Author's Note: Getting back on track here. Going to answer a few points and get on with the show.

chimera629: There's nothing unreasonable about a marine hating pirates and corrupt politicians. His long career has shown him the dark side of piracy. Remember, Shanks and canon Luffy are EXCEPTIONS behavior wise. There are more like Teach and Kuro than there are the nice guys. Widespread mayhem, murder, rape, and theft is how many pirates behave in both this story and in canon.

BusterCall123: Responded in PM.

Xerzo LotCN: We shall see...

Nightrelm415 and iitrnr: Thanks for the continued support.

And the guest reviewer: We are getting towards the end of the "prestory" arc.

Chapter Thirteen: Brotherhood Divided, A Decision Is Made!

Foosha Village – 9 Years Ago

It is in the predawn hours two days later that a small craft stealthily lands on the beach opposite Goa Kingdom. The ship's passengers are an odd duo: a man in a green cloak, and a massive figure clutching a book similarly shrouded. They creep through the jungle towards the village and are surprised by what they find or what they don't. The town is devoid of soldiers. Dragon closes his eyes and lets his senses spread through the town, looking for any hostile intent that may indicate an ambush. Finding nothing but sleeping villagers and one lone figure exuding impatience, the duo make their way into the village.

They reach the converted bunk house to find Monkey D. Garp sitting on a chair on the porch, his steady gaze never leaving his son. "You're late." Dragon grimaces. "We hit a bit of trouble. Marine patrols are up for some reason." He glares at his father, "You could have warned me." Garp grins and laughs, "Bwahahaha! I could have but then I couldn't see your face now." He wipes an amused tear from his eye before clearing his throat. "So, there was an incident involving a Celestial Dragon." His son's face instantly serious, "Luffy?"

The admiral shakes his head, "Sabo. The bastard blew up the boy's ship. Seems he just had to get away from the island, though they wouldn't tell me why." Dragon feels a momentary twinge of guilt, "Did he survive? Were any of the others with him?" Garp indicates the negative, "He's alive, but needs to recover. He can't stay on the island, and the boys mentioned he wanted to go with you. The rest of the kids were with me on the beach. They saw him get blown up. If it wasn't for a damn fine marine not putting up with children being killed, we'd have lost the boy." He looks his son in the eye, "I don't ask you for much, Dragon, but take him with you."

Dragon straightens his back and prepares his objections, "But he's just a child. He has no business-" Garp interrupts him with a sharp glare, "IF he stays here, he will die. Maybe not soon, but it will happen. Probably doing something else damn foolish to leave on his own." With a long sigh, the revolutionary leader nods. "Fine but if I am going to be stuck as a nursemaid, I will take the others with me too. If a noble's son isn't safe, the rest definitely are not."

Garp's face turns to a scowl, "Absolutely not. Makino needs to stay here for her mother, and I have not given up on the idea of Ace and Luffy joining the Marines." Dragon remains unmoved, "Those are my terms, Dad." The admiral glowers, "On one condition. Ask them. If they don't want to go, they stay. If they want to go, you can take them. Agreed?" With a nod, Dragon says, "Agreed."

Stretching, Garp motions to the bunk house. "Get inside and get some rest. The less people know about the Revolutionary Dragon and Warlord Kuma being here, the better. I already confined my men to the ship. The woman in there is the marine that saved Sabo. I haven't hammered out her transfer yet, so for now she has to stay here." With that, they all enter the building, the dawn still hours away.

The children woke slowly as the day marched on. Garp, Dragon, Kuma, and Bellemere are sitting in the corner quietly discussing the future of the children. Ace stirs first as the words begin to get heated. "And I said you will wait for them to make the decision, boy. I know you two are anxious to get out of here. Hell, I'm anxious for you to leave but it's their call. You agreed to that much."

Slipping from his bed, Ace creeps over to where Luffy and Makino are asleep, his arms wrapped protectively around her. "Must. Resist. Urge. To. Tease." Ace trembles with the effort his silence costs him. He gently nudges Luffy's shoulder and dodges back. He's not a stranger to the boy's odd waking habits and he watches as the boy sits upright and tosses his arms to the side in a stretch. The first time Ace woke him, he ended up getting punched in the face. Not a situation that he cares to repeat. Ace points to the still sleeping Makino, and motions for Luffy to wake her. Ace didn't know much (or anything) about relationships and girls, but it seemed wise for his new brother to take charge (and blame) when it comes it waking the green haired girl. She mutters sleepily as she rubs her eyes. "Mm.. wha?" She sits up, acknowledging the boys. It's been enough days that she's begun to get over her tense embarrassment at being in the same bed as Luffy. She still vehemently denies any relationship, but the days of pushing him off the bed in a panic are over.

