It was the day after Áine's birthday, both Makino and Áine nursing hangovers while they danced around each other in the kitchen to make breakfast. Meanwhile Luffy sat on the counter top, happily describing his dream pirate ship. Both women had encouraged his dreams, fully aware that Luffy had made up his mind and would do nothing else. So in the mornings, this was the routine, no matter what house or who was there. Áine, Makino or both made breakfast and Luffy talked about pirates. It was cozy, and they all loved it.

On the edge of her senses Áine could feel something strange, making her look up from her task confused. While still much more skilled with her eyes, Áine had been working on her haki diligently. Shanks and Benn had given her some pointers before they had left, and she was putting herself to work. In the end though it was still new to her, and her control was shaky.

Soon the presence she was feeling was at the door, and at quite an unnatural speed. Their peace was quickly shattered, suddenly and just as thoroughly as Áine's front door was.

Áine had moved faster than she had ever moved before. She pulled Luffy from the counter and behind her, Makino herself also acting, putting herself in front of Luffy too, further shielding their boy. A knife from the counter was in Áine hands, her body burning with a strange sensation and she quickly threw it at the hulking figure stepping through the doorway.

The action proved impotent, the man, as she could now see, had caught the knife with insulting ease. Áine would only be vindicated by how close she had actually gotten to the man's face. Both Makino and Luffy starred in stunned silence. Both quickly understood the situation.

Makino had recognized Garp, and Luffy had honestly assumed it was his grandfather from the very beginning. Though now anxiety swept though both as they realized Áine had thrown a knife at the marine. Makino felt faint.

Áine did not recognize that this was Garp, not in the slightest. She had never seen him before so had no reason to. She was just angry and scared, the stranger had broken into her home. She was so tuned into the actions of the man that she missed the reactions of her family. Instead she addresses the man, a snarl on her lips.

"You better get the fuck out of my house before I rip your throat out your ass." She hisses, fury in every part of her expression and stance. The experienced marine could feel killing intent leaking from the woman in waves.

Garp steps forward, mouth opening to speak, the knife being tossed to the side carelessly. But before any words could leave him, the man froze in his tracks. He blinks as the shift in his movement allows him to see the room clearer. Now that he could take in the details of the only face he didn't recognize, his mind had ground to a complete halt.

Standing before him was the oddest reflection of a dead woman, one he had only met once. She could have been a one to one for the woman in his memories, but each detail was wrong in some way. Her hair, skin color, the shape of her face, are all wrong. Perhaps it was the flower in her hair creating this undeniable sense of familiarity? But the color on that was wrong too. Perhaps it was her defensive nature and the sheer desire to protect that slammed into his haki? Despite what was different, Garp had to make a double take to assure himself this wasn't a dead woman comeback to hunt him.

Garp unconsciously used his observation to try and understand her, but using the color of observation to sense emotions or anything of that sort was not something Garp was well versed at. But even without him focusing, what he was feeling was closer to the girl forcing out those feelings with her own haki, allowing him to naturally absorb the information though his own.

Garp shakes his head, and to the surprise of Luffy and Makino, his words were not what they were expecting.

"Brat calm down! Your leaking killing intent all over the place, knock it off!" The old man scolds Áine, who just blinks at the old man in confusion. It was Luffy who finally gave her all the missing pieces.

"Grandpa!! You scared Mama! Don't do that!" Luffy growls out, squirming away from his guardians to rush over to attempt to kick the man's shins. Garp just snorts at the attempt and lifts him by his shirt, stopping Luffy's attempts to kick him. Áine lurches forward to grab Lu immediately, thinking distantly that he had the right idea by kicking the old man's shins. Knowing that this was indeed Garp, did nothing to reduce her anger and aggression. Her attempted action only stopped by Makino gripping her arm tightly. The woman looked worried and was borderline trembling at the situation.

"You calling that barmaid mom now?" Garp laughs like his words are a joke, and Áine had to choke on her rage. Torn between staying with the terrified Makino or going to her infuriated son.

"Stupid old man! Awen is mama!! Makino is Auntie!" Luffy hisses out, the boy thrashing and kicking, doing all he could to escape his grandfather's grasp. That made Garp return his gaze to Áine, who was only holding back by a fraying thread.

"Put my son down and get the fuck out of my house." She hisses at him before he could speak again, confirming Luffy's own statement. She emphasizes the word son. Garp ignores the command. He looks around the living room and kitchen slowly. Taking in the mundane clutter of their lives with a critical gaze. Áine catches his eyes lingering on a large drawing Luffy had made last night, still laying on the low table in the center of the living room with crayons strewn about. It was Luffy's dream pirate ship. Áine watches his gaze land on the strawhat on the counter, next to where Luffy had been sitting less than a minute ago. Lastly his cold eyes land back on Áine.

