I'm not dead! Yay! I'm so sorry, everyone! I have been getting so distracted with school, and moving that this fanfic legitimately left my mind for several months. Seriously! I had forgotten that this existed for months! I cannot apologize enough for my forgetful behavior. Hopefully this chapter will help to make amends. I hope you enjoy it!
I do not own One Piece!
Luffy stared up at the giant ship with the whale figurehead. They had just docked at the sea restaurant, and Luffy had been unable to tear his eyes away from Whitebeard's ship since it first came into view. It was the biggest ship he had seen so far, and he wanted to explore it so badly. The only thing that held him back was the smell of food coming from the fish restaurant. He wanted to see all that the ship had, but he was so hungry! It had been forever since Thatch cooked breakfast! But the ship was so big!
"I knew the Moby Dick was big, but I didn't think it was this huge." Sabo said from his left.
"Do you think Whitebeard is up on the deck?" Ace asked from his right.
"Nah. Pops is inside." Marco told them, and Luffy snapped out of his daze. Whitebeard still hadn't accepted his offer to join his crew. Luffy decided that the giant ship could wait.
"Right! Let's go in!" Luffy cheered, and ran in at top speed.
"LUFFY!" Ace and Sabo yelled and tried to grab him.
Luffy was too fast for them, though. He barged in through the doors, and all activity inside the restaurant stopped. There was a whole bunch of pirates sitting at all the tables, and eating food. Then Luffy spotted the biggest man he had ever seen in his entire life sitting at a table in the corner. He had a white mustache that looked like a banana, and was looking at him with an unreadable expression.
"Whoa! You're huge, Banana Man!" Luffy yelled with stars in his eyes. All the pirates, including Marco, Thatch, and his brothers, all gave him a wide-eyed stare. Luffy wondered what was wrong with them, when they, except his brothers, all started to laugh.
"Eh? What's so funny?" Luffy asked, and received a punch from Sabo.
"You idiot! You just called Whitebeard 'Banana Man'!" he yelled, and Luffy's eyes widened in surprise.
"You mean that's Whitebeard?! But he doesn't have a beard! He has a banana-stache!" Luffy exclaimed, and the pirates laughed harder.
"It's just a title, Luffy!" Ace yelled, and then Luffy remembered why he ran in at top speed.
"Hey, Bananabeard! Join my crew!" Luffy yelled, and many pirates fell onto the floor because they were laughing so hard.
"Gurarara! Bananabeard?! You cheeky brat!" Whitebeard laughed, and the pirates started to calm down.
"So is that a yes or a no?" Luffy asked, and a few more pirates gave amused chuckles.
"Where did you find these kids, Marco?" a guy with a top hat and swords asked as he wiped away a tear.
"On the island with Arlong." Thatch answered.
"So, you brats want to sail with us, huh?" Whitebeard asked them with a smile, and Luffy frowned.
"You didn't answer my question, old man." Luffy said in a serious tone, and Whitebeard gave him an amused look.
"The answer is 'no'." he said, and Luffy deflated some.
"See! I told you he didn't want to join your crew." Ace reminded him, and Luffy pouted.
"Well, it's about time the remaining crew showed up." Said a peg leg guy with a braided mustache. He walked in with a blond kid, and both of them were carrying plates of food. Luffy's stomach growled, and he remembered that he still needed to eat lunch.
"FOOD!" He cheered and ran up to the two newcomers.
"Hey! Wait your turn! You'll get your food!" The blond kid yelled and used one of his legs to keep Luffy from grabbing a plate. Luffy ignored him, and stretched his arm to grab a plate with meat on it.
"What the hell?!" The kid yelled, and Luffy scarfed down the morsel of food.
"That was great! I want more of that!" Luffy proclaimed and both the kid and peg leg looked at him in surprise.
"Y-You actually liked it?" the kid stuttered in amazement.
"Yeah!" Luffy smiled and grabbed the second plate to eat too.
"That was one of Sanji's plates. The meat was overcooked and under seasoned. Yet you still liked it?" Peg leg asked, and Luffy nodded with a full mouth.
"Who's Sanji?" Sabo asked while eat a plate he had stolen from peg leg. Ace had the other plate.
"When did you brats-"
"I'm Sanji. Did you really like my cooking?" the kid interrupted peg leg in an astonished tone.
"You made that? That was amazing! Join my crew, and become my chef!" Luffy insisted, and Sanji gave him a frown.
"Stop messing with me! There was a lot wrong with that dish! Admit it!" Sanji yelled.
