Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or One Piece

Edited version

Shanks looked down on a boy with pink hair who lay there, flat on his stomach, wounds covering him. His clothing was torn and a scarf lay next to him, you could see blood slowing coming from the wounds. "Oi, are you okay?" Shanks carefully shook the boy.

The boy seemed to be about Luffy's age. Shanks carefully turned the boy over and checked for a heartbeat to make sure he was alive. Sure enough he was alive, but there was a wound on his neck that seemed quite deep. He carefully lifted the boy up and the boy stirred and Shanks stopped after getting about two steps into walking. "You're awake," Shanks smiled.

The boy carefully lifted his arm weakly and felt around his neck, seeming to be looking for something. "My... Scarf," The boy choked out.

Shanks turned to see the scarf laying on the floor.

"Rest easily. I'll take your scarf as well," Shanks told him, turning to pick up the scarf and placing it onto the boy's chest.

His little hands gripped his scarf tightly as if his life depended on it and his eyes closed, falling back into unconsciousness.

Shanks made his way back to town and got back onto his ship. His crew surrounded him as they were curious about the pink-haired boy. "He seems pretty injured," One commented.

Shanks laid the boy inside on one of the hammocks and the ship's doctor came over immediately with medical supplies. "Please, do what you can. I'm counting on you," Shanks placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder.

"You can count on me, Captain," He said with a grin and got right to work.

Shanks came back out, his crew questioned him. "Don't worry, that boy won't be of any harm. He was pretty beaten up when I found him," Shanks told his crew.

"He seemed to sustain quite a few injuries though," Another said, seeming worried about the boy.

"All we can do is wait," Shanks told them.

About an hour had passed when the doctor came out, seeming to be going a bit crazy. The crew was drawn in by the attention. "Captain! Bad news! The boy is really burning up and yet there's no symptoms of sickness!" The doctor told him.

"That's impossible," Shanks said, surprised.

Shanks came over to the boy's bed, seeing that he didn't seem to be sick. The boy's eyes opened a bit. "What's with all the noise?" He removed his hands from the scarf he was holding to his ears.

He then looked around, slowly removing his hands from his ears, seeming to not comprehend where he was. "Where am I?" The boy sniffed the air curiously.

"You're on a ship. Do you feel alright? Do you feel sick?" Shanks asked.

The boy looked at Shanks as if he was stupid. "I'm not sick. It's just my neck gives a bit of pain," The boy said, feeling where he was deeply scratched on the neck.

"You shouldn't do that. You'll reopen the wound," The doctor came back and added, "You're burning up. Are you sick?"

"Oh, it might be because of my power," Natsu told them.

"Power? You mean devil's fruit power?" Shanks asked.

The boy shook his head. "My fire dragon slayer magic," He told them.

"No one can't have powers without eating a devil's fruit and second, dragons don't exist. You must really have a fever and probably got beaten up good. You should rest a little more," Shanks told him.

"Why doesn't anyone believe me? Igneel is real. He was the one that taught me my magic," The boy gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Calm down," Shanks told the boy.

The boy got off the hammock, taking his scarf and making a run for the door and through Shanks' crew. Shanks made a run after him, but the boy was too fast and swift. "Wait!" Shanks called out, but the boy wouldn't listen and made a jump off the side of the ship, landing straight on the dock. Shanks made it to the edge and the boy continued to run, fastening the scarf back around his neck, his eyes seemed to begin tearing up. Shanks banged his fist down on side of the ship, frustrated that the boy got away.

Natsu began to walk, thinking that he'd gotten far enough. He breathed heavily from all the running. He wiped the tears that threatened to fall and his fists stayed clenched. Natsu read the sign above one of the buildings and entered, feeling like it was a great place to hide for awhile. "Oh, if it isn't a young boy," The girl behind the counter seemed a bit surprised.

She put down her towel and mug and walked around the counter, towards the boy and crouched down. "What can I help you with? You seem a bit tired and beaten up. You want a glass of water?" She asked.

Natsu was surprised by her kindness and gave a small smile. "Yes, please," Natsu told her.

The woman smiled back and led him over to the bar. She filled him a glass of water as he sat down on one of the tall stools. She handed it over to him and he took a small sip of the water before placing it down on the counter. "I'm Makino. What's your name?" The woman asked Natsu.

"I'm Natsu. It's nice to meet you," Natsu told her.

"That's a nice name you have, Natsu. Say, are you wanting to become a pirate as well?" Makino asked.

"Pirate? Not really. I'm actually looking for my dad," Natsu told her.

"Your father? Can you describe him for me?" Makino asked.

"You wouldn't believe who he was either and think I hit my head," Natsu told her, a frown dawned upon his face.