In that moment Áine was positive she read Garp's intentions long before the man himself even realized them. She could also see clearly that he wouldn't change his mind.

"Don't you fucking dare." She yells, desperation leaking into her voice. The man just stares at her coldly. Then, almost too fast to track, the old man had Luffy tucked under his arm and was out of the house in a gust of displaced air.

Áine tore after him as fast as she could, her heart racing in her chest and blood rushing in her ears. She ran as fast as her body could, completely ignoring how the dirt path and soon jungle floor tore at her feet as she chased after the bastard.

To her horror, It didn't take long for Garp to shake Áine entirely in the jungle. He was headed to the summit, she could tell, but he knew these forests far better than her. She quickly realized this, and stopped her pursuit. It would do far more harm to get lost on Mt. Columbo. It was better to retreat and plan her next step. With some effort, she willed her rage back to something cold and icy. She couldn't be rash, not with Luffy on the line.

She begins making her way swiftly back to her cabin. All the while fingering the heavy men's ring she wore as a necklace. She decides that if she can't get Luffy back in a week, or if Garp takes him off the island, she will call the Redhair Pirates.

Once she is back she grimaces at the sight of her smashed front door, she quickly shakes her head and rushes to Makino to relay her plan to the older woman. Makino was quick to nod in agreement with the plan, her expression determined. Áine, now that Makino knew their timeline, took off the ring and gave it to Makino.

"I'm not going to fuck around with this. There is definitely a non-zero chance I would be unable to call Shanks if things go sideways." She explains when Makino asks why. "I am more than willing to break the law for this, so arrest is definitely on the table."

Makino lets out a snort, she wasn't happy with that, but knew that it wouldn't ever be any different. She takes it and puts on the chain with a soft smile on her face.

"Do you need anything?" She asks, and Áine launches into questions and planning. Makino was happy to help.

Áine was waiting for Garp at the docks for the old man. The marines there watched her warily and for the one marine with the fedora, very closely. When she finally does sees Garp and without Luffy, she is torn between relief and fear. She narrows her eyes at the old man but keeps quiet, her expression serious.

"You won't find him." Garp growls out, his voice laced with warning. His dark eyes locked on the woman.

"You have no right." She hisses back at him, her shoulders set as she stood tall, refusing to be intimidated. Garp scoffs at her and raises a brow, his expression skeptical and disbelieving.

"I'm his grandfather." He says casually as he passes her, thinking he won the argument. Áine lets out a bark of laughter, making the old man freeze mid step and turn to face her.

"I legally adopted Luffy over two months ago old man." She says, forcing her voice to stay even. Garp looks at her dumbstruck, unable to process her words. Instead he quickly rises to anger instead.

"You have not! He lives with the Barkeep, I signed the papers for it. I would have been told if there was a change." He says, nostrils flaring with his emotions. Áine knew he didn't believe her, refusing to believe that he had been so far out of touch.

Unfortunately for Garp; Woop Slap, Shanks, Makino and Áine had been very very thorough with their planning.

"No, you signed him into the guardianship to Woop Slap, who allowed Luffy to live under the fosterage of Makino, who at the time was too young to take legal guardianship of a minor." She hisses at the marine, venom dripping from her tone. Every word is a fact. Garp had signed the paperwork for that, they hadn't needed to change a thing. She decides to use their crafted story to twist the nails in even deeper as she continues.

"Since my sister was taking care of Luffy, I came home to help her. I have lived here for five years and never once during the time I was there did I ever meet the grandfather of my son. Despite your infrequent visits." She raised her voice to shout as she spoke. Not only to express her rage, but to pull in as many bystanders as possible, her voice drawing the Marines and a few nearby villagers. She knew it wouldn't really do anything. But it would certainly be inconvenient for such a renowned hero if this gets out. Now that the lying part was over, she met Garps eyes dead on. Her empty white gaze locked to his endless black ones.

"I legally adopted him two months ago Monkey. Two days ago he asked to call me mama for the first time. You stole my son from me Monkey D. Garp." Áine ensures that Garp can not escape the truth of her words. Her haki rolling with emotion. Her strange manipulation of observation pressing her emotions into the man. Her eyes, the windows to the soul, forced him to bear witness to her own being. Leaving him unable to deny what she felt and the truths she spoke.

"I vow, Mother Moon as my witness, my household will never let this transgression slide. Mother Moon is full tonight. Your sin has been witnessed." She recites an old prayer of her people. She finally stopped speaking for a moment, letting her haki settle and seeming to everyone to have suddenly calmed down. She stands even straighter, her feet sliding apart to be aligned with her shoulders. What she was about to do, she had only witnessed once.

