Hi everyone, what's up? I've never done anything like this before, but after reading so many promising stories get abandoned right when I became attached to them I was starting to get frustrated. So, I figured I'd try it out for myself rather than complain!

This first chapter is pretty dark, and I don't want to give the impression that this story is going to totally go against the spirit of One Piece itself. I do want a story with a stronger, slightly more damaged Luffy though – he'll be his happy-go-lucky self most of the time, but those emotions will always be lurking under the surface. I figured I had to have something serious cause that in order to make the change meaningful, and this first chapter is the idea I had which inspired me to create this story in the first place.

As a newbie, any advice or comments you have to offer me would be much appreciated. Ideas about story direction are great too! I have the general story arc already mapped out, and I'm 100% locked in on the Luffy-Nami pairing. Beyond that, I'm happy to listen to your ideas and give credit if I like/use them!

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy Inherited Will!

I don't own One Piece, unfortunately

Chapter 1

It started as a normal day in the sleepy Foosha Village. Removed from the hustle and bustle of the larger Goa Kingdom, residents of the small fishing town calmly went about their daily routines. Even for an East Blue settlement Foosha was remarkably quiet, and while this sometimes bored the children their parents were quite content. They considered themselves quite lucky they weren't forced to raise a family in one of the stronger Blues, let alone the Grand Line. Ever since the beginning of the Great Pirate Era, most of the world had become quite dangerous for the average citizen.

Indeed, the residents of Foosha could only remember coming into contact with a single pirate crew, some seven years ago now. The group has since gained infamy on both sides of the Red Line, but outside of a scuffle with some mountain bandits did little to disturb the peace besides loudly partying late into the night. The captain of that crew, a thin man with dark-red hair known only as Shanks, brightened the day of even the most suspicious villagers with his jovial nature and (mostly) honorable behavior.

Shanks and his crew were well-liked throughout Foosha, and many were sad to see them depart when the time came for the crew to search for new adventures. However, two people were affected more than any others by the departure of the great pirates. One was a young boy who dreamed of being a pirate despite not knowing how to swim; the other, a young barkeep who served as a surrogate mother for the young child. Both were drawn in by the captain's easy charm, and had their lives irrevocably changed as a result.

The boy received both the power and the inherited will necessary to not only fulfill his dreams, but to one day change the world forever. As for the woman? Her relationship with the great pirate may have produced something even more important.

And so our story begins…

Monkey D. Luffy raced down the road, a large grin plastered on his face. 'I can't wait to see Makino! Hopefully she has lots of meat ready!" the young boy thought to himself as he continued on his sprint.

The 14-year-old hadn't been able to see Makino as much as he would have liked recently. Ever since he moved in with Dadan and the mountain bandits, it was rare for him to journey too far outside of the mountains. The bond he had formed with his adopted brothers, Ace and Sabo, kept him attached to their side at all times, whether that meant hunting giant beasts, playing pirates in their secret hideout or scrounging for parts in Grey Terminal. Even after Sabo's tragic death, a memory that made Luffy's blood turn cold whenever it resurfaced from his repressed thoughts, Ace and Luffy continued their adventures from dawn to dusk.

Luffy wasn't the type to have any regrets about the way he spent his time, unless he happened to go more than an hour without eating. He had a bit of a selfish streak, and usually did whatever he wanted to at that moment, his actions' effect on the wider world be damned. However, he felt a twinge of regret at not making more of an effort to see Makino in the past seven years. The young woman had served as a surrogate mother to him, and Luffy always loved to see her bright smile light up her bar when he would barge in. Not to mention she was a fantastic cook!

'Now that Ace is gone on his journey, I should have a lot more time to come and visit her." Ace had left alone a few days earlier, fulfilling his promise to their lost brother of setting off on an adventure at age 17. Luffy was excited for his brother but longed to be next to him in that dinghy. What was he going to do for the next three years? He was already stronger than any animal in the jungle, and he was fully confident in his ability to control his gum-gum powers.

'I really should have made Ace take me with him, I'm strong enough where he doesn't need to protect me now! What if someone finds the One Piece while I'm stuck here waiting…' Luffy started to pout before a familiar face quickly brought a grin back to his face.

"Mayor Woop Slap! Long time no see!" Luffy approached the old man who had been muttering to himself while staring out to sea. "Whatcha' looking at?"

The mayor was startled, but quickly regained his annoyed countenance upon recognizing the boy. "Oh, it's just you Luffy. Hasn't anyone taught you it's rude to sneak up on an old man!? What exactly do those damn mountain bandits teach you up there?"

His finger buried deeply in his nose, Luffy just shrugged. "They don't teach me anything. That old hag Dadan just yells at me when I try to eat her food."

