"What's going on, Captain?"
No sooner had the words fallen than the members of the Red-Haired Pirates began filing out of the ship's cabin one after another.
Their sharp, predatory eyes all turned toward Cain and Luffy standing on the grassy shore.
"It's just two little kids. Looks like they've got the wrong idea about us." Shanks turned and addressed his crew with an easy, disarming smile.
Beside him, Uta quietly watched the two boys below, thinking to herself, 'Pink hair... that's unusual.'
Looking at the imposing, battle-hardened figures staring down from the deck, Cain couldn't help swallowing hard.
He was nothing like Luffy—there was no way he could face notorious pirates without a shred of fear!
Just then, Shanks suddenly called out to them. "Hey! Luffy, Cain! Do you know where the bar is in this village?"
"MAKINO'S BAR! I KNOW! I'LL TAKE YOU THERE!"
Luffy's hostile attitude vanished in an instant.
He dashed right up to Shanks and started chattering away, craning his neck up at the massive pirate and firing off question after question, leaving Cain utterly bewildered.
As he watched the legendary Red-Haired Pirates casually disembark one after another, the paralyzing tension in Cain's body finally eased.
"Luffy, we aren't the kind of pirates you're imagining, you know. Want me to tell you what real pirates are like?" Lucky Roux asked with a massive grin around a chunk of meat.
"Pirates are pirates. What's there to be different about?" Luffy muttered carelessly while leading the way into the village.
That dismissive answer immediately rubbed the pirates the wrong way.
They crowded around the boy, each trying to outdo the others in bragging about the grand benefits of being a pirate—how free it was, the adventures they had, the treasure they found.
But Luffy only curled his lip.
"I'm not becoming a pirate!"
…
Not long after, inside Makino's bustling tavern.
Luffy slammed his hands on the wooden table and looked at Shanks with shining, star-filled eyes.
"SHANKS! I'VE DECIDED! I'M GOING TO BE A PIRATE!"
Sitting off in the corner with a glass of milk in one hand and a thick book in the other, Cain nearly spit out his drink.
Looking at Luffy grinning brightly beside the red-haired captain, Cain couldn't help sighing inwardly.
He always knew the kid would become a pirate eventually, but he didn't expect him to switch sides this fast!
"Hey, you! Stop staring at Shanks all the time."
A crisp voice suddenly sounded right next to his ear.
Cain looked up to see Uta standing over him with a cup of milk, glaring down in blatant displeasure.
"You're obviously reading, but your eyes keep sticking to Shanks. Don't think I didn't notice it!"
Only then did Cain realize he had been blatantly staring the entire time—at Shanks's left arm, and specifically searching the bar to see if there were any stray treasure chests lying around.
He didn't even noticed the young diva watching him.
He coughed lightly and hurriedly raised the book to cover his face. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Quit playing dumb and listen properly!" Uta reached out and yanked the heavy book right out of his hands, her small figure completely blocking Cain's view of the bar.
Cain jumped and leaned back in alarm.
In a moment of panic, a desperate excuse struck him.
"Ah... I was looking for references! Right, references for drawing! I don't see red-haired people very often, so I just thought it was interesting!"
"Hm? Is that so?" Uta tilted her head, her eyes narrowing with deep suspicion. "But your own pink hair is pretty rare too, isn't it?"
Cain froze.
Thinking about it carefully, aside from Koby and maybe a few scattered people in Big Mom's crew, there really weren't many pink-haired characters in the original story.
He quickly nodded.
"That's true, but if I want to look at pink hair, I can just use a mirror every day, can't I?"
"Hmph. How narcissistic." Uta laughed despite herself.
Cain muttered in protest. "That isn't narcissism! Color is like music—you're the musician of the crew, so you should understand, right? Music can convey emotion, and color can too."
"Oh? That's the first time I've ever heard someone say that." Uta's curiosity was instantly piqued.
She pulled up a stool and sat down beside Cain.
"Go on."
"Whether it's music, dance, poetry, or painting... all of those things contain the creator's true feelings. They take something invisible—emotion—and pass it on to the people who see it or hear it…"
Even the rowdy pirates nearby grew interested and leaned in to listen.
Time passed without anyone noticing.
…
"…So, in short, all those things that can convey emotion can be classified as true art."
As he finished his lecture, Cain pushed up an imaginary pair of glasses for dramatic effect.
