Chapter 7 – Rekindled Fire
Shanks stood at the front of his ship, The Red Force, as it approached the Moby Dick. His weathered skin was pale and he had dark bags under his eyes. Ever since he had read that Luffy had died he hadn't been able to get any sleep and had barely touched any alcohol. He hoped that visiting Whitebeard and seeing that his commander was safe would ease his guilt and regrets of the young girl he had thought of as a daughter. His mind was plagued with questions as to why the young girl who had sworn to him to become Pirate King had instead become a Marine. Despite his sorrow, he knew that he wasn't the only one, since Luffy was much loved and that her death would be deeply mourned.
He had ordered one of the men in the crow's nest to signal to the approaching ship that they weren't there for a fight but to talk, since Shanks knew Whitebeard would be on edge since it had just been over a week since he had fought in the war. Once the two ships were side by side, Shanks grabbed the huge bottle of sake lying on his ship's deck and made his way slowly up the gangplank. Shanks, released a blast of Haki, since he was technically boarding an enemy ship and he didn't want to be attacked. Benn, his first mate walked behind him. Shanks knew that Benn wanted to make sure that nothing happened and that his first mate was worried about him since he hadn't been himself since he had read the news about Luffy.
As they slowly made their way to Whitebeard's throne the weaker minded men dropped to the deck unconscious while the commanders and other stronger members watched his progress. He finally stopped in front of Whitebeard's throne.
"Excuse me. I had to be a little threatening since it's an enemy ship." Shanks offered a half smile at his fellow Yonko. He held up the bottle which he had dragged behind, "I've brought some good sake; I've got no intention of fighting. I simply came to see how you and your fourth commander are. After all you managed to get back the person you went to war for."
Whitebeard looked down at the red haired man, "Is that all that the man who came here and shows his Haki say?" he had noted the younger mans pale skin and tired eyes and wondered what had happened, to man such a energetic man look so tired. His gaze quickly flickered to the first mate and noted that he also looked tired but not the same extent as the red haired Yonko.
Marco was worried, the last time that Shanks had met with his captain had been shortly after Teach had betrayed them and the resulting conversation had split the sky when the two Yonko had clashed. He didn't want a repeat of the incident, raising his voice he called out, "Oi! Red Hair! Bastard, look at what you did! Hold back with your Haki-yoi!"
Shanks turned and gave the first commander a tired smile, which shocked Marco. Usually the Yonko would laugh and make a joke but the man looked like a shadow of his former self. Unnoticed by the other crew members Ace and Sabo had watched as Shanks had made his way across the deck and exchanged looks. Sabo disentangled his sleeping sister from his lap and the two brothers made their way to the front of the Whitebeard pirates cautiously watching t visiting Yonko. Their movements caught Shanks attention and his mouth fell open as he saw Luffy's two brothers amongst the Whitebeard's crew.
"Ace, Sabo! What are you guys doing here!"
All eyes on deck looked at the two young pirates who both looked embarrassed at being the centre of attention. The two brothers made their way to the side of the two captains with Marco and Thatch close behind them. Sabo gave a low bow to the red haired captain while Ace just offered half a cocky smirk.
Sabo rose from his bow and smiled "Long time no see, Shanks."
Shanks smiled at the two young pirates, "You've grown from the last time I saw you two. How many years has it been, two, three years?"
"It's been two years." Ace interjected, he turned to the first mate and gave a nod of recognition, "You both look like shit though."
Shanks sighed while Sabo elbowed his brother in the stomach and gave him a reprimanding glare. The rest of the Whitebeard pirates were shocked that their newest siblings were on such good terms with the visiting Yonko. Marco eyed the two brothers with interest at the newest development while Thatch stared boggle eyed at the two teens.
"Brat," Whitebeard spoke for the first time since the two brothers had interrupted the conversation, "How do you two know Red Hair?"
Ace and Sabo looked and each other. Ace shrugged indication that Sabo should do the explaining. "Shanks saved our little sister's life when she was a child. When Ace and I set off to be pirates we tracked him down so that we could thank him."
