It was a regular day on the streets, people were walking to their jobs or homes. Not all had such luxuries though...one of 'em was sitting on an old cardboard. I was all alone, my clothes were dirty and weathered. My jacket wasn't helping during the night when it was a cold weather. You ain't gonna be jealous of her state but intead will pity her.
The worst part wasn't even the cardboard, it was the whispers and gazes for the people crossing by. I hated it, I hated that they couldn't at least mind their own business instead of pitying and belittling me. I hated being judged.
My house got burned, I was 2 when my dad passed away and 11 when my mom was killed, and there was no one by my side anymore. I missed her, I did argue with them sometimes but they loved me, and I loved them.
I was a popular figure and not exactly good reputation, I had a creative mind and strange antics which most found to be creepy.
Because of that no one thoguht of adoptng me...
I also did beat up some bullies to a pulp for criticising my love for witch stories, sometimes teachers even when they tried anything suspicious but most of the time I tried to keep it cool...before it was't very frequent and limited to just punches not until my parents death.
After that though, I was depressed and couldn't control myself especially when some guys came up to me mocking and taunting me.
Any other day I would just ignore them...but on that day they brought up my mom. They were even accusing me of KILLING HER
Instead of understanding me, those imbeciles even dared to demonize me.
My hands clunched into fists, my eyes narrowed and my words felt venomous like a poison.
And at that moment I just snapped.
The next moment I grabbed my bat and creamed them all down. A town officer saw us and interfered.
They said it was I who started it calling me insane. Officer didnt believe either of us though, saying he lets us off with a warning this one time
I just didn't care much and had no desire to go and start explaining anything to anyone and walked away
The next day my classmates were staring at me nervously, like I would just jump at them. When I looked at them, I didn't even realise what was going on when the principle banned me from school. Apparently my current position wasn't all that suitable for them.
I was all alone, with no home or place to go I was left on the streets. I was a street rat and had to steal things from time to time too. I tried to steer clear of police and to not get in jail possibly.
So yeah I even left my home town, ran away from protective services and went homeless for FIVE YEARS.
Yeah I traveled around east blue since then, changing islands by sneaking on random ships, some were normal for ordinary folks, some of officers, and even pirates. Sometimes stealing before I thought of bouncing around different foster families. Most of them were not so nice though. Talk about a streak of bad luck.
I got the attention f the marines too nfortunately, yeah some of those families had their influence with the naval forces too it seems. Fortunately some of them were quite easy to fool.
I ran away from my third family just two weeks ago.
Where I am right now, is...my very old neighborhood, the one I lived in once and grew up in for some small time. We've had a house once down the way here...the one which isn't mine anymore.
Sometimes I had those thoughts that I'll find home again ... but now look at me now, sitting on a cardboard again, wishing for my life to go down different way
And in a strange way, it did. You didn't expect me say that right? Neither did I expectd to.
Five years later as I said I came upon an old neighborhood, on the streets
People were passing by, some wandering who I was or what I was doing.
And one of them, a boy with a black shirt and a strange but familiar straw hat on his head was staring at me confused and didn't look away, it was like he was scanning me.
"Please stop staring at me..."
"It's kinda hard not to you know?"
"And why is that?...*sighs* You know what it doesn't matter. Just leave me alone"
He didn't back down instead he came closer and sat right beside me. I was curious why he did it but also very annoyed
"You look quite down and dirty hah" He said straight up smiling
"You too huh? Figures. You also like to bully people who have nothing left to lose... "
I started to tear up as much as I didn't want it. Right in front of some stranger I knew nothing about.
"You still have your life" he said
I looked at him before looking away again "And what life is that? What life?!"
"As long as you live, you can start over again. It's not the end of the world" He said still smiling
"Ouh what would you know" I said
"My name's Luffy by the way"
I was confused this time, blinking and wondering if I heard it correctly
"What?"
"Luffy. Monkey D. Luffy, a man who'll be a pirate king"
I was looking at him intently asking if he was mad or something
"What are you doing? Didn't your parents tell you not to speak to strangers let alone telling your name?!" I told him
But he appeared to not care too much "Aah not really. I don't even have parents"
"...Ouh I see. I'm sorry"
"Nah I never met them really, all I had when I was raised was my gramps, Dadan, Makino and many other people"
"You are not alone at least "
"You are not too."
"And how is that? I have no one, nowhere to go"
"Because you come with me"
"W-what? No. Why should I come with you?"
"Because I ask you to."
"What kind of idiot would go with anyone by asking?"
He lifted his hand as an answer and I slapped my fourhead. However when I thought about it, I didn't really want to stay and catch a cold again so I didn't really had much of a choice. Maybe I could use him.
