A/N: *wobble wobble flop*

So, I managed to get this done in time for my weekly update! I cut it really close there (Sorry, Beyond Kailani! Thank you so much for the super short notice beta!)

I'm going through some very difficult times right now and I'd like to say I'll be able to keep writing as much as I usually do, but until this stabilizes, I might have a slight delay. Still hoping that's not the case, though! Since all of you wonderful reviewers left me giddy and excited last week.

Seriously, it helped me so much with everything going on in real life right now, so a huge thanks to you guys :)

To the guest reviewer:

Fair enough! I suppose that's what I mean by an aesthetic choice; saying 'big brother' to address someone is awkward in English. Another reason I might use the Japanese is to address someone in a way where there are multiple Japanese options, like "Father". Otousan, Otousama, Otouchan, Chichiue, and the like. I know I throw in "daijoubu" as an aesthetic when I don't like the way "I'm alright" or "It's okay" sound compared to the more universal/vague version to cover the bases. And I definitely prefer "Oyaji" to "Pops" or "Old Man", so I'll be using that one.

On that note!

Jiji = Grandfather/Old Man, commonly translated as "Gramps"

As always, dedicated to Ascaisil

I do not own One Piece. Praise be to Oda.

Chapter 6: Scars

"I suppose then, I should start with the red-haired captain, and how his presence influenced the person Luffy became."

Ace glanced over his shoulder only once to make sure Luffy was thoroughly distracted - which he was, although there was a chance the mayor had noticed he was being used as such and accommodated for that - before giving his full attention to Makino.

"Luffy mentioned him a few times, but all he really said was that he's gonna become a great pirate like this Shanks guy, and that he saved his life," Ace commented.

"It's true," Makino nodded. "The Captain and his crew first came to the village when Luffy was six. They often left on small voyages, but they came back and remained at port for a little over a year before leaving for good."

She smiled, a faraway look in her reddish-brown eyes. Ace had never been as good at reading people as Sabo, but even he could tell that when Makino spoke of this 'Captain Shanks', she was thinking of him fondly.

"Luffy and the Captain… they had a special relationship," Makino continued warmly. "But back then, Luffy lacked guidance. He wanted to be a pirate for adventures, but the full weight of what that meant was lost on him. He didn't realize how serious it was, and he didn't understand how to pick his battles. He used to think being insulted was a good enough reason to fight someone."

Ace quirked an eyebrow at that statement. The Luffy he'd initially met had gotten riled up pretty easily over being spat on, but he'd also forgiven him just as easily and claimed it wasn't anything worth being mad about. When he'd initially told Sabo about it, they'd written it off as strange but uninteresting.

"I think Luffy was lonely," Makino admitted. "I was watching over him, but what he really craved was friendship and companionship. There were a few other kids in the village, but even though they liked him, he never really found what he was looking for with them. When the Captain came into his life, Luffy finally found someone he could be himself with. The Captain was never exhausted by Luffy's energy or insulted by his blunt manner, and even when he humored Luffy, it was never done in a condescending way. Luffy wanted his attention the way any other child wanted their parents' attention in the village, and the Captain always gave it to him."

"So Luffy looked to him as a father?" Sabo questioned softly.

Ace's gaze dropped to his lap at that question. They'd all sought something like that at one point or another, it seemed. While Ace hated his birth father, much of that hate was born from the unfairness of having to bear such a burden without even getting to have someone he could call 'father'. Luffy never seemed upset about not having parents, but it was only natural for him to seek that kind of influence out, wasn't it? Makino may not have been that much older, all things considered, but she'd filled the maternal role for Luffy.

Had Luffy also wondered about his phantom father? And had it really been so easy for him to replace that phantom with this red-haired pirate?

