Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shanks felt short of breath. He had been swimming for what felt like hours but in reality was mere minutes. Despite it, the time seemed to stretch and the man felt like he was in his worst nightmare. The one where he ran and ran, yet no matter what, he couldn’t move an inch. But it wasn’t a dream, it was reality. He had to go faster. He had to. He could feel the vibrations in the cold water, could hear the growls of the Sea King every time his head surfaced.

Shanks never planned to get attached. He never planned to stop in the East Blue for a year. He never planned to meet a child so lonely, yet so cheerful and full of life it tugged at his heart. 

For as long as he could remember, Shanks longed for freedom. To sail where he pleased with the wind in his hair and the salty breeze in his lungs. 

So why… And more importantly, how did he let his guard down. When exactly had his heart been chained up and anchored to this small, sleepy village. At what point in the past year did he stop looking at Luffy like he was just a random kid and instead started looking at him like he was precious, someone to protect? Maybe when he started searching Luffy out in a crowd every time he moored at the port? Feeling excited at his loud approach, and adjusting his stance in anticipation of the hug?

The next time Shanks’ head rose above the water he took a deep gulp of air and shook his head to the best of his ability, trying to focus on the present. 

Despite the burn in his eyes he willed them to keep looking, searching for the drop of color in the deep ocean. His already frantically beating heart nearly stopped in his chest once he noticed the beast so close to his s- Luffy. In a sudden surge of energy he managed to speed up his frantic movements and grab the child close to his chest. Just as he made sure Luffy was safe in his embrace, the Sea King snapped its massive jaws down. 

For a moment everything was still. Then Luffy started coughing, desperately trying to expel the water from his lungs and Shanks felt the sudden pain in his left arm. Before he could even think of checking on either of those, the Sea King’s head and neck rose from the water, towering over the pair and staring them down. Its growls were loud, reverberating in their bones. 

The only thought going around Shanks’ head was to make sure his kid was safe. Hearing Luffy’s quiet sobs quickly fuelled his anger as he stared the beast down. Without any more hesitation Shanks concentrated his Will, making sure to aim it at the monster, subduing its spirit with his own.

“Get lost.”

XxX

The next few hours were a blur. The only things on Shanks’s mind was to make sure Luffy was safe, away from the Ocean which now hated him to the point of drowning the child and the pulsating agony of his arm. 

The moment his crew rescued him and Luffy from the water, Shanks blacked out, not without assuring the crying child that he would be fine. The next few times he woke up he was barely conscious, only managing to ask about Luffy and then falling unconscious again. 

It was on the third time that Shanks was aware enough to look at his surroundings and notice the small weight snuggled close to his side. Raising his only right arm, he saw sleeping Luffy, curled up tight with tear tracks on his cheeks. He was hiccuping every so often. Shanks let out a long breath and looked to his left, where instead of his arm laid barely a stump. 

No matter how much the loss of his dominant hand may have hurt him, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Looking back down at the child sleeping next to him Shanks smiled softly, relief filling his whole being. Luffy was safe. Burdened with a Devil Fruit, but safe. 

The Captain took a deep breath and moved to sit up, but the sharp pain in his stub made him wince. The boy curled up next to him seemed to be waiting for the slightest movement from him, as he immediately sat up, blinking his eyes repeatedly to fully wake up. Once he seemed to remember the events from before, he gasped and looked up at Shanks with tears in his wide eyes.

“Shanks! Shanks you’re awake!” Just as Luffy shouted, his tears spilled and he sobbed, breath catching in his throat. He tried wiping the tears away, rubbing his round cheeks raw and stuttering on his inhales, as if his body was unable to properly function.

Shanks felt his heart break. Despite the blinding pain, he quickly sat up and gently took Luffy’s hands away from his face. With the gentlest touch he could manage he cupped the red cheek and gently ran his thumb under the boy’s eye, trying to shush his cries with quiet whispers. 

“Anchor! Anchor, now, don’t cry, it’s ok! Shhhh, I’m fine. Take a deep breath for me, yeah?” It took several long minutes for Luffy to finally calm down, flushed with tears and with snot running down his face. He sniffed a few more times and dove head first into Shanks’ stomach, hugging his middle tightly and hiding his face into the loose shirt.

