"Let me go! I'm not gonna tell you anything!" Luffy yelled at Porchemy.
He was tied in rope and seated by the wall as the pirates laughed at him.
Porchemy walked up to him with a massive hammer and slammed it down on Luffy's body, but the hammer only bounced back and all the force was felt by Porchemy's shoulders.
"I told you didn't I?! My body turned into rubber after eating the Gomu Gomu No Mi!" He didn't even bother hiding it.
"The devil fruit, eh ? Looks like you had the real one. Get me a pair of gloves."
"Y-Yes sir!"
Meanwhile, Ace and Sabo were gathering all of their treasure to relocate and hide it somewhere else.
"Hurry up, hurry up! We're screwed if they come back!"
"We gotta move our treasure somewhere else! It's a matter of time before Luffy tells them!"
"They'll take not only what we stole from them, but all of our "pirate savings" that we've spent 5 years collecting!"
Meanwhile, the pirates hung Luffy to the ceiling while still having his arms tied around his body.
"Listen, you little shit. The money that your friend Ace stole from us is very important to our pirate crew. And you know where it is." He said this while putting one a pair of gloves with sharp spiked steel knuckles specifically meant to impale and rip flesh.
"So I need you to tell us." He said while holding the gloves fist out threateningly.
"No!" Luffy glared at him.
Seeing this, Porchemy made Luffy swing a little before swinging his fist at him, punching and swiping Luffy's body. But the reaction was not something they expected.
The moment his gloved fist made contact with Luffy's face, this body and head caved in to match the shape of the glove so even when Porchemy pulled his fist back, his face and upper body were literally molded in a different shape.
Luffy then began to thrash around. "It hurts! Help me! Why does it hurt?!"
Porchemy silenced him with yet another punch to the face. But yet again, this didn't seem to hurt him, though he did feel the pain.
"The hell is this kid ? Well, it looks like he can still feel the pain, even though I can't seem to injure him. That's enough for me!" Porchemy then punched him again, making Luffy swing around like a punching back right after its punched. His stomach also caved in because of this.
"Guys, go look for Ace and Sabo! We don't have time to stand around!"
"Yes sir!"
He then punched Luffy yet again, making the boy swing around in pain.
Luffy opened his eyes to look at his interrogator as his eyes flickered between black and red.
***
"Ace!" Sabo ran up to Ace as they were still moving their treasure around.
"What's the matter ? Are they coming after us ?"
"No, they aren't. And I bet they won't!" His words confused Ace.
"What do you mean ?"
"That kid, Luffy... He hasn't told them anything!" This revelation came as a surprise to Ace who certainly did not expect this.
"What?!"
"I'm sure they're torturing him right now! I thought that he'd just tell them because he's dumb and cries so much! It doesn't make sense! If nothing is done, he'll..." Ace gritted his teeth and looked at Sabo with anxious eyes.
"Spit it out already!" Porchemy continued to punch him over and over as the others tried to reason with him.
"P-P-Porchemy, there's no point. He doesn't have the energy to even scream now! I bet he won't say anything! Show some mercy!" But all that got him, was a punch to the face.
"Go look for Ace and Sabo if you have time to speak for the kid. We're the ones that are in danger of death! Don't you see it?! We're already too late to give that money to captain Bluejam!
What Porchemy didn't notice however, was the sudden convulsion Luffy has as his heart rate starts to skyrocket.
"Say it!" He kept punching Luffy over and over again, but Luffy didn't respond to this. He didn't even move or cry. It was like he was out for the count.
"Stop trying to keep a secret like an adult and just put it out! Say it!"
"Eh ? Hold on... Are you..." His face turned into one of comedic anger as his sharp teeth were showed when he yelled at Luffy.
"Are you sleeping??!!!!" Luffy was unconscious and an air bubble was formed by his nose as he snored softly.
"Wake up! This isn't the time for a freakin' nap! Wake up and... Spit. It. Out!" He punched Luffy super hard, making him snap out of his sleepy state and looked around in confusion, before slowly remembering the situation he was in.
"Stop being such a brat and just tell me where the treasure is?!!" Porchemy was livid at this point. This kid wasn't taking him seriously at all!
"Argh!" He began to punch Luffy over and over again as frustration took over him completely. After nearly two minutes of this, he finally stopped and allowed Luffy to talk.
"So... You gonna talk ?" He lifted his fist to punch the kid again, but Luffy began to croak out words.
