After close to three months, I, Warp Writer, have returned with another chapter of Luffy's Terrifying Mom.
So, I've been thinking of starting another project with Lilia in it.
1. Lilia and her unit are apart of the Revolutionary Army
2. A story where the Demon Unit becomes pirates because Lilia has defected from the Navy after giving birth to Luffy, Dragon's child
3. The World Government discovers Luffy's existence, so Lilia decides to run away in hiding with her son. This would chronicle their adventures with each other and the people around them.
Which would you want to read?
Today's chapter further shows you the kind of woman Lilia is, how Ellie joined the unit, and a glimpse to the past of a certain couple.
Note: 'Piruha''s name is actually 'Leoha'. Sorry.
Chapter 17
Ellie's Story and a Glimpse of The Past
Knowing what fate would befall him if he didn't tell Jillian everything, Tom revealed everything that had happened and everything that was learned since the Demon Unit encountered the Straw Hat Pirates.
"...So you're saying Master Lilia has a son," Leoha asked, trying to see if she understood what Tom was trying to say. "And he's a pirate!"
"And that man behind you is the student you thought had died eight years ago, but actually survived and is now a cyborg," Akina asked in shock. "And now he's on Master Lilia's son's pirate crew?
"Yes, it's all true," Tom confirmed. "Trust me, we were all just as surprised as you girls are."
"B-But how," Leoha stammered. "Master never told us anything about this."
"I don't really know that myself," Tom sighed, before turning to Jillian, who was a few paces away from them, crouched down, and muttering incoherently to herself. "Anybody know what we should do with her?"
"Onee-sama has a son… Lilia-oneesama has baby boy… Onee-sama has a son… a baby… a son… a bundle of joy… a bastard child… a cherished child…"
The four sweat dropped at the sight of seeing the grown woman having such a mental and psychological crisis. Franky was worried what would happen to Luffy if this crazy lady met him.
"Ignore her for now," Leoha said coldly. "Tom-san, where is Master Lilia and the rest now?"
"In this direction, I presume," Tom said, pointing to the shoreline.
"Right!" Jillian bellowed, startling the other four, as she stood back up and slapped her cheeks. "I won't learn anything if I don't move forward. You two, carry Tom and that metal man to where Nee-sama is."
"What?" Leoha gasped. "You want us to carry a hunk of metal and a plus sized fish to the other side of the island?"
"Hey!" Franky growled, insulted.
"I'm normal sized for my species!" Tom insisted.
"Just do it, you both are strong enough," Jillian ordered before leaping into the air.
"This is such a pain," Leoha grumbled.
"Let's just do it, Leoha-senpai," Akina encouraged, radiating a cute kouhai aura. She offered Franky her back, and he awkwardly accepted. To his surprise, the weak looking girl could easily support his weight.
"Fine," Leoha groaned. She offered Tom her back, and he begrudgingly accepted, still looking bitter about the plus sized fish comment. Both girls leaped into the air with moon bounce and carried the large men forward. Out of simple curiosity, Akina asked Franky if, since he's part machine, he had any features to fly with. Franky explained that he did have one feature that could help him cross a great distance in an instant, but it took too much cola and he didn't want to waste it if he didn't need to.
"Cola…?" Akina said, confused.
"So, what's Master's son like," Leoha asked, before Akina could get further a better explanation about what cola had to do with Franky's machine body.
"I didn't get a chance to get to know him," Tom explained. "But it looks like she really loves him. Anyway, Franky would know him better than I do."
"I'm the newest member and I haven't known him that long, but," Franky thought back to when he first met Luffy. He was furious at him and his crew for destroying their hideout and hurting his bros (although, thinking back, it was kinda his fault), but when he saw him go and storm Enies Lobby to save Robin, he knew just how great a guy Luffy really was. If it wasn't for what had happened right before he officially joined, he'd have a perfect image of the guy. "He's a loyal guy. And really incredible. And also crazy."
"Is that so…?" Leoha said, sounding like she wanted to hear more.
"If he's like that, then he sounds a lot like Master," Akina smiled. "A gallant prince? A rebellious rogue? That's what I'm picturing."
"A commanding, no nonsense type is what I'm thinking of," Leoha offered.
"Er… I don't think any of those really fit him," Franky said, rejecting their ideas.
"Oh… then who's the father," Leoha asked.
"That's something you should ask your master," Franky replied without missing a beat. He didn't know how that woman would react if he reveal her secret to her students, but, it would be safest for him if he kept quiet for now. He didn't need to lose another hand. "By the way, why do you call her master anyway?"
"Long story short, we're her students," Leoha answered. "She teaches us her fighting techniques and helps us get stronger. She does that for the othe members to, we get private, special training."
"Must be tough," Franky said sympathetically. He could only imagine the horrors these girls go through with Luffy's mom as a teacher. However, it did explain how the small Akina could lift him, a huge, hulking cyborg.
"I-It certainly isn't easy," Leoha admitted, paling a bit.
"B-But master has helped us grow leaps and bounds," Akina explained, also paling. The trauma the two of them had endured must've been hellish.
"Let's go back to the original question," Jillian ordered, reappearing next to the group, startling them.
"Didn't you go ahead?" Tom asked, trying to keep his heart in his chest.
"Whenever and wherever Nee-sama is involved, I'll be then," Jillian declared passionately. "But no changing the subject, who is the father, Cyborg-kun?"
"You should ask Luffy's mo-"
"I'm asking, you," Jillian hissed, grabbing Franky's hair, yet still maintaining the perfect rhythm to keep on Moon Bouncing without stumbling or getting in Akina's way. "Now tell me, did Nee-sama bear some man's child?"
