Alright! finally done with this thing. (No joke, I literally spent like 7 hours writing and proofreading this 3 times)

Just a quick disclaimer, from this point on, I WILL include some OC (Original Characters) in this story. You don't need to care in the least about them or what happens to them, (unless you want to of course) as most of them will only be around for 1 or 2 chapters tops.

(Well, maybe I will have just one exception later on :)

Warning, I repeat, WARNING, this story contains some pretty gruesome explanations regarding injuries and is very heavy on death, even of some beloved characters. A bit of swearing too, but not more than what can be expected for a normal One piece fanfic :)

Here's the chapter:

Chapter 3: The happy before the tragedy

"As I said, this guy I knew once could easily take out at least 5 monsters with ease! I met 'em when I was sailing around in the West blue, he was a real barbarian I tell ya."

"Wheally!? That sounds awhesome!" Came and unclear reply from Luffy whose mouth was currently filled with delicious meat.

The man making the bold claim was one of the bigger and more rough-around-the-edges kinda guys (aka Hans) here in Foosha village, even if he was an old geezer. He took a big and satisfying sip from the sake-filled mug in his hands to clear his throat, completely emptying it in a only a few mere gulps.

Around them, the party was already in full motion and the villagers were fully enjoying themselves. The preparations had taken a while to complete, so when everybody had prepared, and (most importantly) when the food finally was ready, the sky had already turned dark and night had arrived.

The villagers had built a big fire, not too massive or dangerous, but still of an appropriate size to cook the meat, which they had all gathered around. Some of the drunken men were already singing and happily dancing around the flames, while most of the women were busy distributing liquor and meat to those still eating.

Luffy had sat impatiently and waited, refusing to help out while he was still hungry. Makino had fed him with a sigh, but after his energy had been restored, Luffy had been rushing around, helping the men chopping wood, carried the many barrels of liquor into the plaza, and, of course, dragged the dead bear the last bit of the way into Foosha village where the party took place.

That had been over an hour ago, so it was needless to say, that the small rubber kid had was already starving yet again.

Luffy had found himself a nice spot on the ground close to the fire where more meat was constantly getting served, so he with his rubber arms easily could reach for more. For the last couple of minutes, he had been sitting and eating non-stop while listening to the very intriguing story of "that one time our ship wrecked in a storm and we were forced to steal from a thief to not starve to death."

"Of course it's true! The man was merciless, and killed even women and children to steal from them! Plus, he was a 18 feet tall giant I tell you! My crew and I barely escaped with our lives intact," he bragged yet again.

"Needles killing is stupid! I don't like that guy!" Luffy concluded, frowning as he madly took another bite from the chunk of meat in his hands.

"Oi Hans! You shouldn't tell Luffy lies like that!" Another old man from a nearby group yelled teasingly.

3...

"Oh god… here they go again…"

2...

"Do they never grow up? They're like children fighting over whose sandcastle is the most impressive…"

1...

"You shut up Gen! Although we both used to be sailors, my crew was always better than yours, and you know it! You were a pathetic bunch, nothing but cowards which is why you just didn't experience anything interesting enough to tell of!"

"What was that!?"

"You heard me! You retired a year earlier than me, all because you found the dangers of the sea too overwhelming, right… coward?"

"Well, at least I actually accomplished something with my voyages! What's the most valuable merchandise you've ever managed to bring back, huh… useless?"

Their fury-filled eyes met, and electricity crackled from the death-glares the two old rivals were giving each other. Even if they were now way past the age of 30, even 40, their minds would forever remain as that of some 10-year olds.

"Shishishishishishi! You old geezers sure are funny!" A big pure smile of joy spread across Luffy's face as he laughed happily from the unserious drabble the two older men were having.

The child's comment was enough to make the two stubbornly turn their backs to each other. They simultaneously growled at a nearby woman to get them some more sake, and from that point on, no more insults were heard from either of them.

Makino, who like many others, had just witnessed their childish fight, chuckled in delight.

The green-haired woman was sitting on the ground as well, currently just taking a short break from cooking. It had taken the convincing of countless women plus Luffy's puppy-dog eyes to finally get her to relax and enjoy the party as well. She was used to working hard and had insisted that she could keep cooking, but to no avail.

'Gen and Hans… those two will never change no matter how old they might be…'

She smiled widely from the thought, though her attention (it was instinct at this point) quickly shifted to Luffy instead. The poor boy had just run out of meat to devour. As soon as a woman carrying a meat-filled tray walked past him, Luffy stretched his arms and snatched it all in an instant, shocking the poor lady who fell on her bum from shock, though immediately calmed down as she saw it had just been Luffy.

