"Luffy, don't you owe me an apology?" Luffy's Grandpa looked almost like a carbon copy of Luffy himself. It almost made Faythe wanna go straight up to the old man and memorize his face into the depths of her mind. Just having them next to the other scratched her brain in a strange way.
He stood so confidently that it reminded her of Luffy when he introduces himself to anybody he likes on first sight. Maybe it was the eyes, the scar, or maybe just that wide smile. It looked like an older Luffy.
Faythe could only stare wide eyed at the marine before them.
And Luffy was too busy trying to ease the massive bump growing on his forehead.
"By 'Garp,' you mean the Hero of the Marines!?" Nami asked with furrowed brows.
"A mighty warrior among soldiers?" Wyper quirked his head.
"Or just a verrrrrryyyy awkward family reunion..." Faythe whispered, "I was expecting monkeys honestly..."
Sanji turned to his Captain, "Luffy! Is he really your Grandpa!?"
"Yup! Don't mess with him!! You'll get killed..!!!" Luffy warned, "Grandpa has nearly killed me on many occasions in the past."
"So... A veeeeerrrryy bad family reunion?" Faythe whispered to Nami.
"Shut up, Fae!" Nami whisper shouted.
Luffy's Grandpa—Garp—huffed at his grandson's reasoning, "Hey, hey, don't say such a scandalous thing." As if he were feeling irked at how his Grandson was introducing him to his friends, "I pushed you over bottomless cliffs, threw you into the jungle at night, tied you on a balloon and sent you flying in the sky... All that was done so that you could become a strong man!!" He looked way too proud after saying all those torturous endeavors.
Sanji looked on with great terror at the wake up call he just listened to, "—I think I just saw the root of Luffy's endless determination of never giving up."
Garp released a sigh, "In the end, I entrusted him to a friend of mine and trained him with Ace, But as soon as I took my eyes off of him, this happened..." He the glared at Luffy accusingly, "I trained you to be a strong marine!!"
Luffy jumped up to his feet and hollered back, "I always said I wanna be a pirate!!"
"NONSENSE! YOU'RE JUST UNDER THE BAD INFLUENCE OF THAT RED HAIR!!" Garp shouted furiously.
"M-me—???" Faythe nervously laughed quietly as she pointed at herself.
Luffy quickly shouted back as he immediately knew what his Grandpa was talking about, "SH-SHANKS SAVED MY LIFE!! DON'T SPEAK ILL OF HIM!!"
Garp retaliated instantly by grabbing the collar of Luffy's tank top, "Are you telling your own grandfather what to do!!?"
Luffy waved his hands frantically, "GYAAAHHH, IM SORRY!!" He shut his eyes tightly as if bracing for another 'love fist.'
"Oh shit...!! He doesn't even try to fight against his grandfather!!" Sanji gasped.
"Oh my gosh!! A marine captured Luffy!!" Chopper rushed to Faythe and hid behind her legs.
"Luffy!!" Nami called out worriedly.
But before anything could even commence, they had both stopped what they were doing and immediately went to sleep mid-conversation. Snot bubbles appearing from both personnels.
"EEEHH!!? THEY FELL ASLEEP!!?
"—NO WAY!! WHAT SHOULD WE DO!!?"
"WE'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS!!"
Garp blinked out of his slumber and took a moment to process to realize he fell asleep, "Ohh... Crap, I fell asleep!!" He then turned his narrowed eyes to his still sleeping grandson in his grip, "NU!? WAKE UP, LUFFY!! HOW CAN YOU DISPLAY SUCH AN ATTITUDE WHEN IM IN THE MIDDLE OF SCOLDING YOU!!?
A punch to the head was what Luffy received, "GYAAHHH!!"
"FIRST OF ALL, HOW DARE YOU SPEAK LIKE THAT TO YOUR OWN GRANDFATHER!!??"
And another punch...
"GYAAHHH!!"
/:/~***~/:/
"It hurts!!!" Luffy fell to the ground again, rolling around while holding his head.
Garp ignored his whining, "Listen, do you even know what kind of a guy that red hair is!?"
Faythe would be lying if she said she didn't care about the conversation. I mean.. Who else gets to hear about another red head that saved Luffy's life and gave him that iconic Strawhat. She sat down on the table and crisscrossed.
Luffy perked up at the question, "Shanks!? Are Shanks and the others okay!? Where are they!?" He interrogated.
"Whether or not he's okay..." Garp irked, "There are numerous pirates out there. However, he is now one of the four most powerful pirates alongside Whitebeard. We call those pirates, who reign like emperors over the latter half of the Grandline, the 'Yonko'!!"