See, the greetings of her people are intended to be open and submissive. Wishing well on those they meet. To make strangers and friends alike to be welcome. But there is a polar opposite of their welcome. It's reserved for the most serious and heinous of instances. The single time Áine had ever seen it happen was burned into her mind.

The son of a murder victim had been the one to do it. The murder had happened when she had only been a small child so she was hazy on the full circumstances. The boy has done the 'ritual' to the man who had murdered his father. The sight of the young man stood before the one who brought him so much pain. It was something she could never forget.

She lifts her chin and glares at Garp. Áine had planned ahead. She had been wearing the silk coat she had been in when she arrived in Fusha, she was actually fully dressed in her people's garb and her hair braided just as it should be.

She tore the left sleeve of the silk coat clean off of her arm in one strong and swift movement. She had loosened the stitches before she came to make the action smoother. The expensive silk sleeve lands at Garp's feet.

The man was staring at her with wide eyes. Something about his expression was odd to her, an emotion she couldn't quite place. When she focused on it she realized something.

It was recognition.

She fights back a smirk, now she has even more control over the situation. She looks into his eyes again. Making him fully aware that she knew he knew where she came from.

"You know what to do with the sleeve if you wish to make amends." She says calmly. This turn of events was making her secondary objective much easier to obtain. "My terms are simple. When I find Luffy, and I will find him, he and any other children in my care are mine Monkey D. Garp." She doesn't elaborate, she wouldn't have to. He was aware of her culture, he knew what was happening. So she turned on her heel and walked back to her village. Completely ignoring the hushed whispers that had erupted.

By the time she had reached Makino's bar the marines were gone. Makino would inform her later on, so was the sleeve.

Áine spent the next day preparing to ascend the mountain. While a straight climb would only take her an hour or two at most, she didn't actually know where Luffy was. So she prepared to be in the mountains for an indefinite amount of time. She was absolutely serious about getting her son back. They made that promise together. She would die before she broke it.

Thankfully, Áine did have an idea of something that might pan out for her. Makino had mentioned that bandits were one of the occupants of the mountains. While she had no real details, the strongest group was well known to be run by a woman named Dandan.

If nothing else, she could probably bribe them into helping her with the promise of easy cash. Depending on their attitude of course. She was also completely willing to fight a drawn out guerilla war with a heavy disadvantage, picking them off one by one, if she found out they hurt her boy.

Makino had decided that she would keep the bar open while Áine looked for Luffy, but sleep at the cabin each night until they returned. Makino tried to shrug it off as making it easier for Áine to contact her if she needed to. But the sheer concern was obvious. They hug for a long time, and Áine leaves her with a kiss on the forehead and a promise to call Shanks in a week if she doesn't come back.

Luffy was honestly very, very confused. After the old man had dragged him up the mountain to the bandits he had met a boy. Luffy had never really gotten to interact with anyone around his age before and instantly felt drawn to the older kid. He found himself unable to look away from the boy's freckled face.

The thing is, Luffy really really gets people. After mama started helping him with it, it got to be pretty easy to see how people feel when you actually look. Mama talked to him about how people don't like to always allow people to know how they really feel. Sometimes they even feel like they can't let people know. She had pointed out villagers while they were in the village and helped him read the difference in each once. She taught him lots of things really, but as Luffy stared at the kid who had just spit on him. That was the lesson he could remember.

Cuz he could see the difference here.

His mind settles on several things then, all just in a moment. First he wanted to see that boy smile. Next, mama would find him soon. And lastly, when she did find him, she would find this boy too.

With that he whipped the spit off and smiled brightly at the older boy in the tree. His mind was already made up. This only succeeds in further enraging the boy. Who didn't seem to understand Luffy's intentions in the slightest.

Garp is gone quickly, after yelling at the bandits a bunch, leaving Luffy alone with the strangers. But Luffy didn't feel afraid anymore. He had a purpose now.

He began doggedly following Ace around while he waited for his mama. Shadowing after the ever annoyed older boy, who was now getting desperate to shake the boy off his trail. Thing was, even Ace had to admit, the younger kid knew what he was doing.

Luffy had quickly discovered that his trips with Mama had been super helpful! Ace was really good with traps, but Mama's were better! So he was happy to chase after the angry kid, following him 5hough the jungle and though increasingly dangerous situations.

Luffy's main interest in Ace was pretty simple in the end. Ace was a fighter, it was obvious to the younger boy. It kinda reminded him of Shanks! Though Ace was much much angrier. Luffy didn't know anyone like that otherwise.

Luffy had learned early on that his mama wasn't a fighter. She showed him how to hunt and protect himself from the beasts of the jungle, but she stayed far away from anything to do with fighting people. It confused him quite a bit. His mama was strong!! Really strong, but the only time he had seen her do anything close to fight another person, was throwing that knife at gramps!! Just the memory of that made him smile each time he thought of it.

