Date started: 16/11/13

Date finished: 16/11/13

Mood: contempt

Today's fave word: element

Notes: Sorry for this chapter being so late, but I've been through a long phase of depression lately and couldn't find the inspiration to start writing this chapter until today. I hope it makes up for my long absence.

Disclaimer: I do not own this anime, or any of it's characters. The only thing I own is my own OC.

There were only two things that Jumi was sure of in the fog that clouded her unconscious mind. One was that she was on a boat, due to the familiar feeling of rocking to and fro, the second was that she was injured. The furious throbbing at the back of her skull was not something easily ignored, however she managed to push the pain away long enough for her to force open her eyes to see who it was that was with her. The sight that greeted her made her blood boil despite how her body protested that she should return to the comforting embrace of sleep.

The bandit that had knocked her out, hurt Luffy and insulted her father, had just kicked Luffy off of the small boat they were on and into the merciless sea that was churning and pushing to drown him. All the while the bandit stood, watched and laughed. Jumi's blue eyes glazed over, and all she could see was red.

"Jumi!" Luffy screamed as he watched the monster devour both the bandit and the boat, thinking that Jumi had also met her doom.

"Luffy?!" A voice replied. A hand placed it's self on his arm to make him aware of the others presence. "Don't worry! We'll be fine, K?"

Luffy's eyes teared up, remembering when Makino had once told him it would be OK when the neighborhood old man had gotten sick the other year. He had died the next day.

"Someone... Help Us!" he screamed, noticing the sea creature approaching them, it's glowing eyes filled with hunger and glee at the sight of it's next meal. The moment the huge jaws closed down at the place where the two children were struggling to stay afloat, a large arm scooped them up and held them close against a warm chest.

Annoyed at having it's dinner snatched from under it's nose (literally), the serpent once again charged, only to stop dead after meeting their savior's eyes.

"Get Lost" a controlled voice growled out it's demand, never once loosing eye contact. The monster quickly submerged it's self and swam quickly away in submission.

Both children raised their heads to stare at their savior once they reached the shore, their eyes bleary with tars streaming down their cheeks while they cried into his already drenched shirt. Their cries echoing in the almost silent twilight.

"Makino told me everything." he whispered to them "Thanks for sticking up for us." The children never halted their cries. "Oi! Stop crying now. Your two aren't babies, right?"

"But.." Luffy started, but was interupted by hes own sniffles.

"Daddy.."

"Your arm..!" They screamed in union, staring in horror at where the man's arm had once been, but was now only a fleshy, bleeding stump.

"It's just an arm. It's a small price to pay for your lives. I'm glad your okay" he whispered comfortingly while clutching them tightly to his torso.

A week later, the crew's doctor had deemed Shanks healthy enough to sail again, and they had already finished restocking the ship for their voyage. The only thing left for them to do was to say good-bye to Luffy and set off.

"Your really not going to come back to this village?" the towns major asked, uncertain of weather to be glad or unhappy. Shanks smiled.

"Yeah, we've been here for too long already. But thanks for everything up til now" he explained before turning to look at his daughter who was clinging to Luffy, muttering good-byes and promises of meeting in the future.

"It's Ok if you go Shanks. I don't want you to take me along with you any more" Luffy declared, making Jumi raise her head from his neck in disbelief. "I'll become a pirate with my own strength!"

Shanks stuck out his tongue out teasingly at the boy.

"I wouldn't take you along with me even if your begged anyway" he joked, a grin on his face. "You don't have what it takes to be a pirate"

"Yes I do! And one day I'll find a crew that won't even lose to you, and find the greatest treasure known to man! I will become the Pirate King!" he vowed in a rage. Jumi stared wide eyed at the boy, a tingling feeling passing through her body, because at that moment, she knew it was true.

"So you want to surpass us" Shanks summarized, a fatherly smile on his face as he looked at Luffy. He reached up, plucking his straw-hat from his head and placing it ceremoniously on the boys small head. "So... I'll leave this with you then. It's my precious hat." Jumi watched with wide eyes as the item was handed over to the boy, not believing that her father would give up his most treasured item.

Watching the girl out of the corner of his eye he bent even lower to whisper in Luffy's ear.

"I also leave with you Jumi. Since she can't ever leave your side, you must take responsibility for her, you hear?" He winked at the boy cheekily and kissed leaned to his left to kiss his daughters fore head, before standing up right and turning from the child. "Give my hat back to me someday, when you've become a great pirate"

Jumi took a step towards him, heading towards the ship, until she was picked up by a pair of large hands and carried in the opposite direction.

"Hey! What's the big idea!" she demanded, slamming her palms onto the person's back.

"Sorry kid, Captain's orders" Ben's voice replied as she was tied tightly to a post not far from the docks, then he too ran back to board the ship just in time for it to set sail. Leaving her behind while she screamed and cursed at her father for abandoning her. Vowing that the next time she met him she'd make sure that he'd never be able to sail again.

And that is the end of the chapter, but since you are good readers and have waited this long, a small little tribute to ask your forgiveness. it's not much, but please forgive me!

As Luffy continued to swing his arms wildly, in hopes of staying afloat back when he had been flung into the ocean, he did not witness the brutal murder of the bandit stood on the boat merely two feet from where he thrashed about. Even to this day he still believes that the sea monster that attacked had killed him as he chewed, the thought never occurred to him that the bandit was already dead by the time he entered the beasts jaws. And Jumi made no move to correct him.