"Hey, now. I've heard some pretty crazy things here while I work here. I'm sure your father isn't that bad," Makino tried to encourage him.

Natsu paused and drank more from his glass before placing it back down. "Well, my dad's a huge red dragon that can breathe fire. His name's Igneel," Natsu told her.

"A dragon? That's amazing! I've heard that dragons are a myth, but having your father as a dragon is awesome. You must be pretty lucky to get a father like that," Makino told him.

Natsu smiled, feeling a bit more confident. "My dad taught me everything. He even taught me magic," Natsu told her.

"Magic also? What kind of magic?" Makino asked her.

"Fire dragon slaying magic," Natsu told her.

"A type of magic to slay dragons? That's pretty crazy considering that your own father is a dragon. He's brave teaching you such a magic," Makino told Natsu.

Natsu gave a wide grin and they talked awhile more.

"What happened next, Shanks?" A boy asked as people began to stream in, in lead was one of the few Natsu recognized.

Shanks continued to tell his story as he and the moment he looked at Natsu was the moment Natsu tried to make a run for it. "I don't think you'll be going anywhere. We searched all over town to find you, but to think you'd hide here," The captain the ship grabbed on to Natsu's scarf and the back of his shirt.

Natsu didn't struggle as Natsu was lifted onto one of the stools. "Oh, do the two of you know eachother?" Makino asked.

"He's one of the people that doesn't believe my father's a dragon," Natsu answered.

"It's because it's not normal to be raised by a dragon!" Shanks told the boy.

"Now, now, Shanks. There's all kinds of weird things that happen. Why can't one of them be that his father is a dragon?" Makino tried to reason.

"It's because dragons don't exist!" Shanks tells her.

"Dragons do exist. It's because it's only a little boy like me is telling you, is why you don't believe me," Natsu's hands made fists.

"Oi, calm down. It's not something to get worked up about," Shanks told him.

"It is because no one believes me!" Natsu's hand lit on fire and he gave a hard punch to Shanks' face before making a run for it.

"Captain!" His crew began to call out worriedly.

Shanks had been driven two steps back. The boy had given a stinging punch with a fire fist which left a horrible burning sensation. The other boy with him, Luffy, seemed to have gone after the boy, seeing that he was cool. "Are you okay, Captain?" Makino asked, continuing to wipe down the mug in hand.

"That was pretty surprising," Shanks couldn't believe that the boy could throw him off two steps backwards and leave such pain to his left cheek, where he hit.

"Luffy went after him, now didn't he?" Makino realized, putting a rag under some cold water and pressed it on the captain's cheek, hoping it would ease the pain a bit.

Natsu ran for it, anger built up inside of him. "Oi, wait up!" The boy that had been with the captain, called out to him.

Natsu didn't stop, but kept on running through the streets, hoping to lose the boy. He went down the alleyways and stopped at one point, thinking that he'd lost him. Natsu curled up against the wall, a frown covered his face as he wasn't happy that he'd been told they didn't exist. It angered him badly just to think that they would say that Igneel wouldn't exist. "Oi, you didn't have to run so far," Natsu looked up to see the boy that had been chasing him.

"Are you here to tell me that dragons don't exist also? If so, then you can leave," Natsu told him.

"That was a pretty cool hit that you got off of Shanks! Not everyone can hit him and injure him," The boy tells Natsu with a smile.

Natsu didn't care about the praise the boy gave him. "I'm Luffy, by the way," The boy told him and added, "I'll become a pirate one day and sail through the Grand Line."

"I'm Natsu," Natsu mumbled his name out.

"Say, isn't your dad's a dragon? That's pretty cool," Luffy crouched down next to Natsu.

Natsu didn't comment back. "You seem pretty strong also. You want to join my pirate crew one day?" Luffy asked.

Natsu looked up. "No, I'm going to keep traveling to find my dad. Though, thanks for the offer," Natsu told him.

"We'll search for him together: you and me. We'll also find others to join our crew as well!" Luffy told Natsu.

Natsu took a moment to answer. "We'll have tons of fun together, just you and I and the rest of our crew!" Luffy stood up and outstretched his hand.

Natsu looked at Luffy's hand for a moment and Natsu gave a small smile, taking his hand and giving a nod. "Okay!" Natsu told him.

That's the start of the first two pirates of the Straw Hat Pirates. They were great friends and they trained on strengthening their abilities after Shanks had left on a voyage to another town. They were practically friends for life.

Frequently Asked Question: Will Lucy or any Fairy Tail characters beside Natsu appear?

Answer: There will be NO other Fairy Tail character appearing in the story besides in flashbacks... maybe