"I can't say for sure, but that probably describes their relationship best," Makino answered fondly. "They fell into it naturally, as if they'd known each other much longer. I'm sure even now, and in the future, if they were to meet again, no matter how much either of them have changed, it would feel just like old times. There are some people we meet in this world who feel like they've always belonged in our lives. Even after separating from them, no matter how long it takes, when you find them again, it feels like you've come home."

Ace and Sabo exchanged glances at that statement, and Ace found he couldn't help but smile a little. It sounded like their bond. Even if the future was still far off, one day they would have to travel their separate paths. He knew no matter how long it took them to find each other, it would feel like home when they met again.

"So how did Shanks save his life?" Ace asked, looking back to Makino and feeling oddly at ease.

"Shortly before Garp-san took Luffy from the village, a group of bandits led by a man named Higuma came into the bar. They were rude and foul, but no one was hurt by their presence. Higuma tried to humiliate the Captain, but… he just laughed it off, even though Luffy was furious about it."

"What happened?" Sabo asked when Makino paused.

Ace leaned in a little, waiting for the answer. The smile he'd managed was slipping into a frown.

"At that time, nothing. They left after barely damaging the bar and pouring sake on the Captain. When Luffy confronted them for not taking it seriously, the Captain told him it was just some spilled sake, and not worth getting upset over. Luffy couldn't understand or approve of that attitude. When the bandits came back to the bar, it was after the pirates had been gone on a voyage for some time," Makino sighed softly. "I knew Luffy wouldn't be able to sit still if they caused any trouble."

"Did they?" Sabo asked, unable to help himself from prompting her for more.

"No, but Higuma started to ridicule the Captain, openly mocking him with the other bandits," Makino gave a soft, if somewhat exasperated smile. "Naturally, Luffy couldn't stand for someone insulting the man he respected, even if he was still angry with him, so he confronted Higuma."

"Was he already a Devil Fruit user by then?" Ace asked, unable to keep silent any longer.

"Yes," Makino nodded. "I suppose that's important, isn't it? He accidentally ate a Devil Fruit the Captain and his crew had with him during Higuma's first confrontation. He'd been practicing a little since he ate it, but he was nowhere near as strong or as in control as he is now. At the very least though, it stopped him from actually being hurt by anything Higuma did, which I'm grateful for."

Ace glanced at Sabo, the two nodding absently. They were grateful for that too. "So, this Shanks guy showed up to save him from Higuma?"

"Yes," Makino nodded again. "We were all worried, but before Higuma could make good on a threat to kill Luffy, the Captain showed up with some of his crew members. They returned from their voyage just in time. However," her tone made both boys pause, the grins they'd started to show slipping from their faces. "Higuma managed to escape with Luffy as a hostage."

Makino looked to them both with sympathy, then reached out and affectionately smoothed some of Sabo's curls, causing him to blush a little. "None of us saw what happened when the Captain found them. Higuma had taken Luffy out to sea and kicked him into the water. He was still new enough to his Devil Fruit that he didn't sink immediately, but there's a sea king that off the coast by the village. It ate Higuma, and went after Luffy next."

Thoughts of a panicked, crying Luffy struggling to stay afloat in the ocean immediately filtered through Ace's mind, along with a question he really wanted to know the answer to. Was that how Luffy had gotten the scar on his face? Had it been a truly horrific attack?

"The Captain rescued Luffy," Makino reminded them both, which had Sabo relaxing a little. His shoulders had gone tense at the mention of Luffy being in the sea. "But he lost his arm to the Lord of the Coast in the process."

That statement had both boys looking to Makino soberly, their expressions mirroring one another.

"He lost his arm?" Ace repeated, hesitant.

Makino nodded, a sad smile playing on her lips. "He wasn't upset about it. That's one thing you should understand about the Captain… he said his arm was nothing compared to Luffy's safety. I overheard him telling his first mate there hadn't been time to do anything but grab Luffy from the monster's teeth at the last second. He hadn't found him quickly enough. His first mate argued that the Captain could have dispatched the sea king easily, but… he said there was a slight chance, no matter how strong he was, that he wouldn't have acted in time if he'd worried about himself. It was far more important to him that Luffy was unharmed."

