"It was massive, I tell you! Massive! At least three times the size of the ship but we couldn't back down!" Shanks' voice filtered out from behind the closed door. "I stood on the hull and I readied my sword. I wasn't going to let him take my ship."
"You fought the sea king!?" Naia smiled at the sound of Luffy's voice. He sounded more grounded. "That's amazing!"
"Sure did! It was quite the accomplishment if I do say so myself! We feasted on it for weeks!" Shanks boasted. Naia silently stood in the doorway watching the scene unfolding in front of her. It certainly was something to see the fearsome pirate on his knees, drenched in bathwater attempting to wash a rather rowdy young boy. Her eyes softened as Shanks continued to enthrall Luffy with tales of his travels and his adventures.
"You boys doing okay in there?" Naia knocked softly as she voiced her question.
"Naia! Naia! You have to hear this!" The sound of splashing water drew a heavy sigh from Naia's lips as she knew Luffy was jumping around in the water and when she opened the door that was the sight that greeted her.
"Oh? Another fantastical story?" Naia raised an eyebrow at the slightly damp red-headed captain. There seemed to be more water on the floor than there was in the tub. "I thought it was bath time, not storytime. Although, it looks like a water war broke out."
"What can I say? Gotta have fun everywhere," Shanks said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. Luffy continued to bounce around trying to retell the tale Shanks had spun for him, making water droplets fly everywhere as his hair shook.
"You can tell me all about it tomorrow," Naia hummed, wrapping the boy in a large fluffy towel, "It is way past your bedtime." Luffy went rigid at the notion of sleeping.
"NO." Naia shoulders sagged.
"Lu, you need sleep. You won't be able to do anything if you're tired."
"You can't make me!" Luffy crossed his arms and turned his back to her. Naia could feel a twitch settle on her eyebrow.
"Luffy, it is not up for debate."
"You're right, it's not." Luffy continues to face away from her as he puts on the fresh pair of pajamas she had brought. Shanks was wisely staying out of it but Naia could feel her cheeks flush in embarrassment at the tantrum the little boy was pulling. Not that she blamed him. The subtle shakes in his limbs and tense shoulders made Naia aware that he was still affected.
"Luffy, you can't be the Pirate King if you don't sleep." Her voice was cold and her eyes hard as they bore into the boy's head. "You would pass out before you even made it out of the East Blue."
"Naia?" Shanks breathed, disbelief coloring his voice.
"That's not true!" Luffy shouted.
"It's very true and you know it." Naia rolled her shoulders back in firm determination. "You know what the consequences are."
"I won't let that happen!" Luffy spun around to face her. His eyes were ablaze with fury and determination.
"Then this argument is over." They glared at each other for a few moments before Luffy relented, storming off into her bedroom presumably getting into bed. Naia let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, her eyes softening as she turned to face the pirate captain. "I apologize for such a display. Let me walk you to the door."
"You have that argument often?"
"Not for a while but every once in a while he feels the need to put on a mask that he can hide behind." Naia sighed as they walked through the house. "He forgets he is only a child."
"What happened to him?"
"I couldn't really tell you to be honest," Naia sighed, "I may have been taking care of him for a while but this is the first time he has been exclusively in my care. They don't happen very often but it doesn't make them any more impactful on him."
"He has a strong will," Shanks observed quietly.
"He is a burning flame that is fueled by those around him. I am supposed to be getting another little boy from Garp so hopefully, it will help Luffy. " Naia smiled as she thought of the three boys she had met so long ago but from Luffy's stories, it wasn't going to be easy.
"You running a daycare?"
"The hell if I know." Naia opened the door waiting for the man to step out. He had a contemplative look on his face and she knew that he smelled something fishy. "Thank you for your help tonight. I'm sure it means the world to Luffy."
"And you?" Shanks smirked at her.
"And me." Naia flushed. Naia continued to watch the man's back as he walked out toward his ship. This wasn't the way a dinner party was supposed to end but she felt it was a step toward their goal nonetheless. Naia quietly crept into her bedroom before slipping out of her clothes and into her nightgown. She slipped between the sheets and was pleased to feel the warmth from the body already buried under them.
"I'm sorry, Lu but know I only mean the best for you," Naia whispered as she pulled the little body toward her.
"I will succeed this time! No matter what," Luffy muttered as he buried his face into her chest. Naia winced when he brushed the sensitive skin of her newest scar. "And you will never have received this."
"I have no doubt of that, mi amour." Naia closed her eyes and let her breathing calm. They fell asleep wrapped up in each other, keeping their nightmares at bay.
The sun slowly crept into the sky as Naia continued to hold the small body next to her. It wouldn't be long until he would start to get restless and force her out of bed. Sure enough, not a moment later, Luffy started to squirm out of her arms and out of the bedroom. Naia sighed deeply as his feet patered against the hard floor of the cabin. She slipped from the bed and made to get ready for the day.
"Luffy, we should probably go into town today to get the things needed for your brothers to join you," Naia said as she watched the boy dig into his breakfast. Thank the sea, she remembered those high-calorie recipes Sanji had developed. "They're going to need clothes, beds, toiletries, and a few other things."
"Sounds like fun! Can we get ramen today?" Luffy asked, excitedly. Naia smiled warmly at the boy before nodding her head in agreement and without a moment to lose they were off heading in the direction of High Town. The sun hung brightly in the sky as it peeked out from behind the clouds that lazily made their way across the sky. It was peaceful and quiet. Not too hot, not too cold and the gentle breeze that flowed up from the sea left a pleasant feeling across their skins. Luffy skipped a few steps ahead of her, a thoughtful look on his face.
"I think we should try and get in contact with the others."
"You wish to see if they remember?"