"Figures," muttered Woop Slap. "Have you at least gotten that crazy idea of being a pirate out of your head? I don't want you bring shame to our town!"

"Nope, never! Shishishi," Luffy replied with a wide smile.

Woop Slap could only sigh. "I don't know why I even bother with you, boy. Maybe your Grandpa will be able to finally knock some sense into you."

"Grandpa!?" Luffy exclaimed. "Gramps is here? Since when?"

"That's why I was looking out to sea boy, I caught sight of the marine flags on the horizon a little while ago," Woop Slap said as he gestured towards the docks. "Although there are far more boats coming than your Grandpa normally brings. What could that old coot Garp be up to?"

"Beats me," replied Luffy, "I just hope I don't get double love punches now that Ace isn't here to get half his attention."

"Well, as the mayor I need to go down and find out. Come with me boy, Makino was asking about you earlier anyway."

"Great!" Luffy exclaimed as the two began to walk towards port, "I was already on my way to see her!"

The two maintained an equal pace for a few minutes, Woop Slap frowning and Luffy giggling all the way. Slowly, Woop Slap's look of annoyance turned to one of confusion. Just that morning Foosha Village had been bustling with its normal level of activity, with residents chatting outside their houses and perusing shops to complete their daily chores. Now, he and Luffy were alone on the road, and an eerie silence had enveloped the area.

"Something's off here," Woop Slap grumbled, "where has everyone run off to?"

There was no answer from Luffy though, as he had started to race ahead. "Mayor, look! There's Makino's bar! There's a whole big crowd surrounding it. I think I see some Marine coats too."

'Figures, that Garp can't help himself with a crowd. He better not be punching through any buildings this time, or I'll definitely be sending him the bill. Marine privileges my ass!' Woop Slap angrily thought as he quickened his pace to try and keep up with the rubber boy.

Luffy shortly reached the edge of the large crowd and began shouting out to people as he passed. "Hey, any chance you've seen Makino? How about Gramps? All this searching has made me really hungry…" Luffy's infectious energy was normally beloved by the villagers, but today all of his questions fell on deaf ears. The villagers acted like he wasn't there at all, continuing to stare ahead with blank faces.

"Everyone's acting like real jerks today," Luffy complained, "I wonder…"

{SMACK} "ENOUGH, WHORE!"

Luffy's train of thought was interrupted by the loud crash and gruff voice, a voice that sent chills down his spine. Luffy's battle instincts flared up, recognizing the direct threat of an enemy. Every part of his being was telling him that the owner of that voice was more trouble than any beast he had come across in the jungle. Gripping his right wrist tightly and preparing for a fight, Luffy leapt into the center of the scrum.

"Alright, just what the hell is going on – MAKINO!?" Luffy could do nothing but gape at the beautiful green haired woman, the closest person to a mother he had ever known, sprawled across the ground, her hands shielding her bloodied face.

A hulking man wearing a Marine Officer's jacket, with "Absolute Justice" written across the back, towered over Makino, while hundreds of his subordinates stood by with weapons at the ready. The man had a floral tropical shirt underneath his uniform, an outfit choice in stark contrast to the intense hatred burning within his dark eyes. The Officer's figure loomed so large that two men standing on top of one another would be unable to look him in the eye; his enormous muscles bulged menacingly against his jacket, reminding Luffy of his grandpa's powerful figure.

"I've had enough of your games, girl," the Marine growled, "do not try and stand in the way of the World Government's justice. We Marines exist to protect the world from scum like you."

Makino coughed up some more blood as she struggled to her knees. "I already told you, I have no idea what you're talking about," she managed to whisper, tears streaming down her face, "I barely know the man you mentioned."

"LIAR!" the man roared before delivering a swift kick to the woman's midsection that sent her tumbling into the wall of her bar. "We already know that bastard Red-Hair occupied this town for nearly a year, you cannot mislead us. Admit the true nature of your relationship or face immediate judgement for your crimes."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT WITH SHANKS!?" As the Marine turned towards the source of the shout, his eyes widened in surprise as a fist sprang at him from several yards away. "AND KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MAKINO!"

The rubber fist impacted the man's jaw, jerking his head to the side. An infuriated Luffy leapt in front of the prone Makino, ready for battle as his arm retracted back to his body with a snap. The surrounding villagers and marines could only react with shock.

"That idiot boy just struck Admiral Akainu!"

"What has Luffy done!? He can't go attack such an important World Government official like that!"

"That kid has a death wish, but I wish I had the same courage to stand up for Makino…"

The murmuring crowd was then silenced by a low laugh. The man revealed to be Marine Admiral Akainu turned his head back to his attacker with a smirk. "You caught me off guard, boy. I didn't figure I'd have to pay attention to my Observation Haki in the weakest of the Blues. And a Devil Fruit user no less!" Akainu's expression quickly hardened. "But now that you have my attention, I'm going to have to kill you."

