A/N: This was supposed to be a serious story. I guess with One Piece, you inevitably make things comical. Also, Luffy was inspired by this annoyingly pushy guy I got to know recently.


Chapter 7: A glowing star


"Ada, thanks for dropping by!"

"Sure thing," Adalina said, setting down the bundle of herbs on the table. She moved in front of Gaston to relieve him of the files that weighed heavily on his arms.

"Thanks," he said, grinning. "I don't suppose that you won't mind helping me organize those...?"

She shrugged. "Don't I always?"

"I figured that you'd have something to do like entertaining those kids."

"Is that what it looks like?" Adalina sighed. She opened the cabinets with her toe and proceeded sorting. "They're just watching me in case I do anything witchy."

"Why don't you just clarify things with them?"

"Because they'll just run away. Honestly, Gaston, we've been over this."

"Technically, what we discussed were our disagreements in how you could always clear the air with those who don't understand you."

"Yeah, if it's only that easy."

"It is! Honestly, Ada, we've been over this," Gaston said, throwing her words back at her. "All it takes is a bright smile and a friendly attitude." He demonstrated by displaying his own smile and deepening dimples. Despite the bothersome conversation that they were having again, Adalina couldn't help but be endeared by him. She involuntarily smiled.

"It would only give people all the more reason to suspect me if I act out of the ordinary," she retorted.

"Not unless you keep it up!"

Easy, he had said. Yeah, easy for him. Adalina didn't have it in her to express perpetual joy—that was something that only happy people could do. Adalina wasn't unhappy, per se, but it was certainly out of her realm of abilities to maintain a cheerful persona without fully exhausting herself.

Gaston had given her tips on how to befriend others or get people to see her as someone approachable. Laugh more. Smile more. Strike up conversations with anyone willing to spend five minutes. But Adalina didn't want to do any of those things; doing anything like that would just put her outside of her comfort zone. She had long become accustomed to her solitude that allowing anyone else to witness her laughter and smiles would almost feel like a violation.

Gaston had been there for her for years, and he had been the one to welcome her with his warmth and kindness. While her infatuation for him had subsided, especially now that he was a married man, Gaston still held a special place in her heart. Even Kaya, who she had recently began to regularly converse with, was someone who she was growing a fondness of.

Adalina wasn't willing to act as someone she wasn't just to get others to like her. After all, if people preferred the smiley Adalina, then they wouldn't like the real Adalina. She understood that Gaston had good intentions when he had tried to suggest her ways of opening up to others, but it just wasn't going to happen.

She rolled her eyes at him and continued to sort the files.

"One day, you're going to see what I mean, Ada," Gaston said, heaving out a breath. "I mean, isn't it lonely to continue on like this?"

"I'm not lonely. I have you."

"It's not in a human's nature to only have one friend."

"Then maybe I'm not wholly human," she replied. "Maybe I really am a witch."

"Don't be silly. You're too cute to be one," he chuckled.

Adalina blushed. "Stupid," she muttered.

Gaston no longer had that fringe that fell over his forehead, but instead his copper locks were slicked backwards. He looked mature compared to his previous boyish appearance. Nevertheless, he never lost that youthful charm that Cecelia no doubt had fallen for. Gaston was the cute one, Adalina privately thought.


According to Marlo, Kaya was the richest person in the village. With her wealth, they could perhaps acquire a ship from her.

After finishing their meals, Luffy, Nami, and Zoro set off to find the only mansion on a hill. It wasn't difficult to do so since the surrounding buildings consisted only of small houses and shops. While getting there wasn't a challenge, getting inside would be. Given that there were two guards standing alertly with each one beside a towering gate, it didn't seem like they would be granted a simple entry.

Hiding behind a tree away from the guards' attentive gazes, the three pirates ruminated as to what they should do. Of course, it didn't take long when Luffy decided to launch himself over the fence, dragging Zoro and Nami with him.

When they crashed onto the ground, Nami swung a fist at Luffy's head. "Are you crazy?" she snapped.

"He got us here, didn't he?" Zoro pulled himself out of the dogpile and stood up. He did a cursory survey of their location. "Although, I doubt we're going to get the owner's attention just barging in like this."

Contrary to Zoro's words, the window above them opened. Peeking outside was a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair. She gave a startled gasp when her eyes landed on them and backed away.

Luffy, never one to hesitate, threw a stretchy arm onto the branch of the tree next to the window, and then slingshotted himself on top of the branch.

The girl shrieked in alarm. "Wh-who are you?" she cried.

"Luffy, don't scare her!" Nami yelled at him from below.

"Sorry about that," Luffy said, although he didn't look at all apologetic. "You're Kaya, right? We're here to make a request!"

But the girl didn't pay heed to his words. Instead, she continued to stare at him in horror. "How—how was your arm able to do that?"

"Hm? You mean this?" Luffy pinched the skin of his arm and tugged it upwards. Kaya shrieked again when his skin extended longer than what was considered natural. He then hooked a finger at a corner of his mouth and tugged downwards, revealing his gums.

