This was happening at the dock, crowded with pirates and villagers. The aforementioned pair, sitting on two large crates in the shade of one of the surrounding houses, observed the bustling activity with faint interest - the pirates were preparing to depart, and the locals were helping them. If it weren't for Shanks' distinctive hair color, straw hat, and the three scars crossing his left eye, he wouldn't have resembled himself at all. Today, the red-haired man looked more like an evil pirate ready to slit anyone's throat. The reason for such changes? A wild, even extreme hangover! The 'Red-Haired' pirates were known for their drinking, and yesterday, when a large part of the village joined their farewell party, the level of revelry increased tenfold. Makino's bar couldn't accommodate such a crowd, so the party happened outside, with dozens of tables, chairs, and benches set up. Almost everyone was drinking and partying. And drinking to excess - meaning, getting plastered, squealing like pigs, and needing to underline the fact - almost everyone. And Shanks, who never had the best disposition after a drinking bout, now clearly hated the whole world. If Higuma had encountered such a Shanks, he would have been chopped to bits before he could even utter a sound.
"We've already stayed here much longer than we ever planned," replied the red-haired man with a look of 'I'm about to puke.'
"I'm even a little sorry that you're leaving," the boy suddenly admitted. "And I won't be able to fight Yasopp anymore."
Strangely enough, Luffy and Yasopp had indeed become… arch-enemies? Yasopp regularly got drunk and started showing off to the boy, who in turn played various pranks on him. And training sessions were still on. Even after mastering two types of Haki, Luffy had no intention of stopping his training with the pirates, and Yasopp was always happy to 'help.' As a result, their relationship resembled a small war, so the phrase 'arch-enemies' suited them best.
"I thought you'd be glad that we're leaving," Shanks scoffed, immediately regretting it as his stomach churned. "No one will be drinking away your money anymore."
"But I won't have anyone to train with either," the boy frowned. "Grandpa is a real idiot, so I have little hope for him, and there aren't any strong fighters around here. The only option is local bandits and pirates, but with my Observation Haki, I'm practically unbeatable for them. They can't even hit me… I suspect I'll have to come up with some special method to train my Haki."
Shanks knew that the only effective way to develop any type of Haki was to fight and defeat a stronger opponent. He had never heard of any other method to develop Haki. Training to awaken Haki? Dozens of options! Training to develop Haki? None that directly affect Haki. On the other hand, Luffy was an exceptional case with almost limitless potential, so the man didn't argue. He could easily imagine that the boy might indeed come up with some special Haki training method over time. Shanks had seen too much of the impossible in his life to be absolutely certain of anything.
"Luffy, have you ever thought about your future?" Shanks decided to ask this question now, at parting, though it had interested all the pirates.
"Do I really have much of a choice?" Luffy responded with another question, as was his habit.
"What do you think?" came the next question.
"Actually, if I wanted to, I could have a really wide range of choices," Luffy answered offhandedly, contradicting himself. "If I put in the effort and swallow my pride, I could become anyone."
"With desire, anyone can become anyone," Shanks shared his opinion. "The real question is, who do you want to become, and are you willing to swallow your pride to do it?"
"I have no desire to become anyone specific," Luffy said casually, swinging his legs and tapping his heels on the crate he was sitting on. "I'm not interested in any profession known to man."
"Not even a bounty hunter?"
"I love money, not professions."
"How about piracy?"
"Ah, it seems we've finally gotten to the point," the boy grinned. "First, there's no profession called 'pirate,' only a way of life. Second, I don't want to be a pirate, a marine, or a revolutionary. But I have a wild desire to see the world, to witness the most incredible and interesting things with my own eyes. I want to experience everything this world can offer. I want to have adventures to my heart's content, if that's clearer for you."
"Is that so?" Shanks smiled slightly, looking noticeably better all of a sudden. "If you really want to see the world, then with your character, you only have one choice."
"To become a pirate!" Luffy nodded in agreement.
Ordinary professions didn't appeal to him, his complete inability to follow orders automatically closed off the Marine route, and fighting for 'world peace' as revolutionaries did went against his nature. Furthermore, remaining a bounty hunter or even just a simple sailor would inevitably force him to deal with things he didn't like - or rather, people he didn't like - otherwise, he would end up as a criminal. Adding his desire for adventure into the mix, the only possible answer was to become a pirate.
"I can already say how terrifying a pirate you will become," Shanks' smile widened even further.
"I will become the Pirate King," Luffy declared in his usual carefree tone, as if it were a matter of course. "Even if someone finds that infamous One Piece and becomes the second Pirate King, I'll just cut down everyone involved and become the third Pirate King. Because no one is allowed to be above me."
"Don't worry, they won't find it!" Shanks declared with absolute certainty.
Of all people, he, having been the apprentice of the Pirate King himself, knew what he was talking about.
"I think so too," Luffy agreed surprisingly easily.