"Try me," Luffy snarled, "I'm not scared of you ya' bastard! Gum-gum pistol!" Luffy's fist once again raced towards its target, its aim true after countless hours of training with his brothers to perfect his technique. As the attack was moments from impact, Luffy roared, "NO ONE HURTS MY FRIENDS!"

Akainu could see the attack coming this time, but he made no move to dodge. At the last second, his own hand flashed in front of his face, grabbing Luffy's fist and stopping its momentum dead.

Luffy struggled viciously against the Admiral's grip, but it felt as though he was stuck in cement. "Let go you jerk, fight fair!"

"The only thing truly fair in this world is justice, boy" Akainu simply stated. Suddenly, his arm began to glow with a dark-red hue. The villagers began to feel as if they had been thrown into an oven; everyone began to sweat profusely, and some of the elderly even passed out from the sudden shift in temperature. The marine grunts were used to displays of the Admiral's power, but even they began to look uncomfortable as the heat became more oppressive.

"What the hell do you think you're…" Luffy's sentence died in his mouth as he could feel the skin on his right forearm begin to bubble. "AHHHHHH! AHHHHHH!" Luffy was reduced to shrieking in an unholy combination of pain and terror as he flopped across the dirt, as his hand slowly began to melt.

"No one is allowed to spit in the face of justice and survive, not even a child," intoned Akainu as the glow from his lava-like arm began to shine brighter still. The villagers watched in horror, wanting to help the poor boy but trapped in place by the all-consuming fear of drawing Akainu's ire. The marines remained stoic, as though this scene was not an unusual occurrence for them.

With Luffy's arm still trapped within the grasp of his giant left hand, Akainu slowly raised his right arm, preparing to deliver the finishing blow. "Putting you in your place has been amusing enough, but I still have business to settle with that woman. Time to die."

The Admiral's right fist began to drip with magma, and the molten rock left deep holes in the ground wherever it fell. Luffy was so consumed by part of his body being burned alive that he was utterly defenseless; his pupils were gone, replaced by a white sheen that covered his eyes as he thrashed about on the road.

Akainu cocked his fist back and started to swing forward. Maybe on a different day this would have been the end of Monkey D. Luffy and his foolish dream.

Sometimes, fate has different plans for us.

"STOP THIS AT ONCE! THAT BOY IS THE GRANDSON OF THE MARINE HERO GARP, DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM!"

Stunned by the interruption, Akainu halted his attack, and the entire crowd turned their attention to the small old man who had burst into the circle. Mayor Woop Slap had his hands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath. While Luffy had been able to easily leap over the crowd, the mayor had spent the past few minutes struggling to weave his way past all of the bodies. Luckily for Luffy, his timing couldn't have been better.

"Garp's grandson, eh? I had heard rumors that old fool had hidden the devil away somewhere in Goa Kingdom." Akainu finally dropped Luffy's arm from his grasp and allowed his body to return to its normal form. "So, boy, you're the wretched seed of that monster Dragon?"

The mention of that name sent a charge of electricity through the crowd, with people screaming in shock over Luffy's apparent relation to the world's most wanted criminal. Luffy himself had no reaction; while he had regained his senses, all he could do was stare at his right arm. Gone was the healthy, tan skin that covered the rest of his body. What remained would sicken even some of the most hardened guards in the lower levels of Impel Down.

Much of the muscle had been completely burned off, allowing the afternoon sun to dance along his charred bones. What tissue did remain thanks to his body's rubber properties was deeply charred, with long black streaks running from his fingertips all the way to his elbow. His hand had turned completely back, encrusted by rock after the magma had cooled in the air. The smell was perhaps the most sickening, disgustingly similar to the animal meat Luffy loved.

Woop Slap hurried over to the child. "Luffy, are you alright?" He received no response, as Luffy began to hyperventilate with the reality of the damage he suffered setting in.

"You know, it's actually fitting that I meet the son of Dragon on this trip," Akainu chuckled as he began to march towards Luffy and Woop Slap. "It fits right in with my original mission anyway. Before, I wanted to kill the boy to set an example to the rest of this village. Now, my commitment to Absolute Justice commands me to do so. I cannot allow any genes from such a vile bloodline to be spread to future generations!"

Woop Slap positioned himself between the catatonic Luffy and the walking volcano, but he couldn't stop himself from trembling in fear. Akainu continued, "And you, old man, can die as well for harboring such a dangerous criminal in your village. Not to mention allowing a highly wanted pirate crew to occupy you for a year without a single call to the Marines. These crimes cannot be left unpunished!"

