Boxes filled with heavy, metallic treasures were carried onto the deck of the Red Force one after another, quickly forming a small mountain of loot. Under the warm glow of the setting sun, the gold, silver, and jewels gleamed with a captivating light.
Looking over this unexpected prize, Shanks's mood was as bright and pleasant as the gentle sea breeze. He originally thought they had only dealt with a small-time crew, but he never expected their ship to be loaded with so much valuable cargo. A faint scent of blood still clung to the gem-covered chests, and the experienced captain immediately knew that this treasure was likely taken during a recent raid.
This thought didn't bother Shanks in the slightest; he was long used to the brutal and unforgiving laws of the sea.
He grinned, showing off his white teeth. "Heh heh, it's like treasure fell right out of the sky! We really lucked out with this one!"
Although he wasn't the type to value money over his own life, who would ever complain about having too much? It was especially helpful with Takero, the crew's biggest eater, on board.
"Alright! When we get to the next town, we'll use this to stock up properly!" Shanks announced with high spirits. "Wine! Meat! Fresh fruits and vegetables! We're getting plenty of everything!"
"Ohhh yeah—!!!" The crew roared with excitement, chattering loudly about what they wanted to buy. It didn't take long for them to reach a unanimous decision—the first priority was buying enough rum to last them for three months!
The deck was filled with the loud, joyful noise of a successful haul. Just as the celebration was reaching its peak, Takero's ear twitched slightly. He suddenly raised a hand, and his voice cut through the noise with a hint of seriousness. "Wait! Everyone be quiet!"
The laughter and chatter died down instantly. Shanks looked over at him, confused. "What's wrong, Takero?"
Takero didn't answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head and frowned, concentrating on a distant sound. "Did you guys hear that? It's really faint… sounds like… crying?"
Everyone glanced around at each other, but they only saw confusion on their crewmates' faces. All they could hear was the sea breeze, the rolling waves, and the distant calls of seagulls. There was no crying to be heard.
"You must've misheard," Shanks chuckled. "It's not even dark yet. A little early for ghost stories, don't you think?"
"No, it's not my imagination," Takero insisted, shaking his head. His eyes were sharp with focus. "It's a kid's crying. I can hear it clearly."
He motioned for everyone to stay completely silent. He then closed his eyes, held his breath, and focused his senses. He wasn't just using his ears; he was also using the Ki inside his body to feel for any faint signs of life nearby. After a moment, his eyes snapped open, and he stared directly at a plain, medium-sized oak chest sitting in a corner.
"It's in there!"
While Shanks and the others watched in bewilderment, Takero walked confidently over to the chest and threw the lid open without hesitation.
"Waaah—waaah—waaah—!!!"
The heartbreaking, loud cry of a baby instantly filled the air, echoing across the entire deck.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa… You've gotta be kidding me!" The relaxed smile on Shanks's face vanished, replaced by a look of complete shock and helplessness.
Inside the treasure chest, nestled on a bed of soft silk, was a small, delicate baby that looked like a doll. She had incredibly unique two-toned hair; the left side was a fiery red, while the right was as pure white as freshly fallen snow. Her large, amethyst-colored eyes were filled with tears, and her long, curled eyelashes were wet and fluttering, giving her an innocent and adorable look.
When the lid opened and light poured into the chest, the baby seemed startled by the group of rough-looking men staring down at her. She froze for a second, her big, grape-like eyes wide with confusion. Then, all the tears she had been holding back burst out at once, and she began to wail even louder than before!
"Waaah ah ah ah—!!"
"Wh-what do we do?!" The elite pirates of the Red Hair crew, men who wouldn't flinch while facing down a thousand soldiers, were now completely panicked and scrambling in the face of one crying baby.
Takero stroked his chin, analyzing the situation seriously. "I think… you guys are just too ugly. You probably scared her." After a moment, he nodded gravely, as if he had just solved the entire puzzle.
"What?!" Shanks looked like he had been struck by lightning. His eyes went wide as he pointed a finger at his own nose. "Did… did you just call me… ugly?"
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After sailing the seas for so many years and seeing countless strange-looking people, he, Shanks, had always considered himself to be in the handsome category. And now, this brat was calling him ugly right to his face!
