Makino gazed at her hometown's modest dock, appreciating some of the less profound traits - like the worn-off planks, one cracked wooden stump and the lower parts of the frame, covered in seaweed, so much so it coloured part of the planks dark green. But even that ugliness had its pretty little charm. It was genuine, not adamant in hiding the fact that it connected sea to land; not trying to appear pretty for the satisfaction of sophistication.
It was just like him.
Makino sighed, her hand falling into the pocket of her brown-yellow shirt, fingers accidentally probing a certain cold object. Her eyes widened a little. She grasped the item in her fingers, slid it off her pocket and brought it up to her face.
She hummed at it, her lips forming an unreadable curl. It was neither a pout nor fully a smile. There was a fuzzy warmth in her dark orbs of sight, glistening from the morning sunlight reflecting off them like selkie eyes.
"Think of it as a gift of the Sea."
Those were the last words Shanks had left her with on that night. Normally, his 'surprise-visits' would end with the two in throes of gratifying passion, but on that particular night, filled with bittersweet goodbyes, it felt far from appropriate to conclude it that way.
He left a kiss on her lips, deep yet quick and subtle so no one but his crew would catch them. Their affair was after all supposed to be a secret, though realistically the only ones who weren't aware of it were the cranky Mayor and the pure-minded boys. That chaste kiss was a true last farewell from him before he went to give his last goodbyes to Luffy - the boy who had become something not unlike a son to the rowdy captain for the time he spent at Foosha Village.
Said boy was now sitting on a rock, not so far away from Makino herself. She looked at him as he toyed with Shanks'-no, his Straw Hat now, eyeing its simple texture with childish glee and wonder. He was probably thinking of all the different ways he could wear it on his head.
Such a cute kid he is, she wanted to say but kept her mouth thinly shut.
Her gazed unconsciously drifted back to the anchor-shaped ornament Shanks had left her with, her eyes also filling with a nigh-childlike amazement and curiosity at its simple-looking yet deeply intricate design.
It really looked just like a dark green anchor to the naked one. Nothing special. It didn't shine with a sunlike glimmer, nor did it glow like a fragment of the Moon. But even so, there were these slight, very slight movements in the color of it, twists and curls that could go unnoticed pretty easily, which gave it an air of specialty to Makino. That optical illusion was likely caused by the effects the seastone matter had on the light reflecting off it.
But to Makino, whether the anchor was remarkable or not mattered very little. Special gems were nice, but the person who gave them was of far greater importance to her.
The hidden implications, the subtle messages inscribed on its symmetrical shape with an invisible chisel…they spoke to her on a level deeper than any nice gift or gem she had received from past admirers, manipulators and even old friends.
Her mind snapped out of its temporary trance and she remembered little Luffy clutching the straw hat and her eyes slightly watered as a realization hit her.
The straw hat and the anchor were the same .
They were fragments of him, of Shanks, the red-haired wonder in both Makino and Luffy's lives. The person who invaded their hearts so easily not by force or coercion, or skilled manipulation, but by simply offering the joys of the Sea, as he himself often described his own rowdiness and generosity. The person who installed two different kinds of passion in their very core. One the yearning for partying and freedom, the other - the bliss of love.
And the hidden message they both held was as follows:
"This is a memory of the sea and the moments we shared. A treasure unlike any other. Hold onto it for me, until we reunite."
And Makino decided then that she would. She would keep this treasure close to herself and she wouldn't let it go, no matter what. Until the day she could return it to the man she fell for.
She was just coming back from the storeroom at the back with a new batch of liquor to fill in the empty shelves of her posse.
Since the party last night, half of her supplies were faced with immense depletion, but Party still had to open, despite the delay caused by purely personal reasons. And although she wished to indulge pleasant memories in the Captain's absence, she couldn't afford to act so selfish when the lack of morning rowdiness affected the villagers as well, setting a slightly glum atmosphere.