Akainu was now towering over the two and raised his massive boot to deliver the final blow. Woop Slap, closed his eyes, preparing for the worst, when a small voice whispered, "please…don't hurt them…you came here for me…"

The Admiral shifted his attention to the green-haired girl who had regained consciousness and was slouching against the wall of her bar. "I'll tell you the truth…Akainu…," Makino managed in between haggard breaths, "just…leave Luffy alone…"

Woop Slap wanted to speak up, but Akainu had already turned to face his original target. Straightening his jacket, he cleared his throat and began to speak. "Makino the barkeep, did you or did you not willingly host the Red-Haired Pirates and their captain, Shanks, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea?"

"Yes"

"And did you or did you not have a close personal relationship with the Emperor Shanks?"

"…Yes"

"Makino, you don't have to do this!" Woop Slap screamed. "Don't say anything crazy!"

"That's enough out of you, geezer," a marine grunt lazily said as he rammed the butt of his rifle into the mayor's skull, "allow the Admiral to continue his questioning in peace."

Woop Slap collapsing to the ground seemed to shake Luffy out of his stupor. "Mayor, are you alright?" Luffy asked, and only then did he notice the scene that was continuing in front of him.

Akainu hadn't allowed Woop Slap to impact him at all, and his next question was dripping with contempt. "Now, whore, were you or were you not in love with Red-Haired Shanks?"

"…Yes…we loved each other," Makino gasped out.

'Love? Makino and Shanks!? What's going on?' Luffy thought to himself as Akainu pushed forward.

"No pirate is capable of love, you foolish girl. Regardless, did you or did you not engage in physical intimacy with Shanks?"

Woop Slap had managed to peel his face out of the dirt, and upon hearing the question he adopted a look of horror. Luffy sat with nothing but a confused expression, trying desperately to understand what was happening. His right arm was buried in the cool dirt, an attempt to dull the roaring pain so that he could think straight.

Makino let loose a quiet sob but managed to steel her will enough to look Akainu directly in the eyes. "Yes, Shanks and I made love many times. That's what people who love each other do, although I suppose you wouldn't know much about that."

A stormy look began to cloud Akainu's face, and his simmering anger cause the temperature to start to rise again. Woop Slap could only slump his shoulders in defeat, now that the secret he had vowed to help protect seven years ago had finally come out. Luffy was more lost than ever. 'I think I heard Ace and Sabo talking about making love once? But when I tried to ask they just knocked me on the head and laughed…'

"Insolent bitch," Akainu growled, "so it turns out our intel was accurate. Then, I have one final question: did you or did you not conceive the child of Red-Haired Shanks?"

Gasps came out from the shocked villagers at the question, and Luffy immediately perked up. That, he was able to understand alright, even if he didn't know how it was possible. As his brain began to work overtime, his recognition of the pain in his arm went away. Thinking wasn't the rubber boy's forte, and he didn't have enough attention to devote to too many things at once.

"No…," Makino sighed, "we tried but never had any luck before it was time for him to set sail." Suddenly, Makino sprang to her feet, her body filled with new-found energy as her pupils burned with rage. "And what's it to you, anyways? What business do you have prying into such a painful part of my past!? WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO TREAT ME AND LUFFY LIKE THIS!?"

"Makino!" Luffy shouted out, and the woman turned to him with a warm smile. "Don't worry, Luffy, everything is going to be – GAHHH!"

Admiral Akainu lifted Makino from the ground by her throat, raising her over ten feet in the air. "What is my business you ask? I work on behalf of the World Government to ensure Absolute Justice in this world, and my superiors agree with me that wiping out evil bloodlines is of essential importance to that mission. Just as we destroyed any trace of the Pirate King's descendants twenty years ago, we have decided to do the same to any pirate viewed as a major threat."

Akainu drew the terrified woman close enough that she could feel the heat emanating off of him. "Whitebeard prefers adoption, Kaido lusts only for death, and Linlin is clever enough to keep her children close." A mad grin began to form on the Admiral's lips, as he said, "that leaves Red-Haired, who was foolish enough to not only bed a civilian, but to leave her entirely unprotected."

Gasping for breath, Makino managed to stutter, "but…but…we never had children! I told you the truth!"

"Am I really supposed to accept the words of a pirate whore?" Akainu scoffed. "Besides, even if by some chance you are telling the truth, you two could always get together again to try and finish the job. I can't allow that."

Tears started to stream down the faces of the older villagers, as they finally accepted what they had known all along, where this encounter had been leading to from the start. Woop Slap could do nothing but pound the road in frustration and sadness until his hands were bloodied. "Makino! I warned you of this day! I tried to protect you, but I could only do so much!" As he inhaled following his shouting, the mayor felt a strong hand grasping his shoulder. Luffy had risen to his feet, his left hand clutching Woop Slap for balance while his mangled right arm remained pressed tightly against his chest.