The elder boy chimes in quietly, "The adults are yelling at each other about something and I think it has to do with us. We should find out what." The younger two look at each other just as a voice calls, "I think so too. C'mon over." They look to see Garp waving at them. "We need to talk about Sabo and you three"

Perking up at the mention of the still unconscious boy, Ace walks swiftly, but warily. "What about?"

Scratching his chin, the admiral responds, "Dragon is taking Sabo with him, since the island isn't safe for him. Even if it was, he'd probably do a damn fool thing and go back out to sea. Dragon thinks that the three of you should go with him as well. I disagree, saying it is your choice." Dragon nods and regards the three children, watching for their reaction. He was somewhat surprised by what he found.

Utter rejection.

Makino looks at Dragon as if he was mad. "Uh… Mr. Dragon, I have to say no. I need to stay here for when Mama comes home." Luffy nods and chimes in, "And I'm not leaving her behind." The traitorous blush begins to flow into Makino's face and she looks out a suddenly fascinating window. Ace snickers and looks at the revolutionary, "Yeah, gotta say no." He looks with a slightly pained expression at Sabo's body. "He and I were going to sail out separately anyway. He's just doing it a bit sooner. Besides, someone has to look after this knucklehead." He tousles Luffy's hair, to the younger boy's dismay.

With a firm nod, Dragon stands up and gestures to Kuma. "The boy is stable now, so let's get him back to the base where he can recover. We've already been here longer than I would like." The quiet man stands and walks over to the small bed holding Sabo. He regards the child briefly before making the tactical choice of carrying him bed and all. "I hope we meet again, Monkey D. Luffy," he says, the first words the children have heard him speak.

Ace walks over and gives Sabo's hand a squeeze before taking a step back. "Be safe, brother." Luffy and Makino put a hand on Ace's shoulder in comfort and solidarity as the revolutionaries depart with their friend.

Luffy looks at Makino, then his eyes widen. "I FORGOT!" He then runs from the bunk house to track down his father. Catching up to them somewhat quickly, the excitable boy begins to babble at his father, "I forgot I had a thing to tell you!" Dragon arches his eyebrow in curiosity and gestures to Kuma to go ahead with Sabo. He turns to his son and crouches in front of him. "Alright, son. You have my attention."

With a grin full of joy, Luffy says, "Shanks said that someone survived the island!" Dragon's eyes widen and he grabs the boy by the shoulders. "Did he have a name or just 'someone'?" Wiggling from his father's grasp, Luffy dusts himself off. "Nico Robin. She's a little older than me. Apparently the government is hunting her. Shanks asked me to find her, so you need to help until I can sail on my own." He demands imperiously.

Dragon sits back on his haunches, "Olivia had a kid? Huh. Well, she's not family, but Lara and Olivia got along when they were kids." He stands, "And if the government wants her, then I want to keep her from them. Thanks for the intel, Luffy." With a wave, he follows Kuma. Looking back, he sees Luffy grin and walk back to the bunk house.

Garp turns to Bellemere, "I got word from Sengoku. Your transfer has been approved and was dated last week. Officially, you were on your way here to meet me for your new assignment." He extends a hand, "Welcome to my ship, Lieutenant."

Her eyes wide with incredulity, she takes his hand and shakes it. "From sailor to officer? Don't mess this up, Belle." "Thank you, sir." She takes a step back and gives the admiral a crisp salute. "I will gather my things and report to the ship."

Garp dismisses the woman with a nod and turns to the children, only to see Ace has already left and the other two are talking to Bellemere.

Luffy looks at the woman solemnly, their eyes locked. It appears to the woman that the boy is searching for the right words, so she waits patiently. He finally clears his throat and extends his own hand, "Thank you, Lieutenant Bellemere for saving my brother, and for giving me hope that there are still some marines out there that believe in actual justice. For not being like them."

