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If Luffy hugged his father a little longer than he should, no one was going to mention it. Almost everyone who had come back with them knew how hard it had been to have this kind of relationship with his parents and not be able to actually act on it. Things would be differently now, that much was obvious.
Looking out over the shore, he could see Sabo and Ace still talking. His oldest brother looked shocked, no doubt by what Sabo was telling him, the hit he dealt their brother was expected, but the hug Ace caught Sabo in was not. At least not for Sabo, who seemed to freeze at that.
Giggling, he turned to look at his dad when the man hummed, "Ace wasn't that big on hugs and physical affection when Sabo was with us. So it's odd for Sabo to have that from Ace. He only started that once Sabo left, when we thought he died, and he knew I needed it. It was hard, for both of us, so knowing that all of the sudden Sabo didn't die but lost his memories and that's not going to happen this time around will take a moment to wrap his head around."
As he said that, his brothers came on board the Wind Granma. Ace stepped forward and Luffy wiggled to be let down before jumping on his big brother to be hugged close. Letting his ear rest on Ace's chest to make sure that the heart in there was beating as it should be.
"Missed you, Ace," He whispered.
Ace whined, "I missed you too, Lu, I'm so sorry..."
Shaking his head, Luffy huffed, "You did what you would have done anyway. Don't think I didn't see all the other side you jumped in between me and a treat. I shouldn't have let myself be distracted, and I'm sorry that it happened. That you lost your life because of that." He hesitated before adding, "I let Deuce and Marco know what you told me then, they cried. But they stayed close to me after that, they were there when I managed to take us back."
Dragon huffed, getting the attention of the younger boys and just about everyone on deck. Shaking his head before patting Sabo on his head when he came to stand next to him. Smiling back at Luffy as the youngest boy grinned brightly. He leaned down a bit to look at Ace, "If I could I would have taken all of you sooner, just so you know. I know how you think about parents that abandon their children, but at the time my father was the best solution for Luffy so he would live."
Glancing at his son, he added, "Especially with everything that got revealed now, if I didn't do that and Cipher Poll killed him I don't want to think what that might have meant for so many other people. Luffy is special, and his Baba and I knew that from the moment he was born."
At the mention of his other parent, Luffy perked up, "Baba is here?"
Shaking his head, Dragon explained that he wasn't, but he did call, "A lot of people called, I think my communications team just about froze in shock at those names suddenly calling in. I promised them all we'd call back as soon as possible, with the exception of Shamrock as he'll be here with that ship and will join us in going back to the New World. Your youngest Uncle offered to take him on board and we both know that a lot of those in the know will be gathering in the New World and jumping ship now and again."
Sabo, seeing the confusing look in Ace's eyes, explained who Luffy's Baba was and how he was connected to several others in the world. Including Ace's Pops, Newgate, who was Wani's biological father. "Their mother was Rocks, so that makes Luffy a lot more interesting for the World Government than you ever were, they just don't know it. As Wani went to ground and reappeared as Sir Crocodile. Rocks had other children, including Teach and a set of twins, Shamrock and Shanks. Shanks is the youngest, just so you know." The blond went on to explain how most of the larger crews were tied together, before ending with the notion that they took care of Teach and while he might be remembering things they were hoping the revelations of what happened would convince him to not go the same route.
"I won't let him," Luffy declared, his eyes shining red, before shaking his head and showing his own brown ones again. Grinning softly, as he looked at his dad, "So what are we going to do, because I can imagine that Baba, Grandpa and some of the others are quite on edge with everything."
Nodding, Dragon mentioned them to follow. Leading the way into the communications room, which is where Kuma and Ivankov joined them. Before calling everyone one at a time, asking them to hold until everyone was connected and the bomb just about burst as they wanted to know what was going on.
Or it would, until Luffy laughed that signature laugh of his and the whole group calmed down in an instant.
Wani spoke first, "Hatchling, you are alright? Are your brothers fine too?"
Humming Luffy assured his Baba that they were both fine, still processing in Ace's case as he had no idea how far the Luffy-effect had worked. Grinning as he added that he wanted to make sure things didn't end there, that they had a second chance.
Swallowing thickly, those in the room with him were treated to Luffy's hair bleeding white and his haki becoming very dense around him. Sabo and Dragon stopped Ace from acting, mentioning that this was Nika who was on the forefront and not Luffy, not fully at least, "Imu would have launched another attack disregarding who else was there with us. He would have killed everyone in the water and surrounding us and I couldn't let that happen. Mother, the sea, she offered to help as she was more fluid in what she could do, that with my own powers could send us back."
His red eyes landed on Ace, "What I didn't expect was for her to make sure that those that were buried at sea would also be sent back. They became a part of her, so it isn't that surprising, but I didn't know that it was possible in the least. But Ace proved that wrong, Luffy didn't know he had come back just that they needed to get out of there and his Father had been there, or had been in the sea."
The God went to explain that they needed to band together sooner now, to make sure that the world wasn't in disarray like it had been last time. Because of the revelations from Vegapunk and Imu and his ilk showing themselves to the world so much more often all of the sudden, they needed the upper hand.
The white bled out of Luffy's hair after that and he huffed, grinning, "My crew is also on their way here, I could feel them with my haki!" He giggled, before slumping down, "I don't want to be alone in the East now."
Several people spoke up that he and his brothers, as well as the crew that wanted, would be brought to the New World as they grew and became stronger. Right now he was just 7 and none of them were going to give Fate the option of screwing this over. That wasn't something any of them wanted to happen.
