Garp and Luffy were at the beach where Luffy was playing with the sand and making sand castles. He looked happy and Garp observed the kid with keen and fond eyes.
"Grandpa?" Luffy asked as he lifted his head from the so-called castle that he had made. He looked towards Garp with a gummy smile. Garp hummed as he asked him to continue.
"I want to be strong," Luffy declared with determination shinning in his eyes. Garp could see the sparkles of wonder. He could see the same resolution which he saw in Dragon all those years ago.
"And why do you want to be?" Garp asked as approached the grinning kid.
He saw Luffy thinking hard, with his face scrunched, and turning red.
Garp laughed at the antics of the little kid. "Do you want to be a marine?" Garp's eyes lit up at the possibility. His mind racing thousands kilometers per second about the benefits which Luffy can get.
Luffy scrunched his face in disgust, and poked his tongue out before speaking, "I don't like marines."
Garp couldn't help but reward him with a 'fist of love' for his bravery.
"You will become a fine marine." He said as he lifted up the boy and started advancing to the jungle for training.
As long as Luffy's secrets will be hidden, he could help people by becoming a marine. Garp thought as he threw the boy before the monkeys.
.
That same day, the sea seemed to be seething in anger, which had most of the fisher men of the village stay from the ocean. Makino didn't think much of it as she was serving her costumers, when suddenly the doors to her bar opened. Makino's eyes went straight towards to watch in horror, as Garp was holding a beaten up Luffy who was covered in dried blood. Dropping all her work, Makino rushed towards the boy, horrified by his wounded self.
"What happened?" She asked as she placed the boy whose left eye was swollen badly on his chair.
"T-Train...ing," The little boy coughed out before taking a heavy breath. Makino glared at Garp who ignored her gaze and whistled innocently.
"I might have overdid it?" Garp said or asked. "But throwing him off a cliff, making him fight the monkeys and tying him with balloons doesn't seem much training." The old man said before continuing. "He would be dine."
Makino agreed with Garp on one thing. The thing which Luffy had gone through was not training! Hell, torture seemed a better way to describe what the four year old boy had just gone through!
Makino couldn't stop the occasional training which was going on and on. It didn't help when the training started getting more and more brutal. Whenever Garp visited, he left Luffy immobile or unconscious. She had protested at it but all Luffy told that he wants that. He wants that hellish training to get stronger. From that day on, Makino could only tend to the wounds of the little boy and make sure that he recovered completely from the aftermath.
Whenever Dragon would arrive at the times when Garp would be busy training Luffy, he would be petrified to see Luffy emerging from the forest with the help of a walking stick, or trying to climb a cliff to reach the top with him all bleeding over. Sometimes, the poor man had to pull his son from the air where he would be struggling to get himself out of the many balloons which were tied to his person by a thread.
Dragon would always end up fighting with his father, angry on using such extreme methods on a mere kid. But Garp would listen to any of it, and would beat up his son in name of 'training' the revolutionary leader.
The worst was when Luffy would jump up all excited and asked to join in the 'training' the two adults were doing. He would always declare that he wanted to be stronger.
Dragon had asked Luffy about his obsession over becoming stronger one day after the training which the duo father and son got from Garp. Luffy declared with a bright smile that he doesn't want to be dead weight on anyone.
That was the day Dragon realized that Luffy knew the actual reason why he had to stay away from him. He looked other side, as Makino patched the wounds of his son who started telling Makino excitedly of what he had done that day. Dragon's eyes shone with new tears which he hid it with his palms of hand. He needed to change the things soon. No one should be that insane to agree for the hellish and brutal training which Garp offered. And Luffy definitely never deserves it.
He knew that his son wanted to stay with him, but he couldn't take the kid away right now. He needed something which would assure him that his son would stay safe in Baltigo. That when he would not be there for him for some business, that Luffy would be safe and have someone to watch over him.
Unknown to Dragon, he would be getting the reason soon enough.
.
