Chapter I: Promise of Three Years

East Blue, Dawn Island

- Kitsune -

A lone boat drifts across the sea. Lounging on the roof of the small cabin, a young man stares across the wide landscape of sea. One could almost mistake him for a young teenager. He stands at about 5 feet, 2 inches. The wind rustles messy side-swept blonde bangs and threatens to knock off the boy's grey beret. The rest of his hair gleams black and hangs bound in loose tail at the neck. The tattoo of a mustached Jolly Roger grins on his left temple as the bangs part. Stretching his sinewy frame, wicked silver-blue eyes twinkle.

"Someday is today. Three years across the Blues and the Grand Line. Wonder how you've grown, baby brother?"

The young man gracefully leaps and lands to the deck below. He leans over to snatch a dark grey coat he discarded earlier; the bright blue tee disappears from view as the young man fastens the silver buttons to the waist where the coat billows out. The remainder of his outfit is simple: black trousers and soft black moccasin boots buckled to mid-calf with golden beadwork along the straps. The hilt of a kodachi peeked from under the coat.

On the horizon, a black dot marks an island. The young man smiles a white, sharp-toothed smirk.

Makino's Party Bar

"Hey, Makino."

The young, green-haired woman managing the bar starts at the sudden appearance of a young bereted man at her elbow. She blinks in sudden comprehension after taking in his distinct hair color, eyes, and familiar D grin.

"Kitsune?"

"At your service, Makino," greets Kitsune with a bow. "Have you've seen my brother Luffy? He said he would be setting off here, but I have yet to sense his presence."

"Luffy? Oh, you just missed him. He set off on his own just an hour ago."

"…"

Kitsune groans, scrubs a hand down his face, and perches himself on a stool.

"Why am I not surprise? Luffy probably couldn't wait to start on his adventure after three years," he grumbles. He sweeps off his beret and sketches another bow. "Thank you Makino for the information. By you any chance know where he went?"

Makino laughs at the disgruntled young man whom she once knew as the boy that would snipe at the antics of his youngest brother. "He took a small boat and headed east, but I'm not sure which island he was heading towards."

"I doubt Luffy knows himself. At least I'm a decent enough navigator to steer my captain in the right direction. Luffy…No matter how many times I, Haruta, Marco, or even Sabo tried to teach him, Luffy would only give us that cheeky grin and laugh without an ounce of comprehension. Then he would steer our practice vessel into a reef and say sailing is a mystery. I think I can manage if he is only an hour out. Thank you, Makino, for the directions and also for the care and kindness you have shown to my brothers and me during our childhood."

Makino blushes at the young man's next grin. The smile does not hold any of his usual cockiness or shrewdness. It is genuine; the smile gleams with mischief and joy. The boy pays for a quick meal to go before leaving. Makino closes up the bar and watches as another young man of their island leave. Just as the boat shoves off, several people rush from the forest. Apparently their childhood caretakers were lingering long after Luffy left the island.

Kitsune laughs as he waves good bye to Makino and the Dadan Family. He can still hear Dadan yelling at him not to get Luffy or himself killed or drowned, as the island shrinks into a silhouette.

One hour later

How do whirlpools form in the middle of the ocean? And why didn't Luffy notice SOONER?! Kitsune had just caught sight of Luffy. He yelled in joy and surprise, catching the attention of the young pirate in a rowboat. Then the yells became frantic. Kitsune tried to speed his boat closer with a bit of telekinesis, to no avail. Luffy finally did notice the GIANT swirling vortex of death, but not until he was well and truly caught in the current. The last Kitsune saw of his youngest brother, the idiot went and sealed himself into a barrel of all things. Kitsune had to look away for his own ship began to be pulled into the current.

Kitsune barely escaped unscathed. The whirlpool caught a hold of his ship, but Kitsune's abilities kept his ship on the outermost currents. But, it still took more than an hour for him to finally pull himself free.

