(The next morning)
The morning came and Luffy wake up early as today is his first day at work, so he take a bath and after some minutes he dress up and exit his and Mai's room.
He good morning everyone and he start to heading to Makino's bar, after a few minutes he reach the bar and enter.
"Good morning Makino-san!" Luffy said with gentle voice and a small smile on his lips.
"Ah, good morning Luffy-kun! I didn't expect you this early though." Makino say to him with a soft smile.
"Ah, it's okay." Luffy say to her as he chuckle while Makino giggle and nod her head.
"Let's show you the place." Makino said with a gentle smile and start guide Luffy through her shop.
After some minutes they finish the tour and both of them sit at the bar.
"Luffy-kun, do you want anything to drink…did you eat breakfast?" Makino ask him with gentle voice.
"I don't want to bother you Makino-san." Luffy said as Makino giggles.
"Nonsense, you don't bother me at all." Makino say to him as Luffy sigh.
"Some juice or some tea will be nice then, please." Luffy said as Makino smile and go behind the bar to prepare the order.
She put on the bar bench a glass of strawberry juice and a plate with toast and Jam insisting for Luffy to eat.
"Thank you Makino-san." Luffy said to her as she nod her head.
"So, Luffy-kun. How do you find it to be the only male in our island and also how do you seem the island itself?" Makino ask him with a smile trying to start a conversation and also to begin to know the little boy a little better.
"Well Makino-san to tell the truth I only have see some part of the city, I had saw the jungle the day we come here but I haven't explore the island yet. As for you other question it's nice…although it can be pretty creepy from time to time…" Luffy say to her sweat dropping while Makino start to laugh at the boy's reaction.
"Don't get me wrong, I was raised by my mom and in a house with two women so it doesn't bother me at all. But all those gaze that the warriors give me when I walk through the city and also when I'm with Hancock and she glare at them makes it…strange to put it mildly." Luffy continue to say as Makino now laughs even harder making the little boy to frown.
"I'm sorry…Fufufufu…I'm sorry Luffy-kun. You have absolutely right." Makino said as she's red as tomato from the laugh and gasping for air.
"Luffyyy-kunnn!" various voices sound making the little boy to sweat drop and murmured 'why me'.
"Speak for the devil and he or in your situation they shall come." Makino murmured as she start to laugh once again making the poor boy to sigh and shook his head.
Luffy stand up and goes to take the order from the girls.
"Good morning Aphelandra, Miss. Are you ready to order or you want to give you some time?" Luffy ask trying to be polite and not roll his eyes and sweat drop from the girls antics.
"Good morning Luffy-kun! It's nice to see you again, I'd like a cup of coffee please." Aphelandra said to him as Luffy smile at her and start to write the order at his notepad.
"Good morning Luffy-kun, it's nice to meet you. I'd like a cup of tea please." A young slim girl with short unruly blond hair said.
"Would you like any specific favor or type miss?" Luffy ask her with a smile.
"A Rose Black Tea if it is possible please." The blond haired girl said with a gentle smile as Luffy write to his notepad and go to Makino to give her the orders.
After some minutes Luffy take the order and walk to the table who the girls are.
"One coffee and one rose black tea." He said as he serve the drinks.
"Thank you Luffy-kun." Both girls said.
"You're welcome my ladies." Luffy say with a smile, as he start to walk suddenly stops as he just remembering something.
"Oh yes, Aphelandra I'm finishing my shift at noon. If you want and have free time we can train then." Luffy say to her as Aphelandra nod happily while Makino and the blonde haired girl look at Luffy with questioning eyes.
"Luffy agree to train me after we spar yesterday and I lost… badly." Aphelandra explain to the other two as the blondie was on guard duty yesterday.
"Come on Aphelandra, you mustn't underestimate yourself. You did it good, I was just trained by the best swordswoman in the world." Luffy say to her with a smile trying to lift her spirit and he succeed it as he make her smile again but suddenly a loud crash is heard from Makino's side.
"Makino…Are you alright?" Luffy run towards her and ask her as she has dropped some glasses on the floor and she start to tremble slightly.
"Lu…Luffy, Who was your teacher?" Makino ask him cautiously.
"My mom, her name was Rose." Luffy said with somewhat bittersweet tone as Makino gasp while Luffy and the two other girls look at her.
"Lu…Luffy. The only woman I…I know with that name is Neri. D. Rose or as the most people know her Bloody Rose…" Makino said as she and the other two girls look at Luffy gasping.
"Yep, that was my mom but I never knew her last name." Luffy say to her as all of them look at him now with widen eyes.
