Disclaimer: One Piece and all characters therein belong to Eiichiro Oda.

Encounter with Red Hair Pirates

Today was a day to be celebrated. Well, the meeting of friends was a joyous occasion after all. Especially since their friendship was strongly forged all the way back during the apprenticeship days. For the two captains with strong pirate crews, it was a long time since.

Josh's unexpected visit to the island Shanks' crew is currently residing on lead to a reunion of old friends. Of course there had been a tense moment where both crews eye each other with distrust when Josh's ships arrived. Which pirate would gladly invite strangers onto their turf without knowing their true intentions? But Josh came down his ship with only a small boy by his side, stated his name, and asked for their captain Shanks. Normally it would not have been that easy to gain audience with THE Red Hair pirate, but the strength of Josh's crew was renowned and would have attracted the attention of Shanks anyway. Not investigating any potential rival nearby would have been a fatal mistake.

One thing led to another, and the port currently housing two pirate crews became lively and the tavern nearly out of wine. After all the exchange courtesy had demanded, Josh stated his reason for seeking Shanks out. He said something about knowing the exact location of a piece of treasure that belonged to Gol D. Roger, their ex-captain, the man of legend. He offered to share half with Shanks, if only Shanks would lend him an extra crew's strength. They then retreated to a private room to discuss the details, Josh bringing the lad, and Shanks bringing his vice-captain Benn Beckman, one from each crew to witness as per the norm.

Or at least, that was what the Red Hair pirate crew saw.

"Come on Josh, stop stringing me along. You and I both know that is not the reason you came. Your crew is strong enough to deal with it, so you won't need me. What then, is the real reason you came back along the Grand Line to seek me out?" Shanks stated with a serious look on his face.

For Shanks knew that Josh was independent and rarely seek others out unexpectedly. Therefore, it had to be a serious problem for Josh to come personally, and unexpectedly.

Josh smiled. "Spot on as usual Shanks. I need a favour. Well, it is true that I have located the exact position of the Medallion, which I am sure as your memory serves well enough, you will remember that it is the one that calls for the changes in weather. I have the crew strength to obtain it, but the only problem is that it is far too dangerous..."

"I don't believe you have ever considered anything 'dangerous' at all." Shanks interrupted, "So get on with it. Who is it dangerous to?"

"Why thank you!" Josh grinned, before jabbing his thumb at the lad standing ever so quietly behind him.

Shanks merely took one look, shook his head and said, "Alright then, how long until you return? And what's so special about this lad?"

"Around two weeks, if everything goes smoothly as planned. And..." Grinning wickedly, Josh pulled back the cap on the lad's head, and a waterfall of sleek black hair tumbled out. "She's not just any lad on my ship. Shanks, meet Jay, my sister. She'll need special protection if I, haha die unexpectedly on this trip. Until Lena is able to send for her, I'll have to ask that you take care of her."

Shanks looked momentarily stunned as Jay did look no different from any young lad. After a quick exchange of looks with his vice-captain Benn, Shanks nodded.

Eying Shanks and Benn's exchange with suspicion, Jay stood her ground. One must not show fear to any other pirate. That was something she learned from Josh, and learned well. Barely ten, she was tall, and innocently pretty, though her state of dress states otherwise. Which, though uncomplimentary, was necessary for her survival. Cross-dressing as a boy added an extra layer of protection in the pirate world.

"I trust that you can keep her identity secret from anyone else, with the exception of Benn?" Josh tilted his head to one side, and sent a quizzing look to Shanks. It was the final step to completing this...temporary exchange of guardianship.

"She will be well taken care of until you take her back." Shanks promised.

"Alright then. Jay, look after yourself, keep out of trouble. They are fair. Go to Shanks or Benn if you are in trouble when I am not around." Josh said.

"Benn, make arrangements and show Jay around. Josh, we'll be heading towards Jaya tomorrow and on the move for next week. You sure you can catch up?" Shanks stated calmly.

"It isn't that hard to find the famous Red Hair crew," Josh laughed.

"Now that we got this part done, are we still going back to our drinking contest?" Shanks grinned.

