When Margaret saw Luffy again, something in her chest shifted.
The dull, hollow feeling that had lingered inside her for so long was suddenly filled, as if something warm had forced its way into the emptiness. At that moment, she realized just how important this young man in a red vest had become to her, and how deeply he had taken root in her heart.
Her world had always felt like a dark, endless jungle, heavy clouds pressing down with no sign of light. Everything felt lifeless, like it was always raining, never changing. She had thought that was simply how life was meant to be, that everyone lived under the same gray sky.
Then Luffy appeared.
Like the sun breaking through storm clouds, he forced his way into her world, bringing warmth and light with him. She saw that the world could be vibrant, full of color and life. And now, standing in front of him, she understood something clearly.
He was the light she could not do without.
Even Nyon had hinted at it before, comparing her feelings to those of the Empress toward Rolan. But the gap between her and Luffy still stood in front of her like an unbridgeable abyss. Their differences in strength, status, and everything else made her hesitate.
Luffy was strong, and his crew was just as impressive.
Standing beside him made her feel small, like she didn't belong there.
Even so, she couldn't stop herself from wanting to be close to him.
She wanted to know everything about him. His childhood, the life he lived growing up, the people he met along the way. She wondered if he had siblings, what kind of adventures he had experienced, and whether any of the girls on his ship secretly liked him.
Luffy felt like a mystery, something she couldn't fully grasp, something that pulled her in the more she thought about it.
Looking at his carefree expression, her heart began to race.
"I... I want to know about your adventures…"
Her voice came out soft and hesitant, and she lowered her head slightly, her cheeks turning red.
Luffy scratched his head, confused by her reaction, but he didn't think much of it.
"We're friends, right? If you want to hear it, I'll tell you."
Margaret looked up immediately, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"I was born in East Blue, in Windmill Village," Luffy began. "I grew up there. My grandfather raised me, and when I was about seven, he sent me to live with a mountain bandit named Dadan."
Margaret blinked, surprised. "Your grandfather raised you? What about your parents?"
Luffy shrugged casually. "Never seen them. I didn't even know much about my dad until recently. Still haven't met him."
As he said it so simply, Margaret felt her chest tighten.
Tears began to fall before she even realized it.
"You… you've never seen your parents?"
She couldn't imagine it. Even though she had grown up on Amazon Lily, where the concept of a traditional family was different, everyone still had someone. The island itself was like one big home, filled with care and protection.
But Luffy had grown up without that.
Luffy tilted his head, confused by her reaction. "What's wrong?"
He didn't see anything sad about his childhood. The villagers had always cared about him, and later, he had Ace, Sabo, and the Dadan family.
From his expression, Margaret could tell that he didn't feel any loss.
Taking a breath, she wiped her tears and forced a small smile.
"It's nothing. Please, continue."
Luffy nodded and tore off another piece of roasted meat before continuing.
"When I got to Dadan's place, I met Ace. I followed him around all the time. He found it annoying at first, but I kept at it until he accepted me. Later, I met Sabo. The three of us started hunting and fighting together every day."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he spoke.
"We became brothers after drinking sake together."
Margaret listened quietly, completely absorbed in his story. Even when questions formed in her mind, she held them back, not wanting to interrupt.
By the time Luffy finished, she still hadn't fully come back to reality.
Luffy pointed at the last piece of roasted meat.
"Hey, aren't you going to eat?"
Margaret snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head.
"I'm not hungry. You can have it."
"Really? Thanks!"
Before she could say anything else, Luffy had already stuffed it into his mouth.
Margaret watched him, shaking her head slightly at his childish behavior.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"Luffy… your crew has two girls, right?"
"Mmhmm… yeah," he mumbled through a mouthful of food. "Why?"
"What are their names? How old are they? Are they pretty?"
Luffy didn't think anything of the questions.
"One's named Carina. She likes money a lot. I think she's around sixteen. As for whether she's pretty, I don't know."
Margaret blinked.
"The other is Kalifa. She used to work for a government agency called CP9. I don't know if she's pretty either."
Margaret stared at him.
He wasn't lying.
There really was someone who didn't understand what "pretty" meant.
She shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it.
"Have you ever held hands with them?"
Luffy laughed immediately.
"Of course I have."
Before he could continue, Margaret's expression changed.
Her eyes dimmed, and her mood dropped instantly.
It felt like the light in her world had been taken away.
Luffy noticed right away.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
But Margaret didn't respond.
Her mind was already running wild, imagining Luffy being close with those two girls, living together on the same ship.
She couldn't hear him at all.
Luffy panicked.
In an instant, he used Soru and appeared right in front of her.
Grabbing her shoulders, he shook her slightly.
"Hey, Margaret, wake up! Is the food poisoned or something?"
She snapped out of it, only to realize how close he was.
Her face turned completely red.
Luffy frowned and placed a hand on her forehead.
"You're really hot. Do you have a fever?"
Margaret pushed him away, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
"You… you said you held hands with them…"
Luffy looked even more confused.
"This isn't about that. You need a doctor."
But Margaret shook her head stubbornly.
"Did you really hold hands with them? Did you kiss them?"
She bit her lip as she asked, bracing herself for an answer she didn't want to hear.
Luffy stared at her for a moment, then sighed.
"When we're being chased by Marines, those two run too slow. So I grab them and pull them along."
He frowned.
"And why would I kiss them? They're my crew. Don't say weird things."
Hearing that, Margaret felt the tension in her chest disappear.
Relief washed over her, and she let out a small laugh.
Without thinking, she leaned forward and rested against him.
Luffy stiffened immediately.
"Hey, are you okay? I'll go find a doctor. Chopper, where are you… oh right."
He paused, realizing Chopper wasn't there.
"You should have doctors here, right?"
Margaret shook her head slightly, her eyes slowly closing.
"I'll be fine… just let me rest like this for a bit…"
Luffy's expression changed instantly.
"Hey, don't die!"