"Listen, you bastard," spoke Luffy with a cold determination none of the villagers had seen from the happy boy before, "I'll never let anyone hurt my friends while I'm alive, especially not Makino!" Luffy returned to a fighting stance, but this time as a southpaw, keeping his protected. "I won't lose again!"

"Enough, son of Dragon. I'll deal with you later." Akainu turned to his men and ordered, "restrain the boy and maintain the perimeter. Allow no one to interfere."

"Sir, yes sir!" came the resounding reply, as the Marine soldiers rushed in to restrain Luffy. Luffy managed to take down a few with vicious kicks, but his body was in no shape for serious fighting against fully-grown, trained men. Within a few minutes he had been pinned to the ground and was easily restrained despite his squirming. "Don't you dare hurt Makino! Fight me like a man!" Luffy screamed with impotent rage, clawing at the ground with his healthy arm like a caged animal.

"Luffy…" Makino whispered, only ably to watch as her adopted son struggled in futility. Tears again poured down her face, turning to steam as they dropped onto the Admiral's hand, still firmly gripping her neck.

"Ha! A man you say? You have some nerve to say that being such a weak little boy." Akainu waved his free hand at Luffy dismissively. "If I didn't know for sure, I'd never believe that you were related to Garp and that bastard Dragon. How could someone from that bloodline possibly be so weak?"

Those words cut deep into Luffy's soul as he redoubled his efforts to escape. "Weak!? I'm not weak you idiot! I'm the man who's going to become King of the Pirates!"

Akainu snorted out, "no, you're not. You're the boy that's going to die as soon as I'm done with this woman." Shifting his stoic glare back to Makino, he asked, "any last words?"

"NO! MAKINO!" Luffy's wails became louder and louder, tears and snot now both flowing freely across his face. The villagers could only look on with tears of their own, clutching their loved ones in an attempt to find any salvation from the terrible scene before them. They knew the end was near.

Makino did as well, and yet she managed to compose herself. "Yes, I do," she replied, then struggled to shift in the Admirals grip enough to face Luffy. "Luffy, sweet boy, please look at me."

Luffy craned his neck upwards, his face bright red and his sacred straw hat crushed under the knee of some marine soldier. Gone was the image of a brave warrior standing up for his home. Reading Luffy's face, all that was left was the scared 14-year-old he really was. 'If only Ace was here, we could have done something! We could have protected Makino, and he could have protected me!' Luffy thought as the sobs racked his body.

Makino's own eyes again filled with tears as she looked down at her beloved Luffy, picturing the child who had been so sad to see his mentor Shanks leave. 'And yet,' she remembered, 'by the end he had managed to turn Luffy's crying into tears of joy. Shanks was always good at that, knowing just the right thing to say…'

"Luffy, listen to me!" Makino cried out. "None of this is your fault! Shanks and I made a decision as two people who loved each other, and we both understood the consequences. I knew this moment might come one day, and I accepted that risk!" Makino gasped as Akainu suddenly tightened his grip

"Your time is running out, girl. Do not try my patience."

Makino managed to collect her breath and continue, "Luffy…I have always loved you like a son. I will never be able to rest peacefully if I was the reason you had to abandon your dream!"

"Don't talk like that, Makino!" Luffy exclaimed through his weeping. "Don't you dare give up!"

But the woman pushed forward undeterred. "Luffy, you need to make me a promise, just like the one you made with Shanks. You need to promise me that you won't ever give up on your dream! That you'll do whatever it takes to become strong enough to protect yourself and all of the new friends you make on your journey! That you'll push forward no matter what happens!"

"But Makino…"

"No buts, Luffy! PROMISE ME!"

Her shout was so filled with emotion, it felt as though the entire world stood still for a few moments. The entire island went silent, and even Akainu's eyes widened in surprise at the powerful energy he could feel from this frail woman's will. 'So this is why you chose her, Red-Haired…' the Admiral mused to himself.

Luffy was left with a slack jaw from her outburst, but he managed to recover enough to give her a small nod through his sniffling. "OK Makino…I promise…"

Luffy's words seemingly evaporated the tears from Makino's face. She looked so happy, in fact, that Luffy could almost imagine another universe where he ran down to the bar that day and found her behind the counter, excited to greet him. "That's wonderful, Luffy," she said with an angelic smile, "now I can die happy!"

"NO, MAKINO!" Luffy lurched up with a strength he didn't know he had, tossing the dozen guards who had been restraining him into the air and –

{SNAP}

A sickening noise reverberated across the crowd, across the island, across the whole East Blue, and maybe even to the Grand Line itself. Makino the barkeep hung limply in Admiral Akainu's grip. And even though it was clear to everyone there that she had passed, a wisp of a smile still seemed to haunt her lips.