She reached up to tuck some hair behind her ear, gazing up at the sky. "Luffy cried and cried that day, angry with himself for being too weak to stop Higuma, or even land a single hit on him… he cried because his actions led to the Captain getting hurt… and of course he must have been scared, but his tears seemed to come from his frustration and guilt. But, he awoke with renewed purpose. Remember how I said Luffy would fight and argue and get angry over the simplest of things? That was how the Captain taught him that there are some things in this world better spent laughing off than getting upset about… and at the same time, there are some things that cannot be forgiven, like someone hurting his friends. Luffy really took those words to heart."

She looked back to the boys. The story was obviously about to end, but Ace was grateful she'd had the foresight to send Luffy away to tell them about all of this. Even if Luffy was accepting that it wasn't his fault Shanks had lost an arm, it was still a recent enough memory that hearing it would have caused the guilt to come back.

"It took some time for Luffy to stop blaming himself," Makino spoke after a moment, as if reading Ace's thoughts and answering them. "But when the Captain and his crew left for good, Luffy had stopped begging to be taken with them. He said he would form his own crew and become stronger."

"Luffy," Sabo murmured, a soft smile on his lips.

Ace didn't speak. He couldn't help but think back to the moment he'd first met Luffy. He'd seen him as a spoiled, childish little crybaby who didn't understand what it was like to suffer or struggle the way he had. Luffy had been just as angry and childish as expected when Ace had spat on him, but even if he'd later claimed it to be uninteresting, it had caught his attention that Luffy had quickly gotten over it.

Makino was completely right about Luffy taking that red-haired Captain's words to heart. He'd stopped getting worked up in earnest over petty things. Ace couldn't help but smile again at that thought. That Shanks had saved Luffy's life was more or less common knowledge to anyone who knew the hyperactive little rubber man, but this was the first time they'd learned about just how much Shanks had done for Luffy and how much of Luffy's personality had been shaped by knowing that man.

"After hearing that, the Captain entrusted Luffy with his hat, which he claimed to be a very treasured possession," Makino continued softly. "He told Luffy to return it to him someday, as a great pirate."

"No wonder he says that thing's his treasure," Ace commented finally, glancing back in the direction Luffy had gone. It didn't even sound like Shanks had tried coddling Luffy about the incident with the bandits, either. Ace really respected that. "We didn't know the whole story."

"We still don't," Sabo reminded Ace, who paused and looked back over. The blond was focused on Makino, his expression serious. "Makino-san, can we ask something else?"

"Hm?" Makino tilted her head to the side, regarding him curiously.

"That scar, the one on Luffy's face… how did he get it?" Sabo asked, looking hesitant.

Ace braced himself as well, looking to Makino for the answer. He expected her to look worried, or maybe even refuse to tell them, but he was not expecting it when she suddenly burst out laughing. His temper automatically flared, even though he knew Makino was someone who cared about Luffy and wouldn't laugh at him being hurt without a good reason.

"Ah… Makino-san?" Sabo questioned.

"What the hell is funny about that?!" Ace demanded, shoving himself to his feet as he finally lost control of his temper. She'd just told them the story of how Luffy had nearly been killed by bandits, eaten by a sea king, and saved by someone he respected at the cost of that person's arm, and she was laughing about a scar? Even if she didn't understand how hard it was for Luffy to actually retain an injury, the thought of anyone laughing at Luffy being hurt immediately set him on edge.

"Sorry," Makino continued laughing, holding her stomach from mirth. She looked up at them, and even though Ace was still glaring and Sabo looked more hesitant than ever, she kept grinning like she might chuckle at any moment. "It's just, that happened the morning before Higuma first arrived, and shortly before he ate his Devil Fruit."

