Author's Note: I actually went back and edited the first four chapters and I think they're much easier to read now and flow better. Nothing was really added plot-wise, so you don't have to re-read them if you don't want to. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!


Ten years before Romance Dawn


As the afternoon sun beamed down over Dawn Island, a lone bear attempted to catch her lunch from a small stream. She brought down her paws repeatedly, catching fish after fish to feed her large appetite. Little did she know that as she ripped into her catch with her sharp teeth, three predators were contemplating the best way to turn her into their lunch.

With a leap and a loud battle cry, the smallest of the hunters rushed into battle. He wound up his fist, literally, and let it fly.

"Gum-gum pistol!" Luffy shouted.

Now alerted to the presence of the three humans, the bear fell back onto all fours, causing Luffy's shot to miss. Instead of hitting the bear's face, which was what he had been aiming for, his fist flew over her head and onto an overhanging branch. Grabbing it out of instinct, Luffy was ricocheted forward by his own momentum and thrown into the air…

Only to land in the stream. Now completely powerless, all he could do was sink and let the flow of the water drag him under.

"LUFFY!" Ace and Sabo shouted in unison. They had been arguing in heated whispers over the best way to take down the bear, when they realized Luffy had rushed ahead in their moment of inattention. Ace cursed under his breath and charged at the bear, while Sabo ran forward to pull a drowning Luffy out of the (thankfully) slow-moving stream.

Ace pulled out the pipe strapped to his back as he surged towards the bear. Him and Sabo split ways as they approached their targets, causing the bear to divide its attention between them. Sabo sidestepped the bear and raced towards Luffy, giving the bear an opening to attack when he turned away.

But Sabo trusted his brother to always have his back.

Ace intercepted the bear's paw with a swing of his pipe and a sharp clang. He scoffed to himself. He would never let a measly bear hurt one of his precious brothers.

He twirled the pipe behind his back, then hit the bear in gut, ribs, and snout in quick succession. He then ran past the bear to a sturdy tree behind her. Not slowing down at all, he took two steps up the trunk, pushed off in a backflip, and landed an axe kick right on the bear's skull.

The bear went down with a pained roar and a heavy thud. After making sure that the bear was truly unconscious, he turned back to check on Sabo and Luffy.

After dragging Luffy out of the stream, Sabo pounded on Luffy's chest in an amateur attempt at CPR. He swung his fists down with all of his strength, grateful that Luffy's devil fruit powers made him invulnerable to blunt force trauma, and tried to push all of the water out of Luffy's rubbery lungs. Once that no longer produced any results, he proceeded to wring his little brother out like a mop.

Sabo and Ace watched Luffy's lifeless body for one terrifying second, after which he turned to his side and coughed up another pint of water.

"Shishishi," he laughed weakly. "I thought I was gonna die!"

"Idiot!" Ace shouted as he smacked Luffy upside the head. "What were you thinking!?"

"You can't scare us like that, Luffy," Sabo said, squeezing Luffy in a hug that would have been painful for anyone else.

"Sorry, sorry!" Luffy replied. "I was just so hungryyy!" he whined.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy!" Ace reprimanded, before starting on a rant where he berated Luffy for his recklessness and stupidity.

Not that Luffy was listening to any of it.

As Ace went off on how dumb devil fruit powers were and how Luffy was too much of a baby to go off on his own, Luffy watched as Sabo began prepping the bear for lunch.

He was so lucky to have his big brothers to look out for him.

He had spent so much time alone in Foosha, but at least he had Makino back then. When Gramps had dropped him off at Dadan's he had felt more alone than ever. He was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by mountain bandits, away from everyone he had ever known. He quickly realized that Ace was the only person he wanted to be around, so Luffy made it his mission to befriend him.

Unlike the kids at Foosha, Ace wasn't scared of him. Sure, Ace had tried to kill him the day after they met, but at least Ace wasn't afraid of what he could do.

After weeks of trailing after Ace, Luffy was finally able to follow him to the Grey Terminal. There, he had met Sabo. It had taken a few hours of agonizing torture at Porchemy's hand to gain their trust, but it had definitely been worth it.

Now he never had to worry about being alone.

He, Sabo, and Ace did everything together. They taught him how to hunt, helped him train his devil fruit powers, and most importantly, they taught him how to dine-n-dash.

After he and Ace found out that Sabo's dad was a mean noble who didn't deserve him, they became even closer than ever. They shared their dreams with each other and became brothers.

Even if they eventually split up to follow their own dreams, Luffy didn't think he would ever feel as lonely as he once did. He could never truly be alone because he knew that no matter where they were, his brothers would be looking out for him and rooting for him.

Luffy lost his train of thought when the smell of roasting meat wafted over to him.

"Sabo! Is it done yet?!" he shouted, interrupting Ace's tirade.

"Were you even listening?!" Ace fumed.

"Shishishi, nope!"

Sabo could only chuckle as he watched Ace pound Luffy into the ground.


When Bellemère found the girls on the morning of Selena and Hitoshi's planned departure, passed out with a bottle of saké nearby, she had panicked and thought the worst. She called Hitoshi over and they began to violently shake their daughters awake, only to be met by three disgruntled stares.

"What's wrong, tou-chan? Where's the fire?" Selena grumbled sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

Hitoshi walked over and picked up the saké bottle, which he then realized was almost full. He tossed it over to Bellemère, a little embarrassed by their overreaction.

"Want to explain what this is about, twerps?" Bellemère demanded. She recognized the bottle from her secret stash. She wasn't as upset as Hitoshi, but was confused as to why the girls had done this. They were a little too young to start their rebellious phase… she hoped.

Unsurprisingly, Nojiko spoke up first. It was her job as the eldest to take responsibility. Plus, she didn't feel an ounce of remorse over what they had done last night.

"Sorry that we borrowed it without asking, Bellemère. But we needed to exchange saké cups to complete our oath," she stated like it was the most logical thing in the world.

"What oath?" Hitoshi questioned, now more confused than before.

"A pirate's oath!" Nami chimed in excitedly. "Like Whitebeard does! We exchanged saké cups and became sworn sisters!"

Selena smiled at her sisters and threw an arm around each one. Even if they were punished for it, she couldn't regret making those vows.

Bellemère stared at them for a full three seconds before busting into a bout of laughter. Hitoshi jumped at the sound before running his hand down his face in exasperation, which did nothing to hide his smile.

"The daughters of two marines becoming sisters through a pirate tradition. Now I've seen it all," Bellemère chuckled as they all headed inside.

Leaving Cocoyashi was harder than ever before. Selena dragged her feet and postponed their departure for as long as she could, but she knew that she had to get back to her mother and Kingsley.

Bellemère and the girls walked them down to the docks like always, wanting to delay their goodbyes for as long as possible. Once they had reached their ship, Hitoshi scooped up Nami and Nojiko in a bear hug as Selena bid Bellemère goodbye.

"Promise that you'll look after your mother," Bellemère said quietly. "One of the reasons Toshi-chan is able to leave for months without dying of worry is because you two can take care of each other."

"I know," Selena responded.

"I know it's not fair to ask it of you, but I'm asking it anyways."

"I don't mind the responsibility," she replied. "I would be doing it even if you hadn't asked. But in return, you have to promise to take good care of my sisters," she added with an impish smile.

"I guess that's fair," Bellemère responded with a faux-exasperated sigh. "I'm going to miss you, brat."

"Me too," Selena responded while letting Bellemère wrap her up in one last cigarette and tangerine scented hug.

Hitoshi walked over to Bellemère and began squeezing the life out of her as Selena braced herself for saying goodbye to Nami and Nojiko.

"We're going to be expecting your next letter as soon as possible," Nojiko demanded.

"And make it a long one!" Nami added.

"I'll see what I can do," Selena said with a watery smile. She pulled the girls to her for a group hug, allowing herself to be suffocated in between them. "Why does it feel different this time?" she asked.

"I don't know why but it really does," Nami replied, obviously holding back tears.

"It's because we're not just saying goodbye to our friend this time. We're not going to see our sister for a whole year," Nojiko explained. "It's just different."

"Love you," Selena said at last.

"Love you too," Nami and Nojiko responded.

Hitoshi let go of Bellemère with one last pat on the back.

"Take care of yourself out there, Toshi-chan," Bellemère said.

"I always do," Hitoshi replied with a roguish smile.

Hitoshi and Selena sailed away in a somber mood, which slowly dissipated over their two-day trip back to Valhalla. During the days, Selena extracted as much training as she could from her dad. They sparred as much as they could with the limited space they had on the ship, always ending in Selena's sound defeat. Although it was both exhausting and a bit of an embarrassing experience, she felt like she improved more in those two days of training than she would have over weeks of training alone.

During the nights, her dad told her the stories of the constellations. Many of the legends he learned during his time in Olympus, although he also picked up stories from various crew members and from his time in the marines. Every Blue had their own versions of how the constellations came to be, and Hitoshi had a knack for remembering them all.

Before bed, they anchored the ship and laid out a quilt on the deck. Lying on their backs, Hitoshi would point out which stars were useful for navigation, their histories, and the myths of their creation.

Selena cuddled up next to her dad on both nights, and easily drifted off to sleep to the sound of her father's soothing voice.

When they reached Valhalla, they docked and unloaded quickly. Each carrying a crate of Bellemère's tangerines, they practically sprinted back to Mama's Place, eager to see Etsuko.

"Kaa-chan!" Selena shouted as she ran into her mother's open arms.

Selena greeted her mother quickly, only holding onto her long enough for a peck on the cheek. She tried to make her way out of the room subtly, so that her parents could have some time alone before Hitoshi had to head back to Loguetown and his men. She turned back when she reached the front doors so that she could tell them she was going to find Kingsley, when she realized that her parents were already making out and probably wouldn't even notice her absence.

Chuckling under her breath, Selena headed towards their usual training spot. She really admired her parent's relationship. They had been together for over ten years, but were still hopelessly in love with each other. It was easy to see from the way Etsuko doted on Hitoshi whenever he was home, how she went out of her way to prepare his favorite meals, and how her whole demeanor changed when he was around. She just seemed happier and carefree when he was with her.