A quick "Sorry!" could be heard from the smiling and giggling boy before his mouth yet again got filled with meat, and any words he from then on uttered was incomprehensible.

"Hmp. You'd imagine that he'd be a least a little bigger and less scrawny and skinny after eating that much…"

Woop Slap, who had made himself comfortable on the ground beside Makino, looked worried at the kid, getting the usual uneasy and worried feeling in his stomach whenever that topic was mentioned by himself or by someone else.

Luffy was still going at it, and was even earning some… well, utmost surprised looks from the nearby adults by how quickly that mountain of meat before him was disappearing.

Despite the amount he was scarfing down, everybody knew he would remain a skinny and tiny kid... even when he would gain a lot of weight (which usually always happened when the amount of food he devoured passed what a normal human body should be able to contain) all he needed to return to the worrisome state of a helpless-looking child was to just run or sleep it off.

It had been that way his entire life, though especially after eating his devil fruit had it become clear that Luffy was smaller and much thinner than a boy his age should be…

Even as much as Woop Slap yelled at Luffy, told him he was a rude little ungrateful brat, and got worked up when he was ignored, Makino knew he truly did care for the child and for his health, and just like herself, he too was worried about if something was actually wrong with the ever-smiling kid... something that maybe could cause him problems as he grew older, or could lead to him getting a disease or something...

"Let's just give it a little time, for now, Mayor. Luffy's still just a child, which means he still has time left to get bigger, hopefully. Besides, even if he is small, he's growing stronger and stronger for each passing day. If we keep worrying about something like his size, then it really won't be easy for us to let go once he set out to sea, right?" Makino said trying her best to smile.

It was, however, a clear as the sky on a cloudless day that the green-haired woman wasn't looking forward to having to say goodbye to the boy who she had known and protected before he could even talk or walk.

"Makino… you really like that reckless little brat, don't you?" Woop Slap asked though the answer was very very obvious. He smiled, something which was incredibly rare for the ever-grumpy major.

Makino remained silent, gazing at the ground with a frown. That shining look of protectiveness and worry could be spotted clearly in her eyes, proving the mayor's observation to be accurate.

It was true that Makino cared deeply for that kid. If anything, she'd be the happiest if she could forever be there and take care of him, but she knew Luffy wasn't the kind of kid who'd be satisfied with that.

He had a dream… to set out to sea and become the king of all pirates. It sounded adorable when it came from his mouth, and Makino honestly had no clue if he could even do it, but she wasn't gonna try to stop him from doing what he desired.

If he succeeded, she'd be there and cheer for him every step of the way until he had reached his goal…

If he failed, she'd be there waiting and happily welcome him back with open arms, no matter what he might have done as a pirate...

Whichever of the two would be fine with her really, but most of all, she just wished for Luffy to be happy. With that thought, she pushed her own emotions aside with an innerly sigh and let a smile spread on her lips as she glanced over at Luffy yet again.

The boy had joined in on dancing around the fire. Being the little bundle of energy that he was, he stood out by dancing more… well, creatively and widely, certainly. He was singing loudly and was slightly off tune, but… at least he seemed to be having an endless amount of fun while doing it.

She couldn't help but let out an innocent chuckle of happiness by the adorable sight.

"I'll be fine, mayor. I just gotta make sure to enjoy the last few years we have together as much as possible, right?"

Woop Slap said nothing to this particular comment.

"Hmp! Guess that means we'll have to put up with that brat for 3 more years! And what a disgrace it is to Foosha and to his grandpa that he wants to be a pirate! Honestly, that boy is nothing but-"

The mayor's complaint was cut short.

"Oi, just what do you guys think you're doing!? No pouring alcohol on the flowers, you hear me!?"

In just the blink of an eye, the small old man was on his feet and madly running towards a couple of drunken villagers who seemed to have gotten the idea into their heads that the flowers should also be let in on the fun of their party.

Yeeaaahhhh… there definitely was a reason, a very good one at that, as to why Foosha village did not often throw parties such as this one.

Makino laughed at the mayor's attempt to scold the adults for their stupidity and for managing to get themselves that drunk. As usual, the grown-ups, however, just ignored the tiny pouting man, much to the poor old man's dismay and annoyance. Strange as it would seem to any outsider, an elderly man who also just so happened to be the mayor of the entire village being ignored completely and even laughed at, here at Foosha, it was a common occurrence, which also proved that Woop Slap would never change either.