Whitebeard raised his eyebrows at the latest piece of news about his youngest children and was surprised to hear that the former Marine had such a connection to his fellow Yonko.
"Wait a minute!" Thatch interrupted, "Weren't the three of you from East Blue? What was Red Hair doing there, I never heard him leaving the Grand Line?"
Shanks chuckled and rubbed the back of his hair in embarrassment, "It was a holiday of sorts. I decided to travel the four Blues as a breather from the Grand Line, I met Luffy when we docked at the port where her village was." The humour left Shank's face, as he turned back to the two brothers, sadness was evident in every line of his body. "I'm sorry to hear about your sister. I thought of Luffy as my daughter and I know I'll sorely miss her but I know that the ones hit hardest by her death are you two." To the shock of everyone on the deck, Shanks bow to the two brothers, "I'm sorry that I couldn't be there when she needed me the most." Straightening Whitebeard saw tears glistening in the corner of the Yonko's eyes. Benn placed his hand on his captain's shoulder, silently offering him whatever comfort he could.
Ace and Sabo meanwhile were both shocked and embarrassed at Shanks' display and neither of them knew just how to tell the captain that Luffy was not only alive and well but sleeping only a few metres away from them. Looking at each other, they had a silent argument about what they should do. It consisted mainly of glances, glares and muted movements, all of which was watched with amusement by Whitebeard, Marco and Thatch, since they were closest. They could only assume that Ace had lost the silent argument when he made his way back to where they had been sitting before and gently picked up their sister, bridal style. Luffy gave a sleepy grumble at being moved and wrapped her arms around Ace's neck and buried her head into his shoulder, which made all those who were watching smile, the exception being a red haired captain and his first mate who were facing each other talking quietly.
Ace carried his sister back to the two captains and looked at Sabo jerking his head at the Yonko. With an exasperated smile Sabo tapped the man on the shoulder, when Shanks turned to the blonde man with a confused look Sabo simply pointed to the girl in Ace's arms.
Shanks followed where the blonde's hand was pointing and stared at the young girl in the dark haired sibling's arms. He blinked once. Then twice. And again a third time before letting out a yelp and jumped back. The jump caused him to stumble and fall over, with a shaking hand pointed to the girl. "L-Lu-Lu-Luffy!"
Benn was just as shocked as his captain but his way of expressing it was less dramatic. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates and he took several steps back to take in the scene before him. The girl, he and the entire crew had thought was dead was happily asleep being held in her brothers arms. Both of her brothers looked both embarrassed and amused at his captain actions. Watching Shanks, Whitebeard burst out laughing and the other commanders had smiles on their faces. Ace and Sabo sat down next to Shanks and Benn, and Marco and Thatch took the cue from them and sat down as well.
Shanks crawled over from where he had fallen over to start poking and prodding the girl, as if to make sure that she was real and not an illusion. He finally stopped when he pulled Luffy's cheek causing her groan and sleepily swat away his hand.
Shanks finally turned with a glare to Whitebeard, "Why is Luffy here, Whitebeard?!" he yelled, "Why are these siblings on your ship?!" Haki rolled off Shanks in furious waves, causing the boards of the deck below him to splinter.
"The girl's here because I brought her-yoi." Marco interrupted the Yonko before he could carry on shouting at his captain. "If I hadn't she really would be dead like the paper says she is-yoi."
The Haki coming from Shanks stopped immediately after he heard Marco's words and he looked from Whitebeard to his commander to the two brothers. "Tell me what happened." He demanded, it was said quietly but every word was loaded with power.
Sabo decided to take over with the explanations since he knew that Ace's version would be too abbreviated to really explain why they were on Whitebeard's ship. He turned to the Yonko, "Shanks, you know about Luffy's Devil Fruit don't you? She said you were there when she ate it."
Shanks mealy nodded in confirmation while the commanders on other crew members looked at each other in confusion. Her Devil Fruit abilities had come up in the earlier meeting but none of them except Thatch and Oyaji knew what it was, and they all had the feeling that it had given the girl more trouble than it was worth.
