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aaluminiumas · 3 years

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Die for Me

あなたこそが “ 海賊王 ” になる男

Lukewarm blood gushed out from the deep wounds. Ripping apart huge chunks of flesh and feeling the solidity of a bone inside, Monet genuinely relished her superiority savoring every note of the harrowing, blood-curdling shriek the woman in her deadly embrace emitted.

That Marine girl was no good at all; her tactics may not be exactly lame or useless, nor did she lack fervor or courage, but she turned out to be too modest and polite to attack – and also feeble. While the Marines claimed to have implemented a variety of brand-new top-notch techniques that would improve fighting skills of nearly any novice, they tended to send weaklings barely able to resist a simple scuffle, let alone serious combat with high ranks such as her or Caesar. This one wasn’t an exception to the rule: though promoted, Tashigi proved her disability to be on the offensive, thus confirming Monet’s expectations and dispelling the illusion of power Smoker had successfully created earlier.

“I adore it when you yell so desperately,” the Harpy muttered nonchalantly in the unctuous voice, her lips smeared with blood. “So I might break your scapula just for fun. My fangs can go through bone like butter. What a lovely day we are having, aren’t we?.. Care to brighten it further?”

Monet’s viselike grip tightened, and a bone cracked; Tashigi’s scream of utter anguish pierced the chaos and turmoil. In a moment, the woman limped in the Harpy’s wings. This last shrill seemed to have deserted her internally, leaving little to no stamina to stand up for herself and resist the throes shooting through her fragile body. The Harpy, though, felt no remorse or contrition. Quite on the contrary, she yielded into the perverse pleasure of being in charge – her well-nurtured sadistic inclinations and proclivities could finally splurge and flourish. Normally, it was Doflamingo whose hatred of the Marines came unwrapped. He was always in command; he was always aware of the potential threat and danger that could strike at any given moment, and now she could defend him from this invasion without an innuendo on his part. He had protected her in the past, bestowed a shelter, and took care of her younger sister—

“Enough.”

A low voice, hardly louder than Tashigi’s shallow breath muffled all the sounds, including explosions and the clash in the distant rooms. A swordsman with cold resolution in the single eye stood there, unmoving, his face serious, yet completely unreadable.

Monet’s fine features contorted in a lopsided smirk, her head withdrawing from Tashigi’s injured shoulder. Spoiled by pride, the swordsman didn’t seem to see a worthy opponent in her. Good for him, she thought. The Marine’s death would be on his hands – after all, he couldn’t compare to one of the best soldiers among the Donquixotes.

“I said enough,” he growled quietly, advancing and raising his katana, the silver eye narrowing. “Didn’t you hear?”

“She shouted too loudly. Should I shut her up?” Monet’s voice remained vaguely flirtatious, her antics jaunty, but the swordsman betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Instead, without a single warning, he pivoted forward, sword at the ready. Prancing at superhuman speed, the man neatly cut her in half – her logia powers weren’t a mere obstacle to him or his blade.

“I’m a Logia, you fool,” Monet spat with a haughty grin, “You think I’m scared?”

That fact alone contributed to her arrogance and hoity-toity attitude. While the majority of the Donquixote Family had to satisfy themselves with commonplace and hackneyed Paramecias, she got lucky – Doflamingo brought in a Logia fruit, the rarest type, and presented it to her. He might have intended to give it to Vergo, who hadn’t joined the number of the fruit-eaters and preferred to use his innate physical force. At any rate, such thoughts barely intruded on her mind: Doflamingo, the Young Master she worshipped, literally made her a gift desired by many. And what a scenery it was: he called in a meeting, ordered his favorite delicacies, thus forcing the whole city to cook for him, and sprawled across his improvised throne. Trebol, giggling under his breath, Diamante with his ever-lasting smirk, the imperturbable Pica, Vergo with the rigorous mien… Well, she was never part of the elite – nor did she plan to climb higher. The seat beside Doflamingo’s feet seemed comfortable enough to occupy – this position turned her into a valuable asset, who caught all the messages and orders intoned in a low, seductive voice. Despite that, the Young Master did not banish her – he remained seated, asking her to tell them all about her first murder – committed with a taste.

Logia powers made the bearer almost invincible, and Monet, a proficient user, trained by the best, especially by Vergo, knew what she was worth.

“I’m a Logia,” the Harpy repeated, the blizzard howling louder. “It doesn’t hurt me.”

“We’ll see,” came the answer.

Not even looking at her, the man grabbed the wounded woman and hurried to the exit, while Monet, absolutely dumbfounded, discovered that she could not get together. What appeared to be a single cut turned out to be a series of swift swishes in the air that slashed her snow-made body in a split second with the power that significantly surpassed her own. The result unfolded in slow motion: the more time went, the more it hurt; paralyzed, she listlessly perused the gashes opening in her skin – the man had inflicted much more damage than she had initially anticipated.

Furious, lacerated by what seemed to be a hundred blades, Monet yelled – and realized that it caused another wound to splay. The flesh got torn apart somewhere in her stomach and sent an impetus to the lungs prompting another incision to dehisce. The blood spurted up and flushed out from her mouth, staining the green shirt. Coughing, gagging, and covering her lips with a defective wing that had also been slit and now painted vermillion, the Harpy leaned over a gigantic machine with a red button on its panel. Half-conscious, she stared at it – it certainly was a way out. If she pushes it, the whole island will go up in flames. Nobody survived, case closed. Nobody discovers the dirty scheme Vergo had initiated in the Marine to abduct kids; nobody learns about the dubious experiments of the ambiguous nature performed by Caesar. Nobody connects Young Master – her Young Master – to the helter-skelter in the lab, nobody–

Her consciousness drifted away; small lacerations proved to be even worse than the deeper ones – blood didn’t stop from dripping, and she couldn’t control the amount she had lost. Falling to the ground, quivering, Monet twitched her wings in a fruitless attempt to maintain balance. It was overkill, anyway, at least she deemed so. Her wounds were fatal; she very well understood that she was a goner – but it was still in her power to prevent future events from happening.

Suddenly, Monet heard the quiet mumbling of a snail. Caesar, concerned about Joker’s supervision and unremitting control (the notion he strongly believed but which wasn’t true to the fact: Doflamingo, after Monet’s infiltration, called every once in a while, just to give the man heebie-jeebies, in case he felt lazy), installed snails everywhere, each equipped with a unique number. Only Joker could have access to them – no one else would be able to call here, the sanctum sanctorum of the lab.

The injured wing reached for the receiver, then twitched and fell. Trembling, the Harpy moaned in agony, choked on the blood, and made a feeble attempt to get up. Didn’t work; her face contorted in pure anguish. Invincible, trained, fortified by a number of experiments conducted under Doflamingo’s supervision, she never expected a failure. Especially a failure like this.

The snail kept grumbling, Monet whimpered; struggling to stand up, the Harpy felt a million needles skewering into her body, avulsing the thinnest and the tiniest blood vessels. She had to be slow not to disturb the veins that still remained intact. Making a superhuman effort, Monet propped herself up, her chest heaving, her wings jittered ever so slightly. Panting, leaning over the tremendous apparatus towering over her, the Harpy managed to answer the call.

“Monet?” called a low, mellifluous voice coming from a snail. “Monet, do you read?”

“Yes, Young Master,” she mustered her shattered self to respond.

“I do not have the slightest idea what is happening right now,” he drawled pensively, “But it is certainly far from the plan I have drawn up.”

“They– they snatched Caesar.”

Doflamingo paused, pondering over her words. That loudmouth fool, calling himself a genius, failed to kick the teenager’s ass and let himself get captured by a bunch of mere kids playing real pirates. It had been funny to hear that that Strawhat Luffy defeated Sir Crocodile, one of the most feared and infamous warlords; after all, Doflamingo shook hands with the man and knew exactly what his weaknesses were, but Caesar Clown was another thing. First off, he claimed himself to be a brilliant scientist, and, in fact, he had managed to synthesize a drug that made children comparable to giants in force and probably in size. Furthermore, he used his earlier formulae and calculations, retrieved the readouts of the past experiments to create artificial Devil Fruits. So, he clearly was not a complete idiot. However, he employed none of his ingenious tricks to kill the annoying brat on sight when he had the opportunity. Too bad the factory couldn’t work without his involvement – otherwise, Doflamingo himself would’ve got disposed of Caesar as well.

“Monet,” he finally spoke, his voice dropping down a notch. “You were loyal to me.”

“Till the end, Young Master,” she muttered, her voice not louder than a susurrus of wind.

“Die for me.” He commanded coolly, his eyes staring into space unwinkingly. “Monet, die for me and send this place to hell. Take them all along with you.”

“Yes, Young Master. I will do as you please.”

Her lips, covered with blood and gore, stretched in a gentle smile addressed to no one in particular. He cared about her. He wanted her to perform this last task for him, in the name of his future achievements and accomplishments, and she would not let him down.

She raised her wing, slightly quavering, preparing to hit the red button. Exuding a quiet hum, the Harpy lowered it – and gasped, immediately falling onto the ground with a loud, heavy thump.

“Monet?.. Monet, what’s happened? Monet, can you hear me?..”

She uttered a wheezing sound, and her visage froze in a rictus of death.

#one piece #doflamingo x monet #monet #doflamingo #donquixote doflamingo

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one-piece-but-smitten · 3 years

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Midnight Baking Lesson

Sanji × Reader

Tags/TWs: Minor injury mention

~~~~~~~

It all started with the wrong decision on how to hold the knife. Your index finger had been perched atop the back of the blade as you roughly sliced the vanilla bean pods. You didn't know why, but it was somewhat impossible to get under control. You had tried to reposition the bean pod, and that was when your finger and the knife slipped.

You quietly nursed your cut finger with a damp washcloth, glaring at the herb in frustration. It was the middle of the night, you couldn't risk waking up your friends, especially Sanji. He was the one you were trying to make this for, after all.

A month ago, he had mentioned his birthday, and despite offers from the crew of having a party, he declined for some reason. It had only been about a year since you had been traveling with the band of wild pirates, but you had gotten to know them all pretty well, and you knew Sanji wouldn't pass up a celebration. You looked at the clock through the dim lighting of the moon, frowning. It was about 12:14 A.M., Sanji would be awake by sunrise. You had time, but if you kept slipping up like this that wouldn't count for much. You sighed, picking up a small bandage and tying it around your finger before going back to the cutting board. Initially, you had planned to make him a pie, but you thought it would just be easier to make him a little cake instead. The rough handling of the bean pods had made little noise, but it was enough to stir Sanji and put him on high alert. He crept out of bed, convinced Luffy was attempting to break into the refrigerator again. He snuck down the stairs stealthily, his sock-padded feet silent on the wood as he made his way to the kitchen. He opened the door, blowing his sneaky cover out of the surprise of seeing you.

"[Name]?? What the hell are you doing in here?" He asked, startling you. You hadn't heard him come in, so it was a bit of a cold shock to see him out of the blue. You set down the knife quickly, making a futile attempt to hide the sloppy slicing job behind you.

"S-Sanji!! I could ask you the same thing, why are you up so late?"

You asked, internally twinging at the nervous edge of your voice. He frowned at you, his eyes wandering to the mess behind your back in curiosity.

"I thought I heard Luffy gorging himself in here, so I was going to surprise attack the shithead.. But instead I found you."

He explained, raising one twirling eyebrow at the cutting board.

"What were you trying to do in here...?"

Damn, you were caught. You sigh, looking down at the ground.

"Well, when we were all talking a month ago, you mentioned your birthday. I know you said you didn't want a party, but I thought I should.. Well.. Let you kick your feet up for the day, and bake you something special.."

The last few sentences were mumbled, your face growing flustered as you revealed your birthday plans to him. You look down at the floor, feeling dumb and expecting no less of an insult from the ship's cook. You heard nothing, and looked up to see the cook with a rather surprised look on his face. Not only that, his cheeks were tinted a rosy hue.

"You.. You wanted to do that... For me??"

He asked in confirmation. You nodded, looking up at him sheepishly. You watched as he took a moment to process, looking a little red in the face as he faced you again. He let out a huff, your face burning as he came up behind you and started to correct your mishandling of the pods.

"W-Well, let's start by showing you how to actually deal with these."

He picked up his own paring knife from the block and took a piece of the butchered pod, focusing on his cutting as he explained your mistakes.

"First, you gently make a slit through the center like so,"

his knife gracefully glided through the vanilla, and he spread the newly-cut wings of the bean pod. You clumsily followed, your large chef's knife feeling a little clunky for this job. He nodded in approval, looking around at the assortment of ingredients in mild confusion.

"Before we go further... What exactly was your game plan here?"

He inquired. You blushed slightly, feeling dumb with the gradual realization that you forgot to plan ahead of that.

"I.. Was going to wing it. I would have flipped through some of your cookbooks to see for a recipe."

You admitted. He sighed, but it wasn't out of exasperation. You were surprised to hear a small chuckle follow as he lit a cigarette, opening a few windows to let the cool night air in. His laugh is kind of cute, you realized, blushing more. He took a drag from the lit cigarette, chuckling again.

"What am I gonna do with you?"

He asked rhetorically. You were left to sit for a bit as he put away and pulled out new ingredients, but you let it go as soon as he brought out the buttermilk from the fridge. You frowned, you may not be an expert in the kitchen, but you knew buttermilk wasn't something you'd usually use in cakes.

"Buttermilk?"

You asked aloud, wondering what the blonde was up to. He looked back at you, grinning as he pulled the griddle from it's hanging hook on the wall.

"I figured we make something quick and easy, and breakfast is a pretty easy start to a day, so why not some old-fashioned pancakes?"

Well.. It was technically morning. That, and pancakes were fun too. You nod, getting out some whisks and mixing bowls from the cabinets. With that, Sanji started instruction.

"First order of business, Mise en Place."

He stated. You cocked your head to the side, unfamiliar with the phrase. He took a drag from his cigarette before elaborating.

"It's a phrase that helps with organization while cooking. Getting out equipment and measuring everything beforehand to make the process easier."

He explained. Ah, so getting everything ready. You nod, looking around you to see the equipment was mostly there. The only thing needed was measuring cups and bowls for the measured ingredients. You got to work, being stopped almost immediately by the blonde.

"[Name], you need to sift the flour first. If you mix it in like that, there will be clumps."

He instructed gently, coming from behind you with the sifter to do it. It was only about a few seconds, but the warmth from his proximity almost made you want to scream. However, you let none of this show as you continued to work under his supervision, listening diligently as he showed you small tricks on how to make your food better. You got to the point of mixing everything, and he once again came up from behind to guide your hand as you whisked the wet and dry ingredients together.

"See, you need to watch how much you mix it, because it's super easy to let all of that air out of the egg whites we fluffed."

He explained. You nodded, letting him lead the way as your hand relaxed into his. The blonde's cheeks were dusted a light pink, but he dared not comment on it. He cleared his throat, separating before gesturing to the skillet. On the counter beside it lay a butter try with about half a stick settled on top of it. Sanji took out a butter knife from the drawer, cutting off a bit before flicking it onto the hot surface. A soft hiss sounded, letting you know it was ready to go. Before starting on cooking the pancakes, he glanced over at you.

"Would you like to do the honors?"

He asked. You chuckled nervously, feeling a little inexperienced compared to him. Even so, it was his birthday. You needed to at least do something to lighten the load. You grabbed a flipper, giving him a determined look.

"Yeah I do!"

He laughed, stunning you for a second. It was still so pretty, even if you'd heard it so many times before. You snap out of the daze as he goes over to the batter bowl, taking up a ladle and dropping small amounts of pancake batter into the skillet. The butter and mix hissed dully, letting you know that it was cooking. You shuffled over to the stovetop, monitoring the pancakes carefully.

"Make sure you don't flip them prematurely, then it's going to take longer. You'll know it's done when the bubbles rise up from the backside."

Sanji said, peeking over your shoulder. You stiffened a bit, something Sanji managed to notice. He frowned with mild concern, looking at you.

"Are you okay? You're acting a little weird, [Name]. Have you had any water lately?"

He asked. You shake your head vigorously, anything to get him from being so damn close. You see bubbles rising to the top of the batter, but you wait. You watch as more bubbles come up, and you decide to flip. To your surprise, the pancakes are a beautiful golden color, the outside browning crisp thanks to the butter. You look back at Sanji eagerly, and he returns the smile you give him twofold.

"Look at that! Not bad for the first batch. They usually turn out pretty iffy when I flip the first few."

He said. You rolled your eyes, knowing it to be a lie. You punched his shoulder gently, chuckling.

"Don't pull an Usopp on me, blondie. I know everything you make in here comes out perfect."

You retort lightly, surprised to see Sanji's blush of a reaction. You turn back to the pancakes quickly, feeling a blush creep up in your cheeks as well. A small silence settled on the both of you as he poured batter and you flipped. As it progressed, your thoughts ate at you. Looking at the situation clearly, your plan was backfiring. Sanji was being forced to cook on his birthday, all because you were too ditzy to handle baking him something. These intrusive words shifted your attention, causing you to use more strength than necessary to try and flip a pancake. Alas, the spatula slipped, and so followed your hand. There came a yelp, a clatter, and small shouts of concern from Sanji. Your hand had made contact with the sizzling skillet only for a moment, but your pinky and palm still hurt like hell.

"[Name]!!"

In an instant, he snatched up your arm, taking you over and plopping you down in a chair before moving the skillet off of the burner and grabbing a clean washcloth off of the counter. He ran it under the tap, squeezing out the excess before gently setting it against the burn. You winced, feeling horrible. He squatted down next to you, emotions in turmoil within those blue eyes of his. You avoid his gaze, feeling ashamed.

"[Name], please look at me."

You bit your lip to keep it from trembling, your good hand curled into a fist as it sat in your lap.

"I'm sorry, Sanji, I really am.."

You whimper shakily.

"Why are you apologizing? It was just an accide-"

"That's not what I'm talking about... I mean I'm sorry you had to cook on your birthday because of me."

There was a small silence before Sanji finally chuckled, taking your good hand into one of his. You blushed, it was rough and somewhat calloused from cooking over the years. You look into his eyes, unable to stop the tears from rolling down your cheeks. He was so sweet, even on the day he should be treated like a king he was there, tending to you. His eyes softened as he wiped your tears away, a smile on his lips.

"You're too kind, [Name], but you don't realize.."

He softly squeezed your hand in his, turning red as he gave you his best grin.

"Being able to cook with you makes this one of my best birthdays."

You burned a bright scarlet, registering his words. You can almost see the steam pouring out of your ears from the heat in your cheeks, uttering out incomprehensible babble. He laughed, letting out a little sigh before kissing your forehead. You jumped at the affection, looking up at him in silent bewilderment

"Alright, now no more tears from you. Hang tight over there, you can't cook with your hand seared like that. I'll be done shortly."

He stated, standing up to his full height before going back to the flapjacks. All you could manage was a dumb nod, watching him intently as he focused. You let out a little sigh, unable to help the rush of affection you felt for him. Despite being a weirdo sometimes, he was one of the most polite, gentle people you had ever met. Soon, he had finished the work the both of you had started in a timely manner, even managing to wash the dishes as well. He went to plating, breaking out some fresh fruits for additional garnishes before setting down two beautiful plates of food on the table. One was topped with raspberries and lightly drizzled with honey, and the other happened to be topped with your favorite fruit along with honey garnish. He slid the latter plate towards you, handing you a small bundle of silverware tucked neatly with a napkin. You chuckled, taking it.

"You can't go without being a little fancy, can you?"

"You're acting like it's a bad thing."

You smiled at each other before digging in.

Without fail, both plates were without a speck of food. You let out a contented sigh, looking over at Sanji. He had lit another cigarette, the stick sitting delicately in between his fingers as he looked out at the sea through the window. He was so pretty, you had always known that, but you had never bothered to acknowledge it. You were pulled out of your thoughts as he got up from his seat, letting out a sigh.

"Well, I'm gonna go."

Sanji said, giving you a smile before turning to leave. You got up from your own seat, getting in front of him before giving him a hug. Surprised, he took a moment before reciprocating, his arms holding you close. If you couldn't manage to express it through his field, maybe you could do it in a way you both understood.

"Happy birthday, Sanji."

You whispered. He chuckled, resting his nose in the crook of your neck.

"Thank you for making it happy, [Name]."

~~~~~~~

This is a repost from a book I have on my Wattpad, a friend suggested I put it here so you all know how I write (although this is very, VERY old)

#sanjionepiece #reader insert #one piece #one piece oneshot #vinsmoke sanji #straw hat pirates #writing #strawhatscribe

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tsukihotaru · 3 years

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Laser Tag

Summary: Ace and Sabo go to Laser Tag together with a few friends and Luffy. Things happen and needless to say Sabo is a little shit and Ace is a flustered mess.

Relationship: Sabo and Ace

Tags: make out/slightly heavy make out

Notes: While I was dealing with some medical issues, I asked @lovelybutnot-ablankcanvas to give me a prompt to write while I was waiting for some answers. And they send a prompt of

“Take me laser tagging and then push me into a corner and kiss me. Then shoot me and walk away.”

This was the result :)

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It was actually Sabo’s idea to go to Laser Tag. Ace wasn’t against it, it seemed fun and honestly he’s always wanted to go. They invited a few others to tag along, Luffy was first since he was in the room with them when they made the plan. The others being Thatch, Izo, and Koala. Izo didn’t want to go at first but Thatch convinced him somehow. They did try to get Marco to come along, but he had work and wouldn’t be able to make it.

At the laser tag building, Sabo and Ace were waiting at the entrance for everyone to get there. Luffy had already went inside to play some of the arcade machines scattered around the place. Ace was on his phone, leaning against Sabo who had his arm resting around Ace’s shoulders.