"Better tell her, Franky," Tom counseled. "You don't want to know how brutal she can be… besides, I really want to know too."
'Does he have a thing for Luffy's mom too? Man, that is sick," Franky thought, repulsed. But now he was in a sticky situation. If he didn't tell this woman, she'd kill him, but if he'd did, Lilia would probably kill him too. He wondered why he had to be in this situation. He barely knew anymore about the situation than them. The world's most wanted man and the navy's fiercest warrior… what was their story?
"Anytime now," Jillian hurried, her eyes practically screaming that she'd kill him if he didn't say anything.
'I can't believe I'm picking that woman's wrath over this lady's," Franky conceded. "Okay, all I know is…"
"This sure was a big moment for you, huh, Robin?" Nami said. It was certainly shocking for all involved to find out that Robin's late mother and her deceased friend were connected to Luffy's grandmother. And if that wasn't big enough news, it turned out that Luffy's grandmother and Robin's mother made them the godmothers of each other's children. That made Robin Lilia's sister and Luffy's aunt. A very weird thought.
"It was," Robin nodded. After the big reveal, Lilia said she needed to take care of some boring business that couldn't wait any longer and that they'd talk more later. Now the Straw Hats were sitting and talking by the Thousand Sunny. "Not just for me, but Franky too."
"Yeah, who would've guessed that three of our members had connections with members of Luffy's mom's crew," Nami said. "And speaking of Franky, how long will he be?"
"He'll get here," Luffy said in a tired voice. "We flew in a straight line, so he'll know what direction to go, but it will probably take awhile."
"You look a little tired," Usopp said. Their captain looked like had lost several pounds and was malnourished. The events they had gone through must've taken a lot out of him. Not that anyone could blame him.
"A bit," he admitted. "Sorry that this all happened you guys. My mom can be very demanding and selfishly forces others to go along with her stuff. We're pretty different sometimes."
Silence
"What?" The other pirates, minus Robin, stared dryly at their captain.
"Nothing…" they groaned.
"Wait three?" Luffy remembered Nami saying something about three of their members having something to do with his mom's group. "What do you mean?"
"Late reaction much," Nami sighed. "Franky to his teacher, Robin to your grandmother, and Chopper to this group's doctor."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, Kureto," Chopper said happily. "He's Doctorine's brother."
"Really? No way," Luffy said, shocked.
"So many members with a connection to each other," Nami started. "Makes me wonder if you had this planned. You didn't, did you? I mean that Tom guy must've been apart of your mom's group for years. She hadn't mentioned anything?"
"Nothing," he denied.
"What about Saul?" Robin asked. She could believe that it was pure coincidence that Chopper and Franky were apart of the crew, but Saul and Luffy were family. His grandmother must've mentioned him to her grandson at least once.
"Grandma did tell us about Uncle Saul and her brother and sister-in-law a few times when we were kids," Luffy explained. "And I knew they were gone, but she never said how they died, nor did she say anything about you… Aunt Robin. I was just as surprised as you when grandma said all of that stuff."
"You're going keep up with calling her aunt?" Usopp asked, as the others eyed Luffy with weird looks.
"Yeah, of course," their captain nodded. "She is my aunt."
"But… it's kind of weird," Zoro admitted.
"I like it," Robin interjected, wrapping her arms around Luffy, her newly discovered nephew. This invoked a reaction from Sanji and Nami. "And no matter how much you all think it's weird, this is the reality. Right, Luffy?"
"Uh…"
"IYYYHH!" Sanji screeched, distressed. "R-Robin-chwan, there isn't a reason to be so affectionate to our crappy captain just because he's your nephew."
"No need to be jealous, Sanji," Robin said, a wicked smile on her face.
"H-He's right, Robin," Nami stuttered. She wasn't sure why, but watching Robin with her arms around Luffy made her feel… envious. "I know you're very happy, but-"
"Sup, kids," Elli popped up out of know where, scaring the pirates. Behind her was Yuki, June, and several marines, uniformed and not uniformed.
"Stop doing that!" Nami snapped. She was going to get a heart attack from all of these surprises.
"Sorry," Ellie giggled. "Just thought it would be nice to have a chat with the captain's son."
"With me?" Luffy said curiously. "Why?"
"Aside from the fact that you're our captain's secret son," she said with a wry smile. "You interest me, if I can be so blunt."
"Interest," Nami said suspiciously.
"It's Ellie-san's hobby to observe people," Yuki explained.
"Observe people?"
"Yuki," Ellie turned to her comrade before lightly punching her shoulder. "You make me sound like a creep when you say it like that."
"I'd never call you a creep, Ellie-san," Yuki said. "But you can ask some pretty sensitive questions. Although, I don't think that's always a bad thing."
"Hmph," Ellie scoffed. "So, anyway, may I call you, Luffy-kun, Captain's kid?"
"Call me whatever you want," Luffy shrugged.
"Um… hi, I'm June," June introduced herself to Luffy, holding out her hand. "It's a pleasure, Luffy-san."
"Nice to meet you," Luffy said, shaking her hand. "Wow, so it is true."
"What is?"
"Yuki-nee told me that mom makes the girls in her crew dress like the guys."
"Yeah, she does. So, Yuki-san told you about me?"
"Nope. No one."
"Really?" June and the others side eyed Yuki, who looked away, feigning innocence. "...Anyway, I'm really honored to meet you, Luffy-san. You're mother has done a lot for me and my sister."
"Hey, I'm Kimi," a young woman wearing a tight blue string tank top and white pants. She looked to be in her early twenties and had crazy big blue hair. "I'm an ensign."