And it wasn't one-sided. Hitoshi was completely enamored with his wife. He always brought back little gifts from his trips to the Grand Line, constantly surprised her with small forms of affection throughout the day, and he looked at her like she was a goddess made mortal. He was always saying how lucky he was to be with her. Selena hoped that some day she would be able to find a guy who got the same dopey look on his face for her as Hitoshi did whenever Etsuko walked in the room.

She was still smiling to herself when she reached the clearing. It was already noon and the sunlight was streaming in through the canopy, dappling the clearing with spots of sunlight and shade that moved with the leaves in the summer breeze. She spotted Kingsley over by the creek, refilling his canteen. They had once taken the time to follow the creek upstream to the source and found that it was fed by an underground spring. Ever since then, they had drunk straight from the stream without boiling the water first. They had never gotten sick, so they figured it was safe enough.

Kingsley seemed to be lost in thought, but since she hadn't bothered to hide her footsteps he quickly snapped out of it and bounded over to her. He surprised her by initiating the hug, although she was pleased he was getting comfortable enough to do so with her.

"Missed you too, Kings," she said, voice a little muffled since her face was being smushed against his chest.

Kingsley let out a sheepish chuckle, before holding Selena out at arms length and surreptitiously checking her over for injuries. Not that he was as subtle as he thought he was, since all of Selena's attention was focused on him. Once he was satisfied that she wasn't hiding a life-threatening wound, which he honestly wouldn't put past her, he spoke.

"You seem different."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when you come back from Cocoyashi every year you usually seem… I don't know? More relaxed than usual, I guess. But something big happened this time, I can feel it."

Selena pondered over his words as she walked over to the large tree trunk that held their cubbyhole.

"You're right," she said, throwing a smile back at him over her shoulder. "But I think the only reason you can tell is because you know me so well."

"Well, go on! I wanna know everything!" he said excitedly.

Selena started searching for her canteen slowly, trying to buy some time. She wanted to make sure to phrase things the right way. When she moved over a set of Kingsley's neatly folded training clothes, she was stopped by a soft keening noise. Peering closer, she realized that in the corner of the hollowed out space there were a trio of baby owls. One of them had been startled awake by her rustling, but was now drifting back to sleep. What she had thought to be a balled up towel was actually a makeshift nest.

The owls weren't exactly newborns, but they looked too young to fly. She guessed that something had happened to their mother, and that when Kingsley found them he decided to take care of them himself. He must have forgotten they were there in the excitement of her news.

She smiled softly as the small brown owl shuffled closer to its siblings in its sleep. It was just like Kingsley to do something like this. He put up a tough front, but he really was a sweet, sensitive boy. Which was why she was worried about telling him about her new sisters.

She hoped he wouldn't feel slighted. She didn't want him to feel that just because she now had two new sisters that she valued their relationship less. Yes, they were her sworn sisters, but he was her hermano de crianza.

It was a term used in some latino cultures to describe children who were raised together, even if they weren't direct blood siblings. In many families, children were raised by their grandparents or godparents along with their cousins and god-siblings. Since they spent so much time together and basically grew up together, these kids considered themselves siblings. It also could be used for extremely close childhood friends or neighbors.

Sometimes Selena grew frustrated with her inability to translate a phrase or expression directly into another one of the languages she spoke. It was bad enough when she was bilingual, but now that she had three languages to choose from it was even worse. But she was getting off track.

Her relationship with Kingsley was different than her relationship with her sisters. Not better or worse, just different. She had known Kingsley for longer and he definitely knew her better than Nami and Nojiko, but over time she knew that wouldn't really matter as much. The dynamics between all of them were just too different to compare.

For a while, she was very dependent on Kingsley. She had been a toddler when they met, and was very limited by her body. She would be forever grateful for all of the times he had taken care of her and gotten her out of trouble. After she started training and was able to be more independent, Kingsley became her sparring partner. The roles were reversed, since she was the one who was teaching him how to fight at the beginning. Soon enough, they began developing their own styles and helping each other grow stronger – as equals. Sure, Selena was definitely further along in her training since she dedicated more time to it, but Kingsley had the advantage of his larger size and weight to help him hold his own against her.

She saw Kingsley almost everyday, and knew everything about him. Hell, she even knew almost everything about Marcus, which meant she could pinpoint from where Kingsley was drawing most of his behavioral quirks. They had also clicked immediately, in the way small children tend to do. There wasn't ever a big ceremony or any type of event to celebrate what they were to each other; they had just fallen into their roles naturally.

Nami and Nojiko had been her friends first.

Whenever she went to see them it was like a vacation. She got to abandon her daily responsibilities and just be a kid. Whenever she went to Cocoyashi it was like a break from reality. Her and Nami were the same age, and had a lot of the same interests. Even though Nojiko was a little older, she never treated Selena as lesser than her. Sure, a lot of the time Nojiko was the one reigning in her two younger sisters, but she was also there right alongside them when they caused some mischief.

Although their sisterhood was a new development in their relationship, Selena already knew that it drastically changed how she viewed Nami and Nojiko. Laying it all out there and making those lifetime promises solidified their bonds to each other. It turned vague assurances into a concrete oath, something she could look back on and use to reassure herself about what they meant to each other.

But it didn't change the fact that Nami and Nojiko were also adoptive sisters. Like Selena and Kingsley, they saw each other everyday. Unlike her and Kings, they also lived together and were being raised by the same person. And although they remained in almost constant communication with Selena via their letters, her sisters still lived on a different island days away from her.

Selena was so busy mulling everything over that she zoned out. Kingsley had been patient with her, but enough was enough. He was starting to get worried.

"Selena, snap out of it!" he finally exclaimed as he shook her by the shoulders.

"Sorry, Kings. I was just trying to figure out the best way to tell you what happened," she said as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.

"Look, it's just me. I don't know what you're nervous about, but just give it to me straight."

So she did.

They sat down in the shade of their hidey-hole tree and she told him all about the trip like she usually did, not skimping on any details. She told him all about her week, what she saw, and what they all did together. When she got to the events of her last night in Cocoyashi, she glossed over the conversation that led up to the oath since it felt too personal. Once she finished recounting everything, she just sat there nervously picking her nails, not meeting his eyes.

"What, did you think I would be jealous?" he asked with a snort.

Selena's head shot up, relieved to see the teasing smirk on his face.

"You're not upset?"

"Nah," he responded casually, leaning back so that his weight was resting on his hands. "I'm happy for you. I like that you have more family somewhere out there and that you have more people to look after you now. God knows it's a fulltime job."

Selena was surprised, and maybe just a tad disbelieving, about how mature he was being. Kingsley picked up on that.

"Your relationship with them doesn't change anything between us. You know I have a hard time expressing my feelings, but I'm going to try," he continued resolutely. "I care about you, and I know you care about me-"

"I love you," Selena corrected. Kingsley couldn't help but smile and blush at that.

"R-right," he agreed, taking a deep breath before going on. "You're my sister. You have been ever since I found you crying in that ditch and you started following me around like a lost puppy."

"Hey! You were the one following me like an overprotective mama bear, if I remember right."

"Details, details," he responded cheekily. "But we don't need dramatic pirate oaths or a blood pact under the full moon to become siblings. I actually like that about us. It's like this-" he gestured between them, "was what it was always supposed to be like. You're my sister. It's that simple," he finished with a shrug.

"That simple, huh? I like that," Selena responded. She then shuffled closer and threw her arms around him, as he hummed contentedly. She rested her head on his shoulder and he then rested his head on hers.

They stayed like that for a bit, enjoying the companionable silence.

"Is the blood pact completely off the table?" Selena joked, totally ruining the peaceful moment. "Because, you know, that sounded kind of cool-"

Kingsley let out a well-natured groan, and then pushed Selena off of him and into the grass without warning.

Selena giggled as she spit out a mouthful of grass, rolling over onto her feet and grabbing her canteen.

"How did you spend the last week? Did you get a chance to check on my mom?" she asked as she squatted down by the creek.

"I kept up with my training and helped out Grandpa Marcus like always. I visited your mom everyday, like I promised, but she knew what I was up to right away," he finished sheepishly.

"I knew that would happen," Selena responded with a sigh. "She's definitely going to tease me about it later. Did she at least seem healthy?"

"Yeah, I didn't notice her coughing or anything, but I also didn't spend that much time with her since I didn't want to distract her from her work. She seemed sad that she was alone and the bar got crazy busy since you weren't there to help out, so she was definitely overworked, but I don't think it was anything that she couldn't handle."

"That's good to hear, I guess," she responded. She then drank some water to wash down the unpleasant grassy taste that had lingered in her mouth. As she tilted her head back to drain the canteen, she looked up to the sky, only to realize from the position of the sun that she had been talking to Kingsley for at least an hour.

"Tou-chan is probably going to leave soon. Do you want to come with me to see him off?" she asked as she stood and stretched.

"Sure," he agreed easily. "I still have a lot of stuff to catch you up on and we can talk on the way back."

They slowly made their way through the forest and back to town. Kingsley used this time to fill Selena in on how he inadvertently became a foster dad to the three baby owls, and on all of the gossip he had picked up at the docks and the marketplace during the week. Selena filed it all away for possible later use, although she made a mental note to check in on Bruce after hearing that Ava had packed up a ship and had fled the island with a substantial amount of his money.

They also made a small detour so she could place an order for fifty casks of the vineyard's signature white wine, Asgardian Gold. Apparently, it had won first place in a competition that had invited all of the best wineries and distilleries in the East Blue to send in their finest products. The judges had all been world-acclaimed experts, so she expected that Asgardian Gold was about to have a jump in popularity and demand. She hoped that the vineyard would be able to keep up with the orders that were sure to flood in, especially since it would be great for the economy of the island, but she wanted to keep some in stock just in case.

When they made it back to Mama's they found Etsuko behind the bar, packing up some food for Hitoshi to bring back with him to Loguetown. Hitoshi was seated at one of the tables, lacing up his dress shoes. Seeing him in his marine uniform made it all the more real for Selena that he was leaving again and that she wouldn't be able to see him for a long time.

