(no subject)
Title: A Fox Tale
Rating: PG-13
Word Count:
Pairing: (slight) Zoro x Ace, Ace x Luffy, (Hints of )Sanji x Zoro (Nothing explicit)
Topic: None
Type: AU, set in Oyabun Luffy's setting
Genre: General
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from One Piece.
VTM: As promised a longer version of the Story 'Temptation' and its sequels from onepieceyaoi100. I hope you enjoy!
-0-0-
It was a summer day, not too hot, not too cold, but just right, warm with a kiss of the wind. There was a mix of sun and rain though out the day. Peeking behind the clouds was the sun, in all its glory, it shined triumphantly. A 'foxes wedding day' is what some would call it, down on the earth below, in the tall grass fields, stood a young boy holding an oilpaper umbrella looking up at this phenomenon. He was a scrawny little thing, with fair skin that was decorated with freckles. His hair was dark brown, almost black, slightly long and very unruly, much like the child himself. A slightly stubborn look upon his face gave away that he had been a victim of harsh times. He watched the sky, wondering if foxes really did get married on days like this. At that point he heard something in the distance, this caused a pair of black furry fox ears to pop out from his hair. They gave a twitch as they tried to catch that sound again.
"Ace!" it was the voice of an even younger boy calling out to him. Dressed in baggy peasant clothes, he was small, almost tripping over himself on a few occasions as he ran through the tall grass. "There you are!" The younger boy said as he caught up to the fox pup, he the promptly tripped and disappeared into the grass with a small 'thud'. "Oof!"
Ace shook his head and helped the boy get back up on his feet. "Oi, Luffy, what are you doing out here? You know the old hag is going to be mad that you wandered out here again."
"I wanted to find you!" Luffy said as he puffed his cheeks in a pout, looking as stubborn as ever. "Besides why do you get to come out here to play and I don't?"
"Because you'd get lost in the grass or would get eaten by something nasty that likes the taste of human kids." Ace said in a blunt tone. "And why do you keep following me anyway? How many times have I told you I don't want you bothering me?"
Little Luffy was picking his nose with his pinky while he looked out at the beautiful view. "Huh? What was that?"
"OI! LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE IS TALKING TO YOU!" Ace then konked the brat on the head. He glared menacingly at the little boy, just how the hell did he get stuck with such an annoying brat? Ace thought back on the day this all started.
-One Month Ago-
Ace sat up in a tree, it was one of his favorite spots to think, he was just out of reach of people and their problems, having more than enough of his own to think about. It was then when a noise caught Ace's attention, his fox ears twitched and he looked down hill.
"Ow! Gramps! That hurts!" cried the voice of a little boy. His arm seemed to stretch and bend against the old man's vice like grip. Poor kid, must have been one of been suffering from a 'Devil's curse', a strange aliment that grants the victim strange powers, but takes their ability to swim.
Ace gave a confused blink as he watched two figures walked along the mountain trail. There was an old man dragging along a small boy dressed in red peasant's clothes. He was tall, strong with broad shoulder and white short hair and scruffy beard. He wore armor, a sign that he was a seasoned warrior, probably one of higher rank. As the two got closer Ace found that he could recognize the old man, his name was Garp, hailed as a hero in these lands. A fierce warrior of unbelievable strength, he had battled warrior and demon alike always coming out on top. This was the man Ace came to know as 'grandpa'. Garp having been a friend to Ace's father, who was a man from another country by the name of 'Gol D. Roger'.
Rumor had it he was a criminal, a pirate or something of the like, but regardless, it was said that he brought a revolutionary way of doing business and changed the merchant way of life, making it a rather cut throat business and allowing merchants to gain wealth and allowing them to scale up the social latter. Ace's mother, a beautiful courtesan named Rouge, was an independent and intelligent woman, many nobles sought her out to try to get her to be their mistress, given that she had no family that was known of. Roger to say the least became smitten with her, they began to spend time together and they became quite close. Sometime later Rouge had found that she was pregnant, once finding out Roger promised to marry her, and they would have a family.
However, this happiness was not meant to be. Upon Ace's birth it became clear just what Rouge truly was, a fox that had disguised herself as a human. News of this revelation spread faster than a wildfire, it was then that monks and priests started hounding them, wanting to expel the 'evil beasts'. Roger took his fox-wife and fled, however, in the end Rouge traded herself for her child and husband. She was taken away and her fate was never made clear, though there had been many rumors. Rouge became a legend among her fox kin, a fox that had found love and nearly had absolute happiness. As for Roger, he was shunned and was forced to travel about the lands with some of his most loyal comrades. Fearing that this was no life for a child and being bitterly reminded of his dear wife by his son's presence, Roger called in a favor from Garp, a high ranking and respected warrior and had him take Ace under his wing in hopes the boy would have a better life than he could offer. Needless to say, Roger's hopes may have been invested in the wrong man, first opportunity Garp got he left Ace in the hands of a local mountain hag that led a small group of bandits.
Ace looked back, to a spot up on a hill at the end of a worn path hidden by trees. There was the hide out of Dadan and her boys. Ace then looked back towards the approaching pair and watched them in silence.
The little child that was struggling in Garp's grip stopped as soon as he noticed Ace sitting on the tree branch above them. Their eyes met and they watched each other as they past each other by. When they were just out of earshot Luffy looked up at Garp. "Ne, grampy, who is that kid?"
Garp looked back and noticed Ace. "That's Ace, he's going to be your new big brother, got it?"
Luffy's eyes widened in wonder but then he soon went back to pouting. "But why do I have to say here? Why can't I stay with Makino and Woopslap?"
Garp sighed and gave Luffy a light whap over the head. "Don't ask so many questions, boy." The truth of the matter was that Luffy was the son of a man considered dangerous to the local lords. Keeping Luffy with him would be too dangerous. So know he needed to dump him into the capable hands of someone he could trust.
As they approached the top of the hill there stood a large rickety old house. The wooden structure was almost grey with age, there were a few holes and broken boards here and there. The only sign that someone was even living there was a clothes line with hanging laundry. Even then though, those clothes were pretty much rags.
"Oi! Dadan! You home!?" Garp called out. There was only silence, save for the occasional 'caw' of a nearby crow. Luffy gave a confused blink. Was something supposed to happen?
Suddenly, without warning something flew out of the house at a high speed and was heading right for Garp. The old man dodged the speeding projectile with ease, leaving it to hit a nearby tree. It turned out to be an axe. More things flew out from the entrance of the rundown oversized shack of a house, from weapons to tubs, to statues, to even plates, forks, and knives.
Suddenly Luffy gasped as a thought occurred to him. "Gramps! Is this where Grandma lives?"
Garp suddenly froze for a moment at such a disturbing thought of Dadan and him as a couple, only to suddenly have a skillet smash into his face.
Now standing before him was what at first glance looked like an overstressed ogre. However it was a woman, stout, with a thick figure, dressed in commoners' clothes that had been repaired and patched up plenty of times in the past. Accusing eyes narrowed at the warrior before her, skillet in hand ready to wallop that fatheaded old git ten ways to Tuesday.
Garp threw his hands up as a sign of surrender. "Oi! Oi! Dadan! I'm not here to start a fight with you!"
"Are you here to drop off another brat?" Dadan's tone was near flat, but still laced with suspicion. Her eyes then landed on the little boy that was waving at her all too innocently.
"Well, you want an honest answer?" Garp said as he picked his nose with his pinky. "Not that it really matters..."
"CLANG!"
"Grampy!" Luffy said with shock as the old warrior went down with a loud 'THUD'.
-In Present Time-
That was how this whole mess started. Ace was trying to ignore Luffy's stupid ramblings about the beetle he was trying to show him.
