Thunderstruck
Foosha Village held residents of notice and often, visitors of great notice and as such, the great lumbering form of a Vice-Admiral was indeed eyebrow raising. Dadan, leisurely walking, protected the area and knew of this imposing Marine but simply smiled as Garp approached a homey little cottage that had a small garden and a tiny fence.
The glass of the window shattered in the background as the door endured a barrage of knocks. "Wake up my little Andy! You have to help me track your idiot brother!"
The petite brunette sighed as she emerged from a blanket depicting a skull and a spade she then blew a lock of hair out of her freckled face. Glancing to the window, now cracked, she saw the smiling mug of her adoptive grandfather, Monkey D. Garp. Nodding to him, she rose from the couch where she had been crashing after chasing down Luffy the night prior. "So much for having a moment of rest" Slipping her feet into a pair of black sandals, Andy slipped on a steel locket that she held for a moment of peace. After another knock, she opened the door then stepped outside her modest cottage to her grandfather.
"I don't know where that brat is! The villagers haven't seen him and today is important after all." Andy rolled her soft, brown eyes at his forgetfulness.
"He most likely fell asleep at Sabo's grave again and forgot to come back in the morning." Garp's eyes widening and the guilty look upon his face confirmed her suspicions as she motioned towards a cliff where they knew kept the grave in question. Nobles really could be even crueler than the nastiest bastards that the lowest of low pirates could spawn and Sabo's tragedy as Ann and Garp had referred to it only solidified the belief. Unfortunately in Garp's eyes, that had started to fuel the fire of Ace and Luffy's pirating dreams. "Let's stop by the pub for a moment. Luffy likely forgot to grab anything for breakfast or ate it with his dinner." Nodding in approval as he himself was rather famished, the duo headed towards a little pub which held quite a bit of memories for the pair.
-Flashback-
It was a week after Shanks' crew had left and the town was quiet, a circumstance most unusual to the residents of the sleepy village but they knew it would likely stay quiet if not for the rambling of a few children. "Luffy-kun, you can't keep training nonstop forever. You won't catch Shanks if you are worn ragged." The young Luffy attempted to glare from under his straw hat at the older nosy girl, albeit by three years but that was years enough to be wiser. "I told you I'd help but if you always sleep majorly late to sleep and too early to wake, you won't have any energy for anything but eating."
Luffy's laughter however made her crack a smile. "Silly Andy-san, I don't know why you want to help but ok!" The girl smiled as she held up a basket full of food, fully intent on feeding the scrawny child.
"I wish my twin was as sweet as you." Luffy's eyes widened as he paused in reaching for the basket.
"If your twin is mean, I'm going to beat them up!" She smiled softly and shook her head.
"It's not his fault. I love my brother and he loves me but he can't help but be angry at what he can never change." Luffy chewed contemplatively on a rice ball while Andy sighed. "Luffy, promise me something," he nodded as he finished off the food in his hand. "Make a good name for yourself Luffy. Our names will stick with us forever, dog our steps, haunt our nightmares and herald our chase to our dream." His head tilted, in confusion or in the midst of a philosophical moment, she was unsure of but chose to continue. "Make your name known Luffy and make it a name to inspire as well as to fear."
He young boy grinned and said, "Assuming I won't be ordinary?" She shook her head with a small smirk.
"Since when have the D. men been ordinary?" When Luffy motioned towards her, she laughed loudly. "I'm not exciting like you. I'm happy being in the background."
Luffy shook his head and pointed at her heart. "You told me to make my name known but I doubt yours will go unknown.'
-End Flashback-
Luffy, sure enough, was curled up a respectable distance from the small grave. Although shivering, he somehow was able to sleep but yet, his twitching nose made him wake up. "Mmmm, Andy? You got food? Oh hi gramps!" He sleepily waved to Garp and glanced at Sabo's grave. "I stayed up talking to Sabo. I think he'd want to know that Ace up and left to get that dream of his done! Soon I'll join him and Sabo will be proud." Ann put her hand on the grave and Luffy went to dig into the small breakfast.
"He would be proud of both of you," her voice mumbled as she laid a bouquet of wildflowers, freshly picked, next to the grave.
Luffy hugged her from behind and she laughed feeling the loaf of bread he was gnawing on crumble in his grip. "He's proud of you too big sis." She smiled as she ruffled his hair.
"Not as much as I am and don't get me started on Gramps," pointedly motioning towards Garp who was partaking in the meal.
Laughing despite the food, Garp nodded his agreement as Luffy looked out into the ocean. "Sis, when I leave to become king of the pirates, can you come with me?"
She shook her head and ruffled Luffy's hair. "I can't pick between brothers. Tis only fair that if I don't go with Ace that I don't go with you Luffy." He pouted and a sad smile graced her face. "I can't fight like you two anyway. I'd hold you back."
"Nu uh! You took down that guy touching your butt at the bar the other day." Garp paused in mid-bite to glance at Andy who shrugged.
"Luffy, kicking that thug in the groin doesn't not make me a fighter." Before he could start a fuss she hugged him, "Look little mister, I will visit you AND Ace but I'm not pirate material."
Garp then roared, "And you better visit me too you little scamp."
Luffy took off running, "Bye Sabo!" and Andy giggled as Garp chased him with his fists shaking.
"I hope some things never change," she said to herself but as she looked at the gravestone, polished by Luffy the night prior, she saw her reflection stare back at her. If she shoved her hair under a hat, she could easily pass for her brother. Taking a quick look at her two companions, she rolled her eyes to see them wrestling in the ground and herself, she opted to sit next to the grave and put her hand on the stone. "Hi Sabo-kun, I know we didn't talk much but…" The wind stilled eerily and taking a deep breath, she continued. "I, Gol D. Andrea swear that I will protect our brothers with my life."
Lightning flashed in the distance and Andy counted how long it would take for thunder to sound in order to try to determine the distance this sudden storm was but before she could get to "two seconds", another lightning bolt struck the grave and she flinched when it was over as quickly as it happened. She did not even realized she had screamed or that she was still touching the grave until Garp picked her up off the ground. He quickly slung Luffy onto his shoulder and they took off. Even with him running back to the village, wind whipping in their faces, she did not feel the blood on her palm. Her eyes were wide with terror and her ears ringing with Luffy's startled shouts.
