It's a Shrimpy World

It started on a random Wednesday while you were docked on a small island after dropping off and picking up a shipment. With over half of your crew taking a break on the island, your gaze and thoughts were cast on the request letter you had received from a local art merchant about possible doing business together. While your thoughts were occupied you reached from the apple your navigator had brought you only to grasp air.  

Your gaze lifted as you stood on the deck of your merchant vessel, letter in one hand, staring at the empty space on top of the barrel where your apple had definitely been a couple of minutes ago. Your eyes traveled up to some of the crates that hadn’t made it below deck yet and there sat a red-haired man, perfectly at ease, already mid-bite of your apple. 

He waved with the stolen apple giving you a teasing smile. “Really good apple,” he said. “Where did you get it?”  

Behind you members of your crew had wonder out from below to collect the cargo the man was sitting on. Upon seeing him, your crew had gone still before panic whispers began to drift to your ears.  

You placed the letter down on the barrel and took a step towards him. You weren’t stupid, you knew who this man was and how dangerous he could be. Normally you could get a read on pirates and what they wanted, but with Red-Hair Shanks you couldn’t tell what he wanted. “You’re on my ship.” You say after a moment.  

“I am.” Shanks replied, taking another bite of the apple.  

You took one step closer while looking into his eyes, “You stole my apple.” 

A wider grin crossed his face, “I did.” 

You extended a hand out, “That’ll be ten berries then.” 

Shanks blinked, then started laughing like you’d told the funniest joke in the world.  The red-haired captain wiped tears from his eyes. “I like you, your pretty funny.” 

“I will change you inconvenience fee if you don’t get off my ship.” You replied with your hand still extended out.  

Shanks hops off the create, taking your outstretched hand and before you could react, he flips it over and places a quick kiss on it, before hoping overboard with the rest of the apple. “Sorry got no berries on me right now, but I pay you back later.” He shouts over his shoulder before vanishing into the busy port.  

And that is where your story involving Shanks should have ended. A strange encounter on one of the many islands in the grand line. It should have been a story your crew would tell in taverns that most people would never believe.  

But instead, three months later, your lookout screamed. “PIRATES OFF THE STARBOARD SIDE!” 

And your stomach dropped when you saw the flag; you had a run in with the captain of that crew a month back in bar. Let's just say, it didn’t end very well for the pirate and with the speed the ship was barreling towards yours; it was a good bet this wasn’t going to be friendly interaction. 

“CAPTAIN ANOTHER OFF THE PORT SIDE!”  You whipped around, were they going to attack you and your crew from both sides? Instead you saw a ship larger that most navy vessels, with the jolly roger with three scars over its left eye and crossed swords behind it. It was Red Hair Shanks ship, the Red Force and it was cutting through the water at a fast speed.  

You tightened your grip on the starboard railing. You opened your mouth to begin shouting orders but before you could, “CAPTAIN! THE PIRATES OFF THE STARBOARD SIDE ARE TURNING BACK!” Your lookout screamed. 

You turned your attention to that direction, and they were right. The pirate crew was changing course and rather quickly, but that still didn’t change the fact the Red Force was still coming towards you on the port side. As quickly as you turned around, you ran into someone. Your crew let out screams and shouts and there he was standing on your deck.  

“Hey,” Shanks said casually, “Looked like you had some trouble coming your way” 

“The only trouble I’m seeing is you.” 

He grinned. “Well, I said I was going to pay you back for the apple. But since you are being like this, I think I will be holding on the berries for the timing being.” 

You closed your eyes briefly, sighing, before looking at him. You and your crew would have been in trouble had the other pirate crew attacked, and the sight of the Red Force was enough to scare them off. “Well thank you for your help, is there anything I can help you with?”  

He was grinning you like he was amused by everything you did; it was irritating. “Of course, Apple, happy to help.”  

You folded your arms. "You're not calling me Apple." 

Shanks tilted his head as though considering it. "Hm... Nah, Apple sounds good." Your eye twitched. "It's memorable," he continued cheerfully. "Merchant captains all blur together after a while. But you're the one who tried to charge me ten berries for an apple." 

"You stole it." You said pointily.  

"I borrowed it." 

"You ate it." 

"I borrowed it permanently." 

Several members of your crew looked ready to faint. You pinched the bridge of your nose. "Give me the ten berries and then get off my ship." 

Shanks laughed, bright and easy, the sound carrying over the water. “Sorry don’t have the money on me right now. Maybe next time.” Before you could formulate a response, he took two steps backward hopping up on the railing leaned backward over the railing and disappeared. A moment later came the unmistakable splash, followed by cheers from his crew aboard the Red Force as their captain surfaced in the water, waving as though he'd just visited an old friend instead of trespassing on a merchant vessel for the second time. 

After that, you and your crew would run into the Red-Haired Pirates somewhat regularly.  

There was the time a storm had ripped your sails, and his ship appeared on the horizon helping escort your ship to the nearest port for repairs. Shanks did spend all that time trying to talk to you; he was annoying but by the time your ship reached the port, you had softened up a bit and began engaging in conversation with him. You still weren’t able to get the ten berries you were owed. 

