Not Alone Anymore (Luffy x OC)COMPLETED

Chapter 5

After the Straw Hats finished taking down the marines, Luffy, once again, asked me to join my crew with a little more seriousness than the first time. I told them I'd think it over just to get them to leave me alone. Now they sat up in their ship eating dinner while I sat at the edge of the docks and waited for Reeth to get back from picking up the log post.

The soles of my feet scraped the waters surface as I kicked them under me. My hands gripped the wooden bars of the dock as I sat between them and looked out at the water and the sunset behind it. Just the tops of the marine ships could be seen above the water, none of my ship was visible.

I gripped the bars harder at the thought.

From here I could barely hear the Straw Hats laughter from their ship. I felt a knot tie in my stomach at the sound, though I had no idea why.

"RedEyes," I heard Reeth greet me. I turned my head to the sky and saw him gliding down, with a white paper bag in his talons.

"Reeth," I addressed him back. He drops the bag next to my thigh before landing on my shoulder, facing out towards the ocean.

"I knew you wouldn't be eating with the Straw Hats, so I brought you some dinner," he glanced at their ship slightly before turning his head straight again.

I nodded and pulled the bag closer. Inside was a gray folded box, and the log pose, which I slipped around my wrist before opening the box and starting to eat.

"Are you going to accept Monkey D. Luffy's offer?" Reeth shifted on my shoulder, moving the fabric of the cloth and smoothing the folds out to be more comfortable.

I shrugged, "what do you think?"

"It is not my decision, only yours," he said simply.

"But I thought you'd like to make it for me," I joked, though there was nothing funny about the situation.

"I am only here to help you in whatever choices you make, I do not make them for you,"

"Since when," I said through a mouth of fried rice. Which made him frown slightly.

"Since now," he answered before bending down and pecking a bite of rice from the spoon I was lifting to my mouth. I ignored it and continued to frown.

"But what of I don't want to make this choice? I don't know what to do," I dropped the spoon back in the box angrily and set it aside. I've lost my appetite.

"Perhaps I may offer a suggestion," he looked to me, and when I didn't say anything he continued, "since you no longer have a ship of your own, join their crew. They are strong and could carry you until you have a handle on your Devil's Fruit. They are traveling to the same destination as you and their desires does not clash with yours. If you ever get in a tight situation, then you can leave."

"They seem too... Happy," I searched for the right word.

Reeth frowned, "you'll just have to get used to it,"

I thought it over. But it didn't take long to decide that this was the best idea. It would give us a powerful ally and was technically a free ride to find the Memory. All I had to do was call myself a Straw Hat.

"Tch, whatever," I said and fell back onto the deck, my hair sprawled across the wood and my hands stretched up above my head. I closed my eyes and sighed, "I'll tell them when the sun goes down. There's still a few hours left."

"Are you finished?"

I peeked my eye open and looked at Reeth, he was staring at the still full box of rice. I shrugged, "you can have it."

He ducked his head and grabbed the edge of the box with his beak, "I'll be on their ship," with that he straightened up and took off.

I closed my eyes again and let the quiet air settle around me. I wonder if my mother would be proud of me, Maybe she was watching me right now. I couldn't help but imagine her with her bright red hair up in its usual pony, her head resting in her hand as she looked down at me. My guardian angel.

I wanted her to be proud, needed her to be. Just like I needed to make Master proud after everything he's done for me, given me a devil fruit and a ship to help me accomplish my journey.

I frowned at the thought of the destroyed ship again and, as a nervous tick, played with the red band around my wrist.

I opened my eyes again at the sound of talons scratching against the dock next to me. I realized then just how much time had past, the sun had already gone down. It must've been at least an hour.

"RedEyes," Reeth spoke quietly but sternly, "I think you should join us now."

I looked at Reeth who now had the tails of his feathers braided together and a bright pink bow tied around his head feathers.

"He, yeah," I chuckled as I sat up and began unbraiding the feathers.

"Those ladies are children, and the men only mocked me," he held his head up higher to try and save his little pride left.

"I guess you'll just have to get used to it," I mocked him.

He glared and shook himself away from me, using his beak to break apart the rest of the braid and lifted a talon to pull out the bow, which he tossed off the deck and into the water.

"Very funny."

I exhaled and lifted myself up. I began to make my way to the ship while Reeth jumped up onto my shoulder, pulling the last of the braids apart.

When I got to the ship it looked a lot less welcoming than it did before. I hesitated just a second before pulling out the leathery wings and flying up onto the deck of the ship.

I quickly pulled them back in before anyone saw them and decided to inspect them again before realizing the deck was empty.

Laughter came from behind a door of the ship and i made my way over, stopping just in front of the door. Reeth nudged me slightly and knocked on the door before flying from my shoulder and onto the railing of the ship. I sighed and pushed own the door.

It took about ten seconds for the Straw Hats to notice me in the doorway and on other ten for them to quiet down from a chorus of exclaiming my name.

"Luffy-San?" I called out when it finally quieted down.  

"Hmm?" He looked over my way with a goofy smile and his head tilted cutely to the side.

"If your offer still stands, of joining your crew. I think, I'll give it a shot. " I said, stepping in a little further as my confidence gained, "If Reeth could join too."

"Shishishishi, off course!" His smile widened across his face and similar looks of happiness spread on the other Straw Hats faces. Sanji, of course, sprouted hearts in his eyes and quickly 'wiggled?' Over my way with a glass of champagne in his outstretched hands. Which I quickly declined.

"Excuse me, Red?" Robin started politely, "would you happen to know where your friend Reeth is?"

Nami grinned beside her.

I sweat dropped, "sorry, I don't."

"Awe," Nami sighed and went back to her glass of champagne. Robin chuckled besides her.

I ended up joining the Straw Hats at the table, eating dinner while the rest of the sat around me and joked and laughed together. I didn't realize it, but about halfway through I began to laugh and smile along with them, even joining in in the conversations every once in a while. Even when I'd finished eating  we still stayed out. Sometime through it, Reeth joined us and made an effort of sitting as far away from Nami and Robin as was he could while still being polite.

When we all got tired I followed Nami and Robin to the girls' cabin where I found my very few belongings already there and later went to sleep, almost looking forward to tomorrow which is apparently the Straw Hats last day on the island.