Smoke curled up from the pile of burning wood, the fragrant aroma of grilled fish spreading through the air and teasing the appetite. Three people and one animal sat in a circle, with the red-haired man tending the grill.
Lucas poured seasoning from a folded plastic pouch in his pocket over the fish, estimating how much to add to make it taste better. Beside him, Luffy looked like he was struggling to hold himself back, his hands itching to snatch the fish straight from the fire.
Shanks seeing that chuckled as he turned the skewer. On Lucas's other side, Hypher guarded a bucket full of shellfish, occasionally causing Shanks to lose focus as he glanced at the large creature that seemed unusually calm.
"Be patient, Anchor. Keep your hands from charging into the fire to grab it—won't be long before you can enjoy it!" Shanks teased.
Luffy puffed his cheeks in annoyance. "I'm not that reckless to just stick my hand into fire, Shanks!" he shot back before turning to Lucas and whining.
"Lucasssss, Shanks is teasing meeee…."
"Egh—" Shanks choked at Luffy's complaint.
"Hey, hey, I was just joking, no need to snitch to your brother…." he said awkwardly when he met Lucas's judging stare.
"Just ignore him if you're annoyed, Lu," Lucas sighed. It felt like dealing with two toddlers—one of them actually was, and the other was an adult acting like one.
Shanks unconsciously jutted out his lips at Lucas's reply, clearly catching the underlying meaning. "You kids really have no respect for your elders."
"If you know you're old, then why are you still teasing children? Old man." Lucas shot back, throwing Shanks's own words at him.
Shanks choked again, glaring at Lucas. Who would've thought this seemingly composed and mature child had such a sharp tongue?
"Shishishishi…." Luffy giggled at Shanks being completely shut down by his twin, clearly satisfied.
Shanks let out a breath. "Forget it. Looks like the fish is done." He changed the subject to cover his embarrassment. He handed the fish to Lucas, who then divided it evenly.
The red-haired man looked a bit surprised to receive an equal portion too, but accepted it when neither child protested. Luffy grabbed his share and devoured it eagerly. Lucas tossed the head, tail, and bones he had separated from the meat toward Hypher's beak, which the bird caught with precision.
The four of them finished the fish quickly. Luffy flopped onto his back afterward, prompting Lucas to scold him to sit up again since it wasn't good to lie down right after eating.
"Oh yeah, Shanks!" Luffy suddenly remembered something, a spark of imagination lighting up above his head.
"Tell me about your adventures!" he added, crawling closer as he grab the man's pants.
Lucas, who had been watching a butterfly perched on a flower, shifted his attention at Luffy's shout. His usually stoic expression softened slightly, a glint of interest appearing in his eyes. He moved closer as well, sitting on Shanks's left without saying a word. Seeing Luffy's excitement and Lucas's quiet curiosity, Shanks smiled brightly.
"Hehehe, are you really that curious?" he asked playfully, as if debating whether to tell the story or not.
"I'm curious! Come on, come on! Tell us!" Luffy exclaimed, shaking Shanks while giving him his signature pleading look—something Shanks found incredibly adorable.
"Hmm, should I tell you or not~?" Shanks glanced at Lucas, clearly waiting for the same request.
"…." There was a brief silence before Lucas looked back at him, for a minutes it's look like they would just stared at each other as it's seems that no one want to give up, however Lucas finally spoke up.
"Please tell us. I'm curious about what kinds of experiences you've had in your adventures."
"Alright!" Shanks laughed happily and found a comfortable spot before starting his story.
Word after word flowed from Shanks's mouth, carrying them into thrilling and exciting adventures through his tales. Luffy grew more energetic with every story, while Lucas listened carefully, only committing the more logical parts to memory.
Before they realized it, time had passed. The sun slowly sank into the western horizon, and with heavy hearts, they had to stop and return to Makino's bar. Before leaving, Lucas said goodbye to Hypher who only chirped before flying away to the sky, then lifting the bucket as he walked back.
Luffy pushed open the bar door and greeted cheerfully, "Makino, we're back!" he called out, rushing toward her. Lucas followed behind, offering a small smile and a nod in greeting.
Around the room, Shanks's crew lay scattered in drunken disarray. Shanks looked around at their state with exasperated smile and a shake of his head.
"Luffy, Lucas, Captain-san, you're back." Makino placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder as he hugged her, smiling at him before looking up at Shanks.
"I hope my crew hasn't caused you too much trouble?" Shanks asked, gesturing at his drunken men—some sprawled on the floor, others upside down with their heads on the ground and legs over chairs, even one bending backward.
"Not at all, Captain-san. Their self control is better than some other people who are drunk," Makino replied, reassuring him.
Shanks exhaled in relief. "That's good," he said, glancing at Benn, who was smoking and nodding back at him—the only one who seemed fully sober which is not surprising.
"I'll take Luffy and Lucas to clean up. Excuse us," Makino said, guiding the children to bathe and change before resting.
Luffy grabbed Lucas's hand and hurried toward the bathroom, eager to play with water. Lucas smiled and let himself be dragged along. "Slow down, Lu. The bathroom isn't going anywhere—you might trip and fall," Lucas warned as Luffy sped up.
Hearing that, Luffy immediately slowed
down. M chuckled softly at the twins' interaction. Even as they grew, it seemed nothing would ever change. She had watched them grow from infants to toddlers and now to this age—she knew how strong their bond was.
Luffy would always listen to Lucas without question, his stubbornness would wilt when facing the younger and start reconsider. Meanwhile, Lucas, though he showed little outwardly, depended on and trusted Luffy's decision or desires when the time called.
If Luffy followed emotion, then Lucas followed logic. They were born with their most dominant traits set apart—but together, they completed each other.
Makino was deeply proud of them, whatever paths they chose in the future, she hoped their bond would remain and grow stronger over time. Because if one of them were ever to truly lose the other half... Makino couldn't bear to imagine what would happen.