The 4 children went back inside the jungle after finishing up beating those bastards up. They went and aid each other, Luffy who squirmed in pain and cried when shuli tried to finish him up. "After this, I'll do a wrapping okay?" Slowly bandaging him up.

"Oi shuli, come I'll aid you." Ace offered in a quiet tone and it made her eyes widen.

"What?!" He blushed.

"I thought you were mute but I'm okay." She smiled kindly at the younger boy.

"Shut up and let me handle it." Ace shushed her down and made her sit down.

Sabo who's witnessing the scene tried not to laugh at him while Luffy started to cry.

"WAHHH! I thought I was gonna die!!" The mugiwara Luffy sniffled and cried.

"Shut up! I don't like crybabies or cowards!" Ace scolded him and that made him quiet.

"T-thanks..." Luffy bowed to them. "You.. you guys helped me." He couldn't help but to cry again making shuli pat his mugiwara hat.

"You!"

"Whoa, he's just being thankful. Shuli right? You're quite cool! Where did you learn it from? Ah! I'm sabo!" Sabo introduced himself to her.

"Hello sabo, my name is shuli, nice to meet you."

"No fair! How come you easily give her your name?!"

"Well I got the green flag from ace." He teased.

"I'll beat you up! Why is there so much blood on you anyways?!" Ace cringed at the sight of it. "Whatever, it's not your blood so I don't care."

"Ace... You're surprisingly cute if you keep acting like that." Her expression is still in surprised at his sudden affection. "Hey sabo, was he always like this?"

"Maybe?" Sabo didn't know either.

"That's enough! I'm gonna fix my pipe!" Ace growled and took steps away to fix his pipe.

"Say shuli, you didn't answer my question." Sabo asked again.

"Oh, I actually read it from a book. I just got a sudden passionate and ambition when..." Shuli slowly dazed off to the sky.

"When what?" Sabo was already into her too much because he was curious where she'll learn it from and why -- ace was paying attention to it as well but pretended to fix his pipe.

"...what?" Shuli blinked at him.

"She forgot again shishishi!"

Both ace and sabo sighed depressingly.

"No I didn't, but since you guys have trust issues -- I'll tell you when I'm comfortable." With a comfort smile like that who could denied her.

"I-I see!" Sabo coughed and looked away.

"Sabo, ace, thanks for rescuing Luffy." Shuli thanked them to only received hug from Luffy as he started crying again.

"Mhm! Thanks ace! Sabo! You guys are really nice even when you plan to kill me but you didn't! WAHH!" Luffy wailed loudly making shuli flinched and the other 2 flinched.

"You idiot!" Both ace and sabo shouted at him.

"I'm not mad... You guys never murder someone before." She lied and bonked them both with a death smile.

"OW! YOU'RE NOT JOKING WHEN YOU SAID SHES STRONG." Sabo shrieked in pain while ace suffered in silence.

"Would you mind filling up the gaps." Her threatening smile is still there.

Ace and sabo felt like there's no way to run so they had no choice but tell the whole story. Shuli remained unmoved when they told her.

"Depending on your situation where you can't trust other so easily is understandable but." She sighed stressfully and rub her head. "You don't let them get Luffy. If he's stubborn what makes you think that he will tell them?" Shuli stopped for a moment and mentally want to facepalm herself. "I'm sure it's inevitable due to rules of survival. I understand but please make it up for Luffy."

"Why didn't you tell them in the first place? They're kind of people who'd kill women or kids without thinking second thoughts!" Ace scolded him.

"Here it comes..." She mumble.

"I thought... You won't be my friend if I told them about it..." He still looking down on the ground.

"It's better than dying, isn't it? Why do you wanna be my friend in the first place? Didn't I gave you a hard time until now? How could you follow me this far?" Ace questioned.

"Because... Because... Shuli and I don't have anyone else to trust! I can't go back to the village and I don't like the mountain bandits! Shuli always taking care of me and even ignore her own loneliness and focus on mine! I want shuli and me to have more friends. Shuli only cares about me but she doesn't care about herself so I decided that if I didn't follow you than we don't have anyone else left! I only worry shuli a lot even though she have faith in me! Being lonely is more painful!" He rub his eyes to avoid having tears coming off.

"Luffy.." Shuli sighed nervously at the sight of it and kept quiet.

"Oi, where are your parents then?"

"Gramps is all I have." Luffy answered.

