Sorry for the wait! It was a bit harder to write the beginning of the chapter but hopefully the update will make up for it! Enjoy!!

After seeing Zoro, Luffy only got more motivated to train. There was no doubt that Zoro was going to get stronger in the next six months and Luffy would have to train harder to meet him in the middle. Of course, his ban on training still hadn't been lifted (there was still a day or so left) but Luffy was impatient and didn't want to wait.

He trained subtly, trying not to show Makino what he was doing. He didn't want her to extend the punishment so he integrated his training into the things he did around Partys Bar. He kept his Observation Haki out as usual (it became somewhat of a habit since time traveling), trying to keep it going for as long as he could, but now he would try to enhance it instead of just extending and enduring it. He wanted to be able to pick up smaller movements and presences. It helped a few times with catching falling plates and glasses around the pub.

He used the barrels of booze as weights for physical strength training, running up and down the stairs from the basement a few times when Makino wasn't looking. He also did sets of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and other exercises he used to see Zoro do back on the Merry and Sunny in his room. They were easy to slip in and he kept doing them even after the punishment was lifted.

Partys Bar was busier than Luffy had seen it in a while. Quite a few tables were taken up and both he and Makino were running around to tend to all the different customers. Luffy couldn't stay to chat with tables for long since he was almost constantly on the move but there were tons of people to talk to so he didn't really mind. Makino practically radiated joy as she served beers and sake and cooked at the back. Luffy always grinned whenever she handed him something to serve to a table.

He let out a startled yelp as he almost dropped the mug Makino had handed him, the amber liquid sloshing around dangerously. He steadied it in his hands, standing still as he watched the alcohol settle. Luffy let out a sigh of relief and giggled.

"Shishishi! Whoops!"

Makino, who'd been watching, also let out a sigh of relief. She shook her head at the boy, half scoldingly, half in amusement. "Be more careful, Luffy."

Luffy only grinned, apologizing shortly before moving to the table at the back of the pub where Old Man Yamo was sitting. Old Man Yamo wasn't actually old—he was only in his late thirties—but he had white hair so Luffy liked to tease him about it. The man was a fisherman and a regular at the pub who liked to treat himself every once in a while, which were honestly more times than it should've been. If Luffy cared all that much, he would've wondered how the man wasn't an alcoholic by now. Old Man Yamo was burly and large from days of hauling fish nets through waters but a friendly guy and good company, especially when he was drunk. He and Luffy would chat sometimes and talk about random things, occasionally laughing together about something going on in the village.

Luffy reached over and pushed the mug of beer onto the table, peeking over the edge as the fisherman grabbed the handle and took a large gulp of the alcohol. He swallowed audibly and smacked his lips with a contented sigh, taking a large hand and ruffling Luffy's hair.

"Gyahah, thanks, kid! Just what I needed!" Old Man Yamo exclaimed loudly. He looked around the bar with a grin. "Pretty rowdy today, huh?"

Luffy nodded, a similar grin taking over his face. "Makino's really happy! And there's a lot of people to talk to so it's fun!"

"I bet! Makino must be havin' a heyday with all this business!" He took another swing of his drink. "Seen you scurryin' around, too. You're pretty fast for a little kid; make a good waiter. My kids are no-goods when it comes to helpin' around the house, so Makino's pretty lucky!"

Luffy beamed with pride. He liked helping Makino with the pub. He didn't know why he didn't before- it was fun! But then again, his old five year old self was more interested in running amok in the village than staying in one area. That still hadn't changed, really, but Luffy knew how to put others before himself now, and he didn't mind doing it either.

"My kids are still cuter, though," Old Man Yamo said, cutting through Luffy's thoughts. The boy blinked and furrowed his brows, puffing out his cheeks.

"I'm not cute! I'm a man!"

Old Man Yamo laughed, the type that comes from the belly when you think something's really funny. Luffy scowled but it came out looking like a pout. The man only laughed harder.

"Nothing's wrong with being cute! And you're a kid so of course you are! Not as cute as my squirts but you get the point," he said, grin stretched wide. "Besides, there're plenty of people who agree with me, I'm sure."

Luffy frowned and was about to open his mouth to retort but Makino's shout carried over the multiple voices in the room, grabbing his attention.

"Luffy! Could you come here, please?"

The boy turned and shouted back. "Okay!"

He looked back at Old Man Yamo and stuck his tongue out at the man—who only lifted his mug to his lips in amusement—before running back to Makino behind the bar counter. She looked down at him and smiled, taking a tray from the counter and bending down a bit to hand it to him. He looked at the steaming bowls of stew with interest and had to physically restrain himself from digging in then and there.

