Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, if I did Ace would not be dead.

A/N: This story takes place 2 years before the actual story. Luffy leaves at 15 instead of 17 so everything happens at 15 including the separation besides the battle of Marineford. Luffy will have two devil fruits in this!

Ch 3

Two months pass as the three get closer. Luffy had grown in his fox form now not looking like a kit, but a fully grown fox. He looked at his reflection in shock, Though still 7 he was full grown as a fox in a couple of month. 'What a strange devil fruit.'

Ace had grown to like the strange fox following him and Sabo around. The fox acted like a guaid of some sort. He would help them find more path through the forest and into grey terminal and out to the cliffs. Other times he would be the perfect look out when they would go hunting. Both Ace and Sabo had decided to do something when they saw someone trying to kill their fox friend one day. The person thought it was a stray dog and had tried to kill him. No tag, free game, it didn't take too long for the two to come up with something for their fox friend.

The new thing that Luffy had around his neck as a sting with a tag. The tag was shaped with a crescent moon and cross bones. One the tag was 'Property of Ace and Sabo' and on the back was, 'Mt. Corvo, Dawn Island'.

Luffy was a little surprised when Ace grabbed him one day while they were resting after training and slipped the string over his neck. He shook himself trying to get the new weight off while Ace and Sabo laughed. He remembered tilting his head and walking over to the water and finding the tag there. He only read what was on it when he was safely back at Dadan's. He couldn't help but smile a little at the tag.

Yawning Luffy got up after Ace and Sabo finished their spar. Ace so far was leading 58 to 42. He smiled happily at Ace's lead on the board. Sabo was getting better at fighting, but had nothing on Ace's brute strength.

"Hey let's go to Goa and dine and dash." Ace smiled at the thought.

"Why?" Sabo wiped his jacket off of the dust. He would need a new one soon.

Luffy snorted and shook his fur out. His tag jiggled as it was shaken as well bringing the two to look at him. Luffy gave a huff and pointed deeper into the forest and looked at them meaningfully. The two boys stared at each other before paleing. They dashed off to the tree house quickly hoping to hide from their gramps.

Luffy gave a laugh at their retrating figures. Thanks to his new intelligence and hearing he could here jiji coming from miles away. He took off back toward Dadan's and climbed through the window he leaves open everyday. Changing back and forth between his forms was getting easier on his body. At first it took a lot of concentration to change from, now it took the minimal amount.

'At this rate I maybe able to change with just the barest of thought.' He climbed to his feet and ran out of his room. 'I also need to hide from jiji first!' He panicked as he hid in some roots.

It didn't take long for him to hear the dreaded battle cry, "Fist of Love!" and the screams from Sabo and Ace. 'Well, he found them.' "Thought you could hid from Grampa's love!" He sweat dropped at this before running for his life, 'And he found me too!'

After a night of running from his Grandpa, he was happy to change form again and find his brothers. Sabo was on the ground groaning from his head still spinning. Ace was trying to get himself out of the tree he found himself hanging from. Deciding to check on Sabo who had yet to get himself off the ground, Luffy yiped at him. Sabo groaned and looked right at Luffy.

"Hey, Ace, Why are there two of our fox friend?" Sabo pointed a trembling finger at Luffy.

"Huh?" Ace glanced down and only saw one fox. "There's only one fox, Sabo." He finally freed himself from the tree.

Luffy groaned and moved over to Sabo. Nosing his muzzle under Sabo's head he managed to get the other to rest himself against his side. Huffing he glanced at Ace. Ace moved toward them before crossing his arms.

"Sabo, Let's go." Ace made to reach his brother when Luffy growled at him. Ace took in the way the fox's body was now positioned. Luffy's hackles were a little raised and his claws dug into the ground. His tail was raised and placed over Sabo in a protective gesture.

Ace glared down at the fox, "Look we really need to rest and eat. We can't stay out here right now, it's not safe."

Luffy snorted and threw his head to his other side. Ace glanced at the fox before he sighed and gave in. Sabo seemed to be sound asleep against the foxes side. Moving to lay beside the fox, he laid his head against his side. He had to admit, the foxes fur was soft and his body heat started to make his eyes heavy with sleep. It wasn't long before Ace found himself sound asleep following his brother into the land of dreams.

Luffy glanced at Ace then to Sabo before he purred. His brother's and him needed to sleep if they were going to hunt. His enhanced instinct made these decisions much more easily and using his body to battle Ace's will, seemed to be more effective than words. He closed his eyes to take a small cat nap. He hoped the calm would last, but he knows not everything last forever.