The name Whitebeard scratched Faythe's brain funny, as if it were something important to remember.
"The marine headquarters and the warlords exist in order to counter-balance these four!! Their power is so influential that the peace of the world would crumble if these three powers became unbalanced." Garp informed his clueless grandson.
Luffy took his hat and examined the inside rim, "I don't really understand, but I'm happy to hear they're doing fine. I miss them..."
Faythe smiled at his obliviousness of how the world around him works, 'Such a silly idiot~!' She thought.
"He has a connection with that red hair...!?"Robin looked over towards Faythe with furrowed brows. As if the dots were trying to align themselves together but some pierces were missing to confirm a forming theory of her's.
Nami hummed, "Luffy's taking care of that Strawhat on behalf of him. I didn't know he was such an influential man." She shrugged.
A sudden ruckus was heard from outside as it seemed the back of the marine formation had been thrown out of sorts by a putter party joining the fray.
Garp glanced over his shoulder curiously, "Hmm? What's going on!?"
"That," Faythe took a bite from a some leftovers Sanji put down for her, "Would be our Vice-Captain, Mr. Marine." She glanced at him sharply.
"The Blood Raven Fae, herself." Garp noted briefly. His eyes lingered on her red hair for a moment before glancing at his Grandson with even more intensity. But his face soon split into an enormous grin as he shifted back to the growing ruckus outside, "It's Pirate Hunter Zoro, the other one with a bounty on his head." He recognized, "I see... Luffy's Nakama, right? He seems to be doing well." He seemed to get even more excited, "Well, guys... Try to stop him...!!" He ordered to two specific people.
"Yes, sir!!"
And with that the battle commenced.
Faythe took the plate full of salted crackers and went to go grab her book full of notes.
"Where are you going...?" Wyper questioned, "Aren't you going to watch?"
"Nah... Luffy and Zoro got this." She bit into another cracker and ate it in one bite, "Im going to go write down the info that Garp graciously informed us."
Wyper hummed, "I respect the amount of trust you place in them." He crossed his arms, surveying the area of damage, "Perhaps I could be of some help."
Faythe raised a brow, "Are you offering to help me write down my drafts...?"
"Maybe not write but maybe I-I could just p-proof read them... find anything you wish to not be there...??" Wyper fumbled with his words, "I do not think I am capable of writing or forging any of these tales into simple words." His wings fidgeted, curling and unfolding themselves, "But maybe it seems I'm overstepping your boundaries—"
"—Yes."
Wyper blinked, "Huh?" His hand was already getting grabbed hold off as he was dragged after an overjoyed red head.
"Help me carry the books! Then we can start the first draft of everyone's battles..!!" Faythe smiled brightly.
Wyper's small figdeting wings spread out in relief as he saw that Faythe was fine with his offer. Even if it may not really be of much help, "Of course, my lady."
/:/~***~/:/
Once they came back with arms full of overstuffed journals and notebooks, Garp was apparently rebuilding the said wall he tore down to make an absolutely crazy entrance—which Faythe felt was actually a really cool entrance for introducing yourself to your grandson's enemy pirate crew.
"I thought your Grandpa was a VIP." Sanji quipped.
"I don't really know much about his work." Luffy answered truthfully.
"It just means he's a Jack of all trades." Faythe laughed as she placed down all her items on the table. Wyper placing down the books and turning the pages to the exact event that she needed for her drafts.
Luffy turned and saw the items, his eyes brightened as he noticed a small chest, "Is that what I think it is?" He rushed over.
Faythe put on her glasses and glanced at the small treasure box already in her Captain's hands, "Yep. I recently got another letter from Vivi. It's about the rising abundance of offers that the people gave to have another book published after reading the first one." She handed him a key—in which he pried the box open with the given key.
He eyed the letters, even opening them to look at the long listing of words that he doesn't even bother reading. He only received the bare minimum of literary education from Makino. He can only spot a few words and make out a small summation of what the letter is about. He sat on top of the table next to where she was writing diligently, "Hey is this one from Mister Acorn?"
Faythe didn't even look up from her writing as she answered, "Yeah, Cricket had to sail for a few island over before he found a bookstore that had a copy of my first book." She smiled at the thought of him diligently sailing each week just to see if the book was published, "He said that he's proud of what we accomplished and wishes to meet Wyper after everything."
"Me...???" Wyper furrowed his brows, "Why does he wish to see me?"
