"H-hey, Luffy. Can I...can I ask you something...?"
The soft voice of a young girl broke the near silence in the forest, and it was loud enough to catch the young boy's attention as he sat up in his spot. He used one hand to lean on casually and support himself while the other flew to the top of his head. The action prevented the seemingly large straw hat from falling off his head for the umpteenth time. It still felt a bit odd at times to have it on, but as the days and months went by, he started to grow more accustomed to it. Fortunately, only a light breeze brushed through the trees and shrubbery that belonged to Mount Corvo, so losing his hat to the wind was not an issue for him. At least, not now.
However, his attention was on the young girl sitting right beside him, the one who had called his name mere seconds ago. While he sat in a casual manner on the forest floor, the girl sat with her knees pressed against her chest, hugging them close as if they were something precious to her. Her gaze appeared to be staring at the ground with a distant yet somber look glazing over them. On the outside, she seemed to be thinking deeply about something important, though it was difficult for Luffy to tell. After all, he was just a rubber boy, not a mind reader.
"Hm?" The boy answered her, leaning forward a bit to get a better look at the girl's face. "What is it?"
The girl blinked, tightening her grip on her knees unconsciously, before slowly turning her head to look at him. Her violet eyes still appeared to be distant, and the few strands of her hair would have blended with the midnight blue sky if the sun was not setting around them.
"U-um..." She stuttered, trying to find the right words to say only to grow silent once again. After a brief pause, she continued. "D-do you...do you still...wanna be a pirate someday...?"
The question baffled Luffy, and he made that known by furrowing his brows and tilting his head. What kind of question was that?
"Huh? Of course, I do!" He proclaimed, falling back onto the ground and pulling his hat over his eyes. "It's still my dream to become one! After all, I promised Shanks I'd return this hat when I became a great pirate!" He lifted his hat a bit and looked at her, grinning widely. "You remember, don't you? You were there when we made that promise!"
The girl went silent again, turning her head to look forward and stare at the trees settled before her. The breeze caused her low braid to sway in the wind, yet it did not seem to bother her in the slightest. It was evident by the expression she had - one of concern and possibly shame - that she was bothered by something. Despite being incapable of knowing how others felt half the time, Luffy seemed to know that something was bothering her, and it was not long before his smile instantly faded. Before he could speak, the girl fell back and laid on the grass beside him. Her hands folded on her stomach, and she stared up at the sky as it continued to shift from bright blue to a collage of orange, yellow, and hints of pink.
"I do..." She answered him softly. "But..."
Luffy noticed her head turning away from him, and the action started to worry him as his frown grew.
"But what?" He pressed, placing his hat on his chest while keeping his gaze on her.
She fiddled her thumbs briefly before she said, "Will you leave me behind...if I'm not good enough to become a pirate?"
The moment she spoke those words, Luffy immediately sat up in a fit of rage.
"Who said you weren't good enough to be a pirate?!" He snapped, unknowingly causing her to flinch in surprise at his outburst. He looked around, puffing out his cheeks in anger. "Was it Ace? I'll kick his ass if he if did! Nobody hurts my best friend's feelings and gets away with it!"
"N-no! Of course, he didn't say that!" The girl quickly sat up and took hold of his hand before he ran off. Her gaze faltered a bit as she muttered, "Besides, I'm pretty sure Sophia would beat you to the punch if he did something like that..." After a moment, and once Luffy calmed down a bit, she sighed and looked back at him. "I mean...what if I was never cut out to be a pirate in the first place?"
Luffy turned to look at her, confusion returning to his face.
"What do you mean?"
"Just look at me!" The girl suddenly exclaimed. Luffy, however, did not flinch or react; he merely continued to look at her. "I've always been seen as the sweet little girl who could do no harm to everyone in Windmill Village, the little girl that was far too kind to be around pirates like Red-Haired Shanks." She looked down at her hands in shame, opening and closing them as if to relieve the anxiety that had begun to grow within her. "I can barely hold a stick to defend myself against a couple of animals without my legs shaking like a leaf." Her frown had grown before she buried her face in her hands. Luffy could tell that she was on the verge of tears at that point. "I'm so pathetic that any dreams I have of becoming a pirate might as well be a joke."
