Chapter 7
It was truly a gorgeous day in the past, Delta thought happily. As he laid back on the roof of Party's Bar, up and away from all the commotion of everyday life, he looked around and watched the clouds gently float through the air without a care in the world. The sun shone bright, breathing its light to the jubilantly green grasses and trees and bushes. It was calm. It was peaceful. It made him think.
He mainly thought about two things. The first came from the way in which the first sentence was phrased. 'It was truly a gorgeous day in the past'. As time moved on and Delta grew older, it was slowly becoming harder and harder to keep referring to the world he resided in as 'the past'. Each passing day brought Delta further and further from his time as the Pirate King on the Thousand Sunny, sailing with the crew he had grown to know and love, and each passing day made Delta believe more and more that there was no chance he could ever go back to that.
It was a sad thought, but it helped Delta to move forward mentally and realize that he wasn't trapped in the past, but simply enjoying a new chapter in his already odd life. Every person he'd ever known before his unexpected trip had no idea who he was. They weren't the same people, either. They were all seventeen years younger and naive and held completely separate identities in comparison to the people he had once known.
Well, really they'd be fifteen years younger now, considering I've been in the past for about two years. But I'm also two years older, so I think that evens it out. Maybe? Delta sighed. Figuring out time travel time was hard.
The second thing Delta thought about on the roof of Party's Bar was much less philosophical and sobering, but of equal importance to Delta. He felt that it was quite simply too peaceful in Foosha Village, and he had no idea why. In the very back of his brain, there was some nagging feeling that something was supposed to happen today, but for the life of him Delta couldn't remember. It was infuriating.
"Get down from there, you little brat!" Garp ordered from the ground. "You have five seconds or I'm coming up there!"
Delta's eyes widened. His mouth curled into a slight sneer. He breathed deeply. He really wasn't surprised that he had chosen to forget this.
"Five!" Garp bellowed, "Four! Three!"
Delta sat up and slowly crawled over to the edge of the roof, reaching his head slightly over the shingles in order to properly take a look at his grandpa, just as the old man was about to yell the one of his five second time limit.
As soon as Garp laid eyes on Delta's annoyed face, his face turned to match that of the Pirate King. "Oh, it's you." He grumbled.
"Who were you expecting, a physician?"
Garp seemed ready to yell something snide back, but then his face morphed into that of confusion. "I don't get that one."
Delta sighed. "You know, because physicians inject botox? Which you need. Because you're old and your face in gross. ...Get it?"
Garp was silent for a moment. "Honestly, I expected better from you, Lucy."
Delta rolled his eyes. "Sorry for disappointing, but I wasn't expecting you so I had to think of something off the top of my head."
"You didn't know I was coming?"
"I think my subconscious purposely erased the memory because you suck so much," Delta explained, "I didn't want to think about you being near me."
Garp snorted. "That was a better insult than the physician thing, brat."
"I hate you." Delta whispered. Then he sighed and asked, "So what is it you wanted before we started this fascinating conversation?"
"I wasn't looking for you, brat. I thought I sensed Luffy up there." Garp explained, folding his arms over his chest.
"Well as you can see, I am not Luffy so I'm just gonna' go back to where I was and rest, alright?"
"No, it is not alright!" Garp barked. "You are going to tell me where Luffy is!"
Delta frowned. "No."
"Yes, you are!"
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are"
"No, I'm not."
"Why won't you tell me where to find Luffy?" Garp practically growled.
Delta smiled innocently. "Cause' it's you. Duh." A vein bulged in the old man's forehead, and his teeth grit together to show obvious spite. "What do you need Luffy for, anyway?" Delta asked curiously, "And don't say any of that 'I want to see my grandson because I love him' crap. I already know it's a lie."
"If you must know," Garp ground out, "I need to speak to Luffy about his new living arrangements for the foreseeable future."
Delta stopped dead. He really didn't remember this event happening so soon after Shanks' departure, but it may have once again just been due to the foggy memories surrounding his early youth.
"Oh, right. Okay." Delta said with shocking politeness. Garp almost reeled back in surprise. Delta jumped off the roof, landing next to his grandfather. "I'll take you to him. He's off in the forest training."
"...to be Pirate King?" Garp guessed darkly.
"Hey, we've already been over this," Delta pointed out as he began leading Garp into the forest, "It's not my fault that that's his dream. You know Luffy's too stubborn to listen to reason." Which really was true, not that Delta had ever even thought of trying to change Luffy's dreams.
