"All right, Luffy," I said, "time for your reading lesson."
"But Pebble! I already know everything, really!"
"Then come here. You'll read something for me and we'll be done."
"But Pebble! Please! I still want to play!"
"I honestly don't understand what the problem is, Luffy," Sabo said. "How exactly do you expect to become a pirate if you can't read?"
That landed perfectly.
Luffy fell silent and obediently shuffled over.
He was still wearing the burgundy captain's coat with the fake golden buttons. In his right hand he held a plastic saber, and in the left a rosary, because the game of the day had been vampire hunter.
The seven-year-old had been running around the house screaming "Apage, Satanas!" at the top of his lungs without the faintest idea what it meant, while Ace and Sabo reluctantly fled from him.
I had played the role of the imprisoned lady.
Aside from the mandatory rescue kiss, I was also required to reward my savior with a handful of candies.
We sat down on the floor.
Luffy pulled out his first primer.
"T-th- th- th…"
"S, sweetheart," I corrected gently, taking off his hat and running my fingers through his slightly too-long hair.
"S- th- th-d… d-d-d…"
"Spies," he tried.
Sabo dramatically collapsed onto the enormous pillow that served as protection from everything in the house—from rubber bullets to plastic arrows.
Ace settled comfortably in his hammock, clearly pleased that such lessons were now behind him.
"Good," I said. "Now what did you read?"
"That one." Luffy pointed a finger at the sentence in the book.
"I know which sentence you read," I replied patiently. "But I want to hear it again."
"T-th-this… is… a d-d-d…"
Luffy smacked his lips impatiently before trying again.
"This is… a d-d-dog."
"When I was as uneducated as Luffy…" Sabo sighed dramatically and popped a candy into his mouth.
The seven-year-old immediately brightened at the thought that the blond boy had once been like him.
Luffy didn't really distinguish between compliments and insults—especially when they came from the older boys. To him, everything sounded like praise.
"Be quiet," I cut in. Sabo sighed again.
"Sabo, maybe we should go to the river!"
"Sure, let's go!"
"And where exactly do you think you're going?" I objected, watching Luffy spring to his feet, already halfway out the door. "Until Luffy finishes reading, none of you are going anywhere."
"But—" Ace began.
Then he sighed.
"All right, fine. We'll wait. Hurry up, Luffy."
"Pebble, Pebble… can't I go now and read later?"
"I know you," I replied calmly. "You'll come back in the evening, then you'll want food and sleep, and you'll say you're too tired."
"No, Pebble! Pirate King's word! I'll read!"
"Don't divide the bear's skin before you've hunted it, kid," I said.
At that moment I glanced toward the windows.
Rain had just begun to fall outside.
Ace groaned.
He knew exactly what that meant.
"You're staying inside today," I said firmly. "I'm not having any of you catching pneumonia, you little rascals."
Ace and Luffy protested loudly.
Sabo didn't bother.
He simply walked over to his bookshelf, picked out a book, and began reading.
After a moment Luffy followed his example.
He climbed into my lap with his primer.
Ace remained where he was.
Arms crossed.
Looking very much like someone who had just been betrayed by the entire world.
He stood there for a long moment, clearly trying to decide what to do next.
"Have Sabo give you a book about navigation," I said.
"Why?"
"You want to sail the seas. How exactly do you plan to do that if you can't navigate?"
"Oh, Pebble…" Ace sighed, but he walked over to the shelves anyway and began scanning the titles for something that might fit the subject.
"Fourth row," Sabo said helpfully without looking up from his book. "That's where all the ocean stuff is."
I smiled at him.
And decided it was time to share some good news.
After all, a month had passed since the incident with Bluejam's pirates. Luffy had fully recovered, and I had finally made a decision about the boys' education.
"I've decided that next week we'll sail to Centaurea," I announced. "You need a proper education if you've already chosen the direction your lives are heading."
Ace froze.
Sabo lowered his book.
"We'll buy a small sailboat there," I continued casually. "Nothing fancy. And I'll teach you—"
The scream that followed was indescribable.
I nearly went deaf.
Books flew in every direction. Someone's knee drove straight into my diaphragm and for a moment I nearly fainted.
"Pebble, you're the best mom ever!"
"We love you!"
"I'll even let you wear my hat as a reward!"
Such generosity.
Truly, I had been blessed with unimaginable kindness here on this forgotten corner of the world.