Luffy's sleep was shallow, driven by the lingering pain of the night's endurance training and the anxiety of Garp's impending arrival. The Basic Stamina Potion had worn off hours ago, but the +1 END stat gain felt solid—a single, quantifiable victory against the terror that awaited him.
The next morning, he made his way down to Foosha Village. He had his plan: execute Q-03 by accessing the old maps Makino kept, and then use the remaining AC to buy the Enhanced Senses Infusion—anything to gain an edge before Garp arrived.
As he neared the Partys Bar, however, he realized his schedule had just been radically altered. Shanks' massive ship, the Red Force, was already anchored close to the dock, its sails partially unfurled. The pirate crew was moving fast, ferrying supplies and saying rushed goodbyes.
Shanks is leaving early. Garp's arrival must have accelerated the timeline.
Luffy pushed open the bar doors. Makino was there, her apron already tied, looking uncharacteristically somber. And standing by the counter, talking quietly with her, was Shanks.
"Luffy!" Makino exclaimed, rushing toward him. "Are you alright? You look tired. I heard about your grandfather..."
Before he could answer, Shanks turned, a wide, genuine smile on his face, though his eyes held a hint of seriousness. "Looks like we have to cut our fun short, kid. The sea calls, and a certain Marine hero is heading this way."
"You're leaving?" Luffy tried to keep the emotion out of his voice, focusing on his INT quest, but the memories of the original Luffy—the hero worship, the promise—began to flood his consciousness.
"We are," Shanks confirmed. He strode over and knelt, bringing himself to the boy's height. "We've had a great run. But you've got your own adventure to start here, right?"
Luffy swallowed hard, resisting the urge to check his WILL stat. The emotional onslaught of the two consciousnesses merging was powerful. He opened his mouth, not to beg for a ride, but to ask for something far more important.
"The hat," Luffy said, his voice quiet and firm. "Can I have it? To remember you by?"
Shanks blinked, momentarily surprised by the request. The original Luffy had been promised the hat after his own great voyage, but this time, the request was proactive, a sudden, mature acknowledgment of the separation. Shanks looked into the boy's eyes, seeing a depth that hadn't been there a few days ago—the scar seemed to have etched a fierce determination onto the young face.
Shanks laughed, removing the treasured straw hat from his head. He placed it firmly onto the rubber-boy's head. "This hat means a lot to me. It's my treasure."
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "I'm not lending it to you, kid. Give it back to me when you've become a great pirate as big as me."
The words hit the MC like a physical blow. This wasn't just a gift; it was the final, official commencement of his new destiny. The original Luffy's overwhelming sense of loss mixed with the Earth man's knowledge of the immense significance of the item broke the facade.
Tears, hot and unstoppable, streamed down his face. He sobbed, the pure, unadulterated grief of a child losing his idol completely hijacking his systemic control.
"I will!" he managed to gasp, gripping the brim of the hat. "I'll be the Pirate King!"
Makino, who had watched the exchange with tears in her own eyes, moved instantly. She swooped down, pulling the small, shaking boy into a tight, warm hug.
The comforting embrace was sincere and fierce, but due to the height difference, the weeping Luffy's face was guided directly into the soft, cushioned warmth of her chest , and that too between the bare skin and valley between the open shirt. The unexpected sensation—a distinct, maternal and yet intensely feminine comfort—was overwhelming. The immediate physical sensation, combined with his raw emotional state, sent a jarring new signal to the System.
Luffy's sobbing quieted slightly as the System's notification flashed over his teary eyes. The immediate, clinical assessment of the interaction provided a strange, jarring counterpoint to the genuine emotion he was feeling. He tucked his face deeper into her embrace, the fear of Garp temporarily forgotten in the warmth and the strategic confirmation. Makino is the first.
He pulled back, his cheeks flushed not just from crying, but from the sudden, unexpected confirmation of the harem mechanics.
"You are going to be a wonderful pirate, Luffy," Makino whispered, wiping his tears away with her thumb.
Shanks simply smiled, tipped his hat, and strode out the door toward the docks.
Shanks stood on the deck of the Red Force, watching the small, tear-streaked figure disappear into the bar.
That boy is different, he thought, adjusting the cutlass at his waist. He had seen the fire in the kid's eyes before, but the seriousness, the focused intent behind the tears—that was new. He didn't just want the hat for a ride; he wanted it as a genuine vow.
"Boss," Ben Beckman noted, stepping beside him. "The Marine presence is confirmed on the horizon. Looks like Garp is making good time."
Shanks nodded, gripping the railing. "We're going to the New World, Ben. It's time to check on the movements of a certain Blackbeard and a certain fruit that now belongs to a very tenacious boy." He also paused, a small, knowing smirk touching his lips. "And I believe Luffy has his own lovely protector there for the time being."
He looked out over the endless blue of the East Blue, sensing the chaotic shift in the wind that meant big things were coming.
I gave my future to that boy. I just hope he's prepared for what's ahead.
With a final command, the Red Force set sail, leaving the East Blue behind, perfectly timed to avoid the incoming Marine Vice Admiral.
SHANKS LEAVES FOR THE NEW WORLD , GARP IS INCOMING SOON , SMALL LUFFY AND MAKINO MOMENT :) AND YES MAKINO IS GOING TO JOIN LUFFY'S CREW