The Partys Bar was dead silent. The only sound was the steady drip... drip... drip... of premium sake falling from Shanks' red hair onto the wooden floorboards.
Higuma the Bear sneered, his massive bounty poster pinned under his hand. He waited for the pirate captain to draw his sword, to show even a sliver of the bloodlust you'd expect from a seafaring outlaw.
Instead, Shanks just sighed. He didn't reach for his blade. He didn't even look angry. He knelt down and began carefully picking up the jagged shards of glass.
"Sorry about that, Makino," Shanks said gently, keeping his eyes on the mess. "Do you have a mop? I'll get this cleaned up."
Higuma's sneer vanished, replaced by a scowl of pure, unfiltered contempt. What a pathetic coward.SHING!
In a flash of steel, Higuma drew his longsword and violently brought it down. The blade smashed through the wooden counter, sending plates, cups, and leftover food flying into the air.
"Since you enjoy cleaning so much," Higuma spat, sheathing his sword as he turned his back on the kneeling pirate, "you can enjoy cleaning that up, too."
Without another word, the bandit leader swaggered out of the ruined tavern doors, his gang of thugs laughing and trailing behind him. "Pathetic," Higuma muttered as he stepped into the sunlight. "This town doesn't even have liquor. Let's move on to the next one, boys."
Inside the bar, Makino hurriedly grabbed a towel and rushed over to Shanks. "Captain! Are you okay? Did he cut you?"
Shanks blinked the sake out of his eyes, looking at the mess around him. And then, a low chuckle rumbled in his chest.
"Pfft... hahahaha!"
In an instant, the entire tavern erupted. The Red Hair Pirates weren't angry; they were howling with absolute, gut-busting laughter.
"Boss, you looked ridiculous!" Yasopp wheezed, slamming his fist on a table. "Did you see the look on his face?!" Lucky Roux, the heavy-set pirate, laughed through a mouthful of meat. "He really got you good, Captain!"
"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!"
The laughter abruptly stopped. Everyone turned to look at Luffy.
The young boy was standing on top of a barstool, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were bone-white. He was trembling, but not from fear. He was seething with pure, unfiltered rage.
"That was disgraceful!" Luffy screamed, his voice cracking with emotion. "Why didn't you fight him?! You guys have way more people! A man who just sits there and laughs after getting humiliated like that... he isn't a man! And he definitely isn't a pirate! You're all just a bunch of cowards!"
Shanks wiped a tear of mirth from his eye and gave Luffy a soft, understanding look. "I get why you're mad, Luffy. But it was just a spilled bottle of sake. There's no reason to risk lives over a spilled drink."
"I don't want to hear it!" Luffy yelled, turning his back on his hero. "I'm leaving! I don't ever want to see you cowards again!"
Luffy hopped off the stool and began stomping toward the door.
"Hey, wait, Luffy, come back—" Shanks reached out, grabbing the boy tightly by the wrist.
But Luffy didn't stop walking. He kept marching forward.
SNAP.
Shanks' eyes widened. The crew gasped in collective horror.
Luffy was still walking toward the door, but his arm... his arm was stretching. It was stretching like a massive, fleshy rubber band, spanning across the entire length of the bar while Shanks remained anchored to his seat holding his hand.
"W-What the...?!" Luffy shrieked, looking back at his own arm, his eyes practically popping out of his skull. "MY ARM! IT'S STRETCHING!"
"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HIM?!" Yasopp screamed, jumping onto a table in panic.
Lucky Roux's face drained of all color. He dropped his meat, desperately rummaging through the small, intricately carved wooden chest on the bar counter. It was empty.
"Captain!" Lucky Roux sweat-dropped, pulling out a crumpled piece of parchment with a drawing on it. He shoved it in front of Luffy's face. "Kid! Did you eat a strange, purple fruit that looked exactly like this?!"
Luffy blinked, his stretched arm snapping back into place like a whip. "Yeah. It tasted terrible, but I was hungry. Was it supposed to be dessert?"
"YOU IDIOT!" Shanks roared, grabbing Luffy by the shoulders and shaking him violently. "That was the Gomu Gomu no Mi! It's a Devil Fruit—one of the rarest treasures in the entire sea! Anyone who eats it turns into a rubber human... and loses the ability to ever swim again!"
Luffy's jaw unhinged. "EHHHHHHHHHH?!"
