The Goa Kingdom carried on as usual, its citizens exploited within its towering walls, while refuse continued to pour out into the outskirts.
Years ago, the Terminal of Uncertainty had been burned to the ground. Yet now, it was slowly taking shape once more. Before long, the infamous "Mount Rushmore" would surely return to its former glory.
But at the island's southernmost tip, Foosha Village stood serene, like a hidden paradise. Peaceful and calm, untouched by the chaos of the kingdom.
Because Garp frequently returned home on Marine warships, Foosha Village's harbor had become more developed than those of most small towns, easily accommodating Luffy and his crew's large ship.
After their surreal adventure inside the giant sea king, Nami was brimming with excitement. Her wide eyes sparkled with stars, overflowing with hope and dreams of the future.
With a mix of emotions, the crew stepped onto the familiar land of Foosha Village.
"So this is your hometown, Luffy?" Robin asked with a soft smile, looking around curiously.
"Yohohoho~ Such a rich, rustic charm! It fills the air with the fragrance of nostalgia, it makes me want to burst into song!" Brook chimed in dramatically, posing on the street. "Even though I'm just bones… and I don't have a nose!"
"Alright, alright, Brook!" Luffy said, exasperated but laughing. "I never figured you'd be this kind of guy."
Chatting and joking with his crewmates, Luffy led the group toward the village center.
Nami, lively as ever, skipped ahead. Every few steps she twirled in delight, calling back, "Luffy! Luffy! Where's your house? Let's go see it first!"
"My house, huh…"
Luffy paused, scratching his head as he pondered.
If you had to name one, Makino's place might count. So would Dadan's. But a house that was truly his own? He never really had one...
Oh well, it doesn't matter!
"Come on, I'll take you to meet the sister who looked after me when I was little!"
With a broad grin, Luffy waved his arm and led them in the direction of Makino's tavern.
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Before they could reach it, a raspy, elderly voice rang out from the side of the street.
"L-Luffy?!"
The village mayor stared wide-eyed at the young man before him.
He had already suspected that the arrival of a Warlord of the Sea in the East Blue meant Luffy might return, but seeing him in the flesh still took him by surprise.
"Ha ha ha! Grandpa Mayor! Long time no see!" Luffy laughed heartily.
"You…"
As he gazed at Luffy's grown-up face, memories of the boy he once knew came rushing back. The voice was unmistakably his.
"It really is you, Luffy?" the mayor asked again, his eyes softening with affection.
"That's right. I'm home," Luffy replied with a warm smile.
The mayor, leaning heavily on his cane, slowly approached.
"Luffy…"
Seeing the old man struggle, Luffy quickly stepped forward.
"Luffy…" the mayor repeated, and suddenly, he swung his cane and smacked it hard over Luffy's head.
"You little brat!"
"Running off to become a pirate!"
"You're the disgrace of Foosha Village!"
"You!"
Whack after whack, the mayor rained down blows with surprising vigor, looking fiercer than most young men.
Luffy awkwardly ducked and dodged, trying not to let the cane hit too hard, and at the same time worried the old man might fall from the effort.
"Stop, stop! Grandpa Mayor, I get it, I'm sorry!" he pleaded, hands up in surrender.
Robin and the others stood to the side, utterly dumbfounded.
Here was one of the infamous Seven Warlords of the Sea, revered and feared across the Grand Line, and yet, back home, he was getting scolded like a child. None of them had expected this kind of reunion.
Eventually, the mayor ran out of energy, leaning on his cane and panting for breath.
"Grandpa Mayor… are you okay?" Luffy asked cautiously.
The old man's chest heaved up and down, his face flushed red, whether from anger or exhaustion, it was hard to tell. He looked as if he might collapse at any second.
"Hmph!"
With a sharp thud, he stomped his cane against the ground and shouted, "What kind of grandfather is Garp?! Letting his own grandson become a damn pirate!"
"Er… haha…"
Luffy laughed awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
"Hmph! And you never sent a word, either! Everyone here worried themselves sick over you…" the mayor muttered, though his voice had softened.
"Well… things were dangerous back then, you know how it was, with that Celestial Dragon, "
"Pah! Pah! Pah!!!"
Before Luffy could finish, the mayor spit to the ground repeatedly and raised his cane again.
Back when that Celestial Dragon left the Goa Kingdom, Luffy had vanished too.
Not long after, news had spread across the seas: a Celestial Dragon traveling through the East Blue had been killed.
And it didn't take much imagination, anyone in Foosha Village who knew Luffy and knew what had happened to his sworn brother Sabo could put two and two together.
So even though the rest of the world exploded with rumors, Foosha Village fell completely silent, refusing to speak of the incident at all.
Years had passed, but the weight of that secret still hung heavily on the mayor's heart.
There had been countless nights when he'd awoken in terror, sweating, from dreams of little Luffy being dragged away.
Now, looking at the mayor's expression, the "say one more word and I'll smack you again" look, Luffy wisely shut his mouth and changed the subject.
"Hey, Grandpa Mayor, let's head to Makino's place! I'll introduce you to my crewmates!"
He waved behind him, motioning toward Robin, Brook, and Nami.
The mayor turned to look, and, surprisingly, wasn't startled by Brook's skeleton appearance at all. It was almost as if he'd already known.
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At that same moment, at the village's other entrance,
A young man with freckled cheeks, a bare torso, and a mop of black hair was walking into town, grumbling to himself.
This was Portgas D. Ace, Luffy's sworn brother.
He glanced at the checklist in his hand and scratched his head in frustration.
"Ugh, why does going to sea require so much prep…? It's such a pain! And my master, too, won't give me the ship until I've got everything ready…"
Ace sighed again, overwhelmed by the bustle of the village streets.
After years of training deep in the mountains, his social skills weren't exactly sharp.
"Oh well… guess I'll stop by Makino's place. Her tavern probably has most of the stuff I need."
His clever mind turned quickly, if he played it right, he could get Makino to help him buy everything.
"I really am a genius!" Ace chuckled to himself.
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Inside the bar…
"So that's how it happened?" Makino exclaimed in amazement.
Time hadn't changed her one bit, still as sweet and charming as she had been at seventeen. She listened intently, her cherry-pink lips parted in surprise.
Setting a large glass of milk in front of Luffy, she said softly, "So you weren't bullied or mistreated out there… That's a relief."
"Hmph! What's there to be relieved about? He's a pirate now! The Marine could arrest him any day!" the mayor grumbled from nearby.
"Haha! You're just worried about him too, Grandpa Mayor," Makino teased without mercy, making the old man flush slightly with embarrassment.
Just as he opened his mouth to retort,
A strong voice shouted from the tavern entrance:
"Makino-sanI!"
"LUFFY!!!"
Two rubbery arms stretched over ten meters across the tavern and latched onto Luffy's shoulders, catching him completely off guard.
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