"On the Captain!"

Shanks smiled amused as his Crewmates were partying with the second kid called Luffy in the young woman Makinos bar. Glancing in amusement around he could easily see that most of his crew were well on the way to getting drunk with his dependable first Mate Ben sitting at a table that gave him a good view of the entrance to watch out for threats.

Thinking of threats Shanks frowned. He knew that his crew would need to hurry on and start hunting.

The Devilfruit which he had been told about was somewhere in the East Blue in the hands of some Underworld broker here and both he and his crew were now in a race against Cipher Pol 9 about who would get their hands on it first.

Glancing out of the window which gave some view of the surrounding Windmills his mind drifted to another reason for why he came here.

Sure, his main reason was to help with his escape after the encirclement by the World Government ships that showed up soon after he attacked that sail with the destined fruit, there was hardly anywhere better to hide than in this place as long as he did not stay here for too long, but there was more to it.

Another reason for him coming over was that Ace was hoping to see his old Captains child and give him that fruit. He was not entirely sure that this is what happened, but over the years he had put together the idea that Viceadmiral Garp might have taken the kid in. Heck, Shanks for a moment had even assumed that this Monkey D. Mike kid might be the Captain's kid under a different name, he certainly was ballsy enough and had great potential, but he discarded that line of thought after he thought more about the situation.

Garp was not the type smart enough to do something like changing a kid's name to help hide it. If anything Shanks thought the old man was more likely to throw the kid in the hands of some friend of his far away and come check up on him.

Yeah, that old sea dog was the type to do something like that. That would make things a bit more complicated, but Shanks was confident that he would be able to find the kid sooner or later, it was just a matter of time really.

Still, Shanks admitted this would not be as easy as he would have preferred since he wasn't sure of the kid's looks. Heck, he wasn't even sure of the kid's name!

He even only knew about there being a child at all because of the massive stink the Marines caused in the South Blue as they went about killing hundreds of babies that they thought might be the Captain's kid as well as the fact that the old Rayleigh had confirmed, while very, very, very drunk, that Captain Roger got a kid and a wife before dying while he himself was still a bachelor.

Old men do like to complain when they get into that sort of mood.

CRASH!

Hearing the swing-door crash open Shanks eyes flew to the entrance and darkened immediately as he saw his adoptive daughter run in, tears in her eyes.

Moving far too fast, Shanks was beside Uta and saw how hurt she was all over.

"Uta, what happened? Who did this to you?"

"It was Mike, he is scary and-"

Uta stopped talking as Shanks' aura seemed to spike for a second there.

"Leave it to me kid, I will go and teach him a les-"

"No!" Uta said, pulling him down. "I will win against him tomorrow! I must be the one to do it!"

Shanks froze at that and scratched his head, not understanding exactly what the hell was going on so he asked.

"Uta, can you tell me exactly what happened?"

"BUAHAHAHAHA!" The entire bar began to laugh up as they heard the tale of how Uta got the bruises. The ship doctor has already finished applying some salve to the bruises by now, barely holding in the laughter as Uta pouts.

"Sh-Shut up! I went out to defend the crew's honor!" Uta shouts and Shanks, who was laughing the loudest of the bunch, pointed his finger at her and said.

"And you got your own ass bitten by it! You hurt yourself with the kid not even attacking you, hahahahaha!"

Uta, with no hesitation, picks the mug of juice she had and throws it at Shanks before dashing away. This was all so embarrassing that even the memories of that scary robot man thing were forgotten.

Sure, she was still young and had not experienced that much, but having been in a pirate ship for years let her meet all sorts of people out there, but the malice she felt from that thing was something else. And yet, she completely forgot about it now since, well, she was just plain angry right now.

"Stupid Shanks, laughing at me like that. I will get my revenge on him, and on that kid too for hurting me like that. I will beat him up next time for sure."

Except, things didn't work out as Uta thought. Every day during the following week she went to meet Mike, and every day she would lose in whatever competition she tried out. At this point she honestly had thoughts of just giving up, but she refused to let that annoying kid win one over her.

She was going to be the greatest diva in the entire world! How could she ever do that if she can't even beat some random kid who she met on such a remote island like this.

Today once more she challenged Mike to a competition, this time it was a race up the mountain side but once more she lost and was now pouting as she laid on the floor exhausted.

"... Why do you not challenge me to something you are better at?" Mike asked in doubt as he sat beside Uta. The two colored girl just looked at him from the corner of the eye and said.

