When Naru finally reached Dawn Island, the night had deepened into a rich and velvety darkness, cloaking the land in tranquil stillness. The salty breeze carried the faint rustling of trees and the gentle, rhythmic murmur of waves brushing against the quiet shore. Even under the silver glow of the crescent moon, her sharp eyes easily caught sight of the large ship anchored at Foosha Village's humble port.
It was the ship belonging to the Red Hair Pirates.
She gave it no more than a passing glance before turning her gaze elsewhere.
Guided by the soft whisper of the wind, her small boat drifted toward the beach until it kissed the shore. Stepping onto the cool, damp sand, she felt the fine grains shift beneath her bare feet, grounding her to the moment. With a swift flick of her wrist, she activated a storage seal, causing the boat to vanish in a shimmer of light, leaving behind no trace of her arrival. Not a single ripple remained to betray her presence. Without hesitation, she began making her way toward the mountains.
The house was quiet at that late hour, filled only with the deep, thunderous snores and soft sleep-mutterings of its slumbering occupants. The familiar scent of the place wrapped around her like a well-worn blanket, carrying memories that felt both distant and close.
She was just about to slip inside unnoticed, moving with the soundless grace of a shadow, when the front door creaked open with a long, sleepy groan.
Dadan stood framed in the doorway, wearing her loose pajamas, her hair tousled and eyes heavy with drowsiness. Naru had sensed her presence long before she appeared, so the greeting did not catch her off guard.
"How come you're still awake at this hour?" Naru asked softly, her voice calm and even.
Dadan rubbed her eyes and squinted, trying to focus. "I heard your footsteps."
A lie, of course.
Naru knew she had not made the slightest noise. Her movements were silent and deliberate, every step measured. But if Dadan wanted to pretend she had been woken by sound, Naru saw no reason to call her out on it.
The truth was simple.
Dadan, stubborn as always, would never admit that she had been waiting for her. Ever since receiving the news that Naru would be returning, the woman had been restless, waking early and sleeping late, her heart refusing to settle until the girl she treated like a daughter finally came home.
"I hope I didn't wake the others," Naru said, her tone light.
Dadan scoffed. "Them? Please. Even if the sky fell, those brats would keep snoring."
A quiet laugh slipped past Naru's lips. That did sound exactly like them.
As she stepped inside, the familiar chorus of snores grew louder, filling the small home with an oddly comforting noise. Nothing had really changed. Not in spirit, not in feeling. It was as though time itself had chosen to pause while she was away.
"You'd better get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow," Dadan murmured through a yawn before trudging back toward her room.
Naru's gaze drifted upward toward the attic. She could sense the steady presence of her brothers, their heartbeats calm and steady, echoing in a rhythm she had known since childhood. A faint smile touched her lips before she finally turned away and entered her own room.
The moment her body sank into the mattress, the weight of exhaustion pulled her down, spreading through her limbs like a slow tide. She had been traveling for days without rest, and the familiar softness of her bed felt like a silent embrace.
With one deep, steady breath, she closed her eyes, surrendering to sleep.
Tomorrow could wait.
.
.
.
As always, Ace was the first to wake among his brothers. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he let out a long yawn as the morning light filtered through the cracks in the wooden window. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and the lingering embers of last night's fire.
Keeping to his usual routine, he reached over and gave Sabo a firm shake. "Oi, wake up."
Sabo groaned, shifting under his thin blanket. "Five more minutes…"
"Yeah, yeah," Ace muttered, already turning his attention to the real challenge.
Luffy.
Predictably, the youngest of the three was curled up in a ball, snoring softly and clutching his blanket as if it were a lifeline. Ace smirked before yanking the blanket away.
"Gyaah! C-Cold!" Luffy flailed wildly, blinking blearily. "Ace! What was that for?!"
Ace rolled his eyes. "Get up, you idiot. You always make us late for breakfast."
"Not my fault I sleep the best," Luffy mumbled, stretching his arms dramatically before flopping back down again.
Sabo, now sitting up and rubbing his eyes, chuckled. "You mean you sleep like a log. Come on, Luffy." He patted Luffy's head before getting out of bed himself.
With some grumbling and half-hearted protests, all three eventually got up, sleepily making their beds before leaving the attic.
The house was already alive with the familiar chaos of morning. Dadan's underlings bustled about, some preparing breakfast while others bickered over chores. The scent of sizzling meat and fresh bread filled the air, making Luffy's stomach growl loudly.
Ace smirked. "Sounds like your gut woke up before you did."
"Hmph! I'm a growing boy!"
Before Ace could retort, they stepped outside into the front yard, only to freeze in surprise.
And then they saw her.
"Nee-chan! You're back!"
Luffy was the first to react. His face lit up with pure, unfiltered joy before he launched himself at her full speed.
Naru barely had time to brace herself before he collided into her arms, hugging her tightly as if to show just how much he had missed her.
Naru smiled softly, ruffling his already messy hair. "Yeah, I'm back from my journey!"
Ace and Sabo approached with wide grins.
"Naru! When did you come back?" Ace asked, eyes bright with excitement.
Sabo stood beside him, equally thrilled but more composed. "We didn't hear you come in last night. You should've woken us up."
Naru smirked. "And deal with Luffy's whining about being woken up early? No thanks."
