Chapter 12

"Wah!" Chopper called out. "So we're inside Luffy's head?"

"It was dark and empty enough to be," Sanji stated, thinking of the darkness they'd seen before.

"Yohohoho," Brook laughed. "Sanji-san is harsh!"

"But what about Luffy?" Usopp questioned, gripping his hair anxiously. "I mean, he's ok right?"

"I don't know," Robin answered with a sigh. "All I know is that this must be part of Luffy's mind. His memories… so of course it makes sense that no one can see or hear us or why we can't touch anything! We're merely witnessing a part of our captain's past."

"Ok," Sanji said, looking around at the trees. "So that means that nothing can see or hear us here… heck they can't even touch us! That I do get… but how do we get out of here? And where's Luffy?"

Suddenly, Garp stopped moving, and they all froze—forgetting that if this was a memory—he shouldn't be able to hear them. "There you are!" Garp called loudly to something that had moved among some thick bushes. "Come out here!"

Suddenly a small figure, dirty and tired came stumbling through the thick foliage and they all gasped at what they saw. It was Luffy… but a child Luffy who looked no older than four or five years old. He was tiny, dressed in a torn shirt with the picture of a seagull on it, and dirty white shorts. He wasn't wearing his signature straw hat and he didn't have the scar under his eye as he came towards Garp, looking starved. As if he had been running around in the jungle all night.

"I guess that settles it," Zoro said, staring at Luffy's small figure as he pulled himself free of the plants and came up to his grandfather.

"Well, wasn't he cute?" Robin smiled as she looked at the little boy.

"Yohoho," Brook said leaning over so that he could get a better look at Luffy. "Luffy-san," he said. "You got so small!"

"Yeah, but what happened to him?" Sanji asked, almost gaping at what he was seeing. "He looks like he hasn't slept or eaten for days."

"G-Grandpa," Luffy stuttered tiredly, coming to a stop in front of the intimidating figure of Garp.

"Now, how was your weekend in the jungle?" Garp asked happily, patting Luffy fondly on the head.

"I didn't sleep at all," Luffy complained as his stomach roared with hunger. "And some giant bears tried to eat me," he added as he put his hands on his stomach.

Garp laughed as he clapped him on the shoulder. "But you survived! That's what matters."

"He doesn't seem concerned that his grandson was almost eaten does he?" Franky asked deadpanned.

Chopper came up close to Luffy, who didn't even look at him, and looked at the cuts. "These are some pretty bad cuts!" he cried out worriedly. "He needs them checked out."

"What does Garp mean by his weekend in the jungle?" Usopp repeated frowning. "He's making it sound like he just left Luffy out here in the jungle and expected him to survive on his own."

"Didn't Garp mention that he used to leave Luffy in the jungle at night when we met him back at Water 7?" Sanji asked, trying hard to think back.

"He said what?" Brook asked in surprise.

Nami clapped a hand to her forehead. "So we're back that far in Luffy's memories?"

Luffy was now sucking his thumb as his grandfather took him to a small clearing through the thick trees, where they all got a surprise to see several large monkeys there. Garp then practically threw Luffy at them, yelling at him to start fighting.

"What?" Chopper demanded furiously. "He's making him fight without checking out those cuts? They could get infected if not treated! Especially with all this humid air and bacteria in the jungle!"

But Luffy didn't complain as he started to fight… he was slow and clumsy compared to the monkeys, but he did alright dodging them at first. But soon, he was hit from all sides until he was forced to do a face-plant and skidded to a stop at his grandfather's feet.

"Can someone explain to me what's going on?" Franky whispered as Luffy jumped back up to his feet and complained, rubbing the back of his head, "Grandpa! Why do I have to fight these guys?"

"That's what I want to know," Usopp whispered. "I mean, he's doing pretty good so far, but he's just a little kid!"

The monkey behind him was making noises and they looked to see him in a boxing stance, throwing out punches as if to challenge him again.

"Training," was Garp's answer.

"I'm almost afraid to ask for what," Franky said.

"Training?" Luffy asked confused. "But I'm hungry! And I'm tired of being hit!"

"Even back then, his stomach comes first," Sanji sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I guess some things never change."

"Well, to be fair, apparently he's been in this place for a couple days with no food or sleep," Robin pointed out just as two more monkeys joined the first, wanting for a fight.

Garp said, "Don't be soft! One day you're gonna become the world's strongest marine!"

"Marine? Yeah, right," Nami said as the rest of the Straw Hats nodded behind her. "I can't picture Luffy in some stuck-up place like Marine Headquarters following rules, do any of you?"

"No," they all said at once and without any hesitation.

Apparently Luffy thought so too. "Marine?" he repeated before frowning and said, "I'm not gonna be a marine… I'm gonna be a pirate!"

"He's got guts even back then," Zoro smirked, looking at Garp's angry expression.

"What?" he demanded, now ignoring all the other monkeys and shouted out, "Don't be stupid!"

He then raised his fist and punched Luffy so hard that he was knocked back and a giant bump appeared on his head. "OUCH!" Luffy shouted out, his eyes watering in pain. "Grandpa's fist hurts the most!"

"The old man sure is quick to resort to violence isn't he?" Usopp said nervously. "Makes me wonder how Luffy lived passed his childhood with a gramps like that."

"I don't believe it!" Nami hissed in outrage. "He leaves his grandson all alone in the jungle for a few days, before tells him to start fighting, and then hits him?"

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