Chapter 1 Romance Dawn
One I, upon of time there was man name Gold Roger the King of the Pirate and acquire everything that the world had to offer before his death he shouted
You want my treasure said Roger, you can have it I let everything as it is in that one place now you got to find it
His words resulted the Great Pirate Era
10 years after his Death where at a place Call Foosha Village and a pirate ship...but not just any kind: the moment they saw the black flag that carried the mark the Red Hair Pirates, they realized they were on the Red Force, and by the looks of all the crates, barrels, and treasure chests on the ship, on the ship where a Little Boy standing on the Figurehead of the Ship holding This Young Man name is Monkey D Luffy a boy from Foosha
"Hey! What are you doing up there, Luffy?!" a pirate suddenly called, and immediately, all eyes turned to the figurehead...where Luffy stood, holding up a dagger.
"Okay, you guys! Watch this!" Luffy declared. "I'm done joking around! I'll show you what real bravery is!"
"Go on, then," said the Pirate Captain, mockingly. "We're waiting."
This Man named is Red Haired Shanks the Captain of the Red Haired Pirates
SNIK! Luffy, though as hesitant as he was, actually pierced the knife through the skin under his left eye before letting out a bloodcurdling scream, to everyone's shock.
"AAAAAH!" A Pirate shrieked with his eyes bugging out of his head. "HE STABBED HIMSELF UNDER HIS EYE!"
"YOU DUMB-ASS!" Shanks shouted, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAHHH~!" Luffy cried in pain. "IT HUUUUUUURRRTS!"
Meanwhile at a Bar in Foosha Village
"To Luffy's...err...courage!" one pirate declared as he raised a tankard of booze. "And to our next voyage!"
"Let's all drink in celebration!" another shouted.
"Ah," Luffy grinned, a bandage under his left eye, and it was clear by the look on his face that he had been crying. "That didn't hurt at all."
"You little liar!" Shanks retorted. "Don't do anything so heinous again, hear me?!"
"I'm not afraid to get hurt," Luffy said. "Next time, take me out to sea with you guys! I wanna be a pirate, too!"
"HA!" Shanks laughed. "Yeah, right. You can't handle being a pirate, Luffy. Besides, you can't even swim."
"As long as I just stay on the ship, I'll be okay!" Luffy reassured.
"I can fight good, too!" Luffy added as he threw a punch. "I've been training since I was 4 years old, and now my punch is as strong as a pistol shot!"
"Is that so?" Shanks asked with a bit of a deadpan tone.
"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" Luffy questioned. "HEY! LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, SHANKS! ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"
Indeed it was. Yasopp grinned as he ruffled Luffy's hair, causing him to grumble in irritation.
"Come on, Luffy, buck up!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah! Be happy to face anything!" added another pirate.
"The life of a pirate is one of a kind!" exclaimed Lucky Roo, who was eating a hunk of meat.
"The sea is grand and vast!" declared a fourth pirate. "Go out and seek adventure of all kinds! Nothing is greater than freedom!"
Hearing this only caused Luffy to beam in excitement while Shanks rolled his eyes,
"Come on, you guys, don't encourage him," Shanks said.
"Why not, Boss?" asked Lucky Roo. "It's the truth, ain't it?"
"Look, Luffy," Shanks said as he turned to face the boy. "The truth of the matter is you're just too young to be on a pirate ship. Wait until...ah, I dunno, 10 years, and then I just might consider bringing you along on my next voyage."
"Dammit, I'm not a little kid!" Luffy pouted. "I'm a man!"
"Ah, calm down," Shanks said as he gave Luffy a glass of orange juice. "Here, have some juice."
"Oh, wow!" Luffy grinned as he took the glass. "Thanks, Shanks!" He then began to take a sip, and not long after, Shanks began to burst into laughter while slapping his hand on the counter.
"I don't know any man who drinks juice!" he shouted, and that got Luffy all riled up again.
"DAMMIT, YOU TRICKED ME AGAIN!" Luffy yelled,
"Ah, simmer down, Luffy," said another pirate as he put his hand on Luffy's shoulder, causing the boy to look up at him.
This is Benn Beckman, the first mate of the Red Haired Pirates."
