"Well, I can't believe that you are heading out to sea today," I sigh, leaning against the wall of the mountain house where Luffy and Ace have lived for many years. "I've been trying to spend as much time with you recently, but it doesn't feel like enough."

"It's not like you just started spending time with me," Ace teases. "When Luffy came to live here after declaring he was going to be a pirate, you would come up and spend a lot of time with him. I was always here."

"Yeah, you were angry and glared at me a lot in the beginning. You scared me," I stick my tongue out at him for a few seconds.

"Sorry about that," he grimaces, scratching the back of his head.

"You eventually became who I know you as today, and I infiltrated you time with Luffy when I could."

"And I had to make sure that you stayed safe while you were out with us, which wasn't always easy, but I never once failed in that regard. Now, you can fight on your own, and I hope that once you get out to sea, you'll be able to show that off." He goes back to filling his bag with the items he is taking on his journey.

"Me too," I softly smile.

"Hey, what are you two doing in here?" Luffy asks as he walks in. His hair is a mess, and his straw hat is in his hand which means he must have just gotten up. There's a bandage on his forehead as well as one on his arm. "What time is it?"

"Are you okay, Luffy? It isn't like you to sleep past breakfast."

"I missed breakfast!?"

"I left some food over there," Ace motions to the table nearby.

"Whoa, thanks!" Luffy rushes over to shove as much food as possible into his mouth at one time.

I giggle, "Did the two of you have one last fight before you leave, Ace?"

"That's right," Ace nods, closing his bag and setting it off to the side. "He wanted to see if he could beat me before I set out, but as you can see by the bandages on him and none on me, that didn't happen."

"It was close!" Luffy shouts through a mouthful of food.

"Whatever," Ace chuckles, sitting down to put his boots on. "You still lost, and that is what matters."

"I guess I'll have to fight with Luffy for the next few years before we head out to sea now that you're leaving," I say.

"Maybe you will, squirt." Ace stands up, grabbing his hat off a chair and placing it on his head. "Ugh, this shirt is constricting," he grumbles, unbuttoning all the buttons to reveal his muscled chest. "Now that is a lot better."

I roll my eyes, "Trying to prove a point or something?"

"This is just a lot more comfortable," he shrugs.

"Maybe I should find a shirt that lets me show off my chest," Luffy chuckles, looking down at the t-shirt he's wearing.

"I know someone who-" Ace is smirking, but I cut him off by throwing my shoe at him. He easily catches it, tossing it back, but he keeps his mouth shut after that.

"Shut up," I glare at him, feeling my cheeks heating up as now I am picturing Luffy without a shirt.

"Have any girls that you want to impress, Luffy?" Ace asks.

"Girls to impress?" Luffy questions. "I just want to show everyone how strong I've gotten!"

I take a deep breath, trying to get the blush to recede off my cheeks before Luffy looks over at me. "I'm sure that everyone knows that you've gotten a lot stronger in recent years."

"Still not strong enough to beat me," Ace chuckles, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Now, there's no more time to waste. I've got a world to go see."

I push off the wall, rushing right at Ace and flinging my arms around him in a hug. "I'm going to miss you, Ace. All your teasing, and fighting lessons, and knowing that you're always close by in case I need you. I didn't realize how much I was going to miss you, but I'm really going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too," he rubs his hand up and down my back. "I'm going to miss the both of you. You're my little brother and sister, so there's no way I would not miss you. Akari, you have to make sure that you keep Luffy in line."

"I'll do my best," I giggle.

"And Luffy, you have to make sure that you protect Akari when she needs it."

"Of course!" Luffy shouts, rushing over and squishing me between him and Ace as he wraps his arms around us both. "Akari isn't going to get hurt with me around."

"Looks like I'm going to be spending a lot of time with Luffy," I giggle.

"Every single day."

"Okay, okay," Ace chuckles. "Let us go, Luffy."

Luffy pulls his arms away and takes a step back. "We better head out to make sure your boat is all ready, right?"

"That would be right. Akari has to let go of me first, though."

"Sorry," I release the boy from my hold as I take a step back. "That is my last hug in a while, so I didn't want to end it too soon."

Ace tenderly smiles, leaning down to press a kiss to my forehead. "You're sweet, squirt. I'll always remember that."

"Well, I used to be called Sweetheart by Shanks and his crew."

"I can't wait to thank him for everything he's done for the two of you," he slings his arm around my shoulder. "Now come on, we can't drag this out any longer."

The three of us head out of the house and make the trek down to where Ace has his small boat ready and waiting for him. All the supplies he needs to make it to the next island are already packed. I'm not sure what kind of plan he has in mind, but I know that whatever he decides to do, he is going to do great.

"Oh, I didn't think anyone but the two of you were going to be seeing me off," Ace nervously chuckles as we see a decent group of town's people waiting for Ace to arrive.

