Chapter Text
”You're weird."
"You cannot be talking," Shanks deadpanned as he watched the kid—god—whatever he was—drape himself over the fence. He seemed utterly content, as if he hadn't just shattered the captain's entire worldview only 15 minutes ago.
"But I am talking." Luffy frowned. Shanks couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.
Moments prior, Makino was apologizing profusely for the child's behavior, offering recompense for his outrageous act of theft. Shanks laughed it off and told her it really wasn't anything to be worried about. The only thing he wanted to do was speak with the boy.
So there he sat outside the bar, questions swarming his mind like wildfire.
"Are you still… you know… Luffy?" Shanks asked awkwardly. What a terrible way to begin a conversation.
He was met with a giggle. "Of course I am! Who else would I be?"
"You were just going on about your other titles, in case you don't remember."
"Doesn't change the fact that I'm me." Luffy looked up at him, eyebrows scrunched in a way that would've made Shanks melt if he wasn't so rattled. (He wouldn't admit it, but he was already growing fond of the brat.)
"It's not every day that I stroll into a bar and meet a child who claims to be a god, you know. Especially in this Blue," Shanks offered slowly. "And I don't know if I'm still talking to the same Luffy from before. You're acting a lot differently than you were earlier."
Luffy sat up and swung his legs over the side of the fence, contemplating. "Oh, I see what Shanks means now. I've always been this way, just sleepy. You woke me up when you pulled that box out, shishishi."
"So… Nika—I mean you—were sleeping?" Shanks sat on the fence beside him. Luffy shrugged. "Kind of. It's more like when you sleep too long and forget what yer' supposed to be doing. You reminded me."
"That makes a bit more sense, the devil fruit being a catalyst," he pondered aloud.
"Devil fruit? That's an odd moniker," Luffy giggled.
"They're called something else?"
"I'd call them a blessing."
"A blessing, eh?" Shanks ruffled Luffy's hair, taking note of the new white tuft that swirled through the middle of it. How peculiar. "Why don't you tell me about yours?"
"Mine was a gift," Luffy spoke with sudden fondness. "A gift to someone whose dream was so bright and bold I couldn't possibly deny his prayer. He died, of course."
Luffy gripped Shanks' coat with small, soft hands.
"He wanted freedom in both body and spirit, so I gave him that elasticity. He used it flawlessly, let his soul breathe through the soil and the sea and the sky so beautifully and effortlessly. It was brilliant, Shanks," he sighed, and suddenly Shanks could see the way those frail shoulders slumped like thousands of years' worth of memories were weighing on them.
"You remind me of him, longing for freedom with the same intensity, drawn to the sea like she's all that is keeping you afloat. I can see it in your eyes." A smile tugged at Shanks' lips, twinged with deep sadness. "You've caught me there."
"What is your dream, Shanks?"
"To become a man worthy of my life," he breathed, finally facing Luffy's wide, expectant eyes.
"You already are."
Shanks wasn't given the time to reply, as Luffy was already yanking on his hand and guiding him away from the fence and back to Party's Bar. "Come on, I'm hungry! Let's go eat."
Luffy spent the next year clinging to Shanks' side. He knew the man would return to his life on the tumbling waves soon enough. Nothing could ever tether Shanks to solid ground for long, and it was growing increasingly obvious with each passing day. Shanks was antsy and avoidant, staring off at the endless expanse of blue with such intense yearning that it had the likes of Beckman and Hongo concerned.
The first month was difficult. Shanks was still cautious of Luffy, and it took him time to warm up to the thought of him being anything other than a curious, innocent child. He eventually relaxed when he learned that, despite Luffy being an ancient deity, he was still young, clumsy, and inexperienced even by god standards. It became easier to ignore his fickle moments of wisdom and pretend that Luffy was just an average seven-year-old after that.
Especially after the bar incident occurred.
See, Shanks wasn't a man who took much to heart. He was as lax as a fat housecat. Push him around and maybe he'd be prickly, but never anything more than that.
And Luffy, well… he was the complete opposite in every way. Rash, quick to anger, and incredibly stubborn. So when a group of lousy, greasy looking mountain bandits rolled up into the bar and decided to drench Shanks in booze… Luffy was pissed, to say the least. Not only had they taunted, teased, and taken the absolute piss out of Shanks and his crew, they had also destroyed Makino's belongings!
And what did Shanks do? He laughed. Laughed at the bandits when they left, laughed at the insults, and laughed while he cleaned the mess like some maid. Luffy, blinded by his anger, couldn't understand why Shanks reacted the way he did. So he chose to storm out and avoid the pirates, stewing in his rage.
Which led to him running into the mountain bandits again only a day later. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, cold steel in the shape of a gun pressed directly against his forehead.
He could barely hear the crowd—when had they appeared?— over his heart's pounding. He noticed Makino amongst them, Woop Slap at her side, begging for his safety.