"Yes, I remember." Garp answered, still sounding suspicious. Rightly so.
They walked the rest of the way in awkward silence. They probably looked pretty strange, too. A huge man wearing a vice admiral's white marine uniform standing beside a scrawny guy in an unbuttoned cardigan, black pants, and a expensive looking black coat. One was the very epitome of marine-hood while the other's look just screamed, 'Hey! I'm a pirate! Come and get me!'
But neither attacked one another on their way to Luffy. Not once. And it wasn't because they didn't want to- they did. No, it was for one very simple reason that neither swung a wild fist toward one another.
Makino could be very spooky when she wanted to be.
"Oi, Lu!" Delta shouted, curving his hands around his mouth in order to emulate some kind of acoustic megaphone. "Your stupid grandpa is here and he has something very important to talk to you about!"
Turning slightly, Delta noticed that Garp was still watching him in befuddled annoyance, probably thinking about Delta's newfound helpfulness and trying unsuccessfully to understand it.
Delta tried not to vomit at the idea that he was in fact helping Garp, even if it was for the ulterior motive of seeing Ace sooner.
Only moments after Delta called out to Luffy, said boy bounded out of the forest with a huge grin on his face even though he was covered in sweat and grime.
"Hey, Gramps!" Luffy greeted cheerfully, going in for a hug. The act was painfully stopped when Garp's fist connected with Luffy's head, knocking the rubber boy backwards.
"This suit is white." The old man stated plainly, gesturing to his clothing with his hands. Luffy began to sit up, a hand placed over his bruising forehead. "White, Luffy. And you are mucky and disgusting. Those do not mix. Do you understand me, brat?"
"Yes sir!" Luffy boomed with a mocking salute. Delta grinned at his sort of protege. Luffy smiled back.
"Anyways," Garp growled, eager to bring Luffy's attention back to him. "Luffy, I have something very important to tell you."
"You're becoming a pirate." Luffy said, nodding slowly.
"What? No!"
"You're getting divorced." Luffy tried again.
"I'm not married!"
"You're getting married. To Delta!"
"No!" Both Garp and Delta shouted simultaneously. Garp wiped his face, exhaling loudly. "Stop guessing, brat."
Luffy went to say something in response, but was cut off by Garp, who put his broad hand over the boy's mouth.
"Li- licking my hand i- isn't going to make me l- let go…" Garp claimed, but his cringing face told a different story. It took all of two seconds more before Garp yelled in disgust and removed his now slobbery hand from Luffy's face. Garp went to wipe off the saliva on his suit, but then realized that he liked the suit and decided against it. The problem was that they were in a forest, which was severely lacking in towels.
Delta watched in fascination as Garp, unable to remove the saliva using any common methods, began flapping his arm up and down rapidly, getting so fast that Luffy was thrown back by the gust of wind the arm had created.
"Well now, wasn't that something?" Delta said smoothly.
"Shut up, Lucy."
"You know, I think we might be getting a little off track here." Delta mused. Moments later, he was forced to dodge an incoming blow from Garp. "Okay, you have got to calm down, old man."
"Luffy won't listen!" Garp barked.
Delta turned to Luffy. "Luffy! Listen to Garp!"
Luffy laughed. "Okay."
Delta turned back to Garp. "Go ahead."
Muttering incomprehensibly (though Delta could just feel that the old man was insulting him), Garp looked at Luffy. "You're moving." He said simply.
"...Wuh?"
"Moving," Garp repeated, "M-O-V-I-N-G. Leaving somewhere to go live somewhere else. Getting a new home. Moving."
Luffy thought for a moment. "So I'm not gonna' live with Makino and Delta anymore?"
"Nope."
"But why?" Luffy whined, elongating the 'why' for emphasis.
"There's another boy who I have to take care of and I'm tired of having to go to two different places to see you two," Garp grunted, "It would be much less time consuming for me if you both just lived in the same place."
"But why can't this other kid just live with us?"
"His home is safer and more secluded."
"I don't wanna'!"
"And I don't care!"
"I don't wanna' move away from Delta!"
Garp seemed pleased saying this. "I'm sure you will survive without Delta always around you. It might even be for the-"
"Don't worry Lu." Delta said, cutting off the old man, "I'll be moving with you."
"You most certainly will not!" Garp shouted as Luffy cheered.
