Shanks had been a pirate for a long time. He had traversed Paradise and the New World on the ship of the greatest, Gol D. Roger. In his short life he had seen things more impossible than any man could dream. He thought the world no longer held any surprises for him, arrogantly assuming he had seen all it had to offer.
He had never expected to come across a creature like his old captain out in the East Blue of all places.
There were those who called Gol D. Roger a demon, and Shanks knew they were wrong. He had met demons, and Roger wasn't like them at all.
Roger was a Devil.
Under him, Shanks had learned many things about the world and how it worked. One of most important lessons he had learned under Roger was that the world was full of monsters, so to always be prepared for whatever you may find out there.
The second most important lesson Shanks had learned was never to agree to anything unless you knew exactly what you were striking a deal with.
Those old lesson became very relevant just hours after Shanks and his crew docked at a small port town on Dawn Island.
The journey from the Grand Line to the East Blue had been harrowing, to say the least. Though all of his men were experienced veterans of the turbulent seas, even they found navigating the Grand Line exhausting on a good day, so Shanks felt they were well-deserving of a good vacation. And what better place to kick back and relax than the most peaceful sea in the world?
When they first set eyes on Dawn Island, the entire crew had let out a hearty cheer (lead by Shanks himself of course) and enthusiastically discussed just how many bars they'd manage to drink dry before they set off again.
Of course, there was always the risk that the inhabitants of the island would be less than welcoming of pirates, but considering where they were, that possibility was more of a nuisance than a threat.
And at first, it looked like they wouldn't exactly be getting a friendly greeting from the locals. To Shanks it certainly seemed that way, if the way the civilians were avoiding eye contact and taking shelter in the closest building was any indication.
"Are you guys pirates?"
Shanks did not jump, thank you very much, and he definitely hadn't just been snuck up on by a little kid in a no-name village. His posture relaxed as he assessed the newcomer, a young boy who looked to be about six or seven. Messy black hair. Short for his age. Harmless.
"Why do you wanna know?" Shanks sneered, leaning down to make a face at the boy.
The kid seemed unfazed by Shanks' taunting, answering honestly "'Cause I think pirates are cool, and you guys have a ship and look really cool so are you pirates?" Wide eyes looked up at him with barely contained excitement.
Well. Shanks stared at the boy, mildly surprised. That's not something you hear everyday, especially around here. He drew himself up, throwing a haughty smirk to the kid. He was gonna have a little fun. "I'm the great pirate captain, Red-Haired Shanks!" He declared boldly. "Me and my bloodthirsty men have landed here looking for booze and treasure, so hand over everything you've got or else!" Shanks threatened, giving the small child his most menacing look. The boy's eyes grew wide. Any moment now, and he's gonna run away. Shanks' anticipation escalated as he felt his crew come up behind him, no doubt making for an impressive sight. The kid looked from Shanks, to his crew, then back at Shanks.
"So cool!" The kid shouted in glee. A massive grin split his face in half as he bounced on the balls of his feet, too overcome to hold still.
"Wait, what?" Shanks flailed.
"Aw man, you guys must be really strong!" The boy said excitedly. "Come on, I'll show you around!" He declared, grabbing Shanks' arm and pulling him down the village streets. Shanks, too caught off guard to resist, followed behind the fearless child in slight shock. His crew followed faithfully, laughing at his expense. Belatedly, he realized the kid was still talking. "-and I dunno about treasure, but I know where to find booze. Everyone says Makino has the best drinks." Suddenly the boy stopped, and turned to Shanks with a comically serious look on his face. "I can take you there, but you gotta promise to be my friend, okay?" He said.
Shanks eyed the peculiar little child. The kid stared back. Shanks scoffed. "Yeah, sure kid. We'll be friends." Whatever floats the kid's boat, it didn't really matter to him. Though he doubted the boy had any idea just who he'd asked to befriend.
You'd've thought it was the kid's birthday the way he lit up at Shank's agreement.