"Damn you, Takero! How dare you…" Shanks jumped to his feet, furious and ready to defend his honor.
"Waaah ah ah ah—!!" The baby's cries suddenly grew even louder, as if she was even more scared now. Her wailing completely drowned out his protest.
Shanks immediately shut his mouth, as if his throat had been squeezed shut. He awkwardly leaned over the treasure chest and waved his arms around, trying to sound gentle and soft. "There, there, little one, don't cry, okay? Look, Uncle… isn't a bad guy…"
But his attempts to comfort her were useless; the baby continued to cry just as loudly.
"Now what?!" Shanks's forehead was covered in sweat. He turned to his crew, his eyes pleading for help. "Hey! You guys! Does anyone know a lullaby?! Quick! Somebody come calm her down!"
The crew members looked at each other and shook their heads frantically. They were masters of fighting and sailing, but soothing a baby? That was a challenge far tougher than taking on a Marine Admiral!
"Tch! A bunch of useless fools." Just then, Takero let out a disdainful scoff from nearby. He pushed the frantic Shanks aside and declared, "Move it! When things get serious, you still have to rely on me!"
Shanks stumbled back, looking at him with a mix of surprise and doubt. "You… you can do it?"
Takero puffed out his chest proudly, his chin held high. His face radiated an immense confidence that screamed, "Leave it to me." He said, "Of course! This is a piece of cake!"
Hearing this, everyone felt a surge of hope, as if they had just been thrown a lifeline.
"That's great, it's Takero! We're saved!"
"Big Brother Takero! We're counting on you!"
"Please! Put this poor child out of her misery!"
Under the crew's hopeful gazes, Takero gave a solemn nod. "Yeah, don't worry. You can leave it to me."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if trying to remember a special song. The entire Red Hair Pirates crew held their breath and listened closely, ready to learn this valuable parenting skill. Who knew when it might come in handy?
Finally, Takero cleared his throat and, in a voice that was less gentle and more full of fighting spirit, he burst into song:
"Let's try to catch them all, Dragon Balls ~ ♫" (High-pitched)
"The world's most exciting secret ~ ♪" (Uplifting)
"Let's try to find them all, Dragon Balls ~ ♫" (Full of power)
"The world's most happy miracle ~ ♪" (Almost a shout)
"..."
As Takero's powerful and energetic song echoed across the deck, the expressions on the faces of Shanks and his crew shifted from hopeful, to confused, and finally to completely dumbfounded.
A few minutes later, Takero finished his performance with a strong final note. He nodded to himself, clearly pleased with his singing. That song, "Makafushigi Adventure," was the first theme from the Dragon Ball series, and it was practically burned into his memory. He was surprised he could still sing it so well after all these years and gave himself a mental thumbs-up.
He turned his head, expecting to see looks of praise from the crew, but instead, he saw everyone, including Shanks, frozen in place. They were all staring at him with their mouths wide open.
Takero tilted his head, confused. "What's wrong?"
A dead silence hung in the air for several seconds before Shanks finally found his voice. He spoke with great difficulty, his tone dripping with disbelief. "You… you call that… a lullaby?"
"Yeah, that's right," Takero replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I asked for a lullaby! A sleeping song! Something to calm a baby down and help her fall asleep!" Shanks waved his arms around frantically, looking completely exasperated. "What was that you were singing? A battle anthem?! It was so intense! Are you trying to make her cry even harder?!"
He had to admit, Takero sang with a lot of passion, but that had nothing to do with soothing a child! Shanks covered his face in despair. "You're just making things worse, you idiot…"
But just then—
"Giggle giggle ~ giggle giggle ~"
A clear, bell-like laugh from a child suddenly broke the strange tension on the deck. It sounded like music from heaven.
The baby in the treasure chest had stopped crying at some point. Her large eyes were curved into happy little crescent moons, her tiny pink mouth was stretched into a wide smile, and she was waving her small fists in the air, giggling at Takero. It seemed she thought his performance was absolutely wonderful.
Takero glanced over at Shanks and shrugged. "See? It worked."
Shanks was speechless.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion