"Monkey D. Luffy!"
Lucas's voice echoed across the harbor. The lively crowd, once absorbed in watching the antics of one of the "monkey twins," fell silent in an instant, they can feel the anger radiating from the source of voice that even the air itself had been stilled.
Luffy, who had been about to stab the knife beneath his eye, froze. His movement halted completely; though the wound wasn't deep, the blade had close to graze his skin.
He swallowed hard, turning stiffly toward the source of the voice—only to be met with Lucas's dark expression. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it felt as though a dark aura flared behind Lucas's body.
"L-Lucas…." Luffy quickly hid the knife behind his back, forcing a smile as sweat trickled down his temple.
"W-weren't you playing with butterflies…? Why are you here?" Luffy asked, trying to change the subject, even as the blood drip from the shallow cut betrayed him.
Silence.
From the side, Shanks glanced between Luffy and Lucas, his expression shifting into concern at the sight of blood seeping from the cut Luffy had made. Yet when Luffy showed no reaction to the pain—and paired with the inexplicably intimidating look on Lucas's face—he chose to remain silent.
At the very least, no one else would know about what he thought except him and perhaps—Shanks glanced at Benn, who stood behind Lucas, calmly exhaling smoke as he raised an eyebrow, shooting a look at the red-haired captain.
It wouldn't be amusing if there a rumors spread about him being too afraid to step into the fight or argument between children and where his pride would go?
Lucas's silence threw Luffy into inner turmoil. Fear and guilt replaced the determination he had felt earlier, when he tried to injure himself just to prove he was strong enough to sail with Shanks and the others.
He couldn't even feel the sting of the cut anymore—guilt had already overwhelmed him, leaving him unable to process anything else. Luffy shifted under Lucas scrutiny.
"Cas—Wait…! Listen to me!" Luffy called out when he saw Lucas turn and walk away without a word.
"H-hey!" Luffy tossed the knife to the ground and leapt off the deck, running after Lucas, who strides away quickly without waiting for him.
"D-don't be mad—I just wanted to prove I'm not as weak as Shanks said…! Please, listen to me!"
Lucas didn't respond. He only quickened his pace, while Luffy chased him, panic clearly etched across his young face. Their voices gradually faded as they moved farther away from the crowd.
Benn exhaled a stream of smoke, casting a flat look at his captain—as if to say, This is your fault for going too far when teasing him. Shanks turned his face away, hiding his guilty ridden expression.
"Did something happen, Captain-san?" a voice suddenly cut into the silence. Makino came and stood there, worry evident on her gentle face.
"Makino…" Shanks sighed and began explaining what had just happened.
"I see…" Makino let out a soft sigh after hearing the story—now she's know why Lucas had returned to the bar with a gloomy expression and Luffy trailing behind him in panic.
"They'll be alright, won't they?" Shanks asked, turning to the one who understood the "monkey twins" better than he did.
"There's no need to worry, Captain-san. Even if Lucas looks angry right now, he always has a soft side when it comes to Luffy. For now, let's just watch and let them resolve this on their own," Makino replied gently. To her, this was a good lesson—an opportunity for both of them to learn how to solve their problems through communication instead of running away.
And now away from the others, the ruby-eyed boy walked ahead, deliberately ignoring his twin and pretending not to hear the constant stream of pleading behind him.
"Lucas! I'm sorry—! Don't ignore me! Lucas, I know you can hear me—Lu's sorry, okay? I'm sorry for getting carried away and acting so… i-imp—whatever that word is!"
Lucas paid no attention, even when Luffy stepped in front of him. He simply moved past him, taking an empty side path as though Luffy didn't exist.
And that—hurt.
Luffy knew he had crossed a unspoken line and made Lucas angry. That was why he wanted to apologize, but Lucas wasn't making it easy with his silence. It wasn't unusual—Lucas always chose silence over arguments when he was angry.
But that was exactly what made it more frustrating for Luffy than any fight ever could. He couldn't tell what Lucas was thinking, nor did he know what to do to make things right.
"Lucassssss…" Luffy whined softly, reaching out to grab the hem of his brother's shirt, hoping—just hoping—he'd finally get a reaction.
But Lucas avoided him before he could touch him, the gesture made Luffy's heart drop into his stomach, leaving a deep, uncomfortable ache behind.
Unable to endure it any longer, Luffy resorted to his last tactic. He stopped walking. Tears gathered in his eyes, then fell one by one as quiet sobs escaped his lips.
"I-I'm sorry—!" he cried, his fingers clutching the edge of his shirt as his body trembled. "S-sorry, Luffy's sorry—Lucas, don't be mad, don't ignore Luffy—it hurts when you do that… h-hic—" His breath hitched as he pleaded.
This time, it worked.
Lucas stopped.
The fiery glow in his ruby eyes slowly dimmed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself. Then he opened them and turned around, sharp ruby eyes met wide, tear-filled black ones.
"…"
Lucas said nothing. Instead, he stepped forward, stopped in front of Luffy, and reached out—grasping his hand before pulling him along toward their room.
Luffy's gloomy expression instantly brightened at the contact. Realizing his brother's anger was softening, a wide grin spread across his face. For a fleeting moment, something strange flickered within his dark eyes—before vanishing without a trace.
"You haven't changed at all…"
Lucas paused slightly, his ears catching what sounded like a faint, indistinct whisper.