The smell of grilled meat and buttered seafood hung thick in the air. Plates of roasted fish, steaming seafood fried rice, and fresh bread kept sliding across the bar as Jin worked, his movements smooth and unhurried. The Red-Haired Pirates laughed and clinked mugs behind him, their voices carrying like a storm tide.
Still as damn noisy as ever… Jin leaned a shoulder against the counter, eyes narrowing in faint amusement. Red-Hair's crew now is still a far cry from the monsters they'll become… but the spark is there.
From his corner, Benn Beckman's sharp gaze flicked toward the bar. He'd felt it—someone watching. When their eyes met, Jin didn't flinch. He only offered a faint smile before turning away, his voice dry in his own head. The famous right-hand of Red-Hair, huh? Guy's sharp enough to smell danger before it's close. Not bad.
At the counter, Shanks was leaning over a plate of fried rice like a man who hadn't eaten in weeks, shoveling it in with a grin. Jin shook his head at the sight. And this is the man who will stake the future of an era on a kid like Luffy? Two idiots in the same line of succession… how poetic.
Benn leaned toward the large, round man tearing into a leg of meat. "Lucky, what do you make of the guy running this bar?"
Lucky Roo paused, chewing thoughtfully before answering. "Hard to read. Feels… dangerous. Stronger than you, maybe."
Both men had seen enough of the New World to know their instincts weren't wrong.
"East Blue's supposed to be the safest sea," Benn murmured, taking a slow drink. "But I'm starting to think it's the scariest one. It doesn't spawn much… but when it does, they're monsters. Garp, Roger, Dragon—hell, even this guy."
Lucky grunted in agreement. "Yeah. Monster country."
Benn's gaze swept the bar again. "Let's just hope this one's the kind who minds his own business."
His eyes inevitably drifted to his captain—laughing, relaxed, completely at ease. …and there's the man who'll get us all killed one day.
When the plate was clean, Shanks wiped his mouth, raised his mug for another drink, and turned to Jin.
"You ever think about going to sea?"
Jin's lips curved. "When the time's right. You? What's a man like you doing in East Blue?"
Shanks didn't answer. Instead, he drank deeply, then smiled. "If you do set sail, the seas will get a lot livelier."
"Think so?" Jin asked lightly.
"Don't you?" Shanks countered.
Their gazes locked.
Jin chuckled. Shanks followed suit.
Then Shanks' expression shifted, his voice quieter. "Will we be enemies?"
Jin didn't blink. "As long as you don't bring bloodshed to this village and you're not a threat to me or mine… I couldn't care less what you do. The future?" He gave a shrug. "That's another story."
Shanks grinned faintly. "Yeah… who can say?"
Benn and Lucky exchanged a glance. "At least for now," Benn muttered, "he's not our enemy."
"Hopefully it stays that way," Lucky added. "Provided our captain doesn't do something stupid."
Night had fallen when the Red-Haired Pirates finally left, their laughter echoing back toward the docks. On the walk to the ship, Lucky couldn't hold it in. "Captain, what did you actually talk to him about? You looked like you were having fun."
Shanks waved a hand lazily. "Just asked when he planned to sail."
"And?" Benn asked.
Shanks' grin returned. "He's an interesting man. Not our enemy here… maybe never. Who knows?"
Yasopp, hands tucked behind his head, snorted. "And if he is?"
Shanks' eyes glinted under the brim of his hat. "Then we'll fight. Until then, we drink."
The crew roared their approval. The captain's word was law, and his laugh had a way of erasing worry.
Back at the bar, Jin sighed at the sight of Luffy passed out on the floor, arms sprawled, mouth hanging open.
"You'll follow anyone with a grin and no sense of danger… unbelievable." He hoisted the boy onto a couch, muttering, "Makino's going to kill me if you catch a cold."
After tidying the last of the dishes, Jin headed upstairs. The sound of running water soon filled the room as he slid into the hot bath.
"Ahh… Now this is living." Steam curled around him as the heat soaked into tired muscles. "Devil Fruits, treasure… none of it beats this."
For a mercenary king turned tavern owner, some luxuries were worth guarding more fiercely than gold.
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
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T/N :
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