The boy was suddenly very quiet. No sound escaped him, safe for some hitched gasps. The only sign of crying was his little, tiny shoulders trembling, the tight grip he had around Shanks and the growing wet patch on his shirt.

It was at moments like these that Shanks noticed just how small Luffy was. Usually his loud and cheerful personality made up for it, demanding attention with his whole radiant being, making people smile unconsciously. But now, when he was none of that, the captain noticed how thin he was. How easily he picked the boy up and even swung him around. How the boy was much smaller than his peers.

Sometimes Shanks forgot that Luffy was supposed to be a 7 year old. 

He didn’t know what to do. Usually the child, his child, was a loud crier, unafraid and unapologetic to show the world how he feels. Shanks knew what to do in these situations, a quick distraction or playful tickling just to hear the boy shout in indignation. But here? He was clueless. Shakily he raised his right arm ignoring the stabbing pain of his left and gently wrapped it around his boy, letting him rest on his chest, listening to his steady heart.

“Anchor… I’m here, kid. I’m here and I’m alive, yeah? I…” He took a deep breath, tightening his hold on Luffy and burying his face into soft, dark hair. “I’m not leaving you, Luffy.”

That seemed to have caught Luffy’s attention, as he suddenly went still, going as far as to stop his breathing.

Shanks chuckled humorlessly to himself and sighed, signing his fate.

“I can’t leave you, Luffy. You sure are persistent. Making me care so much for you.” Despite his best efforts, fondness seeped into his words, making them soft and warm, blanketing the silence. 

Hesitantly Luffy raised his head, looking up in wonder, but also in guilt.

“But… Shanks, because of me your arm is gone… and You have to set sail! You told me you love sailing! You can’t abdomen it for me!”

Even while saying it with such conviction, his boy started shaking again, terrified of the possibility, but willing it just so Shanks would be happy. Looking down at his… his son, for what else could he be, Shanks felt his heart melt at how good the little boy was. Gently he raised his hand and ruffled the soft, raven locks in front of him in exasperation.

“It’s ‘abandon’, Anchor. And of course I’ll be sailing. But I can’t leave you here alone.”

The captain watched in amusement as his boy’s face scrunched up in confusion. He looked up with furrowed brows. 

“Are you making fun of me again? Stupid Shanks.”

The captain couldn’t help it when he burst out laughing. He really tried to stop himself (for exactly half a second), but then he looked down at the contorted face and he lost it, falling onto his back with a screaming Luffy clutched close to his chest. When he finally calmed down and only a few chuckles escaped his mouth, he buried his face back into the black hair, a fond smile on his face.

“As much as I would absolutely love that, no, not this time Anchor. I just… Realized how much I care for you. You would be really sad to see me go, huh?”

He let the silence speak for Luffy. And how lonely had his boy had to be without him, to not even deny it? Usually he’d spring up, screaming how grown he was and that he could handle it. But this moment seemed special, honest. Shanks took a deep breath and exhaled with a soft hum, feeling Luffy’s frantic heartbeat against his own. His boy was holding his breath again and it made the captain let out a small laugh.

“It would break my heart to leave you here all alone. I thought that I could take you somewhere… I’m not changing my mind, you won’t be joining my crew, but I’ll let you be a guest for some time. This person I want to take you to was like a father to me. He taught me everything I know. Leaving you with him would give us an opportunity to keep meeting. And he has all the time in the world, he wouldn’t leave you alone…”

It was then that Shanks realized that he was rambling. It never really happened around Luffy, his kid too impatient to sit still or listen without interrupting. Looking down, he noticed his kid staring at him with eyes wide, filled with wonder, little fists curled tightly into his shirt. The captain watched him open his mouth, trying to say something, but closing it again in uncertainty.

“What is… a father?”

Oh and didn’t Shanks’s heart just break at the innocent question. A child abandoned from his birth, living on the mercy of some villages and random visits from his also absent grandfather. The Captain had the sudden urge to hunt down the Vice Admiral, just so he can hurt him as bad as his son has been. For not even the worst behaved child deserves to not know the meaning of a word as simple as “father”; someone who was supposed to be there for him from the start. And Luffy… Sweet, brave Luffy was the best little guy around.