"Luffy can't lie to save his life. Believe me, he's telling the truth." Ace said, and demanded more food from peg leg.
Sanji looked from Ace, to Luffy, and back again. Then his gaze finally rested on Luffy, who was still waiting for his answer.
"I'm happy that you actually like my cooking, but I have to decline." He said, and Luffy pouted.
"Eh? Why?" Luffy asked.
"I have my reasons." Sanji said and his gaze shifted to peg leg's peg leg.
"I refuse." Luffy said with a determined gaze.
"What do you mean you refuse?" Sanji blinked at him in confusion.
"I refuse your refusal. I will accept no one else to be my chef." Luffy said with a smile.
"You can't just decide that!" Sanji yelled.
"Too late! I've made up my mind!" Luffy said, and snatched an unguarded plate from a nearby table.
"Can you not hear me?! I said no!" Sanji was turning red with frustration.
"Give it up, kid. There's no stopping Luffy once he's made up his mind." Sabo said, eating his fourth plate.
"Would you brats stop stealing our food?!" shouted one of the pirates.
"One way or another, I will get you to agree to join my crew!" Luffy said with a mouthful of food. Sanji gave an exasperated snort, and walked back into the kitchen.
"I don't know how you did it, but you managed to find one last candidate for the Luffy Pirates before leaving the East Blue." Ace said in a surprised tone.
"Yup! I wish I had found my musician, but at least I have my chef." Luffy said with a smile.
"Why are you so determined to find a musician?" Marco asked with an amused tone.
"Because pirates love to sing!" Luffy exclaimed and a few pirates chuckled.
"Something tells me that things are going to be a lot more interesting from now on." Said a guy wearing a lot of makeup.
"They sure are."
XxXxXxXxX
"The Baratie is in sight, sir!" a young marine saluted Garp who nodded him away.
He stared at the slowing growing restaurant in confusion. Why would Whitebeard come to the East Blue to eat at a restaurant? It made no sense whatsoever. And the fact that some of his men were seen around these parts for a while only served to confuse the marine further. They didn't attack any civilians, nor did they steal from anyone. Was this some roundabout way of challenging the World Government?
Garp used his Observation Haki to get a feel of how many of Whitebeard's men were inside, when all the blood in his body froze over. Inside the restaurant amid the pirates were three very familiar brats. Garp could sense that they weren't in any danger, but the fact that they were with the pirates was enough to scare Garp. If headquarters got word of this, there would be nothing he could do to save them from the World Government. He had to get them back to Dawn Island at all costs.
The ship docked, and Garp approached the outside wall. He could sense the pirates getting ready for combat, and hiding the three confused brats under a table. Garp blew on his fist and punched a large hole in the wall. Wood splintered, and dust clouded the air. All the pirates were tense and ready for Garp to make his move. But he wasn't interested in them at the moment. The dust settled and everyone could see clearly.
"I see the marines couldn't keep their noses in their own business for long. What are you doing here, Garp?" Whitebeard asked while standing up.
"GRAMPS?!" Luffy's yell of shock was immediately followed by shushes and whispers, but it was useless. Garp already knew they were there.
"What do you mean 'Gramps'?!" a nearby pirate, Jozu, asked in surprise. All of the other pirates looked on with widened eyes.
"You three! What do you think you're doing with a bunch of pirates?!" Garp demanded while looking at the table they were currently hiding under.
"We sailed off and became pirates of our own, you shitty geezer!" Ace yelled and came out from under the table.
"And there's nothing you can do about it!" Sabo challenged as he followed suit.
"Yeah!" Luffy couldn't help but chip in.
Garp felt tick marks form on his forehead. Did these brats not realize what they were doing? Becoming pirates was the worst thing they could do!
"Stop saying shit like that! You three are going to become strong marines someday! You need to move past this pointless idea of becoming pirates!" Garp yelled back.
"It's not pointless!" Luffy shouted from behind Ace.
"How many times do we have to tell you, we aren't going to become marines?!" he glared at Garp.
"Looks like I have to reintroduce you three to my Fists o' Love!" Garp used shave to move forward, and pounded the trio with his fists.
"Ow! That hurt, Gramps!" Luffy whined while he rubbed the newly formed bump.
"I don't know how you three got off of Dawn Island, but you're going back. And I'm going to train you to become marines." Garp said with finality.
"Then we will sail off again! We aren't going to stay on that island any longer!" Ace growled, and Garp felt his anger and concern grow.
"Then I will have to hunt you down, and drag you back home!" Garp said and the four of them glared at each other.
