❛ I'VE ALWAYS CARED. ❜
₊˚៹ . ❪ episode : WORST IN THE EAST ❫˖ ₊˚.⋆
࿐┊ CH. 24┊🏴‍☠️🌊👒

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Garp gave the soldiers his order now walking past the pirates, his eyes on his two grandchildren staring him down also, "Come here, (Y/N)." His tone was a bit softer than usually, before becoming a bit rougher aiming his next words to Luffy beside her, "You too, boy."

Sanji and Zoro both tensed on either side of their captain hearing her name being called, both wanting to reach out and grab onto her, but she sent them a reassuring look to calm down. Turning to Luffy she took his hand he held out for her, giving a firm squeeze and together they went to walk over to their awaiting grandpa.

The two walked slowly side by side following Garp who was across from them eyeing his grandchildren, the siblings matching his stare and came to a stop a few meters away from the others.

"I gave you every opportunity to follow my path, to become a respected Marine." Garp aimed his scolding at the older one glaring at him, before glancing to (Y/N) who nervously smile, "But instead, you dragged your sister down with you and both chose to become a pirate."

She now sheepishly used her free hand to rub the spot just under the back of her hat, "Sorry Grandpa, but I wanted to become a Pirate just as much as Luffy," She admitted in a chirpy tone flashing a grin, "We've always been one."

Garp sighed softly, and knowingly to himself, a fond look in his eyes for the girl before it changed to a serious one, "No more running, kids. Last chance." He warned using his authority tone, glancing between the siblings.

Luffy shrugged his shoulders with a smug smirk across his mouth, giving a squeeze to his sisters hand before letting go, and gave their grandfather a cheeky look, "That's not really our thing."

The older male clenched his jaw having enough of Luffy's stubbornness, raising his hand to pull off his Marine coat from his shoulders and chucked it away behind him somewhere, "Then show me what you've got."

Face set in a determined expression Luffy nudged his sister behind him a little bit, yelling as he charged at Garp trying to send a punch at his face, that Garp easily dodge.

Making a ball of his fist, the Marine admiral fired back a punch to Luffy's stomach, making (Y/N) cry out panicked watching her brother crash into an already broken hut across the yard.

"Lu!" She yelled in a worried exclaim, eyes wide running over to his groaning figure on the wood, and landed down beside him. She placed her hands onto each side of his arms gently, and turned back around to Garp a bit mad now, "Pops! Can't you be a little easier on him?!"

Luffy gritted his teeth together clutching his side in pain, pushing himself up to lay against his sister side and breathed heavily staring through his eyelashes at Garp now coming towards them from his spot.

"Sorry kid, I won't show any mercy to a pirate other than you." Garp answered her yell, shaking his head softly at her a little walking over to them faster now, "This is what you wanted, right? To be pirates. Well, I'll show you what Marines do to pirates."

She grumbled annoyed at the grandfathers stubborn ways that were just like theirs, "Please, neither of us want to fight you, Grandpa." She begged him not wanting even think about doing so, and gripped onto Luffy more.

"You've been fighting me your entire life!" His voice rose a bit near the end aiming his fist down where they were, making her yelp startled as Luffy grabs onto her and rolls them both out of the way to safety.

Good. He still protects her just like I taught him too, Garp though to himself proudly watching his grandchildren's display, lifting up his fist from the wood he broke and faced the two behind him now standing up.

(Y/N) stood up to stand a little behind her brothers side again peeking out over his shoulder worriedly, not liking how this was going for them, and also knew this had to be one of Garp's tests again that he was doing.

Luffy stretched out his rubbery arm towards the table placed behind Garp glaring, hitting that instead of their family member, and pulled his arm back quickly noticing he had indeed missed.

"When are you gonna learn that you can't win?" The Marine admiral grunted out scowling, marching up to where they were to pull his fist back, and aimed a powerful punch to Luffy's stomach again.