Ace's posture relaxed just a little, some of the tension draining out of him at the knowledge that it had happened before he'd eaten his fruit. That meant it was a regular cut, and nothing serious.

"We were worried," Sabo explained, looking anxious and relieved at the same time. "Luffy doesn't get scars anymore, at least not that we've seen. It takes a lot to actually hurt him, and all his cuts or gashes heal without leaving marks because of his rubber skin. So… we didn't know what could have left that scar."

"I see," Makino gave them a sympathetic smile. "Well, that's a story in itself, I suppose. Would you like to hear that too?"

"Yes," the brothers answered in unison. Ace sat back down, trying to ignore how hot his cheeks felt. It would have been easier if Makino had admonished him for flying off the handle the way he had, but her knowing smile hinted that she understood his temper and even welcomed it in response to Luffy's wellbeing. It was a lot like the way Sabo brushed off some of his harsher words when their younger brother was involved, knowing it was born of worry.

"Well, I mentioned before that the Captain and his crew would come and go," Makino resumed speaking, eyes alight with happy memories. "After Luffy warmed up to them, he would beg the Captain to take him along, and some of the other pirates would even try to make a case for him to go with them, but the Captain never budged. He knew how dangerous the seas could be, and even though he cared very much for Luffy, and enjoyed his company, he knew he couldn't risk taking a child along."

"But Luffy would never understand or accept that," Sabo said knowingly.

Ace simply nodded his agreement. Luffy had absolute unwavering faith in his own strength and ability, or at least he seemed to. It was easy for Ace to understand why he'd still be upset over having been made helpless, and someone getting hurt protecting him, but his answer to that problem seemed to have become 'get stronger'.

"He didn't," Makino agreed. "So he started trying to prove how brave and strong he was, to convince the Captain. It started small, with him doing things like eating his food without letting me cut it up first, or walking himself home without letting anyone go with him. Any time he came back from Garp-san's training, he'd claim he wasn't sore or tired, but the Captain always saw through it and spoiled him a little during those times, if he was present."

Sabo looked to Ace, who actually shuddered. "She's not joking," Ace muttered to Sabo. "Jiji is crazy."

"Once," Makino continued to distract from the subject of Garp, "He even tried a sneak attack on one of the crew members."

Ace tensed again, but Makino quickly waved her hand and smiled. "He had a son Luffy's age who he had to leave behind when he became a pirate. He thought Luffy's antics were fun and humored him. You could tell he missed his son, but he was very kind to Luffy, even when poking fun at him."

"I see," Sabo looked relieved. Like Ace, he must have jumped to the wrong conclusion that the scar had come from an accidental defense or retaliation to Luffy's attack.

"So, the morning before he ate his fruit," Makino resumed, "He climbed onto the ship and stood near the figurehead, declaring that he would prove his bravery, and they all gathered to see what he would do this time."

Ace leaned forward a little, while Sabo cast a quick glance around. They both gave Makino their undivided attention once they were sure Luffy was still distracted.

"The Captain was amused… well, they all were, because sometimes Luffy's attempts to prove himself were just so sweet… but then Luffy produced a dagger."

"He didn't," Sabo breathed.

"Didn't what?" Ace scowled at his blond brother, not quite understanding.

"He did," Makino looked apologetic. "And as soon as he stabbed himself, the entire crew panicked to get him treated and take away his weapon. The Captain was still a little anxious even after they knew it would only leave a small scar, but he hid it really well. Luffy was good at making him lose his calm demeanor."

"..." Ace blinked once, then twice. A third time, and then his eyes went wide. "Luffy stabbed himself in the face to try and prove he was brave?!"

"What was that idiot thinking?!" Sabo jumped to his feet. It was a rare moment where he also opted to refer to Luffy as such. "Stabbing himself like that?! What if he'd missed and hit his eye? He could have lost his sight! Or worse!"

