Time on the Sea

Chapter Two:

–Melody –

I open my eyes to the sight of Luffy's face inches from my own, our noses nearly touching. "Ahh!" I scream whacking Luffy in the face with my fist, which causes his head to fly back and hit the opposite wall with a crash, his body still on my bed, but his neck stretching.

"Whoa!" I exclaim following his head as it snaps back to his shoulders with my eyes.

"Sheeheeheehee!" he laughs, a huge smile on his face "You're awake. Good!" I tune out of his exclamation of eating the devil fruit, which I knew he would eat, and look around the small room, a mirror on one side, a desk on the other and a bed. I must be in the bar somewhere… I smell alcohol… Luffy continues talking stretching various parts of his body, I watch amazed at him, just him, his silliness making me chuckle Heehee have I fallen in love? I bush a bit at my thought. "Nice stretchiness" I smile at him "how long have I been out?"

Luffy lets go of his stretching cheek "A couple of days, I thought I would wake you up cause Shanks is leaving"

"Really? Thanks." That must mean he has lost his arm, since luffy has stretching abilities now "Alright let's go see him off" I flip the blankets off, and step on to the floor. My head spins and my feet buckle under my weight. Luffy catches me before I hit the ground. "Woah~! Thanks" I grip Luffy's shoulder, using him as support, and shriek in surprise as he sweeps me off my feet, carrying me bridal style "I'll just carry you, it's faster"

when I wrap my hands around his neck to keep steady another blush appears on my face, but it quickly disappears when Luffy whacks my head on the door frame when he turns around to leave "Oops…"

"Luffy! Be more careful with my head!" I yell at him. He smiles stupidly "Let's go!" and runs out the room and bar, heading towards the ocean.

We arrive soon enough to see almost the entire town standing on the beach or roads in front of the docks; Shanks's huge ship looming above us. Luffy and I make our way through the crowd, he stops in the front, standing beside a young woman with dark green hair oh she is from the bar, Makino, right?

"This is Makino" Luffy confirms my guess, I look up at him, his eyes on the ship searching for the red of head of Shanks, I search as well then spot him, talking to the man I remember as Ben. Ben's eyes connect to mine, and he points to us out to Shanks, who turns a huge smile on his face. And he heads towards us.

"Luffy" I whisper in the boy's ear

He looks down at me, "You can put me down. He nods. We step forward from the group towards Shanks. He lets me down on my feet slowly, worry in his eyes I only wobble, only a little bit, but stay standing and smile at him, no words needed to convey our feelings, Luffy wants to say good bye, I know what's gonna happen so I let myself back a bit to give them space. Shanks stops in front of us, and keels down to our height, his cloak hiding his left side, "how you feeling Melody?" he addresses me first "Hungry" I replay with smile, my stomach growling in the thought of food. Man I really haven't eaten in days feels like my stomach is eating itself. Shanks Laughs "Well Makino makes the best food on the Island. I'm sure you will enjoy it" he looks up at Makino, her face red from the complement Ohh~ they like each other! It's so obvious

Shanks now turns to Luffy, and I back up bit more now beside Makino holding onto her long skirt to keep steady Oh…I'm actually witnessing the 'Passing of the Hat' .calm, Melody don't go ruining the mood! The hat now placed on Luffy's head, covering his eyes, but tears falling Shanks laughs challenging the boy to sail the grand line. Luffy looks up at him "I'm Gonna Be King of the Pirates!" he yells, Shanks only laughs more "Try it" Shanks turns to leave, but stops, I and bends down to whisper into Luffy's ear. Luffy nods at the silent conversation "Of Course!" What was Shanks saying? Shanks smiles and waves to me "See ya!" And the crew leaves.

It's been a month since Shanks and the Red haired pirates left Fuchsia Village, I've been living with Luffy and Makino, helping her out In the bar sometimes. Luffy and I are inseparable since, never seen without the other. We sit at the bar counter, eating lunch at Makino's , Luffy's cheeks full like a chipmunks' occasionally his hands wonder to my plate, but stop when I raise my fork, Luffy learned early on that he could die if he stole my food, especially if I hadn't had any for days, he has the scars to prove it. The door to the bar is swung open a large shadow is casted in the bar. The person screams "LUFFY!"

I look at Luffy, frozen mid chew, eyes wide, sweat pouring down him like rain, Nasty but who's the big guy? Luffy turns to the owner of the voice I follow "Ji-Chan?" Luffy's voice shaking full of horror and fright.

Makino looks up from her food "Garp-san, hello."

I stare confused at the large man in the door way as he strides to Luffy, fist pulled back for a punch, and it hits, dead in the head.

