Warnings for an all-around dark chapter: This is going to cover some pretty horrible and not to mention creepy child abuse. Nothing specific other than referenced violence imprisonment, animal cruelty, death of a loved one, PTSD, and lots of trauma.
This chapter is diving into some of the things Luffy had to go through as a kid and it's pretty bad. So please avoid if any of that is triggering.
XXX
Luffy was sleeping in his fort, Wolfie's bowl, and Merry the stuffed sheep toy was on either side of him. He had recently made the area underneath the table his secret base. He covered it with blankets and stocked pillows and his few remaining possessions here along with whatever food had been left in the pantry. He ate a lot of dried pasta and pickles. It wasn't ideal but this was his life now, ever since Mommy had died.
He missed her so much he thought he would die. He never realized how lonely and cold the world was, not when she was always there to keep him warm, full, and smiling. Now she was dead, buried in the ground with the worms. She must be cold and lonely too. Everyone told him was that it wasn't her they stuck in the ground, it just looked like her, the rest of her was already gone- that she had gone ahead of him to a better place. Luffy wanted to go where she was. But no one would tell him how to get there, they just got really quiet when he asked. "One day," some would say, "You'll see her again."
Without her, nothing was the same. Dragon was a different person, one who rarely came home anymore. Not that Luffy wanted him to. He had never hated anyone before, but he was starting to hate his father. But in his parents' absence, his home had become different.
The first thing Dragon had done after mommy died was locked the bedroom. The one Luffy used to sleep in besides his parents. It had been the only bedroom in their little house so Luffy had been forced to find another place to sleep, thus the table fort. If he closed his eyes really hard he tried to pretend he was back in the bedroom, Merry was his mother on his right, soft and cuddly whenever he needed it, and Wolfie was his father, back when he was nice-ish. If he had ever been nice-ish. Cuddling the cold glass fishbowl was about as comforting as cuddling Dragon had been.
The house had changed in other ways. The food ran out first and Luffy was quickly going through the cupboard stocks. He had no idea what he was going to do when that too ran out. Then Mommy's plants had died because no one took care of them, Luffy had tried but he didn't know what he was doing, he was only five, and they molted and withered.
But by far the worst change had been the hunters. After mommy Dragon had decided that it was time for Luffy to man up and become a hunter so he could protect himself. So Dragon had assigned a group of hunters to train and 'protect' Luffy around the clock. The hunters that had been eager to accept the assignment were the same ones that were currently in need of lodging and a free source of alcohol. Meaning they were the least put together and least dependable of the group. In Makino's absence, Luffy's house had been turned into a hunters base where all sorts of hunters with no place to go stopped by to plan hunts, crash, hassle him, and of course, share a drink with the boys as they swapped stories.
Dragon might have put a stop to this if he realized what was happening, but it had been weeks since Luffy last saw him, and even then he was always brought to meet him somewhere far away from the house. Luffy thought that maybe Dragon was avoiding the house and everything that reminded him of mommy, including Luffy.
Luffy wished he could do that too, but he was forced to stay here by the hunters that were 'protecting him'.
When she was alive Makino had forbidden hunters from entering, she didn't like the look of most of them and warned Luffy to stay away from them. Now she was gone, the hunters had moved in, Dragon was away, and all Luffy wanted was to go into the ground with mommy…
-if there really was a better place, he wanted to find it.
XXX
"Red, come out little one, wherever you are."
"We won't hurt you swear, just come out like a good little boy."
"You better not be hiding from us again- you remember what happened last time?"
"Come on your little brat, where are you?"
"…"
"Luffy?"
"There you are!"
"Luffy!"
Something grabbed his arm and he shot up.
"Luffy wha-?"
Luffy yanked his arm free tumbling backward, he fell straight off the bed and landed on the floor beneath it, caught between the wall and the bed frame, his knees bumping into his chest at the tight space.
Zorro was quick to follow him, looking over the edge of the bed at him. "You okay?"
"Ow," He wiggled his body only managing to further wedge himself in.
"Your okay," Zoro decided as he got up. "Want Coffee?"
"Yes!" His stomach growled. "Wait do you have food!" That would be even better.
"I think most people have food, need help?"
Luffy grabbed the blanket, pulling himself back up. "Food?"
"Yeah- yeah, come on."
Luffy happily followed his friend to the kitchen.
"Want to do some sparring?" Zoro asked him as he got the cereal out. Luffy almost agreed before remembering his promise to Sabo.
"I have to do chores."
"Right now?"
