"Its just like that night." He thought with a laugh.

"How longs it been? Ten years? I can still remember his ecstatic smile. He sure has grown over the years." comparing the wanted poster in his hand to his memory.

"It wont be long 'till he comes here and we can finally talk again. I guess I can be patient and wait a little longer. Hurry up and find me here in the New World Luffy." The red haired captain said aloud with a laugh as he leaned back looking up at the stars.

"What did you say?!" Woop Slap, the mayor of Fuschia Village, asked the man who had come running into the Party Bar. "Theres a pirate ship coming here?!"

"No way! Sugiiii!" a little voice was heard from a very energetic seven year old. "which pirates are they?"

"I -I don't know." the nervous fisherman replied.

"Luffy, you stay here while I go see whats going on. Makino look after him will you?" Woop asked the bartender.

"What? No! I want to come to! I want to see the pirates!" Luffy said, his voice both pleading and angry at the thought of being left out.

"No Luffy. These guys are pirates! Their probably here to ravage the village and take anything of value!" the mayor said, trying to convince the boy to stay.

"Then what do you plan to do to stop them? Take me along and I'll fight them off! My punch is as strong as a pistol!" Luffy exclaimed as he jumped up, thrusting his tiny fist into the air.

"No Luffy", the mayor said sternly, " no ones going to fight anybody. As the mayor I am going to try to convince them to leave without killing anyone and leaving as much of the village intact as I can. I'd rather give away all the valuables in the village than sacrifice lives.

"Hmph! Your just a coward." Luffy mumbled, depressed that the mayor didn't believe him when he said he could fight off the pirates. "If you don't do anything then they are just going to keep coming back!"

Suddenly Luffy had an idea. "Fine! I'll stay here while you deal with the pirates!" Luffy said while sticking his tongue out at the mayor. Woop was at a loss for worlds. Was Luffy actually...listening to him?!? Sometimes he just didn't know what this boy was thinking. Shaking his head, the mayor decided to leave without questioning the boy, afraid that it might cause him to argue about coming with him again. Woop looked over at Makino and silently told her to watch after the boy. Receiving a nod in reply, Woop look one last confused look at the little kid who was drinking some apple juice before hastily running toward the harbor with the fisherman.

Back at the bar Luffy was smiling,drinking his juice, quite content thinking his plan was going well. After about five minutes and another glass of apple juice, Luffy jumped to his feet and managed to get halfway across the bar when Makino stopped him "And where do you think your going?"

"th-the bathroom!" replied Luffy, trying to conceal his smile. "I drank my juice a little to fast." Giving him a skeptical glance Makino questioned him; " Your not lying to me are you? Your really going down to the harbor to see the pirates aren't you?"

"AM NOT!" Luffy yelled. "I really do have to go to the bathroom!"He gave then bartender the sincerest smile he could muster before he dashed off in the direction to the restroom. Once out of sight he began to silently giggle. My plan is going perfectly! Makino doesn't suspect a thing! The little boy thought to himself through his fit of giggles. After walking a few more feet, the giggling seven year old stopped in front of a window that was a few feet away from the bathroom door.

After failing a few times Luffy finally managed to get a good grip on the windowsill and hoisted himself up. He took a moments rest before jumping out and landing with a thud on the dirt below. Setting out at a slight run, Luffy managed to make it close to the harbor before stopping to listen to a few comments the adults were making.

"does anyone recognize that flag?"

"No. maybe that means they are rookies that just started out! Maybe they won't hurt anyone!"

"Baka! If their rookies then they'll be looking for a way to get a bounty on their heads! That puts the village even more at risk!"

Getting tired of listening to the grown ups "what if" worries, Luffy began to sneak through the crowd to get a look at the pirates. Being a very energetic and uncoordinated seven year old, Luffy normally wouldn't have been able to sneak around even if his life depended on it. But luckily for him his clumsiness was masked by all the commotion around him. Weaving in and out of peoples legs and diving behind barrels Luffy finally managed to make his way to the front of the crowd.

Luffy almost jumped for joy. There it was! No mistaking it. On the approaching ship there was the jolly roger; the mark of a pirate! Luffy closed his eyes and began to think hard. Of all the pirates he had heard stories about, he didn't remember hearing of one with a flag bearing a skull with crossed swords and three stripes going through the eye. Oh well. It didn't matter; all that did matter was that actual pirates were coming here! Luffy couldn't remember when he had felt this excited.

As the ship drew closer, Woop managed to convince the villagers that he would try to reason with the pirates when they got here, and that they should go and hid in their homes. When almost all the villagers had cleared from the harbor, Woop say a small figure out of the corner of his eye. "L-L-LUFFY!?! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING HERE?!?"The mayor exclaimed in shock.

"CRAP!" Luffy yelled, realizing his cover had been blown. But Luffy wasn't going to stick around and get yelled at. Angry that his plan had failed, Luffy stuck his tongue out at the mayor and set out at a mad dash down one of the side streets.

Already enraged at the fact that the seven year old had both tricked him and disobeyed his order of staying at the bar, Woop was considering grabbing the boy and dragging him back to Makino. But when

Luffy stuck his tongue out, Woop made up his mind and started to chase the boy.

Luffy, knowing every twist and turn in the village began to take any turn he thought might confuse the old mayor. Unfortunately for him, Woop knew the town just as well if not better than Luffy and had no problem figuring out where the boy was headed. Only one thing lead to Luffy escaping from the pissed old man; Luffy could run faster. Becoming quite content with the though that he had lost the mayor, Luffy began to run full speed back to the harbor, taking every shortcut he could think of.

Finally he got back to were he had begun. And just in time too; the ship was almost close enough to dock. Looking closely at the ship, Luffy's eyes widened in amazement. Sugiiii!!! at th bow of the ship there was a simple carving of a dragons head, and a wave like design going along the sides. The sails were the biggest Luffy had ever seen.

As the ship stopped moving Luffy suddenly ducked behind some barrels. Now that the pirates were actually here he began to have second thoughts. What if their evil? What if they try to kill me or destroy the village? A million thoughts raced through his mind, causing the boy to feel dizzy. He hadn't thought this much in his whole life!

"Hey did anyone come to greet us?" A voice from the ship called.

"I dunno, let me check" replied another. " theres a kid hiding behind some barrels does that count?"

A rope was thrown off the side of the ship and the pirates began to climb down. " hey kid, come over here. I have a question for ya." It was the voice from before. Peaking above the barrels to see what the pirates looked like, Luffy noticed who was speaking to him. The man was kinda tall with yellow hair and had a flintlock pistol at his hip." kid I'm talking to ya! Come here!" The man said staring at Luffy.

Scared, Luffy once again hid behind the barrels. "HA1 Hes scared o you Yassop! Hahahahah!"

"shut up Lucky Roux! Yo kid! I'm not ganna eat you! Just come over here! Yassop yelled.

Luffy was too scared to move. What was I thinking? I should have stayed at the bar! Luffy thought to himself as his heart started to beat faster sand faster. Suddenly he was hanging in mid air and realized that he had been picked up by the back of his shirt. " are you planning on hiding all day?" Yassop asked "Geez. whats wrong with you?" he asked as his nakama began to gather around Luffy.

Luffy was scared out of his mind and didn't know what to do. Without warning he began to cry, startling the pirates. " ha! Hes a little cry baby!" on of the pirates said, laughing along with his nakama.

"hey now, thats not very nice." All the men stopped laughing. "Yassop, put the kid down. Can't you see your scaring him?" Luffy was slowly lowered to the ground. Through his tears he looked up and saw a red haired man with a straw hat.

The captain had arrived.