One Piece: Starting by Refusing Shanks

East Blue, Windmill Village.

Takumi, a young boy dressed in a black T-shirt, pushed open the door of the village tavern just as he always did at noon.

"Hey, Makino, the usual," Takumi called as he took his regular seat at the bar.

"Coming right up," responded Makino, the tavern owner with short dark green hair tied back under a headscarf. She smiled as she picked out a bottle of well-aged liquor from the shelf, uncorked it, and poured a glass for Takumi, placing it in front of him.

As the only tavern in Windmill Village, the place saw a variety of customers—local villagers and travelers passing through. Most patrons came in for strong drinks, but kids like Luffy also dropped by occasionally. For them, Makino always kept some fruit juice on hand.

But Takumi was different. At ten years old, he was the first child she'd ever served who actually enjoyed a good drink.

Takumi took a slow sip from his glass.

"How is it?" Makino asked, her smile gentle.

"Not bad," Takumi replied, his voice steady.

Just then, the tavern door burst open, and the room filled with lively chatter.

"Yo, Takumi's here too!" came a cheerful voice.

It was Red-Haired Shanks.

Following him, Yasopp, Lucky Roux, and the rest of the Red-Haired Pirates streamed into the tavern, loudly ordering drinks from Makino.

Shanks took the seat right next to Takumi, setting his straw hat on the bar. At this point in time, he still had both his arms, having yet to save Luffy from the Sea King.

Makino brought out her best bottles for the group.

Shanks immediately grabbed one, taking a long swig directly from the bottle before laughing and giving Takumi a hearty slap on the back. "Hahaha! Kid, have you got an answer to my question from yesterday?"

Takumi calmly set down his glass, his voice casual as he replied, "I'm not interested."

"Huh? Just like that? You're really not giving me any room here, huh?" Shanks feigned a wounded expression.

The members of the Red-Haired Pirates burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, the boss got rejected!"

"Can't even convince a kid, huh? You're slipping, boss!"

"Come on, Captain! We're rooting for you!"

Shanks took another swig of his drink and laughed it off like nothing had happened, joining in the raucous laughter with his crew.

The atmosphere was so lively that even Takumi, a transmigrator, couldn't help but crack a smile.

Yes, Takumi was a transmigrator. It had been ten days since he arrived in this world.

As a transmigrator, Takumi had received a special ability—a Traveler's System. Every time he reached a designated location, he was given a check-in task.

But it wasn't as simple as just showing up to the location; he had to wait for the progress bar to fill completely to finish the task.

The conditions for filling this progress bar were a bit of a mystery. When Takumi first arrived in Windmill Village, the bar was at 30%. After having a drink in Makino's tavern, it went up another 30%. Then, after meeting Shanks and sharing a drink with him, it reached 90%.

Once that last 10% was complete, it would be time for Takumi to move on to his next destination.

But ever since he met Shanks a week ago, the progress bar hadn't budged.

"Hey, kid," Shanks suddenly slung an arm around Takumi's shoulders, laughing. "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

"Set sail, drink, eat, and see all the sights the world has to offer," Takumi shrugged off Shanks's arm, continuing, "I want to be a free-spirited traveler."

Hearing this, Shanks slapped the table and roared with laughter. "Hahaha! A traveler? With your talent, don't you think that's a bit of a waste?"

Wait, talent?

Did he notice something?

Takumi didn't say anything.

Shanks went on, "Kid, others might not see it, but you can't hide it from me."

They had only known each other for about a week, but even though Takumi appeared to be just a quiet ten-year-old, the things he said were far more mature than what you'd expect from someone his age.

While other patrons sometimes laughed off Takumi's words, he never seemed to care and never argued with them. If it weren't for his young appearance, Shanks might have mistaken him for an experienced adult who had lived through countless stories.

In short, even though their time together had been brief, Takumi's easy-going nature had made them fast friends, sharing conversations without reservations.

Beyond that, Takumi's strength hadn't gone unnoticed by Shanks.

Shanks could tell—this kid had awakened all three types of Haki!

Haki is a potential power that everyone possesses. This power, which includes things like presence, fighting spirit, and intimidation, can be wielded as an invisible force. There are three types: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. While most people can train to awaken the first two, Conqueror's Haki is something only one in a million possesses.

And Takumi, at just ten years old, had already awakened all three! That was terrifying.

But what impressed Shanks even more was Takumi's rapid improvement.

When Shanks first met him in the tavern a week ago, the kid's Haki was all over the place—clearly awakened, but not yet fully mastered.

Yet, every day since, Shanks could feel the kid's aura becoming more stable, his power growing stronger.

And Shanks was sure no one in Windmill Village was teaching Takumi. He was doing it all on his own. To stabilize and strengthen Haki in such a short time was something not just anyone could do.

This kid was truly terrifying.

If they hadn't spent these days together, Shanks wouldn't have believed it was possible for someone to grow so quickly.

He was certain that one day, this kid would shake the world.

That's why, just yesterday, Shanks had invited Takumi to join his crew, giving him a night to think it over.

Even though he'd just been turned down...

No matter how much talent you have or how quickly you grow, a ten-year-old alone in the dangerous world of pirates wouldn't get far.

Shanks didn't want to see someone as promising as Takumi meet an early end at sea.

"You've already awakened all three types of Haki, haven't you? With your talent, just being a traveler seems like a waste." Shanks wasn't ready to give up. "Join my crew. We can travel the world together, drink, eat, live freely—and you'll have a crew of comrades you can trust with your life."

Takumi: "..."

So, he had noticed after all.

Well, this is Shanks, who would go on to become one of the Four Emperors.

And Shanks was right. With his easy-going nature, life on Shanks's ship would probably be a lot of fun.

Having a group of loyal and interesting comrades was definitely appealing.

But Takumi had never intended to join any crew from the start.

Shaking his head firmly, Takumi replied, "I'm used to being on my own. No matter how good the offer, I'm not interested. My dream is to be a free traveler, nothing more."

Shanks was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Takumi to refuse him again.

If not for the unwavering determination in Takumi's eyes, he would have tried to persuade him again. "Kid, you better think this through. You're the first person I've invited twice to join my crew. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"

Red-Haired Shanks was a man known for his generosity, open-mindedness, and strong sense of camaraderie. Even without considering his future as one of the Four Emperors, Takumi already respected Shanks as someone he'd like to call a friend.

But join his crew?

Not a chance.

Takumi shook his head again. "My mind's made up. There's no need to try convincing me anymore."

As soon as he finished speaking, the system's notification sounded in his mind.

[Beep beep! Successfully refused Red-Haired Shanks' invitation. Check-in progress +10%.]

[Beep beep! Windmill Village check-in task complete. Congratulations, Host, you have acquired Full Attribute Chakra Constitution and the Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu.]