6 Time skip

It's been 3 years since I met Luffy and we became brothers. Although he is very childish, I don't really care. I enjoy his company and we like to go hunting together. I didn't realise it at first but that small missing piece that bothered me since I got here, disappeared. I finally got something to protect it would seem. And in the future, I will get more of that. I was content with my situation here and even the urge to go out and sail wasn't as strong anymore. 

I just enjoyed spending time with Luffy, Garp and Makino. They were all great company, even if they were a bit stupid at times. Luffy had an extremely high EQ but his IQ was average at best. That didn't bother me though, as I could be the brains in our family. I was also much stronger than Luffy and Garp seemed interested in my strength. 

We are now both 7 years old. I am a few months older than Luffy but that didn't matter much. Our day would consist of us building the treehouse a bit and then going exploring and hunting. Luffy got a bit stronger since I met him, due to him carrying the game after we killed it. 

I didn't grow that much stronger in this time, because there wasn't anything that could challenge me, except Garp. But he usually just throws us into a ravine to 'train' us or one time he even bound us to a few balloons. He should never raise children, that man is crazy. But it wasn't that bad. He seemed to care for Luffy very much. And I could sense that he also started to care for me a bit. I'm not sure to what extent but he asked me to call him Grandpa one day. 

.

(Flashback)

"Grandpa? Why should I call you that?", I asked Garp after he told me to call him Grandpa.

"Because you are like my grandson. And since you don't have anyone else, I'll take this position. Someone has to teach you how to become a man after all."

"I believe that I am perfectly capable of becoming a man on my own. However ... having a Grandpa would be nice.", I said with a small smile. This made Garp have a big smile. It seemed like he really did care about me. 

"Good then. Now you have a brother and a Grandpa."

"Yes, that's good. Now I have someone else to protect."

"What do you mean?"

"A man is at his strongest when he has something to protect. And now that I have two people to protect, that makes me even stronger.", I say with full conviction. Over the years this belief has become my own and I truly feel like that is true. 

My words seemed to surprise Garp. He didn't expect a child of barely 5 years of age to spout such words. He saw how serious I was and understood that I fully believed that. He smiled and looked at me. 

"You will become a good Marine in the future."

"And who said I want to become a Marine, Grandpa?"

"Oh, you called me grandpa, BWAHAHAHA ... eh? wait a minute. You BRAT! You will become a Marine!"

*Bonk*

"Urgh, it still hurts. What a monster you are Grandpa."

"If you want to have me teach you, you will have to become a marine.", he said with a smile, thinking he tricked me into joining the Marines. 

"I will become strong with or without your help. And whether or not I'll join the Marines, is something I'll have to see for myself in the future. I won't make a decision just now."

"Hm. Is that so? Well, we'll see in the future then."

(End of Flashback)

.

A year ago, a pirate ship docked in our small town. The pirate ship had the jolly roger of a realistic-looking skull with a pair of crossed sabres behind it. It has two red stripes with black outlines that cross diagonally across the skull's left eye socket. The Red Hair Pirates had come to Foosha Village. 

Akagami Shanks was the captain of this crew and already a powerful pirate in his own right. He was the future Yonko after all. The crew had just come from stealing the Gomu Gomu no mi from a ship owned by the World Government that was guarded by CP9 agent Who's-Who.

Luffy was instantly attracted to the pirates and to Shanks especially. He just enjoyed their free spirits and the fact that they could go on adventures and be free in general. Luffy spent almost every moment with the Akagami Pirates and asked them to tell him about their adventures. Most of the time, they were in the Party's Bar where Makino would serve them food and drinks. 

I would stay where Luffy was most of the time and just enjoy the food I got. To pay the exorbitant amounts of food, Luffy ate, I would sometimes go and catch something to eat and help Makino cook the things. That way, we didn't have a mile-long receipt. 

Luffy was getting frustrated with Shanks and his refusal to let him join the crew and go on an adventure with him. So today he chose to prove to everyone that he was indeed brave and wasn't scared of pain. 

.

Luffy stood on the figurehead and looked at everyone. He was holding a knife in his hand.

"Oi Luffy! What are you trying to do?!", Shanks asked him.

"I'm really serious! I'm so pissed! I'm gonna prove it to you!", Luffy said.

"Hehehehe. Yeah, do it! I don't know what you're gonna do though!", Shanks said.

Luffy then took the knife in both hands and stabbed himself under his left eye to prove that he was worthy to be a pirate. 

"Ouch!!"

"You idiot! What are you doing?!"

.

"Cheers guys!"

"To Luffy's guts and our great journey!"

In Party's Bar, the Akagami Pirates were drinking, eating and messing around while enjoying themselves. Nothing serious happened to Luffy but he had a plaster for his wound. When I saw the wound I got mad and bonked Luffy on the head.

"What an idiot you are. Stop hurting yourself Luffy!", I said to him while he was holding his head.

"Ouch. It hurts!", Luffy said. He had some happy tears in his eyes though when he saw the others party that much. 

"Oh, it didn't hurt at all!", he proudly declared.

"That's a lie! Don't do such a stupid thing.", Shanks told him.

"It's not a lie! I'm not scared of getting hurt! Take me on your next voyage! I wanna be a pirate too!", Luffy said.

"Ehehehehe. As if you could be a pirate! It's a fatal flaw for a pirate to be an anchor!", Shanks said. He was teasing Luffy about his inability to swim. I was able to swing of course but Luffy still wasn't. I offered to teach him, but he didn't want at that time. 

