Chapter 18: A Sibling’s Bond

Yulie almost pushed Kid off of her had she not heard his loud 'tsk'. She stared at him as he pushed her behind him, his large body covering her.

"Hey Kid"

"Shut up, and don't move an inch from there. I don't want them to see you"

Yulie didn't understand, not until Brogy and Dorry leapt out of their ships and into the sandy beach where Kid's crewmates gathered around him and her, their weapons ready to blast on the two giants.

"You're still here"

"Oi brat, you look well"

Kid clicked his tongue one more time as he pulled Yulie closer to his body, seemingly shielding her from the giants. 

"So what if I was? That attack you gave me wasn't enough to kill me"

Lies of course, Kid was nearly dying when Yulie had found him and now she realized that the ones who might have gave him that beating were the two giants she had met. But, were they going to fight again? Of course they are, Yulie thought. She could feel the giant's hostility towards Kid and realized that seeing him still in Elbaf might imply that he was to create chaos again.

No, she thought. She had promised Saul that she would make Kid and his crew leave once they had fully recuperated to prevent another battle here. If a battle was the right term seeing how the two giants were powerful enough to inflict that kind of damage to Kid and his crew. 

"Oh it's Jaggy"

Another voice, this one cheerful, so full of life interrupted them and Yulie felt the annoyance seeping out of Kid.

"Strawhat do you know him?"

"Oh he's a friend"

Yulie smiled as she heard Luffy answer Brogy earning a scowl from Kid.

"I am not your friend"

"Eh? But we fought together in Wano"

"I don't align myself with a loser like you"

"Huh? Take that back"

"What? You wanna go at it?"

Yulie flinched when Kid let her go and walked away towards Luffy who she could finally see clearly now. Their heads butting towards each other while their arms are on the position where they're about to clash towards one another. 

It was then that the two giants recognized her, seemingly pointing towards her as her previously hiding place forgot about her and left.

"Oh Little Miss what are you doing here?"

"Why are you with the scoundrels?"

Yulie froze in her place as everyone's attention flew towards her. Right, she never told the Kid Pirates who she was and they never asked. They didn't know that she was friends with Shanks, and Dorry and Brogy didn't know that she had helped the Kid Pirates, the same crew who was stupid enough to attack them.

But most of all, none of them knew that she was Luffy's younger sister. Not until Luffy looked at her, his eyes widened as he beamed and yelled her name.

"YULIE ANNE!!"

He happily exclaimed to which Yulie shyly waved at. His arms stretched towards her, coiling on her body and pulling her towards him right in between of him and Kid who stood there, his face confused.

"Hey Luffy"

She patted on his arms as he hugged her rather too tightly for her to be comfortable. Luffy pulled away his face to look at her and she smiled widely at him unconcerned of the red haired brute right next to them.

"You're here! How did you made it here? It's been so long"

Yulie could feel her eyes welling up as she stared at her older brother. Suddenly, she felt like a kid again, being embraced by her brothers. Instead she grinned at him widely before saying.

"It's a long story"

"Ackk Luffy, why are you hugging a girl so tightly"

Their attention shifted to the man standing at their ship that had halted right beside the giant's ship. His eyebrows curling as he pointed at Luffy.

 "Why do you get to hug a beautiful woman?"

"Oh my this is the first time I saw Luffy do that"

"Oi Luffy do you know her?"

His crew ask one by one, and Yulie could feel all eyes on them. Dorry and Brogy's, the strawhats, the Kid Pirates and even Kid was on them as Luffy laughingly explained.

"Of course I know her, she's my younger sister, Monkey D. Yulie Anne"

And Yulie braced herself as the series of questions and unbelievingly gasps exploded in their face. Particularly, the crimson haired brute who took it upon himself to pull Yulie off from Luffy as he doubtedly said.

"You're Strawhat's sister?"

Before Yulie could answer him, fists were flying everywhere, here and there and Yulie just stood there frozen as her brother and Kid end up in a scuffle. With both the strawhats and kid pirates stopping them. She let out a sigh as she massaged her temple, maybe I should have told everyone about it first, she regrettingly thought.

Disaster, was the word Yulie thought as she applied a good amount of medicine on Kid's face. His scowl still visible but he had let Yulie touch his face just so he could have her close to him. His gaze flew towards Luffy who was glaring at him not far away. He felt the need to annoy the hell out of him so he snaked his good arm around Yulie's waist and grinned at him. 

It had worked seeing how Luffy was eager to stand up if not for his crewmates holding him down. Yulie saw this and immediately slapped Kid's hand away.

"Stop provoking Lu"

Kid turned his attention towards Yulie who was glaring at him too. He could finally now see the resemblance between the two of them.

"I still cannot believe you were his sister. His sister of all things."

Yulie rolled her eyes as she finish fixing Kid up.

"How come you never told us?"

Killer who was sitting beside them finally asked. Yulie gave him a shrug.

"You never asked, besides I wouldn't bother helping you if not for Luffy you know"

"So you decided to help us because you thought Kid and him were friends?"

"Well maybe, not to the extent of friends. Just that you helped him fight in Wano. I knew that much"

Kid clicked his tongue before grinning at Yulie again, his good arm resting at her hips.