"Could you give that to the table with those two girls over there?" Makino asked, pointing to a table near the front of the pub. Luffy spotted them chatting animatedly with each other and nodded back at Makino. She placed two glasses of water on the tray and thanked him as he walked off.

"Be careful with that!" She called after him and he shouted back in confirmation.

Laughter rang throughout the pub and Luffy had to dodge multiple stray limbs and chairs that would suddenly pop up in front of him during his slow walk. He'd spilled a piping hot stew on himself once before and he definitely was not eager to experience that again. Plus, it'd be a waste of food and after living in Sanji's presence for so long Luffy had that certain aspect of the cook's personality rub off on him, that you shouldn't ever waste food.

His Observation training was a huge help in helping him prevent that, at least.

He easily side stepped an arm that could have knocked him to the floor, stepped over multiple feet that could have tripped him, ducked under the swing of an elbow from an excited drunk, and stopped a few mugs and glasses that could have fallen to the floor from the excessive banging of fists on tables with his shoulder.

Luffy stopped as a fork shot down in front of him and embedded itself in the wooden floorboards.

"Haha, whoops! Sorry about that!"

Luffy blinked, stared down at the fork, looked around the room, and then shrugged and continued walking.

After reaching the table safely he set the tray down and gave both girls their respective stews and waters. He couldn't reach very far across the table, though, so he just pushed them as close as he could. The girls giggled as he finished and he stepped back with a smile, tucking the tray under his tiny arms.

"Makino's food is really good, so I hope you like it!" He said, and the girls thanked him. As he started walking back, he heard their voices gush not-so-quietly.

"He's adorable! Like a tiny waiter!"

"Yeah, he's so cute! I wanna hug him!"

Luffy's face flushed in embarrassment as he turned, fists clenched and lips pulled into a pout. "I'm not cute!"

The girls only cooed.

———

When Makino finally allowed him to go back to his training Luffy almost shot out of Partys Bar in excitement. He was literally bouncing around the pub for the whole morning and the few customers they had asked after him curiously.

"I'm gonna train!" He responded enthusiastically.

(They didn't know what he meant by 'train' but assumed something simple, like running laps or push-ups and curls, and the thought had amused them. Throwing punches at rocks and fighting wild animals hadn't even crossed their minds.)

He ate breakfast quickly and lunch quicker, sped around the pub tending to customers determinedly before springing off to the forest after Makino gave him the go. She watched him disappear into the underbrush with a fond but exasperated sigh.

For a while Luffy ran around the base of the mountain for no other reason than to simply run. While he hadn't disliked staying inside and helping in the bar, he'd missed the freedom he had outside. There was nothing like running through a forest, dodging trees and hopping over rocks and greenery, fumbling over fallen leaves and laughing all the while. Cold wind brushed against his face and Makino had forced him into some long sleeves for the weather, though begrudgingly allowed him to keep his open-toed sandals and shorts after his vehement refusal to wear proper shoes and pants.

Luffy could tell it was going to snow soon. In a few weeks the land would be covered in white fluff and smoke would come from the chimneys of the houses in Foosha. He'd see similar smoke coming from behind Goa's tall walls and the lights of fires in the shabby huts belonging to the residents of the Gray Terminal. Some trees were already almost bare, a few brown leaves still hanging stubbornly to some branches (save for the pines that lined the forest and their evergreen leaves), and some animals would soon start to hibernate.

Winters were quiet seasons, calm compared to the loud summers or bright springs. There were no leaves swaying in the wind or animals scurrying in the underbrush, instead hiding under the snow and waiting for the season to pass. Winters could be fun; playing in the snow, making snowmen and having snowball fights and eating tasty seasonal foods. But to Luffy, it was also a season of quiet moments, like the rare ones he had where he'd contemplate his dream, his journey, and everything in between. Where he wasn't so loud and wasn't so overbearing as he would be in summer or spring or autumn. There was always something about falling snow or the gray winter skies that calmed him like the ocean's waves or a starry night sky. Made him fall quiet and take in everything around him.

Once upon a time Luffy hated the quiet. It was boring and not fun at all. The moment a room fell silent it would only take a few seconds and a loud obnoxious shout from him to break it and completely annoy the hell out of everyone, which was fine by him because it was funny and anything but quiet. But he changed after Marineford, after Ace's death and the shock that followed. He grew up in a way that wasn't all that visible on the surface, something you couldn't see unless you looked underneath the smiles and loud personality. He'd matured after the loss and grew mentally to become the sort of person who would never allow that same thing to happen ever again.

He'd fall silent at times when he was alone, most times before he fell asleep, his eyes open and staring unseeingly at the ceiling above him. At first it was hard, being left with those thoughts and doubts and fears for the future, but he'd pushed them to the side and focused on getting stronger, on protecting his crew and having fun and meeting his goal. The silence then turned into something more relaxing, calming in its peacefulness that left Luffy to just appreciate how far they'd come and think back on the obstacles they'd overcome. The quiet moments were far and few between, but not always unwelcome and unwanted.

