This story is going to be following Emma in her travels with the Red-Haired Pirates. It is set in no particular time in the anime/manga and will probably never overlap in any way. This is just going to be some travels of basically whatever Shanks does when he's just on his own with his crew. Enjoy!

Stupid, Emma! Stupid! Emma scolded herself. She should have known this entire thing was an idiotic plan. Who in their right mind would try to sneak on a Yonko's ship? Emma! That's who. Emma, the lowly thief who got by on the handful of coins she would get by pickpocketing on a small island in neutral grounds. Nothing ever happened there so when the opportunity presented itself, how could she not take it? By having some common sense for starters.

She had been following one of the wealthier men on the island when she noticed the flag flying high in the sky. She thought nothing much of it until she heard too much commotion in the tavern. That's when she saw her chance the strike. Sitting inside the bar was, hopefully, the entire Red-Haired crew. Emma abandoned her current mission for a much better one, the ship.

She only wanted to be there for a couple minutes, just to see what one of the emperors could have hidden away. What would have been a simple relic to them could have got her by for months, if not years. She figured anything valuable would be hidden below deck and quickly made her way down until she found the storage.

"Bingo!" She grinned. Crates of gold and treasures awaited her, but before she could finish her celebration her most dreaded fear happened. Footsteps and the commotion from the tavern sounded from above, meaning only one thing. Crap.

She knew there was no way off with everyone now on board so she found the best hiding spot she could while praying to every god she could think of that they would stay in port for one more day.

Splash.

Crap.

No sooner did she wish for it that the exact opposite happened. The ship groaned before lurching forward to its next adventure.

This was it. She was going to die.

She stood no chance against an average pirate, but this, this was a Yonko. But not just any Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks. One of the most feared Yonko if not for the simple reason that many knew next to nothing of what he was truly capable of other than the fact that he had the strongest Haki among pirates and people anywhere.

Double crap.

She would be found out instantly if he decided to search the ship for stowaways with his Haki.

Emma supposed it could have been worse. No, she knew, that this was actually a much preferred option to most. Shanks, despite his ranking and all around power, was one of the few pirate crews who didn't leave death and destruction in their wake. Maybe if she just revealed herself now they would turn around and drop her off without a second thought.

"Marines!" Came a voice from above.

Never mind.

"Boss, wha'd'we do?" These ships had no privacy apparently. The main deck was very easy to hear from where Emma hid.

"Let's just get away. I don't want to fight so close to an innocent island. If they follow us out to sea then we'll see from there."

Even if Emma didn't already know who was speaking the voice would have been unmistakable. It was happy and cheerful while having an underlying tone of power and strength that he couldn't quiet mask. It was odd.

"Let's move!" The unidentified voice yelled, startling Emma with the suddenness. The ship sped up and Emma decided to just stay below deck for a bit until everything passed.

What seemed like hours of gun shots, sword clashing, and order shouting later everything seems to calm.

"Didn't expect them to actually follow us out here."

"Marines aren't exactly known for their smarts."

"They didn't even have anyone strong enough for the simplest of the crew."

"The worst injuries would only be a bruise or two for anyone."

Many different statements sounded before everyone simultaneously started to laugh. There was one distinct voice missing from all of it though . . .

"So how long were you planning on staying down here?"

Infinite crap.

Emma turned around slowly to see the one armed redhead staring directly at her. Shanks, much to her relief, didn't look upset at finding her, but he did have an uncharacteristically neutral expression which was just as terrifying.

"I-I don't . . . didn't mean . . . uh, h-hi!" Emma internally face-palmed. More like internally punched herself. With a frying pan. As if sensing that his darker demeanor had terrified the woman in front of him the mood instantly lightning when he lifted his face from the shadows and smiled a huge, goofy grin before laughing like a maniac.

"Uh . . . haha? Ha? Heh." She didn't know whether to be terrified, confused, or concerned.

"So," he wiped his eyes. "What's your name?" How could someone be so calm after fighting a marine ship and then finding someone hiding with their treasure? She obviously didn't question this aloud however and gave an answer.

"E-Emma," she paused to steel her shaking voice. "Emma Starshard."