"It's Hercules! Look Ace! He's so cool!" Luffy said excitedly.
In all honesty Ace was a little tempted to look, he liked hunting for beetles too, but he was just too damn stubborn. He then felt his clothes being tugged at, he then finally looked at Luffy. "What do you want?" He was a little surprised to see the kid's eyes had become teary, but Luffy was being stubborn and trying not to cry. This sight made Ace's stomach churn a little, he felt a little guilty. "What's wrong with you? Only babies cry!"
"I'M NOT A BABY!" Luffy suddenly shouted. He then sniffled, he wiped his nose, and pouted. A slight whining noise escaped the boy, he really was on the brink of tears.
Ace could feel his face heat up as it went red with embarrassment, he felt really bad at this point. The whole month he had treated the kid like dirt, and yet the kid still would follow him around. One would think that the brat would get the point after he tossed him in the river or that time he tied him to a tree and left him there all night. But no, Luffy just kept following him around like a lost puppy, but why?
Suddenly Luffy hugged onto the older boy, at this point he actually did start crying.
For a moment, Ace was ready to hit the brat and scold him for crying again, but this time he couldn't really bring himself to do it. He let Luffy hug him and cry into his clothes, they stood there like that for a while, a breeze picking up and blowing against them Ace tilted his oilpaper umbrella to shield them. In a way Luffy reminded him a little of himself, the kid was probably lonely, something he knew the harsh feel of all too well. Starting to feel uncomfortable, Ace tried to break the silence. "Oi, you never told me why you came out here anyway..."
Having calmed down finally, Luffy wiped his eyes, and looked up at the older boy. "I just wanted to find you." He kept a hand clung to Ace's shirt, as if he were afraid the fox would disappear suddenly.
Ace sighed. "Well, I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere."
Luffy then grinned. "Shi, shi, shi..." It was about then that he noticed how the pretty view they had was. "Ne, Ace, how come it's raining while the sun's still out?"
"...Someone's getting married, I guess." Ace said without thinking.
"Married?" Luffy blinked. "What does that have to do with the sky?"
Ace rolled his eyes at the stupid question. "It's called 'the fox's wedding day', moron. Some people say that foxes have their weddings on these kinds of days, because they're so pretty."
"Oh! So are you going to get married too?" Luffy asked with a smile.
"No!" Ace blushed in embarrassment and shook his head as the younger boy laughed at him. "Who'd want to get married anyway? It's stupid..."
Luffy tilted his head to the side, not sure why Ace would think such a thing, but soon 'Luffy logic' kicked in. "Ace is afraid people will be too scared to want to marry you? That's okay, I'll make you my wife one day!"
Ace instantly went as red as a beet. "You dumbass!" Though his words were harsh, he felt almost amused deep down. After a moment of silence between the two, Ace then reached up and ruffled Luffy's hair. "You're...Not so bad, I guess." The older boy admitted stubbornly.
Luffy smiled and took Ace's hand in his. "Ne, want to hunt for beetles with me? I know where to find some really cool ones!"
At this point Ace couldn't help but reluctantly give a slight smile, he then gave a nod. "Okay, lead the way then."
Luffy laughed and led Ace by the hand as they headed back to the forests to spend the rest of the day exploring and having little adventures together. That was how a friendship was started, Luffy's persistence slowly broke through Ace's defenses.
-10 years later-
Not too far from Grand Jipangu, there were fields of tall grass at the base of the mountains, the grass was being thrashed about as something tore through them at high speeds. At first glance it appeared to be nothing more but a large shadow. It leaped out of the tall grass and bound down the dirt road towards the great city of Grand Jipang.
Meanwhile, napping under a tree just on the outskirts of the city was a green haired man, dressed in indigo monk robes, takuhatsu gasa tipped over his eyes to keep the sunlight disturbing his sleep. Laying beside was a wrapped green light linen cloth. The man's name was Zoro, he was a traveling monk that is known for taking naps in various places throughout Grand Jipang rather than doing the actual work a monk should be doing. But on a warm lazy day like this who cared? He was entitled to do as he please as long as he helped keep the city safe, whether the threat be man or supernatural.
Just then, Zoro's eyes suddenly opened when he felt a strange presence approaching, sitting up he caught a glimpse of the shadow in the distance speeding down the dirt road leaving a dust cloud in its wake. So much for relaxing.
Almost as if noticing the monk, the shadow made a quick turn, and rushed off behind some trees. Feeling that the shadow wasn't simply going to leave just like that, Zoro headed back for the entrance to the city. Unless that shadow was able to fly, there was no other way of it getting in. The city was surrounded by tall, protective walls.
Soon Zoro stopped in his tracks, he felt that presence again, but this time it was right behind him. He turned and glared at the figure before him. How irritating, to find such a creature trying to waltz towards the city as if it were the completely natural thing to do. What made it worse was that it seemed to have taken a different form now. Zoro stood firm in the being's path. "Did you really think you could fool me with that shoddy disguise?"
Standing before him was a shriveled, little old man with oversized, dull robes and a pair of glasses with thick lenses. The old man looked at Zoro curiously, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh? Don't you punks have any respect for your elders today?" he said in an almost tired voice. "How rude kids are these days."
"Cut the act, I can practically smell that you're not human." Zoro then pointed his staff at the old man. "Show me your real form, right now."
The old man smirked. "Heh, I guess some kids today are smarter than they look..." With that his body started to change, he grew more into the oversized robes, they too changed, turning from dull to more vibrant colors and patterns, the man's grey hair falling out and being replaced by dark, near black hair. The creature opposite of the monk still looked deceptively human, but it was now in the form of a handsome, young man with tied back longer hair, childish freckles, and almost sleepy looking eyes. Though he looked still human, the fox ears poking out from his hair and the multiple black tails were a dead gave away of his true nature. The Kitsune gave a smug smirk to the monk, this guy seemed easy to anger, this could be a little fun. "Why so tense? I'm just here to visit someone."
"Hmph, that's got to be the lousiest excuse I've ever heard. I'd expect more from a 'fox'..." Zoro then dropped his staff and reached for the wrapped bundle on his back, with a swift movement he revealed three swords.
Ace's eyes widened slightly with surprise, one of his fox ears gave a slight twitch. "Huh, so I take it you're no run of the mill monk then? Well then, this should be more fun than I thought."
Zoro suddenly charged forward, hoping to catch the beast off guard, and with a powerful swing tried to cut the fox in two. However his blades just went right through him, as if he were intangible. Zoro looked back at the supernatural creature, only to find the fox up close to him, with that ever cocky smirk on his face.
Ace gave Zoro a kick to the side and sent him falling to the ground, with a wave of his hand he summoned little floating flames. He then pointed at the monk and the flames rushed for Zoro.
Luckily the green haired monk rolled out of the way just in time as the flames crashed into the ground, making a small blast. Despite being able to dodge the attack Zoro could tell the creature was just toying with him. He was then forced to run when Ace pointed at him again, but this time fired multiple bullets of flame from his finger tips. Reaching into his robes, Zoro pulled out a talisman, it was then that he noticed that the fox was no longer attacking and was walking towards the city. Zoro ran as fast as he could and then blocked Ace's way again.
Ace stopped gave a slight frown. "Oi, it was fun, but I'm not up for playing with you anymore. I'm here to see someone and I'm not going to let you stop me."
"How about a trip to hell instead?" Zoro said as he stuck the talisman onto the fox. Upon contact the paper began to spark, zapping Ace.
Stumbling back Ace snagged the piece of paper and tore it off and threw it aside. " You're rather impressive, for a monk...but that crap isn't going to work on me."