"Yeah, if they could get started on a few things early it might make our lives easier in the long run," Luffy explained, "Mango can keep an eye on Blackbeard, Ice-man can keep an eye on Akainu for right now and Iva-chan can keep an eye on the underground."
"Not a bad idea. I can draft up some letters but what about your crew?"
"They're my crew. They know what to do." Naia nodded in understanding. They would see this similarly to the two year separation and use the time to be even stronger than the last. Naia shivered at the thought. The Straw Hat fleet had already been unreasonably strong but to pack another 10 years of training on it? Utterly terrifying!
"We can at least see if Sabo remembers but we will have to move slowly. Ace could be provoked and that could lead Garp to anticipate something is wrong." Luffy nodded and the two went back and forth with ideas of what to include in the letter and how they plan to meet up once Luffy was old enough. "Should we also contact Law? He is currently on the run from Joker but hiding him here is an idea."
"Traffy," Luffy hummed, a faint blush working its way onto his cheeks. "I wouldn't mind that but too many Ds in one spot might draw unwanted attention."
"This is true but I think he would appreciate a letter-"
"HEY! Where are you two heading off to?"
"Shanks! Benn!" Luffy waved frantically, a large grin on his face. "We're going shopping!"
"Shopping? Such a boring task on such a beautiful day?" Shanks looked disappointed. "Today is a day for partying! The weather is too nice to be stuck in a stuffy town!"
"Not all of us like to spend our day drinking." Naia rolled her eyes when the man gave her a crushed expression.
"That hurts, Naia," Shanks whined. Benn huffed out a cloud of smoke before giving his captain a quick knock on the head.
"Do you mind if we join you? There are a few things we need before our next voyage and it doesn't look like the village has them." Naia nodded in agreement causing Shanks to grin widely. Luffy squealed as Shanks placed him on top of his shoulders and started walking toward Grey terminal with an exaggerated gait.
"Are we sure he should be going? High Town is full of Nobles and I rather not get caught with a notorious pirate," Naia grumbled.
"Don't worry about him," Benn smirked, "He may act like a total idiot but he knows when and where that is appropriate."
"I hope so." The group continued in contentment as Shanks and Luffy laughed the entire way there. From singing songs together to racing to a landmark, the two found ways to keep themselves entertained and Naia couldn't have felt more happy. Luffy's eyes glistened with happiness and excitement, something she hadn't seen in him such a long time. The mood took a drastic shift when Grey terminal came into view. The wind blew around them as they gazed out at the terrain before them and Naia could see Benn and Shanks stiffen slightly as the stench of the people and heaps brushed against their senses.
"What is this place?" Shanks asked.
"Grey Terminal," Luffy said through clenched teeth, his face scrunched up in disgust. "All the trash from the Nobles is thrown out here along with any outcast that might find their way here."
"People from all over the seas find their way here. Forgotten by the world, they will spend the rest of their lives picking through the trash of others while they try to survive," Naia continued. "A black spot on this country."
"That's horrible," Benn breathed.
"But not uncommon." Shanks glared down at the trash heap but there was a look behind his eyes that said he knew what this was all about.
"It surely isn't," Naia commented, "Not while there is such an imbalance in power."
"Let's go!" Luffy jumped up, dragging Naia and Shanks along with him. They made their way through the trash heap, avoiding any unwanted attention and the two pirates glared at those who came too close for comfort. Naia was fine on her own but having those two with them definitely made it easier.
"This is unreal," Benn fumed, "I've seen prisons in better conditions."
"The world is a cruel place," Naia observed, "A world where strength means nothing, only blood."
"Stupid nobles. They will never learn from their mistakes," Luffy grumbled, "What happens once will always happen again when nothing changes." The two pirates stared at the little boy in shock.
"Did you just say something smart?" Shanks sputtered, pulling at the boy's cheek. "Who are you and what have you done with Luffy?"
"Shut up, stupid Shanks! I'm smart!" Luffy shouted, gripping at the captain's cloak. Shanks dissolved into laughs as he continued to tease Luffy about his knowledge or lack thereof. Naia shook her head at his antics but at least it got Luffy's mind away from the darkness that clouded this area.
"So what are we looking for?" Shanks asked, his head turning around to take in all the shops. Benn groaned, slapping his face into his hand.
"Honestly, Captain. We are here for a few supplies for our voyage and Naia… what are you here for?" Benn turned an inquiring eye toward her.
"I'll be gaining another charge later this week so I need to order some furniture and basic needs," Naia explained, pulling out a small piece of paper.
"Oh right! You mentioned them last night," Shanks scrunched his face in distaste. "But that means you'll have less time for us!"
"You!? She's always been mine and now I have to share," Luffy whined, "It's going to be horrible!"
"You already share her! She's ours too!" Shanks retorted, "Maybe she'll want to stay with us and not a snot nosed kid!"
"Who are you calling a kid? I'm an adult!" Naia could feel her eyebrow begin to twitch as the two went back and forth about who was a kid and who was an adult. Benn wasn't helping by silently laughing at the scene the arguing duo created.
"She's joining my crew!" Luffy argued.
"No, she'll be on mine!" Shanks shot back. The two were glaring down at each other, teeth gritting in determination.
"Who would you join!?" They both turned toward her and Naia could feel the twitch in her brow persist as a headache began to form.
"I'm not joining anyone's crew!" Naia shouted, knocking both of them on the top of their heads. Both pouted up at her as they rubbed their sore heads. "I would like to get my errands done before the sun sets so if you two could please behave yourselves!"
"Sorry," Shanks and Luffy droned, bringing their eyes to the ground in guilt.
"Lets go, Cap'n," Benn said, picking the man up by his collar. "We'll meet in the townsquare around noon?"
"Sounds good!" Naia waved them off as the two pirates disappeared into the crowd. "Let's go Luffy. We have some orders to put in."