Archive of Our Own

The Red Force rested peacefully on the water—as peacefully as a pirate ship under Shanks' command could ever rest, anyway. Even when the wind only tugged lazily at the sails and the sea rolled in broad, glittering waves against the hull, the deck was still filled with that familiar chaos of voices, footsteps, laughter, and the dull creaking of wood that Shanks had known better than any cradle, any house, or any harbor she had ever called home, even if only for a moment.

At the moment, however, she had little appreciation for the peaceful atmosphere.

She stepped out of her cabin with quick strides, one hand still buried in her red hair, which she had only half-heartedly brushed out of her face, while her gaze was already sweeping across the men on deck. They were acting far too innocent for people who could clearly see that their captain was only moments away from either throwing someone overboard or dying a very dramatic death.

"Where is he?" she asked.

Her voice wasn't truly threatening. If anything, it sounded like a woman who had spent the last ten minutes trying to find a five-year-old child who had very clearly inherited far too much of her own talent for disappearing.

Several heads lifted at once.

Ben Beckman, who was leaning against the railing and pretending he had nothing better to do than admire the calm horizon, took a drag from his cigarette before finally looking at her. The slowness of the gesture alone was enough to make Shanks narrow her eyes.

"Who?" he asked dryly.

Shanks stopped walking, planted a hand on her hip, and looked at him as if he had voluntarily stepped onto a very thin rope stretched over a very deep abyss.

"Beck."

"Oh, the kid," Yasopp said from somewhere behind a barrel, doing such a poor job of hiding his grin that Shanks briefly wondered why she hadn't abandoned him on some random island years ago. "I think I saw him running left."

"Left," Shanks repeated.

"Or to the right," Lucky Roux added through a mouthful of food, sounding completely convinced despite the fact that he probably wouldn't have known where north was even if someone had nailed a compass to his forehead. "Depends on where you're standing."

Shanks took a slow, measured breath, so deep and controlled that several crew members visibly struggled not to laugh even harder.

"You're all a disaster."

"You picked us," Beck pointed out.

"Yeah, and apparently I was drunk."

"You're usually drunk."

"That is not an excuse for your personalities."

This time they really laughed.

Loudly.

Warmly.

And for a brief moment, the corner of Shanks' mouth twitched upward as well, because despite everything, she loved exactly this kind of chaos. This ship. These men. This family held together not by blood, but by choices, scars, shared meals, lost battles, and victorious nights spent beneath the same stars.

Then she remembered that somewhere on this ship was a little boy who was far too brave for his own size, far too curious for her blood pressure, and far too much like his father whenever it came to doing things that any person with a healthy survival instinct would have wisely avoided.

"Luffy!" she called as she continued forward, ducking beneath a taut rope, passing two men repairing a fishing net, and automatically stepping around a loose line without even looking. "Luffy, if you're hiding somewhere again, I swear you're eating vegetables tonight."

No giggle answered her, but something moved farther ahead, and Shanks immediately stopped.

Beck, who had begun following her at a leisurely pace, raised an eyebrow.

"Vegetables? Truly cruel."

"He's supposed to be afraid."

"He's five."

"Yeah, and yesterday he tried explaining to a baby seagull how to become a captain."

"That was surprisingly convincing," Beck replied with the faintest hint of a grin.

Shanks shot him a look over her shoulder, but he appeared as unbothered as ever, which only made it worse.

She knew her first mate adored Luffy just as much as the rest of the crew did, even if he'd never show it as openly as the others. They had long since begun treating the boy like a tiny red storm that swept across the deck asking questions, laughing, tripping, getting back up, and somehow convincing grown men to do things that Shanks had explicitly forbidden.

She continued toward the bow, where the wind was stronger and the sea shone brighter. Before she even saw him, she heard the quiet, concentrated little huff Luffy always made whenever he was focusing very hard and believed nobody would notice him.

There he was.

Standing far too close to the edge, both small hands gripping the railing, his feet balanced on a crate that definitely should not have been there. His black hair was tousled by the wind, and the straw hat that was still slightly too big for him sat low over his forehead.

For a moment, Shanks said nothing.

Her heart first had to perform that unpleasant little jump against her ribs—the one it always did whenever she found him somewhere he absolutely should not be. At the same time, there was that soft, aching warmth because he was so small, so alive, so completely her son that sometimes she could hardly believe the sea had actually given her something it didn't immediately intend to take back.

"Luffy," she said at last, more quietly this time.

The boy spun around, looking far too guilty to be innocent, and then grinned so broadly that Shanks immediately knew he felt absolutely no remorse.

"Mom!"

"You little menace," she said as she crossed the distance in two quick steps and lifted him off the crate before he could even think about protesting. "I've been looking everywhere for you, and you're up here acting like you're already the captain of this ship."

Luffy didn't struggle. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her neck as naturally as if he hadn't just tried to age her five years.

"I was watching."

"I can tell."

"To see If Dad was coming."

Shanks' hold on him softened instinctively.

Luffy looked past her toward the horizon, as if at any moment a small, outrageously elegant boat might appear there with black sails, carrying a man who looked as though nothing in the world had ever surprised him and a sword larger than some of the men Shanks had met throughout her life.

"He said he'd be here soon."

The quiet statement pulled her from her thoughts.

"He did," Shanks said eventually, adjusting his straw hat with her fingers even though she knew perfectly well it would be crooked again within three seconds. "And your father usually keeps his promises."

"Usually?"

"He's dramatic."

Luffy frowned as if he had to turn the word around in his head until it made sense.

"You're dramatic too."

Behind her, Shanks heard a suspiciously strangled noise that sounded a lot like Yasopp, and she turned her head just enough to shoot the men a look that promised they would be discussing this later.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she said dryly. "Very loving of you."

Luffy grinned again and pressed his cheek against her shoulder as though that settled everything.

Shanks felt all the annoyance she had been trying so hard to maintain slipping through her fingers.

It was unfair.

Truly unfair.

This boy had inherited her laugh, Mihawk's sharp focus whenever he concentrated on something, and that boundless, ridiculous confidence that probably came from both of them and was therefore twice as dangerous.