“Just got a text from Thatch, they should be here soon since they got Koala a couple of minutes ago.” Ace explains and Sabo hums, gently rubbing the freckled mans shoulder.

“Sounds good. I bet Luffy’s going nuts in there waiting to run around in the arena.”

“I’m sure he’s ok. He has plenty of games to keep him company, I’m just worried about the mini food court. It ain’t gonna last long with us three in there.” Sabo couldn’t help but grin at his boyfriends comment. Knowing it’s so true.

“Better hope Thatch is bringing snacks. While me and you are bad, Luffy is a whole other problem.” Ace laughs at this, leaning closer into Sabo’s side.

“He’s the reason why we need a damn bank account dedicated to food cost.”

“And one for medical bills…” Ace just rolls his eyes at that.

“He’s such an accident hazard..” Sabo rubs his face at just thinking of the amount of times Luffy has ended up with a broken bone or needing stitches.

“Hey guys!!” Looking over they see Thatch, Izo, and Koala walking over to them, Thatch waving at them. Ace waves back, but doesn’t move out of his spot next to Sabo.

“You guys didn’t have to wait out here for us. Where’s Luffy??” Koala asks once they get over.

“Inside playing at the arcade, it was better than him sitting with us and risk him running off to do who knows what.” Ace explains and the others laugh. He pulls away from Sabo’s side, but takes his hand to replace the contact. The group starts to head inside and to the floor Laser Tag was on, having some small talk about things that have happened at work and such. Once inside Ace looks around for their brother, praying the boy didn’t do anything stupid when they were away. Luckily he was just sitting on top of the race car games. Letting go of Sabo’s hand, he heads over to Luffy.

“Go get our rounds set up while I get Luffy.” He calls out to Sabo, getting a ‘alright’ before getting close to Luffy.

“Yo Luffy, you ready for some Laser Tag?” Luffy instantly jumped up at this with a large grin.

“Hell yea let’s go!” Luffy jumps off the fake bike an grabs Ace by the arm, dragging him over to the others at the counter.

“Jeez Luffy relax! You haven’t been waiting that long!” Ace protests but goes nothing to pull his arm away from his little brother. Once at the counter Sabo looks over and chuckles at them.

“Excited Luffy?”

“Yea!! This is gonna be so fun, come on let’s go!” Luffy starts running for the entrance but both Sabo and Ace grab him before he can.

“Hold on Luffy, we still have to wait for our time.” Sabo explains, holding up some small papers in his hand.

“How long do we have to wait??” Luffy tilts his head with a pout. Sabo chuckles and ruffles his hair gently.

“We only have to wait a few more minutes, the next game is very soon you just have to wait a little longer ok?” Sabo hugs Luffy to calm him, but also to make sure he didn’t run off. Luffy, still pouting, returns the hugs regardless and cuddled against the blond. Ace just rolls his eyes but smiles at them, pulling his boyfriend and brother close for a group hug.

They wait a couple of minutes to be called and then are lead into a small room with a bunch of other people to play. The workers there explain how to play the game and how to put on the vests and how to work the guns. They explains how you can pick names for your vests and change the colors as well. Once everything was explained then the workers opened the door to the room with all the vests, letting everyone inside.

Sabo grabs a vest with a blue color to it, while Luffy grabbed a yellow one. Koala followed Sabo’s lead and grabbed a blue one. Thatch, Izo, and Ace all grabbed a red colored vest, thinking it would be fun to be on a team since Luffy wanted to be on yellow alone. They get in line to change their names, the others just used the normal names while the brothers used fun names. Ace went by “Fire Fist”, Luffy went by “Straw Hat”, and Sabo went by “Blue Dragon”. Once all the names were given they all rush inside and split up, going to different areas and corners of the arena.

Ace waits alone in a corner hidden away from everyone for the countdown to begin. He split up from Thatch and Izo cuz he wanted to go wild and run around without having to worry about losing them. He heard the countdown start and he grins, peeking around the corner from where he was to see if anyone was around. He heard others running up and down the slopes and halls, it was dark but still illuminated by the black lights around the arena. The moment the countdown stops, Ace smirks and runs out from his hiding place.

Running around the corner he sees a group with their back turned to him, they were colored orange and Ace instantly starts shooting at them. When one of the vests shuts down and beeps, the other two freak out and turn to shoot him, but he got them instantly before running off.

Ace runs around shooting everyone he sees that’s a different color. It might be his first time but he thinks he’s doing pretty good, and having a blast while at it. Suddenly the freckled man sees Luffy jumping OFF the second story platform to the first and he nearly heart attack.

“LUFFY DON’T FUCKING JUMP OFF TO THE FIRST FLOOR!” Ace yelled out to him, shooting him and making Luffy’s vest shut down for a little bit as payback for scaring him half to death. Luffy just laughs and keeps running off.

“SORRY ACE!~” He then turned a corner and was gone. Ace just huffed and went back to running and shooting people he saw. Thinking up ways to kick Luffy’s ass once they were home.

Running past a secluded hall with small but deep rooms imbedded into it, Ace wasn’t paying attention much since he didn’t hear anyone around him. But then his vest was grabbed and he let out a yell as he was pulled back into one of the rooms and slammed against the wall. He was about to shout and kick the person pinning him against the wall with the body, till he sees it was Sabo with a large smirk. Ace’s body relaxed and huffed.

“Fuckin hell Sabo why did you grab me like that?” Sabo just let out a soft laugh and wrapped an arm around Ace’s waist.

“Aw lighten up Ace.. come on you’ve been running around all this time.. and we still have about half an hour left so why don’t we take a few minutes and relax together..” Sabo gently places a kiss onto Ace’s lips with a grin. Ace gives Sabo a questioning look. Neither of them needed a break, they could go on for hours and barely break a sweat. But who was he to deny alone time with his boyfriend?

“Alright then Sabo.. What do you have in mind to ‘relax’ hm?” Despite it being very dark, lightly illuminated by the black light in the hall, Ace could see Sabo’s grin grow. He nudges Ace’s head to the side when he went and gently starts kissing at Ace’s neck. The ebony lets out a small sigh and relaxes against him, closing his eyes, as Sabo keeps kissing his neck.

The blond trails small kisses up his neck, lightly biting at it before placing soft kisses on his jaw and cheek. He pulls away slightly before presses a kiss to Ace’s lip again. Ace hums against his lips bringing his hands up and threading them through Sabo’s blond locks, tugging at them lightly.

The kiss gets heated fairly quickly once Sabo tugs at Ace’s lip lightly and Ace just opens his mouth for the other. Sabo pushes his leg in between Ace’s and grinds against him lightly, causing out to let out a small moan. Ace was glad no one was running down these halls all too often, he didn’t want to deal with the staff finding out about this. Not that they cared if they were found, it would just be annoying.

Pulling Sabo deeper into the kiss by tugging his hair a little harder, getting a small noise from Sabo clearly enjoyed it. It was going like that for a while that Ace was so focused on it and unaware about their surroundings.

Till he heard a gun go off and his vest make a loud beeping noise. Ace full on stops and snaps his eyes open, feeling Sabo’s lips slowly grow into a smirk. Sabo pulled away from the kiss with the biggest shit eating grin against his lips.

“Thanks for the points babe.. Maybe we can finish this later at home yea?~” Sabo ducked in quickly and bite Ace’s neck fairly hard in his sensitive spot, causing him to let out a small yelp. Then Sabo instantly ran out of the small room and down the hall.

Ace was in shock for a second, blushing brightly and a hand on his neck where Sabo bit him. That was, till rage took him over and he bolted right after Sabo, holding his gun as he ran.

“SABO I’M GOING TO KICK YOUR KICKING ASS!!”

The rest of the time everyone heard angry yelling and loud laughter.

After the game Ace was still chasing after Sabo all around the Laser Tags Arcade area. Sabo got first place but Ace somehow got dead last.

But Ace got his revenge later that night when the two were home alone. Needless to say Sabo had a hard time walking for a couple of days.

#tsu writing #tsu writes #SaboAce #Portgas D. Ace #revolutionary sabo #monkey d. luffy #One Piece Thatch #One Piece Izo #Sabo is a little shit #I love him though uwu #didn't bother beta reading this either so #this is gonna be fun lmao #will be posted on AO3 soonish

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thekytchensynk · 3 years

Text

Ain’t No Picnic (9/9)

Summary: They were just supposed to head over to the island real quick, just to see what was going on. After all, if pirates were trying to ambush and kill the Straw Hat crew, how could Coby NOT go? And how could Helmeppo let him go alone? It should be simple enough, but nothing can be taken for granted in the New World, and when things go awry, Helmeppo finds himself separated from his captain on an island chain full of pirates who probably won’t be too happy to see a Marine if their paths cross.Oh yeah. And one of those pirates is the infamous “Surgeon of Death,” Trafalgar Law… Warnings: Occasional strong language Read it on AO3

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Helmeppo opened his eyes to find a curious-looking animal staring down at him, half lit by flickering firelight. He blinked groggily. The animal blinked back.

“How are you feeling?” it asked.

What an adorable voice, he thought muzzily. After taking stock for a moment, at least one thing was clear. “I don’t feel great,” he said aloud.

“Any acute pain? Your breathing sounds good, but if you feel something like a stabbing pain, let me know.”

Stabbing pain? “Not right now,” he replied as he started to wake up a little more. The stabbing had been before he fell asleep.

“Helmeppo!”

The furry creature disappeared from his vision as a familiar voice reached his ears. Despite the sleepiness still struggling to reclaim him, Helmeppo slowly propped himself up on his elbows, and took in the immediate surroundings.

He was back in that accursed open space where they’d all started at the beginning. No melee there now, thank goodness, but somehow it had definitely become night (sleep will do that, he supposed), and the bonfires here and there were doing little to push back the inky black. Just a few people remained in sight, talking in small groups, or doing things singly. Helmeppo seemed, unsurprisingly, to be in a sort of medical area. Across from him he could see a man … a bear?... a guy with his arm in a sling arguing with a guy in an oversized hat. Bear guy clearly did not want to stay on the makeshift bed he’d been given. Hat guy disagreed.

The next person, he recognized from the wanted posters and wild tales from Coby. Nico Robin lay sleeping, a careful swath of bandages encircling her middle. He was keeping some esteemed company today it seemed.

To his left, Coby stooped a good dozen paces away, speaking with the little fuzzy creature who, Helmeppo figured, had to be the Straw Hat crew’s doctor. The wanted posted said otherwise, but Coby had told Helmeppo it was the doctor and his questions of a moment ago would seem to confirm he had the right of it.

The doctor was speaking to Coby in earnest tones that Helmeppo could hear but not make out, since the doctor’s back was to him. But he heard Coby’s polite, “Understood. I will.” Then the doctor said something else, this time accompanied by one hoof shaking sternly at him. With a sheepish grin, Coby nodded and said, “I won’t. I promise. Thank you.” The two parted, and Coby headed toward Helmeppo’s makeshift sickbed, face shadowed and growing serious.

Oh. That’s right.

He sat all the way up and looked down. His leg was wrapped in bandages. The wrapping looked more or less white, not thoroughly stained red, so it seemed things could definitely be worse. Of course, he hadn’t tried standing on it yet. His shirt had been similarly replaced with at least a double measure of fabric covering the knife wounds and stabilizing his ribcage.

He experimentally tried a deep breath. Oooh. Bad decision. The surge of pain wasn’t unexpected, and didn’t rise to the level of stabbing pain that he assumed the little doctor meant, but what was unexpected was that the pain dragged everything else back, momentarily bright and clear.

The fight. That last fight.

At the time he’d been too concerned with surviving, but now, with the benefit of hindsight, he felt nauseated. How had he failed that badly? He’d talked a big game -- more than once! -- about how he was going to find his dad and beat him, big strong Marine that he thought he was. And instead he’d gotten his ass handed to him. It hadn’t even been a contest. He should be dead. Utterly dead. He’d been too weak, and got in over his head, and he should be d-

“Hey.”

Startled, Helmeppo’s head snapped up to look at Coby, who’d stopped a couple feet away. After taking in as much of a slow, steadying breath as he could and offering what had to be one of the shakiest salutes he’d performed in recent history, Helmeppo replied, “Hi, Captain.”

Coby rolled his eyes at that. But as Helmeppo put his hand on the ground and started trying to get up, he put out his own hand to stop him. “Wait, wait! Don’t get up. Dr. Chopper says you need to rest. And if he can keep the members of his crew in their sick beds, it’s probably best to listen.”

Settling back to his seat on the ground, Helmeppo glanced over toward the doctor. He looked about as threatening as a plush toy, but then again … New World.

“He said I’m not to keep you from resting when you need to, and that you’re supposed to take it easy for the next week or so,” Coby continued, glancing over toward the bear man and his hat buddy. “And see the ship’s doctor when we get back, to keep an eye on your leg, but he said it should heal cleanly if you take care of it, though there will probably be a scar.” He slowly looked back, as though he didn’t really want to look at Helmeppo, and said, “So … you okay?”

“Still breathing and in one piece,” Helmeppo said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Feels like a win today. How about you?”

“Same.” He cracked a small smile, but the solemnity quickly overtook it. “Sorry. This whole thing really did turn into a mess. After I had to-”

“Hey. It all worked out, right? So let’s leave it at that?” Helmeppo interrupted. “The mermaid’s safe, and your … those pirates are safe?” Coby nodded so he continued, “Then it was just a heck of a training mission, I guess. And we are not telling Garp about this place.”

“No? I kind of feel like we should make a report to him.”

Helmeppo sighed. “Coby, if I have to come back here again, my body will probably shut down on its own to save this place the trouble of killing me. So you can tell him whatever you want, but just make sure you’re OK with that being on your conscience.”

Another brief smile at that. “Fine. If I make a report, I don’t know what the island was called or much of anything about it. Just some island. That work?”

“I’ll take it,” Helmeppo said.

“All right. So, do you want to chat? Or you want to go back to sleep?”

Helmeppo considered. He was definitely still tired -- his body felt leaden -- but he was waking up now, to some extent. Plus, watching Coby interact with Luffy and the rest of that crew was kind of adorable to watch, even if a bit predictable -- how excitable and flustered he got. Not to mention, now that he was up, the idea of being asleep and vulnerable sounded … well, not great. Not if there were alternatives. “Think I’ll stay up a while,” he said.

Coby dropped smoothly to a sitting position and glanced first at the sleeping woman, then the bickering pair again, before saying again, “Sorry about all this.”

Exactly what he’d been trying to head off before. Ah well. “I didn’t have to come,” Helmeppo reminded him wryly.

Coby came back with, “Well, it definitely wasn’t boring.”

“You’re telling me,” Helmeppo muttered. Then, since he could just about see the question Coby was getting ready to ask, he hurried to add, “So what happened with that guy you were fighting. Was he the other twin?”

“Hm? You heard about them? Yeah, I guess.” He reached back, fidgeting with his headband, as he said, “Really all I did was keep him off Luffy and his friends most of the time. They handled the bulk of the fight. I thought the one guy had blown everyone over there up for a while, but…” He chuckled, and Helmeppo did too. The idea of trying to wipe out part of a New World pirate crew with a simple explosion -- even on this island -- sounded about like trying to stop a charging bull with a piece of paper.

“So you just fought him to a draw until you got help?”

“No. I beat him eventually. Just not in time to be much more use,” Coby said, saying it like it was something he felt ashamed of.

Which was dumb. That guy might not have been the most powerful person fighting, but he’d been central to the group’s plan. And he wasn’t weak -- not by a long shot. Too hard on himself again, Helmeppo sighed.

“Sounds like it was a whole thing. Glad it all worked out.”

Coby nodded his agreement, then asked, “How about you? Looks like things got rough for you too.”

Helmepppo knew exactly what he was asking about, but he wasn’t really in the mood to talk about it. Maybe if he just forgot about it now, he could forget about it forever. So feigning a carefree tone, he replied “Well, getting dropped into the sea the first time wasn’t too bad. But then I got cornered by a group of pirates in a cave.” He started ticking things off on his fingers one by one. “Got glared at by the Surgeon of Death -- not recommended, in case you were wondering. Another dip in the ocean to pull someone out. Another round with those pirates. Had to be saved, that time. Then back over here for the tail end of your epic fight. And for being called a castaway by some random lady pirate.”

He looked down. The bandages in place of a shirt, barefoot, missing a weapon, hat and sunglasses gone, one pant leg cut off at the knee to make way for more bandages. One hand went up to his hair and … yup. Salt-stiff and tangled. “I guess I have to give her that one,” he finished. He desperately needed a shower and like a week’s worth of sleep. He felt today’s adventure to his bones.

“Saved?” Coby frowned.

“That Law guy helped me out.” Helmeppo said. Coby’s eyes narrowed at the name, and he glanced out into the darkness. “Guess I got lucky.”

“Well, either way I’m glad,” Coby said.

Quiet fell between them. Distantly, Helmeppo could hear other lives going on around them -- people talking, laughing, shouting. The wind through the plants. The lapping of the waves. Bear guy and hat guy had stopped arguing at some point and were sharing a meal. After the wild tension of earlier, it all felt very comfortable.

“Why’d you decide to take them on alone?” Coby asked.

Briefly, Helmeppo wondered if he could ignore the question and pretend the concussion had damaged his hearing. Nah, he wouldn’t buy that. And it wasn’t exactly what he wanted to avoid. So he said, “Honestly? I thought I could beat them. They didn’t seem like big-bounty sorts. And it seemed like taking that other twin guy out was the right move.”

“Yeah,” Coby agreed. “I mean, he was throwing things off. Messing up the fight for a few people. Luffy’s shipwright can shoot missiles, but they were going all over the place, and whenever anyone tried to go find the source, they got headed off. How did you get through?”

Well, that was easy. “Because of Trafalgar Law.” He said, grinning. “It would be like if I’d showed up with … with one of the admirals. One of us is definitely going to draw the attention. Plus, I think he used his power to kind of help me along.”

“Ah.”

It was absurdly kind of Coby to sound doubtful in that one word, as though he thought they should have considered Helmeppo -- no slouch in combat broadly, but still only a lieutenant commander and only a couple years removed from abject uselessness -- a threat anywhere near on par with an infamous pirate.

And then he realized what Coby might be thinking. After all, hadn’t he wondered it himself, in reverse, at the start of this whole thing, about Coby himself being a target? Ugh. That stupid fight. The smile dropped from his face.

“Trust me, it wasn’t anything to do with me,” he said, tone going flat. “He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him.”

Some tension in Coby’s face relaxed at that. “Okay,” he said. “But if-”

Yeah, no. He was not going to do this. “I think I need to lay back down for a while,” he interrupted. Coby’s mouth snapped shut, and his eyes widened. Helmeppo’s stomach clenched at the look. But Coby just nodded and got to his feet.

“All right. Get some rest. Our ride should be back early.” He smiled, and there was nothing forced or false in the look. It felt so earnest that despite everything, Helmeppo did too. “So we can get back and you can do something about that hair.”

“Hey, it’s a trophy of my struggles,” Helmeppo retorted, laying back down.

“Sure, sure. Rest up.”

He didn’t intend to go back to sleep. He didn’t want to. But in the face of a really bad day, sometimes neither intent nor want matter very much. He thought he heard the little doctor walking past. Before the footsteps faded away, dreams swallowed him again.

The next time he woke, night remained, but most of the fires were down to embers and all but the nature sounds had faded. At first, he blinked sleepily around, trying to get his bearings. Then he saw the empty space around him, the massive flat island, and all the memories of the past day sent a jolt of adrenaline through his body. He sat up in a rush, eyes wide in the dark. The other patients were gone. Quiet lay heavy around them. How long had he been asleep this time?

“Mmm… Helmeppo?”

Coby’s voice, a little slurred and slow, came from the darkness to his left. He searched the shadows and finally saw a form standing up from the ground and walking toward him.

“Uh .. yeah. Sorry. Did I wake you?” he asked.

“No. I was keeping watch.”

There were probably questions about how well he’d been keeping watch, given the sleep in his voice, but Helmeppo felt a stab of guilt. This was exactly what he wasn’t supposed to do. He was supposed to worry about Coby, not make him worry.

Stretching and trying to blink the sleep away, Helmeppo said, “Well, I can take over if you like. Feels like I’ve been asleep all night.”

“You were hurt. You should be sleeping,” Coby said.

“And I did,” Helmeppo replied, slowly standing up. Basically every muscle protested this move, all of them sore and wound tight. As he got to his feet, he swayed a little. Putting weight on the injured leg let him know that while it might be well bandaged and expertly treated, that big gash wasn’t gone. He said, “I can-”

“Stop!” The word came out partway between a plea and an order, and froze Helmeppo in his tracks. The quiet of the island fell over the pair for several long seconds.

“The others left. We swept the area for enemies. Everything’s fine. It’s just us two until the kid comes back,” Coby continued. “Please? Just rest. You don’t have to prove anything. I’m planning to keep watch until we’re on our way back.”

Helmeppo watched his friend, barely outlined in the remaining light from the near-dead fire. He was serious about this. And Helmeppo had enough experience with him to know there was no talking him out of things if he was serious enough. Helmeppo had tried. He knew better than maybe anyone.

“In that case, want company?” he asked instead.

He could see Coby’s shoulders relax a little as he said, “Sure, if you want.”

At best estimation, they were maybe an hour from dawn, which put them about two hours from their ride home. Rather than stick around here, they formed a pair of makeshift torches that they lit in the coals of the nearest former bonfire and started walking back toward the spot where they’d be meeting the kid. Helmeppo had only the vaguest idea what direction that lay in, but Coby seemed certain of his way, so Helmeppo simply followed. They came out, a few minutes later, at a place which he supposed might be familiar. Maybe. They both wedged their torches into the scant earth near the shoreline, letting the flickering light cast broken trails of glitter across the choppy black water.

