To the end of the sea [One Piece]

The archipelago only exists if we have loved on it

I taste the island's salty room, its mirror

There is no longer the appearance of us cuddling and sleeping together

Like the words love once wanted to use

Erased by pages of waves

——Derek Walcott, "Islands"

What Ena didn't expect was that when Shanks mentioned landing, it was just the two of them.

Beckman is responsible for commanding the Redforth to the nearby island, and Shanks has other things for him to complete.

"Hey." Eina asked him suspiciously, "Are you sure you're not making an excuse to get rid of them?"

Shanks smiled: "Am I such a person who doesn't distinguish between public and private matters in your mind? Don't think too much, something really happened." It was his secret dealings with the government, but he couldn't tell Eina about it yet.

The girl raised her eyebrows and believed him for the time being: "But are you sure it's just the two of us going? Living on an isolated island?"

Shanks blinked: "Is there any problem? I can cook a little."

"That's not the problem!" Eina grabbed his ear, "So if nothing happens to us, you are going to live with me alone for more than a month?"

Shanks smiled and hugged the girl: "Even if not, it must be just the two of us. Because your Overlord color resistance has reached a stage, I need a larger place to train you harder. level. However, I don’t want to affect other people.”

His breath hit Eina's ear, making her blush a little: "I suspect that you have been plotting against me for a long time."

He got close to her face and rubbed her soft cheeks with his short stubble, causing a light blush.

"But why do I feel that... even if I didn't do it that day, Ena would still be able to help me on the isolated island?" He asked with a smirk.

Ena was so angry that she pulled his face with both hands: "Are you still shameless, Mr. Yonko?? I can't help but attack you? Who is using wine to have sex?"

Shanks became more confident after knowing that she also had feelings for him. The man's extraordinary naivety during the relationship and the shamelessness of the stuffy old man gradually surfaced.

He chuckled and hid his face in her shoulder: "It's me, it's me. It's my fault. It's all my fault. There's nothing I can do about Eina if she can't refuse."

this! indivual! die! male! people! ! !

No matter how much Eina doted on him, she was now annoyed by his shameless remarks. She broke away from his arms and left angrily. Shanks quickly stood up and chased after him.

As a result, his way was blocked by his good brother Beckman.

"Give me Beckman, I'm going to find Eina." Shanks looked around anxiously, "Where did she go?"

The gray-haired man glanced sideways at him with a cigarette in his mouth and said lazily, "My study."

"Thank you! Then let me pass quickly!"

Beckman didn't move with a half-smile: "That's not okay Shanks. I heard you made her anxious?"

Shanks scratched his head: "Because she's so cute when she's angry, so I couldn't help but..."

Beckman cursed in his mind. He turned around and walked towards the study: "Anyway, I won't let you go find her. Just reflect on the mistake you made in committing suicide."

The red-haired captain was left at a loss.

Just kidding, the little silver-haired girl had been deceived by this old man, and she was easily soft-hearted towards him. Now that she was so angry, Beckman would naturally stand by her side without hesitation.

She can't let her feel that no one is looking out for her on this ship, right? The old father gave himself a thumbs up.

+ + +

"So, how did he provoke you?" Beckman closed the door, put out the cigarette, and said to the angry girl.

Eina sat on the chair and turned around: "It's not just shameless."

Beckman said helplessly: "That guy finally exposed his true nature." He sat at the table, "But... I haven't seen him like this in many years."

Eina raised her chin and looked at him: "Was it earlier than I met you?"

"Yeah." Beckman nodded, "He was less than thirty years old at that time."

"Speaking of which...I remembered that Luffy seemed to have said that he knew Shanks." Eina then remembered some things before she regained her memory.

"Ah, it sounds like I really didn't tell you." Beckman raised his eyebrows, "Luffy's straw hat was given to him by Shanks. We passed by Windmill Village when Luffy was five years old. Also, Shanks That arm was lost to save Luffy."

"Hey!" Eina remembered what Rayleigh said at that time, "I asked when I was a kid, and Shanks only said that he bet his arm on the new era..."

Beckman smiled faintly: "The two of them agreed not to meet each other until Luffy became a great pirate in his own right, so they had an inexplicable and tacit agreement not to mention each other."

Eina smiled helplessly: "It's really similar..." She lowered her head, and a laughing black-haired boy appeared in front of her eyes, showing a nostalgic expression: "Betting on the new era... If that person is Luffy, I think he was right.”

Beckman looked at her: "This special training between you and Shanks should be the last stage."

Eina looked up at him in a daze.

Although it was a bit cruel, the calm captain still said: "You will have special training for a little more than a month. Come back to the ship and practice your fruit abilities with me. We will have nothing to teach you. And, from here. Shampoo also takes time, you have to leave the boat in advance.”

Eina said nothing. Beckman finally showed some reluctance, walked up to her and touched her head: "We will all miss you."

