Palila was back in her mother's arms, with her siblings flying above her. She hadn't dreamed of them for years.
—Leave mom, come here instead!— her siblings shouted. The temptation was great, so great that she tried to follow them. She tried because something started pulling her down, drowning her in darkness.
When the light returned, flames were incinerating everything in their path. And in front of the chaos stood a young man, with red eyes that could only be filled with hate and pain.
—Bird, I am Jonathan Black, the Black Knight,— Jonathan said crying while looking forward with determination. —Don't forget it…— Shadows began to surround Jonathan.
—There you are!, Monster!" shouted her brother, who had arrived attacking in a fit of pure rage. Jonathan raised his arm, and two shadow tentacles caught Palila's brother, who began to scream in pain.
Palila ran as fast as she could until she saw a small egg in the midst of the chaos. She took it, hugged it, and cried until her body couldn't take it anymore, making her collapse to the ground. When she got up again, she was now at a port.
—Why do you wish to be alone?— Prince asked her.
Palila didn't respond.
—Do you really want to be alone? If not, join me!— Approaching her, their faces almost touched. He hoped she could see the depth of his emotions through his eyes. After all, they say the eyes are the windows to the soul.
—Join you?— She questioned him once more, and for some inexplicable reason, she couldn't stop smiling.
—Yes! Become part of my crew! Be my nakama! That way, you'll never be alone again!— he exclaimed, extending his arms with such emotion that his heart beat as strongly as a bomb about to explode.
After all, having a new nakama was exciting and could lead to a great party.
And boy, did he love parties.
—Wait, I didn't ask your name!— Prince finally realized, a mischievous smile crossing his face.
Palila turned around, glancing at the sea, before answering, —Oh, my name is Aika. It means...bird of the love song,— her voice carried a touch of melancholy that Prince couldn't help but identify with.
—But I don't know if I still want it,— the girl's voice broke slightly as she remembered the people who used to call her that, the people she had disappointed, the people she had lost.
—Then let me give you one. We are pirates, we are free to be whoever we want,— suggested Prince, radiating happiness as if he were the sun itself.
Aika, or whoever she was, responded with giggles, her curiosity piqued by his suggestion. —So, what do you suggest?.
The Prince's wide, mischievous smile grew even bigger, making the most playful expression one could imagine.
—Sara. It means Princess.— Sara's face blushed, stunned. To which the Prince laughed as if the answer were obvious. —If I'm the Prince of these seas... then I'll need a princess, don't you think?— The Prince loved to pretend, playing that he was the Prince of the seas, the prince of all pirates.
And how fun it would be to have another participant in his fun game.
—Sure,— she replied, still confused.
And as promised, she wasn't alone for a while. The island of promise was everything you could wish for. There she met the rest of the lost children, kid's who got lost and ended up in that place with no other place to go.
Prince took care of them with everything he could despite being a handful on many occasions. He even faced Jonathan without fear when he came looking for her to kill her.
But this world is not perfect, as this is not a happily ever after story.
That radiant smile of Prince turned into a grimace of disgust.
—I'M NOT GOING TO GROW UP!— Prince shouted.
—But think of all the cool things we could do if we grew up. We could go to many more places and have more adventures, changing and not staying the same— She tried to convince him.
—No! I like things as they are now! I don't want to become a... a…— Prince couldn't even say the word, it made his stomach feel strange.
He liked how things were, and he didn't want them to change. He didn't want to change, not like things changed between him and Jon, Jon.
Why couldn't Sara see that growing up takes away all the good things? Growing up took Jon from him!. They used to have fun going to islands once every year and immediately go back to Promise Island to have their adventures, where they could stay young forever.
—If you want to grow up, why don't you go and be alone again?— Prince snapped, though he didn't really mean it.
—Wait! I didn't mean…— Prince tried to fix it, but it was too late for regrets.
—It's okay, keep living in a fairy tale, tomorrow morning I'll leave,— she said, turning around and being swallowed by the ground again.
This time she woke up in a town.
There she was again, alone.
She was used to it, but it still hurt like a thousand needles to the heart.
—Who are you? Come out!— She demanded upon noticing someone nearby from the noise.
—Tinkerbell?— she said, surprised to see Tinkerbell. _What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back on Promise Island— she asked, puzzled.
—They are in danger?! You did what?!"
It was so much information that it took her time to process it, moreover, Palila would say she didn't fully understand thanks to how fast Tinkerbell moved her hands. The only thing that was clear was that everyone on the island was fighting against shadow monsters.
Tinkerbell is known for never doubting Prince's strength. But even she was seeing his end and begging for help.
—You have a lot to explain when all this is over!— she told her before closing her eyes and appearing in front of her most painful memory.
In front of her was Prince's dead body being carried by Jonathan Black.
