1

Romance Dawn

The tavern in Foosha village was full of cheer and chatter, jollying along to a pirate tune. An afro skeleton played bink's sake on a piano. He was the Man, the Mith, the Legend.(Quite literally, as his body had already decayed, skull joke!) Soul-King.

"Are you alright Tsuna?" Makino bandaged a cut under his eye. "How did you hurt yourself?" The never aging maiden asked the town kid.

"I-I was trying to help, by cutting onions. They made m-me cry... and I-I." Almost bawling.

"And you accidentally hurt yourself with the knife?" She had a warm smile of healing. He nodded, rubbing his nose.

"Baka!" Laughing at the no good kid. He slapped his knee and the bar.

"You're one to talk!" The navigator of his crew yelled.

"It's not funny!" Tsuna, usually a coward, had no fear yelling at the pirate. He was like family. That made Strawhat Luffy smile. It reminded him of how Shanks treated him.

His second mate pulled his bottle away from his lips. "Oi, Luffy didn't you stab yourself in the same spot, except on purpose?"

"See, you're the baka!" Tsuna yelled at the Pirate King.

Luffy's crew and Makino shared a giggle at his expense. "Oi Zoro!" He then yelled at the little kid in the stool next to him. "At least I did it on purpose." He pulled down on his scarred cheekbone, exposing his eyeball.

'That's worse...' Everyone in the bar sweatdropped at him. This dense idiot was the pirate king.

Tsuna and Luffy got into a scruffle, arguing over who was the idiot. It grew into a facing pulling fight. They both had shark teeth, stretching ears, and noses. "It's not fair, you're rubber!"

Luffy stuck out his tounge in victory. "Bleh, It's cause you're weak."

"I'm not weak. My fist is a strong as a pistol." He huffed out his chest, standing on the stool. "And one day I'll become an even greater pirate than you!"

Luffy and the crew all rose their eyes at his declaration. He was so wimpy, full of life, fun and nice, but wimpy. He couldn't be a pirate, he couldn't swim. He was worse than luffy. LUFFY.

"I see, I see." Luffy let out in a chuckle. "Here, have some of your juice." Sliding the cup to Tsuna. Makino giggled, knowing Luffy's next move.

"Oh, thanks." Tsuna held it with both hands, taking a sip.

"I never heard of a pirate drinking juice!" He teased, laughing with the rest of his crew.

"You tricked me!" Tsuna cried with shark eyes.

"Sorry, sorry." Luffy wiped a tear.

"LUFFY!" Usopp bursted throw the double doors. He huffed before telling the whole crew. "It's a buster call!"

Nico Robin in particular grew wide eyes.

Luffy gasped turning on the stool. Tsuna was quiet and nervous. Luffy is never serious.

"Is it...-" Luffy already knew placing it on his strawhat, shadowing his eye, cracking his knuckles.

"C-Coby!" Usopp finally caught his breath. "It's Vice-Admiral Coby!"

Zoro only waited for his captain's order.

"Makino, I think Dadan is still in up in the mountains right? Take Tsuna."

"Y-Yes." Completely agreeing. She took Tsuna by the hand. He was confused the whole time until Luffy showed him that signature smile as Makino snuck them out the back.

The blazing flames. Hours of fire. Makino and Tsuna were given shelter, among other folk. The mayor was still alive and kicking. Dadan swore if she saw Luffy's verve card even burn just a little she would charge down the hill for him. She was relieved. Throughout the ordeal night, the card never let out an ember. Tsuna couldn't sleep, he was shaking in Makino's arms. It was all so loud. He remembers a certain ringing in his ears. It died out shorty after the explosions.

Ash and ruble. All that laid waste in his home village. Tsuna and Makino stood on the very spot her tavern and his home were. "Wh-What's a buster call..." Tsunayoshi's eyes were hiding under his brown bangs. "Wh-Why did it do this, Makino?"

"Oh Tsuna..." She hugged.

"Where's Luffy?"

The dangling of shackles clanged against his ears. It was distant. Tsuna gazed towards the sea. The warships were still here.

He broke from Makino's hug. He ran down the main destroyed path. He had to catch up to them.

"It's been a while Coby! We both followed are dreams! Shishishi!"

"I'm still not an admiral, but I wish things didn't have to end this way."

"It's fine. It was a great adventure. I don't thing it's over anyways." Luffy joked along to the death coming for him.

"Luffy!" A huffing, crying, Tsuna caught up to the two.

"Tsuna." With surprised eyes. He glanced at Coby. "Coby, can I atleast?" Shrugging his shoulders in ask

He sighed and agreed. "Only because we are friends, Luffy." Coby ignored protocol, leaving the two for a moment.

"What's wrong? Pirates don't cry." Luffy was smiling down at a tearful Tsuna. He glanced up at him sniffling. Luffy's strawhat was blocking out the rising sun.

"I'm not crying. I told you. I'm gonna be the next Pirate King." He rubbed his arm across his eyes, so Luffy wouldn't see him as a coward. He wanted to be brave like him.

"A king, huh." Luffy kneeled down to him. Although his wrist were shackled, he rose his hands to his head. "If that's your dream, I look forward to seeing it." Tsuna was staring eye level with Luffy, his calm smile told Tsuna something important, he didn't know what but he knew it was important. He was removing his strawhat. "After you gathered a great crew, and eventually when you meet me there." He teasingly shoved it on Tsuna's brown bushy hair. "Give this back. It's my treasure, so take care of it, ok, Tsuna." Luffy's signature toothy grin was the first sight he saw raising the brim of the strawhat. "It's a promise."

Tsuna was awed at Luffy and his unwavering optimism. "It's a promise. Y-You have to keep it too!"

Luffy nodded. "A promise between pirates."

That smile never left Luffy as he watched Tsuna standing on the docks. "I wonder if this is how Shanks felt?"

Tsuna hugged the everlasting strawhat as Luffy left with the Marines. He stared at the ocean hours after the waves washed them away from sight.

10 years later

It was a seventeen year old Sawada D. Tsunayoshi, ready to set sail. He wore the strawhat that was passed down to him. He copied the sandal gimmick also. He had a red ruffled cardigan, with three of the four buttons done, leaving the bottom of his abdomen exposed. He rolled bottom of his black pants to his knees and the orange sash around his waist flapped with adventure.

He was done with Reborn's training. He still couldn't activate hyper dying will on his own, but if he was ever going to become a pirate, now was the time. "Yosh!"

He pushed his dingy to the sea and hopped on as it began to sail on the water. He held onto the hat on his landing on his first ship. "Here I come Luffy!"

Bullets grazed the water around him. "Hiiee!" He covered his head and strawhat. "Re-Reborn!" Tsuna yelled. He was shooting at him with a rifle from the cliffside.

"You can't abandon your training Dame-Tsuna."

"I'm gonna become a pirate!"

Reborn was actaully proud of his decision. 'His indecisive nature is shedding a bit. I think it's best he follows his dream Iemitsu.'

"I'll see you again Tsuna, in the grandline." Reborn stared off at the horizon his no good student began to chase for.

He held back a smile. After shooting at him, Sawada D. Tsunayoshi still waved his arms over his head. Saying goodbye with a big grin at Reborn. "Thanks for everything!"