Chapter 3
I blinked as my eyes opened slowly and let them adjusted to the light that came streaming thought my window. Today was a new day and so I quickly got up and stumbled over to my new dresser taking out some of Makino's old clothes. Then I slipped them on and walked out of my room. I headed towards the kitchen where Makino was busy getting the table set and ready for breakfast.
"Hey Makino, do you need some help?" I asked while yawning and rubbing my eyes to cure my sight of its bleariness. Makino turned around and smiled at me motioning me over with her hand. So I trotted over to her side so I could listen to what she wanted.
"Sure hunny, could you set the table for me?" She asked me while handing me and plates from a cabinet much too high for me to reach in my current state. I grabbed the plates from her hands and headed towards the table. I slowly set up three plates, eating utensils and cups as I stood upon my tippy toes.
As soon as I finished that task Makino started to set the food on the plates and fill our glasses with orange juice. The smell of the food wafted through the house and soon enough we heard a definite sound coming from the back of the house.
"FOOD!" a voice sounded off as Makino laughed and I chuckled a bit at his crazed food loving antics. We heard a scurrying noise and then out popped Luffy from around the corner with a smile on his face. He quickly jumped into a chair and chowed down on his food at an in humane rate.
While Makino and I on the other hand leisurely took our seats and ate our food at a much slower rate. As we ate I saw Makino glace at me from the corner of my left eye but thought nothing of it and finished off my food.
I quietly set at the table and waited for everyone to finish before helping Makino clean the dishes. After that job was done I turned to run out the door but was pulled back by Makino.
"Today, I'd like for the both of you to go to the bar with me." Makino spoke and I gave her a confused look. Thinking she was going to try and give alcohol to children, but then remembered that she owned a bar. So I ended up nodding while Luffy sighed. The walk was no time at all it actually turned out that the bar was about a quarter of a mile away from their, I mean our home.
As we stood in front of the bar Makino took her keys out of her pocket using her right hand and unlocking the door. While with her left hand she pulled her wallet out of her pocket and handed to Luffy and I.
"Here us this to buy clothes for Muse," Makino said "I don't think it's a good idea to let her walk around in clothes that are to big for her anymore." Makino stated and then went on "Make sure to watch out for Muse Luffy, I don't want her getting hurt, ok?" Makino finished while Luffy and I smiled up at her.
"Of course I'll take care of her Makino, she's my little sister," Luffy spoke in a brave voice.
"Tch, like I need to be protected by a weakling like you," I stated turning my back to him, I mean really did anyone think I was going to change that much because of one heart felt moment.
"Grrr," Luffy growled at me "I'm going to be strong, stronger than anyone else and then you won't be able to say than anymore Muse, I'm going to a great man some day everyone will know." Luffy stated in determination.
"Whatever," I said back then grabbed Luffy's hand and started walking in a random direction dragging him the process. Even if I was a little harsh on him I really did believe he would be strong, I mean I watched him do it on TV so I'm sure he can do it now too. So I just kept on dragging Luffy through the streets that is in till he decided to drag me instead finding a clothing shop much faster than I could of.
We looked around the store and I ended up finding a tank top white dress with black frills at the bottom that went to right below my knees. With black and white stripped lights going horizontally down my legs that were tucked in flat, black, ballet shoes. Then finally to top it off I bought shorts to go under the dress and a white fedora that had a single black strip on it. After buying the clothes I simply slipped them on and ran out of the shop with Luffy trailing right behind me.
I twirled in the sun light then looked back at Luffy who smiled at me as well.
"So now let's go on an adventure!" Luffy shouted
"What kind of adventure? It doesn't look like there's anything to do around here," I spoke up while looking around at all the boring features of the island. But Luffy simply laughed at me and dragged me off and towards the woods.
But then stopped and listened to the air.
"Luffy what are you-,"
"Shh," Luffy interrupted me and cover my mouth rudely with his hand. He listened more to the wind so I decided to as well. I listened to the air and heard the sound of something cutting through the sea and distant shouts of hurray. Luffy laughed in excitement and took off back from where we came from.
Luffy's pov
I took off from the woods once I heard the sounds of a ship in the distance. I headed straight for the shipping port and got there in no time. I got there and saw a pirate ship unloading boxes and barrels of stuff on to the island.
And there organizing the whole ordeal was the man I was looking for, Shanks.
