Chapter Text
The bar was rather empty since the Red-haired pirates had departed for yet another adventure. Most of the chairs sat tucked up on top of the tables collecting, a table here and there left out for the regulars.
Luffy was in a small booth in the corner, working tirelessly at the homework Makino had given him in an attempt to improve his unintelligible writing.
Makino turned her head to watch as a few of the regulars looked out the tavern window, murmuring something about trouble before taking their seats.
Not long after the mountain bandits from before that had disrespected Shanks by soaking him in alcohol, the faint signs of the crack he'd put into the counter still lingering, came through the doors of her tavern mumbling something about how much better the place looked now that those good for nothing pirates had sailed off into their pathetic horizon.
Makino gritted her teeth as she pulled chairs down from the tables, the bandits catcalling her and barking their orders at her all the while.
She was just glad that the regulars seemed to have noticed their remarks about the pirates and gone to distract Luffy by asking him to help them with menial tasks around the village.
It distracted him for long enough that she had prepared and served their food and drinks, but unfortunately it didn't last long enough for them to head out before Luffy made his way back.
Luffy tumbled through the doors, excitedly shouting to Makino about the big fish he'd helped the fishermen catch before he paused, noticing the bandits that were sitting around and laughing. Makino began to shake as she realized the severity of what was about to happen.
Higuma was sat at Shanks' stool at the bar, one that everybody had learned to avoid out of respect. Luffy much to her surprise didn't start yelling, Luffy slowly walked up to the man stopping a few feet before the chair that didn't belong to him.
"You're the one who broke that bottle of Captain Shanks' head aren't you?" Luffy asked, tilting his head up to meet the eyes of the man. His expression blank.
Higuma laughed. "Of course I am, that bag of sea-legs needed to be taught a lesson in respect." Makino inhaled sharply as Luffy's face contorted before settling back down into that unfamiliar blankness.
"Normally I'd yell at you, but Shanks said some battles aren't worth fighting, I don't get what he means by that but Shanks also said when you do something mean you should apologize for it. So I think you owe Shanks and his crew an apology." Luffy said. Oh, how innocent Luffy could be.
The bar erupted in laughter. Whatever patience Shanks had managed to teach Luffy had dried up by the conflicted look on his face.
"What's so funny? You disrespected Shanks and his crew so you should apologize for what you said!" Luffy finally yelled, Makino bolted around the counter to shield Luffy but she was too late. Higuma had stood from his seat and kicked Luffy into a nearby chair leg.
Luffy whined, rubbing the back of his head as he stood up to take yet another blow from the older man's foot before getting kicked back into the chair. Once more he groaned and the vicious cycle continued to a bit as the bandits laughed at the small punk who'd spoken up against him.
"So you're a friend of that scummy pirate are you? Well in that case I'll just have to leave a message for the fella." Higuma said, bent over the small child that was trying desperately not to whimper, it's not exactly as though Luffy could still feel things like being hit or falling the way anyone else could but he still wasn't used to it and a small breakdown that he'd had and he told Makino how weird the feeling was and that he didn't like it.
She winced as the sound of him getting kicked a few more times filled the air, after a while the bandit's had turned their attention to their leader who had turned his back on what he deemed a pathetic sight.
When Luffy'd finally gotten his feet back under him, he called out to the bandit as he threw a measly punch at him. He didn't land it and instead tumbled down to the side of the bandit.
"Haven't you learned yer lesson yet brat," Higuma picked Luffy up by his collar, all of his men slowly standing from their seats. "Maybe we should take this outside, wouldn't wanna wreck this bar without that cleaner around would we?" He laughed to himself as he dragged Luffy behind him, Luffy putting up a fight every step of the way but still not being able to squirm his way through the man's grip.
Makino was terrified. Without Shanks here there was no one to stand up to the bandits and stop them from doing as they please, and even though a part of her hated to admit it, the other villagers would be reluctant to help because it was Luffy. She did the only thing she could think of and took off as fast as she could towards the mayor's house.
"You've gotta help! They're got Luffy!" She said, scrambling the words out the second Woodslap opened the door. "Who's got Luffy?!" Woodslap exclaimed, already stepping out of the door to wherever Makino was loosely gesturing. She explained the situation to him as they made their way back to where all the commotion was, a few villagers peeking out here and there to see what was happening.
