What He Means To Us: Shanks
It's been two years since Fire Fist Ace died.
Two years since Whitebeard died.
Two years since Shanks ended the war.
Two years since Luffy began his training.
Now the kids been in the papers left and right.
He even has a pirate alliance with Trafalgar Law, The Surgeon Of Death.
The red haired male smirks.
He wouldn't expect anything else from Luffy.
"Still causing trouble, Anchor?" he laughs to himself.
A smile that could only be described as fond curls his lips.
He's glad his Anchor's okay.
He knew his Anchor would be okay.
Still he worries.
He frowns.
He knew just from the first time he met Ace that the kid adored Luffy.
Hell, who doesn't?
To see someone Luffy was proud enough to call brother, die in his arms...
Shanks clenches his jaw.
It leaves a bad taste in his mouth.
He downs the bitter in his mug in one go.
"It wouldn't do you any good, you're still too little! There's no way you can become a pirate!"
He smiles again, realizing you just can't be sad with Luffy around.
Even if he's not here physically.
He grimaces at the way he made it sound like the kid's dead.
Luffy's far from dead.
"Oh yes I will! One day I'll have a ship and a crew better than yours! And we'll have the biggest hoard of treasure in the whole world! I'm gonna be King Of The Pirates!"
Shit, he's smiling again.
Luffy does have that affect on people.
Besides, Luffy's too stubborn to die.
"Hmm... you're gonna be better than us, huh?... Well then... do me a favor... keep this hat safe for me?"
Shanks knows some promises you can't keep.
After all, Anchor has more important promises than just his.
"This hat means a lot to me."
He reaches up to touch a hat that hasn't been there for years.
He smiles.
No... Anchor promised.
Luffy never breaks his promises.