Through some chance, she opened just at the right time, when everyone was awake and energetic, but having nothing to do. The farmers wouldn't work for another two hours and the shopkeepers would rather wait till they restock their scant-few products.
It was just the right time for her to open, the ideal intersection of pauses in the villagers' daily lives. The citizens of Foosha expected to experience a relaxing afternoon at Party's before they could resume their activities and Makino would not deny them that despite her mental lassitude.
When she came round the corner, she heard the sound of a familiar cackle, followed by the hoarse grumble of a few old men near her. One of the Mayor.
"Tsk…that little brat's showing off the garbage Red-Hair dumped on him again. He shoulda just thrown it in the sea if he doesn't need it." complained Woop Slap.
Woop Slap was a well-known traditionalist, a man all about village tradition, which included an unbound disdain for pirates. Well, with a few exceptions.
The Red-Haired Pirates were not only the first pirate group to get on the Mayor's good side, they were also the first ever to get him to loosen up during a party.
Still, Makino thought he was being a little grumpier than usual. Maybe Shanks' departure also affected him, but he just didn't want it to show, so he masked it with frustration at the straw hat.
Well, she might as well do what she does best and cheer him up.
"Now, now, Mayor-san. Are you going to complain every time a child picks up something and calls it their treasure? That's a bit unreasonable, even for you." Makino said, earning his attention. She dug into one of the crates she was carrying and whipped out a bottle of whiskey.
"M-Makino…ugh, no it's just…that straw hat's recognizable, ya know. What if a marine sees it. What if Garp sees it?" Woop Slap responded with an array of questions, while timidly taking the offered bottle, which Makino countered.
"I'd say it's less of an 'if' and more of a 'when', if spending time with Luffy has taught me anything. Any marine that passes through this island must report to Garp before taking action. And as for the Hero himself…" she put a hand on her cheek as she looked affectionately at Luffy as he displayed his hat to everyone at the bar, as if it was the one piece. She chuckled. "Well, who knows, I've been told he also has a history with that hat."
"Huh? History? Garp? Who told you that gibberish? Red-Hair? I swear that guy probably made-up half the crap he told us." Woop Slap grumbled, taking one large gulp of whiskey.
Makino wanted to argue that - 1. The Mayor hadn't even heard half of Shanks' stories; 2. Makino believed all of them. But she reconsidered, knowing full well that would only ignite a furious argumentative discussion that she didn't feel like partaking right now.
"Heh, I'm surprised you haven't tried taking that hat off him yourself, Mayor-san." Makino said with a teasing smile.
Woop Slap gulped down some whiskey and grunted, teeth gritting.
"Pfeh, that little monkey didn't let me no matter what I tried. Damned spunky brat. Garp's training made him too strong for his age. The only elders he respects now are the ones who can beat his ass to kingdom come and as you can see, I'm no longer in the condition to do that."
"Ah yes, I remember when you could deadlift Sea Kings in your hay day." Makino stated, her expression showing awe and adulation, while her tone dripped with smooth sarcasm.
"You tryin' mock me, Makino?!"
Makino giggled at that, but gave no answer, instead giving him a cheeky little grin and looking again towards Luffy. The boy just noticed her and his eyes widened from shock before they were filled with an excitement not so dissimilar from a son wanting to show off to their mother.
"Ma-chan, Ma-chan!" he called out for her, louder than necessary, and ran up to her. He immediately started waving the straw hat in front of her, pointing at it. It was endearing how much overblown emphasis he was trying to put on the hat. "Check it out! Shanks gave me his Straw Hat!"
"Oh, did he now? How sweet of that captain. I honestly thought the ruffian would give you an anchor as a joke." Makino responded, smile growing wider as the target of her teasing became her precious little Luffy. Some members of the bar cackled at that, with even the Mayor's stern glare breaking a little.
"H-Hey, that's not funny, Ma-chan! Meanie!" Luffy yelled at her, his young sensitive heart exploding with emotion from being reminded of that belittling nickname. He looked ready to tear-up until Makino gently patted his head, ruffling his hair. He paused and when he saw her smile, radiant like a holy mother's, his cheeks coloured pink from embarrassment.