Helmeppo had been moving slow, taking each step gingerly -- the island was light on crutch-appropriate branches, and stepping on a weak spot meant wet shoes before, but he had a feeling wet bandages over an open wound would be a whole lot worse. Coby never hurried him, just kept pace, and let him get himself along, but stayed nearby just in case. Once they got to the shore, he took up a spot against one of the massive leaf stalks, while Helmeppo found a dry spot to ease himself to the ground. The quiet fell between them, as it often did, but this one felt … uncomfortable. Helmeppo stared at the light on the water, waiting for the start of the sunrise to add paleness to the sky.

“Helmeppo?”

“Hmm?”

“Was it really him?”

Helmeppo kept staring out over the water, debating whether or not to answer. At length, he relented. “Yeah.”

Quiet fell again.

“Can I ask what happened?”

He pulled his knees up and crossed his arms across the tops, resting his chin on them. Sighed. “I’d really rather not talk about it.”

“Why?”

Helmeppo tensed up. “I just don’t want to.”

He expected Coby to press the question, but instead the quiet returned, vengeful and accusatory. It felt like the surroundings themselves were judging him for shutting down so blatantly. Coby was worried, Coby was trying to be nice, and he was just being terse and rude in return. Just like before. Like he hadn’t improved in any way that mattered since … since then. Helmeppo tried to think of something, anything to say to break the silence, to make it less awkward, but with every second, he felt the weight of it more. He’d been an idiot. He should have kept his mouth shut, should have-

“You know, I was sure I was too late.”

“Hm?” Helmeppo turned his head, looking over at Coby in the half light. His friend was looking out across the ocean, face solemn.

“When I got there. After we heard that awful racket, that-” Whatever he’d been about to say, he bit off, and continued a moment later with a hint of heat, an emphasis on the name, “Trafalgar Law told me to go, you might need help there, and-”

“Wait. He sent you over?”

“Yeah. Since you two showed up at the same time, I thought maybe you’d come up with some plan. So I went with it.”

Huh. Yeah, Helmeppo definitely had no idea what was going on in that pirate’s head. But he had yet another reason to be grateful to him. “Well, he wasn’t wrong.”

Coby looked over and caught Helmeppo’s eye for the first time in the conversation -- Helmeppo’s own fault, he supposed. “What was that noise, anyway?”

“Something the Straw Hats’ sniper gave us,” Helmeppo said. “It was … you know? I’m not honestly sure. Really loud grass. In a handy pill. He said to snap it if we needed to get some distance. I can see why.”

Coby chuckled a little at that. “Sounds useful. Certainly helped me find the place.”

“Yeah. I think my ears are still ringing. I feel a little bad for the pirate who got the brunt of it. She just ran off, screaming. I think. I mean, she looked like she was screaming. I couldn’t hear it one way or the other.” He waggled his fingers in as close to a dismissive gesture as he could manage without unfolding from his current pose.

They both laughed, and for a moment everything was normal. Then Coby sobered abruptly, and the good mood drained away from Helmeppo too, replaced with dread. He hated the look on Coby’s face, even hidden as it was by the deep shadows from their small torches. Forget it, he’d take the uncomfortable silence for the next hour, or day, or week, if they could just … just forget everything here. Or at least his part in it.

But, as Helmeppo had figured, Coby wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Sorry. But it really scared me. When I got over there, and I saw him standing there, and you bleeding, and I was still so far away, I was sure there was no way I’d get there in time. I was honestly sure I’d gotten you killed.” His voice wound down to little over a whisper, that would have been lost if anything more than the nighttime nature sounds surrounded them, and he finally chanced a peek in Helmeppo’s direction.

“Yes, well, I should have been more careful.”

“It’s not like that! I just … I’m trying to figure out how to say this. I’m not really wording it right at all.”

“Hmm?”

This time it was Coby who fell silent until Helmeppo raised an eyebrow. On seeing that, Coby squinched his eyes shut -- a childish but familiar gesture -- and steeled himself before blurting out what was on his mind.

“You can’t let this get to you? OK? And-”

“It’s fine, seriou-”

“And I’m so sorry I let you face that by yourself! That I unintentionally put you in that position.”

Coby was clearly fighting to find the right words, which Helmeppo appreciated, because he wasn’t sure he was going to deal very well with the wrong ones right about now -- even from his best friend. The last day had been awful, top to bottom, and now that it was all over he just wanted to try to forget all about it and pretend he hadn’t abjectly failed when faced with a true challenge. But Coby was here just raking through it with both hands. Steeling himself against an urge to snap at his superior officer, he said, “Listen, like I said, just forget about it. It doesn’t matter.”

“It does, though.”

The plaintiveness caught Helmeppo off guard. “Why?” He asked.

“Because it’s bothering you,” Coby said.

“No, it’s not!” Helmeppo protested, but he could hear the lie in his own words.

“Ugh, why is this so weird to say? Listen. I’m not saying you’re dad’s not awful. He is. He’s really awful, and you’ve already surpassed him in every way that matters. I guess I’m saying, it’s okay to feel …” He paused, debating, before continuing with, “conflicted. Because I know you can’t just stop feeling how you feel. No one can. That’s all.”

Yeah, this was definitely not what he needed today. Bitterly, Helmeppo said, “So, what, you think I should-”

“I don’t think there’s a should,” Coby said quickly, pushing away from the leaf stalk. “It’s just, I think it’s OK to be horrified by what he did and to bring him to justice and to still be sad about it coming to that and wish things were different. You don’t have to just see him as an enemy. Because he’s not just an enemy for you.” He finally looked over at Helmeppo again, a guilty, furtive look. “Sorry. I know I should have said that a while ago.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“Back when you first told me, Helmeppo. Remember? I felt bad, later. Because it was the first time you trusted me with anything.”

A while ago? What was he talking about?

First time you trusted me with anything.

Oh.

That sparked a memory, of those first few weeks as a chore boy. Of hating every minute of it. Of rejecting everything he could about Marine life without getting himself kicked out. And each day’s list of chores just reinforced that he really was just as weak and stupid and useless as his dad had said, and that made him hate everything even more.

And this guy, this guy had continued to be so damn nice, cloyingly nice, after everything. He never seemed to get how he just made it harder. Being in the Marines was what Coby wanted, after all, while it was basically the only road Helmeppo had. The kid already knew how to wash dishes and scrub floors, things Helmeppo himself struggled with at first.

Plus, Coby had been sixteen, just coming into his own. Helmeppo, at twenty, was ostensibly an adult and found himself serving the whims of the same Marines he’d been an asshole to for so long. He’d been sure they were all laughing, watching him struggle and enjoying every moment of it. Some of them had been, of course. But a greater part of that feeling, he figured now, had been in his head. Still, at the time, it had felt so real that it was all he could feel.

And watching Coby take to the whole situation as though it were completely natural had felt like salt thrown directly in a very raw wound.

It had been maddening. Helmeppo felt like he was drowning, and as a drowning man will, he lashed out and nearly dragged others down too. But despite every attempt to get Coby to either give up the goody-two-shoes act and show his own awful side or just leave Helmeppo alone, he kept just being there. Friendly. Kind. Trying to make him keep going.

To be honest, it had worn Helmeppo down. And it had just been so difficult to pretend nothing bothered him, every day, when everything did. His entire life had been upended. He had no place anymore than felt like home. The work was awful and hard and he couldn’t do any of it right. And his father was going to-

He’d never felt more cowardly than at that moment, crying in front of some kid over his father’s well-earned upcoming punishment. But on some level, it had made him feel better. And even that took him a long time to accept. What was it Coby had told him, when he finally confessed all this? It took a moment to dredge up the words -- not even the words, just the message. He’d wondered if they’d kill his father, and Coby had said he didn’t know.

Had that been bothering him?

“Ah.” Helmeppo honestly wasn’t even sure what to say to that.

“I’m pretty sure that’s why you only read the newspaper when you think you’re alone,” Coby said, causing Helmeppo to blanche. He’d figured that out? “And I know you sneak down to check through every new batch of wanted posters. I’ve seen the look on your face when you do. Like you’re so angry at the world, until you get to the end and it’s just … you go still. So please don’t tell me it’s not bothering you. All right?”

Huh. So apparently all this time of thinking he was doing a good job of being discreet, he’d actually just been lying to himself. Just perfect. It was a really good thing that Coby couldn’t see just how red he was turning. One more reason to just forget today and-

“Helmeppo?”

Oh, right, Coby had been pouring out his thoughts and Helmeppo had been sitting here like a lump. “Sorry,” he said, struggling to find words that would assuage Coby’s worries. “It didn’t bother me, you know. What you said back then. I think that was what I needed to hear. Just someone to acknowledge that it was happening, and that there wasn’t an easy answer. As for today-”

What about today? How did he even begin to explain it all? Or even the heart of it? On the surface, it was simple. But more broadly…

“I screwed up,” he said heavily. “You shouldn’t have had to come flying to my rescue, but I stopped paying attention to the fight I was in. I noticed him, before I knew who he was, but I lost track of him during the fight. Until he cut me off when I tried to get out of there. Found him then.” He laughed, bitterly.

He chanced a look over at Coby. He was looking at Helmeppo, paying full attention, and there was something in his expression that Helmeppo was kind of glad he couldn’t see more clearly. He didn’t like seeing his friend sad. Especially not over something like this.

And like that last time, alone like this, something about Coby -- hell, maybe just him being willing to be here, and so clearly willing to listen and wanting to understand -- let Helmeppo finally break down.

“I know I said I was going to find him and bring him in. And I meant it. But it was like…” He groped for the right words. “It was like when I was there, in front of him, he looked at me like he was seeing the person I used to be, and I … I felt like it. Sure, I wasn’t exactly in great shape, but part of me didn’t even really want to try. When he looked at me, my first thought was just to get away from him. And when I couldn’t do that, I was just hoping someone would come help me, because he seemed so impossible to face. And-”

His fingers tightened on his elbows. Just talking about it was dredging the vision -- his dad big as a mountain, eyes hard and mouth in a thin line, his voice just the same -- He apparently thinks he’s a grown man. Never was willing to do what needed to be done. You never belonged on the Grand Line. You barely belonged in the East Blue.

“Helmeppo?”

“I felt trapped,” he said, startled out of reverie and into verbal motion again by Coby’s voice. “And I felt like … a fraud, you know? Like, I’ve been so full of myself, so sure that I’ve grown into a better, stronger person. But the moment I get tested, really tested, I find out I’m just the same self-important, oblivious coward that-”

“No.”

He couldn’t stop a rueful laugh. “No?”

“Listen, Helmeppo … today was a mess. You can’t just judge yourself by the worst of it. Come on. You think the you from before could have even stood up to him? Much less doing so when you were already injured? Even when I got there, you weren’t backing down or running away.”

Why did he have to sound so reasonable? “Maybe I should have,” Helmeppo said. “He even told me to, you know? Said if I dropped the weapon and begged him for mercy he’d let me leave.”

“And you didn’t,” Coby said firmly, as though that were the end of the conversation.

“It was weird for him even to say it though,” Helmeppo said. "I never would have thought he of all-”

But… wait. He’d been lying about the offer, Helmeppo was certain of that. But he’d said no, and maybe … maybe that was what had caused that hesitation at the end? The one that both he and Coby had noticed.

“Helmeppo?”

“You’re right, you know,” he said slowly. “He had me down, had me dead to rights, and he didn’t … he was just standing there and waiting. I was even thinking, why didn’t he just end it? But he didn’t. And then you came, and he lost the chance.”

“I didn’t know him,” Coby said. “Can you think why he might not press an advantage?”

“No.” Helmeppo laughed a little. “Mercy was never one of the virtues he particularly liked.”

“That’s why I wondered.”

“Maybe he … ugh. No. That’s dumb.” It couldn’t be.

“What?”

“I just wonder if he’s such a … you know, so wrapped up in his whole power and strength schtick that that was the only way to ever get through to him. Like back when he escaped. Remember? He could have killed us, or subdued one of us and tossed the other. But he tossed us both overboard. After we both stood up to him.”

He was overthinking this. He had to be. Until now, he’d never given it a second thought. He’d been sure it had happened because they had been too big a pain in the ass to control and the Marines would have been happy to add another charge to his rap sheet if he’d killed them. But would he really care about that?

“So you’re thinking he might have been impressed enough with you standing up to him that he didn’t want to h… well, kill you?”Coby mused.

“I told you it was dumb.” How many of those attacks had been aimed, not at something immediately vital, but an arm or leg?

“I don’t think it’s dumb. It kind of makes sense with what you’ve said about him.”

Well, he had not been expecting that. And now that he had, the idea felt … uncomfortable? He’d spent two years trying to convince himself the guy was just a monster. And yeah, he still was. But the idea that he was a slightly more complicated monster didn’t work well with those thoughts.

But there was some relief there as well.

Maybe I can hate him, and still miss some version of him and not be a monster myself. He thought about how his dad admitted that he had changed, in a tone that sounded so similar to approval that it had actually felt viscerally wrong to hear it come from the man’s mouth. What a mess. He’d have to thank Coby for this later. Again.

“If that’s the case, I bet in his head he’s taking credit for it all” he joked, as much to bring himself out of his own thoughts as anything. “Like threatening to kill me finally made me turn into the sort of son he might have been a little proud of, even though I managed it way too late.”

“Well, if he tries, let’s just ask if he was also responsible for all the whining you did when we got started,” Coby teased.

“He’ll never admit it, but yeah, that was definitely him too,” Helmeppo said with all the mock-seriousness he could muster.

Something crackled and crunched as Coby pushed away from where he’d been standing and walked over to sit by Helmeppo. He felt something press his left shoulder. As he looked that way, he felt a presence on the other. Coby was putting an arm around his shoulders, which was unexpected, but also kinda nice.

“You’ll get him next time,” Cody said with conviction.

“Just gotta make sure I got shoes next time.” Helmeppo said. “That was the real problem.”

“Obviously.”

“Hey Coby?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

Helmeppo laughed at the genuine puzzlement in Coby’s voice, but he didn’t answer. And the silence that fell between them now, as they waited for daybreak, finally felt familiar.

#one piece #fanfic #helmeppo #coby one piece #tony tony chopper

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victorie552onepiecespeedrun · 4 years

Text

Reading One Piece pt 56: Plot Avalanche, I Wasn’t Ready

Chapters 230-233

Thoughts:

- Are they drunk

- They need to find some bird

- Some animals have internal compasses and they need to go south

- “So Zoro, you are worse than some animals” my conclusion exactly, Luffy :D

- Into the forest. They’re splitting up

- Usopp loves every creature in this forest but Sanji and Nami are having a bad trip

- Bad times, bad times

- Ew, Ballamy is with Cricket (that descendant of Norland guy)

- Cricket’s taking a stand… but it will not help

- Thank you, Robin. They have a bird now

- Oh, finally, Luffy will deck Bellamy

- NEW BOUNTY LIST HAD ARRIVED WITH MAIL

- HAHAHAHAH NOW THEY KNOW

- Ok, Bellamy’s using an actual sound logic to make his crew less scared and it’s working. I’m surprised, really, normally he could even be right. Too bad Luffy defies logic : )

- Ohohoho showdown time

- ONE PUUUUNCH!!!!

- (there was a lot of smack talk from Bellamy but who wants to hear that. It wasn’t even that epic, it’s literally nothing for Luffy. But DAMN, it’s satisfying)

- Why… why are we cutting to Captain Buggy…?

- They’re still after Luffy and Zoro? They really hold a grudge, huh

- ACE

- What is Ace doing here????? Mr. Portage D. Ace, you shouldn’t associate yourself with these people

- Ah, whatever. Speak, my port-USB son

- He’s so polite

- HE FEEL ASLEEP

- lore

- Whitebeard is that good? Huh

- Yeah, let’s party

- What is happening, there’s a lot of plot, I wasn’t ready

- RED HAIR

- SHANKS WILL MEET WHITEBEARD

- Also, “Five Elder Stars”. Text says they’re the most important people in the world ever and they’re talking about pirate figures of power. Five old guys in the room. I lost all my respect at first glance. Surprised I even had it to begin with. Give me the lore and get out

- “If the three figures of power were to crumble, the world will plunge into chaos. We must not let that happen” Luffy exists, man. Also, you’re clearly not thinking about the future. These “figures” would get old and die even without Straw Hats in the equation. You just want to keep your power, don’t you

- Is Shanks one of these “figures”?

- Oh shit, that Crocodile mess will be following Luffy everywhere. Government has to get another law-sanctioned pirate in his place and they’re holding a meeting for Big 7 now where it will be decided.

- But more importantly THEY. ARE. MAD. AT. LUFFY. Very much. That’s bad.

- Ok, two of the 7 just arrived. Translation is not optimal for me

- Tanjiahdo Lofulamingo. Don’t know the guy but I HEARD of some Don Flamingo, is that him? If I heard of him, he must be somehow cool, right??? RIGHT???

- Bisoromi Bear. Isn’t he that guy from Anime Flexes video I saw on Youtube. The one with the biggest Zoro Flex Zoro ever made that made me read that manga? Didn’t he FUCK THEM UP

- Why is he holding a Bible

I… I don’t know what to put here. Plot came out of nowhere and attacked me. I just wanted to see Bellamy getting punched in the face.

rOP 55 rOP 57

#one piece #one piece speed read #I'm excited don't worry #give me ALL THE POLITICS #it's just #tone changed in the MIDDLE OF THE CHAPTER #one moment they are catching some bird #and then WORLD POLITICS #BOIIIII #at least Bellamy got punched like he deserved #I wanted to make that port-USB joke since I learned Ace's name #it's not good but who cares #sure not me #spoiler #spoilers #have a nice day #rOP 56

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monkey-d-momo · 4 years

Text

Another swordsman

Title: Another swordsman

Characters: Zoro and Sanji

Disclaimer: The characters and the univers belongs to Eiichiro Oda

Notes: It is the translation of my fic Un autre épéiste. I wrote it back in 2019, but I translated it recently. It was edited by @nopleaseexplain

You can also read it on ao3 or ff.net

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“Oi! Sanji, I’m hungry!” screamed a young man with disheveled raven hair.

The apprehended man sighed in annoyance. It was at least the ninth time today that the captain repeated this sentence. Before answering, he put down the refreshment he was carrying to his ladies who were sunbathing.

“I know, I know!” he screamed back. “There’s a snack in the kitchen.”

In a cry of joy, he rushed out towards the stairs to go to the kitchen and while not paying attention to the swordsman who was in the way.

“Luffy, be caref…!”

The pirate collided with a green haired man. With the shock, one of the swordsman’s katanas flew out of its scabbard and started to fall towards the deck, exactly where the cook and the two women of the crew were. The protective instinct of the blonde flared up and without thinking, he caught the sword, stopping it in its fall.

“Shitty marimo bastard!” he screamed. “Be careful, you could have harmed Nami-san and Robin-chan!”

“You’re the bastard!” answered Zoro back. “You be careful with my sword, it’s not a toy!”

“Don’t worry marimo! It’s not the first time I've handled a katana!”

Sanji had spoken thoughtlessly. He didn't immediately understand why everyone went silent...and was looking at him with big eyes.

“What? What did I say?”

“Since when have you handled a katana?” the swordsman asked, clearly surprised by this new information regarding his rival.

The cook felt his heart stopping.

“Knife! I said knife” he tried to take it back, “I’m a cook!”

“No, you did say katana”Namie replied.

“Yeah, we all heard it clearly” Luffy added, finally showing up after everything.

All confirmed the captain’s words. Sanji cursed.

“So, care to explain?” Zoro asked eagerly. The one who wanted to be the best swordsman in the world was very interested that his rival in the crew could also use a sword, especially after defending the fact of not using his hands or a blade in combat and fighting only with his legs. And why was he trying to hide this at all cost ?

“It’s been a while” the blond replied. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

With these last words, he stuck the sword he still had in his hand in the ground and went to lock himself in the men’s quarters, slamming the door behind him and leaving the pirate crew speechless. The cook never acted this way.

“I think it’s a sensitive subject for him” commented Robin after a moment.

“Me, I’m hungry” declared the captain, going to the kitchen for a second time.

The common lethargy wore off and all resumed their activities. Zoro, however, was not finished. There was another swordsman on board, besides him and Brook, and he wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery.

He went downstairs to get back his katana before going to take a bottle of alcohol from the pantry. The cook would maybe be more prone to talk with some sake. His goal in mind, he entered the men’s quarters. The blond was lying down in his bed, using his hands as a pillow, looking up, lost in his thoughts. He still noticed the swordsman coming pretty quickly.

“Go away! I said I don’t wanna talk about it!”

“No.”

Sanji grew annoyed. “No what!?”

“I’m staying.”

He took a seat on his own bed which was right next to his rival’s – got to find out why it was chosen that way – and filled two cups of sake before offering one to the other man.

“You want to get me drunk so I’ll talk…”

“Maybe. But alcohol has always been good to keep bad memories away,” replied the green haired man.

The cook sighed before taking the cup and drinking it in one shot. “How did you know it reminded me of bad memories?” he asked after a while.

“It was the most obvious option,” Zoro replied, filling the blonde’s cup once again

“You’re not so stupid, it seems” Sanji mocked.

“And you’re trying to change the subject by starting a fight.”

“What a shame, it normally works.”

“Not this time. I’m serious.”

Indeed. The swordsman was looking at him in the eyes with a stern look. He was extremely stubborn and the cook knew that he would not drop the issue.

“Why do you want to know?” he sighed.

“You know why.”