"Yeah," Luffy frowned into his cereal. He didn't get to see his friends as much as he would have liked. Too bad he couldn't stay longer.
"What is it?"
"Dismantling hunters traps," Luffy said. "I promised Sabo I would do it while he's gone."
"And where is he again?"
"I don't know, looking for Ace."
"Who is?"
Luffy shrugged again, "Somewhere far I guess."
"So you're doing it alone?"
"Yeah." A few days alone… great. Luffy hated being alone, especially lately. Maybe he could do that traps during the day and travel back here at night. No that would take too long. He might just have to put up with it.
"Want me to come-," Zoro began.
"Yes!"
"Alright then," The teenager grabbed his phone punching in a few messages. "Finish your food, we have to go meet the others soon."
"The others?"
"Nami, Usopp and Sanji, want to come." Zoro told him, "That's cool right?"
"That's so cool!" Luffy put his spoon down so he could drink the rest of his overflowing bowl in a single gulp, grabbing his backpack he shot up before Zoro could take another bite.
"Let's go!"
He had missed everyone.
XXX
They met towards the edge of town. When Zoro and Luffy arrived the others were already there. It had taken longer because Luffy had to wait for Zoro to get dressed and pack his swords and whatnot.
When he saw them Luffy ran over to the group happily, "Guys!" Usopp threw his arm around his shoulder happily while Nami hugged him.
"We're seeing you more and more," Sanji told him. "Disaster seems to follow you, is something else going to happen to the town."
More like Luffy followed disaster.
"Nope!" He told them happily. He usually avoided the town, after all, he had never had a reason to want to be here before. Now he liked visiting his friends every chance he got, screw the risks.
"Ready!"
"Aye-Aye captain!" Usopp called. "I'm ready to fight more wolves."
"We're saving wolves today," Luffy told him.
"And you haven't actually fought a wolf yet," Zoro said. "You just make us do it."
"I'm a delegator, it's what I'm best at."
"That's what Nami's best at, your more like collateral," Zoro told him.
"Nah, more like a wolf snack on legs," Sanji corrected.
"Guys stop."
Luffy laughed.
…
They had only been walking for a couple of minutes. Zoro had taken them down a side street to try and avoid any wandering eyes. The closer they got to the town boundary the more the houses began to look familiar to Luffy.
His friends were still laughing but he had lapsed into silence.
Usopp was the first to notice. "Luffy?" He asked curiously.
Luffy's pace began to speed up as he turned down one of the adjacent streets without a word.
"Is this a shortcut?" Nami asked as the rest of them sped up to stay with him.
"Luffy? Oi! Where are you taking us."
He finally stopped, still wordless, staring at one of the houses, his eyes were huge.
"Luffy?" Usopp shook his friends' shoulder to snap him out of it. Even Zoro and Sanji took a moment from fighting to look back at him.
"What's up?" Nami asked looking back at the house. It was by far the creepiest on the street, it had clearly been abandoned for many years and the windows were all boarded up. The paint, which might have once been a charry yellow was now a chipped, peeling grey-ish color.
"You don't want to go in there, trust me," Usopp said with a shiver. "That place is supposed to be haunted. The family who lived there died or disappeared, that's why it's abandoned."
Luffy, seemingly lost in his own head began towards the house, much to his friend's dismay.
"Luffy seriously," Usopp grabbed his arm trying to steer him away from it. "They say that the house is haunted."
Sanji scoffed, "Yeah, what idiot believes in ghosts?"
"Weak people," Zoro said. He looked at Sanji.
"Aw Luff- come on NO!" Usopp whined as Luffy broke free of his hold heading back towards the house. "Don't do this come on. The woods are scary enough, we don't need to go looking at haunted houses."
"What else do the legends say?" Nami asked as they followed Luffy onto the front lawn which was covered in overgrown weeds and completely dead.
"Well, they say that it's haunted by the ghost of the little boy who lived here. They say he was murdered, back sometimes when we were still little kids. But sometimes people still hear wails from inside the house and-,"
"Usopp shut up!" Nami said suddenly, her face paling as the pieces came together in her sharp mind.
"What? You told me to tell you-," He began but Nami cut him off.
"And now I'm telling you to shut up,". She turned back to Luffy her voice considerably softer. "Do you want to go inside?" She asked.
Luffy had fallen uncharacteristically silent at the site of the house. He turned to her as if remembering she was here for the first time and nodded.
"Okay," she slipped her hand into his giving it a comforting squeeze. "Zoro open the door?"
"What? Why should I?"