"It's not fair, Benn," Luffy said. "How come Shanks always picks on me? I'm trying to show him I'm grown up enough for him to take me out to sea...I even stabbed myself and he still won't take me seriously!"
"Don't take it so hard," Benn said. "You gotta understand, Luffy, the captain's not teasing you to be an ass. He really does care for ya."
"Oh, yeah?" Luffy asked, incredulously. "How?"
"Luffy, the life of a pirate is an exciting one, that much is true," Benn told him, "but it's also full of danger. The captain's trying to make you see that."
"I don't see how!" Luffy remarked. "All he does is tease me!"
As he said this, Shanks turned to him and stuck his tongue at him.
"Anchor," he said.
"YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?!" Luffy questioned.
At that moment, Makino walked in, holding a barrel full of beer.
"Goodness," she said. "You all seem lively, don't you?"
The way she greeted the pirates showed that the bartender had gotten used to their presence and welcomed them as if they were lifelong friends, a deep contrast to how she viewed them back when they first met.
"Well, Makino, what can I say?" asked Shanks as he pointed at Luffy. "Making fun of this kid puts a smile on my face."
Luffy only pouted at this.
"Oh, Luffy, don't fuss," Makino said. "How about I make you some steak?"
"Ooh!" Luffy chirped, his mood shifting from happy to sad almost instantly. "Yes, please!"
"And just how are you going to pay for your food, Luffy?" Shanks asked.
"Oh, I'm gonna pay Makino back with my treasure tab!" Luffy answered. "When I become a pirate, I'll pay her back with all the treasure I find!"
"So you're scamming the poor woman?" asked Shanks, jokingly.
"Am not!" Luffy argued. "Makino understands! Don't you, Makino?"
"Of course I do," Makino answered. "I hope you do pay me back, soon."
Within minutes, Makino put down a steak for Luffy, who licked his lips before he began to eat.
"Hey, Shanks," Luffy said with his mouth full.
"Yeah?" asked Shanks.
"How long are you guys gonna be staying, this time?"
"Oh...I dunno. It's been nearly a year now since we first got here. I think we'll take a couple more voyages before we split this place for good and head out north."
"...Oh..." Luffy muttered, distantly...almost sad, and hearing that downhearted tone in his voice caused the Straw Hats to look at him worriedly.
"Well...that's okay!" Luffy said, trying to hide his disappointment. "I'll have learned how to swim by the time you get back!"
"Sure you will," Shanks rolled his eyes.
By now, Luffy had finished up his steak, but as usual, he was still hungry. That's when his eyes fell upon something next to him: an open treasure chest of some sort and inside it was some sort of fruit. It looked like a melon, but it was lavendar in color with these peculiar swirls. He blinked curiously before he shrugged, picked it up, and took a bite...and almost instantly, he grimaced and his face turned a sickly green. Yet despite that, Luffy kept eating it.
"Excuse me," said the man in a deep, gruff voice as he and his group barged in. "Hmph! So...these are pirates, huh? Look pretty dumb to me."
"We're mountain bandits," said the man as he approached the bar. "Just relax. We're not here to start something, miss. We'll just take about 10 barrles of booze to go and we won't hurt anybody...much." He then snickered, as did his men, while Sanji sneered.
"I-I'm sorry, sir," Makino answered, trying her hardest not to show any fear. "I'm afraid we're all out of liquor."
Almost instantly, the man's demeanor changed as he glanced at Shanks and his crew.
"...Is that right?" he queried. "Well then what are these idiots drinking? Doesn't look like water to me."
"Well, you see," Makino began, "I gave the last of the liquor to them."
"It's true," Shanks spoke up, nonchalantly. "I'm afraid my men and I cleaned the place out. Sorry about that."
The man sneered at the Red Haired Captain, who held up an opened bottle of rum.
"Here, you can have this," Shanks said. "I was saving this for myself, but I think you should have it-"
SMASH! As quick as a flash, the man back-handed the bottle, smashing it and sending booze and shards of glass all over the floor and counter. Luffy yelped as he shielded himself from the glass while Makino, gasped in shock.
"What kind of idiot do you take me for?" asked the bandit. "What good is one bottle of rum, huh?!"
