Chapter 90 - Past.
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[Chapter Size: 2549 Words.]
Third Person POV.
Goa Kingdom, East Blue.
...
...
Luffy, seeing his sister after so many months, memories begin to surface in this moment, recalling how his life in this world was before his memories from the other life had been replenished.
Flashback.
"Lucy, I'm going to be the most powerful pirate!" declared Luffy, his eyes shining with determination.
"Luffy, I'm going to be the most powerful marine, and I'll arrest you!" affirmed Lucy, showing a serious expression but with a touch of friendly competitiveness.
"I'll be more powerful, and I'll never be arrested!"
"I'll be more powerful."
"I will."
"No, it will be me."
"I will!"
"I will!"
"You little brats are so funny, Dahahahahahaha!" An adult man wearing a straw hat laughed, watching the two children with an amused look.
Some time later.
"Luffy, you're too childish," someone commented, expressing a mix of concern and understanding.
"She's right, Luffy," added another, agreeing with the previous assessment.
"You girls don't understand. I'm going to be a great pirate and dominate all the seas!" exclaimed Luffy, excited and full of confidence.
"Tsk, I don't like that dream, Luffy. I want a world where people live happily," Uta expressed discontent.
"It's a beautiful dream, Uta. I want to bring justice to the world!" Lucy said, revealing a deep passion for her ideals.
"You're much nicer than your brother, Lucy," Uta praised, smiling at Lucy.
"Thank you, Uta!" Lucy responded, grateful and with a childish and silly smile.
"You girls..." The boy grumbled, revealing a touch of frustration or incomprehension. At another moment.
"Uta, I have a bad feeling about this journey..." Luffy commented, a wrinkle of concern marking his forehead.
"I'll be fine, silly. Remember our promise?" Uta replied, displaying a reassuring smile.
"That we would stay together? But that was weird; I still don't understand."
"You'll find out in the future. Fufufufu." Uta laughed mysteriously, leaving an aura of suspense in the air.
"Uta, come back soon." Lucy commented happily beside Luffy, oblivious to the promise Uta mentioned.
"Yes, my father and the others are visiting the South Blue; we'll be back soon!"
"Still, be careful. I feel like something bad is going to happen..." Luffy murmured softly, expressing his concerns.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon!" Uta said, leaning in to give Luffy a kiss on the cheek.
"Hm?! Hey, what's this? Don't do that to people!" Luffy jumped, embarrassed by the display of affection.
"Shishishishi. Luffy, you act so weird with a kiss! Maybe I should do the same." Lucy laughed at her brother's sudden attitude.
"No, definitely not!" Luffy protested vigorously at his sister's suggestion.
"Hm?! Did I see you kissing my daughter, brat?!" Shanks arrived at the trio, surprising them.
"I didn't! She kissed me!" Luffy protested, trying to explain himself.
"Do you know what that means?!" Shanks looked at Luffy seriously, increasing the tension.
"No...?" The boy didn't like how Shanks was staring at him.
"It means you're going to die..." Shanks began to draw his sword from its sheath, making Luffy widen his eyes in shock.
"Come here, brat!" Shanks shouted, and Luffy ran, being chased by the pirate captain.
"Shishishihsihishishishishi."
"HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The two girls laughed at this scene, watching the interaction between Luffy and Shanks with a touch of amusement.
Some time later.
"DAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Why are you laughing?! Did you let them step on you, Shanks?! I thought you were strong enough for that!" The boy exclaimed angrily as he rose in the bar chair, seeing Shanks soaked in alcohol after being humiliated by mountain bandits.
"Luffy, not everything is resolved through violence..." Shanks commented calmly, trying to calm the boy.
"They humiliated you! You should be powerful, as a pirate should be!"
The girl next to him was a bit shy, and before he could say anything to his brother, Luffy jumped off the chair and ran to the back of the bar.
"I hate you, Shanks!" Luffy shouted and left with tears in his eyes.
"Luffy..." The girl commented, showing concern.
"Let him be, Lucy, he's upset for what happened with Uta, he has every right to be angry with me."
"Yes... But it wasn't your fault..." Lucy lowered her head, understanding and murmuring the situation.
"Eat something, Lucy, your brother will be back before you know it..." Shanks stood up and smiled at the girl, ruffling her hair.
"Yes... What a horrible fruit!" Lucy found something to eat, but didn't like it much and complained.
"Hm?! Lucy, you! Did you eat the treasure fruit?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, BRAT!" Shanks tried to grab her and make her spit out everything she ate, but only made his neck stretch at that moment.
"What's happening?!" Lucy seemed terrified at the transformation, her neck starting to stretch.
"You ate the rubber fruit; you can never swim again, your body is rubber!" Shanks shouted at her, revealing the consequences of eating that Devil Fruit.