Luffy felt his grip on his hat tighten in anger, and his gaze narrowed as he continued to look at her. The words she spoke greatly upset him. How could she think of those things about herself? He knew her better than anyone, and he knew those things were untrue. However, instead of lashing out and reprimanding her for it, his grip loosened, and he looked down at his straw hat blankly. He continued to stare at it for the longest time before he found the words to speak, though the words he chose came as a bit of a surprise to the girl.
"Shut up."
The command nearly threw the girl off, and she could not help but look at him with a shocked look.
"W...wha?" She asked, still trying to comprehend what was just said. It was very unlike him to tell her something like that; in fact, it was more than likely the first time he ever spoke to her in such a manner. He was normally very friendly and jovial when in her presence, always dragging her along in search of their next adventure. Today, however, it was as obvious as the scar on his cheek that he was not happy with what she had said.
It did not take long for the boy to turn his attention to her again, positioning himself so that he was kneeling next to her. He stared at her with a serious look in his eyes as if he was trying to intimidate her. However, it seemed to be far from it as he suddenly placed his straw hat atop her head. The action caused her to jump and gasp in surprise, yet she said nothing in protest. It seemed to fit her a little too big, he realized, as it was quick to shield her eyes from view. The girl remained frozen, unsure of how to react to such an action after being told to shut up by her best friend, while a faint shade of pink began to rise into her cheeks. It did not take long before the rubber boy lifted the hat slightly, enough for her to see his face once again. His expression remained serious; evidently, he was still upset by what she had said.
"Don't you ever say anything like that again," he warned her sternly. "Do you understand?" Typically, if someone were to speak to her in that manner, she would have shrunk away or flinched nervously. It meant that she was about to be punished or, at the very least, reprimanded for a mistake she made. However, when Luffy said it, the girl still felt calm and at ease. She could tell that he was not angry at her in particular but rather at the words she expressed. After a moment, he went on, "You're not pathetic, and neither are your dreams. Just because you can't do something now doesn't mean you'll never be able to do it at all." His eyes narrowed a bit. "Don't let other people's thoughts about you determine who you are. Because you know who you are and what you're capable of." He, then, grinned that familiar childish grin of his. "You've always dreamed of becoming a pirate, after all. You can't give up on your dream now if you haven't even tried to pursue it."
The girl's eyes widened slightly, surprised by his words. For someone so young, he sure spoke like an adult sometimes. It was...weird.
"L-Luffy..." She muttered. "I-I..."
"Besides," he went on with a chuckle, "you'll have to become a pirate one way or another because there's no way I'm gonna leave you behind when I set sail!"
Shock crossed her features as she stared at him, her lips parted in a similar manner.
"Y-you would...you would still let me go with you? Even if I wasn't strong enough to fight on my own?" She questioned nervously.
Luffy laughed before throwing his arms around her, embracing her in a tight hug.
"Of course!" He replied jovially, oblivious to the growing blush that had risen on the girl's cheek. His actions nearly knocked the straw hat off her head, though she was quick to place her hand on it. "After all, you're my best friend! And there's no way the future King of the Pirates could leave someone like you behind!"
It was hard to deny the growing emotions welling up in the young girl, and it did not take long for the tears to start rolling down her cheeks. She wanted to keep them back, to push them away and appear strong, but she found it challenging. To know that her best friend, one of the few people she had left in the world at that point, had so much faith in her despite what life was currently throwing at them was the most comforting thought to have in mind. The depressing thoughts and questions still lingered in the back of her mind, but they seemed like a distant memory the longer she looked back at his words. She wanted to believe in what he said, and reminding herself of Luffy's words started to help a lot.