Kingsley greeted both of her parents and then proceeded through to the kitchen to pick at the customers' leftovers.

Yes, it was gross. Yes, Selena did it from time to time, too.

"So, did you guys have fun while I was gone?" Selena asked her parents knowingly.

Hitoshi promptly executed a perfect spit take, which was made even more ridiculous by the fact that he hadn't been drinking anything at the time.

He put down the glass of water he was holding, which Selena could have sworn hadn't been there a second ago, and shot his baby girl a terrified look. All signs of his and Etsuko's quickie had been taken care of. They had even both taken a shower, which (while at first had been counterproductive because they had decided to share) eventually led to all of the evidence being washed away.

Etsuko's panic was more internal than external, which meant that the only sign of her distress were the beads of sweat peppering her forehead that threatened to run down her face. She and Hitoshi had decided long ago that they would never lie to their daughter about sex, not being the type of parents to make up wild stories about overgrown birds delivering babies like some freakish version of the News Coo, but they were no way ready for The Talk.

She hadn't even had time to print out diagrams!

As the parent in charge of their daughter's education, Etsuko would make damn well sure that Selena was well informed about sex and everything that went along with it. She was pretty sure that it would have fallen on her shoulders eventually, since she had an inkling Hitoshi would find any excuse to cut and run as soon as the topic was brought up.

Almost as if he was trying to prove her theory, Etsuko spotted Hitoshi jamming his remaining foot into his shoe and haphazardly knotting the laces together as quickly as he could. He didn't seem to notice that in his panic he had tied his right and left shoes together, and Etsuko saw no reason to point it out to him.

By this point, Selena was having a hard time keeping her nonchalant façade. One of the few good things about being a kid again was being able to mess with the adults around her, but her parents had the absolute best reactions. Her dad looked ready to shit bricks and her mom's eye was doing a weird twitchy thing she had never seen before, although that seemed to be directed more towards Hitoshi than to Selena herself. Nonetheless, Selena was pretty sure she would bust a rib if she kept holding back her laughter for much longer.

Sighing internally, Etsuko realized her husband was useless in this situation and that she would have to take the reins.

"What do you mean, angel?"

Seeing that her parents had suffered enough, Selena decided to put them out of their misery.

"Oh you know, catching up. Did tou-chan tell you all about our trip?"

Both Etsuko and Hitoshi's shoulders slumped in relief.

Etsuko let out a shaky laugh before responding. "Of course!" she lied. "But I'm excited to hear it all again from you!"

Kingsley chose that moment to walk out of the kitchen, oblivious to the family drama and gnawing on a chicken leg. Selena was worried he was going to be one of those teenage boys that have endless voids where normal human beings have stomachs. He already ate a lot, and it was only going to get worse as they kept intensifying their training.

But that was a problem for another day.

"Do you really have to leave so soon, tou-chan?" Selena asked, trying and failing to keep the whine out of her voice.

"I'm afraid so, sweetheart," Hitoshi replied.

"You can eat before you go though, right dear?" Etsuko asked. "I have everything ready in the back, just give me a minute to bring it out."

Hitoshi looked between his wife's hopeful gaze and his daughter's pout. Yeah, there was no way he was going to be able to say no to them.

Hitoshi groaned playfully. "If my men complain when I get back to the base, I'm blaming you two."

"We're okay with that," Selena and Etsuko replied in unison with matching grins.

Etsuko walked behind the bar and towards the kitchen, intent on sending Hitoshi off with one last home-cooked meal.

Hitoshi turned towards Kingsley, who had joined him and Selena at their table. "So, Kingsl-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the french doors of the restaurant banging open. A man in a marine uniform stood in the entryway, scanning the room for someone. He visibly relaxed when he spotted the "justice" insignia on the back of Hitoshi's coat and made a beeline for their table.

Donning the coat that had been hanging off of the back of Kingsley's chair, Hitoshi stood up to meet the incoming officer.

Selena was a little stunned to find that her father cut an intimidating figure, his teal hair notwithstanding. He wore a classic black suit, which was tailored perfectly so it wouldn't hinder his movements and flattered his frame. He paired it with a simple white button-up and a blue tie that matched the color of the shoulder pads of his officer's coat, which rested on his shoulders like a cape.

At his full height, Hitoshi dwarfed the marine officer who was now standing at attention in front of him. She had never realized it before, since everyone was big compared to her, but her father was tall. With his arms crossed in front of him, sword dangling from his hip, and a scowl on his face, her goofy dad actually looked like a leader. She realized that this is how his men must see him.

"Report," Hitoshi ordered.

"Yes, sir. This morning we received our new orders from the fleet admiral. This sealed letter was delivered and although we were not informed of its contents since it is labeled for your eyes only, we were made aware that it is time sensitive." He paused to pull out the letter from inside his breast pocket.

Selena only got a glimpse of it before her father turned away to read the letter in full, but she recognized the fleet admiral's insignia stamped into the golden colored wax used to seal the envelope.

The officer stood at attention once more, eyes trained on the bar so he wouldn't be tempted to sneak a peak at the letter's contents. "When you failed to appear at the planned meeting time, I was sent to deliver your orders in person, sir," he concluded.

When Hitoshi turned back, his face remained neutral but Selena could feel the displeasure rolling off of him in waves. She was glad she hadn't been the one to put him in a bad mood. The officer, on the other hand, was shaking in his standard regulation boots. She wondered if this guy was just a wuss or if her dad was actually that scary.

She decided that her dad was just that fucking badass. He was able to quell marine officers with just one look! He was a motherfucking commodore, trained by Garp himself, on track to be a vice admiral one day!

This newfound view of her father was promptly shattered when he took a step forward, tripped over his own feet, and fell flat on his face. Selena let her head fall forwards onto the table as Kingsley let out a surprised whoop of laughter.

The officer remained at attention, but was definitely fighting a smile.

Hitoshi popped back up to his feet gracelessly, whatever dignity he once pretended to have now gone forever, and carefully made his way over to his duffel bag (like he was trying to do originally). Hitoshi thrust the bag at the unprepared officer with a little more force than necessary, causing the officer to stumble back a bit before he regained his balance.

"Take my belongings and prepare whatever ship you used to travel here to set sail. I will meet you down at the docks in ten. Dismissed."

The officer shot off a quick salute before running out of Mama's so fast that he blurred. Hitoshi tilted his head in consideration. The officer had moved fast enough that his ungainly sprint could have passed for an amateur Shave.

Slumping back into his chair, he bent down to redo his laces. He realized that he had knotted them up himself, which added another layer of embarrassment to the situation.

"You almost managed to look cool, tou-chan," Selena said miserably.

Kingsley's hearty laughter finally died down. "Never change, Hitoshi-ji. Never change," he chuckled.

Hitoshi let out a resigned sigh, but was unable to hold back a snicker at his own expense.

Seeing that Etsuko had rejoined them once more and wasn't laden with food, he asked, "I'm guessing you heard that?"

Etsuko nodded. "I'm disappointed you couldn't enjoy your meal with us, but I added it to the basket I had been prepping so it won't go to waste."

"I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I can't ignore a direct order from the fleet admiral."

"I understand, dear. You know I do," she said, smiling sympathetically.

Hitoshi and Etsuko had already said their proper goodbyes, so there was no reason for a dramatic affair in front of her customers.

Hitoshi stood up once more, drawing Etsuko into a tight hug. He then took a half-step back so that he could hold her face in his hands and look into her eyes.

"Take care of Selena," he murmured. Etsuko nodded emphatically, her arms still wrapped around his waist. "But take care of yourself as well. The only reason I am able to go out there and do my job is because I know you two are safe and waiting for me back home."

"I know, Hitoshi. I will. Just make sure you come back to me."

"I'll be counting down the seconds until I can return," he promised.

With one last sweet kiss, they parted.

"I love you more than words can ever express," he told her.

"I know," she replied, eyes locked onto his. "I love you, too."

He turned back around, grabbing the basket of food as he went, gesturing for Kingsley and Selena to follow. With a wave towards all of the customers at Mama's, and one last loving look from his wife, he set off towards the docks.

"Hey Hitoshi-ji, I'm going to let you two say goodbye on your own," Kingsley spoke up before they got very far.

"Thanks kid, I would appreciate that," Hitoshi responded. He then crouched down so he was at eye level with Kingsley. "I want you to be good for your grandfather. Make sure you train hard, but still make time to have fun as a kid and go on adventures with my daughter. Take care of her while I'm gone, won't you?"

"Like you even have to ask," Kingsley snorted. "Have a safe journey, Hitoshi-ji," he added in a softer tone.

Hitoshi captured him in one of his signature bone-crushing hugs, patting his back twice before letting go. "Bye, Kingsley."

Kingsley smiled back, then scampered off so that Selena could say goodbye to her dad alone.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this, sweetheart."

"What do you mean, tou-chan?" Selena asked as she grabbed her dad's hand. They slowly started walking towards the port.

"I love my job, and I think what I do is important, but I wish it didn't keep me away from you and your mother."

Selena furrowed her brow.

"It's okay, tou-chan." Hitoshi looked ready to interrupt, so Selena hurried on. "It really is. It has always been your calling to be a marine, and kaa-chan and me would never stand in the way of that. Do you think we would be happy knowing we were the ones keeping you from your dream?"

Selena realized that although she had talked about this with her mother, she had never had the chance to discuss it with her father.

"I'm really proud of you, tou-chan. I think you're very brave for fighting for what you believe in and for protecting people who can't do it themselves. But most of all, I'm happy you're happy. I know that you wouldn't be true to who you are if you weren't out there beating down criminals and helping damsels-or-dudes-in-distress."

Hitoshi couldn't help but chuckle at the last bit.

"I feel safer knowing you're out there, making the world a better place. Yes, me and kaa-chan want you here, but the people out there need you more."

It was times like these when Hitoshi truly understood that his little girl was special. No eight year old should be capable of that level of maturity and empathy. It wasn't just the words she chose or the sentiment behind them, but the utter knowing she held in her eyes.

Although he was grateful for it in that moment, it also worried him. What had his baby girl gone through that let her speak from such experience?

"I'm never going to stop trying to make you proud, sweetheart."