"I... I..." Luffy started to speak softly, making Porchemy stop as he allowed to kid to speak, thinking that he was finally going to say it.
Luffy then looked up with determined red eyes and a menacing grin formed on his face. "I won't say it!"
Ace and Sabo jumped around, smacking as many pirates and rogues as possible with their weapons.
"Outta the way!"
"We gotta go save him!"
Just as they were about to reach the hut, they began slowing down.
Doom-dut-da-da~ Doom-dut-da-da~
"Hey, Ace. What's that weird sound ?"
"I don't know. It sounds like... drums ?"
Suddenly, the hut the pirates were in broke apart, sending pieces of wood, metal and glass flying in all directions, much to the surprise of the two boys.
"What?!"
From the rubble, three screaming pirates were launched into the sky until they were nothing but dots in the distance. Following this, the dust cleared up and a giant head emerged from the house. The massive head of Luffy, whose head was now nearly twice as big as a house, laughed hysterically while having a mouth full of wood and glass. His hair was white and his eyes were dark pink with clouds floating around him.
He was in his Nika transformation.
Both Ace's and Sabo's faces turned purple on seeing this before both of their jaws dropped and their eyes popped out of their heads multiple times, making comedic sounds in the process.
Doom-dut-da-da~ Doom-dut-da-da~
"Yehahahahaha! Ahahahahaha! Hahahahaha! How'd you like that?! Hehehe!" Luffy laughed uncontrollably, not even feeling the pain from the injuries he suffered at the due to the torture he endured.
"What the hell is this brat?!!" Porchemy cried out as Luffy's foot embedded itself into his stomach, making him spit. Luffy's foot went into the man's torso and Porchemy's body stretched, molding itself to match the shape of Luffy's foot.
"Yahooo! Have fun!" Luffy laughed before pumping a lot of energy down his leg until it reaches his foot.
This power then launched Porchemy into the sky until he was nothing but a small dot in the air. Luffy then began to spin around like a malfunctioning toy and twisted in the air before falling on his back. He laughed like a man possessed while covering his eyes with his hand. The ground was literally bouncing and stretching like rubber for some reason. His legs were kicking as his laughter echoed through the entire Grey Terminal.
Ace and Sabo stared at the young boy in shock and confusion. "What...? What is..."
"Oh! It's Ace and Sabo! Hay! Ace! Sabo! Don't worry! They don't know where your treasure is!" Luffy reassured while jumping on the bouncy ground.
"Is the ground... bouncy ?"
"It's like rubber...."
"I told you! It's my devil fruit!"
"Devil fruit...."
"Come on! We don't have time to waste! Let's go!" Sabo told and Luffy grinned. He extended his arms and wrapped around Ace and Sabo, much to their surprise.
"Hold on tight!" Luffy then launched himself hundreds of feet in the air, much to the astonishment of the two ten year olds, who were legit screaming their lungs out.
Luffy then landed safely in the forest where the reminded of the treasure was. He then grabbed his own hand and pulled it. He extended his palm until it became large and he grabbed all the treasure, using his arm like a bag of sorts to carry it all.
"Let's go! Um... Where are we going ?" Luffy asked since he didn't really know where to take this money. Ace and Sabo nodded and led him to their new "pirate savings".
***
"Ow! It hurt so much! I was so scared I forgot about my power!" Luffy whined.
Luffy actually did forget that he could transform into this law defying god, which is the reason why he didn't transform beforehand.
"Shut up! I hate people who whine and cry a lot!" On hearing Ace say this, Luffy immediately shut up.
"H-hey... Thank you for coming. Even though I beat them up myself, you still cared enough to come... Thank you!" He was so overjoyed by them actually caring to try and save him that he began crying again, which pissed off Ace even more.
"You...!"
"Whoa, he's just being thankful!"
Ace scowled a little. "Why didn't you cough it up in the first place ? They're the kind of people who'd kill women or kids without hesitation!"
"I thought of I said anything... you wouldn't be my friend." Luffy replied with his eyes shadowed by his straw hat.
"It's better than dying isn't it ? I'm sure Porchemy was about to bring out a sword and remove your scalp!" Ace said. How could he prioritise a friendship with him when his life was on the line!
"Why do you want to become my friend that much ?" Ace questioned.
"Because..."
"Didn't I give you a hard time until now ? How could you follow me this far ?"