Everyone looked over at Shanks, who had his eyes covered by his hat...but then, he sighed as he raised his head, revealing a disappointed look.
"Oh, look at this mess you made," he said,
"Lemme show you something," said the bandit leader as he put down a wanted poster with his face on it.
HIGUMA THE BEAR
BOUNTY: 8 MILLION BERRIES
"I'm a wanted criminal, you know," said Higuma. "I've killed 56 people...especially idiots like you."
"You best watch your back, pirate," Higuma warned, "because if you cross me again, you won't live to see another day! I suggest you get back on your little boat and get outta here so I never have to see your face again...that clear?"
Shanks didn't answer. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge him. He just quietly picked up some broken glass.
"Here, Makino," he said. "Let me clean this up for you."
"Oh, please!" Makino exclaimed. "Captain, don't trouble yourself! I'll-"
Without a warning single warning, Higuma drew his saber and slashed an entire row of bottles off the counter, soaking Shanks and sending glass shards almost everywhere.
"You like cleaning, huh?" Higuma asked. "Well here! Have another mess to clean up!" He then turned to leave with his men following after him. "You guys are nothing but a bunch of jokes."
As soon as they were out of the bar, Makino ran over to Shanks, putting a hand on his shoulder, worriedly.
"Captain," she said. "Are you all right?!"
"Not a problem in the world, Makino," Shanks said...before he snickered, and soon after, he and his whole crew exploded into laughter.
"That guy sure got you good, boss!" Yasopp exclaimed.
"Talk about a loser!" added another.
"WHAT ARE YOU ALL LAUGHING AT?!" shouted Luffy, who stood on the stool. "YOU THINK THAT WAS FUNNY?! HE MADE YOU LOOK LIKE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS, AND HERE YOU ARE, LAUGHING ABOUT IT! AND YOU CALL YOURSELVES PIRATES?! HE WAS RIGHT, YOU GUYS ARE A BUNCH OF JOKES!"
"Hey, simmer down, Luffy," Shanks answered. "It's nothing to get worked up over. The guy just spilled some booze on me."
"Whatever!" Luffy said as he jumped down from his stool. "Don't ever talk to me! I'll find a new role model!"
"Ah, calm down," Shanks said as he grabbed his arm. "Get back...here...?"
Before anyone realized it...Luffy's arm stretched a considerable length, and upon hearing everyone's gasps, Luffy suddenly took notice, too.
"...Did...did he just...?!" A pirate whispered.
"What the hell?!" one of the pirates questioned in disbelief.
"H-his arm just stretched!" exclaimed another.
"Wait...don't tell me he...!" added a third.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!" Luffy cried in comical horror.
"BOSS!" Lucky Roo cried. "It's gone! The Gum-Gum Fruit that we stole from that enemy ship! It's gone!"
"...You mean...?!" Shanks whispered.
"Luffy!" Lucky Roo called as he held up a sketch of said Devil Fruit. "You didn't eat this fruit, did you?!"
"Y-yeah, I did," Luffy answered. "I thought it was dessert...it tasted pretty nasty, though-"
Before he could elaborate further, Shanks suddenly grabbed the boy by his face.
"LUFFY, YOU JUST ATE THE GUM-GUM FRUIT!" he shouted. "PART OF A GROUP CALLED THE 'DEVIL FRUITS'! EAT ANY ONE OF THEM CAUSES YOU TO LOSE YOUR ABILITY TO SWIM FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, BUT THE ONE YOU ATE TURNS YOUR BODY TO RUBBER!"
Luffy gasped in horror at this.
"NO WAY!" he shrieked. "IT CAAAAAAAAAAAAN'T!"
"YOU DUMB-ASS!" Shanks yelled.
Later that Day
The memory shifted, once more, and the Straw Hats once again were in the Party's Bar, where it was just Luffy and Makino, the former holding a glass in his mouth.
"Shanks and his crew sure have been gone a while," said Luffy.
"Do you miss them?" Makino asked.
"Of course I don't miss them!" Luffy answered. "Especially after what those bandits did!" He then took out an ice cube from the glass and chomped on it. "I really misjudged Shanks...he and his crew really a bunch of losers."
