Chapter Text
Everything felt, to put it mildly, strange. His thoughts were jumbled; there was a sense that Cale had forgotten something. What had he been doing today? The children, as always, had woken him up early. They looked cheerful, eager to show their human something interesting. There were no worries — the hunters had long been dealt with. Then, after some time, Cale found himself sitting in front of his Super Rock villa and… darkness. Those foolish gods. He couldn’t even blame the god of Death anymore. This time, a strange melodic voice echoed in his mind: "Child… I’ve long wanted to meet you. Death never allowed me to contact you. I understand him — after all, you are not only loved by him. Many wish to speak with you, even the sea itself. I wanted to ask for your help, but time is short. Your vessel is in my world — please, help my children."
The rest of the words sounded as though they were coming from underwater — nothing was clear. Cale didn’t even want to listen anymore. What the hell was this?! Why was he being sent to another world again without warning? His family would definitely be worried! Cale didn’t even want to help anyone anymore…When would they finally leave him alone?!
That unpleasant moment dissolved into the depths of darkness. Cale was still drifting, until he suddenly felt a strange jolt to his head — like he had hit a tree. It was hard to open his eyes. With effort, the young man forced them open and looked around. It looked like… a prison? Just what he needed!
“Damn it, those stupid gods! Why am I in danger the moment I wake up?”
Cale cautiously moved. His hands were bound in chains… Disgusting. There were several other children around, all trying hard to stifle their cries.
“Children?”, Cale lifted his hands, touched his face, and realized he had ended up in the body of a child — no older than 8 or 9. And judging by the surroundings, the rest weren’t older — in fact, many seemed younger than him.
“Slaves,” the word echoed in Cale’s head. It was revolting. What kind of monster would treat children like this? Suddenly, the sound of a key clinking rang out, and into the room with the cage stepped a corpulent man with a repulsive smile. The children’s voices immediately fell silent, though the occasional sniffle could still be heard as the man turned his gaze toward them.
“Good stock. I think they’ll like the variety. Especially this red-haired one — the Tenryubito love pretty children like him,” he said, his eyes landing on Cale, making his stomach turn. He wanted to rip the eyes out of this filthy animal.
“How dare you say that about our Cale, you #@”'/!!” — a familiar voice of a mad child finally soothed Cale’s nerves.
“She’s right. What is this place, anyway? Cale blacked out for just a minute, lying at the villa, and now we’re all here! I think we should burn this disgusting place to the ground.”
“Calm down. Cale, are you okay?”, the voice of Super Rock separated the two flaring ancient powers. Cale gave a subtle nod, his mind racing to keep up with the conversation of ancient powers and simultaneously trying to think of a way out of this place. But he didn’t get the chance — the corpulent man suddenly opened the cage and grabbed him. In this child’s body, there was no chance to escape safely. A child was obviously weaker than an adult. The stranger simply tossed him through the door into the hands of another slaver.
“Move the boy to the other section with the most profitable goods.”
Calling a person “goods” was horrific, but Cale wasn’t even worried for himself — he worried about the other children. He, at least, was an adult in a child’s body — psychologically he could endure it.
But those poor kids didn’t deserve such treatment. Maybe it would be more logical for Cale to focus on saving himself — but he’d always had a soft spot for children. He couldn’t abandon them.
"Looks like we need to destroy this disgusting place."
"Haha, yeah Cale, you're right!", the thief even whistled at the statement. It was comforting that in this unfamiliar world, he still had the support of his ancient powers.
While Cale stayed silent for a while, the slaver urged him forward, leading him outside.The salty scent of the sea hit his nose — it was beautiful. Fish splashed in the distance, the sunlight reflected off the water, making him squint.There was something familiar in the blue expanse, but a harsh “Move it!” and a shove forced Cale to walk on. It looked like the slavers had set up camp by the shore, keeping their "goods" in dark, moldy huts. Surprisingly, Cale wasn’t shoved into a hut, but led toward a ship. Apparently, they were transporting slaves even beyond this continent. The ship looked like a typical wooden vessel, almost medieval in style. From what he could tell, this world didn’t seem much different from Roan in terms of development. The only thing left to find out was whether there was magic here — so far, nothing pointed to it, but neither did anything disprove it.