"Our whole problem originates from that fruit." Sabo continued. "Ace and I set off as pirates when we were seventeen and Luffy was fourteen. A few months later our grandfather revealed Luffy's abilities and the Marines came and threatened her that if she didn't go with them they would destroy Fuusha Village."
A wave of Haki came from Shanks at Sabo words, he didn't seem to be conscious of it but his eyes had a murderous glint, "So your grandfather got his wish that his granddaughter would become a Marine even if she was being blackmailed into it." He snarled out, he looked at the peacefully sleeping girl "That man is as good as dead the next time I see him."
Ace smirked, "When you do let us know and we'll lend you a hand. We hate the shitty old geezer as much as you do."
Marco looked between the two parties with a confused look on his face, "Just who is your grandfather?" he asked "If he's a Marine, surely he would protest if his own granddaughter was being blackmailed." Several of the other commanders nodded, agreeing with what Marco had said.
"It's Garp." Shanks spat out
Marco blinked several times before the Yonko's words set in causing him to choke on his own spit. He was not the only one, the entire Whitebeard crew had similar reactions. Shouting out their shock to hear that Garp 'The Fist's' grandchildren were in front of them. Whitebeard raised his eyebrows in surprise, but remained silent since he didn't wish to interrupt the brat's story.
Sabo waited for the shocked crew to die down before continuing, "About a year ago Ace and I received a letter telling us to surrender to the Marines, if we didn't they would kill our sister. Needless to say we handed ourselves in without a fight. After that we waited, looking for an opportunity to escape." Sabo gestured to Thatch, "When Luffy heard of Whitebeard's fourth commander being captured she devised a plan that would use his execution to our advantage and let both us and Thatch to escape. However, things got complicated once we actually released Thatch and were on our way to the Moby Dick. Akainu spotted us and in order to hold him off Luffy sent us on ahead." Sabo sighed deeply, "I don't know what happened after that, I sent Ace and Thatch onto the deck of the Moby Dick and then concentrated on helping the surviving pirates get back to their ships. When I next saw Luffy she was being carried by Marco and was barely alive. Until last night she was in a coma."
All eyes turned to Marco; they all wanted to know what had happened. The commander held up his hands in a confused gesture, "Your guess is as good as mine. I saw her facing off against Akainu when she collapsed. It was when she woke up that we found out that she nearly killed herself by overusing her Devil Fruit abilities-yoi." Marco's gaze went down to the sleeping girl and his expression softened, "There should be limit to how reckless you can be-yoi."
His statement caused Shanks to laugh, "Dahahaha! Anchor's has always been reckless, even when she was a kid." He pointed to the scar under her left eye, "When she was seven she stabbed herself to prove she was as tough as a man, even though she was a cry-baby."
Shanks's revelation causing many of the listening members to raise their eyebrows in shock, and when Benn, Shanks' first mate nodded in confirmation as to what his captain had said was true, many face palmed. All wondering just what kind of person had joined their crew.
Ace and Sabo however were confused. "Anchor?" Ace asked
Shanks grinned and nodded, "Yeah well, since she was a horrible swimmer and just sank, I decided to call her Anchor. When she accidently ate the Devil Fruit that my crew had taken in our latest raid, it just added to the fact that she was a hammer in-"
The Yonko's sentence was cut off when a murderous aura came from the two brothers, "Wait a second." Ace said "You mean to tell me that it your fault that Luffy ate a Devil Fruit?" The glare he gave the older man made even repudiated Yonko sweat nervously.
"Wait…wait a minute! It's not my fault that Anchor ate the fruit." He stammered, "How was I supposed to know that she would eat fruit the in the chest, even if it was unlocked."
Sabo gave Shanks a very polite smile but the look in his eyes was even more murderous than Aces, "Did you really expect Luffy not to eat any food you had carelessly left lying around?" Thatch sweat dropped at the blonde's question, by the sound of it the girl was a bottomless pit as well. The kitchen had suffered heavily after trying to fill the bottomless stomachs of the two brothers. Thatch shook his head 'What a family of monsters' he thought.
