Hello all! Here is a (intended) one-shot. I've never done a one shot before so I hope I don't butcher it too badly. For those of you following my other story, A Leader in Peril, you know that I am currently out of the country. I do not have my computer so this will be troublesome to type up without a keyboard. I will for sure be continuing my other story, but don't expect anything new from it until late July, if not early August.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy.

Luffy realized he may have made a mistake, not that he'd ever admit it to the stupid baboon currently holding his rubber body under a damn shoe. He just couldn't help it; these guys had badmouthed Shanks and he couldn't exactly let them keep rambling their stupid mouths while sitting in the bar he had begun to think of as Shanks'. He had yelled at them, challenging them, despite the attempts of intervention coming from Makino. He still didn't regret his actions, but was wishing for another chance to fight them. As stupid as the bandits may have been, they still beat Luffy in size and experience. If only he could get out from under the damn shoe... Then he'd show them.

Meanwhile, Makino and the mayor were trying their hardest to convince the bandits to let them go. Luffy just stared at them, holding the cursed shoe, confused at why the mayor was offering the bandit money. When the baboon replied in the negative, Luffy felt dread down his spine, knowing if he didn't do something now, he wouldn't get another chance later.

He watched as the bandit drew his sword closer to his face and Luffy did the only thing he knew how; kept taunting the bandit, hoping to find one last chance to escape. The bandit just stared at him, enraged before speaking, "You're a hopeless brat. You can regret what you've done in the afterlife," he stated, taunting Luffy by bringing his sword ever closer.

He heard Makino's and the mayor's worried yells in the background. They fell on deaf ears, however, as the bandit was starting the swing that would end the young nuisance once and for all. Luffy turned his eyes to the onlookers and saw Makino running, as if in slow motion, to save him. The mayor was just a second behind, with the rest of the village a few blocks away, holding their breaths as the sword descended. In that moment, Luffy accepted death and realized how happy he was as he looked out at the people trying to save him. A grin overcame his rubbery face and he was able to get out two emotion-filled words, "Sorry, guys," before the sword connected and he lost all knowledge of the world.

His instincts were buzzing and he knew there was a reason he wasn't met at the port. Shanks spotted large groups of villagers looking down a street and went to investigate with his crew. When he reached an open space, his body automatically reacted while his brain was still catching up. His eyes widened when he heard the child's words and saw the smile on his face. He went into a crouch and used his fastest speed to reach the bandit before he could do any more damage to the trapped rubber boy. He passed Makino and the mayor on his way, as they, too, were running towards the boy. His sword left its sheath and blocked the bandits' as it came back around to finish the job. He locked eyes with the monster before disarming him with a flick of his wrist.

Time seemed to catch up with everyone as people realized who had arrived. Nobody spoke as the watched the red-haired captain send his sword into the bandits stomach as his crew-mates quickly dispatched the other bandits. The ringleader's last moments consisting of staring into the eyes of the scariest man he had ever seen, realizing what an idiot and poser he had been before collapsing for the last time.

Without hesitation, Shanks threw the disgusting body away as he bent down to address his main concern. With practiced hands, he checked for a pulse in the small boy and was relieved to find a faint one. His eyes moved to the gaping wound that ran from the child's left armpit to his navel. Luckily, it wasn't deep enough to pierce vital organs, although the blood was still seeping through the small shirt and pooling on the ground. He heard Makino's sob from over his shoulder and the rushing footsteps of his crew's doctor. Standing up as the doctor arrived, Shanks grabbed Makino by the shoulder and dragged her back to the mayor who had paused several feet away.

"My man will do what he can, but I'd advise getting Foosha's doctor as well," he told the waiting mayor.

With a short nod, Woop Slap ran off to find the man in question. Beckoning Benn over, he told his first mate to keep Makino close. Before he walked back to Luffy's side, he heard a small voice.

"I have to tell his grandfather."

Shanks looked at Makino incredulously. Grandfather? Luffy has a grandfather? "What?" He asked, still not sure if he heard right.

Makino's eyes finally met his. "Garp-san," was all she said.

The entire crew seemed to pause before their captain voiced the question on everyone's mind, "Vice Admiral Garp is Luffy's grandfather?"

In response, he received a nod and a worried look. Shanks turned his head to look at the small boy that he had known for over a year. This information had no bearing on how he would treat the boy, but it did explain a lot while raising an entire other host of unanswered questions.

Deciding to address those concerns later on, Shanks knelt down by the boy, watching his doctor work with practiced hands as he dressed the still-bleeding wound. Without needing to be asked, Shanks began applying pressure on the boys now bare chest in hopes to stop the bleeding. He listened as Luffy's breathing got shallower and started when he began coughing up blood. His doctor hissed, quickening his pace. Makino was sobbing in the background, refusing to leave Luffy for even one minute.

Eventually a second doctor arrived and Shanks was pushed to the side, which he didn't complain about. He had seen more severe wounds in his life, but the fact that it was a seven-year-old child made him grimace. His hands were now covered in Luffy's blood, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the small eyes that had opened.

Noticing Luffy's consciousness, the first doctor said, "You'll be alright, Luffy. We just have to get you patched up."

All eyes snapped towards the prone boy being lifted onto a stretcher as a chorus of "Luffy's!" filled the air. Shanks held eye contact with the boy, waiting for something, some hint of recognition, or intention to pull through. Truthfully, Luffy's ready acceptance of death had scared Shanks more than anything else he had seen in a long time. It reminded him too much of his own stubborn captain and the anger he felt at the injustice of his death. In response, Luffy just smiled. He smiled as if there wasn't a gash on his body and there was no blood trickling down his chin. He smiled through the pain of being lifted onto a stretcher and being quickly carried away. Shanks stared, disbelieving, as Luffy opened his eyes and whispered the captain's name before passing out once more.

Okay, so this is definitely going to have at least one more chapter. No idea on when it'll be out, since it all depends on if I happen to have enough free time. Shouldn't be too long, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

Until next time!