"Just when I think he can't be any dumber than he already is!" Ace threw his hands in the air in exasperation, then jumped to his feet and looked to Sabo. "We have to make sure he doesn't do anything that stupid ever again, Sabo."

"I'll do my best to educate him on what could happen if he does," Sabo agreed, expression grim.

"Jeez, that freaking moron," Ace muttered, shoving his hand through his hair and messing it up. "Only Luffy. Only Luffy would think something like that was a good idea!"

Makino giggled again, covering her mouth with her hand.

"On one hand, I'm glad that's all it was," Sabo spoke up, looking over at Ace again. "It means we worried about the wrong thing entirely, but at least it means he wasn't badly hurt to get that scar."

"And now I'm worried he's going to do something completely stupid to try and prove himself to us one of these days," Ace growled. He could already envision dozens of ways for Luffy to go about proving himself, and each one was more dangerous and foolish than the last.

Each one was exactly the kind of thing Luffy would do, too.

"Ace! Sabo! Makino!" Luffy's voice had his brothers both turning to frown in his direction. He was running towards them, flailing his arms happily. As soon as he was in range, Ace brought his hand up and made a fist, then brought it down hard on Luffy's rubbery head. He was a little shocked to notice Sabo had done the exact same thing, leading to both of them hitting their little brother at the same time.

"WAH" Luffy went face first into the ground, hard enough that his face actually flattened for a moment, the rest of his body flipping over him and bending in a way that would be painful and unnatural to anyone not made of rubber.

"Idiot!" Ace admonished him, ignoring Sabo's involvement for the time being.

"Don't worry us!" Sabo added, even though Luffy had no idea what he was worrying them about.

Luffy was quick to spring back though, doing a complete flip and not by choice. When his face took the correct shape again, he grasped his head and stared up at them. "That hurt! What was that for?!"

"Did you seriously try to prove you were brave by stabbing yourself in the face?!" Ace demanded, putting his hands on his hips and assuming a threatening stance that would usually let the recipient of his ire know to pick his answer carefully.

Luffy of course, had no such self-preservation instincts, hopping to his feet and scowling. "It didn't hurt at all! I was showing Shanks and the guys that I was tough!"

"It's not tough to injure yourself, Luffy," Sabo said with obvious exasperation. "You make people worry if you do that!

"But I'm okay!" Luffy protested, turning to look at Sabo. Since his back was to Ace, he didn't see when the freckled boy brought his fist up again and gave him another sharp hit. Upon receiving the justified - at least in Ace's opinion - hit, Luffy whirled back around to shout at Ace again. The two quickly began a heated argument about the stupid things Luffy had done in the past or would do in the future, with Luffy defending his actions and bolstering his claims of bravery and fearlessness.

Sabo sighed, allowing the two to argue for several minutes, then stepped forward and put his hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Alright, that's enough. Just promise us you won't do anything like that to prove your strength to us."

"Don't do anything like that, period! Idiot," Ace all but growled at him, still worked up from the knowledge and ensuing fight. How Sabo could remain so calm would always be a mystery to Ace. It wasn't that he doubted Sabo's dedication or capabilities as a brother, but the fact that he could keep himself so composed was equal parts admirable and infuriating to Ace. It probably always would be.

"I don't know why you're mad at me now!" Luffy retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked ready to keep arguing, but Sabo's hand on his shoulder had an obvious calming effect on him.

Ace was loathe to admit it, but when Sabo reached out and placed a hand on his own shoulder, he started to calm down as well. He managed to maintain his glare, though it didn't seem to have any effect on Luffy. Of course, it rarely did.

"They're mad because they're worried about you," Makino clarified, expression still amused. "Just like the Captain and everyone worried when you hurt yourself."

"But I'm okay," Luffy said again, though he seemed to be contemplating those words. He looked up at Sabo, who gave a slight smile, then over at Ace, who was still glaring. "Oh, is it because I could have been hurt?"

