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Shanks sat in a chair turned toward the larger-than-usual Christmas tree in the dining room of the Red Force. Benn was leaning on the back of the chair, resting his chin on the crown of Shanks’s head. They were both smiling—Shanks more than Benn—because they were currently watching Luffy rip through the wrapping paper of one of the presents Shanks had picked out for him. He was smiling ear to ear; he’d just opened a brand-new toy sword.
They had some things for Ace and Sabo, but the boys, ever the untrusting kids they were, refused to come on the ship. They were hoping that if they let them think they weren’t paying attention, they’d get curious and come onboard. If they didn’t, they were going to bring the gifts out to the boys.
Something about the way Luffy was running around and screeching made Shanks think back to the Christmas he spent with his parents and brothers when he was the same age as Luffy. He remembered how he and Buggy had gotten up before the sun, just like Luffy. They had both run down the hall to Roger and Rayleigh’s room, giggling. When they got there, they flung the door open, both of them throwing themselves onto their parents’ bed. They shook Rayleigh awake with a symphony of “Mama, wake up!”
Rayleigh sat up, trying to pretend to be annoyed. It didn’t last long, though, when he saw both of his kids sitting there looking at him with those excited eyes. He sighed and turned toward Roger, opting to be nice and kiss him awake instead of smacking him upside the head. Of course, Roger sat right up when he felt Rayleigh’s lips touch his. He smiled and said in his still-sleepy voice, “Ray, it’s kinda early for this, don’t you think?”
Rayleigh just motioned for the kids, who were sitting there covering their eyes while pretending to gag, to come over and jump on Roger—so that’s exactly what they did. Roger was completely caught off guard by the sudden weight of two children crushing the air from his lungs. He was gasping for air while glaring at Rayleigh. When he finally got the kids off of him, he looked at Rayleigh with a look of fake hurt. “I was betrayed by the love of my life and my children. Oh, why don’t you just take me now, cruel world.”
Rayleigh just rolled his eyes. “Come on, the kids want to open presents, and I want coffee.”
After Rayleigh had his coffee and Roger got a bag for the wrapping paper, they sat down to watch their boys open present after present. Shanks still remembered how, after they had opened everything, he had crawled into Rayleigh’s lap and cuddled into his side, murmuring about how sleepy he was. Buggy had fallen asleep on the floor, gripping Roger’s pant leg.
Luffy flinging himself into Shanks’s lap and almost tipping the chair he was in snapped Shanks back to the present. Shanks turned toward Benn and told him, “Come on, let’s go get the other brats.” He kissed Benn, pulled him along by his arm, and followed Luffy.
He would call his mama later and tell him all about his grandson—and about the two boys Shanks wanted to be his as well—but for now, he was going to enjoy the moment with his son and husband, just like his mama.