~ Shards of Emerald ~

"Makino, look! Here's my kid!"

It was the first time Luffy had returned to his hometown in several years, and to say that Makino was shocked to find out he had a child was an understatement.

"Hi!" the child piped up cheerfully, and reached out.

Not knowing what else to do, Makino took the little girl into her arms.

"So... this is your daughter?" she said awkwardly.

"Yep!" Luffy replied with a grin.

"What's her name?"

"Junior."

After a long pause, Makino asked, "You named her Luffy Junior?"

"No, she's named after her mother, so it's Hancock Junior."

"Hancock as in Boa Hancock?"

"Yeah."

Makino's reaction was the least shocked out of anyone he'd introduced his child to so far. She only seemed mildly surprised to find out that Hancock was Junior's mother.

Junior was unusually quiet during the conversation, all her attention focused on untying the ribbon that held Makino's ponytail as the adults talked. Eventually she gave up and wriggled to be let down.

Makino set the child on a barstool and gave her a glass of the juice to drink, which kept Junior occupied for a few minutes.

"So, are you and Hancock married, or...?"

"No," Luffy replied, frowning. "Grandpa was pretty upset when I told him we aren't married. Is being married really that important?"

"Well, do you and Hancock love each other?"

"Yeah."

"If the two of you are happy together without getting married, then I don't think being married is important to your relationship," Makino told him.

Luffy, who didn't really understand the intricacies of marriage (especially from the legal angle), said, "Right, I don't get what everything thinks is so important about getting married. And anyway, Hancock said we should keep our relationship secret from the government."

And that was a whole other kettle of fish, which Makino figured she should probably talk over with him more... although they would have to do that later, because Junior had just spilled half a glass of juice all over herself and someone needed to get the child cleaned up and changed into dry clothes.

~oOo~