Ace's glare melted into a look of surprise, and he met Sabo's gaze over Luffy's head.

"You actually understand that?" Sabo seemed unable to help himself from asking.

"Well, yeah," Luffy placed his hands on his hips. "Like yesterday, when I got hit by that guy with the weapon on his hand and you had to put the mystery medicine on my mouth."

"Anesthetic," Sabo corrected absently.

Ace ignored Makino's concerned gaze, focusing wholly on Luffy now. He'd thought Sabo's words had gone in one ear and out the other. It had seemed like Luffy had gone to bed with no idea what had gotten them so upset, and they'd resigned themselves to the fact that he likely wouldn't understand or comprehend. To hear him bluntly state such a thing, like he actually understood it…

"You really understand why we were mad yesterday?" Sabo pressed, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"Yeah," Luffy twisted to look up at Sabo. "Because I could have been really hurt, even though I wasn't, and you didn't want to see me get hurt. Right?"

"That's… right," Sabo glanced at Ace again, clearly a little overwhelmed.

"What happened yesterday?" Makino asked, giving the brothers a chance to process Luffy's words.

"I got punched by a guy with brass knuckles on," Luffy explained instantly. "And it actually hurt! And I had to wear a bandage on my mouth last night and it itched, but I kept it on!" He reached up to grab his lip, stretching it way up to show Makino his gums. "Ee? ah heed."

"Yes, I see," Makino nodded. "And it is all healed, isn't it?"

Luffy let his lip snap back into place, a grin on his face. "Shishishi! Yeah! But I thought Ace and Sabo were mad at me at first. But they just wanted to protect me, so they were mad for me. Oh, but I plan to get stronger so they don't have to worry about me anymore, and then I'll get even stronger so I can help protect them!"

Sabo's cheeks reddened. He cast a sideways glance at Ace over Luffy's head, giving a sappy grin with a proud look in his eyes. Just like that, Luffy had disarmed them with his innocent outlook on a situation, easily stating profound things from his simplistic view. Ace rolled his eyes, but he knew he had to be feeling the same emotion Sabo was. The idea of Luffy protecting them was laughable - even if the intent sent a rush of warmth through Ace - but the fact that he finally grasped the concept of other people being worried for his safety was no small matter. There was a chance he might actually be a little less reckless.

Of course, just because he understood didn't necessarily mean he'd change his behavior at all, but Ace could always hope.

Sabo caved in first, pulling Luffy into a hug and grinning down at him. "Thanks, Luffy. If you really don't want to worry us though, just make sure not to try and prove anything to us, okay? We already know you're strong and brave."

Luffy's face lit up - it always did, because Sabo always knew what to say to him - and then Luffy was winding his arms around Sabo in a hug. He didn't cling for very long though, which was surprising to both older boys.

"Oh, the Mayor said he'd be sure to bring some meat next time," Luffy reported, beaming at Makino and sticking close to Sabo. "He also gave me candy!"

He reached into one of his pockets and produced two pieces wrapped in brightly colored paper, then held one up to Sabo. "Here, this one's for you."

"For me?" Sabo's face lit up too now, his eager expression making him seem younger and less jaded.

"Yeah," Luffy gave the piece to him, then held the other out for Ace. "I already ate mine."

Ace glanced at the candy, trying to appear nonchalant. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had candy. It wasn't something they really got, except for a few times when Luffy had wanted it and they'd been in the city anyway. They avoided it because it was usually expensive. It was usually a rare treat they got on special occasions like birthdays. Honestly, Ace was surprised Luffy had managed to save any of it to bring over for them. "Don't you want it?" he found himself asking.

Luffy faltered, looking to the candy in his hand for a moment. He was practically drooling. "Uh… no?" he tried, looking back at Ace after a moment.

"If you want it, you should just eat it," Ace said, trying to give off the impression he didn't care. Luffy was probably used to getting candy all the time from his stay in Windmill Village. Ace was fine without it.