The look Nami gave him was scarier than any ghost story.
"Fine!" He muttered something about she witches as he unsheathed his sword, aiming for the hinges of the boarded-up door. The door toppled easily, tearing the boards with it as it toppled backward into the house.
It was incredibly dusty inside and dark. The noon sunlight outside caught the dust particles as they fell, disturbed for the first time in a good long while.
"How is it even creepier inside?" Usopp asked, he yelped as Nami whirled around to give him a warning look. "I mean it looks great in here, a paint job or two and good as new right… right?"
Luffy wasn't listening. He slipped his hand free of Nami's stepping into the house. The floorboards creaked underneath his weight as he walked. The floor was littered with old trash, newspapers, and old and broken beer bottles. The furniture of the living room, what little remained was moth-eaten and thread bear.
He ran his hand over the top of the couch.
Once upon a time, his mom had held him on a couch just like this. His head was against her chest and every time she talked, he heard the vibrations of her voice and the beating of her heart.
That had been a long time ago, a different lifetime, a different couch. It had been nicer with soft blue fabric he liked to push his face into. This one was nothing like that with its faded color and ruptured cushions.
Luffy pushed deeper into the house, his foot pressing down on a rusted beer can with a loud crunch.
A group of hunters looked over a series of maps, sitting on the couches with beers in hand as they discussed tactical maneuvers. Luffy hid from them.
He pushed towards the kitchen, only vaguely registering the footsteps as his friends followed him. The refrigerator was missing, and the pantries were all bare.
There was nothing here for him anymore. There hadn't been for a while.
He turned to the table next. Something, possibly termites or rats had gotten to the table leg, it was sawed almost all the way through but miraculously still standing. The blankets that used to hang over the top were gone and the inside of the fort was available for all to see.
The blankets were riddled with holes now but most of them were still there, piled underneath to try and offer some warmth and comfort. Old jars of food, now grimy with age were piled on top. The pictures had blown away but the nails he had used to hang them were still there, pinning small scraps of yellowed paper to the legs of the table. All pictures of his mom. He drew her every day after she died, sometimes multiple times, and covered every inch of his fort with them. Trying to use her to ward out the evil that was around them.
"Luffy?" He heard Zoro call from behind him, he sounded somber. Luffy ignored him to instead kick around the floor of the base. A couple of mice ran, squeaking away as some of the layers of fabric were peeled back.
Merry was gone, either taken or lost. And Wolfie… well there was no sign of the fish, not that he had been expecting it. He knew Wolfie was dead. Bits of glass littered the floor and he figured some of that might be Wolfie's tank. He found Wolfie's old fish food though underneath one of the pillows, a crumpled note beside it.
Once he had gotten so hungry, he tried to eat the food. It hadn't tasted like much and he stopped because he was worried about running out and Wolfie starving.
He reached for the note instead, uncrumpling it.
"Can I see?" Nami was beside him, her voice gently. He looked at her before handing the picture over.
The crayon he used was faded but the basic shape of a stick woman with long black hair was still there. Nami flattened the paper against her knee. "There, good as new." She handed it back to him.
Luffy let it drop from his fingers, onto the floor as he turned away. Nami needn't have done that, he knew that the pictures he had drawn were useless. But there was one thing he did want.
Turning on his heels he headed upstairs, the others scrambling to follow him, the boys still didn't understand what was going on.
The upper level was small with only a closet and a single bedroom. It was a very small house. Luffy stopped at the closet, it still had the door. He knelt down to the bottom to run his fingers at the nail marks there, faded but permanently carved into the wood. Dragons preferred punishment for dealing with him. Even when Makino was still… still here he started doing it.
Luffy tried not to think too hard about it, not because he hated being in the closet, he did. But because that was what started everything. He remembered crying his eyes out until Makino opened the door, scooping him up, looking angrier than he had ever remembered seeing her before and she held him on her hip talking to him quietly, whispering reassurances in his ear.
It's all right baby, I've got you, I won't let go. Your okay now. Shh, stop crying sweetie, it's all right now. I've got to tell you something-
"Luffy?" Luffy turned to look at Usopp. "Can we go now… please? This place creeps me out."
Luffy turned towards the last door, at the top of the stairs. It had been locked for nearly nine years now, ever since Makino died. Luffy had tried to get in a thousand times. But he had never been strong enough. He was strong enough now.
He brushed past his friends. He didn't even try the handle, he already knew that was pointless.
BANG!
Usopp yelped as Luffy kicked the door and it shuttered in its frame, shuttering the whole house.