Surprised at the beast's resistance to the talisman, Zoro was about to try to cut him down again, but suddenly the fox grabbed Zoro's hand before he could. Ace then leaned in and captured Zoro's lips and a sudden, bold kiss. Time seemed to stop, Zoro's body completely froze up, he was taken off guard. Soon he regained his senses and attacked once more. "You flea bitten mongrel!"
Ace laughed. "Why do you look so flustered, monk? Is something bothering you?" The fox leaped back and in a sudden poof of smoke took the form of a black fox and rushed towards Zoro at full speed.
Right when the monk readied himself to fend off an attack, the agile creature went under him, escaped through the space between Zoro's legs and dashed into the city, blurring past the guards of the gate before they could take notice. The monk stared in awe at the fleeing fox for a moment. Twice, twice now he was made a fool of, Zoro's face blushed red from embarrassment. He sheathed his swords and headed towards the city, he would have to find the fox and get rid of it before it could do any harm to people. He still continued to blush, unable to stop thinking about that damned kiss. Was this a spell or something? No, Zoro knew the truth deep down in his gut.
Meanwhile in the city the citizens were blissfully unaware of the intruder. It was just like any other day, busy and lively. Merchants tried to sell their wares, the smells of foods cooking filled the air.
"The islands in the south~ Are warm~ Paina-purupuru~ Their heads get really hot~ And they're all idiots~!" A common song heard throughout the streets of Grand Jipang, it was song by a young man dressed in a red hanten over an indigo shirt and indigo pants. A jute, a symbol that he was part of the local law enforcement, tucked into a light blue belt. He was of a lanky, but toned build, with lightly tanned skin, his hair was messy with a small bit of it tied back. His signature straw hat and scar below his left eye was a giveaway of his identity.
"Oi! Oi! Oyabun!" came a sudden shout from a distance.
The young man stopped and looked back at the direction the shouting came from. He saw a young man about his age rushing towards him, dressed in mostly brownish green. He was the red clad man's partner, the two being part of the local law enforcement, 'Oyabun' Luffy and Usopp.
"Yo!" Luffy said as he raised a hand in greeting.
"No 'yo's'! This is serious! There's a thief in the market place and he's going to get away. Come on, we can cut him off if we go this way!" Usopp grabbed Luffy by the shirt and dragged him along.
Meanwhile not too far away was the said thief running down the market place, he had a collection of money pouches that managed to pick from the pockets of customers. Everything was going fine until that stupid long nose spotted him.
"Oi! Stop right there!" a shout rang out, it was Luffy. He was rushing past the crowd as he was trying to catch up to the thief.
The thief then began to shove through the crowd roughly, he had seen the destruction Luffy tends to cause during his pursuits of criminals. This was one criminal that didn't want to be a part of that legacy.
"I said STOP!" Luffy then stopped. "Gomu gomu no..."
Upon hearing that dreaded phrase the people in the crowded streets immediately tried to get out of the rubber law man's way.
"Fourths please!" called an unsuspecting man at one of the food shops.
The owner gave an annoyed sigh. "Are you sure you're going to have enough to pay for all of this?"
"U-Uh..." The customer seemed unsure how to answer that.
Right then the thief suddenly rushed past the shop. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" he shouted as he ran.
The freckled faced customer watched the fleeing thief with a confused look painted across his face. "Huh? What was that about?"
The owner gave a blink then peeked his head out of the stall to see what the thief was running from. The owner's eyes went wide with horror as he quickly ducked back into the store to take cover.
"GATLING!"
With that cry there was a sudden rain of destruction that would rival a tornado tearing through the area.
Miraculously the thief somehow managed to avoid the attack and continued to run. He suddenly found himself having to dodge small, speeding projectiles. Looking up he saw Usopp standing on one of the rooftops of a nearby building, taking aim right at him with his sling shot. The thief quickly ducked for cover in a pottery stall. Still shots were fired, smashing up the pottery in the store. The thief had to crawl and squirm to avoid Usopp's aim which almost found its mark each time.
"Is he in there Usopp?"
"Well yeah, idiot! Why else would I be shooting?"
"I don't know, target practice?"
"Just go get him!"
Luffy gave a laugh. "Okay! Gomu gomu no..."
"No! Wait!" Usopp called out. "Luffy! Just go in there and get him!"
"GATLING!"
Usopp gave a long, drawn out sigh as Luffy obliterated the poor little pottery shop. They were going to be in deep shit when Genzo got a hold of them. "Why me? Why did I have to get partnered up with him?" he asked the heavens.
"Oi! What the hell is going on out here?" shouted a voice from a nearby restaurant, a young blonde man with a swirly eyebrow stepped out, dressed in blue, with his long hair tied back in a short ponytail. His face went from that of annoyance to complete and total awe when he looked out at the destruction of the street. He then noticed the ruined food shops and food, the blonde's eye then landed on Luffy. He then promptly launched himself into the air and gave Luffy a good kick to the face. "You dumbass!"
"Sanji! Not now! We're in pursuit of a thief! Knock that off!" Usopp shouted.
It was then that the thief managed to crawl out of the debris of the destroyed pottery shop and once again tried to make a run for it. This was his chance to escape while the duo was distracted. Now it was a sake of honor, this was not only for him, but for all the other thieves that had been taken down by Oyabun Luffy!
Suddenly a figure stepped out of a nearby ally and clothes lined the thief. "That was for messing up my lunch, you bastard!" he said as he glared down at the man sprawled out on the ground.
Dear god, why couldn't he just get one single break? The thief sighed and just gave up, there was just no point with these god damned people. "Whatever! I give up! Just take me in!"
"Huh?" The freckle faced man said with a blink. Now he was starting to wonder just what he had wondered into.
"There he is!" Luffy shouted. He then rushed over and pounced on the thief and proceeded to beat him up.
"AHHH! I SAID I GIVE UP! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"
"He's probably lying so he can get a sucker punch in on you." Usopp said in a flat tone.
"What!?" With that Luffy then punched the thief out.
The freckle faced man smirked then started to laugh. "Still causing trouble, Lu?"
Luffy gave a confused blink and looked up and the man standing by him and the thief. The voice was familiar, so was the guy's face, but there was something missing that threw him off. "Na? Who are you?"
The freckled face man frowned and looked a little hurt. "Are you serious? It's me, Ace. Your big brother, you doofus."
Luffy's eyes then widened is shock. "Ace!" The rubber man then pounced on him.
Both Sanji and Usopp watched on for a moment then looked at each other. "Brother?"
Later that day, there was the sound of loud laughter that could be heard coming from Onami's restaurant.
Zoro watched the scene before him from a distance, he had been keeping an eye on that wretched mongrel all day, watching for any slip up it would make. Who would've thought that that 'someone' special that fox said he was going to visit was none other than the one that was supposed to be a protector of the city, 'Oyabun Luffy'. The monk gave an annoyed sigh. Instead rather than being much of a protector, he was a magnet for trouble, this time he attracted a pretty big threat. Zoro watched them, the fox that was now disguised fully as a human, his fox ears and tail were gone, but he could still tell what he really was. From what he had heard from Sanji, the man went right over to Oyabun, and he called him 'little brother', and since then they had been inseparable.
"Ace! I'm going to get a big fish, just you watch!" Luffy declared.
The Ace laughed as he followed after Luffy and the children. There was a look of soft adoration on the fox's face as he watched Luffy run off ahead with the kids as they all headed for the river to fish. It was a look Zoro thought that beast would be incapable of looking back on their last encounter. Again that image of that bold kiss played in Zoro's mind. The priest scowled slightly, he couldn't get that incident out of his mind. Right then Zoro noticed the fox stop and look back at him, he then gave that ever smart smirk that Zoro grew anxious to see.
