He turned on his heel and began jogging down the hill, arms swinging behind him in lazy arcs, his straw hat bouncing gently against his back. The grassy slope was familiar—each dip and stone memorized through years of climbing and tumbling. Yet, today, everything felt just a little more vivid. The world felt more... alive.
As he neared the village, the scent of sizzling meat and sweet bread drifted on the air, drawing him forward like a magnet.
'Makino's… thank God.' He thought
He ducked between the alley behind the grocer's shop and waved to a pair of old fishermen stacking crates near the dock.
"Morning, Luffy!" one called out.
"Don't cause any trouble today!" the other added with a smirk.
Luffy just grinned and waved without stopping. "No promises!"
Makino's bar came into view—its wooden sign swinging softly, the windows warm with morning sunlight. The door was propped open, as usual, letting the scent of coffee and fresh eggs spill out into the street.
He stepped inside.
The bar was quiet, cozy. Sunlight spilled across the wooden floors in golden lines. A few villagers sat at the counter, nursing early drinks or chatting in low voices. Behind the bar, Makino stood wiping a glass, her soft green hair tied back, eyes gentle and knowing.
She smiled when she saw him.
"Good morning, Luffy."
"Morning! Got anything to eat? I'm starving!" he said, flopping dramatically into a chair like his legs had given out.
Makino chuckled. "You say that every morning."
"Yeah, but today it's extra true."
She turned to the kitchen. "Give me a minute, I've got rice balls and grilled fish almost done."
Luffy's eyes sparkled. "You're the best, Makino."
He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table rhythmically. For a moment, he closed his eyes.
' This place… it feels like home. But also... different. I remember this bar, this village, everything like I lived it. But now I'm really here. In the story. In Luffy's body.'
He opened his eyes and stared at his hand. He flexed his fingers slowly.
'But I'm not just Luffy anymore, am I?' He thought.
"Hey, Luffy?"
Makino's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She placed a tray of hot food in front of him—three rice balls, grilled fish, and a steaming bowl of soup.
"Whoa!" he beamed, eyes wide. "This looks amazing!"
He dug in like a hurricane, food disappearing at a pace only someone like Luffy could manage. The regulars chuckled, shaking their heads as they watched.
"Still the same bottomless pit," one muttered fondly.
But as Luffy devoured the last rice ball, his mind wandered again—back to the hill, to the staff behind his ear, and the cloud that once flew under his feet.
' I wonder... how long until I can feel it again? That strength. That freedom.' He thought.
He glanced toward the window. The sky was clear. Somewhere beyond it, a world of pirates, marines, and ancient gods waited.
And he'd be ready.
After finishing his food, he decided to to Dadans bandit hut since he had nothing else to do for now. He wondered how he'd begin his training, essentially since his mind had millions and millions of martial arts techniques, that he could apply.
' I understand the best training would be real life experience but in this small village, trouble isn't very common.' He thought.
He arrived at the bandit base, he followed the familiar sight back to him and aces shack which they made after they got older. He walked in, seeing the mess.
' I better clean this place ' he thought as he walked in and began to pick up all the dirt and throwing it out. After sometime he wad done.
' Nice. Now what? Let's try and get some training in. The forest is the perfect place for that ' he thought to himself before walking out. But he ran into Dadan.
"Oi, Luffy!"
He blinked, then turned—just in time to see a familiar shadow stomp out of the main building.
Curly Dadan, large and broad-shouldered, with frizzy orange hair and a cigarette dangling from her mouth, squinted at him with surprise.
She crossed her arms and frowned. "Well I'll be damned. You actually showed up here during the day. What's the occasion? Makino kick you out for eating the entire bar again?"
Luffy smirked. "Nah, just thought I'd clean up the shack. Kinda felt like it."
Dadan raised an eyebrow. "You… cleaned? Voluntarily? What's gotten into you, brat?"
Luffy laughed and shrugged. "Just felt like doing something useful."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she didn't press. Instead, she huffed and leaned against the doorway, exhaling a trail of smoke into the air.
"Hmph. Well, don't break anything. And if you're gonna train, don't blow up half the forest."
He grinned. "I'll try."
As she turned to head back inside, she paused.
"Hey… You planning to leave soon? Ace left three years ago today. Im assuming you'll be leaving around the same time as well?"
Luffy paused. "Maybe."
Dadan stared at him for a moment, something unreadable passing through her eyes. Then she scoffed and waved him off.
"Well, whatever. Just make sure you come back in one piece."
[A/N: ONE PIECE MENTIONED RAHHHH!!! WHAT'S GOOD PACING?]
She disappeared into the hut, muttering something about "crazy kids" under her breath.
Luffy stood there for a second longer, then turned toward the trees. His smile returned. "Alright… let's wake up these muscles."
And with a bound, he leapt high—too high—nearly clearing the treetops in a single jump. He twisted mid-air, eyes wide, arms flailing as he crashed through a branch and rolled into a clearing below.
"Ow."
He sat up, blinking. Then he grinned.
"Okay. So maybe I'm a little stronger than I thought. Well this is the perfect spot to train. "
Looking around at the clearing, he smirked. He rolled his arms around getting ready. Finally ready to test out his abilities.
TO BE CONTINUED