it was an innocent question. a simple question asked by a 2 year old who has the simplest logic and mind. for a 2 year old a father, a dad is the man they feel safe with, they feel protected and loved. for a 2 year old father is the one who can solve all their problems and someone who is always fun to play with.
A 2 year old dosent understand beyond this simple logic. and for a 2 year old who has never seen her Father, she would want the man she feels the most protected and Safe and loved to be her father. she would find that comfort, that bond and that relation with that man.
and for Rose that man was luffy. for Rose, luffy was the man who had protected her and her mother when the bad guys were gonna hurt them, he was the man that played with her. the man that cared for her and always told her he loved her, the man who made her feel safe and comfortable. Luffy was the man who had supported her when she was fighting with that older boy, he was the man who had protected her when that older boy's dad had come there.
Luffy was THE man.
After that day at park, Rose wondered what a dad is supposed to be and she had concluded all the above things by observing other kids around her and her own feelings. She has wished to meet her dad many times. she wanted to play with him, ask him to tell her stories, comfort her when mumma got mad at her, and many more things. but as her mumma has told her all her 2 years of life, all this could never happen.
but it was all happening, but it wasn't her dad that played with her, told her stories, comfort her when mumma got mad, no it was not Ace, it was luffy who had done all that, and now Rose wondered if luffy could be that man for her, if luffy could be her dad.
the innocent question was said so silently that only luffy had heard it. and that innocent question had his heart and mind going haywire. the question was simple in Rose's point of view but for Luffy it was the most complex question. he bet it was harder to understand then all the books Robin, Nami and Chopper read.
what was he supposed to answer to that. he wasn't her dad, he could never be, that was Ace's place. Ace, his older dear brother is her dad, not luffy, how can he just say yes to Rose. Rose didn't understand the complexity of her question but any grown up would. luffy knows Rose will be the happiest girl in this world if he said yes, but was it the truth. one cannot just become a dad to a child.
after what happened today, luffy understood that Rose really missed her dad and felt the empty place he left behind in her life. and the little 2 year old Rose was now desperately trying to fill that empty place. she was just a toddler, what did she understand about relations, she just wanted a dad in her life and she deemed luffy fit for that Role. her young toddler mind didn't understand that it was a very hard thing to do. to be a father to someone.
" luffy"
"luffy"
"luffy" luffy was pulled out of his thoughts with a light pat on his shoulder. he focused his attention and saw Jules looking at him. " you got lost in thoughts there." Jules said with a soft smile. luffy just started at her, the question Rose asked still spinning in his mind. " here give her to me, she fell asleep." Jules extended her arms and Luffy absent mindedly gave Rose to Jules.
still in a daze, luffy got up and walked out the door, not really noticing the confused and concerned looks the crew gave him. he needed to think, again, he really needed to to think to understand what he should answer Rose.
as he left, the crew looked at this retriting form confused and worried. luffy was never so silent. " o...oi, what was that just now?" Ussop asked " luffy is never the one to be so silent and have a blank face." Jimbe pointed out " do you think maybe he is thinking about Ace, because of what Rose chan said?" franky said, " yeah he might be thinking about that, Rose chan was really scared that luffy would leave her like Ace did. luffy really is precious to her, but the mention of Ace must have triggered him." nami said concerned about the captain.
" I dont think so, Ace has been mentioned many time and luffy dosent get like this anymore with that, since he reunited with Sabo kun, luffy hasn't got triggered because of mention of Ace." Robin said deep in thought, having her own hunch about what it might be that triggered luffy to be silent.
"guys lets go outside, Rose is finally asleep and I hope she dosent get another nightmare, lets talk outside so we dont diturb her." Jules said tucking Rose in the bed as the little girl slept soundly.
everyone agreed and they all moved out and into the galley. everyone excluding luffy Sat at the dining table as sanji served some refreshments. " ne Robin, what do you think happened to luffy?" chopper asked sipping his orange juice. " well, I think it has something to dow ith Rose chan's nightmare. i mean it must have shocked him that such a young girl had such a scary nightmare, we know luffy, if we think about it being alone and left off is one of luffy's fear. seeing that fear in Rose chan's eyes must have triggered him. he takes care of her like she is his on daughter, that incident just now must have hurt him, he must be feeling like he is not doing enough to make rose chan feel safe." Robin explained her views.
" I don't know, what you are saying makes sense but still I don't think its that." Jimbe said still thinking what happened to luffy.
everyone's attention was moved to the door as it creeked open and a worried and confused-looking luffy entered. " everyone, I need to talk to Jules,........ alone."