"Well, I thought they were very brave," said Makino. "It takes a lot for someone not to get angry and fight back, you know?"
"You don't know what you're talking about, Makino," said Luffy. "A real man would stand for himself, not let himself get humiliated like that."
"Is that right?" asked Makino. "Well...I guess I really don't know, then."
"No, you don't," Luffy answered.
"Make way for the Terror of the Highlands!"
Luffy and Makino both looked up, only to gasp upon seeing Higuma and his gang, again.
"So, those pirate bastards aren't here, are they?" asked Higuma. "Hmph! Smells a lot better in here without them."
"What are you all doing here?" Makino asked.
"Well, we were just in the area," said Higuma, "so we figured we'd just stop by and say 'hello'." He then sat down in a cheer and propped his feet up on the table. "So, are you just gonna stand there and gawk at us? We're customers and we demand service!"
"Hey, speaking of those pirates," said one bandit, "did you see their faces the other day?"
"Ha!" Higuma laughed. "How could I forget? I broke a bottle over that guy's head, and he didn't say one word of protest! How pathetic, right boys?!"
The bandits only guffawed while Luffy scowled at them.
"Cowards like that make me wanna puke," Higuma said. "I wanted to kill that bastard. Those pirates were nothing but a bunch of talk."
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!
Makino gasped while Higuma glanced back and saw Luffy...who was seething at them.
"TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID, RIGHT NOW!" Luffy yelled. TAKE IT BACK, DAMMIT!"
"Luffy, stop it!" Makino cried as she tried to hold him back.
"SHANKS IS NOT A COWARD, YOU JERK!" Luffy barked. "DON'T YOU DARE BADMOUTH HIM IN FRONT OF ME!"
"You heard me...!" Luffy hissed. "Take back what you said! Right now!"
"And what are you gonna do if I don't?" asked Higuma...who got his answer when Luffy hocked a loogie and spat in his face.
That did it. Higuma growled as he grabbed Luffy by the throat, causing him to cry out in surprise.
"Luffy!" Makino cried as Higuma threw him to the floor.
"You little piece of shit!" the bandit leader shouted as he pinned Luffy down. "Spit on my face, will you?!" He then punched the boy across the face...but to his surprise, his fist bounced right off him. "Huh?!"
"Heh..." Luffy smirked, which made Higuma growl as he began to punch Luffy again, but still, they had no effect.
"Dammit, what the hell is up with this kid?!" Higuma questioned as he kept trying to punch Luffy, but still, they had no effect on him. "My punches just keep bouncing off of him!"
"Stop it!" Makino cried as she tried to help Luffy. "Leave him alone, he's just a child-OOF!" Higuma suddenly got up and punched her across the face, causing her to stumble back and fall to the floor, and it took everything Sanji had not to try and attack Higuma, knowing that it would be futile.
"Stay outta this you bitch!" Higuma barked as he grabbed Luffy. "All right, brat...how about I take you outside and teach you some manners?! Let's go, boys!"
On that, the bandits filed outside, carrying Luffy with them, and then, Higuma threw the boy down to the ground.
"I don't care much for impoliteness, runt," Higuma said. "However, if you apologize, I might just forgive you."
"Not until you apologize first!" Luffy shouted. "Apologize for what you said about Shanks!"
"Still running your mouth, are you?!" Higuma questioned as he kicked Luffy in the stomach, and the other bandits attempted to join in, but their kicks and stomps did nothing to Luffy's rubbery body. Still, the sight made the Straw Hats angry.
"Hmph!" Higuma scoffed as he picked Luffy up and stretched his cheek. "You've got a weird body, kid. Our punches or kicks don't work on you, at all."
"Damn you!" Luffy cursed. "Take back what you said!" He then tried to punch Higuma in the face, but he simply moved his head out of the way. "You jerkface!"
"I guess there really are some strange creatures in the world," said Higuma, "eh, rubber boy?!" He then threw Luffy to the ground, causing him to bounce along the ground like a rubber ball.
"Rrrrgh...!" Luffy growled as he spat out a tooth. "Damn you! You'll pay for what you said!"
