Chapter Text
The Red Force was docked in a cozy port town, and the bar was filled with the usual pirate cheer—laughter, loud conversations, and the clinking of mugs. Shanks sat at the bar, regaling a story to the crew, while Makino moved around behind the counter, gracefully serving drinks to the customers.
Usually, Makino would tease him, roll her eyes when he got too loud, or playfully scold him when he’d declare his love too loudly in front of the crew. But tonight... she was different.
She wasn’t teasing him. Instead, she kept giving him soft, affectionate smiles from across the room. Every now and then, their eyes would meet, and her gaze was full of something that made Shanks' heart flutter. She wasn’t acting like her usual self—there was a softness in her presence, a quietness that felt new. And if he wasn’t mistaken, she seemed... more cuddly. She’d lean in close to him as she passed, brushing against his arm, lingering just a moment longer than necessary before pulling away.
It was subtle, but enough to catch his attention.
Yasopp, sitting nearby with his drink in hand, was watching the scene unfold with a small, knowing smile. He had noticed it, too, of course—he knew exactly why Makino was acting this way. But he wasn’t about to spill the beans to the crew. It wasn’t his place to tell Shanks what was happening.
Shanks leaned over to Yasopp, trying to keep his voice low, but there was a hint of curiosity in it. “Oi, Yasopp, you see that too right? what’s with Makino tonight? She’s all... different. Like, she keeps getting all close to me, all soft and cuddly, like she’s trying to melt me with those doe eyes of hers.”
Yasopp took a casual sip of his drink, clearly amused. He turned to look at Makino, who had just smiled softly at Shanks from across the room. "I don’t know, Captain," Yasopp said, his voice light and teasing. "Maybe she’s just in a good mood tonight. Could be the weather, or maybe she’s just happy you’re back."
Shanks raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. He glanced back at Makino, who was now walking over to him with a tray of drinks, her movements fluid and gentle. When she set the drinks down in front of him, she didn’t pull away immediately. Instead, she stayed there for a moment longer than usual, letting her hand rest on his shoulder, her fingers gently brushing against his skin.
Shanks felt his pulse quicken at the simple touch, his heart skipping a beat. “You’re acting all soft on me tonight,” he teased, his voice still loud but with a new edge of fondness. “What’s the deal, huh? You getting all cuddly with me now?”
Makino just smiled up at him, her eyes soft and full of warmth. She didn’t respond with a witty remark or a teasing jab. Instead, she placed her head on his shoulder for a second, resting there like it was the most natural thing in the world. Shanks froze for a moment, a little taken aback by the affectionate gesture, but then he smiled, his arm instinctively wrapping around her waist, pulling her a little closer.
“Makino...” he muttered, his voice dropping a bit, softer now. “What are you doing to me?”
She didn’t answer, but the way she snuggled closer to him, her cheek pressed gently against his shoulder, spoke volumes. Her hand slid from his shoulder down to his arm, fingers tracing lazy patterns on his skin as she settled in beside him, almost like she wanted to stay there all night.
The rest of the crew watched this interaction from across the room, their faces full of confusion. They were used to the playful teasing between Shanks and Makino, the loud, boisterous declarations of love, the jokes and laughter. But tonight? This was something else. Makino was being unusually quiet, and not just quiet—affectionate, soft, and... cuddly. It was almost like she was wrapped around him more than usual, in a way that was making the entire crew raise their eyebrows.
Yasopp, sipping his drink with a bemused expression, leaned back in his chair and glanced around at the others. "What? You all look like you’ve seen a ghost."
Benn Beckman, who was always a few steps ahead of everyone, was observing the couple in silence. He looked over at Yasopp with a raised eyebrow. “You sure you don’t know what’s going on? This is... different.”
Yasopp shrugged, clearly enjoying the crew’s confusion. "I told you, I have no idea. Maybe Captain’s finally figured out how to make his wife happy." He took another sip of his drink, his lips curling into a small grin.
“Yeah, sure,” Benn said, shaking his head. “This is just... different. I’ve never seen her this cuddly, not like this. And Shanks... he looks like he’s in a daze.”
The crew glanced over at Shanks, who was now absentmindedly stroking Makino’s long hair as she leaned against him, her head nestled in the crook of his neck. His usual loud demeanor had softened, and the way he looked at her—tender, adoring—was something they hadn’t seen in a long time. He was just quietly enjoying her presence, as though the entire world outside the bar had disappeared.
Shanks glanced around at the crew, sensing their eyes on him, and shot them a playful grin. “What’s everyone staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a man in love before?”
But the crew was still whispering among themselves, exchanging confused glances. Yasopp caught Shanks' eye and winked. "Yeah, I think we’ve all noticed. But it’s nice, Captain. Really nice."
Shanks glanced down at Makino, who was still holding onto him, her small smile resting gently on her lips. She was the picture of contentment, and despite the teasing from the crew, he couldn’t be happier. She wasn’t saying much, but her actions—her warmth, her closeness, the way she kept leaning into him—spoke louder than any words ever could.
For once, Shanks didn’t need to shout to the world that he loved her. Her soft, quiet presence said it all. And for him, that was enough.