Rage clouded her vision making everything turn white. She doesn't remember what happened. She only woke up in a small boat where the pale faces of some of her nakamas greeted her.
—Where is Prince? And the island? Why are we on a boat?— were some of the things she asked desperately.
Silence invaded the boat, in front of her was Prince's dead body covered by a sheet.
—The island is gone, it's as if it never existed.— declared the Vice Captain.
As soon as she understood, she started crying until everything started spinning and she found herself with Luffy, Ace, and Sabo in her arms.
—Mommy?— Luffy asked. —Why did you let them take me?— The darkness trapped Luffy and took him away from her.
—No! No! No!— no matter how much she tried to reach him she couldn't. —Not my baby! Come back to me, my baby!— she screamed until she woke up from the nightmare.
She stood up and quickly started making breakfast with a smile.
The same smile with which she greeted her children.
"This has to stop." Ace told her when he saw her. "You smile all day as if you're not worried about Luffy!".
Sabo tried to intervene but it was all in vain.
"Don't get involved, you're the same, blaming yourself for what happened!" Ace reproached Sabo.
"Ace that's not how it works…" Palila tried to contradict him.
"No! You haven't slept well for days!" Ace asserted.
"Ace you know I can't! I have to take care of you…" both, that's what she was going to say.
But Ace had had enough of that speech.
"Let us take care of you too! I never had a family, but if I learned anything in the mountains, it was one thing, take care of each other or die all together. Maybe families are the same. Maybe you need us as much as we need you," Ace declared.
For the first time, Sabo had to admit that Ace reasoned better than him.
"We'll help you around the house while we look for that idiot!" Ace affirmed while cursing Luffy.
That same night.
"What are you two doing here?" Palila asked seeing that Ace and Sabo had sneaked into her bed.
"We're not going to let you fight the nightmares alone. So we came to drive them away," Sabo replied as they settled in.
Slowly but surely, Palila fell to the exhaustion.
She woke up again on Promise island in her child's body.
—Sara, stop thinking and come to the party!— Bourgeois, the vice-captain, told her while taking her to the party.
The party continued until it stopped to welcome Prince's arrival.
—It is an honor to welcome our Prince,— Prince arrived on a throne as if he were a king.
—What do you say, princess? Do you accept my offer to dance?— Prince said, trying to sound elegant but failing miserably.
—Of course, your majesty,— she responded.
While they danced everything started to fade away, until Prince spoke to her again.
—The party is about to end,— Prince's words took her by surprise. —Will you stay once it's over?— Prince asked before everything turned white.
In that white place, without doors, walls, or things. Someone was approaching.
—Who are you?— Palila asked.
—It's me, Prince,— affirmed the supposed Prince.
—No, you're not, Prince's eyes are blue, yours are black and lifeless. Because he's dead…— Palila said with a trembling voice.
—Do you really think you can face your fears, or will you just run away again?— Prince began to melt until he became a mass of shadow that took the form of Jonathan Black. —You alone, can't fight me— Jonathan said.
—That's where you're wrong! She's not alone! She has us!— shouted Ace and Sabo, appearing in the dream, and hitting Jonathan with their pipes, making him disappear.
Palila ran towards them to give them a tight hug.
—We told you we'd leave the nightmares behind!— said Ace with a confident smile.
—Are they your children?— While hugging them, Prince reappeared behind them, now with his blue eyes, asking curiously.
—Yes, they are...— Palila said.
Prince simply nodded.
—Have you grown up?— asked Prince.
—Yes, I'm ready to let go and love again— Palila affirmed.
—I'm glad, take your time. Me and the others can wait a little longer before our next adventure— he turned and walked away while she smiled.
In the real world, Palila was smiling while hugging her children in a warm embrace.
Until it was time to embark on the next adventure, she would make sure to live as happily as possible.
A few days before Shanks arrived at the Calm Belt.
"Is everything alright, anchor?" Shanks asked Luffy.
"I want my mommy..." Luffy replied between sobs.
"I can try to do what she can't. What does she do in these situations?" asked Shanks.
"She tells stories or sings us to sleep," said Luffy.
Shanks smiled as if he had won the lottery. "What would you say if I told you I know one of your mother's songs?"
Shanks couldn't love Roger more than at that moment.
"My captain used to sing it when we couldn't sleep," Shanks mentioned before starting to sing.
"Blow the wind southerly, southerly, southerly, Blow bonnie breeze,
my love to me."
Luffy began to relax.
"Shanks, I'm a big boy even if I want my mommy, understood?" Luffy said to Shanks.
"Of course, anchor," Shanks affirmed.
The next day they reached their destination. The Calm Belt was not something they couldn't face, so they went on to ask Luffy what was next.
"Shishishi, I just have to call her!" Luffy affirmed.