"Whoa…You're Rose's son…who had thought that the world is so small and many years after I would meet the kids of my best friend." Makino said as walks towards Luffy and hug him while the other two girls left some money on the table and left Makino and Luffy to talk in privacy.
"So, you're the best friend of mom's…" Luffy murmured while Makino catch the change of mood.
"What happened? I know for sure that Rose will never abandon her kids no matter what!" Makino ask him with a gentle tone as both of them sit at the bar and Makino close the door of her shop.
"Mom die two days ago. We just had finish training and we start to heading home. Long story short she didn't make it. If I can guess then I say that the marines or the world government find her true identity." Luffy say to her as Makino look at him now sad with tears in her eyes.
"I…I'm so sorry Luffy. Rose was my best friend… So from now on whatever you or your sister need don't hesitate to come to me, even if you just want to talk…I'll be there for both of you!" Makino said with determination as she hugs Luffy again.
"Did Mai know about this…do you want me to talk to her?" Makino ask him cautiously knowing very well how difficult is for someone at Luffy's age to explain a situation like that to a younger child.
"No, Mai don't know anything and I don't want to learn anything…Yet." Luffy say to her with serious voice as Makino nod her head.
"Can…can you tell me about mom?" Luffy ask her as Makino smile gently to him.
"Of course. Actually Rose and I we're raised in the same island on East Blue along with a kid named Monkey. D Dragon, the two of us we're always inseparable but soon Dragon had develop a crush for her and start to follow us everywhere." Makino say to him as she start to giggle remembering the old memories while Luffy's temper start to rise.
"He was a simple minded kid but he had a good heart, as we were grow the two of them began dating… His foolish behavior was a good counterbalance for her seriousness. Years later he left to become a marine while Rose and I begin to travel around the world until we reached an island at South Blue called Baterilla and we decide to stay there." Makino continue to say to him as Luffy listening her interesting.
She continue to recount about how Rose start to trained from a group of specialists at the swordsmanship while the two of them become good friends with another woman on the island, after some years Rose start to leave from time to time and come back while Makino open a bar on the island.
"I always knew what Rose is doing, even if I didn't ask her once…sure she was capable to assassin someone without even the victim see her or to annihilate an entire battleship without even a scratch, but when she comes to wash her clothes she was entirely clueless…" Makino said as she giggles while Luffy look at her with widen eyes.
"Ah…Makino. Are you sure…that we're talking…about the same person?" Luffy ask her with a raised eyebrow making Makino now to laugh.
"Yep." Makino said as Luffy sigh.
"Okay…I was just checking…" Luffy said as he sweat drop.
"The life that Rose had before begin a family and have you and Mai was entirely different than after she gave birth to you." Makino say to him with a soft and gentle smile.
Before she can continue someone knock at the door and as they look to see who is they see Mai with Hancock outside. Mai smiling as always while Hancock seems to glare daggers towards poor Makino while Luffy start to sweat drop once more again.
"Well someone seems to develop a crush here…Hm, what it reminds me…?!" Makino said giggling.
"Makino…don't even start." Luffy say to her shaking his head while Makino walk towards the door to open it.
"Niisan!" Mai said as she launch herself towards Luffy embarrassing him once again.
"Yeah…Yeah Mai I'm happy to see you too." Luffy say to his little sister as he pat her on the head making the little girl to giggle.
"Luffy my dearest! Aren't you happy to see me?" Hancock ask him blushing make Luffy to widen his eyes for what she called him.
"Why me?!" He murmured shaking his head.
"Yes I'm happy to see you Hancock." Luffy said making Hancock to blush even more and Makino to roll on the floor laughing.
"Now, what I can offer you?" Luffy ask as Mai and Hancock sit at the bar.
"A cup of tea would be great my dearest, MAKINO I HOPE TO NOT TIRE LUFFY VERY MUCH!" Hancock say gently to him while at the same time roar at poor Makino making Luffy to sweat drop and almost roll his eyes while Mai start to giggle clueless as always.
"Well I can clearly see from where Mai takes her behavior." Makino said giggling.
"Yes Mai looks and behave more like our father while I look and have our mom's attitude." Luffy explain to her almost spiting at the word father who didn't go unnoticed by both Makino and Hancock.
"Makino oneesan do you know our mom?" Mai asked as Luffy gives her a glass of juice and serving the tea to Hancock.
"Yes I knew both your parents." Makino said smiling.
The four of them continue to sit there and talk for various things while from time a few Kuja warriors entered the bar ordering various things that Luffy serving them.
The noon came and Makino close the bar as Luffy's shift was over, Luffy said to Hancock to accompany Mai home because he have to train Aphelandra. Hancock agreed but he told him that she'll return after put Mai to sleep.
