Chapter Text
A mild wind blew across the deck and Shanks sighed, feeling the lingering tension knotted in his shoulders unwind. Heavy footsteps approached from behind, coming to a pause at Shanks’ left.
“We’ll be at port soon.”
The smoke from Beckman’s cigarette was a familiar smell, something Shanks always associated with his first mate.
He grinned.
“I’m excited!”
Beckman snorted.
“We’ll see how long that lasts now that we’re in East Blue. I can’t imagine that there’s anything special here.”
“That’s the point of this trip,” Shanks said, turning his grinning face toward Beckman. “The boys deserve a vacation after the craziness of the Grand Line. We’ve been going non-stop for years now.”
“Ain’t that right Chief!” Lucky Roux said from Shank’s right. For a man his size, he was surprisingly stealthy. “I bet we’ll find some delicious food here. Though is there a reason we went straight for an island in the middle of East Blue?”
“It might be a good base for us to explore the rest of East Blue if the island is hospitable,” Shanks explained, feeling no remorse at his slight lie. After all, his men might revolt if they knew that he was taking them to Garp’s home island on purpose.
Even after all these years, Shanks still felt resentment toward the man who brought Roger to his execution. While petty, it delighted him to imagine the conniption Garp would have when he heard about the Red Hair Pirates’ little vacation.
Still, they would likely have to find a different island as a home base after Shanks satisfied his pettiness and curiosity.
After all, like Beckman said, there was likely nothing special to be found here in East Blue.
The Red Storm pulled into the port at a tiny village on the southern side of Dawn Island, opposite of the capital city of the Goa Kingdom. Approaching the noble-infested city directly would be a great way to get the Marines called on them immediately, ruining the point of this vacation.
Their greeting party consisted of a short old man with glasses and a bucket hat frowning thunderously from the docks where a few barrels sat stacked to the side. A few stocky fishermen lingered in the background holding harpoons. Shanks refrained from smirking. It was likely that even against East Blue pirates this show of force would be worthless.
“Hello there!” Shanks said, with a genial smile plastered on his face as he disembarked. He gestured for all the crew members except Beckman to stay on the ship. As he walked closer to the barrels he side-eyed the one closest to him, wondering if he should say anything but decided to let things play out.
“What are Grand Line pirates doing here?” The old man demanded without acknowledging Shanks’ greeting.
Eyebrows raising in surprise, Shanks appraised the old man in front of him.
“You’re surprisingly well informed for so far out in East Blue.”
The old man let out a humph, never taking his eyes off of Shanks.
“You didn’t answer my question. We have little in the way of valuables here if you’re looking for someplace to plunder. You’d find better luck on other islands.”
“Dahahaha!” Shanks laughed throwing his head back. “We’re here on vacation! Just looking for a place to rest while we explore East Blue. We have no interest in plundering towns like this one.”
“A likely story,” the man said with disbelief etched into the creases of his face.
“It’s true,” Beckman interjected. “We have all the treasure we need from the Grand Line. We’re looking for drink and food that we’ll buy honestly.”
When the man continued to appraise them in silence, Shanks spoke up again.
“Let us prove the value of our word. You’ll find no trouble from us.”
Not that there was much they could do to stop them if the Red Hair Pirates had wanted to pillage this place. The old man seemed to come to a similar conclusion as he sighed in resignation.
“If you do have ill intentions, I have a direct line to the Marines that I’m not afraid to use!”
“I would expect nothing less.”
They both knew that as Grand Line pirates nothing less than Grand Line marines would pose a challenge and that such a threat was mainly empty. The Red Hair Pirates would be sailing away by the time any real reinforcements (including Garp) could show up.
“Now, that that’s settled, what’s the name of such a valiant protector of this town?” Shanks said, easy smile still spread across his face.
“The name’s Woop Slap. I’m the mayor of Foosha,” the man, Woop Slap, grumbled. “Don’t make me regret my leniency!”
“We would never!” Shanks placed a hand over his heart, the very picture of sincerity. “Just point us to the nearest bar and we’ll all be happy as clams.”
The barrel closest to Shanks burst open with a pop as a young boy stood up inside of it, arms outstretched in a victory pose.
“I’ll take you to Party’s Bar!”
The men watching the proceedings from the deck of the Red Storm all let out exclamations at the sight of the boy jumping out of the barrel, then cheered at hearing there was a bar in this village.
“Dahahaha!” Shanks barely resisted slapping his knee at such an amusing entrance.
“Luffy!” Woop Slap stomped over to the boy and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him out of the barrel. “What are you doing here?! I told you to stay inside with Makino until I decided if it was safe to come out!”
