Even Shanks Was Stunned: I Personally Recruited Him, and He Thinks My Ship Is Too Small?
15: Chapter 15 — Rejecting Shanks’s Invitation!
Even Shanks Was Stunned: I Personally Recruited Him, and He Thinks My Ship Is Too Small?
Shanks stared blankly at Monkey D.
Luffy’s stretched neck for several seconds.
Then he covered his face in despair.
“…It’s over.” He released Luffy’s ankle weakly.
Whoosh— Luffy’s rubber neck instantly snapped back into place.
The future Emperor slumped onto a bar stool like a punctured balloon.
Nearby, Lucky Roux grabbed his head while screaming dramatically.
“That was the Gum-Gum Fruit we stole from an enemy ship!” “And this brat ate it like a snack?!” Luffy himself looked far more curious than frightened.
He grabbed his own cheek and pulled hard.
Stretch— His face elongated nearly half a meter before bouncing back naturally.
Luffy’s eyes sparkled instantly.
“That’s amazing!” “Did I become a monster?!” Fear barely existed within his voice.
Instead— Excitement overflowed completely.
Shanks sighed heavily.
“That’s a Devil Fruit.” “One of the sea’s greatest treasures.” “You ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi.” “From now on, your body will permanently become rubber.” Then his tone grew more serious.
“But in exchange…” “…the sea itself rejects you.” “You’ll never swim again.” Luffy froze entirely.
Unable to swim?
For a child dreaming of becoming a pirate— That reality struck like lightning.
All his fantasies about sailing the seas shattered instantly.
Nearby, Portgas D.
Ace burst into merciless laughter.
“HAHAHAHA!” “Idiot!” “What kind of pirate can’t even swim?!” “You might as well become a circus clown!” Luffy immediately looked devastated.
Sabo awkwardly patted his shoulder comfortingly.
Meanwhile, Kahn calmly wiped grease from his mouth with a napkin.
Internally, however— He sneered slightly.
So what if Luffy couldn’t swim?
The true value of that fruit was immeasurable.
For over eight hundred years, even the rulers of Mary Geoise feared its awakening.
Still— Kahn personally had no interest in Devil Fruits whatsoever.
No matter how powerful a fruit became, seawater and Seastone remained absolute weaknesses.
Far too restrictive.
His Kryptonian physiology possessed no such flaw.
As long as sunlight existed— He could evolve infinitely.
No ceiling.
No weakness.
No natural counter.
Across the counter, Shanks quietly observed Luffy’s devastated expression.
His gaze carried complicated emotions.
The gears of fate had officially begun turning inside this tiny East Blue village.
Eventually, Shanks exhaled deeply before raising another glass of rum.
He genuinely needed alcohol after losing a treasure the World Government had guarded for centuries.
Nearby, Yasopp curiously poked Luffy’s rubber arm repeatedly.
“…Feels weird.” “Like touching a giant balloon.” Luffy angrily slapped his hand away.
But the depression only lasted briefly.
Soon, Luffy started stretching his cheeks again.
Stretch.
Snap.
Stretch.
Snap.
The little idiot quickly became fascinated by his own abilities.
Then his eyes suddenly brightened.
“Wait.” “If I just don’t fall into the sea…” “…then it’s fine, right?” Silence.
Everyone paused briefly.
Then Shanks rubbed his forehead helplessly.
This brat’s thought process was terrifyingly simple.
Yet somehow— Impossible to refute.
As long as he avoided the ocean, everything really would be fine.
Eventually, Shanks sighed and leaned back against the counter again.
“…Whatever.” “What’s done is done.” Then suddenly— His gaze shifted toward Kahn.
A sly grin slowly appeared.
“Hey, big guy.” Shanks pushed his unfinished rum toward him casually.
“How about joining my crew?” The atmosphere inside the tavern changed instantly.
Even Beckman raised an eyebrow slightly.
Everyone understood what this invitation meant.
The Red-Haired Pirates followed an elite philosophy.
Shanks never casually invited people aboard his ship.
Especially not children.
But Kahn?
This brat was different.
At merely eight years old, he already radiated the pressure of a true monster.
Anyone with eyes could recognize his terrifying potential.
“We haven’t reached Laugh Tale yet,” Shanks continued casually.
“But we’re definitely going to shake the New World someday.” Beckman exhaled smoke quietly.
Yasopp grinned.
“Come on, kid.” “Our ship’s fun.” “You don’t seem like someone who belongs in a tiny village.” Lucky Roux also nodded while chewing meat.
“We’ve got plenty of food too!” The tavern fell silent afterward.
Everyone stared toward Kahn.
An invitation from Red-Haired Shanks.
For countless pirates, that alone would feel like a dream.
Yet Kahn simply continued cutting his roasted meat calmly.
One slice.
One bite.
Chew.
Swallow.
Only after finishing did he finally raise his eyes toward Shanks.
“Not interested.” Three words.
Clean.
Direct.
No hesitation whatsoever.
The smile on Shanks’s face froze completely.
“…Huh?” For perhaps the first time in years— The future Emperor genuinely questioned reality.
“Why?” Shanks asked stubbornly.
“My ship’s huge.” “My chef’s excellent.” “And we’re going to travel the entire world.” Kahn slowly wiped his mouth.
Then answered calmly: “Your ship’s too small.” He pointed upward slightly.
Toward the sky.
Toward the sun.
Toward something far larger than oceans themselves.
Then he added casually: “And I get seasick.” Complete nonsense.
Even Luffy could tell that excuse was fake.
The tavern remained silent for exactly two seconds.
Then— The Red-Haired Pirates exploded into hysterical laughter.
Lucky Roux nearly dropped his meat.
“HAHAHAHA!” “Boss got rejected by an eight-year-old!” Yasopp pounded the table while tears streamed from his eyes.
“I told you!” “You don’t look dignified enough!” “Your face screams unreliable captain!” Even Beckman smirked faintly while smoking.
The Red-Haired Pirates possessed almost no hierarchy aboard ship.
Everyone freely mocked everyone else.
Especially Shanks.
Meanwhile, Shanks slumped dramatically against the counter.
“…How depressing.” “I thought I was pretty charismatic.” Yet despite the rejection— No anger appeared whatsoever.
Only amusement.
That composure alone proved why this man would eventually become one of the Four Emperors.
Kahn quietly observed him while drinking water.
Not bad.
At minimum, Shanks truly deserved Roger’s straw hat.
Still— Kahn genuinely possessed zero interest in becoming someone else’s subordinate.
Sailing endlessly aboard a ship?
Staring at a tiny deck every day?
That sounded unbearably restrictive.
More importantly— It would interfere with sunbathing.
Then suddenly— An excited voice interrupted everything.
“I WANNA GO!” Luffy bounced around wildly while stretching both rubber arms upward.
“Shanks!” “Take me with you!” “I can fight too!” Although he still had tears near his eyes, the little idiot’s excitement already completely surpassed his earlier depression.
Shanks glanced toward him briefly.
Then waved dismissively.
“You?” “No chance.” “You’re too weak.” “And you’re only five years old.” “A juice-drinking brat who still can’t wipe his own nose.” Luffy immediately froze.
Then exploded emotionally.
“I’M NOT A BRAT!!” The tavern erupted into laughter once more.