Flying...flying what feels like an eternity through the sky. The red head can't see what he's passing through all the clouds but it doesn't really matter in the end. No matter where he lands, he's going to make his way back as soon as he can. He's going to go back and find the others...and give Kuma a hell of a wallop. With that thought in his mind, the red head slowly closes his eyes, focusing on just the rushing of the wind past his ears. For now there's nothing he can do but wait...
- - -
'Boom!'
"Aah...ow," complains Run, slowly opening his eyes. The red head stares up at tops of multiple trees, eyes squinting against the bright sunlight. "If I ever see that Shichibukai again...I'll make sure to kick him in his teeth." With a grunt, he slowly pushes himself up and slowly scans his surroundings. He's lying in a deep paw shaped depression, and circled on all sides by thick forest. "Just gimme a break. Where the hell did he send me?" Run stands and winces slightly as a pain races through his stomach. "Man, why do we keep running into those kinda guys?" The red head leaps out of the crater he's found himself in with a sigh and once more scans his surroundings.
"Wait a minute." His brow slowly creases. "Wait a minute! I know this forest...I KNOW this forest!" A grin splits his face as he suddenly takes off sprinting, dashing through the under growth as fast as his legs can carry him along what slowly becomes more and more familiar trails. The thick forest around him slowly begins to thin out until with a final push he breaks free of the forest and finds himself staring across rolling fields dotted with familiar wind mills.
"Dahahahahaha~! You really got me good, Kuma! You sent me all the way back to Foosha! Dahahahahaha~! I almost can't wait to sail back and kick you in the teeth!" He thrusts his arms skywards and immediately regrets it as a pain shoots through his stomach. "Aah, that...did not feel pleasant. I-I should...REALLY get some bandages from Makino first." With that thought in mind, he carefully walks back to the village. It's no small walk from the forest by any means but it seems to pass by in the blink of an eye, and soon he stops in front of Party's Bar which has a small gathering of familiar looking figures at the entrance. He casually approaches, stopping behind the group and peeking inside the bar. "Psst, what's going on?" Run whispers, surprising the group who immediately turn to face him.
"Aah! Don't sneak up on me like...that," Dogra says, staring up at the red head. "Run?"
"You look like you saw a ghost, Dogra! What's happening?"
"It's...I," Magra stutters. "Maybe it's...better to talk with Dadan yourself." The men step aside and the red head finally nods before walking inside. Dadan sits with her back to the door, numerous empty glasses scattered across her table while Makino stands by the bar. Her eyes widen the moment she notices the red head who grins in response.
"Aah, Makino, I'm home!" Dadan immediately glances over her shoulder in the red head's direction. "Long time no see, Dadan. Man, looks like you're having a hell of a party."
"Is that all you've got to say, brat?" Dadan questions him, turning away and finishing her drink. "You look like you've been through the wringer."
"Dahahahaha~! Yeah. I was hoping to get some bandages--" He lifts the hem of his shirt, revealing a scabbed over wound and dark bruising across his stomach and ribs. "--turns out, falling down the stairs can really hurt you!" The red head crosses the room and takes a seat across from her with a soft grunt while Makino hurries to retrieve whatever she can. Dadan simply stares at him the whole time not batting an eye even when he shucks off his coat, his shirt and leans his cutlass against the table. Makino gasps softly in response to the damage.
"R-Run," Makino says, placing the bandages on the table. "You..."
"Huh? Aah, don't worry about it. Like I said, I just fell down some stairs." It's plain to see that neither one of them believes him for even a second but Makino doesn't press further as she begins treating him. "Makino, I don't suppose Gyoru is in port, is he?"
"He is. Gyoru returned yesterday."
"Dahahaha~! That's perfect! Because I'll need a lift to Loguetown as soon as we're done. I need to get back to the Grand Line right away."
"Your being here...is that...it's related to what happened on Sabaody, right?" After a moment Run nods in agreement, surprised that news of what they'd done has already made the papers. "I thought so. Run, I...there's...I don't..." The red head arches a brow while Makino stumbles over her words for several minutes before taking a deep breath. "Run, I...I don't know how to tell you this...but...Ace..."
"Ace? What about him?"
"Ace...he's...Ace is..." Her voice wavers and Run's brow furrows as he hears Makino's voice begin to waver. "Ace is...dead." His eyes widen in surprise while Makino finally breaks down into tears.
"Wh...What? Hold on, that's...Ace is dead? No. There's no way that he's bit the dust. He's too damn stubborn to--" Dadan surprises him by tossing a newspaper on the table in front of him. It's several days old but the front page very clearly announces the death of not just Ace but Whitebeard as well in a massive battle at Marineford. "It's a lie. There's no way. The World Government has covered up plenty of things that the crew and I have done in the past to save face so why would this be different?"
