Queen of the Pirates

Uncovering The Truth

"Well, is there a place in mind for us to have a private chat?" Garp asks.

I turn to face him, feeling my cheeks heat up knowing that he witnessed Luffy and I kissing. "Oh, um, yeah, I do."

He chuckles, "Are you embarrassed that I know Luffy and you are together and share physical displays of affection?"

"Only a little bit," I sigh. "It's weird because you're his grandfather, and I'm sure you've known about our relationship for a while, but seeing him actually kiss me, that's different."

"I'm glad that he's doing one thing right."

"We can talk about all that later. Come with me." I twist on my heel, leading us to the other side of the house where nobody should bother us. "I'm sure that you have plenty of questions for me as well." I take a seat on the ground, stretching my legs out in front of me.

"I'm wondering how that troublemaker Ace got you to use his surname, but it is too late to change that now." He takes a seat next to me. "There was a tiny ounce of hope within me that you wouldn't follow Luffy out to sea and instead come join me at Headquarters. I would have gotten you a small job helping me and that Koby boy is nice enough I'd have allowed-"

"Why did you lie to me?" I blurt out before he can even suggest that I would be with anyone other than Luffy. "My entire life you've lied to me about who I am. Even now you're talking as if Ace and I aren't related, and this entire time you've known that he's actually my brother. Why? Why did you do that?" I look up at him. If I hadn't used all my tears a couple days ago, I feel my eyes would be burning right now.

Garp closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "I've always seen you as my granddaughter, which is looking to one day become a reality, and I've always seen Ace as my grandson. I was there moments after you were born. I had you in my arms right before you mother died. She entrusted both of you to me, and I was going to do everything I could to keep you safe. If that meant lying to you about your true lineage, then I would do that. I gave you to that family to help in their grief, but also to help keep you hidden."

"If you really wanted to keep me safe, then why didn't you come get me after my adoptive mother died? Why did you never once check in on me during those years? Luffy was the only one who truly cared enough to do anything for me during that time. Even Ace kind of stayed away for some reason. If you had just checked in one time, you would have seen that I was trapped in an abusive home, fighting every single day to survive."

"What are you talking about?" His eyes shoot open as he looks at me. "If something was happening to you, why didn't you try to contact me?"

"That devil of a man you made me think was my father turned into an alcoholic within the first year after his wife's death, and then he took it out on my adoptive sister and me. A vase was thrown at my head. I was screamed at every single day for reasons I will never understand. Every single day I escaped to Luffy and Ace. Even if I wasn't actually Ace's little sister, after the hell I went through, I would have taken his surname regardless. That man who raised me left enough scars on me."

"Akari, I'm so sorry," he reaches out to grab my hand, but I jerk away. "I never said that I was perfect. I was doing what I could with the information that I had. When your adoptive mother died, I didn't want to step in once again to the grieving man. I couldn't swoop in and take you either, a child grieving for the only mother she knew. I didn't check in on all of you nearly enough, but my job keeps me busy, and I can't always step away."

"No, I get it," I scoff. "There's always something, isn't there? It doesn't matter anymore, anyways. Ace was kind enough to finally tell me the truth, and it was extremely freeing. I could fully cut ties with an evil man. I could love myself fully and not hate a part that was him. I could focus more on the future, even if sometimes my brain forces me to remember the past. I could proudly proclaim my name to the world. I am Portgas D. Akari, and that can never be taken from me ever again."