"You can't just run off," she said anyway, because someone on this ship had to at least attempt to be responsible, even if she was probably the worst candidate for the job. "Not up here, not by yourself, and definitely not on a crate right next to the railing. If you fall, you're falling straight into the ocean."

"I can swim."

Shanks couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face.

"Yes," she agreed. "But you can also sink with remarkable enthusiasm."

Luffy immediately looked offended.

"I do not!"

The indignation in his voice was so genuine that Shanks nearly laughed. Instead, she merely raised an eyebrow and regarded her son with visible skepticism.

He pouted.

But only for a moment.

Then he turned back toward the horizon, and his voice became smaller—not sad, just wistful.

"I just want to see Dad first."

Shanks didn't answer immediately.

Instead, she held him a little tighter, the way she always did whenever she became a little too aware that her life had always been made of goodbyes—of harbors shrinking behind them, of people coming and going, of battles, of promises made out on the open sea where there were no walls strong enough to hold them.

Mihawk was not a man who could be chained down, and Shanks had never asked him to be. She would have hated any cage herself, no matter how golden it might have been.

That didn't change the fact that Luffy waited for him every single time, as though sheer stubbornness alone could make the horizon move faster.

"He's coming," she said at last, pressing a kiss to Luffy's forehead just beneath the brim of his straw hat.

Her hand lingered in his dark hair for another moment before she gently nudged his cheek with an indulgent smile.

"And until he gets here, you're staying with me, alright? No crates, no railings, no sneaking off to the bow, and absolutely no more attempts to hide yourself inside a barrel as a stowaway."

Luffy lifted his head and looked at her with the kind of innocence that was automatically suspicious whenever it came from him.

Shanks held his gaze without saying a word and simply waited.

Eventually, he looked away just slightly and muttered, a little more quietly, "That only happened once."

"That was yesterday," she reminded him dryly.

For a moment, he genuinely seemed to have no response to that.

"Yeah," he finally admitted, as though that somehow counted as a perfectly reasonable counterargument.

Shanks raised an eyebrow.

"Luffy."

The boy scrunched up his face a little but remained stubborn.

"But it would've worked."

For a brief moment, Shanks closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Almost at the same time, a voice behind her spoke up—a voice that sounded suspiciously like Beck and equally suspiciously as though it hadn't intended to be heard quite so clearly.

"He got that from you."

Of course she heard it anyway.

Without turning around, she pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

"I'm throwing you into the ocean."

"Me or him?" came the immediate calm reply.

This time, Shanks actually had to think about it.

She looked at Beck.

Then at Luffy.

Then back at Beck.

"I haven't decided yet."

The bright laugh that burst out of Luffy instantly destroyed any remaining attempt she had at staying serious.

His laughter was infectious, carefree, and completely unrestrained, and every single time it struck her right in the heart.

It reminded her of everything she loved.

Everything she wanted to protect.

And all the things she had never planned for but could no longer imagine living without.

Once, she had believed she understood freedom.

Back then, freedom had been the wind in her sails, a sword at her side, a drink in her hand, and an endless horizon stretching across the sea. She had thought that needing no one was the greatest freedom of all.

Luffy had shown her how wrong she had been.

Because the freedom he had taught her was something entirely different.

It was heavier.

More fragile.

Sometimes even frightening.

Because it meant loving someone so much that their happiness mattered more than your own.

And because it meant knowing that one day, you would have to let them go, even though all you wanted was to keep them close forever.

Just not yet.

Right now, he was five years old, smelled of salt, sunshine, and some sweet pastry Lucky had probably slipped him behind her back, and held onto her shirt as though she were the safest thing in the entire world.

Without meaning to, Shanks smiled against his hair.

There were days when she could barely believe that this little boy was actually her son, and other days when she looked at him and saw so much of herself that it was almost frightening.

"Come on, little captain," she said at last, pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head. "We'll wait together."

Luffy seemed to consider that for a moment before his gaze wandered across the deck.

The idea of waiting appeared acceptable to him—as long as he was allowed to sit somewhere as high up as possible while doing it.

"Can I sit up there then?"

Shanks didn't even have to think about it.

"No."

Luffy pulled a face as though she had just presented him with the greatest injustice in the world.

"On your shoulders?"

"Also no."

The boy thought about it again, this time with noticeably greater concentration. Eventually, his gaze landed on Ben Beckman, who made the mistake of looking in their direction at exactly the wrong moment.

"On Beck's shoulders?"

The answer came so quickly that it was almost simultaneous with the question.

"No."

Luffy immediately twisted around in Shanks' arms and looked at Beck with wide eyes, as though he had just said something completely unreasonable.

"Please?"

Beck remained firm.

"No."

"Please, Uncle Beck?"

Shanks watched the scene with growing amusement.

Over the years, she had seen many people fold under Ben Beckman's pressure. Pirates. Bounty hunters. Marines. Even a few captains.

Luffy, however, belonged to the very small group of people in this world for whom the situation usually worked the other way around.

For a moment, Beck actually looked as though someone had disarmed him in the middle of a duel. His expression remained as calm as ever, but the faintest hesitation was enough to make Shanks bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud.

The boy knew exactly that he was slowly wearing him down.

And Beck knew it too.

"Maybe later," he finally said.

The effect was immediate.

Ruffy's eyes lit up as though someone had just promised him treasure.

"That means yes!"

"No," Beck corrected patiently. "That means maybe."

"Mom, he said yes!"

Shanks let out an amused snort and shifted his weight slightly as she adjusted Luffy on her hip.

"He did not."

"He did."

"He did not."

"He did."

The conviction in Luffy's voice was so absolute that one might have thought he was presenting a case in court.

Shanks simply shook her head.

"You're just as bad as your father," she muttered as she finally turned away from the railing and carried him a few steps across the deck.

Luffy seemed to take that more as a compliment than criticism.

And as though the sea itself had been waiting for that exact moment, a voice suddenly cut through the familiar sounds of the ship.

"Small boat off starboard!"

Something shifted immediately.

Not much.

Just a fleeting moment in which conversations died away, heads turned, and even the wind seemed to sound different for a heartbeat.

Shanks stopped.

In her arms, Luffy sat up so quickly that his straw hat nearly slipped from his head.