"Yes, I will."
"You don't even know where I'm moving Luffy to!"
Delta raised an eyebrow. "He's going to the mountain bandits over there," He pointed in the direction of his old home. "It's where Portgas D. Ace, the other boy, lives."
"How can you possibly know that?" Garp growled.
"I followed you to the house a little while ago." Delta lied, "It's not difficult to sneak behind a hard of hearing old man like you."
"Go Delta!" Luffy shouted.
Delta smiled at the boy. "And don't worry, Lu. The house isn't too far away from Foosha. You'll still be able to see Makino and everyone else as much as you want."
Luffy smiled. "Cool! So where is this house, huh?"
"Follow me, I'll show you."
"What are you doing?" Garp growled, surprising Delta. He had almost forgotten the old man was there.
"Taking Luffy to his new home? Isn't that what you wanted to happen?"
"I didn't want you to do it for me." He answered, spitting out the word you like it left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Well, sorry about that." After a moment, Delta turned back to Luffy. "Come on then, Lu."
"Stop!"
Delta sighed. "What is it this time?"
"Luffy isn't packed yet."
Delta paused. "Good point," Delta said, nodding. "Give me three minutes and I'll be back. Shave!" Faster than a bullet, Delta soared through the forest, deftly dodging the incoming trees with practiced ease. Invisible to the untrained human eye (which was everyone currently in Foosha) he exited the forest and moved through the streets of the town, finally pausing outside the bar.
He ran inside, passing Makino with a very fast, "Hello! Garp's here and Luffy and I are moving!" Not waiting for a response, Delta rushed into Luffy's room, quickly stuffing the very small number of possessions the boy owned into a small pack. Just as quickly, Delta sprinted out of the room and only had seconds to stop or he would have run into Makino, who blocked his way. Luckily, Luffy was very skilled and stopped with space to spare.
"Hey, Makino," Delta greeted hurriedly, "Look, I said three minutes and I don't want Garp to call me out on-"
"You're moving with Luffy?" Makino cut him off curtly.
"Well of course I am. I can't just leave that idiot by himself. He needs me. I'm not sure he could function without- oof!"
Delta was cut off again as Makino rushed forward and threw her arms around him, squeezing a little too tightly. Luffy awkwardly patted her on the back. "You okay there?" Delta gasped.
Blushing, Makino pulled back a little. "Sorry, I just wasn't thinking about you leaving so I didn't think to say goodbye. I've been spending time around Luffy all this week to get in some last memories, but..."
Delta smiled. "We're not going to be far, you know. Luffy and I'll still spend plenty of time around this place."
Makino smiled too, sniffling slightly. "I know that, but you know as well as I do that it won't be the same. I won't be waking up anymore to Luffy yelling in pain after trying to attack you in your sleep, or being forced to fix my windows after Garp throws you through it, or have to spend an hour getting Luffy in bed at night, or anything else I've gotten used to with the both of you around."
"All that sounds like we were just nuisances to you." Delta commented confusedly.
Makino laughed, and then the waterworks started. She hugged Delta again. "You were," She sniffed, "But you were the best nuisances I could've ever asked for."
When she finally calmed down enough to let go of the hug and not start crying, Delta spoke. "I promise that I will never stop being a nuisance to you," Delta swore seriously, "I promise that I will continue to break your windows and fight with Luffy at ungodly house. And Monkey D. Delta never breaks a promise."
Makino smiled, "Goodbye, Delta."
"See you soon."
"I'm sorry that I made you lose that three minute thing."
Delta frowned. "Three minute… oh!" He laughed. "This was definitely worth the loss."
With one last grin towards the green haired bartender, Delta sprinted through the building and shaved through the town and forest. But when he returned to the spot where he had left Garp and Luffy, they were nowhere to be found.
"Garp!" Delta shouted angrily. Not wasting another second, he shaved towards his old mountain bandit infested home.
By the time he arrived, Garp and Luffy were just getting there and Garp seemed to be in the middle of an argument with Dadan about Luffy's possible residence.
Bursting through the forest Delta roared, "How dare you, Garp?" pointing an accusing finger at the old man.
The conversation between the old man and Dadan paused, and Garp turned around with a slightly annoyed expression. "You took longer than three minutes."
"I know that, but I also know how long it takes to get here and the timing does not make sense! You should not be here yet! I'm on to you!"
"Fine. I left the moment you ran away. Happy?"