"...Damned fox." Zoro muttered.
"Oi, what are you up to?" a voice from behind said suddenly. It was Sanji, more than likely on break from cooking for the restaurant Onami owned. "You've been following that guy all day, cut it out already. It looks weird."
"What I do is none of your business, ero-cook!"
"Hmph...That may be and it's not like I care...But still, you don't always have to do stupid things, stupid marimo." Sanji said as he smoked on his pipe. "Why don't you come back to the Pinwheel with me? We got some new stock on that shitty sake you like."
Zoro looked mildly surprised. "Are you feeling alright? Suddenly you don't seem to be such a bad guy." He said as he started to walk with Sanji.
"Oi, don't push it, dumbass..." The cook shot back.
It was getting close to sunset, Luffy led the others to their favorite fishing spot. The five of them sat on a bridge above a creek each with a fishing pole and waiting eagerly for the bites of fish.
"Hey, Ace, where are you from anyway?" Piman asked suddenly.
"Yeah, you said you were here visiting, right? Do you life far away?" Orika added.
"Hmm? Oh, I live up in the forests of the Moby Mountains." Ace explained. He laughed at the surprised looks on the kids faces. "What? Is something wrong?" He already knew the answer.
"They say a mountain god lives there!" Tamanegi said with a look of dread on his face. "They say that he's so strong that he can shake the earth!"
Orika smiled with excitement and looked up at the older brother. "Wow! Did you ever see him?!"
Ace laughed. "He's a good god and yeah, he is really strong. He protects the creatures and villages of the mountains. Everyone loves him, sort of like a father. As for if I have ever seen him, well, maybe I have and yet maybe I haven't. It's a secret."
"AWWW!" The children all cried with disappointment.
"That's not fair!"
"Come on! Tell us!"
"Please! Please! Please!"
Luffy smiled, he was glad to see that Ace and the children were having such a good time. It had been such a long time since they got to see each other and have fun like this. "Na, Ace, how long are you able to stay in town? I got a lot of stories to tell and a lot of things I really want to show you." he said with a grin.
Ace smiled and looked thoughtful. "Well, I don't really have a set schedule, so I could stay for a little while."
"Then stay with me at my place!" Luffy said happily.
"Okay, okay..." Ace laughed at his brother's eagerness.
While the five continued to have their fun they were unaware that they were being watched. Not too far away Robin stood under a nearby tree, watching and listening in on their conversation. The castle got an anonymous tip, she was ordered to keep an eye on any newcomers to the city. She wasn't given much information on the matter, however she was told to keep an eye out for any strange activity. She watched as the two brothers said good bye to the children, it would be getting dark soon, so they had to hurry home. Luffy and Ace then started to walk off, most likely to go back to The Pinwheel for dinner before heading home. So far there was nothing that seemed too out of the ordinary, though that man's knowledge of the Moby Mountains did seem a little odd. She would have to look into this, though it was not quite 'strange' per say, it was better to be safe than sorry.
It was well into the evening and The Pinwheel was pretty lively. Sanji, Onami, and Mao were busily serving the customers, they were glad to see such business, while the brothers were forced to eat light(not meaning they didn't sneak food from others), there was a lot of laughter as Luffy introduced Ace to more of his friends that were regulars. Stories were being told about past adventures, mishaps, and close calls that Luffy and the city had been through.
"Oyabun here was almost banished and even was threatened to be hung by a magistrate!"
Ace looked a little surprised. "What have I told you about being so reckless, Lu?"
"Shi, shi, shi, shi! I know, but it all turned out okay in the end!" Luffy said with a grin.
"You never cease to find new ways to make me worry, kid." Thought there was the sound of genuine worry in his voice, Ace couldn't help but give a small laugh. He was glad to see Luffy was doing so well in the city. He would worry a lot about him from time to time after they had parted ways, three years time unable to shake the strong bond between them. Now he was glad that stranger had come to him with the information on his little brother, though, part of him still found it a little strange. Ace watched as Luffy and the other customers laughed and had a good time, all worry just seemed to fade with the sight.
Meanwhile, other things were playing out in the room...
Stupid idiot, just what was his problem with Oyabun's brother? Sanji watched with an annoyed look on his face as Zoro sat a few tables away from the two brothers, Luffy was now showing Ace his famous 'chop stick trick'.
"O-Oi...I don't think I have enough for all of this..." Usopp whispered to them in a worried tone.
Unfortunately for Usopp, Onami was just walking past and heard him. She then grabbed Usopp by the ear and gave a good pinch. "Well then I guess someone is going to be washing dishes all night to make up for what you can't pay..." she said with a dark look in her eyes.
Luffy swallowed a mouthful of food and continued on with another story that he had been telling, completely ignoring Usopp's plight."And then there was time the great sakura tree was stolen! They were trying to steal it with this huge ship! And there was this guy that could shoot beams from his hands!"
"Oh?" The older boy laughed, he was really enjoying the stories Luffy had been telling him. He seemed paid no mind to the monk that was watching at him in the distance.
Sanji gave a sigh and walked over to give the idiot monk his stupid order, he slammed the tray on the table slightly, making the ever grouchy Zoro jump slightly. "Oi, moron, pay attention or the food will get cold." Instead of the normal response of a smart come back or snide remark, all he got was a nearly inaudible grumble. "Hmph..." He then headed back for the kitchen. It was odd, it sort of felt like getting rejected. All that monk seemed to care about lately was Ace. He felt a little childish, but he also felt a little forgotten. It wasn't that he liked the idiot or anything, of course not! But it wasn't like he minded him all that much either. It was weird, half the time they were in the same room they would do nothing but fight. Yet it was never anything serious, hell, it was almost fun now and then, like an inside joke between friends. Sanji suddenly shook his head trying to shake these god awful thoughts.
"Oi!"
"Huh?" Sanji blinked and looked out from the kitchen. "What is it now, marimo!?"
"More sake, pervert cook." Zoro said with a slight smirk.
Ace and Luffy watched as the two suddenly broke into another argument and laughed. "They must be good friends, huh?" Ace asked with a smile.
"Yeah, they show it in weird ways, but I think they are good friends." Luffy said with a small laugh.
Usopp gave a confused blink, that wasn't what he was seeing whenever he saw those two together. It was more like trying to mix oil and water. Were Luffy and Ace able to see something he couldn't? Suddenly he heard someone clearing their throat, looking up he saw Onami glaring down at him, but this was then followed by being blinded with an apron being thrown in his face. Usopp gave a sigh, took the apron and proceeded to put it on, it was going to be a long night.
-End-
Originally this was going to be a chapter fic, however, I dropped the project. I put a lot of work and a bit of research into this one, so comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Takuhatsu gasa - Buddhist Priest/monk hat.
Hanten - The short robe Luffy wears. I'm hoping that's what you call them, if I'm wrong please tell me so I can correct that. Thank you.
(I had to use these phrases to fit into the culture that this story takes place in. Normally I'd prefer using more American terms, but this is for sake of the story.)
Fun Notes:
Rouge - Her background in this story is very loosely based off of the folklore of 'Fox Wives'(Foxes that marry a human) and the famous fox legend 'Tamamo-no-Mae', a fox that took the form of a beautiful woman and became a adored courtesan(she was evil though).