“What a quiet kid. Usually they’re all crying. You’ll clearly fetch a high price.” Cale frowned. He had simply stopped breathing to avoid smelling this vile man’s stench, and now the bastard was getting closer. The young man didn’t want the filthy stranger touching him, so he stepped forward himself into the lower deck when the door was "kindly" opened for him. Inside was only slightly better than the hut from earlier. The walls were sturdy enough to keep the ship from leaking. The lighting was dim, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust. That’s when Cale saw the others. Chained just like him, a few women sat on the floor, along with a boy around 15, and two men — one wearing a hat, and the other hard to make out as he sat facing the wall. The women turned their gaze to Cale and, realizing he was just a child, relaxed. One of them even approached him.
“Sweetheart, are you okay? Those disgusting people even brought a child down here. Come, sit with us. What’s your name?” - Cale confidently approached the women. His small body felt weak — apparently, the slavers weren’t bothering to feed him. The women gathered around him protectively, ready to shield him if needed. That gesture warmed Cale’s heart. Even in despair, they protected the weaker ones. These three women inspired only trust and confidence.
“My name is Cale. And what about you, noona?”
The light-brown-haired woman who had called to him smiled and patted the boy’s head.
“What’s ‘noona’? Anyway, my name is Zoya. These are my friends — Sora and Mina.
Cale, I know you're scared, so if those people come, hide behind us.”
All Cale could do was nod, though he didn’t want to hide behind anyone — his body left him no choice.
“Such kind women… Even in a situation like this, they still have endurance,” Super Rock couldn’t help but admire the strangers’ resilience. Few could argue with his words.
The two males turned toward them — the teenager and the man who had been staring at the wall. They looked angry, with nearly vacant expressions. The older man gave a crooked smile.
"Another redhead — no wonder they want to sell both of you so badly. Hey, kid, isn’t that your father?" - The stranger nodded toward the last man in the hat. Cale looked at him from within the women’s embrace and blinked a few times. Even in the darkness, you could imagine how the man's bright red hair would shimmer in the sunlight. He looked young — about 22, maybe a little older.
But there was no way he could be the father of the body Cale now inhabited. At the very least, the age didn’t match.
The red-haired man slowly opened his eyes, as if he wasn’t on the verge of being sold into slavery. He yawned lazily, his whole demeanor showing he hadn’t even been listening to what was going on. But then his eyes met Cale’s, widened, and his hand shot out to point at the boy.
"Who’s this kid? And why does he look like me!?"
Cale didn’t even know what to say — especially when Zoya shielded him with her shoulder. Everything about her posture screamed distrust of men, even if they were in the same boat — literally.
"Hey, you! How can you sleep in a situation like this!? The kid’s not even the main issue! We’re setting sail in just four days! We’re going to be sold like livestock!" - The sudden outburst came from the teenager who hadn’t shown any signs of life until now. He looked panicked, his voice echoing off the walls — someone even banged on the wall in response. The red-haired man, however, just shrugged and smiled at Cale, looking relaxed and cheerful. Cale, in turn, gave everyone around him a glare that didn’t suit a child’s face. He wanted to get out of this place. He needed a plan.
"Guys, what do you think — can I use any of you, aside from the crybaby?"
"Cale, that’s going to be hard. Your core is already weak, and now you’re in a child’s body. Please don’t overstrain yourself.", the concerned voice of Super Rock echoed in Cale’s mind.
Even if he couldn’t use one of his most destructive powers, maybe he could make use of the others.
"I think Cale’s core is actually a bit stronger in this body. Once he grows up, he’ll be fine!"
Cale wanted to believe the Glutton. It was always nice to know your weaknesses were no longer such — but that wouldn’t help him right now.
A sigh came from right beside his ear as Zoya continued gently stroking his head.
"You’re right, Forest, but what can we do? Maybe the Marine Watch will help us. For now, let’s all try to get some sleep — especially Cale. I’m sure he’s suffered more than anyone."
The teenager — apparently named Forest — just snorted and leaned against the wall, a gesture the man near the wall mirrored. The three women huddled together for warmth — the sea air did nothing to comfort them and instead carried a chill. Cale pretended to sleep as well, and after a couple of hours, when everyone was sound asleep, he slipped out of the embrace and approached the red-haired man, who cracked one eye open.
