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‘Red-Haired’ Shanks

The concept of soulmates, although unusual, is not entirely unknown among the seas. At least not on the Grand Line, where even the most unexpected things can happen. Different is the fact that the number of people who have a soulmate, or who ever find one, is so minimal that it is generally considered more of a legend. However, they do exist. Those who are blessed with a soulmate are considered the luckiest of the seas, above those who have treasures or entire islands in their possession.

The main characteristic of soulmates is that everything you lose will appear next to your destined person. This way, if you meet your soulmate in the future, you can return all of their lost belongings.

Shanks spends almost three entire decades living without a soulmate. The idea doesn't cross his mind, he discards it as soon as he realizes that he has never found any object that doesn't belong on his ship. Once when he was younger, when he was sailing on Roger's ship, he lost one of his favorite shoes. Years later, when his captain was off the ship and he was helping Rayleigh clean and empty the Oro Jackson, he found the old, worn shoe between two broken boards in the old cabin boy's room. After that, he stopped paying attention to what he lost, knowing that he would find it again after an exhaustive search.

That is until he loses his most prized possession.

Shanks is twenty-seven years old and sailing the East Blue. They have just docked a World Government ship and Shanks raises with both hands the chest with the strange Akuma no Mi that is kept as a trophy. The crew cheers, some clamouring for a party to celebrate another successful battle.

"We have no alcohol!" Yasopp shouts, panicking.

"Calm down, guys," Shanks laughs. "Who would like to stop at a nearby island?"

"Dawn Island is the closest," Benn reports.

"Then we’ll go there!" The captain nods satisfied and runs a hand over his head. He blinks in confusion as he notices his hair matted with sweat and gunpowder. He touches again, extending his arm towards the back of his neck. Losing his calm at times, he drops the chest with the Akuma no Mi and desperately searches the ground.

"No, no, no," he recites in panic. "Where is my hat?"

The rest of the crew freezes. The old straw hat that has adorned their captain's head since the moment everyone met him is gone. Everyone knows how precious that hat is to their captain, so they waste no time in searching for the hat all over the ship and even in the sea itself.

"It could have fallen on the ship we raided. Do you want us to turn around?" Benn proposes being the calm that keeps the captain from completely falling apart.

"Yeah," Shanks says breathlessly. "Yes. Let's go look for it."

No one mentions the stop they were going to make on Dawn's Island or the chest that Shanks briefly held in his hands before it got lost in the chaos of the search for the hat.

On said island, a boy finds a hat and a chest in his lonely room. When he puts the hat on his head, he feels a little less alone.

A few days later, Shanks is lying on the deck of the Red Force, exhausted. He has searched tirelessly for his hat, but there is no trace of it. He doesn't understand how he could have lost it after so many years of protecting it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shanks sees something next to him. He turns to find a chest that he recognises as the one he stole from the Government ship in the fight in which he lost his hat. Strange because he doesn't remember seeing it there when he lay down, he takes it in his hands, surprised by the lightness of the object. Suspiciously, he opens the chest to find it completely empty.

"Benn," he calls. "Rally the whole crew."

Shanks is not a tough captain. The rule on pirate ships is that whoever finds an Akuma no Mi can decide whether to eat it or who to give it to. This time was he the one who took it from the hands of the Marines, so someone must have knowingly eaten it without permission.

Normally, Shanks would dismiss this kind of disobedience. However, the thought of someone greedily taking an item from his ship even though they knew the rules brings out the anger that has been stirring inside him since he lost his hat.

"Someone has eaten the Akuma no Mi that was in this chest," he says sternly. "I'm giving you only one chance; who was it?"

The pirates look at each other. None of them have any reason to fear their captain, but they know it's because none of them are on his bad side. It would be unfortunate if Shanks ever saw them as targets, as they wouldn't stand a chance.

"Nobody?" Shanks looks at them one by one. "Well, that's a surprise. Could it have been the mice?" He asks theatrically. "I guess there's only one way to check. Everyone overboard."

Although the oldest members of the crew obey instantly, the newer ones hesitate.

"There are sea kings down there," one complains.

"Good luck," Shanks says with a dangerous smile.