Shanks was saved from the brothers wrath by a sleepy complaint from the subject of their argument. "Shut up." Luffy grumbled, "You're too noisy."
Ace and Sabo turned from Shanks with a final glare before murmuring apologies to their sister. Shanks however, once again crawled over to Luffy and started pulling her cheek, ignoring the glares directed at him.
"Come on Anchor, rise and shine..."
"Don't wanna."
"Chibi…"*
"Not a chibi."
"Anchor!"
"Stop calling me Anchor, stupid Shanks."
The bystanders watched with amusement at the exchange of how the red haired captain was failing to wake up the sleepy teen. With a devilish smile Shanks put his mouth right next to Luffy's ear and shouted "Meat!"
Luffy response was instantaneous, her eyes snapped open and she bolted upright and looked around wildly for the proclaimed 'meat'. Seeing that there wasn't any Luffy grumbled and rubbed the sleep from her eyes when they finally settled on the man ginning in front of her. She blinked at Shanks several times and looked at him blankly. Shanks stated to get nervous at her lack of response as she continued to stare at him.
Without warning Luffy cocked her fist back and punched the man in the jaw sending him flying into the other side of the deck. The crew stared with open mouths and eyes the size of dinner plates as the small girl sent a Yonko flying with a single punch. Whitebeard, Ace and Sabo however, burst out laughing as they watched Luffy yawn and look around her in confusion.
"Ace-nii, Sabo-nii why did I just hear Shanks' voice just now?" she asked yawning again
Her brothers snorted in amusement since it appeared that their sister had hit Shanks as she would have done as a child when he annoyed her. The only difference was that now she was an adult her punches packed a lot more power than they had eleven years ago.
"That's because you did." Benn answered her chuckling
Luffy turned to the first mate and her eyes widened in surprise, "Benn! When did you get here?"
He laughed at her confusion, "We got here a while ago while you were asleep, the only reason you're awake is because the captain kept annoying you." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to where Shanks sat amongst broken planks and dusk rubbing his chin with an amused look.
"Damn it Anchor." He said as he got up and made his back over to the group, "Rather than you punch being as strong as a pistol it's more like a canon." With a grin he sat back down and saw that Luffy was staring with a look of shock and happiness. "Hey there chibi, how've you been?"
Luffy launched herself at the man with a happy cry, causing him to fall onto his back as he laughed at her reaction. Luffy wrapped her arms around Shank's back and buried her face into his chest, giving him a tight hug which he happily returned with his single arm. The hug was broken however, when Luffy hissed in pain and held her head in one of her hands, which made those around look at her in concern.
"I guess I was a bit too happy for a moment." She explained with a smile, "My emotions are still unused to being used so much in such a short amount of time." The Whitebeard pirates and her brothers nodded in understanding while Shanks still look confused. "Backlash from over using my Devil Fruit." she explained to Shanks who accepted her answer with a smile.
Luffy cocked her head to the side as she look at her role model that she was still hugging, "Shanks, what are you doing on Whitebeard's ship?"
Shanks threw back his head and laughed, "Dahaha, you're asking this now, after you sent me flying with a punch?"
Luffy pouted, "It's you own fault for calling me Anchor. So why are you here?" She stared at his face from where she was lying on his chest, "And why do you look so bad?"
Shanks smiled up at her and raised his hand to ruffle her hair, "I came to see Whitebeard since the war has just ended and I wanted to see how he was doing." The man sighed deeply before continuing, "As to why I looked so bad, is because I thought my adoptive daughter was dead for the past week."
Luffy looked guilty for causing the man who was both her role-model and father-figure to worry. "Sorry." She muttered as she once again buried her face into his chest.
Marco watched the two and couldn't stop the stab of jealously in his chest. He had been fine watching as her brothers her, but seeing the girl lie on the Yonko while hugging him made the jealously hurt more. He was brought out of his dark thoughts when he heard a shout from the red haired captain.
"Oi, Whitebeard we need to have a feast! You got your son back and I got my daughter back! What more reason do we need to celebrate?!"