Luffy eventually found a nice clearing to stop at, the ground covered in warm colored leaves and surrounded by almost naked trees. A lazy stream sat at a corner of the clearing with a small cliff hanging over it, the underbrush thick with dark green leaves just on top of it.

He stood in the middle of the clearing and wiped his forehead of the small bit of sweat that formed there from his run. His heart was still beating quickly in his chest from the excitement and a grin took over his face as he began training.

He started off with stretching first. His arms crossed over his chest as he stretched the muscles in them, then did the same in his legs, twisted his torso a few times, and did some quick squats. He already had his run so he moved on to physical strength, kicking a loose boulder from the side of the cliff and hauling it around for an hour or two. His mind wandered as he did the task, pushing the boulder around the forest and feeling the burning of his muscles in his legs, arms, and chest. After a while he stopped and made his way back to the clearing, taking longer since he didn't remember where it was.

There was no break in between as he left the boulder in the center of the clearing and transitioned to his Haki training. He started with Armament and used the boulder (that was twice his size if not bigger) as his training dummy. Metallic black crawled up his arms and he punched the boulder once and checked the damage dealt. There was a small dent the size of his fist on the hard stony surface but otherwise no real harm was done.

Luffy frowned in frustration and released a barrage of swings on the boulder, occasionally throwing in haki-coated kicks and headbutts. The only way to train haki was to keep using it, after all. That and real battles. Luffy knew from experience that fighting for your life was the best way to develop haki. It grew and evolved under stress and there was nothing like life threatening encounters to give exactly that.

A while later a punch sent a deep crack running across the surface of the rock which then spread out into a web of thinner, longer cracks. The boulder shook and crumbled, falling to a pile of rubble at his feet. Luffy wiped the sweat from his face and let his haki fade from his arms. His Armament Haki wasn't ideal, but at least it was improving—slowly, but improving nonetheless. His current way of training wouldn't cut it, though, since it would take way too long to get his haki to a level he was comfortable with. Luffy wasn't known for being all too patient, after all.

Then there was Observation Haki which he was training in one aspect already. He constantly kept a steady flow of the haki out for as long as he could, stretching it out as far as he was able to extend the range and endured the mental strain. He worked on enhancing the haki's ability to detect presences and movements, feeling the auras of multiple animals scurrying about in the underbrush around him.

There also was the aspect of Observation that helped out the most in fights, alerting him to oncoming attacks that he could dodge or block. The most practice he'd gotten with that side of his haki was avoiding flying limbs and utensils from drunk customers, and the one time he really had a chance to use it was in his spar with Zoro. His haki was so weak at the time that he could only sense a few attacks and even then it came too late and he'd already been hit without having a chance to react.

Back when Luffy was still training with Rayleigh on Rusukaina, the man had hit him repeatedly with an Armament coated stick while he was blindfolded to train his Observation Haki. He wouldn't even let him eat until he managed to dodge a hundred times, which was totally unfair but managed to motivate him at least. The animal friends he'd made on the island helped him train, too, and he eventually managed to get the basics down. The point was, he couldn't further his haki training without a partner, which he didn't have.

Luffy blinked, and a wide grin stretched across his face.

Or did he?

———

Ace stepped over dead leaves as he made his way through the forest and back to the bandits' shack of a hideout. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he trudged on, eyes looking around boredly as he busied himself with his thoughts.

He had asked about Gold Roger again, more specifically if the man had a son, and got the same response as usual. Utter disgust and shouts of killing him. Sabo didn't understand why he kept asking that same question.

"Don't listen to them," his friend would say. "They don't know what they're talking about. They don't even know you!"

Maybe, Ace thought, but if they don't know me and still think that way, doesn't that mean something?

He was eight years old in a world that didn't want him, living with bandits who more or less didn't give a shit about him, and the only person he trusted was an orphan who lived in a trash heap (and maybe his stupid grandfather on a good day). He could drop dead and few would mourn him, celebrating instead at the extinction of a demon's bloodline.

He hadn't cared much for the name 'Gold Roger' before. It used to only be a name he heard in passing, a forbidden set of words whispered in the dark and cursed at. He had simply been Portgas D. Ace, son of a woman he never knew but longed for anyway, grandson of the marine hero who had saved the world on a number of occasions and caught the pirate that had taken said world by storm.

