Chapter 12

Makino looked at Allan with gentle eyes.

Who would have thought such a young boy held such a grand dream?

What did he experience to have such a mature view in life?

"Sister Makino, then can I ask you why you agreed?"

Allan asked.

This really puzzled him to no end.

"Just like you, I had a dream, my family wasn't well off in Goa Kingdom, my dad worked hard and we barely had anything to eat, so me and my mother would do some chores for others to help dad, every day we would always pass by a bar, it was a simple bar, it didn't really stand out that much, but the people there were happy, they ate, drank, sang songs, and everyone had smiles on their faces."

Makino brushed a strand of her hair back in place.

"My mother would always tell me her dream, to build a bar just like the bar in front of us, I jokingly said that I would build the best bar in the world! Before my mom died, she told me to pursue my dream."

Makino said with moist eyes and a sad smile.

"I have long forgotten my dream, after all, the reality is harsh, but I succeeded in building this bar where people come and eat, they chat and laugh, I fulfilled my mother's dream…"

Makino suddenly stopped with a nostalgic look.

"But… but I want to try, try if I can build the best bar in the world."

Makino said with hesitation.

"I was a bit impulsive earlier, but I thought, what if? Now after hearing you talk, I'm more than convinced, but as I said, one year, if you still want me, then, I'll gladly agree."

Makino said with a brilliant smile.

"Then, Sister Makino, how about being my family?"

Allan asked with clear and eager eyes.

As young as Allan was, his tall stature, well-built figure, and mature way of speaking always gave the illusion that he was older than he seemed.

So Makino misunderstood.

"Fa fa family?!"

Makino stuttered in surprise, unlike Gin and Kaku who were both young and of the same gender, inviting someone to be family was really not something people should blurt out so simply.

"Yes! Family! Be my family Makino!"

Allan asked.

His hands already grasping Makino's petite hands, Allan who was still in family mode was completely absorbed in his thoughts.

He did not despise Makino for being weak, in fact, a talent like Makino was what the family needed, someone who could handle business, a management talent.

Especially when he heard her talk about her dreams, what did the number one bar in the world mean?

Number one of anything was no joke.

Such a high goal was different compared to people who wanted to be the pirate king.

To become the Pirate King, the way forward was clear, strength, crew, and the Grand Line, but for someone who dreams of building the best bar in the world, what this meant was vision, planning, and execution.

Makino probably had the vision and planning down, but the execution was lacking, after all, it meant money, a lot of money, but how does a young girl earn a large amount of money in this world where nobility reigns supreme?

Where a huge chunk of the people's earnings gets taken away as tax.

Where will she get the money? Even if she sold herself, it would probably not be enough.

Even Pascia, a beautiful woman was only purchased for 7,200,000 berries in the Human Auction House or what the Marines refer to as the Public Employment Security Office in Sabaody Archipelago

And 7 million berries was definitely not enough for Makino to achieve her dreams.

Even so, Makino was able to earn enough to build the Party's Bar, what did that mean? It means Makino had talent but lacked opportunity.

Usopp's irresponsible father Yasopp, if that guy did not leave his family to go to sea, would he be known as the number one sniper? If any sniper from the Grand Line who cultivated a decent amount of Observation Haki and Armament Haki faced him who was only well-known in East Blue, would that guy win?

Of course, Allan despised Yasopp and Shanks who invited him, not because they left, his wife told him to do so, but, how powerful were they? Couldn't even visit them? Granted Allan understood that it might be hard to do so, but he couldn't even ask someone to go see how they were doing.

Couldn't send a letter? The number one sniper in the New World couldn't even be bothered to check on his family.

How despicable!

Shanks especially, wasn't it his responsibility to take care of his own crew's family? Especially Yasopp whom he hounded personally for years to basically leave his family.

Dreams were dreams, responsibility was responsibility, and both were linked with reality, he couldn't even be bothered with his wife and son, how proud could he be to be the number one sniper?

He ate banquet after banquet and had fun with his crewmate while his wife died of sickness and his son lost the only parent who actually took care of him, even became a big boastful liar to cheer his mother up.

But Makino was different, she had the qualification and had no responsibility to abandon.

"You… you're too young, I'll consider it when you're older."

Makino bowed her ever-ripening face, even her neck was flushed red.

She was only 17 years old, and even though she owned a bar, she was still young and inexperienced.

But Allan was still immersed in his thoughts and only momentarily heard Makino's answer but wasn't sure.

"So you agree?"

Allan asked again, Makino was a bit speechless, how young was Allan?

Why was this guy so assertive?

"Didn't you hear? But not now, okay?"

Makino answered, face still flushed.

"Hehehe then, we're now family Sister Makino."

Allan said with a smile, he only heard Makino agree which made him happy.

"One year, I'll definitely take you away after one year Sister Makino."

Allan smilingly said.