"Of course. I might just let you win for helping me with this favour."

Benn and Jay eyed each other. After putting her cap back, and ensuring everything looked as normal as any other lad, Josh had left with Shanks to return to their drinking contest. Hence leaving Jay and Benn alone, staring at each other.

"Alright then, come on. We'll go tour the ship first, so you don't get lost. It's emptier at night when we are in port, so there'll be less people to deal with." Benn sighed, turning to walk out.

"Can I call you Benn, Mr Beckman?" Jay asked softly, sensing that he was not too happy with this extra assignment.

Benn looked stunned at her question. Pirates are hardly ever that polite.

"Yeah okay. Jay, isn't it? Well, you be sure to stay around me or Shanks, so the other crew doesn't bother you. Your connection to Josh...," he left that part hanging in the air, "well, let's just say there may be hostility towards you, and some may even go as far to act it out. So stay close, and stay alert. Anything goes, you report to me or Shanks, savvy?"

"Savvy. I can take care of myself." Jay added, putting on a more disagreeing expression the minute she left the room with Benn. The rowdiness of in the tarvern was still going strong, and no one paid much attention to a sober Benn and a young lad passing through. Jay followed Benn out of the tavern, catching a look with Josh before stepping out.

Because the ship was crowded, the crew slept with many in a room. And that simply would not do, especially if Jay's secret was to be kept properly. There were private rooms of course, but as the crew tend to utilize them when the mood strikes, Jay could not be arranged to stay there. There was only one choice left. The captain's workroom.

Although Shanks still shared the same room as his oldest crew members, there were times he needed a private area to focus on planning the sails and strategies and politics, or just to relax. Hence he had a room for it, fully equipped with food and bed and toilet. It was known as the captain's workroom, as he did not want to be disturbed while in it. For that reason alone, Benn hesitated. If Jay lived there...Well, who knew what changes needed to be made to Shanks' routine?

What the hell...It would only be for two weeks. Captain ought to have thought of it when he assigned me this. I'll just clear it with him before she's in.

Benn brought Jay around the ship, showing her the main facilities such as the kitchen, the clinic, the washing area. Just when he was running out of introductions, thinking about how to make Jay go back to Josh so he would have a chance to clear her sleeping arrangements with Shanks, Jay spoke.

"I'll like to return to Josh now, and spend time with him and the crew. Is it okay for me to come back tomorrow after Josh goes off?"

Seeing the escape, Benn grabbed it and brought her back to the tavern, where she whispered her thanks and disappeared like smoke to find her brother. Benn shook his head, rationalizing that Jay should be safe within her own crew, set off towards Shanks, who was now far along the drinking contest he started. True to his word, Josh had lost the drinking contest, and now nursing a headache in a corner. Shanks was still drinking and Benn knew he would not be sober enough to make rational decisions, and decided to take advantage of this to run his idea by Shanks, quietly.

Shanks nodded. And Benn just knew that was because he probably could not think by himself and so relied on Benn's judgment. Well, his judgment was sound enough. Mostly.

Jay appeared next to Josh, and poured a small vial of clear liquid into him. Josh's headache cleared in a matter of seconds, and breathed in relief. Jay just shook her head in resignation at her brother's love of alcohol and hatred of hangovers. She then spent the night joking with her crew members and making last preparations on Josh's ship, checking various areas such as ship repairs and food, medicine and weaponry.

Josh's crew was small, but strong. Consisting of eight members, excluding Jay, no one would have paid extra attention if not for the fact that Josh's pirate crew had taken down many other strong pirates wanted by the marines. The nine-man crew known was known as the Lightning Pirates, for Josh had won the loyalty of Lightning Racoon, a legendary creature in the Grand Line who now followed him into every battle.

Actually, it began as a joke, for the crew used to run like lightning from danger. Josh saw no point in fighting needlessly. But the addition of the Lightning Racoon to the strength of the crew had sealed the name of Lightning Pirates on Josh's gang.

