Pikarosee1994: I update weekly.

Wishfull-star: (*^‿^*)


The sparring sessions and lessons went well. They had them three times a week, and Luffy felt he was improving. He had not been hit a single time, which Inazuma said was actually very amazing and impressive. He was quick at noticing how the opponent would attack. And since he was never hit, he hadn't had any flashback.

He was weak with the punches and kicks, but was able to do them without being sore due to the exercising the three did on the side. Endurance training and weight lifting in the garage of Sanji's house, which was a gym. His mom liked to work out and be healthy after she recovered from cancer.

They lived in a big house, not as big as Luffy's, but still nice. None of Sanji's siblings lived with him, and neither did his father. They lived somewhere else, and ignored their other family. Sanji wasn't ever upset about it since they were jerks.

Luffy was watching a superhero movie with Sabo, both of them on the couch with popcorn, when Luffy had a thought. He paused the movie and Sabo looked at him curiously, wondering why he paused it. I want to learn gymnastics, too. Flips and scissors and all. Sabo asked why. It looks cool and fun. And fancy.

Sabo laughed, and said he didn't really think it would be a problem. Summer break was around the corner. The two older brothers would be entering their second year of highschool. Then he said it sounded fun for him, too, and he was sure Ace would like it as well. Money wasn't an issue since their dad was a pro-hero and their mom was a medical lawyer. So the family had money.

Luffy shared his wish with Zoro and Sanji, but neither of them were especially interested in that. So Luffy would do it with his brothers, since they got the OK from both parents. They would be doing private lessons, just the three of them.

A few days later, Ace and Luffy were the most excited. Ace was bouncy and grinning while Luffy just sat in the lobby, drumming his fingers.

When it was the three's turn, they went inside, all wearing tight exercise clothes. The room was big and with mats and mirrors on the walls. Their teacher, it seemed, would take nothing more than the best. It was motivation for Luffy because he desperately didn't want to be reprimanded for doing something wrong. But it turned out she was actually a nice person, even if she was stern sometimes and expected them to give 120% once they were able. I.e. when their bodies were able to do what she wanted. Luffy was ahead of them in the fitness department from training and working out multiple times a week.

But the other two were much more confident, even when they made mistakes. Scarlet was her name, but they called her Miss Scarlet. They mostly did stretching and running on the mats to get used to them.

-x-

Luffy kicked Zoro in the gut and jumped, wrapping his legs around his neck before swinging around and throwing him to the ground. "I give!" Zoro said before Luffy went again. "That's not fair," he said, rubbing his neck. Sanji was laughing about it. Luffy stayed silent, like usual. They were in Luffy's garage, which had been transformed into a place to practice gymnastics and sparring.

Since it was a three car garage, there was plenty of room. "That was impressive, Lu!" Ace said from the door, sitting on the steps and watching them in interest. Zoro looked embarrassed. He signed, You could have done the gymnastics with us, too.

"I know, I know," Zoro grumbled. Luffy went to the side when Ace got up to work with Sanji. Ace incorporated gymnastics into his fighting as well, though his body being made of fire made him much lighter than a normal guy his age, so he was unable to use the neck scissors as well as Luffy, who was heavier than he was despite his small size.

Luffy was small, but the force of his swings was to his advantage. Sanji kicked Ace in the gut, but he recovered quickly, and soon Sanji was on the defense, blocking unlike Luffy, who only dodged. He took a large swig of Gatorade and handed Zoro his from the cooler. He took it and drank half of it in one go.

"School starts next week. Are you ready?" Zoro asked, looking at Luffy so he could see his reply. He was still for a moment before he signed, I don't know. There might be new people in homeroom. The teacher might be mean. Zoro sighed, and said it was true they might have mean teachers or mean classmates.

They were leaving elementary school, where everyone had known each other for a long time. They knew about what happened to Luffy. Many knew what he was like beforehand. They knew him, so they were used to his silence, his appearance. Here, there would be mostly new students and different teachers.

He was afraid of making a bad first impression. He was glad he already knew he and his friends were in the same class. That was a relief. He wouldn't be alone and mute. Zoro and Sanji said they didn't care about being translators, but it didn't matter much when Luffy had no friends and made it clear he didn't like attention.

After Sanji was done, he and Zoro and Sanji did stretches in the corner, done for the day. Luffy wasn't. For some reason, the gymnastics made him feel relaxed. Flip after flip made him feel strong. Many people were physically strong, but not as many could do what Luffy could. He enjoyed it a lot, more than any fighting. Plus, his family thought it was amazing.