“Hey, escaped from the arms of those three mother hens, huh? Don’t worry, unlike the guys behind the door, I’m not the kind who hurts kids.”
Cale stared at the stranger. There was something strange about him — no matter how calm you might be, it was hard to stay this composed when you were chained and about to be sold. Even the other, braver-looking man had been trembling slightly. Besides, thanks to experience, Cale could tell the difference between strong people and ordinary folk. So, an idea began to form in his head.
“Sir, you’re strong, right? And I bet you want to escape too?” - Not exactly the kind of thing you expect to hear from a child who looked no older than nine.
Shanks was caught off guard for a moment. Cale didn’t look scared — his eyes were filled only with determination, the kind rarely seen even in grown men. It almost made Shanks laugh loud enough to wake the others.
“Hold on, where are you going with this? Don’t tell me you actually know how to break out of here?” - It was hard to believe. One child couldn’t do much against a group of adults. But Shanks was intrigued and leaned in closer to listen.
“You were planning to escape anyway, weren’t you? I think you’re just waiting for the right moment. But that’s not so easy, is it? Escaping alone might be doable — but what about the others? I want to help them. Slavers don’t deserve mercy.” - Yes, it sounded harsh. But sometimes, it was hard to save anyone by being soft. Even Shanks widened his eyes. This kid... Where did he get so much resolve, especially having just met everyone here today? It was true — Shanks had planned to escape and help the others. Breaking the chains would be easy. But what to do about the rest? Protecting everyone and leading them out alone would be a problem. He wished his crew was here. But he'd gotten separated too suddenly.
“Wait a minute, kid. You make a good case — but why tell me about all this?”
Cale gave a small huff. It was obvious, wasn’t it? Who would believe a child if he said they needed to escape the ship? But an adult — a confident, capable one — could definitely rally a group.
“Cale… You’re shocking people again. Your ‘non-dad’ is already a little stunned.”
“I like it. Let’s burn this place to the ground!”
Yes, let’s burn it. No one has the right to treat people like slaves. Everyone deserves a chance at a peaceful life.
“Sir, you seem like someone who can be trusted. And if you're interested in hearing how we can all escape together, let’s try.” - Cale stepped closer to Shanks and began quietly explaining the plan he had in mind. The red-haired man’s brows alternately furrowed in disbelief and rose in interest as he listened. The plan was still rough, of course — but if they could get help from the others, even a small team might be enough to fight back.
“Insane. But why not give it a try? Cale, I want to believe we can do this. By the way, my name’s Shanks — remember it.”
Several more days passed, during which nothing happened. Today, however, was overcast — not exactly ideal weather for sailing. But who cared about the mood of the sea when there was profit to be made off useless slaves? That’s exactly what the slaver boss thought as he issued final orders to a few of his goons. Their group was small, but that made it easier to divide the earnings. They were setting sail today — the slaves hadn’t even tried to revolt, which was a luxury. The man believed luck was finally on his side.
“Hey, you — go check on the merchandise. Make sure everything’s ready for departure.” - The first idle subordinate nodded and headed below deck. It’s worth noting there were quite a few slaves: around 7–8 people in each of four holding rooms — nearly twice the number of slavers. But who cared about numbers when those inside were weak and desperate? Children, women, and a few men who could do nothing. The subordinate approached the first cabin and knocked. Inside, it was quiet and dark.
“Stay quiet, scum. We’re setting sail,” he muttered, then went cabin to cabin. He didn’t see even a hint of a person, but he chalked it up to the darkness — after all, there was usually at least a little light so the slaves wouldn’t scream. Now there was only suffocating silence and a darkness that seemed to stare back at him. He simply scoffed and turned to head back up… When suddenly one of the cabin doors burst open, and he was struck in the head — knocked out for several hours. A woman smiled triumphantly, kicking the pathetic slaver. Behind her stood a dozen others, while more emerged from the opposite cabin. Yes — all of them were now free of their shackles. They’d helped each other remove them the night before, after the last guard check. Cale, with the help of the thief, had managed to steal the keys and pass them around. And now, in the morning, they used those same chains and everyday items — small enough to be unnoticed — to arm themselves.