"OWE! That hurts! But I'm rubber, why does it hurt?" Luffy yells grabbing the new bump on his head, with tears in his eyes. Garp grabs one of Luffy's feet and hangs him upside down. Luffy's Straw hat hanging on by the string; Luffy, still unable to control his devil fruit stretches, his face connecting with the floor, then snapping back in place again.

"So, it's true! You ate a devil fruit! And what's with the Hat?" Garp says grabbing the hat off Luffy's head

I just stare at his and Luffy's encounter, taking slow bites of my food, trying not to bring attention to myself; I have to say this is kinda entertaining I smile inwardly to myself

"Stop! Shanks gave me that hat!" Luffy yells "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

"Red Haired Shanks? That pirate! You are gonna be a great Marine! NOT A PIRATE!" he yells back, punching luffy again

"Owe! NO!" Luffy repels, tears in his eyes from another bump.

"Now, now Garp-san" Makino starts, trying to calm the big man

I frown, "Yeah!" I speak up "Luffy can do whatever he wants!"

Garp turns his attention to me; I notice his black hair, with gray stripes, a Hawaii shirt and brown shorts.

"Who's this?" he asks Makino, pointing at me

"I'm Melody!" I say hand on my hips, stretching out the 'I'm'

"Feisty little girl aren't ya" His large finger still pointed in the middle of both my eyes.

I stare at his large finger that's still in my face, thinking a bit oh man this is gonna taste weird… I bite down on it, hard.

"Yahhh!" Garp screams in pain, swinging his arm around in the air trying to get me off, dropping Luffy in the process, I let go finally, from dizziness landing on my butt beside Luffy. "It's rude to point!" I spit, rubbing my sore butt I'm gonna have a bruise… and Eww! "I got old man in my mouth…" I whimper

"Where are your parents girl! I'm going to have a talk with them about your upbringing and manners!"

"Garp-san!" Makino fails to calm the man again, now out of her seat.

"I have none!" I say crossing my arms against my chest and sticking out my tongue

"Even better." He says "you can be my granddaughter!" Shocked I just look wide eyed at the marine, shocked at his instant acceptance into his family

"Let's go" he picks up a shocked me and Luffy (who was knocked out sometime during the biting fiasco) me in one arm and luffy in the other, and strode out the door

"Garp-san!" Makino yells following him out.

"It's ok I'm taking them to a friend" he yells back, Makino sighs heavily.

It's been hours since Garp dragged Luffy and I out of Makino's bar and into the forest. Luffy woke up about an hour ago wining about being hungry. Garp just kept talking about how he was going to turn us into marines and Luffy yelling back at him about being the Pirate King.

I just hung there under his arm bored out of my mind counting the trees. And there are a lot of trees in the forest, if you don't know. "Are we there yet?" I ask

"Actually yes" Garp replies as we appear in front of a large fort like building.

"Hello, Dandan!" Garp yells. And a large woman appears from the large front door, big curly orange hair and a smoke in her mouth "Oh, Garp, What do you want? I already have the other kid"

"Yo, I need you to look after these two" Garp drops luffy, he lands on his stomach with a grunt, and I flinch preparing for the drop. But he places me on the ground lightly. At least his didn't drop me…

"What? Two more?" the woman, Dandan asks, shocked

"Yep, this is my grandson, Luffy" he points to him "and this is Melody my new granddaughter."

"But-but two more?

"Dandan" Garp warns, with a scowl

"Ok, Ok" Dandan raises her hands in surrender, with a sweat drop.

"Good." Garp smiles "now where's Ace?"

… Wait…. Ace isn't that Luffy's brother… I try to remember, a friend of mine got me into One Piece and was always going on about some guy named Ace and how hot he is…. Is it the same guy?

"ACE!" she yells towards the building

A few more yells later a boy a bit taller than luffy and me walks out "Shut up! You're so loud" the boy has freckles on his cheeks and a band aid across his nose, messy black hair sticks every which way.

Awe he's so cute, kinda rude but cute.

"Who's the idiot and kid?"

…. Did he just call me kid….? In a split second I have Ace in a head lock.

"Get off me! Who are you?" I hold even tighter "I-I can't b-breathe!" he chokes out

"Don't. Call. Me. Kid. I have a name. It's Melody"

"Whatever! Just let go of me!" he tries to kick my legs out from under me but I pin him to the ground, with a swish of my feet.

"No! Apologize first!" I order.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No"

"Yes!"

"No~"

"Opps…" I let go of Ace, and he slumps to the ground, unconscious. I think I made him pass out from lack of Oxygen…"ha~ my bad…" I nudge the boy with my foot.

The others sweat drop at this entire interaction, Luffy just laughs, with stars in his eyes.