"Really!?" He squeaked. "Shishishi! That's awesome! I'm Luffy!" The boy- no, Luffy- jumped into action. "Now come on Shanks! I'll take you to Makino's!" Luffy proclaimed, once more taking Shanks' hand and leading (pulling) him down the street. Shanks caught Ben's eye and gave a sort of helpless shrug. This was a weird kid, but hey, booze. Ben just rolled his eyes in response, more than used to his Captain's habit of attracting the strangest people.
Luffy brought them all the way to the other end of the town, stopping at a saloon-style establishment that proudly proclaimed 'Party's Bar' in bold letters above the door. Very promising. Shanks approved.
"Makino! Makino!" Luffy called out, rushing inside the building. The Red-Hair Pirates followed after, and Shanks couldn't deny the appreciative look he gave the very beautiful woman tending the bar- the infamous Makino. It appeared Luffy would shape up to be a pretty good friend after all, if he kept escorting them to lovely ladies like this more often.
Makino, to her credit, took the arrival of dozens of pirates in stride. "Luffy, who are all these people?" She questioned, even as she set out tankards for them to enjoy. She didn't hesitate or act uncomfortable in the slightest, going so far as to smile when she set each brimming mug down on the polished tables they took their place at.
Luffy grinned up at her. "This is Shanks and his crew! They're pirates! And my friends!" He told her, hopping up into one of the bar stools. His tiny legs swung back and forth, kicking out in happiness as he drank from the glass of juice Makino left for him.
"Is that so?" Makino mused, looking the pirate gang over.
Shanks wasn't really paying anymore attention at this point, too absorbed in the drink in front of him to care about the conversation taking place between the boy and the bartender, pretty as she was.
"Yeah! I made a deal to bring them here! And it worked!"
Shanks stiffened in his seat, slowly setting his drink back onto the bar. Listening to his gut had saved his life many times at sea, and right now his gut was telling him something was very, very wrong. But what?
It was something Luffy said, something niggling in the back of his mind.
I made a deal to bring them here.
I made a deal.
I made a Deal.
Dread infused Shanks being, and he felt himself going very still. His crew picked up on his unease, the din of conversation dying before it could properly be born as they waited for a signal from their Captain.
"What did you say your name was again?" Shanks cautiously asked the boy, who seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere that had bloomed around them.
Luffy gave another blinding grin, and Shanks braced for impact.
"Shishishi! I'm Luffy! Monkey D. Luffy!" He declared.
Shanks felt the bottom of his stomach drop out.
Monkey D. Luffy.
Monkey D.
D.
Devil.
…
Fuck.
The bar was quiet following Luffy's proclamation. Makino hovered close by Luffy, ready to snatch the child up at a moment's notice should the pirates become hostile.
The Red-Hair Pirates exchanged significant glances with each other. Many of them had been fortunate enough to never run into a devil themselves, but they all knew the stories about them, and all of them had dealt with their legacies.
Devils, as far as the majority of the world was concerned, weren't real- bedtime stories meant to scare children into listening to their parents and following the rules. As you'd get older the stories would change to unlucky folk who would wish for fame or power, and end up selling their souls in exchange for their desires, only to lose it all when said devil came to collect.
But there was another part of the myth. It was said that each devil had a unique and extraordinary power. If you killed one, then you could steal that power for yourself.
Allegedly this was the origin of the Devil Fruits; they were remnants of devils that had passed, their power turned into legacies that could be passed on from mortal to mortal.
Shanks was tense as he addressed the devil before him. "What did I agree to? What was the Deal?" He said quietly, his straw hat casting a shadow over his eyes.
Luffy blinked up at him. He finally seemed to pick up on the tension radiating from the pirate captain and summarily dismissed it. "Well, you wanted me to take you here, right? So I did. That's the Deal." Luffy told him matter-of-factly.
