So, this idea hit me a few weeks ago. I wasn't sure if I should post or not but one of my friends said it sound good idea... So here it is! This is another AU One Piece story.. I won't say too much, cause I don't wanna give it away with the A/N and so on so forth, lol. That's why I'm writing the story after all. :P

Anyway, Luffy's 7, Shanks is 27, Ace is 10, Smoker's 24.

Nothing serious is to happen yet but... In future times (Like way into the story) I'm sure it'll come about. Ya'll know how my mind works by now. XD

Anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy this story... And no, I have not given up on Trials of Love just so you know... I was gonna wait til I finished that one to post this one but I couldn't so, yup lol.

Also, sorry if I missed any mistakes, somethings got a little mixed up before I decided to upload this... I'm catching them as I re-read. XD

It's cloudy, and the streets are damp... The city - usually so lively and colorful in the sun is grey and depressing in the shadows of the clouds. It's still drizzling outside, but the harsh pour down from moments ago has stopped at least.

"It looks like the rain's finally cleared up a bit." A woman announced the obvious, as she looked out the window of the bar she ran.

"Appears so." Replies the red-haired male sitting at the bar, as he sits down his empty glass. He's the only one in there today, aside from a few others. "This weather's a tad bit disheartening, even for me." He says honestly. "Then again, my friends bailed on me today so... Of course I'm a little bit bummed." He sighed.

The woman looks down at him as she wipes off the glass she's holding. "You do not appreciate my company, Shanks?" She asked, smiling lightly.

The man's gaze turned to her, in a 'Oh please' sort of fashion. What a stupid thing to say, but of course he would not verbalize that to her. She would surely give him a good lecture and possibly a slap.

"I do Makino. Just, you know... Drinking's always more fun with the guys around." Shanks concluded, looking back out of the window, watching as the rain drops race one another down it.

"Oh yes, because then you have someone to tittle-tattle with about all the pretty girls you've wooed in the past week and how easy it was to bring them home." Makino remarked, and Shanks chuckled.

"You know me so well." He grinned, giving a wink her way. Makino merely scoffed, walking off to put the glass in hand away.

Shanks pays her no mind, certainly not when he's back to looking out that window again - as if there's where his attention must be and that something's about to happen. Then, it does.

Shanks shakes his head, blinks a few times just to make sure he's really seeing what he thinks he's seeing.

"Is that a kid out there?" Shanks asked to no one in particular when he sees the somewhat blurry form of a small child appearing to be in a white t-shirt and blue shorts on the other side of the street.

Makino's back at the bar again and she looks in the direction, squinting her eyes for a better look. "I believe so..." She trailed off.

"What the hell is a kid doing out in this kind of weather? Where's his parents?"Shanks questioned, as if she honestly knew the answer about the boy outside on the street, appearing to be looking for someone.

"Perhaps he's lost." She said.

"Maybe..." Shanks muttered, and before he even knows it, he's standing and making his way out of the bar. There's something pulling him to the boy, dragging him in...

"Hey little guy," Shanks started, as he approached the raven haired boy closer.

The younger jumped at the voice, and began to back away when the stranger came closer, unaware of what he was up to.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." Shanks replied, his voice low and soft as he knelt down. "You shouldn't be out here, you could catch a cold." He said logically.

The boy watches him for a moment, analyzing him through narrowed eyes. He's cautious, and Shanks doesn't blame him there but he only wants to help the kid.

"Don't you have anywhere to go? Where's your parents?" Shanks continued to question.

The child debates the question for a moment, and Shanks can tell he's thinking on answering it when his gaze drops. So the man waits patiently.

"I don't have any parents..." The boy finally answers. "I have a big brother... But..." The child trailed off, getting choked up. He looked around once more, before sniffling, forcing tears that threatened to fall back. "We got separated..." He frowned. "I don't know where he's at... And... I-" He was cut off at the sound of thunder in the distance, thunder that rattled him and had him shaking like a leaf. "I don't like being out here alone!" He exclaimed, his emotions betraying him and the tears finally fell.