Suddenly though, like a bolt of lightning striking from a clear blue sky, Makino remembered… she remembered something that had been sitting in the back of her mind for the last weak, which she, unfortunately, had completely forgotten about until now.

"That's right! Oi, Luffy, Ace-kun was in the news not too long ago."

Just the mention of his older brother's name seemed to be more than enough to catch Luffy's full attention.

"What!? Ace was!?"

Luffy sprang from where he was currently standing, and (despite his short legs), only took a few steps before he plopped down on the ground into a comfortable position right by Makino's side.

Even if Luffy was usually extraordinarily impatient and, for the love of Oda, could not sit still, this was one of the rare exceptions to his usual behavior. Few things interested the simple-minded kid, Luffy.

Except for, of course, his big brother, another certain red-haired pirate was also a very intriguing subject for Luffy, one who he could - and would - talk for hours upon hours about when given the chance. Anything involving pirates and exciting adventures would, of course, also successfully make the boy light up with excitement.

"How is he? Do you know what he's doing!? Where is he right now!?"

Luffy began rapidly asking Makino questions, not stopping to give her a chance to answer even a single one.

He just couldn't help it. Not that he was worried about Ace or anything of the sort! He was strong after all, stronger than him, and strong enough to currently be having an amazing adventure of his own - one Luffy was very much interested in hearing about.

Nothing outstanding ever happened here on Dawn Island. Sure, Luffy didn't mind staying here for now while he was still training, but he seriously couldn't wait for the day he got to set out to sea too!

"Well…" Makino began as soon as Luffy ran out of breath and questions to ask.

"Seems like Ace-kun has decided to join up with the Whitebeard pirates. Not only that, but his bounty has skyrocketed after he was even appointed to be the new commander of the second division. That makes him one of the most infamous and dangerous pirates out there, quite amazing, isn't it?"

Luffy though, stared bluntly into the air, blinking in confusion as his brain was still processing the green-haired woman's words.

...

"EEHHHHHHH!? You mean to tell me Ace has joined another pirate crew!?"

"Yeah, I was shocked too when I read it. You two always used to fight to no end over who would get to be the captain..." She giggled from the fond memory. "Who would have thought he would end up sailing under the flag of someone else after all those years..?"

Makino turned her gaze to the burning flames of the fire. According to the news, Ace had even gained the nickname "Fire Fist" Ace, and from his wanted poster alone, Makino could only assume he too had eaten a devil fruit, just like Luffy.

She missed the boy as well… Even if she didn't know him to the same extent as Luffy, she still cared deeply for him and had many cherished memories of the time she had spent teaching the boys manners. (Ah yes, that never failed to make her laugh)

"Say Luffy, are you upset that Ace-kun isn't the captain of his own crew?"

"Upset? Of course not! If Ace joined up with those guys, then that must mean that he really trusts them! After everything that's happened, I'm just happy Ace managed to find some people he likes!" Luffy exclaimed, smiling brightly from relief.

Ace really had never been one to trust others… with the exception of himself, Makino, and maybe Dadan, Ace never let his guard down when he was in the presence of anybody… It was like you could always feel a certain something lurking in Ace's shadow... hatred, disgust, fear, anguish, loneliness… all those bad emotions which had led Ace to completely distrust everybody.

Well, all that just gave him all the more reason to be thankful and happy on Ace's behalf. If he ever met these supposed Whitebeards, he'd thank them personally for taking care of Ace.

"...Ah! But, Makino, when I set out, I'm not gonna join anybody, got that?"

Luffy added that last sentence just to be sure Makino wouldn't end up thinking he would do the same. No! He was gonna be the pirate king. The pirate king couldn't work under somebody. He was supposed to be the freest person on the 6 seas, one who'd also get to experience an amazing adventure while searching for and discovering the legendary One Piece!

"Of course, of course." Makino agreed, being fully aware that the child really meant what he claimed.

"Oi, Luffy, don't just hang around Makino!"

"Yeah, ever since Garp-san dragged you off to train on your own in the mountain, none of us have gotten to see you, you know!"

"Not now! I wanna hear about Ace!" Luffy said rudely.

"Oh, c'mon kiddo! Don't be shy, this party is thanks to you and in your honor after all!"