Jay was a liability on the ship, having no fixed post as every post on the ship would have to be filled in her absence every few years. As a result, she had the opportunity to learn any of the skills at her leisure, and she chose to learn about every post to help the others out. Josh's crew, being loyal to Josh, had accepted her as part of them initially, but her hard work and dedication to the ship had soon won her respect from them too.

Of course, being the protective brother, Josh had refrained anyone, including his crew mates initially, from going too near Jay. The crew too, joined in the role of protectors soon after and caused quite a lot of embarrassment for Jay sometimes. But she loved them anyway, and they loved her too, almost like a real family.

But what she could not understand was why they did not want to bring her along this time. She was not a liability anymore, she had seen to that. But... well, as Josh had said, it was for her own good that she gets to know more pirate crews. Shanks crew, as Josh had said, was very strong, and it would do her well to maintain good connections with them.

Somehow Josh always sends her to other pirates, to mix around and learn she supposed. But little did Jay know that Josh had his own reasons. He knew that if he were to die unexpectedly, as was usual with pirates, she would not have anyone looking out for her besides Lena. He wanted to make sure that Jay would have amiable connections with the stronger pirate crews, so that none would purposely seek to harm her. He was counting on the slightest chance that other crews might seek to protect her instead. He really meant for her to be well taken care of in any situations, being the over protective brother.

In any case, Josh was known to be the Link, for he had friendly relationships with most pirate crews, and his presence meant that the various pirate crews could be kept updated about the recent events of others. Well, that was the reason Jay knew anyway. She too, sought to be like Josh, and Josh had high hopes of her succeeding him in future.

After making sure that everything was the best that she could managed, Jay went back to find her brother's crew. Searching through the whole tavern full of drunken bodies, Jay was unsurprised to find that none of them were there. They were extremely good drinkers in any case, and rarely left each other unguarded. She made her way down to the nearby cliff, where she knew Josh and crew were likely to hang out after a drink to help clear his head.

The cliff... there was another story behind that, but Jay had enough to think about for now. She just wanted to spend as much time with her brother's crew as possible, seeing that she would have to be alone very much for the next two weeks or so in a new crew. The only place she could really be herself was with Josh and his crew. Once out there with other pirates, she had to be mature, far more than her age demanded. Josh would be unable to help protect her then, and being mature sure helped with keeping herself unharmed.

Actually, Jay did not mind being injured in a battle. But what she did mind was that Josh would be very angry and attempt to seek revenge upon those who purposely hurt her. That would cause quite some conflict and really, Jay did not see the need for it. It would be far too damaging for her brother and his crew, and she loved them too much to cause them worry this way.

There was once when Josh had left her with another pirate crew and said crew had attempted to bully her. Thank goodness that Josh had returned two days after and Jay managed to defend herself until then, though covered with many injuries. The backwash of that incident...Well, after half the nearby village was demolished, some brave villager had managed to contact the Marines who came just in time to see how that pirate crew lost to Josh's crew, and somehow the bounty on Josh's crew went up. It was not even Josh's crew who had destroyed the place anyway, but well, Marines did not really care. So in order to keep everyone sane and healthy, Jay had learned that she had to keep herself safe.

"Keep yourself safe Jay, Shanks is fair, but the same can't be said of everyone on his crew. I know Shanks for a long time, you will be well taken care of. But do not trust any on his crew unless they earned it." Josh reminded Jay.

"Safe journey Josh. I'll miss you all." Jay said, hugging Josh and everyone else.

"Kid, don't forget to learn recipes from the chef this time!"

"Don't forget your training. No slacking!"

"Ah, do take a look at how the navigators of Red-Haired Shanks crew sail, and practise your skills and sharpen your instincts regarding this Grand Line."

"Enjoy yourself Jay, we certainly will enjoy the days without you bugging us."

"Give the poor kid a break, man."

"Take the chance to study the ship design from inside; we'll discuss more about ship building when I see you again."

"Take the gun and sword. Arm yourself well at all times."

"Stay safe and out of trouble, okay? We aren't anywhere near this time."

With these last words, Josh's crew patted Jay's head and went back to the ship.