Before They Were Pirates

Author's Note: New story! Yay! Actually this is a collection of short stories. There is one for each of the Strawhat pirates and maybe one with all of them at the end. These stories are intended to fill in the blank time that came before the childhood flashbacks that Oda has shown us, because I was curious what might have shaped each child before those pivotal moments that we've seen. For those waiting on my next update to Sandstorms and Falling Leaves, it is in the works. I've just been swamped with One Piece plot bunnies that must be set free before I can think about Naruto without him coming out piratey. Hehehe. Please be patient with me. Okay, please review and let me know what you think of this.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. That's probably a good thing because I don't want a bunch of crazy pirates chasing me down to get it. I'd make a lousy Pirate er..Queen, I suppose. On with the fic!

Chapter One - Luffy: Before Shanks

Luffy was seated on his special seat; leaning back against one of the spikes of Sunny's mane and watching the birds fly overhead with half a thought as to how edible they might be, when a voice distracted him.

"Captain-san?"

"Robin?" He blinked and turned his head, at an angle only a rubber person or an owl could manage, in order to look at the archeologist.

The dark haired woman smiled lightly up at him, clutching a notebook and a pen in her hands. "I am attempting to record the crew's history."

Luffy blinked at that, not really seeing the point of talking about things that were in the past; but history was important to Robin so he hopped down to perch on the railing near her. "Okay."

"I was wondering if I could perhaps ask you some questions. There is a great deal I already know about you but some gaps remain and I'd like to know the whole story."

Luffy nodded. "What do you want to know?" He asked with a shrug. It wasn't like anything in his past was a secret, not to his nakama at least.

The elegant woman smiled and bloomed a couple extra arms from her torso to hold her notebook open as she prepared to write. "Well, the whole world now knows who your father is and we have had the honor of meeting your grandfather..." She politely ignored the shudder that ran through her captain at the mention of Garp. "However, I've never heard you mention your mother. Do you know anything about her at all?"

"Is it really the only way?" Mommy asked; clutching his hand so tightly that three year old Luffy was beginning to wonder if fingers could actually be squeezed off.

He didn't pull away though, because Mommy had tears rolling down her face and the man in the hood was talking about taking him away from her and that didn't sound good at all. Luffy loved his Mommy. She smelled nice, like soap and grass, and she played with him and sang him to sleep at night and knew how to cook all his favorite foods. The man in the hood with the weird tattoos didn't look like he'd do any of those things.

"He's not safe here any longer." The man was saying sadly. "I'm sorry. I thought I'd hidden you well enough but somehow they've found out."

"But how can you trust him? What if he was the one who told them..." Mommy began hesitantly.

"No." The man cut her off sharply and Luffy seriously considered kicking him in the shins until he realized he'd have to let go of Mommy's hand to do it. He settled for sticking out his tongue which only served to make the man raise an eyebrow at him with an almost amused expression. "I don't agree with him on much, but family comes before politics."

"You really think he can keep Luffy safe?" Mommy sighed and knelt down to look into the little boy's inquisitive eyes, sadness pouring from her even as she tried to smile for his sake.

"I think he's the only chance we have." Hood man said carefully. "Family is important to him. He won't turn Luffy in. I'm sure of that."

Mommy narrowed her eyes at that answer. "Hmph. After the stories you've told me about your childhood, I'm not sure the idea of that man actually raising my son is any better than Luffy being on the run with us." She sighed before pulling Luffy into a hug as she continued. "Isn't there anyone else you trust?"

"It has to be someone without any part in the resistance or the government will find him." He shook his head. "Please, you know I'm right."

"I...I know...it's just..."

Further words were cut off as someone knocked on the door to the small house. "Open up!" A harsh voice ordered. "We have orders to search the premises!"

Mommy's eyes went wide and she gave Luffy one last squeeze before she pulled back and smiled at him, despite the frightened look in her eyes. She began to whisper to him hurriedly as the decision was taken out of her hands. "Luffy, sweetheart. This man is your daddy and he is going to take you to stay with your Grandpa for a while. I need you to go with him and do whatever he says, right now. Okay?"

"But, I don't wanna..." The little boy whined, feeling tears welling up in his own eyes as he looked from one adult to the other.

The knocking came again and both adults jumped, only serving to make the child more nervous.

"Please." Mommy said shakily. "Promise me you'll be a good boy for your daddy and I'll let you go out through the secret passage."

Large eyes lit up. "Secret?" He said, unsure of the other word.

Mommy nodded and smiled shakily as she took him by the hand and hurried over to pull back the carpet in the living room, revealing a door. "See? It'll be like an adventure, but in order to go on this adventure you have to be very brave and very quiet until your daddy says it's okay to talk. You understand?"

"Cool!" The little boy bounced, most of his worry pushed away by the prospect of a real adventure like the ones in his bedtime stories. He nodded seriously to the instructions but hesitated, as the man his mommy claimed was his daddy climbed down into the newly opened hole in the floor and reached back up for him. "Can't you come with us?" He asked innocently. "Adventures are more fun with more people."