The villagers completely ignored the boys complaining and merely laughed like the drunk and carefree people that they were. They ended up dragging Luffy away from Makino, much to Luffy's annoyance. The villagers were, however, quickly forgiven when the kid was handed more meat to chow on, and he, surprisingly enough, soon temporarily forgot about Ace as more and more people swarmed around the boy, eager to tell him stories Luffy quickly became just as eager to listen to.

One story, in particular, seemed to catch Luffy's attention… something about an island in the grand line where littered giants were viciously fighting every single day. (Of course, the man who told the story had never been to said island… it was really just a myth a good friend of his had told him once). That had certainly managed to entertain Luffy, whose eyes sparkled from awe and excitement.

Makino watched from afar with a relaxed smile on her face. Even if it was getting pretty late and they'd soon have to stop for the night, she wished the party could last longer… she wished that Luffy's laughter, which also inevitably made all the villagers laugh loudly alongside him, could last longer…

But it wouldn't be long before the 14-year old would tire and possibly fall asleep right where he was standing, and that would kinda mark the end of the banquet.

"You just gonna sit there and stare at him for the remaining time… ?" a voice suddenly said, snapping Makino back to reality.

The surprised green-haired woman gazed over at the owner of the voice and saw a close friend of hers, a chestnut-haired woman with a ponytail and apron. She was staring down at Makino with that utter look of disbelief on her face. She nearly looked like she wanted to shake her head from how hopeless Makino could be sometimes.

"Oh, Ava. Sorry, I didn't notice you."

The woman named Ava placed her hands of her hips and let out a deep long sigh, shaking her head from disappointment.

"You see, this is the problem, Makino. Loosen up a bit, would you? You're way too tense! Even you have to take your eyes off of the kid every now and then. Trust me, as a mother to five children, I really should know."

Ava smiled cheekily.

"Well, it just so happens that I'm not Luffy's mother, which means that you don't get to give advice on what I should and shouldn't do," Makino pouted annoyed, turning away her head to prevent further eye contact after that last 'insult.'

That reaction proved why Ava and Makino were considered to be such close friends. It wasn't many people who could get the forever-loving and caring Makino to be annoyed in such a way.

But Makino knew, of course. She knew she wasn't Luffy's mother… technically, she had nothing to do with the boy. She wasn't scared of admitting that. That was simply the truth, after all. But just 'cause they weren't officially family, Makino sure as hell cared for Luffy as if he truly was her son… even if she had been a mere 12 years old when he was born, she had still always been a part of his carefree joyous life and had made it her responsibility to look out for the child.

Luffy simply was that kind of kid. He and his smile were so so precious, something Makino knew she wasn't alone in wanting to protect.

"Come on now, Makino. Don't be like that. Even you gotta admit you're being a little clingy, right? Being clingy isn't good for your skin."

"Who told you that?"

"My mom. She was a strict woman, one who also told me to encourage my friend to let loose a bit sometimes."

Ava stretched out her arm, offering Makino a helping hand.

"What do you say? Help a good old fried fetch some water to put out this fire…? I'm sure it won't be long before the guys will start dropping like flies. Us girls gotta be at least a little responsible, you know? Clean up after those drunkasses," Ava said slyly.

Makino furrowed her brows. Seriously? Like, seriously seriously? Teasing her, and then the very next second asking for her help?

Yup, sure as hell seemed like the Ava Makino knew.

The green-haired woman sighed deeply, knowing (from experience. Man, Ava had, even after 15 years, not forgotten that time Makino had had her first crush and then been so distracted she had messed up all the work in the bar) that there was no way she could refuse, or she'd never hear the end of Ava's teasing.

Makino accepted Ava's help to stand, causing a big grin of victory to spread across Ava's delighted face.

"That's the spirit! Come on come on, let's go!"

Ava grabbed Makino's wrist, forcefully dragging her away. Away from the party, away from the laughter and singing, and away from Luffy and the others. For a second, Makino almost felt like complaining (Ava's grip was too tight, and they hadn't told anybody where they were going) but in the end, didn't as it wouldn't matter anyway to Ava.

As they walked further and further away from the party, it became not only darker but a lot chillier as well. Without the fire to heat them up, and with a mild, though cool breeze blowing from behind, the temperature was quickly dropping. It only proved the long scorching summer with lukewarm nights was ending, and autumn filled with wind and rain was quickly approaching.

Despite getting a few goosebumps from the cold, Makino smiled warmly. She didn't know why exactly, but she did.