"Me neither, tou-chan."

Having reached the docks during their talk, it was finally time to say goodbye.

"Never stop doing what you think is right, tou-chan. Be good. Do good."

"The same goes for you, Selena. Make sure you train hard while I'm gone – I want to be able to see how much you improved when I get back. Take care of your mother. Make sure you study as hard as you train. Don't make Kingsley worry too much. Write soon. Eat your vegetables. Um… don't forget to wash your bellybutton and behind your ears? Yeah, that's important. What else?"

Selena laughed. "I think I get the picture, tou-chan."

"Alright sweetheart, I think my time is up," he said, looking towards the small marine ship and seeing that everything was set to sail. He then scooped Selena up into one of his classic bear hugs. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll miss you, tou-chan," she said sadly.

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and then boarded the ship.

Selena kept vigil until the ship was just a dot on the horizon and she could no longer see her dad waving back at her.


Without bothering to change out of his marine uniform, Garp disembarked his faithful ship. He left his men aboard The Lucky Bone with standing orders to resupply and to be ready to leave port at a moment's notice, but to enjoy their shore leave.

Moving quickly through the streets of outer Goa, Garp felt relieved to finally be back on Dawn Island. What he had intended to be a quick inspection of the closest marine bases had turned into a full-on investigation of the largest marine strongholds in the East Blue.

He had hoped to check in on a couple of bases, correct where things had gone wrong, and be back with his grandsons within the month. Instead, he found a level of ineptitude that had shocked even him. He had commanded Bogart to go through the books at each base they visited, and in almost all of them he found levels of corruption ranging from petty theft to a raging black market for office supplies.

Many officers were skimming funds or expending more than they should, while others were just horrible accountants. It was almost impossible to tell where the missing funds went, or whether they went missing due to a nefarious scheme or through clerical error.

In addition, he also had to reprimand multiple officers for abusing their power and the name of the marines. Although in most cases the officers had been using their status to get free meals or to take light bribes, in a few select cases officers had been bullying civilians into doing their bidding or into buying "protection" from the marines.

He hoped he was able to put the fear of god into them – or more accurately in this case, Sengoku – but there was little else he could do. He had doled out punishments and suspended those he thought needed a more severe reprimanding but, without having higher ranked officers permanently supervising the East Blue, corruption was sure to pop up again.

Hitoshi had kept the East Blue division in line when he had command of the Loguetown base. Even now, the Loguetown base was the only one in the East Blue that met HQ's standards due to Hitoshi's frequent visits. With him off in Paradise, the highest ranked officers left in the East Blue were the captains that supervised each base. There was no one to keep those captains in check and since they were the sole commanding officers at each base, they could order their men around as they saw fit.

Many captains grew complacent after being stationed in the relatively peaceful East Blue. Others lost sight of why they had joined the marines in the first place, gaining inflated senses of self worth after not being challenged by the low-level criminals that popped up in this sea.

Other captains only joined the marines in search of money or power, and their true natures were able to shine through due to the lack of supervision.

Garp planned on proposing to Sengoku that he create a new position; there needed to be someone coordinating all of the East Blue forces. There were similar positions for the other seas, and the East Blue was the only sea that remained this disorganized.

He didn't have high hopes that his proposition would be met with approval, however. The truth of the matter was that ever since the beginning of the Great Pirate Age, the marines had been much more focused on pirate activity in the Grand Line. Both the Five Elder Stars and the Celestial Dragons feared the coming of a second Pirate King before all else. Their main concern for each of the Blues was to stem the amount of pirates able to make it into the Grand Line. Which was why they weren't stringent about regulating the East Blue; as long as the Loguetown Base remained steadfast in their ability to keep rookie pirate crews out of the Grand Line, the competency of the rest of the East Blue bases was of low priority.

It would be a waste of manpower to send promising officers to the weakest of all of the seas.

Even after the complete overhaul he had sanctioned at some of the bases, Garp was worried a lot of the corruption was overlooked. People were sure to get their shit together as best they could if they heard a vice admiral was coming for a visit, after all; especially for one as notorious as Garp.

But he had done the best he could.

Turning his attention back to his surroundings, he noted that he had reached the city's edge. He hopped the wall that surrounded the city limits, no Moonwalk even necessary, and jumped down into the wilderness that lay right outside Goa. He made his way through the familiar jungle, having grown up chasing beasts through the very same paths, while stretching out his sense of observation.

He was proud to note that his grandsons' auras already dwarfed all of the civilians on the island. The only auras that were comparable were those of his own men and a few other exceptions. He was also pleased to sense that his two adorable grandsons were together.

Satisfied that his plan to help his boys had seemed to work itself out, he made a beeline in their direction. Shifting his attention so that his observation haki was focused on his grandchildren and no longer encompassed the whole island, he noticed a third aura near Ace and Luffy's.

As he neared his targets his observation haki fed him more information. The third aura definitely belonged to a boy similar in age and training to Ace, if he was to go by the size and intensity. The three auras seemed to be humming in sync with each other and they seemed… happy. Untroubled. Completely at ease.

It warmed his heart to see how much things had changed from the last time he saw his grandsons.

He used Shave to race past the last few hundred feet, eager to see how they were doing with his own senses instead of with… whatever haki was. He may have been a total boss at using it, but he knew absolutely fuck-all about how haki actually worked.

As he surveyed the area for the best place to make a dramatic entrance, he listened in.

"They're gaining on us!"

"Hard to port! Hard to port!"

"Man the cannons!"

How adorable! His boys were-

"Three marine battleships are on our tail, captain!"

"Let's sink those bastards!"

And then Garp spotted their jolly roger.

"Awww, Ace! Is it my turn to be captain yet?" Luffy whined.

"No way!" Ace was quick to reply. "I'm going to be a pirate way before you, so I get to be the captain!"

"There's no way you're going to be a pirate before I am, Ace!" Sabo countered. "I should get to be the captain!"

"Well, I'm going to be King of the Pirates!" Luffy said with conviction. "Don't worry, I'll still let you guys join my crew if you want."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU BRATS TALKING ABOUT?!" Garp shouted as he burst through the floor of their pirate ship themed tree house.

Ace gulped as the blood drained from Luffy's face.

After his initial jolt of surprise, Sabo walked right up to Garp.

"Who the hell are you?!" Sabo asked, his rude tone directly contrasting the hand he held out politely for Garp to shake.

"Monkey D. Garp! Hero of the Marines!" Garp boasted as he shook Sabo's hand.

"Oh, so this psycho is your grandfather?" he asked Luffy and Ace, his hand stuck in Garp's firm grasp. "It's nice to meet you!" he told Garp. "Please take care of me, old geezer!"

Garp's expression darkened.

"Ace… Luffy… who is this rude brat!?" Garp exclaimed as he hoisted Sabo up in the air by the arm he held hostage.

"Oi!" Luffy shouted, regaining his courage once more. "That's not just some brat! He's Sabo! We exchanged cups of saké and became sworn brothers! We're all going to go out to sea and become pirates one day!"

Ace face-palmed in the background.

"I got beat up by some porcupine guy for it to happen but it's okay because Ace and Sabo saved me! Then Sabo lied about being rich but he said sorry, so I think it's okay? Then there was this cool old man and a Tiger Lord-"

Garp gave up trying to make sense of what Luffy was saying and decided to interrupt.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT NO GRANDSON OF MINE IS GOING TO BE A GODDAMN PIRATE!?"

"Oh, so I guess that means I'm in the clear?" Sabo asked tentatively, still hanging limply from Garp's grasp. "So if you could just put me down…"

"WERE YOU NOT LISTENING, BRAT!?" Garp yelled into Sabo's face. "I JUST SAID NO GRANDSON OF MINE IS GOING TO BE A FILTHY PIRATE! FIST OF LOVE!"

He punched Sabo squarely in the chest, sending him flying past the other two boys and imbedding him in the wall behind them.

Sabo plopped down from the wall, standing shakily. He then took a few drunken steps forward to stand in between Luffy and Ace, obviously still dazed from the haymaker. "How does that apply to me?! You just met me!" he complained.

"You're their brother, right?" Garp asked, motioning towards Luffy and Ace.

Sabo nodded slowly in response, not wanting to make himself dizzier than he already was.

"Then I'm your Gramps now."

Underneath the overwhelming terror Ace felt whenever Gramps was in the vicinity, Ace was glad he accepted Sabo into the family so easily.

"I didn't know that was part of the deal," Sabo whined.

Garp snorted before he started cracking his knuckles menacingly. "It looks like you three brats are going to need a lot of training if you're going to be respectable marines."

Collectively, the three boys took a step back. But they should have learned by now that there was no escaping a Fist of Love.

POW!

With one hit, Garp punched his three grandsons through the wooden roof of their tree house and into the surrounding jungle.

And so commenced the smack down of the year.

The boys tried to escape, but it was futile. If anything, Garp was having fun chasing them through the jungle and popping up from where they least expected. He found it cute that his grandsons thought they had a chance of escaping his observation haki. Not once were they able to evade his legendary Fists of Love. They never even came close to being able to land a hit back.

There were a few moments of utmost bravery when Ace or Sabo managed to pull Luffy out of the way of Garp's onslaught, but for the most part it was every man for himself.

Garp entertained himself by finding creative ways to smack them around; he was especially fond of using Luffy's devil fruit powers to his advantage. He tied Luffy's body across two tree trunks to use him as a tripwire, used his limbs as a makeshift slingshot, and even balled him up for a rubber version of his classic Meteor Fist.

By the end of the afternoon, Sabo and Ace lay semi-comatose at Garp's feet while he casually used his smallest grandchild as a jump rope. Luffy had stopped complaining long ago and was resigned to his fate as makeshift weaponry/gym equipment.

Garp let go of Luffy, his body rebounding to its original size with an audible snap, and dropped him on top of the other two boys. They groaned in response, but were too tired to move.

"Bwahaha! You three are going to need to work a lot harder if you're ever going to be halfway decent marines!" Garp exclaimed. "It's a good thing I'm going to be here for a while!"

Garp ignored the renewed whimpering coming from the boys in favor of stretching his sense of observation haki to find their dinner. In no time, he had hunted down four monstrous wild boars, skinned them, and began roasting them over a fire.