She smiles and takes a knee, hugging the child instead of shaking his hand. "Anytime, Luffy. Don't let the corruption drive you down a dark path. You can fight it without losing your way, it's just harder." She stands and ruffles his hair. "You're a brave little boy, I think you could do it." Bellemere gathers her belongings and pauses by the door, nodding at her superior before departing.

Luffy stares at the door and mulls over her words, until finally he turns to his grandfather. "Gramps… That is what I want to do. I want to fight corruption, whether it is the bad pirates," he states, not noticing the twitch in his grandfather's eye at the differentiation of pirate types. "Or bad marines. I don't want people to hurt like we did. Would I be allowed to do that as a marine, or would I have to follow the corrupt orders and lose my way? If I do, then I might as well be a pirate and work around the rules to save the people. If I can follow what is truly right, then I will become a marine."

He looks up to see Garp's eyes grow a bit damp. "If I have anything to say about it, Luffy, you will get to do just that. I need to pull some fairly heavy strings, but we'll see." He looks at Makino, whose eyes are locked on Luffy's face, and whose emotions are warring openly on her own. "What about you, girl? I hear you are a good shot, and the two of you make a good team." She blinks, looking at Garp. "Me? I… I don't know. I'd have to talk to my mama about it." A pained look crosses her face. "Did… have you heard anything? Can we call them?"

Garp sighs, "We haven't, and unfortunately we can't. I don't have their Den Den Mushi number." He shrugs helplessly.

The raven haired boy's head pops up, "I do. It's… uh… um… hold on." He gets up and runs out of the bunk house towards the bar. Garp follows with interest as Makino runs after him. By the time the Admiral reaches the bar himself, he feels the impact as Luffy slams into him, his hand clutching a slip of paper. "I can't show it to you. I promised. But I can dial it." He looks up hopefully at his grandfather.

With a dissatisfied grunt, Garp agrees, "Fine. Wait here. I'll go get the snail from my ship." Luffy holds up a finger, "Noooooope. Gotta use the one in the bar. Promised that too." The admiral snaps his fingers. "So close. That blasted Red Hair thought of everything, didn't he?" "Fine. Lead on, and dial. Am I allowed to talk, or did you promise that too?" He asks grumpily.

Luffy beams his trademark grin, "Nah, you can talk." He scratches his chin. "I think. I'll ask!" He bolts back into the bar, almost spinning Makino as he runs by, and punches the number into the Den Den Mushi.

Drum Kingdom – 9 Years Ago

It has been days since Red Haired Shanks, notorious pirate emperor, got any sleep. His constant vigil by Annabelle's side has taken the entirety of his attention. He barely noticed the sound coming from beneath his cloak.

Purupurupurupuru. Purupurupurupuru-CLICK.

His voice rough with exhaustion and overuse, he answers, "Yeah? Who is this and how do you have this number?"

A chipper young voice emerges from his snail, "Shishishi.. It's Luffy, Shanks! We got tired of waiting for a call about Mama Anna." The voice turns serious, "How is she? Is… is she going to be okay?"

The Yonkou takes a deep breath, "The doctors managed to stabilize her. It's too soon to tell how long it will take her to recover." He pauses, "Is Makino there?"

A girl's voice pipes up, "Yes."

With a sigh, he continues, "Good. You have a right to know this, and I didn't want to go over it more than once. The bastard's knife hit her lung. That's the biggest cause of worry, but the docs here are brilliant. They say she should recover, but the likelihood of her slaving over a hot stove and slinging sake ever again is slim. The good news is, she will be able to do every day chores and such just fine. She won't be an invalid, but the stress might be too much. Part of the problem is her eye." He grimaces, "They couldn't save it."

Shanks hears a teary gasp over the phone, but is surprised when she begins to speak, albeit unsteadily. "W..Well… Then that's how it will be. We'll find someone to do that for her, and she can be the caretaker and owner."

Pride bursts from the pirate, "You're an amazing little girl, Makino. She would be proud." His praise is cut short by a gruff voice.

The snail scowls, "You mentioned good news. What is the bad?"

Shanks sighs, "Good morning, Garp. Yes, the bad news is she hasn't woken up yet. The longer she stays asleep, the more dangerous it gets. The doctors aren't too worried just yet. She IS healing. It's just something to keep an eye on."

The snail glares an approximation of the admiral's fierce glare. "When she wakes up, if there is ANY change in her condition, ANYTHING, you will call."

