The child rubbing his cheeks flashed a carefree grin. "Yeah, but that old man seemed to have something come up at the last minute and ran off in a panic. I didn't go deep into the forest either—I ran out on my own."
Makino shook her head and rummaged around below for her wound medicine. "Honestly, I can't believe there's a grandfather like that in the world. It's like he's trying to kill his own grandson."
As she spoke, she handed the wound medicine to Luffy. He took it skillfully and applied it to his injuries.
Because they lived near the sea, this wound medicine was made from a certain kind of shellfish found in seawater. Makino had specially prepared it herself, and it worked quite well.
"Seriously, that old geezer of a grandfather keeps going on and on about the Marines every day. I don't want to be a Marine! I want to be a pirate—the strongest pirate!"
Even as he rubbed the white powder over his wounds, the pain couldn't stop Luffy's mouth. He bared his teeth as he vented his dissatisfaction.
"Honestly, I don't know what to do with you two, grandfather and grandson. Where's your brother Ace?" Makino asked as she tidied the table.
Luffy had already spread the medicine evenly over all his wounds. "No idea. That old man probably threw him into some other forest. Don't worry, Ace is stronger than me."
"That's not what I meant!" Makino shook her head helplessly.
"Makino, I want grilled meat!" Luffy set the wound medicine on the table and delivered his usual line whenever he came here.
The corner of Makino's mouth twitched, and her expression turned unfriendly. "You brat, do you come here to freeload every time? With your appetite, all my profit wouldn't even cover