Shanks went cold. So many years of being careful on the Grand Line, doing everything in his power to take care of his crew, and he threw it all away for some booze 'cause he got careless. So much for listening to Roger's lessons.
He squared his shoulders. He might've screwed up, but this wasn't over. Roger had given all of his crew training on what to do if they got tricked into selling their souls to devils less friendly than Roger himself. It would take some crafty maneuvering to win his soul back from Luffy, but Shanks was confident he could manage it. After all, even if he was a devil, Luffy was still a kid.
But first he needed to lay some groundwork. "Yes I suppose you did hold up your end." Shanks started, treading carefully. He didn't want the kid to get upset and then have to worry about the devil's powers coming into play on top of trying to get out of this deal. "I have to admit that was a good deal." Roger had said most devils were vain, and a bit of flattery would go far in convincing the kid to dissolve the contract.
Roger knew what he was talking about, because the words had barely left Shanks' mouth before the kid was bouncing up and down, obviously pleased with himself. "Yeah I know! I'm really happy it worked too! I wasn't sure I could make Deals with so many!" Luffy giggled.
'So many'? That wasn't right. Shanks had been the only one to talk to the boy. Luffy must be talking about other deals. He couldn't mean-
Shanks seized Luffy by the shoulders. Makino made an aborted attempt to come to Luffy's aid, but hesitated when she realized the pirate captain wasn't harming him. "What do you mean 'so many'? I'm the only one you made a Deal with right? My crew never even spoke with you!" He demanded wide-eyed.
Luffy seemed startled by the sudden questions, but just shrugged it off. "Well," he began, scratching at his nose, "I did make a deal with all of you guys."
It had to be some kind of trick. Devils were crafty and there was no way Shanks could've bartered away the lives of his own crew no matter how careless he had been. "How?" Shanks asked, his voice echoing with his strength and determination. The Red-Hair Pirates would not fall in some no-name village in the East Blue.
Luffy, naturally, was unfazed, even bothering to look at Shanks like he was crazy. "You're the captain aren't you? You speak for the whole crew for every other decision. Deals count too. Duh."
Shanks clenched his fists, still holding on tightly to Luffy. "Hey, now, be reasonable. My crew didn't agree to anything. I was the one who made the deal. Only me. You can't hold them responsible." Shanks told him harshly and a little desperate, going so far as to shake Luffy.
Luffy's eyes grew wide and tears began to bubble up. He sniffed. His chin began to wobble.
Internally Shanks began to curse. So much for schmoozing the devil into releasing them from their Deal. But the nice guy attitude was over the minute his friends, his crew, were threatened. They were pirates; they didn't do this because it was fun or easy. He would find another way.
"Look," Shanks began. He ruined his chances to charm his way out of this mess, and he wasn't above begging now to fix it. It was his duty as Captain to do everything in his power to protect his crew. "I'll go with you without a fight. Whatever you want to do with my soul I won't protest. I'll be your servant, your… slave." Immediately his crew began to cause a commotion at that idea. He was touched by their concern… but... he needed to be the one to set things to rights. Even if it meant forfeiting himself in the process. Shanks winced and looked away. "If that's what you want I'll do it. All I ask is that you let my men go. Don't take their freedom. Don't make them pay for my mistakes." By the end his voice was barely above a whisper. He still wouldn't meet Luffy's eyes.
Luffy sniffed again, scrubbing away his tears before they could fall. His brow furrowed, his hurt fading into confusion.
Luffy blinked at Shanks.
He blinked again.
"Eh?! Your soul? What are you talking about Shanks?" Luffy burst out, his head tilting to the side as if the action would make sense of the pirate captain.
Shanks' head snapped up. "What do you mean what am I talking about?! You tricked us into making a Deal with you! You help us and in return you get to claim our souls! That's how Deals work isn't it?!"
"No!" Luffy jumped back, out of Shanks' grasp. "I don't want your souls. What would I do with those?" He glared at Shanks like he was stupid.
