"Tell me, Drifter," Shanks said, his gaze lingering on Grey. "Do you have a dream? An ambition? Something you desperately want to achieve?"
Grey remained silent, staring at Shanks without so much as blinking. His unnervingly still expression made several members of the Red-Haired Pirates shift uncomfortably. It was difficult to tell whether the man was thinking, listening, or simply staring at them for no particular reason.
"...Dreams?" Grey finally repeated.
The word sounded strange coming from his mouth, as though he were unfamiliar with its meaning.
He lowered his head and brought one hand to his chin, his fingers resting against it as he contemplated Shanks's question. For a moment, he looked almost like a philosopher pondering the mysteries of the universe. His grey eyes wandered across the shell of the Sea King beneath his feet, yet his expression remained as blank as ever.
A dream.
An ambition.
Something he desperately wanted to achieve.
Grey searched through his memories, trying to find an answer. He had never wanted wealth, power, or fame. He had no desire to conquer the seas or become the strongest man in the world. Those things held no meaning for him.
But there was something he wanted.
Something he had seen not long ago.
Slowly, Grey raised his head and looked directly at Shanks.
"...I want to smile like you"
"..."
"..."
Silence descended upon the Red Force; for a few seconds, even the sound of the waves seemed unusually noticeable.
Shanks blinked.
Once.
Then again.
Of all the answers he had expected to hear from the strange man riding a Sea King, that had certainly not been one of them.
"...Well, that's unexpected," Shanks finally remarked, breaking the silence before it could grow any more awkward, at least for the members of his crew.
A few pirates exchanged glances, while others simply stared at Grey with expressions ranging from confusion to disbelief.
After all, they were pirates. They had met all sorts of people throughout their journeys, from ambitious treasure hunters to reckless fools who dreamed of becoming kings. But this was the first time any of them had encountered someone whose greatest ambition was to smile.
And Grey didn't appear to be joking.
He looked at Shanks with the same empty expression as before, seemingly unaware that his answer had caught everyone off guard.
"Well, a dream is a dream," Shanks continued with a shrug, a small smile returning to his face. "Who am I to judge? Though I have to admit, that's not what I expected you to say"
"Is there something wrong with my dream?"
"No, not at all." Shanks shook his head. "I'm just surprised, that's all"
He chuckled, seemingly amused by the conversation. Yet, as he looked at Grey again, his smile softened slightly.
There was something unsettling about the man. Not his appearance, nor the fact that he had been riding a Sea King as though it were an ordinary ship. It was the way he spoke about something so simple with such complete seriousness.
Grey wasn't asking how to become rich or powerful.
He genuinely wanted to learn how to smile.
"Well, that's all I can say about that," Shanks continued, turning his attention toward the rest of his crew. "My boys and I have somewhere we need to be, so I guess this is goodbye"
He raised one hand in a casual wave before adding, "And this time, you'd better not follow us"
Grey watched him for a moment.
Then, just as Shanks was about to turn away, Grey spoke again.
"How can I achieve my dream?"
Shanks paused.
He turned his head back toward Grey, finding the man still looking at him with that same unnervingly blank expression. There was no desperation in his voice, nor any obvious impatience. Grey simply wanted an answer, as though Shanks might possess some knowledge that could help him accomplish the one thing he desired.
"...Who knows?" Shanks replied, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe you could travel around the world, meet new people, and experience different things. Have a drink with someone. Laugh with them. Maybe you'll figure it out along the way"
He shrugged.
"I'm no expert on dreams, after all"
Grey remained silent, carefully considering his words.
Travel the world.
Meet new people.
Experience different things.
Laugh with them.
He committed each suggestion to memory, treating Shanks's casual advice as though it were a set of instructions he needed to follow.
"I see." Grey gave a small nod. "Thank you for the advice"
"Don't mention it"
There was a brief pause before Grey tilted his head slightly.
"What's your name?"
Shanks raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
Grey nodded.
"I'm Shanks, captain of the Red-Haired Pirates." He flashed Grey another carefree smile. "Make sure you remember it, Drifter"
Grey stared at him for another moment before giving a small nod.