Beck was already turning toward the sea.

Several crew members looked in the same direction.

And there, far out on the glittering waves, a small dark shape had appeared. For now, it was little more than a shadow on the horizon, nearly lost among the sunlight dancing across the water.

But Shanks only needed a single heartbeat to recognize who it was.

She knew that boat.

She knew its owner.

And she probably would have recognized him even if he had appeared on the far side of the Grand Line.

Before she could say a word, she heard a sharp intake of breath right in front of her.

Luffy had recognized him too.

His eyes widened.

Then his entire face lit up, so bright and genuine that even the sun itself seemed pale in comparison.

"Dad!"

Luffy's voice echoed across the deck of the Red Force the moment the dark speck on the horizon became large enough for him to recognize it without a doubt.

The excitement that had been building inside him all day seemed to double instantly, and before the small boat had even fully pulled alongside the ship, he was already squirming in Shanks' arms, his eyes locked on the figure slowly drawing closer.

"Mom, put me down!" he cried immediately, already trying to wriggle free of her grip as though he feared Mihawk might disappear again if he waited even a second too long.

Shanks couldn't help smiling.

"Easy there, little whirlwind," she said as she carefully set him down on the deck. "Your father isn't going anywhere."

The moment his feet touched the wooden planks, Ruffy was gone.

His small legs carried him across the deck as fast as any five-year-old could possibly run, and several crew members had to step aside to keep him from crashing straight into them. None of them complained.

Quite the opposite.

Most watched the scene with obvious amusement, because they all knew exactly how long the boy had been waiting for this moment.

The small boat finally came alongside the Red Force, and a moment later Mihawk stepped onto the deck.

As always, he was almost intimidating to look at.

His long black coat shifted lightly in the wind, the massive sword rested across his back, and beneath the familiar hat, his golden eyes swept calmly across the ship. His expression was the same as it almost always was—controlled, stoic, and difficult for most people to read.

But Shanks had known him for many years.

Longer than most people could even imagine.

She had first met him as a rival when they were both younger, had crossed blades with him countless times, had run into him again and again on islands scattered across the seas, and at some point had realized that she looked forward to seeing him far more than she probably should have.

That was why she noticed the change immediately.

It was small.

So small that nobody but her would likely have seen it.

But it was there.

The moment Mihawk's gaze landed on Luffy.

The moment the coldness vanished from his eyes.

The moment the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Not a grin.

Not open laughter.

Just that small, genuine smile that appeared so rarely that Shanks still found herself happy every time she got to see it.

"Dad!"

Luffy finally reached him and launched himself forward without the slightest hesitation.

Mihawk reacted instantly.

Before the boy could even reach him, he was already crouching down. The movement seemed almost instinctive, as though his body had acted before his mind had even thought about it. His arms opened slightly, just enough for Luffy to throw himself at him without restraint.

The impact was not particularly gentle.

Luffy was five, after all.

And overflowing with excitement.

But Mihawk caught him effortlessly, while the boy immediately clung to him as though he intended to make up for the last two months all at once.

For a moment, the world around them seemed to fall completely silent.

The crew's voices faded into the background.

The creaking of the ship.

The sound of the sea.

Even the wind suddenly felt farther away.

In that moment, the only thing that mattered to Luffy was that his father was finally here.

"You're back!" he burst out happily as he tightened his grip around Mihawk.

One of Mihawk's hands settled calmly against his back.

The gesture was small, almost subtle, and yet it carried the same familiarity as all of his rare displays of affection.

"I am," he confirmed.

Luffy pulled back just enough to look at him properly.

His eyes studied Mihawk for a moment, as though he needed to convince himself that he was truly standing there and wasn't about to disappear again.

"You were gone forever!"

The corners of Mihawk's mouth twitched faintly.

"Two months."

To Luffy, however, that distinction seemed entirely irrelevant.

"That's forever!"

A small smile finally appeared on Mihawk's face.

Not large enough for most people to notice, but unmistakable to those who knew him.

"If you say so."

That answer was all Luffy needed for his excitement to surge right back to full force.

"And I did lots of things!" he declared immediately, waving his hands around so enthusiastically that Mihawk instinctively tightened his hold on him. "Lots of things!"

"That doesn't surprise me," Mihawk replied with a calmness that stood in direct contrast to Luffy's overflowing energy.

"And I've gotten bigger!"

The boy straightened up slightly, as though personally presenting evidence.

Mihawk's gaze traveled briefly over him.

"I can see that."

Luffy beamed.

"And stronger!"

"Of course."

"And faster!"

This time, he seemed to know the answer before Mihawk even opened his mouth.

"I have no doubt about that."

For a brief moment, Luffy looked as though he had just received the greatest validation of his entire life.

His face practically glowed with pride, and behind Mihawk, Shanks could already see the next topic forming in his mind.

She knew that look.

The entire crew knew that look.

It was the same expression Luffy always got right before he started talking without pause about everything that had happened to him over the past few days, weeks, or hours.

And that was exactly what happened.

The moment Mihawk finished speaking, Luffy's excitement burst out of him like a dam that had been holding back pressure for far too long. He immediately launched into stories about his adventures, jumping from one topic to the next without warning. He told him about life on the ship, games he had played with the crew, stories Yasopp had told him, things he had learned, and at least three separate incidents that would probably give Shanks gray hair in hindsight.

Meanwhile, Mihawk actually listened.

Not halfway.

Not out of politeness.

But with the same patience he usually reserved for rare duels or particularly complicated strategies.

And although his responses remained brief, every nod, every small question, and every faint hint of a smile was more than enough to encourage Luffy to keep talking with even greater enthusiasm.

Several members of the crew were openly watching the scene by now.

Even Beck had briefly forgotten about his cigarette.

Lucky was grinning.

Yasopp looked as though he was one emotional sentence away from becoming sentimental.

And Shanks simply stood there for a moment.

She watched her son.

She watched Mihawk.

And suddenly, she was reminded once again of how unreal her own life sometimes felt.

As a child, she had stood aboard Roger's ship and dreamed of seeing the world.

Later, she had become a captain.

Then one of the strongest pirates on the seas.