Yes, Sanji knew. Despite their rivalry, the two men were like brothers. And he knew Zoro felt the same. When one was hurt, the other was hurt as well. He would not let go before the cook told him everything. It was his way of demonstrating his support and giving a little comfort.

The blond sat up in the bed. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. After taking a drag, he spoke.

“I won’t go into detail,” he started, “but my biological father is the head of an army..Basically”

“Your biological father!?” Zoro exclaimed, surprised. “You’ve never talked about him, I thought Zeff was your father!”

“Zeff is my dad. At least, I consider him as that.”

“And he’s at the head of an army? He’s a king?!”

“Yeah…”

“So, you’re a prince!? All my respect, your majesty” Zoro joked.

“Stop that,” Sanji said menacingly. He wasn’t in the mood for that. “I rejected my family long ago. I’m not a prince anymore.”

“Sorry, sorry. Go on.” To encourage him, Zoro served him another cup of sake. The cook looked at him suspiciously before accepting the cup and drinking it in one shot. He preferred wine, but at this moment, the rice alcohol was helping him feel better.

“So, my brothers and I…”

“You even have brothers!?”

“Yes, we’re four twins. And a big sister.”

“So, there are more like you?” Zoro laughed.

“No. I’m different.” The green haired man felt a hint of sadness in his rival’s voice. He didn’t like it. Sanji was obviously hiding a deep scar and he hated seeing that it was still hurting him. He filled the cups once more.

“Anyway. At a pretty young age, our father was training us to become commanders for his army” the blonde continued. “I was assigned as a swordsman. I trained for it until… I left my family.”

Zoro couldn’t believe it. His friend could have been a swordsman too. “How good were you?”

“Plain bad. Let’s just say my father wasn’t pleased about it.”

“What did he do?”

He shook his head. “I’ve said too much. Maybe another time.” He closed himself off. He wasn’t going to say any more, for now.

“Don’t worry. It’s in the past. You’re here now.”

Sanji looked up at the ceiling once more while laying down in his bed again. His rival did the same and the room became quiet. In the swordsman’s head, however, it was not quiet at all. He was really curious to know what his friend has been through and he was imagining so many scenarios. It wasn’t going to help him much. An idea popped in his mind.

“Let’s have a fight,”Zoro suggested, breaking the silence that had been going for few minutes now.

“We do that at least ten times a day, marimo.”

“I mean, a sword fight.” The concerned one looked at his crewmate like he'd grown a second head.

“Have you lost your mind? I’m not a swordsman! And I never use my hands while fighting, you know that!”

“A friendly sparring match,” he justified himself. “You’ll at least have a good memory of sword training.”

Sanji was speechless. He didn’t know what to do with the marimo’s proposition. The latter then handed him one of his katana.

“Come on!” he insisted “see it as a revanche on your father.”

The blonde’s heart squeezed. How did his friend understand how many scars his biological father left him with? He looked at the sword in Zoro’s extended hand. It was Wado Ichimonji. The young man’s biggest treasure. He was dead serious and had just given the cook a great sign of trust.

“Okay” he obliged, not able to say “no” any more. He took the katana and the two men went to the ship’s deck under the surprised eyes of their crewmates. The whole crew had fallen silent when the two rivals each drew out a sword.

Zoro noticed that Sanji’s position was perfect. His hands were holding the handle at a good height, the blade in front of him. His feet were at a good distance apart and his whole body looked like it was ready to parry any attack. Everything in him showed sword training. How had he not noticed before? How had he not made the link with his cutting skills when he was cooking?

The green haired man did not have time to think, the cook was coming with a front attack. He didn’t have any difficulties blocking it, but was surprised by the precision and the strength of the strike. He counterattacked, but the blonde saw it coming and parried it effectively.

The match went on for a few minutes before the two men stopped. The whole crew stayed quiet during the fight.

“You could have been a really good swordsman,” Zoro commented, “you got skills.”

Sanji knew his rival hadn’t used his full potential, but he knew that he wasn’t the type to give compliments out of nowhere.

“I’m leaving the role to you” he said back with a smile in his voice.

“Uhh.. can somebody explain this to me?” asked Usopp. The crew looked like they were waiting for the answer eagerly. They were obviously confused by the whole scene they just saw.

“No,” the swordsman replied. “It’s between the cook and me.”

Life on the boat went on, as lively as usual. In the evening, when Zoro went up to the crow’s-nest, he saw a bottle of sake and some perfectly sculpted onigiri.

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

Thank for reading!

#one piece #one piece fanfic #one piece fanfiction #zoro #roronoa zoro #sanji #zoro and sanji #zosan #my fic

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itsthemoofacewriting · 4 years

Text

Is it okay if I take my time

Great. So I edited the original post and Tumblr took it out of the search filter it was appearing in. Now I’ve reposted it and it won’t show up. Why do I bother with Tumblr? Maybe I should just stick to AO3 and FFN.

Title is taken from It’s Okay by Clara Benin, I listened to this song a lot whilst I wrote this (Even though I’m 100% sure it’s about the state of the world right now). I also listened to Conversations in the Dark by John Legend, if we all want something a bit more theme appropriate.

I know this has been done a lot since the end of WCI and I’m behind the times, but I finished the arc a couple of weeks ago and wanted a bit more closure between Nami and Sanji. So this is my spin on it and it’s a hot mess! Wrangled with this so many times before giving up and letting it be.

Summary: Because conversations at night are always more intimate and people end up revealing more than they’d expected. Or, Nami and Sanji clear the air after Whole Cake Island. Rating: T.

This can also be found on AO3 and FFN.

Enjoy.

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

The grass beneath Nami was comforting and soothing as she ran her hands through it. She could have easily sat in a chair; it was within her view, folded in the corner, but laying down gave her a view of the stars above. It was a clear night and a rare moment where everything was calm. There was no crew member to save, no life hanging in the balance or Yonko chasing them. Nami wouldn’t get an opportunity to do this again anytime soon once they reached Wano. There would be lives hanging in the balance and Yonkos chasing them again. So she’d take this moment and run with it, savour it.

A gentle voice interrupted her, “Nami-san, I brought you some tea.”

She sat up with a start. “Sanji-kun! You made me jump. Thank you,” Nami replied, taking the offered teacup. “What are you doing sleuthing about this late at night?” It couldn’t be much anyway, as he was dressed in a pullover hoody and pyjama bottoms. Still, her tone was more accusing than she’d intended

It didn’t seem to faze Sanji though as he smoothly replied, “Carrot just finished her watch, it’s my turn now. I saw you up and figured you’d like something to drink. It’s chamomile, by the way.”

Having a divided crew meant longer watches and it didn’t help that there was no Zoro or Robin. Both of them were night owls (or in Zoro’s case, he just napped too much throughout the day) and normally covered the bulk of the watches. Still, it was difficult and meant they couldn’t afford to lower their guard for one moment. Although they’d escaped Big Mom’s territory, there was still a strained tension in the air as they couldn’t be sure she wasn’t still pursuing.

Similar to the strained tension between the two on deck right now. They were civil and spoke when around each other, but there was still an elephant in the room. Unspoken things that needed airing. It wasn’t clear whether the rest of the crew had realised or not, if they had no one said anything.

Nami hadn’t responded and it didn’t look like she was going to either, so Sanji was left hovering, unsure whether to leave or not, whether to speak.

“Lay down with me Sanji-kun.” She flopped onto her back, not waiting for his response. She knew he would.

Sanji didn’t hesitate, flicking his cigarette over the side of the ship and laying down much closer than she’d anticipating. They laid side by side in silence. Nami didn’t have anything to say but she couldn’t stand his hovering any longer.

But she didn’t need to, Sanji swooped in. “What are you doing out here anyway?”

She shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep and it’s a nice night.”

Sanji seemed to accept that and they laid in silence, observing the stars above them. Except something about this silence was deafening, it wasn’t the comfortable one she was used to, and Nami found herself resisting the urge to fidget under its weight. Her mistake was behaving this way in front of Sanji.

“Is something bothering you?” He looked at her from the corner of his eye and there was something far too knowing there. Damn his perceptiveness.

“No. I can take over from watch if you want to go back to sleep.” He still had wounds to heal and she was starting to get a feeling about where this was going. Probably best to abort.

“That’s not necessary, I can do it from here for the time being and when you’re ready to go to sleep, I’ll move to the crow’s nest.”

Hm, no escape.

Distraction is was then.

“It’s a lovely night, so clear,” Nami said conversationally, “If you look over there, that’s the constellation Aquila-”

“Nami-san,” Sanji interrupted, his voice firm. Normally he wouldn’t press Nami to do things she didn’t want to but, he must know as much as she does that things between them needed to be cleared up.

She didn’t respond straight away. Not knowing how to start or if she even wanted to. Sanji didn’t seem impatient, just waiting. “I’m angry,” Nami said bluntly, she didn’t know whether it was the best way to go about it, but she was sick of thinking.

His voice was soft again, “I’m so sorry-”

“With you and with myself… and, just everything.”

Sanji didn’t say anything. That wasn’t what he was expecting, but she always did exceed his expectations.

“I was ready to leave you behind. I tried convincing Luffy to leave and I took your words at face value. How stupid considering I’ve been in the same place myself; I should have known better.” Nami shook her head at her own words, clearly agitated at the thought. “But after all we’ve been through and you were so willing to sacrifice your life. You treat your life so lightly and I hate it.” She paused. “But it’s silly isn’t it? I know why you did those things; you had such good reason to. But I can’t shake it.”

“My intention was to make you leave. I knew Luffy wouldn’t alone, he’s too selfish and single minded. I was hoping between my words and your feelings it would be enough, but well, that didn’t work,” Sanji said. He was trying to make her feel better about her decision, of course he was. But he dodged the part about his self-sacrificing nature, she noticed.

When they settled back into silence this time, it was lighter, Nami felt like she could breath. She slightly wondered if this was the end of their conversation, that maybe Sanji wouldn’t push it any further.

But she was wrong.

“I missed you.” Sanji’s words were barely a whisper, but Nami still heard.

“Didn’t seem to miss me that much when you proposed to Pudding.” The words were out before she could think about what she was saying, and she cringed at how jealous she sounded.

“I know but I was trying to make the best of a bad situation. Honestly.”

Nami snorted but chided herself afterwards. He had originally refused the marriage and the moment he was on the home stretch he hadn’t looked back. Sanji sighed and Nami felt a bit bad about giving him such a hard time, she knew he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“Sorry. I know you refused the marriage before it got so complicated.” Nami was so frustrated.

“You know, I’m happy you’re angry,” Sanji hummed in delight, circling back to their previous conversation.

Nami turned her head to give him an odd look. “Perhaps you should go back to sleep, you’re not thinking straight.”

“No I am.” He smiled happily at her. “It means that you care about me.”

She snorted, feeling defensive about the way he’d phrased that. “Of course I do. Friends care about each other.” That’s right, she could downplay this.

“No, you care about me, that’s why you’re still so bothered by all of this,” Sanji smugly replied, not letting her explanation settle. But then he seemed to do a double take, hesitating at his over-confidence. “But, y’know, if you’re not ready…”

Nami heaved a sigh. He was giving her an out, but she knew if she didn’t do this now, they’d be back here further down the line. There was no escaping this. But did she really want to? Goddamn her for catching feelings. Why did she invite him to lay down? A small part of her knew it was because she wanted to have this conversation. She wanted this.

They’d been so close on Zou. Despite the dire situation the mink people had been in before they arrived, they’d been on the cusp of something. Hands that lingered just a second too long, gazes that strayed to the other when they weren’t around. This wasn’t sometime particularly new for Sanji, but it was new territory for Nami. Sanji wasn’t a fool either, he’d noticed. He’d returned it tenfold and even sought her out more often. And she’d enjoyed that. Then again, it didn’t stop her from setting his head straight when he got a bit too overzealous, but it was there. Subtle and building. Then shit hit the fan and messed everything up.

In her smallest voice, she whispered back, “I missed you too.”

She’d expected Sanji to ruin the moment, to start prancing about and shouting as he declared his love for her and that she returned it. Instead, he remained silent, looking up at the stars, a small smile curling up on his face. She felt his fingers tentatively reach out to hers, brushing against the tips of her fingers cautiously.

After a second, she realised it wasn’t caution, he was letting her make the final move. He’d extended the invitation and was giving her the opportunity to accept or reject it. She could lay here and make a bunch of excuses to not take the leap, Sanji would let her, but ultimately, she felt the same way. Now wasn’t the time to be a coward.

Her fingers covered the last distance, resting over his and curling around them, twining them together. Sanji let out a relieved sigh, for all his talk and prancing about, this meant a lot for him. His thumb traced along her hand lightly, enjoying the moment before his fingers squeezed hers, letting her know of his happiness.

She squeezed back.

“Your family suck by the way.”

“That’s an understatement.” Sanji let out a dark chuckle. “You impressed my brothers by the way, they wouldn’t stop talking about you. It was incredibly aggravating.”

“There’s only one Vinsmoke I’m interested in.”

“Reiju?”

“Oh good, now I don’t have to think about how to break it to you.”

Sanji’s laugh was lighter now and his fingers were squeezing hers again, amused by her words. She joined him, enjoying the moment to laugh with him again.

There was just one thing left bothering her and she’d rather see his face for this. She untangled her hand, his chasing after hers until she used that arm to prop her head on as she rolled on her side. Nothing needed to be said for Sanji to mimic her actions and she was looking into baby blue eyes. She was impressed, his eyes didn’t waver to her chest, staying firmly planted on her face, which she imagined was quite a feat in this position with a flimsy pyjama top on. Then again, this was a serious topic and he was never one to joke around in those kinds of situations. It was something Nami liked about Sanji, he knew when to reign it in and when to joke around. He read her so well. There was something daunting about that as well.

“Look, about Pudding…” Nami started to say but she was unsure how to finish.

“Pudding is a nice, albeit complicated person- probably a bit messed up from Big Mom’s upbringing- and she’s a fantastic baker.” Sanji finished. Nami couldn’t keep the disgruntled look off of her face. Sanji continued before she could say anything, “But she’s not you. No other woman is.”

Nami could feel heat blooming on her cheeks, it didn’t help that they were now face to face and she was confronted by the warm expression on Sanji’s face. “You’re a sap.” She gently pushed against his chest, not knowing how to deal with his adoring look. His hand trapped hers against his chest.

And it was in that moment, when she looked back at his face, that she realised just how close they were. Sanji’s expression was so soft and warm and she could feel herself being pulled in. Her eyes closed as their lips brushed together, feather light against the others and Sanji hummed in content. When they pulled apart, she opened her eyes and felt butterflies erupt in her stomach at the tender smile he gave her. The butterflies were now in a frenzy as he leaned back in, his lips tenderly moving against hers as his thumb rubbed little circles on the back of her hand.

Neither moved away when they broke the kiss, a hair’s breadth apart as their breath mingled together.

“I think I was scared,” Nami whispered against his lips. The darkness providing the security she needed to be honest. “Scared of losing you.”

“I was scared too,” Sanji whispered back, his nose nudging against hers in reassurance. “Being trapped in a place I hated. Having to leave the crew. Not being able see those dumbasses and Robin-chan ever again. Not seeing you.”

Nami’s heart twisted at the sentence ‘Being trapped in a place I hated’. They mirrored her childhood so well and her stomach churned at the thought of what he’d been through. She didn’t know a lot about Sanji’s childhood, he’d never shared, and she was starting to understand why now. Considering what Judge had said when the Straw hats and Vinsmokes had parted, it wasn’t pleasant. And there was that anger again, that anger with everything. Anger for him she supposed.

She didn’t know whether to probe about his childhood or not. They were having a deep conversation, so it seemed like a good time, but what if he didn’t want to?

Sanji interrupted her thoughts, unknowingly making the choice for her and swiftly changing the topic. “But it doesn’t matter, we’re back together.” And he beamed at her.

God it was difficult to be at the brunt of his smile up close. Just because she could, she leaned in to peck him on the lips.

But there was a time limit on how seriously Sanji could behave and it was up.

“And can I just say, your breasts look fantastic right now.”

“Pervert!” She exclaimed, shoving him this time and he rolled onto his back from the force. He was lucky that’s all he got.

His arms wrapped around Nami, bringing her into his chest and she hovered above him to look at his face.

But he hadn’t lost the cheeky twinkle in his eyes. “They look good in this position too. Maybe there’s not a position they don’t look good in.”

Nami’s hand pressed over Sanji’s face, pushing it to the side. “Maybe I’ve made a mistake…” She said teasingly.

“No take backs!” Sanji exclaimed and laughed, tightening his arms around her and coaxing her into his chest as he placed a kiss on her cheeks. “This is it, you’re stuck with me, Nami-san.”

“I could think of worse things, Sanji-kun,” Nami said, resting her head against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. Nami hummed, it was soothing, and she could feel herself drifting, nuzzling into his chest to get comfortable. His hands traced up and down her back and she could feel herself melting. Maybe they should have done this sooner, he was so comfortable. “No funny business,” She murmured sleepily.

“I’d rather you be awake for funny business,” Sanji said, leering down at her.

Nami snorted and felt Sanji press a lingering kiss onto the top of her head before she drifted off.

“Nami-san,” A soft voice coaxed, “Nami-san.” There was a soft hand on her shoulder, gently shaking it in an attempt to rouse her.

Stirring, she looked up, bleary eyed into Sanji’s face. It took her a second to remember what was going on but when she did, she asked, “What time is it?”

“Almost three, you should go to bed, you feel cold.”

Reluctantly she agreed, taking a moment to gather herself, she really was comfortable. Sanji was looking at her fondly and she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious for a moment, she really hoped she hadn’t dribbled. She rolled off of him, laying down on her side next to him and contemplated asking Sanji to carry her to her room. She knew he would, he’d do it in a heartbeat, but she was a grown up, not a five-year-old.

Nami sat up, Sanji joining her a moment after. She was about to leave but turned and smiled at Sanji. The night had shaped up pretty well and she gave into the impulse to lean in to kiss him. She briefly wondered if her breath was a bit gross after being asleep but Sanji didn’t seem to mind as he tilted his head to get a better angle.

She was aiming to keep the kiss light and it started out that way. Small pecks and feathery brushes as their lips met, but to hell with it, she enjoyed being a tease after all. She slanted her lips against his and pressed more firmly. Sanji made a noise of surprise in the back of his throat before reciprocating in kind and wrapped an arm around her to press her up against him.

What started sweet was beginning to turn heated as Nami nipped at Sanji’s bottom lip and he groaned as her tongue soothed along his bottom lip. Her stomach twisted when his free hand reached up to cup her face and his tongue tentatively met hers. He soon gained his confidence when she gave a breathy moan and their mouths met in an open mouth kiss. Nami could feel heat pooling in the stomach and although she was outside, it was all too hot.

Things were starting to get out of control. She needed to reign this in before it went too far.

She pulled away, breathing heavily and the hand on Sanji’s chest was now there to stop him from following after her. He looked thoroughly kissed and she imagined she looked the same. She graced him with a few small, lingering kisses.

“Good night Sanji-kun, see you in the morning,” She whispered against his lips.

“Hrrg,” He replied, before coughing and composing himself. The glassy look in his eye didn’t leave though as he nodded. “Good night, Nami-san.”

He leaned in to kiss her again, but she dodged out of the way. Heaving herself up, she winked and gave him coquettish wave over her shoulder as she walked towards her room. They may be together, but she did promise to make him work after his return.

And he was left watching her leave, waving back at her in a stupefied daze. A satisfied smile spread across his face.

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

I was so close to writing le sexy times. Sanji just forces my hand but I reigned it in, I’d never planned to and for once, I stuck to it. Also, Luffy almost made an appearance, to obviously ruin the mood because everyone loves Sanji suffering at the hands of his Captain… right?

I actually don’t like that scene they included in the anime, where Nami said about ‘working him like a horse’, it was far too cold for me. But I couldn’t resist mentioning it at the end and this is my spin on how she actually meant it.

As always, please forgive spelling errors.

Thanks for reading.

#sanami #sannami #sanjixnami #opfanfic #opwriting #one piece #nami #sanji

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4-046 · 5 years

Photo

Note - This is my first time writing anything, so please go easy on me :)

Soulmate AU! Where your soulmate’s first sentence you hear them say is tattooed on your arm

Idea by @akermanch on Tumblr

Art by @mushroomgrenade

Ace x Marco

“Welcome to Starbucks may I take your order?”

Those were the very words that were tattooed on Ace’s bare arms.

Ace has seen some people with the same tattoos on their arms just like him, and it’s not a rare sight nowadays. Being currently nineteen years old and almost twenty in a few months, Ace has been looking for his stupid soulmate for years. All his friends have found their soulmates, and even his stupid younger brother has Zoro!

They met when Luffy was a junior in high school, and the boy couldn’t be happier when he found out his soulmate had to redo his last year in the place. Not the same could be said with Zoro, but after meeting his hyperactive brother and falling for him after a few months, the boy wasn’t about to complain.

His other brother, Sabo, on the other hand, had met his soulmate Koala when he was twelve, and she has been like family to him since then.

All in all, Ace is happy for his brothers and is grateful for their other halves too.

But what about him? Where is his soulmate? And which fucking Starbucks do they work in?!

And now that question is something he’s been asking himself ever since he’s turned thirteen because he’s pretty sure that by then, he’s been over at least a hundred Starbucks in his state alone.

Ace is sick of getting “Nos” or sometimes a “Nah, my dude, I’m waiting for someone to order a grande skinny latte extra cream” whenever he asks a barista if they’re the one. And to make matters worse, most of the times he’d get a few snickers from people who are CLEARLY ON A DATE WITH THEIR SOULMATES.

And those days are the worst. Which are....most weekends.