"Shanks!" I yelled and ran toward him just as all the men finished unloading there things.
"Well, well if it isn't little ol' Luffy," Shank smiled at me then the crew set out to Makino's bar that was right around the corner as I sputtered mindless words about all the things that Shanks had missed while he was gone.
Every single one of them filled up the vast bar and took there seats ordering different alcoholic drinks from the bar. Makino looked at me then around the bar and frowned.
"Luffy where's Muse?" Makino questioned him
"She's right he-"I began then looked around myself remembering that I had left her back in the woods.
"Oh I left her back in the woods," I spoke to Makino smiling up at her.
"WHAT! Go get her right now!" Makino shouted and pointed at the door.
"Don't worry Makino she'll be fine," I countered while still smiling.
"She'll be ok you say, she's only five!" Makino shouted back.
"Wait; wait a minute, who is Muse?" Shanks questioned while sitting next to me.
"She's a five year old who Makino and I found in the woods the other day," I exclaimed in excitement "She's also my new little sister," I threw in with a proud look upon my face.
"Hm, I'd like to meet her," Shanks spoke up while I smiled and took off for the woods where I had left Muse.
Muse's pov
Instead of following him though I got an idea and headed for the woods. I didn't want to forget anything I knew, not my life back home and not all the things I already new about this world. So I found a seat far out in the woods and set down taking out three note books full of paper. I took one note book and started to write.
I wrote
And wrote
And wrote.
I wrote everything I remember was told or found out about my life starting at the beginning. And to tell the truth it was fun, thinking back to all the times. Remembering my first friend Mac and my best friend Sam.
Then finally I sighed and I had finished the memoirs of my old life from when I was born till the day of the storm. I looked at the sky and saw that it had been about an hour, can't believe I wrote everything I remember about my life in an hour, I must really have not done a lot.
Next it was time to write everything I new about this world I took out the second note book and opened it up. Then I started where Luffy met shanks and went up in order of age and not in order of episodes. After I finished this task it seemed that it took even less time than it did to write my life.
But I suspected that much being as it was a show, I wouldn't know as much as the people who were actually in it. So I slowly folded up the two note books and kept the third one for information I found out in the future.
I sighed and leaned my head back just listening to the wind in till the sound of a breaking twig made me jump and move faster than I though I could into the tree behind me.
As I landed in the tree I stared down at my feet I mean really what's up with me being this powerful. I mean I'm not as strong as most of the other characters but still I was never like this before. I just sighed and decided to start training myself to see what would happen.
After coming to that conclusion I stared down at where I used to sit as I heard the bushes move that were to the left of me. I saw them part and a figure move through them and into the light. Below me stood the always troublesome Monkey, D, Luffy. I sighed and was about to climb down when I got a better idea.
"Muse where are you?" Luffy question but more to himself while sighing. "I want her to meet Shanks," Luffy whined.
I waited in till just the right time to strike, then swiftly and silently I jumped on to his back. Officially scarring and bugizza's out of him. He ran around flopping his arms as I chuckled lowly on his back in till I fell off.
Luffy quickly flipped around to see me upside down on the ground staring up at him smiling a little.
Luffy frowned down at me then whined "Why'd you do that muse?"
"Because the way you acted was hilarious," I spoke still smiling slightly up at him. He smiled back then dragged me off the ground and away from the forest after I grabbed my things.
"Where are we going?" I asked Luffy as he dragged me through the town.
"I want you to meet one of my friends!" Luffy shouted happily as I just shrugged and let him drag me along.
Luffy dragged me all the way through the town and back to the front of Makino's bar where he pushed open the doors and yelled
"See Makino she was fine," Then laughed a little. I just sighed at him and shook my head back and forth. Then I noticed something there were a lot of people in here for such a small village. I looked around and spotted some familiar faces. First was Yassop, and Lucky Roux then I spotted Ben Beckman. But the last and most important person I spotted was red haired Shanks sitting at the bar all by himself.
The man amazed me and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. It wasn't love that I felt when I stared at this man, it was admiration and praise. I stared at him from the opened door, oblivious to everything and everyone else. It seemed after a couple of seconds he noticed my stare and turned around as well.
My gaze then turned into a curious one. From the moment I got here I promised myself that I wouldn't trust anyone till I really got to know them. But Shanks, I had always liked him, I had always wanted to meet him, and now that I'm here, standing so close to him I want to trust him automatically.