"I am Kalako," A man with perfectly combed dark brown hair and glasses said politely. He wore a standard navy uniform. He had a gentlemanly aura about him. At his waist, was a sword. "An ensign as well."
"I am Yamato Nadeshika," a woman with neck length, black hair and dress in a purple, flower patterned kimono said politely. "I'm a corporal."
"And I'm Krisco," the last marine said. He was man of average height with long, stringy blonde hair. He wore an open, flowery hawaiian jacket, revealing his six pack abs, and white shorts. "While our rankings in the marines hardly matters, I'm a corporal too."
"Oh, uh, hi," Luffy said awkwardly. Honestly, he just wanted to shrug them off like he usually did, but his mom asked him to be respectful to them, he thought he should at least be polite.
"So, you're the Captain's son, Luffy-kun," Kimi said, leaning in closer to Luffy's face. This action was followed by June and the other newly introduced marines. Luffy grew uncomfortable with them being so close.
"What are you morons doing?" Yuki questioned exasperatedly.
"Just trying to get a read on him?" Kimi answered.
"I'd like to get to know the captain's son a bit better," Nadeshika admitted.
"He has the captain's eyes," Kalako noted.
"How strong is he, I wonder," Krisco muttered.
"He has a nice face," June murmured.
"You guys are weird," Luffy said dryly. "Mom keeps some weird guys on her crew."
"Enough!" Yuki snapped. "I order you all to get away from Luffy this instant!"
"Yes, maim," they complied lightly, obeying her order.
"Quite commanding, aren't you," Nami sighed, looking at Yuki. She was getting tired of dealing with this unit. "Shouldn't you be doing some marine work or whatever? And is it really alright to be so casual with pirates?"
"I already finished my paperwork before we returned," Yuki said pompously. "I just came because I wanted to catch up with Luffy. You being a pirate doesn't matter to me in the slightest."
"Oh, and what makes you think you can you can just talk to our captain so casually?" Nami said, stepping in front of Luffy.
"Who are you to tell me who I can or can't speak to?"
"You can speak to whoever you want, but Luffy is a pirate and you're a marine. Just letting you get close to him isn't smart."
"I'm his sister figure! Not to mention, Master ordered us all not to harm him. Nobody here would be foolish enough to disobey her! Least of all me! And while we're on the subject of what shouldn't get close to him, a slutty, shameless woman is certainly one of them!"
"Who're you calling slutty?!"
"Your wanted poster is the visual proof!" Yuki exclaimed. "Why do you even have such a naturally shameful poster?"
"The photographer said he was with the local paper."
…
"Quite the fool, aren't you, Nami-chan?"
"What'd you say?!"
"I always thought those two would have gotten along," Luffy muttered as he and the rest of the "audience" were watching the exchange between the one who was called "The Princess of Hell" and the one called "Cat Burglar".
"Maybe they would have," Usopp muttered back. He and, most likely the vast majority of those watching and listening, completely understood the root cause of this argument. And for some weird reason, he was feeling irritated with his captain in a different way than usual. "If it wasn't for you."
"What do you mean?" Luffy asked, causing Usopp to sigh. Honestly, he was dangerously dense.
"As amusing as watching these two argue is," Robin started, suppressing the giggling fit she was having. "Perhaps we should stop this. If things get physical, I'm afraid our navigator will be snapped in half."
"We didn't need that visual image, Robin!" Usopp yelled.
"But she's right," Ellie nodded, walking in between the two younger girls and knocking them upside the head. "That's enough out of you two."
"Ow!" The both whined, rubbing their fresh bumps.
"Oh, and Luffy -kun."
"Hm?"
"So, why are you a pirate?" She asked bluntly.
"Ellie-san!" Yuki said incredulously.
"What? I'm just curious why a son of a marine, the greatest marine, I might add, would want to be a pirate. And the king of them all for pete's sake. Haven't you ever wondered, Yuki?"
"I want to be free," Luffy revealed, before Yuki could respond. "Freer than anyone else. That's what it means to be a pirate."
The marines didn't respond immediately, nor were the Straw Hats able to say anything. This was the first time Luffy had said something like that to them. While it wasn't all that surprising, it did make them wonder. Freer than anyone else… what did that really mean?
"Oh… well that is an interesting way to put it," Ellie said, slightly thrown off by the deeper meaning behind Luffy's dream. "But it also sounds like an obsession. An obsession born from what, I wonder?"
"Well… I once made a promise with my brother that he and I would become freer than anyone else, but I guess it's a bit more complicated than that…"
"Brother? You mean Captain Lilia has another son?"
"No, Ellie-san, Luffy's brother and Luffy decided to become brothers when they were kids," Yuki explained in Luffy's place. "In other words, they're adoptive brothers. However, Master does see him as another son, although he's kind of stubborn and hot headed and doesn't take kindness too well."
"Yuki-nee! The way you explained it was so normal!" Luffy exclaimed like it was tragic.
"What?"
"I was going to say that we're brothers because we're brothers, leaving them confused, but you explained it so clearly."
"But that kind of explanation is really confusing."
"Exactly!"
"Pft!" Ellie started laughing as the others could only look at their number one and captain's exchange with one another awkwardly. "You sure are funny, Luffy-kun. I like you. Although, I am still having a hard time seeing any similarities between you and your mother."
"So what is Luffy's mom like really," Nami suddenly asked.
"Hmm… scary is certainly one word for her," Ellie said after a moment of thought. "But there's more to her than that."