"Luffy stop!"
"What are you doing?"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Luffy heard the door splinter on the last one as the lock snapped under the force of his kicks.
He lay between his parents on their big bed, listening to their quiet talking as he fell asleep. In the morning he knew Dragon would be already gone, but right then their whole little family was together. And he loved it because he knew no matter what was out there they would protect him.
BANG! – the door flew open, slamming into the wall of the bedroom at long last conquered.
It looked like he remembered. The bedding was a little worse for wear and the smell of dust and mothballs was strong but other than that it was his parent's bedroom. When Dragon had sealed it up he intended for it to never be opened again, and he sealed up everything with it. Like a mausoleum without a body. Screw him.
"If someone hears us we are going to get in trouble," Usopp started up once more watching as Luffy marched over to the bed.
There was a stuffed lion on the bed, tucked into the covers, right where his mother had left it when she made the bed on the last day. Its name was sunny, it guarded the bed while they slept, at least that was what his grandma told him when she gave it to him, along with Merry which guarded him during the daytime. He had had the two of them since he was a baby. He had tried countless times to rescue sunny from his locked prison, but he could never get the door unlocked.
Walking over to the bed Luffy grabbed Sunny, putting it into his backpack.
"Why are you stealing things now!" Sanji cut in.
Nami turned back at the three of them, looking like she was about the explode. "That's it! Everyone outside."
"But!"
"Now!"
"Fine," there was a lot of grumbling but eventually they did it, their footsteps trudging back down the stairs.
"She's not the boss of me," Zoro's voice drifted back up. "I just felt like leaving."
"Keep telling yourself that moss head."
"Unlike you freaks, I'm glad to leave, this place is freaky."
Nami slapped her forehead. "Their idiots," she told Luffy. She picked up one of the pictures wiping the dust from it. "Is this your mom? She's beautiful." She handed it to him.
Luffy looked down into Makino's dark eyes, she was smiling at him, just like she always did. After she died Dragon got rid of all the pictures in the rest of the house. Luffy hadn't seen her face for nine years. He had tried to draw her but it wasn't the same.
He didn't know if she was beautiful or not, but she was always kind. The world was a lot colder without her in it.
"Hey it's okay," Nami told him. She reached up to touch his cheek and it was only then he realized he had been crying.
It was good Ace wasn't here, he would call him a crybaby. Ace… suddenly Luffy wanted to go home. There was nothing here for him anymore- nothing but this.
He put the picture in his backpack.
He wanted to go but there was one thing he had to do first.
When he turned Nami followed him. The others were already downstairs, they looked up at them as they came down.
"Thank god can we go now?" Usopp asked. "Pretty please, I have a disease where I can't be within six feet of getting possessed by a ghost."
He heard his friends start to argue, with Usopp maintaining it was a serious ailment that affects the weak-hearted, while Luffy moved towards the basement door.
"Seriously don't go down there," Usopp told him. "That's where they say the kid died."
"Oh my god, guys!" Nami said in frustration, could you be any dumber."
Luffy opened the basement door, hearing the screech of rusted hinges. There was a long flight of stairs, leading into pitch blackness. It smelt wrong down there, stale air and something more sinister.
Even before he lost his mom he had always hated it here. It was a cold and drafty cement room with exposed pipes and unfinished walls that spanned the width of the house. He used to come down here to sit on the washer when his mom did laundry, but only ever with her, she promised to keep the monsters away while she folded.
Every time they took him into the basement he would always be screaming. Of all their methods of punishment, and they had a lot, this was the one Luffy hated the most. The weirdest thing was that he didn't really remember what happened down here, only that it scared him, more than anything.
Because there were monsters down there-
Luffy grabbed his flashlight from his bag, starting down the staircase. When he was halfway down he heard someone start down as well and turned around to see Zoro.
"Are you okay?" The teenager asked him.
Luffy nodded. There was nothing down here after all. He just had to check.
"You're being really quiet, it's not like you. What's is it about this place?"
"It's just a house," Luffy told him. "There is nothing here."
The two of them continued back down the staircase in silence.
Apparently, when he had been younger, he used to talk a lot more about this room. He didn't remember it, nor what he said but his brothers told him some of the stuff he had said. A lot of it was pretty creepy.
The walls screamed
The monsters twisted themselves in the dark into different shapes
and if you cried, they would find you
"It smells awful down here," Zoro said bringing his sleeve over his nose. "Like- something died."