Foxes' Wedding Day - Is an actual occurrence, when the sun shines as it rains. This is called the Foxes' wedding day because foxes were seen as being holy and clever enough to be able to marry(human or other foxes). It's said that it's that if you stumble onto a Fox's wedding try not to get caught, they don't like trespassers and might curse you.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count:
Pairing: (slight) Zoro x Ace, Ace x Luffy, (Hints of )Sanji x Zoro (Nothing explicit)
Topic: None
Type: AU, set in Oyabun Luffy's setting
Genre: General
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from One Piece.
VTM: As promised a longer version of the Story 'Temptation' and its sequels from onepieceyaoi100. I hope you enjoy!
-0-0-
It was a summer day, not too hot, not too cold, but just right, warm with a kiss of the wind. There was a mix of sun and rain though out the day. Peeking behind the clouds was the sun, in all its glory, it shined triumphantly. A 'foxes wedding day' is what some would call it, down on the earth below, in the tall grass fields, stood a young boy holding an oilpaper umbrella looking up at this phenomenon. He was a scrawny little thing, with fair skin that was decorated with freckles. His hair was dark brown, almost black, slightly long and very unruly, much like the child himself. A slightly stubborn look upon his face gave away that he had been a victim of harsh times. He watched the sky, wondering if foxes really did get married on days like this. At that point he heard something in the distance, this caused a pair of black furry fox ears to pop out from his hair. They gave a twitch as they tried to catch that sound again.
"Ace!" it was the voice of an even younger boy calling out to him. Dressed in baggy peasant clothes, he was small, almost tripping over himself on a few occasions as he ran through the tall grass. "There you are!" The younger boy said as he caught up to the fox pup, he the promptly tripped and disappeared into the grass with a small 'thud'. "Oof!"
Ace shook his head and helped the boy get back up on his feet. "Oi, Luffy, what are you doing out here? You know the old hag is going to be mad that you wandered out here again."
"I wanted to find you!" Luffy said as he puffed his cheeks in a pout, looking as stubborn as ever. "Besides why do you get to come out here to play and I don't?"
"Because you'd get lost in the grass or would get eaten by something nasty that likes the taste of human kids." Ace said in a blunt tone. "And why do you keep following me anyway? How many times have I told you I don't want you bothering me?"
Little Luffy was picking his nose with his pinky while he looked out at the beautiful view. "Huh? What was that?"
"OI! LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE IS TALKING TO YOU!" Ace then konked the brat on the head. He glared menacingly at the little boy, just how the hell did he get stuck with such an annoying brat? Ace thought back on the day this all started.
-One Month Ago-
Ace sat up in a tree, it was one of his favorite spots to think, he was just out of reach of people and their problems, having more than enough of his own to think about. It was then when a noise caught Ace's attention, his fox ears twitched and he looked down hill.
"Ow! Gramps! That hurts!" cried the voice of a little boy. His arm seemed to stretch and bend against the old man's vice like grip. Poor kid, must have been one of been suffering from a 'Devil's curse', a strange aliment that grants the victim strange powers, but takes their ability to swim.
Ace gave a confused blink as he watched two figures walked along the mountain trail. There was an old man dragging along a small boy dressed in red peasant's clothes. He was tall, strong with broad shoulder and white short hair and scruffy beard. He wore armor, a sign that he was a seasoned warrior, probably one of higher rank. As the two got closer Ace found that he could recognize the old man, his name was Garp, hailed as a hero in these lands. A fierce warrior of unbelievable strength, he had battled warrior and demon alike always coming out on top. This was the man Ace came to know as 'grandpa'. Garp having been a friend to Ace's father, who was a man from another country by the name of 'Gol D. Roger'.
Rumor had it he was a criminal, a pirate or something of the like, but regardless, it was said that he brought a revolutionary way of doing business and changed the merchant way of life, making it a rather cut throat business and allowing merchants to gain wealth and allowing them to scale up the social latter. Ace's mother, a beautiful courtesan named Rouge, was an independent and intelligent woman, many nobles sought her out to try to get her to be their mistress, given that she had no family that was known of. Roger to say the least became smitten with her, they began to spend time together and they became quite close. Sometime later Rouge had found that she was pregnant, once finding out Roger promised to marry her, and they would have a family.
However, this happiness was not meant to be. Upon Ace's birth it became clear just what Rouge truly was, a fox that had disguised herself as a human. News of this revelation spread faster than a wildfire, it was then that monks and priests started hounding them, wanting to expel the 'evil beasts'. Roger took his fox-wife and fled, however, in the end Rouge traded herself for her child and husband. She was taken away and her fate was never made clear, though there had been many rumors. Rouge became a legend among her fox kin, a fox that had found love and nearly had absolute happiness. As for Roger, he was shunned and was forced to travel about the lands with some of his most loyal comrades. Fearing that this was no life for a child and being bitterly reminded of his dear wife by his son's presence, Roger called in a favor from Garp, a high ranking and respected warrior and had him take Ace under his wing in hopes the boy would have a better life than he could offer. Needless to say, Roger's hopes may have been invested in the wrong man, first opportunity Garp got he left Ace in the hands of a local mountain hag that led a small group of bandits.
Ace looked back, to a spot up on a hill at the end of a worn path hidden by trees. There was the hide out of Dadan and her boys. Ace then looked back towards the approaching pair and watched them in silence.
The little child that was struggling in Garp's grip stopped as soon as he noticed Ace sitting on the tree branch above them. Their eyes met and they watched each other as they past each other by. When they were just out of earshot Luffy looked up at Garp. "Ne, grampy, who is that kid?"
Garp looked back and noticed Ace. "That's Ace, he's going to be your new big brother, got it?"
Luffy's eyes widened in wonder but then he soon went back to pouting. "But why do I have to say here? Why can't I stay with Makino and Woopslap?"
Garp sighed and gave Luffy a light whap over the head. "Don't ask so many questions, boy." The truth of the matter was that Luffy was the son of a man considered dangerous to the local lords. Keeping Luffy with him would be too dangerous. So know he needed to dump him into the capable hands of someone he could trust.
As they approached the top of the hill there stood a large rickety old house. The wooden structure was almost grey with age, there were a few holes and broken boards here and there. The only sign that someone was even living there was a clothes line with hanging laundry. Even then though, those clothes were pretty much rags.
"Oi! Dadan! You home!?" Garp called out. There was only silence, save for the occasional 'caw' of a nearby crow. Luffy gave a confused blink. Was something supposed to happen?
Suddenly, without warning something flew out of the house at a high speed and was heading right for Garp. The old man dodged the speeding projectile with ease, leaving it to hit a nearby tree. It turned out to be an axe. More things flew out from the entrance of the rundown oversized shack of a house, from weapons to tubs, to statues, to even plates, forks, and knives.
Suddenly Luffy gasped as a thought occurred to him. "Gramps! Is this where Grandma lives?"
Garp suddenly froze for a moment at such a disturbing thought of Dadan and him as a couple, only to suddenly have a skillet smash into his face.
Now standing before him was what at first glance looked like an overstressed ogre. However it was a woman, stout, with a thick figure, dressed in commoners' clothes that had been repaired and patched up plenty of times in the past. Accusing eyes narrowed at the warrior before her, skillet in hand ready to wallop that fatheaded old git ten ways to Tuesday.
Garp threw his hands up as a sign of surrender. "Oi! Oi! Dadan! I'm not here to start a fight with you!"
"Are you here to drop off another brat?" Dadan's tone was near flat, but still laced with suspicion. Her eyes then landed on the little boy that was waving at her all too innocently.
"Well, you want an honest answer?" Garp said as he picked his nose with his pinky. "Not that it really matters..."
"CLANG!"
"Grampy!" Luffy said with shock as the old warrior went down with a loud 'THUD'.
-In Present Time-
That was how this whole mess started. Ace was trying to ignore Luffy's stupid ramblings about the beetle he was trying to show him.
