Mae.writes

Chapter 3: A not so peaceful peaceful

Request: Open

Word Count: 3.5k

Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4(soon)

Includes: Luffy X Traumatised/Devilfruit user Reader, Long and slow burn. Eventual fluff, angst, possibly Romance and Smut. Eventual Strawhats x Reader. Brutal and violent scenes targeted both towards and against reader. Death of close ones. Traumatic events. Character building

——————————————————————

Summary: From being Ace’s right hand girl, to meeting Monkey ‘D Luffy for the first time in Alabasta, Then watching everything that was once important to you vanish mercilessly infront of you. You find yourself on a strange journey you never expected standing alongside none other than Ace’s brother

Chapter Summary: Under Rayleigh’s guidance your strength and confidence grow. The island has become to peaceful for Rayleighs likings. Something clicks as a battle emerges.

Eat.

Get beaten up.

Get annoyed by Luffy.

Eat.

Train.

Get lectured by Rayleigh.

Eat.

Star into stars.

Sleep.

Repeat.

Life on the island had become almost peaceful.

Which was exactly why Rayleigh decided to ruin it.

The storm hit without warning. Just a sudden burst of winds and unwelcomed energy. The sky turned black as if the stars had been stolen. Rain slammed against the island causing the trees to whale in distress. Waves crashed against the cliffs hard enough to shake the ground. Harder than ever before. And somewhere in the middle of it all— A roar so loud it echoed through the darkness.

A Sea King. Not an ordinary one. Massive. Ancient. Angry. Hungry.

The island was mad any peaceful feelings disappeared with each gust of harsh wind.

"You two handle it."

Rayleigh sat beneath a large and sturdy wooden shelter you and Luffy, mainly you built to help fight off the cold as the nights had become almost unbearably chilled. Drinking some nature based tea.

Luffy stared. Eyes wide open

You stared. A nervous sparkle in your eyes.

The Sea King roared again making the island shake uncontrollably.

"YOU WANT US TO FIGHT THAT?"

Both you and Luffy looked at each other blankly before returning your gazes to Rayleigh.

Rayleigh sipped his tea. Calm as ever, a large smirk growing as he ignored the looks he was receiving.

"Correct."

The start of the fight was a complete disaster. Rain and wind blowing around making it almost impossible to keep both eyes open.

Luffy rushed in, eyes stupidly closed as he ran directly into the horribly large sea beasts mouth. You watched as the large jaw snapped shut.

GULP

That idiot really just ran into its mouth.

You forced a large inhale as you contemplated the small amount of intelligence you once credited Luffy.

As you exhale your hand rose extending to your pointer finger towards the creature's mouth, before the exhale reached the end a large beam flashed.

Instantly the creature's pain-filled scream echoed through the forest with an explosive amount of wind attached.

“ uck, I would NOT recommend goin in there, it smells like shit”.

You watched as the familiar face casually walked out of the massive hole that was now burning into the creature's cheek like what he did was planned.

You felt your eyes roll,

“Do”…

Luffy walked off the creature's mouth to just launch directly back in.

“ I was going to say don’t do that again!” You screamed as Luffy beat you before the sentence could surface.

You could hear Luffy try to respond but unable to pick up anything he actually said as his words were turned into mumbled noises from inside the sea king.

A sudden jolt in the sea king sent you back a step, followed by another and another. You could see the sea king begin to look confused whilst it painfully turned and twirled around one jolt after another.

Another large scream breaks the Forrest’s walls as the sea king screeches, mouth now wide open.

Another massive scream filling the forest as you call out Luffy’s name almost as confused as the sea king.

you watch Luffy catapult himself out of the sea king's mouth screaming just as loud filling the forest with a total for 3 horrifying screams.

Nobody knew what was happening. Not you, not the sea king and most definitely not Luffy.

The fight remained a complete disaster

You watch from a distance as Luffy flies through the air after launching from the sea kings mouth, his arms begin wrapping around a nearby tree as he begins to move faster and faster around the tree.

‘He's not gonna launch himself right back in right… he hasn’t even touched the ground yet’

Your thoughts spiraling around with Luffy’s body.

Just as quick as he launched out of the sea kings mouth he had launched himself straight back towards it. You took a quick glance at the sea king causing your head to bounce back as you noticed the beasts claw stretched out and eyes closed in on Luffy’s figure hurdling towards.

Without a second thought a scream left your lips causing Luffy’s head to turn in your direction, confused.

“LUFFY LEFT NOW”

Luffy’s eyes didn’t find your figure but he’s body seemed to automatically move following your directions.

As his body swung left the large claw narrowly missed Luffy’s entire body whipping the air with an echoing sound.

Luffy landing on the ground with a huge but soft thud.

You froze staring at Luffy.

Luffy froze staring at you.

The beast froze staring at the empty air that his paw had swiped at.

‘Did he really just listen to me’ something you were sure wasn’t possible

A loud chesty laugh broke the silence.

“Aha, AGAIN!” Rayleigh laughed.

You ignored his childish laughter as you glanced over at the now pissed sea king.

Luffy still wasn't moving as the sea king quickly closed the small amount of distance between them. You felt your feet begin to move, your gaze shifted from the sea king back to Luffy.

You stopped. The heart beat that was elevated from the fight instantly returned to a rhythmic pace, a sudden surge of calm as if a plan had formed as your eyes met his. Luffy’s eyes had remained fixed on yours giving you a look that spoke a thousand words, you nodded once. Luffy’s expressionless stare turned slowly to a wild wide grin. The sea king took another swing as it darted closer to Luffy.

‘Your hand raised and pointed right’ as the beast swung left, missing his target who had moved just in time.

Luffy’s eyes still fixed on yours completely unphased by the air brushing past him from the failed swing, Luffy’s already wild grin somehow became more feral.

‘Your finger now pointed upwards’

Simple, easy, direct your instructions seemed to be read just in time as the beast swung its right paw at Luffy’s legs attempting to hack him down, Luffy following your instructions perfectly.

Jumping up into the air higher than you expected and landing down to the left bending his knees as he landed instantly springing himself upwards high above you and the sea king.

“GUM GUM…”

THUD

The brutal sound of Luffy’s fist hitting the sea king's head rang loudly as the sea beast was sent down leaving a crater in the hard surface of the island

After you felt the sudden dust cloud settle your gaze fixed back to Luffy who had only just landed after his punch. You watched as the first thing he did after landing wasn’t celebrate it wasn’t boast or show off,

It wasn't to do something stupid and go back to the beast instantly..

it was look up, directly at you with the same eyes that spoke a million words minutes before. This time his eyes filled with acknowledgment, you understood. He understood.

Something clicked

Not Haki

Not devil fruits

Trust.

It was like you had stopped fighting next to each other for just a moment and instead fought with each other. Words no longer needed, plans were something unheard of.

Luffy turned facing towards the beast once again back towards you.

Luffy launched himself skyward, not expecting the sea king to have caught on.

You felt your body clench as your eyes were forced to the sea king's movements as if he had a sudden revolution.

He was now darting directly towards you without a second's notice. You felt a typical sting of cuts ravaging throughout your body as you let out a small welp of pain. As you stood back up to see the beast not relenting and milliseconds away from you not giving enough time to react before thrown again.

The sensation of having your body thrown at such force that it went straight through one of the large trees was like no other. Your arms ached, your torso stung a concerning amount, your head pounding as your eyes remained closed tensely as you began to fight with your thoughts.

