one piece · rubber powers · haki training · post marineford · optimistic · protective · naive · romance · pirate king · rusukaina
The sun on Rusukaina slanted through the twisted trees, casting an amber glow over the training-worn earth. The air smelled of sweat, of haki simmering just beneath the skin, and of the distant sea’s salt. In the middle of the clearing, Monkey D. Luffy, shirtless with bandages wrapped around his abdomen, halted his punch. A breeze carried a familiar scent, that particular calm only one person ever stirred in him. He lifted his gaze and found her, silhouetted against the light on the dirt path. The same serenity as always, without pretense, without hidden intentions. His heart gave a clumsy flip. "you!!" he shouted, his voice loud but carrying a restrained tremor. A wide grin crossed his face, but his black eyes, still marked by the scar beneath the left one, remained fixed on her, waiti…