It was a peasant morning, when Makino felt Luffy missing. She chalked it to, the boy heading to the shores all alone. So, she had gone to check on him when the boy didn't come for breakfast. She panicked the next second when she found the boy no where. She had ran all around the village, when she bumped paths with the mayor, who informed that he had seen the boy rushing towards the dock.
Makino hurried to the dock, running as fast as possible to make sure that the little boy was safe.
"Luffy! What are you doing here?" She asked at once, as she finally found the missing boy.
"Someone's coming!" Luffy answered in a sing song voice.
Makino wondered about who the person was, rather than thinking how Luffy knew. She decided to wait with Luffy there, not willing to leave the boy alone for now.
Soon on the horizon a small speck was seen, which approached them faster and faster. Within 5 minutes, the flag of the ship was visible waving across on top of the ship. It didn't take a genius to realize that the ship was of pirates.
Makino felt herself panic as looked at Luffy. She knew about Luffy's instincts and had learned not to question about it over time, but what if they were bad pirates...? What if they would harm Luffy? She couldn't help but keep an eye on the excited kid. Soon sounds of parties littering on the deck of the ship and the cheers of the pirates reached the shore.
A man with red hair and a strawhat approached near the railing to take a look at the Island his crew had reached. But his eyes fell on a smiling boy at the shore. The moment their eyes connected, the red haired man felt a jolt and spark running through his body. He felt himself losing his footing. He felt nervous for the first time in the East Blue. East Blue, the weakest sea of the world made his heart pacing wild all because of a little kid.
He placed a hand on his heart, wanting it to start beating normally as he averted his eyes from the little boy. He felt another man approach him confused at his actions. Before he could tell anything to his first mate, the pirate crew heard a squeaky voice.
"Are you pirates?" The red hair man saw the same little kid question him. He could see his smile turning into a little edged as he studied him. The man couldn't help but nod at the boy, which made the little boy give a smile which nearly blinded him. The smile was enough for the red hair man, Shanks, to leap out of his ship and land on the deck.
Shanks laughed, a smile on his face, as he approached the kid, studying him. He looked like a five year old kid, who wore a white shirt with the words 'Anchor' on it. Moreover, the blue shorts and sandals on his feet, made him look scrawny and nothing like someone who holds a power which Shanks got a taste first hand.
"Dahahaha! Aren't you afraid of us?" Shanks asked as he crouched down to the level of the kid. By now, Shanks was forced to realize that the kid was no normal kid.
The black haired raven titled his head sideways cutely, making Shanks want to stop himself from cooing at the boy.
"Why should I?" The little kid asked, making Shanks laugh and ruffle the kid's hair.
"Not all pirates are good and some can harm you, kiddo, if you are careless." Shanks tried to explain, but the little boy pouted at him.
"Nu-uh! My punch is as strong as a pistol. I can easily beat them up!" The boy grinned as he punched the air.
Shanks burst out laughing at the cuteness of the kid, clutching his stomach and fell on the ground comically.
"Yeah! Dahahaha! Your pu- pfft," Shanks laughed hard. "Stop kidding, Anchor!" He teased the boy further.
"My name is Luffy! Not Anchor! Stupid Shanks!" The boy huffed before crossing his arms on his chest.
Shanks felt himself stop laughing and sitting straight to look at the boy. He will admit that he was quite famous with a handsome bounty on him but he didn't know that he was even famous in the East Blue. He felt his chest puffing out proudly.
"Come on! You gotta tell me your adventures!" Luffy whined adorably and unknowingly using his puppy eyes at Shanks. "Mom told you have lots of adventure to tell me! I wanna hear it all."
Shanks was about to say something when a green haired maiden appeared in his sights. At the first sight of the lady, Shanks felt his heart beat stop for a moment. He saw the pretty lady bow to him. "Hello there, my name is Makino." She offered him a kind smile. "I have a bar not too far from here, if you and your men want to rest."
Her voice floated in Shanks's mind like a soft melody, making the red hair man look lovingly at the woman.
Benn chuckled at the sight as he approached the dumbass of his captain and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you think she is taken, captain?" He asked, making Shanks look at him like a pouting child.