“JUST BREATHE”

Rayleigh's voice yelled from where he sat afar watching the fight unroll. Becoming slightly concerned.

“BE CONFIDENT, DONT BE SCARED”

The words cut deeper than your wound on the torso which was now bleeding everywhere. They repeated in your head over and over

“Be confident, don’t be afraid, be confident don’t be afraid be confident don’t be afraid”.

Your eyes opened wide at the sound of the beast thundering towards for the third time and the warning Luffy had screamed while re launching himself.

‘Confident confident confident’

It replayed in your head, the sea king still coming at you at great speed. You stood, body shaking from a mix of adrenaline and pain. You felt a force forming throughout your body as you watched Luffy come down attempting to punch the beast again in hopes of helping you but failing and getting himself sent back further as the sea king's tail smashed against Luffy’s chest.

Your mind now silent at the impact as your gaze intensified and was now directed at the sea king.

You could feel the warm liquid flowing down your side and the ache in each of your limbs as you forced yourself to stay standing. The pounding in your head endless. You should of broken you would of broken but for the first time since Ace died you felt free. The spark inside you didn’t just trust you, but right now you trusted it back.

As the sea king narrowed in, your arm rose the golden and silver flames taking no time to shine bright as the freedom inside you could fuel much more than just one starry attack, the star in your hand now furious as it grew with each growing step of the monstrous fury in front of you.

3 more steps

2 more steps

1 more step

“STELLA HEAT” the words left your mouth in a tone even Rayleigh had never heard before.

The star in your hand burst as the golden flame rapidly moved towards the sea king, small bright shooting stars making the sea kings eyes try to track each one afraid of the unknown.

Rayleigh had begun running towards you trying to beat the foreseeable attack that he didn’t want you to receive. As he finally reached a distance he could see your face clearly, he began to slow.

His eyes fixed on yours

That expression,

that freedom

It was the same thing Ace had once described

“So that’s the look Ace always talked about”

A distant mumble came from Rayleigh as he said his thoughts aloud.

You didn’t take notice of the words and instead remained entranced. ‘The distraction’ a thought that made it difficult to hold back a small smirk

As you watched the beast's eye dart around frantically trying to keep track of your shooting stars, you heard Luffy’s yelling close in. You knew it was time with the freeing look still on your face, You flicked your fingers a tiny silver star creeped towards the eyes of the distracted beast.

Pop the sound echoed across the island, a flash as bright as the sun had just burst in front of the beast's face causing his eye lids to shut hard in pain, meaning he wouldn’t be able to dodge the next attack. You began to walk slightly away from the impact zone.

“GUM GUMMMM GIGANTIC GATTLING”

Perfect timing, Luffy was still flying through the air as massive inflated fists came firing towards the blind sea King. Fist after Fist after Fist. You watched as the sea king got buried further and further with each punch until there was nothing but a large hole visible.

The island's harsh winds stopped, the clouds that made the island sky black began to fade, the waves crashing hell into the rocks calmed, the island returned to its original peaceful nature.

That night as you sat by the fire

Treating the large wound on the torso which turned out to be where the beast's claws dug into you before the throw.

After you secured the bandage around your torso, and packing away the few medical supplies you had used you made way over to Luffy.

Rayleigh was already half way through one his typical lectures

"...and that's exactly why you should know how to patch yourself up."

Luffy looked thoroughly uninterested.

You simply extended your hand. Rayleigh paused. For a moment his gaze lingered on you. Then he handed over the bandages.

No questions asked.

No teasing remark.

Just quiet trust.

As you began to finish up what Rayleigh had started Luffy spoke.

“That was fun”

Was all Luffy said with a massive grin on his face.

As you looked up you couldn’t help a loud laugh escaping your amused mouth.

A sound that surprised both you, Luffy and Rayleigh as it rang through the forest, quickly accompanied by another blissful laugh coming from Luffy.

The laughter slowly faded. Not because either of you wanted it to. Simply because neither of you could breathe.

Your side hurt. Luffy's leg hurt. The giant bruise beginning to form across his chest definitely hurt. Yet neither of you stopped grinning.

The atmosphere surrounding you seemed more cheerful than normal as if reacting to your happy presence.

Rayleigh watched from beside the fire. Quiet.

Observing.

Thinking.

The flames reflected in his glasses as his gaze shifted between the two of you. Something had changed. Neither of you noticed it.

Rayleigh did.

A sudden break in the silence

“You laugh weird."

The words came out of nowhere. You blinked.

"What?"

"You laugh weird."

"That's literally the same thing you just said."

Luffy shrugged. Edges of his mouth turned downwards into a knowing frown.

"You don't do it much."

Silence.

Your fingers froze against the bandage.

Luffy had already returned to staring into the fire. As if he hadn't just casually dropped something that hit harder than any Sea King.

Because he was right. You didn't laugh much anymore. Even when you did laugh it wasn’t… real.

Not really.

Not like before.

“A strange thing happened today."

Rayleigh's voice broke the silence, Again after seeing the sudden change in your demeanor.

You immediately regretted making eye contact. Luffy looked completely unbothered.

"What?" He asked as he lifted his head to face Rayleigh.

"You listened."

"Huh?"

You didn’t need to look at Luffy to tell his eyebrows had raised and the typical dumbfounded look he always had when confused had been plastered back onto his face.

"You listened to her."

Luffy blinked. Still confused. Like Rayleigh had asked why the sky was blue.

"Yeah…?” Luffy eventually said as his response sounded more like a question, clearly still trying to comprehend what Rayleigh had said but wanting to give an answer.

"..."

"..."

Rayleigh stared.

You stared.

Luffy stared back.

"What?"

‘Classic Luffy, still completely lost’

“Why?" You answered his question with another question, your gaze stayed on Luffy’s face which was only slightly visible as you still remained at his feet after treating the wound.

Luffy tilted his head. The same dumbfounded look still plastered on his face.

"You told me where to go."

"That doesn't answer the question." You almost immediately regretted your rebuttal as you watched Luffy’s face turn into a small grin failing to hide his amusement as he continued.

"It does."

"No it doesn't."

"It does."

"No-"

"It does."

You rubbed your face with a sigh.

‘Why do I keep falling into his childish games’

Luffy grinned. Victorious.

Not like there was meant to be a winner in the first place.

"I knew you wouldn't get me hit."

The words were simple. Matter-of-fact.

Like saying water was wet.

Like saying food tasted good.

The conversation ended there. For Luffy it was obvious. For you it wasn't.

You couldn’t help but wonder how on earth the roles shifted so quickly.

you were now confused.

Rayleigh's smile faded slightly.

“Luffy, go get some firewood. The fire's burning low.”

“But that's—”

You knew what Luffy was going to say. That was your job.

You watched Luffy's eyes meet Rayleigh's as he stopped mid-sentence. As readable as ever, he sulked as he walked away to collect firewood. Even after all this growth, arguing with Rayleigh was still out of the question.

Rayleigh only ever sent Luffy away when he needed you to hear something. Not wanted. Needed.

Your gaze shifted from Luffy's disappearing figure to Rayleigh's face, which now wore a comforting smile.

“I knew somebody else who trusted like that.”

Your body stiffened immediately.

You knew exactly who he meant.

“Ace.”

Silence.

The crackling fire suddenly sounded much louder, confirming that the firewood was simply an excuse.

“You know, after Ace's stubbornness about me being part of his father's crew wore off, he would talk about you nonstop.”

