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"Ace?" Lue was sitting with the baby on the deck. He was sailing through the South Blue. Ace was lying in the blanket still wiggling.
"I wonder...can we go through the calm belt?" Lue murmured. He could go through it and he didn't need to go to the Reverse Mountain, but will it be safe? He remembered all of the warnings from his past and actual life. Lue shivered. Actually he has good haki control, but he doesn't have his devil fruit. All of his techniques are gone...
"Haa..." He sighed. He then looked up and saw it. The Red Line. "It is still so big!" He exclaimed, while looking at it and not seeing the end of the big line. "Hmm?" He narrowed his eyes. He saw something close to the entrance of the Reverse Mountain. A news bird. He suddenly realised that he hadn't seen one in such a long time.
"Oi!" He waved to the animal. It saw him and flew in his direction. The bird let go of one of the many newspapers it was carrying around. It then sat at the top of Lue's boat. The headline read:
Buster Call in Ohara, a place of mind - no survivors.
"What...?" Lue murmured. He remembered thanks to it, that such an incident occurred. He almost forgot. His crew... "Robin..." He murmured. But what should he do? He doesn't know her whereabouts. "West Blue, huh?" He read in the newspaper. "Must be hard for you..." He commented and closed his eyes. He glanced at the sleeping Ace in the blanket near him. He must come to East Blue...as fast as he can.
—
"WAAAA!" He was sliding down the Mountain. "It is fast!" Just as he remembered. The time when he, Usopp, Zoro, Sanji and Nami sailed on Merry here. Then his boat was thrown into the air and he landed with a loud slap on the water. He was holding Ace with his two hands. After that he breathed out the oxygen he was holding from the anxiety.
"We made it!" He exclaimed to the baby that laughed happily. He is finally home. "Knowing from the past experience it will take us about 1 week to get to our home, Ace!" Lue smiled at the baby. He was so excited to finally be home.
"Oh...but LogueTown is here..." He mumbled. Last time he was here was about 2 years ago, when he met with Roger. He glanced at Ace, who was so adorable and happy now. "You want to go there?" He asked. The baby stopped moving and it stared blankly at Lue. He then sweatdropped. "Okay..." He gave up. Lue decided to go to the town...he needs food anyway.
—
"Haaa...."
"You're drinking too much, boss." A man with dark hair, tied in a ponytail said.
"Stop complaining...Benn." A red-headed person answered.
"It has been almost 2 years..." Benn lit a cigarette. The other man was stirring the mug, with whiskey and ice cubes in it.
"Don't...tell me." The red-haired man will be known in the future as Red-Haired Shanks, a Yonkou. But here he was a 17-year-old rookie pirate. His crew?...not with him right now, besides Benn. They were sitting in some kind of bar, Shanks was griefing...remembering his old captain. He then placed the mug on the counter. "Let's go." He said and placed money on the table. Benn followed after him. After Shanks left the dark bar the light from the sun blinded him. He closed his eyes and groaned.
"Gosh, this sun!" He tsked.
"Haha!" Benn laughed. Shanks turned to look at him with a pount. He then stopped. His eyes widened.
"Oi who is that?" He pointed at the new person that was walking through the crowd. He looked familiar to Shanks. Benn walked closer to him. He was staring for a while then he turned to his captain.
"That must be Garp The Fist's son." Benn answered. Shanks was pretty confused but he also wanted to meet the famous son. Lue was pretty well known around the world. As the second son of the marine hero, he didn't become a pirate or a marine. He was just...him, free. Shanks was pretty curious about the older male. What was the famous person like? After the man disappeared in the crowd Shanks quickly woke up from his daze and he ran after him. Benn shook his head and then ran after his captain.
—
"What should we buy..." Lue was looking at some stalls while holding Ace with his one hand. The baby was sleeping...not surprising.
"Oi!" Then he heard someone. He first ignored it but then the voice was getting closer and closer and then the person that was shouting to him was close enough. Lue sweatdropped and hid Ace between his arms. He inspected the man that was now holding his knees from exhausting running. He had red hair, familiar. Lue's eyes widened as the man lifted his head up. He also had a straw hat. "Are you perhaps Monkey D. Luerion?" The man smiled.