"T'was only a joke…" something like a light bulb flashed on in Makino's head and she tried to suppress her chuckle as she made a serious menacing face, or rather an attempt at one. " Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates ."
"Captain…of the Straw Hat…Pirates?" Luffy reluctantly repeated the title as he failed to catch the tease in her voice.
"Oi, Makino, are you naming crews now?! I knew that Red-Hair bastard had an ill-effect on your psyche!" Woop Slap exclaimed, clearly outraged at the suggested title.
"Hmm, honestly, it just came up in my mind like that." Makino said, snapping her fingers to get her point across. "It was just a little quip. I don't even think it's a good na-"
" I love it !" Luffy suddenly shouted, expressing immense joy and enthusiasm with the way his eyes were all shinny and his mouth was split into a wide smirk. "I was thinking about it, too, but then I also thought of 'Strawmen Pirates' and 'Black-Hair Pirates', and 'Rubber Pirates', but this really is the BEST for my future crew! Thank you, Ma-chan!"
Makino's heart fluttered a little when Luffy ensnared her legs in a warm and tight hug, his arms stretching and wrapping around her thighs unconsciously.
"E-eh? N-no problem…?" Makino, a little flushed from Luffy's sudden hug, and his absolute gusto at the suggested title, which was more so meant as a joke than anything serious. She got over it after a second and put her hands on his shoulders, kneading them gently. "I'm glad you liked it, Luffy. I hope I'll get to see the Straw Hats in my lifetime."
"I hope I don't!" Woop Slap voiced his stance on the matter, but Makino paid him no mind.
"We'll be the greatest crew ever, I promise, Makino. I promised him, too. I'm gonna surpass him one day." Luffy said, his voice muffled from where his face pressed against her thighs. He then looked up to her, probably wanting to see her reaction. She just smiled sweetly at him, dark eyes encouraging his dreams.
Makino knew how much faith Shanks had already placed on Luffy. The trust he had entrusted him was a different kind of trust from hers. It was the faith of a mentor who believed their student was capable enough to walk the same path they did, even going farther than they did themselves. She herself didn't fully understand it, but seeing Luffy like this only made her want to push him forward.
They stood like that for a few moments - the near-perfect image of a 'mother and her son at a bar'. Luffy's eyes suddenly narrowed as he noticed something on Makino's profile. He looked at it with an owlish stare that made Makino a bit uneasy.
"Luffy?"
"...Hey, Ma-chan, what's that anchor on your neck?"
Makino blinked. It took a second for her to realize what Luffy was referring to. Everyone's attention was now on it. The necklace with the shimmering anchor which rested on her petite bosom.
"Oh…uhm, this is…it's a gift…" she looked around, cheeks flushing as she struggled to compose her body language from showing all her emotions, but she was always bad at that particular skill, so now she just had even more eyes on her.
"A gift? From who? It's pretty. I bet they're rich! They're rich, right?! Ma-chan, you have a rich friend?!" Luffy bombarded her with his innocent questions that were per usual - very off-track, and all Makino could do was awkwardly wave her hands in the air and move her lips in an attempt to give an answer.
"Oh boy…" one of the bar attendees muttered before chugging their bottle. Chuckles from the Red-Hair fans and grumbles from Woop Slap's clique sounded across the bar.
Makino let out a defeated sigh. They already knew. Of course they did. Even Shanks couldn't hide it from them and he was a master at hiding his true feelings. She might as well just stop beating around the bush with Luffy.
"It's a gift from Shanks."
Those words were enough to instill silence in the room. Luffy stood there, frozen for a solid second, before he screamed out in astonishment.
"WHAAAAAAAT?!" Luffy, after nearly deafening everyone at the bear, shut his mouth into a thin line and furrowed his brows. He made such a thoughtful facade. "Wait, Ma-chan…Shanks is rich?!"