Shanks does a body count in the water until the entire crew is swimming. There were no users on his crew, and apparently, there still aren't any. That leaves nothing but doubts about who ate the Akuma no Mi.

"You might be right about the mice, boss," Yasopp says mockingly.

"The chest was locked, a mouse can't open it," Benn says reasonably. "Someone took it out, if not to eat it, then to sell it."

"I have no reason to distrust any of you," the captain admits. "But if I find out that someone is doing business behind my back, I will feed them to the fish."

With a firm nod from his crew, everything continues. Soon, the Akuma no Mi incident is forgotten, not as much as the disappearance of the hat.

Sometimes Shanks loses some other things. A gun, a bottle of sake, a shirt... However, he always finds it all again. Strangely, the things he loses appear right next to him sometime later, but Shanks never pays much attention.

Other times, Shanks finds things jarring. A small pair of shoes, an unused calligraphy notebook, and a flag with poorly drawn ASL letters are some examples. Shanks dismisses it as some kind of inside joke among his crew.

Thus, time passes without Shanks realizing that there is something strange about all this. At least, not until ten years pass and a bounty poster comes into his hands.

They are hungover on an abandoned island where no one is supposed to bother them. The exception seems to be Dracule Mihawk, who makes his way through the pirates with his ever-present elegance.

"I met some very lively pirates," he says, reaching into his coat. "And I remembered something you told me a while ago. Something about your precious treasure disappearing without a trace."

He unrolls the yellowed paper in front of Shanks's face, revealing a smiling face, big eyes, and a familiar straw hat in the foreground.

The redhead's eyes widen in surprise. He stands up like a spring and takes the bounty poster in his hands.

"It's my hat," he says slowly. "It is, there’s no doubt."

Benn peeks over his shoulder and hums as he sees the paper.

"It's a kid," he says as if it's not obvious.

"Monkey D. Luffy," Shanks murmurs, petting the boy's name. "How the hell did a brat get my hat?"

"He doesn’t look like a thief, boss," Yasopp says, whistling at the bounty.

"He's a pirate, 'sopp," stammers Lucky Roux. "Of course he's a thief."

"The thing is, when Shanks lost the hat, the kid was at most a zygote," Yasopp scoffs. "Although it has been ten years, the hat could have travelled a long way around the world to reach his hands. It doesn't have to have been stolen by the kid."

Much to his chagrin, Shanks wants to believe that. There's something about the boy's open, innocent face that makes the redhead's chest tighten and he can't even get angry at seeing his treasure on someone else's head.

Mihawk clears his throat and Shanks remembers the Shichibukai's briefly forgotten presence. The swordsman is giving him a different look as if he were studying the strangest specimen in a circus.

"Curiously, the answer that Monkey D. Luffy gave me when I asked him about the origin of his hat was very interesting."

The redhead's crew turns as one to look at the man, hangover completely forgotten in pursuit of solving the mystery of the hat.

"I don't know, one day the hat and a chest with the Gomu Gomu appeared next to me in my room, so I took them as my treasures."

The reaction of many is confusion, not only due to the lack of context in the story but also due to the mention of the missing Akuma no Mi.

"So...did anyone on the crew sell the hat and the chest?" Lucky Roux asks with wide eyes.

"No," Benn snaps. "Shanks lost his hat the day we raided that Government ship, then he lost the chest while looking for his hat. And then, the chest turned up empty; now we know that it was Luffy who ate the Akuma no Mi."

"Thanks for the recap of events, Beck, but that doesn't explain anything," Shanks growls.

Benn and Mihawk share a weary look over the redhead.

"It explains everything, Cap," Benn says slowly. "No one got off the ship in the days after the hat disappeared, but the Akuma no Mi chest made it to the boy and came back."

"A chest that you lost, Akagami, and that after eating the contents inside, the boy lost again," Mihawk intervenes.

At the young Emperor's lost gaze, Benn shakes his head.

"You have a soul-bonded son, Shanks. Monkey D. Luffy is your soulmate."

The other pirates, who hadn't connected the dots yet, gasp in surprise at the conclusion of the whole thing. Shanks freezes.