Maybe that's how Luffy always felt when he smiled. Always, in almost every memory Makino had of the boy, (except for that one time he had his tearful goodbye with a certain redhead she herself had come to like) he was always smiling. Makino had since long ago given up on trying to find a reason as to why. Her best current guess was, "well, Luffy was simply being Luffy," and honestly, that was probably the best answer she would ever be able to find no matter how long or hard she thought.

The night sky was clear of clouds, providing a perfect view of the sparkling stars and half-full moon. Aside from the sounds of the party still going strong in the far-off distance, it was amazingly quiet. No animals, no people… just her and Ava's footsteps as they continued down the path on their quest to grab some water.

The silence was awfully calming...(Makino's quickly realized how tired she actually was), so much so that the poor woman nearly jumped from surprised when Ava suddenly spoke up:

"Say, Makino. Have you ever thought about getting a child? I mean, I know you've already got your hands full with Luffy and all, but… what about one that's truly yours? A son or a daughter who'll be with you from the very moment they're born and hopefully by your side when you… you know."

Ava's playful tone from before was completely gone, and only the proud and forever-loving mother even Ava would sometimes become was showing. She looked directly into Makino's eyes with a shiny glint of curiosity in her fawn eyes.

Makino's brows furrowed.

No. Surprisingly, she never had thought of that before.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just curious."

It went silent again, only this time, it felt a bit more awkward. Unlike normal where they would both just choose to keep quiet, this was more like neither of them knew exactly how to continue their conversation. Luckily for both of them, it didn't last more than a few drawn-out seconds:

"Hey, Makino?"

"Yes?"

"You'd make a damn fine mother, you know that?"

Makino immediately felt her cheeks turn red from the compliment, and she turned her gaze to the ground, avoiding looking into Ava's honest eyes. Nobody had ever told her that - well, at least not as direct as this.

Ava laughed loudly from how easily she had managed to embarrass her friend. She had meant it though. Makino was the most caring and sweet-hearted person she had never met. Honestly, what shocked her the most was that she still didn't have a kid, aside from Luffy, of course.

"Thanks, Ava…" Makino said quietly - whispered almost - as if to prevent Ava from hearing.

The brown-haired woman, however, did hear. Loud and clear. She smiled (typical Luffy fashion) and gave Makino a hard pat on the back, causing her to stumble and nearly trip on her face.

"Hey, if I can't even make you embarrassed, then what the hell are we friends for?" Ava snickered. She looked ahead of them yet again. Even though it was night, their path was clear thanks to the moon, and the well easy to spot in the distance.

"There it is. Now, all we hafta' do is get that water, and we'll be back before you know it, Makino."

O-o-O-o-O

*Splash*

Makino dropped the bucket in her hands, letting all the water inside go to waste as it quickly sank into the dirt, turning it into mud. She hadn't meant to let it go after she and Ava had finally returned… it was an accident, though currently, a bit of spilled liquid was the least of her worries.

"What did… you say..?"

Her voice was shaking… filled with fear from the shock she had just received. Even though she knew this reaction seemed a bit extreme, she couldn't hide it. She was scared.

"Yeah, I'm tellin ya. You gals just missed him. Luffy left just a minute ago… said he still was hungry n' went back to his house to get some meat or somethin'." A drunk man, one who looked to be on the edge of passing out, explained.

"Is something wrong Makino?" Ava's voice was filled with worry. She had been so relaxed and cheery just a minute ago, and yet for some reason, hearing Luffy had left had been more than enough to get Makino to panic.

"Well…"

All eyes turned to look at Makino, awaiting an answer from the woman in anticipation. It had turned completely silent throughout the village plaza, and the villagers felt themselves get more and more uneasy the longer Makino's silence lasted.

She bit her lip (not hard or to hurt herself, though, just because she was having tough thoughts).

She had no reason not to tell the villagers why this was bad and what was going on...

She was concerned about Luffy. Even when Garp had been crazy enough to drag a 7-year-old up into the monster-filled forest, she hadn't felt quite the same. Ace, and later Sabo, and been there to protect him, and Dadan (despite never admitting it) was looking out for all three of them as well.

This was different from back then. Luffy was mostly on his own now, left to fend for himself. And something was there… something or someone that hadn't been there before. It was dangerous, dangerous enough to take out a bear. From the looks of it, it seemed like it had shot to death but, there had been no bullets inside its flesh when they had butchered it… so then, what was it?

