The veins on Rayleigh's forehead bulged one after another as he jabbed a trembling finger at Kael, clearly seconds away from launching into a ten-thousand-word rant.
But before he could explode, a booming laugh cut through the tension.
"Kuhahahaha!"
Roger didn't look anxious in the slightest. In fact, he shoved aside a few crewmates, grinning from ear to ear as he carefully lifted the baby out of the chest.
He raised the infant high above his head like he'd just caught a rare Pokémon.
"Look!" Roger beamed, his grin even brighter than when he'd defeated Rocks. "This must be fate! From today on, this little guy's part of the Roger Pirates!"
"Huh ?!" ×N
Except for Kael, every man on deck shouted in unison, stunned.
Scopper Gaban nearly dropped his sunglasses as he leapt up. "Roger! You can't be serious! That's a baby! He can't even walk yet!"
He pointed from the child to the raging sea. "We're pirates, not a damn daycare!"
"So what?" Roger replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He looked down and tickled the baby, who blinked open his big dark eyes, gazed curiously around, and then rather than crying burst into cheerful laughter.
"See? He likes me!" Roger announced proudly, as if that settled it.
"That's not the point!" Rayleigh clutched his temples, feeling a migraine coming on. "Roger, this is a pirate ship! We fight, we're hunted by the Marines, we live on the edge every day! How are we supposed to raise a baby on board?"
Roger waved dismissively, gesturing toward the corner where Kael was doing his best to blend into the background. "What's the big deal? Kael was just a kid when he came aboard, and he turned out fine!"
Whoa, whoa, whoa why is this my problem again?!
Kael rolled his eyes so hard they nearly stuck that way. Finally, he stood up and said, "Captain, with all due respect, allow me to clarify two points. First, I was six years old when I came aboard I could feed myself, use the bathroom, and even clean the deck when needed. Second, between you and me, who do you honestly think causes more trouble?"
The moment that question left his mouth, every crew member including the still-fuming Rayleigh turned to look at Roger.
Their collective expression screamed, Do we even need to answer that?
Rayleigh nodded solemnly. "Kael's right. On his first day, he made his own bed. Meanwhile, Roger, I still have to remind you not to throw your socks everywhere."
"Oi! Rayleigh!" Roger protested.
"My navigation charts? You used them as coasters last week."
"And my whetstone you used it to polish your boots!"
"…"
A chorus of complaints and laughter erupted across the deck, dissolving the earlier tension.
But the issue wasn't solved.
Roger was clearly determined to keep the baby. He paced the deck with the child in his arms, mumbling to himself. "Gotta give him a name… Wait, what's this?"
He rummaged through the chest and pulled out a small silk tag embroidered with gold thread. "Shanks… huh. Nice name! Then Shanks it is!"
The crew sighed collectively. There was no winning against their captain's brand of insanity.
Still, accepting it was one thing living with it was another.
From that day forward, the Oro Jackson, the mightiest ship to ever conquer the Grand Line, descended into utter chaos because of one tiny stowaway.
"Who knows how to change diapers?!"
"What's a diaper? Can I just use this deck rag?"
"Idiot! That'll scrape his skin! Use my headband it's softer!"
"He's crying! Quick, someone make him laugh!"
One of the burly pirates leaned in, pulled a ridiculous face, and immediately made things worse. The baby wailed even louder.
"Out of the way!" Gaban barked, puffing on his cigar with the air of an expert. "Kids just need food, that's all."
He fished out a piece of dried meat and was about to shove it into Shanks' mouth.
"Stop right there!" Kael's hand flashed, a soft wave of energy flicking the meat clean out of Gaban's grasp. "Are you trying to choke him?! He doesn't even have teeth yet!"
The deck devolved into chaos. Pirates scrambled back and forth like headless chickens until Rayleigh finally snapped.
"Quiet! You boil water! You find clean cloth!"
Roger stood at the side, grinning from ear to ear as he winked at Kael. "See? Piece of cake."
Every single person on deck Kael included turned to glare at him in pure contempt.
Kael slumped against the mast, watching this bunch of infamous, billion-berry pirates being utterly defeated by a single toothless infant.
He sighed, lifted a finger, and released a gentle ripple of light. Tiny glowing butterflies formed in the air, fluttering around Shanks' makeshift cradle.
The baby immediately stopped crying, mesmerized by the shimmering colors. His tiny hands reached out to grab them before his eyelids drooped shut again.
"Ohhhh!"
"Kael, you're amazing!"
The crew applauded in admiration. Kael just gave them a tired smirk and waved them off.
He gazed down at the red-haired baby, now peacefully sleeping, and felt a strange swirl of emotions.
Looking at the chest, the child, and Roger who was crouched nearby with a goofy grin, staring fondly at the baby Kael couldn't help thinking…
So does this make me one of Red-Haired Shanks' foster fathers now?
Whoa… talk about a major title upgrade.
Kael pulled out his cup and poured himself another drink of orange juice, downing it in one go.
The cool sweetness slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the bizarre mix of disbelief and amusement welling up inside him.
The ship sailed forward, cutting through the waves under a calm sky.
And on its deck, a crew of legendary pirates huddled around a tiny cradle, debating whether to feed the baby goat's milk or fish soup tomorrow.
Roger: "How about my special aged rum?"
"You moron!!!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to add this story to your Library, drop a review, and leave a Power Stone if you enjoyed it!