He was a fast learner, and it had only been a few months of learning before he could do graceful flips and flexible moves. Inazuma enjoyed teaching him because of the originality of his moves, incorporating the gymnastics and the fighting lessons he'd gotten.

Still, he was not as strong as Zoro and Sanji, but he was strong and sure he would be able to defend himself or run away. He wouldn't let anybody lay a hand on him without his permission. He said goodbye to Zoro and Sanji while they rode their bikes away, arguing about Zoro not wearing a helmet, like usual.

Ace left the gym garage, too, leaving Luffy alone. He put on some music from the surround sound stereo. It was nothing like a garage anymore. Luffy liked it. He stretched a bit more before he started at one end of the mat and ran forward, doing back flips and front flips over and over again.

Then he moved the couple of bars into the middle and secured them in place to swing from one to another and do flips around the bars, then going for a handstand on the bars, breathing heavily. His eyes were closed as he listened to the music and felt the blood rush to his face, his arms growing weak and tired.

He let out a deep breath and landed, drinking the last half of his sports drink. He did stretching and some work on the mats before Rouge came in and said dinner was ready. Luffy nodded and wiped his sweaty face with the towel and turned the music off before leaving the room, locking the door behind him.

-x-

Luffy was standing at the gate of the junior high, waiting for Zoro and Sanji to arrive. He was standing to the side, out of view while he waited. He was tapping his foot impatiently and in nervousness. He was afraid of looks. Questions. That he couldn't and wouldn't answer. Zoro or Sanji would introduce him.

They made sure to tell him they didn't mind. Luffy wondered what was good enough about him for his friends to stick around. He wasn't especially interesting or entertaining. Maybe they were holding out hope that he'd be fixed one day. Well, he didn't want to think about that right now. Those thoughts weren't welcome when he was already nervous. Since it was still hot outside, they were allowed to use their short sleeved shirts and not the jacket uniforms.

He didn't like the uniforms, but at least he wouldn't stick out by his clothing. Since the shirts didn't have long sleeves, he had a cover on his left arm. It stretched the entire arm. It was skin colored, and only his fingers poked out. But there was no hiding his face and neck. He had to deal with that. At least nobody would know just how much of him was burned or scarred.

Zoro came first and locked his bike up before going to Luffy, who waved him over. It didn't take long for Sanji to arrive, and the three were all looking nervous. They walked inside, using the map of the school to find their classroom. They entered the classroom and immediately went to the back, Luffy on the last row and by the window with Zoro next to him and Sanji in front of him.

Luffy was glad there was a good view outside. Everyone was sitting down now, as the bell was about to ring. Luffy was drumming his fingers on the table, his left arm itching even though he knew it really didn't. He couldn't feel that sensation on most of his arm anymore. It was just in his head.

There were a couple kids in there that Luffy already knew would be a problem. A blonde one with a baseball hat, mean smile and a clearly bad attitude; a guy with a small nose and blonde, shorter hair with a nasty grin, and a furry boy staring at Luffy in alarm and horror. He did his best to not make eye contact with the kid. He was pretty small.

Zoro was leaning back in his seat, trying to look relaxed even though he was glaring at anybody who looked at Luffy twice. It was easy to see the scars on his right side with the sunlight reflecting off of them by the window.

When the teacher came in, Luffy was surprised with how he dressed. He didn't dress like a teacher at all. He was completely laid back with an easy going expression. He had long white hair and glasses, and an interesting goatee. Luffy already got a good feeling from him. It was nice, since he was so afraid the teacher would be terrible.

"Hello, class. My name is Silvers Rayleigh, but I want you to call me Rayleigh. I may be getting old, but I don't want my name to sound old as well," Rayleigh said. Zoro was already smiling, a look of approval almost immediately. His arms were crossed in satisfaction, and Luffy thought it was funny. At least he liked the teacher so far.

They went around the class saying their names. Luffy was sweating by the time Zoro gave his name. They were also welcome to say their quirks, but only a handful did. Both of the jerk-looking boys gave theirs. Zoro and Sanji didn't give theirs. So, when the attention was put on Luffy, he froze up.

"Luffy, correct?" Rayleigh asked, stepping in and looking at the clipboard. Luffy nodded. "It's lucky I know sign language," the teacher said with a smile. Luffy let out a sigh and nodded in relief. Well, now everybody knew he didn't speak without his friends having to explain.