This made her get caught up in the cross fire by accident as she was behind Luffy, face going pale realising what was about to happen. Her brother took the fall with his body, when they went flying back together crashing into another pile of wood across the yard yelling.

The Straw Hat crew's eyes were on their captains getting thrown away easily by the Marine, shocked to see that occurring to them. Zoro and Sanji were itching to do something to help their captain, but knew they couldn't since it would make matters worse. Yet, their hearts were twisting in their chests remembering how drained she was before this to even begin with.

Luffy groaned feeling the splinted wood poke into his back, arms unwrapping around his sisters waist to carefully place her next to him, flopping back down onto the ground, exhausted as he pulls his hat back up.

She coughed a little waving a hand around to get rid of the dust, sitting up hearing her bones crack and pushed back her messy hair looking at Garp ahead. Her fingers grab onto the straw hat that fell off her head, placing it back on firmly before looking to Luffy resting beside her.

Their grandfather ruffled up his suits sides flicking off the dust on them, before strolling up to where (Y/N) was now standing up instead, "I rather not have to fight you, my darling granddaughter," He started off in a knowing tone, before a smirk crossed his features tauntingly, "but I thought I taught you better than this."

"You did, Pops." She remarked chuckling cheekily with a wide smirk matching his one, raising one of her fists up behind her back, as the other came up to the side of her check, "When you fall, you always get back up-!"

Flexing her fingers out that were behind her back, many pieces of the ground broke free to levitate in rocks that she sent kicking towards Garp, leaving him distracted to deflected them away.

And seeing he was, she used her airbending to propel her forward fast skidding long the floor, and went to raise her fists up getting ready to threaten to hit the older male.

However Garp, like always he could see through her attacks having raised her for majority of her life, and swiftly caught both of her fists in the palms of his hands, only feeling the heat of her bending on his skin.

A big gust of wind was exploded out from them because of this, calming down soon after it swirled up away, leaving a panting (Y/N) staring up at Garp with a wide grin, and an impressed one that he was looking at her with.

"Magnificent as always you are, kid." He surprisingly praised his granddaughter so only she could hear, chuckling fondly before letting her shaking fists go from his strong clutches, "However you don't know how dangerous the world is. Something I've tried my hardest to protect you from."

She landed back onto the floor on her butt breathing heavily, crossing her legs to catch her breath still feeling the effects from the last fight with Arlong, as she felt Luffy's arms circling around her now to provide warmth.

Or more like protect them from her, the stretchy boy thought to himself agitated, brows creasing into a hard scowl on Garp standing above them still. Luffy loved their grandfather very much, but when it came to his sister, his only one he had, he become a different breed of protective. Mostly because Garp was another one keeping secrets from the girl in question.

"The Grand Line isn't some child's game." Garp now squatted down in front of the quiet duo, bending his knees as he reached out to grip one of their shoulders shaking slightly, "I told you two, you aren't ready."

She released a heavy exhale sharing a small look with Luffy who was holding her closely, "Gramps, you can hit us or fight us all day long..." She began in a quiet tone, nothing but determination on her face staring up at Garp, "but we're never, I won't give up on our dream."

"Is that so, kid?" Garp raised both his eyebrows moving his larger hands onto her shoulders, gripping onto them more spotting the orange tint in (E/C) eyes that was flickering off and on now as she talked.

"We're going to the Grand line. And we will find the One Piece." She continued her determined declare, raising one of her fingers up to her left cheek teasingly nodding at Garp furiously, "And I will be King of the Pirates, just like Luffy will be."

Garp's eyes went wide at her loud laugher now escaping her lips freely, her head tilting back a bit to make it do so as Luffy soon joined in. A flash of Roger's laughing face passed through the Marines mind, in the exact moment where he was about to be killed on the platform, as he declared about his treasure all in one piece.

His hands slipped slowly from his granddaughters shoulders, humming softly to himself in thought as he stood back up to look towards the night sky. Hysterical chuckles also break free from him now, finding the situation irony at how similar the old King, and the two new destined to be ones were.

