Year 4

The fort was silence and calm. Waves gently brushed against the edges. Paths glowed with moonlight. Marines traveled across the grounds, heading to their lookout points. Rooms were dark as lieutenants slept. But those in higher ranks were gathered across for a midnight meeting. Sengoku's office was lit, as were others that were next to his. All other than Garp's room. His room was dimly lit by a single candle. His shadow spread across the wall. His back was hunched over as he picked up a piece of paper.

"Stupid brat," he uttered lowly. He placed the picture back into the box. He could faintly hear the brat's remark in a rude manner. The old man gave a vaguely smile. "Could have been an..." He couldn't finish that sentence.

He leaned back in his bed and remembered when the youngster started showing promise. But Garp knew it once he laid eyes on the brat. Black hair that sprawled in every which way. Hands that riddled with dirt that even ten bathes couldn't wash away. Stomach the size of a horde of elephants. Enough combat skills that would save lives.

A fighter.

That was what Garp trained the youngster to be. Years of never-ending training. The kid was showing a promise of a great marine, one even better than himself. "If only...different dreams..."

Across the fort was the lieutenants' building. All lights were out as they slept. Each building held five stories. Girls lived on the lower levels, while males took their rooms on the top three levels. On the second floor came a piercing scream. It was sudden that shook people awake. They hopped out of their beds without any knowledge. Some ran out of their rooms to the place where the scream came from.

Coby was covering his ears. He just awoke, and didn't know why. It wasn't until his blond roommate busted through the door. "Coby! It's Luffy!"

"Huh?! Wha-?"

"Come on!" He pulled on Coby's arm. The pink haired pushed past him and ran down the stairs to the second level. There was a thong in the hallway, he had to push people out of the way to even get through. "What's wrong?"

He was pushed into her room. There she was jumbled in her blankets. Her arms and legs shaking. Wet black hair was spread out on her drenched pillow. Her roommate and others were throwing water on her, but she still wouldn't wake. "Stop! She's gonna drown!"

As soon as those words came out of his month, Luffy gave another piercing squeal. Coby moved forward and started shaking her. With a whisper, she said something, but he couldn't hear it. "Come on, Luffy! Wake up!"

"She not even responding to anything!" her roommate uttered. The blonde wiped her forehead and looked around. "Someone! Go call for help! Ginny?! Go!" A short little brunette gasped and looked down. It wasn't until others started to push her, that she left. She hurried down the hallway.

"Just what happened?"

"Everyone was sleeping! And she just...screamed out of nowhere!" the girl tried to explain.

"...By any chance, does anyone have meat on there?"

They glanced around, hoping for someone to step forward. Coby stared at his roommate and he glanced around, hoping the pink haired would look elsewhere. Helmeppo groaned and marched out of the crowd. At the very end of the hallway, was a storage closet. There wasn't meat, or much else in there, but it was the closest food source they had. He pulled out a bin of oranges and jerky, then went back to the room. People made way for him to go through, and he handed Coby the jerky and oranges. "Not much, but it's lightout everywhere."

"Thanks," he nodded and took the food. 'I hope this actually works,' he thought. This was only something that he thought of, but if this worked, then he could be the hero...for the night. "Luffy, look what I got. Some juicy fresh," behind him Helmeppo bite his upper lip, "Meat. Come and get it before it's gone."

The girl started wiggling around in her bed. "Huhmm? Wattum?" she spoke.

"Meat~!" Coby taunted with the jerky.

Her hands rose and grabbed the meat from his hands. Everyone released their breath that they have been holding. She chew on the tough jerky and raised her head. The girl glanced around the room, looking at the faces. "Is there like a show or something?" she wandered out loud.

"Baka..." mumbled one of them. The rest soon quickly went back to bed, leaving Coby and Helmeppo there. Luffy's roommate crawled back into bed. "Thanks Cody."

'Close enough,' he thought. "No proble-"

Luffy hopped out of her bed and made her way to the door. Helmeppo glanced over to him and pointed at the girl; a slience exchange. Coby nodded and followed after her, "Sorry about going into your room." The girl just nodded and laid her head on the pillow. The blonde boy left shortly afterwards, closing the door behind him.

"Luffy, wait for me," Coby uttered, but she was already gone. He already knew where she was. On the roof. He walked up the staircase to the rooftop. Their building was facing the ocean that surrounded the fort. Luffy sat on the edge and looked out into the moonlight.

"It's already summer..." She said without glancing back.

"Yeah, the seasons are changing," he uttered as he walked towards her.

"I don't like today."

"But it hasn't even began. It's still night."

"I know I won't like today," she corrected herself.

"Because of," he pointed to the staircase, "that?"

"That?" she questioned.

"Uh...nevermind. Just what's wrong with today?"

"Everything."

Her words hanged there. Coby sat down behind her. The moon was starting to lower into the horizon. Soon the sun will come up and their watches will began; just like every other day. Her hair danced into the night breeze. Once Coby had a closer look at Luffy, he could see her paleness and the sweat that glistened on her neck. She wasn't one to be depressed, or frightened. It was unlike her.

"Don't you ever want to leave?"

The young man took a moment. The question came out of nowhere. He straighten his back and thought for a moment. "Sometimes. I wish I could skip this training and just join the higher ranks. But if I'm going to be admiral, then it's worth it. Even if it's painful and a bore."

"No. I meant...get out of this place. All together."

"I...it would be nice, but we still have our duties here."

Once again silence. The moon finally disappeared into the horizon. The sky began to lighten up. The marines on watch changed positions.

"Coby."

He looked at her, "Yeah?"

"I'm leaving."

"WHAT?! WHY? WHEN? WHY?!"

She looked into the distance. Her hand felt along the cloth that wrapped around her neck to look like a necklace. She was somewhere else, in a distant memory that was a decade ago. "I wasn't suppose to be a marine."

"But Garp. He's your grandfather. And you been training here to become just like your grandfather! You said you wanted to travel the seas! Wanted to fulfill your promises! Wanted to be as strong as you could!"

"I do. I just don't want to do them here, under the name of marine."

"Then under what name?"

She took a moment to answer. "Pirate King."

"GOL D. ROGER?" he blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind. "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" She didn't even look angry at him, even if he was denying her dream. She was too lost in time; in her our little world. "Luffy! Look at me! Please tell me you are kidding."

"I'm not. It's always been my dream. Thi-I," she was tongue tied.

He sat next to her and looked at the side of her face, "What?"

"This life was meant for someone else, not for me. I want to be the freest person in the world, without a government system holding me down. That's the only way to fulfill my promises."

"Then..." he wanted to phased this carefully, "Why are you here? Isn't marines and pirates enemies, the totally opposite of each other?"

"I'm just a replacement."

"What?"

She didn't answer. She just stayed in her place and watched the sky. Soon the sun appeared and their building was awake by morning bells. "I'm still leaving."