The Inner Man -LuSan- (yaoi)

The Inner Man -LuSan- (yaoi)

The average person looks at our captain and probably thinks he's just a lunatic, a meat-hungry youth who's blinded himself to reality, content to throw his life away chasing will-o'-the-wisps.

But that's not Luffy. At least, not all of him. There's something underlying his carefree personality, allowing him to take the most frozen hearts and help them beat anew. Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Robin, me... That funny rubber boy took our hardened, bleeding hearts and molded us into a strange little family that would do anything for each other. That's something a total fool could never have done.

It's when his nakama are messed with that you see the dark side of Luffy; the man inside the boy that's been jaded, that%u2019s seen the hand that life can deal, and refuses to stand back and just let it happen. That man fights until He's so broken He can barely stand and still finds another reserve of strength to draw on, just to protect the ones He loves. He fades back into obscurity after it's all over, leaving us with the silly boy once again. But the dark side of Luffy is never truly gone, just camouflaged by the veil of simple-mindedness in his eyes.

I should know. I've watched him fight enough times to be able to detect its presence. I've seen those eyes track the crew around the deck from his perch on the figurehead, mask falling briefly away and darkness creeping in as he worries for them. Just as quickly he forces it from his face, leaping after Chopper in some dance or sneaking off to raid the kitchen when he thinks I'm not looking.

As I chase his laughing, thieving form over the deck, I sometimes wonder if I read too much into our Captain. If deep inside that simple boy is all that exists. But I%u2019ve seen otherwise.