"That's..." He swallows and stares at the bounty poster. "That's impossible, it's very unlikely to have a soulmate... And I always find back what I lose!"

"Think about it," Benn says. "Have you ever found something that shouldn't belong in the Red Force?"

Shanks thinks about the small ASL flag he keeps in a chest in his room.

"Very rarely," he says considering it. "Children are generally more absent-minded, it should be common for them to lose things."

"Well, he can't be so bad at taking care of his belongings if he still has that hat," Benn points out.

"You also have to consider that not all children have a lot to lose," Yasopp chimes in.

He also thinks about the small pair of shoes he found. They didn't look used yet, but they appeared to be cheap and uncomfortable. Shanks remembers carefully studying the little shoes to find out where they had come from.

"And why do I find everything I lost again?" He asks a little lamely.

"There's only one explanation," Benn says, looking at the bounty with a smile. "Your son is a knucklehead who keeps losing everything you lose again."

And then everything makes sense. The way in which his lost belongings reappeared next to him out of nowhere is no longer a mystery. The idea of having a soul mate, a child no less, is far-fetched, but no less true.

After the realization, he sits on the log he was resting on before Mihawk's arrival and stares at the bounty poster. The warmth he feels in his chest every time he sees that dazzling smile makes sense now.

"Well, Mihawk," he says, looking at the man out of the corner of his eye. "After what I've learned, I can't let you go like this..."

Benn sighs and signals for some guys to bring more alcohol. Mihawk rolls his eyes and sits on the log while Shanks clamours to another party.

"You said you've met him, right? Tell me everything! What is my son like?"

‘Straw Hat’ Luffy

The concept of soulmates is not entirely unknown to him. Some nights, Makino tells him fictional stories about people who were destined to meet, love, and be happy together. To Luffy, the concept sounded similar to being nakama, didn't it?

So, Luffy always knew that there was someone out there meant for him. After all, it's inevitable that Luffy will become a pirate, and there's no room for just anyone on his crew.

Still, sometimes he longs to be truly connected to someone. Being alone is like a nightmare that he can't escape. He wonders if, if he had a soulmate, that person would be with him to alleviate his loneliness.

One day, Luffy enters his room, lonely and almost devoid of possessions, to find two objects that stand out in the empty room. One of them is a chest. Luffy opens it and finds a fruit. He sniffs it curiously until gluttony invades him and devours it. It's disgusting, but food is food.

The other thing is a hat. It looks a little old, but the straw is well-maintained and the red ribbon shines. Luffy studies it for a few seconds before bringing it to his head. When he does, a wave of warmth runs through him. Luffy leaves the room to look for Makino's mirror and smiles widely when he sees how good it looks on him.

"Where did you get that hat?" It's the first thing his grandfather asks the next time he sees him.

"I found it," he says simply. Because Luffy doesn't know how to lie, but technically omitting information is not lying.

Garp breathes a sigh of relief. "For a moment I thought it was that red-haired brat's hat. It's identical. It belonged to Roger, you know, the Pirate King. I thought the idiot came to brainwash you or something, bwahahaha!"

Luffy blinks. The information passes through his head and the only thing he retains is:

"This is the hat those who want to be the Pirate King have to wear? Like a crown! Then I will be the future Pirate King!"

Garp freezes and then punches him.

"How the hell did you come to that conclusion?!"

"Grandpa, you idiot! I already wanted to be a pirate, so I'll be the Pirate King!"

Needless to say, his grandfather isn't even remotely happy with that, but it's no big deal. Thanks to this, Luffy meets those who become his precious brothers.

"You are my soulmates!" He tells them one day.

Sabo giggles and strokes his head.

"We love you too, Luffy."

Sometimes, Luffy finds some interesting things around him. Of course, he doesn't know or remember exactly the general concept of what happens with soulmates, so the items are just mysterious treasures that he holds dearly until he ends up losing them.

He doesn't discover the truth until he grows up and his crew informs him.

"Did you find it next to you?!"

Usopp studies the gun with wide eyes. It's an old mahogany-coloured blunderbuss with a Jolly Roger carved into the back of the gun. The age of the gun makes it difficult to discern the flag's features.

