A beautiful woman with seaweed green hair, being held up by a bandana, was currently cleaning her bar as she always did. Not many people went to the bar only one or two people at a time. Living on a small island meant that not many people came to drink or eat. Even though she didn't make a ton of money it was enough for her and her sons to live on. She was average height, very skinny for having given birth to two children, and her deep red-brown eyes matched the smile always plastered on her face.
The two previously mentioned boys came running into the bar making the brown western saloon doors creak. The two raven haired boys were muddy and dirty from playing in the forest like they did every day while there mother worked.
"Ace, Luffy!" Makino, the woman cheerfully yelled with a smile on her face. She didn't care how much trouble they caused or if they came back covered in mud, and made her day longer she loved her two boys.
"Momma!" The younger raven haired boy yelled running towards his mother. He had short shaggy hair and wore blue jean shorts, a blue tank top, and sandals on his feet. He was short for his age and was a little slow but liked to fight and get stronger. On his face was a frown and his giant black eyes watered ready to cry at any second. He had a tendency to cry and was the first boy to run towards their mother. Makino knelt down and spread her arms to grab her son and pick him up.
"What happened Luffy?" Makino asked, wiping her son's tears from his face before they could run down his puffy little cheeks.
"Don't believe what he tells you, mom." The older raven haired boy frowned many freckles littered his face. He his hair was longer than his brothers and wavy. He was wearing black shorts and an orange tank top. Makino frowned for a second while thinking and then a smiled came right back to her lips.
"Was Ace being a good older brother? Protecting you?" Luffy nodded wiping some tears off his face. Makino kissed his cheek and set him down on a bar stool. Ace jumped up and sat next to him. While Ace took his job of being a big brother seriously he always was telling Luffy how much he hated crybaby's. Which only ended up on making Luffy upset. Makino knew the boys loved each other and her. She didn't care that she was raising them by herself she was happy with the boys.
"Makino can we get more sake over here?" A villager asked, while reading his newspaper.
"Of course. Why don't the two of you wash up and I'll get your lunch." The boys nodded and jumped down. They raced to the back of the bar down a short hallway and up the stairs to the two bedroom apartment above the bar. Makino poured some more sake for the villager.
"They never change will they?" The villager laughed and took a drink from his mug. Makino laughed with him and went behind the bar to start on her sons lunch. She heard two sets of feet pounding down the stairs. She smiled knowing that the boys were racing to see who gets to the bar first. She saw both boys come from the hallway with Ace in the lead. As they rounded the bar corner you could only see Ace's head. Each boy jumped onto a stool in front of their mother, with toothy grins on their faces they smiled at her. Makino places two plates in front of each of them while getting more food prepared. Both boys started shoveling food into their mouths cleaning their plates to receive seconds.
"Seconds please!" Both boys yelled holding out their plates for more food. Makino placed another serving on each plate and started eating her own food.
"Here you go. Are you boys planning on going back out and playing after lunch?" She knew the answer they loved to talk about their adventures around the island. They mainly played in the forest towards the mountains.
"We are going to go back into the woods and hunt!" Luffy grinned with a mouth full of food. Ace was very strong for his age so Makino never worried about them getting hurt as long as Ace didn't try to run off just to scare Luffy.
"Okay but just remember Ace, stay with Luffy and be back before dark." Makino warned them. She couldn't tell Luffy to be responsible because it would just go in one ear and out the other. But that was why Ace was the other brother I guess.
"Okay Mom." They both nodded with a smile. they jumped off the stools and ran out of the bar, as an old man stepped aside.
"Watch out, you brats!" The old man yelled waving around his cane. The old man had a stripped hat on along with yellow glasses. His mustache and bread were fully gray. This man, Woop Slap, Mayor of Makino's small village. Foosha Village.
"Makino those boys are always running around. Why don't you have them help you with the bar." Woop Slap said taking a seat at the bar. Makino laughed and picked up the dishes Ace and Luffy had eaten from.
"Help? It's usually slow around here. The boys are fine, as long as they don't cause trouble for the villagers and come home every night, I let them be." The Mayor sighed as her words. He had known Makino since she was a little girl and watched her and the boys grow up. He just wished that she could find a man that wouldn't leave her like the others, and love both those little boys. He knew that Makino deserved that much after all she worked very hard just to make ends meet.
"Don't you need a break?" She once again laughed like usual when he asked her.