"She's a good leader," Kimi interjected. "Whenever we're in hairy situations, the Captain is always there to lead us out of it. "
"Strict as well," Kalako added. "Should any of us fall out of line, she is there to punish us."
"I've always thought of her as a true warrior maiden," Nadeshika said, putting in her two cents. "She revels in combat, but doesn't act savagely, nor does she take lives needlessly. When in battle she resembles the most graceful of dancers. In my opinion, she is everything a woman walking down the path of the warrior should aspire to be."
"Tough," Krisco said dryly.
"That was a tad dry, Krisco-kun," Nadeshika sighed.
"And you were far wordy in your explanation," he retorted.
"So, why'd you join, Ellie," Luffy asked the D6's fifth ranked member. He didn't usually care about other people's backstories, but since she asked him and was also a member of his mother's team, he thought he'd ask.
"Why I joined?" Ellie was surprised by the question, but then her lips curled into a smirk. "Well, it isn't a very original story, but, if you must know, it was when the Captain saved my island many years ago. I was just a ten year old girl when the pirates raided my hometown and it was a nightmare. Even to this day, I can still remember the gun shots, the roar of fire, the screams of the people… my parents decided in desperation to try and flee the town by escaping into the woods. Looking back, that was dumb. There were no safe options, that I could remember, but it might've been safest to just stay put in our house until it was all over. Speaking from experience, pirates, especially the low rent ones, tend to make dumb mistakes like forgetting to check certain houses or just take too long and end up getting dealt with the marines."
"I take it those pirates weren't the type to just accept surrender," Robin inquiredw.
"Not those guys," Ellie shook her head. "It was a very long time ago, but I can remember the glazed look in their eyes. It was like they were possessed. They were probably beaten bad by a rival pirate group or something. My hometown was probably just a stress reliever for them. We were unlucky."
She went on to explain that she and her parents waited until all of the pirates were distracted with their pillaging and carefully trekked for the woods, bringing along a rifle her father used for hunting for protection (she added that her dad was a pretty good shot. Not as good as their top snipers, but still pretty good.). Naturally, there close calls, but they somehow managed to avoid any confrontations… at least until they reached the outskirts of the town. If they could just have gone a little farther, they would have made it to the wilderness and her hunter father could have guided them to safety. Unfortunately, the rogues weren't that dumb.
Waiting at the edge of the village was the crew's captain and some of his men, waiting to ambush anyone trying to escape. Ellie and her family had literally risked their lives to only walk into a trap. It was maddening.
Her father tried to defend them, but the captain knocked the rifle out of his arms before he could use it. She mentioned how hungrily the pirates were looking at her mother and how lewdly the captain looked at her child self. She was terrified. It was the end. If they only killed them, it would be a mercy.
However, cheesy as it may sound, there is such a thing as hope. And it came in the form of black haired beauty.
"Thinking back, it happened almost instantaneously," Ellie grinned, clenching her fists as her eyes lit up like an excited child talking about her hero. "Those S. were so caught up in their pillaging that they never noticed the marine ship coming. Oh… what a mistake they made, but then again, they did have the honor of being one of the first to be defeated by the Demon Unit in its early days. It was so surreal. Superhuman men, and a few women too, moving faster than the wind and cutting down all the pirates that dared to hurt the innocents. And I had the luck of being rescued by the captain herself, Aura D. Lilia!"
By this point, Ellie's eyes were sparkling like a diamond and her hands were clenched into fists.
"She appeared in a streak of black. Her illuminated by the fires caused by the very scoundrels who were wreaking havoc on our beloved town. The captain and his goons were furious. And the cherry on top was the cool one liner she said at that. "I know that you're busy, but I just had to come and exchange a few words with you, such as you're under arrest". That was my favorite!" It was then she realized that her comrades and the pirates were looking at her with various expressions. "I-I'm rambling… long story short, Captain saved us."
"That's quite the interesting story," Nami said, smiling. It somewhat reminded her of how she had become apart of Luffy's crew. In her darkest hour, it was he who saved her. It may have been cheesy, but it was one of her dearest memories. "So you became a marine because Luffy's mom saved you?"
"While that isn't completely untrue," Ellie said, smiling awkwardly. "My main reason wasn't quite so pure. I joined to get some peace of mind."
"Peace of mind?"
"You see, while the Demon Unit did save the town, they couldn't get there in time to save everyone. There was this girl that I always used to see around, but never talked to… her mother was shot and killed. The fruit merchant that my mom and I went too was impaled, which was a shame since he was so kind. He always donated part of his profit to charity. The old fisherman that had caught fish for one of the local restaurants had his head chopped off. 3 deaths occurred that night. Pretty good, considering that an entire pirate crew raided us. However, I was traumatized. I truly learned how fragile humans were that night. I know I should've been happy to be alive, to had been saved, but all I could think about was what could have happened. My father could have been killed. My mother and I could have been caught and raped. When I had fallen asleep after that, I was plagued by nightmares and woke up screaming. I would have probably continued those sleepless nights for weeks if I hadn't thought of something."
"What'd you think of?" Robin asked.
"I thought of the woman who had saved me. So strong, so beautiful… if I could be even a tenth as brave and strong as her, then maybe I could regain my peace of mind… however, I had yet to meet what would truly shatter my spirit. My future captains resolve."
The morning after the thwarted pirate raid, the Demon Unit had remained, which was unusual considering that their jobs were finished. The pirates were all cuffed and ready to be transported to Impel Down. There was no reason to stay past the night.
However, the captain had something that she wanted to say.