Ace has been thinking of almost all the possibilities of why he hasn't met his soulmate yet. And you know what? Overthinking is seriously a bitch.

What if his soulmate doesn't even work in the United States? What if his soulmate found someone that isn’t Ace but ordered the same caramel snickerdoodle macchiato like him? Or what if his soulmate is sick of getting asked the same question and snaps at him?

Oh. Hell. No. is his soulmate snapping at him for asking that question.

Overall, you get the point, and as Ace said before, overthinking is a bitch.

Though honestly? Ace is ready to just give up right about now. As he just got another few snickers and laughs from a nearby couple grabbing their Frappuccinos after hearing Ace’s conversation with the new barista. New news, he got another no from the cutie with purple hair tied up in a chignon, she was nice enough to introduce herself as Carina, so she wasn’t that bad. The couple on the other hand?

“Y’know, I sincerely hope ya’ll get diabetes”

Did he just say that out loud?

“What the fuck did you just say you wretched fuck!”

Of course, he did.

Ace ran out of the door, not after grabbing his caramel snickerdoodle macchiato from another blonde barista and waving them off. He was taught to be polite, after all.

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

Marco wasn’t even supposed to be in the store today, but apparently his colleague Drake had to call a day off since his soulmate came over to visit.

And would you know that,

“Y’know, I sincerely hope ya’ll get diabetes”

Was tattooed on Marco’s arm.

Marco was never a fan of his own soulmate tattoo since he thought of how distasteful it sounded.

So he normally would wear wrist bands to cover it up.

But for fuck's sake that was him!

Marco was the one to handed him his stupid secret menu caramel snickerdoodle macchiato too!

It all happened so fast, he just finished break and went out with his apron in hand, handing it to the freckled bastard. No. His soulmate now. He was handing his soulmate his caramel snickerdoodle macchiato and heard him say that fucking sentence.

His soulmate ran after saying it too, while Marco couldn’t think, his body moved on its own. And that was the best thing his body has done for him in a long while.

He thought.

Marco lost his soulmate. And he felt it too.

The bastard was lying on the ground in the middle of a street, a truck right beside him, and blood. Oh, blood. So much blood was pouring out of him, and the fucking couple was just standing there, not knowing what to do.

Marco didn’t know what to do, he can only feel a horrible stomach drop in his gut, and he couldn’t do anything but stand there and watch. Watch as the life of his soulmate drains from him, in an alarmingly fast pace.

Marco was dazed, and what brought him back was the loud sound of an ambulance coming through.

Marco couldn’t do anything but watch from afar while his soulmate got taken away.

He was terrified.

For the first time in his life, he was so scared he started to sob in the middle of the streets, with everyone watching.

He just stayed there, bawling his eyes out, until his colleague came out for him.

After getting into the staff room, Marco didn’t hear anything his colleague said until she asked him that question.

“Is Ace your soulmate?”

Looking up, Marco saw his ginger-haired colleague, her hair was tied in a messy ponytail, and her gentle brown eyes looked at him with worry.

“Pardon?” he asked

“Ace, is Ace your soulmate?” Nami asked again.

“Is that his name?” Marco’s face could be seen with confusion by now.

“The idiot that got hit by a truck outside? Yep, that’s him.” She explained.

Ace.

A-c-e.

“Ace”

His name rolled off Marco’s tongue without Marco even noticing.

That’s his soulmate’s name.

His name is Ace.

“Ace is your soulmate?” another voice chimed in.

Marco looked up. Red hair.

Why does everyone but him know his soulmate?

This is absurd.

But Marco replied to his manager regardless.

“Yes, uh, I mean, I guess? No. I’m pretty sure it’s him, but why-”

“Then why haven't you said so?” Shanks loudly exclaimed.

A tic mark formed on Marco’s forehead.

“It seems like he didn’t know until now boss.” Nami explained for him.

“Well, if that’s the case, come with me! I'm driving Luffy to the hospital now since he’s worried.” his manager loudly shouted right beside his BLOODY EAR.

But before Marco could utter out another word, he found himself standing up and leaving the store with Shanks.

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

The ride itself was absolutely horrible.

Red Hair’s son was basically bawling for his apparent “big brother”, Marco would have to remember that later. While the other, who introduced himself as Sabo, he was quite polite, tried to calm the kid.

Apparently his name is Luffy.

And with Luffy’s bawling, he could make out that this sort of accident, in fact, isn’t the first time that happened to this...Ace. To his soulmate.

Marco is beginning to worry more now.

And according to Shanks, the reason why literally everyone in the store knows Ace but him is because he’s a regular on Sundays.

And Marco just so happens to take Sundays off.

When they got to the hospital, Marco wasn’t allowed in the patient’s room since he wasn’t “family member” according to the nurse.

Marco was his bloody soulmate!

But oh no, since he couldn’t exactly prove it, he wasn’t allowed in.

After about half an hour, Shanks came out and told him that Ace was stable, and suggested him to go back home and take the day off.

He promised Marco that he would talk to Ace and inform Marco when Ace wakes.

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

The pain ringing inside Ace’s head was horrible, and when he woke up somewhere unfamiliar to him, you couldn’t exactly blame him for panicking.

The room was big and white, and there was a table beside him, a cup of water and two orange pills on it, a television right in front of him, and he could feel the wind to his left.

Ace looked around, but before he could move his neck further, a shot of pain ran through him.

He yelped, and not even seconds, someone barged into the room.

“WHAT THE OUCH!”

Another shot of pain ran through him, but way bigger this time, and Ace couldn’t help it anymore, as tears start spilling through his eyes.

“Don’t move so much Ace-ya, your wounds are still fresh, and you’ve been out cold a day and a half, let your body rest”

“I've been WHAT?!”

The guy that barged in just sighed in response, pushed Ace down softly to his bed, and started to write on his clipboard. He had a plastic name tag on him.

“Tr-tra-traflger-traflgar-”

Another pain shot through Ace, but this time, his arms. He could see the blue liquid being injected into his systems and roughly pulled his hand back with anger.

“What the fuck Traffy?!” Ace exclaimed.

“This is sedative Ace-ya, don’t worry, it’ll help you. You’re also just like Strawhat-ya I see, I suppose it makes sense since your siblings…” “Traffy” replied with a nonchalant tone

And Ace finally looked at “Traffy” properly, he had sideburns, a goatee, black messy hair, silver eyes, and a bunch of badass tattoos on him. He was also wearing a lab coat? Spotted jeans and a white fur hat with black spotted patterns on it.

He’s kinda hot.

But he’s not Ace’s soulmate.

“Traffy where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, room 311. Also, don’t call me Traffy. You can call me Law.”

Ace looked out the window a bit, as it was a sunny day, birds are chirping, and he could see kids outside playing.

Law looked at him and cleared his throat a bit.

Ace turned over slowly to look at Law.

“We had to cut your hair a bit to patch you up, I hope you don’t mind. You were in a car crash, and your head was unfortunately hit, but you’ll be fine, and you can leave in about a week. I will inform your family members soon, and you would be able to see them.”

Ace nodded but stayed silent.

“Would you like anything for now?” Law asked.

Ace looked up and shooked his head.

Ace didn’t want anything now.

He’s just tired.

Ace closed his eyes, he might as well have a nap right now.

Until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

It was Law, his cold silver eyes looked at him with no emotion.

“You’re uncle Shanks wanted me to give you this piece of paper. Remember to eat your pills, and stay hydrated, call me if you need anything else with the button beside your bed.”

Handing Ace the white piece of paper, Law left without a word.

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

Marco couldn’t sleep for the whole week without the help of sleeping pills.

Shanks didn’t call back, and he didn’t come to the store since last week, Marco was worried sick but no one could help him in any way.

This was Marco’s own problem, and this was HIS soulmate.

He’ll be fine, Marco assured himself multiple times during the day, and his tired droopy eyes were droopier than ever.

Dark circles formed beneath his eyes, and his colleagues have started to worry about him.

Marco was fine though, he must be fine.

He will be fine when Ace wakes up.

The bell ringed and without looking up, Marco automatically replied with

“Welcome to Starbucks may I take your order?”

After fumbling with his apron, Marco looked up with his pen in hand and his eyes widened.

“...Ah”

Right in front of him, stood a freckled face, half his messy black hair cut off with bandages wrapped around his head and face.

“Are you my soulmate?”

Marco’s froze.

He didn’t know what to say.

Ace looked back at him, disappointment could be seen from his face.

“Or, not. I-uh, Shanks just gave me a description that a guy named Marco with blond hair said he’s my soulmate, but maybe I got the wrong person-”

“I-I don’t understand.” Marco managed to mutter out.

“I’m sorry?” Ace asked.

“Red Hair didn’t contact me, I-I thought you were still in the hospital!” Marco stuttered out in a frenzy.

“Oh! Well, Shanks is on a business trip without any services, he would probably be back in a few days.” Ace replied, cheerfully now.

Marco looked at the freckled teen, and finally, relief washed over him, and the stress from the past week came crashing down. He reached over the counter and grabbed the teen and hugged him in an awkward position, but Marco didn’t care.

Because Ace is safe.

Ace hugged back with emotion, strong as Marco’s.

Pulling away, Marco gave Ace a tired grin.

Which Ace gave back with, but a lot brighter than Marco’s.

“My name is Ace.”

“I uh, already know that. Name’s Marco.”

“I already know that too.”

Marco would have to remind himself to kick Red Hair’s ass when he gets back.

#mywork #one piece #ace x marco #fanfic #marco #ace #portgas d ace

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anubislover · 5 years

Text

Of Friendship, Captains, and Wedding Dresses

It was rare that Luffy asked to go shopping with his navigator. The hyperactive captain usually didn’t have the patience for following Nami around a peaceful town as she tried on clothes, instead complaining that he was hungry or bored and why couldn’t they go on an adventure? It was best to let him go off on his own whenever they reached an island with decent enough shops, as it saved her the headache and trouble that came with reigning him in.

This time, though, the rubber captain had practically begged to go with her, agreeing to carry all her bags and not mention meat once. Three hours in and he’d kept that promise, not even complaining that she was taking too long trying stuff on or haggling down the prices of navigation equipment. Once or twice, he even gave an opinion, even if it wasn’t much more than “the color’s nice” or “can you fight in that?”

To be honest, it had Nami worried.

“Why’d you want to come shopping with me, Luffy?” she asked as she handed him another bag stuffed with shoes. Sparkly sandals with three-inch heels had caught her eye, but she had intentionally taken her time deciding between the turquoise and the teal, testing if her captain would say anything. Throughout the grueling twenty minutes he’d sat patiently, not commenting that the difference between them really was miniscule.

Stretching his arms to make room for her latest purchase, he merely shrugged. “I just wanted to spend time with you. Is that ok?”

“I mean, of course, but wouldn’t you rather explore the island?”

“I can do that with Usopp and Chopper later. Robin says there are some cool beetles in the forest that are supposed to come out at night, so I’ll have a midnight adventure!”

A giggle escaped her lips. That sounded far more like the man she knew. Maybe she was overthinking things; they’d spent two years apart after Sabaody, and since the crew had reunited there hadn’t been much opportunity for leisure time or hanging out. Luffy often asked her to play games with him, but between the maps she had to draw, tending to her mikan trees and the New World’s dangerously unpredictable weather, she rarely accepted, knowing she had to be ready for a storm or other disaster at any time.

Even when danger wasn’t imminent, she wasn’t always around; Law had gotten into the habit of “running into them” quite regularly and spiriting her away to his ship to make the most of their “alliance.” Hell, part of the reason she was so anxious to go shopping was because he’d started ripping her clothes off in the heat of the moment, which usually meant she had to borrow his shirts and hoodies just to get back to the ship. The sight never failed to leave Sanji in tears, and even Luffy had started looking grim at how often she returned in the surgeon’s clothes.

Regardless, something was clearly up with her captain. Maybe Luffy just really wanted to spend some time with her, and he felt shopping was the only way since he could never manage to stay quiet long enough to join her in the library and she didn’t trust him with her precious mikan trees. Or maybe he felt bad over how often his reluctant friend ruined her clothes and wanted to make it up to her by acting as a pack mule. After all, she regularly repaired his hat when it got damaged. Mentally, she made note to play one of his silly games next time he asked. If he was making this much of an effort, she should too.

Strolling down the street, she glanced about, trying to decide where to go next. There was a bookstore, a patisserie, more shoe stores, and some dress boutiques she definitely wanted to check out, but maybe they could duck into the toy store for a little while and see if they could find a new beetle-catching net. Best to reward good behavior now so he wouldn’t get antsy and ruin the rest of her shopping plans.

“Hey, why don’t you try on those dresses?”

Glancing over to the shop window Luffy was pointing at, she did a double-take. A high-end boutique loomed before them, gorgeous white gowns featured prominently in the display window. Lace veils draped softly across the mannequins’ shoulders, and gem-studded tiaras and jewelry caught the early afternoon sunlight.

Jaw dropping, Nami stared at him. “You want me to try on wedding dresses?!”

The captain seemed bemused at her reaction. “Why not? You like fancy dresses, don’t you?”

“Yeah, except I’m not getting married, Luffy!”

“But you looked pretty in the one you wore on Thriller Bark.”

“I’m not saying I didn’t, but I wasn’t exactly happy with the idea of getting married then, what with the kidnapping, remember?” she cried, too flabbergasted to smack him over such a ridiculous idea.

Crossing his arms (which was no simple feat, given how they were covered in her bags) he cocked his head to the side. “So, you wouldn’t marry someone who kidnapped you?”

“Of course not!”

A look of relief crossed his face. “Good.”

Sighing, Nami rubbed her temples in exasperation. Perhaps she was overreacting. Luffy was generally clueless about girly stuff like weddings and romance, so maybe he didn’t realize how crazy his suggestion had been. All she had to do was distract him with something else, and he’d drop the topic entirely. There had to be a food stall or butcher shop nearby…

“But if you did get married, you’d have to leave the Sunny, right? I mean, husbands and wives usually live together, and if he were on another crew…” he trailed off.

An unusually serious expression had taken over her captain’s perpetually smiling face, and her frown deepened. “What’s all this about, Luffy? Are you worried about Big Mom coming after Sanji-kun again?” It certainly crossed her mind often enough. She didn’t blame the blonde cook for never telling them about his past, or his royal lineage, and even if he had, none of them could have predicted he’d nearly get married off because of it. “I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen; for better or for worse, she’s more likely to kill him on sight than make him marry any of her daughters.”

“But Sanji seemed to like Pudding. What if they do get married? When people get married to someone on another crew, they leave,” Luffy replied, chewing on his lip in thought. “I mean, Baby 5 left ‘Mingo to be with Sai. How am I supposed to become King of the Pirates without my nakama?”

A surge of sympathy welled up inside her. Had Luffy ever been to a normal wedding where no one was being forced or blackmailed? If not, it made sense that he’d be paranoid, given the horrible examples they’d dealt with.

“Luffy, from what Law-kun’s told me, Baby 5 was treated like crap by her crew, especially Doflamingo. He called her family, but really, he was just using her. Don Sai just gave her a way out, kind of like how you helped me break away from Arlong. People stay with the captains that make them happy.”

“Hmmm, I guess so.” Lifting his head, his expression remained pensive. “And if she’s already married, no one can take her away and make her join their crew, right?”

Nami had yet to meet Baby 5 personally, but from what Law and Robin had told her, some concern was warranted; after all, the woman had gotten engaged eight other times simply because a man had “needed” her, not because she loved them. Even though he despised Doflamingo with a burning passion, Law had admitted that his former captain murdering her various grooms had probably been for the best. Luckily, the respect and emotional stability Sai provided was doing wonders. Nami had heard from Bepo that when the Heart Pirates had crossed paths with the Happo Navy not long ago, Baby 5 had ignored Law’s request for a glass of water for a full twenty minutes.

Of course, she’d eventually caved and brought him a whole barrel of water, but progress was progress. Law was apparently so impressed he hadn’t even glared at her when she slapped him. Nami was just glad they both seemed to be healing from the mental and emotional scars Doflamingo had given them.

“Well, I can’t say she won’t get kidnapped, but you can be sure her husband will rescue her, and she won’t be joining any other crew,” Nami assured with a smile, hoping to finally put this rather strange conversation to bed. “Being a good husband is like being a good captain—if a man looks out for his wife’s needs, protects her, and cares for her, she’ll do the same, and he’ll never have to worry about her leaving him.” Of course, there was more to it that, but she really didn’t want to explain the more intimate stuff to him. She wasn’t even entirely sure he knew what sex was, and she had neither the energy nor patience to give him the Talk.

Her words seemed to make something click in Luffy’s mind, and the serious glint returned to his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders, put down her bags, and sank to one knee.

“Nami, will you marry me?”

The navigator’s hands slapped over her mouth in utter shock. People started to cheer, a small crowd forming around them to offer congratulations. There was a flash, and Nami noticed a photographer out of the corner of her eye, probably hoping to cash in on the “happy couple’s” moment.

A thousand emotions surged through her, most of them varying shades of confusion, with a heaping helping of fury mixed in. What the hell was he doing? Marry Luffy? Was he delirious from hunger? Was this a prank? Would she be Monkey D. Nami? Where was the ring? If he became King of the Pirates, would that make her Pirate Queen? Did this entitle her to a bigger share of the treasure? How long had he been planning this?

What the hell would Law think?

Unfortunately, before she could give voice to any of the jumbled thought spinning about her mind, a completely different question came from the crowd.

“Wait, isn’t that Straw Hat Luffy?”

“The pirate?!”

“Holy crap, and that’s Cat Thief Nami!”

“Call the Marines!”

“Shit!” Nami cursed, and Luffy seemed to agree, grabbing her hand (and her bags) as they made a run for it, the gaggle of well-wishers swiftly turning into an angry mob.

Later, when she had calmed down and was safely back on the ship, she’d have a good laugh over it. Only someone like her captain could cause such mayhem with a simple marriage proposal.

That wouldn’t be for a while, though, as she was too busy freaking out while winding through the confused crowd until Luffy managed to pull them into an alley long enough for her to throw up her Mirage Tempo and render them invisible.

So much for a day of retail therapy, Nami groused, watching the mob stampede past, shouting that the Straw Hat pirates were in town. A couple of them poked their heads into the alley, but the illusion held true and the mob moved on, calling for someone to contact the marines.

The danger having passed, she dropped the illusion and smacked Luffy over the head with her Clima-Tact, at last free to focus her full wrath on her companion. “Monkey D. Luffy, you’ve got five seconds to explain why the hell you just proposed to me in front of everyone!” she whispered harshly, hands gripping his vest so hard she was pretty sure it would rip. “You didn’t even get me a ring! You should know I’d never say yes to anything that’s not at least 200 karats!”

“Shoot, I knew I forgot something!” he said, snapping his fingers.

“What you forgot is that I asked you a damn question! What the hell were you thinking?!”

The murderous look in her eyes told him she wasn’t in the mood for games, and he immediately panicked. “That if we get married, no one can make you join their crew!”

“Idiot!” she growled, slamming her fist down onto his head. “You think that’s reason enough for us to get married? You’re not even my type! You’re…” she trailed off, struggling to find the right words. Luffy was a lot of things to her, but a potential romantic partner was definitely not one. He was immature, reckless, a fool, and one of the most ridiculous men she’d ever met. He had no fashion sense, couldn’t be refined if his life depended on it, and had no appreciation for treasure or the finer things Nami coveted.

On the other hand, he was also loyal, caring, strong, fun-loving, always able to make her laugh, and perhaps one of her closest friends. The bond they shared was unspoken and unbreakable; one that had kept her at his side throughout his insane antics and dangerous adventures. She couldn’t say he wasn’t handsome, either, especially on the rare occasions when he cleaned up and wore a suit. And sometimes, when he was being particularly heroic, maybe her heart would flutter a little bit, but she was sure that was purely admiration that her silly friend was willing to put everything on the line for what he believed in.

Finally, she settled on, “You’re my captain.”

“So, you wouldn’t marry a captain? But you said being a good husband is like being a good captain…”

“Luffy, explain yourself right here and now or I’ll tell Sanji-kun to only make vegetarian meals for a month!”

“I’m just…do you want to join Law’s crew?”

“What?!” Shocking as the question was, Luffy not calling him Tora-o nearly short-circuited her brain. Even though she’d mostly dropped the silly nickname, the rubber man insisted on using it no matter how much it annoyed the doctor. Heck, it was probably the exact reason why he kept it up. It was pretty amusing to see how flustered and grumpy Law got over something so silly.

Using his proper name meant that Luffy wasn’t joking around.

He rubbed his arm nervously as he stared at the ground like a scolded puppy. “I know he’s smarter and more serious than me, and you’re always complaining about how I attract trouble, and his powers are a lot better at keeping you safe and are great for stealing treasure…”

Seeing her normally happy-go-lucky captain so pensive diminished some of her anger, and her fingers fell away from his shirt. “Luffy, there’s no way in hell that I’m leaving the Straw Hats, not even for Law-kun. And what’s any of that got to do with marrying you?”

“Well, Sanji’s been crying about how someday he’s gonna ask you to be his wife and steal you away from us. Whenever he shows up, you always make time for him, even though you always say you’re too busy to play with us. Then Usopp said Law told him he’s gonna marry you and you’ll have sixteen kids together and—”

“Usopp’s a damn liar and Sanji-kun’s completely overreacting! I’m sorry if I haven’t been spending as much time with you, but you’re being ridiculous!”

Earnest black eyes finally met hers. “But last time he came by, I heard you call him ‘Captain Law.’ You don’t call me ‘Captain Luffy.’”