Shanks shut his eyes tightly and took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm down. Wordlessly he scooted backwards so he was sitting up and leaning his back on the pillow, then placed Luffy in his lap. He took a deep breath in and looked up at the ceiling.

“A father is someone who takes care of you. He teaches you important life lessons and makes sure you’re happy. He’s always there to encourage you and make the hurt go away. He’s always there when you need him most… He’s also the one to tease his kid.”

As soon as he said these words Shanks began tickling Luffy, making him scream out his giggles.

After a few more moments of teasing and loud protests, silence enveloped them again. It gave him time to think over his own words. Shanks couldn’t help but to think of the one he considered father. 

Rayleigh was strict. Contrary to Roger’s carefree nature, the Vice Captain was firm and made sure he and Buggy were tough. Living on seas hardened everyone and while Roger made sure they were happy and loved, Rayleigh made sure they would survive. He was the one to always train them in haki, no matter how much they complained or how hard they found his lessons. But he was also the one to tuck them to bed and to stay back with them when one of them got hurt while Roger took his sweet revenge on the ones that got them hurt. 

While The Captain -Dad- was their sun, the warmth of the beautiful day and the hurricane of happiness, The Vice Captain -Father- was the soft shine of the moonlight in the cloudless night, the gentle breeze of protection.

The peaceful silence was interrupted by a shy noise under his chin. Looking down Shanks saw Luffy nervously kneading his shirt in his little fists. It was so wrong, seeing his kid so nervous and silent. Usually Luffy was brimming with too much energy that was impossible to burn out. And yet, in this quiet moment his son was almost wary.

“Does it mean that… Shanks, are you my father?” 

Shanks felt his heart stutter. Having those big, round eyes focused on his own pair, he felt so small and undeserving. For he knew that Luffy deserved so much better. He had such a big heart, so full of the love he freely gave, it was almost intimidating. Shanks could still back out, ignore the innocent question, forget the offer to take him to Rayleigh and let the kid live here with people he already knew. He would be lonely and sulk for a bit, but it would pass.

But, oh, Shanks is a pirate, and has always been too selfish for his own good. He brought Luffy closer to his chest and buried his face back into soft hair. The subtle sea salt smell clinging to the strands made him smile. It seemed that Mother Ocean took a liking to the little one already.

“If you want me to be, I will, Anchor. I’ve thought of you as my own for some time now, you know?”

Shanks chuckled hoarsely, looking up at the ceiling again. The moon shone softly through the curtains and a soft breeze blew through the slightly open window, ruffling their hair. 

He felt Luffy’s gaze on him so he turned his own back and had to hold his breath.

Luffy was looking at him. But this gaze was something deeper, as if he was looking straight into him, down to his very core. It reminded him of the first time he met the kid, running down the dock and peering up at him, as if to judge if he was good enough to stay in this backwater village. 

Whatever he found then, he must have found again. The next second familiar tears appeared in his round eyes and he carefully hugged Shanks around the middle, small hands not being able to envelope him fully, but trying his hardest to. Immediately loud sobs could be heard and Shanks felt relief. This was familiar. This, he knew what to do with. 

“Anchor, if you didn’t want me to be your dad so badly you could have just said so. You wound me.” He teased with a bright grin and a gross sniffle could be heard. Kids.

“Shut up! You’re so stupid Dad!” Luffy yelled loudly, but it was muffled. The Captain felt his heart grow three sizes and huffed out a laugh, laying back down and pulling his son closer, so he could snuggle him in sleep.

“Yeah yeah, shut up kid. Go to sleep, you’ll be grumpy tomorrow”

“I’m not a kid! I’m grown! And no I won’t!” Despite his best efforts, Luffy began yawning in the middle of a sentence and soon after fell asleep, loud snores filling the small room. Shanks chuckled one more time before closing his eyes, a smile staying on his face and pain forgotten.

XxX

Having Luffy on the Red Force was exciting. But also tiring. Benn had to fish him out of the sea and they haven’t even departed yet. Despite the fact that he was soaking wet, Luffy was bouncing around the place, exploring every nook and cranny of the ship and just being his bright, energetic self.