"I..it's just strange when you think about it… that bear died somehow, but Luffy wasn't the one to kill it. He merely dragged it here so it wouldn't go to waste." Makino explained hesitantly.

A few villagers let out a sigh of relief. Now they knew what was up, and that Makino was clearly just overreacting a bit.

"I just thought it was those damn mountain bandits. They have guns, right? You shouldn't worry about Luffy running into them, though, he seems to have been able to avoid them up till now, and besides, they're probably asleep now anyway."

"Y-yeah, I guess that's right." Makino tried to avoid letting her voice shake or sound unsure, but didn't succeed.

'Of course.. they don't know Luffy's been living with Dadan-san and the others all this time. All they were ever told was that Luffy was dragged up to live in the mountain… I doubt the majority of the villagers even know about Ace-kun. It's supposed to be a secret, though, so I can't tell them…'

She turned her gaze towards Woop Slap who was sitting nearby and let their eyes meet. His eyes were brimming with worry, much like her own, and Makino was certain he was thinking the exact same as her.

"Makino. If you're that worried, then why not just go and check up on him? I'll happily tag along, though knowing Luffy, he'll be back before we're gonna get very-"

A sudden sound caused Ava to stop mid-sentence.

Loud panting. Footsteps. Footsteps from a small group of people from the sound of it, and they were running… approaching them quickly.

The villagers remained completely silent, furrowing their brows. It would make sense to hear such things if it was just one person (that being Luffy), but why a group…?

Who could possibly be…?

In the very next instance, five people ran into view from behind a house. The two in front differed a lot in since, one of them resembling a chicken (he had a red cockscomb on top of his head) while being at least 2 feet taller than any ordinary adult, and the other being considerably small like a child, though his little amount of facial hair (it certainly wasn't a beard or mustache) proved otherwise.

The villagers instantly recognized these men as members of the Dadan family - the mountain bandits they had just told Makino not to worry about. They gulped, not only feeling scared of the infamous criminals before them but couldn't help but feel that Makino's worry maybe wasn't for nothing after all…

"Magra-san! Dogra-sa-!"

Makino instantly slapped her hand across her mouth to stop herself from saying another word.

'That was close…'

Fortunately for the woman, nobody, not even Ava who stood right beside her, seemed to currently be paying her any attention.

Something seemed… wrong, though. Horribly wrong. They were all considerably exhausted, looking like they were about to faint or something, and panic was written all over their sweaty faces…

"W-what…?"

"B-but you're members of the Dadan family, aren't you…?"

"What are you doing here!?"

The villagers began freaking out and slowly backing away from the dangerous people.

Dogra, Magra, and the three random men (they had split into sensible groups in case they'd have to fight), however, couldn't care less about how scared the villagers might be of them now. They had been searching relentlessly for the last many hours, at the river, inside any hollow tree, turned every leaf and stone, and looked basically at all the places Luffy used to train. Foosha was their last bet… their last hope for finding and warning Luffy.

He needed to get away… away from Dawn Island where those dangerous people were still looking for him just as hard as they were. Even if it was too soon… Luffy could... make it work somehow. Maybe he could contact Ace (he surely would accept him) or find another island to hide out on. No matter what, that was certainly better than for him to stay on this island. Those guys knew Luffy was here, and they weren't gonna give up before they would find them. They had all shivered in terror as they thought of what could possibly happen if Luffy was caught...

Dogra desperately looked around in the crowd, trying to spot the straw-hat wearer, but only felt himself get more and more restless when he was nowhere to be seen. That's when his gaze fell upon Makino. Her eyes were filled with fear and her hand was closed tightly on her chest… if one looked closely enough, you'd even be able to see her shaking.

She was scared. Not by the presence of the mountain bandits she had befriended, (she never would ever be scared of the Dadan family again) but instead by their utmost unusual and worrisome behavior.

Wasting no time, Dogra jumped at Makino, causing her to flinch from surprise and nearby villagers to tense up, scared he was attacking and hurting her. He didn't, though. He simply grabbed her arms tightly and forced their gazes to meet so he knew he had her full attention.

"Makino, listen! do you know where Luffy is!? There's no time to explain, but… Luffy's… Luffy's in danger! We've been looking everywhere for the past hours, but we couldn't find him! Please! Please if you know something, tell us!"

Small tears appeared in the corners of Dogra's eyes, though he forced them back. Now was not the time to cry or give up.

"W-wait, danger? What kind of danger? What are you saying, Dogra-san?"

