02 / A — The character’s story
The hat left with a child
How does an experienced captain entrust a dream to someone else?
The story here runs through the East Blue.
An apprentice
Before the red-haired captain.
Shanks sails with Roger as an apprentice before forming the Red Hair Pirates. When his own crew visits Foosha Village, the life he has built becomes young Luffy’s first close glimpse of freedom at sea.
A rescue
The cost behind the laughter.
When a Sea King threatens Luffy, Shanks saves the boy at the cost of his left arm. For Luffy, the captain’s easy laughter now belongs to someone whose care has taken a permanent, visible price.
Departure
A reunion to grow toward.
Before leaving Foosha Village, Shanks entrusts Luffy with his straw hat and asks him to return it as a great pirate. A farewell becomes a future meeting: Luffy must go out into the world before he can keep his part of the promise.