“But I wanted to see the pirates! Real pirates!” The boy, Luffy, said without remorse. “I was hidden real good. You didn’t even know I was there!”
With that, Luffy stuck his tongue out at the mayor from where he still dangled in the air, hoisted up by the back of his shirt.
Woop Slap growled and shook the boy. Bright giggles flew through the air as Luffy found the action more fun than intimidating.
“I swear, one of these days you’ll get into trouble you can’t get out of.”
“Hey! Let me take you to Party’s Bar!” Luffy said to Shanks, ignoring Woop Slap. “Makino has super tasty food and juice!”
“Dahahaha we’ll want something better than juice,” Shanks replied. The boy’s nose wrinkled.
“Well there’s nothing better than juice, but old people like Makino’s rum a lot.”
“Hey!” Shanks cried out indignately. “Who are you calling old?!”
“Uhm you, didn’t you hear me, old man.” Luffy stuck a finger in his nose as he replied. “Doesn’t losing your hearing mean you’re getting old?”
Beckman chuckled.
“He’s got you there, Chief.”
“Betrayal! By my own first mate!” Shanks cried out dramatically.
“Oooh, you’re the first mate on a pirate ship?! How cool!” Luffy practically had stars in his eyes as he looked at Beckman.
By this point, Woop Slap had set Luffy on the docks but still kept a tight grip on the back of his shirt.
“I’m the captain of a pirate ship, isn’t that cool?” Shanks cajoled the boy.
Luffy glanced at Shanks then back at Beckman and pointed at the smirking first mate.
“He looks cooler than you.”
Shanks fell to his knees in dismay.
“My confidence. Gone! In a single moment!”
“Your ego was definitely overdue some deflating,” Beckman said smuggness coating every word.
Shanks was back on his feet in an instant.
“This calls for drinking!”
Luffy let out a cute little “shishishi” at Shanks antics and he felt a little too triumphant at pleasing a small kid.
“I can take you there, I can take you there! Woop Slap let go!” Luffy said squirming in his mayor’s grip.
“Hmm.” The mayor looked consideringly at the pirates and back down at Luffy. “We’ll all go together. I’m not letting you out of my sight until I get you back to Makino.”
Luffy looked at Woop Slap for a moment, face blank, before a wide smile broke through.
“Okay! I’ll protect you Woop Slap!”
“You brat!”
“Dahahaha!”
This kid was a riot.
“Alright boys, come on down!” Shanks yelled up at his crew. “We’re going to Party’s Bar!”
Loud cheers erupted from the men as the hurried to disembark.
“Come on let’s go!” A small hand grabbed onto Shanks’ sleeve and he allowed himself to be tugged by Luffy. “Makino is the best, you’ll see!”
Makino was indeed the best.
The young green-haired bar owner was at first dismayed to see the crowds of pirates led there by Luffy and Woop Slap, but a quiet word from the mayor had her calming down some if not entirely. In a conciliatory move, Shanks paid for the first round of drinks up front so that she knew she wouldn’t be stiffed. The gesture seemed appreciated if the startled but genuine smile on Makino’s face was any indication.
But that wasn’t what made Makino the best. No. The rum that she personally mixed and spiced was some of the best he’d ever had. It wouldn’t be out of place to say she probably had the best rum in all of East Blue.
Saying as much to the bar owner brought a red flush to her face while the rest of his crew chimed in with their own praises.
“Shishishi, I told you Makino was the best!” Luffy said proudly.
While the mayor had taken a spot at the front of the bar, Luffy had whirled around to various crew members, charming them one by one with his enthusiasm. He had been in the midst of a staring contest with Monster when he broke his gaze to crow triumphantly about Makino.
Monster let out a screech and Luffy gasped, turning back to the monkey.
“I lost!”
Monster let out a hooting laugh that even Luffy could interpret without Bonk Punch.
Bonk Punch patted the boy on the head as he too let out a bellowing laugh.
Shanks smiled contently at the scene in the bar. His crew was more happy and relaxed than he had seen them in months. Coming to East Blue was a good decision.
“Hey, old man!” Luffy cried out, tugging on his sleeve. “Do you have any stories?”
“Stop calling me old man! My name is Shanks!” He yelled, prompting more laughter from his crew. “And why are you asking me if you think Beckman is cooler?”
He was not pouting. He wasn’t.
“Because old men know all the best stories!”
“I’m only 27!”
“Well, I’m six and I’m a man now so that must make you real old!”
“If he’s old, what does that make me?” Woop Slap asked from his seat at the bar, disgruntled.
Luffy paused for a moment, thinking.
“Are you dead, Woop Slap?” Luffy asked, a look of concern on his face.
