Chapter Text
Dawn Island, 1522
Dark, angry clouds swarmed the sky, pinpricks of lightning clawing their way through the thick mass of vapor and threatening to strike the land below. Thunder boomed overhead, followed by chilling winds that whipped violently in the clearing where Garp sat unperturbed. He, despite the storm, picked plaque from his teeth in a bored manner. He had been waiting for months for this meeting and decades for the mere initiation. No storm would deter him from being there for it. A sudden squall struck, the winds nipping at Garp's skin, and twisted into the shape of a man with scarred, tanned skin and dark, curly hair.
Garp narrowed his eyes and studied the man before him, noting how he held something close in his arms. He turned his gaze upward to his face, where a geometric pattern marked by red ink trailed over his left eye.
"After all these years, you finally show up, only to ask for a favor?" Garp roared with laughter, slapping his knee. "No heartfelt apology, no 'I missed you, dearest dad of mine,' no nothing!" He paused for a breath. "So, Dragon, tell me what you need."
"I require your protection," Dragon finally answered, voice rough and wild like smoke and storm. His son passed a parcel of tattered fabric into Garp's massive hands. It was warm. And it squirmed. And from underneath the cloth, something wailed pathetically.
A baby.
His son had just handed him a baby as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Like he had given him the Daily Mail instead of a living, breathing being in its most vulnerable stage of life.
Clumsily adjusting his hold so as not to drop the precious bundle, Garp gawked. "My protection? For what? This child?! You can't just waltz on over and—" Garp griped, snapping his head up to look at Dragon, who had conveniently vanished. "That damn brat can't even spare a minute to explain a single thing!" He watched as tiny hands reached up to grasp at his beard. "Now what am I supposed to do with you, trouble?"
Makino was not unknown to surprises. Despite living in the East Blue, she made sure to familiarize herself with all the strange happenings she believed were physically possible, especially in a place like Foosha Village. Foosha itself was a sleepy seaport village, nestled comfortably between Mt. Corvo and its surrounding forest, predominantly populated by older folk and seafaring men. So when Garp—whose arrival in itself was quite unusual—asked her to care for a child of all things, she was left baffled.
"Eh? What do you mean, Garp? Where did this boy come from?" She demanded, pulling away piece after piece of soaked fabric from the baby. Garp, stubborn as ever, drank his beer and ignored her questions. Frustrated with his avoidance, Makino snatched away his drink and walked behind the counter to find something else to dress the baby in. "Can you at least tell me his name? Who is he?" she pleaded, digging through a basket of fabric.
"Luffy," Garp rumbled, reaching desperately for his drink. "His name is Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy, and he is my grandson." He snatched his mug and greedily gulped down the remaining dregs.
Makino turned to face him, rocking Luffy (now wrapped tightly in warm, woolen cloth) in her arms to soothe his cries. "If you know that, then you can tell me where he came from. Where are his parents?" She asked again, and although she wouldn't deny caring for the boy, she couldn't help but worry about his origins.
"You know as much as I do; my idiot son dropped him off without warning. This little tag is all I was given to work with," Garp passed her a wet paper, sighing. In black, smeared ink, sat the boy's name. Turning it to the back simply revealed more blank, soggy paper. "I'll care for him, then, but you and I both know that I have a business to manage, and to add a child to the mix... That's quite the favor you're asking of me." She sat brushing wet strands of hair out of the boy's face. "You owe me." She finally declared, one hand on her hip and the other holding Luffy close to her chest. "Now shoo before you drink this place dry."
"Don't kick me out just yet! It's storming like crazy outside!"
Foosha Village, 1528
Six years had passed since that dreary day, and Luffy, aptly dubbed 'Trouble' by his grandpa, had quickly proven his likeness to the name. He was rambunctious, full of energy, and had an inexhaustible love of adventure (which, unfortunately, was the primary cause of chaos in Foosha Village). It wasn't uncommon to see the mayor, Woop Slap, chasing him down or scolding him after he got into something he wasn't supposed to, or to see him running to Makino for comfort afterward.
Today was no different. Woop Slap caught Luffy in the middle of stealing dried meat from an unmanned stall and was currently threatening to send him back to Makino's bar if he refused to pay. And Luffy, who had no intention of giving up his meat or getting reprimanded by Makino, promptly ran down a narrow alley, much to Woop Slap's dismay. He laughed all the while, skittering down the dirt road, eyes gleaming with delight as the mayor's profanities faded into oblivion.
He had reached safety in the form of the village port.