"Looks like I discovered a new form of life," Higuma joked. "I might just sell the kid to a circus and get a ton of cash for him."
Luffy then grabbed a nearby stick and ran at Higuma, attempting to break his kneecaps with it, but the bandit only smirked as he raised his foot.
"Stubborn little bastard!" he shouted as he stamped his foot against Luffy's face and pinned him to the ground.
"What did I ever do to you, huh?" Higuma asked. "I was only drinking and having a conversation with my men. I didn't do anything to offend you, did I?"
"You liar!" Luffy barked. "You better apologize!"
"Get your foot off me, you stupid mountain ape!" Luffy yelled as he tried to push Higuma's foot off his face.
"Stop it! Let the poor boy go!"
At that moment, Makino and Woop Slap finally arrived on the scene.
"Please!" Woop Slap pleaded. "I don't know what the lad did to you all, and I have no intention of fighting any of you!" He then dropped down on his hands and knees. "But if it's money you're after, I'll gladly pay you! Just spare the poor boy's life! Please!"
"Mayor...!" Luffy said in surprise.
"Nice try, pops," said Higuma. "I can tell you know the ways of the world...but I'm afraid it won't work here. The kid attacked me and called me names, and because of that, I can't forgive him. Unlike those pirates, I don't take shit from anyone, especially a little snot-nosed, rubber freak like this oen!" He then stomped on Luffy's skull multiple times.
"You're the one who started it!" Luffy shouted. "You damn mountain monkey! Take back what you said about Shanks!"
"...That does it," Higuma hissed as he drew his saber. "Screw selling you...I'll just kill you, instead!"
"No! Luffy!" Makino cried.
"No! Spare him, please!" shouted Woop Slap, while the Straw Hats, though futile in their attempt, moved to save the boy...but then...
"What's going on here? Nobody came to the harbor to greet us."
Everyone gasped as Shanks and his crew suddenly appeared.
"Captain Shanks!" Makino exclaimed.
"Oh!" Shanks said. "It's you bandits again, is it?" He then noticed Luffy. "Hey, Luffy! I thought you said your punch was as powerful as a pistol!"
"Sh-shut up!" Luffy barked, now feeling a little embarrassed about his boasting, earlier.
"Hmph!" Higuma scoffed. "You pirates are still around? Don't you have some cleaning to do? I don't know what the hell you idiots are doing here, but you better back off now, before you get hurt. Come any closer and we might just kill you cowards."
Despite his warnings, Shanks just casually approached anyway, causing one of the bandits to stand next to him with a gun pointed at his head.
"Didn't you hear him say don't move, asshole?" the bandit asked.
"...Would you risk your life?" he asked.
"Huh?" the bandit muttered.
"Now that you've drawn your pistol," Shanks began, "are you willing to use it?"
"What the hell are you talking about?!" the bandit asked, more confused than ever.
"I'm saying guns aren't for threats," Shanks answered. "They're for actions."
Before anyone could even blink, Lucky Roo suddenly appeared next to the bandit...and shot him point-blank in the skull, causing him to drop to the ground, dead as a doornail.
"What the-?!" the bandits questioned
"What the-?!" "W-where the hell did he come from?!" A Bandit questioned. "He wasn't even there a second ago!"
As for the bandits, they were visibly unnerved by what had just happened.
"N-now you bastards have done it!" shouted one of the bandits.
"That was a cheap shot!" added another. That's when the Red Haired Pirates glared up at them
"Cheap shots, huh?" Yasopp asked in a tone that sent chills down Usopp's back. "Don't make us laugh."
"What do you think we are, saints?" asked Benn in a cold tone.
"We're pirates," Shanks answered, "and we don't play by the rules."
"Sh-shut up!" one bandit shouted, trying to mask his growing fear with anger. "This is none of your damn business! We just want the boy, not you!"
"Listen up, bandits," Shanks said. "Whether I'm sprayed with alcohol or doused with food...hell, even if I'm spit on, most of the time, I'll just laugh it off and forget about it..." He then raised his head, revealing a furious glare in his eyes. "But when you hurt a friend of mine, you'll pay for it, regardless of your reason!"