Having gathered all the townspeople, Aura D. Lillia had said something that shocked every single person in attendance. I am sorry, she had said, her head lowered. She was sorry for not being able to save everybody. Sorry that they had bed to slow to catch the pirates before they wreaked havoc. Sorry that people lost there were people who lost their family members. Sorry that a mere 3 people died, even though there could have been so many more casualties. The savior was apologizing to the saved.
"B-But why?" Nami asked, shocked at what she just heard. She had never heard of marines apologizing for not being able to save people. "She saved your whole town, your whole island. What was there to apologize for?"
"Well, I never saw it myself, but," Ellie explained. "I had heard that some people, the ones who were related to the 3 dead mostly, were angry that the Demon Unit hadn't come in time. They were probably just venting out there frustration out on her, but…"
"Master values the lives of others more than anyone I have ever known," Yuki began. "She doesn't write the death of any individual as "collateral damage" but as a tragedy. All lives are connected one way or another. An unknown corpse could have been the parent of a helpless child or the child of loving parent or could have been the good friend of someone in the future. Master, more than anyone, understands that people die and that it is unavoidable, but she won't dismiss their lives as "couldn't be helped". She's the one who taught me that this world is beautiful, because it is ugly."
The Straw Hats were speechless. Hearing of there captain's mother's selfless heart made them realize where Luffy got all of his good traits from.
"Hearing her speech, I realized that being a marine isn't easy, or maybe I realized that my resolve was inferior to hers," Ellie said thoughtfully. "But I still wanted to join. I wanted to be on the same ship as her, so after her speech, I went to he docks that the Demon Unit was at as they were getting ready to leave and, without thinking, I ran to the Captain and asked to join. Then she flicked me."
"...Eh?" The Straw Hats said, surprised.
"She flicked me so hard, I was sent rolling back into a tree! And she wa probably holding back, too. Her flicks are so powerful, you could get sent flying a hundred feet in the sky if she wanted to.
"Why do you sound so happy about getting flicked," Nami wondered.
"But I didn't give up," Ellie continued, ignoring the weird looks the Straw Hats were giving her. "S I asked again, and she flicked me again. This time, so hard that i actually shook the tree when I hit it."
"Isn't that a huge difference of power!" Usopp screamed
"So I asked a third time and the Captain didn't flick me," she said ecstatically. "She said that she just could recruit a ten year old like me and that I should join when I was a little older, so I did, at age 12. The training was tough. I thought I'd die on several occasions, but I've been on tons of adventures and met lots of interest and cool people. I even became as strong as I am today, which was pretty shocking know that I think about it. I was just a normal girl."
'W-Weird,' Nami thought.
'She almost makes it sound like,' Usopp thought.
'That being a marine is fun,' the rest finished. Up to this point, all of them had been under the impression that being in the Navy was nothing but following orders and training, but hearing it from Ellie, it sounded like being a marine wasn't much different from being a pirate.
"That said," Ellie's expression suddenly changed into depressing, exhausted look, as if she remembered something frightening. "Training here is extremely tough..."
'Oh, so it is tough,' the pirates consented. As Ellie remembered her trauma, the others seemed to remember theirs.
"Hahaha… well, undoubtedly, Master expects a lot of us and forces us to live up to her expectations no matter what," Elli laughed awkwardly, pushing past her own traumas. "But that just mean she believes in our potential. The fact that we've made it as far as we have is because of her. I know she's got our best interests in her heart. I know because I care about (almost) all of you to the bottom of my heart, just like Master."
"Oooh, how cool, Yuki~chan!" Ellie said teasingly, hanging on the back of the young marine girl's shoulders. "You say really really cool and pretty things, don't you, number 1?"
"E-Ellie-san!" Yuki squealed.
"Yuki-san, you really are great," June said, happily joining in on the teasing and jumping on her. "You can say such corny monologues with such a straight face!"
"Not you too, June-chan!"
"Such a pure and innocent girl you are, Lieutenant Yuki," Nadeshika said humorously.
"I am not pure and innocent!"
"Honestly, you're supposed to be the one who will lead us in the future," Kalako sighed, disappointed.
"Shut up, you lolicon!"
"I am not a lolicon, I just think girls in their late teens are more appealing."
"You're the basic definition of a lolicon," Kimi teased.
"Shut up, you old hag!"
"We're the same age!"
"A Man and woman's ages can hardly be compare!"
"That's gender discrimination!" Kimi shouted, swinging fist at Kalako, who blocked it with his sheathed sword, then made a horizontal, circular motion at lightning fast speeds to slice his comrade in half, but she quickly blocked it with her right arm that was now completely black. "Don't try to kill me, you maniac!"
"Don't try to punch me, you uncouth she beast!"
"Here we go again," Krisco sighed as if something like this happens a lot. Now Kalako and Kimi were exchanging insults and blows and Yuki was struggling to break free of Ellie and June's hold on her while they were continuing to tease her. All the while, the straw hats watched with comical sweat drops falling off of their heads.
"So… this is the strongest marine unit?" Nami wondered skeptically.
"Well… it isn't that much different from our crew, is it?" Usopp said dryly.
"I had always imagined the infamous Demon Unit to be more no nonsense," Robin giggled. "However, it's actually quite lax. I suppose Lilia-neesan and my nephew are exactly alike, at least in the taste of picking crewmen."
"You hear that? Our reputation is being ruined because of you guys!" Yuki yelled, still sandwiched between Ellie and June. "So get off of me!"
"Oh, you're such a bore," Ellie teased. "Hey, Luffy-kun, is Yuki such a stiff when you're with her, too?"
No response.
"...Luffy-kun?"
"...Zzz…"
He was asleep. A snot bubble was coming out of his nose as he snored.
