~~~

I sobbed. "Luffy? Sabo? Ace?" Tears rolled down my cheeks. Seconds passed, my brain taking them in, struggling to comprehend that they weren't part of my usual dreams, but were real human beings standing in front of me. I couldn't formulate a thought, at least not one based in any language. However my initial thought seemed to be based only on my assumption, because I managed to utter in a crocked, reluctant voice: "You are really here...You are really...here."

~~~

"Y/n?" Sabo's insistent voice cut through the silence. "Is that you?"

"Y/n!" Luffy instantly released the grip around Ace's neck and ran pass his stunned older brother with his hands high in the air, ready to tackle down someone. The younger boy was like a rowdy child that barely had the patience to get his hands on a Christmas gift. The familiar warm hug wrapped me in a nostalgia and I couldn't help myself but to weep into his red shirt and gripping it with the same force as an anaconda. He was certainly higher than me, leaning over my unfortunately petite size.

"Luffy!" I cried.

"Where have you been? Nami, Usopp, Robin and Zoro were all super scared for you! Did you go to find delicious sweets?" He pouted at the mention of food . "Why didn't you call meeeeee?????"

"It wasn't like that, Luffy." I patted his hair with my trembling hand.

"Y/n..." Both of the brothers that still stood beside the door, adrift by the speechlessness, repeated my name as if they weren't quite sure if they were dreaming or not.

"Y/n!" Ace was the first one to wake up from the trans and rushed towards me, bringing me into a bear hug while slightly pushing Luffy away.

"It's really you! What happened?! Why did you just disappear?" Ace shook his head. "No forget that...Are you ok? Hurt anywhere?"

My eyes glittered as sent him a warm smile. "I'm fine, honestly. I would explain everything to you now, but that'll take time, because it's a long story."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes...You are right...Absolutely! Man, I hope we will leave this place as soon as possible. Everyone is worried sick about you!" Ace fought to keep his rage and astonishment out of his face. "How I want to kill that sick bastard that did this to you..."

That is when my face grimaced.

Kid.

I nudged my head to the redhead, his expression changing drastically. His veins popped and his jaw was clutched. The passive eyes from before were now colored in a shining red, that radiated pure obliteration.

Ace didn't notice my stare and turned to Marco. "What is she doing here? And don't lie to us, we want the whole truth."

"Ace is right, Marco." Sabo spoke up. He strutted towards us, presenting a confident serious face. "If not..." The blond took my hand and pulled me close to him. "We will take her. So, what is it going to be?" I just stared at him, wordless. I wondered if he could read the fear in my eyes.

"That's why I don't like unexpected guests. They are such a bother." Law sighed and leaned back in the chair, throwing one arm causally over the back of it. "This is going to take a while. So..." He looked at each of us. "Who is going to explain 'our' situation? Cause I'm out." The perplexed gazes went back to the young teen and his brothers that were determined not to leave this place without me.

"I think the one responsible for this should do the speaking." Bege Capon huffed in his authority voice. "I don't see anyone else who would be the most suitable for this."

"Kid." Bonney she stated tonelessly, though hints of concern colored her voice.

"Kid?" I asked, reaching out to his menacing aura. I struggled to break free from Sabo's hold, but he didn't want to release me.

There was a dead silence. Then he laughed without amusement. "Are you threatening me, you brat? Cause if you are then two can play this game."

"Eustass." Killer grabbed the male by his shoulder, but he shrugged off the warning.

"Not now." Kid hissed. His grin disappeared and a scowl deformed the pale face. "I won't speak until I see Y/n here by my side."

My heart skipped a beat. Not now, you love-stricken girl!

Ace immediately reacted, making a incredulous sound. "No way in hell... You think we are just going to hand her to you, you sick bastard?!"

"Eustass Kid. That's you, right?" In comparison to his brother, Sabo spoke like nothing had touched him and was dead cold with his emotions. "Known also as the Red Dragon, I assume?"

"..." Kid didn't answer but blazed his attention towards him.

"I heard a lot of stories about you. All those mass murders at the harbor and...what was it again...That accident in the City...How many casualties were there? 100? 200? That's all your doing, isn't it?" He grimaced. "And now you want us to give you Y/n? In your dreams."

"Sabo, shut up!" Marco hissed, both concern and pleading gleaming from his eyes.

I assumed Kid would just start a riot right there, but he was unexpectedly calm. Too calm.

