(A/N) This is supposed to be set 7 years after Luffy set out to sea.

WARNING- Spoilers for (Fishman Island Ark and Dressrosa Ark) (Nothing major, just stuff about Sabo and the tiniest bit about Jinbe) Most of you probably already know this stuff anyway.

(EDIT) TO ALL THOSE WATCHING THE DUBB! I just realised the Dubb just passed the bit where Ace dies, so all you emotionally dead people wanting to read this but without spoilers, Chapter 9 and 10 will have his revival. I'll put a summary of what happened in the earlier chapters in chapter 9 and make sure I don't include any spoilers in there so you can read it! SO SKIP TO CHAPTER 9!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters or story line, I'm not Eiichiro Oda.

Candle Heart

Chapter 1-A Long Awaited Encounter

The wind smelled like the salt of the sea to the young pirate. The Sunny was heading straight and true and the raven haired man was sitting cross-legged on the yellow lions head. A smile was etched across his face, from one ear to the other, almost splitting his face in two. The golden sun appeared to rise to meet the figurehead of the ship, it's rays just beginning to appear on the surface of the calm water, making it appear to look more like golden armour then a deep blue sea. The man's straw hat fluttered behind him in that salty morning breeze. He had to keep his promise; he was returning his most prized possession finally after seven years on the sea and many more since it had been given to him by a certain red headed emperor of the oceans.

The rest of the crew were asleep, but Luffy was impatient, he had waited to see the man who has saved and inspired him for so long, how could he sleep. Plus he was hungry; he had woken up only shortly after falling asleep, because his tummy had been growling so loudly. He sighed, Sanji wouldn't be up for another half hour to start preparing breakfast, and Luffy couldn't even raid the pantry as it had been locked and all the delicious meat hidden. His mouth was watering. Maybe if he went and woke up Nami she would convince the spiral brow to cook breakfast early, Luffy quickly dismissed the idea, he'd learnt the hard way many times not to interrupt his navigators beauty sleep. He suddenly felt a tweak to his haki someone was awake. Robin shortly afterwards walked out onto the deck, her ever present smile greeted him as much as her words. "Morning Luffy." She said, with a tilt of the head and a slight increase in the sweetness of her smile.

"Shishishishi, Morning Robin!" He replied, somehow managing to widen his own smile.

"Do you think Red Hair has found out yet?" She asked, leaning back against the ships railing.

"Shishishishi, it's been a month, I'm sure he's heard." Luffy replied.

"Are you nervous?" Robin asked.

"No, why?" Luffy asked.

"It's unusual to see you unshaven, your stubble ages you ten years, though you normally look younger than twenty three anyway." She chuckled. Luffy laughed with her, he still felt the same as he had seven years ago, even though so much had changed. The stubble was quite itchy and annoying, it had come in about two years earlier, consequently making Luffy have to go to all the effort to shave off the itchy hair every morning. Especially seeing as it freaked out the crew.

"Oi, Luffy!" A green haired swordsman interrupted his thought process from above. "I see land, is that your home?" he asked. He must've gotten up just after Robin; Luffy thought to himself, he cocked his head to the side. "Ehhhh?" he replied looking out to the ocean, that just moments ago had been empty. Now there was an island slowly coming closer as if it were begging for Luffy's return. The island had hills, mountains and forests and a city way of in the distance; but this close all Luffy could see was his old home, Windmill Village. He looked up at Zoro and shouted. "Yosh! That's it." He was jumping up and down in excitement now, Robin was laughing at him, he was so close now. He stopped jumping for a second and lowered his straw hat over his head and whispered under his breath. "I'm finally home... Ace."

"What's all the commotion about?" asked Sanji as he walked through the door, cigarette in hand.

"We're here!" Luffy shouted, still jumping up and down.

"Eh, I better go wake everyone up and make breakfast then." he said as he walked back inside.

"Yeah food!" Luffy yelled, even more excited now. "Sanji, can we have meat?"

"No." Sanji yelled back up, used to this question every morning. Luffy looked down in disappointment.

"It'll take a while so go shave, you want red hair to be able to recognize you don't you." The blonde chef yelled up. Luffy grumbled heading towards the cabin door.

"Like he's the one to talk about shaving." Luffy muttered and mumbled.

"I heard that!" the chef yelled in reply.

"Shishishishi." Chuckled Luffy.