"YOU CAN NEVER BE A PIRATE NOW, YOU STUPID ANCHOR!" Shanks wailed.
A few days later.
"Ah, look who it is! Good morning, Luffy!" the local fishmonger smiled as the boy walked through the bustling market. "I heard the pirates left you behind again. And you really can't swim anymore, huh?"
Luffy grinned, grabbing his own cheeks and pulling them outward. His skin stretched comically, making his face look like a wide, ridiculous pancake. "I don't care! I'll just be a pirate who never falls into the sea! Eating the Gum-Gum fruit just made me happier!"
"Stop that ridiculous stretching," a sharp, raspy voice scolded.
Luffy turned to see the village Mayor, a short, stern-looking old man, standing nearby.
"Oh, hey Chief," Luffy greeted casually.
"Don't 'hey Chief' me," the Mayor grumbled, adjusting his glasses. "The whole town thinks your new rubber body is a funny parlor trick, but I don't see the use in it. Listen to me, boy. You are not becoming a pirate. It will ruin Foosha Village's peaceful reputation. That Red-Haired captain might seem reasonable, but you need to stop hanging around him. He's a bad influence."
Luffy just stuck out his tongue and ran off.
Later that afternoon, the broken doors of the Partys Bar had finally been repaired. The tavern was quiet, smelling of fresh pine and lemon polish. Makino stood behind the counter, quietly drying a glass, while Luffy sat on his usual stool, pushing a few ice cubes around in an empty cup.
"The pirate crew has been out at sea for a while now," Makino noted softly. "Do you miss them, Luffy?"
"No," Luffy replied stubbornly, refusing to look up. "I haven't forgiven them for what happened with the bandits. I really overestimated Shanks. I thought he was this tough, fearless pirate... but I was wrong. I'm disappointed."
Makino paused her cleaning. She looked at the boy with a gentle, motherly smile. "I don't think you're right, Luffy. I think someone who can stand up and smile after being humiliated like that... I think that takes true bravery."
Luffy scoffed. "You don't get it, Makino. There are times when a man just has to fight back! If you don't fight, you're weak!"
"I suppose I don't understand," Makino conceded softly.
"Exactly," Luffy muttered. "You don't."
CREAAAK.
The newly repaired saloon doors swung open.
Luffy and Makino both looked up. Standing in the doorway, blocking out the afternoon sun, was Higuma the Bear. Behind him stood his entire gang of ruthless mountain bandits.
"Excuse us," Higuma drawled, stepping inside with an arrogant swagger. He looked around the empty tavern and smirked. "Ah, the cowards aren't here today. Good. The place is nice and quiet."
The bandits poured in, taking over the tables, throwing their boots onto the furniture, and demanding service.
Higuma slammed his fist on a table, glaring at the trembling bartender. "What are you waiting for, woman? You have paying customers. Bring us your best sake."
Luffy glared at the bandit. His blood boiled. The memory of Shanks covered in spilled liquor flashed through his mind.
A few minutes later, Makino was sprinting through the dusty streets of the village, tears streaming down her face.
"MAYOR! MAYOR, PLEASE HELP!" she screamed, bursting into the village square.
The Mayor dropped his cane, rushing over to her. "Makino! What is it?! What's wrong?!"
"It's Luffy!" she cried, her voice trembling with sheer terror. "He... he said something to the bandit leader! He insulted them! Now Higuma has him taken hostage!"
The Mayor's face went completely pale. Without wasting a second, the two of them sprinted back toward the tavern, desperate to save the boy's life.
But as they arrived at the town square, they froze in horror.
Higuma was standing in the center of the street, a cruel, vicious smile on his face. In his massive hand, he held Luffy by the collar, dangling the bruised and beaten boy off the ground. The rest of the bandit crew stood behind him, weapons drawn.
"Mayor," Makino sobbed, falling to her knees.
The Mayor stepped forward, raising his hands peacefully. "Please! Let the boy go! I don't know what he did, but I'll pay you whatever you want! Just spare his life!"
Higuma looked down at the bleeding, rubber boy dangling from his grip. He let out a dark, menacing laugh.
"It's already too late for that, old man," Higuma growled, drawing his sword and pressing the cold steel against Luffy's neck. "This brat insulted my pride. And no one insults Higuma the Bear and lives to tell the tale."