CHAPTER 113: HOMECOMING
Three days of travel—a combination of his own abilities and the occasional ride on passing Marine ships—brought Satoru back to the place where his journey had begun.
Windmill Village.
He stood at the village entrance, taking in the familiar sights. The same gentle slope leading down to the harbor. The same windmills turning lazily in the breeze. The same peaceful, unhurried atmosphere that made this place feel like it existed outside the chaos of the world.
A home, Satoru thought. I actually have a home.
In his previous life, in the world of jujutsu, he had been alone. Powerful, respected, feared—but alone. No family. No place that truly belonged to him.
Here, in this simple East Blue village, he had found something he never expected.
"Hey! Is that Satoru?!"
The surprised voice broke through his reverie. An older villager—one of the men who had helped care for him as a baby—was staring at him with wide eyes and a growing grin.
"Unpack Ducky," Satoru greeted, his own smile spreading. "Long time no see."
"Ha! It is you!" The man hurried over, clasping Satoru's shoulder with a rough, calloused hand. "Look at you! All grown up and dressed like a real Marine! We heard you became an Admiral—an Admiral, can you believe it?—and we thought, 'Well, there goes the boy, too important to visit his old home now.'"
Satoru laughed. "Just got some leave. First chance I've had to come back."
"That's wonderful news! The village chief's been grumbling about you for months—'That boy thinks he's too good for us now, just like that damn Garp, never around when you need him.'" Ducky lowered his voice to a perfect imitation of the old mayor's cranky tone. "You should hear him go on about it."
"Oh, I plan to." Satoru's grin widened. "And I'll be sure to tell him you were the one who warned me."
Ducky's face paled slightly. "Now, now, no need for that—"
But Satoru was already walking into the village, leaving the sputtering man behind.
Word spread fast in a small village. By the time Satoru reached the central square, a small crowd had gathered. Familiar faces, all of them. People who had watched him grow, who had fed him and scolded him and treated him like one of their own.
"Satoru!"
"The Admiral's back!"
"Look at him—so tall now!"
He was engulfed in handshakes, backslaps, and enthusiastic embraces. Through it all, Satoru's smile never wavered. This was different from the adulation at G-8, different from the respect at Marine Headquarters. This was... warmth. Genuine, uncomplicated affection.
"The party's at Makino's!" someone shouted, and the crowd began to move as one toward the familiar tavern.
Makino's bar hadn't changed. The same wooden counter, the same warm lighting, the same smell of good food and drink. It was packed now, every seat taken, more villagers spilling out onto the porch.
"To our Admiral!" one of the men shouted, raising a mug. "Welcome home!"
"To Satoru!" the crowd echoed, and glasses clinked all around.
Satoru accepted a glass of milk—he was still twelve, after all, despite everything—and watched the celebration with quiet contentment. These people worked hard, but they also knew how to enjoy life. A day off was a day off, and today was a good excuse.
"You've been working hard these two years, haven't you, Satoru?"
The soft voice came from beside him. Makino stood there, wiping a glass with a cloth, her gentle eyes studying him with an understanding that made something in his chest tighten.
For a moment, Satoru didn't know what to say. No one had asked him that. Not Garp, who only cared about results. Not Sengoku, who only cared about missions. Not even Zephyr, who only cared about training. No one had asked if he was tired.
"Sister Makino..." He recovered quickly, his smile returning. "You're as perceptive as ever. But it's fine. Becoming an Admiral—it's worth it."
Makino's eyes softened with something like sadness. She had heard what he didn't say. It's worth it didn't mean it wasn't hard.
"Well, you're home now." She raised a glass of juice. "Thank you, Satoru. For our village. For this world. For everything you've done."
Satoru raised his milk. "Thank you, Sister Makino. For caring."
They drank together.
The village chief appeared at Satoru's elbow, leaning on his cane, his weathered face wearing its usual expression of mild irritation. "Never thought I'd see the day. One of our village boys becomes an Admiral. And still wearing that ridiculous blindfold, I see."