The crew were all awake and in the galley now eating breakfast and none of them were impressed with their captain. He was still laughing over the black smudges on their faces that they couldn't seem to wash completely off. He couldn't sleep last night and he couldn't get to the food, so he'd taken it upon himself to make his crew's faces more artistic. He'd gotten a beating and a tongue lashing, but it was totally worth it.

After almost choking on his food multiple times because Luffy couldn't laugh then eat, both had to be done at the same time, he finally calmed down. He felt his jaw line he'd managed to get rid of most of the stubble but shaving wasn't his strong point so his jaw still harboured a shorter coarse fur. But in his excitement he'd also managed to cut himself. Nami upon seeing him had asked why he hadn't used Haki, he'd pouted because he hadn't thought of that.

He and the rest of the crew got up to drop anchor at the harbour. Once the ship was secure Luffy shouted. "Let's go." And was about to run off before Zoro grabbed his collar.

"Why don't you tell us exactly where we are headed?" the swordsman asked.

"You'll just get lost anyway." Muttered Usopp under his breath.

"What did you say?" The swordsman growled, whilst grabbing at one of his swords. Usopp cringed and stepped away, waving his hands in front of his face.

"Hehehehe, nope nothing Zoro."

"Hmmf, we all know it's true Marimo." Sanji retorted, lifting up his leg in challenge.

"Spiral Brow!" Zoro bit back as he took out a sword.

"Eeeeh, Zoro! Sanji! I want to see Shanks! Fight later!" Luffy commented.

"How do you even know he is here?" Sanji and Zoro asked in unison.

"When I called Sabo, he said Shanks was last seen in the East Blue, he really only comes here to see Makino, so he must be here!" Luffy said his finger up his nose. If possible, the whole crew seemed to face palm at the same time. Luffy laughed, ignoring his nakama's confusion. "Let's go!" he yelled again. Already walking off.

"Well at least we get to see where Luffy grew up." Said Chopper his face downcast.

"So where are we headed to after you see Red Hair?" Asked Jinbei his voice gruff as always.

"When we finally find him." Muttered Usopp, disappointed he probably wouldn't see his father today.

"Hmmm," Luffy thought for a second. "We already saw Laboon, shishishishishi, Brook was so happy; we can go visit Dadan, then Grandpa, then maybe Ace's grave, then we should go see Sabo, and tell him what that letter we found said, then after that, maybe Vivi." He listed a few more familiar names of old friends he wanted to see again. He then turned on the dirt road and walked backwards, so he could see his crew, the sun lit up his hair, whilst the wind made the strands dance. "Sound good?" He asked his crew with a huge smile. They couldn't help but catch that contagious smile of his, and they all nodded in agreement.

They followed Luffy into the village with the windmills; people were walking around smiling, it appeared to be an ordinary place. Luffy headed to a bar with a wooden sign titling the building 'Partys Bar'.

The crew walked in from the dirt road and to their utter amazement saw a man with a black cloak and red hair sitting at the bar, talking to a lady serving him, big grins etched their faces. The crew's mouths fell open, Luffy had been right? They all thought. They did not have time to dwell on this as of course Luffy upon seeing his old friend, did a typical Luffy thing to do. He stretched out his arms wrapping them around the elder man. He yelled out. "Shaaaaaanks!" And launched himself at the red head without a moment's hesitation.

Shanks had about a total of three seconds of confusion and shock before he got a face full of Luffy, and tumbled onto the ground along with the man with the straw hat.

"Oi! Who the hell?" He looked around. "Luffy, is that you?" he asked laughing his head off, sitting up in a cross legged position, as Luffy had come to be. "It's good to see you again but I thought we had a deal, you little brat, what are you doing here, last I heard you had been missing for months at the end of the new world?"

"Shishishishi, we do have a deal, I'm here to give this back." He said as he took off his infamous straw hat and held it out to the scarred man. The whole room was suddenly silent. Makino and Shanks both looked shocked; it appeared the bottoms of their mouths were almost touching the floor.

"No way, already?" He asked eyes wide as he reached out and grabbed his old possession, looking at it fondly before placing it on his own head.

"Shishishishi, yep we just passed the Redline, through a secret passage about a month ago." Luffy replied.

Zoro smirked "Red hair, before you sits Monkey D. Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates; the strongest, most free man on the sea; the Pirate King.

(A/N) I hope you enjoyed.

Thank you! Let me know what you think.

TaTa!
UmbraAurumDragon Out!