"How is that possible!"

"I ate the Gum Gum Fruit," he said. He released his mouth and it snapped back into place. "Because of that, I became a rubber man!"

"Gum Gum Fruit…?"

"Yeah! It was really nasty when I bit into it, but I got these cool powers, at least."

"I…" Kaya's eyes batted multiple times as though to blink away the delusion before her. When it was settled that this was all very real, her legs gave in and she dropped onto her bed. "Unbelievable…"

"You doing okay? You don't look so good."

"Oi! Luffy! You done frightening her?" Zoro hollered at him.

"I wasn't doing that! I was just showing her what I can do!"

"You better not be messing around, Luffy!" Nami snapped.

Luffy pouted and returned his attention to the girl. "Anyways, can we get that ship, please?"

"Ship? Why do you want a ship?" Kaya asked breathlessly.

"Every pirate needs a ship! So far, all I have is a tiny boat, but it's not proper for a pirate captain to go sailing on that!" Luffy beamed at her.

Her timorous demeanor was replaced with a faintly curious one. "Pirates? You and your friends are pirates?"

"Yup! I'm Luffy and I'm gonna be the Pirate King! Down there are Zoro, my swordsman, and Nami, my navigator. After we get our ship, we're gonna get Ada to become our sniper."

Kaya perked up. "Ada? You want to recruit Adalina-san to be a part of your crew?"

"Shishishi! You betcha! I just know that she's gonna make a great addition to the team."

"So you've met Adalina-san?"

"She was the first person we met when we came to this island. I didn't know who she was until these kids told us about her."

"Oh… You don't mean how they addressed her by that awful epithet…?"

"Ya mean how she's Ada the Witch? It's a pretty cool name, although I think the rumors about her are lame. Even Marlo said so." Luffy crossed his arms and grinned. "But once we start sailing, that won't matter anymore! She can come up with her own name."

"But why do you want Adalina-san of all people?"

Luffy tilted his head. "Marlo asked the same thing. You people sure think alike, don't you?"

Kaya grimaced. "That's not true at all! I know that Adalina-san isn't the terrible person that the villagers think of her as. I actually got to know her, and I know that she's a lonely person with struggles. Not everyone knows what it's like to have your family taken away from you and figure out how to live independently on your own," she said.

While Luffy and Zoro's attention was focused on the soft-spoken yet persistent blonde, they didn't see Nami's clouded expression. It wasn't as if she had forgotten about Adalina's past, but she had been so caught up on the girl's supposed murders and curse that she had neglected to acknowledge the human part of archer as well. After hearing Kaya's words, painful memories resurfaced before Nami could smother them.

She clenched her fists. Perhaps there really was nothing for the redhead to be worried about. Perhaps Luffy and Zoro were correct in their assumption that the rumors were false—that they were only hyperbolic tales made to compensate for the lack of excitement in this quaint hamlet. Nami had traveled to places similar to this one, so she should have had known.

Meanwhile, Zoro observed Kaya with a raised eyebrow. "For someone locked away in her tower, it's strange how you got to be familiar with the village's resident black sheep."

"Th-that's because—!" Kaya's stutter was cut off when a blur of brown and green appeared next to Kaya on the bed.

"Gwack gwack!"

"Hey, it's a duck!" Luffy laughed. "Are you saving it for dinner? If not, can I have it?"

As if sensing a predator, the duck quacked again and flapped its wings frantically. Kaya hugged the bird to her bosom and cradled it as though it was a crying baby. She fixed him a weak glare. "Of course not! I would never allow someone to hurt Reginald."

Luffy deflated in disappointment. "Aw man."

"And you haven't answered my question. Why do you want Adalina-san?"

"I didn't mention it? It's because I think she's going to be a great sniper for my crew!"

Kaya hugged the duck tighter. "But what if she says no? Are you going to force her to go?"

"He can be annoyingly convincing when he wants to be," Zoro said.

"If Ada really doesn't want to join, then I won't make her," Luffy said, "but I think she'll want to."

"I don't think she will," Kaya interjected. "I've known her longer than you have, and I know she will refuse. She hates pirates."

Luffy looked shocked. "She hates pirates? But why?"

"Her father abandoned her to become one."

For the first time, Luffy's face contorted into that of irritation. "Hey, don't talk that way about Yasopp!" he growled. He bent his knees and leapt, crossing over the distance that separated him and the girl. Now, he was leaning in her space. Reginald trembled in Kaya's arms, quacking nervously.

"Luffy!" Nami cried out in alarm.

"It wasn't as if Yasopp wanted to leave his family, but the sea called out to him," Luffy said. "When that happens, a man has to obey and fulfill his dreams. That's why Yasopp became a pirate."

Kaya stared at him, cowed, but she managed to get a hold of herself. She shook her head vigorously and frowned back at him. "Family is more important than any dream," she told him determinedly. "When you're a father, you cannot discard your responsibilities for your own selfish desires."