"He fell asleep?!" Most of them yelled, save for Robin, who looked amused, Krisco, who looked like he couldn't care less, and Yuki, whose express said, "should've saw that coming".
"F-For how long?" Ellie asked.
"Knowing him, since you started your story," Yuki answered dryly.
"He slept through that?! But that was my origin story," she whined.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm surprised he's only now sleeping. He listened to both Tom-san's story and Robin-san's story. From start to finish! Although, both of those cases were probably because Master and Master's mother were the ones talking. Luffy rarely stays awake to listen to other people's stories, but that childish side of his is really cute, don't you think?"
"She knows him well, huh," Usopp muttered, the slightest hint of bitterness in his voice. For some reason, hearing the way she was talking about Luffy made him envious of their moronic captain. And it wasn't just him, but even Zoro and Chopper, whose interest in women were basically null, were feeling a strange feeling of envy in their hearts. Obviously, Sanji was the most open in his jealousy and was glaring daggers at his captain.
"Hm… I don't dislike her, but perhaps I should be more selective on the kind of women I allow Luffy to interact with," Robin whispered. "I am his aunt, after all."
"I guess he hasn't matured much since becoming a pirate," Lilia muttered as she was talking with Nagika. With their super strong hearing, they could catch most of was being said between their crewmen and Luffy's crew.
"You think?" Nagika said. "Maybe not in any way such as change in personality, but I think he's really grown."
"Yeah… but he's still got more growing to do if he wants me to let him go to the New World."
"You seem a little annoyed, Lily-chan," Nagika said teasingly. "Is it because
Luffy slept through the story that makes you sound cool?"
"No," she answered coldly. "It's because that perverted b**** has probably learned from Tom and Franky-kun about Luffy and is angry."
"Yeah, good call having those guys guard him," Nagika said. With haki, they could sense that several of their comrades had arrived on the island, including a certain silver haired beauty with an obsession with Lilia.
"In fact, she should be arriving in 3, 2, 1."
CRASH!
For the third time today, something crash fast and hard onto the island's sandy surface from above, which created a huge cloud of dust. As said dust cloud was clearing, the sound of an inhuman beast was growing from within the cloud. Once it dissipated, it reveal an adult woman with silver hair that matched June's. Or it would have if it wasn't covered in sand from her crash landing. She would be quite beautiful if it wasn't for her now wild appearance. Her hair was messy and she was growing like a wild animal preparing to hunt.
"W-Who is that?!" Usopp whimpered, trembling at the sight of the beastly woman. Instinctively, the Straw Hats got into their battle stances, fully anticipating a fight was going to breakout. The Demon Unit members were thinking the same thing and also readied themselves for a fight.
"...My older sister," June sighed exasperatedly.
"Your sister?!" Nami yelped. Automatically, she remembered the banter she and Yuki were having. Something about liking girls…?
"Jillian-san is in love with Master to the point that she's borderline obsessed," Yuki explained, completely blocking Luffy's body from Jillian's view.
"It's more than borderline, Yuki," Ellie chuckled morbidly, also prepared to protect Luffy. "She's a sweet girl, honestly, but when it comes to our captain, she's a little…?"
"Nutty?" Kimi offered.
"Beastly?" Kalako offered.
"Out of her mind?" Nadeshika offered.
"Horny?" Krisco offered.
"All of the above," Ellie chimed. "So when Captain guessed that Jillian would make Tom and his student tell her about Luffy-kun, she had us come to guard him."
"I apologize for her erratic behavior," June said sincerely to the flabbergasted pirates.
"Like hell you can just brush that away with an apology!" Most of them screamed. Jillian just stood there with her head down, the ominous, murderous aura oozing out of her.
"That aside, she's beautiful!" Sanji exclaimed, hearts in his eyes.
"Even her?" Zoro said in disbelief. He knew that the cook had no standards, but…
"Weren't you listening?" Name snapped. "She plays for the other team."
"Well, if we're being specific," June said casually. "I've never seen Jillian-nee go after any woman that wasn't Lilia-sama."
"What are you saying?" Nami asked.
"Nothing. Just food for thought."
"So… is she gonna do anything or what?" Zoro asked awkwardly as Jillian continued to stand there, motionless.
"Hard to say," Ellie said, sounding equally unsure. "No matter how long you know a psycho, you can't predict crazy."
"Not to mention, I've never considered Jill-chan to be very psychologically sturdy in the first place," Kimi added. "Who knows what will happen now that she's found out about the captain's secret baby."
"I'd like to point out that Luffy was never a secret," Yuki said dryly.
"Regardless, I admit that I am surprised that Luffy-san exists," Kalako said, his sword unsheathed. "Captain Lilia always seemed so… aloof. Like romance meant nothing to her. Which begs the question, who is Luffy-san's father?"
The Straw Hats and Yuki flinched. None of them knew if it was okay to reveal the truth. Just as they wondered what was going to happen next, Jillian hissed.
"...Sama…" the beastly woman moaned.
"Ah, great," Lilia sighed coldly. "She's "upset"."
"This is kind of bad," Nagika said indifferently. "If she goes wild, then things will get ugly."
"Nee… Sama…"
"Well, if she tries to go after my Luffy because of her jealousy, then she's dead. The roach."
"OOONNNEEE-SAAAMAAAA!" Jillian roared inhumanly , and loudly, before launching herself at Lilia, creating an enormous cloud of smoke. Lilia casually stepped to the side to avoid Jillian's lunge. However, the silver haired woman showed her skill by stopping to a complete halt then instantly and smoothly transitioning to a spinning, roundhouse kick aimed at Lilia's head, but the raven haired beauty gracefully dodged it. "How could you?!"