After walking for a while Luffy finally find Aphelandra but what he see make him to sweat drop as beside Aphelandra are four more Kuja's.
"Good noon ladies, Aphelandra. Are you ready for your first training session?" Luffy ask her with a gentle and polite tone.
"Good noon Luffy-kun. Yes I'm ready…but are you sure that you don't need to rest? I mean we can do that later in the evening." Aphelandra said to him as Luffy smile.
"Nah its ok, I'm not tired at all." Luffy say to her as she nod her head.
"Luffy-kun," The blondie from the morning said.
"Yes miss…" Luffy begin to say but he realize that he doesn't know her name.
"Marguerite, my name is Marguerite. And from there are Ran, Sweet Pea and Kikyo." Marguerite said as Luffy bow slightly his head and said that is nice to meet them.
"Can we come along to see? We promise to not bother you at all." Marguerite continue as Luffy start to think about it for a while.
"Okay, you can come with us as long none of you interfere! Luffy said as all of them nod their heads.
"Now, where do you want to go to begin our training Luffy-sensei?" Aphelandra said as Luffy raise an eyebrow.
"We'll go outside of the city because I don't want to destroy anything here accidentally. Also you can call me just by my name…I'm not too old yet…I thing." Luffy said as all of them look at him with widen eyes at the word destruction but then they giggle.
Luffy took two blunt swords and then the five of them start to walk towards the city gates and they exited it, then they continue to walk through the jungle until Luffy make sure that all of them are at a safe distance from the city.
"Well, I already know that you can use haki both armament and observation as also flying slash attacks. So for today's lesson we'll focus to make your attacks more powerful." Luffy say to her as she nod her head.
"I presume that all of you have already unlock your observation haki. Am I right?" Luffy asked as he turn to ask the rest of them and they nod their heads.
"Good." He say and unsheathe his sword.
"I want all of you to see this, so watch carefully!" He said as he jump in the air and slash vertically with his sword the peak of the trees while his attack continue to travel and cut at least twenty meters away. He sheath his sword back earning gasps from everyone there as he land on the ground smoothly.
"You must be able to do at least that if you want to have a chance on this sea or if you want to call yourself a decent swordsman. As your teacher I'll not expect or be satisfied with nothing less than that!" Luffy say to her with serious voice and gaze as Aphelandra nod her head while the other three girls look at him with awe.
Aphelandra begin and try again and again as Luffy continue to give her instructions all the way up. This continue for some hour and Aphelandra already start to become better at this, but suddenly he rise his hand and take a mien that none of them has seen before as a red aura start to emit from him.
"Stay here and be quiet!" Luffy said with serious voice and gaze as he disappear.
After a minute or so the four girls hear a scream before Luffy reappear with an unconscious man at his hand.
"Ho…How? Is he…?" Ran asked with awe who is an average size girl who have jet black hair parted on one side with an earring on each ear.
"No he hasn't see me and yes he's very much alive…at least for now.!" Luffy say to her as he throw the man on the ground making all the girls to flinch from his changed demeanor.
"You can come out now Hancock…" Luffy said out of the blue as all of them look at him with questioning eyes but soon enough Hancock appear from behind a tree with Salome.
"I found that piece of crap on the shore, so I suggest to take him and find out why he was here and what is looking for. If you want any help then call me." He said as his red aura start to disappear and Luffy himself start to calm down while Salome take the man to the guards.
"By the way Aphelandra you did well for the first lesson." Luffy say to her with a smile as Aphelandra smile and blush.
"We'll continue tomorrow same time as today." Luffy said before Aphelandra can even ask him as she nod her head.
(Six months later)
Luffy continue to work at Makino's bar every morning and when he finished his shift he will go to train Aphelandra and the other girls as all of them become impress with Luffy's skills. Then after some hours of rest he will go to train with Hancock and slowly the two of them became almost inseparable with the exception of Mai of course.
The man who Luffy had catch six months ago luckily was an unfortunate man that for his bad luck was lost. After Luffy's and Hancock intervention they allow him to leave the island…alive…but from some strange and unknown reason the man had lost his memory…entirely.!
(Well I mean accidents happen all the time right?)
It was an evening of some of those days that the two of them decide to skip the training and go to explore the island…but clearly something is bothering Luffy, after the two of them was together almost all the time Hancock was able now to see and notice even the slightest signs of change in Luffy's demeanor and gaze.
So she stops and look at him.
"Luffy…is something happened?" Hancock ask him with gentle tone but worried gaze.