It wasn't until he was told that he was the son of the Pirate King that he finally paid more attention to the name. He asked around about the man and heard less than favorable responses, listened to rumors of the slaughter of thousands and destruction of countless islands left in his wake. One day he had asked the question, "What if Gold Roger had a son?" and the spit splattered on his face as the man he'd asked bellowed loudly about the many ways he would kill the hypothetical child—eliciting cheers from those who'd overheard—had been more than enough of an answer.

His father was a demon, and to the rest of the world he was, too.

A deep roar in the distance snapped him out of his thoughts and his head whipped towards the sound. It was followed by a loud snap of cracking wood and, despite his better judgement, Ace went to see what was happening. Anything to keep himself out of his head.

The closer he got to whatever was making all that noise the larger the signs of a fight became. Low-hanging tree branches were snapped in half, skid marks and matted grass covered the forest floor, and there was even some blood smeared on the fallen leaves. His curiosity piqued, Ace sped up.

The first thing he noticed was the huge bear going on a rampage. It stood on its hind legs and easily rose to a height of almost five meters as its claws lashed out and swung around wildly. There was blood coating its fur and dripping onto the floor from what seemed to be a head wound and Ace was thinking what the hell when he finally noticed what the bear was swinging at.

He blinked and his mouth fell open because he was pretty sure that was a kid fighting the bear. He looked a few years younger than him and that meant the kid was really young since Ace was only eight (though he'd be turning nine soon). What was he doing, fighting a bear literally five times his size? No, what was he doing fighting a bear at all? The kid wasn't anyone Ace recognized and he looked well fed and dressed, so that meant he wasn't from the Gray Terminal or Edge Town. There was a village on this side of the mountain now that he thought about it, but he'd never been there before so he couldn't confirm anything. He didn't even think anyone came out this far into the forest unless they wanted to get killed, what with the crazy strong animals and mountain bandits and all.

Ace watched as the kid jumped out of the way of a claw and the bear roared, furious. The bear swung its head as it followed after the kid and Ace finally got a good look at it's face. There was a scar going down the side of it's head, crossing over the mammal's eye, and Ace realized that the bear was that same bear he'd seen fighting the Tiger Lord sometimes. It always lost, sure, but he had seen it get some good hits in. It was practically the second strongest animal in the forest at this point.

And that kid was fighting it.

The bear got down on all fours and charged forward, jaw wide open and full of sharp teeth. The boy dodged as the bear tried to bite him and ran, the large mammal following just a ways behind. Ace ran after them, careful to stay some distance away.

He heard the kid laughing up ahead and gaped. How is he laughing right now? Does he not know what situation he's in? Granted, the kid might have been strong or something. He looked less damaged than one could expect a kid would be if they were up against a bear, only bruised and dirty with a few bleeding scratches. That or he was fast and kept dodging the whole time, though it wouldn't explain the bear's bleeding head wound.

The kid stopped running when he was suddenly cornered by a cliff and turned to face the bear. Ace hid behind a tree as the bear continued to charge towards the kid without stopping and idly wondered if he should help him. It wasn't like he could beat the bear but he had the element of surprise and could kick it in the head to give the kid a chance to escape. Ah, but then he'd be stuck with the bear, wouldn't he?

Luckily he wouldn't need to do any saving as the kid jumped out of the way at the last second and the bear crashed straight into the wall of the cliff. Ace let out a snort at the sight of a dazed bear and a laughing kid. The situation was just so bizarre that it caught him slightly off guard.

The impact apparently wasn't enough to knock it out, though, because the bear snapped out of its daze and roared louder than it had before, its lips pulled back into a nasty snarl, nose flared and saliva dripping from sharp canines. A chill went down Ace's spine at the animal's absolutely feral look and he wondered if the kid was frozen in fear since he wasn't moving an inch.

The bear charged once again, but this time it was fueled by rage and a bloodlust only a predator could have. It wasn't even directed at him and he was a far distance away from the animal but it made him sweat nonetheless.

The kid still hadn't moved, even as the bear closed in on him, and Ace realized that he really would have to save him. There was no way he could make it in time to pull him out of the way though, so maybe he could distract the bear? He could throw something at it but there was nothing for him to throw and he didn't have enough time to pick something up anyway. So what could he-

He took a step forward.

"Stop."

Instantly, Ace stilled as something washed over him and he stumbled, his legs suddenly weak. His hand landed on the tree beside him to hold himself up and he watched as the bear's eyes shot wide open and skidded to a halt. It stopped directly in front of the kid and stared into his eyes, seemingly shaking, before sinking to the ground and pulling off what looked like a dogeza, almost curling up into itself.

What the-? Ace thought, blinking a few times, because for a second there he'd thought the kid was speaking to him.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of the stupid thought. He was behind the kid so it wasn't like he saw him, and he certainly didn't know what he was about to do. Not that Ace knew either—his body just moved on its own.

Why the hell had that happened anyway? Ace didn't even know him.