The light mood was replaced by a more serious, but not quiet threatening one. It was frightening how easily he could change the way someone felt by a simple change of voice or a small tweak in his expression. "So, Emma, who are you and why are you on my ship?"

"I, um . . ." She couldn't tell him the truth! They'd probably throw her overboard! "I was just . . ."

"Trying to steal my treasure?" He finished with no question.

"I was just wondering-"

"I'd clap for you if I could," he gave an awkward shrug.

"W-What?" Emma stuttered in surprise.

"Not many people would be brave enough to sneak on a pirate ship, especially a pirate ship of our caliber. So I applaud your bravery. I'd also be careful if I were you; most pirates aren't as lenient when it comes to stuff like this and would have killed you on sight."

Emma nodded. "So are you going to just drop me off then? I'd much prefer that over being thrown overboard." He grinned at her last statement. "I'd give you the lifeboat but the marines got a lucky shot in and managed to damage it. So since you aren't up for the swim you're stuck with us."

"What!? Why can't you take me back?"

"They know we're in the area, your island is probably crawling with marines now. If we took you back we could risk damage to any places near the coast and cause unnecessary fighting."

"But couldn't you just knock them all out? Just show up and wham they're all out."

Shanks looked slightly surprised before answering: "and leave the ships without someone to steer it? They'd all crash and it'd be just as bad."

"So? That's what pirates do!" Shanks didn't seem to like that comment. Emma had momentarily for exactly who she was talking to.

"Don't compare my crew to the likes of those pirates, ever. Got it?" Emma nodded wildly, "s-s-sorry, I didn't-didn't really mean t-to."

"Great!" He smiled once again. "So then if you're gonna be here for a while you might as well meet the rest of the crew."

She swallowed, "r-right."

He wrapped his arm around her for a second to lead her to the stairs causing Emma to realize how much taller he was than her. Even so, she was no longer as terrified of being near the Yonko or of the notion of meeting his crew since the captain had seemingly accepted her. As they both showed up on deck many eyes landed on her. Most were neutral or surprised but she did catch the eyes of one crew member she now knew to be wary of for his glance was anything but friendly. "Everyone, this is Emma. As most of you have probably already guessed I found her below deck and she's now stuck with us for a while. You all know how I feel about women so if she wants space, give her space, or you'll have to deal with me." It was said with a smile and a cheerful tone but the underlying message was clear to all. Emma also noticed how his eyes focused on the same man she noticed earlier. Apparently Shanks saw him too.

The crew turned back to work when Shanks turned back. Emma's stomach conveniently gave a loud grumble reminding her how long ago her last meal was. Shanks turned back to face her. "Same hall, turn right instead of left. I have some stuff I need to do but I'll be down for food soon." He then left to the top deck where an older looking man with a cigar and a guy who was three times her height in width with meat in his hand was waiting. Benn Beckman and Lucky Roo.

Emma glanced back to see nearly everyone paying her no mind as she went down to get some food. She'd be crazy to deny the offer of free food after all. As the hall opened into a large room many new eyes landed on her. They looked confused and suspicious. Emma was about to answer before a voice behind her beat her to it. "Captain said she's sticking 'round a while so give her the space she wants. You all know how he gets over stuff like this." The room seems to collectively shiver causing Emma to become curious. She was happy to see it was not the man eying her down up deck but instead someone she guessed was Yassop judging by the bandana across his forehead.

"Uh, thanks."

"No problem!" The man followed her as she got food and then sat uncomfortably close at an empty table. Hoping she might have just read the entire situation wrong, Emma tried to strike up a conversation. "What had the captain done to make everyone freak out over 'you know how he gets over stuff like this' anyway?"

Yassop grinned. "He may seem like the happiest, nicest man you'll ever meet, but if you get on his bad side you might as well start digging your own grave. He's an odd man, that's for sure. You could smash a table on his head and he'd just laugh but the second he catches a man touching a woman he doesn't even know he turns into the terrifying version of himself. Most of us guess he probably had an abusive father, but he won't talk about it. I mean he's the man who causes devastating storms by just having a hangover, so could you imagine if he was actually mad? Whew, not a pretty sight. You shouldn't have to worry about anything though. I'm Yassop by the way, the best sniper you'll ever meet!"

