A/N: This chapter is still safe for those that hate spoiler ... what happens here is a pure result of my crazy mind!
The ship properly hidden, Garp was at the entrance of the forest holding to the straw-hat and looking at them, he turned his back and started to walk inside the forest until they reached a house in the woods where the Makino and Dadan and the Mayor were waiting for them at the door.
Everyone walked inside the house and it wasn't any luxurous house or anything like that it was just a simple and plain house. The only thing that caught the attention of the straw-hats was a shelf at the wall right in front of the entrance. Garp walked over to the shelf and placed Luffy's hat there and as if accompanying his brothers at the shelf now were three hats laying there, three brother together once again.
Garp set on the floor with the shelf behind him, Zoro sat in front of him with Nami by his side and the others sat behind them.
"We were surrounded by Akainu in the New World. We escaped with two burst through the Calm Belt while Luffy stopped Akainu and an entire fleet." Zoro said while looking at Garp in the eyes. "I don't know what happened to him but -"
Garp interrupted the swordsman "I can understand you thoughts young pirate. I know from the time I saw you all for the first time in Water 7 that you would never left him behind." Garp sighed looking at the pirate crew of his grandson "Lighten Up will ya all?!"
"How can we lighten up when Luffy stayed behind fighting Akainu and an entire marine fleet on his own while we ran away?!" Nami's word made every crewmember's face retort in pain as dispair.
Garp began to stand up "Well, you removed a really heavy weight that was on my chest when you told me that Luffy stayed behind alone fighting Akainu" Garp sighed removing the straw-hat from the shelf
"How can you say something like this?!" Nami screamed at the man currently holding the hat.
"Don't get me wrong, Burglar Cat. When you arrived at Fuusha I thought that my beloved grandson had died in the Grand Line. We are talking about him fighting Akainu. Even if he was to lose he wouldn't be killed."
"What are you saying, Garp-san?" Robin asked with an evident ton of curiosity
Garp looked intently at the straw-hat "We are talking about Sakazuki. His pride was hurt when Luffy escaped the war against the Whitebeard. He will undoubtly make a public execution as he did with Ace. And it will be without a single drop of doubt here on the East Blue."
"How can you be so sure about this?" Zoro asked looking at the man that was now smiling at the hat
"Luffy is from the East Blue and it is also where he is the most popular and he will probably hold the execution at Loguetown."
"Loguetown, the city of begin and end also where the Pirate King was executed." Robin commented
"Also, the place where Sakazuki was born and where the former Admiral Zephyr recruited him." Garp said heading to the exit of the house. "Hey, brats! Faster we need to hurry before that snoty magma brat discover that you guys came to Fuusha and contacted me. I'll have you guys to take me to an old buddy."
Zoro and Sanji and Franky followed Garp to the Sunny Go while the others stood behind.
"Hey, isn't Luffy's grandfather a little too happy now?! I'm also happy as hell that we still have a chance of saving Luffy but ..." Usopp said while looking at Nami and Robin and Brooke and Chopper that stayed behind.
"That's because since Ace died and he didn't do anything to prevent it and he has been spending all his time inside the forest where Luffy and Ace and Sabo constructed a tree ship. He would often come to the bar to get some drinks and search for news about Luffy at the newspaper." Makino took a step in front while wiping her tears "I'm certain that he blamed himself for not being able to protect Ace."
"But it wasn't his fault. Ace chose the pirate path on his own and so did Luffy." Nami said changing her gaze from the woman to the path that her friends took following Garp.
"Oh, and this might be a bit late but ... Can I see your pant-" Nami on reflex kicked Brooke that was about to ask something perveted to Makino.
"I'm sorry but who might you be?" Robin asked while looking at the three figures.
Makino took the front "I'm Makino and I have a bar at the city, I used to teach Ace and Luffy some manners. I could say that at least Ace learned them. This one in my right is ..."
Dadan stepped "I'm Dadan and I'm a mountain thief and the one who raised that ingrate brat that never send me a letter and Ace."
The old man also stepped in front "I'm the Mayor of the city and I hate pirates and any outlaws ... at least those that I didn't know when they were children or their friends."
'Ugh ... a tsundere old man' Usopp said while making a really strange face
"Excuse me, but I would like to know if there is a Farmacy or a place where I can get herbs ... Luffy will probably be hurt." Chopper said
"Ahh ... it spoke! The racoon spoke!" Dadan screamed and jumped back
"I'm not a racoon! I'm a reinder!" Chopper yelled
"Oh, how cute. I want to give a it a hug." Makino said already hugging chopper.
