KASL Book 1: Lost but Found (One Piece Fan fiction)

Chapter I: Making New Friends

Dawn Island, East Blue

Mt. Corvo

Four Years Later...

Kitsune

"Luffy!"

A small, dark-haired child nearly toppled off a rocky slope and into a fast-flowing stream. Just as he fell, another child - black-haired but for the odd blonde locks framing his face - pulled the younger child into his arms. The ground just about gave away when the older child made a swift leap backward onto more solid ground.

"You rubber-brained idiot! Neither of us can swim, so why did you try to cross over a river with that rickety old bridge that barely hung onto the rock face? Not to mention that even a champion swimmer wouldn't survive those rocks. Never mind. You really should stop trying to catch up to that kid," scolded the older boy. His name was Kitsune, Sol D. Kitsune.

The 12-year-old shook his head in irritation of his younger sibling's antics. The little kid may be only seven but he sure could be a handful. Already, Luffy had fallen into a pit, fell off a cliff, was chased by wolves, and nearly found out what the belly of a gator was like. And that was just this week. But, Luffy was determined to follow that Ace-guy to wherever he was going. Kitsune sighed. This couldn't go on for forever. Sure, a rubber body from eating the Gum-Gum fruit came in handy with stuffy like bouncing off flat rocks or softening otherwise deadly blows from the forest inhabitants, but, sooner or later, with the many other dangers around, Luffy will either catch up to Ace...or he'll die trying.

Four years ago, Vice-Admiral Garp dropped young Kitsune off on Dawn Island to stay and live with his own grandson Luffy. A few months ago, shortly after the incident with a certain pirate group, Grandfather decided that the two should stay with a bunch of mountain bandits on Mt. Corvo along with Garp's other grandkid Ace. To this day, Kitsune wondered what in the world Grandfather was thinking. Raised by mountain bandits but insisting that they all will become marines?!

"Shishishi. Don't worry Kit, I can take care of myself. Someday, I'll be King of the Pirates!" Luffy giggled, startling Kit from his musings.

Kitsune rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time this day. He offered the younger boy a hand and hauled him to his feet. He gestured for the boy to climb on his back.

"Alright, Luffy, I give. Let's see what I can do about this."

Once Luffy settled onto Kit's back, a plume of white smoke covered the pair. As it cleared, Luffy was no longer straddling the older boy but instead laying on top a rather large fox. It stood with furry black ear tips reaching about the height of a man's waist. A single plumed tail lashed behind it. It stretched its white-clad body before whispering to its rider, "Hold on tight, Anchor."

The young fox suddenly bounded forward, its fleet feet racing across several rocks poking out from the river below before it found an adequate spot to climb back up to solid ground. Luffy simply laughed as he clung to the fox's back with one hand and held his straw-hat tightly with the other.

The fox raced through the woods with the little boy giggling the whole time. Luffy, little man, you sure are a happy guy, but do you really have to be so loud? Despite Kit's irritation, he wore a very relaxed grin (or as close a grin as a fox can make), and the fox slowed its pace for a bit. The boy, Ace, certainly was still taking some precautions in case Luffy actually managed that ravine. His scent trail seemed to loop and double back on itself. But, he didn't account for senses keener than any human's. The fox gave a much wider grin as his human mind picked out the general direction the scent and tracks led to. It was really about time the older boy found some answers, after all, to where the other "grandson" of Garp ran off.