"No, it's all fine Hancock." Luffy say to her putting a fake smile on his face making her to frown and worry even more.
"Come on Luffy, I know you very well now. So please tell me what is bothering you." Hancock said, almost beg him as Luffy sigh.
"Look Hancock, if you're asking if someone told me something then the answer is no…but that doesn't mean that I don't see how most of the habitants look at Mai… and then at me." Luffy said but as Hancock is ready to speak Luffy raise a hand to stop her.
"Both of us know that I don't belong here Hancock and maybe I'll never do…But as long as Mai is safe and happy I don't care! I was never actually welcome at my home island either as everyone feared me or didn't like me because I was beating whoever bother or making Mai sad. So this feeling isn't exactly something new to me." Luffy continue to say as Hancock look at him with sad expression.
"Then all of them are fools.!" Hancock said as she put a hand to Luffy's shoulder.
"Look Luffy, I can see how much your sister mean to you but believe me when I say that you worth more than you can thing. And for that you have and you will always have my upmost respect." Hancock continue to say with serious voice and gaze as Luffy look at her somewhat dumbfounded.
"You had no obligation at all to train Aphelandra and the other girls and teach them how to become stronger and better but you did it anyway and not only that but you never ask for anything in return!" Hancock continue to say with gentle tone and smiling.
"So if they don't want to be friends with you or they don't like you it's their lost!" Hancock said making Luffy finally to smile and nod his head.
"Thanks Hancock!" Luffy said as he hugs her and put a kiss on her cheeks leaving the poor Hancock to gasp and blush scarlet.
They continue to walk and soon enough they stand outside of some ancient ruins that it seems to be somewhat like a temple from a long time ago.
As Luffy start to approach the ruins a giant snake come out who is even bigger than Salome and hiss at him while Luffy does nothing and look the snake in the eyes.
"Luffy don't! This is one of the two lords of this islands. Even the strongest warriors don't come close to them." Hancock say to him worrying for Luffy's life.
The snake and Luffy continue to look each other in the eyes for some minute without even one of them to flinch once. It is a large white snake with a dark violet spots running down its body while the underside of it is cream.
"Luffy watch OUT!" a voice shout as Luffy unsheathe his sword and produce an flying slash making Hancock to shout, the snake to freeze dead and all that within seconds.
The strange thing though was that the attack didn't targeting the snake but what it was behind it, as a huge crush is sounded and a cloud of dust appear Luffy sheath his sword back and start to walk towards the crash.
The three of them reach the point who the crush had sounded only to find an enormous tiger dead clearly from Luffy's slash.
"This…This is unbelievable.!" Hancock said gasping not believing in her eyes.
"Ah…Why Hancock? Was this some strong animal or something?!" Luffy ask her not at all impressed.
"Luffy this was the Tiger Lord. One of the two Kings of the jungle…And you beat it with a single slash…." Hancock try explain to him as she still can't believe what she sees.
Luffy chuckle and continue to look at the giant snake, something about it intrigue him…
The snake low his head down for Luffy to climb up making Hancock to lost it completely now and Luffy to laugh.
From this day on the snake start to follow Luffy almost everywhere as Salome does with Hancock, it was a shocking event for everyone except from Mai as always. After all it isn't every day that one of the Kings of the Jungle and now the only lord of the island to bow her head towards a small boy! And yes what a surplice…The snake actual is SHE.
Luffy named her Nea and she follow him everywhere except from the bar, when Nea wasn't with Luffy was always with Mai look after her and protecting her even while she sleeps. No one was brave or stupid enough to come near her as a glare from Nea was enough to make you run endlessly without to look back once. The only people who let come near her was of course Luffy, his little sister Mai and for some strange reason Hancock. Also Salome who for some unexplained reason is smiling all the time…but from the other hand Mai do it too.
A/N: That's it guys, this chapter is officially over.
I hope to like it!
Neri: means black and its produce from Nero who is Italian.
Can you guess who the woman who Rose and Makino became friends is? Yes I'm pretty sure that you can.!
Hancock will be always… well Hancock.!
The voice that warn Luffy I'm pretty sure that you can also guess to who is belong…
Nea: means twinflower and the origin is Swedish the word pronounce NEH-AH.
(Little history lesson: Nea comes from Linnea who take the name of the twinflower Lennaea Borealis, The flower was named by Carl Linnaeus an 18th century Swedish botanist and scientist.) I know that may this is boring for the most of you but personally I love history.
If you want someone certain woman from Baterilla in South Blue to still be alive I'll be more than happy to listen your suggestions.
That's all guys!
Until next time, Have Fun and Take Care.!