#redhaiired

The one who walked away

Shanks x Reader

She loved him quietly.

He loved her too… but was too afraid to admit it. When Shanks chose someone else, she did the only thing she thought would protect them both—she walked away.

No goodbye.

No second chance.

Just a letter left behind.

But six months later, Shanks finally realized the truth…

The person he was searching for had been the one standing beside him all along.

Now he has to find her.

But the question remains…

Will she come home?

Or did he lose her forever?

Warnings:none,emotional,love triangle,fluff,angst.

Loving Shanks had never been part of the plan.

It had happened slowly, quietly—hidden in shared laughter over drinks, lazy afternoons beneath endless blue skies, and the gentle way he always made sure you were safe without making it obvious.

Somewhere along the journey, your captain had become the one person your heart sought in every room.

And that was exactly why you had to let him go.

Because Shanks wasn't yours.

From the very beginning, the crew had noticed more than you thought."You've been watching him for exactly four minutes," Hongo said one afternoon, adjusting his glasses without looking up from the medical notes in his lap.

You nearly choked on your drink.

"I wasn't watching him."

"No," Hongo replied calmly. "You were observing him. There's a difference."

Lucky Roux burst into laughter.

"That's doctor talk for 'you're hopelessly in love.'"

"I'm not in love."

"You've denied it thirty-seven times this month," Hongo answered.

"...You're counting?"

"I count everything."

Yasopp wandered over with his rifle slung over one shoulder.

"What's going on?"

Lucky threw an arm around him dramatically.

"Our dear Y/N has a tiny little crush."

"I do not."

"A massive crush," Lucky corrected.

"I said I don't!"

Yasopp looked toward Shanks, who was laughing loudly with Bonk Punch near the helm.

Then back at you.

Then he smiled knowingly.

"...Yeah."

Your face burned.

"You too?"

He shrugged.

"You're not exactly subtle."

"I thought I was."

"You stare at him like he's the sunrise."

"I do not!"

"You smiled before he even looked in your direction," Limejuice commented as he passed by carrying a crate.

Howling Gab leaned over the railing.

"I've got fifty berries saying the captain likes her back!"

Bonk Punch snorted.

"I'll double it."

"The captain's an idiot," Lucky said with a grin.

"The girl's an idiot," Yasopp added.

"They're both idiots," Benn Beckman finished as he lit another cigarette.

You groaned, burying your face in your hands.

"I hate every single one of you."

Lucky laughed so hard he nearly dropped his food."No, you don't."

"...No," you admitted quietly.

"I don't."

The Red Force wasn't just your crew anymore.

It was your family.

Which made what happened next hurt even more.that evening

Hongo had once adjusted his glasses, watching you a little too long after you laughed at something Shanks said. “Stress response,” he muttered to himself. “Or emotional attachment. Probably both.”

Lucky Roux, chewing loudly as always, had grinned. “Oi, she’s got it bad. Or he does. Honestly can’t tell which is worse.”

Yasopp, cleaning his rifle lazily, had only hummed. “People don’t look at someone like that unless it means something.”

When Shanks introduced his girlfriend to the crew, you smiled just like everyone else.Shanks smiled warmly as the beautiful woman stepped beside him.

"There you are."

She slipped her arm around his without hesitation.

The movement was natural.

Comfortable.

Practiced.

"I wanted everyone to finally meet you," Shanks said.

The crew exchanged confused looks.

Meet her?

"Everyone," Shanks continued happily, "this is .evelyn."

"My girlfriend."

The world stopped.

For a moment, you couldn't hear the waves.

Couldn't hear the gulls overhead.

Couldn't even hear your own heartbeat.

You only stared.

His...

Girlfriend?

Lucky Roux's smile vanished.

Yasopp slowly lowered the bottle in his hand.

Hongo quietly removed his glasses to clean lenses that didn't need cleaning.

Even Benn Beckman, leaning against the mast with a cigarette between his fingers, opened one eye.

No one had expected that.

Least of all you.

Shanks looked completely oblivious.