"How could I what?" Lilia asked unemotionally, not caring that she was being assaulted by her own subordinate, like it didn't matter.
"A child…!" She hissed, sending a flurry of punches at her captain.
"Yes, I have a son," Lilia said, dodging the punches with Paper Arts, but compared to the ones the pirates had seen before, hers was much more fluid. Much more beautiful. "So what?"
"With a man…!" She growled before trying to grapple her.
"Yes, a man," the She-Demon avoiding her grapple by twirling her body to the side. "How else could I get pregnant?"
"With him!" Jillian lunged like a wild cat, but, once again, Lilia avoided it, using only necessary movements.
Lilia's eyes widened, before sighing. "Ah, now I see. Luffy!"
"What…?" His snot bubble popping, Luffy woke up startled. "Is mom calling me?"
"You were still asleep?!" Those around him screamed in shock.
"When that moron Garp told you about your father, were there people around?"
"Hm? Mom! You're being attacked!" Luffy saw that his mother was being assaulted and screamed.
"Huh? Oh, her?" Lilia continued to avoid all of Jillian's strikes. "Don't worry about it. Just answer my question."
"About when grandpa told me about dad? Yeah, except for Usopp, my whole crew knows, plus the monster granny, some of Franky's friends, and my friend Coby, and all of Grandpa's friends. But he told me not to tell anyone that my dad is Dragon."
Lilia froze for a moment.
Luffy's crew froze for a moment.
Nearly all of Lilia's unit froze for a moment.
"GAAAAAHHHHHH!" Everyone froze, except for Jillian, who went berserk. "HOOOOWWW COOOULDDD YOO-"
Lilia smashed the back of her fist into Jillian's face, knocking her out. She scanned her unit with her eyes. All of their mouths fell like anchors in the sea. "...I don't suppose any of you could have misheard that?"
"You married the leader of the Revolutionary Army?!" Her whole unit yelled, minus Nagika, who moved a few paces away to avoid the fight, Yuki, the twins, and Rizen.
"Master!" Two girls, with Tom, who seemed shockingly depressed, and Franky on their backs, descended from the sky with Moon Bounce. Both looked 18 and wore the navy uniform without breast bindings. One had long pink hair and the other had blonde, neck length hair. It was Leoha and Akina, respectively.
"Is it true that you hooked up with Dragon-" Leoha, who had unceremoniously dropped Tom, who was the equivalent of a broken spirited man after hearing the news about his captain, started to question her master before being punched by Yuki, who swiftly moved from stand by the docked Thousand Sunny to where her two fellow students descended, sending her at least a whole kilometer away. Miraculously enough, she managed to get up quickly enough with only a swollen cheek. Hold her swollen cheek, Leoha ran back to her original spot and yelled at the Demonic Six's number one with tears in her eyes. "Are you trying to kill me, you monster?!"
"Wow, she's still alive," Franky, who was let off more ceremoniously by Akina, muttered in awe after seeing how far Leoha was sent and how hard she was punched. A normal person would have been killed by that kind of power. Lilia's students were not to be underestimated.
"I wanted to," Yuki admitted venomously. "But I held back. You're welcome."
"Like I'd thank you for punching me!"
"Anyway," Yuki continued, ignoring Leoha's complaints. "Don't ask such an uncouth question. Especially not to Master!"
"Oh, come on don't tell me you're not curious," Leoha retorted. "Wait, don't tell me you already knew?"
"I learned about it earlier today."
"Really, Yuki-senpai," Akina said, surprised.
"Yes, and while I am curious-"
"Hey…" Lilia started speaking, the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice, making her three students flinch. "If you three aren't busy slacking off, chain up the pervert for me. And as for you two…"
"Eek!" Franky uncharacteristically squeaked in fear when Lilia turned her gaze to him and Tom, who was like a corpse after hearing about Lilia's marital status. The cyborg, who had already lost a hand to the beautiful demon, was already fearful of losing more appendages.
"It's obvious that this moron learned about my little secret from you, Franky-kun," Lilia said icily. "But since it was my father-in-law's fault that you know, I won't punish you."
"Phew!" Franky sighed in relief.
"Nagi-chan will."
"Eh?!"
"Oh, Na-"
"Already, here." Nagika appeared instantly before Lilia could even call her, startling everybody. The idea of getting to punish Tom put an extra kick in her step, although, seeing that he was practically dead already lessened her enthusiasm.
"Please, give them a hard time, Nagi-chan," Lilia asked politely, as if instructing her to give them some tea.
"As you wish, Captain," Nagika said politely before dragging Tom, who was limp, and Franky, who tried to struggle but was helpless against Nagika's raw strength, by their shirts. It wouldn't be the same, but Nagika could still derive pleasure from abusing his student.
"N-No! Help!" Franky screamed pitifully as he and teacher were being dragged to their dark fate. However, no one would help. Not the Demon Unit, nor his own crew, who sent him pitied looks.
"Oh, poor Franky-san," Yuki said sympathetically as she and her fellow pupils dragged Jillian through the sand (Leoha went to to get the chains). When it came to Nagika, she could even worse than her master if she wanted to. "It could've happened to anybody, he was just unlucky to run into Jillian-san..
"Yeah, he didn't seem like a bad person," Alina nodded sadly, helping Yuki with Jillian.
"So," Luffy said as he watched the bizarre scenes unfold. "What just happened?"
His crew couldn't even respond.
"...Okay, I admit, assaulting Onee-sama after hearing that she was married was slightly uncalled for, but…" Jillian was now covered from head to toe in heavy chains that bound her every movement. The only thing that wasn't covered in metal was her head, but that was only because Nagika convinced Liia that that would be going too far. "But is chaining me up really necessary?"
