"Papa! Papa!" Luffy grinned as he cluthed his hold on his sleeve tightly and they were out of the bar. "I want you to meet my new friend!" Dragon smiled at that thought.
"I would love to!" Dragon grinned. They reached the sea and emerged out of it a sea king. Dragon felt dread creep up his spine up, as he saw the enormous sea king emerge out of the ocean. Without thinking he rushed to his son, who was way too closer to the sea king for his liking. He was mid way to Luffy when his feets stopped and he remembered the first time when a sea king had came out of no where. The sea king, which is a part of sea, a part of Luffy's mom, which directly indicates that it's a part of Luffy too. Dragon would have pulled Luffy into his arms but he saw how the sea king looked at Luffy. It looked like, how a friend would look at his friend.
"His name is King!" Luffy excitably started introducing his friend. "He was the only one who would be friends with me!" Dragon could feel the sadness in his voice. Now that he thinks about that, he noticed how the small kids stayed away from Luffy. It was almost as if they fear him. Dragon rubbed his temple mentally. He wanted his kid to be safe and happy, when he decided to send him in care of Garp but he never thought he would turn out to be lonely.
Luffy was a D and the child of the sea, with his energetic and supernatural strength, he probably had unknowingly scared the kids away. He just wished his son would make lots of friends in future. He saw how Lufffy talked about his friend using his whole body, it looked funny and was not at all boring. Even when he would start yawning, he would bounce back and start jumping up and down and would talk to King and him.
One more piece of puzzle : Sea Kings are attracted to Luffy and he can apparently talk to them.
It is a fun to solve the puzzle which Luffy is, without asking him too much. If he wouldn't have known who his mom was, he would not let him go near water, when he himself couldn't swim.
After Luffy was taken from him, the sunset never felt as beautiful as today. The way the light distributes itself over the water, the thinness of the clouds over the sun, how everything is tinted red, how the glowing sun is a crisp circle in the rosy sky , illuminating a quivering way across the water. How the wispy clouds surrounds the sun in a soothing manner, the different colors in the sky. Everything looked so splendid and breath taking, that Dragon forgot that his son was getting sleepy. He waswoken from his trance by the head which popped on his lap. He saw Luffy sleeping peacefully on his lap, the sun rays reflecting on him and making his smile ever so sunny.
He slowly picked up the kid in his arms, making sure the boy doesn't fall and headed to Makino's bar. The kid woke up in an instant in the name of food. He again started talking all about Makino and the people in the village. He told him everything which he was up to. Going to the forests, catching bettles, following them, chasing after rabbits, etc. and most of the time his food laid on the table forgotten, but he was doing that job, feeding him. How long has it been since he had been able to feed Lu, with him in his lap? He really wished to stay by his son's side, but he knew he will need to return and that would break Luffy all again.
Soon, the boy seemed to taper off, yawning between words, and seemingly drooping in his seat. Dragon nudged the boy, staring him for almost a minute of silence.
"Perhaps you should go for bed. You can't keep telling me about all of the exciting things you've done if you fall asleep in your seat." Dragon offered the smaller a warm smile. The boy protested, whining up at his father about how he didn't want to sleep yet.
"Please don't go. I want you to stay forever." Luffy leaned over, grabbing onto Dragon with a sleepy grip, blinking slowly at the man with a sad twinkle in his dark eyes. It broke Dragon's heart, and he knew he would have to break it further soon when he did have to return to the revolution. It would break his own heart knowing that Luffy's would be destroyed, but there was little he could do. He wanted to be selfish. He wanted his son to stay by his side and always keep smiling but he knew he couldn't do that. Not now the very least, when he knew that his son can't be seen with him, not right now.
He stayed the next day, played with Luffy in the fields and the beaches. Helped him in reading the stories from the storybooks. Stayed by his side as much as he could. He helped his son in baths and helped him in his daily chores. One thing he noticed was Luffy was getting clingier, not that he minded, but it was a sign that he knew he woud be left alone again. And that broke his heart into tiny pieces.
It was already two weeks and he was still with Luffy. He wouldn't say he regretted any time he spent with his son, but he needed to go. He needed to return to his revolution. He crouched next to Luffy who was bawling out, his tiny, grabby fingers cluthed his green cloak. He started sobbing when he overheard him and Makino that he would be leaving. He couldn't do much.
"I'm sorry, Lu!" Dragon said his own cracked voice. Whenever Luffy would cry, Dragon can't help but feel the heaviness in his heart, the void which threatened to choke him to death. "But I promise to come again!" He tried to make Luffy stop crying. Luffy looked heartbroken, sad and nothing like a sunshine. His sun was having an eclipse right now. He hugged him into his chest. "I promise! I'll return again to you."
"P-Pro..mise...?" Luffy looked up to Dragon, his big doe eyes questioning him.
"Yah, promise!" Dragon smiled sadly at his son, "Till then read the story books. I'll be back until you finish those and I'll have lots of stories to tell you." Luffy looked chirpper at that. Dragon smiled seeing Luffy stop crying. He grinned as wide as he could.
"I want to hear about pirates!" Luffy grinned, his smile reached upto his ears. Dragon kissed his forehead in response and repeated 'promise' and vanished in the strong winds. He could feel Luffy growing sad and teary but he had promised to come again. And he will do it.
.