"I've been meaning to introduce her for weeks."

You congratulated them, wished them happiness, and buried every selfish hope deep inside your chest.

“Isn’t she lovely?” Shanks had said proudly, his arm loosely around her shoulders.

“She’s… very nice,” you managed, forcing your voice steady.

His girlfriend smiled at you, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “So you’re the famous Y/N. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Only good things, I hope,” you replied politely.

“Of course,” she said sweetly. “Shanks talks about you a lot.”

That made your chest tighten.

“Oh?” you asked carefully.

“Yeah,” she continued, leaning into him. “He says you’re like a little sister to him.”

A little sister.

From behind the barrels, Lucky Roux whispered, “Oof… that’s a bad one.”

Yasopp’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s not how he looks at her.”

Hongo sighed quietly. “Denial is a dangerous thing.”

Limejuice didn’t look up from his drink. “This will end poorly.”

Howling Gab, far too amused, muttered, “Called it.”

Bonk Punch cracked his knuckles. “Still betting on someone getting punched.”Limejuice, ever calm, had simply said, “This is going to become a problem if no one addresses it.”

Howling Gab, far too loud as usual, had laughed. “HAH! If this turns into a love triangle, I’m betting on the captain losing!”

Bonk Punch had just snorted. “If it gets messy, I’m throwing someone overboard.”

No one noticed how your smile faltered for just a second.

No one except Benn Beckman.

From then on, you kept your distance. You no longer joined Shanks on late-night watches. You declined invitations to drink with him.You stopped volunteering for missions that paired you with Shanks.

You stopped laughing quite so loudly whenever he told one of his terrible jokes.

Every step away from him felt like tearing off a piece of your own heart.

But staying close hurt even more.

“Hey, Y/N!” Shanks would call after you sometimes. “We’re heading out for drinks—come with us!”

“I can’t,” you’d answer quickly. “I’ve got… things to do.”

“What things?” he’d press, confused.

“Just things, Captain,” you’d say with a small bow before walking away.

From the railings, Limejuice observed quietly, “She’s withdrawing.”

Hongo nodded once. “Self-protective behavior.”

Yasopp frowned. “Or heartbreak.”

Lucky Roux sighed. “This is depressing.”

When he asked you to accompany him into town, you always found an excuse.

“Y/N, come with me,” he said one afternoon, grinning. “I need someone with taste. Beckman insults everything I buy.”

You shook your head. “Sorry, I already promised to help with repairs.”

“You didn’t promise anything,” Lucky Roux called from behind you.

You shot him a look. “I just remembered I did.”

Shanks frowned. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I haven’t.”

“You have,” he insisted, softer now. “Did I do something wrong?”

Your throat tightened. “No, Captain. You didn’t.”

“Then why—”

“Because I’m busy,” you cut in gently. “That’s all.”

It hurt.

But staying close hurt even more.

Shanks noticed.

At first, he thought you were simply busy. Then he wondered if he had done something wrong.

Eventually, he convinced himself of the one explanation that hurt the most.

You just weren't interested in him.

Not that it mattered.

He was already in a relationship.

He had chosen someone else because it was easier than confronting the feelings he had been trying to ignore for months. Falling for one of his own crew members felt dangerous. Complicated. He told himself it was only admiration, only friendship.

Yet every time you laughed with Lucky Roux, his stomach twisted.

“Oi, Y/N, try this!” Lucky would grin, offering you food.

“You’re going to spoil her,” Shanks muttered under his breath.

“What was that, Captain?” Lucky asked.

“Nothing,” Shanks said quickly, looking away.

Yasopp, watching from a distance, murmured, “He notices everything she does.”

Hongo replied quietly, “And everything she doesn’t do.”

Every time another pirate looked at you for a little too long, his jaw tightened.

“Stop staring,” Benn said once, noticing.

“I’m not staring,” Shanks replied.Bonk Punch snorted nearby. “You are absolutely staring.”

Howling Gab laughed. “CAPTAIN’S GOT IT BAD!”

“Shut up,” Shanks muttered Benn raised a brow.