Something in Nami's chest squeezed.

"There's something else bothering her, it seems like," Nami heard Zoro mutter.

She looked at him confusedly. What did he mean?

Kaya pushed herself upright onto her feet and drew her shoulders back. She released Reginald, who quickly scurried underneath her bed. "I do believe you have overstayed your welcome," she stiffly told Luffy.

Luffy's stern expression evaporated. "Oh. So, can we get that ship?"

"No!"

"Whatever it is that you wish to request from the young mistress, I guarantee it that you won't be given it." Everyone turned to see who the newcomer was. A tall and slender man with an air of austerity narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. Despite his refined disposition, there was something strong about him. "I suggest that you step away from my lady before I make you."

"Klahadore," Kaya murmured in relief.

"But there's no one else who can give us a ship here," Luffy complained.

"There is no one who would think of wanting to give anything to intruders," the man remarked, pushing his glasses upwards with his palm. "Now. Leave."

"C'mon, Luffy," Zoro called out. "There's no point in staying here."

"Geez." Nevertheless, Luffy jumped back to the tree and slid down the trunk. "That's disappointing."

"It wouldn't be if you hadn't antagonized her," Nami chided.

Luffy pouted. "I didn't! She was the one who started it."

"Don't be childish!"

"You three!" The pirates lifted their heads. Kaya inclined half of her body over her window, her hands gripping the sill. "Don't you think of bothering Adalina-san! Her life is difficult enough as it is!"

"We're gonna do it anyways, so suck on that!" Luffy stuck out his tongue. Nami slapped her forehead.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "We should get going now," he said, casually gesturing at the bespectacled man. "It'd be more of a nuisance if we engage in a fight."

"Fine. But we're gonna talk to Ada!" Luffy shouted the last part to Kaya.

"Don't you dare!"

"We're gonna totally dare!"

"Luffy," Nami said through gritted teeth, "shut up!"


"Why're you so obsessed in having her as your friend?" Nami asked. It couldn't just be because he wanted a sniper. The captain was strangely fixated on the archer, which puzzled Nami. Sure, Luffy had pursued her to become his navigator, but that was after they to know each other. Luffy barely held one decent conversation with Ada, and yet he was so set on her.

"Maybe he likes girls with pigtails," Zoro commented.

Nami paused. "Love at first sight?" she gasped. "But he's too stupid for romance!" Or maybe he was stupid enough for romance?

Luffy didn't hear their exchange. He was focused on making his way towards the doctor's clinic to mind his crew's words. As they neared the place, Luffy abruptly stopped his steps. Nami nearly crashed into his back. Just when she was about to ask what the hold was up about, he broke into a sprint.

"L-Luffy?"

"I guess he spotted Ada," Zoro noted, peering over at the distance.

Nami's jaw dropped. "Holy cow, you might be right."

"I am. She's right over there."

"No, I mean about Luffy crushing on her!"

He gave her a look. "I was just joking about that, you know."

"Yeah, well, your joke turned out to be accurate," Nami huffed. "Have you ever seen Luffy react this way with any other girl?"

"Definitely not with you."

A minute later, Nami was exasperatedly marching towards the clinic, leaving behind a keeling Zoro.

In that duration, Luffy's legs were eating up the yards that separated him and Ada. His grin stretched from ear to ear as he closed in on her.

"Adaaa!" His voice reverberated across the rolling green hills. Ada jolted in surprise and directed her attention towards the source of the call. She reacted too late as Luffy jumped at her, coiling his arms around her figure and sending them skidding onto the ground. "I found you! I found you! I found—"

He stilled.

"Why do you smell like old people?"

Ada responded by punching him on the chin.


After managing to extract the boy off of her, Adalina picked herself up and ran. Unfortunately, the weirdo was determined to follow her as he kept up only a few steps behind.

"Leave me alone!" she demanded.

"I just wanna talk!"

But she didn't want to talk to someone who learned her name only after a few hours since their initial meeting and tackled her into a suffocating hug. She hadn't minded the self-proclaimed pirate too much when they first met, but now… He was strange—too strange for her liking. Adalina didn't want to deal with him.

While Adalina was a practiced runner, having extensive experience in chasing down game and avoiding prowling wolves, she wasn't able to outrun the boy with the straw hat. She gaped when he surpassed her and stumbled over her feet. She tripped and reflexively grabbed his vest, bringing him down with her.

Once again, they fell with their limbs tangled and their clothes dirtied.

Adalina tried to push herself up, but a hand locked onto her wrist kept her down. She tugged at it, but the grip wouldn't loosen.

"Don't run away!" the boy cried.

"What do you want from me?" she grunted, kneeing him in the chest to keep him away. He wasn't affected by that.

"Like I said, I wanna talk."

Adalina inwardly debated on what to do, and then settled for hearing him out. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner he would leave her alone, right? "What is it?" she sighed, dropping her captive arm.

He smiled brightly. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I want you, Ada, to join my crew!"