Seven months.
That was how long Monkey D. Luffy had been alive.
Lucas sat on the wooden floor of the tavern, watching the small child in front of him with intense focus. Luffy could already sit upright now, his balance still wobbly but improving every day. Just a few days ago, he had begun crawling—an event that filled Lucas with pride… and immediate fear.
Luffy crawled everywhere.
Under tables.Toward open doors.Straight for sharp corners and stair edges without hesitation.
More than once, Lucas had to dive forward just to grab the back of Luffy's shirt before disaster struck.
This kid has zero sense of danger, Lucas thought helplessly.
He rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"Maybe I should make something… or buy him a stroller," he muttered. "At this rate, I won't be able to take my eyes off him even for a second."
Luffy, unaware of his brother's worries, laughed happily and slapped his hands against the floor.
Lucas smiled despite himself.
Luffy was growing fast.
Too fast.
Every small change felt important. The way Luffy tried to stand by holding onto furniture. The way his eyes followed people with pure curiosity. According to Makino, it wouldn't be long before Luffy tried to stand properly—and then walk.
Lucas wanted to remember everything.
I'll remember all of it, he promised silently.
Time passed.
The sky was cloudless in the early morning.
Sunlight filtered through the vast forest of Dawn Island, illuminating countless colorful balloons floating high above the treetops. The sound of wind brushing against rubber mixed with the distant cries of birds—and the exhausted sighs of a child drifting through the air.
"...Haaah."
Lucas floated helplessly.
A thick rope was tied securely around his waist, connected to dozens of balloons bobbing cheerfully above his head. Below him stretched an endless forest canopy.
Luffy was three years old now.
Lucas was almost seven.
In the past two years, Monkey D. Garp had visited from time to time—and every visit meant "training."
If it could even be called that.
Sometimes Lucas was forced to fight wild beasts.Sometimes he was thrown into the depths of the forest and told to survive alone for weeks.Sometimes Garp tossed him into a valley and told him to "walk it off."
And today—
"Why balloons…?" Lucas muttered weakly.
Garp had tied him to them and casually shoved him off a cliff.
That old man is definitely trying to kill me.
Lucas looked down nervously.
"Okay… okay… don't panic," he whispered. "Don't fall into the sea. There should be forest below."
He struggled carefully, trying to pull himself downward—but there were too many balloons. Every movement only made him drift sideways.
After thinking for a moment, Lucas reached up and began popping balloons one by one.
Pop.Pop.Pop.
Slowly, steadily, he descended.
The ground rushed closer.
With a final snap, Lucas fell straight into a tall tree, crashing through leaves and branches before finally landing on a thick limb.
"Oof—!"
He lay there for a moment, panting, then sat up.
"This forest…" he murmured.
It felt unfamiliar.
After climbing down, Lucas realized the truth—this was the forest on the opposite side of Dawn Island.
I need to get back quickly, he thought anxiously. If I'm late, Luffy will definitely cry…
But the forest was vast.
Too vast.
He took a deep breath and smiled weakly.
"Alright," Lucas said to himself. "Just keep moving forward. There's always a way out."
He didn't know how long he walked.
Eventually, a bright opening appeared ahead.
Lucas ran toward it eagerly—only to stop dead the moment he stepped through.
Ruins.
Collapsed buildings. Broken stone. Smoke and fog hung thick in the air, carrying a rotten stench that made his stomach twist.
People crowded the area—dirty, desperate, lifeless. Fights broke out over scraps. Theft and violence felt normal here.
This place is dangerous…
Lucas hid in the shadows, observing carefully.
Then—
"Stop right there, you little bastard!"
A tall man charged through the ruins, chasing a boy about Lucas's age.
The boy ran fast—but not fast enough.
He was caught.
"How dare you steal my money!" the man roared, grabbing him by the collar.
"Bah!" the boy spat. "I stole it fair and square! I'm not giving it back!"
Lucas didn't think.
He grabbed a wooden stick from nearby trash and rushed forward.
Crack!
The stick shattered against the back of the man's head.
The man staggered, grip loosening.
"Run!" Lucas shouted.
The boy broke free instantly.
Lucas grabbed his wrist, and together they sprinted back into the forest, weaving through trees until the man's angry shouts faded into the distance.
They stopped beneath a towering tree, both bent over, gasping for breath.
After a moment, Lucas straightened.
"My name's Lucas," he said. "Why were you being chased?"
The boy wiped his mouth and smirked. "Ace. And because I stole his treasure."
Lucas blinked.
"…Straightforward."
Ace studied him carefully. "You're not from around here."
"I—uh—fell from the sky," Lucas said awkwardly. "Now I can't find my way back."
Ace stared.
"…What?"
Before Lucas could explain, another boy ran toward them.
He was blond, wearing a blue top hat and a tattered but neat blue outfit. He didn't look like someone who belonged in this place—yet his eyes were sharp.
"Ace!" the boy called. "How was today's haul?"
Ace lifted a bag proudly. "Not bad."
The blond boy grinned. "Then we're one step closer to going to sea."
Lucas's eyes lit up.
"Going to sea?" he repeated excitedly.
The blond boy looked at him in confusion. "Ace, who's this?"
"I'm Lucas," he said quickly. "I want to go to sea too. I want to see the world."
The blond boy's eyes sparkled.
"Really?! Me too! I'm going to travel everywhere and write a book about it!" He grinned. "I'm Sabo."
Ace crossed his arms. "You can stay with us for now."
"But we won't protect you."
Lucas smirked. "I don't need protection. I'm strong."
Ace and Sabo shouted together—
"No way! I'm the strongest!"
Lucas laughed. "Then let's compete."
"One-on-one," Sabo said eagerly. "Fifty matches each."
"Deal," Lucas said.
High above them, unseen—
Fate smiled.