thefictionvixens Chapter 453 is not the first time.
Chapter 453 is not the first time.
"Shaki, I'm back!" Rayleigh shouted, banging on the door.
"So early today?" Shakky asked with a smile, then noticed the two people behind Rayleigh. When he saw the freckled boy's face, Shakky smiled and narrowed his eyes. "Looks like you brought guests."
"Prepare a bed, Lucci is back," Rayleigh said with a smile.
“But it’s been so long since I’ve seen him, he must be even cuter now!” Shaki laughed happily, inviting Ace inside. Looking at the unconscious man, he couldn’t help but complain, “Old Ray, every time you bring Lucci back, he’s either injured or unconscious.”
Ace frowned as he listened to their conversation, but he wasn't in the mood to think too much right now. After placing Lucci on the bed, he gently pulled apart Lucci's fingers to help him relax. Because his fingers were gripping too tightly, they hadn't loosened even while he was unconscious, and they even twitched a little as he pulled them apart.
Observing the interaction between the two, Rayleigh asked, "You two seem to have a good relationship."
“We’re brothers.” Ace finally looked up at Rayleigh and said, “Thank you for saving Lucci.”
“It’s what I should do; he’s my apprentice,” Rayleigh said with a smile. “You’ve come here for some business, haven’t you?”
Ace nodded. "My other two brothers are on their way. We accidentally got separated on the island."
"Little brother Ace."
Ace turned his head and looked at the woman standing next to the chair, noticing the first-aid kit in her hand.
"Let's treat the wound."
……
"Lucci, Ace!" A clear voice suddenly came from outside.
"Luffy." Ace's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up and walked outside. Sure enough, Luffy and Sabo were talking to Rayleigh in the tavern lobby.
"Ace!" Luffy waved frantically at him.
"I didn't expect it to be you, Luffy," Rayleigh couldn't help but laugh. "You're still as energetic as ever!"
"Hello, Mr. Rayleigh, thank you for saving my brother. I am Sabo." Sabo bowed politely.
"Hey Rayleigh, have you seen my crew?" Luffy shouted excitedly.
“You’re the second person to set foot on this island again,” Rayleigh said with a smile.
“Luffy, Rayleigh’s first name should be ‘Ki’,” Sabo reminded him.
"They're all gone..." Luffy sighed heavily and lowered his head. Although Lucci had warned him earlier, he was still somewhat disappointed.
"By the way, where's Lucci?" Luffy immediately looked up at Ace.
"See for yourselves." Ace frowned and stepped aside.
"What happened to Lucci?" Luffy rushed to Lucci's bedside, looking at the unconscious Lucci with confusion. Most importantly, he smelled an ominous bloody odor on Lucci. "Are you injured?"
“No, things are a bit complicated.” Ace scratched the back of his head and then began to explain everything he had seen.
"But why is that?" Sabo asked, puzzled, after hearing Ace's explanation.
"Ace, is your arm injured?" Luffy asked, frowning.
"It's nothing, just a scratch," Ace explained. "It's already bandaged."
"Is it because Lucci is angry?" Luffy asked, staring at Lucci who was lying unconscious on the bed.
Ace leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, gazing at Lucci lying on the bed. "I'm worried about his condition when he wakes up."
The room fell silent for a moment, and then Luffy spoke up, "But it's not his fault."
Sabo looked at the unconscious Lucci, gently stroked Luffy's hair, and agreed, "Yes, he shouldn't feel guilty about it when he wakes up. He was just protecting his brother."
“Lucci just did what he was supposed to do,” Luffy said earnestly.
"Where did you learn that from?" Ace couldn't help but laugh.
“I mean, that guy drew his gun! Guns aren’t for scaring people. If you draw your gun, you have to risk your life. That’s the rule at sea!” Luffy said matter-of-factly. “So if Lucci feels guilty, then we should make him understand that it’s okay.”
Sabo's eyes widened, and he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, but couldn't hide the slight chuckle coming from his nose. Luffy has really grown up.
"You brat, can't you turn back into your childhood self!" Ace stepped forward, hooked his arm around Luffy's neck, pulled him into his arms, and laughed and scolded.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open by Rayleigh, and the three of them immediately turned to look at him. He was carrying a shopping bag in his hand.
“It seems you’re not too bothered,” Rayleigh said with a smile as he watched the three brothers playing around in the room. “But I still suggest you change his clothes.”
Rayleigh handed the bag to Sabo, who was closest to him, saying, "Shaki spent a little time finding the exact same style."
“Thank you, Mr. Rayleigh.” Sabo took the money with a smile and thanked him, then asked seriously, “Mr. Rayleigh, do you know something?”
"What do you want to ask?" Rayleigh inquired.
“His condition,” Ace said, recalling the situation, then suddenly added, “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Lucci like this!”
"Has this happened before?" Luffy looked at Ace in surprise.
“Back in Impel Down,” Ace explained to Luffy, “but it wasn’t that serious. Last time, at least he was conscious and could hear my voice. This time is different…”
“He couldn’t hear my voice at all and didn’t recognize me at all. Even after the navy officer was dealt with, he didn’t stop. He seemed completely unaware of what he was doing. Even though he was hurting himself by the end, he still didn’t stop.”
“This is a complete loss of control,” Reilly said in a low voice. “He hasn’t been like this in a long time.”
"Has this happened before?" Ace pressed.
“If you’re asking about Lucci’s current state, then I’ll tell you that it did happen before, but only once,” Rayleigh explained.
“Why is this happening?” Sabo asked, frowning.
“Extreme aggression and loss of consciousness are possible aftereffects of brain injury, but cases like Lucci’s complete loss of control are rare, so I don’t know the specific cause of Lucci’s condition,” Rayleigh explained.
"When did that happen last time?" Sabo frowned, somewhat uneasy. "What impact will this complete loss of control have on Lucci?"
“I don’t know exactly what Lucci went through before he lost his memory. The last time he was completely out of control like this was when he was 12 years old, and I guess that was the first time it happened,” Rayleigh recalled.
“This is the second time I’ve seen this,” Rayleigh said in a low voice. “This time I was lucky; the time it went out of control was relatively short.”
"Was the situation serious last time?" Ace asked nervously, while Sabo and Luffy also looked at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh took out a flask from his clothes, took a sip of wine, and then continued, "I happened to be away that day. By the time I found out and stopped him, he had already been fighting in that state for an hour, and his body was on the verge of complete collapse. That loss of control caused enormous damage to his body. He was in a coma for a week, and even the doctors were worried that he would not wake up."