"Come to think of it, you said the same thing about your hat when Taka no Me asked you," Sanji says in surprise. "That it appeared in your room mysteriously."

"Luffy-san!" Vivi gasps loudly. "Do you have a soulmate?!"

The young captain blinks in confusion.

"Of course," he says as if it were obvious. "My nakama and my brother are my soulmates!"

Nami bumps her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Of course, you have no idea," she says. "I can't believe it, do you know how extraordinary it is to have a soulmate?"

"Ah, I guess I should have realized," Ace mutters, scratching the back of his neck before reaching for the gun. "I wish I could see the Jolly Roger properly so I could give a word to this damned person who thinks he's worthy of my little brother."

"But," Chopper looks at them nervously. "How have you not noticed before? What were you doing with all the objects that appeared next to you?"

Luffy hesitates.

"Well, I kept some things in... Eh... And other things in..."

"Luffy! Did you lose the items you got from your soulmate?!" Nami blurts out.

Zoro lets out a laugh. "Of course he does, why would you think anything else?"

"Luffy-san!" Vivi also scolds in disbelief. "It's terribly rude to return your soulmate's lost items before you meet them in person!"

"That doesn't make sense," the boy pouts. "If I lost my favourite meat, I would want it back. Plus, I didn't even know I had a mysterious soulmate..."

"I wonder what it is," Usopp says. "Platonic? ROMANTIC?!"

"If she's a pretty lady..." Sanji mutters, biting a handkerchief angrily.

"There's only one way to find out," Nami says. "We can make a note for Luffy's soulmate and let him have it for a while until he loses it," she proposes. "And then, they will surely respond."

"Great idea, Nami!" Chopper exclaims excitedly.

"Okay, let me write something. I have a lot to talk to that soulmate," Ace says, putting an arm around his brother's shoulders.

‘Red-Haired’ Shanks

One day, Shanks finds a crumpled parchment. What he finds when he unrolls it becomes the subject of laughter for days.

The first note is interesting. In messy but legible handwriting, someone writes: If you hurt him, you will regret it. The wrath of his crew, an Emperor, and most importantly, his older brother, will fall upon you.

The mention of an Emperor who could come out to defend his young soulmate, new to piracy, surprises him greatly. For a moment, the thought that Luffy could be a Charlotte makes him shudder. It would make sense considering the mention of an older brother, however, he prefers not to jump to conclusions.

The other notes are quite funny in a different way:

In shaky handwriting: Below I will ask you a list of questions that will make up the interview necessary to reach a consensus on whether or not you are worthy of being his soulmate...

A strangely formal and elegant letter: Dear sir or madam, I am addressing you as a friend of your –until now oblivious to your existence– soulmate. Please excuse any rudeness and/or inconsideration that my dear friend may have caused you. I hope that...

Another nice, more rounded letter: I will ask the important questions. One; What is your monetary situation and how much would you be willing to pay for information about your soulmate?

And finally, an almost illegible handwriting, simple and unrestrained: Soulmate! Do you want to be my nakama? I am the man who will become the Pirate King!

Shanks only stops laughing out loud when he reaches the end of the note. With one finger, slowly go over the ink blots. He had already heard it from Mihawk, but it is different to hear it, or read it, from its main source.

Being the Pirate King is an ambition greater than any man or woman should be able to bear. That his young, inexperienced soulmate has such big dreams makes Shanks feel equal parts proud and scared.

"So 'until now oblivious to your existence', huh?" Benn asks, reading the notes over his shoulder. "It seems to be true that like father, like son."

"The boy didn't come out of me," the captain says, rolling his eyes. "He invited me to his crew, Benn, he's adorable."

"Fine, but I hope you don't abandon your ship just because your brat asked for it without even making puppy dog eyes at you," the first mate sneers, ignoring Shanks' complaints at his words. "Will you answer the questions they have asked you?"

Shanks considers this for a few moments before shaking his head. "No, they're still very green. I think I'll wait a little longer to start messing with them."

"Poor kids," the other man laughs, walking away from his captain.

Just a few days after the note, Shanks hears from his young soulmate again. However, not through a lost and found, but through the newspapers.

"One hundred million!"

"Isn't it early for a new reward?" Yasopp asks with wide eyes. "What has the boy done to get it?"