Emma laughed, knowing now that the man was just trying to be friendly. "I figured," she nodded towards the band on his head.

"Ha, right. Just wanted to say that you could talk to me, Lucky Roo, or Benn any time. We're some of the oldest crew members and Shanks trusts us with everything, so don't be wary. We all agree with Shanks' beliefs and will just as soon beat the urge right out of someone, so you're good with any of us four. Most of the men you can trust on this ship as well. Cap'n is a good judge of character, but there are a few people we'll keep an eye on. We picked up a stranded crew not even a week ago and he decided to keep 'em until he finds a good island to get rid of 'em. Of course he hasn't told them he was planning on that. If they even touch you though he'll be on them like"-he snapped-"that."

"Okay, thank you. Not gonna lie but I was kind of scared up until now but you've made me feel better."

"Ha! You know it. Well I've gotta go, see you!"

Emma no longer felt that she was in constant danger on a ship full of some of the most powerful people in the world. She actually felt safe knowing that anyone on this ship was capable of keeping her alive.

She didn't realize how long she had been sitting there until she saw the room was full of completely different people. She quickly focused on her plate so she could finish and leave. Suddenly the seats on either side of her, diagonal, and in front of her were filled. Knew it.

"Hey Darlin'." The one on her left drawled. She gave the most oblivious smile she could to the five men. "Hi!" The same man put a bulky, smelly arm around her shoulders. She tried to hide the grimace. She didn't want anyone to get hurt other than these five and she wasn't sure if everyone would be unscathed if they all fought like it was now. So she kept up her innocent act. "You don't mind, right?" He smiled.

"Of course not!" The others chuckled, playing into her oblivious act. As if. It was so obvious what they were wanting.

"You guys must be pretty strong to be on this ship, huh?"

"Well of course Darlin'. We're strong enough to be some of the top ranks if we had been here earlier," he boasted.

"Really? Wow! That's impressive considering this is a Yonko ship." Maybe if she dropped a hint that the captain was a billion times more powerful than all of them combined they would back off. "I mean the captain is one of the most feared people in the world and his crew isn't lacking either." They narrowed their eyes. Maybe it looked like she was trying to provoke them. "Obviously," he responded. His hand that hand been wandering for a while now quickly landed on the bare skin directly below her shorts. "Mhmm . . ." Suddenly the hand shot under her shorts as deep as he could reach. Emma shot up before she even realized what she was doing and slapped him as hard as she could.

"Bitch!" He stood up, an arm swinging down to deliver a blow and Emma was still too shocked to react. Suddenly there was a resounding crack as an impossibly strong hand wrapped itself against the violent one and shattered the bones with a simple squeeze. A dark and angry aura filled the large room and the boat started to rock madly as if the winds had suddenly picked up. Emma opened her eyes to see very red hair and a single arm raised to grip the one that was planning on delivering the blow.

"You know," Emma's stomach dropped instantly. This wasn't the cheerful innocent voice of the happy Shanks. It wasn't even the voice he had used when he first found her. No, this was something completely different. It was dark, deep, and dangerous. Even though it was barely a whisper the words seemed to bounce off the wall with so much power she thought her head would explode. "I expected this from you five. Not quiet this soon however." He released the man's arm. It was a complete mess. The skin was clumped and bones were sticking through the skin or just completely obvious and the entire thing was dripping a massive amount of blood. Oh my God. Looking around, Emma saw that any of the men who were sitting near the scene had backed off, leaving the group surrounded by empty tables.

"I really did not want to deal with this." Emma was uncontrollably shaking even though the anger wasn't directed towards her. Shanks turned to face the girl, but instead of an angry expression he was smiling.

"Sorry, Emma." It was a kind voice that sounded nothing of what it did merely seconds ago. "Should've known." He turned back to face the man now cowering in front of him.

"Well?" Boom. There is was again. How he could change his voice like that, Emma didn't know.

"I-I-I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! Please I-I didn't-"

"Didn't what? You know every bit of what you did was completely wrong and not to mention against my direct orders." Was second hand terror a thing? It must have been considering the way Emma felt even though she knew Shanks wasn't angry at all with her. Judging by the faces of everyone else around she wasn't the only one.