Every time you avoided him...

...he hated it.

His girlfriend noticed.

She saw the lingering glances Shanks thought no one caught.

“Why do you keep looking at her?” she asked one night, voice sharp.

“I’m not,” Shanks sighed.

“You are,” she insisted. “Every time she walks by, you stop talking to me.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is,” she snapped. “You care more about her than me.”

“That’s ridiculous,” he said, rubbing his face. “She’s my crewmate.”

“Right,” she said coldly. “Just your crewmate.”From across the deck, Limejuice exhaled slowly. “This is escalating.”

Hongo frowned. “Emotional manipulation patterns increasing.”

Yasopp’s voice was low. “She’s targeting her.”

Lucky Roux looked uncomfortable. “This isn’t funny anymore.”

She saw how his eyes searched the deck until they found you.

“Where’s Y/N?” he’d ask casually.

“Why do you care?” she’d reply immediately.

“I was just asking.”

She saw the disappointment on his face whenever you quietly slipped away before he could speak to you.

Jealousy turned into resentment.

The insults started small.

Little comments disguised as jokes.

“Oh, careful,” she’d say when you passed. “Don’t want you tripping over again, Shanks might actually notice.”

“Hey,” Lucky snapped once, “that’s enough.”

“I’m just joking,” she replied sweetly.

Accusations that you were trying to steal her boyfriend.

“She’s always around you,” she whispered to Shanks one night. “Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“She’s crew,” he said tiredly.

“Or maybe she wants more.”

You never argued back.

You simply apologized—even when you had done nothing wrong.

“I’m sorry,” you said once after she snapped at you in front of everyone.

“For what?” Yasopp asked immediately.

“For… bothering her,” you murmured.

“You didn’t do anything,” he said firmly.

But you just smiled faintly and walked away.

The crew began noticing.

Yasopp frowned whenever she mocked you.

“Say that again,” he warned once, eyes sharp.

Lucky Roux looked ready to throw her overboard more than once.

“Just give me five minutes,” he muttered. “I’ll fix her attitude.”bonk bunch said

Even Benn quietly warned Shanks that something wasn't right.

“Your girl’s got a problem,” Benn said one evening.

Shanks sighed. “She’s just insecure.”

“That’s not insecurity,” Benn replied. “That’s cruelty.”

But Shanks never saw the full picture.

Whenever he was around, she became sweet and affectionate.

“Shanks, come here,” she’d say softly, wrapping her arms around him. “I missed you.”

And he’d relax, believing it was fine.

Whenever he wasn't...

She made your life miserable.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” she’d ask you coldly in passing.

“I was just—”

“Just leave.”

Still, you stayed.

Not because of her.

Because of the crew.

Because this ship had become your home.

Until one afternoon in a bustling port.

You had wandered into town alone, hoping the market would clear your mind.

“Need anything?” a vendor asked.

“No, thank you,” you replied softly.

Instead...

You saw her.

Laughing.

Wrapped in another man's arms.

“Missed you,” the man said.

“I missed you too,” she giggled.

Then she kissed him.

Not a mistake.

Not an accident.

A kiss filled with familiarity.

As if they had done this many times before.

You stood frozen.

Your breath caught, and for a moment the world went silent.

Then you turned away.

Not toward the ship.

But toward the only person you trusted to hear the truth without letting it destroy everything.

Benn Beckman was on the deck when you found him, cigarette between his fingers, eyes already narrowing the moment he saw your face.

“You saw something,” he said flatly.

You swallowed hard. “I did.”

He waited.

And you told him everything.

Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just the truth—quiet, shaking, and heavy.

When you finished, Benn exhaled slowly. “And you’re telling me this because…?”

“Because I’m leaving,” you said.

That made him pause.

“I can’t stay here and watch it fall apart,” you continued. “And I can’t be the reason things get worse for him.”

Benn studied you for a long moment. “So you’re running.”

“I’m protecting him,” you corrected softly.

A beat of silence.

Then he spoke again, more carefully this time. “You know he’s going to lose it when he finds out.”