Whitebeard looked down at the Yonko who had managed to sit up but Luffy remained in his lap. "Alright brat. Bring out the sake! We're having a feast!"
His shout was answered with the cheers from his sons and daughters as they ran to grab food and booze from the kitchens.
…
The party was in full swing and both the Whitebeard and the Red Hair pirates were happy chatting, eating and drinking as they absently watch the two Yonko argue good naturedly about which crew Luffy should join since both insisted that she was 'their' daughter. The argument promptly ended when Luffy told Shanks that she wouldn't join his crew, since if she did that would drive each other, (and the rest of his crew) insane until Benn murdered them both. This caused Shanks to pout in a childish way and only brightened up when Whitebeard told him (while smirking) that he could come visit 'his' daughter when he wanted to.
Luffy weaved her way through the crew members partying on the deck. She wouldn't admit it but her condition was worse than what she had told Sabo. Her head was killing her, and she was so tired that her limbs felt like they were made lead, thus making her search out for a quiet place among the chaos of the party so she could sleep. She finally found one by the first commander who sat a little way back from the crowd in a rare spot of quiet. Luffy made a beeline for him and plopped down next to him with a sigh of relief.
Marco was shocked my Luffy sat down next to him without any warning. He opened his mouth to ask her why she was sitting next to him but his mouth died up when she laid her head in his lap, wrapped her arms around his waist and promptly fell asleep. He felt his cheeks flare up in a heated blush and a high pitched yelp escaped his lips. 'What does she think she's doing?' he thought at the sleeping girl furiously, he knew he was blushing and shook his head furiously in order to cool it off. 'I'm acting like a teenage girl towards the guy she likes. There's no way someone my age should be reacting like this!' Unfortunately for Marco his yelp had caught the attention of his crewmates who couldn't help but laugh when they caught sight of his predicament.
Their laughing caused the two captains and Luffy's brothers to turn his way. The two Yonko laughed while her brothers glared and made stalked their way over. When they reached him they glared daggers at him which made the supposedly 'immortal' phoenix seriously think that his life was about to end.
"What do you think you're doing to our little sister, you damn perverted old man!" Ace demanded hotly
Sabo grabbed Luffy and attempted to pull her off the commander but only succeeded in making her grip his waist tighter and bury her head into his lower stomach, and much to Marco's horror and embarrassment, dangerously close to his crotch.
"Hey, Marco!" Thatch called over "Rather than a pineapple you look more like a tomato right now!" The party goers laughed while Marco's face turned a deeper read as he tried to pry the teen off his lap.
"I'd give up if I were you." Shanks told the brothers as he made his way over to them, "You know how clingy Anchor is when she's asleep. When she grabs hold of something she doesn't let it go until she wakes up." An amused smirk was on his face as he squatted down and put his hand on Marco's shoulder. "I will tell you, that if you do anything improper to her I will throw you into the sea."
"There's no way we're going to let that happen." Sabo told Shanks fiercely and teleported Luffy off Marco's lap and into his own arms. He turned back to the crowd and bowed, "With that we wish you good night." And both he and Ace made their way back to their cabin.
Marco watched as the three siblings left while the crowd booed saying that they had taken away their entertainment. He looked down at his cooling lap and he couldn't help but absently wish that Luffy had lain there for longer.
When the siblings reached their cabin Ace tied their two beds together and Sabo placed Luffy in the centre. The two brothers lay on either side of her side as they pulled their blankets over themselves and their sister. Both had large smiles on their faces as they fell asleep, this was the first time in four years that the three sibling had slept together knowing that they were free and safe.
…
Luffy woke up to warmth and the muted minds of her brothers next to her. A smile broke out on her face since it had been a long time since she had felt so safe and secure. Slowly, so as not to wake her brothers she got up and winced when her long hair got trapped under one of her arms. Luffy gave her hair a dull glare and nodded to herself as she came to a conclusion.
She snuck out of the room and spread her mind out, wanting to find out where the crew was after the party. Luffy couldn't stop a small wince since her head was still sore, but it wasn't as bad as it had been yesterday. It seemed like the majority of the crew had fallen asleep on the deck and the only ones awake were the look-outs, the cooks and a few nurses. With a smile she made her was down to the Infirmary, since she had wanted to ask a favour of the women who ruled there.