The girl slowly leaned forward and gently wrapped her arms around his waist. Beckman sighed inwardly and gently held her head.

"Beckman..." she said dullly, "it's so great to meet you again."

The man smiled: "No matter how long it takes, we will meet again on the sea."

Eina didn't respond to him. Only she knew that being able to see them again, being able to reunite with Shanks, and being able to hug Beckman so tightly were all the extravagant hopes she had gained after being separated by two time and space.

Once she chose another path, the red-haired pirates changed from a dream when she was 13 years old to a report in a navy official document.

She never saw these men again until her death.

And she didn't know that after she died, they attended her funeral. Her growth from a girl to a young girl can only be seen from the small black and white photo.

Their impression of the colorful and energetic Ikegawa Ena only stayed at the age of fifteen.

So this time, she wants to work hard to embrace life and love these hard-won people with all her strength.

------------

Before dinner, they arrived at the island they were going to, and Ena waved goodbye to the others on the boat.

Jesus Bu said to them with a wicked smile: "Be gentle to Ena, Shanks! Don't go too far, Ena can't bear it!"

How to answer this? Shanks looked at the crew members who were worried about the world being in chaos with a headache. If he seriously refuted it, Jesus Bu would definitely say with an innocent face: "Hey, I'm talking about training! Don't make Eina too tired, it's not okay!"

Eina blushed and made a face at Jesus Bu: "Let's go now!"

The Redfors sailed away laughing.

"Is it cold?" Shanks asked her, untying his cloak and trying to put it on her.

Eina obediently asked him to wrap herself in a black cloak, which was just the right size for him and felt like she was wearing a large robe.

The two of them walked together to the edge of the forest not far from the beach. Eina asked him: "Have you been to this island before?"

"There have been banquets here for several days, and Mihawk was also there." Shanks said, "So there is a cabin we left here, and there are probably a lot of daily necessities here."

As for food, Ena, who carries an entire granary with her, has never been worried.

+ + +

After simply cleaning up the hut, the two of them ate together at the wooden table.

This kind of time where only two people live is so warm that Ena even has an illusion.

It's like this is their home.

She and Shanks, a hut, a table, and a meal.

But...that can't be their life after all.

At least not right now.

He is a man who yearns for freedom and the sea, and she is a girl who loves the unknown and adventure.

+ + +

She woke up suddenly when it was still dark, looked out the window and found that there was gray light outside.

She looked at the man beside her, his handsome and resolute face was sleeping with a childlike look on it.

She looked at it until her heart softened.

She almost said that she loved him.

But she knew she couldn't.

Not the kind of love he or she expected. She was attached to him and cherished him.

But there was a missing piece in her heart that she still couldn't fill.

It was a hole, or a knot. If it cannot be repaired or untied, she will always be trapped in a cocoon.

She put on a long coat and walked out quietly. Maybe it was because she subconsciously trusted her too much, or maybe she was strong enough to completely hide her aura, but Shanks was not alarmed.

She stood at the door of the cabin for a while, and the cool morning breeze blew away the last bit of sleepiness from her. She sat down on the lounge chair on the wooden platform at the door.

Not far away is the fine white beach, and even further away is the dark sea. The waves rise and fall, and life comes around again and again.

Eina gathered her clothes and saw a golden edge gradually appearing on the horizon.

She held her breath and was so focused that she didn't notice the approach of the man behind her.

Shanks, wearing only a white shirt, sat down behind her and reached out to take her into his arms.

She still felt it when he sat down, so she naturally leaned into the warmth.

The two of them remained silent in tacit agreement, watching as the golden light expanded little by little, turning the gray sky into a light golden-red gradient.

The sea surface reflects dazzling light, and the endless waves bring the sparkling water into view.

The scene was so spectacular, an astonishing beauty that words cannot describe.

A cloud dispersed, and the first ray of light in the morning fell on the world.

+ + +

"Does it look good?" Shanks put his lips to her ear and whispered.

Eina turned around and hugged him: "This is the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen."

Shanks laughed: "You will see more of them in the future."

She turned back and looked into his eyes: "But you may not be around me at that time."

He raised the corners of his lips and kissed her tenderly.

No one mentioned their relationship, and no one mentioned her approaching date.

They made love that night and she kissed him on the lips in front of everyone.

That was their beginning.

And everyone knows that their ending should be like their beginning, tacitly understanding and letting nature take its course.

"You never told me the name of this island." Eina asked.

Shanks hesitated. This island has no name at all.

He stared at her astonishingly beautiful face, as beautiful as an elf in the morning light of the morning sun. Her deep green jewel-like eyes were his reflection, and her soft and tender lips were describing his name.

He spoke softly: "Glendaiful."

Eina smiled, as beautiful as a blooming flower: "It sounds good."

He smiled.

Grandiver, the Latin name for the lisianthus flower.

It means eternal love.