"It's Garp!" shouts a voice from outside the bar. "Garp is back!"
"Aah, perfect timing. I'll get the truth from the old man himself." Run stands quickly, retrieving his coat and the newspaper. Without waiting for any of them to respond, Run marches out of the bar. Magra, Dogra and the rest of the men gathered part for the red head as he steps out into the street, finding himself standing across from not just Garp but a small contingent of Marines, who immediately ready their weapons. "Dahahaha~! Easy, fellas! I'm not here to make trouble just to get my facts straight."
"Stand down," orders Garp, watching them relax slowly. "I know this man." Run tosses the newspaper to the ground between the two of them with a grin.
"Aah, what kinda crap is the World Government letting get printed these days, Garp? I almost had a heart attack when I read the head line. I know that the Government likes to cover things up to save face but couldn't they make up something better than that?"
"I was wondering why you weren't at Marineford...I guess you were sent all the way back here."
"Yeah, yeah. I need to lay a smack down on Kuma when I...beg pardon?" Garp tucks his hands into his pockets calmly. "Aah, would you quit screwing with me? I case you haven't noticed--" He motions to his bandaged torso with one hand. "--it's been a rough few days, Grap. I--"
"It's true."
"...'Scues me?" Run slowly begins to approach Garp. "That's a shitty joke, Garp." To their surprise, he suddenly reaches out and grasps him by the front of his coat, craning his neck to stare up into the man's eyes. "So take it back. I haven't got the patience for this right now." Garp reaches up and gently places a hand on Run's arm.
"I wish that I could tell you something different, red hair. I saw it--"
"You SAW it?! You were there, Garp?!" Before the man can respond Run draws back and drives his fist right into the larger Marine's chin. His head jerks down and he sails back several feet before landing flat on his back. The red head appears over him in an instant, once more grasping him by the front of his jacket. "Ya were THERE and ya didn't do ANYTHING?!" Again Run draws back and strikes Garp hard across the jaw. "Ya value yer job that much more than anythin' else?!" Rather than respond Garp simply turns his head away and Run growls as several Marine's nearby suddenly drop face first to the ground. He draws back once again. "Aah, ya better clench them teeth, then! Because--"
"Stop it, Run!" shouts Makino, rushing in their direction quickly and grasping the red head's raised fist. "Please!"
"Makino," Garp mumbles. Several tense moments pass before Run finally releases the front of Garp's coat, and the large man slowly rises to sit cross-legged.
"I...I know that you're hurt but...can't you see that he's taking it harder than anyone else BECAUSE he was there and couldn't do anything to help?" The red head turns away from Garp, and takes several steps past Makino before finally coming to a stop. "Run, please--"
"I need to return to Luffy," Run says simply. "He's the one who is REALLY suffering..."
- - -
'Tap! Tap!'
"Another, please," Run says, tapping his glass against the bar top. While he'd wanted to leave Foosha Village immediately following his confrontation with Garp, Makino had managed to persuade him to remain at least until his wounds had begun to heal. She'd even managed to beat him to Gyoru and convince the man not to take him anywhere for the time being. "Makino? Another?" The woman sighs softly and tops his glass up, placing the bottle on the bar top.
"Run," begins Makino. "Do you think it's a good idea to drink while you're healing?"
"Have you got a better one?" He begins to lift his glass and she suddenly reaches out, placing a hand over the top of the glass quickly. "Besides, it's going to take a lot more than three drinks to have me staggering across the bar. Trust me."
"I do. I'm...VERY aware of just how high your tolerance is but it's still not a good idea." Several long moments pass and she finally removes her hand...only for him to raise his glass and empty it's contents in a single motion. He sets his glass down with a soft sigh, and pushes it away. Makino smiles and takes both the glass and the bottle from in front of him. "Thank you. You just need to do something to distract yourself for a bit." He finds a glass of water placed in front of him.
"Yes, mother."
"Makino! Run!" shouts a voice from outside the bar, drawing their attention to the entrance as Gyoru comes barging in holding a newspaper. "You've got to see this!"
"Aah, think I've had enough news for the day, Gyoru." Regardless he approaches quickly with a huge grin and slams it down on the bar top. The red head spares it a brief glance only to look back immediately when he spots Luffy on the front page. "Let me see that!" He takes the paper quickly, and stares at it intently. Luffy has made the front page, standing with his straw hat on his chest with his head bowed. There's writing on his arm...Run narrows his eyes for a moment before suddenly grinning from ear to ear. "Dahaha~! Dahahahahaha~! So, that's the way it's gonna be, then!"
"Wh-What is it?" Makino asks, standing on her toes and attempting to see the paper. He places it down on the bar top, and points immediately to the writing on Luffy's arm.
