Blame @x-chqrmolypi-x for this one boys
Monkey d Dragon dies on the battlefield, he dies alone. Surrounded by bodies of marines and pirates alike. He dies without ever getting to see his son again.
It isn’t fair. It won’t ever be fair.
His funeral is big, so many people speak of his work of his bravery and dedication. Very few know more than that.
Garp doesn’t attend the funeral.
Luffy stands with his crew and hold Sabo’s hand. Luffy doesn’t know how to feel, the man these people talk about is a stranger. He is sad because sabo is.
For the first time Luffy, the crybaby. Doesn’t cry.
At some point someone he doesn’t know pushes a wrapped parcel into his hands.
Weeks later luffy finds it in his cabin.
He pulls out a sheaf of papers gently bound and reads.
Before he puts them back down and walks away. Luffy cannot miss what he never knew, he can’t miss a stranger.
The papers go into a drawer.
Months later he asks Robin what her two years was like. Robin whose eyes glitter with the worlds knowledge, has to pause and think.
She tells him of sabo or koala, of brave souls who to this day are still trying to make the world a better place.
When the sun starts to set and her voice has become husky from overuse. Robin tells him of a tall quiet man who would play chess with her, if she asked.
Weeks or perhaps months from now luffy will ask his brother if Dragon liked to play chess.
“God no, he was good at it. Dont get me wrong but he preferred playing cards.”
The first thing luffy learns about his father is that he was selfless.
When Luffy is 23 he meets an older lady on an island who tells him he has his father’s eyes. That night Luffy stands in front of a mirror and stares at the dark brown eyes that are reflected back.
They are the same that they’ve always been.
“In the sunlight they glow.” Zoro tells him. “With flecks of gold.”
Luffy wonders if anyone ever complimented his father’s eyes, he wonders if he kissed them after.
It’s dark, Zoro’s arm is slung over his waist. Luffy stares at the letters in his drawer, he doesn’t pull them out. Just looks, before shutting the drawer again.
Garp sends a letter, finally. Asking luffy to a small island. Luffy never thought his grandfather could look old, but he does. Garp looks a like a tired old man who has seen far too much.
They drink their tea in silence. There are too many things to say too little words to give. In this moment luffy thinks he finally understands his grandfather. As they sit at a tilting table in a cramped house. Garp loves him but his pride has always come first.
There’s a single photo on the mantle. Of a young boy laughing in Garps arms. For a moment Luffy wonders how old he was when that was taken before realizing how young his grandfather looks.
“Take that with you.” Garp says, before letting out a harsh cough. “Damn thing is crowding up the place.”
It’s the first thing Garp has said to luffy and by the time he leaves it will be the last.
Garp dies almost a year later. Luffy cries at the funeral.
Sometimes Luffy will take out his grandfathers picture and stare at the boy. He can’t be more than 7 years old. With freckles that look so familiar, but his hair is longer and straighter than Luffys has ever been.
Luffy wonders what his favourite colour was.
Luffy is 25 staring down at the tiny bundle in Sabos arms.
“I want to name him Drake.” Sabo says softly. He’s looking at luffy with an expression Luffy can’t understand.
Luffy shrugs and grins “cool name!”
Brook.. Brook passes on. None of them truly know if it was because his devil fruit was finished or because he could no longer hang on. He leaves them with a note.
‘I do apologize but I can hear Yorki calling me, we will meet again my dear friends’
Luffy cries at the funeral. He actually cries for an entire week. Zoro holds him but Luffy can feel his first mates arms shaking.
It’s 7 years before Luffy returns to Dragons grave. Drake is almost 3, toddling after his uncle at every chance. Luffy has had to double check every corner before setting sail lest his nephew stowaway.
It takes awhile for him to speak, so he rips up grass chewing his lip. He tugs on the gold bar hanging from his left ear.
The gravestone is small, unobtrusive. No gold plating or statue. Up on fooshas cliffs overlooking the sea. A place that Luffy had been to a dozen times as a child.
Who saw what the world could be
A few tokens are scattered about the grave, a coin, a tumbler, a pair of reading glasses.
“What’s your favourite colour?” Luffy hears himself ask.
There is no answer only the wind, racing up the cliff, howling.
It’s hours before Luffy leaves, when he does he sits on the deck of his ship and stares up at the cliff.
For a moment he almost thinks he sees someone.
He reads the first letter on his 36th birthday. The same age as dragon when he was born.
Zoro is there as always, steady and strong. As Luffys fingers trace the letters.
I’m sorry, You don’t know who I am. But I am so sorry. I hope you can understand one day. I hope you I will get to say this to your face.
I never wanted to leave you.
If you are to believe anything I say, believe that. The moment I held you, my world changed. I never had a dream growing up, I had my ambitions and ideals and I stuck to them. They grounded me and kept me on my path. But I never understood what Roger meant about dreams until I held you.
If I had a dream Luffy, it was you. Not you growing up in a better world. Not creating a better world for you. No my dream was you, being your dad, watching you grow up.
I am sorry that the world we live in is one where I was less selfish.
There are more letters, at least 20 years worth. Luffy will read them, not tonight but someday. Tonight he will sleep tangled in the arms of the person he loves and he will dream of a small house in Foosha where a tall quiet man waits for Luffy to run home and tell him about the bugs he found.
(There was an alternate idea to this where Drgaon just retired and started sending letters to luffy with a very slow reconciling. But I chose pain)