Rayleigh was a really nice guy, it seemed. When lunch period started, he approached him, even though they had a different teacher before lunch, and sat with the three. "Are there any accommodations or things you'd like me to know about?" the homeroom teacher asked. "I already know about the flashbacks and panic attacks. Is there anything else?"

Luffy knew his old teachers and parents had to have told the school why he acted the way he did. He shook his head, and thanked him for the way he acted. Thank you for saving me from having Zoro or Sanji saying my name. "You're welcome. Any good teacher would have done that. Now, I'll leave you to your lunch."

Zoro and Sanji were grinning and Luffy gave a thumbs up, but no smile. While they were eating, the furry boy came over, looking at him in horror again. "What?" Zoro asked sharply, much taller than the other kid. Chopper was his name. A weird name, but maybe it was a nickname. He looked shy about being asked in such a way, but didn't run off.

"My dad has some homemade burn cream in case you want to try it. He's a doctor and deals with severe burn patients a lot. I'll give it to you for free," he explained. Zoro's demeanor visibly softened and he sat back down, clearly not thinking Chopper would be cruel or make fun of Luffy. So Zoro wouldn't be hitting him. Hopefully he left that behind in elementary school.

It doesn't hurt. I can't feel a lot of the area. Sanji was about to translate when Chopper said to tell him if he ever wanted to use it. "I know sign language, too," he said when the three looked surprised. Sanji invited him to sit with them, and the three got a good look at what kind of person Chopper was. He was nice. Very nice, and Luffy felt he'd made a new friend. It was amazing to make a new friend. It hadn't happened in a long time.

Then Bellamy, the bratty guy with a small nose who bragged he had a quirk that made him bouncy, came in, and sneered at Luffy. Luffy looked at him in confusion and wariness. It was clear that he wasn't going to be their friend like Chopper was. "Got some nice scars there. Look pretty cool."

Zoro scowled and Sanji was about to speak when Chopper beat him to the punch. "Do you know how painful third degree burns are?" he demanded in an angry voice. Luffy and his best friends watched in interest as to where this was going.

Bellamy looked surprised at Chopper's response, clearly not expecting him to be the one to speak, based on how angry Zoro and Sanji had gotten. "It can't be that bad. Just a burn on his face. Don't be such a drama queen. Someone like him couldn't handle that much pain."

Yeah, Luffy knew he was small and looked younger than he was, and was lanky, but he was much stronger than what Bellamy thought he was. Oh well, being seen as weak would keep people from bothering him. Nobody would want to challenge him if he looked like nothing, right? He didn't care much about being underestimated. He had no desire to stand out as a strong guy in the class, even if he was.

Zoro and Sanji said nothing, feeling how Luffy did. Getting in an altercation wasn't worth it. Zoro was trembling, but kept his anger hidden behind a completely unimpressed look. Sanji was looking at him in that way, too.

Chopper asked if he hadn't noticed the sleeve Luffy wore. Bellamy looked at it, clearly not having noticed it. Luffy wasn't sure he liked that Chopper brought that up. Bellamy sneered at him, asked him what his story was. Luffy frowned, wondering why he would ever just tell a clear bully his life story.

"Is that any of your business at all?" Sanji asked in a false-curious voice. "Why would we tell you anything?" Bellamy looked affronted at this. Maybe he wasn't used to being told no. He steamed angrily, but nobody backed down.

He finally told them to "fuck off" and walked away, arms crossed. It was a strange interaction, to be honest. Well, one friend, and one bully. "What a dick," Zoro said once he was out of sight, slamming the classroom door when he left.

Luffy pat Chopper's shoulder and thanked him for being nice. He blushed and nodded. Luffy didn't smile, but was happy he made a friend without even trying. Well, it was only because of his appearance, but Chopper did seem like a genuinely kind person. Luffy wished there were more people like that out there.

When class started again, Bellamy was visibly grumpy. Zoro clearly found it entertaining. "I didn't even have to hit him," he said quietly. No doing that here unless it's a good reason. Zoro huffed and looked away, a reluctant show of agreement. They didn't want to sabotage their appearances here. They wouldn't make friends if Zoro beat people up.

After class, the three exchanged numbers with Chopper, and Luffy learned that Chopper lived closer to his house than Zoro or Sanji's. So he and the furry boy walked in the same direction for a bit. Chopper was asking questions about him, and none of them were uncomfortable. None had to do with his background, appearance, or any quirk. It was mostly simple interests, asking about his family and his hobbies.