After checking the area and making sure that Woop Slap wasn't looking for him any longer, Luffy emptied his spoils from his pockets, kicked off his shoes, and stepped down the stairs to sit with his feet in the water. He turned his gaze to the wharf, watching as men prepared their boats, launching the midday skiffs and trawlers to haul in fish for the market. Of all the sights in the world, it was his absolute favorite. A warm breeze tickled his face, and glancing back towards the sea, he noticed the blurry figure of a massive ship sailing closer and closer.
Abandoning his spot on the steps, Luffy padded across the wharf to get a better view. A moment of observation revealed beautiful, intricate details that adorned the ship. Red paint striped across the middle of the hull, wrapping around the sides like a snake until it met a maroon dragon figurehead. It boasted massive sails that furled lazily in the slow winds, accompanied by a daunting Jolly Roger painted across both the topsail and foresail. Probably some royal passenger ship destined to travel to the nearby Goa Kingdom, entirely unimportant for him.
And then it clicked.
No sane visitor to the Goa Kingdom would proudly present the symbol of a pirate on their sails if they were trying to enter its port. Only pirates sailed on pirate ships with pirate symbols; how silly he was to think otherwise.
Luffy rushed to scarf down the rest of his jerky, stumbling to grab his shoes and run off towards Makino's bar. He hadn't even bothered to put them back on, excitement bubbling in his chest at the newly promised adventure the pirates would bring. But adventure wasn't all that the ship carried. So were pirates. Pirates who could be potential customers for Makino.
Slamming the door open and tossing his shoes to the floor, Luffy raced up to Makino and pulled a stool up to reach her. "Makino, Makino! There's a huuuuge pirate ship on the way! It was at least this big!" he cheered, spreading his arms out to emphasize the size, leaning back a little too far, and almost falling off the seat. Makino, denying gravity its consequence, caught Luffy and fixed him upright atop the stool before it could tip over.
"Really now? That big?" Makino asked, fondness lacing her voice as she watched the boy hop down from the stool, his excitement almost tangible. Luffy nodded his head rapidly and ran back in front of her, staring expectantly. "I want to help," he declared, puffing his cheeks up and giving her an adamant stare. "Alright then, just promise you'll be extra careful? We don't know these pirates, and you remember what I told you about strangers, right, Luffy?" Luffy, only half paying attention to her, nodded again and scampered back behind the counter. "Shishishi! Don't be silly, Makino. They aren't bad at all!" He beamed up at her. "I can feel it. They're good people," he spoke with a sudden confidence, looking up at her with his ever-curious eyes, a glint of something ancient and dangerous shining bright behind them. A pressure settled over her chest, and Makino swore the boy was peering straight into her very being, reaching into the depths of her soul and examining every piece he found inside with intricate precision. The tension, taut like a string, suddenly snapped, and Luffy was laughing again. The boy ran behind the counter, the sounds of clinking glass ringing out as Makino watched him pull out various bottles of alcohol. "Come on! I bet they'll be here any minute now!"
Setting foot on dry land after a long voyage always made Shanks feel like he was a toddler taking his first clumsy steps into the world. He stumbled gracelessly onto the docks, his men funneling out behind him listlessly. They had been out at sea for far too long, caught up in some bullshit Shanks would rather forget about, and were low on both spirit and supplies. Booze, medical supplies, booze, food, more booze… the list grew longer and longer as Shanks considered what they'd need to sail again. There was too much to think about, too much to buy, and it all bored him to death.
So, he dragged himself across the docks and towards worn, cobbled stairs, hoping to locate the nearest market (or tavern. He wouldn't complain about a drink right about now). Awaiting him patiently at the top was a typical East Blue village, small and quiet. A dirt path, soil packed tight from decades of travel, trailed off into a road lined by small houses and, further up, market stalls. Beyond the market, the road cleared out into rolling hills with windmills and pastures peppered atop. A place like this, devoid of Marine presence, was as priceless as treasure to Shanks. His crew needed to recuperate without interference.
Making his way down the road, Shanks eyed the various houses surrounding him. Most were… rickety, at best, but clearly loved and occupied. It wasn't until he noticed a homely wooden sign nailed to the front of one of the larger buildings that he stopped. Party's bar, it read in weathered blue paint, a heavenly scent wafting through its doors, whispering of roasted meat and searing vegetables. At that very moment, his stomach deemed errands irrelevant, and Shanks barely stopped himself from drooling like a moron. Mere seconds later, he was pushing the door open, rushing inside the bar, and seating himself at the high stools.