Red bloomed across her cheeks. She only called her lover “Captain Law” when they were roleplaying; he’d be the enemy pirate threatening her crew unless she convinced him to spare their lives. Luffy must have overheard them last time Law’d cornered her in the cargo hold. She really hoped that was all he’d heard. Law loved dirty talk, and he got particularly graphic when she called him “Captain.” She’d nearly died of mortification when Robin had stumbled across them one time. If her dim-witted, loose-lipped captain had been eavesdropping…

Oblivious to her embarrassment, Luffy continued, “I mean, I get you two are together, but he’s always talked about stealing you away. It’s my job to protect you in every way I can.” There was a flash of fear in his eyes as his fists clenched. “Rayleigh said not every problem can be solved by beating people up, though. So, I thought if I married you first, no one could take you away, and I’d stay your captain. Sanji said we needed to do something fast before you got your heart stolen, otherwise you’ll be under his spell! I didn’t know Tora-o could use magic!”

I’m going to kill Sanji-kun, she thought viciously. Maybe Law, too. I told him we needed to be more discrete! Surprisingly, she wasn’t really that mad at Luffy anymore; she was almost impressed that he was trying to solve a problem with his head, not his fists. Plus, his reasons were so stupidly sincere it was almost like getting mad at a child. “Look, Law-kun and I might be in a relationship, but even if he asked me to join his crew, I’d stay with you; the Straw Hats are my nakama, remember?”

“But if we got married, he wouldn’t even ask. He’d know you’re a Straw Hat forever.”

“He does know it; I made that very clear to him when you two were constantly forcing me to wear your hats.” She owed Law an apology, though. He’d insisted Luffy was staking a claim on her, yet she’d brushed off his concern as petty jealousy. He was possessive and paranoid, but for once, it seemed justified.

Actually, no, she wasn’t going to apologize. If she admitted he had been right, he’d be insufferable for months and there was the high probability that he really would kidnap her.

Her reassurance wasn’t as effective as she’d like. “He’s not the only one who might take you away, though. Lots of guys want you, like Absolom and Sanji’s brothers, and Shiki tried to make you join his crew because you’re such a great navigator.” Ducking his head, the brim of his hat cast his eyes in shadow as he whispered, “I used to think I was strong enough to protect everyone, but I was wrong. I couldn’t stop Kuma from sending away my nakama. I couldn’t save Ace. I don’t want to lose you, too.”

Her heart bled a little at his voice. She’d never seen him so insecure. He was always so happy-go-lucky, but this must have been eating at him for a while. Yes, Law was more serious and imposing and intelligent, whose crew was obedient and would never dream of talking back like the Straw Hats did to Luffy. When people looked at him, no one questioned whether or not he was the captain. He was a sharp dresser, devilishly handsome, quick-witted and exuded cool confidence. One could even argue he had cooler powers, and he could use a sword, and he was a doctor. To the untrained eye, Law was everything Luffy wasn’t.

She was suddenly reminded of something Luffy had said back at Arlong Park.

“I can’t use swords! I don’t know how to navigate a ship! And I can’t cook! Or lie! And I’m pretty sure I can’t live without being helped!”

At the time, those words had been a statement of defiance, proclaiming that he was ok with his weaknesses because he was strong enough to beat the Fishman, but a lot had happened since then. Was he scared of losing people because he knew he needed them? Or was he scared because those limitations might be what cost him the people he loved? If he’d been a little stronger, or a little faster, or had powers like Law’s, would they have been separated back in Sabaody? Would Ace still be alive?

Nami wanted to hit him and hug him at the same time. How dare he question her loyalty? How dare she not notice one of her closest companions had been hurting?

One thing was certain; she definitely had to make more time for this idiot if he thought she wanted to leave.

She settled for squeezing his shoulder comfortingly, promising, “Being someone’s wife would never affect my loyalties. I swore a long time ago I’d help make you Pirate King; after all you did to save me from Arlong, it’s the least I can do. So you don’t need to marry me, Luffy. Besides, you shouldn’t marry someone you aren’t in love with.”

“Robin says that plenty of people have gotten married without being in love to strengthen alliances,” he replied with a grimace. “It’s everywhere in her books. And Tora-o always insists we’re in an alliance…”

It was shit like this that made Nami all the more annoyed that Law refused to just admit he and Luffy were friends. “Well, that’s not for us. He’d be an absolute idiot to suggest it, because he knows you wouldn’t just hand me over like that. It’ll be a cold day in Hell when I let a couple of reckless, stubborn captains use me as a bargaining chip.”

Her stern declaration seemed to help him relax, though he still looked thoughtful. “You said you shouldn’t marry someone you don’t love, but you didn’t say you wouldn’t marry Tora-o.” Dark eyes stared at her curiously. “Do you love him?”

“Wha—I don’t know, Luffy!” she said, exasperated. “I mean, we only just accepted we’re in a relationship and not just sleeping together.” She really wasn’t sure what she felt for the dark doctor. In the beginning, it was just sex, but the more they ran into each other, the more she found herself enjoying his company even when he didn’t have her pinned to the nearest flat surface. Once she got past the creepiness, he was pleasant company; she enjoyed hearing about his adventures with his crew and even some of the medical procedures he’d done in the past, so long as he didn’t get into the gory details. Whenever she talked about weather patterns or natural phenomena, he never brushed off her explanations as “a mystery” and at least tried to pay attention. Lately, she especially liked how he’d quietly read in the library while she worked on maps with Bepo or kept her company while she picked her mikans, content to just be in her presence. She even found herself missing him at random times, wishing she could just hear his voice or see that cocky smirk.

Was that love? Did Law feel the same warm contentedness when she was around, the same ache when she was gone? Or was he less attached, simply pleased to have a gorgeous and intelligent bedmate to make his alliance with Luffy more tolerable?

She really didn’t like the way her chest tightened at that thought. This kind of introspection was way too heavy for what should have been a nice, relaxing shopping trip; it was much better suited for a late-night glass of wine with Robin. Given Luffy’s now-apparent fear that she’d leave him for Law, he was definitely not the right person to discuss her confused feelings with.

“Whether or not we’re in love, I don’t see marriage on the horizon anytime soon,” she assured, though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “They call it the old ‘ball and chain’ for a reason. Getting married to anyone would totally cramp my style! Wedding rings especially repel the dumb creeps in bars I like to steal from. So, quit worrying so much, ok?”

More astute than she gave him credit for, he didn’t buy her forced cheer. “It’s just—I don’t want you to leave, but I also don’t want you getting left.” For a moment, Nami swore she could hear Luffy’s teeth grind together. “Back in Fuchsia, a few people started calling Makino-chan terrible names. The mayor said it was because she loved someone who left her behind, and he didn’t marry her first. Ace offered to marry her so they’d stop, but she turned him down, so we beat them up instead.”

An understanding frown touched her lips. “Are people calling me names?” If they were, there would be hell to pay.

“I heard Tora-o call you a few of them.”

“When?”

“When I heard you call him ‘Captain.’”

Her blush returned tenfold as she screamed inside her head. “Ok, Luffy, Law-kun has permission to call me those names, but only when I call him ‘Captain.’ It’s…kind of a game we play.” She really had no interest in explaining the ins-and-outs of her and the Surgeon of Death’s dirty talk and roleplay to the rubber man. Hell, she’d been uncomfortable enough explaining it to Robin, and she knew for a fact the older woman was into way kinkier stuff. “But I absolutely understand why that upsets you, so if you ever hear it again, just stop listening and walk away. Preferably to the other side of the ship.” Mainly because Nami was certain, if the hard look in his eye was anything to go by, Luffy would beat the crap out of her lover if he didn’t. Which was sweet, she had to admit.

“It’s a game?”

Nodding emphatically, she replied, “Yes, it’s a special, secret game only he and I know about, and it can only be played with two people.”

Luffy actually rolled his eyes. “I know you’re having sex, Nami. I’m not stupid.”

He laughed as she buried her face in her hands, the beet red tips of her ears clashing horribly with her copper hair. “Shishishi! Rayleigh told me there are people who are into some pretty weird stuff, so I shouldn’t judge, but it’s ok to step in if I think someone’s getting hurt. If you’re ok with Tora-o saying that stuff, I promise not to punch him for it. I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t being mean to you!”

“Thank you,” was her muffled response. She wasn’t sure if she should be grateful that his mentor had taught him about sex or horrified. The old man was kind of a pervert, but at least she didn’t have to treat Luffy like a little kid. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she managed to meet his eyes. “I swear, I’m ok with it so long as it’s in private. If you ever hear him or anyone else call me stuff like that in public, though, bash their face in.”

“Can do!” he said enthusiastically, toothy grin once again splitting his face. Rubber arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his chest in a near-crushing hug. “I don’t want you to leave, but I promised Genzo I’d never break your heart. If you want to marry Law…”

Despite the blush lingering on her cheeks, a small, warm smile curved her lips. “I’ll tell you what, Luffy; traditionally, if a guy wants to marry someone, they have to ask her father for permission. Genzo’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a dad, but there’s no way Law would go all the way to the East Blue for that. So, as my captain, I’m letting you stand in for him.”

“So, if Law doesn’t get my permission, he can’t marry you?”

Normally, Nami was the sort of woman who would be annoyed at the idea that any man felt he could dictate her love life, but for Luffy, she’d make an exception. If it eased his fears and ensured she would never have to deal with this conversation again, she didn’t mind so much. It would probably be a moot point, anyway; Law didn’t seem the marrying type, and while she wasn’t against the idea, at the moment she was more interested in having adventures and fulfilling her dream.

Still, that didn’t quite dispel the image of her walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress with a handsome, tattooed doctor waiting for her.

A loud growl interrupted the moment, and Luffy pulled away, rubbing his head bashfully.

“I know I said I wouldn’t mention meat…”

“Well, things seem to have calmed down, so let’s get you some food,” Nami laughed, pulling him out of the alley. “I’ll even treat, just this once.”

“Really?!”

“Within reason, and only because it’s cheaper than a wedding banquet.”

It didn’t escape her notice that a certain straw hat was plopped onto her head by the time they reached the food vendor, nor did it escape Luffy’s that she kept it on the rest of the day.

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sparda3g · 5 years

Text

One Piece Chapter 843 Review

It’s safe to say Orochi is the guy you want to see get the worst outcome. I know this is sadist speaking, but Oda really knows how to bring out your dark side, wishing a bad person ill. At least it’s fictional, so take all your anger out. If you don’t feel frustrated, this chapter will help you.

The last chapter did in fact shock me. I didn’t think Yasuie would die, since this is One Piece; no death policy universe. It made me feel bad and sad, and the flashback here reflects that. He was always a nice guy with good-hearted intention. Sure, he was rough, but you can tell he wanted the best for everyone. It’s sad to know that Samurai always knew him yet they’re guilty to not realizing nor meeting him. Sadly, it’s too late. All in all, this was a tragic death that actually got me feeling sad again.

The reactions from every members and others are depressing. Majority of them cry and weep for their fallen friend. The town’s reaction got me extraordinarily upset like Zoro, who is ready to paint the town red. I have to remind myself that it’s all because of SMILE, so I calmed. I got to say, I really feel the pain Hiyori is feeling. You can tell the misery she has to suffer for 20 years with this insanity, calling it true hell. If not, what is? That’s heavy. I love the glare from Zoro. He’s so ready to slash Orochi into millions of flesh.

The news of Yasuie spread so far, it even reached to Udon Prisoner’s Mine. If Luffy was at town, he would tag along with Zoro and bazooka the hell out of the townspeople. The news also reached to Onigashima, where Kaido is at. The fact he actually called Orochi sick says a lot. This is coming from the most powerful man currently, and he’s calling Orochi a twisted guy? Translation: Orochi is the garbage tier worst.

As emotional ride it was, the main focus is the most interesting piece so far in this arc. I won’t go over every detail, but the explanation behind SMILE is very interesting because of how it ties up everything since the first mention of SMILE. One user brought up a mention from DoFlamingo a long time ago before Part 2 about “the World of Smile.” I wouldn’t bypass it since Oda is really good at world building, even if it asks for your full attention every time. Either way, kudos for bringing it up because that’s just incredible.

The functionality of Smile Fruit is frightening as hell, but explains a lot behind the clans or groups. The fruit was designed for Kaido to strengthen the ranks of his followers to become the most dominant group to reckon. As if Kaido alone wasn’t enough; goodness gracious. It sounds like a wishful thinking, but the gamble is severe. If lucky, you will be granted with power. If not, you will lose the ability to emote anything but smile, which ties to SAD. The crazy part is the chance is pretty slim, like 10% chance with ten people.

I was overwhelmed with the functionality alone, Oda goes into explaining the factions of Kaido. Waiters are those for who are in line to try, Gifters are those who are rewarded, and Pleasures are those who have failed. The astonishing part is how this information explains the characters’ design. Usually, fans just accept them because it’s One Piece; there’s always a wacky design. While that is true, who would have thought they have a meaning to the plot itself; from beast to forever-happy pirates. Seeing Caesar there made me hate him again. Supposedly he had this redemption arc I think, but knowing him being fault behind this needs tons of repair.

If you are somehow, someway still neutral about Orochi, the explanation behind the town Ebisu will convert you. Oda knows how to make the worst scumbag that you would absolutely love to see them get the worst treatment. Orochi is one of them. He is the sole reason that corrupted the town, all because he was tired of the leftover’s sorrow. He thought, “They have been sad for too long. How about I put a smile on their face!” That he did by deceiving everyone there for believing he was saving them. That piece of shit.

The worst part is he knew the people were hungry, yet he treated them with a failed fruit. That’s why the explanation went long as it did; brought you to understand the damage and how much of a scumbag they are. As a whole, it was very interesting with an informative detail that not only connects everything, but gave us a taste of these damages. It’s downright cruel, but since it is designed to hate Orochi, mission accomplished with a lot of bonuses of hate.

I have to admit, the Toko scene is painful to watch. Imagine seeing a child trying to express sadness but could only smile at her father’s demise. Imagine seeing a child denying the reality, believing the toad oil will cure him. Imagine seeing the piece of shit ready to kill a child in front of forced-smiling audience. That’s Toko’s scene. It’s horrific, quite disheartening honestly, and nothing has set off yet. I even felt the intensity of a murder about to take place. This series doesn’t kill characters off that often, but the emotions are well presented.

The ending got me incredibly hyped for two reasons. One is Zoro, saving Toko and is seriously ready to kill Orochi. I actually want him to fight Orochi; that is if he is truly good at swords. More importantly, Sanji enters as well. The crazy part is, they haven’t seen each other in a long time, both real-life and in-story timeline. I heard it’s been nine years, so this reunion feels remarkable. What I’m interested is their teamwork, clearly the unusual team since they both detest each other. How is that going to work out? Don’t know but paint me excited.

This was a very interesting and gripping chapter. The sadness of Yasuie’s death continued to spread, now with more reasons to feel bad. The story behind SMILE was very interesting, compelling, and frustrating because of its use. The artwork lies on the tension and it had me floored. The last page is interesting with the unfriendly pairing. I should note that Sanji was very pissed at Orochi for using the fruit to “help” the people. Never pissed off a chef. Next chapter, please!

#one piece #chapter 943 #review #spoilers

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my-muses-in-op · 5 years

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Cleaning

Marco went thorugh the crates that was left behind by his family. When they had went to free Ace, they had stripped the Moby Dick of unnecessary things, mostly personal stuff. A good call, consider what happened to the Flag ship and the others. Some hadn’t returned home, fallen on the battlefield. Marco had mae sure that thier belongings and other things were sorted out. Some had family and those families had gotten the things to go through themselves.

Left was four crates, beside his own. Without goint through them, he had taken them along and for 1½ years, they had been just there. Now he finally felt ready to take up on the part of sorting them out. The first crate belonged to Thatch and while Marco felt the guilt and pain in his chest, he also felt how it slowly healed, as memories of his best friends filled him. He missed him, but Marco also knew he was never really gone, as part of him was with Marco all the time.

It was a long process, one that helped the Phoenix mourn and move on. After Thatch’s crate, he went through Whitebeard’s crate. Most things, he donated to teh small village Marco was protecting. After all, this was the village Whitebeard had giving everything he had, because it was his home island. It was here his dream of gettign a family started to bloom.

The last two crates belonged to Ace and Ann. He looked at them and then let them stay unopened. Ace was death and it pained to think about how they had failed him, but Ann was still alive and so it should be her going through Ace’s belongings. They had just packed his room, believing that he would come back with them. He hadn’t. Ace had instead died while protecting his own treasure: Luffy.

A soft, but sad smile crossed Marco’s lips, as he thought about why Ace had died. Ace had died for his brother, something that fitted really well with the Whitebeard Pirates. The deathof Ace had be a meaningful one, even though the circumstances hadn’t been. Marco still felt rage, when thinking about that Ace had been on display for two reasons. One, because he was the son of Roger and two, because the marines wanted to show the world they didn’t fear Whitebeard. His death had nothing to do with Ace being a pirate or due to Ace’s own crimes. it had been a fucking show and that angered the Phoenix.

-x-

Months passed and the last thing Marco had heard about Ann, was that she was once more sailing on the sea. His mind went to the crates. For all he knew, she could be dead, as there had been nothing in the news about her. Sure, she could be laying low, but knowing her, he also knew it would be impossible for this long. Maybe she was captured?

Sighing, he decided to go through Ace’s belongings anyway. The crates took space he needed. Ann surely would understand. Ace had been Marco’s brother too and a close friend. She wouldn’t be angry that Marco went thorugh the stuff of the hothead.

Even so, it pained Marco even more than it had with Thatch and Whitebeard. Ace had been so young, barely starting to live the adult life. Marco looked at the picture in his hand. It was Ace and Ann in the middle of an argument. Why had Ace kept that one? Marco knew that the two often had bumbed heads, but that Ace had kep tthis picture out of so many happy ones, told Marco that this argument had to be something important. Marco knew he wished why, but he would defintiely keep this picture, alongside all the other pictures.

It was then he found a very old picture. He could clearly make out Ace, Ann and Luffy, the three black haired children was easy to recognize, but who was the fourth child? The blond? Marco couldn’t recall any of the twins having talked about anotherboy living with them or being their friend. However, this boy seemed to be knowing the twins and Luffy very well. Ace’s arms were slung over this blond’s neck and Luffy, while Ann was in front of Ace. All four smiling brightly, as if they competed with the sun.

Marco knew he wouldn’t get any answers and continued with the sorting. It took him all day and in the end, he didn’t feel much better than when he started. Ace still had had so many secrets. Not only the blond, but also a woman called Makino. Ace had a picture of her, her name written neatly behind it. Who was she? A crush? A friend? Marco wish he knew.

After cleaning out Ace’s crate, Marco waited a few weeks, but when no news of Ann came to him, despite having called out for his family to have them help, he decided to go through her crate. Maybe he would find some clues to where Ann could be hiding, if she was hiding. Also, Ann should know that Marco had her crates and unless she had lost it, she had part of his vivre card. If she wanted things from the crate, she should have come by long ago.

After having made up his mind, he went through the crate. ike with Ace, he found a lot of pictures, even more, telling Marco just how important the family had been to Ann and made him worry about her even more. Was she completely broken? Or was she just waiting until Luffy came back to the sea? It couldn’t be a long wait now, as the two years were almost up. Jinbe had told Marco about it.

His eyes felt on the five notebooks. Opening the first, he noticed it was a logbook over her journey with Ace, before they joined the Whitebeard Pirates. It seemed she was responsible for writing their journey down. The last entry in the journal, was note about how their crew had been disbanded, as Ace had lost to Whitebeard.

Marco didn’t read all of it, just his eyes skimmed through the pages. They had had a lot of adventures and Ann had even written down on how Ace came to get the Mera Mera no Mi and how they had trained to make him control it. A note about no more nightmares about fire had been in the entry, the only personal note there was. He wondered what that was about.

He found some answer in the follwoing notebooks. Ann’s personal logbooks. Her inner thoughts, fears and insecurity. Marco didn’t want to read them, but couldn’t stop either. He wanted to know her better, wanted to know the reason to why she had been so cold and angry, even after they fully accepted Whitebeard’s mark. What had she been through?

It was making him feel sick to know how little she had thought about herself. To read that she truly was convinced that she (and Ace) didn’t deserved the life giving to them. Apparently both had known from a very young age that they were the children of Roger. And neither had gotten any help with dealing with the fact, Marco mused.

Some things did make him smile, though. Like how she at first had been drwan to them, but refused to acknowledge it and explained it as interest purely from a logical view. She had only been fooling herself, but he could now read that this was a trait she had before joining them. He was indeed learning more about her.

He read about how she had apologized to Whitebeard, even before they official had accepted the mark. Marco remembered that day. Whitebeard had been even more convinced that Ann and Ace would join them, than he had been in a long while. So this was why. Ann’s apology and reaction had spoken clearer than her words. She had wanted to join sooner, but her love and bond with Ace was stronger.

Reading that his words had pushed them to completely and fully accepting the mark, made him smile. He could also read that it had brought some sort of peace to her mind, though the fear of rejection and to be left alone was still lingering in her. Marco could read that between the lines. He felt sad for her. She deserved happiness and to be free of the burden the world had put on her shoulders.

Now he knew why she hadn’t let anyone hear from her. At the war, the marines had confirmed to her that her existence was a crime. That she shouldn’t be alive. Marco felt anger grow anew inside of him. Ann’s worst fear had come true and it had only increased her insecurity. She probably had anxiety and depression, maybe even stress. He wished he could help her, but he didn’t know where she was or how to contact her.

With a sigh, he continued. Shock showed on his face, as he read her last entry. She had been in love? He hadn’t known and he was damn sure that nobody had known. How could she have hidden this so good? He could clearly read that she was hit hard and it was her first time being in love, but with whom? She hadn’t written his or her name.

