A friend is what the heart needs all the time.
Henry Van Dyke
Rosie had gotten over being starstruck years ago. Her father in this life was one of the most notorious pirates in the world, her teacher was the greatest swordsman in the world, nothing fazed her. Well, almost nothing.
"I'm starving! Hurry up! Makino will make us some good food!" Monkey D. Luffy shouted, hand wrapped around Rosie's arm and pulling her along. She couldn't stop staring at him. It was him, the protagonist, the man who was going to become king of the pirates, someone who was going to become one of the most powerful people in their world.
Rosie had never planned for this situation. Ever since she decided to stay out of canon, the possibility of meeting Monkey D. Luffy was far from her mind. There was too much at stake. She knew too much about his journey, about his life. What if she messed something up? Even the smallest interference could alter the timeline. Everything Luffy did was already so amazing –and so based on luck in some cases, what if her appearance messed that up. In the original timeline she was certain Luffy didn't have an encounter like this.
"I should really get going Luffy-"
"You don't have a boat though, so food first!" He interrupted and Rosie's jaw clenched. He was right. She didn't have a boat or any money. She was also weaponless and crewless. Using her devil fruit would be a dead giveaway to her identity, even more so than her hair already did.
Rosie begrudgingly let Luffy pull her into Foosha Village. She tried not to look too much like a tourist.
"Makinoooooo! Fooooooood!" Luffy shouted as they burst through the doors of the historic bar. It was called Partys Bar is Rosie's memory was correct.
"Manners Luffy." The green-haired woman chided good naturedly before her attention turned to the red-head. "Who's your friend, Luffy?"
"This is...um...what's your name again?" He whispered, realizing he had never gotten her name. Rosie paused. Giving out her name probably couldn't hurt any more than her red hair already did. If her wanted poster was around, her name wouldn't stop someone from connecting the dots.
"I'm Rosie." She introduced, keeping her last name and the 'D' to herself. Foosha Village was remarkably safe for pirates considering Luffy and Ace grew up there with little to no problem, and Shanks was a frequent visitor. However, Rosie didn't like to take chances.
"Nice to meet you Rosie!" Makino smiled. "You two come sit down and I'll whip something up."
"Yay!" Luffy cheered and dragged Rosie to one of the barstools.
"You poor dear! You're soaked!" Makino exclaimed when she finally got a good look at the young girl. "Come with me, I have some clothes in the back."
Rosie complied. She knew Makino wouldn't cause her any harm, and her clothes were pretty uncomfortable. Sand was in very uncomfortable places.
"Thank you for this Makino, you didn't have to."
"Of course, I did! What would Shanks say if he knew I let his daughter sit there like a wet dog." Rosie couldn't help but be impressed. Makino was a lot smarter than she thought. She waited until they were alone, and didn't make it confrontational, just slipped it into conversation.
"That hair really gives it away doesn't it." Rosie laughed somewhat bitterly.
"I suppose it does," Makino started thoughtfully while rummaging through a dresser. "But it was your eyes that clued me in. Shanks goes on and on about how you have your mothers' eyes. I've had them described to me in detail more times than I can count. You're all he ever talks about. He really loves you."
Rosie's breath caught in her throat and her chest tightened. A part of her knew that, had known it for years, in every gesture the man made. However, he had never once explicitly said it. Rosie was content with that. It was easier to despise him, to paint him as the villain in her mind which made everything simpler. She was able to compartmentalize her feelings towards the man. The last thing she wanted or needed was to add figuring out that tangled mess of emotions.
"You're very nice Makino." The redhead said with a rueful smile, back turned to the woman as she pulled on the sundress that was provided for her. It was a strappy little thing and Rosie could feel the woman's eyes on her left shoulder.
The Marine emblem that was so kindly branded on her shoulder had long since healed, leaving behind a distinguishable scar. The man who placed it there surely knew what he was doing because it wasn't going anywhere.
Rosie kept it hidden for a long time. It was a reminder of a time she didn't want to remember. She had other scars -mostly on her back from the whip-, but the brand was worst, the most painful. It was demeaning, embarrassing. She never once forgot why they did it. It was more than physical torture, it was psychological, so the world would see what they did to her.
It took years for her to accept it, to be at peace with it and even then, it took even longer for her to feel comfortable showing it to the world. She always either got two reactions to the scar, sympathy or satisfaction. Enemies, be they pirates or marines, liked to use the mark to taunt her. It never worked.
"I'm glad it fits." Makino said. The dress was a but snug, but Rosie wore her clothes tight most of the time anyway. It was a pretty cerulean color and she made a note to incorporate the color into her wardrobe.
"Thank you, again, Makino. I appreciate it."
"It's not a problem. Now, if you go wait with Luffy I'll bring the two of you some lunch." Rosie's growling stomach answered for her and she blushed before hurrying out of the room back into the front of the bar.