"We made a promise on Sabaody...that no matter what we'd meet back up again in three days. Unfortunately, it seems like we've failed to keep that promise. So it looks like we're going to meet again in two years."
"Two years?"
"Yeah. Two years...that's enough time! Two years to get as strong as we possibly can, and then take on the New World." Run turns to look at Gyoru once more. "Gyoru, I need to get to Loguetown as quickly as possible. In fact, the sooner the better. I can't waste even a second. Makino, you still have that transponder snail that dad left you, right? Seems that I need to go home for a bit..."
- - -
In the end, he wouldn't even entertain the idea of meeting him in Loguetown perhaps because of the recent surge in activity as a result of Whitebeards passing. 'Sit tight and wait for us'...those were Shanks final words to him before cutting off the call. It was most likely the best option, rather than asking Gyoru to risk his neck sailing back on his own to Foosha Village. It's a tough pill to swallow given the sudden time crunch that Run feels but since the old man is apparently on the way he takes the opportunity to get as much rest as he can. Unfortunately, sunrise comes far to early for his liking the following day and after getting ready for the day he finds himself parked at the bar, sharing some stories from their trip across the Grand Line so far.
"Pirates!" shouts a voice from outside the bar. "There's a pirate ship on the horizon! Someone alert Garp!"
"Aah, I better go see what that's about," Run says. "Might be my lift, after all."
"Be careful, Run," Makino tells him as he stands.
"Always." With that, he leaves the bar, following after a line of Marines rushing towards the village port with weapons in hand. Run jogs after them with a grin on his face, eventually ending up at the back of their gathering and grinning even wider when he notices some very familiar sails approaching the port. "Dahahahaha~! Boy, he sure made good time!" The Marines finally seem to notice his presence and wheel around to confront him quickly, weapons pointed in his direction. "Whoa-ho! Relax, relax!" The red head raises his hands in a disarming motion. "Now, let's...let's all just take a moment here." He very casually reaches out towards the barrel of the rifle pointed at him, and gently begins to lower it. "Alright? Let's not--"
"Oi! Kiddo! We're here to get you!" shouts a familiar voice from the ship in the distance.
"Oh, that's...that's bad timing." The Marines confronting him all drop very suddenly, collapsing in a tangled mess of limbs and weapons as he steps through them carefully. "Sorry, fellas. I'll apologize to Garp later but it's probably for the best this way. I--"
"Someone stop that man!" demands a voice from behind.
"Sorry! Gotta go!" Run shouts, quickly weaving through the unconscious Marines before dashing down the dock and diving straight into the sea. The ship approaching slowly begins to turn, changing it's heading away from the village. As it turns it's side to them, they watch as a pair of men toss a rope ladder over the side. Run breaks the surface of the sea, quickly clambering up the ladder as the ship shows it's stern to them and begins retreating in the direction it's come from. His feet have barely hit the deck before most of the crew has crowded around him.
"What's this? You can grow a few chin hairs now, huh, kiddo?"
"You got tall, huh, kiddo? Guess I can't call ya shorty no more, eh?"
"Looks like the kid went and became a man, huh! Finally grew up into a proper pirate!"
"Guess it's a good thing! We don't keep milk on the ship anymore since you left!" A wave of laughter sweeps through the crew around him.
"Alright, alright!" Run says. "Cut me some slack here, fellas. Jeez...you old bastards haven't changed at all." Another wave of laughter sweeps through them, and they immediately return to their teasing. Several long moments of this pass before he finally manages to break free of their encirclement. "Alright, alright! C'mon, let me see dad." He approaches the bow of the ship, a grin appearing on his face as he finds Shanks, Yasopp, Roux, Benn and even Raye waiting for him. "Aah...you put on weight, old man."
"Dahahahahaha~! It's good to see you, too, kiddo!" laughs Shanks, as the two approach and embrace tightly.
"That's because he's not worrying himself sick of a certain trio of hell raisers," Benn says, smiling around his cigarette. The two men separate as Benn approaches and Run shakes his hand. "Last time I saw you you were barely up to my hip."
"Ten years is a long time, Benn," Run tells him, motioning to his hair. "Speaking of, I turned my back and you went grey on me."
"Still a smartass, I see," Roux says, taking a large bite out of a shank of meat. "Good to see at least some things never change, kiddo!"
"Dahahahaha~! What can I say?"
"Well...I suppose you'll be hungry. It's been ten years since you've had my spicy curry so I hope you've got your appetite."
"Whew~! I'll have it with some sake if we're taking orders, Roux."
"Haah...I guess we'll have to stock up on more booze," Yasopp says with a smile. "Should have seen this coming." A round of laughter echos from the men gathered at the bow and Run finally sighs heavily, turning his attention to Shanks with a grin.