It was incredible after just a few words of hope that Garp gave them the entire crew was acting like normal once again ... the mood was light and they could breath again. The situation that there captain was still made them worried and they would space out but it certainly was more like the normal straw-hats now ... they were alive, maybe this was an unknown power of the Monkey D. family but the crew were once again smiling.
Garp took Zoro and Sanji and Franky after him saying "I need to talk with an old buddy." and Nami and Usopp followed Makino to her bar to relax and distract them from the scene they had the night before and the Mayor took Chopper and Robin to buy new books and Brooke wanted to buy a piano so he could play a new song for Luffy when he got back.
Currently Nami and Usopp were sitting at the counter of the bar, a place where previously Luffy and Shanks sat together and why not say that very own place was the beginning of the adventure that would engulf all of their lives, the place where Luffy decided to became a pirate, one that would surpass even The Red Hair Shanks and be the holder of the Pirate King title.
"Hey, hey Makino-san. How was Luffy in his early days? Was he as stubborn as he is now? Did he cause as much trouble as he causes to us now?" Nami asked with a clear sign of curiosity in her.
Makino just looked at the girl throwing herself over the counter while asking about her Captain ... or could this curiosity come from another place other than the young girl's head? Makino brushed this little thought for later as she turned to them. "Well, I know only about the troubles that get on the news so I can't actually compare them but ... Yep, you could say he was the same when young." the woman even as she was facing them her gaze was distant as she reminded of the past. "Luffy and Shanks' crew would spend all day long playing or just talking whatever nonsense came to their mind ... even though Luffy would always get caught in some kind of prank he still loved it, most of this was with your father Usopp, Yasopp would play with Luffy and always talk about you to him."
"You know my father Makino-san?!" Usopp almost drown at his drink
"Yasopp is your father and he is part of The Red Hair Pirates, right? You look exactly like him." as Makino said a shadow with a big nose came to Nami's mind making her chuckle.
Their conversation was interrupted as a Den Den Mushi started to ring and as Makino answered she was startled as the other person shouted at the other side "Makino! Prepare us a huge amount of sake! We are taking a brake and we are almost at Fuusha!"
At the city Robin and Chopper were inside of a bookstore with the Mayor and Brooke had disappeared from their sight the minute they entered the town. It was almost impossible to tell that such place could actually exist. Inside the walls the city was like one of the prime cities they saw in the Grand Line while the place called Gray Terminal was the polar opposite and at the other side of the forest was Fuusha Village that offered a warm environment and such contrast caught Robin's attention.
"Mayor-san, Can you tell me if there is a book telling about the history of this place? I've already looked at every book here but-" Robin asked the old man but was interrupted as he looked at her and made a sign for her to not speak as the man by the register was looking at them.
"I'll talk to you about this matter once we get back, Archaeologist-san." the elder said in a low voice turning away from the man watching them and facing the little reindeer that was already carrying about 8 new books and smiling -not that beautiful of a smile though- for finding books he never saw before.
"Look, Robin! They even have the story of the Red Nose Reindeer! Do you think they by any chance might have one about a reindeer with a blue nose?!" Chopper said smiling and showing the book to the woman that just smiled back.
So those books weren't all about medicine "I don't think they will have it here. Shall we pay for them and go back already, Doctor-san?" Robin said taking the books from the hands of the little Doctor that just nodded an affirmative.
As they left the bookstore they were confronted with a huge commotion and a happy music could be heard coming from the crowd. It wasn't the usual music they were used to, there was a slight different tone to it though there definitely was the presence of the usual tone and the unmistakable laugh with it.
"Yohohoho, you sure knows how to play a good song!" the skeleton was playing a duet in the middle of the crowd with another man, maybe a street artist? Didn't seem so, the man carried a gun by his side and just like Brooke he had a sword hidden in his instrument he was definitely a pirate and the same type as them, one that had a happy-go-around Captain that would always give his all for his crew.
Robin approached the pair playing at the street and as they stopped playing and the people around them started to disperse the woman looked at the man carefully analyzing a little bit more "Brooke-san we have to go back to the others."
"Yohohoho, sorry Robin-san. I got really involved with this musician here. He sure knows how to make your heart beat faster with his music, even though I don't have a heart to beat! Yohohoho!" Brooke started to follow Robin back to the village.
Robin stopped and looked at the other musician "Aren't you coming with us, Red Hair's Musician-san?" she smiled at the man that has just finished packing his instruments.