"What?! How can I be a marine like this?!" Lucy was terrified, making faces considering the implications. But before they could say more, the bar door opened again with the village mayor.
"Shanks! Luffy is in trouble!" An old man, Woop Slap, entered Makino's bar, visibly frightened.
"What?"
"My brother?!"
"He's facing the mountain bandits who left this bar a while ago; now they're threatening to kill the boy!" said the old man, quite scared.
"We must go, Lucy, we'll talk about your fruit later." Shanks concluded, anticipating the urgency of the situation.
At another moment.
"Shanks... why...?" The boy cried into the man's chest.
"I couldn't let a boy die, could I?" Shanks replied, his voice conveying compassion.
"But... your arm!" The boy tried to avoid looking at where Shanks had lost his arm to save him. Even being a good swimmer, he couldn't go back to the village with that sea monster, but Shanks still saved him.
Shanks sacrificed his arm for the boy who, just a few hours earlier, said he hated him. Shanks's heroic gesture did not go unnoticed, creating a deeper connection between the two, while the boy was filled with regret and sadness.
Some time later.
"Shanks, so you're leaving..." Lucy commented next to Luffy at the port, while Shanks and his crew prepared to return to the New World.
"I must go; my journey is waiting for me, Luffy and Lucy. I hope to see great things from you one day." Shanks looked at the children with satisfaction.
"Of course, I'll be a great marine like grandpa and capture you, just like Luffy too!" She said excitedly.
"I can't wait for that. Dahahahahahahaha!"
"You'll never capture me because I'll be the pirate who will rule all the seas!" Luffy declared.
"Oh? How can you be so sure? Are you willing to create that path?" Shanks smiled at the boy.
"I swear, this is my dream. One day I'll have a crew that will be the most powerful in the world. I'll be the strongest pirate and man of all! No one will stop me, be it you or Lucy. And I'll get you, Lucy, you'll join my crew too!" The boy shouted with his childish voice but seemed quite sincere.
"Who said I'll be in your crew, Luffy-baka? I'll be a great marine, a vice-admiral, and I'll capture you!" Lucy said, sticking her tongue out at her brother.
"Dahahahahahaha. I liked hearing that, Luffy. Let's make a promise then." Shanks said, taking off his hat and putting it on the confused Luffy's head.
"See, this hat is very precious to me. I want you to wear it until the day you become a great pirate, and you have to protect your sister too; she's very special." Shanks said with a relaxed voice, but no one could imagine the weight behind those words.
"That... your hat, Shanks?" Luffy and Lucy looked at the man surprised.
"Yes, now it's yours, and it looks good on you. So, promise me." Shanks smiled.
"I... I promise! I'll become a great pirate, recognized as the great emperor of the sea. I'll protect my sister and one day pass your hat again!" Luffy shouted with excitement.
"I'll be waiting for you..." Shanks left after that, leaving behind a promise that would echo through time.
Some time later.
"Come on, brats!" A man dressed in the Marine uniform carried two children in each of his arms.
"I shouldn't have left you in the village, damn Shanks, how he corrupted my grandchildren!"
"I'll be a pirate! I'll rule the seas! It's decided, grandpa!" Luffy protested while in one of Garp's hands.
*Pop*
*Pop*
Garp threw them up and punched each one, then caught them again.
"OUCH!! That hurt." Luffy protested, rubbing the affected area.
"Yes, because it hurt, now I'm made of rubber!" Lucy still didn't fully understand her pain, something she didn't feel anymore after eating Shanks's fruit.
"Buahahahaha. This is the fist of love; you'll always feel your grandpa's love! This is to remove any influence that damn redhead has put on you!" Garp said seriously.
"Grandpa, but I want to be a powerful marine like you!" Lucy protested.
"But now you're a Devil Fruit user thanks to that damn man!" Garp growled.
"No matter what you say, I'll be a pirate!" Luffy said firmly, demonstrating his determination.
"OUCH!!! Stop hitting me!" Luffy cried after another punch, but still with a touch of silly laughter.
"I'll take you to live in the mountains; there you'll learn to be great marines!" Garp said as he continued on his way with the two children, outlining a new destiny for them.
Some time later.
"Who are you, you bastard!" The door opened with a fat woman growling.
"It's me..." Garp said calmly.
"G-Garp?! You're back? Are you taking that brat with you? He's a demon!" Dadan protested.
"I didn't come to bring two more for you to take care of." Garp scratched his nose after dropping Luffy and Lucy on the ground.
"What? Who are these brats?!" Dadan demanded.
"My biological grandchildren."
"WHAT?!"
"HEY!" Lucy raised her hand excitedly.
"..." Luffy remained quiet.
"Hm?!" Lucy felt spit on her after trying to catch a butterfly while Garp demanded things from a submissive Dadan and her group in a corner.
"Who did that?!" Lucy looked in the direction of where the spit came from and saw a boy on top of a rock, it was Ace.