“I know,” you whispered. “That’s why I need you to make sure he doesn’t blame me. Let him think it was just… me stepping away.”

Benn’s eyes narrowed. “You’re asking me to lie to your captain.”

“I’m asking you to protect him from the truth that would break him in the wrong way,” you said.

Another pause.

Then Benn clicked his tongue. “Tch. You’re both idiots.”

“I won’t tell him,” he said finally. “But you better be sure about this.”

“I am.”

Benn Beckman was already on deck when the crew returned to  the red force  cigarette between his fingers, eyes narrowing the moment he saw Shanks step on deck with her clinging to his arm.

“You’re back early,” benn said casually.

Instead, he exhaled smoke and said flatly, “We’ve got a problem.”

Shanks frowned. “What kind of problem?”

Benn tilted his head toward the woman. “The kind standing right next to you.”

Her grip tightened. “Excuse me?”

Shanks sighed. “Benn, not now—”

“No,” Benn cut in sharply. “Now is exactly the time.”

The crew went quiet.

Even the wind seemed to stop.

Benn’s eyes locked on Shanks. “I saw her in town.”

“So?” she snapped. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Benn ignored her and continued, voice cold. “She wasn’t alone.”

Shanks blinked. “What are you talking about?”

Benn finally looked at him fully. “She was kissing another man. Not a mistake. Not a misunderstanding. A lover.”

Silence.Shanks turned slowly. “What did you do?”Then a sharp laugh from her. “That’s ridiculous.”

But Benn didn’t even glance at her. “I watched it happen.”

Shanks’ expression shifted slightly. “Benn…”

“She’s been lying to you,” Benn said evenly. “For a long time.”

The woman’s face tightened. “You’re insane.”

Shanks looked between them, confusion turning into something heavier. “Tell me you’re joking.”

Benn took one last drag of his cigarette. “I don’t joke about things like this.”

And then, finally, he added, “Especially not when it’s happening right in front of you.”

The words hit harder than any blade.

Her hand slipped from Shanks’ arm.

“Shanks, you don’t believe him, right?” she said quickly, forcing a smile. “He’s just—he’s always like this—”

But Shanks wasn’t looking at her anymore.

He was staring at Benn

Her smile faltered. “What are you talking about?”

Even the sea felt still.

“I didn’t do anything,” she said quickly. “This is about her, isn’t it? That girl again—”

“Don’t,” Shanks cut in sharply.

But she kept going.

“She’s been poisoning everything between us since the start—”

That was the moment something in him snapped.

“Enough.”

His voice wasn’t loud.

It didn’t need to be.

The air itself seemed to tighten.

“You don’t get to talk about her like that,” he said.

Her eyes widened. “So it is her.”

Shanks stepped closer, jaw tight. “You lied to me.”

“I didn’t—”

“I saw you,” benn said coldly. “In the port.”

Silence.

The color drained from her face.

Behind them, the crew shifted uncomfortably.

“You followed me?” she whispered.

“I saw you,” he repeated. “That’s all I needed.”

Her voice rose. “So what? You’re going to believe him over me?”

Turning to shanks

“I’m going to believe what he saw,” he said.

And then she laughed—sharp, broken.

“You’re insane,” she spat. “All of this over some crew girl who doesn’t even want you—”

The slap didn’t come.

But the silence after his glare was worse.

“Get off my ship,” Shanks said quietly.

Her face twisted. “You’re choosing her.”

“I’m choosing the truth.”

For a second, she looked like she might argue again.

Then she didn’t.

She turned, shaking with rage, and stormed off the deck.

No one stopped her.

No one followed.

And when the door finally shut behind her, Shanks exhaled slowly—like something inside him had been holding its breath for months.

Then he turned.

And for the first time, he looked towards your cabin door where you stood behind were you listening, holding your breath, already knowing nothing on this ship would ever feel the same again.

That night, you quietly packed your belongings.

“Leaving already?” a benn asked.

“Yeah,” you said softly.

You carefully folded the letter before holding it out to Benn.

"...Please give this to him," you said quietly.