Luffy smelt it too, and he hated the smell. It smelt… familiar-
Something was crying down here, whimpering
It wasn't him, he was silent as the grave, the monster didn't like it when you cried
"Oh shit," Zoro hadn't taken more than a couple of steps when his foot landed on something with a crushed. He lifted his boot gingerly to reveal a crushed rib bone, white as snow.
"Their bones," Zoro said kneeling down beside it. Luffy shone his flashlight further into the room to reveal dozens of them, piled in the corner.
"their wolves," Zoro said picking up one of the unbroken skulls. Smaller ones mostly.
That had been the crying Luffy remembered, little wolves crying from fear and pain, right before the monster had gotten them.
"How do you think they got here?"
"Hunters," Luffy told him turning back into the darkest corners of the basement. "They used to use this house as a base." They had brought some of their smaller captures here too… to do something with apparently.
"How do you know that?"
Luffy continued to the other corners, stopping at an old moth-eaten cushion beside a rusted pipe that extruded from the wall. A chain was looped twice around the pipe before crossing the cushion, a cuff on the end of it. There was blood staining it, brown and faded with age.
He heard Zoro come up behind him. "That's too small for a wolf," He said as Luffy reached down to tug at it.
It was too small for a wolf, or even a human, it looked like it was made for a child.
Luffy used to have a scar on his ankle, it faded eventually. But it had taken years.
No wonder he was scared of the basement. But there was nothing here anymore, no monsters, just him… and his friends. And it was time to get out of here, he had spent enough time trapped here.
"Let's go," he told Zoro. But his friend wasn't listening, he was staring intently at the chain.
"Okay? "Luffy asked again.
Zoro turned around to look at him, the chain held loosely in his hand. He didn't say anything but there was a look in his eyes. He knew, somehow he understood.
"Let's go," Luffy said again with a smile this time. "I want to go."
Zoro dropped the chain, following him back up the stairs wordlessly.
Their friends were waiting for them outside. Unlike before the three of them were dead silent. It was a little weird, they were usually so talkative.
When Usopp saw him he nearly tackled him, opening his arms in a hug. Luffy grabbed him in surprise.
"Shoot Luffy, I'm sorry I didn't know this was your house."
Nami must have told them.
"I'm sorry about your mom."
"Why are you sorry? It's not your fault?" Luffy was confused now. It's not like they had done anything wrong. But then Nami hugged him too and the combined weight of both of them was heavy.
"I know how it feels," Usopp told him, "To lose your mom, like every last safe place in the world disappears with her."
That was what it had felt like to him.
"Yeah," Nami sighed. "I understand."
"Me too," Sanji's voice was faint, almost inaudible.
"I've never met mine," Zoro said.
Luffy looked around the group, "You guys are really unlucky," he said honestly.
"Apparently so are you," Nami told him.
He didn't feel unlucky. "I have a family," he smiled at them. "And I have my friends too!" Compared to that the empty house behind him was nothing more than a pile of wood and bricks.
He hiked his backpack up, "want to go on an adventure?"
The group of them cheered along, having no idea what they were agreeing to but agreeing all the same.
"Anything for some excitement," Zoro said.
"Anywhere Nami goes I go," Sanji agreed.
"Any fighting and I'm bowing out." Usopp cheered.
"Lead the way fearless leader," Nami said.
XXX
Every time I post a chapter in this story it seems like I am apologizing for a year-long hiatus. So I am sorry. I got really caught up with some things including my original stories that demand a lot more attention and time.
But don't worry, this is still one of my favorite (if not my favorite) stories I have. My enthusiasm for it has never fallen, I just don't always have time to write the chapters I want.
But I have some good news! First off I will be posting multiple chapters on this story. Luffy's backstory just kind of happened, it was not planned but I always wanted him to revisit his old house, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity. If you wanted to see Luffy confront the hunters and Garp then you are in luck!
I graduated, like last week. Big yikes. I'm in denial. But to celebrate I am going to update every story at least once, hopefully twice, (Defenders, Tail of the Sea, Dolls, and Even in the Darkest of Places). All weekly or bi-weekly. So keep a lookout for all of those. It won't be as quick as I would like because I need to frantically become a real adult in the span of a month. But it will happen nonetheless, you can hold me to that.
So, believe it or not, but the story is slowly (very slowly) creeping to a close. We have the arc that is starting right now, the ASL hunter confrontation. I am so excited about this one. And after that, we have the beginning of the end. But it's going to be a pretty long end, lots of ends!