"It's Hercules! Look Ace! He's so cool!" Luffy said excitedly.
In all honesty Ace was a little tempted to look, he liked hunting for beetles too, but he was just too damn stubborn. He then felt his clothes being tugged at, he then finally looked at Luffy. "What do you want?" He was a little surprised to see the kid's eyes had become teary, but Luffy was being stubborn and trying not to cry. This sight made Ace's stomach churn a little, he felt a little guilty. "What's wrong with you? Only babies cry!"
"I'M NOT A BABY!" Luffy suddenly shouted. He then sniffled, he wiped his nose, and pouted. A slight whining noise escaped the boy, he really was on the brink of tears.
Ace could feel his face heat up as it went red with embarrassment, he felt really bad at this point. The whole month he had treated the kid like dirt, and yet the kid still would follow him around. One would think that the brat would get the point after he tossed him in the river or that time he tied him to a tree and left him there all night. But no, Luffy just kept following him around like a lost puppy, but why?
Suddenly Luffy hugged onto the older boy, at this point he actually did start crying.
For a moment, Ace was ready to hit the brat and scold him for crying again, but this time he couldn't really bring himself to do it. He let Luffy hug him and cry into his clothes, they stood there like that for a while, a breeze picking up and blowing against them Ace tilted his oilpaper umbrella to shield them. In a way Luffy reminded him a little of himself, the kid was probably lonely, something he knew the harsh feel of all too well. Starting to feel uncomfortable, Ace tried to break the silence. "Oi, you never told me why you came out here anyway..."
Having calmed down finally, Luffy wiped his eyes, and looked up at the older boy. "I just wanted to find you." He kept a hand clung to Ace's shirt, as if he were afraid the fox would disappear suddenly.
Ace sighed. "Well, I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere."
Luffy then grinned. "Shi, shi, shi..." It was about then that he noticed how the pretty view they had was. "Ne, Ace, how come it's raining while the sun's still out?"
"...Someone's getting married, I guess." Ace said without thinking.
"Married?" Luffy blinked. "What does that have to do with the sky?"
Ace rolled his eyes at the stupid question. "It's called 'the fox's wedding day', moron. Some people say that foxes have their weddings on these kinds of days, because they're so pretty."
"Oh! So are you going to get married too?" Luffy asked with a smile.
"No!" Ace blushed in embarrassment and shook his head as the younger boy laughed at him. "Who'd want to get married anyway? It's stupid..."
Luffy tilted his head to the side, not sure why Ace would think such a thing, but soon 'Luffy logic' kicked in. "Ace is afraid people will be too scared to want to marry you? That's okay, I'll make you my wife one day!"
Ace instantly went as red as a beet. "You dumbass!" Though his words were harsh, he felt almost amused deep down. After a moment of silence between the two, Ace then reached up and ruffled Luffy's hair. "You're...Not so bad, I guess." The older boy admitted stubbornly.
Luffy smiled and took Ace's hand in his. "Ne, want to hunt for beetles with me? I know where to find some really cool ones!"
At this point Ace couldn't help but reluctantly give a slight smile, he then gave a nod. "Okay, lead the way then."
Luffy laughed and led Ace by the hand as they headed back to the forests to spend the rest of the day exploring and having little adventures together. That was how a friendship was started, Luffy's persistence slowly broke through Ace's defenses.
-10 years later-
Not too far from Grand Jipangu, there were fields of tall grass at the base of the mountains, the grass was being thrashed about as something tore through them at high speeds. At first glance it appeared to be nothing more but a large shadow. It leaped out of the tall grass and bound down the dirt road towards the great city of Grand Jipang.
Meanwhile, napping under a tree just on the outskirts of the city was a green haired man, dressed in indigo monk robes, takuhatsu gasa tipped over his eyes to keep the sunlight disturbing his sleep. Laying beside was a wrapped green light linen cloth. The man's name was Zoro, he was a traveling monk that is known for taking naps in various places throughout Grand Jipang rather than doing the actual work a monk should be doing. But on a warm lazy day like this who cared? He was entitled to do as he please as long as he helped keep the city safe, whether the threat be man or supernatural.
Just then, Zoro's eyes suddenly opened when he felt a strange presence approaching, sitting up he caught a glimpse of the shadow in the distance speeding down the dirt road leaving a dust cloud in its wake. So much for relaxing.
Almost as if noticing the monk, the shadow made a quick turn, and rushed off behind some trees. Feeling that the shadow wasn't simply going to leave just like that, Zoro headed back for the entrance to the city. Unless that shadow was able to fly, there was no other way of it getting in. The city was surrounded by tall, protective walls.
Soon Zoro stopped in his tracks, he felt that presence again, but this time it was right behind him. He turned and glared at the figure before him. How irritating, to find such a creature trying to waltz towards the city as if it were the completely natural thing to do. What made it worse was that it seemed to have taken a different form now. Zoro stood firm in the being's path. "Did you really think you could fool me with that shoddy disguise?"
Standing before him was a shriveled, little old man with oversized, dull robes and a pair of glasses with thick lenses. The old man looked at Zoro curiously, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh? Don't you punks have any respect for your elders today?" he said in an almost tired voice. "How rude kids are these days."
"Cut the act, I can practically smell that you're not human." Zoro then pointed his staff at the old man. "Show me your real form, right now."
The old man smirked. "Heh, I guess some kids today are smarter than they look..." With that his body started to change, he grew more into the oversized robes, they too changed, turning from dull to more vibrant colors and patterns, the man's grey hair falling out and being replaced by dark, near black hair. The creature opposite of the monk still looked deceptively human, but it was now in the form of a handsome, young man with tied back longer hair, childish freckles, and almost sleepy looking eyes. Though he looked still human, the fox ears poking out from his hair and the multiple black tails were a dead gave away of his true nature. The Kitsune gave a smug smirk to the monk, this guy seemed easy to anger, this could be a little fun. "Why so tense? I'm just here to visit someone."
"Hmph, that's got to be the lousiest excuse I've ever heard. I'd expect more from a 'fox'..." Zoro then dropped his staff and reached for the wrapped bundle on his back, with a swift movement he revealed three swords.
Ace's eyes widened slightly with surprise, one of his fox ears gave a slight twitch. "Huh, so I take it you're no run of the mill monk then? Well then, this should be more fun than I thought."
Zoro suddenly charged forward, hoping to catch the beast off guard, and with a powerful swing tried to cut the fox in two. However his blades just went right through him, as if he were intangible. Zoro looked back at the supernatural creature, only to find the fox up close to him, with that ever cocky smirk on his face.
Ace gave Zoro a kick to the side and sent him falling to the ground, with a wave of his hand he summoned little floating flames. He then pointed at the monk and the flames rushed for Zoro.
Luckily the green haired monk rolled out of the way just in time as the flames crashed into the ground, making a small blast. Despite being able to dodge the attack Zoro could tell the creature was just toying with him. He was then forced to run when Ace pointed at him again, but this time fired multiple bullets of flame from his finger tips. Reaching into his robes, Zoro pulled out a talisman, it was then that he noticed that the fox was no longer attacking and was walking towards the city. Zoro ran as fast as he could and then blocked Ace's way again.
Ace stopped gave a slight frown. "Oi, it was fun, but I'm not up for playing with you anymore. I'm here to see someone and I'm not going to let you stop me."
"How about a trip to hell instead?" Zoro said as he stuck the talisman onto the fox. Upon contact the paper began to spark, zapping Ace.
Stumbling back Ace snagged the piece of paper and tore it off and threw it aside. " You're rather impressive, for a monk...but that crap isn't going to work on me."