Mommy hugged him tight for a moment and then pressed him into the hooded man's arms. "No sweetie. Mommy has to go answer the door. I love you. Be good."

Luffy started to protest as the wooden door was shut down on top of them and the pair was plunged into darkness, but a calloused hand covered his mouth.

"Hush, Luffy." The man whispered. "Remember what your mother told you. You have to be quiet until I tell you it's safe, okay?"

Luffy frowned and bit down on the hand over his mouth.

The man choked off a yelp and unceremoniously dropped the child the last few feet to the bottom of the ladder.

Luffy landed hard on his bottom and scrunched up his face as he fought the urge to cry. Mommy had said this was an adventure and adventurers did not cry. Only babies cried. So he stood and crossed his arms as he waited for the hooded man to climb down the rest of the ladder and join him.

The tunnel was dark but the man took his hand and led him easily through the rough hewn passageway until they came to the exit in a cave not far from town. Luffy was careful to stay quiet, even when gunshots echoed from behind them. Mommy had said that was one of the rules on this adventure and he wasn't gonna mess up, even if he never had been very good at being quiet.

They stepped out into the cave and the man scooped him up and turned away quickly so the boy wouldn't see the flames beginning to rise from the little house at the edge of town.

"You can talk now." The Daddy man offered awkwardly.

"When's Mommy gonna be done answering the door?" Luffy asked, as the restriction being lifted allowed a flood of held back words to flow out of him. "Is she gonna catch up to us later? I'm hungry! Is there gonna be a party on this adventure? Mommy's stories always have a party when the adventure is over."

The hooded man stiffened and started walking towards the other side of the island. "Our adventure isn't over yet." He said carefully after a few moments. "Have you ever been on a ship, Luffy?"

The child's eyes lit up in joy at the prospect but he still strained to look back as he answered. "A real ship?! Really!? Will Mommy meet us there?"

Sighing, the man stopped to speak to the curious child eye to eye. "Your mommy had to send you away with me to keep you safe, Luffy. I'm afraid you won't be able to see her again."

"But..." The child began to protest, his little face scrunched in dismay.

"Don't worry. I'm taking you to stay with your Grandfather. He won't let anyone else hurt you." The man promised with a forced smile. "Now, we need to keep moving."

Little Luffy swallowed hard but nodded. He would be brave like Mommy told him to. He would be the bravest boy ever and someday he'd find a way to get back to his mommy and he'd protect her so they'd both be safe and she'd never have to send him away again.

It had taken him years to understand what had happened to his mother that night, what those gunshots had meant. It had taken even longer, until an afternoon in Water 7 actually, for him to understand why it had happened at all.

"Luffy-san?" Robin's soft voice cut through the memories and Luffy blinked a few times. "I'm sorry, perhaps I should not have pried. If the subject is uncomfortable for you..."

Luffy shook his head and grinned to show her he was okay. "It's fine, Robin." He waved her concerns away, lowering his head so his hat could hide the suspicious shine to his eyes as he answered her question. "My mother was a brave adventurer. One day she told me I had to be brave too and sent me to live with Gramps. Then, she went on an adventure without me. Kinda like...Ace did." He forced the words out past the lump that rose in his throat.

Robin paled in understanding. "I'm sor..."

"It's fine." The sad grin was back as he cut her off. "She used to make the best meat pies, you know?" His gaze was far away as he remembered the happier moments his young mind had held onto. "I wonder if Sanji can make meat pies?"

Robin smiled back and closed her notebook. "I'll go ask him for you." She offered, turning away so the rubber teen wouldn't see her smile falter and her eyes shine with tears.

"Really? Thanks, Robin!" Luffy bounced up on his feet on the railing, the previous topic apparently set aside at the prospect of meat.

The archeologist waved over her shoulder and wandered toward the galley. She had a lovestruck cook to talk to.

They had traditional East Blue style meat pies for dinner that night and Robin was fairly certain she was the only one who noticed that their gluttonous captain actually stared at his for a long moment before he devoured it gleefully. Then he went after everyone else's portion with equal gusto. She let him have half of hers while she distracted Sanji by asking for fresh coffee. Luffy shot her a rubbery grin in response and she smiled back. It was an apology of sorts though she had no doubt it her captain would insist it wasn't needed.

That evening, she laid the notebook aside in a desk drawer and closed it firmly; deciding some things were best left in the past.

Author's Note: Well, I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know what you think. I know some of the characters may seem a bit different but I tried to base them off of how they were in the earliest flashbacks we've seen. Luffy was sort of determined but angry until Shanks taught him that it wasn't worth getting mad over the little things. That seems to be when Luffy adopted his happy-go-lucky attitude. I wanted to know what might have made Luffy such a serious little kid before that point and I wanted to consider what his mother may have been like. This is what came out of my head as a result. I'd love to know what you think of it. Next Chapter - Zoro: Before the Promise. In which we find out how a wild looking little boy came to be wandering around alone and what made him decide to challenge a dojo?