It was very dark at that time, Shuli couldn't even see properly but the little girl couldn't help but to worry for Luffy. Shuli knows how persistent Luffy be but it's still an area she couldn't let her guard down, even worse she can't even call out to the boy without attracting any potential threat.

Shuli went deeper down by sliding below to a hill and by dumb sheer luck -- the teal-haired girl heard a shrilly scream coming from even deeper to the area.

"WAHHHH!!" The scream was all too familiar and she immediately bolt in that source of screaming.

There Luffy was, the boy at least defeat one of the wolf from it's pack but there's a leader in his path.

Shuli gulped at the sight of a new challenge and took out her weapons trying to think of a strategy. "Hmmm.." She looked around for an idea and then it struck.

"This should be enough." Shuli took out a razor wire, this thing was expensive to buy but the situation is bad for the both of them. Calculating the big wolf that's slowly getting close to Luffy, shuli work swiftly as possible in between the trees. Once she's done and bandaged her hands with a thicker layer of the cloth, she called out for the big bad wolf. That's was mainly for the big bad wolf leader of the pack, there's 2 more at least.

"Sis!" Luffy smiled at the sight. "Watch out shuli!"

The leader of the pack went in fast on it's trail and went swooping to take a bite of her in between the tree that has the razor wire and fell down to the ground with body separating from the owner.

The other 2 lackeys saw what happened to their leader and went running to shuli to attack. Both of them avoided the tree and pounce in the air to avoid it but shuli was just smiling at the sight as she took out what looks like a combined dagger with the chain. "No hard feelings!"

She aimed right under the wolf's jaw and with her new founded beastly strength -- shuli slammed it right into the ground and sliced the neck to die but the other wolf managed to attack shuli by biting her arm but she grabbed onto it's neck never letting go or else she'll end up like shanks. "Luffy! Punch that thing!" Shuli yelled at Luffy in pain, tears pricking her vision trying to hold on to it.

"Okay! You bastard! Gomu-Gomu no! Pistol!" Out of sheer panicked, Luffy luckily punched the wolf with accurate aiming though it wasn't strong enough. "Oh shoot!"

"Thank you Luffy!" She pounce on the wolf and use her every strength to use the last wire to kill them off -- shuli circled the wire around the wolf's neck and decapitate the wolf's head. "Ack!" Shuli fell to the ground with her injured arm colliding the pain in her body. "H-hcck!" She panted and squirm in pain.

"Sis! Are you okay?!" Luffy went to her aid immediately.

"I'm okay, listen Luffy... Why are you here in the first place???" She eyed at the younger boy with tearful eyes.

"U-uh..." Luffy looked awfully guilty, not wanting to expose ace but he didn't want to let her know.

Seeing the sight of it confirmed her suspicion and sighed. "I'm not mad, I was just asking." She patted at Luffy and slowly get up.

"But you got injured pretty badly... I'm sorry." He apologize making her smile.

"Well, I know who it is so don't apologize."

"EHH?!!"

"SHUT UP YOU'RE GONNA ATTRACT EVEN WORSER ANIMAL!"

•°°•
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Luffy and Shuli took their time to go back what they called 'home'. Thanks to shuli, it'll only took them a few days to reach because of detours. Shuli running out of materials to hunt and hands and arm was full of injuries so she needed to daily clean it.

Thanks to the detours, they made it with a clean escape but it was already night time for them.

Dogra and magra (the 2 accomplices of dadan.) Saw this and went down to them. "Oh my god! You guys are still alive!! Where have you guys been?"

"In the jungle..." Luffy looked away with guilty conscience.

"We're back..." Shuli was tired from all the walking.

"You fool! You're alive! You...!" Dadan looked at them both. Seeing how Luffy is all injured but already been fixed up what she presumed by shuli. "Where were you both?! And what were you guys doing?!"

"I already said my reasons." Shuli mumbled tiredly.