Lucky Roux flips through the newspaper while chewing on a chicken thigh.

"Reading between the lines, I think he defeated a Shichibukai," he says, slightly amazed. "It says here that the captain of an East Blue Marine squad has stopped a crime syndicate in Alabasta led by Sir Crocodile, but there are a lot of holes in the story."

"Have my little nephew and his crew of rookies defeated old Croco?" Yasopp mocks in a good mood. "This deserves a party!"

Shanks smiles taking Luffy's bounty in his hands. Then he moves on to the next paper, his first mate's bounty.

"Roronoa Zoro," Benn reads. "Pirate hunter? A little ironic from my point of view."

"He seems like a wild guy," Shanks says. "I'd love to know what they're like. If we weren't on our way to Newgate, I'd go straight to Alabasta to find out."

"Maybe we can visit them when they get to Sabaody, boss," Lucky says. "We have to scare them a little before they even think about crossing to the New World."

"Sounds like fun," Shanks laughs before looking at his son's bounty one last time. "Take care until then, Luffy."

Although his soulmate has resided in his mind since he discovered his existence, he puts the subject aside for the next few weeks. His visit to Whitebeard leaves him with a bad taste in his mouth, and his intuition is rarely wrong. Despite not having met Portgas D. Ace, he feels an inevitable connection with him. Maybe it's because of the surname he heard a few times while spying through the walls of Gold Jackson or maybe it's because of the undeniable resemblance to his former captain's face.

There is a feeling of discomfort that settles inside him. From a strategic position in the New World, he monitors the movements of the strongest. Everyone is silent, probably as suspicious as he is. He doesn't know if it's his imagination, but he thinks even the seas are tense these days.

That is until his soulmate gives him and everyone else something to talk about.

"Captain," Yasopp pants, walking towards him without taking his eyes off the newspaper. His first thought at the silent horror of his sniper is that something has happened to Ace, so he is surprised to find Luffy's face in front of him.

"Three hundred million?!" Shanks snatches the bounty poster from Yasopp's hands.

"Who? That South Blue brat with a civilian casualty count?" Bonk Punch asks mockingly.

"No? Luffy!" The redhead exclaims, still incredulous.

"Luffy?!" His crew is almost as surprised as he is, which makes him feel a little less pathetic at himself for still gawking at the bounty.

"What the hell did he do to get that bounty?" Benn looks the most composed of them all, amusement beginning to peek at the corner of his lips. "Few pirates get such a high price on their heads with so little time at sea."

Yasopp drops the posters on the deck to look for the newspaper. When he takes it, he immediately passes it to the first officer. Benn looks through it under the impatient gaze of his crewmates.

"Mm... I see, I guess it's fair to triple his bounty after this," he says, smiling.

"After what, Benn?" Shanks asks, unable to keep quiet.

"Apparently, after storming Enies Lobby and declaring war on the World Government to flee with Nico Robin. It seems she is part of your son's crew."

Shanks covers his mouth to prevent himself from letting out a laugh (or a horrified squawk). The pirates all turn as one to look at their captain and the bounty he still holds.

"Damn, boss," Limejuice says breathlessly. "Your son is going to give you grey hair before you even meet him."

"Grey hair? Or a fucking heart attack!" The redhead exclaims. "Break up a criminal syndicate organized by a Shichibukai? Declare war on the World Government? Is that what kids do nowadays? At their age, I was peacefully exploring islands and raiding ships!"

The pirates roll their eyes at their captain's comment without mentioning how much like a father he looks right now. Lucky Roux waves his finger at the papers.

"It's good to know that the captain's son is not a normal brat," he laughs. "I'm sure he'll feel welcome here. Especially if Benn doesn't stop looking so proud."

"Beck, are you proud of my son?" Shanks asks moved.

The man laughs and ignores them in favour of taking the rest of the bounties. Curious, the others approach to judge the quality of their pseudo-son's crew.

"One hundred and twenty million for the first officer, not bad," says Lucky Roux.

"There are only two girls on the crew, but they look neat," Limejuice says with a shudder. "Look at their eyes, they look like they could snap your windpipe without you realizing it."

