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Shanks and his crew make landfall in Foosha early in the morning. They wobble into town on shaky sea legs and make their trades, restock some of their supplies and pick up their customary Foosha barnacle. Said barnacle follows Shanks around as he completes all his errands. His men coo and tease him on becoming a proud mother duck. Shanks endures their jokes with good humor. Jokes on them, they are all his ducklings too.
Makino kindly lent them her bath before they visited her bar for the rest of the evening (was it kindness or cleverness, if the result was that they wouldn’t stink up her bar?). All his men take their turn before heading to Makino's to unwind after their long journey.
While Shanks waits patiently for his turn, Luffy regales him with tales of his new devil fruit abilities and why they made him an even more valuable pirate to join their crew since the last time they saw him. His sales pitch includes an enlightening demonstration and yet another broken piece of furniture.
Benn exits the bathroom fresh from his own bath with a smirk. Instead of the long suffering Shanks he expected to see, he finds Shanks bent over laughing at Luffy's latest attempt at the legendary Gum Gum Pistol.
"Luffy, why don't you show Benn here that trick again," Shanks suggests mischievously.
He claps Benn on the shoulder and makes a break for it. Luffy quickly turns his sales pitch on Benn, already smelling his weakness no doubt.
Successfully foisting Luffy onto his first mate, Shanks finally takes his turn. The warm water is a balm on his sun chapped skin. He can finally rinse off the salt he’s accumulated out at sea. Showers out at Sea just aren't the same.
Just as he is about to shampoo his hair, their living Anchor bursts into the room.
“Sorry Chief, Makino needs a hand,” Benn calls through the doorway, abandoning him with Luffy once more.
“Shanks you’re taking forever!” Luffy groans coming over to sit on the toilet.
Shanks snorts.
His ship consists purely of men and before that Captain Roger’s crew had been mostly men too. He’d long since lost his sense of modesty, if he ever had it.
“Would you rather I smell like sweat and Sea next time you glomp onto me?” Shanks retorts.
“You’ll smell like that anyway,” Luffy shrugs. “One bath won’t change that.”
Shanks reaches around the shower curtain to flick water at him.
Luffy yelps and darts away giggling.
“Brat,” he growls playfully.
“Why?” Luffy laughs. “I like the way you smell.”
Shanks pretends he isn’t scrubbing his armpits more thoroughly due to Luffy’s words. Luffy might like his smell but that doesn’t mean anyone else does.
“When I’m a pirate I’m never taking any baths,” Luffy declares.
Shanks laughs. Ah, this kid is a riot.
“Yeah? You let me know how that goes for you,” he chuckles, rinsing off once more.
He hears Luffy hum from the other side of the curtain.
“Can’t take baths by myself anyway,” Luffy shrugs.
Shanks’ smile falters. It’s been weeks since Luffy ate the devil fruit, and he hasn’t been able to shake the guilt that settled in the pit of his stomach. Luffy wouldn’t have eaten the devil fruit if he hadn’t brought it to Foosha. Shanks had taken precautions and hid it with the express purpose of avoiding temptation. He’d hidden it in a locked case surrounded by treasure. An ordinary person would have gone for the treasure. He shouldn’t have counted Luffy among people with ordinary sensibilities, especially not when it came to food.
“When’s the last time you took a bath?” Shanks asks, shaking off his gloomy thoughts.
“Hmmm, I don’t remember,” Luffy answers carelessly.
Shanks makes a face behind the curtain.
“Come over here,” he says, pulling the curtain back.
“Why?” Luffy whines.
“How can you not remember the last time you had a bath?” Shanks complains jokingly.
He grabs Luffy’s arm and lifts it to sniff his armpit. He doesn’t have to fake his disgust for Luffy’s pungent body odor. Luffy laughs at his pained expression.
Shanks sighs, his earlier guilt returning.
“You were right,” he says gravely. “You are overdue for a bath.”
Luffy grins at him. He is probably proud of his stench.
What kind of Captain would Shanks be if he let his Anchor reek like this? With an impish gleam in his eyes, Shanks whips Luffy’s shirt over his head making him screech loudly. Clothes and sandals fly as he wrangles Luffy into the bath with him.
Luffy goes boneless the second the water touches him. Shanks eases them both down until they are sitting under the spray.
“Shanks,” Luffy murmurs worriedly.
“I’ve got you,” Shanks assures him gently.
With Luffy a limp noodle between his legs, Shanks takes it upon himself to lather up his towel with more soap. He slaps the lather over Luffy’s skin making the boy giggle. He soaps up Luffy’s skin, careful not to let the water spray him in the face. Shanks has to lean them both forward to scrub between Luffy’s toes. Luffy screeches loudly in his ear while he washes his feet.
Legs and feet done, Shanks focuses on washing Luffy’s hair next. It will take him an age to do one handed while holding Luffy up with his other arm. Shanks sighs roughly scrubbing Luffy’s head.
“I’m going to have to turn you so I can reach alright?” he says.
Luffy’s head lolls unhelpfully against his shoulder. He blinks sleepily at Shanks.
Shanks snorts and manhandles him until they are chest to chest.
“I’ve still got you,” he assures him.