Next to him Benn took a long drag of his cigar and chuckled.

“Doesn’t he already know everything there is to know about this ship? We always let him explore it.” The amusement was clear in his voice as they watched Luffy excitedly run around the deck. It seemed as if the whole ship was happy at his arrival, bobbing on the waves in a way it rarely ever did. 

Shanks chuckled along, fond eyes following the little Anchor around. His heart suddenly felt so full. On all sides he was surrounded by people he loved; his son looked over by his crew on his ship. 

Somewhere deep inside, Shanks felt a pang in his chest. His family could have been so much bigger. His soul yearned for his brother; the Blue to his Red. He missed Roger, his dad and Miss Rouge. He mourned for a brother he never got to meet if he even exists at all. 

Ever since Roger died it all seemed to go wrong. It’s been as if walking in a thick fog, without purpose. His crew left him, he had a big fight with Blue and for a long time the only things that kept him going were alcohol and his Captain’s Straw Hat. On one hand he wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible; to get rid of this burden so he could finally rest, pass along the crown and be done with it.

On the other hand, it was his Captain’s treasure. The precious hat he let Shanks wear as a kid and even left it to him as a memento. It wasn’t Shanks’s hat, not truly. And it never will be. His role is to crown the next king, not to become one. Yet he can’t imagine himself ever parting with the hat.

At least, that’s what he thought for a long time. 

He is brought out of his musings by a loud bang echoing around the ship. Looking around frantically Shanks spotted Luffy who had fallen and face planted into the rail of the ship. Having completely forgotten the fruit that his son had eaten, the Captain was terrified that he had managed to get him hurt even before they set sail. 

Shanks skid to a stop, when he noticed Luffy’s whole face stretching, trying to tug himself free. After a moment of stillness he ran up to the kid and grabbed him around the waist, trying to help him get unstuck from the railing. 

After a few moments of struggle Shanks managed to get a good grip around Luffy and after a firm tug he got dislodged with a loud yelp. The force made Shanks topple backwards onto his ass, but he was too busy checking on Luffy to pay any attention to pain. Before he could ask the kid if he was alright, Luffy yelled in triumph, punching his fists up into the air.

“Yes!! Shanks! Look!”

Before the Captain could comprehend what was going on, Luffy grinned and pointed his finger to his-now missing-front tooth.

“It finally fell off!! Every time I tried to pull it out it stretched and it was annoying!!”

Shanks could only nod in bewilderment and glance at the railing behind Luffy. There he could see perfect indents where Luffy’s teeth once were and at the top was the missing front tooth, stuck in the Adam Wood. If he looked closely enough he could see it still bounce a bit from the force. The thought of squishy, rubbery teeth made his own feel weird and a shudder went down his spine. 

It would be best not to think about it too much.

“That’s amazing Luffy! It doesn’t hurt too much?” Shanks asked, stroking soft black curls with a bright smile. Luffy shook his head, practically bouncing in his lap and his smile perfectly mirrored the Captain’s. 

“Nuh-uh! I’m strong!” As if to prove his point Luffy raised his arm and tried his best to flex.

“Little squirt like you? In your dreams.” Shanks had to cough and look to the other side to hide his laughter, Luffy’s furious face only making it harder.

“I’m not a squirt! My punches are strong like a pistol! Stupid Dad!”

Immediately any laughter he had in him evaporated and he looked back at the small face with awe-filled eyes. Shanks’s gaze softened and he chuckled, ruffling Luffy’s hair, heart beating faster at the easy way Luffy just called him “dad”.

The next few months would be interesting, that’s for sure.

Chapter Text

The moment Rayleigh woke up, he knew it was going to be a bad day. When he was stretching, his back cracked in one specific place that particularly hurt him for the past four days and he just cursed.

The air around Sabaody was tense, as if waiting for something to happen. He hummed to himself and taking a big gulp from his flask, he snatched a report from a sleeping marine recruit. If he didn’t want it taken away, he shouldn’t have fallen asleep anyways.

Skimming over the contents quickly he understood why everyone seemed so tense. His son was just about to pass through Sabaody and into the New World. Rayleigh couldn’t help but chuckle, letting the rapport fall to the ground without a care. Honestly, the Marines were getting lousier with each day. He was about to go along, when he heard a loud clang.