—Listen well, Luffy, this only works when you're near the area where I am. It's called echolocation.
Like magic, a bright light collided with Luffy.
"Mommy!" Luffy cried openly in his mother's warm embrace.
"I thought I lost you, my sun," Palila affirmed while wiping Luffy's tears.
"Who are they?" Palila finally noticed the red-haired crew.
"It's Shanks and his crew," Luffy explained.
"Shanks? The same one who saved you?" Palila asked, to which Luffy nodded.
"In that case, what do you say about inviting them to your birthday party?" suggested Palila.
"It was supposed to be a surprise, but we can make an exception, don't you think?" Palila said with a smile. Luffy just stared, remembering his birthday. He had forgotten. And now he had the opportunity to celebrate it with his favorite people.
He accepted the proposal without hesitation.
Palila lifted the Red Force into the sky. Al left it in a solid cloud where the party would be held.
As the party went on, Shanks couldn't help but watch. "What are you looking at, Captain?" Yasopp asked him.
"She's smiling," Shanks replied.
There wasn't a moment when joy left her eyes. Maybe she really found true love, just as his captain said.
Time passed quickly, and it was time to open the presents.
Palila brought a bunch of gifts. She watched attentively as Luffy opened each one. As he did, an old memory appeared in her mind.
—Let go? But I don't want to forget!— She went to visit Bourgeois in his kingdom after a long time without seeing him, though a fight soon broke out between the two of them.
—Sara, you're taking it too far! You never visit us and when you do, you're sad? It's like we've all moved on with our lives, but you haven't— Bourgeois knew perfectly well why Sara wouldn't let herself love. She still thought it was all her fault.
—One day you'll love again— declared Bourgeois.
"There's still one last gift! And this one's from me," Palila brought an even more colorful gift with great enthusiasm.
"We know we can't always be there to protect you, but if anyone can do it for us, it's him," Palila explained.
Luffy opened the gift and pulled out a Prince plushie.
—Love again? Me?
Palila decided it was time to stop blaming herself.
"Is this for me?!" Luffy said excitedly.
"I love it!" Luffy hugged it tightly, after everything that happened in the past few days, the plushie was one of the best things that happened to him.
As night fell, something surprising happened.
"Are you going to sleep on your own?" Palila asked Luffy, who had finally decided to sleep alone.
"I'm a big boy now!" he affirmed as he snuggled into his new bed.
"Are you sure you're not sick?" his brothers asked.
Luffy shook his head.
A while later, Palila went to check on them only to end up taking a photo of the cutest thing she had ever seen. It was a Luffy sprawled out like spaghetti across the bed while holding the Prince plushie with his little hand. He was even drooling over something, probably, meat.
She closed the bedroom door and resumed her way to her own. As she walked, time began to pass, things started to change. Her children grew up, and even when things seemed to be in constant flux, she couldn't help but love every part of it. What's the fun if things always stay the same?
When she opened the door, instead of her room, we see the outside of the house where the oldest of the three is standing with a backpack on his back. He was no longer a child but a seventeen-year-old.
"Stay a little longer!" Luffy was glued to Ace's leg like gum.
"Luffy, let go of Ace!" Palila tried to separate Luffy from Ace.
"You have to let go of Ace, it's not like you won't see him again," Luffy finally let go of Ace at his mother's words.
"Besides, you'll still have your favorite brother at home for a few more months," Sabo affirmed with a mocking smile.
"Hey! Who said you were the favorite?!" Ace asked furiously.
"Take care, son," Palila said, interrupting.
Ace tried not to turn around, he didn't want them to see the tears starting to fall. "Obviously, who do you take me for? Luffy?" Ace said.
Now it was Luffy who wanted Ace's head.
"In the backpack is everything you might need and remember if you need a place to stay..." Palila began to say.
Maybe the hardest change of all was seeing her little ones leave the nest. But if something excited her, it was that things were about to get interesting again. Because her children would turn the world upside down.
"I know!" Ace wasn't known for giving hugs, that was Luffy. But even Ace couldn't resist wanting to hug his mother. "Go all out, don't hold back!" Palila told him.
"Never! Since when do I hold back?" Ace affirmed.
And so Ace left the nest. A new chapter opened, and the world wouldn't know what hit it. Because Ace was a man of his word.
Elsewhere.
"We'll have our revenge, it's only a matter of time," a tall man with glasses said to the shadow beside him. "Right, Peter?".
Autor notes:
So this is the final chapter of the Beginning saga. Chapters:1 to 5 are the Dawn Island arc. 6 to 12 are the Family, arc. This 12 chapters all together are the Beginning saga. First saga of this story.
I really hope you liked this first part, the beginning. Next chapter we'll be starting with the ASL saga. Ace's arc.