“Looks like he came to check on us. There won’t be any more guards, so we can move out.” - Zoya smiled, glancing at everyone. Just a week ago, she had been in despair after being captured by slavers. There had been no chance, no motivation to escape. It had all seemed impossible. But now, seeing how everyone stood united — regardless of who they were — tears nearly welled in her eyes. Zoya looked at Shanks, who had proposed this plan and tried to bring everyone together. But deep down, she was sure it was all thanks to that boy — the youngest here, even among the children.
“Perfect! Everyone, listen up one more time. There are only thirteen slavers left on the ship, since we’ve already taken one out. Be careful — disarm them. Don’t go near anyone with a gun.” - Shanks stepped forward, repeating what Cale had told him the night before. It was still hard to believe that the boy's plan, devised a few days ago, was working:
“We need to ask everyone what they saw when they were brought aboard — how many crew there are, whether there are other storage areas nearby where we could find weapons. We have to strike unexpectedly — catch them off guard. Honestly, it’d be best to take their guns too…”
Shanks had listened carefully to all the “madness” Cale spoke.And yet, it all made so much sense — so well thought out — that he couldn’t help but believe it. Somehow, it was easy to trust the boy.
It looked like the escape might actually be easy.
The plan was underway. The captain finally realized something was wrong — his subordinate hadn’t come back with a report. He was furious. How dare that scum ignore his orders?! He had to send another man below — but that one didn’t return either. Not in ten minutes. Not in twenty. Something was definitely off. The captain gave a signal to the rest of the crew to approach the lower deck door together. Behind it, nothing could be heard. But the moment the captain tried to open it — it slammed into his nose, sending him flying back. Slaves poured out — women, men, children — all united against their common enemy. The slavers were momentarily stunned — but rage soon brought them back to their senses.
“Shoot those pigs! Cut them down! How dare such filth raise a hand against us?!”
Bullets flew through the air as people tried to defend themselves with improvised equipment they had found below deck. There were sandbags, steel and wooden beams — anything they could use. Even the children played their part, darting between the slavers' legs, firing slingshots at them. A few furious women attacked two men and managed to wrest a gun from one of them. Gradually, the advantage began to shift in the slaves’ favor. It didn’t matter how unprepared or weak they were — they had the numbers and the unity. They had the will to survive. Above all, Shanks stood out. It was obvious he had ended up in the slavers’ hands by sheer misfortune — not because he couldn't resist. After retrieving a sword, he alone could have easily taken down every one of their captors. His movements were deadly and precise. He clearly hadn't lived an ordinary life.
A vein bulged on the captain's forehead. How dare these slaves defile him like this? He had hidden himself in a compartment while his crew was being dealt with.
Who had given these hopeless people the courage to rise against them? The man scanned the crowd, carefully taking aim at everyone — until his eye caught sight of Shanks. There it was. If he could kill the instigator of all this chaos, the rest would lose faith as soon as reinforcements arrived. He pulled the trigger.
At the same time, Cale was doing what all the children were — helping the adults from a distance. The kids even managed to trip and tie up one man. Everything was going well. With weapons and a strong fighting spirit, the people had found confidence and pushed back hard against the slavers.
“Cale, you’re doing great. Just yesterday these people were in despair, but now they’re fighting for their future.”
“You like saving everyone, don’t you, Cale?”
The ancient powers teased him, but Cale didn’t respond — he just rolled his eyes, scanning the ship. Something was strange… There were supposed to be 14 slavers including the captain. So where was the captain? Cale’s eyes widened when he noticed the glint of a rifle — and then heard the shot fired. The bullet was heading straight for Shanks. There was no way he’d see it in time. Without thinking, Cale thrust his hands forward and summoned a small shield. The bullet ricocheted off of it and clattered onto the deck. It was a miraculous sight — no one had ever seen such a radiant, holy shield. And only Shanks, shaking off his surprise, dashed around the shield and struck the captain on the head. Others quickly followed and tied him up to neutralize the threat. Shanks turned back and noticed Cale, pale and unsteady. With lightning speed, he rushed to the boy — just in time to catch him as he collapsed into the redhead’s arms. Cale coughed up a bit of blood, but otherwise felt okay.
“I think your body can handle one use of a skill like that. Good thing it wasn’t anything worse.” - Cale nodded mentally. He had hoped not to use his ancient powers, but he had been ready to do so if needed. He leaned against Shanks, making sure he was alright.