Benn accepted it without a word.

Then you reached into your pocket and pulled out a small piece of Vivre Card, placing it in his hand.

"This..." you murmured, closing his fingers around it, "...is for you."

He looked down at it before meeting your eyes.

"Don't tell him about the Vivre Card."

A brief silence settled between you.

"If he wants to find me..." you whispered, your voice barely audible, "...he'll have to let me go first."

Benn studied you for a long moment before slipping both the letter and the Vivre Card into the inside pocket of his coat.

"...Understood."

You offered him one last, grateful smile.

"Thank you, Benn."

He gave a small nod.

"Take care of yourself, kid."

Without another word, you turned toward the waiting boat, refusing to look back.

If you did...

You weren't sure you'd be able to leave you looked past beckman—toward the sea, toward the open horizon that had once meant freedom and now only meant distance. before sunrise, you disappeared from the Red Force. Morning on the Red Force came without warning.

No shouting. No laughter. No clatter of boots across the deck.

Just an unfamiliar stillness that didn’t belong to a ship like theirs.

Shanks woke with the kind of instinct that didn’t need explanation.

Something was wrong.

He sat up slowly, one hand already reaching for the bottle beside his bed out of habit—then stopped.

“Y/N?” Shanks called out the next morning. “Where is she?”

No one answered right away.

Until Benn stepped forward, holding the letter.

But he said nothing about the vivre card tucked safely away.

Shanks read the letter once.

Then again.

"Captain.

Thank you for giving me a place to belong.

I'm sorry for leaving like this, but I think it's time I found my own path.

Take care of yourself... and be happy.

—Y/N."

And something in his expression cracked.

“Where is she?” he asked again, voice breaking.

The woman he had truly loved was already long gone.

Three months passed.

The Red Force kept sailing, but something in its heartbeat had shifted.

Shanks tried to laugh it off at first.

“She’ll show up,” he said once.

Laughter still echoed across the deck, drinks were still shared, and the sea still stretched endlessly ahead—but something was missing in every quiet moment.

You.

Shanks noticed it most in the small things.

The empty space where you used to sit during meals.

The way no one quietly fixed things before he even asked anymore.

The absence of your voice when the wind howled too loudly at night.

He told himself you were just keeping your distance.

That you were still on board.

Still there.

But he didn’t see you.

Not once.

And Benn never answered when he asked where you were.

Not even when the nights got longer.

Not even when Shanks started looking a little too often toward the places you used to stand.

Because deep down, the crew already knew—

you weren’t just avoiding him anymore.

You were gone.

And they were all missing you.

Yasopp noticed it first in the quiet mornings, when he’d instinctively look for you by the rail before remembering you weren’t there to laugh at his terrible aim anymore.

Lucky Roux still set aside extra food without thinking, only to pause halfway through and click his tongue in frustration when he realized no one would sneak it off his plate with a grin.

Hongo would catch himself preparing small remedies you used to ask for, then stare at the unused supplies a little too long before quietly putting them away.

Howling Gab stopped telling his loud, ridiculous stories the same way—because you were the one who used to laugh the hardest, and now the silence after his jokes felt heavier than the punchlines.

Bonk Punch would sit a little longer on the deck at night, staring out at the sea, muttering under his breath like he expected you to walk up and argue with him about something pointless.

And Shanks…

Shanks would stand where you used to stand.

Every time.

Like if he stayed long enough, you might come back and call him an idiot for .

Even Benn started missing you after three months. Sometimes, he would glance at your Vivre Card out of habit, watching the faint pull of it as if it might tell him where you had gone—where you were probably still out there, somewhere beyond the sea they couldn’t reach.

Six months.

Six months since you had walked off the Red Force.

At first, Benn thought time would do what it always did.

Heal.

He was wrong.

Shanks still smiled.

He still laughed with the crew.

He still raised a mug whenever there was something to celebrate.

But it wasn't real.

Benn noticed the empty bottles piling up in the captain's cabin.

The untouched meals.