"...Shanks...!" Luffy whispered in disbelief. Even after he said about him, the pirate captain still considered him his friend...and it almost made him teary-eyed.
Higuma, on the other hand, just laughed.
"We're gonna pay, huh?!" he asked. "What a waste of time...men! Kill these so-called pirates!"
Though they showed some hesitance, the bandits charged, drawing their weapons.
"Stand back," Benn said as he stepped forward. "Let me handle this." He then took out his cigarette and shoved it in between the eyes of one bandit, causing him to scream at the burning sensation, but then, Benn grabbed his rifle and swung it like a baseball bat, striking them all down. In just 5 seconds flat, he had sent them all to the ground.
"I wouldn't underestimate us if I were you," said Benn as he put his foot on one of the bandits and pointed his rifle at Higuma. "Next time you wanna fight us, bring a battleship!"
"N-now wait a minute!" he cried. "The brat started it, not me!"
"Doesn't matter," Shanks replied. "Which reminds me...didn't you say you had a price on your head?"
Higuma gasped before he reached into his coat and pulled out a black ball, which he then threw to the ground, which caused it to explode in a puff of smoke!
"GAH!" Shanks cried. "SMOKE BOMB!"
"Hey, kid! Come here!"
"H-hey! Put me down! SHANKS!"
It was then that the Red Hair Pirates realized that in the chaos, Higuma had grabbed Luffy and run off with him. The bandit leader rushed to the harbor, jumped onto a dinghy, and began to paddle away with an oar. Soon, the two were out in the middle of the ocean.
"Put me down, you damn mountain monkey!" Luffy cursed as he struggled to get away.
Oh no said Shanks panically that Bandit took him What we're gonna do
Calm Down Boss said Lucky Roo I'm sure we could find him
Oh Boy said Benn
"Hahahahaha!" Higuma laughed, triumphantly. "What a brilliant escape! Who would ever expect a mountain bandit to escape to the sea?!" He then looked down at Luffy, who glared up at him. "At first, I thought I could use you as a hostage...but I don't need you anymore. I've already killed 56 people who were foolish to cross me, kid...what's one more?"
"Why you!" Luffy shouted as he tried to punch Higuma, who simply side-stepped out of the way.
"Heheh," he smirked...before he kicked Luffy into the sea. "See ya, kid!"
"AAAAAAHH!" Luffy screamed.
'DAMMIT! I was so close to that jerk and I couldn't even get in one hit!' he thought.
SPLASH! The helpless fell into the water,
"GLAARRGH! GLURRRBGH!" Luffy cried out, his speech garbled by the water. However, while Higuma was laughing at his "victory"...something huge appeared behind him: a gigantic moray eel Sea King with piercing red eyes. Higuma's eyes went wide as he looked back...and saw the beast, glowering down at him.
"W-what the-?!" Higuma questioned...as the monster opened its jaws. "No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
CHOMP! In one bite, the Sea King crushed Higuma's boat and swallowed the bandit up in a single gulp. However...it was still hungry. That's when the monster spotted Luffy, who gasped in horror.
Soon, the Sea King began to dart towards Luffy, who screamed as he struggled to escape...but alas, his body could no longer move.
"HELP!" he cried. "SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP ME!"
That's when the Sea King opened its humongous jaws once more, and Luffy held out another shriek, while the Straw Hats shielded their eyes, fearing the worst. Then, they heard the sound of the beast's jaws snapping loudly, and as they opened their eyes, they saw blood spraying into the air.
Luffy looked up to see that...he was being held by Shanks.
"Shanks!" Luffy cried.
The Sea King turned and glared at the two...but then, it seemed to gasp as Shanks glared right back at it...and the very sight made all the color vanish from its face.
"Get lost," Shanks hissed, and just like that, the Sea King turned and fled.
As soon as the beast was gone, Shanks smiled as he looked down at Luffy, who, for some reason, was in tears.
"I'm in your debt, Luffy," Shanks said. "Makino told me about what happened. Thank you...for standing up for me and my crew."
Luffy only sniffled in response, clutching the man's shirt.
"Hey, don't cry," Shanks said. "You're a man, right?"
"But...but Shanks, your arm!" Luffy cried. "YOUR AAAAAAAAARM!"