Luffy noticed my staring as well and smiled then dragged me over to stand in front of Shanks, as Shanks turned completely around. Shanks and I stared at each other my eyes widened in awe while the rest of my face stayed stoic.
Shanks seemed to notice this and smiled down at me then spoke
"So this is Muse, huh?" He questioned as I only shook my head in a yes manner finding that I could be quite shy at times. He smiled at me then spoke again "Well my names Shanks,"
"Hey don't just introduce your self, my names Yassop," Ussop's father spoke wearing his head band with his name on it.
"You always were forgetful, I'm Ben," The first mate jumped in as well.
"You guys are all just going in confuse her, the names Lucky Roux," The fat man with a green stripped shirt spoke as Yassop rolled his eyes at him. I just started at each one of them I didn't really know what to say.
This act made the red haired pirate laugh at me and then pick me up and set me in the seat next to him before I could put my backpack down or steady my guitar. So my guitar ended up lying on the floor while my backpack still hung around my shoulders. Luffy saw this then took a seat next to me. I felt a little frustrated about being picked up. I know that I'm little now but I still have the mind of a sixteen year old.
"So how are you today little one?" Shanks questioned me but did not turn his head towards me.
"Don't call me little," I whispered back
"What was that?" Shanks asked me smiling in a teasing way. I turned my head towards him and mustered up the meanest glare I could for a five year old. But all in all my glare looked more cute than terrifying.
"I said, don't call me little," Though this time when I spoke I said it in a irritated way and turned my head away from him and jumped down from my seat. I set my guitar up against the bar and set my backpack on the ground as everyone in the pub laughed at the clueless expression on Shank's face.
"So Muse what's in the case?" a man from the crowed shouted and asked me. So I turned around to them and spoke
"It's my guitar," I said proud that all my years of practicing paid off and I could now play an instrument.
"Isn't it a little big for you?" Yassop questioned but not in a demeaning way just a curious one. He actually brought up something I did not know myself and it made me think. I mean I was smaller I should really cheek that out sometime.
"I don't know," I answered Yassop as everyone fell anime style on the floor in front of me.
"How do you not know?" Yassop questioned again as I just shrugged my shoulders then answered again.
"Never though about it till now," which was sort of true I hadn't thought about since I had become small. My statement ended up causing a new round of falls.
"So, Muse how do you like living with Luffy?" Shanks questioned me and I was about to answer but was cut off.
"Shanks didn't I already tell you she's my little sister now and I'm going to protect her!" He pronounced as he stood a top the bar. Though I never saw him get up there guess I need to pay more attention to things. Though I couldn't leave thing as they were and decided to test out my new catch phrase instead.
"Tch, like I need to be protected by a weakling like you," I spoke then turned my head away from him in the same manner I did to Shanks previously as the bar laughed at my cute way of being mean. I sighed and got tired of just standing there so I decided to walk around the bar. I wanted to see what kind of people were hanging out around here.
Nearing the back of the room there were two pirates talking about the world government. The one on the left had blond hair and wore a bandana on his head with the insignia of their crew. The Other man across from him had short cropped down hair and a nose ring. So being me I decided to listen in on there conversation.
"The government's way of doing things is ludicrous, "One said
"They trust only there dogs and the people foolish enough to take the bait of there obvious lies to make them feel better," the other across from the first jumped in.
"There all the same, a dog is a dog and a rat is a rat," the other commented on the second man. Now I didn't think that too fair, they based there judgment on all marines just because of a few bad shells. I mean I didn't like the marines when I watched the show either but some of them just wanted to do the world some good.
So I decided to jump in, forgetting the fact that I was now in a Childs body and answered them like any other sixteen year old girl with an opinion would.
"Did you guys ever take into consideration the others side?" I questioned the two men as they turned toward me and I could tell a select few others were listening as well.
"Huh?" they questioned me in return.
"Some men join for the fame, others for the glory, and lastly some join for the justice, the justice they think they'll serve out to pirates with ugly morals. Some men forget this upon there way, others push it to the back of there to-do list, and many grin and bear it hoping for a better solution or a brighter future in the end." I began my speech
"For some men they wear there good intensions on their sleeves for others they wear them on there backs and even more wear them upon there shoes trampling them into the ground as they slash there victims down. But for the few that wear there good intentions on there hearts it makes the fight all worth while, don't right them all out of the picture just because some are bad, they can't all be rotten, right?" I finished my speech and smiled at the men as there mouths hung a jar and them I remembered something.