When she opened the door to the empty Infirmary a couple of the nurses looked up curiously wondering who had come to visit them at such an early hour. Selma, the Head Nurse made her way up to Luffy and stopped in front of her and crossed her arms.
"What is it? If it's a check-up, then it's too early in the morning for one."
Luffy gave and awkward smile, unsure of how to ask her favour, holding up a lock of her hair she looked at the nurse, "I was wondering if you could cut my hair. It's getting too long and I don't really know who else I can ask."
Selma snorted "If that was all you should have said so earlier." Her gaze travelled over Luffy crumpled suit, "We can get you some clothes while we're at it, after all you are now part of Oyaji's crew."
Luffy smiled as the nurses bustled around her asking how short she wanted her hair while others went searching for women's clothes that she could try on. Thinking Luffy recalled the length of the twelfth commander's, Haruta's, hair which was the same length that hers had been when she was a child. The nurses tittered at Luffy telling her it was a waste to cut such 'pretty long hair' but they still cut it how she had asked. By the time Luffy's hair had been cut and she had her new clothes she could feel Shanks and his crew preparing to leave.
Luffy looked at herself in one of the mirrors on the Infirmary wall. She wore an open red cardigan with flared sleeves and black bikini top. Mid-thigh shorts hugged her figure while a yellow sash secured it around her waist. She wore black leather sandals that laced up to her knee and had small heal that made then good for fighting in. Finally Luffy looked at her face. Her hair was as short it had been when she had met Shanks, Sabo and Ace and made her look younger. With a smile she placed her straw hat on her head and thanked the nurses for the kindness before making her way up onto the deck.
The pirates from both crews stopped what they were doing to stare at her as she made her way across the deck towards Shanks. The long haired Marine who they had initially met had been replaced with a tom-boy pirate girl who looked at home strolling across the deck of a pirate ship. For Luffy, the best reaction came from her brothers who stared at her with wide eyes and open mouths, the only ones who didn't seem shocked were Shanks and Whitebeard who both seemed to have knowing grins. Luffy came to a stop in front of Shanks who was standing by the gangplank connecting the two ships and gave him a cheeky grin which he returned.
"Looking good kid." He said and gave her a one-armed hug
Smiling Luffy took off her hat and held it to her chest and looked him straight in the eyes, "Shanks, eleven years ago I made you a promise that I would gather my own crew that would beat yours, and find the world's treasures. Even though I took a long detour from this promise I can tell you once again that no matter what I will become the Pirate King!"
Shanks smiled down at the girl, and remembered the shouted promise the day he had left Fuusha Village. He had no doubts that his adoptive daughter would overtake him and claim the title that his former captain had held. "Oh, when do you plan on doing that?"
"In a year's time, when I'm nineteen." Luffy answered. She turned to Whitebeard who was sitting in his throne watching the scene. "Whitebeard, even though I have joined your crew will you allow me to form my own crew and join in the battle to find One Piece?"
Whitebeard smiled, even though the girl asked as a question he knew that there was no room for argument and even if he did say no, she would carry out what she planned anyway. "Brat, even if you form your own crew and sail on a different ship you will still be my daughter. Go and follow your dreams, and know that in a year's time when you do leave that Whitebeard will always be your ally."
Luffy bowed to Whitebeard, to show her thanks and turned back to Shanks who had a wide grin. Taking the hat that Luffy still held to her chest he placed it on her head again, as he had done eleven years ago. "Then continue to hold onto his hat, and someday when you become a great pirate come and return it to me."
Turning, Shanks walked down the gangplank and shouted for his men to set sail. Luffy watch as Shanks' ship set off with misty eyes and a smile as she waved to her the man who was so many things to her. A father figure, a role model, an idol and finally a goal. When the ship was out of sight Luffy turned to her two brothers who were behind her.
"So you gonna stick around with me for the next year?" She asked with a wide grin.
The grins she received in reply even wider than hers.
* Midget