She had survived battles, challenged Emperors, and experienced things most people could hardly imagine.

Yet none of it felt as important as the sight before her now.

Her son, barely able to catch his breath from excitement.

The man she loved.

And that deep sense of contentment spreading through her chest.

Not because her life was perfect—it never had been.

But because she suddenly knew that she wouldn't change a single thing about it.

Not one step.

Not one decision.

Not even the mistakes.

Because every single one of them had led her here.

To this family.

To this moment.

With a soft smile, she finally started moving again and slowly made her way toward them.

By now, Mihawk had picked Luffy up so the boy wouldn't constantly bounce around him while talking.

It did absolutely nothing to stop him from continuing.

If anything, being securely perched in his father's arms only seemed to increase his need to talk.

"...and then Uncle Yasopp said it was dangerous," he was saying enthusiastically, gesturing so wildly that Mihawk instinctively tightened his hold on him, "but I told him it would definitely work!"

Mihawk seemed entirely unsurprised.

In fact, he looked as though he had expected exactly that story.

"Of course you did."

Ruffy either failed to notice the dry tone or deliberately ignored it.

"And then Mom scolded me!" he continued, still sounding deeply offended by this obvious injustice.

"That doesn't surprise me either."

"For absolutely no reason!" Luffy declared immediately.

Mihawk nodded slowly, as though he were genuinely considering the statement.

"I'm sure."

Luffy looked thoroughly vindicated.

"I was being good!"

At that, Mihawk actually raised an eyebrow.

It wasn't a particularly dramatic movement, but anyone who knew him understood that it spoke volumes.

"Luffy."

"What?"

"Were you being good?"

For a moment, there was actual silence.

Ruffy blinked.

Then blinked again.

As though he were seriously considering the question.

The pause lasted approximately two seconds.

"Mostly," he finally declared with the confidence of a lawyer winning the most important case of his career.

Mihawk's eyebrow rose just a little higher.

"I see."

"Really!" Luffy insisted immediately, sitting up slightly. "I didn't cause Mom any problems at all."

"Oh, didn't he?"

The new voice made Luffy freeze instantly.

During his entire monologue, Shanks had been gradually drawing closer and was now standing right beside them. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her red hair stirred by the wind, and a distinctly amused grin rested on her lips. She had clearly been listening to the conversation for several minutes already.

"Then I must have imagined the last eight weeks," she continued.

Luffy gasped in outrage.

"Mom!"

Shanks remained completely unimpressed.

"Oh, of course. The little rascal was an absolute angel."

Luffy's face brightened immediately.

"See!"

"An angel of chaos."

His hope died instantly.

"Mom!"

"A natural disaster."

"Mom!"

"A walking catastrophe."

By now, several crew members could no longer hold back their laughter. Even some of the men who had supposedly been busy working had long since stopped and were following the conversation with obvious enjoyment.

Luffy, meanwhile, immediately began to pout.

His lower lip stuck out slightly, his arms folded across his chest, and his gaze shifted accusingly between his parents.

"You're mean."

Mihawk, however, seemed far from impressed.

He shot Shanks a brief glance, as though verifying her assessment, before looking back at his son.

"That sounds entirely believable."

Luffy stared at him as though he had just witnessed the greatest betrayal of his young life.

"Dad! Not you too!"

"I'm merely reviewing the evidence," Mihawk replied with complete seriousness.

"I'm being misunderstood."

"Naturally."

The answer was delivered so dryly that even Shanks had to laugh.

Luffy, however, seemed absolutely determined to defend his honor and immediately launched into a new series of arguments proving his innocence. While he passionately explained why every incident from the past several weeks had either been a misunderstanding or completely justified, Shanks' and Mihawk's gazes finally met.

And suddenly, everything else faded into the background.

The crew's voices grew quieter.

The steady sound of the sea lost its importance.

Even Luffy's loud defense of his own innocence faded into little more than distant background noise.

It had been two months.

Two months filled with voyages, obligations, and endless distances. Two months spent sailing different routes across the Grand Line, seeing different islands, and following different paths. To many people, two months might not have seemed particularly long, but out on the sea, they could sometimes feel like an eternity.

And although neither Shanks nor Mihawk had ever been particularly good at putting their feelings into grand speeches, their reunions always unfolded in the same way.

Familiar.

Warm.

Honest.

It didn't matter how much time had passed or how many miles had separated them. It didn't matter what battles they had fought or what hardships they had overcome. Every time they saw each other again, there was that same feeling—as though something had quietly returned to where it belonged.

While Luffy was still passionately defending his own innocence, Mihawk finally lifted his free hand and gently placed it against Shanks' cheek.

The touch was simple.

Small.

Nothing remarkable.

And yet it was more than enough.

A soft smile immediately appeared on Shanks' face.

Without even thinking about it, she leaned slightly into his hand and savored the familiar warmth of his touch. It was ridiculous how much she had missed exactly this.

"It's good to see you again," Mihawk said quietly.

His voice was as calm as ever, but this time there was something in it meant only for her.

Something he showed no one else.

Shanks' smile softened further.

"You too," she answered honestly.

For a brief moment, his hand remained against her cheek. Neither of them seemed particularly eager to let the moment pass. Eventually, Mihawk leaned forward slightly, and Shanks met him halfway.

The kiss was neither passionate nor especially long.

It was simply familiar.

Familiar like all the years they had spent together.

Familiar like countless reunions after long journeys.

Familiar like a home you could always find again, no matter how far away you had wandered.

For a single heartbeat, it truly felt as though the entire world had fallen still around them.

Then came the outrage.

"No!"

The protest was so loud and indignant that Shanks had to pull away from the kiss almost immediately because she could no longer hold back her laughter.

Luffy stared at his parents as though he had just witnessed the greatest betrayal of his young life.

His mouth hung open.

His eyes were enormous.

And his expression looked genuinely offended.

"Dad!" he complained at once.

Mihawk turned his head toward him and looked completely serious, as though he had no idea why his son was suddenly so upset.

"Yes?"

"You're supposed to be greeting me!"

The indignation in Luffy's voice had become so dramatic by now that several crew members were visibly struggling not to laugh.

Mihawk actually seemed to consider the complaint for a moment, as though Luffy had raised a perfectly reasonable point.