"Makino!! Makino!! They have lots of stories to tell me!!!" The kid cheered as he excitedly conveyed the message. Makino smiled gently at the little boy before ruffling his hair.
"Thank you for engaging by otoutu." As soon as she said, Shanks face lit with a happy smile as he turned all his attention to Makino, before poking his tongue out to Benn, who snickered at his captain's childishness.
"The name is Shanks," Shanks did a bow, like the ones prince do to their princess, "The pleasure's all mine, my lady," He grinned as he kissed her hands. Without giving a chance for his princess to speak a word, he turned to his crew and ordered them to not cause any ruckus in the village like a prince charming.
Once inside the bar, Luffy was jumping up and down in his seat while Shanks engaged the boy by comically telling him about the adventures he has been on to. The kid vibrating from excitement and happiness was enough for Shanks to continue on, despite the long journey he had just endured.
.
Soon, a few months passed by and the Red Haired Pirates were warmly welcomed by the little village. Those few months were enough to make the pirates grow fond of the little Anchor. The brilliant sunny smile of the child was enough for the pirates to forget their everything and indulge in the child's antics and tantrums. The small kid had them, literally, wrapped in his fingers.
"Shanks! Shanks! I want to be a pirate!" Luffy grinned as wide as he could, "I want to go to adventures! Take me with you, please!"
"Nope!" Shanks answered simply and turned his attention to the booze in his hands.
"Why? I'm strong!" Luffy whined as he stomped his feet on the ground.
"Dahahaha!! You? strong!!? Pfft!" Shanks burst out laughing. Luffy huffed as he saw Shanks making fun of him.
"I'm going out!" Luffy huffed as he went to the shore, feeling sad.
"You overdid it, captain!" Benn stated with a sigh, as he saw his captain get up to follow the kid.
.
Luffy pouted as he made his way to his mother. Not wasting a single moment, he dived in, letting the calming watery arms of his mother claim him. His hands held that of his mothers, as he complained how Shanks refused to take him out to the sea. He was frowning at the thought that he had stay away from his Dad and Iva as well... and nobody seemed to want him.
His mother tried to coax the little boy by offering him sea shells and telling him to not give up. That had the little boy smile a bit. Soon, he was surrounded by his fish and sea king friends, who surrounded him.
"It tickles," The little boy laughed as he felt the fisheries and the sea king brush against his sensitive skin.
"I missed you, guys!" Luffy petted the sea king and the fishes and landed on top of King, who rose to the surface, making Luffy grin brightly as he knew the exciting dive which was soon coming in.
.
When Shanks finally reached the beach, what he saw had him running towards the shore. Luffy was sitting on top of a sea king which was dragging the little kid down with him. He panicked and without a thought dove after the boy. His heart was beating fast as the various scenarios which his helpless mind provided him.
Hitting the water and finally inside, Shanks almost stopped swimming. He saw the little kid ride on the sea king as it soared through the light currents of the water, surrounded by the other fishes, who seemed to be racing the sea king. In all of it, he heard Luffy's cheers coming as the boy encouraged the sea king to swim faster until he fell on the ocean floor, and started running with a big smile on his face, on the ocean floor, which should be dark by all rights! But no, the waters were shinning brightly and the light followed Luffy wherever he went.
He resurfaced catching a breath before diving back down again. He saw Luffy running around playing with the fishes and talk to them as if it was completely normal.
Questions plagued his mind as the man resurfaced back, deeming the kid safe. He had found not a single killing intent from the sea king and the mysterious kid was running around and freaking able to breathe in the waters.
Why was Luffy able to run on the sea water? Why could he breathe normally there? Why did the sea creatures seemed so friendly to the boy? Why did the light follow Luffy wherever he went?
There were so many questions than answers.
The first possibility which he thought of was of Luffy being a fish man. But again, the boy had no features of a fish man! Not to mention, he was sure that no fish man could talk to Sea Kings!
Unknown to Shanks two eyes watched his every move.