You felt yourself tense, your heart rate beginning to climb as you anticipated a serious and emotional conversation.

“Always complaints, one after another.”

Rayleigh's tone caught you off guard.

“He complained about me?”

Your voice was soft but carried a hint of annoyance and surprise.

“There was always something with you.”

Rayleigh sighed dramatically.

“One week he'd come looking for medical supplies because you'd picked a fight over food, of all things, with someone twice your size.”

He held up a finger.

“The next week he'd be complaining because you'd somehow stolen a Marine ship.”

Your eyes widened as the emotions from that day resurfaced immediately.

“I borrowed it.”

Rayleigh gave an amused smirk, tilting his head slightly as if he knew it was a lie just as much as you did.

“You sank it.”

“Okay, but that part really wasn't my fault.”

You replied guiltily, accepting that Rayleigh was far too good at reading your thoughts.

Rayleigh ignored you.

A second finger joined the first.

“Then there was the pirate captain incident.”

You immediately groaned.

“No.”

You felt your face grow warm.

“Oh yes.”

A third finger joined the others.

“'She threatened a pirate captain with a spoon.'”

“It was sharp,” you interrupted defensively.

“It was a spoon.”

You mumbled under your breath, correcting Rayleigh.

“It was a spork.”

Rayleigh shook his head.

“Every conversation started the same way.”

His voice shifted slightly as he imitated Ace.

“'Rayleigh, she's going to get herself killed.'”

Then another voice.

“'Rayleigh, she doesn't think.'”

And another.

“'Rayleigh, she's impossible.'”

A smile tugged at your lips despite yourself. You couldn't help enjoying the fact that you had apparently been such a pain in his ass.

“Then came the knife wound.”

Rayleigh pointed at you.

“Now that one was special.”

You immediately knew where this was going.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Rayleigh.”

“Uh-huh.”

You buried your face deep in your hands, attempting to hide the clear embarrassment on your face.

Rayleigh cleared his throat before continuing.

“'She stepped in front of some giant idiot swinging his knife around.'”

He paused.

“'She got cut.'”

Another pause.

“'Didn't flinch. Didn't even look at the cut.'”

Another.

“'She did look directly at us and run, though.'”

A grin spread across Rayleigh's face.

“'I found her behind the mast in an empty barrel. She noticed me and ran.'”

He shook his head.

“'Fast, though. I'll give her that. Managed to outrun half the crew before she tripped over the same barrel she'd been hiding in.'”

Rayleigh exhaled loudly, returning to his normal voice.

“That's when he came rushing over to me asking if I had any tape and bandages. I didn't question him at the time—I never did. I didn't really care for his typical shenanigans.”

A chuckle escaped him.

“But the way he ran back with that tape waving above his head like it was some priceless treasure made me curious.”

“Rayleigh, don't.”

You pleaded, not wanting to hear the end of his story.

Of your story.

Rayleigh looked far too pleased with himself.

“He had to tape you against the mast just so you couldn't run. Not only that, but the entire crew had to help bandage you while you complained.”

Rayleigh finally let out a laugh loud enough to echo through the trees.

You heard footsteps approaching quickly as Luffy returned, wood in hand.

He clearly wanted to know what had made Rayleigh laugh so loudly.

You both ignored him.

“The funniest thing about it all was that he never complained when you were around.”

Rayleigh's smile softened.

“Only after.”

The fire crackled.

“His complaints often felt less like complaints and more like worries.”

There was a brief pause as Luffy looked confused and you took in his words before Rayleigh continued.

“For someone who complained that much...”

Rayleigh let out a quiet laugh disguised as a sigh.

“He sure spent a lot of time talking about you.”

You looked away, your cheeks still warm from embarrassment.

Silence spread between you.

“Maybe he was just making sure I stayed out of trouble.”

Your words and your thoughts were complete opposites.

You knew Ace could never keep you out of trouble.

Rayleigh laughed.

“If that were true, he would've stopped talking after the first week.”

'He really can read minds,' you thought to yourself as you watched Rayleigh settle into a sleeping position.

“Don't stay up too late, you two. Training isn't over yet.”

Feel free to use anything i post ❤️✨ happily taking requests if your in need to a specific character!!

Chapter 2: Strength grows with bonds

Requests status: Open

Word Count: 3.6k

Includes: Luffy X Traumatised/Devilfruit user Reader, Long and slow burn. Eventual fluff, angst, possibly Romance and Smut. Eventual Strawhats x Reader. Brutal and violent scenes targeted both towards and against reader. Death of close ones. Traumatic events. Character building

——————————————————————

Summary: From being Ace’s right hand girl, to meeting Monkey ‘D Luffy for the first time in Alabasta, Then watching everything that was once important to you vanish mercilessly infront of you. You find yourself on a strange journey you never expected standing alongside none other than Ace’s brother.

I will let you guys know if the chapter is more of a filler and can be skipped/isn’t as important although be warned you may miss information that could still be important. This story will be long and therefore filler chapters are NECESSARY.

Chapter Summary: Training continues, your strength and confidence grows alongside your bonds with Rayleigh and Ace’s little brother. FILLER CHAPTER.

Normally, you would just listen quietly until sleep claimed him.

But tonight was different.

You felt a little less... heavy.

Like the weight that had been hanging from your shoulders for years had finally loosened its grip.

As Luffy talked and talked about his crew, you found yourself actually wanting to hear more. Something didn't make sense to you.

Why was Luffy here training with Rayleigh instead of training alongside his crew?

"Hey, Straw Hat."

The words slipped out during a brief pause in his rambling.

You rotated slightly on your rock so you were facing him.

"Where's your crew now?"

The atmosphere changed instantly.

The fire continued crackling, but the energy around Luffy shifted.

He sat up slowly, crossing his legs and lowering his head. The complete opposite of how he'd been only moments ago.

"We..." he hesitated.

"We got separated."

His hands rested in his lap. You watched his shoulders rise and fall with a long and heavy breath. Blackened messy hair blocking view of his eyes.

"When we got separated..." another pause, "that's when I heard about Ace."

Your chest tightened immediately. At the sudden mention of Ace. Feeling your hands begin to shake.

"I was alone."

His voice became quieter. Softer.

"But I still had to try..."

Another breath.

"...for Ace."

You had never seen Luffy like this. You'd only ever known the loud version, The determined version, The reckless, smiling, chaotic version.

When Ace died, you hadn't been watching Luffy Nor his reaction, You had only been watching Ace.

You quickly shook your head, forcing the memory away before it could drag you back into that day. And before all those horrible pictures flickered through your mind.

"I still don't want to believe he's gone."

The words left your mouth before you could stop them. A small sigh escaped you as you failed to swallow the memories.

"He talked about you..."

You looked over at Luffy. He was still staring down at his hands.

"...a lot."

For once, Luffy didn't interrupt.

Didn't joke.

Didn't smile.

Just listened.

But somehow that hurt you more. You felt your heart break as you watched him sitting there. Bowed head as if ashamed, crossed legged almost timid, hands slowly moved around in his lap as if he was anxiously awaiting news.

This wasn't the future King of the Pirates.

This was just a little brother who missed the comfort, the support, the love of his big brother. You couldn’t bear looking at him in this state. You stood slowly and walked over to the fire. Then sat down beside him. Close enough that he knew you were there. Not close enough to invade his space. You had no idea how to comfort people. Never had. Never one of those things that you needed, til now. But you tried anyway.

"He was really proud of you, y'know."

You said hesitantly not wanting to push boundaries. You struggled to keep your voice from cracking as you continued.

