Maelstrom

Chapter 2:

Shanks' POV

Laughter rings out around you and your crew as you playfully wrap your arms around the Little Anchor that had taken to you. The kid had been staring up at you with childlike wonder on his face, seemingly awestruck at the tales you spun.

"I'm gonna be just like you when I get older Shanks! The best pirate in the world, better than that, the best pirate in the universe!" His voice shouts out next to you, the kid pulling at your clothes, demeaning attention.

You chuckle amusedly.

"Alright then Luffy, you can dream. But what're you gonna do when I beat you?" The kid scowls at you, his face scrunched up in thought.

"B-But I'm gonna be the strongest!" He declares with a burning determination in his eyes, one that you hadn't expected to see.

You smile at him, kids were a real hoot. Thinking with that kind of naïve mindset never ceased to amuse him, but he had to wonder a little about what the kid had meant when he claimed he would be 'the strongest'.

Suddenly the doors to the bar you're in swing open. The laughter stops as a group of scruffy and worn mountain bandits make their way to the counter.

"Got any booze left over for us here sweets?" A bulking and glaring man asks as he comes to the stool next to you, leering at the green haired barmaid.

Makino peers over the counter, and shakes her head in that offkey polite mannered way that she always seems to do.

"Sadly looks like the pirates beat you here, would you like some water or juice instead?"

The gruff looking man, likely their leader, scowls at the answer. His gaze flickers over to you and the crew, seeing the mugs of ale that were in your hands. There's thinly veiled rage and bitterness on his face as he glares before nodding to your half-empty bottle.

"Looks like ya had enough for scum like 'em, why not check the back for me?" He growls to the barmaid, annoyance visible as you watch.

You had managed to not let any laughter bubble out of you at the situation. What a lad. He clearly was also a bit naïve, but not the cute way that Luffy and the rest of the kiddos were.

"Here mate, you can have mine." You gesture towards the unopened bottle sitting atop the bar counter. A commonplace courtesy, one of goodwill.

The gruff bandit scowls and you can see the burning rage swirling in his eyes as you cock your head in curiosity.

Ah.

So he had wanted to make a mess of the place did he? The familiar taste of ale and island fruit tickled your lips as the bandit hurls the peace offer to the floor beside you.

Ah, he was one of those men then was he?

He had chortled with self-satisfied pride, throwing parting insults as he and his band of merry idiots exit the bar. Looks like his drink had been long forgotten.

You suppress the urge to sigh, instead shooting the barmaid a sheepish smile as you begin collecting the remnants of wasted ale and broken glass.

All is quiet.

Floorboards creak. Throats are cleared. Tapping fingers clack with anxiousness.

Someone snickers from the corner of the bar.

You can feel the corners of your lips tug upwards.

Another chuckle.

A guwaff.

Soon the whole crew had begun to burst out into laughter.

You join along with them.

Sometimes it's better to laugh things off, especially in cases like these. Those mountain bandits were leagues below you and your crew, they could take their twisted jealousy and shove off with it. Men like that were the type that you didn't even have the time nor the patience to bother with.

Luffy glares at you. Huh. You had almost forgotten that the Little Anchor was sitting atop the bar beside you.

His normally cheerful and childlike demeanor had faded, leaving him with a frown on his face. Ah, to be young. The ravenette lad climbs further atop his stool besides you, his earlier praises and wide-eyed wonder replaced with a burning humiliation. The kid seemed to be weighed down with confused frustration.

"Shanks! Why are you all laughing?! He just said mean things and threw your drink! A-and to make it worse, you don't do anything but laugh? That's not cool at all! I thought you were strong!" The lad starts to cry as he shouts from atop his perch before he continues.

"I thought you were pirates!" His lower lip quivers as snot runs down his face.

Ah, to be young.

You look down at Luffy with a knowing smile on your face before responding to the lad's sudden outburst. "Exactly Little Anchor, we're pirates. They were just some 'ol mountain bandits. Sometimes you just laugh it off, like we did just now. You'll understand when you're a wee bit older lad."

Luffy looks up at you, clarity overwriting the prior frustration he was feeling before. He looks to be thinking over the wise words you had spoken to him for a brief moment before he nods. The lad peers up at you, snot-faced and teary eyed but there's not a trace of the anger he was voicing mere minutes ago.

He smiles at you, all teeth and child-like joy. A smile that rivaled the sun almost in its radiance.

"Alright. I'm going to go down by the docks then, maybe I'll catch a sea king!" He swings from the counter, a hopeful look on his face. "By the way, got any more meat?"

You chuckle before rubbing his head affectionately, grabbing him a plate off the counter.

Kids were something else, that's for sure.

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