The smell of cooking meat revitalized the boys enough so that they could sit up.

"Garp is just as scary as you guys said he was," Sabo admitted.

"I told you so," Ace replied.

Luffy shuffled closer to the cooking pork, stretching a rubbery limb towards the fire, only for it to be smacked out of the air by Garp.

"Stingy," Luffy complained.

Garp chuckled. "Should only be a few more minutes, Luffy."

Luffy pouted and there was a trail of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, but let it go for the moment.

They arranged a couple of fallen logs around the fire, and used them as makeshift seats. Ace and Luffy shared one log, leaving Sabo and Garp to share the other.

"So… Gramps," Sabo began, the overly familiar title feeling strange on his tongue. "Get into any good fights lately?" He figured Garp the Hero would have some epic battle stories.

"Bwahaha! Of course I have! Just the other day, me and Whitebeard…"

Garp spent all of dinner recounting stories from his glory days and the boys paid rapt attention. Garp was obviously biased against pirates, and chose stories where the marines came out on top, but he gave respect where respect was due. The way he spoke about Whitebeard, Red Hair, and even some of the warlords, showed that (no matter what he claimed) he didn't think all pirates were bad.

The sun had begun to set as they finished their meal, the sky turning vibrant shades of pink and orange. Garp and Sabo were contentedly full, so they watched on in amusement as Luffy and Ace fought over the last leg of boar like the savages they were.

Seeing that he alone had Sabo's attention, Garp decided to broach the subject he had been pondering all night.

"So, I would have never guessed my grandsons would end up with a noble for a brother."

Sabo's back straightened, instantly on edge. "How could you tell?" he asked defensively.

Garp huffed. "I've been around for a while, brat. Your act might be good enough to fool the people in the Grey Terminal, but I've traveled all around the world. I know a noble when I see one."

Sabo looked affronted.

"I don't mean it in a bad way!" Garp said. "It's just clear that you're well educated. You're a good actor, I'll give you that, but your accent fell through a couple of times during dinner and you're more knowledgeable than any street kid I've ever met."

"Please… you can't take me back there," he replied, desperation obvious. He tried to fight back the tears, but he could feel them stinging the corners of his eyes. "You don't know what it's like-"

"Hey! I'm not taking you anywhere!" Garp said resolutely. He threw an arm around Sabo and tucked him into his side, hoping to reassure him. "I was just curious about how the three of you met."

Sabo relaxed a bit, not comfortable enough with Garp to completely let down his guard but less stiff than before.

"The situation with your family must have been pretty bad if you gave up all of that-" he gestured towards the Goa skyline, the pristine white buildings visible where they jutted above the wall and silhouetted against the sunset, "to live in the Grey Terminal."

"Those people are not my family," he said scathingly. "Ace and Luffy are. They treat me better than my parents ever did."

"I'm happy to hear that," Garp said genuinely. He dropped his arm from around Sabo and turned his attention back towards Ace and Luffy. Ace had won the leg of boar in their little scuffle, but had begrudgingly given Luffy the last couple of bites anyways.

Garp marveled at how different Ace seemed from the last time he saw him. No longer bubbling over with hatred, Ace seemed content with his newfound brothers. He was still rough around the edges, clearly not accustomed to being caring or cared for, but he looked so much more at ease with himself.

Luffy, the boy who was once desperate for companionship, now had two older brothers who he could rely on. They didn't seem to mind that he was in need of constant supervision, in fact, they seemed to enjoy the responsibility. Over the course of the day Garp noticed that they were quick to steer Luffy clear of any bodies of water. They also put his safety above their own; both Sabo and Ace took hits he had intended for Luffy. Even now, Garp saw Ace pull Luffy back onto his seat when he got too close to the fire, although he may have done it more roughly than how Sabo would have.

Luffy was no longer alone.

Their brotherhood provided each of the boys with what they needed. Ace found self-worth through being a protector. Luffy found the friends he had wanted so badly. Even though he had just met him, Garp could tell that the same applied to Sabo. It was apparent that his brothers gave Sabo the acceptance he had longed for in his old life.

It had turned out better than he could have planned.

He watched on as the three boys bickered and horsed around. They were too exhausted to do much though, warmed by the fire and bellies full.

"Hey, Gramps?" Luffy called out sleepily. "Do you have any stories about Gold Roger? Shanks had some really good ones!"

Ace immediately tensed up and looked ready to flee. He didn't want to hear whatever Garp had to say about that man.

Then Luffy rested his head on Ace's shoulder.

Ace was conflicted. A part of him wanted to shove Luffy off and retreat back to the tree house like he had originally planned, but he didn't have the heart to do it. Luffy looked so excited to hear about the Pirate King, and so happy to be snuggled up next to him, that all he could do was throw a nasty glare at the old geezer and dare him to continue.

It wasn't in his nature to run, anyways; especially from a ghost who was long gone.

Garp wasn't going to waste what he knew to be a golden opportunity. He was going to make sure to tell as many great tales about the Roger Pirates as he could, even if he ended up filling Luffy's head with more foolhardy dreams of piracy. It would be worth it if he could improve Ace's view of Roger even one iota.

And so Garp talked late into the night, weaving a tale of fantastic adventure, glorious battles, and family.

One by one, each of the boys fell asleep.

The next morning, Ace awoke from the light of the morning sun. He was a bit disoriented – he had the weirdest dream/nightmare where Garp had come to visit and then told some admittedly cool stories about Gold Roger, like that would ever happen.

He took a look around the tree house, confused as to why he had woken up so early. His legs were pinned under Sabo, and Luffy was using his stomach as a pillow, but that wasn't unusual. They always slept in some sort of dog pile (he refused to call it a cuddle puddle like Luffy did). No, he had been woken up by the amount of sunlight streaming into their tree house. The sun had barely risen, so it didn't make sense for the room to be so bright.

Or at least it didn't make sense until he looked up to see an unobstructed view of the outside world through the skylight Garp had created when he punched them out of their own home.

He hadn't been dreaming.

He twisted around, still being careful not to wake his brothers, to see if the other hole Garp had made was there. He needed to confirm that yesterday had really happened. Seeing the gaping hole, he was glad they had some planks left over from when they had finished constructing the tree house. He and Sabo were going to have to patch it up as soon as possible to prevent Luffy from falling through it when they weren't looking.

He was still staring at the hole in the floor when Garp popped his head through it like a demented jack-in-the-box.

"UP AND AT 'EM, BOYS!" Garp bellowed. "BREAKFAST IS READY!"

Sabo and Luffy each woke with a yell, then stared at Garp uncomprehendingly.

That is until Luffy yelled, "FOOD!" and launched himself at Garp's face. Hugging Garp's head for all it was worth, he exclaimed, "You're the best Gramps! Food! Food! Food!"

"That's the spirit!" Garp responded. "Come along, brats!" he yelled back to Ace and Sabo as he hopped out of the tree with Luffy still clinging to him.

The next few weeks passed in the same way. Garp trained the boys to exhaustion each day, making sure to beat any weaknesses they may have had out of them. He allowed the boys to use their pipes, which didn't make much of a difference but at least helped extend their reach a bit. He made sure to lure Luffy towards water whenever he could, then do his best to push him in. By the end of the three weeks Luffy was much better at avoiding his kryptonite, and both of his brothers were much better swimmers.

Their teamwork had also greatly improved, since the lesson they had learned from facing the Tiger Lord had stuck with them: it was much easier to face a monster like Garp together.

Although Garp pushed the boys to their limits, he also made sure to care for them in his own clumsy way. Every meal was a veritable feast made up of whatever beast had the misfortune of crossing Garp's path, and he made sure to provide them with enough meat so that even Luffy was left satisfied.

Every couple of days or so, he dumped the three off at Dadan's so they could wash properly and he could share a drink with his old friend. He and Dadan traded stories; Garp enjoyed hearing childhood anecdotes about Ace from his foster mother's perspective, and Dadan enjoyed hearing embarrassing tales about marines she had crossed paths with during her youth.

Even though Dadan was callous with her words and her treatment of the boys, it was obvious she was fond of them. She hid her inquiries behind jibes, but she wanted to know where they were staying and if they were in need of anything.

Even so, Garp was both surprised and amused when Dadan had covered the boys in a soft quilt after they had fallen asleep in their customary dog pile after their bath one day. All Dadan could do was glare back at Garp and dare him to say something about her show of concern and the momentary lapse in her bandit boss persona.

After his third week on Dawn, he finally made preparations to leave.

He made one last big breakfast, and sat down to enjoy the last meal he was going to have with his boys for a while.

"So you're really leaving today, old man?" Ace asked, while ripping into the crocodile meat with gusto.

Garp nodded. "I've already spent way more time in the East Blue than I was supposed to, and there's still one more stop I have to make before I head back to the Grand Line," he admitted.

"We're finally going to be able to relax," Sabo muttered to Ace, albeit not quietly enough.

"Fist of Love!" Garp shouted as he punched Sabo into next week.

"And I'm really not gonna miss those!" Sabo added.

"You brats better not let all of that training go to waste!" Garp scolded. "You three have really improved over the last few weeks."

"Thanks, Gramps!" Luffy said, finished with his portion of meat. He rubbed his extended belly in satisfaction, although he continued to eye Garp's serving appreciatively.

Garp absentmindedly ripped off a chunk of crocodile and tossed it over to his youngest grandson, who caught it in his mouth like a golden retriever. Garp went through his mental checklist, making sure he did everything that needed to be done before setting sail.

"Here, Ace," Garp started, tossing him a sealed envelope. "There's a bit of cash in there. Use it to buy clothes for the three of you and for whatever supplies you may need for the tree house."

Over the course of their training, almost every article of clothing the boys owned had been ripped, shredded, or stained with (their own) blood. They also needed wood to repair the damage Garp had caused to their home, which they had temporarily patched using canvas and whatever extra planks they had lying around. Garp hoped that they actually used the money for necessities and not their pirate fund (Luffy had spilled the beans on that one, no surprise there, although he refused to give up it's location).

