Penny was a bit odd, but Luffy couldn't blame her. She was still sick, confined to her bed in Makino's house until she got better, but that didn't stop Penny's frequent escape attempts. Today, bundled up in thick layers and wounded arm in a sling, Penny had managed to sneak out of her room and find her way to his house.

"PENNNNNY!" Luffy cheered as her scowl reappeared. "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"Barely." Her eyes were lined with big, dark circles and she looked a bit more like a zombie than a person which Luffy thought was amazing. Penny was all sorts of things.

"LET'S GO HAVE AN ADVENTURE!"

"Another one? Are you trying to kill me?"

He stopped, stared at her long and hard. "You're not allowed to die."

Penny's mouth puffed out like a fish, opening and closing before she sagged. "Th—that's not how it works."

"What works?"

"Life."

Luffy laughed, unable to help it. Penny was too funny sometimes. "I want to eat barbeque today."

She didn't say no, like most people would. What Luffy liked most about her was that she knew which questions to ask. "Do you have a backyard?"

"And a house and a front yard!"

"And money?"

"I just take what I need. The people here are really nice!"

"…this is such a bad idea," muttered Penny to herself. She held out her good hand toward him and Luffy slipped his in hers. She was warm to the touch and smelled like lemon and ocean and some girly scent that Makino had too.

"Don't worry! I know everyone in town!"


"YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT!" shouted the butcher after them as they ran with the neatly wrapped packages of meat.

"I thought you said they were nice!" wheezed Penny.

"THIS IS MORE FUN!" Luffy ducked down, dodging the can thrown their way. "SEE WE GET TO PLAY TAG AND FREE MEAT!

Penny turned the corner, crashing into the Mayor who toppled to the ground with his cane and all. She stopped, going to help him up, but was beat to it by Luffy who dragged the old man up and shoved his cane into his arms. "Woop, you're not part of the game! Stay outta the way!"

"Sorry," said Penny, begging the old man's forgiveness. "It wasn't my idea."

She hightailed it out of there, glad that her injury seemed to garner some hesitance when it came to the furious butcher and screaming mayor.


"MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!" cheered Luffy, running around in a circle as Penny tempered the flames on the barbeque he had in the back. Makino had come to save them from the Mayor's wrath and cook, which neither Luffy nor Penny were capable of.

Penny took a piece of meat off the grill, tossing it at Luffy who caught it the way a dog did a ball. He was an animal who needed to be studied.

"Not with your fingers!" said Makino worriedly as she set down a tray of lemonade for them. "You'll hurt yourself."

"Is he even human?" asked Penny with wonder. Luffy continued running, never seeming to lack energy. She stretched her hand out, pinching him tightly.

He chewed quickly, cheeks stuffed, "Waddyadohatfur?"

He was hopeless, thought Penny.


Makino's hands were gentle as they washed the shampoo from Penny's hair. She was more tried today than she had been before, a lethargy and fatigue setting in as the antidote she had been given started to slowly wear off.

"Your hair is such a pretty color," said Makino quietly.

"Really?" asked Penny. Her mind was filled with pictures of wisteria, the soft purple flowers hanging off the branches of a tree. Penny pushed the memory away.

"It's beautiful, but so long."

"Should I cut it?"

"Do you want to? I can help—long hair always gets heavy after a while."

"It gets hot in the summer too. I don't like the heat."

"Are you from a winter island?"

"Spring." The answer came out before Penny could stop it. "There's a mountain there that looks like a sleeping giant and flowers everywhere."

"It's on the Grand Line?" Makino poured some water over her shoulders, washing away the suds. "That must've been exciting."

Penny shook her head, mouth clamping shut. A rising sense of panic had her breathing stutter and come out in short quick gasps. The pain from her wound flared. Makino finished the rest of the bath quickly, bringing Penny over to the hot spring where steaming smoke rose in small tendrils over the water. Penny hated how small and weak she felt. She was suddenly more of a child than Luffy was.

She looked up at Makino, "I'll drown."

"I'll be right there with you. A devil fruit shouldn't stop you from enjoying a nice onsen and it'll help with the pain."

The warm water seeped into her bones, steam clearing the slightly stuffy nose she had. Penny was grateful that Makino was both kind and patient. She hoped that Captain Shanks would show Makino the same warmth when he returned as a thank you for taking care of her.

"Penny!" Luffy, in all his nude glory, jumped into the warm water with the grace of a cannon ball. Penny couldn't avoid the wave of water that drenched her. Hair sticking to her face, she blinked. Where had he come from? "Guess what?!"

"You've found another way to get yourself killed?" asked Penny.

Luffy shook his head with a laugh. "Don't be stupid. I'm going to live forever."