"You ask me this every time you come in. I get a day off every Sunday and when their grandfather comes to town he keeps them entertained... even if it worries me." Monkey D. Grap. A Vice Admiral for the marines, came to town every so often to see his grandsons. It concerned her because he took them away to the mountains and 'played with them'. Every time the boys came back with bruises and cuts running straight for her. Hugging her for dear life. She knew that every time he came around he took them to train to become strong marines as he would always declare to her. But she trusted the old man not to let his two beloved grandsons die.
:x
Makino stared out the window to the left of the bar. She was drying glasses as she watched the sun go down. For a second time that day the boys ran though the front door and muddy and dirty. But that was the usual for Makino. She set down the glass she was cleaning and looked around. At night no one was at the bar.
"I think you two need a bath." Smiling she scooped to two up before they could protest.
Both of them attempted to struggle but it was no use. "I don't want a bath now!." Once Makino got a hold of the boys they could only get down unless she allowed it.
"But Luffy if you two don't get cleaned up I can't read you a book a about pirates." The instant the word pirate came out of Makino's mouth both boys stop struggling and turned to her with stars in their eyes.
"Pirates? A new book?" Ace asked. Makino carried both boys upstairs and into the bathroom. She closed the door after setting the boys down.
"Of course a new book I've read all the other books to you both. Now you need to wash up." Both boys excitedly started stripping off their clothes. Makino giggled and started filling the tub up with water. But unfortunately for Luffy his head got stuck trying to take his shirt off.
"Oomph." Luffy ended landing on his naked butt and knocking Ace into the tub causing water to splash everywhere. As Ace glared at Luffy who was still struggling with his shirt. Makino wiped some water off her face and giggled. She first went to Ace picking him up, and sitting him in the tub up right. Next she set Luffy up right and pulled off his shirt.
"There you go sweeite." Placing Luffy in the tub along with Ace Makino got up and got some shampoo and a bowl to dump water on the boys heads.
Ace glared at Luffy and splashed him angrily. "Don't be so clumsy." Luffy only laughed in response and rubbed his nose.
"Sorry Ace." Ace only sighed at looked towards his mother.
"Ace tip your head back for me." Ace did as he was told and Makino dumped water on his head and started to rub the shampoo into his scalp. Luffy happily waited his turn and slapped the water.
"Momma can you tell us the story again?" Ace frowned at Luffy statement.
"There once was a man named Gold Roger, who was King of the Pirates. He had fame, power, and wealth beyond your wildest dreams. Before they hung him from the gallows, these were the final words he said "My fortune is yours for the taking, but you have to find it first. I left everything I own everything I own in One Piece." Ever since, pirates from all over the World set sail for the Grand Line, searching for One Piece, the treasure that would make their dreams come true." Makino had finished washing Ace up and turned to Luffy.
"Momma! I want to be a pirate and become Pirate King!" Luffy declared.
"And why do you want to be a pirate? Tilt your head." He did as he was told while Ace stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around himself. Ace didn't like hearing about the Pirate King.
"Cuz pirates have the most freedom in the world!" Makino smiled at his antics and pulled the plug in the tub.
"Don't tell gramps you want to be a pirate he'll just hit you." Ace pointed out. Luffy giggled and held his hands out for his mother to pick him up. She wrapped a towel around him and placed him on her hip. Makino walked towards the boys bedroom with Ace on her heels.
:x
As Makino closed the bar and headed up the stairs she stopped by the boys room. She walked in and watched the boys sleep. Ace was cuddled up into his blankets while Luffy had the blankets thrown around. Makino smiled and grabbed the blankets placing them back on Luffy.
"Mom." Makino turns around and looked at Ace. He was sitting up rubbing his eyes. Makino could see that he was tired.
"Go to sleep sweety." She sat on the edge of his bed ushering him to lay down.
He did what he was told while Makino pulled the sheets up to cover his body. "How can you stand to talk about him?"
"Him?" Makino clearly knew who he talking about.
"That good for nothing father." He looked her dead in the eye. "Gol D Roger. The man that went to the gallows without thinking about you or me. Why don't you hate him!" Makino sighed every time she told Luffy about the Pirate King, Ace would get upset. Luffy and Ace were half-brothers, Ace thought that his father leaving his mother was unforgivable. While she didn't think that Luffy even knew he had his own father.
"Ace, how could I hate him when I got you." Ace's eyes softened at her words. "There were a lot more factors to why he left too, sweetheart. I'll tell you when you're older. Now sleep."