"Because..." With tiny tear drops in his eyes, Luffy looked up at Ace.
"Because I have nobody else I can trust! I can't go back to Foosha Village and I hate mountain bandits! Shanks and Uta are both gone so I have no one else left! If I didn't follow you, I'd be all alone! Being lonely is more painful than getting hurt!" Ace was taken back by Luffy's response.
"Where are you parents...?"
"Grandpa is all I have."
"Is it easy for you when I'm around ?"
"Uh-huh!" Luffy nodded.
"It's hard when I'm not around ?"
"Uh-huh!" He nodded again.
Ace then started having flashbacks of people saying hateful things about Roger and saying that if he did have a child, that child should die. Even calling an innocent child the devil that deserves nothing but the worst as they laughed at that kid's misfortune for being born as the pirate king's son.
"Do you want me to live ?" Ace asked while gripping onto the stick tightly.
"Of course I do!" Luffy didn't understand why he asked such a question, but he absolutely did not want Ace to die.
"I see. But I don't like spoiled kids like you."
Luffy jumped down from the rock he was just sitting on. "I'm not spoiled! I'm strong!"
"Strong?! You're not strong! You cry like a girl!" Ace retorted.
"Hah?! I'm stronger than you are! I took out all those beasts and that giant tiger! I even beat those pirates and mountain bandits up by myself! What have you done ? I'm stronger than you!" Luffy yelled at him.
"So what?! You're still a big baby that cries for every little thing!"
"It hurt okay?! I'm only seven! When I'm also ten, I won't cry for anything!"
"I wouldn't cry even if I was seven, stupid! I'm not like you!"
"Yes, because I'm stronger! I'll be the strongest person ever!"
"I'm still better!"
"No! You're not!"
Sabo just watched the two bicker with a deadpan. How did he end up with these two ?
"I'll be stronger and better than anyone! I promised Shanks and Uta that I'd become a great pirate!"
"You ? Become a pirate?! A pirate doesn't cry like a baby when they're denied friendship!"
"I will be a pirate! I'll be the world's greatest!"
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
Ace and Luffy glared at each other, their foreheads butting against one another and sparks forming between their eyes.
"Okay, that's enough." Sabo broke the two apart.
"By the way, I have a problem now. Bluejam and the other pirates will try to kill us after this for sure, right ? This forest that I've been living in is close to where they are– the cove of pirates!" Sabo told them.
"What if they attack me while I'm asleep or exhausted ?"
"You're gonna die."
"Yeah, you're gonna die."
"Yeah, that's why I need your help. Come on, huddle up!" They ended up deciding to take Sabo with them to live with the Dadan family.
The next day
"Ace, Luffy... Huh ? Ace, Luffy... Huh ? Ace, Luffy... Huh ? Ace... Luffy... Eh ?" Dadan and the others were confused on seeing a third kid with them.
"Ace! Luffy! Who is that?!"
They ended learning that Sabo was going to live with them. Dadan was entirely against it, but after seeing his cute, innocent smile, she just couldn't resist and agreed to let him live here.
Also, Sabo called Dadan a "truly manly worthless old bag that can't refuse a request".
The day after that, when they were running out to the forest again, Sabo ended up warning them that the Bluejam pirates might show up.
"The Bluejam clan might come ? Why ?"
"We beat up some of his crew! That's why! Bye!" This left the bandits on shock as the three boys ran off to do their usual shenanigans.
Luffy ended up telling them about his devil fruit powers, which at first, Ace thought was lame. But then he told him about the transformation and that got Ace intrigued. Luffy told him that he could also use fire, but he can't control it and he doesn't want to burn the forest down by accident, so he won't.
He then showed them his newest technique, Gomu Gomu no Ballon! It's a technique where Luffy inflates his own body with air or liquid until it's buoyant and bouncy like a balloon. Seeing this, Ace smirked and kicked Luffy around like a beach ball. Sabo and Ace then used Luffy like a ball as they kicked him around, making Luffy nearly hurl.
He then fell in the water and floated around for a bit, but then a large crocodile came out and swallowed Luffy whole, shocking the two boys.
"Wait! You can't just eat and run!" They both yelled at the crocodile that tried to go underwater, but before it couldn't move, its body suddenly expanded its stomach inflated into a large balloon. The crocodile appeared to be in pain as it began floating in the air like a helium balloon.