In another instance, there was a partially rough island where you were making a special delivery too. The Red Force had pulled into the port not thirty minutes after you had arrived. You had planned to make the delivery yourself, but Shanks garbed the package before you could would only give it back if he could tag along. You relented and spent the next six hours hiking up and down one of the mountains with him to make the delivery. You again asked for the berries but no luck, once again claiming he didn’t have money on him.  

Sometime days would go by, other times weeks, and occasionally months, when you would see Shanks and his crew. Sometimes you would run into them on the open water other times in towns. The Red-Haired Pirates were respectful of you and crew, and once your crew realized they weren’t going to hurt them, they quickly became friends with the members of Shanks crew.  

The Red-Haired Pirate always paid for supplies (most of the time they would overpay). Once they bought twenty barrels of flour, they clearly didn't need. Your quartermaster whispered, "They're really good for business Cap." 

"I know.” 

The next time you saw him, it had been three months since your last encounter. You saw in the paper that he had been seen in the waters of the New World. You and your crew had been discussing if you wanted to start selling in the New World, while there was higher risk involved it also would be much more rewarding. If you decided to you were going to need a better ship and some more crew members. But there was still debate on it if it would be worth it.

You’d anchored near a small island to restock water. Nothing unusual, it was a standard merchant route, in water that was safe. Or at least as safe as the Grand Line could be. And to you and your crews surprise the Red Force was already there and as you stepped onto the dock and you immediately spotted Shanks sitting on a barrel like he owned the entire coastline. He looked up and grinned. “You’re late, Apple.” 

“How can I be late, when I had no plans in meeting you here Shanks.” You asked smiling. You had grown used to his antics and actually began to miss him during these last three months.  

“Details, details, you are late.” He said waving his hand. 

"You still owe me ten berries." You said with a teasing grin. 

He hopped of the barrel making his way closer to you, "I do, Apple that I do."  

"And somehow you've managed to avoid paying that debt for a while now." 

"I've been meaning to." 

"You absolutely have not." 

He flashed that grin that made your stomach flip. "No," he admitted. "Probably not." You couldn't stop the laugh that escaped you. Shanks looked over, smiling a little wider. "There it is." 

"There what is?" You asked after you finished laughing.  

"Don’t worry about it Apple.” He responded with a laugh of his own.  

That night, your crews ended up drinking together again. Your first mate and Lucky Roux were engaged in what could only be described as a competitive eating involving an alarming amount of meat. Several high-stake cards games were happening. While some of the others were engaging in a drink game involving the dart board.  

And you had wonder out to the docks and not far behind you was Shanks. You found yourself watching the stars that littered the horizon with him for awhile before you broke the silence. “You could have anything you want out here,” you said quietly. “Why do you keep coming back?” 

He was silent for a moment gazing at the same stars, “Well there is something that I want here.” 

“Treasure?” you asked. 

“Well have a lot of that already but always looking for more.” 

“Power?” 

“Comes with the job.” 

“Freedom?”  

He looked at you then. “Always had that.” And then in voice barely louder than a whisper. "No there is just one thing that I want.”  

You searched his face. For the first time since you'd met him, there wasn't a trace of his usual teasing grin. "What is it?" you asked softly. 

Shanks reached into the pocket of his coat. "I've been carrying this around for a while." 

He held out a small velvet pouch gently placing into the same hand that he had kissed all that time ago. You looked at it, then back at him. "What's this?" 

"Open it." He said we gentle smile.  

You untied the drawstring and tipped the contents into your palm. Nestled against in your palm was a necklace. Hanging from the fine gold chain was an apple carved from deep red ruby, the gem catching the moonlight making it almost glow. At the top, a tiny emerald leaf and stem completed it. For a long moment, all you could do was gaze at the apple necklace in your hand.  "It's beautiful." 

"You like it?" 

You nodded. "It's incredible." Your thumb brushed over the small apple. "Why an apple?" 

Shanks chuckled. "I figured when I paid you back for stealing yours, I'd have to make it worth the wait." 

You looked up at him. "Shanks..." 

"I know." He rubbed the back of his neck with an almost sheepish laugh. "It's probably more than ten berries." 

"It's worth thousands."  

He shrugged as though it was nothing. "I've owed you for a while." 

Your fingers closed around the necklace looking into his eyes. "I can't accept something like this." 

"Sure, you can." 

"It's far too expensive." 

"So?" 

"So, it's yours." 

He slid closer until only a small space separated the two of you. "No, it's yours." Before you could protest again, he gently took the necklace from your hand. "May I?" You hesitated before turning around. You felt his fingers brush lightly against the back of your neck as he fastened the clasp. The touch lasted only a second, but somehow it lingered. When you turned back, his smile softer than the one he wore for everyone else. "There." 

You glanced down at the ruby apple resting against your chest. "I suppose this means we're even?" 

Shanks laughed. "Oh, Apple." He leaned in just enough that only you could hear his next words. "I never wanted us to be even."