"Shanks?..." Lue murmured. Shanks didn't hear him and he tilted his head.
"Hm?" He smiled.
"Em. Yes...I am." Lue wanted to hide his face but he soon realised that he didn't have the same face and that Shanks hadn't met Luffy yet.
"I have always wanted to meet you! I am Shanks!" The younger male showed his hand to Lue. The now older Lue shook it with his. Shanks had sparks in his eyes. Soon Benn came.
"It's really you." He said. Lue was really confused and shocked. He was now 6 years older than his father figure from the future...Even the fact that he was only 5 years younger than Benn was surprising.
"Y-yes, haha!" Lue laughed nervously. Then to the worry of the man, Ace woke up and he of course demanded food. Lue's eyes widened and the scene was like in slow motion. The baby started to cry and Lue didn't know what to do. Shanks and Benn smiles slowly faded. The slow motion then ended and Lue was standing before the two men with the baby taken out from under his arms.
"Is that a baby?" Shanks asked. He closed a bit and he looked at the face of the child. He had freckles and black hair. His eyes widened but he didn't know why...the child was just so familiar.
"Em..." Lue didn't know what to say. "He wants to eat..." he explained with a sweatdrop. Benn then took Shanks by his collar.
"We won't disturb you." Benn snickered at the Shanks that just laughed nervously.
"You are not disturbing me!" Lue exclaimed and the two men looked confused at him. He then shut his mouth into a straight line. "I mean...you can stay If you want..." Lue caressed his neck. He wanted them to stay with him, he wanted to tell them everything, he wanted them to help him...he really wanted to. Shanks smiled and made it so that Benn let go of him. He placed his hands on Lue's shoulders, the older man was actually taller than Shanks but that didn't matter to him.
"We want to!" Shanks smiled and Lue smiled back with a glint of hope and thankfulness. Benn was sighing.
—
"Here, Ace." Lue placed a bottle with warm milk on the little kid-chair that Ace was sitting in. They went into a restaurant. The baby took the bottle and yanked it into his toothless mouth and started to drink it.
"Say..." Shanks was munching on his own meat but he asked the older male. Lue jumped from surprise. Shanks laughed that off. "Is that your kid?" He asked the question that Lue wanted to avoid the most. Lue decided from the beginning that he will protect Ace, he will and that would mean that he must proclaim a new identity. He is no longer the Luffy. He is now Monkey D. Luerion. He wants Ace to be happy...will he be if Lue's beside him?
"He..." Lue started grabbing the attention of waiting red-haired and black-haired. "He is." Lue smiled. Shanks almost let go of the meat in his mouth. But he gulped down the rest.
"What's his name?" Shanks asked curiously.
"His name is Ace." Lue placed his cheek on his one hand and he looked at the eating baby. Shanks eyes lit.
"Ace, huh?" He looked at the baby that was drinking his third bottle. He smiled and ruffled the baby's hair. "Nice to meet ya, I am Shanks!" Lue sighed silently. He was so nervous about what would be the reaction of his old mentor.
"Where are you going now?" Benn asked.
"To home!" Lue answered smiling. He was so happy to finally be able to go meet Dadan and everyone else.
"We're going to the Grand Line!" Shanks exclaimed with meat in his mouth. Benn scolded him for his manners.
"Good Luck to you then!" Lue smiled. Shanks had stars in his eyes. He nodded. Then he grabbed the hands of the older man in his. "Let's meet again!" He stared at Lue firmly. The latter's eyes widened. He saw the older Shanks in the eyes of the younger him. He smiled and tilted his head to the side.
"Of course. Let's see how you will go!"
"Yes!" Shanks nodded. After that Shanks and Benn were walking away while waving to Lue. Ace was asleep in his fathers arms. Lue was so happy...to see Shanks.
"I hope...we will meet again." Lue commented and he walked to the nearest tavern to rent a room. He laid down the sleeping baby and sat beside him on the bed. Lue was patting the little belly. "Good night...Ace." He kissed the baby's forehead and settled himself down to sleep. That was a very good day, indeed.
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