But when he looked around, he discovered the pirates in the bar had long since collapsed across the tables, fast asleep.
Even Luffy and Uta, who were sitting right beside him, had nodded off, softly snoring!
In the entire tavern, the only ones still listening with genuine interest were Shanks and Makino.
"Huh? Why is everyone asleep?" Cain stared blankly at the drooling crew.
"BWAHAHAHA!" Shanks burst into hearty laughter and raised his rum cup toward the boy. "What you were talking about had magic in it, just like Uta's singing, Cain."
Makino smiled and nodded in agreement as she wiped down a glass. "Cain has always loved reading. Ever since he learned his letters, he's been glued to books all day long. He's probably the smartest kid in the whole village."
Shanks gave a soft, appreciative laugh, then looked at Cain with genuine interest.
"By the way, Luffy was yelling just now about becoming a pirate. What about you, Cain? What do you want to do in the future?"
Hearing the question, Cain lowered his head, tracing the grain of the wooden table for a moment before gently shaking it.
"I don't know. Grandpa has always wanted me to become a Marine, but I've always felt like life ought to have more than one set road to follow. It's like reading books..." He paused.
"The more you read, the more truths you come to understand. And when something happens, you can think it through a little more carefully. I don't think that can ever be a bad thing. But as for my future... I probably can't give you an answer anytime soon."
"Haha, that's true enough." Shanks took a sip of his drink and spoke leisurely. "But living like that sounds a little too unfree, doesn't it?"
Cain was taken aback, then suddenly understood the pirate's meaning.
He was right.
If you had to weigh every single advantage and disadvantage before doing anything, life really wouldn't feel free.
But still... careful thought and preparation had to be better than making reckless decisions on impulse, didn't it?
He was just sinking deep into thought when he suddenly felt a weight drop onto his shoulder, followed by a warm sensation brushing his cheek.
Cain whipped his head around and turned bright red.
"SHANKS! QUICK—GET HER OFF ME!"
At some point, Uta had slumped over in her sleep, her head coming to rest comfortably on his shoulder.
Her warm breath brushed lightly against his cheek, leaving him stiff as a board, blushing from his face all the way down his neck.
Seeing how flustered the boy was, Shanks laughed without a shred of mercy.
In the Grand Line, children maturing early was nothing unusual.
Momonosuke was barely that age and already knew exactly how to take advantage of beautiful women, while Doflamingo, at Cain's age, had gone so far as to execute his own father with his bare hands.
Compared to that dark reality, a kid turning red over a girl sleeping on his shoulder was nothing at all.
Only after Shanks chucklingly picked his daughter up and carried her to a booth did Cain finally let out a breath of relief.
He quickly stood and carefully moved Luffy, who had fallen asleep slumped in his chair, over onto the soft sofa nearby.
Once everyone slowly woke up, the Red-Haired Pirates' banquet finally began in earnest.
...
Night gradually fell over Foosha Village.
The bar turned loud and rowdy, filled with raucous shouting, deep belly laughter, drinking games, and the constant clink of wooden cups. It was so lively it felt as though the roof might blow off.
Cain couldn't stand that kind of noisy atmosphere.
He found a quiet corner, sat down, picked up his book, and resumed reading in peace.
"Why are you hiding over here by yourself?" a familiar voice sounded.
Cain looked up to see Uta walking over with two bottles of fruit juice in her hands.
She held one out to him. Cain took it, instinctively edging back a few inches.
"I'm just... not very good with places this lively." He paused, then asked in return, "What about you? Why aren't you over there playing with them? Why come looking for me?"
"I'm the musician, so of course I should be the grand finale." Uta sat down right next to him and pouted.
"Games like wrestling and arm-wrestling—I can't beat those grown-ups at that."
"Well, there's still Luffy," Cain said casually.
"Don't even mention him." Uta sighed helplessly. "That guy's been glued to Shanks the whole time. I called him several times and he ignored me every single time! Honestly, it's more interesting staying here with you and listening to your weird knowledge."
"Then how about I tell you more about—"
"STOP, STOP!" Uta immediately waved both hands and covered her ears, looking genuinely traumatized.
"If you keep going, I'm definitely going to fall asleep again!"
She leaned in, narrowing her eyes. "Tell me the truth... did you eat some kind of Sleep-Sleep Fruit and become a Sleep Human?!"