"I've been chased by wolves at the bottom of valley but sis killed them all." Luffy answered.

"What you guys doing there in the first place?!" Dogra asked.

Both Luffy and Shuli didn't answer, it was an awkward silence when shuli passed out of pure tiredness.

"O-oi is shuli okay?!" Magra went up to the child and took up into his arm and saw that her arm and hands was full of injuries.

"Ah! Sis was the one who protect me all this time, she tried to maintain her condition when she ask me to get some herbs until we get home! You guys are gonna help her right?!" Luffy looked at shuli with worrisome eyes.

"Of course we are! We don't want to get killed by garp-- I mean! This is not good! The pest came back anyways!" Dadan yelled and dragged Luffy inside their hut and throw Luffy to the room. "Why don't you go to bed tonight? You gotta work starting from tomorrow." Luffy slept straight up after what he was told, knowing shuli would be safe and treated. "Already?!"

Ace who heard the commotion glanced back at Luffy, muttered something and went to bed.

•°°•
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The next day, shuli was bedridden due to her injuries. Luffy who woke up early came to visit her and saw that she was still sleeping. "Uncle rooster, how is she doing?"

"Her injuries are severe but I'm surprised she can manage it on a jungle. Just a few days of rest and she'll be up again." Magra answered.

"I'm glad! Shuli, I'm going to make friends with ace! You'll see!" He kissed her forehead and went out.

As he went out, Luffy saw ace walking out and tried to run after him. Spouting that he and ace should be friends since they're living together.

"Oi!! Get back and do your chores!" Dadan yelled.

"Never!!!" With that, he ran after ace who is a good distance away from him.

Ace was running fast, Luffy recognize that kind of move because shuli always uses them. Ace jumped on the rocks that was submerged with the river and swiftly jumps up to the crumbled rocky hill.

"Ace!!! Let's become friends! You, me and shuliiiii!!" He screamed making ace cringed at the sight of him as Luffy jumped what seems to be a crocodile's back and there was a herd of them, getting ready to chomp on Luffy -- using the opportunity for ace to get away from Luffy.

These happened for a few days and Shuli was better than before but she'll stay behind to help do the overwhelming chores and train by herself and told Luffy that if he doesn't come the day after tomorrow, shuli will look after him and ground him. "What are you gonna do now Luffy?"

"I'm gonna make ace make friends with me and you! But you can't get out until you're fully recovered! Shishishi!" Luffy started to get more independent as time passes by and Shuli smiled at the sight of it.

With that turned into days changed to everyday, ace reluctantly ran away from Luffy and as for shuli, stayed behind and help with the cooking.

Though ace will wait until Luffy is away from her then he'll approach to her, sending a death glare at her way but watches how she sharpen her knife.

"Are you curious or do you want to use it to kill me??" She asked but no answers prevail.

Everyday was like this to ace when it comes to shuli. Death glares and walking away from her.

So everyday, she'll probably have him hints on how to make better weapons. So day by day, ace would visit her and not saying anything but days goes by fast, Luffy becomes stronger and faster on his own just by trying to befriending ace but of course in return, he comes back with more injuries but shuli was always there to aid him and for ace who also got injured from time to time, shuli went out to give the med kit to him since she knows he'd run away from her.

This goes on for 3 months and Shuli becomes more efficient with her ability to fight. It was neverending for luffy and ace but for shuli, she was more like a silent mediator for them both.

For Luffy, he managed to catch up with ace after Luffy accidentally took a trip at the end of the jungle -- Gray terminal, where all things are trashed. Even though ace thinks he was away from Luffy, he thought wrong.

Luffy saw them and heard them talking about pirates. "Pirates?! You guys are gonna become one? Me and Shuli are gonna become one too! Even though she didn't say anything but I decided it for her!"

Ace and his friend who's name is sabo, a boy who is the same age as ace and live inside the terminal went scrambling down the tree in sheer panic. Both of them went and bonked his head to be quiet.