Rayleigh would admit, he was a curious man. In his old age nothing really excited him anymore, so he took any and all excuses to entertain himself, riding slave houses being one of his favorite pastimes. He leisurely walked towards the repeated banging sound, coming from behind the sleeping marine recruit. What he saw made him pause for a moment.

Few meters behind the guy was a cloth covering a box. Rayleig didn’t really notice it before, but now that he looked at it, it resembled a cage. Making sure that the marine would stay sleeping, he whacked the handle of his sword to the back of his head, watching him slump to the ground wordlessly. Some marine he was, letting an old man knock him out.

Without further ado, he grabbed the cloth and pulled it off in one fluid motion. When it was finally down he made eye contact with a child.

A child who was trying to bite through the metal bars of the cage.

“Huh.” It was all that Rayleigh managed to say. The child reluctantly let go of the bars and sat back down, looking up at him, curiosity clear in his eyes. Despite his situation he didn’t appear to be particularly worried.

After a few more seconds Rayleigh crouched in front of the cage with a raised eyebrow. Children in cages wasn’t a particularly rare sight in Sabaody, but calm children in cages certainly were.

“You alright there?”

The child blinked twice, before tilting his head to the side. He looked up in thought before shrugging his shoulders. It was kind of amusing how easy to read he was. Wide baby brown eyes made Rayleigh remember a saying "eyes are the windows to the soul". He snorted to himself at the thought. These eyes were the prime example of this.

“Yeah? But my teeth itch.”

It was Rayleigh’s turn to blink.

“What.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, comically serious expression on his face as he crossed his tiny arms across his chest. “I think dad called it “teething”. My tooth fell out and he thinks another one will go next! See?” The kid smiled wildly, showing off his teeth. The front one being pointed out was missing, which explained the slight lisp he had while speaking. If he lost another one he would be incomprehensible, seeing how fast he talked.

Rayleigh made an acknowledging hum in the back of his throat while inspecting the cage. It didn’t seem particularly sturdy, more like a temporary holding. Absentmindedly he noticed that the kid went back to chewing on the bars. The old man felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound.

“Don’t you want to get out of here?”

The kid stopped his attempt at ruining his teeth and closed his eyes, brows furrowed and one hand stroking his chin, as if deep in thought. He stayed like that for a few seconds before shrugging. Seas, was he amusing to watch.

“Dad will find me! He always found me when I was lost in the forest, so he’ll find me here too!”

The little brat had the gall to laugh, dumb little “shishishi” escaping his lips and causing his eyes to crinkle. It appeared that he wasn’t just some poor kid who was going off to the slave auction as Rayleigh had assumed. It was kind of endearing how assured he was that his dad would come, if a bit naive.

“Is your dad strong then? These are a bit stronger than wood, kid.” He said amused, knocking on the bars with the handle of his sword. The kid quickly scrambled up on his feet and balled his little fists up, an angry expression scrunching up his face. He shook, as if his anger had to have a way out of his tiny body. He was a riot, that one.

“Dad is the strongest! I’ll kick your ass old man!”

Before Rayleigh had a chance to respond, tease the little upstart even more, he felt something. A familiar haki signature was getting closer and alarmingly fast. Rayleigh tensed up. Something was wrong.

Usually Shanks’s haki was easygoing, smooth and controlled. It was easy to recognise and even easier to spot; like seeing a beacon in the middle of the night. Despite the usual vague unpleasantness of feeling someone else’s Conqueror’s Haki (it was someone’s Will being forced on a person, after all), his son’s was almost gentle. Oppressive, yes, but kind in its own strange way. It could be confusing, Rayleigh would be the first to admit.

This time was different.

What Rayleigh sensed was rage . Deep, uncontrolled and most of all terrified . Focusing on it too much made his head hurt, his senses on high alert. It was like standing too close to a fire: not getting burned yet, but feeling your skin warming up unpleasantly.

It made Rayleigh wary. It has been a long time since he sensed Shanks going off the rails like that. It was hard to make his son mad like that. He was the type to take everything in stride, have a drink and party, laugh and make light of any situation. Rayleigh was proud.

