Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece yadda yadda yadda… you get the picture

Oh, and I must apologize for my bad grammar, English is not my first language so gomenasai

Thanks for the reviews :D

Chapter 3: A ghost from the past

"Great, can you cook meat?" asked Luffy. And with that question Ace just groaned. Me? After a long time I really laughed.

You're probably wondering why I accepted Makino-san's offer. Well, if you think about it I really did not have anywhere else to go. Back home in my world? I had no means of survival on my own. They would have chucked me back into foster care faster than I could think about it. And I trusted my mom's words. It will bring me home.

I couldn't stop thinking about that phrase. Perhaps mom came from this world? But why would she leave? It's was no use thinking about it and doing nothing. Now I had a purpose, a goal if I may say so. That is what I thought the next day in the morning when I was standing in the middle of kitchen and looking at it. Horror, was the first thing I thought. It looked as if the hurricane went through it. And the rest of the house did not look any better, not counting my own room.

"Shana-chan? Are you home?"

"Yes, Makino-san. I'm home, please come in." I replied. Makino entered the room and laughed at my expression.

"You're surprised at the mess?" she asked.

"Yes, I did not think it was possible even to create such disaster in merely half an hour."

"Ha ha, this is nothing. You see why I need help?"

At that comment I just nodded dumbly, but rolled my sleeves and started cleaning. Makino left but said if I needed help I should just follow the path towards the harbor and seek her bar. I grumbled at that, I never needed help with cleaning before and I'm not going to start now.

Two hours later I had a bag full of clothes that needed to be washed but it was closing in on midday and according to Ace they were finishing their morning training for lunch. So I placed the bag in my room and started preparing lunch. What to make was a no brainer. By knowing Luffy I knew whatever I make it has to contain meat. I made a simple meal but larger. And when the midday came the brothers rushed into the house, Ace more sedately then Luffy. They had mud on their shoes and looked absolutely dirty, so the first thing I did? I asked them not to loud but I glared at them:

"And what do you think you are doing? If you want to eat go clean yourselves first!"

"Aww, come on Shana I'm hungry!" complained Luffy. I merely intensified my glare which made Ace drag Luffy into the bathroom. I smirked, satisfied that my glare still works. Well, if it worked on grown men. And holding a spatula in my hands did help. While the boys were cleaning themselves up I prepared the table and brought food.

"Wow, this is good," said Ace, while Luffy mumbled something with his mouth full.

"Thanks."

It wasn't long when the food was gone and I asked them what they are training for.

"To be strong. We both have a dream, I want to see the world and become a pirate."

"And I'm going to be a pirate king. I have to be strong to protect my nakama!" Luffy exclaimed and I just sat there. I just hit me, how in the world am I going to survive, if I wanted to look for answers. Sure, I knew how to fight but not in a scale that was written in a manga. I remember some of those fights, on paper or in a story they sounded amazing, but to fight them? I had neither skill nor ability.

"We're going; dinner is at Makino-san's place, so you don't have to cook. See you there," said Ace as he was leaving.

"Bye Shana!"

"Bye," I replied still a bit in a daze. I stood and washed the dishes and grabbed the bag out of my room. In the bathroom I found a small tub which was used for washing clothes and since it was a nice day I decided to wash the clothes outside.

Few hours later I was finished and was hanging the clothes when I heard a whisper. In habit I reached towards my salt bag, but a voice stopped me:

"You don't need that dearie. I'm not here to haunt."

At that I turned around and saw a spirit of an older woman and for the second I thought I saw an older version of my mother and unknowingly I must have muttered that out loud.

"I'm not your mother child, but I am your grandmother. My name is Rassa," she smugly said looking at me. I probably looked like a gaping fish. I breathed deeply to calm my chaotic mind and asked her: "How? I mean, why now?"

She chuckled and looked at me sadly: "I couldn't go to you back in that world. My daughter Rena was born here, met a pirate, fell in love and to protect you she asked me to help. I sent her there hoping she'll be fine."

At that she looked in the distance: "I hoped to bring her back after a few years but I was too old. I died a year later. She did had a necklace I gave her as a backup plan and I see you are wearing it now. There is much we need to discuss, little one. So you better hang those clothes before they are dry."