Tired, but more concerned about Luffy than himself, Kitsune scans the area for his brother; he senses a large mass of presences some distance away. Before he could direct his scan to a different direction, his Observation haki picks up the faint traces of his brother's distinctive energy just around the same group of presences. Great. That hostility and greed and crudeness screams 'pirate'. You couldn't just wait for me like I asked of you, could you? And you forgot to pack a transponder snail, too.

Hideout of the Alvida Pirates

- Luffy -

Voices rouse the young pirate king-to-be.

"That was a great nap!" yawns Luffy, bursting through the barrel. "All that spinning must have lulled me to sleep. At least I survived. Eh, what's with those faces, guys?"

Several pairs of eyes gape at Luffy.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN A BAR-"

"BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY ASSES!" A flying club accompanies the shout, but before it could slam into the cabin, Luffy had already dashed out the cabin and flung a blackened fist out, slamming club back in the direction it flew. A distant shout could be heard.

"What a wake-up call!" laughs Luffy. He turns to the once more gaping men that rushed out of the cabin. "So, I'm Monkey D. Luffy, future king of the pirates!" Luffy spreads out his arms to emphasize the last.

"Kid," sputters one of the men who finally recovers from his awe, "I don't know the hell you are, but I doubt you're anyone important. Pirate king? Pfft, Ridiculous."

"Yeah, some scrawny kid like you could never make it as a regular pirate, never mind a pirate captain or, to even imagine, the pirate king." The man draws his sword. "I don't know how you did that, but you'll be sorry. You're not even worth Lady Alvida's time."

"I hope you don't have any kind of ill intentions towards my little brother," nonchalantly calls out a voice. All five heads turn. A figure leans against a tree in a familiar and lazy slouch, but there is an air of danger and about the man. A grey beret sits with the small bill overshadowing the face.

"Kit?" The figure tilts his beret to the right, revealing silver-blue eyes and a Cheshire smile.

"Did I not make it clear that you should wait for me at Dawn Island?"

"Awww, but Kit, you took too long. And I thought you said to meet somewhere near Dawn Island."

"I said near Foosha Village."

"Oh."

"Hey!" Luffy narrows his eyes. The three funny-looking men are scowling and brandishing their weapons.

"What?" asks Kit in a dangerously soft tone.

"You two are intruders! Lady Alvida will not be pleased with a bunch of kids finding our base. Do you know who we are?" sneers the blonde-haired man. "We are pirates, members of the infamous Alvida Pirates. You kids better not give us trouble or-"

"Seriously?" remarks Kit. His voice had the all too familiar note usually preceding a beating from the older boy whenever his younger brothers acted up. "I think it is you who should not give us trouble." Kit grins. "In fact, why don't you give me a hand, Luffy? I don't think these fine pirates will give us much of a fight, but I do not appreciate their civility."

Luffy chuckles. Before three pirates knew it, the brothers were on them. Luffy smacks one right through the cabin. Kit clucks his tongue at Luffy. At his feet laid the other two, large bumps rising on their heads.

"Shishishishi! Sorry, Kit. I guess I overdid it." Kit came over and knocked Luffy on his head, the quick hardening of his fist emphasizing his point.

"Honestly, hasn't Marco, Uncle, and Pops teach you restraint in these past three years?" scolded Kit with a faint smile curving his mouth. "Come on. I stashed my boat a little ways away."

- Kitsune -

The two brothers walked into the woods until a nervous voice behind them shouted for them to stop. Kit and Luffy looked over their shoulders. A small, pink-haired boy gasped. Kit inclined his head to the side.

"Hey, weren't you with those pirates back there?"

"N-no, I m-mean, yes but," stuttered the boy. He stopped and took a breath. "I'm Coby. I guess I am a pirate. But not of my own choice – kind of," rapid-fired Coby.

"Speak up and slow down," advised Kit, shaking his head. This guy sure was nervous. "What do you mean by 'kind of'?"