“Cale… thank you. You were the one who protected me, weren’t you? It should’ve been the other way around.” - Shanks gave a soft chuckle, ruffling Cale’s hair.
He had been scared for a moment when the kid spat blood, but strangely enough, Cale’s face quickly regained color and looked healthier — so there seemed to be no reason to worry. Cale didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded. What he did felt natural — he was sure many others would’ve done the same in his place. Tearing his gaze from Shanks, Cale turned back toward the deck. Everyone had already disembarked — now it was just a matter of dealing with the last of the slaver gang and freeing the rest of the captives. Shanks believed they could handle it, but still wanted to help. This time, though, children shouldn't be involved. If they freed more adults, starting a full rebellion would be easier.
“Why don’t you sit on the shore with the kids, Cale? We’ll take care of the rest. You’ve already done the most important thing.”
Cale raised an eyebrow, which made Shanks laugh. No, Cale didn’t quite understand what he had done. He had helped from afar, like all the kids, and had protected Shanks — but that was just a small part. Still, who was he to refuse a break?
Cale believed Shanks and the others would handle the rest.
“Silly Cale. You gave them hope. That’s what really matters.” - If Super Rock could hear Shanks' thoughts, he’d know they were thinking the exact same thing. What a coincidence.
Only 3 or 4 hours had passed before joyful and tearful voices began to gather along the shore. They had actually done it. Cale watched with a smile as some children ran into their mothers’ arms, as friends embraced and cried, and even strangers comforted one another. Everyone was trying to regroup with their loved ones. People came up to Cale too — specifically Shanks and Zoya. The woman sat down next to Cale and hugged him.
"Thank you, little angel. It’s only thanks to you that my sisters and I will be able to return home."
"You freed yourselves. If you hadn’t wanted it, I couldn’t have helped at all. Besides, Shanks did most of the work," Cale said, patting the woman on the shoulder in an imitation of a hug, while Shanks laughed behind them.
Zoya only sighed and shook her head. She didn’t understand why this child kept downplaying his role. Sure, Shanks had told everyone the plan and shown his strength, but it felt as if he were merely following someone else’s lead.
"Even so, I believe we were only freed because of you. Sadly, I have to go now. I hope you’ll return to your family too — and Shanks will make sure of it." - It was clear that many of the children had adults to vouch for them — but Cale had no one. As much as Zoya wanted to take him with her, she believed that a child as kind as him must have a family somewhere, waiting for him. Saying goodbye was hard. Cale hugged the three women once more before parting. Zoya gave Shanks a playful threat, and then they were gone. Only Shanks and Cale remained on the pier. The boy stared out at the sea — finally able to look at it freely. He and Hong would’ve definitely liked this view, even if they didn’t like water. Cale already missed his children. Shanks approached, breaking Cale’s moment of melancholy, and placed his hat on the boy’s head. It seemed like a gesture of comfort?
"Come on, I’ll take you to your family before my crew arrives."
"I don’t have any family here," the boy replied, catching Shanks off guard. Had Cale been brought from another island? Well, that meant another stop at another port. Shanks was sure his crew wouldn’t say no — just look at Cale. How could anyone abandon such a sweet child?
"You were taken from another island? Then we’ll definitely wait for my crew, and I’ll bring you home. They’re good people, I promise."
Cale almost smiled at Shanks’ enthusiasm, but his eyes didn’t show the same spark of emotion. Shanks noticed, and his face turned serious with concern. He sat down next to Cale. His expression...
His family wasn’t here. But did that mean… they weren’t anywhere? That thought hit hard. Shanks had seen plenty of orphans, and none of their lives had been easy. Who knew what would’ve become of him if Roger hadn’t adopted him?
"...Sorry. Let’s just find a place to stay for the night. We can figure out the rest tomorrow." - Cale nodded. His face was stoic — he wasn’t truly sad. He was just worried about his family.
Cale didn’t know Shanks had misunderstood, assuming that his entire family was dead. The truth was simply that Cale currently had no way of contacting them. He stood up and brushed himself off, ready to go with Shanks to the nearest town — when suddenly, he heard a strange sound. It was just like the moment he’d heard the goddess. Cale turned to the sea... it was as if it whispered to him: "Thank you..."
