Been trying to make a story with this premise for months but it never went well. But here it is, finally finished and not a piece of crap, in my opinion. I did try to make Luffy cute, but I also tried to make him act like his age accurately. I think everyone will like what I did with Zoro and Sanji later in the fic. Anyways, please review. Enjoy~

Update: Someone pointed out that Luffy doesn't act like a two and a half year old really should. But I made him more vulnerable and pathetic for the sake of the story. And not all toddlers develop at the same pace.

It was a calm day on the Thousand Sunny. The intense storm had passed and now the crew was on the way to their next destination, which they wouldn't arrive at for quite some time. The temperature was a bit warm for their liking in the morning, but the breeze was nice, so most of the crew were on deck doing various things, except for Zoro who was in the crow's nest lifting his giant weights. Robin was reading, Nami was sunbathing, Usopp and Chopper were playing cards, Sanji was going in and out of the galley to bring food and drinks to his lovely ladies, and finally Franky and Brooke were trying to write a song. Though they enjoyed their activities, things were slightly boring. They'd been doing the same things for quite a while. Plus they were hungry, but Sanji wouldn't give the men any snacks, only the girls. They all wanted something interesting to happen.

Zoro was working out in the crow's nest before he looked outside one of the windows and saw a large barrel bobbing in the calm water near the Sunny. He hoped it was booze (he could use a good drink), so he put down the weights and stuck his head out of the hatch. It was cooler outside; the room had gotten hot and stuffy.

"There's a barrel floating in the water over there!" he shouted down. Usopp and Chopper leapt up, discarding their card game, and ran to the side of the boat as Zoro quickly climbed back down the ladder and onto the grassy deck. Finally something semi-interesting. The others soon went to where Usopp, Chopper and now Zoro were standing, looking over the side of the ship as the ever nearing barrel. It had a hole near the top. Zoro worried about seawater getting in the alcohol he was hoping for. Franky went to fetch some rope to pull it in and up to then to open.

Zoro wished it was alcohol, Usopp and Franky wanted random supplies, Chopper and Sanji wanted food, Brook didn't really have a preference like Robin, and of course Nami wanted treasure. Franky returned with rope and a hook he expertly caught onto the top of the wood, angering Zoro a bit since if it was booze, it would leak and more seawater would taint it.

The barrel was pulled up easily and was soon set down on the deck with everyone around it, excited to open it and see what the mystery inside was. It was not very heavy, but they could tell by the uneven movement that there was liquid inside.

Franky popped open the lid with a crowbar and made a shocked noise and dropped the metal tool. Everyone was in shock and just stood there, looking at the contents of the wooden thing. There was nothing in the barrel that anyone wanted or expected. It was... a little toddler. The barrel was full of water up to his waist while he was sitting down, curled up in a ball. He was shivering and pale, his lips blue. His eyes were a little glassy and Chopper knew at once he had hypothermia. He was already in heavy point so he could look into the wooden barrel and went into doctor mode immediately.

"He has hypothermia. We need to get him inside. Someone grab blankets and a hot compress," he said seriously. He gently picked the toddler up and out of the water and carried him in his arms. The kid was tiny, and it was hard to tell how old he must be. He had unruly black hair and wide brown eyes, slightly glazed. He would have been tan if he wasn't so pale and somewhat blue from the cold. He was wearing a simple red t-shirt and blue shorts, no shoes on his little feet. Chopper briefly was angry he was in such clothes, being in a barrel that no doubt had become cold quickly. Why was he in the barrel in the first place?!

He rushed into the somehwat dusty infirmary, since no one had been injured lately, and made sure not to jostle his little patient. He set the boy on the big bed and put a pillow under his small head and took off his clothes. Robin hurried into the room with a plethora of blankets. Chopper thanked her and piled the blankets on the little one, who was looking at the ceiling, seemingly dazed and out of it. Chopper then asked Robin to warm up some juice in a bottle to warm up the kid from the inside. Robin nodded and quickly walked out of the infirmary to the kitchen, where Sanji was warming up water and putting it in a bottle and going to deliver it with a washcloth as well.

