At Makino's bar, everything seemed the same as always... or at least that's how it looked. She attended to the customers with her usual smile, but the sparkle in her eyes —the one that once made her shine— was gone. Every time her gaze landed on the counter, she thought of X. His calm attitude, his quiet words... all of it brought her a strange sense of peace that she now felt was missing.
While her thoughts drifted among memories, a pair of customers raised their hands. Makino reacted immediately and walked over with a tray, serving two plates of steaming food.
"Miss Makino, you seem more tired and down than usual… did something happen?" asked one of the villagers as he took a sip of his drink.
"Well, it's just that..." she murmured, lowering her gaze, but she didn't get the chance to finish.
"Hey!" interrupted the other villager. "Don't you see? The white-haired boy, X… he's not here. He should be around helping like always."
The first man blinked, finally understanding what his friend meant. Then both turned at the same time toward Makino. She froze, her eyes widening slightly, surprised to have all the attention right when she least wanted to talk about it.
"X..."
Makino whispered softly, just a sigh lost among the murmurs of the bar. But before she could continue her thoughts, the front door swung open with a loud bang, making everyone turn toward the sound.
Two boys entered with the same energy as always: Ace, with his confident and defiant expression, and Luffy, his eyes sparkling with excitement at the sight of food.
Ace wiped his nose with his index finger, while Luffy licked his lips, staring at the dishes served at every table as if they were all part of a grand feast just for him.
"Hey, Luffy, don't even think about eating other people's food! X will punish you!"
Ace exclaimed, frowning. But his warning came too late —the boy with the straw hat was already approaching a table full of meat. Ace let out a sigh and, without much thought, grabbed him by the hat and pulled him back, earning a surprised yelp.
"Hey! That hurt!" complained Luffy, puffing his cheeks while Ace rolled his eyes in annoyance.
Makino couldn't help but smile at the sight. For an instant, the bar felt like before again —full of laughter, chaos, and warmth.
"Ahahaha!"
All the villagers laughed upon seeing the two boys arguing, causing Ace and Luffy to blush slightly. Both lowered their heads in a mix of embarrassment and pride, walking quickly toward the counter.
When they arrived, they saw Makino waiting for them with a sweet smile, though her arms were crossed over her waist in a clearly scolding-mother pose.
"Causing trouble again, Ace? And you too, Luffy?"
Makino asked in a livelier tone, though her gaze kept them under control. The two boys looked at each other, a bead of sweat sliding down their foreheads at the same time.
"No, no, it was Luffy! I didn't do anything!" protested Ace, pointing at the rubber boy, who at that moment had drool hanging from his mouth as he thought about meat.
"Liar! That's not true!" replied Luffy, frowning with that stubborn, childish look of his.
They stared at each other, pressing their foreheads together hard as they growled, not breaking eye contact for even a second.
"Grrr!"
The air filled once again with laughter. Even Makino chuckled softly, seeing how those two never changed.
"Stop it, you two! Or I won't give you your free breakfast!"
Makino scolded, moving her index finger up and down in front of the two little troublemakers. At the sound of "free breakfast," both of them froze instantly, eyes wide open and mouths shut tight.
"Everything's fine, right, Luffy?" Ace exclaimed quickly, standing straight in a military-like pose, arms stiff at his sides. Luffy, without missing a beat, mimicked him and nodded energetically.
"Yes! Everything's fine!"
"Mmh... good. Hahaha."
Makino let out a soft laugh, her warm smile returning as she turned toward the kitchen. A few seconds later, she came back holding two big plates, each with two freshly cooked fish, the steam still rising gently. She placed them on the counter in front of the boys.
"X made these for you. He woke up earlier than usual… and when I asked him why he was cooking so early, he said it was for you two, and that he hoped you'd really enjoy it."
Makino said cheerfully, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head slightly. Her voice carried a tender tone that made both boys smile in unison.
Hearing that X had prepared their breakfast so early made Ace and Luffy smile with gratitude, a small warmth blooming in their chests as they remembered their white-haired friend.
Both of them jumped onto the stools at the same time, landing in perfect sync. In front of them, the freshly cooked fish awaited, and their eyes sparkled instantly. The smell was so delicious that they both leaned in to inhale it with wide smiles. On the side, Makino placed two glasses full of fresh orange juice.
"Did he really make all this for us?!" exclaimed Luffy, surprised and wide-eyed.
"But she literally just said that, idiot!" answered Ace, giving him a small bonk on the head before quickly grabbing his fish and taking a big bite.
As soon as they started chewing and savoring the juicy fish, Makino took out two folded letters from her pocket and placed one in front of each of them, carefully.
"These are for you," she said softly. "X asked me to give them to you."
Both accepted the letters eagerly and opened them with curiosity. Inside, each one had a small, neatly folded sheet of paper. Ace was the first to read his.
Note:
"Ace, take care of your brother while I'm not with you. I'll be back in about a month. During that time, train and get stronger. I want you to show me how much you've improved.
Your brother has set sail.
Sincerely, X."
Luffy was next to open his letter and began reading it attentively.
Note:
"Luffy, don't be so impulsive. Try to stay calm while I'm gone. I'll be back in a month, so both of you should train and get stronger. I want you to show me how much you've improved.
Your brother has set sail.
Sincerely, X."
They both stayed silent for a few seconds. Then, unable to hold it in, they let a few tears fall onto the letters. They pressed them tightly against their chests, feeling a lump in their throats.
"Why didn't you take me with you?!"
Luffy shouted, letting his tears run freely down his face. For the first time, he didn't feel like eating. He lowered his head, rubbing his eyes with his fists as his voice trembled.
Ace, beside him, was no exception. His hands trembled slightly, and his eyes shone with sadness. A tear slid down his cheek as he murmured softly:
"You should've taken us with you... X..."
For a few seconds, silence reigned, broken only by the sound of the wind slipping through the windows of the bar. But then, Ace gripped his letter tightly in his hands and lifted his head with a look full of determination.
A wide smile formed on his face, even though his cheeks were still wet.
"Luffy! We can't let our brother down! Let's eat fast and go train!"
Ace exclaimed with energy, trying to hide the sadness in his voice, though a few tears still escaped down his cheeks.
Luffy looked at him for a few seconds and, catching his determination, smiled widely while wiping away his tears.
"Yeah! Let's do it!"