"Dad...I've got two years. Like I told you before the crew is going to...take a break for two years. I need to get as strong as I can." His grin slowly fades, replaced with a serious look. "Strong enough to take you down if I had to." Shanks sighs softly, reaching up to scratch the stubble on his chin.
"Two years, huh," Shanks mutters. "It'll be tight...but that's more than enough time to make some real progress. Especially with your talent!" He pauses for moment before suddenly grinning. "Aah, before that..." Shanks motions to the cutlass at his hip. "...where did you find that?"
"Huh? Aah, this thing?" Run pats the hilt of it while a grin splits his face. "Ya wouldn't believe it but I actually took it off of my zombie! Same with the coat!" Confusion appears on the faces of all men present. "Dahahaha~! Well, let's start from the beginning cause it's a WILD story!" As the rest of the crew slowly begins to gather around he quickly tells them everything that happened from the beginning of entering the Florian Triangle, to the fight on Thriller Bark with the zombies, reclaiming their shadows from the Shichibukai Gecko Moria and finally his bargain with Kuma. When he's finished the whole crew is left standing in silence.
"Dahahahaha~! Sounds like you all got put through the wringer! Aah...a Shichibukai...well, at least that explains how it might have fallen out of the Marines custody."
"What? My sword? What's so special about it?"
"Well...it belonged to someone I respected very much. The man who ignited the new age of piracy...Gol D. Roger." Run's eyes widen immediately while Shanks grins. "He kept that sword with him everywhere he went...even when he turned himself in he couldn't bear to part with it. He cherished it so much that he even named his son, the only thing he would cherish more, after it...'Ace'. I imagined that it was lost forever but I guess it must have been stolen before it could be hidden away or maybe it was stolen after."
"'Ace'..." Run gently squeezes the hilt of the cutlass.
"You never wanted Roger's hat...aah, maybe it was meant to be this way." A grin suddenly splits his face. "Dahahahaha~! Alright, kiddo! Enough with all of this seriousness! You're back, so it's time for us to celebrate! It's been ten years but Run is finally back with the crew...!"
- - -
"Alright! Let's start with a simple test!" Shanks announces, standing several feet away from Run. "Step one!" He pats his chest with a grin on his face. "I want you to give me your best shot, kiddo! Step two...uh...well, let's circle back to that afterwards!" Run simply stares at him in astonishment. It's been three weeks of travel to reach the New World, and they've finally reached an island called Yukiryu...apparently a completely uninhabited island from the looks of things.
"Y-You drug me out into the snow just for me to hit you?" Run finally asks. "Couldn't we have at least dialed it back and picked an Autumn Island?"
"Dahahahaha~! What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't like the snow?"
"Do it!" shouts Raye from the crew gathered several dozen meters away.
"C'mon! Take 'im down, kiddo!"
"Oi, wait a minute!" cries Shanks quickly. "Who's side are you guys on here? I--" Hearing rapidly approaching footsteps Shanks looks back in Run's direction as he closes the distance, and drives his fist into his stomach. A loud 'boom!' echos through the forest surrounding them, startling the birds from the trees and kicking up a small shower of fresh snow from the ground at the feet of the two men. Run immediately steps back, gently cradling his hand as blood streams from his knuckles.
"What in the HELL?!" demands Run. "Aaah!" He steps in again, aiming once more for Shanks' stomach as he lunches a flurry of punches. Numerous echoing 'boom!'s echo through the forest while Shanks stands completely still, unmoving under the weight of Run's punches. "Damn it! Why is your Haki so hard?! Fine! Let's try..." Run suddenly lunges in, raising both fists and then driving them Shanks' stomach and chest. An even louder 'boom!' echos through the forest, the resulting shock wave nearly toppling several of the newer members of the crew as Shanks slides back several feet. "...that!" Run shakes both fists, flinging droplets of blood in all directions, even as Shanks pats his stomach with a grin.
"Dahahahahaha~! Not bad! Not bad at all, Run! I never thought you'd have nearly mastered 'Emission' already! That's good...that gives me a solid idea of where to begin."
"Aah, so this is the Haki of a Yonko, huh?"
"That's right. If you can't even manage to scratch me before two years is up...then you won't make it far in the New World. Do you understand?"
"Yeah, I get it." Run grins, clenching his fists tightly. "So, let's go again, Shanks!" The snow surrounding the red head slowly begins to compact, as if pressed down by an invisible force. "I'm not gonna go pull any punches just so you know."
"Hooh?" The trees in the clearing begin to groan softly, their boughs slowly lowering under an invisible pressure. Confusion appears on Run's face as arcs of black lightning spring up between the two, zapping into existence and then disappearing. "If that's the case, then I won't hold back, either. Get ready, Run."
"Aah, boy...I think I might've bitten off more than I can chew..."