"Tsk." The boy clicked his tongue.
"You spat on my sister, you damn brat!" Luffy saw this and ran to hit the boy.
"I see you've already met; this is Ace, Luffy and Lucy, and you're siblings from now on." Garp crossed his arms.
Luffy was already defeated on the ground since he couldn't beat a boy three years older than him.
"Hm?!"
"Brother?"
"What?!"
The three expressed their surprise, thus beginning a new dynamic between the newly-discovered siblings.
Another moment.
"Run! They're going to catch us!" Luffy shouted excitedly.
"Brother, this is wrong!" Lucy protested as she ran.
"Let's keep going!" Ace spoke as they ran.
"Hahahaha. This is so much fun." Sabo laughed.
The four left after escaping a restaurant without paying.
"Come back here, you brats!" The owner chased after them.
The group of four used to enter the city to steal things and eat without paying in the kingdom of Goa; they did this every day.
Some time later.
"What's that in your hand, Luffy?" Ace asked, noticing something shiny he was holding.
"Oh, it's just a necklace I took from that store over there!" Luffy replied, smiling as he displayed the stolen necklace.
"This place is getting boring. Let's go to that beach! There must be something interesting there." Sabo suggested, pointing to the horizon.
"Good idea! Who knows what we might find there." Lucy agreed, her excitement always present.
The four ran away again, leaving behind the chaos they caused in the city.
On the beach, they found a small abandoned boat.
"This is perfect! Let's take it and explore the sea!" Luffy proposed, looking at the boat with shining eyes.
"What? That's stealing!" Lucy protested, even though her expression indicated she was already considering the idea.
"So what? It's going to be so much fun!" Ace laughed, getting into the spirit of adventure.
"Grab what you need! We're going to sail the sea!" Sabo encouraged, taking some things from the boat.
The four boarded the boat, laughing and planning their next escapade, leaving behind the tumultuous city and heading towards the dump. Lucy fell into the sea, and Luffy quickly grabbed her.
In another moment.
"With this, we will officially be brothers from this moment on!"
"Yes!"
"Hahaha. Cool!"
"Let's drink!"
"Shishishishishi, I have more brothers now!"
The four toasted the cheap loot, enjoying the moment together.
In a moment of euphoria and shared dreams:
"I will be the emperor of all seas!" Luffy shouted, his voice filled with determination, echoing through the beach.
"I will be a powerful marine and capture you, Luffy!" Lucy exclaimed, looking at the horizon with eyes full of determination and pride.
"I want to make my own name in the world!" Ace proclaimed, raising his fist towards the sky, challenging destiny.
"Freedom on the sea and fighting against oppression! That's what I want!" Sabo declared, his gaze fixed on the ocean, as if he could see a future free and full of adventures.
The four voices merged, creating a chorus of dreams that resonated beyond the beach, uniting these adopted siblings in their shared aspirations.
In another time.
"They're going to burn the dump! We must stop it! It's madness."
"Yes."
"We must bring justice!"
"Let's stop them!"
The four, now united as siblings, decided to act against the injustice of the Goa nobles and protect what they believed was right.
Some more time later.
"Hmmm... Hmmm..." Ace was crying in a corner.
"..." Luffy let the tears flow silently.
"Luffy... he's really gone...." Lucy sobbed along with her brother, incessant tears marking the trail of their sadness.
"Yes, Lucy. Sabo... died..." Luffy said in tears as well, his voice wavering with the pain of loss.
"Ahhhhh...." Lucy cried viscerally, as if each tear was an echo of the pain her heart carried.
"I'm sorry, sister, I'm really sorry..." Luffy enveloped Lucy in his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder, while his own tears mixed with hers. It was a shared lament between siblings who had lost someone dear.
...
'Ace, good luck!'
'You can do it, Ace! Master it before I arrive, because I plan to give you a beating!'
'You can wait, Luffy; you'll never surpass me!'
'I will capture you and bring justice!'
'Good luck trying that, Lucy!'
'Goodbye, brother!'
'Goodbye, Ace!'
'See you in the future, siblings!'
...
'Lucy, we'll see each other soon, right?'
'Yes, brother. I'll leave earlier, but we'll meet in the sea!'
'Good luck, Lucy.'
'Me too, brother...' Lucy had strange eyes for Luffy.
'...' Luffy remained silent, not knowing how to react to that.
'About that...' Lucy commented.
'Let's keep that just between us, Lucy; we'll talk about it in the future, for now, follow your dreams.' Luffy commented.
'Yes, brother, and you follow yours; I want to see you soon.' She said excitedly.
...
'Goodbye, everyone!'
'Good luck, Luffy!'
'Don't embarrass the village!'
'Good luck.'
'Follow your dreams, kid!'
'We have faith in you!'
'Goodbye, all; soon you'll be seeing my picture in the newspaper!'
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