"Shanks. I will remember"
With that, Grey turned away from the Red Force. He stomped his bare foot against the Sea King's enormous shell, giving the creature its signal.
The great beast responded immediately.
With a low rumble, it began moving through the water, carrying Grey away from the pirate ship. Its massive body cut through the waves, leaving a trail of white foam in its wake as the distance between the two vessels gradually widened.
Grey didn't look back.
He simply sat upon the Sea King's shell, his grey eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
He had a dream now.
A simple one, perhaps.
But for someone who had spent his entire life imitating the people around him without understanding what made them human, it was the first thing he could truly call his own.
He wanted to smile.
And he intended to find out how.
Shanks remained at the railing, watching as Grey and his unusual companion gradually disappeared into the distance.
He didn't immediately order the crew to resume sailing. Instead, he rested his arms on the railing, his red hair stirring in the ocean breeze as he watched the tiny figure grow smaller against the endless blue sea.
"Captain?" one of his men called.
Shanks didn't answer immediately.
His mind returned to the strange conversation they had just shared.
"I want to smile like you"
He had heard plenty of unusual dreams throughout his life, but that one was certainly a first.
After a while, Shanks let out a quiet sigh and shook his head.
"...Stranger things really do happen at sea," he murmured, glancing toward the horizon where Grey had vanished. Then he straightened up and turned toward his crew. "Anyway, let's get moving, boys!"
The pirates immediately returned to their duties, and the Red Force began sailing once more.
Shanks took one last glance at the empty horizon before a familiar grin spread across his face.
"...Not my problem"
---
- With Grey -
It had been only a few hours since Grey's encounter with the Red-Haired Pirates. Following Shanks's advice, he had decided to continue drifting across the vast ocean, hoping to encounter more people along the way.
Travel the world. Meet new people. Experience different things.
Those were the words Shanks had given him.
Grey had no particular destination in mind, nor did he have a map to guide him. For now, he simply intended to follow the currents and see where they took him.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long before encountering another ship.
Unlike the Red Force, this vessel looked rather ordinary. Its sails fluttered in the ocean breeze, while several figures could be seen moving across its deck. From a distance, Grey could even hear the faint sounds of people shouting at one another.
Humans.
Another opportunity to meet new people.
Grey directed the Sea King toward the unfamiliar vessel, approaching it without hesitation. He didn't bother concealing himself or announcing his arrival. He simply sat upon the creature's enormous shell, his grey eyes observing the ship as it gradually grew larger.
However, the moment he came within range, something unexpected happened.
A man standing on the deck spotted him.
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!"
Several sailors immediately rushed toward the railing. Their eyes widened when they saw the enormous creature swimming toward their ship, with a lone man sitting casually atop its shell.
"IT'S A SEA KING!"
"THERE'S A GUY RIDING IT?!"
"DON'T LET THAT THING ANY CLOSER! FIRE!"
Grey tilted his head.
Before he could make sense of their words, a deafening explosion erupted from the ship.
*BOOM!*
A cannonball shot through the air, hurtling straight toward him.
Grey watched it approach.
He didn't panic. He didn't even appear particularly surprised. Instead, he shifted his body slightly to the side.
The cannonball flew past him, missing his body by a narrow margin before crashing into the sea behind him.
*SPLAAASH!*
A towering column of seawater erupted from the ocean, sending waves rippling across the surface.
For a moment, Grey remained perfectly still.
Then, slowly, he turned his head toward the spot where the cannonball had struck the water. He stared at the disturbed surface for several seconds, seemingly trying to understand what had just happened.
A cannonball.
They had fired a cannonball at him.
'Why?'
Grey shifted his gaze back toward the ship.
The sailors were still gathered along the deck, some looking relieved that their shot had missed, while others hurried to prepare another round. Their expressions were tense, and several of them pointed their weapons directly at him.
Grey observed them quietly.
He had approached their ship because he wanted to meet them.
'Was there something wrong with that?'
He tilted his head slightly to one side, his expression remaining as emotionless as ever.
"...Why did you attack me?"