Shanks noticed the child’s brief distraction and looked at the ocean too. There was nothing there — but maybe Cale had seen something Shanks couldn’t? Could he really…? No. That was a rare phenomenon. Maybe Cale was just thinking about his family. Shanks ruffled the boy’s hair, causing the hat to tilt to the side. Cale looked at him in confusion.
"Come on already. Don’t lose my hat — it’s my treasure."
Cale blinked and took the hat off, examining it as they walked into town. It was… an ordinary, worn-out hat. Pretty old, but clearly well cared for. He wondered what made it so precious to Shanks? Cale didn’t question the value of this old thing — after all, treasure wasn’t only gold and jewels. It could also be memories. Speaking of treasure… Shanks had said he’d take care of Cale and suggested they rent a room at an inn — but they didn’t actually have money to pay for one. Even with a massive discount (after the innkeeper doted on Cale), no one wanted to give a room away for free. With graceful ease, Cale pulled a few crumpled Beli notes from his pocket and handed them to the older woman. She smiled at him, squinted at Shanks, but gave them a key — which Cale immediately claimed. Shanks followed behind, mouth agape.
"Cale, who gave you money!?"
He said it so loudly that Cale even covered his ears slightly. The boy quietly walked into the room the innkeeper had nearly given them for free for a few nights. He washed his face, set the hat on the nightstand, and sat on the bed. All the while, Shanks stared, blinking, completely ignored.
"What’s the big deal? While you all were gone, I climbed back onto the ship and checked the captain’s quarters again. He had some money, so I took it. Stealing from bad people is the best kind." - Cale shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Shanks couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Cale was a strange kid — but in a way, that was his charm.
"You’d make a good pirate. I can already see the World Government gnashing their teeth in the future when they hear your name."
Cale turned with interest. He didn’t know anything about this world! He needed information, and right now, the person in front of him wasn’t the most reliable, but at least he was knowledgeable. Shanks had mentioned having a crew, so at the very least, he was a sailor and knew a lot.
“Aren’t pirates supposed to be bad people?” - Shanks shook his head. That was too narrow a definition of the word "pirate." Yes, the World Government had made everyone believe all pirates were evil — but being a pirate didn’t mean you stopped being human.
“Cale, that makes me sad. Do you think I’m a bad person? Here’s what I’ll tell you: just as there are many bad people, the same goes for pirates. I see pirates as people who seek freedom.” - That made sense. Cale even mentally praised Shanks — he liked what he said. Pirates weren’t just people who loved gold and partying; they were also those who sought to live life on their own terms. Cale liked that. Maybe… maybe he should become a pirate in this world? He could already smell the money. Cale’s face instantly betrayed his excitement, though Shanks didn’t quite understand why. He liked this boy — he reminded him of his younger self, and not just in appearance.
“Hmm, so you’re a pirate, Shanks? Then how did you end up here without your crew?” - Cale rested his head on his hands. He was sleepy, but his curiosity to hear stories outweighed his drowsiness.
“I’ll have you know I’m a captain! I have a great crew, though still small. As for how we got separated… well…” - Shanks didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t exactly tell a kid that he got drunk, passed out at a table, and then woke up in chains on a ship bound for another island. That would sound pathetic. Judging by Cale’s look, he probably already suspected that Shanks had landed in the slavers’ hands because of his own foolishness. It was kind of painful to feel ashamed under the gaze of a 9-year-old. So Shanks decided to change the subject and instead began telling stories — about other islands, monsters, and most importantly, the sea. Kids liked that kind of thing, right? Shanks was so caught up in his storytelling that he didn’t even notice when the child began softly snoring. Cale had really tried to keep listening, but his young body was tired. He was hungry, but that could wait until morning. So, lulled by Shanks’ enthusiastic tales, the boy drifted off to sleep. Shanks quieted down and tucked the boy in, then climbed onto the other bed and closed his eyes too.
It had been at least two weeks since the reckless captain of Benn’s crew had gone missing — or rather, had been captured by slavers. Truthfully, no one on the crew was too worried. After a few months of sailing together, they had all learned that no matter how foolish Shanks’ actions, or where the sea tossed him, he’d always survive and return to them with a smile. Still, leaving their captain who-knows-where wasn’t a good idea. So, after finding out where the slave traders usually gathered, the red-haired crew set off. Shanks would definitely have to wait for them — some time had been spent just gathering intel, never mind the journey itself. But this morning, their ship finally docked at the pier. No obstacles stood in their way. With his usual calm, Ben divided the crew into three groups:
the first stayed with the ship, the second — led by Lucky Roux — went into town to stock up on supplies, and Benn himself, along with Limejuice, went searching for Shanks. There was no way that idiot was still sitting somewhere in a dark cell waiting for them, right? Ben had no interest in rescuing a princess — especially when the "princess" was their captain.
