Luffy smiled his usual, bright grin as he stared at the island ahead of him. But inside, he was reeling, he knew this island, recognized the shape of the sandy shores. He dreaded setting the anchor down on the coast. He dreaded seeing the town up close again.
Nami was behind him, yelling at the crew, making sure they followed her exact orders. She glanced at him and he grinned back. His grin was dim, she could tell that, she could see the turmoil within and she frowned, "Oi Luffy, can you please help us out here?" She yelled.
Luffy laughed and jumped off the sun/lion that he was sitting on. No one could really understand what it was, the figure head on the Going Sunny was slightly ambiguous.
He stood on the deck for a second, then he called to the others, "Oi, everyone, can you get over here for a second?"
Sanji stopped halfway up the mast, his visible eye widening, he stayed there for a second, getting his balance before nimbly jumping down the soft wood.
"What's up, captain?" he asked , Luffy grinned, and waited for the other nakama to gather.
Robin, Franky, Chopper, Nami, Zoro and Usopp soon joined them on the deck.
Luffy took a deep breath, "This island that we're arriving at is... the place that I was born," He stopped and let that sink in. Everyone gaped at him, he laughed, scratching the back of his head, "Maybe, I shudda mentioned that earlier, eh guys?" He laughed again
"Anyway, the point is, for many years, each member of my family has been born here. Me, Ace, Dad, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, all of us were born here. So I have some buisness to take care of when we arrive, you got that?"
The others stared at him, gaping at his transparency. Usopp sighed, folding his arms, "So... you were born on the Grand-Line?" Luffy nodded, chuckling at everyone's faces. Sanji sighed, confused, "What about your mother, is she on this island?"
Luffy gasped, shocked. His childish facade was broken for a minute. He coughed, as if to erase his unease, and them smiled, "Yeah, she's on this island too, that's some of my buisness," Sanji raised his eyebrow skeptically, and Zoro and Nami shared a speculative glance.
"Can we meet her? Your mother?" Nami asked, grinning, this might give her a little hint as to why he was acting like that. Luffy frowned again, and pretended to think, as the dread built up inside him, "She's... a lot like Grandpa, I don't really want you guys to suffer meeting her," He sighed, and then regretted phrasing it like that, guilt washed through him. But the others nodded, smiling at his way of putting it.
Franky laughed, "I don't want to think of your Grandpa, he's really scary. I mean, he even hurt a rubber man!"
Luffy grinned, and then pulled out a map, "When you guys are finished with... whatever you guys do in town, you can meet me here," He said, pointing to a shadowy section of the map. Nami looked about to protest, but Robin stopped her, "OK, Senchou-san. Are there any good book shops in the town?" Luffy pursed his lips and looked at her with mock-annoyance,
Zoro laughed, "I don't think he's ever paid attention to anything other than meat shops," Everyone laughed, while Luffy pretended to look innocent.
OPOP
The Thousand Sunny was steadily trundling to where Luffy was born. Luffy stood on the figure head, his mouth turned down with unease. He closed his eyes, and tried once more to hide behind that smile of his. But all he could feel was that ache. That familiar ache.
OPOP
Luffy bounded off the Sunny's figurehead and skipped off, laughing.
Nami frowned and then turned to the rest of the guys, "Alright! We're going to follow him!" The others stared blankly, "Oh come on! Aren't you guys curious? I mean, he was acting all strange?"
Chopper and Sanji sighed, while Usopp smiled. Robin shook her head and Franky shifted his weight nervously. Usopp suddenly just burst out, "Ok, ok, ok! You've got me hooked, lets go!!!"
The others simply sighed. Robin went back to her seat, "I'm going to keep watch, at least one of you should get supplies, or Senchou-san won't be happy," And with that, they set out, to find out what Luffy was hiding.
OPOP
Monkey D. Luffy walked briskly down the street, his head lowered, it seemed like he remembered the way down this dull street. The path wasn't paved and the houses were made of a crude material that seemed to be completely permeable. The people were poorly clothed, beggars were plentiful and busquers played crude instruments to try and entice foreigners. Nami, Chopper, Usopp and Franky tailed Luffy with ease. Luffy wasn't taking his eyes off the path in front of him, he obviously didn't want to be noticed - which was odd for Luffy. They were heading uphill now, up a winding path that seemed to travel on forever.
Nami looked at the soil, seeing how fertile it looked, but also how dry. She looked up just in time to see Luffy take a fork in the road and then he stopped. They all gasped.
He was standing outside a graveyard.
He walked inside and headed towards a grand-looking shrine. It had the grandest gravestones in the whole graveyard, in fact, each stone was made of marble.
Chopper read the names silently, bowing his head to each one, 'Monkey D. Kai, Monkey D. Lisa, Monkey D. Opal, Monkey D. Rai...' Luffy stopped at this one, bowing his head. The rest of the Straw-Hat crew hid behind another gravestone, that ironically said 'Monkey D. Garp,' Luffy sighed and sat down in front of Monkey D. Rai's grave,
"It's been a long time... hasn't it, mum?"
OPOP
A.N. Ok I know I have a sailor moon fic etc etc, but I wanna write this one =). I love One Piece, especially Luffy. I know I'm being mean to him here but still. There's more sad stuff in the next chap, so don't go away! I'll have it written as soon as I can!