"I have nothing left to lose I guess. Alright you win"
'Shishishishi glad to hear it"
He stood up as he stretched me a hand "C'mon you'll like it with us"
I was skeptical but for a time I didn't felt like he was lying and so after a moment I took his hand as I stood up as well
My legs were hurting though so I had a bit of trouble so when he ran I stumbled. He dragged me through the street with great speed and only stopped later when he heard my yells and dirt splashing behind him and seen me face down on the ground. It was embarrassing and painful.
"Ouh sorry. You okay?" He asked
"Are you a dumb monkey or something?" I said angrily as I grabbed on his shirt, veins on her head
He just looked away "S-sorry"
We then took a long walk to the forest near the village, I got a bit nervous
"Luffy is it safe?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"I mean there are mountain bandits around here. I don't wanna get in trouble"
"Nah don't sweat it, they ain't so bad when you get to know them"
I frowned at that, he sure has a lot of confidence if he says it like that. Well if anything, she'll just "borrow" some fo their things and run for her life.
While we were walking, I got curious at his previous statement
"You said you wanted to be a pirate king..."
"Yeah..."
He looked at the sky and took off his hat looking at it
"... that's my dream, and one willing ot die for it"
"Why? To be a pirate? Pirates are nothing but barbarians, king of the them all even worse"
"Nope, I don't believe that. Because a pirate once saved my life"
"Oh really?"
"Yeah some dumb bandits were in town back then and one of them nearly drowned me... but Shanks saved me"
He shown his hat to me "This is his hat and I promised to return it only after I become a great pirate"
"So you want to run the whole sea?"
"I don't wanna control anything, the pirate king is just the freest person on the seas"
I thought to myself 'Freest in the world huh...that is quite a luxury'
He put his hat on back on his head before he looked around "Stay here for a moment"
I was puzzled at first and then I couldn't believe my eyes as i seen his arm stretch like a gum and he jumped upwards on the tree
"Mmm AH! There we are close!" he said, jumping downwards
He looked at me with his eyebrows raised
"Hm what is it?" He said
"You...you...stretched?"
"Ah yeah you see I ate a fruit of rubber powers so I'm a rubber man now. I can show you"
I was about to protest but his arm stretched againand moved around me and before I knew it I felt like I was sent flying into the sky
When I looked down I saw I was no longer standing
"AAAAAAAAH!" I got nervous and screamed my lungs out
I was ready to say bye to life when we started to fall back
The wind hitting us like a tidal wave and the earth nearing us, my eyes were widen and I prepared for worse
Luckily we landed on very much unscathed and I breathed heavily
"Huuh are you alright?" He asked as if it was nothing for me
I wanted to say something but I was just glad to still be kicking
"Oi Luffy what did I tell you about sneaking off?! Again!" Some big curly orange haried woman came ot of the house with the gaint club ion her hand.
She wacked it into his head, he seemed to be very hurting but aside from that he didn't seem ot injured it well. I felt somewhat good about it, especially after our catapulting session I went through just earlier.
"Ooouh sorry I got it" Luffy said as he stood up from the head hit
"Now who's this lady one here?" The big woman aid as she came up to me
"Ah she is uhh...well... sorry what's your name?"
Both her and me facepalmed
The big woman sighs "You told her your name yet you didn't think ask for her own"
"Ah it slipped my head. She was sitting alon on the street" He said smiling again. I swear he'll make me turn that smile upside down some day
"So you thoguht to take her here? Am I ahomeless houser for you all?...Alright come on in"
She led us to into the house, it looked like a castle with white flag above the roof beacon
"Ooi Luffy" An old man was sitting beside the group of people inside, seemigly waiting for us
'See told ya he'll be okay?"
"I can see that now Dogra"
"Ah gramps!" He said standing back
"O c'mon don't be shy" old man said before he looked at me "Oi who is this?...Could it be?! My grandson found himself a girlfriend?!"
"LIKE HELL I AM!" Both me and Luffy said simultaniously
"HA HA HA HA HA c'mon this ain't the way to deliver the news" He took us both into a big hug, I felt air leaving me instead now
We spent whole two hours on partying our "Dating". Neither me nor Luffy were happy on that part but still both enjoyed the party too.
Been the first time I ate more than just a bread in a while
After that, well it turned to his grandfather was a marine officer. One of the main vice admirals in fact so I was uncertain if he will help me.
"Listen kid, I can see that you had a tough time but I will help any way I can if you help too" He said with a smile on his face, seems like it's a family trait to keep up the spirit
I didn't trust him at first. He didn't look dangerous but neither do I before you get to know me. I then remembred something, during the party we had earlier I heard him be called Garp. The name was familiar, like I heard it somewhere before. He is a navy but I decided to trust intuition.