Back in the village Robin and Brooke and Chopper where heading to Makino's bar with the Mayor and the musician of the Red Hair Pirates and as soon as they entered the city loud laughs could be heard followed by as loud cries.
As they entered the bar a comical touching scene could be seen, two man were at the floor crying in each others arms surrounded by other men laughing they so much that some were bursting into tears while Nami was talking with Makino at the counter.
"Waaaaaaahhh! Usopp it's so great that I have the chance to see you! Your nose is the exact same of your mother!"
"Waaaaaaahhh! It's really great that I have the chance to meet you father! And I'm also happy that I look more like my mother than you!"
"Hey, say something like this again and I'll shot you! Waaaaaaahhhh! I want to teach you how to be a great pirate!"
"I'm already a brave warrior of the sea! I even have giant friends!"
Robin sat next to Nami as the others were drinking and singing along with the two musicians that arrived while Chopper and Usopp and Yasopp were dancing the usual straw-hats dance with chopsticks.
"Are you okay, Navigator-san?" the archaeologist asked her friend that was just staring at the glass and brushing the board with her finger.
"I'm just not sure if we could be here in such a peaceful atmosphere while Luffy is ... who knows how he might be now." tears came to the eyes of the navigator.
"Don't sweat it, young lady." a calm and deep voice came by the other side of her. A red hair was by her side now drinking sake. "We all are here just as worried as you guys are but if we don't act like normal how do you expect us to fight like we usually do and greet Luffy like we would do normally?"
"R-RED HAIR, SHANKS?!" Nami screamed jumping back "I never thought I would see one of the Yonkou in flesh I thought only part of your crew was here.
"What are you saying Nami-san? Shanks was standing at the door laughing at the Father and Son play all this time." Makino remarked from behind the counter while pouring a glass for Robin.
"Besides this isn't just part of my crew, this is my entire crew. Hahaha!" Shanks was laughing from the top of this heart at Nami's reaction
A serious expression dominated Shanks hair soon after "Actually we were waiting for Luffy at the next island. He was supposed to meet us there and as he was running late I sent one of mine to check you guys and when he returned the news weren't exactly the ones I wanted either." the women were watching Shanks closer as he seemed to have news about Luffy after they left him. "Apparently Luffy was taken under custody by Akainu and a was taken inside the marine warship that survived the battle. It looks like he will be taken to Impel Down."
Shanks took a sip on his glass and started again. "To tell you the truth I didn't expect you guys to be here, I came in search of Garp. I can say that this is a rather happy surprise and I guess that this is also a good thing since there were no signs of you guys we thought that you were all dead."
"We were surrounded by the marines in the way to the next island and when we were about to flee from them, probably Luffy knocked us out and stayed behind to fight them." Nami said hardening her grip on the cup.
"Excuse me if this may sound rude but what do you mean by 'waiting for us at the next island'? We didn't make any appointment." Robin said while looking at the red haired.
"Hmm ... so this means that Luffy didn't tell you guys about it. Few weeks ago one of my men contacted Luffy at the previous island and we were meant to meet at your next stop." Shanks took a piece of paper from his pocket. "Luffy gave us this in case we needed to contact him."
"That's Luffy's vivre card, isn't it?" Nami asked taking the paper from Shanks
"Can I ask what was supposed to be the topic of your meeting with Luffy today?" Robin asked preparing to analyze very well the answer of the man
But for not only her surprise Shanks said something outrageous that left the straw-hats mouths hanging while the red hairs were just slightly grinning as their Captain announced "We were supposed to create a Pirate Alliance today to take down the other three Yonkou."
"Hey hey hey. What are you saying there?" Usopp that was seconds ago crying on his dad's arms was now in a mix of shock and fear and excitement.
"Usopp, is just as my Captain just said. You guys and us were gonna form an alliance and take the other three Yonkou." Yasopp said while standing up and wiping his tears "You are not gonna chicken up now, are you?"
"Well, it isn't the point anymore. I came here initially in search of Garp to know what he thinks we should do about his grandson's arrest." Shanks said standing up "Though even if we wanted to do so, it looks like he isn't here anymore so ... LET'S PARTY UNTIL HE COME BACKS!"
A single though went through the mind of each of the straw-hats 'So this is the pirate that Luffy admires so much.I kinda know why Luffy is so ... Luffy'
A/N: I made this chapter rather fast since the story was still fresh on my mind ... it wasn't as emotional as the previous one but will be an important one to the later chapters