"Yes." Lilia said coldly.
"But I'm so upset!" Jillian cried, tears falling from her eyes. "How could you, Nee-sama?! With a man-"
"I'm straight."
"With that man?! You never even said anything! You were just playing with my heart!"
"Who I do it with is none of anybody's business. And I've repeatedly said I will never be interested in a pervert!"
"OOOHHHH!" Jillian sobbed erratically.
"But seriously, this is kind of problematic," she sighed as she looked over the depressing state of her men. Nearly all of her male subordinates, and some females, fell on their hands and knees, destroyed by the news that their captain was married. Included in the bed of sadness was on of her son's crew members, the blonde one with the drawn on poster. 'Where did they think Luffy came from? A cabbage patch? And aren't some of you married? And why is one of Luffy's guys acting so depressed?'
"We're supposed to be the best the Navy has to offer," Lilia moaned. Putting her index finger on forehead. "But now we probably couldn't even beat some weak nobody."
"...I'm sure they'll straighten up sooner or later," Yuki said unsurely. "If there's a threat-"
"Shut up, Yuki-chan," Lilia ordered.
"Yes, Master," Yuki obeyed swiftly.
"But seriously, Master," Leoha said. "You seriously hooked up with the most dangerous man in the world?"
"I never married Ryuuhei-kun."
"Er, I don't know who this Ryuuhei person is," Akina said awkwardly. "But didn't you marry Dragon-sama, the Revolutionary Armies leader?"
"Oh, right, they do call Dra-kun the most da-daner-pfft-the most-heheheh- the most-HAHAHAHAAA!" Lilia was resisting the urge to laugh, but she was thoroughly defeated by the intense desire to burst out chuckling. She laughed so hard that she was literally rolled on the sandy ground and laughed while holding her stomach, much to confusion of her three students, her admirer, the twins, and the Straw Hats. "I-I'm sorry! I just can't HAHAHAHA!"
'How can a guy like him, who cares for people so much, ever be considered dangerous?' Lilia thought tenderly, thinking of the man she loved.
Elsewhere, at Baltigo, a certain slave-turned-revolutionary girl that was named after a marsupial was reporting to the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon, in his office. "So the mission to free the slave of the Celestial Dragon Michael was a success, although we did have some collateral… Dragon-san? Is something the matter?"
"Why would anything be the matter?" the tattooed faced man asked, strangely despondent.
"It's just that… you look sort of annoyed?" Koala said and she was right. While the man was seldom seen smiling goofily and was usually stone faced, right now he looked especially annoyed.
"Do I? Hm, I suppose I am?" Dragon mused.
"I-If it's something Sabo-kun did, Hack and I-"
"No," Dragon raised his hand to stop Koala, using his other hand to cover his face. "It isn't him. I get the feeling someone is laughing at me."
"Who would laugh at you?!" Koala asked before instinctively covering her mouth, realizing she was overstepping her bounds. "B-Besides Sairo-san and Ryuhei-san…"
"Oh, you'd be surprised," he smirked behind his hand.
"Dragon-san?" Koal was growing perplexed at her leader's out of the ordinary attitude. For some strange, out of the ordinary reason, the one called the most dangerous looked almost… happy.
'It must be Lilia,' Dragon thought. 'This sense of annoyance could only be caused by you, my wife.'
Thinking about his wife, Dragon remembered a certain memory of their younger years. It was in the aftermath of both him and fighting against an incredibly powerful and strong enemy. They had come out victorious, albeit barely, and were heavily injured, but he was was significantly worse due in large part because of reckless, martyr-like mentality. In those days, Dragon was prepared to die for the cause of the Revolution… however, he was oblivious to how weak his resolve truly was. He realized it, thanks to his wife.
"Dra-kun," Lilia said as she helped treat Dragon's injuries. "Just a thought, but how much do you think a deadman can actually do for this world?"
Dragon couldn't respond.
"Not much, if anything, if you ask me. But what do I know? I'm inexperienced, after all." She paused, carefully thinking about what to say next. "However… I don't think an irresponsible moron who practically tries to get himself killed… to be a martyr without even accomplishing anything, can never change anything. Not in the world or a person's point of view."
Dragon didn't respond, he couldn't respond, yet he was so captivated by this woman's words.
"Live, Monkey D. Dragon. Stubbornly cling to your live even when you're littered with holes, covered in your own blood, and you're spirit is crushed beyond belief. Live for change! Because the dead can never do anything to the living! You can do it! You're not alone!"
She raised her voice to loud, passionate levels and was breathing hard at the end of her monologue. He resisted the urge to cry. You can do it… when was the last time anybody had said that to him? For so long he had tried to carry his burdens on his own and seldom relying on anybody else for encouragement, but now… funny how four simple words can make you feel good.
"Also… should you actually have a shot at changing the world, the current world will undoubtedly be set to hate you," she continued, slightly blushing. Dragon knew that much and he was prepared for that inevitability. "So… I'll say this. Even if the world turns against you, I will always be with you."
'I'm still alive Lilia,' Dragon thought. 'I can't die without doing something first.'
That's it for this chapter. What'd you think? Did your opinion of Lilia increase? What do you think of Jillian so far? What do you think will happen next?
Read & Review!
P.S.
Read "A World of Difference" by Manicherryblossom33. It's a fanfic about Dragon's past with Luffy's mother. It's really good and really well written, but it doesn't get a lot of views or reviews so I'll hope you all give it a shot. I know you'll love it.