Then there was the bear that was still kowtowing on the floor, the same bear that had been looking at the kid like a fat juicy salmon only seconds ago. It happened so fast—right in front of him, too—and he still didn't know what happened. One moment it was a raging wild animal that literally radiated bloodlust and the next it was cowering on the ground like a scared puppy.

All because of a kid—or at least he assumed.

Said kid walked up to the kneeling form of the bear and pet its head, his cheeks stretching into a grin from where Ace could see.

"There, there," he heard him say. "Sorry about before! I had to get you mad and hit you with a rock! Must've hurt, especially after you ran into that cliff-" the kid snickered, "-but you helped me train so thanks!"

Ace barely had any time to process the sentence (He did that to train?!) before the kid continued.

"You're bleeding a lot, so I'll help you as thanks! Ah, and an apology since I did it. I don't have any bandages though so I'll have to go back... but Makino probably won't like seeing a bear at the bar!" The kid laughed before looking at his own bruised body. "She'll probably get on me about this too... Gotta give you credit, bear! You sure know how to hurt a not-rubber-human!"

Ace could only blink as the kid kept holding a one-sided conversation with the bear. It was so weird and his thoughts were all over the place (He was training? Why is he talking to a bear? Is this normal? That kid definitely isn't normal. Who's Makino? What the fuck?) but he knew for a fact that the kid was crazy.

He was totally gonna tell Sabo about this.

The kid bounced in place, excited and full of energy, as if he hadn't just been chased by a bear that was trying to kill him (-to train. Ace still couldn't wrap his head around it). "I'll get the bandages from home and then come back! You come with me, since I don't wanna walk all the way back here, but stay in the forest so no one gets scared, okay! I don't wanna be grounded from training again!" The boy tugged at the bear's ears. "Let's go! You can get up, right? I don't think I can carry you."

To Ace's surprise, the bear didn't lash out at the kid and instead moved to get up, its legs slightly wobbly. The kid spun around and Ace could finally see his large, wide grin as he marched off in the direction they came, the bear following him obediently. Ace ducked behind the tree as they passed him by and watched them go, the small boy's red clothed back sticking out like a beacon in the dark despite the warm colors of autumn surrounding him.

He stood there for a while, even as they disappeared into the trees and foliage, before finally breaking out of his stupor. He turned in the opposite direction and started forward, making his way back to the hideout as he had been before all the crazy he'd witnessed.

———

"Luffy, I'm stepping out for a bit—will you be alright?"

Luffy turned from the dishes he was putting away to see Makino coming down the stairs, a small coin pouch in hand. He tilted his head and blinked. "Yeah. But where are you going?"

"Just to the market. We're low on eggs, flour, and some vegetables. I might get some bread from the bakery, too," she said, walking up to him. She put a hand on his head and rustled his hair lightly. "I'll be gone for a few minutes. Try not to break anything, okay?"

At her teasing tone, Luffy puffed out his cheeks. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Makino laughed, raising her hands in defense. "Nothing! Just making sure."

Luffy pouted at her for a moment longer before grinning and laughing. He smiled at her as he hopped off his stool and hugged her, the woman bending down to hug him back as well.

"I'll be fine!" He said, and Makino smiled. She rose to her full height and gave him a final pat on the head before moving towards the door.

"Alright then. I'll be back soon!"

Luffy watched as she put a hand on the saloon doors before turning and saying, "Ah, what do you want for lunch? I can get the ingredients while I'm at the market."

Immediately, the boy brightened. "Omelette!" He shouted. "And meat!"

The bartender raised a delicate brow. "Omelette? That's more of a breakfast food, you know?"

"But I want omelette! And meat!" Luffy insisted.

Makino chuckled and resigned, nodding. "Omelette and meat it is, then."

With one last wave, she pushed open the saloon doors and stepped out, the hinges squeaking and doors swinging in her wake.

Luffy jumped back onto his stool to finish putting away the dishes, humming happily in anticipation for lunch. He'd had the sudden craving for omelettes ever since that morning, having a rare good dream about breakfast on the Thousand Sunny. Everyone was gathered in the galley, chatting and being loud like any other day on the ship. Chopper was talking with Robin about a new medical book he'd picked up from the last island, Usopp and Franky were discussing a new invention and improvements they could make to the Gaon Cannon, Brook was asking Nami if he could see her panties (and was rewarded a slap for his efforts), and Jinbe chuckled at the antics before asking the annoyed navigator about their course. Zoro was dozing off at the table just as Sanji came in and kicked his chair, the swordsman falling to the floor. They shouted death threats at each other as Sanji passed out the food, Luffy laughing while simultaneously stuffing omelettes in his mouth and reaching for the others'.