"E-eh…?"
"THAT'S WHAT SHOCKED YOU?!" the rest of the bar exclaimed simultaneously.
"Err, Luffy…Shanks is a captain of an infamous pirate crew. It's only natural for him to be wealthy. Pirates gather money all the time." the explanation she gave Luffy somehow felt more awkward than her earlier confession.
"Wait…really?" Luffy asked as he tilted his head in confusion.
"OH DEAR LORD!" the others exclaimed in sync again.
"Uh, yes. Luffy, that's…that's what all pirates do. They amass a lot of wealth through various means depending on the crew and their captain. If they don't do that they never make it through the seas."
The boy opened his mouth to put forth an argument, but then he seemed to reconsider and shut his mouth shut, thinning it into a straight line once more. He looked at her, his owlish eyes intense as if probing her soul. They didn't quite have the piercing absoluteness of Shanks' gaze, but Makino was sure in the future the boy's gaze would grow to match it.
"Oh…didn't know that." he admitted after a whole minute of just staring at her with that seemingly thoughtful gaze of his.
"AND YOU WANT TO BECOME A PIRATE?!"
"Shut up! I'll be the greatest pirate out there!" Luffy yelled at the crowd, clearly annoyed by the collective exclamations. He was glaring and barring shark-like teeth at them and they looked ready to provoke him more…until the sound of Makino's sweet laughter washed over their ears.
As if a druid had put a spell on them, their tension dissipated and their attention was drawn to the source of the mellow sound.
"Oh Luffy…" Makino uttered as her laughter died down and she recomposed herself.
"W-What?!" pink exploded across Luffy's puffed-up cheeks.
Looking at the boy now, she couldn't help but smile widely once more. She was so worried about revealing the truth of the gift to everyone and the semantics that came with it. Trivial stuff that normally wouldn't weigh on her mind. But Luffy's ridiculousness improved her mood and helped her relax.
"Nothing. I just thought the hat suits you."
"Uh…thanks? Your necklace looks good on you, too." Luffy awkwardly returned the compliment. He rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what was happening right now probably. Typical Luffy. He was good at starting conversations, but his mind couldn't comprehend all the subtle social cues beneath the surface.
"If you want, we can talk about our gifts outside, but for now I have to serve the customers. Is that fine with you, Luffy?"
"Yeah, Ma-chan." Luffy nodded, somewhat curtly in his standards. After realizing that Makino's promise entailed a gushing talk about Shanks, Luffy's excitement returned. "It's not a problem at all! I'll go catch us some fish to eat, too!"
"L-Luffy, you don't need to-"
The doors creaked as the young boy ran straight through them in the blink of an eye.
"And he's gone." Makino mumbled with a bemused smile, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head.
"Whatever that boy is being fed, it has made him a monster." Woop Slap grumbled, downing the last of his whiskey.
That was a very ironic statement, thought Makino. Given the incident that transpired a few weeks ago.
The Sun was already lowering when she finally finished her bar duties and helped out the villagers with whatever they needed. She may have used up a lot of time that could have saved her a few hours, but then again, she'd have nothing to do except polish the bar till it was shining.
She found the boy she was looking for somewhere on the outskirts of the village, near a small lake. She blinked in puzzlement as she noticed a campfire burning near him with three relatively large fish hovering over it on sticks. She sniffed the air as she approached closer and her stomach whined like an amorous lady.
"Okay, what magic spell did you use? How did you set this up?" Makino asked when she was close enough for Luffy to hear her without the need to raise her voice much. She addressed him with a tender smirk.
"Oh, Ma-chan!" Luffy turned around with a beaming smile that brightened even his dark eyes. "Ace set up the campfire."
Makino nodded. It was natural. In the wild, Makino was sure no beast could best Luffy…with the exception of the boy himself. He had no sense of self-preservation and never learned how to do things like setting up campfires.