(Y/N) and Luffy shared a confused look hearing their grandfather also laughing, wondering why his seemed to annoyed unlike theirs. She remined sitting on the floor feeling two pairs of eyes on her from ahead, ignoring them from now as her brother stood up beside her.

Garp sighed once he finished his laughing fit, lifting his hands from his knees shrugging, "Have it your way." He aimed this at his family, before raising his voice at the other Marines across the area, "Lower your weapons!"

They do so following the orders pulling their guns back to the side, with Garp walking over to the group exclaiming another demand, "What are you all standing around for? Arlong's pirate are still on the loose." He stopped where the Straw Hat crew was watching their captains a few spaces back, "Hunt them down and arrest them."

The Marines all marched away now in two lines once again following the orders he said, and they soon disappeared from view leaving but one, Nezumi who didn't approve of what was happening.

"What about these Straw Hats?" He demanded incredulously stomping over to the unbothered Garp, and motioned furiously to the four off to the side, "Arrest them too! They are the real criminals."

Nami having enough of the man he took all her savings, pulled out her staff with her braceleted hand and swinged it around to deliver a strong blow to the Marine's neck, knocking him out to the ground.

"Ooh." Usopp winced in fake sympathy for Nezumi staring down at him, while Sanji laughed a bit amused and gained an innocent shrug from the navigator flipping back her staff behind her.

Garp now turned around to his quiet grandchildren lurking behind them, which had everyone else still around doing so also. (Y/N) was still sat comfortable on the floor not getting up anytime soon, while Luffy was perched on a rock she pulled up beside her silently.

"I knew I'd never be able to change your minds. You're stubborn, just like me." He started off looking between them with a faint smile, before raising his brows knowingly chuckling fondly, "But I know who are are, kids. I just needed to make sure you two knew it too."

So I was right he was testing us, she thought to herself going pale in the face, frantically rubbing the back of her head annoyed, "You were testing us, weren't you?" She grumbled pouting, "Couldn't you have gone a little easier on Lu, gramps?"

"You're the only expectation, (N/N). And where's the fun in going easy?" He remarked shrugging his shoulders, letting out a joyful laugh that had the siblings deadpanning before getting serious again, "You two are on your own now."

Her face dropped a bit hearing their grandfather tell them that, hand reaching up to take Luffy's tightly in her own, "No. We're not." She voiced firmly at Garp walking away, who turned back to listen and saw the siblings smiling at their crew, "We have our friends."

Garp chuckled through his nose quietly giving his children one last fond look, before turning around to walk off leaving them once again for the Marine life, just like they always expected him to pick.

Luffy gave a squeeze to his sisters hand spotting Zoro coming over to them now, gaining her attention as he dropped her hand and went away to the other crew mates, leaving the couple by themselves.

The swordsman carried himself to stand in front of her sitting figure, one hand placed on his katana and the other was outstretched for her to take. Gulping nervously, she takes his hand and curled her fingers around his, causing him to carefully heave her up.

"That was a bad idea, princess." His raspy voice spoke after helping her up, a few strains of his locks laying on his forehead. Their hands hold each others falling beside them, and their chests were a few inches apart from the others.

She chuckled nervously at his intense gaze down on her slightly shorter figure, "Why? You think me or Lu wouldn't win against our grandpa?" She remarked in a sarcastic tone, trying not to freak out feeling his rough thumb graze her knuckles softly.

He shakes his head forming a frown over his forehead, eyes glancing over her figure seeing all the healing marks and white bandages, "I know you'd win," He interjects lowly lifting up his other hand to cradle her waist, and squeezed it gently, "but you're still healing from before's fight, and I can't-"

Her breath hitches in her throat hearing his voice tremble slightly, not expecting the male who always has a serious front up to show emotion so easily around her. Though not like she wasn't that surprised, since he has showed his loyalty to her, but didn't know it was just more than first mate affection.