The others were standing a bit away from Chopper and his patient so they didn't risk scaring him. The infirmary was big enough for them to stand at the somewhat shadowed wall and not be seen by the dazed little boy. Brook was blocked from view, since some would find a walking and talking skeleton scary, especially such a young child, who was still shivering with his teeth chattering. It was so bright everywhere, and it hurt his eyes. He had been in the dark compressed container so long that the light was a surprising change. He felt blinded when the barrel's lid had been unexpectedly opened. He hadn't registered the barrel being pulled up the ship. It was just so cold and he was so hungry. The water hadn't tasted good so he hadn't drank much.

Nobody had noticed the glass bottle that was in the barrel with the child. It had been behind him and in the water. It was in the bottom of the barrel, weighed down by its contents.

Sanji walked in with the bottle of warmed water and handed it to the ship's doctor. The reindeer immediately wet the washcloth and put it on the boy's neck. Chopper then asked that someone get more towels. Nami was the one to leave now, passing Robin as she walked into the semi-crowded room with the juice Chopper had asked for. The others continued to try and hide from view as best as the could so to distract the little boy too much. Not that he seemed coherent enough to recognize anything but the brightness.

Chopper got the little one to open his mouth and take some of the liquid. Everyone heard his stomach react with a loud growl. They wondered how long he'd gone without food and water, then becoming worried if he had unknowingly drank the seawater that had seeped into his barrel. That worrisome thought was confirmed when the little one threw up just water, luckily on reflex moving to the side. The water splashed on the floor and he shuddered.

The little boy made a soft whining noise as his stomach made a loud noise again. He was obviously very hungry and probably parched as well.

"Can you feed him, Chopper?" Sanji asked, feeling for the kid. He knew what it was like to be so hungry it hurt. Luckily, in his case, he was old enough to know no water was better than seawater.

"Not yet," the doctor replied seriously as he put the new washcloths on other parts of his body.

It took a little while for him to get warm again and not look so blue and pale and he eventually fell into a deep and quiet sleep, finally warm, inside and out, and on a soft bed and not sitting up on a hard surface. His dark black hair was messy and stuck all over the place and he predictably smelled bad. They'd have to give him a warm bath later.

"What are we going to do with him?" Nami asked Robin, the captain, softly. "We still have quite a long way till the next island," Nami whispered quietly, so she didn't wake up the sleeping toddler. Robin put a hand to her chin.

"We can't exactly take him anywhere else in the open sea. We're going to have to take care of him until we find a place to put him. Do you know anything about the next island? Is it uninhabited or does it have advanced civilization, so we can put him someplace safe, like an orphanage or foster home? Otherwise we need to wait till the island after that one," Robin explained. They weren't just going to leave this poor kid alone.

"I'm not sure. There's not much information about the next island. ..I guess we'll have to hope for the best," Nami replied, then sighing as she looked over to the little boy. "We don't have supplies here to take care of a baby."

"Well, then we have to make some, don't we?" Usopp said. The others nodded. There was really no alternative. Zoro yawned. He hoped he wouldn't have to do much. He would have much rather had some alcohol, not a child they needed to take care of. How inconvenient.

"I can make some toys," Usopp said, actually looking forward to making toys for the kid. He'd never built anything for a child and looked forward to seeing a little smile. He, of course couldn't make toys like action figures, but he could make some simple kids, like blocks. That'd be easy and little kids like playing with blocks, right? So that's what he'd make. He'd done plently of carvings through the years on this ship and the Going Merry.

"I can make a crib," Franky said, also looking forward to making something for him.

"Well, we have another problem," Sanji added to the conversation. "Obviously no one can breast feed him. We don't even know how old he is. If he's really young, it could be bad for him. We have some milk, but it goes bad quickly. There's no way it can last long enough," he said solemnly. "I can make soft liquidy food for him, like yogurt and soup for example. But he's gonna have to settle for water or juice. God, I hope he's potty trained," he finished, taking a drag of his smoke, to be scolded by both Chopper and Nami. Sanji sighed as he went outside to put it out. He was not looking forward to this. It was still nice outside, thankfully cooler inside the ship than the hot breeze out on deck.

