Author Notes: I know, what, me write something that isn't Zoro-centric? Shame on me. Heh. But, well, I always have been / still am curious about what Shanks and Luffy are going to do when they meet each other again. Here's a little theory (not much research behind this one, though, just my mind). Although, technically, it's going to be more than ten years when they meet up - but go with it, eh?
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
Day/Theme: September 2nd - "in ten years the world will have changed"
Spoilers/Timeline: Just another theory about something happening after Luffy is the Pirate King.
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My Hat
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They didn't meet out at sea. They didn't meet on an island. They didn't meet in the midst of a battle. They didn't meet in perfect conditions.
They met up again...smacking into each other in the air
Luffy had just been punched and thrown back by Nami on a tirade.
Shanks had just been kicked out of a bar.
Okay, so it was on an island. And the island was a resort island on the Grand Line. It wasn't even really on their log post heading.
Nami had seen the flyer in the newspaper and begged to spend her gold on a nice vacation. She was sick of being out at sea. So were the others, though they voiced it in their own way. Luffy was just excited to continue the adventure with his nakama.
But even that wasn't why Shanks had made his crew stop on the same island. Shanks was celebrating Luffy's biggest accomplishment, though he was a bit jealous himself. Luffy had finally reached his goal: Pirate King. He had sailed the full Grand Line and found what lay at the end of the long road. Luffy had grown up - and his nakama stayed with him.
So Shanks had decided to celebrate.
And it just so happened to be on the same island that Nami had insisted on.
So they met, knocking against each other back-to-back, sliding down to the ground. "Oi, watch where you're going," Shanks muttered.
Luffy just laughed, as only Luffy could. "I could say the same to you."
Shanks recognized the voice, and turned to see the familiar straw hat sitting on top of the grown up but familiar boy. He smiled. Grabbed the hat with his own hand and pulled it to his chest, leaning back against the boy as he did so. "Oh, my sweet straw, finally you're back in my possession."
"Hey! That's my hat..." Luffy's exclamation was cut off when he finally jumped up and saw who he had been thrown into.
Shanks let himself fall to the ground - seeing as what he had been leaning on had moved positions. He held the straw hat to his chest and grinned up at Luffy. "Bout time you found me."
"Shanks!"
"And it's my hat, isn't it?"
Luffy's face fell and he put a hand to his head, scratching at the loose black hair. "But..."
Shanks laughed, pushed himself to his feet, and bent down - though not as far as he had at one time - to place the well-known straw hat on the boy's head. "You have more of a claim to it, now. Can't very well be Captain of the StrawHat crew without it, now can you?"
Grinning wide, Luffy looked up at the face that had inspired him to be a great pirate captain. And Red-Hair Shanks smiled back at him. They didn't need to say much. Men never did. They just let the wind rustle between them, whispering the words for them.
"Oi, Luffy!"
The StrawHat Captain looked over his shoulder to wave back at Nami and the mess of the rest of his crew crowding around her. He turned back to Shanks and gestured at his nakama. "You need to meet my crew, Shanks. They're really funny."
Shanks stood for a moment, putting his hand to his chin, looking over the crew members from the swordsman to the skeleton, taking a moment to imagine each one in a serious fight, supporting Luffy. With a grin, he looked down at the young captain. "Are they better than mine?"
Luffy's grin seemed to grow bigger. "Yup!"
Shanks just laughed and put his hand to his face. "All right then, Mr. Pirate King. I'll take your word for it. So, what did you find at the end?"
Luffy took a moment to answer. He spun around slowly, his eyes taking in each of his nakama.
From Zoro, the swordsman who was willing to put aside his own dream in order to fulfill Luffy's first.
To Nami, who had been hesitant and fought against him at first but had learned to love being in his crew.
To Usopp, the cowardly liar who had become a brave warrior of the sea during the course of their adventure.
To Sanji, the cook who had found All Blue and then made a special feast for the Pirate King and his crew.
There was Chopper, the little reindeer who had grown up to believe in his ability, but was still searching for a cure to all diseases.
Robin, who had found a new life among them and didn't want to leave.
Franky, who had been ecstatic when his ship became known as the ship of the Pirate King.
And Brook, who had met with Laboon after more than fifty years of being gone, keeping his promise to the little whale he had befriended all those years ago.
Luffy looked at each of them in turn, then spun back to face Shanks. "It's the adventure that matters, you know, and we decided that it's not over yet."
Shanks nodded back, finding that he was pleased with the answer. "It isn't over until you say so, Luffy. Remember that."
He turned slightly, glancing over his own shoulder to pick out the members of his own crew standing nearby but in their own way, keeping out of the center of attention. But they were there, set and ready to follow if he so needed or wanted. Unlike Luffy, who was the center of attention - and his crew, walking through the streets as if there was no need for caution.
"Even after all these years, not much has changed," Shanks muttered into the wind, thinking of times long gone and feeling like he was caught on the outskirts of a scheme greater than himself yet again.
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A/N: Ahhhh cheesy ~ But I'm such a sap for lines like that. Forgive me this once, kay? Hrm. And yeah, it's real short, but it was more or less meant to be a conversation and not an event.