A young woman stood behind the counter and offered a polite "Welcome in," before sliding him a menu. Next to her sat a boy, no older than eight, on the countertop. His arms froze midair, as if he were having an animated conversation before Shanks barged in. He turned his head around, staring inquisitively. After a long, quiet moment, the boy grinned and tilted his head. "Ne, you're the captain, aren't you?" The woman sighed and suddenly scooped the boy up, causing him to flail a little and protest. "Makino! Pleaaase! I didn't even do anything wrong," the boy whined, trying to twist himself out of her grip. "Luffy. I can see it in your eyes, so don't even start with me," the woman, Makino, replied. Shanks watched the entire ordeal with barely contained amusement.
"Oh, let the boy go! I'm sure it'll be just fine." Shanks chuckled, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. "And I'd like to know how the little guy knew I was a captain."
Makino glanced at Shanks, hesitantly setting Luffy down and letting him climb his way back up to sit next to Shanks. "You're strong!" Luffy gave him a sharp-toothed smile. "And I mean everyone else is strong too! You just feel.." the boy trailed off, hands waving about as he tried to find the right words. "Bright? So I thought you were the captain." Luffy finally finished. Shanks laughed again, patting the boy on his head while he internally lurched. How did an East Blue boy, no older than eight, have the ability to use Observation Haki?
Shanks was absolutely hilarious. He invited the rest of his crew to the bar after a little over an hour of letting Luffy grill him for stories and said something about his crew needing to celebrate their successful voyage. He paid with three massive, overflowing bags of beli after ordering all the food and drink they had in stock. Makino made a funny face when she saw the money, which sent Shanks into a mad fit of laughter. Luffy's interest didn't last long, however. Shanks ended up drunk in record time, so Luffy opted to spend his time swinging between Beckman and Lucky Roux, begging to hear their adventures. He easily wormed his way into their hearts, and they willingly entertained him with their tales of the Grand Line.
Luffy was hanging off Yasopp's back, and they were midway through a story about the White-something pirates when he felt it. There was a strange spark in the air that demanded his attention. Gooseflesh prickled across his skin as a presence, oozing with familiarity, radiated nearby. Whatever it was, it wasn't dangerous, per se, but it was wild and energetic and overwhelmingly strong, which was enough to set him on edge.
Luffy glanced behind himself and towards Shanks, who was waving an ordinary wooden box around in front of Makino. The captain was babbling drunkenly to her about the raid to get it, involving something with the Marines, warships, and explosions. He should've felt impressed by the feat, but all he could feel was a strange sense of dread coiled in his stomach. He climbed off Yasopp, the man too drunk to notice his shift in demeanor.
"Shanks," Luffy tugged on the pirate's sleeve.
"Whassup, lil guy?" Shanks turned to face him, face flushed and eyes dilated. He reeked of booze.
"That's mine." It was out before he even knew what he was saying.
"Yours?"
"Mine." He nodded, hands reaching for the tiny chest. Shanks held it away from him, gaze calculating. Luffy stared back, unwavering.
"Mine. I've been looking for it, y'know. There just wasn't anything I could do when I'm like this." He gestured to His body, suddenly too cramped, too small, too weak. He tilted His head, hands on His hips. "And I've really gotta thank you for bringing it here! Who knows how long I would've been stuck like this if you hadn't let Me hear My own Voice again!" Luffy laughed, clapping His hands together before jumping up to sit on the counter.
"Who are you?" Shanks growled, snapping out of his drunken stupor. His crew was on guard in an instant, weapons brandished in warning, blades glittering, pistols drawn at the hip at the first sign of a threat. Even Makino looked uncertain.
Luffy lay on His side, completely unbothered. "They call Me lots of funny things! The Sun, Freedom Incarnate, Light, Laughter. They've called me Nika, they've called me Hope," Luffy giggled to Himself, raising a finger for each title He listed. "You people are strange, so cautious and worried all the time. There is no need for such anxieties! I like you, you know? But you have Me, and I'd like that part of Me back. I can't have it kept in a box forever."
Shanks glanced at the chest, then back at the boy. He slid it over cautiously, Luffy lighting up as soon as He laid His hands on it. He opened the box in a flash, pulling out a swirling, purple fruit gleefully. "I knew I liked you! Say, do you care for blessings?" Luffy asked between bites, scarfing the fruit down with the enthusiasm of a starved animal. The room watched on silently. "I have to compensate you somehow. Do you care for gold? What about fame, or power, or the highest quality liquor the Heavens could offer? Tell me! Tell me! There's gotta be something!"
When Shanks still didn't reply, Luffy stretched His arm out to poke the man's cheek. "Ne, you okay there, Shanks?"
The captain promptly fell out of his chair.