Marco, voice small, added, "I think most of the crew knows -yoi. I believed I would have to tell them this elaborate tale but..." He's crying again, "Izou and Thatch both came by and just hugged me."
Shanks added that he was already on his way to the Moby Dick and they'd overcome whatever happened there. But he wasn't letting Marco alone, not now and not ever. Not like they had been forced to do before.
Gasping, Ace grinned, "You got together in the time after..."
Both men, his older brothers in different ways, agreed. Mentioning that in the time after Ace's death and the defeat of the Whitebeard Pirates, Shanks was the only constant in Marco's life so things started to happen there. Eventually added that he had both Shanks and Shamrock, even if the older of the two had been at a distance as he had been their eyes and ears in Marigeose. With Shamrock now planning on jumping ship, that could also be different.
Speaking once more, Marco sounded tired but so relieved at the same time, "I'm happy we get to spend more time together, Ace -yoi. Last time was too short when you deserve so much more, although I think Luffy has an opinion on that too, so don't go dying on us again."
Luffy, true to his character, nodded, "I'll break into and out of the world's most secure prison if it means saving Ace, don't worry."
Several people protested, stating that they wouldn't allow it to get this far. That Ace, that all of them, would be damned if the same thing happened. Especially as they would know who to keep an eye on and who to make sure wouldn't be made aware of everything that was going on.
Giggling, Luffy leaned on Ace, "And you asked me to thank people for loving you, as if it's so hard!"
If Ace let out a wet sob, no one mentioned it. All of them are just too happy that they could have this once more.
Sighing, Dragon spoke, "I'll be here until after the fire and that ship arrives. Shamrock will come on board and I plan on setting course towards the Grand Line once more. If we can do it right, I'm sure we can make it past Alabasta if you want to, Wani."
Wani hesitated, "Marco, is that okay?"
Marco agreed, especially as Shanks was expected to be on the Moby within the day. Adding that Wani could come after, once they were certain their family was once again complete.
"Then I'd like that, Dragon, depending on who else is going to be there." Wani whispered.
Luffy laughed, "Hawky is getting Zoro, so they'll be here soon enough. I'm also aware that Uncle Blue is aware and preparing, someone should call him and he'll come with us." Going silent for a second, "We should tell Maki and Dadan what is going on, just to be safe and to make sure that we have someone in the East, just in case."
Shanks agrees, telling Luffy to tell Makino he'll send her a flag to hang out in case she needs someone to claim alliance of Dawn, outside of Garp as they all were aware that the man would screw up sooner rather than later.
Said old man grumbled where he was on the snail, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Red."
Laughing, Shanks shook his head, "If Sengoku hadn't held you down, you would have bashed Akainu's head in at Marineford, Old Man. You also wiped a whole island off of the map when Teach took your little protigé, so don't start that with me."
Another grumble, while Luffy giggled, "You would fight the world for us, Grandpa, that's why you wanted us to be Marines, to be able to fight them all if they tried to touch us." His face goes somber before he adds, "You won't be able to do anything, if they find out about Ace and me. Ace is one thing, as Uncle Roger is dead and they want to make sure his memory stays dead. But both Dad and Baba are still around, as is Grandpops, and Grandma is even more feared than Uncle Roger was so... They'd want to kill me regardless of what you did."
Garp sighed, "I knew that, but I wanted to try. I should have known you were too much like your Father, he joined at one point and he fucked up more than anything else."
To their surprise Shanks snorted, "He got me and Shamrock out and I ended up on the Oro Jackson, so I count that as a win!"
Wani sputtered, "They were the twins! What the actual hell is going on with this family..."
Luffy, as Luffy did, just laughed loudly at the notion that everyone was finally realising just how they were all tied together. Reaching out for his brothers' hands he grinned, "So, we're setting out before we're 17."
Ace and Sabo snort and laugh at that. Making even more noise as several people on the other side of the snails moaned at the notion that they were setting out so soon. Others, like Shanks, Marco and Wani, cheered them on.
--
They went inland again, to speak with Makino and Dadan now that the fire wasn't quite happening yet. Telling both women as much as they were able to, and finding that they do remember. Having been in the water close to the Baratie, who had come to pick them up when the Strawhats had called ahead that shit was about to go down.
Makino seemed torn between staying on Dawn and coming with them, eventually choosing to stay and keep an ear out. She'd get a message out if things became too dangerous.
Dadan just hugged the three kids close, muttering that she had never wanted to be a parent, but she had become one and a parent she would be until the end of her days. Threatening Dragon with everything under the sun if he let the boys get hurt or otherwise put them all in the same situation they had been before.
"Don't worry, Dadan, they'll be with me or with Shanks or the Whitebeard Pirates. No one is going to touch them unless they want the majority of the New World on their ass." He grinned as it was very clear that some people were choosing their own path instead of following their Family or Crew as they had done before.
Ace, still reeling, had realized that Luffy had touched so many people that he started cackling soon after, mentioning that they were going to turn the world on its head soon enough.
--
By the time the World Noble ship arrived, the Wind Granma was ready to depart. Not just that, but right before the ship arrived several other smaller ones docked at Windmill and showed a number of kids that were looking for their Captain. Mentioning that they need to get to Cocoyashi, as Nami was the only one that hadn't arrived yet and none of them wanted to allow Arlong to kill her mother or otherwise became as bad as the Celestial Dragons.
Luffy looked at his father and uncle, Shamrock having just boarded and just agreed to set sail and make sure that Arlong didn't get the chance this time around.