The crowd parted suddenly, a familiar red-head pushing his way through. Shanks had come for him. Luffy bit his lip and looked away, a mixture of shame and relief niggling away at him. Short lived relief, seeing as the leader of the filthy bandits fled to the sea with Luffy once he realized his men were losing.
The shabby little boat didn't make it far out. The bandit, ignorant about the sea and its occupants, forgot— or simply didn't realize— that they had just entered the domain of The Lord of the Coast. As soon as they garnered its attention, the raft was split in two and Luffy was left treading in open water, trying with all his might to keep his head above the water.
It was useless. The beast reared its nasty maw at him and lunged.
Luffy squeezed his eyes shut, prepared to meet his fate at the jaws of the leviathan, but a strong arm yanked him away. He was pressed against a warm, familiar body before a zap of irate, dangerous energy whistled through the air like a shockwave. Except its ire wasn't directed at Luffy, even despite the force making him feel woozy and nauseous. It weaved around him, whispering of anxiety and relief.
"Shanks…" Luffy slurred, tears rolling down his face.
"Hey Anchor," Shanks adopted the nickname after Luffy fell in the port and almost drowned. The day it happened, they both learned that Luffy was exempt from the Sea's rage against fruit eaters, but that he couldn't swim for shit.
"Your arm!" Luffy's blanched at the sight before him. Shanks' left arm was almost entirely gone, the remaining stump gorey and raw.
"Your arm Shanks, your arm… why?! You're hurt!"
"It's just an arm, Luffy. Don't cry, now. I would've lost something far more precious if I hadn't gone and done that."
Luffy couldn't help but wail all the way back to the shore, where Shanks was swept away into the crowd to receive medical attention. He hadn't realized the absurdity of the situation— of Shanks even managing to stay conscious— until they reached Hongo and he collapsed into his doctor's arms.
Luffy didn't get to see Shanks until a week later, when his condition was stabilized and visitors were finally allowed in. They didn't get to speak until another week had passed, when Shanks finally woke from his feverish, comatose state.
Luffy was thrilled, to say the least.
During the third month, by which Shanks was finally deemed healed enough to be left to his own devices, Luffy had the Red-Haired Pirates wrapped around his little, rubbery finger again. It became a common sight to see Luffy atop Shanks' shoulders (carefully, of course!), or watching Building Snake scrawl maps, or pleading Bonk Punch to sing a shanty. They entertained him willingly, spoiled him with feasts and tales, and showered him with bountiful affection. Especially after the close call with their captain, and a new bet made on an arm.
When the sixth month rolled around, Luffy was practically adopted by the pirates. He loved them fiercely, and they returned it with the same enthusiasm, if not more. He'd even asked to join their crew, stabbing himself under the eye as a declaration of his dedication, which caused Shanks to flip. He was denied acceptance after the chaos was over and Hongo was done fretting, but it didn't stop him from asking again.
When a year finally passed, Luffy was unsurprised to find the group packing their belongings. It didn't surprise him when Shanks pulled him aside and let him know they'd set sail the next morning. It didn't surprise him when Shanks called him son and held him close. What did surprise him was the way he reacted to the news of their departure.
"You're leaving?" Luffy asked, voice soft and trembling as he blinked away tears.
"I have to leave, Anchor; you know I belong out there. You said so yourself."
Luffy sniffled and clung to his leg. "I know, I know you do."
"Why don't we make a promise?" Shanks reached over to plant his hat atop Luffy's head. "The day you become a great pirate, you come find me and return this hat to me. It's my greatest treasure, can I trust you with it?"
Luffy sobbed again before wiping the tears from his eyes. "I promise, Shanks. One day I'll have a crew too, a crew better than yours! And I'll surpass you; I'll be King of the Pirates!" he grinned, face still flushed and snotty, before nuzzling himself up against Shanks' chest. "And you can trust me with it, hehe."
"I expect nothing less than the best, Anchor." The captain lifted the boy—no, his boy—into his arms and held him close.
"But promise me we can still see each other before I become the king..."
"I promise you, Luf',"
They spent that night tangled together in the spare room in the bar, snoring loudly.
Garp dragged a whining, raging Luffy right up the path to Mt. Corvo. His grandfather arrived shortly after Shanks' departure, took one look at Luffy—who blabbed his new dream aloud almost immediately—and started dragging his "LOUSY, NO GOOD, PIRATE LOVIN' ASS" right up the mountain to stay with some Dadan family.
"You will become a Marine, and you will like it! I've been telling you that all your life, boy. What's with this sudden pirate nonsense? Who got this insanity into your head?!" Garp screeched, dangling Luffy by the back of his shirt. "I want to be a great pirate like Shanks! Put me down, you geezer!"
"WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A SHANKS? YOU MET RED-HAIRED SHANKS?! HE'S THE ONE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?!" Garp dropped Luffy and loomed over him with a wild, frenzied look on his face. Luffy gulped, expecting a Fist of Love to the face, and covered his head. He waited. And waited. And after a minute had passed and still nothing happened, Luffy peered through his fingers to see what was wrong.