After a moment, she found herself lifting her arms to wrap around her beloved friend, embracing him softly at first before tightening her grip. She buried her face into his shoulder, cautious of the straw hat still sitting on her head, and began to sob quietly. Luffy noticed this and blinked, confused by what she doing and why she started to cry. Before he could speak, the girl began to speak again.
"I-if that's what you believe..." She started to say in between her sobs, "t-then that's what I believe, too!" She, then, pulled back and wiped the tears from her face before looking at him once more, a more determined look taking over. "I-I swear...no matter how long it takes, I will become strong enough to be a pirate worthy of sailing the seas!" She sniffed and grinned. "I-I promise that I'll be there for you and see you become King of the Pirates some day, no matter how many times we get separated or how long it takes for us to reunite! We'll have the best crew and the greatest adventures together! A-and I'll be strong enough to stand at your side and fight with you until you reach your goal, even if it means..." She hesitated, but she was quick to cast it aside. "Even if it means...giving up my dream and my life just to do it!"
Luffy began to laugh at that. It was not in the manner that implied he was making fun of her, but rather he was thrilled to hear her speak such bold words. He would have accepted nothing less from the girl he called his beloved friend. With his grin still plain as day, he leaned forward and placed his forehead against hers, raising his pinky in between them. The action caused the girl to blush even more, but she said nothing as she glanced at his hand. It did not take long for her to realize what it meant, and she smiled once more before raising her pinky and linking it with his.
"It's a promise, then!"
Dark eyes scanned the seemingly endless horizon of the ocean as Monkey D. Luffy sat atop the figurehead of the Going Merry, a happy and excited grin plastered on his face. The sky was clear of almost all clouds, and the sun, centered in the sky and signifying that it was some time past noon, was left wide open to glaze over everything in its path. A light breeze brushed passed the captain, causing him to unconsciously place a hand atop his favorite straw hat to avoid losing it for the umpteenth time, and it kept the temperature from being unbearable. Fortunately, it was not as hot or humid as it had been during the Straw Hat's travels in Alabasta, where the heat from the desert was enough to exhaust even the strongest of men if they trekked the sands for too long. Even if Luffy did not mind the increase in temperature, it was still nice to enjoy the refreshing breeze and scent of the sea.
The events of Alabasta were still fresh in Straw Hat's mind as if he were still living through every moment and not sailing with his crew in search of an island so they could resupply. It was only after taking a look at the ship itself as well as the slowly fading friendship mark on his arm that the memories came back to him. The memories of him and his crew taking down Baroque Works and saving Alabasta rushed back into his head, reminding him that, someday, the Straw Hat Pirates would return to meet the friends they had encountered along the way. When that day would come to fruition was still unclear to them, but Luffy had hoped it would be when he had achieved his dream of becoming King of the Pirates. He made a promise to Vivi, and it was a promise he intended to keep.
Suddenly, as he looked back on those memories, a flood of different ones washed over him. The reminder of his promise to Vivi seemed to bring him back to his childhood days, back when he still called Dawn Island his home. Much like his memories of Alabasta, the memories of his time in Windmill Village returned to him, reminding him of something crucial: a promise he had made to a very dear friend, a friend he came to realize he had not seen in quite some time.
"Hmm..." Luffy hummed at that realization, turning his gaze toward the sky in deep thought. "I wonder if she's still out there." The words seemed to slip out of him casually rather than him thinking it to himself; a common trait of Straw Hat Luffy that everyone was used to by now. Moments later, he started to grin once more as he chuckled. "What am I saying? Of course, she is! I know her better than anyone!" He, then, looked back out at sea. "There's no doubt that she's out there somewhere, sailing through the Grand Line just like I am." He paused for a moment, going through the memories of his time with her, his dear friend before his eyes became downcast. "I wonder if she's started her own pirate crew, though..."