The nights Shanks never went to bed, choosing instead to stand at the bow of the ship, staring at the sea as if you might suddenly appear on the horizon.

He noticed Shanks calling your name by mistake.

Turning around whenever someone laughed because, for just a second, it sounded like you.

He noticed how Shanks stopped playing cards because your seat across from him was always empty.

How he no longer lingered after dinner because there was no one quietly helping Lucky clean up.

Most of all...

He noticed that Shanks had stopped living.

He was surviving.

One evening, Benn found him sitting alone on the figurehead long after everyone else had gone to sleep.

"You should get some rest," Benn said.

Shanks didn't answer immediately.

After a long silence, he spoke.

"...Do you think she's eating properly?"

Benn looked at him.

"What?"

"She always forgot to eat when she was stressed."

His voice was quiet.

"So... do you think someone reminds her now?"

Benn's chest tightened.

Shanks wasn't wondering whether you hated him anymore.

He wasn't even wondering if you'd come back.

He was wondering if someone else was taking care of you.

Benn reached into the inside pocket of his coat.

For six months, he had carried your Vivre Card exactly where you had placed it in his hand.

"Please... don't tell him about it."

He had kept his promise.

Long enough.

He held the folded piece of paper out.

Shanks frowned.

"...What's this?"

Benn waited until Shanks took it.

Slowly, Shanks unfolded the paper.

His breath caught.

A Vivre Card.

It trembled gently, its edge pulling toward the horizon.

Shanks stared at it, unable to speak.

"...She gave this to me the day she left," Benn said quietly.

"You... had this?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because she asked me not to tell you."

Silence settled between them.

Benn looked out across the sea.

"I respected her wishes."

Another pause.

"But I've spent the last six months watching you try to exist without her."

He turned back to his captain.

"You can't."

Shanks lowered his head, clutching the Vivre Card so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"...No," he whispered.

"I can't."

Benn placed a hand on his shoulder.

"So go."

Shanks looked up.

"Find her."

His voice was calm.

"But remember one thing."

Benn's gaze hardened.

"You are not bringing her back."

"..."

"You are going to apologize."

For the first time in six months...

Hope flickered in Shanks' eyes.

The Sabaody Archipelago was beautiful.

Too beautiful.

The sunlight filtered through the towering mangroves, bubbles drifting lazily into the sky while merchants called out to passing pirates.

To anyone else, it was peaceful.

To Shanks...

It was the place where hope and fear became the same thing.

He stood at the bow of the Red Force, your Vivre Card trembling between his fingers.

For six months, he had imagined this moment.

He had pictured you angry.

Crying.

Maybe even relieved to see him.

He never imagined the possibility that you simply... wouldn't want him anymore.

"Captain."

Benn stepped beside him.

"We're here."

Shanks swallowed.

His hand tightened around the tiny piece of paper.

"...I know."

The Vivre Card led them through Grove after Grove.

It pulled with unwavering certainty.

Each step made Shanks' heartbeat louder.

Until...

It stopped.

In front of a small bar.

Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.

The door stood open.

Soft laughter drifted outside.

Rayleigh's laughter.

Shanks knew that laugh anywhere.

He slowly pushed the door open.

The familiar scent of alcohol and old wood filled the room.

Shakky looked up first.

"...Well."

She smiled knowingly.

"I wondered how long it would take."

Rayleigh, sitting comfortably at the counter with a drink in hand, didn't even turn around.

"Took you long enough."

Shanks barely heard them.

Because you were there.

Standing behind the bar.

Laughing at something Rayleigh had said.

A smile.

A real one.

One he hadn't seen in over half a year.

For just a moment...

The world stopped.

You looked healthier.

Your posture was straighter.

Your movements carried a confidence they hadn't before.

There was a sword resting against the wall beside you.

Your hair had grown longer.

But your eyes...

They were still yours.

You sensed someone watching.

Slowly, you turned.

Your smile disappeared.

The glass slipped from your hands.

It shattered across the floor.

"...Shanks."

His name had never sounded so broken.

Neither of you moved.

Neither of you knew how.