Ace eyed the envelope suspiciously, before turning an inscrutable gaze towards Garp. What was the catch?

"You should go to Foosha Village and have Makino help you boys pick some things out," Garp continued. "I bet you would love to introduce her to your new brothers, right, Luffy?"

"Oh, yeah! Makino is the best! You guys will really like her. She makes the best food ever – way better than Gramps, although she doesn't give me as much-"

"Ungrateful brat," Garp said, ruffling Luffy's hair affectionately.

Seeing that Luffy was going on about some green-haired woman and that Garp had no intention of stopping him, Ace pocketed the money.

They finished their breakfast as Luffy went on about all of the cool things he was going to show them in Foosha, rambling on about all of the people he was going to show them off to, including someone he only described as "the Lord of the Coast." Whoever that was.

"Alright, brats," Garp started as he stood up. "Come say goodbye to your beloved Gramps."

Luffy jumped into his arms without hesitation, as Sabo and Ace tried to inch away unnoticed. They didn't get far, as Garp caught on to their intentions and scooped them up right alongside Luffy.

Garp squeezed them in a backbreaking hug. Sabo and Ace groaned as Luffy giggled, completely unharmed thanks to his devil fruit powers.

"Love you, boys."

Sabo gave up on his attempts to escape and froze. No one had ever said that to him before. Not his demanding father, who never seemed pleased no matter how hard he studied. Not his superficial mother, who didn't care about him as long as he helped keep up appearances in front of her noble friends.

Here Garp was, having known Sabo for a little less than a month, and he was already expressing more love and concern than his noble genetic donors ever had. Garp had accepted him into his family without question, not caring about his background or who he used to be. In that way, he reminded Sabo of his brothers.

It was a strange little family they had formed, where they expressed more with their fists than with their words and everyone took the sentiment of "tough love" way too far, but Sabo was so happy to be a part of it.

Ace, on the other hand, tried to wiggle out of Garp's grasp with more desperation than before. This was the second time the shitty geezer had said that to him and, unlike the first time, he could no longer just blow it off.

The old man had spent over three weeks teaching him and his brothers how to fight, how to survive in tough situations, and how to work together. He had fed them, cared for them, and even clothed them (although indirectly).

Sabo and Luffy deserved that kind of attention, Ace knew that. Deep down, he even appreciated that Garp had included Sabo and accepted him without any fuss. What he didn't understand was why Garp was treating him that way. Him. The son of the devil himself. Someone who, if you asked most people, didn't deserve to live.

Yet here Garp was, treating him exactly like he would a grandson. Like he treated his real grandson, Luffy. Ace had dragged his feet, had fought Garp on almost everything over the last few weeks, and most of the time he was downright rude, but Garp just laughed it off.

Ace didn't understand why.

(Or maybe he did, and it scared him a little that someone who knew who he was – who had known his father – could care about him.)

"Shishishi! Love you too, Gramps!" Luffy replied. He knew that Gramps loved him, he had said so last time he visited. "But don't come back too soon!" Him and his brothers were covered in bruises and needed a break. Gramps played too rough.

"Bwahaha!" Garp laughed as he dropped the three boys on the ground abruptly. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to get stronger before you see me next. So don't slack off!"

Garp started walking back towards the port. Without looking back, he gave a final overhead wave before disappearing into the jungle.


Letter #187

Dear Nami and Nojiko,

I'm glad to hear Genzo and Bellemère are okay! I've seen drunk people do a lot of crazy stuff while working at the bar, but I guess those two really took it to another level, huh? Hopefully someone took pictures, because that is some blackmail gold in the making!

Everything around here has been pretty lively. We're getting a lot of visitors lately because of that contest I told you guys about. Business is better than ever, which is great, but it's exhausting. I can tell it's taking a toll on my mom too. Hopefully things wind down for a while.

Kingsley's owlets are learning how to fly now, which has been so funny to watch. He always carries them around with him, and they're getting really attached. I have no idea what's going to happen once he tries to release them back into the wild.

I really miss my dad, but I got a letter from him a couple of days ago so I know he's okay. I hate that he can't tell me anything about where he is assigned or what his orders are. I know that it's for his safety, in case our letters are intercepted, but I don't like being left in the dark. You know how I am. I like knowing everything.

I really miss you guys, too. I wish you could come visit me here. I know you guys would love Kingsley and my mom. I'd even introduce you to Marcus, just so you guys would know who I'm always complaining about. I feel like there's such a big part of my life that you guys aren't a part of. I wish we could change that.

Sorry that this letter isn't as cheerful as my previous ones. I actually rewrote it a couple of times, but it didn't feel right to hide how I was feeling from my sisters. I hope you're having a better week than I am! Give Bellemère a hug for me!

Your scribbling sister,

Selena


Selena signed the letter with an unsatisfied flourish, unhappy with how it came out but tired of writing draft after draft. She didn't like unloading her problems on others but she lied so much to the people she loved already, in order to hide her reincarnation status, that she tried to be as honest as she could with other aspects of her life.

After sending the letter off with the News Coo who had dropped off her daily East Blue newspaper, Selena met up with Kingsley at the beach near the docks. Ever since Hitoshi had asked Kingsley to make sure Selena didn't overwork herself, Kingsley had put it upon himself to ensure that Selena took time off and enjoyed being a kid.

They had renewed their exploration of Valhalla, where they had discovered a series of interconnected underwater coves that were only visible during low tide. They also played more with the other kids on the island, tried out all of the new sweets at the newly opened bakery, and taught Kingsley's owlets how to hunt.

Selena appreciated Kingsley's effort to make sure they enjoyed their childhood. Although she had fun and definitely needed to take time to relax, mostly she was happy Kingsley was getting to do normal kid stuff. She hadn't realized it before, but she had kind of forced her rigorous training schedule onto Kingsley unintentionally. Because he spent so much time with her, and she spent almost all of her free time training, Kingsley was being deprived of the normal childhood experience he would have had if he hadn't befriended her. The re-installment of Kingsley's Island Adventures™ was mutually beneficial.

Today, they were playing a game they called Battlefield. Basically, each one of them chose a legendary pirate, marine, or fictional badass. They would then face-off, and try to mimic the fighting style of the person they chose and see who would win in a fight.

Kingsley had chosen to play as Gold Roger, donning a ratty straw hat he had gotten from the lost-and-found box at Mama's and a red throw blanket that served as his captain's coat.

Once Selena saw who Kingsley had chosen to become she had dashed home to grab one of her father's old white button-down shirts, a cute dog-eared beanie she had bought on a whim during her last trip to Loguetown, and some grey and black construction paper.

After a few quick snips and some liberal application of tape, their transformations into Gold Roger and Garp the Hero were complete – fake mustaches and all.

They spent a few hours playing around on the beach, constructing their strongholds out of sand and wrestling in the shade of a palm tree. The battle was long and drawn-out, full of hammy speeches and boisterous laughter. Finally, Selena decided it was time to use her trump card.

"Bwahahaha! You have been a worthy opponent, Roger!" Selena shouted, doing her best to imitate her grandfather's bravado.

"You fool!" Kingsley shouted back, gesturing dramatically. "This battle is no where near over! Stop talking like you've already won!"

Selena chuckled darkly. "The things is… I already have."

Kingsley let out an exaggerated gasp.

"No enemy of mine has ever survived my final attack," Selena continued gravely. She slowly reached down to pick up a coconut from the pile she had collected. "See you in hell, Roger. METEOR FIST!"

Selena continued to laugh as she pelted coconut after coconut at Kingsley, each one landing with a small thud and a spray of sand.

"Bwahaha!" Selena laughed, only to hear the real thing echoing from behind her.

"Bwahaha! That's right pup! Show no mercy!"

"Grandpa!?" Selena exclaimed, abruptly turning about face.

"Garp-san!?" Kingsley cried out fearfully, his head popping up from behind the sand dune he was using as refuge.

"In the flesh!" Garp responded, posturing for a more dramatic effect. He deflated a bit when his antics garnered no reaction from the two kids, who were staring at him blankly. "What's wrong pup? Aren't you excited to see me?" he asked Selena, an edge of something indefinable creeping into his voice.

Selena blinked twice before coming out of her shock.

"GRAMPS!" she yelled, right before she catapulted herself into his waiting arms.

Garp chuckled as he spun his granddaughter around, relieved that she was happy to see him. It had been almost a year and a half since he was last able to come to Valhalla, so he was glad to see that Selena wasn't holding his prolonged absence against him. No matter how long she had to wait in between visits, or how short his stays inevitably were, she seemed to cherish any time they spent together.

It had been so long since someone was so happy to see him, so unconditionally excited to spend time with him, that he had forgotten how it felt. The last person who had looked at him with such genuine admiration had been Dragon, before his rebellious tween years had begun.

Kingsley watched as Selena nuzzled into her grandfather's chest like a baby koala, then proceeded to approach the pair with some trepidation. He had met the vice admiral briefly on multiple occasions, but there was something about the man that was very intimidating.

"Hello, sir. It's nice to see you again," Kingsley said as he stuck his hand out for Garp to shake.

Garp looked down in surprise, having forgotten all about the boy as he cuddled with his sweet granddaughter, and grasped his hand in a firm handshake.

"Oh yeah, Kingston, was it?"

Kingsley blushed as Selena whispered harshly in Garp's ear.

"Oh? Kingsley? Are you sure? That doesn't sound right…"

"That's right, sir," Kingsley responded, before clearing his throat awkwardly. "Um, I should probably head home to help my grandfather prepare dinner…" he trailed off, happy to have found an excuse to leave the gruff vice admiral's presence quickly.

Selena narrowed her eyes. She didn't understand why her Gramps made Kingsley so nervous. She was sure that if they spent more time together they would get along.

"We'll walk back with you!" she said cheerfully before Kingsley could make a hasty exit. "Kaa-chan is going to be so happy to see you, Gramps! And that way, you can eat at the restaurant while I go prepare the guest room for you."

Kingsley threw her a helpless look.

"Sounds like a plan, pup! I can't wait to try more of Etsuko's cooking!"

Kingsley muffled a groan, but began to lead the way back into town dutifully.

