Strong(One Piece x Reader)[EDITING IN PROGRESS]

A Mother's Love

You can picture Mayor's proud wrinkled face, his cane to your face as he says that he told you that the Pride of Karé is nothing to scoff at. And the young stubborn Azu having her own prideful gleam at her eyes at the news of others wishing for their spices, even if she states that he didn't say that people scoffed at it.

You huffed at the image, wondering to yourself how you didn't hear of Karé beforehand when you were in Loguetown before you turned your focus back into what's important.

The past is the past.

Shanks mentioned a boy. Somewhere in this sea. You lifted the panel to go down below in your little raft, reaching for your bag that Kokoro gave you and pulled out a map. Only to sigh in frustration at what you saw as you put it back. Figures. It's only some islands in the Grand Line. This won't help me. How long does it take to make a world map?

Wait. Did Shanks even say it was this sea?

You put your head to your hands, rubbing the cap and therefore making your hair underneath a mess as you kept doing it.

"I...don't have a good memory..."

Kuroi ten'nosabaki, if it could, would release a sigh. Instead, only a gleam in an odd shape of a sweatdrop appeared due to the angle of the sun. Karasu stayed silent, glinting gloomily.

First you completely forgot money and now you don't even remember that Shanks said the East Blue or not? Do you suffer from short term memory or something?!

No, it has to be the East Blue.

You put a finger to your forehead, thinking deeply and complete concentration with brows deeply furrowed.

...is it?

You shook your head, only to spot an island in the distance. You squinted at it, before taking out the spyglass that Kokoro gave you. You able to see a lush mountainous island that had a large port. A familiar one too.

It's...you lowered the spyglass, tightening your hold around it as you faced the island you never went back to since you left. On a ship with Garp and Smoker to accomplish your dream. Loguetown.

Where you were born. Where you lived. With your mom.

Before she got sick...before...

You swallowed before your jaw clenched, closing the spyglass strongly and turning your back to it.

I don't need to go there. You went to fix the sail on the mast, hands tugging rope, eyes hidden under a MARINE cap. I don't want to risk seeing those old kids faces. Or even those adults from back than that isolated me. Besides, it has a heavy marine presence now. I need to stay low. I need to find Shanks.

I need...

Your mind flashed to when you were in Karé. How the Mayor states that Karé can help others feel like it's home, just have to smell it. And for just a moment, you felt like you smelled your old house—of wood and earth. And then, the sweet but calm scent of vanilla, you being embraced by it when you were smaller and reassuring words to your ears. Of elegant slender hands different from your now calloused ones weaving through your hair strands, of kisses and playful bites to the cheek as small fists scramble and you wiggling away at the feeling.

You thought of the mother and child in Karé, how affectionate, the head rubs and wide smiles around and the father that wrapped his arms around both.

I need...wait what?

You focused back onto the present, seeing you were sailing right towards Loguetown despite your thoughts.

I shouldn't come here. There's nothing here. You clenched your hands around the ropes, biting your inner lip as you drew closer and closer to the island. To your home.