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It was calm on the Sunny surprisingly, or as calm as it can be when there is constant noise from Franky and Usopp’s machinations below deck and Brook’s light hearted tunes felt perfect for the sunny day.
Nami was tending to her tangerine trees while Robin watered her plants. The cook was in the kitchen, definitely whipping up something for Nami and Robin. Chopper, for once, was not horsing around with Luffy and Usopp but was in the sick bay, conducting some experiments and Jinbei was at the helm, keeping them on course.
He had been taking a nap when Luffy came up to him, dejected that both Usopp and Chopper had refused to play with him and promptly dropped his head onto his lap for a nap together with him, hat resting on his face.
It was rare that Luffy would settle down quietly and it seemed so since he was humming along to Brook’s tune and definitely not asleep as he should’ve been. Jinbei gave them both a soft grin from his position at the helm.
Zoro was not one for dwelling on the past, but the serene atmosphere surrounding the ship had reminded him of their early days when it was just him and Luffy and then Nami soon after.
They drifted around the East Blue for days with no direction (at least until Nami came along), the weather always calm in the Blues unlike the Grandline.
Thinking back to those days, eyes closed, he smirked lazily, remembering how obvious it had been that Luffy was not used to sailing, as he kept flailing around trying to find his balance on their dingy boat and even for a few days after they were gifted the Merry Go in Syrup Village.
Luffy didn’t even know starboard from port side and kept using terms like left and right back then. But surprisingly, the only term he used from the day Zoro joined was first mate. Even as they kept gathering more crew mates, he never stopped referring to Zoro as their first mate.
Of course, it was less first mate and more loud cries of Zoro’s name accompanied by large Luffy-sized weights slamming into his back or rocketing them onto the ship.
Still it was strange how Luffy only used to call Zoro as his first mate even when never used other terms related to sailing until much later.
“Luffy?”
“Hmm?” Luffy hummed, his head on Zoro’s lap.
“Since when have you wanted to be a pirate?” Zoro questions, fingers carding through Luffy’s surprisingly soft hair.
“Ever since I could remember Gramps telling me about them, so maybe three or four?” Luffy replies.
Nami blanches from where she is perched on the swing, having finished tending to her trees and chatting with Jinbei about his experience of the weather in the New World. “Then how come the only pirate related word you knew for the longest time was first mate?”
Luffy snickers and snuggles his face into Zoro’s haramaki and says something which was muffled.
“Stop cuddling your boyfriend and answer my question Luffy,” Nami says, thanking Sanji for the drink.
Luffy turned around to lay down on his back again and answered with a smile on his face, “Because of Shanks and Beckman! Shishishishi”.
XXX
Luffy was seven and he had been alone for seven years of his life, if you didn’t count the occasional visits from his Grandpa in the name of training and Makino who took care of him as best as she could, even while she was busy.
The day this changed was when the Red-Haired Pirates stopped to restock at his village. He remembered the day as clearly as the weather in the Blues.
He had walked up to where their ship was docked and threatened them as best as a seven year old could. Thinking back, he was definitely, not even a little bit threatening with his short height and anchor t-shirt and shorts.
Shanks had teased him, called him an anchor but replied honestly that they were just there to restock and would not cause any harm or destruction in the village. He had accepted that excuse and asked them to follow him as he led the way to Party’s Bar.
He had thought that Shanks and his crew would leave after restocking but surprisingly they kept coming back.
Over the year they stayed, he endeared himself to the crew and the crew kept him entertained. Shanks had the best stories and told tales of his adventures while Beckman chimed in with embarrassing moments of Shanks while Shanks whined about his own first mate committing mutiny.
“Shanks?” Luffy questioned, feet swinging from the stupid, too tall, barstool.
“Hmm?” Shanks turned his attention towards Luffy after he stopped ogling at Beckman as he punched the idiots on his crew for making a mess of Makino’s bar.
“What’s a first mate?”
Shanks smiled, turning back towards Beckman where he was dragging two of their crewmates by their ears and forcing them to apologise to Makino, “A first mate is someone who takes care of the crew even when the Captain might be having a hard time, they’re someone who cares even for the Captain themselves.”
“But isn’t the Captain supposed to be the strongest?”
“The Captain can’t always be the strongest, there might be moments where he has to face difficulties but the first mate will always stand strong, like a rock in wind and keep the crew together and prevent it from falling apart.”
“They’re also someone who also cleans up the Captain’s messes,” Shanks adds cheekily as he glances at Beckman walking towards them.
“They ARE NOT!” Beckman says, bonking Shanks on the head, which causes Luffy to snicker.
“Then, do all captains and first mates also always kiss each other?” Luffy asks, tilting his head, mind wandering back to all the moments he caught Shanks and Beckman, kissing in the high of a party when they thought no one was watching them.
There was suddenly pin drop silence in the bar as everyone stared at him.
“HAH!?? Where did you see something like that, Luffy?” Shanks screams as his crew erupts in laughter around him as Luffy laughs along with them.
Beckman sighed and walked back to his seat, motioning to Shanks as if saying he was not dealing with this mess.
XXX
“Do you mean the Yonko, Red Haired-Shanks and his first mate Benn Beckman? Do you know them, Luffy-kun?” Jinbei asks in surprise.
“Yeah, in fact our captain got his hat from Shanks when he was a kid,” Robin replies, joining in on the conversation.
Luffy snaps his eyes open, “I know all the commanders on their crew but I was the closest to Shanks and Beckman!”
Nami sighs, schooling her expression into something stern as she bonks Luffy, “How many times have we told you to tell us important things!?”
“But Namiiii,” Luffy whines, as the situation devolves into something more chaotic.
Months down the line, when they finally fight the Red-Haired pirates and settle down for a party right afterwards, the crew realises the truth behind Luffy’s words as they see the two captains and first mates interacting with each other during the party.
Zoro shares a look with Beckman and turns back to look at Luffy and Shanks at the centre of the party. He clinks his glass with Benn and thinks There’s just something about these captains that make me want to follow them and I’m glad to be Luffy’s first mate and follow him to the ends of the earth and even into hell.