AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hello potential readers who are reading this at the current time. This is not my first fanfiction, but it is my first One Piece fanfiction. So, take note that I am not as "in tune" with the characters as I would like to be. I mainly started this because I like Jewelry Bonney and wanted more fanfiction of her. The solution? Do it myself, of course! I also like the idea of Luffy getting a different Devil Fruit. Which one will it be? Will it be one that already exists or will Gambler make one up? Answers to these questions and more with be available in future updates. I accept criticism, but only if it is constructive.

OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER: I wish I owned One Piece and it's characters, but I sadly do not. They belong to Oda (lucky bastard). I claim nothing but the writing and the ideas.

ON WITH THE SHOW!

11 Years ago

It was a beautiful day on Dawn island. The sky was a vibrant blue, with only a few fluffy clouds scattered here and there. Around the island, the waves of the East Blue rolled at a leisurely pace. Even the wind was gentle on this afternoon, almost as if whatever deity that governed the world had decided "Today shall be perfect."

On one of the few beaches that dotted the edges of the island stood a single boy. He was gazing out at the sea in delight, a grin plastered across his face. Dressed in a simple grey T-shirt, black shorts and sandals, the boy was a native of the island. His black hair and loud personality were known by everyone in Foosha Village, the town he called home. It was hard not to know of him with all of the trouble he caused on a daily basis, even at the age of six.

His name was Monkey D. Luffy, and at the moment he was the happiest boy in the world.

"Yeaaaaaaah!"he shouted in joy as he pumped his fist in the air. "Gramps is finally gone!"

Indeed, the marine vessel belonging to the notorious navy hero, Monkey D. Garp, had just crested the horizon. Said man had been on the island for almost a month, implementing his "Special Training" on the small youth, coupled with countless uses of his "Fist of Love" to keep his grandson's wild nature in check. Not that the punches ever did anything but anger the boy, resulting in what most people would consider child abuse.

However, after weeks of torture, Luffy was finally free! Sure, the old dog would eventually be back, but that wouldn't cross the boy's mind for at least a few hours. Now wasn't the time to dread his grandfather's inevitable return. It was time to celebrate!

After jumping and laughing until he fell on his butt, Luffy took a deep breath and lifted a hand to his chin. "Now, what should I do first?" he pondered. His face turned red as he tried to come up with a plan, seeing as thinking was his weak spot. With a snap of his fingers and a twinkle in his eye, he finally decided. "I'll go ask Makino for a plate piled high with meat!"

Jumping to his feet, he started running off in the direction of the town. His eyes practically turned into chunks of cooked beef as drool poured down his chin. Meat was great as a general rule, but Makino had a way of making it taste amazing! Nothing could compare to a-

Luffy's thought process was interrupted when his foot hit something and he fell head first to the ground. This wouldn't have been so bad if his tongue hadn't been hanging out of his mouth at the time, giving him the wonderful experience of receiving a mouthful of soggy sand. In less than a second, he was back on his feet and spitting globs of mud out in disgust.

"Gross!" he whined in between gagging and wiping off his tongue. "Ugh, what tripped me?"

He pivoted on his heel to see the offending object that had sent him flying, only to realize that it wasn't something. It was someone! A small girl with long pink hair and a green fleece hat laid face down in the sand in front of him. Her white shirt and striped orange and black shorts were soaked with sea water, along with the rest of her body. She seemed to be breathing, but Luffy didn't notice that part.

"Oh my god! Is she dead?" he yelled in surprise and concern. He dropped to his knees next to her and proceeded to roll her over. Resting his ear on her chest like Makino taught him, he listened for a heartbeat. "Thank god, she's alive."

The girl appeared to be around the same age as Luffy, her peacefully sleeping face being the main giveaway. Looking closer, he found multiple cuts and bruises on her arms, legs, and head, as if she'd gone toe-to-toe with his grandpa and lost. He didn't recognize her, but maybe Makino would be able to.

Making up his mind, Luffy maneuvered the unconscious girl's body into a position where he could wrap her arms around his neck and pulled her onto his back. Luckily, Luffy was stronger than most kids his age and was able to lift her without any problems at all.

It took about fifteen minutes of walking to get to the edge of Foosha Village. In that time, the most the girl had done was subconsciously tighten her grip on Luffy and nuzzle the side of his neck. Luffy just soldiered on, not stopping or even dropping his smile as he carried someone he didn't even know into town.

To say that he didn't get any strange looks as he navigated his way through the village would be a lie. He was greeted by four or five adults, but nobody asked about the person on his back. Most had learned long ago to just no question anything done by anybody in the Monkey family. By now, it was practically an unspoken rule of the town. So, no one stopped the abnormally strong six-year-old as he casually passed the by.