"I-I'm so-o-o-orry," the man had collapsed on the ground completely sobbing at the feet of the Yonko. "Please . . ."

Suddenly the man was sent flying across the room and hit the stairs to the top deck. Shanks had grabbed him by the throat and threw him. "Shut up." Shanks was suddenly gone and appeared at the man crumpled on the floor. He shoved them up onto the top deck and Emma, being one of the first to regain her senses, followed quickly behind.

She was baffled at the skies appearing compared to not even an hour ago. What had been a clear calm sky was now filled with angry gray clouds that were striking with lightning and large drops of rain. Not to mention the wind that seems it would pick her up and blow her away at any second. Before that actually happened a strong arm wrapped around her and let her to the very top deck. She looked up to see Benn Beckman holding her in place. "Best to stay back when he's like this," he stated calmly.

Emma could no longer hear what was being said but the man's increasingly terrified face spoke volumes. Before long he was thrown against the railing of the ship and a sword placed at his throat. Shanks walked up to him and whispered something in his ear. The man froze in what could only be pure, unadulterated fear. She swore she saw his pants soak suddenly that wasn't because of the rain before his feet were kicked out from under him and he was thrown overboard.

Shanks turned to face the other men who had cautiously climbed up afterwards. Good thing Emma had learned to read lips. "I advise the rest of you to stay out of my sight until we land on the next island or the same thing will happened with you, understand?" The nodded ferociously before climbing over themselves to get back below deck. The storm slowly but surely dissipated and the seas calmed.

"Wow," said Yassop as he climbed the stairs to meet the pair. "Haven't seen him this upset in a while. I felt it from the other side of the boat. He normally has such amazing control over his aura so it surprised me."

"I'm just glad he didn't accidently knock out the entire crew," said a new voice. Lucky Roo. "Especially with this weather."

"What-How are you all so calm!?" Emma suddenly burst. They looked at her as if she was crazy. Benn answered, "us three have been with him for ages, we all know what he is capable of. This is nothing. All of that was just the sliver he couldn't get under control through his anger."

"But you didn't even try to stop him! He probably just killed that man!"

"Stop him? Like that? You're hilarious," Yassop laughed.

"He isn't a Yonko for anything. Sure, a powerful crew is also a huge part of it, but he's the one with the Yonko title, not any of us. He's still much more powerful. That is not a man you want angry at you. He's simultaneously the happiest and scariest person you'll ever meet. Don't worry though, this is a rare occasion. He has extreme control over his emotions until someone hurts someone he cares even the slightest about," Benn explained.

"He's not a bad guy. I'm sure you know that by now. He'll be back to his normal self tomorrow and we'll all forget about this," Lucky Roo concluded.

"So now what then? He hasn't given any orders has he?" Emma asked.

"Nope."

"So where are we going?"

"To the nearest island the drop the rest of those bastards off. I was thinking of dropping down there and helping him throw the guy off too."

"We all were, trust me."

"He did seem to overreact some though," Lucky Roo added.

"He had to of on purpose. Proved his point nicely," Benn answered.

"Yea! He's normally way more careful with his Haki when we're on the water so we don't end up capsizing. I guess it was about time for one of these anyways," Yassop agreed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Cap'n's just a calm guy all the time so the newer crew members start to underestimate him and such. They start to disrespect him and when they realize that they can get away with it they take advantage. So every once in a while something will happen that he takes advantage of to show he isn't someone to be messed with. Was actually Benn's idea years ago."

"I still laugh about it," Benn grinned. "I don't think I will ever actually understand that man." He looked at the sky that was now free of clouds. "It's late. Emma, you should go to sleep."

"Er, where's she gonna sleep? We don't have an area for . . ."

"Oh. Right."

Well here it is! This definitely wasn't what I was expecting when I first started but I feel okay with how it ended up. I should also explain a few things regarding Shanks' abilities. I'm adding in his time manipulating and the Red Haki from the game just so I have something to fill in during extreme battles. Also the weather thing. When Mihawk found him to show him Luffy's bounty Shanks was in a mood and it was all dark and gloomy. But when Mihawk showed the bounty Shanks instantly cheered up and the skies cleared, so I was like why not! I hope you all enjoyed and I'll hopefully see you all soon!