Chapter Text
Pov- Third Person
“LUFFY, WHERE DID YOU GET A BABY?
Luffy looks at Ace, then at the water, and finally back at Ace. “The water,” he calmly stated as if that wasn't a crazy statement in and of itself. All Ace did was look at him like he was crazy.
Ace took a deep breath before he did something he might regret. Just because he wants to hit Luffy on the head as hard as he can, he still has the baby in his arms. “What do you MEAN you got it from the water?” Ace asked through gritted teeth. He wished that Luffy would take this a little more seriously. “Well, I was exploring when I saw them, and they wanted me to pick them up, so I did. Now I have them,” Luffy said with a smile on his face, like it's normal to find a baby next to the sea and pick them up.
Ace just blinked at him in more confusion than anger. He opened his mouth to say something before closing it. While Luffy just looked back down at the baby in curiosity, the baby was just making happy sounds while trying to grab at his hair.
Ace finally just sighed in acceptance because Luffy wasn't going to explain any further. “Come on,” Ace said, turning around and walking away. “What?” Luffy said, looking up but still following Ace with the baby, happily giggling. “When going to Makino, she'll know what to do,” Ace replied. “Know what to do with what? OH, do you think she'll have food? I'm starving!” Luffy said the last part with excitement as he caught up with Ace. “NO! You idiot asked her what to do with the baby in your arms! Ace said lightly, whacking Luffy's head, but his stomach rumbled and he paused, face turning slightly pink. “Maybe we could ask for some food as well.”
“Yay!” Luffy cheered and started walking faster towards Foosha village. “Wait up!” Ace said, walking faster to keep up with Luffy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Foosha was busier at this time of day with fishermen at the docks and people walking around and doing errands.
When Luffy and Ace walk into the party bar, Makino is behind the bar serving a small number of customers who are drinking at this time of day. “Makino! Makino! Can we have food?” Luffy says, running up to the bar and sitting down in his usual stool, while Ace comes up to sit in the one beside him.
Makino had looked up at Luffy's greeting and had walked closer to them with a slightly surprised look on her face. “Luffy, Ace, Oh my, what brings you two all the way down Mt. Columbo? That must have been a walk.” She questioned. “Actually, we had a question. Has anyone, well, umm.” Ace hesitated a bit but continued.
“Has anybody lost a baby?”
Makino looked a little taken aback. “Lost a baby? Why?” She asked, confused. All Ace did was point to Luffy, who was happily kicking his legs, still holding the baby. Makino finally looked at the bundle in Luffy's arms like she just noticed it. She must have had the slight gasp she let out when she saw the baby's face peaking out from the blanket, finally making more noise after they had quieted on the walk there. She rushed around the bar to get a better look at them. “Luffy, where did you get a baby?” She asked and put her hand to the baby's cheek.
Luffy scowled a bit, not at Makino, but at being asked the same question again. “ Like I said, I found them in the water,” Luffy said. Makino looked a little confused before looking up at Ace for a better explanation, “Luffy found the baby by a pool of water left by the tide in a cove we were exploring around in,” Ace explained to Makino. She looked back down at the baby, then answered the first question. “No, I haven't been made aware of any missing babies in Foosha, so I have no idea whose it would be.”
Luffy, like the situation was the complete norm for his day, asked, “Makino, Makino, can we have food? I'm so hungry.” He looked at her with puppy dog eyes, and it might have been helped that Makino would feed Luffy even if he hadn't been asking. She looked a little hesitant to do so and leave the baby, “Yeah, of course, but how about before that, we go upstairs, and I can see if there's anything wrong with the baby, okay?” She says.
Luffy pouts a little but nods, as long as he gets food soon. Makino makes sure the little customers there don't need anything before heading upstairs with the two boys following behind her. Once upstairs in the living part where Makino lives, she turns to Luffy. "Can I please see them, Luffy?” she asks him politely. Luffy's hold on them tightens slightly before handing it to Makino with a little hesitation. She takes the baby and heads over to the dining room table, lightly setting them down, and starts to unwrap the blanket that's around them. While she does that, both Luffy and Ace watch what she's doing in curiosity.