Sighing softly she slide her palm up to press against his chest, and giggled knowingly up at him, "You're still wounded too, remember?" She pointed out tilting her head to the side, and patted where his bandaged was gently to not hurt him.

"That's not my point-" He paused mid way of his explaining, grumbling realising she wouldn't get it, and gently pulled her closer by the waist to flush against his chest, "I might be hurt, but you're my captain. Therefore, you come first for me."

She hummed at his words blinking a bit rapidly, brushing back some of his loose green locks off his sweaty forehead softly, "You caring now, Zoe?" She cooed in tease, lips perking up into a closed lip smile that got bigger hearing the others laughing quietly near the exit of the village.

Zoro tilted his head down getting into her personal space, a softness forming across his face that she never thought she'd see on him, "I've always cared," He breathed out deeply now gazing into her eyes serious, as his hands holding her squeeze tighter, "I care more than you could ever know, sweetheart."

(Y/N) felt incredibly flustered at his sudden confession, not knowing if it was from how she was weakened from the fights or him in general. Her mouth parted softly looking up at him doe eyed, thankful that Sanji and the others weren't around to watch this between them.

The air around them become more tense, and heavy now, the tree above blocking out most of the light from the village fires, as the duo's faces were incredibly close to each others.

His carnal gaze grew lidded when his nose bumped into hers gently, soft green locks ticking her skin and her eyes grew wider feeling his warm breath fan along her lips, head spinning about to pass out from how close the attractive male was.

Her hand moved down from his head to hesitantly cup his left cheek, hoping to bring the attention back to this instead. Her thumb slowly but tenderly rubs just under his eye, making his eyelashes brush against it and his face to lean into her palm, lips grazing the skin sensually.

Only when his fingernails digging into her sore hip had them breaking out of their trance, with Zoro pulling back with guilt hearing her pained noise, and at the fact he was about to kiss his captain without her consent.

Him and Sanji are going to kill me one day, she though to herself, trying to control her heavily beating heart laying the side her head against his chest, almost falling over if it weren't for his strong arms holding her up, and relaxed for a few minutes in his warm embrace.

Her (E/C) eyes glanced over his tensing forearm near her head, thoughts drifting to not so innocent ones watching his muscles and veins flex. Though that soon stopped at his hand squeezing hers, and she pulled back embarrassed remembering something about them now.

"Oh! Also look, Zoe-" She pulled back her left arm from his chest to lift it up, making a muscle pose to show off her bicep with a white bandaged around it, "We are matching now!" She giggled happily, making an closed eye bright smile, "Pretty cool right?!"

Yeah pretty all right, he thought to himself looking at her adoringly, heart fluttering a little seeing her smile and chuckled amused, "That should't be something to be proud of." He scolded now flicking her forehead gently, and removed his hold on her figure, "We also need to reapply those also, dork."

She tilted her head to the side confused hearing him say 'we', not understanding what he actually meant as just laughed excitedly still flexing her bicep to him, trying to show how strong she was huffing.

"Bleh! The first mate, and captain are matching, that's all that matters!" She cheers raising that hand up into the air, and spotted Sanji's blondes hair across the yard, "Now all I need is the cook's arm to match next."

Zoro deadpanned with a grumpy expression at the mention of Sanji, keeping his jealously controlled by wrapping an loose arm around her waist, "C'mon, let's head back princess." He sighed tiredly, still watching her fondly rant to him, and walked back over together to the others waiting near the other talking villagers.

.........

The sun rose high over the environment of Coco Village now, becoming a new and even brighter day than before, where even those days seemed to be gloomy when Arlong was around, but that was no more thanks to the Straw Hat's and the villagers who helped.

Sitting outside on the front porch of a hut on the long couch gazing out at scenery, the Monkey D. siblings were eating a shared tangerine in comfortable silence. Luffy handed his sister a piece he peeled, making her eagerly take the food and chomp it down fast.

