off so I don’t upstage you, hah?”
Luffy squawks, shoving me right back. “Obviously! I’m gonna be King of the Pirates, as if you could!”
I throw my head back and laugh harder.
————
When we make it down to where Coin said he’d be waiting, everyone save for the younger Boa sisters and Gloriosa have loosely gathered up.
We reach Rayleigh, Coin and Sabo first, just catching the tail end of their conversation.
“And you’re sure you don’t need a ride out of here?” Coin asks.
“No, I’m all covered. I’ll be heading back to the RA shortly, just after I finish up here,” Sabo says, shaking his head with an easy smile.
“Suit yourself,” Rayleigh shrugs before noticing us. “Ah, good, you’re here.”
“That we are,” I reply.
“Catch you later Detective,” Sabo says as he steps off to the side, touches the top of Luffy’s head as he goes, then gives me a two fingered salute as he heads for where Ace is waiting.
“We’ll head out after you guys, see if we can’t give you a bit of a headstart before we hit Marineford,” Rayleigh explains, dipping his chin at Coin and I. “Maybe our little performance will draw some heat off you in the process.”
“We shouldn’t have much trouble, but me and Pontiac will make sure everything goes smooth,” Coin promises with a grin, slinging an arm over Rayleigh’s shoulder.
“Thanks old guy! And, uh, other old guy!” Luffy says. I resist the urge to facepalm.
“Ha. He called you old,” Coin snorts.
“I’ll tie you to a chair and drop it in the Calm Belt,” Rayleigh says pleasantly.
“And I’ll think of you the whole way down,” Coin croons in his ear.
“I’ll make it a short trip then,” Rayleigh taunts, turning his head so they’re nose to nose and smirking.
“Oh. Old man yaoi,” I realize.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” Coin decides, pushing off Rayleigh so he can bop a fist down gently on my head. “Go say all your goodbyes, kid. This old fogey will survive a couple more minutes.”
“Alright, who’re you calling a fogey,” Rayleigh scoffs, and I move on from that with a roll of my eyes before I can get sucked further in.
I poke Luffy in the direction of his brothers, jerking my chin at them. “You say yours too,” I tell him. He nods easily enough, then trots off without complaint.
I head for the next closest person, which happens to be good ol’ Boa Hancock.
“Goodbye, Princess. Thanks for all your help,” I say, sticking my hand out like a peace offering.
Hancock stares down at it for a moment, then turns her head the other way. “Yes. Goodbye,” she repeats, chin dipping down a scant inch while her own hand twitches at her side.
I sigh with a smile, shaking my head and lowering my hand.
Hancock catches it before it drops. “Thank you,” she gets out in a rush, giving my hand one jerky shake before releasing it like a hot coal and striding away with quick steps. “Now get off my island! All these men are starting to stink it up!”
I blink after her for a second, then throw my head back and laugh.
“She sure is an interesting character,” a voice says behind me, kinder than the words are probably meant, and I turn to grin at Jimbei as he makes his way over.
“That’s certainly one way to put it,” I agree brightly.
He chuckles with shaking shoulders, then offers me up something I need to blink at a couple times before it really registers. “I figure you’ll be wanting this back before you leave.”
My yellow cowboy hat sits gently in his big hands, and it almost shocks me I barely noticed its absence.
“You had asked me to hold onto it for safekeeping at Impel Down, I figured the duty could extend until now as well,” he explains, placing the hat gingerly in my hands.
I run reverent fingers over the brim, noting how all the ash and detritus has been cleaned off it with care, and beam up at him. “Thank you very much,” I say sincerely, holding it closer to my chest.
Jimbei smiles and shakes his head. “No, it was the least I could do, Detective. You have my thanks for breaking me out of prison.”
“It was my pleasure, trust me,” I laugh easily.
“We’ll call it even, then,” he proposes, reaching out a hand for me to shake that I take readily.
“Even,” I agree, smile warm. His hand dwarfs mine, and this time I let go at an appropriate time instead of holding on for entirely too long.