"More people care about you than you think, Ace," I smile, spinning out of his hold. "We are all happy that you are chasing your dreams."

"I also told everyone they should come to see you off," Luffy laughs.

"Oh yeah, Luffy did do that," I giggle.

"You two are such troublemakers," Ace shoves our shoulders. "I'm glad that I got to spend so much time with you." He turns on his heel, heading down to jump into his boat.

Luffy grabs my hand, pulling me over to the front of the crowd to have the best view of Ace when he sets sail. "This is going to be us one day. Setting sail to become pirates. Doing all that we can to have the highest bounties. This isn't the last time that we are going to see him, you know?"

"I know," I take in a shaky breath as the tears threaten to fall. "I know that we will meet up with him one day out on the sea. He'll have become a big pirate by then, I am sure of it. A lot will have changed, but a lot will still be the same."

He gives my hand a squeeze, "Three years is going to go by in the blink of an eye if we keep working hard. If we keep doing things that are fun."

"Thanks for everything!" Ace calls out to us, smiling really big as he waves at everyone. "I'll never forget any of you!"

The sail of Ace's ship catches a gust of wind, taking his ship away from land and starting his journey out to see. There's no turning back now. There's no time to say anything more to the boy that has helped shape me in the last few years. Only a few words will be able to reach him before he is too far away.

"Go kick some ass, Ace!" I scream out. "Don't forget all you've gone through! Make us proud!"

"Good luck out there, Ace!" Luffy shouts.

"He's still waving," Makino comments as a few guys around us laugh.

"What is old Garp going to say?" the mayor sighs.

I feel my whole face scrunch up as the tears are no long willing to stay back. "Damn it," I cry, turning into Luffy's side and letting the sobs flow through my body.

"Hey, Akari, there's no reason to cry," Luffy pats my back. "We're going to see him again one day. I just know that we are. We'll be able to swap stories of our adventures, and we'll be able to boast about our bounties, and we'll be so much happier than we've ever been. You don't have to cry."

"I can't help it," I choke out, clutching his shirt. "I don't know why I am going to miss him so much," I am not hiccupping every couple of words, "but I hate that he is leaving. I hate that tomorrow I don't get to see him. It sucks."

"I'm still going to be right here, and I am going to make sure that each day you are smiling and having the best time that you can. I don't like seeing you like this. I found that out when your mother died. I didn't like that you locked yourself up in your room and wouldn't talked to anyone. That is why I spent so much time to get you to open back up. I like you most when you are smiling and laughing."

"You really are the best friend that I could have, Luffy," I sniffle, nuzzling my head into his chest. "We're going to get through this. Together."

"Three years really isn't that long," Luffy chuckles. "I mean, Shanks was with us a year, and that felt like forever, but it has been seven years since then, and that time has flown by. Three years will be easy for us."

"I'll spend every day that I can with you," I mumble. "I will train with my shurikens until I am the best in the world, and I will train with you when you want to make sure you are the best fighter."

"Sounds like the perfect plan," he wraps his arms around me, giving me a small squeeze.

"Thank you, Luffy," I sigh. "Thank you."

+~*~*~*~*~*~+

"And where the hell do you think you're going?" my father, drunk out of his mind already this wonderful morning, sneers as I fail to sneak past him and out the front door.

There's no point in me trying to come up with a lie since he's already spotted my backpack and shuriken pouch. The least I can do is tell him the truth since I know that I will never see his sorry face again.

"If you must know," I stand tall, not letting him get to me on this last interaction, "I'm heading out to sea to become a pirate today. Luffy and I are going to form a crew, and then we are setting sail. We are going to explore the world, make all kinds of friends to create the best crew, and I am going to make sure that boy becomes the King of the Pirates."

"You're a whore just like your sister, running off with a boy that you think you are in love with. Throwing your life away from some stupid pirate dream. This is not what your mother would have wanted!"

"She only ever wanted me to be happy, and I know that I will be happy sticking right by Luffy's side. If I stay here, I will spiral further into the hell that you have created in this house! I am not going to stay in a place that makes me physically sick ever single time I am here. There is a reason that I do my best to never be here. You've given me nightmares from all the shit you've put me through since mom died. I am not going to let myself keep going through that now that I have a way to leave!"

"You ungrateful bitch. If only you knew how much I have given for you. All that I have done for you since you were a baby. Get out of my house and never come back!"

"Gladly," I snap, thrusting the door open and heading out into where my new life will begin.

I start with the house in the mountains where Luffy has lived since his grandfather took him away from town after Shanks stuffed his mind with pirate dreams. Unfortunately, he is not there, which means I have to run all the way back to town to find the damn boy.

