“Is she okay?” Uta asks, sitting atop two stacked boxes filled with rum, her legs swinging slightly as she points at you, sprawled and unconscious in Shanks’ lap. Her voice carries a mix of curiosity and concern, the kind that only someone who’s seen enough rough seas and reckless pirates can muster.

“She’s fine,” Shanks replies, his deep voice calm, but there’s a hint of amusement in it as he shifts you slightly to make you more comfortable. He takes a long gulp of his rum, the familiar burn bringing a wide, easy grin to his face.

Uta tilts her head, studying you for a moment longer before glancing at Shanks. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?” he asks her, his grin never fading, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Uta shrugs, a tiny smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. She doesn’t want to go to bed just yet—though, ironically, you wake later with quiet tears sliding down your cheeks, realizing once more that life hasn’t paused for your grief. Living still feels like the hardest part some days.

You are Shanks’ daughter, his biological one, though that hasn’t made life simpler. Uta, in contrast, is adopted, but the bond she shares with you is no less real. If anything, it’s stronger for the choice behind it, a daily reminder that family isn’t only blood—it’s the people who stay, protect, and care without question. And both of you love each other the same, fiercely, stubbornly, without the need for comparison.

It’s only been three years since Shanks found Uta and four since you were born, but those short years feel like a lifetime of adventures, laughter, and the kind of moments only the sea can teach you. The smell of salt in the air, the sway of the ship beneath your feet, the way the sun burns gold across your skin—all of it is intertwined with your memories, your grief, and your small, stubborn joy in being part of this family.

Now, one might wonder why Shanks wouldn’t leave you on land, in a place safer and more suited for a child to grow under care. And the truth is… well, yeah, that would make sense. Except your mother is gone, and so here you are, living in the heart of a pirate’s world, safe in the arms of the man who brought you into it—your father, the man whose laughter and reckless bravery you know better than anyone else’s.

Not that you mind, really. The life you have with him, with Uta, with the endless horizon and the rum-scented air, is complicated and messy—but it’s yours. And sometimes, in the quiet moments between waves and wind, you almost forget the sadness that comes with living without your mother. Almost.

Shanks leans back slightly, letting out a low chuckle as he glances at the two of you. “You girls gonna keep me up all night, or are you finally gonna let me sleep?”

Uta giggles softly, but her eyes never leave you. Shifting in his lap, your eyelids flutter, and Shanks adjusts you with gentle care, his grin softening just a fraction. This is your world now—a world of chaos, laughter, grief, and love, all wrapped together beneath the endless sky.