“You brat!”
“Dahahahaha!”
Shanks wiped a tear from his eye and grinned. This kid was hilarious!
“As it so happens, I do have a bunch of really, really, really cool stories,” Shanks said to Luffy’s visible excitement. Then he smiled slyly. “And I’ll tell them to you if you admit that I’m not old.”
Luffy’s brows furrowed as he looked at Shanks and he nodded. Shanks was about ready to preen smugly when Luffy turned his head to the side, lips pursed like he was about to whistle.
“I don’t think Shanks is old!”
It was the worst lying face Shanks had ever seen.
Beckman spat out his cigarette with how hard he was laughing and Yasopp started banging his hand on the bar.
Shanks gaped as Luffy turned back to face him, eagerness shining on his face.
“Now, will you tell me some cool stories?!”
Shanks debated if he should push for a more sincere statement but looking into Luffy’s wide eyes, he felt his resolve waver.
“Fine,” Shanks said with a huff before his grin returned. “Let me tell you about the time we found a peach that gives you spots when you eat it!”
And so, Shanks proceeded to tell as many embarrassing stories about his crew, particularly Beckman, that he could that featured himself in a good light. It may have been petty, but Shanks was determined that Luffy would think he was the coolest by the end of the night.
At the beginning, he had been forced to speak over his crew's objections to how they were being portrayed, but as they drank more and more there were fewer objections to Shanks’ questionable stories.
“And that is how I saved Yasopp from becoming a sacrifice to a cult of tiger people!”
“Wow! So cool!” Luffy exclaimed before almost being pushed over by the force of his yawn.
“Luffy, don’t you think it’s time to go to bed?” Makino said, where she was refilling yet another cup. Woop Slap had long retired, seemingly content to leave his watchful post now that the Red Hair Pirates were thoroughly drunk.
“But I want to hear more stories!” Another yawn.
“How about I tell you some stories about the Chief tomorrow if you go to bed?” Beckman said, a sly smile on his face.
Shanks just knew he would grow to regret telling Luffy about the time Beckman embarrassed himself in front of some pretty mermaids.
“Re--” Yawn. “--ally?”
“Sure thing, kid.”
“Alright!” Luffy put his hands up in this air. “I’m going to sleep now. Good night!”
Luffy eagerly hopped off the chair, as if he would get to hear said stories quicker if he went to bed right away.
“Night Luffy!” Makino said with a gentle smile. “Do you need me to walk you home?”
“No! I’m a big kid now.”
“I thought you were a man?” Shanks teased, head leaning in his hand propped up on the bar.
“I am!”
“Well, off you go then. Don’t let the monsters get to you!”
“Silly Shanks, I would just beat up any monsters!”
“Ah, my bad!”
“Bye!” Luffy ran out of the bar to a chorus of drunken responses.
The feeling in the air was similar to when a hurricane had just passed through, like a calm in the wake of a whirlwind.
“Thank you for indulging him,” Makino said as she refilled Shanks’ glass. “This one is on me.”
Shanks toasted her, raising his glass before downing half of it.
“It’s no problem. He’s an entertaining kid. You don’t have to worry about any of us hurting him.”
Makino’s smile brightened.
“That’s great to hear.”
Shanks knew it would take time, but soon enough Makino and the mayor would actually believe him when he said that.
After about two weeks of non-stop partying intermingled with Luffy’s bright presence, they decided to set sail to explore some nearby islands.
“But you’ll be back right?!” Luffy asked, looking up at Shanks with pleading eyes where he was hanging onto Shanks’ pants.
Shanks paused, looking down at Luffy. He hadn’t thought about if they were coming back or not.
Luffy pouted more the longer that Shanks went without replying.
“I know despite their wariness, the village market place is happy to have you back whenever you need to restock,” Makino chimed in. “And of course, you’re welcome at Party’s Bar.”
“Hey Chief, let’s come back here!”
“The rum is sooo good!”
“It’s such a relaxing little town!”
Luffy had started bouncing up and down while the crew was making their case.
“I’ll show you the best place to go fishing by the coast!” Luffy entreated.
Shanks let a grin slowly spread across his face.
“Who am I to go against such hospitality,” Shanks said. “We’ll return in a few weeks! Makino! Make sure to stock up on some more of that rum!”
She needed resolutely with a small smile.
“Luffy.”
Luffy looked up at Shanks underneath his tossled black fringe. Shanks patted the top of his head.
“Be good while we’re gone, okay? I’ll hold you to your promise when we get back.”
Luffy’s smile was like the sun.
“It’s a promise, Shanks!”
Maybe this place would work out as a base after all.