Wails erupted from the crowd, and even a few of the marine soldiers lowered their heads, but Luffy didn't notice any of that. He fell to his knees, his eyes glazing over only moments after containing such intense emotion. He made no move to attack, to run, or to even grieve. He was spiritually broken.

"Dispose of the body," Akainu ordered as he allowed Makino to slump to the ground. "It's time for me to deal with the son of Dragon now."

The Admiral went to take a step forward, until one of his soldiers jumped in his path.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but you have an urgent call on the Transponder Snail! It's Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir." The grunt handed Akainu the snail and quickly retreated back to his comrades. Akainu shook his head in disgust, annoyed at having to deal with bureaucracy in the middle of his mission. He relented, though, and accepted the call. "Yes sir, how can I help you?"

"Sakazuki, give me a mission status report," replied the voice on the other side of the line.

"Sir, we have located Shanks's whore in the East Blue and disposed of her properly. She denied having a child with the bastard, but I believe that following further questioning of the civilians…"

"Enough, Sakazuki," Sengoku interjected, "I'm certain that you have done plenty already. Return to Marineford immediately for a debriefing."

"But sir, I…"

"That is a direct order, Admiral. This whole escapade already makes me sick, I won't have you torturing innocents for information on top of that."

"Sir, with all due respect, no collateral damage is too great in the pursuit of Absolute Justice."

"I'm well aware you feel that way, but I do not. Return to base at once or I will force you to answer for insubordination."

"…Understood, sir. However, during the course of my mission I did come across the son of Dragon, Monkey D. Luffy. His profile fits the mission plan set forth by the Celestial Dragons. I was planning on disposing of him and…"

"Garp's grandson!?" Sengoku shouted. "You found him? Don't touch a hair on that boy's head, Admiral!"

"A little late for that, sir. He also directly attacked me as I tried to carry out my mission. I see no viable alternative to executing him for his current and future crimes."

"Future crimes!? Jesus, Sakazuki, he's just a boy. Garp is training him to be a Marine! Leave now before you do any more damage, or I won't be able to stop that old fool from ringing your neck. Am I understood?"

The air itself turned red in Foosha Village from Akainu's rage, and the Transponder Snail started to cook in his hand as Akainu glared daggers into the man he pictured sitting behind his desk thousands of miles away. 'This weak idiot has never had the stomach to do what is necessary for justice,' Akainu thought to himself. But instead of saying that, Akainu took a deep breath and simply replied, "yes, sir." A click came from the other end of the line, and Akainu whipped the half-finished escargot towards his troops. "Men, prepare to set sail! We're getting out of this pitiful ocean." Akainu began walking towards his ship, pausing a second to glance back over his shoulder. "It's your lucky day, boy! Fate has conspired to protect you from my judgement. Just know, your Grandfather can't protect you forever. I know you have evil blood, and one day when you start to act on those genetics I'll be there to put down. Just like I put down your two friends today."

Luffy was still in shock, but the last line seemed to catch his attention. "Two?" Luffy mumbled, "what do you mean two?"

Akainu sneered. "That's right, thank you for reminding me. One criminal is still unpunished." Then, in one fluid motion he retrieved his pistol from its holster and fired, causing Luffy to flinch instinctively despite his rubber body.

"That shot wasn't for you, boy." With that, Akainu turned again and did not look back.

Luffy looked at the departing Admiral in confusion, only for a loud thud to draw his attention down to his left. There was Mayor Woop Slap, right where he had been earlier to help Luffy to his feet. Only now, there was a bullet would in the center of his chest. The townspeople reacted in agony, and many rushed to the fallen mayor to attempt to revive him. Luffy made no such move, nor did he say anything. All he could do was turn his head back and forth between the bodies of Makino and the mayor.

Makino. Mayor. Makino. Mayor. Mayor. Makino. His friends. Dead. He couldn't do anything. Dead. Like Sabo. Dead.

Suddenly, the pain from his injured arm flared up again. The pain was all-consuming, and this time Luffy had no real interest in fighting it. He succumbed to his body's desires and collapsed.

Despite the villagers' best efforts, they were unable to save Mayor Woop Slap. They buried him in a grave on a hill overlooking Foosha Village, so he could keep a watchful eye over all of the people he lived to protect. The Marines had taken Makino with them, but the villagers mourned her loss all the same. A candlelight vigil was held outside her bar, allowing everyone to reminisce on how the sweet girl had impacted their lives.

