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Chapter 8 – Goodbye to Fuschia Village

"Sure you are," he responded with a cheeky grin and ran towards home.

"OI, don't run away!" I shouted and ran after him. Even though our brother left we will see him again.

When Ace left, home seemed awfully quiet, even though Luffy tried to fill it with being even louder then ever. I found myself waiting with a cup of tea in the evenings for our talks more then once. So I distracted myself with training. Luffy and I sparred even more often and when he turned 16 he did finally beat me. The only thing he didn't surpass me in was speed which I was quite grateful for. I could defeat him if I used all of my techniques but in sheer combat he was more ingenuous and stronger then I am.

Not long after Ace left his wanted poster came out, we celebrated that in Party's Bar with the whole village. Only the mayor seemed to be complaining but as always he was ignored. I mean c'mon with a name like Woop Slap? I put the poster on the wall in the kitchen for everyone to see.

Garp did come home once after that and after almost crushing me with a hug and smacking Luffy, he was not happy with Ace. He ranted and complained how much he wanted him to be a marine, but for the trouble Ace caused as a pirate he merely laughed and said: "Bwahahaha, as expected of my grandson!"

He did not stay long but I did make him a few batches of doughnuts for the road.

I was 19 when I finally mastered training with Bill and was now a master of Kyuusho bujutsu. By then I was thinking of leaving to the sea like Ace did. Travel the seas but most of all after receiving a letter from Shanks I wanted to see him. The letter came from an island in Grand line. I guess Ace met him and told him about me. My suspicion was that he wanted to meet the man.

The letter was brought to me by a seagull of all birds and scared the hell out of me. Sure I sensed it coming but skydiving at me? That's one vicious bird and I was really close to barbecuing it.

I was reading the letter on the cliff and pondering what is it that I'm supposed to do. After I reread it several times there is nothing more that I wanted to do then go to him and meet him. Especially when he wrote that he'll wait for me and that we'll see each other on the top.

For me a father was always nonexistent, he lived in stories my mom told me and nothing more. There were a lot of times that I wanted a father just to be near me especially with mom's illness.

But at the same time I didn't want to leave, not with Luffy still here. Luffy kept saying I'm his nakama and that we'll sail together. I always felt happy about that and a part of me wanted to keep my family close and go with him. But I wondered if it is really alright for me to go. I meant mostly because I knew what will happen to him and his crew. I didn't remember the whole story, there are some blanks in my memory what will happen but I knew the most of it. I didn't tell him a thing because I knew he wouldn't listen and wouldn't want to know.

Was I going to be daring and go on my own or go with Luffy? The time passed quickly without me noticing it when I was deep in thought and it was already dark when Luffy found me. I told him what was I thinking and he looked at me seriously: "You know, Ace and I were talking a lot about you. We decided that one of us is going to take you with us. And since you said no to Ace, you're going with me. And you have no say in the matter."

I looked at him and started to stretch his cheeks, saying: "I have no say in the matter, you cheeky brat, huh? You can't even decide which way north is!"

"Itee! Shawa. Shtopp.."

"I really hate when you do that, you know. I guess then I'm going with you," I sighed and let him go. His cheeks fell back with a snap and he grinned and shouted: "Yatta, my first nakama!"

I laughed and a huge weight lifted from me. I then knew I made the right choice. I always followed my instincts as they have never failed me before and besides, even though I knew that he'll be alright I couldn't help but worry for him, I mean he gets lost on his home island, god knows where he'll find himself out in the sea.

After Ace left and before we left the island I always sensed Ace and sometimes I woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat dreaming of fire. And once of urgency and white something. I couldn't remember the rest of it. I knew if he were dead then I would've known immediately so I figured that he'll manage. If either Luffy or I came to help he would have been extremely pissed at us. And if he couldn't then the beads would notify me.

My 20th birthday and Luffy's 17th was closing in and I was already working on preparing the things we're going to take with us. I had quite some money saved working in Party's Bar; Makino-san even complimented me on my technique of throwing drunks out. And since I wasn't the spending type I knew every beli I have would come in handy especially with Luffy's bottomless stomach.

Even though Rassa and Bill said they had nothing more for me to learn from them they still visited and I was happy that they did. The 3rd of March, on my birthday they came to say goodbye.

"This is it, little one; we have a new adventure waiting for us. As there is one waiting for you," said Rassa with a smile.

"Do you really have to go? I mean can't you come to visit or something?" I asked. Rassa merely smiled and scolded me: "You know about the rules. We can stay only a limited amount of time otherwise we would fade."