Sitting down, Marco read the last entry over and over, trying to see if there was a well hidden hint to who she had been in love with, but couldn’t. The description matches a lot of them. Had this only been temporarily and why she hadn’t done anything? Or had it turned out to be love and her fear of not deserving it had held her back?

“Ann... I’m so sorry I never saw how much you actually suffered, yoi.” He whispered into the room, closing the notebook. Part of him regretted to ever having read her inner thoughts and secrets, while another part felt it was a good thing he had done it. Now he kind of understood her better, but it did make him feel bad. Marco had thought he knew her, but he had only known the tip of the iceberg. Only what she had wanted him to see and know of. She had never revealed what lied beneath and not even that there was more to her.

“Dammit.” He cursed and placed the notebooks back in the crate. More than ever did he wish that he could hold her tight, assuring her that she did deserve to live and that she had ever right to be loved. Wasn’t Luffy’s love a proof of that? Wasn’t their love a proof that her and Ace deserved life?

“Where are you, yoi?”

#the blue phoenix (marco)#black flower (ann)#hotheaded brother (ace)#strawhat wearing brother (luffy)#the rebel boy (sabo)#cleaning #drabble #my fanfic #long post

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aaluminiumas · 3 years

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Merry Christmas Chopper

Time flows differently at sea, especially on the Grand Line: the weather in this part of the world never followed the ordinary calendar people had outside the ocean, so a blizzard in the middle of the summer wouldn’t surprise anyone. The climate depended on the island itself, and the inhabitants stuck to their specific routine maintained throughout the years: the holidays of the Fish-Men didn’t coincide with those of the Minks thus a lucky traveler may get a chance to become acquainted with rituals and traditions of all races.

The Straw Hat Pirates had already seen a lot. That’s why Nami yearning for Christmas she last celebrated a couple of years ago, made sure that the ship steered for another Winter Island and then ordered to throw a real party. Initially, only two latched on the idea: Sanji who agreed to do anything offered by Nami, and Robin, as usual peacefully calm, whose multiple hands immediately embarked to festoon Sunny. Luffy seemed to worried about one thing only – whether they were going to have meat; Zoro followed his Captain’s suit and asked about drinks – again, following Luffy’s suit, he got punched in the head and crawled away with gloomy grumbling. As a result of the powerful blow, the swordsman deigned to hang a garland over his mat on the deck. Sanji waspishly advised not to remove it in the future in order to define the borders of the improvised botanical garden and what is the vantage point to feast the eyes upon the ugliest plant.

While Brook, Usopp and Franky were trying to part the fighters to the rippling laughter of their Captain, Chopper took advantage of the common turmoil and ran over to Nami. He had first-hand knowledge of Christmas: as resident of a Winter Island, he often celebrated the holiday. Even when other reindeer atrociously lambasted him, he kept believing in miracles and never doubted Santa and his presents. However, the presents weren’t the main concern: absolutely unspoiled, he was waiting for some other guest – the red-nosed reindeer, Rudolph, who was claimed to have been mocked himself. Since childhood he swore he would stay up till morning to see Santa and his famous sleigh; he was sure he would talk to Rudolph in the animal language asking how he managed to take the lead, to turn his flaw into an assert and to overcome the sneers. Unfortunately, Chopper kept falling asleep – and woke up with bitter frustration written upon the snout. Later in the morning he disappeared in his lab and crammed another book borrowed from shrewd Kureha who unexpectedly failed to grasp what ate him away every winter so desperately.

Nami wasn’t paying attention to the skirmish between the cook and the swordsman: she continued decorating her tangerine trees and enlaced the boughs with colored garlands even though they hadn’t yet reach the island.

“Nami,” Chopped called in a low voice awkwardly tapping his hooves against each other and snuffling, “Is… Santa coming to us?”

Puzzled by the question, the navigator nodded.

“Of course, Chopper. Santa comes to all good kids… and adults. To the bad ones too,” she narrowed her eyes, pursed her lips and slowly turned her head in the direction of the bickering friends. “But there is not enough coal for those in the whole world. It’s easier to send them to a mine.”

“Are there deer, too?” he went on, still meek and at the same time more enthusiastic. “Or is he traveling by ship? He can’t get here by his sleigh, right?..”

Nami looked at him, clearly perplexed: she wasn’t ready for such questions; practically deprived of childhood herself, she never had illusions as to Santa’s personality but the girl didn’t venture to shatter her friend’s faith in this mythological figure. To her Christmas was a day when she could finally express her gratitude and affection towards all the crew members (and to get a nice present for her outstanding navigation skills) but for Chopper it was an evening of miracles and didn’t want to wreck it all.

“Doctor-san,” Robin suddenly came to rescue with her low voice pierced with confidence, “his sleigh runs across the sky, not by the sea. Why would he need a ship if it is safer to travel above multiple dangers of the Grand Line?”

The archeologist’s words mollified the reindeer: his large woeful eyes beamed in a heartbeat. If Nami was able to fib a little, Robin would rather remain silent or elude.

“Don’t you happen to know,” Chopper hesitated for another moment rattling his hooves again, “when is he coming? I would… I would love to just have a peep… at Rudolph. I heard that he was… different from others. Just like me. But I have a blue nose…”

Even if Robin was taken aback, she didn’t reveal her astonishment in the slightest: her face remained serene and tranquil. With a small apologetic smile upon the lips, the woman shook her head and adorned his tiny antlers with a garland interwoven with a sparkling tinsel.

“Unfortunately, Doctor-san, I cannot give you a proper answer to that. The number of good kids changes from year to year, and he has to pay a visit to them all. But I am certain this time he will stay a little longer: after all, you have done so many good things that you deserve a special present.”

Encouraged by the praise, Chopper was about to start dancing: the reindeer still couldn’t get used to the fact that he was genuinely loved and cherished even though aloof and unsociable Law tended to commend him every once in a while. And if Nami expressed her emotions in quite a ribald way, Robin tried to find the right approach to everyone not resorting to punches and manipulations – even a rejection didn’t sound adamant though her voice was always firm.

“Then,” the doctor scratched his blue nose, “If you see him… can you please wake me up? I promise not to fall asleep but,” here he got embarrassed completely, “Every year I just pass out and… I would love to…”

“Of course Doctor-san,” Robin interrupted him soflty, “We’ll be on guard.”

“Don’t worry Chopper,” Nami bolstered her friend, “A mouse won’t slip by Zoro, let alone an old man with a flock of deer. We’ll take care of it!”

As soon as their inspired friend rushed to his little laboratory equipped with all the necessary things for his endless experiments, Nami crossed her arms in the chest staring at Robin with a suspicious grimace on the visage.

“I certainly love your idea,” she muttered in a low voice, “But what is that you suggest us doing? We cannot steal a deer, put a red nose on it and introduce it as Rudolph. I couldn’t even think that he’s so…”

“Flustered? Excited? This is quite obvious,” the woman adjusted a glossy purple ball on the tangerine branch so its ribbon didn’t cover the image. “He doesn’t really have someone… to share his experience with. Whether we want it or not, we… do not fully understand him.”

“So what are we supposed to do? To turn ourselves into deer?” said Nami sarcastically. “Can’t even imagine myself… this way. I’m no doe. What kind of doe… would I be?..”

“The most beautiful doe in the world, Nami-swan! You will be the most charming female deer in th–”

Robin chuckled: Sanji didn’t manage to accomplish his laudatory ode as he got maimed which nonetheless failed to cool him down.

“You’re just in time, Sanji-kun,” the woman smiled thus provoking another bout of jitter. “Do you know the legend about Rudolph the Deer?”

Soon enough the whole crew began to arrange the Christmas party for Chopper. Nami, as usual, was in charge: she succeeded to draw attention to the discussion by heavy blows and threatening stares while Robin put forward various proposals that seemed suitable. Luffy only comprehended that Chopper ‘had some wrong Christmas’ and offered to pile the deer with presents but the idea implying a thousand of meat dishes didn’t sit well with the rest of the crew. Zoro supported his Captain on the topic of presents but added on his own behalf: let the swirlybrow make a present to them all by locking himself up in the kitchen throughout the celebration. Sanji pledged to cut the swordsman in pieces and feed seagulls, deprecated. Brook proposed to compose a song – and Robin’s hands writing down more or less reasonable suggestions, started jotting something in her notebook.

“Why not write him a letter?” exclaimed Usopp out of the blue. “It won’t replace Rudolph of course but… at least we will show we care about him.”

“And then he’ll eventually understand that Marimo is a good-for-nothing sentinel who hasn’t heard the thud of the hooves,” Sanji noticed melancholically, lighting another cigarette. “What a remarkably useless plant. Shall we toss it overboard?”

“I don’t need my swords to beat the shit out of you,” hissed Zoro flaring up. “Damn you, ero-cook!..”

It didn’t take much time to put things in apple pie order and reassert the breached discipline: Nami scattered the two in different directions, and both the swordsman and the cook rubbed their heads and squabbled in hushed voices not to instigate the navigator who seemed to like Usopp’s offer.

The preparations lasted for the whole day: Robin sneaked into the farthest corner of the deck to write the letter; Sanji wearing a funny apron garnished the desserts with cotton candy. As for Zoro, he had risked to get a carver knife between the eyes and now imitated some frenzied activity – according to the cook, it was ‘frenzied enough to outshine the quickest algae drifting with the stream’. Brook, laughing, was playing a song by ear while Usopp was wrapping the presents. Nami kept things tidy: she prevented Luffy from pushing his nose into every single box he saw. Franky, though, took care of it himself: he had cut out several wooden boxes for various trinkets. Now he improved his invention and fit locks into them – exclusively by the navigator’s request so eager to keep the spirit of Christmas. Albeit none of the tasks looked hard to finish, they appeared to be time-consuming, so none of the pirated noticed when and how the warm climate gave way to pleasant frost and slight snowfall.

Chopper went out to the deck only in the evening and started perusing snowflakes, so brittle and peculiar that they seemed to be knitted. They sank into his auburn fur and didn’t melt at all as if they morphed into a scintillating garland. Back at home they looked less fragile and yet bigger; accustomed to blizzards and cold, he learnt to ignore them and now, after all those visits to hot countries, a simply snowstorms morphed into a hibernal miracle.

He remembered the first time he saw himself in the reflection of the frozen river. He remembered his resentment for himself, that blue nose, and roared smashing whatever he could smash. He remembered how he nuzzled into white and fluffy snow hoping that the color of the nose would alter, and he, Chopper, would be just like others.

He also recollected the frosty redolence Hululuk’s fur coat exuded; he recalled Kureha’s perfume mingled with the fragrance of the wind. Her hands were always tender and smelled ice while Hululuk reminded him of the first snowflakes’ scent. It dawned upon him how much he actually could reminisce: that cheerful laughter, ridiculous stories the Doctor used to tell, and those midnight talks – they spoke about everything in the world. It was almost eternity ago when Chopper lost his best friend – and they still had so much to discuss. Hiluluk always supported him, and, probably in his own manner, taught the little reindeer to keep his head up.

“Merry Christmas,” a familiar gentle voice came; Chopper sharply turned in the direction of the sound and instantly noticed a figure he knew so well: it was a tad shorter than he remembered and moved angularly but the kind smile and warm eyes made everything clear. It was exactly the person who encouraged Chopper to become a doctor.

“Doctor Hiluluk!” the reindeer darted towards the man feeling he was barely able to squelch the tears that were about gush out from the eyes. “Doctor Hiluluk!.. How did you..? You are...”

The intruder laughed in a low tone and embraced his friend caringly.

“You’ve become so big and strong,” the doctor patted Chopper by the shoulder, “Are you happy with them?.. I’ve heard a lot about you, Chopper. I am exceedingly proud of you. You have become a talented physician. You are definitely second to none.”

The little reindeer didn’t release his friend – and almost ignored the praise. Millions of questions were swarming in his head but he didn’t hurry to ask them. Hiluluk didn’t insist on a decent conversation: he kept smiling looking at the reindeer cursing himself for the cruelty he had shown in the past. How could throw him out sugarcoating his atrocity and calling it care? Why didn’t he tell the truth letting Chopper make his own decision whether to stick around or to deal with his own life? Yes, that notorious quack felt ashamed and couldn’t disappoint his friend, but at the moment, after all those years, he finally realized that it may have been the only blunder he regretted so much. If he could turn back time, nothing of it would have happened.

“They do love you,” the guest drawled squatting before Chopper. “And protect you too. I am glad to know that you have found a family… despite everything. I am so sorry that I cannot be near.”

“But you are here!” the reindeer exclaimed blinking his watery eyes. “I’ll introduce you to my nakamas. They’ll like, I assure you! Sanji will cook the pies you are so fond of, Brook will sing for you, you’ll talk to Robin and–”

With a sad smile on the lips Hiluluk shook his head.

“Alas, it won’t do.” He sighed heavily. “You have a different life now… But,” he straightened up, “I have a little surprise for you, Chopper. I know who you are waiting for. Unfortunately, he cannot…”

Robin’s soft hand touched the glossy fur. Flummoxed, Nami noticed that Chopper finally awoke and placed a small box near the adoze reindeer: it was different from those that Franky had created. This one had incised ornaments and a carving of a certain mushroom on the lid. Still sleepy, Chopper kept staring at the present: did someone do that specifically for him?

“Open it, Doctor-san. This undoubtedly belongs to you.”

Robin’s honeyed mellow voice seemed to have pushed him, and the little hooves lifted the lid. Inside, there was a handful of pink powder – the same powder his friend had been working on, – and a letter with a stamp of a deer hoof. The whole crew gathered around: Usopp failed to wake him up, and panicked alarming the rest – even Zoro, normally apathetic and detached, scowled and rushed to rescue.

The whole ship was emblazoned and festooned. Nami had cleared the place underneath her tangerines, and now neatly wrapped presents were peacefully lying there revealing the cards written in Usopp’s and Franky’s untidy yet diligent hands. Sanji was serving cocoa with little cloud of marshmallow. Exclusively for Chopper he had created rosy petals of cotton candy. Robin, normally calm, adjusted bows, knots and decorations striving to make everything look like a picture. The evergreen lawn where the crew used to sprawl and relax, turned white: no one even tried to get rid of the glistening snow which reflected all Sunny’s embers and glimmers.

“Merry Christmas, Chopper,” Nami flashed him a broad smile.

“Merry Christmas!” shouted both Zoro and Sanji and looked daggers at each other.

“Su-u-u-u-u-u-per-r-r-r-r Christmas!” Franky struck a pose raising both his arms in the air.

“Mefwy Fuwissmas!” pronounced Luffy proudly munching on the ham he’d just stolen from the kitchen. A sound of Sanji’s powerful kick muffled another sentence he was about to utter.

“We love you, Chopper!” candidly declared Usopp.

“Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!.. Merry Christmas, Chopper-san. Thank you for suturing our wounds! Though… yo-ho-ho… I don’t have skin to be sutured! Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!”

The little reindeer sniveled. Probably he should let his past go – to let it get dispersed in a blur of pink petals.

#one piece #OP #merry christmas #christmas #xmas #chopper #hiluluk #dr. hiluluk #nami #luffy #zoro #sanji #robin #franky #brook #usopp #mugiwara kaizoku #mugiwarapirates #straw hat pirates

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midnightluck · 6 years

Text

a very expensive vase (the trouble twins remix)

Marco taps his pencil on his desk and watches the clock, just like every other student in the class. Unlike them, however, he’s really hoping that it will somehow slow down.

No such luck, unfortunately, and the teacher is writing their assignment on the board. Two minutes left until school is over, and Marco dreads that final bell. He used to love it, but ever since a few weeks ago, it’s taken to signalling the start of his own private hell.

It rings anyway. He takes his time putting his notebook away and standing up, letting his classmates stream out of the room round him. There’s only so much he can delay, though, so he slings his bag over his shoulder and starts for the door.

It’s really a pretty campus, he thinks absently. Carefully manicured greenery out every window, high ceilings, pristine floors--it looks more like a mansion than a school.

If it were a mansion, the hallway he’s heading for would be the bedrooms, and he drops that metaphor the second he realizes it. It’s bad enough he’s even in this club without taking it anywhere else.

He slips past the fancy gilt sign with “Just a moment” written on it and heads for the third door on the left. He gives himself a single moment, with his hand on the knob, to close his eyes, breathe, and dread, then he cracks it open, slips inside, and opens his eyes.

Blue.

There’s blue everywhere, on the walls and the floor, which is odd because he’s fairly certain this room was yellow last week. There’s piles of blue satin and lace everywhere, and the effect is actually very nice, like waves. In fact, exactly like waves, Marco notices, taking it in; the whole room looks remarkably like an ocean.

“Marco!” someone shouts, and then something heavy and soft is dropped on his head, temporarily blinding him. “You’re late!”

“Sorry,” he says reflexively, reaching up and retrieving an oversized tricorn hat with blue and yellow feathers in it.

“Teacher kept you back?” a familiar voice asks, and he catches a heavy purple coat with his face.

“Or a pretty girl?” asks another as he fights his way free of it.

“No,” he says, shaking out the coat, “I just didn’t want to come.”

And there in front of him, is the reason. Blond and black, mischief and merriment, and both grinning at him. “Come on,” Sabo says, spreading his arms. “Welcome to the Grand Line! We’re gonna have fun this week!”

Marco looks at Sabo’s blue coat, knee high boots and ragged cravat. “Pirates, yoi?”

“You’ll love it,” Ace assures him, and he’s wearing--well. Not much at all.

Marco turns his eyes back to the purple greatcoat. “Pirates,” he sighs, and pushes between the two to head to the wardrobe room.

“Wear those lace-up sandals!” Sabo calls after him, and he wonders if he can get away with bare feet because he’s seen the heels on those things. Surely there’s something else.

There’s chaos in the back half of the wardrobe room, and Luffy pokes his head around a shelf, something oddly striped over half his head. “Hey, it’s Pineapple! Hey, Zoro, look, he came back!”

Another garment of dubious design goes fluttering over his head, and then he disappears back around the shelf. “Get back here and be careful taking that off,” comes the cool voice he knows is their treasurer’s. “If you tear it again, you’re buying the replacement. And Zoro, Marco came back! Pay up on our bet!”

“Namiiiii~” Luffy says, and Marco tunes them out as he ignores the pile clearly left out for him and goes through the racks. Purple’s not so bad, and there’s some blue capris he remembers from his first week here; that won’t clash, will it? Still, it looks more try-hard surfer bum than pirate, so he wanders to the accessory area and plucks halfheartedly at the containers and shelves until he finds a blue scarf. He doesn’t think about who it’s from, only ties it around his waist and tucks the top in.

The fabric, whatever it is, is light and slick and cool against his skin, and he doesn’t think about that either. He just keeps poking until he finds a pretty gold loop belt, and then tries to layer it over the scarf.

It’s too short, because of course it is. Everyone in this club is thin and lithe and tall and pretty, and it’s clearly not made for real people. He just tucks it in around half his waist, and calls it good enough.

He stands in front of the full length mirror, trying to guess what they’ll send him back for this time, and a grunt makes him look up in enough time to catch the silver mess coming at his face. At least, he thinks it’s silver. He hopes it is, because he does not put it past this group to have white gold or worse, platinum.

Whatever it’s made of, it’s too big to be a bracelet, and he glances up the way it came from. Zoro’s there, leaning against the wall, in greens that match his hair and only slightly more clothes than Ace. "Balance," he says, gestures vaguely.

"Balance," Marco repeats, and then his eye catches on the chain belt on one hip and he nods. You can get away with asymmetry, sure, but not unbalance, and he hates that he knows that now.

He hates that he’s here, dressing up and getting ready to put on a mask to cater to the whims of rich boys with nothing better to do than play around, but--

Well, whatever. He leans over and slips it up his calf until it sticks, just under the hem, and then looks in the mirror again. Yeah, sure, that’ll do.

He looks back to Zoro to be sure, and he’s got his eyebrows up.

“What?” Marco asks, only half defensively. Zoro’s pretty all right, most of the time.

“Nothing,” Zoro says, pushing away from the wall and walking off.

Most of the time, Marco decides, does not include now. Whatever, it’s good enough.

He heads back out into the main room and the chaos there. “Places!” Chopper shouts, waving his little arms. “Everybody, places! We’re open in three!”

Marco wanders over to the staging wall, staring blankly at the small wooden tables that almost look like they’re made of ship wood or crates. Still elegant, of course, but with just the right touch of rustic to lend to the sea-going atmosphere. A set-up like this clearly wasn’t cheap, and it was just for the sake for playing pretend pirates.

Speaking of, was that a bit of salt in the air? Franky was really getting creative with the sets, wasn’t he?

Chopper’s keeping a countdown going and Marco steps into his place, behind and to the right of the trouble twins. Sabo’s whispering harshly, jabbing a finger into Ace’s chest, and Marco fixes his eyes on the doorway and tries to avoid listening in.

“--all about you,” Sabo is saying, and then there’s a short scuffing noise.

“Maybe it should be,” Ace says back, and Sabo makes the most disbelieving noise Marco’s ever heard--and he has a lot of younger siblings.

“You’re just jealous--” Sabo says, and Chopper makes a loud noise and yells about one minute left.

“So what if I am?” Ace snaps back, and Marco’s eyes drift towards them.

“Of whom, Ace?” Sabo asks, and then Luffy comes bounding over.

“I’m a pirate!” he shouts, one hand on his ever-present straw hat. “I’m gonna be the best pirate ever! King of the pirates!”

Ace catches him when he jumps, and laughs as he sets Luffy back down, smile in place like nothing ever happened. “You certainly are,” he says, and scoots over to let Luffy have the middle of the formation.