Luffy pouted. "I always wake up early!"
"You're only awake because Ace yanked off your blanket."
"Hmph!" Luffy puffed his cheeks in protest.
Then, he quickly shook off the teasing and bounced on his feet. "Nee-chan! I have so much to tell you!" His eyes sparkled with excitement, his face practically glowing.
"Oh? Really?" Naru tilted her head, lips curling into an amused smile.
That was all the encouragement he needed. Within seconds, Luffy launched into an enthusiastic ramble about the Red Hair Pirates, his words tumbling out in a rush. Ace and Sabo eagerly joined in, voices overlapping as they recounted every little detail of their adventures, from Shanks' awesomeness to the wild stories his crew told them, and all the mischief they had gotten into.
Naru listened, nodding along, her expression warm and patient. Of course, she already knew everything.
While she had been away, her clones had remained behind, keeping a watchful eye on her family and the island. Through them, she had witnessed it all. The arrival of the Red Hair Pirates, the boys' daily antics, even the happenings in the nearby villages and within the Goa Kingdom.
She knew it all.
But even so, she listened quietly, letting them excitedly recount their stories as if she were hearing them for the first time.
Because it were not the stories themselves that mattered.
It was the joy in their voices.
"Oi! Enough of the chit-chatting!" Dadan's gruff voice cut through the moment, arms crossed as she glared at them. "If you brats are done being sentimental, get over here and peel these potatoes! Did you even brush your teeth yet?"
"Done!" they chorused.
"Then get your asses in here!"
Knowing how relentless Dadan's nagging could be, the trio immediately scrambled to their feet, darting into the house to help with breakfast preparations. Even Naru chuckled at how quickly they moved.
They worked together, peeling, chopping, and stirring under the watchful eyes of the bandits. The kitchen was filled with playful bickering, Luffy sneaking bites of food, Ace smacking the back of his head, and Sabo sighing dramatically at their antics. It took them nearly an hour to finish, but by the end, the table was full, and they finally sat down to enjoy their meal.
As they ate, the family wasted no time bombarding Naru with questions, mostly about her travels.
Meeting their expectant gazes, she smiled and revealed, "This time, I went to Loguetown."
Sabo perked up. "Is it far?" These days, he had been studying every map he could find around the house, but Loguetown wasn't a name he was familiar with.
Naru nodded. "It's the final town before entering the Grand Line."
The children gasped, eyes wide with amazement.
"The final town?!"
"Amazing!"
Ace blinked. "Then… you're going to the Grand Line soon?"
Naru nodded. "Well, that's the plan."
Luffy's face lit up with determination. "Nee-chan! I wanna go to the Grand Line too! Take me with you!"
Naru raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure. But we have a deal, remember?"
If any of them managed to win against her in a spar, she would take them with her. If they couldn't, they had to wait until they turned seventeen.
"Beat me, and you can go. Lose, and you stay."
Luffy grinned broadly, thrusting a fist into the air with uncontainable excitement. "Then let's go! I've gotten even stronger, Nee-chan! Just wait till you see it. My punch is way tougher than Grandpa's stupid fist now!"
Ace and Sabo exchanged amused glances. This brat was being cocky again.
Ace smirked, turning toward Naru with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Yeah, what he said! Maybe after we're done here, we can all have a sparring match! That is, if you're up for it, Luffy?"
"Bring it on!" Luffy yelled, throwing a few playful jabs at the air. Ace and Sabo immediately burst into snickers behind him, thoroughly entertained by their brother's over-the-top enthusiasm.
Naru sighed, shaking her head with a helpless smile.
"Oi, Naru," Dadan called out. "If Garp shows up and finds out these brats are chumming it up with pirates, you'd better vouch for me. I already tried stopping them, but they don't listen to a damn thing I say."
Ace grinned. "Naru, you should come meet Shanks and his crew! They're really good people!"
Suddenly, Luffy erased the thought of sparring from his head. "Yeah! Let's go see Shanks after this!"
Even Sabo added, "They're from the Grand Line, and they have so many fun stories to share!"
Dadan groaned. "Every single day, these brats go running off to see those pirates. If they weren't actually helping around the house first, I would've reported them to Garp long ago."
The only reason her clones or any of the villagers had not yet taken action against the pirates was mostly because of how well-behaved they were here. All they really did was throw rowdy parties at the bar, stock up on supplies, get drunk out of their minds, and repeat the same thing all over again. But they didn't cause any real trouble that could endanger the island, the village, or the people living there. Because of that, the villagers had grudgingly decided to turn a blind eye. Even the Dadan Family, despite being bandits themselves, weren't foolish enough to let actual danger fester on their doorstep.
Although, truth be told, if anything did get out of hand, Naru's clones would likely deal with the problem long before Garp even caught wind of it.
"Hehehe! Thanks, Dadan!" The three boys cheekily flashed her matching grins.
Naru chuckled under her breath, crossing her arms and shaking her head with mock disapproval. "Alright, fine. I'd like to see for myself what kind of pirates managed to win over my little brothers' hearts so easily."
"YEAH!" the three cheered, fists shooting into the air.
"But first," Naru added, raising an eyebrow sternly, "we finish our chores."
"Aye aye!" they chorused, already scampering off with boundless energy.