A week later and the storm finally hit. Luffy stayed with Dadan and watched the storm tar at the trees and land. Everytime he went to see if Ace and Sabo were ok, Dadan would grab him and tell him not to go outside. Trees and Branches could be heard falling somewhere far away.

By morning Luffy took off into the forest. His ability to change form was now second nature to him. He no longer needed to thing about the change to shift his body. He ran as fast as his four legs could carry him. The only paths he used were now changed from the storm. He now had more obstacles to jump over and run around. He skidded around one of the traps around Sabo's and Ace's tree house. These new obstacles almost made him set one off when he had jumped over it.

Once he broke through the brush he stopped. The tree house was damaged and needed repair. He barked and yelped to get the boys attention. They didn't appear as they usually would. Luffy groaned internally before changing and climbing up the ladder. Peering inside he found the two boys were not there. He lifted his head a bit and took a sniff. He could smell Sabo and Ace. They had left a while ago from how old the scent was.

Luffy jumped down and changed in mid air. He hit the ground running. Chasing the scent he had from Sabo and Ace. It led him through the forest to Grey Terminal. The heaps of trash always made him scrunch his nose at the smell. He pawed at his snout, whimpering at the overpowering smell of trash.

Once he got over the fact of the smell and got himself under control he lowered his snout to the ground. He had to find and eradicate the other scents beside's Ace and Sabo. He found them and was not happy.

Bluejam, the notorious pirate of this area was holding Ace down while Sabo was leaving with his dad. Bluejam was making fun of Ace and threatening him. Luffy growled and charged into the large pirate. He bit down as hard as he could with his sharp teeth. The pirate yelled and reached for the fox that seemed to come out of nowhere. He ripped the black thing from his back and threw it into the trash heap.

Luffy yelped as he was thrown into the pile of trash. He growled as he got up. His fur was on end and he tried to make himself bigger. Snarling he charged again but this time was stopped by Ace. Ace stood in front of him with his arm held out in a blocking maner. Luffy could only look at the boy in shock. Ace hated Bluejam, why was he stopping Luffy from attacking the pirate who was hurting him?

Ace just glared at the pirate who was laughing at them. "Look kid how about this, if you place these boxes in these areas for me." Bluejam pulled a map out and showed it to Ace, "I will let you and your rodent go." He smiled down at the boy.

Luffy bristled at the comment. 'I am not a rodent, you bastard!'.

"Very well." Ace's harsh voice made Luffy look at him in surprise. Ace couldn't or wouldn't trust adults, so why would he trust Bluejam to keep his word? He snarled at the pirate as he moved closer to Ace, "Stop it!" Ace turned his glared to his strange fox companion, who flinched at the tone. "I will do as you ask." Ace replied to the pirate who smiled a chilling smile.

Luffy turned to follow Ace as he moved toward the boxes. He couldn't help the feeling he was getting from the boxes and Bluejam. He watched Ace grab a box and start lugging it behind him. Luffy snorted and moved in front of him. He barked and fluffed his tail out, his flames flickers a bit bigger.

"Either help or get out of the way!" Ace yelled in anger at the fox. Luffy closed his eyes and flinched at the anger. His tail lowered and curled under his stomach. With a whimper, Luffy turned sorrowful eyes onto the older one.

Ace took a breath to calm down. The fox was one of his friends. A creature ruled by instinct and a desire to live like himself. And as of right now his only friend left with him. "Look I need to do this or they will kill you and me. That's why I stopped you back there, you would have been killed." He saw the fox star at him in shock.

Luffy was indeed shocked. He beat himself mentally for not thinking about that. Bluejam would have killed him in a couple of minutes or less. With the power Luffy had, He was sure one wrong move and a sword… He would have died and left Ace alone. Glancing at the boxes again, Luffy sighed. He grabbed the rope tied around one of the boxes and started to drag it.

Ace smiled at the fox, "Smart fox." He praised it as he too started to drag his box along to the areas they needed to be at.

Turns out Luffy's instincts about the boxes and Bluejam where right. They barely escaped with their lives. The boxes were loaded with gun powder and the nobles had set them off to burn Grey Terminal to the ground. Ace got stuck in the fire and Luffy tried to lead the boy out of the flames. Bluejam had caught up to them and had tried to kill Ace and himself. He shivered at the memory of that overpowering force that made Bluejam's crew mates faint.

Dadan had appeared and the three of them took the pirate out. Ace and Dadan ran to the hut were their wounds would be treated. Luffy had broken away from them and made it to the hut first. Changing and pretending to be watching the smoke rising from his spot he acted surprised at Ace and Dadan's return. He made a story about seeing the flames from where he was playing and had returned to the safety of the bandit's hut. 'Thank you devil fruit for allowing me to be able to lie!'

