Well, I decided to take a little break from finishing Dysfunctional Family just because I had this idea in my head for a while now. I usually don't post other stories unless I'm finished with unfinished ones but I really wanted to write it so I did.
Disclaimer: Insert a witty comment stating One Piece doesn't belong to me.
Oh no.
Oh hell no.
No, no, no, no!
This was not happening.
Or that's what Shanks' thoughts were as he watched Luffy thrust a dagger under his left eye (Thankfully not directly on the bulls eye.)
Even as Shanks chanted the little phrases in his head (and maybe with some curse words thrown in), fate seems to be laughing hysterically at him and saying, "Who cares what you think or want?"
When Luffy had appeared standing on the figurehead of the ship with a dagger and exclaiming that he'll prove himself fit to journey with Shanks, the captain had instantly been struck with nervousness.
So, in an attempt to make the young boy drop the dangerous object, Shanks tried to do reverse-psychology on him so that he will not stab his eye with that thing.
Unfortunately, Luffy did the opposite of perhaps everything you tell him to do and so Shanks' reverse-psychology got reversed and, seemingly more encouraged by his remarks, Luffy stabbed himself.
And now, Shanks was panicking as he tried to fix the damage or more like the doctor fixed the damage.
Luffy got two stitches under his eye now and he will probably have it for the rest of his life.
It was soon after that realization dawned on Shanks.
Ace.
Oh god Ace was going to be so mad at him.
Although Shanks was more than half his age, Luffy's older brother was not someone to be taken lightly. He was not just some normal kid. He's more mature, intelligent, and better fighter than any other boys his age.
He also has a famous reputation of maiming anyone who hurts his little brother.
This was enough to make Shanks gulp nervously and sweat profusely.
While Shanks was by far a strong fighter, Ace would probably know this and devise a different way to torture the pirate captain. And he did not want to know what Ace would scheme up to get back at him.
So, in an effort to avoid this, he decided to placate Luffy by celebrating his bravery at the usual bar.
Then as luck would have it, fate, apparently not satisfied with making Shanks' day as shitty as it was now, decided to let Luffy eat the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
And as Shanks tried to make Luffy spit out the fruit again in vain, he had thought bitterly, 'Wonderful. This is exactly what I needed on top of Luffy hurting himself. Ace is definitely not going to let this go.'
Sighing, Shanks decided to stop freaking out and accept the fact that Luffy has become a rubberman and a permanent anchor.
"Well, I guess what's done is done," the captain said, plopping back on his seat, defeated.
Luffy seemed curious with his new powers as he kept stretching his face to impossible lengths.
"Hey Luffy," Shanks said, beckoning the boy towards him.
"Yeah Shanks?" he asked curiously.
"I think we should keep what happened today a secret from Ace," the redhead whispered in Luffy's ear.
"Why?"
"Because he's going to be worried and you don't want Ace to worry do you?"
"Of course not!"
Shanks nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now, how about some food?"
And just as predicted, Luffy immediately forgot the day's events for a little while in favor of filling his stomach.
The next morning found Shanks tumbling out of bed, effectively waking him up. He groggily got up from the floor and stretched, yawning.
Another day out at sea.
He shuffled along his usual morning chores, which included brushing his teeth with his comb, and combing his hair with his toothbrush and falling asleep and plunging face first into the basin of water.
Overall it was a start of a normal day.
He got dressed and put on his straw hat when suddenly, the door to his room banged open.
"Captain!"
Shanks turned to find one of his crewmates huffing as though he ran a marathon just to get here. He also looked frantic.
"What is it?" the red head inquired.
"T-the rum!"
"Yes? What about them? Don't tell me you guys already drank them all!" Shanks said, looking wide-eyed.
"No! Even worse! I think you should come with me and see!" And with that, the crewmember ran out of the cabin with Shanks following behind.
Once they got to the deck, everyone seemed to be gathered around some barrels and murmuring within themselves.
As the captain came closer to the huddled group, there seemed to be a rancid smell in the air and Shanks wrinkled his nose.
"What's going on?" he inquired as he approached, "And why does it smell so bad?"
Ben turned around to face his captain and said in a calm voice as everyone else were too busy sulking about the loss of rum to speak, "Someone switched our barrels of rum with spoiled milk."
Shanks' face instantly turned to one of horror. So that was what the putrid smell was!
He went through the crowd and sure enough, instead of the amber color of his beloved alcohol, there was white liquid with a small hint of yellow, indicating that this milk has been spoiled a long, long, long time ago.
Everyone in the vicinity of the barrels were all either holding their breaths or their noses to prevent from inhaling the poisonous gas that the evil milk produced.
"Who could have done this?" Shanks moaned in despair. They had already left Fuchsia and they can't return now that they've gone so far away. How will they survive without rum?
"Who indeed?" Ben muttered.
Then it clicked. Well, Shanks was never really a morning person so his thought process was slower but he knew who it was.
"Ace," Shanks groaned.
Luffy must have told Ace about the incident. Why? It was probably because Ace inquired about his scar along with his new powers and forced his younger brother to spit it out.
Shanks decided to wallow in despair. Of course he shouldn't have thought that Luffy would keep the incident all to himself. That boy probably forgot all about not telling his brother.
"Rum," he said sadly, whimpering like a kicked puppy.
"Well," Ben said, taking a drag from his cigarette. "The good news is, Ace didn't leave us all to die of dehydration. So…"
The first mate gestured towards some other barrels separated from the group.
Shanks approached them cautiously incase they were as foul as the milk.
Once he reached the barrels, he saw that they were filled with an amber color liquid… But wait… It had a sweet smell coming from it.
Shanks' hope was immediately shot down and he howled in agony. It was not rum! And now, they're forced to drink something kiddy!
He sobbed on the deck saying the word rum repeatedly.
Ace has really gone far as to exact revenge like this. How could he? He should know that rum was his life! How cruel! Why is life treating him like this?
Ben watched his captain throwing a tantrum like a child on the deck of the ship along with most other crewmembers. He sighed at the behavior. At least they had something to keep their thirst down.
It was only apple juice.
A/N: Oh yes Ace is angry. Don't ask me where he got that immensely spoiled milk and how he got it in such huge quantities because I don't know.
I heard somewhere that since water gets stale during long periods of time, in the old days, ships take rum in replacement to water. Also, apple juice doesn't spoil easy (or that's what Wikipedia says.) Ah poor Shanks.