Chapter 8: Ginger

After a little while everyone went back to normal as Kai sat down at the bar next to Shanks. "So are you Red Haired Shanks?" he got a nod in response. "How long are you here for red head?"

"It's red hair not red head and I'm not sure. Maybe a year at most."

"My bad I thought it was red head."

"No problem."

"So can I ask you for something ginger?"

"It's red hair, and sure."

"My bad again ginger I get confused sometimes."

"It's not ginger it's.. Nevermind."

"I need to get stronger and I want your help."

Shanks turned serious as he looked the kid in the eyes. "Why?"

Kai noticed Shanks change in attitude and turned to Makino "Onee-san can I use the back room? Please?" he said with a puppy dog expression on his face. She agreed and told him he could do it anytime because he was so cute.

Kai turned back to Shanks and smirked. "Take notes ginger." as he led the way into the room. Shanks was shocked for a moment then smirked at the kid as he walked into the room wondering why he wanted a separate room. He got his answer when he entered the room to see Kai taking his shirt of.

"Woah there kiddo you're a little young for me. Plus I have Makino-chan."

A tick mark appeared on Kai's forehead. "I don't swing that way either ginger! Plus Makino probably forgot your name already!"

"What!? No way she would!"

Kai finally got his shirt off and Shanks stopped fooling around as he saw the countless scars on his body. Shanks realized that the kid wasn't just a lighthearted little boy like the other three back in the bar. Kids who have scars like this usually don't just walk around laughing and joking around like Kai does. This intrigued Shanks while it also made him feel a bit of pity for the kid.

"What happened?" Shanks asked after a little while as he tried to guess what the scars were from but he could only guess some of them, others he had never seen injuries like this before.

"Well ginger, I didn't have the best dad, wahaha. So what happened was.." Kai went on to tell Shanks of his past. Showing no emotions of hatred or blind revenge on his face, but only sadness and another emotion that Shanks had seen too many times, powerlessness. "... I don't want to be unable to do anything ever again. I need to get stronger to rescue my sister and keep my brother safe. I won't lose anyone else I care about like I did my mom."

Shanks was silent the whole time, just listening to the kid. It was a pretty awful past, possibly the worst he has ever heard, but the kid didn't seem to care about that. He wasn't looking for pity or someone to tell him that it was hard and that it's ok now. He didn't curse the world for being unfair, he cursed himself for being too weak to change his past.

It was really an admiral outlook to have on life. To not blame those who hurt you but to try to better yourself to stop it from happening again. A genuine smile formed on Shanks' face. He liked this kid. He wanted to see what he would do in the future. He would make a great pirate. He would have fit right into Roger's crew. Plus he was pretty funny! Almost as funny as Buggy! If Buggy heard this he would probably cry. He wasn't trying to be funny! Shanks just bullied him!

"What makes you think I can help you kid?" Shanks asked. Causing Kai to smile back at him.

"Come on ginger. You are the second strongest person in the East Blue right now. And I'll be damned before I ask the old man 'cause he would just beat the hell out of me and call it the 'fist of love' like he does for the other three."

"Dahaha. He probably would! Anyway, you're a pretty smart kid huh?" Shanks smiled as he was really starting to enjoy it on this island. Kai was still thinking about what he should ask Shanks to teach him until he had an idea.

"Ginger, do you know how to use a sword?"

"Is Roger the pirate king?"

"Great! Can you teach me?"

"Sure kid."