I grumbled, saying that I'm not little. Sure, I was smaller then my classmates but that does not make me little. As a response all I heard was laughter. It wasn't long before I was done and I returned the tub to the bathroom and when I came back outside I saw my grandmother standing near a fallen log. I joined her and sat down. For a moment we did not say a thing and while waiting for her to start talking I noticed for the first time how nice this island really is windmills covering the idyllic countryside and a small village with a harbor completes the image.

"I'm sorry for your loss, little one. Your mother was quite upset with what happened to you."

"You spoke with her?"

"I did. She has learned quite a repertoire of curse words in the new world," she said amusingly. I smiled at that.

"She does have a temper."

"I believe it's hereditary. All women in our family were or your case, are known to have a temper," she said smiling. I couldn't have helped myself at that time and laughed as well.

"You look like her, when she was your age. Except for the hair," she sighed and I noticed her gaze wandered of. Probably lost in the memories.

"Rena had a gift like yours as well, you know. She gave it up; to go to that world she did not think you'll inherit it."

"She could see spirits? Why didn't she tell me?"

"I wouldn't know her reasons, but seeing spirits is just thee first stage of your gift, or when we were alive ours. I stayed here knowing you'll return here one day and that I would teach you."

"The first stage? Teach me? I don't understand?" I asked all bewildered. Rassa smiled and petted me on my head. The feeling wasn't unpleasant, but not exactly comfortable either. Up till now spirits that touched me weren't as you call friendly so I was quite startled at the moment.

"Your gift will grow in time. For now your ability is to see spirits and to send them away or exorcise them I believe you call it."

"Yes, and I also hear whispers. Warnings or just simple notifications what has happened."

"Ah, so they do warn you. I'm glad for that. In time you'll be able to sense them. And I mean all of them as long as you'll be able to concentrate."

"I'll be able to sense them. They'll never leave me alone?" I moaned with despair. She chuckled and asked me: "What are spirits child?"

"Ghosts of dead people," I answered without hesitation. I never liked calling them ghosts. It reminded me of all those creepy movies mom adored so much.

"No, no. Spirits are within everything and everyone. You may see now those who have passed, but in time you'll be able to do much more."

"Let me understand this, I'll be able to sense the presence or spirit of everything? Rassa, I'll lose my mind in a week!" I complained to her but she just laughed.

"What do you think I'm doing here? I'll teach you like I was taught by my mother and she by hers," Rassa said in comforting tone and reminded me of my mother. She must have caught my sad look and quietly said: "She would love to have taught you, but there are some rules we have to follow. She died not yet a month ago and is still new to spirit realm. It does not help that she did not die here. Rena did promise to come when she's able."

At that I immediately perked up and I think my gaze told her everything.

"She will come. Now, your training will begin tomorrow so be ready. Oh, I almost forgot. I'll be teaching you how to control your gifts and your grandfather Bill will teach you how to defend yourself," Rassa calmly said but looked at me shrewdly. Yes, there was no doubt that she is related to me and mom I thought.

"My grandfather? He's also here?"

"Well, of course. What do you think, that I'll wait for you for god knows how many years alone? I think not. Be prepared in the morning till midday you're mine in the afternoons you're with Bill. See you," she said and vanished. I laughed while my mind was still full of new information and I could not but feel a bit excited for tomorrow.

I guess mom was right. It did send me home, even if home now contained two wacky brothers and spirit grandparents.

"Shana!!"

"Ouff," I managed to say as I was tackled by Luffy. Ace as usual laughed and helped us up.

"Are you hungry? I'm hungry, let's go eat!" started Luffy and dragged me towards Fuschia town.

"Oi, Luffy don't drag her. I say let's race. First to the bar wins."

With that I did not think Ace included me, but I felt giddy and wanted to do something fun. I was always good in gym class so I ran ahead of them and yelled: "Last one is rotten egg!"

"Oi, no cheating!" they shouted and ran after me.

Oh yes, my time here will be fun. And at that point I did not know how right I was.

Third chapter is done! Already working on the next one.

Just to clear some things up: - I'll use some Japanese expressions in my story like nakama (means companion, friend and a crew mate)

The story will be following manga

So thanks everyone for reading and thanks again for the reviews, if you have any questions you can PM me anytime :D