"Really? And why is that?" the captain asked, genuinely interested.
"Because even if I become smarter, stronger, with more money, more connections, and more subordinates, I won't change," the boy looked intently at his hands. "Even though I'm just a kid, I'm already a fully formed person, and my will is too strong. So no matter what happens to me in the future, my character and principles will never change. Therefore, the only thing I can truly become in this life is the Pirate King."
"You're right; I would call it destiny… Do you believe in destiny?"
"Of course, otherwise, I wouldn't have been born into this world."
"You know, I also believe in destiny… And how could I not, if out of all the countless islands, cities, and villages in East Blue, we ended up exactly where you live. If that's not destiny, I don't know what can be called destiny."
Luffy frowned slightly, sensing a hint of something more in Shanks' voice and words, but the next moment, the man's straw hat fell over his head. The hat was too big for Luffy's head, so it immediately slid down over his eyes.
"Why do I need this rag?" Luffy asked, taking off the hat and inspecting it critically.
"If you don't like it, then return it to me when you become the Pirate King," Shanks' smile spread from ear to ear, and his hungover appearance seemed to vanish without a trace.
"I'd rather burn it as soon as you leave."
"You won't burn it!" the captain replied confidently, still smiling widely. "After all, it's your destiny too," he added, rising to his feet.
"Honestly, even though I'm small, I kind of like girls more than old, worn straw hats… I don't think we have a future together."
"CAPTAIN, THE SHIP IS READY TO DEPART!!!"
"Don't worry, I'm absolutely sure you'll get along with it!" Shanks laughed loudly, heading towards the dock.
Putting the gifted hat back on his head, Luffy jumped off the crate and followed the man, preparing to say goodbye to the rest of the crew. Although he spent most of his time with Shanks, Yasopp, Benn, and Lucky, Luffy had managed to get along well with the other pirates too. The farewell dragged on longer than he had anticipated, and not due to his fault. Over the past year, the 'Red-Haired' crew had befriended the local residents, and some of them had become even closer with several single women. Many of them were now holding rosy-cheeked babies only a few months old or cradling their bulging bellies, about to become mothers. That's why the farewell took so long. However, Shanks and his crew had done well - although none of the pirates chose to stay in the village, they had given enough money to their temporary partners so that, with modest spending, the women and their children would live comfortably for the next ten years. If Luffy hadn't been in the village, the pirates would have been more cautious about leaving such a large sum behind - big money in the hands of weak people could easily lead to their deaths. But no one in Shanks' crew doubted Luffy's ability to fend off any idiots who might try to attack Foosha Village.
"He came to see us off, the little bastard! … Damn, I never thought I'd say this, but it seems I'll seriously miss that little psycho," Yasopp shared his feelings, watching the gradually receding dock still full of people seeing them off.
"Agreed," Benn nodded, taking a drag. "We're unlikely to meet another kid like Luffy."
"I'm not sure he can even be called a kid," Lucky added, as always with a piece of grilled meat in hand. "And I don't think the world can handle two such people at once."
"The little bastard didn't even stay on the shore," Shanks sighed. "He took off as soon as we started to depart."
"And it seems he headed straight for the mountains," Yasopp added, listening to Luffy's 'voice.'
"…"
"…"
"I think I'll be right if I say that I'm not the only one who finds his behavior suspicious?" Benn asked.
"Noticed it?" Shanks narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "As soon as you said that, he bolted."
"No wonder, since the little bastard can read lips using Observation Haki," Yasopp reminded his captain.
"WHAT?!!" came the exclamation from all sides.
Reading lips with Observation Haki wasn't such a difficult trick. Moreover, it didn't depend on the strength or skill of using Haki, but only a few could master it. Benn, for instance, could.
"Eh, didn't I tell you?" Yasopp questioned hesitantly.
"You definitely didn't tell me anything like that!" Shanks retorted, and the other pirates gathered around immediately confirmed they hadn't heard of it either.
"Well, now you know that Luffy can read lips and almost certainly knows what we're talking about."
"So why is he running away?" Lucky asked the obvious question. "We didn't say anything, and he's clearly running away."
"Rather, we should ask why he started running away as soon as we began to depart," Benn voiced a smart thought. "And although he was initially just walking, it's now clear that he's running away."
A long silence followed.
"… And where did you hide the Devil Fruit?" Lucky was the first to voice what seemed the most obvious thought.
Shanks' heart stopped.
"Don't worry," Benn replied, "I hid it in the hold, in one of the chests with a secret compartment we got from the captured smugglers." And just as Shanks' heart began to beat again, his assistant added, "Unless you have the legendary ability of the Pirate King that allows you to hear the voices of things, no one will be able to find the fruit without turning our ship upside down."
Shanks' face instantly fell.
"Benn?"
"Yes?"
"WHERE DID YOU HIDE THAT DAMN FRUIT?!!"
The End.