"Hey, Luffy!" The familiar voice of Usopp called to him as said sniper ran up the stairs, approaching the figurehead where his captain resided. After taking a brief moment to catch his breath, Usopp stood up straight and said, "I figured you'd be here! Sanji just finished making lunch for everyone." He laughed. "I'm honestly surprised you weren't the first one there at the table demanding to be served first, so I opted to come looking for you."
Usopp waited for a response from Luffy, expecting the ever-so-exuberant captain to leap off his favorite seat and jump across the ship to get his "fair share" of Sanji's excellent cooking before the others did. He expected the captain to snap his head at him, his eyes filled with the joy of knowing that he was going to eat. Usopp anticipated those things and more to happen when he arrived to retrieve him. However, much to the sniper's astonishment, nothing of the sort happened. Luffy continued to sit there, staring out at sea with a seemingly blank look in his eyes. It was hard to tell from where Usopp stood, but it looked as if Luffy was deep in thought about something, which came as a surprise to the sniper. Luffy rarely ever thought deeply about anything before; H ell, the captain barely thought at all in most, if not all, situations. Seeing him in this state left Usopp speechless.
However, it was not long before Luffy finally responded, "Gimme a sec. I'm thinking."
"Huh?" Usopp could not help but utter in shock, still speechless that Luffy had reacted in a manner that was completely out of the norm for him. It worried him. "Are you alright, Luffy? I've never seen you act this way before."
"Hm?" Luffy turned his head to Usopp, almost turning his head a hundred and eighty degrees to do so, and blinked a few times. Noticing the slight concern on Usopp's face, the captain grinned. "Oh, don't worry! I was just thinking about an old friend that I haven't seen in a while!" He explained to Usopp honestly, looking back out to sea while keeping his usual grin.
Usopp blinked curiously at the response.
"An old friend? You mean Shanks?"
"Nope!" The captain shook his head instantly. "Someone else. She and I used to hang out all the time back at my home island, ever since we were really young."
"Ooh, I see!" Usopp replied with a smile, placing his hands on his hips as he did so. It took a moment for Luffy's words to register to him, but when they did, his jaw slacked in shock. "Wait just a minute there! Did you say 'she'?!"
"Sure did," Luffy answered casually, seemingly unfazed by the shock in Usopp's tone. "She is a girl, after all."
Usopp was silent at the unintentionally sarcastic remark, unable to form a coherent sentence at first, but he shook his head and composed himself.
"I-I know that, but it just came as a surprise, that's all," he tried to clarify. Luffy turned his head to look at him, staring at him in silence, as the sniper went on. "A-anyway, why were you thinking about this friend of yours in the first place? Did something happen to her?"
Luffy looked at the sky in thought, his lips forming a pout.
"No, not that I can think of," he responded. "I just remembered a promise she and I made when were little kids." He began to smile as the memories came to him once more. "We promised that we would set sail, form a pirate crew, and sail the Grand Line together when we were older. She pledged to be there when I found the One Piece and become King of the Pirates." His gaze faltered a bit, yet his smile seemed to remain. "She promised to train and become strong enough to help me achieve that dream, enough to stand at my side till the end."
Usopp seemed to notice the slight change in Luffy's demeanor despite the smile that remained on the captain's face, yet he did not openly comment on it. He was unsure as to how he should point out the fact that Luffy was reminiscing about a friend in a manner that was extremely foreign for the captain. Instead, he chose against mentioning it as he said, "It sounds like you two were close if she made promises like that at a young age. It's not every day that little girls dream of being pirates, not to mention make promises that could one day cost their lives."
Luffy chuckled at that.
"She's been with me for as long as I could remember," he explained to him as Usopp approached the railing and leaned against it. "I don't think there's anything in the world that could change that. Not even facing death."
It went quiet between the two for a moment, a comfortable silence, before Usopp looked at Luffy.
"You must miss her a lot," he pointed out in a somber manner. "If food can't even pull you away from your train of thought, it must be awful!"