Makino was stunned again, didn't she say he was too young? Didn't she tell him that she'd give him a chance when he was older? What's with this guy telling her he'll take her away after one year? Eh, is this a proposal? But he was still too young!

Makino forgot that it was her who made the one-year agreement in panic.

"Ehh, are you sick Sister Makino?"

Allan asked feeling Makino's hand heat up.

"You! You! Get out!"

Makino shooed Allan away.

Allan who saw her face red thought she was being shy.

"Hehehe, Sister Makino, I'll go then, I want to look around for a bit, I'll come back with the others before we leave."

Allan said with a chuckle, happy to have invited another family member.

He ran away laughing when he saw Makino reach out for a broom.

Makino hugged her face slumping to the ground with a frustrated squeal.

What just happened? Didn't she just agree to be a bartender? How can she suddenly be his family?

Jaeger Makino, it does have a nice ring to it, wait! What am I even thinking?

Makino waved her thoughts away before doing her chores to calm her mind.

Allan continued to walk around Windmill Village, he really wanted to see the 4-year-old Luffy, 8-year-old Ace, and 7-year-old Sabo.

Although he really wanted to take Sabo and even Ace away.

But things weren't so simple.

One was a noble, and he'd definitely get a bounty if he did so or was discovered, if he took Ace away whose grandfather was a marine hero, he'll similarly get a bounty and the pursuit of one of the strongest people in One Piece, not to mention Luffy who was the biological grandson.

So let them go, I'll return in the future.

In fact, Allan could take away Sabo when his parents thought he was dead after disappearing, but doing so would mean that Ace and Luffy won't meet him, as a fan Allan didn't want to take away the warmth those three shared as children.

"Should I clean up the Bluejam Pirates? What about Higuma?"

Allan murmured to himself, for the Bluejam Pirates he was a bit reluctant to touch, even without the Bluejam Pirates, the nobles in the kingdom would still find another accomplice, only, the next accomplice might not perform like Bluejam Pirates and end up killing Ace, Sabo, and Luffy instead.

But the Higuma Bandits, what purpose did they serve? Extort Makino's Bar? Bully Shanks? And that stupid Shanks, what was he thinking? He knew full well what kind of person Higuma was, why let him go?

What if Higuma targeted Luffy or Makino while Shanks wasn't around?

"Those events seem to be two years away."

Allan couldn't help but scratch his head in frustration.

But if he did anything, he'd be destroying their development.

It seems like Ace would also awaken his Conqueror's Haki in the scuffle with Bluejam Pirates and Allan wasn't sure where the Higuma Bandits were as of this moment.

"Then, just wait, two years is two years, I'll just return here, and save Sabo before Dragon, that little guy would probably be the easiest to recruit."

Allan murmured to himself.

Whether Sabo could be recruited was actually hard for Allan to predict, after all, the three Sabo, Ace, and Luffy made promises to each other and were more like a family to each other.

Sabo lost his memories so Dragon could take him in without a problem, but if Allan wanted to save Sabo, it would definitely be before he was injured.

So even if he saved Sabo, recruiting him to the family was a bit harder.

And Ace.

Ace was definitely harder to recruit than Sabo.

Ace was a problem child, as the only child of Gol D. Roger, his current identity was also the grandson of Marine Hero Garp.

Although Allan pitied Ace because of how troubled he was deep inside because of his identity, Allan didn't want to make too much trouble while he was young and weak.

Allan would enter Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru's sight once he touched Ace or Luffy.

But Allan really had to say how irresponsible Garp was but also acknowledged how hard it was to raise Ace, should Garp raise Ace to be a marine?

Eh?

Let Ace be a marine and discover how his mother died?

Discover who his father was?

What will happen to him after the Marine discovers his identity?

So even though Garp always told him to be a marine, he did nothing other than say it, because he knew it was close to impossible.

Let Ace be a normal person?

Not quite possible.

Tell him to be a pirate? But Garp was a marine his whole life, his justice would not allow such action.

So he went with the flow, told Ace who his father was, pushed him to a corner and allowed him to decide for himself, and probably helped him hold off the pursuit of the marine when he went out to sea.

As for Luffy, it was quite similar, Garp who was a marine hero never became an Admiral with his qualification, why? Simple explanation, he didn't want to serve the Celestial Dragons, the other was his disappointment with the World Government.

To kill the offspring of the Pirate King meant the deaths of so many innocent mothers and babies.

The Ohara incident.

Dragon's rebellion.

Before these events, there were probably other events and decisions that Garp did not agree with that happened, so even though he told Luffy to be a marine, he only honed Luffy's instincts and battle sense, then let Luffy decide his life.

Otherwise, if those two were trained from when they were a child, pumped with the concept of justice, Marines, and the World Government, would Ace and Luffy still become pirates, no, but becoming revolutionary was definitely a possibility after some time in the marines, just like Garp's son.