I was in a five year olds body.
Five year olds don't talk about the world like that.
Damn it I made a mistake again.
"Muse can I talk to you?" A voice questioned behind me and I turned around to see Shanks looking straight at me as I got glances from both Ben and Yassop. I gulped and just decided to act like myself he didn't look mad or suspicious of me just curious in aw ay, really.
I walked nervously over to him, though it only looked nervous because of my outward appearance. I was actually walking over with suspicion in my stride. I walked straight up to Shanks and didn't bother to sit down next to him.
"Muse, where do you come from?" Shanks questioned me as I hesitated to answer. What was I going to say; well I was certain of one thing. I damn sure wasn't going to say the truth.
"I don't know," I whispered deciding not to lie but not to tell the truth either, I mean really no one would of believed the truth any way.
"You don't know?" Shanks questioned himself "Do you remember your life before you ended up here?" Shanks asked me this time.
"Yes. . ." I answered hesitantly looking straight into his eyes knowing how to read eyes myself, I didn't want to seem like I was lying.
"Who did you live with?" Shanks asked, though I didn't know why he was asking me these things, what was he getting at. But still I decided to answer his questions any way they couldn't hurt anything.
"I lived with my mommy," I spoke and smiled a little trying to sound and act more like a little girl would.
"Where is your mother now? What was she like?" Yassop questioned from behind me so I turned around to answer him.
"I don't know where she is," I answered the first question "But my mother loved her children a lot, she was brave and never gave in," I spoke in admiration and smiled a bit bigger than I normally did.
"She sounds like a great woman," Yassop spoke softly to me and smiled back.
"Did you have any sibling?" Ben asked this time from where he sat, left of Yassop. I was going to answer when Luffy cut me off again, I'd have to teach him to stop doing that to me.
"Yah she has an older brother back where she came from, right Muse?" Luffy answered for me then asked to make sure he was correct.
"Yah his name was Serge, he was really protective over me," I answered.
"And where did you become so smart?" Shanks questioned finally circling back to what the conversation was for in the first place. He though he could trick me and I guess his friends got the plan as well, Hmm Shanks maybe sneaky but not sneaky enough to fool this "kid".
"I don't know what you mean," I spoke up sounding much too innocent.
"Where did you learn the words you just spoke to the men in the back," Shanks spoke and the pointed towards the back where the two men were to more elaborate what he was trying to ask me.
"I just new it I guess," I spoke almost snickering at how innocent I sounded to myself at the moment, because, by no means have I ever been innocent. "People tell me I'm mature for my age though," I threw in.
Shanks looked a little suspicious about my answer but that didn't stop Yassop from speaking up.
"Oh well then kid we asked what was in the case but what's in the bag?" Yassop asked me in hopes of changing the conversation. I also wasn't against changing the conversation so I walked over to my bag and pulled out my Ukulele.
"I have a ukulele," I pointed out the obvious and put my fingers on the strings.
"Do you know how to play it as well as guitar?" Yassop questioned as I nodded.
"Yah when you play the Ukulele you always have fun," I spoke and smiled down at the instrument in my hands, I was doing a lot of smiling today. Then shouts erupted from all around me, everyone was shouting for me to play something.
Shanks laughed and smiled also encouraging me to play as well forgetting all about the conversation before or at least for now. And who wouldn't play their Ukulele if red haired shanks asked them?
So I scrambled up onto the bar stool then set myself on the bar and started to play, the first thing I played was Promise the Stars by We the Kings. Then went on to play more and more songs through out the day while the pirates, Luffy, and Makino all danced around having fun.
"You know your really god," a pirate said to me.
"Good, I'd say she's amazing," Another said and everyone agreed as they clapped and cheered for me I couldn't help to smile up at them as well.
The day went on and the fun never stopped and the questions were never mentioned again that day.
As the day went on and the clock struck eight I yawned and blew on my fingers because of all the playing. Makino saw me and pulled me up from where I was sitting on the bar.
"Ok guys Muse is tired so I'll be taking her and Luffy home to sleep ok," Makino shouted and all the men in the bar groaned in sadness. But they still waved Luffy and I off was Makino walked out of the pub and took us home.