It was Rayleigh who finally sighed.

"I'll be outside."

Shakky nodded.

"So will I."

Within seconds, the bar was empty.

Leaving only the two of you.

And six months of silence.

Shanks opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

He had rehearsed this conversation a thousand times.

"I'm sorry."

Those were the only words that survived.

Your eyes lowered.

"...You found me."

"I never stopped looking."

Silence.

"I told Benn not to tell you." You look at ben with tears

"I know."

"You still came."

"I couldn't stay away."

You laughed softly.

It wasn't happy.

"...You should have."

Shanks took a cautious step forward.

"I know I should have realized sooner."

Another step.

"I know I hurt you."

Another.

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness."

You didn't stop him.

But you didn't move toward him either.

"I just..."

His voice cracked.

"I needed you to know that losing you was the biggest mistake I've ever made."

Tears stung your eyes.

Neither of you spoke.

The silence stretched until it became unbearable.

Then Shanks laughed.

It wasn't warm.

It wasn't amused.

It was broken.

"You really left."

You looked away.

"...I did."

"No goodbye."

His voice grew sharper.

"No explanation."

You swallowed.

"I left a letter."

"A letter?" he repeated, disbelief flashing across his face.

"You think a letter was enough?"

Your fingers curled into your palms.

"I didn't know what else to do."

"No."

He took a step toward you.

"You didn't give me a chance."

His voice cracked despite the anger behind it.

"You just... disappeared."

"I thought it would be easier."

"Easier?" he echoed.

"For who?"

"You?" His laugh was bitter.

"Do you have any idea what you did to us?"

To me.

He didn't say the last words aloud.

He didn't have to.

"You vanished without a trace."

His breathing had become uneven.

"I searched every island we visited."

Another step.

"I asked pirates."

"Marines."

"Bounty hunters."

"Anyone who might have seen you."

His eyes glistened.

"And every single day..."

His voice dropped to barely a whisper.

"...I thought I was too late."

You felt tears sting your eyes.

"I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"Then what were you trying to do?"

"I was trying to survive!"

The words escaped before you could stop them.

Silence.

You took a shaky breath.

"Every single day I watched you love someone else."

"I watched her humiliate me."

"I watched you defend her because you didn't know."

Your voice trembled.

"And every morning I had to pretend my heart wasn't breaking."

Tears rolled down your cheeks.

"So yes..."

You met his eyes.

"I left."

"Because staying was killing me."

The anger vanished from Shanks' face.

All that remained was guilt.

His shoulders slumped.

"...I didn't know."

"No," you whispered.

"You didn't."

Neither of you moved.

Neither of you knew how to bridge six months of silence.

From outside the bar, Rayleigh quietly sighed.

"They've finally started telling each other the truth."

Shakky took a slow drag from her cigarette.

"About time."The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

Shanks stood in front of you, his usual confidence completely gone.

No teasing smile.

No carefree laugh.

No mask.

Just Shanks.

The man who had finally stopped running from his own feelings.

"I know I don't deserve to ask this."

His voice was low.

"But please..."

Your heart tightened.

He stepped closer, but stopped before he reached you.

Giving you space.

"I know I hurt you."

"I know I made you feel like you weren't important."

"I know I should have noticed."

His eyes lowered.

"I should have seen you were hurting right in front of me."

Your fingers trembled slightly.

"Shanks..."

"Please come back."

The words were so quiet you almost didn't hear them.

Your breath caught.

"Come back to the Red Force."

A painful smile crossed his face.

"Come back to the crew."

A pause.

"...Come back to me."

Your heart shattered.

Because that was the one thing you had wanted to hear for so long.

But it was also the one thing you were afraid of.

"You don't know how much I wanted you to say that," you whispered.

Shanks looked at you.

"Then why does it feel impossible?"

You looked away.

"Because I'm scared."

That hurt him more than anger would have.

"Of me?"

You shook your head.

"No."

A tear slipped down your cheek.

"Of losing myself again."

For once, Shanks didn't try to make a joke.

Didn't try to lighten the pain.