"I don't know about that, but they have intelligent eyes."

"Chopper is the first bounty pet I've seen," Yasopp laughs. "And what about this masked man? He has questionable tastes."

"Not to mention the blonde," Bonk mutters. "How weird."

"They seem like fun," Shanks smiles. "I think it will be interesting when we meet them."

"Shouldn't you give your soulmate a clue about who you are?" Lucky Roux proposes. "Because two things can happen: either they have a heart attack when they see an Emperor approaching them, or they are so brazen that they dare to confront us."

"Leave them alone, I'm curious to see what they'll do," says Yasopp.

'Straw Hat' Luffy

Knowing that he has a soulmate doesn't change much in his life. After Alabasta, they continue to live unimaginable adventures. On Sky Island, Luffy promises himself that he will tell his soulmate about his experiences in case he or she wants to experience them too.

At Enies Lobby, Luffy gets angrier than he has in years. If there's one thing everyone needs to learn, it's that whether nakama or soulmate, Luffy's people are not to be touched. After a short demonstration, his grandfather makes a starring appearance in Water 7.

"His grandfather is a Marine hero and his father is the leader of the Revolutionary Army?" Chopper murmurs with wide eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if his soulmate was also someone of renown."

At the little reindeer's words, Garp freezes. He looks at his grandson with an ashen face.

"Do you have a soulmate?" He asks almost in a solemn tone.

Luffy nods quickly, swallowing hard. "I discovered it recently," he clarifies.

The news must have been too shocking for someone so old because Garp leaves without saying anything else. Even when he bids farewell to his crew by launching cannonballs with his hands, he says few words.

After that, everything is fine. Luffy has fun adventures, meets interesting people and, from time to time, finds his soulmate's lost object that instead of returning, he ends up keeping. Everything is fine until they reach Sabaody and Luffy sees his nakama disappear one by one.

Before losing consciousness, Luffy wonders if his lost nakama will reach his soulmate.

‘Red-Haired’ Shanks

His ideas of surprising his soulmate in Sabaody are thwarted by the announcement of Portgas D. Ace's execution. Whether as a tribute to his former captain or as a favour to Whitebeard, Shanks offers to keep Kaido distracted long enough to thwart his plans to intercept the other Emperor on his way to war. When he hears the news about Luffy's performance on Sabaody and his subsequent disappearance, Shanks curses any god who will listen.

However, he empties his mind to confront Kaido without scruple. It's not a close fight, but it doesn't leave him room to do other things either. Very different is the case with Yasopp, who sits comfortably on the deck, using one hand to shoot his opponents and the other to gobble up whatever crap he stole from Roux while watching the war.

"You have no shame," Benn tells him without taking his eyes off King.

"This is important, someone needs to stay up to date with the news," Yasopp snaps, shooting another pirate without taking his eyes off the recording. "Also, I don't know what's going on but everyone has funny faces right now."

Shanks huffs before launching himself at Kaido, who doesn't even use his Akuma no Mi in the fight. He wonders what the point of this obvious waste of time is.

"Oh... Shit, Boss, you have to see this," the sniper gasps.

"As you see, I'm a little busy right now," he complains.

"Yeah, I guess you're too fucking busy to see your damn brat yelling at old Newgate."

Shanks freezes. The mention of his soul son causes him to put more strength than necessary into the next attack. Kaido is shocked long enough for the redhead to jump onto his ship.

" I’ll be the only one who’ll be the Pirate King!" Luffy exclaims, twisting his neck to look at the giant Emperor's face.

"Luffy?!" He exclaims without believing it.

"Yeah, that's what I thought when he fell from the sky with a stolen ship and hundreds of convicts on the run," Yasopp shakes his head. "They come from Impel Down!"

"What?" Lucky Roux punches another pirate before running towards them. "Enies Lobby, Impel Down and Marineford? I can't miss this."

"In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a fight," Benn complains, restraining Kaido and King for a few seconds.

"I'm your little brother!" Luffy's voice shouts through the speaker.

Shanks looks at the images in confusion but soon makes up his mind. He remembers the helplessness he felt when he received the latest news about his soulmate a few days ago. Now that there is an unknown variable in the war, everyone is baffled enough to allow it through. However, Luffy is still an ant in a war of titans.