"I remember the first time he got your bounty poster."

A soft huff you often used when amused escaped you despite yourself.

"He came running across the ship and practically shoved it in my face. Kept asking me if I knew who it was."

Your smile grew slightly as to fight off the tears as you continued to recall your memory.

"Then he started screaming, 'THAT'S MY LITTLE BROTHER!'"

You paused, swallowing around the lump forming in your throat.

"He spent the next week carrying that poster around everywhere, it was at breakfast, lunch, dinner, all and any snack breaks or meetings."

Another soft huff holding back a smile on your face from the fond memory.

"He showed it to literally anyone who would listen, even those who didn’t"

Your eyes drifted toward the fire.

"He was so proud of you, Luffy."

Silence followed. Then you noticed his shoulders shaking. From the corner of your eye. You took a slight glance over to see small drops falling into his hands.

Tears.

You froze. It broke more than you expected, you had seen people cry before hell you’ve made people cry before, but this.. the never ending ball of laughter you had started to know… crying?

You still had no idea what to do. Part of you considered waking Rayleigh. But something stopped you. Instead, you carefully closed the remaining distance and placed an arm around his shoulders. Just enough so he knew he wasn't alone.

To your surprise, Luffy immediately leaned into you. Like he'd been waiting for someone to do exactly that. The tension in his body eased slightly, still shivering. You tightened your hold without thinking. Squeezing him into you more letting yourself be his anchor he so desperately craved not minding that his head rests squishing your boob slightly. You knew Luffy's mind was completely innocent in that nature.

He didn't say anything. Neither did you. It was clear what was needed. The only sound was the crackling fire and echoing crickets that filled the forest walls. After several long minutes, Luffy finally spoke.

"I couldn't save him."

His voice cracked. Your already shattered heart shattered into more pieces

"I couldn't save Ace."

You felt your chest ache. A breath becoming caught in your throat

"I couldn't save my crew either."

A sniffle.

"I was alone."

Another.

"I was lost."

You squeezed him gently in acknowledgement. You understood that feeling better than most. The silence stretched on. Eventually, the trembling within your hold stopped. Then came slower breaths. Then softer ones. Then—

A quiet snore. You looked down. Luffy had fallen asleep against you. A small smile found its way onto your face. You didn't mind. If anything, you felt strangely honoured by how much he trusted you. Though a part of you still felt guilty for bringing it all up in the first place.

Morning arrived with birdsong. Your entire body ached. You blinked awake and immediately regretted falling asleep sitting upright against a log. As you rolled your neck, memories of the night before resurfaced.

You looked down. Luffy was still asleep. Peaceful and calm, the pain you saw in his face the night before was gone. At some point during the night, he'd shifted completely.

His head now rested comfortably in your lap. You stared at him. Then sighed. You decided not to wake him. Not today. The guilt from last night still lingered. And you enjoyed his warmth as the morning was a tad cold. Instead, you looked up at the sky.

"Boring."

The word escaped under your breath. Not a single star. Just endless blue. No matter how beautiful others found it, daytime skies could never compare to the night.

After a moment of thought, you carefully lifted your hands. Making sure you made no sudden movements that could wake Luffy.

You closed your eyes. Took a deep breath. Then another. The familiar warmth returned. The gentle buzzing. The quiet crackling. When you opened your eyes, starlight danced between your fingers. You smiled softly, a small sigh of relief as you recounted the afternoon before. Slowly moving your hands through the air, you experimented with different motions and combinations.

Tiny galaxies formed. Constellations drifted through the clearing. Silver mist swirled around you. Stars shimmered and sparkled as if pieces of the night sky had been brought down to earth.

Completely lost in your own peaceful creation, you failed to notice that both Rayleigh and Luffy had woken up. Completely lost of time.

Rayleigh awoke and a pleased smile grew on his face as he stood and watched quietly.

Luffy awoke completely confused, between temporarily forgetting what happened last night and the magical view surrounding him.

His eyes darted between the stars, the sky, and you. As if trying to figure out whether it was still nighttime.

As he blinked between you the blue sky and the stars trying to force his eyes to focus and wake up. After what felt like 100 hard and pressed blinks Luffy could see clearly, his gaze falling on your face. A faint smile still lingered there.

"WOAH!"

The shout made you jump. Luffy practically launched himself out of your lap.

"SO YOU CAN SMILE?!"

The constellations immediately vanished.

"LIKE A REAL ONE?!"

You stared at him blankly. Then let out a long sigh. Luffy was definitely back to normal

————————-

you rubbed your eyes.

"There it is," you muttered.

Luffy tilted his head.

"There what is?"

"The annoying version of you."

"HEY!"

His dramatic outrage echoed through the clearing immediately. For a brief moment, everything felt normal again. You almost preferred it that way. Almost. Luffy continued staring at you with wide eyes and a cheeky grin.

"You can actually smile."

You frowned slightly.

"I've smiled before."

"No you haven't."

"I definitely have."

"Nope."

You pointed at him. Falling into his childish argument. Truthfully, you were glad that he was focusing on your smile rather than the stars that had surrounded him as sunlight provided its presence.

You gave him a cocky look crossing your arms, still acting as childish as ever.

"I smiled yesterday."

"That wasn't a smile." Luffy huffed in annoyance at you winning the argument.

"Then what was it?" You remained confident as ever.

"It was like..." Luffy scrunched up his face trying to think. "Like when somebody accidentally drops food and tries to pretend they're happy about it."

Your eye twitched. Eyebrows furrowed and mouth gaped open for less than a second as you absorbed the comment in complete and utter disbelief

‘How has this man survived to adulthood’

Was all you could think before fixing your facial expressions completely dumbfounded.

"That doesn't even make sense."

"It does in my head." Luffy stated now with his same old typical Grin on his face.

Rayleigh burst out laughing watching the childish argument unfold. You groaned quietly and dropped your face into your hands. For some reason, that only made Luffy laugh harder.

The rest of the morning passed surprisingly peacefully. Luffy returned to his training. You continued experimenting with your powers whenever Rayleigh wasn't actively trying to beat Haki into you. He had officially given you freedom to train your power and confidence with Haki. Sort of. Luffy remained banned from his devil fruit abilities while forced to focus on haki and stamina.

Days became weeks.

Weeks became months.

And somewhere along the way, things changed. Not dramatically. Not suddenly. Things you would expect as two people trained alongside each other for months on end. Just little things.

Luffy sitting beside you without asking. Like he was no longer slightly scared of you.

Handing you food before taking his own.

Saving a seat for you beside the fire. Though there was nobody else who could take it.

Falling asleep closer and closer each night as the nights got colder until one evening you looked down and realised he'd somehow ended up using your shoulder as a pillow.

It was never anything romantic—at least, not that you noticed. Luffy wasn't the type to think that way. It was simpler than that.

He treated your presence the same way he treated a warm campfire, a favourite spot on the Sunny, or a place he knew he could sleep without worry. Almost how Ace used to.

Comfortable.

Safe.

Somewhere he didn't need to keep his guard up. So if he felt tired, he'd lean against you without a second thought. If he woke up in the middle of the night, he'd somehow end up a little closer than before. And if anyone asked why, he'd probably just shrug and say, "Cause it's comfy." Somehow, that answer would be completely honest.

It was almost like he let his walls down or, maybe you had let your walls down it was unclear.

Neither of you acknowledged it.