"Keeps the haters from seeing me cry," Satoru said cheerfully.
The village chief snorted. "Same smart mouth. You get that from Garp, damn fool that he is."
"Actually, I was born with it. Garp just made it worse."
"Hmph." But there was no real anger in the old man's eyes. If anything, he looked... proud. "So. They made you a Admiral, huh? How'd that happen?"
Satoru leaned back, adopting an exaggeratedly smug expression. "What can I say? I was too strong. Sengoku had no choice. Begged me, practically. Got down on his knees and everything."
The village chief whacked him with his cane. "Liar."
"Ow! Elder abuse!"
"Someone's gotta keep you humble, boy."
Satoru rubbed his arm, still grinning. Some things never changed.
Halfway across the world, at Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku sneezed violently.
"Tch." He wiped his nose, glancing around suspiciously. Someone's talking about me. His eyes narrowed. Probably Garp. Or that brat Satoru. Both of them, more likely.
He made a mental note to extend Garp's mission by another week.
Back at the bar, Satoru finished his milk and turned to Makino. "Hey, Sister Makino. Is Luffy still with Dadan?"
Makino nodded. "He is. And he has a brother now—Ace. They're quite a handful, those two."
Satoru's eyes gleamed behind his blindfold. Ace. So he's here too. And Sabo... He frowned slightly. Sabo should have been picked up by Dragon around this time. The Revolutionary Army had probably already taken him in.
"I'd like to see them," he said.
"I was just thinking the same thing." Makino set down her cloth. "I have some clothes and supplies for them. I haven't visited in a while."
The village chief straightened up. "I'll come too. Someone needs to keep an eye on you two."
Satoru raised an eyebrow. "On us? Or on Dadan?"
The village chief's expression flickered, and Satoru knew he'd hit a nerve. The old man had never trusted the bandit chief, despite—or perhaps because of—knowing her for decades.
"Hmph. Don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't."
Makino hid a smile behind her hand. "I'll get the supplies. Wait here."
An hour later, the three of them stood before a familiar rundown hut in the mountains. The Dadan Family hideout. It looked exactly as Satoru remembered it—ramshackle, chaotic, and somehow still standing despite all logic.
"That's where Luffy lives now," Makino said softly.
The village chief grumbled under his breath. "I still don't like it. Letting a child live with bandits. I don't care how much they've 'changed.'"
"You know they take good care of them, Chief," Makino said gently.
"I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it."
Satoru studied the hut with his Six Eyes, sensing the life forces inside. Several bandits, going about their daily business. But no sign of the two particular life forces he was looking for.
"Is anyone home?" Makino called, knocking on the door.
The door creaked open, revealing one of the bandits—a large man with a scarred face who immediately relaxed when he saw who it was.
"Makino! And the village chief!" He grinned, showing missing teeth. "Come in, come in! What brings you up here?"
"We brought supplies for Luffy and Ace," Makino explained, holding up her bundle. "Are they here?"
The bandit's face fell into a familiar expression of long-suffering exasperation. "Those two? You know how they are. They only show up when they're hungry or tired. Rest of the time, they're running around the mountain causing trouble."
Another bandit appeared behind him. "Trouble? They're a disaster. Yesterday they tried to catch a wild boar with their bare hands. Bare hands! The boar won. Obviously."
"And the day before that, they decided to build a raft and sail down the river. The raft sank. They nearly drowned."
"And don't get me started on the time they tried to climb the cliff without ropes—"
Makino listened with patient amusement, but Satoru had already stopped paying attention. His Observation Haki spread outward, covering the mountain in an instant. He filtered through the life forces—animals, birds, insects—until he found what he was looking for.
Two small, chaotic signatures, moving fast through the forest about a mile away.
Found you.
"Sister Makino. Chief." He stepped back from the door. "I know where they are. I'll go get them."