It made him wonder what could have happened to make Shanks rage like that, but before he thought about it any further the child in the cage (which he kind of forgot about, shocking, seeing as he was babbling all this time) whooped in delight. Rayleigh furrowed his brows and glanced at the boy who, by all accounts, should have passed out by now, thoughts racing. Only when the child actually gripped the bars tightly did he notice the painfully familiar straw hat hanging from a ribbon around the boy’s neck. Is he-?!

Suddenly Rayleigh heard a groan of metal and, snapping his eyes to his tiny hands, he saw the kid straining, the metal bars bending , making the gap between them wider, just big enough for the kid to slip through. Metal bars. Bending.

Before he could even wonder what was going on, the kid started bouncing in place and put his hat, the hat, Shanks’s, Roger’s , on his head, absolutely swimming in it. He was so small, young and naive, surely he can’t be the one Shanks chose…

And yet. His naivety, his smile and bright eyes… Rayleigh couldn’t help but to compare, even when he told himself not to look for Roger in everything around him anymore.

The first few years after his death, he was near catatonic, drowning in booze in bars, preferably far away from Shakky. He isolated himself from others close to him, ignoring their concerns, their own troubles, just so he could forget. Sometimes he got so drunk he started hallucinating, seeing Roger where he wasn’t, crying to himself until he passed out or the bar owner kicked him out onto the street. Other times he remembered his boys, Red and Blue, still so young and wet behind the ears and how he just left them, how everybody left them. Leaving them to fend for themselves without any guidance, just as grieved (if not more) than he was.

What finally snapped him out of his misery was a bounty poster. A single bounty poster. Here he was, his son, his Red, still baby-faced with the Straw Hat still too big on his head (but slowly filling in). He felt proud, so incredibly proud, but it was short-lived when, after looking through every new bounty poster thrice, there was no trace of Blue.

Rayleigh could still remember that feeling, staring blankly at the poster, without its partner by the side, space blank and glaring. He could still remember pulling out his Den Den Mushi hastily, staring blankly at the receiver and realizing he doesn’t even have the number to call.

The next month was spent frantically searching the Seas for Shanks, for his son, tearing through Pirates and Marines alike in his haste, withdrawal making his hands shake and eyesight blurry, but he pressed on. He had to. He had to.

What Rayleigh couldn’t  remember are the words exchanged. 

He could remember Shanks screaming, crying and punching him repeatedly, voice breaking in his throat, screaming himself hoarse. He could remember standing there numbly, guilty, ready for any and all punishment Red sees fit. He could remember breaking down right there, in the middle of his son’s ship, but he couldn’t remember the words. Rayleigh, still ashamed, is glad for it. If he could, they would weigh on his mind heavier than his own actions already did all these years.

The news that Shanks himself didn’t know of Buggy’s whereabouts were devastating. Locked in Red’s cabin, with the creaking of the wood the only sound around them, Rayleigh nearly broke again. The thoughts of ‘no, no, no nonono , not Buggy, not Blue, his son, his son who was so strong yet so weak, helpless, NO ’ kept swimming in his head. He didn’t know whether he wanted to drown himself in alcohol again or if he needed to stay sober, clear-headed, so he could find him.

He couldn’t bear to hear about their fight, but he also needed to hear about it. About the devastation caused not only by Roger’s death, but also by his own abandonment. In a sick, twisted way, he was glad for it. It finally managed to get his head out of his own eyes, to realize he wasn’t the only one grieving. He had children, not even adults, depending on him and he chose to focus on himself. What a joke he was.

He could cry, and he did , when Buggy’s first bounty arrived a year after desperate, grueling searching. It would be missed, if not for the drunkard from East Blue at the bar worrying about his family back home. He mumbled something about a rookie clown pirate rising there.

Rayleigh wasn’t exactly proud of how he grabbed the man’s collar and demanded information. But, as the Marine bastards liked to say, “the end justifies the means”.

After that Rayleigh’s memory is fuzzy. There were flashes of crossing the Calm Belt, rowing without a rest and barely eating enough, rushing through the Seas just to see his son.

The meeting with Buggy wasn’t as pretty as with Shanks.