"Luffy?!"
"What?! He can affect his surroundings too?!"
The crocodile thrashed around in the air before falling down and bouncing on the ground like a balloon. Suddenly, it's eyes stretched and formed what appeared to be hands, scaring the heck out of the boys as those stretched eyes grabbed the crocodiles nose and forced its mouth open. A bit more thrashing, and Luffy launched himself back out of the crocodiles stomach in his Nika form while laughing.
"Ahahahaha! I love this form so much! Yehahaha!"
Later they took a crocodile home to eat with Luffy complaining about how they nearly got him killed, if it wasn't for his devil fruit powers.
"Hey, what if the Bluejam pirates show up at the mountain bandits place ? And what if they do that while we're there ?" Ace questioned.
"Haha! Don't worry! I can take them all on!"
"Idiot! You'll just die!"
"No I won't! I'll beat up Bluejam and all of his goons if they ever show up! Watch me!" For some reason, Ace and Sabo actually did feel sincerity in his words and had some trust in him.
He may be an idiot and a crybaby, but they couldn't deny that he was powerful. Stronger than them, that much was certain.
They end up sparring everyday to see where they are.
Sabo and Ace: 24 - 26 wins
Sabo and Luffy: 17 - 33
Ace and Luffy: 19 - 31
"Ha! How's that! I won!" Luffy cheered.
"You lost every match where you didn't transform. Without that transforming power, you'd be weak." Ace rolled his eyes.
"And you're an idiot."
It was true though. He was stronger than both of them by a large margin, yet he lost a few times because I never used his transformation and because he's an idiot and his techniques did more damage to him than they did to them.
"Let's go hunt crocodiles." Ace suggested.
"I love crocodile meat." Luffy said.
"Luffy, don't get eaten this time. Even if you can't really die, you were lucky to get instantly swallowed last time." Sabo didn't know how durable Luffy actually was. It might have been bad if the crocodile actually decided to rip Luffy apart by biting into his flesh instead of swallowing him whole.
"You wait here Luffy. You can't swim, so you'll slow us down..." Ace said this, but Luffy jumped at the crocodiles before either of them, surprising both boys.
Later, they caught wind of Sabo's true heritage as a noble when he spilled it all to them. They then vowed to become pirates one day. But most of all, Ace and Sabo became protective of Luffy. He accidentally told them about how he would be hunted down by the world government, which sparked their worries.
To protect their new friend, they vowed to get stronger. They didn't want Luffy getting captured and possibly executed.
"I'm gonna become one. You don't have to tell me! I'm gonna become a pirate and defeat others and become infamous!" Ace declared.
"It'll be to only proof of my life! It doesn't matter if all the people in the world reject me or despise me, I'll become a great pirate and I'll show them what I can do! I won't run from anyone or lose to anyone. Because I'm feared or hated or whatever, my name will be known all over!" Ace declared and the other two grinned.
"Alright! I got it...."
He ran up to the cliff next to Ace and screamed his lungs out. "I'm gonna become...!"
The words he spoke right after, shocked the two boys.
"You fool. I was wondering what you'd have to say..."
"I can't wait to see how you turn out in the future!"
Sabo then smiled at them. "We can all become pirates, but isn't the problem that we all want to be captain ?"
"I wasn't expecting that. Sabo, I thought you'd want to be a navigator on my ship." Ace revealed his thoughts.
"You guys can come aboard my ship!' Luffy offered.
"I refuse!/I refuse!" They both declined without an ounce of hesitation.
"Huh?! That's not fair! Come aboard! I said come aboard, so you gotta do it!" Luffy whined.
"That will never happen!"
"Yeah, never."
"Eh?! What did you say ?!.... But that's okay..." This made them laugh.
"What's that ?"
"Man, you're funny, Luffy!"
They then brought a bottle of sake and three cups that they placed on a cut down tree trunk.
"Let's just leave them here. Maybe we set out independently." Ace said while bringing a bottle of sake.
"Oh, you stole that from Dadan!"
"Did you guys know ? We can become brothers if we exchange this cup of sake!" Ace said while pouring the same in the cups.
"Brothers ? Really?!"
"When we become pirates, we might not be on the same ship, but our brotherhood will always be with us! Whenever, whatever, we'll always be bounded together!"
They all lifted the sake cups together and shared it, tapping them together.
"We're brother!" Ace declared.
"Yeah!"