"I already did," he eventually pointed out.

That was clearly not the answer his son had wanted.

"Not by kissing Mom!" Ruffy protested immediately, frowning deeply.

"Oh?"

"No!"

With all the determination a five-year-old could possibly possess, Luffy crossed his arms over his chest and looked as though his position was completely non-negotiable. At the same time, he shifted slightly away from Mihawk and was already stretching his arms toward his mother, as though it should be perfectly obvious where his rightful place was.

Mihawk remained entirely serious.

"Why not?"

For a brief moment, Luffy genuinely looked surprised that the question even needed to be asked. To him, the answer was perfectly obvious.

"Because mom is my mom!"

The sheer certainty with which he said it created a moment of actual silence.

Even the wind seemed to pause.

Then half the crew burst into loud laughter.

Shanks buried her face in one hand while Luffy seemed completely unable to understand what everyone found so funny. Instead, he stretched his arms even farther toward her.

"Mommy!"

Still laughing, Shanks finally took him from Mihawk's arms, and the moment she picked him up, he immediately settled against her shoulder with complete satisfaction, as though he had just proven beyond any doubt that he was right.

That only made the situation even funnier for the crew.

Even the corners of Mihawk's mouth lifted visibly while Luffy continued looking entirely convinced that he had just made a perfectly logical and irrefutable argument.

The laughter lingered for several moments after his loud protest had faded, and although Luffy was certainly aware of the amusement around him, he didn't seem particularly bothered by it. Instead, he crossed his arms once more, pressed himself demonstratively closer to Shanks, and shot the surrounding men a look that was probably meant to be intimidating but only succeeded in making everyone laugh even harder.

"See?" Yasopp said with a grin, pointing at the boy. "That's exactly what I mean. The kid clings to his mother like a lantern hanging from a mast."

"Can you blame him?" Lucky Roux chimed in. "If I had the choice, I'd let Shanks carry me around too."

"Try it and I'll throw you into the ocean," Shanks replied dryly.

"See?" Lucky said. "Even the threats are affectionate."

Laughter broke out once again as Luffy finally settled against Shanks and buried half his face in her shoulder. It was obvious that the teasing didn't truly bother him. Everyone on the ship had known for a long time just how attached the boy was to his mother. Whenever he got hurt, he ran to Shanks. Whenever he was scared, he looked for Shanks. Whenever he was sick, he clung to her like a lifeline in the middle of the open sea. Even now, despite being unmistakably happy that his father had returned, he had already found his way back to his usual place within minutes.

And Shanks loved it.

Maybe a little too much.

Mihawk loved it too, though he would never have admitted it quite so openly.

His gaze briefly settled on the boy, who was practically draped across Shanks by now and looked completely content, as though there was no better place in the entire world to be. Luffy seemed to have forgotten all about the crew's teasing and had comfortably curled up against his mother again while simultaneously making sure that his father didn't disappear from his sight.

For a moment, Mihawk simply watched him, and that rare, nearly invisible smile appeared on his face once more. It was only a small thing, little more than the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth, but for someone like Shanks, it was impossible to miss.

"He'll grow out of it eventually," Mihawk remarked in his usual calm tone.

The answer came so quickly that it almost seemed as though Shanks had been waiting for him to say it.

"No."

Mihawk turned his head slightly toward her.

"No?"

"Definitely not," she declared with the sort of conviction that made it very clear she intended to defend that hope with everything she had.

For a moment, Mihawk regarded her in silence before his gaze briefly drifted back to Luffy, who was already rambling about something else entirely.

"That sounds like wishful thinking."

Shanks showed not the slightest trace of regret.

"Of course it's wishful thinking."

The honesty of the answer actually made Mihawk look mildly amused for a moment.

"Good."

Now it was Shanks' turn to grin.

She knew him far too well by now.

She knew exactly what he was thinking.

"You think it's just as adorable as I do."

Mihawk's gaze drifted back to their son, who was currently attempting to cling to Shanks, argue with the crew, and keep an eye on his father all at the same time.

"Possibly," he said at last.

Shanks let out an amused snort.

She knew that answer.

And she knew exactly what it meant.

"Mihawk."

His golden eyes shifted back toward her.

"Yes?"

"You think it's just as adorable as I do."

For a moment, he said nothing.

He didn't deny it.

But he didn't directly confirm it either.

Instead, that small, barely noticeable twitch returned to the corner of his mouth—that rare smile reserved only for the people who truly mattered to him.

Shanks watched him for a moment before finally laughing softly.

That was answer enough.

Luffy seemed completely unaware of the conversation because something else had suddenly occurred to him. He straightened up, looked back and forth between his parents, and asked with the seriousness of someone discussing the fate of the world:

"Can we do something together today? Like, really together?"

Immediately, all attention shifted back to him.

"What do you mean?" Shanks asked.

"I mean everything together. You're both here and we can walk through town and maybe get something to eat and maybe have a picnic and maybe tell stories and maybe—"

"Luffy."

"Yeah?"

"Breathe."

The boy took an audible breath.

"And then maybe we can also—"

"We get the idea," Shanks said with a laugh.

The expression on Luffy's face immediately turned hopeful.

"So... yes?"

Shanks and Mihawk exchanged a glance.

The answer had already been decided.

"Yes," Shanks said.

"Of course," Mihawk added.

The smile that spread across Luffy's face afterward was worth more than any treasure in the world.

***

The small harbor town was exactly the kind of place one could easily overlook if they weren't specifically looking for it. There were no grand buildings, no massive crowds, and no important figures drawing attention to themselves. Instead, the streets were lined with small shops, market stalls, cozy homes, and friendly people who seemed far more interested in their daily lives than in the famous visitors who had just arrived at their harbor.

That was precisely why it was perfect.

Only a few minutes after their arrival, Luffy was already racing ahead of them, seemingly determined to explore every single corner of the town. Barely had they entered the first street before he stopped at yet another stall, asked a merchant several questions at once, examined the displayed goods with endless curiosity, and then suddenly remembered in the middle of a sentence that he still had another story he needed to tell his father. How he managed to do all of those things simultaneously without losing track of a single thought would probably remain one of the world's greatest mysteries to Shanks forever.