"Garp, I know it isn't my place to interrupt a family matter, but do you really think taking these three brats back to that island is the safest thing to do?" Whitebeard chimed in and Garp's glare shifted from the trio of brats to the old pirate.
"Don't try to advise me on how to raise my grandsons, Whitebeard!" Garp stared him down.
"I understand that they're your family, and I respect that. But listen to me, these three brats have sailed away once already. They have had a taste of life at sea, and they aren't going to give that up. You say you're going to hunt them down, and bring them back when they set sail again. But what happens to them if you can't make it to them in time. You would've already lost one had my sons not been there to help them out." With every word Whitebeard said, Garp only felt angrier and angrier. The thing that angered him most was the fact that he was making sense. The three brats were stubborn enough to keep sailing out every time he left, and he couldn't bring them with him. That would only be hand delivering them to the World Government to be executed. And this whole fiasco only proved that Dadan could no longer be trusted to care for the three. Garp was at a loss.
"Here's another thing to consider, my crew and I are already invested in the well-being of these three. I won't stop you from taking your family if you so choose, but we will fight to get them back once they leave." Whitebeard said with a serious tone. Great, so Whitebeard already considered the brats to be his sons. Garp's shoulders slumped. He could always try to fight, but this was a matter that Whitebeard was willing to go to war for. Not to say Garp wasn't too, but a skirmish this big will definitely bring the attention of the World Government to the three brats. And that was something Garp had tried to avoid for a little over ten years now.
Garp weighed his options carefully. He could go through with what he said he would do, but Whitebeard was more than likely going to go through with his threat. Garp needed to avoid that if possible, but the only other option was to leave the brats in the care of Whitebeard. Every inch of his being screamed at him to not go with this option, but it was the only plausible way out he could see. Whitebeard was the strongest man in the world, and would stop at nothing to protect the three from other dangers. Not to mention how strong they would become in the New World.
"Tell me this, Newgate… If I leave the brats in your care, do you promise to keep their existences a secret? The World Government would stop at nothing to attack and execute them if they learn about them." Garp said in as serious of a tone as he could muster. Whitebeard gave him a long, hard look.
"You have my word as a Pirate that they will remain a secret." Garp briefly wondered how honorable a pirate's word was before he shook it off. He knew that Whitebeard would keep his promise, even if it meant risking his life.
"Very well. I will leave them in your care, but under one condition."
"And that would be?"
"You have to let me visit them from time to time. Just because I'm letting them sail with pirates doesn't mean I'll let them become pirates." Garp said, and the brats started yelling about how they were going to be pirates no matter what. Garp ignored them, and waited for Whitebeard's response.
"I would never separate family members from each other. You have my permission to visit them whenever you wish." Whitebeard sat back down, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.
"Great, now that the matter of the brats is settled, what are you going to do about my wall?" Zeff said from the doorway to the kitchen.
"I've got it covered. Private! Bring up the wood, hammer, and nails!" Garp ordered a nearby private who saluted him and ran off to do just that.
"Who would've thought that the brats we picked up would be related to Garp the Hero." Marco said from Whitebeard's side.
"Let me ask you this. Were my grandsons the reason why you're in the East Blue?" Garp asked.
"Yes, they are. Marco and Thatch spotted them on an island, and followed them around for their safety." Whitebeard explained.
"I see. So that's why we've been receiving reports of Whitebeard Pirates in the East Blue." Garp said, and started repairing the wall he busted.
"What are you going to tell Headquarters?" Thatch asked.
"I'll just tell them that a few of the Whitebeard Pirates were taking a small vacation in the East Blue, and that you decided to meet up with them afterward." he said as he hammered a nail.
"So, that's really it? You're just going to leave us with these guys?!" Sabo asked in a disbelieving tone.
"I don't really have much of a choice in this situation." Garp answered.
"No way! There has to be a catch of some sort!" Ace said, as he cautiously approached Garp.
"The catch is that your marine training is going to be doubled from now on." Garp said seriously.
"What?! No way!" The three of them yelled, and Garp ordered Bogart to start their training since he was stuck repairing the wall.
Some of the pirates, including Whitebeard, looked like they wanted to say something about his training method, but said nothing. They were about to sail into the Grand Line, and needed to be strong enough to handle themselves on some degree. They would be slaughtered if they were on their own.
Garp's thoughts wandered to what made the brats decide to sail off in the first place. Sure they were always adamant about becoming pirates, but they gave no indication that they were going to become pirates while they were still kids. Something had to have happened to make them leave. One thing was clear to Garp, he needed to have a long chat with Dadan.