"What about you shuli?" Ace asked cautiously.

"My mom's dead and my father went away with no news of his status so.. I don't know if he's dead or alive." She answered.

"... Are you guys happier when I'm around...?" Ace asked.

Shuli and Luffy nodded.

"Is it hard when I'm not around?"

"Yea." Luffy answered while shuli nodded.

Ace started to remember the days of his own bad memories. The alternative of his hope when he asked around if Gold Roger, the pirate king had a child?

'What if Gold Roger had a child? I hope there's no such child!'

'He must be some kind of a devil who'd better off dead!'

He looked back at both Luffy and Shuli before gripping his pipe tightly. "Do you guys want me to live?"

"What the? Of course!" Shuli answered with no hesitation.

"Of course we do!" Luffy answered stubbornly.

"I see... But I don't like spoiled brats like you. Shuli is an exception but she's treating you like a baby." He looked away from them and Shuli just smiled at them because it was the truth.

"I'm not! I'm strong!"

"Strong?! You're not strong at all! You cry like a girl." He teased.

"Excuse me?" Shuli frowned at him. "That's a bit sexist."

Ace flinched but coughed his apologies and continue the feud at Luffy.

"Have you every gotten hit by a spiky thing? I'm only 7!" Luffy and ace headbutting at each other. "When I become your age! I'll become even more stronger and stop crying!"

"I wouldn't cry even if I were 7 stupid! I'm not like you! Crybaby!"

"I'm gonna become stronger than anyone! I promise Shanks to take care of shuli and become a great pirate!"

"Hey sabo, should we stop them?" Shuli turned to the blonde boy.

"Do you want too?" He asked.

"I won't, it's rare to see ace having so many emotions." Shuli observed and amuse at the sudden entertainment causing sabo to sigh.

"You? Become a pirate?!" Ace raises his voice at him.

"Yes!"

"You?! Hah no way!"

"Yes way!"

Sabo clicked right in and stop the both of them while shuli adores the sight of them."Okay, that's enough! Hey, by the way, I have a little problem."

"A problem?"

"Uh-huh. Bluejam and the others will try to kill the four of us for sure after we beat their crew up right?"

"Well I think so."

"Oh I got involved involuntarily." Shuli sighed and groan. "Well what's done is done."

'She gave in the situation so fast.' Sabo and ace thought the same thing.

"But if you don't want me to join your group than it's okay. I merely get involved because Luffy is so I honestly don't know what to do.." shuli quiet down her voice.

"No, you will join us. You're a better body guard than Luffy anyways." Ace told shuli to 'nicely' reassure her.

"See! I told you ace is nice." Luffy grinned and laugh at her.

"Shut up!"

"Sh! I have an idea, huddle up everyone." Sabo ushered them in but shuli just stood there not knowing what to do.

Ace frowned at shuli and grumbled as he grab her wrist rather gently and made her huddle with the rest of the boys. "Didn't I say you'll join? Don't make me change my mind and tribute it."

"Okay."

All four children huddle up and began to discuss about their future plans that sabo purposed.

~•~
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Shuli who was sleeping peacefully back in the home of the bandits, Mt. Colubo -- she slowly woke up to dadan who is counting vigorously at the extra figure. Come to think of it, they did sneak in to sleep and sabo came along -- slowly rubbing her eyes to ease her itchiness and vision, shuli's eyes blinked for a moment.

"Ace, shuli, Luffy,...eh?! Ace, Shuli, Luffy, eh?! Ace, shuli, Luffy. Ace, shuli, Luffy ?! Ace! Shuli! Luffy! Who's this?!" Dadan screamed, demanding for an answer.

"Shut up, so early in the morning." He gets up and scolded her before laying back down.

"Who is who?" Luffy who did the same thing.

Shuli just stared at them before sabo began to do the same thing.

"Who..mnn Zzzz." Sabo got up and back to sleep.

"Brat wake up right now!"

"Oh...? Are you talking about me? I'm sabo! You must be dadan!" Sabo introduce to the larger lady lively.

"Sabo? I've heard your name before!"

"Is it? Now that makes thing much more easier! Thank you for taking care of me from today!"

"Taking care?! Don't be ridiculous you're not staying here!" Dadan replied and expect an answer but sabo only fart to give such answer.

Both sabo and dadan exchange words but sabo only seems to give them a head-on insult, he's not holding anything back... including his farts.