The dream had been so like their normal lives that Luffy still wasn't sure if it was a memory or another illusion his sleep deprived brain came up with. Though, considering how much sleep had been getting recently, he supposed he wasn't exactly 'sleep deprived' anymore. Since meeting Zoro two weeks ago he kept having good dreams instead of the usual nightmares or sleepless nights. Dreams—either of the past or like it—that never failed to make him smile nostalgically. He stopped waking up so often in the middle of the night and actually woke up well rested most mornings.

There was one dream he had about Shanks and his crew from when they visited Foosha. They were all in Partys Bar, the usual place they could be found in the village, laughing and yelling and drinking the place dry. He could remember Yasopp telling the villagers outlandish stories about their adventures as pirates and Lucky Roo singing off-key shanties with a group of drunk men. Luffy's dream self was bugging Shanks about letting him join their crew and the red haired pirate only laughed, knocking his wooden mug against the boy's head and telling him that he was just a kid and couldn't handle the pirate life yet.

Thinking back on it now, Luffy could agree with the (soon to be) Yonko. If Luffy had left with them and set out to sea that early, he had no doubt he would still be a crybaby. It wasn't until meeting Ace and Sabo that he stopped crying at every little thing. He would probably still be weak and maybe never would have wanted to become the Pirate King. Plus, if he really had left Foosha with them, he never would have met his brothers or become the captain of his own crew and meet all his nakama.

In the end, Luffy was glad that Shanks never let him join his crew. He was happy with how things turned out—a promise made, a hat on his head, two brothers by his side, and a ship he called home full of trustworthy nakama he called family.

He wouldn't have it any other way.

After he finished putting away the dishes, Luffy wandered around the bar for a bit, opening random cabinets and peeking inside. He was kind of bored and didn't have anything to do. Makino closed up the pub for the day so there wasn't anyone to talk to, and he couldn't go off to train or rummage around Gray Terminal for things to sell until after lunch.

Thinking back to the omelettes, Luffy decided that he'd help prepare for them. He couldn't cook but cutting things up should be pretty easy. He'd get to eat the omelettes faster, too.

Going to the fridge, Luffy pulled out the last green onions they had and set them on the counter with a cutting board and knife. He'd seen Makino and Sanji use scallions in their omelettes before and, despite not liking vegetables all that much, they tasted good in omelettes.

He climbed up the stool and set to work, trying to remember how he'd seen them cut green onions before. He just had to cut them thinly, right? He lined up the knife with the green stalk and began slicing, careful of his fingers.

The cuts were, for the most part, alright, though some were slanted and almost triangular. At least they were all the same size, so Luffy thought he was doing a pretty good job.

His hand fell into the repetitive motion and his mind started to wander. He thought about the training he did with that bear two weeks ago and the presence he sensed watching him. While Ace had done a pretty good job at keeping out of view, he couldn't exactly hide from Luffy's Observation Haki. In fact, Luffy felt him coming before the older boy even saw him with the bear. Maybe one day Ace would be able to hide his presence from him, but until then Luffy would always be able to find him.

He wondered if Ace would tell Sabo about him. They were eight years old now and Luffy knew that, even before he met them, the two were good friends and told each other almost everything. That, of course, later extended to him too when they became brothers. But for the majority of their childhood they only had each other. Sabo was a runaway noble who wanted nothing to do with Goa Kingdom and Ace was an orphan who lived in the shadow of a father he grew to hate. Luffy was glad that they had each other to depend on, but he also wished he could be there for them, too.

When Luffy eventually meets them, he'll do his damned best to keep them safe and happy. He'd keep Sabo's dad from taking him and make Ace realize that he was loved and that it was good that he was born. He'd help them get stronger so they could take care of themselves and handle anything that comes their way. It may have been a big brother role, but he was technically older than them.

Besides, his brothers were always there for him, so he wanted to do the same.

He also wanted Ace to know that his father wasn't the man the world made him out to be. While Luffy never knew the Pirate King personally, he met people who had and told him stories of the captain and his crew. From Rayliegh he learned the man was a stubborn, careless idiot and headstrong like a child, Shanks told him that he was a free soul who loved adventure and parties, and Inuarashi and Nekomamushi always talked about how charismatic and strong he was. Luffy heard tales of their adventures and all the amazing things Roger and his crew did and discovered. He admired how much the man cared for his nakama, how he always defended them despite the trouble it might cause. Marco even said he and the Pirate King were very similar, once.

Gol D. Roger was a great man, and Luffy didn't want Ace to suffer from the lies of those who never knew him.

When Shanks came to Foosha, maybe Luffy could bring Ace to meet him. Shanks was an apprentice on Roger's ship and was very close to him—so close that the man gave him his hat, which was then given to Luffy. Maybe Ace would understand if he heard about his father through someone who actually knew him.