Surprised at the beast's resistance to the talisman, Zoro was about to try to cut him down again, but suddenly the fox grabbed Zoro's hand before he could. Ace then leaned in and captured Zoro's lips and a sudden, bold kiss. Time seemed to stop, Zoro's body completely froze up, he was taken off guard. Soon he regained his senses and attacked once more. "You flea bitten mongrel!"
Ace laughed. "Why do you look so flustered, monk? Is something bothering you?" The fox leaped back and in a sudden poof of smoke took the form of a black fox and rushed towards Zoro at full speed.
Right when the monk readied himself to fend off an attack, the agile creature went under him, escaped through the space between Zoro's legs and dashed into the city, blurring past the guards of the gate before they could take notice. The monk stared in awe at the fleeing fox for a moment. Twice, twice now he was made a fool of, Zoro's face blushed red from embarrassment. He sheathed his swords and headed towards the city, he would have to find the fox and get rid of it before it could do any harm to people. He still continued to blush, unable to stop thinking about that damned kiss. Was this a spell or something? No, Zoro knew the truth deep down in his gut.
Meanwhile in the city the citizens were blissfully unaware of the intruder. It was just like any other day, busy and lively. Merchants tried to sell their wares, the smells of foods cooking filled the air.
"The islands in the south~ Are warm~ Paina-purupuru~ Their heads get really hot~ And they're all idiots~!" A common song heard throughout the streets of Grand Jipang, it was song by a young man dressed in a red hanten over an indigo shirt and indigo pants. A jute, a symbol that he was part of the local law enforcement, tucked into a light blue belt. He was of a lanky, but toned build, with lightly tanned skin, his hair was messy with a small bit of it tied back. His signature straw hat and scar below his left eye was a giveaway of his identity.
"Oi! Oi! Oyabun!" came a sudden shout from a distance.
The young man stopped and looked back at the direction the shouting came from. He saw a young man about his age rushing towards him, dressed in mostly brownish green. He was the red clad man's partner, the two being part of the local law enforcement, 'Oyabun' Luffy and Usopp.
"Yo!" Luffy said as he raised a hand in greeting.
"No 'yo's'! This is serious! There's a thief in the market place and he's going to get away. Come on, we can cut him off if we go this way!" Usopp grabbed Luffy by the shirt and dragged him along.
Meanwhile not too far away was the said thief running down the market place, he had a collection of money pouches that managed to pick from the pockets of customers. Everything was going fine until that stupid long nose spotted him.
"Oi! Stop right there!" a shout rang out, it was Luffy. He was rushing past the crowd as he was trying to catch up to the thief.
The thief then began to shove through the crowd roughly, he had seen the destruction Luffy tends to cause during his pursuits of criminals. This was one criminal that didn't want to be a part of that legacy.
"I said STOP!" Luffy then stopped. "Gomu gomu no..."
Upon hearing that dreaded phrase the people in the crowded streets immediately tried to get out of the rubber law man's way.
"Fourths please!" called an unsuspecting man at one of the food shops.
The owner gave an annoyed sigh. "Are you sure you're going to have enough to pay for all of this?"
"U-Uh..." The customer seemed unsure how to answer that.
Right then the thief suddenly rushed past the shop. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" he shouted as he ran.
The freckled faced customer watched the fleeing thief with a confused look painted across his face. "Huh? What was that about?"
The owner gave a blink then peeked his head out of the stall to see what the thief was running from. The owner's eyes went wide with horror as he quickly ducked back into the store to take cover.
"GATLING!"
With that cry there was a sudden rain of destruction that would rival a tornado tearing through the area.
Miraculously the thief somehow managed to avoid the attack and continued to run. He suddenly found himself having to dodge small, speeding projectiles. Looking up he saw Usopp standing on one of the rooftops of a nearby building, taking aim right at him with his sling shot. The thief quickly ducked for cover in a pottery stall. Still shots were fired, smashing up the pottery in the store. The thief had to crawl and squirm to avoid Usopp's aim which almost found its mark each time.
"Is he in there Usopp?"
"Well yeah, idiot! Why else would I be shooting?"
"I don't know, target practice?"
"Just go get him!"
Luffy gave a laugh. "Okay! Gomu gomu no..."
"No! Wait!" Usopp called out. "Luffy! Just go in there and get him!"
"GATLING!"
Usopp gave a long, drawn out sigh as Luffy obliterated the poor little pottery shop. They were going to be in deep shit when Genzo got a hold of them. "Why me? Why did I have to get partnered up with him?" he asked the heavens.
"Oi! What the hell is going on out here?" shouted a voice from a nearby restaurant, a young blonde man with a swirly eyebrow stepped out, dressed in blue, with his long hair tied back in a short ponytail. His face went from that of annoyance to complete and total awe when he looked out at the destruction of the street. He then noticed the ruined food shops and food, the blonde's eye then landed on Luffy. He then promptly launched himself into the air and gave Luffy a good kick to the face. "You dumbass!"
"Sanji! Not now! We're in pursuit of a thief! Knock that off!" Usopp shouted.
It was then that the thief managed to crawl out of the debris of the destroyed pottery shop and once again tried to make a run for it. This was his chance to escape while the duo was distracted. Now it was a sake of honor, this was not only for him, but for all the other thieves that had been taken down by Oyabun Luffy!
Suddenly a figure stepped out of a nearby ally and clothes lined the thief. "That was for messing up my lunch, you bastard!" he said as he glared down at the man sprawled out on the ground.
Dear god, why couldn't he just get one single break? The thief sighed and just gave up, there was just no point with these god damned people. "Whatever! I give up! Just take me in!"
"Huh?" The freckle faced man said with a blink. Now he was starting to wonder just what he had wondered into.
"There he is!" Luffy shouted. He then rushed over and pounced on the thief and proceeded to beat him up.
"AHHH! I SAID I GIVE UP! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"
"He's probably lying so he can get a sucker punch in on you." Usopp said in a flat tone.
"What!?" With that Luffy then punched the thief out.
The freckle faced man smirked then started to laugh. "Still causing trouble, Lu?"
Luffy gave a confused blink and looked up and the man standing by him and the thief. The voice was familiar, so was the guy's face, but there was something missing that threw him off. "Na? Who are you?"
The freckled face man frowned and looked a little hurt. "Are you serious? It's me, Ace. Your big brother, you doofus."
Luffy's eyes then widened is shock. "Ace!" The rubber man then pounced on him.
Both Sanji and Usopp watched on for a moment then looked at each other. "Brother?"
Later that day, there was the sound of loud laughter that could be heard coming from Onami's restaurant.
Zoro watched the scene before him from a distance, he had been keeping an eye on that wretched mongrel all day, watching for any slip up it would make. Who would've thought that that 'someone' special that fox said he was going to visit was none other than the one that was supposed to be a protector of the city, 'Oyabun Luffy'. The monk gave an annoyed sigh. Instead rather than being much of a protector, he was a magnet for trouble, this time he attracted a pretty big threat. Zoro watched them, the fox that was now disguised fully as a human, his fox ears and tail were gone, but he could still tell what he really was. From what he had heard from Sanji, the man went right over to Oyabun, and he called him 'little brother', and since then they had been inseparable.
"Ace! I'm going to get a big fish, just you watch!" Luffy declared.
The Ace laughed as he followed after Luffy and the children. There was a look of soft adoration on the fox's face as he watched Luffy run off ahead with the kids as they all headed for the river to fish. It was a look Zoro thought that beast would be incapable of looking back on their last encounter. Again that image of that bold kiss played in Zoro's mind. The priest scowled slightly, he couldn't get that incident out of his mind. Right then Zoro noticed the fox stop and look back at him, he then gave that ever smart smirk that Zoro grew anxious to see.