He simply nodded.

"Then let me prove it."

Your eyes met his.

"I won't ask you to forget."

"I won't ask you to pretend nothing happened."

His voice became softer.

"I just want the chance to love you the way I should have from the beginning."

Silence.

You thought about the Red Force.

The crew.

The nights you missed.

The family you left behind.

And most importantly...

You thought about him.

No matter how far you ran.

No matter how much you tried to bury it.

You still loved him.

Your heart had never actually left.

You took a shaky breath.

"...If I come back..."

Shanks immediately looked up.

"If?"

You almost smiled.

"If I come back, things can't go back to how they were."

"They won't."

"You have to talk to me."

"I will."

"You have to trust me."

"I do."

"And I need you to understand..."

You stepped closer.

"...I left because I loved you."

His expression broke.

"I know."

This time...

He really did.

You looked at him for a long moment.

Then you slowly reached for his hand.

His fingers immediately closed around yours.

Warm.

Familiar.

Home.

"Okay," you whispered.

Shanks froze.

"Okay?"

A small smile appeared.

"I'll come back."

For the first time in six months...

Shanks looked alive.

When the Red Force appeared on the horizon again, nobody expected what happened next.

The crew gathered on deck, expecting only Shanks and Benn to return.

Then they saw you.

Walking beside Shanks.

Hand in hand.

The entire ship froze.

Lucky Roux dropped the food in his hand.

"No way."

Yasopp blinked.

"Am I seeing things?"

Hongo adjusted his glasses.

"...Interesting."

Limejuice stared.

"The probability of this outcome was unexpectedly low."

Howling Gab nearly fell over the railing.

"THEY'RE HOLDING HANDS!"

Bonk Punch crossed his arms.

"I knew it."

Everyone turned toward him.

"You knew?"

"Obviously."

Lucky pointed at him.

"You absolutely did not."

"I did."

"You didn't."

"I did."

Meanwhile, you stood beside Shanks, suddenly very aware of everyone's eyes on you.

Your cheeks warmed.

Maybe leaving was easier than this.

Facing pirates, enemies, and dangerous seas?

Easy.

Facing your entire crew watching you hold your captain's hand?

Terrifying.

You quietly moved closer to Shanks.

He noticed immediately.

A small smile tugged at his lips.

"You okay?"

You nodded.

"Everyone is staring."

"They missed you."

"I know."a pause

"So did I."

Your face turned even warmer.

From behind them, Benn watched silently.

And for the first time in months...

His captain looked like himself again.

As soon as your boots hit the deck, it was like the whole crew broke at once—some laughing, some crying, all of them rushing forward at the same time.

Yasopp reached you first, instantly pulling you into a tight hug like he was afraid you’d disappear again.

“Don’t you ever do that again,” he muttered, voice rough.

Behind him, Bonk Punch was openly crying, wiping his face with his sleeve while trying to act tough and failing completely.

“I told you she’d come back,” he choked out between tears.

Lucky Roux dropped the food in his hands again, laughing and crying at the same time.

“I KNEW IT—WELCOME HOME!”

Howling Gab was practically sobbing into your shoulder from the side, shaking you slightly as he hugged you too hard.

Hongo just sighed in relief, smiling softly as he adjusted his glasses.

Limejuice nodded once, as if confirming a long-calculated equation had finally resolved.

“…Statistically satisfying outcome.”

And through all of it, you couldn’t even breathe properly from how tightly everyone was holding you.Shanks let out a low laugh, shaking his head as he finally stepped in. “Alright, alright—give her some air, you idiots,” he said, though his voice was warm with relief. He moved closer to you, one hand settling gently on your waist as if anchoring himself there.

The crew immediately erupted—“Awwww!” “We waited so long for it!”He looked down at you, his usual grin softer now, something almost reverent in his eyes.

And then, without warning, he leaned in and kissed you slow, deep, and full of everything he hadn’t been able to say out loud.

When he pulled back just slightly, his forehead rested against yours, breath warm against your skin.

“Welcome home,” he murmured.

And for the first time...