It was like a mystery wall preventing her from fighting stuff. Which was lame. He had a hype-moth-o-sis that the place mama came from wasn't very good. He definitely saw how much she loved her home. She taught him lots of cool things about it all the time, but he could see something else underneath too.

He didn't like it at all.

That's why when she did share the stuff she likes he listened extra carefully. But he doesn't really react when she suddenly stops doing something she used to. Like when mama stopped only wearing her hair super boring! Now Makino helps him learn to braid it and brush it so mama can do it anyway she wants to. It's one of his favorite things to do with his mama and auntie.

After the first three days after Luffy arrived Ace finally stopped trying to get to his destination, realizing that Luffy could basically keep up with him.

The fourth day Ace switched things up.

Luffy woke up on his blanket pile in the bandits house, but quickly discovered he was completely tied up. An absurd amount of rope and even a chain, wrapped around the young boy.

Luffy takes a few moments to let the situation sink in. Slowly he begins to wiggle around. He soon noticed that when his rubber body squished, some of the ropes fell slack. He grins triumphantly.

It takes him about a half hour to wiggle free, slowly slacking and wiggling the ropes until he could free more of himself to further the process even faster.

Once he is free, he quickly goes outside. From the sky he assumed it's still morning sometime, he puts all of Mama's lessons to the test.

He begins following Ace, not letting the older kid's head start to phase him. It was easy to find his way to the place Ace kept stopping and turning back. Luffy had been fully aware of Ace's attempts to hurt or kill him. But, each time their eyes met, Luffy saw what his mama had told him about.

This boy, he didn't believe he was allowed to let Luffy in. So Luffy was going to do anything in his power to show Ace that he could. Luffy closes his eyes and thinks. It's by complete chance that the wind blows a distinct scent to his nose.

"Trash?" He questions curiously. Be begins to make his way forward, following the scent. Soon the jungle ends, and Luffy can see a whole field of garbage before him. The place was massive! He immediately got the itch to explore.

Movement from the corner of his eye more urgently caught his attention. It was quick, but he was sure he just saw Ace and someone else run back into the jungle. Luffy quickly follows after them.

He arrives in time to see Ace and a blonde boy hiding something, likely treasure he thinks with a giggle.

He quickly jumps out of the bushes, yelling for Ace excitedly.

Áine had just left the bandits house. She was torn between excitement, fear and rage. She had struggled to remain civil with the bandits. She appeased herself with the fact she could return later.

It's not too hard to track the children, Dandan's vague pointers and the Children's tracks give her enough of a guide. Close to Grey terminal and far from Dandan's hut, Áine sees a concerning amount of adult tracks and her anxiety immediately spikes.

She follows them quickly, almost frantically, and arrives to see two boys arguing and panicking in a small clearing. Both of them freeze at the sight of her, equally shocked and startled. A almost fancily dressed blonde boy with a few missing teeth and a scruffy looking boy with dark hair and the cutest freckles Áine had seen.

"Luffy, where is he?" She says quickly the ominous feeling in her chest only grows. Her haki thrummed at an unseen danger. She tried to keep her voice even not wanting to spook the boys.

It was the blonde boy who spoke first. His eyes still wide as he takes a defensive stance, pulling out a pipe.

"Who are you lady!?" Áine looked right at him and their eyes met. The young boy was shocked at the sight of her white irises, having finally been able to fully see them.

"Luffy is my son. He was stolen from me and I'm taking him home. Where is he?" She says forcing herself to speak calmly and firmly. Both boys look shocked and horrified at this.

While Sabo was only just now hearing about Luffy having a mom, Ace had been forced to hear the boy babble on about his 'mama' many times. He had assumed that Luffy was lying or trying to make Ace feel bad or something. Not that he was telling the truth. But looking at the panting and almost frantic woman, he realized he had it all wrong.

This woman was Luffy's mom, and gramps had taken Luffy from his home.

He quickly makes an executive decision and motions the woman to follow him and he races to Porchemy's hideout. Sabo and the woman racing after him. Guilt eating away at the boy, but just as equally, he was determined.

They all run quickly, but once Áine can feel Luffy on the edge of her awareness she speeds off in that direction, confusing both boys. They followed after her with no fuss as it was indeed the right direction.

They reach a shack in Grey Terminal and Áine swiftly kicks the door and the shack open with more violence in the action than either of the boys following her expected.

The sight inside makes something inside Áine snap. Despite her lack of Conqueror's haki, the sheer force of killing intent she was leaking in waves still made everyone in the room look at her in fear.

In the brief moment of silence she can hear her son's voice.

"Mama…"

It was the last straw she could take. She sees red and soon nothing is left to her awareness but the scent of blood.