They believed him, Luffy still went out to "play" In the forest. Ace was still recuperating in the hut from the fight with Dadan the last couple of days, so Luffy now was focused on tracking down Sabo in High Town. Thanks to the smoke and ash, tracking Sabo from scent was near to impossible. He ran along the wall that seperated the city from Grey Terminal or what was left of the trash piles. Thanks to his black fur the guards never even noticed the fox running along the wall.

'Found one!', Luffy smiled as he squeezed himself through a hole in the wall and into the outskirts. 'Now all I need to do is find Sabo.' He moved along the streets quietly.

He didn't get far when he heard the explosion. His thoughts went right to the explosions in Grey Terminal and he turned to run away in fear. What stopped him was the fact that people were screaming out near the docks and about a blonde boy.

When Luffy made it there he was horrified. Sabo was being shot upon by a Celestial Dragon. He pushed through the crowd to the edge of the docks. He could do nothing as Sabo was shot as and his boat on fire. Luffy paced as he tried to think of something before he spotted what could maybe save Sabo.

In his hurry to leave and escape his father, Sabo had forgotten how to untie a boat. The long rope was still on the edge of the dock and slowly disappearing into the sea. Pouncing onto it Luffy grabbed the rope and pulled. Sadly, he was just too small to try to bring the burning boat in.

'Think Luffy think!' He panicked more as the fire spread while Sabo was trying to put out the fire. 'His only chance is to grab the rope, cut it, and let me drag him to shore.' Luffy glanced to the side at the shadowed area. The trees and bushes would make great cover for them.

The orb around his neck glowed a bright red color. He ignored the shocked and gasps of the people behind him as he called out to Sabo, "Sabo! The rope, grab it!" Luffy's cry carried over the water to Sabo.

Sabo turned and looked down. A rope was on his boat, if someone could pull him in. He grabbed it like the voice from the dock called for him to.

"Destroy the eye sore," the Celestial Dragon glared and Sabo tightened his hold on the rope as everything exploded around him.

Luffy took the rope again in his teeth and pulled with all his might. The explosion didn't stop him as he dashed for the trees and bushes to hide in. There he changed and pulled the rest of the rope to him. He smiled and laughed with relief. Sabo was still holding the rope in his fist.

"Sabo." Luffy smiled happily. Sabo glanced up and saw Luffy for a couple of seconds before his and Ace's black fox replaced him. Sabo passed out after that from his injuries. Getting out of Goa was an interesting feat. Luffy found out he could use his Gum Gum no Mi alongside his other devil fruit. With his tail, he could push off the ground for extra height when he jumped and claw his way up the wall while his tail wrapped around Sabo. The rest of the trek to Dadan's was uneventful. Nothing came to try and attack them and the bridge held out as Luffy ran across it.

He dropped Sabo off in the bushes near the hut before changing back to his human form. Once he changed he called for Dadan and the others to help him and Sabo. Sadly Sabo would carry the scars from the fire for the rest of his life.

Luffy watched from the shore as Ace and Sabo both set off to become Pirates. He was yelled at for crying that they were leaving. He then ran off promising to see them out on the sea's again. Once out of sight he fell to all fours running up to his favorite cliff to watch his brothers.

"Hey, Ace!" Sabo pointed to the cliff. There stood their fox friend. Over the years the fox got weirder. Now the fox had two tails and another smaller blue orb floating around his neck. The flames at his tail doubled to four as two each floated around one tail. The flames seemed brighter and his fur slicked out. The only fur that didn't was the tuff of fur on his chest that appeared to be mane like. After so long the fox had gotten more beautiful over the last seven years. He now stood as large as a pony with a long slender body and legs.

"Hey!" Ace waved to the fox, "We will meet again, Sabo and I will see you when we become famous pirates and have traveled all over!" He smiled as he remembered when the fox got big enough how he and Sabo would take turns riding on it's back. He would miss the fox and hoped it would be waiting for the two of them to return back to the island.

Luffy blinked his large gleaming black eyes. Throwing his head back he let out a cry for them to hear. The boys on the boat cheered and laughed happily as they left the other behind them with a promise.

A/N: Ok the final Part of Mt. Corvo is done! Now we can begin the real story! Also thank you theriku260 for being my Beta! Go check out her stories they are very well done and entertaining to read! Also the tag and the rest of Luffy's jewelry later are designed by theriku260.