“Keep it down, guys. Last thing we need is to get kicked off another island,” Benn muttered, taking a drag from his cigarette, ignoring Limejuice and a few others scoffing nearby.
“Last time was Shanks’ fault,” Yasopp pointed out accurately. Shanks often got himself into trouble, but by now, everyone was used to it.They didn’t want any other captain. Enough with the small talk — it was time to get moving. The island they landed on was fairly unremarkable. The townspeople had little interest in the outside world, were easily intimidated — probably why the slavers had settled in so well here. Though now… the slavers were nowhere to be seen. Had they already left? Unlikely. More probable that Shanks had done something — or maybe another powerful figure had intervened. Well, if the instigators of all this trouble weren’t visible, then the best thing to do was head to the noisiest place around. That’s probably where their captain would be. At least, that’s what Ben figured. No one argued — although Yasopp occasionally asked the locals about a red-haired man.
“A man with red hair? Let me think… Ah, yes! He was here — and he wasn’t alone. He had a son with him. They looked a lot alike, both had such striking hair. And that boy — he’s very kind. Greets me almost every day.” - The fish vendor laughed warmly, completely unaware that he’d just dropped a bomb on the men who had, until now, remained calm. Benn even choked on his cigarette.
“A son? We didn’t mishear, did we? You said that along with the adult man in the hat, there was also a child following him around?!” - No one had expected this kind of setup from their captain. Why hadn’t he told them he was hiding a son? Yasopp especially had believed that Shanks was almost incapable of keeping secrets from his crew — especially something this important. Could it really be that not only he himself was a lousy father, but so was Shanks now? This definitely called for a drink...
“You seem surprised, gentlemen, but I assure you I’m not lying! Go check for yourselves. Today is Tuesday, and the boy is usually at the library. My wife works there, and she says he visits often and reads a lot of historical books. The child is very smart!” - The three men nearly broke into grins, though only Ben managed to restrain himself.
They hadn’t even seen their captain’s alleged son yet, but they already had a vague image forming in their minds.
Though it was hard to imagine someone who shared Shanks’ blood actually enjoying boring history books.
After thanking the surprisingly chatty fish vendor, the red-haired crew followed directions from a few kind locals and headed to the library.
Once they found the building, Benn was the first to step inside. The library was small but cozy. There were no other visitors, which made the familiar, clearly annoyed voice inside all the more audible.
“Cale, kids your age are supposed to enjoy active games, going on walks, and making friends with other children. Don’t you get bored spending hours in the library?” - Shanks was leaning on his hand, lazily flipping through a worn book. Across from him, the boy was eagerly turning the pages of a seafaring journal, not even glancing at the man. Over the past few days they'd spent together, Cale’s confidence that Shanks was a respected pirate captain had been shaken more than once. The only things Cale was truly sure of were the man’s strength… and his boundless enthusiasm.
“Shanks, I didn’t ask you to come with me. And if you want to go back to the tavern again, I’m not stopping you.” - Benn couldn’t see Cale’s smile — the boy was facing away from him — but from his tone and the way Shanks dropped his face onto the table, he could easily tell their captain had just been outwitted by a kid not even nine years old. And while Benn managed to hold back his laughter, Limejuice and Yasopp certainly couldn’t. Their chuckles caught the attention of both Cale and Shanks — one frowned, the other smiled.
“Benn, guys! Finally, you’re here. I was starting to think a mutiny broke out back on the ship after I went missing.”
“Hahaha, Captain, the mutiny will definitely start once the rest of the crew finds out you’ve been hiding your son from us!”
Yasopp stepped up first and leaned in next to Cale. The boy shifted uncomfortably but kept a stoic expression. Why did everyone assume he was Shanks’ son? Even his crew...
Benn followed, stepping even closer and giving Cale a thorough once-over.
“Sorry, Captain, our mistake. He’s definitely not your son. This boy looks far more mature than you ever will.”