Shanks would probably be happy to see Ace. The Yonko once told Luffy that he hadn't known Ace was the son of his former captain—only recognizing him as Luffy's brother and the commander of Whitebeard's Second Division. If he had known he probably would have shown up at Marineford sooner, gotten rid of Kaidou quicker. Ace was the last known blood relative of Roger and Shanks had admitted that he felt as if he'd failed his captain for not being there to save him. Luffy couldn't really say anything then—Ace's death was still a bit of a sore subject—so they moved on from the topic to talk about something else. It was in the past and there was nothing they could do to change it. There was only room to look ahead and move on.

Now though, with the mystery time travel, Luffy had a chance to change everything.

He wouldn't let himself regret anymore.

Distantly aware that there was no more scallion for him to chop, Luffy absently brushed the onions into a clump in the middle of the board before letting the knife rest in his hand, his mind elsewhere.

He wondered if Shanks would even come to Foosha this time. Mystery time travel was weird so anything could happen—maybe Buggy would have a normal nose, maybe Brook wouldn't have an afro, maybe Nami would have blue hair and a pet panda-bird. If he didn't come, well, Luffy wouldn't get his hat and Gomu Gomu powers. He couldn't be Straw Hat Luffy without his straw hat and rubber powers!

Luffy was six when they came to the village, almost seven when they left. He'd have to wait a whole year before he could figure anything out.

If Shanks did end up coming, though, Luffy wouldn't ask him to let him join his crew. He already had his goal of Pirate King and his nakama to gather. Even if he'd already made the promise and almost completed it once before, Luffy would still carry it through, no matter the timeline.

Suddenly, he wondered what the man would think of him if he knew of Luffy's failure. Not only had he died and not become the Pirate King like he said he would, his nakama had all died in front of him and he'd been powerless to save them. He trained to become stronger than ever before and he still lost them. Luffy never wanted to live with regrets, but the sight of each of his friends dying in front of him was forever burned into his mind and replayed in his dreams.

Maybe Shanks would think that—even after everything he'd gone through—he still wasn't ready for the life of a pirate. Pirates were constantly facing danger, sailing the open seas and staring straight into the unknown. Luffy thought he lived exactly like that, his crew by his side and seeking adventure and freedom with them. But death was a normal part of a pirate's life and he should have expected it—should have been prepared.

He wasn't.

And he lost everyone.

He felt like that small kid again. That six year old, ignorant child who wanted to be a pirate and stood on top of a roof to stab himself in the face to prove that he was strong. He felt as if everything he'd done up until that point was useless and ultimately amounted to nothing. Like he was playing make-believe-pirate all along and had yet to truly become a man worthy of being the king.

(He knew he was wrong—he worked hard, came so far, accomplished so much, and had so many people who believed in him. He knew Shanks would never think less of him, that he would understand, but the suppressed doubt and fear he kept in the back of his mind was slowly consuming him.)

He had to get stronger, he had to keep everyone safe, he had to protect them, he had to make sure he'd never lose them again. He needed to be better this time, to win and never lose again.

He had to get stronger.

Stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

stronger and stronger,

and even stronger than that!

He couldn't lose.

There was a sharp pain on the side of his face and Luffy dropped the knife in his hand, the blade clattering loudly on the cutting board. His fingers flew up to the space below his left eye and felt the sticky wetness flowing down his cheek before he pulled away at the painful twinge that shot through his face.

He looked down, watched as scarlet dripped onto the bright and dark green of the chopped onions, and stilled.

His hands were red.

———

The last thing Makino expected when she walked back into the bar was a bleeding Luffy with a deep gash in his face. What she had expected to come home to was a few broken glasses or maybe even a broken chair or two. Not this.

She'd called out at the front when she finished her shopping and didn't think much of anything when she didn't get a shout in response (and in retrospect, that should have already been suspicious). It was unsettlingly quiet once she pushed past the pub's doors and her eyes discreetly glanced around the room to check for any damage done. It wasn't until her sight flicked towards the kitchen area and saw bright red that she finally realized something was wrong.

Makino carelessly threw her newly-bought groceries on the nearest table (the eggs somehow miraculously not breaking) and sprinted to the kitchen. She saw the small form of Luffy standing on his stool at the counter and only belatedly noticed the chopped green onions in front of him before her eyes were drawn to the fountain of blood dripping down the side of his face. Panic immediately swelled within her as her eyes blew wide open.

"Luffy!" She shouted, voice involuntary raising from shock and horror. "What happened?!"