"Luffy, it's just an arm," said Shanks. "I'm just glad you're all right."
Despite his attempt to reassure him, Luffy just kept crying
After that they were at the harbor, where Luffy and Makino were seen, watching Shanks and his men load some cargo onto their ship.
"So you're leaving for good this time?" asked Luffy.
"Yep," Shanks answered. "We've been here long enough, Luffy. It's time for us to sail with the tide." He then looked at the boy in concern. "You're...not sad, are you?"
"Well, a little," Luffy admitted, "but I'm not gonna ask you to take me along anymore. I decided I'm gonna be a pirate on my own!"
"Bleh!" Shanks stuck his tongue out at Luffy, teasingly. "Yeah, right! I wouldn't bring you along, even if you begged me! There's no way you're cut out to be a pirate."
"Yes I am!" Luffy shouted. "One day, I'm gonna start my own pirate crew, and it'll better than yours! And then I'm gonna find the greatest treasure in the world! I'll become the King of the Pirates! Just you wait!"
Upon hearing that, the Straw Hats all blinked slightly in surprise before they smiled.
"Oh?" Shanks asked. "You think you'll surpass us?"
Luffy only stared up at him, but it looked like he was trying to fight back tears.
"...In that case," Shanks started as he took off his hat...and set it upon Luffy's crown, "I'll leave this hat with you. It means more to me than anything in the world, so you better take good care of it, you hear me?"
Luffy sniffled as tears fell from his eyes
"I want you to bring this hat back to me," Shanks said, "in good condition...and only after you've become a great pirate. That's our promise, Luffy."
"...Okay...!" Luffy nodded his head.
Shanks chuckled before he turned and walked up the gangplank.
"Raise the anchor, men!" he called out. "Set the sails!"
"Aye-aye, Captain!" the Red Haired Pirates exclaimed as the Red Force began to drift off with the tide. All the while, Luffy, Makino, and the Straw Hats watched as they sailed away, and Luffy never left the spot...still holding the precious hat in his arms.
10 years later at the pier, where the people of Windmill Village had gathered to say their goodbyes to Luffy, who was standing in a small dinghy with nothing but a large barrel. It was almost surprising, seeing this peaceful little village again.
"Hey, Luffy!" called someone. "Why don't you take my old fishing boat, instead? You're liable to sink in that old thing!"
"No thank you," Luffy answered. "This is what I wanna start with!" He then turned around and looked up to the sky before he threw his fists into the air. "Hey, Sabo~! Watch me! I'm going out to sea, now!"
The townsfolk only glanced at each other in confusion while Makino chuckled, softly.
"Sabo was first," Luffy started, "then Ace was second...so I'm the third, but I'm not gonna lose to them! Wait for me, Ace! I'll be catching up to you, soon enough!"
"What are you babbling on about, now, Luffy?" asked one of the townsfolk. "Is that some kind of good luck charm or something?"
"And who's Ace, anyway?" asked another.
"It's not a charm!" Luffy corrected. "It's a challenge!"
"Well, I'm off now," Luffy said as he began to sail off with the tide. "Goodbye, everyone!"
Soon, the townspeople began to wave goodbye to Luffy
Just then, however, something emerged from the sea before Luffy: the giant eel Sea King from ten years ago.
"So it's you again, huh?" he asked while the Sea King growled. "I've actually been looking forward to seeing you...I'm not the wimp I used to be, ten years ago!"
The Sea King roared as it lunged for Luffy, preparing to devour him whole.
"Okay..." Luffy said as he began to wind his arm. "Guuuum...GUUUUUUM...PISTOL~!"
He threw his fist forward, and the punch hit the mark, perfectly, hitting the beast square in the jaw. The Sea King soon fell back into the water with a mighty splash
"Okay then," Luffy said as he dusted his palms. "First thing's first...I gotta find me a pirate crew. About 10 people or more should do fine. Then I'm gonna have to find a flag, of course." He then grinned as he threw his fists into the air, one more time. "Look out world, 'cause here I come! I'm gonna be...King of the Pirates~!"
And with that, Straw Hat Luffy set sail...the fire of his ambition growing ever brighter.