"Well, what happened was this. One day I wanted to go fishing, but I boarded a pirate ship by accident. In exchange for my life, those pirates made me work as their cabin boy. It's been two years since then."

"Why didn't you try to escape?" asked Luffy while picking his nose. Kit smacked him, adding another bump.

"I-I-I've been building a boat! But, I just can't find the courage to take it and go. I'm afraid of what Lady Alvida would do to me if I tried to leave."

"So, you're a coward and a wimp and clumsy," stated Luffy bluntly.

"Ignore him," muttered Kit. In a slightly louder voice, Kit said "So you have the means to escape but not the guts to do so. How sad. So, why are you here bothering us?"

"I was hoping you might help me escape. Err, Luffy, did you really mean what you said back there? About being the future pirate king."

"Yep," stated Luffy with a D grin. Coby stared at him.

"NO WAY IS THAT POSSIBLE! I THOUGHT YOU WERE JOKING OR BLUFFING!" Coby shook his head and hands to emphasize his point. "To be the pirate king is to make the world bow down to you. You would have fortune, fame, power – does that mean you're after ONE PIECE?! There's no chance. Every pirate in the world is after Gold Roger's famed lost treasure. You would have to enter the Grand Line to find it."

Kitsune let Coby rant for another minute. Then Luffy punched him, knocking the kid onto the ground.

"Luffy," warned Kitsune. "A bit excessive today?"

"Hey! Why'd you hit me?"

"I didn't like what you had to say. I'm going after One Piece and become the pirate king even if I die. That's okay. It's my dream." Luffy pressed his straw hat against his chest. "I will become pirate king. And no one will stop me from achieving that dream."

"True," remarked Kitsune. "I don't have a proper dream like my brother Luffy, but I do know that I will help Luffy pursue his dream. I had figured that I will find my own dream on the way." Kit's eyes went distant, his thoughts turning back to the day of their promise. "Someday Luffy WILL become king of the pirates. And I will be there every step of the way." Kitsune's smile widened. "Besides, my lack-wit little brother would probably end up getting eaten if I was not there. Heck, he almost got swallowed by that whirlpool. Which reminds me," A haki-infused hand cuffed the top of Luffy's head, "you are an idiot, sometimes. A BARREL?! If Ace and Sabo knew…" grumbled Kitsune. At Luffy's puppy dog eyes, Kitsune smirked. "Don't worry, I won't tell them. Unless they ask."

Coby looked speechless.

"Hey, we've told you our dreams. What of you? What did you dream of before those pirates kidnapped you?"

"M-My dream? Well – no, no – you'll just laugh at me." Luffy and Kitsune only grinned. Heartened, Coby smiled a little bit. "I-I-I wanted to become a marine!" Coby looked away with tears spilling over his face.

"A marine, huh?" mused Kitsune.

"Marines?"

"Yeah!" Coby stood up. "One day, I'll sail the seas as a marine, and the three of us will be enemies. I know that I may n-not be all that brave. But that has been my dream since I was little!" Coby waited with his eyes squeezed shut. Kitsune shook his head. He walked over and patted Coby's bubblegum-colored hair.

"Not a bad dream. Not a bad dream at all."

"Well, well, what do we have here?" One of the ugliest woman –is that a woman? – Kitsune had ever the pleasure to meet arrived with a horde of lackeys, including some from earlier. "Is that the bounty hunters you hired? I bet you intruders are here for my head, eh?" Her gaze passed over Kitsune and landed on Luffy. "Well, you two are definitely no 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro."

Huh? Pirate Hunter? Luffy and Kitsune exchange puzzled glances. The wide D grin that splits Luffy's face in the next minute set Kitsune's older brother senses tingling.

"Oi, Coby!" Luffy, don't- "So, who's the tough and ugly looking fat ass?"

The pirates dropped their jaws in point blank astonishment. Kitsune felt like groaning. Or thumping his head into a tree.

"Luffy, you may want to take some lessons on manners," mumbled Kitsune, thinking of the botched attempts with Makino. "I believe this is the Lady Alvida those pirates mentioned earlier."

