Shanks and his entire crew stared at the old man as if he were… well, honestly, it's hard to find a suitable comparison. They had seen so many mind-blowing things during their travels on the Grand Line that even if the old man suddenly grew a second head and a dozen new arms, no one would have batted an eye. But his words attracted attention in a way that a hundred simultaneously grown heads would not have. All the pirates had already realized that the boy was indeed dangerous - he shot accurately and, as it turned out, the mines were his handiwork too - but what could he do in close combat? Though, as acknowledged by all with particularly developed Observation Haki, the boy did indeed pose a threat. However, no one could figure out what that threat was. Observation Haki is useful but not all-knowing.
Shanks wouldn't be Shanks if he didn't immediately remove the gag from the boy's mouth after the elder's warning. The boy said nothing. Instead, bound hand and foot, he flopped onto his stomach and, wriggling like a worm, crawled towards Shanks, leaving a trail of drool. Since Shanks was the one who removed the gag, the boy didn't have to crawl far. As soon as he reached the sandaled feet of the man, he twisted his body and bit Shanks' right leg, just above the calf. The red-haired man wore rolled-up trousers, which the boy took full advantage of. For such an act, Shanks immediately smacked the boy on the head with the edge of his hand, but the boy didn't seem bothered by the punishment. Sitting up, he tilted his head back and stared intently into the man's eyes. Three scars running through his left eye, reflected on the Red-Haired Pirates' flag as three red stripes crossing an empty eye socket of a skull, brown eyes, a simple expression with a week-old stubble, and, of course, crimson hair covered by an old straw hat. Also, his tall stature with a rather ordinary build, hidden under a cheap black cloak and a shabby white shirt. A shabby sword hung from his right thigh. In other words, while Shanks was a famous pirate, he did not look particularly dangerous.
Shanks, in turn, stared back. The boy in front of him looked like an ordinary child: black shorts, a white T-shirt, and black sandals. Black hair, brown eyes, and regular facial features. Honestly, there wasn't a single notable detail about the boy's appearance. In any other case, Shanks wouldn't have even paid him any attention… if not for the eyes. If eyes are indeed the mirror of the soul, then the small boy's body clearly housed a monster's soul: such a bloodthirsty gaze couldn't belong to an ordinary child.
After ten or fifteen seconds of staring, the boy's expression turned to clear confusion. Waiting a few more moments, he lowered his head and looked at Shanks' leg, specifically the spot where he had bitten him. Seeing no desired result, he looked straight into Shanks' eyes.
"Why are you still standing?" the boy asked displeased. "Or rather, why are you still alive? By now, everyone else would have been dead."
At that moment, Shanks realized that the slight burning sensation at the bite wasn't from the bite itself but from the poison injected into his leg—deadly poison, if the boy's words were to be believed! The realization was shared by everyone around. The villagers turned even paler, if that was possible; they were already looking ashen. Their bowing doubled in speed, and the number of apologies at least tripled. The quickly oriented elder, grabbing the boy's head and ignoring his fierce protests, began to bow with him at Shanks' feet. The pirates' jaws nearly dug into the earth as they tried to bow even lower.
"Forgive him, we will definitely punish him, definitely!" the elder promised while bowing.
"Seriously, why are you still alive?" the boy asked again, once the elder was off him. "This poison can kill a Sea King in two minutes, and a human in just ten seconds."
"Because I'm tougher than a Sea King," Shanks responded with a proud laugh.
The boy seemed to be waiting for this. Why "seemed"? He was definitely waiting! The elder still had his head grasped, so the boy had to twist his head slightly to make an accurate spit. Observation Haki had warned Shanks of the boy's intentions, but only experience saved him from a small, barely noticeable needle that almost pierced his carotid artery. While Observation Haki warned Shanks of the spit, it didn't reveal the hidden needle in the saliva. The red-haired man wasn't sure how to react.
On one hand, the boy was truly impressive, but on the other, in just half an hour, he had already tried to kill him five times, not counting the underwater mines! What worried Shanks even more was that this seven-year-old had been more successful in his attempts than anyone had been in the last few years.
"Did you ever think about what my crew would have done if you had actually managed to kill me?" Shanks asked, looking at the small needle in his hand and then glancing at the pair at his feet.
The village elder, realizing that his ward had tried to kill the pirate captain once again - and after all the apologies and bowing! - nearly collapsed from a heart attack. The ward, hearing the question addressed to him, looked up and, with a crystal-clear innocent expression that only children could muster, said in a sweet, innocent voice:
"Luffy is only seven years old. Luffy doesn't understand. Luffy is still little. Luffy did everything like Grandpa taught him."
This time, the elder really did clutch at his heart.
"Grandpa?" Shanks asked dumbly. "And stop with that childish voice and look, after everything you've done, that trick won't work!"
"What!" the boy immediately scrunched up his lips. "I'd argue with you, but I don't feel like ruining the comedy," he spat off to the side.
"So, your name is Luffy," Shanks nodded with satisfaction. "How would you deal with my crew if you had managed to kill me?" he was genuinely curious.
Mines, shooting, poison in false fangs, and small hollow needles with poison as a last resort… Or maybe not the last. After everything he had seen, Shanks wouldn't be surprised if the kid had something else up his sleeve. That was partly why he asked about the crew. Frankly, Shanks' instincts had been screaming danger since the first mine exploded under their ship, and he had learned to trust his instincts - they had saved him countless times.
"Do you really think I'd just tell you everything?" Luffy said, sitting down again and raising an eyebrow skeptically.
"Um… why not?" Shanks smiled kindly.
"You're a pirate!" Luffy declared, then switched back to his childlike voice: "Pirates are super evil, super bad, so they always lie! Grandpa told me all about them! I know! I know everything! Luffy is already big!"
"So, you won't tell me?" Shanks asked, disappointed, and was met with a sharp look from Luffy.
"Hmm, I think I could tell… it would be fun to see your faces!"
"Really? Then what's the catch?"
Luffy rolled his eyes as if he were talking to an idiot.
"First, untie me."
"I… I don't think that's a good idea," the village elder reminded him again, still clutching his heart.