Shanks can't help but to frown. "You don't like the thunder?" He asked and the boy shook his head.

"Tell you what, you can come with me and when the storm clears we'll go looking for your brother, sound good?" Shanks questioned.

"I don't know... Oniisan told me to never talk to strangers..." The kid muttered.

"I assure you, you'll be in good hands." Shanks spoke. "And, you'll be out of the storm... Away from the thunder."

The words seemed so believable and comforting... The child wasn't sure though still, that was until the thunder roared again and he practically ran toward the older male in fear.

Shanks wrapped his arms securely around the boy, picking him up. "Do you have a name?"

"Luffy... Monkey D. Luffy." The child answered, wiping away his tears.

"Luffy hm? Nice to meet cha Luffy, my name's Shanks." Shanks introduced with a warm smile, and for a moment, Luffy returns the smile - until the weather acts up again and the thunder rolls.

Luffy's small hands grip in Shanks' shirt, clinging to him and he's shaking again. Shanks isn't sure on why he's so terrified of the storm.

"I don't like the thunder... Gramps says it's the roar of a monster... And that he comes to get the kids who misbehaves..." Luffy trailed off and that explains it...

Shanks sighed, before an idea struck. He reached up, taking off the straw hat he just so happened to be wearing and placed it on Luffy's head. "There now, the monster can't see you, therefore he can't get you."

Luffy's dark eyes went up to get as much view of the hat as he could, then his eyes went to meet Shanks' and he grinned. "Thanks!" He exclaimed, his mood already lifting.

Shanks grinned as he continued down the street, pleased at the calmness that seemed to start and take Luffy over...

Makino watched the two as Shanks headed off and she couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Meanwhile, in the next town over...

A young boy no older than ten surely walked down the empty streets, his arms crossed over his chest and his gaze at the wet ground in a scowl.

"How pathetic..." He muttered, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. "I can't believe I lost him..." He grumbled in bitter resentment to himself.

The thunder roared and the rain poured down heavier, surely coming in from a nearby town. The boy glared up to the darkened sky. "I failed him... He's out there alone, in the thunder... Scared to death and I can't help him..." He growled. "I'am the worst brother..." He continued to put himself down, as he kicked a soda can in his path to the side.

He wasn't focusing where he was going anymore, he did not care at this moment...

Until, he had bumped into something - or what he thought was someone.

"Hey, watch it!" The boy exclaimed when he had nearly lost his balance and tumbled backward. However, he caught his footing and remained standing - glaring up at the silver haired adult, who stared down at him with the same emotionless gaze.

"Same to you, brat." The older male responded, stepping aside to proceed forward.

"Nani?" The boy asked in disbelief at the reply. "Who do you think you are? You ran into me, you big jerk!" Okay, so that wasn't completely true... But in the mind of a child, the adult was to blame, not him...

When the male ignored him, it only frustrated the raven haired boy further.

"Oi, you!" He yelled, running after the man. "Don't ignore me!" He demanded.

"Go home kid." The man ordered, without looking down at him.

"Humph. I don't have a home." The boy retorted, crossing his arms once more, as he analyzed the man further.

The thing that stood out most was the duffle bag he was carrying, and the dog tags around his neck, as well as the combat boots he wore.

"You're from the army?" The boy asked, curious suddenly.

"Yea just got back from serving the navy, what of it?" The adult counter asked.

"I hate the government..." The boy grumbled.

"The navy's been my dream since I was a runt like you." The man remarked, as the rain seized, finally.

The boy didn't say anything at first, watching as the man reached into his bag and grabbed two cigars out of it. The man lit them, and to the child's surprise stuck both in his mouth.

"That's gonna kill you, you know." The boy clarified.

"Something's gonna kill us all sooner or later squirt." The man replied.

"Humph." The boy scoffed, looking away from the stranger for a few moments, until curiosity got the better of him again. "What's your name old man?" He asked randomly.