Once they are unwrapped, they can wiggle freely now and giggle at the fingers touching them lightly. Now that they're free of the blanket, they can see that they are wearing a yellow onesie with small suns decorating it. Lying on top of them is a little note and two thick gold bangle bracelets. “A note?” Ace questions as Makino reaches for it and picks it up, unfolding it. Once it's open, she begins to read it out loud.
“To the person I hope who finds my baby, Nina, please take care of her with much care and love. I have left her two bracelets with words of history written on each one. She is my treasure. Please take care of her. Her birthday is February 23. Most importantly, she is a D.”
As Makino came to an end, Ace was the first to speak, “So they is actually she, and a name, but what about a last name?”
Luffy's eyes slightly sparkled looking at her, and he came to a decision right there.
“I'm keeping her.” He said confidently.
Much to both Makino and Aces' shock, “What?!” They both yelp, and Luffy just smiles wider and laughs, “Shishishi, I'm keeping her!” he happily says.
“Luffy, she's not some pet you can keep!” Ace says with shark teeth, knocking him over the head, making Luffy's neck stretch. “But she's mine, I found her,” he says, pointing a finger at Ace. “Just because you found her doesn't mean you can keep her. Who's going to take care of her?!” Ace argued. “Me!” Luffy yelled back. Ace just looked at him like he was stupid, “You, take care of a baby?”
“Now, now, boys, calm down,” Makino broke them up, putting a gentle hand on each of their shoulders. “Hey, don't start fighting over this. Let's talk this through, okay?” She said calmly. Both boys nodded their heads at Makino, still a little annoyed at each other.
Though at the sound of the baby on the table makes them look over at her, and the pout on her lips, she reached for Luffy, making him walk back over to her and hold out his hand for her to grasp, while Makino and Ace looked at them, Makino with a soft smile and Ace's face softening slightly. A grumble caught their attention. Luffy looked back at Makino with a pitiful face, “foooooooodddd,” Luffy whined. Another grumble, this time not from Luffy but from the small little girl holding onto his finger, making Makino giggle, “How about we get some food first before we figure everything out. Okay?” Makino questioned
Luffy and Ace nod their heads enthusiastically. “Okay, how about you take Nina down back to the bar and I'll bring food for all of you,” Makino said. They both nod, and Luffy goes to pick up Nina, but fails miserably. “Here, Luffy, let me show you how to hold her properly,” Makino says kindly, crouching down slightly to help adjust his holding on her so both are more comfortable. She was now leaning on him with Luffy's arms under her bottom to keep her up.
She looks up at Luffy, then back around at her surroundings, with the better angle being up. She sees the bangles lying on the table and reaches for them, prompting Makino to hand them to her to hold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once they were back down at the bar, Makino had put together food for all three children: meat for Ace and Luffy and a bottle of warm milk for Nina. Makino fed Nina while the other two scarfed down the food like they had never eaten in a day of their lives.
Nina was also eating as if she had never eaten, though they had no idea when she last ate, or how long she had been out there where Luffy found her. The bottle is empty in only a few minutes, along with both Luffy and Ace, with their plates of food.
With the now known to be three months old. After finishing the warm milk, their eyes started to droop, and they let out a big yawn. Makino laughs lightly, “Is someone sleepy after that big meal?” She says, smiling down at Nina. Luffy, looking over at her when she yawned, smiled and looked closer at her while Makino put her on her shoulder to burp her, making Luffy tilt his head in confusion, “What are you doing?” Makino looks up, “I'm burping her, babies need to be burped after feeding to release trapped gas in their stomachs.” Makino answered.
“Oh,” Luffy said.
“Would you like to hold her again, Luffy?” Makino asked Luffy with a smile. Luffy nodded his head up and down enthusiastically, making Makino hand Luffy the sleepy baby. He grabbed her and held her in his arms, as she started to fall asleep with her head tucked under his chin, and Luffy was surprisingly still.
Ace looked at Luffy's face, then at the baby in his arms, snuggling him like she was always supposed to be there. Something in Ace's head clicked. Luffy really was going to keep her, no matter what anybody said.