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Luffy, for as long as he could remember, has seen people no one else could. An elderly man sitting in the corner of Makino’s bar, a child running after a mother who couldn’t see them, a bandit cursing as he tried to rob someone but merely passed through their body. He had gotten used to such things, it hardly phased him anymore, and it wasn’t like it was important.
Makino called him special; Shanks called it a blessing and a curse; Gramps chose to say nothing about it.
This power of his, whatever it was, wasn’t something he really cared about. It didn’t affect him – the most it allowed him to do was have conversations with the ghosts willing to listen to him. And a lot were, a majority of them desperate for some type of connection to the living world even if it was through an excited child.
When Luffy met Ace, his silly little ability became something…more to him.
“The pretty lady loves you,” Luffy had claimed one night as his brothers cooked up the meal they had hunted together – though admittedly, Ace and Sabo caught the most.
“Huh?” Ace questioned, scowling as Sabo made a noise of confusion.
“The pretty lady,” Luffy said again, biting into his meal with a grin, “She’s always around you and she really loves you, Ace!”
The blonde woman Luffy spoke of looked over to him in surprise, features morphing into one of shock. A hopeful expression quickly took over.
“What are you on about?” Ace demanded, and he sounded upset. Luffy frowned slightly, he hadn’t meant to upset his brother.
“You can see me?” the lady asked, taking a step closer towards him.
Luffy focused on her, “Of course I can see you, you’re right there.” He said simply.
Ace and Sabo looked where he did, and then both shot him confused looks. “There’s no one there, Luffy.” Sabo trailed, confused.
The woman’s face crumpled slightly, and she kneeled next to Luffy. “Please, say something for me.” Luffy nodded and she continued. “Tell Ace I love him, that he’s the most important thing that has ever happened to me. He deserves love, his father wasn’t a monster, Ace isn’t a monster! I don’t regret having him, please tell him this.”
Luffy looked over to his freckled brother, who looked more confused than upset, and told him what the lady said.
“I think she’s your mom, Ace,” he added when no one said anything. “Shishi, you have freckles just like her!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
When Sabo died, Luffy waited for his brother’s ghost to join him.
Sabo never did return.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
When Ace set sail, it was a tearful goodbye. Not only would he be leaving his brother behind, but he also wouldn’t be able to hear from his mother, at least not until he and Luffy crossed paths again.
Rouge told him not to cry, that she’ll be right there with him.
(It had taken so long for Luffy to convince her to go with Ace, that he’d be okay by himself.)
Luffy laughed and called Ace a cry baby, ignoring how he too was shedding tears.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Zoro had a ghost trailing after him. Normally Luffy wouldn’t care, ghosts were everywhere, and everyone had at least one. But this was Zoro, his first crewmate! If a ghost was trailing him, she must be someone important to him!
“So, who are you?” Luffy asked only a few days after Zoro joined his crew. They were barely moving, their food was low, and who knows where the nearest island was.
Zoro looked over to him, raising an eyebrow. “You lose your memory or something?” he asked and Luffy snickered at him.
“Not you, silly Zoro.” Luffy said, and then looked back to the ghost girl leaning near Zoro.
She gaped at him. “You can see me?” she questioned, just like so many others had before. Luffy merely smiled wider, and she seemed to take it as the affirmation it was. “I’m Kuina.”
“Kuina.” Luffy repeated, Zoro sat up straighter.
“What did you just say?” Zoro demanded; eyes wide.
“Kuina,” Luffy said once more, “That’s the name of the ghost following you.”
“Where?” Zoro asked, looking around the boat and Luffy was momentarily surprised that Zoro didn’t even doubt him. Most people did.
“She’s right there,” he said, pointing to the spot near Zoro where the ghost lingered.
Zoro looked at the ghost, “Kuina?”
“Tell him I think his sense of direction got worse with age.” Kuina requested.
“She said your directions suck,” Luffy said.
“Hey! It does not!” Zoro barked, but it lacked heat and his eyes watered.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
They leave Syrup Island on a new ship with a new crewmate. Kuina mourns the loss of the ghost Usopp left behind – a woman with Usopp’s nose who had passed on soon after Luffy assured her Usopp was going to be safe with him – and claims that it had been nice having company that wasn’t two idiots. Zoro had pretended to be offended and Luffy had merely laughed.