"He did, huh? But I don't see him anywhere." Makino said as she idly looked around to see if she could spot the aforementioned boy.
"Oh, he left a little before you came. He's probably fighting that bastard boar that ate all of Dandan's carrot stock last night! He taught me how to cook the fish. But…" Luffy's excitement fell a little, as his brows furrowed and he tapped his lip. "I think I messed it up and had to catch a couple dozen more fish. He said the ones I cooked before were completely inedible. But these ones are good! Ace said so!"
"You really tried hard to prepare me a nice meal, huh? Oh, Luffy…" Makino said, patting his head and ruffling his hair. His happy smile was now accompanied by a little blush on his cheeks. Her eyes idly wandered off to the fish. She blinked a couple times when she noticed a very particular detail. "Uhm, Luffy…I think they're burnt."
"Wha-AAAAH! I FORGOT TO FLIP THEM!" Luffy screamed and jumped, dashing to the fish and trying his best to fix the situation. "Damn it, damn it, I messed it up again, damn it…!"
Makino put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it softly to get his attention. Her gut twisted a little when she saw the distress on the boy's face. He really didn't want to mess up whenever he wanted to impress her or Shanks. She gave him a warm, assuring smile to ease his worries.
"It's okay. They're only half-burnt and even if they were fully burnt, I would still eat them."
"R-really?!" Luffy asked, astonished. Makino nodded with a sweet chuckle.
"Yes, they are your fish after all and you are giving them to me. It'd be rude to just throw them away."
"T-then I hope you enjoy them!"
"Thank you, I will."
They started eating the half-burnt fish meal and though the burnt bits added a strong bitterness to the meat, the taste was overall well-balanced. Makino thought they were actually quite delicious. Luffy seemed to agree as well, as he ended up devouring two of the fishes and one third of hers. To his credit, he did ask for her permission before eating more than his own fish. He'd usually just steal food from people's hands, but he strangely never did it with her or Shanks.
"So, might telling me a little bit about how you got that infamous hat, Straw Hat Captain?" she voiced her question in a modestly mocking tone, eyes perked up in apparent curiosity. Luffy beamed at that.
"I made a promise to Shanks!"
"Oh, what would that promise be?" she already knew. She had overheard them after all. She didn't need to ask him anything about the Straw Hat in the first place. It was a crystal clear situation for her. But even so, she didn't care. Talking to the boy and sharing his enthusiasm felt super nice.
"I told him that one day I'll have a crew that's as good as his and together we'll find the greatest treasure in the world!"
"And then you'll become the Pirate King?" Makino inquired, acting as if she threw a wild guess.
"Yes! Shishishi, it's like you read my mind, Ma-chan!" Luffy stated, his smile turning into a playful cat-like grin.
"Yes, I've been told I have this skill by a number of people." Makino replied with a subtly hidden snicker she let out.
"Can you read Shanks' mind?!" Luffy asked, seemingly awed by her 'special psychic ability' which he had apparently 'just discovered'.
"Heh, half the time…" Makino's smile fell down a little, genuine uncertainty creeping into her voice, but then a demure smirk broke it apart. "He's pretty good at confusing me."
"Me, too! He's so mysterious sometimes! But that makes him even cooler!"
"Hmm…" Makino pressed her lips shut, only letting out a quiet hum. She actually was a bit taken aback by Luffy's words. 'he's so mysterious, but that makes him even cooler' - it sounded like something her mind would come up with, too. The fact that their adoration for the same man was similar yet came from vastly different places never ceased to amaze Makino.
Her love, his admiration…How could a single man beckon such emotions from both of them, she wondered?
"Hey, Ma-chan, it's no fair if only I share my story!" Luffy complained, frowning at her with crossed arms.
"Eh?" Makino uttered, bewildered.
"Tell me how you got the necklace! It's only fair!" the boy demanded, pointing a finger at the beautiful accessory resting on the top of her cleavage.
"O-oh, yes, of course…" that was the whole point of this outside meeting. Makino felt conflicted.