The same way neither of you acknowledged how often he searched for you first whenever something happened. Or how often your eyes automatically found him in return.

One evening, after another exhausting day of training, you sat atop your usual rock watching the stars. The night sky stretched endlessly above you with little clouds, a perfect view of the sparkling suns millions of miles away. Quiet.

Peaceful.

Safe.

You heard footsteps approaching before Luffy suddenly dropped down beside you. Not gracefully. More like a sack of potatoes. You didn't even look at him. He was never one for grace.

"You're gonna fall off that rock one day." Luffy said as he broke the peaceful silence.

"I won't." You said in a sigh as he brought you back from the heaven your mind has gone to.

"You said that last time."

you had grown accustomed to Luffy’s responses, always expecting the childish behaviour and the constant rebuttal and confidence he spoke endlessly.

"I was pushed." You snared

"You tripped."

"Details." You said as you knew he was right for once.

Silence settled between you comfortably.

"Do you miss him?"

Your breath caught. For a moment, neither of you moved. You already knew who he meant.

Ace.

Luffy stared up at the stars. Not looking at you. Not forcing you to answer. Just asking. Clearly a question he had been pondering about for a while by the way his voice hesitated.

You took a deep breath letting the air fill your lungs and with the exhale.

"...Every day."

Your voice barely rose above a whisper not wanting it to crack. Luffy nodded slowly.

"Me too."

The answer came immediately. No hesitation. No pretending. Just truth. You swallowed hard. As you reminded yourself of the past.

"I keep thinking..." you began quietly, "if I'd been stronger..."

Luffy immediately shook his head.

"No."

The response was firm. You looked over at him. A little stunned at the sudden break of the whispering.

"No?"

"No."

His gaze remained fixed on the stars. As you continued to stare.

"If it worked like that..."

A sad smile tugged at his lips. As if he was trying to hide a deeper emotion. He was.

"...then I'd hate myself forever."

Silence followed. Because neither of you had an answer to that. The only sounds were the waves crashing against the shore far below and the wind moving through the trees.

“You’d known Ace for a while right? Like even before Alabasta?” Luffy asked, still looking into the endless above him.

You hesitated as you recalled the painful but happy memory.

“He’d used to say I was his first adventure, I guess it’s because he ran into me before anyone else”

“Kinda like me and Zoro” Luffy said softly

“Kinda” you said, putting a confused look onto luffys moonlit face.

It was on an island close to where he lived. I was inside a massive building which was roaring with flames and smoke. Apparently Ace ran in after someone mentioned there were still people trapped inside."

Your gaze turned to the endless void above you as the memory resurfaced.

"I remember feeling dizzy. The smoke was so thick I could barely breathe, barely think."

A small huff escaped you as you felt that lung stinging pain again.

"Most people were running away from the building."

You paused. Holding back a slightly amused giggle that pressured your sealed lips

"Ace wasn't."

Luffy sat quietly beside you, listening still looking up into the night sky. It didn't hurt this time, it felt different, the air surrounding him not tense and broken as the last time, instead comforting and calm.

"As soon as he heard there were people still inside, he ran straight through the front door."

Your fingers tightened slightly around the stick you were holding.

"The stupid idiot."

A tiny smile flickered across your face before disappearing again.

The crackling of the campfire filled the silence.

"I couldn’t leave although I was able.. I still had friends in there."

You paused briefly, hoping Luffy wouldn't notice your choice of words.

Friends. Not family. Friends.

"The upper floors."

You swallowed hard as the picture of the spiralling staircase encased in flames filled your mind vivid and unrelenting.

"I'd spent years looking after them."

The memory became clearer the more you spoke.

"The smoke got worse the higher I climbed. Everything burned. Walls, floors, doors. The whole building sounded like it was screaming."

You closed your eyes.

"Ace caught up to me somewhere on the stairs."

Immediately you could hear his voice again. As you replayed the scene.

'Are you insane?! The stairs are gonna collapse!'

A small smirk briefly appeared barely visible.

"He grabbed my arm and tried pulling me back down."

You looked towards Luffy before back up at the stars.

"I stared at him until he loosened his grip."

Luffy remained silent just listening to you.

"He should've known better."

You voice becoming intense but still a whisper

"Then I ran."

Your expression darkened.

"The hallway outside their room was completely covered in flames. The walls were burning. The ceiling was falling apart." You took a slow breath.

"But I couldn't stop." The memory of the key felt almost physical in your hand.

"I'd grabbed it on the way up." Your voice softened once again. "When I opened the door..."

You paused. "They were all huddled together."

Small.

Terrified.

Crying.

Still trapped.

Your chest tightened. "They thought nobody was coming." The words came out barely audible as you choked on your own words.

"I unlocked every chain as fast as I could."

You looked down back into the fire.

"They were all crying so hard they could barely stand."

A shaky breath escaped you.

"I shoved every single one of them toward the door and told them to run."

The flames crackled louder. As your stare unwillingly intensified.

Neither of you noticed the slight change in the wind, it no longer took a direction more a centre.

"They listened."

A small smile appeared.

"For once."

Luffy laughed softly as you continued.

"They got two flights down before I followed."

"Why didn't you leave with them?" Luffy asked.

You shrugged.

"There were other rooms."

Luffy groaned as if the story you told was make believe and you could just change the story.

"Of course there were."

"I wanted to make sure nobody else was trapped."

The memory became sharp again. Painfully sharp. Stare was still intensifying as it tried to burn holes into the firepit.

This time Luffy noticed the strange tensions of the surrounding area, he noticed the firepit was crackling a little too loud.

He noticed the wind pushing against him gently from all directions.

He noticed the dust and wood chips that lined the campsite flooring was moving around as if each piece was stuck in its very own tornado.

His gaze moved from the stars as he felt the adjustments in the atmosphere, now intently staring at the tree branches that stood above him. He remained quiet but indecisive as he continued to listen to your voice.

"I was only a few steps behind them when the staircase collapsed."

The words made Luffy straighten immediately, no not the words, the tone.

"The entire thing just..."

You brought your hands together.

"Crack."

A long silence followed. The atmosphere that had seemed alive merely seconds ago was dead again, the fires crackling returned to its almost silent state, the wind fell now only a gentle breeze. The dust and wood chips falling back down to the ground as if you had just told them to play dead. Luffy tensing at the odd timing.

"I don't remember falling."

Your stared eased into the fire.

"I just remember waking up underneath the rubble."

Your hand unconsciously moved toward your leg.

"My leg was trapped."

Another pause.

"And then I saw him."

Luffy's eyes widened slightly.

"Ace?"

You nodded.

"He was buried further up."

For a moment, your voice became softer.

"He wasn't moving."

The image still haunted you.

Dust. Smoke. Silence. And Ace lying completely still.

"I thought he was dead."

The confession hung heavily in the air.

"But then..."

The frown on your face rose as it returned to a straight line. Your tone changed no longer tense

"I noticed four tiny hands sticking out from under his shirt."

Luffy blinked. Then immediately burst out laughing realising his brothers stupidity and bravery.

"You've gotta be kidding."

"I wish I was."

A small smile grew, unable to hold it back due to the amusement you felt of Ace’s actions.

"He'd found two babies somewhere in the building."

You shook your head.

"Instead of leaving, he stuffed them inside his shirt and kept looking for more people."

"Sounds like Ace."

"It does."

The smile faded again.

"I dragged him the rest of the way."

Luffy stared.

"...You dragged Ace?"

"He wasn't exactly helping."

