A sharp slap echoed as it landed on Orochimaru's rear, leaving him stunned.
He! Orochimaru! An elite boss from the Ninja World had just been spanked by an old man! Even though that old man was now his grandfather, and even though he couldn't beat him, how could he endure such humiliation?
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!"
Smack!
"Hidden Shadow Many Snake Hand!"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Half an hour later...
Garp, thoroughly satisfied, tossed the glazed-eyed Orochimaru to Luffy. 'Just as I thought,' he mused, 'a good beating always fixes disobedient brats, especially the ones with fragile egos.'
"There you go, enjoy this special 'grandfatherly' care," Garp said. "I'll be leaving soon, no need to see me off. Next time I come back, I expect to see both of you have improved!"
Luffy cradled Orochimaru, whose swollen backside made him tremble. 'Grandpa's so scary!' Luffy thought, shivering. 'Thank goodness he only likes to hit my head—at least that just makes me look dumb.' He shook his head at the soulless look on Orochimaru's face.
"Don't blame me, Orochimaru, little brother," Luffy whispered. "It's not that I didn't want to save you... Grandpa's just too terrifying! I swear! Except for Grandpa, I'll never let anyone else beat you up like that again!"
Orochimaru lay sprawled on the bed, his eyes devoid of light, looking like a discarded snake. Luffy had thoughtfully applied an ice pack to his sore bottom, and someone had cleaned him and fed him—a cycle of care he endured in silent humiliation. He was completely withdrawn into himself.
Luffy watched Orochimaru with concern. "Orochimaru... are you okay? Should I get Makino to check on you?"
Orochimaru shot upright, slithering forward until he loomed over Luffy. His snake eyes, bloodshot and fierce, glared menacingly. "Don't you dare! You can't tell anyone about this! Not a soul! Or I'll never forgive you! Never!"
Luffy clapped a hand over his mouth and nodded vigorously, raising a pinky in a solemn vow. "I swear! I swear on my life I won't tell anyone about Grandpa spanking you!"
"You just had to say it!" Orochimaru, crimson with shame and fury, lunged and bit Luffy's arm. Luffy retaliated with a bite of his own, and the two boys tumbled into a chaotic brawl.
"Orochimaru! Shut up! Just because you're my younger brother doesn't mean I have to let you win!"
"You abandoned me! Traitor!"
"That's enough, Orochimaru! Take this!" Luffy fired his water pistol.
Psh! Psh! Psh!
"Aaaaaaah! You're done for! You're completely dead!"
As the fight wore on, the two boys gradually exhausted themselves and fell asleep, their limbs tangled together.
The next morning, Orochimaru woke up expressionless. 'That wasn't me yesterday... and that spanking? Definitely not mine.'
'What does Kozuki Orochimaru have to do with my Orochimaru?'
After giving himself a mental pep talk and shaking off the humiliation, Orochimaru resumed his daily routine: teasing Luffy, shaking him awake, and letting him bask in the sun. Then it was off to Makino's tavern to help out, followed by training in physical fitness, shuriken throwing, hand-to-hand combat, and ninjutsu. 'That old geezer Garp is going to pay for this!'
A year flew by. During that time, Garp returned for a visit, and Orochimaru, still holding a grudge, earned another "palm-sized gift package" of slaps. Forced to tearfully call him "Grandpa" and act like a good little Orochimaru, the memory of those slaps still stung.
Six more months passed. Luffy and Orochimaru turned seven, and the day Red Hair would arrive was fast approaching. Orochimaru decided not to interfere with the unfolding events, fearing that his presence might alter Luffy's destiny.
Early one morning, Orochimaru went through his usual routine: waking Luffy, washing him, slinging him over his shoulder, and heading to the docks. Spotting the pirate ship anchored there, he knew the story was about to begin. He shook Luffy awake.
"Luffy, wake up! Pirates are here!"
'Pirates?!' Luffy bolted upright, rubbing his eyes as he raced toward the docks. He stared at Uta, perched on the railing.
"Are you pirates?" he asked.
"Oh, really? Got something to say?" Uta glared fiercely at Luffy, her purple eyes blazing. "Spit it out! Captain Shanks' daughter, yours truly Uta, is all ears."
Luffy, still a rebellious kid with no love for pirates, clenched his fists, struggling to control his anger.
"If you're pirates, get out of here!"
"What? You wanna fight?" Uta seemed surprised. Shanks stepped forward. "Easy, Uta. We're not here for trouble. This village has a real pain of a sheriff."
Orochimaru frowned, listening. 'Does he know this is Garp's hometown?' he wondered. 'Was Shanks deliberately encouraging Luffy to become a pirate?'
Watching Shanks introduce himself to Luffy, Orochimaru felt an inexplicable dislike for the man.
"Don't you dare try anything funny! I won't let you get away with it!"
"Hmph!" Uta tossed her head dismissively.
To be continued...