I rush through the streets of Foosha Village, knowing for sure that today is the date Luffy and I agreed on heading out to sea. Except I can't find the damn boy anywhere, which means he forgot all about me going and might already be out to sea. If he is, the next time I see him, I am going to kick his ass.

I skid to a halt, turning and bursting into the bar where so many of my best memories take place. All those days with Shanks and his crew, the days that I get to work and talk all day with Makino, and the countless moments I've spent with Luffy in this place. It will be one of the few places that I miss once we head out to sea. If I head out to sea.

"Ah, Akari, what brings you here today?" Makino smiles as she looks up from wiping off the counter.

"Luffy and I are meant to be heading out to sea today, and I can't find him anywhere," I take a deep breath, trying to fill my lungs with much needed air. "Has he come in here at all today?"

"He did not that long ago. He was all smiles talking about the boat he was able to get after helping out all the people in town for the past year. I'm a little concerned that he didn't have much with him, but he must have everything he needs in his boat."

"I have some supplies," I twist to show my backpack. "None of that matters, though. Did he mention me? Did he say anything about me?"

"Um, I do remember him saying your name a few times. He was talking quite fast, so it was hard to pick up on everything that he said. He reminds me of when he was a kid and certain things would get him all excited. Like bugs or pirates."

"Did he mention where he was headed to next?"

"Yes, down to the docks," she nods. "You don't think-"

"That he forgot I'm coming with him," I cut her off. "Oh, I think that is exactly what is going on. He's only focused on officially becoming a pirate that he forgot about the promise we made on the day that Shanks left. Ugh, I can't believe him sometimes."

"I'm sure he won't leave without you. He'll probably realize something is wrong before he casts off. He wouldn't leave you here to be trapped."

"I know," I heavily sigh. "I trust that boy more than anyone. I like that boy more than anyone."

"Like? You have to upgrade to love before too long."

I feel my cheeks burst with heat as I look away from the young woman. "He doesn't even know what romantic feelings are."

"Oh, come on. You can't possibly believe that. You're always the one saying that he's a lot smarter than he lets on."

"He is, but that doesn't mean he likes me in that way. We're best friends. I'm just the best friend that has fallen for the other, and I don't care if I can't tell him that. All I want is to be right by his side in whatever way that I can."

"If you say so," she hums.

"Thank you for everything that you have done for me over the years, Makino. For the days when Shanks was here, and helping me once I left my room after my mother died, and giving me a place to stay when my father was being a jackass. It means the world to me. You mean the world to me."

"You're welcome, Akari. It was a pleasure to be a part of your life for so long. I'm going to miss you once you leave, but I'll be waiting for your wanted poster. To know that you are okay, of course."

I smile, looking up at Makino. "I'm going to be a famous pirate one of these days. Just like Ace, and I can't wait for the world to see what I can do."

"Good luck out there," she giggles.

"Thank you!" I turn on my heel, rushing out of the bar. It takes a second for me to figure out which way I need to go next, and then I am running with all my energy towards the docks.

It is crazy to think that three years have already gone by since Ace left. That a whole ten years have passed since Shanks and his pirate crew set a course north. That I have been living in this cute little town for seventeen whole years. I'm in awe by how fast the time flies. In awe that life is about to change in the most drastic way in the next ten minutes.

I've never thought that far into the future until it was determined that one day I would be setting out to sea with my best friend. Now that was a future I could grab a hold of. Something that I could focus on while the days went by. After today, the future is one big empty slate. I have no clue what is waiting for me once we set sail. I have no clue the kind of people that we are going to meet; both those that are going to join our crew or the ones that we are going to have to fight. I have no clue what is going to happen between Luffy and me; if we are ever going to be more than best friends. I have no clue on so much now, and I have never been more excited for the unknown.

I have also never been more frustrated at my best friend than in this moment.

"Luffy!" I scream, pushing myself to get to the docks a little bit faster. "You better not leave without me!"

Three years ago, I never would have thought that I would reach this moment. That I would be on my way to the greatest adventure. I couldn't imagine anything other than this now. I am ready to be a pirate!

"I am ready to be Queen of the Pirates," I huff, pushing my hair out of my eyes. Ever since I stopped working at the blacksmiths, I was able to let it grow as long as I wanted, but I'm not sure how long I am going to be able to handle it at this length out at sea. "And Luffy is going to be King."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hope you enjoyed reading! I have to say that I had a TON of fun writing these Off-Screen Event chapters. I know that some characters were left out (like Sabo and Dadan), but I promise that near the timeskip, there will be another round of these to introduce those characters that have yet to be introduced into the main story. We will be back to the main story next chapter, and it will tie in a bit to these so they aren't totally filler!

Also, thank you for all the support on this story. It truly does mean the world to me. I love writing this, and it is crazy to think how long it has been since the first chapter. I am excited for what is still to come! :D