"There you are!" The rubber man exclaimed, and she cautiously took a seat next to him, still not over the fact that she was in the same room as Monkey D. Luffy.
Rosie had barely been sitting for five minutes when the doors of the bar were slammed open. The redhead immediately tensed, ready for combat as she whirled around. A short, older man stood fuming in the doorway.
"Makino! What's this I hear about you housing a notorious pirate!" He shouted, clearly agitated. Rosie vaguely remembered him, the mayor perhaps?
"A notorious pirate! Where?" Luffy replied excitedly, jumping up and looking around.
"Mayor Woop Slap, how good to see you. I'm whipping up lunch if you'd like some." Makino said, completely unfazed at the chaos occurring. Rosie supposed she had to be used to chaos at that point.
"Don't try and bribe me with food! Where's this pirate? We already have to deal with Shanks and his crew, the last thing we need is another pirate thinking they can hang their hat here!"
The young woman was definitely amused. Makino seemed to be the only person with any sense in the village.
"The pirate your so intent on throwing out is sitting right here Mayor." Makino replied simply, gesturing to Rosie.
"Where?!" Luffy shouted, looking all around Rosie before actually grabbing her by the waist and lifting her up to look under her. He wasn't the brightest.
"This young girl?" Woop Slap asked in astonishment. "That's not possible!"
She felt a tinge of annoyance. That was a bit rude.
"Walker D. Rosie, at your service." She said with a cheeky smile, still lifted in the air.
"Wait. Rosie! You're a pirate?!"
"I am. Now can you please but me down?" The boy quickly but her down, looking like a kid in a candy store.
"D-Did you s-say Walker D. R-Rosie?" Woop Slap stammered. "A-As in T-The Red Q-Queen?"
"I suppose some people do call me that."
"Whys the old man so freaked out?" Luffy questioned.
"Probably because I'm a pretty notorious pirate with my own crew and a generous bounty on my head." She replied with a shrug.
"Wow! You have your own crew?"
"Mhm. They're my family, you'd like them."
"E-Excuse me! Y-You have t-to g-go!" Woop Slap said, full of false bravado.
"Enough of that Mayor, we couldn't possibly kick Shanks' daughter out." Makino chided.
"Wait. You're Shanks' daughter?!"
After a few more minutes and a million more questions from Luffy, the mayor left and everyone calmed down. Well, as calmed down as Luffy could be.
"You're so cool Rosie! I can't believe you're a pirate! And you're Shanks' daughter! He's the one who gave me this hat you know. He's so cool too! I'm going to be a pirate one day. I'm going to become The King of the Pirates!" He rambled happily in-between bites of food. Rosie too was enjoying the food in front of her. Makino was an excellent cook and already seemed to know about her peanut allergy. She had a hunch as to how.
"That's an ambitious dream. It's won't be easy."
"I don't care! I'm gonna do it!" Rosie envied his passion, his drive, his happiness. He was almost always smiling, no matter what the circumstance.
"Then I wish you the best of luck Luffy."
"Pirates!" A voice shouted, crashing through the doors to the bar. "A pirate ship is approaching fast! Skull and crossbones jolly roger with fangs."
Rosie's mind began to race but nothing was coming to mind. She wasn't familiar with a group with a jolly roger like that.
"Oh no." Makino whispered as residents began to run out of the bar, likely to board themselves in their homes.
"Pirates!" Luffy grinned. Rosie was at a disadvantage without her swords and her crew. However, it was promising that the crew was unknown to her. That meant they weren't powerful enough to register on her radar.
More importantly, Rosie didn't recall a pirate group attacking Foosha Village in canon. Unless it just simply wasn't mention which seemed unlikely. Was her presence effecting canon?
"You should get to safety Makino."
"What about the two of you?" The woman fretted.
"We'll be fine. I do this kinda thing all the time." Rosie smiled, getting to her feet and cracking her neck. "Let's go Luffy."
Fighting with the boy would be a hit or miss. This was before the series started, but he'd been trained by Garp for years. It was just be a matter of their fighting styles clashing. Rosie would also have to keep in mind this the Luffy currently by her side wasn't the Luffy from the point she was in the series. He was so weak compared to what he would become.
"Get all the money and jewels you can find boys!" Someone bellowed with a hearty laugh. Walking out of the bar, the pair were greeted with the sight of about twenty or so pirates. The captain had to be the gaudily dressed blonde in the middle.
His attention turned to them and he leered. "Looks like I've found my prize."
Gross.
"Leave this island." Rosie commanded, keeping her hands behind her back as the rubies began to form.
The man laughed. "I like them feisty."
"I like it when they put up a fight."
Rosie clenched her jaw.
"You're pretty lame for a pirate." Luffy commented flatly, tilting his head to the side. The captain sneered.
"You have five seconds to take your men and get out of here." Rosie warned.
"Or what?"
"5."
"How cute, she's counting down."
"4."
"What are you going to do?"