As for Luffy, Akainu made sure to warn the villagers while leaving that anyone who helped the boy would be considered traitors to the World Government. Reluctantly, the villagers left him lying in the middle of the road, where he remained unconscious for hours. By the next morning, however, he was gone. There were some reports from people leaving the vigil that a large woman with orange hair grabbed Luffy and ran off into the woods, but no one could say for sure.

Two weeks later, the Marine Hero Garp arrived at Foosha Village.

Vice Admiral Garp trudged to the top of the hill, brushing the blood from his face as he ascended.

He was alone, having ordered his crew to stay with the ship while he conducted his business on the island. The Marines didn't really mind, since Garp always went off on these strange trips once or twice a year. However, when they entered into town to relax, the normally cordial townsfolk treated them with disdain. Pedestrians hurried back to their homes, and shop keeps guarded the entrances to their stores with makeshift weapons. Even the bar they loved to visit whenever they came by, with the kind young owner, looked to be abandoned. Disappointed, the Marines sulked back to their ship to await the return of their leader.

'That damn Dadan,' Garp thought to himself as he spit out a loose tooth, 'the woman nearly killed me. Doesn't she understand I have nothing to do with this!?"

Indeed, the mountain bandits had not been very willing to listen to Garp's explanations when he arrived at their compound. The petty criminals would normally react in complete terror whenever Garp came by to check on his boys. Now, all of them looked on disgust, their fear replaced with righteous anger.

Dadan herself had been the most unforgiving. 'Garp, you son of a bitch! Do you know what that mad dog did to poor Luffy? He killed poor Makino and Woop Slap right in front of the boy! He boiled him alive! No one is more caring than that stupid kid, and his spirit has been crushed! He hasn't eaten in days!'

"That last bit is probably the most concerning," Garp grumbled. Dadan's words had been more painful for the old man to endure than any fists, but she had sure tried to prove that wrong. Garp's face looked like he had spent the night boxing with Kaido.

'Should I even be here? What the hell am I supposed to say to Luffy? Nothing I can do will make this right…' Garp's internal monologue was interrupted when he caught sight of a boy in a straw hat sitting cross-legged next to a small tombstone, gazing intently out to sea.

'Welp, too late now.'

Garp walked to remaining short distance in silence before he plopped down next to his grandson. Luffy gave no acknowledgement to his visitor, keeping his stare fixated on the horizon. Neither said anything for a long time.

After nearly 20 minutes of silence, the longest he had ever heard Luffy go without talking, Garp couldn't bare it any longer. "Luffy," he sighed. "I don't even know where to begin…"

"Train me."

The sudden request caught Garp completely off-guard. Although it wasn't really a request so much as it was a demand.

"Train you? What the hell are you talking about boy? There's no time for that, we have to talk about this mess with Akainu. You can't just ignore your feelings about it, Dadan says you're not even eating."

"I'm not ignoring shit." For the first time, Luffy had turned his head to face his grandpa, and Garp was stunned by the intensity in his eyes. 'Almost like I'm looking at his father,' Garp realized.

Luffy continued. "I made a promise to Makino that I would do whatever it takes to get stronger, so that I can protect my dream and the ones that I care about. I thought I was getting stronger fighting those stupid animals with Ace and Sabo, but I wasn't able to protect anyone!" Luffy's body tensed at that, and for the first time Garp noticed the significant damage that had been done to Luffy's arm. Some of the tissue had slowly begun to grow back, but plenty of bone still showed through, and the black streaks remained as vivid as before. Garp felt his own body tensing in anger. 'One day, I'm going to kill that lava bastard.'

Slowly, Luffy allowed his tension to release. "I wasn't able to protect anyone, because I was weak. A weak little boy, just liked Akainu said." Suddenly, Luffy sprang to his feet. "But I can't be weak anymore! I have two promises that I need to keep now, and I'll need to be even stronger than you to hold up my end! Even stronger than him!" Luffy panted from the exertion to his still weakened body, as Garp looked on with wide eyes.

"That's why I need you to train me Gramps. That's the only way I'll ever become strong enough."

Garp slowly rose to his feet. "Luffy," he started, "I told you a long time ago that I would only train you if you were going to become a Marine like your grandpa! How can I willingly give away Marine secrets to a future pirate when I'm a Vice Admiral?"

Luffy's face developed a scowl, and he assumed his fighting position. There was a momentary grimace when he gripped his damaged right hand, but he kept his focus through the pain. "Then it looks like I'm going to have to beat you up Gramps, if that's the only way…"

Luffy's triumphant speech was cut short by Garp's massive fist slamming his head into the ground. "BOY, DON'T YOU EVER DISRESPECT YOUR GRANDPA LIKE THAT AGAIN! I'LL STILL BE KICKING YOUR ASS 100 YEARS FROM NOW!" Garp looked down to continue yelling, expecting to see his grandson's whimpering face asking for mercy. Instead, Luffy was already rising back up to his feet; with shaky legs, he once again assumed his fighting stance, gasping for breath but looking as determined as ever.