"Hmm, maybe," Luffy replied plainly, his smile fading. "I haven't seen her in a really long time, to be honest. I'd say as long as Ace and Sophie, but I haven't seen them in three years. She's been gone for..." He thought for a moment, "...five years now?"
"Five years? Really?" Usopp was surprised by the answer while Luffy continued to remain unfazed by the words. Luffy had been separated from this girl longer than he had been from his own brother and sister, Ace and Sophia. How strange...and rather upsetting. "What, did she leave the island without you or something?"
"Yup." The response was so casual as if the reminder that his friend left him behind despite their promise had no effect on him.
"But why, though? I thought you guys had a promise to keep?"
"Dunno," Luffy said with a small shrug. Soon after, his head seemed to hang a bit. Usopp noticed that it was not out of sorrow, but rather out of contemplation. "She left without ever saying goodbye, so I never got the chance to ask her about it."
Usopp crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.
"Doesn't sound like a good friend, if you ask me," he told his captain truthfully. The remark caused Luffy to look at him in a way that showed he was visibly upset by what Usopp said. He did not appreciate the comment, and he was making that known very quickly. Upon noticing this, Usopp quickly said, "I-I mean, I'm sure she's a nice girl and all, but," He composed himself, "isn't it a bit odd that she would just up and leave without even saying goodbye to her best friend?" Luffy's intense look shifted instantly back to his usual demeanor as he looked out to sea again. He seemed content with the explanation. "I mean, best friends are supposed to stick together, so it's just weird that she would do that so suddenly."
Luffy did not waste his time thinking about it as he answered, "I'm sure she had her reasons why, and I'm sure she didn't mean to do it on purpose." Usopp glanced at him, noting the grin that had returned to his face. "Regardless of why she did it, I know one thing's for sure. If she's out there after all this time, then we're bound to meet again. I can feel it." His grin grew. "And when we do, she's gonna keep the promise we made and join our crew. No matter what happens."
Usopp saw the response as no surprise. In fact, the moment he even mentioned her was what lead Usopp to believe that, at some point, Luffy would make sure that this girl would join his crew. Once Luffy had that ingrained in his head, there was no changing his mind. He was as stubborn as a mule when it came to that stuff, as noted with some of the other crew members. In the end, one way or another, it would end up in his favor. That was how it seemed to turn out thus far, the exception being the recently recruited Nico Robin.
However, Usopp could not help but wonder if this girl was going to be different from the other crew mates. After all, she did leave Luffy behind for reasons unknown, and that was already a red flag in his book. Who was to say that something happened between them that Luffy did not realize? It would not come as a surprise if the dark-haired captain did something that jeopardized what they had. Then again, this was Luffy. He may have been the strongest member of the Straw Hat Pirates, but Usopp knew well enough to think that his captain would never do anything to hurt a friend in any way. It may as well be considered an unforgivable crime in Luffy's mind. That said, it only begged a particular question: if Luffy did not do anything to drive away this girl in the first place, then what exactly happened that caused her to leave without saying goodbye to her best friend?
After a moment, the sniper let out a huff. Whatever the case may have been, Luffy was determined to have her join the crew, whether she wanted to or not.
"Well, if that's what your plan is," he spoke after a brief silence before smiling, "then I'm all for it. It's nice bringing more people on board, especially someone you believe in so wholeheartedly."
Hearing the response made Luffy chuckle before he leaped off the figurehead and onto the deck.
"I'm starving now," he mumbled as he rubbed his stomach as he began walking away. "Let's go eat!"
"Hey, wait for a second!" Usopp quickly stopped him, pushing himself away from the railing. "Before that happens, can I at least get her name? It'll be a little weird not knowing who she is if we find her."
Luffy stopped in his tracks and looked at him, blinking once before realization struck him.
"Oh, yeah," he answered sheepishly. "It would be weird not knowing her name, wouldn't it?" He looked out to sea again, placing a hand on his hat once more and grinning like a child. "Her name is..."