"Be quiet!"

They tied up Luffy to the tree and once they finished -- Luffy started talking, totally ignoring about how he totally got bonked by them. "Ace! I didn't know that you travel this far everyday!"

"Shut up!" Ace spoke.

"So this is the Luffy that you were talking about?? What about the other one shuli?" 'Sabo' asked.

"Oh you told him about us? I'm happy!"

"I told him how annoying you were! As for shuli, I'm taking advantage of her skills." Ace answered and sighed in worry.

"He also told me how empty-headed you are.."

"Oh I see! Hahahah!"

"He doesn't even care if we're dissing him..."

"He finally got to me here, why can't you be quiet and obedient like shuli?" He facepalm himself. "We can't do anything or else shuli will hunt me down, she's been nice but I'm sure she have a limit to her niceness."

"Are you ace's friend? Let me and Shuli be your friend too!"

"Shut up! You can't call me your buddy either!" Sabo scolded him.

"Than what's your name? Sis said it's nice to ask someone's name!" Luffy asked.

"It's sa....I'm not telling you!" Sabo almost gave in at the cheerful boy. "This is why I told you to live with me! The daily round trip -- training on the mountain road turned out to be bad! What if that shuli you're talking about will come here? She's as strong as you! What should we do?"

"He found our secret. He's gonna tell somebody if nothing is done but we can't let shuli get to us either.." Ace muttered loudly at his stressful thoughts.

While luffy still smiling at the 2 boys who was thinking the same thing for what's about to happened to Luffy. "Let's kill him and cover our tracks, we need to do it as stealthily as possible for shuli not to track us down."

"Alright, let's go for it." Sabo agreed.

"Eh? What? WHATTTT????!!! DON'T KILL ME! HELP ME! BIG SISTER SHULIII! I DON'T WANNA DIEE!!!" Luffy screamed as hard as he can while in the mountain bandits home, shuli could feel her spine tickled.

"Is someone talking about me? Hold on is Luffy still chasing ace?" Shuli asked aloud.

"As always, seems like it never stops huh?" Magra answered. "As usual, you're the only one finish up your chores. Such a reliable child."

"Mhm, I'll go first magra-san. I already cooked for tonight's dinner! Imma go look for Luffy." She ran out from the hut while magra nodded and waved.

"Where did shuli go magra?" Dadan came to the scene and look for the oldest child.

"She went out looking for Luffy, shuli already done her chores and have done for tonight's dinner." Magra answered.

"Seriously, only she's serious about living here but now I don't think that'll last long. These children gotta stop making me worried!" She sat down and sigh.

"Oh, so you're worried?" Dogra came in and sat down alongside with them.

"I'm not!"

She went out in the trail that Luffy told her about. Even though his descriptions is a bit taffy but she'll understand -- Today she felt a bit afraid for Luffy so she bought her hunting kit.

"Luffy!! Where are you! Seriously where did that boy go." She jogged the trails realizing where she was. "Isn't this the way to grey terminal? Why in the world??" Shuli was able to run around before Garp sends them away to the mountain bandit's home. It was part of a training but she stopped since magra told her not to go over the limit for a full recovery.

"Luffy!! Where are you!" She walked around until she heard what she thought it was some kind of metal colliding to each other -- it sounded like money but she ignored it and wandered off to the entrance of grey terminal.

"Oi ace, who's that?" Sabo who saw the girl walk by.

"Ah shit, t-that's shuli." Ace could feel a migraine coming up.

"Shuli? Why is her clothes like that? People might mistake her as a boy."

"Like hell I care."

Shuli wandered around inside the grey terminal.

At first shuli thought she heard Luffy screaming and it made shuli heightened her senses and drastically looking for Luffy. "Luffy!"

"Oi little boy, are you looking for a boy with a straw hat?" One of the citizen who lived here asked shuli, now it's not the time to think about her gender identity and focusing on finding Luffy.

