Chapter 2: Childhood Arc: Ace

Luffy looked around the forest and a wave of nostalgia hit him. He was going to Ace again. And Sabo.

And try not to strangle him. Seriously.

What kind of brother dies twice? Answer: Sabo

Earlier he and Gramps had a big fight and he was in a bad mood.

One of the things that changed was that as soon as Gramps and he met again, Garp announced that they were going to the Marine Headquarters for training. The horrified look he gave was the first step of the fight.

Luffy despite being 21 mentally had screamed at top of his lungs and started crying and wailing so loudly that the whole Fuusha village could hear him.

He had waited so patiently to see his brothers again and well, being in a seven year old body may have triggered some childish emotions.

Garp had softened after even his numerous fists of love had failed to shut up Luffy.

"What would it get you to stop crying?" Garp shouted irritated .

"Anywhere but Marine Headquarters." He replied wailing.

And so Dadan and the forest had come up.

For the first time in his 7 or 21 year old life Monkey D. Luffy was brooding and being angsty.

He didn't even notice that Garp and Dadan had a shouting match about insolent brats and grandsons and troublemakers.

"Luffy. That's Ace." He heard his Gramps say.

At the word Ace he looked up quickly and was welcomed with spit in his face.

Now spitting on The Pirate King's face when he was in a bad and angsty mood and in a seven year old emotionally triggered body with the stress accumulated due to constant planning on how to save the world was a very bad idea indeed. No scratch that. It was the worst idea when the said Pirate King was Monkey D. Luffy.

As Luffy had no self-restraint at this point, his right arm shot out and connected with a face.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YOU JERK?"

He said seething and puffing.

The raven haired boy flew into a tree.

Finally calming himself up he realized he had punched Ace. Punched Ace. In the face. Oh god.

Great reunion or first impression.

"Bwah bwaah ha haa ha. He sent Ace flying. That's my Grandson." Garp bragged.

'Gramps in seriously not helping.' Luffy thought as he made his way to the fallen boy, who luckily was still conscious just dizzy.

"Name's Luffy." Luffy couldn't, no matter how much he tried, put up a smile.

He was annoyed. Annoyed at Ace for spitting at their reunion, for chasing Teach, getting himself captured, breaking his promise, dying.

Heck he was annoyed at the whole world.

Ace gave him a murderous glare from where he was sitting and Luffy knew he had screwed up. Which annoyed him even more.

He sighed.

"Sorry." He huffed and walked away. He had to sort out his brain.

Screw Gramps for putting him in a bad mood.

"Brat now remember…" Dadan started.

"…Yeah yea I have to survive myself and bring anything to eat. Only then I'll be allowed in, right?"

Luffy waved his hands.

Dadan nodded and Luffy headed in the forest eager to murder the foolish prey that would dare cross the Pirate King's path.

() () () () () () () () () ()

Next morning when Luffy woke up, he was well rested and visibly cheerful.

He was early. Probably the reason why Dadan wasn't screaming about 'Lazy Brats.'

Ace was curled up in the same room, opposite to the corner Luffy had occupied, sleeping.

Totally forgetting the events of the previous day because this is Luffy we're talking about, he shook Ace.

"Ace wake up or Dadan is gonna stomp us flat." He said cheerfully.

Ace's eyes snapped open and he got ready to attack but Luffy had already left his side and was making up a poor excuse of a bed.

"Come on Ace. Let's hunt for breakfast." Luffy gave a wide bright grin at the older boy and exited the room skipping.

Ace could only think of one thing as his wide eyes darted cautiously around.

'The hell?'

() () () () () () () () () ()

It wasn't until Luffy had gone out of the house he realized Ace wasn't following. Then the yesterday's events hit him full force and he face faulted.

Hurriedly he decided the only thing he was capable of doing here was at what he was best at. Which was pestering and annoying people.

"Aaaacceee. Come oooonn."

He whined like a child and giggled inwards.

The look on Ace's face was priceless.

() () () () () () () () () ()

Even though Luffy knew many routes towards the Gray Terminal he really wanted to enhance his muscle memory. The best way to do that was to follow Ace and escape his death traps.

So for a whole month Luffy 'followed' Ace much to the latter's annoyance until Luffy was sure the time was right to make his dramatic entrance.

() () () () () () () () () ()

The kid was the most annoying creature he had ever met. Even the wild animals knew not to mess with Ace or they might end up as his dinner.

Ace had been wary of Luffy for the first few days given their meeting but Luffy showed no sign of punching him again to his relief. That had hurt.

And now he was plain annoying. He followed Ace on daily basis thankfully halfway, practically evading all the traps Ace had set up and then leaving suddenly in between, which confused him to no end.

To him Luffy was a mystery.

Ace was used to living with animals who were easy to figure out and they looked at him like he was food; Dadan and the mountain bandits who he knew looked at him as a troublesome brat with disdain and Sabo who he understood, had half friendship and rivalry sort of relationship.

Luffy on the other hand, Ace had no idea how to counter the guy. Ace knew he was not weak because he would rather die than call the boy weak considering he punched Ace who flew into a tree; saying Luffy was weak would be like slapping himself, so no, but Luffy was always grinning like an idiot and like a child which made him looked week.

Since fighting the other guy was something Ace wanted to wholeheartedly avoid, he settled on taunting him.

"You're just a pampered brat. Why don't you go back to your mommy, huh?" He jeered and then smirked when he saw the idiotic smile fell off Luffy's face into one of sadness.

"Don't have one." Luffy mumbled quietly.

This time Ace's smirk fell.

"Then go hug your dad." He tried again.

Luffy shook his head.

"I have never met my parents." 'In this timeline.' He added mentally.

"I was raised by Gramps."

Ace shuddered. The boy lived 7 years of his life with Garp.

If there was one person Ace truly never wanted to take on, it was Garp.

"So you never had a family?" Ace asked cautiously, his tone a little less harsh.

Luffy shook his head again.

"I had an older brother." Luffy's trade mark grin became visible on his face again and Ace's eyebrows twitched.

"But he died."

Fat droplets of tears fell from Luffy's chubby face and Ace felt sorry for the kid.

Luffy hastily rubbed his eyes.

"But you know you're just like him, my brother I mean."

Taken aback by Luffy's words Ace just nodded and walked away. Before exiting however, he turned back and stuck out his tongue.

"I still don't like you, you crybaby."

() () () () () () () () () ()

Luffy felt a tick mark growing. Leave it to Ace to ruin one of the most emotional moments. Maybe he's getting paid back for ruining a lot of emotional moments in his own timeline. Whatever. At least he advanced from being 'enemy not worth talking' to a crybaby. Ironic.

() () () () () () () () () ()

Luffy has not met his mother for now so I just gave a typical response. And to answer kid's question Luffy will NOT be serious all the time. Taking too much stress is not his style and I intend to keep it that way. But yeah he's a little mature and is kind if forced to show that he doesn't know things that he knows. He is going to be kind of a cheeky rascal here, more like being stupid intentionally to annoy off people and coz it's funny. Well anyway if I ever went to my past that's how I'll do it.

Thanks for the good feedback.

See ya next month.