Shanks visibly faltered and stared at Luffy in disbelief. "Wait, if the deal wasn't for our souls then what was it for?" He had never heard of a devil not asking for a soul in their deals. What could this kid possibly want instead? Thousands of possibilities flashed through Shanks' head, each one more ridiculous and grand than the last.
Luffy was giving him that look again, the one that said he thought Shanks wasn't very smart. "You guys said you'd be my friends, remember?"
"Is that it?" Shanks said.
"Well, yeah. I don't want anything else." Luffy said plainly.
"Why?"
Luffy flushed and looked at the floor, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "It's just that the people here are scared of Gramps, so they don't like being around me. I thought that if I made a Deal with you guys then you'd have to be my friends and I wouldn't be alone anymore." Behind him the bartender let out a soft gasp, covering her mouth in shock. "And I'm right, aren't I Shanks? You made a Deal so now you gotta!" Luffy added angrily.
Against his will, Shanks felt his heart go out to the boy. All in all the damage could have been much worse. As it was, he now knew exactly what he needed to do to get out of this mess.
He put a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Look kid, you don't need to make Deals to make friends." He told Luffy gently.
"Eh? But then how else am I supposed to get friends?" Luffy asked, biting the inside of his cheek as he tried to figure it out.
Shanks sighed. This was not how he had expected to spend his time in the East Blue. "Just be yourself and the rest will come. As long as you care about the friends you do have you have nothing to worry about. But you can't force someone to like you or want to be your friend. You can't decide that for yourself." He told Luffy sternly. Then Shanks relaxed. "And don't worry about not having friends right now. No one is alone forever." He told him.
"Oh. Okay. I think I get it." Luffy said. He looked at Shanks and grinned sheepishly. "I guess this means I should break my Deal with you guys, right?" Shanks nodded "Okay then." Luffy placed his hands on his hips and glared up at Shanks. "But afterwards you gotta be my friends, alright!"
Shanks let out a strained laugh. This kid really wasn't getting it, but whatever. Close enough. "Sure, kid. Whatever you say. Just as long as it's not part of a Deal." Shanks said.
Luffy gave a sharp nod. "There, it's done!"
Shanks sagged when the heavy atmosphere lifted. "Good. That's good." That had been too close for comfort. He wouldn't underestimate the East Blue again.
Shanks straightened up, turning around to shoot his crew two thumbs up for the 'all clear'. He watched them relax and slowly turn back to their drinks and merrymaking. To think he'd come so close to losing them. Shanks eyed the boy that was the root of the trouble. Luffy was watching him, waiting. Shanks stuck his tongue out at him. "Besides, kids are too young to be making Deals anyways. Leave that to the grown-ups." He teased.
Luffy sputtered in outrage. "I'm not a kid!" He shouted at Shanks. "I'm a grown-up too!"
Shanks scoffed. "Are not. Come on, what are you, five?"
"I'm six." Luffy corrected. "So I'm old enough to be a grown-up."
Shanks rolled his eyes. Clearly he'd been giving Luffy's intelligence too much credit. "You're still a kid at six, idiot."
But Luffy shook his head vehemently. "Nu-uh. I'm a grown-up cause little kids have to have people take care of them, and nobody takes care of me but me. So that makes me a grown-up and not a kid."
Shanks was taken aback. That was not a response he had been expecting to get from Luffy. Damn if he didn't sympathize with the boy.
"Look, Luffy." He said, slinging his arm around the child- because despite what he thought, Luffy was definitely still a child. "You aren't alone any more. From now on my crew and I will look after you for as long as we're here." At his words Yasopp and Lucky Roo led the crew into a hearty cheer while Ben wore that smile that Shanks just knew meant he was laughing at him. Apparently his crew was made of nosey bastards who had been listening in the whole time. "Because we're friends now, and that's what friends do. We look after each other no matter what." Out of the corner of his eye Shanks could see the others nodding in agreement.
Luffy gazed at Shanks in awe. "No matter what…"