The sun hung high and proud in the vast blue sky, spreading a golden warmth over the dusty dirt path as Naru led the boys steadily away from Foosha Village. The sounds of the bustling port slowly faded behind them, replaced by the gentle rustling of leaves above and the distant, rhythmic chirping of birds hidden deep among the trees.
Ace and Sabo walked in thoughtful silence, still trying to process everything that had happened, while Luffy, as expected, bounced a few steps behind them with an easy grin, completely untouched by the heavy mood that lingered around them.
Naru exhaled sharply, her patience thinning. "Luffy."
"Hm?" Luffy blinked up at her, clueless as always.
She gave him a pointed look. "Do you even realize what you did wrong?"
The boy tilted his head, looking more like a puzzled puppy than someone who had nearly dropped a dangerous secret. "Eh? Did I mess up again?"
Naru sighed, rubbing her temples. "Of course you don't."
Ace and Sabo exchanged knowing looks. Even though her tone was calm, there was an unmistakable weight behind it.
Coming to a stop, Naru turned around, crossing her arms firmly. "Listen carefully, all of you. This is important."
The three boys immediately straightened like soldiers under inspection. When Naru got serious, even Luffy knew better than to joke around. Her sternness could rival their terrifying grandfather's.
Naru's gaze settled first on Sabo, her expression softening for just a moment. "I haven't had this conversation with you before, so I understand if you're confused." Then her attention shifted to Ace and finally to Luffy. "Luffy was still very young back then, so it's understandable he didn't grasp how serious things were. But you, Ace," her voice sharpened, "you know exactly what I'm talking about."
She did not wait for a reply. "For now, it's too dangerous for our background to be revealed. The world may have ended the Pirate King once, but it hasn't forgotten him, and it would gladly try again with us."
Her last words were directed at Luffy.
"Once people find out the truth, we won't have a moment of peace. If the wrong people hear about us," Naru continued, "they'll come after us, and after anyone close to us. We aren't ready to face that yet."
Sabo frowned deeply, his voice laced with hesitation. "But… Shanks and his crew are good people, right? They wouldn't hurt us."
Naru did not answer immediately. She studied him with a quiet, piercing gaze that seemed to strip away every layer of comfort. When she finally spoke, her words were deliberate, heavy with meaning. "Maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they truly are good men. But no matter how kind someone appears to be, no matter how much we want to believe in them, we can never know what hides in another person's heart."
Silence wrapped around them like a thick fog.
Luffy's grin had faded completely now. His hands balled into small fists at his sides. "So… does that mean we shouldn't be friends with Shanks anymore?" he asked quietly, his voice trembling with confusion.
Naru turned her eyes toward the village, toward the bar they had just left behind. She was notlike ordinary people. She could sense emotions, and feel the truth beneath the surface.
And what she had sensed from Shanks had been real.
Shock. Sorrow.
It was not only surprise at Ace's lineage. It was something deeper. Something that came from the heart.
"Then… do we have to keep hiding forever?" Ace asked, his voice low and rough.
"Is that the kind of life you want?" Naru replied instantly, her sharp gaze pinning him in place.
"...No."
"Then become strong," she said, her voice lowering, rich with quiet power. "Strong enough that you'll never fear any enemy. Strong enough that we can protect each other without hesitation or fear. Because one day, whether we want it or not, we'll face the same enemy. It will be us against the entire world."
Her words struck deep, imprinting themselves in their young hearts.
Naru did not want to crush their innocence, but she could not gamble with their safety either.
Finally, she took a breath and made her decision clear. "Until I say otherwise, none of you are allowed to go down the mountain to meet the Red Hair Pirates. No arguments."
"What?!" Luffy cried out, puffing his cheeks like a stubborn balloon. "Why not?!"
"Because I said so," Naru replied firmly, her tone unyielding. "And because it's safer this way. For all of us."
Ace and Sabo exchanged a glance, both realizing that she was being serious.
Luffy groaned, kicking at a small rock. "Fiiine…" he muttered in defeat.
Naru looked at all three of them, her eyes sharp. "Promise me," she said quietly, yet her tone left no room for defiance.
Reluctantly but sincerely, they nodded. "We promise."
Only then did Naru allow herself a small breath of relief. Turning toward the path ahead, she said softly, "Good. Now let's go home."
The group continued up the winding road toward Mt. Colubo, the sunlight dancing across the canopy above them. Though the world around them looked peaceful, the weight of their conversation followed them like a shadow.
The Red Hair Pirates had been kind to them, yes.
But kindness alone was never enough to erase danger.
And Naru, more than anyone, knew this single, unshakable truth.
The world outside was far from simple.
.
.
.