"We'll have to make that work," Robin replied back in the infirmary. "Everyone is going to need to pitch in," she said, looking at Zoro, who scoffed. Great. "We need to baby proof the ship. Make it so he can't fall between the railing bars and into the ocean. We also need to make gates on the stairs so he can't climb up or down on them," she said. She knew how such things should work with a baby on board. She'd been on ships with children. Just a few that weren't absoultely vile and violent. Those were the ships she was thrown off of most often. Nobody wants a wanted girl to be around their young child. She found herself slightly looking forward to playing a motherly figure.

"We can make his area the grassy deck. It's flat and large for him to explore," Chopper said helpfully, then looked over to the boy to make sure he was still sleeping okay. "But someone is gonna have to watch him at all times. I wonder what his name is…" Chopper muttered, sounding curious. Zoro suddenly left the infirmary and went outside to check something. There had to be something else left with him or they'd be screwed.

He walked to the open barrel, filled halfway with water, and stuck his hand in and felt around until he felt something solid. He pulled it up and saw a glass bottle with a roll of paper in it and a couple rocks to weigh it down in the water. Hopefully this would help with the situation. He had thought anyone who put a child in a damn barrel had to have some sort of explanation. He trudged across the deck and back to the others.

"Found something else," he said and handed the bottle to Robin, then went to sit against the wall, still close enough to still hear fine.

Robin took the glass bottle and pulled out the cork, tipping the bottle so the paper slid out. She began to read the messy writing out loud:

If Luffy is found, which I hope to God he is, I hope this letter will help. Our ship is being attacked right now by pirates, so I'm doing what I hope is best for my child, to give him a chance to live. His name is Luffy and he can eat regular food and drink. He is easily frightened. Please help him and keep him safe. He is all we have left and we wish for him to live on and have a life. Tell him his parents love him.

Then the letter ended. Franky was crying, trying his best not to be loud. They now knew Luffy's parents were dead and he was all that was left. Now most of them were determined to help him. Someone was so desperate to give their child a chance to live that they put him alone out in the vast ocean,maybe to die all alone and never be remembered. It would be like he had never existed.

No one could feel angry towards the person who put him in a barrel anymore, alone out at sea with no food or water. How long he was like this, they could never know. It must not have been long since he was still alive and not dead by dehydration or starving. They all looked sadly towards the bed Luffy was sleeping quietly on.

"I want to take care of him," Chopper said softly.

"As do I," Brook said quietly, saddened by Luffy's situation, like the rest of them. The most of the others in the room all nodded solemnly, and even Zoro felt for Luffy. He wondered just what he had last seen before he was exiled for his own good.

"I'll get to work now," Franky said quietly and walked out of the infirmary, closing the door gently behind him to not make much noise. Usopp left next, followed by Sanji, who said he was going to try and make some soft food for him after he had returned to the room, coming in just as Luffy's mother's letter had been read. He decided to make oatmeal so he had something warm and filling for his first meal in who knows how long. Nami vowed she'd make some clothes for their charge, but wanted to stay in the room until he woke up. The others all stayed in the room, some sitting down while others stood against the wall, all waiting for Luffy to wake up.

Luffy's eyes slowly opened when his tummy growled again. He was so hungry and hot under all the blankets and warm cloths. He kicked his small bare feet and made a somewhat frustrated whining noise, but the blankets were too heavy for him to get off himself. He almost started crying until a orange haired woman came up to him and kneeled so she was level with him, then gently removing the blankets, one by one. His clothes had long since dried and soaked in soapy water to get the salt water out. She gently touched his hair softly, trying to make him calm and relaxed.

