He's your captain and Ace and Sabo's little brother. [Gently scritches behind her ears, holding back another grin he wouldn't be able to explain. Luckily he is deadpan-man, with the power of 1000 deadpan faces.]
Ace doesn't get it either. He says Sanji's the only one I should worry about. But ahhh... I guess introducing you to Pops would be really easy, eh? And same with my other brothers if they ever showed up. Sanji just reminds me a little of Thatch so he's more like nakama, so I think of it like that. Like if I introduced you to Jozu or the others. Or Haruta and Izou anyway.
[Luffy... how does he explain it?] I know Luffy's not really like your Pops, at all. [Rubs his own chin in thought.] But he's your captain. He's like your kid almost. It's weird, eh? I want to know him in his own right, not as Ace's little brother, or Sabo's brother, or Shanks' bet on the future, or even the man who'll be the future king. Just Luffy. The kid who thinks seastone would still make a good grill to cook with.
[He goes back to petting her ears, trying hard to put it to words, or even just thought.] I guess I want him to be okay with me dating you, without having to trust yours, Sabo, and Ace's opinion of me. I mean, aye, I know him well enough to say no one's going to make up Luffy's mind for him. But that's almost part of the worry. Even if he didn't think I was good enough for you -- which he'd be right about -- [Taps her nose with the feather.] with all the other things, it's like nothing can be done about it, eh. Like if I'm not good enough to be Ace's nakama? Well okay, but he just has to trust Ace anyway. Same with Sabo as his brother. But I don't want him to just trust your view of me... again. [Just buries his head in a hand. Yeah. He knows this is stupid.]
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Ace doesn't get it either. He says Sanji's the only one I should worry about. But ahhh... I guess introducing you to Pops would be really easy, eh? And same with my other brothers if they ever showed up. Sanji just reminds me a little of Thatch so he's more like nakama, so I think of it like that. Like if I introduced you to Jozu or the others. Or Haruta and Izou anyway.
[Luffy... how does he explain it?] I know Luffy's not really like your Pops, at all. [Rubs his own chin in thought.] But he's your captain. He's like your kid almost. It's weird, eh? I want to know him in his own right, not as Ace's little brother, or Sabo's brother, or Shanks' bet on the future, or even the man who'll be the future king. Just Luffy. The kid who thinks seastone would still make a good grill to cook with.
[He goes back to petting her ears, trying hard to put it to words, or even just thought.] I guess I want him to be okay with me dating you, without having to trust yours, Sabo, and Ace's opinion of me. I mean, aye, I know him well enough to say no one's going to make up Luffy's mind for him. But that's almost part of the worry. Even if he didn't think I was good enough for you -- which he'd be right about -- [Taps her nose with the feather.] with all the other things, it's like nothing can be done about it, eh. Like if I'm not good enough to be Ace's nakama? Well okay, but he just has to trust Ace anyway. Same with Sabo as his brother. But I don't want him to just trust your view of me... again. [Just buries his head in a hand. Yeah. He knows this is stupid.]