"I know, I know, but it doesn't hurt to ask now."

"Bye munchkin, have fun and don't forget what we taught you!" said Bill and gave me a spirit version of a hug as warm energy surrounded me.

"Bye, I'll miss you both!" I said to them as they were already disappearing.

"Take care, kid and have a blast. I'll be watching!" said Rassa and they were gone. Even though I knew that they were already dead and when I die I'll have a chance of seeing them again I couldn't help but feel a little bit lonely.

I went back to the house to start on lunch when I see smoke coming from it. I ran thinking I must have forgotten to turn off the stove when I find Luffy in the kitchen trying to cook. I put the emphasis on trying.

"Oh, Shana you're back," he said while coughing because the smoke was everywhere. I quickly opened the windows and door leading outside and took a good look at the mess he made. The oven was completely black; there were spots of flour on the floor and table with eggshells spread all around. I grabbed my head, already feeling the headache coming as I asked him: "Luffy, what did I tell you about you cooking anything?"

"Hmm, never to do it?"

"And what would you call this attempt in the kitchen?" by now I already had a full-blown headache.

"Baking, I was making you a cake!" he replied as cheerfully as ever. I had to stop an urge to smack my head against the table and sighed.

"Luffy, not that I don't appreciate the thought, please, please promise me you won't try that again!"

"Okay, why?" he asked, "I think it came out pretty good," and tried what he made. My eye was now twitching as he grinned and took a bigger bite of the unnamed thing in his hands.

I was never really a patient person and with Luffy my patience was wearing thing so I hit him on the head threw away his baking "masterpiece" and gave him a mop.

"Start cleaning!"

He pouted and I just glared. In two hours we finally managed to clean the mess and we went to eat at Makino-san's place, where she and some of our friends were waiting with a cake for me. I never celebrated birthdays before but she said it was because it was my last birthday here before we leave.

We partied and celebrated all day or what was left of it. In the end Luffy fell asleep on one of the tables and I helped to clean.

"Well miss you both," said Makino-san. She was older then me for quite few years but the time I spent in Party's Bar we became pretty good friends. We had our girl talks as Ace and Luffy called them.

"We'll come back one day Makino-san, after we've conquered the Grand Line. And I'll tell you all the things we have seen and done."

"Just be careful and come back in one piece," she said and hugged me. I hugged her back and whispered to her, that I promise.

From March to May time almost flew. We had or more likely would be to say I had a lot of things to do before we left. I even wrote a letter to Garp which I entrusted to Makino-san so that she could send it after we were gone from island.

I patched and fixed some of Luffy's clothing like I did for Ace and packed them in a duffel bag. I even made my hip bag water resistant.

And very soon it was the day before we left. We went to sleep early as we planned an early departure, but I just couldn't sleep. So I got up and mad myself a cup of tea.

Some of it was excitement but mostly it was because I was leaving a house which has been my home for 7 years. I remembered all the good times and some sad ones. There were a lot of scratches in the wood that weren't present when I first arrived. There is a big cut in door where a nearest neighbor threw an axe in it after chasing Luffy and Ace when they stole watermelons from him. I had to bribe him off with some of my cookies and apologies from them.

Yeah, it has been fun here and I hope no, not hope I'll know it's going to be fun even further on. With that resolution I blew the candle and went to sleep.

The next morning both of us with our duffel bags over shoulders we went to the harbor and boarded our small boat. We had one box of food and a barrel of water on board. I figured it would have to suffice till the next island.

In the harbor the whole village was there to say goodbye. We waved goodbye and departed.

"Ah.. The weather sure is nice today," Luffy said once we were on the open sea.

"Sure is," I agreed and leaned back, "Keep rowing Luffy, if we want to go somewhere."

And as soon as he started to row the seaking that was lurking beneath shot out the water and growled at us.

"I've been waiting for you, sea monster! Today's your unlucky day. I'll show you what I've learned in the past 10 years!" said Luffy as he prepared.

"Need help?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Luffy has been hunting huge animals in the mountains for quite some time so I wasn't afraid.

He merely shook his head in response and took a position: "Gomu gomu no Pistol!"

And with that the sea monster flew away. I looked at where it landed and whistled: "Nice!"

"How'd that taste? Stupid fish!" he exclaimed and stretched his arm and I grinned. He did continue: "Shishi, we'll have to find some friends first and then a pirate flag! Yosh, let's go! I'll become the king of pirates!"

"Hai hai, now start rowing," I merely replied, he pouted and sat down to row.

That's all for chapter 8, Luffy and Shana are on their way and what will happen next will come soon :)

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