"So, Kingshire-" Garp started, his loud voice covering up Selena's giggle at Kingsley's expense. "How's your grandfather doing? Is he still sailing everyday? Keeping active in his old age?"

Kingsley made the wise decision to ignore Garp's slip-up, catching on that the marine was doing it on purpose to rile him up.

They spent the rest of the walk into town making small talk and catching Garp up on any interesting developments about life on Valhalla. Garp kept Selena on his hip the whole time, treating her like a toddler instead of a kid with a full-time job, not that she minded.

When they reached Kingsley's home, situated on the outskirts of town, Marcus and Garp greeted each other like old friends. Garp put Selena down so he could give Marcus a proper handshake and a hearty slap on the back. Marcus insisted they stay for tea before going on their way, and Garp was glad to accept the invitation.

Selena munched on a shortbread cookie as she watched her nemesis and grandfather enjoy each other's company. They had first met on Garp's second trip to Valhalla. Eager to see her rival crushed into oblivion by someone in his own age bracket, she had rushed Garp over to meet Marcus at the first possible opportunity.

To her utter surprise and total dismay, Garp and Marcus had hit it off right away.

They understood each other in a way only lifelong sailors could, and had a lot in common. Both of them had grown up in rather small towns but had taken to the sea because they had seen everything their home islands had to offer. They had both traveled the seas in their youth, and both settled down with women they had met during their travels. Although Marcus had started his family much later on in life, they each only had one child.

Later that night, away from the watchful eyes of their prying grandchildren, Marcus and Garp had shared a bottle of whiskey and bonded over their mutual losses. Both of their wives had died due to medical complications, and although the heartbreak was much more recent for Marcus, both men found comfort in speaking to someone who understood exactly what they had gone through.

Selena had seen the mutual understanding and respect blossom between them, and couldn't begrudge them the friendship. However, she couldn't quell the disappointment she felt when Garp went out of his way to see Marcus each subsequent visit to Valhalla, carving into the already precious little time she had with her grandfather.

She was grateful that she got to see Garp once a year, knowing that his time was valuable and that he was needed elsewhere. She felt lucky to see him at all, that he actually cared enough about her to go out of his way just to see her. She even felt a little guilty because time he spent with her was time he could have been spending with his grandsons.

But a tiny part of her, the part of her that was an eight-year-old child who missed her Gramps, was resentful of the fact that Garp was never able to spend more than a day or two on Valhalla at a time. That same small part of her, who maybe used her kinship with Garp to fill in the gaping void in her heart Hitoshi left behind whenever he was deployed, was jealous of anyone who got Garp's attention. The bitterness she felt wasn't directed at any person, she knew Garp was surpassing any expectations she had and that Marcus wasn't doing anything wrong, it was aimed more at the situation and the circumstances that kept her apart from so many of the people she loved.

Her dad. Her grandfather. Nami. Nojiko. Bellemère.

She tried not to take out her frustration on anyone, but she didn't stop herself from sending dirty looks towards Marcus whenever Garp wasn't looking. Marcus returned in kind, sending exaggerated death glares her way from behind Garp's back, which assuaged any guilt she was feeling about being a brat.

She finally gave up on trying to vaporize Marcus with her mind, and spent the rest of their short visit helping Kingsley out in the kitchen. After a drawn-out goodbye, they were finally able to leave.

"Goodbye Selena-chan!" Marcus called out mockingly. "You're welcome here anytime!" he added.

Selena just rolled her eyes, knowing that Gramps wouldn't pick up on the sarcasm in Marcus's delivery.

"Thank you for your hospitality!" Garp called back carelessly.

Marcus chuckled to himself as he shut the door. He really hoped little Selena-chan would visit more often. He loved seeing how grumpy she would get in his presence, hissing at him like a wet kitten. It was adorable.

Further down the road, Selena tugged on Garp's hand impatiently as they headed towards Mama's Place. She was eager to get her grandfather settled so that they could make the most of the little time they had together. Garp just chuckled and let himself be dragged along.

Selena busted through the doors of the restaurant in her usual fashion, Garp still in tow. The regulars let out a cheer of "Selena!" in greeting, which she ignored in favor of rushing to the bar and presenting her grandfather to her mom like he was part of her show-and-tell project.

"Look who's here, kaa-chan!"

"What a lovely surprise, Garp-san," Etsuko said politely, leaning over the bar to give Garp a hug. "When you didn't visit us in the spring we figured you weren't going to be able to come to Valhalla at all this year. I'm so happy to see you! Will you be staying with us for a while?"

Garp grimaced. "I'm actually only able to stay one night," he said apologetically.

As much as she tried to keep her expectations low, Selena was still disappointed.

"That's even shorter than usual!"

"I'm sorry, pup. I had some unexpected business to take care of in the East Blue that cut into my vacation time."

"That's okay," Selena relented. "That just means we have to stay up extra late tonight to make up for it!" she said, not wanting to spend what little time she did have with Garp sulking.

"If it's okay with your mom, I don't see why not!"

Both Garp and Selena sent Etsuko identical pleading looks, their hands clasped together hopefully.

"I guess I can make an exception for tonight," Etsuko complied. "But you better not slack off during your lessons tomorrow!"

"I promise I won't!" Selena vowed. "Thanks, kaa-chan!"

"Of course, angel. Now, I'm sure you must be hungry, Garp-san. What can I get you?"

Selena took the opportunity to run home and get fresh linens for the guest bedroom. She knew Garp would keep her mother busy for a while, having learned over his past visits that his appetite was the stuff of legend. Garp also felt no shame in taking advantage of the fact that Etsuko owned a restaurant, and showed no remorse over eating them out of house and home.

Selena mentally planned out the rest of their evening as she changed the sheets on the bed. When Garp had first agreed to become her grandfather, she had expected him to treat her like how she remembered him treating his grandsons in the story. She had been ready to endure brutal training and extreme survival exercises. To her absolute surprise, Garp never suggested anything of the sort. He wasn't much different than her grandfathers from before. If anything, he was even more affectionate.

He seemed to really appreciate quality-bonding time together. They played dominos, checkers, or other board games. Sometimes they tried to bake together, with Etsuko supervising. At least once every visit they sat on the porch together and talked for hours on end. Garp loved regaling her with stories from his youth, and Selena used every opportunity she had to learn more about him.

It was strange to see someone who lived such an exciting life enjoy such simple things. Selena didn't think he was treating her differently because she was a girl (she really hoped that wasn't why). His visits to Valhalla were so short that it didn't make sense to waste their time training. Two days wasn't really enough time for her to be able to learn anything new. Not to mention, that unlike his grandsons, Selena had parents who were looking out for her and were able to teach her. Hitoshi worked for many years as an instructor and was very skilled. Garp probably trusted his student to oversee her training.

At least, that's what she told herself.

After making sure everything was in order and leaving a set of fresh towels on the bed, Selena rushed back to the restaurant, unsurprised to find that Garp was still mid-feast.

They chatted while he ate; Garp told her what he could about his whereabouts over the past year and a half, about his crew, and about up-and-coming marines. He also mentioned that he had been offered the position of admiral multiple times over the past decade, but that he turned down every offer. He believed that he was past his prime, and that it was time for the next generation to step-up.

Selena listened intently, chiming in whenever he brought up a name she recognized. Etsuko also jumped in whenever she got the chance, taking small breaks to rest at their table. Selena offered to help bartend but Etsuko turned her down, wanting her daughter to spend as much time as she could with Garp.

After closing, they headed home, showered, and got ready for bed. The three played board games in their pajamas for hours, when Etsuko finally decided to turn in.

Selena decided to make hot cocoa for the both of them, hoping that the sugar would help her stay awake for a bit longer.

Garp watched from his seat at the kitchen table as his granddaughter flitted around looking for the proper ingredients. She was making a spectacle of herself, acting like she was in a cooking competition for his entertainment. He let her do as she liked, clapping at all the right moments and only intervening to stop her from adding in an alarming amount of sugar to the concoction.

She placed the still steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of him, garnishing the drink with both whipped cream and marshmallows.

She watched expectantly as he took a sip. Garp was surprised that it actually tasted good – he had watched as she had thrown a bunch of things together but hadn't really thought she knew what she was doing. There were hints of cinnamon and vanilla, but it didn't overpower the rich chocolatey taste.

"Delicious! Nicely done, pup!"

Selena beamed at the praise, took a sip of her own drink, and let out a content hum.

"I'm a pretty good cook, Gramps. You tend to pick up a few things while working in a restaurant," Selena said with a chuckle.

"I suppose," Garp conceded. "Is that what you want to do when you grow up? Take over your mom's business?"

Garp had asked the question lightly, but was more invested in her answer than he tried to let on. Out of all of his grandchildren, Selena was the most likely to become a marine. For the moment, at least. He still had time to beat the idea into his grandsons' heads, and he was sure it was only a matter of time before they saw the light.

He could almost see it now: all of his grandchildren decked out in marine white, three admirals and a fleet admiral, lauded as heroes by civilians everywhere.

"I don't think so," she responded while picking up the remains of their last game of Battleship (which Garp had won every time, much to her frustration). "I don't think I'd be able to live on this island forever. I want to see the world."

"So you're thinking of following in your dad's footsteps instead?" he asked, a hint of pride in his voice.

"I don't know…"

"You don't know? But joining the marines is a great way to travel, and you get paid to do it! You've heard my stories; I've been everywhere."

"Yeah, but it's not like you get to choose where you're stationed. I could end up stuck in a god-forsaken base in the middle of nowhere until I die."

"Once you move up the ranks you get more say in where you go, and I know you'll have no problems getting promoted, pup. Hitoshi told me that he's been training you, and that's going to be a huge advantage when you do enlist."

Selena took a slight pause, surprised by the surety in Garp's voice.

"He taught me the basics of hand-to-hand and the absolute minimum I'd have to know about swordsmanship, but I've mostly been learning on my own. I'm working really hard, but I don't think I'm as good as you think I am."

"You're still very young and have time to grow. By the time you join, you'll have more than a decade of experience over all of the other new recruits. Most people come in with no training at all. Besides, Hitoshi is very proud of how much you've improved. He might be a little biased, but don't sell yourself short. I'm sure your hard work is going to pay off."