"Wow, gymnastics is so cool!" Chopper said when Luffy said he liked that. He didn't add about the fight training. "I wanted to do that once, but I wasn't brave enough. What if you get hurt? Or break your neck and become paralyzed?" he asked in worry.

As long as I'm careful, I'll be fine, Luffy replied. Thank you for being nice. I'm not good at making new friends.

Chopper nodded, saying he could understand why. Luffy frowned deeply, but Chopper didn't mean anything mean, so Luffy let him continue. "Often people with visible injuries are shunned because it's hard to understand others' sufferings, and just what they look like. Plus you're really quiet." More like mute. "It's still different from how average people act."

Luffy was not offended. He asked how Chopper knew that stuff. "I want to be a doctor with my quirk when I get older. So I want to be able to get to know patients! Not that I see you as a patient, or practice or anything! I just like to be able to try and feel how others feel so I can understand them more."

The taller teen nodded, understanding how Chopper felt. And he wasn't offended if he was "practicing". It meant he was being nice to Luffy, wanting to be friends. As long as his intent was not sinister or anything like that, Luffy was fine with being friends. Can I ask about your quirk you want to be a doctor with? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

"That's fine! The moment I touch somebody, I can see their conditions. I know many people wouldn't like that, so I don't touch others much. But if somebody had cancer, I can tell what kind. I feel I could be a good doctor, being able to do that," he explained with a smile. Luffy admired his quirk. It could be a lot of help someday.

That's a nice dream. He was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. Luffy tried coming up with anything, but didn't know. He had no real ambition other than to attempt to get better. I don't know yet. I can't really do as much when I can't talk. "I'm sure there's a lot of things you can do!" Luffy appreciated the enthusiasm, but didn't feel it. He just wanted to get better. That was his goal, nothing super long term.

Maybe, was Luffy's reply. Chopper asked if he could ask about his quirk. I don't use it. I don't like it. "That's too bad," Chopper said in sympathy. After all, it was sad for someone to not use their quirk or hate it. Chopper's was useful. It might not be able to save him, but not everyone would need to escape villains.

He was probably the minority. Most villains were apprehended before something like his torture came about. All of the heroes had failed Luffy, including dad. He couldn't hate him or heroes, but they hadn't been able to save him before him turning into this shell of himself. When they split ways, Chopper said he'd see him the next day, and Luffy waved back.

When he got home, he went straight to Rouge and told her about his day. Dad was gone at work and Ace and Sabo had to take the train to get home from their school. Their hero school. They wanted to follow in dad's footsteps after all. And Ace wanted to work with the Whitebeards someday, so he was working really hard to be good enough for them. Sabo wanted to work under Dragon, but was also unlikely to work with those agencies without making a name for themselves under Roger first.

Luffy wished he had a dream, now that he thought about it. What did he want to do with his life? In the long run?

"Chopper sounds like quite a sweet boy," Rouge said, taking a break from work in her office. Luffy nodded in agreement. Chopper just seemed like a pure soul. "I'm happy about Rayleigh being so understanding and accommodating, but I'm not happy with this Bellamy kid." Luffy nodded again. He seemed obnoxious and annoying. And full of himself. "I agree. Well, you don't antagonize people, so I'm not worried about that." she then sighed. "I think Zoro might be a problem with him. He's already so protective and has a short temper."

He promised he wouldn't fight this year as long as it's not for safety or someone else's safety, Luffy replied. I believe him. "Well, he doesn't break promises, so I'll believe in him as well," Rouge said with a genuine smile. "I should get back to work. We're having leftovers tonight after what Sabo made." Luffy nodded, and she left the living room to go back to her office.

He decided he wanted to go on a run, and texted his mom while changing. She agreed, and he met Ace and Sabo outside the door. "Oh, Luffy! How'd school go?" Ace wondered, but looked tired himself. Okay. I made a nice friend and the teacher is nice. "That's awesome! You going on a run?" he asked, seeing Luffy's clothes, headphones and water. Luffy nodded, and walked past them, stretching, before he went on a run around the neighborhood.

He had his earbuds in so no loud noise would scare him, but kept his eyes open and alert to what was around him. He had his arm still covered while he ran. It was really nice, and he was happy with how the day went when he got back home. A new friend, a nice teacher. Even if there was a registered jerk, he had his best friends and two new allies.