Makino felt herself nearly freak out. Had she been right to worry all this time? Had… had whoever it was that killed that bear been searching for Luffy all along? If that was the case, then who was it? And why? What could they possibly want from him, a child!?

"Oi, oi! Hands of the lady… buddy…!"

One of the more heroic men put himself between the Dogra and Makino, not liking one bit how the bandit was clinging onto her. He forcibly ripped them apart, throwing Dogra across the ground (the man let out a yelp of pain) and ensured Makino's safety.

"Dogra!"

The fellow bandits hurried to their friend's side. He wasn't injured, just dirty. Dogra was quick to brush it off though (he had been worse), ignoring the rough treatment as he got to his feet.

"W-wait, Victor!" Makino stuttered. She didn't like seeing the bandits get hurt, and currently, she was more freaked out than she had been in a long time and did not need a fight to break out. She wanted answers, but beating up the bandits wouldn't provide any.

"Don't worry Makino, I won't allow them to hurt you," Victor said, giving her a somewhat unsure smile. He wasn't confident in his ability to fight, but he did have his honor. Nobody hurt a lady on his watch!

"P-please, just calm down. We swear we didn't come here for any trouble. We just need to know where Luffy is, and then we'll leave."

Magra raised his hands in surrender to further showcase that he meant no harm.

The villagers, however, seemed to be having none of that. Criminals… bandits were asking them where Luffy, the forever-smiling loving and adorable little child they all cared for, had gone? Was this some kind of sick joke? Did they honestly think they'd sell out one of their youngest that easily?!

Even if the inhabitants of Foosha had never seen battle… even if they were a weak bunch who had never even held a weapon… even so, they all felt anger swell up inside them, anger that demanded they fought back instead of cowering in a corner.

"S-screw you! Why should believe anything you guys say!?"

"I bet you're just making excuses!"

"That's right! Even if Luffy's just a kid, he's already faced all the dangerous of Dawn Island! There's nothing he can't take on by himself!"

"Leave! Scram! Give up on targeting Luffy, o-or e-else!"

Slowly, the villagers (thanks to the fighting spirit they never before knew they actually had) began encircling the bandits, blocking their only exit. It was only really meant as a warning, as none of them had never actually killed or seriously injured somebody else, but their anger was real.

"E-everybody…! Why don't you all just calm down, and let's talk about this!"

Makino desperately tried stopping them, but she was helplessly shoved aside. If they heard her, they seemingly didn't care about Makino's resolution. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to stare into Ava's face… the woman was also visibly upset… as close to angry as Makino had ever seen her.

"Makino. Isn't this what you were worried about? Just stand back, I know you don't like violence. Don't worry, nobody here is gonna let something happen to Luffy," She reassured.

Makino, despite how wrong this was, couldn't get herself to correct Ava, to tell her that those bandits were, well… certainly not as bad as they expected them to be, and that they were telling the truth about Luffy.

'Just what am I supposed to do!?'

"We won't sell out Luffy no matter what you guys might say, so why don't you turn tails and run back along t-t you-your…"

…

…

…

Suddenly, all fighting spirit left the villagers. Instead, they stood frozen on the spot, utterly bewildered by what they were beholding.

The… the bandits. Magra, the lackeys, even Dogra who they so rudely pushed to the ground hurt was… on their knees...bowing their heads to them.

Just what the hell… were they doing? What was that supposed to mean?

"Y-you guys think whatever the hell you want about us… you're right, after all, we're just a pathetic group of mountain bandits…! But if you really care about Luffy, then, please! Tell us where he is so we can go help him! We beg you..."

Dogra could no longer suppress his tears. Damn, it hurt, knowing one of the brats was in danger. They had sat by idly without a clue as to what was happening during that whole deal with Sabo… it had lead to his death, something they could probably have prevented if they had just involved themselves a bit earlier! They had let Sabo die and then let Ace and Luffy take all the blame... They wouldn't lose another one of those kids… how were they gonna explain that to Ace…? How could they possibly live with themselves if they allowed that!?

…

…

…

Well, this silence was certainly awkward.

It was clear from their tears, from the desperation that had been oh so clear in Dogra's voice that they weren't lying. They were telling the truth, but what exactly did that mean? Were they really implying that there was something that dangerous on Dawn island? As in Dawn Island that was here in the East Blue...? That they had a reason to not only be worried, but even scared for Luffy's life? What was-

"So, this is the village of windmills, Foosha village? Seems we've finally found some people who might know something useful…" An unfamiliar, yet (despite its calm tone) terrifying voice interrupted.