Please tell me what you think. Hearing you guys' thoughts always lets me know that people are still interested in this story which makes me all the more excited to write about it. Nothing reminds me an update is long overdue than getting a comment on it (preferably a nicer one) but sometimes even flames work on me because then I know I got someone who doesn't like the story to read the whole story.
XXX
weep for the empty: Probably because of my terribly inconsistent updates! Thank you though.
AnimeAngel2692: I would love to be psychic. Sorry for the long wait though. Do I ever write non-fanfiction stories, It's terribly time-consuming though, but anytime you would like to. I always love comments on them.
Ouaf: Why thank you. I always love to hear people still read it and put up with my lateness.
Guest #1:Aw, that makes me happy to hear. Hopefully, you didn't have to wait quite as long.
03Morgenstern09: Oh my gosh that is so sad. I am really sorry. You deserve some good ones.
Hawtmilktea: Oh wow, thank you. That is so nice of your to say. I am really glad you think so. I worry sometimes I don't do them justice. Especially Luffy in this story. Sorry about the wait.
Guest: I'm glad you liked it! I'll try to update sooner.
UnicornsThatGamble: I am so glad you liked it, for the record I love your stories too. That is so nice to hear though. Thank you for writing such a nice review. I am always so happy that people are still enjoying this story, it has a special place close to my heart.
: Hey this was a while ago that I got your first message but I never got the chance to thank you for the defender's chapters, that was wonderful thank you. Sorry, it took me a little while to post them, I was without internet for an internship thing. I did it once I got home. Thank you for your work.
Oranganeh97: Thank you for waiting, sorry about that. I am really glad you liked it though.
Sly Riddle: Indeed it has been, sorry about that. I had a wacky year.
Guest: That's fair, I think I'm cooling on the idea now.
Bella Scullw: Oh my gosh I love your comments. Long comments are literally like my birthday and Christmas come early!
I know the last few chapters were slow but things are about to heat up! And more of the Straw hats and White Beard friend groups soon.
Ace hiding in the bushes with his glowing eyes was exactly the imagery I was going for! Ace deserves some friend love too, just like Luffy he's slowly collecting friends that are changing his opinions on humans.
Sabo is the king of creepy dreams. The latest dream was connected to the one where Luffy stabs Ace, it was like his last warning to prevent it. And yes! I think you're onto something. Don't worry, no brother is going to die in the end, I am not that evil. That promise goes for all my stories. I was sad enough when Ace died for real in the manga.
Poor Luffy, I think this chapter showed a little bit of how he became like that. I think it will be explained in a little bit more detail but Ace and Sabo were trying to help him overcome that. At least this way he can be with his friends. There are a lot of scary things in the woods too including his stalker.
Zoro found out a bit about what happened to Luffy in this chapter. I think Zoro would rather Luffy tell him, or wait until he's ready to talk rather than hearing it from someone else. Zoro lives in the present like you said! Just like Luffy. What a good way of putting it.
Google translate can suck sometimes, but it sounds like you understand this story more than I do! I have always wanted to be able to translate it so other people can have an easier time reading it, but it's just a pipe dream until I learn another language haha. But I am always impressed by those that are bi-lingual. Languages are so freaking hard! Way to go.
The other Straw Hats are showing up soon, at least Robin is. And Dragon did suck. He was a bad dad even before Ace and then he got terrible. He is definitely going to turn into a massive headache for them.
And there are more misinterpretations to come, starting with Garp next who has no idea what is going on! I can't wait to get to that part.
I have a soft spot for keeping Sabo and Koala ambiguous in a will they won't they. So I can see that maybe happening. I still haven't really figured out what I want Koala to do. They will definitely become better friends in the future!
Yes, little Ace liked infuriating Dragon. But I think that flashback of him stealing Luffy from the yard was the only time he blatantly tried to catch Dragon's attention.
Yes! Luffy will have more adventures later, I haven't found a place for it yet, but he wants to travel and now he is thinking about doing that with his new friends. When he is older, not right now, he's still a kid who wants to be with his family.
Of course! Thank you for the amazing review. I am sorry for the long wait.
yukino76: Of course, : )
poemado: aw, thank you.
SunsetDawn420: Haha, yeah the pandemic did have something to do with it. Being a student right now is rough. I am really glad you like it. Sorry for the long wait. The next one will be faster.
RIAEVANS: Of course! I love Sabo too. That's fair, I'm cooling on the idea, it was just something I was fiddling with for a while but I think I'll leave it out. Of course not, I was really interested in people's opinions on the topic.
Stay safe and healthy to you too!
XXX
See you next time guys!