A black haired woman came next and gently lifted his upper body up so Nami could put his red shirt back on, followed by his underwear and shorts. They assumed he was potty trained because he didn't wear a diaper, which was a relief. His stomach growled again and he started to cry. They didn't know if he was crying because he was hungry, or if he was scared. Probably both. The note had mentioned he was scared easily. Hopefully the women could calm him and help him not be afraid of them. The men, however, would need to work on this. Especially Zoro and Sanji.

After reading the note, it was decided that Brook and Franky would stay away for the time being, though they both wanted to help him. They knew they must seem scary to some. Brook especially, but they also thought Franky's massive size would overwhelm Luffy at first, as it would to anyone who was somewhat normal.

Robin picked up Luffy slowly and gently, holding him in her arms and smiling down at him. He stopped crying, but his mouth was still frowning with his eyebrows together, looking like he would begin to cry again at any moment. He then stuck his thumb in his mouth, which relaxed his face.

"We're going to get you some food," Nami said beside Robin. The two women left the infirmary, followed by Chopper, who was out of Luffy's view. Luffy sniffled the moment the went outside but didn't cry. The three brought him into the galley and sat him down at a makeshift but sturdy high chair Franky put together quickly. He'd already baby proofed the deck while Usopp was still working on the toys somewhere in the interior of the ship.

Luffy looked around the room, a bit scared. Where was he? The bright lights still made his head hurt a little bit, and there was so much space. He wasn't used to a large area, since his home ship had been smaller than the Sunny. Luffy was given some room temperature juice in a plastic cup with wrap on the top and a straw so it'd be less likely he'd spill it. He tried to wrap his tiny hands around it and drink, but the cup was too big. Luffy frowned but drank when Robin helped him. Both women were sitting on either side of him so in case he fell, they'd be there. And they also wanted to try and comfort him in some way.

The plain oatmeal that was served to him was warm, but not hot. He was able to use a plastic spoon, though he was messy. Thankfully the tray of his high chair caught the stray food. He didn't eat much, but enough that he wouldn't be so hungry it was uncomfortable. He finished his cup of juice and then itched his arms and legs, probably from the dry salt water and a bit of sand.

Robin and Nami had already planned to give him a bath, so Robin picked him up slowly and walked him up to the bathhouse, leaving his mess behind for Sanji to clean up, which he was already not happy with.

Luffy was frowning again, his face getting red like he was about to cry before he hid his face in Robin's chest. Everything was unknown and scary. Where was he? Where was his mama and papa? He wanted his blanky he had at all times, but it wasn't with him. Who were these people? He wanted to go home! He then started to cry at that thought and kicked his little feet, though not bothering Robin at all.

Robin tried to calm him by running her fingers through his dirty hair softly, but he was still crying.

"Shhh, you'll be okay Luffy. Shhh. It's okay," she said quietly, but Luffy was still crying. This lady sounded like mama, but wasn't mama! Where was he?! Nami looked at him sadly.

When they reached the bathhouse, Chopper had already filled the bath with warm water. Luffy looked around. Everything was white, so bright again. The light reflected off the smooth surfaces. He was brought to the edge of the bath and set down on the tile very briefly while the two girls removed their clothes and walked into the water with Luffy. Luffy started to scream and cry where he was almost in the water. It reminded him of the coldness in his previous wooden prison. Robin and Nami could assume that much, but he needed a bath and maybe the warm water would soothe him. The two were right because the moment his toes touched the warm liquid, he stopped crying and was quiet as he was sat in the water gently. It went up to his waist, so it wasn't very deep for Nami and Robin. Luffy stayed quiet as they rinsed and cleaned him with soap. The washed his hair as well. They smiled when he played with the bubbles on the surface of the water as they scrubbed his greasy hair. The hands in his hair felt good. He would have gotten soap and shampoo in his eyes unless one of the women held their hand against his forehead to catch the substances. Luffy was relaxedand surprised when he was suddenly taken out and exposed to the cool air. He whined and wiggled in Robin's grasp until he was dried in a fluffy towel and clothed once again.