The sound of incoming footsteps along the pathway had the duo glancing up from talking, spotting a familiar figure wearing a Marines uniform, carrying two things inside his hands.

"Koby!" (Y/N) squealed happily seeing the male coming up to the porch, jumping out from her spot almost stumbling down the stairs making the other two sweat drop, and for Koby to catch her in his arms for a hug chuckling amused.

"Come to see us off?" Luffy questioned pointing a finger to the ocean's way behind him, smiling a little at his sister giggling having Koby trapped in her arms tightly.

The cadet patted the girls back gently having her against his side now, as she eventually let go to stand in front of him still smiling brightly, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Gonna try to arrest us?" The pirate continued on his interrogation, a sly smirk across his mouth leaning back against the seat he was in, and sat up swinging his legs around, "'Cause that's not a good idea either."

(Y/N) caught the rest of the fruit her brother chucked at her with one hand, now placing the few slices left into her mouth and chewed it down looking at Koby curiously.

"I'm not here as a Marine, guys." Koby told them laughing softly, glancing between the siblings and Luffy came down from the porch to stand beside his sister in front of Koby, "I'm here as your friend. I wanted to show you something."

He held out two pieces of brown paper that were rolled up, using his braceleted hand to give (Y/N) hers that had her smiling gently seeing the bracelet that he still wore since they left, which was a whole little while back now.

Sharing a small interested look between each other, the siblings both go to grab the paper given to them by Koby, and slowly went to unwrap it. Now holding the opened paper in between their fingers, her face paled a bit seeing what was actually on them.

On the one she was holding up had a picture taken off her mid walk, messy hair framing her face with the straw hat sitting proudly on her head, and a toothy grin across her mouth. It was a bounty poster that indicated how much she was worth, and it surprisingly had a circle around the ALIVE word.

" DEAD  OR  ALIVE
MONKEY D. (Y/N)
50, 000, 000 "

" DEAD  OR  ALIVE
MONKEY. D LUFFY
30, 000, 000 "

"You guys did it." Koby spoke up since the duo was silent gawking at the wanted posters in their hands, wondering what the siblings were currently thinking about their faces being now known everyone, "Finally got your faces on wanted posters. Nezmui's last act of revenge."

The siblings slowly brought down the posters from their faces, Luffy having a wide grin spreading across his features where as (Y/N) was very excited, but also nervous now that a lot more people would know of her existence.

"Yeah! Yes!" Luffy cheered throwing his fist up into the air, turning to his sister happily who laughed loudly jumping into his arms as he twirled her around in hug still cheering, "Oh! Whoa! Whoa!"

He placed her back down gently beside him still keeping an arm around her waist, and took both their bounties into one hand, "That's a lot of Berry!" He exclaimed a bit panicked at (Y/N)'s one, "And look at my sister's! Whoa!"

"They both are the highest bounty in the East Blue." Koby clarified smiling at them, looking through his round glasses as the siblings high fived each other proudly, "You're wanted people now."

She took her wanted poster back from Luffy holding it in one hand, before grabbing onto Koby's forearm to pull him into another hug, and felt her brother also join the embrace briefly, all in a mess of limbs around one another.

Koby squeezed his two friends softly smiling softly to pull back, and sighed sadly staring at their excited expressions still on the posters of them, "I guess this is goodbye then."

Her and Luffy's faces changed into a sadder one of understanding, moving their attention to Koby with small nods of their heads, "We'll each other again, Koby." She softly states squeezing his wrist wearing the bracelet, as the siblings both send him a beaming smile, "Be a good Marine."

He nods in agreement swallowing back his emotions to match their smiles, "Be a good pirate." He whispered back looking between them, giving the duo one last look before turning off to walk away.

(Y/N) waved frantically at him in farewell, holding onto Luffy's shoulder, who was mimicking the poster picture of him, watching their friend leave once more.