“I wish you nothing but safe travels and meaningful progression in your skills for the future,” Jimbei states, and he really does say it like he means it. I hope I live up to any expectations he has of me.
“I’ll see you again, Jimbei,” I say firmly, meaning it with my whole chest.
Jimbei’s back straightens as he gives me a solid nod. “And so you shall, Detective Domino. I look forward to our next meeting,” he returns, solemn and warm both.
I give him my own nod back, then turn to meet Ace as he breaks off from his brothers, settling my hat on my head as Jimbei moves to go speak with Rayleigh and Coin.
“Nice hat,” Ace drawls, flicking the brim and smirking at me.
I beam back, rolling the bead of the hat string between my fingers. “Sure is,” I agree readily. “Completely kickass, if you ask me.”
Ace’s smirk broadens into a grin. “I’m glad,” he says honestly.
“Thank you for it,” I murmur, smiling down at the bead.
Ace shakes his head. “It suits you,” he offers, still honest.
“I’m glad,” I repeat, the corner of my mouth ticking up into a half-smirk.
“Seems I’ll be riding with you, so we can put off our tearful goodbye a little longer,” he teases, poking his finger into my forehead and pushing me back.
I slug him in the arm in retaliation. “Those tears are gonna be from me grinding your toe bones into a fine dust,” I grumble.
“Hey! Is that any way to treat your travel buddy?” he cries, rubbing his arm as if I’m capable of anywhere near enough force to cause him actual pain right now.
I don’t bother with a response, because the pair of pensioners come strolling up in the throes of their own dumbass conversation.
“Oh, to be missing the days of your prolific fame, where your face was plastered on every street corner and the only thing I needed to do to see you was leave the house,” Coin bemoans, draping a solemn hand across his forehead.
“Speak for yourself, nowadays I only get recognized when I’m doing dumb shit or by people too old to bother chasing me down,” Rayleigh snorts. “Suits me just fine.”
“Yeah it would, you fuckin’ hermit,” Coin says immediately and without hesitation.
“Ok, hypocrite,” Rayleigh jousts. “Mr. ‘I’ve Been in Hiding For a Decade With No Sightings and Only Communicating Through Letters’ has something to say?”
“I know I know, you’ve missed my gorgeous face,” he sighs dramatically. “Truly, my only crime was depriving the world of it for so long, wrinkled though I’ve become.”
“Still a sight for sore eyes,” Rayleigh chuckles, shaking his head fondly and words only half sarcastic.
“Yeah, all four of them by the looks of it,” Coin leers with a Cheshire grin.
“You people might actually be the worst,” I decide.
“Don’t say that,” Coin whines. “I know at least twelve people who suck more than I do.”
Rayleigh restrains himself from making a joke he clearly wants to make, and I can only be thankful to him for it. “It was nice seeing you, kid,” he says, smothering my hat down onto my head and then chucking me under the chin with a finger.
“Yeah yeah,” I grumble half-heartedly, swatting his hands away so I can hug him with my good arm. “Thanks for everything, Rayleigh.”
He chuckles and pats me on the back before I let go. “You take good care of that old man, you hear?”
“‘Course I will,” I scoff, mock-offended he even had to ask. “You take care of my guy, will you? He’s kind of a handful, but he’s pretty important to me.”
“I will,” Rayleigh promises.
“And please, I know you’re going to an island, but for the love of all that is holy make sure he fucking showers or something more than once a damn month,” I plead.
“Kid,” Coin attempts to cut in, poorly smothering his snickers.
“And you gotta make sure he doesn’t do anything dumb,” I add, somewhat unnecessarily. “And you gotta take care of yourself, too —”
“Kid,” Coin tries again, very clearly laughing now.
I grab onto Rayleigh’s arm. “And you gotta ask Shakky if she can water my sunflowers, they’re still just little babies and they need care, and my snails need to be fed while I’m gone —”
Coin eventually just starts dragging me away.
————
Luffy is the last person I say my goodbyes to.