"Humph, I refuse to win like that. If it was a singing competition I would always win, so it would be like I am bullying you. I don't like bullies, so I won't do that." Uta said in a serious tone. She had her pride, dammit!

Mike, hearing this, smiled for a moment but slowly began to chuckle before actually laughing, making the girl shoot a glare at him.

"What is it? Why are you laughing?"

"Wahahahaha, nah don't worry about it. It is just, I didn't expect a self-proclaimed pirate to be so cute." Mike said, making Uta's face light up in a red tone as she sent him a glare.

"Sh-Shut up! I just refuse to lose to some random kid on anything!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. How about you just relax for now. Besides, if you are so honorable, why not pay back to me for all the times you lost against me?"

Uta just looked at him with a hottie look before humphing.

"Humph, whatever. Fair is fair, I will pay it back for the losses, but don't ask for too much! I am the daughter of Shanks and will not betray the crew because of some marine wannabe."

"Hey, I will become the Fleet Admiral of the Navy. Show respect!"

"As if you will." Uta said with a roll of the eye as she relaxed on the floor. Mike soon followed suit and before they knew it both were snoring away side by side.

A surprising scene considering how rigorously Mike trained, hardly ever stopping his training if not for food or sleep, but sometimes relaxing like that was also not that bad a thing.

"Hey, you like songs right?" Mike questions, making Uta open her eyes and turn to him.

"Of course, and I am great at it! I need to be that great since I am the Red Hair Pirates musician, and music is essential on a trip through the seas!" Uta said with an excited face and Mike nodded.

"I know a few songs, wanna hear?"

"... Are you any good at it though?" Uta questions, doubting this muscle head could be any good at this.

Mike just shrugged before sitting up and getting ready. Sure, he was no professional, but he remembers playing on Karaoke many times in his past life and loving it quite a bit.

They see you as small and helpless

They see you as just a child

Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild

Prepare for your greatest moments

Prepare for your finest hour

The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower

We are lightning

Straying from the thunder

Miracles of ancient wonder

This will be the day we've waited for

This will be the day we open up the door

I don't wanna hear your absolution

Hope you're ready for a revolution?

Welcome to a world of new solutions

Welcome to a world of bloody evolution

In time, your heart will open minds

A story will be told

And victory is in a simple soul

Uta, hearing that song, had her eyes sparkling. Sure, she could tell plain as day that Mike was not anywhere close to her own level. He made several mistakes in tune and such, but the lyrics and tone of the music were quite new for her and she liked it. Getting up, she began running.

Mike just stared at this, finding it funny how mid way through her dash she turned around and came back.

"Come with me! We will put this song down and write it right. And if you know any other songs, you will sing them to me as well!"

"That sounds like too much work, not sure if I want to-"

"I can convince the crew to fight you between songs."

"What are we waiting for? Run, run, run!" Mike shouted, dashing even faster than Uta towards Makino's Pub where Uta and the cadres from the Red Hair pirates were sleeping while on the island.

Hopefully this time they would not have passed out drunk on the floor while butt naked after several hounds of strip poker. Two times in one week should be enough, right?

Mike's P.O.V.

This week has been, by far and wide, the most useful I have had since gramps showed up for my six years birthday. Say what you will about the Red Hair Pirates, but there are plenty of strong guys there and fighting them has been very useful.

Also, Uta is fun. She is a cute little Tsundere, teasing her like I have been doing is funny as all hell and seeing her get flustered every once in a while is so cute it is downright unfair.

This entire week I only have had two bigger complaints. First, that Luffy has fallen ill from 'Pirates are cool' syndrome, terrible disease, and second that the damned Willian Afton escaped.

How did he manage to run away with a caved in chest and a body in such a bad state, I got no clue. I can only assume it is due to how strong his will is and the power of remnant that courses through his body. Only fire can end him for good, shame I do not have fire powers and by the time I had prepared a bonfire to throw him into he had already escaped.

When not training or with Uta this week I have been trying to find Afton, but until now I got nothing to show for it.

Still, was my choice of picking that drawback to bring villains and such from other dimensions to drop them in this world that wrong? I mean, if it is only someone on the level of Afton then the problem should not be so big, but I hope I did not do something particularly terrible in the end.

Oh well, I would just have to deal with things as they come I suppose.