.........

The Monkey D. siblings were quick to scramble back right towards the Going Merry after gaining their wanted posters, with Luffy helping (Y/N) up the stairs and together they rushed into the kicthen where the other crew members were waiting.

"Guysss!" She called out in a cheery tone speeding through the doors of the room, almost running into the counter table if it weren't for Sanji's body being there, "Look! Check these out."

She and Luffy slammed their wanted posters onto the counter Sanji was chopping up some vegetables, and the other three came up from sitting on the couches, wondering what the captains were on about now.

Nami came up on the other side of the girl where as Usopp went beside Luffy, both having different reactions to the wanted posters. The orange haired girl sighed tiredly, and rolled her eyes unsummed, where as Usopp was more than excited to see the paper.

"Hey, look." The sniper enthused loudly grinning wide, and pointed his finger at the photo Luffy was in, that had the back of Usopp's head in the corner of it, "I'm famous!"

She's literally beautiful, both Zoro and Sanji  thought to themselves, feeling their eyes go wide at how (Y/N) looked in the photo, a lot of thoughts passing through their minds, some being not so innocent. But even if the picture looked since, they both knew nothing could compete with the real thing standing right before them.

"What are you on about?" The cook broke out of his inner thoughts, swallowing to focus on the food he was cutting up and cleaned the knife he was using, "That's (Y/N)'s and Luffy's wanted posters."

"Not just Luffy." Usopp remarked using his finger to motion to the small shot of him, and chuckled smugly through his teeth, "Sorry, guys. Maybe if you work a little harder, you'll get a bounty too."

Sanji raised his eyebrows at the other male flipping over the white rug over his shoulder, and pressed his palms onto the counter staring at him in disbelief, "That doesn't count."

"It's okay to be jealous." Usopp faked his sympathy placing a hand over his heart, dropping his voice into a whisper nodding his head at Sanji, "Feel what you need to feel."

(Y/N) stifled an amused giggle behind her palm watching the interaction, gaining a soft look from Zoro across the table, and Sanji to flush in the cheeks a little bit hearing the sweet sound.

"I... mmm..." He stumbled for words pausing mid way to close his eyes, and opened them back up to smile a bit unamused staring at his captains happy expression looking at the papers, "This is stupid."

"This is gonna make things much harder." Zoro's raspy voice interrupted now drawing everyone's attention, his earrings clinging as he moved his head from the wanted posters to look at (Y/N), "With that price on your head, every bounty hunter in the East Blue will be gunning for you."

And your heart most likely, he and Sanji both thought bitterly to themselves having a scowl on their faces, happy and proud of her getting a wanted poster, but also not since it put her in danger now.

Of both bounty hunters, and those who now know about of her graceful existence. Not like they would let anyone get close to her though, because if someone did, the boys would be sending that person straight into the ground dead.

"Not just the captains." Nami remarked waving her braceleted hand around in the air, before glancing at each of the crew mates firmly, "They're gonna be gunning for all of us."

(Y/N) perked up hearing that coming from her, sharing a knowingly look with Luffy, before she stared straight ahead, "Then it's a good thing we're not staying in the East Blue." She stated determined gaining the crews eyes this time, as her mouth forms into a toothy grin, "We're going to the Grand Line!"

─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
sad news guys this is the second last chapter until the season final for this fic :(( im so sad just thinking about it and i can't believe i got this
far so quickly, i thought id end up taking longer to write this but than again im in love with one piece and zoro and sanji so that's probably
why i was so fast LMAOAO😭

i'll most likely do the irl chapters also after the last chapter but idk if taz and mackenyu will be love interests and all that since mackey is married
and i respect that (even though i'm sobbing) so eh guess i could still it but DUNNO

i also made a plot idea for a nami fic... if you guys wanna hear it lmk and i'll spill everything😍

i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and
pleaseeee don't be silent readers, kisses🫶