megami ✧ shanks

❧three

Ace POV

Sabo and I follow Hikari, I think back to what I heard when I eavesdropped on her and Garp talking.

-Flashback

"Hey, old man." I hear Hikari say, I hide behind the tree, she was talking with the old man. Garp looks at her, "Is it good I'm here? Was I mistake? Is that why my parents left me with you?" Hikari asks.

My eyes widen, she knows how I feel, "Your mother gave you to me to protect you, she never wanted to give you up." Garp says. "What about my father?" Hikari asks, "As far as I know, he didn't know about you." Garp answers.

-Flashback ends

-Time Skip & Hikari's POV-

Lily was glaring at Ace, Sabo, and me. Lily was sitting behind Luffy, I flex my fingers, I stare at my hands. "I don't get it!" Ace shouts, breaking me from staring at my hands, "Why didn't you tell them?! Those guys kill women and children without a second thought!" He exclaims

Luffy sniffles, he was trembling slightly at Ace's loud voice. "If I'd told them... I could never be your friend." Luffy says, I freeze, "That's better than dying, isn't it? Why do you even want to be my friend anyway?" Ace shouts at the 7 year old.

I slightly turn away from the others, I see Luffy look down sadly, "Because... because.." He croaks out. "After all the stuff that I put you through? Why did you still follow me this far?" Ace presses, I could tell he wanted an answer.

"Because..." Luffy starts softly, and then stops for a moment as if afraid to say what was on his mind. But then he looked up and finally yelled out, "Because there isn't anybody else!" Luffy says.

I look at Lily, she nods, other than Gramps they don't have anyone else. The two of them are outcasts, just like us, Ace blinks at the young boys answer. It left me speechless too, "I can't go back to Fusha Village, and I hate mountain bandits. Big sis is usually asleep for a lot of the day. If I didn't chase after you, I'd be all alone! And being alone is worse than being hurt." Luffy says.

My eyes widen, I've been alone most of my life, I'm pretty sure the other four at least know who their parents are, I don't know who my parents are. I look at the other four, they're all younger than me.

I might never meet my actual family, and they're all younger than me, I think I'll adopt them as my younger siblings. I can tell what Ace is going to ask, "It isn't so bad when I'm here?" I ask in unison with Ace.

Sabo and Lily look at me in surprise, I know who Ace's father is, and I don't care at all who his father is. Ever since I met Ace when I was around two, I've felt a strange protectiveness of him, I wonder why.

"Right!" Luffy exclaims, "And it'd be bad if I wasn't here?" I continue with Ace, "Right!" Luffy says again. Ace and I both look at him, "You want me to live?" I ask quietly with Ace, I've always wondered why my parents left me with Gramps.

I've thought that my parents left me with Gramps because I was a mistake, so I've questioned if I should even exist, I can relate with Ace on that part. Luffy looks at us with a surprised expression, "Of course I do!" He says without hesitation.

We look at Lily, "The same as Luffy." She says, I turn away from them, and smile slightly.