Anyway, I heard Uta mentioning they should be going soon to Elesia due to some festival that will happen there soon. I remember what should happen there and, while dangerous, I am not exactly thrilled with the idea of Uta going through so much danger there alone and becoming twisted like she was in the movies.

"... Shit, why did she have to be cute?"

"Are you talking about me?"

I jump up as I see Uta standing there with a teasing expression.

"Oh, I am so evil. Charming even a future marine like that, I am really an evil diva."

"S-Shut up. It is nothing like that." I stammer almost out of impulse.

Damn child's body! Why is it that, even if I am mentally more mature, I still sometimes act no different than any kid my age?

Uta just looks smug before she sits down beside me.

"So? What were you thinking so much about? Was it my good looks, or maybe my cute voice, or how great I am?"

I deadpan at the narcissistic girl and answer.

"I was thinking more along the lines of if it would be safe to let you go alone with no responsible supervision into the New World like that. You are so squishy, after all."

I can clearly see a tick mark appearing on the girl's forehead as she hears my answer as she growls.

"I am not weak or squishy. And I have been in New World plenty of time, Shanks and the crew will be with me after all."

"... I did say 'responsible', right? Pretty sure you are just lucky to still be alive if you were traveling with them." I tell her honestly.

Sure, they were extremely strong and even if Shanks was not yet quite a Yonko, he should not be far off and is certainly strong enough for the post. But being strong and being able to actually protect Uta are two different things.

The girl, however, just pouts at me before she seems to get some sort of idea and a mischievous expression appears in her face.

"If you are so worried about me, why don't you come with us? Come be a pirate too, it is much better than being a smelly marine." Uta says and I look at her as if she was an idiot.

"You do know my grandpa is Garp, right? If he hears I boarded a pirate ship he would beat me up for it, and probably sink the ship along the way as well."

"Humph, as if your grandpa is that strong. Shanks is much stronger!" Uta said confidently.

"Is not."

"He is."

"Is not."

"He is!"

"My grandfather can beat your father!"

"No way, my father is the strongest!"

And so the two of us started fighting once more. Sheesh, this girl is way too feisty.

Still, going with her on this trip might be for the best, if only to make sure she has someone to make sure shit doesn't hit the fan or, if it hits, she doesn't get stranded on a nearly desolate island with just a single old man for company for who knows how long.

Still, before I leave I should try and get something to help protect Luffy and the others while I am not around.

When Uta goes back to do her own thing, probably practice another of the songs I have helped her with (the girl's music talent is definitely no joke) I also go back to town but to prepare some other things.

First, I take a few pipes and other junk in town. With those in hand I begin, with the help of a strong pocket knife I got from Grampa for a birthday present, to carve up runes in it.

Runecraft is one of the skills I have. It and Alchemy are my only 'production' based skills, but I have been focusing more on runecraft for now since I currently lack any heat source I can use to learn alchemy more (maybe I should see about getting the Mera Mera no Mi later on for that one). My runecraft is still far from being anything great, but I am still good enough to enhance certain aspects of items like durability, weight, and sharpness.

I was not yet willing to make any weapon thanks to my low mastery, being only able to write down three runes into an item before they risk breaking apart, but since I intend to go out on a trip I should do something. After practicing the runes I intend to use a few times to make sure I have a good mastery over them I take the best and naturally toughest pipe of the ones available and begin inscribing.

First, the most necessary for any weapon - Toughness.

This is, after all, just a pipe. Sure, it is naturally tough, but if someone shows up that has a stronger weapon then they could cut through it or something.

Second, I go with a useful one to deal with enemies that might show up that are hard to deal with for whatever reason - Sacred.

This should be able to cause high damage in case something like Afton, a ghost, or something like it shows up around town. Not sure if it would be able to kill them, but it should be enough to injure at least.

And finally, the most complicated one. This one took me around one hour of very meniscus and careful work to put down, making me sweat a lot as I did my best to scribe it down.

The third rune - Growth.

With this, the pipe should be able to grow in its other aspects the more it is used and the stronger and more capable the user is. Hopefully, Luffy can make good use of this one as it took me several hours of hard work to produce.

With this, Luffy should be able to protect town while I am gone for a while. As for gramps, I should probably give him a call when I am already inside the ship and tell him I infiltrated the Red Hair Pirates ship and we are going to Elisea. If nothing else, this should ensure he is around to help in case shit hits the fan there… or at least make him stop being lazy and let me enlist in the marines already!