"Logan, but everyone I've ever known has called me Smoker..." The man trailed off.

"I can't imagine why..." The boy sarcastically muttered, eying the cigars again and his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"And by the way, I'm twenty-four." Smoker added.

"Still old to me." The kid smarted off with.

"Yeah? How old are you runt?" Smoker questioned, finally.

"I'm ten and I'm not a runt!" The kid growled, fed up with the 'demeaning' nicknames. "You oughta meet my little brother, he's the..." The boy suddenly paused, his mind going back to the one person he was suppose to protect, that he ultimately lost.

Smoker glanced down to him. "You've got no parents with you, no brother here with you... Where do you belong kid?" He asked.

"Nowhere..." The boy trailed off, keeping his gaze down. "I did live with my grandpa and little brother but I was sick of his shit so I ran away with my brother... Somehow we got separated a few days ago though... I've looked everywhere but I can't find him." The boy explained. "And oh, my name's Portgas D. Ace, but I go by Ace... Now you don't gotta call me things like 'kid' and 'runt' anymore." He grinned.

"Portgas D. Ace huh?" Smoker dwelled on the name for a bit. The middle initial sound all so familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it right now.

"Some mouth you got on ya there Portgas... Just ten and already swearing." He added, deciding to let the fact the name sound like someone he knew or has heard of go for now.

"I learnt many things from gramps." Ace justified.

"Your granddad sounds like a mean man." Smoker continued with the conversation, really unsure why he was talking to the kid in the first place. Normally it wasn't his style, and normally he tended to just keep to himself and ignore others but something intrigued him about this boy.

"He was... He was in the navy like you... He wanted me and my brother to get an early start in training so we could join but I refuse." Ace stated with determination in his voice.

(Smoker): "I see."

"Say, just out of curiosity... You haven't seen my brother have you? He's short, with messy black hair, and has a scar under his left eye... He's wea-"

"Haven't seen anyone else. Just you." Smoker interrupted.

"Oh..." Ace frowned, his arms uncrossing and falling to his side.

"He's important to you, huh?" Smoker asked.

(Ace): "He's the only thing I care about and he was mine to protect... Until we were separated."

"Sorry to hear that but maybe you shouldn't get so attached to people." Smoker smarted off with and Ace gasped with eyes wide.

"You bastard! How can you say that?!" Ace demanded, beginning an assault of punches on the man's leg.

Smoker was unfazed though. "Just saying brat, life's a lot less stressful when you're not burdened with others."

Ace merely growled, his useless attacks seizing. "Maybe you just say that 'cause you don't know what it's like for someone to care about you."

"Maybe." Smoker replied calmly, stopping in front of an apartment building.

"This where you live?" Ace asked.

Smoker sighed, glaring back at the boy. "Yes , and I was hoping you'd been gone by now..." He grumbled. But no, that didn't happen. Ace followed him like a damn puppy... Surely he didn't think he was coming in with him, right?

"Great! It'll be nice to have a warm meal and decent place to sleep for the night!" The boy exclaimed happily.

"Wait just a minute! You are not coming inside with me!" Smoker argued back. "You will go on your way kid." He ordered.

"But... It's cold out here... And wet... And there's bad people out in the world... You're not just gonna send a child out into the streets, are you?" Ace asked, taking a different approach in the matter.

Smoker gulped. "God damnit..."

"Even you're not that heartless, right?" Ace continued.

Smoker sighed deeply. No, he wasn't. He wished he was though because as much as he had a soft spot for children actually, he had a bad feeling taking this kid in was gonna come back and bite him in the ass sooner or later.

"ONE night. Just ONE." Smoker growled through clenched teeth as he opened the door to his apartment.

"Thank you Taisa-San!" Ace grinned wide, following him inside. "Oh, that's gonna be my nickname for you by the way." He smirked.

Smoker rolled his eyes, shutting the door behind them.

This would be an interesting day...

Your reviews are ALWAYS appreciated and loved, so leave 'em please. :3