Lucky, sitting nearby, froze with a piece of meat halfway to his mouth, and Benn choked on smoke from his latest drag. Somewhere off to the side, a glass mug shattered loudly on the floor.
"…he's also sometimes called 'The Demon'," the boy continued nonchalantly. "He's considered a hero of the Marines, and they say he once gave the Pirate King a hard time. So yes, I'm sure the old psycho would definitely take revenge for my death," he folded his arms and nodded sagely, as if he hadn't noticed the effect his revelation had on the pirates in the bar.
'Gave the Pirate King a hard time'? Shanks, having once been a cabin boy on the Pirate King's ship, would put it a bit differently - Garp was a real thorn in his captain's side! And Garp was monstrously strong - meaning, he was really beyond normal human strength! On the list of people Shanks would prefer never to fight, Garp was on par with 'The Strongest Man in the World' Whitebeard and his former, now-deceased captain, the Pirate King. Little Luffy wasn't joking about the possible revenge, and even Shanks, being one of the strongest people in the world, wasn't arrogant enough to claim he could definitely avoid the wrath of the Legendary Marine… all capital letters and no quotation marks or sarcasm. Garp was and remains a Legend, recognized by both Marines and pirates. It also became much clearer why the boy sitting on the barstool was so different from ordinary children. With such a relative, he couldn't have remained normal even if he tried - blood would inevitably tell.
"Your name… what's your full name?" Shanks asked, regaining his composure.
Luffy, opening one eye, scrutinized the serious face of the man and apparently decided he was worthy of an answer:
"Monkey D. Luffy."
Even though Garp 'The Fist' was known to half the world and the other half had heard of him at least once, if one dug deeper, it would become clear that practically no one knew much about him, including his full name. Shanks knew. Monkey D. Garp. And even if little Luffy had heard his full name somewhere, there was still the boy's appearance to consider. Now that Shanks knew about Luffy's relation to Garp, he could easily see the family resemblance. The boy was indeed the grandson of the Legendary Marine, and he was also one of those with the 'D' initial. Shanks hadn't initially thought he'd met just an unusual child, but now he clearly realized that he and his crew had encountered a future legend. One of the 'D's, Garp's grandson, and sharp as a razor. The main question wasn't whether Luffy would reach the top, but how high he would climb? And it didn't even matter what role he'd play. As a Marine, considering Luffy's potential, the rank of Vice Admiral seemed more like a starting point rather than the end. As a pirate? A bounty of five hundred million on his head seemed more like a starting point than the greatest achievement, as is the case with most pirates.
"Now it all makes much more sense," Benn delivered his verdict.
The other pirates in the bar also began to stir, eagerly discussing Garp, Luffy, and his unknown parents. None of them had ever heard of Garp's children, and now it turned out that the Legendary Marine had a quite grown-up grandson… more or less grown-up.
After a while, when the shock from the unexpected revelation had fully subsided, and the conversation with little Luffy returned to a more normal flow, Shanks remembered another strange point:
"By the way, what were you shooting at us with? That thing obviously has quite a recoil"
Luffy gave him an annoyed look and replied:
"As soon as I decided to start hunting pirates, I asked grandpa for a powerful gun, and he brought it to me. He said it was a custom piece made by some brainy scientist, as a personal request from grandpa, supposedly straight from secret laboratories. He probably lied through his teeth to impress me, but the gun is really powerful, there's no arguing about that. Actually, it's no longer called a gun but a 'rifle.' It's made from some strange alloys, very strong and almost weightless. Also, it uses new technologies that significantly reduce recoil despite its killing power. For me, the recoil is still strong, but not so strong that I can't shoot it. Unlike guns, this rifle uses special ammunition, so I have to make it myself. The ammo is somewhat similar to revolver rounds.
"Revolvers are rare, even on the Grand Line, and rifles are practically impossible to find for sale," Yasopp nodded understandingly. "Your grandfather gave you a valuable gift, and if it's custom-made, using lightweight materials and with modifications, then your rifle might indeed be unique in the world or at least part of a limited run."
"Looks like grandpa might not have been lying after all about my rifle being custom-made," the boy snorted.
"Seems he really wants you to become a Marine!" Shanks laughed sincerely.
The reason for his laughter was that, after only a few hours of interacting with Luffy, he could hardly picture him as a disciplined Marine. The boy wasn't exactly gentle-natured now, and his temperament seemed only likely to worsen over time. Of course, it was possible that he might change for the better as he grew up - it happened once, so why not again? - but Shanks wouldn't risk a single beli on such an outcome.
"Actually, he's a bit obsessed with making me an outstanding Marine," Luffy admitted reluctantly. "Or rather, he's very obsessed. I think if I seriously convinced him that I absolutely need an ashtray made from the skull of the current Fleet Admiral to become a great Marine, grandpa might very well bring me that skull… I really don't know what's going through that old psycho's mind."
Shanks nodded wisely - he understood the boy's feelings better than anyone else present. No, he didn't know Garp well, but he knew his late captain exceptionally well! And he had never understood what went on in Roger's head. In fact, hardly anyone had ever understood. Except for a few people, including Garp. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been such a thorn in the side. So Shanks wasn't at all surprised that little Luffy couldn't understand his grandfather… it would have been worse if he could!
"My advice to you - don't stress about it!" Shanks decided to share some wisdom from his own experiences with his captain. "No matter how much you think about it, you won't understand. And in the future, start worrying if you ever do understand him."
The conversation then returned to more peaceful matters, but, thanks to little Luffy, that didn't last long:
"So, what's this strange skill many of you seem to have?" After a few hours sitting on the bar stool, the boy finally moved to a chair meant for the bartender. It allowed him to sit directly across from Shanks, making it easier to see Yasopp, Lucky, and Benn: sitting on the bar stool, he had to constantly turn his head in different directions. "It's clearly a skill that can be trained; otherwise, so many people wouldn't have it."
"…What are you talking about?" Shanks was puzzled.
Luffy's question caught all the pirates in front of him off guard.
"I'm talking about how you all effortlessly blocked all my shots," the boy squinted his eyes. "Did you really think I'm so talkative just out of kindness? I've already told almost everything about myself, so now it's your turn to answer questions."
"You'd better not play poker!" Yasopp laughed. "Who shows all their cards to the opponent and then tries to play?"
Unlike Yasopp, Benn frowned slightly, Lucky continued eating the meat that Makino was providing him, and Shanks fell silent, waiting for Luffy's response. And he didn't disappoint. Giving Yasopp a look as if he were talking to a complete idiot, the boy said:
"For example, a bold cheat might show their cards, knowing they can switch them out at any moment and aren't afraid of getting caught. Or someone who wants to lose or simply doesn't want to play. A person scared out of their mind might show their cards, or someone who can't win under any circumstances. There are other possibilities, but that should be enough for you."
A vein bulged on Yasopp's forehead.
"So what's the skill that allows you to anticipate attacks, and how can it be trained?" Luffy asked Shanks, as if Yasopp had never interrupted.
"Why don't you ask your grandfather?" Benn suggested instead of his captain. "I can guarantee he has that skill too."
"You think I haven't asked?" The boy made a disgruntled face. "The old psycho just babbled a lot of nonsense, and when I pressed him, he immediately rewarded me with his 'Fist of Love'... Do you have any idea how strong his punches are?" Actually, they did have a good idea, but the question was clearly rhetorical. "Someday, he'll definitely break my neck with one of those punches… if I don't learn to dodge them, of course," his last words carried an unmistakable hint, and the anticipatory look he gave to everyone only strengthened the effect.