"Kaido," Shanks says without looking away from the video. "We'll leave this for another day."

The other man growls in disagreement and tightens his kanabo in his hand. Shanks only turns around once, his pupils shrinking with the use of haki that even the other Emperors know how to respect.

"It's okay," Kaido mutters. "But it won't stay that way."

'Straw Hat' Luffy

The euphoria of seeing his brother moving around the battlefield with his own limbs is short-lived. Ivankov's adrenaline and hormones fade with every step he takes. When he sees Ace turn around at the magma admiral's words, Luffy can't resist anymore.

His legs give way. His knees hit the ground sending immobilizing electricity throughout his body. His brother's Vivre Card slips out of his hands, but he is not even able to crawl to get it back.

He hears his name. The heat approaches his body and he is only able to react slowly to look up. His eyes widen as he sees his brother covering him with his own body, turning his back to the enemy to protect him. Behind him, he sees a fist of magma approaching in slow motion. Without warning, Ace's body is pushed towards Luffy himself, both colliding in an instant without being able to do anything to avoid it. When Luffy sees the person responsible for that action, he can only look at the broad back of the unknown man who has protected him and his brother with simply the blade of a sword.

"Ace!" One of his brother's nakama, the one that looks like a pineapple, comes over to check that they are both okay. As he studies them, he looks at the man's back suspiciously. "What is a man like him doing here?"

The rest of the battlefield also seems speechless at the sudden appearance. The man steps back and sheathes his sword, unafraid of the fist of burning magma still rising above him.

"Akagami!" Ace's father shouts. "This is not your battle! Don't meddle!"

Luffy wants to complain because he's sure the man just saved his brother from a terrible fate at the very least. However, he barely has the strength to hold Ace's arm like a lifeline.

"I'm not coming for you, Whitebeard," the man says. His voice is cold, but it transmits an unmatched warmth to Luffy. "Not even by my former captain's son."

The man turns around and Luffy sees his face framed by his red hair. The man's eyes lock on him and he begins to walk. He doesn't know if it's because of the disconcerting moment or because of how intimidating the man is, but no one moves as he passes through the battlefield until he reaches Luffy.

"I'm here to stop this war. Otherwise, it could end very badly," he says, slowly kneeling in front of Luffy, ignoring the tension settling in Ace and his nakama's shoulders. "Because I will not hesitate to destroy anyone who touches a single hair of this child again."

The redhead's hand reaches over Luffy's shoulder and, in one incredibly smooth motion, places the straw hat over the nest of raven hair. Luffy sighs, feeling more confident than ever before.

"Brat, that hat looks like the one Akagami used to wear," the old man said a while ago.

"Akaga...? I received it from someone very special, although I don't know him yet!"

"Papa?" The word escapes him without being able to avoid it. Ace looks at him like he's gone crazy, but the redhead smiles, his features softening at the word.

"Yes, Luffy, I'm your soul father. Your soulmate," he says.

The people around him gasp, but Luffy doesn't hear it. The man moves closer to him and Luffy snuggles into the warmth of his chest, feeling protected and loved.

‘Red-Haired’ Shanks

The teen's snoring draws an involuntary smile from the man next to him. After receiving a full report on the injuries he sustained and the hormones he was exposed to, Shanks is relieved to see him sleeping so peacefully. Healthy, safe and, above all, by his side.

In the other bed, Portgas stirs. His crew was reluctant to leave him, but Marco was forced to choose between guarding the Marine objective or backing up his father. Even if they don't like it, they know that leaving him under Shanks' protection is the safest thing to do.

The older D. opens his eyes and freezes. Urgently, he sits up in bed and begins to look around. He relaxes momentarily when he sees Luffy in the bed next to him, but tenses up again when he sees Shanks.

"Akagami," he says. "The war..."

"It's over. Some of the prisoners from Impel Down followed my ship, but I can't tell you exactly the details of the end. I had other priorities," he points to the sleeping young captain. "You can ask them about the status of your crew, some are still sailing with us."

Ace nods but doesn't move. Instead, he studies Shanks deeply.

