Chapter 31: I Promise!

= The Next Day =

Rin accidentally fell asleep at the bandits shack after crying.

"Hm.." Rin woke up and sees Luffy sleeping besides her. *sigh* "I'm supposed to be the big sister... but I ended up crying with him... I'm pathetic." Rin muttered in disappoinment to herself.

Rin got up to see if Ace is still tied up on the tree. When she was about to open the door Ace comes in with a piece of paper in one hand.

' Is that Sabo's letter? It probably is... ' Rin thought to herself.

"Where's luffy?" asked Ace.

Rin snap out of it and answered Ace. "He's still sleeping... "

= Few Days Later =

Luffy is laying down on a cliff besides the sea and Rin is sitting near him, staring at the sky. She don't want to leave Luffy at a time like this but she's not the best at talking so she decided to just sit beside him.

Ace came and walked towards them, he imitated Garp's "Fist Of Love" but without haki of course cause he hasn't learned anything about it and hit Luffy's head.

"How much longer are you gonna lie down there?" Ace asked in a stern tone. "The treasure that we were hiding in the forest is all gone." He stated with a serious voice.

Before Ace could continue Rin said "...Actually it's not gone..." Rin intervened. She continues "I hide it somewhere else to keep it safe... sorry I lied before..."

Ace look at Rin with a confused face. "What..." Ace asked.

"If you still wants it I'll show you the way but if you don't want it anymore I'll give it to the villagers at Windmill Village." Rin said.

"..." Ace was silent but then he said "I don't care about the treasure anymore... Sabo didn't need it to go out to the sea so I don't need it either."

"A-Ace, Rin *sob* I... I wanna become stronger. More and more... *sob* more and more..." Luffy kept repeating "More and more" between his sobs. "I wanna become even stronger! Then I can protect anything and anyone! I don't have to lose anybody! I beg both of you! Ace, Rin please don't die!" Luffy voice filled with sorrows.

"Cut it out!" Ace punch Luffy on the head. "Worry about yourself first! You're far weaker than us! Listen carefully, Luffy! I'll never die neither will Rin!"

' Technically that's not possible... I'll die when I get old enough the same goes for everyone.... ' Rin thought.

"Uh-huh." Luffy nodded.

"Sabo told me to take care of both of you! I promise I'll never die!" Ace continues to talk and nags at Luffy for a while and Luffy kept nodding to everything Ace said. At the end Ace said "Let's go out to sea at 17! You and me will become... pirates!" He then turned towards Rin and said "Rin, even if you don't want to become a pirate. Set sail to the sea someday... so that we all can meet at the sea one day." He said full of resolved.

Rin chuckled and nodded at Ace. "Yeah! I will! I promise!" Rin said with determination. She already decided to leave the island long ago so this is a promise she'll fulfill no matter what.