"Well done. You did your homework well. But, that doesn't mean anything to me. I'm not handing her to anyone, cause she belongs here now." He grinned.

I heard how Sabo's teeth gritted. "You bast-!"

"But, cause we are caught in this shitty situation, there will be no benefits from each side if we start a feud. Isn't that right, Marco? Edward Newgate and the mafia would be in a war, while the real enemy will still be lurking out there with that fucking smile plastered on his face."

Sabo blinked. "Who are you talking about?"

Kid laughed, stepping closer to my emotionless body. »You didn't see the news from day 1? How Doflamingo launched an enormous hunting plague and offered a bounty to anyone who will bring Y/n on a silver plate?" Sabo stood perplexed by his harsh words.

"No? I thought so. So shut your shitty mouth and stop playing a fucking hero." Kid was less than a meter away. Even though I knew he wouldn't hurt me, I was still scared for the defenseless friends behind me, so I put myself between both of them like a shield.

"You lost Y/n cause you weren't fast enough. But I was. Finders keepers, losers weepers, they say." The redhead then folded his arms on his chest, now turning dead serious. "Even if you knew about this, blondie, this decision was the best for Y/n. Neither you nor your friends would have been able to stop that bastard." He said, his voice toning to softer side. Was he trying to reason with him?

My eyes widened.

Kid is trying to make him see the common enemy.

"Sabo, I don't want to admit, but he is right." Ace glanced back to Luffy, who was deep in thoughts. "If that was the case, then this kind turn of tables was indeed beneficial."

The blond abruptly gasped, noticing how he was losing on the advantage. "You believe him?!"

"Sabo." All eyes were on me. I gulped. "I know how everything is messy but please...Let's sit down and talk." I was afraid my tears were going to spill out again. "I'm fine. The one who is not is my father. And the people in the city."

"Shanks?" His eyes glimmered in realization. "His disappearance. It is connected to the Doflamingo Family."

I nodded. "Yes. So, don't put the blame on the mafia. I was the one who accepted the offer to work with them."

Examining me carefully, he slowly nodded and sighed. "I believe you. So...I'll listen. Right, Ace? Luffy?"

"Yes." They both confirmed, nodding synchronized

"And then we are going to decide."

"Finally!" Bartolomeo clasped his hands. "Now that we are done with this...I have a request for Luffy-san."

I rose my brow. San? Why such honorific?

Bartolomeo, the killing machine, the angry looking individual, the man who was always pissed at me... Skipped like a little girl towards the male and bowed to him with a sheet of paper and a pen enthusiastically clutched between his trembling hands. "Can I get an autograph from the winner of the Most burgers eaten in one minute?"

~~~

"So, that's how it is? And you..." The blonde turned to his older lawyer brother. "Didn't know about the girl's data, until you saw her, right?"

"Yes." Marco nodded, agreeing. "I gained this piece information 2 minutes before you guys barged in."

"I see."

Luffy wasn't paying much attention to the conversation. I also noticed he was leaning a bit too much towards his phone and frantically typing something, but that something I couldn't deduct even when I asked him.

"What are we now going to do with those three brats?" Bonney asked, then sent me an apologetic smile when she realized she was also referring me as a 'brat'. I reassuringly nodded to her and gazed back to Capone.

He was calm, taking a deep smoke from his cigar. "The damage is already done. We can't do anything about it, we can just accept the situation as it is. Those three will stay here."

"Yay!" Luffy finally responded to his surrounding and innocently grinned. "Hey Y/n?"

I turned my head towards him, but that was the only thing I was able to do, due to the impossible position I was in. Both Kid and Sabo were suffocating me, one on the left and the other on the right side. "Yes?"

"Can others join us too?"

"What do you mean others?" The strange flat certainty brought chills down my spine as I deeply gulped.

"I told them about you! Shishishishi~ I even sent our group the address so they will try to get here as soon as possible! Isn't that great?"

"Wait...Others are coming...here? Why? When? How?" My voice rose, then dropped.

"Idiot, what have you done?!" Ace yelled, his eyes looked sunken, as if they were pushing back into his skull.

The youngest male looked around at the astonished faces and leaned his head on one side. "Isn't it obvious? So we can help Y/n."

"Why?" I whispered.

"Cause you are our friend. And friends..." Luffy looked down at his straw hat with such ferocious emotion that made me remember the day when my father saved him.

"I owe it to your father."

~~~

To be continued ...