"You think you're my brother's soulmate."

Shanks laughs. "I don't think so, I know," before the boy can hesitate any longer, he continues: "I imagine you were the one who wrote the first note."

The boy blinks as he remembers the note he wrote in Alabasta, which now seems like a distant memory.

"Wow," the boy lets out in pure amazement. "My brother's soulmate is actually a Yonkou."

The oldest laughs again.

"Well, the Pirate King's father can't be just any guy," he jokes.

Ace's frown softens. He moves to sit on the edge of the bed and bows awkwardly.

"Thank you for being a good dad to my brother. You saved him and you care about him, which is more than any of our biological parents have done for us."

"You don't need to thank, Ace. Luffy is easy to love, even if I haven't had the honour of getting to know him well yet."

"I imagine you've had a lot of surprises watching the news about him," the raven mutters bitterly. "At least I was already prepared for that kind of thing."

Shanks laughs again and keeps an eye on the boy as he awkwardly gets up. He offers his help, but Ace rejects it.

"Stay with Luffy, I'll go ask about my crew."

The veteran nods and says goodbye to the boy. Once Ace is out, he turns all his attention back to Luffy. He must fall asleep at some point because the next time he's conscious he's met with big eyes and an excited smile.

"You’re awake!" The boy with more energy than he should have calls. "Hello, soulmate! Akuga... Aka...!"

"You can call me Shanks," he says amused. "Or papa," he offers.

"Okay, papa Shanks!" Luffy accepts quickly.

"How do you feel?" He asks, moving the chair closer to the bed.

"Hungry!" The boy announces. "Wait, Ace?! My brother Ace!"

"He’s okay, he's out on deck," he quickly reassures him. "Are you just hungry? Aren't you hurting at all?"

Luffy seems to think about it for a moment, but then his stomach growls loudly. Shanks lets out a laugh but feels unable to leave the boy's side to look for food.

Luckily, Benn arrives at just the right time with a tray of meat.

"Your brother said you would be hungry," the man says.

"Thanks, cool guy!" The boy shouts before stretching out his arms and starting to swallow.

His first officer laughs at the name and Shanks believes that Luffy has become another person's weakness. Or maybe he was before, seeing the way Benn seems so proud every time he hears one of the young captain's exploits.

"Luffy, this is Benn Beckman. He's my first mate."

Luffy grunts between bites and swallows before yelling, "Zoro is my first mate!"

"He looks like a strong guy," Benn compliments.

The boy lights up. "My nakama are the best! Zoro is super strong, although he gets lost a lot. And Nami is great! She screams a lot and has Zoro in debt for life, but I love her a lot. Just like Sanji, Chopper and the others… I even have a liar in my crew!"

"A liar?" Shanks laughs. "Is that his role on the crew?"

"Well, that and sni… per, I guess," he says thoughtfully. "Usopp is good at a lot of things though!"

"Usopp?" Benn asks in surprise. "Did he join you in the East Blue?"

Luffy nods, stuffing his mouth with meat. Shanks and Benn share a knowingly amused look.

"Why don't you tell us more about your crew?" Benn says.

Luffy picks up the plate and rubs his belly happily. Then he wipes his greasy fingers on his shirt and stares at Shanks. His hands hesitate before stopping on the hat next to the bed. He picks it up uncertainly and offers it to Shanks.

"You're my soulmate," he says as if it hadn't been made clear. "I can't give you back the Gomu Gomu because I ate it, but my friend Vivi told me that soulmates give back what they find when they first meet, so..."

Shanks's eyes widen at the offered hat. Slowly, he takes it in his hands. The hat has a few new scratches sewn up, but he can tell how well cared for it has been over the last ten years. Shaking his head, Shanks stands up and walks over to the boy to place the hat on his head. A giggle escapes him as he sees the boy's amazed expression.

"If you want to be the Pirate King, you will have to face me in the future. Keep it until then, only then will I decide if you are really worthy of wearing this crown."

Luffy looks at Shanks in absolute amazement. Then his expression changes to accommodate a smile that's all teeth and shine.

"Okay! I'll train hard and my crew will surpass yours, papa! And after that, I'll become the Pirate King!"