"No!"
"Who's the kid?" Dadan asked, staring at Delta.
"Just some brat named Delta. And yes, he'll be living here too." Garp answered.
"Like hell he will!" Dadan yelled angrily.
Walking up to the two, Delta said soothingly, "Don't worry about me, I won't be causing any trouble for you. I can get my own food, and I'll even build a house next to this just for myself if you want. I'm only here for Luffy."
"You may want to take him up on that offer." Garp grumbled, "The brats' obnoxious. He's…" Delta stopped listening. He had turned to go look for Luffy with his eyes, and had succeeded. And right next to Luffy was Portgas D. Ace, staring at the excited Luffy as if he were some nasty dead bug that needed to be scraped off of his shoe.
Delta felt his mouth go dry. He couldn't think, really. It had been so long since he had seen his brother alive (eight years to be exact), and it was one of the strangest experiences of his life. On the one hand, he wanted to go over and squeeze the living daylights out of the boy with a hug, while at the same time he felt like the boy was a stranger who just had a slightly familiar face. It had been seventeen years since Delta had last seen Ace's face as young as it was now, and he had been eight, and Ace had been older than him, and there were countless other factors that made Ace, well, Ace. This boy was a stranger. He didn't know this boy. But at the same time, he did. It was all very tough.
Which was why Delta just stood there, unmoving, staring. And that was why he didn't even think before whispering dumbly, "I would've thought Roger's son would be taller."
A fist collided with the side of Delta's face, sending him sprawling to the ground. "You can't know that!" Garp roared. "I get it, you know more than you should and you're probably some damn pirate, I get that. But you just can't know that!"
Groaning, Delta pulled himself up. And Garp looked intimidating. Delta, the Pirate King, was intimidated by his grandpa in that moment, and he suddenly knew why the old man was known as one of the fiercest marines in history.
To Garp's side, Dadan stood shocked still, staring at him with a new fear that Delta did not like being directed at him. Luckily, no one else seemed to hear Delta's faux pas, but everyone had heard Garp's outburst, which was proven as a horde of mountain bandits came rushing out of the house to see what the commotion was. In front of the crowd, Luffy and even Ace were watching the development interestedly.
Delta slowly got to his feet, facing the seething Garp. "Calm down, I've known for a long time, and I don't plan to do anything with the information. Ever. I mean, I know Luffy's dad too, but have I done anything about it? No."
"This isn't the same!" Garp shouted. "It's not about the information! It's about the fact that you learned this! That means that someone else knows, and that means that just about anyone could know! Do you understand, Lucy? It's not about you! It's about the very concept that you know, and all that you knowing means!"
Delta rubbed his cheek lightly. "If it's not about me, then why did you punch me?"
"I hate you!"
"Ah."
"Delta, what do you know?" Luffy asked excitedly.
Delta shook his head. "Sorry Lu, but it's not my secret to give."
"But why?" He pouted.
"Not now, Lu. Not now." Delta turned back to Garp. "There's no way this information could get out. The person who told me has been dead for a long time, and he took this secret with him." Not totally a lie, Delta thought. Ace was the one who had told him, and the Ace that told him was dead, ergo he was telling the truth. Only, his Ace did not take the secret down with him. It was actually the whole reason his brother had died in the first place.
"Are you sure?" Garp asked in response to Delta's claim, so serious that it gave him chills.
"Certain." Delta answered in an equal tone of finality.
Garp nodded. "If you're lying, I will kill you."
"Wouldn't expect anything less."
"I'm glad we're in agreement." The two nodded simultaneously. Garp turned back to the shocked Dadan. "Luffy will be living here or I will turn all of you in. Do what you want with Lucy, I couldn't care less. Got it?"
Dadan for her part just nodded numbly as the rest of the bandits watched in open mouthed shock.
"Good. I'll be off now, I have to…" Garp's eyes drifted back to Delta, "...see some people about some things."
Delta waved his goodbye. "Have fun with that!"
And Garp was gone. Dadan was still staring at Delta along with the majority of the other mountain bandits. As the commotion began to die down, Ace started to walk off and Luffy followed him.
"Thank you Miss Dadan for allowing Luffy and I into your homes. So if you'll excuse me…" Delta turned away from the house and followed the two children, ignoring Dadan's shouts of "Wait!" and other such things.
He was much too emotionally drained to deal with the mountain bandits at that moment.