"My name is Luz, Luz 'Lucia' Noceda"
He seemed to be surprised as he narrowed his eyes "Strange name. But I know it, Luz Noceda baby girl of Camila."
My eyes became wide as my face paled "W-w-what? How do you know mom?!"
"Huuh it was long time ago, she was once a marine officer and I was her mentor. You can imagine how many cases we solved together and how many parties we had too. But that was before she retired shortly after she had a child."
He looked at me and pats my head "I visited her and you, Luffy may not remember it but he was there too."
I can barely remember that time of my life, those memories feel like a scattered dream. Some of my memories are fuzzy like they were erased.
"I didn't had much time to visit and nor she wanted to. She wanted to keep you away from pirates and marines alike. Though you did once came here for a short time..."
I was confused "Keep me from marines? Is that why you didn't come anymore?"
He rubbed the back of his head
"I gave her a promise. And I kept it but five years ago she died ...I learned of the incident too late. You were no longer there."
I looked down "Sorry for the mess I guess, it's just everyone in town blamed me...I didn't wanted to stay there and left with the first ship that sailed off."
"Ah don't sweat it, Camila was good as a marine ...and as a mother I'm sure"
Tears came down my face, I told myself not to cry but gosh I was telling that to myself for so long. I couldn't take it and I cried as memories of mom came to me.
"I miss her so much" I sobbed to myself as I was then pulled into a hug
"I know... I seen many people die. Some that I feel no pity torwards and some that I really treasured."
I didn't think and just hugged him back. It was warm and I felt safe.
Now I know what she meant "You can't do everything alone"
And I was alone for a long time...and after this I was done with it.
The next morning I woke up to see Mr Garp...uncle garp was gone.
The others slept nearby even Dadan who was snoring like a truck
Luz went outside, it was a nighttime at the moment
"Oi Luz" She sees Luffy outside calling her. She ran to up to him
"Hey kid long time no see"
And when she did, she also nocited Garp with him and also a strange woman with a pale skin, grey hair and a weird glasses
She looked at Luz down and above
"...you grown up"
"Do I know you?"
She removed her glasses for moment "Not yet"
"Luz I didn't told everything yet, this is Eda. She was your mother's close friend...We got into trouble with her sometimes too"
"Haaah give me some break you old fart" She said annoyed
"Yeah yeah whatever" He replied "The point is she'll be your foster parent now"
"Wait what?!"
"I didn't tell you everything Luz, not that I was told much by Camila. There are abilities your mother had, those that Eda can teach you"
I wasn't adamant at first but eventually I agreed. Another surprise came to me though when she opened a big bright portal door. It looked like I had very much to learn
But before I left with Eda I hugged uncle Garp one last time
ANd hen said goodye to Luffy "Thanks. If it wasn't for you I would've been still on the run"
"You don't owe me anything. I just helped a friend"
Luz then realised that he knew
"You remembered me"
"Friends don't leave friends behind"
She smiled happily as she said "Good luck with your goal Pirate King"
Luffy and Luz fist bump
"Same to you"
"Time to go kid" Eda said as Luz wavd he two godobye
She and Eda went throguh the door as it shut close adn disssapear out of sight
"Huuh never understadn how this works"
"Me neither..." Garp said "Hope I'll see her again"
"We will. Hehe We will" Luffy was sure he she'll come back and by that time he'll be sure to meet her as a great pirate as well as he will meet Shanks .
Luz was fascinated by the new world of the Boiling Isles
Eda told her that mom was a witch before she left for the earth.
Luz was given a room of her own with an actual bed. She was a clawthorne now, an adopted one.
She had a home now, with Eda and a cute room mate King. He was adorable really but a bit creepy looking. That's why she was convinced they'll get along very well.
She currently sits on the roof the house which was alive, Hooty's another surprise for sure. Guess she's getting kidna used to this slowly
She look on to the sky. It was beautiful, and the stars shining a bright light.
She forgot how long it's been since she seen all this, all that time she was surviving… She always dreamed of becoming a witch. It seemed like a silly thing once upon a time
But now she'll be sure to be the greatest of them all. "We will see you each other again Luffy. I promise that"
And until then they will wait until the dawn of the day will rise and time for their meeting will come.
Hey guys sorry if I didn't update on this, I had other stories to take care of. Don't worry I'll continue this story.
Also the other story I wrote is Forsaken Timeline it's an alternate timeline of where this story went but was scrapped and nw I'll try writing another route. So don't get confused.