While Luffy enthusiastically made his way through the town, Shanks and Mihawk followed several steps behind him. Their pace was slow, almost leisurely, and that fact alone felt strangely unfamiliar. There was no battle waiting for them, no negotiations to attend, no political games being played by the World Government, no Marine ships on the horizon, and no responsibilities demanding their attention. For the first time in a long while, the day didn't feel like another chapter in their lives as pirates. It simply felt like time they were allowed to spend together.

When Luffy eventually became fascinated by a small stall displaying hand-carved wooden figures and immediately began overwhelming the poor merchant with questions, Shanks took the opportunity to drift a little closer to Mihawk. For a moment, she simply watched her son standing among the carvings with shining eyes, examining each one as though it were a legendary treasure. Only then did she turn her attention toward Mihawk.

"I've missed this," she said quietly, not immediately taking her eyes off Luffy.

Mihawk followed her gaze at first. He looked over the little town, the peaceful streets, the market stalls, and the quiet rhythm of ordinary life before calmly asking,

"The town?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Shanks' mouth.

"You."

For a brief moment, Mihawk said nothing. His golden eyes rested on her as though he were considering whether she truly meant it, even though he already knew the answer. Eventually, he replied with the same effortless certainty that had always been part of him.

"I know."

Shanks immediately laughed and shook her head.

"That sounds incredibly confident."

"It's the truth," he replied, as though it were the most logical statement in the world.

And that was exactly why it made her smile even more.

It was so typical of him.

Not vain.

Not arrogant.

Just honest.

They walked beside one another in comfortable silence for several more steps before Shanks spoke again.

"Two months is too long," she murmured, glancing once more toward Luffy, who by now appeared to be explaining to the merchant why pirates were clearly the greatest people in the world.

Mihawk's gaze lingered on their son as well. When he answered, it was with such natural simplicity that the words almost sounded casual.

"For me as well."

And that surprised Shanks.

Not because Mihawk never said things like that. He did. Rarely, but always honestly. Usually, however, he reserved those words for moments when they were alone. Because of that, the answer caught her off guard, and for a brief moment she actually stopped walking and looked at him.

"You're becoming sentimental."

The faintest hint of a smile appeared on his face.

"You're rubbing off on me."

"That sounds dangerous."

"It probably is."

This time, Shanks laughed openly. It wasn't a loud laugh, but one of those warm, genuine laughs that only the people she truly cared about ever got to hear.

As they continued walking, Shanks suddenly became aware of just how happy she truly was.

Not because of her title as an Emperor.

Not because of her reputation.

Not because of the strength she had earned over the years.

All of those things were part of her life, and they had shaped her into the person she was today, but none of those achievements were what made her heart feel so light in that moment.

Instead, that feeling was several steps ahead of her in a small marketplace, where a five-year-old boy was discovering the world with shining eyes while simultaneously trying to tell his father ten different stories at once.

And it was walking right beside her, in the form of a man she had once known as a rival and who, over the years, had become something she had never expected him to become:

Home.

In that moment, she didn't feel like one of the Emperors of the Sea.

She didn't feel like one of the most dangerous pirates of her generation.

She simply felt like a mother.

A partner.

And a part of this small family she had never planned for and yet had somehow become more important to her than anything else.

Of course, the outing eventually ended with ice cream.

And of course, it took Luffy almost no time at all to get it absolutely everywhere.

To be honest, Shanks had expected nothing less.

Later, as they walked together along the harbor, she found herself wiping his face clean for the third time already. By now, the sticky traces of melting ice cream had somehow spread far beyond his hands and reached his cheeks, his chin, and even parts of his clothes. Shanks wasn't entirely sure how he had managed it.

She also wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"How do you even do that?" she finally asked, stopping for a moment to wipe another smear from his face with a cloth.

Luffy blinked at her in confusion.

"Do what?"

The fact that he genuinely meant the question only made it worse.

Shanks gestured vaguely in his direction.

"All of it."

For a moment, Luffy looked down at himself as though checking whether he had somehow missed an obvious problem. Apparently he concluded that everything was perfectly normal, because he simply shrugged.

"I'm just eating."

Beside her, Mihawk let out an amused snort while Shanks shook her head.

"No," she corrected him, brushing another spot of ice cream from his cheek. "You're waging war against that ice cream."

Luffy considered that for a moment.

Then he beamed.

"I'm winning!"

The conviction in his voice was so absolute that one might have believed he had actually fought a heroic battle.

Shanks glanced at his sticky hands, his smeared face, and the remains of the ice cream that were currently threatening to drip onto his clothes.

"No," she stated dryly. "The ice cream is winning."

This time, Mihawk couldn't suppress an audible snort.

Luffy, meanwhile, ignored both of them completely.

In his mind, the outcome of that battle had already been decided.

As afternoon slowly gave way to evening and the warm sunlight began bathing the world in shades of gold, they eventually spread out a blanket on a small hill near the harbor. From there, they had a perfect view of the sea, the Red Force resting peacefully on the water, and the sun slowly descending toward the horizon.

It was one of those rare moments when everything seemed peaceful, when the world forgot for a few hours just how loud and chaotic it usually was.

Luffy, however, had not yet forgotten how much energy he possessed.

At least not at first.

The moment they sat down, he wanted to play games.

Once he had tired of that, he wanted to explore the area.

Afterward, he wanted to know whether there were any wild animals on the island.

Then he wanted to know whether Mihawk had ever fought a Sea King.

And eventually, when even his endless curiosity finally paused for a moment, he decided that stories were clearly the best possible activity.

More specifically, stories from his father.

Naturally, he insisted on it.

And much to Shanks' surprise, Mihawk surrendered to that fate with remarkably little resistance.

By then, Luffy was sitting between them on the blanket, looking up at him with bright, expectant eyes.

At last, Mihawk began to speak.

He told stories of journeys across the Grand Line, of islands so unusual that they sounded more like legends than real places, of enormous storms capable of swallowing entire ships, and of battles he had long since won.

Naturally, he left many things out.

Some details were too complicated for a child.

Others were too dangerous.

And some belonged to those memories Mihawk simply never liked talking about very much.