To this day Blue hadn’t called Rayleigh on his own. Any and all contact would be initiated by Rayleigh, and even that was scarce, not to mention full of screaming. Through his guilt, all that he could manage was one call a year, on Buggy’s birthday.

What brought him out of his mussings was a feral but joyous scream from the child in front of him. He had his fists raised up high and was jumping like a lunatic, unapologetically loud and happy. It wasn’t even anything comprehensible, just a sound to make himself known, followed by wild laughter.

Soon after, the child was sweeped off his feet, too fast for any normal human to follow with their eyes in a rush of air.

Good thing Rayleigh wasn’t any normal human. 

He saw Shanks, his son who swore to never bring a child on ship, rushing through the streets of Sabaody at break-neck speed, frantically searching around with his eyes, absolutely terrified, haki an uncontrollable mess around him, warning anybody off. Shanks, usually so calm, so collected, tearing anything in his path apart, just to get to the kid and gather him in his arms —

What?

Arm.

To gather him in his arm. Singular. 

Who could… In East Blue…?

He saw Shanks sweep the kid up in his arm, Seas, and hug him close to his chest, clutching the boy tightly, instant relief on his face, before it quickly transformed into anger. He quickly put the boy down and pinched his cheek and stretched.

And stretched.

Huh. Are kids this stretchy?

“What have I told you about running off on your own?! Especially here?! What if you have been kidnapped, huh?!”

Rayleigh hadn’t heard Shanks this worked up in years. Now that he’s not the one scolding a child, it’s even funny. The kid had the gall to laugh, dumb little "s hishishi" leaving his mouth, not a trace of guilt on the round face.

“But I did get kidnapped!”

Silence. Not even crickets dared to make a sound.

Shanks paled and with a resounding smack let go of the boy's face, the force making him spin once, before stopping, slapping a small hand to his cheek with a glare.

“Oi! That hurt!”

Rayleigh couldn’t handle it anymore, he burst out laughing, the sheer stupidity of the scene making him throw back his head and shake it.

“That brings back memories, doesn’t it, Red? I feel like you owe me an apology now.” At his quip Shanks snapped his head up, as if he hadn’t even noticed him there. Rude. He raised him better than that.

“Rayleigh.” Shanks breathed out, still shocked but relieved. He had to be pretty frazzled to not have noticed his presence so close. Rayleigh only raised an eyebrow, endlessly amused at the situation at hand.

“I will be having words with you later.”

He heard Shanks mutter to the brat, glaring at him without any heat, maybe some worry and watched him pick the kid up with one hand, placing him on his hip in a practiced move. If not for the clear differences in looks Rayleigh would have thought them biological father and son. As it was, he didn’t need any of that to see the strong bond there.

“I wanted to call, but as you can guess, I had my hand full. Not a moment of peace with this guy around.” At that he lightly bounced the boy, making him giggle and grin unabashedly. Seas, was he bright. Rayleigh hummed at that, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Yes, I can guess. Though, I thought you had this promise? Something about not bringing children on a ship?” He couldn’t help the inquiry. Shanks was the person who didn’t take the promises made lightly. So to see him here, with a child on his hip, parental, was jarring, to say the least. 

He watched his son’s face twitch, pain in his eyes for just a second, before he expertly masked it, back to his charming persona, not giving anything away. Too bad Rayleigh raised him and knew each and every twitch of his face like the back of his hand.

“Well, I didn’t really break it. This idiot’s not on my crew. Just a temporary guest.” At his words the kid’s face scrunched up, tiny hand fisting his white shirt and tugging it back and forth, a shout of indignation leaving his throat.

“I’m not an idiot! Stupid Shanks.” He grumbled, sticking his tongue out and angrily he brought the rim of a too-big hat down, cowering his face. It was clear that he was bothered by his words, but probably not the part he brought up out loud.

Ah. Rayleigh made a curious note in the back of his throat, watching as the kid burrowed his face into the crook of Shanks’s neck. He noticed Red looking fondly at his child, for what else could he be, and his chin trembled softly.

"I feel like we have a lot to discuss here. Why don’t we go to the bar, yeah?”

He suggested, but both of them knew it wasn’t really a suggestion. One thing was clear, Rayleigh would soon find the cure for his boredom.