Your glance finally broke from the stars above to Luffy’s big brown eyes as he now stared directly into yours.

"My leg was broken."

Now Luffy looked horrified.

"YOUR LEG WAS BROKEN?!"

"Yes."

"And you dragged Ace?!"

"Yes."

"That's insane!"

"You would've done the same thing."

Luffy opened his mouth. Then closed it.

"...Yeah."

The two of you sat in silence for a moment.

"I got him outside just before the building collapsed."

Your gaze drifted upward toward the stars.

"I passed out almost immediately afterward."

A small laugh escaped you.

"When I woke up a few days later everyone kept calling me a hero."

Your smile became fond.

"I thought it was ridiculous."

"Why?" Luffy asked.

You looked toward him again.

"Because I wasn't the one who ran into a burning building to save people."

The fire reflected softly in your eyes.

"I just happened to save the idiot who did."

Eventually, Luffy yawned loudly.

Then flopped sideways onto the rock.

His head landed directly in your lap.

You stared down at him.

"...Seriously?"

"Comfy."

"Move."

"No."

You sighed. But you didn't push him away. And for the first time in a very long time...

The ache left by Ace's absence didn't feel quite so unbearable. It was still there. It probably always would be. But sitting beneath the stars with Ace's little brother asleep in your lap—

You thought maybe, just maybe—

You were finally starting to heal.

———————————————————————

If anyone has any tips on how skip sections of times better than how I have share 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Chapter 1: How is starts

Requests currently open no rules(accepting 3 more)

Includes: Luffy X Traumatised/Devilfruit user Reader, Long and slow burn. Eventual fluff, angst, possibly Romance and Smut. Eventual Strawhats x Reader. Brutal and violent scenes targeted both towards and against reader. Death of close ones. Traumatic events. Character building

————————————

Summary: From being Ace’s right hand girl, to meeting Monkey ‘D Luffy for the first time in Alabasta, Then watching everything that was once important to you vanish mercilessly infront of you. You find yourself on a strange journey you never expected standing alongside none other than Ace’s brother.

———————————

It felt strange seeing him again after all this time.

The last time you’d seen Monkey D. Luffy had been in Alabasta. Back when Ace was still alive.

Even now, the memory lingered faintly in your mind. Not the image of him stuffing his face beside Ace while laughing loud enough for the entire street to hear—but the moment Ace had actually introduced the two of you.

⸻

“Aight, and who’s that?”

You remembered Luffy pointing directly at you from across the street.

You stood half-hidden behind Ace, arms crossed beneath your long black coat, the fabric concealing most of your appearance.

Ace barely glanced back.

“Oh, that’s Y/N. She’s my right-hand girl.”

And then he just…

kept walking.

Leaving you standing directly in Luffy’s line of sight.

Luffy stared openly at you, completely unbothered by how unsettling most people found your silence. His face stretched into an easy grin, bright and warm and entirely too genuine.

You stared back blankly.

No smile.

No greeting.

Nothing.

Luffy tilted his head immediately, confusion written all over his face.

“Oi, Luffy! You comin’? I’m starvin’!” Ace yelled from several paces ahead.

Luffy snapped his attention away from you and bolted after him without hesitation.

You stayed still for a moment longer, waiting for the Straw Hats to pass. The green-haired swordsman glanced at you as he walked by, his hand resting lazily near one of his blades.

Then he gave a small nod.

You nodded back.

Only after the rest of the crew moved ahead did you finally begin walking behind them all.

You preferred it there.

If anyone attacked, the weaker members in the middle would always be targeted first.

Which meant you’d get to fight first.

⸻

The next time you saw Luffy was on the worst day of your life.

The day Ace died.

Even now, the memory made something sharp twist in your chest.

You remembered the fire.

The screaming.

The blood.

The desperation in White-beard, and Luffy.

And perhaps the most vivid memory of that day Ace collapsing.

That day shattered something inside you completely.

After the war, you disappeared.

You didn’t return to the Whitebeard Pirates.Didn’t attend Ace’s funeral.Didn’t stay long enough for anyone to stop you.

Whatever light had still existed inside you died alongside him.

So you hollowed yourself out and vanished from the world.

Until you met Rayleigh.

⸻

“Tell me, Y/N… what will you do now?”

The question hit harder than any blade ever could.

You stared at him blankly.

“I…”

Nothing came out after that.

No lie.No fake answer.No practiced response to satisfy him.

Just silence.

Rayleigh watched you quietly for a long moment before sighing.

“I’ll be leaving soon.”

Your head snapped toward him instantly.

“What? Why? Where?”

The questions escaped too fast, almost panicked.

Rayleigh chuckled softly.

“Now, now. Let me finish.”

He placed a hand on your shoulder, steady and grounding.

“I’ll be taking someone under my wing. Training him. Guiding him.”

There was a pause before he continued.

“And I want you to come with us.”

Your brows furrowed slightly.

“You’re strong, Y/N. But more than that… you have potential.” His gaze sharpened. “The kind that reminds me of my old captain.”

You didn’t need him to explain further.

Gold Roger.

You stared at him silently for several seconds before giving a slow nod. That’s all you needed to do for Rayleigh to understand.

And somehow, just like that, you ended up stranded on a wild island in the middle of nowhere—

Training beside Monkey D. Luffy.

⸻

You sat near the fire quietly, watching meat roast over the flames while Luffy stared at it with enough focus to rival Observation Haki itself.

Drool nearly dripped from his mouth.

You looked away.

Too late.

“Whaddya starin’ at?”

You blinked, caught off guard.

Luffy was staring directly at you now, cheeks puffed out with food.

You shrugged lightly and turned your attention back toward the fire.

Truthfully, you weren’t sure why you kept looking at him.

Maybe it was because he reminded you of Ace.

There couldn’t be any other explanation.

…Right?

⸻

You didn’t remember falling asleep that first night.

But you definitely remembered Rayleigh waking you up.

“TRAINING STARTS NOW!”

You groaned into the dirt.

“Rayleigh… what about breakfast?”

The childish complaint slipped out before you could stop it.

Rayleigh laughed loudly.

“No time!”

A small frown tugged at your lips—the closest thing to expression most people ever got from you.

Training began immediately.

For the first few days, you and Luffy trained separately. Rayleigh taught the two of you the fundamentals of Haki the exact same way:

By withholding the thing you loved most.

Food.

You weren’t allowed to eat until you succeeded.

Cruel.

Effective.

Every day followed the same pattern:Wake up.Learn something new.Get beaten into the ground trying to master it.

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks turned into a month.

And little by little, you grew stronger.

⸻

“Mornin’, Rayleigh.”

You’d started waking before him now purely so you’d have time to eat breakfast.

Rayleigh cracked one eye open lazily.

“Y/N… today you’ll start training with Luffy. Go wake him up for me.”

You froze slightly.

Then sighed.

Unfortunately, questioning Rayleigh never worked.

So you made your way toward Luffy.

He slept peacefully beneath a tree, completely unaware of the chaos he caused simply by existing.

That strange feeling returned again.

The one you couldn’t explain.

Why was it so hard to look away?

Why did being near him feel so familiar?

You nudged him lightly with your foot.

Nothing.

A harder shove.

Still nothing.

Then finally, with growing irritation, you kicked him directly in the stomach.

Luffy shot upward with a groan.

“Too early…”

You immediately recomposed yourself.

“Rayleigh wants you awake. You’re training with me today.”

You turned before he could respond.