"...Damned fox." Zoro muttered.
"Oi, what are you up to?" a voice from behind said suddenly. It was Sanji, more than likely on break from cooking for the restaurant Onami owned. "You've been following that guy all day, cut it out already. It looks weird."
"What I do is none of your business, ero-cook!"
"Hmph...That may be and it's not like I care...But still, you don't always have to do stupid things, stupid marimo." Sanji said as he smoked on his pipe. "Why don't you come back to the Pinwheel with me? We got some new stock on that shitty sake you like."
Zoro looked mildly surprised. "Are you feeling alright? Suddenly you don't seem to be such a bad guy." He said as he started to walk with Sanji.
"Oi, don't push it, dumbass..." The cook shot back.
It was getting close to sunset, Luffy led the others to their favorite fishing spot. The five of them sat on a bridge above a creek each with a fishing pole and waiting eagerly for the bites of fish.
"Hey, Ace, where are you from anyway?" Piman asked suddenly.
"Yeah, you said you were here visiting, right? Do you life far away?" Orika added.
"Hmm? Oh, I live up in the forests of the Moby Mountains." Ace explained. He laughed at the surprised looks on the kids faces. "What? Is something wrong?" He already knew the answer.
"They say a mountain god lives there!" Tamanegi said with a look of dread on his face. "They say that he's so strong that he can shake the earth!"
Orika smiled with excitement and looked up at the older brother. "Wow! Did you ever see him?!"
Ace laughed. "He's a good god and yeah, he is really strong. He protects the creatures and villages of the mountains. Everyone loves him, sort of like a father. As for if I have ever seen him, well, maybe I have and yet maybe I haven't. It's a secret."
"AWWW!" The children all cried with disappointment.
"That's not fair!"
"Come on! Tell us!"
"Please! Please! Please!"
Luffy smiled, he was glad to see that Ace and the children were having such a good time. It had been such a long time since they got to see each other and have fun like this. "Na, Ace, how long are you able to stay in town? I got a lot of stories to tell and a lot of things I really want to show you." he said with a grin.
Ace smiled and looked thoughtful. "Well, I don't really have a set schedule, so I could stay for a little while."
"Then stay with me at my place!" Luffy said happily.
"Okay, okay..." Ace laughed at his brother's eagerness.
While the five continued to have their fun they were unaware that they were being watched. Not too far away Robin stood under a nearby tree, watching and listening in on their conversation. The castle got an anonymous tip, she was ordered to keep an eye on any newcomers to the city. She wasn't given much information on the matter, however she was told to keep an eye out for any strange activity. She watched as the two brothers said good bye to the children, it would be getting dark soon, so they had to hurry home. Luffy and Ace then started to walk off, most likely to go back to The Pinwheel for dinner before heading home. So far there was nothing that seemed too out of the ordinary, though that man's knowledge of the Moby Mountains did seem a little odd. She would have to look into this, though it was not quite 'strange' per say, it was better to be safe than sorry.
It was well into the evening and The Pinwheel was pretty lively. Sanji, Onami, and Mao were busily serving the customers, they were glad to see such business, while the brothers were forced to eat light(not meaning they didn't sneak food from others), there was a lot of laughter as Luffy introduced Ace to more of his friends that were regulars. Stories were being told about past adventures, mishaps, and close calls that Luffy and the city had been through.
"Oyabun here was almost banished and even was threatened to be hung by a magistrate!"
Ace looked a little surprised. "What have I told you about being so reckless, Lu?"
"Shi, shi, shi, shi! I know, but it all turned out okay in the end!" Luffy said with a grin.
"You never cease to find new ways to make me worry, kid." Thought there was the sound of genuine worry in his voice, Ace couldn't help but give a small laugh. He was glad to see Luffy was doing so well in the city. He would worry a lot about him from time to time after they had parted ways, three years time unable to shake the strong bond between them. Now he was glad that stranger had come to him with the information on his little brother, though, part of him still found it a little strange. Ace watched as Luffy and the other customers laughed and had a good time, all worry just seemed to fade with the sight.
Meanwhile, other things were playing out in the room...
Stupid idiot, just what was his problem with Oyabun's brother? Sanji watched with an annoyed look on his face as Zoro sat a few tables away from the two brothers, Luffy was now showing Ace his famous 'chop stick trick'.
"O-Oi...I don't think I have enough for all of this..." Usopp whispered to them in a worried tone.
Unfortunately for Usopp, Onami was just walking past and heard him. She then grabbed Usopp by the ear and gave a good pinch. "Well then I guess someone is going to be washing dishes all night to make up for what you can't pay..." she said with a dark look in her eyes.
Luffy swallowed a mouthful of food and continued on with another story that he had been telling, completely ignoring Usopp's plight."And then there was time the great sakura tree was stolen! They were trying to steal it with this huge ship! And there was this guy that could shoot beams from his hands!"
"Oh?" The older boy laughed, he was really enjoying the stories Luffy had been telling him. He seemed paid no mind to the monk that was watching at him in the distance.
Sanji gave a sigh and walked over to give the idiot monk his stupid order, he slammed the tray on the table slightly, making the ever grouchy Zoro jump slightly. "Oi, moron, pay attention or the food will get cold." Instead of the normal response of a smart come back or snide remark, all he got was a nearly inaudible grumble. "Hmph..." He then headed back for the kitchen. It was odd, it sort of felt like getting rejected. All that monk seemed to care about lately was Ace. He felt a little childish, but he also felt a little forgotten. It wasn't that he liked the idiot or anything, of course not! But it wasn't like he minded him all that much either. It was weird, half the time they were in the same room they would do nothing but fight. Yet it was never anything serious, hell, it was almost fun now and then, like an inside joke between friends. Sanji suddenly shook his head trying to shake these god awful thoughts.
"Oi!"
"Huh?" Sanji blinked and looked out from the kitchen. "What is it now, marimo!?"
"More sake, pervert cook." Zoro said with a slight smirk.
Ace and Luffy watched as the two suddenly broke into another argument and laughed. "They must be good friends, huh?" Ace asked with a smile.
"Yeah, they show it in weird ways, but I think they are good friends." Luffy said with a small laugh.
Usopp gave a confused blink, that wasn't what he was seeing whenever he saw those two together. It was more like trying to mix oil and water. Were Luffy and Ace able to see something he couldn't? Suddenly he heard someone clearing their throat, looking up he saw Onami glaring down at him, but this was then followed by being blinded with an apron being thrown in his face. Usopp gave a sigh, took the apron and proceeded to put it on, it was going to be a long night.
-End-
Originally this was going to be a chapter fic, however, I dropped the project. I put a lot of work and a bit of research into this one, so comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Takuhatsu gasa - Buddhist Priest/monk hat.
Hanten - The short robe Luffy wears. I'm hoping that's what you call them, if I'm wrong please tell me so I can correct that. Thank you.
(I had to use these phrases to fit into the culture that this story takes place in. Normally I'd prefer using more American terms, but this is for sake of the story.)
Fun Notes:
Rouge - Her background in this story is very loosely based off of the folklore of 'Fox Wives'(Foxes that marry a human) and the famous fox legend 'Tamamo-no-Mae', a fox that took the form of a beautiful woman and became a adored courtesan(she was evil though).
Foxes' Wedding Day - Is an actual occurrence, when the sun shines as it rains. This is called the Foxes' wedding day because foxes were seen as being holy and clever enough to be able to marry(human or other foxes). It's said that it's that if you stumble onto a Fox's wedding try not to get caught, they don't like trespassers and might curse you.