Nodding tiredly, the pirate agrees, "Of course. For now, I have to go. It's good to hear from you, Makino. Luffy."

The snail on Garp's end suddenly sticks out its tongue and one eye widens. "Garp."

CLICK.

Garp glares at the snail before looking at the two children. Makino is numbly sitting down while Luffy has his arm draped comfortingly around her shoulders. Suddenly she spins and starts to cry into his chest. Days of worst case scenarios and fear of the unknown released in a cathartic burst of emotion. The boy pats her gently on the back and looks at his grandfather. The wordless demand to calm down and not make things worse rings clear as a bell between the two. The admiral grunts and starts to walk from the bar. "I'm going to make a few calls. I'm not about to let promising future marines slip through my fingers." With that, he departs in the direction of his ship.

Marineford: Sengoku's Office

Marine Headquarters is somewhat quiet for the first time in almost a week. There was a mild panic at reports of Red Haired Shanks in the first half of the Grand Line, but it was later dismissed as hearsay. Sengoku leans back in his chair and places a hand over his eyes. "It's just one thing after another, Garp. Calling the search off Shanks, getting that crew transfer 'misfiled' and 'found' to save that marine… What's next?"

Purupurupurupuru.

Sengoku eyes the snail incredulously. "No…"

Purupurupurupuru.

His hand almost trembles as he reaches for the receiver. "Don't tell me…"

Purupurupurupuru – CLICK

Clearing his throat, he brings the handset to his mouth. "Sengoku."

The snail curls its mouth into a gigantic grin. "Bwahahaha!" "Garp…" "I have news for you, old friend. Some good, some bad, some… questionable. We're going to have to move fast on it."

The fleet admiral groans into his desk. "What did you do now, Garp? You've cashed in favors you haven't earned yet already. What is it now?"

The snail nearly rolls in laughter, "I didn't do it this time, Sengoku! Well… Most of it. Some of it. Not important. Anyway, my grandson said he had interest in being a marine. His little girlfriend might too."

With a relieved sigh, Sengoku relaxes in his chair. "Well. Looks like persistence paid off."

The snail nods, "Of course! That and my new Lieutenant. She impressed him. Which brings me to his conditions." The snail grimaces in a fashion that somehow seems proud. "He wants to be allowed to go after corrupt officials, marines, citizens, nobles, and of course, pirates."

Sengoku frowns, "I'm not sure that would be possible. Some of that, sure. Comes with the job already, but the nobility… I know the Dragons wouldn't go for it or abide it. They'd have our heads if we even considered them."

The snail shakes its head. "I mean the minor nobility. Like their friend's dad."

With a thoughtful expression, he looks at the snail, "That has possibility. It will take some doing, and probably create a new department." He scratches his chin. "A new department directly under the Fleet Admiral. Not in the chain of command so it won't have to respect it. Not going to be a popular idea, but I might be able to force it down enough throats. After all, the Cipher Pol teams are outside too, so there is precedent. Though I don't see how your grandson would be an asset. Granted, he could be trained, but they could claim your name got him the job. You know something. What?"

The snail turns utterly serious. "I don't know how he got it. I don't know where it came from. Somehow, Luffy ate the Shihou Shihou no Mi."

"WHAT?!" Sengoku knocks over his chair as he looms over the snail. "How?! That was last reported in Cipher Pol's filthy clutches."

The snail shrugs as well as a snail can, "I don't know. The important thing is, he has it, and can use it. It isn't Awakened and it isn't trained, but he has a serious knack for it. If we can push this concept and get Luffy into the Marines where he belongs, that fruit will be on OUR side. Not Cipher Pol's. That's huge, Sengoku. We could finally get some answers."

The fleet admiral nods, scratching his chin. "I'll see what I can do. The idea of an Inspector Corps has been one I had mulled around for a while… Ever since you told me about Lara. It's only fitting that the first Inspector be her son. I'll give it a tentative green light, but I have to get it past the Five. Shouldn't be too hard to do. Although I might have to promote their precious Sakazuki to Vice-Admiral. Get back to Headquarters. I need you here to help push this through. If Garp the Hero backs it, it will gain strength."

Sengoku promptly hangs up and gets to work. "Maybe we can bring an end to this Pirate Era with a revitalization of the Marines."