Garp studied his grandson intently, before sighing and turning his head to look at the tombstone beside them. "That little mayor never liked me very much, but I could tell he was a good man. He definitely could keep you in line." Then, Garp raised his eyes to the ocean. "And Makino…as soon as I found out, I made sure she was given a proper burial at sea. She was a great girl, and she loved you very much. That damned Red-Haired won you both over."

Garp turned back to Luffy, who still showed no signs of backing down, despite the tears starting to form in his eyes. "You're really serious about this, huh Luffy?" Luffy could only nod, as he desperately fought to hold back his crying. Garp nodded as well, then continued, "I suppose I have no choice but to agree to train you then. Even if you do want to be a damned pirate, in this case I feel honor-bound to help you out." Garp paused for a second then snorted, "besides, I can't have a grandson of mine getting roughed up by some wild animal like Sakazuki. That's bad for my rep!"

Luffy's serious demeanor was replaced by the bright smile that always fit the lively 14-year-old much better. "Shishishishi! Thanks Gramps, I knew you'd come around! Just you wait, I'm gonna become more powerful than you can even imagine!"

"Bwahahaha! That's my grandson, come give your old man a hug!"

Luffy leapt into his grandpa's arms, and for a moment the two shared a truly loving embrace.

For a moment.

Suddenly, Luffy turned ghost-white as he could feel his Grandpa's hand tighten around the scruff of his neck. The old man had adopted a sick expression, causing Luffy to nervously gulp. "Now listen here, brat," Garp growled menacingly, "given the circumstances, I can probably get Sengoku to grant me two years of leave. That gives me two years to teach you everything I've learned in 73 years, and then a year for you to practice everything on your own." Garp began twirling Luffy around his head, so fast that the rubber boy's limbs started spinning out of control. "And that means we have no time to waste, so training starts NOW!" Garp punctuated his statement by releasing Luffy and sending him flying back into the jungle.

Alone on the hill, Garp turned his attention back to the ocean. 'Makino, I'm sorry. I'm going to do my best to make it up to you' Garp then gave the tombstone a nod, before sprinting into the woods. "Let's get started, brat!"

Luffy was there waiting for him, and the two Monkeys exchange looks that were equal parts excited and determined. "Lead the way, Gramps!"

Three years, and countless brawls, broken bones and injured animals later…

Monkey D. Luffy stood confidently on his dinghy as it drifted away from shore, his straw hat safely secured to his head. The time had finally come for him to set sail on his own journey, just as Ace had done three years earlier. 'Wait until I see you next, big brother. You won't believe how much has changed since you left.'

Luffy waved at the villagers on the docks who had stopped by to see him off. Earlier that day he had said goodbye to the mountain bandits, who all seemed pretty happy for him except for Dadan, who was struggling to call him a brat while sobbing. He had also left some new flowers in front of Woop Slap's grave. 'I know you didn't want me to be a pirate, Mayor, but I promise I'm going to make you and everyone else proud."

Having finished his goodbyes, Luffy turned his attention back to the horizon. 'Shanks, Makino, I promise that I'll never let you guys down. I WILL become King of the Pirates, and I will fulfill my promises to you both!' Luffy paused for a beat before his hat's shadow shrouded is face. 'And as for you, Akainu…'

Without warning, the seas began to bubble uncontrollably in front of Luffy's boat. A massive beast emerged from the depths, the Lord of the Cost itself; the same animal that had taken Shanks's arm a decade earlier. The beast hovered over Luffy, ready for a snack. As the villagers on the coast panicked, Luffy barely raised his head to give the creature a bemused look. "Oh, it's you, huh? I guess I still owe you a beating. Shave!"

Suddenly, Luffy had disappeared. The small sea king was perplexed, as were the worried villagers.

"Moon walk!"

Then, there was Luffy, floating in the middle of the air behind the beast's head. The Lord of the Coast tried to turn around, but it was far too late.

"Gum-Gum tempest whip!"

Luffy swung his stretched leg forward into a powerful kick, and yet was many yards away from actually hitting the creature. Nothing happened for a moment, and villagers on the shore began to sweat drop. "I thought you said he had been training with Garp in the mountains, you liar!" One man shouted at his friend. "He's got no chance of surviving out there…"

His train of thought was cut short by the Lord of the Coast's decapitated head landing next to him on the dock with a massive thud.

"Shishsishi! Enjoy lunch on me guys!" Luffy waved goodbye for a final time at the stunned onlookers before turning back to the sea, looking forward to a journey that would go on to change the world forever.

'Akainu? I'm going to get my revenge.'