For one, she wasn't sure if revealing the truth of her relationship with Shanks would be the right choice at this moment. For another thing, she wasn't sure if Luffy would even understand those feelings. His understanding of romance and sentimentality was pretty bare bones. Before the Red-Hair crew came along the poor boy didn't even know why some people kissed and what 'flirty language' was.
She unconsciously rubbed her left shoulder with her right hand. She owed the boy an explanation, one way or another. Steeling her nerves, she looked at Luffy directly in the eyes and spoke.
"W-well, as you know, Shanks and I get along very well." he nodded, which further strengthened her composure. "We grew close, very close. Did…a lot of things together. Fun things. Some seemed scary at first, but…well, I guess he started rubbing off on me, because I've grown much more confident and bold than before he came. I…"
'I love him' - it was just on the tip of her tongue, but some part of her that was more self-conscious about the whole thing, stopped her from saying it. She sighed.
"He's dear to me. And not having him around is…pretty tough to deal with. I miss him already. And I believe he misses me now, too."
Understatement of the century, she mentally said to herself.
"But this gift…this little anchor…" she spoke softly as she grasped the miniature anchor and then brought it up in her palm for Luffy to see it more clearly. "It's physical proof of our bond. It also preserves the memory of him throughout time."
A moment of silence ensued, where Makino was absorbed in her own inner world. Talking about the necklace and what it represented left her mind wandering aimlessly through sacred memories of pleasant moments shared between her and Shanks only. Some of those were better left unsaid in front of an 8 year old kid, so she just shut her mouth to prevent an accidental slip.
"...It's really important to you, huh?" Luffy broke the silence, his quiet voice bringing her back to reality. She looked at him. His expression had become unreadable. He was neither frowning or smiling. His eyes didn't betray his true feelings on the matter and they looked almost hawk-like. As if they were peering into her soul. She unwillingly shivered the more she stared back.
"Yes…it is." her eyes quickly went back to the mini-anchor. Her smile slowly started returning. "Honestly, if someone right now offered me the one piece in exchange for this, I'd probably refuse the offer without a second thought."
This must've absolutely shocked Luffy, because half a minute of absolute silence ensued again. His expression hadn't changed, though his eyes were slightly widened.
Makino gulped. Did she say the wrong thing? Should she elaborate further?
But before she could make a decision, Luffy closed his eyes and dug into his pocket. He brought out a dark green bracelet. She gasped.
"Wait, Luffy, is that-"
"Sabo wore it. Ace found it last week. Me and Ace bought it from Mr. Londy for his birthday before…" Luffy paused, his body shaking a little as he recalled unpleasant memories. " You should wear it, Ma-chan. I don't know where to put it that I won't forget and I can't just keep dragging it with me. I'm scared I'll lose it."
Makino brought a hand to her lips.
"Oh, Luffy…I-I can't-"
"Take it, Ma-chan!" Luffy ordered, his voice taking on a more assertive tone that was not so dissimilar from Shanks' when he gave a serious order to his crewmates. It actually stunned her for a moment. "This is going to be proof of our promise!"
"O-our promise?"
Luffy looked at her and grinned.
"Yes. I promise to help you reunite with Shanks someday!"
Those words…they penetrated through Makino's mental defenses completely, echoing through the depths of her heart. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened though no sound came out, except for a single choked gasp.
Reuniting with Shanks. Yes, he had promised they'd meet again. Yes, she believed him full-heartedly. But part of her still had her doubts if fate would be so kind to the two of them, to let them see each other again. None of the villagers thought the Red-Hair pirates would be returning to their shores ever again.
So to have someone assure her with such confidence and enthusiasm…All she could do was embrace them in a tight hug while she quietly sobbed.
"Thank…Thank you so much, Luffy."
"Shishishi, no biggie! I wanna see Shanks again just as much as you!"
Makino's love for Shanks and Luffy's admiration for the man…perhaps they really were similar.