But behind you, you heard movement so sudden and energetic that you already knew he was grinning.

⸻

“I tried waking Luffy up,” you told Rayleigh flatly. “Dunno if it worked.”

Rayleigh only smiled.

Then pointed behind you.

You turned just in time to see Luffy sprinting toward you at terrifying speed.

“You both understand Haki now,” Rayleigh said once Luffy finally stopped beside you. “So it’s time to use it properly.”

Your eyebrow twitched upward slightly.

Rayleigh snapped his fingers.

Two massive beasts emerged from the trees.

“Fight.”

Was all he said before stepping to the side.

Luffy immediately groaned.

“Rayleighhhh, I already know Hakiii!”

“Oh?” Rayleigh smiled. “Then you won’t mind hunting your own food from now on.”

Silence.

Then both you and Luffy stepped forward instantly. The threat of lack of food scaring you both more than the beasts ahead.

⸻

You rolled your shoulders, lowering into a fighting stance.

Normally, you preferred using your blade, but Rayleigh had confiscated it weeks ago to force you into hand-to-hand combat.

You inhaled slowly.

Raised your arm.

The beast slammed into you before you could finish.

Pain exploded through your ribs as you were launched backward into a tree hard enough to leave a crater in the bark.

Your lungs emptied instantly.

You peeled yourself off the tree with a quiet groan.

Then—

THUMP.

You turned your head.

Luffy was embedded in the tree beside yours.

“…Dammit,” he muttered.

You stared at him for a moment.

Then snorted softly before you could stop yourself.

Luffy blinked.

“…Did you almost laugh?”

Your face immediately returned to normal.

“No.”

“LIAR.”

⸻

That night, after hours of being thrown around by oversized monsters, you sat beside the fire while Luffy devoured enough meat to feed a village.

The stars stretched endlessly overhead.

You liked nights like this.

The stars were the only thing that ever quieted your mind.

Luffy talked endlessly beside you, rambling about adventures and food and becoming Pirate King.

You didn’t mind listening.

He spoke enough for both of you.

Eventually, his voice faded as sleep overtook him.

You stayed awake long after.

And when dawn finally began swallowing the stars, your eyes slowly closed.

——————-

The next few months continued the same.

Getting thrown around by savagely large beasts.

Rayleigh telling you off.

Nights spent eating, bandaging, listening, watching and eventually sleeping.

——————

Your breathing slowed.

A deep inhale.

Then an equally slow exhale.

Eyes closed, you stood completely still, waiting.

Waiting to feel something.

A movement.

A noise

A spark

SWISH

Two massive claws tore through the air from opposite sides, rushing toward you fast enough to crush your body between them.

“Y/N!”

Luffy’s voice rang out sharply behind you.

You didn’t move.

Not until the very last second.

Your eyes remained closed as your body reacted instinctively, sensing the attacks before they landed. You leapt upward just as the beasts’ hands collided beneath you with a deafening BOOM, the impact echoing through the entire forest.

You landed lightly atop their joined fists.

Then your eyes opened.

Your gaze locked onto the nearest beast.

Your arm darkened instantly, silver-black Haki coating your fist as you drove a punch directly into its jaw.

The crack echoed loudly.

The massive creature was sent flying backward, crashing through several trees before finally hitting the ground.

You flipped backward off the beast’s hands, landing smoothly in the dirt.

Only then did you notice the silence.

Rayleigh and Luffy were both staring at you.

Wide-eyed.

Speechless.

Luffy’s jaw had practically hit the floor.

Then Rayleigh burst into laughter.

“HAH! Perfect!” he shouted proudly. “Observation Haki and Armament Haki in one clean movement! I taught you well!”

A small smirk tugged at your lips before you quickly lifted a hand to scratch your nose, hiding it almost immediately.

Still—

Luffy noticed.

“Y/N,” Rayleigh continued, still grinning, “you can take the rest of the day off.”

Then he pointed toward Luffy.

“You, keep going.”

Luffy groaned loudly, finally snapping back to reality after what felt like several straight minutes of staring at you.

“Huh?! Why does she get a break?!”

“Because she listened.”

“That’s not fair!”

⸻

Night arrived quickly.

The fire crackled softly while meat roasted above the flames, and before long Rayleigh had already fallen asleep nearby.

Luffy suddenly held a large piece of meat toward you.

Over the past week, the two of you had fallen into an odd sort of routine.

You gathered the firewood.Luffy kept the fire alive.

Luffy cooked the meat—poorly.

And every thirty seconds he’d ask:

“Is it done yet?”

“How bout now?”

“Now?”

The second you finally approved it, he’d grab it barehanded, immediately burn himself, then yelp loud enough to scare birds out of nearby trees.

Trying not to smirk at it was becoming increasingly difficult.

Tonight was no different.

Luffy slid the first cooked piece toward you before immediately throwing another slab onto the fire for himself.

You accepted it quietly.

No words needed.

After eating, you leaned back against your usual rock while Luffy rambled beside the fire about pirates, adventures, meat, becoming Pirate King, and whatever else crossed his mind.

It was always the same stories.

And somehow…

You never got tired of hearing them.

Eventually his voice faded as sleep overtook him mid-sentence.

Like always.

⸻

“Luffy. Wake up.”

You kicked him lightly in the side.

Honestly, there was no other effective way to wake him up anymore.

A long groan escaped him.

“Agaaaain…?”

You were quickly learning that Luffy was absolutely not a morning person.

⸻

As Luffy returned to training against the beasts, Rayleigh pulled you aside separately.

“Alright, Y/N,” he said. “Time to start combining your Haki with your own abilities.”

You froze slightly.

Your abilities.

You almost never used them.

At least—not openly.

Not since Ace died.

The power of the Star Star Devil Fruit wasn’t something you liked showing people. Most of the time you kept it buried deep enough that others forgot you even possessed a Devil Fruit at all.

“Y/N?”

Rayleigh’s voice pulled you from your thoughts.

“You alright?”

You nodded quickly.

“…Yeah.”

Truthfully, you were relieved Luffy wouldn’t be there for this.

You didn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of him.

…No.

That wasn’t it.

You just didn’t want him seeing your powers.

…Right?

Your brows furrowed slightly at your own thoughts.

You shook your head once, earning a curious glance from Rayleigh as he guided you deeper into the forest toward a new training area.

The further you walked, the quieter the island became.

And somewhere deep in your chest a knot forming—

An old fear began waking up again.

You had told Rayleigh about your powers shortly after meeting him. He knew everything—the Hoshi Hoshi no Mi, the abilities it granted, the way your emotions affected it.

More importantly—

He knew you had stopped using it.

After Ace died, you had buried those powers so deeply that sometimes you forgot you’d even eaten the fruit at all.

Rayleigh stopped walking once you reached a large clearing hidden deep within the forest. The trees here were massive, their tops blocking most of the sunlight overhead. Quiet.

Isolated.

Safe.

You stayed near the edge of the clearing while Rayleigh moved toward the center.

Then he turned toward you and held out his hand.

No pressure.No orders.

Just a small closed-eye smile.

The gesture gave you the tiniest bit of reassurance.

“…What exactly am I meant to do?” you asked quietly.

Rayleigh chuckled.

“Use your power.”

“That’s helpful.”

“It is,” he replied easily.

You frowned slightly.

Rayleigh opened one eye toward you.

“You’re thinking too much.”

Of course you were.

You always were.

Slowly, you stepped forward into the clearing. Your heartbeat felt unnaturally loud in your ears the closer you got to the center. You felt your forehead start to sweat as you took a breath.