The boy didn't respond, staring at his (red, red) hands, and Makino took him by the shoulders to turn him towards her. There was too much blood to see properly, but the wound on his face was deep and seemed to have been made by a sharp object. She glanced around the area and saw the knife on the counter, tip stained by blood, and she bit her lip to hold back a curse. She looked back at Luffy and noticed him shaking slightly. His eyes had that far away look he'd sometimes get, but this time they were absolutely emotionless, without a single shred of light in them. It scared her.

Makino carefully set a palm on his unharmed cheek and brushed her thumb under his eye. Searching for any more injuries and gratefully finding none, she pulled back, eyes still on him worryingly.

"I'm going to get the first aid kit. Don't move."

Luffy didn't look up as she left up the stairs and, when she came back a moment later with the kit, his eyes were still on his bloodied hands.

Makino set to work, wiping the blood off his face with a hand towel. She dabbed the cloth around the cut as lightly as she could and when the area was more or less cleaned, she finally had a clear look at the cut.

It was deep—so deep that it cut right down to the bone. Makino could see a flash of pure white before it was swallowed up by bright red and she had to use the cloth in her hand to soak up the blood that was leaking out again. Her eyes teared up as she did so and she wondered why the boy wasn't crying, too. It must've hurt but he wasn't reacting at all. How did he even get the injury in the first place?

Makino dug into the kit and took out some alcohol pads to sanitize the wound. She ran a hand through Luffy's sweat and muttered softly.

"Sorry... This is going to hurt a bit..."

She carefully swept the pad over the cut and watched as Luffy blinked and jolted a bit, the light finally returning to his eyes. He looked up from his hands and over at Makino with confusion written all over his face.

"Eh? Makino? When did you get back?"

Makino had to consciously stop herself from frowning. "A few minutes ago. Are you alright?"

Luffy opened his mouth, stopped, and spoke, "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Suddenly, one of his hands flew up and hovered over his cut. "Ow! Why does my face hurt?"

This time, Makino did frown. "Luffy, somehow you hurt yourself with that knife," she said, nodding over to the kitchen knife on the counter as she continued to clean Luffy's cut. "What happened?"

Luffy looked at her, still confused. Then his eyes widened in realization as he turned to the knife and then the blood on his hands. He looked back at her, a small frown on his lips.

"I was cutting those onions for the omelette because I wanted to help and eat them faster," he said, clenching his fists. "I... I got distracted. It was an accident. I don't know what happened." He turned back to his hands with an unreadable look on his face. "I'm sorry..."

Makino didn't know what to think of his explanation and only sighed. Luffy couldn't lie, he was way too obvious, so it probably really was an accident. How the accident occurred, though, was what stumped her.

For now, Makino let the thought go as she finished cleaning up the wound and set a temporary gauze pad over it.

"It's fine, Luffy," she said, giving him a small hug. "I'm happy you were trying to help, but please, don't touch the knives when I'm not here."

The boy nodded and she smiled slightly. Cleaning up and packing away the first aid kit, she turned to Luffy with a sterner stare.

"I have to take you to the doctor to get that properly treated, though. It's a very deep cut and you'll probably need stitches."

That got a reaction out of the boy.

"What? But I hate needles!" He whined, pouting and fussing about.

Makino chuckled. "I know you can handle it. You're a big boy, aren't you?"

Luffy scowled. "I'm not a big boy—I'm a man!"

She smiled indulgently. "Of course, my mistake."

Still, she couldn't shake the worry that cemented deep within her—from the cut on his face, the vacant look in his eyes, the way he stared at his hands, and the fact that he barely noticed the wound in the first place.

For not the first time, she wondered what it was that made Luffy this way.

———

The scar on his face was familiar—similar to that same one he had in another life.

But the meanings held within them were different.

Once, the scar was proof of strength and courage.

Now, it was a promise to himself. A vow to never regret again, to surely protect the ones he loved.

He'd be damned if he broke this promise again.

Sorry for the super long wait! I won't lie to you guys though—this most likely will not be the first time there'll be a big break in updates after updating frequently before that. My brain goes on cool down for a looong time after writing sprees. So just a heads up in case anything like this happens again!

On another note, I just wanna say that Ace is gonna be more mellowed out in this fic. When Luffy meets him in canon, Ace is 10 and has lived with his hate of his father for much longer. Since he's only 8 now (almost 9) he hasn't really had as much time to become so hateful. He'll still be pretty grumpy and snappy but not try-to-kill-Luffy-on-sight sort of stuff.

Also, Luffy is NOT afraid of blood in this fic. Sorry if I made it seem that way. He was shaken up because of his thoughts before that and seeing the blood on his hands reminded him of stuff he'd rather not remember and just couldn't handle it then.

Anyway, thanks for reading! Next chapter will come out whenever it comes out, but we'll be seeing more of Ace and some Sabo so hopefully that makes up for it!

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