"Ace, Luffy, wake up. It's already daytime, you guys should get ready." Shuli gently pat them by their backs.

"Shuli, ace, Luffy, sabo! I'm giving you a place to stay! Get to work already!"

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
•°°•
Once all four children clean themselves and ready to start a new day, they disobey the bandits again to go out and Shuli bought her books as well as her hunting kit.

"I feel kinda bad not doing the chores." Shuli mumbled.

"Yea, whether you like it or not we don't want the bluejam pirates finding us too, so all of us should stick together until the town cool down." Sabo pat her back before they started running out.

"Oi! 4 of you! Shuli! Luffy! Get back here and do your chores!" Dadan yelled.

"I rather not at this moment." Shuli sweatdropped.

"No way! Blehhh!" Luffy blow raspberry at them before catching up with the other 3.

"Dadan! While all of us are gone! The bluejam pirates might come by so be careful!" Sabo warned the bandits.

"What in the world does that clan want with us?" Dogra question, not liking where this is going.

"Because we beat them up! Ah shuli killed them though."

"Oi! I thought we agree we leave that one behind!" Shuli shrieked and cover sabo's mouth.

"Wha.....WHAT?!"

"YOU WHAT?!"

"Ahahahaha! Shuli you're not so polite anymore!" The blue boy teased.

All 3 of them running together side by side while Luffy had a hard time to catch up but he managed it by himself.

"Why did you bring so many books? Are you okay with that amount of stuff that you're carrying?" Sabo offered his help but shuli politely decline.

"It's okay sabo but thanks for the offer though. I figured you guys wanna become pirates some day right? Well I'm sure you guys are not the bookworm type but I guess it's necessary for you guys to learn and read about the world! It's fun!" Shuli smiled at them.

"What a nerd..." Ace blushed and looked away from her.

"It's necessary... Yea." She sighed and continue to run, feeling a bit offended from ace but brush it off.

"Are you dumb?" Sabo jab his side and whisper yelled at ace.

"What?!"

"Let's do something first." Shuli cooly told them.

"Let's get some food first!"

"As always Luffy."

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
•°°°•

Food was being served and all 3 of them manage to find some good food. Ace and sabo ate the meat in a satisfying manner but for shuli ate for a bit because her stomach doesn't feel so well.

"Luffy, here and eat. You can take my portion." Shuli offered.

"Yay! Shuli are you not eating?" Luffy asked before consuming the meat in his mouth.

"My appetite doesn't like me." She laughed at her stomach.

"Oi shuli! Didn't I tell you not to spoil him already?" Ace came to the scene and frown at the sight of it. "If you're gonna spoil him, how is he gonna learn."

"I'm sure he has 2 dependable friends to help him." She got up and went away but not so far from them.

"Let her be ace, I think it was traumatizing for her to take another person's life." Sabo told him.

"I can't tell if that's her first or last. She's way too gentle to Luffy, how the hell is Luffy gonna learn?"

"No! Shuli will let me learn by myself, she has faith me because I'm strong." Luffy finished his meal and stood up for his sister.

"You guys are way too soft on her too!" Ace grumbled.

"Go to her and apologize what you said just now."

".... fine!"

He finished up the remaining left over, not gonna give Luffy anymore food before going over her. "S..shuli, I.." Ace refuses to apologize but the freckled boy couldn't let it be.

"You don't have to apologize, I don't want a half-hearted apologies." She sighed. "I don't need it, it's okay. You don't have too say it." She mumbled the last part quietly but enough to let him hear it.

"One day, that personality will change if you keep doing it."

"What is?"

"You treat everything fragile like Luffy, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just want him to be independent."

"Hmmm.. well you can't rush it." She finally looked at him and a smile that's so happy it made him blush.

"Ugh.." Ace lay down beside her as both continue to talk awkwardly.

~••~

How adorable the 4 children are finally as one. In order to achieve their own goals or dream, they need to prove themselves to it and one of them will continue to fail in order to succeed -- A rebirth of a new era resides in one of them, A sacrifice is needed for the new era, A pillar to support the rebirth, and lastly the one who will nurture the rebirth of the new era that will soon dawn the world a new shine of the blessing by the stars.

'The fate has been sealed and the new anguish journey will begin for shuli. Commence Project P. A. S. S.'

-Chapter 5 ended-

A/n: hi guys, well ik my English is not good but I usually write this for fun. Ik it's cringy but I hope you guys like it! Please don't forget to comment and vote!