For a five-year-old, however, none of that mattered.

To Luffy, these stories were the greatest thing in the world.

He sat almost completely still, hanging on every word his father spoke and following each story with a level of attention that Shanks rarely saw from him under any other circumstances.

"And then you really won?" Luffy asked at some point, scooting a little closer.

Mihawk nodded calmly.

"Yes."

Luffy thought about that for a moment.

"All by yourself?"

"Yes."

The answer came just as naturally as the previous one.

Luffy blinked.

"Against everyone?"

A faint smile appeared on Mihawk's face.

"Not everyone."

That answer only seemed to make the boy even more curious.

"But a lot of them?"

"Enough."

Apparently, that was all the confirmation he needed.

For a moment, Luffy stared at him with wide eyes, as though he had just received personal confirmation that every story and every legend about his father was true.

The admiration on his face was so obvious that even Shanks couldn't help smiling.

"You're really the strongest swordsman in the world," Ruffy declared at last with the absolute certainty only a child could possess.

Mihawk seemed considerably less impressed by that fact than his son was.

"That's what people say," he replied calmly.

Ruffy immediately shook his head.

"No, really!" he argued passionately, gesturing so enthusiastically that he nearly lost his balance. "You're incredible!"

Mihawk shook his head slightly, as though he couldn't understand why that statement was worth mentioning at all.

And yet Shanks still noticed the small smile that briefly appeared on his face.

It was only there for a moment.

But it was there.

And that alone was enough.

With visible amusement, she leaned back slightly and watched the two of them.

"I think you have a fan."

Mihawk's gaze shifted briefly from Luffy to her.

"Obviously."

That only made Shanks grin even more.

"Not just any fan," she clarified. "The biggest fan in the world."

This time, even Mihawk allowed himself a small smile.

"I'm afraid so."

Luffy, however, didn't seem to consider that a problem.

Quite the opposite.

He immediately nodded so enthusiastically that his hair bounced in every direction.

"The biggest one ever!" he announced proudly.

The conviction in his voice was so genuine and so absolute that Shanks couldn't help laughing out loud.

Even Mihawk, who was usually far more restrained, looked visibly amused for a brief moment.

And eventually, exhaustion began its slow and inevitable battle against the day.

At first, it was barely noticeable.

Luffy continued listening attentively, continued asking questions, and still interrupted Mihawk whenever a new thought occurred to him. But little by little, the pauses between his questions grew longer. His movements became calmer. The endless energy that had carried him through the entire day slowly began to run out.

Eventually, he shifted closer to Shanks.

Automatically.

Almost unconsciously.

The way he always did.

He leaned against her side while still trying to follow Mihawk's story and eventually rested his head on her shoulder. His eyes grew heavier, his blinks slower, but every time Shanks thought he was finally about to fall asleep, he would sit up a little straighter and insist that he was still completely awake.

"I'm still listening," he mumbled at one point, even though his eyes were already drifting shut.

Shanks smiled and gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"Of course you are."

"I'm not tired."

"No?"

"Not at all."

The answer was interrupted by a yawn.

Mihawk watched the scene in silence, wearing an expression that only Shanks could truly interpret. Outwardly, he appeared as calm and composed as ever, but his eyes revealed enough.

He found it just as adorable as she did.

Perhaps even more than he would ever admit.

Because although Luffy had been thrilled about his father's return and had spent the entire day attached to him, in the end he always sought out the same comfort.

His mother's.

And every single time, Mihawk seemed to watch that with a mixture of amusement and quiet affection.

Less than half an hour later, Luffy finally lost the battle completely.

His head sank heavily against Shanks' shoulder, his breathing became slower and steadier, and before the sun had even fully reached the horizon, he was asleep.

Deeply.

Soundly.

And completely content.

For a moment, Shanks simply watched him in silence.

The wind gently stirred his dark hair, his face was peaceful, and even in sleep one of his small hands still held onto a fold of her coat, as though some part of him needed to make sure she was still there.

For a long time, neither of them spoke.

They simply looked at their son.

The little boy between them.

The little boy who had never been planned and had nevertheless become the best thing that had ever happened to them.

The little boy born from a rivalry that had long since become something much greater.

Eventually, it was Mihawk who broke the silence first.

"He's a good boy," he said quietly.

Shanks lifted her gaze toward him and smiled.

"Yes, he is."

Mihawk's eyes remained on Luffy.

"Brave."

"Definitely."

"Sometimes too brave."

This time, Shanks actually laughed.

"He gets that from both of us."

"Unfortunately."

That only made her smile even more.

They fell silent again for a while.

Eventually, Mihawk lifted a hand and gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from Luffy's face, careful not to wake him. The gesture was cautious, almost tender, and that alone was enough for Shanks to see just how much he loved their son.

"Are you afraid of it?" he asked at last.

Shanks knew immediately what he meant.

She didn't even need to ask.

Still, she said it aloud.

"That he'll eventually choose his own path?"

Mihawk gave a slight nod.

Shanks lowered her gaze to Luffy once more.

For a moment, she didn't answer.

"Every day," she admitted eventually.

Her voice had grown quieter, and although she was smiling, there was a truth in those words that she had been forced to acknowledge many times before.

"I know that day will come. Maybe he'll become a pirate. Maybe he'll become something completely different. Maybe he'll make the same mistakes we did. Maybe he'll make even bigger ones." A soft laugh escaped her. "And honestly? He probably will."

A faint smile appeared on Mihawk's face.

"Probably."

"But I think that's something every parent eventually has to accept." Her fingers continued to drift through Ruffy's hair as she spoke. "You can't hold on to them forever. You can protect them while they're small. You can guide them. You can teach them what's right and what's wrong. But eventually, they have to make their own decisions."

Mihawk listened attentively.

As he always did.

Without interrupting.

Without rushing to answer.

"And no matter what he chooses," Shanks continued, her gaze still resting on their sleeping son, "I never want him to feel like he has to choose between his dreams and us. If he wants to become a pirate, I'll support him. If he wants something completely different, I'll support that too. And if he ends up chasing some ridiculous dream neither of us can even imagine today, I'll still stand behind him."

For a moment, silence settled between them again.