Once it was done, Luffy was very sleepy, and fell asleep almost the moment he was in Robin's arms. The two smiled at his peaceful face and left the bathhouse to bring him to their room.

"He's gonna take a nap, so we'll be in our room with him," Robin explained to those in the galley the three had just entered. She adjusted Luffy so if he woke up he wouldn't see Franky or Brook. "Franky did you finish the crib?"

"Ow! I super finished it," he said loudly and proudly.

"Shut up you're gonna wake him up!" Nami whisper/screamed at him. The three walked out of the room before someone else would be loud and wake Luffy up. Thankfully, the toddler didn't wake and continued to sleep soundly, his thumb in his mouth.

He woke up when he was set on the bed and out of Robin's warm arms. He liked this lady. She was nice and though she wasn't mama, she sounded like her. He crawled over to her after she laid down next to him and tried to go back into her arms. Robin and Nami both smiled, becoming fond of him already, even though he cried a lot. They hated hearing him cry, but not because it was annoying. It was hard to see him so upset since they knew what he'd been through.

Luffy eventually was positioned on Robin's chest, actually using her breasts as pillows. She tried not to laugh at it. Sanji would be so jealous. Luffy fell asleep quickly and didn't wake up for around an hour. Robin didn't mind staying in the same position for so long because she just wanted him to not have nightmares after his kind of exile, and if this is how that would work, she was fine with it. She wondered if using the crib would be a good idea after all. If it was no good, she'd ask for her bed to have a railing on one side so if he wanted to sleep with her, he wouldn't fall off the side of the bed and get hurt. Nami smiled, somewhat wishing he liked her like he seemed to like Robin so quickly. But she was happy he seemed comfortable around the two. Both women wondered how he'd react to the others beside Franky and Brook.

When Luffy woke up, his stomach growled. He was hungry again. He expected mama to come and feed him like always, but she wasn't around and he wasn't in her room. This room was different. Then he remembered mama didn't seem to be here. Papa didn't seem to be here either. Maybe they'd come later. Yeah, they wouldn't just leave him alone with strangers.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Did you have a good nap, Luffy?" Nami asked. Luffy didn't really understand what she was saying, he was only two and a half, but he recognized "nap" and nodded. She heard his stomach and said, "Hungry?" to which Luffy nodded again.

Robin sat up and pulled him into her arms and left the room, followed by Nami, who went ahead to tell Brook and Franky to leave the galley for the moment. By the time Robin and Luffy were inside, the two were gone.

"We're going to introduce ourselves to Luffy since he'll be with us for a while," Nami explained, she and Robin had decided while they had a quiet conversation while Luffy was sleeping with his thumb in his mouth cutely.

Everyone introduced themselves. He was fine with everyone, but not really remembering their names, until Zoro. Zoro's grumpy face looked like he was glaring daggers at Luffy, who started crying at that. Zoro was confused. Sanji busted up laughing from the kitchen counter.

"Marimo you're so ugly you make children cry!" he said and continued to laugh.

"Don't glare at him!" Nami scolded. Zoro grumbled and looked even angrier, causing Luffy to cry harder. "Go away Zoro, and work on not looking like you want to kill him," Nami said as Robin comforted Luffy, reminding him he had more juice in his cup. It was a good distraction and he stopped crying. Zoro stormed out of the room, trying to ignore Sanji's laughter, with a red face. What a stupid kid, afraid of him because he looked grumpy.

It was late afternoon when Luffy and the girls left the galley, Luffy satisfied with the carrots he had snacked on. He was brought to the grassy deck and set down. The two women supervised him as he wandered around, looking at things and touching the mast. He was very interested in the view of the ocean as he walked towards the railings. Franky had done a great job baby proofing the area Luffy would be staying. There was no possible way Luffy could go overboard, even if he wanted to. He also couldn't reach the stairs with the wooden gates that were nailed into the railings so it could swing forward when it was unlocked.

After Luffy got bored exploring, Usopp appeared and sat down in front of Luffy, but not too close to scare him.

