Broken Faith

Lesson 12: Fear the name of D

"Uh..."

Using the end of your knife, you gently scratched out the sections you were going to carve.

"Uuuuhhh..."

Master Tobias had given you this project. Apparently his eyes weren't what they used to be, so when an order came in for an ornate jewelry box he'd very hesitantly asked you if you could help.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh..."

Not that you minded. It required a steady hand, and more patience than ever before. Which made it excellent practice.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh..."

Your eye twitched. Or, it would be if someone would be quiet for once!

"Luffy," Sabo groaned, flopping himself backwards over a log, "We know you miss Shanks already, but this is getting pretty annoying."

"Annoying is an understatement," Ace yelled from his perch in the tree above.

Luffy pouted, rolling himself right side up, "But why couldn't he've stayed for loooonger?"

"He only dropped by to pick up some supplies," you sighed, putting down the lid you were working on. You weren't getting anywhere to begin with, so what was the point. "If he stayed any longer, the Marines may have noticed."

A lie to placate him. From what Mayor Woop Slap had told you, the Marines weren't bothered with Foosha in the slightest. It seemed like they focussed all their efforts on the main city of the Goa Kingdom, the other side of Gray Terminal. It irked you, if you were honest. Everyone deserved the right to safety. The Marines guarded the World Nobles with Admirals half the time, so to see a happy town like this with no protection whatsoever... It stang.

And if you had stayed with Mother, you would have had no idea in the slightest.

A shudder ran through you. Now that was a horrible thought.

"Besides-" Ace lounged forwards on his branch- "Isn't he coming back soon or something? He said that he was gonna go and recruit someone. So it's not like you're not gonna see him again."

Luffy let out a long, long, sigh, "Yeah. It's just that I wanted him to save me from Gramps' training that's gonna start on Tuesday."

Clink, went the knife toppling out of your hand.

Ka-thunk, went Ace's body colliding with the ground.

Oh no.

"Say that one more time?" Ace stammered, sitting bolt upright despite the numerous scrapes that had newly formed on his face.

"I said that I wanted Shanks to save me from Gramp's training that's gonna start on Tuesday." Humming, Luffy tapped his chin, "Gramps never said what a Tuesday was, so I was gonna ask Shanks about it. Hopefully it's some meat."

Oh no no no.

"Angel," Ace slowly turned towards you, "What day is it today?"

Sabo cocked his head. "What's gotten into both of you? And who's this 'Gramps' person?"

You wished it wasn't. But you kept track of the days in your notebook. Two days ago was when the Sunday market was on in Foosha. Which meant only one thing.

"It's...Tuesday."

First, he would check Peta and Makino's place. When he realised that Luffy wasn't there, he would then rampage bellowing through the town. Once he finally took the time to stop and think, he would figure out who Luffy was friends with and where those friends lived.