"Well, if I can annoy him just by having you then I would very much like that"

Yulie felt another headache coming as she heard Luffy's voice and his rushed footsteps towards them.

"Get your hands off of her."

"Ackk Luffy!!"

Before Luffy could reach Kid, Yulie had hugged him by his waist to stop him. His crewmates seemingly letting him go especially the blonde male whom Yulie recognized to be Sanji.

"Come on, he's just provoking you. Leave him be"

But Kid's menacing laughter echoed throughout the island as he added.

"I guess I should call you brother-in-law"

"You are not going to do such thing"

Yulie quipped at him before pulling Luffy away from him and near his ship where his crew were waiting for him. Dorry and Brogy had left them earlier after giving a warning to the Kid Pirates. Yulie had explained to them that they were going to set sail while everyone had recuperated. The two giants nodded at her and warned the rest that if they leave that space of land, they weren't going to be able to set sail forever. After that, they left saying they'll prepare the Strawhat's lodging leaving the two pirate crews there.

"Come on Luffy, I promise you nothing happened and he's just provoking you"

"He's an idiot"

"I know"

Yulie grunted when they finally reached his crew. 

"Come on Luffy, you're giving your sister a hard time"

The long-nosed man quipped while laughing at their ridiculous state, Usopp, as Yulie remembered his name. Yulie waved a hello to them to which they immediately returned.

"I didn't know Luffy has a sister. Nice to meet you"

"Nice to meet you too"

Yulie smiled to the blue-nosed reindeer to which she recognized as Chopper. Luffy sulkingly sat on the sandy beach cross-legged. Yulie then knelt beside him trying to appease him.

"Hey don't you wanna hear my stories? Come on forget about him already"

She quipped to which Luffy didn't answer to.

"Yulie-chan~~ I wanna hear your stories"

"Tsk ero-cook"

"What's that marimo head? Ya wanna go at it"

"Bring it on"

Before Yulie could even intervene Sanji and the person she recognized to be Zoro started fighting one another, while Jimbei, she thought tried to stop the two of them.

"I heard stories of you from Sabo, it's nice to meet you Yulie"

"You're so pretty, yohoho may I see your panties?"

"Why are you asking her that idiot"

"It's supeerrr nice to meet you"

Robin, Brook, Nami, and Franky, Yulie named them in her head one by one as the group started to get more rowdy. Yulie tapped Luffy's shoulders again before he finally turned his attention towards her.

"I met Ace"

She confessed to which the group's noise died down. 

"You went to see him?"

Yulie nodded at Luffy. She saw how her brother's demeanor changed as he finally smiled at her.

"I see, you went to him first"

"Didn't Marco and Izo told you? I met them there and asked them to pass the message on to you"

Luffy shook his head and bowed as a horrible news passed from his lips.

"Izo… died back at Wano"

This shocked Yulie, she hadn't heard any news about this. But, she felt sad upon hearing it. She might not have known Izo for a long time and her only interaction with him was that one time only but still, it was hard knowing someone you knew had died.

"I see"

Her only words, no consolation and no comforting words came out of everyone. Just dead silence. She let out a sigh before her gaze landed on Robin to which she immediately remembered Saul.

"Ahhh that's right, Robin"

She called out to her, Robin just smiling at her overly familiar attitude which was so similar to Luffy. Yulie grinned at her before saying.

"There's someone in here that you might want to meet"

Yulie smiled as she gaze at the group crowding before her. The day had quickly passed by. She brought Robin to meet with Saul where their reunion was a happy tearful one. After that Dorry and Brogy brought them to the makeshift house not far away from Yulie's and invited them for a bonfire party. She and Luffy exchanged stories about their travels and it made her heart full just knowing that her brother was having fun.

Luffy had told her about Sabo and she instantly wanted to meet him too after a long time. Yulie had deliberately left out the part of her journey with Law. She didn't think Luffy would have think nicely about her having a romantic relationship with Law. After the stories, Luffy set out to join the festivities along with the other members of his crew while Yulie had settled herself to sitting and watching them.

"Luffy-kun looks rather peaceful when he's talking with you"

Yulie stared at Jimbei who sat next to her, she smiled at him.

"Thank you, I heard how you helped him when uhh… when Ace had died"

Jimbei stared at her and laughed as he downed a glass of the sake they had been pouring since earlier.

"I had heard of stories about you, Yulie-kun, not from Luffy-kun"

From Ace then, Yulie had thought as she stared back at Jimbei.

"Ace adored you and told stories of how he and Luffy-kun wanted to protect you most. He said he didn't like it when you were sick or in pain so they didn't ask you to go with them and always left you alone. He said his greatest regret was not being able to spend all those childhood years with you"

Yulie felt a tear escape from her eyes. She had never thought about it, about that particular part of her childhood. She knew that Ace, Luffy and even Sabo left her alone because they ventured dangerous stuffs and she wouldn't be able to keep up. She had always knew that her brothers were looking out for her and never did she resented them for always leaving her alone.

But she never knew that Ace had felt that way. Never knew just how much her brothers really loved her. 

"Thank you Jimbei, for conveying his words"

She smiled to herself as she watched Luffy have fun with his crewmates and the giants that were gathered along with them. On the corner of her eye, she immediately spotted the familiar figure, his crimson hair swaying along with the night air as he walked back to his part of the port.