"Look Luffy. I made toys for you," the sniper said nicely. He handed Luffy a sack full of different shaped wooden blocks. Luffy took the bag and dumped the contents onto the grass and looked at them. He gave a smile and sat down to build things. Usopp grinned at that. He had actually been nervous Luffy wouldn't care. He had worked very carefully and very slowly.

Usopp was about to leave when Luffy pushed some of the blocks towards him, obviously wanting the teen to play with him. It was a heartwarming scene, and Usopp grinned again. He had made quite a few blocks, and they were all sanded smoothly to not give the toddler splinters. Robin watched from her chair and was smiling at what she was seeing. She nudged Nami, who was sunbathing next to her and nodded towards the two playing with the blocks. Nami grinned and then went back to sunbathing, adjusting her position so she could see to the side and watch.

Eventually, Usopp became bored. "Luffy, do you want to see something cool?" Usopp asked, sounding excited for Luffy. The little one looked up at the sniper, but made now impression he knew what he had said. "Ok," he said, as if Luffy had just happily shouted that yes, he did want to see something cool.

Usopp pulled his sniping tools out of his bag and set up one to shoot and make a firework. It flew over board a distance before exploding into little balls of fire. Luffy didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was pretty, but very noisy and he hadn't been prepared for it. Instead of either reaction, he attempted to copy the teen. He picked up a block and threw it overboard, only to cry immediately once he realized it was gone. Usopp tried not to laugh, yet didn't know what to do about Luffy's sobbing. He shouted for Robin, who came and calmed Luffy down, putting a block the same shape as the last one in his slightly chubby fingers. Needless to say, Luffy didn't throw anything overboard again.

Luffy went back to his blocks and played by himself, seeming to have forgotten his little episode. This lasted a while, until dinner time. Luffy was a bit sad to leave his blocks, but Robin wanted him to get used to regular meals. She wasn't going to have him sit with everyone else on his first night. She and Nami brought the food made especially for Luffy by Sanji to their room and ate with him. It was also unfair to kick Brook and Franky out of the room to eat elsewhere, though they had a feeling that was going to have to happen anyway.

Luffy ate his whole meal, though it was small and just a watery parfait and a cup of water Usopp had designed to have a real lid, turning it into a sippy cup with two mug-like handles so Luffy could hold it himself. He was planning to paint it the next day for the little boy.

It was dark out by the time they had finished dinner. The two were very happy Luffy was able to eat food besides breast milk. It was very convenient. They were also glad he was potty trained. He'd squirm a lot when he had to go. He still needed their help since they didn't have something small enough to help him himself, but they didn't mind helping him. That's just what you do with a young child.

Luffy had gotten the hiccups and was crying because they wouldn't go away. He cried a lot. There was no way he could ever sleep in the boy's room even if he wanted to. They weren't as patient as Robin and Nami and would eventually make him stay with the women anyway, so there was really no point in trying. One of them making a loud snore would probably set him off.

Robin couldn't get him to calm down because the hiccups were still present, so Nami went to the galley and asked Sanji for a spoonful of ice cream and then returned to her room.

"Luffy, look I have a treat," Nami said kindly with a smile. Luffy's crying subsided and he took the small spoon of ice cream and stuck it in his mouth, forgetting the hiccups momentarily. The hiccups eventually stopped while he was being calm and Luffy became very sleepy again.

When Robin attempted to put him in his large crib Franky had made, he started to cry once again. Robin and Nami weren't surprised.

"Nami, there's no railing on my bed so we should sleep on either side of him tonight. I'll have Franky attach one tomorrow."

Nami was actually very happy to share the bed with Luffy. The bed was big enough for the three, so they weren't uncomfortable sharing. The two women slept on either side of him while he was on his back. The blanket covered all of them. Luffy didn't wake up, or even stir, and slept peacefully.

I hope you like it so far! Only five chapters, but 20,000+ words, so don't worry, it's not short. REVIEW!