Faythe smiled and leaned into the palm of her hand, "Because Cricket is a decadent of the famous Noland the Liar. The same one that was besties with your very own shandorian ancestor."
Wyper froze and looked at Faythe with an incredulous look, "His linage still lives on?"
"You should probably read my first book if you wish to learn about his story." Faythe turned back to her work as she scrawled across the paper about the train fight.
Wyper looked down at the drafts and then back at the bought first book they had gotten after their little shopping trip in Water 7. He slowly grabbed the book and started flipping through it with a curious look.
Luffy glanced between them with a blank look before watching Faythe's diligent attempt at catching up with the present situation. With his mind wandering away from the box full of treasured letters, he was seen just sitting there, watching her with a small smile.
Garp looked up from his work, a nail in his mouth. But what he caught was a situation that left his mind spiraling. His very own grandson watching someone—a girl—with such tenderness that he was caught with his guard down in a room with him in it. But there was a problem with this wholesome scene.
It was the girl herself.
Well not really her, herself.
It was the people connected to her. Those who would do anything for her if she so just asked for it on a whim.
His temper flared at the thought of them—so much that the nail in his mouth was bent by his teeth, "By the way, Luffy." He tried capturing his son's attention from the red head, "I heard you met your dad."
That last statement seemed to catch everyone's attention, even Faythe's.
Luffy looked up with a blank look, "Eh? Dad? What do you mean, dad...? I have a dad?"
Garp decided now was a great time to start picking at his nose with this seemingly boring topic, "Oh what? He didn't introduce himself...? I heard he saw you off at Logue Town!"
Nami, Zoro, and Sanji all perked up at the familiar town, "Logue Town..."
"Luffy's dad was in that town!?"
Luffy tilted his head confused.
"I wonder what Luffy's father is like..." Nami questioned out loud.
Garp hammered away on the broken nail he took out of his mouth, "Your father's name is Monkey D. Dragon, the Revolutionary Leader."
"—Eh??"
Luffy continued to look on cluelessly, "Dragon...eh?"
"EH!?"
"EEEEEEEEGGGGGHHHHHH!!!???"
"D-DRAGON THE REVOLUTIONARY LEADER HAS A SON!!?"
"LUFFY-SAN IS THE DRAGON'S SON!!?"
"THEN...!! DRAGON IS THE SON OF VICE ADMIRAL GARP!!!?"
"WHAT'S UP WITH HIS FAMILY!!?"
"ITS MY FIRST TIME HEARING DRAGON'S FULL NAME!!"
"Such an impact this man has from just learning his full name..." Wyper shrugged.
"He seems like a big guy..." Faythe muttered to Luffy.
He in turn nodded slowly, "Why is everyone panicking??"
Sanji immediately turned on Luffy—making both Faythe and Wyper jump from his aggressiveness, "IDIOT!! I CAN UNDERSTAND WYPER, BUT WHY HAVEN'T YOU HEARD THE NAME DRAGON!??
Nami almost started shaking Luffy, "Your father is a really outrageous man!!"
Luffy blanked out and turned to Faythe to simplify it, "Hey, Fae."
Faythe immediately turned to Robin, "Hey, Robin!"
She was already on it, "How should I explain this...?" She held her chin in thought, "Pirates... Don't usually initiate attacks on governments or marines. However, there's a force that attempts to directly overthrow the World Government. That's the 'Revolutionary Army;' Dragon stands at its zenith."
"Zenith means, the high point, meaning he's the Captain of it all." Faythe whispered to Luffy.
Luffy finally nodded in understanding, "Must be a big guy."
"Propaganda is spread throughout the world, provoking revolutions in many kingdoms, and causing the downfall of many countries." Robin informed, "Of course the government got angry... They labeled Dragon, the one pulling the strings, as the 'Worst Criminal in the World' and has been looking for him ever since. He was such a mysterious man that no one knew anything about his identity... But..." She hesitated.
Luffy frowned, "But??"
"Ack—!" Garp suddenly facepalmed as if a thought had just occurred to him. He then turned to the group with a slightly worried look, "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything!!" He then carried on to laugh like it was an entire joke, "BWAHAHAHA—!! Then... Never mind what I just said." He waved them off with a cheeky smile.
"EEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH!!?"
It seems everyone had been unintentionally trauma dumped but not actually trauma dumped.
It's funny how silly Luffy's family is.
/:/~***~/:/
Wanted to drop this here for future reference on what Faythe's redemption arc is gonna look like.
(This is Post-Timeskip Fae)
Also should I start showing some redesigns of Corbett and his crew members that have been introduced so far?
Word Count:(2474)