"…until you die."

"Until I die," confirmed Luffy. "Hey, why don't you have boobs like Makino?"

Makino shook her head, sinking further into the water as she splashed Luffy lightly. Penny crossed her arms over her chest, revealing the gnarled scar forming on her arm where the King Mamba had bit her.

"I haven't gone through puberty yet."

"What's that?"

"You wouldn't understand even if I explained it."

Luffy shrugged. He was using the hot springs to learn how to swim, but it wasn't going well. He'd swallow too much water or randomly fall asleep leading to him nearly drowning. Penny watched, slightly amused, as he shouted that he'd defeat the water.

"Do you know how to swim?"

"I can't," said Penny shortly.

"Did you even try? It doesn't look hard—Shanks told me I needed to learn to swim if I want to be a pirate, so why—"

"I'm a witch. Witches and water don't mix."

Luffy's jaw dropped. He gaped at her for a long moment with a starry-eyed look of wonder. "THAT'S SO COOL!"

Penny nodded, impressed with his gullibility. She reached over for the soap, holding it in her hand lightly. "I'll show you some magic."

"SHOW ME! SHOW ME!"

Penny pressed her hands together, copying the bar of soap and opened them to reveal another identical one in her opposite hand. Luffy twitched, splashing water everywhere in his excitement. Penny smiled to herself.

"Can you copy that?" asked Luffy, pointing at a bucket. Penny nodded.

"What about the hot spring?"

"I think I could. I never tried."

"What about me?! Can you copy me?!"

"I don't know."

"Try it!"

Penny reached for him hesitantly. Her hand brushed against his skin and she willed the same rush of power forth, imagining a picture perfect copy of Luffy in the water next to him. The copy that appeared was gray and limp like a noddle. It flickered out of existence a moment later.

Penny let out a startled noise. That had never happened before. Usually, the things she created were permanent.

Luffy laughed and demanded she do it again.


"Here," Penny pushed the rest of her plate towards Luffy. He accepted it with greedy hands, eating with a simple pleasure. Penny rested her chin in her hand and smiled. Life in Foosha Village was boring after having tasted the adventures waiting in the Grand Line, but Penny found something new and wonderful in the people here every day.

Luffy's joy for life was infectious.

"You won't go without me, right?! If Shanks and you make it to the One Piece before I do, I won't—"

Penny scrunched her nose. Shanks had never shown any desire to be King of the Pirates and in all honesty, Penny didn't find any use in it either. "You'll have your own crew. We'll be enemies by then."

"No, we won't," said Luffy simply. "I'll just bring you with me."

Penny's breath faltered. "Why?"

Luffy didn't even need a moment to think. "I don't know the kinds of things you do."

Though she had explained it once, Luffy didn't seem to care much about the semantics of her Devil Fruit abilities. All he cared about was the fact that she could make him as much food as he wanted. Penny leaned forward, offering Luffy a napkin. "Come steal me away when you're older, then."

"We'll need a cook and a musician and an ambientator—"

"A navigator."

"Yeah, that! And we'll be the greatest crew in the world and have the best adventures!"

It sounded like a dream, but Penny was starting to learn that the border between dream and reality blurred when you were a pirate.

How could she say no to that?


Monkey D. Garp came to Foosha Village the same day a storm shook the island. Rain slapped against the houses, making water leak into Penny's room. She set up a series of bowls to catch the droplets and sat down by the window watching lightning flash through the sky.

And then Luffy threw the door open to her room, dragging her out by the hand until they got to his house. And old man sat on his porch, watching the storm intently. Penny wrung out her hair and went inside the house to get Luffy a towel. Once Luffy was wrapped up and warm, she faced the old man.

Monkey D. Garp had an intense glare. Penny had an even better one and thought that the old man smelled too much like smoke and the sea for her to take seriously.

"You're a Marine?" asked Penny, unable to hide her disgust. Thunder cracked across the sky. Luffy snickered behind his hand—too loudly because the old man's hand came crashing down on his head. Penny's eyes widened as Luffy's laughter rose to a new height.

"What'd you do that for?" demanded Penny, hands on her hips. Luffy didn't look like it hurt him any bit, but the only one allowed to beat him up was her.

Garp threw his head back and laughed too. "He'll never be a good Marine without learning to be strong."

"Luffy's going to be King of the Pirates, why would he be a Marine?"

The fist came in her direction next, but Penny was used to making her way through swinging swords and pirate battles. Ducking low, she dodged the blow and glared at the old man again.

"Don't talk back to your elders!"

Luffy smiled widely. "Shishishishi, that's Gramps' Fist of Love."

Penny snorted, "I don't accept it."