Luffy was on the ground, his body bent up as he was pushed against a well by Higuma's boot. The other bandit lackey's surrounding them to a point where Makino almost couldn't see the boy.
"If it's money you're after you can have it, just don't hurt the boy." The mayor said in an attempt to negotiate. "Well at least someone around here has proper manners but no," Higuma paused to drive his boot further into Luffy's chest as the boy hopelessly squirmed against him, though this time in silence. "But what he's done can't be paid back with just mere money from a broke backwater village such as this one. No, his blood's gonna make a nice present for that wanna-be criminal." Higuma said as he reached down and pulled at Luffy's head to make him stand, only he didn't stand but his neck stretched up with his head, wait what?
Makino and the mayor watched as the bandits stood in shock. They themselves still weren't used to Luffy's odd powers that he'd gained from that fruit that he'd somewhat stolen from Shanks, though Shanks himself didn't seem too mad about it, only concerned about the fact the kid who loved to climb around the docks who didn't know how to swim definitely can't swim now. Some sort of curse from the sea is what he'd told them.
"The hell?" Higuma finally said, letting go of Luffy's head and watching it snap back into place with an almost disgusted look on his face. "So you're one of those legendary freaks huh? Bet I could make a big buck selling you to a circus, couldn't we boys?" He paused to listen to the cheers of his group before turning his attention back to the boy.
"I was wondering why we weren't greeted at the port." Shanks said, he stood leaning back with his hand on the hilt of his sword. His crew standing not too far behind him, awaiting their captain's command.
A variety of hushed whispers filling the air surprised at Shanks' sudden appearance.
"Shanks? What are you doing here?" Luffy stared at Shanks with a dumbfounded look on his face, slightly flustered to be seen by his idol in the rather sorry position he found himself in.
"What happened to your pistols being as strong as pistols Anchor? How'd you end up down there?" Shanks said, his words light-hearted despite the situation.
"Back from cleaning chimney's are ya maid, stay back or we'll have to start killing you bastards." Higuma said, his blade that had halted at the sight of the pirate now flourishing itself a few inches before Luffy's face. Shanks began walking towards the two despite his warning and a bandit stepped out, putting a gun to his head.
"The Boss man said to stay back." The bandit said, from what Shanks could tell he wasn't all too confident in his abilities by the way he'd approached him.
Shanks smiled as the man continued to hold the gun against his head. "Are you gonna pull the trigger or not, guns aren't toys for children or adults playing bandits. If you draw a weapon you should be more prepared, especially if you're making threats you can't keep." Lucky Roux appeared at Shank's side as he finished his sentence with a smoking gun in one hand and a meat skewer in the other.
The bandits went pale as their comrade dropped lifelessly to the floor, blood trickling out of his head as his body met the ground.
"What kinda bullshit logic is that? It doesn't seem very fair to me." Higuma said as he too stared at his lifeless man. Shanks could swear he watched the bandit leader shiver at the sight.
"Fair? You provoked us, we aren't here to play into your little game of make believe." Beckman stated, huffing in annoyance alongside the rest of the crew. Yassop's jaw on the floor as the word fair ringed through the air, what kind of man-child were they dealing with that'd complain about fairness as a criminal?
"We're pirates, we don't follow any of your so-called rules but to each their own we do have a code. Spit on me? Alright. Drench me in alcohol and laugh? I'll just laugh along, no harm in a little fun," Shanks took a deep breath, no one making a sound as to not interrupt him. "But hurt one of my friends and I'll make sure you don't live to regret it."
Higuma's laughter broke the silence that had fallen over them. "Just kill them already men!" He encouraged them, still standing on top of a now fighting child. One man took a swing of his sword at Shanks, only to be blocked by Beckman and knocked out with the back of his rifle. "I'll handle them, Boss." And he did, every one of the bandits were sprawled out on the ground in the blink of an eye.
Higuma's expression had turned a sickly pale as he watched the scene unfold, one of the pirates had single-handedly taken out all of his men without breaking a sweat. He only had one option and that was to flee as fast as he could from here, he threw a smoke-bomb at the ground so the pirates couldn't see him. He panicked as he realized the rubber brat could still see him and so he grabbed him as the smoke began to fade before running down to the docks and stealing a row boat.
- -
"Where the hell did he go?! And he took Luffy too, I was being too reckless!"