When they arrived at the Baratie, Luffy found the man who would become his cook. The refusal of his offer hadn’t hurt, though he hadn’t expected it; the woman who trailed after Sanji had murmured how she would one day love to see him fulfill his dream. A dream that would require going out to sea, and Luffy thought his ship was a great solution.
“That’s weird,” Luffy claimed after a moment. Sanji had already gone inside but the blond ghost floated near Luffy with a considering gaze. “Doesn’t Sanji want to go to the Grand Line?” he asked the ghost, tilting his head back to stare at her.
She gasped slightly in surprise but smiled after a moment. “That he does,” she agreed.
“He’s going to be my cook.” Luffy said.
The woman’s smile grew. “I’m glad.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Don’t worry,” Luffy told the ghost hovering around Nami, “I’m going to keep her safe. Nami’s nakama!”
Belle-mere smiled at him, “You keep her safe? Something tells me you’ll be dragging her into trouble!”
“Shishishishi!” Luffy didn’t bother to hold in his laughter, “But she’ll get us out of it!”
“Who are you talking to Luffy? And why are you talking about me!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked up at the ghost, studying her expression as he held the King and the other woman up. Sand fell around them as the tomb collapsed, and he felt sluggish from his fight, but he was strong enough to carry them to safety.
“Please,” the ghost with white hair pleaded, “Please save her.”
“I will.” Luffy said.
He’s long since decided that Robin was nakama, after all.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy beamed as he rushed around the Thousand Sunny, eyes wide as he giggled with joy. Their new ship was amazing – though it would never be a replacement for Merry, Merry couldn’t be replaced – and he loved everything about the Sunny.
A large fishman laughed happily at his excitement, “Franky outdid himself this time,” he said, nostalgic.
“Yeah! He did!” Luffy agreed, sending the ghost a beaming smile.
The fishman fell back in shock.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked out at the crew of ghosts clinging around Brook and sent them a soft smile.
“I’m going to be here with him,” he assured. “I’m not going to die just yet.”
They moved on with thankful smiles.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy sobbed brokenly as he stared at the ghost of Ace. His chest was torn through, bloodied and singed and mangled and dead.
A blessing and a curse, Shanks had called it. Luffy understands why, now.
“Ace!” he cried, reaching out to hold onto his older brother, desperate for the comfort he knew his brother would provide.
His hands slipped right through. Ace made a noise in that back of his throat, tears shimmering in his eyes as he reached towards Luffy’s hands. There was desperation in his movements just as there was in Luffy’s.
“Ace,” Luffy sobbed, fingers curling in the dirt.
Ace was in front of him, but he was dead.
Luffy had failed him.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked up at the tall man sitting near Law, humming slightly. Ace muttered under his breath that Luffy should just leave it be – you don’t always have to help ghost, little brother, he’d claim, but Luffy wanted to. He could tell this ghost was important to Law and, well, Law was important to him.
Luffy made his way to the railing where Law was propped up, sitting next to his fellow captain. Law looked at him from under the bill of his hat, his gold eyes shining with something Luffy couldn’t quite name.
Luffy looked at him for a moment before looking over his shoulder to the man dressed in feathers by Law’s side. Curious burgundy eyes traced over him, and when Law looked over his shoulder curiously, only to turn away in confusion, did the ghost’s expression crease with pain.
Luffy frowned slightly, and then reached over Law to raise his hand to the man’s. His hand slipped through, as he expected, but he left it there to imitate as though he was trying to comfort the ghost. Predictably, the ghost jolted in shock and Law let out a grumble as he shoved Luffy away lightly.
“Torao, did you have a special person?” Luffy asked, dragging his eyes away from the ghost to the man he was pressed against. “His makeup is silly.”
Law gasped, eyes widening and Luffy smiled at him.
“He loves you lots,” Luffy mumbled, knowing this from earlier whispers – Law please don’t do this, forget about revenge, I saved you because I love you, don’t go after Doffy, I’m not worth it – and the ghost shifted closer.
“Tell him to stop his plans!” he demanded. “Don’t go after Doffy! He’s too strong, I want Law to live for himself, not for me!”
Luffy hummed curiously, “He said to not go after Mingo and that you should live for yourself, Torao.”
Law jerked back once more, this time putting a lot of distance between them. He hissed under his breath, “What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded sharply, angrily.
Luffy looked back at the ghost in feathers and then back to Law.
“Cora-san,” he said in tune with the ghost.
“He’s right by your side.” Luffy said. “He always has been.”