“Thirteen seconds!” Chopper shouts, twirling in panicked little circles. “Places! Where’s Sanji?!”

“Here,” Nami says, shoving Sanji out of the wardrobe room. “Get to work! And Zoro, don’t forget my money!”

Zoro scowls and slides down to sit beside Luffy, leaning back on what looks suspiciously like actual sword scabbards. Marco counts three of them, probably because Zoro can. He really hates this rich-people school sometimes.

“We’re open!” Chopper shouts, and then dives forward to sit on Zoro’s outstretched leg. “Everybody smile!”

And they do. The door swings open, to gasps and chatter, and it’s only been two weeks but Marco knows, now, how to tip his chin and let his eyelids droop and chant “Welcome!” in perfect unison.

“Ooh, pirates!” someone says, clapping their hands, and the chaos begins.

Marco knows his role by now; he knows how to take the client’s hand and bow over it (but not kiss it) and welcome them softly and hand them off to their tables. He’s still the greeter here because this is their definition of both watching and training. Luckily, Marco’s always been a fast study.

Luffy’s the center of attention at his table as he bounces and talks about all the adventures he wants to go on, and, more importantly, all the meats he could try as a pirate. Zoro’s behind him, as usual, and Marco’s not at all worried about that table getting out of control.

Sanji spins past him with a tray full of delicate cups and petit-fours. He’s crowing about the beauty of flowers, and Marco tries not to look at the filigree metal towers of delicate sweets swaying precariously.

“Right this way, Princess,” he says instead, cutting his eyes back to...oh, Mary? Maria? Malina? Something with “ma”, certainly. She’s enough of a regular that he should know her name, but he knows her preference instead and that’s more important.

It’s a complicated dance, getting everyone set up at proper tables, because there’s a balance between small, intimate groups and making sure their guests get the best match. Here comes Belia, for example, and she prefers to sit at Luffy’s table, but Luffy already has three girls--he can seat her to the side and ask her to wait, but it’s too early for turnover, but Chopper’s got a free place and he’s hyper today, so maybe--

He’s already bowing over the next guest’s hand and murmuring, “welcome, princess,” as he calculates places, when he glances up to see which host their eyes are on and freezes.

He stares up, and Haruta who absolutely does not go to this school looks back, smile growing at the same speed as the dread in his stomach. Oh shit, oh shit, this is not good--

Sanji swirls past him and subtly kicks the back of his knee, and he grits his teeth and barely manages to turn the collapse into an awkward kind of dip that might be mistaken for a bow if you’d never actually seen one.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, standing up, and glances around; Haruta’s next to Whitey Bay, the second year pre-med daughter of the pharmaceutical zaibatsu, likes purples and camomile tea and--

And suddenly, out of nowhere, Sabo is right beside him. "Now, now," he says, taking Haruta's other hand. "That's not how you treat a lady, Marco," and he looks Haruta over and adds, "or a guest. What's your type?" he asks, leaning in and lowering his eyelids. "How can we please you today?"

Haruta, Marco notices, looks absolutely delighted, and is probably about to request Marco, he can just tell, so he cuts his eyes to the side and says, “Miss Bay, as I recall, you do quite enjoy the company of our resident doctor, don't you? Please, just this way.”

He offers her his arm and she takes it, letting him lead her over to Trafalgar’s table. He hands her down into her chair and leans in to murmur, “if there’s anything we can do to make your stay more pleasant, just say the word, yoi,” because scripts are scripts and guests are always the first priority.

She smiles at him and her dimples are adorable. He bows once more and steps back, turning at the last moment and cutting his eyes back towards her just once more. She smiles coyly, and he offers a tiny smile back before he’s finally free to look around again.

Sabo’s leaning in towards Haruta, still standing in the middle of the room, and Marco...doesn’t know what to do. He needs to resume his place as greeter, but he does not want to go back over there.

At just that moment, Sabo throws back his head and laughs, his perfect staged “real” laugh. It has all the hallmarks of proper amusement except it’s also attractive enough that Marco knows he practiced in a mirror, because Sabo’s real laugh is an ugly affair, full of flushed cheeks and awkward snorting noises.

Still, he doesn’t let go of Haruta’s hand; he just steps backwards and leads them both over to the large “ship deck” where Ace is holding court. He pulls out a chair and hands Haruta down into it, and Marco cuts his eyes away and gets back to greeting.

He makes it through the next two hours, somehow, by avoiding Sabo’s and Ace’s tables as much as he can. No one even notices because it’s not like it’s unusual behaviour for him, not really. He always tries to stay away from their tables while they’re working if he can.

Haruta leaves a bit before they close without any prodding from Marco, which is terrifying. He lets the last guest drag their fingers away from his hand with obvious reluctance, and he watches her leave, making sure his small smile is in place and his head is tilted just so. Body language may be subconscious, but, as Sanji says, it works.

Then the last girl’s gone, out through the door, and Chopper closes it and everyone sags in place. “Wow,” Ace says, running a hand through his carefully-styled hair. “That was worse than normal.”

“Everyone likes pirates,” Luffy says cheerfully. “Sailing! Meat! Freedom!”

“Mmm,” Sabo says and stretches, popping his spine. “Well? Are we in the black?”

“You know we are,” Nami says, counting a stack of cash. “Theme days always make bank. Hmm, this is a good start.”

“Start?” Marco repeats, eying the pile of bills stacked neatly across an entire table.

“Sure,” Nami says. “Looks like...hmm, you only have a few hundred thousand belli left on your debt.”

“But that’s--that’s what I started with, yoi!”

“Yeah, but now it’s 300 belli less.”

“Three--”

A hand lands on his shoulder. “Go home,” Zoro advises. “You’re not going to win this fight.”

And he’s not, Marco knows--no one wins a fight against Nami when money is on the line. His shoulders sag and he sighs, loud and long and depressed.

No one stops him as he heads back into the dressing room, but he rushes through getting changed anyway because--

“You did good today,” Ace says, and Marco whirls to find him leaning against the wall just inside the door.

Marco nods, swallows, and then eventually says, “Thanks, yoi.”

“You’re a fast learner, and a natural, too. We’ll have to get you on tables soon; the competent older brother type is always in demand.”

“I’m not--” Marco starts, but, well, no, he kinda is, isn’t he? Still, tables are a whole new level of fresh hell he is absolutely unprepared for.

“Hey,” Ace says, pushing off the wall to take a step towards him “Look, I know you think this club is dumb--”

“I don’t--” Marco says, even though he absolutely does.

“--and shallow--”

“It’s not--”

“--and that we’re contemptible and taking advantage of both the girls and ourselves--”

“I…”

“--but the thing is,” Ace says, taking another step, and the shadow in his eyes makes Marco shut up. “The thing is, is this is important. Maybe not to you, but to us, to me, to Sabo--there’s a reason that we do this. A lot of reasons, and...well.” He stops, and his eyes skitter away from Marco’s, who stares back. “Just--you can hate this if you want to. You can hate us if you need to. But at least...try to respect why we do it, yeah? Sabo--” and he cuts off and shuts up, standing there with clenched fists and red cheeks, and takes a second to just breathe. “We deserve that much, at least. Don't we?”

Well, and maybe they did, and maybe Marco has been judgemental, and maybe he hasn’t thought to try understanding them and this club and this school and this whole nightmare, but that’s because, “You’re blackmailing me to be here, yoi.”

Ace stares at him, then his eyes close and his hands go loose and his mouth crooks up. “Yeah,” he says softly. “Yeah, okay. I can see why you’d think that. Okay. That’s--that’s fine.” And he turns and walks away.

Marco stares after him. This club makes no damn sense, he swears--this club and this school and these boys and the thing in his chest that feels oddly like guilt. It doesn't make sense and he doesn’t like any of it.

But he can’t just stand here in the dressing room half-changed all day, so he finishes putting his shirt on, makes sure his tie is just the right kind of crooked--the kind he perfected by watching Law--and that his hair is the right level of wild fluff that looks barely tamed. Not that it takes much work.

Then he can leave this place and go home and lose himself in homework and family chaos and forget about this confusing place until tomorrow, at the very least.

He thinks it’ll work, too, but his hopes are dashed the second he steps out the front gate and finds Haruta and Whitey waiting for him.

He pins Haruta with laser eyes. “Why,” he says flatly, and his brother giggles and covers his mouth demurely, for all the world like any of the girls they serve.

“You should be grateful,” Whitey says, eyes dancing. “To have the privilege of escorting two such lovely young ladies home.”

“It’ll do wonders for your reputation,” Haruta says, and gloms onto his arm before he even offers it.

And shit, it will, won’t it? Everyone knows what club he’s a part of, and he can’t be anything less than perfectly gallant, not where people can see. His reputation is the club’s reputation.

So he grits his teeth and allows himself one short sharp “fine,” before he slides the elbow Haruta’s grabbed out and bows to Whitey. “Milady,” he says, and offers his other hand. “Please allow me to escort you home.”

Sighs and coos erupt around him and he fixes his face and waits until Whitey slides her fingers over his. Reputation, he reminds himself, then straightens up, turns Whitey out, and heads off towards home, head high.

“You really are good at this,” Whitey remarks as they walk. “And, apparently, good at keeping it secret.”

“You’re the only other Whitebeard who attends this school, and you don’t live at home anymore” Marco points out. “Besides. They know I’ve joined a club.”

“Yeah, but not which club,” Haruta says, dropping his arm and flouncing around to walk backwards. “You didn’t mention that.”

Thankfully, Whitey lives both close to the school and on the way home, so there’s no major detour, and even more thankfully, Haruta walks the rest of the way in silence. Marco counts his blessings and uses the time to make a to-do list. He still has to organize dinner and get started on the readings and there’s the math worksheet, and if they really are doing a cowboy theme next, he needs to brush up on his English--

And then they arrive and Marco realizes that maybe he ought to have paid more attention to Haruta after all. A quiet Haruta is not a good Haruta, and there’s a gleam in his eyes and evil in his smile when Marco opens the door and steps aside on instinct.

Haruta minces away through the front door ahead of him and calls out, “Hey, everyone! I just had the most fantastic afternoon!”

“Really?” comes Izo’s voice. “Oh, that uniform looks nice on you!”

“You’re such a brat, yoi,” Marco gripes, stopping to take off his shoes and line them up neatly.

“That’s not what you called me earlier!” Haruta carols back. “Hey, make some tea for us, Marco!”

“What I am, your servant?” he says, but he moves towards the kitchen anyway, because--well, because.

“Not a servant,” Haruta says, sitting daintily at the kitchen table next to Izo and watching him with gleaming eyes. “Consider it practice.”

“I don’t need practice,” Marco grumbles, getting himself a cup of water. His brothers can get their own tea.

“How about, if you don’t, then I’ll tell everyone exactly what club you’ve joined?”

“You know what club it is?” Izo asks, sitting up straight.

Ah, no. Okay, that--that’s not happening. “Two sugars, yoi?

Haruta grins, equal parts mischief and triumph. “Good boy.”

“Hey, no fair!” Izo says, leaning in. “What club is it? Tell!”

Marco gets out the teapot and sighs. This is his life now, apparently.

Well, Haruta’s right about one thing. It is good practice.

#Marco the Phoenix #ouran host club #dumb crossover ideas #answer in the form of a story #zoro's laughing inside because it's an armlet #but sure whatever leglet works too

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ask-justin-and-angel · 7 years

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Jag: Surprise! New format time! (also an actual story post) That speech/action alternating style has been holding me back for a bit. I'll still use it from time to time, but story posts are gonna actually contain some STORY now. Time to let my inner writer out of its cage. So let's go. Time to get this story rolling again. Let's dive in where we left off!

"* *" signifies communication via telepathy or some other nonverbal means.

I'm so, so sorry about the length of it ahead of time.

Justin starts to go down the stairs, but hesitates a few steps down. Angel puts her hand on his shoulder. "*Come on Justin, you can do this. I'm here.*" Justin takes a deep breath, then keeps moving. As he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he looks over to see Nick and his father Daniel, a tall man with an impressive moustache, talking, while his mother plays with Mimi, the family Eevee. He can hear his mom making silly sounds at her, while Mimi runs around making small, trilling sounds. In the back of his mind, he can hear an approximation of what she's saying, something along the lines of "Play play play play play fun yay wheeeeee!" He chuckles despite himself, causing Nick to turn around. "Hey little bro. 'Bout time you came down. Mom said you wanted to talk to all of us 'bout somethin'?" "Um, yeah. She asked me how the trip to Johto was, and I told her that I wanted to wait until I could tell all of you. "Well then son, come sit down and tell us then." "Okay dad." "Come on Abigail, Justin's ready to talk to us." "Oh, okay, I'll be there in a moment dear!" As they all move to the dining table, Mimi follows closely behind Abigail, still going "Play?" Justin smiles, then sits down next to Angel. Once the rest of his family has finished sitting down, he takes a deep breath. "Okay. So. Um... How to begin... Well, first off, as you can see, both Angel and I are okay, so please keep that in mind while I talk, because this is kinda... complicated..." He is greeted with silence. "I think you freaked them out Justin." He turns to look at Angel, surprised she isn't using Telepathy. "Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best way to start, but still. It's not like I can really start on a happy note, is it?" "You still could have handled that better." "I get that. But how else was I supposed to start?!" "Please don't yell at me." "Well what am I supposed to-" He stops, noticing just how quiet it is, then looks over to see his brother with raised eyebrows, his father with a stern look on his face, and his mother with her hands over her mouth. "Um...." "Bro, were you just... talking to Angel? Without Telepathy? Care to explain?" "What makes you think she wasn't-" "'Cause her eyes weren't glowin'. I'm a Pokemon researcher kiddo. I notice this kind of stuff. It's kinda my job." Justin closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. "Okay, yeah, I was talking to her. Please don't ask how. Not yet. It's... kinda part of the story." "Well now I really wanna hear 'bout your little trip." "Okay. So, the actual story doesn't really start until Angel and I were already heading back home." He then proceeds to tell them about how, when they stopped to have a quick snack, they were greeted by an unknown man, who then proceeded to attack in an attempt to kidnap Angel, when he was interrupted by his father. "I take it that you beat this ruffian then?" Justin rubs the back of his neck. "Actually... no, we didn't. He attacked with all of his Pokemon at once, which wouldn't have been as bad if he hadn't also taken the chance to attack me." At this point, his mother lets out a small gasp. "I'm fine though! I'm fine! See? Still here." "Not gonna tell them you were poisoned?" "Of course I'm going to tell them Angel, I just..." He shakes his head. "Anyways, he attacked me with Toxic, then followed up with a Venoshock, which had me floored pretty fast. Only reason he got Angel was because she turned her back on him when I got hit. Ricky was the only one still up at that point, but the poor guy got taken out as well. Then he grabbed Angel and..." He falls silent, clearly upset. "Anyways, a nearby Picnicker ran over to help me up and give me an Antidote, then she helped me get Ricky, Sandra, and Luffy to the Ecruteak Pokemon Center." "At which point you got medical help and called the police, right?" His mother asked, clearly terrified. "Um." Angel just shakes her head. "Maybe if I had been in the right state of mind, I would have. As it was, the Antidote had only dealt with some of the poison, and I was a bit loopy. So, I might have, in a delirious state, climbed one of the towers nearby in an attempt to get a better view, hoping to see her, while simultaneously leaving all of my Pokemon at the Center?" He said, rather sheepishly. His father just puts his head in his hands. "You've gotta be kiddin' me bro." "Sadly, no. And it's about to get, well... impossible. Strange and impossible." "I'm listenin'." "So, um, you're a scientist, I'm sure you've heard about the Ecruteak towers and the legends around them, right?" "I have once or twice, yeah. What of it?" "Well, what about the legendary trio? The ones brought back to life by Ho-oh?" "...Yeah. Where you goin' with this kiddo?" "So, um, don't ask me why or how, but once I reached the top of the tower, I may have succumbed to the poison and... died?" "...What." "Heh, that's how Angel reacted." "Focus Justin. Keep telling them the story before your mother has a heart attack." Justin looks over to his mother, who has gone a bit pale. Mimi is whining next to her, clearly worried. "Anyways, that's obviously not the end of the story, right? So... why I brought up Ho-oh and the trio is, well, that may have kinda happened to me?" "Son. What exactly do you mean by that? Justin says nothing, but rather gets up from the table, steps back, then summons a glowing blue bone. Nobody says anything, until Nick breaks the silence. "Is... is that a Bone Rush?" "Um... yeah?" "You can use moves now." "Yeah?" "How." "I have no idea." "Wonderful." "So, that's not all I can do. I can use Bone Rush, Flare Blitz, Protect, and Metronome. Oh, and I guess I have an ability too, I think it was Magic Guard? And to top it off, I can understand Pokemon now. Like, they talk, I hear the normal sounds, but I also hear a kind of translation in my head." "That's... impossible." "Didn't I say that?" Justin sits back down, having released the bone. "Anyways, I died, and then I woke up in the forest to the north. From what I understand, Ho-oh returned to the tower, picked up my body, took me into the forest, then revived me. When I woke up, I couldn't remember anything, then to top it off, I was attacked by a group of Magnemite. Long story short, I got upset enough running from them that I used Bone Rush without meaning to, knocking out one of them. When I realized I could fight, I stopped running and dealt with the rest of them." "*It was around this time that I woke up in a dark room with a metal collar around my neck." Everyone turns to look at Angel. "*I had no idea where I was, but I, unlike Justin, had not died, and remembered what had happened just fine. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided to do that broadcasting trick I used to do whenever Justin got lost, the feelings one.*" "While I wandered around the forest confused, I felt the broadcast, and it sparked my memories back up. I ran off in the direction of the thought, while the rest of my team was apparently not far behind, having also felt it. It wasn't long before I came up to a small mansion in the middle of the forest." "*At this point, I could feel him, so I opened my mind and told him where I was.*" "That was when I learned I could use Flare Blitz. I kinda football tackled the door down to get in. As well as to open her cell door." "Wouldn't that have left ya fairly hurt though? "...Yes?" Nick sighs. "Go on." "So, after checking on Angel and seeing that she wasn't in any immediate danger, I sat down next to her to catch my breath, since she had told me the others were on their way. Sandra broke the collar, and we all started to leave. We had just reached the exit when the guy attacked us again, this time telling his Tyranitar to use Hyper Beam. That's when I learned I could use Protect. Also, what kind of scorch pattern a Hyper Beam leaves on the ground. Anyways, I told the others to take Angel and run, which she wasn't happy about, but she followed." "Bro, this sounds like a comic book or somethin'." "You're telling me. So, the guy tells me that his name is Midas, and that he's a Team Rocket executive. Go figure. He then sends out all of his Pokemon again, and he tries to poison me yet again. Quickly learned I have Magic Guard. He then tried to send half his team to chase down the others, but I used Metronome for the first time in a panic, which turned into a Magnitude 10. He only has his Tyranitar now, which attacks with another Hyper Beam, I use protect again, Midas pulls out a gun, and I throw him off balance with another Flare Blitz, though I'm almost out cold myself at this point, then I use another Metronome, hoping I get a good one. I used Fissure, which split the land in front of me in two, collapsing part of the mansion." He stops, looking around the table. "I... think I might have killed him. When I made the fissure, he fell down it. He shot me in the shoulder on his way down, but still. I couldn't see the bottom. I never heard him hit the bottom. And he had a servant of some kind in the mansion, who was helping keep Angel hostage. I don't know what happened to him either." He stops talking, unable to look up. Angel leans over and puts her arms around him. He just leans against her, silent. "*Not long after, Officer Jenny found him wandering through the forest, with a bleeding shoulder ready to pass out. She had gone out there due to both the news of the attack on us and because Justin had caused at least two local tremors and set the mansion on fire, causing some concern. She brought him to the Center, where the doctors took care of him, though we didn't tell them everything. Just what they needed to know. And Justin's new... abilities... they didn't need to know about. Nothing else of note really happened beyond that.*" Everyone at the table is silent, still trying to process what they just heard. Daniel is the first to speak up. "Son. It sounds like... like you did a good thing. Well, maybe not a good thing. But I don't think any less of you for what happened. What's done is done." Next, his mother, trying hard not to cry. "I'm just glad you're okay! I... I don't know what I would do if I lost you..." Finally, his brother. "...Justin. This is a lot to take in. For multiple reasons. I'm sure you can guess some of 'em, so I won't bother you with 'em now. But... know this. I'm not sure what I would 'ave done if I was in your place. So I've got no room to judge. However, once your feelin' better, I want to talk to you. 'Bout several things. 'Kay?" Justin is silent. He doesn't move, though he does take a few shaky breaths, trying not to freak out. Nick gets up and heads outside. Angel shifts slightly, then stands up. "Come on. Let's go upstairs." She helps him up, then guides him towards the stairs. As the two of them head up, she can hear Justin's parents talking quietly. She opens her mind, curious. "Sometimes Abigail, I'm not sure if that Pokemon is the best thing to ever happen to our boy, or the worst." "Daniel! You know how much he cares about that Pokemon! He absolutely adores it!" "That's what I'm worried about." "Well, she was his first one after all." "I know that, I'm just sayin' that-" She closed her mind off. She had heard enough. Looks like their decision not to share everything was right. Not that Justin could know. He was having a hard enough time as it was.

Jag: So, for those of you who actually slogged through this, thank you. Question though, did you have any trouble reading it? Anything style-wise you want me to change? Cause I want to make sure people can understand what's going on when I write large amounts like this. Anyways, hopefully this is the start of me being more active again. Thanks to everyone who's stuck around till now, and welcome to any new readers I have, of which there are several (according to my follower count). Toodles!

P.S. Christ this is bigger than I thought. I am so sorry. XD

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