Garp seemed to grow bigger as he stepped toward her. Penny pulled her hair off her neck, trying to fan away her slight fever. "I saved Luffy's life, so you should respect me a bit more, Marine-san. It's not every day a pirate does something nice for free."

Garp picked her up by the ankle and shook her. Penny hung limply, hair dragging across the wood and admired the way the rain looked upside down while the old man lectured her about being a lady and reforming from a life of crime now that she was safe from pirates. The clouds in Foosha Village were idyllic and worthy of being captured in paint, but today they were furious and stretched across the sky in streaks of grey.

"LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE'S SPEAKING, GIRL!"

"I'm dizzy and my name is Penny, not girl. It's nice to meet you."

Garp set her back on her feet and glared at her heavily, before his face faded to a kinder expression. She wondered if he pitied her because she looked sickly. "Monkey D. Garp—I heard you've got a quick mind for a brat."

"I do."

"Can we keep her?" asked Luffy, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I wanna keep her."

"That's impossible," said Penny. "I refuse to stay in the same house as my enemy."

Luffy gnawed at her elbow, biting down in a mirror spot of her injured arm. "It's just Gramps."

"It's a matter of principle. Besides, Shanks left me with Makino-san and I'd rather stay with her until he comes back."

"Where are you from?" asked Garp. His arms were the size of her torso, which was astounding because Luffy didn't even falter when punched.

"Somewhere."

"Orphan?"

"Yes."

"Tch." Garp's mouth twisted to the side. "You could've ended somewhere worse. I'll pretend I heard nothing about you being a pirate."

"Thank you, Garp-san!"

"Don't thank me! If you're staying in my village, I'll knock the piracy out of your head before you leave."

"I'm ill, so you shouldn't hit me."

"With what?"

"King Mamba venom."

Garp held his belly as he laughed loud enough to drown out the next roll of thunder. He too was like a storm, but in a different way than Luffy was. More dangerous, but less impactful. Penny thought that Luffy's family wasn't what she expected, but it was a pleasant surprise.


"The ocean makes me sick," Penny dipped her feet into the water anyway, wading out until the waves brushed against her knees. "But it's also the best thing out there."

Garp had accompanied them down to the beach today, using the opportunity to throw Luffy into the water as survival training. Luffy took to it rather well, clawing his way back to shore with a surety that Penny likely would never have.

"Lame!" declared Luffy.

Penny wilted. "I'm dying. Be nice to me."

"You're alive," boomed Garp and then aimed a rock at her. His newspaper covered his face, but he seemed capable of watching them despite it. "If you were going to die, you would've done it already. Quit your whining and learn how to swim!"

Penny smiled and waved her fingers awkwardly. "I can't do that."

"Devil fruit bastards," muttered Garp turning back to his newspaper.

Penny didn't think she had the power or energy to beat up the old man, so she let the insult slide. In all honesty, the fatigue that the ocean offered offset some of the pain she felt. Her arm burned, but it seemed like whatever was in her body was slowly traveling outward, greedy hands reaching for her heart. Fever was a near constant companion these days.

"Penny, come play!"

"How old are you again? Three? Four?"

"SIX! I'M SIX YEARS OLD!"

"You're short," said Penny, snorting to herself. She was pretty sure she was twice as tall at his age. "Maybe you should eat some more vegetables or something."

Luffy nearly had steam coming out of his ears at the suggestion. His cheeks puffed out and he stomped over to her, splashing salt water with every step. "That's just a lie so you can steal my meat!"

Penny gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. "How'd you know?!"

Luffy puffed his chest out proudly. "Shanks told me you were a backstabber."

"I'll definitely be stabbing something when he comes back."

He looked at her for a long moment and then smiled toothily, laying down in the sand next to her. The ocean tickled their feet and the setting sun above them lit the sky a burnt orange. Luffy's hair brushed against her shoulder.

"I'm taking a nap."

"But…"

"Nap."

He opened one eye, looking at the sweat building on her neck. Penny didn't usually look sick, but it must've taken all her strength to stay with him. He grinned, hiding his eyes beneath his arm. What an odd person.

"Thank you," murmured Penny.

Luffy was already snoring


Garp came and went twice before Shanks returned. His time away was long enough that Penny had grown angry with him and refused to speak to him while her new treatment was administered. She was not sure if this cure was working or if she was simply lying to herself about feeling a bit better. It would take days to check if it held or not.

"Why are you here?" asked Penny as she gathered some garbage with rubber gloves. Her angry scowl reminded Luffy of the kittens that regularly tried to claw him. "I'm not talking to you anymore!"

"Come on, Penny," said Shanks, leaning against the top of her head. He dug his elbow into her hair, but she refused to budge. "I said sorry three times already."