"I'll be ok, as long as I don't fall out of the ship! And I'm good at fighting too! I'm well-trained, so my punches are like pistols! Tell him Bad.", Luffy said wanting me to support him.

"It's true that you have gotten stronger, but I'm not sure that they're like pistols yet."

"They are!"

"If you say so."

"Pistols? Oh, really?", Shanks said with an unbelieving face. 

"What's that mean?!", Luffy screamed at him.

"Oi Luffy! Your in such a bad mood!", Pirate nr. 1 said.

"Have fun whatever you're doing.", Yasopp said.

"Yes, being a pirate is fun!", Lucky Roux said.

"The sea is bound and vast.", Pirate nr. 2 said.

"We're travelling to various islands!", Pirate nr. 3 said.

"Above all, we're free!", Pirate nr. 4 said.

Luffy looked at them with a hearing expression. The idea of freedom was what Luffy wanted above all. He wanted to go on adventures and be free more than anything in the world. 

"Guys, don't teach him such silly stuff.", Shanks said.

"But it's true right?"

"Boss, why not take him on just one voyage?"

"I think so too."

"Then somebody trade places with him.", Shanks told them.

"Okay! We're done talking! Let's drink!"

"Didn't you side with me?!", Luffy asked them.

"In short, you're too much of a kid. I'll consider if, when you're 10 years older!", Shanks told Luffy.

"Stupid Shanks! I'm not a kid!"

"Now now. Don't get mad. Have some juice!"

"Wow, thanks!", Luffy said and began to drink juice.

"See, you are a kid! Ha!"

"That wasn't fair, Shanks!"

.

"Luffy you gotta understand how Boss feels.", Beckman said.

"First mate."

"There's no denying that he's the head of a pirate group. He knows how tough and dangerous being a pirate is, better than anybody. Don't you see? It's not like he wants to break your spirit."

"No, I don't! Shanks is just making fun of me!", Luffy says.

"Anchor!", Shanks says.

"See?!"

.

"I guess you're having fun as usual.", Makino says.

"Yeah, I like teasing him.", Shanks says.

"Luffy, do you want to eat something too?", Makino asks Luffy.

"Uh-huh."

"You know Luffy you should really not let your brother pay for all of the food that you eat. Otherwise, he won't get to have fun while you don't do anything.", Shanks says.

"Hmmm ... no, Bad would tell me if that was the case. He is very strong and knows what he wants.", Luffy says after thinking. 

"Is that so? Then what do you want Bad?", Shanks asks me while I am drying a glass. 

"I already have what I want right here.", I say and look at Luffy.

Shanks sees my gaze and understands. He probably makes the assumption that I won't be a very strong man in the future because my ambition isn't that powerful, but he's wrong. My ambition is bigger than anything Luffy dreams about. Because to protect something, you have to be stronger than them. And Luffy will get very powerful in the future, so in order to protect him and Grandpa, I will have to grow powerful as well. But I don't sweat the details too much. 

.

"Shanks."

"What?"

"How much longer are you gonna stay in this village?", Luffy asks.

"Let's see ... We're gonna go on a couple of voyages, then leave this village to head north."

"A couple of voyages, huh?"

"I'll practice swimming while you're here!", Luffy says.

"That's good. Knock yourself out."

At this moment the door gets knocked down and a few people enter Party's Bar. 

"Pardon us. So these are "pirates." Look pretty damn dumb.", the leader says and they walk in until they stand in front of the bar. 

"We're mountain bandits. But we ain't here to tear up the place. Sell us some booze.", the man says.

"I'm sorry. I just ran out of alcohol.", Makino says.

"Hm? These pirates seem to be drinking something ... What is it water?"

"No, what they're drinking is the last of it.", Makino informs him.

"My apologies. Looks like we drank the whole place dry. Sorry!", Shanks says, "You can have this if you'd like. It hasn't been opened yet.", Shanks tells them and offers them a bottle of alcohol.

The man looks at Shanks for a moment and then smashes the bottle in his face. 

"Hey, you bastard! Who do you think I am? One bottle ain't even enough for a bedtime drink!", the Bandit says.

"Haaa, the floor's all wet!"

"Look at this. There's an 8 million berry bounty on my head. I've killed 56 people. They were all impudent like you. So be careful hereafter. But, since we're in the mountains and you're in the sea, I don't think we'll see each other again."

Shanks squatted to the floor and picked up the slices of the bottle. 

"Sorry about that Makino-san. Do you have a rag?", he asks.

"I'll do it.", I say and walk around the counter to begin cleaning it up. 

The bandit unsheaths his sword and then swipes it across the counter, breaking a lot of plates and glass. 

"Seems you like to clean. Then maybe you'll find this more fulfilling.", the man says and smirks. He looks at what Shanks will do, as does everyone else. But that doesn't bother me. I begin to clean the mess up without sparing the idiots a glance. 

The pirate takes the silence of Shanks as a win and then begins to walk away. But when he sees me cleaning he is unhappy about that and picks me up at the shirt. I don't react to this though and just let it happen. I look the man in the eye without saying anything.

"You little runt are quite the character, eh? Cleaning up here when the grown-ups are talking."

"..."

I don't say anything and just look at him with a stoic expression. He is getting on my nerves though. 

"Not talking then? Maybe I should teach you a lesson."