COAST - Luffy x Reader

69. And in the World Elsewhere...

Be warned... There is a spoiler or two in this one, especially if you're not caught up to current.

Anywho, here's my tribute to those I forgot in chapter 42!

Happy reading!! <33

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"Alright boys, time to get going!"

"Yes, sir!"

Loyal in their coordinated response, the barking-chant could make your ears ring, at times. Seagulls trill, echoing the marines once all falls quiet, any and all conversation replaced by the rush of getting to designated stations; ropes coiling, straining in intricate, practiced knots; heavy footfalls drumming at the floorboards, a percussion beating through the hollow frame of the ship;

Koby and Helmeppo climb the creaking ramp, trailing the path of their captain's orders, staring up at the black-inked promise of 'justice' on the back of the Garp's white jacket. The pink-haired boy's promise – to meet Luffy and the Straw Hat pirates again in the new world – pours devotion to his cause. He would get stronger, so that he could bear that same symbol someday. Only then would he be able to meet Luffy as an equal on the battlefield.

"Koby!"

Speak of the devil... Koby hears Luffy calling at his back, turning to face him. Didn't they just say goodbye?

"Wait up a sec–" Indeed, the straw hat captain is sprinting toward the marine warship, looking pained in his great strides. Those injuries hadn't healed up quite yet. "I have something to give you guys!"

Helmeppo swivels too, a curious hum in his throat. The shades on his face are too slim to mask the perplexed raise of his eyebrows.

"Uh, s-sure..." Taken-aback, Koby steps backwards when Luffy nearly runs straight into them, panting like crazy. Give them something? Like a gift?

Two packages are shoved into his chest. The petty officer fumbles to catch them, both hands smacking to keep the poorly-wrapped papers in place.

"Here," Luffy giggles at his own scheme, ever the troublemaker. "(Y/n) wanted to give you something. She made 'em herself."

Before Koby can even hold them properly, Luffy's turning tail to sprint back to Galley-La HQ. The pirate twists, a strange contortion of his torso, with chin over shoulder:

"See ya later!"

"W-Wait—" Too late though. Luffy's already halfway gone.

"Hurry it up you two! What the hell are you waiting for, the sun to set?!" The gruff shout spooks both boys enough that their shoulders jolt, a menacing aura wafting from above. Garp looms overhead, and they both swear his eyes are a gleaming, ruby red.

"N-No sir! Right away sir!"

Still clutched to his chest, Koby races up the boarding ramp so quickly he nearly drops the parcels again. They, too, have their assignments to complete, and so the gifts are pocketed for later. It isn't until their shared meal-break (about dinner time) that he remembers their existence.

The skies are dark, and the crew is readying for sleep, or the night shift. Pocket crinkling as he goes to sit, Koby pops back up from his seat in stark surprise. He pats the spot, hears the thin crunch, and registers something akin to an electric shock.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot," Brandishing them on the dining table, the boy nods down at the blank parchment with an odd expression. "What do you think they are? Luffy said (Y/n) made them..."

Helmeppo leans forward, swallowing down his last bite and casting aside the bowl. "That Straw Hat is quite the oddball... But, his soulmate, too? I hadn't expected a gift after just meeting."