"Get away from me!"

Luffy wiggled his arms in the air, giving her a toothy smile. "Where's your blanket? I'll put it down!"

"No! I'm not done cleaning!"

"Dirt is dirt," said Shanks around a mouthful of the cake he snatched from Penny's basket.

Penny rocked back and forth on her heels, torn between staying mad and laughing at the frosting on his nose. "And a pig is a pig, but we don't eat you for dinner."

Shanks laughed.

"Where'd you get the cake?" asked Luffy as Beckman took pity on Penny and helped her clear the remaining bits of trash that had wound up in the grass from the pirates partying.

"Here," said Shanks, taking a chunk out of the slice he held and handing it to Luffy.

"There are forks," wailed Penny, face heating up as it always did when she was getting ready to cry.

"It's faster this way." Luffy jumped out of the way as Shanks reached into his coat and pulled out an unopened bottle of wine. "Want a piece?"

Penny thumped herself on the forehead, leaving a bright red mark. "One day, I hope I'm as dumb as you."

"Huh? You wanna fight?"

Her annoyance melted away and she laughed lightly. Shanks had come back and Luffy was still Luffy. The world seemed a bit brighter, her pain a bit duller. There was no thoughts of living or dying. Just cake, her annoying Captain and his crew, and Luffy who had wrapped himself around her holding her in place.


"It was this big," said Shanks, stretching on his toes to demonstrate how large the Praying Mantis had been on the island where they found some rare plant that would help leech away the last of the venom in Penny's body. "And had pincers the size of my head. If it wasn't for my incredible strength—"

"I bet it bit you and got alcohol poisoning. Did you and Yasopp-san go day drinking again?"

"How'd you know?"

"I saw you trying to flirt with Makino-san," said Penny. Her face gave nothing away, but Shanks could read the mischief in her eyes easily enough. "Is that why you wanted to stay at her house tonight?"

"You're a kid. Don't think about things like that." His tone suggested that copious amounts of alcohol would be consumed.

"That's not a no," mused Penny. Pirates, she found, got rather lovesick after seeing no one but one another for weeks on end. Penny wondered if they realized the obvious solution to their problem was to fall in love with one another or stick to land. Beckman could always be found chatting up a woman he met wherever they landed. Penny thought he was cool enough to get away with it, but Shanks had never seemed as interested.

Shanks grabbed a bottle from the picnic basket, pouring half the liquid into his glass and nursed it as if it was a newborn baby. If there was such a thing as land-legs, he desperately needed them. Balancing on ground that didn't move was always an awkward experience.

Dusk turned the sky a fierce red and Penny found something poetic about it. Red Hair Pirates. A red sky at dusk.

"Were you lonely when we were gone?"

"No—Makino-san is very nice and Luffy's insane. It was a good balance."

"We'll be here for a while, so you can stay with them as long as you want."

Penny faltered, eyes turning to stare at Luffy and Lucky wrestling in the grass. "I'll get better."

"We've got the best doctor in the world. Nothing's going to happen to you, but until you get better, it might be a better idea to—"

"Okay."

"Really? You won't fight me on it?"

"Promise me that you won't leave and disappear."

"There's no going back from abandoning your crewmates."

Penny looked at Shanks, at all of the Red Hair pirates, and wondered when they had gotten so far away from her.


Luffy was a bit like Shanks, but he was also nothing like him at all. They shared the same love for fun and adventure, but the serious side of the Captain, the one that plotted and had a million plans and was cautious about things like balance and death, didn't exist in Luffy.

He went forward without looking back. Penny, who had little in her past worth remembering, wished she could hold some of Luffy's brightness within her.

"Penny's going to be on my crew!" announced Luffy, standing on a chair in Makino's bar. His announcement made the room roll with laughter.

"What's this? A Davy Back?" asked Monster, climbing onto Penny's shoulder as he laughed. "You're stealing our Cabin Girl away?"

"Apprentice," corrected Penny and Beckman at once. Beckman tipped his glass in her direction.

"I don't know what that is," admitted Luffy, not at all bothered by the jeering. "We're gonna go on the greatest adventure ever! And I'll be Pirate King and Penny will be—hey, what're you gonna do?"

"Stay safe?"

"Say something real!"

Penny thought for a moment. "I'll make sure no one ever catches us."

Luffy smiled, eyes shining.

Shanks raised his glass, holding it high over his head. "Let's wish him luck, lads!" His Straw Hat came off his head, landing on Penny's. "We're not handing her over without a fight."

Luffy grinned back.

Penny had half a mind to steal the damn hat and run away on her own.

It seemed like far less trouble.


END CHAPTER