Garp felt a smidgen of guilt pick at his conscience. He had never attempted to train Selena partly because he knew she was in good hands with Hitoshi, but mostly because he didn't want to change the nature of their relationship.

He knew he would be a better teacher than her father, mainly because he wouldn't coddle her and wouldn't be afraid to push her into extreme situations. Hitoshi would never intentionally put his daughter in danger but when it came to training, sometimes real-life experience was the only way to learn. Hitoshi's desire to protect her was, in some ways, hindering her progress.

But he didn't want Selena to look at him differently. Whenever he came to Valhalla, he got to enjoy the simple comforts in life. He spent time with friends, ate delicious home-cooked meals, and cuddled with his granddaughter. He was able to be a normal grandfather. He didn't want to lose that. There were very few people in his life that treated him with such genuine affection.

Tsuru and Sengoku, who were undoubtedly his dearest friends, had to maintain a certain level of professionalism. Yes, he was Monkey D. Garp and he was allowed a considerable amount of leeway, but Sengoku was still his superior and Tsuru was a peer. Duty came first.

Bogart, Hitoshi, and Bellemère (before their falling out) were his protégés. They would carry on his legacy, and he was closer to them than he was with his own son. But he was their mentor first and foremost, which demanded a certain level of respect. He was their superior and he had to know that they would be ready to follow his orders at any time.

At one time, Dragon had idolized him the same way Selena did. Over the years, that adoration became tinged with resentment due to his constant absence and then over their differing worldviews.

His grandsons, who by nature alone just weren't as cuddly as Selena, definitely held a certain level of admiration for him. They were impressed by his strength and respected his experience. Ace had even grudgingly admitted, although he was delirious from exhaustion and slightly dehydrated, that there was "a lot he could learn" from Garp. But they were also terrified of him. His training methods were highly effective, but somewhat traumatizing.

"I can also show you a thing or two, once you're a bit older," he offered. "As I'm sure your dad has told you, I'm a pretty great teacher."

But Selena heard the hesitation in his voice – and while a part of her was clamoring at the opportunity to be taught by a vice fucking admiral, she didn't want Garp to teach her out of some sense of obligation or because she pressured him to. Why didn't he want to? Why was she being treated differently than his other grandkids?

"Thanks, Gramps. But that's not even the main reason why I don't think I can be a marine. I don't think that much discipline and structure would be good for me. I already put so much pressure on myself that I think I would either burn out or have a mental breakdown in that strict of an environment. Plus, I don't think I'd be good at the whole blind obedience thing," she said honestly.

"Or a demanding environment could be exactly what you need to become the best version of yourself. Besides, no grandkid of mine would buckle under the pressure," he said dismissively. "What do you mean by blind obedience?"

Selena took another sip of hot chocolate.

"Well, I could see myself following the orders of my commanding officer – someone I know and trust – but that's not how it works, is it? Even if I were loyal to my direct superior, they wouldn't always be calling the shots. Orders are passed down the chain of command, and I wouldn't be able to do something just because some shadowy organization told me to."

"But the boys in HQ aren't some mysterious secret society," Garp responded jokingly. "The current Fleet Admiral is Sengoku, a man who I've fought alongside of for decades and one of my best friends. I can introduce you if you're that worried about it."

"I wasn't talking about him," Selena said, choosing to ignore the fact that Garp just offered to personally introduce her to one of the most powerful people in the world like it was nothing. "I meant the World Government, or worse, the Celestial Dragons."

Garp frowned. The papers only reported news that framed the government and the World Nobles in a positive light, so the only way Selena would have a negative opinion of them would be if Hitoshi had mentioned them.

"What have you heard about them?"

"Almost nothing – and that's the problem. How could I be loyal to an organization I know nothing about? The papers only mention the World Government when talking about new laws that have been passed or when they talk about sentencing prisoners to Impel Down. There's even less information about the Celestial Dragons."

Even with her reincarnated knowledge, Selena knew almost nothing about the World Government or its motivations. She knew about CP-9 from the Ennies Lobby Arc and of the existence of the Five Elder Stars, but that was about it.

She wasn't lying about the dearth of information about the Celestial Dragons, either. In all of her time in this world, she had only read one story about a World Noble: a highly censored fluff piece covering Saint Jalmack's inspection visit to Marine HQ.

"Look, I'm not a huge fan of those guys either, but the system is necessary. Without the government maintaining order, pirates would have driven the world to chaos a long time ago," he stated. He actually believed that Dragon had good intentions but was going about things the wrong way by proposing a complete revolution. "Besides, do you know how rare it is for the World Government to interfere with Marine affairs? Ninety percent of orders sent down the ranks are coming from Sengoku himself."

"It's that leftover ten percent that bothers me. If I'm going to dedicate myself to something, I wanna know who I'm risking my life for and who I'm working for," she responded seriously. "But come on, Gramps! I'm only eight! I've got plenty of time to figure things out."

"That's right, pup! And it's a good thing that you're thinking so deeply about this kind of stuff. It shows me that you're going to be a great marine one day who follows her own sense of justice!"

Selena groaned and decided to just let Garp live in denial.

They stayed up playing card games for another hour before Selena finally fell asleep on the table, unable to keep her eyes open any longer.

The next day, Selena and Kingsley accompanied Garp back to the docks to wave him off properly with varying degrees of enthusiasm. While Kingsley was happy to get the eccentric vice admiral off of his island, Selena was sad to see him go. She would have to wait at least a year before seeing her grandfather again.

Selena returned home and did her best to keep her promise to her mother to stay awake during her lessons. After her third time dozing off, Etsuko took pity on her and cut the lessons short. Selena took a nap later in the day and tried to make up for it by working an extra long shift at the bar, but she still felt guilty for breaking her word.

Life for Selena went back to routine. Everyday was a cycle of lessons, training, working at the restaurant, and goofing off with Kingsley. She made sure to spend quality time with her mother each day, knowing that Hitoshi's prolonged absence was going to wear Etsuko down. She tried to help out at Mama's as much as she could, constantly coming up with new games and seasonal drinks, and even began learning how to cook some of her family's treasured recipes.

Etsuko loved having her daughter in the kitchen with her, where she could pass down her family's knowledge. After she taught Selena basic cooking techniques and knife safety, they started on the easier recipes. They also experimented, trying to come up with new twists on their favorite dishes, or baked intricate desserts when they had extra time. Etsuko had forgotten just how fun cooking could be; since she did it for a living, it had become a chore. Cooking with Selena reminded her of how much she enjoyed being in the kitchen.

She also felt a certain sense of fulfillment whenever Selena perfected another one of her family's recipes. Etsuko used the opportunity tell Selena stories about her family and what it was like for her to grow up in Mama's. She felt like her family's legacy was living on. The first time they had created something together that was good enough to be put on the menu, she had teared up. Selena had earned her place in their family's history. She spent the following week recommending the new dish to every customer that walked in, boasting about how her daughter had created it. Selena was both mortified and extremely pleased.

Life had gone on as usual, which was why Selena was surprised to spot a marine battleship on the horizon during an early morning run. Hitoshi wasn't due back home for a while, and Garp had left only a few weeks ago, so she was confused as to what was going on. Not to mention that both men usually left their ships in Loguetown to be restocked and refurbished, then ferried over to Valhalla.

The ship was too far off to make out any distinct features, so Selena ran home to shower and change. By the time she made it back to the docks, the ship was nearing the shoreline. One quick look was all that was needed to confirm that it was Garp's ship: it was massive, the figurehead featured a giant bulldog, and the crow nests were shaped like doghouses.

Selena waited eagerly for Garp, thinking that he was able to get more time off or that his next mission was delayed for some reason. Either way, she wasn't complaining.

She watched as the marines on deck docked the ship and finally caught a glimpse of Garp when they set up the gangway. Immediately, all of her excitement turned into dread. Garp was almost unrecognizable. He looked like he had aged years in the few weeks she hadn't seen him. The absence of his trademark grin made his wrinkles seem more prominent; for once, Selena actually thought he looked his age.

It took no time for Garp to spot her from his place near the ship's railing. As he approached, his somber mood was unmistakable. Anxiety gripped Selena, making her stomach twist.

"Gramps? What's going on?"

"Let's go find your mom first, Selena."

Garp bent down and hefted her up into his arms. Over his shoulder, Selena was able to make out several of his men sending her pitying glances. She turned away quickly, burying her face in her grandfather's neck.

The silent trip to Mama's was over much too quickly for Selena's liking. Garp stepped through the doors quietly and shut them behind him, adding another level of wrongness to the situation.

"I'm sorry! We're not open yet!" Etsuko called out from the back. She appeared in the kitchen doorway with a ladle in hand and broke into a smile when she saw who had walked in.

Her expression fell when she picked up on the grave mood.

"No… please, no."

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth and she scrunched her face up in despair, knowing that there could only be one reason for Garp's presence.

Selena tightened her grip on Garp's jacket at her mother's reaction, pulling herself impossibly closer to him to ground herself. This couldn't be real.

"I am so unbelievably sorry to tell you this… but I thought you deserved to hear it from me," he said, voice cracking at the end. He took a steadying breath. "Hitoshi is dead."


End Notes: Okay, so there was a lot of ASL this chapter (not that I mind). I'm trying to follow the timeline, and if I'm getting this right, all of Luffy's childhood flashbacks happen when he was seven. Which means he meets Shanks, Ace, Dadan, and Sabo all in the same year? And everything with the Grey Terminal happens that year too? So it's a lot of stuff to jam pack into a short amount of time.

In other news, Garp isn't the worst guardian in the world this time around and he learned that the best way into his grandsons' hearts is through their stomachs. He kind of took over this chapter, hence the title, but whatever.

I basically had to re-work the order of a lot of events I had planned out a long time ago and then add in an extra chapter. I had to do the same for chapter three, so I guess I should expect this to happen again. Honestly, the childhood arc is going to be longer than I planned but I'm not in a rush to get to canon anyways. I'm enjoying having time to flesh out my OC's and really show what Selena's interpersonal relationships are like.

Last edited on 1/24/20.