"That explains the damn hat," Garp growled, arms crossed. He looked flustered and sweaty and very, very angry. Luffy flinched when Garp reached back over and yanked Luffy to his feet. "Walk with me and tell me about this Shanks."
"Do you know him, Gramps?"
"Do I know him?! Of course I know the damn brat! Do you know how much trouble he's caused over these past few years?!"
Luffy huffed and kicked a pebble. "Well, I think he's cool. We made a promise on this hat, shishishi!"
"Pray tell, what did you promise him?"
"That I'd become the King of the Pirates and look after his hat until I do!"
He was pretty sure he saw a blood vessel pop in Garp's head.
"Luffy?"
"Yeah?"
"10 seconds. Be fast."
As soon as Luffy registered the threat, he was gone. He dove behind bushes, stumbled over rocks, and squeezed between logs. He could hear his grandpa crashing through the undergrowth behind him, felling trees and smashing boulders like a rampaging beast. Preferring to live another day, Luffy scrambled into the safety of a shrub, twigs snagging his clothes and scraping his skin. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when the raging vice-admiral passed by and carried on into the depths of the forest.
When the animals started trilling, singing, and chirring again, Luffy knew the coast was clear. He stepped out of the bush, danced around splintered logs and stone shrapnel, and made his way back to the path.
At least… where he believed the path to be. He could have followed his Gramps' trail back, but that meant there was the possibility of running into him again. And he enjoyed his life, thank you very much!
If he got lost on the way, well… That just meant he'd get to go on a little bonus adventure.
Luffy grabbed the nearest branch he could find, swung it over his shoulder, and carried onward into the brush, all while whistling. He paused his expedition briefly to study a line of ants marching over a log, carrying unrecognizable bits of plant in their jaws. It was delayed even further when he got his foot stuck in the entrance of a rabbit warren and again when his shirt got caught and torn on a branch at least… twelve times. Still, he continued past bubbling streams, lichen-covered logs, and mossy stones.
When the sun reached its climb in the sky and Luffy still hadn't found the trail, he knew he had gotten himself properly lost.
His surroundings had all blurred into the same shape a long time ago, save for the ancient, jagged boulder that towered through the trees only a few feet away, that is. He slowly clambered to the top and plopped himself on a ledge, scoping out the area.
It was pretty nice being lost, actually. The bugs were buzzing, small animals mulled about in the undergrowth, and a soft breeze kept him cool under the blistering sun. Maybe he could just stay here and forget about his grandpa for a little while. It wasn't the first time he'd been on his own in some wild, supposedly dangerous place.
The peace was broken when pebbles came raining down on his head.
Luffy whipped his head up, just barely managing to reel back in time to prevent a head-on collision with another kid. They looked rougher and older, with stormy eyes that studied Luffy like he was a piece of juicy meat. A smattering of freckles covered his cheeks, framed by untamed, black hair.
"Woah! What was that for?!" Luffy squeaked, startled. The stranger snarled in response before snagging Luffy's shirt and pulling him up aggressively.
"Who are you, and what were you doing with Garp?" the other kid demanded.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Gramps was trying to take me up there," Luffy pointed up to the top of Mt. Corvo. "He's not very happy with me right now," he added sheepishly. "Who are you? How do you know I was with Gramps?"
Freckles—Luffy needed some sort of name to call him—gave him an unimpressed look and dropped him gracelessly. "That's none of your business."
"Were you following me?" Luffy jumped to his feet, grinning.
"None of your business."
"Do you have any meat?"
"None of your—what?"
"Shishishi!"
Freckles was slowly edging back towards the forest. Luffy trailed after him, ignoring the displeased look on Freckles' face. "You should get out of here and get back to Garp."
"But I don't wanna."
"It's dangerous out here."
"Well, I don't know where he is," Luffy whined.
"Garp's at Dadan's place," Freckles veered around and crossed his arms, patience growing thin. "Leave me alone."
"You came to talk to me first, and I dunno where that is," Luffy's voice wobbled, and he stared up at Freckles with wet, pathetic eyes.
Freckles floundered for a moment, unsure of how to react to the sudden tears. He eventually settled on yelling at Luffy. "What a baby! Fine, if you shut up, I'll take you!"
Luffy beamed. Seems that trick worked on Freckles, too.
They, more accurately Luffy (Freckles was far more graceful), clumsily hopped over fallen tree limbs, crossed a few streams, ducked under vines, and stumbled through brambles before arriving at a rundown-looking shack.
Freckles padded lazily toward the door and knocked. A hulking creature answered, an orange mane of hair cascading down its back. Luffy watched on with awe. "You're back early, brat," the monster rumbled. Behind it, a familiar figure pushed through the doorway and growled.
"So now you decide to show up. Trying to avoid your loving grandfather, were you?" Garp shoved his way past the monster and scooped Freckles into his arms before he could blink.
"Don't think I didn't notice you hiding over there! Come on out, Luffy."
He could feel his Gramps' eyes boring into him like daggers. He was so done for.