Makino nodded. "Be careful. They can be... energetic."
Satoru's grin returned. "Energetic. Right."
And then he vanished.
The bandits stared at the empty space where he'd been.
"Uh... who was that?"
Makino smiled. "That was Satoru. Luffy's... brother, I suppose. He's a Marine Admiral now."
The bandits exchanged looks of disbelief.
"That kid is an Admiral?"
"The one who used to beat up Luffy?"
"He's gotta be, what, twelve?"
"The Marines are desperate."
The village chief whacked his cane against the doorframe. "That 'kid' could destroy this entire mountain without breaking a sweat. Show some respect."
The bandits shut up.
Deep in the forest, two small figures crashed through the underbrush.
"ACE! WAIT UP!"
"No way! Last one to the river has to cook dinner!"
"That's not fair! You always—OUCH!"
Luffy tripped over a root and went tumbling head over heels, finally coming to a stop against a tree. He lay there, staring at the canopy, for exactly two seconds before scrambling up.
"ACE! THAT WASN'T FAIR! YOU SHOULD HAVE WARNED ME ABOUT THE ROOT!"
Ace's laughter echoed from ahead. "The root didn't tell me it was there! How was I supposed to know?!"
Luffy's face scrunched up in frustration. He opened his mouth to shout something else—
And a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Long time no see, Luffy."
Luffy froze. Then, slowly, he turned.
Standing behind him was a figure in a white Marine coat, with white hair and a black blindfold. The figure was smiling.
Luffy blinked.
Blinked again.
Then his face split into the widest grin imaginable.
"SATORUUUUU!"
He launched himself forward, arms outstretched, and Satoru caught him easily, spinning him around once before setting him down.
"You remember me, huh? I was worried you might have forgotten."
"Ferget you?!" Luffy's voice was indignant. "You're my brother! You can't forget your brother!"
Satoru's smile softened. "Yeah. I guess you can't."
A new voice came from the trees. "Luffy! Who're you talking to—"
Ace burst through the foliage, skidding to a halt when he saw the stranger. His eyes widened, then narrowed with suspicion. His hand went to the pipe tucked into his belt.
"Who're you?"
Satoru looked at the boy—young, maybe a year older than Luffy, with freckles and fierce eyes. Portgas D. Ace. Roger's son. And he doesn't even know it yet.
"I'm Satoru," he said simply. "Luffy's brother."
Ace's eyes flicked to Luffy, who was nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah, yeah! I told you about him! The really strong one who went to be a Marine!"
Ace's posture relaxed slightly, but his eyes remained wary. "Oh. That brother."
"That's me." Satoru's grin turned mischievous. "And you must be Ace. Luffy's told me all about you in his letters."
Luffy blinked. "I didn't write any letters."
"No, you didn't. But if you had, you would have told me all about Ace."
Luffy considered this for a moment, then nodded seriously. "Yeah! I would have!"
Ace stared at this exchange with growing confusion. What... what is happening right now?
Satoru clapped his hands together. "Alright, you two. Sister Makino and the village chief are at your place with supplies. Let's head back."
"MAKINO'S HERE?!" Luffy's eyes literally sparkled. "With FOOD?!"
"Among other things."
"LET'S GO!" Luffy grabbed Ace's arm and started dragging him toward the hideout. "Come on, come on, come on!"
"Luffy, wait—!" Ace stumbled after him, trying to keep his feet. "I can walk by myself!"
Satoru watched them go, that same warm feeling spreading through his chest.
Yeah, he thought. This is what home feels like.
He followed at a leisurely pace, listening to the two boys argue and laugh as they crashed through the forest ahead of him.
For the first time in two years, he felt like he could breathe.
(End of Chapter)
✨If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/TofuChan
Where you can read Extra Advance Chaters
Bonus Chapter For Every 100 Power Stones
Lets hit the goal of 300 Patreon Members now for 5 Extra Chapters 💕