Luffy cuddles against him and releases a big sigh. Shanks supposes after weeks without one, Luffy forgot how nice a bath can be.
“Alright?” Shanks asks scrubbing his hair.
“Mhm” Luffy murmurs against his neck.
Feeling Luffy relax against his shoulder and trust him to take care of him for something as simple as shampooing his hair makes him smile.
“Enjoying yourself?” Shanks asks jokingly.
Luffy exhales deeply again.
“I like baths with Shanks,” he murmurs half asleep. “I’m never taking another bath again, unless it’s with Shanks.”
Shanks rolls his eyes, lathering up more soap to scrub Luffy’s back.
“Flatterer. I won’t always be here to give you a proper bath you brat,” he scoffs. “Makino doesn’t deserve to suffer your stench when I’m not around.”
“It’s not my fault I can’t take baths,” Luffy whines into his neck.
“Oh? Who’s fault is it then?” Shanks asks meanly.
“The Sea,” Luffy pouts.
“So take a shower or use a bucket,” Shanks grumbles scrubbing his arms and crooks of his elbows.
“You don’t like my smell?” Luffy smiles into his neck.
Shanks shudders at the memory of his armpit odor. Since he’s been reminded he lifts Luffy’s arm and scrubs furiously making Luffy shriek again.
“They are going to think I’m murdering you in here,” Shanks complains.
“It tickles!” Luffy screams directly into his ear.
Shanks scrubs harder in retaliation. He rinses Luffy with water and leans close to make sure he did a good enough job. All he smells is soap, so he considers his work successful. Shanks maneuvers Luffy to his opposite shoulder and repeats his work. He rinses Luffy’s hair carefully and even more carefully scrubs behind his ears and washes his small face. Shanks is so focused on not accidentally drowning Luffy he doesn’t notice the frown on his face until Luffy reaches a hand up to poke the crease between his brows.
“Done yet?” Luffy asks, his skin now rosy and pink.
They have been in the bath long enough that they have both gone pruny.
“Yes,” Shanks sighs.
He pulls Luffy out of the tub with him and sets him down on the toilet. Luffy leans against him as he towels them both dry.
Luffy hadn’t planned to take a bath. His clothes are filthy, and Shanks is loath to put him back into them before they’ve been laundered. Shanks sighs resignedly. He grabs his own shirt and throws it over Luffy’s head.
“Hey!” Luffy shouts.
He doesn’t fight Shanks for long though. He seems pleased to be wearing Shanks’ clothes.
“This is only until Makino can wash your clothes,” Shanks says, buttoning up the shirt until it no longer slips off Luffy’s tiny shoulders.
Luffy nods absently running his hands over the material in fascination. Shanks is sure Luffy isn’t paying any attention to him.
“I want this shirt back,” Shanks tells him sternly.
The shirt fits Luffy long like a dress or a robe. He looks ridiculous.
“You don’t have any extra shorts?” Shanks asks.
Luffy looks up finally and nods.
“Okay, when we get out, go straight and put them on,” Shanks orders. “I don’t need Makino murdering me because you flashed everyone in her bar.”
“Silly Shanks,” Luffy giggles.
With Luffy done and sitting up on his own Shanks throws on the rest of his clothes and belts his sword to his waist once more. He picks up their dirty clothes and prepares for the heckling he’s about to receive.
“Straight for your shorts. No detours,” Shanks reminds him.
Luffy nods, smiling and darts out of the bathroom the second Shanks opens the door.
Shanks drags his hand over his face with a groan. With one last sigh he follows him to Makino’s bar where his crew and a stiff drink await.
When he arrives at the bar he receives many a wolf whistle, which he expected, a few catcalls he accepts with good grace, and applause.
“You miracle worker,” Makino grins taking Luffy’s clothes from him.
Shanks snorts.
Luffy scurries into the bar still wearing Shanks’ shirt and a fresh pair of shorts underneath.
“We might have to hold a festival in your honor, Red Hair,” the local fish monger’s wife calls.
Luffy is called to each table and has his fresh armpit smelled by the occupants. They ooh and ahh making him giggle.
Makino returns and brings Shanks his preferred bottle of rice brew.
“He was allergic to baths before the devil fruit,” She remarks. “Now he’s impossible.”
Shanks shakes his head in dismay.
“He will make a formidable pirate as a biological weapon I suppose,” he says. “I’d certainly have pity on his enemies.”
Luffy runs over to Shanks and jumps in his lap. Shanks grunts at sudden weight. Seven-year-old boys are not light.
“Yassop says you missed a spot,” Luffy grins.
Shanks gives Yassop the finger behind Luffy’s back. His crew laugh uproariously.
“Missed a spot my ass,” Shanks scoffs. “Where?”
Luffy lifts his shirt and points at his belly button. Shanks blinks, then grimaces.
His crew cackle at his chagrin. He can’t let them have the last laugh, so he hoists Luffy over his shoulder and goes to remedy his mistake. Luffy screeches all the way.
“I changed my mind,” Luffy pouts hiding behind Benn when they return.
“’Bout what Anchor?” Benn asks, pleased to be his chosen protector.
“I’m never taking baths with Shanks again,” he grumbles.