Then that rare, warm smile appeared on Mihawk's face.

"I will too."

Shanks rested her head against Mihawk's shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment. The gesture had become so familiar over the years that she no longer thought about it. It felt as natural as breathing, as natural as setting sail, or reaching for Luffy's hand whenever they crossed a street together. Somewhere along the way, Mihawk's presence had become something steady and reassuring in a life otherwise filled with constant journeys, farewells, and ever-changing horizons.

Before them, the sea rolled softly against the shore while the last rays of sunlight painted the water gold. Between them, Luffy continued sleeping peacefully, his head resting against Shanks' side and one small hand still clutching a fold of her coat as though even his subconscious had decided that letting go was a terrible idea.

A gentle smile appeared on Shanks' face.

"He's going to go far," she murmured at last, carefully brushing another strand of hair from her son's forehead. Warm affection filled her expression as she looked down at the peacefully sleeping boy. "Sometimes I think the world isn't ready for him."

Beside her, Mihawk's gaze shifted toward Luffy as well. For a moment, he studied him in silence, as though he could see the same future that Shanks imagined.

Eventually, the faintest smile touched his lips.

"I'm convinced of that," he said quietly.

His answer made Shanks smile, though after a few moments it softened slightly. Her eyes remained on her son as she absently ran her fingers through his hair.

"Even if the world is dangerous," she added more quietly.

The words came out softer than she intended. Perhaps because she had to admit to herself that this thought had followed her for years. She knew how cruel the world could be.

She had seen it often enough.

Mihawk had too.

His gaze drifted out toward the sea, to the place where the sky and water merged together.

"The world has always been dangerous," he said calmly.

Shanks nodded slowly.

"That's true."

For a moment, they fell silent again.

Then she felt Mihawk's hand shift slightly.

"But he'll never be alone."

The words were simple, yet that was exactly why they struck her so deeply.

Because in the end, that was what truly mattered.

Not protecting him from every danger.

Not preventing every mistake.

They couldn't do that.

Not as parents.

Not as pirates.

Not even with all the strength they possessed.

But they could make sure Luffy always knew he was loved.

That he had people standing behind him.

And a home he could always return to.

Shanks closed her eyes for a moment and let that thought settle within her. When she opened them again, she realized Mihawk was already looking at her.

His gaze had softened.

Warmer than usual.

And when he slowly lifted his hand to her cheek, she instinctively leaned into the touch.

This time there was no interruption.

No indignant protest.

No little mama's boy squeezing himself between them.

Just the two of them.

The sea.

The wind.

And their sleeping son between them.

Shanks smiled.

"I love this life," she said softly.

The words came surprisingly easily to her.

Perhaps because they were true.

Perhaps because, in that moment, there was genuinely nothing else she could have wished for.

As a child, she had dreamed of seeing the world. Later, she had dreamed of freedom. She had become a pirate, then a captain, and eventually one of the most powerful women on the seas. Yet none of those things had ever fulfilled her the way this moment did.

Mihawk's gaze remained on her.

"Me too."

Shanks couldn't help smiling.

Of course that was all he said.

And yet she understood exactly what he meant.

For a moment, she simply looked at him.

The man she had met so many years ago.

The man she had crossed swords with countless times.

The man who could drive her completely insane and calm her completely at the same time.

The man who had eventually stopped being only her rival.

"And I love you."

The words slipped from Shanks' lips effortlessly.

Perhaps because they were true.

Perhaps because there was nothing in that moment that felt more right than saying them aloud.

For a few moments, she simply looked at him while the warm light of the setting sun brushed across his face. Sometimes she thought it was strange how familiar he had become to her. Once, she had known him only as a rival, as the man she constantly challenged with her sword. Now she could barely remember what life had felt like without him in it.

That small smile appeared on his lips once more.

Never particularly large.

And perhaps because of that, it always meant so much.

"I know," he answered calmly.

Shanks let out an amused snort and shook her head.

"Do you realize that most people usually answer something like that with 'I love you too'?"

Mihawk raised an eyebrow slightly, as though he actually needed to consider that information.

"Most people are not me."

"Unfortunately, that's true."

A quiet laugh escaped her as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"Besides," Mihawk continued, as though his answer had been perfectly reasonable, "you already know that I do."

Shanks had to admit that he wasn't wrong.

She did know.

Not because he said it constantly.

Quite the opposite.

Mihawk was not the sort of man who made grand declarations of love or put every feeling into words. He showed it differently. In small gestures. In quiet looks. In the months he spent away, only to return to them every single time.

"I do," she admitted at last.

"Then neither of us is wasting time."

For a moment, she simply stared at him.

Then she actually laughed.

"One day, I'm going to teach you how to be romantic."

"Unlikely."

"See? That's exactly what I mean."

This time, a visible smile crossed his face, and that alone made the entire conversation worth it.

Shanks smiled in satisfaction as she watched him. It was remarkable how many people believed Mihawk was cold. Probably because they never stayed long enough to see the sides of him that he reserved for the people who truly mattered.

Slowly, he lifted a hand to her cheek.

The gesture was familiar.

Natural.

And yet it still managed to make her heart beat just a little faster every time.

Then he leaned toward her.

The kiss that followed was neither hurried nor passionate.

It was warm.

Familiar.

Honest.

It felt like all the years between them.

Like every journey they had shared.

Every return.

Every night spent beneath the same stars.

Every reunion after long months spent on different seas.

When they finally pulled apart again, Shanks simply remained at his side. Her head rested once more against his shoulder while Luffy slept peacefully between them, completely unaware of any of it.

Before them, the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.

Gold faded into orange.

Orange deepened into red.

And eventually, the first colors of night began to claim the sky.

Neither of them said anything else.

They didn't need to.

Some moments were not made better by filling them with words.

Some moments were already perfect exactly as they were.

And as the last rays of sunlight drifted across the sea, bathing their small family in warm light, Shanks knew with absolute certainty that years from now she might not remember every journey, every battle, or every victory.

But she would remember this moment.

The sea.

The sunset.

Mihawk's shoulder beneath her head.

The little boy sleeping between them.

And the feeling of finally having arrived exactly where she had always been meant to be.