"But it's for Ace!" Luffy protested, fully detaching himself from Sabo and holding the piece out to him.

"It was thoughtful of him to bring us some," Sabo pointed out. "You should just take it, Ace. It's been awhile since we've had candy, hasn't it?"

Ace sighed, but with both of his brothers on his case, he reluctantly reached out and took the candy. He didn't shove Luffy off when the younger boy hugged him, either.

"Well, I'd better go get things started for dinner tonight," Makino said, getting up and dusting herself off. "It's still a ways away, but I'll need to prepare. Thank you boys for being so patient and well behaved."

Sabo was blushing again, which really made Ace want to tease him, but he managed to refrain, nodding to Makino. "We're probably going to go hunt, so don't get worried if you don't see us out here."

"We'll try not to ruin our new clothes!" Luffy added, already bouncing a little at the idea of going out to hunt.

Ace shook his head with a wry grin. If they wanted any chance of tasting whatever Makino planned on cooking, they needed to make sure Luffy got enough food from the forest beforehand.

"Be careful," Makino told them cheerfully, turning and heading for the house.

Ace watched her disappear through the doorway, then put his candy in his pocket for safekeeping. Luffy was bounding ahead already, with Sabo nodding to Ace and chasing after him. It gave Ace a moment alone, standing in the clearing with a pensive look on his face. Small things he'd never really given much thought to about Luffy made complete sense with context. His statement about hating bandits, the fact that he valued friendship over his own safety, and even his deep-seated yearning for companionship. Ace could relate, even if he didn't want to admit it out loud.

He'd spent so much time shoving everyone away from him, feeling unworthy of any form of love or kindness, or simply because he believed it would be taken away once the truth of his heritage came out, but deep down inside, he must have truly wanted friends. A family. He wasn't jealous that Luffy had found someone he could look to as a father, but at the same time, Ace couldn't help but wonder what that was like.

The dark feelings that had always lurked under the surface were all but forgotten when he was around his brothers. He wondered if it was the same for Luffy, who greeted every day with a bright smile and saw the world in such simplistic views. Was there a darkness inside of him as well, a loneliness lurking below the surface and waiting for an opportunity to consume him? Was it pushed aside and forgotten as long as Luffy had someone near him to care about? It would have been easier with Sabo's insight on the matter, but that would have to wait until Luffy fell asleep and they could speak in private.

"Ace! Hurry up!" Luffy's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he sighed, lips twitching into a small grin. Luffy and Sabo were perfectly capable of catching something without him, but Luffy hated leaving anyone out. His thoughts went back to the candy in his pocket. Luffy had said the mayor had given it to him, which meant he'd made the conscious decision to share it, even though sharing food was practically unheard of on the mountain. If the mayor had told Luffy to share it, Luffy would have stated that plainly and bluntly as always. As strange as it sounded, the fact that Luffy wanted to share his candy with them spoke volumes for the depth of his affection. Most times, Luffy expressed his love in the most straightforward and simplistic ways.

It didn't matter if that darkness haunted his little brother. He would make sure Luffy never felt the same loneliness and hopelessness the darkness preyed upon. Someday, Luffy would have nakama he could rely on, people who would gravitate towards Luffy's natural warmth, and Ace would feel more at ease about his little brother sailing without himself or Sabo. Until that day came, Ace would make sure Luffy could always count on one of his brothers to be there if he needed them.

"Aaaaaaaace!" Luffy's whine echoed and drew a chuckle from the freckled boy.

"I'm coming! Quit whining!" Ace shouted back, sprinting in the direction his brothers had gone with a huge grin on his face.

A/N: And there you have it! The truth about the scar is out! And again yes, I'm so sorry, this is going to follow canon ; ; But I have an AU in the works that Beyond Kailani is beta'ing for me so hopefully I'll have that one ready to post soon! Much luvvies guys, hope you enjoyed!

~Mithril