As the days, weeks, months, and years went by, Makino saw Luffy grow up, smiling happily, jumping around, and bringing smiles to the faces of everyone he met. She was glad that whenever Luffy was close to his loneliness, his dad will appear to cheer him up, though he was visiting less and less. Whenever Luffy felt sad and alone he would open up his locket showing him, his father and Ivankov. She saw Luffy play with his Dad for days and she saw how the man visibly relaxed. She could swear that Luffy was his stress killer and pain killer. He was his sunshine. Sometimes his timing would go wrong and he would meet Garp, but luckily would escape with a fist of love, which both son and grandson would get. It was almost funny to see the 'World's Most Dangerous Criminal' pout with his son to his father.
Whenever Dragon would visit, he and Luffy would spent hours on the beach, playing and Dragon would always have a bunch of stories for Luffy. Dragon would thanks her for taking care of her son. The village respected Dragon. He grew up here, and no one would sell him out. It was heart warming reunion whenever Dragon would visit Luffy. And when the time would come for Dragon to leave Luffy, Luffy would get sappy and whiny. But Dragon had work which could not be neglected. Some times a violet haired okama would also drop by, sometimes being a women and other times in his usual way. It was scary at first but then slowly people in the village melted to him too. It was heart warming to see Luffy smile brightly always.
But Luffy felt lonely, and she knew that. The way he stared at the ocean, with such fondness and loving eyes, which he used only for people very close to him. She saw him grow up, running around the shores, playing with the water, sometimes alone and sometimes with his dad and Iva. But above all of it, Makino saw Luffy wanted friends of his age, which was not possible in the village he was. Most children were afraid of his grandfather and took it on Luffy. At those times, it was hard to keep Dragon on leash. He didn't like it at all, when they called his son a freak.
At first, she had been worried, that the water will pull Luffy in. But she only saw Luffy getting to the shore, playing with water, and sometimes 'swimming'. She saw the waves sometimes getting high and splashing water on him, playfully. It felt like Luffy had even bewitched the ocean! But she was always nervous when she saw him dive inside, but only for him to come to the surface after a few seconds. She had always run to Luffy whenever she saw the black-haired raven dipping in. But her worries were always in vain. Luffy always chuckled and giggled at the worried face Makino made.
It made her feel good to know, that despite the kids in the village refusing to play with him, that they called him a freak, he never remained sad. He would bounce back soon and forgive them easily. She wondered, how he did that.
He was four when she and Luffy were on the beach, walking and then Luffy wanted to get into the water, which she let him do. But she was left horrified when the sea king emerged from the ocean, she ran into the water, without thinking anything, but the only thing on her mind was to save Luffy. But the next she saw Luffy sitting on top of the sea king and petting him. She was beyond shocked, her legs and knees were shaking, and her eyes bawled out as she called for Luffy. For him to be safe.
She didn't even care for herself as she tried to approach the sea king, bare-handed! But the next she knows, the sea king bowing his head and letting Luffy in her arms. Luffy pouted and wiped Makino's tears and gave her a tight hug. Makino had instinctively taken a step back, fearing that the sea king will attack. But she saw the sea king vanished in the waters. She made a mental note to not allow Luffy in these waters anymore.
Luffy frowned, before turning to Makino. "He is my friend!" He told her, with an assuring look.
Makino had said nothing, she tightly held the boy and made her way to the bar, failing to notice the way the water crept up to Luffy's legs and him giggling. All she wanted was to take Luffy somewhere secure, to cry her eyes out, to forget the memory which will probably haunt her for some days. She had nearly lost Luffy. She didn't even consider the fact that Luffy had made the sea king his friend! She was scared out of her mind.
It wasn't long after that Dragon and Garp arrived and she told them everything, about how the sea king had lifted Luffy and how she thought that she had lost him. How Luffy told that it was his friend. Luffy who was having his breakfast, pouted and repeated that he really is a friend. At that, Garp had chuckled. He told Makino not to worry too much. But Makino couldn't help it that time. She had tried to keep Luffy away from those waters as much as possible, but Luffy somehow always managed to get past her. Dragon hadn't responded much but looked at the ocean as if that was the answer which she needed and she didn't understand anything.
Slowly, she learned to trust the sea king. Slowly, most of the people in the village came to know the reality that Luffy had made the Lord of the Coast his friend. After this, most children stayed out of his way. Never even trying to mess with the boy. Some who dared threw punches at the kid and called him a freak. Luffy only pouted at them, never crying. Sometimes, when he felt too much he would throw a punch or two, making to boys quiet instantly. Elderly people tried to stay on the good side of the kid, so they could pass the coast with ease, without having any encounters with the beast.
Luffy felt quite annoyed with the turn of events, so he mostly chose to stay at the beach, playing with water, sitting quietly, and giggling at the funny stories his mom told him. That was comforting. The soothing water on his skin only reminded him of the gentle touch of his Dad and Iva. The water would never wrinkle his skin. When they would play with him and accompany him in his many mischiefs. He had managed to pull off pranks of Mayor Wood Slap, though he got scolded for that from the Mayor but Luffy was Luffy who heard from one ear and forgot from another.
Luffy often wondered why he couldn't live with his Dad and aunt. He even asked sometimes but all he got in reply was that he was small and he wouldn't understand right now. He pestered his mother for an answer but Mamma only told that he, someday, can stay with his family, his Dad and his aunt. That would make him feel better always. His mother would whisper fondly about the stories of his childhood with them. He huffed at places where he did something incredibly silly and laughed whole-heartily where he did something foolish and made his father and aunt laugh.
That day, Luffy returned home, or rather Makino's bar with a full smile, not the fake and forced one that he was giving the whole day. He was genuinely happy. Makino later told him that Garp was visiting soon, which made Luffy beam out more. Makino felt Luffy literally beaming like the sun.