The sun is cresting in the sky and bouncing early morning stars off his dark hair and eyes. He waits with a patience he probably doesn’t have, waiting until I step up face to face with him before taking my hand and opening his mouth.
“I’ll see you in two years time,” Luffy says, and he says it like a challenge and a plea and a promise all in one.
“Two years time,” I agree, all acceptance and determination wrapped up in a promise.
God, I’m gonna miss him something fierce.
The thought isn’t exactly novel, and it isn’t exactly helpful either. I know I’m gonna miss him, and I know it’ll probably hurt, but I just try to focus on how sweet the relief of seeing him again after those two years are up is going to be.
“See you later, Luffy,” I say simply, squeezing his hand, because it’s what I have to offer him.
I kiss him, because it feels like the right thing to do. It’s simple in the way it always is, and it doesn’t have the finality of some dramatic farewell kiss in a Hallmark movie, but it’s me and it’s Luffy and that’s all it really has to be.
“See you later, Ed,” Luffy echos, hand holding tight to mine for another moment or two before he lets me go.
I take a few steps backwards towards the shore until I’m side by side with Ace and Coin.
“You ready to go, kid?” Coin asks, his hand a sure and grounding weight on my shoulder.
I watch Luffy for a beat — not committing him to memory, but just looking — then nod once.
“Yeah,” I breathe out, steady despite myself. “Yeah, I am.”
So we saddle up on Pontiac: Ace a quiet but steady presence at my back, and Coin warm and solid in front of me.
“You two should grab onto something,” Coin advises, and my arm snaps around his midsection with such speed and power it actually forces an ‘oof’ sound from him. I even hook my broken arm around him, though that one doesn’t do much more than let me clench my fingers in his shirt.
“Are you gonna do that nightmarish sprint again?!” I demand shrilly.
“The what?!” Ace asks, having no clue what I’m talking about but panicked enough by my reaction to grab onto me regardless.
Coin just laughs. “No, we’ll go at a reasonable pace this time, promise. Give you a dramatic departure, yeah?”
I relax my grip as the tension in my body evaporates. “Oh thank fuck.”
“Stop unduly stressing me out,” Ace mutters, relaxing his own hold on me. “It’s probably bad for my liver, or something.”
“Eyes up, kids. Here we go,” Coin hums, and then we’re moving.
I train my watchful gaze on my brilliantly lit Captain as we pull away from the banks of Amazon Lily, his hands sweeping in big arcs above his head as he keeps vigil over our departure. We coast out farther and farther, his features becoming indistinguishable with the distance as his motions pick up speed and fervour.
“Keep your hope,” I murmur under my breath, keeping my eyes on Luffy’s figure on the shore, still frantically waving his arms goodbye.
Coin startles in front of me. “What was that?” he questions, twisting his head back to stare at me with an unreadable look.
“Keep your hope,” I repeat. “It’s what I told the boys. A parting piece of advice.”
Coin’s shoulders start trembling, ribs shaking under my arms, and for a second I’m afraid I’m gonna have a handful of crying old man to deal with before he belts out a loud laugh.
“What?” I ask, staring at him incredulously.
He shakes his head, body still shaking with a silent chuckle. “Those were Roger’s last words to me,” he admits. “Can you imagine, it’s been 22 years since I’ve heard that? In a conversation about you, no less.”
I blink twice. What?
“That’s… weirdly full circle,” I murmur, leaning my cheek on his back as the island gets smaller and smaller. I feel the distance between me and my Captain like a bone-deep ache, and wonder if that’s how Coin feels all the time.
Then he places one of his hands over where mine are clasped around his stomach. His thumb idly spins my ring and I close my eyes, sighing and slumping into him.
Keep your hope. My own words, and yet apparently not. A sentiment that could mean a million things, stretched across time and space and present in each and every moment of it.
But right now it’s this: keep your hope, hold onto it with both hands, covet it and keep it tucked safe in your chest for when you need it most.
Yeah, I can do that. For Luffy, for my crew, for everybody I’ve come to care about? I can do that.
Keep your hope. I’ll keep mine.