"Makino! I need some meat and some help!" Luffy announced as he pushed through the swinging doors of Party's Bar, startling a few of the patrons. "I don't really care which comes first."

At the other end of the room, behind the bar which she had just finished cleaning, stood the woman in question. Makino was a young woman with shoulder length dark green hair and soft, kind eyes who always did her best to look after Luffy. On this particular day she wore an orange blouse with black sleeves, a light blue skirt that reached down to her ankles and a pair of orange shoes.

One would expect her to be shocked upon seeing the cheerful boy carrying a sleeping girl on his back, but she had long since gotten over any surprise at his actions. "Hey there, Luffy. I take it Garp's ship is long gone by now?" she asked with a smile.

Luffy's grin grew wider as he approached the counter. "Yeah! I hope he never comes back!"

"Don't be mean, Luffy. You know he loves you."

"Is love supposed to hurt that much?"

Makino paused at that. "You got me there. Anyway, who's the friend you brought with you today?"

Ah, the million belly question that was on everyone's mind.

Luffy looked over his shoulder at the complexion of his passenger, turned back to the older woman, and shrugged. "I dunno. I found her like this on the beach and thought you might recognize her."

This piqued the green haired woman's interest. "I can't get a good look at her from this angle. Here," she said, pulling open the swinging door that separated the two sides of the counter. "Carry her to the back room and take a look at her."

Doing as he was told, the boy walked past Makino and into the kitchen area. A hard right brought him into the spare room he sometimes slept in. It had a simple layout: a bed near the far window, a night stand with an oil lamp on it, a wooden chair sitting in the corner, and a large blue rug covering up the somewhat uneven floorboards.

He crossed over to the bed as Makino followed him in, turning around to shrug the unconscious girl off. With help from Makino, he was able to turn her body so her head rested on the pillow. Her clothes had mostly dried from the sunlight, but were still slightly damp, as was her pink hair. Makino took notice of this, as well as the various injuries that marred her pale skin.

"You said you found her like this?" she asked after closely examining the child to the best of her ability.

"Yep," Luffy replied. "I tripped over her while running back here on the beach. She was a lot wetter back then, though. So, do you know who she is?"

"Unfortunately, no," she said, sadly shaking her head. "I have never seen her anywhere on this island."

"Oh," Luffy mumbled, looking intently at the sleeping body

His concentration was broken when Makino ruffled his hair, a soft smile on her lips. "I'm proud of you, Luffy. You probably saved this young girl's life."

If his smile had been any wider, it would've split his face in two. "Shishishi, it was no problem. Can I have some meat now?"

Makino giggled. "Sure, Luffy. But, you have to stay here and watch her until I get back. You up to the challenge?"

"You bet I am!" the small boy declared.

Two hours later

Luffy was just finish off his plate, which had once been piled high with Makino's special beef roasts, when the girl started to come to. It started with her slowly rolling back and forth, groaning trying to find a comfortable position. When she realized her damp clothes wouldn't allow it, her eyes gradually opened. The first thing she saw was Luffy.

Said boy, who had only taken his eyes off of her a few times in order to for the next piece of meat to pick of his plate, grinned widely at the sight of her purple irises. "Heya, sleepy head!" he exclaimed.

The girl flinched at the intensity of his voice. This boy was obviously way too enthusiastic. Her head was pounding as her vision finally came into complete focus. She was on top of an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room, with an unfamiliar boy who looked and sound like he was experiencing a sugar rush. It didn't take a genius to realize that something was off.

Taking her silence as a sign that he should continue, Luffy held out his hand. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to Meetcha!"

The girl hesitantly sat up against the wall behind the bed and took his hand. "I'm... Jewelry Bonney," she replied cautiously.

He shook her hand vigorously with his smile growing wider. "So that's your name! I've been wondering since I found you on the beach! Where are you from?

A sudden spike of pain shot through Bonney's skull at the question. Gripping the sides of her head, she hissed as images passed through her mind rapidly. They were broken and brought random emotions up, but disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. The only picture that stayed was a green fleece hat that carried happiness with it. The same one that rested on her head.

"I..." she began, looking up at the boy who posed the question. "I don't know."

Luffy tilted his head to the side. "You don't know?"

She nodded. "I can't remember anything," she stated sadly.

Seeing his companion coming close to crying, Luffy reached out and grabbed her arm. "Well, that doesn't matter anyway! You're here now and you're safe!"

She looked at him oddly.

Showing a look of resolution, Luffy stood up and pointed at her. "I've decided that I want you to be my friend!" he announced.

"...what?"