Your hands curled tightly at your sides.

It had been so long.

What if you couldn’t control it anymore?

What if it hurt someone?

What if—

“Y/N.”

Rayleigh’s voice cut cleanly through your thoughts snapping you back to reality.

“Your power is not something to fear.”

Your gaze lowered.

“…Easy for you to say.”

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

Then Rayleigh sighed softly.

“You remind me too much of him sometimes.”

Your brows furrowed slightly.

“My captain carried the weight of his strength the same way.” Rayleigh crossed his arms. “Strong people often fear themselves more than others do.”

You stared at the ground silently.

“…I don’t even know where to start anymore.”

Rayleigh smiled faintly.

“Then start small.”

A long silence followed before you finally lifted one trembling hand in front of yourself.

Nothing happened at first.

Your chest tightened immediately.

See? You forgot—

Then—You felt ita small burning sensation building up inside you, making your heart beat louder and mind start racing. You hesitantly look up at your still trembling hand outstretched infront of you.

A faint glow flickered against your fingertips.

Tiny.

Barely noticeable.

Like the distant shine of a dying star.

Rayleigh’s smile widened slightly.

“There it is.”

Your eyes stayed fixed on your hand as the glow slowly strengthened, golden-white light spreading gently across your skin. Heat followed soon after—not burning, but warm enough to make the air shimmer faintly around your fingers.

It felt familiar.

Too familiar.

You swallowed hard. Mind still racing.

“Stellar Heat,” you whispered softly.

Golden flames bloomed carefully around your hand.

Not wild.Not destructive.

Controlled.

The fire danced silently against your skin, white at its center and gold around the edges, almost identical to starlight itself.

Your eyes widened slightly.

You still remembered.

For the first time in years, your power answered you willingly.

A strange mix of relief and fear twisted in your stomach.

Rayleigh watched quietly without interrupting for moment.

“Good,” he said softly. “Now maintain it.”

You nodded slightly, focusing harder. Mind getting harder to block out.

The flames grew brighter.

Too bright. You felt your heart beat start to rise.

The ground beneath your feet cracked suddenly as heat burst outward violently, scorching the nearby grass black in seconds.

You flinched immediately, the fire vanishing from your hand.

Your breathing sharpened. Heart rate increased from an already concerning high rhythm

“…Sorry.”

Rayleigh laughed.

“Why’re you apologizing? That’s progress.”

You stared at the burnt ground. You could feel the emptiness begin to rebuild inside. Something you subconsciously did to protect yourself.

“It lost control.”

“No,” Rayleigh corrected calmly. “You lost confidence.”

Your brows pulled together. Pushing down the emptiness you felt building.

“The moment you panicked, your power reacted.” Rayleigh tapped the side of his head. “Your Devil Fruit is deeply connected to your emotions. Suppress yourself, and the power becomes unstable.

You hated how accurate that sounded.

Rayleigh stepped closer before suddenly flicking your forehead hard enough to make you stumble backward. And completely change the direction of your racing thoughts.

“Ow—”

“Again.”

You glared at him slightly.

“Again,” he repeated with a grin.

You sighed quietly before lifting your hand once more.

This time, you closed your eyes.

Not to shut the world out-

But to feel it.

The warmth.The movement.The energy beneath your skin.

Slowly, the light returned.

Softer now.

Steadier.

Small constellations flickered faintly around your fingertips like glowing embers drifting through the air.

Rayleigh nodded approvingly.

“That’s it.”

For the first time in years—

It felt… different.

Like it trusted you to control it again.

Like it had finally become part of you once more.

“I’d better go make sure Luffy hasn’t gotten himself killed,” Rayleigh said with a chuckle, already turning back toward the forest.

You watched him leave quietly.

You knew you didn’t have to continue training. Rayleigh was already satisfied with your progress for the day.

But something inside you still flickered.

A strange feeling.

Bright.Restless.Almost excited.

It screamed to be released.

You slowly stepped back toward the center of the clearing, the sensation in your chest growing stronger with every step.

“Okay…” you muttered under your breath. “Confident. I can do that.”

You rolled your shoulders back, forcing yourself to relax.

Then you closed your eyes.

Instead of fighting the feeling this time, you focused on it.

Your breathing steadied.

Slow inhale.

Slow exhale.

You concentrated on the sensation moving through your body, following it carefully as it drifted toward your hands.

Both arms lifted slowly in front of you.

You let instinct guide you.

At first, there was only warmth.

Then—

A strange tingling sensation sparked across your palms.

Different from before.

Sharper.

Almost electric.

Tiny crackling noises began to echo softly through the clearing, causing your eyes to snap open.

Your breath caught.

Your hands were glowing.

Small glittering sparks drifted weightlessly around your fingers like living stardust.

You slowly turned one palm upward toward the sky.

A faint silver mist spilled from your fingertips before vanishing moments later.

Your heartbeat quickened instantly.

“Confident,” you repeated aloud, firmer this time.

Carefully, you moved your hand through the air.

And froze.

A glowing trail followed behind your fingertips.

Your eyes widened.

Beautiful constellations stretched through the clearing as your movements continued, galaxies of silver-blue mist swirling weightlessly around you while tiny stars flickered within them like scattered diamonds.

You stared in complete disbelief.

This wasn’t destructive.

Wasn’t violent.

It was…

Beautiful.

A real smile slowly spread across your face before you even realized it was happening.

Not forced.Not small.

Real.

As you moved both hands through the air, entire constellations bloomed around you, stardust drifting through the clearing like a living night sky. The mist wrapped around your body gently, glowing brighter each time your excitement grew.

And for once—

Your power didn’t feel heavy.

It felt peaceful.

You laughed softly under your breath as you continued moving, completely mesmerized by the stars dancing around your fingertips.

Time disappeared.

By the time you finally stopped, your chest hurt from laughing quietly to yourself and your cheeks ached strangely.

“…Damn,” you muttered, rubbing at your face lightly. “My cheeks hurt.”

“You know,” a familiar voice said softly from behind you, “that look suits you.”

You froze instantly.

Slowly turning around, you found Rayleigh leaning against a tree nearby.

Watching you.

Your face immediately warmed.

“The smile, I mean,” he clarified with a small grin.

You looked away quickly, embarrassed by how easily he’d caught you.

Rayleigh pushed himself off the tree and walked closer.

“You know,” he began calmly, “many Devil Fruits develop alongside their users. Sometimes they adapt to the person holding them.”

You listened quietly.

“With someone as emotionally restrained as you…” his smile softened slightly, “it seems your fruit found its own way to calm you.”

Your brows furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

Rayleigh looked toward the fading constellations still drifting through the clearing.

“It means,” he said gently, “you don’t need to be afraid of yourself anymore.”

The words hit harder than you expected.

For once, you didn’t know how to respond.

Rayleigh simply gestured for you to follow him back.

The walk was mostly silent.

Honestly, you were grateful for it.

⸻

That night, the usual routine returned quickly.

Rayleigh rambled endlessly about the strengths and weaknesses the two of you still needed to work on before eventually falling asleep halfway through his own lecture.

Luffy kept talking beside the fire as always.

Pirates.

Adventure.

Food.

His crew.

Always his crew

———————

- REQUESTED STORY + IDEA

Requests: Open (accepting 3 more ideas)

Rules : None! Your wish is my command!!

Subjects : Currently a strong one piece writer although happy to explore other fanfics if requested!