"Yes, he's the one with the straw hat!"

"He's inside that abandoned shed but little boy, if I were you I would just give up. That boy was captured by bluejam pirates, and from what I heard the boy is involved with money that thought was stolen so it's best to ignore. I saw you before, you were here and know the law in grey terminal don't you?" The random citizen finished his warning.

"I don't care, if I die then so be it. Thanks for telling me." Shuli approach the shed sneakily and saw a small hole that she was able to sneak a peek off. What shuli is about to see is not something she can comprehend.

Her pupils shrink in fear of what she was witnessing. The scene was so dark that she can't comprehend to feel what she was feeling for Luffy. Realizing that big guy was about to do, she felt something inside her snap.

Luffy was hang up to a rope, getting punched by the bigger guy with a pair of gloves that's decorated with sharp edges. Luffy is being treated as a punching bag for them and whatever shit that Luffy got involved can't be as cruel as this!

"I'll kill them..." She took out her hunting knife. "And skin them alive."

Her heart felt like pounding a thousand times in a minute, Shuli is scared but looking at the dark scene -- A reality to humanity is to feel fear to another threatening being but if she stand still, she'll probably regret it forever.

"Oi! What are you doing to Luffy?!" She screamed after kicking the door down. "I'll fucking kill you!"

Her hand that was holding the hunting dagger was trembling still nothing is holding her back but will have the aftermath if she didn't do anything. Switching her weapon in offensive mode, she jumped to the large-size enemy and with a swipe, she managed to make a clean cut to the chest.

Blood swooshes and decorated the rotten walls as well on her face. The assaulter of the enemy was panting, filled with adrenaline -- Luffy witnessing this made him gaped at the sight of it. "Dammit, it's too shallow."

The sight will forever reflect on the bluejam pirates and herself when she saw herself on that sharp blade of the sword that fallen out from the man. Shuli frowned at the sight of blood on her, though she never let it waver her -- her Yellowstone eyes was calmed but her body was trembling and that freaked the other pirates out because they can't tell if she's in fear or excitement or anger.

Shuli looks like a murderer with a psychotic breakdown.

"Ack! What the fuck!?" The bluejam pirate called porchemy groaned in pain. "Another troublemaker?! You must be friends with ace.. what are you guys waiting for?! Catch that girl!"

Shuli gulped and jump to Luffy and freed him. "Luffy! You need to run!"

"I'm not leaving you shuli!" He answered.

"Fine, if it's dangerous then you'll know what to do!" The three pirates went on a spree to get shuli but even bigger damage sent to the wall of the shade.

"Don't do it!!!" 2 small figures came to the scene and using what they're using a pipe like pole and attacked them.

"Ace! Sabo!"

"Sabo?" Shuli's bloodied face tilted.

Ace and sabo who witness the bloody scene on shuli and Luffy made them quiver. "Sabo! Take Luffy and Shuli with you!"

"Ace! Is best that we go! Those are pirates! Not our usual victim -- they're dangerous!" Sabo warned but shuli stand by him.

"T-that's right! We are the bluejam pirates! And it's a mistake to mess with us!" Porchemy taunt.

"I will never run away from a fight!" The freckled boy answered.

"I should have stab you in the mouth." Shuli taunted back.

"Dammit! Luffy sorry but stay here for a bit." Sabo joined in with the two of them.

Now standing in front of Luffy to protect, the 3 figures made Luffy awe so much -- it's like a book that she read to him one time. Where 3 figures with only a small amount of power was able to change the tide of battle.

"Ace, you really need to fix your habit." Shuli muttered.

"Shut up! Don't talk as if you know me!"

"You talk too much! Men! Get them!" Porchemy took his sword and the battle won't end until everything is finished.

"Oraaa!" The 3 children jumped to them with weapon in hand.

"Die!"

-Chapter 4 ended-