All heads turned in the direction of the owner. It was quite shocking, honestly, how such a big group had entered the village and gotten to close without anybody noticing them approaching. They wore total black suits, sunglasses, and hats to completely the shady look, and were almost invisible in the dark night.

Their leader (it was clear who it was, as he was the one in front) had been the one who had spoken. There was something about him… something… terrifying that made chills run down the spines of anybody who took a glance at him, telling them not to piss off this guy or dare try to lie to him.

As impossible as it seemed, the chilly night just suddenly got a lot colder.

"I am Rob Lucci, member of CP9 and sent here by the world government to find and capture Monkey. D Luffy. Since you all seem to be familiar with him, I ask you tell us his location… or, is it like you said? That you'll truly never sell him out to anybody…?"

O-o-O-o-O

"What… is this…?"

Luffy's knees buckled under his own weight. The shock he had received had caused his body to lock down, to suddenly feel extraordinarily heavy and hard to move, even the slightest…

It wasn't because he was exhausted after running all the way home to his treehouse… that was a trip he had taken countless times during the last 6 months. Even if he ran at full speed, he wouldn't as much as break a sweat any longer.

No, the only other time Luffy had felt like this had been back then… back when he was still an annoying little crybaby who constantly needed to be saved and to be protected by his two big much stronger brothers…

It was back then… back when he had heard that Sabo had died. That's exactly how he currently felt. Hopeless… weak… pathetic… as if had he just tried a little harder, this mess could have been avoided.

His eyes were already wide from fear and utter confusion… nothing was making sense…

How…? why!? when had this happened!? Was he dreaming or something? Was this just a horrible horrible nightmare, one that he would soon wake up from only to find everything to be fine…?

No. That couldn't be it.

If that was the case, then how come he felt himself trembling? How come no matter how hard he bit into his lip, all he felt was pain and the tickling feeling of blood running down his chin?

It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a dream. It. Wasn't. A dream.

This was real… this was, this was real!

The treehouse… his home. The treehouse he, Ace, and Sabo had spent weeks building was..! Even if it wasn't the prettiest thing to have ever existed, it was theirs! Their base, the place where they countless times had played pirates, a safe place to return to in this danger-filled forest where they had eaten, laughed, fought, slept - heck - even cried together…!

That very same place was… burning.

There was no saving it at this point, even Luffy could tell…

Most of it had already been burnt away completely...Their ASL jolly roger was now just a tiny piece of fluttering fabric, unrecognizable and incapable of intimidating anybody, as was the intention behind a jolly roger... The steering wheel Ace had been so proud of making had broken, crashed to the ground and splintered, sending fiery sparks flying everywhere... Their crows nest at the top looked more like a bowl with fire spouting out of it...

It was all just... gone…just like that! Slowly being consumed by flames before his very eyes.

Luffy didn't believe it. Not. One. Bit.

How? How had something like this happened..? How could he have allowed this to happen!? How could something he held so, something that contained many precious memories just…?

Luffy was on the verge of tears... he felt the familiar prickling sensation his eyes, and almost allowed the tears to swell up and start falling, if not for the clicking-sound of a bunch of guns being loaded behind him had been there to distract him.

"You're… Monkey D. Luffy, aren't you? Surrender yourself without resistance. Even if you are just a child, we won't hesitate to use force if necessary!"

The voice was unfamiliar and cold. Luffy didn't like it. Not one bit.

He slowly turned his head around to take a look at the bastard who had said that. He spotted a bunch of unfamiliar men wearing some ugly suits all pointing their guns at him at an attempt at intimidating.

He said nothing... Luffy felt all his grief, sorrow, and helplessness disappear as anger quickly began stirring up and taking over...

Who the hell were these guys..? How did they know his name…? Though, most importantly:

"Were...WERE YOU THE ONES TO DID THIS!?"

MUAHAHAHAHAHAH! I feel so evil leaving this chapter on this cliffhanger!

This is the point where I will say things will start getting... interesting. :)

I already have the next few chapters planned out, but... it's gonna take a while to write them since they're probably gonna be a bit longer than these first couple ones. Therefore, expect a few days waiting time before the new chapter will be out.

Thanks a lot to mjscev (strange name but whatever :) for being the first to review on my Onefic! Reviews are always highly appreciated, and I'll begin to reply once I get enough...

Thanks for reading!

-Cookie