The night was cloaked in an eerie, almost unnatural quiet. The once lively village had long since drifted into slumber, leaving behind only the soft whisper of the wind as it rustled through the trees and brushed against the rooftops. A solitary shadow moved deftly through the dense foliage, slipping from branch to branch with barely a sound, a phantom in the darkness. The moonlight, veiled sporadically by slow-moving clouds, painted fleeting silver streaks across the figure's silhouette, illuminating it in brief, haunting flashes.
Naru moved with purpose, her pace swift and measured. The night air bit coldly against her skin, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the day, but she barely noticed. Her senses sharpened as she neared the coastline. The heavy scent of salt filled her nostrils, mingling with the rhythmic, distant crash of waves, guiding her unerringly forward. She landed softly on a thick, sturdy branch, her sharp golden eyes locking immediately onto the massive ship anchored solemnly near the shore.
The unmistakable ship of the Red Hair Pirates.
From her hidden vantage point, she observed them carefully. Despite the late hour, the pirates were still awake, their ship alive with boisterous energy. Laughter echoed into the night, mingling with the clinking of heavy tankards and the occasional burst of a drunken, off-key song. Lanterns swung gently with the wind, casting golden halos of light that danced across the wooden deck, oblivious to the silent predator watching from above.
Naru's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Without a second's hesitation, her figure blurred and vanished from her perch, only to reappear high above the ship's crow's nest. She crouched there, balanced effortlessly against the wood, surveying the scene with a predator's patience. Her keen gaze swept the deck, noting every movement, every figure. Shanks sat casually near the railing, a half-empty bottle of sake dangling from one hand, his posture relaxed. His crimson hair gleamed faintly under the flickering lanterns, and his single visible eye watched his men with a look that was both fond and distant, as though his thoughts were anchored to another time entirely.
The scene could almost have been called peaceful.
Almost.
Naru's blue eyes glinted coldly.
An unseen wave of power erupted from her, silent yet overwhelming. It surged outward in every direction, unseen but deeply felt, a concentrated pulse of raw will that crashed through the ship like a thunderous tide. One by one, the pirates fell where they stood. Some slumped against barrels, others dropped mid-song with laughter still frozen on their faces. Tankards slipped from limp fingers, striking the deck with hollow thuds before rolling away. The raucous noise died at once, swallowed by the weight of absolute silence.
When the last body stilled, only one person remained upright.
Shanks.
He had not moved an inch. His fingers still rested lightly on the neck of his sake bottle. His expression was composed, calm in a way that felt almost unnatural. It was as though he had expected this moment, as though he had been waiting for her to appear. Slowly, he tilted his head upward, his gaze locking onto the shadowy figure perched above.
Even in the dim light, recognition flickered in his eye.
A small smirk curved his lips. "So, you came after all," he said softly, his voice even, steady, and utterly without surprise.
Naru stepped forward, descending from the crow's nest. She landed soundlessly on the deck, the boards creaking faintly beneath her boots as the wind picked up around them. Her movements were fluid and deliberate, her presence filling the space with quiet authority.
Her golden eyes flicked briefly over the unconscious crew before returning to Shanks. He followed her gaze, letting out a quiet sigh that carried more amusement than anger.
"You really don't hold back, do you?" he murmured, swirling the liquid inside his bottle. His tone was mild, but his eye was sharp. He knew his men were unharmed, merely subdued. She had shown restraint despite the overwhelming power she possessed.
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You are not an ordinary little girl. That much is certain."
Naru ignored the comment entirely. Her voice, calm yet cutting, sliced through the quiet like tempered steel.
"What is Roger to you?"
The words hit harder than any attack.
For a moment, Shanks said nothing. His smirk faded, replaced by a rare solemnity. He leaned back slightly, his gaze turning inward. The sea breeze carried a faint chill as his mind slipped into the depths of memory.
Images flickered through his mind. An enormous ship slicing through endless seas, a towering figure with a booming, infectious laugh, a crew bonded by unbreakable ties. Memories of an era lost to time, etched forever in his soul.
He could almost hear that booming laugh again, filled with unshakable spirit and boundless freedom.
When Shanks finally opened his eye, the clouds had shifted just enough for the moonlight to fully illuminate his face. His expression was one of solemn remembrance, tinged with an almost childlike sorrow.
"He was my captain," Shanks said quietly.
Those four words carried a gravity that could not be faked. They were steeped in reverence, in loyalty, in a grief that had never fully healed.
Naru stood unmoving, studying him with a piercing intensity. She listened, not just to his words, but to the undercurrent of emotion that pulsed beneath them. There was no deceit here. No falsehood. Only a deep, enduring bond that had transcended death itself.
She had her answer.
At least, for now.
The waves lapped gently against the hull of the ship, their soft rhythm a faint heartbeat against the vast stillness. No words were spoken. None were needed. The night, vast and eternal, wrapped around them like a silent shroud as the world quietly turned.