𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 ➳ 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚 (one piece fanfic)

Side-story : Food Revenge

So I found the picture (from Pinterest) above so cute I just had to write an extra for it... :))

It is set after Luffy gained his Demon Fruit but before Konan left in the previous chapter (so before the accident with the Mountain Bandit).

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Luffy cackled mischievously as he curled onto himself, his breath carefully quiet. His heart drummed loudly against his chest, and he immediately pressed it, shushing it with a glare. His heartbeat pounded noisily in his ears and his hot breath seemed oddly loud at the moment.

His hands slowly pushed the cover of his hiding place, his eyes landing on a nearing adult, and without wasting time, he closed the lid and held his breath.

The sound of steps neared and an inexorable feeling of anticipation filled his small body.

A low thump was heard before a voice came from above him, "Hey Benn," Shanks started, his voice unusually low and monotone, "let's throw this barrel in the sea."

Luffy's heart dropped and anxiety gripped him at the throat. A desperate shout scrapped from his mouth, "Help!" His tiny fingers banged against the previously light lid. He didn't want to die.

A chuckle interrupted his worries before he was gently removed from his hiding place. He sniffled as the grinning face of Shanks looked down at him.

His vision blurred as his fists clenched around the male's shirt. Without acknowledging Shanks stream of apologies, Luffy buried his head in the older pirate's beer-scented shirt.

"I'm sorry Luffy," Shanks whispered, the famed pirate helpless faced with a crying child. He winced as Benn's hand slapped his shoulder and his first mate shook his head, ignoring his captain's pleading eyes. Benn turned away from him, seemingly saying 'clean your own mess'.

When Shanks - still carrying his protegee - came in the bar, an unsettling silence welcomed him and his crewmates gazed at him with varying degree of amusement and pity. He gritted his teeth as he silently cursed them; they were enjoying his plight.

Makino finally came out from the kitchen when she stopped hearing the loud-mouthed pirates. Her motherly instincts immediately took over as she offered the child a glass of orange juice before sending a glare to the ones watching the show and one more specifically directed toward the one responsible for all of this.

"Shanks, meanie!" Luffy pouted, droplets of tears gathering around his eyes. When Shanks chuckled while patting his head in sign of reconciliation, Luffy huffed and turned his head away.

Cold sweat dripped from Shanks back as he felt more than saw the approaching purple head. From experience, his teasing of Luffy often ended... with her taking revenge. He was once fooled by her silent and aloof demeanor but he quickly enough regretted it - her pranking skills could put even Luffy to shame.

As predicted, once she set her eyes on a sniffling Luffy, Konan turned in a mother-hen, carrying him away - with the little brat, taking advantage of it to grin mischievously at him, in her back.

When the childish red head stuck his tongue out in return, her gaze swiftly snapped at him, a cold warning in it and he promptly straightened up. This scene sent his comrades - these traitors - into a laughing fit.

'No drinking tonight', he mouthed, a satisfied smirk forming when he saw their outraged faces.

When Luffy came back a few hours later, a half-licked ice-cream smugly held in his hand and a mysterious bag in the other, Shanks had a bad feeling. Once Luffy entered the kitchen, his guts told him to run away and run away he did - or at least tried. Only to be stopped by a seemingly light hand on his shoulder pushing him down on his stool - though only him could feel the weight that frail hand held. And so, he was stuck, waiting for his death, with a softly smiling girl half his age who was clearly looking forward to his suffering. He only hoped the dark-haired child would remember his good deeds, and be merciful.

"Shanks," Luffy almost sang as he came out, a plate of food in hand, and slanted eyes that looked every part the devil.

The plate carefully placed in front of him, Shanks gulped nervously, his life passing through his eyes.

"Enjoy your food," Konan commented, her almost lazy gaze fixed on him, observing like a hawk his every moves. He didn't need to turn his head to know his crew was merrily enjoying every part of it.

His fork brought the cursed food to his mouth and the very smell of it sent his soul to hell and back. "I-" he tentatively started, looking at the girl beside him, only to flinch when he saw her unbulging form. He wouldn't get past that.

So, he pinched his nose and took a tentative bite. Only to almost spit it right out - and he would have, if not for the papers that magically sealed his mouth, forcing him to shallow the substance - because it couldn't be called food. Luffy was too busy laughing his ass off to actually notice the trick.

With teary eyes, he was forced to eat a few more bites before being exempted from the rest by a laughing Luffy. And he didn't need to be told twice to throw the food out the window. A few birds gratefully pecked at the food only to fall unconscious the next second.

Let's just say Shanks was traumatized by this event. And his crewmates - despite their desperate pleading - were banned from drinking for the rest of the day.