Coby's shock wore off faster than their audience's. He ran over to Luffy and began to shake him. "Take it back! Lady Alvida is-is…" Coby's trembling stopped. He looked over to Luffy and Kitsune. Something sparked in his eyes. "Lady Alvida is…THE UGLIEST OLD MEATBAG TO EVER SAIL THE EAST BLUE!"

The ugly old walking lard loomed over Luffy, Kitsune, and Coby.

"You-You…YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" She swung the iron club. Kitsune rolled his eyes as the club slammed onto Luffy's head.

"Good for you Coby." Luffy had that particular look again. The look that promised pain to all those idiotic enough to mess with our friends.

"Gum-Gum Pistol!"

A rubber fist sent the pirate captain flying into the distance. The stunned pirates could only stare. Their gazes drifted over to the bereted pirates. Kitsune shot them a crazed grin. They scattered.

East Blue

- KASL -

"Alright. So, Captain, where shall we go? A crew of two can travel the Grand Line alone – at least when it's us – but we should consider plenty of other nakama. I can't exactly act as a jack of all trades for a full voyage." The two pirates and Coby opted to take Kitsune's small craft instead of Coby's deathtrap boat or any of the Alvida Pirates' ships.

"Hmm, good question."

"So, Luffy," stuttered Coby. He still didn't feel that comfortable talking to such powerful pirates. "Did you eat a devil fruit?"

"Yeah," grinned Luffy. "I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit! I'm a rubber man. Kit ate one, too."

"Correct. I ate the Dog-Dog fruit, model kitsune. I more or less turn into a mythical fox with a certain number of tails. I can do all sorts of tricks." To emphasize his words, Kitsune let a little of his will-o-wisp illusionary fire flicker in the palm of his hand. He playfully tossed the colorful fireball at Coby, who yelped and almost fell out of the small boat when the fireball burst into a puff of harmless sparks.

"Hey, Kit!" Kitsune inclined his head toward his captain. "I think we should check out that 'Pirate Hunter' guy!"

"'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro?! That guy is the greatest swordsman in East Blue!"

"Hm, indeed. I have heard of this guy since I returned to East Blue," considered Kitsune. "They say Roronoa is some sort of demon. Right now, the marines of Shell Island have the bounty hunter imprisoned at the marine base there. Might encounter some complications getting to him."

"Well, if this guy is a good guy, I'll ask him to join our crew!"

"Luffy! This guy is a PIRATE HUNTER! Pirate hunters and pirates do not normally mix too well."

"Whatever you decide, Luffy," stated Kitsune serenely from his new spot on the roof of the small boat cabin. "I advise you to make no judgment until you actually meet the pirate hunter, however," Kitsune stared off into the sea, "I think that your instincts will steer you well. I have a feeling that our little crew will grow in this next venture. If not and the guy tries to kill us, then we can always go to another island."

"Shishishishi! Let's go to Shell Island! I hope the pirate hunter guy is a good guy!"

"Gah! Luffy, Kitsune, they call him a DEMON for a good reason! He is not a good guy!"

"There worse names than demon. I do swear that several people have called me a demon, actually. And the rest of my family for that matter."

"…What kind of family do you guys have to be named demons or worse?"

"A pirate one." Kitsune flicked the bangs hanging over his left temple to reveal the Jolly Roger tattoo. Coby stuttered and sputtered for two minutes.

"Th-That's-That's WHITEBEARD'S MARK!"

"Yep," popped Luffy. "We're the sons of Whitebeard. But, we're going off on our own as a pirate crew of our own right. See I have one, too," Luffy turned around and pulled down his red vest to reveal the signature cross of Whitebeard between his shoulder blades. Coby just fell to his knees in utter shock. Kitsune rolled over to his back and serenely watched the clouds, as Luffy laughed at their little friend before regaling the shocked boy of their adventures on the Moby Dick.