And of course there were the madcap schemes Ace cooked up in order to prank as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time.
For example, when he paid all the kids in Fuchsia village to steal every shoe they could find. He poured orange paint over the pile, and then paid the same kids to return the shoes at random. No one was particularly pleased to find that their shoes had 'mysteriously' turned orange and no longer fit them.
There was the time he put itching powder in the bandits washing. The time he released pigs in the hideout to cause chaos when Dadan said she wanted some pork.
Somewhat suicidally, he snuck on board Garp's ship while his siblings kept the man occupied and added orange dye to their fresh water supply. He didn't do this once, but three times. Locks threatened to electrocute him the third time when he nearly got caught, so he resorted to spraying the vice-admiral himself with the dye.
The dye was mixed in with pepper spray.
He didn't sit down for a week.
oOo
Luffy seemed to be magnetic. It was as if every animal in the forest capable of swallowing him was intent on tracking him down and doing just that.
Garp showing up at random and rattling what brain cells the rubber boy had didn't help matters in the slightest.
This led Locks to ask some very valid questions, such as "Where did you find a giant exploding squirrel?" and "Do you have a death wish?"
Also, "Why do you want to sling shot yourself off a cliff?"
The answers to these questions were "In a cave." "Can I eat that?" and "To fly."
When Locks told Luffy that he couldn't fly, he replied "Why not? You can."
oOo
You know the saying, 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em?
Locks' version was 'if you can't beat sense into them, make sure they don't kill themselves.'
Over the years, she had resigned herself to the fact that there was no escaping the madcap, occasionally life-threatening adventures, especially when Luffy was involved.
oOo
"Tiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmbeeeeeerrrrrrr!"
Without a thought, Locks changed into her half-form, summoned a gust of wind, and flew straight up above the forest canopy. Trees can't fall on you if you're above them after all.
She then went hunting down whichever of her lunatic brothers had decided to play lumberjack, following the sound of maniacal giggles.
oOo
"I'm really sorry, Dadan, I won't do it again, I promise!" Ace said with faux tears in his eyes. "I didn't mean to, really!"
Then he grabbed Locks (who'd been cleaning again) and ran off as fast as he could.
The bandits didn't sleep for a week, trying to figure out whatever it was that the demon children had done.
The answer? Nothing. Ace was just messing with them.
oOo
"What are you doing?" Locks asked, looking ready to bolt at any moment. She didn't want to get implicated in whatever crime Luffy was commiting.
"Playing hospital." Luffy replied with a blank face. He was wrapping his narcoleptic brother in toilet paper.
"Riiiight. I'm going hunting." Locks said, and she slowly backed away from the beatdown Ace would inevitably dish out when he woke up.