"3."
"Smother me to death in those tits?"
"2."
"That's a death I wouldn't mind."
"1."
"Time's up." Rosie moved in the next moment, the captain still laughing as she came up on him, black coating her arm as her fist made contact with his face. He flew down the road before harshly hitting the ground.
The laughing abruptly stopped and his crew stood in shock for a few moments.
"You're so cool Rosie!" Luffy cheered, breaking the crew out of their stupor. They were upon her in the next moment.
They were no match for her. She had trained with two of the most powerful people in the world, in comparison, the crew was like swatting flies. The butterfly swords she crafted with the help of her Devil Fruit were overkill.
The fight was over before it actually began.
"I didn't even get to fight." Luffy pouted as they rounded up the last of the pirates, putting them in a large pile. With them all in one place, Rosie squatted and placed her hands on the ground. Red began to spread across the ground and up into the air, creating an intricate prison for the pirates.
Luffy looked back and forth from the ruby to Rosie before the lightbulb went off.
"Rosie! You ate a Devil Fruit?!"
"The Rouge-Rouge fruit." She answered, standing and brushing the dirt from her hands.
"Me too! I ate the Gum-Gum fruit! I'm a rubber man, see!" He demonstrated by hooking a finger in his mouth and pulling it out unnaturally far. That was much stranger in real life.
Rosie and Luffy had just sat back down to finish their meal when the same citizen from before burst through the door.
"Pirates!" He shouted while trying to catch his breath.
"Again?" Makino despaired.
"Yippee!" Luffy cheered.
Rosie merely grinned. Her observation haki already gave her an inkling of just who was approaching.
"A skull and bones jolly roger with a rose instead of one of the bones!"
"How far?" Rosie questioned easily, taking another bite of food.
"They're probably docked by now!"
The redhead took the last bite of food and exhaled. "Thank you again for the food Makino, and this dress."
"Anytime Rosie, but where-"
The green haired woman was cut off by a tall figure strolling into the bar.
"Rosie." The blonde woman sighed, closing the distance between them in seconds and wrapping her arms around said woman.
"Don't tell me you really thought I'd be taken out by a little thing like going overboard in the middle of a storm."
"Oh shush."
Rosie returned the girls embrace, a content smile on her face as Jocelyn clung to her form.
"Who's this Rosie?" Luffy asked curiously. "Is she a pirate too?"
"This is my first mate, Jocelyn Clark." She introduced, breaking away from the hug but keeping an arm wrapped around the taller girl's waist. "And the ship that's docked is my ship, which means it's time for me to go."
"Aww. But you just got here!" He whined. "Hey! I have an idea! Join my pirate crew!"
Rosie laughed. "Luffy, I have my own pirate crew."
"They can join too! I just have to be captain."
"I don't think that'll work considering I like being captain."
Luffy pouted but he couldn't argue that logic.
"Well it was certainly nice to finally meet you Rosie." Makino smiled.
"You as well Makino."
"Can I see your ship?" Luffy asked eagerly.
"I don't see why not."
The three of them walked out of the bar and Jocelyn shook her head, looking at the pirate crew jailed in the middle of the street. "You always seem to find trouble, don't you?"
"Hey, I gotta keep things interesting."
"Wow! This is your ship?" Luffy exclaimed in amazement.
"She sure is, her name is Gentle Scarlet." The sight of her ship, virtually unharmed from the storm put Rosie at ease. Gentle Scarlet was her pride and joy, she didn't know what she'd do if she was harmed.
"Rosie!"
"I told you she'd be okay."
"Yeah, it would take more than a little storm to take her out."
"Way to be dramatic!"
"Rosie! I'm so sorry!"
Her entire crew was above deck, all waiting for her. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, but she held them in. They would never let her live it down if she cried.
"We'll see each other again, won't we? We're friends after all." Luffy said.
Friends. Rosie never wanted to become "friends" with a canon character. Something could slip, she could mess something up. However, Luffy was every bit as charismatic in real life as he was on the screen. She could see how he got so many people to fight for him. At the end of the day, that was his greatest power.
"We'll see each other on the seas." Rosie hoped not. "I'm sure of it."
"Yay! I'm gonna be even stronger than you the next time we meet!"
Rosie's heart ached as Foosha Village became merely a dot on the horizon. What if she warned him, she maybe could have spared him some pain, maybe saved lives. Her hand absentmindedly ran across the brand on her shoulder and she shook her head.
No. She couldn't involve herself in canon any more than she already had. She wouldn't. There were people she had to protect and that had to be a priority.
"Come on Rosie, dinners ready. Mira made your favorites...all of your favorites." Jocelyn said and Rosie sighed, turning her back on the village on the horizon.
Her crew, her family, took priority.
A/N: Hey guys! Here's a late christmas present for you all, and if you don't celebrate christmas, here's a gift just because. I hope you all have a happy new year, let me know what you thought. Love you all.